K-3 will be closed from K-39 south to K-47 on Wednesday, Oct. 13. The daylong closure will start at 7 a.m., when a wind tower crane will be moved across the highway between Birch Road in Bourbon County and Arrowhead Road at the Bourbon-Crawford county line.
A detour will be signed on K-146, U.S. 59 and K-39. Traffic should use the detour and other alternate routes. Persons with questions may call Kansas Department of Transportation Area Superintendent Derrick Shannon at (620) 901-6550 or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen at (620) 902-6433. For updates go to www.kandrive.org.
Why I feel Fort Scott needs Michael J. Hoyt on the city commission:
Michael is a tireless fighter for upholding the rights of the citizens and holding everyone accountable for theirs actions, 2) He authored and fought for the petition to strike down Charter Ordinance #31 (Ordinance was to make it legal to transfer funds from sanitary sewer income), which the Voters said “NO” by a 2 to 1 margin and freed up over $800,000 for our storm sewers and should double funds for our sanitary sewers, 3) He holds a law degree and uses his knowledge to interpret laws, statutes, ordinances and specifications, 4) He has the backing and support of the silent majority who are tired of the status quo, 5) He strongly believes the 1987 1% city sales tax was to be used for streets and is working hard to get it back onto the ballot to let the Voters decide the issue, 6) He is currently working on clarifying the connecting links agreement with the State of Kansas, which will put the costs of maintenance if highways 54 and 69 within the city limits, into the hands of the State. The agreement has been misinterpreted by both city and state for many years. The agreement is clear as to city and state responsibilities and Michael is the one to make it happen, 7) Michael is also working on the clarification and enforcement of K.S.A 12-825d, which clearly states the revenue from water funds are to be used “to operate, renew or extend the plant or distribution system”, payment of interest and debt, and payment of employee salaries, 8) Michael’s campaign slogan is “Do It Right” 9) Michael has been at the forefront as a volunteer for projects such as helping on the reconstruction of the Woodland Hills tennis courts, both financially and labor, and helping to install the drain behind the wall at Buck Run, 11) Michael is an advocate for Veterans, helping several to be eligible for benefits they could not obtain on their own, 12) He is promoting a GED program for prisoners incarcerated in the County Jail and pushing to establish a vaping information program for our youth in Fort Scott, 13) Michael has attended every commission meeting both city and county and he has a good working relationship with most of the county officials, he will hit the ground running! Michael’s roots run deep in Fort Scott, spending weekends and summers with relatives that lived and worked here and he has relatives buried in the National and Evergreen Cemeteries. Four years ago, Michael moved to Fort Scott to care for his mother and he intends to remain here when she passes. The above statement is made as my right as a citizen of Fort Scott and may not reflect the opinions of other city commissioners, of which I am one.
Supplemental Pandemic Food Assistance program announces benefit distribution dates
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announces the distribution of the Supplemental Pandemic EBT food assistance benefit to eligible Kansas students.
Distribution of the one-time benefit of $375 per child will begin to be issued starting tomorrow, Oct. 12. This benefit is for the summer months of June, July and August 2021.
All school aged children who were eligible for free and reduced-price meals during the 2020-2021 school year through the National School Lunch program will receive the one-time benefit. This includes Head Start children who attend a Community Eligible Provision (CEP) school or were enrolled in the National School Lunch program.
Qualifying school aged children who did not receive P-EBT for the 2020-2021 school year because they attended school in person and do not already have a Kansas Benefits Card will receive a preloaded card in the mail beginning Oct. 26. Eligible households that do not receive the benefit by Nov. 4 will need to provide additional information to DCF through the DCF Self Service Portal after Nov. 1.
The benefit can be used to purchase eligible food items from approved vendors that accept food assistance benefits like grocery stories and online at Aldi, Amazon or Wal-Mart.
The Supplemental P-EBT program provides temporary food benefits to families of children who normally receive National School Lunch program benefit but the education cycle was disrupted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Learn more at www.dcf.ks.gov/pages/p-ebt.aspx.
Contact DCF at 1-888-369-4777 with questions or visit the P-EBT page on www.dcf.ks.gov.
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Allocations for Frontline Hospital Worker Retention Plan
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly released the total allocation amounts for each hospital participating in the Frontline Hospital Workers Retention Plan.
“This $50 million will help us retain and attract more frontline hospital workers as we continue to fight his virus,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “For over 18 months, our heath care workers have risked their lives every day to protect Kansans from COVID-19 – it’s our responsibility to make sure they have the support they need to continue. In the meantime, I encourage all Kansans to do their part to beat this virus by getting vaccinated immediately.”
As proposed by the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee, hospitals will receive an allocation based on the number of licensed, acute and intensive care unit beds in each facility. The full list of allocations can be found here.
In September, the SPARK Executive Committee approved $50M in available funding for eligible hospital workers. Qualified facilities may use the funding for either premium pay as defined in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) or for funding a custom program designed by the facility to improve the retention of nursing resources and support personnel.
To receive the allocation, hospitals must submit a completed application by October 29, 2021. Awards will be made on a rolling basis following application review.
For more information on the Frontline Hospital Worker Retention Plan, the SPARK committee, or about the Office of Recovery, please visit https://covid.ks.gov.
Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians May 2019.
DJ Brown and The Bourbon County Revival will be the featured entertainment at this week’s Friday Night Concert. The local four-piece band plays classic rock, country, and Red Dirt. Band members are Danny Brown on acoustic guitar and vocals, Robert Uhler on drums, Jerry Bahr on banjo, electric, acoustic and bass guitars, and vocals, and Randy Brasuell on mandolin, fiddle, bass and electric guitars, and vocals.
“These guys have been playing together for quite some time and are a crowd favorite,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “This band is a delight to hear and we are pleased to welcome them back to perform in our downtown pavilion. Bring a friend and join us for an evening of superb musical talent.“
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas of Parsons serves as sound technician each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
My first horse was named Judy but she didn’t stick around very long after she fell from my good graces when she bit me in the belly. She used her teeth in a harmful way. My next horse was an 11-year-old sorrel gelding named Lucky. He hung around for a long time because he was disciplined and gentle. After a few years, his teeth started doing goofy things and he had to have them floated. Recently, I found myself in the dentist’s chair because a tiny piece of tooth chipped away and I had to have it repaired with some phony enamel stuff. As I scooted out of the chair and stood up, I put my upper and lower teeth together and exclaimed, “It’s too high, it’s too high!” I’m sure that wasn’t the proper description of my teeth catastrophe, but the dentist interpreted it correctly. He directed me to get back in the chair and he grabbed his Dremel and floated my tooth. I walked out with happy chompers because my bite was made right.
One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to gently nudge believers in the right direction when there’s a tiny piece of something wrong in our heart. When we tell our heavenly Father, “I really want to be like Jesus,” then the third person of the Godhead goes to work to help make that sincere prayer happen. “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world” (1 John 4:16,17 NLT).
I am reading a daily devotional book that I previously read in 2018. The title for August 10 was “A Living Example of Love,” with the beginning scripture of Romans 5:5 NIRV: “And hope will never let us down. God has poured His love into our hearts. He did it through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given to us.” I found one underlined sentence in the devotional that pierced my heart with conviction. There was nothing to do but weep and ask for God’s forgiveness. I made a fresh and stronger commitment to live a life of love.
The Holy Spirit’s flashlight revealed that I had failed to talk in love. My words should always be seasoned with grace and mercy if I want to be a living example of love. There are times when my teeth do not come together to form words of love. The Bible says we are to put a guard on our mouth. “Lord, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say” (Psalm 141:3 NCV). Christians are to talk in love, allowing the tenderness of Jesus to flow through us to others. As long as believers have an intense desire to come up higher in the love department, God is pleased. Our heavenly Father is patient and kind toward us and He expects us to be patient with ourselves and with others.
“Think before you speak” is a phrase we’ve all heard and it comes straight from the Bible. “Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you“ (Ephesians 4:29 GNT). The Holy Spirit can smooth off the rough edges of your words if you’ll surrender to Him, listen, and obey when He whispers, “Don‘t say that.“
The Key: If you don’t control your mouth, you probably need to have your teeth floated by the Holy Spirit.
