All posts by Twyla Young

Political signs not allowed on highway right of way

 

TOPEKA – It’s a sign of the season – political campaigning and the posting of campaign signs. The Kansas Department of Transportation reminds the public that all political campaign signs or billboards are prohibited from being placed on state highway right of way.

By law, all right of way on state highways is exclusively for public highway purposes. Only regulatory, guide signs and warning signs placed by KDOT are allowed on the 9,500-mile state highway system. KDOT has jurisdiction over all interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes.

When KDOT maintenance crews find political signs on state highway right of way, the signs will be removed immediately and without notice. All such signs will then be taken to the closest KDOT Subarea office. Political campaign signs not retrieved from the Subarea offices will be disposed of after the election.

Political campaign advertising is allowed on private property bordering state right of way. However, people placing or erecting signs on private property must first obtain permission from the property owner.

A state law passed in 2015 related to placement of campaign signs on city- or county-owned right of way does not apply to state highway right of way. Persons placing signs on city street or county road right of way should consult the local jurisdiction on any rules.

Unofficial Minutes of the Special Uniontown Council on April 17

The Special Council Meeting on April 17, 2024 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 5:51PM by Mayor Jurgensen.  Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, and Mary Pemberton.  Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting was Stacy Moore, William “Shawn” Vincent, and City Clerk Sally Johnson.

 

Motion by Ervin, Second by Pemberton, Approved 3-0 to enter in to executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel matters exception, KSA 4319(b)(1), in order to interview applicants for non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at 7:25PM

 

Stacy Moore in at 6:00PM, out at 6:21 PM.

 

William Vincent in at 6:27PM, out at 7:01PM

 

Third interviewee thought interviews were the 18th.  This applicant was not interviewed.

 

Vincent called back in at 7:17PM, out at 7:24PM.  Open meeting resumed at 7:25PM.

 

Motion by Pemberton, Second by Ervin, Approved 3-0 to hire William “Shawn” Vincent for City Clerk positon, a full-time position eligible for all full-time benefits at a starting wage of $17.50/hour and to start on April 29, 2024

 

 

Moved by Ervin, Second by Esslinger, Approved 3-0, to adjourn at 7:27PM

Chlorine Burnout Will Take Five Weeks

City of Fort Scott – Press Release

The City of Fort Scott Water Utility will be initializing a free chlorine burnout of the water distribution system starting Thursday, August 27th and ending as soon as a free chlorine residual is established throughout the entire system (approx. 5 weeks).

This burnout is necessary maintenance of the water distribution system which will help maintain State standards for disinfection residual levels and ultimately maintain the high water quality that you have come to expect.

Occasionally during this process customers may temporarily experience low pressures, taste or odors, discolored water, or even some sediment in their water.

We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Any questions, concerns, or comments are welcome.

Please contact the Water Treatment Plant at 223-5160 between 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Monday through Friday.

Evergy Participates in Utility Scam Awareness Week 

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nov. 19, 2019 – Evergy is standing with more than 100 utility companies throughout North America this week in support of the fourth annual Utility Scam Awareness Week. Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) promotes this week each year to educate consumers and small business owners about the tactics scammers use to attack consumers.

 

“Evergy is uniting in this effort to ensure our customers know the signs of a scam and avoid being duped by con artists,” said Jeff Beasley, Evergy vice president, customer operations. “We want to help keep people from falling prey to any malicious fraud schemes regarding utilities.”

 

Evergy offers these safety tips for customers:

  • Verify the person you’re engaging is with Evergy by asking to see company identification or by calling the Customer Contact Center before giving credit card, debit card, Social Security, ATM, checking or savings account numbers to anyone who comes to your home, calls, text and/or sends an email requesting this information about your utility bill. If you can’t verify that you’re speaking with an Evergy employee, do not give them this information.
  • Be suspicious if you receive an email about your utility bill if you have not requested online communications from Evergy.
  • For customers using Evergy’s online bill pay system, always make online payments directly through evergy.com.
  • Never provide personal information via email or click any suspicious links.

Signs of a potential scam include:

  • Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively tell the customer his or her utility bill is past due and service will be disconnected – usually within an hour – if a payment is not made.
  • Request for immediate payment: Scammers may instruct the customer to buy a prepaid card – widely available at retail stores – then call them back supposedly to make a bill payment.
  • Request for prepaid card: When the customer calls back, the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number, which grants the scammer instant access to the card’s funds, and the victim’s money is gone.

The phone scammer is often a live person posing as an Evergy employee who notifies the customer of a past due bill and demands immediate payment to avoid service disconnection. Scammers also can manipulate the caller ID to look like the company phone number. In some instances, the caller requests that the customer purchase a money gram to pay their bill.

 

If the customer is unable to make an immediate payment or does not answer, the caller gives out a return phone number unassociated with Evergy or the utility for customers to call back. When calling, customers are often prompted by a convincing, but fraudulent recording with instructions to make to make their payment with a live person. This phone number is not associated with Evergy.

 

Due to valued customer reports, Evergy has worked in conjunction with UUAS to quickly shutdown many of these fraudulent numbers and derail scams. In such cases, it is extremely valuable for the reporting customer to obtain and provide the scammer’s requested callback number.

 

UUAS is dedicated to combating utility scams by providing a forum for utilities and trade associations to share data and best practices, in addition to working together to implement initiatives to inform and protect customers.

 

If you have questions about the legitimacy of a bill, phone call or email regarding a utility bill, do not provide your personal or banking information to anyone. Contact the Evergy Customer Contact Center at the number located on your bill or at evergy.com.

 

If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, please work with your local law enforcement agency to report the crime. For more information, visit Evergy Utility Scams. Evergy will share more tips about protecting yourself against scammers on our social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter) as well this week.

Winter Hours for Fort Scott National Historic Site Start Nov. 1

The leaves are changing for fall and winter, so are the hours of operation at Fort Scott National Historic Site. Beginning Friday, November 1, the park visitor center, Park Store, and historic structures will be open daily from 8:30 am–4:30 pm through March 31, 2020. The buildings are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The park grounds, walkways, and parking lot continue to be open from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset daily.

Fort Scott National Historic Site is a fee-free park that offers a glimpse into the growth of our nation through a short film, interactive audio-visual programs, displays, the museum, and historic objects. A walk through the fort reveals the significant role it played in the opening of the West, as well as, the Civil War and the strife in the State of Kansas that preceded it.

Park Rangers are on hand and happy to help you learn more about the area and plan your visit.
For more information about Fort Scott National Historic Site programs or become involved in the candlelight tour, or other activities, please call the park at 620-223-0310, or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.