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SEKCAP Searching For Home Based Family Educator
Category Archives: Bourbon County
Mayhew: The Forgotten Bourbon County Cemetery
The Forgotten Cemetery
Bourbon County Speaking Tour presents Shirley Hurd and Ann Rawlins, researchers for OFGS
68 years of Mayhew history brought back to life
Displays of artifacts, research notes, family history, maps and aerial drone shots
Memorial Hall at 3rd and National Ave
Saturday, November 7th – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Free to the public – Donations accepted
Jayhawk Wind Contributes to Uniontown Health Clinic Project
Jayhawk Wind Provides Key Funding for Uniontown Health Clinic:
Grant to Uniontown Ruritan Club Closes Remaining Funding Gap
Uniontown, KS – October 22, 2020 – Jayhawk Wind announces the award of a $20,000 community grant to support the completion of a new health clinic for the western part of Bourbon County and surrounding communities. The new facility will be located at the old USD 235 Uniontown Board of Education Office building and operated by the Girard Medical Center. The new facility will help serve local residents who have previously had to travel outside of the immediate area for medical care, and it will be located in close proximity to assisted living apartment complexes and local schools.
“We are excited to have the support of Jayhawk Wind in the form of a community grant,” said Ruth Duling, CEO of the Girard Medical Center. “A health clinic in Uniontown has been a mission for the Uniontown community for a number of years. Their dream is about to become a reality and Girard Medical Center couldn’t be happier to help along with the collaboration of USD 235 and the Uniontown Ruritan Club. We know that local access to health care will be a huge benefit for the folks that live in and around Uniontown. It means a lot to have the support of Jayhawk Wind and we thank them for their confidence and generosity.”
“Having locally based healthcare and healthcare choices for the residents in the western half of Bourbon County and surrounding areas, especially at this time, has been a goal of this community for a number of years,” stated Mark Warren, Middle America Ruritan District Governor #37 and Uniontown Ruritan Member. “The Uniontown Ruritan Club is pleased to have the cooperation of USD 235 and the Girard Medical Center in making this dream a reality. We are pleased and appreciate the support of Jayhawk Wind for their generous gift to the residents of the area. Thank you, Jayhawk Wind, for partnering with us and making this investment in our community!”
Bret Howard, USD 235 Superintendent, said, “Uniontown USD 235 is excited to partner with other organizations to bring health care options to our district communities. This grant will allow a current building to be leased to Girard Medical Center while being able to construct a separate building for bathrooms and concession stand areas. We are pleased that Jayhawk Wind has partnered with Uniontown USD 235, Girard Medical Center, and Uniontown Ruritan Club in making this dream a reality.”
“2020 has been a very challenging year, especially when it comes to community health,” said Julianna Pianelli, development manager for Jayhawk Wind. “We are so glad that we can help contribute to this critical need here in Bourbon County, and we are grateful for the community partners who helped make us aware of how we could support this worthy cause.”
The Jayhawk Wind community grant will complement the great work USD 235, the Uniontown Ruritan Club, and Girard Medical Center have already done to make this project a reality. This grant will supplement the funds earmarked for this project from state SPARK funding and other generous donations, providing the final portion of funding needed to complete the project.
For more information about the Jayhawk Wind community grant program, please visit http://www.jayhawkwind.com/grant.
About Jayhawk Wind
Jayhawk Wind is a proposed 195-megawatt wind energy facility located in Bourbon and Crawford Counties. The project is anticipated to provide enough clean, renewable energy to the grid to power about 70,260 homes per year. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2021.
About Apex Clean Energy
Apex Clean Energy develops, constructs, and operates utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across North America. Our mission-driven team of more than 200 renewable energy experts uses a data-focused approach and an unrivaled portfolio of projects to create solutions for the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking customers. For more information on how Apex is leading the transition to a clean energy future, visit apexcleanenergy.com.
Uniontown Health Clinic Moving Forward To Open in 2021
Uniontown will soon have a health clinic.
The small town in western Bourbon County, population approximately 300, is 20 miles away from health care in Fort Scott and 25 miles from Iola, the two largest towns with clinics nearby.
Spearheaded by Uniontown Ruritan, and the vision of several members of the community, the Uniontown health clinic is a collaboration of Ruritan, USD 235 School District, the Bourbon County Commission, the City of Uniontown and Girard Medical Center.
To see a prior fortscott.biz story on the clinic, click below:
Uniontown Collaboration: New Health Clinic Coming
“We at GMC want to partner with the local community there in Uniontown to offer primary care services for an area where it is difficult to access those services currently,” Ruth Duling, Girard Medical Center CEO said.
The project is moving forward quicker since receiving U.S. coronavirus emergency funds which is distributed locally through the Bourbon County SPARK program. That program is to spur on the Kansas economy following the devastating effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) grant was applied for by Uniontown’s school district, which owns the property for the health clinic. The building is the former superintendent’s office.
“The school district applied for SPARK funding because the property to be renovated for use as the clinic, belongs to the school,” Duling said.
“Completion will be after the first of the year,” Duling said. ” I don’t have any idea yet on a date when the clinic will be fully operational. Since the renovation stage is being completed by mostly volunteer work and the availability of that workforce, it’s just difficult to say until we get further in the process…the renovation is in the very early stages.”
Uniontown Ruritan MemberJoe George has taken the lead on the renovation project with input from Girard Medical Center Engineering staff Judd Pride and Pat Holt and its’ Director of Clinic Operations Candi Adams, Duling said.
History The Clinic
Uniontown Mayor Larry Jurgensen explored a health clinic in the town with Fort Scott Mercy Hospital, Mark Warren said.
“At the time the Marathon Valley Nursing Home shut down,” he said.
” Mercy told him they didn’t want to explore a clinic out here because we were close enough to go to Ft. Scott, but instead put clinics in Arma and Pleasanton which were approximately the same distance from Ft. Scott ,” Warren said. “This irritated people out here. The matter was then dropped for a period of years.”
Warren then visited with Holly Koch, Chief Financial Officer of Girard Medical Center and a resident of Uniontown.
He shared with Koch about the possibility of a Girard Medical Center satellite clinic.
After Koch spoke with Duling, meetings were organized which included the City of Uniontown, Ruritan, Girard Medical Center, Senator Jerry Moran’s office, Uniontown citizens, a Pittsburg doctor, Bourbon County Commissioner Lynn O’Harah, and Bourbon County Economic Director Jodi Hoener.
When Mercy Hospital closed in Dec. 2018 things began to progress, Warren said.
“We had residents here now (who were) a longer distance from health services,” Warren said. “Girard went to work then. Ruth asked me and I asked Larry and Judy Jurgensen both to come with me to a Girard Hospital board meeting. Larry gave the historical timeline of his interaction with Mercy to them of which we left that meeting feeling we had their support. The only thing left was funding.”
“The Uniontown Ruritan Club offered to help fundraise but as federal SPARK money became available and Jayhawk Wind ( a wind energy company) heard about it, we found we could still fundraise but possibly not have to work so hard at it. Jayhawk and SPARK money was the final piece of the puzzle to get this project finally started and going and to make a Uniontown clinic a reality.”
Jayhawk Wind contributed a $20,000 grant to help fund the Uniontown Clinic, which will also serve the towns in nearby communities, according to its’ website: http://www.jayhawkwind.com/
The SPARK Grant was for $88,000, according to Warren.
Health Department Halts Weekly COVID 19 Updates
Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department will no longer be sending out a weekly update, but will be referring those interested in COVID-19 case counts to: https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas
If you are interested in the active case count for your county, you can always call your local health department for those details. We are open Monday-Thursday.
We will be updating our Facebook page and website within the next month or so. So, be looking for changes there regarding COVID-19 and other updates.
Thank you,
Rebecca Johnson
SEK Multi-County Health Departments
Administrator
SEK-CAP ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR KANSAS EVICTION PREVENTION PROGRAM
Girard, KS –The Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (SEK-CAP), is now assisting landlords and tenants in filling out applications for the Kansas Eviction Prevention Program (KEPP). This program is available for a limited time only.
The KEPP program will serve tenants and landlords who have missed paying or collecting at least one rent payment since April 1, 2020, due to the COVID pandemic.
Landlords and tenants are required to apply via a joint online process. Approved applicants will be eligible for a maximum of 9 months of assistance, not exceeding $5,000 per household. SEK-CAP staff are available to assist in the online application process.
The Kansas Eviction Prevention Program is funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). It was authorized by Governor Kelly’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce and is administered by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC). SEK-CAP is a partner agency helping to assist in the online application process.
For more information about this program, please call (620)724-8204.
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The Southeast Kansas Community Action Program is a 501 (c) (3) private, non-profit organization serving twelve southeast Kansas counties. SEK-CAP is headquartered in Girard and was created in 1966 to combat poverty. The organizational mission is to unite staff, individuals, families, and community partners to provide quality, comprehensive services through compassionate, respectful relationships. Programs include Head Start, Early Head Start, Housing, Community Engagement, General Public Transportation and Avenues to Success. Contact the SEK-CAP central office at 401 N. Sinnet or by dialing 620.724.8204. Visit the website at www.sek-cap.com or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SEKCAPINC.
401 N. Sinnet
P. O. Box 128
Girard, KS 66743
Phone: 620-724-8204
Fax: 620-724-4471
www.sek-cap.com
Scouts Jam On The Air
Jamboree On The Air is an annual event to provide an opportunity for Scouts to get on the air and talk to other radio operators through ham radio.
Amateur radio operators are often called hams, though the origin of that term is open to debate.
Scout Pack 114 from Fort Scott participated on Saturday, October 17th, in the event.
Dwight Moore, KD0OIX, set-up a portable station at the fairgrounds in Fort Scott.
Several cub scouts and their parents came by to listen and four of the cub scouts made phone contacts with operators in New York and Pennsylvania.
Overall, they worked 23 stations from the fairgrounds, including one station in Germany.
If you are interested in joining scouting contact Cyndi Goebel, Cubmaster for Pack 114, 620-215-9733 or visit the Facebook page, BAS Scouts pack 114.
Advance Voting Up in Kansas and in Bourbon County
The number of advance voting ballots mailed out for the Kansas 2020 General Election has sharply increased, according to The Kansas City Star newspaper dated Oct. 15.
“The state said it was shipping 456,148 advance ballots this year, way beyond the 133,822 in 2016 and 128,220 in 2018.
“Democrats so far have had the highest mail-in ballot turnout. Officials reported that among ballots received, 1,261 were from those affiliated as Democrats, followed by Republicans (556), unaffiliated voters (549) and Libertarians (17).”
“On Day 1 of early voting Wednesday, (Oct. 15) Kansans returned more than triple the number of mail-in ballots sent in 2016, according to the Secretary of State’s office.”
“Officials reported 2,383 ballots sent back as of Wednesday. That’s three times the 771 after the first day of mail-in voting in 2016 and 423 in 2018.”
“The Secretary of State’s office explained in a subsequent Tweet that the ballots returned thus far are from military personnel and overseas citizens, who are sent ballots beginning 45 days prior to the election.”
To see the entire story, click below:
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article246473700.html
In Bourbon County to date, there have been 432 advance in-person voters with two weeks left until the Nov. 3 election, according to Clerk Kendell Mason.
“We have mailed 970 ballots and 376 have been returned,” Mason said.
In the 2019 general election, there were 493 total in-person advance voters, she said.
“Advance voters put their voted ballots in a machine that counts their votes, but we will not know the results of those votes until we close down the machine on November 3rd,” Mason said.
Fort Scott Fall Photo Contest
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Republicans Sponsor Trump Parade Oct. 25
Bourbon County Republicans are sponsoring a “Trump Parade” this Sunday, Oct. 25 @ 1:00 pm in Ft Scott.
Starting at the Riverfront Park on North National Avenue, with vehicle lineup at Twister Trailer and Ft Scott Livestock parking lots.
“We will proceed south on National to 23rd, over to Horton, to 6th, National to Wall and returning back on Wall after turning around at R & R Equipment,” Deb Martin, Bourbon County Republican Corresponding Secretary said. ” Held rain or shine, if the group wants to do a second pass on the route we will! Street legal vehicles, all traffic laws obeyed. Come out and join us in support of our president and America!”
Bourbon County Has 34 Active COVID-19 Cases
SEK Multi-County Health Departments
Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, and Woodson Counties
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
October 20, 2020
Please call your local health department if you would like a further breakdown of cases.
Allen County
| Current Active Cases | 8 |
| Total Hospitalizations | 5-0 in hospital |
| Current Recovered Cases | 103 |
| Total Cases Since Testing | 112 |
| Deaths | 1 |
Anderson County
| Current Active Cases | 37 |
| Total Hospitalizations | 3-0 in hospital |
| Current Recovered Cases | 130 |
| Total Cases Since Testing | 167 |
| Deaths | 0 |
Bourbon County
| Current Active Cases | 34 |
| Total Hospitalizations | 15- 3 in hospital |
| Current Recovered Cases | 266 |
| Total Cases Since Testing | 303 |
| Deaths | 3 |
Woodson County
| Current Active Cases | 2 |
| Total Hospitalizations | 3-1 in hospital |
| Current Recovered Cases | 25 |
| Total Cases Since Testing | 27 |
| Deaths | 0 |
Bourbon County Special Meeting Agenda For Oct. 21
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Date: October 21, 2020
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
MEETING WILL BE HELD IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BUILDING. PUBLIC MAY VIEW MEETING ON YOUTUBE.
7:00AM EMS (Lynne Oharah, Jeff Fischer, Clifton Beth, Justin Meeks, Will Wallis, Shane
Walker, Dave Bruner, Kayla Stewart, other hospital personnel, Rebecca Johnston, Susan Bancroft)