Bourbon County businesses with under 50 employees may soon apply for grant funds because of the financial effects of the pandemic.
These grants will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Rural small businesses should contact the county economic development director, who will apply for the grant.
“We are exploring business needs, outside of Fort Scott City limits, for the CDBG-CV grant opportunity, Hoenor said. “The goal of the grant is job retention. We are looking for all business in the county, outside of Fort Scott city limits, with 1 to 50 employees who have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Funding can be used for inventory or working capital needed to reopen or help keep a business operating. “
“The City of Fort Scott will have the opportunity to apply for funding if they have used all their current funding,” she said.
Contact Hoener at [email protected] to get a business included in the grant application.
Under the Corona Virus Aid and Economic Security Act (CARES), Kansas will receive an additional $9 million in Community Development Block Grant funds to be used exclusively to support projects related to combating the impact of COVID-19, according to a press release from Hoenor.
Hoenor received notice of a public hearing yesterday and attended online.
The following is an email interview with Hoenor regarding the grants for small businesses in the county.
Who is the target for the grant?
There are four proposed activities with this specific grant. At this point, we are focusing on businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
What benefits will the grant give the applicant?
Applicants can use the grant funding for inventory or working capital needs.
What is the application process?
The county will apply for grant funds, identifying a general number of businesses we intend to help in our grant application.
Grant means no payback, right?
We have not seen the specific requirements but grants typically mean they do not have to pay it back unless the recipient does not fulfill the obligations the grant was intended for.
What is the timeline?
We were told the applications process will be online and hope to have available next week. It will be first come first serve.
Jody Hoenor, Bourbon County Economic Development Director. Submitted photo.
Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoenor is exploring business needs, outside of Fort Scott City limits, for the CDBG-CV grant opportunity. The goal of the grant is job retention.
” We are looking for all business in the county, outside of Fort Scott city limits, with 1 to 50 employees who have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Funding can be used for inventory or working capital needed to reopen or help keep a business operating.”
“The City of Fort Scott will have opportunity to apply for funding if they have used all their current funding.” she said in a press release.
Shayla Knight, the owner of the Sunshine Shack, makes a soft pretzel for a customer on Saturday.
Shayla Knight is a mother of six children and has a food trailer business that she started last year.
She has reopened her business, Sunshine Shack LLC in her driveway at 606 Sherman in Uniontown.
“It’s convenient with the kids,” Knight said. “They can be with mom while I’m working.
She also has the help of husband Kyle Knight, she said. “This is our home base address.”
Kyle works for the City of Fort Scott during the day.
“I have been in the food industry for 10 plus years,” Shayla said. “Ranging from fast food, fine dining, and schools. I enjoy serving the community and customer service is a high priority for me! I love to chit chat! “
She started her business in April 2019.
“My food trailer has the ability to move wherever I would need to be such as fairs, festivals, and other community events,” she said.
Shayla Knight, owner of the Sunshine Shack, a food trailer in Uniontown. Submitted photos.
Sunshine Shack is currently open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays,” she said. This is… subject to change as we hope to attend some events throughout the season.”
“We are currently looking at the possibility of catering our fun stuff like cotton candy and snow cones for birthday parties,” she said.
When social distancing is over the Knights will provide a few picnic tables for people to sit and enjoy their food on the property, but not currently, she said.
A happy customer of the Sunshine Shack on Saturday.
The business Facebook page is Sunshine Shack LLC, or call 620-224-8493.
K-State expert outlines key tips during webinar for Kansas small business owners
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Many of the guidelines that helped Americans get through the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two months will serve as a good guide as businesses throughout the country slowly begin to re-open their doors.
In fact, Londa Nwadike, a food safety specialist with K-State Research and Extension whose academic background is in public health, says avoiding close contact with others and washing your hands regularly will become even more important as Americans begin moving about more regularly.
“Ensure that you are following all guidance, especially as it is being provided by your local public health department,” said Nwadike, who holds a dual extension appointment with Kansas State University and the University of Missouri.
On April 30, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced a phased re-opening of the state’s economy, which continued to emphasize the importance of the six-foot social distancing guideline, and washing hands with soap and water. Kelly’s plan also encourages wearing face masks in public settings and staying home if you feel sick.
Nwadike spoke May 1 during a First Friday webinar hosted by K-State Research and Extension and targeted for Kansas business owners. Among the advice she shared:
Listen to workers and customers regarding their concerns.
Communicate your plans with workers, stakeholders and customers.
Evaluate your situation and implement appropriate steps for re-opening.
“Business owners should actively encourage sick employees to stay home,” Nwadike said, adding that other steps businesses can take include providing protective equipment (face coverings and gloves, for example), providing tissues and trash cans, installing plexi-glass shields for cashiers, and other modifications specific to the business – such as additional space between restaurant tables.
Additional steps that businesses can take, some of which have already been seen in stores that were able to stay open in March and April, include:
Disinfecting cart handles.
Encouraging sick customers to not come in.
Providing sanitizing wipes for customers.
Placing marks on the floor near checkout areas to guide social distancing.
Monitoring the number of people in the building.
Cleaning and stocking bathrooms more frequently.
Cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, such as door handles, shelves and the credit card terminal.
Nwadike said those practices are important since coronaviruses such as the new strain that causes COVID-19 are generally spread person-to-person through respiratory droplets. It is also thought that it may be possible to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object with the virus on it, and then touching one’s mouth, nose or eyes – though, she adds, “this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
“Encourage your customers to shop with their eyes, not their hands,” Nwadike said. “The more we can keep people from touching shelves and products, the less likely we will pick up a virus.”
Nwadike cited a guide being distributed in the Kansas City area that provides good advice for businesses of all sizes. While the information is geared toward the greater Kansas City area, it is a good resource for all business, Nwadike said.
Nwadike and colleague Karen Blakeslee also have published a website, Food Safety and COVID-19, providing numerous resources outlining safe practices related to COVID-19.
K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu
Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.
Submitted by Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director
This is not the article I would have predicted to write a few months ago, and certainly not my usual educational column. However, like many others, COVID-19 has me feeling off-balance as I navigate my work and family responsibilities while following orders and staying at home.
Let me start with the most popular question we receive – Will there by a County Fair in July? Currently, K-State Research & Extension will not organize or participate in any face-to-face events or activities through July 4, 2020 due to the pandemic.
Unfortunately, that means we will not host our annual 4-H Day Camp, area judging contests or attend Rock Springs 4-H Camp in June.
However, after hearing the Governor’s plan last week we are feeling more optimistic we will be able to have traditional County Fairs as scheduled!
We are hoping for the best, but also planning for the worst as we research online platforms that will allow us to host educational showcase events for our 4-H youth to share their projects and receive feedback from judges.
Whether we are allowed to have our county fairs in person or remotely, the Southwind Extension District Agents are already working with our County Fair Boards to be sure the county fair will go on because we know how important they are to our kids and communities.
In January, I really began to notice how Extension needed to shift our programming efforts from entirely face-to-face to exploring remote and virtual alternatives to reach more diverse audiences.
That was never more obvious than when COVID-19 forced us into a remote environment.
For the past 7 weeks, your Extension Agents, 4-H Program Assistant and Office Professionals have relocated their work spaces to homes, pastures, porches and crop fields, and have proven we can educate in a virtual environment – something we didn’t even know we could do!
All eight Extension Agents and the 4-H Program Assistant have put themselves out there for the world to watch us offer advice and explain why research-based information is important to your lives and livelihood.
Personally speaking, my first live was as uncomfortable as my very first 4-H project talk, but then I saw the positive feedback and expanded audience that I was able to connect with and understood the value of an authentic video.
Meal planning, family & financial management tips, and fun family activities from home have all been shared through Facebook live, YouTube and on our Instagram page.
We submitted a public request to complete an online state-wide Extension needs assessment survey and you all responded with 20% of the state wide results coming from Allen, Neosho, Bourbon and Woodson Counties – thank you! It is obvious you value K-State Research & Extension and we will not disappoint you with our efforts.
You might be surprised to know that many of our traditional Extension services are still accessible to you.
Horticulture consultations, soil testing, and pond management assistance continue to be priorities for us, and we are only a phone call away on our usual office numbers that are now being forwarded to Office Professionals.
4-H youth have been able to continue monthly meetings through Zoom coordination and some have found creative ways to help with project meetings remotely.
This pandemic has been hard on all of us, and everyone has had a different reaction to the day by day changes and announcements that come from state government, local officials or employers.
As we navigate the coming weeks of reopening, the Southwind Extension District will make every effort to be the trusted, go-to resource for research-based information you have come to expect in Southeast Kansas. For more information, you can reach us at www.southwind.ksu.edu.
With not much to report during the past several weeks, Uniontown 4-H Reporter, Marley Sutton, will be doing 4-H member spotlights on club members. This month’s spotlight is on members Bareigh Farrell, Austin Maycumber and McKinley Sutton. Please enjoy!
Are you turning 65 in the coming months? Or want to understand Medicare benefits? Free, educational programs to learn about Medicare options are being offered. Senior Health Insurance Counselors for Kansas (SHICK) counselors, Joy Miller and Tara Solomon-Smith with K-State Research and Extension and Melanie Smith with Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging will present, via Zoom, two part series about Medicare eligibility, enrollment periods, how parts A,B,C and D work, Medigap and advantage plans. First session, will be Tuesday, May 12th @ 5:30 and second session, Thursday, May 14th @ 5:30. You may register at the following link: https://bit.ly/New2Medicare . Last day to register is Monday, May 11th.
Haley Troutman, 27, is the new kindergarten teacher at West Bourbon Elementary school in Uniontown for 2020-2021.
She has two years of experience teaching at Precious Lambs Preschool and two years teaching at Eugene Ware Elementary School in Fort Scott in Grades 3 and 4.
Troutman completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from KSU in 2014, then took a position with Precious Lambs Preschool as their director/lead teacher.
“To gain more experience in childhood behaviors, I worked for a year at SEK Mental Health as a children’s case manager,” she said.
“In 2018, I began Kansas State University’s Master of Arts in Teaching Program (MAT program). I have spent the last two years as a 3rd and 4th-grade teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary. It has been a wonderful journey, but I am beyond excited to settle in my hometown.”
Troutman’s hometown is Uniontown, Kansas.
“I am so excited to be an Eagle again,” she said. “The staff has been so welcoming and wonderful to me already.”
She is married to Stuart and has three children, Molly (age 8), Sadie (age 5), Jett (age 2).
What is the best part of teaching for you?
“I love building relationships with students and their families. It is also rewarding to see the gains that children make throughout the course of a school year, both socially and academically.”
What are the greatest challenges?
“I would say, ensuring that every student is challenged at his/her academic level while meeting the needs of the whole group. I love the challenge of differentiation. Additionally, being a responsive teacher can be challenging; being able to notice what is working and change what isn’t.”
May 5: 10 am Choices Storytime on Zoom (the meeting will be recorded and may be made available after it ends).
11 am Choices Storytime on Facebook Live (we may post the video on the library’s YouTube channel as well).
Join Miss Val online for virtual storytime! The library will use the Zoom platform for the 10 am storytime and Facebook Live for the 11 am event. This should remain the schedule until the library reopens, but stay tuned to Fort Scott Public Library’s Facebook page for all event updates. To attend the Zoom meeting, you will need to message the library for the meeting link. You may receive the link by one of two methods:
Message Fort Scott Public Library through Facebook or email Miss Val at [email protected] before the start (10 am Tuesday) of storytime, and they will send you the link. The same link will be used for all future Zoom storytimes.
Zoom can be accessed on any pc with a camera and headset, smartphone, or tablet with online access. The application will allow families to see and interact with one another, in addition to being a part of storytime. Storytimes will be recorded and posted afterwards, when possible, for anyone who misses part or all of the meetings to view later. You will have the option of turning your video and audio on and off anytime during the meeting.
This week’s books: “That is NOT a Good Idea!” and “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” by Mo Willems!
We will read two stories this week, in lieu of a craft. Suggested activity to do after storytime: Tic-Tac-Toe or another decision-based game.
Due to lack of participation this week, we will hold a repeat of our teen & tween game night on Wednesday, May 6 at 4 pm – Virtual Teen & Tween Game Night on Zoom. To receive the link, families should email Miss Val at [email protected] or message the Fort Scott Public Library Facebook page prior to the start of the meeting. Games played will include 2 Truths, 1 Lie (bring at least enough truths and lies for 3 or 4 rounds) and Charades (bring ideas for words & phrases to act out). Other games may also be played. This meeting is for middle and high school students only.
