TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has rescinded a boil water advisory for the City of Fulton public water supply system located in Bourbon County. The advisory was issued because of system upgrades leading to multiple line breaks resulting in a loss of pressure in the system. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.
Public water suppliers in Kansas take all measures necessary to notify customers quickly after a system failure or shutdown. Regardless of whether it’s the supplier or KDHE that announces a boil water advisory, KDHE will issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
Laboratory testing samples collected from the City of Fulton indicate no evidence of bacteriological contamination and all other conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be resolved.
For consumer questions, please contact the water system at: 620-857-4464 or you may call KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: kdhe.ks.gov/waterdisruption.
The Devon Solar Farm is located at 135th and Range Road in Bourbon County.
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Girard, is a distribution cooperative that has members in Bourbon County.
“What we do is buy wholesale power and distribute it to homes, farms, and businesses over our poles and wires,” said Doug Graham, Communication Specialist for Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. “So we don’t do much in the realm of generating electricity.”
Heartland provides service to around 11,250 meters, with around 1,700 located in Bourbon County, said Graham.
Heartland Adds Solar
“Within the last few years, it became apparent that we could reduce our wholesale power bill by using some locally generated solar energy,” he said. “We worked with our power supplier (KEPCo) to amend our contract so we and other cooperatives would be allowed to generate or otherwise procure up to 15% of our peak power demand, with 5% of that amount specifically allowing for the addition of solar.”
“The way we’ve approached solar has been to work with a company called Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) to build solar farms on sites very close to our distribution substations,” he said. “We buy the land and lease it to TPI, and then TPI builds, operates, and maintains all the solar equipment.”
“We have long-term agreements with TPI to purchase the electricity generated by the solar farms at a set rate, which reduces how much energy we have to buy off the market,” Graham said. “This is especially beneficial during peak times when electricity is most expensive.”
In May 2021 Heartland built two 1-MW solar farms, one at Greenbush and the other at Urbana.
“The solar farm has a direct benefit to Heartland members in that it helps keep rates stable by reducing our wholesale power cost,” Graham said. “Having it be a clean and locally generated source of energy is a nice bonus.”
After they came online, the solar farms proved very effective at reducing costs, he said.
“We decided to pursue two slightly smaller (750 kW) solar arrays near our Devon and Linn substations,” he said. “The Devon array came online in the spring of 2023, while the Linn array is still in development. We have no other solar projects in development.”
The one in Bourbon County is located at 135th St. and Range Rd., just east of Heartland’s Devon distribution substation.
The 750 kW solar array powers around 130 homes.
The solar array panels in rural Bourbon County. Submitted photo.
These arrays are relatively small in utility terms, with a footprint of around seven acres for each, he said.
“The energy generated at each solar farm is used right away by the members on those substations,” he said. “It’s all local. In fact, we’re not allowed to push energy back onto the transmission grid, which is why it’s very important that we size our solar systems just right to match what our members served on those substations can actually use.”
“These solar farms are part of a larger statewide initiative called the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program, a partnership between TPI and 11 other Kansas co-ops. Joining forces with the other cooperatives helped everyone secure better pricing,” Graham said.
Solar Has Saved On Wholesale Power Bill
“So far this year, our three solar farms have saved us roughly 2.5% off of our wholesale power bill versus what we would have had to pay if we didn’t have solar in place to reduce the peak demand,” he said. “It’s a small thing we can do to help control costs while staying within the parameters of our contract with our power supplier. In a way, it’s a lot like what we ask our members to do on peak days in the summer: make small adjustments to your usage and save a little bit on your bill, which in turn adds up to significant savings for the co-op as a whole. That helps keep rates from climbing as fast as everything else these days.”
Is There a Sound Issue?
For neighbors the sound of the arrays is minimal.
“There’s a bit of a hum from the inverters that turn the DC power generated by the solar panels into AC power that can be used in homes, but it’s not very loud,” he said. “You could carry on a conversation at normal volume right next to the inverters. We haven’t had any complaints whatsoever.”
CASA PROGRAMS IN 3 STATES BENEFIT FROM PLEDGE FUNDRAISER SPONSORED BY PETE’S CORPORATION OF ERIE DURING OCTOBER
Pete’s Corporation of Erie is hosting a pledge card fundraiser and other individual planned activities by each store on behalf of Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) during the month of October. Pete’s operates 54 convenience stores and fuel stations in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and is in the 11th year of their ongoing special effort to fund increased services by CASA to abused and neglected children in the court system through no fault of their own. This year the fundraiser will benefit 6 individual CASA Programs in the region; CASA of the 31st Judicial District, CASA of the 4th, Bourbon County CASA and Tri-County CASA in Southeast Kansas; Child Advocates of Northeast Oklahoma and CASA of Jasper County in Missouri.
“Pinwheels for Prevention – Partners for Children” is an easy, stress-free and fun way to help children overcome abuse and neglect with CASA’s help. Pete’s cashiers will ask you to donate and all you do is say YES! You get to sign a Pinwheel Pledge Card and hang it in the store to commemorate your donation. It you donate $5 or more you get a raffle ticket good for a chance at winning a $25 prize in each store at the end of October. Then, the winners from each store will go on to a GRAND PRIZE DRAWING at the end of October for $250 at Pete’s Corporate Office in Parsons. Winners will be contacted by telephone, so be sure to include your number!
The funds raised are used to recruit, train, prepare, and support Volunteer Advocates who are specially trained by CASA and appointed by County Judges to help children who have been found to be in need of care by the court. The CASA Advocates partner with the children, speak up for their best interest in court and help guide them successfully through their time in foster care. Once appointed, the CASA is always there for the child until they are released from custody. CASA focuses on the needs of the children, spending less time in foster care, getting the right services to benefit them and making sure the Judge has all the information needed at Court time. Fundraising proceeds have also been used in emergencies and to pay for athletics, music lessons, summer camp, winter coats, Christmas gifts, adoption gifts, life books and special equipment and special clothing for children in the CASA programs. CASA programs are non-profit and must raise their own funds to operate. CASA Advocates are volunteers.
Pete’s Corporation has made the Pinwheel Fundraiser a competition between stores, area managers and district managers, offering corporate incentives to all employees to do their best for CASA. From there the managers and employees have gotten very creative and have taken the competition to heart! All stores do something special or host an event to supplement the fundraiser and many do some truly zany but really fun things! Several managers have taken cream pies to the face if the store reaches a set goal or offered to get dunked in a water tank for extra money; others have thrown a BBQ or pizza party when employees post so many pledge cards. There were dueling bake sales between stores in the same town; car washes that got drowned by rain but continued anyway; body painting; dance-a-thons; characters greeting customers; lotto winnings donated by employees and customers and public competition to have the most pinwheels on the wall! At the end CASA awards trophies and publicly recognizes the top 6 Pete’s Corporation Stores in several categories and representatives from each CASA program are on hand to congratulate them. A media event is planned for December 14th at the Convention Center in Parsons, KS.
Pete’s Corporation of Erie and CASA invite everyone to join the fun and help unfortunate children at the same time. Children who did nothing wrong but wound up in foster care anyway. Donations to CASA are fully tax deductable and CASA is recognized as a 501(c)(3) charity by the IRS.
Harley Race’s World League Wrestling comes to Ft. Scott on Saturday, October 21st!
Professional Wrestling has been a staple in the Midwest of America for decades. Make the rounds from city to city, town to town, generations of families have been going to live pro-wrestling events for decades all over America, including Ft. Scott, KS. On Saturday October 21st, the first wrestling event to take place in decades will be held at the historic Memorial Hall.
Harley Race’s World League Wrestling is coming to town, and when people hear the name Harley Race, they know there is a level quality that comes along with it. Created by the 8-Time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion and WWE Hall of Famer, Harley Race started WLW in 1999 with the intentions of giving fans an alternative that is based around what fans want to see – true professional wrestling. Today, the promotion is as strong as ever and is looking forward to coming to Memorial Hall and Ft. Scott.
“Wrestling fans are in for a treat come October 21st” said WLW wrestler Leland Race, “it has been close to 40 years since professional wrestling has been at Memorial Hall and we are looking forward to showing up and showing out!”
Matches scheduled to take place include WLW Heavyweight Champion Superstar Steve defending his championship against Ben Trust, WLW Tag-Team Champions Leland Race and Camaro Jackson defending their championships against The Premiere (SK Bishop and Campbell Myers). Other wrestlers scheduled to appear include Moses “The Deliverer”, Rahim de la Suede, Kenny Alfonso, Aden Riley, and more!
This event will be taped for the World League Wrestling flagship television program – “SHOWDOWN” – that currently airs in 15 markets across America including St. Louis, MO, Columbia, MO, Dallas, TX, New York, NY, Indianapolis, IN, and many more.
Make sure that you make plans on attending the event on October 21st at the historic Memorial Hall in Ft. Scott, KS. Doors for this event will open at 6 PM and bell time is at 7 PM. Ticket prices start at $20. Prices for tickets will rise the day of the event, so get yours now and don’t miss out!. For more information, visit www.advancebourboncounty.com or call 573-392-4100.
“USD 235 is excited to be the recipient of a hydroponic shipping container farm through a grant awarded to the Kansas Division of Children and Families,” USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden said. “It was announced on September 11th, 2023 that Community Green Farms of Pittsburg Kansas would receive just over $1,000,000 to bring seven southeast Kansas counties vertical hydroponic container farms.”
Vance Eden, superintendent of USD 235. Photo from the school district’s website.
“Uniontown Schools has been selected to be the recipient for Bourbon Couty,” Eden said. “These shipping containers use state-of-the-art technology to efficiently produce hyper-organic products in significant quantities within a minimal footprint.”
The greens grown will be consumed at the two school building’s cafeterias in the district.
“Not only will this space serve as a hands-on learning environment that will be used across the spectrum of ages and courses, but it will also provide produce that can be consumed in our cafeterias,” he said. “We believe this opportunity will serve students and their futures in dynamic and tangible ways.”
The container has been ordered and will be placed on the school campus during the last week of November.
“Then, the setup of the farm and training for key staff will take place in December,” he said. “This means that it will be in production and available for student and teacher use during the second semester.”
“Mrs. Delta Pollock will be a leader, helping staff and students step into this new experience with confidence while Mrs. Shayla Knight will manage the food-service portion of vegetable production for our cafeterias,” he said.
Learning and adjusting will be part of the process of integrating hydroponics into learning experiences for the students in USD 235, he said.
“We eagerly jump into this opportunity with dreams and excitement for the impact that can be realized,” Eden said.
Once the container farm is established, community members will be invited to an open house “to see and taste what this new opportunity looks like in person,” Eden said.
“We want to publicly acknowledge Community Green Farms in their selection of USD 235 as the recipient and commend them on their commitment to bringing these opportunities to southeast Kansas schools at no cost,” he said.
The USD 235 Board of Education Office is located in Uniontown High School.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee event this Thursday, October 12th at 8 a.m. hosted by The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation located at Landmark National Bank at 200 S. Main . Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served in addition to a door prize drawing.
The mission of FSACF is to serve the region by encouraging charitable giving, benefiting the common good and improving the quality of life. The Foundation is committed to making a making a meaningful contribution in the areas of civic improvements, arts and humanities, health, education, human and social services, and the conservation and preservation of cultural and environmental resources.
The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation is awarding over $40,000 this cycle to community organizations in Fort Scott and Bourbon County and they will announce the recipients of the 2023 grant awards at the Chamber Coffee.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
A mental health clinic is offered to the community this Saturday, Oct. 14 at the former Mercy Hospital building.
Suite B of the SEKMHC at 401` Woodland Hills Blvd.
Those who are interested in initiating therapy services and seeing if other services are desired must make an appointment by Oct. 12
“This (clinic) is for anyone wishing to start services with us, “Dawne Burchett Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center Manager of Prevention and Promotion said “Anyone who would like additional support for any reason.”
An appointment can be made by calling 620.223.5030.
The office staff will ask for your name, date of birth, address, Social Security Number, insurance information, and reasons you are seeking services.
On the day of your appointment, proof of income, insurance card, and Social Security Number are needed.
The hours of this clinic are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 14.
The location is 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., Fort Scott.
SEKMHC moved into the building on Sept. 11 and shares the clinic facility with Ashley Clinic.
SEKMHC and Ashley Clinic joined to create a more accessible, efficient, and effective model of care for the citizens of Kansas, according to a previous press release. The focus: leading integrated, whole-person care and breaking down barriers for patients.
401 Woodland Hills Blvd. houses offices of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.
About SEKMHC
Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, established in 1961, is a not-for-profit organization that provides, advocates and coordinates quality mental health care, services, and programs, according to its website https://www.sekmhc.org/about/.
Come and visit the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta! Today is the first day! The quilt show opens from 9am to 4pm today and Saturday. Sunday’s hours are noon to 3pm. There are many beautiful quilts to admire. Cassino Richardson is here with her fabrics, precuts, books and more. Erica of Nine Patch Quilt Shop has a variety of Christmas gifts and ideas to choose from. Watch Bobbi Schroeder do wonders with her quilting machine. At 1pm Saturday come to listen to Paul Milks as he tells us of his journey with Cross Stitch. He has beautiful designs for you to see.
Don’t forget the bean feed Friday evening complete with cornbread and all the add ons. It is free with a Pioneer Harvest 2023 Collector button. $5 gives you a button which gets you in the show all three days. What a deal! There is also a car show on Saturday off Eddy Street at the north end of the fairgrounds.
