Category Archives: Bourbon County

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

No Plant Question is Too Challenging

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Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District.

Nineteen years – that’s how long I have been a K-State Extension agent and it has been a very good career for me! I thoroughly enjoy visiting with people and helping whenever I can.

When I began as an agent, I was amazed by the fact that not everyone knew what the Extension service was. I always heard the phrase “Extension is the best-kept secret” and I thought to myself….I’m going to change that!

Unfortunately, nineteen years later, I still frequently visit with folks that have absolutely no idea of the services the Extension office can provide. So many services in fact, it’s too numerous to list. But one of those that I want to draw your attention to is our horticulture services.

Anyone that has a lawn or landscape can benefit from the local Extension office. The weeds you try to keep from growing in your lawn, or the tree that has holes in the trunk, or the spots on your tomato leaves are all areas the Extension office can help you.

We offer you that one-on-one personal service that you cannot get from Google.

From the Extension office, you can obtain information on trees, turf, flowers, insects, gardens, soils and other related topics specific to Kansas. The key point here is – specific to KANSAS.

It is so easy to just turn to the internet to find information. However, many times the information you find is from another state and it is not relevant to our area. Or worse, it is inaccurate.

The Extension office can assist you with any specific plant or insect problem you may encounter – free of charge. Home visits are also available.

There are never any dumb questions when you call the Extension office. My job is to help the public with whatever question or issue they may have and to try to educate them. I may not always have the answer they are looking for immediately, but 99% of the time I can find an answer. We also have access to K-State specialists and laboratory diagnostic services.

This summer, there are three demonstration gardens in the Southwind District for people to view and take notes of plant performance.

Pepper plants are being trialed at the Elm Creek Community Garden in Iola, tomato plants at the Cherry Street Youth Center and squash at the community garden in Fort Scott. The plots are labeled so feel free to stop by and take a look.

I am most excited about the tomato trials at Cherry Street. This is a great learning opportunity for the youth! They are working under the direction of Denise Hastings who is an Extension Master Gardener. The youth will record data and make careful observations of the varieties. At the end of the season, results will be reported to K-State and combined with other data from other trials across the state. All of this data will be used to help update the list of K-State recommended vegetable cultivars.

During the growing season, I am in the Erie office Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; Iola on Tuesday and Fort Scott on Thursday.

However, you can always reach me by e-mailing [email protected] or call 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Open House for Woodson County Extension

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Carla Nemecek is Southwind District Director and agent.

Please join the Southwind Extension District next Thursday, July 28 as we host an Open House to welcome Woodson County to Southwind Family.

 

Effective July 1, 2018, Woodson County Extension will join the Southwind Extension District. We will celebrate this important merger with refreshments and fellowship on Thursday, July 28 at a come-and-go reception in the Yates Center Office, 211 W. Butler from 2pm-6pm.

 

Staff and board members will be present at the Extension Office to answer your questions about the District and explain what K-State Research & Extension can do to better serve the residents of Woodson County.

 

Currently, the Extension programs in Neosho, Bourbon, Allen and Woodson Counties consists of 4 Office Professionals and 8 Agents with specialized expertise in 4-H & Youth Development, Food & Nutrition, Adult Development & Aging, Financial Management, Horticulture, Community Leadership, Livestock Production, and Forage Management.

 

For more information, please contact Carla Nemecek, Southwind District Director at 620-365-2242.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Al Niece Buys The Buffalo Grill

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The Buffalo Grill, 3 W. Oak, was purchased in May 2018 by Al Niece.

Al Niece, the owner of Niece of Kansas Inc., purchased the Buffalo Grill, 3 W. Oak in May 2018 from Dean Mann.

“It’s a fantastic building, lots of options are open” for the development of the property, Niece said.

“The building looked too good a building to be left unattended,” Niece said.  “In talking with people in the community and the city, there are not many large eating facilities in the town.”

“When I walked in earlier this year, I was amazed at the condition,” he said.

Conventions, graduations, weddings, Christmas parties “and who knows what else” can use the River Room on the second floor of the building, Niece said. “We’ve already booked events for fall, two weddings and Christmas parties.”

The River Room name will stay the same for the second-floor event space, he said.

“The restaurant will be an additional component to it,” Niece said. “There are a lot of options for that. We don’t know whether we will keep the name Buffalo Grill or not.”

“We are talking to a couple of franchises,” Niece said.

In addition, the business suite on the north-west side of the building is up for rent, with 2,400 square feet of space.

The restaurant will likely be open in the third quarter of 2018 he said.

Jared Leek is the manager of the facility for Niece and can be reached at 620-224-9787.

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Government, Submitted

The Bourbon County Commission Agenda for June 19

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

2nd Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: June 19th, 2018

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

9:00-9:45-Jim Harris

10:00-10:15-Clint Anderson-Employment

10:30-10:45-Cristy Mitchell-BlueCross

11:00-12:00-Justin Meeks

Executive Session-Privileged in the Attorney-Client relationship-15 min.

Walking trail/legal opinion-7 min.

Meeting on Wednesday/Old jail-15 min.

Update on NRP-5 min.

12:00-1:30-Commissioner’s gone to lunch

1:30-2:00-Jacqie Spradling-2019 Attorney budget request

2:00-2:05-Bill Martin-Executive Session reference non-elected personnel

Justifications for Executive Session:

          Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel

          Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

          Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency

          Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships

          Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property

          Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system

Bourbon County, K-State Extension, Submitted

Bonding Thru Board Games

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Joy Miller, K-State Research and Extension Southwind District, Family and Consumer Science, 620-223-3720 or [email protected]

 

Board games can help connect family and friends in ways that video games can’

Playing board games gets everyone in the same room and helps family members across generations connect, compete, and have a great time together. Board games are easy, inexpensive, and have benefits well beyond the activity itself. Games are an entertaining and painless way to help kids build essential learning skills on the sly or by accidental learning, which means there’s no anxiety or resistance.

The book “Family Treasures: Creating Strong Families” by John DeFrain, covers six qualities that strong, successful families around the world exhibit: enjoyable time together; appreciation and affection for each other; positive communication; spiritual well-being (values, beliefs, life skills); successful management of stress and crisis; and commitment to each other.

If we don’t carve out time as a family, none of those traits will be achieved. Those traits are built in a scaffolding manner – one brings the other. Board games foster that face-to-face time interaction needed to connect deeply with each other and to develop the other traits of strong families.

Social and emotional health – Research shows the link between social and emotional skills and school success is so strong that it is a greater predictor of children’s academic performance than their family background and cognitive abilities. Learning is a social process. Children cannot learn if they struggle with following directions, getting along with their peers and controlling their emotions in any setting.

Every face-to-face game provides a ‘social experiment’ where players learn self-regulation and social skills to play successfully with others, a lot goes on under the surface, even when playing the simplest of games. Children identify and regulate their emotions and behavior, learn to calm down when upset without hurting others, and learn how to win – or lose – with grace and good manners. 

Playing games fosters persistence, a willingness to try new things, conversation, cooperative play and thinking of appropriate solutions to conflict. Games also help children learn to interpret others’ behavior and emotions, and can reinforce children’s feeling good about themselves and others.

Basic math concepts – Even some of the simplest board games give children a sense of numbers. For example, the numeral 4 represents four objects, which is greater than 3 and less than 5. Some games introduce geometry concepts with shapes and patterns, how to classify items

Bourbon County, K-State Extension, Submitted

Sericea Lespedeza Weed Control in Rangeland and Pasture

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Christopher Petty, M.S. Extension Agent Livestock Production and Forage Management K-State Research and Extension Southwind Extension District 210 S. National Fort Scott, KS 66701 (620) 223-3720 Work (620)224-6031 Cell [email protected]

According to Walt Fick, a K-State Research and Extension Range Specialist, Sericea lespedeza has been a statewide noxious weed in Kansas since July 1, 2000. Despite control efforts, this introduced, invasive species continues to persist on rangeland, pasture, and CRP acres in the state. Sericea lespedeza has a tremendous seed bank that helps reestablish stands following control efforts. Sericea lespedeza currently infests nearly 500,000 acres in Kansas.

There are no known biological controls that can be effectively used on sericea lespedeza. However, grazing with sheep and goats can suppress sericea lespedeza stands and produce a saleable product. Cattle supplemented with corn steep liquor (CSL) have been shown to consume more sericea lespedeza than animals not supplemented with CSL. Frequent mowing will reduce sericea lespedeza, but is also damaging to plants that might be growing/competing with sericea. A single mowing in mid- to late-July will eventually reduce stands of sericea lespedeza to some extent but has not eliminated sericea, even after several years of mowing. A late-summer mowing will eliminate most seed production. Application of appropriate herbicides about 4-6 weeks after mowing will help reduce sericea lespedeza stands, but will also damage other forbs. Prescribed burning in April seems to stimulate seed germination. Burning in August and early September nearly eliminates seed production.

Herbicides applied at the correct time and under favorable environmental conditions can significantly reduce sericea lespedeza, but retreatment has proven to be required. Early summer is a good time to consider spraying sericea lespedeza. Plants are in a vegetative growth stage and previous research has indicated good to excellent control at this time.

Remedy Ultra (triclopyr) and PastureGard HL (triclopyr + fluroxypyr) can provide effective control when applied during June and into early July when the sericea plants are in a vegetative growth stage.

Products containing metsulfuron, such as Escort XP, Cimarron Plus, and Chaparral, are generally more effective in the late summer when sericea lespedeza is actively blooming.. Use a non-ionic surfactant with all of these products. These products containing metsulfuron may stunt tall fescue.

For spot applications, mix 0.5 fl oz PastureGard HL per gallon of water, use a 1 percent solution of Remedy Ultra in water or 1 gram Escort XP per gallon of water.

Herbicide treatments will need to be repeated at least every 2 to 4 years to keep this invasive species in check. Initial treatments should reduce dense stands to the point where spot treatment can be used in future years. Left untreated, sericea lespedeza will quickly dominate a site, greatly reducing forage production and species diversity.

If you are unfamiliar with sericea lespedeza, learn how to identify the species and get started with a control program. Be persistent with control efforts to keep this invasive species at manageable populations. Contact Southwind Extension District Agent Christopher Petty at 620-223-3720 or by e-mail at [email protected] for more information.