Backwoods Holiday Shopping event is Saturday Dec. 7.
Admission is a free-will donation of non-perishable food for Uniontown First Missionary Baptist Church, whose Pastor is Marty Dewitt.
The event host is Perry’s Pork Rinds LLC.
Rosie’s Cabin is the venue, located at 563 Maple Road Uniontown, just 20 minutes from downtown Fort Scott.
Vendors will be selling from 9 am-4 pm on Dec. 7.
Free photos will be taken by Erika George Photography from 10 a.m. to noon.
Wine sales/samples will be from noon-4 p.m.
Online Give Away/Door Prizes- prize pick up during the event from 9-1.
The paid sponsors are:Kelly Hall – Tupperware, Misty Miles- Smart Coffee, (Sales Partners) Danny Becker and Angela Foust – Country Roads Wood Specialties and Angela’s Hometown Boutique.
Since taking over operations of the medical clinic from Mercy Hospital earlier this year, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas has been working to add more doctors’ services.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd.
Added Doctors
The following doctors have recently been added or added more days available in the Fort Scott clinic.
Dr. Alicia Pino, D. O. is a board-certified pediatrician and holds medical privileges from Ascension Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg.
Dr. Holly Gault, M.D. is a board-certified family physician with obstetrics and has medical privileges at Ascension Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg.
“They aren’t really new,” Krista Postai, CEO and president of CHCSEK said of the two doctors. “Dr. Gault, a family physician, has been with us for more than three years in Pittsburg and lives near Arcadia so is actually closer to Ft. Scott. She has been seeing patients there one day a week and is increasing to two.”
“Dr. Pino joined us this summer; she is a board-certified pediatrician and is currently seeing patients one day a week in Fort Scott. She also sees newborns at Via Christi Ascension and patients in Pittsburg three days a week.”
“We thought it would be more convenient for those Bourbon County women delivering in Pittsburg to have both these doctors more available for follow up visits,” she said.
Dr. Grant Hartman, a Fort Scott Chiropractor officially joins CHCSEK this month and, beginning in January, will provide chiropractic services at their clinics in both Pittsburg and Fort Scott, Postai said.
Dr. Bashar Marji is the latest addition of specialists added, Postai said. Marji is a cardiology specialist who will come to Fort Scott one Friday each month.
The following are the specialists currently in Fort Scott, with their frequency:
Cardiology – Dr. Markham (HCA) – the first, third and fourth Thursday of each month;
Urology – Dr. Tawil – every Thursday;
Orthopedics – Greg King, APRN (Freeman) – every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday;
Surgery – Dr. Hall (Allen County Regional Hospital) – Thursday afternoons, Friday all-day of every week;
Cardiology – Renae Bateman, APRN (Mercy) – every Monday;
Cardiovascular Surgery – the combination of Dr. Meyer/Dr. Brown/Pam Darnell, APRN/Amanda Lumpkins, APRN/Paige Palmer, APRN (all Mercy) – First and Third Friday of every month;
Cardiology – Dr. Marji – one Friday each month
New Clinic Building In Process
CHC/SEK will be building a facility on Horton, just west of the former Mercy Hospital building.
The move to build a new clinic on the Horton Street side of the former Mercy Hospital in on-going, Postai said.
Currently, CHCSEK is finalizing the donation of land from Mercy Hospital, she said. Additionally, they are working on the design of the new building.
“We are looking at eight acres including the helipad,” Postai said. “We expect to have that done very shortly and are looking at a groundbreaking in the spring.”
Meeting for the Governor’s Council on Tax Reform produces recommendations
The fourth meeting of the Governor’s Council on Tax Reform concluded this afternoon. The bipartisan group is performing an in-depth study of the state’s current tax system, and today submitted an initial round of recommendations for consideration by the Kansas Legislature in the upcoming session.
“I want to thank the Council for its work in preparing thoughtful recommendations, and look forward to their continued study in 2020,” Governor Laura Kelly. “The proposals they shared today reflect my vision for a fiscally responsible, fair and sustainable tax structure that will keep the tax burden as low as possible for Kansas individuals and businesses.”
The Council recommended:
A food sales tax rebate. The Council recommended a new Food Sales Income Tax Credit that would be refundable, have income limits based on Federal Adjusted Gross Income and be limited to taxpayers who were Kansas residents for the entire tax year. If the food sales tax rebate is fully implemented, it is estimated that over 400,000 Kansans would receive a refund.
A return to implementation of the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund (LAVTRF) as a way to help local governments keep their property taxes low. Previously funded by 3.63% of the state sales tax, the LAVTRF has not been funded since 2003. If fully funded again, local governments would once again have a strong tool to begin lowering local property taxes.
Implementation of a tax on out-of-state marketplace facilitators and digital products. While the Department of Revenue notice earlier this year requires out-of-state retailers to register and collect and remit use tax on sales made in the state, existing statute does not allow the state to make the same requirements of marketplace facilitators. A marketplace facilitator is a person who facilitates a sale through an internet or physical retailer. The proposal related to digital products would apply the state sales tax to all sales of digital products and subscription services, such as digital books and music.
Caution by the Governor and the Legislature: Given the devastation prior tax policy has had on Kansas, the Council recommended the Governor and the Legislature be very cautious with proposals that diminish revenue until Kansas has fully regained its fiscal health.
Property tax lid exemption for transportation: The Council recommended that an exemption be made to the existing property tax lid for the funding of local transportation projects. A significant portion of expenditures at the local level are for road and bridge repairs and the property tax lid has far too often been a hinderance to those needs. During the Department of Transportation’s local consult meetings across the state, a number of communities expressed the need for this exemption.
Affirming the need to bring back the 3-legged stool: Additionally, the Council recommended the state strive to bring balance back with a 3-legged stool approach to taxes — income, property and sales. During the past few months, the Council found evidence that the state’s current tax policy has an imbalanced tax structure with income taxes and property taxes being significantly out of balance.
Future items to consider: The Council also approved a list of items they are planning on studying and reviewing during the next calendar year. Those are: broadening the tax base, tax exemptions, review of progressivity v. regressivity within the current tax system, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Global Intangible Low-taxed Income (GILTI), decoupling and overall property tax relief.
Over the course of its study, the Council will make additional specific statutory recommendations to state lawmakers on tax reform in Kansas. A final report is due in December 2020, in advance of the 2021 legislative session.
For more on Governor Kelly’s executive order establishing the Council, its membership and presentation materials:
Division of Vehicles makes Mobile Driver’s License Office available across the state
Topeka – The Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles launched its state-wide mobile driver’s license office as another avenue of convenience and added service for large groups needing to obtain a driver’s license or identification card. When a visit is set up with the mobile unit coordinator, a link is made available to individuals to schedule their visit.
“The mobile unit is for locations like businesses, assisted living facilities, colleges, and universities,” David Harper, Director of the Division of Vehicles said. “This is another way we are cutting back on wait lines and the anticipated rush of people coming into the offices as we get closer to the Real ID implementation deadline.”
Real ID is a set of federal guidelines for traveling on commercial airlines or entering federal facilities where identification is currently necessary. If choosing to be Real ID compliant, the deadline is October 1, 2020.
The Division of Vehicles stepped up its efforts in offering mobile driver’s license office solutions this past spring with two pilot programs. One, to help Sedgewick County Correctional inmates, who were transitioning out of the correctional facility, get state identification cards. The other was for students completing driver’s education in the Blue Valley School District in Johnson County to get their learner’s permit.
“The feedback we received from those pilot programs helped us test the idea and now launch the mobile driver’s license office,” Harper said.
Employers or organizations wanting to host the mobile driver’s license office are encouraged to contact Ethan Davis, Mobile Driver’s License Office coordinator, at [email protected].
Gordmans Will Double Your Donation to St. Jude on GivingTuesday
This GivingTuesday, guests at Gordmans can give the gift of hope to children who need it most. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, Gordmans will match 100% of all donations made at checkout to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, doubling the impact of each donation.
GivingTuesday, a worldwide movement that promotes generosity and acts of kindness, has grown in popularity since it launched seven years ago. Last year in the U.S., GivingTuesday had its biggest year yet, raising nearly $400 million for charitable causes.
In addition to matching donations at checkout on GivingTuesday, Gordmans is bringing the St. Jude mission into its stores this holiday season with BEARS that CARE. Through New Year’s Eve, guests can help St. Jude families by making a donation at checkout or purchasing holiday teddy bears that celebrate a special little girl named Bella, who has childhood cancer and is getting expert care at St. Jude. Gordmans’ BEARS that CARE are under $10; Gordmans will donate $2 of each bear sale to St. Jude. Gordmans, which is part of the Stage community of stores, also will donate $1 on behalf of the first 35,000 guests who use #bearsthatcare on social media.
Every donation helps ensure families at St. Jude never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food, because all a family should ever worry about is helping their child live.With the help and generosity of our guests, the Stage community of stores raised almost $900,000 for St. Jude in 2018 and over $6 million in the past six years.
Visit gordmans.com/stjude to find a Gordmans store, purchase a bear or make an online donation through New Year’s Eve.
Christmas Poinsettia Fundraiser for softball at Momentum Indoor Training.
$15 each, 2 for $25
Contact Momentum Softball to schedule your delivery
Text: (620) 224-9686
Message: Momentum Indoor Training
Discounts available for larger orders.
Aaron Watts works on the flooring in one of the large classrooms at Smallville Crossfit on Nov. 29
After a hiatus finishing up the new facility at 1905 Judson, Smallville Crossfit opens today for classes.
“Our first classes will be held here Monday,” owner Aaron Watts said on Nov. 29. His wife, Lindsey is his partner in the fitness business.
The reconfigured facility, once Fort Scott Lumber, is just off West 19th Street in the southern part of the city. They were formerly in a downtown location but outgrew the space.
Smallville Crossfit has 130 members, Aaron said.
Some of the Smallville Crossfit members, from the business Facebook page.
They now have about 60 percent more space to accommodate those members, Aaron said.
“We now have three large heated rooms for classes, as opposed to two large and an auxiliary room,” he said.
Smallville Crossfit provides regular Crossfit classes, a “sweat class” and a pre-teen class for kids eight to 12 years old, Aaron said.
The Watts are going to add some new classes, a dance fitness class and strength and conditioning classes, in the future.
“We are going to get through a couple of months to determine new equipment that might be needed,” Aaron said.
New showers and bathrooms have been added to the building and Aaron was putting the mat floor down on Friday, while Lindsey was cleaning the walls in one of the new classrooms, with a little help from family and friends.
Lindsay Watts cleans the wall of one of the new classrooms at Smallville Crossfit on Nov. 29.
Smallville Crossfit classes are Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 7:15 a.m., 8 a.m. 11:15 a.m., the 4 p.m. pre-teen class to the last class at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday classes are at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Saturday there is an open gym which starts at 9 a.m.
For more information contact Lindsey at 620-619-9602 or Aaron at 620-719-7554.
A grand opening at the new facility will be after the first of the year.
Aaron Watts stands in front of the newly remodeled Smallville Crossfit, 1905 Judson.
Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition general membership meets each first Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 123 Scott. There will be no January 2020 meeting.
The meeting agenda for December 4, 2019
Welcome and Board update by Billie Jo Drake, chairwoman:
Member introductions and announcements:
Program: Gary Miller, Angels Home Care Health
February program will be presented by Meaghan Russell, USD 235. Meaghan will tell us about their Teammates program.
Open Forum:
Adjournment: Next meeting will be February 5, 2020.
The Cheney Witt Chapel grief support luncheon will be Wednesday, December 4, at noon.
Anyone dealing with a loss is encouraged to come and bring a friend. Cheney Witt Chapel will provide lunch at the Carriage House, 301 S. Main. Call 223-1186 if you have any questions. They look forward to seeing you.
The residential development at 1st and Main Street is now on track for a summer 2020 opening. This is a 2018 photo.
Though there has been no activity for months on the building at First and Main Street, that will change soon, said the developer.
“As happens from time to time, we are in the process of switching general contractors,” Tony Krsnich, president and CEO of Flint Hills Holding, 2315 W. 65th, Mission Hills, KS. said.
“We are getting ready to start construction back up in 30 days,” He said.
The three-story building is being converted into 25 “high-end” apartments, he said. “They are for the general public and rent will be based on income.”
“It will be historically preserved,” Krsnich said. “It will pretty much look like it did when built.”
What was known as the Stout Building, adjacent to the west at First and National Avenue was torn down.
“The old Stout Building was endangered and needed to be razed,” he said. “It will be used as green space and a parking area for downtown.”
“The project is fully financed and construction is expected to resume within the next few weeks,” Rachel Pruitt, Fort Scott Economic Director said. “The City looks forward to seeing the construction restarting and is thankful for the additional investment from Flint Hills Holdings. ”
The First and Main building as seen from National Avenue on Nov. 4. The Stout Building was razed on this space and will be made into a green space and parking lot for downtown Fort Scott.
