Category Archives: Business

Area News, Bourbon County, Business

Heartland Awards:$615k for Electric Grid Resilience Project

Leave a comment
Taken from the Heartland Rural Electric Website.

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative members in Linn County and surrounding areas will soon benefit from enhancements to  electric power grid resilience thanks to state and federal awards totaling more than $615,000, according to a press release from HREC.

“The project was designed to address some challenges in Linn County, where we have had problems with the power supply from the transmission lines,” said Doug Graham,  Communication Specialist for Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. .
“What happens at our substations is that we tap into the transmission lines and get the power we need to distribute to our members,” he said. “What this project will do is link 10 of our substations together and make new paths for electricity to flow — paths that we can control remotely.”
“The idea is that if we lose power to one of our Linn County substations because there is a problem with the transmission line in that area, but we still have access to power through a transmission line that’s connected to a different substation, we will be able to remotely reroute power from that other substation and get the Linn County people back online.”
“But the reverse could also be true,” he said. “There could be situations where we have lost power at, say, our Devon substation in Bourbon County, but we still have access to power at our Linn County substations. Thanks to the improvements this project will make, we would then be able to quickly and remotely reroute power to the members who are usually served by that Devon substation and keep them on until the power supply issue is resolved.”
“For that reason, this project will benefit folks in the counties around Linn as well,” he said.

 

Heartland’s Project RESTORE (Resiliency Enhancements to Strategically Transfer Optimized Reliable Energy) involves the installation of 10 remote-controlled reclosers to allow for speedy rerouting of power along existing lines to bring Linn County members back online within minutes rather than hours in the event of a substation outage, according to the press release.

 

By replacing hydraulic reclosers with remotely operated electronic reclosers, Heartland staff will be able to reroute power much more quickly, greatly reducing the time consumer members are out of power due to power supply interruptions. The project will allow Heartland staff to remotely reroute power between a total of 10 substations.

 

Heartland will receive $414,627 in federal funding for the project through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience Grant Program, and an additional $200,403 from the Build Kansas Fund, which was established by the Kansas Legislature to help Kansas organizations meet the matching fund requirements for federal infrastructure grants, according to the press release.

 

While the project was designed to address needs specific to Linn County, members in adjoining counties served by the affected substations will also benefit from these grid enhancements.

 

Heartland Chief Executive Officer Mark Scheibe said few electric distribution utilities serving rural areas would consider this type of project because of the cost and the technical knowledge required to make it work. As a result, already underserved areas miss out on technology that could substantially reduce outages.

 

“Our goal is for Project RESTORE to serve as a model for other rural providers to follow as they work toward improving grid resilience,” Scheibe said.

 

Project RESTORE was one of 11 projects selected for a total of nearly $17 million in funding through the DOE grid resilience program and the Build Kansas Fund.

About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.

Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland.

 

Business, Food, Fort Scott

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting at Outpost 13 West Today at 5:15 p.m.

Leave a comment

Join us for a Ribbon Cutting

Thursday, October 17th!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Chamber After-hours Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting to celebrate Outpost 13 West, Thursday, October 17th, from 5:15 to 6:30pm. The new restaurant is located in the Downtown Historic District at 13 W. Oak St. where the celebratory remarks and cutting of the ribbon will take place at 5:30pm.

The Bowman family is deeply rooted in Downtown and the restaurant business, owning NuGrille and Brickstreet BBQ, and is excited to present the new Outpost 13 West featuring Southwest cuisine where you design your own tacos, burrito, nacho, salad, or bowl. The business officially opened on September 23rd and this Ribbon Cutting event will officially celebrate the opening with the community.

John and Cindy Bowman purchased the building for Outpost 13 West in 2021 and started refurbishing the property. The building dates back to 1862 and was originally a livery and feed stable. The Bowman’s son Alex and his wife Carissa are part owners in the restaurant along with John and Cindy. The Bowman’s feel the new restaurant has been well received in the community and people have seemed to really enjoy the food and experience. For more information and updates on Outpost 13 West, follow their Facebook page and other social media.

Click here for their Facebook Page!

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information. Visit the Events Calendar and category of Chamber Coffees on fortscott.com for upcoming locations.

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members shown below…
Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 
Business, Food, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Outpost 13 Ribbon Cutting is Oct. 17

Leave a comment

Join us for a Ribbon Cutting

Thursday, October 17th!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Chamber After-hours Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting to celebrate Outpost 13 West, Thursday, October 17th, from 5:15 to 6:30pm. The new restaurant is located in the Downtown Historic District at 13 W. Oak St. where the celebratory remarks and cutting of the ribbon will take place at 5:30pm.

The Bowman family is deeply rooted in Downtown and the restaurant business, owning NuGrille and Brickstreet BBQ, and is excited to present the new Outpost 13 West featuring Southwest cuisine where you design your own tacos, burrito, nacho, salad, or bowl. The business officially opened on September 23rd and this Ribbon Cutting event will officially celebrate the opening with the community.

John and Cindy Bowman purchased the building for Outpost 13 West in 2021 and started refurbishing the property. The building dates back to 1862 and was originally a livery and feed stable. The Bowman’s son Alex and his wife Carissa are part owners in the restaurant along with John and Cindy. The Bowman’s feel the new restaurant has been well received in the community and people have seemed to really enjoy the food and experience. For more information and updates on Outpost 13 West, follow their Facebook page and other social media.

Click here for their Facebook Page!

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information. Visit the Events Calendar and category of Chamber Coffees on fortscott.com for upcoming locations.

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members shown below…
Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 
Business, Food, Fort Scott

Tea Club Meets Oct. 16 at Papa Don’s

Leave a comment

Mmm Flavor Shop’s Fall Tea Club will be Wednesday, October 16 at 6 pm. It will be held at Papa Don’s Pizza in Downtown Fort Scott.

The topic will be Herbal Teas.

Free Samples will include Chai Water, Homesteader’s Coffee (Dandelion Root and Chicory blend), Elderberry Water, and Tulsi (Holy Basil) Tea.

Come enjoy a cup and learn how herbal teas can help keep you healthier this coming winter season.

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Fun Events on the Horizon For Fort Scott

Leave a comment
Attendees introduce themselves at the Downtown Meet and Greet at the Courtland Hotel and Spa on Oct. 2.

The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce sponsored a quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet on Oct. 2, during which attendees shared information about upcoming community events.

Frank Adamson, owner of the Courtland Hotel and Spa, hosted the event and said that he and his wife, Cheryl, have owned the building for 20 years this year.  He commended all the owners of the downtown historic district for the revitalization that is going on.

“Look around, it’s amazing,” he said.

Comments from other attendees:

  • Fort Scott Tourism Director Jackson Tough listed all the avenues he is taking to get Fort Scott’s many assets to the public in surrounding areas. In addition,  The Kansas Museum Association Conference will be coming in a few weeks, The Military Preservation Convoy toured the town on Oct. 13-14. His office is once again in the Chamber office, 231 E. Wall St.
  • Diane Striler, the event organizer, spoke of the 2nd Annual Christmas on the Bricks, the first weekend in December. Fundraising for the new skating rink has started in the community and another addition will be costumed Christmas characters walking around the festivities. This year there will be a big Christmas tree near the First Colored Infantry mural on Skubitz Plaza. Volunteers of all kinds are needed for the event. She is looking for a business to provide free gift wrapping for the festival shoppers.
  • Fort Scott National Historic Site Supervisor Jill Jaworski said that two new employees have been hired and the fort will be open full-time within two weeks. She thanked the community for supporting the recent Naturalization Ceremony conducted at the fort, with over 1,000 visitors that day. The Dragoon Barracks is being renovated and the fort is preparing for the annual Candlelight Tour, the first weekend in December. Tickets will go on sale for this event in the 1st part of November.
  • Mary Wyatt, Fort Scott Community Development, said the  city is “putting together a housing committee to do a housing needs study.” She is also working on a mini-golf project for the community, looking at updating the city’s comprehensive plan and introduced the new Housing and Community Development Coordinator, Lisa Dillon. Dillon told the group of some ideas she has for the position.
  • Kari West, spokesperson for Evergy, the electric company, said there is a Kansas Business Energy Program available.
  • Bailey Lyons, a spokesperson for the splash pad that was opened this summer, told the group that in this off-season they are putting up shade structures, building an ADA bathroom and installing a new sprinkler system for the landscape around the facility.
  • Kathy Dancer, whose building at 110 S. Main, houses a cafe, retail store, and bar is undergoing facade renovation. The bar, called The Green Lantern, added a murder mystery dinner and was sold out for that, but will offer another in the spring, she said. The bar, which they call a speakeasy, is open on Friday and Saturday nights and can also be booked for special events. The distilling of bourbon should be operational by the end of this year, with bourbon tastings in the future.
  • The building at 23 S. Main, Main Street Vintage and Co. is for sale, FS Chamber Executive Director Lindsay Madison said.
  • Upcoming Chamber events:
  • The Community Connection Panel luncheon is Oct. 19 at the Empress Event Center.
  • Outpost 13 West Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting is Oct. 17, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m.
  • Bourbon County Clay After-Hours is Oct. 24, 5:15-6:30 p.m. at the Artificers.
  • Manufacturing Day is Nov. 13 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with tours of local manufacturers.
  • Christmas Light Trolley Tours are Dec. 12-23 nightly.
  • Christmas Light Contest is in December with cash prizes, contact the Chamber for more information.

 

 

 

 

Business, Fort Scott

Name Change For Mortgage Business at 1 E. Wall Street

Leave a comment
Guild Mortgage company, National Avenue and Wall Street in downtown Fort Scott.
Open Mortgage has a new name:  Guild Mortgage
 
The business, located downtown at  1 E. Wall Street, started with Guild Mortgage on June 17, 2024.
 
“We wanted more opportunities to help more clients,” said David Vonfeldt, branch manager. “With us moving to Guild Mortgage we are able to offer more loan programs to assist more clients. The company itself has been in business for over 63 years and is ranked in the top 10 for mortgage companies.”
 
The services the business offers the community are home loans, Home Equity Line of Credit HELOC loans, bridge Loans, refinancing.
“Bridge loans are short-term loans using your home’s equity to put money down on a new home before selling your current home,” he said.
To Buy A House
The process of getting a mortgage is complex, Vonfeldt said.
Here is a flyer for new home buyers wanting to know the process:  #3204155_Homebuying Process_Flyer_C
“The information needed to start the process is name, date of birth, two-year residence history, two-year work history, income, and assets. Most of all this information is entered into the loan application and then the appropriate documents are provided to prove the entered information.”
“Interest rates change every day and for me to quote an actual rate I would need to have an actual application for a mortgage. I can tell you that we are very competitive on interest rates and that they are starting to come down,” he said.
“We are the number one U.S. Department of Agriculture lender in the country which gives us the ability to give great interest rates and favorable terms. A USDA loan is a no-money-down loan for low to moderate-income families and is a very popular loan in rural areas, which makes it a great option for the residents of Ft. Scott.”
For more information call +1 (620) 268-2945.
  David Vonfeldt – Branch Manager       
                             
Joe’ Fritter – Loan Officer      
            
 
 Monica Creighton – Originating Loan Officer/Assistant    
Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Downtown Quarterly Meet and Greet Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.

Leave a comment

Quarterly Downtown Meet & Greet scheduled for Tuesday, October 8th!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Downtown Meet & Greet will be held Tuesday, October 8th from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the Courtland Hotel & Spa, 121 E. 1st St.

These informal, quarterly meetings are hosted by the Chamber for Downtown business owners, representatives, and community members to network and share ideas on events, promotions, and anything related to downtown.

Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 
Business, Entertainment, Fort Scott

Fort Scott Broadcasting Celebrates 70 Years On The Air

Leave a comment

Congratulations to our Chamber member Fort Scott Broadcasting!

Fort Scott Broadcasting’s KMDO 1600 AM Celebrates 70 years on the air!
Join the station as they have special guests all week

October 7th-11th!

Tune in from 6 AM to 6 PM for wall-to-wall music, memories, and celebration as we commemorate 70 incredible years on the airwaves and 7 decades of music history together!

Special appearances from our former, DJs, and exclusive content and surprises all week long!

Click here for to visit their Facebook page for future events!
DATE MUSIC GUEST
Monday

10/7

 Rock the 50’s Pam Hutchison 8am
Tuesday

10/8

 Groove with the 60’s Charlene Keating, Becky Allen, & Kirby Ham
Wednesday

10/9

 Dance to the 70’s Gary & Ron Palmer
Thursday

10/10

 Jam with the 80’s Bob & Rick Russell
Friday

10/11

 Relive the 90’s Larry Gazaway 8am

A special thank you to our Chamber Champion members!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Unsubscribe
Business, Fort Scott, History

Fort Scott Broadcasting Celebrates 70 Years In Business

Leave a comment
Tim and Deb McKenney at the KS Department of Commerce  2023 awards ceremony. The McKenney family has operated the radio station in Fort Scott for 70 years. Submitted photo.

Seventy years ago,  KMDO1600 Radio signed on the air in Fort Scott.

From October 7 through 11, the station will celebrate its 70th anniversary featuring the music of the 50s through the 90s.

The McKenney family has owned and operated the local radio business for the past 70 years, providing contemporary hit music, news, weather, sports, and public service announcements to the community.

Celebration Week at The Radio Station Oct. 7-11

In October 2024, music of the different decades will be featured, and some former disc jockeys will be on the air in the studios again.

During the week of October 7-11, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the radio station will play special music from the different decades in which it has served the community.

On Monday, music from the 1950s will be featured, Tuesday will feature 60s music, Wednesday, 70s music, Thursday, 80s music and Friday, music from the 1990s.

The Trading Post is a daily program where one can buy, sale, trade or give away items.

Special Trading Post program for the anniversary celebration will be Tim  Mckenney and Ron Palmer on Monday, Oct. 7; Charlene Keating, Becky Allen, and Kirby Ham, on Tuesday Oct. 8; Gary Palmer and Deb Mckenney on Oct. 9th, and  Larry Gazaway and Pam Hutchison on Friday Oct. 11th.

The Beginning

Jim McKenney. Submitted photo.

Lloyd James (Jim) McKenney built several stations in the late 40s and early 50s, including the first stations in Carthage, Monnet, Cassville, and Branson, MO, and Iola, KS.

Jim McKenney built  KMDO-AM radio station in Fort Scott, signing on for the first time on Oct. 7, 1954, in the vicinity of where Tractor Supply is today, with six employees.

The old radio station. Submitted photo.

“Jim had five sons and a daughter,” Deb said.  “Several of the sons worked at KMDO in the early years, however, Tim, after starting on- air in 1969, worked there on and off until 1980, when he returned full-time and built 103.9FM (KOMB).  Tim has been manager of the radio stations since 1980 and owner since 1996.”

“The studios and transmitters were south of town on Hwy. 69 originally in the area of Tractor Supply,” Deb said.  “In 1990, we moved the studios and offices to the building we are now located in at 2 N. National and moved the tower and transmitters to a site where Walmart is presently located.  In 2006, we moved the towers from that site to two separate sites.  The KMDO tower is now located south of town in the industrial park and the 103.9FM tower is located about seven miles northwest of Fort Scott on 7 Highway.”

Deb started on the air at the station in the early 1980s and has worked with her husband in almost every function of the business since that time.

Serving the Public

They regularly broadcast city, county, and school talk shows in the Fort Scott area to keep people informed about current happenings in the area.

The radio station’s goal has been to serve the public interest, she said.

“We do that by broadcasting things of interest and/or service to our listeners,” she said.  These include local news, weather, sports, music and public service announcements.  We air weekly programs that inform listeners about what’s going on in our school systems, talks with our city manager about things going on in the city and talks with our county commissioners about what’s going on in the county. Broadcast Tiger games!  And of course, we play music for folks too!”

Through the years, technology has changed, “but our clients and staff have been faithful,” she said.

The rest of the current broadcast crew besides Deb and Tim is Darla Ramsey, the office manager;  Deana Wade, Angie King, and Angie Martin,  sales executives;  on-air personnel include “Downtown” Keith Brown, Charlene Bolinger, Carlos Muniz, and Jonah Cooke and they also have contract engineers.

Fort Scott Broadcasting is located at 2 N. National in Downtown Historic Fort Scott and can be reached at  620-223-4500.

State Recognition

In 2023, Fort Scott Broadcasting Co. Inc was recognized as the Southeast Kansas Regional Winner in Retail and Service by the Kansas Department of Commerce.

To The Stars: Kansas Businesses Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes businesses across the state for the valuable contributions they make to the Kansas economy and to the well-being of their communities, according to https://www.kansascommerce.gov/kansasbusinessawards/.

 

Fort Scott Broadcasting is the parent company of KMDO-AM, and KOMB-FM and is located at 2 N. National Avenue.

 

Business, Fort Scott

Susan Eldridge Retires After 41 Years at Union State Bank

Leave a comment

 

Union State Bank announces the retirement of Susan Eldridge, who has been an integral part of our team since May 1, 1983. Susan, who has served primarily as the bank’s Cashier, will be retiring after an impressive 41 years of dedicated service.

Susan Eldridge’s tenure with Union State Bank has been marked by her unwavering commitment to excellence, customer service, and community involvement. Her extensive knowledge and steadfast dedication have greatly contributed to the success and reputation of our institution. Her retirement marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in her life.

To honor Susan’s remarkable career and celebrate her contributions, Union State Bank will be hosting two special receptions in her honor:

  • Uniontown Reception: Tuesday, September 24th, 2024
    • Time: 1 – 3 pm
    • Location: Union State Bank, 204 Sherman Street, Uniontown
  • Fort Scott Reception: Thursday, September 26th, 2024
    • Time: 1 – 3 pm
    • Location: 1009 S. Clark Street, Fort Scott

Both receptions will offer an opportunity for friends, colleagues, and community members to extend their best wishes to Susan and to join us in celebrating Susan’s remarkable career and to wish her well as she embarks on her well-deserved retirement.

For further information, please contact Stevia Ratcliff at (620) 223-0066.

About Union State Bank

Union State Bank has been a cornerstone of the Uniontown and Fort Scott communities, offering personalized banking services and financial solutions for decades. Our commitment to exceptional customer service and community involvement remains at the heart of our mission.

Business, Food, Fort Scott

Outpost 13 West Opening on September 23

2 Comments
From left: John and Cindy Bowman , Carissa and Alex Bowman, owners of the new  food business venture Outpost 13 West, at 13 W. Oak.

 

The Bowman family, Cindy and John and their son Alex and his wife Carissa, own both Brickstreet BBQ and across the street, the NuGrille Restaurant, at the corner of National Avenue and Oak.

In 2021 they purchased the property west of Brickstreet BBQ to save it, Cindy Bowman said.

On September 23, they will open Outpost 13 West, a Southwestern cuisine restaurant at 13 West Oak Street.

John, Cindy, Carissa and Alex Bowman stand in front of their new business, Outpost 13 West in a newly remodeled historic building at 13 West Oak.

The Bowmans found after they purchased the it,  that it is a 152-year-old historic building.

The oldest record found for the building was 1862, according to records found with help from personnel at the Old Fort Genealogical Society of Southeast Kansas Inc, located at 221 S. National.

The Oulds family built it as a livery stable that was used by the government military, at Fort Scott, and was the corral, used to contain the animals that the U.S. federal fort needed.

The  3,000 square feet building by 2021 was in “pretty bad shape,” said John Bowman.

The building at 13 W. Oak prior to renovation. Submitted photo.
The 13 W. Oak St. building after renovation by the Bowmans.

The arches are a noticeable architectural feature in the renovation.

“The arches are original, but they were closed in and we reopened them,” Cindy said.

The venture will be a build-your-own Southwestern cuisine food line, “you pick it, we will build it,” Alex said.

Southwestern cuisine includes tacos, burritos, etc. with choices of meat and toppings.

The choose-your-own food line at Outpost 13 West.

In addition, there is a separate bar that serves ice cream, slushes,  and desserts.

Ice cream, slushes and desserts will be offered at this separate bar.

There will be 15 employees in the new business, with some being moved from Brickstreet BBQ to help.

September 23 will be the official opening of Outpost 13 West.

Hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To contact the restaurant: 620.224.2419. or [email protected]

Inside Outpost 13 West on September 13, where preparation was happening for the restaurant opening on September 23.

About the original building owner

The Bowmans found that before S.A. Oulds came to Fort Scott in 1852, he went to South Australia to the gold mines and made $150,000 there. “He returned to his family in Ohio where he farmed, then traveled south and west to this location where in 1862 he started this livery stable in Fort Scott,” Carissa said.

Cindy said that concrete posts have been added to the front of the building, so vehicles can’t get too close, as a safety measure.