|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Category Archives: Business
Home Show Vendors Needed For 2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Be a part of a great team! They’re Hiring!
|
 |
|
|
|
Evergy’s Transmission Delivery Charge increase takes effect April 1
|
Freedom Farm Is Working Towards Agri-Tourism and Collaborations
As a family unit, Kylene and Gary Palmer and their daughters, are in the process of turning their farm near Fort Scott into a business model that is a resource for consumers and producers.
Many of the plans on Freedom Farm are “projects in motion”, said Kylene.
“We haven’t ‘arrived’ yet, she said, but they do have thoughtful plans and projects that they are currently seeking grants to build.
“We want to build a resource and outlet for local farmers that have sustainable practices to sell straight to consumers,” she said.” We are working on formulating the structure for a co-op that is both beneficial to the consumer and producer.”
“We are constructing a central hub at our farm to host farm tours, educational programs, a small market for local farmers and a certified kitchen as a resource for farmers, among other things,” Palmer said.
“We are super excited about the grant we received from the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team,” she said. “We plan to use those funds to build a freezer/cooler in order to have space to ramp up production of our meat and eggs.”
They have dreams of a small, by appointment only, on-farm restaurant.
“The idea there is less about a restaurant and more about connecting consumers to local farmers,” she said. “We would love to have guest chefs from our local community and surrounding areas to keep things new and exciting and really make it a community offering.”
Agricultural bus tours are on the horizon for Freedom Farms.
“We have been doing much building and property maintenance to work towards that goal of hosting agriculture bus tours as one of the stops here in Bourbon County,” she said. “We are signed up for the Big Kansas Road trip in May for anyone wanting to stop by and visit or ask questions.”
“One of the many ways the certified kitchen would be put into use would be to offer on-farm lunch to the bus tour participants,” she said. “We would love to work together with local farms to achieve that goal.”
Currently, Freedom Farm produces and sells eggs, pastured poultry, lamb, and a minimal amount of goat.
“It is a family affair, ” she said. “I do most of the day-to-day chores along with help from our children. My eldest daughter has started her own lamb herd and another daughter is in the beginning stages of growing her goat herd. Gary oversees the planning and marketing and is involved every day after work hours. Everyone is involved at many different levels and we hope to employ others as we grow.”
Dancers Purchase Downtown Scottish Rite Temple
Tracy and Kathy Dancer, Fort Scott, have purchased the
Scottish Rite Temple at 110 South Main.
The couple is investing in the historic downtown building to make it an asset to the community once again, she said.
“We see this as an opportunity to invest in Fort Scott and repurpose a historic building,” Kathy said. “The building has been dormant since 2014 and there has been no maintenance or activity in the building since it was sold by the Scottish Rite.”
They purchased the building from the Bourbon County Commission property tax auction that was conducted in January.
“Currently, we plan on providing micro-retail spaces for small retail businesses,” she said. “Micro-retail spaces are a great opportunity for local entrepreneurs to have a retail space without committing to a large store or the overhead associated with a stand-alone storefront.”
“The building will also support pop-up shops and small seasonal stores,” Kathy said. “We have had many community members also ask us to consider a cafe or pie pantry so we are considering incorporating those into the space as well. Ideally, we will be able to use the theater for events and as a rentable venue in the future.”
Currently, they are not seeking grants to help with the project.
“If grant funding becomes available that is a good fit for the space and the community, we would consider applying but at this time we have not applied for anything and our plan does not rely on grant money.”
“Right now our initial plans are to restore utilities and water service
so we can better assess the condition of the building and mechanical systems,” she said. “Once electricity and water are in place, we can begin to better evaluate the interior and formalize plans to repurpose the ground floor space.”
so we can better assess the condition of the building and mechanical systems,” she said. “Once electricity and water are in place, we can begin to better evaluate the interior and formalize plans to repurpose the ground floor space.”
“The building is part of the historic downtown district so we will be applying to the State Historic Preservation Office for their approval of restoration and renovation plans before we can begin work,” she said.
History of the Building
“The building was constructed by the Scottish Rite Valley of Fort Scott and was completed in 1926,” she said. “The building hosted meetings for the fraternal organization as well as community events. There was a dining hall on the ground floor and a large theater on the second floor. The building still has many original features in the theater and lobby area as well as the original air chest pipe organ.”
“If anyone would like to follow our progress and plans, we will be posting updates on our social media on Facebook and Instagram at @110SouthMainFortScott,” she said
Lassoed Memories Opens New Studio:Grand Opening March 12
Erika George, 26, owner of Lassoed Memories – Erika George Photography has opened a new studio in downtown Fort Scott.
She started her business in 2016 and provides portraits, family photos, headshots, children, newborns, boudoir, Western lifestyle, and weddings photo sessions.
She chose the new location for her business, at 116 S. Main because of the ambiance.
“It is the old Common Ground Coffee Company and the old Hound Nutrition location,” she said. “I loved all of the different walls and aspects of the building. There is lots of room for different types of sessions within the area.”
George will be hosting a grand opening at the studio on March 12 from 2-4:30 p.m.
As a part of her grand opening, she will be offering $30 mini-sessions, local vendor shopping booths, and giveaways, she said.
“I love to connect with other people and capture memories that they can hold onto forever,” she said. “I especially love kid’s sessions and to interact with all of the different ages! I meet all different types of people and get to interact with all ages through many steps of life and love every minute of it!”
To contact George, phone: 620-381-4783 her Facebook page: Erika George Photography or by email: [email protected]
KS Gas Service Allowed to Recover Last Winter’s Gas Costs
KCC approves settlement agreement allowing Kansas Gas Service to recover last winter’s gas costs from third-party marketers and certain large transportation customers
TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has approved a settlement agreement outlining how Kansas Gas Service (KGS) will recover costs incurred to meet the demand of the company’s transportation customers during last February’s winter storm. Unlike sales customers, who contract directly with KGS for gas, transportation customers purchase gas from gas producers or through a gas marketer. The purchased gas is then provided to KGS and delivered through KGS pipelines to transportation customers. Examples of transportation customers include some municipal utilities, businesses, schools, and churches.
What is normally a straightforward transaction was complicated by the high demand and limited supplies during the winter storm. Some gas marketers did not provide adequate gas to KGS in order to ensure uninterrupted service to transportation customers threatening the integrity of KGS’s entire system. Under an emergency order from the KCC designed to protect the health and safety of Kansans, KGS was obligated to make up the difference to ensure gas was available to all customers, including transportation customers.
Under the settlement agreement, KGS will recover approximately $52 million of the $58 million of calculated supply shortfalls in the negotiated gas cost penalty payments from marketers and transportation customers. Due to the extraordinary costs from the winter storm, KGS also requested a waiver from a provision in its tariff that would have allowed a multiplier penalty to be applied to the amount owed. The Commission granted the waiver. In the absence of the waiver, penalties could have been as much as $888 million, potentially sending many entities into bankruptcy and resulting in great harm to the State’s economy.
Had KGS been unable to recover costs from marketers and transportation customers, those costs would have fallen to residential and small commercial customers. The settlement also avoids costly litigation and further delays.
Today’s order makes clear that the Commission’s decision to waive penalties is not to be viewed as precedential and not to assume penalties will be waived again if a similar situation occurs in the future. In addition, the order states that any proceeds received by KGS from ongoing federal or state investigations into market manipulation, price gouging or civil suits will be passed on to customers.
Today’s order is available at: http://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx?Id=6378bf46-4736-4fc7-bbfb-47a48bba916d
A recording of today’s Business Meeting featuring comments by Commissioners on this order, is available on the KCC YouTube channel.
KOMB Radion Auction Today And Tomorrow
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Labor/Housing and Retail Studies To Be Conducted By Bourbon County Eco Devo
There is a shortage of workers and also quality housing in the county.
The Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) organization is working to address that problem.
“We are conducting a labor and housing study that will be used to help create programs that will allow REDI to help our current employers and the communities within Bourbon County to attract people,” Robert Harrington, director of REDI said.
“We know that there is a shortage of workers and quality housing within our county,” he said. “We are hopeful that after these reports are published we will get a lot of information that we can use to help find solutions for both issues.”
Looking for Retailers That are Needed
REDI is also facilitating a retail survey at the same time.
“We will use (this study) to help give us an idea of what new retailers the citizens of Bourbon County would like to see and the information we would need to attract such retailers,” he said.
The retail survey can be viewed at:
REDI Consultants Conduct Interviews, Send Surveys
REDI recently hired Goldstone Consulting, Moberly, Missouri, and O’Brian and Associates, Joplin, Missouri, who will be conducting the interviews and putting together the studies after they accumulate all of the information, he said.
“They will also be giving the REDI Board a strategic plan based on the data we receive,” he said REDI is paying for the study
“The consultants that we hired will be conducting interviews with several of our business owners in the upcoming months as well as surveys being sent out to Chamber members and citizens across the county,” Harrington said.
“We are also hopeful that we will be able to send these same surveys out to students in the two high schools and the community college so that we can get a perspective of our younger generation on their needs and wants as well as hopefully entice them to stay and live and work here at home,” he said.
“The studies are being paid for by Bourbon County REDI and the results will be given to my board of directors by August of this year,” he said.
Chamber Coffee at Angie Dawn’s Boutique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Young Mom Turns Creative Outlet into Business
Genna Gilbert, 23, is a stay-at-home mom who is turning a creative outlet, arts and crafts, into a business to benefit herself and her family.
The business is called Made With Love by Genna.
She started doing artwork at 16-years-old to “get away from reality,” Gilbert said. “Painting/crafting helped me escape and get away from all the negativity that was going on in my life at the time.”
Then people started noticing her art and asking her to do some painting for them.
That began the process of selling her work. This year she made it an official business, she said.
She paints on metal, resin, glass, clay, and wood, creating items from earrings, drinking cups to windows. “A lot of things, custom artwork,” she said.
She does most of her work at her dining room table, with her husband Dante assisting her with paperwork and “cutting wood,” she said.
In the near future, she is hoping to put items online and in addition, have painting sessions for children and adults.
To contact her see her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MadeWithLoveByGenna or email her at [email protected]
