Category Archives: Business

Bourbon County, Business, COVID-19, Food

Grocery Food Coming to Uniontown

1 Comment
Union Station is located just west of Uniontown in western Bourbon County.

Union Station Convenience Store, 684 Maple Road, Uniontown, is ready to receive staple grocery items to provide western Bourbon County residents with an option for food closer to home.

 

“We had already purchased the shed that we intended to eventually turn into climate-controlled storage, prior in the year,” said Ronni Clayton, who along with her husband, Dane, are the owners. “Our goal was to make one purchase at a time as the funds became available.”

 

Ronni and Dane Clayton are the owners of Union Station, Uniontown. The store will stock some groceries soon.

 

But then the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, and the federal government gave funds to each state government and the Kansas government distributed funds to local entities. In Bourbon County, it was the county commission. The Clayton’s applied for a SPARK grant through the county.

 

To find out more about the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK)program, click here. https://covid.ks.gov/spark-recovery-office

 

“Once we received the SPARK funds in September we were able to really get things moving,” Clayton said.

 

The couple created another cold storage unit to accommodate the food that will be coming.

Aryn Jefferis, an employee of Union Station, opens the cold storage unit that was added to the store.
The inside of the cold storage unit at Union Station.

 

“We plan to sell staple grocery items such as bread, cheese, eggs, lunchmeat, hamburger, etc,” Clayton said.

 

The Claytons created climate-controlled storage outside of the main building, to free up space for additional coolers and shelving inside the convenience store,  she said in a previous interview.

 

Coolers inside Union Station stand empty in preparation for the grocery items that will be coming, according to Aryn Jefferis, an employee.

 

”The increased product space will be used for discounted grocery items as well as locally produced meats,” she said.

 

To see the previous interview: Union Station: Affordable Groceries Are Coming to Uniontown

 

“Everything is done except getting the groceries in the store,” Clayton said. ” We are still working out some details on that, but hope to start regular grocery deliveries soon. The holidays slowed everything a bit.”

 

” We are working with Nichols Hitching Post and Bronson Locker so far, with some other local businesses possibly in the works as well,” she said.

Learn more about Nichols Hitching Post from their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/879444012103113/

Learn more about the Bronson Locker from here:

Bronson Locker Expands Due To Demand During Pandemic

 

The Clayton’s employ 12 people at their store.

 

They have some new things on the horizon as well.

 

” We have a lot of new ideas slowly taking form, so stay tuned,” Clayton said.

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee at Moe’s Bread on Jan. 7

Leave a comment
Join us for our first
Chamber Coffee in 2021!
Hosted by New Chamber Member
Moe’s Bread
20 West Wall Street
Thursday, January 7th, 8 am
Masks are strongly encouraged and masks will be available for those without one
Click HERE for their Facebook page.
Moe’s Bread Bakery welcomes everyone to join them for their First Chamber Coffee as a new Chamber Member since October 2020.
Chamber Members & Guests are welcome
to make any announcement for $1 to the Chamber about their business or organization including events, new products, promotions, or any other specials!
Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Quarterly Downtown Meeting Jan. 12

Leave a comment
Join us for the Quarterly Downtown Meet & Greet, Tuesday, January 12th, 2021!
8:30 am to 9:30 am
hosted by the Chamber at
E3 Ranch Co Headquarters
“Banquet Room”
13 S. National Ave.
Downtown Historic Fort Scott
Rita Schroeder, Administrative Assistant
Lindsay Madison, President & CEO
620-223-3566
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.
Masks are strongly encouraged and
will be available for those without one.
Bourbon County, Business, COVID-19, Food

Bronson Locker Expands Due To Demand During Pandemic

1 Comment
Helen and Chubb Bolling, owners of Bronson Locker. Submitted photo.

 

The Bronson Locker is USDA inspected meat. From their Facebook page.

Bronson Locker, 504 Clay Street, Bronson, KS has been expanding during the COVID 19 pandemic.

“We have had an overflow of work,” said Helen Bolling, who along with her husband, Raymond, known as Chubb, owns the meat locker. “We have had to put on more employees. We expanded our business.  A new cooler, a new processing room.”

“People are buying local meat,” Bolling said. “People are wanting farm-raised meat. We are USDA inspected.”

Several Bourbon County meat producers provide meat to the locker, she said. J.D. Russell and Kevin Gleason from the Redfield area; Ryan Tuchscherer, Fort Scott; Henry and John Ericson, Hiattville all provide meat to Bronson Locker, to name a few, Bolling said.

They have spent a large amount of money to expand their meat locker business that processes beef, swine, sheep, and goats, Helen said. During deer season they add deer processing too.

From their Facebook page.
The waiting list to process beef is up to Dec. 2021, Helen said.
“We are accepting deer anytime,” Mandie Ericson, wife of Helen’s grandson Garret, said.
Mandie and Garret hope to buy the family business from Chubb and Helen someday, Mandie said.
They do not sell deer meat, they merely process it.
Currently, Mandie is the supervisor, Helen said.
Mandie Ericson, Helen and Chubb Bolling and Garret Ericson at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Forks and Corks Event 2019 at the Riverfront Event Center. The Bronson Locker has won the Taster’s Choice Award at the event for two years in a row. Submitted photo.

From the Bronson Locker Facebook page:

“For people discouraged about the waiting list for beef appointments…
“It is always a good idea to… call and check regularly. We want your business as much as you want to sell your beef or stock your freezers.
This week we were able to work seven people up off the waiting list. This week alone. Don’t feel discouraged we will make sure we take care of as many of you as we possibly can without sacrificing quality.
“Thank you to the farmers and families for all of your continued support.”
They are currently selling beef bundles at 25 pounds for $100.
“They average $4 a pound for this farm-raised beef,” Helen said.
The locker is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be contacted at 620-939-4575.

 

 

Family Owned and Run

They have twelve full-time and two part-time employees, all from Bourbon County, she said.

This is a family-owned and family-run business and 10 of the employees are family.

Besides Chubb and Helen, their son Mike is a butcher. In addition, Amber Ericson, their daughter, works at the locker when she is not teaching school at West Bourbon Elementary School in Uniontown. Helen’s nephews Jesse, Robert and Jim Kuns, the Bolling grandchildren Mandy and Garrett Ericson,  and another grand-daughter in-law, Tyler Ericson, all work at the locker.

 

In addition, they have a long-term employee, Tom Bradbury, technician, “who keeps us up and going,” Mandie said.

 

The family has purchased some of the buildings adjacent to the locker and have opened an antique store on the main street of Bronson as well.

 

The Bollings own several adjacent buildings to their locker business. Submitted photo.
Chubb and Helen Bolling added an antique shop in an adjacent building. The shop is named THAM Antiques after Tyler, Helen, Amber and Mandie. Submitted photos.

 

Business, Fort Scott, Housing

Union Lofts Apartments Open For Rental In Downtown Fort Scott

3 Comments
A view from the window of a Union Loft apartment. Submitted photos.
Union Lofts Apartments, 20 S. Main in downtown Fort Scott, will be available to move into in mid-January 2021.
The building has been under demolition then reconstruction since 2018, at the corner of 1st and Main Streets.
Tony Krsnich, Flint Hills Holdings, (located at 7301 Mission Rd, 326 Prairie Village Campus, Prairie Village) is the developer.
Twenty-five apartments fill the three-story historic building, and eight have already been leased.
Some of the perks for living in them?
​
“The tenants will be living in a newly renovated historic building,” said Mandy Maples, Flint Hills Holdings Vice President of Operations. “There will be a courtyard area with seating and a BBQ grill, indoor workout facility, every apartment is uniquely designed.
 ​No two apartments are the same. Every apartment is unique and holds its own personality.”
Residents may move in the middle of January and there are apartments available for leasing now, she said.
Applications can be picked up at 8 East First Street, at the apartment building across the street.
For questions, call 620-223-1718.
Following are prior stories on the building:
Flint Hills Holding
 ​Flint Hills Holdings Group was established in early 2014. FHHG specializes in historic preservation and multifamily developments. FHHG has developed over $100MM of real estate in Kansas and Missouri since its inception in early 2014 and currently works in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Progress on Fiber Optic Projects In Bourbon County Continues

1 Comment
The Craw-Kan Cooperative space is seen on the backside of the  Bourbon County Courthouse. The county commission has leased Craw-Kan two cells from the former jail. September 2018 photo.
Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative Inc., Girard, is working on multiple projects in Bourbon County to provide fiber-optic lines for internet services.
Craw-Kan Telephone serves Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, offering high-speed fiber optic internet, cable TV, and telephone service in its’ service area, according to its’ Facebook page.
Zach Adams, Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative Marketing Manager.
Fort Scott Project
Work began on a new hub for Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative on South Judson Street in late 2018.
“We are continuing to build fiber to non-cooperative member areas in the southeast side of the city of Fort Scott,” Zach Adams, Craw-Kan Marketing Manager said.   “These are homes and businesses where we have not been able to provide services in the past.”
“The goal of our Fort Scott project is to provide 100% fiber-optic coverage in the city limits,” he said.  ” The west side of US 69 HWY is complete and we are currently working on the southeast quadrant of the city.  We will also connect some residences outside but adjacent to the city.”
“We are subcontracting Jim Radell Construction, Pittsburg, for construction on the southeast quadrant of the City of Fort Scott,” Adams said.  “They have multiple crews working in the area.  We also use multiple Craw-Kan employees in the construction and installation process.  There are two or more repair and installation technicians assigned to the Fort Scott territory at any given time.”
Craw-Kan began the Fort Scott overbuild in 2017 and completion is estimated to be in 2021-2022, Adams said.
Uniontown Project
Conduit for the Craw-Kan Fiber Optic project. in March 2020 in Uniontown.
  “The other large project in Bourbon County is the upgrade to the Uniontown (756) phone exchange,” he said.   “This project will be replacing copper phone and DSL lines with fiber-optic lines that will bring maximum reliability and gigabit internet speeds to 100% of Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative members in the Uniontown exchange…The project will upgrade 100% of existing Craw-Kan members to fiber-optic connections to the home.”
“For the Uniontown project, Bob Hull Inc – BHI was with bid winning contractor doing the fiber upgrade construction,” Adams said.  “They will be using multiple crews to complete the work.”
The Uniontown project was started in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2021, he said.
Cost of the project
“Craw-Kan has invested several million dollars over the last four years into upgrading the connections of our cooperative members in Bourbon County as well as bringing new fiber optic services to the City of Fort Scott and surrounding areas,” Adams said.
Business, Fort Scott, Housing

New Furnished Apartments Open As Vacation Rentals

3 Comments
The Hole in the Wall Liquor Store, at Wall and Scott Street September 2018. The new apartments are above the retail store.

Roy and Jody Hoener have opened a new business in the historic Fort Scott downtown area.

“The name of the new apartments are called ‘H Bar Suites,'”, Jody Hoener said.  “This was Roy’s cattle brand when he had cattle.”

 

Submitted photos of the H Bar Suites vacation rental’s interior construction.

The apartments are located in historic downtown Fort Scott, directly above Hole in the Wall Liquor, another business the couple own,  and across from the Fort Scott National Historic Site, she said.

The physical address is 8 North Scott Street.

They are fully furnished apartments.

The Hoeners have used Ruddick’s Furniture,  and local contractors: Casper Enterprises, Stoughton Plumbing, KTK Electric, and Perry Cannon to name a few. The cabinets were made by Kirby’s Cabinets.

“There are two apartments.  The two-bedroom apartment is currently available, click on the link,” she said.

https://www.vrbo.com/2121361?unitId=2685895&noDates=true&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=earned:vrbo:sharecopylink:USA&utm_content=2121361&oc=fXSJaTIjDS9f5Xk0maRRj

The furnished 2 bedroom apartment is finished. Submitted photos.

The couple hopes to have the one bedroom available at the end of this week, Hoener said.

 

“There were a few issues with furniture and appliances being back-ordered that has delayed the opening,” she said.

 

Construction on the Hole in the Wall Liquor Store at Wall and State streets  began in 2018.

History of the Hoener businesses at the site

“Our project started in 2016 when we started looking for a place to move Hole in the Wall Liquor.  (https://holeinthewallliquor.com/) ,” she said.  “One stipulation we had to move as we wanted to remain downtown.  As business owners with a vested interest in our community, we wanted to make a larger impact beyond a retail store.  Downtown revitalization’s direct impact is well documented and has shown to spur local economies.”

 

“When we took on this old and condemned building downtown, it literally had poles coming from the middle of the street, up to the side of the building, holding up the wall, for almost a decade,” Hoener said.  “This was quite the eyesore to one of the main entrances of our downtown.”

 

“Heather Smith, the city’s then Economic Development Director, showed us several downtown buildings,” she said. “It was a hard sale. All of the buildings were in such disrepair that it would be impossible for us to come up with the capital to make the needed improvements. The cost of replacing the roof was much more than the value of the whole building.  In short, we discovered what many already knew: it would be impossible to obtain a loan on a worthless building.  We learned first-hand why these buildings are sitting empty but also a few tricks, tips, and solutions to the problem.”

” Smith, through the City of Fort Scott, was able to offer us the State of Kansas Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for historic districts,” Hoener said.  “This is a state-wide grant program, highly competitive, to help cities provide financial incentives to bring these condemned buildings back to life.   After much thought and planning, working through the risks and unknowns of old buildings, and working with Smith and Dave Martin, we decided to take a leap of faith. ”

“Working with Smith (even after she took on a new job in Wisconsin!) and Susan Galemore at the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission we wrote and submitted a winning CDBG grant,” she said.  “The grant, paired with creative financing from Gregg Motley at Landmark National Bank, and lots of sweat equity, brought new life into the building, encouraging foot traffic downtown, and being a part of the momentum to spur economic growth.”

They had a plan and worked it.

“Our business plan was developed and written in phases,” she said. “The first phase was to move Hole in the Wall Liquor to the new location and open the retail liquor store.”

 

” The second phase was to then take advantage of the opportunity in the space upstairs and develop housing.  We are now, four years later, almost to the end of that final phase,” Hoener said.

“Our initial plans were to use the space as market-rate apartments,” she said.  “We have since decided to try marketing the space on VRBO as short term or vacation rental space.  We have decided we can always offer them as apartments later if that does not work out.”

 

Business, Fort Scott, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Lowell Milken Center Receives $1,500 From Evergy

Leave a comment

Evergy recently awarded $1,500 to the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in support of the “Unsung Heroes of the Environment (Role Models for America’s Youth)” museum display.  Ronda Hassig serves as project director. Norm Conard, Executive Director of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, said “Jacob Valentine II was an unsung hero that worked his whole life as an advocate for the environment and the species that live in it.  Exhibiting Jacob Valentine II in our museum serves as a powerful role model for everyone who sees it.  We are excited to share his story!”

 

About Evergy

 

Evergy wants to be a good neighbor, civic leader, and community partner in the communities they serve.  They want communities to understand that the commitment they have to powering the lives of their customers goes beyond simply providing safe, clean, reliable energy.  Evergy supports programs designed to invest in the education of tomorrow’s workforce to the skills and knowledge required are available to enable Evergy to thrive in the future.

 

About the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes works to transform classrooms and communities through student-driven projects that discover Unsung Heroes from history and teach the power of one to create positive change.  Everyone, especially our young people deserve role models who demonstrate courage, compassion and respect.  Jacob Valentine II was just such a hero!

Bourbon County, Business, COVID-19, Fort Scott, Government, Health Care, Jobs, Schools

SPARK Recipients Working To Complete Spending

Leave a comment
The north wing of the Bourbon County Courthouse houses the county clerk, treasurer and commission offices.

The SPARK recipients are working to complete COVID-19 related projects by the end of 2020, as required by the grant program.

SPARK is responsible for the statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.

The total amount of grants disbursed in Bourbon County to over 100 entities was $2,835,212.86 on October 21, 2020, according to Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoener.

To see the list of recipients:

https://fortscott.biz/news/spark-projects-in-bourbon-county ‎

The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) taskforce is leading the state through recovery from the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, according to its’ website. https://covid.ks.gov/spark-recovery-office/

 

“Congress recently passed the new COVID bill that gave an extension to states and cities on spending this money for a year,” said Jody Hoener, the Bourbon County Economic Development Director. “The State of Kansas Recovery Office indicated there will be an extension on our spending plans, but unknown at this time how much of an extension we will receive.”

 

Jody Hoenor, Bourbon County Economic Development Director. Submitted photo.

 

Locally, SPARK recipients have been balancing and reconciling expenses.

 

“At the county level we gathered the department heads who have been awarded funds for programs,” Hoener said. ” We went through every single dollar amount from the department and made sure it matched exactly what the County Clerks Office cut for a check and what Greenbush have in their reports.  Any errors are caught and quickly corrected.  From there, we subtract the total amount spent from the total amount allocated and have a final amount left to spend.”

 

The other recipients are also required to submit receipts and invoices of SPARK money, she said.

 

“For the community’s grant/award expenses( they) need to submit receipts and invoices to show dollars spent,” she said. “Greenbush is going through every single receipt and invoice with a fine-tooth comb.  It is very time-consuming as you can imagine.  From this, we have a very clear understanding of the amount spent and how much is left to be spent.”

 

The Southeast Kansas Educational Service Center (also known as Greenbush) was hired by the county commission to administer the SPARK distribution and oversight.

 

“Greenbush was contracted to administer the county SPARK funds,” Hoener said.

 

 

Business, COVID-19, Fort Scott, Schools

Sunbeam Preschool Receives SPARK Funds To Keep Doors Open

Leave a comment

As with life in America at all levels, the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected schools.

Sunbeam Christian Preschool received SPARK funds to help them continue to teach young children, said owner Lindsay Hill.

“We are very thankful for the SPARK grant as it helped keep our doors open for another year,” she said. ” We are a private preschool, so we rely on tuition to pay bills and staff. We did not collect tuition after March but continued to provide online services for our preschoolers. This grant allowed us to continue to pay our staff and bills.”

 

“Although enrollment is down this fall because of COVID, Sunbeam Christian Preschool continues to provide a Christian learning experience for all their Sunbeamers,” she said.

 

“Sunbeam Christian Preschool has taken extra precautions to make sure their students can continue in-person learning, with extra cleaning, temperature checks at the door of children entering the building, no parents or adults allowed in the building, and much more,” Hill said.

 

History of Sunshine Christian Preschool

Sunbeam has been in operation since 1985,  30 years under the direction of Marilyn Barker.

Sunbeam Christian Preschool is now owned by Lindsay Hill and directed by Tonya Defebaugh.

The preschool has 3-5-year-olds and offers three different class times:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 12-1:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

 

“We are extremely blessed to be apart of the Fort Scott community and thankful for First Baptist Church, where our classroom is located,” she said. The church is located in downtown Fort Scott at the corner and Second and State Streets.

 

SPARK, The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas program, is federal COVID-19 Pandemic recovery money that was given to the states and then to local entities.

Business, COVID-19, Entertainment, Government, Health Care

COVID 19 Relief Legislation Passed

Leave a comment

Marshall Issues Statement on COVID Relief Legislation Passed on Dec. 21

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D. issued the following statement and details on the new COVID relief legislation.

“Millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses are being distributed and administered, bringing the hope and possibility of widespread immunity by mid-March. However, our nation still needs a bridge to help us to the spring. With that in mind, I’m supporting the $900 billion COVID relief bill. Since the summer, Republicans have called for a targeted relief package that prioritizes refunding the Paycheck Protection Program, funding for vaccine distribution, additional support for unemployed Americans and resources to allow our children to safely return to the classroom. This relief legislation delivers on all of those priorities and leaves out the unnecessary funding for cities and states and socialist priorities of the left.

 

This bill repurposes more than $500 billion in unused CARES Act funds to help hardworking Kansans make it through these next winter months. By reopening the highly successful Paycheck Protection Program, which saved more than 500,000 Kansas jobs this year, we will ensure that assistance is again available to struggling small businesses and improvement are made to address issues raised by lenders and business owners.

 

Families will receive another stimulus check, and federal unemployment benefits have been extended for both full-time and contract workers. Finally, this legislation includes essential funding for the continued manufacturing and distribution of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. This package not only will help families, small businesses, and communities still struggling with the impacts of COVID-19, but it also gives us the tools we need to defeat this virus.”

 

The COVID Relief bill does the following:

  • Adds $280 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program to support small and mid-size businesses impacted by COVID-19, allowing them to retain employees and keep their door open
    • Gives businesses with 300 employees or less experiencing severe revenue reductions an opportunity to apply for a second PPP loan
    • Includes 501(c)(6) organizations but excludes unions from PPP eligibility
    • $15 billion in funding for entertainment venues, movie theaters, and museums that are experiencing significant revenue loss  
    • Codifies federal rules that ensure churches and faith-based organizations are eligible for PPP loans
    • Makes expenses businesses covered with funds from the Paycheck Protection Program tax deductible
  • Provides $68 billion to ensure continued manufacturing and distribution of safe, effective COVID-19 doses to all Americans, regardless of their ability to pay
  • Delivers $600 in direct payments to both adults and children, with reduced payments for high-earning families
  • Provides $300 per week federal unemployment benefits until March 14, 2021, to help those still struggling to reenter the workforce
    • Extends and phases-out Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which is a temporary federal program covering self-employed and gig workers, to March 14 (after which no new applicants) through April 5, 2021
  • Sets aside $13 billion for the USDA to continue support of farmers, ranchers and the biofuels industry
  • Provides $82 billion in funding for schools and universities to assist with reopening for in-person learning that also includes $2.75 billion in designated funds for private K through 12 education
  • Extends the deadlines for states and cities to use CARES Act funds by one year  
  • Provides $25 billion in temporary and targeted rental assistance for individuals who lost their source of income during the pandemic
    • Extends the eviction moratorium until January 31, 2021
  • Allocates $7 billion in broadband funding that includes funding to build out rural networks and telehealth

 

“As a physician I often tried to share a message of hope to patients facing a tough diagnosis,” said Rep. Marshall “Over the past 11 months, I’ve learned even more about how important hope is to all of us.  With the vaccines being distributed and given, and now this next phase of COVID relief, I believe hope is visibly there for all Kansans. This Christmas season, I encourage those of us with more than enough to reach out to our neighbors who might benefit from some encouragement and a message of hope.”

###

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, COVID-19, Government, Health Care

CHC/SEK Collaborates With Ft. Scott Business and State

Leave a comment
Krista Postai. Submitted photo.

President and CEO of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Krista Postai gave an update on some recent collaborations.

Food Storage With New Ft. Scott Grocery Store

One collaboration is with the Star Emporium Downtown General Store, owned by Bill Michaud of BAJA Investments.

Michaud reached an agreement with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas to provide food storage space to expand the food distribution and delivery programs CHC/SEK is currently offering in Crawford County into Fort Scott, with services beginning in January, he said. The store will provide the food storage piece.

To learn more about this new downtown venture:

Star Emporium Downtown General Store To Open Early Next Year

“With the pandemic, we’re finding more and more people are struggling and challenged to find food, so we’re going to be adding food distribution to our list of services,” Postai said.  “The folks in Ft. Scott are providing our freezer and refrigerator space within the basement of the grocery store for any donated food or purchased food from Kansas Food Bank or other local partners.”

“This will not be used as a distribution point for community members, just a place for us to store it,” she said. “Our long-term plan is to create a Food Rx program for chronically ill and food-insecure patients and to offer grocery delivery to homebound patients throughout our region. It’s always great to find partners willing to help and this is a great example.”

 

Part of Kansas Distribution Plan For COVID-19 Vaccine

“We are part of the state’s overall plan for (COVID-19 vaccine) distribution and are anxiously awaiting its arrival,” Postai said.  “We just learned that we may be receiving one of the ‘super’ freezers from the state which would make the vaccine more accessible. Once available, we will be following state guidelines on priority immunizations which I believe will be front-line medical personnel first. For the latest information on the state’s plan, go to https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/284/COVID-19-Vaccine.”