“COVID-19 vaccines will be available in all of Walgreens more than 9,000 store locations, once they become available for mass administration. We are following guidance from the CDC and federal and state governments on mass availability. We will continuously expand access as more vaccines are approved and inventory grows, and are looking to the spring for mass availability. We will provide online scheduling options through the Walgreens app, similar to how we schedule flu and other routine vaccinations. Patients will be able to schedule both vaccination appointments at the same time. Our pharmacists will also recommend scheduling a second dose appointment at the point of vaccination.
“Phase 1B. As part of the federal government’s vaccine distribution plans, states are responsible for prioritizing populations for initial COVID-19 vaccine administration. Walgreens is working closely with state governments to expand access to COVID vaccines as states advance their distribution and administration plans for additional vulnerable populations in Phase 1B.
“As part of Phase 1B, COVID-19 vaccines will be administered at select Walgreens stores in limited quantities according to state distribution plans. Individuals eligible to receive the vaccine according to state guidelines will be able to make an appointment. During Phase 1, Walgreens will not be providing vaccinations on a walk-in basis.”
Lindsay Madison, standing on right, addresses the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Meet and Greet on Jan. 12, 2021.
Business owners and others interested in downtown Fort Scott, met Jan. 12 in the future walk-in freezer space at E3 Ranch and Co. store at 13 S. National Ave.
E3 Ranch and Co. 13 S. National Avenue. Oct. 2020
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet was hosted by E3 Ranch and Co.
E3 owner Jennifer LaRoche said the room “will be full of the walk-in freezer and meat products” soon. In addition, the storefront of the business will be redone, she said.
The other storefront business spaces at the corner of Wall Street and National Avenue “we are chipping away at construction,” she said.
There are two spaces on National Avenue and one on Wall Street available for retail space, Laroche said.
For more information contact LaRoche at the E3 Ranch store at 13 S. National or Common Ground Coffee Co. around the corner on Wall Street she said.
Business news
Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
There are three new businesses this calendar quarter in the downtown area, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison said.
“Next week the Star Emporium is opening on Main Street,” Madison said. “Laree + Co is at Wall and National and H Bar Suites is a new vacation rental on VRBO, above the Hole in the Wall Liquor Store on Wall Street.”
Low-interest loans are available for businesses, Madison said.
E-Community Loans are available locally and can be applied for at www.networkingkansas.com, she said.
She said a Youth Entrepreneur Challenge is on for all high school students in Bourbon County. “They must put together a business plan and compete,” Madison said.
Some of those in attendance were given an opportunity to speak.
Fort Scott Interim City Manager Jeff Hancock said candidates for the city manager position have been narrowed down.
The newly reorganized city commission, with Josh Jones as mayor, will work on capital improvements, street improvements, will be sharing “business services” with the Bourbon County Commission, and working on Land Bank possibilities, Hancock said.
Fort Scott’s Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said the city has “come a long way” and noted that Diane Striler recently purchased the old Rennett Studio on North Main street, additionally the recently completed Union Lofts apartments on Main Street have 10 of the 25 apartments rented. There are two barbers who plan to open businesses downtown, she said.
Carl Brenner, Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management at Fort Scott National Historic Site, said the fort is doing maintenance projects on seven buildings currently. These are paid for by park user fees, he said.
Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the fort employees have been utilizing online capabilities more. In-person tours are still available and they are planning to have school student visitors at the fort in the near future.
Dacia Clark, Small Business Development Center representative, spoke about the partnership with Bourbon County Workforce and Entrepreneur Resource Center, which is located above the new Star Emporium Storefront at 17 S. Main. Her hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Clark can help new businesses get started and marketing plans for established ones. She can also help with Quickbooks for organizing data.
Beth Nuss spoke on behalf of the Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes Park. She and a citizen committee have worked for several years on the greenspace repurposing. Recently Lowell Milken is providing funds to bring the new park to fruition, and “the goal is to have it done by the all-school reunion in (June 2021),” she said.
Madison said the downtown walking trail, a project of LEAD Bourbon County, is slated for completion by April 1, 2021. The project was funded by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.
Madison said a sailor remains are being returned to Fort Scott for burial at the national cemetery on May 29. William Barnett was 21 when he died at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in World War II. She wondered if there were any living relatives who would be interested in the event. Cheney-Witt Funeral Chapel owner Jerry Witt who attended the meet and greet, said Barnett was his second cousin.
A ribbon cutting was never held to celebrate their grand opening with the pandemic starting shortly after their opening, so we will celebrate their first anniversary!
Masks are strongly encouraged and masks will be available for those that need one.
Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting
Luther’s BBQ!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee and Ribbon Cutting ceremony this Thursday, January 14th at 8 a.m. to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Luther’s BBQ in the Downtown Historic District at 3 W. Oak St. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.
Owners Dave Lipe and Luther Saulsberry established the restaurant in December 2019 offering dine-in, carry-out, and full-service catering. The business has adapted to the pandemic through curbside ordering, pickup, and enhanced outdoor dining. The River Room Event Center, in the same building upstairs from Luther’s BBQ, is able to accommodate events up to 600 in occupancy. Although the year 2020 hasn’t been the optimum first year for opening a business, they are looking forward to 2021 for the restaurant and event center and welcome private parties and corporate events.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
for more information at (620) 223-3566 or visit fortscott.com.
The Star Emporium staff on duty January 12: front row from left: Ashlin Williams; Vickie Morgan, deli manager; and Kylie Bruner, customer service/marketing manager. Back row: Ruth Cullen, deli employee; Travis Patrick, general manager and Faith Thomas.
The Star Emporium Downtown General Store, 17 S. Main, a new grocery store offering specialty and private label products, will open on January 18 at 7:30 a.m., according to Bill Michaud with BAJA Investments.
Bill Michaud. Submitted photo.
Michaud is the owner of the business.
“One week is left before we introduce ourselves to the public,” Michaud said. “We’re excited too, although it’s tough to tell because we’re all growing tired due to the long hours and many tasks that we see still between us and being ready to open.”
The hours of the store will be 7:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, on Sunday hours are from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Shelves are being filled on January 12 in preparation for the Star Emporium opening on January 18.
“We are going to try to carry as many products as feasible to give shoppers as much variety as we can,” Michaud said.
“We are going to open with about 2/3 as many items as we expect to have down the road,” he said. “We will grow our offering in the next several months to meet the needs of our regular customers.”
The store will feature a salad bar and deli that utilizes many fresh local ingredients, he said.
“The salad bar and deli will also open on the 18th,” he said. “The deli will offer build-your-own deli sandwiches with our unique selection of deli meats and cheeses and a variety of bread alternatives. The salad bar will have about 30 salad topping and ingredient options including signature house ranch and vinaigrette dressings.”
Currently, the store has 62 feet of freezer space, a basic selection of dairy and cheese items, produce, along with both fresh and frozen meats,” Michaud said.
The coolers are being stocked at the Star Emporium in preparation for the opening January 18.
The store general manager is Travis Patrick. He said 10 employees are needed and eight have been hired currently.
Travis Patrick works at a temporary workspace on January 12 at the Star Emporium.
The phone number of the store is (620) 644-4414. For more information see its’ Facebook page.
BAJA Investments was granted SPARK funds in the amount of $450,000 for the project. SPARK grants were a part of the monies given Kansas from the federal government to help with the on-going effects of COVID-19.
The Star Emporium’s new sign, created by Darren Crays of Designing Edge Graphics. Submitted photo.
Standing at the bottom of a wind turbine looking up at the clear Kansas sky.
Jayhawk Wind, the wind energy project in Bourbon County, is in the final stages of development, according to Apex Clean Energy Inc., the developer and owner.
“As contemplated, Apex will need to secure a project sponsor to build Jayhawk Wind, and we believe the project is very well-positioned to do so,” Apex Public Engagement Manager Patrick Chilton said ” We are currently progressing discussions with a potential project sponsor, and we know that Jayhawk Wind is a strong project with proven positive attributes for investors. Apex Clean Energy has a long track record of successfully commercializing its projects, and we look forward to adding Jayhawk Wind to that list.”
“If we are able to secure this partnership, it will allow us to begin project construction in the coming months,” Chilton said.
Jayhawk Wind is located in southwestern Bourbon County and northwestern Crawford County, he said, with about 80% of the project facilities located in Bourbon County, between the areas of Porterville and Hiattville.
“Once construction begins, we will establish a construction laydown yard off the highway and begin upgrading county roads that will be used during the construction phase,” Chilton said. ” We expect that foundations will be excavated later this year, and turbines will begin arriving late summer or early fall. We hope that construction will be complete by the end of the year.”
Maps of the current draft of the project’s design are located in the Girard office at 124 E. Forest Ave.
“Final maps will also be shared with the public when they are ready,” Chilton said. “Once project construction begins, we expect it will take about nine months to reach commercial operation.”
History of the project in Bourbon County
“Apex started developing Jayhawk Wind in 2016 and have continued to develop the project since,” Chilton said. ” In March 2020, the project entered into agreements with Bourbon County, which were updated in the fall of 2020. Since then, we have been working diligently to finalize the required approvals and complete all necessary research and surveys to inform the final project.”
“Despite the challenges of the past year, we made substantial progress in 2020 at Jayhawk Wind,” said Julianna Pianelli, development manager for Jayhawk Wind. “I’m excited about what 2021 will bring, and I am looking forward to completing the final steps to bring this important economic development opportunity to Bourbon and Crawford counties.”
The parcel being annexed is just south of the Peerless facility, highlighted in purple. Submitted photo.
Peerless Products, Inc. , 2403 S. Main, is currently working on an expansion of its Fort Scott facility.
Fort Scott is not only the home office of Peerless Products, but where the company was founded in 1952, according to Allyson Turvey, Fort Scott Community Development Director.
“Our most recent employment numbers, which were updated in Dec. 2019, show Peerless had a total of 410 employees in Fort Scott,” Turvey said. This makes Peerless the city’s largest employer.
“The impending expansion here in Fort Scott just goes to show their continued commitment to our community,” she said.
” We don’t have a lot of details at this time,” Turvey said. “Over the last couple of months, they have been working on rezoning and annexing… lots into city limits.”
The rezoning of the property was on the Fort Scott Commission agenda for Jan.5, 2020, and was approved. The business expansion required rezoning from commercial to industrial.
One parcel is to be annexed into the city limits, one is outside the city limits, according to the request for commission action presented at the commission meeting and provided by Turvey.
“(Fort Scott Economic Director)Rachel Pruitt has been working closely with Peerless on this project and has helped facilitate the rezoning and annexation of the property,” Turvey said. “This expansion has been on the horizon for several years, and she has helped every step of the way.”
The Bourbon County Commission approved the zoning change on Dec. 8, 2020.
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.
“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.
“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:
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.
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.
