Category Archives: Business

Business, Fort Scott, Housing

Union Lofts Apartments Open For Rental In Downtown Fort Scott

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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?
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“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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.”

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

CHC/SEK Collaborates With Ft. Scott Business and State

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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.”

Business, Government, Kansas

Evergy’s Sustainability Plan: In The Public Interest?

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What:   The Kansas Corporation Commission will be conduct the second of four virtual workshops designed to learn more about Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan and how it will affect ratepayers.
When:   Monday, December 21, 2020 at 10 a.m.
Where:   The workshop will be broadcast on the KCC’s YouTube Channel.
Details:        Each workshop will cover a specific topic related to the plan. The subject of Monday’s workshop is Operational Efficiencies. Evergy representatives will make a presentation followed by questions from Commissioners and intervenors in the general investigation docket. The Commission opened the investigation to evaluate whether the STP is in the public interest.
        The general investigation docket is available on the KCC’s website at:
Area News, Bourbon County, Business

Heartland Electric Adds Solar Project

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The Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative Service area is in the white. From its’ website, https://www.heartland-rec.com/content/service-area.  It serves the western half of  Bourbon County.

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative is adding solar power to its business.

 

“All of Heartland’s consumer-members will benefit from the two solar arrays that we are building,” Ron Graber, Heartland’s Director of Member Service andCommunication said.

 

The electric cooperative is joining with 11 other Kansas rural electric cooperatives to invest in 20 Megawatts of solar power to be built across the state, and power 80,000 homes across rural Kansas, according to a press release from Heartland.

 

“Even though the solar arrays will directly feed only two of our 17 substations, the arrays will provide affordable power that helps us keep power costs low for everyone,” Graber said.  “In addition, the arrays are being designed to produce power during peak hours late in the day. That peak usage plays a big part in the price the co-op pays for power. So lowering that peak use will help us manage overall power costs for everyone.”

 

The solar panels will reduce the business’s amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted.

 

“Because solar power is renewable and carbon-free, building these two arrays helps us reduce our carbon footprint, and that helps everyone,” Graber said.

 

Heartland’s portion of the project consists of two solar arrays of 1 Megawatt each, according to the press release. Preliminary work has already begun on the two tracts of land purchased by Heartland for the project. Groundbreaking was held on Tuesday, December 8. Construction should be completed by June of 2021.

 

One Heartland 1-MW array will be located in Crawford County, just west of Girard near Greenbush along Highway 47, according to the press release. The second Heartland 1-MW solar array will be built in Neosho County between Erie and Chanute along 160th Road (Shaw Road.)

 

The two Heartland solar arrays, and the 18 other arrays in Kansas, will all be built and owned by Today’s Power Inc, a North Little Rock-based company established by rural electric cooperatives in Arkansas, according to the press release. Today’s Power Inc. has successfully installed more than 25 solar projects totaling more than 40 Megawatts over the last five years in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Heartland has signed a purchased-power-agreement with Today’s Power Inc. to buy the solar energy produced by the two arrays for the next 25 years.

 

This opportunity began when the wholesale power contract between all participating cooperatives and their forward-thinking generation and transmission cooperative, Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, was recently modified to provide Kansas electric cooperatives with the ability to self-procure up to 15 percent of peak demand – with 5 percent of that amount specifically allowing for the addition of solar, according to the press release.

 

By joining together in the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program, all of the participating Kansas rural electric cooperatives were able to negotiate very competitive long-term pricing, according to the press release.  In addition, the solar arrays will be customized in the design process to maximize output during the cooperative’s peak demand hours, when power is most expensive. These factors will all help Heartland control power costs and keep power affordable for those served at the cooperative’s 11,200 service locations.

 

Heartland currently has more than 60 members with almost 700KW of solar panels installed on their own property, according to the press release.

 

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative provides power to more than 11,000 locations in Southeast and Central Eastern Kansas, according to the press release. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties. Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives, Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, (which came together to form United Electric Cooperative in 1975) and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association (which combined to become Heartland in 1996.)

 

 

Area News, Business, Food

Fictional tale inspired by Southeast Kansas fried chicken 

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Submitted by the Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Pittsburg, Kansas)

An author with ties to Southeast Kansas just had her debut novel named Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick for the month of December. KJ Dell’Antonia’s fictional tale “The Chicken Sisters” was inspired by the fried chicken houses in the towns where her parents grew up.

Less than two hours south of Kansas City, and several miles away from the closest town, yet less than 600 feet apart, are Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s. Dell’Antonia’s parents are from the area, and frequently took her dining at Chicken Annie’s. Unaware of the real story of these and the other four chicken houses in the county, Dell’Antonia made up her own story.

“I always wondered why were there two chicken restaurants that were clearly completely unrelated, but obviously completely related because one is ‘Chicken Annie’s’ and one is ‘Chicken Mary’s’”, Dell’Antonia told her Facebook followers in a video posted December 2, 2020 (@KJDellAntoniaAuthor). “It stuck in my head for ages and I really wanted to find a story that I could ‘put around’ that idea of two fried chicken restaurants. Maybe because I love fried chicken. Possibly because I love Kansas. I don’t know. It just stuck with me.”

“I created Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s which are absolutely not Chicken Mary’s and Chicken Annie’s,” Dell’Antonia said in her video. “After I got started on the book my mom said ‘do you want me to tell you the real story of Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s?’ and I was like ‘No! No, please don’t do that! That would ruin everything.’ So, she totally didn’t and I still don’t know them. I will find out eventually, someday.”

“When we learned about Dell’Antonia’s book, we were stunned,” said Chris Wilson, Communications Manager with the Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Here is someone who clearly loves the area and was so intrigued by all of the number of fried chicken houses in such a small area that she was inspired to make up her own story about it.”

The real story of the Crawford County fried chicken houses has attracted The New Yorker, the Travel Channel’s “Food Wars”, and BBC Travel, among others.

“A hundred years ago our population was fifty-percent more than it is now due to the need for workers in the old coal mines,” Wilson said. “There were camps scattered along the coalfields through both Crawford County and Cherokee County. Some of these camps grew enough to become towns, and an old street line connected many of these.”

“You have to remember, these mines opened just after the Civil War, and operated during the eras of Prohibition, the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and two World Wars. Many were unemployed or earning very little.”

Camp 13, also known as Yale, never grew much population-wise. But its location was a short walk from several active mines. After her husband was injured in a mining accident, Ann Pichler began selling sandwiches in 1934 out of their home there. A year later, she began selling pan-fried chicken and eventually became known as “Chicken Annie.” Just down the road, in 1945, Mary Zerngast first served customers from her kitchen table after her husband’s ill health forced him to quit working in the mines.

“These chicken dinners provided more than just an affordable and delicious meal,” Wilson said. “They provided a chance to socialize and a comforting escape from real hardship. They also created jobs, and not just at their own restaurants. As they grew, they used local bakeries. All six chicken houses still use Frontenac Bakery.”

“They also inspired hope. Thousands of those who came to work the mines were immigrants escaping war-torn Europe. Annie’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Hungary when she was five. Mary’s husband was an immigrant from Germany. And, of course, today, for a lot of us, it’s nostalgic going out to these beloved restaurants. It’s a time to remember lost loved ones in a good way.”

While Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s started the fried chicken craze in Southeast Kansas, they were followed by others. Still open today are Gebhardt’s Chicken Dinners, which opened in 1946 a little more than a mile to the northeast; Barto’s Idle Hour opened in Frontenac in 1951; Pichler’s Chicken Annie’s opened south of Pittsburg in 1970; and, Chicken Annie’s Girard opened in 1971. All are still owned by local families.

Pichler and Zerngast were not related, but their families were connected when Pichler’s grandson married Zerngast’s granddaughter – the owners of Pichler’s Chicken Annie’s.

“It’s kind of amusing that that is a plotline Dell’Antonia uses,” Wilson said.

“This is the story of two sisters,” Dell’Antonia continued in her video. “They were both raised by a mom who runs one fried chicken restaurant that she inherited in this small town in Kansas, and it’s a small town I totally made up – Merinac. It is not Pittsburg or Frontenac although you can see their names in that a little bit.”

“(Sisters) Mae and Amanda are raised by Barbara, and when they get older Amanda marries the son of the rival fried chicken restaurant, while Mae gets the heck out of Dodge, because that’s all she ever wanted to do, was just get out of the small town and never see it again.”

Having married into the other family, since her wedding day, Amanda had not been allowed into her mother’s home or fried chicken restaurant. Despite this, Amanda goes to see her mother because a reality TV competition wants to do a story on the restaurant’s rivalry – “Food Wars”.

“I grew up as a kid traveling to Frontenac, we would drive, or we would fly into Joplin, and we would go for every holiday and every summer,” Dell’Antonia said. “We would eat at Chicken Annie’s, because we didn’t eat at Chicken Mary’s. I can’t tell you why. I do not know why. I have eaten once at Chicken Mary’s – I think that’s like a super-duper secret – I don’t think I’m supposed to eat at Chicken Mary’s.”

“While I’m not old enough to remember the real rivalry of all these chicken houses, I think it’s safe to say that most customers today bounce between each of these restaurants,” Wilson said. “Some prefer chicken from one location, but spaghetti or chicken noodles from another. If you want to get locals really worked up, don’t ask them about the chicken – ask them about the best coleslaw or potato salad.”

To visit or learn more about the Crawford County, Kansas chicken houses, go to VisitCrawfordCounty.com/friedchicken

To learn more about KJ Dell’Antonia’s book, go to your favorite bookstore and ask for “The Chicken Sisters”.

Bourbon County, Business, COVID-19

Imagination Station Receives SPARK Grant For New Flooring

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New flooring was installed at Imagination Station Daycare with SPARK funds. Submitted photo.

Childcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic has been essential for working parents.

 

Imagination Station Daycare, 678 Maple Rd., has received  SPARK funds to update the daycare’s worn flooring, which helps with cleaning and keeping the daycare healthier, Marla Oharah, owner and operator said.

 

Oharah was one of over one-hundred Bourbon County businesses who applied for the SPARKS grant in July 2020.

 

” I applied for $25,000 and was awarded $17,500,” she said.  “Two projects were identified on the application that would qualify for helping reduce the effects of COVID along with some administrative cost.”

New flooring for the daycare. Submitted photo.

“Receiving only part of the requested grant, I was only able to complete one project,” she said.  “I chose to replace the extremely worn floor covering in my 3,400 square-foot facility to help with keeping the daycare’s environment clean and virus free. The grant was awarded in September. The floor covering was purchased in mid-September and installed in mid-November. At the same time, I also replaced a worn water heater that wasn’t working properly and purchased/replaced a new carpet cleaner at my own expense.”

The water heater at the daycare was replaced with SPARK funds. Submitted photo.

 

“The grant was very much needed and appreciated,” Oharah said.  “The kids at the daycare love the new carpet and I appreciate the new carpet and hard vinyl plank floor covering for the ease of keeping the center environment cleaner and healthier.”

 

Marla and her husband, Lynne,  purchased the daycare business in 2006 and have operated the facility as a Kansas State Licensed Child Care Center since.

 

“Child care is a business that is in demand and does fill a need of parents needing a quality place to have their children cared for,” she said.  “I fill the need to provide safe, loving and learning service to the community.”

 

“We were closed for a very short time when COVID19 first was declared a pandemic and most of our clients had to honor the stay at home order,” Marla said. “Even though our numbers were greatly reduced I reopened in hopes that the children would return.”

 

About SPARK

The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce is charged with leading Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19 and is responsible for the statewide distribution of the federal coronavirus relief fund, according to its website.