Category Archives: Fort Scott

Bourbon County, Church news, Food, Fort Scott

Knights of Columbus Annual Friday Fish Fry Starts Today

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The men of Knights of Columbus Council #796 serve the Lenten meal in February 2020.

The Knights of Columbus will host their annual Lenten Fish Fry each Friday starting today.

The March 4th & 11th meals will be drive-thru only.

“The first two (Friday meals) will be a practice run since we only did two last year,” Mark McCoy, spokesman for the group said. The COVID 19 Pandemic prevented more meals served.

The drive-thru starts at 5 pm and serves until 6:30 pm.

The ladies of Mary Queen of Angel parish bake wonderful desserts and many varieties of cakes, pies, and cookies will be offered.

A row of homemade desserts are offered at the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 2020.

The menu is:

1 – Catfish, French fries, and coleslaw
2 – Catfish, cod, French fries, and coleslaw
3 – Cod, French fries, and coleslaw
2020 Lenten Fish Fry at Kennedy Hall.
Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Bourbon County REDI Receives Award

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Bourbon County REDI Named Winner of Site Selectors Guild 2022 Projects with a Purpose Award

March 3, 2022 – The Site Selectors Guild (the Guild), the professional association of the world’s leading corporate location advisors, named Bourbon County Regional Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) the winner of its 2022 Projects with a Purpose award.

This award was presented during the Guild’s 2022 Annual Conference in San Diego, California. This award honors individuals or organizations who have successfully implemented location selection projects that go above and beyond job creation to address social and/or environmental issues within a community.

“We are thrilled to present the second annual Projects with a Purpose award to Bourbon County REDI,” said Chris Lloyd, Site Selectors Guild board chair. “Now in its second year, the awards recognize communities which see economic development as about more than just creating new jobs but as a way to help to address pressing social issues and to enhance opportunities for all.”

“What an honor!! Thank you to the Site Selectors Guild for presenting Bourbon County REDI with the Projects with a Purpose award, for our work with the Bourbon County Commission, Fort Scott Commission, and Noble Health Corporation. It is an honor to be accepting this award, and I am humbled by the recognition we received from such a prestigious group.” said Robert Harrington, Executive Director Bourbon County REDI.

In 2019, the local hospital in Fort Scott, Kansas closed. The hospital is reopening thanks to Project Phoenix, led by Bourbon County REDI. The reopened hospital will bring 150 jobs and $20 million in annual payroll back to the community. Moreover, the reopened hospital provides the healthcare necessary to attract and retain future job opportunities.

To learn more about the Site Selectors Guild Awards program, visit https://siteselectorsguild.com/guild-awards.

About the Site Selectors Guild

The Site Selectors Guild is the only association of the world’s foremost professional site selection consultants. Guild members provide location strategy to corporations across the globe and for every industry, sector, and function. Founded in 2010, the Site Selectors Guild is dedicated to advancing the profession of international corporate site selection by promoting integrity, objectivity and professional development. Members are peer-nominated, vetted, and must demonstrate significant professional location advisory experience. In the past three years alone, Guild members facilitated the announced creation of approximately 165,000 jobs and $90 billion in announced capital investment. Guild membership is the highest standard in the site selection industry. For more information, visit siteselectorsguild.com or follow @siteselectguild on Twitter.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Housing, Jobs

Labor/Housing and Retail Studies To Be Conducted By Bourbon County Eco Devo

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Robert Harrington. Submitted photo.

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.

The Landmark  National Bank houses the office of Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc. It is located at 200 S. Main, Fort Scott.
“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.
Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Youth Entrepreneur Challenge Tradeshow March 8

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CHAMBER INVITES COMMUNITY TO THE
YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE TRADESHOW EXHIBIT
Stop by the FSHS Aux Gym
Tuesday, March 8th between
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Come check out the different business plans conceived by students, either individually or in
small groups, as part of the competition organized
by the Chamber. These students have worked hard over the last semester-plus on all aspects of their business concepts and your attendance and support would be appreciated!
Click here for the FB event.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the third annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in partnership with Fort Scott High School. Thirty students, either individually or in groups of two or three, have prepared sixteen startup business ideas and will compete for cash prizes to be judged on Tuesday, March 8th. As part of the event, the students will have tradeshow exhibits displaying their business concepts in the Fort Scott High School auxiliary gym from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday and the public is invited and encouraged to stop by during this time and take a look at the different booths.
Although the competition is open to any students in Bourbon County, students enrolled in the business and entrepreneurship class at Fort Scott High School with instructor Mrs. Morgan Sage have been the primary ones to enter the competition.
The Chamber organizes the program in association with the NetWork Kansas E-Community Partnership and Bourbon County is one of many communities across Kansas to host a local competition from which the students compete against each other for $3,500 in prize money with the top winner advancing to the state Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge to be held in April in Manhattan.
The public is welcome and encouraged to stop by the tradeshow on Tuesday, March 8th to view the creative business plans and support these students who have worked on their projects over the past several months as part of their class. Both the east and west doors of the high school will be open for entry during this time.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce for more information at 620-223-3566 or [email protected].
Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee at Angie Dawn’s Boutique

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Join us for this week’s
Chamber Coffee,
Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting
to celebrate the physical store remodel
& new website of
Angie Dawn’s Boutique
108 Scott Ave., Ste. B
Come enjoy a Hot Cocoa & Coffee bar
and a variety of breakfast items.
Register to win certificates & prizes!
Visit Angie Dawn’s website here.
Like the Angie Dawn’s Facebook page here.
Art, Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Young Mom Turns Creative Outlet into Business

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Genna Gilbert. Submitted photo.

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.”

Submitted photo.
Submitted photo.
Submitted photo.

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]

From Made with Love by Genna Facebook page.

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott

1st Annual Marsha Fest

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REMINDER!!!
Get your tickets NOW
1st Annual Marsha Fest
with Disco Dick & the Mirror Balls
Saturday, March 5th from 8-11pm
Liberty Theatre
113 S. Main St.
Fort Scott, KS
Join us to celebrate Marsha Lancaster with one of her favorite nights out. Disco Dick will be performing at the Liberty Theatre on March 5th, 2022. We hope to make this an annual event to honor a person that meant so much to so many.
Click here to buy tickets
Click here for the FB Event page
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members for all of their support.
Fort Scott Area Chamber
Airport, Fort Scott, Government

Fort Scott Airport Receives Grant For Safety and Security

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Fort Scott Airport.

Fort Scott Airport is the recipient of a Kansas Department of Transportation managed grant to help safeguard and secure the airport.

Thirty-six projects were selected for Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for the purpose of planning, constructing or rehabilitating public-use general aviation airports, according to a Kansas Department of Transportation press release. Fort Scott was one.

Seth Simpson, Fort Scott City Airport Manager.

“The grant will be to replace a gate and install an electric keypad,” Seth Simpson, airport manager, said. “This is the east side gate, near the fuel tanks.”

“The benefit to the public is less potential for loss, due to damage or theft or wildlife damage,” Simpson said. “The benefit to the airport is security and safety.”

Taken from airnav.com

On the horizon for the airport is runway resurfacing.

“On April 1, we will be applying for the grant to resurface,” Simpson said. “The FDA already officially, unofficially approved it.”

“Every so many years you have to resurface to maintain the runway, just like a highway,” he said.

There are currently two employees at the airport, Simpson and Bryan Matkin, a maintenance technician, he said.

Twenty-one airplanes are housed at the airport whose owners are from Fort Scott and surrounding areas.

The City of Fort Scott owns the airport, which is located four miles from the city. The phone number is 620-223-5490.

Taken from airnav.com

About KAIP

KAIP receives $5 million annually through the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, known as IKE, and requires airport sponsors to share in the project costs by paying between 5% and 50% of the total project. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, which manages the program, considered 145 project applications this year with a combined total project value of over $78 million.

“The aviation industry brings $20.6 billion in total economic impact to the State of Kansas,” said KDOT Director of Aviation Bob Brock. “The KAIP program helps this important industry remain a vital part of the Kansas economy. That translates into jobs and quality of life for the residents of Kansas.”

The selection board identified $4,968,161 in projects to address the most impactful airport improvements across the state.  Please direct any questions to [email protected].

Fort Scott

Majors Themes Are Produced From Neighborhood Meeting

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Strong Together: Building Up Our Neighborhoods Project Update

Fort Scott, KS: Health is Neighborhoods and Environment. The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) addresses one of the social determinants of health by building connections between where a person lives (e.g., housing, neighborhood, and environment) and his or her health and well-being.

HBCAT held the first of three public forums for their Stronger Together: Building Up Our Neighborhoods creative placemaking project. Special thanks to the Fort Scott Fire House Station #2 for allowing HBCAT to host the event there and to Aunt Toadies who catered a breakfast buffet. This event was facilitated by Danny Barrera with Wichita State Engagement Institute, funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant, who helped the group define what increased moral, community pride and healthy behaviors look like in 15 years. Participants were even able to discuss potential projects.

The major themes identified were:

    • Pavilion/Amphitheater with Internet Access
    • Public Transportation
    • Parks: Slides and Natural Obstacle Courses
    • Access to Food: Food Boxes, Farmers Market and Food Court

The group voiced the want for more events on the Eastside and blur the lines between the East side/West side. There is $140,000 in grant funds from the Patterson Family Foundation and an additional $10,000 from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant for this creative placemaking project and another Downtown Arch project. HBCAT steering committee will take this information, start drafting real plans and plan for the next public forum to be held in May.

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team’s mission statement drives their work: they aim to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance the quality of life, and encourage economic growth.

Creating quality places will attract a healthier workforce. People are prioritizing where they live instead of where they work. As an economic development support organization, the HBCAT is taking a more holistic approach by focusing on people and healthy places versus industrial parks and attracting large businesses like amazon or google we are. Covid 19 pandemic truly highlighted a shift from picking a location based on a job to picking a location to live based on the quality of life and amenities. The HBCAT is focusing on making the healthy choice the default choice, improving community amenities like our outdoor recreational spaces, and building a healthy workforce. We do this by creating key relationships with community members and cross-sector leaders like the local elected officials, extension agents, school personnel, entrepreneurs, local community members, and the chamber of commerce.

For any East Side residents that want to be more involved in this project please reach out to Rachel Carpenter by phone at 620-215-2562 or by email at [email protected]

Fort Scott, Government

Opening on the Fort Scott Street Advisory Board Committee

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There is an opening on the Fort Scott Street Advisory Board Committee:

  • One City resident

The function of the Fort Scott Street Advisory Board Committee is to provide suggestions to the City Manager and Governing Body regarding road improvement projects throughout the City of Fort Scott. When submitting your letter/email of interest, please provide any specific knowledge or training you have that would compliment you being a member of this board.

If you have a desire to serve on this board and meet the above requirements, please submit a letter of interest to the City Clerk, Diane Clay, 123 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. These names will be submitted for consideration to the City Commission. All of the boards and commissions serve on a volunteer basis and are not compensated. If you would like more information on this board, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or [email protected]. Please submit your letter of interest by March 11th, 2022.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

HBCAT Awards Local Grants

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The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to Award $42,000 in Grants

 

 

Fort Scott, KS:  Health is economic stability.  The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc. (HBCAT) aims to increase access to wealth building opportunities to Bourbon County residents through our local and regional partnerships at the Action Team’s Centers for Economic Growth.  Providing local businesses expertise and guidance, particularly in these very turbulent times, has shown to be a critical resource to increase the number of business start-ups and number of available quality jobs.   

 

HBCAT will be awarding six grants totaling $42,000 on March 7th in their office at 104 N Nation Fort Scott, KS 66701 at 12 pm. The event will be broadcast live on Facebook and is also open for the public to attend in person and celebrate the grant awardees. With the support of the Patterson Family Foundation, the HBCAT will award a total of $145,000 to low-income, minority owned, women owned or food-based businesses over the next two years. Each grantee is a client of the Pittsburg State Small Business Development Center (PSU SBDC) at the Action Team’s Center for Economic Growth. There will be a total of four grant cycles in the next two years.  

Please join us in congratulating following businesses: 

Two farmer/rancher recipients ($10,000 each): 

Freedom Farms 

The Palmers are taking an innovative approach to sustainability by developing a farm co-op business model. They are able to help Bourbon County residents increase access to healthier food by allowing them to buy directly from the producer. It is important for them to educate their customers on where their food is coming from, they have opened their farm for visitors through agritourism. HBCAT is excited to share their vision of seeing a healthier Bourbon County.  

1553 Plants and Produce 

The Wunderlys are removing the barriers for their community to access healthier food by establishing a weekly delivery system. Through this process they create relationships with their customers and understand their target market. They now have a wholesale relationship with a local restaurant to incorporate their produce in their menu.   

Restaurant/Food Retail Recipient ($7000): 

Dry Wood Creek 

Martin Elton is former president of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association. With this experience he is able to bring a unique perspective to his business model and the relationships with other restaurants. He is increasing access to healthy food by having a wholesale relationship with a local farmer and incorporating it in his menu.   

3 Low-Income, Minority, or Women Owned Startup Businesses Recipients ($5,000 each): 

Eighteen65 

Bailey Lyons, along with her husband Nate, purchased the historic McDonald Hall building downtown with a plan to restore the building and create commercial and residential spaces that will be available for rent. There is a strong need in the community for quality rental spaces, and a high demand for these in the historic downtown area. Bailey is wanting to help meet this need. More businesses operating downtown, coupled with more people living or staying downtown, will generate increased spending in the area, more foot traffic, and overall increased vitality.  

Made With Love: By Genna 

Genna Gilbert is turning her creative hobby into a business. She sells tumblers, earrings, pens, signs, and she even does custom orders. She is wanting to work with other artists to hold craft workshops geared towards children. She is excited to create her own wealth and provide for her family. 

Writers Edge 

Kim Carpenter decided to take a step of faith and use her experience and education to create a proofreading business. Marketing and getting the message across clearly is essential to nearly every business. Kim is wanting to help businesses by providing her professional skills of copy editing and proofreading to help support the local economy. 

The HBCAT Grant program is funded by the Patterson Family Foundation with the intention of increasing access to resources that will provide opportunity for economic stability, reduce poverty, and instill hope for upward mobility in employment.  Each applicant is required to enroll with the PSU SBDC at the Center for Economic Growth and work with a local team to develop a sustainable business plan with financial projections.  

Food retail/restaurant and farmer/rancher grants have an additional eligibility requirement to build and document wholesale relationships. 

Some of the most common reasons for advancing programs that support local foods are that local food production:  

  • Provides incentives for entrepreneurship and innovation;  
  • Expands consumer choice and fresh food access;  
  • Improves negotiating power to local producers;  
  • Supports rural economic revitalization; and  
  • Protects the food system against severe shocks through decentralization of production. 

 

According to Smart Growth America, in today’s world business growth is driven by collaboration among many types of entities, private, companies, universities, and others, that must interact frequently and work together creatively. HBCAT’s Center for Economic Growth is the epitome of this new model.  The HBCAT’s Center for Economic Growth is a multi-partner collaboration of the HBCAT, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, PSU Small Business Development Center (PSU SBDC), Southeast KANSASWORKS, Fort Scott Community College, and multiple local business owners.  

PSU SBDC is available to businesses to provide the technical assistance needed for economic planning of rural businesses to obtain capital, develop marketing strategy, and more.  Southeast KANSASWORKS is the Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) that serves 17 counties in Southeast Kansas, including Bourbon County. Southeast KANSASWORKS contributes to economic growth and business expansion by ensuring the workforce system is job-driven, matching employers with skilled individuals.  

 

if you want to know how to become eligible, please contact Rachel Carpenter by emailing [email protected] 

Find us on social media!  On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter #healthybbco 

Background of The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team: 

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team is a Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Community. Its mission is to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance quality of life and encourage economic growth. The problems of health inequity and social injustice are complex in nature and inextricably linked to key economic indicators. A healthy workforce is a prerequisite for economic success in any industry and in all cities. 

 

 

Contact information: 

 

Jody Hoener, President and CEO  

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc 

620-215-5725 

[email protected] 

 

Rachel Carpenter, Program Coordinator 

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc 

620-215-2562 

[email protected] 

 

Mary Hunt, Interim Operations Director 

Southeast KANSASWorks 

Desk: 620-232-1222 

Cell: 620-670-0006
Website:  www.sekworks.org 

 

Dacia Clark, Assistant Director, PSU SBDC 

[email protected] 

785-445-2537 

 

Lindsay Madison, President and CEO 

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce 

[email protected] 

(620) 223-3566   

 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: 

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; 

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or 

(3) email: [email protected]. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 

  1. Exceptions to Including the Full USDA Nondiscrimination Statement