Category Archives: Fort Scott

City Board Vacancy: Golf Course Advisory Board

City Board Vacancy

Please see below the above opening for the Golf Course Advisory Board:

  • One opening (One City resident) on the Golf Course Advisory Board

The function of the Golf Course Advisory Board is to advise the City Commission in all matters referred to them regarding the Woodland Hills Golf Course. They will also independently evaluate all aspects of the operation of the Golf Course and make recommendations to the City Commission and City Manager. They meet on an “as needed” basis.

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. She will then submit your letter of interest for consideration by 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 any of these boards, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or [email protected]. Please submit your letter of interest by February 18th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

USD 234 School District Seeks Community Input

 

On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. The ARP ESSER III funding from the ARP Act provides support for K-12 schools to help safely open and sustain the safe operations of schools and address the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s students. The ARP Act also allocates funds to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Although the ARP ESSER III uses of funds are similar to those for ESSER I and II, there are important distinctions between ARP ESSER III, ESSER II, and ESSER programs, including the period of funds availability, equitable services to non-public schools, maintenance of effort, and a report on efforts to measure and address learning loss.

USD 234 Fort Scott will receive $4,080,503 in ESSER III funding. We are seeking input from our community to help us identify needs for our district and community. Together we can accomplish great things for our kids and future.

Thursday, February 10th – 5:30 PM – Fort Scott Preschool Center

Wednesday, February 16th – 5:30 PM – Winfield Scott Elementary

Saturday, February 19th – 8:00 AM – Fort Scott Middle School Community Space

Monday, March 7th – 5:30 PM – Fort Scott Middle School Commons (regularly scheduled board meeting)

Tuesday, March 8th – 5:30 – 8 PM – Fort Scott High School Auditorium – same night as parent/teacher conferences

We also encourage our community to take our community feedback survey to provide insight:

Community ESSER Survey

More information can be found at our website,

https://www.usd234.org/o/USD%20234/page/esser-funds

Big Kansas Road Trip coming to Fort Scott

BKRT is coming May 5-8th!
ATTENTION:
Events, Attractions, Restaurants
& other locally owned Businesses
TOMORROW
February 1st
is the last day to register to be
included in the print program.
Business listings will only be included if offering some type of special discount or giveaway to BKRT visitors.
Click here to submit form to register.
You have until April 25th to register and be included online on the
BKRT website, but the deadline
to be included in the full color print guide is February 1st.
Stay connected with Big Kansas Road Trip by Liking the official Facebook page, click here.
Visit the BKRT website here.
Links to BKRT Facebook, Twitter & Instagram below…
Thank you to our Chamber Champions below…

FS Commission Agenda for Feb. 1

Minutes are unapproved until the 2/1/2022 meeting.

NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR
MEETING OF
FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY HALL

CITY COMMISSION MEETING ROOM

123 SOUTH MAIN STREET
FEBRUARY 1, 2022
6:00 P.M.

Call to Order

  1. Roll Call:

P. Allen J. Jones T. Van Hoecke M. Wells K. Allen

II. Flag Salute:

  1. Invocation: Led by: Sergeant Bill Downey, Fort Scott Police Department

  1. Consent Agenda:

  1. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of January 18th, 2022 and special meeting of January 27th, 2022.

  1. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1305-A totaling $241,893.82.

  1. Approval of Certificate of Substantial Completion – Union Lofts Alley

  1. Request to Pay #2 – Davis Structure & Development Corporation – $77,775.50 – Clarifier #1 Replacement

  1. Request to Pay – SAM, LLC – $5,889.00 – Manhole Inspections for GIS Mapping System

  1. Request to Pay – Nuss & Farmer – December legal fees – $1,727.00

  1. Public Comment:

(Sign up required. Comments on any topic not on agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at Commission discretion)

  1. Old Business:

  1. Wage Study – Approval of Ordinance No. 3601 – Salary Ordinance

  1. Appearances: Alison Leach

Nedra Barr – Spyder Company

Frank Halsey – Kansas NICA Race

Rob Harrington – Neighborhood Revitalization Program

  1. Public Hearing: None

  1. New Business:

  1. Consideration of Resolution authorizing the Redemption and Payment of its Taxable Industrial Revenue Bonds, Series 2015-A (Bourbon County Assisted Living Project), and authorizing the City to Consent to the Assignment of certain documents in connection with its Taxable Industrial Revenue Bonds, Series 2015-B

  2. Discussion of R.F.Q. – City Attorney

  3. Discussion of R.F.Q. – City Engineer

  4. Review Letters of Interest for Land Bank Board

  5. Consideration of 2022 contract with Bourbon County R.E.D.I.

  6. Discussion of docks at Lake Fort Scott

  7. Consideration of demolition bids – 619 S. Ransom

  8. Consideration of survey of land by Bourbon County Landfill

  9. Consideration to purchase an asphalt emulsion storage tank

  10. Consideration to send out for bids – three waterline projects

  11. Consideration of water rate analysis

XII. Reports and Comments:

  1. City Manager Comments:

  1. Director Reports:

Codes Enforcement – Discussion of City fees

  1. Commissioners Reports and Comments:

D. City Attorney Reports and Comments:

XIII. Executive Session – If requested, (please follow script in all motions for Executive Sessions)

IX. Adjournment:

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for The Beauty Lounge Feb. 3

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce presents the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for
The Beauty Lounge
Thursday, February 3rd, 4-8pm
4 S. Main St.
The remarks & cutting of the ribbon will take place at 4pm with everyone welcome to come and go throughout the remainder of the event.
The Beauty Lounge started as The Skin Lounge in December 2021 by Tuker Ross. Since then, she has added her friend and business partner Aubrey Zillner as a full-time hair stylist, and renamed the new venture “They Beauty Lounge”. Both girls are natives of Fort Scott, and look forward to serving the community.
The Beauty Lounge will now be offering facials, lash and brow services, waxing, spray tans, hair cuts (women, men & children), highlights, perms, deep conditioning treatments, and more. They will also offer a full retail bar where they can customize skin, hair or body care products for their customers.
Click here for their online booking site.
Click here for their Facebook page.
Thank you!

A Coummunity Evening: Watch the Pinewood Derby

Boy Sout Race Kit. Taken from BSA 114’s Facebook page.

Fort Scott Cub Pack 114 is having its annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday, Feb. 12  from 6-9 p.m. at Memorial Hall, Third Street and National Avenue.

This year to beef up community attendance, Scoutmaster Seth Needham is hosting a Corporate Pinewood Derby.

Tiger Den Scouts receiving awards for the 2021 Pinewood Derby. Scouts from left to right: Robert Needham. Payton Golden. Max Petrillo. Submitted photos.
Winners from each den in the 2021 scout derby. From left: Robert Needham. James Gooderl, Allison Moore, Charlie Widder, Emory Ellis.  Submitted photos.

“It will be a night of fun and racing,” Needham said. “The Pinewood Derby is an annual scout event where we design, build, and race pinewood derby cars,” Needham, said. “Pinewood Derby cars are small-scale cars made from wooden blocks, carved and cut for unique designs, and then raced down a special track. They are powered 100% by gravity, so the design is very important, and something the scouts work hard on.”

Needham decided to make this year’s race a community event because the scouts do work so hard on their cars.
“I wanted the community to have a chance to come and cheer them on,” he said. “The scouts give back a lot to the community through various projects, so it’s nice to have an event that can bring the community out to see them.”
“The corporate race is open to local businesses and organizations,” he said. “So far, I have about 10 different businesses signed up, and they are all really excited. Also, the sheriff’s office and the city of Fort Scott will have cars entered.”
Key Apparel is sponsoring the derby by providing prizes for the fastest cars, and best designs, he said.
The corporate derby has a cost of $25 that includes one derby car kit, registration for the race, and one meal ticket, he said. Extra meal tickets are $10. Companies can register more than one car, too. 
1st and 2nd place will be awarded for both categories, and the prizes are $150 and $100 gift certificates to purchase items online from Key Apparel.
“The design contest will be judged by a panel of judges,” Needham said. “Currently, Lindsay Madison from the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Kevin “Skitch” Allen, and Kelley Zellner, city manager, are our judges.”
Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. for race contestants and their guests.
 Each company that registers gets one meal ticket, and extra meal tickets are available for $10.
“If people want to come and just watch the race, we will charge $5 entry,” he said “All proceeds will go directly to Cub Scout Pack 114.”
“I decided to do the derby as a fundraiser because so many people have fond memories of these races when they were scouts,” he said. “Anytime scouts are brought up in conversation, the first thing people want to talk about is their experience with the pinewood derby.”
Robert Needham testing the track at the 2021 Pinewood Derby. Submitted photos.

The Corporate Pinewood Derby

“Area companies are invited to design and decorate a car, race, and have dinner with the scouts,” he said. “You can be as creative as you want with the design of your car, as long as it complies with the official scout pinewood derby rules.”

The cost to compete in the Corporate Derby is $25 per car, and each registration will include the following:

  • 1 BSA approved Pinewood Derby Car Kit
  • 1 dinner ticket
  • Area to display your car and company literature before and after the race.
  • Features on our Facebook page.

Agenda for the Event

Check-in will begin at 5 p.m. with the official scout races starting at 6 p.m., and company races will start immediately after.

Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Additional meal tickets can be purchased for $10 before the event, or $15 the night of the event.

Please make checks payable to BSA Pack 114.

Key Apparel has donated gift certificates with prizes from their business website, which is www.keyapparelstore.com

Prizes will be awarded for the following categories.

  • Speed: 1st place $150, 2nd place $100
  • Design: 1st place $150, 2nd place $100.

If your business would like to register, please contact Needham at (620) 215 6934, or send an email to [email protected].

“Upon registration and payment, you will receive your pinewood derby car kit and a copy of the rules,” he said. “Also, be sure to follow BSA Pack 114 on Facebook for tips and tricks that you can use to make your car faster.”

Needham provided the rules of the derby:

RULES FOR BUILDING YOUR PINEWOOD DERBY CAR

BSA’s Pinewood Derby Car Building Rules

All cars must pass the following inspection to qualify for the race:

  1. Width shall not exceed 2-3/4 inches.
  2. Length shall not exceed 7 inches.
  3. Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces.
  4. Axles, wheels, and bodies shall be from the materials provided in the kit.
  5. Wheel bearings, washers, and bushings are prohibited.
  6. No lubricating oil may be used. Axles may be lubricated with powdered graphite or silicone.
  7. The car shall not ride on any kind of spring.
  8. The car must be free-wheeling, with no starting devices.
  9. No loose materials of any kind are allowed in the car.
  10. A double-elimination method is used to determine the winner.

This method uses a “winner’s bracket” system that begins with every car filling one spot. At the end of each heat, the winning car advances to the next level of the winner’s bracket while the other cars are entered in the loser’s bracket. Those cars then race against one another, with the winners of each heat advancing. The final car of each of the two brackets competes with the other for first place.

 Each judge will give each car a score of 1-10, with 10 being the best. The car with the highest score wins.

T-Mobile Opens Storefront in Fort Scott Jan. 28

T-Mobile is located at the strip mall at 2400 S. Main. The soft opening of the store is Jan. 28.

This Friday a T-Mobile wireless network store opens in Fort Scott in the strip mall on South Main Street.

The store is located in the former Cash 2 Go storefront at 2400 S. Main and has 1,300 square feet for the sales floor.

The hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. They have seven employees.

January 28, 2022, is the soft opening date, with a grand opening in the future.

The store’s phone number is  620.644.0347.

Why Fort Scott?

“T-Mobile is the leader in 5g, bringing cellular service to the entire nation,” said Scott Hunsaker, manager of the Fort Scott store.

“T-Mobile wants to service communities that have been historically dis-served within the cellular community,” Hunsaker said. “Fort Scott was chosen because of its geographic location and the City of Fort Scott had been approved to receive a $50,000 Hometown Grant. This gave us a reason to invest here.”

T-Mobile Employees from left: Kyle Holmes, Lindsay Reno, Summer Burkett, Scott Hunsaker, Sabra Stoughton, Donnisha Moreland. Submitted photo.

To view the prior story on the Fort Scott Hometown Grant:

T-Mobile Awards Green Space Grant and Will Open New Retail Store in Fort Scott

T-Mobile History

T-Mobile US, Inc. is a wireless network whose headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington, and Overland Park, Kansas.

“When we purchased Sprint, Overland Park became our second corporation headquarters on August 2, 2020,” Hunsaker said.

T-Mobile had a record high, 5.5 million customers,  in 2021, according to the company’s website.

Fort Scott City Special Meeting Jan. 27, 5 p.m.

There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 27th, 2022. This meeting will be held to consider the execution and delivery of an agreement to release and assign the City’s Opioid claims to the Kansas Attorney General.

This meeting will be held at 123 S. Main Street in the City Commission meeting room and will be broadcast on the City’s you tube channel.

Shop local retailers celebrating Kansas Day, January 29th, 2022


The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces participating retailers that will be offering a shopping promotion to celebrate Kansas Day on Saturday, January 29th. Patrons wearing apparel with Kansas or a sunflower will receive 10% off their purchase. Participating stores will have a Kansas Day poster in their place of business.
Kansas Day commemorates The Sunflower State being the 34th state to enter the Union in 1861. The Chamber encourages shoppers to celebrate Kansas Day and thank a local store owner for doing business in our great state.
In addition to this local shopping promotion organized by the Chamber, Kansas Tourism invites Kansans to Give a Toast to the Sunflower State on Kansas Day and post their own tribute to the 34th state to social media using the hashtag #ToTheStarsKS Contact the Chamber for more information at 620-223-3566.