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The Fort Scott Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet met today at City State Bank, 202 Scott Avenue, to share projects and happenings in the downtown area.
The bank has been locally owned and has operated in Fort Scott since 1920, and chose to keep a presence in the downtown area, John Hill, president said as he welcomed the group to the facility for this meeting.
Some of the announcements from the meeting:
The Fort Scott National Historic Site has a Solar Eclipse Program planned on April 8. Also, this month is its annual Civil War Encampment Weekend on April 20-21. In addition, there will be a Civil War Dance at Memorial Hall on April 20.
Special retailers events coming up: July 13-Christmas In July, August 2-4 is the sales tax holiday, September 12-Fall Fest from 5-8 p.m., October 26 is the Downtown Halloween Parade, November 7-9 is the Holiday Open House with the main kickoff on Thursday from 5-8 p.m. and December 6-7- the stores stay open for Christmas On The Bricks event.
The Fort Scott Downtown Cleanup is April 22 from 4-6 p.m. with a light dinner provided to volunteers by local downtown restaurants at the Pavilion on North National Avenue. Contact Bailey Lyons, Lyon’s Realty Group to volunteer, this with planning the projects and supplies. Any skill-level worker is invited to help. If business owners provide the plants, there will be help planting them that day. A group of artists is organized to paint a mural that day.
Veterans Banners to be placed on downtown light poles will be for sale (for $300 each) as a fundraiser for new seasonal banners. The veteran’s banners feature the name and face of a local veteran. The banners will be placed for a week on the poles during the Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day holidays. Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce for more information.
The new Welcome to Fort Scott Banner is nearing completion with electricity added and lights that will be placed on the columns. There will be a ribbon cutting sometime soon for the new downtown feature.
The Home, Sport, Farm, and Garden Show is this Saturday at Fort Scott Community College’s Arnold Arena from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The annual Chamber dinner is on April 18 with the theme of Boots and Bling. There is a contest for decorated seating tables and a live and silent auction, and the community is invited to attend. The Chamber is still taking award nominations online under [email protected] or printed forms.
The annual Town-wide Garage Sale is May 3-4.
Opening day of the Fort Scott Farmers Market is May 4 from 8 a.m. to noon under the new Pavilion on North National Avenue.
Good Ol’ Days this year is May 31 and June 1. The parade theme is “Where Our History Comes To Life.” Retailers wanting to register for a booth at fortscottgoodoldays.com
Grants are available through E-Community for 6% for 10 years, $5,000 maximum, and Grow KS for 4% for five years, 6% for 10 years, and $100,000 max. Contact the Chamber for more details.
Diane Striler presented a petition to sign for a skating rink proposal for next winter, including the Christmas On The Bricks event. She is going to the Fort Scott City Commission this evening at 6 p.m. to ask for permission to use the Pavilion for the skating rink since it is covered, will have a bathroom available, and is handicapped accessible. The proposal is for the rink to be offered from Thanksgiving to February – March. The $36,000 rink has had an offer that will pay for one-half the costs and with grants and donations, the rink should be paid for, she said. It comes with 60 pairs of skates and the cost to skate will be $5.
There is still a need for a trolley driver for the Chamber, that has to have a CDL with passenger endorsement.
BID #HR01-2024
REQUEST FOR BIDS
2024 Hay Rights – Fort Scott Municipal Airport
The City of Fort Scott is soliciting requests for bids from persons who are interested in hay rights at the Fort Scott Municipal Airport.
The contract will be for a ONE (1)-year period beginning in 2024.
There are 130-acres to be hayed.
THE WINNING BIDDER/CONTRACTOR WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES TO AIRPORT GROUNDS OR EQUIPMENT CAUSED BY THE BIDDER/CONTRACTOR.
ALL HAY MUST BE BALED AND REMOVED FROM THE FORT SCOTT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT PROPERTY BETWEEN THE TIME FRAME OF JULY 1ST AND AUGUST 31ST.
Please submit a sealed bid to the City Clerk’s Office before 2:00PM, May 31st, 2024, or mail an envelope marked ‘SEALED BID’
Attn: City Clerk, 123 S. Main Street,
Fort Scott, KS 66701
City Hall lobby is open Monday-Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM
NO UNSEALED OR EMAILED BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED
THE CITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE ANY AND ALL BIDS
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The western part and administration portion of the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital is in the process of renovation.
Kansas Renewal Institute, located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. is a behavioral healthcare center specializing in treating adults and adolescents. The building has approximately 120,000 square feet.
JG Healthcare Solutions is the parent company that owns K.R.I.
The institute administrators e are Jonathan Gross, Chief Executive Officer; T.J. Denning, Chief Operating Officer, Erik Engebretson, Chief Financial Officer, Joe Tinervin, President of Operations and and Mike Sharpmack, Executive Director.
This group of men has worked together at Universal Health Services, Acadia Healthcare, and most recently Discovery Behavioral Health.
“We worked for years together, but towards the end of our time at Discovery, we said we could do this ourselves, help a lot of people and have fun along the way,” Tinervin said.
“The whole idea is to provide safe, effective care that promotes successful outcomes,” he said. “We hope to have a staff environment where people love to come to work.”
K.R.I. will open with 82 licensed beds across four units. The State of Kansas has told Tinervin that the licensure process will be finished by April 15.
There is a 50-bed adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility, with two units, one for males, and one for females.
These units are located in the former maternity unit and adjacent hall on the north wing of the building.
In addition, there are 32 beds in two units for adults: one for adult residential services and one for detoxification services.
The detox unit is located in the former intensive care area of the hospital with the adult residential services in the hall just adjacent.
“We have thrown a significant amount into the renovation so far,” Tinervin said. “Flooring, paint, equipment, and furniture,” he said.
“It’s all happening right now as we get the units ready to go,” he said.
“The State of Kansas has a significant waitlist,” he said. “We will be servicing residents from all over Kansas, not just southeast Kansas.”
“The state was here last week, and licensure might take until April 15,” he said.
“Our job is to reintegrate people back into their home communities,” he said. “If someone is from another place, they will return.”
“We are not opening with an outpatient level of care…only residential,” Tinervin said. “When and if we build an outpatient level of care, patients from the Fort Scott area will be able to commute for services while those who live outside of the Fort Scott area will be transitioning home and will have the opportunity to participate in KRI Outpatient services remotely through a virtual telehealth platform.”
K.R.I. will be collaborating with USD 234.
To view job opportunities at KRI:
AD: Kansas Recovery Institute Is Hiring For All Positions
Once licensure arrives, people can make appointments at 620-644-1195 and they will also take walk-ins, Tinervin said.
The K.R.I. website: www.kansasrenewal.com
Also housed at 401-405 Woodland Hills Blvd.: Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, Ashley (Medical) Clinic, Care to Share (cancer family support group), I Am Rehab( physical therapy/fitness center), Regional Economic Development Inc., and Diamonds In The Marketplace ( a beauty salon).
The dog park in Gunn Park in Fort Scott, Kansas is very popular with local dog owners. Many canine pet owners meet there regularly to let their four-legged friends get exercise and socialize with other dogs in a safe, enclosed area made especially for them to play and burn energy.
While a dog park meets the needs of many pet owners, local ophidian owners haven’t had a good place to recreate their pets. John Snalt, a senior at Fort Scott High School, is a local pet owner who has personally felt the lack of options. “There just aren’t a lot of places I can take Fred to get exercise,” he said. Fred is John’s 4.5-foot copper-headed water cobra that he got when he was 12. That’s about to change for John, Fred, and other snake owners in the area.
Thanks to a grant from the International Order of Friendly Reptile Keepers (IOFRK), Gunn park will be getting two snake pit exercise areas this coming year.
Located just North of the dog park will be the non-venomous snake pit, and just North of that will be the venomous snake pit. Sue Stalkholm from the IOFRK stressed the importance of having two separate areas for the different types of snakes. “I need to stress the importance of having separate areas for different types of snakes,” she said in her comments to FortScott.biz. “This isn’t just a simple hole in the ground. We’ve designed everything to maximize safety and fun for everyone using the snake pit park,” she said.
Plans call for an emergency telephone and a snake bite kit located between the two pits as well as educational signs to make sure everyone knows that they should always check with the snake’s owner before attempting to pet a snake or play a flute for it. Sue said, “Many people who haven’t been around snakes don’t understand proper snake-handling etiquette so we want to make sure everyone has all the knowledge they need to be comfortable in the snake pit park.”
The grant will cover the construction of the two snake pits as well as ongoing maintenance for the first five years. Ms. Stalkholm said that in most communities, snake pits have become very popular, and local donations can usually fund maintenance after a few years. She stressed the economic value of having snake pit park options for the community and suggested that it might open up opportunities for reptilian pet stores that wouldn’t have been able to stay in business without a local snake pit park.
Several local community members expressed concern about the project. “Is this a good thing to put in Fort Scott before we have an emergency room?” asked John Shnoodle. Mr. Shnoodle doesn’t want anyone to think he is against snakes as pets, but just wasn’t sure if emergency response time should be considered.
Jane Pfeffle also weighed in with strong opinions on the subject. “We shouldn’t build a snake pit until we have a hospital,” she stated emphatically. When told that the funding for this was coming from an outside source and wouldn’t be available to fund a hospital anyway, she responded with, “That doesn’t matter. We need to shut everything down until a hospital opens in Fort Scott again. That includes all of our roads, schools, electricity, water, etc. If it has a budget, power switch, or valve, it all needs to shut down until a hospital reopens.”
According to IOFRK the snake pit park is expected to be completed in exactly 1 year. “We like to see a grand opening that the entire community can participate in.” said Sue. “In other communities, we’ve brought in some snake charmers for the opening day, and that has been a really big hit with local residents,” Sue said. The snake pit park plans to celebrate the opening day on April 1st of 2025. “Plans like this really best when everything related to them happens on April 1st. It really doesn’t work well to have discussions about it on any other day of the year,” said Sue.
FortScott.biz reached out to Fort Scott Mayor Sam Sneedle (who isn’t the normal mayor but is briefly filling the role for the purposes of April 1st) for comment, but he said that current litigation prevented him from making in comment. He went on to say, “They are going to build what in Gunn Park?!”
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CLICK TITLES MARKED BY “ ” FOR LINKED INFORMATION. |
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This newly released NPS youth conservation corps recruitment video features FSHS Tiger students Stewart Davenport, Elsie Hurd, Bryson Morrell, Adelynn Nolan, Aiden Sigafoos and Kiara Thompson. |
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TIGER PRIDE!March 18th: Each year at the State Basketball tournaments, KSHSAA appoints a special committee to evaluate and rate each school based on the team, its coaches, cheerleaders, school cheering section and fans, both adult and non-high school followers. A rating system is used and a certain score must be reached to receive an award. Teams that make it to the semifinal rounds are eligible to receive a plaque. Teams that do not advance past the first round are eligible to receive a certificate. KSHSAA announced the winners last week and Fort Scott High School received both a plaque for the Girls Basketball team and a certificate for the Boys Basketball team! This is a tremendous accomplishment and a great reflection of our school and community! KSHSAA sent us a copy of the rating sheets and they were filled with positive comments about all involved at State: cheerleaders, student section, the players on the floor, coaching staffs, adult fans and also mentioned were our Band that performed Wednesday and Thursday and our Orchestra that performed Thursday. Thank you to all involved in making the week in Salina a special time and for representing our school and community in such a positive manner. So much to be proud of! Tiger Pride was on full display in Salina! –Jeff DeLaTorre, FSHS Athletic/Activities Director |
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The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge at FSHS on March 5th required students to conceptualize a business, including a plan for that business and a tradeshow-style presentation. These students then presented their business to local business leaders who served as judges for the challenge.Here are the prize-winning owners/businesses:
1st ($1,000) – Jasper Anderson – Fresh Start 2nd ($750) – Kaylie Dinneen – EmpowHer 3rd ($500) – Ivy Lee – Little Town Decor Judges Choice Tradeshow ($250) – Ivy Lee – Little Town Decor Additionally, the tradeshow was open to the public to attend and vote: Community Choice Tradeshow ($250) – Ella Regan & Camrie Hunziker Thank you all who attended! |
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from left: Lindsay Madison, judge; Josh Jones, judge; Jasper Anderson, creator of Fresh Start cleaning and grand prize winner; Deb McKenney, judge; Carissa Bowman, judge; Katie Casper, judge |
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FUTURE OFFICERSThe FSHS Chapter announces the 2024-25 FFA Officer Team: President: Dakota Hazelbaker Vice-President: Blaiton Terry Secretary: Gracin Pitts Treasurer: Jaidyn Crumby Reporter: Raylee Cowan Sentinel: Teegan Stiles Parliamentarian: Kaden Cannon Historian: Treyton Valentine |
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front row, from left: Landon McDaniel; Elsa Bishop; Adelynn Nolan; Caroline Barnes; Nick Davis; Savanna Cunningham; Jayden Newman back row, from left: Molly Claypool (behind Elsa); Zaida Summers; Raj Gugnani; Cody Geiger; Rylan Miller; Sypher Cannon; Daetyn Fowler; Ben Phillips ; Aden Koppa not pictured: Joy Self Several of our FSHS students participated in the Allen Community College Math Competition on Tuesday, March 19th. This year, ACC decided to recognize the top two students from the sophomore, junior and senior levels and FSHS had TWO students ranked! Nick Davis was in the top two seniors and Joy Self was in the top two juniors. The ACC math competition included around 220 students from 11 schools. This is a great honor for both Nick and Joy. They are each being awarded with a free 3-5 credit course from ACC for the next academic year! |
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front row, from left: Jasmine James; Eden Haught; Hattie Jackson; Kathryn Williams back row, from left: Delani Weddle; Cadence Hunziker; Luci Dunkeson; Caitlynn Tate; Tiffany Salazar As members of the newly-formed FSHS Chapter of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), these students attended the “Inspiring Women in Healthcare” conference in Pittsburg on March 20th. Area professionals provided information and answered questions about their respective fields, encouraging those interested to consider a career in healthcare. –submitted by HOSA sponsor and FSHS Health Sciences teacher Julie Heatherly |
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A FOUR-PEAT QUALIFIER AND A FIRST AT STATE!A round of applause and tip of the hat for Lady Tiger Wrestlers Gabby Rusk and Kenna Miles! In her fourth and final season, Gabby celebrated 100 career wins and is the first girls’ wrestler to qualify for state all four seasons! Kenna, a sophomore, captured the first girls state wrestling championship in school history! In last month’s Tiger Newsletter, we shared that senior Jasper Allison celebrated 150 career wins in his four years as a standout Tiger wrestler. Jasper finished as runner-up at the Class 4A State Wrestling Championships in Salina. Congratulations, Jasper! |
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2024-2025 FSHS SPIRIT SQUAD MEMBERS CHOSENTryouts for Tiger Dance & Cheer teams were held the week of March 18th.2024-25 Tiger Dance Team
Seniors: Kendal Armstrong; Graycyn Brown; Kinsley Brown; Abbie Eastwood; Annabelle Gorman Juniors: Jozie Fisher; Bryleigh Hymer Sophomores: Kodi Casper; Lillian Jackson; Sydnee Lane; Riley Marchiano Freshmen: Laurali Clark; Gianna Gorman; Ahlonna Johnson 2024-25 Tiger Cheer Team Seniors: Maddi Cook; Jaidyn Crumby; Jocelyn Fess; Cadence Hunziker; Emersyn Logue; Emilly Moore Juniors: Sadie Claypool; Kinley Dillow; Anna Farrington; Katlyn Parker Sophomores: Molly Claypool; Camrie Hunziker; Gabby Majors; Jerri Smith |
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March 25th: Tigers had a great showing at this NSDA National Qualifier. Only two can qualify per event and both Lincoln-Douglas debate qualifiers are from FSHS: Annelise Hall, senior, and Grace Walker, sophomore! The team’s other LD debater, freshman Joseph Moberg, is second alternate. Also, due to shifts in entries, Regen Wells will represent Fort Scott at Nationals in Senate Debate. The Tigers are Nationals-bound with one more qualifier to go! –Tyler Slinkard, FSHS Debate/Forensics pictured: Grace Walker, left; Annelise Hall, right |
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BASKETBALL!Congratulations to these Tiger/Lady Tiger Basketball players who earned All-SEK League honors! First Team: Keegan Yarick (unanimous); Rocco Loffredo Second Team: Allie Brown; Kylee Comstock; Dierks Kegler Honorable Mention: Abbie Gorman; Dub Chipman |
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WRESTLING!Congratulations to these Tiger/Lady Tiger Wrestlers who earned All-SEK League honors!First Team: Jasper Allison; Jaden Garcia; Brody Gomez; Trace Metcalf; Kenna Miles; Ryder Newton; Ali Simhiser; Jerri Smith; Caellen Wescoat
Honorable Mention: Aubrey Martin; Gavin Miles; Gabby Rusk; Brylie Schaub |
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The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Downtown Committee is sponsoring another spring Downtown Cleanup event. This year’s event will be held on Monday, April 22, to coincide with Earth Day.
According to committee member John Crain, there are several projects being planned downtown, that the committee hopes will make the area a little more attractive for both local residents and visitors. This is the third downtown clean-up sponsored by the committee, the first in 2021, and second in 2022. These included some of the same types of projects this year’s event will have, but also included others, such as the painting of awnings, striping of parking spaces on the streets and parking lots, painting of Skubitz Plaza light poles, and five murals on the sides of downtown buildings.
According to Crain, “This year crews will be cleaning up, and removing stuff from the downtown gutters, sidewalks, alleys and parking lots. Things such as trash, leaves, weeds, and remnants of the winter’s ice and snow treatments. We will also be washing windows of unoccupied buildings, painting street lights on Main and Wall, as well as benches and tables on Skubitz Plaza. New mulch will be put down in a couple of areas, and flowers planted in others. We’re also hoping to get another mural painted.”
“This is the third downtown cleanup we’ve had, and what made the first two so successful and rewarding, was all of the community members that volunteered their time, to come together for a common good,” Crain said. “And we need that same type of volunteer help again this year. The actual cleanup starts at 4 p.m. and goes till 6 p.m., so if you can spare about two and a half hours, from 3:45 to 6:15, we’ll find something for you to do, give you a tee shirt, and feed you when you’re done.”
“We also need some tools, such as flat blade and scoop shovels, loppers and pruning shears, brooms, dust pans, and step stools,” he said. ” If you can volunteer, and or have any of those items that we can use, please call (620) 266-9448, and ask for Katie or Bailey. You can also email them at [email protected]. I promise, when you’re done, you’ll feel good about what you helped accomplish.”
The Clean Up Committee is made up of Chamber Downtown Committee members Baily Lyons, Cathy Bishop, Kate Freeman, and John Crain, Chamber President Lindsay Madison, and Craig Campbell, representing The Good Neighbor Action Team.
Crain said the committee would like to thank the following businesses and entities for their support: Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, City of Fort Scott, Good Neighbor Action Team, My One Stop, Fort Scott Elks Lodge, Big Sugar Lumber, Bourbon County Arts Council, Bourbon County Garden Club, Holmtown Pub, Papa Don’s, Brick Street Barbecue, Common Ground Coffee, Sharkey’s Pub & Grub, Health Bourbon County Action Team, Fort Scott Community College, and Fort Scott USD 234.
“We’ve had several people volunteer already, but still need lots more,” he said.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis today announced $1,809,677 in investments in renewable energy and efficiency projects to lower costs, generate new income and create jobs for Kansas farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses.
“USDA is committed to ensuring rural Kansas is benefitting from the clean energy economy,” Davis said. “These investments will expand access to renewable energy while creating good-paying jobs and saving Kansas communities and businesses money.”
The details of the Kansas projects are:
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