The City of Fort Scott Administrative Offices will be closed on Thursday, December 24th and Friday, December 25th, 2020 in observance of the Christmas Holiday. The offices will reopen on Monday, December 28th, 2020.
The City’s tree and brush dump site located on North Hill will also be closed on Thursday, December 24th, 2020, and Saturday, December 26th, 2020 for the Christmas holiday. It will be open again on Tuesday, December 29th, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Fort Scott City Commission will meet on Monday, December 21st, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas to hold a work session to discuss Charter Ordinance No. 31 and the Supplemental Extended Reporting Law Enforcement Liability, Public Officials Liability, and Employee Benefits Liability coverage for the City. This meeting is open to the public, but no action will be taken.
The work session will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
The Airport Advisory Board will meet on Monday, December 21st, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. at the City Commission meeting room at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
FSHS competed well last night in Emporia.
Oliver Witt took 1st in the 200 free swimming a state consideration and a personal best time of 2:00.97. He also got a personal best of 1:02.25 in the 100 Butterfly placing 4th.
Sam Mix took 2nd in the 50 Free and 9th in the 100 Breast taking 2 seconds off his previous best time.
Bobby Kemmerer took 1st in the 50 Free and 2nd in the Breaststroke swimming state consideration times in both events.
The Airport Advisory Board will meet on Friday, December 18th, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. at the City Commission meeting room at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
The Design Review Board will meet on Friday, December 18th, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to review letters of interest to serve on this board. This meeting is open to the public.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
From USD234 Superintendent Ted Hessong:
“At our board meeting on Monday I inaccurately shared incorrect information with the Board and in the information I shared with families and staff yesterday,” Hessong said in a press release.
“I was informed that the Bourbon County Health Department has only adopted updating the quarantine from 14 days to 10 days. The information I referenced was from the Kansas Department of Education and I did not realize that the 7-day quarantine was not going to be used by the health department. I thought the 7-day and 10-day quarantine went “hand in hand” but that is not the case.
I apologize for providing incorrect information. See attached statement.”
TOPEKA – Humanities Kansas recently awarded $5,745.00 to the Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Scott to support the “Learning Tree Film Scene Location Trail” project. Kirk Sharp serves as project director.
The project is a series of signs located at the different scene locations where the filming of The Learning Tree took place. The signs will also include QR codes along with a virtual tour of identified 12 different scene locations of The Learning Tree Film.
The Gordon Parks Museum has also received a grant from the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation to assist with funding support for this project as well.
Currently, we are in the first phase of our timeline that includes taking current photos of the locations along with researching and obtaining other photos with text information. The completion goal date for this project is by August 15, 2021.
This historical film by Warner Bros. Seven Arts, was the first time a major motion picture movie filmed in Hollywood was directed by a black film director. Fort Scott, KS’s native son, Gordon Parks was that person. This film was partially filmed in 1968 on location in Fort Scott and the surrounding area to include Mound City, KS. The film was released in 1969. The film was based on a semi-autobiography novel with the same title that Gordon Parks wrote in 1963. The story, based on Gordon’s childhood in Fort Scott, KS, is about a boy growing up in a difficult time in segregation and poverty. This film was placed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry Classics in 1989 as one of the top 25 important films. The film continues to be very important today.
Over hundreds of people from both Fort Scott and Mound City, KS area were part of the film as film extras, with a few having speaking parts in the film. This film holds fond memories of those that were in
the community when the filming was taking place. Most of the scene locations are still here and are accessible to drive or walk to.
“We are very excited about this project and much honored to be able to receive this awarded grant to give tribute to this wonderful film. The Learning Tree film is a part of Fort Scott and Mound City history that residents in these communities can be very proud to be part of; along with its Kansas native son, Gordon Parks.” said Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum Executive Director.
“Humanities Kansas supports projects that illuminate local history,” said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas Executive Director. “This project’s interactive signage will bring Parks’ film to life for community members and visitors alike.”
About Humanities Kansas Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the
people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, our pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with our partners and supporters, we inspire all Kansans to draw on history,
literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call
home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.
The City of Fort Scott is hosting the Chamber of Commerce Coffee at Buck Run on Thursday, December 17th, 2020. The coffee will be held in the Corey Larsen gymnasium and begins at 8:00 a.m. There may be a majority of City Commissioners present, but no City business will be conducted.
The new grocery store in downtown Fort Scott is progressing.
“Lots of things have fallen into place really well and a few things have been a struggle due to long lead times due to COVID-related manufacturing delays,” said Bill Michaud, of BAJA Investment, the owner. “The most significant delays have been the mechanical components for the refrigerators and freezers. The final pieces of the equipment order won’t be arriving until January 4th.”
This sets the opening back a little.
“Before this delay, we had anticipated opening Dec 29th but because of this delay we now expect to open either January 8 or 11,” Michaud said. “The final decision on the actual opening date will be made as we get closer.”
Store hours will be 8 am – 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 am – 6 pm on Sunday.
“We will offer online ordering,” he said. ” Our website is still under development, but we will be activating our Facebook page in the next day or two.”
The store has a name and it was inspired by a downtown mural.
“The store name will be the Star Emporium Downtown General Store,” Michaud said.
This name was inspired by a mural on Skubitz Plaza on the north side of a building facing the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
“While we know that the original Star Emporium was a clothing store, the mural boasts that the Star Emporium was ‘the most unique shop in the land of oz’,” Michaud said. “We believe this store will be unique and serve a broad base of community needs.”
Products at the store will evolve, he said. Currently, they range from budget-conscious to specialty label food items.
“We will offer a very broad range of products ranging from budget-focused brands all the way to very high-quality specialty and private label products that people can’t get anywhere other than our store,” Michaud said. ” We understand people need to stretch their food dollar in these tough times so we are going to be very value-conscious in our pricing. We recognize that our product offering is going to evolve to suit the needs of our customers.”
Local producers and suppliers will feed into the store.
“In addition to recognized branded products we are also working with a variety of small local producers and suppliers including Bourbon County beef from Bronson Locker, several local produce growers, Good Natured Family Farms. We hope to continue to develop additional partnerships as we go along and continually adapt to the needs of our customer base.”
“In addition to our produce co-op and grocery options the store will also feature a large salad bar and deli which will also utilize as many fresh local ingredients as are available,” he said. ” The deli menu will be seasonal and offer 5 – 6 rotational feature sandwiches, wraps, and specialty items.”
Food insecurity is addressed in the venture.
“While the grocery store and deli will provide sustainability for our operation, one of the driving factors behind the community need for the store was the food insecurity and need for community-based food distribution programs,” Michaud said. ” We have reached an agreement with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas to provide food storage space to expand the food distribution and delivery programs they currently offer in Crawford County into Fort Scott. These services will also begin in January.”
BAJA Investments was granted SPARK funds for $450.000 for the project. SPARK grants were a part of the monies given Kansas from the federal government to help with the on-going effects of COVID-19.
The second floor of the building houses the offices of B-WERC.
B-WERC is a multi-partner collaboration of the Bourbon County Commission, the Kansas Small Business Development Center, Southeast KANSASWORKS, Fort Scott Community College, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, and BAJA Investments. The center focuses on growing and sustaining businesses, connecting jobs, and serving people.
The B-WERC program is funded through the Federal Cares Act Relief, dispersed to the county from the state in SPARK Phase 1, to address current and immediate COVID related needs. These include assisting businesses, encouraging economic activity, and addressing unemployment, according to Jody Hoener, spokesperson for the program in Bourbon County.
Monday, December 14, 2020
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Fort Scott Middle School Commons on Monday, December 14, 2020, for their regular monthly meeting.
President David Stewart opened the meeting. The board approved the official agenda. The board also approved the consent agenda as follows:
A. Minutes
B. Bills and Claims
C. Payroll – November 20, 2020 – $1,424,756.14
D. Financial Report
E. Activity Fund Accounts
F. Fundraiser Application
There was one comment during the public forum. Board members heard reports from the
following:
· Brenda Hill, KNEA President
· Dalaina Smith, Director of Academics
· Ted Hessong, Superintendent
· Gina Shelton, Business Manager/Board Clerk
Superintendent Hessong discussed the Return-to-School Plan. Board members approved an update to the length of quarantine time for close contacts to seven days if there is a negative COVID test taken along with no symptoms; otherwise the close contact quarantine is ten days.
Superintendent Hessong also reported on the KSHSAA COVID-19 guidelines.
Board member approved the following items:
· The release of Dave Regan Tiger Tough Scholarship funds to the Regan family for future investment
· Workers Compensation Insurance with Ryan Insurance
· An adjustment in the 2020-21 school calendar for January 4, 2021, to change from a student contact day to a teacher collaboration day
· Health insurance rates for 2021
· Broker contract with RPS Benefits by Design Inc.
· Technology purchase
Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and returned to open meeting
The board approved the following employment matters:
A. Retirement of Deb Rice, Winfield Scott special education teacher, effective at the end of the 2020-21 school year
B. Early retirement request from Larry Lawrence, high school technology teacher, effective at the end of the 2020-21 school year
C. Leave of absence request for Andrea Heckman, preschool teacher
D. Employment of Jennifer Durkin as a high school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
E. Employment of Allison Nighswonger as a high school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
F. Addition of a Winfield Scott paraprofessional position; employment of Francis Torres as a Winfield Scott paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
G. Addition of a high school wrestling coach position; employment of Tyler Bell as a high school wrestling coach for the 2020-21 school year; cancellation of Strategic Games for the 2020-21 school year
H. Resignation of Mikiah Anderson, Eugene Ware paraprofessional, effective at the end of the 2020 year
The board adjourned.
The City Commission meeting will be held at City Hall tonight in the City Commission meeting room at 6:00 p.m. The address for City Hall is 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
This meeting will be broadcast on the City’s You tube channel. This meeting is open to the public.
