Category Archives: Fort Scott

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

American Legion Post 25 Scuttlebutt

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Membership

American Legion Fort Scott Thompson-Harkey Post 25 is in 1st place in 2nd District membership. Today’s numbers have Post at 85 members or 111.84%.

This is Post 25’s third consecutive year at having Post membership above 100%.  Be proud of yourself and this milestone achievement.  I salute all members who made this possible.

If you have not yet renewed, please do consider doing so. Your dues support the Legion’s efforts advocating for Veterans and their families throughout Kansas and great country. The recently passed Blue Water Navy bill was the result of the Legion’s efforts to insure “Blue Water” Sailors and Marines could receive medical and pension benefits for exposure to Agent Orange.

Volunteer Needs

There will be a workday to start putting the Legion Room in Memorial Hall back together. The first workday is Friday, January 3rd at 10 am.

Baseball Chair for the 2020 American Legion baseball season. The 1st meeting for prospective teams is in late January. Post 25 has received a grant for $1,400 as seed money for this year’s team.  Unless we have a Baseball Chair to oversee the coaches and insure that Legion high standards towards sportsmanship and positive charter building are maintained, the grant money will be returned to the City of Fort Scott.

Upcoming Events

January 3. Workday at Memorial Hall. Starts at 10 am.

January 6. Post 25 meet and greet starts at 630 pm in Memorial Hall.

January 6. Post 25 general membership meeting starts at 7 pm in Memorial Hall.

January 16. American Legion Auxiliary Unit 25 meets at 600 pm in Memorial Hall.

January 16. American Legion Post 25 Color Guard meets at 730 pm in Memorial Hall. All Post 25 Legion family members can join the Post 25 Color Guard. This includes Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion Squadron members.

January 31 – February 2, 2020. Department of Kansas Midwinter Forum at Fort Scott.

 Informational Items

Kudos to our Legion Family members who “rang the bell” for the Salvation Army on December 17th.  100% of the donations contributed to the red kettle stay in Fort Scott. Bell ringers were Mary Tinsley, Bob and Pamela Belknap, Marilyn Gilmore, Diane Spencer, Myra Jowers, Darrell Spencer and Mike Hansen.

Several Post 25 Legionnaires and Auxiliary members visited Veterans at the Fort Scott Medicalodges on December 23.  Only about half of the Veterans residing at the Medicalodges were able to attend. Each Veteran received a Hallmark Christmas ornament and a stocking containing candy and some small personal items.

The Department of Kansas Sunflower for January – March 2020 is attached for your reading pleasure.

Post 25 will be hosting the Department of Kansas Midwinter Forum January 31 – February 2. Please mail in your reservation for the Filet Mignon dinner to be held at the River Room on Saturday, February 1. You can also bring your reservation to our general membership meeting on January 6th.  The reservation is in the Mod-Winter Forum attachment.

For more info:

Mid-Winter Forum at Fort Scott

sunflower2020q1

Elections, Fort Scott, Government

Special City Meeting Sends Reponse To Kansas Attorney General

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Fort Scott City Attorney Jeffrey Deane speaks to the press following the special meeting of the city commission on Dec. 30.

The Fort Scott City Commission had a special meeting on Dec. 30 to sign off on a  letter to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

This was in response to local citizen Michael Hoyt’s protest alleging Kansas open meetings violations by the commission.

The Fort Scott City Commission, Dec. 30, 2019, during a special meeting. From left: Commissioner Randy Nichols, City Clerk Diane Clay, Commissioner Cheryl Adamson, Mayor Jeanie Parker, Commissioner Jolynne Mitchell, Commissioner Cindy Bartlesmeyer, City Manager Dave Martin and City Attorney Jeffrey Deane.

 

“I wrote on behalf of the city and commission in reply to an inquiry from Lisa Mendoza of the Kansas Attorney General’s office,” Jeffrey Deane, Lauber Municipal Law, LLC, Lee’s Summit, MO, said in an email to FortScott.Biz.  Deane is the new Fort Scott City Attorney, replacing Burton Harding.

The city response letter was approved Dec. 30 by the commission and signed.

Hoyt’s Allegations

Hoyt alleged the city commission violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act when it prepared and signed a letter objecting to the candidacy of Kevin Allen, outside of an open meeting.

“It is now a public record and to save you the time of making a KORA request of us or the attorney general, I am providing this copy for information,” Deane said in an email to FortScott.Biz.

Hoyt sent a letter to the attorney general that a “notice of objection” was prepared and signed by each member of the Fort Scott City Commission on August 23, 2019.

The allegation is that the commissioners were acting together as a governmental body for the citizens of Fort Scott, in violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA), according to Hoyt’s complaint.

The KOMA violation form was dated 10-10-2019 and signed by Hoyt.

To view the complaint to the attorney general, click below:

AG complaint 20191211

The City Attorney’s Response

“This allegation is baseless,” Attorney Deane noted, “in that

1) the commission, as the governing body, lacked the legal power and/or standing to contest Mr. Allen’s candidacy;

2) the August Letter was executed by five individuals, qualified under law as registered voters to lodge the contest, and not as an action of the governmental body; and

3) the provisions of KOMA did not attach to the actions of the commissioners acting on power granted to them individually by law and not in their official capacity.

For these reasons there was no KOMA violation.”

The Fort Scott City Attorney’s conclusion of the issue is as follows:

“Mr. Hoyt’s allegations stem from a flawed reading of the laws that govern this issue,” Deane states in the response to the attorney general. “The KOMA requires meetings when the governing body is transacting the business or affairs of government. As the analysis sets out above, the power and standing to raise an election contest is a personal right reserved and granted only to registered voters. A governmental subdivision such as the city, even though its duly elected governing body, lacks the legal power to lodge a
contest. As a result, the August Letter, even though signed by the five individuals that are also commissioners, could only be the expression of the individual’s power and standing to contest.”

To view the complete response, click below:

20191229 Fort Scott Reply to AG letter Final

 

Course Of Action To Be Determined

Assistant Attorney General Lisa Mendoza, who is also on the Open Government Enforcement Unit, said in the letter that once a response from the city is received, a proper course of action will be determined.

This may include further investigation, closing the matter or seeking appropriate remedy for any KOMA violations.

As a remedy, Hoyt seeks the entry of a consent order, admission of a violation and a $500 fine per commissioner, according to the letter from Mendoza.

Background Of The Issue

From Attorney Deane’s response to the attorney general:

The November 2019 Fort Scott City Commission elections were passionately contested.

Fourteen candidates filed for the city commission seats held by Commissioners Cheryl Adamson, Cindy Bartelsmeyer, and Mayor Jean Parker.

The August primary elections pared the 14 candidates down to six for the general election.

Rumors were circulating about Kevin Allen, alleging that his primary residence was his home on Brown Street, which is outside the boundary of the city limits, according to the letter from Attorney Deane.  Allen used the address of Skitch’s Hauling & Excavating, Inc., his business address,  on East 20th Street as his residence.

City ordinance and state law require candidates for city office to reside in the corporate boundaries of the city where they will hold office.

The allegation that Allen lacked the residence to hold office in Fort Scott was generally known to the electorate, including the individual city commission members, Deane’s letter stated.

“Cheryl Adamson authored the August letter, as an individual contest of Mr. Allen’s residency to hold office, to which Cindy Bartelsmeyer, JoLynne Mitchell, Randy Nichols, and Jean Parker joined,” Deane said in the response letter.

The letter could only have been brought by individual registered voters under state law and not by the city commission acting in its official capacity, Deane stated

The August letter was accepted by the Bourbon County Election Officer and a board convened for a full hearing on the matter.

The election board determined that even though Allen had several conflicting addresses in and out of the boundaries of Fort Scott, his claim of legal residence at the East 20th Street business address was sufficient to support candidacy and the election continued, according to the Deane letter.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Home Energy Cost Assistance Available Jan. 16

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The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a Federally funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home energy costs by providing a one-time per year benefit.

Locally,  at Community Christian Church, January 16th from 10 a.m. -2 p.m.  Evergy will have a representative onsite to help answer questions and assist people in signing up for this program.

 

 

LIEAP Frequently Asked Questions.

 

The 2020 LIEAP application period is from Thursday, January 2, 2020, through Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Applications must be received prior to 5:00 PM, March 31, 2020.

 

  • Print application available December 16, 2019.
  • Online application available January 2, 2020.

 

The following summary describes basic LIEAP eligibility provisions.  Additional information may be obtained by calling 1-800-432-0043.

 

Persons Eligible

In order to qualify, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  1. An adult living at the address must be personally responsible for paying the heating costs incurred at the current residence, payable either to the landlord or the fuel vendor.
  2. Applicants must demonstrate a recent history of payments toward purchase of the primary heating energy.

 

The combined gross income (before deductions) of all persons living at the address may not exceed 130% of the federal poverty level according to the guidelines listed below:

 

2020 Income Eligibility Guidelines

Persons Living at the Address Maximum Gross Monthly Income
1 $1,354.00
2 $1,832.00
3 $2,311.00
4​ $2,790.00​​
5​ $3,269.00​
6​ $3,748.00​
7​ $4,227.00​
8​ $4,705.00​
9​ $5,184.00
10​ $5,663.00
11​ $6,142.00
12​ $6,621.00
+1    $479.00 for each additional person
​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benefits

Benefit levels vary according to the following factors:

  • Household income
  • Number of persons living at the address
  • Type of dwelling
  • Type of heating fuel

 

Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Want To Host A Chamber Coffee?

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Happy New Year!
We are now booking
Chamber Coffees for 2020! Chamber Coffees take place each Thursday at 8am and are a great way to promote your business or organization with approximately 40-50 people in attendance.
Click here for a current schedule and to view open dates.
Click here to email us your preferred date.
You might include a 1st & 2nd option in case your
choice is full by the time you request a date.
Click here for an overview of hosting a Coffee.
You may also call us vs. email with your preferred date or to go over any questions you may have about hosting.
Rita Schroeder, Administrative Assistant
Lindsay Madison, Executive Director
620-223-3566
Upcoming Chamber Coffee Schedule:
* 1/9Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, at the Chamber office, 231 E. Wall St.
* 1/16 Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries, at their office located w/the Bourbon County Senior Citizen Center, 26 N. Main St.
* 1/23 Walmart, in the Vision Center
* 1/30 My1Stop, at Empress Center, 7 N. Main St.
Fort Scott, Government

Fort Scott City Commission Special Meeting Dec. 30

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There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, December 30th, 2019 at the City Hall Commission Room, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. It is anticipated the City Commission will convene into Executive Session to conduct this meeting.

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA

FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION

CITY COMMISSION ROOM

123 S. MAIN STREET

FORT SCOTT, KANSAS 66701

9:30 A.M.

I. ROLL CALL:

ADAMSON BARTELSMEYER NICHOLS MITCHELL PARKER

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

I MOVE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE

SESSION FOR ________________________________ IN ORDER TO

(see below justification)

DISCUSS ______________________________________. THE

EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE ___________ MINUTES AND THE OPEN

MEETING TO RESUME AT ________________.

Justifications for Executive Sessions:

  • Personnel matters of non-elected personnel

  • Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

  • Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative or representatives of the body or agency

  • Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships

  • Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property

X. MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT: ROLL CALL

ADJOURNMENT:

Ascension Via Christi, Bourbon County, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Fort Scott

CHC Looks At Feasibility to Preserve Mercy Hospital Building

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Krista Postai

“After almost a full year of providing services in Ft. Scott, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas wanted to take one last look at preserving the hospital building that was built to last through several generations. As you can imagine, transitioning almost 75 people and five clinics in a few short months was a very daunting task a year ago and, at the time, we were concerned about making it as seamless as possible. We were aware that our lease was only two years and that a long-term solution needed to be found and the easiest approach was to build from ground up. We have indeed started that process.

 

However, one can’t spend any time in Ft. Scott without realizing the impact the Sisters of Mercy have had on the community over the last century and how much their hospital meant to everyone – especially those who donated toward building it. With a year of history in the building, we thought it wise before we invested $5 million in building a new clinic, to evaluate what the actual costs of keeping the hospital building open have been. Without many of the services a hospital provides, the cost appears to have been far less than originally projected. In the meantime, there has been renewed interest in using portions of the space for health-related purposes as evidenced by the meeting held in Ft. Scott a few weeks ago.

 

As a result, CHC/SEK is doing a feasibility study to determine exactly what it will take to preserve the facility from destruction. We have approached the Mercy System about the possibility of acquiring the building and they have responded positively. At this point, everything is very preliminary and no formal ask has been made.

 

This is something we can’t do alone. We have also approached other possible major tenants in the building including Ascension/Via Christi and may have enough to sustain and maintain the facility. Again, everything is in the discussion stages with no firm commitments or contracts. We will also be talking with the city and county over the next few weeks. The last thing we want to do is raise false hopes so please know this is just an evaluation of what may be possible.

 

I will be presenting a recommendation to my Board at their January 16th meeting. Time is of the essence so a decision whether to formally approach the Mercy System for the donation must be made prior to February 1. Two building projects have already been initiated for a new clinic and an new ER and decisions have to be made quickly if we are going to reverse course.  That leaves little time to work out all the details and talk with everyone so my apologies to anyone who we may miss over the next few weeks.

 

We do want people to be aware of our efforts and will be happy to talk to anyone with an interest that we haven’t already spoken with.  The concept of a ‘medical mall’ is a promising one but, at this point, is only an idea. The best way to reach me is via email at [email protected].”

Submitted by:

Krista Postai

President & CEO

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

3011 N. Michigan

Pittsburg, KS 66762

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Health Care

Coping With No Mercy Hospital

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Sarah Jane Tribble, a writer for Kaiser Health News, posted another of her series of features on the closing of Mercy Hospital Fort Scott one year ago.

The following is an excerpt:

“A year ago, after Mercy gave a 90-day notice that it would close, City Manager Dave Martin said the betrayal felt by city leaders led to lawyers and calls with other health care systems about taking over the facility. Now, Martin has realized ‘we will not have ― or do we need ― a hospital.'”

For the full feature click below:

: No Mercy: What Happens When A Rural Hospital Closes?

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Fort Scott, Health Care

Dr. Grant Hartman, DC, Joins CHC/SEK

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Fort Scott native Dr. Grant Hartman has joined the staff of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg and will be seeing patients starting in January.

 

He will see patients in Pittsburg on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and Wednesdays in CHC/SEK’s Fort Scott clinic at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling 620.240.5679.

 

Dr. Hartman is a graduate of Pittsburg State University with a BS in biology, and Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, MO.

He has owned and operated Hartman Spine & Joint in Fort Scott since August 2015.

 

“I’m thrilled to be joining the team at CHC/SEK,” Dr. Hartman said in a press release. “I’m inspired by their mission to provide care to all, and their total, holistic approach to health care. Chiropractic medicine provides extensive pain management solutions equipping patients to achieve better health through wellness and it’s very exciting to see CHC/SEK recognize that medications are not always the answer to a patient’s pain. Working in conjunction with the primary care doctors to treat patients with acute and chronic pain will be one of my focuses there.”

 

The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Clinic, 401 Woodland Hills, just off Hwy. 69 south of Fort Scott.

 

He will be working within CHC/SEK’s Wellness Department, which also employs a full-time physical therapist, wellness coordinator, and a wellness services assistant, according to the press release. Personalized treatment and exercise programs are designed around each patient’s physical deficiencies or needs, and patients are encouraged to develop goals based on their unique personal requirements.