The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Monday, February 26, 2018, at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to discuss the Comprehensive Plan. This meeting is open to the public.
Category Archives: Fort Scott
FSCC Addresses Tobacco Use On Campus
Fort Scott Community College announced its plan to join a national movement to address smoking and tobacco use on college campuses throughout the U.S.
Fort Scott Community College will ask students, faculty, and administration to support the adoption of a 100 percent smoke-free policy.
“We are truly excited to make Fort Scott Community College a safe, healthy and productive environment,” said Alysia Johnston, Fort Scott Community College President. “The health benefits of reducing secondhand smoke exposure are invaluable and could also help students prepare for the workforce where smoke-free policies are already the norm.”
Over the next 17 months, Fort Scott Community College will engage the campus community to address tobacco use. A task force will be formed to oversee the project, assess tobacco use behavior and attitudes, identify a treatment plan for current smokers and develop a policy. Two students will develop and lead educational efforts to build a movement to become a tobacco-free campus. The policy must be approved by Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees.
Fort Scott Community College’s efforts are part of a growing trend to clean the air on campuses. Currently, more than 2,100 higher education institutions in the United States have gone smoke- or tobacco-free.
FSCC was one of 18 minority-serving institutions and community colleges that will receive funds and technical support from Truth Initiative®, the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to making tobacco use a thing of the past. The project will be led by Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society on campus. Over the past three years, Truth Initiative has partnered with 135 colleges, reaching more than 1.2 million students and 275,000 faculty and staff across 35 states.
“With 99 percent of smokers starting before age 26, college campuses are critical platforms for preventing young adults from starting tobacco use, aiding those current tobacco users in quitting and reducing exposure to secondhand smoke for all,” said Robin Koval, CEO, and president of Truth Initiative. “We are looking forward to supporting Fort Scott Community College’s efforts to make smoking and tobacco use a thing of the past.”
Today, 38 million Americans ages 18 and above still smoke — including 17.7 percent in Kansas— and tobacco use remains the number one cause of preventable death in this country. Research also shows that there are dire health consequences for non-smokers too. Secondhand smoke exposure causes cancer and cardiovascular disease among other secondhand smoke diseases, which are responsible for more than 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults in the U.S.
Minority-serving institutions and community colleges tend to serve students who are at greater risk for tobacco use, including low-income, racial and ethnic minority and first-generation students.
“The grant from Truth Initiative has set us up for success and I’m positive we can achieve our goals,” said Johnston. “We are going to hit the ground running with our plan so that we can finally take a breath of fresh air on campus.”
Signs, Signs Everywhere Signs
Area parks have had some improvements over the winter, with the placement of wayfaring signs.
There are nine signs total: Ellis Park Trail, Bell Town Trail, Riverfront Loop Trail, Fort Scott Community College Trail, three (including a new trail) at Gunn Park, Uniontown Trail, and the future Industrial Park Trail, according to Jody Hoener, chair of the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, that is coordinating the project.
Ellis Park Trail on Twelfth Street and Bell Town Trail in Riverfront Park have completed kiosks.
The next signs to go up will be the Riverfront Loop Trail and the Fort Scott Community College Trail.
It’s been a collaborative effort.
The Wayfinding Signs and Kiosks Project is funded by an American Planning Association-Kansas Chapter and Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant.
Fort Scott High School carpentry classes have constructed the kiosks.
Trail maps were designed by Simon Ballou. Darren Crays, Designing Edge Graphics, is printing and installing the maps.
The City of Fort Scott is providing the installation of the kiosks.
Wayfinding signs and kiosks are part of creating a system of non-motorized transportation in the area, according to Hoener. Ensuring consistent signage design and graphics across all signs is best practice to make trails easily identifiable, she said.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team consists of Jerry Witt (Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority), Frank Halsey (Gunn Park Trails Volunteers), Lindsay Madison (Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce), Todd Farrell (City of Fort Scott) and Jody Hoener ((Mercy Hospital).
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Feb. 19-21
The Fort Scott Police Department daily reports can best be viewed on a computer.
Click the reports below, then click on the reduced sized reports, the reports should enlarge for viewing.
Lowell Milken Center Seeks Employees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
YPL Hosts Chamber Coffee Feb. 22
Bring your “Chamber Dollars” to make an announcement
about your business or organization; see you there!
Upcoming Coffees:
March 1 – Hosted by USD-234 at the Fort Scott Middle School Flex Space
March 8 – Chamber Coffee, hosted by the Bourbon County Arts Council
March 15 – Briggs Automotive
|
FSCC To Stage ‘Minimum Rage’
“Things could always get better.”
At least that’s what Harvey Doe and his wife, Edna, tell a group of extraterrestrial educators in defense of the human race in Rich Orloff’s “The Whole Shebang,” the featured play in a night of one-acts, dubbed “Minimum Rage,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Fort Scott Community College.
The program consists of five short plays to be performed in workshop style by the students in the FSCC theater department. There is no charge for admission, and some of the plays contain strong adult language.
“This is an actors’ showcase,” said Allen Twitchell, FSCC theater instructor. “By design, the sets and costumes are minimal in nature. I just wanted to provide the students an opportunity to perform on stage this semester before our big show in the spring.”
“Minimum Rage” also features guest director Tony Wagner and student directors Jackie Neher and Jared Oshel.
The plays are:
“Roommate Roulette,” by Twitchell, directed by Twitchell, with a cast of Erin Deatsch, Payton Boswell, Katelynn Coe, Ashley Lockwood and Ka’Si Gates.
“In the Meantime,” by Sharon Cooper, directed by Neher, with a cast of Sammy Jamison and Paulette Hays.
“Selling Johnny Depp,” by Alex Broun, directed by Twitchell, with a cast of Savannah Kratzberg, Connor Masters and Jared Oshel.
“Gas Mart Amendment,” by Nick Zagone, directed by Oshel, with a cast of Royce White and Baylee Whitmore.
And, “The Whole Shebang,” directed by Wagner, with a cast of Jesse Cooke, Connor Masters, Ashley Lockwood, Kartis Leal, Sammy Jamison and Jackie Neher.
Abby Cooke is assisting with the production.
Fruit Trees Should Be Pruned Now
Are you itching to get out of the house and do something productive in the landscape? If you have fruit trees, then now is the time to prune! A little planning ahead with fruit trees can mean big rewards later in the growing season.
Are you like many who are “afraid” to prune? Don’t be. When done correctly, pruning is an essential component of growing a healthy, productive fruit tree. Fruit trees should be pruned every year and for several reasons. The first is the development of a strong tree structure. Pruning should begin when the tree is planted and continued each year thereafter. Another reason to prune is the increased penetration of sunlight for the development of fruit buds and for the fruit to mature properly.
Trees can be pruned this early (winter) because they are dormant. This can be done in January, February and even early March. Pruning when trees are dormant makes it easier to see undesirable branches because leaves aren’t present. It is important to do any pruning before dormant sprays are applied, to avoid spraying some of the wood that will later be removed. Total spray coverage of limbs, branches, and shoots will be increased after pruning. Do not prune if temperatures are below 20°F because this can cause tissue damage.
Have your fruit trees been neglected for quite some time? If so, pruning can seem like an overwhelming task; where to start, how much wood to remove, etc. But a neglected tree can be revitalized.
The first step in revitalizing a neglected tree is to prune wood around the trunk area and near the ground. Remove all sucker growth around the trunk by cutting as close as possible to the point of origin. Next, remove all branches that hang below a 4-foot level. Prune them off at the supporting limb. Stand back and study the tree and decide the next cut to make. Retain scaffolds that are growing away from the tree center at wide angles with the trunk. Scaffolds are one of the main branches making the basic framework of a tree. They should be positioned on different sides of the tree for good distribution of the fruit crop.
The right tools are needed for proper pruning. Tools always need to be sharp so clean cuts can be made. Cuts that result in bark tears, stubs, or jagged surfaces are slow to heal and may even not completely heal. A scissor type of hand shear is used to prune small size wood, usually ¼ inch in diameter. Long handled loppers should be used to cut ¼ to ½ inch wood. These will need to be used generally by the third year of tree growth. For branches larger than ½ inch, use a fine-toothed pruning saw.
The Extension office has a publication titled, “Pruning Fruit Trees,” that explains in more detail how to prune depending on the age of the tree. It also has a section devoted to pruning different types of fruit trees. The publication has diagrams that demonstrate how and where pruning cuts should be made. As with most Extension services, this publication is free of charge.
If you would like me to evaluate your trees, give me a call and a home visit can be scheduled.
Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at 620-244-3826 or [email protected].
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Nominations Please
AWARD NOMINATIONS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE 2018 CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNER & AWARDS CELEBRATION
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Liberty Theatre
|
Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce award nominations are being requested.
It is a great honor to recognize deserving businesses, individuals, and organizations each year at the Chamber Annual Dinner & Awards Celebration. This year it is at the Liberty Theater, Thursday, March 15.
The public’s input is highly valued as those
recipients are selected. Please click the survey link below to make nominations for any or all of the following categories:
Business of the Year
New Business of the Year
Agri-Business of the Year
Business Person of the Year
Young Professional of the Year
Community Spirit Award
Please mark your calendars to attend the event
Thursday, March 15. Guest speaker will be Marci Penner of the
Kansas Sampler Foundation. If preferred, print the survey and mail or drop off the nominations to the Chamber. Click here for a printable copy. You may also email your nominations directly to the Chamber at [email protected].
Please call the Chamber with any questions at (620) 223-3566.
|
Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Feb.17-18
Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Feb. 14-16
The daily reports of the Fort Scott Police Department can best be viewed with a computer.
Click here:
Dancing With Our Stars Tomorrow At Ellis Center
Chamber until 5 pm today
and from 10am-4pm tomorrow 2/17;