Category Archives: Youth

Young Entrepreneurs: Prizes and Grants

October 5, 2023 Loretta George 1 Comment

An info banner at the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market last Saturday.

The Fort Scott Farmers Market showcased some young business people on September 30.

“Most of the children that had booths had attended at least one workshop at Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (office) before Saturday’s event,” said Dacia Clark, Pittsburg State University’s Small Business Development Center.

The SBDC partners with HBCAT in Fort Scott.

“We held two different workshops (for the young entrepreneurs) before Saturday,” she said. “One was about business planning and just introducing business terminology to the kids and the other workshop talked about pricing and expenses.”

“We ended up having 20 kids participate on Saturday and gave out $340 in prize money,” she said.

1^st Place received $50, 2^nd Place received $25 and 3^rd Place received $10.

There were four different age groups: 5-7, 8-10, 11-13, and 14-16 year-olds.

5-7 Age Group

1^st Place – Adelaide Bowman

2^nd Place – Judah Whitson

3^rd Place – Ethan Nilges

8-10 Age Group

1^st Place – Jonathon Howard

2^nd Place – Camren lamb

3^rd Place – Asher Whitson

11-13 Age Group

1^st Place – Gunner Keylon

2^nd Place – Anabelle Nilges

3^rd Place – Isabelle Nilges

14-16 Age Group

1^st Place – Natalie Lehman

2^nd Place – Luke Lehman

3^rd Place – Devlin Cole

There is the possibility of another Children’s Business Fair at Fort Scott Farmers Market next spring, she said.

For more information or to become involved with the Children’s Business Fair, please email Rachel Carpenter at [email protected]

FortScott.Biz Grant Recipients Tell of Plans

Several children received $50 grants from a fortscott.biz reader who wished to remain anonymous.

The subscriber who had been reading the Young Entrepreneur Series on fortscott.biz this summer was touched by the efforts of the children and wanted to support each young entrepreneur’s business.

This is what he wrote:

“I always stop at the local kids’ lemonade stands. When I was growing up in Fort Scott, I remember the postman buying a cup of lemonade from me. For some reason that stayed with me.

“Selling Grit Magazine door to door, making birdhouses and selling them door to door, having a Tribune newspaper route back when you paid for your batch of papers up front, delivered them, and then collected monthly. If anyone stiffed you, you were out the dough. All of those things were great life lessons for me growing up in Fort Scott. That’s why I really like your program of highlighting young entrepreneurs”

The Young Entrepreneur Series features youth under 18 years old who have a business in product or services.

To recommend a young entrepreneur in our community, please send contact info, email, or phone number to [email protected]

The following are the recipient’s comments about how the grant was spent:

Devlin Cole, 16, sells handmade leather crafts at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on Sept. 30.

“I’m purchasing more supplies for my leather crafts, Devlin Cole said. “I’m very appreciative for the money. Thankfully there is someone wanting to do that for kids wanting to make a name for themselves.”

Malachi Whitson, jewelry maker, at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on September 2023.

“I bought different things for my jewelry business,” Malachi Whitson, age 10, said. “It was a big boost. I’m so glad he did it, it helped a lot.”

Camren Lamb shows a placard explaining where he spent his Young Entrepreneur Grant. He had a booth for his artwork and guitar playing at the Fort Scott Farmers Market on Sept. 30, 2023.

“The funds went directly to Answers in Genesis 2024 Vacation Bible School Program Kit,” Melanie Lamb, Camren’s mom said. “It will be used over and over. Camren’s first priority is to do it at youth homes and places with children in need. But he also plans to collaborate with kids near his age to do the program here in Fort Scott.”

Camren, 10, also purchased four Samaritan’s Purse and Bible Workbook Kits, his mom said.

Asher Whitson, a young entrepreneur, makes cards and decorative art.

Asher Whitson, whose business is Art by Asher, spent his grant money “to help a single mom and the rest towards buying new items for his business,” Maria Whitson, his mom said.

Judah Whitson at his shop at the Fort Scott Farmers Market, September 2023.

“Judah gave a little to help the single mom (his brother Asher also did this) and he saved the rest to buy a cow,” Maria Whitson, his mom said.

Government, Health Care, Kansas, Youth

Kansas child deaths hit record low in 2021

October 4, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Kansas child deaths hit record low in 2021, annual report shows

TOPEKA – (Oct. 3, 2023) -– Child deaths hit a record low in 2021, despite an increase in the number of child homicides and fentanyl overdoses, according to a report released today by the State Child Death Review Board of Kansas.

The board’s annual report analyzed the deaths of Kansas children (birth through 17years old) that occurred in calendar year 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.

“Within the three decades that the State Child Death Review Board has been in in existence, more than 12,000 deaths of Kansas children have been examined. The data provided in this report is critical to our understanding of why children are dying,” said Sara Hortenstine, the board’s executive director. “We know that behind each of these statistics are the stories of children who lost their lives too soon, families who are still grieving, and communities that will be impacted forever. We must learn from these difficult circumstances and take action to prevent future deaths of Kansas children.”

Overall, the report showed Kansas had 349 child fatalities in 2021, compared with 365 in 2020. The overall child death rate in 2021 was 49.6 deaths per 100,000 population, both the lowest number and rate of death since the board was created in 1994.

The rate of deaths due to natural causes declined in the last five years, the report revealed. In 2021, 100-plus fewer children died of natural causes compared to 2018. Despite the overall decreasing number of child deaths in Kansas, homicides, weapon-related deaths, and drug-related deaths in children has shown an alarming increase.

Thirty-two children died from homicide in 2021 compared to only 22 child homicides in 2020, a 45% increase. The report also indicates drug-related deaths increased significantly in the past two years. While no children died in 2017, 2018, and 2019 from fentanyl, 20 kids died from fentanyl overdoses in 2020 and 2021.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nearly 500,000 people of all ages died from overdoses involving both illicit and prescribed use of opioids from 1999-2019. In recent years, both nationally and in Kansas, the data has shown an increase in the use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. While fentanyl is a prescription drug, it is also manufactured illegally. Frequently it is incorporated into illicitly manufactured pressed pills and mixed with other substances without the knowledge of the end user.

“My office is committed to preventing every preventable death of a child. This report shows a dramatic increase in fentanyl deaths in 2020 and 2021 as compared with previous years. We are using every tool at our disposal to deal with this threat,” Kobach said.

In addition to policy recommendations, the report includes prevention points that families can use to decrease the likelihood of a child’s death.

The board is a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency volunteer board organized by law within the attorney general’s office to examine trends and patterns that identify risk factors in the deaths of children, from birth through 17 years of age. The report is available on the attorney general’s website at https://ag.ks.gov/scdrb.

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Food, Kansas, Youth

COVID-19 Supports for Kansas Kids Dropped Poverty and Food Insecurity

October 2, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Data Shows Pandemic-era Supports Drove Down

Child Poverty, Food Insecurity among Kansas Kids

TOPEKA, KAN.
— Poverty and food insecurity rates among Kansas children dropped significantly in the early years of the pandemic, according to the
2023 Kansas KIDS COUNT® Data Book, which analyzes child outcomes in economic well-being, education, and health indicators. The
Data Book was created by Kansas Action for Children, which collected state and county data from national and state sources.

Kansas children living below the poverty line (or a household income of less than $26,500/year for a family of four) decreased from 101,000 children in 2019 to 92,000 children in 2021. And
kids experiencing food insecurity (or not having enough to eat for every meal) decreased even more significantly from around 120,000 kids in 2019 to about 94,000 in 2021.

These improvements correlate to early pandemic-era supports targeting kids and families, such as increased food assistance benefits, no-cost school meals for all children, the temporarily
expanded federal child tax credit, and other measures that helped relieve financial burdens for families living on low- or middle-incomes.

Additionally, more Kansas kids became enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), reaching a combined peak across the last decade of nearly 300,000 children accessing
some type of coverage through KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program. This number is in stark contrast to a combined total of about 271,000 kids enrolled in 2019.

Due to the public health emergency, KanCare enrollees did not have to submit paperwork with the state to determine continuing eligibility, and enrollees were able to keep their coverage for
prolonged periods. However, with the public health emergency ending in May 2023, those redeterminations are underway, and thousands of kids are losing coverage.

“The data is clear that measures implemented during the early years of the pandemic helped families make ends meet,” said John Wilson, President and CEO of Kansas Action for Children. “But
with those programs having ended, advocates are concerned with the data trends we are likely to see in 2022 and beyond.”

He continued, “We can build on the success of pandemic-era programs by ensuring families can achieve financial security. Expanding Medicaid, implementing a state child tax credit, breaking
down barriers to food assistance, and raising the minimum wage are all solutions to make that a reality.”

Other notable data shifts highlighted in the report include:

·
Income statuses of families in Kansas have been on a constant incline since 2011, but there are still large discrepancies between racial groups. For instance,
Asian American/Pacific Islander households made around $102,100 in 2021, while American Indian/Alaskan Native households were at $32,400.

·
Fewer young children were enrolled in early learning programs. From 2019-2021, about 54% of Kansas 3- and 4-year-olds weren’t in nursery school, preschool, or
kindergarten. This is about a 2-point increase from 2017-2019.

·
Basic reading and math proficiency continued to trend downward in the last decade, following trends across the country. Reading proficiency has dropped about
10 percentage points since 2015 (80% vs. 70% in 2021). Math proficiency decreased even more significantly, seeing 8th graders drop from 71% in 2019 to 61% in 2022 and 4th graders drop from 79% to 75% across the same period.

·
Low birth weights are statistically much higher among Black newborns compared to every other racial/ethnic group. In 2021, around 7% of all Kansas newborns were
born at less than 5.5 pounds, but Black babies were twice the state average at 14%.

·
Racial disparities were also present in infant mortality rates. While the overall state rate is 5.9 infant deaths per 1,000, around 16.5 Black infants per 1,000
died in 2021.

·
Children without health coverage stayed steady at around 5%. With KanCare redeterminations currently occurring, this number could increase in future years.

Fort Scott, Schools, Youth

FSHS Homecoming Candidates 2023

September 28, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Front row
Ryker Felt and Connor Ball
2nd Row
Carsen Allen, Raveyn Kegler, MaKenzie Robertson, Jersee Wood, Keegan Yarick
Back Row
Jasper Allison, Cal Cosens, Cody Geiger, Casey Gomez, and Jericho Jones. Submitted photo.

Fall Homecoming Candidates at Fort Scott High School is next week

We will be crowning the King and Queen before our Football game with the Chanute Blue Comets and the Fort Scott High School Tigers at 6:30 PM

Business, Government, Kansas, Youth

Shared Services for Child Care Providers Is Launched

September 20, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Governor Kelly Announces Launch of Shared Services Network for Child Care Providers

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today the launch of a new partnership that will create savings and streamline services for child care providers across Kansas. The Kansas Department for Children and Families, Child Care Aware of Kansas, and five community-based organizations are partnering on the Shared Service Network to streamline administrative costs for providers and free up time for programs to focus on providing high-quality child care.

“For many Kansas kids, quality child care is essential for them to have a solid start to their developmental growth,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. “This network will provide child care professionals the resources they need so they can focus on young Kansans in their care.”

By participating in the Shared Services Network, child care providers benefit from services that cost less and are often more efficient than what the programs could do on their own. A wide range of services are available to reshape child care, including:

Group purchasing plans;
Advanced business software to manage enrollment and billing;
Shared administrative staff;
Support for hiring staff and finding substitutes; and
Personalized professional development.

“By working together, child care providers can save money and invest more in key parts of early childhood education, like better pay for their staff, high-quality curriculum, and other supplies needed to operate a child care business,” said Laura Howard, Secretary Kansas Department for Children and Families.

The five community-based organizations that have been selected to implement the Shared Services Network will have the responsibility for delivering services to participating child care programs that result in cost savings.

“Shared Services represent an innovative approach to making the business side of child care work,” said Kelly Davydov, executive director of Child Care Aware of Kansas. “We have a unique opportunity to realize cost savings for participating child care programs so that they can earn more or reinvest in other aspects of their business, like high-quality curriculum for the young children in their care.”

Shared Services Networks will be provided by the following organizations:

Northwest Kansas Innovation Center: Serving 29 counties in the Northwest and North Central areas of Kansas.
Child Care Aware of Kansas: Serving 39 counties in the Southwest and South Central areas of Kansas.
Community Children’s Center: Serving 16 counties in the Northeast area of Kansas.
Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas: Serving 17 counties in the Southeast area of Kansas.
The Family Conservancy: Serving five counties in the Kansas City area.

For more information, visit Shared Services Network – Child Care Aware.

To learn more about Child Care Aware of Kansas and how you can join us in ensuring access to high-quality child care for all families, visit us at www.ks.childcareaware.org.

Area News, Fair, K-State Extension, Kansas, Youth

Southwind’s 4-H Crops/Weeds Id Participants Move Up at State Fair

September 19, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Southwind District 4-H’ers participate in the Kansas State Fair State 4-H Crops/Weeds ID Contest on September 9, 2023, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Three of the four team members moved up from the Intermediate Division to the Senior Division to form a full Senior Team. Results were 3^rd Place Team, Carly Kramer 8^th Individual, Camryn Wille 15^th Individual, Kason Botts 16^th Individual, and Henry Kramer 18^th Individual.

Pictured are (left to right; front to back): Kason Botts, Henry Kramer, Casey Diver (coach), Carly Kramer, and Camryn Wille.

Entertainment, Exercise, Fort Scott, Youth

New Play Equipment Installed at Third Street Park

September 18, 2023 Loretta George 1 Comment

Third Street Park is just east of Hwy. 69 past the railroad overpass on the south side of the street. This is a view from Wilson Street looking up the hill, taken in May 2022.

A park on Third Street is in the process of new playground equipment being installed and stairs have been completed for better access.

A Building Up Our Neighborhoods Placemaking project has already repaired the bathrooms and existing structures, including the basketball goal. Last week stairs were made from the upper level of the park to the lower level.

This week additional playground structures will be installed and mulched, Rachel Carpenter, director, of the Healthy Bourbon Action Team (HBCAT), who is spearheading the project, said.

Bales of mulch await the final installations of playground equipment at Third Street Park on Sept. 15.

A project that was identified by the community through public forums, surveys, and a steering committee is making enhancements to Third Street Park, located just east of the train tracks on Third Street, according to Carpenter.

“The community members were able to develop priorities that they wanted to see happen at the park, Carpenter said in a press release. Those priorities are:

Fixing the bathrooms
Fixing the existing structures
Fixing the basketball goal
Adding additional playground structures
Adding stairs

“Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis provided volunteers to fix the existing structures, the basketball goals, and paint the bathrooms,” she said. “The City of Fort Scott provided an additional $10,000 that will go towards fixing up the bathrooms, fixing the pavilion floor, and surfacing for the existing structures.”

“This week Playscapes will be installing the new playground structures and putting down the rubber mulch surfacing,” she said. “The playground structures include a Temple Trolley, a Swizzler, and two bouncers.”

Mitch Welch, of Playscapes, Yates Center, puts up caution tape on Friday afternoon, Sept. 15, to keep people off the equipment that is being installed.

Marbery Concrete just constructed the concrete stairs that will allow community members to access the playground easier from the ballpark down the hill from the play area.

Tyler Sharp, Marbery Construction, Fort Scott, lays straw to prevent erosion following the building of the concrete stairs from the upper-level playground to the lower-level ball field at Third Street Park on Sept. 15.

“The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) is addressing the Social Determinants of Health by building up Neighborhoods and Environment,” Carpenter said. “One tool to increase community vitality is through creative placemaking projects.”

“Through funding from Patterson Family Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, HBCAT started the Stronger Together: Building Up Our Neighborhoods placemaking projects.”

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office phone number: is 620-215-2562 and is located at 104 N. National, Fort Scott.

Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Youth

Downtown Trick or Treat Sponsors Being Sought

September 15, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

The Fort Scott Chamber announces the Annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat Parade!

SPONSORS NEEDED!

The past couple of years the attendance has been growing for the Downtown Trick-or-Treat parade with 600+ kids in attendance! At the end of the parade, we serve a hotdog, chips, and drink to each child who is in costume. We have been very thankful for the gracious donations from you all in the past!

If your business is interested in making a donation, please contact us! Click here to email us or call the

Chamber at 620-223-3566.

We will accept monetary donations or other items such as drinks.

Saturday, October 28, 2023 @ 11:00 AM

10-11am: Walgreens will be taking pictures with a Halloween Backdrop & providing a free 4 x 6 print. The backdrop will also be available throughout the event for pictures with your own camera.

Face painting will be offered by the Fort Scott High School Pride and Thespian Clubs!

11am: Parade will start at La Hacienda, down the west side of Main Street to 2nd, then back down the east side of Main Street to Skubitz Plaza.

Following parade: Pizza and drinks will be to kids in costumes provided through the generous donation of local businesses!

__________

***Businesses along Main Street will be handing out candy during the parade, and businesses not on Main Street as well as any community organizations are welcome to set up a table along Main to pass out candy, coupons, promo items, etc.***

Please email the Chamber if your business or organization will be passing out candy so we

can plan accordingly.

Share This Email

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701

Bourbon County, Fair, Youth

Austin Maycumber Places in Photography at KS State Fair

September 15, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Southwind Extension District 4-H members from Bourbon and Neosho Counties competed on Sunday, September 10 at the Kansas State Fair Photography Judging Contest in Hutchinson.

In the intermediate age group Austin Maycumber, Bourbon County, placed 32^nd, and Jackson Han, Neosho County, placed 33^rd and in the state.

They were accompanied by their coach Terri Kretzmeier.

Entertainment, Exercise, Food, Fort Scott, Youth

Music and Bike Races at Gunn Park on Sept. 16-17

September 9, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Some of the region’s fastest mountain bikers will be in Fort Scott for the 10^th Anniversary of the Marmaton Massacre Festival, on Gunn Park Trails, the weekend of September 16^th & 17^th.

Race promoter and trail steward Frank Halsey is proud of what his team of volunteers has accomplished over the past ten years.

“Our event attracts all types of riders from the region, professionals as well as beginners,” he said. “Lots of riders prefer our hand-built trails over the machine-built trails in popular areas such as northwest Arkansas, we just don’t have enough mileage to be a destination trail.”

The Festival begins Saturday, with some participants arriving on Friday, to prepare for the Saturday Marathon Race, which is as many miles as possible in a three-hour timeframe. Sunday events will consist of the age and ability Category Races.

Halsey encourages locals to grab their lawn chairs and join us in the park for the Saturday evening festivities which will include a performance by the Fort Scott High School Orchestra at 5:30 pm, followed by the always popular little kids race, and live music by the Pittsburg band, Left of Center. Sharky’s Pub & Grub will be providing food truck services.

“Mountain bike racing is not really a spectator sport, but my goal for this event has been to bring riders to our beautiful city and park, while providing locals an opportunity to have a relaxing evening in our beautiful Gunn Park,” Halsey said. “None of this would be possible without our awesome volunteers and local sponsors including, Cheney Witt Funeral Home, CrawKan, Southwind Cycle & Outdoor, Sonic, Typhoon Bay, Union State Bank, Ward Kraft, RPS Benefits, and Mid-Continental Restoration.”

For more info: https://www.bikereg.com/61371

Location & Contact

Location address:: 1010 Park Ave, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Event Phone Number:: (620) 223-3700

Event Websitehttps://gunnparktrails.com/

Races begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Bourbon County, Youth

Making a Difference in Childcare- Bourbon County grant is available to any daycare provider

September 7, 2023 Submitted Story Leave a comment

2023 Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund and Making a Difference in Childcare – Bourbon County Grant Apps Now Available!

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is pleased to announce the following grant applications are now available! The Women’s Health Fund grant applications are open until September 30th, while the Making a Difference grant application is available until September 22nd.
Applications can be made through the online portal at SoutheastKansas.org/grant-app or view a history of Women’s Health Fund projects at SoutheastKansas.org/womens-health-fund, and learn more about our Making a Difference grant at SoutheastKansas.org/making-a-difference.

The Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund is made up of two giving circles. Both giving circles follow the guiding principal that Rita stood for, “to improve the health and wellbeing of women by supporting education, increasing awareness and sharing quality of life opportunities to benefit all women.”

The Making a Difference in Childcare- Bourbon County grant is available to any daycare provider within Bourbon County looking to expand or maintain their current facility to continue to provide quality childcare to their area.

Contact Sherri Stephens at SoutheastKansas.org/contact/sherri with any questions as you work on your proposal.

We look forward to receiving your grant applications.

Apply Now!