To contact George, phone: 620-381-4783 her Facebook page: Erika George Photography or by email: [email protected]
Tag Archives: featured
Knights of Columbus Annual Friday Fish Fry Starts Today
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The Knights of Columbus will host their annual Lenten Fish Fry each Friday starting today.
The March 4th & 11th meals will be drive-thru only.
“The first two (Friday meals) will be a practice run since we only did two last year,” Mark McCoy, spokesman for the group said. The COVID 19 Pandemic prevented more meals served.
The drive-thru starts at 5 pm and serves until 6:30 pm.
The ladies of Mary Queen of Angel parish bake wonderful desserts and many varieties of cakes, pies, and cookies will be offered.
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The menu is:
CHC/SEK Update: $8 million Reno Has Begun
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas has begun the renovation of the old Price Chopper store at 2322 S. Main, which will be fully operational by December 31, 2022.
“We have completed the interior design of our new clinic in the Price Chopper building and renovation started,” CHC/SEK Cheif Executive Officer Krista Postai, said.
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Postai sent a graphic on the reconfigured building and explained the color designations.
In the above graphic the entrance is shaded pink, with the CHC Walk-In Care area in the space where the Price Chopper Donut Shop was, she said. Walk-In Care has its own entrance and waiting area.
Behind the walk-in area is the Wellness Center, which will have offices for staff including a chiropractor.
“That space will also have a shower,” Postai said. “Walk-In staff will also be able to exit the building for drive-in testing and vaccinations with dedicated parking for this purpose, should it still be needed in the future.”
“The main entrance will remain where it currently is with a spacious waiting area with a receptionist and check-in area,” Postai said. “The lab (blue shaded area on the graphic) is immediately inside next to the entrance for those coming in just for lab work.”
“The yellow space will be dedicated to the imaging ( department), including our new 64-slice CT Scanner, 3-D mammography, ultrasound and x-ray,” Postai said. “Our bone density unit will also be housed here. Centrally located it will be easily accessible from Walk-In Care, as well as the main medical clinic, which is the lighter purple shaded area in the graphic. This portion is laid out in pods with exam rooms plus a nursing station for each. There is space for current staff, plus extra pods have been created for the recruitment of additional medical providers.”
The pharmacy (at the bottom) – will have a large space for over-the-counter items and a drive-through. It will be accessible from the lobby and from an exterior entrance.
“The green area off the lobby will be dedicated to behavioral health services and the blue area behind that for telemedicine/specialty services.”
“To the far right (in light blue) is the back of the building which includes the staff entrance, break room, administrative offices, conference and classrooms, which will be available to Fort Scott Community College Nursing Students, and storage space,” she said.
“While this is our design, it may be modified as we go if we encounter something unexpected which almost always happens during renovation,” Postai said.
The renovation of the building is still on schedule and is expected to be fully operational by December 31, 2022, she said.
“The estimated cost of the project is $8 million, including the building, which CHC/SEK is funding itself,” Postai said. “A portion of the equipment has been purchased with American Rescue Act funds which CHC/SEK received in 2021. This is the single largest investment in our history which we feel is critical to adequately handle the needs of our Bourbon County patients.”
The new clinic will be in the former Price Chopper building that left the building empty after a year’s business in Fort Scott failed to produce the income needed to sustain it.
FORT SCOTT PRICE CHOPPER TO CLOSE DOORS
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On Feb. 23 there were several work crews inside the building at 2322 S. Main.
Jason Nutter, president of Nutter Electric, one of the crews, said his workers were “doing some demo work. Some electric stuff is being disconnected in preparation for walls being built.”
He said his crew will be there for approximately two weeks.
Others working simultaneously are framers, plumber and heating/ventilation/airconditioning crews, he said.
All together Nutter estimated about 16 people were working inside the building that day.
Wound Care Clinic Will Open In March
“The Wound Care Clinic is opening later this month in Ft. Scott,” Postai said. “We are pleased we could bring this service back.”
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About CHC/SEK Fort Scott
CHC/SEK Fort Scott provides healthcare to anyone, regardless of their insurance or financial circumstance, according to information received from CHC.
In 2021 they had 71,000 patient visits in their Fort Scott clinics, have provided 1,400 mammograms, filled 57,700 prescriptions, given 8,769 COVID-19 tests and 7,972 COVID-19 vaccines.
They are investing $8 million dollars to create a modern clinic for everyone in Fort Scott.
More than 100 people are employed who live and work in Bourbon County, and have invested $6.3 million in the community in 2021.
Labor/Housing and Retail Studies To Be Conducted By Bourbon County Eco Devo
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There is a shortage of workers and also quality housing in the county.
The Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) organization is working to address that problem.
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“They will also be giving the REDI Board a strategic plan based on the data we receive,” he said REDI is paying for the study
Young Mom Turns Creative Outlet into Business
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Genna Gilbert, 23, is a stay-at-home mom who is turning a creative outlet, arts and crafts, into a business to benefit herself and her family.
The business is called Made With Love by Genna.
She started doing artwork at 16-years-old to “get away from reality,” Gilbert said. “Painting/crafting helped me escape and get away from all the negativity that was going on in my life at the time.”
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Then people started noticing her art and asking her to do some painting for them.
That began the process of selling her work. This year she made it an official business, she said.
She paints on metal, resin, glass, clay, and wood, creating items from earrings, drinking cups to windows. “A lot of things, custom artwork,” she said.
She does most of her work at her dining room table, with her husband Dante assisting her with paperwork and “cutting wood,” she said.
In the near future, she is hoping to put items online and in addition, have painting sessions for children and adults.
To contact her see her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MadeWithLoveByGenna or email her at [email protected]
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Fort Scott Airport Receives Grant For Safety and Security
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Fort Scott Airport is the recipient of a Kansas Department of Transportation managed grant to help safeguard and secure the airport.
Thirty-six projects were selected for Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for the purpose of planning, constructing or rehabilitating public-use general aviation airports, according to a Kansas Department of Transportation press release. Fort Scott was one.
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“The grant will be to replace a gate and install an electric keypad,” Seth Simpson, airport manager, said. “This is the east side gate, near the fuel tanks.”
“The benefit to the public is less potential for loss, due to damage or theft or wildlife damage,” Simpson said. “The benefit to the airport is security and safety.”
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On the horizon for the airport is runway resurfacing.
“On April 1, we will be applying for the grant to resurface,” Simpson said. “The FDA already officially, unofficially approved it.”
“Every so many years you have to resurface to maintain the runway, just like a highway,” he said.
There are currently two employees at the airport, Simpson and Bryan Matkin, a maintenance technician, he said.
Twenty-one airplanes are housed at the airport whose owners are from Fort Scott and surrounding areas.
The City of Fort Scott owns the airport, which is located four miles from the city. The phone number is 620-223-5490.
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About KAIP
KAIP receives $5 million annually through the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, known as IKE, and requires airport sponsors to share in the project costs by paying between 5% and 50% of the total project. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation, which manages the program, considered 145 project applications this year with a combined total project value of over $78 million.
“The aviation industry brings $20.6 billion in total economic impact to the State of Kansas,” said KDOT Director of Aviation Bob Brock. “The KAIP program helps this important industry remain a vital part of the Kansas economy. That translates into jobs and quality of life for the residents of Kansas.”
The selection board identified $4,968,161 in projects to address the most impactful airport improvements across the state. Please direct any questions to [email protected].
Fresh Produce Can be Delivered to Your Door: 1553 Plants and Produce Farm
A local entrepreneurial farm couple has been planning and planting during this dormant season time planning their new products and services.
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Bo Co Arts Council 30th Annual Fine Art Exhibit March 10-12
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The annual art show that showcases local area artists is March 10-12.
The 30th Annual Bourbon County Arts Council exhibit will be held Thursday, March 10 through Saturday, March 12 at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.
“We will host the Chamber Coffee on March 10 at 8 a.m.,” Deb Anderson, president of the council said.
The exhibit will be open Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11 from 12 PM to 7 PM and Saturday, March 12th from 9 AM to 1 PM.
The BCAC was formed in 1973 to foster, promote and increase the knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts, according to BCAC President Deb Anderson.
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An artist reception will be held March 10th from 6 PM to 8 PM where participating artists will have the opportunity to listen to the juror critique and visit with her about their pieces.
The juror for the event this year will be Tara Booth, an Associate Professor of Art at Cottey College, Nevada, Mo.
The competition is open to all artists age 16 and older.
Categories include Best of Show 2D and 3D, Ceramics, Drawing and Graphics (Pencil, Pen, Ink), Fiber Arts, Glasswork, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting (Oil and Acrylic), Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Watercolor.
A new “Theme” category has been included: The theme this year is “The Eye of the Beholder”.
Bourbon County businesses and individual sponsors for the first prize winners of the art categories are:
2D and 3D – Memory of E.C. Gordon Ceramics – Ward Kraft, Inc
Drawing & Graphics – Landmark Bank Jewelry – Citizens Bank
Mixed Media – Lyons Realty Painting – Union State Bank
Pastel – Mid-Continental Restoration
Photography – H & H Realty
Sculpture – Fort Scott Broadcasting
Fiber Arts – Bernita Hill
Watercolor – Buerge Art Studio
Theme – City State Bank
Glass – Jamie Armstrong, Edward D Jones
Printmaking – Osage Timber, LLC
Current Bourbon County Arts Council Bard Members are Deb Anderson, President; Bre Eden, Vice President; Steve Floyd, Secretary; Terri Floyd, Treasurer; Cindy Bartelsmeyer, Elaine Buerge, Deb Halsey, Justin Meeks, Laura Meeks, Linda Noll, Tedena Tucker, and Chris Woods.
History of BCAC
The Prairie Troubadour: A Catholic Gathering This Weekend
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The 6th Annual Prairie Troubadour starts tomorrow Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the River Room Event Center, 3 W. Oak.
The event is “to bring Catholics together to enjoy things we enjoy culturally,” Michael Pokorny, a house father at St. Martin’s Academy said. “To help our friends and neighbors understand our faith and how we live it with joy.”
The Prairie Troubadour is named in memoriam of poet, songwriter, and man of the Kansas prairie, Gerald Francis Kerr, the father of St. Martin’s Academy founder, Daniel Kerr.
The theme of this year’s event is Feasts, Fasts, and the Seasons.
Tickets to the event must be purchased before the event and can be ordered on the website: Feasts, Fasts and the Seasons: the Art of Living Liturgically Tickets, Fri, Feb 25, 2022, at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite
Tickets start at $85 for the weekend’s events.
The schedule:
Feb. 25 is registration at 6:30 a.m. followed at 7 p.m. by Baylor University Professor Dr. Michael Foley who will be speaking on “How to Drink Like a Saint.”
8 p.m. Dale Alquist, president of The Chesterton Society, will speak on “Feasting and Surprisingly Fasting with G.K. Chesterton.”
9 p.m. There will be an afterglow session.
Saturday, Feb. 26
9:30 a.m. Daniel Kerr, headmaster/founder of St. Martin’s Academy will welcome guests, followed at 9:45 a.m. by Father Joshua Moore, sub-prior at Clear Creek Abbey, Oklahoma, who will speak on “Fasting: Or Why Officers Eat Last.”
10:45 a.m. Brandon Sheard, owner/operator of Farmstead Meatsmith, Tulsa, OK will speak on “The Virtue of Pig Killing.”
At noon, lunch will be on your own, Luther’s Restuarant, directly under the River Room Event Center, is recommended.
At 1:15 p.m. Dr. John Cuddeback, a professor of philosophy at Christendom College, Front Royal, Virginia will speak on “Animating Your Home with Leisure.”
At 2:15 p.m. Dr. William Fahey, president of Thomas Moore College of Liberal Arts, Merrimac, NH, will speak on “My Little Horse Must Think It Queer and Other Musings on the Natural Order of Liturgical Living.”
There will be a break at 3:15 p.m. and a break-out with vendors.
A question and answer session with the speakers will happen at 4:30 p.m. and the symposium closes at 5:30 p.m.
At 7 p.m. there will be a whiskey and cigar soiree with the speakers and musical entertainment by the St. Martin’s Academy students and others. This event is for VIP Pass Holders only.
Residents of the East Side of Fort Scott: Project Ideas Needed
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A community gathering is happening this Saturday to gain input on ideas to establish and develop a community project on Fort Scott’s east side.
The name of the event is Stronger Together: Building Up Our Neighborhoods, and is hosted by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team. The event will be on Feb. 26 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Fort Scott Fire House #2, 23 S. Franklin. Breakfast will be provided and there will be a tablet giveaway drawing.
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“We have $70,000 for this Creative Placemaking project through the Patterson Family Foundation Grant and Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways Grant,” Rachel Carpenter, HBCAT Program Coordinator said.
“Creative placemaking is allowing community’s residents to be part of the decision-making process of the project,” Carpenter said. “They get to decide where and what the project can be. Some examples would be fixing up an underutilized park, turning an alleyway into an art gallery, or restoring an abandoned building to make it into a community center. The possibilities are endless and are completely up to the community!”
Through this project, the organization seeks to help the east side residents “reimagine a place in the community to increase vibrancy, build capacity among the residents to take ownership of their communities and improve economic conditions,” Carpenter said.
“This public forum is part of one of our Creative Placemaking projects that will be on the east side of Fort Scott,” Rachel Carpenter said.
At this event, HBCAT will review with the participants what is in place for the Creative Placemaking project, have the residents share what they want to see in their neighborhood, identify what challenges may be encountered, and start identifying the options, she said.
The target participants are Fort Scott east side residents who want to build up their neighborhood, she said.
“This is 1 of 3 public forums we will have,” Carpenter said. “Our planning committee will take the ideas from the audience that fits with the grant criteria, and pick one to start developing a sustainability plan for a project.”
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About HBCAT
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team’s mission is to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance the quality of life and encourage economic growth. Our solution to building healthy communities is by transforming power, building trust, and encouraging community participation. A comprehensive strategy for change includes local organizing, strategic communication, community research, creating systems, and environmental changes.
The office is located at 104 N. National Avenue, just north of Luther’s Restaurant and Carpenter can be reached at 620.215.2562.
Common Ground Is More Than A Coffee Shop
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Common Ground Coffee Company is not just a place to gather but also offers small event catering and rental space venues.
Like other coffee shops, one can hang- out with others, catch up on some studying or just find a little solitude, all while enjoying specialty drinks and scrumptious foods, according to its website.
In addition to a hang-out place, the business offers small event catering and rental space venues.
The conference room, a private space at the rear of the business, is free, when available.
And there is a large space with outdoor access and a stage in the rear also called the Loading Dock.
“We rent rooms for showers and parties,” Vickie Waldron, manager, told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee attendees on Feb. 17. In addition, “We cater baked goods for small events.”
Common Ground Coffee Co. is located at 12 E. Wall St.
Fort Scott, phone number: (620) 223-2499 or email:
[email protected]
The coffee shop is a ministry of the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
The excess profits are given back to the community, Waldron said.
“We donate to any of our staff’s charity of choice,” she said. “We have donated to the Sharing Bucket, Paws and Claws, American Childhood Diabetes Assn., the local GED program, the Leukemia Association, just to name a few off of the top of my head.”
Common Grounds currently employs 16-17 people.
Hours of operation for the business are:
Monday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday Closed
High School Career Exploration Program Needs More Mentors
“The Chamber’s motivation for organizing the program is related to Workforce Development,” Madison told fortscott.biz. “Our goal is to help the students be on a path to success, but also develop a funnel of employees for our manufacturers and other businesses by exposing students to local career opportunities available.”
“Students may be ready to start working directly after high school or college, or may move away for several years and return to Bourbon County in the future,” she said. “By being part of the mentor program they will be more aware that Fort Scott truly is a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
“Working at a local manufacturer does not exclusively involve assembly line work as students may perceive, there are many great positions to be held in accounting, sales, engineering, welding and other areas that we try to expose them to,” she said.
“Some students are more interested in health care, law enforcement or other fields and mentors will work to set up job shadows or question/answer sessions with people in those careers” Madison said. “Each student’s needs are differently related to their educational goals or career exploration and while we bring the mentors and students together monthly as a group, the mentors work individually with the students they are paired with to build connections and make a positive impact towards their success.”
The program is funded in part by the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, she said.
Bill Michaud, the owner of Sleep Inn Hotel and Chamber member, helps with the program, working with the mentors. Lewis Dunkeson, Communities in Schools Site Coordinator, helps recruit high school students and keeps them informed of meetings, Madison said.
It is an extra-curricular activity, and the high school staff are “very supportive” by allowing extra time at lunch for the meetings, Madison said.
Community members interested in being mentors, and students interested in the program, may contact the Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 or email [email protected].
If you are interested in being a mentor to a high school student please complete the following, which is found on the Chamber website:
Background check authorization.
Email: [email protected]; or fax 620-223-3574.
Here are several of the education modules used by mentors for discussion topic ideas for one-on-one visits with the students: basic vehicle maintenance, cooking, driver’s license information, household financing, jobs, and personal health.