Jake Provice started Influx Services a little over two and a half years ago.
“We serve Fort Scott, Joplin, and the surrounding areas,” he said.
“We provide professional exterior cleaning services, and specialize in house washing, window cleaning, and gutter cleaning. We use the ‘softwash’ process…which uses low-pressure and algicides to safely clean your home, without the risk of damage that comes with traditional pressure washing.”
“At Influx Services we are excited to publicly announce our professional headstone and monument cleaning services, available in Fort Scott, Joplin, and the surrounding areas,” he said. ” We use a specially designed, national cemetery-approved product and gentle cleaning methods to clean headstones and other stone monuments safely and effectively, without the risk of damage or deterioration that can come with other cleaning techniques.”
Before and after photos of headstone cleaning by InFlux Services. Submitted photo.
“The headstone cleaning is a new service,” he said. “I’ve been doing work at Evergreen Cemetery, but this would be the first time publicly announcing it. We use a specialized cleaning product and method that is historically used to clean national cemeteries and the white house.”
“Those interested in our headstone and monument cleaning services and/or our other exterior cleaning services such as house washing, window cleaning, and gutter cleaning, please give us a call or text at (620) 407-3008, or email us at influxservicescontact@gmail.com!”
He takes calls from 9 am to 9 pm seven days a week.
Devlin Cole sold handmade leather crafts at a 2023 Fort Scott Farmers Market.
Fortscott.biz desires to help local entrepreneurs in their business ventures and has featured many on our news service.
We are once again starting a series on young entrepreneurs.
Fortscott.biz would like to feature local, young entrepreneurs under 20 years old, who have seen a need and have started a business to meet it, or who have a talent and turned it into a business.
Hannah Vann was featured in 2019 with her car detailing business.
To nominate a young entrepreneur, email [email protected] with the name, age, email address, and/or phone number of the person, with the business they are doing. Please include who is nominating the person and why.
Relatives, friends and recipients of the product or services are invited to nominate a young entrepreneur.
Brian Griffin was featured in 2019 and his bicycle repair shop.
Judah Whitson mans the cash register at his family’s booth at the Fort Scott Farmers Market in 2023, Judah and his two brothers are all young entrepreneurs.
We also feature local entrepreneurs over 20! If you have started a new business or added a service/product, please email [email protected] with the email address, phone number and tell a little about your business.
Devin and Jalaine Davis moved to Fort Scott from Rancho Murieta, California at the end of April 2024.
“I’m from the Midwest and missed my roots and we wanted to be more central to being able to drive to family,” she said. “We have a military friend from Fort Scott which is what keyed us in to consider this our new home and we love it so far.”
Jalaine is a Navy veteran and her husband is a Marine veteran
She started her pet care service business in California and continues it at their new home. She does pet-sitting, dog walking, and drop-in services available for all pet owner’s needs.
“I started my business in California because I love animals and was tired of being inside all day behind a desk and felt I could serve a better purpose by serving my local community through pet services needs and the business flourished in no time. I left 150 clients to move here and am looking forward to helping others in Fort Scott now.”
“I will be transferring my LLC to Kansas very soon,” she said. “A unique thing about my services is that this is an official, licensed business, unlike other local dog walkers and I provide other services, such as putting out your trash bins while you are away, and returning them the following day, picking up your mail, watering plants, etc. I take my business seriously and do everything I can to accommodate you and your pet(s)! Another unique thing about my dog walking services is that it’s one on one with your pet(s).”
“I DO NOT mix other people’s dog(s) into the walk with yours; allowing your pet to get full attention from me,” she said. “I’m also a runner, so if your pet needs to run instead of walk, I can do it! Send me a text or call to schedule a meet and greet at (916) 753-4733.”
She also takes care of livestock and farm animals.
Fort Scott Preschool Center, 409 S. Judson, has a waitlist of approximately 25 three-year-old students this year.
The Fort Scott Preschool, at 409 S. Judson.
“We began this school year with 93 students,” said Nick Johnson, the preschool’s principal. “Between students moving into the district and students transitioning from Infant-Toddler services, we are finishing the year with 120 students.”
To solve that problem the USD234 School District has begun the process of renovating a building at 9th and Horton Streets for a preschool center. The building was originally owned by Mercy Hospital.
902 S. Horton, from a 2022 photo.
“The new building will allow our program to expand to five classrooms and all those classrooms will be under one roof,” he said. “Having five classrooms will allow us to increase our enrollment and decrease class sizes. The new building will also provide more space for related services. In our current situation speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, mental health services, and English Speakers of Other Languages services all share very limited space. Having staff in the same location will allow for increased collaboration and more consistency between classrooms.”
“Currently, everything being done is behind-the-scenes planning by the architects and engineers.,” Johnson said.
“Architects and engineers are currently working on plans for the new building,” he said. “The school board held a hearing at the April board meeting to begin the process of hiring a construction manager at-risk. The next step will be to hire a construction manager at risk. We are planning for construction to begin this summer.”
“Construction should be completed during the 2024-25 school year,” he said. “We are planning to be in the new building for the 2025-26 school year.”
Nick Johnson. Submitted photo.
Criteria to attend Fort Scott Preschool Center is based on age,” he said. ” The student must be three or four years old on September 1st.”
Students fall into one of three categories: 1) students who qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), 2) students who are at risk of entering kindergarten socially, emotionally, or academically unprepared for success, and 3) peer models.
“All four of our classrooms are blended preschool classrooms, meaning they contain a combination of students from each of these three categories,” he said.
Preschool is offered free of charge to all families.
“Our preschool program receives special education and preschool-aged at-risk funding administered by Kansas Department of Education,” he said. “We also receive funding from the Kansas Preschool Pilot Grant and the Early Childhood Block Grant. These four funding sources cover most of our preschool expenditures and keep the program free for families.”
The mission of Fort Scott Preschool Center is to create a school environment that partners families, the school, and the community to build a foundation for lifelong learning.
There are five preschool teachers – four classroom teachers each licensed to teach early childhood special education and one part-time intervention teacher.
“We have eight classroom paraeducators,” he said. ” Our classrooms are adequately staffed as we finish the school year, but we will need to hire one or two additional paras next fall as some of our current paras transition into other roles.”
Third Street Park is east of Hwy. 69. This is the lower level with the ballpark. The upper level has playground equipment, a pavilion and bathrooms.
Upgrades to Third Street Park, Nelson Park and the Ellis Park Soccer Field are in the works by the City of Fort Scott.
“The City of Fort Scott is working on upgrades to the 3rd Street Park bathrooms, ” Mary Wyatt, Fort Scott’s Planning, Housing, and Community Development Director, said. “I’ve ordered new bathroom doors, Ron Hurd Construction is going to be framing in the new doors, Stoughton’s Plumbing will be drilling sink holes into the concrete in both bathrooms and installing sinks, we (the City of Fort Scott)are installing motion lights, security cameras, and automatic locks for the bathroom doors. Evergy (the electric utility) has made a donation of a 35-foot pole to the project and CrawKan (Telephone Cooperative) has also been involved in the technology aspect of this project.”
Mary Wyatt. Submitted photo.
Third Street Park is located at 600 E 3rd St., a few blocks east of Hwy. 69.
Volunteers John Crain and Josh Jones painted the bathroom at Third Street Park during the beginning of the upgrades last year. Submitted photo.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team received a grant to install new playground equipment and new concrete stairs that have added better access in the multi-level park in 2023.
Rachel Carpenter. Submitted photo.
“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,” according to Rachel Carpenter, HBCAT Director in a prior interview.
This playground equipment was installed last year at Third Street Park.
A Building Up Our Neighborhoods Placemaking project through HBCAT repaired the bathrooms and existing structures, including the basketball goal.
“HBCAT initially started the 3rd Street Park project in 2023 and had new playground equipment and fall protection installed, the City of Fort Scott promised assistance on the project in the form of upgrading the bathrooms,” Wyatt said. “The City of Fort Scott has paid for the bathroom doors and security equipment and will be paying Stoughton’s Plumbing for their services and Jeff Allen for electrical work and CrawKan for the technology work, Ron Hurd Construction has volunteered to donate their time to frame in the new bathroom doors, and Evergy donated a bare 35-foot pole.”
John Crain and Josh Jones paint the bathroom at Third Street Park, in this 2023 photo. Submitted photo.
“The HBCAT 3rd Street Park project was paid for by a grant that HBCAT applied for and were awarded, but the bathrooms portion of the project is paid for by the City of Fort Scott,” Wyatt noted.
The bathroom completion timeline is the end of May.
“There are a lot of moving parts and coordinating of individuals and businesses to make it all come together, but it is my goal to have the bathrooms completed and opened to the public by Memorial Day weekend,” she said.
Wyatt has been working on other projects for youth.
Nelson Park is at Grant and Elm Street in Fort Scott.
“I am also currently working on a project to make upgrades to Nelson Park, I’ve recently attended several Community Development and Grant Writing workshops and have found many resources that could lead to grant funding opportunities to fund the Nelson Park project,” she said. Nelson Park can be accessed from East Wall Street, turning north on Grant Street
“A few months ago, I completed a project that brought flashing school zone speed limit signs to both Margrave Street on the east side of Fort Scott as well as on National Avenue on the west side of Fort Scott and also just received additional flashing school zone signs that will be placed on Horton Street. The cost of the flashing school zone signs were split between the USD234 school district and the City of Fort Scott.”
Ellis Park is located at !12th and Williams Street in Fort Scott. This is a view of the soccer field on Williams Street.
“I am also currently looking into a project that could hopefully help resurface the Ellis Park soccer field this summer,” she said. Ellis Park is near the Fort Scott Middle School, on Twelveth Street.
There is a possibility of severe weather this evening and the community should be aware and planning in case of emergency.
“Everyone needs to keep informed about the possible severe weather either by TV, phone, or internet,” Bourbon County Emergency Management Director Brian Allen said. “There are storm shelters in Bronson, Uniontown, Mapleton, and Garland. They are opened by someone in their community. If a town has storm sirens, they are also responsible for activating them.”
” Fort Scott Dispatch only has control of the sirens in Fort Scott,” he said.
In Fort Scott there are few public options for getting in a basement during severe weather, but Grace Baptist Church, the former Mercy Hospital building and the Presbyterian Church will be opening a door to the public, if the tornado sirens sound.
Grace Baptist Church is at the corner of Margrave and 6th Street. The front doors will be open should the tornado sirens sound.
Brandi Rhoades, at the Grace Baptist Church on 502 S. Margrave Street, said the front door of the church will be unlocked if the sirens go off in the city.
Matthew Wells, Legacy Healthcare Foundation Director of Plant Operations, said the northwest door of the former Mercy Hospital building at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. will be open in case the siren goes off in Fort Scott. This was the employee entrance.
The Presbyterian Church basement at 308 S. Crawford will be open should the sirens sound, said Cindy Goebel, church secretary.
The Sisters are fostering lambs while they need bottle-feeding, then they will be returned to their owners. Submitted photos.
Sixteen Catholic Sisters have arrived at their new convent in rural Bourbon County from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The name of the compound is the St. Joseph Convent.
“Our convent (the house in which Sisters live) was too small and we were unable to find either an available building or land in the area,” said Mother Maria Regina. ” We desired to live in a more rural setting, and the opportunity to settle (near) Redfield, Kansas, was an answer to our prayers for a good location for a larger convent.”
“Our service to the community will include service to Saint Martin’s Academy and its families, but it will also include the wider Fort Scott community,” she said.
St. Martins is a Catholic boarding school for boys a few miles east of the convent.
Submitted photo of the Sisters in a procession around the buildings on the convent property located on Hackberry Road, southwest of Fort Scott.
The Sister’s way of life is semi-comtemplative.
“That means that we have a strong contemplative element, which includes ample time of prayer every day,” she said. “In addition to Holy Mass, we also pray every day what is called the Divine Office. The Divine Office is composed primarily of the Psalms which we pray for all the needs of people everywhere. We also spend time in silent prayer every day. If anyone would like to send us prayer intentions, we are happy to receive them because it is part of our mission to pray for the needs of people. If someone wishes to send a prayer request, it can be sent to us by regular mail at 1250 Hackberry Road; Redfield, KS 66769 or by e-mail ([email protected]).”
The Sisters in procession. Submitted photo.
“Besides prayer, we also do work, which we call ‘apostolate’ (because, like the Apostles, the intention of our work is to bring Jesus to people),” she said. “Our apostolate includes outreach to the people in the area around us. We are visiting the elderly, we are setting up a “Girl’s Guild” with activities for girls of various ages, and we hope and intend to include other ways of serving the people of the area, as well.”
She said the first meeting of the Girl’s Guide is May 10 and it will be for young ladies ages 10-18. “It is three hours of time spent with some conversation, games, meal, prayer, and some catechesis. If someone is interested in coming, the present email is the best way to contact us. “
Submitted photo of the Sisters during a procession in honor of Saint Joseph, walking around the perimeter of the buildings of the compound.
Even though they are on former farmland, they don’t intend to produce their own food.
“Our apostolic work is more directly with the people,” she said. “We intend to have a garden, probably not this year, though, and we will have a few animals, but they will not be the main thrust of our work.”
The rhythm of the day at the cloister is prayer, work, recreation and for some, classes.
“The typical day begins and ends with prayer in the chapel, and the other parts of the day are also punctuated with times that we return to the chapel for common prayer and also for private prayer,” she said. “Aside from that, we have time in the morning for work (some of the work described above, plus the usual tasks of preparing meals, laundry, housekeeping, etc.). In the afternoon, we have a set time for recreation, during which we enjoy one another’s company and do some handwork or go for a walk together outside or engage in some other enjoyable activity.”
The Sisters praying in their new Chapel. Submitted photo.
In the convent, there are stages of formation and the younger Sisters have some classes for their formation as religious Sisters in the afternoon, as well. “
The 43rd annual Fort Scott Good Ol’ Days will happen May 31 through June 1 with the theme “Where Our History Comes to Life” said the steering committee chairman, Shawn O’Brien.
The kick-off is Friday, May 31, from 4:30-6 p.m. with the chicken dinner catered by Chicken Marys for $10 for a two-piece dinner including German potato salad, creamy cole slaw bread, and water.
“You can purchase your tickets at the Fort Scott Chamber office, 231 E. Wall,” O’Brien said. ” Pick up will be at the corner of Wall and Main. You can drive through on the east side at Wall Street and Scott Avenue.”
The beginning of the parade in 2019.
“The largest parade of the year starts Friday at 6 p.m. at 6th and Main Street,” he said. “We are delighted to announce that Lavetta Simmons has been selected as this year’s Grand Marshal. Each year, our committee has the privilege of recognizing individuals who stand out and shine in our community, and Lavetta’s unwavering dedication to Care to Share has truly captured our hearts.”
Lavetta Simmons was one of the founders of Care to Share, an organization that supports cancer patients and their families.
“Lavetta’s heartfelt commitment to Care to Share over the years has left an indelible mark on countless lives,” he said. “Her compassion and kindness have provided solace and support to numerous cancer victims, survivors, as well as their families and friends. Though Lavetta has retired from her role at Care to Share, her dedication to service continues as she now attends to her family, serving as the epitome of the best babysitter. Join us in celebrating Lavetta Simmons and her remarkable contributions to our community.”
“This year we will feature some great entertainment on the stage at Skubitz Plaza,” O’Brien said. “Friday night will kick off at 7 p.m. with Nathan Ast Band followed by Blane Howard. Blane returns to Fort Scott for his second show. We are excited to host him again as he always has a great show.”
The stage at Skubitz Plaza will feature free entertainment.
“We will have local artists Jericho Jones and Holly Crays on Saturday, he said. “Then finish out the Saturday evening with Left of Center which will play some great music along with karaoke. Bring your lawn chairs and come out and enjoy live music that features some great artists.
“The Red Garter show will return thanks to Kenny Clary and his wonderful group,” he said. “They always have an energy-packed show. This year they will have their show in the Liberty Theatre. We are excited to partner with a generous sponsor to host this show in the beautiful downtown Liberty Theatre.”
The Red Garter show will kick off Friday at 7 p.m. for one show, then resume Saturday at 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a show every hour.
Jared Leek in the Good Ol’ Days parade in 2016.
“Jared Leek, owner of Liberty Theatre, an icon of the parade, will appear on the magical bike and we are so thankful for all the years that he has represented something that dates back to the start of the Good Ol’ Days”.
Many great family activities are planned for Saturday.
“We will have a bounce house at 3rd and Main Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $5 unlimited bouncing. Tulsa Gelly Ball will return this year at 2nd and Main. They have always been a family fun event. There is a cost for each participant, hide, roll, and avoid being shot at through a maze of obstacles. We will also offer free balloon artist and caricature drawings. These have been a great hit over the past few years.”
“We have some new food trucks coming in, and locals that will feature tacos, burgers, chicken, Hawaiian dishes, BBQ, fried fish, fried Oreos, funnel cakes, and much more,” he said.
Good Ol’ Days food truck.
‘The food trucks are always a huge hit as they feature fun options that we can’t get locally. We are excited to feature some new food that we have not had before,” he said.
The steering committee chairman is O’Brien, Vice Chair Charlotte Thompson, Secretary Kayla Hall, Treasurer Cheryl VanHoecke, Fort Scott National Historic Site representative Carl Brenner, and members, Tim VanHoecke, Shaylynn Clements, Angel Wilson, and Trey Sharp.
O’Brien has been on the committee for 11 years and chairman for 5 years.
Shawn O’Brien,
“I want to thank our community for their generous support and contributions,” he said. “Our festival would not be possible without so many volunteers and passionate people. The City of Fort Scott is gracious with their city workers, the Fire department and Police department and so many countless others.”
“This will be my last year as chairman, and I am looking forward to enjoying the Good Ol’ Days as I did 12 years ago strolling down the street and enjoying the food, crafts, and fun,” he said. “If you would like to become a part of the committee, please let me know as we are looking for people to join our fun team.”
Bree Spurgeon started her cottage industry of specialty cookies in 2017.
A cottage industry is a small business in which people work in their own homes, according to Cambridge Dictionary.
The first business was named The Cookie MOMster, from a suggestion by her daughter.
“I started The Cookie MOMster in 2017 after taking Financial Peace University at the Nazarene church,” Spurgeon said.
She said she is domestic and crafty and thought she’d make some cookies for Valentine’s Day and advertise on Facebook.
“Next thing I know, I’m taking orders, making sheet cakes, cupcakes, and cookies,” she said.
Spurgeon is disabled with Cystic Fibrosis, which was diagnosed at three months of age.
“I wasn’t able to hold down a full-time job, with my lungs, at that time, because of the previous infections that have damaged my lungs,” she said. “Medication came out in 2019 that changed my health for the better. Now I have a second chance at life without a lung transplant. I can pretty much live a normal life, without gasping for air. I got my life back.”
But carpal tunnel syndrome began in her hands.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome usually start gradually and include tingling, numbness and weakness in her hands.
“It was excruciating enough to make me think of quitting, and I was experiencing burnout,” Spurgeon said.
She shifted gears and began to work at Bids and Dibs consignment store in the downtown area of Fort Scott.
“So I went to work at Bids and Dibs and eventually got over my burnout,” she said.
She began massage therapy for the carpal tunnel and started to get excited about making cookies again.
Submitted photos of B-Licious creations.
She started thinking about getting licensure for her cookie-making business.
“My daughter originally named me The Cookie MOMster, but since someone in Kansas has that name already, I’m not able to have it,” she said.
A month of agonizing over a name began.
Then one of her best friends sent the name B-Licious Cookies, for her to consider.
It combines the word delicious, which helped describe her cookies.
“My name starts with a B, I thought, that’s it, that’s my business name!” she said.
Spurgeon self-taught herself cookie baking.
“As I watched countless videos on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, I discovered royal icing and I fell in love,” she said. Royal icing is a type of icing composed of sugar, egg whites, and sometimes flavoring or coloring that dries to a hard glaze and is used for decorating baked goods, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
She began to focus on royal icing,
“I stopped doing buttercream, cakes, and cupcakes and focused on royal icing,” she said. “I look back on those days when I first started royal icing and they were so terrible, but everyone was so encouraging and you have to start somewhere. Plus, it was so much easier with carpal tunnel.”
“Fast forward to 2024, I fully own my own business and Healthy Bourbon County Action Team helped me gain my LLC wings,” she said. “The process was super easy and fast and they gave me all the information I needed to continue moving forward at the beginning of April.”
“I do not need a license because I do not use cream cheese and my final product doesn’t need refrigerated. I operate under the cottage law. I do everything at home and only make sugar cookies with royal icing.”
She has been honing her cookie decorating skills and now uses a cookie projector to download clipart about a particular theme onto a flash drive, put it into the projector and the image projects onto the cookie, then she traces it with icing.
The cookies before decorating. Submitted photo.
“I also use an airbrush and sometimes and I use cookie stencils as a background before I put the image on the cookie,” she said.
She advertises through Facebook only.
Cookies are priced $25 – $35 per dozen “depending on the difficulty of the theme.”
401 Woodland Hills Blvd., the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital, now is home to Kansas Renewal Institute, Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, the Ashley Clinic, I Am Rehab Physical Therapy, Diamonds in the Market Place Hair Salon, and Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc.
Kansas Renewal Institute signed a lease on the building at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., Fort Scott. on February 1, 2024, and celebrated the grand opening of Kansas’ newest mental health treatment center on April 18. The institute received its licensure on April 25.
“The License is specifically for Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) – 50 beds for adolescents,” Joe Tinervin, MSW, president of operations said. “We are starting with adolescents and intend to expand on our PRTF license to include other age groups at a future date.”
Their current license allows work with individuals no less than 6 years of age and not older than 21.
“However, any current resident may continue to receive treatment until that resident reaches 22 years of age,” Tinervin said. “Preadolescents (ages 6-10), adolescents (ages 11-17), and adults (ages 18 and older) will program and reside in separate units with no co-mingling between those groups.”
Joe Tinervin, from his LinkedIn site.
“Now that we are licensed, we have begun the enrollment/credentialing process with the Managed Care Organizations and expect to start serving their members within the next two weeks,” Tinervin said. “All referrals are generated by the MCOs who work in conjunction with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services in coordinating appropriate placement.”
“At this time, we are fully staffed to accommodate a census of 20,” he said. “We will continue to hire additional personnel as our growth ramps and we’re always keeping our eye out for talented individuals to join our organization.”
They received their license to specialize in Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) level of care, according to a press release.
“The Fort Scott facility boasts state-of-the-art amenities and a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to addressing the unique needs of each individual. From therapeutic interventions to educational and recreational activities, every aspect of care is tailored to foster healing, growth, and resilience.”
Mike Sharpmack, from his LinkedIn page.
Mike Sharpmack is the Executive Director of Kansas Renewal Institute and can be reached at 620-644-1195 or
The emergency room operations at the former Mercy Hospital sit vacant.
The Citizens for an ER group “do not see a way forward to have a provider reestablish an emergency room in Bourbon County,” said Craig Campbell, a member of the citizens’ group, ” if the May 14 vote for a sales tax is not approved.
“The Citizens for an E.R. committee appreciate the concerns, the insightful questions, and the support of the Uniontown and the Fort Scott town hall attendees,” Randy Nichols, another member, said. “Please vote to reopen our E.R. Early voting starts May 6th at the courthouse. Voting on May 14th will be at your usual polling location.”
Members of the group are Jamie Armstrong, Campbell, Lynda Foster, Charles Gentry, Mark McCoy, Nichols, and Douglas Ropp.
The group has held two public input meetings, one on April 11 in Fort Scott and one in Uniontown on April 24, to help tell the benefits of reestablishing an ER and get questions from the community.
To view the prior story on the first citizen’s input meeting:
The attendees of the town hall meeting in Uniontown on Wednesday had approximately 15-20 people.
“We opened the meeting stressing the importance of an emergency department to the citizens of Bourbon County,” Campbell said.
At the Uniontown meeting, there were new questions asked: “Concerns expressed at the meeting involved what the money could be spent for, why we need an ER. , and where would it be located,” Nichols said
Randy Nichols said “The ballot language is specific, stating for the five-year tax duration, (he quoted from the ballot), “Said tax shall be used as needed for establishment and operation of an emergency department in Bourbon County.” If an E.R. is not established the ballot states, “upon termination, remaining tax funds shall be used for EMS and /or property tax reduction as determined by the Bourbon County Commissioners.”
“In other words, the money can only be spent on an E.R,” Nichols said. “It cannot be used on other projects and would be returned to the community if we do not get an E.R. A citizens committee has been appointed by the Commission to review and periodically report to the public that the money is being spent as per the ballot language.”
The needs for an ER are many, Campbell said.
“There is a need to protect those with failing health, workers in hazardous occupations, and children playing contact sports, being able to retain and recruit businesses in Bourbon County,” he said.
“It allows our citizens quicker access to doctors, nurses, lab and radiology techs and medications that can assess and treat the health issues being presented,” Campbell said. ” Our Emergency Medical Service is top-notch! The Rural Emergency Health mentioned earlier was written for places like Bourbon County. It stresses 1) solid primary care, 2) great EMS, and 3) an emergency department. We had these in place until last December 20th. This tax question when passed would restore our three-pronged strategy to effective healthcare in Bourbon County.”
The tax is small per person.
“We reminded folks that the 0.25% sales tax would add 25 cents to the cost of a $100 purchase at the store, “Campbell said. ” And that the tax has a five-year hard stop on it.”
“The tax can only be used to support reopening our ER and its ongoing operation,” he said. “The next step would be to get Congress to re-date the effective date of the Rural Emergency Hospital Act to December of 2015 so that hospitals such as Fort Scott’s would be eligible to receive funding for the emergency hospital.”
Graphic provided by the Citizens For an ER.
“It will operate in its previous area within the former hospital at 401 Woodland Hills Boulevard,” Campbell said. “Medical equipment remains there as the result of a donation by Ascension (Via Christi, which closed operations at that site in December 2023).
“The current site is available and ready as it is fully equipped with lab, x-ray, CT scanner and ultrasound,” Nichols said. “These were gifted to the county by Ascension Via Christi -Pittsburg saving on the cost of reopening. The building also has room for expansion to include observation beds and outpatient services (for example out patient surgery) if Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation can be obtained in the future.”
“Rural Emergency Hospital is a federally funded designation supporting an E.R., observation beds, and out-patient services,” Nichols said. “This is a program not yet available to Bourbon County but having an E.R. is the first step to achieve the expanded services of REH. Having REH would relieve the need for community tax support.”
“The attendees praised the EMS service but also supported the need for an E.R.,” Nichols said. “Having an E.R. is a needed part of our health care delivery system. An emergency room and EMS are mutually beneficial services. Having an E.R. improves our overall community health outcomes. “(We) recognize most E.R. visits are by walk-in patients so without an E.R. it’s likely there will be more ambulance calls and all runs will be out of the county. Statistically, a majority of those people will not require hospitalization and would be better/ more efficiently served locally. An E.R. was also recognized to have county-wide economic development and long-term property tax benefits.”
The Vote Here sign sits in front of the north wing of the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. Nationa. There will be a sales tax question on the ballot on May 14, 2024.
