Recently over 100 Bourbon County businesses, organizations, school districts, churches and other categories of entities received SPARk Grants to help with COVID-19 expenses.
The see the whole list of recipients, click below:
The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) taskforce plan is to lead Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19, according to its’ website,https://covid.ks.gov/spark-recovery-office/
SPARK is responsible for the statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.
The total amount of grants disbursed in Bourbon County were
$2,835,212.86, according to information provided by Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoener.
Ascension Via Christi Pittsburg Inc. received $203,150 for its’ emergency department in Bourbon County in October 2020.
The vast majority of the funding we received allowed us to provide additional staffing for the Covid-19 patient surge and the increased utilization of targeted pharmaceuticals for Covid treatment,” said Michelle Kennedy, Ascension Via Christi Senior Specialist for
Marketing and Communications.
Ascension Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg, Ks. Submitted photo.
Clifton Beth, 47, is the new Third District Bourbon County Commissioner, replacing Nick Ruhl, who resigned on August 26.
Beth received his associate’s degree in nursing from Fort Scott Community College and is a lifelong resident of Bourbon County.
He farmed for 25 years, and has been a Registered Nurse for nine years, and additionally is a past small business owner.
“I currently have three businesses in development, but with COVID-19, we have slowed progress on those,” Beth said.
The following are responses to questions posed to Beth.
Why did you desire to become a county commissioner?
“In an environment where health care is changing on a daily basis, I would like to see a stable Emergency Room and a resemblance of health care in Bourbon County. I would like to see a community where my children could call home if they so choose.”
What are the duties of your job?
“To oversee the management of the county, representing county interests at the state and federal level, participating in long-range planning, and managing the county budget and finances.”
Anything new on the horizon?
“I look forward to working with the new incoming commission this coming January.”
Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center 212 State St., Fort Scott.
Mental health has become an issue in the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center has received $122, 488 for Bourbon County needs from SPARK funds distributed from the U.S. Coronavirus Fund. SPARK is a Kansas program that is moving Kansas forward in recovery from the effects of COVID-19.
” We are unfortunately seeing the mental health needs of our community increase,” said Holly Jerome, Director of Human Resources with Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center located at 304 N Jefferson Ave, Iola.
“Things that increase depression and anxiety are fear, loneliness, isolation, etc,” she said. “During the pandemic, we are seeing individuals who have never experienced mental health issues who are struggling very badly. We are also seeing increased drug use, domestic violence, unemployment stress, and suicidal ideation. The funding is helping to keep our staff safe to keep services going, keep our doors open, and connect with the community.”
” We are so grateful to Bourbon County (Commission, the local agent who is helping to distribute the grants) to continue to support the important work that we are doing at SEKMHC,” Jerome said.
Protection
“We have purchased lots of PPE for our staff and client safety to include: masks, face shields, plastic barriers, gloves, hand sanitizer, increased cleaning/sanitation of our office in Fort Scott,” she said. “We also have supplied our after-school children’s program with masks.
Technology
“It is also being put towards increased Information Technology needs, as we had some clients and families who did not have a way to connect with us so we were able to supply some tablet devices to make that happen,” she said.
“We also purchased Zoom licenses to have an encrypted safe way to connect with those at home especially during quarantine and isolation as that can be very challenging for most people. We also purchased more IT equipment for our staff to work from home if they need to be on quarantine to keep services going. In addition to that, we are also upgrading our website to be ADA compliant with screen readers for the visually impaired to be able to access services.”
Public Education, Interior Upgrades
“We are also putting some local advertising out to educate the public and community about our services and are upgrading some flooring with the help of Ruddick’s (Fort Scott) and furniture pieces from McCarty’s (Chanute and Iola) to make sure that everything can be wiped down and sanitized frequently,” Jerome said.
Community Pocket Park
“I think the most exciting thing that we are doing is putting in a community ‘pocket park’,” she said. “We had an open space beside our building that was just some rocks. We are working with local company ‘Playscapes’ (out of Yates Center) to put in a shade covering, rubberized flooring, ADA compliant chairs for STEM exercises with children, and ADA compliant picnic tables, etc. Redbud Farms out of Fort Scott will be helping us get some shrubs and pots to make the area look nice with rock and mulch as well as some concrete work from Mitch Welch (Redfield, KS). We have also ordered some outdoor musical equipment for this area for some musical therapy. This pocket park will be open to the public as a great place to come and relax, sit in a chair to journal, meditation, etc. It will also create additional space for our case managers and therapists to continue social distanced appointments and group meetings that we can space out.”
“One of the things that was very important to us was to spend the money locally whenever possible,” Jerome said. “So we are so excited at how many local companies have stepped up to the challenge of making our deadlines work to get everything completed by December 31, 2020. We are so grateful to have such wonderful local talent and mission-driven small businesses!”
About Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.
“SEKMHC was established in 1961, we are a not-for-profit organization that provides, advocates and coordinates quality mental health care, services and programs in the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Linn, Neosho and Woodson. Our team of over 150 full-time and part-time professionals work to assess, treat, support, and/or coordinate your healthcare needs. Our core services include outpatient psychiatry, therapy, consultation, chemical abuse counseling, case management, educational and skill-building groups, specialty training, physical healthcare coordination, and 24/7 crisis intervention services.
The mission of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center is to provide, advocate, and coordinate quality mental health care, services and programs for people in its service area.”
Pictured is Alivia Kraft, owner of Laree + Co, located at 3 S. National Avenue. Submitted photo.
A new business is opening at the corner of National Avenue and Wall Street in Fort Scott. This building is part of a renewal of the historic buildings on and adjacent to this corner, by resident Jennifer LaRoche.
The LaRoche Building, August 2020. Laree + Co is now located in the corner spot, with entry doors on the National Avenue side.Laree + Co, on December 3, 2020. Submitted photo.
The Common Ground Coffee Company and Kenny Felt Photography opened this year on the Wall Street side of the corner and E3 Meat Co. and Laree + Co. on the National Avenue side.
Beginning this Saturday, Dec.t 5, Laree+Co Boutique will have its’ grand opening at 3 S. National.
Trendy clothing and baby items will be featured items at the boutique.
Laree + Co. offers superior-quality tees, women’s apparel, holiday apparel, vinyl and fabric bows, shoes, headwraps, and more. Home décor and other furnishings will come in the future, according to the press release..
Support this local business by stopping in this Saturday at Laree + Co.’s grand opening, for light refreshments, drinks, and door prizes.
The store’s hours will be Monday-Friday from 9 am – 6 pm.
Business In Honor of Lillian
Owner Alivia Kraft originally started the business in honor of her daughter, Lillian, who was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Though Lillian wasn’t expected to live past birth, she celebrated her fourth birthday in August.
Lillian’s determination for life inspired Alivia to do something she had always dreamed of, opening a boutique, according to a press release from the business.
Laree+Co’s mission in part is to spread awareness of medically-complex children and their illnesses through naming products after fellow “warriors” and angels, according to the press release.
The family has decided that 10 percent of the business profits will be donated to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO, the hospital that has saved Lillian’s life on numerous occasions.
Josh Jones, 39, was sworn in this week to serve on the Fort Scott City Commission, replacing Jolynne Mitchel, who resigned.
Josh Jones is sworn in as a new Fort Scott Commissioner on Dec. 1. The commission meeting was held in Buck Run Community Center. Photo was taken from the City of Fort Scott’s Facebook page.
Jones was born and raised in Fort Scott and has several businesses in the community.
“I have rental houses and I run Bourbon County Cars,” he said. “I also work part-time as a bus driver for USD 234 and FSCC
Jones believes it’s a cumulation of life lessons learned that give him the experience and qualities to serve on the commission.
“I have made many mistakes in life but find a way to learn and grow with each mistake,” Jones said. ” My favorite quote is ‘Show me a man who never made a mistake and I will show you one who never tried anything.’”
“We have to understand we will make mistakes but how you learn and grow from those mistakes is what we need to focus on,” he said.
“I have always told my children if you want to come to me to complain about something, then you better follow it up with a solution to try,” he said. “I feel like Fort Scott is in a period where we need some new ideas to continue to move forward and I felt like I wanted to help any way I could and felt like being a commissioner was a good way to bring solutions or ideas to concerns I had.”
“My duty as a commissioner is to serve the citizens of Fort Scott the best way I think is possible,” Jones said. “Every decision we make comes back to one thing. Citizens.”
Jones said he has ideas about the future of Fort Scott.
“However I am one of five commissioners and I feel like it’s not about my ideas but rather about the ideas of the five of us as a whole,” he said. “I look forward to getting into the mentality that the five of us are a team and the new things on the horizons will be a collaborative effort from all of us.”
From the Fort Scott National Historic Site Facebook page.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected many local events, but one annual event, the Fort Scott National Historic Site Candlelight Tour has created an online opportunity for the community to enjoy.
“Last spring we began expanding park programming by creating virtual opportunities for visitors including online programs/events and virtual visits,” Carl Brenner, FSNHS Program Manager for Interpretation and Resource Management, said. “As we moved into the fall and began planning for the 39th annual Candlelight Tour, we understand that not everyone is ready to travel. We want to have alternative opportunities and provide an event that was safe and available to those who have traditionally participated and for those who are unable to travel to the park. We hope everyone enjoys our virtual rendition of the Fort Scott Candlelight Tour, Friday, December 4, 2020, at 7 pm on the park’s web page (www.nps.gov/fosc).”
Brenner described the six vignettes that comprise the tour.
Scene 1-Hospital – Health and Care of the Soldiers. This scene is a depiction of healthcare and hospital conditions on the frontier. Actors in this scene are Skip Thomas and Reed Hartford, with a depiction of sick patients by Aiden Mann and Daxson Ruggero
The hospital scene at the Fort. Submitted photo.
Scene 2- Stables – Health and Care of the Horses. Horses were one of the most important tools of the Dragoon soldier. Sometimes horses were treated better than the soldiers. Actors are Brett Dawson, Jericho Jones, and Jesse Dineen.
The stable at the Fort Scott. Submitted photo.
Scene 3- Mess Hall – Lifestyle, Comfort, Camaraderie. Enlisted soldiers had a less formal or private life. They ate, slept, and worked in crowded conditions. Actors are Wayne, Dee, and Barrett Young.
The Fort Scott Mess Hall depiction. Submitted photo.
Scene 4-Officers’ Quarters – Lifestyle, Wealth, Comfort. With greater responsibility came greater space, freedoms, and comfort. Actors are George and Diane Bernheimer.
Scene 6: a depiction of the officers quarters at Fort Scott. Submitted photos.
Scene 5- Quartermaster Storehouse – Supplies, Preparedness, struggles. The Quartermaster, and his staff, kept all aspects of the fort running. They also knew what was really happening on the post. Actors are Barry Geertsen and Frankie Ruggero.
The quartermaster scene. Submitted photo.
Scene 6-Guardhouse – Discipline, Law and Order, Punishment. To ensure their soldiers were ready for whatever task they were assigned, discipline was a frequently used motivational tool on the frontier. Actors are Lucas Leininger and Casey Gomez.
The scenes and their introductions are being filmed by Barry Geertsen, Laura Abbott, and Abby Schauer from the park staff.
Brenner gave a little background of how the pandemic is affecting the NPS and Fort Scott in particular.
“We, like many Park Service sites, have experienced a reduction in visitation,” he said. ” We have taken this time to reach out to a broader audience. We continue to develop virtual opportunities for visitors and content for teachers to engage their students. Two such projects include: working with educators to develop curriculum around the Missouri Compromise; and to engage students to research and develop videos around African American heroes from the Fort Scott area.”
The park staff has increased their online presence during the pandemic, Brenner said.
“Sharing park stories through Facebook and Instagram is not new,” he said. “However, we have been increasing these opportunities to share more of the park’s stories and connect with a broader audience.”
Eric W. Bailey, became Bourbon County’s Public Works Director on Oct. 1. 2020, replacing Jim Harris, who retired and now serves as a Bourbon County Commissioner.
Baily’s duties are the public works budget, overseeing the daily operations of the road and bridge department to include rock crushing operations, the overlaying and maintenance of hard surface roads, maintenance of all county maintained gravel roads in Bourbon County, and oversite of the transfer station as well as the noxious weeds department.
He was the public works director for the City of Fort Scott for nine years. In total, he worked 20 years with the City of Fort Scott.
Bailey also served four years in Bourbon County Environmental Services Technician/Geographical Information Services.
He attended schools K-12 in USD 234, then earned an associate’s degree in Applied Science in Environmental Water Technologies from Fort Scott Community College, then a bachelors degree in Business Management from Friends University
His wife Malinda is the Director of Children’s Services for Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, their daughter Kelcie is a junior at Kansas Wesleyan University studying Elementary Education and middle daughter Kiran is a senior at Fort Scott High School, and son Kaleb a sophomore at FSHS.
Bailey has been involved in the community as a member of Community Christian Church, a member of the Youth Activities Team, and coached numerous youth recreation league teams and travel teams.
“I am really enjoying the job so far and all of the people that I am working with daily,” he said. “Everyone has been very welcoming and I appreciate all of the support I have received.”
Peerless Products Inc. received a SPARK Grant to help with the costs of keeping the manufacturer producing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“We applied for $50,247 of reimbursement for items purchased to battle the coronavirus within the Peerless community, but also to do our part in mitigating the spread of the virus in the surrounding communities as we have employees who work here, but live generally within a 45-mile radius of Fort Scott,” said Cindy Davis, the company’s wellness and benefits manager. “We received our grant money about a month ago.”
The Strengthing People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) taskforce is responsible for the statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.
But the largest Bourbon County employer did not wait for help to begin combating the virus.
“In the initial weeks of the pandemic, we had a number of employees volunteer to hand-make face masks for every employee to have five, and then we were able to donate masks out around the local community,” she said. “For a solid month, after purchasing seven sewing machines, our small sewing taskforce churned out over 4,000 cloth reusable face masks!”
” We also implemented contact tracing,” Davis said. ” Supplies for all these methods of mitigating virus contamination were submitted on our SPARK grant application. The Peerless family collectively has viewed this pandemic as a very serious threat to personal health and welfare, but also to the financial welfare of each family supported by the work we do here, AND the economic health of Bourbon county.”
“As the reality of the COVID-19 virus became quickly apparent back in early March, we realized that, as the largest employer in Bourbon County (350-400 employees), we had to jump into action immediately,” she said. ” We kept close watch on the Center for Disease Control and state government guidelines and protocol recommendations, and continue to do so.”
They worked in the plant to reduce the virus.
“If certain steps were recommended, we put things into action here at Peerless as requirements,” she said. “As a business, Peerless has kept in close communication with state and local authorities, as well as with all of our employees regarding actions and protocols.”
“Peerless Products manufactures high-end custom windows and doors for buildings all over the country, high-rise business and apartment buildings, schools, hotels, hospitals, military installations, and more,” Davis said.
” However, when the pandemic accelerated, we pulled our field service personnel off the road, curtailed any travel by our sales force, and began daily temperature taking of every employee or vendor entering our facilities, she said. “Within our plant, our safety and environmental staff, employee wellness, human resources, Peerless culture, top-level management, as well as purchasing staff, sought out tools and supplies and methods to mitigate virus contamination.”
“Signage all around the plant on proper hygiene, procuring large numbers of face masks, extra handwash stations, great quantities of hand sanitizer, gloves, special air purifiers, enrollment of employees in telemedicine as a healthcare option (at no cost to the employee), the arrangement of employee break room seating (indoors and out) and office desks to implement the six feet distancing recommendation, and more were implemented.”
TFI, a foster care and child welfare service, received $50,000 in SPARK funds in Bourbon County for more technology and personal protective equipment in the pandemic.
The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce is charged with leading Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19, with the statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.
TFI Submitted photo. Employees of TFI, Fort Scott in February 2020.
TFI serves approximately 80 children in Bourbon County, according to information provided by Taylor Forest, marketing specialist.
“The SPARK funding TFI received will help serve children in foster care in Bourbon County who have been impacted by COVID-19,” Forest said. “This funding has been used to purchase technology to allow for more remote work, and more telehealth visits when possible, minimizing face-to-face contact. Another way we are using the funds is to purchase PPE for children, families and staff. ”
They received the funding on Oct. 15, 2020.
“Children in foster care experience difficulties on a daily basis, and COVID-19 has added even more challenges” she said. “We’re incredibly grateful for the program and are thrilled that Kansas’ most vulnerable population can have some of their needs met through these unprecedented times!”
The TFI Fort Scott office is located at 710 W. 8th Street, Suite 203, FORT SCOTT KS 66701
Missy Reynolds is a new school nurse at Fort Scott High School, since the end of August 2020.
She has been a district nurse substitute over the past several years and prior to that worked at Nevada Medical Clinic.
Reynolds graduated from FSHS in 1989, then graduated from Fort Scott Community College in 2008 with an associate of applied science degree in nursing.
She was born and raised in Fort Scott.
She has been married to Mike Reynolds for 26 years and has three children. Garrett, Kennede, and Kerigan. Kerigan is currently a sophomore at FSHS.
Reynold became a nurse to help people.
“I wanted to be a nurse to be able to help people,” she said. “I was busy raising my children but the opportunity came up for me to go back to college later in life so I was a non-traditional student.”
“The high school has not had a full-time nurse in the past so this has been a great addition for them. I see students for all basic medical needs, keep health records up to date and communicate with parents as needed. Every day is something new.”
Buck Run Community Center is the site chosen for the skating rink. It is located at 735 S. Scott, just east of the aquatic center.
A new skating rink is on the horizon for Fort Scott.
“This project came from community discussion about a need for more kid-friendly activities,” said Allyson Turvey, Fort Scott Tourism and Community Development Manager. “Memorial Hall was used as a roller rink back in the ’80s, so the initial idea was really just to give that another go. It will benefit the community’s youth, and will hopefully draw families from the larger region as well. ”
“Originally we had hoped to use Memorial Hall, but the cost to resurface the floor is simply too high,” she said. “So for now we are focusing our attention on the old gym at Buck Run. Ideally if this goes well we could eventually look to investing in the floor of Memorial Hall since it is a larger venue.”
Allyson Turvey. Submitted photo.
Turvey is the project leader.
“Leah Bowman has helped a lot with research,” she said. “But this project simply wouldn’t be possible without the tremendous amount of community support we’ve received”
“Craig Campbell and Angie Rhodes Kemmerer along with her class have been heavily involved in the planning, and have also thrown out many ideas we had not considered. It’s also fantastic to have a project with not just community involvement, but student involvement. Students are excited and working really hard to make this thing a success.”
Logistics such as staffing, insurance needs, and safety requirements are being considered.
“But we really have two priorities at this point, the rink itself, and the skates,” Turvey said. ” Without these pieces locked down, we won’t be able to move forward. We’ve now decided on the ideal location, so we need to find the skates. The cost to purchase enough skates to run this type of facility isn’t really feasible, so Angie and Craig have put us in touch with roller skate rental companies. We’re hopeful to have a solution for skates soon.”
The skating rink project is for the area youth.
“The target population for the rink is of course local youth,” she said. “It’s been a widely held opinion that Fort Scott needs more activities for kids. This will certainly meet that objective. The students that have been helping with the project are really excited about the possibilities and have lots of ideas of how we can make it successful.”
“Our goal is to make this happen by the beginning of the year,” Turvey said. ” We do have logistics that will need to be worked out very quickly. And as I mentioned the whole project currently hinges on securing roller skates”.
What is the cost to the city?
“At this point, I don’t have an exact cost estimate to offer, but the use of Buck Run will allow for fairly low startup costs,” she said. ” Use of Memorial Hall for this project would have required a significant initial investment. We don’t feel this is a feasible solution at this time, and are working to make this project as cost effective as possible.”
Fort Scott’s Scooter’s Coffee Drive-Thru opens this week.
A coffee franchise, Scooter’s Coffee Drive-Thru, is opening on Nov. 30 at 5:30 a.m. according to Ashley Copple-Dunn, the Fort Scott Scooter’s manager.
Scooter’s is located at 2402 S. Main in front of the Hibbett’s Store.
Hours will be 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.
“Our goal is to offer amazing service, with amazing people, amazingly fast,” said Shawn Bouwen, one of the owners. “We want to provide people the highest quality experience each and every time they come to visit our store.”
In addition to coffees, teas, hot chocolate, smoothies, and blenders the shop offers breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls, cookies, “a little bit of everything,” Demi Bouwen, another owner, said.
One can see the menu, prices, and nutritional values of the products on the Scooter’s Coffee app, she said.
They currently have 15 employees, she said, and are still taking applications.
The owners of the franchise areDemi along with her dad, Shawn Bouwen, and his wife, Tracy.
“We have been involved with Scooter’s Coffee since 2004,” Shawn said. “The three of us currently own and operate seven locations and are growing. My wife and I also have another group of partners that own and operate an additional 40+ Scooter’s Coffee locations in a four-state region. Scooter’s Coffee has been around since 1998. Don and Linda Eckles are the original Founders of the Company.”
“We really love the demographics here in Fort Scott,” Demi said. “We love to be in a small town where you can be involved with the customer.”
Owner Shawn Bouwens and manager Ashley Copple-Dunn stand in front of the new Scooter’s Coffee Drive-Thru, Nov. 2020.
