In an effort to help make government more efficient in the county, a new Bourbon County Unified Services Committee was formed August 7, 2019.

“I have heard about it (unifying government) for three years,” Greg Motley, who was selected to be the vice-chairman of the group, said. “We have to look for ways to be more efficient.”

“We had one meeting to organize ourselves,” he said. “The purpose is ‘how can we make government more efficient: city, county, school districts, community college’.”

The unifying committee was launched by Bourbon County Economic Development Corporation, BEDCO.

They are in the first stage, which is researching the possibilities, Motley said.

“That will take a while,” he said.

“We have to plan for a reduced population,” Motley said. “The cost of government is going to increase. We have to think about ways…to do it (government) more effectively.”

Motley said Wyandotte County has unified in northeast Kansas and other sparsely populated counties are considering combining to unify resources.

So the group will study the issue to see if it can be done, and done well, he said.

Motley knows that if the public is not for the unification of government, it will not happen.

“People could say ‘even if it saves money on taxes, we don’t want it’ and that’s ok,” Motley said.

Bourbon County Unified Services Committee is comprised of Mark McCoy, chairman; Motley, vice chairman; Nancy Maze, secretary/treasurer; Greg Fess, Clayton Whitson, Larry Shead, David Foster, Larry Martin and Larry Jurgensen.

Motley can be reached at 620-768-2329 or cell 620-215-6411 or [email protected]

Bourbon County, Government

Eco Devo Director Gives Update

August 15, 2019 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Bourbon County Economic Development August 2019 Report

by Jody Hoenor, Economic Director

Performance Tracking

In light of Bourbon County’s economic trends, County leadership took an active approach to seek solutions in order to boost economic development. The county is taking a more proactive role in efforts to revitalize the economy, county-wide, and is placing more emphasis on outcomes. County officials believe tracking performance allows community members to see results of ongoing efforts, increases accountability, and ultimately trust in county leadership.

A National Association of Counties (NACo) survey found 84% of respondents mentioned that their county tracks performance. Despite the many differences between counties, all have the same goals: improve outcomes and increase efficiency.

Performance tracking involves both metrics and measures to help an organization evaluate and report outcomes and effectiveness. Essential to this process is evaluating against a baseline, determined as part of a strategic planning process. The strategic plan is tailored to meet the needs of county government and its residents.

Three Phases of Strategic Planning

In order to better allocate resources and plan for future growth, Bourbon County has adopted a community-informed approach to the strategic planning process. The three phases consist of:

Gathering Data to Identify Needs and Priorities

Successfully complete!

2. Develop and Implement a Strategic Plan with Performance Metrics and Measures

Next Steps!

3. Ongoing Evaluation and Reporting

The top identified priorities are:

1. Business Retention and Expansion

2. Housing

3. Quality of Life

Fort Scott Police Department

The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Aug. 14

August 15, 2019 Submitted Story Leave a comment

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Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Fort Scott Special Events Aug. 16-18

August 15, 2019 Submitted Story Leave a comment

FRI & SAT – Livestock Sale – Fort Scott Livestock Market, weekly Fridays & Saturdays at 10:00 am. You don’t have to be a buyer, just come watch the sale and visit the café!
2131 Maple Rd. FRI & SAT – Trolley Tours – Friday 11am-3pm, Saturday 10am-3pm on the hour, leaving from the CVB/Chamber, 231 E. Wall St.
Friday, August 16
7:00pm-8:00pm – Friday Night Concert in the Park – Heritage Park Pavilion, 1st & Main –
This week’s show features Mike Lundeen on keyboard; eclectic style music, gospel and light classics. The concerts are sponsored by the Chamber, and organized by Ralph Carlson. If you are interested in performing a Friday Night Concert, contact Ralph Carlson at
[email protected]. Bring lawn chairs, seating is limited. In the event of bad weather, the show will move to Common Ground Coffee Shop.
Sundown – Flicks on the Bricks – Beauty and the Beast: Live Action (Sponsored by the City of Fort Scott – Movie starts at sundown at Skubitz Plaza, 100 Old Fort Blvd. Free
admission, no tickets needed.
Saturday, August 17
8:00am-12:00am – Farmers’ Market – Skubitz Plaza (in front of the historic fort) – The market features the very finest produce; also a great venue for community organizations to promote their mission and raise funds. Focused on fresh locally produced farm products.
8:00am-2:00pm – Woodland Hills Golf Course 1-Person Scramble – 2414 S. Horton –
1-Person Scramble, where players may play a second ball on any shot; however, once played the second shot must be used. The tournament will be flighted based on final score. $35 per Woodland Hills member, $50 per non-member. Contact Shannon O’Neil at 620-223-5060 for info & registration.
7:00pm-9:00pm – Begin the Begin (sounds of R.E.M.) concert at Boiler Room Brewhaus – 2 S. National Ave. – $10 tickets on sale now at the Brewery, the Visitors Center and the Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall St. Visit boileroombrewhaus.com.
Sunday, August 18
12:00pm – Heartland Showcase Boer Goat Sale at Bourbon Co. Fairgrounds, Fort Scott – 2102 S. Huntington, 12pm. Viewing on Saturday from 4-6pm, Sunday starting at 10am, with free lunch from 11am-12pm. Contact Lisa Stripe: 402-759-5497 or Jill Lanham: 620-984-8344.
5:00pm-7:00pm – Team Trivia at Boiler Room Brewhaus – 2 S. National Ave.
SAVE THE DATE: 2019 Fall Town-Wide Garage Sale is coming Friday and
Saturday, September 13th & 14!! Register your sale or advertise your business now by calling the Chamber, 620-223-3566!
Schedule of Special Events in Fort Scott, Kansas August 16-18, 2019
Visit the Chamber & CVB/Tourism Center for more attractions & activities!
231 E. Wall Street ~ M-F 8am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm ~ (620) 223-3566
Tell your friends you’re here!
Check in on Facebook! @ FortScottChamber & @VisitFortScottKS (620) 223-3566 Chamber: www.fortscott.com CVB/Tourism: www.visitfortscott.com
Come take a ride on Dolly the Trolley!
50 minute narrated tour of Historic Fort Scott
@ The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
$6 adults, $4 children 12 & under
Friday, 11AM—4PM
Saturday, 10AM—4PM
231 E. Wall Street Fort Scott, KS 2 Pages on Facebook: Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce & Visit Fort Scott KS 800-245-FORT (3678) * www.fortscott.com * www.visitfortscott.com
Special thanks to the businesses below for their Chamber membership & support of the community!
RESTAURANTS:
Downtown Historic District Holmtown Pub 206 N. National 620-223-1477
Nu-Grille 24 N. National 620-223-9949
Sharky’s Pub & Grub 16 N. National 620-223-4777
La Hacienda 24 N. Main St. 620-223-4400
Papa Don’s Pizza 10 N. Main St. 620-223-4171
Crooner’s Lounge (5-9pm) 117 S. Main St. 620-224-9787
Common Ground Coffee Co. 116 S. Main St. 620-223-2499
Midtown
Nate’s Place (Lyons Twin Mansions) 750 S. National 620-223-3644
Hours: Tues-Sun 8am-2pm – breakfast all day & lunch begins at 11am, NOW SERVING DINNER! Thurs-Sat 5pm-9pm – Looking for someplace to relax after a long week? Enjoy Happy Hour in our Library Bar every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 5-6 pm, with all well liquor only $5.
Southern Fort Scott
Sonic Drive-In 1700 S. National 620-223-3630
Domino’s Pizza 1709 S. National 620-768-5533
Subway 1715 S. National 620-224-2420
Marsha’s Great Plains Deli 6 W. 18th St. 620-223-6432
McDonald’s 2224 S. Main St. 620-223-6760
Dairy Queen 2328 S. Main St. 620-224-2226
El Charro 2503 S. Main St. 620-223-9944
Penny’s Diner 2505 S. Main St. 620-768-7000
SHOPPING:
Downtown Historic District: Bids & Dibs 108 S. Scott Ave., 620-224-2437: New & consignment home décor, clothing, & accessories
Books & Grannies 11 N. Main, 620-224-2244 : Collection of used book
Country Cupboard 12 N. Main, 620-223-5980: Country accents, Victorian décor, quilting fabrics, Primitives, collectibles and souvenirs. John’s shoe & boot repair located in back of the store
Electronics Store 2 N. National, 620-223-4501: Electronics, toys and games, cell phones and accessories
Fort Scott Munitions 523 E. Wall St., 620-223-1277: Manufacturer of premium ammunition & firearms
Hedgehog.INK 16 S. Main St., 620-670-2752: New and gently used books, children’s area, writer’s area
Iron Star Antiques & Such 3 N. Main, 620-223-2929: Unique gifts, home décor, furniture, ladies apparel
J & W Sports Shop 20 N. Main, 620-223-3690: Athletic clothing and shoes
Main Street Gallery & Gifts, and other Collective Booths 23 S. Main, 620-223-2210
Mayco Ace Hardware 205 Scott, 620-223-2670: Hardware, garden and more
Miller Feed & Farm 15 W. Wall, 620-223-3420: Feed, boots, animal care & accessories
Redbud Farms & Nurseries 1291 240th St., 620-223-1811: Greenhouse & Nurseries
Ruddick’s Furniture and Floorcovering 117 S. National, 620-223-2510: Furniture and home décor
Sunshine Boutique Gifts and Cosmetics 18 E. Wall, , 620-223-6007: Gift items, candles & cosmetics
Trader Dave’s Antiques & More 15 S. Scott, 620-224-0079: Unique items ranging from antiques to gently used items
Treasure Hunt Flea Market 6 S. Main St. 620-223-3522: Antiques, furniture, collectibles & gifts
Additional Shopping Locations:
Bartelsmeyer Jewelry 1519 S. National, 620-223-2070: Fine jewelry
Fort Scott Gun & Pawn 1402 E. Wall, 620-223-0583: Visit their showroom!
HairBow Center 2326 Kansas Rd., 620-223-9898: online & warehouse ribbon & bow accessories
Heidrick‘s True Value & Nancy’s Gift Corner 1508 S. National, 620-223-2660: Hardware and gift corner Pot Pantry 1366 215th St., 620-224-7480: Unique hand-made pottery, call Bobbi to see if open to shop
Sekan’s Occasion Shop 2210 S. Main, 620-223-5190: Furniture, home décor, and party supplies
Shirt Shack 11 E. 18th St., 620-223-4680: T-shirts, jeans and other clothing
Tractor Supply Company 2420 S. Main, 620-223-4900: Farm supplies, clothing, shoes and more
Walgreens 2229 S. Main, 620-223-2402: Cosmetics, health and beauty aids, pharmacy and much more
Wal-Mart 2500 S. Main, 620-223-2867: Discount store plus groceries
TOP ACTIVITIES: Visit the Boiler Room Brewhaus! Located at 10 S. National Ave. First and only micro-brewery in Southeast Kansas!
Fort Scott National Historic Site *Free Admission* (8am-5pm): Self-guided tour, cellphone tour, 20 min. film always available.
11 buildings & exhibits. Gift shop with books, shirts, historical toys, & other souvenirs.
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes *Free Admission* 1 S. Main, 620-223-1312, (Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat. 10am-4pm): Informative exhibits on unsung heroes & other award-winning exhibits. Also sells award-winning book, movie, and teaching materials.
Gordon Parks Museum & Photo Exhibit *Free Admission* 2018 S. Horton, Ellis Fine Arts Center, 620-223-2700
(Tues-Fri. 10am-4pm, Sat. 10am-2pm, & by appt.): 1st black photographer for Life magazine, photographer, poet, filmmaker. Gift shop also sells books, t-shirts, mugs, and other gift items.
National Cemetery No. 1 900 E. National Ave.: Numbered 1 of 14 cemeteries declared National cemeteries in 1861 by Pres. Lincoln.
Lyons Twin Mansions *Free Tour* 750 S. National Ave. 620-223-3644: Offers complimentary tours, any-time of day.
Courtland Hotel & Spa 121 E. 1st St. 620-223-5657: Spa/Massage/Salon Retail Outlet
Re:freshed Aesthetics 750 S. National Ave. 620-215-2694: Beauty products, facials, waxings, & more
Woodland Hills Golf Course 2414 S. Horton, 620-223-5060
Gunn Park 1010 Park Ave.: 155 acre Scenic Park, 7 shelter houses, 2 lakes, 6 mi. of trails, 18-hole disc golf course
Kansas Rocks Recreational Park 18 miles NW of Fort Scott, 130th St. Mapleton, KS. (Sat. 8am-5pm, Sun. 9am-4pm): 30 miles of trails for Jeeps & 4-wheel drives, biking, & hiking
Hunting, Fishing, & Watersports: Multiple lakes & fishing/hunting areas at Fort Scott Lake, Rock Creek Lake* Bourbon County
Fort Scott Restaurants, Shopping, & Activities

Bourbon County Sheriff's Office

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Aug. 15

August 15, 2019 Submitted Story Leave a comment

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Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Goat Sale Aug.18

August 15, 2019 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Heartland Showcase

Boer Goat Sale, LLC

at Bourbon County Fairgrounds

Sunday, August 18th at 12pm

Heartland Showcase

Boer Goat Sale,

Sunday, August 18th at 12pm.

There will be viewing times for Saturday, August 17th at 4-6pm and Sunday, August 19th starting at 10am. There will be a complimentary lunch from 11am-12pm.

This event is located at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds, 2102 S. Huntington Blvd.

in Fort Scott.

Consignors:

Tate Farms, Thunder Boer Goats, Road 20 Farms, Criser Ranch, Sunflower Boer Goats, Anderson Boer Goat Acres, StripeBoers, Broken Trigger Boer Goats, Rock’n B Ranch, Quality Boer, Fanning Farms, and 4 Star Ranch.

For more information, contact

Lisa Stripe at 402-759-5497

or Jill Lanham at 402-984-8344.

Government, Kansas

2019 Kansas Water Photo Contest Launched

August 15, 2019 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Photos Featured at the Governor’s Water Conference in November

Kansas is blessed with an abundance of great natural resources and Kansans are encouraged to capture the most vital of these; water. The Kansas Water Office (KWO) is accepting water photos to be featured at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference in November. The photos need to pertain to water or water use in Kansas. Examples include all bodies of water, irrigation, agriculture, recreation and fun, or other water infrastructure.

Worthy entries will be selected for display at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference, scheduled for Nov. 7-8, 2019 in Wichita. Attendees at the conference will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite photo. The winning photo will earn feature photo at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference. It will also, along with second and third place, be displayed in the Kansas State Capitol and KWO during the year.

Entries can be submitted to [email protected] with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. The following formats are accepted: .jpg, .png and .gif. Participants have until October 11, 2019, to enter a maximum of five photos that follow contest guidelines.

By submitting photos, participants grant KWO permission to freely use and share photos at the Governor’s Water Conference, on social media, web, publications and displays.

Updates on the contest will be provided through the KWO social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information about the categories, etc., visit www.kwo.ks.gov

The Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas is hosted by the Kansas Water Office, K-State /Kansas Water Resource Institute. Major sponsors for the event include Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock.

Government, Kansas

Kansas Beyond Visual Line of Sight Drone Operation To Advance Technologies

August 15, 2019 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Kansas approved for first Beyond Visual

Line of Sight drone flight in the nation

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) received permission to conduct the first ever Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operation in the nation leveraging only onboard detect-and-avoid systems. This is the first-ever FAA authorized operation to fly without a requirement for visual observers or ground-based radar and is the result of the 31-member Kansas Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP) team efforts to advance drone technologies.

In a collaborative effort between Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus (K-State Polytechnic), Westar Energy, Iris Automation and KDOT, the Kansas IPP team will fly a nine-mile track to evaluate technologies to inspect power lines in rural Kansas. This approval is the first of its kind for long line linear infrastructure and is the first step to enable routine commercial infrastructure inspection across the state.

“The UAS industry has worked over 10 years to demonstrate the most significant commercial benefit of drone operations within the United States,” said Bob Brock, KDOT Director of Aviation. “We are proud of the joint state, university and industry team effort that made this landmark decision possible.”

“The ability to fly BVLOS missions without ground-based radar or visual observers is a significant advancement, and Westar Energy views this as an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of UAS operations within the utility industry,” said Mike Kelly, Westar Energy Senior UAS Coordinator. “Being able to operate under this waiver allows the Kansas IPP team the ability to research and develop truly scalable BVLOS UAS operations for the automated inspection of linear infrastructure.”

The Applied Aviation Research Center on the K-State Polytechnic Campus will be responsible for the training and flight operations with a cross-functional team from the KDOT IPP. Flights will take place over the next few months, providing the FAA with much-needed data on true BVLOS activity.

“We look forward to leveraging this waiver to integrate UAS technology into the transmission line inspection process,” said Kurt Carraway, UAS Executive Director of the K-State Polytechnic Applied Aviation Research Center. “We are certain that utilities will be able to quickly realize a return on investment while mitigating safety to their maintenance personnel and increasing the reliability of their infrastructure to the general public.”

This is the first UAV flight in history to leverage onboard sense-and-avoid systems alone for collision avoidance. It also marks the first required automated avoidance action. Historically, all FAA-issued Part 107 BVLOS waivers have required visual observers or ground-based radar. These mitigations limit the possibility of true BVLOS flights, as they are typically prohibitively expensive and limit operations to pre-defined corridor areas with radar coverage.

This important milestone is facilitated by Kansas UAS IPP partner Iris Automation’s Casia onboard collision avoidance system.

“Flying rural missions like these without a human pilot onboard or costly radar on the ground is exponentially safer and more cost effective,” said Iris Automation CEO and Co-Founder Alexander Harmsen. “The FAA is trusting us to pave the way for a safer, scalable future together with this precedent-setting second approval of our system.”

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Business, Fort Scott

Community Clothes Closet Is A Part of Washateria: Board Members Needed

August 14, 2019 Loretta George Leave a comment

Fort Scott Washateria, 501 S. National Avenue.

Fort Scott Washateria, a new state of the art laundry center, will open Sept. 7 instead of mid-August as originally planned, said manager Lori Lovelace.

But this Thursday on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. she and her mother Carol Oakleaf, who is the owner of the business, will be having an organizational meeting for a Fort Scott Community Closet Association.

Volunteers are needed to be board members for the new philanthropic organization.

“We will collect clothing donations to distribute to those in need in the community,” Lovelace said.

“We’d like to get people who have worked at the Beacon,” she said. The Beacon is a helping agency who recently quit handling clothing distributions.

“We will need people to set the hours to be open, the qualifications for receiving donations and other needed decisions,” Lovelace said.

She and her mother will be on the board, but others are needed.

Their church, Hammond United Methodist, is a sponsor of the clothing distribution association.

Lovelace and Oakleaf have worked to attain a 501 (c)3 and a Federal Tax ID for the association, she said.

“The broader the organizational experience, the better it will be,” Lovelace said.

Volunteers are also needed to help with the distribution of clothes to those in need.

“We will launder donated clothing, and clothing will be sorted and stored in the grey shed, just north of the laundry facility,” Lovelace said.

Washateria Grand Opening Sept. 7

The laundry center’s opening has been pushed into September because of the death of an employee of Laundry Solutions, that sold them all the machines, Lovelace said.

That business has been Speed Queen Distributor of the Year three times in the last six years, she said.

Some of the larger capacity machines will take bedding comforters and dog beds, Lovelace said.

They will have a “soft opening” of the laundry mat around Labor Day.

She will put a sign in the window to indicate the preliminary opening.

Two people have been hired and the hours of operation of the laundry mat will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

Home delivery service will be provided as well, if needed.

For more information: [email protected] or call Lovelace at 620-215-1314.

Advertisements, Business

Darlene’s Antiques and Collectibles Online Auction

August 14, 2019 Advertisement Leave a comment

ONLINE ONLY AUCTION

Darlene’s Antiques and Collectibles 4 Online Bidding ends Sunday, Aug. 18 at 7:00 PM

To view and bid on items, click below:

http://www.crawfordauctionservice.com

Click on Ozarkbid Online Auctions, scroll to Darlene’s Antique and Collectibles 4 to view and register to bid.

369 LOTS: Nesting boxes; home decor; health & home; horse country; garden decor; butterflies; hearts; Home Interior; Hawkeye & Fiesta; National Audobon Society; Easter; turkeys; chickens; hats & more; candles; vintage albums; roosters; Hull; vineyard; decorative glass; Haegar & pickles; welcome; vintage crystal; picnic; midnight musk; oil lamps; Hamilton Beach; hanging lamp; table lamps; Kitchen Aid; watering cans; vases; roses; apples & more; McCoy, Haeger & Nemadji; wagon wheel; Halloween & Fall; flowers; Pyrex; sunflowers; cows; Lodge; wolves; Seth Thomas; fruit; America; fruit crates; much, much more!

Watch for more upcoming auctions.

Item pickup at 16 Scott Avenue, Fort Scott, Kansas: Monday, Aug. 19 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Item pickup from Hermitage, MO Warehouse Monday, Aug. 26th from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce