NEWS RELEASE
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met virtually on Thursday, August 20, for a special noon board meeting.
President David Stewart opened the meeting. The board approved the purchase of temperature scanners.
The board adjourned.
The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation announces the selection of four new board members who will serve three year terms beginning in 2020 through 2023. They include Connie Banwart, community volunteer with a focus on historic preservation, Kirk Sharp, executive director, Gordon Parks Museum, Deb McCoy, registered nurse, and Lindsay Madison, executive director, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.
“FSACF welcomes these outstanding individuals who have each made a commitment to serving the needs of our community through the Foundation,” said Carla Farmer, chair.
The new board members join the local volunteer board comprised of 16 individuals from diverse professional backgrounds and interests. FSACF meets quarterly and focuses on being a resource to other not-for-profit organizations whose goal is to improve the quality of life in Fort Scott and Bourbon County. One of the primary ways in which the Foundation assists other organizations is through its annual granting process.
The grant cycle is currently underway and applications may be submitted through August 31. Gregg Motley, grant chair, announced that $42,000 is available for projects that benefit our community and youth. Applications can be obtained by emailing [email protected].
In other action at the annual meeting in July, officers were elected. Serving as chair will be Carla Farmer, Barbara Albright, vice chair, Frank Halsey, secretary, and Craig Campbell, treasurer.
Committee chairs for 2020-2021 are Gary Palmer, asset development, Gregg Motley, granting, Travis Shelton, nominating, Frank Halsey, marketing, and Charles Gentry, bylaws.
FSACF was established in 2007. Currently, the Foundation has assets in excess of $9 million which includes restricted funds established and directed by donors. Of the total fund balance, over $1 million is unrestricted endowed funds controlled by FSACF. The unrestricted funds generate interest which in turn is utilized for annual grants.
For more information about FSACF, go to fsacf.com or follow FSACF on Facebook. For specific information about making a gift, call 620-224-6500.
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The Design Review Board will meet on Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at the City Hall Commission Meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to discuss a Certificate of Appropriateness for a sign at 19 S. National, a Certificate of Appropriateness for signage in the downtown area for the walking trail, and a Certificate of Appropriateness for signage at 124 E. Wall and any others matters to be brought before the Board. This meeting is open to the public.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Monday, August 24th, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to consider a Conditional Use Permit for a telecommunications tower to be located north of the Water Treatment Plant located at 910 Burke Street.
This meeting is open to the public. This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
Orval Edward “Dan” Shinn, age 72, a resident of rural Bronson, Kansas, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at his home.
He was born March 12, 1948, in Ft. Scott, Kansas, the son of Danny L. Shinn and Wilma M. Eastwood Shinn. At a young age, the family moved to Stinnett, Texas, where Orval graduated from the Stinnett High School with the Class of 1966.
Orval later served a tour of duty with the United States Army in Vietnam. He later reenlisted as served as an air traffic controller for the Army.
Following his retirement from military service, he went on to receive his Bachelor’s Degree in Archeology from Troy University in Alabama and went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Archeology from the University of Alabama. He was employed by the engineering firm of Burns & McDonnell where he worked in the Archeology Department. This job had him working on construction sites throughout the United States.
Orval first married Jane Forgoress and they had a son, Gabriel. They were divorced.
Orval later married Carla Morris on October 22, 2011, at Overland Park, Kansas.
Orval loved football and because of the time spent in Alabama was an avid fan of the Crimson Tide. He also enjoyed golfing, fishing and hunting.
Throughout his life, both Orval and his dad, Danny, maintained a love for the Shinn family farm near Turkey Creek. They often spent summers working on the farm. Following his retirement, Orval and Carla built their retirement home on the farm.
He was a member of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown, Kansas.
Survivors include his wife, Carla, of the home; his son, Gabe and wife, Tracy of Mebane, North Carolina; Carla’s sons, Bryan Ballard and wife, Lynn, of Lathrop, Missouri and Sean Ballard and wife, Jackie, of Kenilworth, Illinois; seven grandchildren, Grayson and Parker Shinn and Kyle, Matthew, Blake, Evan and Addie Ballard and a great-grandson, Gunner. Also surviving are two sisters, Dana Eudey, of Tulia, Texas and Lorrain Cook of Yuma, Arizona.
Rev. Marty DeWitt will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, August 22nd at the First Missionary Baptist Church. Burial with military honors will take place in the Turkey Creek Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Friday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, PO Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation is a funding resource for local organizations whose goal is to improve the quality of life in Bourbon County, according to Carla Farmer, FSACF Chairperson.
Applications are being received until August 31.
“In 2019, FSACF received 33 grant applications totaling over $106,000,” said Greg Motley, Grant Committee Chairperson. “The grant committee awarded over $33,000 for projects in our community, such as musical instruments and interesting field trips for elementary school children, food and clothing to serve the disadvantaged in our area, writing, music and art projects to support the arts in our community, amenities for parks and schools, critical medical equipment for our emergency room and equipment for high school girls’ athletics, to name a few.”
“The grant application period for 2020 ends August 31,” Motley said. “This year, we have over $42,000 in available grant money to be awarded during the October 29th Fort Scott Area Chamber Coffee at Landmark National Bank, 200 S. Main at 8:00 AM.”
For an application and copy of FSACF’s Grant Evaluation Guidelines, please email Gregg Motley, Grant Committee Chairman, at [email protected] .
History of FSACF, provided by Carla Farmer.
The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 2007. The Foundation, led by a local, volunteer board, was created to meet the needs of greater Bourbon County. Its mission is to partner with and be a resource to organizations whose goal is to improve the quality of life in Bourbon County. The Foundation strives to create connections between donors and a variety of worthwhile causes.
With assets over $9 million, the FSACF provides a tax-exempt vehicle for donations to be given to charitable groups and government agencies of the donor’s choice. Donations, large and small, are gratefully accepted from individuals living within Bourbon County or around the world. The Foundation offers a variety of giving options from gifts of cash, securities, stock, to planned gifts.
FSACF operates as an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.
“The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation exists to support the good work being accomplished by our not-for-profit organizations in Bourbon County and to address the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Board members recognize that the needs in our community and county continue to increase. The annual grants awarded by the Foundation is one tool for placing funds directly back into the hands of not-for-profits to meet these needs,” said Farmer.
“These are challenging times in our community and the country. The Foundation offers opportunities for creating many types of funds that can continue to benefit our citizens for generations to come. If you have questions about giving to the Foundation, please contact me or any board member,” added Farmer.
You may visit www.fsacf.com for more information or call 620-224-6500.
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Kansas Benefits Card can be used to purchase groceries online at Amazon and Walmart
The Kansas Department for Children and Families announced today that EBT Online has been fully implemented, and Kansas food assistance recipients now have the option of purchasing groceries online using a Kansas Benefits Card, also known as an EBT card, at Amazon and Walmart.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, this new online purchasing program offers a contactless, safe, and secure way for Kansans to get their groceries,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard.
Governor Laura Kelly announced in June 2020 that the United States Department of Agriculture approved the DCF proposal to offer EBT Online to Kansans.
When using the EBT card to purchase groceries online, the card will function like a debit card, and the same guidelines will apply. SNAP recipients should note that while they can now use their EBT card to pay for groceries online, they cannot use their card to cover the cost of grocery delivery.
Kansas food assistance, or SNAP, provides monthly food benefits that help individuals and families buy healthy, nutritious food. Even if temporary, individuals and families who have experienced a change in their circumstances and need additional help may apply for food assistance benefits.
Kansas currently has more than 208,000 individuals who receive food assistance benefits totaling $291 million annually.
Kansans can visit https://cssp.kees.ks.gov/apspssp/sspNonMed.portal to apply for food assistance or call 1-888- 369-4777. You can also find your local office at http://www.dcf.ks.gov.
Learn more about EBT Online at http://www.dcf.ks.gov/pages/ebt-online.aspx.
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY COMMISSION ROOM
123 S. MAIN STREET
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS 66701
AUGUST 20, 2020
11:45 A.M.
I. ROLL CALL:
K. ALLEN P. ALLEN NICHOLS WATTS MITCHELL
CONSIDERATION:
Consideration of Rogers & Sons Concrete Invoice
ADJOURNMENT:
This is part of a series of City of Fort Scott and Bourbon County public servant profiles. If you would like to nominate a person to be featured, please send their email address to [email protected].
Hunting and fishing, gardening and mini-tree farming.
