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Governor: Temporary Eviction/Foreclosure Prohibitions
Governor Kelly announces Executive Order to temporarily prohibit evictions and foreclosures
Governor Kelly on Tuesday announced Executive Order #20-06 to temporarily prohibit evictions and foreclosures across the state in an effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
Due to negative economic impacts of COVID-19, Governor Kelly and her administration decided to take steps to support Kansans who may miss mortgage or rent payments as a result of lost wages and other income.
“We understand that this pandemic is creating unprecedented challenges for people across the state,” Kelly said. “Kansas families need our support, and my administration is committed to doing everything it can to make sure Kansans can stay in their homes and businesses. It’s a necessary step to further protect Kansans’ health and safety.”
The Executive Order temporarily prohibits all financial institutions operating in Kansas from initiating any mortgage foreclosure efforts or judicial proceedings, and any commercial or residential eviction efforts or judicial proceedings until May 1, 2020.
This order comes after a State of Disaster Emergency for the State of Kansas was proclaimed by Kelly on March 12, 2020.
Please find Executive Order #20-06 attached.
Continuity of Kansas Ag Industry Remains a Priority
| MANHATTAN, Kan. — With Tuesday’s announcement by Governor Laura Kelly that state agencies will reduce their offices to essential services for a limited time beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, the Kansas Department of Agriculture assures the Kansas agriculture industry that we will continue to provide support across the state for critical services in agriculture. The farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses of Kansas are an integral part of the economic backbone of the state. KDA works on a daily basis to support these stakeholders and this will continue during the upcoming break, while we also take steps to protect the health of KDA employees.
While some components of KDA’s programs will cut back their daily routines, the essential services which ensure a safe food supply, protect natural resources, promote public health and safety, protect animal health, and provide consumer protection will continue from this agency. Many of our program areas are well equipped to work from home and will do so as needed to assist in the continuity of the Kansas agriculture industry.
KDA will continue to make every effort possible to communicate with our stakeholders in a clear manner throughout this time period. Information about the state’s response to this emergency event can be found the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s COVID-19 Resource Center at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
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Governor Announces Measures
Governor Kelly announces proactive measures to mitigate spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas
This afternoon Governor Laura Kelly announced two additional measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and better position Kansas to combat this unprecedented emergency in the months to come.
First, in consultation with the Kansas State Department of Education, the Kansas Board of Education, the Kansas Association of School Boards, the Kansas School Superintendents Association, United School Administrators of Kansas and Kansas National Education Association, Kelly officially extended the closure of K-12 schools for the duration of the 2019-2020 school year by Executive Order # 20-07 (attached).
“This was not an easy decision to make,” Kelly said. “It came after close consultation with the education professionals who represent local school boards, school administrators and local teachers. These unprecedented circumstances threaten the safety of our students and the professionals who work with them every day and we must respond accordingly.”
Kelly emphasized the need for students to continue to receive high-quality education during this closure. On Sunday, March 15, Governor Kelly tasked the Department of Education to convene a group of experts to develop a comprehensive education plan for students for the remainder of the year.
Additionally, effective Monday, March 23, Kelly directed state employees to stay home on administrative leave to minimize additional risk of exposure to the virus for two weeks. The break will allow agencies to assess their essential functions to ensure that they can safely continue to serve the core needs of Kansans. This directive only applies to executive branch agencies under jurisdiction of the governor. This does not include agencies such as the Office of the Attorney General, the Insurance Department the State Treasurer or the Secretary of State’s office. Additionally, the order does not apply to legislative or judicial branch employees. Those branches will issue their own, separate, guidance to employees.
Kelly has directed Cabinet agencies, boards and commissions to develop an internal plan that will ensure a seamless transition. They will each identify which employees can work remotely, which will need to be placed on administrative leave, and how to best ramp operations back up at the appropriate time.
“The steps we are announcing today will create the space we need at the state level to develop a more strategic, resilient infrastructure so that we can get ahead of this threat and limit its long-term impact to Kansans,” Kelly said.
FSCC Spring Commencement Cancelled
Date: March 17, 2020
Time: 1:00 P.M.
RE: FSCC novel coronavirus, COVID-19 update
Graduation
Spring Commencement scheduled for May 15, 2020 is cancelled. Students planning to graduate in May still need to complete the ‘Petition to Graduate Form’ via the link below (students who submitted the form to the Registrar’s office already, do not need to resubmit). Graduate assessment testing (ETS Proficiency Profile and WorkKeys) is cancelled for this semester.
Petition to Graduate Form: http://fortscott.edu/graduate/form
Dorms
The NJCAA has canceled the spring athletic season. Students participating in spring sports (baseball, softball, track, golf, e-sports and rodeo) should check out of the dorms prior to March 20th.
Athletics
Following the recent release of a statement from the NJCAA, FSCC will adhere to the ruling that all athletic events be canceled through the remainder of the semester.
Please visit the FSCC website for updates and continue to stay safe.
Alysia Johnston
Serving Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
USDA Stands Up New Team to Better Serve Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
WASHINGTON, March 16, 2020 ─The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers.
“More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “We need to support the next generation of agricultural producers who we will soon rely upon to grow our nation’s food and fiber.”
To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position in the agency and state-level coordinators for four of its agencies – Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD).
Sarah Campbell was selected as the national coordinator to lead USDA’s efforts. A beginning farmer herself, Campbell held previous positions with USDA and has a wealth of experience working on issues impacting beginning farmers and ranchers. She recently served as acting director of customer experience for the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, where she led the piloting of innovative, customer-centric initiatives.
In her new role, she will work closely with the state coordinators to develop goals and create plans to increase beginning farmer participation and access to programs while coordinating nationwide efforts on beginning farmers and ranchers.
“We know starting a new farm business is extremely challenging, and we know our customers value and benefit from being able to work directly with our field employees, especially beginning farmers,” Campbell said. “These new coordinators will be a key resource at the local level and will help beginning farmers get the support they need. I look forward to working with them.”
Each state coordinator will receive training and develop tailored beginning farmer outreach plans for their state. Coordinators will help field employees better reach and serve beginning farmers and ranchers and will also be available to assist beginning farmers who need help navigating the variety of resources USDA has to offer.
More on Beginning Farmers
Twenty seven percent of farmers were categorized as new and beginning producers, with 10 years or less of experience in agriculture, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.
USDA offers a variety of farm loan, risk management, disaster assistance, and conservation programs to support farmers, including beginning farmers and ranchers. Additionally, a number of these programs have provisions specifically for beginning farmers, including targeted funding for loans and conservation programs as well as waivers and exemptions.
More Information
Learn more about USDA’s resources for beginning farmers as well as more information on the national and state-level coordinators at newfarmers.usda.gov and farmers.gov. For more information on available programs in your area, contact your local USDA service center.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
March 17, 2020 Public Update COVID-19
Situation Overview
KDHE continues to closely monitor an outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19). The outbreak first started in Wuhan, China, but cases have been identified around the world including in the United States. The first case in the United States was announced January 21, 2020. Five new cases announced today. (Please note: Residents of other states tested in Kansas are counted in their resident state’s numbers by the CDC and are not included in Kansas numbers. Those are 1 positive from Oregon and 1 from Missouri, testing positive in Ford and Miami Counties.)
KDHE Response Activities
• On March 15, KDHE released new guidance on quarantine recommendations for those who have traveled. Please review this on our website at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
• KDHE has created a toolkit of Kansas-specific guidance to help local public health departments engage with their community partners on COVID-19 planning. It can be found on the KDHE website: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus. New information is added daily.
• KDHE has a phone-bank operation staffed Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. The phone number is 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF). KDHE also has an email address for general inquiries, [email protected]. These are for general questions and cannot provide you with medical evaluations. If you are feeling ill, please stay home and call your healthcare provider.
For more information: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas Test Results
Updated 3/17/20 at 2:30 p.m.
Positive (confirmed)
16
(1 death included)
Negative
417
Positive Case Information
County Number
Butler County
1
Douglas County
1
Franklin County
1
Johnson County
10
Wyandotte County
3
Dollar General Dedicates First Shopping Hour to Senior Citizens Starting March 17
Dollar General Corporation announced plans to dedicate the first hour of each shopping day to senior shoppers, as well as amend store operating hours beginning March 17, 2020.
Senior Hour Encouragement
“Dollar General is strongly encouraging that the first hour of operations each day be dedicated solely for the shopping needs of senior customers, who are one of the groups most vulnerable to the COVID-19 coronavirus. In keeping with the Company’s mission of Serving Others,” according to its’ website. “Dollar General wants to provide these at-risk customers with the ability to purchase the items they need and want at the beginning of each day to avoid busier and more crowded shopping periods.”
Fort Scott Dollar General Manager LaDonna Sandstoe said today that the “plan came through from headquarters,” and “there was a “conference call this morning.”
“It didn’t work too well this morning,” Sandstoe said. “We had teenagers coming through here with the seniors.”
“But 8 to 9 a.m. is designated for the elderly,” she said.
Hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sandstoe said.
The following is from the Dollar General website;
“Other customers are encouraged to plan their shopping trips around this window of time to allow the most susceptible customers in our communities the ability to shop during the first hour that stores are open.
Store Hour Adjustments
Additionally, all stores plan to close one hour earlier than current close times to allow employees to clean and re-stock store shelves, as well as for their health and wellbeing. Stores will continue to maintain current opening hours. Normal operating hours by individual store locations are available here.Dollar General remains committed to providing customers and employees with a safe, clean and pleasant shopping environment at all stores and seeks for customers to feel confident when shopping its stores.
Quote from Todd Vasos, CEO
“In keeping with our mission and our ongoing commitment to serve our communities, we are dedicating the first hour of each day to seniors. We appreciate our customers’ understanding of our decision and request they visit our stores later in the morning to allow at-risk populations the ability to purchase the items they need at affordable prices,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “During these unprecedented times, Dollar General is diligently working to meet the ongoing needs of our customers and communities. We are proud to live our mission and provide customers with everyday low prices on the household essentials that are used and replenished most often.”
About Dollar General Corporation
Dollar General Corporation has been delivering value to shoppers for more than 80 years. Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day!® by offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares and seasonal items at everyday low prices in convenient neighborhood locations. Dollar General operated 16,278 stores in 44 states as of January 31, 2020. In addition to high-quality private brands, Dollar General sells products from America’s most-trusted manufacturers such as Clorox, Energizer, Procter & Gamble, Hanes, Coca-Cola, Mars, Unilever, Nestle, Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg’s, General Mills, and PepsiCo. Learn more about Dollar General at www.dollargeneral.com.”
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Will Assist Elderly With Shopping
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office will be assisting the elderly with shopping for items that are needed during COVID 19/Coronavirus event.
If you are or know of an elderly person in need of groceries or basic personal hygiene items and they are unable to get out or fear of exposure to the general public at this unsure and unsettling time, please reach out to Major Bobby Reed at the sheriff’s office at 223-2380 (option 1)
. We are here to help our neighbors in need.
If you are interested in donating your time or money to help, Major Reed will be happy to hear from you as well.
Submitted by Sheriff Bill Martin
Governor: New Executive Orders
Governor Kelly outlines new Executive Orders to improve public safety regarding COVID-19 pandemic
Governor Kelly announced Executive Order #20-04 and Executive Order #20-05 to keep Kansans safe and healthy, ensuring all families are protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance released on Sunday, March 15, 2020, Governor Kelly’s latest Executive Order follows the CDC’s recommendation to limit group gatherings to no more than 50 individuals in a single area.
“This is a difficult but essential step to further encourage social distancing and stem the spread of COVID-19,” Kelly said. “We must flatten the curve and hinder the spread of this disease. I urge all businesses, restaurants, bars, entertainment and recreational facilities to exercise responsible judgment and follow these guidelines.”
Kelly remains in close consultation with the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association, the National Federation of Independent Business Owners and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism as events unfold.
“While public health and safety must always come first, COVID-19 will undoubtedly have a devastating economic impact on Kansas small business owners and workers,” Kelly said. “I am actively engaged with the business community to identify how the state can best support Kansas businesses and their employees as we navigate this unprecedented challenge together.”
In addition, Governor Kelly asked the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to suspend utility disconnects until April 15. This directive covers all electrical, natural gas, water and telecommunications utilities under the KCC’s jurisdiction. Kelly announced a second Executive Order, (E.O. #20-05) regarding utility disconnects advising the same directive for the utility companies not under the jurisdiction of the KCC.
“It’s imperative we provide relief to our most vulnerable Kansans during these unprecedented times,” Kelly said.
Kelly emphasized that certain populations are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others, and it is imperative that all Kansans play a part in keeping communities safe.
“While all of these measures represent a dramatic change from what we’re accustomed to, I know Kansans will rise to the challenge,” Kelly said.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
KDHE Hotline: 1-866-KDHEINF (1-866-534-3463)
KANSASWORKS issues Workforce Centers operations update
Topeka, Kan. – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, KANSASWORKS Workforce Centers will be taking actions to reduce contact and maintain social distancing as directed by the Centers for Disease Control.
KANSASWORKS Workforce Centers will remain open, but with limited services to the public. Individuals should call (877) 509-6757 to ensure their local Workforce Center location is open to in-person visits prior to arriving. Previously scheduled appointments for essential services will still occur unless otherwise indicated. All non-essential services will be provided via telephone, email or online at www.kansasworks.com.
The Public Access Computer area will be closed to the public until further notice. All workshops, large meetings and job fairs through April 5, 2020, have been cancelled. They will be rescheduled at a later date in accordance with direction from state and local officials. This includes testing and meetings for the Youth Employment Program, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Rapid Response.
Any Kansan needing employment or reemployment services can call (877) 509-6757 to schedule a time to speak to a representative. Messages should include the individual’s name, phone number and email address. Calls will be returned in the order they are received. Services may also be accessed via the live chat function at www.kansasworks.com.
Individual program updates are below.
Dislocated Worker
Individuals enrolled in the Dislocated Worker program will be contacted by a case manager by March 20 to arrange for paperwork to be completed and submitted via email.
Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA)
Individuals participating in the RESEA program should contact (877) 509-6757. When leaving a voicemail message, individuals should be sure to include their full name and phone number for a return call. Individuals who have an assigned case manager should also include their case manager’s name in the message. RESEA staff will return calls as soon as possible.
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)
TAA meetings scheduled for March 30-31 in the Wichita Community have been cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date. Please contact Tonya Carlson at [email protected] if you have questions.
Employer Services
- Job Fairs
All job fairs scheduled through April 5, 2020, including the Statewide Job Fair on April 2, have been canceled. Please call (877) 509-6757 with any questions.
- Rapid Response
Employers in need of Rapid Response Layoff Assistance should contact Shelly Thompson at [email protected].
Additional guidance from the Department of Labor on emergency Unemployment Insurance Filings related to COVID-19 can be found at www.dol.ks.gov/covid19response.
- Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan
The Kansas Department of Commerce is working closely with the Kansas Department of Emergency Management (KDEM) to complete the required steps for requesting an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Declaration. Additional information is available at www.kansascommerce.gov/about-us/sba-coronavirus-assistance-resources/.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report and Notice of Office Closed March 17
Our office is closed to all outside visitors until further notice. This includes all Attorney, DCF, Parole, and mental health ECT… if you need to contact us or an inmate please do so by phone.
Major Bob Reed
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office
O: (620) 223-2380
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