With the recent closing of Vatterott College(s), Fort Scott Community College is offering to students and faculty/staff a chance to keep moving forward in their careers.
FSCC offers General Education, HVAC, Cosmetology, Manicuring, Welding, Construction Trades, Masonry, Harley-Davidson Technology, John Deere Technology, Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Allied Health courses.
FSCC has four locations in Pittsburg, Frontenac, Fort Scott, and Paola, KS. to serve their students.
FSCC is financial aid eligible and scholarships are still available.
They also offer four affordable student housing options at the Fort Scott location. Those with scholarships are required to live in student housing.
For the faculty and staff affected by the closure, FSCC has full-time and part-time positions available. Please contact the business office at 620.223.2700 ext. 3000.
The FSCC campus will be closed December 20 through January 2 for the holiday season.
Division of Vehicles announces extended holiday hours
TOPEKA—Driver’s license offices statewide will offer extended hours the week of Christmas and New Years for added customer convenience, the Division of Vehicles announced Tuesday.
The hours for the two week holiday schedule beginning December 24 are:
December 24 — CLOSED Monday
December 25 — CLOSED Tuesday
December 26 — 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday
December 27 — 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday
December 28 – 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday
December 31 — 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday
January 1 — CLOSED Tuesday
January 2 — 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday
January 3 – 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday
January 4 — 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday
Many customers can skip the office entirely and renew their license using the iKan app, available for iOS, Android, and at https://ikan.ks.gov/.
Customer seeking Real ID should come in to the office with the required documents that can be found on a checklist at ksrevenue.org/realid.
Normal business hours will resume on Monday, January 7, which for most offices statewide is 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. To find hours for specific locations, visit https://www.ksrevenue.org/dovstations.html
KCP&L and Westar Energy warn customers of imposters
Callers use threat of disconnection to get immediate payment.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., and TOPEKA, Kan. – Dec. 17, 2018 – KCP&L and Westar Energy are alerting customers that imposters claiming to work for the companies are threatening to disconnect service and asking for prepaid cards as payment. In some cases, the caller is using a prerecorded voice. Several customers have called to report receiving suspicious phone calls.
Some imposters are very convincing. They may use websites that allow them to manipulate caller ID, making the call appear to come from KCP&L or Westar. They may use a prerecorded message. They speak with authority. When the targeted customer calls the phone numbers provided, the person who answers sounds like they work for KCP&L or Westar. In some cases, callers may even provide information like amount due that makes them sound credible.
“Scammers create a sense of urgency to get customers to act quickly rather than allowing them time to check their account,” Gina Penzig, manager, media communications, said. “We will never require a pre-paid card for payment. Also, we notify customers multiple times in advance if service may be interrupted for non-payment.”
Before acting on one of these calls, check your records to see if a recent payment has been made. If you are still unsure, check your account online or call the Westar Energy Customer Relations Center, 1-800-383-1183, or the KCP&L Customer Contact Center, 1-888-471-5275, and check your account status. More about identifying scams: https://www.westarenergy.com/scams or https://www.kcpl.com/involvement/safety/fraud-alerts.
If a customer receives a suspicious visit from an individual, he or she should also report it to their local law enforcement agency.
About KCP&L and Westar Energy:
Serving approximately 1.5 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, Kansas City Power & Light Company (KCP&L), KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company and Westar Energy are the electric utilities of Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG). Together we generate nearly half the power we provide to homes and businesses with emission-free sources. We support our local communities where we live and work, and strive to meet the needs of customers through energy savings and innovative solutions.
Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Friday night concert is this Friday at 7 p.m. at Common Grounds Coffee Shop. The Eastsiders Band will provide a concert.
The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program is “A Constitutional Speech Contest” is to develop a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution of the United States among high school students.
Your Fort Scott American Legion Post 25 is seeking local oratorical candidates for the upcoming American Legion Oratorical competition.
American Legion Post 25 Oratorical candidates must be a Bourbon County student in grades 9 – 12. All public, private and home school students are eligible to compete in the Oratorical competition.
The American Legion Oratorical competition begins at the Post level, with the local winner competing in a district competition against other district winners. The district winner then competes against other district winners at a state competition. The state winner then competes against other state winners at the National American Legion Oratorical competition. The National 1st Place Winner receives $18,000 with lesser cash prizes for other finalists.
An American Legion oratorical competitor must present a Prepared oration of 8 – 10 minutes in duration and a Assigned topic oration of 3 – 5 minutes in duration. All topics are based upon the Constitution of the United States and are selected by the National American Legion organization. All oratorical competitors throughout the United States will use the same topics through all levels of the competition.
It is expected that the local competition will be in early February 2019 with District and State competitions following shortly thereafter. The National American Legion Oratorical competition is scheduled for April 5-7, 2019 in Indianapolis.
Interested local students should contact American Legion Post 25 Commander Carl Jowers at [email protected]. Commander Jowers will provide you with more information about the Oratorical Competition.
The Fort Scott Electrical and Plumbing Boards will meet on Thursday, December 27th, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. at the City Hall Commission meeting room at 123 S. Main Street to review City electrical and plumbing licenses. This meeting is open to the public.
9:30-9:45-Travis Clinesmith, Murphy Tractor-John Deere Tractor and Mower
9:45-10:30-Commissioners to consider Road Closing
11:00-12:00-Justin Meeks
12:00-1:30-Commissioners gone to lunch
1:30-Ambulance Update
Justifications for Executive Session:
Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel
Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system
Carla Nemecek Southwind Extension District Director & Agent, [email protected], 620-365-2242, 1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749.
The hectic shopping season is in full swing and with only one more weekend before Christmas, there isn’t a lot of time to find gifts for those hard to buy for agriculture folks. If you are a practical gift giver like myself, you may be looking for gifts for the farmer or rancher in your family, so here are a few ideas for your Christmas shopping list.
Every farmer needs a few essentials to get through those tough winter chores. Items such as sturdy work gloves, coats and coveralls wear out quickly and are usually worn until they are thread bare. The same is true for a good pair of socks, and a heavy pair of insulated socks will not go unappreciated.
If the person you are shopping for is a do-it-yourselfer, which most farmers are, power tools are always in short supply. Sure they have a power drill – but what about a cordless drill? Most all power tools are now offered with a cordless option, and that may prove to be handy when equipment needs repaired out in the field. Speaking of tools, how could anyone (farmer or not) get by without a reliable set of pliers? This is an item that is probably among the array of everyday tools, yet an item that tends to get misplaced often. Better said, one can just never have too many pliers. Pliers can be purchased with a colorful grip that may make them less likely to be lost amongst the other hand tools.
For a simple, easy to find gift, one might consider a new pocket knife. Pocket knives are another item that are a daily necessity. Often used as a screwdriver (another gift idea!), or for cutting twine, scraping mud off boots, and cleaning/trimming fingernails, pocket knives quickly dull. To add a personal touch, the knife can be engraved. A flashlight is another item that is never where it is supposed to be! This time of year, flashlights are often packaged in sets of multiple sizes, which can be convenient in the case of an emergency. For a unique idea, look for an LED flashlight that does not require batteries. Many of these models only require a good shake or have a crank system, and are advertised as “the last flashlight you will ever need.”
If you want to give a gift from the heart, and not from your wallet, then you could always consider offering to clean the pickup or feed truck. The work bench is another area that could always use a little sprucing up too. But if you choose to offer either of these options, make sure you know where to put the tools you find. Cleaning up is only helpful if you put things in their proper place.
As we round out 2018, the Southwind Extension District would like to say thank you to those individuals who have taken the time to be involved with K-State Research and Extension in Neosho, Woodson, Bourbon and Allen Counties. Maybe you attended a meeting, served on the Program Development Committee, or even volunteered with your local 4-H program – our staff sincerely appreciates those who recognize the importance of the Extension Service. Happy Holidays to you and your families!
