The Bourbon County Commission meets at 9 a.m. Oct. 29 at the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Ave.
To view agenda:
Contact Utility Companies If Past-Due On Bills
The Cold Weather Rule takes effect November 1
TOPEKA – The Cold Weather Rule, designed to help Kansans who are behind on their utility payments avoid disconnection during the winter months, will begin on November 1 and remain in effect through March 31.
The Kansas Corporation Commission, the agency that regulates public utilities in the state, encourages Kansans who are past-due on their utility bills and at risk for disconnection to prepare for the colder weather by contacting their utility company to make the necessary payment arrangements.
The Cold Weather Rule was first enacted by the Commission in 1983 to prevent utility companies from disconnecting a customer’s natural gas or electric service during periods of extreme cold. Utility companies are prohibited from disconnecting a customer’s service when temperatures are forecast to be at or below 35 degrees within the following 48 hour period.
The Cold Weather Rule also requires utility companies to offer a 12-month payment plan to allow consumers to maintain or re-establish service. Any residential customer with a past due balance will qualify for payment arrangements; however, it is the customer’s responsibility to contact their gas or electric company to make those arrangements.
Payment plan terms to maintain or restore service require that customers agree to pay 1/12th of the total amount owed, 1/12th of the current bill, the full amount of any disconnection or reconnection fee, plus any applicable deposit to the utility. The remaining balance must be paid in equal payments over the next 11 months, in addition to the current monthly bill.
The Cold Weather Rule applies only to residential customers of electric and natural gas utility companies under the KCC’s jurisdiction. More information about the Cold Weather Rule is available on the Commission’s website (http://www.kcc.ks.gov/consumer-information/cold-weather-rule). Kansans may also contact their local utility company or the KCC’s Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at (800) 662-0027.
Specialty Crop Reimbursement Available
KDA Offers Reimbursement to Specialty Crop Growers
| MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Agriculture has funds available for reimbursement to Kansas specialty crop growers who attend an educational conference with a primary focus on specialty crops. Qualifying conferences may include sessions about production practices, specialized equipment and technology, pest and disease management, specialty crop marketing practices, or business principles for specialty crop producers.
Applicants who apply for the reimbursement will be required to attend the conference and to complete surveys before, immediately after, and six months post-conference prior to payment being issued. Conferences not eligible will include those within the state of Kansas and the Great Plains Growers Conference. KDA will reimburse Kansas specialty crop growers up to $850 each in order to offset the cost of their conference registration, mileage/flights, hotel, meals, etc. The award is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for application is December 15, 2019.
Examples of conferences that may be eligible for applicants to attend include, but are not limited to:
This program is made possible by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG). The SCBG makes funds available to state departments of agriculture solely to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. According to USDA, specialty crops are defined as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
This grant fits KDA’s mission to provide an environment that enhances and encourages economic growth of the agriculture industry and the Kansas economy. For application details, go to the KDA website at www.agriculture.ks.gov/grants. Questions should be directed to Lexi Wright, From the Land of Kansas Program Coordinator, at 785-564-6755 or [email protected]. |
Bancroft Returns as Fort Scott Finance Director
Susan E. Bancroft, 44, started as the new City of Fort Scott Finance Director on October 9.
However, Bancroft is not new to the City of Fort Scott.
“I left the City of Fort Scott as Assistant City Manager/Finance Director to work for USD 234 as the Business Manager in 2012,” she said. “I was employed by them for three years when I realized I wanted to chase my career. I then went to work for NPC International as HCM Director in Pittsburg. NPC employs roughly 40,000 employees and is the largest franchisee for Pizza Hut and Wendy’s in the nation.”
Bancroft’s husband died this summer, which changed her life priorities.
” Unfortunately, life threw me a curveball when I lost my husband in June of 2019 in a car accident east of town,” she said. ” My life’s priorities changed and I started looking for something closer to home. I am thankful that the City of Fort Scott welcomed me back to work in the position of finance director. I have a lot of catching up to do but am very excited to be back.”
Bancroft replaces Rhonda Dunn, who resigned for a job in private industry.
Bancroft earned her bachelor of science degree from Missouri Southern State University in business administration.
Her family includes daughter, Bailie Hughes and son-in-law Victor Hughes; son- Gunnar Brown: step-daughter – Kynleah Bancroft and daughter – Allie Brown.
Candidate Forum for 2019 Election Oct. 29
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grant Writing Workshop Deadline Nov. 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 28
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Oct. 25-27
Click below:
What Are You Waiting For? By Pastor Jimmy Tucker
The Bottom Line
Jimmy Tucker
Several weeks ago, my wife invited her family to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. She’s happy and excited to find out that all sixteen of the Haywards will be attending — not one will be missing! Some, realizing the importance of the occasion, even went to the effort of making special work arrangements in order to come.
Jesus sent out invitations to the greatest celebration that will ever be given — “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). This is an occasion you and your loved ones will not want to miss! These invitations didn’t go to just a few prominent people. They were sent, and are still being sent, to the entire world. “Whosoever will” may accept and come to the feast. There are only two responses: whosoever will and whosoever won’t. Unfortunately, there are many who are not interested, don’t believe it, or are too busy with their lives to accept His invitation.
Jesus gave a parable recorded in the book of Luke 14:16-23 NKJV: “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses.” When God’s invitation arrives, we should accept it immediately because He deserves our highest priority. Procrastination is one of the devil’s best tools. If we make excuses and put off responding until it‘s too late, we’ll miss our opportunity to receive an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. There’s no such thing as a self-sufficient person because everyone has an appointment with death. Everyone has sinned and needs to be forgiven — that‘s why Christ Jesus died a sacrificial death so that sin could be forgiven.
Any reason you have for not responding to Jesus’ invitation will be nothing more than a pathetic excuse when you’re facing Him at the judgment. Anyone who winds up in hell is there because of his own foolish and selfish choices in life. Don’t ignore Jesus’ call to eternal life. You may try to dismiss Him, but you’ll find that He’s everywhere. He’s in the sunrise and the sunset. He’s in the first breath of a newborn baby and the last breath of the saint. If you want to enjoy the awesome supper in heaven, RSVP to the invitation now and accept God’s only Son as your Lord and Savior.
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Past tense — He’s already done it! The ball is in your court; what will you do with it? “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV).
The Bottom Line: Make sure you’ve sent an appropriate RSVP to Jesus’ invitation ASAP.
Pastor Jimmy Tucker
(620) 223-1483
Diamond Community Church
4 miles east of Hwy 69 on Jayhawk
10:45 a.m. Worship
No Ice by Pastor James Collins
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
When Amanda and I first got married, we bought an old used refrigerator. It was the kind with a freezer which we had to defrost regularly. It lasted only about a year. It would have lasted longer, but one time when I was defrosting it, I used a sharp knife to chip away at the ice…
We needed a new one anyway.
Amanda hated that refrigerator, and the one we bought to replace it, because of no ice-maker. We had to use plastic ice-trays. It was a hassle to get ice from the trays, fill them back up with water, and put them back in the freezer. It wasn’t so much a hassle for me because I never refilled the trays. I had a habit of getting ice and putting the empty tray back in the freezer which infuriated Amanda.
Last year, we remodeled our kitchen. We went to the appliance store where I embarrassed the life from my wife in my effort to bargain with the salesman. Finally, after I noticed a small scratch on the back, I got the store to discount the price on a brand-new side-by-side refrigerator-freezer with a built-in ice-maker.
To save money, I opted to install the refrigerator myself. I spent the better part of a Saturday running the new water line. After everything was hooked up, I pushed the refrigerator into place and announced to Amanda that her fantastic husband had given her the ice-maker of her dreams.
The next morning, there was no ice.
“No problem,” I said, “I know what’s wrong. I will have it fixed in no time.” After “no time” hours, I confidently pushed the refrigerator back into place and informed Amanda that her wonderful husband had done it again.
The next morning, there was no ice.
“It must take time for the first batch to make, that’s all,” I assured her and started working on it again.
The next morning, there was no ice.
I went back to the appliance store and the salesman said, “Mr. Collins, you need a new what-you-may-call-it, but they are on backorder.” Six weeks later, the what-you-may-call-it showed up in the mail. I pulled the refrigerator from the wall, reached up to turn the water off, and made an incredible discovery. I had never turned the water on in the first place.
No water, no ice. No wonder, no ice.
If you think I looked foolish there, it is nothing compared to what God sees when He looks at people and our efforts to make life work without His power.
The point is: A Christian who forgets the Holy Spirit is like an ice-maker with no water.
How can we forget the infinite, personal Holy Spirit lives within us to guide us and give us power? The answer is regretfully clear. The power is off. When we are preoccupied with the pleasures of the world, we miss the power that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ. His Spirit enables us to fulfill His purposes, but we must stay plugged in through prayer, reading God’s Word, and having complete reliance on His power – not our own.
Is the power flowing in your life?
James Collins is a pastor at First Southern Baptist Church. He can be reached through the website www.thepointis.net or by email at [email protected].
Holiday Dinner Theater Dec, 13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taylor Qualls, Decor Creator: Young Entrepreneur
This is part of a series that highlights young entrepreneurs, under 30 years of age, in Bourbon County. If you would like to nominate a young entrepreneur, submit to [email protected] the name and email/phone number of the person, along with why you are nominating them and your name.
Taylor Qualls, 22, is the owner of her own business, Hazel Bee Ink.
” I create customized gifts and hand-lettered products,” Qualls said. “I have also created wedding invitations, signs, and decor. I have made a little bit of everything. I mostly do calligraphy, but I also make custom dip mugs and coasters, pet portraits, home illustrations, and wall signs. I have also made wedding invitations and I address envelopes! “
Qualls is currently attending Pittsburg State University and will complete her bachelor of music education with an emphasis in vocal music in December 2020. She and her husband are living in Pittsburg. She is from Fort Scott and graduated with an associate of arts from Fort Scott Community College in 2016.
“I have always been one of those people who doodled in their notebooks,” Qualls said. ” During the summer, I would change my handwriting, and then practice it over and over again until it became muscle memory just because I thought it was fun.”
Her first job using her penchant for drawing was for a friend.
“My first hand-lettering job was for a friend, Kristian Brennon’s, wedding,” she said. “After that, I got married and ended up making all of the signs, wedding party gifts, bouquets, programs, and centerpieces for my own wedding.”
“I honestly didn’t plan on pursuing it until my husband, family, and friends began encouraging me to,” Qualls said.
In January 2019, another young entrepreneur, Delynn Abati. asked her to make a cake topper for a customer of hers. She is a local Fort Scott baker.
“Then she asked me to make a couple more,” she said. ” One day, she asked me if I had a business name so that she could tag my page in it. That’s when I finally decided to go for it.”
Eight months later, the business has grown “beyond my wildest expectations,” she said.
“I used to dream about having my own business one day, and now it’s a reality. I am so thankful for all of the support and encouragement I have received from my people on this wild journey of mine. I would list them out, but there really are so many important people that helped me create Hazel Bee Ink.”
Qualls has no employees, “but my husband, friends, and family have helped me out tremendously!”
Qualls is expanding her business to retail.
“I recently started selling products at a store in Pittsburg named Sonder & Co. and it has been such a blast,” she said. ” If you haven’t heard of them, I would highly recommend looking them up. I have started looking into opening an Etsy store and I will hopefully be setting up booths at some craft shows and festivals in 2020!”
Her family consists of her husband, Levi Qualls and their pup, Hazel.
Her extended family include her parents-Travis and Tina Schilling,
grandparents-Dale and Donna Schilling, Ed and Ladonna Cox and her in-laws, Rex and Michelle Qualls.
Qualls was recommended by Kasey Eaton.
“She did a cake topper for my daughters graduation cake,” said Eaton. “She is very talented and artistic.”
Contact info: [email protected]
Check out Qualls Facebook page to see more of her creations.