Bourbon County

WIC Is Electronic

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WIC Benefits Now Available by Electronic Benefit Transfer Statewide
Kansas 26th state to implement federally-mandated EBT system, following Shawnee Co. pilot

 

TOPEKA –  The federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment serves 30,800 families across the state. Historically, food available through the program could only be acquired at grocery stores utilizing paper checks. However, the federal government now requires states to issue an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card to recipients to purchase food benefits.

 

The pilot to test the use of the card launched in September 2017 in Shawnee County. The $3.2 million conversions to eWIC were funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. All states are required to implement EBT WIC programs by Oct. 1, 2020.

 

“This technology project came in on time and within budget,” David Thomason, Kansas WIC Director said. “The alternative to paper checks has been well received by our clients and merchants.”

 

WIC provides participant-centered nutrition education, healthy food and breastfeeding support to low-income families. Once a family qualifies for WIC, they are allotted foods to meet their nutrition needs, through grocery stores, using the EBT card. At the register, the family will first swipe their eWIC card to deduct the cost of approved items. They will then pay for any remaining items with another form of payment. As a fraud deterrent, the EBT card requires a PIN to access benefits.

 

WIC provides services at more than 100 clinic sites throughout Kansas and currently serves approximately 50,200 women, infants, and children under five.

Fort Scott, Schools

USD 234 Civil Rights Investigation

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Fisher Park, located at Main and 7th streets.

An anonymous complaint against USD 234 was filed on June 14, 2016, with the U.S. Department of Education, according to the government education website:  https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/open-investigations/tix.html?queries%5Bstate%5D=KS.

“There has been a Title IX complaint against the school district,” USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong, said.  “There is an investigation currently and the school district is unable to comment more specifically at this time.”

The investigation pending is regarding Title IX Athletics, according to the website.

The Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education works to ensure equal access to education and resolve complaints of discrimination, according to its’ website https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/howto.html

In June 2018,  City  Attorney Bob Farmer was asked by the Fort Scott City Commission to send USD 234  a letter to be sent with the school district’s paperwork on the case to the Office of Civil Rights, according to the city commission minutes of June 19, 2018.

In the letter Farmer sent, the city stated it had no plans to build a clubhouse or dressing room at Fisher Park because there is no funding at this time to do so, according to the minutes.

The city owns Fisher Park and allows the USD 234 to use the facilities there for the FSHS girls softball program, Hessong said.

“The OCR wanted a letter from the city stating that the city has no intention of building at Fisher Park,” City Manager Dave Martin said.

“We have been unable to find out who filed the complaint,” Martin said. “The state will not tell the person who turned them in.”

Hewitt Field at Fisher Park. The FSHS girls softball program uses the facilities in the spring.
Don Hewitt Field at Fisher Park. The ballpark is three blocks north of Fort Scott High School.
The concession building at Fisher Park.
Fort Scott High School, 1005 S. Main.
K-State Extension

Keeping Home-Preserved Foods Safe

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Kathy S. McEwan Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Foods & Nutrition, SNAP-Ed Coordinator Southwind Extension District – Iola Office P.O. Box 845, Iola KS 66749 620-365-2242 [email protected]

Commercial foods are typically prepared in an approved food processing facility and required to display a “best by” or expiration date. When foods are preserved in the home, however, food safety and security depend on the cook.

The failure to follow a tested recipe or to store food in a safe place can jeopardize food safety, yet recognizing when home preserved foods are past their prime or no longer safe-to-eat is sometimes a challenge, said Karen Blakeslee, Kansas State University Research and Extension food scientist.

Tell-tale signs that suggest food is suspect and should be discarded include:

* Vacuum seal on the lid has been compromised; lid may pop, bulge, or show signs of rust;

* Jar is chipped, cracked or otherwise damaged;

* Evidence of loss of food quality, such as the presence of mold, loss or change of color, texture, or off odor.

* Evidence of insect or rodent infestation; and

* Date made is unknown.

Do not taste or use food from any jar that has become unsealed or shows any signs of spoilage, Blakeslee said.

To keep home canned foods safe, she recommends:

1) Use only tested recipes from a reliable source (such as Extension, USDA, or Ball);

2) Use canning equipment that is in tiptop shape. Check the pressure canner gauge annually or more frequently, if a malfunction is suspected. Replace damaged jars and containers. Use new lids;

3) Follow recipe directions exactly;

3) Label and date all home-preserved foods;

4) Store home canned foods in a cool, dry and dark place. Avoid attics, garages, or shelving near a water heater or other appliances that generate heat;

5) Use home preserved foods within one year; and

6) Check food storage area regularly to inspect for potential problems, such as a water leak or insect damage.

Before beginning to use your canner each year, it is recommended that pressure canner/cooker dial gauges be tested for accuracy.  This can be done quickly and easily in any of the Southwind Extension offices at no cost.

More information about food preservation is available at K-State Research and Extension Southwind offices, and by contacting Kathy at 620-365-2242 or by email at [email protected].

An additional resource is the National Center for Home Food Preservation, located at the University of Georgia and online at: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp.

Fort Scott

FS Community Foundation Seeks Grant Applications

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The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation is thrilled to announce that the number of grants available for the upcoming 2018/2019 cycle totals $32,000, exceeding last year’s total by $2,000 and $11,000 more than the previous year. Thanks to the generosity of all who contributed to the FSACF general fund, the interest accrued will allow the grant committee more opportunities to benefit the 501c3 applicants who meet the qualifications.

Monies granted to the 18 beneficiaries from last year’s cycle were used for a variety of causes, including helping to purchase medals for Special Olympics’ Bourbon County participants, providing benefits to cancer patients, assisting the Beacon to meet family needs, funding classes for CASA volunteers and purchasing lights for the local pickleball courts.

The FSACF 2018 Grant Applications will be released on Wednesday, August 1, at which time they will appear on the FSACF website or may be picked up in person at the Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall. Nonprofits such as churches, governmental entities, or organizations with a 501c3 status are encouraged to apply.

Applications are due by Tuesday, August 28. Acceptance and declination letters will be mailed on Tuesday, October 16. Grants will be awarded at the Foundation’s Chamber Coffee held in the Landmark Bank lobby at Third and Main at 8 A.M. on Thursday, November 1.

Business, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee At Skitch’s

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WEEKLY CHAMBER COFFEE REMINDER
Join us for the weekly Chamber Coffee!


Hosted by:

Location: 324 E. 20th St.
(Behind Briggs Auto, across the street from the new jail)
 
Thursday, July 26th, 8am
Click here for Skitch’s, Inc. Facebook 

page.
Chamber members and guests are encouraged to attend for networking, community announcements, and to learn about the hosting business or organization.
Members may pay $1 to make an announcement about an upcoming event, special/sale/discount, or news of any kind.
Upcoming Coffees:
August 2nd – Available – contact the Chamber to reserve
August 9th – Craw-Kan, will be held @ 2 S. Judson
August 16 – Scott Township Rural Fire Dept
good_morning.jpg

 

Bourbon County, Government

New Gas Line For Uniontown

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The city of Uniontown’s Council received a grant to replace the natural gas pipeline in the town.

The Uniontown City Council has been active in recent years to improve the town’s infrastructure.

A project to widen and deepen the town’s ditches to keep water going where it should, a water line replacement project and this year a natural gas line replacement project has been initiated by the council. Uniontown’s population is 272.

The city of Uniontown was awarded $201,000 in 2017 with Community Development Block Grant funds to replace a natural gas transmission line, according to kansascommerce.gov/CivicAlerts.

The city will contribute $201,000 in matching funds for this project.

NPL Foreman Pat Wier, Parker, left, tells USIC employee Mason Adams, Sugar Valley, right, where the pipeline project is, on Tuesday morning. USIC locates electric meters for entities.

The Uniontown project started June 12.

“We are trying to get it done by September 1,” NPL(Northern Pipe Line) Foreman Pat Wier, said. “So far, we are up to date, but we have a lot of work to be done.”

The two-man crew is replacing PVC pipe with PE pipe. The crew is comprised of Wier and Edmundo Rodriguez, Lenexa.

“PE is a federal requirement,” Wier said. “PVC is not recognized anymore. We are laying new pipe in portions of the city where the PVC is.”

The crew worked late into the night on Thursday to get resident Bill Griffith hooked back on to gas after a day spent laying pipe on the town’s southeast side.

“Once started, we couldn’t quit,” Wier said. “There are a few late nights.”

The usual hours for the crew is 7 a.m to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Wier said.

Edmundo Rodriguez, left, an NPL employee, chats with Mason Adams, USIC employee during work on the pipeline just south of Nita Campbell’s property Tuesday morning.

Next for the crew is replacing 3,700 feet of two-inch steel pipe south of town.

“That is exposed,” Wier said. “We’ll be replacing and putting pipe underground for safety.”

Recently, a brush mower in this area ran over the steel riser and “caused a pretty good (gas)leak,” Wier said. “That’s why we are doing all this.”

During the FortScott.Biz interview a Kansas Corporation Commission Inspector, Jon Bolinder, turned up at the work site.

Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Pipeline Safety Inspector Jon Bolinder of Topeka stopped by the Uniontown gas line project Tuesday morning.

Bolinder is with the Office of Pipeline Safety for the KCC, he said.

Bolinder said all projects submit a construction notice to KCC. He was on his way to the Coffeyville area and made a stop in Uniontown to view the project.

“We come out and make sure they are following code when installing,” Bolinder said. He also said it helps him “in my head, when I am doing the paperwork on the project.”

The Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program allows the Kansas Department of Commerce to distribute federal funds to Kansas cities and counties looking to improve their community.

To receive CDBG funds, a project must meet at least one of the following federally mandated criteria, according to the website:

  • The project benefits low- and moderate-income individuals.
  • The project removes or prevents slum or blight condition.
  • The project eliminates an urgent need created by a disaster when local funds are unavailable.

 

 

Obituary

Obituary Of George Leslie

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George Leslie, Jr., age 70, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at his home.
He was born July 20, 1948, in Ft. Scott, the son of Harry George Leslie, Sr. and Emma Lou Ball Leslie.  George first married Wanda Payton on March 10, 1967.  They divorced.  He later married Sharon Reed on September 2, 2014.
George had worked for Mid-Continental Restoration for over thirty-five years.  He was a member of Community Christian Church.  He enjoyed ham radio, camping, fishing, hunting and drag racing as well as watching Western movies. 
 
Survivors include his wife, Sharon, of the home; a son, Brent Leslie and wife, Brandy, of Ft. Scott; two daughters, Lisa Hoffmeier and husband, Mark, of Derby, Kansas and Amber Leslie and fiancé, Chris Bulino, of Ft. Scott; and a step-daughter, Karrie Cocroft and husband, Don, of Ft. Scott; eleven grandchildren, Jacob, Alexis and Josh Hoffmeier, Danyelle Daly, Alyssa and Breanna Leslie, Grace Fritter, Fenton Reeves, Allie Reeves, Presley Cocroft and Dylan Peterson.  Also surviving are three sisters, June White, of Ft. Scott, Candy Davis and Honey Lou Dahns, both of Lawrence, Kansas.
  He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry George Leslie, Sr. and Emma Lou Leslie Davis and a brother, Trick Davis. 
 
There was cremation.  A memorial visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M. Friday, July 27th at the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Mercy Hospital

$25,000 For New Mercy Hospital Ambulance

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Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from The Timken Foundation of Canton, Ohio, to help purchase a new transport ambulance for emergency medical services.

The new ambulance will be purchased by combining grant funds from The Timken Foundation of Canton, Ohio, plus nearly $13,000 raised from the third Mercy Golf Classic held on June 9 as well as proceeds from the Hit the Bricks Wine Stroll, Art Walk and Blane Howard Concert held on July 27.

Additional contributions made to the Mercy Health Foundation for the purchase of the ambulance by August 1, 2018, will be matched by the foundation at a 1:1 ratio. To make a donation, visit mercy.net/donate or call the foundation office at 620-223-8094.

“We are grateful for the donation from the Timken Foundation,” said Christi Keating, Mercy Fort Scott’s chief nursing officer. “This contribution will allow Mercy EMS to provide life-saving services to some of our most critical patients before they enter our doors.”

The Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation which supports programming and equipment at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott.

Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company, serves millions annually. Mercy includes 44 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. 

Bourbon County Local News