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Obituary of Ronnie Renee Byrd Allen
Ronnie Renee Byrd Allen, age 36, a resident of Pittsburg, Kansas, passed Monday, March 11, 2019, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.
She was born September 24, 1982, in Ft. Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Alonzo Byrd and Lenna McNamar Byrd. Ronnie attended Fort Scott Schools. She enjoyed singing and drawing and was known for her outgoing and charismatic personality.
Survivors include her three children, Brantley Prock, of Pittsburg, and Darious Prock and Zaria Byrd, both of Ft. Scott. Also surviving are two sisters, Sarah Allee and Jessica McComb and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Alonzo Byrd and Lenna Bruce.
There was cremation. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports March 11
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Chamber of Commerce Offers Job Fair April 2
Walmart Remodels for Beer Sales and Online Grocery Shopping
Customers may have noticed some bare grocery shelves at a local store.
Walmart at 2500 S. Main is reconfiguring the grocery section to “make it flow better,” said Steve, the assistant manager.
Beer Sales
A recent law has precipitated changes in the beer/liquor section of the store.
“The state law changed and effective April 1, we will carry up to six-percent beer,” Steve said. “Hopefully in the future liquor will be added.”
Former Gov. Sam Brownback signed a law in 2017 allowing the sale of higher percentage alcohol beer in grocery and convenience stores to start in 2019, according to a Wichita Eagle newspaper feature story on April 18, 2017.
It’s a significant shift in the way the state regulates alcoholic beverages, according to the Eagle story. The bill was proposed as a compromise between big stores and liquor stores in response to changes in alcohol laws in neighboring Colorado and Oklahoma.
Online Grocery Shopping
“Part of the remodel is for our online grocery that will start,” Steve said. “I don’t have an exact date right now. There is pre-work going on.”
Approximately six more employees will be hired to work in that new section, he said.
The new service will target young customers, Steve said.
“You can order groceries then when you arrive we bring it out to your vehicle. We do the shopping,” he said.
Fort Scott Walmart Employees 160-plus People
Currently, there are 160 employees at Walmart in Fort Scott.
That doesn’t include the pharmacy.
“Pharmacy is a separate entity,” Steve said. “Eyewear is staffed by the pharmacy. That’s why if somebody needs help, we can’t just send someone from the store to help.”
Senator Caryn Tyson’s Weekly Communication March 12
The halfway point in the 2019 legislative session is officially passed so all of the work in the eighth week of session was in committees.
Kansas Toll Roads, 236 miles of highway, are managed by the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA). In 2015 there was a push to get rid of the tolls. It was not successful but a law was passed requiring the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and KTA to “achieve the maximum coordination in planning, development and operation of the highway systems in this state”. I supported that legislation and it has helped create efficiencies according to the Interim Secretary of KDOT. The KS turnpike was built from 1954 to 1956 and has been collecting tolls ever since. The initial $160 million bond was paid off in 1994. Since then KTA has issued over $200 million in bonds and over $140 million in interest. Estimates are it will not be paid off until 2040.
A bill brought to the Senate Transportation Committee would allow some roads in Kansas to be funded by tolls. The Interim Secretary of KDOT stressed that local input would be a factor as to where toll roads would be implemented. The KTA collects over $100 million a year in tolls to support the turnpike. Are toll roads the answer to supporting Kansas highway infrastructure? I understand the need for safe infrastructure and it being one of the main functions of government. My record demonstrates this by voting NO on bills that took money from KDOT projects. The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, i.e. the Interstate Highway, did not allow tolls except in some cases. Tolls are allowed on the KS turnpike because it was established before and grandfathered into the Interstate.
Kansas Taxes, Exemptions, and Credits were discussed in the Senate Tax Committee. Kansas taxpayers paid over $15.2 billion to support state and local governments in 2018. The largest portion of this was property tax at $4.9 billion. Less than 2% of property taxes in Kansas fund state government. The rest, over $4.8 billion, funds local governments and schools. Sales and use tax was more than $4.4 billion and income tax was over $3.8 billion. The rest came from other taxes such as vehicle registration, liquor, beer, cigarette, tobacco, transient guest, and other taxes. The $15.2 billion is an increase from $13.3 billion in 2015. Almost a $2 billion increase in three years! This is not sustainable.
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) SB 9, requiring a missed state payment into KPERS be paid, was signed into law by the Governor. Research reported the delay of payment cost around $24,000 a day, for a total payment plus interest of $115 million. The Governor let the bill sit on her desk 9 days before signing it on the 10th day. Can you imagine letting a bill sit on your desk knowing it was costing almost $24,000 a day? The practice of delayed payments started in previous administrations. I do not support this practice under ANY administration.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 12
Presbyterian Church Seeks Office Director
First Presbyterian Church seeks to hire a part-time Office Director. This position directs the church office and handles accounting and payroll. Successful candidates will be organized, proficient in office and computer skills as well as desktop publishing; have experience in basic accounting, and a willingness to play a role in a congregation committed to serving our local community. Please submit a letter of interest, along with resume and references by email to [email protected].
Senator Hilderbrand’s Weekly Newsletter March 8
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Walk Kansas 2019
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Bourbon County Commission Agenda March 12
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: March 12th, 2019
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
9:00-9:45-Jim Harris
10:00-10:30-Peer review regarding HVAC system at Law Enforcement Facility
10:30-11:00-Jody Hoener-Executive Session
11:00-12:00-Justin Meeks
Executive Session- Attorney Client Privilege-15 min.
Executive Session-Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel-25 min.
Tax Sale-15 min.
12:00-1:30-Commissioners gone to lunch
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
FSCC Adds eSports to Extracurricular Activities
Competitive online gaming is coming to Fort Scott Community College as an extra curricular activity.
eSports is competitive tournaments of video games, especially among professional gamers, according to dictionary.com.
“Competitors from different leagues or teams face off in the same games that are popular with at-home gamers: Fortnight, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Madden NFL, to name a few,” according to the FSCC website. “These gamers are watched and followed by millions of fans all over the world, who attend live events or tune in on TV or online. Streaming services like Twitch allow viewers to watch as their favorite gamers play in real time, and this is typically where popular gamers build up their fandoms” (Willingham, A. 2018).”
“Esports is considered a varsity sport, similar to our other athletic teams,” said Tom Havron, FSCC Vice President of Students and Athletic Director. “Our students will be developing valuable traits during their time with the team, but there is not a specific major that the students must strive for. One person might want to be a nursing major, while another student might want to look into a John Deere technician major. Esports will not limit them to what they want to do professionally, but will give them an avenue to better experience college through connecting them with other students that have similar interest and providing them a path to be a part of something special.”
Students will be required to retain a 2.0 GPA during their time in the extra curricular activity, Havron said. Additional requirements may be added by the coach as they deem necessary in the recruitment of students.
“FSCC will be offering the following to students who are interested in becoming a Gaming Greyhound,” according to its website:
- Books and Tuition scholarship for 15 credit hours
- Private gaming area for practicing and competing
- Travel for competitions
- Networking with other gamers, spectators, and possible sponsors
- A coach to lead them to victory
FSCC will be competing in the games League of Legends and Overwatch, with the possibility for more games in the near future.”
Attracting students to FSCC and possible scholarship opportunities are the motivation behind the addition to the college.
“We believe that eSports is going to be a very popular activity for us on-campus,” Havron said. “Our hope is that we will attract students to attend FSCC that may not have thought of us as a destination before we had eSports.”
“In addition to adding new students, we believe that having this sport will help us provide something new on campus that will further diversify our student body.”
“Finally, we have already been contacted by four-year institutions that also have eSports that are looking for new students. We believe that the program is going to open up new scholarship opportunities to our students that they would not have had before.”
A coach will be needed for eSports and FSCC will be recruiting one in the coming days.
” We currently have admissions and the VP of Students recruiting the team as we search for someone to lead the program,” Havron said.
“As with any activity, practice is going to help the students become better at their craft,” he said. ” In this case, more hands-on time with the game is going to improve their skill level.
The coach will also be responsible for:
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- recruiting and retaining students for the eSports program
- coordinating off-season, practice and competition schedules
- assisting with team travel when necessary
- running camps, clinics, and promotional events
- pursuing sponsorship opportunities within the eSports business world
- ensuring team compliance with all league, conference, and institutional rules and regulations
- continuously ensuring personal behavior and program reputation are in alignment with the institution values and brand.”
Many high schools in the region are adding eSports, Havron said. “Being a casual gamer is also an option. There are many competitions that can be seen on the internet, and students should find the game that they are most interested in and try to advance their skills. If prospective students have any questions, they are more than welcome to reach out to me at [email protected] and I will be able to assist.”