Fort Scott Washateria: Business Plan Includes Community Service of Wash Wednesday
Fort Scott Washateria is a family business that was opened in September 2019 by Carol Oakleaf, her daughter Lori Lovelace, son-in-law Leroy Walker, and her son, Doug Oakleaf.
“As a part of our community outreach we have partnered with Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Healthy Bourbon County Team, and COPE to have Wash Wednesdays starting November 1st,” Lovelace said.
Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) is a project of the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Kansas University School of Medicine. To learn more: [email protected].
Each Wednesday, starting Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. a limited number of washers and dryers will be available for free.
Lovelace is the managing member overseeing business operations.
“As part of our business goals in Fort Scott we provide services for the community including the Fort Scott Community Closet which collects clothing and bedding donations from the community and we store and distribute them to people who need them,” Lovelace said.
On November 1, the Washateria will have a new community service, Wash Wednesday, offering one free cycle of washing and one free cycle of drying to a family, two times a month, Lovelace said.
The Washateria will provide the laundry detergent and dryer sheets for this program, she said.
In addition, on Wednesdays, Lovelace will make sure the Community Clothes Closet is open for those who may need clothing or bedding.
The normal hours for the closet is Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “People must come in and sign in to have access to the closet while their stuff is washing,” she said.
The guidelines for Wash Wednesday:
The 22lb washers hold the equivalent of 2 loads of a home top-loader, 1 load per family.
However, people will not wash comforters, blankets, large mattress pads, etc, because those bulky items do not spin out well in the small machines and won’t dry in one dryer cycle.
“We request that this free service be utilized only two times per month for each customer so that the maximum number of folks can use the free machines,” Lovelace said. “We will have a sign-in sheet to keep track. The same family can only come two times a month.”
“Laundry customers must stay with their laundry and transfer their clothes to the dryer, our transfer service is not available as we have to move quickly to keep the machines going,” she said.
About Washateria
“We are a public laundromat and we do wash/dry/fold services for the public as well as commercial laundry,” she said. ” We also provide custom services such as starch/press and steaming.”
The Washateria is staffed, and open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.
“Customer service is of utmost importance to us and we happily help folks who come in with any questions and help with the machines,” she said. “We have state-of-the-art Speed Queen commercial washers and dryers in a variety of size loads, 4 loads, 6 loads, and 8 load washers and small, medium, and large dryers, the dryers are sized for our machines. Our machines take quarters as well as debit/credit cards and we have a loyalty card that provides a discount when it is loaded to be used in the machines.”
Fort Scott Washateria is located at 501 S National Ave on the corner of 5th and National. For more information: 620-644-9834, email: [email protected]
Community Connection Panel is Oct. 25 at the Empress Event Center
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Grant to Improve Food Assistance Benefits
Federal grant awarded to improve efficiency and access to Kansas Food Assistance program
TOPEKA – The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program has announced the awarding of a Process and Technology Improvement grant of $706,550 to the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). The grant will enhance the digital system that accepts SNAP, known as Food Assistance in Kansas, applications.
“Our main goal is to reduce status wait times, improve data accuracy, and enhance the overall client experience,” DCF Secretary Laura Howard shared. “This will result in Kansans receiving Food Assistance benefits in a timely manner and ensuring that Food Assistance continues to effectively serve as the primary defense against hunger.”
The FNS Process and Technology Improvement grants supports efforts by state agencies and their community-based and faith-based partners to develop and implement projects that use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of SNAP application and eligibility determination systems.
DCF will automate manual Food Assistance administrative tasks using BOT automation. Using this technology, the agency will be able to register cases, enter data, and create workflow tasks for caseworkers all without human intervention. Workers will receive notification of an issue with an application and then will follow-up with the Kansan to ask questions or get additional details.
In FY 2022, DCF received 147,224 Food Assistance applications. Currently, the state has 95,047 Food Assistance cases that are made up of 106,699 adults and 84,343 children. DCF is working in partnership with Accenture, the technology business manager of the data management system used by the agency for the benefit programs.
The teams will begin working immediately on the upgrades and have up to three years to complete the project using the funding from the FNS grant.
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USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of more than 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
Pray For Israel by Patty LaRoche
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
When I visited Israel a few years ago, I learned much about its preparation for an attack. Every house and apartment had a safe room with a steel door about four inches thick where families would go, should there be a missile headed in their direction. When we were there, we were removed from a tourist bus because the sirens warned that the missiles had been launched. Scary stuff.
Fortunately, Israel’s Iron Dome (missile interceptors) shot them out of the sky before they landed. I learned that these interceptors are fired only if an incoming rocket poses a threat to a populated area. If not a threat, then the incoming rocket will land in an unpopulated area.
Recently, Israel’s enemy Hamas has purposed to bring horrific evil to God’s chosen people. “Time Magazine” reported the assault: “A world in which you see an entire tribe of people as lesser—as roaches, as vermin—this is how you justify gunning down hundreds of unarmed teenagers at a concert, how you rationalize men going house to house and murdering parents at point blank range in front of their children, how you legitimize intentionally setting houses on fire with infirm, elderly people trapped inside, unable to escape; how you explain kidnapping toddlers still not old enough to speak and mocking them in front of the camera; how you excuse desecrating corpses, stepping on their faces while grinning for the camera.”
As shocking as all of that is, what is almost as incredulous is how some students at Howard University are blaming Israel for the massacre of its own citizens. No matter how much one hates another group, albeit based on religion, politics, gender, ethnicity, etc., the brutality of this attack cannot be legitimized.
So, what are we to do? Dr. David Jeremiah, one of my favorite Biblical scholars, has asked that we pray this prayer for Israel:
“Heavenly Father, the psalmist tells us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” So I pray for peace for Your chosen people, Israel, and their beloved city today.
“You have planned for Israel, provided for Israel, and protected Israel for thousands of years. But as in days of old, there are those today who seek to harm, even destroy, Your people. So I ask you to keep Israel in Your loving care. Put a spiritual hedge of protection around Your people and their land. Watch over this nation as a Good Shepherd watches over his flock, and may Your chosen people find their ultimate safety and security in You.
“While You watch over Your people, may Your Spirit awaken in them a hunger to embrace their Messiah—the One who died for them—until they see Him face to face.”
I might add to that prayer that if any of us harbors hate towards anyone (including the college defenders of Palestine), may we ask for forgiveness and see them as God does—children who need a Redeemer…no different than any of us.
Chamber After Hours Ribbon Cutting at Mill Creek Veterinary Clinic
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Obituary of William “Will” Allen Wallis
William “Will” Allen Wallis, age 66, Fort Scott, KS passed away at his home on Tuesday October 17, 2023 after a battle with ALS.
Will was born on April 21, 1957 to Allen Thedell Wallis and Shirley June Simpson Wallis.
William owned the Reddy Refreshment vending and catering, which was a family business early in life. He also worked for FEMA as a Logistics Chief over numerous natural disasters for many years. After 8 years working as the Bourbon County Emergency Manager, he retired in December of 2022.
Will and Judith “Judy” Ann Wallis were united in marriage on horseback on August 15, 2009.
Will’s Christian faith was very important to him and he loved to read and study the Word. Will enjoyed fishing with his family and taking his bass boat to the lakes. He also enjoyed time spent with his grandkids, deer hunting, loved horses, and his beloved bloodhound. Will was an avid woodworker and spent many hours restoring furniture for his and his wife’s antique business. He collected John Deere toy tractors and loved restoring them. Will was active in local toy shows, the antique division at the BBCO Fair and the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta.
Will is survived by his wife; children Adam Wallis and wife Shari, Aaron Wallis, and Alicia Wallis; step-children Tim Brown and wife Nicole and Angie Bin; nephews Luke Wallis and Jack Wallis; grandchildren Stori, Aurora, Josie, Clinton, Brantley, Emma, Levi, Austin, Nick, Makenzie, Abbigale, Owen, Lillie; and great-grandchildren Riley, River, and Hudson. Will is also survived by his former spouse Marian Wallis.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father, and brother Mark Wallis.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM Saturday, October 21st, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Memory Gardens Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5:00-7:00 PM Friday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to either the ALS Association or Paws and Claws and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Shop, Swine and Swig Coming to the River Room Today
A holiday vendor event is happening today, October 19, at the River Room from 5 to 8 p.m.
Shop, Swig, and Swine is being organized by Shelby Defebaugh, who is a vendor herself. “I make pens, lanyards, keychains and wristlets. Customization is welcome,” she said.
“In August I started organizing the event,” Defebaugh said. “When you are a vendor… you become like a community.” And several vendors were interested.
The River Room is located at the corner of National Avenue and Oak Street on Fort Scott’s north end. The event is from 5-8 p.m. with no cost to attendees.
“I know everyone is busy,” she said. “I felt like a Thursday evening, when you get off work, go shop with girlfriends and grab some food to take home.”
The name “Shop, Swig and Swine” is because “You can shop, and have adult beverages and Brickstreet BBQ will have a concession bar and food,” Defebaugh said.
Defebaugh said she wanted to thank Cathy Bishop, event coordinator at the River Room, and the Fort Scott Tribune for their help with the event.
Vendors pay $40 per booth.
However, she is giving booth space for free to the Fort Scott High School Art Club for a fundraiser which is a Christmas scene photo.
Vendors for the event:
Better in Bourbon
Flying P Ranch
Seint Make up
Blissful Aesthetics
FSHS Art Club
Couchman Acres
Sunshine Boutique
KC Design
Farmer Blake
Doggy Style
Gyp & Jo
Cathy Bishop
The Hamilton’s Artisan Bakery
Beitree
SL Studio
Scentsy
Write On
Buckin A Ranch
Rope Baskets
Little Candle Factory
Peace Acres Freeze Dried Candy
Over The Hill Signs
Red Aspen
Brickstreet BBQ
Sassy Cactus
C3 Designs
doTerra Essential Oils
For more information about the event:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1298619290775003/?ref=share_group_link
KDOT requesting comments on STIP amendment
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 19
Obituary of Jean Reeves
Jean Ann Reeves, age 80, a beloved resident of Fort Scott, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at St. Luke’s East Hospital in Lee Summit, Missouri. Jean was born in Zilwaukee, Michigan, to parents Nelson and Georgia Bauer.
In 1961, she graduated from Beaverton High School, embarking on a path that led her to Fort Scott, where she and her family settled in 1978. Together, they ventured into the world of business, establishing their own Welding Supply enterprise. She furthered her career by providing dedicated support during her tenure at Mercy Hospital and the Hudson & Mullies Law Firm.
Jean’s true joy in life revolved around her precious grandkids, who ranged in age from 23 to as young as 6. Her heart swelled with pride as she attended their numerous activities, from swim meets to volleyball matches, basketball games, and dance recitals. As a mother and grandmother, Jean conveyed a nurturing spirit that touched the hearts of those around her.
Throughout her life in Fort Scott, Jean was a dedicated member of Pioneer Kiwanis, PEO Chapter FU, and the Magazine Club. Her legendary card-playing skills and predictable Sonic drink runs leave a lasting impression on all who knew her.
Jean is survived by her loving daughters and their spouses, Amy and Dan Kelly, Rachel and Chris Pruitt, and Carrie and Whitney Archer. Her legacy continues through her cherished grandchildren: Will, Jack, Kate, Brooklyn, Sydney, Grayce, Ruby, Dalton, and Holden, each holding a special place in her heart. Additionally, she leaves behind several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Barbara Wasalaski.
Her memory lives on in the hearts of those who knew her and will be deeply missed every day.
A memorial service to honor Jean’s life, officiated by Rev. Dusty Drake, will take place at 10:30 AM on Friday, October 27th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Family and friends are invited to pay their respects on October 26th from 5-7 PM at the funeral home.
Memorials be made to CASA, a cause dear to Jean’s heart. Contributions may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel at PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. To share your cherished memories and words of remembrance, please visit the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Fort Scott Radio Station Recognized by Kansas Dept. of Commerce
A local business was recognized during the recent ceremony by The Kansas Department of Commerce held in Wichita on Oct. 12.
To The Stars: Kansas Businesses Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes businesses across the state for the valuable contributions they make to the Kansas economy and to the well-being of their communities, according to https://www.kansascommerce.gov/kansasbusinessawards/.
Fort Scott Broadcasting Co. Inc was recognized as the Southeast Kansas Regional Winner in Retail and Service. Tim and Deb McKenney are the owners of the business.
“Deb submitted the information,” Tim McKenney said. “It was really just a statement about the station’s 70th birthday under the same family ownership and management coming up next year. She mentioned some of our programs we air regularly such as the city, county, and school talk shows to keep folks in tune with current happenings in the area.”
“The award was for 69 years of community service to our community,” Deb said.
The categories were:
- AgriBusiness – companies that stand out in the agribusiness industry – including agricultural production, products and services, and agri-tourism
- Apprenticeship Champions and Partners – companies and other entities that excel providing registered apprenticeship programs in Kansas
- Business Innovation – companies from any sector incorporating innovative technologies in their business
- Healthcare/Nonprofit – noteworthy services provided by either healthcare facilities or nonprofit organizations
- Manufacturing/Distribution – outstanding achievement for companies large and small involved in manufacturing and distribution
- Non-Traditional Talent Pools – companies that have gone above and beyond to hire those with prior involvement in the justice system, youth, seniors or individuals with disabilities
- Retail/Service – exceptional performance by businesses selling goods, products and/or services
- Under 30 Entrepreneurs – young entrepreneurs achieving business success under the age of 30
- Welcome Back – entrepreneurs and businesspeople who once left Kansas but have returned to make their mark in the Sunflower State.
Businesses and individuals from across the state were honored for their outstanding contributions to Kansas communities and the state’s economy at the ceremony, according to a press release.
Governor Laura Kelly announced at the ceremony that Atwood-based SurePoint Ag Systems has won the 2023 Governor’s Award of Excellence and Tank Connection in Parsons earned the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, according to the press release.
A record 297 businesses, organizations and individuals were nominated in nine categories for this year’s To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards, according to the release. Nominees were reviewed and scored for various criteria such as business expansion, employee recruitment and retention practices, training and educational programs, capital investments, and support of local community events. A total of 245 Merit Awards and 43 Regional Awards were presented at the event. Additionally, one nominee in each category was designated a Statewide Winner, making them finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence.
To view the list of award winners: https://www.kansascommerce.gov/kansasbusinessawards/#h-merit-award-winners
In the regional award winners division for retail/ service across the state, the winners were:
From the Southeast section of the state, the regional winner was Fort Scott Broadcasting All Hit 103.9 fm, 98.3 fm, and 1600 am.
East Central
JT’s Grill
Northwest
Shores Napa Auto Parts
Northeast
Lumber House True Value
South Central
Country at Heart
Southwest
Jetmore Veterinary Service