Government, Kansas

KS Governor Participates in Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference

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Governor Kelly Travels to Japan, South Korea
to Create More Jobs for Kansans


TOPEKA – This week, Governor Laura Kelly traveled to Japan and South Korea to participate in the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association (MWJA/JMWA) Conference. While there, she met with business leaders to continue building on Kansas’ historic economic development success and create new job opportunities for Kansas workers.

“The relationships we’ve established with Japanese and Korean companies like Panasonic, Marubeni, and CJ CheilJedang have been instrumental in the $17.4 billion in private investments made into the state since I took office,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By strengthening those relationships and building new ones, we continue spurring economic development success and delivering on our mission to make Kansas the best state to live, work, and raise a family.”

While in Japan, Governor Kelly delivered keynote remarks at the MWJA/JMWA conference and, alongside a bipartisan group of Midwest governors, met with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel to discuss economic development opportunities.

“Governor Kelly’s commitment to strengthening ties with Japan and South Korea is exactly the kind of forward-thinking leadership needed for trilateral cooperation. These partnerships aren’t just about business; they’re about building a brighter future for Kansans,” Ambassador Rahm Emanuel said. “When I see a state like Kansas making such significant strides in global economic partnerships, it showcases the importance of collaboration, vision, and innovation.”

In Kyoto, Governor Kelly met with Panasonic Energy leadership. In July 2022, Governor Kelly announced Panasonic would be building one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing plants in the United States in De Soto. The $4 billion investment is expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs, which represents the largest economic development project in Kansas history. Learn more about Panasonic’s historic investment here.

In Tokyo, Governor Kelly toured the Marubeni Corporation headquarters. Marubeni acquired Arkansas City’s Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC in 2017. Since then, the company has invested $35 million in facility improvements, including a refrigerated distribution center and 20,000 square-foot child care facility that is now under construction. In 2020, Creekstone Farms was awarded the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award. Governor Kelly toured the plant in June 2021. Learn more about Creekstone Farms and Marubeni here.

Governor Kelly ended her trip in South Korea, where she visited CJ CheilJedang (CJCJ) headquarters. CJCJ became the parent company of Schwan’s in 2019 and constructed the world’s largest frozen pizza manufacturing plant in Salina, creating 225 new jobs. Its $600 million investment resulted in a new manufacturing plant that opened in May 2023 and a food distribution center that is expected to be completed in early 2025. Learn more about CJCJ’s investment in Schwan’s here.

Fort Scott, Jobs, Schools

New U234 Board Clerk: Candace Jobe

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Candace Jobe. Submitted photo.

Candace Jobe, 37, has been the new MIS Clerk, Special Education Assistant, and U234 Board Clerk, since July 17.

“MIS and Special Education Assistant are the same thing,” she said. “I will be taking care of Paras and tracking training hours for them and helping our Special Education Teachers with various duties. Also, working in our Special Education Reporting Systems as well as assisting our Director, Tonya Barnes (she’s AMAZING) with any other tasks she has.”

USD 234 Board of Education Building, 424 S. Main

“For Board Clerk I will be attending all board meetings, working with the Superintendent and Board President, recording minutes from board meetings, acting as custodian of records, and other duties as assigned to the clerk,” she said.

She grew up in Uniontown, school K-12, and graduated in 2005. “Being a part of a school has been my whole life with my Mom, Rolene Lowry, being West Bourbon Elementary School Secretary for 31 years and my Dad, Leon Lowry, as a Bus Driver/Custodian for 38 years,” she said.  “I had the best of both worlds, working parents and stay-at-home parents. My brother also worked for the school district for over 10 years.”

After high school, she attended college in Oklahoma City and worked at the Bank of Oklahoma as a teller and then later in bond trading.

“We moved back closer to family and I worked at West Bourbon Elementary for the past nine years,” she said.

She and her husband, Joel, have two dogs, one of whom, Molly, gets to come to work with her every day.

“We are working towards her certification as a therapy dog and will be in the middle/high school to assist students and staff in any way needed,” she said.
“Being able to combine two things that I am VERY passionate about (kids and dogs) is something I can’t believe I get to do every day!”

“I am so thankful for the opportunity to work for USD 234,” she said. “Everyone has made me feel so welcomed and appreciated already. I don’t think any of the staff will ever know how much that has meant to me.”

Opinion

Reaping What We Sow by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

William McKinley served in Congress before he was elected the 25th President of the United States.  On his way to his congressional office one morning, he boarded a streetcar and took the only remaining seat.  Minutes later, a woman who appeared to be ill boarded the car.  Unable to find a seat, she clutched an overhead strap next to one of McKinley’s colleagues.  The other congressman hid behind his newspaper and did not offer the woman his seat.  McKinley walked up the aisle, tapped the woman on the shoulder, offered her his seat, and took her place in the aisle.

Years later when McKinley was President, this same congressman was recommended to him for a post as ambassador to a foreign nation.  McKinley refused to appoint him.  He feared a man who didn’t have the courtesy to offer his seat to a sick woman in a crowded streetcar would lack the courtesy and sensitivity necessary to be an ambassador in a troubled nation.  The disappointed congressman bemoaned his fate to many in Washington but never did learn why McKinley chose someone else for the position.

Galations 6:7 cautions us: Do not be deceived.  God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows. In other words, actions have consequences. Charles Stanley put it this way: “We cannot sow crabgrass and expect to reap pineapples.”

In the 1970’s my husband was playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.  The manager of the team was Tommy Lasorda, the then-manager of the Los Angeles’ Dodgers.  One evening at dinner he shared that when he was twelve years old, he attended a baseball game, but before it started, he approached a player and asked for an autograph.  Cursing at Tommy, the player told him to buzz off.  One decade later when Lasorda was pitching in the minor leagues, he faced that same major leaguer who was in AAA on a rehabilitation assignment.  Lasorda threw at his head.  Everyone knew it was intentional.  Later when the player asked Lasorda what he had done to deserve that, Tommy answered, “You should know,” and walked away.

Actions have consequences. We over-eat and health issues arise.  We spoil our kids and end up with…well, spoiled adults. We think only of ourselves and end up friendless.  We drink and drive and someone dies.  We do drugs and our family suffers.  We love money (or anything, for that matter) more than God and judgment day won’t be pretty.

Unfortunately, some people don’t learn from their mistakes.  They live by the philosophy that they can sow wild oats all week and then go to church on Sunday morning and pray for a crop increase.  Galations 6:8 addresses the seriousness of the issue.  For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. The laws of the harvest cannot be mocked.  Our hearts need to be fertile ground for planting seeds and not weeds.  The choice is ours.  Which shall it be?

 

Government, Kansas

No Fall Turkey Hunting Season in 2023 in Kansas

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Fall Turkey Season Suspended in Kansas Due to Population Declines

PRATT – Beginning this fall, Kansas will have no fall turkey hunting season due to declining populations at state and regional levels. The difficult decision was arrived at by members of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission after hearing compelling recommendations from staff over the course of four public meetings.

“We’ve documented consistent declines in turkey populations over the last 15 years largely due to reduced production levels,” said Kent Fricke, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks small game biologist. “These trends are not unique to Kansas. States across the Midwest and Southeast have experienced similar patterns in turkey populations.”

Though far fewer turkey hunters participate in the fall season than in the spring in Kansas, wildlife biologists said it remained an important component of overall harvest.

“The estimated statewide fall harvest of turkey was less than 500 birds in 2022,” said Fricke. “While this is a small proportion of the statewide population, fall harvest is an additive source of mortality for turkeys, especially when hens are harvested.”

Over the past several years, Commissioners have approved other preventative recommendations to reduce the impact of the fall season on turkey populations. In 2017, Commissioners voted to reduce the statewide bag limit from four birds to one bird. In 2019, fall turkey season dates were reduced from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31 (123 days) to Oct. 1 through Nov. 10 (41 days).

But not all is lost. Staff continue working diligently to obtain as much data as possible in hopes of one day reversing declining population trends. One such example is a new research project set to begin in Kansas in January 2024 to examine wild turkey populations and ecology to inform state harvest and habitat management (more HERE).

To learn more about turkey hunting in Kansas – including Kansas’ all-new lottery draw for non-resident turkey permits and other regulation changes aimed at population conservation – visit ksoutdoors.com/Hunting then select “Turkey.”

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Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Health Care

As summer comes to a close, virus season is just beginning!

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Many area healthcare providers including CHC/SEK have begun to see an end-of-summer increase in viral
illness such as COVID, influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
Fortunately, for most people the COVID variants and the other viral illnesses are mild and generally resolve
without the need for treatment, says Dr. Linda Bean, Chief Medical Officer at CHC/SEK. However, individuals
who are at risk, either due to age or certain medical conditions, and have been exposed or suspect they have
COVID or influenza should follow up with a medical provider to discuss testing and treatment options.
At this point, do not expect mass testing associated with the 2020 pandemic to return. “With the public health
emergency declarations expiring signaling the end of the pandemic, we have also seen an end to the ability to
do mass testing for COVID,” Bean says. “Most health organizations including CHC/SEK now have less access to
testing supplies, and fewer resources dedicated to testing as we did during the pandemic.”
Additionally, the curbside and in-clinic testing once covered for patients during the public health emergency is
no longer “free,” and home testing kits are readily available through retail stores and on-line.
“COVID variants are always going to be around,” Dr. Bean says. “Now, beyond the pandemic, we need to shift
our thinking around them and other respiratory illnesses to managing our risks the best we can, including
staying up to date on COVID and influenza vaccines, which we believe will be available in the next couple of
weeks.”
What should you do if you develop symptoms or have been exposed to COVID, influenza or other
respiratory illnesses?
• Stay home, rest, drink fluids.
• Use over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for
fever and body aches.
• For most viral illnesses, you can return to class or work when you have been fever-free for 24 hours
and symptoms are improving.
• If you have suspected or confirmed COVID or influenza, it is recommended that you stay home for 5
days from the start of your symptoms.
• Masks can help reduce transmission.
• Cover coughs and sneezes if you must be around others.
When should you be tested or see a medical provider?
• If you are sick and you are at an increased risk of severe illness due to medical conditions such as
asthma, diabetes, or other conditions that lower your immune system.
• If your symptoms are getting worse or you develop trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest,
dizziness or other symptoms that are concerning to you.

Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Youth

Downtown Trick or Treat Sponsors Being Sought

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The Fort Scott Chamber announces the Annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat Parade!

SPONSORS NEEDED!

The past couple of years the attendance has been growing for the Downtown Trick-or-Treat parade with 600+ kids in attendance! At the end of the parade, we serve a hotdog, chips, and drink to each child who is in costume. We have been very thankful for the gracious donations from you all in the past!

If your business is interested in making a donation, please contact us! Click here to email us or call the

Chamber at 620-223-3566.

We will accept monetary donations or other items such as drinks.

Saturday, October 28, 2023 @ 11:00 AM

10-11am: Walgreens will be taking pictures with a Halloween Backdrop & providing a free 4 x 6 print. The backdrop will also be available throughout the event for pictures with your own camera.

Face painting will be offered by the Fort Scott High School Pride and Thespian Clubs!

11am: Parade will start at La Hacienda, down the west side of Main Street to 2nd, then back down the east side of Main Street to Skubitz Plaza.

Following parade: Pizza and drinks will be to kids in costumes provided through the generous donation of local businesses!

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***Businesses along Main Street will be handing out candy during the parade, and businesses not on Main Street as well as any community organizations are welcome to set up a table along Main to pass out candy, coupons, promo items, etc.***

Please email the Chamber if your business or organization will be passing out candy so we

can plan accordingly.
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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Area News, Government

Increased Patrol on Hwy. 69 Starts Today

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Expect increased traffic enforcement on Safety Corridors

Drivers will notice increased activity by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol along four designated Kansas Safety Corridors beginning in mid-September. The increase is part of the continuing efforts being implemented to reduce fatalities and serious injuries along the corridors.

These agencies are working to save lives by deterring dangerous driving behaviors including speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving as well as occupant protection violations.

The four corridors under the Safety Corridor Pilot Program include:

  • I-135: Sedgwick and Harvey counties, from 53rd Street in Park City to Exit 34 in North Newton.
  • U.S. 24: Pottawatomie County, from St. Marys west to Manhattan.
  • U.S. 83/50: Finney County, from Plymell north through Garden City and west to the Holcomb exit.
  • U.S. 69: Crawford County, from the U.S. 400 junction north through Frontenac and Pittsburg to the U.S. 160 junction.

The five-year Safety Corridor Pilot Program is a strategic initiative of the Drive To Zero (DTZ) Coalition, which is a partnership comprised of state and professional organizations whose mission is to have zero traffic fatalities. The Safety Corridors were selected based on a history of fatal and serious injury crashes, availability of additional law enforcement and input from local transportation safety partners.

From 2016 to 2021, over 500 crashes occurred on these corridors resulting in 35 deaths and 68 serious injuries. For more information, visit the corridor website at https://www.ksdot.gov/bureaus/burTrafficSaf/safetycorridor.asp.

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Bourbon County, Fair, Youth

Austin Maycumber Places in Photography at KS State Fair

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Austin Maycumber. Submitted photo.

Southwind Extension District 4-H members from Bourbon and Neosho Counties competed on Sunday, September 10 at the Kansas State Fair Photography Judging Contest in Hutchinson.

In the intermediate age group Austin Maycumber, Bourbon County, placed 32nd, and  Jackson Han, Neosho County, placed 33rd and in the state.

They were accompanied by their coach Terri Kretzmeier.

Business, Fort Scott, Health Care, Housing, Jobs

New Presbyterian Village Director: Marla Heckman

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Marla Heckman. Submitted photo.

Marla Heckman, 52, is the new Fort Scott Presbyterian Village Executive Director.

Heckman is new to Fort Scott.

“My husband, John,  was born in Fort Scott,” she said. ” We were planning on retiring and moving here someday.  There was some property that was going up for sale close to our family, so we decided to change our plans and move back sooner.”

Heckman started on September 5, 2023, as the   Executive Director, “overseeing this wonderful community.  I am so excited to work with the amazing TEAM here,” she said.

She received her education from the University of Oklahoma and is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator.

Heckman has 36 years in Healthcare-Independent Living, Assisted Living, Residential Care, Skilled Nursing, and Long-term Care.

“I served on the board for Care Providers Oklahoma, as well as, the Oklahoma State Department of Health Informal Dispute Resolution panel,” she said.

In her spare time she  “loves spending time with family and friends.”

“I have never lived anywhere but Oklahoma, so I am excited to start some new hobbies, maybe gardening and having some chickens,” she said. “I look forward to being involved in the community and helping whenever possible.”

She has four children and 13 grandchildren.

 

Presbyterian Village, 2401 S. Horton, Fort Scott.

Heckman replaces Ginger Nance as the executive director.

 

Bourbon County Local News