U.S. Senator Jerry Moran Newsletter
America Needs a Fair & Transparent Organ Transplant System
For years, Senator Roy Blunt and I raised the alarm about the nation’s fundamentally unfair and biased organ transplant system. Our warnings were heeded when the Department of Health and Human Services announced its intent to overhaul the organ transplant system.
Breaking up the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) contract and adding transparency to the process are good first steps to rectify the fundamental bias in the system dominated by a monopolistic contractor. Getting the organ transplant and donation system right is a matter of life and death. There is no room for bias, reckless mistakes or an opaque process. It is important to continue oversight and make certain the organ donation process is transparent and fair so that more organs can be donated and more lives saved.
Chamber Coffee hosted by Woodland Hills Golf Course on April 6
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to the Chamber Coffee this Thursday, April 6th at 8am. This week’s coffee will be hosted by Woodland Hills Golf Course located at 2414 Horton St. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Fort Scott’s Woodland Hills Golf Course was named a Top 10 golf course in Kansas by Best Things Kansas and number 6 in the entire state. Woodland Hills has also been named one of the best municipal courses in Kansas. Woodland Hills is an 18-hole park-style course, winding through beautiful scenery, with elevation changes and some of the best views in Bourbon County. Come enjoy one of Southeast Kansas’s hidden treasures at the Woodland Hills Golf Course.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
KS March Taxes Surpass Estimate
Governor Kelly Announces March Total Tax Collections Surpass Estimate by Nearly $65 Million
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that total tax collections for March 2023 were $758.3 million. That is $64.9 million, or 9.4%, more than the monthly estimate. That is also $78.7 million, or 11.6%, more than March 2022.
“Time and again, we have exceeded our estimated tax collections, providing further proof that we can responsibly axe taxes on groceries, retirement, and property for Kansans,” said Governor Laura Kelly.
Individual income tax collections were $314.6 million. That is $438,000 less than the estimate but $16.4 million, or 5.5%, more than March 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $102.6 million, which is $75.6 million, or 279.9%, more than the estimate and $74.9 million, or 271.1%, more than March 2022.
Combined sales and compensating use tax receipts were $275.4 million, which is $422,000 more than the estimate and $4.9 million, or 1.7%, less than March 2022. The reduced year-over-year receipts for March from these tax sources are due in part to the reduction of state sales tax on food and food ingredients.
The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, comprised of the Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Budget, Legislative Research Department, and economists from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University, will meet on April 20. The Group will review the fall estimate and make any revisions it may consider necessary.
Quarterly Downtown Meet & Greet scheduled for April 4th!
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Bourbon County Offices Closed for Good Friday, April 7
The Bourbon County courthouse and transfer station will be closed Friday, April 7, 2023 in observance of Good Friday. The transfer station will be open 8:00-12:00 on Saturday.
Brody Johnson Arrested on Assault & Firearm Charges, Middle School Was Placed in Lockdown
Today, April 3, 2023 at 11:05 hrs, officers from the Fort Scott Police Department (FSPD) and deputies from the Bourbon County Sheriff’s office (BBSO) responded to a 911 call of a gun shot in the area of the Highland Apartments on Shepherd Street, in Fort Scott.
Due to the close proximity of the incident to Fort Scott Middle School, SRO’s had the middle school placed into lockdown status.
When officers arrived on scene at the apartment complex, they learned information about a firearm being discharged. There were no reported injuries as a result of this incident.
Officers & deputies established a perimeter around the building in question, then went about evacuating that building.
During the initial on-scene investigation, officers were able to determine which residence the alleged shooter resided in. Once this information was established, officers used a PA system to call out to the occupants of the residence, and have them exit.
FSPD officers successfully called out the male resident of 802 Shepherd St, #14, who was taken into custody without incident. This individual was identified as being Brody Johnson, 22.
Mr. Johnson was transported to the Bourbon County Jail where he was booked on the following charges:
Aggravated Assault
Criminal Discharge of Firearm
Mr. Johnson is presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law. If you have information that you believe will help our investigation, please contact us at: 620-223-1700
Bill Downey Jr, Administrative Sergeant / Public Information Officer
Fort Scott Police Department
New Windows For the Kress Building
The Kress Building, an historic building at 17 S. Main St. got new windows on the second floor both front and rear of the building last week.
“When Kim and I bought the the building there were 10 new windows uninstalled,” said Robert Coon.
The Kress is owned by Robert and Kimberly Coon, Coon Rentals LLC who are continuing the effort ” to help revitalize the downtown area of Fort Scott,” Coon said.
Also helping in the installation was an Amish group of workers, and Dakota Garcia LLC, Coon said.
Coon said a retail business will open on the second floor of the building sometime this summer.
“They were waiting for us to install the windows,” he said. “The front 2,500 feet will be retail, the back 2,500 feet will be storage for the retail space.”
To see a recent history of the building;
Coon Rentals Purchases 17 S. Main
The building known for years as the Kress Building was sold to Coon Rentals LLC in 2021.
The building housed a grocery store on the first floor for a brief period in the COVID 19 Pandemic and also a sushi restaurant for a brief period.
The second floor was an office for the Bourbon County Workforce and Entrepreneur Resource Center at this time frame, organized by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, which later moved to a different location.
Community Connection Panelist Luncheon April 5
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports April 3
Native American Olympic Medal Winner Billy Mills: April 12 at LMC.
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Announces
Wednesday, April 12th Special Event
In honor of the Great Onondaga Chief Hiawatha, unsung Native American hero, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes invites all to attend a reception for and discussion with the Olympic Gold Medal Winner of the 10,000meter at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics – Billy Mills. Three students will be awarded $100 for writing and performing a poem about “The Leader We Need.” They will each have the opportunity to perform their poem for the audience, after which we will discuss “The Leader We Need.” This event will take place on Wednesday, April 12th at 2:00pm at the Lowell Milken Center at 1 South Main St.
Billy Mills’ visit is sponsored by a grant from Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, the Lowell Milken Center, and the Friends of the Fort Scott National Historic Site, Inc. This event is in preparation for the “Wahzhazhe: an Osage Ballet” which will have performances on July 21st and 22nd at the Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at the Fort Scott Community College.
About Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area: The FFNHA tells the stories and builds awareness of our region’s past, present and future: the Kansas-Missouri border war, the Civil War, the settlement of the western frontier and rural America, and our enduring struggle for freedom.
About the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung Heroes.
About the Friends of the Fort Scott National Historic Site, Inc.: The Friends of the Fort provides volunteers and financial support for the Fort Scott National Historic Site special events including the annual immersive Winter Candlelight tour, the annual Naturalization Ceremony, and other educational programming. The Friends advocate for the NHS and solicit and administer contributions/grants to help support the goals and missions of the NHS.
Letter to the Editor: Pete Allen
Two years ago Earles was chosen by the commission that night to lead us through the infrastructure mess left by previous administrations.
Engineers are employed for their expertise and work ethic and dedication to their clients.
Earles has stepped up to the plate and given us all we could have asked for.
We now have storm sewer work going on, funds being used for their intended use, proper inspection of projects, grants for streets (and as city attorney recently remarked “we even have a brick crew”) and our sanitary sewer plant ready for re-build. With Earles, we have the answer to the ADM issue with billings that have increased tenfold.
The piece of the puzzle, previously missing, is now in place with Earles Engineering. Are they expensive? The answer is NO! I would estimate for every dollar spent with them; we have benefited fourfold or more.
Thanks Peter and Jason and the rest of the Earles organization. Keep up the good work!