Government, Kansas

Kansas COVID 19 Vaccine Dashboard

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Governor Kelly Announces Kansas COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly is announcing a new COVID-19 vaccine dashboard in Kansas. A collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the COVID-19 dashboard will be updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 12:30 PM.

As of January 20, Kansas has:

  • Vaccinated 111,905 people,
  • Administered 129,349 total vaccine doses,
  • Distributed 202,225 vaccine doses.

To view the COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, click here.

Government

Senator Marshall Statement on President Biden’s Inaugural Address

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Today, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. issued the following statement regarding President Joe Biden’s inaugural address. The Senator attended the Inauguration with his wife Laina.

 

“Today, my wife Laina and I joined all Americans to witness the Constitutional transition of power to President Joe Biden,” said Senator Marshall. “It is important that both sides of the political spectrum continue to lower the national temperature and recognize opportunities for common good. I have hope that we can work with the new Administration on behalf of Kansas as we tackle extremely pressing issues facing our nation including: getting the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of everyone who wants and needs it, boosting job recovery, and opening businesses and our economy back up to the historic levels we saw before the pandemic.”

 

Business, Fort Scott

Rennet Studio Converted To Office Spaces

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The Rennet Studio building is being renovated for new occupants. Submitted photos.
Diane and Dean Striler recently purchased the Rennet Studio building,  6 N. Main, which includes the loft above.
Diane and Dean Striler, owners of the Rennet Studio building, 6 N. Main. Submitted photos.
The building is located between Fort Scott Family Dental and Papa Don’s Restaurant.
They have begun renovating the building for three office spaces.
Renovation of the interior of the Rennet Studio building. Submitted photos.
 “We started looking for a downtown building in November and  closed the purchase on December 3,” she said.
“The main reason for this purchase is that Dean and I have wanted to invest in the Fort Scott community,” Diane said.    “After purchasing our home at Fort Scott Lake in July of 2014, we had often discussed the idea of ending up in Fort Scott as our full-time home.”
“We are living full-time in Fort Scott but still have a home in Lenexa,” she said.
“We feel that there is a lot of potential in the downtown area and see how it is expanding and growing,” she said.   “We enjoy the history of the town, the people we have met, and love the quaint atmosphere of the community. We feel that purchasing the Rennet Studio would be a great way to start investing in the community.”
After the Striler’s decided to invest in a downtown building, they looked at a few and then placed an offer on the Rennet Studio, she said.
“Although the main floor of the building had not been occupied for quite a while, we were impressed that the building was in such great shape,” Diane said. “Obviously the owners of the building, the Barnett family, had taken great care of it.”
“It also has a full finished basement that is lined with cinder blocks, had extra cement poured, and has a vinyl floor,” she said.  ” We were also very excited about the loft apartment above the retail area.  This part of the building really appealed to us because of the tall ceilings, old woodwork, and transom windows above the tall doors.”
Renovation of the interior of the newly purchased building is on-going. Submitted photos.
After purchase, they started working on some exterior repairs to the building.
The new roof portion of the Rennet Studio is completed. Submitted photos.
“We started with getting the front brick power washed,” Diane said.  “It was amazing to see the difference in the before and after pictures.  The brick on the upper portion of the building had an orange tint to it and now is redder and much brighter. We are waiting to also have some tuck work done to the brick on the upper portion.”
 ” We have picked out some new paint colors for the front of the building and have submitted them for approval from the City Historic Design Board,” she said.  “Last week we had a new roof put on the back portion of the building.  That was badly needed and  we are happy to have that done.”
The Striler’s are currently renovating the main floor of the building in preparation for new occupants. Submitted photos.
New Tenet Ready To Move In

The main front area of the building will be leased to the Fort Scott Tribune Newspaper, currently at 22 N. Main.

 

“We have been working with them to update the area they will be in,” she said.  “Everything is being painted, we’ve had some trim work to do, and new flooring is being put in. The paper is working on the transition and would like to be up and running in our building by the beginning of February. ”

 

Additional Office Spaces

“My husband, Dean, will also have an office in the rear of the main floor,” she said. “We were able to close off a wall so that he has a separate entrance to his office.”
“Dean is the Senior Vice President of Sales for Zephyr Ventilation, she said. “The company manufactures residential hoods to go over cooking appliances along with beverage units and wine storage units.”
“We have an additional 700 square feet of commercial/office space that we have available to rent out that will include a break room and restroom,” Diane said.
“Once we complete updating the main level, Dean and I will start working on the apartment loft above,” she said.  “We are planning to keep as much of the original woodworking as possible and are going to try to refinish the original hardwood floors.”
Seller’s Market
Diane is a realtor for Front Door Real Estate,  with Jared Leek as the broker.
It is a seller’s market, she said.
” I am finding that with the current conditions, I am receiving calls from all over,” she said.   “People from other states are wanting to come back to the Midwest for a calmer way of life and are enquiring about the properties that I have listed.”
“Housing is one thing that Fort Scott definitely could use more of, and there is a shortage of what is for sale,” she said.
 ” As a result, I am trying to find additional properties that are not being occupied, and could be put to good use for a family in need,” she said. “If anyone knows of any properties like this, I would greatly appreciate it if you would reach out to me.”

 

 

Diane Striler’s contact:  620-878-3630 or
248-568-7790

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Ribbon Cutting, Chamber Coffee Jan. 21 at Star Emporium

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Chamber Coffee & Ribbon Cutting Announced for the Star Emporium Downtown General Store

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee and Ribbon Cutting ceremony this Thursday, January 21st at 8 a.m. to celebrate the grand opening of the Star Emporium General Store, 17 S. Main St. Coffee, juice and light refreshments will be served.

Star Emporium is a unique grocery store offering specialty and private label products in addition to staple foods and household necessities. The store also features meat, produce, ice cream and other items made locally or within the region and offers a salad bar and deli with limited seating to dine-in or carry-out.

Business owner Bill Michaud of BAJA Investments and team are excited to provide this service to the Downtown Historic District and the community. Through an agreement with Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, the store will soon provide food storage space and delivery programs to address food insecurities.

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.

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Government, Kansas

Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan: How It Will Affect Rates

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KCC will hold virtual workshop on Wednesday to discuss Evergy’s STP

What:                   The Kansas Corporation Commission will be conducting the third of four virtual workshops designed to learn more about Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan and how it will affect ratepayers.

 

When:                  Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 10 a.m.

 

Where:                 The workshop will be broadcast on the KCC’s YouTube Channel.

Details:                Each workshop will cover a specific topic related to the plan. The subject of Wednesday’s workshop is Enhanced Customer Experience. Evergy representatives will make a presentation followed by questions from Commissioners and intervenors in the general investigation docket. The Commission opened the investigation to evaluate whether the STP is in the public interest.

 

The general investigation docket is available on the KCC’s website at:

https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/portal/kscc/PSC/DocketDetails.aspx?DocketId=5bf302bc-3a8c-4bd9-8652-fd3e63161bc5

 

Food, Government, Kansas

Food Safety Webinar Offered

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KDA Offers Food Safety Webinar Series in 2021

 

MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety and lodging program will offer monthly online webinars on food safety issues beginning Monday, January 25, 2021. The free webinar series will cover a variety of food safety issues that are of interest to food business operators, managers and workers.

 

Each 30-minute webinar will consist of a presentation by food safety and lodging inspectors from across the state, followed by an opportunity for participants to ask questions of the presenters and other KDA-FSL staff. These webinars are an outreach of the Food Protection Task Force, which serves to expand the knowledge base of the food and feed industry in Kansas. The FPTF creates connections and relationships which foster collaboration when developing materials and strategies for intervention, prevention and response to foodborne illness.

 

The first six months of the webinar series have been scheduled. Each presentation will take place at 3:00 p.m. CST.

 

January 25      Remote Food Safety Inspections During COVID-19

February 22    Choosing the Right Practice: Cooling and Reheating of Foods

March 29        Food Safety on the Go: Food Trucks, Trailers, Tents and Carts

April 26          Staying Ahead of the Game: What Food Service Managers Need to Know

May 24           Dealing With Pests in a Food Establishment

June 28           Limiting the Spread of Germs: How Employees Can Make a Difference

 

Registration for the January and February online webinars is now open. Register on the KDA Food Protection Task Force page at www.agriculture.ks.gov/FPTF. There is no cost to participate, but you must register to receive the login access information.

For more information about the webinar series or about food safety in Kansas, contact the KDA food safety and lodging program at 785-564-6767 or [email protected].

 

This webinar series serves to support KDA’s mission, which includes a commitment to providing an environment that enhances and encourages economic growth and helping to ensure a safe food supply, promoting public health and safety, and providing consumer protection.

 

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Bourbon County, Schools, Sports

UHS BASKETBALL RESULTS 1/15/21 vs. ALTOONA

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Adelay Martin. Submitted photo.

The Uniontown Eagles traveled to Altoona-Midway for the Varsity games on Friday, January 15. Both teams were victorious against the Jets.

The Lady Eagles defeated the Jets 63-29. Danielle Howard led the team in points, garnering 23 and shooting 100% from the free throw line. She also had 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Kaydra Woods also shot 100% from the line and had 8 boards. Brooklynn Dreisbach had 7 rebounds, while Sammie Hampton and Karleigh Schoenberger each had 4. Schoenberger also scored 14 points and had 3 assists. Aiden Holt had 3 assists and 2 steals.

“It was good to have a few Junior Varsity girls get some valuable court time tonight,” said Coach Miller. “Looking forward to competing in our 1st Annual Kenny Holt Memorial Tournament on Tuesday.”

The Varsity boys also beat Altoona with a final score of 58-30. Jake Harvey scored 18 points, Clay Sutterby following with 14. Sutterby also had 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Drew Perry had 6 assists and 4 rebounds, while Cade Goodridge and Jake Harvey had 5. Harvey also had 6 steals as well.

“I thought we played really hard against Altoona,” Coach Hays commented. “We were able to get some stops on defense that led to some fast break opportunities. clay Sutterby controlled the paint on both ends and Jake Harvey was very active on the defensive end with 6 steals. We shared the ball well on the offensive end. We play a good team in KC Christian on Tuesday, so we need to fine tune some things and prepare for a 4-quarter battle.”

The JV girls were also able to play in a JV tournament on Saturday. They defeated Fort Scott 37-30 and lost to Erie 46-49.

Gwenyth Fry led the Fort Scott game with 10 points, Brooklynn Dreisbach following with 9. Fry and Rylee Coulter had 7 and 8 rebounds, respectively. Coulter also had 4 steals, and Camryn Davis had 3 assists.

In the Erie game, Laney Covey scored 16 points and Rylee Coulter scored 12. Coulter also had 6 assists and 3 boards. Gwenyth Fry had 8 rebounds and 2 steals.

Coach Miller commented, “Our Junior Varsity girls competed well today. Up to this point in the season, we have only been able to play one JV game. The girls came out ready and beat Ft. Scott to start the morning off. Unfortunately, we ended our day with a competitive loss to Erie. Coach Walker and I are extremely proud of our Junior Varsity team.”

The Kenny Holt Memorial Tournament will take place in Uniontown on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday the week of the 18th.

-Adelay Martin, UHS Sports Media Reporter

Fort Scott, Government

FS City Commission Special Meeting Jan. 19

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The City Commission will meet for a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19th, 2021 at City Hall in the City Commission meeting room at 123 South Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. The City Commission will meet and recess into Executive Session to discuss non-elected personnel.

This meeting will be broadcast on the City’s You tube channel. This meeting is open to the public.

Business, Fort Scott

New Barber Coming to 118 S. Main This Summer

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The Hare and Crow Barber Shop, 118 S. Main, will be open in the summer of 2021. Submitted photos.
Matt Park,, owner of the Hare and Crow Barbershop, 118 S. Main. Submitted photos.
 Matt Park is the sole owner of the new barbershop located at 118 S Main Street, which will open this summer.
Hare & Crow is the name of the business.
“Hare & Crow will be a full-service barbershop offering haircuts for men and boys, beard and mustache trims, and hot lather razor shaves,” Park said.  “Our aim is to bring back the barbershop experiences of a bygone era reminiscent of the 1900’s architecture and small-town charm Fort Scott is built on.”
He sees it as also a gathering place for the community.
“This will be a place to sit and chew the fat with friends and neighbors whether you need a haircut or not—loafers are more than welcome,” Park said. “Our space will be comfortable and inviting with a lounge feel for those waiting for their turn in the chair.”

“We plan to sell some retail items; mostly related to men’s hair and grooming, but hope to offer other items such as locally roasted coffee, chocolates, and handmade wood and leather goods from local and regional artisans,” he said. ” We hope to incorporate a curated selection of books, music and art too.”

“I am currently in school at Headlines Barber Academy up in Kansas City, on the Kansas side,” Park said. “It’s a bit of a commute, but it’s the closest barber school to Fort Scott.”
He and his wife, Krista,  have three daughters and one son.
“I cut all of their hair and have been known to cut my wife’s hair as well,” he said. “So, women and girls are welcome too.”
Why Fort Scott?
“My wife, Krista, and I both grew up in the Midwest,” he said. ” We met at school not too far from here in Bolivar, MO.”
“Krista spent many summers during her childhood visiting her grandmother in Fort Scott and she had so many fond memories of those visits,” he said. ” In July of 2019, we experienced a loss in the family that left us questioning our distance from family. We spent the majority of our marriage living in the South and were ready to come home.”

“Helen Carson is my wife’s maternal grandmother,” he said. “Helen has lived here most of her life and once owned Helen’s Hilltop Fabrics. Her family has been in the area going back several generations.”

“We wanted to move to a small town where we could raise our four children with a little less noise and start a business that would serve the local community,” Park said.  “As we began contemplating a move back to the Midwest, Fort Scott stood out to us as a place to slow down a bit, embrace our heritage here and put down lasting roots closer to family. We moved here in July 2020 from Tennessee and this place already feels more like home than anywhere we’ve lived over the last 15 years.”
Reading a book formed a new business idea.
“About the same time we started talking about moving, I read a book by Wendell Berry called Jayber Crow  written from the perspective of a barber in a small town,” Park said. “That story was so formative for me that I began looking into the profession of barbering.”
“When we landed on the decision to move to Fort Scott and realized there was no longer a barber in town, we began looking into schools in the area and I enrolled shortly after we moved to town,” he said.
Why the name Hare & Crow?

“I wanted to tip my hat to Wendell Berry’s book, Jayber Crow, because it was so formative for me,” Park said.  “Hare really just started out as a play on words suggested by my brother in-law. I was concerned naming the place Crow’s barbershop might be confusing because my name isn’t Crow. So, I started looking for characters in other stories and when Hare was suggested it just fit the idea of storied characters. It almost has a fable-like ring to it. ”

They are loft dwellers in downtown Fort Scott.
“We bought a building downtown on Main Street, live upstairs and plan to open our shop in the storefront on the ground floor,” he said.  “We are eager to open our little shop and become part of the fabric of this community. Once I complete school and receive my barbering license we’ll be ready to open our doors this summer.”
He can be reached by phone (620)705-9287, by e-mail [email protected], website hareandcrowbarber.com, and on instagram @hareandcrow.
Submitted photos. The Park Family: Matt, Krista, Jovie, Kenley, Noble and Kansas.
Opinion

Senator Marshall Statement on Impeachment Proceedings

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(Washington, D.C., January 19, 2021) – Today, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D.  issued the following statement regarding Senate impeachment proceedings:

“Tomorrow, my wife Laina and I will both be attending the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden to witness the peaceful transition to a new Administration.

 

“As leaders, we must now do everything we can in the coming months to ensure the levers of government are fully operational. Not only is it unconstitutional to impeach a President after he leaves office, I firmly believe an impeachment effort at this juncture will only raise already heated temperatures of the American public and further divide our country at a time when we should be focused on bringing the country together and moving forward. Whether it’s getting the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of all those who want and need it, boosting job recovery, or opening our economy back up to pre-pandemic levels, we have real work to do.

 

“Without a doubt, there are brighter days ahead for our country, and looking back should not be on our agenda.”

Bourbon County Local News