Governor Laura Kelly Legalizes Sports Wagering in Kansas
~~Kelly Signs Bill Allowing Kansans to Place Sports Bets on Mobile Apps, at Casinos, and Other Specific Venues~~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today signed bipartisan legislation, Senate Bill 84, allowing Kansans to legally participate in sports wagering in the state. SB 84 also allows state casinos to use digital platforms and create sportsbooks.
“Legalizing sports betting will bring more revenue to our state and grow our economy,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This is another mechanism that casinos, restaurants, and other entertainment venues can now utilize to attract Kansans to their establishments.”
“I was excited to pass sports wagering in Kansas, it’s something that Kansans are already doing, and it will bring additional tax revenue to our state to help with our needs,” Senator Rob Olson, Chair of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, said. “My constituents have pushed for this legislation for years, and now, the next time we have a significant sporting event in our state, Kansans will be able to bet on their hometown team.”
“We have heard from our constituents for years about the need for a sports wagering program here in Kansas, both for the value it will bring to their lives and for the revenues it will generate for our state,” Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau, Ranking Member of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, said. “I’m proud to have contributed to this package that will do just that and revitalize my community by creating jobs in Wichita.”
In addition, SB 84 allows venues such as restaurants and nonprofit fraternal or veterans organizations to hold sports wagering.
SB 84 preserves tribal sovereignty, allowing the negotiation of a new or existing gaming compact regarding sports wagering.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is proceeding with what will ultimately be a $10 million investment in their newly renovated building in Fort Scott that they are fully funding, according to Krista Postai, CEO and President.
The renovation project is located at the former Price Chopper building at 2322 S. Main.
“We are on schedule to be in the new building in December as planned,” she said. “We did discover tunnels underneath the former grocery store that we weren’t expecting which came as quite the surprise, but are addressing the situation especially in those areas which will be supporting heavy equipment such as the CT Scanner and Mammography Unit.”
Renovation began Feb. 2022 on the future CHC/SEK Fort Scott Clinic in the former Price Chopper building on South Main Street.The Price Chopper building, 2322 S. Main.
CHC currently is housed in a portion of the former Fort Scot Mercy Hospital on Woodland Hill Blvd. but their lease is up in December 2022.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd.
Postai Provides Impact Studies
CHC/SEK and Fort Scott were featured in a national case study focusing on the transition of the Mercy Clinics to CHC/SEK, Postai said.
Postai attached the case findings plus the information compiled on the economic impact on the community, which were completed by Capital Link. Capital Link is a national, non-profit organization that has worked with community health centers and primary care associations for over 25 years to plan for sustainability and growth, access capital, articulate value and improve and optimize operations and financial management, according to info in the study.
The current CHC project value to the community is shown to have both temporary impacts during construction and ongoing impacts from expanded operations including economic, employment and tax impacts.
“When Mercy Hospital Fort Scott (Mercy) closed its doors in Fort Scott, Kansas, after 132 years in operation, the rural community of 7,800 was left without a hospital. In the tumultuous aftermath of this closure, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK or CHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center based 30 miles away in Pittsburg, Kansas, stepped forward to take over two of the closed hospital’s primary care clinics, providing a range of primary and preventive care services in Fort Scott, partially filling the gap left by the hospital’s closure. The circumstances leading up to the hospital’s closure and its impact on the community have been well- documented by Sarah Jane Tribble in NPR’s nine-episode podcast, “Where it Hurts, Season 1: No Mercy.” This case study focuses on CHC’s response to the closure and its efforts to restore access to primary care in Fort Scott, while the community grieved the loss of its hospital. Through interviews with CHC/SEK’s leadership, Capital Link explored CHC/SEK’s response to Mercy’s closure, the subsequent impact on the community and the current state of the situation, in order to highlight lessons learned for rural centers in similar situations.”
The CHC building at 902 S. Horton will soon be the Fort Scott Community College Nursing Department. March 2023 is the scheduled transfer.
Recently on social media there was a comment that CHC had neglected paying property tax on their building at 902 Horton Street that currently houses some of their staff and a Veteran’s Administration local office.
Postai responded with the following:
“CHC/SEK is a non-profit 501(c)3 and, like the Mercy Health System, Ascension and most other healthcare organizations is exempt from property taxes,” Postai said. “Fort Scott Community College is also exempt, as is the Veterans Administration who currently occupies the Horton Street Building along with CHC/SEK staff.”
“Appropriate paperwork has been filed and is working its way through the system and we were advised by the county to hold payments pending final determination, which is what we’ve done.”
“We had actually mailed a check to the county for the taxes, who returned it to us because they anticipate our tax-exempt status will also apply to this building and they’d just have to refund our payment,” she said.
“In the meantime, we’re proceeding with what will ultimately be a $10 million investment in our newly renovated building (on Main Street) in Ft. Scott that CHC/SEK is fully funding itself.
“Any money from the sale of the Horton Street Building will be utilized toward the redo of the former Price Chopper building (on Main Street) which will also include classrooms for use by Fort Scott Community College at no cost to them.
“A portion of the funds will also be used for scholarships at FSCC.
“We will be in the new facility by the end of December and are looking forward to expanding services, recruiting additional professionals and serving all regardless of ability to pay.
“I am always available to answer any questions and can be reached at 620-235-1867 or on my cell at 620-249-9936. My email is [email protected]. Krista Postai, CEO, CHC/SEK.
to answer workforce questions, please forward to the person within your organization who can respond.
Employers of all sizes are asked to respond.
Thank you!
The Chamber is sending in
partnership with Bourbon County REDI
Greetings!
RE: Important Survey of Workforce for our Area – Your Response is Appreciated!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is supporting Bourbon County REDI (Regional Economic Development, Inc.) on an important survey of workforce for our area. This survey is looking for your input on the availability, education and training levels of your workforce and difficulties in hiring. It also asks some questions related to housing, as it impacts workforce attraction and retention.
This survey only needs to be completed by one PRIMARY contact for each business/organization. As such, I hope you will take about 15 minutes to answer this important survey.
If you are not the right person to address these questions, please forward to the person within your organization who can respond.
Again, your input is very critical to insuring REDI and the Chamber have a good view of the current and future workforce needs. Please take the survey today.
The Parks Advisory Board will meet on Monday, May 16 th , 2022
at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
This meeting is open to the public. This meeting will be made
available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
The Board encourages the community to come meet the candidate at the Meet & Greet opportunity on Thursday, May 12th. This will be held at the Fort Scott Middle School Flex space from 4-5 pm and from 5:30-6:15 pm. Please enter through the south doors.
Those who attend the Meet & Greet receptions will be given a paper survey to provide feedback. Be sure to turn this in before you leave to provide your feedback. The responses will be tallied and provided to the board in summary.
The Board will then meet in executive session at the board office at 6:30 pm on Thursday evening for purposes of interviewing the candidate.
The Lake Fort Scott Advisory Board will meet on Saturday, May 14th, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. at the City Hall Commission meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public.
The meeting will be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
To work on ordinances for storage containers, storage/accessory buildings, fences, governing body protocols/operating procedures, and solid waste (trash) collection. They will also be working on strategies to utilize the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
USDA and EDA Launch Resource Guide to Boost Economic Development in Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small and U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Dennis Alvord today unveiled a joint resource guide to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic development in rural America.
“America’s rural communities are critical to the success of our nation’s economy,” Torres Small said. “When we invest in rural communities, we build opportunity and prosperity for the people who live in them. The guide we are unveiling today will better equip people with the tools they need to make their communities more attractive, economically viable and safe places to live and work.”
Alvord added, “We are committed to working together to explore new ways to support and strengthen rural America. It’s important that we’re equipping our communities with tools that are easily accessible and easily utilized to maximize the work of providing greater, inclusive economic prosperity across our country. This guide is a great tool to deliver on that commitment.”
The resource guide outlines programs and services that can be used to advance community and economic development in rural communities through four key focus areas:
Planning and technical assistance
Infrastructure and broadband expansion
Entrepreneurship and business assistance
Workforce development and livability
The guide also features information and links to USDA Rural Development and U.S. Economic Development Administration key priorities and resources.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
