Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: March 8, 2022
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________
3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Ashley Shelton
MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM
Call to Order
• Flag Salute
• Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
• Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
• 2022 Noxious Weed Management Plan
• 2022 Annual Noxious Weed Eradication Progress Report
• Mowing & Snow Removal Bids
• Discussion of Liquor Sales in the County
• Lora Holdridge – Discussion of 17 County Meeting (Date to be determined)
• County Counselor Comment
• Susan Bancroft, Finance Director Comment
• Public Comment
• Elected Officials Comment
• Commission Comment
Justifications for Executive Session: KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy KSA 75-4319(b)(2) For consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship KSA 75-4319(b)(3) To discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships KSA 75-4319(b)(6) For the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property KSA 75-4319(b)(12) To discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.
The Fort Scott City Commission Meets at 5 p.m. on March 7
Obituary of Shanna Griffiths
Shanna R. Griffiths, age 65, a resident of rural Bronaugh, Missouri, passed away unexpectedly Friday, March 4, 2022, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center Emergency Room in Nevada, Missouri.
She was born August 19, 1956, in Olathe, Kansas, the daughter of Douglas Brian Culp and Marilyn Dee Vermillion Culp.
She graduated from the Ft. Scott High School. She married Robert Dean Griffiths on February 15, 1975, in Ft. Scott.
Her life’s work was health care. In earlier years, Shanna worked as a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Ft. Scott and later St. John’s Hospital and Freeman Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri. For ten years, she taught nursing classes at Missouri Southern University. She later completed training to become a nurse practitioner. She was currently serving at nurse practitioner at the Nevada Regional Medical Center’s Rich Hill Clinic.
She was a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Nevada.
One of her hobbies included doing family genealogy.
Survivors include her husband, Bob, of the home; two children, Douglas Brandon Griffiths (Priscilla) of Deerfield, Missouri and Lisa René Peterson (Shane) of Albany, Missouri; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two sisters, Sarah McCulley (Les) of Deerfield, Missouri and Sherry Daniels of Topeka, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Father Pete Savidge will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday, March 9th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Following funeral services, there will be cremation.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
4th Grade All-State Musician Performs
Eugene Ware Elementary 4th grader, Charly Gulager, performed on February 24th with 160 of the best elementary
singers in the state of Kansas.
600 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders auditioned in autumn to be a part of this prestigious ensemble, twelve of them from Eugene Ware.
Charly was selected in December and had just two months to
memorize the music for the performance, requiring her to meet each week outside of class with her music teacher, MJ Harper, and to practice on her own at home.
Students who made All-State Elementary Choir rehearsed from 10 AM until the performance at 6 PM on Thursday, February 24th at the Century II Performance Hall in Wichita, KS.
Of the five pieces of repertoire, Charly said “Dust in the Wind is my favorite, but I also really like Oye!” Charly Gulager also performs with Eugene Ware Youth Choir.
Knights of Columbus Annual Friday Fish Fry Starts Today
The Knights of Columbus will host their annual Lenten Fish Fry each Friday starting today.
The March 4th & 11th meals will be drive-thru only.
“The first two (Friday meals) will be a practice run since we only did two last year,” Mark McCoy, spokesman for the group said. The COVID 19 Pandemic prevented more meals served.
The drive-thru starts at 5 pm and serves until 6:30 pm.
The ladies of Mary Queen of Angel parish bake wonderful desserts and many varieties of cakes, pies, and cookies will be offered.
The menu is:
1 – Catfish, French fries, and coleslaw
2 – Catfish, cod, French fries, and coleslaw
3 – Cod, French fries, and coleslaw
CHC/SEK Update: $8 million Reno Has Begun
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas has begun the renovation of the old Price Chopper store at 2322 S. Main, which will be fully operational by December 31, 2022.
“We have completed the interior design of our new clinic in the Price Chopper building and renovation started,” CHC/SEK Cheif Executive Officer Krista Postai, said.
Postai sent a graphic on the reconfigured building and explained the color designations.
In the above graphic the entrance is shaded pink, with the CHC Walk-In Care area in the space where the Price Chopper Donut Shop was, she said. Walk-In Care has its own entrance and waiting area.
Behind the walk-in area is the Wellness Center, which will have offices for staff including a chiropractor.
“That space will also have a shower,” Postai said. “Walk-In staff will also be able to exit the building for drive-in testing and vaccinations with dedicated parking for this purpose, should it still be needed in the future.”
“The main entrance will remain where it currently is with a spacious waiting area with a receptionist and check-in area,” Postai said. “The lab (blue shaded area on the graphic) is immediately inside next to the entrance for those coming in just for lab work.”
“The yellow space will be dedicated to the imaging ( department), including our new 64-slice CT Scanner, 3-D mammography, ultrasound and x-ray,” Postai said. “Our bone density unit will also be housed here. Centrally located it will be easily accessible from Walk-In Care, as well as the main medical clinic, which is the lighter purple shaded area in the graphic. This portion is laid out in pods with exam rooms plus a nursing station for each. There is space for current staff, plus extra pods have been created for the recruitment of additional medical providers.”
The pharmacy (at the bottom) – will have a large space for over-the-counter items and a drive-through. It will be accessible from the lobby and from an exterior entrance.
“The green area off the lobby will be dedicated to behavioral health services and the blue area behind that for telemedicine/specialty services.”
“To the far right (in light blue) is the back of the building which includes the staff entrance, break room, administrative offices, conference and classrooms, which will be available to Fort Scott Community College Nursing Students, and storage space,” she said.
“While this is our design, it may be modified as we go if we encounter something unexpected which almost always happens during renovation,” Postai said.
The renovation of the building is still on schedule and is expected to be fully operational by December 31, 2022, she said.
“The estimated cost of the project is $8 million, including the building, which CHC/SEK is funding itself,” Postai said. “A portion of the equipment has been purchased with American Rescue Act funds which CHC/SEK received in 2021. This is the single largest investment in our history which we feel is critical to adequately handle the needs of our Bourbon County patients.”
The new clinic will be in the former Price Chopper building that left the building empty after a year’s business in Fort Scott failed to produce the income needed to sustain it.
FORT SCOTT PRICE CHOPPER TO CLOSE DOORS
On Feb. 23 there were several work crews inside the building at 2322 S. Main.
Jason Nutter, president of Nutter Electric, one of the crews, said his workers were “doing some demo work. Some electric stuff is being disconnected in preparation for walls being built.”
He said his crew will be there for approximately two weeks.
Others working simultaneously are framers, plumber and heating/ventilation/airconditioning crews, he said.
All together Nutter estimated about 16 people were working inside the building that day.
Wound Care Clinic Will Open In March
“The Wound Care Clinic is opening later this month in Ft. Scott,” Postai said. “We are pleased we could bring this service back.”
About CHC/SEK Fort Scott
CHC/SEK Fort Scott provides healthcare to anyone, regardless of their insurance or financial circumstance, according to information received from CHC.
In 2021 they had 71,000 patient visits in their Fort Scott clinics, have provided 1,400 mammograms, filled 57,700 prescriptions, given 8,769 COVID-19 tests and 7,972 COVID-19 vaccines.
They are investing $8 million dollars to create a modern clinic for everyone in Fort Scott.
More than 100 people are employed who live and work in Bourbon County, and have invested $6.3 million in the community in 2021.
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports March 3
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 4
Hope, Patience, Prayer by Patty LaRoche
Romans 12:12. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
A few years ago, I had flown to Mazatlán to help Dave make the 24-hour drive back to Fort Scott. This time we remembered where most of the faulty toll road signs were located, saving ourselves our typical, “Where are we and how do we get back on the highway?” frustration which had, in the past, cost us a few additional hours of travel.
It was my turn to drive. About 30 miles from the border, Dave and I began discussing which of the two entry points we should use: Columbia, smaller and less popular but fifteen minutes further, or Nuevo Laredo, closer but much larger. When a truck with Texas plates passed us, I took it as an omen to follow that driver. We would trust the Texan to know the quicker route.
He opted for Laredo. Following him gave me great comfort because the various signs were confusing, not to mention the curves and turns and multiple stop lights. The only thing we knew was that the United States was to the north, the right.
But then the lead car turned left. Not the way to the border. Probably the way to the drug cartel. We were now on our own. Hope. Patience. Prayer.
Three stop lights later, I rolled down my window and asked the driver in the next lane if he could point us to the border. “Follow me,” he said, and I did. My husband noticed the man was driving on an emergency spare tire, a dangerous way to enter America, if you ask me. Several stop lights later, our new amigo exited his car and ran back to my window. “Go right at the next corner,” he said, and with that, he pulled into an XOXO, the Mexico version of Quik Trip. “Poor guy limped along as far as he could to help us,” I told Dave. “Or that’s where he was headed the entire time,” I was told.
Someone was cranky. Still, Hope. Patience. Prayer.
I made a right turn, and there we were—completely lost. No matter what U.S.-tagged car I trailed, none were headed to Texas. Zigging and zagging, I managed to tick off several Mexicans who typically are used to drivers making illegal U-turns. By now we had spent an hour on this, our “quicker” trip, and my hope, patience and prayer had disappeared.
About the time I was ready to park our van in the middle of the street and make Dave drive, we rounded a corner, and there they were: toll booths. We were close. Handing the lady my pesos, I asked, “United States?” I’m sure she wanted to answer, “No, Dummy. It’s France,” but Mexicans don’t have the same propensity to sarcasm like we Americans– or perhaps she noticed I was close to tears–so she smiled and said, “Si.”
I would like to tell you that was the end of my lesson in hope, patience and prayer. Not even close. For over an hour we jockeyed with hundreds of other cars, vying for the quickest toll booth, only to end up with Barney Fife for our border agent. After answering his “Do you have any fruits or vegetables?” question with, “Yes, we have some apples,” we were told, “That’s not good.” We were to open all our doors so he could inspect what other contraband or people we had hidden in our vehicle.
I threatened to jump out of my car and warn the unfortunate drivers who had picked my lane to choose any booth but this one, but Dave told me that we were close to crossing the border and if I showed my true colors, we were going to get arrested, so I needed to be patient.
Let’s see. Get arrested or show patience. I’d call it a tie.
Senate Passes Resolution To End COVID-19 State of Emergency
Senate PASSES Marshall’s Resolution to End COVID State of Emergency
(Washington, D.C., March 3, 2022) – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted 48-47 in favor of his legislation to end the COVID-19 national state of emergency currently in effect under the National Emergencies Act (NEA). Despite all scientific advances and our possession of a much greater understanding of COVID, President Joe Biden stealthily extended the national emergency declaration two weeks ago. You may click HERE or on the image below to watch Senator Marshall’s speech.
“After nearly two years of living under this state of emergency, the American people are worn out and yearning to breathe free; they long for their God-given freedoms, and for leaders to take their side. There is no doubt, it’s time for our nation to learn to live with COVID,” said Senator Marshall. “I am proud my colleagues came together to repeal this emergency declaration and delivered a symbolic victory to our citizens that normalcy is around the corner and that limited government and our constitutional rights still reign supreme. It’s high time to stop talking about restrictions and the unknown. We must chart a new course to victory today that respects the virus and our freedoms.”
Bourbon County REDI Receives Award
Bourbon County REDI Named Winner of Site Selectors Guild 2022 Projects with a Purpose Award
March 3, 2022 – The Site Selectors Guild (the Guild), the professional association of the world’s leading corporate location advisors, named Bourbon County Regional Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) the winner of its 2022 Projects with a Purpose award.
This award was presented during the Guild’s 2022 Annual Conference in San Diego, California. This award honors individuals or organizations who have successfully implemented location selection projects that go above and beyond job creation to address social and/or environmental issues within a community.
“We are thrilled to present the second annual Projects with a Purpose award to Bourbon County REDI,” said Chris Lloyd, Site Selectors Guild board chair. “Now in its second year, the awards recognize communities which see economic development as about more than just creating new jobs but as a way to help to address pressing social issues and to enhance opportunities for all.”
“What an honor!! Thank you to the Site Selectors Guild for presenting Bourbon County REDI with the Projects with a Purpose award, for our work with the Bourbon County Commission, Fort Scott Commission, and Noble Health Corporation. It is an honor to be accepting this award, and I am humbled by the recognition we received from such a prestigious group.” said Robert Harrington, Executive Director Bourbon County REDI.
In 2019, the local hospital in Fort Scott, Kansas closed. The hospital is reopening thanks to Project Phoenix, led by Bourbon County REDI. The reopened hospital will bring 150 jobs and $20 million in annual payroll back to the community. Moreover, the reopened hospital provides the healthcare necessary to attract and retain future job opportunities.
To learn more about the Site Selectors Guild Awards program, visit https://siteselectorsguild.com/guild-awards.
About the Site Selectors Guild
The Site Selectors Guild is the only association of the world’s foremost professional site selection consultants. Guild members provide location strategy to corporations across the globe and for every industry, sector, and function. Founded in 2010, the Site Selectors Guild is dedicated to advancing the profession of international corporate site selection by promoting integrity, objectivity and professional development. Members are peer-nominated, vetted, and must demonstrate significant professional location advisory experience. In the past three years alone, Guild members facilitated the announced creation of approximately 165,000 jobs and $90 billion in announced capital investment. Guild membership is the highest standard in the site selection industry. For more information, visit siteselectorsguild.com or follow @siteselectguild on Twitter.
Victory over Drug Addiction
Fort Scott Aglow Lighthouse welcomes Benton Cavaness who will share his story.
After a 20-year drug addiction, Benton is free! “God miraculously gave me complete victory over addiction and I have experienced more miracles and blessings in the last year than most people ever get to witness!”
Benton is from Thayer, KS. His interests now are God, church, family, farming, cattle, horses and staying free!
Guests welcome Thursday, March 10th at 6:30 pm.
They will gather in the conference room of Fort Scott Inn, 101 State Street.
Aglow International is an interdenominational ministry for women and men. The goal is: Every nation touched, every heart changed.