Bourbon County, COVID-19, Elections, Government

Bourbon County Commission Will Canvass 2020 Election Ballots Today at 10 a.m.

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: November 12, 2020

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

 

MEETING WILL BE HELD IN COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.

 

10:00 Election Canvass

 

Opinion

Election by Patty LaRoche

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As I write this, the election results are a mess. Both presidential candidates have claimed victory, but I refuse to lose sleep over this decision. I refuse to lose sight of who my King really is because the truth is, my leader has nothing to do with politics.

In spite of George Soros saying, “The 2020 U.S. election will determine the fate of the entire world,” God is in charge. Period. And if we think for one minute that whoever lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. is the one running the show, we had better think again.

What I don’t understand is why God would even care about this country since, for the past few decades, we have been hell-bent on pushing Him off of His throne. The only time we call on Him as a nation is when we are desperate. (Think Sept. 11, 2001.) Other than that, out of sight, out of mind.

We don’t deserve God’s help. Oh yes, we profess with our mouths that we are a Christian country; we claim to pray, but there is a huge disconnect with our hearts.

If nothing else, this political charade has proven what a mess we are. Both presidential candidates have embarrassed their parties and shown flaws that have overwhelmed the voters.

Romans 3:23 reminds us that we should not be surprised: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. As Christians, our question during this political process has been, “Which one of the candidates is the most Christlike?” The one who speaks about God but shows no humility or the one who shows humility but disregards what Scripture says?

Their sins might be different, but they both still sin, and in God’s eyes, sin is sin is sin is sin. We all are guilty. Dare we point fingers!

By the time this goes to print, hopefully either Donald J. Trump or Joe Biden will be declared president of our country. Of course, whoever doesn’t win will want a recount and will accuse the voting process of being flawed, dragging this on for weeks. Rioters and looters will use it as an opportunity to destroy any city whose leadership allows them such freedoms, news anchors will wear us out making predictions based on their own personal biases, and conspiracy theorists will scream “I told you so.”

Fun. Times. Ahead.

But God still will be in charge. Will the one who wins be the better candidate? I don’t know. If not, maybe we will get what we deserve, or as theologian Warren Wiersbe put it, “God’s greatest judgment may be to let people have their own way.”

Maybe we will learn a little humility. Maybe rethink our priorities. Maybe get on our knees and pray for whoever heads this nation.

Before we get what we really do deserve.

Maybe that will be the best lesson we can learn.

Bourbon County, Schools

Uniontown School District Honors Veterans With A Parade

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USD 235 students, staff and surrounding community honored U.S. Veteran’s this afternoon with a parade in Uniontown.

Flags, horses, trailers full of FFA members and the high school band along with the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Bourbon County Fire Department, had a mild November afternoon to celebrate Veteran’s Day.

An event honoring vets is usually held in the high school gym, but because of COVID 19 pandemic restrictions, staff decided to host a parade.

Below are some of the participants.

Students lined the schools walking path and waved to the vets, with community members intermixed.

Obituary

Obituary of Barbara J. Stewart

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Barbara Jean Stewart, 94, of Fort Scott, formerly of Xenia, passed away Tuesday evening, November 10, 2020 at her home.

She was born May 30, 1926, in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Guy Russell and Agnes Sarah (Davis) Boyd.

She married Myron Leslie Stewart on December 8, 1945, in Osawatomie, Kansas and he preceded her in death September 1, 1996.

Barbara graduated from high school in Blue Mound, Kansas. After marrying Myron, she spent many happy years as a farm wife. Barbara was also an avid Bingo player, gaining many close friends.

Barbara is survived by her three children, Robert Stewart and wife Karen of Fulton, Kansas, Jeanette Church and her husband Robert of Xenia, Kansas, and Carol Didier and her husband Tom, of Wheatland, Missouri; eleven grandchildren, twenty great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and family members.

In addition to her husband Myron, she was also preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Guy Boyd Jr., a sister, Reta Maxine Allenbrand, a grandson, and a great-granddaughter.

Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct graveside services at 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 13, 2020, at the Bronson Cemetery in Bronson, Kansas under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

There will be a dinner and a Celebration of Life following the graveside service at the Blue Mound High School.

Because of Barbara’s love to feed and take care of people, please donate to your local food bank.

Contributions may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kansas, 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, COVID-19

CHC/SEK Fort Scott Receives Mobile Unit With SPARK Funds

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CHC’s mobile testing unit can be set up wherever needed. Submitted photo.

 

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas will soon have a mobile testing unit available to help during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd.

 

“Community Health Center requested funds to purchase a portable shelter system  to accommodate COVID-19 testing,” said CHC CEO Krista Postai.  “Once a vaccine is available, mass drive-through immunizations providing shelter for patients and staff in winter and summer weather (will be possible). The structure is portable and can be at the clinic site and/or used for outreach testing/vaccinating across the county. The shelter price included electricity, freight, HVAC unit and covered trailer for storage and transport.”

“As we continue to provide testing – and plans are being made for mass immunizations — winter weather is on the way and the structures will protect patients and staff from the elements,” she said.” Additionally, these units also block the sun’s rays which made our summer testing challenging for staff who endured 100+ temperatures to provide testing services. The shelters are durable and can be used for years to come.”

 

Krista Postai. Submitted photo.

 

 

The shelter has been ordered but not received as of this date, Postai said

 

CHC plans are to set it up outside the CHC building once it’s received.

 

The front door of the Community Health Center of
Southeast Kansas at Fort Scott.

 

 

 

Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee For Nov. 12 Cancelled

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The Chamber Announces
that the host for tomorrow’s Coffee
on Thursday, November 12, 2020
had to cancel (Integrity Home Care + Hospice).
Therefore, there will NOT
be a Chamber Coffee this week.
Join us for upcoming Coffees:
11/19 – Briggs Auto
11/26 – No Coffee, Thanksgiving
12/3 – Laree & Co. (new boutique Downtown)
12/10 – B-WERC (Bourbon County Workforce & Entrepreneur Resource Center, Downtown)
Now is the time to reserve your
Coffee date for next year, call us
or email to reserve a date!
620-223-3566
Thank you!
Church news, COVID-19, Entertainment

“Night To Shine” For Special Needs People

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“Night to Shine”, a prom night for special needs people over 14 years old, is being formed by a team in the Fort Scott community.
“This night is celebrating people in our community (and area) that have special needs,” said Clayton Whitson, operations pastor at Faith Church. “It’s nationally sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Fort Scott Nazarene Church was approved to host earlier this year.”
Michele Hudiberg is also a contact person for the event.
“Normally, this is a huge prom night experience with red carpet, paparazzi, great food, etc,” he said. ” Due to COVID and the health of this at-risk population, the foundation has opted to do a virtual experience this year, but we hope to continue this exceptional event year after year.”
How one can help with the event:
1. Share information – the date of the national virtual experience is Feb 12, 2021. The plan is to make this an annual event.
web: https://fsnighttoshine.wixsite.com/home
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FSNightToShine

 

2. Invite Honored Guests: The event is open to anyone in SEK with special needs and over the age of 14. They will receive an “at home virtual experience kit” this year and will be on the list of invitees for years to come.

To register:  https://forms.gle/DwvmUmqNR7aSdSdH7

3. Be a volunteer and/or financial sponsor: It will take a large team to build this event for years to come.

To volunteer: https://forms.gle/2pkkrYd7SRVawM1PA

Corporate Sponsors: Please email, [email protected]
K-State Extension

Corn Marketing Workshop

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Program Announcement

Event: “Winning The Game” Corn Marketing Workshop,

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 in Neosho County Fairground Community Building, Corner of N Woods & W Girard St. in Erie, Kansas from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

K-State Research and Extension presents “Winning-The-Game” Corn Marketing Workshop to be held Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at the Neosho County Fairground Community Building in Erie, Kansas from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. This corn marketing workshop will focus on developing pre-harvest marketing strategies for the 2021 Kansas Corn crop. The emphasis will be on using cost of production and seasonal price trend tendencies to develop seasonally flexible 2021 corn marketing plans for Kansas farmers. A variety of marketing tools will be used in the workshop including forward, basis and hedge-to-arrive contracts, short futures hedges, and put/call options.

Instructors for the workshop are Mark Nelson, Director of Commodities for the Kansas Farm Bureau, and Daniel O’Brien, Extension Agricultural Economist, Kansas State University. Preregister by contacting any of the following Wildcat or Southwind Extension District offices; Girard (620-784-8233) or Erie (620-224-3826). Pre-registration cost is $0, but there will be a $5 registration fee at the door. Attendance is limited to the first 40 registrants to be within COVID-19 safety guidelines. The workshop series is sponsored by Kansas Farm Bureau, and the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center. Local sponsors for the Erie workshop include: Frontier Farm Credit, Community National Bank, and Home Savings Bank.

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K – State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Government, Kansas

Kansas Capital Investment Milestone

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces $2 Billion in New Capital Investment in 2020

~Governor Kelly Celebrates Capital Investment Milestone at Plastikon Healthcare in Lawrence, Whose New Expansion Will Create 40 jobs~

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that the State of Kansas has officially surpassed $2 billion in new capital investment in 2020. This investment is brought by new economic development projects driven by Governor Kelly’s administration and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

“The arrival of COVID-19 threatened to undermine the significant progress my administration has made to rebuild Kansas’ economic development recruitment efforts,” Governor Kelly said. “But with the assistance of Secretary David Toland and the dedicated team at the Department of Commerce, we have continued to bring in new projects or grow existing businesses. This significant milestone in investment illustrates our strong momentum, which will allow us to continue creating jobs and strengthening our state’s economic foundation.”

As of Tuesday, Governor Kelly’s administration has closed 86 projects in 2020, worth nearly $2.15 billion in capital investment and creating more than 8,100 jobs. Since Governor Kelly has been in office, her administration has closed 179 projects worth more than $3.47 billion in capital investment and which promise to create nearly 19,000 jobs.

“This achievement would have been impossible without the hard work and dedication of our team at the Department of Commerce,” Secretary Toland said. “We have the best economic development team in the country thanks to Governor Kelly’s commitment to rebuilding this agency and her belief in smart, transparent economic development. Expect much more from Commerce – we’re not slowing down.”

To celebrate the investment numbers, Governor Kelly and Secretary Toland today visited and toured Plastikon Healthcare in Lawrence.

The company, a plastic and contract manufacturer, recently expanded its facility to produce test tubes for COVID-19 testing. The expansion will bring nearly $6 million in capital investment to Kansas and create about 40 jobs.

“Plastikon is an innovative, forward-thinking company with a strong record of responding quickly and efficiently to pressing health care needs,” Governor Kelly said. “Its ability to incorporate new technologies will aid the state in the production of much-needed testing supplies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep our businesses and schools open. I thank them for their dedication to our state.”

Capital Investment Highlights:

The Plastikon expansion joins the ranks of approximately 86 new economic development projects completed across the state this year, including:

  • Urban Outfitters, Inc., whose new 880,000-square-foot omnichannel distribution center in Wyandotte County will create up to 2,000 new jobs and invest over $400 million in Kansas over the next several years;
  • Amazon’s two new fulfillment centers in Kansas City, Kansas, and Park City, which will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs;
  • Great Plains Manufacturing’s new manufacturing facility in Salina, which will result in more than $43 million in capital investment and create 130 full-time jobs;
  • The new Nor-Am Cold Storage facility in Dodge City, which will bring 90 new full-time jobs and $30 million in capital investment;
  • And the new Peerless Products production facility in Iola, which will create up to 120 new full-time jobs with a capital investment of $10.35 million

A full list of Commerce business successes can be found on the Department’s website.

The below photos are available for media use:

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG_0591.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG_0592.jpg

https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IMG_0593.jpg

Government, Kansas

Flags At Half Staff

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Governor Laura Kelly Orders Flags to be Flown at Half-staff in Honor of Deputy Corporal Daniel Abramovitz

TOPEKA –In accordance with Executive Order 20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff on Thursday, November 12, 2020 until sunset in honor of Leavenworth County Deputy Corporal Daniel Abramovitz.

“Deputy Corporal Abramovitz lost his life in the line of duty after serving and protecting his community for 26 years,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to his family and colleagues at the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office. On behalf of the state of Kansas, we are grateful for the ultimate sacrifice Deputy Abramovitz has made for his community and the state.”

To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit: https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honors.

Government, Kansas

Election Fraud Protection Bill To Be Introduced to Kansas Senate

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SENATOR HILDERBRAND ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE PLANS TO INTRODUCE ELECTION FRAUD PROTECTION BILL

TOPEKA, KS – Kansas State Senator Richard Hilderbrand (R-13) says he will waste no time introducing an election fraud protection bill to the Kansas Senate once the 2021 session begins in January.

At issue is what election officials call DRE’s, or direct-recording electronic machines, which do not produce an individual paper record for each vote cast. Despite national criticism and legal action, the machines are still being used in some Kansas counties. Senator Hilderbrand’s bill would make the use of DRE’s illegal in Kansas.

“The fact that DRE’s are extremely vulnerable to fraud is not a question,” explains Hilderbrand, “Experts unilaterally agree they are bad practice, but Kansas is moving way too slowly in upgrading machines. Protecting our election process is understandably of the utmost importance to Kansas voters.”

A Kansas law passed in 2018 required any Kansas voting system purchased, leased or rented in the future to provide a paper record of each vote cast. However, the statute didn’t mandate upgrading existing DRE systems. Senator Hilderbrand’s bill would ensure Kansans would not experience an election doubting the validity of results based on vulnerable technology, which is happening now in other states.

“As I stated during a committee hearing on this topic last year, ‘If an electronic voting system is connected to the internet or has wireless connectivity technology, it can be hacked. Even machines not connected to the Internet are hackable through compromised memory cards used to set up the voting machine before each specific election or remote access software or a miscalibration of the DRE. If the results of an election with paper ballots is questioned, the election results can be verified by doing an audit or recount of the paper ballots. If the results of an election using electronic system without a paper trail is contested, you can only say, trust me the results are accurate.’ My testimony holds true today and given the controversy going on in other states, Kansas voters deserve to remain confident in our country’s most cherished democratic process,” Hilderbrand concluded.

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Bourbon County Local News