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.
Child Care Providers Grants Announced
Governor Laura Kelly Announces $160 Million to Support Child Care Providers in Kansas
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced $160 million in grants available for child care providers in Kansas. The third round of Child Care Sustainability Grants will aid child care providers in meeting the costs of operating their businesses through the remaining impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we grow the economy, these grants will provide the continued support our child care facilities need to stay open and ensure that Kansas families have access to safe, quality child care.” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This support will help our child care facilities, it will help Kansas parents, and it will help our economy.”
Qualifying child care providers are guaranteed nine months of payments ranging from $1,800 per month for family child care programs to $18,000 per month for large centers. In addition, the providers will be eligible for an additional five months of funding either in the same amount or more, depending on the utilization of the grants during the first nine months.
“When Covid-19 hit, we were so thankful that we were still able to be open and be there for our parents and the children who needed a safe and familiar place to go,” said Kristele Blessings, Precious Blessings Development Center. “During that time, we as a small business took a hit when some of our parents weren’t able to work due to the pandemic and we lost some of our expected income.
“These grants have afforded us the ability to provide child care in the safest and most precautious way for our staff, children, and parents,” she continued.
Precious Blessings Development Center received $20,000 in grants from the first two cycles. It is located in Topeka.
“As their businesses continue to recover from drop in classroom sizes, delayed capital improvements, and unexpected expenses for sanitization and personal protection equipment, child care providers can use the grant dollars how they need it most,” Department of Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard said. “These grants offer great flexibility to fulfill the needs of the providers.”
The grant program will be administered by Child Care Aware of Kansas. The grant application is available starting March 1 at www.ks.childcareaware.org. Applications are accepted until Nov. 30, 2022. Grant dollars may be used for personnel costs, rent/mortgage, utilities, personal protective equipment, goods or services, purchases of or updates to equipment and supplies, and mental health supports.
“Financial support from these grants represent an unprecedented investment in the stabilization of our existing child care infrastructure, ensuring that parents have a safe, nurturing environment for their young children,” said Kelly Davydov, Executive Director of Child Care Aware of Kansas. “These funds are critical to ensuring that child care businesses are able to keep paying staff, even when enrollment fluctuates due to illness. They also allow child care programs to absorb the increased cost of essential supplies, like food and personal protective equipment.”
To be considered for funding, newly licensed or established child care programs must maintain an active permanent license with Kansas Department of Health and Environment, whether they remain open or temporarily closed. Funds may be used for any normal operational expenses, additional expenses the child care program has due to meeting CDC guidance for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and other activities necessary to maintain or resume the operation of programs.
Qualifying child care providers in Kansas are encouraged to apply at www.ks.childcareaware.org.
Round 1 and 2 of the Child Care Sustainability Grants provided $97 million in support to Kansas child care providers. Child Care Aware of Kansas estimates that nearly 211,000 children were impacted by the grants.
Round no. 1: $49.5 million
Round no. 2: $47.5 million
KS Gas Service Allowed to Recover Last Winter’s Gas Costs
KCC approves settlement agreement allowing Kansas Gas Service to recover last winter’s gas costs from third-party marketers and certain large transportation customers
TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has approved a settlement agreement outlining how Kansas Gas Service (KGS) will recover costs incurred to meet the demand of the company’s transportation customers during last February’s winter storm. Unlike sales customers, who contract directly with KGS for gas, transportation customers purchase gas from gas producers or through a gas marketer. The purchased gas is then provided to KGS and delivered through KGS pipelines to transportation customers. Examples of transportation customers include some municipal utilities, businesses, schools, and churches.
What is normally a straightforward transaction was complicated by the high demand and limited supplies during the winter storm. Some gas marketers did not provide adequate gas to KGS in order to ensure uninterrupted service to transportation customers threatening the integrity of KGS’s entire system. Under an emergency order from the KCC designed to protect the health and safety of Kansans, KGS was obligated to make up the difference to ensure gas was available to all customers, including transportation customers.
Under the settlement agreement, KGS will recover approximately $52 million of the $58 million of calculated supply shortfalls in the negotiated gas cost penalty payments from marketers and transportation customers. Due to the extraordinary costs from the winter storm, KGS also requested a waiver from a provision in its tariff that would have allowed a multiplier penalty to be applied to the amount owed. The Commission granted the waiver. In the absence of the waiver, penalties could have been as much as $888 million, potentially sending many entities into bankruptcy and resulting in great harm to the State’s economy.
Had KGS been unable to recover costs from marketers and transportation customers, those costs would have fallen to residential and small commercial customers. The settlement also avoids costly litigation and further delays.
Today’s order makes clear that the Commission’s decision to waive penalties is not to be viewed as precedential and not to assume penalties will be waived again if a similar situation occurs in the future. In addition, the order states that any proceeds received by KGS from ongoing federal or state investigations into market manipulation, price gouging or civil suits will be passed on to customers.
Today’s order is available at: http://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx?Id=6378bf46-4736-4fc7-bbfb-47a48bba916d
A recording of today’s Business Meeting featuring comments by Commissioners on this order, is available on the KCC YouTube channel.
Obituary of Dustin Johnson
Dustin James Johnson, age 37, died Sunday, February 27, 2022. He was born on April 4, 1984 in Fort Scott, Kansas the son of Randy and Bobbie Francis Johnson.
He graduated from Uniontown High School. He served his country in the United States Navy.
Dustin was employed as a maintenance supervisor with Seats Incorporated, Spring Hill, Kansas. He attended the Pleasanton Church of the Nazarene.
There was not a thing Dustin couldn’t build or fix. He worked with wood, constructed solar panels, and fixed or rebuilt engines. He was “handy” in every sense of the word.
He liked shooting pool, two-stepping, collecting and shooting guns and was learning to play guitar.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Glenn Francis and Billie Wilson, and paternal grandfather, Ed Johnson.
Dustin is survived by his mother, Bobbie Brown and husband Howard; father, Randy Johnson; children, Tristin and Adrianna; brother, Glenn Johnson and wife Michell; niece, Adeline; nephew, Cooper, stepbrother Shannon Brown; stepsister, Leslie Doering, and several cousins that were more like siblings.
Graveside funeral service will be held 2 pm Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the Wesley Chapel Cemetery.
A visitation and gathering will be held after the graveside from 3:30 to 5 pm at the Pleasanton Nazarene Church.
Contributions are suggested the Uniontown High School FFA or Wounded Warrior Project. Online condolences can be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com.
KOMB Radion Auction Today And Tomorrow
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Labor/Housing and Retail Studies To Be Conducted By Bourbon County Eco Devo
There is a shortage of workers and also quality housing in the county.
The Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) organization is working to address that problem.
“We are conducting a labor and housing study that will be used to help create programs that will allow REDI to help our current employers and the communities within Bourbon County to attract people,” Robert Harrington, director of REDI said.
“We know that there is a shortage of workers and quality housing within our county,” he said. “We are hopeful that after these reports are published we will get a lot of information that we can use to help find solutions for both issues.”
Looking for Retailers That are Needed
REDI is also facilitating a retail survey at the same time.
“We will use (this study) to help give us an idea of what new retailers the citizens of Bourbon County would like to see and the information we would need to attract such retailers,” he said.
The retail survey can be viewed at:
REDI Consultants Conduct Interviews, Send Surveys
REDI recently hired Goldstone Consulting, Moberly, Missouri, and O’Brian and Associates, Joplin, Missouri, who will be conducting the interviews and putting together the studies after they accumulate all of the information, he said.
“They will also be giving the REDI Board a strategic plan based on the data we receive,” he said REDI is paying for the study
“The consultants that we hired will be conducting interviews with several of our business owners in the upcoming months as well as surveys being sent out to Chamber members and citizens across the county,” Harrington said.
“We are also hopeful that we will be able to send these same surveys out to students in the two high schools and the community college so that we can get a perspective of our younger generation on their needs and wants as well as hopefully entice them to stay and live and work here at home,” he said.
“The studies are being paid for by Bourbon County REDI and the results will be given to my board of directors by August of this year,” he said.
