Fort Scott

Alene Jolly Retires After 40 Years at Tri-Valley

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Tri-Valley Developmental Services is located at 4305 Campbell Drive in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park.

Alene Jolly is retiring from Tri-Valley Developmental Services after 40 years. Her last day is Friday, Feb. 12.

 

Alene Jolly. Submitted photo.

Through those years Jolly has done transportation of clients, worked at the service center, was a case manager, worked at residential services, and most currently, the program director in Fort Scott.

 

She has tried to provide individuals that receive services involvement in the community, “to add value to their lives and provide services, too.”

 

Tri-Valley empowers people with disabilities to realize their potential as full citizens in the community, by supporting them in working and living in the place they call home, according to the company’s website.

 

Currently, Tri-Valley in Fort Scott has close to 40 employees and 30 individuals they provide services to.

 

For Jolly, the best part of the job was seeing the individuals that she worked with having joy when they accomplished a task.

 

“It puts warm fuzzies in your heart,” she said.

 

Tri-Valley opened in 1975 and Jolly has been with the company since 1980.  Through the years she has seen people’s attitudes change towards developmentally disabled in the community, she said.

 

“There is more acceptance, especially of the individuals having jobs in the community,” Jolly said.

 

Mary Davis, a former co-worker of 25 years, said of Jolly, “She is a very capable, intelligent, dedicated person. She can do about anything that needs doing.”

 

Jolly thinks it is time to start a new chapter in her life.

 

“I’m going to do a little this, a little that,” she said. “Travel, crafts, gardening…things I have put on the back burner.”

 

Fort Scott, Government

FS City Commission Special Meeting Feb. 11

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The City Commission will meet for a special meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 11th, 2021 at City Hall in the City Commission meeting room at 123 South Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. The City Commission will meet to consider approval of waterline material bids and consideration of Change Order #1 for the Sanitary Sewer Cleaning and Video Inspection Services.

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

Government, Health Care, Kansas

Kansas Governor’s Council on Fitness and KDHE Announce Four New Council Members

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Editors note: Local resident, Jody Hoener, serves on this council.

TOPEKA – The Kansas Governor’s Council on Fitness and Kansas Department of Health and Environment are pleased to announce the appointment of four new board members, Callie Dyer, Travis Rickford, Becky Tuttle and Judy Works for a three-year term starting in 2021.

“We welcome our newest members to the Council and are excited to have them join this dedicated team of leaders who are committed to improving health in Kansas,” said Miranda Steele, Council Chair. “The Council’s mission is to encourage increased physical activity, nutrition and tobacco use prevention, and we carry out this work through advisement and awareness activities in partnership with governments, businesses, schools and others to promote healthy lifestyles.”

Callie Dyer

Callie Dyer is the Executive Director of the Finney County Community Health Coalition, Inc. Dyer was recently elected to the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition Board of Director’s. She serves as an Advisory Council member for the Social Emotional Learning Council and the Wellness Committee for USD 457. Dyer is active in WorkWell Kansas and works with local employers to get involved and practice WorkWell Kansas wellness plans.

Travis Rickford

Travis Rickford is the Executive Director of LiveWell Northwest Kansas where he creates, manages and leads initiatives to address issues related to health and early childhood development for 15 counties in Northwest Kansas. During the past 14 years, Rickford has worked with urban, rural and frontier counties, communities and neighborhoods to identify and implement initiatives that improve the quality of life. He was an active participant in the healthy communities movement in Kansas and has worked extensively with community stakeholders to build an infrastructure that supported opportunities to be physically active, have access to fresh produce and live in tobacco-free environments.

Becky Tuttle

Becky Tuttle serves as the District II City of Wichita Council Member. She has more than 25 years of professional experience engaging community partners through grassroots local coalition efforts focusing on tobacco, physical activity, healthy eating, oral health, fetal infant mortality and worksite wellness. Most Tuttle’s experience has focused on policy and environmental changes to improve the health of communities. Tuttle has a passion for promoting physical activity and good nutrition for every generation to come.

Judy Works

Judy Works is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at KS HealthWorks, PA in Iola. Throughout her professional career she has always promoted healthy lifestyles with individual patients. Five years ago, she started the Monarch HealthWorks program that strives to implement change to promote a healthy workplace environment and improve workplace wellness. Works received the Governor’s Council on Fitness 2019 Organizational Kansas Health Champion Award for exceptional efforts to model, promote and encourage health and fitness in the workplace.

The 2021 Council members are: Chair, Miranda Steele, MPA, MHSA; Vice Chair, Christi Smith, MBA, of Family Preservation for Kansas City; Amy Penrod of Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services; Brandon Skidmore of Sunflower Foundation; Candice McField of Candice McField Fitness; Erik Sartorius, of League of Kansas Municipalities; Jeff A. Usher, of Kansas Health Foundation; Jennifer Bruning, of Kansas State Alliance of YMCAs; Jody Hoener of Bourbon County; Joyce Ellis, PhD, of Fort Hays State University; Kat Wurzer of GetFIT, Inc; Katie Schoenhoff, of United Methodist Health Ministry Fund; Secretary Lee Norman, MD, of Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Mark Thompson, PhD, of Kansas Department of Education; Mary Tritsch, of AARP Kansas; Matt Messina, of Kansas Department of Transportation; Wyatt Thompson, PLA, ASLA, CPSI, of Manhattan Parks and Recreation.

About the Kansas Governor’s Council on Fitness

The purpose of the Governor’s Council on Fitness is to advise the Governor and others on ways to enhance the health of all Kansans through promotion of physical activity, good dietary choices, prevention of tobacco use and to promote the improvement of the health of Kansans through the following:

  • Encourage the exchange of information about physical activity, healthy diets and tobacco use prevention and cessation.
  • Create private and public sector support for physical activity, good nutrition and tobacco use prevention.
  • Manage a statewide awards program to recognize communities and organizations demonstrating significant support for physical activity, good nutrition and tobacco use prevention.

To learn more about Kansas Governor’s Council on fitness visit www.kansasfitness.org/ and like Kansas Governor’s Council on Fitness on Facebook www.facebook.com/GetActiveKansas/.

Bourbon County, Schools, Sports

UHS BASKETBALL GAME 13 RESULTS vs. Oswego 2/5/21

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Adelay Martin. Submitted photo.

Both Uniontown Eagles Varsity teams won their games against the Oswego Indians on Friday night.

The Lady Eagles won their game 62-31. Danielle Howard once more led the team in points, garnering 27 during the game. She also had 4 assists and 8 steals. Karleigh Schoenberger followed with 22 points and 4 steals. Gwenyth Fry had 6 rebounds, and Sammie Hampton had 3 steals.

“It was a nice win on the road tonight,” said Coach Miller. “We plan on carrying this momentum into next week, where we will play three league games. We will enjoy the win for the evening and get back to work on Monday for a road trip to Marmaton Valley.”

The boys’ Varsity team also defeated Oswego with a score of 62-34. Jake Harvey led with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. Clay Sutterby followed with 11 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists. Cade Goodridge scored 10 points, and Dawson Dreisbach had 7 rebounds.

“I thought our team played very well against Oswego Friday night,” Coach Hays said. “We were able to get good looks against their zone, and defensively, we were very active. We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from deep and the free throw line, but we did score 42 points in the paint. We out-rebounded them 36-20. When you win the battle in the paint, more often than not you will come out on top. I’m proud of the boys and how we are progressing.”

-Adelay Martin, UHS Sports Media Reporter

Opinion

Pretty Is A Pretty Does

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Carolyn Tucker. Submitted photo.

Keys to the Kingdom

Carolyn Tucker

 

If I had a nickel for every time I heard my Mom tell me, “Pretty is as pretty does,” I could buy a Big Mac or some Belgian truffles. Even though she’s been gone several years, her words of wisdom still resound in my soul. Recently, I was visiting with a Missouri cousin and this particular quote came out of my mouth. This relative had heard that expression before, but had never really thought about the meaning. So I explained it in a straight-shooting manner and he said, “That makes sense.” My sweet cousin Danny is a perfect example of this saying when I exchange “pretty“ for “handsome.”

How you act and what you do is what makes you truly pretty, not your appearance. A gal can be pretty, but she is only (as good, kind, etc.) as she does. An individual with exemplary character, ethics, and integrity is more important than good looks. Just because a person is physically pleasing on the outside doesn’t guarantee he/she is pretty on the inside. If our actions, attitudes, and behaviors are ugly, it doesn’t matter how gorgeous we are on the outside! Our words and deeds continuously speak for themselves because what‘s on the inside will certainly find its way to the outside — for good or bad.

Jesus was batting a thousand with His point-blank sermon. He criticized the religious leaders by telling them that religious appearance is not enough. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy — full of greed and self-indulgence“ (Matthew 23:25,26 NLT). The religious leaders were only concerned with outward appearances and neglected inward purity and loving others. Jesus instructed them to clean the inside of the cup and dish first, and then the outside will follow suit.

Jesus boldly told the crowds and His disciples not to follow the example of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees. Why? Because they didn’t practice what they preached. In fact, Jesus said that everything they did was for show. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs — beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:27,28 NLT).

In the book of 1 Samuel Chapter 25, Abigail is a beautiful woman with brains married to nincompoop Nabal. When David’s men kindly asked Nabal for provisions, he foolishly refused, insulting the most powerful man in the region. When Abigail wisely intervened and brought a caravan of food and gifts to David and his 600 men, she fell to the ground at his feet. She made one of the longest speeches by a woman recorded in the Bible. God used her humble words and prudent actions to save many lives. After her scoundrel husband died, she later became David’s wife. Abigail was pretty on the outside, but she is remembered as one of the great peacemakers because she was pretty on the inside.

“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT).

The Key: Live your life inside-out to get to the heart of the matter.

Fort Scott, Schools, Sports

Tiger Swimmers Compete

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The Fort Scott High School Swim Team, Feb. 4, 2021

Last week the Fort Scott High School  Boys Swim Team competed at Coffeyville on Tuesday.

  Oliver Witt took 1st in both the 500 Free and the 50 Free.  He swam a state consideration time in the 50.

Bobby Kemmerer took 1st in both the 100 Free and the 100 Back, swimming a state consideration time in the 100 Free.

  Sam Mix took 2nd in both the 50 Free and the 100 Breast.

The boys also were able to swim in the 400 Free Relay placing 1st as an exhibition team.

On Thursday, the Tiger Swimmers traveled to Hutchinson to compete in the Buhler High School meet.

Oliver took 1st in the 200 Free and 4th in the 100 Butterfly.

Sam took 3rd in the 50 Free and Bobby took 2nd in the 100 Free and 4th in the Breast.

Next week the boys will be preparing for their last regular-season competition, the League Meet in Osawatomie.  This will be the last opportunity for earning State Qualifying times.  The 5A-1A State Swim Meet will be on Saturday, February 21st in Shawnee Mission.

Submitted by Coach Angie Kemmerer

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Understanding Seed Catalog Lingo

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Krista Harding
District Extension Agent, Horticulture
Southwind Extension District
111 S. Butler
Erie, KS 66733
Office: 620-244-3826
Cell: 620-496-8786

 

Even though the calendar says that we are only half-way through winter, the seed catalogs are telling us spring is just around the corner by the number of mailings they are sending out. I think I have already received six or seven!

I thoroughly enjoy flipping through the catalogs and planning what new plants I want to try this year. I’m sure many of you do the exactly the same. But do you understand all of the terminology that you see in seed catalogs? A clear understanding of the lingo used in the catalogs is needed so that you can be the most successful with your plantings.

When shopping for perennials, you will encounter the term “hardiness zone”. The United States (lower 48) is broken up into 8 hardiness zones based upon the lowest average winter temperature for the area. Southeast Kansas is located in zone 6. Knowing what zone your garden is in and seeing what zone the plant is hardy to will help you pick plants that will survive the winter. However, keep in mind that your individual planting areas might include a “microclimate.” A microclimate is an area that the soil, moisture, humidity, heat, wind or other conditions affect the viability of individual plants. So think about your planting site before ordering.

If you are looking at tomatoes, you will probably see the words determinant and indeterminate. These words refer to how large the plants get and how they grow. Determinant types tend to stay more compact and bushy. These are best suited for a smaller garden. Indeterminate types tend to get tall and just keep getting taller over the summer. If you want a tall plant to impress your neighbor, this is the one!

“Days to harvest” refers to the average number of days it usually takes after you set out transplants before you can expect your first harvest. This is highly variable and just because you count back the right number of days from the Fourth of July, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have ripe tomatoes by then. I have a friend that ordered in an array of sunflower seeds last year in preparation for a September wedding. The “days to harvest” was supposed to be around 70-75 days. So, she counted back from the wedding date and planted accordingly. Unfortunately, they bloomed about day 52 thanks to high heat! It just goes to show us that Mother Nature always wins regardless of our planning.

Terms such as AAS (All American Selections) and Perennial Plant of the Year, indicate that those varieties have been trialed for many years in trial gardens through the United States and have been shown to be outstanding performers. They are often worthy of a place in the garden.

Looking for plants that have disease tolerance or disease resistance is good. But the two terms have different meanings. A plant listed as disease tolerant will probably get a disease common to the plant, but it may not be so bad that treatment is needed. The disease probably won’t affect the appearance much. Disease resistance means the plant has been bred to resist common disease problems and will probably not get the disease. One of the best examples of this is in roses. Some roses will be listed as disease resistant to black spot and then some will be listed as disease tolerant to black spot.

Seed catalogs can be somewhat overwhelming. But if you do your homework and know the lingo, you will be able to pick out the best suited plants for your garden.

If you have questions on variety selection as you browse through your catalogs, please contact me. I would be happy to visit with you.

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda For Feb. 9

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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: February 9, 2021

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Clifton Beth 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.

Call to Order

 

  • Flag Salute
  • Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
  • Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
  • Bobby Reed – Bourbon County Fair Association
  • Cereal Malt Beverage License
  • Corrected Fence Viewing from 1990
  • County Counselor Comment
  • Public Comment
  • Commission Comment
Government, Kansas

Application For Paycheck Protection Program Reopens

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Governor Kelly announces the Federal Paycheck Protection Program Reopens Applications for Forgivable Loans

TOPEKA – With the launch of 2021 Coronavirus relief programs, Governor Kelly today announced Kansans can begin submitting applications to the 2021 Federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for forgivable loans to small businesses.

“Kansas small businesses have been among those hardest hit by COVID-19,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Paycheck Protection Program is integral to keeping our state on the path to recovery. This is a good step forward, but we know the need for relief is great – and I will continue to push for additional stimulus funding to support Kansas’ economic recovery.”

Led by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Treasury Department, the PPP is a federally administered program providing loans to small businesses to cover payroll expenses. The SBA began accepting applications through Community Financial Institutions on January 11 and through all other financial institutions on January 19, with applications accepted through March 31.

“In the past year, the Paycheck Protection Program offered federal support to tens of thousands of Kansas small businesses, but we understand that the need is still great,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “This program exists to put federal dollars in the hands of small business owners who need them most. I would encourage Kansas small business owners to apply for this program to get more resources as our state continues to grow and recover from this enormous challenge.”

During the 2020 distribution of PPP money, 54,000 small businesses in Kansas received $5 billion in funding. The 2021 PPP aims to make the program more attractive for small businesses and target the worst impacted industries through the following changes:

  • Forgiveness has been simplified for borrowers of $150 thousand or less, with self-certification option to attest funds are spent appropriately
  • Hospitality businesses, including hotels and restaurants, are eligible for an increased loan total (3.5x monthly payroll)
  • Eligible expenses paid for with forgiven PPP loans may now be deducted on taxes for 2020 and 2021 & employers are now eligible for the Employee Retention Tax Credit even after taking PPP funds (reverses earlier guidance from IRS)
  • Employers no longer must deduct Economic Injury Disaster Loans from their PPP loan total (EIDL program was refunded with an additional $40B too)
  • Additional categories are now eligible as non-payroll expenses (up to 40% of total loan amount), with operational expenses (including software, cloud services, accounting services, etc.), supplier costs, damage from social unrest, and worker protection expenses
  • Additional groups are eligible for loans, including 501(c)(6)s, housing cooperatives, and direct marketing organizations

Under the new program, $234 billion are available with $12 billion earmarked for businesses in low-income & minority communities, as well as $15 billion in grants dedicated to live entertainment venues. Through Community Financial Institutions, the SBA hopes to encourage greater access to PPP funds. Businesses that have not received PPP funds previously are eligible for loans up to $10 million if they have 500 or fewer employees. Businesses that received PPP funds during the first round are eligible for up to $2 million in funding if they have 300 or fewer employees.

Information on where and how to apply can be found here.

Additional Resources:

  • Information on Community Financial Institutions can be found here.
  • Further general information on loans can be found here.
  • Further questions can be directed to the Kansas Department of Commerce here.

Bourbon County Local News