Thursday. January 14. American Legion Auxiliary Unit 25 meets at 6 PM in Memorial Hall.
Thursday. January 14. American Legion Post 25 Color Guard meets at 7:15 PM in Memorial Hall.
Saturday. January 30. American Legion Riders Chapter 25 meets at 10 AM in Memorial Hall.
I have attached the current National American Legion Membership Impact Report and the State Adjutant’s Letter. Both articles have items of interest to the Kansas American Legion family.
Anyone interested in joining the Fort Scott American Legion Family should contact Post 25 Commander Carl Jowers at 620-215-1688. Our mission is supporting Veterans and their families.
Fort Scott Community College offers adult education classes to assist students in GED preparation, basic math and reading skills, employment skills, and college preparation and transition. Individuals who have completed the adult education classes will have the opportunity to earn a GED, Basic Computer Skills certificate, and the Kansas Work Ready certificate.
Adult education classes are open to students ages 16 and older. Students who are under 18 must have a Parental Waiver for Compulsory Attendance to attend class; the form can be obtained from the last school district the student attended.
Attendance is mandatory all days of orientation. Class times are Monday through Thursday from 9 am – 12 pm, 1 – 4 pm, and 4 – 7 pm. The adult education center is located in the Student Success Center in Bailey Hall.
Based on the results of your assessment during orientation, staff members will develop an individualized plan to help you achieve your goals. In order to be eligible to take the GED examination, you must have completed all of the adult education class requirements, passed all required exams, and have a valid government issued photo identification card.
The cost for the class is $30 and includes the ACCUPLACER college entrance exam, Northstar Digital Literacy Certification, WorkKeys Employment Skills Test, TABE assessment, and one GED Ready Practice Test. GED testing fees are not included in the class fee. The GED test fees are $33 per subject (Math, Reasoning Through Language Arts, Science, Social Studies) which can be taken and paid for separately; due when you register for the test.
Upon successful completion of the examination, the student will be issued a diploma by the Kansas State Department of Education.
I am currently trying to build back my face-to-face classroom but I also offer online classes. These classes could be for students lacking a diploma OR for anyone needing to review their basic reading and/or math skills. I have had students take my class to prepare better for college entrance, to qualify for a program such as KansasWorks, or to even just learn how to use a computer and brush up on technology skills. Students CAN enroll in the ABE class if they lack basic skills, even if they have a HS diploma or GED.
I am accepting students that are ready to learn. They would just need to contact me to schedule an appointment to fill out paperwork and take the TABE pre-assessment. I will be accepting new students for 2-3 weeks. If students are not ready to start right away, our next orientation will be in March. If you know someone that is interested, please send them my way.
The City Commission will meet for a special meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 14th, 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 financial transfers and to consider a Bourbon County contract. Also added to the special meeting is an Executive Session to discuss non-elected personnel.
This meeting will be broadcast on the City’s You tube channel. This meeting is open to the public.
Lindsay Madison, standing on right, addresses the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Meet and Greet on Jan. 12, 2021.
Business owners and others interested in downtown Fort Scott, met Jan. 12 in the future walk-in freezer space at E3 Ranch and Co. store at 13 S. National Ave.
E3 Ranch and Co. 13 S. National Avenue. Oct. 2020
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet was hosted by E3 Ranch and Co.
E3 owner Jennifer LaRoche said the room “will be full of the walk-in freezer and meat products” soon. In addition, the storefront of the business will be redone, she said.
The other storefront business spaces at the corner of Wall Street and National Avenue “we are chipping away at construction,” she said.
There are two spaces on National Avenue and one on Wall Street available for retail space, Laroche said.
For more information contact LaRoche at the E3 Ranch store at 13 S. National or Common Ground Coffee Co. around the corner on Wall Street she said.
Business news
Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
There are three new businesses this calendar quarter in the downtown area, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison said.
“Next week the Star Emporium is opening on Main Street,” Madison said. “Laree + Co is at Wall and National and H Bar Suites is a new vacation rental on VRBO, above the Hole in the Wall Liquor Store on Wall Street.”
Low-interest loans are available for businesses, Madison said.
E-Community Loans are available locally and can be applied for at www.networkingkansas.com, she said.
She said a Youth Entrepreneur Challenge is on for all high school students in Bourbon County. “They must put together a business plan and compete,” Madison said.
Some of those in attendance were given an opportunity to speak.
Fort Scott Interim City Manager Jeff Hancock said candidates for the city manager position have been narrowed down.
The newly reorganized city commission, with Josh Jones as mayor, will work on capital improvements, street improvements, will be sharing “business services” with the Bourbon County Commission, and working on Land Bank possibilities, Hancock said.
Fort Scott’s Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said the city has “come a long way” and noted that Diane Striler recently purchased the old Rennett Studio on North Main street, additionally the recently completed Union Lofts apartments on Main Street have 10 of the 25 apartments rented. There are two barbers who plan to open businesses downtown, she said.
Carl Brenner, Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management at Fort Scott National Historic Site, said the fort is doing maintenance projects on seven buildings currently. These are paid for by park user fees, he said.
Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the fort employees have been utilizing online capabilities more. In-person tours are still available and they are planning to have school student visitors at the fort in the near future.
Dacia Clark, Small Business Development Center representative, spoke about the partnership with Bourbon County Workforce and Entrepreneur Resource Center, which is located above the new Star Emporium Storefront at 17 S. Main. Her hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Clark can help new businesses get started and marketing plans for established ones. She can also help with Quickbooks for organizing data.
Beth Nuss spoke on behalf of the Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes Park. She and a citizen committee have worked for several years on the greenspace repurposing. Recently Lowell Milken is providing funds to bring the new park to fruition, and “the goal is to have it done by the all-school reunion in (June 2021),” she said.
Madison said the downtown walking trail, a project of LEAD Bourbon County, is slated for completion by April 1, 2021. The project was funded by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.
Madison said a sailor remains are being returned to Fort Scott for burial at the national cemetery on May 29. William Barnett was 21 when he died at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in World War II. She wondered if there were any living relatives who would be interested in the event. Cheney-Witt Funeral Chapel owner Jerry Witt who attended the meet and greet, said Barnett was his second cousin.
The Eagles came back from winter break with three wins against Northeast Arma. The JV girls fought hard, but lost 15-18. The JV boys won with a score of 39-28.
The Varsity girls beat the Vikings 50-34 on Tuesday. The team was 100% from the free throw line, with Danielle Howard, Karleigh Schoenberger, and Sammie Hampton each making all of their free throws. They also lead the team in points, scoring 12, 15, and 11 respectively. Howard and Schoenberger also led in rebounds, with 6 and 5. Howard also had 6 assists and 4 steals. Gwenyth Fry and Schoenberger each had 3 assists.
“It was good to get back to competing tonight,” said Coach Miller. “We were a little slow getting started, but the girls earned another league win. We hope to continue this trend as we travel to Altoona Midway on Friday for another league game.”
The Varsity boys also defeated Arma 57-30. Clay Sutterby lead the team in points, scoring 16, followed closely by Luke Perry and Cade Goodridge, who scored 11 and 10. Sutterby and Goodridge also had 6 and 7 rebounds, respectively, and Sutterby had 4 blocks. Luke and Drew Perry had 3 assists, and Drew also had 4 steals and took a charge. Freshman Byron Fry also took a charge in the last minutes of the game.
Coach Hays said about the game, “It felt great getting back on the court tonight after about a month off. Our JV got the night started off right with a win, and that carried over into the Varsity game. I thought we played with great energy and shared the ball well tonight. We were able to get the ball inside the paint and finish around the basket. Defensively, our help defense needs to improve, but overall I felt like we gave good effort on that end. We have to get ready for a scrappy Altoona team on Friday.”
A ribbon cutting was never held to celebrate their grand opening with the pandemic starting shortly after their opening, so we will celebrate their first anniversary!
Masks are strongly encouraged and masks will be available for those that need one.
Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting
Luther’s BBQ!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee and Ribbon Cutting ceremony this Thursday, January 14th at 8 a.m. to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Luther’s BBQ in the Downtown Historic District at 3 W. Oak St. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.
Owners Dave Lipe and Luther Saulsberry established the restaurant in December 2019 offering dine-in, carry-out, and full-service catering. The business has adapted to the pandemic through curbside ordering, pickup, and enhanced outdoor dining. The River Room Event Center, in the same building upstairs from Luther’s BBQ, is able to accommodate events up to 600 in occupancy. Although the year 2020 hasn’t been the optimum first year for opening a business, they are looking forward to 2021 for the restaurant and event center and welcome private parties and corporate events.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
for more information at (620) 223-3566 or visit fortscott.com.
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced her third budget recommendation. The fiscally responsible budget protects and invests in core services – like education, infrastructure, and economic development – while keeping Kansas on a path for economic growth.
“All Kansans benefit from good schools, a strong infrastructure, and access to affordable healthcare,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This fiscally responsible budget protects the critical resources, services, and programs Kansas communities and businesses need to recover and emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever.”
Governor Kelly’s budget protects Kansas public schools, includes funding to expand Medicaid and behavioral health services, allocates $37.5 million to modernize the state’s unemployment system, and maintains fiscal responsibility though a $600.9 million ending balance.
The Kelly budget accomplishes the following critical policy goals necessary to recover and rebuild from COVID-19 without any increases in individual or business income taxes:
Maintaining Fiscal Responsibility: The Governor’s proposed budget for FY 2022 protects critical public services while also stabilizing the state budget during a year of significant economic uncertainty. It leverages federal stimulus dollars and avoids any increases to income taxes for Kansas families and businesses. Due to the Governor’s fiscal leadership during her first term, this year’s recommendation maintains a healthy State General Fund ending balance of $600.9 million.
Continuing Record-Breaking Economic Growth: Despite the economic pressures of COVID-19, Kansas recorded more than $2.5 billion in new investment from businesses like Urban Outfitters, Amazon, and Great Plains Manufacturing. These deals, which will bring thousands of quality jobs to Kansas communities, were spurred by the Governor’s investments in rebuilding the Kansas Department of Commerce and its economic development tools. This budget protects these tools by supporting community development programs like the Kansas Main Street Program, protecting funding in the Economic Development Initiatives Fund, and allocating state dollars to hire experienced economic development staff to make Kansas an attractive place to grow a business.
Protecting Kansas K-12 Public Schools: In 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Kansas had enacted a plan fulfilling the state’s constitutional obligation to adequately and fairly fund public schools. The Governor fully funds this plan in the FY 2022 budget, putting Kansas on track to increase school funding by $388.1 million through FY 2023. This year, despite significant state fiscal challenges brought forth by the pandemic, the Governor has continued her commitment to public education in Kansas by protecting K-12 education funding for the FY 2022 and FY 2023.
Expanding Access to Affordable Healthcare and Behavioral Health Services: The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of access to affordable, quality healthcare in protecting the health of Kansans and keeping the state on the path of economic growth. The Governor’s recommendation includes $19 million to expand KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program. The budget also allocates $5 million in additional funding to the Mobile Response and Stabilization Services Program and $3 million for Family Crisis Response and Support services. These programs will expand behavioral health crisis response and triage services to Kansans across the state, including for justice-involved youth and children in foster care.
Closing the “Bank of KDOT”: When Governor Kelly entered office, she promised to close the “Bank of KDOT” by the end of her first term. This budget keeps that promise, reducing transfers from the State Highway Fund to $133.7 million in FY 2021 and $66.9 million in FY 2022. In a difficult budget year, Governor Kelly’s budget recommendation to phase out the reliance on the State Highway Fund for general fund purposes will provide the resources necessary to continue critical investments in the comprehensive Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Plan approved during the 2020 Legislative Session.
Investing in the State’s Digital Infrastructure: Updating our digital infrastructure is critical to both economic growth and increasing the transparency and accessibility of Kansas’ public services. The Governor’s budget makes substantial investments to improve the state’s IT systems, including leveraging $37.5 million in federal funds to begin to modernize and improve the state’s unemployment insurance systems. It also makes a number of other critical IT investments, including $2 million for Electronic Health Records support to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, $3.1 million for replacing the state’s Juvenile and Offender Management Information Systems, and $4.1 million in funding for the Office of Informational Technology Services to make capital improvements in IT security and underlying systems.
. Protecting State Retirees by Stabilizing KPERS: The Governor’s Budget Recommendation also proposes the reamortization of the legacy unfunded actuarial liability of KPERS for 25 years. This in an inevitable,
fiscally responsible step that will both stabilize the state’s KPERS system and create $158.7 million in savings to the State General Fund. Reamortization is a frequently used tool to manage pension systems in other states and better positions Kansas to make full, timely KPERS payments now and into the future. Stabilizing the KPERS system through reamoritzation is especially critical in FY 2022 to continue the important investments in economic development, infrastructure, and healthcare that will help the state recover.
Fort Scott, Ks–Fort Scott Community College (FSCC) was recently gifted the building(s) on 14 S. Hill St. in Fort Scott, KS from Ann and Bill McCort of Crawford Sales. The property consists of two buildings which will be re-purposed as an athletic training center for the FSCC Greyhound Athletic Program. The northern building is approximately 3,500 square feet and will house the weight training area, turf, training room, office space, and restrooms. The southern building is approximately 4,800 square feet and will consist of indoor turf, indoor netting for baseball and softball, and will have a retractable center to provide maximum flexibility for this space.
“It became a priority to find a way to help our student-athletes with a new athletic facility. We have severely outgrown our current weight room and have no indoor workout facility to use for softball, football, track, cross country, and golf. This impacts a large number of our athletes and it makes it very difficult to stay competitive in the Jayhawk Conference. We are so thankful to Bill and Ann McCort as they have gifted the College a building here in Fort Scott”, says Jeff Tadtman, Chief Development Officer.
FSCC is dedicated to student success on the field, on the court, and in the classroom. FSCC athletics play an important role in one of our central missions of cultural diversity and inclusion. Our student-athletes help to enrich the experience of all students’ educational knowledge and understanding.
“In order for Fort Scott Community College (FSCC) to achieve the type of transformational success to benefit our students, we must invest in Greyhound Athletics. FSCC is dedicated to the goal of improving our athletic facilities to enhance the overall experience for our student-athletes. This investment needs to come from within, but also from our alumni and fans. Our needs have never been greater or more impactful on our future”, says Tom Havron, Vice President of Student Affairs. “The Hound Pound project is designed to provide a top-notch facility for our students of all sports, ensuring success within the competitive KJCCC.”
If you would like more information regarding the Hound Pound project or would like to become a financial contributor, please contact the FSCC Foundation at 620.223.2700 ext. 5830 or go to fortscott.edu and click “Donate Now” at the top of the screen.
Fort Scott Community College President Alysia Johnston.
With COVID-19 prevention measures in place, Fort Scott Community College began spring classes on January 11.
The following is an email interview with FSCC President Alysia Johnston.
Will you give an update on the new semester?
“Classes began Monday and we are always happy to have everyone back on campus. We continue to do our part to help prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
“All individuals at all locations are required to wear a face mask while in buildings, or when outside if social distancing cannot be maintained.”
“No outside activities or groups will be allowed on campus, we will re-evaluate allowing outside groups and activities on February 1, 2021 to determine our policy moving forward.”
“All sports will be played this semester, including those that are typically played in the fall, such as football and volleyball. No fans will be allowed at sporting events through February 5, 2021, KJCCC will re-evaluate allowing fans on February 1,2021.”
“We will not have spring break and the semester will end April 30, with graduation on May 1, 2021.”
“We tested all of the residential students for COVID-19, around 350, and so far we have had 11 positives with 95% of the results back. The positive cases and their contacts are being isolated/quarantined.”
Brief summary of COVID 19 measures.
“All students living in campus housing were administered a COVID-19 test by CHC/SEK medical staff.”
“Students living in campus housing arrived and were tested in small groups.”
“Tom Havron, certified contact tracer, coordinated with the county health department to contact students concerning isolation or quarantine.”
“All individuals, at all locations are required to wear a face mask while in buildings, or when outside if social distancing cannot be maintained – individuals should social distance when possible.”
“Administration continues to monitor the Center for Disease Control, Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the World Health Organization websites regularly for updated information on COVID-19 and communicate with Bourbon County Health Department and Bourbon County Emergency Management on current public guidelines.”
“The emergency Action plan is displayed on the FSCC website.”
“We will maintain our COVID-19 dashboard on the FSCC website which indicates number of positive cases, quarantined students, and recovered cases.”
From the http://fortscott.edu/covid19 website:
“FSCC is dedicated to the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. Please view the FSCC COVID-19 Emergency Action Plan and all COVID-19 updates by clicking HERE.”
“Current Confirmed Positive Cases: 13
Number of Students in Quarantine: 10
Total Recovered Cases: 37
*Numbers reflect FSCC students residing in student housing and commuter students*”
How many students have enrolled?
“Enrollment as of January 11, 2021 was 13,351 credit hours, which is down from last year at this time by 10%. We will increase enrollment with late start classes and some concurrent enrollment that has not been entered in the system; however, I believe we will still be down this semester compared to last semester.”
SPARK Grant Received To Help With COVID-19
FSCC received $287,000 on August 18, 2020, from a SPARK grant, distributed from the federal government to the Kansas government and then to the Bourbon County Commission for local distribution.
The college had unplanned expenses related to COVID-19 that were eligible for reimbursement under the SPARK grant, according to Julie Eichenberger, vice president of finance and operation.
The college used the monies for public health expenses such as sanitizing equipment, hand sanitizer, masks, thermometers, etc. she said.
“The grant was also used for technology for distance learning needs to facilitate remote learners, and for technology that gave our employees the ability to work from home,” Eichenberger said.
In addition, dorm capacity was increased to have available rooms for quarantine use, she said.
