HAVE YOU TESTED POSITIVE OR BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID-19?
If you’ve recently tested positive for COVID-19 and have questions regarding isolation, please call:
(785)542-6625, then dial 0 for assistance.
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 (close contact) and have questions about quarantine, please call:
(866)534-3463 and follow prompts. For contact tracing, dial 3.
Flags at Half-Staff for 7001 Kansans Lost to COVID-19
Governor Laura Kelly Directs Flags be Flown at Half-staff to Honor 7,001 Kansans Who Lost Their Lives to COVID-19
TOPEKA – In honor of the more than 7,000 lives lost due to COVID-19, and the families they left behind, Governor Laura Kelly today directed flags be lowered to half-staff throughout the state effective immediately to sundown Friday, December 31, 2021.
“It is with great sadness that I am ordering flags to half-staff for the seventh time since the pandemic began,” Governor Kelly said. “We have the tools to stop this virus and prevent further unnecessary deaths of our loved ones. Whether you are considering your first shot, or your third, I urge all Kansans to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
To find a vaccine near you, visit vaccines.gov.
To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit: https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honor.
Travel Service Agency in Fort Scott: AnchorBay Travel Shoppe
Judy Cassidy is the owner of AnchorBay Travel Shoppe.
She describes the business as a family-owned, faith-based full-service travel agency specializing in cruises, groups, and all-inclusive vacations.
“I operate out of my home office so I mostly do free consultations over the phone if anyone is interested in making travel arrangements,” Cassidy said. “Or (we can) meet in a public place for coffee/tea.”
Cassidy attended Fort Scott High School, got married and moved away, then moved back to Fort Scott in October 2021.
She pursued a hospitality career and lived in Nashville, Denver, and Kansas City in those years away.
The idea of the business started years ago in a church she was attending.
“My original passion for this agency started when I was very involved in my church in Denver,” according to a press release. “I already had the travel bug and wanderlust appetite for travel but I wanted to do something fun and eventful for church groups.”
She then began planning cruise groups for churches: for their singles groups, women’s/men’s retreats, and for trips to the Holy Land.
She began her diverse career in travel and hospitality after having gained an unexpected jumpstart into the industry when she found herself managing a hotel at the age of 18, she said.
She then worked as a human resources generalist for one of the largest travel agencies at the time in Kansas City.
“Completely passionately in love with traveling, (I) continued expanding my career in upper-management and consultative roles in information technology, hotel/resort operations, sales, marketing and revenue management along with managing (my) travel agency,” according to the press release. “The travel agency was kept at a manageable part-time level while (I) continued with my hospitality career.”
Cassidy is now full-time in Fort Scott, since October 2021, with her agency AnchorBay Travel Shoppe.
She has been partnering with a travel agency to get re-certified and help with re-branding, Cassidy said.
“We haven’t officially launched, we are getting ready to do that at the end of January 2022,” she said. “But I am available to do some travel arrangements now.”
“I am the main person in the business, I have a couple of travel advisors that work by commission,” she said.
Her mission is to “passionately inspire, educate, and fulfill dreams – one client, one destination, one travel experience at a time,” according to the press release.
She believes traveling is the gateway to a broader understanding of vast cultures and destinations yet to be explored.
“We are a full-service agency with a special niche for groups,” according to the press release. “Whether it be faith-based cruises, business/incentive seminars at sea, or annual affinity groups. We look forward to crafting the vacation experience of your dreams.”
“And because Covid also changed the dynamics of traveling, and continues to change daily, we have the tools to stay on top of the latest news, rules and protocols,” she said.
“If something goes wrong on your trip, we work on your behalf and will go to bat for you– no matter who is at fault — and try to get your vacation back on track.”
“We have access to a variety of tools that the average consumer is not able to use or doesn’t know about,” she said. “We can sometimes get you a better seat on an airplane, add amenities at hotels, room upgrades, event tickets, and plan activities for you.”
Contact information: 620.644.9696 or https://anchorbaytravel.com/
To view a video about the business:
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Dec. 29
Be Alert For Scams
KDHE and KDOR Urge Kansans to be Alert for Text Phishing Scams
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) urge Kansans to be alert for text messages that claim to represent KDHE and KDOR. These unsolicited messages may be phishing scams, and people should delete and not open the links or respond to such texts.
The text messages have the following message:
Kansas Covid-19 Vaccine Driver License Waiver Validation Validate your details below
Department of Health | State of Kansas
State agencies will not send unsolicited text messages requesting vaccination status, social security number or other sensitive information. Additionally, all KDHE and KDOR websites end with a .gov suffix. Websites with endings such as .com or .org are not legitimate, and Kansans should not click them.
People can report scam text messages in three ways:
- Report it on the messaging app you use. Look for the option to report junk or spam.
- Copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM).
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.
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Obituary of Stacy Murrow
Stacy Annette Murrow, age 49, Blue Mound, Kansas passed away Monday, December 27, 2021.
The funeral service will be held at 11 am Wednesday, January 5, 2021, at the Mound City First Baptist Church.
Burial will be in the Sunny Slope Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 pm Tuesday, January 4 at the Mound City Baptist Church.
Contributions are suggested to the Addison Stokes-Todd Education Fund or Linn County Care to Share, c/o Schneider Funeral Home, P.O. Box J, Mound City, KS 66056. Online condolences can be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com.
FS City Offices Close For New Year Holiday Jan. 3
The City of Fort Scott Administrative offices will be closed on Monday, January 3rd, 2022 in observance of the New Year’s Day Holiday. The regular offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022.
The City’s tree and brush dump site located on North Hill will also be closed on Saturday, January 1st, 2022 for the New Year’s holiday. It will be open again on Thursday, January 6th, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Obituary of Patricia Cruse
Patricia Ann Cruse, 62, formerly of Fort Scott, passed away Saturday morning, December 25, 2021, at her home in Afton, Oklahoma. She was born November 23, 1959, in Fort Scott, Kansas the daughter of Russell Vincent and Alta Maye (Hall) Schasteen. She married Ricky Cruse, and later they divorced.
Patricia graduated from Fort Scott High School with the Class of 1978. She loved her debate team and spoke of it often. She went on to graduate from Fort Scott Community College. She worked for Kemper Insurance Company until her accident in 1983.
Patty was a member of the Community Christian Church in Fort Scott, and her love for her Lord and Savior was very evident. Patty loved life and lived it the best she could. She loved and valued her parents.
After her mother’s death in 2004, Patty resided with Gary and Evelyn Thurston, her lifelong friends. Later, in 2019, Patty moved to Oklahoma with the Thurston’s and she resided in the home of Chris and Holly Davidson, daughter of Evelyn and Gary. Patty was very happy with her life in Oklahoma and her nurse Holly. She died peacefully at home surrounded by this family. Heaven welcomed and Angel on Christmas Morning.
Patty is survived by her caregiver family and numerous nieces and nephews, including Robin Stephens and Kip Schasteen. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her brother, Jerry Schasteen.
Pastor Mike Buckamneer will conduct graveside services at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 31, 2021, at the Evergreen Cemetery, under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fort Scott Police Dept. and 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.
Snow and Ice Seasonal Workers Are Needed: KDOT Is Down 30 % in Employees
Though the temperatures have been extremely mild for Kansas winters, it is probable in the next few months that ice and snow will be covering our roadways.
The Kansas Department of Transportation agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages are greater this year.
KDOT is about 30-percent off of snowplow operators needed to be fully staffed in offices across the state.
“We WILL BE clearing the roads,” Priscilla Petersen, KDOT’s Public Affairs Manager said. “We are concentrating on pre-treating the roads and bridges with our salt brine.”
“We will also be shifting crews to affected areas when possible,” she said.
“We are off about 29 percent in employees,” she said. “We need seasonal and full-time help. We have an ongoing staffing concern.”
Snow and ice seasonal equipment operators will earn $25 per hour and are eligible for overtime, Petersen said. A pre-employment physical is required, along with drug testing.
Snow and ice seasonal temporary operators start at $19.55 per hour and also are required to take a pre-employment physical and drug test.
There are many different criteria for wages, Peterson said, and one can view and submit an application online or at a KDOT office.
The closest offices are in Pittsburg and Chanute, she said.
