Government, Kansas

Kansas Redistricting Process

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Kansas Commissions Urge Transparency, Constituent Engagement in Redistricting Process

TOPEKA – The Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission, the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, and the Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns today sent a joint letter to the Kansas Redistricting Committee outlining steps it should take to ensure constituent participation, transparency, and accessibility during the redistricting process.

“It is crucial that the redistricting process is as transparent as possible and that as many people have the opportunity to be involved in the decisions that will impact who their voice in the legislature is for potentially the next decade,” the letter says. “Yet, there remain several steps this committee should take to ensure constituent participation.”

Suggested steps outlined in the letter include:

  • Holding hearings in an Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliant space;
  • Providing both sign language and Spanish language interpreters, and notifying the public of the availability of such services;
  • Ensuring several meetings be held during the evening and on the weekends to accommodate working schedules;
  • And including maps and/or statements submitted by Communities of Interest.

“These steps are not egregious in their scope and should be considered to ensure Kansans have confidence in the procedures that will shape our collective future,” the letter says.

Obituary

Obituary of Lois M. Williams

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Lois Maxine Williams, age 90, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Thursday, January 14, 2021.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, July 24th at the First Southern Baptist Church in Ft. Scott.

Burial will be in the Clarksburg Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the First Southern Baptist Church Building Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee July 22: Hound Nutrition

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Chamber Coffee & Ribbon Cutting Announced for The Hound Nutrition

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to our weekly Chamber Coffee and Ribbon Cutting of The Hound Nutrition at 116 S. Main St. The event will take place Thursday, July 22nd at 8 a.m. with remarks starting at 8:15 a.m. followed by the cutting of the ribbon. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served in addition to a door prize drawing.

Co-Owner’s, Kelly Perry and Ashtyn Dowell of The Hound Nutrition offer meal replacement shakes, protein coffee, and energizing teas with many benefits to be added to any of your drinks and assortment of flavors. serve healthy and tasty options to Fort Scott. They offer Protein donuts, waffles, and pretzel bites.

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.

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Area News, Government

KDOT resurfacing K-7 section in Linn County

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The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has started a resurfacing project on K-7 in Linn County, from K-52 north to K-152.     Project activity includes a mill and overlay. Flaggers and a pilot car will guide one-lane traffic through the work zone; expect delays of 15 minutes or less on days when the project is active.   KDOT awarded the construction contract of $1.8 million to Shilling Construction, Manhattan. Weather permitting, the project should be finished by late August. Persons with questions may contact Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.

Bourbon County, Fair, Food, Fort Scott

Beech Street Eats: A Full Restaurant on Wheels

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From left: Chasi Pickert, Kenna Smith, John Alley and Christy Montogo man the Beech Street Eats food trailer at the Bourbon County Fair.

A new restaurant on wheels started on Memorial Day 2021 by Wesley and Kenna Smith, called Beech Street Eats.

“My parents, Kenneth and Calen Alley, owned the Riverside Cafe in Belltown for 15 years,” Kenna Smith said. “We kids worked there.”

“I managed the Best Western OFF Club and restaurant from 1986 to ’89,” Smith said.

Her brother John Alley works as the cook in the new food trailer venture.

“John was grill cook at Mercy Hospital for 20 years,” she said. “My dad was a cook in the navy.  We’ve always done food. We are a family of cooks.”

“We decided on a 30-foot food trailer, so we can travel,” she said.

The 30-foot food trailer is a restaurant on wheels.

When they first started at the end of May, they were asked to do weddings and graduation parties,  and even the Good ‘Ol Days Festival, but wanted to get a little experience in the food trailer business first, she said

They park their food trailer on the east side of Lockwoods Motor Supply, located at 1523 S. National Avenue, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“But we might switch that up in the future,” Smith said.

The employees are herself,  her brother, John, her daughter Chasi Pickert and Cristy Montogo.

Mark Brillhart, a Bourbon County Fair Board member, asked the Smiths to provide food during the fair last week.

They had a steady stream of customers.

On the horizon for the business is providing food for special events and festivals, she said.

Beech Street Eats Food Trailer menu.

Some of their crowd favorite offerings are street burritos, Philly sandwiches, and quesadillas, she said.

“The street burrito is a 14-inch shell filled with steak, chicken, cheese, guac, homemade pico, salsa with steak fries,” Smith said. “It’s one of our best sellers.”

“For the quesadilla, we make our own pico, fresh every day,” she said. “We try to get our tomatoes and onions from the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market.”

For those craving a sweet dessert, they include homemade cherry cheesecake and homemade peanut butter pie to finish out a meal.

For more information or to phone an order: 620-224-8005.

 

Chasi Pickert and her mother Kenna Smith wait on customers, Lisa and Dale Griffiths, at the Bourbon County Fair on Wednesday. Griffiths is a member of the fair board.

 

 

 

Government, Kansas

Supports and Training For Employing People with Disabilities Announced

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Supports and Training for Employing People Successfully

Introducing a new program from KDHE & Working Healthy

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announces the launch of a new employment program for individuals with disabilities. Supports and Training for Employing People Successfully (STEPS) provides employment and independent living supports, enabling them to increase their income while gradually decreasing their reliance on Social Security and other public benefits.

STEPS is a pilot program that launched July 1 and is facilitated by a Community Services Coordinator who helps participants prepare for employment, increase independence, receive/maintain health care coverage, and provide on-going supports to help maintain employment. STEPS services are provided by community agencies with the experience to successfully support people with disabilities to reach and maintain their employment goals. The program is scheduled to run through 2023 and if successful, it may be extended.

The eligibility requirements for STEPS are as follows:

  • Must be a KanCare beneficiary aged 16 to 65, and
  • Must qualify under one of the following criteria:
    • Individuals who receive SSI or SSDI and have one or more qualifying behavioral health diagnoses;
    • Individuals who receive SSI and are waitlisted for the Physical Disability (PD) or Intellectual or Developmental Disability (I/DD) home and community-based services waiver; or
    • Individuals who are current on the Brain Injury (BI), Physical Disability (PD), or Intellectual or Developmental Disability (I/DD) home and community-based services waiver who wish to leave their waiver to participate in STEPS.

To enroll or if you have questions, please contact the STEPS Program Manager. Those community providers who may also be interested in participating or learning more are also asked to contact the STEPS Program Manager.

More information about STEPS can be found on kancare.ks.gov/consumers/working-healthy/steps.

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Friday Night Free Concert: Faith Church Worship

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Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians May 2019.

This week’s Friday Night Concert will be presented by Faith Church Worship, Garland. The four-piece band and vocalists will feature songs of today’s worship.

“These folks have a united desire to honor God with their musical talent,” concert series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “Come out and join us for a special opportunity to see friends and enjoy some inspirational music. We are pleased to welcome Faith Church to the park pavilion.“

The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. We are grateful to have Dave Oas, Parsons, serve as sound technician each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Be Aware of Child Tax Credit Scams

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Joy Miller, RD, LD
Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent
Adult Development and Aging
Family Resource Management
K-State Research and Extension
Southwind Extension District
210 S. National
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Office: 620-223-3720
Fax: 620-223-0332
[email protected]

Advance Child Tax Credit & Scams

To help parents during the pandemic, the Child Tax Credit has been expanded under the American Rescue Plan Act. This means that many families will receive advance payments starting July 15, this opportunity is confusing and scammers are already are jumping into the game with attempts to capture personal information from you.

What is the Child Tax Credit (CTC)? The CTC is available if you claim any children younger than 17. The CTC has been $2,000 per qualifying child. For 2021, the amount will increase to $3,600 for children ages 5 and under and $3,000 for children ages 6 through 17. Note, the CTC amount is based on income.

The American Rescue Act included an Advance Child Tax Credit Payments program. These early payments from the IRS are half of the estimated CTC that you may properly claim on your 2021 tax return during the 2022 filing season. If the IRS has processed your 2020 or 2019 tax return, these monthly payments will be made starting in July and through December.

In general, you do not need to do anything to receive these advance payments. You may opt out of the monthly payments and get your money in one lump sum when you file during 2022.

Families should be on the alert for scammers using phone calls, emails, texts and social media to trick them into providing information needed to get the new 2021 advance Child Tax Credit. The IRS emphasizes that the only way to get the Advance Child Tax Credit is by either filing a tax return with the IRS or registering online through the Non-filer Sign-up tool , exclusively on IRS.gov. Any other option is a scam.

There are many details regarding the Advance Child Tax Credit. To learn more and find answers to your questions, I recommend 3 resources. First is the IRS Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021 (www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021). Here you can learn the details of program, unenroll from advance payments, and non-filers can submit information. The second is The White House (www.whitehouse.gov/child-tax-credit). Here they will cover the same topics as the IRS, but also provide some examples of how the Child Tax Credit works for families that may be similar to yours. The third source is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/managing-your-finances/).

For more information, contact Joy Miller at [email protected] or by calling 620.223.3720

Opinion

Smooth or Chunky by Carolyn Tucker

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Carolyn Tucker. Submitted photo.

Keys to the Kingdom by Carolyn Tucker

 

My family loves to tell a good story which usually erupts in rip-roaring laughter, rufous faces, and tears. I recall a humorous incident my brother Randy told on his mother-in-law (whom he loved dearly). When Randy and Corda were first married, they would come back home on weekends and alternate staying with their parents. On this particular visit, they were at the Rosenbaum farm. Preparing to eat breakfast, my brother was sitting at the kitchen table as his mother-in-law began to pour him a glass of milk. She couldn’t actually see the pour spout as the milk came tumbling out in chunks. As she continued to pour, she sweetly asked, “Is this milk OK?“ I believe his answer was in the negative.

Has it ever occurred to you that there’s no expiration date on your prayers? The other night I was asleep when I distinctly heard, “Mommy!“ I awoke abruptly with a pounding heart as I listened and thought about what had just happened. I was prompted to pray for the protection of my two children, and then I drifted back to sleep. “I have courage in God’s presence, because I am sure that He hears me if I ask Him for anything that is according to His will” (1 John 5:14 GNT). In the morning, I sent both of them brief texts about what I’d experienced and both confirmed that they were just fine.

Exactly two weeks later while my son was driving to work in the early morning, a deer ran out in front of him which caused serious damage to the vehicle, but no harm to Aaron. I believe God prevented him from choosing to ride his motorcycle that day, as the outcome would have been quite different. Exactly six weeks following my prayer, my daughter Mariam and two of her girls were innocently involved in a three-vehicle accident (all were totaled), but no one was injured. No, not one!

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7 NKJV). Fear of the Lord is simply a proper awe of His greatness and holiness. Believers can trust and depend on God’s faithfulness. I’m thankful my prayer for protection had not expired but was still in effect.

When my kids were little, I taught them a song entitled, “I Thank My God I’m in His Care.“ The lyrics, written by Ry Cooder, depict a simple faith in a loving heavenly Father: “Oh Daniel he was a good man; he prayed night and day. The angels opened up the windows just to hear what Daniel had to say. He prayed, ‘I thank my God I’m in His care.’ I am in His care, in my Savior’s care. I am in His care, in my Savior’s care. King Jesus got His arms wrapped all around me; no evil thought can ever harm me ‘cause I thank my God I’m in His care.“ The scriptural truth of this song still remains in my children’s hearts today.

A song is more than just a happy tune when it’s backed by God’s Word: “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (1 Peter 5:7 AMP). If you can truly cast all your care in prayer, you can experience resting in God. I’m glad I heard God’s voice, thankful I prayed, and so grateful my prayer was answered.

The Key: I thank my God there’s no expiration date on my prayers.

Bourbon County Local News