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Legislative Update Coffee Feb. 29
Community members are invited to a Legislative Update Coffee hosted by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce. The event will take place on Saturday, February 29, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Empress Event Center in Downtown Fort Scott.
Kansas Sentators Caryn Tyson and Richard Hilderbrand and Representatives Trevor Jacobs and Ken Collins will give an update on the current session as well as address any issues or questions presented from the audience.
If you have a particular item you would like to have addressed and plan to attend, you may email the Chamber at [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, February 27th.
The general public is invited and encouraged to attend this Legislative Update on Saturday, February 29th. Coffee, juice and light breakfast refreshments will be served.
The event is being sponsored by the Fort Scott Professional Building and Empress Event Center.
For more information please contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 or visit fortscott.com.
Cattle Care and Health Training March 24
2020 Spring Job Fair April 9
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Legislative Update By State Senator Caryn Tyson
February 21, 2020
You may have seen reports on the Gallup ‘Mood of the Nation’ poll conducted in January, stating that 86% of American’s are satisfied with their personal life and that confidence in the U.S. economy is at a 20 year high. We are blessed to be in Kansas, the heartland of America.
Legislation 101 Senate Bill (SB) 294, the bill we are following in these updates, that brings transparency to your property tax increases, did not have any movement to date. Hopefully, the majority leader will bring the bill above the line for a debate on the senate floor. We are almost to the half-way point of session, known as turnaround. Bills that have not been in an exempt committee or passed the originating chamber before turnaround will die. SB 294 is an exempt bill because Tax is an exempt committee. Therefore, it could be worked on the Senate floor after turnaround. I’ll keep you posted.
Kansas law allows for online driver license renewal under certain conditions. SB 326 would change the upper age limit for online renewals from 50 to 65 years of age. The bill passed 39 Yes to 0 No.
SB 342 would provide Kansans an option to receive electronic notification for driver’s license renewal notices. I offered an amendment to the bill in committee that would allow you to op-out of electronic notifications, so that future notices would be sent by mail. The amendment passed without objection. The bill passed the Senate 39 Yes to 0 No.
SB 58 would allow a citizen to file a petition requesting a district court grand jury. A judge would review the petition. If a judge finds the petition is in proper form a grand jury will be called within 60 days. If the petition is denied, the person who filed it can appeal the judge’s decision not to summon a grand jury. The bill passed the Senate on a vote of 28 Yes and 11 No. I voted Yes.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn
Talk to Your Government Representatives Feb. 29 In Fort Scott
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Bourbon County Art Council Exhibition and Art Sale March 5-7
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Gordmans Celebrates Those Born on Feb. 29
On Feb. 29, Gordmans is throwing a birthday party for anyone with a Leap Year birthday. The fun festivities will include birthday hats, streamers, balloons plus cupcakes and a special gift for the Leap Year birthday gal or guy.
Gordmans is putting the fun back into shopping by having special events like celebrating Leap Year birthdays. Special in-store activities for those celebrating their birthday on February 29 include:
Special Gift – Guests and their friends celebrating a Leap Year birthday will receive a special gift on Feb. 29. Remember to bring a valid ID to the store to receive your gift.
Cupcakes & More – No birthday is complete without treats, hats, streamers and balloons.
Birthday Shout Outs – Gordmans associates will acknowledge guests with Leap Year birthdays over the PA system, wishing them a special day and thanking them for shopping at Gordmans.
Style Circle Rewards – For guests not celebrating a Leap Year birthday, there’s still something for you: sign up for Gordmans’ Style Circle Rewards program so you will receive a special gift on your birthday, in addition to perks and payback rewards every time you shop at Gordmans.
Gordmans, part of the Stage community of stores, is delivering a whole new shopping experience. Gordmans is an off-price retailer, which means Gordmans offers popular name brand apparel, on-trend home décor and other merchandise for the entire family at prices that are lower than department stores.
Because consumers are responding positively to Gordmans’ off-price concept, Stage is converting its department stores to Gordmans off-price stores during 2020. In addition, for further convenience, customers can ship their Amazon orders to Gordmans’ in-store Amazon Counter for fast, flexible and secure package pick-up.
If you or someone you know is celebrating a Leap Year birthday, come on over to Gordmans on Feb. 29 and join the party!
Obituary of Marilyn Bruner
Marilyn Louise Bruner, age 76, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Monday, February 24, 2020, at her home. She was born November 5, 1943, in Mapleton, KS, the daughter of Walter Eberly and Agnes Mackie Bruner.
Marilyn loved spending time with her family, especially her nieces and nephews. She and her brother Joe always planted a large garden. She enjoyed baking, cooking, dancing, gardening, playing cards and board games. She also enjoyed attending church and dining out with friends. Her CB handle was “Dancing Queen”.
Survivors include a sister, Venita Miller, Kincaid, KS; two sisters in law, Darla Bruner, Ft. Scott, KS, and Freda Bruner, Mound City, KS; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by five sisters, Pauline Seitz, Lorraine Wilcox, Leora Ross, Shirley Ball, and an infant sister; three brothers, Virgil, Joseph, and Willard Bruner; and her parents.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, February 29th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Sunny Slope Cemetery, Blue Mound, KS.
The family will receive friends from 9:30 AM until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Marilyn Bruner memorial fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Bourbon County Commission Agenda For February 25
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: February 25, 2020
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
9:00-9:45 – Jim Harris
9:45-10:15 – Justin Meeks, Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
1:30-2:15 – Jody Hoener, Healthcare Presentation
2:15-2:30 – Rachel Martin, Windmills
2:30-2:45 – Deb Lust, Windmills
2:45-3:00 – Barb Peine, Windmills
3:00-3:15 – Joe Ludlum, Windmills
Fostering Fiscal and Economic Growth in the Community: Public Invited on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26
The public is invited to be a part of planning for community economic and fiscal health on Feb. 25 from 6-7 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the River Room Event Center, located above Luther’s BBQ at National Avenue and Oak Stree.
“Tuesday evening is a presentation and the actual workshop is on Wednesday,” Fort Scott Community Development Director Robert Uhler said.
Smart Growth America is coming to Fort Scott.
Smart Growth America empowers communities through technical assistance, advocacy and thought leadership to create livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity, according to its’ website:
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/
“We first met the Smart Growth people when we went on our first trip to DC in March of 2019, working with Strategic Implementation plan,” Uhler said.
“Smart growth policy can help communities save money now, reduce their liabilities for the future and use targeted investment to spur economic development,” Uhler noted. “The ‘planning for economic and fiscal health’ workshop draws on successful private and public sector lessons to help local leaders foster smart growth communities that cost their taxpayers less to build, run and maintain.”
“This workshop first brings you the latest lessons in how smart growth saves money for local governments, makes money for businesses and is integral for the long-term fiscal and economic health of the community,” he said. “Using an interactive and hands-on method, the workshop then shows how to apply these lessons in your community.”
The first half of the technical assistance workshop on Wednesday focuses on how approaches save the community money, including increasing tax revenues and reducing tax burdens, attracting new businesses, increasing the efficiency of the labor market, providing greater stability in times of uncertainty and rising energy costs, investing public funds to stimulate private investment, increasing local capital circulation and providing a foundation for long term fiscal and economic health and competitiveness, according to information provided by Uhler.
Participants also learn how to overcome barriers to starting community smart growth including a lack of understanding of the relationship between development and municipal costs and revenues, the importance of growing small and mid-size businesses and the role of nearness to value creation, according to info provided by Uhler.
In the second half of the day, the technical assistance team joins participating community members to look at the community’s economic development plans and projects to evaluate how the current situation compares to smart growth principles.
Working with the community, the team will create specific changes to strategy and identify next steps in planning for fiscal and economic health that makes sense for the community, which may include suggestions for changes to the capital budgeting process, permitting process, regulatory framework and direction of economic development incentives, according to the information provided.
A follow-up memo will measure progress and leave the community with further next steps.
The hoped outcome is better understanding of how we prepare and plan for growth in our community, Uhler said.
The local people who have been involved in the presentation and workshop planning process are FS Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt, FS Tourism Director Alley Turvey and Uhler.
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Feb. 20-23
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