Adult Basic Education Offered at FSCC
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 on 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,” said Aubrey Duft, instructor. “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 high school diploma or GED.
If you know someone that is interested, please send them my way.”
Contact info:
(620)223-2700 Ext. 4400 or Ext. 4270
Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Feb. 17
February 17, 2021 Wednesday 3:00 pm
The Bourbon County Commission met in an open session with all three Commissioners and the County Clerk present.
Susan Bancroft was also present for the meeting.
Clifton made a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting, Jim seconded and all approved.
Eric Bailey reported that his employees put forth a great team effort when dealing with the recent winter storm we had. He said they experienced a lot of issues with equipment freezing up. An east-bound vehicle pulled out in front of a north-bound road grader at 18th & Horton; Eric said there was no damage to the grader.
Eric said the spreader box was going to cost $5,000 to have someone else repair it; they repaired it in-house. He said they are taking the Mack truck for repairs on February 23rd.
Eric reported that the County removed the overburden at the Beth Quarry and said they would get a blast scheduled for there; Jim said the County needed to re-do a contract with the Beth Quarry with a new legal description.
Eric said they received the motor back for the rock crusher, but was still having issues with the motor; he hopes to have the motor back in the next few days. He said they are getting behind in making chips.
Eric said Ag Engineering is finalizing the report for the dam at Elm Creek Lake.
Eric recommended a yield sign be replaced with a stop sign at 175th & Tomahawk; Clifton made a motion to change the yield sign to a stop sign for the east/westbound traffic at 175th & Tomahawk, Jim seconded and all approved.
Eric said he is still trying to get an estimate for a trailer that was recently wrecked as well as getting another estimate to fix a Sterling truck.
Lynne made a motion to go into a 15-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(1)to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss job duties, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 3:28, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Eric Bailey, and Susan Bancroft). Lynne made a motion to come out of the executive session and resume the meeting, Jim seconded and all approved. No action was taken.
Justin Meeks arrived at the Commission meeting.
Clifton made a motion to go into a 10-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(1)to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss job duties, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 3:43, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Shane Walker, and Justin Meeks). At 3:43, Lynne made a motion to come out of the executive session and resume the meeting, Clifton seconded and all approved. Lynne made a motion to do a Resolution for a GIS IT position for $32,000 annually and made a motion that the County participate in an apprenticeship program & to hire someone for this program @ $10/hour, Jim seconded the motion, Justin said this is a Federal program & there will be monetary help with the apprenticeship program, Lynne said this program is used to help keep young people in Bourbon County, all approved the motion.
Lynne made a motion to amend the agenda to remove Susan Bancroft & Bobby Reed from the agenda since their issues had been resolved, Clifton seconded and all approved.
David Neville met with the Commissioners regarding the door edge replacement for the elevator; he had two quotes, KONE quoted $8,674 and MEI quoted $3,789.28. Jim questioned the large difference in the quotes; David said he hadn’t used MEI for work before and said KONE has done work on our elevator before. Jim made a motion to approve MEI to do the repairs to the elevator for $3,789.28 and that Lynne signs the agreement with MEI, Clifton seconded and all approved.
Bourbon County Appraiser Clint Anderson met with the Commissioners; he said he had applied for an extension from March 1st – March 15th for the mailing of the valuation notices. Clint requested to move any remaining funds from the Appraisers 2020 budget to the Appraiser reserve funds; Susan Bancroft said that fund had a beginning cash balance that was incorrect by $30,000, Susan and Clint will visit regarding this issue.
Shane Walker met with the Commissioners; he said there have been communication issues with the Sheriff/dispatch for the Garland area. Wisper Internet agreed to sell Bourbon County a 300’ tower for $1,000 and the County can buy land and save money versus leasing land for a tower for the internet. Justin said this was a safety issue and can turn into help for economic development, Lynne made a motion to sign the land contract and the Wisper Internet contract, Clifton seconded, and all approved and Lynne signed the documents.
Emergency Manager William Wallis met with the Commissioners regarding a recent winter storm Bourbon County had. KDEM informed Will that 22 counties in Kansas would have issues with natural gas conservation. Some cities purchase natural gas in bulk when the price is lower and then sell the gas to their customers; however, due to the recent cold weather many areas have run out of their bulk supply and now the purchase price for the gas will be much higher for those cities. Will said Uniontown purchases natural gas (Uniontown then sells the gas to customers) in bulk from the broker KMGA during the summertime when the price is lower and said their reserve is gone. Will said the price of fuel for the City of Uniontown could increase 100-120%. Will said the elementary school there can be used as a warming center if needed. Will said if the County adopted a resolution titled Extreme Severe Cold Weather Emergency Declaration there may be funds available to help the City of Uniontown. Jim questioned if there was any assistance to help others that will be facing higher utility bills due to the storm. Lynne made a motion to approve Resolution 11-21, an extreme severe cold weather emergency declaration, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the Resolution.
Justin Meeks said he and Susan Bancroft would be meeting to discuss overtime issues; he said even though the Courthouse closed due to the recent weather there was still emergency personnel that had to work.
Justin said he will work with Clint Anderson regarding a KORA issue.
The Commissioners are not ready to schedule the 2020 audit yet.
Lynne made a motion to approve Resolution 12-21, a wage resolution adding the position of GIS Tech and the apprenticeship position, Jim seconded and all approved.
Jim suggested that the County consider purchasing an incinerator for the Landfill in order to accept trash from other areas to burn trash to generate revenue.
Susan Bancroft said she had met with three different departments regarding their 2020 budgets.
The February 23rd and the March 2nd Commission meeting will be held at City Hall beginning at 9:00 am.
At 5:20 Jim made a motion to adjourn, Clifton seconded and all approved.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS
(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman
(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner
(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner
ATTEST:
Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk
February 23, 2021, Approved Date
PPP Update to Aid Kansas Recovery From Pandemic
Governor Laura Kelly Provides Update on PPP Program to Aid Kansas’ Economic Recovery
~ Changes will increase access and relief for Kansas small businesses ~
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly shared details regarding changes in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that will increase access and relief to businesses with under 20 employees and other business owners who previously had limited access to the program. For the next 14 days, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be able to apply for PPP support.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of Kansas communities and I am committed to using every tool to ensure they prosper now and into the future,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “This targeted PPP support will make a huge difference to strengthen our small business community and economy statewide as we recover from COVID-19.”
The White House also made the following changes that will increase equitable access to the program:
- Revising the loan calculation and setting aside $1 billion to support sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals;
- Removing the restriction where any owner with 20% or more of the business must not have had a felony within the past year (excluding financial abuse fraud felonies or owners who are currently incarcerated);
- Removing the restriction where any owner with 20% of more of the business must not be delinquent on student loans.
Kansas is already seeing the results of the 2021 available funding. As of January, over 17,000 Kansan small business owners have already been approved for over $800M in loans. Applications are still open through the end of March, and businesses can be eligible even if they received 2020 funding through PPP.
“I hope every small business in Kansas that needs support will consider applying to the Paycheck Protection Program. Kansas small businesses have shown great resilience throughout this pandemic and we hope this program will ease some of their burden,” said Lieutenant Governor David Toland.
Nation-wide, compared to the first round of PPP funding in 2020, the share of funding to small businesses with fewer than 10 employees increased by almost 60% and the share of funding to businesses in rural areas increased by nearly 30%.
For more information on the administrative changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, please visit the White House Fact Sheet here.
For information on the program overall and how to search for nearby lenders, please visit the Small Business Association Website here.
For general questions about Economic Development programs in Kansas, please visit https://www.kansascommerce.gov/.
Fort Scott Community College CMA Classes Start Soon
The Fort’s Survey: Needs, Motivations and Evaluation of NPS Digital Media
The fort at the end of Main Street that has given Fort Scott its’ name, is reaching out to National Park Service visitors who want an online experience.
“Fort Scott National Historic Site is participating in a nationwide survey to characterize the NPS virtual visitor population so we can better meet their virtual needs, describe visitors’ motivations, and evaluate the effectiveness of NPS digital media products,” Carl Brenner, FSNHS Program Manager for Interpretation and Resource Manager, said.
“We are part of a pilot/pre-test program consisting of a handful of National Park sites nationwide,” he said. “This survey will run four weeks, February 16 through March 14, 2021. These National Parks are making weekly posts, on each social media platform they support, to invite virtual visitors to participate in the survey once they have completed their virtual visit.”
“The virtual tour of the park is a series of 360-degree images from all of the rooms here at the site,” Brenner said. “The Virtual Visit, as it is called in the survey, is browsing the posts on each of the social media platforms to gain a deeper connection and understanding of the park.”
To take the virtual tour:
http://www.nps.gov/fosc/learn/photosmultimedia/360tours.htm
Fort Scott NHS participates on the following social media platforms:
www.instagram.com/fortscottnps
https://twitter.com/FortScottNPS
Fortscott.biz interviewed Brenner by email.
Here are the questions and responses.
What is it designed to do?
“The public expects nearly all desired information to be found quickly and easily through websites and social media channels. They also expect that organizations frequently update these assets. The National Park Service (NPS) directly manages thousands of digital media web pages, mobile app pages, and social media channels. They also supply content, directly or indirectly, for third-party providers that share digital media information with the public. Within this large digital ecosystem, millions of online users from around the world rely on these resources for a wide range of information. While NPS has an established program for measuring and monitoring physical visitation to its park units, the program for describing and evaluating virtual visitors to its online resources is still being developed.
This study is part of that development. It aims to characterize the NPS virtual visitor population so we can better meet their virtual needs, describe visitors’ motivations, and evaluate the effectiveness of NPS digital media products.”
What will be done with the results?
“Through this program, the NPS, and specifically Fort Scott NHS, can better understand and meet the needs of our virtual visitors. We will be able to better evaluate the effectiveness of our digital media products in terms of the virtual visitor experience. With this information we can better prepare visitors for future visits, increase resource protection, build a deeper understanding of the history and stories of our nation’s heritage, and build better connections to and stewards of National Park Service resources. Additionally, NPS will determine if the current allocation of resources for digital media is generating congruent virtual visitor value, and the NPS will be positioned to more strategically deploy resources where digital information needs are not being sufficiently met and/or where the highest value is being provided.”
When will the survey results be collected and analyzed?
“The evaluation of the virtual visitors’ experiences and digital media effectiveness will begin immediately following the close of the survey and we are hoping to receive results by the end of the summer.”
The fort’s contact info:
Office – 620-223-0310
UHS BASKETBALL RESULTS vs. CHERRYVALE 2/22/2021
The Uniontown Eagles played some tough games on Monday against Cherryvale. The Chargers defeated both Varsity teams. The boys also played a game in Oswego last Friday, which they won.
The Lady Eagles were defeated by Cherryvale 39-45. Karleigh Schoenberger scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds and 3 assists. Gwen Fry had 5 rebounds, and Rylee Coulter had 4. Laney Covey, Camryn Davis, and Addisyn Hall each had 3 rebounds. Hall and Sammie Hampton also each had 2 steals. The JV team lost 31-36, Hall and Davis scoring 10 and 9 points, respectively. The two also led in rebounds, 6 and 4. Brooklyn Dreisbach and Davis each had 4 steals.
Coach Miller says, “The Varsity and Junior Varsity girls suffered a couple of tough losses tonight. The girls battled hard, but unfortunately fell short. We will put this game behind us and focus on taking on Girard for our final regular-season game.”
The boys lost to Cherryvale 51-68. Jake Harvey scored 22 points and had 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Luke Perry scored 10 points. Drew Perry had 3 assists, Dawson Dreisbach had 6 boards, and Clay Sutterby had 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
“It was a tough night for our basketball team,” Coach Hays admits. “Cherryvale came out on fire from deep. I liked how we continued to fight and play hard all four quarters. It will be nice to get back to practice tomorrow and work on getting better. Things don’t get easier with Girard coming to town Thursday.”
Their Varsity team beat Oswego 44-25 on Friday. Jake Harvey scored 21 points and had 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Dawson Dreisbach scored 11 points, and had 5 rebounds and 3 steals as well. Luke Perry also had 5 rebounds, while Drew Perry had 3 assists. Clay Sutterby had 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
“Our game against Oswego was a last second schedule change, as both Pleasanton and St. Paul were both unable to play us. I’m glad we were able to squeeze this game in and give our boys another chance to compete. Oswego is a team on the rise and played extremely hard. We were fortunate to pull away in the second half,” Coach Hays says.
-Adelay Martin, UHS Sports Media Reporter
Chamber Coffee At Ascension Via Christi Feb. 25: Drive-Through
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American Legion Scuttlebutt
I have emailed Bourbon County schools about the Boys State program, Cadet Law Program and the end-of-year American Legion School (Medals) Awards.
Any boy going into the 12th grade can apply for the Boys State program. Any boy or girl going into the 12th grade or is a graduating senior can apply for the Cadet Law program.
These programs can be positive, life-changing experiences for our students. If you know of any student who may be interested in going to either program, please let me know.
The cost for each student to attend is $350 with the student paying $50. However, if the student is unable to pay their share, Post 25 will cover the cost.
Membership Incentive: Recruit a new Legion member and be entered into a drawing for $500. If the new member’s name is drawn, both the new member and the recruiter win $500. If you have a potential member, let me know. Their membership information must be submitted by the Post 25 Adjutant. If the new member joins online or through the mail, they cannot be entered into the $500 drawing
Nominations of Officers. We will hold nominations of officers for the 2021 – 22 Legion year at our March 1st meeting. If you wish to make a difference in the American Legion and our community, please consider standing for an office.
If you are interested in holding an office but cannot attend Monday’s meeting, email me and I will nominate you for your desired office.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Saturday. February 27. American Legion Riders Chapter 25 meets at 10 AM in Memorial Hall.
Monday. March 1. American Legion Riders Chapter 25 meets at 10 AM in Memorial Hall.
Thursday. March 11. American Legion Auxiliary Unit 25 meets at 6 PM in Memorial Hall.
Thursday. March 11. American Legion Post 25 Color Guard meets at 7:15 PM in Memorial Hall.
Saturday. March 27. American Legion Riders Chapter 25 meets at 10 AM in Memorial Hall.
Your Post is member driven. Please contact your Executive Committee with your thoughts and suggestions for improving Post 25.
Submitted by Carl Jowers
Post 25 Commander
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Feb. 24
Additional COVID-19 Vaccinators Authorized
Governor Kelly Allows Temporary Authorization for Additional Vaccinators in Kansas
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly issued an executive order allowing temporary authorization for additional vaccinators during Kansas’ state of disaster emergency.
Executive Order #21-06 allows state healthcare professionals such as pharmacy students, dentists, paramedics and others who may administer injections or inoculations within their scope of practice to administer a coronavirus vaccine that is approved or authorized by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
“We must use every tool in our arsenal to vaccinate Kansans as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “While there is still a vaccine shortage, this order will increase the number of vaccinators in our state so we can achieve our vaccination goals as soon as supply allows.”
