Business, Fort Scott, Housing

Union Lofts Apartments Open For Rental In Downtown Fort Scott

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A view from the window of a Union Loft apartment. Submitted photos.
Union Lofts Apartments, 20 S. Main in downtown Fort Scott, will be available to move into in mid-January 2021.
The building has been under demolition then reconstruction since 2018, at the corner of 1st and Main Streets.
Tony Krsnich, Flint Hills Holdings, (located at 7301 Mission Rd, 326 Prairie Village Campus, Prairie Village) is the developer.
Twenty-five apartments fill the three-story historic building, and eight have already been leased.
Some of the perks for living in them?
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“The tenants will be living in a newly renovated historic building,” said Mandy Maples, Flint Hills Holdings Vice President of Operations. “There will be a courtyard area with seating and a BBQ grill, indoor workout facility, every apartment is uniquely designed.
 ​No two apartments are the same. Every apartment is unique and holds its own personality.”
Residents may move in the middle of January and there are apartments available for leasing now, she said.
Applications can be picked up at 8 East First Street, at the apartment building across the street.
For questions, call 620-223-1718.
Following are prior stories on the building:
Flint Hills Holding
 ​Flint Hills Holdings Group was established in early 2014. FHHG specializes in historic preservation and multifamily developments. FHHG has developed over $100MM of real estate in Kansas and Missouri since its inception in early 2014 and currently works in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

Nancy Evans Retires From CHC

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After 17 years working for CHC/SEK, Nancy Evans, RN, BSN, will retire at the end of December. CHC/SEK established a scholarship in her honor for her service and dedication.
 
CHC/SEK’s first employee retires, scholarship created in her name  

To honor Nancy Evans, RN, BSN, for her 17 years of service to Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and a lifetime dedicated to nursing, CHC/SEK has established the Nancy Evans Nursing Scholarship at the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.
The scholarship will be given annually to an individual, selected by Nancy, pursuing a degree in nursing.
“While we can’t replace Nancy, she can now help us find someone who may one day try,” said Krista Postai, CHC/SEK CEO and President in a video announcing the scholarship. “Enjoy your well-earned retirement Nancy and for always, always, being where we needed you the most and when we needed you. God bless you and thank you for all you’ve done.”
People who wish to contribute to the scholarship endowment can send a check made out to CHC/SEK Evans Scholarship Fund Attn Douglas Stuckey, Trustee P.O. Box 1832, Pittsburg, KS 66762-1832 or call Douglas at 620-240-5011.
Over the span of 17 years, Nancy was part of the beginnings of many services at Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, from dental to flu shots and prescription assistance to diabetic education.
Nancy, who most recently served as a Nurse/Certified Diabetic Educator, is set to retire at the end of December.
“I’m looking forward to retiring but I most certainly will miss this place, it’s been a wonderful job,” she said.
Nancy started working for CHC/SEK out of the Wesley House.  The dental program then began at Wesley House and she continued to be part of the program when it moved over to 924 N. Broadway in Pittsburg.
Later on, with a kitchen table for an office, Nancy worked in the CHC/SEK doublewide trailer where she provided prescription assistance. She looked at her log recently, and since becoming employed Nancy has provided prescription assistance for over 14,000 encounters. Nancy didn’t do it alone, she said, she often had volunteers working with her or a part time employee to help do paperwork.
Providing prescription assistance grew the need for case management.
“When you do prescription assistance, they tell you what they are needing and why they can’t afford things and one thing just turned into another and you work with them to try to get food or shelter, all kinds of things,” Nancy said.
Krista noticed Nancy was frequently educating diabetic patients and encouraged her to become a certified diabetic educator. Nancy became the first diabetic educator at CHC/SEK.
“That’s something I never thought about,” Nancy said. “I thought I’d get bored because it was pretty much doing one disease entity and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do that, but now – by all means – it is my passion.”
Before testing, the certification required 1,000 hours of teaching and she had to do it within four years. Completing her certification became quite the undertaking because CHC/SEK kept growing and growing.
As she was preparing for her certification, Nancy was involved in a prescription assistance program, (PALS) which was “up and running and huge,” she said. Nancy also provided nutrition education, went to health fairs, traveled to southeast Kansas schools and gave vaccines to students. She became the “flu shot lady,” delivering thousands of shots as she went from one business or company to another to provide flu shots.
Diabetic education became such a strong passion for Nancy because there is such a need not only in southeast Kansas, but also globally. There are thousands just in Pittsburg who are diagnosed with diabetes.
“It’s on the brink of an epidemic, partly because of the obesity factor and the fact that you can buy pop for a whole lot less money than a gallon of milk,” she said. “I really think the biggest reason is the lack of exercise, which is contributing to the obesity too.”
It’s rewarding to see the changes in patients when they get their diabetes under control, she said, adding that when somebody has high blood sugars, nothing about them feels good, they are tired all of the time, and nothing feels right.
“If we can get your blood sugars down to where they are supposed to be, you are going to be delightfully surprised how much energy you have and how many more things you can do, and how much bigger your life is going to be,” Nancy said.
The people – her patients – are what made CHC/SEK a special place for her.
“That’s what I’m going to miss when I leave, my people, and they are the world to me,” Nancy said. “I see them out on the streets and I have some that text or call me to tell me stuff, someone brought in their new baby the other day, and somebody came in saying something about just needing a hug – that’s the kind of the thing I’m going to miss when I’m not here anymore.”
Nancy beams with pride when she shares with people about her career and CHC/SEK.  She gives the credit to the founder and employees and other visionaries of what CHC/SEK has come to be and continues to grow into.

“When I start going through all the things we do, I kind of take a step back and I’m so impressed,” she said. “And I work here and I’m part of it, but I’m still impressed by all that we do and the resources we provide, it’s pretty darned amazing.”

Obituary

Death Notice of Merle Robinson

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Merle Wayne Robinson, 84, formerly of Fort Scott, passed away Monday morning, December 28, 2020, in El Dorado, Kansas.

Rev. Rob Bolton will conduct Graveside services 10:00 a.m. Friday, January 8, 2021, at the Uniontown Cemetery under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

The complete obituary will appear online and in the Fort Scott Tribune later.

Obituary

Obituary of Larry Palet

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Larry E. Palet, 74, of Fort Scott, passed away Monday, December 28, 2020. He was born January 31, 1945, in Chanute, Kansas, the son of Lowell E. and Hazel L. (Butts) Palet.

He married Beatrice Dunnam July 4, 1985, in Bronson, Kansas, and she preceded him in death July 16, 2019.

Larry was a farmer, and also worked for Peerless Products for eight years.

Survivors include his stepchildren, Lorrie Cameron and husband Shawn of Fort Scott, Albert Tanner & wife Marita of Uniontown, Flo Tanner, of Fort Scott, and Archie Alexander and wife Michelle, also of Fort Scott; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. In addition to his wife Beatrice, Larry was also preceded in death by his parents.

Trevor Jacobs will conduct graveside services at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2021, at the Oak Grove Cemetery under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.

The family will have a visitation 4:00-5:00 p.m. Sunday evening January 3, 2021, at the funeral home. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.

Obituary

Obituary of Domonic Robinson

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Domonic Martinez Robinson

Domonic Martinez “Heavy” Robinson, age 27, a resident of Independence, Missouri, passed away late Friday, December 25, 2020, as the result of an automobile accident in Jackson County, Missouri.

He was born December 12, 1993, in Iola, Kansas, the son of Carl Joe Robinson, Jr. and Anicia Monique Lindsey Robinson.

Domonic graduated from the Uniontown High School in Uniontown, Kansas and later completed welding school in Nevada, Missouri. He was currently working as a welder for Boilermakers Local #83.

Domonic married Akilia Harris on July 21, 2017. Domonic was devoted to his family and provided well for their needs as well as others.

He enjoyed riding his motorcycle, collecting guns, and barbecuing. He was an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and was a member of the United Missionary Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Akilia, of the home; and three sons, Jayden, Jordan and Khalil Robinson with one more son due to arrive in June.

He is also survived by his mother, Anicia Robinson, of Bronson, Kansas, his father, Carl J. “Pete” Robinson, Jr., of Ft. Scott, Kansas; three brothers, Du’Shaun Robinson and De’Vonte Robinson, both of Ft. Scott and Charles Harris, of Atlanta, Georgia, a sister, Da’Nisha Robinson, of Bronson, Kansas; his grandmothers, Helen Patterson of Ft. Scott and Alma Williams, of Bronson, two aunts, Ruthie Robinson and Charlene Williams, both of St. Louis, Missouri, an uncle, Christopher Lindsey, of Iola, Kansas, his father-in-law, William Harris and good friends, Mitchell Newman and Jordan Woods.

He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Charles Williams and Carl Robinson, Sr., an uncle, John Whitworth and a good friend Brandon Weyant.

Rev. George Proctor and Rev. Marty Dewitt will conduct funeral services at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, January 9th at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown, Kansas.

Burial will follow in the Bronson Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9 A.M. until service time on Saturday at the church.

Memorials are suggested to the Robinson Children Education 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.

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Progress on Fiber Optic Projects In Bourbon County Continues

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The Craw-Kan Cooperative space is seen on the backside of the  Bourbon County Courthouse. The county commission has leased Craw-Kan two cells from the former jail. September 2018 photo.
Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative Inc., Girard, is working on multiple projects in Bourbon County to provide fiber-optic lines for internet services.
Craw-Kan Telephone serves Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, offering high-speed fiber optic internet, cable TV, and telephone service in its’ service area, according to its’ Facebook page.
Zach Adams, Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative Marketing Manager.
Fort Scott Project
Work began on a new hub for Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative on South Judson Street in late 2018.
“We are continuing to build fiber to non-cooperative member areas in the southeast side of the city of Fort Scott,” Zach Adams, Craw-Kan Marketing Manager said.   “These are homes and businesses where we have not been able to provide services in the past.”
“The goal of our Fort Scott project is to provide 100% fiber-optic coverage in the city limits,” he said.  ” The west side of US 69 HWY is complete and we are currently working on the southeast quadrant of the city.  We will also connect some residences outside but adjacent to the city.”
“We are subcontracting Jim Radell Construction, Pittsburg, for construction on the southeast quadrant of the City of Fort Scott,” Adams said.  “They have multiple crews working in the area.  We also use multiple Craw-Kan employees in the construction and installation process.  There are two or more repair and installation technicians assigned to the Fort Scott territory at any given time.”
Craw-Kan began the Fort Scott overbuild in 2017 and completion is estimated to be in 2021-2022, Adams said.
Uniontown Project
Conduit for the Craw-Kan Fiber Optic project. in March 2020 in Uniontown.
  “The other large project in Bourbon County is the upgrade to the Uniontown (756) phone exchange,” he said.   “This project will be replacing copper phone and DSL lines with fiber-optic lines that will bring maximum reliability and gigabit internet speeds to 100% of Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative members in the Uniontown exchange…The project will upgrade 100% of existing Craw-Kan members to fiber-optic connections to the home.”
“For the Uniontown project, Bob Hull Inc – BHI was with bid winning contractor doing the fiber upgrade construction,” Adams said.  “They will be using multiple crews to complete the work.”
The Uniontown project was started in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2021, he said.
Cost of the project
“Craw-Kan has invested several million dollars over the last four years into upgrading the connections of our cooperative members in Bourbon County as well as bringing new fiber optic services to the City of Fort Scott and surrounding areas,” Adams said.
Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Special Meeting Agenda Dec. 29

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: December 29, 2020

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

 

MEETING WILL BE HELD IN COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.

2:00 Executive Session – Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships

Government, Kansas

Comprehensive Statewide Housing Needs Assessment Announced

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Governor Kelly Announces First Statewide Housing Needs Assessment in 27 Years

TOPEKA –Governor Laura Kelly today announced that a planning and design firm with extensive statewide experience will lead Kansas’ first comprehensive housing needs assessment in nearly 30 years. RDG Planning & Design, an Omaha-based consultancy, will conduct an in-depth discovery process, assess current housing opportunities and identify goals, and develop strategic initiatives to guide the state’s future housing development efforts.

“A shortage of quality, affordable housing is one of our state’s biggest barriers to growth and development, particularly in our rural communities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This statewide housing assessment will provide us with a starting point on how we can positively affect communities’ abilities to grow and provide the quality of life that every Kansan deserves regardless of their zip code.”

RDG has worked in Kansas communities ranging from Scott City to Chanute, De Soto to Dickinson County. The firm’s initiatives have included collaborating with Dodge City officials to pioneer developing some of the state’s first Rural Housing Incentive Districts (RHID), working with Salina leaders to encourage greater reinvestment in core neighborhoods, and helping Johnson County navigate tremendous new growth.

“Dodge City has put a major focus on addressing our housing shortage to provide essential homes for our workforce,” said Joann Knight, Executive Director of the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation. “RDG plays a vital role in our success, and their attention to detail makes understanding housing needs much easier.”

“RDG has had the pleasure to work in every corner of Kansas, from the state’s largest cities to its smallest communities,” said Amy Haase, RDG Principal. “We have developed a deep understanding of the wide breadth of housing opportunities and challenges facing Kansans, and we are proud that communities continue to seek us out both for the expertise we provide and the passion we bring for creating great places.”

Kansas has not conducted a significant housing study in decades, resulting in a shortage of data on existing housing resources and current and projected needs. The Office of Rural Prosperity’s Housing Work Group, an interagency team of state leaders led by KHRC Executive Director Ryan Vincent, identified a needs assessment as a crucial first step in addressing the state’s housing needs and priorities, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

“As I have discussed with Kansans across the state, housing is a barrier for communities to recruiting and retaining skilled workers,” Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers said. “This statewide assessment will allow us to determine what our current housing needs are and how best to address them.”

The state’s Office of Rural Prosperity, in conjunction with Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC), the state’s housing finance agency, selected the firm through a competitive RFP process and will manage the project. The assessment process is expected to extend throughout 2021, with the final report’s delivery anticipated in December 2021.

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Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers created the Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP), a nonpartisan initiative established in part to ensure that rural Kansas is heard and represented in the statehouse. The ORP aims to streamline rural policy while focusing on the issues that matter to rural Kansans. During the ORP’s 2019 and 2020 statewide listening and action tours, housing was brought up by leaders in every region of the state as a vital component of recruiting and retaining workers, families, and entrepreneurs to help rural Kansas thrive.

Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) helps Kansans access the quality, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve.  Codified at K.S.A. 74-8901 et. seq., KHRC is a public corporation and independent instrumentality of the state. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency (HFA), administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans. Learn more about KHRC’s core values, programs, and services online.

Government, Kansas

Unemployment Waiting Week Waived

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Governor Laura Kelly Issues Executive Order Waiving Waiting Week for Unemployment Benefits

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that she has signed Executive Order #20-71, providing temporarily relief from the waiting week requirement for Kansans applying for unemployment benefits.

“Kansans who have a lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 cannot afford to wait a week to receive the unemployment benefits they need to make rent payments or feed their families,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This executive order will be crucial in our state’s ongoing response to the pandemic and to ensuring unemployed Kansans can access their benefits as soon as possible.”

The “waiting week” is a required non-payable week that typically needs to be served on new benefit years. E.O. #20-71 temporarily waives the waiting week requirement for all claimants. For states that have temporarily waived the waiting week requirement, Congress will federally fund 50% of the first week of compensable regular unemployment until March 14, 2021.

The Order is currently in effect and remains in force until rescinded or until the current statewide State of Disaster emergency expires, whichever is earlier.

View E.O. #20-71 here.

Bourbon County Local News