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.
9:00 – 9:05 Eric Bailey, Road & Bridge
9:05 – 9:08 Eric Bailey, Executive Session, Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
The City of Fort Scott Administrative Offices will be closed on Thursday, December 24th and Friday, December 25th, 2020 in observance of the Christmas Holiday. The offices will reopen on Monday, December 28th, 2020.
The City’s tree and brush dump site located on North Hill will also be closed on Thursday, December 24th, 2020, and Saturday, December 26th, 2020 for the Christmas holiday. It will be open again on Tuesday, December 29th, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Fort Scott City Commission will meet on Monday, December 21st, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas to hold a work session to discuss Charter Ordinance No. 31 and the Supplemental Extended Reporting Law Enforcement Liability, Public Officials Liability, and Employee Benefits Liability coverage for the City. This meeting is open to the public, but no action will be taken.
The work session will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
What: The Kansas Corporation Commission will be conduct the second of four virtual workshops designed to learn more about Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan and how it will affect ratepayers.
Details: Each workshop will cover a specific topic related to the plan. The subject of Monday’s workshop is Operational Efficiencies. Evergy representatives will make a presentation followed by questions from Commissioners and intervenors in the general investigation docket. The Commission opened the investigation to evaluate whether the STP is in the public interest.
The general investigation docket is available on the KCC’s website at:
William Grant Wiggans, age 66, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Thursday, December 17, 2020, at the Via Christi Emergency Room in Ft. Scott. He was born January 12, 1954, in Ft. Scott, the son of Donald Wesley Wiggans and Betty Bernice Powell Wiggans.
He married Amy Minor in 1984. Before they married, he was known as “Wild Bill” and after, that changed to “Sweet William.”
Bill worked road construction for several years before working for Bourbon County his last 12 years. He was known as “Roust About” by his co-workers. Bill could operate any type of machinery. He enjoyed horses, dogs, and tinkering with mowers and tractors.
He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who loved them all. Bill will be greatly missed.
Survivors include his wife Amy of the home; four sons, Randy Earnest and wife Carrie, Bronaugh, MO, Patrick Earnest, Ft. Scott, Gerod Wiggans, Ft. Scott, and Gary Wiggans, Ft. Scott; adopted son Ron Widder and wife Cathy, Ft. Scott; his mother, Betty Wiggans, Ft. Scott; a sister, Carla Fowler and husband Mike, Ft. Scott; 14 grandchildren, Taylor Jo, Koltin, Mattie, Garrett, Isaac, Kendall, Nellie, Chandler, McCallister, Jackson, Poncho, Rhya, Daisy, and Jayda; two great-grandchildren, Emiyah and Everleigh; special caregiver Amber Anderson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by three sisters, Susan Schnichels, Mary Sampson, and Dawn Sharp; and his father.
Mike Chipman assisted by Rev. Floyd Minor will conduct graveside services at 10:30 AM Tuesday, December 22nd, at the Clarksburg Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Monday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Bill Wiggans Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Bourbon County Treasurer’s Office in the courthouse closed Monday afternoon Dec. 14, because employees were COVID-19 quarantined.
The office will remain closed until Monday, Dec. 28.
Residents who need to do business with the office have some options.
Taxes
“We cannot extend the due date for taxes, they are still due Dec. 21 which is Monday,” Bourbon County Treasurer Patty Love said. “People can pay online by going to the bourboncountyks.org clicking on government, then treasurers, there is a link on that page.”
Another option is bringing the taxes to the courthouse entrance.
“There is a dropbox that people can put payment in, on the right wall by the double glass doors coming into the courthouse entrance,” she said.
They can also be mailed but time is of the essence.
“They can also mail them in, we are accepting postmark of December 21, 2020 to process them as on time,” Love said.
Vehicle Tag Renewals
“Renewals for tags can be dropped in the same dropbox along with payment and proof of insurance and we will mail out the sticker,” Love said. “
“If you need to register and title a vehicle we have a title-work-by- mail-form that is in a box next to our dropbox they can fill it out and put it in dropbox along with their paperwork, title and proof of insurance,” Love said. “We will call them when we get a total. Once we receive payment we will mail the tag to them. “
“They can also call our office at 223-3800 x 803 and we will email or mail forms to them,” she said.
“We realize this couldn’t happen at a worse time for our office,” Love said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and are sorry for the inconvenience.”
The confused, American woman asked me to help her fill out the form needed for her passport permit. Her adult son was too busy, I guess, as he spent his time in line perusing his leather-covered folder which contained every possible document (including multiple copies) to make him legal in Mexico. “Dan and Ruth” told me that they were on a mission trip.
Dave and I were driving to Mazatlán and were crossing into Mexico at the Columbia, Texas, border, notorious for little traffic and hassle-free trips. Not this time. The line of cars was crazy- long, and since only one lane was open, we had no choice but to pull in behind the other hundred vehicles waiting their turn. After fifteen minutes of not moving, an impatient truck driver behind us zigzagged out of line, followed by several dozen other drivers, determined to squeeze in at the front. At this rate, we wouldn’t cross into Mexico until 2021.
All along the line, passengers began exiting their vehicles, paperwork in hand, so that while the driver waited to pull forward, they could be inside having their passports, etc. checked. I did likewise. The drivers who had cheated by pulling around us had created a monster.
(How is it that some people think they are above the rules?)
Once inside, I waited in line for my passport to be checked. That’s where I met Dan and Ruth. When my paperwork was completed, I was told that I needed copies and had to get into line #2 where, for a fee, all of our documents were copied and snacks were sold. Once finished, I noticed Ruth in the middle of the copy line. Overly-prepared Dan was meandering about, double-checking his multiple copies, and that’s when I sprang into action. “Dan, Ruth doesn’t have to stand in line. You have copies of everything, so you’re set.”
He excitedly told Ruth that they could bypass line #2 and go directly to Line #3. Once she exited the line, thanking me profusely, an official asked if they had a copy of the passport document they received in line #1. No, they didn’t have that copy. Only the original. Well, then, they needed to get in line #2 to get it. I avoided eye contact.
Line #3 had about 50 people ahead of me…definitely the longest line because that’s where all of our documents were checked and verified and where I noticed that the buddy system was alive and well. Waiting people who had bypassed the #2 line handed their paperwork to a friend who then joined the #2 group. Only they didn’t just join it. They crowded in the front of the people who had been waiting patiently (like Ruth). Not only did they get copies, they loaded up on bags of snacks. Seriously…were Dan, Ruth and I the only ones for whom the rules applied? Why weren’t more people like us? Examples of preparedness and patience.
After an hour wait, it was my turn to stand behind the plexi-glass window and pray that I had all the legal paperwork I needed. Title to car and copy of title. Check. Passport and copy of passport. Check. Permit to enter Mexico and copy of permit to enter Mexico. Check. Mexican insurance forms. Check. So far, so good.
“What is your license plate number?”
No check. “I have no idea.”
“Well, Senora, I have to have it.”
I phoned Dave who, I imagined, still had to be in the car line. He didn’t answer. I called again. Same result. I texted. He called me. I accidentally hung up on him. I refused to turn around, knowing I would be the recipient of well-deserved glares as I held up the line. Murmurs could be heard: “Why is it some people think they have the right to get in line before they are prepared?” Granted, it was in Spanish, and they could have been asking for some Cheetos, but I’m pretty sure that’s what they were saying.
In Matthew 7:1 Jesus told his followers, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged,” a scripture many people in line that day needed to heed. Just glad that didn’t include me.
The Airport Advisory Board will meet on Monday, December 21st, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. at the City Commission meeting room at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
Oliver Witt took 1st in the 200 free swimming a state consideration and a personal best time of 2:00.97. He also got a personal best of 1:02.25 in the 100 Butterfly placing 4th.
Sam Mix took 2nd in the 50 Free and 9th in the 100 Breast taking 2 seconds off his previous best time.
Bobby Kemmerer took 1st in the 50 Free and 2nd in the Breaststroke swimming state consideration times in both events.
KSHSAA released the 2020-21 Boys Swimming and Diving “Top Thirty” in all classes on 12/7/2020.
Representing the Tigers are
Bobby Kemmerer: 11th in the 50 yard freestyle and 20th in the 100 back.
Oliver Witt is ranked 18th in the 200 yard freestyle and 21st in the 100 yard butterfly.
This is quite the accomplishment, as most the athletes on the list are from 6A schools.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announces that its Office of Vital Statistics will close its Will Call Services pick-up option for the remainder of the year. Regular mail services will continue. OVS has been closed to public since March 23.
Those needing vital records can visit the KDHE website at www.kdheks.gov/vital to order via online, phone or mobile app. The certificates will continue to be processed but will be mailed rather than given a pick-up option.
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Infrastructure Funding Across State of Kansas
~~Communities Selected to Receive Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program Grant~~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz have announced the recipients of more than $5 million being made available statewide as part of the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program (KLBIP).
The KLBIP is a state-local partnership initiative that is part of the Eisenhower Transportation Legacy Program, or IKE, the 10-year transportation program approved by the 2020 Kanas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Kelly, to address infrastructure needs across the state. This year’s KLBIP selections include 27 counties and three cities who will receive a combined total of $5.1 million.
“Congratulations to the Kansas communities that submitted successful applications and for securing local matching funds for bridge projects that are critical to their community’s success,” Governor Kelly said. “Improving the overall transportation system across our state is integral to our economic recovery, and an important step forward as we work to invest in and rebuild our state’s foundation.”
KDOT reinstated this bridge program in 2019 to assist cities and counties by providing up to $150,000 toward the replacement or rehabilitation of a bridge on the local roadway system. For this recent round of KLBIP selections, a total of 68 applications from 61 local public agencies were received with requests for $11.4 million in funds. The total value of the individual bridge replacement costs ranged from $150,000 to $2.4 million.
Gail Klaassen, Neosho County Commission Chair and whose county was a successful applicant, said the KLBIP funds will enable the replacement of a deteriorating bridge on a road seeing a growth in traffic.
“Neosho County, like the rest of Kansas, is finding it difficult to find the funds to fix the many road and bridge needs that arise,” Klaassen said. “Partnering with KDOT to complete this project is the only way Neosho County will be able to complete this project during this time of crisis. We are grateful for KDOT’s investment in Neosho County.”
“We welcome opportunities to partner with Kansas cities and counties to replace or rehabilitate deteriorating bridges,” said Secretary Julie Lorenz, Kansas Department of Transportation. “This program allows KDOT to help communities move forward with projects that keep critical local roadways open and viable.”
The KLBIP targets bridges 20-50 feet in length and with a daily vehicle count of less than 100. Deficient structures, which are longer and deficient structures on higher volume roads, also qualify for funding under the program, but these will be limited to the same state funding amounts. There are approximately 19,000 bridges on Kansas’ local road systems. About 20 percent – or 3,800 — of those bridges are in poor condition or unable to meet today’s weight and vehicle requirements.
The list of cities and counties receiving funding is below. Those with an asterisk indicate recipients that also chose to close a second deficient bridge in order to receive an additional $50,000.
Allen County
City of Arkansas City
Chautauqua County
Cheyenne County *
Cloud County
Cowley County
City of De Soto
Ellis County *
Graham County
Harper County *
Harvey County
Kingman County *
Labette County
Lincoln County *
Linn County
Marion County
McPherson County
Nemaha County
Neosho County
Ness County *
Norton County *
Ottawa County
Rooks County *
Saline County *
Scott County
Sheridan County *
Sherman County *
City of South Hutchinson
Wallace County *
Washington County
