The new ambulance station at Moran celebrated its grand opening Tuesday, along with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Allen County commissioners.
“It’s a big deal for us,” said commissioner Bill King, in reference to the facility. “Taking care of the community. That’s what this is all about.”
He then thanked a long list of people responsible for helping to make the new station a reality, including Mike and Jamie Stodgell who donated land for the project.
“There’s been so many people involved in getting this done,” echoed commissioner Jerry Daniels.
“From Mildred down to Savonburg, this is going to take care of you,” he said, and also mentioned an existing agreement whereby the station will help western Bourbon County as well.
“It’ll secure and help the communities over here for decades to come.”
At the regular weekly commission meeting, Thrive Allen County CEO, Lisse Regehr, visited with commissioners about Peerless Products, Inc., and their proposed Iola facility in the old Endurance Lift Solutions building.
In order to help make the new window factory a reality, Regehr requested that Peerless be granted an incentive in the form of a tax abatement for five years, contingent upon meeting hiring targets, which commissioners granted.
Over the next five years, Peerless hopes to grow the facility to include 120 potential jobs, and is confident that it can find willing workers in Allen County.
Many Allen Countians already drive to neighboring Bourbon County to work at Peerless’ existing Fort Scott facility.
The Peerless plant is not a done-deal at this point, but the abatement and other measures (such as incentives from the City of Iola) bring it much closer to becoming a reality.
Thrive development director Jessica Thompson talked with commissioners about moving forward on a transportation plan for the county which has been in the planning stages for about a year now.
The county’s current transportation program is currently limited by age and other factors such as what destinations one can be driven to.
By contrast, the new program would allow for “any and all reasons, destinations.”
In order to speed the proposed program along, Thompson sought support from commissioners to pursue a match-free $75,000 pilot grant, which they agreed to.
Commissioner Bill King described the transportation plan as “favorable,” and said he “liked everything he’d heard.”
