U.S. DOT Secretary Foxx visits Kansas

Federal transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx made a number of stops in Kansas yesterday to discuss transportation issues.  Check out the videos below from the Wichita Eagle where the Secretary talks about the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and drones.

Secrets of Southeast Kansas: Fort Scott National Cemetery

The Fort Scott National Cemetery is among the 12 original national cemeteries. First used in the 1840’s as the burial ground for soldiers from the Fort Scott garrison, in 1861 the site became a community cemetery known as the Presbyterian Graveyard. When President Abraham Lincoln established the United States National Cemeteries in 1862, the Presbyterian Graveyard and an adjoining tract of land became National Cemetery No. 1.

A walk through row upon row of white marble headstones yields the names of thousands of veterans who served in the Civil and Indian wars through both world wars and more recent conflicts. Kansas poet Eugene Ware, who was born in Connecticut but moved to Fort Scott and served in the 7^th Iowa Cavalry during the Civil War, is buried in Grave 1. Sixteen Native American soldiers who were scouts in the Indian Regiments of the Union Army are interred at Fort Scott. A granite monument has been erected in honor of the 1^st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry stationed at Fort Scott during the Civil War. The national cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Fort Scott National Cemetery is located off U.S. 69 at Fort Scott, on East National Avenue. It is open to the public between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cemetery is closed on federal holidays with the exception of Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Visitation hours are dawn to dusk each day.

More than $5 million of highway projects approved in July letting

Ten highway, bridge and maintenance projects across the state have been approved as part of the July 22, 2015, construction letting totaling more than $5.7 million.

One project in particular will improve the traffic flow at the K-258/U.S. 24 junction in Rooks County just north of Webster Lake.

The work will involve removing the existing bridge at the K-258/U.S. 24 junction and realigning the existing K-258 to an at-grade intersection.

APAC Shears Division of Hutchinson is the prime contractor on the $1.7 million project.

To see the rest of the approved projects, click here.

Motoring Monday: Oz Museum in Wamego

“Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Everyone knows that line from The Wizard of Oz, and that Dorothy’s House is in Liberal. More than 2,000 artifacts are on display at the Oz Museum in Wamego. The museum features more than 100 years of Oz history ranging from a first edition L. Frank Baum book to current collectible pieces.

The museum features unique items such as original movie posters and rare autographs by the original actors playing Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, W.W. Denslow’s 24 color illustrated pages from the first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), original MGM 1939 movie production notes, replicas of many items like the jeweled ruby slippers and more.

Several themed events take place at the museum as well. For more information, go to the website at http://ozmuseum.com/.

Throwback Thursday

We're going back to 1956.  This is the school crossing at U.S. 24 and Topeka Boulevard.

Do hands-free devices promote safer driving?

The Discovery Channel's own Mythbusters decided to tackle the question of whether using a hand-free cell phone is safer for drivers.  Click on the video below to see what they found out.

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