KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.
A couple in Osawatomie, Kansas, founded the nonprofit, Prospective Entrepreneurs of Rural Kansas, or P.E.R.K., just over a year ago.
“We’re hoping to fill Main Street again with small businesses and keep our kids in our community,” said Jordy Goff, the group’s co-founder.
The organization was built with its community in mind. The goal was to drive the local economy with local spending.
Osawatomie is located off U.S. Highway 169 in Miami County, Kansas. With a population near 4,500, the community doesn’t have a full-service grocery store or other brick and mortar retail stores.
The Miami County Economic Development Department reported in August 2024 that unemployment was up from the first half of 2023.
The August …