Rush County’s only grocery store closes in La Crosse

LA CROSSE, Kan. (KWCH) - With the closing of the only grocery store in La Crosse, all of Rush County is without a place to get fresh meat and produce. For now, locals have to find a new place to shop for food. Some Rush County residents will have to drive 30-plus minutes for groceries, depending on where they live in the county. In La Crosse, that means going to Hays or Great Bend.

Elsie Harmon is a lifelong Rush County resident. She’s depended on the nearby grocery store, but now will have to set aside a day just to shop for food.

“Going to have to learn how to plan a little further down the line,” Harmon said.

La Crosse’s grocery sore closed earlier this week after the owner said they struggled to keep up with taxes.

“It’s going to be really hard for a lot of the older people that depend on a local grocery store,” Harmon said.

The struggle for residents to keep their pantries stocked is why an economic development group in Rush County is working quickly to find a new owner to run the grocery store in La Crosse.

“We have a lot of an older population in the community and they cannot commute out of town. They need that store desperately,” said Rush County Economic Development Director Brad Penka.

The economic development group reported receiving multiple calls over the last few days about a potential store owner, but for now, there are no set plans. The group said it hopes to get the grocery store in La Crosse back in order by the end of fall.

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