FSCC crowns Homecoming royalty

During the halftime of Saturday night’s football game, the Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds crowned their fall Homecoming king and queen.

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Taylor Wade accepted the tiara while John Freeman was crowned the homecoming king.

Other king candidates included Dylan Rice, Ethan Hart, Gavin Miller, Tyler Parker and Mickey Trimble. Queen candidates were Aubrey Smith, Morgan Winchester, ReaCreisha Edwards, Hannah Jackson and Avery Boehm.

But the Greyhounds were unable to protect home field during the Homecoming events. While they prevented Highland Community College from scoring in the second half, the ‘Hounds could not overcome the 20-7 first half deficit and lost 20-17, falling back below a .500 record for the season.

The ‘Hounds struggled to stop the Scotties’ running game early, giving up a touchdown on the very first carry of the game, while their own quarterback was sacked three times. A disputed non-call, which lead to an interception and a quick touchdown, as well as a blocked punt hurt them in the first half.

The greyhounds play their next game Saturday at Frary Field as FSCC holds their Armed Forces Day to honor current members and veterans of the United States Military.

FSCC shows appreciation to community

Fort Scott Community College students and faculty showed their appreciation to members of the community through their Community Appreciation Day Thursday, providing a free lunch to those who came.

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“We truly appreciate all that they do for us,” President Alysia Johnston said of the community’s support for the college. “And we just wanted to give back in a small way.”

Johnston said they enjoyed the opportunity to host members of the community, who received a free lunch as well as a tour of the Gordon Parks Museum and the chance to speak with college faculty. Members of local businesses and organizations and even city leaders attended the Community Appreciation Day.

Details on other college events such as local performances and athletic events throughout the semesters can be found at the college’s website, http://fortscott.edu/.

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Unspoken to perform at FSCC

On Sunday, November 6, the nationally touring group Unspoken will make a stop in Fort Scott to perform at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.

Stock photo
Stock photo

Larry Davenport said his son has long been interested in music, and recently has had the opportunity to serve as product manager for musical groups out of Nashville. Because of that position, he was able to connect with the Christian artists Unspoken and invite them to Fort Scott.

Davenport said his family had heard the group perform previously and their reaction was: “We’ve got to get these guys to Fort Scott, because I think people would really like them.”

The group, whom Davenport said is probably in the top 15 in the nation for contemporary Christian music, accepted the invitation and will perform Sunday at 6 p.m., arriving in Fort Scott that day after completing performances in Texas. Tickets cost $15 and are already available for sale online (www.itickets.com/events/369099) or at local businesses such as Ruddick’s Furniture, Union State Bank and SEK Financial.

“The ticket sales are off to a really good start,” Davenport said, saying Ruddick’s and USB had already run out and had to get more.

A total of 600 tickets are available and Davenport said tickets are also being sold online to people from other cities such as Chanute and even as far away as St. Louis.

“People are willing to drive to see these guys,” Davenport said, adding he is glad they are able to bring such visitors to Fort Scott when usually they would have to travel to Kansas City for such a concert.

Funds raised through the ticket sales will be donated to the Fort Scott High School and Middle School Fellowship of Christian Athlete organizations and to the Fort Scott Community College Campus Christian members.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. the night of the concert and the performance will also feature the group Carrollton and special guest Tyrus Morgan.

Butcher Block brings fresh and local meat to Fort Scott

During the weekly Chamber Coffee Thursday, staff of the Butcher Block gave members of the community information about their product and services while the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed them with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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Jeff Southwell, Rick Weber and their families and others began work in June on the building located where the Dairy Queen used to be on National Avenue, with the Butcher block opening its doors in August with the goal of providing quality and local meat to Fort Scott.

“We wanted to offer as much local product as we could,” Southwell said, saying they sell E3 meat, local elk meat and seasonings made locally.

They also make 15 kinds of brats and a variety of bacon and jerky that they have won numerous prizes for. Weber said some of the meats he makes he has been developing over more than a decade and has even given seminars on them around the state and in other states.

“I am proud of it,” Weber said of his work. “I consider us one of the five top producers in the state of Kansas.

The shop also provides other food products such as cheeses, pies, sauces and seasonings as well as chicken and pork. They sell both fresh and frozen meat. Bundle packages and gift certificates are also available.

Because of the amount of product they have, Southwell said they have begun to look for a self-contained storage unit that could store some of the meat as they are running out of room, preventing them from selling larger product such as Thanksgiving turkeys and lamb.

“We’ve outgrown our building already,” Weber said.

Southwell said they are still developing their image as well as their product after just a couple months in the business.

“We’re continually tweaking things…trying to see what people are wanting,” Southwell said.

“This is a blessing for Fort Scott,” Jake Gross of E3 Meat said of the Butcher Block. “You need to take advantage of this…Being able to get this kind of product in Fort Scott is a big deal.”

FSCC to host Armed Forces, High School Senior days

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

Armed Forces Day

Fort Scott Community College will honor service members and veterans of the United States Military during its Armed Forces Day football game on Saturday, November 5, at Frary Field.

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“We invite fans to join us in thanking these brave men and women for their faithful service to our country,” said Tom Havron, FSCC Director of Athletics.

Service members and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, along with their immediate family members, will receive free admission to the game. Several local service members will serve as honorary captains of the team that evening.

During halftime of the game, FSCC will also recognize spring 2016 honor roll students.

For more information about Armed Forces Day, please call Tom Havron at 620-223-2700, ext. 7230.

High School Senior Day

Fort Scott Community College will welcome local high school seniors to the Fort Scott campus during the College’s annual Senior Day event on Thursday, November 2. Area high school seniors and their parents are encouraged to attend this free event, which begins at 9:15 a.m. at the Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.

“This is a great opportunity for students to visit and experience FSCC,” said Matt Glades, FSCC Director of Admissions. “College faculty, staff and students will be on hand to show potential students what it’s like to be a Greyhound.”

Students will have the opportunity to meet with FSCC faculty and learn about the benefits of attending Fort Scott Community College. The event will also include a campus tour, an expo with student organizations and local resources, breakout sessions by academic program, entertainment, activities and drawings. Additionally, all attendees will receive a free lunch.

To preregister, visit fortscott.edu/SeniorDay. Preregistration is not required—however, those who preregister will be entered into a drawing for prizes from t-shirts to scholarships.

For more information, call Matt Glades, FSCC Director of Admissions, at 620-223-2700 ext. 3520 or email [email protected].

Schedule of events

9:15 a.m. – Registration at Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center

9:45 a.m. – Welcome and introductions

10:15 a.m. – Campus tour

11:00 a.m. – FSCC expo with student organizations and local area resources

11:30 a.m. – Break-out sessions with instructors and FSCC students

12:15 p.m. – Lunch

12:20 p.m. – Entertainment and games

1:00 p.m. – Conclusion of event

 

Chamber of Commerce hosts candidate forum

With the local, state and national elections just a few weeks away, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum Thursday evening for any candidates interested in sharing their ideas and goals with the Fort Scott community.

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Local candidates running for positions such as county offices participated as well as candidates running for places in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Each participant was given the opportunity to give a statement and to answer questions if they are not running unopposed.

Questions submitted by the public covered a wide range of topics including second amendment rights, the national debt, education in Kansas, Guantanamo Bay, the local law enforcement center project, immigration, county budgets and the Affordable Care Act among others.

Early voting began Monday and will continue through noon on November 7. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.

See below for some of the statements from different candidates and their opponents:

Patrick Wiesner (D), U.S. Senate:

“I am the ‘get us out of debt’ candidate…My mission is paying off our national debt.”

“They need to apply for citizenship.” [On letting undocumented immigrants receive welfare, adding children and emergencies should be exceptions.]

Joshua Berg, on behalf of Jerry Moran (R), U.S. Senate:

“Jerry believes that the number one thing that the federal government must do is protect us and keep us safe.” [Through military spending, immigration control and caring for veterans.]

Britani Potter (D), U.S. House of Representatives:

“My goal is to put people before politics.”

“Healthcare’s a huge passion of mine… The Affordable Care Act did not make healthcare affordable…One of the big things that we can do to address this is by getting special interest money out of our politicians’ pockets.”

“Debt is a terrible, terrible burden and I would work in any way possible to reduce that debt and not incur any future charges. I think we have to address our tax system. It isn’t working. There are far too many loopholes.”

Lynn Jenkins (R), U.S. House of Representatives:

“Many people in Washington don’t share our Kansas values.”

“Obamacare has been a disaster. It’s not working. It’s time the Democrats on Capitol Hill recognize that.”

“Our tax code is broken…we need to throw it out and start over. We have a plan to do just that, it grows the economy. You can’t cut your way out of 19.5 trillion dollar’s debt, you have to grow your way out of it. So fix the revenue side and then fix the spending side.”

Caryn Tyson (R), Kansas Senate District 12:

“I am tied to my constituents, not the governor, not the lobbyists.”

“You can count on me to work hard, to know the issues and to work with both sides to come to a solid conclusion for the state. I will continue to fight for limited government, individual freedom, traditional values and economic development.”

“I think we need to protect our schools. I fought very hard for our rural schools.”

“We have a budget process that promotes wasteful spending.”

Lynn Grant (D), Kansas Senate District 13:

“The Medicaid expansion will actually end up paying for itself… There’s money to be made by creating jobs.” [On her statement that she will increase spending on education and Medicaid.]

Jake LaTurner (R), Kansas Senate District 13:

“We didn’t have a lot of good alternatives looking at us… We were looking at a situation where we could cut K-12 schools, higher education, community colleges, or we could vote for a tax plan.” [On tax increase that put Kansas at a disadvantage to Missouri.]

“I’m clearly open to revisiting the 2012 tax cut, I think we must in Kansas, but I will not do that on the backs of the middle class and the working poor.”

Harold Coleman (D), County Commission District 3:

“The county is limited. We have taxes and fees, that’s the only income that we receive.”

Nick Ruhl (R), County Commission District 3:

“We need to cut back on some of our spending to grow the budget back.”

Mike Feagins (D), Bourbon County Sheriff:

“I want to make a change to the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. I want there to be integrity brought back, dedication and honesty. I want to keep the budget low.”

“The policy needs attention and it should’ve been changed a long time ago instead of now.” [On recent ride-along policy questions.]

“I would implement a hiring process.” [On the issue of employee attrition.]

Bill Martin (R), Bourbon County Sheriff:

“I believe in working for you. As I’ve said before, performances not promises.”

“I can assure you that there is nobody that is in that patrol car that’s going to bring harm to anybody in this community as they ride around with the deputies.” [On recent ride-along policy questions.]

“It’s one of the lowest paying jobs in the county [referring to correctional officers]… We have to be more competitive in our pay.” [On the issue of employee attrition.]

City receives report from golf course

During their commission meeting Tuesday, the Fort Scott City Commission received a report on the past six months at the Woodland Hills Golf Course, including finances, additions and upcoming needs.

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In recent months, the course has received numerous improvements and additions, including the new clubhouse, golf professional and manager Shannon O’Neil, improvements at certain tees and holes, the new sign and logo, the option of senior tees and scorecards and the addition of new equipment for taking care of the greens.

“It’s a viable golf course and a good golf course,” O’Neil said, adding he believes it is one of the best courses in the area.

O’Neil said his goal is to expose the course to new groups of people, especially those outside of Fort Scott. In September, the Woodland Hills Golf Course hosted a tournament for the Southeast Kansas Senior Men’s League that brought in more than 40 players. O’Neil said events like those will bring in more golfers as well as encourage local golfers to attend.

Since the end of March, O’Neil said about 5,000 golfers have come to the course, with more than 2,200 of those rounds played by season pass holders. More than 3,300 paid green fees to play.

The season passes and golf fees added up to almost $55,000, the green fees more than $41,000, merchandise such as hats and golf balls almost $5,000, and food and beverages more than $13,000.

“We’re operating on the right side of things,” O’Neil said about the profit they have been able to draw in, while adding that he hopes to add more to the merchandise available.

O’Neil said their other plans for the near future include replacing the golf cart fleet, which have been in use since 2006, and possibly replacing the storage shed for the carts. The city will consider leasing the carts as opposed to buying them outright, determining which option will be most reasonable.

The city commissioners praised O’Neil for all he has accomplished since taking his position this summer as well as for his forward-thinking vision for the golf course.

Lunch and Learn brings baseball history of Fort Scott

During a Lunch and Learn hosted by Fort Scott Community College Thursday, author and baseball historian Phil Dixon shared some of the history the Kansas City Monarchs have with the city of Fort Scott.

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The Kansas City Monarchs, a team of the Negro National League team from 1920 until the 1960s, played games not just among the eight teams in their league, but against teams around the state and even neighboring states in exhibition games.

Dixon, who spent time in the 1980s as a public relations person for the Kansas City Royals, said the Monarchs were a formidable foe that in their early years, winning pennants and even world championships in their league. They also at one time had more than 400 exhibition wins and just three losses.

Between 1922 and 1932, Dixon said he believes the Monarchs played in Fort Scott approximately nine times, with some of the matches being close considering the quality of the Monarchs, some of whom would go on to become major league players and even Hall of Fame members.

“They had some pretty good ball players in this town,” Dixon said of Fort Scott, even bringing up quotations from Monarchs players who said the Fort Scott team they played in 1922 was the best independent ball team they played that season.

During those years, Dixon said attendees often paid a quarter for a ticket, maybe 50 cents if it was a more respected pitcher. Around that time, they also began playing night games for the first time and started taking buses to different cities instead of trains.

Dixon dedicated his discussion Thursday to Monarchs player George Sweatt, who was born in Humboldt and lived much of his life in Iola.

Dixon said it is important for baseball fans to continue to share that passion with younger generations to keep that pastime alive.

Attendees of the event could ask questions and also share information with Dixon about their experiences with games played in Fort Scott in past decades. Dixon also presented a photo of the Monarchs team to Jill Warford and the Gordon Parks Museum.

Midwest Health and Performance opens downtown

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed the new fitness center, Midwest Health & Performance, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at their new downtown location Thursday morning.

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“This is a little surreal,” owner Jared Martin said of their opening, which came after about 90 days of work in converting the downtown building at 13 S. National Ave. “It’s very exciting for our team to be able to provide this service here for our community.”

The center will bring services including functional medicine provided by Heather Davis of Premier Functional Health, chiropractic services by Grant Hartman of Hartman Spine & Joint, as well as fitness training by CrossFit trainer Brooks Narvaez.

Hartman, who opened a Fort Scott chiropractic clinic 14 months ago with Davis, his wife, said they wanted to bring their services to an underserviced area. Martin said he is excited about the potential of the facility, which also provides nine new jobs to Fort Scott.

“It’s such a group effort to do what we do,” Narvaez said of the team of employees as well as the gym members who helped with the building.

City Manager Dave Martin said he is grateful for the vision of the team involved with Midwest Health & Performance and their goal of making people’s lives better. Chamber of Commerce director Lindsay Madison also expressed appreciation for their investment in Fort Scott’s downtown.

“It’s so inspiring for downtown to see this building preserved, remodeled, revamped into this wonderful place,” Madison said. “We’re focusing on health as a whole as a community…I think this is just one more asset towards that goal of being an overall healthy community.”

 

FSCC to host play, community appreciation day

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

FSCC Theatre to Stage “The Bald Soprano”

The Fort Scott Community College Theatre Department will present “The Bald Soprano,” Thursday, October 20, through Saturday, October 22.

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“The Bald Soprano,” was written by Eugene Ionesco in 1950.

“This play is a significant part of the Absurdist movement in theatre. The original version of the play takes place in London, but we have adapted the script to fit in the United States,” said Lawrence Alford, FSCC Theatre Instructor. “The concept of the production is based around the 2016 presidential election campaigns. The characters in the play will represent four significant groups—the American voter, the American media, Democratic Party and Republican Party.”

While the play has no discernible plot or storyline, it follows a stream of consciousness. The main message of “The Bald Soprano,” is that language cannot be used as a vehicle for change if no one is saying anything and no one is listening. The play expresses the futility of meaningful communication in modern society.

“One of the main reasons why I chose this play is because my students are voting in their first presidential election,” said Alford. “The play will not take a side in the election—it will attempt to show the absurd nature of the presidential campaign process as a whole.”

The production opens on October 20, and runs through October 22. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Performances will be held at Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, 2108 S. Horton. General admission tickets may be purchased at the door on the day of the show—prices are $7 for adults, $4 for students and seniors and free for FSCC students.

For more information, call Lawrence Alford at 620-223-2700, ext. 3056.

FSCC to Host Community Appreciation Day

Fort Scott Community College will welcome members of the community to its campus 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday, October 28. for its Community Appreciation Day.

The event is designed to thank the community for its continued support of the College. Attendees will receive a free grilled hot dog lunch and a tour of the Gordon Parks Museum. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to meet and talk with FSCC administrative staff.

FSCC’s Community Appreciation Day will take place in front of the Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place inside the Fine Arts Center. For more information, please call 620-223-2700.

 

FSHS Theatre and Pride Students Volunteer to “Feed the Need”

Submitted by Angela Bin

The International Thespian Society announces the participation of Fort Scott High School, Thespian Troupe #7365, in the Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat program.

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Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat is a national community service program to collect canned and dry goods for local charities and food banks. Theatre students from FSHS will collect food donations on Friday, October 21, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thousands of pounds of food will be collected in one week across the state, giving organizations the ability to help thousands of local people.

The International Thespian Society (ITS) is an honorary organization for high school and middle school theatre students located at more than 4,100 affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada and abroad. The mission of ITS is to honor student achievement in the theatre arts. High school inductees are known as “Thespians” and junior high/middle school inductees are known as “Junior Thespians.” ITS is a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), a professional organization with approximately 100,000 members nationwide.

Thespians will also partner with other high school clubs including Pride to collect food.  If you would like to donate to the cause and the students miss your home on October 21, please drop your donation by FSHS and address it to Angie Bin, FSHS Thespian Director.

Tryakathon participants race despite conditions

After being postponed a week because of recent heavy rains, the 4th Annual Tryakathon at Gunn Park was almost delayed again because of wet conditions on the trails. But the night before the Saturday event, organizer Frank Halsey decided it was safe for the participants and the event continued.

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“It’s been hectic,” Halsey said of the planning over the last couple weeks, which forced organizers to keep a close eye on the trail and river conditions.

Participants had to face muddy trails as well as a tree downed in the river, but individual competitors and teams still came out to compete in the event that covered 4 miles of running, 2.5 miles of kayaking and 6.5 miles of bike trails.

Because the event was delayed a week, the event lost some participants as well as gained some, but overall the numbers remained lower than previous years because of the conditions. Halsey said there was still a larger number of competitors than they expected.

Local volunteers such as from Fort Scott Community College also helped put on the event.