Obituary

Obituary of David C. Middleton

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David Charles Middleton, age 70, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Sunday, July 12, 2020, at his home.

He was born August 1, 1949, in Ft. Scott, the son of Lee Charles Middleton and Allie Ethyl Peterson Middleton.

David graduated from the Ft. Scott High School with the Class of 1967.

He married Sharon Simpson on November 18, 1966, at Nevada, Missouri.

In earlier years, David worked at Mid-America Business forms and then for the Co-Op in Uniontown and Beulah.  He later returned to the printing industry and was employed by Apico Printing in Girard and later Ward-Kraft in Ft. Scott.  In addition, he operated his own farm and dairy.  He retired in 2011.

He was a member of the Cherry Grove Baptist Church, the Xenia Masonic Lodge and the Mirza Shrine of Pittsburg.

He enjoyed fishing and hunting as well as spending time with his grandchildren.

 

Survivors include his wife, Sharon, of the home; his son, Chris Middleton (Amy Larson), of Pittsburg; seven grandchildren, Brittany Horn (John), of Lawrence, Kansas, Matthew Prettyman (Alexis) and Shelby Garcia (Steven), all of Williston, Florida and Jazzmin Middleton, Dylan Middleton, Kaydence Clark and Kamdin Clark, all of Pittsburg, Kansas and seven great-grandchildren, Cameron, Kaden, Izzy, Addison, Elle, Amora and Aurelia. Also surviving are a brother, Kenneth Middleton (Lavon), of Uniontown, Kansas and three sisters, Carrie Elbrader, Ark City, Kansas, Lois Cooney, Frontenac, Kansas and Donna Davidson Williams, Uniontown, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Beverly Ann Horn, a sister, Carolyn Rourk, and his parents.

 

Rev. Marty DeWitt will conduct graveside services at 2:00 P.M. Sunday, July 19th at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

Masonic rites will also be conducted.

The family will receive friends on Sunday at the Cheney Witt Chapel from Noon until leaving for the cemetery at 1:30 P.M.

Memorials are suggested to the Mirza Shrine General Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bourbon County, Elections, Government

Nick Graham: Candidate For Bourbon County Clerk

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Nick Graham. Submitted photo.

This is part of a series of features on the candidates running for offices in Bourbon County.  The Bourbon County Primary Election will be held, Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

Monday, July 20, is the candidate forum at Ellis Fine Arts Center, on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.  Doors open at 5:30  p.m. for a meet and greet with candidates. The forum starts at 6 p.m. in the order of the federal, state, then local candidates.

 

Nick Graham, 40, is a candidate for Bourbon County Clerk.

 

Graham has an associate’s degree in network administration from Labette Community College.

 

He has 20 years in information technology experience for local small businesses and education providers. He is a former Fort Scott City Commissioner.

 

What skills do you bring to the position if elected?
“I love helping and interacting with people, which is not particularly common among IT guys, and the clerk’s office provides a ton of opportunities to help improve and streamline county services and communication that we can implement quickly and at little or no cost.”

“I also think I’m a strong coalition builder – there is a lot of silo mentality going on inside (and outside) the county government right now, and when that happens, the biggest loser is the taxpayer, as they get fragmented service and fragmented communication.  I’ve sat down with several elected and non-elected officials on the county level (and the city level) sharing my ideas and plans on ways we can make everyone’s job a little easier and provide a much smoother experience for our customers, the taxpayers.”
“Lastly, having worked in the technology side of public education and for small businesses with very limited budgets, I’ve learned how to improvise and innovate without spending a lot of money.  In a rural county like ours, that’s going to be more and more critical as time goes on, especially in economic times like these.”

What is your priority on day one?

“I have two main priorities for when I am sworn in as clerk:

1) Build a useful online presence for the county – provide quality online broadcasts of the meetings, start building an easily accessible and easy to use system so people can pull up public records online, and making it as easy as possible for people to do their business with the county without having to take a trip to the courthouse if they don’t want to.

2) Education.  The county clerk’s office is incredibly multifaceted, from taking minutes at commission meetings, to handling accounts payable, to overseeing all local elections, to being co-guardian of the budget with the treasurer.  And that’s just four of the fourteen core responsibilities.  It’s a critical position, and I intend to immerse myself in all the training and resources available to the clerk.  I’ve also established good working relationships with both current and former county clerks in the southeast Kansas area, so I feel like I’ve got a great support team in place.”

 

The following is from the Bourbon County website:

 

Not sure if you’re registered to vote or where to vote?

You may register to vote online, through the Kansas Secretary of State’s website.

Check your voter registration status, the location of your polling place and view a sample ballot at VoterView by the Secretary of State.

The County Clerk is elected in November of Presidential Election years to a term of four years.  There are no term limits to this elected office.

The Bourbon County Clerk/Election Officer is responsible for a wide range of things under Kansas Law.  Some of those are listed here.

Advance Voting is available prior to each election.  You may advance vote in one of two ways:  By mail, by filing an application for a ballot to be mailed to you   OR   in-person, beginning at least one week prior to any election.

 

Health Care, Mercy Hospital, Opinion

Bill Brittain Thanks Congressman Watkins For Help On Former Mercy Building

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Submitted by Bill Brittain.

Bill Brittain, left, shakes hands with U.S. House of Representative from Kansas, Steve Watkins. Submitted photo.

 

“On July 10, I was able to publicly thank Congressman Steve Watkins for his help on the Mercy facility.

The Congressman was in town Friday at the Nu-Grille (restaurant) for a small group discussion passing through for other stops for the day.

Several months ago I reached out to him and his office with an idea to save the  (former)Mercy Hospital facility.

After I reached out to them he sent one of his staff to meet with me.
His staff came to some of the meetings we set up with other people of interest such as the city, CHC, Via Christi and others. His office made contact with the person with Mercy headquarters and arranged a phone meeting between that person and myself along with the Congressman’s staff member.
They have searched for Government grants that might be of assistance for Bourbon County to use.
They opened doors that we could not get open and that is what allowed the process to move forward!

He and his staff have been instrumental with helping us get to where
we are today!

I would also like to thank the Bourbon County Commissioners for taking bold action by accepting the donation of the facility!

By doing so I believe we will ensure our community will have good healthcare options available in a nice facility for many years to come.

Our hope is to fill this facility with several healthcare options and I am in hopes that we will have hospital services at some point down
the road.

Jody Hoener, the Bourbon County Economic Director has also worked very hard in spearheading meetings, making contacts, and looking for grants.

It definitely, like many things, takes action from many but
without Congressman Watkins Office I don’t think we could have got the ball rolling!

Bourbon County, COVID-19, Government, Health Care

Bourbon County Has Four New Cases of COVID 19

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SEK Multi-County Health Departments

Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, and Woodson Counties

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

July 13, 2020

“Allen County has 2 new COVID-19 cases this morning and Bourbon County has 4,” Rebecca Johnson, SEK Multi-County Health Departments Administrator, said. “Of Bourbon County’s 4, 2 are presumptive positive.”

 

Allen County

Current Positive Cases 3
Current Recovered Cases 5
Total Positives Since Testing 8-1 removed-out of state and to remain there
Deaths 0

Anderson County

Current Positive Cases 11
Current Recovered Cases 4
Total Positives Since Testing 15
Deaths 0

Bourbon County

Current Positive Cases 26
Presumptive Cases 3-1 listed on KDHE website, tested negative
Positive Out of State/County-staying in Bourbon 11
Total Hospitalizations 5-1 still remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 29-includes presumptive case
Total Positives Since Testing 54
Deaths 1

Woodson County

Current Positive Cases 0
Total Hospitalizations 1-0 remaining in hospital
Current Recovered Cases 10
Total Positives Since Testing 10
Deaths 0

Recovered cases are based on dates of onset of symptoms, not on day testing results are received.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Agenda For July 13

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: July 13, 2020

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

MEETING WILL BE HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.

10:30 Executive Session, Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

Opinion

Reasons to Leave Your Church by Pastor James Collins

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“And upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18b

“Why didn’t you wear a tie to church today, you pinheaded nitwit?” Lois asked me with a frown on her face. Lois Steam (not her real name) is a woman in our church who complains about everything. Two weeks ago, Lois stomped up to me after church and I could tell she was upset. She continued, “I absolutely hated that song we sang today. What’s with all the handclapping? This is a church, not a disco.” This is a worship service, not a funeral, I thought.

As Lois continued her verbal assault, I never said a word. But I thought things that weren’t very pastor-like. Pray for me.

“Why don’t we go back to singing more from the red hymnals? If Jesus sang from the red hymnal, why can’t we?”

I think you’re wrong. Everybody knows that Jesus sang from the blue hymnal.

“Why didn’t you come check on me after my surgery last week?”

I’m not sure if having an ingrown toenail removed is a surgery worthy of a pastoral visit.

“You need to change your voice. I can’t stand your accent.”

Yes ma’am. I will try to have that done by next Sunday.

“This church isn’t meeting my needs. I might just move my membership.”

Don’t let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you.

At some point, you have probably felt like Lois. You feel unhappy at your church and think that you should leave. As a public service, I have put together a list of reasons to leave your church.

  1. Your gifts and talents are not celebrated. If you are asked to help in the nursery when you clearly belong on stage, then you need to leave.
  2. Your pet issues are not being addressed from the pulpit. If your pastor isn’t constantly addressing an issue that you saw on Facebook and got all worked up over, then you need to leave.
  3. You are annoyed with the people. Overly friendly greeters. Young hipsters. Crotchety seniors. Confused Millennials. Noisy children. Lost sinners. People who want…help. Surely God wouldn’t want you to stick it out with people like that. If you have those kinds of people, your church is probably beyond hope. Time to move on. Your next church, I’m sure will be perfect…

Of course, I am speaking with my tongue in my cheek. Church is not about you. It’s all about Jesus and sharing His message and love. A great church is built on these four things.

The Book – the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God.

The Blood – the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Birth – the new birth.

The Blessed Hope – the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The point is: If you are looking for a church, find out what stand they take on the Book, the Blood, the Birth, and the Blessed Hope. Or if they take any stand at all. If they don’t believe in these four foundations, saturate that place with your absence. Then find a church that does.

Remember, it’s not about you. It’s all about Jesus.

He will build His church, with all kinds of people.

People like you.

People like me.

Even people like Lois.

James Collins is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church. Follow him on Twitter @collins_point, Facebook James Collins “The Point Is,” or at the website thepointis.net.

Government, Kansas

KanVet Helps Vets Find Careers

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Kelly Administration Launches KanVet Site to Help Veterans Find Careers in Kansas

 

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced the launch of the new KANSASWORKS KanVet website. The new site provides access to State of Kansas veteran-specific resources and benefits on a one-stop, convenient webpage.

 

“Kansas veterans contribute significantly to their communities, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their service to our country,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Growing up in a military family, I know firsthand the sacrifices our servicemembers and their families make to keep us safe. We are proud to help Kansas veterans find careers in our state.”

 

Resources available to veterans on the site include, but are not limited to:

 

  • Employment resources
  • Veteran and family assistance
  • Education resources
  • Mental health support

 

In addition to veterans’ resources, the KanVet site also allows employers to take the Hire a Veteran Pledge to publicly show their commitment to the men and women who have defended our nation. This serves as a further demonstration of the state of Kansas’ commitment to providing support for veterans, as well as signifying the desire for veterans to remain in Kansas after their service.

 

“Ensuring that veterans can easily find careers in Kansas benefits both the servicemembers and the businesses in our state,” Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This is a group of high-quality leaders who are ready to work, and they come equipped with all of the skills employers are looking for. Keeping incredible people in our state and supplying Kansas companies with a qualified, dedicated workforce is a win for everyone involved.”

 

The site is live and can be viewed at kanvet.org.

Business, Entertainment, Fair, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Of Commerce Calendar of Events

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UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
7/10thru7/18 – Bourbon County Fair& Rodeo
starts at 8pm Friday & Sat. Fair Runs all
week on the Bourbon Fair Grounds.
7/10 – The Boiler Room Brewhaus – “Tim Nowell”
Live Country Red Dirt Music at 7pm!
Click Here for Bracket & Schedule.
7/11 & 7/12 – Marmaton Massacre Mountain
Bike Race at Gunn Park Trails.
7/10thru7/16 –Fort Scott Cinema showing:
Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade, Inside Out.
7/11- The Lavender Patch Farm “Family Day”
7/11 – Mo’s Swap Meet– Every Saturday from
8am – 4pm (3rd & Margrave St)
Plaza in front of the Fort, 8am to noon.
7/11 – Fort Scott Livestock Sale starts as 10am
Sale Barn.NEXT YEARLING SPECIAL
7/11 – The Woodland Hills Golf – 2-person
Scramble. Shot Gun starts at 8 am.
7/11 – Auction by Anderson Auction, Opal Binford Estate, 10am, 611 S. Little St.
7/11 – USD235 Uniontown Graduation, 2pm
7/12 – Boiler Room Brewhaus brings back Trivia
night for teams of 2 to 6 people, $5 entry
per team, 5-7pm
7/14 – Cattle Showing Clinic w/John Emmerson, Bourbon County Fairgrounds Show Ring, 9am
7/14 – Draft Horse Pull, Bourbon County Fairgrounds, 7:30pm
7/16 – Chamber Coffee @ Bourbon County Fairgrounds, 8am ~ attendees encouraged to stay until 9am for a special motivational speaker.
7/16 – KS SBDC Retail Relaunch, Live Webinar, 9:30-11:30am
7/16 – Seniors 60+ Farmers’ Market Voucher Signup Program, 1-4pm, Bourbon County Senior Citizen Center, Downtown, Income Requirements, click here for details.
SAVE THE DATE!
Meet the candidates at 5:30 pm. Forum
starts at 6 pm. Hosted by the Fort Scott
Chamber of Commerce. Location TBA
Click & Register online for Virtual Session
tools to help job seekers.
JULY 24TH – Chamber Golf Classic
Taking team & sponsor registrations now!
Click Here for details!
Fort Scott Area
Chamber of Commerce
620-223-3566
In This Issue
Bourbon County Fair & Rodeo
Tim Nowell live music at The Boiler Room Brewhaus
LaRoche Baseball Complex, Midwest Showcase Tourn.
Marmaton Massacre Mountain Bike Race weekend
Mo’s Swap Meet
The Lavender Patch
The Boiler Room Brewhaus
Chamber Highlights
Click here for our
Membership Directory.
We THANK our members for their support! Interested in joining the Chamber? Click here for info.
Thinking of doing business in or relocating to Fort Scott?
Contact us for a relocation packet, information on grants & incentives, and more!
Seeking a job/career?
We post a Job of the Day daily on our Facebook page, distribute a monthly job openings flyer, and post jobs on our website.
Many opportunities available!
Housing needs?
Click here for a listing of our Chamber member realtors.
Click here for our rental listing.
CHAMBER GOLF CLASSIC COMING JULY 24TH
THANK YOU TO OUR BOOSTER MEMBERS!
Bourbon County, Bourbon County Sheriff's Office, Elections

Mike Feagins: Candidate for Bourbon County Sheriff

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Mike Feagins. Submitted photo.

This is part of a series of features on the candidates running for offices in Bourbon County.  The Bourbon County Primary Election will be held, Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

Monday, July 20, is the candidate forum at Ellis Fine Arts Center, on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.  Doors open at 5:30  p.m. for a meet and greet with candidates. The forum starts at 6 p.m. in the order of federal, state, then local  candidates.

Mike Feagins, 46,  is a candidate for Bourbon County Sheriff.
He attended Fort Scott Community College.
“I am running for Bourbon County Sheriff to bring many positive things to the table. As a citizen, I do not want my taxes to continue rising. I want citizens to see patrol vehicles in their areas. I want to establish programs that involve children. Children are our future. I feel strongly that they are educated regarding the proper process of law enforcement. I believe that I have the knowledge, education and experience to be your next sheriff. I want to lead this community in the right direction.”
“I bring with me 18 years of law enforcement experience and well over one thousand hours of continuing education, strictly towards law enforcement. Part of those educational hours are for extensive training in drug interdiction, taser instructor certification, field training officer certification, and many others. I have also obtained many hours for leadership and supervision management and have overseen a reserve deputy training program for many years.”
“My experience ranges from reported threats, domestic situations, battery reports, burglary/theft reports, helping those who have mental health issues, investigating minor to fatality accidents, sex crimes, child abuse cases, battery reports, suicides, attempted murders, murder investigations, just to name a few. I also have experience with upholding laws and developing safety plans within school systems.”

What skills do you bring to the position if elected?

“I will bring honesty, dedication, experience, positive moral, and good ethics to the sheriff’s office. I have been concerned regarding the on-going negative relationship between the sheriff’s department and the Fort Scott Police Department.”
What is your priority on day one?
” I have been concerned regarding the on-going negative relationship between the sheriff’s department and the Fort Scott Police Department,” he said. “My intention, if elected, is to sit down with the Fort Scott Police Chief, discuss the current issues at hand, and develop a remedy for establishing a positive relationship. I believe local agencies need to work together in order to better fight crime and educate citizens regarding any issues that may arise in different jurisdictions. It is also imperative to have a good working relationship with surrounding jurisdictions.”
“The next five years will definitely be a challenge due to restructuring the current budget. If elected, I will immediately need to go over the current budget as well as look into the full year of spending. Things arise unexpectedly, and one should be prepared for them. If elected, I want to be able to make cuts appropriately so I can budget in yearly raises for the deputies.”
“Public leadership experience is something that is demonstrated by every law enforcement officer daily. It is our duty to guide and teach the community based on the situation that we encounter.”
Feagins is a life long resident of Bourbon County.

The following is information provided on the Bourbon County Kansas website.

Not sure if you’re registered to vote or where to vote?

You may register to vote online, through the Kansas Secretary of State’s website.

Check your voter registration status, the location of your polling place and view a sample ballot at VoterView by the Secretary of State.

Advance Voting is available prior to each election.  You may advance vote in one of two ways:  By mail, by filing an application for a ballot to be mailed to you   OR   in-person, beginning at least one week prior to any election.

Bourbon County, COVID-19, Schools

Uniontown 2020 Graduation Is Tomorrow, But Not Open to The Public

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Uniontown High School.
COVID 19 Pandemic restrictions have affected many aspects of our culture.
More so for graduating 2020 graduates at all levels of education.
The Uniontown High School Class of 2020 is having their graduation ceremony this weekend, a full two months later than normal.
The event is not something that is open to the general public due to  COVID 19 Pandemic crowd number restrictions that Kansas has in place, said Bret Howard, superintendent of USD 235.
“Each graduate will be allowed to invite up to nine people and those people will be allowed into the home bleachers,” Howard said.
“Phase 3 of the governors’ plan still limits the amount of crowd we can allow,” he said.  ” In consultation with the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department, we have created this plan and it was approved.  We apologize for not being able to accommodate everyone who would want to attend but due to the current circumstances, we are doing the best we can.”

On July 11, seniors and their families will be having an outdoors ceremony on the football field. The event is usually held in the West Bourbon Elementary School gymnasium.

 

“The tough spot we are in is that to get it approved we had to agree to only have people sit in our home bleachers,” Howard said.  “The (running) track (that surrounds the football field) is being worked on as well so we can’t have people all over the football field or even on the track.”

 

“We will be having our graduates give us a list of up to nine people to sit in the bleachers together,” he said.  “If some graduates don’t have nine people then we will give others the option of bringing more.”

 

“We are going to have people sit on every other row in the bleachers, Howard said. “We have set up seating in the bleachers.  There will not be anyone allowed inside the fence or on the field other than graduates and board members.”

“We are planning on live streaming the graduation on our school Facebook page,” he said. ” We have our information technology personnel setting this up right now.  Once we know that it will work we will post a link on our website and social media accounts.”

 

 

Bourbon County Local News