Advertisements

Ad: La Cygne Auction – Saturday, June 27 – Semper Fi Auction

Leave a comment

Mike and his family are moving and Cindi is purging her inventory, and they are selling it all at an in-person, public auction. Two John Deere tractors, two zero-turn mowers, a horse trailer, vehicles, an ATV, farm equipment, tools, furniture and a whole lot more. Come spend the day with us!

  • When: Saturday, June 27, 2026 – starting at 10:00 AM
  • Where: 19863 Valley Road, La Cygne, KS 66040
  • Terms: Cash, check or credit card (5% credit-card processing fee). No buyer’s premium!
  • Bonus: Free hot dogs while they last. Come support our 4-H, selling drinks, desserts and snacks.

Featured Video — John Deere 730

John Deere 730 Diesel: factory weights, straight sheet metal and dual hydraulics. Runs (needs batteries).

Auction Headliners

John Deere 730

John Deere 730 RUNS factory weights, straight sheet metal and dual hydraulics. Needs batteries. See the featured video above.

John Deere 420

John Deere 420 RUNS. See video.

Simplicity 60″ Zero-Turn Mower

Simplicity 60″ commercial cut, 27 hp zero-turn mower. See video.

John Deere Z225 Zero-Turn Mower

John Deere 42″ cut EZ Trak Z225, 18.5 hp, w/ bags. See video.

Two-Horse Livestock Trailer

Two horse livestock trailer. This trailer has an attached air conditioning unit which comes on. It may need some maintenance. Also is equipped with electrical outlets and light. Selling with bill of sale, no title. See video.

ATV

Honda 4×4 ATV.

2018 Jeep Renegade

2018 Jeep Renegade 160,000 miles more or less. Daily driver, great gas mileage. Slight damage a couple years ago hitting a deer.

2005 Volvo

2005 Volvo 540 high mileage, runs and drives. See video.

Oklahoma Joe’s Smoker

Oklahoma Joe’s Smoker.

Priefert Headgate

Priefert Headgate.

MIG Welder

Mig Welder.

Shop Smith Table Saw / Wood Lathe

Shop Smith table saw / wood lathe.

Air Compressor

Rolltop Desk

Rolltop desk.

Display Case

Display case.

Full List of Auction Items

Here is a list of some of what will be selling:

Tractors & Farm Equipment

  • John Deere 730 (runs)
  • John Deere 420 (runs)
  • Land Pride 6′ blade
  • Homemade 5′ blade
  • Post hole digger
  • Antique plow
  • Road grader
  • Tiller
  • Scrap metal & batteries

Mowers, Cars & ATV

  • Simplicity 60″ commercial zero-turn (27 hp)
  • John Deere Z225 42″ zero-turn (18.5 hp, w/ bags)
  • 2018 Jeep Renegade
  • 2005 Volvo
  • ATV

Trailers

  • Two-horse livestock trailer (w/ AC, bill of sale)
  • All-metal trailer (bill of sale)
  • Trailer w/ hand winch, wooden floor

Tools & Shop

  • Stihl MS 170 chainsaw (runs)
  • MIG welder
  • Portable welder on wheels
  • Shop Smith table saw / lathe
  • Air compressor
  • Little Giant ladder
  • Step ladder
  • Sockets & small tools
  • Old-time fire extinguishers

Livestock & Outdoor

  • Priefert headgate
  • Dog grooming table
  • Big bale feeder
  • Hay feeders
  • Stock tank
  • Heaters
  • Saddles
  • Fuel tank & fuel cans
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Metal lawn furniture
  • Bicycles
  • Hoses
  • Moving dolly & carts
  • Craftsman pole saw / weed eater
  • Windmill

Grills & Fishing

  • Oklahoma Joe’s smoker
  • Charcoal smoker & grills
  • Propane bottle
  • Fishing poles & reels
  • Tackle

Household & Appliances

  • Ice cream maker
  • Sausage grinder
  • Microwave
  • Blender
  • Mixer
  • GF lean machine
  • Pots, pans & dishes
  • Bed linens
  • Misc. household

Furniture

  • Display case
  • Queen bed w/ mattress
  • Dresser w/ mirror
  • Rolltop desk
  • Futon love seat
  • Beds
  • Chairs
  • Kitchen table w/ chairs
  • End tables
  • Curio cabinet

Electronics

  • T-shirt screen maker
  • Wii console, controllers & games
  • PS4 / PlayStation games
  • Like-new laser printer
  • Cameras
  • Apple Watch
  • New-in-box home security system
  • Super Soakers

See You There!

Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM — 19863 Valley Road, La Cygne, KS 66040.
Cash, check or credit card (5% credit-card fee). No buyer’s premium. Auction conducted by Semper Fi Auction Services.

Government, Kansas

Ks Dept. of Agriculture Announces Photo Contest

Leave a comment

MANHATTAN, Kansas — The beauty of Kansas agriculture can’t be captured by a camera, but we encourage you to try in the annual Kansas Department of Agriculture Photo Contest. KDA is now accepting photo entries, and will continue accepting entries through August 16.

This year’s KDA Photo Contest categories were selected to celebrate the hard work that happens all year long in Kansas agriculture by recognizing the seasons: Spring into the Fields, Life in the Summer, Fall on the Farm, and Winter at Work. These categories allow you to showcase Kansas agriculture in many ways — from spring planting through fall harvest, from the intense heat of summer to the bitter cold of winter. As always, there is a separate Youth division, for young photographers age 18 and under. And a video category will welcome drone footage, harvest videos, or other short clips of under 30 seconds that showcase Kansas agriculture. Prizes will be awarded to the top two winners in each of the six categories.

KDA serves to advocate for agriculture, the state’s largest industry and economic driver. Photos which best capture the categories will be used throughout the year as we tell the story of Kansas agriculture. After submission, KDA is granted permission to use any photograph for publications, social media, websites, displays, etc. without payment or other consideration from the photographer.

Photo entries should be sent in .jpg format to [email protected]. Videos should be sent in .mp4 or .mov format. Entries must include a title and brief description, where and when the photo/video was taken, the photographer’s full name and age, entry category, hometown, and email address.

Guidelines for the KDA Photo Contest, including deadlines, categories and prizes, can be found at agriculture.ks.gov/PhotoContest. Voting to select finalists will begin on KDA’s social media sites in mid-August. For more information, contact Heather Lansdowne, KDA director of communications, at [email protected] or 785-564-6706.

###

Entries Now Open for KDA Photo Contest.pdf
Opinion

The Miraculous Design of DNA by Patty LaRoche

Leave a comment

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Valerian Trifa was an archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church in America and Canada. Even though he was a naturalized citizen of the United States, he was stripped of his American citizenship for lying about his involvement in the murder of hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust.  Forensic Files featured his story one evening, and I was enthralled with how God orchestrated him being captured and found guilty, even though the television show gave God no credit.

Seriously, our Creator’s design is ingenious.

In the article “DNA of God,” Kerry Shook wrote this: “The discovery of DNA is just one of the scientific discoveries over the last 70 years that points clearly to the existence of a Creator. For wherever there is complex information, there has to be intelligence behind it. And God has stamped on every one of your over-100 trillion cells evidence of Himself, because wherever there’s complex information, there’s always intelligence behind it.”

To date, over one trillion people have lived on this earth, yet none of them have had the same DNA, the same fingerprint or the same handwriting.  Not even identical twins. Yet, in all three of the following cases, the uniqueness of their genetic code was what caused forensic science to be instrumental in their convictions. Only God could master-mind such methodology to help capture a criminal.

(1).  DNA: The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway, was responsible for a rash of murders — at least 48 but possibly close to 90 —in Washington state in the ’80s and ’90s.

(2).  Fingerprint: Between June 1984 and August 1985, a Southern California serial killer dubbed the Night Stalker broke into victims’ houses as they slept and attacked, murdering 13 and assaulting numerous others.

(3).  Handwriting: On March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of the famous aviator, was kidnapped and murdered by Bruno Hauptmann.

Because of God’s unique design, the FBI’s DNA database has helped more than 758,000 investigations through DNA matches, and the more forensic medicine improves, the more “cold cases”—including Jane and John Doe identifications—have been solved.

Interestingly, those three patterns also have been responsible for convicted felons being released from prison, even some on death row.  How incredible of God to create each human with his/her own distinct identification determinants!  In Psalm 139:13-14, King David wrote, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous… how well I know it.”  David, of course, had no idea how scientifically accurate his writing was.

Hopefully you readers never will be convicted of a crime based on the use of your DNA, but may we never fail to wonder at our Creator and the intricacies of His design in each of our lives.

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Dinosaurs Are At The Lowell Milken Center

Leave a comment

Sending on behalf of Chamber member

DINOSAURS
HAVE ARRIVED AT THE LMC!

This summer, explore the story of Mary Anning, the teenage fossil hunter whose discoveries helped change science forever.

June 15 – July 11

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

| 1 S. Main | Fort Scott

FREE Admission

10 AM – 5 PM

MONDAY – FRIDAY

10 AM – 4 PM

SATURDAY

Discover fossils, history, and the inspiring story of a true Unsung Hero of paleontology.

Perfect summer stop for families, travelers, educators, and dinosaur lovers of all ages!

Questions: 620-223-1312

Click HERE to visit the

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Facebook Page

Click HERE to visit the

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

website
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com

    Click HERE to view our 2026 Community Guide-Member Directory!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice
Bourbon County

Breaking: Kansas AG Moves to Add a Felony Charge Against Commissioner Milburn-Kee

Leave a comment

The Kansas Attorney General’s office has asked Senior Judge Merlin G. Wheeler (the senior judge assigned to the case by the Kansas Supreme Court) for permission to add a felony charge against County Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee, days before her jury trial is set to begin.

In a motion filed June 25, Assistant Attorney General Olivia R. Higdon asked to add a third count, Intimidation of Voters, a severity level 7 nonperson felony under K.S.A. 25-2415. Milburn-Kee has until now faced only two misdemeanors, both stemming from an Oct. 25, 2025 incident captured on video, when the county commission room was being used as an early-voting polling place.

The stakes rise sharply if the felony is added. A severity level 7 felony can carry a prison term of roughly 11 to 34 months, depending on criminal history, plus a fine of up to $100,000. By comparison, the Class A misdemeanor carries up to one year in county jail and a $2,500 fine, and the Class B misdemeanor up to six months and a $1,000 fine.

The State argues no new facts are alleged, noting that its original probable-cause affidavit already referenced voter intimidation and that it told the defense during plea talks it was weighing the charge. The motion was one of several filings the State made June 25 ahead of the pretrial hearing on June 26, and the judge has not ruled.

If the amendment is granted, what has been a two-misdemeanor case headed to a jury becomes a felony prosecution. A three-day jury trial is set for July 6 through 8. Milburn-Kee is presumed innocent unless and until a jury decides otherwise.

Bourbon County

Pretrial hearing Friday in the case against Commissioner Milburn-Kee

Leave a comment

The criminal case against Bourbon County Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee returns to court on Friday, June 26, for a pretrial hearing at 10 a.m. at the Bourbon County Courthouse in Fort Scott. Residents who want to follow the case can attend in person.

Milburn-Kee faces two misdemeanor charges filed by the Kansas Attorney General’s office in March. The first, interference with the conduct of public business in a public building, is a Class A nonperson misdemeanor. The second, disorderly election conduct, comes from the state’s polling-place “three-foot rule.” A conviction on the election-conduct count would carry forfeiture of office under Kansas law.

The charges stem from Oct. 25, 2025, when the county commission room was being used as an early-voting polling place, an encounter that was captured on video. Milburn-Kee has pleaded not guilty and has demanded a jury trial.

A pretrial hearing is a working session before the trial begins. The judge and the attorneys use it to narrow the issues, settle which witnesses and exhibits will be allowed, resolve any outstanding motions, and confirm the schedule. No verdict is reached. It sets the stage for a jury to hear the case.

A three-day jury trial is scheduled for July 6 through 8 in Courtroom A at the Bourbon County Courthouse, starting at 9 a.m. each day. A jury of six, plus one alternate, would decide the case. The Attorney General’s office is prosecuting, and Milburn-Kee is represented by private counsel. FortScott.biz has also looked at how similar Kansas election cases have been resolved.

A charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt, and Milburn-Kee is presumed innocent unless and until a jury decides otherwise.

 

K-State Extension

Community Invited to Celebrate Pat Simpson’s Retirement After 26 Years of Service

Leave a comment


FORT SCOTT, Kan. — Friends and community members are invited to celebrate the retirement of Pat Simpson, who is concluding 26 years of dedicated service.

A retirement reception honoring Simpson will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Bourbon County Courthouse – Southwind Extension District Office, 210 S. National Ave., Fort Scott.

The event will be a come-and-go reception, providing an opportunity for friends, coworkers, and community members to congratulate Simpson and thank her for her years of commitment and service. Refreshments will be served.

Government, Kansas

KDOT Requests Comment on Statewide Transportation

Leave a comment

The Kansas Department of Transportation requests comments on an amendment to the Federal Fiscal Year 2026-2029 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) document.

The STIP is a project specific publication that lists all KDOT administered projects, regardless of funding source, and includes projects for counties and cities as well as projects on the State Highway System. The list of projects being amended to the STIP can be viewed at ksdot.gov/about/publications-and-reports/state-transportation-improvement-program-stip.

The approval of the STIP amendment requires a public comment period, which concludes July 9. To make comments on the amendment, contact KDOT’s Division of Program and Project Management at 785-296-2252.

This information is available in alternative accessible formats. To obtain an alternative format, contact the KDOT Division of Communications, 785-296-3585 (Voice/Hearing Impaired-711).

 

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

2026 Lowell Milken Center Fellows Receive Keys to the City

Leave a comment

Front Row L-R: Katie Botello, Magali Turner, Heather Hurt, Johnna Stoffregen
Back Row L-R: James Lawlor, Collin Binko. Submitted photo.

 

 

The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, has awarded its 2026 Fellowship to 12 educators. As part of their week-long experience in Fort Scott, the six fellows for June 22 – 26 were presented the key to the city by Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce President & CEO, Lindsay Madison. (Six more Fellows will arrive on June 29th.)

Upon presenting the keys, Madison remarked, “The City of Fort Scott is proud to welcome the 2026 Lowell Milken Center Fellows and present them with keys to the city. It is inspiring to see outstanding educators from across the country come to Fort Scott to deepen their commitment to teaching and learning. As they return to their schools and communities, they will carry forward the mission of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, ensuring that the stories of individuals whose contributions have too often gone unrecognized continue to be shared. Recognizing those who have made a meaningful difference is important work, and through these powerful stories, future generations are inspired to make a positive impact in the world.”

 

The Fellows honored this week were Collin Binko from Wyoming, Katie Botello from California, Heather Hurt from Alabama, James Lawlor from New York, Johnna Stoffregen from Kansas, and Magali Turner from New Mexico. LMC Director Norm Conard praised these outstanding individuals, saying, “We are so honored to be able to network and collaborate with these exemplary educators and provide them with an opportunity to reflect, reenergize and strategize with each other as they seek to find new ways to inspire their students.”

Every summer, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes awards its Fellowship to national and international award-winning educators from America and around the world. As LMC Fellows, they deepen their understanding of Unsung Heroes and project-based learning, preparing them to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students and learn the stories of role models who help change the world. Along with the time spent deepening their professional skills at the LMC, the Fellows have enjoyed visiting the Fort Scott area.

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County Sheriff's Office

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports June 25

Leave a comment

Arrest Summary

HUDSON, JOSEPH F, 43
Arrested: 6/24/2026 3:40 AM
Agency: Fort Scott PD
Charges:
– Possess Opiates/Opium/Narc Drug and Certain Stim ($2,000 cash/surety)
– Use/Poss Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body
Bond Total: $2,000

BRASHEAR, JULIE IRENE, 62
Arrested: 6/24/2026 3:40 AM
Agency: Fort Scott PD
Charges:
– Possess Opiates/Opium/Narc Drug and Certain Stim ($2,000 cash/surety)
– Use/Poss Drug Paraphernalia/Human Body
Bond Total: $2,000

HAYNES, RAYA L, 18
Arrested: 6/24/2026 8:12 PM
Agency: Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office
Charge: Warrant – Out of State *
Bond: $0

STINNETT, JACOB ALLEN, 22
Arrested: 6/24/2026 10:23 PM
Agency: Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office
Charges:
– DUI; 1st Conviction
– Failure to Give Information on Accident
– Reckless Driving
– Transporting an Open Container
Bond: $0

Inmate Released List

STEWART, REBECCA ANN, 33
Booked: 05/21/2026
Released: 6/24/2026 at 3:32 PM
Type: Transferred out
Released to: Allen County

Source: Arrest Summary PDF | Inmate Released List PDF

Bourbon County Local News