Monthly Archives: February 2017

Fort Scott

FSCC to Host Rodeo, Honors Students

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Submitted by Heather Browne

FSCC Rodeo Team to Host 36th Annual Spring College Rodeo

The Fort Scott Community College Rodeo Team will host its 36th annual Spring College Rodeo Friday, March 3, through Sunday, March 5, at Arnold Arena. Students from Kansas and Oklahoma will compete in the exciting, action-packed event.

“We look forward to hosting the home rodeo each year. It’s a great opportunity for the students to show the community what they’ve been working on every day,” said FSCC Head Rodeo Coach Chad Cross. “We always enjoy seeing the community, alumni and parents come out to support our team.”

The FSCC Spring Rodeo will take place at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 3; 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4; and 1 p.m. Sunday, March 5. Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $5 for FSCC students, $3 for children ages 6–12, and free for children ages 5 and under.

The event will also feature a silent auction. Proceeds from the event will benefit scholarships for the rodeo students.

For more information, contact Chad Cross at 620-223-2700, ext. 7020.

FSCC Seeks Host Families for Adopt-a-Greyhound Program

Each year, students from across the United States travel to Fort Scott to study at Fort Scott Community College. FSCC is currently seeking local families to adopt a student for the spring 2017 semester.

“At times, it can be very lonely here for the students who are far from home,” said DeAnn Welch, FSCC Student Success Center Director. “These families serve as a family away from home to encourage and support the students.”

Per NJCAA rules, monetary transactions are not allowed—however, sponsoring families can have students over for dinner and support them at events. FSCC will host a meet-and-greet for the families and students at a later date.

Community members who are interested in adopting a student may contact DeAnn Welch at 620-223-2700, ext. 4300.

FSCC Students Honored at Phi Theta Kappa Honors Luncheon

Four Fort Scott Community College students were honored during the annual Phi Theta Kappa Honors Luncheon on Thursday, February 16, in Topeka, Kan. FSCC named Sirena Bruner, Cara Comstock, Ellen Jones and Skyler Smith II to the 2017 All-Kansas Academic Team.

Sirena Bruner attended the FSCC main campus and had a 3.90 grade point average. In addition to participating in Phi Theta Kappa, Bruner was a member of the Choir. She was named to the President’s Honor Roll. Bruner recently transferred to Pittsburg State University to major in psychology.

Cara Comstock attends the FSCC main campus and has a 3.84 grade point average. In addition to participating in Phi Theta Kappa, Comstock is a member of the Livestock Judging Team, President’s Ambassadors and Agriculture Ambassadors. She also serves as a work study student employee. She has been named to the President’s Honor Roll. Comstock plans to transfer to Kansas State University and major in agriculture education and animal science.

Ellen Jones attends the Miami County Campus of FSCC and has a 3.90 grade point average. She serves as her Phi Theta Kappa chapter’s vice president of service and also volunteers for FSCC’s Kids’ College. She has been named to the President’s and Dean’s Honor Rolls. Jones plans to transfer to Pittsburg State University and major in art.

Skyler Smith II attends the Miami County Campus of FSCC and has a 3.90 grade point average. He serves as his Phi Theta Kappa chapter’s vice president of leadership. He also serves as a member of the Miami County Campus Ambassadors, volunteers for FSCC’s Kids’ College and tutors. He received his chapter’s outstanding officer award and was named to the President’s Honor Roll. Smith plans to transfer to Emporia State University and major in English.

Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society, recognizes the academic achievements of two-year college students. Students who have completed 12 credit hours and earned a 3.5 or higher grade point average are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa. For more information about the Fort Scott campus chapter (Alpha Theta Omega), please call Susie Arvidson at 620-223-2700, ext. 3441. For more information about the Miami County campus chapter (Beta Rho Lambda), please call Buddy Jo Tanck at 913-294-4178.

Photo caption—Pictured from left to right: FSCC Board of Trustees member Robert Nelson; FSCC Students Sirena Bruner, Cara Comstock, and Ellen Jones; FSCC Board of Trustees member Liz Meyer; and FSCC President Alysia Johnston.

FSCC Announces Fall 2016 Semester Honor Roll

Fort Scott Community College proudly announces its fall 2016 semester honor roll students. A total of 252 students earned honor roll distinction. The Honor Roll requires a semester GPA of 3.5 to 3.74. The Dean’s Honor Roll requires a semester GPA of 3.75 to 3.99. The President’s Honor Roll requires a semester GPA of 4.0.

Honor Roll

Keller Agre, Brian Aranda, Christian Bates, Brett Beckham, Kayln Beel, Makenna Berger, Addison Berry, Adam Biby, Ayrton Bicknell, Thomas Boatwright, Cheyenne Brewer, Kylie Bruner, Aidan Carter, Shannon Chulufas, Payton Coyan, Leslie Damian, Kitana Diediker, Michael Donahue, Lenna Dunagan, Trisha Elder, Dustin Erikson, Lauren Flater, Zachary Franz, Dominick Goodwin, Katie Gorman, Kaitlyn Graves, Sirr Green, Meghan Guss, Joshua Ham, Keith Hames, Luke Hamilton, Caleb Hanson, Frederick Harmon, Shantaja Heath, Clay Hokr, Boby Johnson, Benjamin Kiefer, Ryan Malone, Erin Mantz, Mitchell McCallister, Benjamin McConnell, Elizabeth McFarland, Nickolan McGaan, Rachel Merrick, Nathan Miller, Vershayda Moellman, Sean Moore, Sharon Morgan, Aris-Shea Nakagawa, Jackalynn Neher, Brady Newman, Jared Oshel, Kaitlan Palmer, Keyshla Perez, Lindy Pettibon, Megan Phillips, Haleigh Robertson, Charles Runnels, Alec Rust, Tanner Sarbaugh, Krystal Schroff, Macy Scott, Tristan Scott, Ashlee Setina, Josie Soares, Trey Sparks, Tabor Spurling, Jayson Stepter, Stevin Summers, Sarah Tavernaro, Kierstin Taylor, Katherine Thoden, Richard Thompson, Amanda Trull, Courtney Umphenour, Aaron Watts, Lindsey Watts, Mackay Williams, Owen Wilson, Aimee Wimp, Brenton Wrigley, Lane York and Carter Young.

Dean’s Honor Roll

Chase Abram, Robert Bailey, Andy Bien-Aime, Jacob Blevins, Chavis Brewer, Nicole Brooks, Bailie Brown Jared Brown, Patrick Broxterman, Jessica Cain, Seth Chandler, Jacob Cochran, Mataya Cook, Kylee Cronin, Danny Daniels, Stephanie Dill, Meghann Fountain, Abigail Gilligan, Allison Gilligan, Davis Goodbody, Madelyn Goode, Layne Graham, Madison Gray, Ethan Hart, Courtney Head, Genna Hull, James Humble, Codi Hunt, Michael Jenkins, Ellen Jones, Jenna Kakas, Deardin Kelley, Sarah Kelley, Austin Kern, Cameron Kilgore, Shane Kober, Brandon Krennrich, Kevin Land, Tiffany Lane, Donald Lawrence, Thomas Mayfield, Kaleb McCall, Janice Mccourt, Scott McMannus, Kayla Miller, Brolon Moton, Kristopher Nickelson, Jason Owens Tina Penner, Alexis Peterson, Nguyen Pham, Erica Pinneo, Mandie Ridge, Alexandrea Rooks, Nathan Rourke, Sydney Russell, Matthew Schick, Kyle Thompson, Michalyn Trimble, Jessica Turner, Grant Vollrath, Mark Waterbury, Kevin Weirich, Kassie West and John Westerfield.

President’s Honor Roll

Mariah Aebersold, Jason Alt, Grant Anderson, Heather Bahr, Brandon Baker, William Baker, Susan Benson, Bryan Booth, Taylor Brecheisen, Michaela Brewer, Karlee Brumback, Sarah Bunce, Haley Casey, Jessea Chapman, Abigail Cooke, Rilie Creollo, Michael Davidson, Zachary Davis, Brock Denomme, Shelby Denton, Austin Dimmett, Benjamin Ethridge, Briona Fields, Timothy Fredrickson, Destiny Garcia, Mitchell Gehrke, Anne Ghere, Dylan Giager, Christian Goben, Molly Graham, Zachary Gudenkauf, Colin Gulotta, Amy Hagan, Zachary Hager, Mariah Hamblin, Derek Hammer, Lanie Hastings, David Hawkins, Shelbi Heikes, Tyler Henninger, Wyatt Hoggatt, Heather Huesman, Shelby Hutchison, Dallas Johnson, Cinetia Joseph, Andrea Kaiser, Kady Laporte, Brian Larson, Brad Lewis, Scott Little, Lindsay Locke, Justin Logan, Cristin Lowry, Allie Martin, Johnathon McMurtrey, Lacey Miles, Lane Moran, Jenna Nevius, Johnathan Palmer, Tina Palmer, Mercedes Pankau, Michaela Pfaff, Kylie Pfeiffer, Joshua Ralle, Joshua Rawlins, Taylor Remington, Bethany Robison, Rick Runion, Carla Salas, Meghan Schasteen, Taylor Schilling, Cody Schlesener, Cole Schroeder, Kim Schwab, Tessney Shoemaker, Dacey Simpson, Larry Sinclair, Trenton Sinn, Mason Skiles, Mitchell Sloan, Skyler Smith, Tony Stone, Matthew Strathe, George Stubblefield, Grant Swickhamer, Alexandria Trager, Samantha Tucker, Mackenzie Tynon, Christopher Tyson, Rachel Walker, Cody Weber, Alexandra Whisler, Emily White, Daniel Whitmore, Kirstie Williams, Devonte Wilson, Jennifer  Wisniewski, Caitlyn Wiswell, James Witt, Nicole Woods-Buyea, Tayler Yackle, Barrett Young and Jason Youngblood.

For more information, contact Tom Havron, FSCC Dean of Students/Athletic Director, at 620-223-2700, ext. 3500.

 

Bourbon County

Local Representatives Provides Update on Current Session

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A local state senator and representatives attended a legislative breakfast held Saturday morning at Mercy Hospital, answering a variety of questions raised by concerned citizens attending the event.

District 2 Representative Adam Lusker, District 4 Representative Trevor Jacobs and District 12 Senator Caryn Tyson were present for questions, while District 13 Senator Jake LaTurner was absent due to illness.

“We want to make sure you have an opportunity for questions,” moderator Mark McCoy said to the audience.

One of the first topics of interest addressed the issue of taxes, specifically House Bill 2178, the largest tax increase for the state which increases taxes retroactively for owners of smaller businesses, requiring them to pay that increase starting from January 2017. Governor Sam Brownback vetoed that bill in the past week, with the senate upholding the veto, while the House of Representatives voted to override that veto.

Jacobs said he voted against the override because of his promise to supporters that he would not support tax increases. Tyson said she does not believe the logistics of the bill are what the state needs, although she said changes do need to be made in order to improve the state’s budget.

“We’ve been working very diligently in the senate on tax,” Tyson said, adding there will be a number of tax bills addressed this session and that she believes there needs to be a single tax code for all businesses. “We need a fair tax structure.”

Lusker said he voted for the override, saying the state needs to increase its revenue in order to improve the state budget so further cuts need not be made.

“Fixing our state budget is our job,” Lusker said.

Jacobs said the state spending needs to be addressed before the state begins to increase taxes.

“The government needs to learn to do some squeezing,” Jacobs said, adding he believes limits need to be set. “We have to go by boundaries.”

The issue of the increase of Medicaid in Kansas also came up—which Tyson said may not be a good idea currently since the federal administration is reconsidering the Affordable Care Act, which Jacobs referred to as a “sinking ship.” Lusk said he believes such an increase is vital for rural hospitals.

Other concerns raised addressed topics such as cuts to education—which Tyson said she believes will not happen at this time, but added she cannot guarantee that; and the Highway 69 project, with Jacobs saying the Bourbon County phase is scheduled to begin soon and be completed by the end of 2018.

“It’s not easy to do what they do,” McCoy said of the Bourbon County representatives. “And I commend them for that.”

See the following link for more information about House Bill 2178: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2017_18/measures/documents/hb2178_00_0000.pdf

Opinion

Patty LaRoche: Beauty Salons to Boats

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God delights in beauty salons. And if that isn’t true, I think it should be. After all, few places offer better therapy. Hairdressers will tell you that salons create connections. And that’s what God loves to do: Connect.

Here in Mazatlan, Mexico, I was recently in Tippy Toes, a salon owned by Debbie Rodriguez and known for its Margarita Wednesdays. You read right. Men and women book weeks in advance to be part of the mid-week fiesta for their pedicures, manicures, and haircuts. And, of course, free margaritas.

Debbie spent several years in Afghanistan establishing a beauty school for the oppressed women of that country. (I highly recommend her book Kabul Beauty School which tells her incredible story of courage and determination.) A few chapters allude to her fight against sex trafficking. I was intrigued. On my second trip to her salon, I told Debbie about my son Adam’s involvement in that field. She was intrigued. Three weeks ago, two YWAM (Youth With A Mission) missionaries came into her shop and began sharing their vision for preventing Mazatlan’s youth from being recruited by the drug cartels. The two ladies are just starting to dab into the trafficking business.

Connection #1

Debbie contacted me, and yesterday Heather and Andrea came to my condominium, and for three hours I listened as they explained their involvement in discipleship—growing young adults into a deeper walk with the Lord so they can use their talents to advance His kingdom. YWAM’s outreach in Mazatlan is exploding. They build houses for the poor, meet with state officials to teach Biblical principles to fight corruption, work to change laws that affect the youth involved in crime, offer medical assistance where there is none and share the gospel.

The ladies’ stories were uplifting, but the one that excited me most involved a couple who, sixteen years ago, was led by God to sell their house, buy a one-hundred- foot boat and raise their family on it. Their friends and relatives thought they were nuts, yet they never gave up their vision.

Last year they were in Hawaii and saw a docked YWAM medical ship. That was it! They immediately knew what God had planned—they were to donate their boat. Long story short—it was delivered to a nearby marina this past week. Dave and I were there when the missionary team welcomed it to Mazatlan. The plan is to gut it and reconstruct it to be a floating medical facility. Their prayer is for the right people to get involved.

Connection #2

Our friends George and Barbara have lived on their boat for five years, and yesterday they docked at the same marina. George is excellent at working on boats. I asked if he would be interested in helping to prepare the ship for ministry. He is.

Connection #3

God didn’t stop there. Yesterday I heard from Heather who had received an email from Debbie. Her newest salon customer is a retired attorney who worked in sex trafficking and wants to get involved. They hope to meet with Adam’s team to work together to make a difference. So, the next time you think your trip to the beauty salon is all about you, think again. If you see it as a place of connections that delights God, you will be blessed beyond a new hairstyle or a cute pedicure. Next week I will share how my connections were just the starting point for a much bigger plan.

Bourbon County

County Calls for Audit of Fire District 2

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After months and even years of concerned comments from constituents, the Bourbon County Commission decided Tuesday to demand an audit from Rural Fire District 2, or the Garland Fire Department.

Township trustees Dwayne Allen and Don Banwart presented their request to the commission, saying the fire department in the past year had refused to give the township board details concerning finances and fire district administration, even going so far as to get a restraining order against the township.

“This is unnecessary; it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money,” Banwart said of the injunction that has cost both parties large sums of money due to lawyers’ fees. “Our hands are basically tied.”

County Commissioner Jeff Fischer, who is familiar with the fire district and has attended meetings on the subject, said the lack of transparency with the fire department began as far back as four years ago, when some of the staff such as the chief were released and money seemed to disappear without the knowledge of the township board, which is supposed to have authority over the fire board.

Banwart said an audit would help clarify some of what is occurring in the fire district and give them guidance moving forward, saying their chief concern is the safety of the Scott and Drywood township residents in that district.

A report concerning the four Bourbon County fire districts and their effectiveness was presented to the commission January 17, and showed that in 2016, the Garland department only responded to about 77 percent of the calls. Banwart said he believes the department is down to only three firefighters.

In March 2016, District 13 Kansas Senator Jacob LaTurner successfully created a bill that was passed by the senate, giving county commissions the authority to demand an audit from fire districts at the request of the townships.

Under that new ordinance, the Bourbon County Commission unanimously voted to act by pursuing that audit. The audit, which in this case may reach as far back as five years, will be paid for by the townships.

Initially, county treasurer and CPA Rhonda Dunn had said she could do the audit, but Tuesday advised they use a third party. The commission said they would move forward immediately, finding what the cost of such an audit would be as they decide how far back to go in the district’s finances.

Business, Fort Scott

Mid-Continental Restoration Provides Services to Midwest

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For 71 years, the family-run Mid-Continental Restoration Company, Inc., has provided exterior restoration services to much of the Midwest and other areas of the country.

Frank Doherty first founded it as a painting company in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1946, but the business steadily expanded and spread towards the south, opening their headquarters in Fort Scott in 1952. Branches are also currently located in South Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas.

The business has remained in the family, as first Doherty’s sons-in-law and now his grandsons and even great-grandsons continue to work with the company, which has expanded to more than $30 million in annual revenue with about 350 projects a year, working to repair and restore the exteriors of buildings.

“We’re one of the largest ones in the Midwest,” Vice President of Operations and Doherty’s grandson Scott Halsey said of their company and the services they provide. “It’s a whole variety of jobs from small country churches to skyscrapers.”

Just last year, Mid-Continental was working on the North Dakota, Arkansas and Texas state capitols simultaneously.

At one point, Mid-Continental was completing projects in about 24 states, before deciding to scale back to the approximate dozen states they work in now. They also once experimented with getting into the construction business and not just restoration, but after just a few years decided not to pursue it further.

In recent years, the business remodeled the building across the street from their Industrial Park location to create a corporate training facility, where proven employees are further trained in areas such as brick-laying, tuck-pointing, mud-mixing and brick-cutting, using up-to-date technology and materials.

During the winter months, when projects slow down due to the weather, Mid-Continental provides two-week training courses for six to eight employees at a time. That training includes classroom information as well as hands-on training and evaluations.

For example, the building includes areas where the employees construct a brick wall, only to tear it down again as they learn how to cut the brick without creating excess dust, a new regulation imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration this year.

President Frank Halsey, Scott’s brother, said they may consider using the facility to train other workers that are not employees. While that would mean training competitors, Halsey said it would also raise the standard of construction.

Halsey said he often hears from Fort Scott residents who had no idea the broad reach of Mid-Continental Restoration in the United States. But he added they are also more than willing to work with local owners that have buildings in need of restoring.

Fort Scott

FSCC Alumnus “2Big2Stop”

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Former Fort Scott Community College student and football player Robert McField revisited the campus Thursday evening, when he gave an inspirational presentation of his life and what he has overcome, encouraging his audience to never let circumstances keep them from their goals.

Growing up in St. Louis, McField said football became a key part of his life, even keeping him out of trouble in high school.

But only eight months into his commitment to play for the University of Minnesota, a time when McField said he surrounded himself with negative influences, then-teen McField was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to 12 years in a maximum security prison.

“I couldn’t blame anybody but myself,” McField said, though he added he could have tried to play the victim like others around him.

Instead, a couple years into his sentence, just after turning 21 years old while in isolation for fighting with a fellow inmate, McField penned the phrase “Too Big to Stop.” That line became his motto, not because of his size which made him an outstanding defensive end, but because he was determined to overcome his poor choices and reach his dreams and goal of returning to the field.

After serving four years, from 2007 to 2011, McField was released on parole. When that end was in sight, McField said his mother began reaching out to colleges to see if any would allow him to join their teams.

After contacting 30 teams, she finally received a response from then-coach Jeff Sims of FSCC, who recruited him even while he was in prison. Just 19 days after his release, McField was at FSCC, where he played for the season and was even named an all-conference player.

“I had fun at Fort Scott,” McField said of his time there.

McField went on to play at Pittsburg State University, but began to notice he was experiencing severe pain as he continued playing. He had already had five athletic-related surgeries in his football career, but this discomfort increased until he finally sought medical help after waking up to pain shooting through one arm, only a month after the football season had ended.

McField learned he had stage four cancer and had been playing football with five tumors in his body, including one in his stomach that was the size of a deflated football and another that had almost cut off his windpipe, which would likely have killed him.

“That let me know I was here for a reason,” McField said when he came to the realization that he could have died without even knowing he had cancer.

After six months of intense treatment, the cancer was in remission, but McField learned the tumor in his neck had caused enough damage to his spine that he would not be able to play football again. While that dream had become an impossibility, McField set a new goal of reaching out to other young athletes and students to encourage and inspire them.

For the past two years, McField has visited a number of high schools and colleges to speak about his experiences.

At FSCC Thursday, McField spoke of boxes of limitations, struggles and poor choices that each person has, saying they could include cancer, surgeries and imprisonment as it did for him, or other struggles such as fatigue, doubt, fear and lack of confidence.

“You are the person that’s holding you back,” McField said, saying none of those limitations should prevent them from achieving their goals in life.

Opinion

Patty LaRoche: Time to Sleep

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Liz Szabo of USA Today wrote an article saying that teens are deprived of needed sleep necessary to “to learn and stay healthy.” Her evidence came from the American Academy of Pediatrics that urged schools not to start before 8:30 a.m. because teens are biologically programmed to stay up later than adults. Apparently 83 percent of schools begin earlier than the recommended time, and since students need 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep nightly, there is a problem.

Patty LaRoche

Ms. Szabo cited more research. “Adolescents who don’t get enough sleep are at a higher risk for being overweight, depressed and using drugs, according to the CDC.”

The experts have spoken; kids need more sleep. However, instead of adjusting the national school start-time, perhaps we need to zero in on the parents. You know, the parents who aren’t parenting. The ones who fail to monitor their children’s bedtime activities (and time). For the life of me, I don’t know why it’s so difficult to set a night-night time of, oh, say 8:30 for the little ones and 10:30 for the teens…and mean it. With those hours, the kids would have plenty of time to come home from after-school activities, eat, do their homework, and catch some shut-eye.

I read Ms. Szabo’s article and thought, Wow, how times have changed! In my youth, boys and girls crawled out of bed at 5 a.m. to milk the cows and feed the chickens. My brothers woke up at 4 a.m. to roll the Kansas City Star and deliver it across town on their bikes. They also regularly filled in for the altar boys who failed to show up for 6 a.m. mass. (Because we lived right across the street from church, my brothers were perpetually on call.)

Those of my generation learned hard work, responsibility and stick-to-it-iveness. And let’s not ignore the fact that they also made good grades and something of their lives. I can’t recall any of my classmates burning the American flag, having their mugshots on display in the post office or cheating on tests…Well, maybe that one’s a stretch.

But seriously, what might it be like if parents removed the three electronic devices their children use as bedmates, not to mention the television mounted to their wall? What if, instead, bedtime included a devotional, a Bible or their multiplication tables? My three grandchildren in Henderson, Nevada, started school at 7:15. They made excellent grades, played sports, were involved in several activities and managed to get some impressive scholarships when they graduated. In their home, bed-time was bed-time. Not social media time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics—remember, quoted by Ms. Szabo—wrote this in a separate article: “…parents should monitor their (kids’) media diet for both duration and content. Excessive media use can lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity.” Hmmm…

Our children are a gift from God who has entrusted us to teach them about balance in their lives. By allowing them free reign with their techno-gadgets, we are doing the opposite. According to John 10:10, The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. What delight Satan must take in kids who idolize their social media toys instead of God. 2 Timothy 3:5 considers that a sign of the end times: People will be…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

I’m afraid that’s where we are, and unless the parents wake up, their kids won’t, either.

Obituary

Charles Marvin Parker Obituary

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Charles Marvin Parker, age 70, resident of Ft. Scott, Kan., died Wednesday, February 15, 2017, in Belton, Mo. He was born March 26, 1946, in Topeka, Kan., the son of Leland and Alice Algood Parker. Charles served in both the U. S. Army and U. S. Maine Corps. He worked as a restaurant manager and later in lawn service. Also known as “Bucky the Clown,” he received the 2008 Shrine Clown of the Year award. He was a member and past president of the Central State Clown Association and director of the Kansas City Shrine Clowns. He was a member of the Mirza and Ararat Shrine, Past Master of the Masonic Lodge, Past Master of the Scottish Rite, and Past Master of the York Rite.

Obituary

There was cremation. A graveside service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, February 23rd, at the U. S. National Cemetery, Ft. Scott, Kan. Military honors will be provided by the Olson Frary Burkhart Post #1165 V.F.W. Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kan. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Fort Scott

FSCC to host motivational speaker Robert McField

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Submitted by Heather Browne

Fort Scott Community College will host speaker Robert McField at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 16, at the Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.

FSCC Speaker

McField, a 2012 graduate of Fort Scott Community College, will share his inspiring life story and speak about the numerous obstacles he has overcome in his life. He will also discuss the “2BIG2STOP” mindset that he developed to triumph over the struggles that he experienced.

McField is a former Pittsburg State University athlete, multiple surgery patient, former level-five maximum security prisoner and stage-four cancer survivor. He holds a master’s degree in human performance and wellness from Pittsburg State University, and currently works for a second chance program as a behavior interventionist.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Tom Havron, FSCC Dean of Students, at 620-223-2700, ext. 7230.

Bourbon County

Jail Cells Arrive at Law Enforcement Center

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About half of the jail cell pods arrived at the site for the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center Tuesday morning, with the remainder scheduled to come in next week.

Jail Cells

The pods, which each include eight cells, with two beds in each, arrived already fabricated and ready to put in place. Their complete installation including welding is expected to be accomplished by the end of next week.

The pods will provide beds for 76 inmates, but the original site plans included a place for one more pod that would provide 16 more beds. During the Bourbon County Commission meeting Tuesday morning, Sheriff Bill Martin encouraged the commission to consider going ahead and getting that pod while the building is still being constructed.

Martin gave a report on the responses he got from surrounding counties he had contacted about housing their inmates. Many showed interest, including Wichita’s Kansas Department of Corrections, while other counties said they were too far away to transport inmates to Bourbon County.

Martin said he also spoke with counties that recently constructed or added on to their own jails, and those corrections departments shared advice that Bourbon County not be conservative in their number of beds, since even their newer and larger facilities are filling up.

Housing out-of-county inmates could bring in an additional $35 per inmate per day, and the excess number of beds would also insure that Bourbon County would not have to pay other counties to house local inmates.

Martin said now may be a good time to go ahead and get that pod, since the space is available and it would be easy to put in while the building is still open and other pods are being placed. Once the building is complete, it would be more expensive and difficult to open the building back up in order to install it.

The commissioners said that decision would be made based on the available funding.

Fort Scott

FSCC Begins Baseball Season with Series Win

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The Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds baseball team began the season with a three-game series over the weekend, taking two of the three games against Cloud County Community College.

FSCC Baseball

“I was happy with our effort,” coach John Hill III said, adding opening weekend shows how the team would do against an opponent after months of preparation. “I thought we had a very good opening weekend.”

The ‘Hounds took advantage of the wind during the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, cruising to a 12-2 win over the Thunderbirds, with home runs from Mackay Williams and Ben McConnell. FSCC was again leading, 3-0, in the third inning of game two before the team had their only bad six innings of the weekend, according to Hill.

With 16 walks, four hit batters and four errors, the ‘Hounds would go on to lose that game, 19-9. But Hill said he was pleased the team was able to turn that around for Sunday’s game, taking a 5-2 win.

“We played a clean game Sunday,” Hill said, saying they were forced to play small ball because of the complete change in wind direction, this time blowing in from the outfield.

Hill said the weekend of competitive games and the extremes in weather, with both warm and cool temperatures as well as the different wind directions, gave the ‘Hounds a good test to begin the season. The ‘Hounds play two more home doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, and Hill said they look forward to what he hopes will be a successful season.

“As long as we can stay away from injuries, I think we’ll have a good season,” Hill said, though he added they have already lost a couple key players to season-ending injuries.

Hill is in his ninth season of coaching and has led the team to six consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins, tying the franchise record of total 30-win seasons. The remainder of the Greyhounds’ 2017 season schedule can be found at the following link: http://www.fsgreyhounds.com/sports/bsb/2016-17/schedule.

Fort Scott

Dancing With Our Stars Raises Funds for Rotary, Charities

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The Seventh Annual Dancing With Our Stars, “Battle for the Fort” event raised more than $11,000 Saturday evening, as employees from 10 local businesses danced to a variety of music styles in order to raise funds for area charities.

Dancing With Our Stars

A total of 53 dancers from First Source, Cobalt MedPlans, Friends of the Fort, Citizen’s Bank, Fort Scott Community College, McDonald’s, Medicalodges, LaHacienda, Landmark Bank and Fort Scott Manor danced to tunes ranging from styles from the 1800s to contemporary songs, with dancers dressed to fit the time periods and the styles.

Five awards were presented, with Citizen’s Bank receiving the Most Entertaining, First Source the Best Technical Performance, FSCC the Judges’ Choice, Fort Scott Manor the Charity Spirit of Giving for raising the most funds, and First Source the Battle for the Fort Overall Winner.

This year, the charities represented included the Elks Youth Activities, Care to Share, Friends of the Fort, The Beacon, CASA, Ronald McDonald House, the Alzheimer’s Association, United Way, Care Portal and Lee’s Paws and Claws Animal Shelter.

“This evening is truly a group effort,” rotary member and event organizer Jill Warford said, expressing appreciation to the dancers, attendees and others involved in organizing the event.

In recent years, the event has raised a total of about $85,000. The funds from the ticket prices goes to the Fort Scott Rotary, which has used that funding for a variety of causes around the county, such as providing benches, picnic tables and trash cans at area parks and other venues, as well as for scholarships.

This year’s emcees were Jessica Schenkel and Gregg Motley, while the judges included dance and music instructors Marla Ward, Charlotte Swaim and Judy Schneider.