The American Red Cross is having a Fort Scott Community Blood Drive at Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott, following the holidays.
Wednesday, Dec. 26 from 1 to 7 p.m. and Thursday, Dec. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. donors are encouraged to donate.
Please call 620-223-5946 to schedule an appointment.
Tom (Moose) Lawrence, age 58, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Friday, December 21, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital Emergency Room.
He was born July 20, 1960, in Ft. Scott, the son of Lloyd D. Lawrence and Shirley J. Sears Lawrence. He graduated from Fort Scott High School with the class of 1978. Tom excelled in both football and track and field, and still holds the school record in the shot put. He also broke numerous Junior Olympic records.
He married Norma Williams on July 8, 1989, in Ft. Scott. Norma was the love of his life. Together they did everything, especially enjoying traveling. Tom was a dedicated worker for Extrusions in Ft. Scott for over 26 years. He was always willing and able to accomplish anything needed.
Tom enjoyed woodworking, golfing, arcade games and was a KC Chiefs and Royals fan. He was a loyal FSHS athletic event attendee, especially football. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and family.
Survivors include his wife Norma and their grandson Brayden of the home; a sister, Cindy O’Rear, Ft. Scott; two brothers, Larry Lawrence and Terry Lawrence and wife Linda, all of Ft. Scott; sons Brad Peterson and wife Crystal, Joplin, MO, and Cody Lawrence and wife Rebecca, Oronogo, MO; a daughter, Kortney McGehee and husband Alex, Ft. Scott; grandchildren Bailey Peterson, Tyler Bradley, Zoey Lawrence, Lexi Lawrence, Kaylynn McGehee, and Jaxson McGehee; and six nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Robert and Kathy Clark will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Friday, December 28th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Thursday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the FSHS Athletic Department and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Fort Scott KS – During the shutdown of the federal government due to the lapse of appropriations, national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures. Park grounds at Fort Scott National Historic Site will remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services will be limited.
There will be no NPS-provided visitor services at Fort Scott National Historic Site, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance (including plowing and snow removal if applicable).
Because of the federal government shutdown, NPS social media and websites are not being monitored or updated and may not reflect current conditions. All park programs have been canceled, including: Fort Guided Tours.
Please visit www.nps.gov/fosc for park information and www.nps.gov and select “Find a Park” for additional information about access to other parks and sites.
For updates on the shutdown, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.
Fort Scott KS – The Fort Scott National Historic Site’s Visitor Center and fort buildings will be closed and no programs will be offered on Christmas day and New Year’s day (December 25, 2018 and January 1, 2019) to allow staff to celebrate the holidays with their families. Regular winter hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily.
Please visit our website for pictures and information about the fort, as well as its role in U.S. history and the shaping of the west. Information on visiting can be found on the Plan Your Visit page of our website (www.nps.gov/fosc), by calling 620-223-0310, or by emailing us.
Kansas WIC Program Would Remain Open During Potential Federal Government Shutdown
350 Kansas stores would continue to process WIC transactions
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is letting citizens know that if the Federal Government shuts down on Friday, Dec. 21, the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program would continue to operate. This would include providing nutritional food benefits, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and referral services. WIC is the USDA funded nutrition program for low-income pregnant women, infants and children from birth to age 5.
“All eligible participants would continue to receive WIC benefits and new applicants would be certified and receive benefits,” said Rachel Sisson, MS, Director of the KDHE Bureau of Family Health. “There are 350 stores in Kansas authorized to provide WIC foods to clients. During a shutdown, all stores would continue to process WIC transactions and would continue to be paid for food purchased by WIC participants.”
The WIC program is administered by KDHE through contracts with county health departments. There are 120 county WIC clinics in Kansas where eligible participants may apply for services.
Information about the Kansas WIC program is located on the web at www.kansaswic.org.
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Tommy Lee Lawrence, age 58, resident of Ft. Scott, died Friday, December 21, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital Emergency Room. Services for Tommy Lawrence will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.
Paul Vernon Russell, age 87, a life-long resident of Redfield, Kansas, passed away Thursday, December 20, 2018, at the Medicalodge in Fort Scott.
He was born July 1, 1931, on the family farm in Redfield, the son of John Russell and Muriel Boileau Russell.
Paul graduated from the Uniontown High School. He served with the United States Army from 1953 to 1955 where he was stationed in Germany.
Following his military service, he graduated from Pittsburg State University.
Paul married Clarice Needham on June 9, 1957, in Mapleton, Kansas.
Paul taught business classes at both Elsmore and Moran High Schools. He retired from teaching in 1991.
In addition to teaching, Paul also maintained the family farm and raised beef cattle.
He was a member of the Mount Orum Baptist Church and had served as Sunday School Superintendent for thirty years.
He had also served on the Marmaton Township Board.
Survivors include his wife, Clarice, of the home; a son, Curtis Russell and wife, Susan, of Sugar City, Colorado and a daughter, Marsha Tucker and husband, Ken, of Terra Haute, Indiana. Also surviving are three grandsons, Jason Russell, Chad Russell and Russell Tucker and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Bernard and Dale Russell.
Rev. Waylon Ingle will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, December 27th at the Mt. Orum Baptist Church.
Burial will follow in the Mount Orum Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Mt. Orum Baptist Church 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.
Elvis M. Reeder, age 87, resident of Bronson, KS, died Friday morning, December 21, 2018, at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, MO. Services for Elvis Reeder will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.
Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin gave the attendees of the Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee an update on the 2018 happenings in the city on Dec. 20.
“We got a lot accomplished in 2018,” Martin said. “We had some things thrown at us, but I think we stepped up to the plate.”
The following, provided by Martin, are the completed projects that were a high priority:
Tourism:
The city welcomed more than 5,500 visitors to the new tourism office at the office shared with the Chamber of Commerce, 445 visitor tours on Dolly the Trolley since July, a new lavender festival event, a new Boos and Brews Event, a new Veteran’s Weekend Celebration, the assumption of operations at the La Roche Complex and a Division 1 World Series proposal, the county law change on 30 percent food requirements allowed for the local microbrewery business.
Emergency services:
The city installed the Nex Gen Att and Hosted ITI at the police and fire department, signed a contract with the county to collaborate on Emergency Medical Services and will provide the Human Resource assistance with the services, and added a police K-9 unit with no impact to the budget.
Human Resources:
As of December 2018, there are 97 full-time and 29 part-time employees of the City of Fort Scott. There are monthly KMU training sessions and continued education for all departments. The city is working with Craw-Kan Telephone on a phased upgrade to the IT infrastructure. The city provided a physical activity initiative for its employees and also updated the employee handbook. The city provided an FSA vendor administration transition.
There are four city personnel retirements: Jon Garrison on Sept. 9, Kenny Howard on Dec. 28, Johnny Keating on Jan. 3. 2019, and Shaun West on Dec. 20. There will be a reception for Howard on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. at city hall and reception for Keating on Jan 3 at 2 p.m. at the fire station.
Promotions this year: Rhonda Dunn to Director of Finance, Jerry Morgan to Streets Supervisor, Jason Pickert to Police Captain, Jacob May and Clint Roberts to Fire Dept. Captain, Alex Schafer, and Clint Lawrence to FSFD Lieutenant Reserves to full-time.
Dav Mohler and Cody McGehee graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.
New employees are Robert Uhler, Director of Community Development; Seth Simpson, airport manager; Bill Rost, WWC maintenance.
Those who have taken the Certified Public Manager designation, a program to prepare managers for careers in government: 2001-Dave Martin, 2014-Paul Ballou, 2015-Travis Shelton, 2016-Dave Bruner, and Traci Reed, 2017-Jason Pickert, 2018-Chad Brown and Larry Gazaway, 2019-Robert Uhler and Michael Mix.
Streets and streets:
The city spent $200,000 on streets in 2018.
The 2018 Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter Program approved six grants in the amount of $12,000 with owner investment of $24,595.
Water utility:
The city maintained 220 miles of water and sewer lines, including 3,100 water connections, rebuilt pump no. 1 and the Fort Scott Community College booster update, added pickleball court lighting, generator load bank, and valve leash, PACP Certification, Vactor training from Key Equipment, added GIS map update, announced refusal to accept grease loads, and provided multiple repairs to the sanitary sewer system.
Community Amenities:
There was a new public golf cart shed constructed, expansion of Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative fiber network and updates at Lake Fort Scott.
Finance/Codes:
There were 309 building permits issued for revenue of $8,340.
The number of codes cases resulting in a letter or ticket was 473. There were 27 demolition projects: nine were torn down by the city at a cost of $31,043; ten were torn down by the owner which saved $35,000; four were owner repaired; four are in process.
The three officers and director have achieved Kansas Certified Code Enforcement Officer status.
Community Development:
A Fort Scott Landbank was established.
A new direction is being taken by the Food Alliance, with the possibility of a community food bank.
A healthcare task force was formed between the city and Bourbon County.
Economic Development:
Business assistance for relocation, expansion and new businesses was provided by Bourbon County Economic Develpment Council.
A City of Fort Scott Five-Year Comprehensive Plan was approved.
The city reapplied for Kansas Housing Tax Credits to support redevelopment of the Union Building, downtown. This project will add much-needed housing for the workforce.
The city approved nine Downtown Building Improvement Grants totaling $38,904 with an owner investment of $54,898.
The airport revenue increased 75-percent in jet fuel sales from 2017 to 2018. The airport received $286,522 in Kansas Dept. of Transportation Aviation Grants from the Ks. Airport Improvement Program. Grants were completed for future airport expansion.
The following letter, written to Santa and sent to me in an email, probably can tell the story of many young mothers.
Dear Santa,
I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground, and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find any more free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you’re hauling big ticket items this year, I’d like a car with a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. And please don’t forget the Playdoh Travel Pack. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine. If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet. Yours Always…Mom
To all of you Moms, Dads and other readers of this column, I hope this Christmas is filled with blessings celebrating Jesus Christ. To Him be all the glory. He is my Lord and Savior. I pray he is yours too.
