Monthly Archives: April 2019

Entertainment, Fort Scott Community College

FSCC theater department ties up semester with ‘Loose Ends’

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Before dropping the final curtain on the school year, Fort Scott Community College presents “Loose Ends,” a night of five student- and guest-directed one-act plays (and two monologues) designed to make the audience laugh, cry, think, curse or all of the above.

There is no admission charge for the event, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 2-3 in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.

“This gives us one last opportunity to showcase our student performers, technicians and directors,” said Allen Twitchell, FSCC theater instructor. “It puts a nice bow on our season.”

The plays, in tentative order of performance, are:

  • “Easy Credit,” written by Samuel M. Post and directed by Clayton Whitson, FSCC speech instructor. The cast includes Wendy Monahan, a junior at Fort Scott High School; Massiel Ordonez, freshman from Panama City, Panama; and Amy Walker, sophomore from Fort Scott.
  • “Piece of Your Heart,” written and directed by Katelynn Coe, sophomore from LaCygne. The cast features Jasper Dunn, sophomore from Whitehall, Wis.; Kaitlyn Hanks, freshman from Redfield; Meaghan Hay, freshman from Fort Scott; and Ordonez.
  • “Hands of Fate,” written by D.M. Larson and directed by Mickey Donahue, sophomore from Fort Scott. The cast includes Aiden Ballinger, freshman from Pleasanton; Dunn; Monahan; and Marcus Robinson, freshman from Paola.
  • “Last Day of Camp,” written by Jeffrey Sweet and directed by Twitchell. The cast features Ka’Si Gates, sophomore from Bronson; Hanks; and Robinson.
  • “Teacher Boot Camp,” written by Adam Sharp and directed by Gates. The cast includes Ballinger; Coe; Hay; and Walker.

In addition to the short plays, Royalty Mercer, a freshman from Lithonia, Ga., will perform two monologues.

Assisting with the technical aspects of the production is Michael Woodward, a freshman from Fulton.

Some plays contain mild profanity and mature themes.

 

Area News, Bourbon County, Business

New Bus Service From Joplin to Wichita Stops at Fort Scott

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Since August 2018,  Fort Scottians can take a bus to Wichita and Joplin and points in between on Beeline Express, seven days a week.

“This is a community service for rural Kansans,” said Jim Lynch, the manager of Beeline Express. “It’s subsidized by the Kansas Department of Transportation.”

The pickup point is Pump N Pete’s, 1920 S. Main on 69 Hwy.

Riders can purchase a one-way ticket for $40 for the destination of Wichita, with stops at Iola, Eureka, and El Dorado, Lynch said.

The 48 passenger bus has a restroom and electric chargers for phones, Lynch said.

A photo of the inside of the Beeline Express bus at Pump N Pete’s on April 11.

“You can put the seats back and take a nap,” he said. “We do have wheelchair accessibility.”

“A lot of people use it for Fort Scott to Joplin,” Lynch said. The cost of a ticket from Fort Scott to Joplin is $19, with a stop in Pittsburg.

The bus arrives at 8:55 a.m. at Pump N Petes on 69 Hwy. and arrives at noon in Wichita. It leaves Wichita at 2:45 p.m. on its way back to Joplin.

Pump N Pete’s, 1920 S. Main is the Fort Scott stopping place for Beeline Express.

It arrives at 5:55 p.m. in Fort Scott to pick up riders and arrives in Joplin at 7:15 p.m.

These trip departure times are posted in Pump N Petes, 1920 S. Main, Fort Scott, but have since been modified by five minutes. Pick up time in Fort Scott is 8:55 a.m.
These trip times and prices are posted at Pump N Pete’s but have since been modified. The departure time to Joplin is now 5:55 p.m. The cost from Wichita to Fort Scott is reduced to $40 and Fort Scott to Joplin is reduced to $19.

“A person can just show up, pay $40 and get on the bus to Wichita,” Lynch said. To pre-arrange phone 1-855-201-6700. The Beeline office number is 316-249-6774 with office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“You can look up the schedule online,” Lynch said. http://www.Beeline-Express.com

For more destinations past both Wichita and Joplin, go to  http://www.greyhound.com to secure a ticket to all points in the U.S., he said.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be transferable at the discretion of the ticket agent, according to information provided.

Steve Van Norden, a bus driver for Beeline Express, hands information to the reporter.

 

Government, Kansas

K-39 resurfacing project starts week of April 22

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The week of April 22 the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) plans to start a mill and overlay project on K-39 in Neosho and Bourbon counties. The road work starts at the east K-39/U.S. 59 junction and continues east for 19 miles to the K-39/K-7 junction. Project activity consists of a 1-inch mill, 1½-inch asphalt overlay and placement of a rock edge wedge.

 

Flaggers and a pilot car will direct one-lane traffic through the work zone. Expect daytime delays of 15 minutes or less. The work should be completed by late June, weather permitting. KDOT awarded the construction contract of $1.2 million to Bettis Asphalt and Construction, Inc., of Topeka, Kan.

 

Troy Howard, KDOT construction engineer at the Garnett office, reminds drivers to use extra caution and ‘Give ‘Em a Brake’ at the work zone. Persons with questions may contact Howard at (785) 448-5446 or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen at (620) 902-6433.

 

Obituary

Obituary of David Bird Ashcraft

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David Bird Ashcraft

David Bird Ashcraft, age 72, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, April 16, 2019, at his home following a brief cancer illness.  He was born April 23, 1946, in Wichita, Kansas,  the son of Jay Ashcraft and Helen Ashcraft.  He married Sharon Colvin on January 25, 1978.  Dave owned and operated his own business, Ashcraft Pest Control, for over fifty years and which continues on today.  Dave grew up in Silverton, Colorado where he participated in cowboy reenactments for tourists and loved all things western and Native American including collecting arrowheads and Indian artifacts and watching old westerns on tv.   He also enjoyed hunting, especially elk hunting during his many trips to Silverton and Durango, Colorado.  Dave was known for his kindness, generosity and friendly personality. He loved people and never met a stranger.  Dave especially loved his family and spending time with them.  We will miss our dear Papa.

Survivors include his wife, Sharon, of the home; five children, Margie O’Dell, of Pittsburg, Kansas, Jocie Clary and husband, Tim, of Smithton, Missouri, Shelly Shelton and husband, Dale, of Ft. Scott, Kansas, Tammy Pruitt and husband, Terry, also of Ft. Scott and David Allen Tauber and wife, Casey, of Rogers, Arkansas; thirteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.  Also surviving are two brothers, Dan Ashcraft, of Wichita, Kansas and Richard Ashcraft, of Topeka, Kansas and his loyal canine companion, Tug.  He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Becky Tauber and Ruth Ann Ashcraft.

Following cremation, a memorial service will be held at 1:30 P.M. Monday, April 22nd at the Cheney Witt Chapel.  A graveside service will be held at a later date in the Centerville Cemetery near Devon, Kansas.  Memorials are suggested to Care to Share 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.

 

Fort Scott, Schools

Car Wash Fundraiser April 20 For FSHS Golf

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Car Wash Fundraiser
at Typhoon Bay, by
Fort Scott High School
Boys Golf
Saturday, April 20th from 8am-12pm
Come get your auto cleaned, dried, and vacuumed while supporting a great program: FSHS Boys Golf!
Typhoon Bay Car Wash
1510 S. National Ave.
(next to Heidrick’s True Value)
For more information, contact
John Horn at: 620-224-7120
Special thanks to Typhoon Bay Car Wash for sponsoring this event and providing supplies!
Government, Kansas

New Assistant Secretary for Kansas Wildlife Department

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Miller Appointed KDWPT Assistant Secretary

 

TOPEKA – Mike Miller has been selected to be Assistant Secretary for Wildlife, Fisheries and Boating for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). He replaces Keith Sexson, who retired last December after more than 50 years with the department. Miller will assume his new duties on Monday, April 22, 2019.

 

“Mike has been an invaluable member of our team for more than three decades. He has been involved in almost every aspect of the department and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to his new role,” said Brad Loveless, KDWPT Secretary. “He is a great communicator and is well-respected by all who know him. I am looking forward to working closely with him as we grow our programs and serve our constituents.”

 

“I am humbled and excited to be a part of Secretary Loveless’ vision for KDWPT’s future,” Miller said. “Current Wildlife, Fisheries and Boating staff are as talented and dedicated as any I’ve seen, and I look forward to working with them to carry on the amazing legacies of previous assistant secretaries.”

 

Miller has worked for KDWPT for more than 35 years. He grew up in Greensburg and graduated from Kansas State University with bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Graphic Design in 1982. After a short stint with the El Dorado Times newspaper, he was selected to be the wildlife illustrator for the Kansas Fish and Game Commission and Kansas Wildlife magazine.

 

He went on to serve as the magazine’s associate editor, editor, and his current position of chief of the Information Production Section, overseeing production of the magazine, all hunting and fishing regulation pamphlets, atlases and brochures and social media presence. In addition to his information duties, Miller also served as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary, managing various special programs and committees, including Pass It On, a hunter recruitment and retention program.

 

Miller is an avid angler and hunter. He and his wife of 37 years, Lisa, make their home in Pratt where he will continue to work in the KDWPT Pratt Operations Office.

 

—30—

 

Ron Kaufman

Director of Information Services

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism

1020 S. Kansas Ave., 2nd Fl

Topeka, KS 66612

785-296-2870

KSOutdoors.com & TravelKS.com

Note my new email address – [email protected]

Government, Kansas

KDOT requesting comments on STIP amendment

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The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requests comments on an amendment to the FFY 2019-2022 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 http://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burProgProjMgmt/stip/stip.asp

The approval of the STIP amendment requires a public comment period, which concludes May 1. To make comments on the amendment, contact KDOT’s Bureau 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 Office of Public Affairs, (785) 296-3585 (Voice/Hearing Impaired-711).