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Monthly Archives: December 2019
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Dec. 16
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City Admin Offices Closed Dec. 24-25
The City of Fort Scott Administrative Offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 25th, 2019 in observance of the Christmas Holiday. The offices will reopen on Thursday, December 26th, 2019.
The City’s tree and brush dump site located on North Hill will also be closed on Tuesday, December 24th, 2019 for the Christmas holiday. It will be open again on Thursday, December 26th, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Have a Sneak Peak at LaRoche Buildings Dec. 18
Submitted by Kate Emmett-Sweetser
In celebration of the Historic Fort Scott’s Dowtown District’s 10th anniversary, business owner Jennifer LaRoche, is offering a sneak-peak of the buildings at 10 and 12 E. Wall St., locally known as the old Othick Abstract office.
The sneak-peek open house will be Wednesday, Dec. 18 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. The public is invited.
The building, which has been empty for a few years, is slated to become the new location of Common Ground Coffee Company in early 2020.
The 110-yr old brick building with a stone façade is an excellent example of historic restoration done right — with meticulous attention to detail which will help ensure it will be a viable venue for another century and beyond.
History of the district
Fort Scott’s Downtown Historic District was accepted for listing in the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2009.
In the late 1980s, local historian Connie Banwart completed an inventory of structures in the downtown for the Kansas State Historical Society. However, at the time, there was virtually no interest among local property owners in the creation of a downtown historic district.
In 2006 –a year after a fire spread through Block 88, resulting in the demolition of the damaged structures– Connie Banwart, Kate Emmett-Sweetser, and Becky Mann volunteered to complete a Preliminary Site Information Questionnaire for downtown properties for the State Historic Preservation Office. The PSIQ was completed in early 2007.
In 2008, the City of Fort Scott, per an agreement with the State of Kansas, hired Professor Dale Nimz as a consultant to complete the official nomination.
In 2009, the Fort Scott Downtown Historic District was added to the Register of Historic Kansas Places then sent to Washington, DC, for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Also on Dec. 18, Kate Emmett-Sweetser will give the program at Rotary on the Fort Scott Historic District at noon at the Presbyterian Church. Rotary meetings are open to all Rotarians and their guests.
Evelyn Wilson New KS Supreme Court Judge
Governor appoints Judge Evelyn Z. Wilson to fill vacancy on the Supreme Court of Kansas
Governor Laura Kelly today appointed Judge Evelyn Z. Wilson to the Kansas Supreme Court. Wilson will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Lee Johnson.
“Judge Wilson stood out from the field of candidates for her experience, her character and her commitment to Kansas,” Governor Kelly said.
“As Governor, there are few decisions I will make that are as important as appointing a Supreme Court justice,” the Governor said. “Supreme Court justices must be experienced in many areas of the law, they must be talented legal thinkers and they must be ready for the administrative duties justices perform as they oversee the rest of the judicial branch.
“Finding someone with the highest level of integrity and knowledge is difficult enough, but justices on the Kansas Supreme Court also must possess qualities reflecting values that make Kansas unique.
“Judge Wilson brings something quintessentially Kansan to our highest court.
“In a state with a rural tradition and a diversifying economy, she knows the struggles of both the family farmer and the corporate board of directors. And in a time of immense challenges in our criminal justice system, she has spent the last 15 years tackling those issues on the front lines while being a respected leader in the judicial branch.”
Wilson currently is Chief Judge for the 3rd Judicial District, Shawnee County, where she oversees the day-to-day operations of the court in addition to carrying a full caseload. She served Shawnee County as a District Judge from 2004 until her appointment as Chief Judge in 2014.
Her prior experience includes over a decade of private practice civil litigation experience, including time as a managing partner, and time as an adjunct professor at Washburn University School of Law. Wilson is active in the legal community as a member of the Kansas Bar Foundation, Kansas District Judges Association, Kansas Women Attorneys Association and Topeka Bar Association.
Wilson also is active in the community; she is a member of First Lutheran Church in Topeka, and helped spearhead the development of the Shawnee County Crisis Intervention Team.
A native Kansan, Wilson was born in Smith Center, and graduated as valedictorian of Smith Center High School. She graduated from Bethany College in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in business and from Washburn University School of Law in 1985.
“I am humbled and honored by the trust Governor Kelly and the Supreme Court Nominating Commission have put in me,” Wilson said. “Our courts must ensure that the law is followed in every case and that we honor and respect the legal rights of each person in our courts. I pledge to work every day to meet that solemn responsibility.
“I look forward to this new challenge and to working with six brilliant and dedicated Supreme Court colleagues to address the difficult and important legal issues that affect our state.”
Kansas Supreme Court Justices are appointed through a merit-based nomination process. When there is a vacancy on the court, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission submits the names of three nominees to the Governor, and the Governor then has 60 days to make the appointment.
To be eligible, a nominee must be at least 30 years old and admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years, whether as a lawyer, judge or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.
Every justice must stand for a retention vote in the general election following their initial appointment. If retained by voters at that time, they then face retention votes every six years for as long as they serve on the bench.
Obituary of Opal Binford
Opal G. Binford, age 85, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Sunday, December 15, 2019, at her home.
She was born July 29, 1934, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Alvin and Bertha Graves Gray. Opal married Earl “Doc” Binford on November 23, 1979. He preceded her in death.
Opal worked for Western Insurance Company in Ft. Scott for 21 years. She enjoyed flower gardening, cooking, and baking, her specialty being banana cake and deviled eggs.
She was a member of Daughters of the Nile and White Shrine. Opal was always happy and liked to have a good time.
Survivors include a daughter, Lisa “Genan” Boone Constantine; a step-son, Dick Binford; step-daughters Sheri Buntain, Belinda Skiles, Ruth Ricci, and Betsie Binford; a brother, Jerry Gray and wife Kathy; a sister, Jeanette Schweikert; sister-in-law Diane Gray; 16 grandchildren; numerous great and great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by 2 brothers, Bob and Louis Gray; an infant sister Calvina Marie Gray; brother-in-law Bob Schweikert; one granddaughter; and her parents.
Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct graveside services at 2:00 Thursday, December 19th, in the Evergreen Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to either American Heart Association or Mirza Transportation Fund 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.
Abby Schauer: New FSNHS Ranger
Abby Schauer, 23, is a new permanent park guide at Fort Scott National Historic Site.
She is from Spencer, Iowa and was hired on August 4, 2019.
Family vacations inspired Schauer to pursue a career with the National Park Service.
“Every year, my family would go on vacation to national parks across the country, mainly Rocky Mountain National Park,” she said. “These vacations were something that I looked forward to every year and countless memories were made during these trips.”
Hiking trails, completing Junior Ranger books, attending ranger programs, camping in a little pop-up camper, looking for wildlife every evening, or skipping rocks on a pristine mountain lake, these are the memories that inspired her.
“I enjoyed every single moment in these amazing places,” she said. “So, when deciding what I wanted to do for a career, I chose to pursue a path with the NPS so I could help to preserve and protect these places that have so much meaning and to help people experience their parks and make memories just like I had the chance of doing.”
She is passionate about National Parks and feels honored to take part in protecting them so that both this and future generations can learn, enjoy, and be inspired by them, she said.
Her main duties at FSNHS include guiding tours, working in the visitor center, working with school groups, helping to plan and execute special events, and is in charge of the park’s living history clothing.
Her priority is to help people learn about and connect with Fort Scott National Historic Site, she said.
Schauer has served at five national parks.
“I began my career with the NPS as an Interpretive Intern at Mount Rushmore National Memorial during the summer of 2017,” she said. “I completed my last year of college after that internship and then started working seasonal jobs around the country.”
Following her time at Mt. Rushmore, she became a fee collector at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, then Tumacacori National Historical Park in southern Arizona where she completed an interpretation and education internship, and then worked at Grand Canyon National Park as an Interpretation Park Ranger.
Schauer believes each park contributes to the American story.
” Fort Scott tells several stories that are not well known but were pivotal in the development of the United States,” she said. ” Not only does Fort Scott offer the opportunity to learn about these important stories, but the facility offers a look into the past with the impressive original and reconstructed buildings on site.”
FSNHS park visitor center, park store, and historic structures will be open daily from 8:30 am–4:30 pm through March 31, 2020.
Check out FSNHS website
Reflections on Changes in K-State Extension
As we draw near to the end of a decade, I can’t help but to reflect on the changes our local Extension services have been through. In 2010, the Southwind District was formed between Neosho and Allen Counties. Elected officials, extension board members, extension agents and countless community members had the foresight to see that this would be a viable option for meeting the challenges of changing rural communities. Only a year later, Bourbon County was added to the District. During this time, our programming presence grew and agents have embraced specialization.
Krista Harding went from being the Neosho County Ag Agent to focusing on Horticulture and expanding the Master Gardener program. Bourbon County was able to hire Christopher Petty to focus on Livestock & Forage Management and Joy Miller is always busy with Family Financial Management by offering SHICK counseling and marketplace consultations. Jennifer Murphy was hired to be a District-wide 4-H Agent which positioned the District to better embrace online 4-H enrollment and a new record keeping system. I am always grateful for her attention to the 4-H detail because that is certainly one piece of the extension system that can be time consuming and challenging! Kathy McEwan went from being a general FCS Allen in Allen County to focusing her programming efforts in Food & Nutrition. That shift also allowed us to expand the grant-funded SNAP education by hiring 3 nutrition educators who work across the district with families.
Just when we thought we had the District model figured out, Woodson County joined the Southwind District in 2018. Dale Lanham has the most staff tenure at 45 years in extension and a wealth of knowledge with regard to sheep and goat production that is respected throughout the state. Barbara Stockebrand has improved the lives of our aging population by teaching skills that embrace aging and help those folks continue to lead a meaningful life.
Prior to the Southwind District, Office Professionals did a little bit of everything to manage the local office. The District model allowed them to specialize their time and talents. Andrea Hilyard is in Yates Center and manages our website and communication efforts, which are becoming more and more important to our Extension footprint in Southeast Kansas. Pat Simpson uses her 4-H background and experiences in Fort Scott to serve as the 4-H program manager and develops our monthly 4-H Newsletter and keeps our volunteers monitored throughout the District. Kari Smith is the administrative office professional in Iola, and is our financial specialist who was deservingly awarded the 2018 K-State Research & Extension Office Professional of the Year. We expect to hire a new Office Professional in Erie who will manage our social media and marketing efforts. Finally, as District Director, I manage the overall program and coordinate our programming efforts to offer a balanced educational program that reaches new, traditional and underserved audiences.
The District-model has allowed our 4-H members to participate in state, national and even international contests as they participated on blended teams with youth from all four of our District counties. Our kids are already connecting with youth from across the area, and it only seems natural to allow those with a common interest to work together to accomplish big-time goals and secure their future as advocates for agriculture.
K-State Research & Extension has changed over the last decade, and I anticipate the next decade will be full of new opportunities. Technology continues to drive our presence and opens new doors to the sharing of research-based information. It should not be a surprise to you in the next decade when you see the Extension Office utilizing social media outlets like YouTube and offering meetings in person and through virtual channels like Zoom. To be honest, technology is overwhelming to the Southwind District Staff that has over 245 years of professional experience! We are proud to have been serving our local communities for this amount of tenure, but it comes with challenges because we are also trying to serve new audiences and embrace non-traditional Extension users who want to receive information through electronic alternatives.
If you are looking for research-based information, the Southwind District will continue to be your local resource through K-State Research & Extension. The next 10 years will likely be just as exciting as the past 10, and we look forward to taking the ride with you! For more information, you can find the Southwind District at www.southwind.k-state.edu
Carla Nemecek
Southwind Extension District
Director & Agent
[email protected]
620-365-2242
1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749
Director & Agent
[email protected]
620-365-2242
1 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report Dec. 16
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Dec. 13-15
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Hammond UMC Fundraiser: Bread
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Is Your Tongue On Fire? by Pastor James Collins
Is Your Tongue On Fire?
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” James 3:6
One of the difficult things about being a pastor is not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings when it comes to food. At church fellowship meals, I usually take a little bit of everything even if I don’t particularly like it. I am afraid that Miss Edna will watch the buffet line and notice that I didn’t eat any of her butterbeans. Then she will get upset and tell her husband, Deacon Hugo, and I will end up getting fired from the church.
In the past two weeks, I have attended four different church-related Christmas parties. At each of the parties, someone has made spicy dip. Several years ago, I had to have my gallbladder removed. Ever since then, I really can’t eat spicy food. I like food with a little kick, but it doesn’t like me. However, because I didn’t want to offend anyone, I tried the dips.
At the first party, a lady said, “Try this dip. It has an amusing kick.” I scooped up a little with a chip and put it in my mouth. That dip was so flaming hot, you could remove dried paint with it. I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital. The lady was offended when I told her that my ears were ringing, and I could no longer focus my eyes.
At the second party, the host said, “This dip has a slight flavor of jalapeno.” I tried his dip on a cracker. I didn’t taste anything but pain. The dip was blazingly hot. My wife, Amanda, had to give me the Heimlich maneuver. I think I embarrassed Amanda with all the screaming and crying.
At the third party, someone said, “Preacher, try this dip. It has a hint of red peppers.” I put a little of the dip on a potato chip and took a bite. It was so red-hot, it tasted more like Drano than red peppers. I couldn’t think. My brain turned to liquid and ran out of my nose.
At the fourth party, just as I walked in the door, someone suggested, “Taste this dip. It has just a touch of cayenne and my secret ingredient, ghost peppers.” Not learning my lesson, I dipped in a chip and tried it. I felt something scraping across my tongue but was unable to taste it. My lips began to melt. I told Amanda to collect some of the dip in a container and give it to the coroner, so he would know what killed me at the autopsy.
Even worse than inferno dips setting your tongue on fire is having a fiery tongue aimed at you. The Bible says the tongue is “a fire” (James 3:6). That does not mean we have a literal flame in our mouth. It is a word picture to show how a spark started by someone’s tongue can become a raging fire. A false statement made here, a little gossip over there, a vicious remark somewhere else, and people are hurt, relationships are destroyed, and lives are ruined.
However, our words can put out fires instead of starting them. Use your words to encourage someone who is hurting. Speak positively to someone wanting to grow in their faith. Better still, tell someone who is lost about our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The point is: We would all be wise to pray, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Help me Lord to keep my mouth from scorching others.
Is your tongue on fire?
James Collins is pastor of Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. He would love to come to your Christmas party, but he won’t eat anymore spicy dip. For more information about his ministry, visit the website fortscottfsbc.com.