Monthly Archives: November 2020
Obituary of James Shelton
James Douglas Shelton, age 73, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Friday, November 13, 2020, at the Medicalodge in Ft. Scott.
He was born January 28, 1947, in Littleton, Colorado, the son of John Newton Shelton and Geraldine Marsh Shelton. James graduated from the J. B. Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois and later attended the University of Kansas.
He had worked as a carpenter. He enjoyed woodworking and being outside. He also liked to watch educational programs on television.
Survivors include three daughters, Jackie Carillo and Jennifer Schneider, both of Tucson, Arizona and Tammi Martin, of Greenfield, Wisconsin and four grandchildren. Also surviving are his mother, Geraldine Shelton of Ft. Scott, five brothers, Larry (Cathy) Shelton, of Ft. Scott, Steven (Roxanne) Shelton, of Woodstock, Illinois, Darryl (Deb) Shelton, of Gardner, Kansas, Don (Terri) Shelton, and Kevin Shelton, all of Ft. Scott and a sister, Sharon Shelton, also of Ft. Scott.
He was preceded in death by his father and an infant brother, Michael Shelton.
Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct graveside services at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, November 19th at the Clarksburg Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the Cheney Witt Chapel on Thursday from 10:00 A.M. until leaving for the cemetery at 10:45 A.M.
Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
FSCC Trustee Meeting Tonight Is Virtual
4-H Game of Democracy
Submitted by: Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director
The Southwind Extension District Iola Office is currently in the process of relocating from the Allen County Courthouse to 1006 N. State Street in Iola. While the move was unexpected, the new building is more visible and accessible to the public and we are looking forward to possibilities.
Moving is good for cleaning and each day brings a new discovery of informative and historical Extension publications. Most recently, the 1966 National 4-H Club Foundation “Game of Democracy” surfaced and I can’t help but be amazed at how relevant the information is today.
The forward states “Every phase of our daily life and the lives of those about us is touched by government. We ask our government to protect our well-being and it demands that we insure the well-being of others.” Additionally, “The 4-H program is often referred to as a democracy in action. 4-H teaches citizenship responsibility to its members in a democratic climate. Everyone is born a citizen, but citizenship needs to be learned.”
While the box, cards and instructions are more than 50 years old, the ideology of the game remains steadfast with 4-H. The Game of Democracy is intended to simulate learning experiences to help adolescents learn about our democratic society, and Kansas 4-H currently offers leadership and citizenship opportunities through work in 4-H clubs and project learning experiences.
If you want your family to explore ways to be involved with the community while gaining valuable hands on life skills then now is the time to join 4-H in the Southwind Extension District.
There are 21 4-H clubs in Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson Counties with club leaders who are motivated to teach your kids science, technology, engineering and math skills while involving them in club and project meetings that demonstrate leadership.
The Southwind District is currently celebrating our annual 4-H achievements and I continue to be impressed by the volume of community service that our clubs give back to local communities.
We have all been affected by the global pandemic, and sometimes I’m not even confident in where my workday or week will lead me. However, I know for certain that the 4-H program in the Southwind District is a strong and vibrant program with much to offer for families with rural or urban backgrounds and families who are interested in contributing to more vibrant local communities.
4-H really is a game of democracy – and while it has changed since 1966, 4-H continues to equip our youth with the skills it takes to lead our communities into a future full of hope and promise.
For more information about joining 4-H, visit www.southwind.k-state.edu and find the Southwind Extension District on Facebook.
Resident Death at Kansas Correctional Facility
TOPEKA, Kansas – An Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) resident who died Sunday, November15 had tested positive for COVID-19. This is third resident death from ECF, and the tenth resident death related to COVID-19 for the department.
The resident was moved October 26 to the Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) COVID-19 Management Unit (CMU) after testing positive for the virus, and then transported from LCF to the hospital.
The resident was a 68-year-old white male with underlying medical concerns that contributed to his condition. He was serving a life sentence for first degree murder
The Ellsworth Correctional Facility opened in 1988. Serving only males, the Central Unit provides housing for 820 multi-custody residents and the East Unit provides housing for 95 minimum-custody residents.
For current information on COVID-19 in Kansas, and to sign up for updates, go to the KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center at kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus. For information on KDOC’s response to COVID-19, visit https://www.doc.ks.gov/kdoc-coronavirus-updates.
Night To Shine Prom For Special Needs People
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UMB Donates to Wreaths Across America
UMB Bank staff have announced the business has contributed $1,000 to the local Wreaths Across America for the Fort Scott National Cemetery.
This campaign allows a wreath to be placed on veteran’s graves for the Christmas season.
Letter To The Editor:You Can Help Us Keep School Open
Dear Friends,
The topic of Covid-19 is so complex, and so controversial… that brevity becomes difficult when discussing it. However, I will keep this as brief as possible.
As an educator in our community, I have a unique perspective when it comes to the current situation with Covid-19. I visit with my colleagues and friends that are teachers and administrators, and it becomes so very clear how much EVERYONE wants to keep our kids in school all day, every day.
However, we feel like we are bailing water out of the Titanic with 5-gallon buckets, so to speak. Cases across the country but especially in rural areas are spiking, and Fort Scott is no different. And we are only beginning the most brutal part of the year in terms of illness. Any given year we have a lot of kids and staff out with illness over the winter… so common sense suggests that the worst is yet to come.
Why do I bring these things up? I am humbly asking for your help. I love our small town and the people in it. That is why Nikki and I have chosen to raise our family here. The folks in this community are honest, loyal, and generous. We all have it in us because of the way we were raised. It is time to draw upon those values.
WE NEED YOUR HELP in keeping our schools open. It is true that, thank God, children are not affected as severely by Covid-19 as are older people. That bodes well for our students, BUT NOT OUR TEACHERS.
We have to have our teachers healthy in order to keep our schools open. When teachers are ill, or in quarantine, the burden falls to substitutes, and we simply do not have enough. If schools are forced to go hybrid or remote, it will be because we cannot staff classrooms due to teacher/substitute shortages.
What does this have to do with you? The medical community is telling us that mitigating actions such as social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting the size of gatherings works when it comes to preventing the spread of Covid-19. These are the people on the front lines!
My friends, I share skepticism with many of you when it comes to what the media is telling us about this virus. I believe the commerce of fear is completely out of line and, quite frankly, evil.
Our theme for the school year at St. Mary’s Catholic School is BE NOT AFRAID. We are not scared of this virus or anything else, and we move forward exercising the virtue of FORTITUDE in the way we live our lives. But along with fortitude comes PRUDENCE.
God gave us intelligent minds to look after ourselves and others. As St. Augustine said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
YOU CAN HELP US KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN. We desperately NEED you to help us keep schools open!
Regardless of how deadly you think this virus is, the bottom line is that if enough school staff become ill or are in quarantine, your children are going to be attending school remotely and that causes incredible challenges for modern families with both parents working, myself included.
PLEASE find it in your hearts to use prudence in your behavior and help us quell the spread of Covid-19.
Wear a mask in public (we all hate it, but it’s such a small sacrifice to make for others!). Use social distancing. Use good common sense. Lets all band together, work together, for the good of our kids, our families, and our community!
Thank you for hearing me out. May God bless our community and our families.
Peace Be With You,
Josh Regan
KC Mart: Gas Station Service to Northern Bourbon County
A gas station has reappeared on Soldier Road at HWY. 69, which had been closed for some time.
It is a welcome sign for those who travel to Kansas City because there are very few gas stations right off the highway in this section of Hwy. 69. It is also welcome to the rural residents who live nearby.
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The K.C. Mart convenience store sells gasoline, meals, cigarettes, beverages, and beer, along with “truck stop, automotive items,” said Harjit Kaur, owner.
She and husband, Biender Singh, live in Olathe and commute daily to the store at 2191 Soldier Road.
The store opened on Oct. 23, 2020, and has five employees, she said.
Customer Brian Wade, who sent the story idea to fortscott.biz said, “I’m excited. Sure will save some miles when you need just lawn mower gas or diesel.” He has even purchased a pizza from the store, that he said was “great!”
Kaur has lived in America for almost 20 years, she said, after coming from India.
Previously, she worked for a transportation company in Kansas City and this is the couple’s first venture into a convenience store business, she said.
“We were trying to pick a business (to purchase), she said. “It was selling for a good price. And it’s a good community around here.”
David Toland: Kansas Has a New Way of Doing Business
Key Quote: “Gov. Kelly’s direct involvement in this process and her relationship-building with prospects have been difference-makers in every way. Without doubt, our Education Governor also deserves recognition as the Economic Development Governor. Under her leadership, we’re offering the best place in the nation to do business. Kansas’ natural advantages, spirit of innovation and unfaltering work ethic have helped drive recent economic growth.”
David Toland: Kansas has a new way of doing business
Gannett Kansas
Commerce Secretary David Toland
November 14, 2020
Kansas recently passed an unexpected economic development milestone, topping $2 billion in projects so far this year across Kansas.
It’s an even more impressive total considering the state saw $1.3 billion in capital investment in all of 2019 — and the sharp increase over last year occurred in spite of the far-reaching economic harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and global recession that shook the world economy.
Facing the staggering and unprecedented toll of the virus, businesses worldwide raced to embrace a new normal — and Kansas was ready with strategic opportunities. As a result, Gov. Laura Kelly has announced impressive Kansas-based growth plans from firms including Amazon, Merck and Co., Urban Outfitters, Schwan’s, Kubota, Bell Textron and others.
We now have nearly $3.5 billion in economic investment since the Kelly administration took office in January 2019 — and there will be more significant developments to announce very soon. Every investment, every new job of the more than 19,000 created and thousands more retained since 2019 are helping our state recover and grow.
The surge has been fueled by Gov. Kelly’s commitment to helping businesses of all sizes succeed through smart and transparent economic development strategies. Without question, Kansas was uniquely positioned to move quickly and effectively when COVID-19 struck.
Not every state was this fortunate. We were prepared because Gov. Kelly set the foundation for recovery with swift action after taking office.
With the Department of Commerce she inherited in disarray, the governor was clear from the start: Fix our state’s economic development agency and launch a blueprint for economic success. Our new Framework for Growth, the first such endeavor in more than three decades, showcases Kansas’ numerous strengths in a central location, solid infrastructure, highly skilled workforce, great schools, quality-of-life amenities and other advantages.
Another early and significant step forward came in the long overdue ceasefire of the economic border war with Missouri that ended the senseless luring of businesses across the border for practically no economic gain. All of our state incentives now are exclusively geared toward meaningful job creation and robust economic growth, and always with transparency in mind.
Just more than a year into our efforts to resurrect Commerce and enact a thoughtful growth plan, the coronavirus did change life as we knew it. But COVID-19 didn’t derail our economic development push in Kansas. In fact, the opposite occurred.
We rolled up our sleeves and did even more to present Kansas as a truly prime location for forward-thinking businesses. Many companies — especially those overseas — want to make their supply chains more secure, so they’re rethinking production and distribution strategies. Kansas fits their distribution and logistics needs in many ways.
The current momentum shows Kansas also becoming a national leader in manufacturing, bioscience, renewable energy sources and other key sectors. As a result, the state’s project pipeline is stronger than it’s been in several years, even during a pandemic.
Thanks to the commitment of our restructured, re-energized team at Commerce, companies are rediscovering Kansas. Understandably, they’re impressed.
We’re also helping Kansans and companies circumvent coronavirus-related challenges by offering virtual job fairs and supporting businesses with Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas grant funding.
All of these endeavors are combining to power a more stable economy and business climate that will serve Kansas well for many years to come.
Gov. Kelly’s direct involvement in this process and her relationship-building with prospects have been difference-makers in every way. Without doubt, our Education Governor also deserves recognition as the Economic Development Governor.
Under her leadership, we’re offering the best place in the nation to do business. Kansas’ natural advantages, spirit of innovation and unfaltering work ethic have helped drive recent economic growth.
And we won’t slow down.
Our state motto, “Ad Astra Per Aspera” — to the stars through difficulties — is so appropriate today. We’re more determined than ever before to face challenges and encourage business success, and in turn foster healthier communities and a stronger state.
David Toland, a native of Iola and seventh-generation Kansan, is secretary of commerce for the Kelly administration.
Talking Tigers Has Two Undefeated Teams
Submitted by Angella Curran
Yesterday the Talking Tigers competed remotely in the Great Bend tournament.
Out of 27 Varsity teams there were three undefeated teams, two of which were Fort Scott!
Using quality points to break the tie, Ash Nave and Jade Russell came out in 3rd place and Neil Gugnani and Shekhar Gugnani placed 2nd!
All of our other teams walked away with wins as well.
Great weekend for Tiger Debate! (pictured separately are the Gugnani’s and Ash because they participated off site). Congrats to the whole team!
Cato Historical Association Receives Grants
Pictured is Ron Graber of Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, presenting to Marilyn Flagg, a Cato HPA member, and Katharine Spigarelli, President of Cato HPA, a grant that was recently approved by the Heartland Board of Directors. Ron attended the Cato meeting on the evening of Oct. 27th and made an official presentation of the “Concern for Community” grant.
Pictured is Marilyn Flagg, Cato HPA member, holding a sign from the Community Foundation of SE Kansas saying thatCato HPA was a grant recipient of the “Future Fund Giving Circle”.
Recently, Cato Historical Preservation Association applied for two grants. Both grants were for maintenance at the 150 year old Cato rock school. Both grants were granted so as to keep up the soffits, fascia, doors, etc. The restoration of the Cato School was completed in 2011. The school was placed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places on Nov. 21, 2005 and on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 6, 2006.
Due to the pandemic, no hosting of school children or the annual Cato tour was held this year. As it stands now, Cato is hoping to host the children in 2021 over a period of two days so the students who would have come this year won’t have to miss out.