Lisa Lewis is the new Fort Scott City Clerk, as of Oct. 1, 2022.

Lisa A. Lewis, 56, is the new Fort Scott City and Municipal Court Clerk, as of Oct. 1, when Diane Clay retired.

Lewis and husband, Tony, are new to Fort Scott. The Lewis’s came in 2021, having lived in Chicago and raised their four children there.

From 2019 to 2021 they lived in Queen Creek, AZ but decided they liked Midwest living better than the desert, so decided to move to Kansas, she said.

She started working at the city of Fort Scott as administrative support in January of 2022 working with Jackson Tough and Tourism as well as City Hall.

“My son in Spring Hill, KS was the one responsible for us all moving to Kansas,” she said. “We wanted to come back Midwest, where our heart is, but never back to Illinois. He played baseball for Wichita State University and then minor league for the Chicago White Sox. My husband also played minor league for the San Diego Padres and was sold on Fort Scott because of the LaRoche Stadium, where he currently works, so he is enjoying life here too and hoping to make more opportunities for the city with that aspect.”

“We wanted to move to a small town, from the big cities of previous years, and start to slow down,” she said. “I began working at City Hall but opportunities came fast and furious that changed all of that. Diane Clay took me under her wing and brought me along. She truly is amazing and someone I look up to. I hope to make her proud. I most certainly have a lot to learn in order to represent like she did, but I will get there. I believe I bring a lot of life experiences, I have dabbled in many of the pertinent professional areas over the years. I also have the passion and mindset to be an integral part of a team to help this charming little town be all it can be and more.”

“I come from big towns, and I know how to live ‘big town’, however, I have quickly come to love the charm and pace of small town living; but it is a definite learning curve,” she said. “I hope the residents will afford me that necessary grace period to learn all about Fort Scott and its needs, because my intentions are nothing but good. I am enjoying getting to know everyone. People are friendly here even though I am an outsider. Residents and my co-workers have been extremely gracious, welcoming and patient to date. I am used to being surrounded by shopping and services galore. Now I realize that if Wal-Mart doesn’t have it, we may not really need it anymore…that’s a good thing.”

With her husband of 33 years, Tony, they raised four children.

“My daughter (32) is married with one child and one on the way,” she said. “She lives in Shawnee, KS and her husband works for Johnson County Corrections. Our son (30) lives in Chicago, IL and is a general manager for Menards. He plans to move to Kansas in the near future. Our son (26) is married with one child on the way and lives in Spring Hill, where he is a deputy sheriff for Johnson Co. Sheriff’s Office. Our daughter (16) is a junior at Fort Scott High School and found her passion in the theater there.”

Her work experience includes: Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Graphic Designer (20 years), Illinois DCFS Case Aide /Court Liaison (9 years), worked in healthcare as a CNA, Phlebotomist and Lab Clinical/Clerical Assistant (7 years).

Contact info for the city clerk:

The office is located at 123 S. Main St.

Fort Scott, KS 66701 and the phone number is

(620) 223-0550. FAX: (620)-223-8100

or email [email protected]

The clerk’s office hours are Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM.

K-State Extension

Ammoniating Wheat Straw, A Potential Feed Source in Drought?

October 3, 2022 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Southeast Kansas has been in a severe drought for most of this year’s growing season.

Poor crop and pasture yields have led to limited feed options and increased forage price tags for cattle producers.
Two thousand twelve offered very similar conditions to the Plains they could get their hands on.
One option many Kansas producers found was to ammoniate wheat straw.
Wheat straw is widely considered a poor forage that is better served as bedding, but research conducted by Kansas State University shows ammoniating bales can greatly improve protein content
and digestibility. Wheat straw typically tests around 3.3% crude protein and 31% in–vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Ammoniation rates of 1.5% (lbs anhydrous ammonia/dry matter lbs wheat straw) can increase crude protein content to 8.6% and IVDMD to 42%. An ammoniation rate of 3% increased
crude protein to 10.8% and IVDMD to 46.2%.
The process of ammoniating wheat straw is not overly complicated. An area large enough to hold the stacks of bales will need to be cleared, with some soil pulled away to be used later. Bales
should be gathered in rows and stacked in a pyramid (three bales on the base, two on the second level and one on top). The entire stack should be covered with a black plastic sheet, about 6 to 8 mm thick. A 40’ x 100’ sheet can cover 12 rows of pyramid–stacked bales. The edges of the plastic should hit theground and be covered with loose soil to seal the bales inside the plastic. Any holes in the sheet will
need to be patched with tape. Next, a pipe (6 – 8 ft long) should be placed on the ground and inserted into the center of the stack. Attach the pipe to the anhydrous tank and slowly empty
Once the stacks of bales are covered, it is time to let the anhydrous ammonia go to work. The ammoniation process is dependent on heat, so the straw will be ready to feed sooner with warmer
temperatures. Average temperatures above 86°F will need to be sealed for one week, temperatures between 59 – 86°F need to remain sealed for two to four weeks, and temperatures below 59°F need to remain sealed for up to eight weeks. The October 2021 average daily high and low temperatures at the
Kansas Mesonet Station near Uniontown, KS were 71°F and 51°F, respectively. With expectations of a warmer than average October for 2022, we could expect the ammoniation process to take around 4 weeks if started the first week of October.
Now, what is the cost?
Any producer who fertilized his pasture or crop ground this past spring knows that fertilizer prices have gone through the roof, especially compared to 2012, when producers were using this
alternative feed source.
The price of anhydrous ammonia at Midwest Fertilizer in Iola, Kansas, was $1,206.67 as of Sept 28, 2022. That equates to $0.60/lb. A 40’x100’ sheet of black plastic can seal a row of 12 pyramids.
Assume a tightly wrapped wheat straw bale (tightly wrapped bales work better for ammoniating) weigh on average 1100lbs. 72 total bales, at 90% dry matter, means you will have roughly 35.64 dry tons of wheat straw to ammoniate.

1.5% rate will require 1,069.2 lbs anhydrous ammonia
1,069.2lbs x $0.60/lb = $641.52 = $18/dry ton wheat straw
3.0% rate will require 2,138.4 lbs anhydrous ammonia
2,138.4lbs x $0.60.lb = $1,283.04 = $36/dry ton wheat straw
Anhydrous ammonia will not be the only cost associated with this process. Let’s assume another
$15/dry ton wheat straw to account for fuel, the plastic sheeting, labor, and other miscellaneous costs.
This will bring our cost of ammoniating wheat straw to:
1.5% rate: $33/dry ton wheat straw
3.0% rate: $51/dry ton wheat straw
Today’s prices may make the decision more challenging than it was in 2012, but with prairie hay
trading in southeast Kansas at $100–130/ton and wheat straw only trading at $60/ton, ammoniating
wheat straw is an option for those lacking feed this fall.
For more questions regarding ammoniating wheat straw and other forage questions, contact
Chad Guthrie, crop production and forage management agent, or Hunter Nickell, Livestock Production
Agent at any Southwind Extension District office. Locations in Erie, Fort Scott, Iola, and Yates Center.
Disclaimer: Caution should be taken as anhydrous ammonia is a dangerous chemical. Releasing the
anhydrous too quickly could cause the plastic sheeting to rupture. The plastic will also balloon out
during the ammoniation process, so strong winds, hail, or wildlife could puncture the plastic.

Bourbon County Sheriff's Office

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 3

October 3, 2022 Submitted Story Leave a comment

10-03-2022A

10-03-2022R

Opinion

Stuffing Everywhere by Carolyn Tucker

October 2, 2022 Submitted Story 1 Comment

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Several years ago, when our son was in college and still living at home, he had a beautiful fawn Boxer. I grew up with dogs living outside, but we made an exception for Gus to live indoors because he was such a smart, lovable, and loyal companion. Aaron took responsibility for house training him and all was well — until the evening all three of us left Gus home alone. I guess he got terribly bored, emotionally strung out, or so lonesome he could cry. Anyway, after being gone, I was the first to enter the living room. Gus was just quietly sitting there, but he had eaten the couch and strewn the stuffing all over the floor. I don’t know exactly why he ate such a strange supper. Fortunately, that couch needed to be replaced anyway, so I thought the furniture casualty was extremely funny!

Let’s drop the “ing” from “stuffing” and just focus on “stuff.“ God is greater than stuff (hard times). A partial list of stuff that we might encounter could be: career disappointments, various losses (death, divorce, job) sickness, financial setbacks, family heartaches, etc. But be of good cheer because believers are not up a creek without a paddle. We have this wonderful promise, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NLT).

The devil will tell you that your situation is hopeless. But there’s not an iota of truth in that lie. Jesus was speaking to the crowd about the devil and said, “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 NLT).

Christ followers are to practice trusting God every day through thick and thin. Otherwise, we’ll live in worry, fear, anxiety, and doubt and that‘s a miserable way to survive. If we fail to trust God and His promises, we’re actually being prideful in thinking we can handle our stuff by ourselves. Having a deep-seated confidence in God proves that we believe He has the solution when we don’t. God says, “I will…make Trouble Valley a Door of Hope” (Hosea 2:15 GNT). God takes care of His children in a precarious world. We can move forward if we’ll trust Him to direct and help us.

When stuff (hard times and challenges) happens, don’t allow the devil to fill your mind with his garbage of anxiety. Make a stout decision to trust God to pull you through the knothole. You can be more than a survivor, you can be an overcomer through Christ. He has experienced every temptation we have and He will help us press through to victory. He said He would never leave us alone and we can take that to the bank.

“To depend” means you can believe in, rely on, bank on, count on, lean on, and pin your hopes on someone who‘s proven to be trustworthy. Written by Randy Phillips and recorded by Janet Paschal, “You Can Depend on Jesus” really brings this truth down where we live: “It’s fairly easy what you need to do, Invest your trust in One who’s tried and true; The Ageless Stone will stand alone when all the sifting sands of life have come and gone. You can depend on Jesus, you can depend on Him. As He was yesterday, tomorrow He’ll be the same. You can depend, you can depend on Him.”

The Key: When life’s cushion falls apart at the seams and stuffing is everywhere, you can depend on God to help clean up the mess.

Bourbon County

Health Champion Award Nominations Sought

October 1, 2022 Submitted Story Leave a comment

The nomination deadline for the 2023 Health Champion Award has been . The Governor’s Council on Fitness is excited to partner with the Salina Crossroads Marathon to provide entry to the Salina Crossroads Marathon, Half Marathon, 4.01K, Family Run/Walk and Team Relays on November 5th in Salina, KS.

Anyone who submits a nomination for an individual or an organization for Health Champion will receive a code to register for free to the event of their choice.

The nominee will also receive free entry!

Kansas Health Champion Award Nomination: http://www.getactivekansas.org/…/Health_Champion…Salina Crossroads Marathon website: https://www.runsalinacrossroads.com/

Send your nominations in today for your community’s champion! Organizations, individuals, worksites…anyone!

Jody Hoener The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Inc. President and CEO, 620-215-2892, 104 North National,Fort Scott, KS 66701

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda for Oct. 4

October 1, 2022 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Date: October 4, 2022

1^st District-Nelson Blythe Minutes: Approved: _______________

2^nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________

3^rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Ashley Shelton

MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM BEGINNING at 9:00AM.

Call to Order

Flag Salute
Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
Eric Bailey – Road & Bridge Report
Delwin Mumbower – Burn Ban Update
Lora Holdridge—South East Kansas Regional County Officials Meeting
Clifton Beth – SEK Area Agency on Aging – Board Opening
Ashley Shelton – Gas Price Lock In
Justin Meeks – County Counselor Comment
Susan Bancroft – Chief Financial Officer Comment
Shane Walker – Chief Information Officer Comment
Public Comment
Commission Comment

Justifications for Executive Session:

 KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy

 KSA 75-4319(b)(2) For consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship

 KSA 75-4319(b)(3) To discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency

 KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships

 KSA 75-4319(b)(6) For the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property

 KSA 75-4319(b)(12) To discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.

Opinion

Why is Bourbon County Shrinking? Agriculture by Gregg Motley

October 1, 2022 Submitted Story 1 Comment

Changes in how we produce food has to be the number one reason rural America and Bourbon County (BB) are shrinking; however, agriculture continues to be a major economic influence in small communities and the number one industry in BB. Consider the following 2017 statistics about BB agriculture from the State of Kansas:

Total acres in BB: 406,701 Acres farmed: 335,935, or 82.6%

Total farm employment: 821, or about one in ten workers

Agricultural product sales: $79 million

Cattle population: 71,079, or about 5 cows per BB resident

In the State of Kansas, agricultural produced $8.8 billion in product in 2017, which was 4.6% of the $192.3 billion total Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”) for the State. Nationally, agricultural was 7.7% of the GDP in 1930; by 2002, that percentage had fallen to 0.7%. It is not that agriculture has produced less; rather, our economy has become much more diversified, and most of that has occurred in urban areas. Kansas remains 6.6 times more dependent upon agriculture than the average state.

What about agricultural employment? In 1900, 41% of the labor force in the United States of American (“USA”) were agricultural workers; by 2002, that number had fallen to 1.9% of the labor force. It is easy to see that this 20^th Century megatrend has impacted rural America to a far greater extent than their urban counterparts.

It is not hard to discern how this happened. At the beginning of the 20^th Century, the industry relied upon horses and mules for the heavy lifting around the farm; these animals, which required care and feeding as well, were replaced by about 5 million tractors and other vehicles and implements. This mechanization, along with improved methodologies, has driven farm consolidation; while the number of farms in the USA has dropped 63%, the average farm size has increased by 67%. Additionally, in 1930, about one-third of farmers earned off-farm income; 70 years later, that number was 93%.

The impact on rural American has not only been devastating in terms of population, but culture. In 1900, about 60% of rural Americans were farmers; the number is about 20% now, and 10% in BB. Once culturally dominate in rural communities, they are now relegated to the sidelines. Anecdotally, when I grew up in a farm community in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, farmers occupied the key roles in government around the county, including commissioners and school board members; that is seldom the case now.

This is another national megatrend that was out of the control of rural American communities, and characterizes the nature of our demise. No one is to blame, it is all a part of living in a small community with wide open spaces.

Next week, I will take a deep dive into the dramatic increase in government regulations which has further strained rural American businesses, driving many of them to close down or to sell to larger companies. It is another key factor in why BB is shrinking.

Ascension Via Christi, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

Ascension Via Christi transitions Care Van program to Community Health Center

October 1, 2022 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Ascension Via Christi, Pittsburg. Submitted photo.

Ascension Via Christi will be transitioning its Care Van program to Southeast Kansas Community Health Center as of Nov. 1.

“Our goal when we established the Care Van program was to ensure our community’s residents had access to their medical services and appointments,” says Charlotte Russell, physician services director at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg. “We are happy that this
transition will still allow Pittsburg residents that convenience through the Community Health Center, which aligns with our overall goal of ensuring rural Kansans’ have continued access to
close-to-home care.”

To continue using the Care Van program after Oct. 31, patients will need to call 620-231-9873 to schedule their transportation.
“We want to ask that you join us in thanking our Ascension Via Christi Care Van team for their hard work and dedication to our Mission and the Pittsburg community,” says Russell.
###
About Ascension Via Christi
In Kansas, Ascension Via Christi operates seven hospitals and 75 other sites of care and employs nearly 6,400
associates. Across the state, Ascension Via Christi provided nearly $89 million in community benefit and care of
persons living in poverty in fiscal year 2021. Serving Kansas for more than 135 years, Ascension is a faith-based
healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to
persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is the leading non-profit and Catholic health system in
the U.S., operating more than 2,600 sites of care – including 145 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities –
in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.

Fort Scott

Tips to Affording Health Insurance for Women

October 1, 2022 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Dare to Dream Women’s Entrepreneurship Event

Tips and Tricks to Affording Health Insurance

Next Wednesday, October 5th

5-7pm

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!

We are here to help connect you with women leaders to learn from their successes and failures–and to develop relationships into mentoring!

Please note-one registration per person to help us with registration!

Keynote Speaker: Mitzi Davis

Mitzi Davis is a Small Business owner who specializes in Medicare, Health and Life Insurance. She has owned 2 small businesses previously and for the last 10 years has owned a Small Health & Life Insurance Brokerage. Mitzi has seen and lived the need for creative ways to add benefits to your small business to attain and retain your employees.

Mitzi can help form a plan to help individual small businesses offer benefits like health insurance to employees so they are not in constant turnover of staff.

Let Mitzi help you form an individual plan to make your business more profitable and allow you to focus on generating income and growing your business instead of constantly struggling with employee retention.

Additional Speakers: Don Doherty & Lindsay Madison

Registration required for FREE childcare!

Dinner is sponsored and catered by Perry Pork Rinds and Country Store! Dinner will be Bourbon Street Chicken and Rice and samplings of Mama K’s Fudge!

Networking and dinner from 5-5:30; the program will begin right at 5:30!

Funding for this event is being provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as part of Bourbon County Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant and the USDA Rural Business Development Grant.

We are an equal opportunity organization.

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

What’s Happening in Fort Scott Sept. 30 Newsletter

October 1, 2022 Submitted Story Leave a comment

What’s Happening in Fort Scott!

September 30th Weekly Newsletter

Fall Fun in The Fort!

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

________________

TROLLEY TOURS,

ON THE HOUR FROM THE CHAMBER!

Friday 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm

Saturday 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm

$6 adults, $4 children 12 & under

50-minute narrated tour of Historic Fort Scott!

Fort Scott National Historic Site

Daily Tours: 10am & 1pm

9/30 ~ Elks Lodge Taco Bar by Free Will Donation, 5pm-close, click here for info.

9/30 ~ Football Homecoming for both Fort Scott Tigers and Uniontown Eagles!

9/30 ~ Friday Night Concert in the Park, music by the Hemphill Family, Heritage Park Pavilion, 7-8pm

9/30-10/2 ~ Pioneer Harvest Fiesta—Quilt Show, Corn Husking/Shelling, Oat Threshing, Straw Bailing, Rock Crushing, Sawmill Operation, Free Bean Feed with paid admission, click here for more info.

10/1-10/2 ~ Live music all weekend at the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, click here for music schedule.

9/30-10/31 ~ 5th Annual Scarefest Haunted House, Clark Street Lights Opens for the Halloween Season, 753 Clark St., Fridays & Saturdays 7-10pm, click here for their FB page.

10/1 ~ Farmers’ Market, Skubitz Plaza in front of the Fort, 8am to noon.

10/1 ~ Growing Towards Self Sufficiency Gathering, BBCO Fairgrounds, 9am, click here for more info.

10/1 ~ Distribution of Food & Household Essentials, Saturday, October 1st: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM – Food & Household Essentials distribution from Fort Cinema Theater for the first 75 families courtesy of Flag Church.

10/1 ~ Storytime at Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, 10:30am

10/1 ~ Michael Jeffers Memorial Bullriding

10/2 ~ Annual Life Chain, First Southern Baptist Church, 1:30pm

10/4 ~ Downtown Meet & Greet, hosted by the Chamber at City State Bank, 202 Scott Ave, 8:30-9:30am

10/5 ~ Dare to Dream Women’s Entrepreneurship Event, 5-7pm, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team

10/6 ~ Chamber Coffee hosted by Gordon Parks Museum, 8am

10/6-10/8 ~ The 19th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration, click here for more info.

SAVE THE DATE:

10/13 ~ Downtown Fall Fest – shopping, hot cider, pumpkin snacks, and a chance to win $100 Chamber Bucks, 5-8pm

10/25 ~ Election Candidate Forum, hosted by the Chamber, Ellis Fine Arts Center, doors open 5:30pm, forum begins 6pm.

_____________

SHOPPING ~ SUPPORT LOCAL!