The annual Cato Days will be presented by the Cato Historical Preservation Association on Saturday October 21st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
The annual Cato Days will be held on Saturday October 21st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Cato, Kansas. This free event is presented by the Cato Historical Preservation Association to promote Cato’s pioneer history.
Cato Days starts with registration at 9 a.m. followed at 9:30 by old time hymns performed by Ralph Carlson and Friends in the historic Cato Christian Church. Ann Rawlins will talk about the history of the church. At 10:45, in the Old Stone School, Anna Portwood Swank, Elizabeth Portwood Thompson and Jamie Thompson will talk about the school and Jerry Lomshek will discuss Cato’s early history and its involvement in Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War. Musical entertainment will be presented outdoors at 11:45, where drinks and ham‘n beans cooked by Bob “Buck” Rowland of Arma will be available. At 12:30 there will be a raffle for a beautiful quilt donated by Sue James of Texas. All proceeds go to the preservation of Cato’s historic buildings. The highlight of the event will be the hayrack wagon ride to various local sites of historical interest at 1 p.m.
Fourth and Fifth graders from local schools will have their own Cato Day on Thursday, October 19th.
Cato is in the northern part of Crawford County off Hwy 69. From Hwy 69, turn west on 720th avenue and follow the signs to Cato. Directions can be found at http://catoschool.com/ . Cato is an open-air museum and its buildings are only open to the public a few times a year so don’t miss this unique opportunity to spend an afternoon of entertainment and enlightenment in historic Cato. The Cato Historical Preservation Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the buildings and history of Cato and the surrounding areas.
Fort Scott Christian Heights School would like to thank the family of the late Tom W. Davis for choosing the school’s New Building Fund as the recipient of this year’s Tom W. Davis Memorial Endowed Fund disbursement.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis’s grandchildren, Zoey and Zeke Hartman, children of Dr. Grant Hartman and Dr. Heather Davis, are students at Fort Scott Christian Heights.
“We are honored to have a part in continuing his legacy through the mentoring of the youth of our community,” according to a press release from the school.
The Tom W. Davis Memorial Endowed Fund was established in 2015 as part of the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.
Tom was a long-time teacher, athletic coach, administrator, and mentor to young people, having started and ended his 40+ year career in Fort Scott.
Tom’s family wants to continue to honor his name with annual awards to organizations and entities that involve children of all ages.
It is the intent of this memorial fund to help further efforts in education, recreation, athletics, and other activities for the benefit of young people.
Tom was always involved in a positive way with kids!
Tuesday, October 31, 2023, join Fort Scott National Historic Site guides for a special candle lantern walk called the Murder and Mayhem at the Fort Lantern Tour, according to a press release.
There is no cost to the public.
Tour guides from the 1840s-1860s, will share some of the lesser-told tragedies and macabre events that were far too common in Fort Scott’s 19th century.
“There was violence and tragedy that happened at the fort during the 1840s to the 1860s,” Carl Brenner, FSNHS Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management, said. “The fort was the whole town during this time, and there were 1,000s of soldiers here during the Civil War.”
They will talk, in period costume, about some of those events.
Tour guides are Carl Brenner, Barry Geertsen, and Jessica Nielsen-employees at the Fort, and Matthew Wells, a member of the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site.
These four special Halloween lantern tours will start every 30 minutes beginning at 6:30 pm at the visitor center.
Space is limited and required reservations will open Friday, October 13, at 8:30 a.m. Contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit the website at www.nps.gov/fosc.
Those with reservations, please arrive 10 minutes early to allow time to park and get oriented, according to the press release. Participants are advised to please dress for the weather and conditions, as the entire tour will be outside and on sidewalks.
“We’ve been planning this for several years,” Brenner, said. “But staff turnover precluded us from moving forward. All our pumpkins are in a line now and we can move forward.”
Carl Brenner.
Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The park grounds are open daily from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. To find out more or become involved in activities at the Fort, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.
PRATT – Bird hunters – the wait is over! The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park’s 2023 Kansas Upland Game Bird Forecast is now available online and soon in printed form.
Produced annually by KDWP’s Wildlife Division, the 2023 Kansas Upland Game Bird Forecast is compiled from data collected during the Department’s spring calling surveys for pheasants (crow counts), quail (whistle counts), and prairie chickens (lek counts), as well as late-summer roadside surveys for pheasants and quail.
Here’s a preview of what hunters will find in this year’s Forecast, available online at ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Upland-Birds and at most KDWP offices.
Quail
Kansas continues to support above-average quail populations with spring densities similar to last year, including significant increases in portions of the western regions of the state this spring.
Rains beginning in early summer and continuing through much of the nesting season greatly improved habitat conditions across the state. Given the high spring densities and improved summer conditions, staff expected to see increased production on the brood surveys this year.
Despite these conditions, brood detections were decreased. This may be attributed, in part, by the abundant habitat available during the survey.
Still, Kansas maintains one of the strongest quail populations in the country and, given the abundant access, harvest will again be among the highest in the country. The best opportunities will be in the central regions of the state into the Flint Hills, with quality hunting opportunities scattered throughout the remaining regions.
Pheasants
Intense drought conditions throughout 2022 reduced pheasant populations and the available nesting cover for 2023. Precipitation across most of the primary range this summer greatly improved habitat conditions for chicks. This should have improved the survival of broods that were hatched and could result in some localized improvements where nesting cover was maintained. However, lack of nesting cover and low populations across most of the state prevented any major improvements in densities this summer.
The High Plains region of the western third of the state saw some areas of improvement but remain low after sharp declines in 2022. The North Central Smoky Hills region remained good last year in spite of the drought but dropped to levels similar to the remaining pheasant regions.
The statewide pheasant index is similar to the previous drought cycle. Recovery from these declines will likely take longer as habitat has declined with the declines in CRP enrollment (again this year, acres enrolled in CRP were released to be used for emergency forage for cattle across most of the state). This will likely impact hunter success in 2023 as well as the amount of nesting cover for pheasants again next year. While hunting opportunities still exist where habitat was maintained, hunters will find challenging conditions and should be prepared to work for birds.
Prairie Chickens
Kansas is home to both greater and lesser prairie chickens. Both species require a landscape of predominately native grass and benefit from a few interspersed grain fields. Greater prairie chickens are found primarily in the tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies that occur in the eastern third and northern half of the state. Greater prairie-chickens have recently expanded in numbers and range in the Northwestern portion of the state while declining in the eastern regions.
Drought conditions are likely to have impacted production some, but prairie chickens are typically less volatile than other upland bird species and production is harder to estimate.
Hunting opportunities will be best in the Smoky Hills Regions this fall where populations have been stable and public access is more abundant.
The Southwest Prairie Chicken Unit, where lesser prairie chickens are found, will remain closed to hunting this year.
Note, all prairie chicken hunters are required to purchase a $2.50 Prairie Chicken Permit, available at gooutdoorskansas.com.
Regardless of preferred upland bird species, upland hunters can be as mobile as needed when utilizing Kansas’ combined 1.7 million acres of lands open to public hunting. KDWP’s Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) and iWIHA programs – which account for 1.07 million of those acres open to hunting – occur throughout much of the state’s main pheasant range. Through iWIHA, hunters can reserve hunting access on private lands with limited access. For more information on WIHA and iWIHA, or to view maps of lands open to public hunting, visit ksoutdoors.com.
Pheasant, quail and greater prairie chicken seasons run through Jan. 31, 2024, in Kansas, so there’s plenty of time to plan. In the meantime, grab a license at gooutdoorskansas.com, through KDWP’s mobile app, GoOutdoors Kansas, or a license vendor nearest you (ksoutdoors.com/License-Permits/Locations-to-Buy-License-Permits).
Kansas child deaths hit record low in 2021, annual report shows
TOPEKA – (Oct. 3, 2023) -– Child deaths hit a record low in 2021, despite an increase in the number of child homicides and fentanyl overdoses, according to a report released today by the State Child Death Review Board of Kansas.
The board’s annual report analyzed the deaths of Kansas children (birth through 17years old) that occurred in calendar year 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.
“Within the three decades that the State Child Death Review Board has been in in existence, more than 12,000 deaths of Kansas children have been examined. The data provided in this report is critical to our understanding of why children are dying,” said Sara Hortenstine, the board’s executive director. “We know that behind each of these statistics are the stories of children who lost their lives too soon, families who are still grieving, and communities that will be impacted forever. We must learn from these difficult circumstances and take action to prevent future deaths of Kansas children.”
Overall, the report showed Kansas had 349 child fatalities in 2021, compared with 365 in 2020. The overall child death rate in 2021 was 49.6 deaths per 100,000 population, both the lowest number and rate of death since the board was created in 1994.
The rate of deaths due to natural causes declined in the last five years, the report revealed. In 2021, 100-plus fewer children died of natural causes compared to 2018. Despite the overall decreasing number of child deaths in Kansas, homicides, weapon-related deaths, and drug-related deaths in children has shown an alarming increase.
Thirty-two children died from homicide in 2021 compared to only 22 child homicides in 2020, a 45% increase. The report also indicates drug-related deaths increased significantly in the past two years. While no children died in 2017, 2018, and 2019 from fentanyl, 20 kids died from fentanyl overdoses in 2020 and 2021.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nearly 500,000 people of all ages died from overdoses involving both illicit and prescribed use of opioids from 1999-2019. In recent years, both nationally and in Kansas, the data has shown an increase in the use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. While fentanyl is a prescription drug, it is also manufactured illegally. Frequently it is incorporated into illicitly manufactured pressed pills and mixed with other substances without the knowledge of the end user.
“My office is committed to preventing every preventable death of a child. This report shows a dramatic increase in fentanyl deaths in 2020 and 2021 as compared with previous years. We are using every tool at our disposal to deal with this threat,” Kobach said.
In addition to policy recommendations, the report includes prevention points that families can use to decrease the likelihood of a child’s death.
The board is a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency volunteer board organized by law within the attorney general’s office to examine trends and patterns that identify risk factors in the deaths of children, from birth through 17 years of age. The report is available on the attorney general’s website at https://ag.ks.gov/scdrb.
Full moon over the Fort Scott National Historic Site Parade Ground. Photo credit: NPS, C. Brenner
Special Night Sky Program
Saturday, October 28, 2023, Fort Scott National Historic Site will share stories and a closer look at October’s full Hunter’s, or Hunting, Moon. The program will begin just after the moonrise at 6:30 pm and telescope viewing begins just after twilight at 7 pm.
Look up to the same October Hunter’s Moon as it ushers in fall and winter, discussing what it could mean to you and your family as people have done for centuries on the American frontier. Then look closer at the next frontier on our moon and other planets, or last frontier of deep space.
The Kansas Astronomical Observers will join Park Rangers with their telescopes, spotting scopes, and binoculars sharing how you can take a closer look at our moon from your own back yard.
Fort Scott National Historic Site’s, a unit of the National Park Service, exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The park grounds are open daily from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. To find out more or become involved in activities at the Fort, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee event this Thursday, October 5th at 8 a.m. hosted by the Gordon Parks Museum on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served in addition to a door prize drawing.
The Chamber Coffee will kick off the 20th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration to be held this weekend for which the full schedule of events may be found on gordonparkscenter.org. The Celebration is in honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, noted photographer, writer, musician, and filmmaker. Kirk Sharp, Executive Director of the Museum, and the committee work throughout the year to bring in artists, speakers, programs, and events that have enriched our community and world for all ages. A highlight this year is the “Celebration Dance Party” featuring KC All Stars at the River Room Event Center. KC All Stars was voted the “Best Band in Kansas City” by KCMB-TV for the last four years in a row! Tickets are available at the Gordon Parks Museum, online at gordonparkcenter.org, or call 620.223.2700 ext. 5850.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
David Killion, Lenexa, is the founder of Kansas Rocks Recreation Park, located on 130th Road in northern Bourbon County.
The property is 380 acres of rugged terrain, that Killion and a group of volunteers have made into miles of trails for hikers, mountain bikers, 4-wheel drive vehicles, and utility terrain vehicles.
The terrain consists of wooded hills, rugged rock ledges, and open fields with trails varying in difficulty.
At the recent Saturday morning Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee, he explained how he came to purchase the property.
“This 220-acre property came for sale and we met with the owners,” Killion said. “We signed a 15-year lease on the property. Seven years in, the owner passed away.” The owner’s family then sold the acreage to Killion. Then he talked to neighbors and was able to purchase an additional 160 acres.
Since its inception in 2003, Killion and a group of people mostly from the Kansas City area have built a pavilion, playground, air pump stations, picnic shelters/grills, handicapped accessible toilets, a campground with shower facilities, and recreational vehicle parking.
The park is run by a board of directors.
Almost every amenity built at the recreation park was supplied by grants and volunteer labor, with some hired contractor’s help, said Keith Monroe, one of the park’s board of directors.
Kansas Rocks is a fee-usage park, with entry fees for the driver and the vehicle, with an additional fee for passengers over 12 years old.
Pricing
Daily Pass
1 Day $25
2 Days $45
3 Days $55
Daily Pass – Passengers 12y/o+
1 Day $5
2 Days $10
3 Days $15
Hiking & Mountain Biking
1 Day $5
2 Days $10
3 Days $15
Annual Pass
Per calendar year $125
David Killion talks to Chamber of Commerce guests on September 30, 2023, at the office on the Kansas Rocks site.Visitors look over one of the challenging drop-offs on a trail at Kansas Rocks, the Carnage Canyon Area.
No all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, or horses are allowed in the park.
Jill Jaworski and Joe George look over Carnage Canyon at Kansas Rocks Recreation Park.
In addition to the trails, there are events planned throughout the year at the park.
The next Kansas Rocks event is the 20th Anniversary Celebration Event, on Oct. 14.
Registration is $40 at the gate, per vehicle, to include day entry, day activities, a blindfolded spotters competition, a King/Queen of Carnage Canyon competition, and more.
There will be a limited number of meal tickets for sale for $10 each.
Friday, Oct. 13, gates will open at noon for weekend camping spaces, must be reserved at the website: ksrockspark.com. Camping is available on Friday and Saturday.
There are shower facilities available.
Saturday, Oct. 14, the gates open at 8 a.m.
8 am-7:30 pm: The trails are open.
8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.: There are hidden trinkets in the park.
“Find ‘em and turn ‘em in at the office for your prize of shirts, hats, candy, and more,” Killion said
9:30 am-noon: There is the Carnage Canyon Showcase. “Come throw your hat in for a chance to win a lifetime annual pass or King/Queen of the Canyon sign with your name placed at the top of the canyon. Spectators can vote on their favorite.
There is a 20-person entry limit: the first 20 people to email [email protected] will be entered.
1 pm-4 pm: Spot the Blindfolded Driver Competition, located by the rock pile, upfront.
Two classes:
The best club driver and spotter: both get a five-year annual pass.
The winning club also receives five Annual Passes for 2024.
CLUBS: 1 team entry per club, 10 team limit, email us who will represent the club @ [email protected]
The best buddy driver and spotter. “Grab who you trust and show us how it is done! Winning driver and spotter get LIFETIME ANNUAL PASS to KRocks,” Killion said.
“There is a 10-team limit, sign-up day of the event at the park – if we receive more than 10 team entries, we will draw to see who gets to compete,” he said.
1:30-4:30 p.m.: There will be a bounce house for the kids by the pavilion.
5 pm: The dinner will be served at the pavilion.
5:45 pm: Guest speakers and winners from the day events will be announced.
7:45 pm: There will be a movie in the park, The Sandlot movie. The audience is asked to bring lawn chairs, blankets, drinks, and popcorn will be served.
The park is open for regular business on Sunday, October 15.
Other upcoming events:
Nov. 10-12 is Veteran’s Appreciation- Vets and First Responders get in free and can also enjoy free camping for the weekend.
December 9 is Wheelin’ for Toys- Get in for the day for only $15 if you bring a new toy for the kids.
The annual Frostbite event is the last Saturday of February.
Beginner Off-Road 101 classes are offered throughout the year.
David and his wife, Robin Killion. “She is my right-hand man,” Killion said.
Jill Warford, Former Gordon Parks Museum Executive Director, will be the recipient of the “Gordon Parks Learning Tree Award” at the annual celebration tribute dinner on October 7th, 2023 in Fort Scott, Kansas.
The Learning Tree Award was established in May of 2023 in Parks’ honor to be given annually at the Celebration Tribute Dinner.
Named after Gordon’s semi-autobiographical novel and film of the same name, this powerful story tells of a young man growing into manhood in the 1920’s while dealing with racism, poverty, tragic events and love. The story is also of a mother who places love, dignity and hard work over hatred. She teaches him about life lessons learned and allows Cherokee Flats to be his Learning Tree.
“The Learning Tree Award” is an award created to recognize an individual that is either emerging in the field of arts with exceptional artistic merit, supporting and promoting of the arts, or championing of the arts by their outstanding dedication, perseverance, commitment to excellence in their community.
“We are very excited to have Jill as the inaugural recipient of this award,” said Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum Executive Director.
Jill Warford was hired in January of 2004 by Fort Scott Community College to assist with Alumni and Advancement and to develop a way to honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks. She brought with her a wealth of experience with past positions in alumni, development, public relations, graphic design, and as the director of the William Inge Theatre Festival at Independence Community College. She had developed a relationship with Gordon Parks when he was honored at the Inge Festival in 1996 and with his blessing, she founded and directed the annual Gordon Parks Celebration, which launched in October of 2004, and eventually she was instrumental in starting the Gordon Parks Museum at FSCC. At the helm for fifteen years, she retired in October of 2018 and currently resides in Independence, Kansas.
This event is for everyone and open to the public.
Please reserve tickets early by Wednesday, Oct 4, 2023 for all the reserved events. The 20th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration will have a wide range of great events and activities for all to enjoy.
The Celebration kicks off on Thursday, Oct 5 with a chamber coffee at the Gordon Parks Museum and ends with The Tribute Celebration Dinner at The Liberty Theater in Fort Scott on Saturday, Oct 7, 2023.
A grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas enables Fort Scott Community College to add at least one, possibly two, additional automated electronic defibrillators (AEDs) on campus.
The total funding, $2,750, was provided for FSCC’s Public Safety Project from the 2023 Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) Grant Process, said the college’s grant-writer Ralph Beacham in announcing the award.
“(We are) excited to have received funding from the Community Foundation to purchase at least one AED machine,” said Jason Kegler, FSCC president. “We are aware that time is of the essence when medical emergencies occur. The use of an AED machine has been proven to increase survival rates when used appropriately. We are pleased with the prospect of adding additional machine(s) for use in specific situations.”
The location of the new AED(s) has yet to be determined, Kegler noted.
“At this time, it is unclear exactly where the machine(s) will be housed,” he said. “FSCC administrators will evaluate specific locations and be in contact with medical professionals to determine the appropriate location for the machine(s). We are appreciative of the assistance and the donation from the Community Foundation.”
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas hosts individual charitable funds created by donors with a passion for giving back to their community. Grants from these funds assist people throughout southeast Kansas and beyond. For information about the foundation, call (620) 231-8897.
FSCC is to receive the grant money during the FSACF’s annual grant celebration at 8 a.m. Oct. 12 at Landmark Bank, 200 S. Main St.
