Hector M. Morillo was born on December 7, 1951 in Caguas, Puerto Rico and passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of his family on Saturday, November 30, 2024.
Hector was a man of remarkable intellect and humor, known for his sharp wit and infectious laughter that could make anybody smile. Hector was loved immensely by his daughters who were the center of his world. He installed his love of reading, learning and music to both. His fight against his recent illness was nothing short of heroic, embodying the strength and resilience that defined his character.
Hector will be deeply missed but forever remembered for his love, his laughter and profound impact he had on those fortunate enough to know him.
Hector was preceded in death by his mother, Paula Danley.
He is survived by his daughters, Carmen Hickman and husband Chris and Alisa Morillo and partner Brock Milford, three grandchildren; Jessica Hickman, Madison Allen and husband, Garrett and Jerrett Hickman and wife, Mackenzie, three great-grandchildren; Hayden, Hudson and Oakley who were the lights of his life. He is also survived by his lifelong friends, Henry & Patty Homan and family.
Memorial Service will be at 11:00 AM Saturday at the Cheney Witt Chapel
Memorials are suggested to St Jude Children’s Hospital or Cancer Center of Kansas Dodge City Chapter 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.
Today only you can double your money thru the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation and their Matching Gifts. And you can actually give tomorrow too, but why wait!!!
You can donate online or walk a check into the Chamber office or call us at 620-644-9090 or 620-238-0902. Click the link for all the details!
Jessie JoDean Haynes, age 60, a resident of Joplin, Missouri, passed away Thursday, November 28, 2024, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin. She was born January 3, 1964, in Iola, Kansas, the daughter of Charlie George Fishback and Katie Mae McPherson Fishback.
After obtaining her GED, Jessie enrolled in the cosmetology program at Ft. Scott Community College and worked for a time as a beautician. Jessie had a love of art and drawing. She took her artistic abilities and obtained a degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. For over ten years, Jessie has been employed by Rescare where she provided home health services to clients primarily in the Pittsburg, Kansas area. She will be remembered for her keen sense of humor. She was a devoted grandmother who dearly adored her grandbabies.
Survivors include her children, Tonya Haynes (Paul) of Ft. Scott, Kansas and Charles Haynes (Brittany) of Bronson, Kansas and thirteen grandchildren, Kisa, Donald, Miguel, Johnathan, Mylee, Josue, Cesar, Liam, Khiana, Iesha, Dezmond, Octavius and Elijah. Also surviving are her longtime companion, Charles “Chuck” Martinez of Joplin, two brothers, Ron and Sam and four sisters, Arma, Sandra, Brenda and Isabelle.
Jessie was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter, Tara, two brothers, Henry and John and two sisters, Idessa and Gwen.
A celebration of Jessie’s life will be held at 3:00 P.M. Thursday, December 5th at the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St. Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook.
This photo is from the opening of Fort Scott Barber Shop in 2021. From front to back are Jaylisha Montanez, Giancarlo Montanez, and Jose Montanez, the three barbers in Fort Scott Barber Shop. Mayra Montez stands beside her husband, Jose. Jose Montanez Jr is in the barber seat.
Fort Scott Barber Shop at 118 E. Wall is owned and operated by the Montanez family. They were winners of multiple awards including Best Barbershop in the Midwest when they had their business in the Kansas City area.
They moved to Fort Scott in 2021 and started a new barber shop in the historic downtown district, across from the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
A dispute with the City of Fort Scott over the safety of the historic building closed the business almost a year ago, ownerJose Montanez said.
“I am not wanting to fight with the city,” Montanez said in an interview with fortscott.biz when contacted about the business being closed for almost a year. “I just want to open my business.”
It’s been over a month since the city took down the street barriers on Wall Street.
“A lot has been said at the city commission meetings, but when I ask to sit down and talk, nobody wants it,” he said.
The work on the facade of the building has been completed, which the city had some concerns with.
“It took some time to get a reputable business to take on the project,” Montanez said. “We had a structural engineer come in who certified it wasn’t a structural wall, just the facade of the building needed to be fixed.”
“So we proceeded to replace the bricks on the facade, and the city inspector came in to give final approval. For some reason, he was stripped of his power to give final approval on this specific project, unlike any other project,” Montanez said.
“Ever since then, we have been going back and forth. For some reason we haven’t been able to open our business back up, even though it’s fixed,” he said.”The street has been reopened, which tells us the city feels safe. If they felt it was a hazard to the community they wouldn’t have opened the street back up.”
“It’s sad for us. We see many businesses closing and we want to stay,” he said. “It’s been a heavy burden.”
“The City brought its own private engineer which could not write a report as requested from the City and ended up quitting after fully inspecting the inside and outside of the property and charged no fees due to his ‘inability’ to write a report,” Montanez said.
“We fixed the facade, at this point they want to do an inspection on the whole building,” Montanez said. “It’s been a month and a half since the barriers were taken down. A dumpster has been placed in front of the building to make it look like they are keeping the public safe.”
The family of three barbers have been working in other studios and salons to make ends meet, he said.
“We want to open up the building, we want to show we are wanting to stay,” he said.
The Fort Scott Barber Shop, 118 E. Wall. Submitted photo.
TOPEKA—Cases on the Supreme Court December 10–11, 2024, docket are summarized below and will be heard in the Supreme Court courtroom on the third floor of the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka.
Reporters who plan to cover oral arguments need to be familiar with Supreme Court Rule 1001: Media Coverage of Judicial Proceedings, which prohibits using electronic recording devices during proceedings. If you plan to be in the courtroom when a case is heard, notify Lisa Taylor at [email protected] by noon the day before it is scheduled. If you want to use a camera, video camera, or audio recording device, it must be approved by the chief justice in advance of the oral argument.
9 a.m. Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Appeal No. 125,734: Austin Properties, LLC v. City of Shawnee, Kansas
Johnson County: (Petition for Review) Austin Properties, LLC submitted an application to the City of Shawnee to develop a “high-end” multifamily residential development planned on approximately 29 acres near Highway K-7 and Woodsonia Drive. An overwhelming number of neighbors filed a protest petition opposing Austin’s application, thus requiring the City to achieve a three-fourths majority vote to approve Austin’s application. After failing to achieve the majority vote, Austin’s proposal failed to pass. Austin sought judicial review, and the district court upheld the City’s decision. The Court of Appeals held that while there is no doubt about the court’s review, and likely the credibility and reliability of the City’s zoning decisions would benefit from a more complete explanation of its rationale for denying Austin’s application, there was sufficient information in the record to demonstrate the reasonableness of the City’s decision. Issues on review are whether: 1) the Court of Appeals erred in striking the due process provisions from the rezoning statute, K.S.A. 12-757(d), on the ground that they conflict with the adjacent-landowner protest authorization within the same statute, K.S.A. 12-757(f); 2) the Court of Appeals decision conflicts with Wells v. City of Basehor, 97 P.3d 528, and erroneously expands the scope of K.S.A. 12-757(f) beyond allowing landowners to protest the use of adjacent land, to protesting development design plans; and 3) the Court of Appeals established an unachievable evidentiary standard.
10:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Appeal No. 125,761: State of Kansas v. Casinroyial Donje Caszarone Collins
Sedgwick County: (Petition for Review) Collins appealed the district court’s order denying his motion to reinstate his appeal finding that no exception applied that would allow Collins to file an appeal out of time. The Court of Appeals found Collins’ arguments to be unpreserved or unpersuasive and affirmed. The issue on review is whether the exceptional circumstances excuse Collins’ filing his notice of appeal late.
Appeal No. 126,130: State of Kansas v. Christopher Shawn Adams
Ellis County: (Petition for Review) If a prosecutor charges a witness with perjury based on their preliminary hearing testimony in a criminal case, may that person then assert a constitutional privilege against self-incrimination when called as a State’s witness in the later jury trial? The district court ruled Stephanie Lang could exercise her right to avoid another perjury charge in that circumstance. The Court of Appeals agreed with the district court that the State’s grant of immunity to Lang under K.S.A. 22-3415 was insufficient to protect her against a second perjury charge and the State could not use Lang’s preliminary hearing testimony and her out-of-court statements presented during the preliminary hearing as evidence in the jury trial, even though she would be unavailable as a witness. The Court of Appeals also held that because the State did not challenge that ruling in bringing this interlocutory appeal, it may be reconsidered in the district court. The issue on review is whether the Court of Appeals erred in finding that the State’s grant of use and derivative use immunity to Lang was insufficient to protect her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination because her immunized testimony, if false, could subject her to the risk of a future charge of perjury.
9 a.m. Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Case No. 128,062: In The Matter of Alejandro J. Solorio
Disciplinary: Solorio was admitted to the practice of law in 2000. Solorio’s ethics matter involved his representation of two individuals in an immigration matter and his failure to take action on their behalf. The disciplinary administrator recommended that Solorio’s license be suspended for one year. After a 90-day period, the disciplinary administrator recommended the remaining nine months be stayed and Solorio placed on 18 months’ probation. Solorio recommended that he be suspended for six months, with an immediate stay and that he be placed on 18 months’ probation. The hearing panel recommends that Solorio be censured and that the censure be published in the Kansas Reports.
Case No. 128,210: In The Matter of Laine C. Rundus
Disciplinary: Rundus was admitted to the practice of law in 2007. Rundus was charged and convicted of DUI on three different occasions. The Supreme Court temporarily suspended Rundus’ license on April 3, 2024.
The parties entered a summary submission agreement with a jointly recommended suspension of Rundus’ license for one year.
Summary Calendar–No Oral Argument
When a case does not present a new question of law, and oral argument is deemed neither helpful to the court nor essential to a fair hearing of the appeal, it is placed on the summary calendar. These cases are deemed submitted without oral argument.
Appeal No. 125,999: Sarah E. Tharrett, as successor trustee of the Roxine Poznich revocable trust v. David T. Everett
Bourbon County: (Petition for Review, Cross Petition for Review) David T. Everett appeals the district court’s final order granting declaratory relief, which authorized the final distribution of a trust and ordered him to surrender $4,000 in attorney fees from his distribution to the trustee, Sarah E. Tharrett. On appeal, Everett raises several procedural challenges to the proceedings in district court and argues the court abused its discretion in granting Tharrett’s motion for attorney fees. The Court of Appeals stated that the record reflects that Everett, after being sent the final distribution check from the trust, which was calculated in accordance with the district court’s final order, accepted the payment and negotiated the distribution check. The Court of Appeals held that because Everett voluntarily accepted the benefits of the district court’s order, he cannot now take the inconsistent position of appealing from it. Because Everett accepted the district court’s judgment, the Court of Appeals held it lacked jurisdiction over his appeal and dismissed it. The issues on review are whether: 1) the Court of Appeals erred by failing to address Everett’s argument that acquiescence to a void judgment is not possible; 2) the Court of Appeals erred by failing to address Everett’s argument that acquiescence was not properly preserved below; 3) the Court of Appeals erred when it rejected Everett’s self-protection argument; and 4) the Court of Appeals erred when it held that no issue Everett raised was separable from issues he alleged concerning acquiescence.
Appeal No. 126,288: State of Kansas v. Brenton S. Cook
Saline County: (Criminal Appeal) In 2006, a jury convicted Cook of first-degree murder, and he received a hard 25 life sentence. Cook’s convictions were affirmed on appeal and three subsequent motions under K.S.A. 60-1507 were denied. In this motion to correct illegal sentence, he challenges his sentence because his trial violated the merger doctrine, multiplicity, and double jeopardy statutes. The district court immediately denied Cook’s motion. The issue on review is whether the district court erred in immediately denying Cook’s motion to correct an illegal sentence.
November Total Tax Collections at $675.5 Million; 3.6% Below the Estimate
TOPEKA – The State of Kansas ends November 2024 with total tax collections at $675.5 million. That is $25.4 million, or 3.6%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are up 4.0% from November 2023.
Individual income tax collections were $335.2 million. That is $15.3 million, or 4.4% below the estimate. Individual income tax collections are up 14.9% from November 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $24.5 million. That is $5.9 million, or 19.4% below the estimate, and down 31.1% from November 2023.
Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $287.3 million, which is $2.0 million, or 0.7% below the estimate, and down $3.7 million, or 1.3%, from November 2023.
Click here to view the November 2024 revenue numbers.
“We wanted to tell you about our latest campaign to help raise funds for Bourbon County Core Community,” said Deanna Bett with Core Community. “Our goal is to get 100 people to give $100 by the end of the year, and with giving Tuesday tomorrow, it is the perfect time to promote this much needed organization in Bourbon County. We also have a very easy way to give where people can use Cash app, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The QR code is on the flyer or here is the link.”
City Hall Commission Room – 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
December 3, 2024 – 6:00 P.M.
Call to Order
Roll Call
Tim VanHoecke, Matthew Wells, Dyllon Olson, Kathryn Salsbury, Tracy Dancer
III. Pledge of Allegiance
Invocation
Approval of Agenda
Consent Agenda
Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1373-A – Expense Approval Report – Payment Dates of November 13, 2024, to November 26, 2024, – $1,118,230.10
Approval of Minutes for November 19, 2024, Regular Meeting.
VII. Public Comment
VIII. Appearances
Unfinished Business
Consideration of RESOLUTION NO. 31-2024 – RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE REPAIR OR REMOVAL OF AN ALLEGED UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AT 1105 S. STATE– Tabled from November 19, 2024,
Consideration of Certificate of Appropriateness – 17 S. Main – Move Sign to New Location – Recommended by Design Review Board on November 12, 2024, and tabled by City Commission on November 19, 2024.
New Business
Action Items:
Consideration to Replace Charles Street Lift Station – B. Lemke
Consideration of Verizon Tolling Agreement – B. Farmer
Consideration to set a Budget Hearing on December 17, 2024, for amending the 2024 Budget pertaining to Stormwater Fund No. 719 and Golf Fund No. 219.
Consideration of RESOLUTION NO. 34-2024 A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH URBAN AREA BOUNDARY LINES and RESOLUTION NO. 35-2024 A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE URBAN FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM– Wyatt
Amelia Elizabeth Bower, age 86, resident of Deerfield, MO, died Saturday, November 30, 2024, at her home. She was born August 20, 1938, in Fort Scott, KS, the daughter of Marion Alfred Jones and Opal Laoma Gillenwater Jones.
Amelia worked for Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott for over 20 years until her retirement. She enjoyed visiting with close friends, working crossword and other puzzles, her dogs, and attending Branson, MO shows. She loved her grandchildren dearly as evidenced by the multitude of pictures adorning her walls. Amelia was also known to have a sweet tooth.
Survivors include her children, Rick Jones, Fort Scott; Jill Love, Tony Bower, and Jason Bower (Thabena), all of Deerfield, MO; 12 grandchildren, Dustin, Kendria, Joshua, Haley, Jessica, Rebecca, Alyson, Quentin, Gavin, Evan, Micala, and Preslee; 14 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Henry Bower; a son Doug Bower; a brother, Ronald Jones; two sisters, Laoma Ruth Brooks and Vicky Page; and her parents.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Thursday, December 5th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 until service time Thursday at the funeral home
Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Hospital and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott
