Monthly Archives: March 2025

Obituary

Obituary of Betty Ruddick

Leave a comment

 

Betty Pauli Ruddick, age 91, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, passed away Sunday March 2, 2025, in Camdenton, MO.  She was born July 3, 1933, in Manhattan KS, the daughter of Lowell Carl and Wilma Swart Pauli. Betty graduated from Paseo High School in Kansas City in 1951 and graduated from Drury College in 1955.

She met Alvin Matthews Ruddick at Drury College, and they married on July 16, 1955, in Kansas City, MO.  Al and Betty owned the Ruddick’s, Inc. furniture store in Fort Scott until 2000.

Betty was a homemaker, worked at Ruddick’s, and worked at the Fort Scott Tribune. She volunteered with the Campfire Girls for 19 years, as a Rape counselor for 15 years and was instrumental in establishing the Bourbon County CASA program and worked as the director and a volunteer for many years.  She was a longtime member of the FU Chapter of the PEO and was a member of the First United Methodist Church and participated in numerous committees and organizations within the church.  Much of Al and Betty’s time revolved around their family, friends and life at their cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Betty’s survivors include 3 daughters,  Lisa Rucker and husband Ron, St. Louis, MO, Linda Burger, St. Louis, MO, Leslie Ogden and husband Chris, Lee’s Summit, MO;  grandchildren Jeremy Ruddick (Nicole), Liberal, MO , Abby Simmons (Cody), Carl Junction, MO, Haley Trainor (Michael), Boston, MA,  Aaron Rucker,  Dallas, TX, Samatha Burger, Lee’s Summit, MO, Nick Ogden (Taylor), Lee’s Summit, MO, and Hannah Ogden, Mission, KS; great grandchildren, Cooper Ruddick, Jackson Simmons, Henry Trainor, Nell Trainor and Emma Ogden; sister-in-law Patricia Pauli, Shawnee, KS and  many nieces, nephews, great nieces and  great nephews .

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, husband Alvin M. Ruddick, daughter Lori G. Ruddick, brother William C. Pauli, stepmother M. Maxine Pauli, and stepsister Sharon Coyan.

Jay Lotterer will conduct funeral services at 11:30 am Monday, March 10th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 until service time Monday morning at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to be made to either Bourbon County CASA or Ellna’s Adult Care and may be left or sent in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.

 

Fort Scott, Youth

THEATRE EDUCATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN MARCH

Leave a comment

THEATRE EDUCATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN MARCH
Students at Fort Scott High School Lead Community Advocacy Efforts
(Fort Scott, KS, 2/27/25) – Students at Fort Scott High School are joining the national grassroots
effort called Theatre in Our Schools Month (TIOS) to advocate for the benefits of theatre
education in schools. Members of International Thespian Society (ITS) Troupe #7365 are
drawing attention to the need for increased access to quality theatre programs for all students.
To get the word out, students are participating in a number of theatre related activities. On Feb.
26 and 28 the troupe participated in community service activities at the Senior Center in
downtown Fort Scott. They have a Theatre in Our Schools Month Kick-Off Party on March 4 at
the Museum of Creativity and will present to the USD 234 Board of Education on March 10. On
March 6, the troupe travels to Topeka to meet with Thespians from across the state and Senator
Tim Shallenburger and Representative Rick James to celebrate and discuss Theatre Advocacy
Day in KS.
Throughout the month, the troupe will dress to represent various musicals on Musical Mondays
and wear theatre-related shirts on Theatre Shirt Tuesdays. They also have Improv Acting
Troupe practice on Tuesdays after school and FSMS Drama Club on Fridays after school. To
finish out the month, the troupe will see the FSCC production of “No Exit” on March 26 and hold
the annual FSHS Talent Show & Senior Minute to Win It at 7 p.m. on March 28. The Talent
Show is open to the public and tickets are $5 at the door.
The ITS is the theatre honor society for middle and high school students. These Thespians plan
and implement TIOS activities in their schools, in their communities, and with elected officials.
The presentations and activities explain how theatre education positively shapes students’ lives
by instilling necessary life skills. TIOS Month is an opportunity for students, parents,
communities, school boards, and elected officials to come together to and make theatre
education more available to all students. One of the key messages is that theatre skills help
students develop vital 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, and
critical thinking, as well as social/emotional skills critical to students’ growth as young adults.
For example, according to The College Board, in 2015, students who took four years of arts
classes in high school scored an average of 92 points higher on their SATs than students who
only took one half year or less. But, according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 28
percent of high schools in high poverty areas offer theatre instruction.
According to a 2018 poll, 72 percent of Americans believe the arts unify our communities
regardless of age, race, and ethnicity, and more than 90 percent believe students should

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Artmaking & Design for Social Impact  Lesson Plan and Session Recording Available

Leave a comment
Artmaking & Design for Social Impact 
Lesson Plan and Session Recording
— NOW AVAILABLE —
Access the Artmaking & Design for Social Impact lesson plan and session recording. This session explored the stories of LMC Unsung Heroes through a social impact framework. Award-winning art educator E. Dominic Black examined the processes of artmaking, design, and writing to support students towards deeper understandings about the intended meaning and impact of their ARTEFECT projects. Thank you to Dominic and to everyone who attended!
Artmaking & Design for Social Impact – LESSON PLAN
Artmaking & Design for Social Impact – SESSION RECORDING
ARTEFFECT Competition Resource
— Choose Your LMC Unsung Hero —
Students participating in the competition can select an Unsung Hero from the LMC pre-approved list. This list includes Unsung Heroes throughout history in various categories such as STEAM, Wartime, Civil Rights, Medicine, Environment, and Journalism. Download the Unsung Heroes Directory PDF as a classroom resource.
Unsung Heroes Directory PDF
Learn more about the ARTEFFECT Competition.
See you at NAEA in Louisville, KY!
March 20-22, 2025
Plan to stop by the ARTEFFECT booth in the Exhibit Hall at NAEA National Convention. Pick up some new swag, the 2025 ARTEFFECT brochure, and meet the ARTEFFECT team. See you in Louisville!
Stay connected with ARTEFFECT through our expanding social media channels on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Join a growing network of art educators at the
For inquiries, contact: [email protected]
ARTEFFECT Facebook
ARTEFFECT Instagram
LMC ARTEFFECT
ARTEFFECT YouTube
X
Copyright © 2025 Lowell Milken Center, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you either subscribed on our website or expressed interest in receiving updates while visiting us.

Our mailing address is:

Lowell Milken Center

1 South Main St

Fort Scott, KS 66701
Entertainment, Exercise, Fort Scott, Sports

Ladies Informational Golf League and Sign-up Meeting is March 8

Leave a comment

Sending on behalf of Chamber member Diane Striler

Par Tee Girls Ladies League

Informational & Sign Up Meeting Saturday, March 8th

Woodland Hills Golf Course, 9-10am

At the meeting you can pay your $40 league fee, get a pic for our website, get paired up with a partner (if you don’t already have someone to play with) and meet the other women of the league.

The league will run on Wed. April 30th thru Wed. July 30th.

Morning tee times available or at 5:30pm for a shotgun start.

The season will end with a banquet with a best ball scramble, a catered dinner, and a lot of fun!
Click to contact Diane Striler with any questions!

Thank you to our Chamber Champions listed below!
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Art, Bourbon County

Bourbon County Arts Council 33rd Annual Fine Arts Exhibit Starts This Thursday

Leave a comment
A 2016 photo of the Bourbon County Arts Council Annual Exhibit.

 

The Bourbon County Arts Council will present its 33rd Annual Fine Arts Exhibit from March 6th through March 15th, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, on the Campus of Fort Scott Community College.

The Arts Council will host the Chamber Coffee at 8:00am on Thursday March 6th, at the Ellis Center. The Exhibit will be open to the public beginning Thursday March 6th through Saturday March 15th, weekdays from 12:00pm to 7:00pm, and on Saturdays, from 9:00am to 1:00pm.  A reception to honor this year’s Juror and artists will be held on Thursday the 6th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm; the public is invited to attend and enjoy the opportunity to meet and visit with them about the art.

Artists will have their work on display and for sale in this multi-media exhibit, in categories including Ceramics, Drawing & Graphics, Fiber Arts, Glasswork, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Watercolor. A “themed” category was added to the Exhibit, with this year’s theme being “Bridge the Gap”. An artist may create a piece in any of the above categories, in relation to the theme.  This year, artists from Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma will participate in the Fine Art Exhibit.  Local artists entered include Kathy Allen, Cally Bailey, Elaine Buerge, Steve Floyd, Oriah Freeman, Katie Hueston, Merl Humphrey, Bobbi Kemna, Julie Kibble, Dorothy Kivett, Terry Koester, Kadra Nevitt, Eric Popp, Elizabeth Ross, Kaitlynn Sampson, and Addison Smith.

Cash prizes awarded for category winners are given by the Bourbon County Arts Council in memory of E.C. Gordon, and by the generous sponsorship from these local businesses:   The Artificers, Buerge Art Studio, City State Bank, Citizens Bank, Edward Jones-Jamie Armstrong , Front Door Realty-Diane Striler and Crystal Mason, H&H Realty, Landmark Bank, Lyons Realty, Mid-Continental Restoration,  State Farm Insurance, Union State Bank, and Ward Kraft.

Joe Summers will serve as Juror for this year’s exhibit. He remembers the day he “became an artist” at the age of five and has pursued his passion for art since. His interests include drawing and painting, printmaking, and pottery. Joe attended Fort Sott Community College as a theater major. He received his Bachelors Degree from Pittsburg State University in 2003, and earned his Masters Degree in Ceramics from PSU in 2011. He is also a mural artist. Joe has been an art educator since 2003, teaching at Prairie View High School in LaCygne, KS for 18 years,  and Royster Middle School in Chanute, KS for 3 years. In 2024 he was awarded the KAEA Middle Level Teacher of the Year. In the Fall of 2024, he became an art instructor at Neosho Community College.

Joe and his children started “Robot Art Across Kansas” in 2018; they created ceramic robots, and took them to cities and towns across Kansas “for others to find, keep, and enjoy.” He has continued this project with his students, and so far there have been over one hundred robots placed throughout Kansas, and as far away as Nashville, Tennessee. Joe and his family reside in Chanute, Kansas.

The Bourbon County Arts Council encourages everyone to come and enjoy an exciting collection of original artwork. The Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center is located at 2108 Horton St., in Fort Scott, Kansas. There is no admission charge for this event.

 

 

Area News, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Health Care

Freeman Hospital Groundbreaking Ceremony Near Frontenac is March 7

Leave a comment

Continued Steps Forward

 Groundbreaking Ceremony Set for Freeman Southeast Kansas Hospital

 

What: Groundbreaking for Freeman Southeast Kansas Hospital

 

When: 10:00 am Friday, March 7, 2025

 

Where: Take US Route 69 north through Pittsburg and Frontenac. Turn right off US Route 69 at East 600th Ave. – look for Freeman arrow signs for the turn (and large Chicken Annie’s restaurant sign). On East 600th Ave. heading east, the groundbreaking parking area is located to the left on 50-acre hospital site.

 

Background: Freeman Health System will break ground for the long-awaited Freeman Southeast Kansas Hospital Friday morning.

Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Baker, accompanied by a distinguished list of Frontenac, Pittsburg and Cherokee County dignitaries, will don hard hats and grab shovels to officially launch the state-of-the-art building’s construction.

The $168 million, 50-bed hospital will offer a full array of comprehensive care, including an emergency department, cardiac services and catheterization lab, an intensive care unit, maternity, pediatrics, outpatient/inpatient surgery – including robotic procedures – as well as medical and radiation oncology, among other key services. Overall, the hospital will create at least 500 to 1,000 new jobs in Pittsburg.

 

 

###

 

 

About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2024, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers and their experiences. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System one of the Best Hospitals for 2022. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 90 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services, women’s services, and many others for all of the Four State Area. Freeman is also involved in numerous community-based activities and sponsored events and celebrations. Additionally, in the Joplin/Pittsburg areas, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.

 

Obituary

Death Notice of Betty Ruddick

Leave a comment

 

 

Betty P. Ruddick, age 91, passed away Sunday, March 2, 2025, in Camdenton, MO. Jay Lotterer will conduct funeral services at 11:30 am Monday, March 10th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.  Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 10:00 until service time Monday morning at the funeral home.  Memorials are suggested to either Bourbon County CASA or Ellna’s Adult Care and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.

Government, Kansas

KS February Total Tax Collections Surpass Estimate by $121.9M

Leave a comment

GO Letterhead

For Immediate Release:    
March 3, 2025

Contact:    
Grace Hoge
[email protected]

Governor Kelly Announces February
Total Tax Collections Surpass Estimate
by $121.9M


TOPEKA – The State of Kansas ends February 2025 with total tax collections at $548.2 million. That is $121.9 million, or 28.6%, above the estimate. Total tax collections are up 5.1% from February 2024.

“While our tax collections this month highlight the strength of Kansas’ economy, we must continue to exercise caution and uphold fiscal responsibility to ensure long-term financial stability and prosperity for all Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said.

Individual income tax collections were $239.4 million. That is $149.4 million, or 166.0% above the estimate, and up 37.9% from February 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $16.3 million. That is $3.7 million, or 18.7% below the estimate, and down 22.8% from February 2024.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $247.1 million, which is $1.1 million, or 0.4% above the estimate, and down $5.5 million, or 2.2%, from February 2024.

Click here to view the February 2025 revenue numbers.

###
Art, Bourbon County

The Bourbon County Arts Council is hosting their 33rd Annual Fine Arts Exhibit!

1 Comment

Sending on behalf of Chamber Member

Bourbon County Arts Council

33rd Annual Fine Arts Exhibit!

The Bourbon County Arts Council is hosting their

33rd Annual Fine Arts Exhibit!

Ellis Family Fine Arts Center

Fort Scott Community College

2108 Horton St.

March 6th

Chamber Coffee | 8am

March 6th

Artist Reception | 6pm-8pm

Public Welcome. Light Refreshments Served.

Exhibit Open

Mon-Fri: March 6th, 7th, & 10-14th 12pm-7pm

Saturdays: March 8th & 15th 9am to 1pm

The competition is open to artists of age 16 and older. Categories include Ceramics, Drawing and Graphics (Pencil, Pen, Ink), Fiber Art, Glasswork, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting (Oil & Acrylic), Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Watercolor.

A themed category has been included; the theme this year is “Bridge The Gap”. An artist may create a piece in any of the above media categories, as it relates to the theme.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice
Constant Contact
Government, Kansas

Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson February 28, 2025

1 Comment
Caryn Tyson

 

 

Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson

February 28, 2025

 

After turnaround (the halfway point in session), most of the work is happening in committees.

 

Stopping State Benefits to Illegal Aliens including in-state tuition, Senate Bill (SB) 254, drew a crowd for the committee hearing.  There was one proponent and over 20 opponents that wanted to speak about the bill.  The committee rules allow each side to speak the same amount of time.  Since the proponents only had one person speaking, AG Kobach spoke for several minutes.  The opponents (those who want benefits for illegals) were told that not all of them would get to speak, especially since there were so many of them and the first speakers used up a good portion of the time.  After time was called, one of the opponents started yelling and demeaning the committee and the process.  The Highway Patrol was called to escort him out of the room and the meeting was adjourned.  Thankfully, this is extremely rare, and most people respect the rules and the decorum at our Capitol.  The committee will work on the bill in the next week or two.

 

U.S. Constitution Article V speaks to allowing states to convene and propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.  Any proposed amendment would have to be ratified by 38 of the states.  The main difference in an Article V convention of states is that the amendment originates from the states, not in U.S. Congress.  All amendments have originated in Congress, never by using Article V.  However, there is a growing effort to make this happen.

 

With President Trump in office working to stop out-of-control spending, there doesn’t seem to be the urgency for an Article V amendment.  However, the next president may be as reckless as previous presidents, so I voted for Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1604, calling for a convention.  The SCR passed the Senate 29 to 11. If the House passes SCR 1604, Kansas will be the 20th state to pass this language.  It takes 34 for a convention to be called.

 

Sales Tax Exemption Forms would not be required for custom meat processing if the person who owns the animal is processing it for their own consumption.  Senate Bill 33 passed unanimously and was sent to the House for consideration.

 

Firearms taken under the Kansas Standard Asset and Seizer Act could be sold or transferred to a properly licensed federal firearms dealer if SB 137 becomes law.  It passed 39 to 1.  I voted Yes.

 

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.

Caryn