Monthly Archives: June 2025

Entertainment, Fort Scott

43rd Annual Burke Street Parade …a long-standing neighborhood tradition.

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Burke Street Parade. Margaret & Merl Humphrey and granddaughter Meg Norman. Submitted photo.

Come One, Come All, Let Freedom Ring!  It is once again time to celebrate U.S.A.’s 249th Independence Day with a neighborhood parade on Fort Scott’s “Tower Hill,” better known as Burke Street on the Fourth of July.  Following patriotic songs by “Kids on Burke” led by two of the parade founders:  Susan Foster and Jill Gorman; the parade will depart at 10:00 AM from Tenth and Burke going south around the Marblecrest Triangle and returning north to the point of origin.  Cheering spectators, who are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and dress in red, white, and blue, will line the parade route with family and friends.

Post-parade refreshments will be available and ALL ARE WELCOME to the Halsey front yard, 1222 Burke.  Neighbors and friends-of-the-parade donate the cookies and drinks are provided by this year’s hosts Deb & Frank Halsey.

A severe storm or lightning cancels the parade and there are no large vehicles allowed due to the many children participating in the festivities.

Parade questions can be answered by Margaret Humphrey 620-224-7388 or Barbar Albright 620-224-7762.

Business, Government

Local Lenders Recognized by USDA As Top Lending Leaders

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USDA Rural Development in Kansas Recognizes Top
Guaranteed Rural Housing Lender Partners

TOPEKA, June 25, 2025 – USDA Rural Development announced the 2025 Lenders of the Year today, to recognize the work of its top lending partners supporting rural homeownership. These lenders helped rural families and individuals buy homes across the nation, including in Kansas last year through USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program.

“We are proud of these innovative lending partners and our collaborative efforts to boost the availability of rural housing in Kansas,” said Gimmie Jo Jansonius, Rural Development State Director for Kansas. “Thank you to all of our lending partners of all sizes from across the state for supporting the rural communities that make Kansas great.”

The top 5 Kansas lenders were:

  1. Flat Branch Mortgage, Inc.
  2. Landmark National Bank
  3. Community National Bank & Trust
  4. Guild Mortgage Company LLC
  5. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp

 

USDA is a proud partner to all lenders who work with the agency to support rural homeownership. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit GovDelivery subscriber page. Follow us on X, @RurDev_Kansas

 

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Government, Kansas

11th Judicial District Nominating Commission sends names of three nominees for district judge to governor 

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TOPEKA—The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission has sent the names of three nominees for district judge to Gov. Laura Kelly, who has 60 days to decide who will fill the vacancy.

 

The vacancy was created when Judge Lori Bolton Fleming’s appointment to the Kansas Court of Appeals was confirmed by the Kansas Senate.

 

The 11th Judicial District is composed of Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties.

 

The nominees are:

  • Sarah Elnicki, Pittsburg, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
  • Mandy Johnson, Pittsburg, Labette County Attorney’s Office
  • John Mazurek, Pittsburg, The Mazurek Law Office

Eligibility requirements 

To be considered for district judge, a nominee must be:

  • at least 30 years old;
  • a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least five years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school; and
  • a resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office.

Term of office

After serving one year in office, a new judge must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the incumbent will serve a four-year term.

 

Nominating Commission 

 

The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Eric S. Rosen as the nonvoting chair; Michael Gayoso Jr., Baxter Springs; John Lehman, Girard; Shane Adamson and Dennis Dodd, Parsons; Sara Beezley, Pittsburg; and Angela Rippel, Scammon.

Kansas Judicial Branch

Office of Judicial Administration

301 SW 10th Avenue

Topeka, KS 66612-1507

785-296-2256

kscourts.gov

 
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Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

Presenting the 2025 ArtEffect Top Middle School Awardees

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Presenting the
2025 Top Middle School Awardees!
The recipient of the $2,000 Middle School Best in Show prize was eighth grade student Fuhan (Lila) Xue, who attends Chaparral Middle School in Diamond Bar, California. Lila chose Unsung Hero Oscar Howe as the inspiration for her digital artwork, Breaking the Chains by Brushstroke. “I wanted to capture Oscar Howe’s artistic energy and his fight for the change of prejudice and stereotypes. I created a digital painting showing him holding a brush, surrounded by broken chains and vibrant swirling colors. The broken chains represent the limitations and stereotypes he fought against. The swirling colors are inspired by Howe’s own works and style, symbolizing his creativity, courage, and cultural pride,” explains Lila. Read Lila’s full Impact Statement for more details about her vision for this project.
Congratulations, Lila Xue!
View “Breaking the Chains by Brushstroke”
Grace Zhang, an eighth grade student from Jericho Middle School in Long Island, New York, won the $1,000 Middle School Second Place prize for Bus Ride to Equality, a gouache painting that features Unsung Hero Irene Morgan. “Irene Morgan’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement has been overlooked but was very crucial, helping launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott and inspiring figures such as Rosa Parks to act against segregation,” writes Grace. Read Grace’s full Impact Statement for more about her use of symbolism in this project.
Congratulations, Grace Zhang!
View “Bus Ride to Equality”
Read all Impact Statements
2025 Winners and Finalists
Congratulations to all the 2025 Awardees and their sponsoring educators and guardians! The Impact Statements for the 2025 winners and finalists are now posted for each project on the ARTEFFECT Website. Read the Winners and Finalists to learn more about the inspiration of these young artists in choosing their Unsung Heroes as a roles models, and their artistic processes and creative interpretations.
View 2025 Winners
View 2025 Finalists
Ambassadors in Action!
Meet our 2024-2025 Ambassador Archana Kamani, Visual Arts Teacher at Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies in Plainfield, NJ.

Each ARTEFFECT Ambassador culminates their visual arts online fellowship with a capstone project that brings the inspiring stories of the LMC Unsung Heroes into their classrooms and communities. As the yearlong program comes to its end, Archana shared about her capstone project. Here is an excerpt from her narrative:

“For my capstone project, I developed and implemented a visual art lesson centered around the Unsung Heroes theme. The focus was on individuals who have made a significant impact on the world, yet whose stories are often left untold. Using ARTEFFECT resources, I designed a comprehensive, scaffolded curriculum that guided students through historical research, creative brainstorming, and artistic execution.”

Thank you to Archana and the students at Plainfield Academy for your creativity and inspiring ARTEFFECT projects!
Read more about Archana’s capstone project
Congratulations to Archana and her student, Charlize Holmes (Grade 11) for winning a Certificate of Excellence in the 2025 Competition! Charlize’s project, A March to Remember, a charcoal on paper drawing, focuses on Unsung Hero Sheyann Webb.
Stay connected with ARTEFFECT through social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arteffectlmc
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arteffectlmc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arteffectlmc
For inquiries, contact: [email protected]
ARTEFFECT Facebook
ARTEFFECT Instagram
LMC ARTEFFECT
ARTEFFECT YouTube
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Obituary

Obituary of Wanda Dunn

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Wanda June “Jay” Dunn, age 85, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2025, at the home of her daughter in Spring Hill, Kansas.

Jay was born July 10, 1939, in Oskaloosa, Missouri, to Bill and Carrie Guss Carpenter and was the fourth of their six children. She graduated with the Class of 1957 from Liberal High School. After graduation, she moved to Fort Scott, where she worked at Key Work Clothes and the White Grill.

On May 14, 1961, in Fort Scott, Jay married William “Bill” Dunn, whom she met on a blind date. They were married nearly 55 years before Bill’s passing in 2016. Together, they built a life grounded in family, hard work, and shared purpose. The couple founded several successful ventures including Bill Dunn Auction Service and Dunn’s Moving and Storage, earning a respected name in the southeast Kansas community.

Jay lived a life of quiet strength and generous spirit. Whether through her work, her friendships, or the warmth of her home, she touched countless lives with her kindness and extraordinary cooking skills.  She was an amazing mother, grandmother and aunt and made a significant impact on their those around her.

She is survived by her daughter, Rhonda Dunn, Spring Hill, her son, Mike Dunn (Clara) of Fort Scott, and her granddaughter, Hannah Dunn also of Fort Scott.  Her oldest son, Gary, preceded her in death in 2006.

She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all who were fortunate to know her.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Friday, June 27th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Memory Gardens Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 7 P.M. Thursday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to Care to Share 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.com.

Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes

2025 Lowell Milken Center Fellows Receive Keys to the City

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2025 Lowell Milken Center Fellows Receive Keys to the City

The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, has awarded its 2024 National Fellowship to 12 educators. As part of their week-long experience in Fort Scott, the six
fellows for June 22 – 27 were given the keys to the city on Tuesday, June 24th, by Lindsay Madison, Tourism and Chamber Director. (Six other Fellows were in Fort Scott last week.)

Upon the presentation of the keys, Madison said, “Fort Scott has a legacy of honoring heroes since the Fort was first established in 1842.  As each of you are presented with a key to the city of Fort
Scott, may it serve as a symbol that you are now part of the legacy as we recognize the extraordinary difference you are making in the lives of students. On behalf of the City of Fort Scott and the Fort
Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, it is our honor to welcome you to our community as a 2025 Lowell Milken Fellow.”

The Fellows honored this week were Sandra Hutton from Canada, Jennifer Klein from Connecticut, Jordann Lankford-Forster (Bright Trail Woman) from Montana, Meredith Reid from Kansas, Brian
Skinner from Kansas, and Graeme Stacey from Canada.

LMC Director Norm Conard praised these outstanding individuals, saying, “We are so honored to be able to network and collaborate with these exemplary educators and provide them with an opportunity to reflect, reenergize, and strategize with
each other as they seek to find new ways to inspire their students.”

Every summer, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes awards its Fellowship to national and international award-winning educators from America and around the world. As National LMC Fellows, they deepen their understanding of Unsung Heroes and project-based learning in preparation for developing Unsung Heroes projects with their students. They also learn the stories of powerful role models who have helped to change the world and can be life-changing examples for students today.

Along with the time spent deepening their professional skills at the LMC, the Fellows enjoy visiting the Fort Scott area.

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Government

City of Fort Scott Ordinance on Fireworks

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To view the ordinance:

Ordinance 3781 – FIREWORKS sales and discharge(2)

 

Here is a shortened version:

Only Class C fireworks, common ones, are allowed to be discharged within the city limits of Fort Scott.

The sale of fireworks started on June 20 and will stop on July 7.

They can be discharged from June 27 to July 2 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

From July 3 to 4, from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. and on

July 5 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The city manager, fire chief, or designated authority may change the dates due to severe weather conditions, etc.

It’s illegal to discharge fireworks within 1,000 feet of a hospital, 50 feet from where they are sold, 100 feet from a gas pump, filling station, or bulk fuel storage facility, Fort Scott Community College campus/grounds, Bourbon County Fairgrounds, or city-owned parks.

No fireworks are allowed from 18th to 23rd Streets on Horton Street on the day of the city’s fireworks display.

It’s unlawful to throw any kind of fireworks at a person, group or vehicle.

Bottle rockets are illegal in the city.

 

Art, Business, Exercise, Fort Scott

New Self Defense Classes Offered in Fort Scott

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Brandon Pfannenstiel and Noah Terry. Submitted photo.
For those interested in learning self-defense techniques, a new business has opened for teaching those techniques.
The Fort: Bjj and Self Defense co-founders and owners, Noah Terry and Brandon Pfannenstiel, opened to the public on May 8.
“We offer Jiu Jitsu classes for both kids and adults,” Terry said. “We also offer MMA and striking classes as well. All with an orientation towards self-defense.”
For those unfamiliar with these martial arts, here are explanations.
“Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and skills from a mixture of other combat sports to be used in competition. The rules allow the usage of both striking and grappling techniques while standing and on the ground. Competitions allow athletes of different disciplines of martial arts to compete under a set of unified rules,” according to https://www.ufc.com/intro-to-mma
“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a predominantly ground-based martial art, using the principles of leverage, angles, pressure, and timing, as well as knowledge of the human anatomy, to achieve a non-violent submission of one’s opponent. Unlike other martial arts that focus on strikes and/or kicks, jiu jitsu focuses on close-contact grappling holds and techniques, and the application of chokes and joint manipulations,” according to https://www.essentialbjj.com/about-us/what-is-jiu-jitsu/
“I started training four years ago out of a desire to better myself through discipline and technique,” Terry said. “Brandon started training his sophomore year of high school at a gym called Mid-America Martial Arts. He walked in untrained and eager to learn at the age of 15. This was about 2003. He gathered an 11-1 amateur and 7-1 pro MMA record, and received his black belt in February 2025.”
Lessons are taught at 123 S. National Avenue at a converted church building.
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The current schedule is:
JIU JITSU: Monday through Friday from 6-7 a.m.
Sparring class: Tuesday is  6:15 – 7:15 p.m.
Open mat: Saturday from  7 to 8 a.m.
KIDS CLASS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
MMA: Monday is from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.
STRIKING CLASS: Thursday, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.
 Contact: (913) 475-4321 + www.thefortfs.com
Bourbon County

Local Grief Support Group Starts on July 1

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A 13-week Grief Support Group will begin on Tuesday mornings starting July 1-September 23.
“Each time we gather from 10:00 until 11:30 in the small classroom at Mary Queen of Angels church,” said facilitator Laura Meeks.  “The group is non-denominational, focused on helping rebuild your life after losing a loved one. The group is led by professionals through videos and guided discussion.  A helpful guidebook is provided and there are no costs to attend.”
For questions or interest in this group please call Laura Meeks at 740-317-6379 or email [email protected].  You can also directly enroll through griefshare.org/find a group where this Fort Scott session is listed.