Monthly Archives: August 2025
Bourbon County Commission Budget Work Session is Today at 4 p.m.
There will be a budget work session for the Bourbon County Commission on August 25, 2025, at 4:00 PM at 210 S. National Avenue. The commission’s regular meeting will start at 5:30 PM, and the RNR hearing will be at 5:35 PM.
Susan E. Walker
Bourbon County Clerk
Community Connection Panelist Luncheon August 27, Deadline Is Today
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What Size Pizza? by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
What Size Pizza?
My daughter, son, granddaughter and I were sitting at a pizza restaurant in Kansas City. We noticed that the menu listed the pizza sizes as S, M, L, G. We started guessing what the “G” represented, which caused an explosion of laughter as we guessed all kinds of silly things including “ginormous.” Upon further investigation, we discovered that it meant “Gigantic” and the price was $70.00. We were all hungry, but not that hungry!
The storms of life are comparable to pizzas — some are small, medium, large and some are gigantic. But whatever size storm you find yourself in, remember this: “He will not abandon me or leave me as an orphan in the storm — He will come to me” (John 14:18 TLB). If we truly entrust our storm to God, we’ll have to deliver it to Him, ring the door bell, and just walk away. Much of our faith walk consists of letting go of the things that are beyond our pay grade. There’s a rich comfort in placing our personal storms into God’s loving hands.
When I’m anxious about my own personal-pan storm, it does me good to pray for someone who’s enduring a bigger-size storm than me. We should consider the gigantic storm that Job endured. He was in the worst of the worst situations, but when he prayed for his friends, God healed him and blessed him with more than he had before the storm.
Apostle Paul experienced adversity and God encouraged him with these words: “But He said to me, My grace is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect and show themselves most effective in your weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP). My father and late husband were strong men and both of them made me feel loved, cared for, and safe. Even though I’m a woman, I really appreciate the meaning of bearing the storms of life “manfully.” Since God’s grace is the believer’s strong enabler, we can do what we have to do by the strength and power that dwells in us. But we have to act on God’s Word in 2 Corinthians 12:9.
The Army has a motto, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” And God has said, “See, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tested you in the furnace of adversity” (Isaiah 48:10 NRS). No Christ follower is going to stand in line and sign up for adversity. No one wants it, no one likes it, and everyone prefers to be excused from it. But as long as you’re alive, you’re going to have it, whether it’s S, M, L, or G because it‘s part of life on planet earth. Gospel singer songwriter Andrea Crouch composed “Through It All” in 1971 while struggling with the devastating loss of his father, mother, and brother within two years. Verse 3: “I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through; For if I’d never had a problem I wouldn’t know that He could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.”
Before it became illegal, tourists from all over the world came to Pebble Beach at Pescadero, California to collect the round beautiful stones. These stones endure relentless waves which cause them to be slammed together and ground against the cliffs. Without this adversity, they would be ugly and ordinary. God desires believers to be beautiful and extraordinary. Polish comes through trouble.
The Key: If you’re being beat up by a gigantic storm, just hold your ground and stand on God’s gigantic grace.
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Coming Soon
Almost everything is in place, people hired and just a few items left to open Freeman Fort Scott Hospital and Emergency Department, at the former Mercy Hospital.
The building is owned by Kansas Renewal Institute, with Freeman and other entities leasing from them.
On August 22, local officials, community leaders, along with Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce members were invited to hear from Freeman Fort Scott Hospital leaders and take a guided tour of the newly repurposed facility at 401 Woodland Hills Boulevard to view the progress.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison welcomed the Freeman staff and expressed the community’s gratitude for Freeman Hospital coming to our community.
Anita Walden, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Chief Administrative Officer, told the attendees that the process “has been a collaborative effort with a lot of people…there are still a few minor things that need to happen.”
The community will play a vital role in supporting access to quality healthcare here by using the emergency department and the hospital for their healthcare needs, she said.
To open, three government surveys need to take place and one has taken place, on August 18.
This brings the six-bed emergency department and 10-bed acute care closer to fruition.
The multi-million-dollar project is still on track to open at the end of 2025, Freeman officials said in the press release.
To view the press release:
https://fortscott.biz/news/freeman-fort-scott-hospital-inc-achieves-significant-milestones
The Emergency Department
Dr. Mark Brown, the Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Emergency Department’s Director, is from the Coffeyville area. He will also serve as the medical staff president.
There are six beds in the emergency department, and it will have a physician 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Freeman has leased Suite A in the clinic area of the building, and Gregory King, a Family Nurse Practitioner at Freeman Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, will be housed there as soon as possible, said Anita Waldren in a group tour of the facility.
Brown told the tour group the hospital will have two nurses and one technician at all times, serving the 10-bed hospital. There will be eight semi-private and two private rooms on the medical floor.
Covering medical services at Freeman Fort Scott Hospital will be local doctors, Dr. Katrina Burke, Dr. Richard Kellenberger, and Dr. P.K. Gugnani, Walden said during the tour.
The outpatient services check-in office is located near the emergency department.
Brief History of the Community’s Health Care
Located on the city’s southside and adjacent to Hwy. 69, the facility has housed no hospital since the closing of Mercy Hospital Fort Scott in December 2018.
Mercy Hospital served the community from 1886 until 2018, and closed, citing “patients leaving the area to seek health care services in larger communities and declining reimbursement, especially from government payers, which make up the largest source of revenue,” according to Mercy’s announcement in 2018.
https://fortscott.biz/news/mercy-hospital-fort-scott-to-close
Ascension Via Christi provided an emergency department at the facility from 2019 until 2023. Their decision to close operations was “was made after a thorough analysis of trend data, patient census, and the current and future challenges and opportunities facing this facility,” according to AVC’s announcement in 2023.
The facility also houses other entities:
TFI, Foster Care and Child Welfare Services office is located on the ground level of the building as well.
Celebrate the National Park Service’s Anniversary at Fort Scott NHS
FORT SCOTT, Kan. – Fort Scott National Historic Site celebrates the anniversary of the National Park Service, Monday, August 25, 2025, with a series of family-friendly games, trivia, a scavenger hunt throughout the day, fort tours at 10 am and 1 pm, and a musical performance by the 1st Infantry Division Band from Fort Riley. Activities are appropriate for visitors of all ages and abilities.
Fort Scott National Historic Site will host the 1st Infantry Division Band from Fort Riley beginning at 6 pm. The performance will be on the bricks in front of the Post Hospital/Visitor Center. Bring your lawn chair to ensure seating.
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the “Organic Act” which stated that the purpose of the newly formed National Park Service was “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” What better way to celebrate the Park Service’s anniversary than with a fun-filled day in your national park with the family!
Fort Scott and Fort Riley have a connection. Fort Scott closed operations in 1853, the same year Fort Riley was opened. The Fort Scott Dragoons and the Fort Riley Cavalry both shared portions of the same mission at different times, providing protection on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails.
Historical Note of Interest about the band: One notable example of the use of bands in Vietnam was the “Thunder Road” incident, which received national publicity. Major General John Hay, Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division, ordered his band to march down “Thunder Road” for a distance of one mile while playing the march Colonel Bogey. This road was critical to the division but was under the control of a North Vietnamese Army regiment located less than a mile away. The enemy confused by the action withdrew from the area. The 1st Infantry Division Band fulfilled a remarkable combat mission without firing a shot.
Fort Scott National Historic Site is one of 430+ nationally significant sites and is truly the story of America growing up.
Fort Scott National Historic Site is a fee free park that offers a glimpse into the growth of our nation. A walk through the fort reveals the significant role it played in the opening of the West, as well as the Civil War and the strife in the State of Kansas that preceded it. For more information about Fort Scott National Historic Site, or become involved in activities at the Fort, please call the park at 620-223-0310, visit us at www.nps.gov/fosc, on Facebook www.facebook.com/FortScottNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/FortScottNPS, and Instagram www.instagram.com/fortscottnps
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Ad: What FSCC Offers
Looking for a college that gives you options? At Fort Scott Community College, students can choose from associate degrees in Arts, Science, Applied Science, and General Studies, along with a variety of certificates that lead straight to rewarding careers. Whether you’re interested in healthcare fields like Certified Medication Aide, Nurse Aide, EMT, Home Health Aide, Manicuring, or Phlebotomy, or want to take on a technical challenge with certificates in Ag Technology (John Deere), Construction, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Environmental Water Tech, Farm & Ranch Management, Harley-Davidson Technology, Heavy Equipment Operation, HVAC, Masonry, or Welding we’ve got you covered!
But college isn’t just about the classroom. FSCC offers plenty of ways to get involved through music and performance opportunities (band, choir, theater), student clubs and organizations (like Collegiate Farm Bureau, Phi Theta Kappa, SkillsUSA, STEAM Club, FSCC Media Team, and more), and even competitive judging teams in livestock and meat.
If athletics is more your thing, FSCC is home to intercollegiate sports for both men and women. Compete in basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, rodeo, track & field, or cross country, all while building friendships and representing the Greyhounds.
And the best part? We’re still growing. New programs, degrees, certifications, and athletic opportunities are on the horizon! There’s never been a better time to join FSCC!
Fort Scott Community College; where opportunity meets possibility.
The Empowered Caregiver Series
October 7th & 14th
Join us for The Empowered Caregiver series, an education program by the Alzheimer’s Association that teaches caregivers how to navigate the responsibilities of caring for someone living with dementia. This program features five topics, including building foundations of caregiving, supporting independence, communicating effectively, responding to dementia-related behaviors, and exploring care and support services. As part of the program, you will receive activities to apply person-centered care approaches to your own caregiving journey.
Join us Tuesdays, October 7th & 14th, at 6:00 pm, at the K-State Extension meeting room, 1006 N. State Street, Iola. A meal will be provided. Please call 620-244-3826 to RSVP.
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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director of K-State Research and Extension, Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts.
Community Connection Panelist Luncheon on August 27
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Obituary of Kara Jeneane Wood Baker
With a joyful heart, moved to her heavenly home on Aug. 22, 2025, just six days before her 92nd birthday. She had no fear of death, as she had been preparing all her life for the inevitable change. All of her confidence was placed in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and when the summons came, she passed away as peacefully as twilight falls upon a perfect day.
Kara Jeneane was born in Fort Scott, Kansas on August 28, 1933, to Earl Marion and Billie Douglass Wood. Growing up on a small farm with two brothers gave her plenty of opportunities to explore and enjoy the outdoors. She walked to a one-room country school and was a good student, but always admitted recess was the best part of her day. She loved sports and never
missed a chance to get in a game. While in her forties, she played softball and volleyball on
her daughter’s teams. Literally until her last day, she watched the Royals games on TV and could tell you all about the players.
One unique ability she had was saying the alphabet backwards. Being left-handed, she often did things backwards. So her dad bet her that she couldn’t learn the letters in reverse order. She did! Another of her special abilities was to recall details. At the age of 90, she wrote a book about her life which was published and distributed to family and friends.
Kara Jeneane married her childhood sweetheart, James Oliver Baker, on Valentine’s Day, 1953. They moved to Colorado and lived in a little mountain cabin with no running water or electricity. She loved it! After daughter, Linda, was born they moved back to Fort Scott where she and J. O. made their home until moving to a little family cabin at Crawford State Park in 2014. Watching wildlife was one of her passions and living at the lake suited her just fine.
Throughout her life, her optimism and kind heart touched many lives. She always found the good in every circumstance and every person. It would be fair to say she never met a stranger.
She greatly enjoyed vacationing in Branson and going on camping trips all across the country with her daughter. She never turned down a chance for adventure!
Kara Jeneane spent ten years working in the “Behavior Disorder” room at Eugene Ware Elementary and had a heart for helping those who were struggling. She enjoyed teaching Sunday School, being a Room Mother, leading 4-H project meetings, organizing family parties, and taking meals to anyone who might need them. Kara Jeneane was a member of the Farlington Methodist Church and attended as long as she was physically able. She battled the effects of pesticide poisoning for 28 years and never missed a chance to share non-toxic options for pest and weed control
Survivors include the three children who were born to Kara Jeneane and J. O. Baker: Linda Jeneane Baker of Fort Scott, Connie Jo (Brent) Malone also of Fort Scott, and Dr. Michael Pierce (Becky) Baker of Crawford State Park. Also surviving are grandchildren Bethany Baker, Lexington, Kentucky, Jordan Baker, Lenexa, Adam (Megan) Malone, Aaron (Amber) Malone, and Alyssa (Matt) Glades all of Fort Scott. She is also survived by 8 great grandchildren: Londyn, Rhiley, Trey, Dayton, and Lucas Malone, Bishop and Maddox Glades, and Alexia Robinson. She dearly loved her family and cherished the moments she got to spend with them. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Dr. Robert Wood and Jack Wood, and her husband, J. O.
A private family service will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Beyond Pesticides, 701 E. St. SE, Washington, D. C. 20003 or to the Farlington Methodist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words or remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.
Although Kara Jeneane will be greatly missed by her family and friends, we rejoice in knowing we will all be together again in Heaven some day.
Letter to the Editor: Jason Yount
Submitted by Jason Yount.
USD234 Spending
There was an article published here that talked about USD 234 historical spending per child and I felt I lacked necessary context. The article compared actual spending from 1977 to 2024 vs inflation using the 1977 spending number as a baseline. The problem with that approach is that inflation is just one of many things that drive the need to increase spending per child. To only consider that one factor paints a very misleading picture of where spending is vs where it should be.
Children learn differently now vs how they did in 1977, let’s talk about a few things beyond inflation that have led to increased spending in school:
Technology is a very big part of education today and it creates a significant cost for schools that didn’t exist in the past. The cost to build and maintain a network so classrooms and administrators have internet access. The cost for tablets, computers, laptops, printers, smartboards, …
The need to have school resource officers and other security in schools has become a big focus with the start of, and increase in, mass shootings.
There have been several legislative changes in the past 48 years that have created additional need for spending in schools. An example of this would be the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. We will address another specific case further down in this article.
Additional school staff, including many additional support staff positions, have become standard in schools over the years.
School facilities have changed drastically in the past half century. Larger school enrollments create the need for larger buildings that cost much more to operate and maintain.
Now, let’s talk about where we are vs inflation in a way that we can see some meaningful data. In the chart below I looked at spending over the last 20 years (blue) and compared it to what the spending would have been if the only thing we considered was the previous year’s spending and adding in inflation (orange). This gives us a clearer picture of what inflation increases would have been year over year vs the actual increases and illustrates what years had increases beyond inflation.
Considering the data in this way, we see a few trends. First, there a several years (2011, 2017, 2022, 2024) where spending didn’t increase as inflation did. Another thing we notice is that there are a few years (2016, 2020, 2023) where there were large increases beyond that of inflation.
Let’s talk about 2023 specifically. Why was there such a large jump in spending in the district that year vs inflation? To understand that let’s talk about what was happening in K-12 spending nationwide. In 2022 and 2023 there was a giant jump in the amount of money spent per child nationwide. In 2022 the increase was 8.9%, in 2023 it was 6.3%. Looking at USD 234 data, the jump we saw in 2023 was clearly an indication of that nationwide trend.
****THIS IS THE REALLY IMPORTANT PART****
What caused the large increase in nationwide spending on education? It is from the creation of the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund). The ESSER is a part of the federal response to COVID and created to help schools and children recover from the impact of the pandemic. This federal program provided assistance to schools through grants, and if you know anything about grant money, it HAS to be spent on specific things. SO, while schools received additional funding and cost per child spending did go up, a big chunk of that increase wasn’t money that could be used on just anything.
This is why it is SO important to dig into the whys and not just look at the money spent at face value. Yes, more is being spent, but that doesn’t mean the additional funds can be spent on other needs that are still there.
****THIS IS THE REALLY IMPORTANT PART****
Let’s look at another important perspective: Where is Fort Scott vs other schools in the state. In the next graph I compared USD 234 spending to the average school district spending in the state of Kansas. Until we received those 2023 ESSER funds, we were consistently below the state average in per child spending. In 2024 spending went down for us and up for the rest of the state so we very well could be below the average again in the next year or two.
This is what I would ask when looking at these mill levies for education:
Instead of arbitrarily looking at the dollar amounts spent, please consider the whole picture. Inflation is part of that, sure, but there is so much more.
It’s vitally important to consider what the school district is asking for in each case. While money spent may have increased, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still needs due to what money is allocated where.
Fort Scott is right on track with spending vs other schools in Kansas, it is important that our schools don’t fall behind.
Please don’t count our kids out because you see a big number and don’t take the time to understand.
Jason Yount
References:
https://kansasopengov.org/…/school-spending-per-pupil…/
Current US Inflation Rates: 2000-2025
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund | U.S. Department of Education
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) | U.S. Department of Education
Note: FortScott.biz publishes opinion pieces with a variety of perspectives. If you would like to share your opinion, please send a letter to [email protected].
FS Area Community Foundation Grant Cycle Begins
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