Between Ralph and I, we have 141 years of experience in playing our musical instruments (guitar and piano). We’ve been music-and-family friends for many years, playing various shows, recitals, and churches together. Recently, we were preparing to play at a local country church and Ralph was tuning his guitar. Since the piano was slightly out-of-tune, we had to troubleshoot and basically tune the guitar to the piano. It wasn’t perfect, but we did the best we could to at least be in tune with each other! It was kinda’ like playing our instruments in a three-legged race. Ralph and I had a blast and nobody threw rotten tomatoes at us, so I think it was a win-win.!
You know, some people can’t carry a tune in a bucket. And if they happen to be singing, there’s just no way to cover that up. The late George Younce, famous Southern Gospel bass singer once said, “I’ve heard so much off-tune singing I kinda’ like it.”
Can Christ followers get out of tune with God? Yes – by disobedience to His Word. Actually, a willfully-disobedient Christian is an oxymoron; like jumbo shrimp, fresh clabbered milk, pretty homely, plastic silverware, and awfully good. Love for Christ is proven and demonstrated by our obedience to all that He says. John the Beloved recorded Jesus’ words, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (John 14:23-24 NKJV).
It’s painful for a musician to play an instrument that’s out-of-tune. And when believers are out of tune with God, He can’t stand the dissidence. God can’t literally stand to live in our home when we’re off tune with Him. Something or someone has to give and it’s not going to be God. Here’s a royal plan spoken beautifully by J. Hudson Taylor, “Do not have your concert first and tune your instruments afterward. Begin the day with God.”
Get in tune with God. Maybe you’re playing on the wrong page – repent and change your sheet music. Please don’t tune your life to your own philosophy or today’s messed-up culture. Do your Christian walk God’s way. His way is as plain as day in His Word. God makes so much of our faith, our endeavor, and our obedience. If you have faith even as small as a single mustard seed, your prayers will be answered – one way or another (ref. Matthew 17:20). God isn’t partial – He’s given every believer an equal amount of faith.
Apostle Paul instructed believers, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3 BSB). Evidently, that beginning portion of faith is enough to get us saved, baptized, and sanctified. Plus, we can make daily faith deposits in our heart account as we walk with Him in full obedience. Sometimes we don’t need more faith, we just need to use the faith we already have! Stop thinking you don’t have enough faith to accomplish great things for God. You do!
The Key: Start every day with God and tune your heart to his heart.
Fort Scott’s budget consultant told commissioners at last week’s work session that the city’s golf course does not cover its own costs, and questioned whether the way the city runs it now is sustainable.
“The revenues that we’re generating is not going to cover the expenses,” Baker Tilly financial advisor Ben Hart told commissioners on July 27, suggesting Woodland Hills might belong back inside the general fund. (watch)
The city’s own monthly reports put numbers to it. Twice last year the general fund transferred money into the golf fund to cover its losses: $142,135.64 in September 2025 and $59,630.23 in December, $201,765.87 together. Strip those transfers out and Woodland Hills ran roughly $77,400 in the red over the eight months from May through December 2025. Through June 2026, the latest month the city has reported, the fund is down about another $44,100, with no transfer so far this year. June was its best month in a year, a $16,299 surplus.
In April, Hart told commissioners the general fund ran a deficit of roughly $987,000 in 2025, driven largely by about $476,000 in transfers out to the golf course, economic development, and parks and recreation. Of those three, the golf course took the most. Over the same eight months the city’s reports show $201,766 going to golf, $147,179 to economic development and $35,566 to recreation.
The gap between the bars is the loss. Cost ran ahead of income in 11 of these 14 months. Source: City of Fort Scott Monthly Activity Reports, Fund 219, filed with the May 19 and July 21, 2026 agendas.
How Fort Scott ended up owning a golf course
The city didn’t set out to be in the golf business.
When Dave Martin became city manager in 2010, people started telling him the city should buy the course before it fell apart. Others told him to stay well clear of it. The owners could no longer keep it up, and nobody else stepped forward.
Martin’s answer was to put it to the town: if residents thought the city should own it, residents should help pay for it. They did. The community raised about $350,000 toward buying and fixing up the course.
“This is what a community can do when they set their sights to work together to make something nice and better in Fort Scott,” Martin said in 2016.
The years that followed brought steady investment. The city hired PGA professional Shannon O’Neil as clubhouse manager and a superintendent, Jon Kindlesparger, to rebuild grounds Martin admitted were “in disrepair.” A new clubhouse opened in February 2016. A $65,000 cart barn went up in 2018, again paid for largely by donations. In 2019 the city’s community development director, Robert Uhler, told a chamber coffee that a bestthingsks.com list had put Woodland Hills among the top ten public golf courses in Kansas.
The course became more than a place to golf. Fort Scott High School, Uniontown High School and Fort Scott Community College teams all played there, and in FSCC’s first year with a golf program two players qualified for nationals. By 2018 the course carried 127 memberships, hosted 25 tournaments a year and logged 9,100 rounds. In 2024 the clubhouse was renamed “The Clubhouse” by public vote, got new carts and furniture, and the city floated a Fort Scott-themed miniature golf course to pull families in.
So does it make money?
Two of the city’s own officials say they had heard for years that it did. That assumption is exactly what the city set out to test, by pulling the course out of the general fund and into a fund of its own, so its revenue and costs could be seen on their own.
Mayor Kathryn Salsbury told the July 27 work session she wants it kept that way. She said she had always heard the “golf course is the only place where we make money. And then we pulled out and found out that’s not true. So I’d kind of like to keep watching it.” (watch)
City Manager Brad Matkin backed her up, saying the old claim never had evidence behind it: “when I first started, it was like we made money. And that was a statement. You didn’t have any, there’s no proof to that.” (watch) Breaking it out, he said, was the only way to find out: “because other than that, you’re just saying things.”
Commissioner Julie Buchta raised a complication worth remembering: when the course did appear to turn a profit, it may have been because maintenance was being deferred. “Didn’t we show a profit, but it’s because basically they were cutting all the fertilizer and everything out?” (watch) A golf course that stops buying fertilizer looks cheaper for a season and worse for years, which is roughly the condition the city bought it in.
The shape of the problem
The chart above shows why this is hard to fix. Woodland Hills earns real money, about $351,000 from May to December 2025, but it earns almost all of it in five months: May alone brought in $82,000 and January brought in $4,748. The cost of running the course does not follow that curve. It ran between $34,000 and $82,000 every single month, summer and winter alike, and over those same eight months the city’s own reports put the cost of running the course at $428,804 against $351,385 of income. The fund’s expense lines run from salaries, health insurance and KPERS through electricity, equipment and irrigation maintenance to fertilizer, chemicals, sand and gravel. The 2026 budget had to add money for fertilizer and chemicals as prices rose.
The city has kept putting money in, and has looked for more out. In February commissioners raised what tournaments pay. Groups booking an event are charged per player, and the city caps what any single event pays for the day: the per-player fee went from $30 to $35, and the cap on one day’s tournament from $4,500 to $7,000. Those terms sit on the city’s golf event application rather than the published green-fee rates, so most golfers never see them; the change falls on the large charity and fundraiser tournaments the course hosts; as of 2018 it held about 25 a year. On July 21 they took $31,000 out of general fund reserves for a used 2021 Ventrac mower, after the 2012 machine failed and its parts were discontinued.
And the 2027 budget now in front of the commission sets aside nothing to cover golf course losses — only the annual golf cart lease. “There’s nothing budgeted here to transfer over for any kind of losses in the golf course,” Hart said. (watch)
Which leaves an unanswered question on the table as budget hearings approach: if the course again spends more than it takes in during 2027, where does that money come from? Hart said he and a Baker Tilly colleague would start producing a running profit-and-loss statement for the course so commissioners can follow it line by line.
The next budget work session is August 18. The public hearing and adoption are set for September 15.
Reporting from the city’s published recordings of its July 21 and July 27, 2026 commission meetings, the 2027 budget presentation filed with the July 27 agenda, the city’s Monthly Activity Reports for Fund 219 filed with the May 19 and July 21, 2026 agendas, and fortscott.biz coverage from 2016 to 2024.
I’m Josh Jones, and you’ll always know what your commission is doing.
I’m Josh Jones, a lifelong resident and small-business owner, and I’m running for Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3.
One of the reasons I got involved in the first place is that I wanted to fight for transparency and public trust in our local government. You deserve to see exactly what your government is up to. Back before our local meetings were routinely posted online, I showed up with my own phone and recorded them myself, so citizens could watch the work for themselves. It made some officials uncomfortable — and that’s the point. Putting government on the record keeps everyone honest, including the people in office.
Here’s how I’ve always worked, and how I’ll work for you:
On the record — meetings on video, so anyone can see exactly what happened
Reachable — I answer questions on social media and meet folks face-to-face at the car lot; I don’t hide from the people I serve
Town halls — a real place to be heard, so the regular meetings stay productive
And here’s the thing I never want anyone in office to forget: this is your county, and those elected officials work for you — not the other way around. If you ever feel like no one’s listening, don’t give up. Make a phone call, write a letter, come to a meeting. Your voice is the whole point.
Vote Josh Jones — Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3. On the record. Within reach.
Paid for by Joshua Jones for County Commissioner, Josh Jones, Treasurer.
Tara Soloman-Smith, Family and Wellness Agent, Sunflower District of Kansas State University’s Extension Office. Submitted photo.
Don’t Get Fooled: Spot Scams Before They Cost You
Scams are more common than ever. Scammers use emails, text messages, social media, phone calls, and fake websites to trick people into giving away money or personal information. Many pretend to be someone you trust, such as a bank, business, government agency, or even a family member.
There are several warning signs that a message may be a scam. Be cautious if you receive an unexpected email, text, or phone call asking for personal information or money. Scammers often create a sense of urgency, claiming you must act immediately to avoid a problem. Requests for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or payment apps are also major red flags.
One of the most common scams is phishing. In a phishing scam, criminals send emails or text messages that appear to be from a trusted company. The message may ask you to click a link, update account information, or verify a password. These links often lead to fake websites designed to steal personal information. Misspelled words, generic greetings, outdated logos, and unexpected requests for sensitive information can all be signs of phishing.
To protect yourself, never click on links or download attachments from unexpected emails or text messages. Instead, visit the company’s official website or call the organization directly using a verified phone number. Use strong passwords that are different for each account, and turn on two-factor authentication whenever possible. Regularly checking bank statements, credit reports, and online accounts can also help you spot problems early.
If you think you have been targeted by a scam, contact your bank or financial institution right away. You should also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. Acting quickly may help reduce financial losses and prevent others from becoming victims.
Information for this article came from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (occ.gov). For more information, contact Tara Solomon-Smith, Family & Community Wellness Agent, at 620-244-3826 or [email protected].
Preparing for Preserving: Check Your Equipment and Use Safe Recipes
As gardens begin producing and farmers markets fill with fresh produce, many southeast Kansans are preparing for another food preservation season. Before canning begins, it’s important to take a few steps to make sure equipment is safe and working properly.
One of the most important checks involves pressure canners. The Southwind Extension District offices in Erie, Yates Center, Iola, and Fort Scott offer free pressure canner gauge testing. The process can help ensure home-canned foods are processed safely. Contact your local office to arrange to leave your pressure canner lid or make an appointment for it to be checked while you wait.
Pressure canning is required for low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats, and soups. An accurate gauge is critical because improper processing can allow the growth of harmful bacteria, including Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism—a serious and potentially deadly foodborne illness.
Pressure canners use either a dial gauge or a weighted gauge. Weighted-gauge canners do not require testing. However, dial gauges should be tested annually for accuracy. Southwind Extension offices use the Presto Testing Unit from National Presto Industries and can test gauges from National, Presto, Maid of Honor, and Magic Seal pressure canners.
According to the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, consumer gauges that test two or more pounds above or below the master gauge should be replaced. A gauge that reads incorrectly can result in food being under-processed and unsafe to eat. Until a replacement gauge is obtained, adjustments can be made to reach the correct pressure. For example, if a recipe calls for 11 pounds of pressure and the gauge reads one pound high, the canner should be operated at 12 pounds of pressure.
In addition to accurate gauges, those who use canners should carefully evaluate the condition of any pressure canner they plan to use. While older canners are often available at garage sales and auctions, replacement parts for some discontinued models may be difficult—or impossible—to find.
When purchasing or inspecting a used pressure canner, consider the following:
Is the gauge attached and in good condition?
Is the petcock safety valve complete and functioning?
Are the threads on the opening undamaged?
Does the canner require a gasket, and is it in good shape?
Is the canner perfectly round, with no bulges or distortion?
Is the bottom flat and level? Canners with recessed or rounded bottoms should not be used.
On wing-screw models, are all screws and matching lid slots in good condition?
Many replacement parts, such as gaskets, handles, and knobs, can still be purchased through manufacturers and hardware stores. Although replacement parts may not look exactly like the originals, they often serve the same purpose and can safely extend the life of the canner.
Safe equipment is only one part of successful home food preservation. Using a current, research-tested recipe is equally important. While many families treasure canning recipes passed down through generations, some older recipes may not meet today’s food safety recommendations. Changes in research have led to updated guidelines for acidity levels, processing methods, and processing times.
For the safest results, always use research-based recipes from trusted sources, including:
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
So Easy to Preserve from the University of Georgia Extension
Kansas State University Food Preservation resources
Other university Extension publications and research-based sources
By using a well-maintained pressure canner, having an accurate gauge, and following up-to-date, tested recipes, home canners can confidently preserve food that is safe, nutritious, and enjoyable for their families throughout the year.
For more information about food safety and nutrition programs, contact Sandy Haggard, Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health Agent, Southwind District, at [email protected] or 620-365-2242.
From the County Fair to the Classroom: Wrapping Up Summer and Looking Ahead
As the last ribbons are handed out, the livestock trailers head home, and the fairgrounds grow quiet once again, another memorable county fair season has come to an end. Across the Southwind Extension District, our county fairs brought together youth, families, volunteers, sponsors, and community members to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our 4-H members. While the excitement of fair week may only last a few days, the skills and experiences gained throughout the year leave a lasting impact.
County fair is often viewed as the highlight of the 4-H year, but it represents much more than a week of exhibits and competitions. Behind every project displayed in the exhibit hall and every animal shown in the ring are months of planning, learning, practicing, and dedication. Members spend countless hours caring for livestock, perfecting recipes, creating woodworking projects, taking photographs, sewing garments, growing gardens, and exploring STEM, arts, and countless other project areas. Along the way, they develop responsibility, confidence, problem-solving skills, time management, and perseverance.
The fair also provides opportunities that extend beyond project work. Members practice public speaking while visiting with judges, learn how to accept constructive feedback, and experience both the excitement of success and the lessons that come with disappointment. Whether a project earns a purple ribbon or simply represents a personal accomplishment, every participant has something to be proud of. Success isn’t measured only by awards—it’s measured by the knowledge gained, friendships formed, and personal growth achieved throughout the journey.
None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our communities. We extend our sincere appreciation to the volunteers who dedicate countless hours, the judges who provide thoughtful evaluations, the superintendents who organize exhibits, the parents and families who encourage their youth every step of the way, and the local businesses and sponsors whose generosity helps make our fairs possible. County fairs truly are community events, and they continue to thrive because so many people are willing to invest their time and talents in the next generation.
As summer draws to a close, another season begins. Soon school hallways will once again be filled with students carrying backpacks instead of fair supplies, and calendars will quickly fill with classes, sports, music programs, and other activities. While summer may be ending, the opportunities to learn certainly are not.
One of the greatest strengths of 4-H is that it encourages youth to learn by doing. Members are challenged to set goals, try new things, work through setbacks, and celebrate accomplishments. These experiences build confidence and prepare young people to become leaders in their schools, communities, and future careers. The friendships formed through club meetings, camps, and community service projects often become some of the most meaningful memories youth carry with them.
As families settle into new routines this fall, we encourage you to consider becoming involved in your local 4-H program. New members are always welcome, and volunteers are an important part of making these opportunities possible. Whether you have a few hours to help with a project meeting or would like to become more involved with your local club, there are many ways to make a difference. If you are interested in joining 4-H, go to the Southwind Extension District website under the 4-H Youth Development tab, Jennifer Terrel and Kendal Henson will answer any questions you may have.
As we reflect on another successful fair season, we celebrate not only the accomplishments displayed during fair week but also the dedication, hard work, and growth that took place throughout the entire year. Congratulations to every 4-H member for your achievements, and thank you to everyone who played a role in making this year’s county fairs a success.
We wish all students, teachers, school staff, and families a safe, successful, and rewarding school year. We look forward to another exciting year of learning, leadership, service, and fun through 4-H, and we can’t wait to see what our youth accomplish in the months ahead.
Kendal Henson is a Kansas State University Extension 4-H & Youth Development agent assigned to the Southwind District. He may be reached at [email protected] or 620-625-8620. Kansas State Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
I write in response to the recent letter urging yes on the “Vote for Supreme Court justices” amendment. Let’s unpack what the reasoning seems to be in the letter and in some of the supporting follow up responses.
The writer implies a cabal of attorneys are making nefarious back room deals regarding choosing a justice. The Supreme Court Nominating Committee has a lawyer from each congressional district selected by a vote of peers in their district. Do we really think the politics of Dodge City lawyers mirrors the politics of Johnson County? Yet, each politically different congressional district has equal representation on the committee. Doesn’t sound like a conspiracy to me. (Know also that other states, including Missouri, use commissions with lawyer majorities.)
Read what non-lawyer commissioner Frances Graves, whose career is with K-State Research and Extension Community Vitality, reported 7-28-26 in the Kansas Register: “Regardless of who appointed us or how we came to serve, politics simply wasn’t part of our work together…. Our discussions focused on experience, integrity, judicial temperament, legal ability and leadership….Commissioners spent hundreds of volunteer hours reviewing extensive application materials, legal writing samples, public comments before conducting hours of public interviews.” This certainly describes a nonpartisan and extremely thorough vetting process. No mention of millionaire attorneys influencing the process.
Senator Ty Masterson, conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate, is quoted in the letter. Here is another perspective on his agenda. He has made it clear that electing Supreme Court justices is a way to overturn issues already decided democratically by Kansas voters. He especially targets two issues. He targets the right of women to make their own health care choices, an issue voters supported overwhelmingly in 2022, and voter supported legislation funding public education. The Marion County Record quotes Masterson: “If we elect our Supreme Court they won’t force you to spend money on schools.” Funding our children’s education and teacher salaries is important and without our impartial Supreme Court rulings Ty Masterson would have left schools underfunded.
Finally, your decision to vote for or against the amendment must be based on agreeing with one of these three decision categories. First, no justice has ever lost a retention vote so knowledgeable Kansas voters are retaining justices based on the facts of the decisions they have made, not on campaign promises. Therefore the merit-based commission selection process is justified and working. (That’s a definite No Vote on the amendment.) Second, you believe Kansas voters are not knowledgeable, and are just checking the retention box, but, on the other hand the same voters are knowledgeable and well informed enough to choose a Supreme Court justice based on campaign promises and campaign ads supported by political party money, wealthy donors, and probably outside dark money PAC funds. So, this choice is made on what campaigning justices say, not what they have done. Third, you believe, as Senator Masterson does, that an elected justice will serve your own political agenda and is a back door to undermining the democracy of already decided voter issues. The last two options, of course, completely politicize the court and eliminate judicial impartiality. The court would now be in the business of making law based on campaign promises instead of being a check and balance on the legislative and executive branches.
While our current selection system may need tweaked, it is not broken and our Supreme Court is serving its constitutional purpose.
VOTE NO
Randy Nichols
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].
