The following is the constitutional amendment voters will consider in the November 3 General Election, from the Kansas Secretary of State website.
Vote Yes or No
“Explanatory statement. This amendment would clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state.
“A vote for this proposition would clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state.
“A vote against this proposition would make no change to the constitution of the state of Kansas, and the language concerning voter qualifications would remain the same.”
Shall the following be adopted?
Ҥ 1. Qualifications of electors.Every(a) No person shall be deemed a qualified elector unless such person:
(1) Is a citizen of the United States who;
(2) has attained the age of eighteen years; and who
(3) except as provided in subsection (b) or (c), resides in the voting area in which he or she such person seeks to vote shall be deemed a qualified elector.
(b) Laws of this state relating to voting for presidential electors and candidates for the office of president and vice-president of the United States shall comply with the laws of the United States relating thereto. A citizen of the United States, who is otherwise qualified to vote in Kansas for presidential electors and candidates for the offices of president and vice-president of the United States may vote for such officers either in person or by absentee ballot notwithstanding the fact that such person may have become a nonresident of this state if his or her such person’s removal from this state occurs during a period in accordance with federal law next preceding such election.
(c) A person who is otherwise a qualified elector may vote in the voting area of his or her such person’s former residence either in person or by absentee ballot notwithstanding the fact that such person may have become a nonresident of such voting area during a period prescribed by law next preceding the election at which he or she such person seeks to vote, if his such person’s new residence is in another voting area in the state of Kansas.”
“A ‘yes’ vote on the ballot would change how USD235 School Board Members are elected,” said Vance Eden, superintendent of Uniontown School District.
“A ‘no’ vote would keep School Board Member elections in the same format as we have had. In that format, two members are elected from each of three different sections of the school district. The final seat is an At-Large position.”
On the ballot, it reads:
USD 235 QUESTION
CHANGE IN METHOD OF ELECTION TO ELECT AT-LARGE FOR MEMBER POSITIONS The Uniontown School District;
Unified School District No.235
Bourbon County, Kansas
Shall the following change in the Method of Election be adopted?
“Shall Unified School District No. 235, Bourbon County, Kansas change the method of election from the current three member district method under which the school district is divided into two member districts, in which three board members are elected from each member district is divided into two member districts, in which three members are elected from each member district and one board member is elected at-large, to the election at-large for member positions method of electing school board members under which:
The school district is not divided into any member districts, and all board members are elected at large.
“Shall a change in the method of election as described in the ballot title above, be approved?”
To vote in favor of the method of election change, make a cross or check mark in the square to the left of the word Yes
Yes; to vote against it, make a cross or check mark in the square to the left of the word No.
A sign in front of the Bourbon County Courthouse in Nov. 2021.
On November 3, 2026, an election for city, school and federal and state candidates will be held.
The ballot will also include the following constitutional amendment question about who is eligible to vote in Kansas.
And for Uniontown’s School District citizens, a question on voting for at-large positions on the U.S.D. 235 School Board.
Uniontown High School.
The following was submitted by Bourbon County Clerk Ann Clark, with information that tells who the candidates are, where you can vote, when advance voting starts and ends, when early voting begins and ends, and a special notice that some voting places have changed.
Please read the information and be prepared to let your vote count.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT QUESTION
Explanatory statement. This amendment would clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state. “A vote for this proposition would clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state. “A vote against this proposition would make no change to the constitution of the state of Kansas, and the language concerning voter qualifications would remain the same. “Shall the following be adopted?“§ 1. Qualifications of electors.Every(a) No person shall be deemed a qualified elector unless such person:
(1) Is a citizen of the United States who;
(2) has attained the age of eighteen years; and who
(3) except as provided in subsection (b) or (c), resides in the voting area in which he or she such person seeks to vote shall be deemed a qualified elector.
(b) Laws of this state relating to voting for presidential electors and candidates for the office of president and vice-president of the United States shall comply with the laws of the United States relating thereto. A citizen of the United States, who is otherwise qualified to vote in Kansas for presidential electors and candidates for the offices of president and vice-president of the United States may vote for such officers either in person or by absentee ballot notwithstanding the fact that such person may have become a nonresident of this state if his or her such person’s removal from this state occurs during a period in accordance with federal law next preceding such election.
(c) A person who is otherwise a qualified elector may vote in the voting area of his or her such person’s former residence either in person or by absentee ballot notwithstanding the fact that such person may have become a nonresident of such voting area during a period prescribed by law next preceding the election at which he or she such person seeks to vote, if his such person’s new residence is in another voting area in the state of Kansas.”
The full list of candidates on the ballot is as follows:
UNITED STATES SENATE
Adam Hamilton, Democratic. Box 6, Stillwell, KS 66085
Roger Marshall, Republican,
David C Graham, Libertarian, Overland Park, KS
UNITED STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Don Cover, Democratic, 9305 70th Road, Galesburg, KS 66740
Juan C. Luengo, Democratic,14904 S Summit St, Olathe, KS 66062
Steven Johnson, Republican,10197 S Hopkins Road, Asaria, KS 67416
Eric Lund, Libertarian, Paola, KS
COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE
Dinah Sykes, Democratic
Daniel Hawkins, Republican, 9406 W Harvest Lane, Wichita, KS 67212
Rick Koehn, Libertarian, Cimarron, KS
KANSAS HOUSE OF REPRESENATIVES
Rick James, Republican, LaCygne, KS 66040
Rob Hodgkinson, Libertarian, Fort Scott, KS
MEMBER STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Heather Guernsey, Democratic, 18725 Ford Road, Chanute, KS 66720
Destry Brown, Republican, 2108 Jayhawk Rd, Fort Scott, KS 66701
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
Eric S. Rosen,
Larkin E. Walsh
COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE
Lesley Ann Isherwood
Amy Fellows Cline
Kim R. Schroeder
Lori Ann Bolten Fleming
Jacy Hurst
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
Amy L Harth
COUNTYCOMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1
Clint L. Walker (Democratic) 1999 105th St. Mapleton, KS 66754
Mike Hueston (Republican) 351 N Bourbon, Mapleton, KS 66754
COUNTYCOMMISSIONERDISTRICT 3
Joe Allen (Republican) 1025 260th Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
COUNTYCOMMISSSIONER DISTRICT4
Gregg Motley, Republican 1904 Jayhawk Road, Fort Scott 66701, 66701
DRYWOOD TOWNSHIP CLERK
Laura Krom Republican, 2361 Fern Road, Fort Scott, KS 66701
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP CLERK
No Candidate Filing
MARION TOWNSHIP CLERK
Brent M. Smit, Republican 763 95th Street, Redfield, Ks 66769
Michael Ramsey, Republican, 1270 Highway 3, Uniontown, Ks 66779
MARMATON TOWNSHIP CLERK]
No Candidate Filing
MILLCREEK TOWNSHIP CLERK
No Candidate Filing
OSAGE TOWNSHIP CLERK
No Candidate Filing
PAWNEE TOWNSHIP CLERK
No Candidate Filing
SCOTT TOWNSHIP CLERK
Donald Banwart, Republican, 982 Highway 69, Fort Scott, KS 66701
TIMBERHILL TOWNSHIP CLERK
Jennifer Epting Williams, Republican, 530 N Washington, Mapleton, KS 66754
WALNUT TOWNSHIP CLERK
No Candidate Filing
USD 235 QUESTION
CHANGE IN METHOD OF ELECTION TO ELECT AT-LARGE FOR MEMBER POSITIONS The Uniontown School District;
Unified School District No.235
Bourbon County, Kansas
Shall the following change in the Method of Election be adopted?
“Shall Unified School District No. 235, Bourbon County, Kansas change the method of election from the current three member district method under which the school district is divided into two member districts, in which three board members are elected from each member district is divided into two member districts, in which three members are elected from each member district and one board member is elected at-large, to the election at large for member positions method of electing school bord members under which:
The school district is not divided into any member districts, and all board members are elected at large.
“Shall a change in the method of election as described in the ballot title above, be approved?”
To vote in favor of the method of election change, make a cross or check mark in the square to the left of the word
Yes; to vote against it, make a cross or check mark in the square to the left of the word no.
VOTING PRECINCTS IN BOURBON COUNTY– PLEASE NOTE THAT THE POLLING PLACES HAVE CHANGED!!
It is hereby noted that the polls are open between the hours of 7:00 am to 7:00 pm at the following location:
1st,4th, 5th.and 6th Wards and Scott D1, D2 and D4 Townships at Community Christian Church, 1919 S Horton, Fort Scott
Freedom, Fulton, and Osage Townships at Fulton Community Building, 408 W. Osage, Fulton
2nd, 3rd, and 7th wards, Drywood Township, and Scott D3, and D5 Townships at Grace Baptist Church, 502 S. Margrave, Fort Scott
Franklin, Mapleton, Millcreek and Timberhill Townships and Mapleton City at Mapleton Community Building, 565 Eldora, Mapleton
East Marion, Marmaton, Pawnee, West Marion, and Walnut Townships and Bronson, Redfield, and Uniontown Cities at Uniontown City Hall, 206 Sherman, Uniontown
Voter Registration And Voting
You may register to vote at the office of the County Clerk during their regular business hours, or online
Deadline to Change Party: K.S.A. 25-3304(b) The deadline for party affiliation changes was October 14, 2026 at the end of the business day. Party affiliation changes will be accepted and processed after December 1, 2026. If you still desire to update or change your party affiliation, you may do so December 1, 2026, by filling out a new voter registration.
Closing of Registration Books: Pursuant to K.S.A. 25-2310 & K.A.R. 7-23-4 Notice is hereby given that on the 14th day of October 2026, registration books for the City/School General Election closed at the end of the business day. The books will remain closed until the day following the General Election.
Advance Voting by Mail; K.S.A. 25-1123 Any registered voter was eligible to vote by Advance Ballot, beginning Thursday, October 15, 2026. The last day to request an advance ballot by mail is Wednesday, October 28,2026
Apply for Advance Ballot: K.S.A. 25-1122 € (4). Applications for advance Ballots are available at the Bourbon County Clerk, Election Office or by calling 620-223-3800 Ext:100. A printable application for an Advance Ballot is available on the county website www.bourboncountyis.org or Kansas Secretary of State website www.kssos.org.
Returning Advance Ballots: K.S.A. 25-1132
In Person: ballots must be returned by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day to any polling location within the County or to the County Election Office, Courthouse, 210 S National Ave. Fort Scott, KS 66701.
By Mail: Ballot must be postmarked on or before Tuesday November 3, 2026 (Election Day) and received in the County Election office by Friday, November 6th, 2026.
Early Voting: Voters can vote in advance in the Commission Room at Bourbon County Courthouse beginning Monday, October 19th, 2026, through Monday, November 2, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (Noon)
Important Note: Per K.S.A. 25-2908 All Voters must provide Valid Photo Identification (Drivers License, Military ID, Kansas College ID, Kansas ID or other qualifying ID card) to Vote. For a list of accepted identification and additional information go to www.gotvoterid.com or call 1-800. 262.vote (8683).
Public Demonstration: K.S.A. 25-4411(b) & 25-4610(b) A Public Demonstration of the Clear Ballot Election Software will be held Friday October 30th, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the Bourbon County Courthouse.
CANVASS: KSA 25-3101, 3104, 3107 Monday November 9th, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Commission Room of the Bourbon County Courthouse.
Bourbon County Commission will hold a Special Meeting at 12:00 Noon, in the south Lobby of the Courthouse, to address Contract offer on 108 W. 2nd Street.
Heidricks Hardware, 1508 S. National, was acquired by Waters Hardware on October 15, after 51 years in Fort Scott.
Denny Heidrick will be slowing down and traveling following the acquisition, but his sister, Nancy Heidrick, will stay on for 60-90 days until a new manager is found, helping the transition to Waters Hardware.
The new business has hired all the current staff, four employees.
“They will be adding many improvements,” Nancy Heidrick said. “More merchandise…and the whole inside….will get a facelift.”
“We could not have lasted without the wonderful support of the Fort Scott Community,” she said.
Waters is actively looking for a new manager, Randy Gerken, a part of the Waters Hardware leadership team, said.
Pictured from left to right: The Waters Hardware leadership team, including brothers Bo Gerken, Wes Gerken and Rusty Gerken, alongside their brother-in-law Mike Valent. Photo from the Waters website.
Waters Hardware
Waters Hardware was founded in 1894 in Manchester, KS, and is a family-owned regional home improvement, hardware, and equipment rental chain operating across Kansas and Missouri.
It is an affiliate of Do It Best.
Gerken Rent-All purchased Waters Hardware in 2019.
The new Fort Scott hardware store will focus on paint, appliances, and equipment supplies, Gerken said.
PraiseFest, an event in Gunn Park on Saturday afternoon, features fun family activities including athletic events, live music, food vendors, inspirational speakers, and featured artist Tasha Layton.
PraiseFest offers activities all day on October 24, with the stage events starting at 3 p.m. and the featured artist, Tasha Layton, at 6pm. Parking will be near shelter house #3 with the events near shelter house #5.
Tasha Layton, Christian music artist, earning three #1 hits, is featured with local artist Megan Thieman, 2026 winner of Recovery Idol in Wichita, opening for Tasha.
Higher Ground, a christian music band, will start the stage events at 3pm.
Jenni Simhiser, CEO of Path of EASE and a 2026 Core Community graduate, will give her testimony.
Pastor David Case, McPherson, will be the guest speaker. He is also founder of Live Free Ministries and the Omega Project.
Cost is $10 for wristbands with 5 years-old and younger, free. This will benefit Bourbon County Core Community, a local non-profit organization.
PraiseFest is partnering with the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism for a Fishing Derby, which will be offered at 1 p.m. All fishing gear will be provided onsite, unless you want to bring your own gear. No license or pre-registration is needed for the Fishing Derby.
There will be a Kiddie Zone with some inflatables and yard games for the young ones.
Food vendors on site will be The Sweet Pitt, Granny V’s , Uncle Tators, Nothing Bundt Cake, Busy Bees Micro Bakery, and the Core Community Lemonade stand.
One can find out more information about the event by visiting Core Community’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/bbcocorecommunity or For more information about the PraiseFest concert and other events, click here.
A disc golf tournament is offered starting at 9 am, cost is $25 one can register here
PraiseFest is partnering with the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism and they will be providing all fishing gear onsite, unless you want to bring your own gear. No license or pre-registration is needed for the Fishing Derby
Runners in the October 2015 Tri-Yak-Athon.
2026 TRI-YAK-A-THON is a RUN – KAYAK – MOUNTAIN BIKE competition that will be in conjunction with PraiseFest and starts at 12 noon.
Register as an individual for $40 or a team of 2 or 3 for $60.
Equipment is not provided, bring your own equipment (kayak, bike, etc.).
Only single person kayaks are allowed, and life jacket will be required in the boat.
Core Community believes something powerful: Poverty can be solved when a community comes together with the right tools, trusted relationships, and long-term support.
We equip families by inviting them to participate in a 22- week- long class, mobilize food donors and childcare volunteers to help eliminate barriers during class, and wrap our participants (Core Leaders) with support and proven tools.
After the class and graduation, we invite our graduates into Phase 2 where they are partnered with a community volunteer that comes once a month to class to walk alongside our Core Leaders in their journey as they continue to work on their goals and gain resources from presenters from the community. We meet every Tuesday night from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, 1728 S Horton.
From left: Robin Bradbury, office manager; Brianna Herlocker, physical therapy assistant; and Hugo Dahlstrom, occupational therapist. Not pictured: Dennis Gillard, physical therapist; C. Jae Meech and Lisa Proctor-both physical therapy assistants.
I Am Rehab, a physical therapy and fitness center, has moved locations.
On September 21, the business moved to 1502 Scott Avenue, a former preschool.
Co-owner Hugo Dahlstrom said the move was prompted by the cost of renting the space they have occupied since January 2019.
They were previously located on the lower level of the former Mercy Hospital building at 401 Woodland Hills.
Dahlstrom said the business is unique in that in addition to outpatient physical therapy, they also offer occupational therapy.
“This is important for folks recovering from more severe debilitating health issues,” he said. “We are the only occupational therapy offering in Bourbon County providing outpatient services.
Doctors must refer patients to them with scripts, he said.
He is the occupational therapist; co-owner Dennis Gillard is the physical therapist.
The hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.
Other employees are Robin Bradbury, office manager; C. Jae Meech, Brianna Herlocker and Lisa Proctor-all physical therapy assistants.
Contact by phone: 620.223.7073.
The I Am Rehab 24-hour access fitness center.
They have 5, 300 square feet of space for both the physical therapy side and the fitness room side of the business.
“We allow access to a 24-hour-per-day fitness center,” he said. “Members can use an app or a barcode to enter.”
At the former space, “We had a lot more space than we needed.”
Fort Scott Fall Boutique Crawl + Fall Fest Set for Saturday, October 17th
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to enjoy the Fort Scott Fall Boutique Crawl + Fall Fest this Saturday, October 17th!
Spend the day shopping at participating boutiques and local businesses throughout Fort Scott, featuring unique finds, fall arrivals, and more. Participating boutiques include Better in Bourbon, Eternal Grace Boutique, Blissful Meadows Boutique, Sunshine Boutique, Midwest Runway, Laree + Co., and Be the Light Boutique.
Additional shopping locations include Common Ground Coffee Co., The Market at 23 Main, Shirt Shack, Hedgehog Books, and Lu’s Ice Cream.
From 1 to 4 p.m., enjoy Fall Fest activities in downtown Fort Scott, featuring Painted Memories, Bougie Bites Treat Co., Parkway Church Kettle Corn & Caramel Apples, Tri-valley Mums & House Plants, Yummy Good Cotton Candy, and Tiger Ice.
Come shop, explore, and enjoy a fun fall Saturday while supporting local businesses!
For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 or visit fortscott.com.
The two-hour parking spaces on Main Street are meant to help customers find convenient parking and support our downtown businesses. We have tried to be flexible, but we continue to hear from business owners about vehicles staying in these spaces for several hours.
Vehicles parked beyond the posted two-hour limit will receive a parking ticket.
If you plan to be downtown longer, please use one of the public parking lots, where parking is not limited to two hours. Thank you for helping keep Main Street parking available for everyone who shops, dines, and visits downtown Fort Scott.
Two of Kathy Dancer’s businesses on South Main have been reconfigured to make way for a storefront she will be renting out.
Cohn’s Cafe has shifted to the north room at 110 S. Main and the Mercantile has shifted to the former cafe space at 112 S. Main.
The space at 114 S. Main will soon be the space for the Old Fort Genealogical Society.
View of Cohn’s Cafe from the stairway to the front door; Dancer is in the right corner.The hours of the cafe and the Green Lantern Speakeasy.
About the Dancer businesses:
The cafe and mercantile are open Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner is Friday and Saturday only from 5-8 p.m.
The Green Lantern Speakeasy Lounge is open Friday and Saturday from 6-9 p.m.
The menu.Dancer shows The Vault, which is a private area dining room for a small group.
The Vault is a private dining space in the cafe that has been added for customers. It formerly was a vault for the Scottish Rite Temple in its heyday.
“There has been a bachelorette party…a DAR event…and we can do small tasting events in there. It can have up to 14 people,” she said.
A view of the mercantile with a cabinet of spirits to the left.
Coming soon is the handcrafted spirits.
In December 2026, the first bottling of Bourbon County Handcrafted Spirits is expected, she said.
She has a distillery on an upper floor of the former Scottish Rite Temple, in which all the businesses she owns are showcased, but the distillery is not open to the public.
“We’ll be in distribution by the end of the year,” she said. “Moonshine, whiskey and bourbon.”
Also on an upper floor is the Green Lantern and it is open to the public on Friday and Saturday night from 6- 9 p.m.
The Green Lantern Speakeasy is a 1920s-themed cocktail lounge located on the second floor at 110 S. Main, above Cohn’s Cafe.
“We offer craft cocktails and a large selection of whiskeys and bourbon and Kansas-made spirits and beers,” she said.
Drew Simpson speaks to attendees of the Downtown Meet and Greet on October 6. Lindsay Madison is in the center of the photo.
The quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet event was hosted by Cohn’s Cafe, 110 S. Main, on October 6.
A special welcome was given to Drew Simpson, Director of Kansas Main Street, a part of the Kansas Department of Commerce.
“Main Street is a self-help, technical assistance program that targets revitalization and preservation of downtown districts through the development of a comprehensive strategy.” -according to the website: http://www.KansasCommerce.gov/Main-Street
“You are a designated Main Street…you will see more traffic,” Simpson told the group of mostly business owners.
“Business owners, residents and property owners are…impacted.”
When a downtown is healthy, the benefits ripple outward, strengthening businesses, property, public revenues, community pride, quality of place, and future opportunity, according to a fact sheet provided by Kansas Main Street.
He outlined the long process to move forward on the Main Street Program, and commended the Chamber of Commerce CEO Lindsay Madison for “running the show; we are to provide the guardrails,” he said. “She is the face of Main Street in Fort Scott.”
There are a few grants available for businesses: ROOMS and HEAL. One can contact Madison at the Chamber office for more details.
The next Kansas Main Street Training is November 17-18 in Independence.
Other comments from attendees:
Kathy Dancer, owner of four downtown businesses cuts up quiche in preparation for the attendees of the Downtown Meet and Greet on October 6.
Kathy Dancer, owner of Cohn’s Cafe, 110 South Main Mercantile, Green Lantern Speakeasy and Bourbon County Handcrafted Spirits, all located at the former Scottish Rite Temple, gave a brief overview of all her businesses and provided a sampling of her quiches she makes daily in the cafe.
She also announced that the Old Fort Genealogical Society of Southeastern Kansas will be renting the southernmost storefront at 114 S. Main soon.
Jill Jaworski, Superintendent of Fort Scott National Historic Site, announced that the site is now open seven days a week, and some parts of the campus is undergoing remodeling. The Friends of FSNHS received a $10,000 grant to help with the 50th Anniversary celebration in 2028. The site is part of the Murder and Mayhem Tour for Halloween, and the annual candlelight tour is Dec. 4-5.
Mary Wyatt, business development with the City of Fort Scott, noted that many new businesses have opened, some businesses have expanded, and a few new businesses are on the horizon for the city. There will be a tax sale soon, she said.
Mid-Continental Restoration is currently working on Memorial Hall.
Rachel Carpenter, City of Fort Scott Human Resources person, introduced the new tourism contact Natalia Varzea. Varzea said she would “love to meet with businesses” in the community.
The October 6 Downtown Meet and Greet event met at Cohn’s Cafe.
She purchased the decade-long vacated 12,000-square-foot building in January 2022 at a Bourbon County Tax Sale.
The former Scottish Rite Temple has been transformed into four new businesses in Fort Scott’s Historic Downtown.
Since then, they have started four businesses after investing a lot of money in the infrastructure, said Kathy Dancer. They are Cohn’s Cafe, 110 South Main Mercantile, Green Lantern Speakeasy and Bourbon County Handcrafted Spirits.
In an interview about those businesses, Kathy said the Dancer’s drainage issue that has caused flooding in the building has been slow to be resolved.
The City of Fort Scott directed the Dancers to do some repair work, and then the city would fill in the ditch at the base of the building in the alley on the west side of the building, she said.
“The trench is still there,” she said. “When it rains, it goes into the basement and the main floor.”
According to Dancer’s records, they hired someone to start digging out along the building’s foundation in the alley at the end of June.
“On July 13th we had an excavator come in so that we could get deeper to do additional repair work on the foundation. The city blocked off the alley on July 14th. We are approaching the three month mark on the alley being in disarray.”
“Their contractor has been in contact with the person who is going to install a curb for the city,” said Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin.
“This concrete contractor is working on another job and will get to that area as soon as they are done. We have tried to work with the Dancers on this for the past few years, but our engineers said there were things they had to do before the city would do any work.”
Kathy Dancer said she shared a video with the city commission showing the water flow from the city parking lot, northwest of their building. And also the water flow from the portion of the alley that is already concreted, in back of the apartment building north of 110 N. Main.
The apartment building, the Dancer property, and the former Moody Building on the 100 South Main block are the only buildings that have basements on that block, she said.
The ditch is the lowest place in the alley.
The apartment’s alley is concreted; their alley portion is not, she said.
“We had a contractor go in and seal it in (at the base of the building in the alley),” she said. “He had to go back in after the rains and did more.
“To be honest, the city is not responsible for the curb we are installing, but I agreed to do it,” Matkin said. “The water is not coming from the alley; it is coming from the building owner’s guttering and roof. Hopefully, that is taken care of as well.”
“We did a lot of gutter work already,” Mrs. Dancer said. “There is another spot that opened up.”
“When we had solar installed, some of the roof gravel moved into the guttering,” she said. “We can’t get in to fix the guttering problem because the alley is not accessible.”
Dancer said alley maintenance is “100 percent, the city’s job.”
She said at the moment, all four of the businesses remain open for business.
Moody Building
While taking photos of the alley, Al Niece, who is trying to purchase the Moody Building on Main Street, stopped by to look at the building.
He said the basement at that building also gets flooded.
Niece was looking at the property before the city meeting this evening, where the Moody Building will be discussed, he said.
Niece was frustrated at the slow process to acquire the building
The Moody Building is located across the street from Fort Scott City Hall on South Main.
“We cannot do anything extensively to the alley until the poles holding up the west side of the Moody Building are removed,” said Matkin.
“Our city attorney is working on the deed with the owner of the building, and we are really close to getting this done,” Matkin said. We have also worked with the IRS to remove the lien that is placed on the building so Mr. Niece will not have to worry about any of this.”
“Mr. Niece has permission to do whatever he wants with the building due to the city getting a letter from the owners for him to do so, Matkin said. “I for one, appreciate Al taking on this project and am working with him to get this building going in the right direction.”
The entrance to Salon Social is located on the south side of the building that also houses Better in Bourbon boutique—submitted photo.
Brooklyn Holder, 22, a 2022 graduate of Fort Scott High School and 2023 graduate of Fort Scott Community College Cosmetology School, is having a grand opening at her salon at 2 Old Fort Boulevard today from 5-7 p.m.
Brooklyn Holder and her client, Brianna Davilla, a PIttsburg State University Student from Leawood on September 29 in the Salon Social shop.
Brooklyn’s services: hair coloring, hair extensions, hair blow-outs and haircuts. Contact her at 620.215.100 for an appointment.
Following cosmetology graduation, she did an apprenticeship in Kansas City. She then worked for two years at a salon in Joplin, MO.
She married Jet Holder on July 4 and they moved back to Fort Scott.
Her grandmother, Nancy Daniels Pruitt, and her dad, Chris Pruitt, own the recently remodeled building under their company, Pruitt Storage and Rental LLC.
Rachel Pruitt, her mom, owns the Better In Bourbon boutique on the west side of the building (formerly H & H Realty), and Brooklyn’s Salon Social shop is on the east side.
There are other office spaces to rent between the two businesses.
The door to enter her salon is on the south side of the building.
About the hair stylist
Brooklyn said the apprenticeship following cosmetology schoo helped her gain confidence and “trust in myself” and highly recommends it.
She will be having hair classes and “shadow days” for other beauty professionals. Her shop is envisioned as a place to socialize and have events to perfect the craft.
The best part of being a cosmetologist for her is:
“I love getting to help others be confident with their own beauty, and I believe client interactions are important.”
Her career started when she, without telling her parents, enrolled at FSCC’s Cosmetology School.
“I enrolled 20 minutes before the deadline,” she said. “The first day I realized, ‘this is for me’. It’s been a great career.”
Salon Social Shop is located at 2 Old Fort Boulevard, in the same building as Better In Bourbon Boutique.
Her husband is a Marine Corps reservist, and in her spare time she likes to hang out with her dog and her family, she said.
