All posts by Loretta George

Fort Scott, Schools

New U234 Educators: Laura Howard and Peyton Guiles

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This is part of a series of new educators in the Fort Scott School District.
Laura Howard. Submitted photo.
Laura Howard, 26, is a new Fort Scott Middle School 7th/8th English Language Arts Teacher. She has two years of teaching experience.
She  graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in English Education and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree that will allow her to teach public speaking for college credit.
“I moved around a bit as a kid so I don’t really have a ‘hometown’ but I spent most of my time in Pittsburg and in La Cygne, KS.,” she said.
She is married, with two sons, Eric (6) and Soren (1), and has a miniature Australian Shepherd named Lula. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and doing yoga.
“I became a teacher because I took a class on graphic novels and realized how much they would benefit struggling readers. I realized how important books are and that we become better people by reading and learning about people who are different from us and I wanted to use that to help make the world a better place. Then I spent time in the classroom and I realized how desperately kids are waiting for someone to see them as a person that has thoughts and feelings worth listening to.”
“I got interested in the field because I wanted to help kids enjoy reading, but now I’m in it because I want kids to learn about the world and understand that they don’t have to be a grown-up to have value and worth.”
She was inspired by a former teacher.
“Christy Nickelson taught the advanced English courses and the French courses at my school and I always loved the way she made us feel,” she said.  “She never raised her voice, she made time for fun, and she spent countless hours grading work and teaching us how to fix it. You can’t not like her. She will support you and help you no matter how badly you mess up. I consider myself beyond blessed to have started my career by teaching in the room next door to her. I have modeled a lot of my own teaching and interacting with kids from the way she taught and interacted with me.”
“The absolute best part of teaching is getting to know each of the kids,” she said. “I love to learn about who they are and who they want to be.  I have had so many great moments of kids just wanting to share their time and thoughts with me which leads to really fun experiences in the classroom! The more I know about the kids, the more I can personalize their lessons and really help them get the most out of our time together.”
“The greatest challenge of teaching is the surprises. Knowing what to teach? Sure, college gives you that. Knowing how to grade? Another easy one. It’s the things you can’t plan for that get you. Sometimes it’s having a lesson that requires using Wi-Fi and then, bam! No internet! Sometimes it’s a kid behaving in the exact opposite way that you expect, like being angry or in tears. Sometimes it’s a perfectly planned activity going completely sideways. Surprises like these happen all the time. You can’t prepare for them so you just have to be ready to throw out what you had, roll with the punches, and reflect on it later so you can be more prepared next time.”
Peyton Guiles. Submitted photo.

Peyton Guiles, 22, is the new Special Education Teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary School.

“I will be a first-year teacher, however, I have had various field experiences through Pitt State and I did my student teaching at Eugene Ware,” Guiles said.

Education: BSE 2021 from Pittsburg State University, majored in Elementary Education Unified K-6

Hometown: Girard, KS

Family:

“My parents are Carlita and Keith Guiles, and I have an older brother, Alex.”

Hobbies/community involvement:

“Some of my hobbies include watching the Kansas City Chief and the Royals, spending time with my friends and family, and taking care of my fur babies.”

Why did you become an educator?

“During my K-12 years, I struggled as a student because I was a nontraditional learner and my learning needs were not being met. Having that perspective, I became an educator because I want to make a difference by meeting my students where they are at and support their unique learning needs.”

What is the best part of teaching for you?

“The best part about teaching for me is seeing the students’ growth and watching their confidence build up as they learn new concepts and skills.”

What are the greatest challenges?

“One of the greatest challenges I have faced in teaching so far is balancing students’ diverse learning needs. Every student is different and unique, so I have learned to get creative in my teaching strategies to meet their learning needs.”

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of June 15

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June 15, 2021                                               Tuesday 9:00 am

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners and the County Clerk present, the County Counselor was present by telephone for a portion of the meeting.

 

Also present were the following: (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting), Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune, Susan Bancroft, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Michael Hoyt, Michael and Katrina Braim, Mark McCoy, Anne Dare, and Rob Herrington with BEDCO.

 

Jim made a motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Representatives from KDOT Wayne Goodmenstein, Troy Howard, Kristy Kelly and one other met with the Commissioners to discuss a KDOT road closing at the south intersection of 180th & K7.  Jim Harris said he would like more money from KDOT for bridges, Mr. Goodmenstein said more money would come from Senators and Representatives, but discussed the Federal Fund Exchange program and said that money only has to be used on transportation related issues. Susan Bancroft said the cost share program is competitive and asked what are the main things we need to focus on when applying; Wayne said that kicking in more money helps when scoring the project. They are going to be improving K7 for safety by adding shoulders, rehabilitating the roadway and adding super elevation on the curves. This project is in the design stages now.  KDOT asked permission to close the south intersection of 180th & K7, he said a cul-de-sac could be used for property owners to access property.  Jim Harris said if people can get to their property with access, he was ok to close the intersection (with input from the property owners there).  KDOT will do the County Road Closure paperwork.  KDOT is going to look at the intersection of 39 & K7 for a possible redesign.  Mark McCoy said he was on the Highway 69 committee and thanked KDOT for the work on 69 Highway.

 

Eric Bailey presented permits to the Commissioners; he said the permit for Zimmerman had been completed.  Lynne made a motion to approve a culvert installation permit for Mr. Shetler at 2025 195th, Jim seconded and all approved.  Lynne made a motion to approve a permit from Craw Kan for their yearly permit (Eric said plans, a check and insurance information had been submitted by Craw Kan), Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Eric discussed a windstorm that occurred on June 11th; he said multiple signs, trees and powerlines were down and said there was heavy rain.  He said he was working with Will Wallis to see if there would be a disaster declaration.  Eric said there is a lot of cleanup to be done.  Eric said his crew did a good job dealing with the storm, Lynne complimented Road & Bridge for the work they did.

 

Eric said the asphalt was done in the Hiattville area and said they are headed to 250th today to begin work there.

 

Eric said they now have possession of the F750 they recently purchased.

 

The crusher has a broken belt that they are fixing.

 

Eric said he is waiting to hear from KDHE regarding the soybeans.

 

Eric said the overburden at the quarry is being moved to do a blast; Jim briefly discussed the County having to pay a flat fee for what is removed from the blast.

 

Eric said Jayhawk Wind is doing culvert work and working on turning radiuses. He said they are seeing road failure, but said Jayhawk is fixing this with a cement mix.  A location at Calvary between 30-40th has been reworked and they restabilized it.  They are putting water down for dust control and have contacted the County to use the County dust control on a few roads.

 

The Commissioners received a request to trim trees on Maple Road due to a site issue there; Eric said the trees are on the property owners’ side and said he would visit with the property owners there.

 

Kendell Mason presented the 2021 budget information sheets to the Commissioners; the estimated assessed valuation is 115,441,379 compared to 110,449,986 in June of 2020.

 

Kendell presented the 2020 annual summaries to the Commissioners for approval; the Commissioners asked Susan Bancroft to review these prior to their approval.

 

Jes Pfannenstiel with KWORCC met with the Commissioners; he said the experience modification factor should go down since 2017 will drop off. He said KWORCC is County owned and operated by elected Commissioners and Clerks.  He said 77 Counties in Kansas are members of KWORCC.  They do quarterly visits to their insured to look for any violations and if any notify them so they can be corrected to avoid accidents.  They offer training to their insured.  Bourbon County is a 20-year member with KWORCC. KWORCC will provide a bid for the work comp insurance.

 

The Commissioners had a discussion regarding the Bourbon County Attorney Jackie Spradling; Justin was on the telephone and said the process will handle the situation and said at that time the Republican party will step in and nominate a new County Attorney.  Michael Braim said he thought at the next Republican meeting the Republican party would come up with a vote of no confidence for the County Attorney.  Jim asked Justin if he recommended that the Commissioners did not comment on this matter; Justin said steps are happening and it will resolve itself shortly and said we had no control over the timeline for the Kansas Supreme Court, but said if someone did a recall, he felt the Kansas Supreme Court would resolve this before a petition would.  Mark McCoy, the Chairman of the Republican Party said they would be having a regularly scheduled meeting on June 24th and said if the topic comes up, they will address it.  If the County Attorney were to leave her position prior to the term ending, the Republican Party would make a recommendation on her replacement to the Governor and the Governor would appoint the next County Attorney.  The County Attorney is not required to be resident of the County they are serving in.  Mark McCoy said the County Attorney’s wages are $50,133/year and said it might be difficult to get someone to commit to only this one position.  Mark questioned if there was a possibility of the position not being an elected position in the future.  Michael Braim said people want Jacqie Spradling gone and said he had hoped the County Counselor would explore all options the County has, he said she was a loose cannon with a long history of misconduct.  Michael Braim asked if anyone had spoken to Jacqie; the Commissioners hadn’t.  Michael said she was hiding and said she had an obligation to the County to let us know what is going on.  He asked if lawsuits come as a result of her where would the money come from to pay the lawsuits; Justin said it would come out of the Attorney’s fund and if need be, the General fund and said he hadn’t checked with the insurance company to see if they would cover such a thing.  Katrina Braim said that every case she has handled is open for appeals. Mr. Braim discussed Beatrice-6 and said it cost the County there $28 million and said the County had to increase property taxes to pay this.  Justin said there were two recommendations made by the panel to the Supreme Court: indefinite suspension or disbarment. Michael said a vote of no confidence will protect the County from liability at some point; Justin said a vote of no confidence will not change the liability to the County.  Jim said he had confidence in what the Supreme Court is doing.  Mr. Braim said she lied, hid and deceived the Republican Party when they appointed her. Clifton said he was playing devils advocate and said the public was complaining about misconduct, and said she possibly abused the system and didn’t give people a fair trial; he asked what would make them any better if we didn’t let the system work, he said doesn’t she deserve a fair trial.  Clifton said he wasn’t willing to lower himself before a judge convicts her.  Lynne said they weren’t the judge, jury or executioner on this and said the Supreme Court will make this determination.  Jim told Mr. Braim that he did an excellent job on his research, but said he wasn’t doing anything based on his research.  Mr. Braim said he would do a recall petition and said he thought the Commissioners were letting us down; he said they could encourage a resignation.  Katrina Braim said this wasn’t the first time the County had misconduct by a prosecutor and felt it was important to issue a vote of no confidence.   Mark McCoy discussed the vetting process if a new County Attorney is appointed; he said the Republican Party would accept resumes and applications, ask that a background investigation be done and said he would recommend that the Party schedule the following meeting in two weeks to vote for the person, and said they would present their choice to the Governor for approval.

 

The Commissioners discussed a social media fact checker for the County; Lynne said Shane had heard comments on how much this was going to cost to have, Lynne said people are already in place to do this.  He said there had been a post with inaccuracy about Jacqie Spradling; Justin said fact checking will provide additional information so that everyone can have their own opinions.  Jim said he thought it was important to have the facts out there, but said he wasn’t sure people would believe us.  Lynne said recently the windfarm had spilled gravel on the road, but said a picture or clarification would have helped.  Clifton said he was fine if they wanted to put out answers to some of the things out there and said we needed to do a better job of getting information out there.  Lynne said that Shane had stepped up to do the fact checking. Clifton asked who would fact check the fact checker.  Clifton made a motion to answer some of the stuff out there with a fact checker which would be reviewed by a Commissioner (it would depend on the subject as to which Commissioner would review it), Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to amend the agenda to move the County Counselors scheduled time to an earlier time, Jim seconded and all approved.  Justin asked for a motion to formulate a lease agreement for the City to possibly move into unused County space at the County building.  Lynne said the County is in the process of moving dispatch into the Courthouse.  Clifton made a motion to allow the County Counselor to move forward with a lease agreement (Justin said it would possibly be for a 10-year term) for the City to move into the Courthouse, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 5-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 11:16, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks by phone and Susan Bancroft).  At 11:16, Clifton made a motion to resume the meeting and said they may have another session later in the meeting, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Emergency Manager William Wallis met with the Commissioners; he said they have sent a list of the recent storm damage to the State to see if there is anything the State will do for us.  Will presented a Promulgation and said it was the final document to the State for the Bourbon County Emergency Operations Plan for 5 years; Lynne made a motion to accept the Promulgation of the Emergency Operation Plan, Jim seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the Promulgation.

 

William Wallis, with assistance from the Clerk’s office, said he was submitting to the FEMA for final approval for the County to get $29,612 from COVID expenses.

 

Susan Bancroft met with the Commissioners; she said Kansas Road Trip would be coming through Bourbon County next year, she hoped the City, County, Chamber and BEDCO would partner and each contribute $2,000 towards the Kansas Road Trip $8,000 budget.  The County could donate their portion to BEDCO and BEDCO could be the passthrough for this.  This will be discussed again next week.  Susan said she had done the drawdown for the ARPA funding; but said she didn’t have a defined dollar amount of this yet. She said right now it has limited use and said it is very specific in what it could be used for.  Susan said the ARPA money would be deposited in a separate fund and said she would do the quarterly reporting and said ARPA would be administered by the County.

 

The Commissioners plan to have a Bourbon County budget townhall meeting on June 28th, (tentatively at the Empress Event Center) Susan will set this up.

 

Susan said she had been working with Eric Bailey on the Road & Bridge budgets; she said the Landfill is a concern and said she didn’t think they would be able to meet all of the obligations there and said there wasn’t enough traffic there to cover all of our costs.

 

Public Comment: Michael Hoyt said he had received at least a dozen letters of interest in the law enforcement & fire protection citizens advisory board (he said they could also include judiciary in this), and said anyone with an interest in this could send a letter to him at POB 1009, Fort Scott.  He said he had hoped that next month he would have the framework of what they would like to take a look at.  He briefly discussed the Brady Act.

 

Commissioner Comment:  Jim said he wanted the Commissioners to move forward with internet throughout the County.  Jim said he would like to see a written proposal to get this done and said they needed to direct Shane to submit an estimate to move forward.  The Commissioners asked that the internet access proposal be scheduled on the agenda on June 29th.

 

Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda for a 15-minute executive session, Jim seconded and all approved.  Clifton made a motion to have a 15-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 11:55, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Susan Bancroft and Rob Herrington).  Clifton made a motion to resume the normal session at 11:55, with action, Jim seconded and all approved.  Clifton made a motion to proceed with the donation of the Mercy building and the property to the County, Jim seconded and all approved, motion carried.  Clifton said as a Commission they had voted to take the donation of the property and with a great deal of help from Rob Herrington he had been in talk with 5 entities for that building.  Clifton said items couldn’t be disclosed but he expected some good things to talk about in the future.  He said this includes a monetary donation as well.  Clifton said we would have an emergency room here, and said in a perfect world we would also have a hospital, but said at the very least we would have an ER.  Clifton said the original monetary donation was $1 million, then it was $450,000 8 months ago and now it is $600,000.  Clifton said he would ask that all taxing authorities get involved in what they can make happen.  Rob said this would be a great asset for the County to have and said projects at this time are not for public knowledge, but said he believed there would be a user for the building by the end of the year.  Rob said as soon as the hospital signs over ownership the County would take over the maintenance there.  Rob said those who have leases there now will continue until the end of the lease.  Clifton said the building is collecting rent and said he didn’t think the County should be landlords and said there were a few restrictions regarding selling the building.

 

At 12:11, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

June 22, 2021, Approved Date

 

Bourbon County, Elections, Government

Republicans Meet: New County Attorney Selected Next Week

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Chairman Mark McCoy speaks to the Bourbon County Republicans on June 24, at the Empress Event Center.

The Bourbon County Republicans met June 24 for their regularly scheduled meeting, but a meeting to select the new county attorney, was set up for next week.

Jacquie Spradling, who resigned recently as the county attorney, will be replaced on July 1, said Chairman Mark McCoy.

“We will be selecting a new county attorney on July 1 at 6 p.m. at the Empress (Event Center, 7 N. Main),” McCoy said. “We went over the rules for the upcoming meeting. There were a number of questions asked. I explained how we would operate.”

At the next meeting, there will be a time of public comment, he said. “Each person can have up to three minutes to speak for or against one of the candidates.”

After the public has an opportunity to speak, then the meeting will be a closed meeting for the party executive board and the committee people.

The candidates will have ten minutes to speak and the Bourbon County elected officials will also have time to speak for or against a candidate.

The only people involved in the decision of picking the candidate will be committeemen and women and party chairs, McCoy said.

Three candidates have applied so far, he said.

Jeffrey Williams, Baxter Springs; Steven Ellis, Spring Hill; and Tiana McElroy, Coffeyville are the three so far, with applications still being accepted until June 28, McCoy said.

Richard Hilderbrand, Kansas State Senator for the 13th District, gives a legislative update to the Bourbon County Republicans on June 24. Submitted photo by Vickie Shead.
Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Barb McCord Retires From Tri-Valley

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Barb McCord. Submitted photo.

Barbara McCord, 68, retired on May 14 from Tri-Valley Developmental Services as its’ horticulture therapist after 17 years.

Tri-Valley staff work with an adult population that has intellectual disabilities.

McCord developed the horticulture therapy program for Tri-Valley.

She received her bachelor of science degree in horticultural therapy at K-State in 1975.

After graduating, she worked at Melwood Farm, Maryland, for several years, she said.  They worked with people with intellectual disabilities to improve their social, work, physical, and mental skills by being involved in the daily activities in a greenhouse setting.

She then worked in her family’s business, the Fort Scott Greenhouse for 40 years. When the family sold the business she knew she wanted to return to horticulture therapy.

  Her dream job would become a reality in 2004 when Tri-Valley wanted to develop a horticulture therapy program, she said.

“We didn’t have a pot, a bag of soil, or any plant materials to start the program – really nothing at all that was related to the plant world,” she said. “Funds were raised through grants and the generosity of our community to provide a state-of-the-art experience for our clients.”

Her biggest challenge was to design and fund a greenhouse in 2007, she said.

“With the support of the community and the 24/7 backing of my husband, David, we were able to establish the greenhouse and plant the seed for the current horticultural therapy program,” she said.

A 2,100 sq. ft. greenhouse and a patio area with raised bed gardens were created and made accessible to the clients. and also an in-ground flower and vegetable garden.

Cooking, art, and educational classes were developed through the years.

“This opened up many new opportunities for our clients,” she said.

McCord said people often misunderstand people with disabilities.

“It became my mission to establish a program that would move us towards a more inclusive environment,” she said.

“Horticulture became the perfect bridge between our agency and Fort Scott,” she said. “People opened up their arms when we first started.”

They offered plant materials and supplies, supported the bi-annual Gardener’s Christmas Auction, civic groups purchased plants to use for fundraisers, provided plants for the city hanging baskets and gardens, the Fort Scott High School construction class helped build the greenhouse as well as wholesale to local retailers.

“This gave our clients a chance to become an integral part of the town,” she said. “Our community has been such a vital part in establishing our program; I cannot say thank you enough.”

“I will miss the conversations, smiles, and friendships that I have had with the clients and staff at Tri-Valley,” she said. “Many strong relationships were formed while working with the clients and I will always have a deep respect for their accomplishments and positive attitudes.”

 

Austin Bolinger Replaces McCord

Since last fall, McCord has mentored Austin Bolinger to take her position at Tri-Valley.

“I feel extremely fortunate to be able to hand over such a successful program and to watch Austin make it into a bigger and better program,” she said. 

Community Involvement Will Keep Her Busy

McCord is involved with a local PEO chapter, co-president of the Bourbon County Garden Club, plays in the Iola Symphony, and volunteers with  Special Olympics.

“My garden will now come first, along with music, as well as creative outlets like needlepoint, watercolor, building garden sculptures, etc., these will be a few items that I will enjoy filling my time with.”

Having worked her entire life, retirement is going to be an adjustment, she said, but she and her husband David are planning to travel.

“Spending time with nieces/nephews and their families will also become a priority,” she said. “I would like to continue to add color and beauty to our community through the world of plants.”

“Don’t be surprised if you see me kneeling in a flower bed somewhere around town,” she said.

 

 

Fort Scott, Schools

New Educators at USD 234: Missy Miller and Sydney Griffetts

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This is a series featuring new educators to the Fort Scott School District.

Winfield Scott Elementary School Principal Melissa Miller with her family, front row Courtney and Jake, back Melissa and Keith. Submitted photo.
Melissa (Missy) Miller, 50, is the new principal at Winfield Scott Elementary School in Fort Scott.
This is her 20th year in education.
Education: BS from Emporia State University, MS from Baker University.
Hometown:
Tonganoxie, KS now Fort Scott
Family:
Husband Keith, Courtney & Jake and 2 dogs Bella & Spike
Hobbies/community involvement reading, spending time with family, live going to the beach and swimming
Why did you become an educator?
I love kids, helping them succeed and being a positive influence in their lives
Did someone inspire you?
Tim Brady, 8th American History Teacher
What is the best part of teaching for you?
Building relationships
What are the greatest challenges?
Watching students struggle.
Sydney Griffetts.
Sydney Griffetts, 26, is a new 3rd-grade teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary School. This is her fifth year teaching.
She has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education and a Master’s of Science degree in Elementary Education.
Hometown: Bentonville, Arkansas
Family:
My husband, who is the Eugene Ware Art teacher, and our cats, Mia and Lupin.
Hobbies/community involvement:
Making educational resources, reading, cooking, spending time with my family, taking our boat on the lake, and traveling.
 
Why did you become an educator?
I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. When I was in the second grade, I loved playing “school” at home with my stuffed animals and teaching my neighbors the dances I learned at the dance studio I attended. I also moved around a lot growing up because of my military family and the kindness I experienced from all of my teachers made the transitions so much easier. I wanted to be that for kids who were like myself when I grew up.
 
Did someone inspire you?
Yes! My biggest inspiration to become a teacher was my 5th/6th-grade teacher, Mr. Wayman. His passion for education and for student relationships was what drove me to set teaching as my goal. I have also gained inspiration from both of my parents and my stepmom, all of which have spent their lives working for the community. Their dedication is admirable and I have strived to be like them in my career.
 
What is the best part of teaching for you?
There are so many but I’d have to say making meaningful connections with students. It’s so important to me to have fun and teach my students to love school so building those relationships and making our class a family is the best part of being a teacher.
 
What is the greatest challenge?
Letting go of the family you built over 180+ days and watching them move on to bigger and better things. It’s so rewarding but so difficult to understand as a teacher too. Each student I teach has a piece of my heart and truly becomes my family so watching them move on is hard at times. But I cherish my time with them and love seeing them accomplish big dreams and goals throughout the years.

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Government

FS Fireworks Rules Clarified

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Fireworks light the evening sky.
The City of Fort Scott recently wanted to clarify the ordinance on fireworks, with Independence Day celebrations just around the corner.
“The change came when we looked at the ordinance the city had which just stated a basic fire code,” said FS Deputy Fire Chief Mike Miles, who is also the fire marshall. “It did not give any directions or guidance. So we wanted to give the city and law enforcement as well as the citizens a better understanding.”
“The biggest change is now residents can shoot fireworks from the time (firework) retailers are able to sell,” he said. “It used to just be the 4th of July. Now they can shoot from June  27 to July 4th.  Time frames are 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. And up to midnight on the 4th.”
There was a change to prohibit fireworks in city parks.
 “There are also other locations we chose to enforce no shooting during the firework display the city puts on,” Miles said.  “All city parks are also prohibited from shooting at.”
“The ordinance just gives the basic concepts of firework discharging,” he said.  “This also gives a better understanding with the circumstances spelled out. Law enforcement with this ordinance has a better way to enforce the policies.  The previous ordinance just stated a fire code, which was pretty vague.”
View the document here:
Business, Fort Scott

Varia Quality Resale Clothing Store Opens

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No photo description available.Varia Quality Resale Clothing Shop opened June 8 at 110 E. 23rd, across the street from Walgreens.

Co-owners Robin Kendrick and daughter Darci West opened the shop because “my daughter and I like clothes and there are not many clothing stores in Fort Scott,” she said. “And we like to get quality clothes at affordable prices.”

“We sell women’s and children’s clothing from size newborn to women’s plus size,” Kendrick said.

Kendrick said they source the clothes from online sales and also buy clothing outright from local customers.

They take no consignments.

Kendrick can be reached at 620.238.1703.

One can see the latest the shop has to offer on its’ Facebook page.

Hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce is hosting a grand opening for the store on Thursday, June 24 at 8 a.m. with remarks starting at 8:15 a.m., followed by the ribbon-cutting.

Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, in addition to a door prize drawing.

Contact the Chamber office at 620.223.3566 for more information on the weekly Chamber coffees, held at various businesses and organizations.

Varia is a French word meaning variety or miscellaneous.

 

 

 

Church news, Fort Scott

New Senior Pastor at Life Point Assembly of God: Gregg Sweet

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Life Point Assembly of God Church. Submitted photos.

Gregg Sweet, 48, is the new senior pastor at Life Point Assembly of God, 124 E. National Avenue.

Sweet went to seminary at Southwest Assembly of God University, in Waxahachie, Texas, graduating in 2020.

He has been the associate pastor at Bethel Life Center, Wichita, under Pastor Ken Squires, since 2018.

“We have a huge love for the community,” Sweet said. “We are excited to be here and to see what God has in store for the community. We love living in Fort Scott, people are so kind.”

“The church’s mission statement is ‘We are ready to meet people where they are,'” he said.

Sweet and his wife Angela, along with their pug dog, have been here since February 21, 2021.

“My wife and I love history and we like to explore, we love the old Fort (Fort Scott National Historic Site) and Lake Fort Scott and Gunn Park.”

In his spare time, Sweet likes to read and fish, he said.

His hometown is Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Sweet was encouraged by a missionary while young.

“A missionary prayed for me at 16 years old and told me God had a call on my life,” Sweet said.

For Sweet, the best part of being a pastor is ” the relationship with people and being able to share the Gospel and love of Jesus, with the community,” he said.

The biggest challenge is “learning how to do things they don’t teach you in college,” he said. “Like taxes, my wife and I are doing them now.”

His coming to the church coincided with the polar vortex extreme weather in the nation’s mid-section.

The church suffered some weather-related damage at that time and because of that, is having a community cookout fundraiser.  “We will be having a cook-out to celebrate the church’s 79th anniversary  in the Fort Scott community,” Sweet said. “And to raise money for the church’s building fund. It will be from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, 2021. We will be asking for a $5 suggested donation.”

Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, a snack cake and a bottle of water will be the cook-out menu.

If any questions, contact Sweet at 316-207-6557 or [email protected]

Sunday morning worship is at 10:30 a.m., and at 7 p.m. on Thursday is a Bible Study.

Celebrate Recovery is on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m.

For more information contact the church at 620.223.4170.

 

 

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Friday Night Free Concert: Mike Lundeen

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Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians May 2019.

The Friday Night Free Concert at the Heritage Park Pavilion, First and Main Street, starts at 7 pm and the featured artist is Mike Lundeen.

Mike has his own style at the keyboard and does a mixture of instrumental including old standards like Scott Joplin, classic country popular and light classics.

” Mike’s eclectic stylings are a special treat,” Ralph Carlson, organizer of the weekly event said. “He has been a regular contributor to the music of the pavilion and is a favorite with our audiences.”

It is recommended that you bring your lawn chairs as seating is limited. In the event of bad weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Grounds Coffee shop, 12 E. Wall.

Business, Fort Scott, Health Care, Mercy Hospital

Pharmacist Craig Campbell Retires

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Craig Campbell at his desk. His office has been housed in a wing at the Community Health Center since the closing of the former Mercy Hospital.

Craig Campbell is retiring from his 39-year career as a pharmacist on June 30.

A chance conversation with a relative changed the course of his life when deciding on a career.

“By chance, I was visiting with my great uncle who was a pharmacist,” he said. ” Willard Higbee, he was the brother of my grandma, Bernice Campbell.”

“I confided in him that I was working on a chemical engineering degree but did not think I could get through the math requirements,” Campbell said. “He said I would love pharmacy, so I visited with Ken Asher and Bob Tuchscherer, local pharmacists at the time, and they agreed that pharmacy was a wonderful profession.”

Technology advancement has changed his job as a pharmacist.

“Technology has advanced so much with the electronic medical record,” Campbell said.  “It brings into view so much more information that lets you know more about the patient, not just in the present moment but what has gone on before.”

“Prescriptions are so much safer now that we do not have to figure out the doctor’s handwriting,” he said.  “Sorry doctor friends. Pharmacists are an integral part of the patient care team now, since when I started in the fall of 1982.”

He has most recently been Mercy Health System’s Director of Pharmacy Performance, St. Louis, since November 2014. But his office is located in a wing of the former Mercy Hospital, although during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has worked mostly from home, he said.

From 1999-2018  Campbell served as Mercy Hospital Fort Scott’s Pharmacy Director, before that from ’92-’99, was a staff pharmacist at Mt. Carmel  Hospital (now Ascension Via Christi) in Pittsburg.

Campbell worked from1983-1992  for four pharmacy’s starting with his first job in Texas.

Campbell completed a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, OK, and an associate of arts degree in pre-pharmacy from Fort Scott Community College.

For Campbell,  the best part of his career was being a part of patient care teams, which come up with the best plan to improve patient health, he said.

“That has been rewarding,” Campbell said. “While at Mercy Fort Scott…my hometown, I was able to care for a lot of friends and family.”

“I once went into the room of an elderly teacher I had in the seventh or eighth grade,” he said. “The patient taught math. The patient said I must have been a student, but could not recall my name. I told who I was. The patient asked what I did for a living and  I said I was a pharmacist. The patient smiled and said, ‘I must have been a pretty good teacher.’ Yes, the patient was a good teacher.”

The COVID-19 Pandemic has been the biggest challenge of his career.

“In the six years I have worked for Mercy at the system level, the main responsibility is to make sure each hospital has the medications they need when they need them,” Campbell said. “COVID was the most difficult time as we were competing with every hospital in the country to have enough meds to treat patients, especially those on ventilators. There were many 20 hour days in April and May 2020.”

What is on the horizon for you?

My wife (Jane) says I am trading one OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) for another,” he said. “I would really like to help the city and county improve the overall quality of life through organizing volunteer groups to help our neighbors with whatever they need.”

Campbell is chairman of the Good Neighbor Action Team, which helps people with work on yards, house painting, etc.

“The community has three big events coming up next year with Big Kansas Road Trip in May, Good Ole Days, and the Fort Scott High School all-class reunion next June. We really have an opportunity to show off our great town and county.”

“We will also travel some and see more of the grandkids’ activities,” he said.

Campbel has four children: Ryan (who is deceased); Brett and wife, Kayla,  Pittsburg; Trevor and wife, Jami, Overland Park; and Jenna  Campbell and her fiance Devin,  Fort Scott. His grandkids are Mackenize Campbell,  Spokane, WA; Brecken and Landry Campbell,  Pittsburg and  Kennadie, Rush, Austyn,  and Larkin Campbell,  Overland Park.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of June 8

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June 8, 2021                                       Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.

 

Also present were the following: (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting), Susan Bancroft, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Mark McCoy, Angel Wilson, Anne Dare, Donnie Coffman, Ryan Coon, Robert Coon and John Coon.

 

Justin Meeks asked the Commissioners to amend the agenda for a 20 minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel to discuss a new hire.  Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda to have a 20 minute executive session, Jim seconded and all approved.  Clifton made a motion to have a 20 minute executive session to discuss KSA 75-4319(b) (1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy (job performance), the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 9:23 am, Jim seconded and all approved.   At 9:23, Clifton made a motion to resume the meeting and said no action, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to approve last week’s minutes, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Eric Bailey presented a culvert application for 2485 Locust Road; Lynne made a motion to approve the culvert permit, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Eric said he had a few individuals approach him requesting dust control, he said they filled out the permit that is posted on the County website (which states there is a fee), but said they said they hadn’t been charged for the dust control previously.  The fee is $1.50/linear foot.  Jim Harris said they would have been charged, but said they didn’t charge for dust control on roads approaching or near quarries.  The Commissioners said people wanting dust control needed to fill out the permit and that Eric should proceed with charging for the dust control.

 

Eric said they needed to build the road salt inventory; the Commissioners were ok with this.

 

Eric said the new miner training had been completed (MSHAW training).

 

Eric said the pilot light had gone out on the oil burner for the asphalt; he said they have called an electrician to fix this and will then do work in Hiattville and then on 250th.

 

Eric said they would be going to Arkansas on Wednesday to pick up the truck they had recently purchased.

 

Windfarm update: Eric said Jayhawk Wind is still working on private access roads.  He said he had received a text message recently regarding rock spilled on Highway 3, he said the truck driver had turned and lost about 3 five-gallon buckets of rock; he said within 10 minutes Jayhawk Wind had swept the rock from the road.  Eric said that Jayhawk Wind didn’t know if they would have excess dirt until towards the end of the project.

 

Lynne said he would report to Eric of an individual that wants gravel and tree trimming done on a dead-end road.

 

Justin Meeks asked that a road closure from KDOT for Highway 7 & 180th street be placed on next Tuesday’s agenda.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve the 2021 firework permits in Fort Scott for the following locations: Jake’s Fireworks @ Wall and Goodlander, Jake’s Fireworks at 2221 S. Main St., Jubilee Fireworks, LLC @ 2420 S. Main and Hale Fireworks, LLC @ 2409 S. Main, Clifton seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the permits.

 

Emergency Manager William Wallis met with the Commissioners to present his 2022 budget requests; for the Emergency Management Performance grant he received $17,814 in 2021 and budgeted to receive $18,000 in 2022.  For Emergency Preparedness he requested $59,739 in 2022, compared to the $57,739 he received in 2021; he said the requested increase is due to training exercises, traveling and supplies.

 

Michael Braim met with the Commissioners regarding Bourbon County Attorney, Jacqie Spradling; he said that Jacqie is liability to our County and said when prosecutors create misconduct and lets criminals walk free it is a liability for our safety and our town.  He said there is no insurance policy to cover when these lawsuits happen, but said it comes out of taxpayer’s dollars.  He said he had consulted lawyers; one of which directed him to the Beatrice 5, in Beatrice, Nebraska.  He said there was prosecutor misconduct which caused 5 people to get off and they sued which cost Beatrice $23 million.  He said that every case that comes through here now while she is prosecuting is suspect.  He said she is an elected official and there isn’t a lot the Commissioners can do.  He asked the Commissioners to have a vote of no confidence.  He said they can ask for a resignation.  He questioned why we are paying her a lot of money to possibly screw this up, he said they could possibly reduce her pay to encourage this to move along. He said there is a lot of public out-cry for this woman to be gone.  He said she was first appointed to this position and then ran unopposed the next time.  He asked why she is hiring special prosecutors.  He said she resigned in Allen County.  He questioned her picking James Braun, (Justin said they couldn’t discuss non-elected personnel.  Mr. Braim said we can’t afford this and hoped the Commissioners did the right thing.  Justin said he was instructed yesterday to follow up on this; he said there are 54 jury trials pending in Bourbon County, he said there should be some comfort that they haven’t happened yet.  Justin suggested that the Commissioners pend any action for a week.  The Commissioners asked that this be scheduled again on the June 15th agenda.  Justin warned the Commissioners to not string meeting (talking to more than one Commissioner in private about the same issue).  Justin said that if Jacqie were to no longer be the County Attorney the Republican party would select her replacement to fill the unexpired term.  Justin said an elected official can run their department as they see fit.  Anne Dare questioned her position being salaried and only being in Bourbon County a few times a month; Justin said the Bourbon County Attorney makes $51,000 yearly and the average salary for an attorney is $65-$70/hour, he said the Bourbon County Attorney is paid well under the average.  Anne Dare said when you look at the court docket the Assistant County Attorney is listed more often than the County Attorney for coming to court.  Justin said there is a high probability that we will have a new County Attorney in the future.  Mr. Walker said that Kansas Statute doesn’t require the County Attorney to be resident of the County they are elected in.  Mr. Braim questioned the cost to have a recall election, but others felt it would be better to just ride this out.  Justin said that Jacqie still has a license to practice law in Kansas.  Robert Coon said the panel has given the opinion of misconduct.  Clifton said the Commissioners hands are tied.  The Commissioners were reluctant to do anything and said by doing anything this could add more liability.

 

Lynne made a motion to sign the sewer bond documents, (tax certificate & Exhibit B -receipt for purchase price), Jim Seconded and all approved.  Jim made a motion to allow Lynne to sign the documents, Clifton seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the documents.

 

County Counselor Comment: Justin said they have stopped filing any new tax sale cases, he said there would be 100 cases for the first tax sale.  Justin said social media can be a problem when it comes to getting the truth of a matter, he said that opinions are great, but suggested maybe having someone as a fact checker on Facebook to say what has happened; the Commissioners asked that this be placed on the agenda next week for discussion.

 

Jim Harris asked Justin if they were making progress with the tower, Justin said they were going to use trucks to get the dishes off the tower to use the tower for internet.

 

Justin said he was meeting with Mr. Farmer this week regarding KDOT road issues south of town, he said they would also be talking about the sewer district.

 

Justin said he is dealing with the Secretary of State’s office regarding petition signatures required on a petition.

 

Justin said he has a cemetery issue he is working on and is dealing with old law, he said there are questions on how the boards are set up and how the budgets are done.  He said Susan Bancroft had volunteered to help with this cemetery issue.

 

Clifton made a motion to allow Jim to help Eric with soybean issues at the Landfill, Lynne seconded and all approved.

 

Justin said since they had an executive session, he will be talking with the chairman to make sure he has everything he needs.

 

Public Comment: Denise Duncan met with the Commissioners.  She presented a farm winery permit for the Kansas Department of Revenue Alcoholic Beverage Control for Vinedo del Alamo at 2304 Poplar Road.  She asked that the Commissioners approve Kendell Mason to sign the permit.  They have had a permit, but have expanded the winery plan to the next barn.  She said they first planted the vines in 2011 and opened in 2015.  She discussed the traffic in the area and said that Poplar Road is the only feeder road that isn’t a paved road, and said she thought it would be a good road to pave.  Lynne made a motion to allow Kendell to sign the permit, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Susan Bancroft met with the Commissioners: she said Clifton had asked for a wage schedule, so she provided this.

 

Lynne said that Eric Bailey was losing some key employees and said they had discussions over having progressive wages, Lynne said Eric was willing to give up a position to do this.  Justin gave the Commissioners salary comparisons from other Counties (from 2017) and gave them data on the declining population.  He said the valuation is going up.

 

Justin complimented KDOT on their road project (Highway 69).

 

There was a brief discussion regarding the County budget timeline and the new RNR enacted.

 

Commissioner Comment: Regarding the budget and mill levy- Clifton said they had talked about having townhall meetings to find out what people want and what they want to fund and said they need to start this process.  Susan volunteered to be a facilitator for these meetings and will get the meetings set up.

 

At 10:44, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

June 15, 2021, Approved Date

Uncategorized

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of June 1

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June 1, 2021                                                                    Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.

 

Also present were the following, (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting), Susan Bancroft, Bill Martin, Ben Cole, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker and Mark McCoy.

 

Clifton made a motion to approve the minutes from the May 25th & May 27th Commission meeting, Jim seconded and all approved and signed the minutes.

 

Road & Bridge supervisor Eric Bailey met with the Commissioners, he reported they did some ditching and opened the tubes at 195th & Hackberry.

 

Eric reminded the Commissioners of the MSHAW training from Wednesday – Friday this week.

 

Eric said they pulled the shoulders near 250th & Arrowhead.

 

Eric said the F750 truck they are purchasing is ready and they will be picking it up next week.

 

Eric said the a/c is out of the Mack truck, but is still under warranty.  The Freightliner is at Inland for repairs for the bushings.  Eric said all the tractors are operating and mowing the sides of the roads.

 

Eric said he and Susan Bancroft had met with Don George and the paperwork had been sent off regarding the CFAP grant for possible dam repairs at Elm Creek Lake.  Lynne said they can use the Federal money for the matching portion of the grant to fix the dam.

 

Jayhawk Wind update:  Eric said they are battling moisture due the recent rains.  They ditched an area at 60th & Birch where water had been standing.  Weather permitting, Jayhawk Wind will be trenching this week on private property.  Jim Harris said it might be possible for Jayhawk Wind to put excess dirt north of the Laroche Ballpark.

 

Rebecca Johnson with SEK Multi County Health Department met with the Commissioners to present the 2022 budget; she requested $90,750 (the same amount as was granted for the 2021 budget).  Along with their normal duties, they have been dealing with COVID-19 issues, such as case investigations, contact tracing, COVID phone calls, quarantine letters, provided COVID public guidance, provided COVID recovery, mask education & distribution, distributed hand sanitizer, assisted with long term care and school reopening, provided COVID vaccines, as well as much more.

 

Bourbon County Clerk & Election Officer, Kendell Mason met with the Commissioners to present her 2022 budget requests; $111,917 was requested for the Clerk’s office and $86,900 for the Election office, both are the same as was granted for the 2021 budget.

 

Lynne made a motion to amend the agenda to hold an executive session for non-elected personnel, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to have a 7-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy regarding three specific employees, their titles and their job functions, the Commissioners will hold the session in the Commission room and will return to open session in the Commission room at 9:24, Clifton seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks and Susan Bancroft).  At 9:26, Lynne made a motion to come out of executive session, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Elected official Comments:  Bill Martin and Ben Cole met with the Commissioners, Bill said last week the US Marshalls, KBI, Homeland Security, the Sheriff’s department, Police department and the Correctional Center did a sweep of registered sexual offenders.  The US Marshall will be paying for the overtime for the Sheriff and Police department, they will offset expenses for supplies and the Sheriffs office was able to buy a computer, scanner, printer and camera and the US Marshall will reimburse the County for these items.  Bill said this was a successful event.  The met with 58 sex offenders to make sure they were in compliance.  Ben said they needed approval from the Commissioners to pay the overtime rate which will be reimbursed, Lynne said that payroll needed the information from the Sheriffs office for the hours.

 

Justin Meeks discussed the tax sale; he said anything received back by the end of this week will be part of the 1st tax sale which might be in August and there will be a second sale in December.  Justin said he had a couple of meetings regarding Windfarm issues and will bring those issues to the Commissioners at a later date.  Justin briefly discussed the KDOT road (near the Laroche Ballpark), Justin said he assumed that if the County takes over this road, then the County would take care of this road (maintenance) in the future.  Justin said he and Susan Bancroft would be working on EMS issues.

 

Susan Bancroft had nothing to report to the Commissioners.

 

Public Comment:  Mark McCoy (regarding the Highway 69 Corridor Plan) said he believed eventually there would be four lanes from KC to I44.  Mark said he had read Facebook comments regarding the BEDCO funds and the grant process for these funds; he said when Rob Herrington met with the Commissioners, he said those funds would be used throughout the County.  The applications for requested funds will be turned into Rob and said the Commissioners discussed doing a 50/50 grant.  He said there was a comment about the Marmaton Massacre event at Gunn Park being moved to a later date, Mark said this was moved to September due to the heat.  Mark said what is on the radio and in the newspaper may not be 100% accurate and said Facebook and Twitter is opinion.  Mark suggested anyone with questions or concerns or wanting clarification on what the funds could be used for regarding the BEDCO grant listen to the Commission meeting when Rob Herrington met with the Commissioners.  Mark said he felt that sharing services with all the cities and BEDCO is the right thing to do.  Mark discussed the new activities/businesses in or coming to this area, such as roller skating, ax throwing and the new barbershop.  Lynne said Uniontown had two new businesses and said the Bronson Meat Locker was talking about expanding.

 

Clint Walker asked if the PILOT money from the Windfarm had been received and asked how much the County is scheduled to receive; Lynne said the County has received $405,000 for this year and will receive $365,000 for the next 9 years.

 

At 9:45, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

 

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

June 8, 2021, Approved Date