Susan Walker, Bourbon County Clerk, who was formally the Bourbon County Chief Financial Officer was featured in a recent story in State Affairs, a Topeka-based publication.
“Walker is… advocating for others who might find themselves in a similarly precarious position, having approached multiple Kansas lawmakers in hopes of securing expanded whistleblower protections,” according to the article.
The above link is an article published by State Affairs/Hawver’s Capitol Report and written by Matt Resnick, a former Fort Scott Tribune reporter. https://stateaffairs.com/author/mresnick/
Teri Hamilton, owner of The Hamilton’s Artisan Bakery, is putting her own business on pause and will be using her baking talents at Common Ground Coffee Co.12 E. Wall as of Monday, February 3.
Common Ground Coffee Shop.
In recent years, Hamilton’s husband has been able to help her with her home business, but because of a new job, he won’t.
“This makes it unsustainable for me physically,” Hamilton said. “The bakery business needs to grow in employees and space…and we are not ready to take that step.”
Starting on February 3 she will be at the coffee shop on Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to noon, baking for them.
“I’ll be making cookies and pastry-type things and possibly adding a few things of my own but will be keeping that baked good case full,” she said. “Taking this part-time job will keep me baking for the community.”
She started her artisan bakery three years ago, and feels the job will allow her to “see people, interact with them and see them enjoy the things I make for them.”
“I’m excited to join the Common Ground team, I look forward to serving people good food.”
Suzanne Griffin will continue her weekly dinners at the coffee shop and offer catering services.
Together they will produce some fun offerings for Super Bowl parties and Valentine’s Day.
Griffin said they will be offering appetizer trays and dip assortments for Super Bowl parties and for Valentine’s Day-chocolate dipped strawberries and Chardudery Trays for men.
“We call it Chardudery Trays because it has bacon, beef and no frilly stuff,” Griffin said.
For more information contact Common Ground Coffee Co. at 620.223.2499.
Left to right: Common Ground Coffee Co. staff working this day: Ashton Pridey Heidi Dixon Orpha Durossette Ava Witt Suzanne Griffin Jenna Graham Submitted photo.
Former Wichita State University star baseball player Shane Dennis will be inducted into the 2025 class of the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame this Saturday in Wichita.
Dennis was born in Fort Scott and was a standout athlete at Uniontown High School.
“We didn’t have a baseball team at the time,” he said. “I played Legion ball at Fort Scott in the summer,” Dennis said.
While pitching for the American Legion team in Fort Scott, the team won 28 games over three years and struck out 418 hitters in 222 innings, according to the website, http://ksbaseballhof.com.
“He was all-state in both football and basketball. He once scored 52 points and had 17 rebounds in a single game and set a 1A state record by scoring 90 points in the 1990 1A tournament, including 33 points in the championship game,” according to info on the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame website.
He graduated from U.H.S. in 1990 and became a midweek starter on the Wichita State University baseball team, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.66 earned run average as a freshman for a Shocker team that went to the College World Series final.
As a college sophomore, he won 13 games, struggled as a junior but bounced back to go 9-2 as a senior with a 1.35 ERA, according to the website.
“He was named Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and by Collegiate Baseball. Dennis’s career marks for ERA, starts, strikeouts and innings pitched are ranked in the WSU top ten,” according to the website.
Dennis was then drafted in the seventh round by the San Diego Padres program and pitched four seasons in the organization, winning minor league pitcher of the year in 1996.
“In 1997, Dennis pitched the first of two seasons for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japan Pacific League. He returned to the Padres organization to play his final season for Triple-A Las Vegas in 1999.
“While at Wichita State, Dennis majored in radio/television journalism and served as color commentator on Shocker women’s basketball broadcasts. In 2001, he returned to Wichita as play-by-play voice for the Double-A Wichita Wranglers before going back to Wichita State as director of baseball operations for 12 years,” according to the website.
Dennis is now part of the WSU baseball broadcast team and hosts a daily sports show, The Shane Dennis Show, on ESPN Wichita 92.3 radio station.
“I’ve been at ESPN Wichita the last three years, doing Wichita State Baseball and Basketball games,” he said.
Dennis’s father, Don, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox and was inducted into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003, according to the website.
Don Dennis died in 2007 and his mother Betty Dennis lives in Uniontown.
Randy Zimmerman, left, and Ron Bolin pose with trophies in a race competition. Submitted photos
Two Fort Scottians will be honored on Feb. 1 by the Ozarks Area Racers in Springfield, MO.
In the fall, the Ozarks Area Racers Foundation announced its 2025 Hall of Fame class, according to a press release.
The 37th annual Ozarks Area Racers Reunion and Hall of Fame Induction will be held Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds E-Plex in Springfield, MO.
Inductees are selected in two categories: Legends (for driving accomplishments) and Pioneers (off-track contributions such as car owners, mechanics, sponsors or media members).
The two honorees from Fort Scott are being inducted for stock-car racing accomplishments.
Ron Bolin
Ron Bolin. Submitted photo.
Ron Bolin died in 2021 and was the second generation in his family to race stock cars. His uncle by marriage, Rick Sharp of Fort Scott, was the first in their family that raced. X was on his vehicle. “It’s considered a number even though it’s a letter,” said Ron’s son, Brian, the third-generation stock car racer.
“I don’t know what got Rick into racing, but from then on, we went to races on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.”
“X JR became his number,” Brian said. “People see it on the side of the car.” The next generation of Bolins then put X in their number, as did the fourth generation.
Ron got his racing start in 1972 and compiled over 400 career victories while winning 20-plus track championships on Ozarks-area and regional speedways, according to a press release.
Randy Zimmerman
Submitted photo. Randy Zimmerman in Amarillo, Texas at the Dirt Track Speedway. It was his biggest win ever, September 1994, winning $20,000 from left is Amanda Portwood, Billy Portwood, Rhonda Dunn, Leland Zimmerman, Maxine Zimmerman, Doug Potter, Ryan Forester, Donnie Marsh, Melba Marsh, Clara Dunn, Mike Dunn. Kneeling in Front – Marnie Zimmerman & Randy Zimmerman
Randy Zimmerman, 62, of Fort Scott, said he always wanted to race.
“I had a (motorized) mini-bike when I was 9 or 10, then a couple of motorcycles, then got a Camaro and started hot-rodding around town. When I was 13 I started watching others (at the race car track) and ended up helping Ronnie Bolin a little (with his race car) before I got mine.”
“My Dad had a lathe around and helped me build parts for the race car,” he said.
“We have been blessed to have support with our race program from family, friends, and sponsors,” said Marnie, his wife. “We could not have done any of this without them.”
Zimmerman works at Ward Kraft in research and development, building equipment.
Randy Zimmerman from the U.S. Racing Association website.
He has won championships in many area tracks, including Monett, Lucas Oil Speedway, Springfield Raceway, West Plains Motor Speedway, North Fork Speedway, and Joplin 66. Randy began racing in 1980 and remains active in the sport with feature wins at 31 different tracks in seven states, according to the press release.
Induction Ceremony
Zimmerman and Bolin will be honored at the induction ceremony on Feb. 1 at the fairgrounds in Springfield, MO.
In addition to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, racing memorabilia and race cars from different eras will be on display inside the E-Plex, according to a press release. Promoters from area speedways also will be invited to introduce their track champions from the 2024 season in a “Salute to Champions” prior to the Hall of Fame program.
Zimmerman and Bolin will have their names engraved on a monument in black marble at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Jaidyn Crumby is a senior at Fort Scott High School and has turned a passion into a business.
“I’m currently taking floriculture classes and fell in love with the art of floral design,” she said. “So I decided to try and start my own little operation.”
“I started taking a floriculture class through the high school’s FFA chapter last year and loved it,” she said. “Sydney Cullison is my teacher and without her, this whole thing would not be possible. She taught me that it’s ok to mess up because you can always fix it.”
“Floral design is an art and it takes patience. Ms. Cullison taught me that it is all trial and error and that you can’t get frustrated if something doesn’t work the first time you try.”
“I have been making arrangements for my friends and family just for birthdays or holidays for a while and my dad saw the passion I had and helped me start my business. I love creating something for someone that will just instantly put a smile on their face.”
“My Dad is Zac Crumby, my mom is Stephanie Weddle, and my stepmom is Amanda Crumby.”
She makes all of the arrangements from her home and orders flowers in bulk online.
“Valentine’s Day will be my first preorder so I will use it as a test run to hopefully better my business in the future.”
After high school, she plans to attend college and major in agriculture business, specifically crop and soil management, and minor in plant and soil science.
“After attaining my bachelor’s degree I plan to attend Cleveland University in Kansas City to get my doctorate degree in Chiropractics.”
Submitted photo. One of Crumby’s creations.
How To Order
“I currently have a pre-order posted on Facebook with a link attached to order a dozen or a half a dozen roses for Valentine’s Day. Roses will be red, possibly pink also depending on the demand.”
Customers have the opportunity to leave a custom message for whoever may be receiving the arrangement.
Customers also have the choice of pick up or delivery (Fort Scott area). Delivery doesn’t have a $5 service charge.
The full dozen arrangements are $50 and the half a dozen arrangements are $25. Each arrangement will come in a vase with a bow. The roses will be arranged with baby’s breath and greenery.
There will be three payment options including, cash, check, and Venmo. Orders will close on February 2nd to ensure plenty of time to get flowers ordered.
Residents in a portion of Bourbon County have been issued a boil water advisory by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The boil order is for people in northwest Bourbon County, from west of 95th Road to the Allen County line and north of Highway 54 to the Linn County line, according to Jack Ripper, the Water Operator for Rural Water District #4.
“The tower pressure got too low at Soldier Street and 60th,” Ripper said.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a boil water advisory for the Bourbon County Rural District #4 public water supply system located in Bourbon County on January 20, according to a press release.
Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:
• Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
• Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
• If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
• Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
• Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.
The advisory took effect on January 20 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure due to an equipment malfunction at the water treatment plant. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.
Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 620-224-8095, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service
Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Patricia Marie Tennison, a beloved mother, grandmother, and wife. Patricia’s strength, passion, and unwavering love for her family will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Patricia is survived by her husband Kevin. Her children Chris (Angie) Grado, Melissa (Jeremy) Briggs, Kelly (Joe) Schaub, Stacy (Bryan) Bishop, Donnie (Carina) Hampton. Her beloved grandchildren Kaitlyn, Madison (Josh), Dylan, Jenna, Dominik, Dawson, Aayla, Elsa, Kynlee, Isaak, Mason, Jaxen, Ryker, Jase, Kyndal, Kaia, Lucas, Knoxlee, Lucas, Logan. Her sweet great grandchildren Kingston, Hendrix, Ramsey, Slater.
And her siblings Jesse (Janet), Loretta (Rick), Paul (Tanna), Carol, Melchor (Connie), Nancy (Ernesto), Stephanie (Raymond) and many loved nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death her Mother, Father, her sister Mary Ann Grado and first husband Larry Hampton.
Patricia loved Disney including all things Mickey and Minnie. She was known for loving to collect things.
She adored her grandchildren and spent as much time as she could loving and caring for them. She and Kevin would do anything they could to provide and ensure the best for their grandbabies. She was a devoted believer in Christ and prayed for her children and grandchildren always.
Patricia’s legacy of love, kindness, and joy will live on in the hearts of her family and friends. She leaves behind a family who adored her and will continue to honor her memory by cherishing the values she held dear.
Rest in peace, Patricia. You will be forever missed and always remembered.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, January 25th at the Cheney Witt Chapel with Robert and Kathy Clark officiating. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Patricia Tennison Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Dr. Ethan Couch, 23, is a new associate doctor with Dr. Kaylee Clifton. He began duties on January 14.
Couch graduated from Nevada High School in 2019, received his associate’s degree from Crowder College, Nevada, and then went to Cleaveland University in Kansas City, earning a bachelor’s degree in human biology. He then enrolled in the school’s Doctor of Chiropractic program in 2020 and graduated in December 2024.
“I did a year of training with the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in K.C. with the clerkship program,” he said. “I got to meet with doctors- neurosurgeons, pharmacists, occupational therapists and orthosurgeons- and ask questions to have a better understanding of multi-disciplinary treatment options.”
“I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, but wanted to provide conservative treatment for musculoskeletal conditions,” he said.
“Conservative treatment is non-invasive therapeutic exercise or adjustments, anything that doesn’t stretch into injections, surgery or medications.”
So far, the best part of the job is “Getting to know the patients and providing quality care that helps with day-to-day life.”
Couch and his wife live in Nevada, MO are expecting their first child, a son, on April 1.
Dr. Kaylee Clifton is returning in February, following maternity leave.
On February 1, Couch’s hours will be from Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday from one Saturday a month from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Clifton Chiropractic office is located at 203 E. Third, Fort Scott and can be reached at 620.644.5000.
The Bourbon County Arts Council announces its Call for Entries for the 33rd Annual Fine Arts Competition and Exhibit, to be held at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, Thursday, March 6th, through Saturday, March 15th.
The mixed media competition is open to artists aged 16 and older. Categories include Ceramics, Drawing and Graphics (Pencil, Pen, Ink), Fiber Art, Glasswork, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting (Oil & Acrylic), Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Watercolor.
A “Theme” category has been added; this year’s theme is “Bridge the Gap”. \
An artist may create a piece in any of the above media categories, as it relates to the theme.
Entry fees are $7.50 per piece for Bourbon County Arts Council members and $10.00 per piece for non-members.
PLEASE NOTE: In the past, artists were permitted to enter a total of five pieces, with 3 pieces allowed in any one category. Due to space limitations and the growth of this exhibit, artists now may submit a total of FOUR pieces, with 3 of those allowed in a single category. Entry deadline and payment are due by February 28th, 2025.
Cash awards totaling greater than $3500.00 will be made, for Best of Show in 2D and 3D, First and Second Place winners in each category, and a Popular Vote winner.
Entry forms may be requested by contacting Deb Anderson at 620-224-8650 or [email protected], or Deb Halsey at 620-224-0684 or [email protected] .
PLEASE NOTE: We are no longer accepting pieces shipped to BCAC for entry into the exhibit.
The schedule for this year’s Exhibit is as follows: Entry forms and payment, as stated above, are due by February 28th. No late entries will be accepted.
Artwork will be received at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on Sunday, March 2nd, between 1 and 4 pm.
Juror critique of the artwork will occur on Wednesday, March 5th; this is closed to artists and the public.
Artists are invited to attend the Chamber Coffee hosted by the BCAC on Thursday, March 6th at 8:00 am at the Ellis Center.
A reception will be held that evening from 6:00-8:00 pm for participating artists and the Jurors; this reception is open to the public as well.
The Exhibit will be open for public viewing on Thursday, March 6th and Friday, March 7th, as well as Monday, March 10th-Friday March 14th from noon until 7:00 pm.
It will also be open Saturdays March 8th and March 15th, from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm.
Artists may pick up their work on Saturday, March 15th between 1:30 and 3:30 pm. The Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center is located at 2108 Horton St., Fort Scott, Kansas.
Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2401 S. Horton.
Sara Sutton from the Fort Scott Community College website.
The Fort Scott Community College administration used the community forums that they initiated last spring to tell interested community members about the upcoming reaffirmation visit this fall for the college’s accreditation, give departmental updates, and have open conversations, said FSCC Interim President Sara Sutton.
“During the open conversation, we gathered that the community would like the college to look into new career technical education programs and athletic programs and they voiced their appreciation for the communication we have been giving over the college as a whole. We plan on continuing these for the spring semester and dates will be released soon,” she said.
Classes Begin On January 21
The campus opened on Monday, January 6, but students won’t return in full force for the spring semester until classes start on Tuesday, January 21. After classes begin, the school will get a full count of the students, Sutton said. There are currently 25 teachers at the community college.
“Due to game schedules, many student-athletes, including men’s and women’s basketball and indoor track students, are back on campus already,” Sutton said.
Trustees and Admin Winter Retreat and Inservice
The FSCC Board of Trustees and the Executive team held a winter board retreat on Monday, January 13, to review the college’s strategic plan, set goals and objectives, and discuss board etiquette and higher education funding training opportunities.
“The board had their retreat yesterday,” Sutton said. “The strategic plan was reviewed, and nothing was changed or modified. We discussed the process for reviewing and revising when that time comes.”
Five objectives listed in the strategic plan are 1) foster relationships with the communities they serve, 2) cultivate quality enhancements for education and learning, 3) promote student success, 4) develop fiscal responsibility, and 5) promote strategies for employee success.
“An in-service was held today, January 14th. Various topics were on the agenda, including leadership updates, accreditation training/conversation, ALICE training, CPR training, AI workshop, staff evaluation workshop, and other pertinent updates. FSCC has a reaffirmation visit for our accreditation in October of this year, and employees have been working diligently on this to prepare for our peer review visit.”
Leaders
The leadership team at FSCC is: Sonia Gugnani – Vice President of Academic Affairs, Missy Scott – Vice President of Finance and Operations, Vanessa Poyner – Dean of Students, Juley McDaniel – Human Resource Director, Liza Erwin – Athletic Director
Members of the trustee board: Bryan Holt (Chair), Doug Ropp (Vice Chair), John Bartelsmeyer, Jim Fewins, Ronda Bailey, and Chad McKinnis.
She and, Leslie Godden, her momanager, are offering drop-in classes, to remove the commitment of a monthly class.
“We know life is crazy, kids do many events and sports so we can’t always make every class time,” Godden said. “This way you can decide which class you can attend and miss out on those other full fees and obligations. Kenna is also a wrestler and is busy with wrestling season. This is also why for now we are choosing Sunday classes.”
Class️es are for girls and boys ages 2 to teen and are $20 each.
“We do NOT believe in an age defining your athlete’s ability,” Godden said. “Every dancer grows, develops, and learns at their own rate. For now, we are going to have three classes: Tinys are 2-6-year-olds, then 7-12 years, and also 13 years and up. You are not required to be in any of these classes just because you are the age of the class. If you are able to move classes due to skill – you will be moved. The key to learning is pushing yourself and getting out of your comfort zone.”
” Anyone and EVERYONE is welcome,” Godden said. If a child has a disability “we probably need to know a little about the disability so we can help figure out a way to be able to help the student without singling them out or causing a distraction to the rest of the students. We would also offer a short private possibly to see how they do and if it’s something they’d be comfortable with. Then we would be better equipped to see how we can make their experience the best possible!”
“We will offer a sibling discount if more than 1 child wants to dance,” Godden said.
“Kenna has danced since age 4 competitively around the U.S.,” said her mother Godden. “I could tell when she was little she would dance around all the time. I would say she is gifted, it always came naturally to her.”
Kenna said she started dancing because of her mom’s friend, Brenna Stewart. “She only had boys and she put me in a dance class. After she passed away, I did it for her. I wouldn’t be where I am with dancing, if not for her.”
Kenna interviewed and was on TV’s Nickelodeon show at age 10, and this was her first dancing job.
At age 12 she was involved in Abby Lee Miller’s dance competition TV show, at 14 she danced at a Kansas City Chief’s half-time game with their cheerleaders, after training for six months.
This past summer she created choreography for the Northeast High School Vikings dance team, creating four dances for them to use throughout the year.
Her plans for the future:
“I am going to try to get into a Division 1 College for a dance team or try out for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders,” Kenna said. “I eventually was to travel and dance with music artists and later to open a dance studio and continue teaching.”
The west porch of Bethsada Christian Church, at 101 S. Judson, has donated items that are free to those in need at any time. Submitted photo.
Becky Cowlishaw purchased the former Christian Church at 101 S. Judson in 2016 and renamed it Bethsada Christian Church.
“About 7 years ago, in 2017, I saw an idea a friend of mine had shared on Facebook that I wanted to replicate. I started taking donations to give away winter coats, gloves, hats, and scarves,” Cowlishaw said.
That idea soon turned into giving away donated clothing of all kinds as well as bric-brac and other household items, Cowlishaw said.
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Becky Cowlishaw. Submitted photo.
She knows there is a clothing need in the community and asks those wishing to donate clothing to do the following:
“1. I would prefer a message or text letting me know an approximate time frame, if at all possible, as to when the donations will be dropped off. This allows me to get the donations taken inside where I can separate and hang items if needed. If bags are left on the porch without my knowledge many times I will find the bags ripped and items scattered.
“2. Do not donate dirty items, junk, trash, etc. That should go without saying but you would be surprised /shocked by what I have come across while going through bags and boxes.
“3. I ask that any items taken are for you or family members to personally use. I have had reports of items being taken with the purpose of selling those items.
“4. The donation box in the alley is not associated with the church. I did ask for the box to be put there so that I could forward non-wanted items to another organization. Just know, if you put your bags of donations in the box in the alley, those donations are not staying local. It’s the donor’s choice, but wanted to clear up any possible confusion.”
Clothing donations to stay local are left on the west porch on Judson Street.
Food Is Available Also
The Blessing Box has nonperishable food for those in need. Submitted photo.
“I also have a food Blessing Box on the west side of the building,” she said. “Should anyone have donations of non-perishable food items feel free to put your items in the box, no prior arrangements are necessary.”
“My intent and prayer is for the truly needy ( single mothers, folk with low income, the unemployed, the homeless ) to possibly come across items that they or their family can use,” she said.
“I understand how much of a blessing it is to have my family’s needs met when I didn’t have the finances to meet those needs. I want others to be blessed too.”
Donors can contact her through Messenger on Facebook pages at
