All posts by Loretta George

Emily Bolinger: New Nurse Practitioner at Uniontown Clinic

June 26, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

Emily Bolinger, the new Nurse Practitioner at Girard Medical Center of Uniontown.

Emily Bolinger, 42, is the new Nurse Practitioner at Girard Medical Center of Uniontown, as of June 1.

“I’m excited to be local and help take care of people in this community,” she said.

She attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Missouri at Kansas City and has been a Registered Nurse since 2007. She earned a master’s degree from UMKC in 2014 and has practiced all around Southeast Kansas. Her hometown is Olathe.

Her resume includes experience in primary care, urgent care, and School-Based Health as a Nurse Practitioner at Pittsburg High School and the Bryant Student Health Center at Pittsburg State University.

At the Uniontown Clinic, her duties will be primary care that includes same-day appointments, urgent care, along with Kansas Department of Transportation physicals and sports physicals.

She and husband Dustin have lived in the Uniontown area for six years, and their son Keaton will be going to Uniontown Junior High.

“He is involved in sports and is a percussionist,” she said.

She helps out with Keaton’s baseball team and gives fast-pitch softball lessons to young girls in the community.

Bolinger played softball while at the universities in Omaha and Kansas City.

An exam room in the Girard Medical Center of Uniontown clinic.

The clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lunch from noon to 1 p.m.

The former Uniontown Clinic provider, Nurse Practitioner Stephanie Hallacy, has transitioned to the Girard Medical Center Clinic at Arma, where she lives. Her last day in Uniontown was June 24.

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Schools

2025 Fort Scott High School All-Classes Reunion Is This Weekend

June 25, 2025 Loretta George 1 Comment

The alumni reunion board, from its Facebook page.

The 2025 Fort Scott All-Classes Reunion committee has planned an extraordinary number of events to help former students reconnect this weekend.

“This reunion has been going on since 1961,” said board member Craig Campbell. “It’s a chance to get together and reconnect with not only your class, but the ones before and after.”

There was a hiatus in 2020 because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the event was changed to 2022.

“We decided to continue every five years on the 5 and O years,” he said.

New this year is a golf scramble, a fun event that will help raise money for FSHS scholarships.

“The Woodland Hills Golf Course is a gem, a great course,” Campbell said. “Please register as soon as possible for a lunch count for the event at www.fshsalumni.org

Registration

Registration for the alumni weekend will be at the FSHS Gym through the east side entrance of the building from 9 am to 4 p.m., according to the group’s Facebook page.

Golf cart transportation will be available for those who need assistance getting from their parking spot to the building.

FSHS t-shirts will be available for purchase, as well as other vendor information, at registration.

Parade

The parade kicks off the weekend at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 27. The parade emcee will be David Brown, a former Fort Scott Middle School Principal. There is still time to register to be in the parade. Please go to the website http://www.fshsalumni.org to do so.

Parade line-up starts at 5 p.m. this Friday near the Fisher Park Concession Stand. Registrants will be given a lineup number. Everyone else is behind the horses in the parade.

The parade will start from 6th & Main, north to Wall Street, then west to National Avenue, and south to 6th & National. Each class is encouraged to participate in the parade; the parade organizer is Craig Campbell, and he can be reached at [email protected] or via phone at 620-224-0167.

Food

Food trucks will be available at 3rd & Main both Friday
night and Saturday. There will be several options available, including local restaurants. There will not be a traditional chicken dinner this year because it has declined in popularity in recent years, so there is
something different for 2025.

Music

The All-Star Reunion Band will be performing at the Liberty Theater from 8 p.m. to midnight, with a cash bar available. This is a reunion tradition!

Additionally, Bourbon County Revival will be live music at 3rd & Main. A cash bar will also be available in this area.

Saturday night’s activities will be focused on 3rd & Main with music by the Teresa Deaton Band and food trucks.

Main Street will be closed to traffic to allow alumni to move between the food trucks and outdoor music.

Entertainment will begin at 8 p.m., and all entertainment is free of charge.

The City of Fort Scott is allowing you to bring in your own beverages (no glass containers, please) during these events; however, a cash bar will be available as well.

Luncheon and Reception

There will be a luncheon for the classes of 1963 and earlier at the FSHS commons area starting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 28. The Tigers Honors Luncheon is hosted by the Reunion.

The Fort Scott KNEA will be hosting the Retired Teachers’ Reception on Saturday, June 28, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the FSHS Commons area. Come back and visit with a favorite teacher.

A commemorative reunion photo will be taken under the new City entrance arch on Wall Street near 69 Highway.

The reunion board will have a roving photographer taking candid shots of the reunion weekend.

2025 Fort Scott High School All-Classes Reunion
Schedule of Events

Friday, June 27
9 am – 4 pm Registration FSHS Gym
6 pm Parade Downtown
8 pm – midnight 80s Classes Party Memorial Hall
8 pm – midnight All Star Reunion Band Liberty Theatre
8 pm – midnight Bourbon County Revival 3rd Street Stage (3rd & Main)
Saturday, June 28
7 am 1st Annual Alumni Golf Tournament Woodland Hills Golf Course
9 – 11 am Registration FSHS Gym
11:30 am Honors Tiger Luncheon FSHS Commons Area
1 – 3 pm Theater/Debate Improv Show FSHS Auditorium
3 – 5 pm Teacher/Employee Reception FSHS/FSMS TBD
8 pm – midnight Teresa Deaton Band 3rd Street Stage (3rd & Main)

The planning board is comprised of:

President (2025): Rhonda Dunn, graduate of 1984
Vice-President /President-Elect: Sydney Cullison, 2015
Past President (in 2022): Lori Potter Farmer, 1983
Recording Secretary: Haley Jones, 2013
Corresponding Secretary: Ronette Center, 1984
Treasurer: Gina Findley Shelton, 1997
Parade Chair: Craig Campbell, 1977
Registration Chair: Debbie West, 1976

Art, Business, Exercise, Fort Scott

New Self Defense Classes Offered in Fort Scott

June 24, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

Brandon Pfannenstiel and Noah Terry. Submitted photo.

For those interested in learning self-defense techniques, a new business has opened for teaching those techniques.

The Fort: Bjj and Self Defense co-founders and owners, Noah Terry and Brandon Pfannenstiel, opened to the public on May 8.

“We offer Jiu Jitsu classes for both kids and adults,” Terry said. “We also offer MMA and striking classes as well. All with an orientation towards self-defense.”

For those unfamiliar with these martial arts, here are explanations.

“Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques and skills from a mixture of other combat sports to be used in competition. The rules allow the usage of both striking and grappling techniques while standing and on the ground. Competitions allow athletes of different disciplines of martial arts to compete under a set of unified rules,” according to https://www.ufc.com/intro-to-mma

“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a predominantly ground-based martial art, using the principles of leverage, angles, pressure, and timing, as well as knowledge of the human anatomy, to achieve a non-violent submission of one’s opponent. Unlike other martial arts that focus on strikes and/or kicks, jiu jitsu focuses on close-contact grappling holds and techniques, and the application of chokes and joint manipulations,” according to https://www.essentialbjj.com/about-us/what-is-jiu-jitsu/

“I started training four years ago out of a desire to better myself through discipline and technique,” Terry said. “Brandon started training his sophomore year of high school at a gym called Mid-America Martial Arts. He walked in untrained and eager to learn at the age of 15. This was about 2003. He gathered an 11-1 amateur and 7-1 pro MMA record, and received his black belt in February 2025.”

Lessons are taught at 123 S. National Avenue at a converted church building.

‘

The current schedule is:

JIU JITSU: Monday through Friday from 6-7 a.m.

Sparring class: Tuesday is 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.

Open mat: Saturday from 7 to 8 a.m.

KIDS CLASS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

MMA: Monday is from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.

STRIKING CLASS: Thursday, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.

Contact: (913) 475-4321 + www.thefortfs.com

Business, Fort Scott

The After Affect Has A New Building In the Works

June 19, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

From left, owner Shelly Bradley and long-time employee Debi Fritter stand in front of the current salon site. A new building for the salon is being constructed about 14 blocks east.

Shelly Bradley, owner of The After Affect Salon, said the business will have an “18 and on-our-own party” to celebrate the relocation of her business to a newly constructed building.

“We hope to be open in August (at the new site),” she said. “August will be the salon’s 18th anniversary, and we want to have a party to celebrate.”

“My husband, Zach, had tried to talk me into buying or building a new salon, to invest in our own property, and have our own parking.”

The current salon is located in the Historic Downtown Fort Scott district at 14 E. Wall, and parking can be competitive at times.

The new shop is being built and is located at 1416 E. Wall.

Shelly Bradley opens the door to her new salon at 1416 E. Wall on June 18. Completion is slated for August 2025. The salon door is on the east (left) and the other services door is on the west (right) of the front of the building.

“My Grandma Martha Cook offered to sell a lot next to her house to me. The time was right. God’s timing is perfect, and everything fell into place.”

The new 40-foot-by-40-foot building will have parking for 13 cars.

This will be needed with the additional services she will be offering in the shop: red light therapy, and tanning services, including stand-up, lay-down, and automated. All will have their private work room and additionally, two bathrooms, a utility room/kitchen/storage room, a room for retail products, and a waiting room. In addition, there will be a designated nail technician room.

“I feel so blessed with our amazing clientele that has made this a possibility and can’t wait to offer more for our community,” she said. “I am blessed that my husband has the talent and patience to help me build my dream. And I’m excited to be next door to my Grandma’s house.”

Those working on the build are Gieger Plumbing, KTK Electric, and Thomas Concrete and Construction, all of Fort Scott. She has been working with the City of Fort Scott on an economic development grant.

Bradley started the business in 2007, and Debi Fritter started offering services with her in 2010.

Riley Findley will be the new nail technician, and Debi’s daughter, Dani, will help in the tanning area.

Bourbon County, Government, Kansas

Bourbon County Is In the Ask For Disaster Declaration

June 18, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

Kelly Administration Requests Major Presidential Disaster Declaration for May 18-19 Severe Weather

TOPEKA – Yesterday, Governor Laura Kelly sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asking for a major presidential disaster declaration due to damages caused by a series of severe thunderstorms accompanied by straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding during the period of May 18-19, 2025. Multiple counties sustained damage to utility infrastructure, roads, and government-owned buildings.

“Small towns like Plevna and Grinnell are the heartbeat of our state, and I am committed to providing and ensuring these communities, and the region, have the resources they need to rebuild and thrive,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Since day one of the recovery process, my administration has coordinated the deployment of technical, logistical, health, and environmental resources, in addition to advocating for recovery needs to relevant federal agencies like FEMA and the SBA.”

Governor Kelly made the request to seek federal assistance through the Public Assistance Program. The program provides funds on a cost-share basis to repair damaged public infrastructure, such as roads and bridges.

In the month since the severe weather, the Kelly administration has been a proactive partner in the response and recovery efforts of the impacted communities. These efforts have thus far resulted in Governor Kelly visiting Grinnell on May 22; Governor Kelly requesting U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans be made available on May 28 which were subsequently made available on May 31; formally issuing a state of disaster emergency proclamation on June 4; initiating a joint Public Assistance Program Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA) conducted by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on June 5; and on June 17, formally requesting a major presidential disaster declaration.

During the night of May 18-19, 2025, severe thunderstorms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding affected the counties of Bourbon, Cheyenne, Edwards, Gove, Kiowa, Logan, Pratt, Reno, Scott, Sheridan, and Stafford.

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) began their response in coordination with local officials on May 18, and continues to be an active partner to the impacted communities. KDEM is facilitating damage assessments, human service needs coordination with volunteer organizations, technical recovery assistance, and coordination with federal partners like SBA and FEMA.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) quickly mobilized the night of the tornadoes to close Interstate 70 (I-70) to clear debris and downed powerlines. After removing debris, KDOT organized traffic control for I-70 lane reductions to facilitate the installation of new power lines until May 21.

The Kansas Highway Patrol provided augmentation to local law enforcement, traffic control, and aerial reconnaissance of the damage path from tornadoes.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on May 20, issued a Disposal Without a Permit (DWOP) to Grinnell for on-site burial of disaster debris; and in Plevna, KDHE issued a fee waiver to the Reno County landfill, waiving the $1 per ton state tipping fee for disaster related debris. On May 21, KDHE suspended fee assessments to obtain certified copies of birth and marriage certificates for impacted Gove County residents until July 18, 2025; and fulfilled a Gove County request for tetanus vaccines to be distributed through Gove County Emergency Management and KDEM. KDHE also provided staff to the multi-agency resource center created on May 22 to connect impacted residents with resources.

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) participated in the multi-agency resource center to assist residents in signing up for assistance programs administered by DCF.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced on May 31, after receiving a request from Governor Kelly on May 28, a disaster declaration for Gove, Graham, Lane, Logan, Ness, Scott, Sheridan, Thomas, and Trego counties, which makes available low interest federal disaster loans to Kansas small businesses, private nonprofits, and residents to offset physical and economic losses from the May 18 storm and tornado. On June 6, SBA announced that Harvey County was eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which provides working capital to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofits impacted by financial losses directly related to the disaster.

Governor Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency proclamation on June 4 for Bourbon, Cheyenne, Edwards, Gove, Kiowa, Logan, Pratt, Reno, Scott, Sheridan, and Stafford counties, activating the disaster response and recovery portions of the Kansas Response Plan. The Kansas Response Plan outlines the process by which disasters are responded to, mitigated, and recovered from; a process which recognizes that disaster recovery efforts are led at the local level.

On June 5, Kansas initiated the joint Public Assistance Program Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA), conducted by FEMA Region VII and KDEM. PDA teams assess damages to public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and utilities, to determine if those counties meet federal damage thresholds to qualify for federal disaster assistance. The PDA is the next step in determining if damage reaches the threshold needed for a state to formally request a Presidential disaster declaration.

On June 17, Governor Kelly sent a letter to FEMA asking for a major presidential disaster declaration.

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Stay Connected with Kansas Office of the Governor:

Business, Sports, Youth

Hercules Hobby Opens in Fort Scott

June 16, 2025 Loretta George 2 Comments

20 Scott Avenue houses the Hercules Hobby store. Submitted photo.

Hercules Hobby, a store that sells sports cards, autographed memorabilia, helmets, Pokemon, and Magic The Gathering cards, opened in Fort Scott on June 13.

The store is located at 20 Scott Avenue.

“I had 25 kids in here on our soft opening,” said Phil Jackson, owner of the store. “Some kids play tournaments with Pokémon and MTG cards. There may be tournaments possible at a later date.”

“I have been a collector my entire life; my grandpa, who passed away, was a collector,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about a brick and mortar store for a while—something fun for kids to do on the weekend.”

“My grandfather will be in the soul of this store,” he said.

Hours of operation currently are 4-8 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Other days and times to be determined at a later date.

“It’s something we don’t have around here,” Jackson said. “I bought and sold items at shops in Kansas City. There is none like this in our area.”

Levi Qualls, left, is the manager, and Phil Jackson is the owner of Hercules Hobby. Submitted photo.

He hired the manager, Levi Qualls, following a conversation at Faith Church, where they both attend.

“Levi shares the same love of this hobby that I do,” Jackson said.

For more information, contact Jackson at 515-512-3883.

This new business is under Jacksons Enterprise LLC.

Business, Food, Fort Scott

La Hacienda Restaurant Owners Celebrate 15 Years In Fort Scott

June 13, 2025 Loretta George 5 Comments

Lupe and Mirna Santana in front of La Hacienda, 24 N. Main.

Sixteen years ago, Mirna and Lupe Santana moved to Kansas from Georgia. Lupe had family in Parsons who owned a Mexican restaurant, and they decided to venture into that business, so Lupe began looking in other towns in the area.

In Fort Scott, they discovered that a Mexican restaurant had recently relocated from the downtown area, and they believed this would be an ideal location.

In 2010, they moved into 20 S. Main, Mirna said. By 2015, they were looking for a different location because of the condition of the building.

“We moved into 24 N. Main in 2015,” she said. “And we are celebrating 15 years in Fort Scott.”

“We enjoy when we see people happy and thankful they had a great meal,” she said. “That makes us feel proud.”

Mirna has her father living in their home, and Lupe has his mom and dad in town, and that requires a lot of time, she said. They enjoy having their parents so near, but it is a challenge, because “We think about the business 24/7,” she said.

But despite this challenge, “We hope to keep La Hacienda open for another 15 years. We just want to work.” And they are thankful to own their own business.

Her mom and dad were in the food business as well.

“My daddy used to be a baker and my mama used to put a table out on the street and sell food, and I helped her,” she said.

One of their son helps care for her father, and another son, nephew, uncle, and daughter-in-law work with them in the restaurant.

Last month, the restaurant reopened on Sundays after a year-long break.

“We invite you to come and try, we cook with lots of love,” Mirna said.

The history of Mirna and Lupe is told on a page in their menu.

The “mom and pop” restaurant is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The restaurant also does catering.

To contact: (620) 223-4400 or

https://lahaciendaoffortscott.menufy.com/order

The La Prima on their menu is the favorite dish of Fort Scottians.

La Prima is the number one requested dish in Fort Scott, she said.

“It’s whatever meat you want, over a bed of rice with cheese sauce, served with tortillas,” she said.

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Youth

New Shade For the Splash Pad

June 12, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

Parents and grandparents watching their loved ones at the Fort Scott Splash Pad now have the benefit of sitting in the shade.

The Fort Scott Splash Pad and Sensory Park was a grassroots project that opened in 2023, according to its Facebook page. This year a new handicapped-accessible restroom and two shading devices were installed on the north side of the park.

Business, Fort Scott

Charley McKay: New Sharpener Services in Fort Scott

June 9, 2025 Loretta George 1 Comment

Need a blade upgraded? Charley McKay can do it.

About two years ago, McKay moved to Fort Scott from Hutchinson and found he needed something to do with his time.

His son-in-law, Kale Nelson, had some chainsaw blades that needed sharpening, so McKay worked on them.

Nelson then told some of his friends about the service, and this turned into a new business, called Sharpen It.

He can sharpen “about anything with a blade”, McKay said. “Knives, chainsaws, lawnmowers, Dado… about anything, I have a sharpener for it.”

Before he retired in 2001, he was a refrigeration and air conditioning serviceman in Hutchinson. “Then I worked as a bus driver for Nickerson School District for 14 years before I moved here.”

Most people bring the items that need to be sharpened to his workshop at 738 Osbun, on Fort Scott’s northwest side of town.

“If I have to pick it up, I charge about $1, depending on how far I have to go,” he said.

His sharpening prices: $4-12 for knives, $6-12 for chainsaws, and $5 a piece for lawnmower blades.

“I always make sure that I charge a little cheaper than what’s normal,” he said.

“It might be a day or two out before I get to it,” he said.

However, he said he provides the added service of cleaning the blades before sharpening.

This week is McKay’s vacation, but you can text him at 620.960.6059 and leave a message with your phone number for him to call back.

McKay’s sharpening business, Sharpen It, is at his residence. Submitted photo.

Fort Scott, Schools, Youth

National Merit Finalist: Katy Shead, Fort Scott

June 3, 2025 Loretta George 3 Comments

Katy Shead. Photo by Deana Spyres of www.inspyredimages.com

Katy Shead, Fort Scott, has been selected as a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Katy homeschooled through Veritas Scholars Academy (VSA), which is an online school based in Lancaster, PA. On May 30th, she graduated as valedictorian in her class of 115 other students from all over the world.

Katy Shead speaking as class valedictorian at her school on May 30. Submitted photo.

Her most difficult class was chemistry, she said. “But it was also the most interesting.”

Despite it not being easy, she has chosen it as a major.

Katy will major in chemistry at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan (student population 1400-1800 students) beginning this fall. She will minor in Greek and Classical Education, she said.

Her goal with this education plan:

“I want to read the Greek Bible on my own, and I want to teach chemistry, or something, science or math at a classical school, especially online.”

“I want to study the Greeks and Romans and the original texts, not just the stuff that people wrote about them,” she said.

Katy has had a classical education.

Classical education has three different stages of learning, she said.

“First is grammar and lots of memorization, foundational knowledge. Second is logic, around middle school age, which is how you make a coherent argument with clear and logical thinking, recognizing fallacies. To connect ‘Oh, this happened in this year and it did affect this.’ The third stage is taking the connections in the logic stage, and using information you already have, and communicating it.”

Katy used this education, this past year, to come up with her own research statement and defended it in a paper and a presentation.

A person in Scotland with expertise in the field and a PhD read her paper and asked questions. A professor guided the process and graded it.

Her research statement was Imago Dei Impact on the Church’s Perception of Autism.

“It was about the inherent value that God gave humans when He created them in His image. The paper argues that if the church recognizes autistic people’s intrinsic value, then they’ll be empowered to love them as they should,” she said. “The point of the paper is that sometimes the autistic members are viewed as charity cases.”

Other awards she has received during her high school years: Dean’s List at VSA from 2021 to 2024, a national award at the 2023 Classical Learning Test, Summa Cum Laude on the 2023 National Latin Exam, inducted into the 202Highest Honors Class at VSA, and Cum Honore Maximo Egregio in 2021, a National Latin Exam she took, earning a perfect score.

During high school, Katy has been a student mentor, an independent tutor of maths and sciences, a literature club co-chair, and a volunteer at K-7 Kanakuk Camp, Missouri. She also worked with special needs people at Heartland Therapeutic Riding, Kansas, and Camp Barnabas, Missouri. She also volunteered at her grandparents’ annual Shead Farm Festival near Garland.

She is the daughter of Haley and Mark Shead.

About National Merit Scholars

16,000 semifinalists competed in the 70th annual National Merit
Scholarship Program, according to an NMS press release. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award,
Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a scholarship application, providing information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received, according to the press release. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Art, Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

New Project For The Artificers: The Queen’s Muse

June 2, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

The Queen’s Muse is being built adjacent to the Artificers, at 10 N. National Avenue. Construction items can be seen in front of the building project. The green space will be used for an outdoor event space in the future.

Trent and Kate Freeman finally have great weather to make progress on their newest project, called The Queen’s Muse.

A muse is a source of inspiration, according to the dictionary.

“The Artificers is in a ‘Queen Anne’ (style architecture) and we are building her muse. Hence, ‘The Queen’s Muse,'” Kate Freeman said.

“It’s to house our out-of-town artists,” she said. “Our artist’s respite, while here teaching a workshop and doing art shows. It will help our artists have a space close to stay (near their business) and hopefully attract more artists to Fort Scott with a place to stay as well as show their work.”

The building is an addition to the Artificers art gallery and teaching studio, at 8 N. National Avenue.

Currently, there is no designated completion date, she said.

“It will be two suites on the upper level, Airbnb, each with a bathroom. The lower level will be to cater out of and a bathroom, an event space.”

In front of that building will be an outdoor event space and a sculpture garden.

“We’ll have large, mixed-media pieces on concrete pads. The space will also be available for events such as a bridal shower or wine-tasting event.”

“We started to plan this after we acquired the land. It’s something awesome for the community and our business,” she said.

The Queen’s Muse will be an addition to the Artificers Gallery. Pictured are materials and the start of the build, May 29, 2025.

“We are proud to be supporting local and regional businesses every step of the way. Keeping our investment close to home is a priority, and we’re grateful to work with such talented peeps in our community,” she said. “Such as Redbud Nursery, Fort Scott-the plants and trees; Henry Witt Fabrications, Fort Scott- the sculpture garden gate; Red Logic, Mound City, the website; Ron Hurd Construction, Fort Scott, concrete work; Cedar Valley Metal, Garnett, materials; Gibson Construction, Paola is the builder/contractor.”

“And the Bourbon County Garden Club has helped design the garden area. They got together and plotted it all, for us.”

The Freemans received a $25,000 Kansas Tourism Attraction Development Grant in December 2024 that is helping to fund this newest project.

Kate and Trent Freeman, from the Artificer Facebook page.

About the Artificers

T.E. Freeman Studio, Trent and Kate’s art business, moved to Fort Scott during the COVID-19 Pandemic, from the Kansas City area.

“We bought the building in October 2022 and opened the art gallery in January 2023.”

In addition to the Artificers Gallery, in 2024, another business, Bourbon County Clay, was launched, utilizing clay extracted from the county for creations sold in the gallery.

Currently, they have a gallery assistant who helps with all three LLC businesses they own and an apprentice who helps with Kate’s Bourbon County Clay business.

Earlier this year, they were awarded the 2025 Kansas Governor’s Arts Award for Art in Business.

They initiated a First Friday event each month, where their gallery is open until 9 p.m. when they first opened. The First Friday event includes some artists’ openings.

“The City of Fort Scott is trying to get all the businesses on board to have more events on the first Friday of each month,” she said.

Photos from the Artificers Facebook page.

This First Friday, June 6, will feature Trent’s first show since opening in Fort Scott. He will be featuring outside mixed-media art sculptures, called luminaries.

Artist Roxi Hardegree, Texas, will be showing, selling, and teaching about her art medium, botanical arts, on June 6, as well.

The event starts at 6 p.m.

For more information: 913.574.7741. or [email protected]

Art, Business

Coming up in June at The Artificers!

May 29, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

View this email in your browser

Coming up in June

at The Artificers!

Check out the calendar below for all events happening at your favorite

Art Gallery & Teaching Studio!

Join us for an Artist Opening Reception!

June 6th, at 6:00pm!

Who is Roxi Hardegree?

Roxi Hardegree is a full-time artist based in Lubbock, Texas. She grew up on a farm in North Dakota, where a childhood spent outdoors sparked a lifelong sense of exploration and creativity. Her days were filled with fishing in the river, crafting, and tending to flowers in the garden.

Roxi draws deep inspiration from the women in her family—her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—whose flower beds overflowed with peonies, roses, delphiniums, and seas of irises and lilies. Their creativity left a lasting impression that continues to shape her artistic path.

Over the years, Roxi has created both traditional and art quilts, authored books, and taught quilting classes. She also nurtured a lifelong passion for photography, earning numerous sales and awards along the way. Today, she has come full circle, returning to hands-on creation through botanical prints using cyanotype and collage techniques, including eco prints and metalwork. You will be able to view her work on June 6th, 2025!

In her downtime, Roxi enjoys traveling the country in an RV with her husband Blake and their labradoodle, Sofi.

More info!

Roxi Hardegree is offering

a Wet Cyanotype Workshop!

Available June 7th! 11:00am-3:00pm

Moody Blues: Wet Cyanotype Workshop by Roxi Hardegree

Saturday, June 7th 11:00am-3:00pm

Discover the magic of botanical printmaking in this hands-on cyanotype workshop—no experience necessary! In this 4-hour class, we’ll explore the wet cyanotype process using natural materials to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind prints.

You’ll learn the basics and some intermediate techniques of this alternative photographic method, including how to work with various liquids, texture-enhancing additives, and UV light. Each student will receive a materials kit and have access to a wide selection of botanicals, both fresh and pressed, to experiment with.

We will take a lunch break while our art processes, so bring a sack lunch or visit a local restaurant.

By the end of class, you’ll leave with at least one finished 5×7 cyanotype print—and plenty of inspiration and extra papers to keep creating. All supplies provided—just bring your curiosity and love of botanicals!

Provided supplies include a variety of botanicals (pressed and fresh) and texturing materials.

Your Kit includes:

9×12 Backing board, Felt, Plexiglass and Clips, 6 assorted pre-coated papers, 3 Spray bottles of different liquids.

Who is Trent Freeman?

Trent Freeman is a mixed media sculptor and ceramic artist, as well as the gallery owner and ceramic instructor at The Artificers in Fort Scott, Kansas. Originally from DeSoto, KS, Trent earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emporia State University, where he also pursued graduate work in sculpture.

Trent has been working professionally since 1997. For over two decades, he operated a teaching studio in Kansas City, KS before relocating to Fort Scott. His work is deeply influenced by Japanese ceramics, though his primary inspiration comes from the tactile and expressive qualities of materials such as wood, metal, and natural clay.

His notable bodies of work include the Luminaries: Guardians, Sentinels, and Guides series that you will be able to view on June 6th, 2025!

More info!