Karen Gordon, 56, is the new technology teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
Gordon retired in May from teaching in Missouri after 27 years.
She is a Nevada, MO native.
“I’ve had numerous jobs in education while at Nevada,” she said. “Most recently I was one of the middle school counselors. I have also been the counselor at Truman Elementary, school psychological examiner for the district, taught fifth-grade, gifted, keyboarding, and seventh-grade science.”
Gordon has a bachelor of arts degree from UMKC and a master of science from PSU, both in elementary education.
“I also have numerous hours in counseling from MSU,” she said.
Her husband, Tom Gordon, and she have one son, McCade Gordon, who is a sophomore at Mizzou.
Outside of school, she likes attending Broadway shows, her son’s concerts, walking, and “hanging out with friends,” she said.
“The best part of teaching, for me, is getting to shape young minds and show them that their only limits are those they place on themselves,” she said.
Her greatest challenge this year will be going back into the classroom after being in counseling for the last six years, she said.
Larry Joe Beck, age 65, a resident of Mt. Vernon, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, August 21, 2019, at his home.
He was born April 11, 1954, in Ft. Scott, Kansas. He graduated from the Ft. Scott High School and Fort Scott Community College.
He went on to receive his BS Degree in Nursing from Pittsburg State University. Larry Joe married Mary E.Evans on September 19, 1975, at Devon, Kansas. He worked as a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Ft. Scott.
He later served with the United States Air Force during Operation Desert Storm where he served as a clinical nurse. Following his military service, he worked as a surgical nurse for Doctor’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri and Cox Hospital in Monet, Missouri.
Larry Joe enjoyed reading, welding and playing golf. He also was a licensed pilot. He was a past member of the Devon United Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Mary, of the home in Mt. Vernon; his daughter, Samantha Beck-Paciorek (Andrew), of Baxter Springs, Kansas and his son, Jordan Beck (Angela) of Willard, Missouri and six grandchildren, Gaige, Danielle, Jaden, Maycie, Jackson and Adalyn. Also surviving is his mother, Yvonne Beck; a sister, Susie Arvidson (Chris) of Ft. Scott and three half-brothers, Charles Jajdelski, of San Diego, California, Ron Jajdelski, of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Bob Jajdelski of Arizona.
He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Beck; a granddaughter, Charlotte and a half-brother, Mike Jajdelski.
Graveside services with military honors will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday, August 26th at the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas.
Family and friends may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery at 10:45 A.M.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society 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.
Shawn and Savannah Pritchett are seeking teams for an inaugural slow pitch ball tournament next Saturday as part of the Old Settler’s Picnic festivities in Uniontown.
The game is scheduled for 9 a.m. on August 31 at the Don Dennis Ball Park at West Bourbon Elementary School.
The cost per team is $100, with a deadline of 6 p.m. tomorrow, August 23.
Workers are needed across the state to fill workforce needs.
The Kansas State Board of Education, working with Kansas legislators, are providing the opportunity for juniors in high school, including Fort Scott, to take assessments to help fill those workforce needs.
The title of the program is ACT Work Ready Community and is paid for by Kansas legislators in collaboration with the state board of education.
Students are offered two assessments for the program and can either take the ACT, or ACT WorkKeys, or both.
The program facilitators are hoping to fill job vacancies in Bourbon County.
“An opportunity was seen to provide a connection for local Bourbon County employers to gain understanding of the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys assessment to help fill and build their workforce,” USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong said. “The opportunity for juniors to take the ACT assessments will continue this school year and for years to come.”
A career readiness certificate can be earned, after taking an assessment, which will help to evaluate future employees for the workforce skills needed.
The program allows employers to use it as a tool to see if the skills set will work for their need.
“ACT Work Ready Community is a program to provide Bourbon County the distinction of a county where the employers recognize the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate earned upon completion of taking the ACT WorkKeys assessment, as a tool to evaluate future employees,” Hessong said.
The basis of the certification: current and future workers earn the certificate and the employers recognize the credential.
“Employers can be the fuel to drive successful state and county Work Ready Communities initiatives simply by recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®. And in doing so, they will have a more qualified workforce ready to fill their jobs,” according to the ACT Work Ready Communities website.
“The foundation of a community’s certification is based on individuals at the county level across the current, transitioning and emerging workforce, earning an ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®…and employers recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®,” Hessong said. “(It) is a portable, industry-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s WorkKeys® skills in workplace documents, applied math, and graphic literacy.”
A collaboration of local entities and employers will have two years to start reaching goals for the program.
“The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Bourbon County Economic Development, USD 234, Fort Scott Community College, and Bourbon County employers will have two years to attain goals set by ACT Work Ready in order to be recognized as an ACT Work Ready Community,” Hessong said.
William Hall is a new math teacher at Fort Scott High School, whose hometown is Manhattan, KS.
Hall earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary math education from Kansas State University and has previously taught math at Hugoton High School.
His family consists of his father, brother, and sister, who still live in Manhattan, another brother in Las Vegas, and another brother in Sydney, Australia.
” I’ve always been interested in working with students,” he said. And his students inspire him, he said.
Hall is looking forward to getting to know the students at Fort Scott High School, he said.
His greatest challenge in teaching math is working with technology.
“I am what you would call ‘technology challenged,” he said.
Workers were working on the Burris Hall lawn Monday, August 19, the first day of classes at Fort Scott Community College.
Fort Scott Community College classes started Aug. 19, but a few of the renovations and additions are not quite finished.
FSCC instructor Sarah Sutton said, “The goal is to have everything completed by the end of September for the (FSCC) Centennial Celebration.” Sutton teaches in Burris Hall.
Burris Hall has an additional building space, while the existing building was remodeled.
The existing building is the left one in this photo, the new addition to the right.
Sample drilling for the project site began last June 2018, and the contract was let out for bid in February 2019, according to info from Darlene Wood, assistant to the president.
Actual construction began in late May 2019, Crossland Construction Foreman Cory Spear, said.
“We are down to the punch list,” Spear said. “We are awaiting the architects, Hight Jackson, with a list of corrective actions, things that need to be fixed.”
Burris Hall is the agriculture department of the campus. Three to four classrooms are housed here, as well as offices for the instructors.
FSCC Instructor Sarah Sutton, right, speaks with a student on the first day of classes at Fort Scott Community College, August 19.
A student walks down the connecting hall of Burris Hall on August 19 towards classrooms in the existing building.
There is also a large room in the addition with a kitchenette off to one side.
The large room in the new Burris Hall addition has instructor’s offices around the perimeter and a kitchenette area off to one side.
“This room can be used for a classroom if needed,” Wood said. “It can also be scheduled for meetings on campus or for community events.”
“The money was all donated by the estates of Chester Boileau and Lonnie Cleavers,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said. “We chose to add on and remodel the agriculture building to honor their legacies, as agriculture was their livelihood.” The amount was $930,000.
Hayden Travis, 24, starts teaching second grade at Winfield Scott Elementary School in Fort Scott this year.
She was raised in Uniontown, and her mom, sixth-grade West Bourbon Elementary School teacher Bonnie Rathbun, was her inspiration.
“My mom has been a teacher for many years, and I have grown up watching her give 110% to her students every year,” Travis said. “I was inspired by her dedication, passion, and drive to help students be successful.”
Travis previously taught 8th-grade earth science for two years in the Shawnee Mission School District in the Kansas City area.
She graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree.
Her family includes husband: Zach Travis, mother: Bonnie Rathbun, father: Randy Rathbun, sister: Taylor Graber, and brother: Chad Parks.
In her spare time she likes spending time with family, playing and watching sports, enjoying outdoor activities, staying active, and crafting, she said.
Watching students grow from the beginning to the end of the school year is the best part of teaching for Travis.
“Ultimately my goal is to help mold students into successful and independent individuals who can achieve any goal they desire,” she said.
What are the greatest challenges in teaching for you?
“One of the greatest challenges in teaching for me is finding a balance between my professional and home life,” she said.
Lane Murphy’s first rodeo was in 2015, at age 3, in Hume, MO, where he tried his hand at “Mutton Bustin'”, which is riding a sheep to see how long you can stay on.
He liked the challenge and later that summer, at age 4, Lane started riding with the Kansas Junior Bull Riders (KJBR).
Lane will be a second-grade student at Winfield Scott Elementary School this school year.
But like young children everywhere, he knows what he wants to do when he grows up.
Lane has hopes of being a future rodeo star.
“I want to do the same thing I’m doing now (riding in rodeos),” Lane said. “Everything except getting hurt. I want to ride as much as I can. It’s not easy.”
Lane Murphy. Submitted photos.
In 2018 Lane ended the season ranked as the No. 1 rider in Mutton Bustin’ for the JPBR; No. 1 in Mutton Bustin’ for the MJRC, and No. 1 in Mutton Bustin’ for the All Youth Rodeo Association (AYRA). Thus, earning his entry into the 2018 YBR World Championships in Abilene, TX where he finished No. 4 in the World for Mutton Bustin’, and then placing No. 7 in the 2018 National JPBR Championship that took place in Amarillo, TX.
The cowboy recently participated in the Youth Bull Riding (YBR) World Championships in Abilene, TX, where he placed 18th in the world for Calf Riding.
Currently, Lane is ranked No. 3 in Calf Riding with the JPBR, and No. 3 in Calf Riding with the Missouri Junior Bull Riding Circuit (MJRC) for the 2019 rodeo season.
Lane has qualified to ride in the upcoming Junior Professional Bull Riding (JPBR) National Championship in Amarillo, TX during the month of October.
Lane Murphy. Submitted photos.
He has also been invited to ride in the International Miniature Bull Riders Association (IMBA) World Finals taking place in Las Vegas, NV in December 2019.
Every weekend the family attempts to find at least one rodeo to ride in, and even for “close” rodeos, they might have to travel hundreds of miles to rodeos in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
The family is currently seeking additional financial assistance through fundraising to help support his travel expenses to the National JPBR Championship in Amarillo, TX and the IMBA World Finals in Las Vegas, NV.
His family is selling t-shirts in youth and adult sizes, and his parents are accepting donations on his behalf.
Lane is the son of local residents Jaymie and Patrick Murphy who is the owner/operator of Murphy Day Work, and the grandson of life-long Fort Scott residents Pat and Janet Murphy and Jay and Julie Leek.
A photo of the t-shirt the Murphy’s are using as a fundraiser to help get Lane to national and world competitions later this year.
To purchase a t-shirt in support of Lane contact, send his mother Jaymie Murphy a text message at 620-215-5012 to order. Please include name, shirt size, and color. Monetary donations can be sent to 1210 180th Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701.
“Lane also invites you to like and follow his fan page on Facebook to keep up with videos of his rides,” his mom, Jaymie said.
Ashlea Taylor, 29, is a new special education teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
Taylor has taught pre-school children at Head Start 0-5 from September 2016-April 2019.
Her hometown is Phoenix, Arizona and she graduated from Pittsburg State University.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family, she said.
Is there someone who inspired you to teach?
“I have two aunts who are educators and I have always loved kids. Several family members have seen me with children and suggested it is where I belong.”
What is the best part of teaching for you?
“Learning each child’s individual way of learning and watching them experience breakthroughs in moments of doubt. “
DeLynn Abati holding the cake she used to announce that she would be returning to school and selling cakes to pay for it. Submitted photos.
This is part of a series that highlights young entrepreneurs, under 30 years of age, in Bourbon County. If you would like to nominate a young entrepreneur, submit to [email protected] the name and email/phone number of the person, along with why you are nominating them and your name.
Delynn Abati, 26, first dabbed in cake creating, that has become her livelihood, when she became engaged.
“When my husband and I got engaged, my parents sat us down and gave us a choice: they would give us a set amount of money to pay for our wedding OR we could pay for the wedding ourselves and they would give us a bigger gift on our wedding day,” Abati said.
Tony and Delynn Abati on their wedding day, cutting the cake she made herself for the wedding. Submitted photos.
“We decided we’d give the second option a try,” she said. “As I planned our wedding, I saved money wherever I could, somehow we managed to do that without sacrificing anything we really wanted.”
“I decided I’d use that year to learn how to make my own wedding cake,” she said. “It wasn’t a perfect cake. There are some birthday cakes that I do now that look better than our wedding cake looked, but it was cool to be able to say I did it myself.”
She was married in 2018.
Once the wedding was over, she never stopped making cakes.
Out of that challenge by her parents, came For Goodness Cakes, offering custom cakes, cupcakes, cake truffles, cake pops, and French Macarons.
Delynn Drake holds a cupcake, one of several items she creates. Submitted photo.
“I started selling cakes originally, as a way to gain funds to go back to school,” Abati said. “The more cakes I did, however, the more I just wanted to do cakes… So I made a business of it.”
Submitted photos.
The business was technically formed on January 1, 2019.
“I did cakes informally for about six months before I started calling it a business,” Abati said. “I wanted to make sure I had a good chance of at least breaking even before I threw everything I had into this business.”
Abati works from home at her bakery business.
“I work out of my home for now,” she said. “I do not have any plans of moving my operation any time soon but that option is also always in the back of my mind.”
She loves creating and working from home.
“I have always loved creating so it’s great to be able to use my hands to create new things every day,” Abati said. “The part that I love about owning my own business is that I get to create my own hours. I am a night owl so most days of the week you’ll find me baking in my kitchen or making cake videos in my living room at 2 a.m. People think I’m crazy but I come alive at about 8 p.m. every evening. It’s great to be able to do something I love, at such a peaceful time of day.”
Abati is the only paid employee of her home business.
“It’s just me right now.,” she said. “My husband, Tony Abati; mom, Amy Drake, and mother-in-law, Sandy Abati, are always willing to help and have jumped in several times to help me deliver, set up, or sometimes even finish decorating things. I’m lucky to have them! I couldn’t do it 100% on my own.”
Recently, Abati started offering new products and services.
“Thursday, August 15th, I released a lot of new changes to FGC,” she said. “The most exciting of which, in my opinion, is the fact that I am now offering French Macarons and I am introducing a cake cutting service. The rest of the changes are listed in a Facebook and Instagram post on my page @ForGoodnessCakesFS.”
Abati’s contact info:
Call or text: 6207041315 (texts preferred for orders)
Jennifer Tourtillott, 39, will teach kindergarten at Winfield Scott Elementary School this year.
This is her sixth year teaching kindergarten, after receiving her bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Pittsburg State University.
“I taught at a school called St. Andrews, in my hometown of Roswell NM,” she said.
Her family includes two brothers, two sisters and her parents, who are retired educators, living in Texas.
She is married to Jason and they have two children.
“Jason is a teacher in Uniontown, for 14 years,” she said. ” Our son is Mason and he is going into 3rd grade. Our daughter is Madison and she’s going into kindergarten.”
In her spare time, she creates custom wood furniture with her husband, called Tourtillott Creations
The best part of teaching for her is:
“Giving the children a fun and loving atmosphere. (Where)They feel safe and enjoy learning,” she said.
The following is part of a series from National Public Radio and Sarah Jane Tribble for Kaiser Health News on the closing of Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, December 2018, taken from Facebook.
Nationwide, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed since 2010. The loss of these hospitals has forced a change in the way emergency care is provided, including a greater reliance on air ambulances.
