Kim Schwab, Roger Kemp, and Bill Martin visit with Jacqui Spradling following the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday.
The tragic murder of his daughter spurred Roger Kemp and his wife to action.
Ali Kemp was 19 years old in 2004 when she was raped and murdered in Leawood, a Kansas City suburb.
“That’s why we do this program,” Kemp said. “We don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
The Kemps helped facilitate the creation of a self-defense program for females from middle-school age to “a 90-year-old grandmother,” he said.
The Ali Kemp Education Foundation, T.A.K.E., is coming to Fort Scott Middle School on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Jill and Bob Leiker are the chief instructors for the class.
“Bob was formerly in law enforcement,” Kemp said. “Bob has been into prisons and interviewed several predators to find out what they look for.”
Since its inception, the T.A.K.E. program has seen 68,000 people go through the self-defense class nationwide, Kemp said.
Kim Schwab, an administrative assistant at the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center, is currently taking registrations for the class.
She can be reached at the jail by calling 620-223-1440 or stopping by the center, located at 293 E. 20th in Fort Scott, for an application. Alternatively, one can access the application on the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center Facebook page.
“Sheriff Bill Martin directed me to the T.A.K.E. class,” Schwab said. “It is one-hour of education and the second-hour to learn the moves you need to get away (from an attacker).”
A donation of $12 is requested, but not required.
Sponsors for the class are being sought by the Sheriff’s office.
Chamber members take advantage of the tour of the second-floor office of the Bourbon County Attorney following the Chamber of Commerce coffee.
A large number of people crowded into the hallway of the Bourbon County Courthouse Thursday morning to attend the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee.
Many of the county’s departments were represented at the coffee.
Community announcements were given, with each announcer paying $1 to the Fort Scott Trolley Car transportation fund.
This week’s coffee was hosted by the Bourbon County Commission, with First District Commissioner Lynne Oharah telling of the events coming up in the county.
First District Bourbon County Commissioner Lynne Oharah.Nick Ruhl, District 3 Bourbon County Commissioner.Jeff Fischer, District 2 Bourbon County Commissioner.
Oharah invited the attendees to tour the facility on the first floor that houses the Bourbon County Clerk, Treasurer, County Commission Room, Economic Director and Counselor.
Also open for viewing was the second-floor Bourbon County Attorney Office space, which has been in use since October.
Bourbon County Attorney Jacqui Spradling.
Oharah said the commission is “looking to renew a one-cent sales tax for maintaining or new hard-surfaced roads in the county.”
On another subject, he also noted that “the county is totally responsible for the ambulance service as of April 1.”
This following the closing of Mercy Hospitali n October and the transitioning to the county’s responsibility for the ambulance.
Economic Director Jody Hoenor said the transition was a “team approach” between the county, Mercy and the City of Fort Scott.
Hoenor advised people to contact their insurance provider directly to see if the ambulance service will be covered in their policy.
Hoenor also said she is working on a strategic plan for the county which focuses on “increasing our population to spread the tax base over many shoulders.”
Angel Wilson, victim witness coordinator and office administration; Judy Hood, senior legal secretary and juvenile victim witness coordinator; and Staci Haynes, diversion and senior legal secretary at the Bourbon County Attorney’s Office.Jim Harris, Bourbon County Public Works Director.J.T. Heckman, Bourbon County Public Works Supervisor.
Tri-Valley Developmental Services, 4305 Campbell Drive, located in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park.
The long winter is almost over. Gardeners are getting antsy to get their hands in the dirt in their gardens.
“It’s winter time,” Barb McCord, Tri-Valley Developmental Services (TVDS) Horticultural Therapist, said. “I know a lot of gardeners are excited about getting started.”
The 7th Annual Gardeners Christmas Auction, Saturday, March 30, will help assist them to get started.
Barb McCord tells about some of the plants grown in the greenhouse at Tri-Valley Developmental Services.
The silent auction along with the plant and garden decor sale is from 10 a.m. to noon at the TVDS, located in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park at 4305 Campbell Drive.
Barb McCord shows a butterfly house for sale at the silent auction.
“I tell people it’s down the hill from Key Industries,” McCord said.
Coleus grown covers will be for sale.
The sale benefits the horticulture therapy program at TVDS.
“It’s been a successful addition to our client’s lives and provides a quality product to our community,” McCord said.
Ferns will be for sale.
The clients do science experiments, work on fine motor skills, work on following directions and learn to work as a team, among others, she said.
There will be a “compost bin”, with gently used gardening items and other items donated by the community at the sale.
“Hoses, tools, an exercise bike, a leaf shredder, a birdcage and stand, supports for plants and gardening books, McCord said.
The following will be for sale at the Gardener’s Christmas Auction:
Lots of herbs, veggies, flowers, hanging basket items and other plants will be for sale.A handmade table will be for sale: a cedar post inlaid in concrete.A table top planting unit is for sale.A spring decor item for sale.A conceal carry purse will be for sale.Jewelry for sale at the auction.
Alan Shinn has been a math teacher for 50 years at Uniontown High School, getting to his math room by 6 or 7 a.m. daily to prepare for class and be available for students with math questions.
UHS Math Teacher Alan Shinn looks over a lesson for class.
As of May 17, he is retiring.
His long tenure began with an interest in math as a youth.
As a freshman at Iola High School, Shinn was challenged by his algebra teacher, Mr. Jewell.
“He would answer every question with a question,” Shinn said. “I know that frustrated fellow students. But it made me attempt to do the problem. I decided my freshman year I wanted to be a math teacher.”
Shinn attended Allen County Community College, then Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, getting a degree in mathematics.
He was the first person in his family to attend college.
Shinn started his first year of teaching math at Uniontown High School in 1969, with a $19,000 contract.
He found out about the UHS math vacancy from his uncle Don Nichols, who was the math teacher at the school for seven years.
His first year of teaching was a learning curve.
“The first year, my wife and I would go to Kansas City (to visit Don Nichols) a half-dozen times to get advice and answer questions I had about teaching,” Shinn said.
“I owe a lot to those two gentlemen: my freshman teacher and my uncle,” he said.
There was another motivation.
“My Dad worked at the cement plant,” Shinn said. “I got to work there for two summers. It was hot and dirty and I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”
During his first year of teaching at UHS, Shinn was offered a scholarship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Pittsburg State University to get his masters degree in math.
At that time in history, science and mathematics were being strongly encouraged in the U. S. education system due to the space technology challenge from the Russians.
“They (NFS) paid for the master’s degree,” Shinn said.
“I think they need to do that again,” he said. “There is a shortage of math teachers.”
In his 50 years of teaching at UHS Shinn has coached math students into more than one hundred first-place victories in competitions with from three to 30 schools. Additionally, he has coached students to 46 second-place school awards and 24 third-place overall school achievements.
Some of Shinn’s math students’ awards line the wall in his room at UHS.
“I have had more than 20 students who are now math teachers,” Shinn said. “Two more are going to college right now to become math teachers.”
Additionally, a current UHS senior and sophomore have a desire to become math teachers, he said.
“I have always been known for giving lots of homework,” Shinn said. “I don’t think you can learn math and do one-half dozen problems per night.”
The best part of teaching for Shinn is doing the best he can to get his students to “be able to go to college (math) and get through it.”
Submitted by Rachel Pruitt, Fort Scott’s Economic Development Director. The City and Chamber do the research by calling the employers, according to Pruitt.
Rachel Pruitt, Fort Scott’s Economic Development Director says the city has seen job growth in the last decade.
She provided the above graph to demonstrate that growth.
“The graph represents the job growth Fort Scott has seen since 2010,” she said. “The data is collected by the City and Chamber by contacting each of the employers. The City anticipates the growth to continue given there are over 75 current openings within the community.”
” The City and Chamber do the research by calling the employers,” according to Pruitt.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is working to help fill job openings by sponsoring the 2019 Spring Job Fair on Tuesday, April 2 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton Street.
“Employers of any size seeking employees are encouraged to reserve a booth,” according to a press release from the Chamber. “The job fair will give business owners the opportunity to recruit both students and community members for seasonal, part-time and full-time positions. This event is also an opportunity for employers to network with each other and to promote their company to the public.”
An employer booth at the job fair is $50 for Chamber members or $90 for non-Chamber members.
Lunch, if desired, is $10 per person.
To register, or for more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 or visit fortscott.com.
Job fair informaiton submitted by Monica Walden, Administrative Assistant of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce which is located at 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701.
Mike Reith, 54, is the recently hired Uniontown Junior/High School Principal.
His official start date is August 1, 2019.
Reith has 32 years experience teaching math. He taught four years at Indian Trail Junior High in Olathe; 28 years at McPherson High School – upper-level math such as AP Calculus, College Algebra and was math department chair at MHS for the past 15 years.
“Uniontown will be my first job as a building administrator,” Reith said.
Uniontown High School
Reith graduated from Girard High School in 1983, earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Pittsburg State University in 1987, Master of Science Degree from Wichita State University in 2003 and will complete his Building Administration Licensure Degree from Emporia State University in May 2019.
Reith is a Southeast Kansas native.
“I grew up on a farm 3.5 miles southwest of Hepler, then went to school K-12 in Girard,” he said.
Reith was a student who enjoyed school.
“All throughout my K-12 school experience, I enjoyed school and also enjoyed success academically,” Reith said.” I particularly excelled in math throughout high school, and really enjoyed the challenge as I progressed through the upper-level math courses.”
Reith had a math teacher that was a great influence on him.
“I had an outstanding math teacher, Gary Starr, who influenced me greatly,” he said. “I was also a three-sport athlete in high school and desired to coach at the high school level. Partnering those facts with a substantial scholarship offer from the Pitt State education department led me to the conclusion that I should pursue a math degree with an emphasis in secondary education.”
“During my teaching career, I have truly enjoyed working with students in the classroom and working with athletes in coaching. I have coached multiple sports throughout my career, but primarily basketball and track, and have been a part of some very special moments and teams.”
“While I still enjoy teaching and coaching, I began to notice an increasingly apparent need for strong leadership at the administrative level,” Reith said. “It was something that I considered earlier in my career, but the timing just wasn’t right for a variety of reasons.”
“But, three years ago, I made the decision that it was the right time and the right situation in my life to pursue a building administration degree. I will complete the program in May and receive my building administration license.”
“I am thrilled for this opportunity at Uniontown and am very appreciative to Superintendent Bret Howard and the USD 235 BOE for their support for and confidence in me. My wife and I are excited to be back in Southeast Kansas, as this gets us closer to several of our family members.”
When asked what the best part of education was for him, he replied:
“While there are many things that come to mind, the primary one is the opportunity to have a positive, life-changing impact on students, families, and communities. I believe every young person should have the hope of a successful future, and they deserve the opportunity to experience the necessary preparation for that to become a reality. Quality education is the lifeblood of a civilized society, and it is a high calling but a tremendous privilege to be a part of it.”
“I would add that I have experienced a great working relationship with my colleagues in the math department and on the girls’ basketball staff at McPherson High School,” Reith said. “It is extremely rewarding when you get the opportunity to work with like-minded educators who love what they do and are in the profession for the right reasons.”
Some of the challenges that Reith sees for future educators:
“Public-school funding in Kansas always seems to be at the forefront of challenging issues that face education.
“At the basic levels of daily instruction, educators are dealing with a growing number of issues students are dealing with,” resulting from a less-than-ideal home situation. I believe we need to take opportunities to work with families in this regard, to let them know we want to partner with them to help their student be as successful as possible. It is definitely a challenge to instruct students academically when they have significant issues that cause distractions.
“The Redesign Initiative implemented by the KSDE is now something that all schools and districts in Kansas must begin to address. I believe it is imperative for schools within districts to work as a cohesive unit so that the focus and goals are consistent and effective as a student moves through the grades and schools in the district.
“Social media presents challenges such as cyber-bullying, academic dishonesty, distractions, etc. Educators must be as proactive as possible to deal with this for the good of our students.
“We must not lose sight of the reason education exists. We can get bogged down and pulled in many directions; sometimes when we try to do too much, we’re not good at anything. Addressing the issues and concerns that will truly help students be more successful academically, while at the same time helping them develop good character traits, are what we should be focused on.”
Briggs Auto of Fort Scott salesmen introduced at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee, March 21 by General Manager Scott Teenor, from left: Matt Harvey, Teenor , Rich Aydelotte, Paul Studyvin, Matt Bowersock.
Briggs Auto of Fort Scott General Manager Scott Teenor thanked the community for their business at the Chamber of Commerce Weekly Coffee on March 21.
“Keep buying cars,” Teenor said with a smile.
Teenor said the business is grown by “word of mouth and healthy criticism.”
They have hired two new technicians and three new salespeople recently, he said.
The business is located at 1819 S. Main, on Hwy. 69.
Fort Scott’s Finance Director Rhonda Dunn told the coffee attendees that Briggs Auto is the second largest generator of sales tax in the community, and sales tax revenue has increased 15 percent.
“Thanks for investing in our community,” Dunn told Teenor.
Briggs sells Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Toyota and Ford vehicles all in one location according to its website.
Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and on Sunday one can shop online, according to the website.
Tiny houses are the rage on TV shows, and a local investment corporation has jumped on the band wagon.
Six tiny houses, ranging from 375 to 600 square feet, have been built on the former KOA Campground at 215th and Native Roads, just north of Hwy. 54.
“We have four (tiny house) floor plans, all have room for four people,” said Pat Wood, who is the contact person for Yellow Brick Road Investment, owners of the property.
“One-half (the tiny houses) will be long term (rentals), one-half will be Airbnb (vacation rentals),” he said.
“They are super efficient,” Wood said. “The electric bills have been about $40 per month since December. We will provide trash, lawn and housing maintenance. All are one-bedroom with lofts.”
“I think younger people will be interested in it,” he said. “It’s not an apartment, but a little more private.”
Wood has used local demolition contractor Johnny Walker for items that have been used on the tiny houses.
“We have reclaimed items…sliding doors, interior trim, kitchen backsplashes, shower surrounds, the majority of vanities and mirrors,” he said.
The name of the property is Crosslands Camping and Cabins.
“This property was neglected for many years before I got involved,” Wood said. “Little by little, we have been cleaning it up.”
“But we needed to generate some income,” he said.
“In 2016 I did a tiny house on wheels, Kevin (Stark) saw that,” Wood said. “It was his idea to build tiny houses out here. It’s a 50/50 partnership. Kevin owned the property for quite a while, I bought in two years ago.”
Wood is a member of the corporation called Yellow Brick Road Investment, with Kevin Stark as the president.
Wood can be reached at 620-224-7163.
Work began on the project in March 2018, and should be completed soon, Wood said.
There are also 54 sites for camping on the property, in a different area.
“Next, we plan to do some more work at the campground and get the clubhouse fixed up,” Wood said.
A pictorial view of a few of the tiny houses are below:
The tiny houses are located at the intersection of 215th and Native Road, north of Fort Scott.Five of the six tiny houses are shown on March 14. They are projected to be finished in the near future, Wood said.Pictured is the largest floor plan, 600 square feet, on the left, and the smallest, 375 square feet, on the right.Mike Chipman, a sub-contractor, puts finishing touches on the largest of the tiny houses on March 14. Shown is the kitchen area, with the bedroom and bath to the left.The kitchen/living room of the largest tiny house.The bathroom of the largest tiny house.The majority of shower surrounds, vanities, interior trim, kitchen back-splashes were reclaimed for use in the tiny houses.The bedroom of the largest tiny house.A kitchen booth with chandelier and a reclaimed barn-type door are featured in the smallest tiny house pictured.The door to the bedroom and bathroom, with a loft above in the smallest tiny house.The kitchen of the smallest tiny house.The bathroom of the smallest tiny house.A pass-through closet leads to the bathroom in the smallest tiny house.The unique shower surround in the smallest tiny house.
The Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Avenue.
The Bourbon County County Attorney’s Office has moved.
The move took place following the departure of the old jail to the new jail facility last year. The Bourbon County Commissioners then reconfigured the courthouse, 210 S. National, moving most of the offices to the first floor of the facility.
The second floor was then designated as the county attorney’s office and the staff moved in October 2018.
Security is the main reason for the move.
“The second-floor office is for security,” said Judy Hood, senior legal secretary for Bourbon County Attorney Jacqui Spradling. “We had a KBI (Kansas Bureau of Investigation) agent come and talk with the county attorney. He jumped over the counter, to show how vulnerable they were.”
Both the second and third floor of the courthouse have restricted access since the reconfiguration of the building.
The hallways have been blocked with doors to the second floor. One can no longer walk from the first to the second floor of the courthouse, using the main staircase.
In addition, there is faster access to the district courtrooms on the third floor of the Bourbon County Courthouse for the attorneys, Hood said.
There are three attorneys and three secretaries in the Bourbon County Attorney’s Office.
Jacqie Spradling is the Bourbon County Attorney, Tiana McElroy and Steve Stockard are the assistant county attorneys.
The three secretaries are Hood, Angel Wilson, and Staci Haynes.
The access elevator to the second and third floors of the Bourbon County Courthouse is in the corridor between the courthouse and the north wing of the courthouse.The stair access to the second and third floor is next to the Bourbon County Clerk’s Office in the north wing.The Bourbon County Attorney’s Office on the second floor of the courthouse.The Child In Need Of Care Conference room on the second floor of the courthouse.
