All posts by Loretta George

Fort Scott, Submitted

Ministerial Alliance Offers Transient Assistance

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The Fort Scott Ministerial Alliance, 1st Row: President Don Flanner, Hiattville United Methodist; Treasurer Allen Schellack, Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries; Luke Anker, Mercy Health Center Chaplain. 2nd Row: Eric Going, Parkway Church of God (Holiness), Melissa George, Mercy Health Center Hospice Chaplain. 3rd Row: Rod Scherencel, Seventh Day Adventist Church; Secretary Steve Cole, First United Methodist.

FortScott.Biz is doing a series of features on United Way of Bourbon County Grant recipients.

The Bourbon County Ministerial Alliance is a recipient of a grant from United Way.

Following is an interview with Allen Schellack, treasurer for the alliance.
He can  be reached at [email protected]   
or by phone at 620-223-2212, or PO Box 774, Fort Scott, KS 66701.

What service do you provide to our community?

The Hospitality Fund is designed to extend physical assistance to persons and/or families traveling through Fort Scott that have no other resources and need help to reach their destination.  The fund also meets physical needs of the residents of Bourbon County.
The alliance coordinates area nursing home services, Thanksgiving and Easter Services, Fort Scott High School Baccalaureate Service, and “See You At The Pole” Services.

How many people are served?

We usually assist an average of 45 persons/families a year.

Service hours?

The Hospitality Fund is distributed by the Fort Scott Police Dept. under the guidelines of the Ministerial Alliance.  Therefore, help is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Also, a board member can be contacted any time by the police dept. or a local church not a part of the Alliance for assistance.
What percentage of your budget is the United Way Grant?
The Hospitality Fund is funded 100% by The United Way.  Our other services are funded through annual membership dues and private donations.
The  board members are:
Rev. Don Flanner – President
Rev. Tyler Whipkey – Vice President
Rev. Steve Cole – Secretary

Rev. Allen Schellack – Treasurer

Bourbon County, Business

Amy The Welder

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Amy Heitman, a welder at Niece Equipment LLC Kansas,  3904 Liberty Bell Road in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park.

Amy Heitman never imagined she’d grow up to be a welder.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” she told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee attendees. “I took a welding course in high school, I grew to have a passion for it.”

Heitman started researching why there weren’t more women welders and found only two percent of welders are women, she said.

“In the war (World War II) women stepped in to do jobs,” she said. “When men came back, women were pushed back. In manufacturing now, it’s predicted there is a shortage of 400,000.”

Rosie the Riveter, an American iconic poster, featured during World War II.

“I’m a welder and I weigh 107 pounds,” Heitman said.  And “I’m building water tanks.”

“We are still building this world, if we don’t have welders and manufacturers, where does that leave America? ”

“I’m encouraging people to step up to non-traditional spots,” she said. “I want to help women know they can step up.”

Heitman welds and fabricates the metal pieces in water tanks that the Niece Equipment builds, she said in a later interview.

“I do some of the internal plumbing on the piping,” she said.

The facility she works in is climate controlled: fans in the summer and heat in the winter.

Heitman said there are 40 employees at Niece and of those, approximately nine are welders.

The salary range for the welding positions range from $15 to $19 per hours, she said.

Heitman, 25, and husband, Josh Heitman moved to Fort Scott from Austin, Texas in January 2018.

She worked for  Niece Equipment in Austin and was recruited to Fort Scott.

They have two children, Gabriel and Ayden. Because it was in the middle of the school year, Ayden stayed behind in Austin with his grandmother temporarily. Ayden has autism.

“Because of his autism, I didn’t want to bring him yet, into something completely new…it would throw him off,” Heitman said.

Her first impression of Fort Scott: “I was enchanted,” she said.

“This is the kind of place I want to raise my kids,” she said.

“There is not a ton of things to do like in Austin, but so many things the whole community gets involved in. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Heitman got connected with Fort Scott Community College and together they are working on a plan to talk to high school students that tour the school, she said.

She is going to try to solve the issue of getting more people into non-traditional careers where they are needed.

Amy Heitman speaks to the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee attendees Thursday morning at Fort Scott Community College’s Arnold Arena. City Manager Dave Martin listens in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Scott, Government

Fire Scene At 6th and National Is Cleared

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A fire this morning at 6th and National Avenue is still under investigation.

The building next to Petes 27, 605 National Ave., Fort Scott was reported on fire early this morning.

The building had furniture, clothing and appliances.

“It’s still under investigation,” Fort Scott Fire Chief Paul Ballou said. “There wasn’t a lot of damage.”

Two fire engines with approximately seven personnel responded to the alarm.

“We’ve cleared the scene,” Ballou said.

Fort Scott, Government

Emergency Siren This A.M. A False Alarm

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Fort Scottians were awakened to an emergency siren sounding at approximately 6:45 a.m. this morning.

It was a false alarm, according to Tracey Reed, communications manager at the Fort Scott Police Department.

“We are not sure what set it off,”  Reed said. “We have had an issue with our federal siren system…it has had to do with batteries. It doesn’t occur often. We’ll have somebody come and check it out.”

“I know people get worried,” Reed said.

There will be siren testing at 1 p.m. today, Reed said.

Fort Scott, Schools

Christian Heights Performs Tom Sawyer

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Austin Bahr performs as Tom Sawyer and Trace Evans as his best friend Huck Finn in the Fort Scott Christian Heights high school play “Tom Sawyer” Saturday night at the school.

Fort Scott Christian Heights High School students entertained the community Friday and Saturday evening with its rendition of  “Tom Sawyer: An American Legend With Music.”

The play depicts a segment of life of Tom Sawyer life, who was an orphan boy in Missouri, circa the 1840s.

The cast is as follows:

Jeff Thatcher was played by Kole Wagner, Tom Sawyer by Austin Bahr, Mrs. Thatcher by Annalyse Gilmore, Becky Thatcher by Darci Kendrick, Aunt Polly by Kendra Bahr, Sid Sawyer by Seth Lowery, Cousin Mary by Emily Davenport, Ben Rogers by Benji Banwart, Joe Harper by Jason Avery, Jim Hollis by Drake Garcia, Ted Austin by Josiah Banwart, Amy Lawrence by Lily Leigh, Lyda Hollis by Annalyse Gilmore, Widder Douglas by Annie Tarter, Preacher/schoolmaster by J.B. Lowry, Judge Thatcher by Steven Avery, Hope Austin by Emily Davenport, Suzie Harper by Kathryn Hudiberg, Faith Harper  by Marissa Meanor, Huck Finn by Trace Evans, Doc Robinson by  Benji Banwart, Injun Joe by Bryce Meanor, Muff Potter by Jason Avery, The Constable by Lucas Gilmore.

Sound, lighting, and props were by Mike Avery and Larry Davolt.

Costumes were provided by Vickie Shead.

The stage crew was Lucas Gilmore, J.B. Lowry, Brandon West, Mike Avery and Tim Avery.

Following are scenes from the play:

Tom Sawyer, Jeff Thatcher, Mrs. Thatcher and Becky Thatcher.
Tom Sawyer wins the prize for the most memorized scriptures.

Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer get engaged.
Tom Sawyer ponders why he is always in trouble.
The funeral of Tom and Huck.
Tom surprises the community by coming to his own funeral.

Tom swears on the Bible at the trial of Muff Potter.

Principal Terry Chance does the sound equipment during the play.
The cast of Tom Sawyer thanks Mike Avery and Terry Chance for their help behind the scenes of the play.
Members of the audience take their leave following the play Tom Sawyer Saturday evening at Fort Scott Christian Heights school.

 

Area News, Business, Fort Scott

Lyons Starts Realtor Career in a Seller’s Market

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Bailey Lyons is a new agent with Stutesman’s Action Real Estate Agency in downtown Fort Scott. She can be reached at 620-224-7795.

Bailey Lyons and husband, Nate have been restoring or “flipping”  houses, in addition to property management in their business Lyons and Lyons, LLC.

“Nate and I will soon have a downtown location,” she said. “We have been immersed in real estate in Fort Scott.”

That exposure to the real estate market in her community led to her next career move: real estate agent for Stutesman’s Action Realty.

Stutesman’s Action Realty in Fort Scott is located at 119 S. Main.

Lyons started with Stutesman’s Action Realty the end of March when she received her Kansas real estate license. She will receive her Missouri license in a few weeks, she said.

Lyons earned a bachelor of science in financial accounting from Kansas University and will graduate in May with a master’s in business administration from KU.

She has a background in banking which she feels will enable her to help a client with the “financial side of things,” she said.

“A lot of people renting don’t realize they can purchase a home and build equity,” Lyons said. “There are a lot of financing options available. USDA loans are zero money down payment, FHA is 3.5 percent down. There are options other than conventional formats. Military vets have a VA loan option with zero dollars down.”

She would be glad to do a buyer’s or seller’s consultation, she said.

In addition, Lyons can offer suggestions on how to make a home more aesthetically appealing to sell it, she said.

She can help young home buyers view homes they want to update, and offer suggestions,  with a “starter home or a forever home,” she said.

Lyons can be reached at 620-224-7795.

Courtesy photo.

Seller’s Market

It’s a seller’s market currently in Fort Scott, Lyons said.

“Inventory is low, there are more buyers than sellers which is good for negotiations,” Amanda Bourassa, the broker/associate at the Stutesman Real Estate Agency said in agreement.

“The median home price in Fort Scott is $90,000, with most of our buyers in the $100,000 to $150,000 range,” Bourassa said.

Economic Development and real estate will always go hand in hand,” Lyons said. “Some jobs require residency within the county.”

“Within the last year or two, things have taken off economically in Fort Scott,” Bourassa said.

Relocation packets and tours of the community are offered through the real estate agency.

Lyons is active in the community

Lyons is the Young Professional League President this year, on the Visioning Committee for the City of Fort Scott, member of PEO, and recipient of the 2016 Young Professional of the Year.

In the recent past, she and husband Nate led fundraising for the public skatepark, she is a Lead Bourbon County graduate and was the chairperson for Relay For Life for three years.

She and Nate have four children Addison, 16, Jaxon and Jhett, 4, and Lute, four-months-old.

In their business Lyons and Lyons LLC, Bailey does the design work and Nate does the labor.

“I think there is a gap in market homes, those that are move-in ready for clientele. We are trying to fill in that gap. We do structural work: electric, plumbing and aesthetic stuff,” she said.

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Government, Jobs

High School Students Sought For Full Time Summer Employment

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Fort Scott National Historic Site

Fort Scott National Historic Site is looking for area high school students to apply for the United States Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Crew Member positions for the summer.

Applications must be turned in by April 30 to the FSNHS.

Students must be at least 15 years old at the start of enrollment and not reach age 19 before completion.

“The Fort is looking to hire four high school students full-time, a 40-hour week from Tuesday through Saturday,” Tiffiny Durham, an employee of the fort, told the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Thursday at the weekly coffee.

Two males and two females will be hired through the Youth Corps, she said.

“Applications will be thrown into a lottery system,” she said.

The positions will help with different events at the fort.

The start date for the positions is June 18 and will end August 11, according to information provided by Durham. YCC members will be paid minimum wage.

Students will work together as a team to create projects, which will help develop leadership skills, according to the information provided.

In addition to the age restrictions, the following are required:

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
  • You must be able to obtain a work permit.
  • You must provide a valid Social Security number or apply for one.
  • You must be able to fulfill the functions of the assigned work with or without reasonable accommodation.

For more information contact Durham at 620-223-0310.

Bourbon County, Business

Home Show Starts Friday Eve At FSCC

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Fort Scott Broadcasting Company, Inc., owns and operates KOMB-FM and KMDO-AM Radio Stations in Fort Scott, KS. Owners of the company, Tim & Deb McKenney, have a long family history in the broadcast business. Pictured is Tim McKenney speaking at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Weekly Coffee this morning.

KOMB Radio will be hosting the Fort Scott Home Show starting tomorrow from 5 to 8 p.m. at Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.

Approximately 60 vendors will be available to tell about their products and services, along with thousands of dollars of prizes and giveaways, Tim McKenney, owner of the radio station said.

McKenney stated the annual event is a collaboration between the radio station, the college, and the City of Fort Scott.

 

Area News

Art Is Ageless Exhibit Through April 20

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Some Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce attendees look at the Art Is Ageless artwork following the weekly coffee April 5, which was hosted by Presbyterian Village Assisted Living.

Creativity matters to the quality of life for all ages.

Area artists have several opportunities in Fort Scott to showcase their work, and the Art Is Ageless competition at Presbyterian Village is one, through April 20.

Currently on display at Presbyterian Village, 2401 S. Horton, are area artists’ work who are 65-years-old-plus.

The exhibit is from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. through April 20, with a reception in the main lobby at 4 p.m. on April 13.

Paintings, drawings, crafts, jewelry and textile works are available for viewing.

The work will then be entered into a competition with other Presbyterian Manor members and area artists. Winners are selected to be included in the annual Art Is Ageless calendar.

For more information contact Becky Kellum at 620-223-5550.

Following are some of the entries:

Area News, Fort Scott, Schools

Aggie Day Draws Over 1,300 Students at FSCC

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Over 1,300 high school students, from 90 schools, converged on Fort Scott Community College Aggie Day April 6, according to Ryan Edgecomb, an agriculture instructor at the school.

Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma high school buses line parking lots at FSCC for Aggie Day April 6.

Former FSCC Agriculture Instructor Gary Harvey started the event in the mid-1970s, said  Edgecomb.

“This is my 15th Aggie Day,” Edgecomb said. “The Ag Department hosts the event. Blake Davis is my teaching partner and livestock coach.”

FSCC Ag Instructor Ryan Edgecomb, right, shares a light moment with area high school ag teachers, following the Ag Teachers Brunch in the Ellis Arts Center Friday morning.

Students competed in a variety of areas, including agronomy, entomology, farm management, floriculture, food science, livestock, meat evaluation, milk quality and products, nursery/landscape, poultry, speech, veterinary science,  and reasonings.

Those from Bourbon County schools who ranked in the top ten in the contests:

In the Intermediate Live contest, Clay Brillhart, Uniontown, received 2nd place; Zach Snyder, Uniontown received a 10th place.

In the Junior Live contest, Tate Crystal, Uniontown, received the 3rd place.

In Senior Questions Live, Graham Hathaway, Uniontown, received the 2nd place; Kolby Shoemaker, Fort Scott, received a 10th place.

In Senior Reasons Live, Kolby Seested, Uniontown, received the 3rd place.

In the Veterinary Science contest, Maddie Ard, Uniontown, received 2nd place; Aubry O’Neal, Uniontown, received the 8th place.

In the Junior Speech contest, Hannah Beerbower, Uniontown, received the 4th place.

To see the full results: http://www.fortscott.edu/AggieDay/Results

The event is sponsored by Purina and Purina Mills Honor Show Chow, which also includes an ag teacher brunch.

“We are honored to have Purina and Honor Show Chow back as our sponsors for a third straight year, and we’re grateful for their support,”  Edgecomb said.

Edgecomb said the event has multiple purposes.

“It’s a recruiting tool for FSCC, allowing students to see and showcase our school,” he said.

In addition, the event is “an educational contest to help schools prepare for district and state events,” Edgecomb said.

Over 100 support people are employed to help with Aggie Day: faculty, staff, students and former students, Edgecomb said.

Some highlights of the days activities in photos:

 

 

Fort Scott, Schools

March Madness at Eugene Ware Elementary

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From left FSCC Basketball Coach Blake Cochran, Jon Barnes, Donnie Flowers, Tyler Zinn, John Montgomery, Lucas Kelley, J. M. Gregg, Aaron Williams, Andre Nelson, Dontrell Sanders, Jayden Davis, George Brocato, and Daemar Jones introduce themselves at the beginning of the March Madness Reading Challenge assembly.

It takes practice and lots of it, to do anything well, including reading.

That in a nutshell, is what the Fort Scott Community College Basketball Team told the students at  Eugene Ware Elementary during an award assembly Wednesday afternoon.

During the month of March, students have been competing with other classes in reading the most minutes.

The classroom winners of each grade level were given a poster of the FSCC Basketball Team along with a promised extra recess, during the assembly held in the school gym.

The winners were: Carrie Southwell’s 3rd grade class with 3, 220 minutes of reading, Joyce Flanner’s 4th grade with 3,002 minutes and Jill Couch’s 5th-grade class with 2,232 minutes.

During the assembly, students were randomly picked from the audience to participate in a basketball throw challenge.

The winner of that challenge was Quadar Moreland, a fourth-grade student. Because of his win, all 4th-grade students were given autographed posters of the team.

Brenda Hill, an instructional coach at Ware, and Mary Mauer, a teacher, collaborated on the idea of capitalizing on basketball’s March Madness national competition to encourage students to practice reading.

Below are photos of the afternoon assembly.

Carrie Southwell gives her 3rd-grade students “high fives” following the announcement that the class read the most minutes for the reading competition.
Students lined up to take a turn at getting the ball through the basketball hoop.

Some students needed a little extra help getting the ball through the hoop and the college basketball players helped.

Quadar Moreland gets some encouragement from the FSCC basketball team following his win of the basketball contest.
Students look over the poster of the FSCC Basketball Team while waiting in line to get it autographed.

 

Fort Scott, Schools

USD 234 Hires New Superintendent, Ted Hessong

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Ted Hessong was hired as the new superintendent for Fort Scott schools.

Ted Hessong, currently superintendent of USD 456, was hired Tuesday evening by the USD 234 Board of Education. He will begin June 2, 2018, and was hired on a two-year contract as the new superintendent in Fort Scott’s school system.

The following is a FortScott.Biz  interview with Hessong.

What motivated you to get into education?

“My mom was a teacher at Fort Scott Middle School, which was a great example of what a teacher should be. I was also active in sports and I wanted to be a basketball coach since 7th grade.”

Education?

” I graduated from Fort Scott High School and earned an Associates Degree from Fort Scott Community College. I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education from Pittsburg State University. I also received my Master’s in Building Leadership and District Certification from PSU.”

Experience?

” My first two years in education I was a science teacher and coach at Pleasanton Junior/Senior High School in Pleasanton, Kansas. I then accepted a position at Frontenac Junior High and High School teaching science and coaching, where I did my student teaching. I spent 17 years at Frontenac School district, where I went from a teacher to assistant principal for the 6th-12th-grade building. I then became the first junior high principal at Frontenac because we separated the junior high from the high school. The last five years at Frontenac I was the high school principal following the retirement of one of my mentors, Joe Martin. The past two school years I have been the superintendent at Marais des Cygnes Valley School District, which is composed of the communities of Melvern, Quenemo, and Olivet in Kansas.”

Family?

“I have three children.”

What interested you in the position in Fort Scott?

“Fort Scott has tremendous respect throughout the state of Kansas as a top-notch district. I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to return to my hometown to lead the district that really gave me my start in education.”

What do you feel you bring to the district?

“I feel my leadership experiences have prepared me to lead Fort Scott in a variety of areas to provide the best opportunities for the students of Fort Scott to experience success.”

What assets do you see in USD 234?

” The biggest asset Fort Scott has to offer is the teachers, staff, and students at Fort Scott. All these groups are what make Fort Scott an excellent school district.”

Any concerns?

“No concerns at this time.”

Any interests besides education, hobbies?

“My biggest interest is spending time with my family and friends.  I also enjoy sports, playing golf and mowing.”