The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Thursday, February 1st, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to consider a zoning change for the property more commonly known as 1907 S. Horton and 1920 S. Huntington. After the zoning part of the meeting, the Planning Commission will review the proposed Comprehensive Plan. This meeting is open to the public.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
To view the daily report provided by the Fort Scott Police Department click below. A computer allows the best viewing.
Do you like art and history?
Come to Fort Scott National Historic Site (NHS) and learn the history of the site as told by art that was created by youth from across the United States and throughout the world.
The art exhibit, titled “New Faces, New Neighbors”, will consist of 60 different pieces of textiles.
The exhibit will be on display from Thursday, February 1 through Saturday, March 31, 2018. It will be located on the second floor of the Infantry Barracks Museum in the hallway next to the theater.
“New Faces, New Neighbors” is a theme that has resonated throughout the history of Fort Scott. Soldiers and American Indians found themselves as new neighbors and had to face many challenges and adaptions along the way. During the Bleeding Kansas era, conflict evolved among neighbors, as the topic of slavery became an issue that divided the town of Fort Scott and Kansas Territory. During the Civil War, Fort Scott saw new faces as American Indians and African Americans enlisted to fight for the Union Army. In addition, Fort Scott became a place of refuge for many people of diverse backgrounds. Caring for these refugees provided an opportunity for the town’s residents to work together for a common cause. After the Civil War, more new neighbors came to Fort Scott with the railroads as the town transformed into a regional trade center. This story of settlement and resettlement, promises made and broken, dreams built and shattered, and facing challenges with new neighbors can all be seen through the creative minds of youth in the “New Faces, New Neighbors” art exhibit. We welcome you to come join us and explore this amazing story of Fort Scott.
In order to create this wonderful art exhibit, Fort Scott NHS has collaborated with the International Fiber Collaborative (IFC), INC. based out of Topeka, KS. The IFC is a nonprofit organization that works to create deeper learning experiences through art and cross-curricular themed-based programs. The IFC also promotes programs designed to link arts to science, math, engineering, and the humanities. For information, a schedule of events and other projects associated with the IFC can be found at https://ifcprojects.com.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 National Park Service areas and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
Craig Campbell, with the Good Neighbor Action Team, is seeking volunteers to clean up a property.
The house, at 1311 S. Main, is a being totally rehabilitated, then it will be sold as a fundraiser to help provide a multi-sensory playground for the community, Campbell said.
“Groups are invited to bring shovels, buckets, gloves, hard-soled shoes and protective eyewear to pick up the debris and put it in the dumpster,” he said. “It’s loosely organized, you don’t have to schedule to put up the debris and put it in the dumpster.”
“Be careful of the roofing debris,” Campbell said.
Campbell spoke to the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce coffee attendees during the announcement portion.
The dumpster is provided by Kevin “Skitch” Allen, Campbell said.
Allen purchased the Hester Rolloff business including the dumpsters being used, Allen said in a later interview.
Currently, the house is being stabilized and the roof being replaced, according to Chris Yoder, Devon, who along with his three sons have been working on the house the last week.
Diana Mitchell is spearheading this Youth Activities Team project, the rehabilitation of the house. The GNAT is helping with the volunteer clean-up of the project.
Deborah Lee Hawkins, age 66, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Thursday, January 25, 2018, at her home.
She was born January 7, 1952, in Lawrence, Kansas, the daughter of Roy Cameron and Dorothy Tilton Cameron. She graduated from the Ft. Scott High School with the Class of 1970. She married Gene Hawkins on June 9, 1979, at Ft. Scott.
In earlier years, she worked in the printing and insurance business. She later attended Ft. Scott Community College School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse. She was then employed by the Nevada Regional Medical Center for several years. She loved gardening and tending to her flowers. She also enjoyed watching the wildlife around her rural home.
Survivors include her husband, Gene, of the home and two daughters, Amanda Hawkins (Steve Copsey), of Nevada, Missouri and Jennifer Hawkins, of Ft. Scott and two grandchildren, Ethan and Kinley. Also, surviving are two brothers, Mark Cameron of Kansas City, Missouri and Garry Cameron of Great Falls, Montana. She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Joan Higgins and Ann Greenway and a brother, Charles Cameron.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, January 30 at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Chapel Grove Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Monday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to Care to Share and may be left in the 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.
Fort Scott Airport is in the design stage of expanding its runway.
The FS Airport Advisory Board met Jan. 24 for an update from Kenny Howard, the airport manager.
“We signed a contract for the design of the (runway expansion) project,” Howard told the board. “That part of the project should be done in April.”
The runway expansion designer is Olsson Associates, Lincoln, Nebraska.
“It will be paid for by the city and private donations,” Howard told fortscott.biz.
The design plan will estimate the cost of the runway expansion project, he said.
Once the cost is projected, grants will be sought to fund the expansion project, Howard said.
The current length of the airport runway is 4,400 feet, the proposed runway expansion would increase that to 6,150 feet, according to Howard.
In addition, the city has applied for a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to rehabilitate the runway lights, Howard said. The estimated cost of that project is $290,000.
Howard said approximately 600 aircraft took off and landed at the facility last year.
Pilots file and cancel their flights using their cell phones, he said.
Most air traffic at the facility is between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A property owner near the airport, Kenneth Merriman, told the board “the noise decibel is pretty bad over my house.”
Merriman lives one mile south of the airport.
Howard said a noise analysis done on the airport shows the noise is staying on the airport property.
“People that have concerns can come out and talk to me,” Howard told Merriman. He said 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. is the best time to reach him at the airport.
Governor Sam Brownback and Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer on Wednesday announced plans to stop KanCare 2.0 and address concerns raised by legislators and other stakeholders regarding increased costs and the State’s ability to absorb those costs in future budgets.
As a result, they will be seeking to make improvements to the current KanCare program by either extending the contracts of the current three managed care companies for a period of three years or evaluating proposals received in response to the current bid solicitation without the cost increase drivers which have raised these concerns. The Administration will work with the Kansas Legislature to determine the best path forward and provide certainty and improvements to the current program.
In either scenario, the State will seek to implement budget neutral improvements to KanCare such as work requirements, an IMD exclusion waiver, foster care pilots, behavioral health and primary care integration and improved work opportunities.
Additionally, the new Secretary of KDHE, Jeff Andersen will renew the agency’s focus on addressing problems with the program’s eligibility process. A backlog of applications had slowed down the approval process for participants and reimbursement for providers. The state is in the process of issuing a letter of noncompliance to the contractor in charge of the eligibility clearinghouse where applications are processed.
The plan would call for continued meetings and involvement by the KanCare Process Improvement Working Group. The group will hold quarterly meetings with KDHE where participants and providers can discuss improvements and provide feedback.
“Keeping Kansans healthy continues to be a top priority,” said Governor Brownback, “We’re going to continue to work hard to make sure we have a program that works for Kansas.”
“With improvements to the current system of KanCare I feel we can continue serving Kansans by helping improve their health and well-being. We will continue to listen to participants and providers and work with the legislature to ensure we are increasing the quality of care and outcomes under KanCare,” said Lt. Governor Colyer.
 Tomorrow is the last day to order enchiladas to benefit The Beacon. |
|
 |
|
Bourbon County’s YPL
(Young Professionals League) will be making
HOMEMADE ENCHILADAS.
Deadline to order is Thursday, January 25th
~ All orders must be prepaid.
Order by calling Jessica Schenkel at 785-817-8877
or Click HERE to order online.
Drive-thru pickup is Saturday, February 3th from 2-5pm
at Kennedy Gym (behind St. Mary’s School)
|
Willa Jean Ellis, 87, of Fort Scott, passed away peacefully Monday afternoon, January 22, 2018, at her home. She was born March 25, 1930, in Rich Hill, Missouri, the daughter of Howard and Gertie (Williams) Marlin.
She married her childhood sweetheart Danny Ellis February 8, 1948, in Nevada, Missouri.
Willa was a beloved mother and grandmother; a devoted wife and trusted friend to many.
Together she and her husband were strong supporters of the Fort Scott community including The Beacon, Ellis Family Performing Arts Center, and Ellis Park.
In the early 1960’s Willa and Danny started Midwestern Distribution with just three trucks. It eventually grew to 1,000 trucks and employed over 2,000 people. They sold the company to Leaseway Transportation in 1981 and started Multi Service Corp., a trucking and aviation credit card which is currently the largest aviation credit card in the world.
In 1998 Willa and Danny started the Ellis Foundation after the death of their daughter, Kathy Ellis-Adriance, The foundation has awarded over 4,000 scholarships and currently supports 738 students in college.
The Ellis Foundation will celebrate twenty years this June 2018 and has awarded over twenty-million dollars.
In addition to her husband Danny, Willa is survived by her son, Chris Daniel Ellis and wife Cathy, of Louisburg, Kansas; eight grandchildren, Daniel Marlin Ellis, Joshua James Shaffer, Christopher Charles Ellis, Nathan Cole Ellis, Sarah Freeman Spray, Sybil Claire Ramstad, Brooke Adriance Cade, and Erin Blaire Adriance; and ten great-grandchildren, Olive Madison Ellis, Emory Parker Ellis, Freeman Andrew Spray, Ellis Nicole Spray, Gabriel Rose Spray, Bennett John Ramstad, Davis Matthew Ramstad, Vivian Faye Shaffer, Leo Henry Cade, and Finlay George Cade.
Willa was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Wanda June Taylor, and her daughter, Kathy Lyn Ellis-Adriance.
Following cremation, Rev. Reed Hartford will conduct funeral services 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 27, 2018, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, with burial following in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Friday evening, January 26, 2018, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ellis Foundation for Memorial Scholarships and left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, PO Box 309, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.
The Fort Scott Planning Commission met Jan. 22 at city hall to recommend a new member and review the five-year comprehension plan they have been working on.
Members of the commission are Geoff Clark, Mark McCoy, Diana Endicott, Carol MacArthur, Pam Hightower, Jared Leek, Mitch Quick, Mark Lewis and Darcy Smith.
The group reviewed three chapters of the plan and made arrangements to finalize it and present it to the Fort Scott City Council in early March.
The group also discussed letters of interest to serve on Planning Commission from two interested residents, Josh Jones and Frank Adamson.
In the end, Jones was selected to serve.
“Tell Frank it’s nothing against him,” Diana Endicott, chairman of the group, said. The group decided since his wife is on the city council it might cause issues.
The group will meet February 1 to discuss zoning the old trailer park property, Endicott said.
