The Fort Scott Police Department daily reports can best be viewed on a computer. The FSPD is located at 1604 S. National and can be contacted at 620-223-1700.
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All posts by Loretta George
Friends Of The Fort Host Churchill March 31
Members of Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site hosted the weekly Chamber Coffee Thursday to highlight their organization.
FFSNHS President Reed Hartford told the coffee attendees that they are a non-profit, separate from the historic site.
The organization can raise funds and spend money on advertising, two actions that the historic site cannot do, Hartford said.
In 2009 the group began to support activities of the site.
Some of their accomplishments are: promoting FSNHS as one of the wonders of Kansas, providing a community Fourth of July ice cream social, providing lunch for new citizens following the naturalization ceremony, and providing refreshments at the end of candlelight tours.
Since 2010 the FFSNHS group has sponsored a Friends Fest as a fundraiser.
This year it is this Saturday, March 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Liberty Theater, 113 S. Main.
Tickets are $35 and can be purchased the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall.
The group is bringing reenactor Randy Otto as Sir Winston Churchill.
For more information, contact Martha Scott, 620-224-9924.
The sponsors of the event are City State Bank, Union State Bank, Landmark Bank and Jim and Connie Banwart.
The following is a gallery of coffee attendees interacting prior to the announcement segment of the event.
At each coffee, members give a donation to the Chamber of $1 and tell about an event coming up in the community. The group that hosts the coffee gets extra time to tell about their business or organization.
Tinkergarten Coming To Fort Scott
The thought of a classroom without walls intrigued Maria Whitson.
Whitson, from Garland, first found out about an organization called Tinkergarten when a friend from Kansas City referred her saying she would be a good leader.
“When I went to their website, I lit up,” Whitson said. ” Being outdoors with a group of parents and children. Playing and educating, growing together, all of it caught my attention.”
Founded in 2012, Tinkergarten is a nationwide play-based, outdoor learning class designed for children ages 18 months to 8 years, and their parents.
According to recent statistics, children’s free play time is declining, and it’s diminishing the chances to develop critical life skills, she said.
Free spring trial classes will be offered at 10 a.m. March 29 and 31 at Gunn Park.
Then classes will be held each Thursday, April 12 through May 31
from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
In a 5-part class each week Whitson will facilitate an expert-designed play scenario, allowing children of various ages and needs to explore, problem solve, communicate, collaborate, and create together, according to the Tinkergarten.com website. Parents and caregivers learn, too, and share insights into a child’s development.
To register go to Tinkergarten.com.
The cost is $140 per student for 8 sessions. An installment plan is available. There is a 30% discount for each additional sibling.
Some benefits of Tinkergarten provided by Whitson are:
● Spending time outdoors provides children with a wide range of health benefits including social and emotional well-being. Research shows that time outdoors supports improved relationship skills, and reduces stress, anger, and aggression.
- 80 percent of brain development occurs before the age of five. Children build foundational skills in their first five years that will affect the rest of their learning and life.
- In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, parents need to balance the screen time with outdoor time to raise healthy, well-adjusted kids.
“I’m bringing this incredible early-childhood education program to Fort Scott, to help children develop critical capabilities such as self-reliance, creativity, persistence and problem-solving skills, all proven benefits of play-based, outdoor learning, ” she said.
“I became a leader because I want to get my children outdoors more and be intentional about creating learning experiences with them. The opportunity for me to lead a Tinkergarten class was exactly the motivation and training that I was looking for. I am thrilled that I get to not only have that opportunity for my children and myself but also for other families. I am so excited to be in a classroom without walls.”
Practice Goes On
Brian Pommier, Fort Scott High School Softball Coach, speaks to the team following practice Thursday morning at Fisher Park.
The USD 234 school district is on spring break this week.
The Lady Tigers host a softball tournament Tuesday, March 27 against Spring Hill, Chanute, and Ottawa, according to the school calendar.
Coree Budd, the varsity softball manager, fills up the water cooler for Lady Tiger softball practice Thursday.
Narcan Toolkit Comes To Bourbon County Law Enforcement
Kansas Department of Corrections personnel delivered Narcan, an antidote that will stop an opioid overdose, to area law enforcement agencies Tuesday at the new Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center.
KDOC Administrator Liz Rice along with Andrew Lucht, corrections manager, hand-delivered the boxes of Narcan to several Kansas first responders on stops throughout the eastern portion of the state.
Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin, Fort Scott Police Department Captain Shaun West, and Allen County Undersheriff Roy Smith came to the new law enforcement center to pick up the boxes.
Liz Rice provided a news release she wrote that explains the reason for the delivery:
“In Governor Colyer’s March 1st announcement of EXECUTIVE ORDER 18-09: Task Force to Address Substance Use Disorders he shared with us that ‘The crisis of substance use disorder, particularly addiction to opioids, heroin and methamphetamine, has truly become an epidemic in our state and our country’ in that order the Governor called for greater cooperation and collaboration of state agencies, organizations, professionals, emergency response personnel, and others with policymaking authority to address substance use disorders,” according to the news release.
“We are seeing the results of that call to action today with the delivery of the Opioid reversal agent Naloxone to first responders across our great state. Opioid reversal medications are not just for addicts, we need to have them available for accidental exposure as well.”
“First responders are there when an accidental overdose occurs in a home setting or they may have accidental exposure themselves while investigating criminal activity. We want Naloxone available in all situations of Opioid overdose.”
Rice said through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) $1.3M was given to The University of Kansas Health System to provide treatment, prevent opioid-related deaths and educate Kansans and health care providers about the Opioid Epidemic.
“The University of Kansas Health System leveraged pharmacy relationships to use grant funds to obtain NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) at the lowest available price for mass distribution to first responders across the state of Kansas.” according to the press release.
“NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray was chosen for its ease of use in delivering Naloxone in a nasal spray for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose.”
Rice said she and Lucht had delivered the drug to law enforcement entities in Labette, Cherokee, and Osage Counties this route and were on their way to Miami and Franklin Counties.
“We bought enough to get you started, ” Rice said. “This will get it out on the streets where needed. I would put a box in each (law enforcement) car.”
A training video to go along with the drug is provided, she said.
Captain West said the FSPD will provide training for each of their first responders and will put the Narcan in both marked and unmarked vehicles for emergency use.
Sheriff Martin also asked for some to be provided to the Bourbon County Rural Fire Departments, and Rice complied with that request.
Captain West said Narcan “only stops an opioid overdose, it has no effect other than stopping a high.”
For more information about Narcan and the Naloxone Law Enforcement Toolkit:
https://www.bjatraining.org/tools/naloxone/Naloxone-Background
https://www.bjatraining.org/tools/naloxone/Naloxone-Background
This Friday, Last Lenten Fish Fry in 2018.
The Knights of Columbus Fish Fry organizers have been offering fish during Lent for approximately 25 years at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
This Friday, March 23 is the last evening for the fish fry in 2018.
The fish fry is an observance of Lent in the Catholic Church.
Lent is the period preceding Easter that in the Christian Church is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness, according to an online dictionary. It runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday and so includes forty weekdays.
“Catholics adhere to no meat on Fridays, as abstaining from meat is a part of Lent,” Mark McCoy, Knights of Columbus member said. “Christ gave his life for us, we are making a small gift back to Him.”
The proceeds from the fish fry go to helping agencies in Fort Scott such as the Beacon, Mother to Mother Ministry and Birthline, McCoy said. “A percentage goes to other helping agencies.”
“We have a great time doing it,” McCoy said. “And there is good food, fun, and fellowship.”
The women of the church bake desserts for the event.
“A lot of people get their dessert first,” McCoy said.
Hoener’s Will Renovate 124 E. Wall: New Liquor Store And Apartments Are Planned
The Hole in the Wall Liquor Store is moving.
The store, currently at 13 W. Oak will be moving to 124 E. Wall soon.
“Hopefully we will be able to start work in the next month,” Jody Hoener who along with husband Roy own the liquor store. ” We meet with our contractor this week to get our timeline nailed down.”
They have hired Hofer and Hofer of Humboldt to do the work of renovating what is known locally as the “Old Spoiled Brat Building” at the corner of Wall and Scott streets.
“Mike Hofer is a great contractor and an upstanding individual,” Hoener said. “I look forward to working with him and his crew.’
On March 6 Hoener was on the Fort Scott City Commission Agenda for consideration of bids and Community Development Block Grant approval for renovation of the property at 124 E. Wall.
Susan Galemore, a grant administrator for Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission, informed the Commission that this project was recently rebid a second time, according to the city minutes.
The second round of bids produced three bids, with the low bid from Hofer and Hofer in the amount of $150,084. This amount is still about $50,000 over the projected budget for the project as the grant amount is $95,000, according to the city minutes.
City Finance Director Jon Garrison prepared a spreadsheet reflecting the grant in the amount of $95,000, the City of Fort Scott contribution of $30,000, and the Economic Development Grant in the amount of $3,000. The Hoener’s contribution is $49,759. The total project is $177,759, according to the minutes.
” (City Manager) Dave Martin and Jon Garrison at the City have made this project smooth and have been involved since inception,” Hoener said. “We all have the same goal to move our city and it’s economic growth forward. It’s amazing what can happen when everyone is working towards that same vision.”
The Hoener’s will also be adding housing opportunities to the community.
“Our plan is to move Hole in the Wall Liquor to the new building with apartments in the upstairs,” she said. ” In the back, the empty lot is ours too, we will create a patio space for tasting events.”
“We do not own the building at the location we are at now and wanted to make an investment in our community,” Hoener said. “This building (on Wall Street) is an eyesore to the gateway of our downtown and has been for half a decade. It needed to be fixed and what better way than to use our resources and business to work towards our downtown revitalization. (It’s a)Great location. ”
Bartelsmeyers Given Approval For Alteration of Loft In Historic Downtown
John Bartelsmeyer appeared before the Fort Scott Design Review Board Thursday to get approval for renovation of the alley side of he and his wife, Cindy’s loft apartment at 22-22 1/2 N. Main.
The board approved the certificate of appropriateness for the alteration of the Bartlesmeyer property, which is in the historic downtown Fort Scott district.
The Bartelsmeyers will add a garage on the first floor, and add a bedroom, entryway, and deck to the second floor. Concrete block walls will be on the north and south side of the addition. The garage door will be dark grey steel, as will the trim around the window and door, with a light gray wall siding.
“We’d like to start (the addition) within a month,” Bartelsmeyer told the board at the meeting Thursday. “We’ve been working on this building for three years.”
The approval of the addition will be finalized at the March 20 Fort Scott City Commission meeting, City Clerk Diane Clay told Bartelsmeyer.
Glimpses Of Chamber Dinner
The 2018 Annual Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Dinner and Awards Celebration was held at the Liberty Theater, March 15.
On the agenda were the social hour, silent auction, dinner, a live auction, and award presentations.
Guest speakers were Marci Penner and WenDee Rowe of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.
Farmers Market Plans For Season, And Is Looking For Honey Vendors
The Fort Scott Farmers Market group met Thursday evening to review 2017 and look to this season possibilities.
The market sets up stalls in front of the Fort Scott National Historic Site at the north end of Main Street starting in May on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon and Tuesday evenings from 4-6 p.m.
It continues until October.
Market stall fees are $5 per day and there is a $5 application fee to reserve a vendor space. Or there is a discounted fee of $4 per day if pre-paid in the amount of $108 for the 27-week market space.
A new president of the market was elected, Stacey Atkins.
Beverly Brown was re-elected as treasurer.
Atkins was the secretary in 2017 and that position is still open.
In 2017 the group facilitated:
- Breakfast on the Bricks, where customers can purchase a breakfast on Saturday mornings while attending the market.
- Several demonstrations of interest to the community, such as CPR and rain barrels.
- Tuesday evening strawberry shortcakes social.
- Once a month raffle drawing, starting in June, with market vendors contributing goods for the prize.
- The Third Saturday Marketplace, working in collaboration with the City of Fort Scott, the market moved to historic downtown on Main Street once a month.
- Special music that entertains while customers stroll through the market.
- Children’s activities.
The group is looking for honey producers, at the request of community members.
Group member Vickie Shead said she has some honey but production has been difficult with the drift of herbicides that have helped to decimate her bee population.
Traditional offerings of this market are veggies, fruit, eggs, crafts, jellies/jams, baked goods, herbs, live plants, nuts, and pottery.
This year Fort Scott Kiwanis has offered to do Breakfast on the Bricks the first Saturday in May, according to Mickie Kraft, a group member.
Group member Ronnie Brown told about the Bourbon County Food Alliance that he is a part of.
“They were talking about how they could help us, possibly furnishing entertainment, breakfast, public relations, and help with the business part,” Brown said. “They want to see this farmers market extended.”
Brown also mentioned Project 17, which is a regional economic development and community engagement initiative in the southeast region of the state, according to a K-State website.
“Bob Marshall helped initiate it,” Brown said. Marshall was a Kansas Senator from 2009 to 2013.
“Local food is a by-word now,” Brown said. “There is a lot to look forward to, a lot of enthusiasm.”
Newly elected President Stacey Atkins told the group about a program through a Pathways Grant that is seeking input from local food producers.
“On May 3, a Buy and Sell-Meet and Greet will be at 5:30 p.m. at Memorial Hall,” Atkins said. “This meeting will be to bridge the divide between local gardeners and retail food sellers.”
Family Time In Gunn Park Celebrates Warm Kansas Day
Several family groups took advantage of a warm Kansas day Thursday at Gunn Park. Temperatures were in the high 60s.
Coalition Helps With Rent, Utility Assistance AND Swim Passes
A local helping agency provides both a need and a want.
The Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition provides rent/utility bill assistance and additionally, family passes to the Fort Scott Municipal Swimming pool in the summer, with help from United Way of Bourbon County.
FortScott.Biz is featuring each agency that was granted funding through United Way.
The contact person is Billie Jo Drake, her phone number is 620-223-5946 and email address is bjducktracks @gmail.com
What service do you provide for our community?
“We have two programs: rent and utility bill assistance and the family pool pass project.”
When are you open?
“We have no office or office hours. People who are in need of assistance make their requests through the Beacon (Phone, 620-223-6869 · Address. 525 E 6th St; Fort Scott, Kansas 66701.) Pool pass applications can be obtained at Buck Run Community Center Phone, (620-223-0386 · Address. 735 Scott Ave; Fort Scott, Kansas 66701) in the spring.”
What percentage of your budget is the United Way grant?
“It varies depending on other grants and donations, but this year it will be about 20 percent.”
Who are the board members?
Doug Altic, Bob Eckles, Sue Emmons, Shana McClure, Tisha Miller, DeAnn Welch, and Billie Jo Drake.