The 120th Old Settlers’ Picnic festivities in Uniontown culminated with the parade on September 1.
Rain threatened, but did not happen for this annual picnic, which was much appreciated by participants.
Vendors lined the sidewalk in the town’s square, and children and their loved ones lined the streets waiting for the anticipated candy that is traditionally thrown to viewers of the parade.
The theme this year was Remembering the Past-Planning the Future.
The parade grand marshals were the Bill and Doris George family, with four generations on the haywagon, representing the legacy of this local farm family.
Other activities from August 29 to September 1 included a street dance, a 5K run/walk, a kids’ fishing derby, rodeos, a community church service, a car show, a baby contest, and numerous games and prizes, along with the annual recognitions.
The Bethel Community Church group before the parade.Hayden Stevens was representing the theatre group at Fort Scott Community College.Uniontown High School Football players and coaches.Students representing Fort Scott Community College’s Pleasanton Campus. Submitted by Taylor Bailey.The Uniontown High School Class of 2029 poses for a photo before the parade.Parents registering their children for the children’s parade.Vendors line the sidewalk in the town’s square.The Bill and Doris George family pose before the Old Settlers’ Picnic parade starts.The Uniontown Marching Band.Uniontown High School Class of 1965 waits in the staging area of the parade line-up.Students and staff representing Fort Scott Community College in the Old Settlers’ Picnic parade on Sept. 1 in Uniontown. Submitted by Taylor Bailey.Uniontown High School Class of 1975, before the parade.Uniontown Class of 2028 in the Old Settler’s Picnic Parade.Uniontown Youth Football team, prior to the parade.
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital’s main entrance. The hospital shares a building with several other entities.
Almost everything is in place, people hired and just a few items left to open Freeman Fort Scott Hospital and Emergency Department, at the former Mercy Hospital.
The building is owned by Kansas Renewal Institute, with Freeman and other entities leasing from them.
On August 22, local officials, community leaders, along with Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce members were invited to hear from Freeman Fort Scott Hospital leaders and take a guided tour of the newly repurposed facility at 401 Woodland Hills Boulevard to view the progress.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison welcomed the Freeman staff and expressed the community’s gratitude for Freeman Hospital coming to our community.
Anita Walden, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Chief Administrative Officer, told the attendees that the process “has been a collaborative effort with a lot of people…there are still a few minor things that need to happen.”
The community will play a vital role in supporting access to quality healthcare here by using the emergency department and the hospital for their healthcare needs, she said.
To open, three government surveys need to take place and one has taken place, on August 18.
This brings the six-bed emergency department and 10-bed acute care closer to fruition.
The multi-million-dollar project is still on track to open at the end of 2025, Freeman officials said in the press release.
The signage on Hwy. 69, just east of the Freeman Fort Scott Hospital and Emergency Department location.
The Emergency Department
The Freeman Fort Scott Emergency Department is located on the south side of the building.
Dr. Mark Brown, the Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Emergency Department’s Director, is from the Coffeyville area. He will also serve as the medical staff president.
Freeman Fort Scott Emergency Department check-in area.
There are six beds in the emergency department, and it will have a physician 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dr. Mark Brown is the new Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Emergency Department Medical Director.
Freeman has leased Suite A in the clinic area of the building, and Gregory King, a Family Nurse Practitioner at Freeman Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, will be housed there as soon as possible, said Anita Waldren in a group tour of the facility.
Brown told the tour group the hospital will have two nurses and one technician at all times, serving the 10-bed hospital. There will be eight semi-private and two private rooms on the medical floor.
Covering medical services at Freeman Fort Scott Hospital will be local doctors, Dr. Katrina Burke, Dr. Richard Kellenberger, and Dr. P.K. Gugnani, Walden said during the tour.
Nurses on duty during the group tour were from left: Kristen Stahl, Nicole Edds and Juanita Young.
The outpatient services check-in office is located near the emergency department.
The outpatient services waiting area is adjacent to the emergency department.
Brief History of the Community’s Health Care
Located on the city’s southside and adjacent to Hwy. 69, the facility has housed no hospital since the closing of Mercy Hospital Fort Scott in December 2018.
Mercy Hospital served the community from 1886 until 2018, and closed, citing “patients leaving the area to seek health care services in larger communities and declining reimbursement, especially from government payers, which make up the largest source of revenue,” according to Mercy’s announcement in 2018.
Ascension Via Christi provided an emergency department at the facility from 2019 until 2023. Their decision to close operations was “was made after a thorough analysis of trend data, patient census, and the current and future challenges and opportunities facing this facility,” according to AVC’s announcement in 2023.
Kansas Renewal Institute owns the building and leases space to the other entities. It is located on the main floor.Southeast Kansas Mental Health offices are located on the main floor.The Ashley Clinic is in Suite B of the building’s clinic area.I Am Rehab and Fitness is located on the ground level.Diamonds in the Rough Beauty Salon is located on the ground level.
TFI, Foster Care and Child Welfare Services office is located on the ground level of the building as well.
The transmission line of the Wolf Creek/Blackberry Project, from the NextEra Energy website.
A power delivery project, many years in the making, has started transmitting energy through Bourbon County.
NextEra Energy Transmission (NEET) – Southwest began producing energy over the 92-mile, 345-kV Wolf Creek – Blackberry transmission line on July 16, 2025, according to Lillie Zeng, spokesperson for NEET-Southwest.
The project was within budget and nearly five months ahead of Southwest Power Pool’s (SSP) required in-service date. The project was completed within three years, according to the spokesperson.
This is the second of three competitively awarded transmission projects in SPP that the company is building, she said.
“NextEra Energy Transmission – Southwest is proud to support SPP and its customers in Kansas and Missouri with a transmission line that will help enhance grid reliability and support economic growth in the region.”
The NEET-Southwest field office is at 2522 Richards Road, Fort Scott, KS 66701.
“We are in the process of hiring local office staff. In addition, NEET Southwest has access to approximately 70 affiliate technical staff located in the project area,” according to the spokesperson.
The project included a diagonal power line through the southwest part of Bourbon County as noted in the graphic from NextEra.
The process can be summed up this way:
Electric power is generated by nuclear energy at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Plant near Burlington, Kansas in Coffee County.
The power is moved via transmission power lines to the southwest, to the Blackberry Electrical Substation, just over the state line in Missouri.
Electric power transmission lines along with wind turbines can be seen from Hwy. 3. in Bourbon County, near Birch Road, north of Hepler, KS. These are NextEra Energy Transmission lines.
This project is a new 94-mile, 345-kilovolt (kV) regulated transmission line that runs from the Wolf Creek substation (Evergy Energy) in Kansas to the Blackberry substation, Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.(AECI) in Missouri.
The Blackberry Electric Substation, Jasper County, MO. August 2025
The Wolf Creek site is about 10,500 acres, and 1,500 acres of company land are reserved and managed for wildlife. Wolf Creek employs approximately 750 employees, many of whom have worked at the site since the plant began providing electricity to the nation’s power grid more than three decades ago, according to the Evergy website.
Wolf Creek provides electric generation for Evergy and generates about 1,200 megawatts of electricity, which is enough energy to power more than 800,000 homes, according to the Evergy website.
Wolf Creek generates 20.7 percent of Kansas’ electricity, and 36 percent of its emissions-free electricity, according to the NextEra website.
Evergy is an electric service provider in Bourbon County.
“Evergy and Next Era are both members of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which helps manage the power grid and energy markets across 14 states in the middle of the country, including Kansas and Missouri,” said Evergy Director of Corporate Communications Gina Penzig. “SPP keeps track of how electricity moves through the system and helps ensure coordination among area utilities.”
“The Wolf Creek–Blackberry Transmission line simply connects to Evergy’s equipment and helps send electricity into the power grid,” Penzig said. “The SPP chose Next Era to build this line through a competitive bid process. Even though the line connects to Evergy’s substation and electricity flows through it, Next Era owns and operates the line.”
NextEra Energy
In October 2021, NextEra Energy Transmission (NEET) Southwest was awarded the construction of a new approximately 92-mile 345 kV transmission line from the Wolf Creek substation to the Blackberry substation in Jasper County, Missouri.
Electric power transmission lines in southwest Bourbon County.
The project is part of the 2019 Integrated Transmission Plan approved by SPP in October 2019 to address the need for a more reliable and cost-effective grid. This project will reduce congestion and provide market efficiencies and benefits to ratepayers, according to the NextEra website.
According to NextEra, the project benefits are:
“Leads to lower electricity costs for customers
Enhances the reliability and resiliency of the electric grid
Creates job opportunities in the short and long term
Spurs investment in the local economy during construction
Supports public health and safety through access to reliable electricity
“Environmental & Visual Considerations
Conducted rigorous environmental analyses to limit impacts on wildlife, sensitive habitats, and natural resources
Coordinated with federal and state agencies to identify protected species found along the route
Selected monopole structures to minimize tree clearing and agricultural impacts
Incorporated considerations for visual impacts into the routing study.”
The Mapleton Cafe, located in rural northern Bourbon County, is under a new manager.
“This cafe had been shut down for eight years,” Adam Clay, the new owner/manager,” said. “Joe Bisogno owns the building.”
It opened at the end of July.
“I was given an opportunity to open my own business in the country, where I want to be,” Clay said. “I have always been drawn to the country. I lived in DeSoto. Panasonic moved into the area, and lots of people have moved in.”
“You need to seize an opportunity.”
He moved a fifth-wheel recreation vehicle to the site of the building in Mapleton, population 99, in January and started renovating the building.
“I had to fix it up. I moved here, living in the fifth-wheeler.”
Clay has 35 years in the hospitality business with a focus on kitchen, menu, costing, and trends in the food business.
“I come from the K.C. area, Desoto, and worked as a chef for a corporation in their test kitchen. I left my position with Goodsents in K.C. at the end of June to do this full-time. Up to then, I only worked on weekends.”
The restaurant passed the Kansas Department of Agriculture inspection in mid-July.
“Even though a lot of work needs to be done, with the help of the Mapleton City Council, the local residents, and Joe Bisogno, we’ll make it successful,” he said.
“I’m the only cook; there are two local people as employees, Shawn Mierkey and Zoe Charley, and other local people pitch in to help.”
Adam Clay, right, is the manager of the Mapleton Cafe. Pictured are his two employees, Shawn Mierkey and Zoe Charley.
About the cafe
“It’s a country cafe with a modest breakfast and lunch menu,” he said. “It’s a starter menu. I’m still trying to figure out what works in this marketplace.”
“We are open to suggestions. A new dish for me is chili with a cinnamon roll and a pickle,” he said.
He said he is trying to keep the prices that fit this rural area.
The menu at the Mapleton Cafe as of August 2025.
The restaurant is located at 423 N. Bourbon Street in Mapleton. Contact info: 785-813-6051. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Classes begin Tuesday evening at Community Christian Church Use the southeast side door. Classes will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for 13 weeks beginning August 26th,” said a spokesman, Jon Bailes. “Everyone is welcome and there is no charge except for a workbook.”
“This is a Biblically based program that has been operating with great success at helping people who have lost a loved one.”
Community Christian Church is hosting, but is not responsible.
Students start school in USD235, Uniontown, on August 20.
“We anticipate enrollment numbers being similar to what it was last year,” said Superintendent Vance Eden. “We frequently see fluctuations in enrollment all the way through the first week of school, though.”
This year, there is a new athletic director/assistant principal, Megan Mason.
Additionally, the following new teachers are: Aidan Abandon, high school history; Jennifer Ziegler, high school English; Cole Criss, junior/senior high physical education; Lauren Shinn, 6th grade; and Dallas Masoner, 6th grade.
The teachers in new assignments this year are Jenny Covey, 3rd grade; Rose Gauthier, 2nd grade; and Haley Troutman, Kindergarten.
“The kindergarten through 8th grade have new math resources this year, and there is a sprinkling of new supplementary materials throughout the district,” Eden said.
“A noteworthy item, the new ag shop will provide students with a better learning and shop space,” Eden said. “We are excited for what this can mean for the (agriculture) program.”
“For pre-kindergarten, we opened enrollment to three-year-old students who meet the necessary criteria for participation. We are excited to provide this opportunity to families and those young learners.”
“The district has adopted six goals as part of this year’s strategic plan. Those include:
1.5- Conduct a thorough review of literacy and math proficiency rates K-12 to determine successes, trends, and potential gaps.
1.8- Conduct a review of discipline policies and align them and their implementation to district objectives of clarity, consistency, and accountability.
2.3- Support staff development efforts through shadowing other educators in other districts.
2.8- Develop additional ways to utilize hands-on and experiential learning opportunities.
3.4- Develop additional ways to recognize students who are consistently meeting specific expectations.
3.6- Increase timely, consistent, and effective communication between schools and families. Consider options with apps, newsletters, and additional surveys for input.”
“Aside from that, the district will be completing all of the relevant construction projects related to the passing of the bond (last year approved by constituents) over the next year. Timelines for those individual projects vary.”
Five members (one being the photographer) from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas journeyed to Cato, Kansas on Wednesday, August 6, to present grant money to the Cato Historical Preservation Association, Inc.. The “General Funds” grant was done by Cato member Marilyn Flagg.
The money will be used for supplies and three directional wooden signs with arrows pointed toward Cato. These signs will be made by Chad Cliffman of rural Ft. Scott.
Cato will host 600-700 school kids on Thursday, Nov. 6th and the annual Cato tour is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8th starting with registration in the Cato Christian Church at 9 a.m.
Picture:
Top left to right: Nathan Garrett, Devin Gorman, Kara Mishmash, Robert Magginetti, Anna Swank, Shirley Hensley, and Mary Portwood
Bottom left to right: Linda Grilz, Marilyn Flagg, Jerry Lomshek, and Diane James
A couple with ties to Fort Scott, Myca and Robert Sellers, are in the running for America’s Favorite Couple contest.
“I found out about America’s Favorite Couple through a Facebook ad promoted by the actor, Jeff Goldblum,” said Myca (Short) Sellers. I thought it would be such a fun opportunity to share our love story, which I’ve always believed was something really special. The grand prize is $20,000 and a feature in Variety magazine.”
“While I entered this contest mostly for the fun and story-sharing aspect, I love that it’s tied to doing something good by supporting two worthy causes,” she said in an email interview with fortscott.biz. “The Los Angeles Food Bank is an organization that works to fight hunger by distributing food to those in need, and Oceana focuses on protecting and restoring the world’s oceans. Honestly, I wasn’t super familiar with either organization before this competition. While ocean conservation hasn’t been a passion of mine, I do think it’s great to support environmental causes.”
“The food bank’s mission especially resonates with me, I care deeply about helping people in need, especially those facing hunger and homelessness. As a Christian, giving and serving others is really important to me. My family and I sponsor a child in Tanzania through Compassion International, we currently provide a home for some extended family members going through a tough time, we give to our church, and we do our best to help others when we can. So even though I didn’t enter this competition because of the charities, I’m glad that it supports such meaningful work.”
“So far, we just made it through our group finals and will be moving on to the quarterfinals. We’ve been so blessed to have made it this far in the competition with the help of our friends and family. Every free daily vote really makes a difference. People are also able to donate to the partnered charities mentioned to cast additional votes. We’d be incredibly honored to have support from the Fort Scott community to help us make it to the finish line! Please let me know if you need any more information about the competition or anything else about our story.”
“Robert and I both graduated from Fort Scott High School in 2012,” she said in the interview. “My grandma lived there my entire life until recently moving to Chanute, and my mom, Wendy Stewart Hoeme, worked at Ward Kraft when I was little. I even went to Winfield Scott Elementary for 2nd grade. My dad was Robert (Tony) Short, but he passed away in 2009 when I was 16.
“Robert is the son of James and Jackie Sellers, Fort Scott. Jackie is the manager at the Bourbon County Senior Citizens Center, and she and James also own and operate Pitt Taxi. James served in the Navy, so Robert spent some of his childhood outside of Kansas, but they eventually returned to Fort Scott when his dad retired from the military.” Robert attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and then Fort Scott Middle School and high school.
“I moved to Fort Scott …when my mom got a job at Great West in 2005. I started 6th grade at the middle school, and that’s where I met Robert. We were in the same homebase class (Mrs. Brittan’s!) and quickly became close friends. I developed a crush on him back then, but kept it quiet, … since a friend of mine dated him for a while. Robert and I stayed close throughout middle and high school, and our friendship was always something special.”
Senior prom. Submitted photo.
In their senior year, they had a physics class together with Dr. Klassen.
“We flirted constantly. One day, while cruising around town (as small-town Kansas teens do!), we passed each other at a stop sign. Seeing him prompted me to take a risk and text him later to confess my feelings. But it turned out he had liked me all along, too. We went on a date to play disc golf at Gunn Park and made our relationship official after that.”
Submitted photo.
The summer after graduation, they went cruising in his Jeep, stargazing from the Fort Scott Community College rappel tower, and “just being young and in love.”
He gave her a promise ring before he left for Air Force basic training that fall, and Myca started college at Fort Hays State University.
He was stationed in England.
“When he came home for Christmas, he took me back to the rappel tower at the college and proposed. We got married in Fort Scott at the Scottish Rite Temple on April 6, 2013.”
Submitted photo.
“Since then, our military life has taken us all over the world. We’ve lived in England, Albuquerque, NM, the little island of Okinawa in Japan, and now we’re stationed in Italy at Aviano Air Base.”
Submitted photo.
Robert is a Technical Sergeant in the Air Force, working on HH-60 helicopters.
“We’ve now been married 12 years and have three children: our son Castiel (6), and daughters Salem (4) and Sage (2). We’re not sure yet where we’ll go next since we still have 2.5 years left in Italy, but most likely somewhere in Arizona, New Mexico, or Georgia when we return to the States. He’ll have about 4.5 years left until retirement once we move back.”
“I believe what makes our relationship so special is that it was built on a solid foundation of friendship. We’re truly best friends, we’ve grown up together, and we still know how to have fun and make each other laugh. Living this military life, mostly overseas and far from family, has made us grow even more. We were just 19 when we got married and moved to England, and we’ve had to face a lot of challenges. But those trials taught us how to work together, rely on each other, and strengthen our bond. We deeply value one another and always come together as a team.”
This sign has been taken down, as the three needed employees have been hired.
The former Walgreens store at 23rd and South Main Street will soon be filled with lots of excited kids.
Submitted photo.
Jumpy Jumpland is coming to Fort Scott in that building.
Their opening weekend is August 15-17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The grand opening weekend is free to public for a preview of what the business has to offer, said Heather Sims, district manager.
“We have indoor inflatables, fun for the whole family,” Sims said.
Submitted photo.
In addition to the many inflatables, they have a snack bar.
“We do birthday parties and Open Jumps, where anyone can come and play for $7 for as long as Open Jump is open.”
There are two choices for birthday parties: deluxe for $200, which has a one-hour jump time and then 45 minutes in the party area; and supreme at $240, which has 1.5 hours of playtime and 45 minutes in the party area.
They can bring outside food and beverages, but no party supplies can be brought into Open Jump.
Submitted photo.
Currently, there are three employees, she said. “Two people per shift. We want eyes on the bounce floor at all times.”
Their hours of operation: Fridays are Open Jump from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon are available party times, then from noon to 2 is Open Jump, followed by times for parties. The last party of the day starts at 7:30 p.m.
“We chose Fort Scott because it doesn’t have a lot for kids to do,” she said. “We wanted to bring something to them.”
Jumpy Jumpland rents the building from Jake’s Fireworks. Starting the first weekend in June, they will move out and then move back in on the first weekend in August, she said. Jake’s Fireworks’ high sales season is June through August.
“Join us for Open Jump, games, and awesome prizes – we can’t wait to see you there!” said Jessica Benford, marketing director for the To book parties and celebrations, email at jumpyjumpland.com
Their address is 2229 S. Main Street, inside the Jake’s Fireworks building.
About Jumpy Jump Land
Who We Are
Jumpy Jump Land is the premier bounce-house party destination in the Wichita area, offering vibrant indoor play spaces filled with colorful obstacle courses, tall slides, and multiple bounce houses. We host both private parties by reservation and Open Jump sessions where families can drop in and play.
Where We Started
We opened our first location in Andover, Kansas, in 2015. Since then, Jumpy Jump Land has grown into a local favorite and expanded to five locations: Andover, Bel Aire, Haysville, El Dorado – and now, Fort Scott, opening August 15!
Who Owns It
Jumpy Jump Land is owned and operated as a Kansas limited liability company: JUMPY JUMP LAND, LLC.
Why We Do What We Do
Our mission is to create unforgettable moments for kids and families through safe, clean, and energetic indoor fun. We’re passionate about providing a stress-free venue where hosts can truly enjoy birthdays, reunions, corporate events, and more – while kids jump, play, and burn off energy.
The Buck Run Community Center came into being after the YMCA building was torn down in 1974. The “Y” had served the Fort Scott community for almost seven decades since it was built in 1907.
Members of the board of the Fort Scott YMCA, in a photo dated 1975. The photo is taken from a program booklet, authored by Pat Henry. The members of this board who also served on the original Neighborhood Facility, which was opened in 1975: are front row, from left Les Hinkley; Harry Fisher, second from right; and Curt Shankel, right. Second row from left, second person is Albert Hill, to his right is Jack Eshelbrenner. Gloria Key and Beth King are not in this picture.
In 1975, the Neighborhood Center, which was its original name of Buck Run Community Center, was built at 735 Scott Avenue.
Serving on the first board were Jack Eshelbrenner, Harry Fisher, Albert Hill, Les Hinkley, Gloria Key, and Beth King.
From the dedication program booklet for the new Neighborhood Center, 1975.
Buck Run Community Center celebrates 50 years in Fort Scott this year.
The Center is located east of the Fort Scott swimming pool, and can be seen by passers-by from Hwy. 69.
It continues today to serve the community with recreation programs for all ages and, during winter months, acts as a warming station for those who need it.
Through the years, the original bandshell was transformed into a stage in the Corey Larson Gymnasium. There is a fitness center, another gym, a racquetball court, a kitchen, a lounge, some general-purpose rooms, storage areas, and an office.
In the Corey Larson Gym, there is a stage available and a small adjacent kitchen.
Beth King Nuss was the first director in 1975.
“It’s a pivotal place in the community…as a meeting place for people and organizations,” Nuss said.
Lucas Kelley, the current director of Buck Run Community Center, said, “The Center provides a safe place for families, groups to come together and make memories. Just about every weekend, there is a birthday celebration, wedding or baby shower, family reunion, or funeral dinner. There are also skate parties, where for $20 you can rent skates for your group and rent the gym for $40 for three hours, if a kid is having a birthday.”
Here is what is offered to the community: handicap-accessible services, with a full-sized basketball court and two regulation volleyball courts. The structure also has a tumbling/gymnastics and aerobics room upstairs, as well as a weight room and fitness center. Picklball and racquetball are also played there, according to its website. There is another pickleball outdoor court at 9th and Burke Street, by the water tower.
Buck Run Community Center is having a Back to School Bash with free backpack giveaways on Saturday, August 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To learn more about the Buck Run Community Center’s current programs/activities:
