All posts by Loretta George
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 9
Gugnani Earns a Perfect ACT Score
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/shekhar-gugnani-745x750.jpg)
A Fort Scott High School senior has scored a perfect score of 36 on the American College Test. The test is a standardized one used for college admissions in the United States.
Shekhar Gugnani, 18, took the ACT in February of 2021.
“Shekhar is the first student in Fort Scott High School history to achieve a perfect score of 36 on the ACT,” Fort Scott High SchoolJr. and Sr. Counselor Josh Messer said. “He has also taken one of the most rigorous course loads possible while in high school. He has taken numerous classes through Fort Scott Community College during his high school career.”
“Shekhar is also a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, Messer said. “This distinction is based on his scores on the PSAT test he took as a Junior. To be a finalist, he is in the top 7,500 of students to take the test in the nation. He will find out if he is a National Merit Scholarship recipient later this month.”
![](https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif)
He is the son of Sonia and Dr. P.K. Gugnani.
The following is from a fortscott.biz interview with Gugnani:
What did you do to prepare for the ACT?
“It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I started taking a lot of practice tests, focusing more on evaluating my weaknesses and trying to increase my score. After taking a practice test, I would sit down, look at what I missed, and then try to learn the concepts so I wouldn’t miss a similar question. It took a lot of rigorous training and holding myself accountable for every mistake, but in the end, it was all worth it.”
Did you take it more than once?
“Yeah. The first time I took it in high school was as a junior in October 2020, and I scored a 34. I retook the test in February of the following year (2021) because the test was free for all juniors. That was the test that I scored a perfect 36 on.”
What are your future plans?
“I’m still weighing my options on what college I plan to attend, but I know that I want to pursue a career as a doctor. I hope to one day gain admission into medical school, complete residency, and settle down to practice medicine.”
Are there people who have helped you attain this honor?
“Absolutely. I would say my primary influences were definitely my parents since they always pushed me to be the best version of myself. They motivated me to take practice tests, and sometimes they even helped me find my errors or come up with strategies to pace myself on the test (since it is timed). My teachers were also really influential, specifically my previous AP Calculus teacher, Jeff Armstrong. He was always willing to lend a hand wherever he could, and a lot of his trigonometry lessons helped greatly on the exam. I’d also like to thank my brothers, Neil and Raj, as well as my close friends, for always providing moral support throughout all of my endeavors.”
When will you find out about the National Merit Scholarship?
“I was already named one of 15,000 finalists in the program in February; starting this month, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation will designate about half of those people as scholarship winners, receiving $2,500 each. Being a finalist, some colleges will offer their own scholarships just for attaining this status.”
What will that mean to you?
“Regardless of the scholarship, being a finalist is a huge honor to me. It not only solidifies my name in this exemplary academic program, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment, knowing that my hard work has paid off. I came from a small but mighty town, and together with those around me, I was able to rise up and achieve national recognition.”
Freedom Farm Is Working Towards Agri-Tourism and Collaborations
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Gary-and-Kylene-Palmer-2-750x396.jpg)
As a family unit, Kylene and Gary Palmer and their daughters, are in the process of turning their farm near Fort Scott into a business model that is a resource for consumers and producers.
Many of the plans on Freedom Farm are “projects in motion”, said Kylene.
“We haven’t ‘arrived’ yet, she said, but they do have thoughtful plans and projects that they are currently seeking grants to build.
“We want to build a resource and outlet for local farmers that have sustainable practices to sell straight to consumers,” she said.” We are working on formulating the structure for a co-op that is both beneficial to the consumer and producer.”
“We are constructing a central hub at our farm to host farm tours, educational programs, a small market for local farmers and a certified kitchen as a resource for farmers, among other things,” Palmer said.
“We are super excited about the grant we received from the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team,” she said. “We plan to use those funds to build a freezer/cooler in order to have space to ramp up production of our meat and eggs.”
They have dreams of a small, by appointment only, on-farm restaurant.
“The idea there is less about a restaurant and more about connecting consumers to local farmers,” she said. “We would love to have guest chefs from our local community and surrounding areas to keep things new and exciting and really make it a community offering.”
Agricultural bus tours are on the horizon for Freedom Farms.
“We have been doing much building and property maintenance to work towards that goal of hosting agriculture bus tours as one of the stops here in Bourbon County,” she said. “We are signed up for the Big Kansas Road trip in May for anyone wanting to stop by and visit or ask questions.”
“One of the many ways the certified kitchen would be put into use would be to offer on-farm lunch to the bus tour participants,” she said. “We would love to work together with local farms to achieve that goal.”
Currently, Freedom Farm produces and sells eggs, pastured poultry, lamb, and a minimal amount of goat.
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211225_141313-563x750.jpg)
“It is a family affair, ” she said. “I do most of the day-to-day chores along with help from our children. My eldest daughter has started her own lamb herd and another daughter is in the beginning stages of growing her goat herd. Gary oversees the planning and marketing and is involved every day after work hours. Everyone is involved at many different levels and we hope to employ others as we grow.”
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG-6184-563x750.jpg)
Dancers Purchase Downtown Scottish Rite Temple
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_20220223_134410924-563x750.jpg)
so we can better assess the condition of the building and mechanical systems,” she said. “Once electricity and water are in place, we can begin to better evaluate the interior and formalize plans to repurpose the ground floor space.”
FSHS Talking Tigers: Three National Qualifiers
Kansas Archeology Training Program Registration Opens
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
June 3-18, 2022
TOPEKA— The Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association announced that registration is now open for the Kansas Archeology Training Program (KATP), which will be held at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, in Topeka, June 3-18, 2022. The public can register online through kshs.org through May 31, 2022. Participation is limited per day and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
The annual field school will partner with the park and the National Park Service’s Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC). The park includes the Monroe Elementary School and commemorates the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s legal segregation. This landmark victory for civil rights in America helped inspire the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Monroe Elementary School was built in 1927; the previous Monroe School was built in 1874. Both were intended as segregated schools for Black children, which provide a broader historical context to the location prior to the 1954 court decision.
The goal of this year’s field school is to expand knowledge of the school property from the early years when it was purchased by John Ritchie in 1855 and later when the current Monroe Elementary School was built. This will be an opportunity to explore structures buried on the property that once stood near the earlier Monroe School. Little is known regarding the preservation of these structures. Through archeology better understanding can be gained about those who lived in the school neighborhood. This project will help tell of the crucial time between the Civil War and the Civil Rights era, which profoundly impacted people’s lives throughout the nation. Research goals will be shaped by input from the National Park Service to assist in telling this story and gaining more understanding about the surrounding community.
The annual field school is an opportunity for the public to work alongside professional and avocational archeologists in finding and excavating archeological sites and processing the resulting artifacts. This year’s artifacts found at the site will be processed in the Kansas Historical Society’s archeology laboratory. No experience is necessary—just a desire to learn. Volunteers can attend a few days or the entire field school. Participants must be at least 12 years old, and children aged 12-17 must be accompanied by a parent or sponsor.
The registration fee for members of the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association is $35 for standard participants, $25 for participants 65 or older, and $15 for all students currently enrolled at a middle school, high school, or college. For individuals that are not members of either organization, the fee is $90.
A full schedule of evening programs will be held in Topeka; a tentative schedule will be posted online. Admission to the programs is free and open to the public. Please note, the field school is closed on Mondays (June 6 and June 13), which is a great opportunity for participants to explore the area. There is potential for other scheduled programming on these days.
For more information contact Nikki Klarmann, [email protected]; 785-272-8681, ext. 266; kshs.org/katp.
# # #
Connect with us!
Our website: kshs.org
Facebook: facebook.com/kansashistorical
Twitter: twitter.com/kansashistory
Instagram: instagram.com/kansas_history
Lassoed Memories Opens New Studio:Grand Opening March 12
To contact George, phone: 620-381-4783 her Facebook page: Erika George Photography or by email: [email protected]
Knights of Columbus Annual Friday Fish Fry Starts Today
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/fish-fry-knights-of-columbus-3-750x563.jpg)
The Knights of Columbus will host their annual Lenten Fish Fry each Friday starting today.
The March 4th & 11th meals will be drive-thru only.
“The first two (Friday meals) will be a practice run since we only did two last year,” Mark McCoy, spokesman for the group said. The COVID 19 Pandemic prevented more meals served.
The drive-thru starts at 5 pm and serves until 6:30 pm.
The ladies of Mary Queen of Angel parish bake wonderful desserts and many varieties of cakes, pies, and cookies will be offered.
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/fish-fry-knights-of-columbus-2-750x563.jpg)
The menu is:
Hope, Patience, Prayer by Patty LaRoche
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/DSC_2806-1.jpg)
Romans 12:12. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
A few years ago, I had flown to Mazatlán to help Dave make the 24-hour drive back to Fort Scott. This time we remembered where most of the faulty toll road signs were located, saving ourselves our typical, “Where are we and how do we get back on the highway?” frustration which had, in the past, cost us a few additional hours of travel.
It was my turn to drive. About 30 miles from the border, Dave and I began discussing which of the two entry points we should use: Columbia, smaller and less popular but fifteen minutes further, or Nuevo Laredo, closer but much larger. When a truck with Texas plates passed us, I took it as an omen to follow that driver. We would trust the Texan to know the quicker route.
He opted for Laredo. Following him gave me great comfort because the various signs were confusing, not to mention the curves and turns and multiple stop lights. The only thing we knew was that the United States was to the north, the right.
But then the lead car turned left. Not the way to the border. Probably the way to the drug cartel. We were now on our own. Hope. Patience. Prayer.
Three stop lights later, I rolled down my window and asked the driver in the next lane if he could point us to the border. “Follow me,” he said, and I did. My husband noticed the man was driving on an emergency spare tire, a dangerous way to enter America, if you ask me. Several stop lights later, our new amigo exited his car and ran back to my window. “Go right at the next corner,” he said, and with that, he pulled into an XOXO, the Mexico version of Quik Trip. “Poor guy limped along as far as he could to help us,” I told Dave. “Or that’s where he was headed the entire time,” I was told.
Someone was cranky. Still, Hope. Patience. Prayer.
I made a right turn, and there we were—completely lost. No matter what U.S.-tagged car I trailed, none were headed to Texas. Zigging and zagging, I managed to tick off several Mexicans who typically are used to drivers making illegal U-turns. By now we had spent an hour on this, our “quicker” trip, and my hope, patience and prayer had disappeared.
About the time I was ready to park our van in the middle of the street and make Dave drive, we rounded a corner, and there they were: toll booths. We were close. Handing the lady my pesos, I asked, “United States?” I’m sure she wanted to answer, “No, Dummy. It’s France,” but Mexicans don’t have the same propensity to sarcasm like we Americans– or perhaps she noticed I was close to tears–so she smiled and said, “Si.”
I would like to tell you that was the end of my lesson in hope, patience and prayer. Not even close. For over an hour we jockeyed with hundreds of other cars, vying for the quickest toll booth, only to end up with Barney Fife for our border agent. After answering his “Do you have any fruits or vegetables?” question with, “Yes, we have some apples,” we were told, “That’s not good.” We were to open all our doors so he could inspect what other contraband or people we had hidden in our vehicle.
I threatened to jump out of my car and warn the unfortunate drivers who had picked my lane to choose any booth but this one, but Dave told me that we were close to crossing the border and if I showed my true colors, we were going to get arrested, so I needed to be patient.
Let’s see. Get arrested or show patience. I’d call it a tie.
Obituary of Dustin Johnson
Dustin James Johnson, age 37, died Sunday, February 27, 2022. He was born on April 4, 1984 in Fort Scott, Kansas the son of Randy and Bobbie Francis Johnson.
He graduated from Uniontown High School. He served his country in the United States Navy.
Dustin was employed as a maintenance supervisor with Seats Incorporated, Spring Hill, Kansas. He attended the Pleasanton Church of the Nazarene.
There was not a thing Dustin couldn’t build or fix. He worked with wood, constructed solar panels, and fixed or rebuilt engines. He was “handy” in every sense of the word.
He liked shooting pool, two-stepping, collecting and shooting guns and was learning to play guitar.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Glenn Francis and Billie Wilson, and paternal grandfather, Ed Johnson.
Dustin is survived by his mother, Bobbie Brown and husband Howard; father, Randy Johnson; children, Tristin and Adrianna; brother, Glenn Johnson and wife Michell; niece, Adeline; nephew, Cooper, stepbrother Shannon Brown; stepsister, Leslie Doering, and several cousins that were more like siblings.
Graveside funeral service will be held 2 pm Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the Wesley Chapel Cemetery.
A visitation and gathering will be held after the graveside from 3:30 to 5 pm at the Pleasanton Nazarene Church.
Contributions are suggested the Uniontown High School FFA or Wounded Warrior Project. Online condolences can be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com.
Labor/Housing and Retail Studies To Be Conducted By Bourbon County Eco Devo
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Headshot.png)
There is a shortage of workers and also quality housing in the county.
The Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) organization is working to address that problem.
![](https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/landmark-bank-2022-750x379.jpg)
“They will also be giving the REDI Board a strategic plan based on the data we receive,” he said REDI is paying for the study