All posts by Loretta George

Government, Kansas

Ken Collins Kansas State Representative-Second District Newsletter

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Ken Collins. Submitted photo.

 

Thoughts From Under the Dome

Ken Collins

Kansas State Representative-Second District

 

 

Benny’s Bill was passed unanimously in the Senate as I have previously reported and was bundled in conference committee with three other public safety measures and is now on the way to Governor Kelly’s desk for approval. The package combines several good pieces of legislation and was done in the memory of the late Representative John Resman. The bill includes:

 

Benny’s Bill (HB2412): Elevate child endangerment charges from a misdemeanor to a felony if the victim is under the age of six.

 

Electronic Monitoring for Domestic Violence (HB2479)

 

Blackmail and Deepfake Protections (HB2594): Expands blackmail laws to include threats involving images especially involving minors including cases involving AI.

 

Position of Authority Law (HB2762): Strengthens law prohibiting sexual relations with students by clarifying adults in positions of authority at schools.

 

The Pharmacy Benefit Manager bill (SB 360) that I have previously mentioned was recently passed by the House under the new designation of SB 20. This bill puts some much needed regulation on the PBM monopoly that currently exists in this country. The House vote on this measure was 104-17 and it is now headed to the Governor for her signature.

 

Recently the House voted on and rejected by a vote of 46-75 was House Bill 2527. The purpose of HB 2527 was to restrict registered sex offenders from entering school property. That is a goal that I think that almost everyone would support but the bill did not address some of the possible scenarios that could come about and thus could cause unintended consequences. I voted no and I believe that was why most of my colleagues did as well.

 

The House and Senate are both adjourned until April 9th when we return for veto session. I would like to remind everyone that I have two legislative update events planned. The first one will be at the Mulberry Senior Citizens Center on Monday April 13th at 6:30 with the other one a week later on April 20th at the Galesburg Community Center. Ad Astra Per Aspera.

 

 

Bourbon County, Youth

Bourbon County CASA is currently in need of volunteers

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Sending on behalf of Chamber Member
Bourbon County CASA

When a child enters foster care, everything changes — their home, their school, their routines… and often the adults in their life.

A CASA Volunteer may be the only consistent adult showing up just for them.

Be the steady voice.

Be the one who shows up.

Bourbon County CASA is currently in need of volunteers who are willing to make a difference in a child’s life. Your time and compassion can provide stability, advocacy, and hope when it matters most.

If you feel called to serve, we would love to visit with you about how you can get involved.

Contact Christa at

(620) 215-2769

or email

Christa@bourboncountycasa.com

to learn more.

One caring adult can change everything.

Will it be you?

Click HERE to visit the

Bourbon County CASA

Facebook Page!

Click HERE to visit the

Kansas CASA Association

website!
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members shown below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com
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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
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Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Google Business 101 Is March 31

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The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to host Business-Building Workshop #2

designed to help your business grow smarter and stronger.

Google Business 101
Tuesday, March 31st ~ 1:30-2:30 PM

📍Sleep Inn & Suites Conference Room

302 E. Wall St., Fort Scott

Chamber Members

$10 per workshop

Non-Members

$20 per workshop

Register online by clicking below

or call the Chamber at 620-223-3566!

Visit our website for more info at fortscott.com !
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

About the class

Google Business 101

Learn how to improve your business visibility in local searches, build customer trust, and make your Google Business profile work for you.

About the presenter

Sara Comer, owner of Gracefully Managed of Columbus, KS has presented workshops and offers remote training around the region on topics such as e-commerce, websites, & social media.

This workshop is brought to you by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, made possible through Network Kansas and our Bourbon County eCommunity program.
DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER – CLICK HERE!

Click HERE to visit

Gracefully Managed LLC

Facebook Page!

Click HERE to visit the

Gracefully Managed LLC

website!
A special thank you to our Chamber Champion members below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com
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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
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Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Young Professional League Restarts In Fort Scott, Next Social Hour is March 24

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Arlo Simon. Submitted photo.
A new generation of young people has reorganized to serve the Fort Scott community through an organization called Young Professional League.
Eighteen years ago, the group was started, and with the  COVID Pandemic, YPL membership dwindled.
Late last year, a different group picked up the ideals to serve the community.

 

They have a mission and motivation to serve.
“The mission of the Young Professionals League is to be adaptive advocates of a better community through progressive partnerships and networking,” according to its new president, Arlo Simon.
“The motivation to restart The Young Professionals League came from a drive to serve the community and provide support, in various ways,” Simon said.
“Our vision is to be a catalyst for a better community,” she said.
“We have meetings on the first Friday of every month in the Celebration Room inside Papa Don’s Pizza (10 N.Main), at noon. We also have a social hour at various local restaurants once a month. Our next one will be Tuesday, March 24 at La Hacienda Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.”
Submitted photo of a recent YPL meeting.
“Our target audience to join YPL would be anyone interested in being a part of like-minded people who have an interest in bettering the community,” Simon said. “The age range for joining: 17-year-old high school seniors (who may have an interest in business) as well as up to 45-year-old individuals.”
The current leadership team is Simon as president, Hunter Witt as vice president, Taylor Bailey as secretary, Stevia Ratcliff as treasurer, Tabitha Castleberry as communications and Henry Witt as events.
Submitted photos of a recent Young Professional League meeting at The Kitchen Collaborative.

History of YPL In Fort Scott

Eighteen years ago the group was founded by Jamie Armstrong, Gary Palmer, along with Kenny and Megan Felt, to name just a few.

“YPL was launched by a small group of young professionals in the fall of 2008,” said Jamie Armstrong.  We hosted a large group of local young professionals, and Kendall Gammon, former long-snapper for the K.C. Chiefs, was our speaker.”

“It was a moment to capture a common sense of community and connection, and it served as a great catalyst to our launch. We started off focused on economic development, community service, civic engagement and social connections.”

“Over the next seventeen years, we served many community roles, and we grew. Until we didn’t,” Armstrong said.

” Many of us shifted out of leadership roles in YPL and into other community and civic responsibility and our purpose changed. Post COVID Pandemic, the membership has dwindled, and we disbanded. I am thrilled to see young professionals like Henry and Hunter Witt and others coming back to the table to once again talk about the future of this amazing community we live in.”

Fort Scott, Gordon Parks Museum, History

Gordon Parks Museum receives Historic Yearbooks and Two Glass Dish Artifacts

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Fort Scott, Kan. – The Gordon Parks Museum has received a rare donation of historic items connected to the early life and legacy of Gordon Parks. The donation includes a 1926 Plaza School-Fort Scott yearbook, a 1925 Fort Scott High School yearbook, and two glass dishes, generously given by Cheri Dixon, a longtime family friend of Parks. Dixon, a former resident of Fort Scott, Kansas, now resides in Smyrna, Georgia.

 

The 1926 Plaza School-Fort Scott yearbook belonged to Dixon’s grandmother, Louella (Russell) Hill, a lifelong resident of Fort Scott. Hill graduated from the eighth grade at Plaza School in 1926 and was both a classmate and lifelong friend of Gordon Parks. Parks attended the segregated Plaza School from kindergarten through eighth grade at what was formerly 111 Hendricks Street, located on the east side of what is now the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

 

The yearbook is particularly significant because it is the same year Parks graduated from the eighth grade, and his graduation photograph appears in the book. The 50-page publication provides insight into student life at Plaza School during the 1920s, including academics, athletics, and school activities.

 

Also included in the donation is a 1925 Fort Scott High School yearbook that belonged to Dixon’s grandfather, Clarence Hill, who graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1925.

 

In addition to the yearbooks, Dixon donated two glass dishes that appear in a well-known photograph taken by Gordon Parks of Clarence and Louella Hill inside their Fort Scott home. In the photograph, Louella Hill is holding one of the dishes. The image was taken in 1950 as part of Parks’ assignment for Life magazine for photo essay, when he returned to Fort Scott to do a story on segregated schools and follow up on the lives of his former classmates from Plaza School. The photograph later appeared in the 2015 book Gordon Parks: Back to Fort Scott.

 

The items were donated in honor of Louella Russell Hill, Shirley Hill Hutt, and the Cheri Dixon family.

 

“We are beyond excited to receive these incredible historic items from Cheri Dixon,” said Kirk Sharp, Executive Director of the Gordon Parks Museum. “The 1925 Plaza School yearbook, will offer valuable insight into the history of the school and student life during that time in the 1920s when Gordon Parks attended school there.”

 

The Plaza School was later renamed Hawkins School in 1946 in honor of Professor E. J. Hawkins, a longtime educator, administrator, and coach at the institution. The original two-story school building with a full basement was demolished during an urban renewal project in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today, a memorial wayside marker recognizing the school stands at the Fort Scott National Historic Site recreational vehicle parking lot behind the Chamber of Commerce building.

 

MORE

The newly donated yearbooks, along with other Plaza-Hawkins School artifacts and the glass dishes, are now on display at the Gordon Parks Museum on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

 

For more information or to schedule a museum visit or tour, contact the Gordon Parks Museum at (620) 223-2700, ext. 5850, or email gordonparkscenter@fortscott.edu.

(Left to Right) Kirk Sharp and Cheri Dixon at her home in Smyrna, GA, holding the 1926 Plaza School Year book.

1925 Fort Scott High School Crimson Yearbook.

 

 

(Photo Left to Right) Kirk Sharp and Cheri Dixon at her home in Smyrna, GA, holding one of the dishes and the book Back to Fort Scott which features the 1950 photograph taken by Gordon Parks in the home of her grandparents, Louella and Clarence Hill, while her grandmother is holding one of the same dishes. The photo below is an image of the photo that Gordon Parks took in 1950.

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Obituary

Kai Nelson Obituary

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     Kai Alexander Nelson, age 3, of Nevada, MO passed from this life on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Ft. Scott, KS.

Born August 20, 2022, in Winfield, KS, Kai was the “Most beautiful boy in the world, a big ball of joy with an infectious laugh you will never forget.”

Kai is survived by his loving parents Blake Ryan and Annabelle Nobellee (Swisher) Nelson of Nevada; his grandparents, Paul Swisher, Derby, KS, Samantha Stewart, Ft. Scott, KS, James Nelson, Nevada, and Christina Ellzey, Nevada.

Memorial services was held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada with Pastor Jeff Fagins officiating.

Memorials are suggested to the family in c/o Ferry Funeral Home.

Fort Scott Community College, Government

FSCC Trustees Meet at Noon on March 13

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FORT SCOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING

BURRIS HALL

MARCH 13, 2026 – 12:00 P.M.

PUBLIC AGENDA

 

1.0 CALL MEETING TO ORDER – CHAIR

2.0 FLAG SALUTE & INVOCATION

3.0 APPROVAL OF OFFICIAL AGENDA                                    (ACTION)

4.0 APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA                                  (ACTION)

4.1 Minutes

  • February 13, 2026, Board of Trustees Special Meeting
  • February 16, 2026, Board of Trustees Meeting
  • March 02, 2026, Board of Trustees Special Meeting

4.2 Financials – Cash Flow Report

4.3  Check Register – $815,849.56

4.4  Payroll – February 13, 2026 – $635,461.17

4.5  Contract Ratification

  • Contract for FRAME Grant Duplexes
  • KASB Legal Assistance Fund 2026-27

5.0 COMMUNITY, EMPLOYEE, AND STUDENT RECOGNITION                                                                                                      (INFORMATION)

5.1 Program Review – TRIO

5.2 Recognition: Trustee Emeritus

5.3 Recognition: Students

6.0 LEADERSHIP REPORTS & UPDATES                  (INFORMATION)

7.0 OLD BUSINESS

7.1 State of the College address will be:

  • May 21st at 12 pm in the Ellis Fine Arts building                                                                                (INFORMATION)

7.2 Employee Scholarships 2026-2027                      (ACTION)

7.3 Agreement – STARS                                                      (ACTION)

8.0 NEW BUSINESS

8.1 Farm and Ranch Management Certificates      (ACTION)

8.2 Pharmacy Technician Certificate                          (ACTION)

9.0 PUBLIC FORUM

 

 

10.0 EXECUTIVE SESSION – SECURITY MEASURES

10.1 Enter Executive Session                                          (ACTION)

10.2 Exit Executive Session – Return to Open Session                                                                                                       (INFORMATION)

11.0 PERSONNEL

11.1 Enter Executive Session – Personnel Matters                                                                                                                     (ACTION)

11.2 Exit Executive Session – Return to Open Session                                                                                                      (INFORMATION)

11.3 Employment Matters of Non-Elected Personnel                                                                                                                     (ACTION)

12.0 BOARD COMMENTS

13.0 ADJOURN                                                                                    (ACTION)

Bourbon County, Bourbon County Sheriff's Office

Three-Year-Old Dies in a Fort Scott Fire on March 10

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The fire was on Jewell Street south and west of Fort Scott.

Bourbon County emergency personnel were dispatched to a structure fire in the 2300 block of Jewell Street, just southeast of Fort Scott, at around 5:30 a.m. on March 10.

 

“A three-year-old child died from this incident,” said Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this child.”

 

The Kansas State Fire Marshal was notified of the fire and will assist the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation, Martin said.

The fire aftermath on Jewell Street in Fort Scott.

A relative of the deceased child sent this to fortscott.biz for publishing.

“I’m Aireal Knoblauch, and I’m reaching out because our family is going through an unimaginable tragedy and we are hoping the community might be able to help.

Earlier this week, a house fire in Fort Scott, Kansas took the life of my 3-year-old nephew, Kai. Kai was a joyful little boy who loved Blippi and excavators and meant the world to everyone who knew him. His parents and our family are Nevada, Missouri natives, and our hearts are completely shattered. The fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire. In the same fire, Kai’s grandmother, Samantha, also lost her home and nearly everything she owned. Our family has created two GoFundMe fundraisers  one to help with Kai’s funeral expenses and another to help Samantha begin rebuilding after losing her home and belongings. We are hoping you might be willing to help share their story and the fundraisers to encourage community support. Even simply helping spread the word could make a huge difference for our family during this incredibly difficult time.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any help you may be able to provide.

Sincerely,
Aireal Knoblauch (Kai’s aunt) 
620-441-8400

Kai’s Funeral GoFundMe: 

Samantha’s Rebuilding GoFundMe: 

 

Exercise, Fort Scott, Sports

Buck Run Community Center Expands Fitness Center

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The fitness center at Buck Run will be expanded to a space to the north, which currently houses a racquetball court..
The Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue, will expand its fitness center.
“We will be moving all of our cardio equipment into the racquetball room to provide more space for equipment in the fitness center. We will be adding a new set of dumbbells, new Olympic Bench Press, another functional trainer, a set of straight bars,  and a Glute Drive Machine,” said Lucas Kelley, BRCC’s Recreation Director.”
“We are repurposing the space of the racquetball court. This is due to the lack of use of the racquetball court and the uptick in our Fitness Center Memberships. When I started, BRCC had around 400 members, and today we are just over 700. “
The changes will start next week.
“These changes will begin taking place March 16, and are expected to be completed by March 20. Fitness Center member use will not be impacted by this remodel, we will continue to be open 24/7. This is financed by the revenue generated from our memberships.”
‘We are excited to keep enhancing the Fitness Experience at Buck Run,” Kelly said.
Buck Run offers t-ball, baseball, and softball leagues, group exercises, Taekwondo, youth track,  an annual weight loss competition, STEM Club and holds events such as the Princess Tea Party on April 25.
To learn more: call
620.223.0386.
Lucas Kelley.
Fort Scott

Sounds of Gunshots and Windows/Doors Rattling Last Night In Fort Scott

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The Fort Scott Police Department’s electric sign. The department is located at 1604 S. National Avenue.

Several residents of Fort Scott called the Fort Scott Police Department last night, March 5, to report the sound of gunshots.

“At 9 p.m., calls started coming in,” said Jason Eastwood with the Fort Scott Police Department. “Several people heard the sounds of windows and doors rattling and a racket that sounded like gunshots, around the same time.”

“We followed up by looking around town. There was no particular place it came from. Numerous reports from the east and west sides of town.”

The entire shift of police officers was driving around town, and  Eastwood believes the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office was assisting, as well.

“The majority of calls were from the 12th Street to 18th Street blocks of our town,” he said.

There was no evidence of guns or fireworks in searching for the cause of the sounds, he said.

If anyone has any information, contact the Fort Scott Police Department. at 620.223.1700.

 

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Jobs, Youth

Young Entrepreneur Moves Forward with His Business: A-Z Odd Jobs

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Max Blubaugh. Submitted photo.

A local Fort Scott Community College student is moving forward with skills he has developed on his own, called A-Z Odd Jobs.

“I grew up helping my grandpa, Mark Tucker,  on his cattle farm, and that is where I learned how to operate the tools I now use every day,” Max Blubaugh said. “I’ve grown up in Fort Scott, and I love being present in Bourbon County. I like to transform properties for people and give them something to be proud of.”

“I offer a wide range of services,” he said. “I do small-scale construction projects, limb/tree/brush removal, junk removal, heavy lifting, lawn care/mowing, snow removal, and anything on your ‘honey do’ list. Anything from A-Z!”
He is a 2025 graduate of  Fort Scott Christian Heights.
“I am currently in my second semester at FSCC. I plan to eventually transfer to Pittsburg State University to major in construction management.”
“This has been my part-time job since I started my business in my junior year, but I didn’t try to do things consistently until the summer following my senior year. I realized there was a need for the type of work I do, and decided to push things more. Things have been picking up as of late.  I’m busy, but I would like to be busier! I am not currently an LLC, but that is coming soon.”
He can be reached at 620.215.3459.
His grandparents are Mark and Brenda Tucker and Dave and Shelia Blubaugh, and his parents are Brad and Bethany Blubaugh, all of Fort Scott.
He is involved in the community as an active member of Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
The top photo shows the area before Max Blubaugh cleaned it. The bottom photo is the spot after. Submitted photos. This example shows his ability to change the look of properties by cleaning out debris and brush.

Business, Fort Scott

Merl Humphrey Retired From One Job, But Still Creating Photographs

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Merle Humphrey Photography is located at 5 N. Main, Fort Scott.

Merl Humphrey retired from Farmer’s Insurance on December 31, 2025. But he is not retiring from this side gig, Merl Humphrey Photography, 5 N. Main, in Fort Scott’s Historic Downtown District.

In 1971, he started working for Farmer’s Insurance.

“I took over an agency of H.B. Marr,” he said. “John Lewis assumed part of the agency.”

He has been working as a photographer since 1992.

“I was friends with Mike Henry, and he asked if I’d like to do weddings with him. He taught me a lot.”

“I’ve taken courses and have a pretty good working knowledge of photography. When he left town, I put up a sign in the window and started getting a lot of calls to do photography. It’s been a good support business.”

“The photography business has always been appointment only,” he said. “I also do photo restoration services. Not on the original image, but I can make a representative of what they had before.”

“I like to make photos of people in formal attire and formal settings. Also lifestyle photography. I prefer shooting indoors…generational photos, high school seniors.”

“My dad, Edward Humphrey, was a family photographer in Hume, MO. He ran the grocery store in the 1950s and 60s. It was something he did. I got the bug being in the dark room with him. It was magic.”

 

 

Future Plans For The Building

He will be reconfiguring his storefront into two parts.

The north part, with a front counter, separate office, storage,  and bathroom, will eventually be for rent for a business. The dimensions are approximately 40 by 18 feet.

“Several people have been interested,” Humphrey said.

The front office space is slated for completion by summer, he said.

The south part, as one walks in the front glass door, will lead to his photography business, which has another door on the east side of the building on Old Fort Blvd.

In addition, he is working on a project to renovate the second floor of the building into an accommodation rental.

“Possibly a vacation rental or a monthly rental,” he said. It has a timeline for completion of approximately 60 days.

The building was built in the late 1800s and has been a stable, restaurant, shoe store, antique shop, and dentist’s office, he said.

 

Humphey can be reached at 620.223.4150 or 620.224.6843 or

merlhumphrey4150@yahoo.com