The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office daily reports can best be viewed on a computer.
The office can be reached at (620) 223-2380.
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Linda June Hurd Riley, age 75, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital in Ft. Scott.
She was born September 5, 1942, in Fort Scott, the daughter of Grant Wesley Wiggans and Osa Lavetta Morrow Wiggans.
Linda first married Willis L. Hurd on September 27, 1958, at Fort Scott. He preceded her in death on December 14, 2011.
Following his death, Linda married Richard Riley on April 6, 2013. Linda and Richard enjoyed six years of marriage.
In earlier years, Linda had worked in the cafeteria of both the Junior and Senior High Schools. She later retired from Smico-Norvell after many years of employment. Linda and Richard attended both the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene and Diamond Community Church.
Linda enjoyed the fun times spent with her family and friends. She enjoyed nature and liked to spend time outdoors.
Survivors include her husband, Richard, of the home; three grandchildren, Ryan Robison, Charles Robison and Jayden Robison, all of Ft. Scott and a great-granddaughter, Elena Robison. Also surviving are her step-children, Christine Bosley and husband, Gary, of Ft. Scott, Belinda Yockey, of Joplin, Missouri, Nathan Riley of Newark, Ohio and Carol Johnson and husband, Mike, of Lawrence, Kansas; several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, a sister, Nancy Kelly, of Springfield, Missouri and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her first husband, Willis, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Barbara Gibbs, a son, Charles “Chuck” Hurd, a great-grandson, Benjamin Robison; four brothers, Earl, Virgil, Don and Robert Wiggans and two sisters, Helen Lunday and Lois Wiggans.
Linda’s niece, Lavetta Simmons, will conduct graveside services at 11:00 A.M. Monday, June 4th at the Clarksburg Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Monday from 10:00 A.M. until leaving for the cemetery 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.
The Fort Scott Police Department daily reports can best be viewed on a computer.
It is located at 1604 S. National, Fort Scott, KS 66701 and can be reached at 620-223-1700.
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Photo courtesy of Stephanie Potter

FSCC Construction Trades and Masonry take on SkillsUSA Nationals
Fort Scott, Ks.—Fort Scott Community College Construction Trades and Masonry students head out to Louisville, Ky. to compete in the 54th annual SkillsUSA National competition held on June 25th-29th. Students who placed first at the state level competition earned the chance to take on nationals. FSCC took 13 carpentry students, 3 HVAC students, and 3 masonry students to state and 4 students came out on top; Alex Garcia and Coltin Oehme for masonry, Dylan Giager and Wil Jameson for carpentry.
FSCC sophomore Siarra Clark, who came in second at state, but only by a couple points, says “I was raised around concrete and construction so the program at FSCC was fitting. The competition was a great experience and I hope to compete in something like this in the future.” Siarra took 1st in the hands-on portion of the state competition and 2nd in the written portion, making it 2nd overall.
Pittsburg High School (PHS) senior and now FSCC certified mason Coltin Oehme came in 1st overall at the state level, so he will go on to compete at nationals. Oehme not only came in 1st but was the first one done even with making multiple corrections. “If the design isn’t correct and perfect, it’s an automatic loss,” says Oehme. FSCC Masonry instructor, Nacoma Oehme, Coltin’s cousin, says “Coltin did great at state and we’re looking forward to seeing what he does at nationals…he takes a lot of pride in his work, especially since it’s in the family. We come from a long line of masons. Coltin inspires others to look into masonry as a career choice.”
FSCC carpentry students Dylan Giager (FSCC) and Wil Jameson (PHS) will compete on the carpentry side of SkillsUSA. This is FSCC carpentry’s 7th year to nationals under the supervision of instructor Kim Coates. “You never know who is going to bring who,” says Coates, “Wil Jameson is the first high school sophomore to win gold and go to nationals…I was surprised and very excited.” Brady Newman, FSCC student barely came in 2nd behind Dylan Giager by only 2%, winning him a silver medal. Right behind him was Thomas Mayfield with a bronze medal.
Due to the Good Ol’ Days celebration, the City’s brush/leaf dump site located on North Hill will be closed this Saturday, June 2nd, 2018. It will reopen on Tuesday, June 5th, 2018 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
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WEEKLY CHAMBER COFFEE REMINDER
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The Fort Scott Police Department daily reports can best be viewed on a computer.
They are located at 1604 S. National, Fort Scott, KS 66701 and can be reached at 620-223-1700.
Click here, then click on the image to enlarge:
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Douglas Duane “Big Doug” Bower, age 47, a resident of rural Deerfield, Missouri, left this earth for a better place on the other side, Saturday, May 26, 2018, at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
He was born November 5, 1970, in Ft. Scott, Kansas, the son of John Henry Bower and Amelia Elizabeth Jones Bower. Doug graduated from Nevada High School. He had been employed by Ward-Kraft and later for the Deerfield Conoco Station. Doug enjoyed nature. He liked hiking and camping and spending time with his family and friends.
Survivors include his parents, John and Amelia Bower, of Deerfield; a sister, Jill Love and husband, Ron, of Deerfield; three brothers, Rick Jones, of Ft. Scott, Jason Bower and wife, Thabena, of Deerfield, and Tony Bower of Clarksville, Tennessee. Also surviving are nieces, Jessica Bower, of Fresno, California, Rebecca Bower, of Clarksville, Tennessee, Alyson Love, of Deerfield, Micala and Preslee Bower, also of Deerfield, Kendria Brown and husband, Jerome, of Norcross, Georgia and Haley Jones of Ft. Scott; and nephews, Josh Jones and wife, Karen, of Ft. Scott, Dustin Jones and wife, Tabitha of Jacksonville, Florida and Quentin, Gavin and Evan Love of Deerfield; six great-nieces, four great-nephews and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Also surviving are his beloved dogs, Dapper Dan and Pete who were like his children.
Following cremation, the family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Thursday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Private burial will follow at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to Lee’s Paws & Claws and may be left in 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.
By Sherise Beckham, MS, LD, RD, Mercy dietitian
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (May 22, 2018) – Spring is finally here and summer is just around the corner. With all the flowers blooming and gardens growing, who doesn’t love this time of year? As a dietitian, I am always encouraging people to eat more fruits and vegetables; however, we rarely talk about the origin of them. For example, who grows your produce? Where does your produce come from? What is the timeline from when it was picked, transported, displayed in the store and now in your hand? Answers to all these questions vary, and in some cases, we might rather not know the answer.
However, we live in an amazing community. Our community is surrounded by many farmers and growers right here in Bourbon County. Many sell their fruits and vegetables every week between May and October at the local Farmer’s Market. By purchasing there, you can find comfort in knowing who grew it, how they grew it and when it was picked and purchased by you. Local produce can also benefit your health and your taste buds.
Local produce is loaded with more flavor. Usually, produce sold in stores is harvested prior to peak freshness and shipped to your location. The ripening process happens during transportation and storage, rather than on the vine. Local farmers allow their produce to ripen on the vine and then picked when ripe. Once picked, they are sold quickly to you and me, which allows us to enjoy the best tasting tomato ever!
Local produce is also higher in nutrients. By choosing local produce, you are giving your body more of those nutrients that fruits and vegetables are packed with. Again, this goes back to the shorter time from harvest to your plate, and that the produce was picked when ripe, not prior to. When your local farmer picks the produce when ripe, the produce has been given the opportunity to grow and develop to its full potential.
Choosing to purchase local produce also supports our local economy and helps keep our dollars local. Purchasing local supports your local farmers and they use those dollars to reinvest in our community. Choosing local also allows you to ask the farmer about their common practices in growing and harvesting their crops. The more you know, the more you can buy with confidence!
Fresh produce in Kansas is limited to a seasonal basis because of the area’s growing season, but we have all summer to enjoy the produce harvested close to home. Next time you are planning your meals or grocery shopping, consider purchasing from our local farmers: you won’t be disappointed!
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott is an acute care hospital with 46 licensed beds, offering comprehensive medical, surgical, OB/GYN, pediatric, home care and hospice services. Inpatient care is provided with 24/7 physician coverage. In 2017, Mercy Hospital Fort Scott received The Leapfrog Group’s prestigious A rating. Mercy Clinic Fort Scott is located on hospital grounds as well as Mercy rural health clinics in Arma and Pleasanton.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2018, 2017 and 2016 by IBM Watson Health, serves millions annually. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 44,000 co-workers and 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy’s IT division, Mercy Technology Services, supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
Submitted by Jackie Warren, co-superintendent for Open Class at the Bourbon County Fair which starts July 10.

It seems like the fair comes earlier and earlier each year. July is coming fast but there is still time to have your projects ready to be entered in the fair.
There are several new categories this year in the open class quilting section.
Be sure and notice classes 26 through 30 in the Fair paper, open class quilting section.
Class 26 is “mug rug”. Mug rugs are a size halfway between a coaster and a placemat. A neat project to set your drink cup and a cookie.
Class 27 that has been added is “Hexagons (any size). Projects with “hexies” have become very popular so bring your “hexie” project.
Any quilted holiday item can be entered in Class 28.
Wool applique has also become very popular also and can be entered in Class 29.
Class 30 is a “Quilt on a Stick”. This will be a fun entry and was noted at the 2017 Kansas State Fair. Make a quilt block 8 x 8 (any pattern) finished, can be pieced or appliqued. The stick and “vase” will be provided for you.
This year the Table Runner Contest is a Polka Dotty Posies pattern that can be obtained from Jackie Warren, 224-8161. Use spring colors and polka dots. The first-place winner will receive $50.
Adults will be baking Easy Cinnamon Bread for the King Arthur Flour contest. 12 years old and younger will be baking Chewy Brownies.
Please contact Joyce Gobl (223-1964) for further information and instructions to obtain your recipes and King Arthur Flour. Prizes are donated by King Arthur Flour Company.
Anyone can enter the Hay Bale and/or the Traditional Scarecrow Contests.
This can be a fun project for groups, businesses, families or individuals. Great prizes for these categories. Contact Terri Williams (215-3202) for more information. Hay bales will be provided for you with registration.
Exhibits can be entered on Monday, July 16, 2 pm – 8 pm.
The judging is Tuesday morning, July 17.
On Wednesday, July 18, the Starlite FCE and Thursday Night Live FCE will each be presenting a special program.
2 pm will be “Show Me the Power of Healing Foods” and 3 pm will be “Kids in the Kitchen”.
The 2018 Bourbon County Fair – Open Class – is a fun and busy time for the volunteers who organize and keep the many exhibits displayed for your viewing. If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Warren (224-8161) or Terri Williams )215-3202). Come and enjoy the fair!