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Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Deb McCoy

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HONESTY IS ALWAYS THE BEST POLICY”  George Washington

I want to encourage each and every one of you to get involved and not become complacent in what is happening among the City Commissioners. If you cannot attend the meetings they can be viewed live or at a later date on youtube.com. Simply type Fort Scott City Commission Meeting into the search bar. Become involved!

City Policies, Procedures and Ordinances. Why do we even have them? Because it gives guidelines for everyone to follow when presented with different situations. It provides consistency. It provides fairness. It provides cohesiveness and takes the guessing game out of what should be done.

We have been provided guidelines of all sorts since the beginning of time. Ten Commandments, Parliamentary guidelines, Constitutions, Bill of Rights, State guidelines, Kansas League of Municipalities guidelines, Professional guidelines, Workplace guidelines, Organizational guidelines, Meeting guidelines etc.

Where in the Rules of Professional Conduct does it say that we can manipulate the Rule of Law to fit our needs? It doesn’t. It states as a professional, the Rule of Law should be followed and respected.

Why are we wasting so much time on trying to get around or making exceptions as to what is written as an Ordinance or a State Statute? Why don’t we do what is right? We certainly have bigger things to be concerned about.

Put aside your personal agendas and start working for the citizens who voted you in and who are concerned about where our city is going.

Where are the written strategic plans for 5 years and 10 years? Why have we spent thousands of dollars on surveys and have not yet been given the results of these surveys nor have we seen any productive implementation of these studies.

We could have spent a lot of that money on infrastructure.

The fact is, without a good foundation, we don’t have a solid ground to build upon.

Without strategic plans we have no vision.

We need more action and less rhetoric over what should and should not be.

Why don’t you just follow the Rule of Law!

They are not in place for you to manipulate, they are there for you to follow.

Sincerely, Deb McCoy

Opinion

Restoration by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche

When Dave and I were first married, I found a couple of end tables at a garage sale and brought them home to restore them, stopping first at a lumber yard where an elderly man helped me buy the correct supplies.  Dave was away on a baseball road trip, so it was the perfect time for me to set up shop in our one-car garage and turn ugly into beautiful.

It was a painstaking process, and to this day it has given me an appreciation for people like Jim Sackett who find it rewarding to refurbish furniture for a living.  After sanding, I applied the stain.  Two coats of polyurethane later (I had to protect my treasures), they turned into a masterpiece.  Today, I would call them ugly and take them to the dump, but not then.

The night Dave returned—and not anticipating anything to be in his path in our garage—he drove in and ran right over them.  I heard the noise and thought we were being ransacked which, actually, would have made more sense, but no!  Dave simply did not pay attention and reduced my tables to splinters.  His excuse didn’t fly (even though his car obviously did): “Why should I expect anything to be in the middle of the garage in the middle of the night?”                                “Well, lucky for me I wasn’t standing there to greet you.  Would you have just plowed over me too?”

I don’t remember Dave’s response, but I’m pretty sure it was NOT an apology.

Since then, only a few other times have I attempted to restore something.  This past week, I tried to restore the bottoms of my pots and pans. After soaking them in Google’s suggested homemade paste for several hours, not one stain came out. For some reason, what looks so simple…well, isn’t.

Of course, furniture is not the only thing needing restoration. Laptops, old photographs, leather boots, broken bones, friendships and marriages, to name a few, sometimes need repair.   Then, there are Christians.  Yes, Christians.  Even they occasionally need a little help, and lucky for us, God’s the best in the business at making the old look new.

The word “restore” appears 136 times throughout the books of the Bible. King David simplified things in Psalm 23:3: He (God) restores my soul.                                                           

Do you ever need your soul restored?  I sure do.  Like now.  A Christian couple is upset with me, and I fight the need to act ugly right back. I mean, where is their love, the one thing that’s supposed to set us apart from non-believers?  What about walking the talk?

So, I take it to God—albeit reluctantly—who reminds me that I need to ask those two questions of myself.  Where is my love?  Am I walking the talk?  If so, I would not be fighting the desire to tell this couple how they aren’t acting very Christ-like and demand an apology. Surely there’s a scripture entitling me to do so…somewhere.

But of course, there isn’t.  Instead, I find Romans 12:21: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. In other words, I need to turn my ugly into beautiful. I need to allow God to restore what He knows needs a little help.

 

Lucky for me, no polyurethane required.

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Deb McCoy

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Honesty is the best policy.

George Washington I want to encourage each and every one of you to get involved and not become complacent in what is happening among the City Commissioners. If you cannot attend the meetings they can be viewed live or at a later date on youtube.com. Simply type Fort Scott City Commission Meeting into the search bar. Become involved! City Policies, Procedures and Ordinances. Why do we even have them? Because it gives guidelines for everyone to follow when presented with different situations. It provides consistency. It provides fairness. It provides cohesiveness and takes the guessing game out of what should be done. We have been provided guidelines of all sorts since the beginning of time. Ten Commandments, Parliamentary guidelines, Constitutions, Bill of Rights, State guidelines, Kansas League of Municipalities guidelines, Professional guidelines, Workplace guidelines, Organizational guidelines, Meeting guidelines etc. Where in the Rules of Professional Conduct does it say that we can manipulate the Rule of Law to fit our needs? It doesn’t. It states as a professional, the Rule of Law should be followed and respected. Why are we wasting so much time on trying to get around or making exceptions as to what is written as an Ordinance or a State Statute? Why don’t we do what is right? We certainly have bigger things to be concerned about. Put aside your personal agendas and start working for the citizens who voted you in and who are concerned about where our city is going. Where are the written strategic plans for 5 years and 10 years? Why have we spent thousands of dollars on surveys and have not yet been given the results of these surveys nor have we seen any productive implementation of these studies. We could have spent a lot of that money on infrastructure. The fact is, without a good foundation, we don’t have a solid ground to build upon. Without strategic plans we have no vision. We need more action and less rhetoric over what should and should not be.Why don’t you just follow the Rule of Law! They are not in place for you to manipulate, they are there for you to follow.

Sincerely, Deb McCoy

Obituary

Obituary of Duane Ketron

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Duane Ketron, age 67, passed away on August 16, 2022 at Medicalodge of Fort Scott after suffering from a long illness. He was born February 19, 1955 in Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of Arthur Hursh Ketron and Mary Louise Clark Ketron.

Duane graduated from Fort Scott High School and worked at Peerless in Fort Scott for many years. He still owned his first car, a 1959 Ford Fairlane 2-door sedan named “Old Betsy”, that he dreamed of restoring. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a winning smile with those he encountered. In addition, he was an avid Royals fan and loved dogs and cats.

Survivors include two sisters – Kathee Light of Hoxie, AR and Carolyn Strauch of Neosho, MO; four nieces – Kamela Light of Hoxie, AR; Shawnta (spouse Randal) Whited of Walnut Ridge, AR; Caroline Green (spouse Steve) of Topeka, KS; and Julia (spouse Gabriel) Carroll of Springfield, MO; eight great-nieces/nephews – Harley Light, Chance Phillips, Memory Light, Hannah (spouse Brandon) Dawson, Weston Whited, Ethan Whited, Zackary Green, and Bradley Green; one great-great-niece – Londyn Light.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Hursh and Mary Louise Ketron, his younger brother, David Arthur Ketron, brother-in-law Ronnie “Frog” Light, and niece Kristy Light.

Visitation with the family and friends will be Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 10:30 am in the Cheney Witt Chapel

Memorial Service will follow at 11:00 am with interment at Memory Gardens after the Memorial Service.

Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

The family would like to thank everyone for their prayers, love, and acts of caring for our brother and uncle Duane. We also want to thank the Cheney Witt staff for all their assistance and caring service. Please join us in celebrating and remembering his life.

 

 

 

 

 

Obituary

Obituary of Margaret Leatherman

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Margaret Lucille Leatherman, age 91, a former resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, and more recently of Joplin, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, August 17, 2022, at the Communities of
Wildwood in Joplin. She was born October 25, 1930, in Deerfield, Missouri, the daughter of Norman Louis Pettibon and Lucille Pilcher Pettibon. Margaret graduated from the Nevada High
School and the Ft. Scott Junior College. She went on to receive a teaching certificate from Pittsburg State Teachers College. Prior to her marriage, Margaret taught at both the Mapleton,
Kansas grade school and the Lath Branch School east of Ft. Scott. Margaret married Donald Leatherman on May 11, 1952, in rural Deerfield, Missouri. Together, they owned and operated
their own farm for many years. After her children were grown, she worked for a time at Master Printers and for Sears in Ft. Scott. Margaret was a devoted wife and mother. She enjoyed
fishing, gardening and tending her flowers. She was a longtime member of the First Southern Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School and was active with the Awana program.

Survivors include three sons, Tom Leatherman (Connie) of Deerfield, Missouri, Steve Leatherman (Debbie) of Joplin, Missouri and Mark Leatherman (Leanne) of Ft. Scott, Kansas, ten grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Also surviving is a son-in-law, David Cannon of Louisburg, Kansas and a sister, Norma Yoos, also of Joplin.

Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Don, on January 7, 2009. She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Beth Cannon and her sister, Beverly Davis.

Pastor Clarence Newman will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Monday, August 22 nd at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Clarksburg Cemetery

The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 P.M. Sunday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the First Southern Baptist Church or to Care to Share and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt
Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft Scott, KS 66701.

Area News

“Winter Event Securitized Cost” on KGS bills, will range from $4.87 to $6.42

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KCC approves settlement and financing order for Kansas Gas
Service to recover winter storm costs using low interest bonds
TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has approved a settlement agreement and financing order giving Kansas Gas Service (KGS) authorization to issue securitized bonds to recover $328 million in deferred costs and associated carrying costs resulting from the 2021 winter storm. The use of low interest securitized bonds is expected to save ratepayers $35 to $46 million compared to recovery through traditional rates.

The exact amount of the winter weather recovery charge KGS customers will see on their monthly bills won’t be determined until the bonds are issued. Variables include the length of term and interest rate based on current market conditions. It is estimated the monthly charge, to be labelled “Winter Event Securitized Cost” on customer bills, will range from $4.87 to $6.42 over seven to ten years.  Without securitized bonds, ratepayers would see charges of $9.04 per month over five years or $13.90 per month over three years using traditional ratemaking.

During the winter weather event, the KCC ordered regulated utilities to do everything possible to continue providing natural gas service to its customers, defer the charges, and then develop a plan to allow customers to pay the unusually high costs over time to minimize the financial impact. The Commission emphasized it was in the public interest for KGS to incur the extraordinary costs to ensure the integrity of the gas system and ensure continuous service to its customers.

The 2021 Kansas Legislature later passed the Utility Financing and Securitization Act, which allows utilities to use securitized bonds to pay for extraordinary costs at more favorable terms than traditional financing.

Wholesale natural gas prices are not regulated by the KCC or any other government entity. The U.S. Congress deregulated natural gas prices back in the mid-1980s. Prices are market driven by supply and demand.  The Commission has stated that any proceeds recovered by KGS resulting from state or federal investigations into possible market manipulation, price gouging, etc., will be passed on to customers.

Today’s orders are available here: Settlement Agreement and Financing Order

A recording of today’s Business Meeting featuring Commissioner comments on these orders, is available on the KCC YouTube channel.

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Government

KS State Transportation Plan: Voice Your Comments

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KDOT requesting comment on draft 2023 STIP
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requests comments on the draft Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023-2026 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) document.

The STIP is a project specific publication that lists all KDOT administered projects, regardless of funding source, and includes projects for counties and cities as well as projects on the State Highway System. The draft STIP document is available for review online at https://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/burProgProjMgmt/stip/stip.asp   Select the draft FFY 2023-2026 STIP- link at the top of the page.

The approval of the STIP requires a public comment period of 30 days, which concludes on Sept. 16. To make comment on the STIP document, contact Linda Fritton at (785) 296-3254 or Gene Ingwerson at (785) 296-0136 with KDOT’s Division of Program and Project Management.

This information is available in alternative accessible formats. To obtain an alternative format, contact the KDOT Office of Public Affairs, (785) 296-3585 (Voice/Hearing Impaired-711).
Fort Scott, Government, Schools

USD 234 Special Meeting for Budget Hearings on August 22

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NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF
BOARD OF EDUCATION
August 17,2022
A special meeting o f the Board of Education, Unified School District No. 234, Bourbon County, Kansas, is hereby called to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the twenty-second day of August, 2022, at the Board of Education Office.

The purpose of the meeting is a Revenue Neutral Tax Rate Hearing at 5:30 p.m.; approval of Resolution 22- 07 – Expressing the Property Taxation Policy of USD 234 Fort Scott with Respect to
Exceeding the Revenue Neutral Tax Rate for Financing the Annual Budget for 2022-23;
a Budget Hearing at 5:45 p.m.; adoption of the 2022-23 Budget; approval of Resolution 22-08 – Local Option Budget Percentage; approval of the revised 1,1l6 hour calendar for
the 2022-23 school year; approval of a MOU with Greenbush for an interim special education director; an executive session pursuant to the non-elected personnel exception under KOMA; and approval of the Personnel Report.


By order of the President of the Board of Education of Unified School District No. 234, Bourbon County, Kansas.

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BOARD OF EDUCATION SPECIAL MEETING
AUGUST 22, 2022 – 5:30 P.M.
AGENDA SUMMARY
Call Meeting to Order
Flag Salute
Open the Revenue Neutral Tax Rate Hearing (Action ltem)
3.1 Close the Revenue Neutral Tax Rate Hearing (Action ltem)
3.2 Approval of Resolution 22-07 – Expressing the Property Taxation Policy of USD 234
Fort Scott with Respect to Exceeding the Revenue Neutral Tax Rate for Financing the
Annual Budget for 2022-23 (Action Item)
5:45 p.m. Open the Budget Hearing (Action Item)
4.1 Close the Budget Hearing (Action ltem)
4.2 Adoption of the 2022-23 Budget (Action Item)
4.3 Adopt Resolution 22-08 – Local Option Budget Percentage (Action Item)
Approve revised 1,116-hour calendar for the 202243 school year (Action ltem)
Approve MOU with Greenbush for an interim special education director (Action Item)
Personnel Matters
7.1 Enter Executive Session – Personnel Matters (Action Item)
7.2 Exit Executive Session
7.3 Approval of Personnel Report (Action ltem)
Adjourn Meeting
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Unified School District 234