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Obituary

Obituary of Gail Shrakes

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Gail L. Shrakes, age 72, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas passed away unexpectedly Friday, October 7, 2022, at the Via Christi Emergency Room in Ft. Scott.

She was born October 11, 1949, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Harlon Guffey and Velma Rhodes Guffey.  At an early age, she moved to Eve, Missouri where she grew up.  Gail graduated from the Nevada High School.  She married Frankie Shrakes, Jr. on June 6, 1966, at 6 o’clock in the evening.  Gail and Frankie enjoyed fifty-six years of married life together.

In earlier years, Gail worked as a cook at the Red Barn Restaurant and also as a cook at Mercy Hospital and area nursing homes while she was attending cosmetology school at Fort Scott Community College.  After completing cosmetology school, Gail owned and operated her own beauty salon, Gail’s Professional Touch, for several years.

Gail enjoyed spending time with her family, especially while fishing at the lake or gathering around the table for Thanksgiving dinner.

Gail will be lovingly missed by her husband, Frankie, of the home; three daughters, Teresa Shrakes (James Woolery) of Ft. Scott, Heidi Dixon (Rob), also of Ft. Scott and DiAnna Dakon (Ronald) of Smithville, Missouri; six grandchildren, Ricky Ann Vargas (Ariel), Austin Shelden, Alek Shelden (Megan), Ashton Dixon, Nickolas Dakon and Skylar Dakan and three great-grandchildren, Lola, Santiago and Laney Vargas.  Also surviving is a special cousin, J. R. Stewart (Wendy) of Ft. Scott.

Gail was preceded in death by her parents, Harlan Guffey and Velma Walker and a sister, Sharon Park.

 

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, October 12th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Centerville Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association or the National Kidney Foundation 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.

Obituary

Death Notice of Eula Zimmerman

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Eula Jean Zimmerman, age 67, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at the Via Christi Emergency Room in Ft. Scott.  There was cremation, and no services are planned at this time.  Arrangements were under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Gordon Parks Museum

Gordon Parks Celebration Happening Now

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The 19th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration is HAPPENING NOW!
October 6th – 8th, 2022
Fort Scott Community College
Click here to visit The Gordon Parks Museum website to learn more about the schedule of events!
Click hereto view the “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” 2022 Recipients.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Unsubscribe loretta.george@fortscott.biz
Opinion

Oh Happy Days! by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche

I don’t watch much television, but when I do, I have a few favorites: “20/20 on Own; America’s Got Talent; and The Voice.  Dave isn’t a fan.  He finds the murder shows depressing, even though I remind him that the killer is always caught and given life in prison without parole.    Dave says it doesn’t take DNA evidence or tire track impressions to know who did it because it’s always the spouse.

As for the talent shows, Hubby thinks it’s unfair when anyone who has a professional background competes.  He favors John Wayne shoot-em-up Westerns, sports, John Wayne shoot-em-up Westerns, Fox News and John Wayne shoot-em-up Westerns.

Not me.

  For starters, John Wayne is not much of an actor.  Hold your critical horses. Great acting, in my opinion, implies one can play multiple characters.  Like Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep. John Wayne is always…well, John Wayne.  Too, the plots of his movies are predictable. The guys in the white hats on the white horses always win.  As for the news, it’s pessimistic and gives me bad dreams.                                                                                                                                       Simply put, I like happy endings.  Cinderella.  A reconciled marriage.  Winning the World Series. “Remission.”  Ukraine successes.  Forgiveness.  The Greatest Showman.   A debt paid.   Afghanistans rescued.  A Weight Watcher’s goal met…and kept (so I’ve heard). Happy reunions. Everyone ending up in Heaven. Well, almost everyone.  Not terrorists who behead or burn people alive.  Not Nero or Hitler or Mengele or Stalin.  Not Osama bin Laden.

And yes, I know I am to forgive or I cannot be forgiven.  I forgive evil people; I just don’t want to share Heaven with them.

  If you’re like me, you’re bothered when the good guy loses.  The Bible isn’t short on such stories.

Take Moses, for example.  He has a little hissy fit—Who wouldn’t after 40 years of dealing with a bunch of knuckleheads? —strikes a rock and is punished.  Maybe his behavior deserves a time out or a day without his staff, but Moses was greeted with what I consider to be a harsh penalty. Granted, he surely ended up in Heaven, and in reality, that’s all that really matters, but to be denied entrance into the Promised Land?

  Wait! I guess that’s what Heaven is, so he wasn’t denied after all.  And best yet, we’re going to get to meet him when we get there.  Happy days!

Two times in the past month, five St. Mary’s graduates (from the class of ’64) and I have met to relive our experiences growing up in Fort Scott.  Details are added by those with exceptional memories, and sometimes we agree to disagree or ask forgiveness for our parts in petty, selfish actions.  An hour lunch turns into four as most of the time is spent laughing and empathizing.  We are catching up on each others’ lives and cherishing these conversations.

One day, there will be a reunion like no other.  Matthew 8:11 reminds us of what that will be like: I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Can you imagine?  “Paul, please pass the mashed potatoes.”  “Esther, how terrified were you when confronting the king?”  “Jesus, thank you for making all of this possible.” 

There will be no disagreements or tears shed or need to ask forgiveness or murder mysteries, and I can’t imagine the details that will be added to stories of which we know only a part.

 As for “happy endings,” I can’t think of any better.

 

 

Bourbon County, Government, Kansas

Bourbon County Is In a Drought Emergency

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Governor Updates Declaration of Drought Emergency, Warnings and Watches for Kansas Counties

The Governor’s Drought Response Team examines conditions; and recommends updates to the Governor

 

Governor Laura Kelly has approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #22-08. This drought declaration continues to keep all 105 Kansas counties either in watch, warning or emergency status.

 

“Much of Kansas continues to experience severe drought conditions which have impacted the daily lives of Kansans through our hot and dry summer months,” said Governor Kelly. “As these conditions are forecast to persist or worsen over the foreseeable future, I strongly encourage all Kansans to be mindful of ways we can conserve water and minimize fire hazards.”

 

The drought declaration placed 67 counties into an emergency status, 11 counties in a warning status and 27 into a watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Much of Kansas has experienced above normal temperatures dating back to the previous April, with precipitation averaging well below normal for many of those same locations over that same timeframe. In some parts of Kansas these precipitation deficit conditions have existed since the latter part of 2021. The outlooks from now through December favor above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for nearly all portions of Kansas, meaning drought conditions could persist and expand over the next several months.

 

“The current drought conditions impacting much of Kansas have stressed surface and groundwater supplies, negatively impacted crop production, and led to elevated wildfire risk in many areas,” said Owen. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to be diligent in the monitoring of drought conditions across Kansas and make future drought recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change. With outlooks continuing to call for challenging conditions into the winter months, the need for continued drought awareness and action across Kansas is essential.”

 

Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes. These counties also become eligible for water in some federal reservoirs.

 

Individuals and communities need to contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes. These requests will in turn be referred to the appropriate office to obtain necessary permits to withdraw requested water.

 

This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.

 

Effective immediately, Executive Order #22-08:

  • Declares a Drought Emergency, Warning or Watch for the counties as identified below;
  • Authorizes and directs all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate watch, warning or emergency level drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

 

The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the negative drought-induced effects on Kansans.

 

For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas Water Office website at kwo.ks.gov.

 

County Drought Stage Declarations:

 

Drought Emergency: Allen, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Logan, McPherson, Meade, Montgomery, Morton, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson, and Woodson.

 

Drought Warning: Anderson, Chase, Coffey, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Morris, Osborne, Saline and Smith.

 

Drought Watch: Atchison, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Nemaha, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Washington, and Wyandotte.

 

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Government, Kansas

Scholarships Available for KS Students Enrolled in Transportation Classes

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National award-winning KDOT project fuels

transportation scholarships for Kansas students
TOPEKA – A national award won by a Kansas Department of Transportation project will result in scholarships for Kansas students enrolled in a transportation-related program at one of the state’s public higher education institutions.

The Turner Diagonal interchange project on I-70 in Wyandotte County won the People’s Choice Award in the 2021 America’s Transportation Awards (ATA) competition. The award came with a $10,000 cash prize. Pledges from KDOT transportation-industry partners boosted that amount to more than $25,000.

Now, KDOT is directing the funds towards transportation-related scholarships at two- or four-year Kansas public colleges and universities. Applications for the scholarships are being accepted now for the 2023 spring semester.

“There has never been a better time to be in transportation in Kansas,” said Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. “KDOT wants to encourage and assist students as they find their path in infrastructure-oriented professions at a time when resources and commitment are strong.”

The ATA People’s Choice award winner as presented by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AAHSTO) was determined through online votes from the public. The Turner Diagonal Project was among 12 state finalist projects selected from 80 nominations from 35 states. Finalist states included Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah.

Partnering organizations agreed to provide matching scholarship funds to promote online voting. They include Venture Corporation, Clarkson Construction Company, Wildcat Construction, Hamm Inc., TranSystems Corporation, Kansas Contractors Association, HNTB and Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City.

“While winners in the past have donated their winnings to scholarship funds, we have never before seen a state leverage their America’s Transportation Awards prize money to get matching contributions at this level,” said Maggie Kasperski, AASHTO Director of Communications and Marketing. “It is an innovative and really smart way to inspire and engage the next generation of transportation leaders. AASHTO is excited to be a part of that good news.”

To be eligible, students must –

  • Be a Kansas resident attending a two- or four-year Kansas public higher education institution;
  • Have a college GPA of 3.0 or higher;
  • Be enrolled full-time in a transportation-related program in the spring 2023 semester.

Scholarships for $5,000 are available for juniors or seniors in a four-year program; $2,500 scholarships are available for those in the final year of an associate degree program.

The scholarship application can be downloaded at kansasregents.org/KDOTscholarship and also requires a resume and essay. Deadline for submission is Dec. 1. Email the completed information packet to vanessa.lamoreaux@ks.gov or contact her for more information.

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Government, Kansas

Evergy To Explain Dramatic Increase in Spending Plan on Dec. 13

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KCC schedules public workshop for Evergy to explain dramatic increase in capital spending plan

TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has scheduled a workshop on December 13 at 9:30 a.m. to give Evergy officials an opportunity to explain a dramatic increase in the company’s capital expenditure projections. The plan, filed earlier this year, showed an increase of $1.2 billion compared to projections shared when the company presented its Sustainability Transformation Plan (STP) last year.

In an order issued on September 15, the Commission directed Evergy to work with KCC staff and the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB) to schedule the workshop, which will be conducted by Zoom and available for public viewing on the Commission’s YouTube channel. The workshop will also be recorded for later viewing.

During the workshop, Evergy will be asked to explain the necessity and impact of the proposed capital spending and answer questions from KCC Commissioners, Commission Staff and CURB. Prior to the workshop, Evergy is required to file updated and comprehensive financial modeling showing expected retail rate changes resulting from continued increases in capital expenditures. That information must be submitted by December 2.

Evergy is required to file a Capital Investment Plan with the KCC annually. A report filed by Commission Staff in response to the 2022 report expressed concern that the expenditures outlined exceeded those reported in the STP by 21.82%. The 2022 five-year Capital Investment plan was $1 billion higher than the 2021 five-year plan, and this increased spending projection was on top of a previously announced $1 billion increase between Evergy’s 2020 and 2021 five-year plan.

The order is available here.

A recording of the Business Meeting is available on the KCC YouTube channel.

Fort Scott, Schools

Pre-School Trunk or Treat Oct. 28

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Submitted by

Nick Johnson, Fort Scott Preschool Principal

nick.johnson@usd234.org

(620) 223-8965

On behalf of the USD 234 School District, we would like to invite you to the 2022 Early Childhood Trunk-or-Treat.  This year’s event will be held on Friday, October 28 from 4:30-6:00 PM at the Fort Scott Preschool Center gym.  All children ages birth-six years old and their families are invited to attend. A grant through the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation is helping support this year’s Early Childhood Trunk-or-Treat.

 

If you are a family resource provider or a community partner, we invite you to attend and set up a table from which children can trick-or-treat.  During this time, you may also provide brochures, resources, and/or helpful information related to your program.  Our goal is to inform families about the resources available in our community.  If you are a preschool or childcare provider, please share the attached flyer with your families.  We also welcome you to set up a table for your program.

If you plan to attend our event, please complete the form below by Friday, October 21st so we can have a table reserved for your organization.

 

Early Childhood Trunk-or-Treat Reservation

 

Fort Scott, Government

FS City Commission Meets To Discuss Wastewater Treatment Plant on Oct. 6

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The City Commission will meet for a special meeting at 4:00 p.m.
on Thursday, October 6th, 2022, at City Hall in the City
Commission meeting room at 123 South Main Street, Fort Scott,
Kansas. This meeting will be held to discuss improvements at the
Wastewater Treatment Plant.
This meeting will be broadcast on the City’s You tube channel.
This meeting is open to the public.

To view attachement:

specialcommissionmeeting1062022

Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee Hosted by Gordon Parks Museum on Oct. 6

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ON THE CAMPUS OF FSCC ~ 2108 S HORTON
The Chamber Coffee will kick off the 19th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration to be held this weekend for which the full schedule of events may be found on gordonparkscenter.org. The Celebration is in honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, noted photographer, writer, musician, and filmmaker. Kirk Sharp, Executive Director of the Museum, and the committee work throughout the year to bring in artists, speakers, programs and events that have enriched our community and world for all ages. A highlight is the annual presentation of the Choice of Weapons Award which was established in Parks’ honor. Recipients this year will be Adger Cowans and William C. Rhoden.
Click here to view the schedule of events for the entire weekend of festivities.
THANK YOU TO OUR CHAMBER CHAMPION MEMBERS BELOW!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701