About 14 months ago, Terry and Alice Roepke returned to Fort Scott and opened the Blue Valley Trailers near the south end of National Avenue, where they renovated the building and now provide to the community sales and services.
The Roepke couple moved to Fort Scott in 1987 after they were married, with their children also being born in the city.
“We are just thrilled to be back in Fort Scott,” Alice said of their return to the area after moving away in the early 1990s. “We’ve always felt like this was home.”
The couple moved to Waterville, Kan., where they started a trailer business in 2001, that grew to include other services such as other items and even storage. But at the encouragement of local friends in Fort Scott, the Roepkes decided to bring those services to Fort Scott.
“We hope to expand this facility as well,” Alice said.
Terry said Fort Scott has offered great support, which lead to a great first year for their business, whose reach has stretched into Oklahoma, Missouri and other Kansas counties.
JD Collins—who was born and raised in Kentucky but attended college at Fort Scott Community College and then started his family in Fort Scott—manages the Fort Scott location and says he helps customers through sales, but also with other services on trailers such as with brakes, lights, bearings and occasionally with welding.
Other Fort Scott announcements made during the weekly Chamber Coffee hosted by the Blue Valley Trailers included:
- The Young Professionals League will host their first, monthly business meeting of the year Friday at noon at Papa Don’s. New and returning members are welcome to come as well as those interested in learning about the group.
- Fort Scott National Historic Site will host a documentary showing and guided discussion Saturday at 1 p.m. about the Loving story, an interracial marriage case that made its way to the Supreme Court and impacted history.
- Lent begins Wednesday, and throughout that time, the Knights of Columbus will host fish fries each Friday at the Kennedy Gym, 5-7 p.m.
- City officials recently viewed the type of apartments that will be installed at the old Western Insurance building, and announced that work should begin in upcoming weeks.
- Dates have been set in July for the Marmaton Massacre bike race at Gunn Park, with approval from the city remaining. The event is now seeking sponsors from local businesses and organizations.
- Fort Scott Community College will soon be evaluated as part of the accreditation process, which allows students to receive transferable credit hours and federal financial aid. The college will host a meeting Monday, Feb. 29, at 6:30 p.m., with the Higher Learning Commission on hand to answer any questions about the process.