Category Archives: Area News

Area News, Business, Submitted

Buy and Eat-Meet and Greet May 3

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Local gardeners and sellers of food will soon have a chance to meet and begin partnerships.
On  Thursday, May 3 there will be a ” Buy and Eat-Meet and Greet” event hosted byThe Healthy Bourbon County Action Team and Live Local BB.
It will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Hall, 1 East First.
The purpose of this meeting is to introduce buyers and sellers of food and start a directory to benefit both, according to Jody Hoener, chair of The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.

Consumers, retailers, restaurants, businesses, and food service providers can have access to locally grown food, and also strengthen the communities local food system and economy, Hoener said.

The meeting is open to the public and is free.

Specifically, the following are listed by Hoener as people who might benefit from the “Buy and Eat-Meet and Greet,” Hoener said.

  • A food service director, chef, restaurant owner or other professional willing to learn/ share expertise with peers and implement best practices to buy and use local foods.
  • A local grower interested in selling to restaurants, institutions, food retail and other producers.
  • A caterer or restaurant owner, to showcase a food item from a menu item, which includes locally produced food in its ingredients.
  • An insurance provider willing to  provide information to help protect our local farmers and producers to sell and buy local produce.

About the meet and greet  hosts:

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team has a vision of a community where people feel safe, earn a living wage, find healthy food, have access to sidewalks, ride safe bike routes and have opportunities for recreation, among other opportunities.
Live Local BB is a group of locally owned businesses that want to bring awareness to the importance of buying locally in the community where we live.

 

Area News, Submitted

Swap Meet May 11 -12 At Fairgrounds

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The 11th Annual Swap Meet sponsored by the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta is Friday and Saturday, May 11-12.

The gates open at 8 a.m. at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.

The grounds will be open May 10 for setup.

Camping is available with electric for $20 a day.

The meet is in conjunction with the City-Wide Garage Sale on May 11-12.

The meet includes flea market, garage sale items, antique gas engines, related parts and antique auto parts, farm tractors and parts, farm equipment and accessories, literature, books and manuals.

Free admission for buyers.

Booth fee is $10.

For information call Allen Warren at 620-224-7761 or go online [email protected]

 

Area News, K-State Extension, Submitted

Tractor Safety For Youth Offered May 9

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If youth are planning to do farm work, and it is for someone other than a parent or guardian, and youth are 14 or 15 years of age, a tractor safety course is required.

This follows the U.S. Department of Labor requirements before youth can be employed at certain hazardous farm tasks.  This includes operating a tractor with 20 horsepower.

On Wednesday, May 9, K-State Research and Extension will offer a Tractor Safety Training Course in Erie at the Courthouse Assembly Room.

The course will begin at 5:00 p.m. and should conclude at 8:30 p.m.

Cost is $20 per student to cover the safety manual, supplies and pizza.

Transportation will be coordinated through the Extension Office as to encourage parents to carpool. The registration deadline is Friday, May 4 to your local Extension Office.

Area News, Submitted

FSCC’s Annual Women’s Appreciation Luncheon April 25

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Fort Scott Community College (FSCC) is hosting the annual Women’s Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Ellis Fine Arts Center.

Tickets are available at the FSCC Dick Hedges Administration Building receptionist’s desk for $6 and reservations are appreciated. Those who pre-purchase five tickets will get one free. To reserve by phone call 223-2700, ext. 0.

“The luncheon is an annual event to honor the women in our community,” said committee chair and Director of Human Resources, Juley McDaniel. “Each year gets better and better. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate Administrative Professionals Day and to see how hard women in our community work. With all the different vendors, great food, and door prizes, this year will be just as good as the last.”

For more information contact Juley McDaniel at [email protected] or 620-223-2700 ext. 5201.

Area News, Jobs

Come For An Interview Today Until 2 p.m.

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Job seekers may talk to individual employers during the job fair going on until 2 p.m. today.

The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Job Fair is continuing until 2 p.m. today at the Ellis Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College.

Fifteen area employers will many jobs to fill are available to talk to possible employees. There are full and part-time positions available.

A Phi Theta Kappa representative is available to help with resumes, interview skills, and social media usage to secure a job.
Potential employees filling out application forms for the jobs available today at the job fair.
Applications can be picked up, filled out and returned to 15 employers today at the job fair at Fort Scott Community College, until 2 p.m.
Susie Arvidson is the Phi Theta Kappa sponsor at FSCC. She is available today until 2 p.m. to help with interviewing skills, resume preparation and other skills needed to secure a job. Arvidson is the library director at FSCC and can help people during the library hours  8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Potential employees talk with Niece Equipment representatives during today’s job fair at FSCC.
Area News

Salute To Combat Warriors Wednesday

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Montana, Adam, Jennifer and Drake LaRoche. Submitted photo.

E3 Foundation, founded by Adam and Jennifer LaRoche, is partnering with Combat Warriors Inc. to host a turkey hunt for military heroes.

The community is rallying behind the event to honor the combat veterans.

On  Wednesday, April 25 at approximately 1:30 p.m. the veterans will land at Fort Scott Airport then head to the LaRoche Ranch.

Fort Scottians will be lining the route to show the vets honor for their service.

Beginning at 1 pm this Wednesday, the Fort Scott Regional Tourism Center at 231 E. Wall will distribute 500 American Flags to wave while these heroes pass by.

“The Fort Scott Community College, Fort Scott High School, Winfield Scott Elementary, Eugene Ware Elementary, and St. Mary’s Catholic school are all coming out to wave, hold flags and signs to say ‘Thank you’ to the soldiers for there service and sacrifice,” Jennifer LaRoche said. “Businesses, along the convoy route, are allowing their employees to step out during the work day to show their support as well. The estimated convoy time is 1:30 pm but that could be sooner or later due to flight times so we will post on the E3 Foundation Facebook page the most current convoy departure time. So people need to be checking that throughout the morning and early afternoon.”

The route of the convoy of veterans:

These military service people will travel through Fort Scott following a route of east on Indian Road (AKA Lake Fort Scott Road), north on HWY. 69, then turn north onto National Avenue to Wall Street, and then Wall  Street, east out of town.

The Mission Statement of the E3 Foundation:
The family of the E3 Foundation is committed to putting God’s love into action as we use our gifts to be good stewards, to serve, to help those in need and to ultimately introduce others to Christ.

 

Following is the post on the E3Foundation Facebook page:

Area News, K-State Extension, Submitted

Topping Trees: Bad Choice

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Tree Topping is a Bad Choice

You may have heard the practice of tree topping referred to as “heading,” “stubbing,” or “dehorning,” but regardless of what it is called, it is always a bad choice. Unfortunately, many uninformed homeowners are often talked into this pruning practice. Topping a tree is not a beneficial or proper pruning practice. It’s a bad decision for any tree.

Tree topping is the drastic removal or cutting back of large mature limbs – back to stubs. Many homeowners have a misconception that having trees topped will reduce the tree height and in turn decrease the chance of it falling due to wind or ice. This is simply not true.

Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources sites eight reasons why trees should not be topped:

  1. Starvation – Trees need leaves to make food. Topping removes so much of the leafy crown that a tree may be unable to provide food to the roots and the tree starves. Good pruning practices rarely remove more than one-quarter to one-third of the leafy crown.
  2. Shock – The tree canopy acts like an umbrella – shading the bark from the direct sunlight of summer. The sudden removal of the leafy protective layer exposes the bark to sunscald. Neighboring plants relying on shady conditions will suffer as well.
  3. Insects and disease – Large wounds resulting from tree topping have difficulty closing. This will attract insects and disease. If decay is already present in the limb, cutting will only spread it even more.
  4. Weak limbs – The new limb growth that appears after a tree is topped is weakly attached to the remaining branches. The limbs actually attach to the larger branch with layers of wood that overlap year after year. This results in minimal attachment of the wood to the main branch.
  5. Rapid new growth – The thought that topping will control the height of the tree is false. Actually, the opposite happens. Trees respond rapidly to the injury by producing many long, weak sprouts. The result – trees quickly regain the height it once had and becomes bushier.
  6. Tree death – some species of trees do not tolerate topping. All previously mentioned factors are just too much for the tree and it dies.
  7. Ugliness – A topped tree is an ugly tree. Even with regrowth, it never regains the grace and beauty it once had.
  8. Cost – A chainsaw and a bucket truck are not all that is needed to properly prune a tree. Topping might seem like a bargain deal when compared to other recommended practices, but in the long run, it will actually cost you more! Topping reduces property values, increases replacement cost when a tree dies, increases the risk of losing nearby trees and shrubs, increases the risk of liability from weaken branches and increases future pruning costs.

Prune trees properly and regularly. Don’t be talked into topping by someone just looking to come in and make random cuts. Hire a certified arborist. They will know how and where to make cuts to reduce the canopy and yet maintain a strong, beautiful tree.

When planting a new tree keep in mind its mature height. The Extension office has a publication on recommended trees for Kansas. This publication also details the mature height that you can expect. Check growth habits before you plant to ensure that the tree won’t outgrow the space!

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Area News, Submitted

Living History at Fort April 21-22

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Contact: Galen Ewing, [email protected], 620-223-0310

Living History Activities Abound as Fort Scott National Historic Site Hosts the 36th Annual Civil War Encampment

FORT SCOTT, Kansas: Fort Scott National Historic Site commemorates the Civil War and how it shaped our country by presenting the 36th Annual Civil War Encampment on Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22. Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the times—soldiers marching or on horseback, rifles firing, gunpowder hanging in the air. A variety of interpretive programs will illustrate the role Fort Scott played as a major supply base for federal troops during this pivotal conflict.

The public is invited to participate beginning Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and concluding with the last program at 3 p.m. on Sunday as park volunteers engage in various activities.

Union Cavalry, Infantry, and Artillery units will perform military training representing how troops were prepared for battle. Participate with the Grice family as they perform Victorian Mourning Hair Art. This is an interactive demonstration so you are invited to make simple hair flowers with them.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., join in a guided tour to learn of the many facets Fort Scott played in the Civil War.

At 6:30 p.m., retired park historian Arnold Schofield will share insight on the military role of General James Lane’s Frontier Guard.

On Sunday at 10 a.m., come join in a period Church Service.

Learn about the logistics of feeding soldiers with “Rolling in the Dough” Bake-house Demonstration at 11 a.m. Cavalry, Infantry, and Artillery Demonstrations will continue in the afternoon.

The Civil War Encampment is made possible through the generous support provided by volunteer members of the Holmes Brigade, 4th Missouri Cavalry, Western Bluecoats Field Hospital, 3rd Kansas Artillery Battery B, Friends of Fort Scott NHS, Inc., and a host of Fort Scott National Historic Site volunteers.

The schedule of activities is as follows:

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

9:00 a.m. – Raising the Colors

10:00 a.m. – Cavalry Drill

11:00 a.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration

12:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration

1:00 p.m. – Guided Tour: Fort Scott in the Civil War

2:00 p.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration

3:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration

4:00 p.m. – Flag Retreat

6:30 p.m. – Lane’s Frontier Guard

SUNDAY, APRIL 22

9:00 a.m. – Raising the Colors

10:00 a.m. – Church Service

11:00 a.m. – “Rolling in the Dough” – Bake House Demonstration

12:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration

1:00 p.m. – Cavalry Drill

2:00 p.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration

3:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Area News, Government

New Tourism Sign Coming To Downtown Fort Scott

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Fort Scott Community Development Director Rhonda Dunn shows the deterioration of the planters on Skubitz Plaza that will be demolished and a new tourism sign installed.

An unsightly part of Skubitz Plaza is being redeveloped by the City of Fort Scott to showcase a sign that depicts the city’s history.

The plans were approved by the city commissioners Tuesday evening.

Plans are for all parts to be completed by the Good Ol Days annual celebration, the end of May this year.

Two brick planters on Old Fort Boulevard at the north end of Main Street have been repeatedly hit by vehicles turning right.

The planters that will be taken down are the closest to the camera. They are located on Skubitz Plaza at the north end of Main Street in downtown Fort Scott. The new tourism panel will be placed to the east of the planter on the left.

“We’ve repaired it a number of times,” Rhonda Dunn, the city’s community development director said.

“This has been a long-term project for several years,” she said.

Serendipitously, a proposal for a new sign for tourism came along, she said.

“There is no downside to this,” Dunn said. “The broken planter will be gone and a new by-ways sign will go up.”

The new Frontier Military Historic  Byway sign panels will depict the history of Fort Scott and some tourism highlights as well.

Dunn shows the spot where the new tourism sign will be installed, out of the way of traffic.

The place where the western planter is currently will be an open space, the eastern planter will be removed also, then the by-ways sign installed, just slightly to the east.

City workers will remove and salvage brick that can be reused, Dunn said.

To view click on the links below, then click on the image to enlarge:

DOC041818-04182018084306

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The Bourbon County Master Gardeners tend to the planters in Fort Scott’s downtown area as a community project.

“The master gardeners will remove plants from the planters, ” Dunn said.

 

Area News, Business, Fort Scott

Lyons Starts Realtor Career in a Seller’s Market

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Bailey Lyons is a new agent with Stutesman’s Action Real Estate Agency in downtown Fort Scott. She can be reached at 620-224-7795.

Bailey Lyons and husband, Nate have been restoring or “flipping”  houses, in addition to property management in their business Lyons and Lyons, LLC.

“Nate and I will soon have a downtown location,” she said. “We have been immersed in real estate in Fort Scott.”

That exposure to the real estate market in her community led to her next career move: real estate agent for Stutesman’s Action Realty.

Stutesman’s Action Realty in Fort Scott is located at 119 S. Main.

Lyons started with Stutesman’s Action Realty the end of March when she received her Kansas real estate license. She will receive her Missouri license in a few weeks, she said.

Lyons earned a bachelor of science in financial accounting from Kansas University and will graduate in May with a master’s in business administration from KU.

She has a background in banking which she feels will enable her to help a client with the “financial side of things,” she said.

“A lot of people renting don’t realize they can purchase a home and build equity,” Lyons said. “There are a lot of financing options available. USDA loans are zero money down payment, FHA is 3.5 percent down. There are options other than conventional formats. Military vets have a VA loan option with zero dollars down.”

She would be glad to do a buyer’s or seller’s consultation, she said.

In addition, Lyons can offer suggestions on how to make a home more aesthetically appealing to sell it, she said.

She can help young home buyers view homes they want to update, and offer suggestions,  with a “starter home or a forever home,” she said.

Lyons can be reached at 620-224-7795.

Courtesy photo.

Seller’s Market

It’s a seller’s market currently in Fort Scott, Lyons said.

“Inventory is low, there are more buyers than sellers which is good for negotiations,” Amanda Bourassa, the broker/associate at the Stutesman Real Estate Agency said in agreement.

“The median home price in Fort Scott is $90,000, with most of our buyers in the $100,000 to $150,000 range,” Bourassa said.

Economic Development and real estate will always go hand in hand,” Lyons said. “Some jobs require residency within the county.”

“Within the last year or two, things have taken off economically in Fort Scott,” Bourassa said.

Relocation packets and tours of the community are offered through the real estate agency.

Lyons is active in the community

Lyons is the Young Professional League President this year, on the Visioning Committee for the City of Fort Scott, member of PEO, and recipient of the 2016 Young Professional of the Year.

In the recent past, she and husband Nate led fundraising for the public skatepark, she is a Lead Bourbon County graduate and was the chairperson for Relay For Life for three years.

She and Nate have four children Addison, 16, Jaxon and Jhett, 4, and Lute, four-months-old.

In their business Lyons and Lyons LLC, Bailey does the design work and Nate does the labor.

“I think there is a gap in market homes, those that are move-in ready for clientele. We are trying to fill in that gap. We do structural work: electric, plumbing and aesthetic stuff,” she said.

 

 

 

 

Area News

Art Is Ageless Exhibit Through April 20

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Some Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce attendees look at the Art Is Ageless artwork following the weekly coffee April 5, which was hosted by Presbyterian Village Assisted Living.

Creativity matters to the quality of life for all ages.

Area artists have several opportunities in Fort Scott to showcase their work, and the Art Is Ageless competition at Presbyterian Village is one, through April 20.

Currently on display at Presbyterian Village, 2401 S. Horton, are area artists’ work who are 65-years-old-plus.

The exhibit is from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. through April 20, with a reception in the main lobby at 4 p.m. on April 13.

Paintings, drawings, crafts, jewelry and textile works are available for viewing.

The work will then be entered into a competition with other Presbyterian Manor members and area artists. Winners are selected to be included in the annual Art Is Ageless calendar.

For more information contact Becky Kellum at 620-223-5550.

Following are some of the entries:

Area News, Fort Scott, Schools

Aggie Day Draws Over 1,300 Students at FSCC

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Over 1,300 high school students, from 90 schools, converged on Fort Scott Community College Aggie Day April 6, according to Ryan Edgecomb, an agriculture instructor at the school.

Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma high school buses line parking lots at FSCC for Aggie Day April 6.

Former FSCC Agriculture Instructor Gary Harvey started the event in the mid-1970s, said  Edgecomb.

“This is my 15th Aggie Day,” Edgecomb said. “The Ag Department hosts the event. Blake Davis is my teaching partner and livestock coach.”

FSCC Ag Instructor Ryan Edgecomb, right, shares a light moment with area high school ag teachers, following the Ag Teachers Brunch in the Ellis Arts Center Friday morning.

Students competed in a variety of areas, including agronomy, entomology, farm management, floriculture, food science, livestock, meat evaluation, milk quality and products, nursery/landscape, poultry, speech, veterinary science,  and reasonings.

Those from Bourbon County schools who ranked in the top ten in the contests:

In the Intermediate Live contest, Clay Brillhart, Uniontown, received 2nd place; Zach Snyder, Uniontown received a 10th place.

In the Junior Live contest, Tate Crystal, Uniontown, received the 3rd place.

In Senior Questions Live, Graham Hathaway, Uniontown, received the 2nd place; Kolby Shoemaker, Fort Scott, received a 10th place.

In Senior Reasons Live, Kolby Seested, Uniontown, received the 3rd place.

In the Veterinary Science contest, Maddie Ard, Uniontown, received 2nd place; Aubry O’Neal, Uniontown, received the 8th place.

In the Junior Speech contest, Hannah Beerbower, Uniontown, received the 4th place.

To see the full results: http://www.fortscott.edu/AggieDay/Results

The event is sponsored by Purina and Purina Mills Honor Show Chow, which also includes an ag teacher brunch.

“We are honored to have Purina and Honor Show Chow back as our sponsors for a third straight year, and we’re grateful for their support,”  Edgecomb said.

Edgecomb said the event has multiple purposes.

“It’s a recruiting tool for FSCC, allowing students to see and showcase our school,” he said.

In addition, the event is “an educational contest to help schools prepare for district and state events,” Edgecomb said.

Over 100 support people are employed to help with Aggie Day: faculty, staff, students and former students, Edgecomb said.

Some highlights of the days activities in photos: