The annual West Bourbon Elementary School primary students Christmas program provided an enjoyable evening for area residents Monday night.
“Ring and Sing the Holidays” was the title of the program directed by music teacher Rhonda Allen. She acknowledged she had help from many school personnel and parent assistants.
A large crowd listened to Uniontown Junior/Senior High Band and Choir students perform the annual winter concert Friday evening.
The junior high choir is under the direction of music instructor Rhonda Allen.
The sixth-grade band, junior high band, and the high school choir are under the director of music instructor Neva Rowland.
Cathy Werling read her story entitled “Why Did Grandpa Cry” to an audience of children and adults December 9 at the Lowell Milken Center.
The public reading and signing of books was an event to showcase the first in a series of children’s books that Werling will write, highlighting unsung heroes in history.
Werling said the first story is about black students who tried to go to a white school and were treated badly, except by two white students.
The story is told through the eyes of the granddaughter of one of the white students, decades later.
Following the reading by Werling, she signed books for those who purchased them and a drawing for prizes took place.
Werling’s book tells the story of Ken Reinhardt, during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s on a level that children can understand.
Reinhardt is an unsung hero whose story is featured at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in downtown Fort Scott.
Attending the event were the children of David Foster, one of the Uniontown High School history students who discovered the story of Reinhardt for a class project. They sat quietly, intently listening to Werling tell the story.
“Why Did Grandpa Cry” is the first of 12 children’s books about unsung heroes that will come through the Lowell Milken Center.
“The next story is about a dog named Stubby,” Werling told the audience. “A soldier took care of Stubby, then Stubby became a hero.”
Opportunity of a Lifetime
Submitted by Debra Cummings, Fort Scott Community College Business Instructor
Rick and Shelly Mayhew provided fifteen FSCC students the opportunity of a lifetime, an all-expenses-paid trip to Omaha to meet Warren Buffett.
To learn more about Buffet go online to http://forbes.com/profile/warren-buffet
Rick, an alumnus of FSCC, through his connections with Western Insurance and Warren Buffet, received an invitation to bring students to Omaha, Neb. for a question and answer session with Warren Buffet.
The Mayhews announced in the spring of 2017 their willingness to fund another trip to Omaha. The first trip by FSCC students was in 2006.
Fifteen students made the trip. The Mayhews paid for the lodging, meals, and fuel. FSCC supplied the bus and driver.
Rick Mayhew recognized student’s needs and provided funds to obtain business attire for the session with Buffett.
Other colleges to join the session with Buffett were Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Illinois, London, Michigan, MIT, Notre Dame, NYU/Stern schools of Business. FSCC was the only community college there.
On Nov. 30, the students made the trip to Omaha by bus and met the Mayhews at Warren’s favorite Dairy Queen for lunch.
The FSCC students toured Borsheims Jewelry, drove past the Buffett residence and checked into the Downtown Hilton and Convention Center.
They met with Buffet’s daughter, Susie, and had the opportunity to ask questions about her father and the foundations she runs.
The Mayhews provided dinner and a few of the students took in some ice skating afterward. They also toured Nebraska Furniture Mart.
On Friday, Dec 1, the students attended a two-hour question and answer period with Buffet. Buffet noted the importance of FSCC being there.
Following lunch, there was a group photo with Buffett.
“I could not have asked for a better group of students,” Cummings said.
Students who did the trip were Leslie Damien, Dalton Deshazer, Alex Gilmore, Justin Jackson, Andrew Johnson, Jenna Kakas, Savannah Kratzberg, Kartis Leal, Malorie McCumons, Rebecca Stufflebeam, Franklin Torres, Shaun Tune, Jordan Underwood, Rachel Walker, and Johnna Walls.
“A special thank you to Kartis and Savannah for asking questions for our group,” Cummings said. “Thank you to Charles Howser, our driver, for making the trip with us. And, again, thank you to the Mayhews for making dreams come true.”
Fort Scott Community College also included a link to the Omaha-World Herald Newspaper, dated December 4, 2017, which included a section entitled “Warren Watch” and an article that spoke of Fort Scott:
Fort Scott ties
They’re not from Harvard, Yale or Stanford, but students from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas were in Omaha last week as part of the latest group of business students to meet Buffett, thanks in part to their town’s auto insurance connection with Berkshire.
Rick Mayhew of Fenton, Missouri, a member of the Berkshire fan club known as the Yellow Brk-ers, cited an account in Andy Kilpatrick’s “Of Permanent Value” book of the Buffett-Fort Scott connection. (Fort Scott students also made an Omaha trip in 2006.)
Insurance agent Oscar Rice started Western Insurance Cos. in 1910 in Fort Scott. Ray Duboc was CEO when Buffett invested in the business in the 1950s. Buffett later sold that investment and used the money to invest in Geico, now a big moneymaker for Berkshire.
“Western, in a major way, contributed to the financial success I had,” Buffett once said. “I owe a lot to Ray Duboc, the Western and Fort Scott, Kansas.”
Winners of the Christmas Parade entry contest:
1. Parkway Church of God Holiness
2. Mercy Hospital
3. Fort Scott High School Cheerleaders
The Decorated Golf Cart Category Winner is Phillips Lawn Care.
Citing “unforeseen issues” at the delayed store opening, Dennis Riley, Chief Financial Officer of Price Chopper, said the new grocery store will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 13, not December 6.
“Barring any other unforeseen issues, we will open Dec. 13,” Riley said. “We wish it would have been sooner… Everything will be open and operating and ready for the citizens of Fort Scott .”
“Late August is when demolition began,” Riley said. “It’s been a top to bottom remodel and a relocation of the flow of the store.”
The store is similar to the Price Chopper in Paola, Riley said.
“We have a heavy emphasis on fresh foods,” he said. “We are proud of our meat department and our produce department.”
There will be a cut fruit and salad bar where people can dine in, Riley said.
The Dunkin’ Donuts area has a drive-up window feature.
Price Chopper Fort Scott currently has 120 employees and is located at 2322 S. Main Street on the city’s south side.
The site was formerly Woods Supermarket.
Barry Queen is the owner of the store and has family ties to the Fort Scott area, Riley said.
The Bourbon County Commission Room meets on the 2nd Floor of the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Ave. at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays.
Today, December 5, 2017, the agenda is:
9-9:45 a.m.-Jim Harris
9 a.m.-Motor Grader Bid Opening
9:30 a.m.-Open Bank Bids for 2018 Mac Dump Truck
9:45-10:15 a.m.-Commissioners consider and take action on any and all questions or issues which may arise regarding the law enforcement project.
10:15-10:30 a.m.- Bill Martin
10:30-10:45 a.m.-KCAMP and Cereal Malt Beverages Licenses
10:45-11 a.m.-2018 Wages
11:00-11:15 a.m.-Justin Meeks
11:30-11:45 a.m.-Clint Anderson
Commissioners will be gone by noon.
1st District Commissioner is Lynne Oharah,2nd District-Jeff Fischer, 3rd District-Nick Ruhl, County Clerk-Kendell Mason.
The City of Fort Scott recently annexed the LaRoche Baseball Complex into the city limits at a recent meeting.
The complex is located in the industrial park south of the city on U.S. 69 Hwy.
“The city maintains the complex,” Rhonda Dunn, Fort Scott Community Development Director, said. “They do the mowing, the maintenance, the painting, the lights, etc. It makes sense, that since the city owns the park, it should be within the city limits.”
A board oversees the park, which includes members from the city, Fort Scott’s school district, and the LaRoche family.
The following information is the public record available at the Bourbon County Courthouse, third floor, district court office.
Joseph W. Banker, age 36, is a defendant whose case is pending in Bourbon County for the charges of sexual solicitation, sexual exploitation, and sexual battery.
In May 2017 the Bourbon County District Court filed a case against Banker in Oklahoma, for the charges and he was arrested.
A hearing was held on November 17, 2017, in which Banker pleaded No Contest to two of the charges. The preliminary hearing was waived.
Banker pleaded No Contest, thereby waiving his right to a trial. No Contest is an admission by Banker that the prosecution has sufficient evidence to prove his guilt and will not contest such evidence.
His plea of No Contest is the result of a plea agreement between the Bourbon County Attorney Justin Meeks and Bank’s attorney, Christopher Meek.
He is pleading No Contest in connection with Count II and Count III charges against him in the amended complaint/information.
Count II reads that between August 1, 2009, and September 21, 2009, Banker sexually exploited a child under 18 years of age. The charge is a severity level five, person felony with a minimum sentence of 31 months imprisonment, a maximum of 136 months and a fine up to $300,000.
Count III reads that between November 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, Banker sexually exploited another child under 18 years of age. The charge is a severity level five, person felony with a minimum sentence of 31 months imprisonment, a maximum of 136 months and a fine up to $300,000.
There will be a plea hearing on December 8, 2017, at 1:15 p.m. in series before the Honorable Judge Amy Harth.
Banker is a former youth pastor at Community Christian Church.
Land south and east of El Charro Restaurant will be annexed into the city with Peerless Products and Labconco Corporation planning to develop the properties, according to a city official.
The City of Fort Scott will rezone the Emory Arnold Trust land, located on U.S. Highway 69 for redevelopment on Dec.5, Rhonda Dunn, Fort Scott Community Development Director said.
“Part of it is the Emory Arnold Trust, south of El Charro Restaurant, down to Jayhawk Road to Liberty Bell Road,” she said. “Peerless and Labconco are buying the properties for future development.”
The land will be annexed into the city.
Labconco Corporation is located at 2500 Liberty Bell Road, while Peerless Products, Inc. is located at 2403 S. Main Street, parallel to U.S. 69 Hwy.
Emory Arnold was a prominent Fort Scottian who died in 2015 at age 98. He served in positions at Fort Scott Community College as the registrar, assistant dean, athletic director and vice president until his retirement in 1981, according to his obituary. The arena at FSCC bears his name.
The Bourbon County Commission meets on the 2nd floor of the county courthouse, 210 S. National Avenue, Tuesdays starting at 9 a.m.
The November 28 agenda is:
9-9:45 a.m.-Jim Harris
9:45-10:15-Commissioners consider and take action on any and all questions or issues which may arise regarding the law enforcement project.
11 a.m.-Justin Meeks
noon-1:30 p.m.-Commissioners gone to lunch
2:30-Employee Handbook
3 p.m.-Discuss 2018 wages, longevity pay, and holiday schedule
1st District-Lynne Oharah, 2nd District-Jeff Fischer,3rd District-Nick Ruhl. County Clerk-Kendell Mason
Justifications for Executive Session:
· Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel
· Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
· Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
· Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
· Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
· Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information system
