Final results of the 2017 General Election were made with 1,501 out of 11,667 voters making the calls.
Fort Scott City Commission: Robert Nichols, 650; JoLynne Mitchell, 565; Cheryl Adamson, 451. The top three candidates in votes were declared the winners.
Mayor of Bronson: Alan Stewart, 58; Lee Roy Whitcomb, 20.
Mayor of Fulton: No filings; Misty Adams was declared the winner with 11 write-in votes.
Mayor of Mapleton: No filings; Ronald Burton Jr. was declared the winner with 3 votes out of 7 write-in votes.
Mayor of Redfield: Clarence Ed Guss, 20. There were 13 write-in votes.
Mayor of Uniontown: Larry Jurgensen was declared the winner with 19 write-in votes out of 26.
City Council of Bronson: Clearsia Botts, 65; Geraldine Reeder, 61; Michael Stewart, 51; write-in winner is Joshua Marlow, 46; Charlotte Stewart, 43. The top five candidates in votes were declared the winners.
City Council of Fulton: All were write-in candidates: Robert Durbin, 11; Larry Paddock, 11; Stuart Cook, 11; Michael Clooney, 8 and Phillip Gratton, 4.
City of Redfield Council: Kirby Martin, 31; Mike Beerbower, 30; Richard Smith, 25; Clarence Ed Guss, 20; Wilma Graham, 17.
City Council of Mapleton: Both were write-in winners: Homer Wisdom, 3; Mike Blevins, 2.
City of Uniontown Council: Jess Ervin, 12; Amber Kelly, 11.
USD 234 Position 4: David Stewart received 723 over Geoff Southwell with 431.
USD 235 Position 4: Brian Stewart, 243.
USD 234 Position 5: Gary Billionis, 947.
USD 235 Position 5: Mike Mason, 242.
USD 234 Position 6: Jamie Armstrong, 981.
USD 235 Position 6: Tyler Martin, 256.
Southwind Extension District: Terry Williams received 1,170 over Ethan Holly, 783.
Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees: The top three candidates were declared the winners: John Bartelsmeyer, 1,170; Tina Rockhold, 923; Liz Meyer, 689.
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (November 1, 2017) – Fall report cards are in and Mercy Hospital Fort Scott earned a grade A for keeping patients safe.
The Leapfrog Groupjust released its fall 2017 Hospital Safety Grades, which score hospitals on how safe they keep their patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. More than 2,600 U.S. general acute-care hospitals were assigned scores and only 832 received an A (32 percent of those surveyed).
“Providing safe care for our community is a high priority for the co-workers at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott,” said President Reta Baker. “The attention to careful hand washing and processes compliance has led our facility into its second year of having a zero percent C-Difficile (C-diff) infection rate. C-diff is an infection often associated with hospital stays. Use of the bar-coding system for medication administration has facilitated a remarkably low error rate.”
“Additionally, the electronic health record has been key to accurate and clear communication across the continuum of care resulting in excellent quality outcomes for our patients. Full credit for our Leapfrog ‘A’ rating goes to the physicians and co-workers who have any part in providing care to our patients.”
“We’re always focused on providing the highest quality care to our patients,” said Dr. Keith Starke, Mercy chief quality officer. “The work done by our co-workers to earn top grades for quality is critical to our patients and noticed by organizations such as Leapfrog that rank hospitals across the country.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. It is updated every six months, once in the fall and once in the spring.
Using 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety, The Leapfrog Group calculated a numerical score for all eligible hospitals in the U.S. The numerical score was then converted into one of five letter grades: A, B, C, D or F. Read more about Leapfrog scoring here.
The FSCC Meats Judging Championship Team: Zach Wood, Zach Steed, Reba Colin, Ryan Malone, Jacob Martin, Rachel Gold, and Coach Jenilee Martin. Taken from the FSCC Facebook page.
Celebrates champs
The Fort Scott Community College Meats Judging Team will be celebrated at 4 p.m. Thursday, November 16 at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus.
The team is the 2017A-Division National Champion Meats Judging Team.
“We are incredibly proud of our students and our coach, Jenilee Martin,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said. “They represent us well. In the last four years, they have won it three times.”
“This was a good bunch,” Coach Jenilee Martin said. “They went through a lot of adversity and came out with a good year.”
Changes: Martin To Resign
Martin, the three-time national championship coach of the team will be resigning December 20, according to Kassie Fugate-Cate, director of strategic communication at FSCC.
She will take a position with the Kansas State Extension Office in Hill City, after working at FSCC for four years, Martin told FortScott.Biz.
“I’ve worked with a lot of great people here,” Martin said. “I came back to FSCC because they cared about their students and the opportunities they give the students.”
“Students, faculty, and staff have taught me a lot of lessons,” she said. “It’s been a fun go.”
“We are saddened that she is going, but we know she’ll be successful wherever she goes,” President Johnston said.
Martin was also a one-half time admissions representative in addition to her coaching duties.
Johnston said the position to replace Martin will change when advertised, from a recruiter to an advisor position.
Changes: FSCC Hires New Administration Employees
Fort Scott Community College recently hired Kassie Fugate-Cate as the newly created position of Director of Strategic Communication. Previously she was an admissions representative at FSCC. In addition, she will remain as Student Activities Coordinator. She started November 6 in her new position. Cate is a resident of Pittsburg.
“We combined positions to use our resources as efficiently as we can,” President Johnston said. “Kassie is getting her masters in public relations.”
Kassie Fugate-Cate is the new FSCC Director of Strategic Communications.
Amanda Downing is a new admissions representative, taking the prior position filled by Fugate-Cate. She started November 13.
Amanda Downing is a new FSCC Admissions Representative.
Also new to the administration at FSCC is Jordan Underwood who is the financial aid assistant that started this semester. Underwood hales from Crestline.
Jordan Underwood is the new FSCC Financial Aid Assistant.
Submitted by Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District
A critical date is quickly approaching for landowners who wish to terminate their leases with their tenants.
According to the Kansas Farm Lease Law, notice to terminate a farm lease must be given in writing at least 30 days prior to March 1, and must fix the termination date of the tenancy of March 1. This applies to both pasture and crop leases.
If there is a fall seeded crop, such as wheat currently planted, the lease is terminated the day harvest is completed or August 1, whichever comes first. This only applies to the portion of the land that has been seeded to a fall crop. Notice must still be made 30 days prior to March 1, stating the termination date as March 1, on land seeded to fall crops.
The same is true if a tenant has either worked the ground or prepared it with normal farming practices, but has not yet planted a fall crop before receiving notice. But, if the landlord gives notice before the tenant prepares the ground for the planting of a fall crop, the lease ends on March 1.
The best way to serve a notice of termination is by registered mail as the tenant must sign a receipt for the notice. If the notice is given by mail, it must be done by certified or registered mail. When service is by registered mail, it is important that the landowner keep the return receipt for proof of notice of termination.
Death of a landowner or sale of the land does not terminate an oral lease; the new owners must follow the terms of the lease.
The only exception to the deadline of 30 days prior to March 1, is written leases signed by both parties which state that the termination date is otherwise; in this case, a notice of tenancy termination is not required. In the case of a written lease, the landlord and tenant can set any start and termination date they want.
If you would like more information concerning the Kansas Farm Lease Law please contact any of the Southwind Extension District Offices, or visit www.agmanager.info.
A vendor from the 2016 Fall Extravaganza talks with a customer.
Bourbon County residents are invited to attend the annual VIP Fall Extravaganza, a one-stop shopping, and dining experience, according to Fort Scott Middle School VIP President Stephanie George.
The event is from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, November 20 at Fort Scott Middle School, 1105 E. Twelfth Street.
“We make about $1000-1500 each year on this particular fundraiser,” George said. ” Combined with other fundraisers our parent organization has been able to help the middle school pay for lots of things over the years: laptops, iPad carts, other technology including software like Accelerated Reader and Flocabular, gift cards for teachers to purchase classroom supplies, microwaves for our students to use at lunchtime, an annual donation to Lori Nelsen’s sewing / textiles classes to purchase fabric and other materials for students who can’t afford them, an annual donation to the School Wellness Committee that works to better student and faculty wellness, and much more.”
Baked goods for Thanksgiving dinner, holiday gifts, holiday music, and a quick meal are some of the items that can be purchased.
Wreaths Across America will have a booth this year. It is a way to honor a family member or another local veteran with the purchase of a wreath for soldiers graves at Fort Scott National Cemetery during the Christmas season.
As an added incentive this year, any district employee who attends the Fall Extravaganza will have a chance to win one of four $25 cash prizes! The lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the evening (need not be present at 8 p.m. to win).
Free childcare will be available.
Participating this year are vendors:
A2Z Photography / Jana Butcher, American Doll Clothes / Janice Robb, Baby Hats, Blankets and Towel Toppers / Jayne F. Cooper, Baked Goods / Community of Christ. Baskets / Jacy Ermel, Bath Salts and Baked Goods / Marianna Daugherty, BBQ Dinner / Washington Workshop, Beaded Crosses and Christmas Décor / Linda Carpenter, Bids & Dibs / Angela Simon, Brandazzle Dezynes / Brandi Spainhoward, Cinnamon Rolls and More / Class of 2018 Parents, Crack Corn, Jams, jellies / Carol Bingesser and Clara Schofield.
Cutee Tutee Boutique / Alisa Nolan, Damsel in Defense / Cherri Burlingame, Farm Toys and Vintage Décor / William and Judy Wallis, Fishing Lures / Russell Hughes, FSMS Technology Products / Adam Feagins, Funky Junktiques / Jennifer Cox.
Gold Canyon / Tina Schilling, Homemade Pumpkin Rolls / Carmen Owen, Home Sewn Items / Micki Kraft, Jewelry and Photographs / Hugh and Janet Huffman, JP Custom Leather / Jim Pruitt.
K & J Blessed & Broken / Kellie Jackson, Kinede’s Mary Kay / Kinede Houdashelt, Little Luxuries LLC / Lynn A. Chaney, Local Book Authors / Joyce Love and Carol Russell, Locust Hill Lamanchas / Sue Reinecke, LuLaRoe Clothing / Victoria Forester.
Magnabilities / Melinda and Stephanie Miller, Maid in Marmaton / Stacey Atkins, Mixed Media Mosaics / Cindi Lipe, Monat Natural Hair Care / Barbara Baugher, Plain Jane’s Soap / Heather Mace and Pamela Walters, Pruvit / Brandi Pitts, Redbud Farms and Nurseries / Tara Allen.
Rodan & Fields / Brandi Pitts and Jena Russell, Scentsy / Geri Vincent, SeneGence Company (Lip Sense) / Rochelle Casner, Shirt Shack / Billy Webster, Sisters Craft Creations / Betty Haynes, Sugar Cookies / Lori Nelsen and Rosemary Harris, Sunshine Boutique / Georgia Brown.
TFI Family Services / Libby Hayden, The Lavender Patch / Betsy Reichard, The Woodworking Dude / Shawn LaSota, Tourtillott Creations / Jenny Tourtillott, Tupperware / Kelly Hall, Unique and Useful Crafts / Ann Tebbets and Ruth Hawkins, Usborne Children’s Books / Elise Herman.
Walker’s Bakery / Jessie Combs and Leeta Walker, WellSpring Acres / Penny Moore, Wolfe Country Creations / Tena Tyler, Wreaths Across America / Schery Rupprecht, Young Living / Suzanne Griffin, Younique / Bridget McGilbray.
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (Nov. 10, 2017) – Mercy Hospital Auxiliary will host a book sale on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 17 from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Mercy Hospital main lobby.
The book sale is the perfect opportunity to purchase gifts for holidays.
The two-day fundraising event will feature hundreds of books for all ages at exceptional savings. Soft back, hard back, and even coffee table books are available for purchase. Also for sale are stationary, music, home décor and items for the kitchen. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted. Mercy co-workers have a payroll deduction option, too.
The Mercy Hospital Auxiliary is a volunteer organization that raises money to benefit the hospital and provides scholarships for the nursing students at Fort Scott Community College.
Over the 12 years decade, Mercy Auxiliary has donated over $850,000 to Mercy Hospital for state-of-the-art equipment, supplies and upgrading of services for the patients’ benefit through vending machine sales, proceeds of sales in the Mercy Market Place gift shop, and other specialty sales. Collectively, auxiliary members volunteer the equivalent of almost 6 full-time co-workers in hours of service each year to the hospital.
Mercy Hospice and Konantz-Cheney partner to offer guidance
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (Nov. 8, 2017) – The holiday season can be especially difficult with the absence of a loved one. Mercy Hospice and Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home are co-sponsoring a “Coping with the Holidays” program on Wednesday, November 15from 2-3:30 p.m. in the McAuley Conference Center at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott.
The educational program is open to the public and will offer guidance for those who have experienced a loss and offers tips on how to make it through the holidays without a loved one. Caregivers and family members are welcome.
Facilitators for the program are Melissa George, Mercy Hospice chaplain; LaShawn Noel, Mercy Hospice social worker & volunteer coordinator; and Mike Cheney, Konantz-Cheney director.
Refreshments will be provided by Konantz-Cheney. Registration is not required.
For more information, contact Mercy Hospice at 620-223-8533.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company, serves millions annually. Mercy includes 44 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
The weather cooperated to make the annual Fort Scott Holiday Open House well attended Thursday evening. Shopping, eating, and visiting with friends and acquaintances were highlights of the event.
A stuffed full-size Santa sits on a bench in front of The Iron Star store and gets a second look from Ernestine Eden.Diners enjoy a dinner at Papa Don’s during the Holiday Open House Thursday.Decorated Christmas trees were in abundance at the Liberty Theater.Carla Farmer enjoys a conversation at the Main Street Gallery.Shirley Palmer looks at merchandise at the Sunshine Boutique.Merchants offered appetizers during the Holiday Open House.Shoppers enjoy the sparkle of a Christmas tree at the Liberty Theater.Colors from downtown Fort Scott lights add ambiance to shopping during the Holiday Open House.Mary Eastwood takes a break to visit with Bob Eckles at her upholstery store, Here We Go AgainYoung shoppers look over merchandise at the Country Cupboard Thursday evening.Lora Holdridge shows off a Christmas treasure she found at the Holiday Open House.
KDOT U.S. 69 Hwy. expansion roadwork last week, as seen from Eagle Road.
Kansas Department of Transportation and Bourbon County Public Works have both been working on roadways south of Fort Scott.
People who use Calvary Road will soon have access again, according to Priscilla Peterson, Public Affairs Manager with the Kansas Department of Transportation District 4.
Cherry Grove Baptist Church sits at the intersection of Calvary Rd. and U.S. 69 Hwy. where the access is closed currently.
“Right now they are doing a re-route behind the church,” Peterson said. “If the weather is good, the Calvary Road access should be opened by the end of the month.”
KDOT personnel makes an effort to contact people before limiting access to a road, Peterson said.
The Calvary Road closure is part of the improvements being made to U.S. 69 Hwy.
The six-mile highway expansion to a four-lane upgradeable expressway, with access points, was started in March 2017 and is scheduled for completion November 2018, according to Peterson.
Two-way U.S. 69 Hwy. traffic is being maintained while building the new lanes, she said.
Road surfaces on 230th Street between Kansas and Jayhawk were changed from an asphalt road to a gravel road this year.
County Roads Converted From Asphalt To Gravel
Two county roads south-east of Fort Scott have been ripped up this year to eventually be improved, according to a county official.
Eagle Road between 69 Hwy. and 250th Street and 230th Street between Kansas and Jayhawk Roads were converted from asphalt back to gravel.
“This is part of a process,” Jim Harris, Bourbon County Public Works director, said. “We did several miles last year.”
“We turn it back into gravel, then our goal is to overlay on top in the spring,” Harris said. “We do a manual contraction, but leaving it over the winter helps with compaction.”
Exactly what improvements these roads receive is up to the Bourbon County Commissioners.
In March the Bourbon County Commission holds a public meeting annually to discuss the priorities for road repair and maintenance.
“We’ll have a work session on roads, ” Harris said. “I make recommendations about repair or maintain, the commission decides.It’s a public meeting. In March the road priorities are determined by the commission. They decide what roads we are going to reclaim.”
The gravel road has left at least one Garland area resident re-routing his travel.
“It’s so bad I don’t go down that way,” Raymond Kalm said. “It’s too rough and too dusty.”
It was a great day to bike/hike on Gunn Park Trails.
With temperatures in the 50s and a sunny day after several cloudy November days, today was a great day to take advantage of the trails in the city’s park systems.
You may or may not be aware of a group of volunteers in your community providing horticulture information to the public. I am speaking of the Extension Master Gardeners. Extension Master Gardeners come from all walks of life, but they have two things in common and that is their love of gardening and the joy of sharing with their communities.
Currently there are 21 certified Extension Master Gardeners in the Southwind District. These individuals were trained by state specialists from Kansas State University and have been through forty to fifty hours of instruction in all aspects of horticulture. After training, the Master Gardeners volunteer an equivalent number of hours back to their communities as was received in their training.
In the Southwind Extension District, many of the gardeners received their training in 2008, 2010, 2013 or 2015 so they have several years of experience as Master Gardeners under their belt.
There are a number of Master Gardener volunteer service projects currently happening in Southwind Extension District communities. This year, 684 hours of volunteer service was completed. According to most recent data from the Independent Sector (a coalition of charities, foundations, corporations, and individuals that publishes research important to the nonprofit sector), the estimated value of volunteer time is $24.14 per hour. That calculates to $16,500 worth of service to our local communities!
Here are some of the projects that the Master Gardeners have worked on this year:
Pepper and Tomato Variety Trials – A K-State research trial on peppers and tomatoes was conducted at the Elm Creek Community Garden in Iola and the community garden in Fort Scott with many different varieties. Various individuals in the community were able to sample and evaluate the produce at Farmers Markets.
Flower Trial – An annual flower research trial was conducted at the courthouse in Iola. The trial showed that not all flowers can withstand the brutal climate in Kansas. All plants were labeled so people could see which varieties did well and which ones did not. It is hoped that the general public noted which plants performed well and which plants did not and will make future plant purchases accordingly.
Programs and Presentations – the Master Gardeners gave many public presentations this year including how to grow herbs, container gardening, vegetable and berry production, attracting hummingbirds, and establishing native prairie plants. In addition, there were Master Gardeners writing blogs, newspaper columns and helping youth with various horticulture projects. This is a very brief listing and does not include every public presentation that was given nor the countless contacts made with the general public, friends and neighbors!
Community Work – various volunteer projects were completed in Humboldt, Chanute, Moran, Iola, Uniontown and Fort Scott. Most of these projects centered around community beautification efforts.
As an Extension agent, I called upon the Master Gardeners many times this year to assist me with programs. They were always eager to help and share their expertise. The Master Gardeners are very knowledgeable individuals that love their communities and want to give back to them. If you would like to know who the Master Gardeners are in your community, please give me a call and I would be happy to visit with you.
A Master Gardener training class will be offered in the fall of 2018. If you are interested in taking the class, please contact me and your name will be put on a mailing list.
Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at kharding@ksu.edu or 620-244- 3826.
FORT SCOTT, Kan. 
