Category Archives: Fort Scott

Fort Scott, Government

City Crews Work to Repair Water Main Break in Northeast Fort Scott

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The Fort Scott Public Water Distribution crew works on a broken water main in northeast Fort Scott on Wednesday in freezing weather. Taken from its Facebook page.

With temperatures hovering in the single digits, the Fort Scott Water Distribution Department had an uncomfortable day yesterday, to say the least.

The department crew of Bill Lemke, supervisor, along with Brady Coffman, Stanley McKeen, Jason McReynolds, and Joseph Reid spent the day repairing a water main break in the middle of the street on North Broadway in the northeast part of town.

Water was spewing upward from the street.

“It was shooting pretty good,” Brad Matkin, spokesman for the City of Fort Scott said. “They had to dig up the road to find the root cause.”

The crew found the 10-inch water main with the hole in it and put a sleeve over the hole, tightened the bolts on the sleeve, then put the gravel back in the hole, Matkin said.

Matkin wasn’t sure of the number of households without water during the repair.

“North Little (Street) and North Broadway (Street) residents were affected,” Matkin said. “All the water is turned back on.”

Matkin said the cause of the water main break was probably the change in temperature or the age of the pipe.

The crew started at the site about 8 a.m. on Feb. 2, following a call to report the water spewing from the street. Matkin wasn’t sure who called in the incident.

They will finish the clean-up today and smooth out the street, he said.

“In the spring, we’ll do a job of patching the site,” Matkin said.

Public Works

Fort Scott Public Works employs about 15 employees, Matkin said.

“The other guys were removing snow and treating ice,” he said. “We did have a tree fall and they had to remove that.”

Fort Scott city crews are working to clear the streets. Taken from the City of Fort Scott’s Facebook page.

From a post on the City of Fort Scott’s Facebook page last evening:

“Please remember to stay back when coming up on snowplows; with blowing snow and at night it is hard for them to see you if you are too close.
“Also, we understand frustrations because of driveways being covered when our plows are cleaning the roadways and will do our best to limit this but with several inches of snow, this is very hard to control. We want our roadways as safe as possible for our public safety personnel and for our citizens. This is our number one priority. Thank you in advance for understanding and your patience.”

 

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee Postponed to Feb. 10 For Lyons Realty

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REVISED DATE:
This week’s Chamber Coffee will be postponed to next week, February 10th.
Join us for this week’s Chamber Coffee
Hosted by Chamber Member
Lyons Realty Group
Lyons Realty Group proudly invites you to join them as they celebrate their one-year anniversary!
Thursday, February 10th at 8am
8 E. Wall St.
Click here to Like their Facebook page.
Click here to view their website.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion Members below…
Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Big Sugar Lumber: Change of Ownership

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The Big Sugar Lumber staff, front from left: Tim Culbertson-contractor sales, Jim Fewins-general manager, Janice Fewins-accounting. Back row from left: Jeff Dollarhyde-yard man and driver, Kristin Bishop-floor manager, Tyler Travis-logistics manager and Stihl products, Cade Goodridge-yard man, and Daniel Harney, assistant manager.

Big Sugar Lumber had a change of ownership on Dec. 31, 2021.

With the retirement of  Matt Noll as a business partner, Jim Fewins is now the sole owner of the local lumber materials store in Fort Scott.

“He had been a business partner for several years and wanted to retire,” Fewins said. “We appreciate Matt’s working here over the years and wish him well in his retirement.”

The lumber yard is a member of the international building materials dealer Do It Best cooperative, he said.

“We are proud to be your local lumberyard,” Fewins said.

Among the store’s offerings are lumber, hardware, paint, windows, and roofing supplies.

They have a delivery service available for their products and are also a United Parcel Service drop-off point in Fort Scott.

The store personnel are working to expand the inventory: “more lumber, commodity products (plywood and OSB’s) and more niche items,” Fewins said.  And they are re-merchandising the items on the shelves to be more accessible.

Jim Fewins, the owner of Big Sugar Lumber, stands in front of a newly re-merchandized shelf in the store.

There is a new hospitality area in the store, where one can sit in a chair and have a cup of coffee at a table. This is located to the left of the sales desk, near the rear of the store.

“We’ll have contractor meetings in this area,” he said. “A place to have a cup of coffee and sit down.”

Daniel Harney, the assistant manager, said they are working to increase inventory and maintain it to have what people need.

“Customer service is a high priority, that sets up apart,” he said. “And we are a local lumber yard.”

“Every small town needs a really good lumbar yard,” Kristin Bishop, the floor manager said. “We want to provide that for Bourbon County. We are proud to be your local lumber yard.”

Fewins said new staff will be “working on making sure we have all our bases covered correctly.”

Big Sugar Lumber has a quick turnaround on items not in the store.

Do It Best Warehouse has 87,000 items, which can be ordered through the Big Sugar Lumber Merchandise Catalogue on a Monday and be in the Fort Scott store by Wednesday, Fewins said.

“And there is no charge to the consumer,” he said.

 

History of the Big Sugar Lumber Store

Original business partners Ed Graham, Sid Colwell, Jim Fewins, and Matt Noll started Big Sugar Lumber in March 1983 in Mound City.

“We came to Fort Scott in 1984,” Fewins said. “We owned both stores and had a third one in Garnett in 1988. It closed in the early 2000s.”

The facility is located at 1005 S. Clark, near the junction of 12th Street and Hwy. 69. The store phone number is 620-223-5279.

Find them also on their Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

Fort Scott

Fly the Flag Installation Project Subscriptions Continue

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Friends Now Accepting New and Renewed Subscriptions for U.S. Flags

The Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site Inc. is taking new subscriptions and renewals for their Fly the Flag project. The project provides homeowners and businesses, within the city limits of Fort Scott, the opportunity to fly the Stars and Stripes on five different flag holidays during 2022 without the hassle of purchasing, placing, and storing a flag and pole. You don’t even have to remember the holiday!

For $35 annually, the Friends will install a 3’x5′ flag on a 12 foot staff at your home or business on each of the following Flag Holidays :

Memorial Day, May 30th

Flag Day, June 14th

Fourth of July, July 4th

Labor Day, September 5th

Veteran’s Day, November 11th

Agreements for new subscriptions can be obtained at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce or can be requested by phone or text. Contact Kelley Collins at 417-684-2484. Renewals notices are being mailed/e-mailed to 2021 subscribers. Questions can be directed to Kelley or Martha Scott at 620-224-9924.

Both new agreements and renewals must be returned by March 31, 2022.

All proceeds support programs at Fort Scott National Historic Site. These include: Symbols of Sacrifice, a Citizenship Ceremony, Candlelight Tour, Youth Engagement, and many others.

Show your patriotism and help our local National Park by lining the streets of Fort Scott with our nation’s symbol!

The Fly the Flag project is a yearly project sponsored by the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site. Once signed up, you will receive the option to renew annually.

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Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Fort Scott Knights of Columbus Continue Tradition of Support

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Tri-Valley Developmental Services in located at 4305 Campbell Drive in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park.

The Fort Scott Knights of Columbus Council #796 continue to show their support for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) served by Tri-Valley Developmental Services. Council #796 donated $537.87 raised during the 2021 Tootsie Roll Drive to Tri-Valley. This donation will help support client services and actively assist our neighbors with I/DD in their pursuit of community inclusion. The donation is appreciated by everyone associated with Tri-Valley.

Submitted by : Tricia Campbell

Special Projects Coordinator

Tri-Valley Developmental Services

Fort Scott, Government

Fort Scott City Closings Due to Feb. 2-3 Snowstorm

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In anticipation of the impending winter storm please be aware of the following cancellations:

 

City Brush Dump Site:      Closed Thursday, February 3rd, 2022

 

Gunn Park:   Closed to the Public after 3:30 p.m. today, February 1st, 2022

 

Riverfront Park:  Closed to the Public after 3:30 p.m. today, February 1st, 2022

 

Municipal Court:   No Court held on Thursday, February 3rd, 2022

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Police Department

Local Missing Children Are Found

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On January 31st, 2022 the Fort Scott Police Department received information that 14-year-old Allison Barnett and 13-year-old Rylan Miller were missing.

After school, the two walked away from the Fort Scott Middle School together and did not return home.

Allison was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black leggings, eyeglasses, and a white and blue backpack.

Rylan was last seen wearing a black jacket with a black hoodie underneath it, eyeglasses, and a black backpack.

On February 1st at approximately 10:30 a.m., the children were located near Deerfield, Mo after receiving several tips from the public.

 

Submitted by:

Captain Jason Pickert

Fort Scott Police Department

Fort Scott, Government

Fort Scott Parks Board Committee Opening

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Please see the following Board opening:

This is for the Fort Scott Parks Board Committee:

  • One opening (City resident)

The function of the Fort Scott Parks Board Committee is to provide suggestions to the City Manager and Governing Body regarding all the parks within the City of Fort Scott.

If you have a desire to serve on this board and meet the above requirements, please submit a letter of interest to the City Clerk, Diane Clay, 123 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. The names will be submitted for consideration to the City Commission. All of the boards and commissions serve on a volunteer basis and are not compensated. If you would like more information on this board, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or [email protected]. Please submit your letter of interest by February 18th, 2022.

Fort Scott, Government

City Board Vacancy: Golf Course Advisory Board

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City Board Vacancy

Please see below the above opening for the Golf Course Advisory Board:

  • One opening (One City resident) on the Golf Course Advisory Board

The function of the Golf Course Advisory Board is to advise the City Commission in all matters referred to them regarding the Woodland Hills Golf Course. They will also independently evaluate all aspects of the operation of the Golf Course and make recommendations to the City Commission and City Manager. They meet on an “as needed” basis.

If you have a desire to serve on this Board and meet the above requirements, please submit a letter of interest to the City Clerk, Diane Clay, 123 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. She will then submit your letter of interest for consideration by the City Commission. All of the boards and commissions serve on a volunteer basis and are not compensated. If you would like more information on any of these boards, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or [email protected]. Please submit your letter of interest by February 18th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.

Fort Scott, Schools

USD 234 School District Seeks Community Input

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On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. The ARP ESSER III funding from the ARP Act provides support for K-12 schools to help safely open and sustain the safe operations of schools and address the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s students. The ARP Act also allocates funds to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Although the ARP ESSER III uses of funds are similar to those for ESSER I and II, there are important distinctions between ARP ESSER III, ESSER II, and ESSER programs, including the period of funds availability, equitable services to non-public schools, maintenance of effort, and a report on efforts to measure and address learning loss.

USD 234 Fort Scott will receive $4,080,503 in ESSER III funding. We are seeking input from our community to help us identify needs for our district and community. Together we can accomplish great things for our kids and future.

Thursday, February 10th – 5:30 PM – Fort Scott Preschool Center

Wednesday, February 16th – 5:30 PM – Winfield Scott Elementary

Saturday, February 19th – 8:00 AM – Fort Scott Middle School Community Space

Monday, March 7th – 5:30 PM – Fort Scott Middle School Commons (regularly scheduled board meeting)

Tuesday, March 8th – 5:30 – 8 PM – Fort Scott High School Auditorium – same night as parent/teacher conferences

We also encourage our community to take our community feedback survey to provide insight:

Community ESSER Survey

More information can be found at our website,

https://www.usd234.org/o/USD%20234/page/esser-funds