After years of remaining in disrepair, and transferring from one owner to another, the building at 417 S. Main Street will be torn down, with the Fort Scott City Commission’s decision to go through with the condemnation during their recent meeting.

During that meeting, Autumn Durossette and her brother, Denver Mitchell, approached the commission with a desire to purchase the home, to try to repair it and then rent it out, as they have done with 13 other structures. While the commission expressed gratitude for the work they have done, they decided not to accept that request as the building was already condemned to demolition.

“I am not in support of rescinding your motion,” Codes Manager Rhonda Dunn said, adding she is grateful for the work done in Fort Scott by Durossette and Mitchell. “This house has been a struggle for us for quite a while.”

The home has suffered damage from two fires and has structural issues that have led to uneven floors. The fire department, in their inspections, also discovered some termite damage. Delinquent property taxes are also owed.

Durossette said she had a number of inspectors and contractors examine the house, located across the street from the Unified School District Education Building, and said they believed they would be able to correct the foundation and other problems of the home and make it attractive once more.

“They need work, but these bones are good,” Mitchell said of the base structure of the home, saying most of the work needed concerns surface repairs.

The commission decided to not take any action, thus upholding the previous condemnation, stating they trust their staff’s recommendation and do not desire to set a precedent of rescinding the condemnation of homes in Fort Scott.

The commission first approved the condemnation and demolition of the house in 2016, and it is now ready for demolition as the city received a bid. The file on the building’s code violations stretch back for more than a decade.

Submitted by Tina Rockhold

Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott has been awarded a $1,000 grant from the Hope 4 You Breast Cancer Foundation based in Joplin. The grant will be used to help pay for mammograms for women who meet certain criteria. This is the sixth consecutive year Mercy has received the grant.

“Far too often women neglect their own health care needs for other priorities,” said Christi Keating, Mercy Hospital Fort Scott executive director of patient care services. “Funds from this grant will give women, who might otherwise not get mammograms, access to the life-saving screenings.”

The startling fact is that more than 40,000 women will die of breast cancer this year in the U.S.

According to the Kaiser State Health Facts, the rate of annual breast cancer diagnosis among Kansas’ women is higher than the national average, but Kansas women over age 50 report having fewer mammograms than the national norm.

For more information about digital mammography or to schedule a mammography appointment, call Mercy’s Imagining Services at 620-223-7015.

Submitted by Fort Scott National Historic Site

As the nation reflects on its freedom on Independence Day, Fort Scott National Historic Site honors those who have lost their lives fighting for this freedom with Symbols of Sacrifice.

The Symbols of Sacrifice commemoration features thousands of United States flags displayed in a Field of Honor on the historic Parade Ground. The event was moved to the Fourth of July weekend to more inclusively honor the sacrifice of all Americans throughout the nation’s history. The flags will be displayed from Friday, June 30, through Tuesday, July 4. A special concert of patriotic music will be held on Saturday, July 1, at 7 p.m. The park is pleased to welcome musicians Pat and Steve Harry.

Fort Scott NHS will also hold its traditional military and Fort themed activities over the holiday weekend. Esteemed President John Quincy Adams said in celebration of the 4th of July: “The Declaration of Independence! The interest which in that paper has survived the occasion upon which it was issued; the interest which is of every age and every clime; the interest which quickens with the lapse of years, spreads as it grows old, and brightens as it recedes, is in the principles which it proclaims.” Fort Scott National Historic Site proudly honors this tradition and invites you to join us in celebrating our nation’s independence with an Old-Fashioned Military Holiday. Cannon and musket firings, horse soldiers and ice cream are just a few of the free activities offered Saturday, July 1, and Tuesday, July 4.

On Saturday, stop by the Fort and mingle with soldiers, laundresses and officers’ wives as they present garrison life in the 1840s. The bark of cannon and crack of gunfire will be heard throughout the day as artillery programs pay honor to our freedom. At 2 p.m., enjoy a bowl of homemade ice cream provided by the Friends of Fort Scott NHS and witness a 30-gun salute in honor of the 30 states that were part of the Union in 1848.

Activities will continue on Tuesday, July 4, with additional artillery demonstrations and programs focusing on historical events associated with Fort Scott. Join an 1840s Infantry Soldier and Officer’s Wife as they share perspectives on “What Independence Day Means to You?” “A Hearty Grip: The Mexican-American War” investigates essential questions of power and empire that gripped the North American continent 170 years ago during the Mexican-American War. Discover how Fort Scott soldiers played a role and paid the ultimate price in every major campaign of the war. “Ordinary Men in Extraordinary Times – A Patriotic Speech” explores the original signers of the Declaration of Independence and the common soldiers who fought and died for liberty.

The schedule of activities is as follows:

SATURDAY, JULY 1

10:00 a.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration

11:00 a.m. – Guided Tour

1:00 p.m. – Dragoon Talk

2:00 p.m. – 30 Gun Salute: Weapons Demonstration

3:00 p.m. – “Plug, Port, and Peaches” Post Sutler Talk

4:00 p.m. – Flag Retreat

7:00 p.m. – Patriotic Musical Performance by Pat and Steve Harry

TUESDAY, JULY 4

10:00 a.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration

11:00 a.m. – “What Independence Day Means to You?” Guided Discussion

12:00 p.m. – “A Hearty Grip: The Mexican-American War” Interpretive Talk

1:00 p.m. – Guided Tour

2:00 p.m. – “Ordinary Men in Extraordinary Times” Patriotic Speech

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

4:00 p.m. – Flag Retreat

Submitted by Tina Rockhold

The pharmacy at Mercy Fort Scott will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28, for inventory. Regular hours will resume at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 29.

“We want to make all our patients aware of the temporary change in hours on June 28, so they can plan ahead and not have ny interruption in their medication,” said Jennifer Dunshee, RPh. “We thank our patients in advance for their cooperation during our annual inventory process.”

Shortly before the end of every fiscal year, the pharmacy staff takes inventory of drugs and supplies. Mercy’s fiscal year ends June 30.

Submitted by Fort Scott National Historic Site

Fort Scott National Historic Site is excited to announce the first-ever Art Day at the Fort. Come to the Old Fort on Saturday, June 17, for a fun-filled day of art and activities. Free art supplies will be available for adults and kids of all ages to try their hand at sketching, painting or coloring their own souvenir. The talented art students of Fort Scott High School will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice or assistance to participants. The event will take place 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This event is part of the year-long celebration of the site’s 175th Anniversary and is presented in partnership with the Bourbon County Arts Council.

Everyone is invited to come out, even if it is just to observe artists in action. Professional artists will be painting and drawing around the beautiful historic Fort grounds. For those that want to get in on the action and depict the Fort through their own eyes, there are many subjects to choose from including the historic buildings, hundreds of colorful wildflowers in the tallgrass prairie, magnificent shade trees on the parade ground, and great views of historic downtown. Watercolor paints, coloring pencils, pastels and other supplies will be available for use. Folks can sketch a postcard that will be mailed home following the event, add their own creative take to a group mural, or try a new medium like pastels or watercolors. For the young ones there will be coloring pages, washable markers, big crayons for little hands and a collage activity.

The event is free and no pre-registration is required. Just drop by the Fort anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more information contact Fort Scott NHS at 620-223- 0310.

The Fort Scott City Commission decided Tuesday evening to change insurance methods after spending the past few years with Berkshire Hathaway for property and liability insurance, instead going with the cheaper option of joining KCAMP.

When the time for renewal came along, the commission decided to look at other options to see what was available to them, though City Manager Dave Martin emphasized that the decision was not because of any failure on Berkshire’s part.

“We’re not leaving because of Berkshire’s misperformance,” Martin said. “Berkshire has done a great job.”

While the city’s premiums were rising to $264,283 a year with Berkshire, the city will pay $194,158 annually with the Kansas County Association Multiline Pool (KCAMP). Because KCAMP runs according to the calendar year, the city would pay half of that sum this summer and is guaranteed the same rate when they pay for 2018.

Because KCAMP is a pool, it is considered an association run by a board, but still legislated by the Kansas Insurance Department. This pool has been in existence since 1991 and now includes about 90 members, the majority of them being counties, including Bourbon County.

City contractor James Charlesworth described the differences between entering an associational pool versus using insurance, saying a pool charges contributions instead of premiums and are more accessible than insurance agencies.

The city is already a part of two pools for workman’s compensation and health benefits. Commissioner Jim Adams said he is comfortable with the change because of how positive their participation in pools have been up until now.

The last time the city sought an insurance company was in 2014, and the city decided they would look at other options every three years.

The 36^th Annual Good Ol’ Days Festival drew in large crowds over the weekend as it introduced a variety of new events and activities while the forecasted rain held off.

“We’ve had a really great day,” Good Ol’ Days board member Rhonda Dunn said as the event came to a conclusion, adding it was one of the biggest events she had seen.“We’ve seen a lot of happy people, complaints are really low—really a great weekend.”

Between 60 and 70 groups took part in “The Great Outdoors” parade Friday evening, including area churches and a variety of businesses and organizations such as Care to Share, Mercy, the Fort Scott National Historic Site, FirstSource, Briggs Auto and the WardKraft family.

A variety of concerts were performed, including groups such as the Vogt Sisters, the Red Garter Show and Shotgun and Lace. Vendors, food trucks, pony rides, a petting zoo and a carnival were also available throughout the weekend.

In honor of the 175^th anniversary of the founding of Fort Scott, the historical site gave demonstrations and had a number of volunteers dressed in costumes from the mid-1800s era.

New features included the addition of the Bourbon County Great Outdoors Expo, which included free children’s activities, a dunking booth, casting contest and a nationally sanctioned turkey calling competition.

As part of the expo, both Adam LaRoche, retired major league baseball player, and Justin Martin of the Duck Dynasty TV series were available for autographs and a time for questions from the audience. Some questions included topics such as Martin’s personal life, his history with the show, when he killed his first duck and stories from filming that never made it on the show.

“It’s good to be here,” Martin said. “I’m glad to be back in America’s heartland. This is who we are—we’re just hard-working Americans that take care of our families and our friends and just have fun.”

Martin also spoke of his faith in Jesus Christ, encouraging his audience to consider two commands form the Bible: love God with all your heart and love others as yourself.

“I’m never gonna be given a microphone and not give that message,” Martin said.

LaRoche told FortScott.biz that he thought the expo was successful, explaining that he helped organize it through his relationships with participating businesses and organizations such as Buck Commander and Duck Commander, though the credit of planning the event went to others.

“I thought the turnout was great,” LaRoche said, adding he had not attended the Good Ol’ Days in at least 15 years because of his career in baseball. “It’s a great way to revamp the Good Ol’ Days…I think this was a great start to hopefully bigger and better things.”

Dunn also said she heard comments from visitors who were enthusiastic about the expo, which she says will likely be continued in future years as they make adjustments, corrections and additions.

Check our Facebook page each day this week for photos from the weekend events.

Come rain or shine, Thursday evening marks the beginning of a full weekend of activities as Fort Scott kicks off the 36^th Annual Good Ol’ Days Festival, featuring popular events and activities from previous years as well as a number of new forms of entertainment.

“We’re expecting a big crowd,” organizer Rhonda Dunn said during a Chamber of Commerce event Thursday, when she also thanked the businesses for their support. “Maybe the biggest we’ve had.”

The event begins with the Talent Extravaganza Thursday at 6 p.m., in Memorial Hall, this year including not just singing but a number of talents from 17 participants.

Friday evening will include “The Great Outdoors” parade, a chicken dinner, vendors, the Tom Davis Dragoon Charge and other live entertainment.

Saturday will introduce the inaugural Bourbon County Outdoor Expo, which will include vendors from businesses such as the Bunker, Kansas Rocks, John Deere and others, as well as contests such as sanctioned and amateur turkey calling and casting competitions.

Retired Major League Baseball player Adam LaRoche, Buck Commander and Duck Commander will participate in the event, with appearances by LaRoche at noon and 5 p.m., and Martin from the Duck Dynasty television series at 5 p.m.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site will also host activities as they celebrate the Good Ol’ Days as well as the 175^th Anniversary of the founding of the fort. Click here for the fort’s events schedule.

Other activities including the carnival, street fair, live entertainment, a children’s fair and fair food will be available throughout the weekend. Click here for a brochure of the entire schedule and locations of events as well as a list of sponsor.