Category Archives: Fort Scott

Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott, History

Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Kicks Off This Evening with a Parade

Leave a comment

The 66th Annual Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, a celebration of rural America’s technology of the past, starts tonight with a parade of antique, and classic farm implements and much more.

The  parade will be on Main Street through Fort Scott’s historic downtown on Thursday, September 29th at 6 PM.

Then Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, the Bourbon County Fairgrounds on south Horton Street, will be a scene of educational and historic exhibits, entertainment, vendors, food and arts and crafts.

Quilts displayed during the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta 2015.

New this year is a large model train display with little people in villages, according to Craig Shikles, president of the PHF board. It will be there at 9 a.m. on Saturday throughout the day. Other officers of the board: Larry Richard, Delphine Parks and Betsy Readinger.

Over 320 local students will be coming to the fiesta on Friday, according to Del Parks. “They will be able to do some hands-on stuff, she said.

There will be drag saw demonstrations, Baker fan demonstrations, tractors, gas engines, straw baling, wheat thrashing, corn husking/shelling, rock crushing, and saw mill operations on display.

The full weekend admission is only $5 per person and includes a collector button and Friday Bean Feed at 5 PM. Hours the fiesta is open: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Children under age 12 are free, however free admission does not include button. Prior year Collector Buttons available, $1.

There will be many food vendors including a chicken and noodle dinner provided by the First Southern Baptist Church, chili dogs provided by the local Eastern Star organization and biscuits, gravy and coffee will be sold at the information tent for breakfast at the Eddy Street entrance to benefit the PHF organization.

On Saturday evening, there will be a bull riding and mutton busting event to enjoy, although it is not a part of the fiesta, it will be located on the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.

Music to Enjoy

Ralph Carlson and Floyd Feezell have organized a great lineup of talent for the music entertainment at the fiesta.

On Saturday at 10 a.m. a band including Larry and Judy Snow, from Mound City, will be performing. The Snows play for dances and concerts in this area. At 11 a.m., the Hemphill Family Band will be performing. Jack, Sandy, Brad, and Kristen also perform in the area. They play different styles of music, but they do lots of country pieces.

At noon, there will be an open mike session. People who wish to perform may bring CDs with which to sing or bring their own instruments and/or voices to participate. The sound system will be controlled by David Oas.

At 1 p.m., a string group, The Prairie Sunflower Strings, will perform. The group consists of mountain dulcimers, autoharp, fiddle, guitar, and bass guitar. Members of the group who are local are Jean Strader, Marilyn Adcock, Joyce Love, Sandy Hemphill, and Jack Hemphill. Cherry Nelson, from Columbus, also performs in the group on the dulcimer. This group will also play at 3 p.m.

David Prickett, a local guitar player,will perform at 2 p.m. He plays and sings a wide variety of music. The music should conclude at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday.

On Sunday morning, there will be a church service under the same tent. Rev. Joel Crippen, minister at the First Southern Baptist Church, will be leading the service.

Following the church service, there will be another open mike session. All are invited to attend and/or perform.

The community is encouraged to come out and listen the music while looking at all of tractors and enjoy shopping at the vendor booths both Saturday and Sunday.

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Starts Sept. 29

Leave a comment
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
invites you to come out this weekend for
the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta!
Activities for everyone, all weekend long…
See flyer below for the show schedule.
The Fiesta kicks off with the parade,
Thursday, September 29th at 6pm, Downtown!
For a printable copy of the schedule, click here.
To visit the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta website, click here.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Church news, Entertainment, Fort Scott, History

Older Adults: Adventures In Learning Starts Oct. 14

Leave a comment
Christopher Eshelman is pictured with his wife, Robin. Submitted photo.

Fort Scott’s First United Methodist has made plans to provide educational and social opportunities that bring older adults together for personal growth.

Shepherd’s Center is a program to counteract the negative effects of loneliness and isolation by connecting older adults to empowering programs that foster friendships, according to a press release from the church.

The program in Fort Scott will begin on Friday, October 14th, with a session from 11:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church at Third and National Avenue.

This kickoff event is free to attend.

Pre-registration is required in order to receive a free lunch from Marsha’s Deli. One can preregister by calling or visiting the church, during office hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon or visit www.firstumcfsks.org/shepherdscenteroffortscott to register online. The church phone number is 620.223.1950.

Shepherd’s Centers of America is a network of interfaith community-based organizations designed by, with and for older adults, according to https://www.shepherdcenters.org/shepherds/#history

The  Adventures in Learning program is the signature program of Shepherd’s Centers that supports personal growth and discovery with courses, cultural enrichment workshops, hobby, and recreational opportunities, according to the press release.

Subjects often cover a wide range of topics: computer and technology, finance, literature, music and art appreciation, world religion, “how-to,” politics, current events, historical events and figures, foreign languages, hobbies, and so much more. Most class instructors are retired older adults, with a number of special interests presented by community experts.

“We got enrolled in the Healthy Congregations program through our church conference and we were going through our assets and needs assessment processes here and we kept seeing loneliness, isolation as concerns… and unused space in our building as an asset,” Pastor Christopher Eshelman said. “It clicked. We made some contacts and found the Wichita, Topeka, and National organizations very helpful in getting us started here in Fort Scott.”

The inaugural Fort Scott event features keynote speaker Patty LaRoche with a presentation entitled “Aged to Perfection.”

Patty LaRoche. Submitted photo.

Afternoon sessions to choose from:

Cathy Werling  will present on the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes and how it has inspired her.

Cathy Werling. Submitted photo.

 

Larry Shead will present on using technology to connect with family and friends.

Larry Shead. Submitted photo.

 

Ronda Hassig will be discussing her book “The Greatest Test of Courage.” Copies will be available for purchase.

Ronda Hassig. Submitted photo.
Brief introductions on each of the speaker’s talks are on the registration page: https://www.firstumcfsks.org/shepherdscenteroffortscott

In between these sessions, there will be snacks and plenty of time to connect with other attendees.

The event will close  with Eshelman facilitating a discussion of future plans for our Shepherd’s Center / Adventures in Learning program.

“Your ideas for topics and presenters will be welcome as we shape this program to meet local needs and interests,” he said.

The next session will be March 10, 2023 and with a plan to offer three or four total events in 2023, then continuing to expand in years to come.

This program launch is being made possible by First UMC’s participation in the Great Plains UMC Conference’s Healthy Congregations program which provides grants to help churches identify needs and work to improve spiritual, physical, social, and emotional health in their congregations and communities.

​”I served on staff at both East and West Heights United Methodist Churches in Wichita and both hosted similar Shepherd’s Center programs,” Eshelman said. “I wasn’t directly involved, but the energy in the building on the days of their sessions and the way the programs so clearly helped older adults both in the church and from the community as a whole, stay active and connected to one another really stuck with me. So many memories of smiling faces and great conversations.”

“We are delighted to offer this resource to the Fort Scott community and excited to see the program grow,” he said.

 

Shepherd’s Centers are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year after being founded in Kansas City in 1972.

 

Business, Fort Scott

COUNTRY PLACE® SENIOR LIVING REBRANDING TO CREDO SENIOR LIVING

Leave a comment


Fort Scott, KS – Tuesday, September 27, 2022 – Country Place Senior Living and Country Place Memory Care are set
to rebrand to Credo Senior Living and Credo Memory Care on October 1, 2022. The company, which will maintain
the same corporate and local teams, has worked hard over the past two years to make significant changes to the
management team, support services, and deliverable services to local residences. One of the major changes was
adding a Director of Nurse Managers to increase the attention and support to local Lead Residence Nurses. The
adoption of a new resident care software program, Point Click Care, has enabled all locations to address all resident
care in a more efficient and timely manner. A new partnership with PayChex, a nationally recognized Human
Resources partner, has allowed the company to better serve their employees and continue the standard of service
that residents have come to expect over the past 20 years. Moving forward, a new emphasis is being placed on
activities and food service. Activity programs will be expanded, and work has begun with national food vendors to
create fresh new menu items. The company is thankful to its many Kansas communities for supporting Country Place
Senior Living and Country Place Memory Care for the past 20 years and look forward to the next 20 as Credo Senior
Living and Credo Memory Care.
While Credo Senior Living and Credo Memory Care will continue to improve care and services for existing residences,
expansion is also on the horizon. The first project, which is scheduled to begin at the end of September, is to add
Memory Care services to the Basehor, Kansas location. Two newly constructed 16-suite buildings with luxuries
sometimes not available in other Memory Care facilities will include a private bath in each suite, an oversized patio
and walking paths for residents. Several other Credo Senior Living locations may also add Memory Care services in
the near future.
Credo Senior Living has seven Senior Living campuses across the state. All residences including those in Basehor,
Belleville, Chanute, Fort Scott, Hoisington, Independence, and Seneca provide Independent Living and three levels
of Assisted Living care. Credo Memory Care is also available in Chanute, Fort Scott, Hoisington and, as mentioned,
coming very soon to Basehor.
To learn more, please call Assistant Director, Betty Allen at 620-223-1822 or Marie Jensen, Marketing Coordinator at
913-638-0377, visit us at www.countryplaceliving.com or on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/countryplacefortscott
###

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Friday Night Free Concert: The Hemphill Family Bank

Leave a comment
Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians May 2019.

On Friday night, September 30th at 7:00 PM, the Chamber of Commerce Concert in the Park series continues with the performance of the Hemphill  Family Band. Members of the band include Jack Hemphill on keyboard and vocals, Sandy on fiddle and keyboard, Brad on guitar and vocals, and Kristen Hemphill Weeks on drum. Floyd Feezell will be singing songs of Ray Price with the band.

The Hemphills have performed at the Pavilion at First and Main many times in the past. They play classic country music including a little Hank and Lefty and a lot of Merle Haggard. They will also play a variety of other songs during the concert.
Come out and enjoy the fall weather and music this Friday at the Pavilion at the corner of First Street and Main Street. Bring a chair since seating is limited. In case of bad weather, the concert will be moved to Common Ground Coffee Shop.
Fort Scott, Government

FS Planning Commission Meets Oct. 3

Leave a comment

The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Monday, October 3rd, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.  This meeting will be held to consider the following:

 

A change of zoning from R-1 (Residential) to C-3 (Commercial) and consideration of a Conditional Use Permit to allow an animal kennel for the property located at 205 Arthur Street.

 

This meeting is open to the public. This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.

 

Fort Scott, Government

Diane Clay Retires as City Clerk On Oct. 1

7 Comments
Diane Clark, Fort Scott City Clerk, sits at her desk at city hall.

Diane Clay’s first job with the City of Fort Scott was as Administrative Assistant to the City Manager Richard U. Nienstedt in March 1998.

Her last day on the job is October 1, 2022.

“I have been employed for 24 years…with the City of Fort Scott,” she said.  “I have been City Clerk 23 of those years.”

For many, Clay was the first contact with the city that citizens had.

And for this reporter, she was always helpful and timely in her responses to questions.

The best part of the job for Clay has been helping citizens and working for the city commissioners, she said.

No job is without challenges, and for her,  “Changes are a challenge and there has been lots of them.”

Indeed, there have been five new city managers in the last two years, and a high turnover rate of city commissioners.

Clay said her duties as city clerk included:

  • All licensing – Cereal Malt Beverage, Drinking Establishment – Liquor Stores – Electrician – Plumbers – Trash – Fireworks – Golf Cart – UTV
  • Preparing city commission agenda packets
  • Taking and transcribing minutes from all meetings as well as 12 advisory board meetings.
  • Keeping the city website up to date
  • Posting all street closings/notices on Facebook and city website
  • Plus many, many more

Besides the city clerk, Clay has been the Municipal Court Clerk for the city, whose duties include:

  • Attending court and taking accurate recordings of the court sessions.
  • Inputing actions into the city’s software
  • Keeping accurate accounting of payments made on cases
  • Preparing a court docket twice monthly
  • Preparing reporting statements to the State of Kansas

Clay became a Certified Municipal Clerk in November 2003 and a Master Municipal Clerk in June 2008, through Wichita State University.

In 2018, Clay was named Outstanding Court Clerk for the State of Kansas.

Plans for retirement?

“Travel and relax!” she said.  “My husband and I have a daughter and son-in-law and a precious 4-year-old grandson that live in Joplin Missouri.  We will spend more time with them I’m sure.”

In addition to her family, Clay has been a constant at her church.

” I have taught Sunday School at Grace Baptist Tabernacle for 49 years!” she said.  “I have sung in the choir for probably 49 years also, and been very involved in the church and will continue to do so.”

Lisa Lewis will assume the Fort Scott City Clerk position on Oct.1 and has been training for the job from Clay for three months.

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Sports

Freeride Motocross Fort Scott Course Results

Leave a comment

AXELL HODGES RECLAIMS FREERIDE VICTORY ON THE LARGEST FREERIDE COURSE IN THE WORLD AT RED BULL IMAGINATION

 

Tyler Bereman and Julien Vanstippen Complete the Podium in Second and Third Place Respectively

 

Viewers can Watch the Competition Highlights on ESPN2, ESPN+ or Red Bull TV

 

KANSAS, Sept. 25, 2022 – Every so often a unique and exceptional phenomenon comes along leaving almost every person in its presence speechless – the third year of Red Bull Imagination was kind of like that. Event visionary Tyler Bereman proved that there were plenty of ideas left in the tank, as he and Jason Baker of Dream Traxx brought forth a course so large and dense that it set a new standard for the already watershed event. To put it to use, ten of the world’s top freeriders journeyed to Fort Scott, Kansas for a week of remarkable action and progression, taking the sport to new heights, figuratively (and almost literally as well). As freeriding is not all about competition, a three-day “expression session” preserved the integrity of the sport before the final event day that saw Axell Hodges claim a victory with Bereman and Julien Vanstippen earning second and third place, respectively.

 

The terms “art” and “dirt bikes” aren’t usually used in the same sentence to describe anything, let alone freeride motocross, but there are few words to translate the visual impact of this year’s course. Rookie and returning riders, judges, and spectators were stunned at first sight of it, with some describing it as “an art installation in its purest form,” and others’ just shaking their head in disbelief. The bespoke playground spans twelve square acres and contains more than 120 confirmed jumps (an increase from 94 jumps in 2021). The smallest jump was an estimated 65 feet long and the largest jump reached more than 160 feet. Once the initial shock wore off, the riders took to this “art installation” and used their dirt bikes like paint brushes to bring it to life.

 

The complete lineup of riders at Red Bull Imagination 2022 included:

  • Red Bull Imagination visionary, host, and 10-time X Games medalist Tyler Bereman
  • 2022 X Games Gold medalist, 12-time X Games overall medalist Axell Hodges
  • 2022 X Games ‘Best Whip’ Gold medalist, six-time X Games overall medalist Tom Parsons
  • Four-time X Games medalist and World Record Holder Vicki Golden
  • Two-time X Games medalist and current freeride motocross rider Josh Hill
  • 2022 Hill Jam ‘Best Whip’ winner freerider Christian Dresser
  • 2022 X Games quarterpipe medalist Guillem Navas
  • Two-time X Games medalist Julien Vanstippen
  • X Games participant Kohl Denney
  • Best Style at Farm Jam New Zealand rider Lewi Woods

 

The top of the week started with the riders steadying their nerves and feeling out the course for the first time. But what started with hesitation quickly turned into enthusiasm, and it didn’t take long before everyone was feeding off each other’s energy, navigating the jumps, finessing the technicality, and truly pushing each other to try more and more. Riders brought their A-game in every way possible, often hitting a line so creative others might not have envisioned it before. And because everything was taller, bigger, steeper, and more technical, the anticipation, camaraderie and downright fun persevered all week long. By Thursday’s final session, the skills on display were astounding, and the vibe was unmatched.

 

Some of the expression session highlights included:

  • Bereman hitting an iconic 184-foot jump at approximately 70 feet in the air – soaring for about six seconds and stealing the attention of every single person on the course, before finally pulling off a somewhat sketchy landing. The entire place erupted in celebration with raw emotion and many describing it as “the gnarliest jump they had ever seen.”
  • Golden shined in true form as a leader amongst the other riders in the practice sessions. She led the pack into the 120-foot road gap transfer over the container just before dark, which inspired Twitch, Hodges and Vanstippen’s back flip session later that night.
  • Shortly after, Vanstippen hipped a transfer from the technical jib zone to K-Dubs Kingdom and landed a 130-foot super flip, sending the riders and onsite personnel into a roar.
  • Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg, Hodges and Denney landed backflip transfers thereafter, while the other riders hit the jump with whips and nac nac’s.

 

On competition day, the riders had two three-minute windows to ‘wow’ the judges and showcase their most artistic line they had dreamt up all week. The riders were scored on magnitude, creativity, execution, and the overall line they carved on the competition day with only the best single score run counted. The panel of legendary judges included Robbie Maddison, ‘Twitch,’ Steve Haughelstine, and Ronnie Faisst, observed the competition from a tower overlooking the entire course.

 

Australian Woods opened the competition, giving the first-time spectators a rich taste of what the next several hours of riding would bring. Denney was next, and in true Denney fashion, the vibe of his button-down shirt was all party as he led off his run with a backflip nac nac on the big air zone. Navas, Vanstippen, Parsons, Dresser and Hill maximized creativity through their lines, hitting massive whips, flipping the “moon booter,” and throwing no footers over the “dumb and dumber” double jumps. Bereman and Hodges followed suit, giving the crowd an absolute show, and arguably spending more time in the air than on the ground. Despite Bereman’s impressive “big dawg” jump and huge air over the Fasthouse on-course feature, Hodges wowed the judges with a run that tricked nearly every jump including clearing the 180-foot jump with a no-footed can can, a massive backflip over the road, catching big air in K-Dubs Kingdom and playing to the crowd throughout. Hodges, Bereman and Vanstippen led 1-2-3 after the first round with 98, 96 and 92 points respectively.

 

The winds were higher than desired heading into round two and many riders weighed risk and reward, ultimately making the tough decision to sit out and end the day pleased with their first round’s score. But Dresser and Navas weren’t quite done yet, as both took a second run on the course and further displayed their inventiveness by hitting tricks and new lines not seen from them before. Dresser’s score increased from 82 to 85 and Navas’ score increased from 85 to 88, moving him up to fifth place.

 

As for Hodges and Bereman, they put their second pass at a competition run aside and paired up to show the crowd exactly what the sport is all about. In the spirit of freeride, the two hit their final line together. It’s hard to overstate how important this moment was for freeride motocross. Two competitors, setting aside the competition to simply vibe. Parallel lines, tandem hits, culminating in both riders revving their engines atop the Fasthouse feature at the center of the course. Hodges and Bereman embraced each other amid the smoke of their rear tires. It was a joyful moment, a celebration of sport, and the purest expression of Bereman’s imagination.

 

The final scores for the event were as follows:

  • Axell Hodges – 98
  • Tyler Bereman – 96
  • Julien Vanstippen – 92
  • Kohl Denney – 90
  • Guillem Navas – 88
  • Josh Hill – 87
  • Christian Dresser – 85
  • Lewi Woods – 82
  • Tom Parsons – 80

 

Coming off a compound fractured wrist with a 12-week mandatory recovery period, Bereman was only cleared to ride the week of Red Bull Imagination. “There is something to be said about facing your fears and overcoming them,” said by Bereman. “We [Bereman and Baker] are just scratching the surface of what’s possible at Red Bull Imagination.”

Continue reading Freeride Motocross Fort Scott Course Results →

Bourbon County, Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott, History

Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Begins Sept. 29

Leave a comment
From the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta website.

Mark your calendars for Pioneer Harvest Fiesta.  The 66th Anniversary Show will soon be here!  The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta is one of the oldest tractor and gas engine show in the area.

Plans are made for this to be a great event this year.  The downtown parade on September 29 will be the kickoff for the show.  Friday, September 30 will begin the 3 day show with lots of exhibits and vendors on the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.  Come and see how things were done in the “olden days”.  Purchasing a $5 show button will give you entry to all 3 days plus a bean feed on Friday evening.

In addition to the flea market and tractor and gas engine exhibits, you can watch the sawmill operation, oat threshing, hay baling tractor pull and more.  Ralph Carlson’s entertainment tent will present talented musicians for you to enjoy.  The Sunday morning Church service will be in the entertainment tent also.  All are welcome. Be sure and stop by the Information tent.  There will be 2022 T-Shirts and caps and other items for you to purchase.

In addition to the Friday evening bean feed, biscuits and gravy will be available in the mornings, also old fashion sorghum cookies. Pulled pork sandwiches, chicken noodle dinners, sloppy joes, hot dogs. nachos and more will be served by food vendors.

Don’t forget the quilt show in the Myers Building.  Quilts can be entered Thursday, September 29, 10am – Noon.  The quilt show will be open Friday and Saturday, 9am – 4pm.  Sunday will be open noon to 3pm.  Contact Jackie Warren for more information, 620-224-8161.

Quilts displayed during the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta 2015.

There is an additional event on the fairgrounds the evening of October 1 in the arena. There will be a Mutton Bustin’ event with bull riding afterwards.  Sign up for the Mutton Bustin’ is 6:30pm.

If anyone would like to volunteer to help with any of the exhibits or perhaps help at the quilt show, we would be happy to have you.  Please contact a member or call one of the numbers listed.

Thank you goes out to all our corporate sponsors.  Without these sponsors there would not be a Pioneer Harvest Fiesta.  If you have not received a flyer in the mail or picked one up at a local business, contact a member and we will make one available for you.  Craig Shikles, 417-425-4552, is our president with Larry Richard, 620-724-6501, as vice-president.

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

What’s Happening in Fort Scott Newsletter Sept. 23

Leave a comment

What’s Happening in Fort Scott!

September 16th Weekly Newsletter

Get out and shop our Downtown & Around Sidewalk Sale!

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

________________

TROLLEY TOURS,

ON THE HOUR FROM THE CHAMBER!

Friday 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm

Saturday 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm

$6 adults, $4 children 12 & under

50-minute narrated tour of Historic Fort Scott!

Fort Scott National Historic Site

Daily Tours: 10am & 1pm

9/23 ~ Friday Night Concert In The Park, Students of St. Martin’s Academy, 7 to 8pm, Heritage Park Pavilion, 1st & Main St., bring a lawn chair due to limited seating.

9/23 ~ Doug Hazelbaker Memorial Ranch Rodeo, 7pm, Bourbon County Fairgrounds, see below.

9/23-9/25 ~ 6th Annual Doug Hazelbaker Memorial Calf Roping, Steer Wrestling, Breakaway & Dummy Roping, click here for the flyer and more info. or see below.

9/24 ~ Downtown Sidewalk Sale! Click here for info.

9/24 ~ Farmers’ Market, 8am-noon, Skubitz Plaza in front of the Fort, Bourbon County Dems will be serving breakfast.

9/24 ~ Commodities Distribution & Senior Food Bank Distribution, 9am-noon, 26 N. Main St (north side of building) at the Bourbon County Senior Citizens building.

9/24 ~ 3rd Annual KVDS Golf Tournament, Woodland Hills Golf Course, click here for info.

9/24 ~ FortFest, 4-band music festival, see flyer below.

9/24 ~ Fall Craft Fair at the Museum of Creativity

9/24 ~ Paint & Pizza Art Party at Papa Don’s Pizza, 11am, click here for info.

9/26 ~ Kids Art Party “Piggy Sue”, No School Day for St. Mary’s, 702 S National, 1pm, click here for more info.

9/26 ~ Teen Book Club (The Stinky Cheesers), Common Ground Coffee, 4:30pm, click here for more info.

9/28 ~ Meet and Greet for Patrick Schmidt, Candidate for U.S. House, 1-3pm, click here for more info.

9/28 ~ Suicide Prevention & Awareness Walk hosted by Fort Scott Community College, 6:30pm, click here for more info.

9/29 ~ Chamber Coffee hosted by Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, 8am, Bourbon County Fairgrounds, under the Hubenet Pavilion

9/29 ~ 17-County meeting hosted by Bourbon County, various locations in Downtown Fort Scott!

9/29 ~ Credit Repair Workshop by SBDC. FREE – 6pm, HBCAT office, click here for more info.

9/29 ~ PARADE hosted by Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, 6pm, traditional parade route through Downtown!

9/29 ~ BINGO hosted by Fort Scott American Legion Post 25, 7pm at Memorial Hall, click here for more info.

9/30 ~ 9/26 ~ Kids Art Party “Piggy Sue”, No School Day for Christian Heights, 702 S National, 1pm, click here for more info.

9/30-10/2 ~ Pioneer Harvest Fiesta—Quilt Show, Corn Husking/Shelling, Oat Threshing, Straw Bailing, Rock Crushing, Sawmill Operation, Free Bean Feed with paid admission, click here for more info.

9/30-10/31 ~ Clark Street Lights Opens for the Halloween Season, 753 Clark St., Fridays & Saturdays 7-10pm, click here for their FB page.

10/1 ~ Growing Towards Self Sufficiency Gathering, BBCO Fairgrounds, 9am, click here for more info.

10/1 ~ Storytime at Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, 10:30am

10/1 ~ Michael Jeffers Memorial Bullriding

SAVE THE DATE:

10/5 ~ Dare to Dream Women’s Entrepreneurship Event, 5-7pm, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team

10/6-10/8 ~ The 19th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration, click here for more info.

10/25 ~ Election Candidate Forum, hosted by the Chamber, Ellis Fine Arts Center, doors open 5:30pm, forum begins 6pm.

_____________

SHOPPING ~ SUPPORT LOCAL!

Boutiques-Antiques-Flea Markets & more!

Click here for Chamber member

specialty shopping & other retail in

Downtown & other areas of the community.
Fort Scott Area
Chamber of Commerce
620-223-3566
In This Issue

Calendar of Events

Special Event Features

THANK YOU Chamber Champion members!!
Chamber Highlights
Click here for our
Membership Directory.
We THANK our members for their support! Interested in joining the Chamber?
Click here for info.
Thinking of doing business in or relocating to Fort Scott?
Contact us for a relocation packet, information on grants & incentives, and more!
Seeking a job/career?
We post a Job of the Day daily on our Facebook page, distribute a monthly job openings flyer, and post jobs on our website.
Many opportunities available!
Housing needs?
Click here for a listing of our Chamber member realtors.
Click here for our rental listing.

SHOP LOCAL THIS SATURDAY!

TAKE PART IN THE

DOWNTOWN & AROUND SIDEWALK SALE

Hazelbaker Memorial ~ this weekend!

Ranch Rodeo ~ Friday

Calf Roping, Steer Wrestling, Breakawy ~ Fri/Sat/Sun

Hedgehog,INK! is hosting storytime!

Don’t miss out on FortFest2022, THIS SATURDAY, September 24th!

Downtown Meet & Greet hosted by the Chamber at City State Bank, Downtown Location

Election Candidate Forum, Tuesday, October 25th
FORT CINEMA SHOW SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND
THANK YOU TO OUR CHAMBER CHAMPION MEMBERS!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
231 E. Wall Street
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Facebook Share This Email
Twitter Share This Email
LinkedIn Share This Email
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Entertainment, Fort Scott, Sports

View Freeride Motocross Fort Scott Event on ESPN September 25

Leave a comment

 

Last week, Red Bull Imagination – the ultimate evolution of freeride motocross – returned to Fort Scott, Kansas for its third year bigger and badder than ever. A sport that’s always lived on the fringes of motocross will have its national moment this Sunday @ 5pm ET with an ESPN 2 broadcast and ESPN+ stream.

 

Once again, event visionary Tyler Bereman and course builder Jason Baker have put their heads together to create a course boasting a seemingly endless array of new features and massive jumps to inspire and challenge riders like never before. Bereman is now a proven leader of a sport defined by its disregard for convention and embrace of creativity to see what’s possible on a bike.

 

To learn more:  hyperlink to History of Freeride video put out by Red Bull Motorsports and the just-released first episode previewing Sunday’s competition.

 

All the action will debut in a one-hour show on September 25, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2 and ESPN+. #RedBullImagination 

Fort Scott, Government

Zellner Resigns, New Interim Jeff Hancock is Hired as FS City Manager

Leave a comment
Fort Scott City Hall.
Kelley Zellner. Submitted photo.

Fort Scott City Commission has been on “a little rocky road,” new Interim Fort Scott City Manager Jeff Hancock said in a phone interview today.

The rocky road referred to is the  high rate of change in city managers and commissioners over the last few years.

But he sees “a bright future for the city,” he said. “Fort Scott has a lot going for it.”

Zellner Departs

The Fort Scott City Commission met on Sept. 22 to approve the severance agreement for City Manager Kelley Zellner, who resigned  to pursue an employment opportunity in Caney, KS.

Zellner is receiving a payment equal to 30 days pay and accumulated vacation and sick days. The exact amount is still being calculated at the time of publishing this story, according to Hancock.

To view the severance:

DOC092222-09222022141426

Management Partners Consultant Jeff Hancock Signs A Contract for City Manager

Jeff Hancock. Taken from Linkedin.com

On Sept. 20, the City of Fort Scott hired Hancock as interim city manager, and appointed Brad Matkin, current Human Resource Director, to also become assistant city manager. Matkin’s salary was increased to $85,000 annually.

Brad Matkin. Submitted photo.

Hancock, from Camdenton, Missouri, is a consultant for Management Partners,  and will provide interim city manager services and assist with recruiting a new manager, if desired.

Management Partners will invoice the city $7,000 per month, plus travel expenses and Hancock will be onsite in Fort Scott, 24 hours per week. Hancock will usually work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, according to City Clerk Diane Clay.

“I’ll be on call 24/7, even though I’ll be working in Fort Scott three days a week,” Hancock said.

“Under the city manager form of government, the city manager makes pertinent decisions quickly at times,” Hancock said. “Having a professional (interim city manager) is a protection for Fort Scott.”

“The city commission will use me until it’s the right time,” he said. “I anticipate three to four months. I haven’t had a chance to dialogue with the commission about this yet.”

To view the agreement:

4684001_FortScott,KS_interim_CM_MgtServices_exec_22 09 21

Hancock has previous experience as Fort Scott’s interim city manager, when Dave Martin resigned in October 2020 until the hiring of Jeremy Frazier in February 2021. Frazier resigned in August 2021 and an interim city manager, Mark McCoy, was hired until Zellner was hired in December 2021.

To view prior stories on these events:

Dave Martin Retires As City Manager, Effective Oct. 30, 2020

Former FS City Manager Jeremy Frazier is Given Severance Package