Tag Archives: featured

Free Christmas Events: Fort Scott Recreation Commission

November 26, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

The Fort Scott Recreation Commission (FSRC) has several Christmas events planned for the community.

From Dec. 1-18 Buck Run Community Center (BRCC), 735 State St., will house a special mailbox that will allow letters to be sent directly to the North Pole.

Letters need to have a return address so Santa can respond. The mailbox is located in the lobby of BRCC. This is a free program.

Also, beginning Dec. 1 the FSRC will take registrations for Mr. or Mrs. Santa Claus to call the boys and girls of Fort Scott to talk about their pets, siblings, chores, wish list and whether they have been naughty or nice.

Call 223-0386 or stop by the BRCC. This is free.

The City of Fort Scott is sponsoring Christmas in the Park on Dec. 1 at Gunn Park on Park Avenue, from 5-8 p.m.

Event parking is at the old Newman Young Clinic and the Fort Scott Nursing Department parking lot on Burke Street. Visitors will be picked up and transported to the park.

This free event features hot chocolate, decorating cookies, chili, visiting Santa, live music and a hayride.

The big rock shelter house at Gunn Park is lit by Christmas lights as part of Christmas in the Park in 2017.

Stop by to get free hot chocolate provided by the FSRC before you find a favorite spot for the Christmas parade on Main Street, on Tuesday, Dec. 4. They will be located in front of J & W Sports Shop, 20 N. Main Street.

Band members march in this 2014 photo of the Fort Scott Christmas Parade.

On Dec. 8 there will be a Santa’s Workshop at BRCC from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at BRCC. This is a craft program for pre-schoolers through 5th-grade children. Snacks and drinks are provided. Pre-register by Dec. 6 to allow for adequate supplies. A $1 registration fee will be charged for each participant. Fort Scott Middle School Pride helps with this event.

On Saturday, Dec. 8, is the Secret Santa Rummage Sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at BRCC. All proceeds from the event benefits the Adopt-A-Family Program during the 2018 Christmas Season.

To donate items for this sale, contact the staff at 223-0386 or bring to BRCC.

The center is sponsoring a snow sculpture contest this winter, and the area has had many falls of snow recently to help with the creativity.

Build a snowman, sculpture or another creation, get a photo developed and bring to the BRCC by March 15, when the contest ends.

Prizes will be awarded the top three winners and individuals may enter as many times as they like.

Pictures will be judged during the spring break.

Entertainment, Fort Scott Community College

Santa’s Workshop at FSCC Dec. 1

November 26, 2018 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Come join us at Santa’s Workshop on December 1 from

8-11 am to meet the Jolly Old Saint Nick and enjoy a great time of breakfast, prizes, games, letters to Santa, coloring and much more!

We encourage everyone to bring their children and have a wonderful jolly time at Santa’s Workshop!!

This event will be held at Bailey Hall on

Fort Scott Community College Campus

2108 S. Horton

Tickets available at the door for $2 per person or

$10 for a family of 5 or more

For more information about the event,

contact Matt Glades at [email protected]

or 620-223-2700 ext. 3520

Fort Scott, Schools

Classic Christmas at FSHS Dec. 16

November 26, 2018 Submitted Story Leave a comment

The Fort Scott High School Select Ensemble will be having a special Christmas concert fundraiser on Sunday, December 16 at 3 PM called “Classic Christmas.”

It will feature the Select Ensemble, solos, small groups, and a live band!

The event will be held in FSHS auditorium.

Refreshments will be served following the program.

Tickets will be available from individual students, as well as at the high school office. All ticket money will go back to the Select Ensemble for outfits, music, clinicians, and travel. This event will serve as our main fundraiser of the year.

Ticket prices are as follows: Adults $10, Children 18 and under $5.

Submitted by Meredith Reid.

Business

Athletic Training at Momentum Begins

November 23, 2018 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Momentum Indoor Training opened at 2420 S. Main, Suite 900 in Fort Scott on November 5, 2018.

Emelia Whiteaker, owner and native of Fort Scott, has over 10 years of experience training athletes of all ages, sports, and performance levels.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Washburn University in Topeka, KS and a Master of Health Promotion with an emphasis in Sports Performance and Injury Prevention from California University of Pennsylvania in California, PA.

Whiteaker is a Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and spent over five years training athletes at Nevada Regional Medical Center’s, Show-Me Acceleration until it was closed due to budget cuts.

While working at Show-Me Acceleration she trained almost 300 athletes from Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri including Lamar, Joplin, Fort Scott, Nevada, and Bolivar, many of these athletes went on to earn both team and individual state championships.

Momentum Indoor Training offers integrated sports performance training programs for athletes aged 8 and older.

The integrated programs work to improve flexibility, balance, core strength, speed, agility, plyometric and multi-plane movements while following a specific exercise progression tailored to each individual athlete and their sport.

Batting Tunnels that feature the Hack Attack pitching machine are available for baseball and softball players aged 10 and older.

There is also a non-machine area available for throwing and tee work that is for any aged athlete.

Momentum Indoor Training is also pleased to offer a Prep Class on Tuesdays and Thursdays to any child 5- 7 years of age. This class focuses on teaching running and jumping mechanics while developing flexibility and balance to help prevent issues that may arise as a child grows.

A Women’s Conditioning class is also offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Women’s Conditioning class features exercises that utilize the individuals own body weight to increase overall physical health.

The goal of Momentum Indoor Training is to add indoor training tools for as many sports as possible including golf, soccer, running and swimming.

Momentum Indoor Training is open Monday through Saturday. More information about Momentum Indoor Training can be found on Facebook: @mitrainingfs, by calling (620) 223-1803, or e-mailing [email protected].

Business

Holiday Shopping: Artists At Boiler Room Brewhaus This Weekend

November 21, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

Bobbi Kemna, event organizer and host, visits with attendees on the porch of her pottery workshop at the Art in the Yard festival in September.

Boiler Room Brewhaus is hosting an artist sale Nov. 23-25.

Local potter Bobbi Kemna has organized the event, after seeing the response of the community to her initial Art In The Yard in September.

” Barbara Ritter (owner of the Boiler Room Brewhaus) said ‘Bobbi, you nailed Art in the Yard, would you put together an art show at the brewery,'”Kemna said.

So she did, just in time for holiday shopping.

“Local artists and a couple from Canada will help you with your holiday shopping on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the local brewery located at the corner of National and Wall Street in Fort Scott,” Kemna said.

The artist sale event will be Friday, Nov. 23 at noon until 10 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 24, noon until 10 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 25, from 2 to 7 p.m.

“Fiber art, photography, laser metal, swags made with fresh greenery (no fake stuff) pottery, handbags (Mary Eastwood originals) lamps created from unusual items, goat soaps, even a Nick MaGee original painting. ”

“The artists are coming together to wow you with their creativity,” she said.

“Nothing says made in China at this event,” Kemna said. “Even the beer is brewed on location. Sit and visit, play some board games, enjoy your town and the artists that create.”

For more information call Kemna at 620-224-7480.

Business, Fort Scott

The LaRoche Buildings Restoration Begins

November 19, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

Mid-Continental Restoration Inc. employees work on the exterior of the LaRoche buildings, formerly the old Tribune buildings on Wall Street at National Avenue, on Nov. 7. From left on the ground is Pat Shelton, equipment maintenance with MCR and Chris Fountain, foreman.

Work began on two historic side-by-side downtown buildings owned by Jennifer LaRoche on Nov. 5.

Stones on the facade of the buildings on Wall Street at National Avenue are being removed and examined to get structural issues repaired, according to Pat Shelton, Mid-Contenintal Restoration Inc., Fort Scott.

“We are doing restoration on the north side of the exterior,” Chase Halsey, MCR project manager, said. “We are taking down the stone, then rebuilding the wall and relaying the existing stones if they are in good shape.”

Some of the stones on the century-old buildings are missing or have deteriorated, he said.

“I don’t know the exact date the building was built, over one-hundred years ago, I would guess,” Halsey said.

Beau Casper is shoring up the roof trusses, Halsey said. Casper is a separately contracted with LaRoche, he said.

“That is so that when we reattach the stone veneer, it will be more stable than right now,” he said.

New stones will be made by Phoenix Marble Stone, Springfield, Mo., Halsey said.

“We are going to try to have it done by the end of the year,” Halsey said. “We are at the mercy of when the new stones are on site….and we are at the mercy of the weather as well.”

“The snow on the scaffolding makes us unable to work,” he said.

No interior work is being done at this time, Halsey said.

Bourbon County, Entertainment

Bad Art Good People Auction Tonight

November 15, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

Bourbon County Arts Council members Deb Halsey and Elaine Buerge welcomed guests of the Chamber coffee Nov. 15.

The Bad Art by Good People 2018 Art Exhibition was the feature of the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee Nov. 15 at the Ellis Center.

Deb Halsey, board member of the Bourbon County Arts Council told guests the auction is this evening (Nov. 15)at 7p.m. at the Ellis Center located on the campus of Fort Scott Community College. Marty Read will be the auctioneer.

“This is the fifth year of Bad Art by Good People,” Halsey said. “It’s our number-one fundraiser. Ninety-seven people have painted for us over the years and let us auction it off.”

Chamber members look over the artwork Thursday morning.

This year’s artists are Laura Agee, Karen Billiard, Susan Carillo, Rhonda Dunn, Bob Eckles, Lucy Gladbach, Kristin Gorman, Emily Hinkle, Jody Hoener, Rebekah Houses, Linda Jackson, Casey Lewis, Laura Meeks, Susan Messer, Bryan Ritter, Addi Smith, and Clyde Wendel.

“There is a great variety of artwork,” Halsey said.

The exhibit is open for viewing at 7 p.m. this evening for voting on a favorite piece of work. Appetizers are served.

At 7:30 p.m. the auction starts.

Kale Nelson looks at the artwork at Ellis Center.

Some of the activities of the BCAC are providing scholarships for students pursuing art, Project Art at Fort Scott Middle School, the Gordon Parks Poetry Contest, musical concerts for the community and schools, Art Walks, and a summer patio concert series at Crooner’s Lounge.

“Come out and vote on your favorite piece of art and help us to continue to promote the arts in our community,” Halsey said.

Betty Boyko drinks coffee while looking over the artwork.

Bourbon County Arts Council Members are Deb Anderson, Tedene Tucker, Dan Magee, Ray Streets, Terri Floyd, Steve Floyd, Elaine Buerge, Rob Shaw, Laura Meeks, Breann Martin, Chris Woods, and Halsey.

Business, Fort Scott

New Kitchen At Nate’s Place

November 14, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

The entrance to Nate’s Place is at the rear of the mansion at 8th Street and National Avenue.

From September 30 to October 12, Nate’s Place Resturant, closed down to do some updating in its kitchen.

The restaurant is located at 8th Street and National Avenue, in the southern mansion of what is known as Lyons Twin Mansions.

What initiated the update was a $5,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative.

“With that grant, we added a new commercial freezer, a refrigerator, a warming table, new linen and silverware,” Shawn O’Brien, manager of the restaurant, said.

The new prep table at Nate’s Place, utilized by chef staff Daniel Barnett and Chip McElmurry in this photo.

The new fridge at Nate’s Place as seen through the pass-through.

“Nate and Bailey (Lyons, owners of the restaurant) invested in a new tile floor in the kitchen, new paint, took out old cabinets and invested in new prep tables,” O’Brien said.

The bathroom of the restaurant was also renovated, he said.

“It was an exciting two weeks,” O’Brien said.

At that time the Lyons hired restaurant consultants to help with efficiency in the restaurant, he said.

During this time also the evening menu changed, adding two new entrees.

Following are the newly updated menus for the different shifts.

The menu’s also got a new look during the updating of the restaurant.

During this time the evening menu changed, adding two new entrees: house salad with chicken and a pasta alfredo.

Mercy Hospital

Mercy Hospital Update by Reta Baker

November 13, 2018 Submitted Story 6 Comments

On October 1, 2018, Fort Scott Mercy Hospital President Reta Baker announced the closing of the hospital at years end.

Mercy Hospital has been a part of the community since 1885, and the news sent shock waves into Bourbon County and all of Kansas.

Baker has been working on transitioning to a new medical care system in Fort Scott in these specific areas: a medical clinic, an ambulance service, a patient transportation service, an emergency room service, therapy services and home health and hospice services.

The following is an update provided from Baker, following a request from FortScott.Biz.

“New models of care are becoming a reality for many rural communities,” Baker said. “It is not an easy change. At the Kansas Hospital Association meeting this week it was reported that 73% of the rural hospitals report having a negative operating margin, and over the upcoming year we will see many more communities faced with this change and we may be in a position to be the cutting edge example of doing this successfully.

“These new models of care have at least at least three components, we are striving for five:

A clinic that is designed to meet the needs of the community. Mercy has assured this need is met through the transition of all clinic operations to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK). They are a primary care clinic with expanded services to support dental and behavioral needs of communities they serve. CHC/SEK is in the process of interviewing and hiring as many of our current staff as they can accommodate. The following list of providers have confirmed that they will be continuing their practices with CHC/SEK:

Dr. Katrina Burke, who will continue to provide prenatal care and deliver babies at Via Christi in Pittsburg.
Dr. Maxwell Self, who will continue to provide support to the Home Health and Hospice.
Dr. P.K. Gugnani, who will continue to provide an important role in our occupational medicine efforts.
Beth Newkirk ARNP will practice part-time at the FS location.
Pam Moyer, ARNP, will be joining CHC/SEK in the FS location, she has worked convenient care and is currently working in the ER.
Christine O’Dell, ARNP, who will continue to practice at the Convenient Care Location.
Hannah Born, ARNP, will be practicing with CHC/SEK at the Pittsburg location.
Amber Hunziker, ARNP, will be practicing with CHC/SEK in the Pittsburg and Arma location.
Amanda Stice, ARNP, will continue her practice with CHC/SEK.

The following list of providers are continuing to consider their options:

Dr. Larry Seals has not decided where his office will be located but intends to remain in the area, and will be delivering babies at Nevada Regional or Via Christi.
Dr. John Fox has not decided where his office will be located but intends to remain in the area, once he makes his choice this will be shared with the community.
Greg King, ARNP, has not decided where his office will be located but also intends to remain in the area, once he makes his choice this will be shared with the community.

A strong ambulance service. Mercy has been contracted by (Bourbon) County to provide the ambulance service since 1991. Mercy is working with the county to transition ownership of the ambulances and equipment to the county. The county will engage the City (of Fort Scott) under the structure of the fire department to operate the ambulance. It is expected that the same highly trained staff will provide the service seamlessly to the community.

A transportation system to facilitate patients being able to get to provider appointments as well as to those that require a specialist. Through CHC/SEK, facilitating transportation to physician appointments if they have no means of transportation, is a service they do provide.

An emergency room is an added component we are striving for and consider a high priority but is not always present in rural models. Mercy is in discussion with an entity for the provision of an emergency department. This entity is in the process of completing due diligence to determine whether it can be a feasible and sustainable investment for them. As with the other services, Mercy is facilitating to remain in the community all of the equipment to operate the ER would be transitioned to this entity.

Therapy services of physical, speech and OT which is another added and the fifth component to the model of care. A group of therapists has formed a company “I Am Rehab” to provide physical and occupational therapy as well as the continued (Health For Life) fitness center facilities for the community.

“Mercy has offered and is willing to work with the city and county to facilitate a smooth transition of EMS and ambulance services.

“Home health and hospice services will continue but transition around Feb. 1, 2019, to the new name of Integrity. A large percentage of the providers will stay with the new management. The service area will remain the same and perhaps expand.”

Bourbon County

Formation of Safe Families Organization Nov. 13

November 12, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

There will be an informational meeting, to form a new helping organization starting in Bourbon County, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Senior Citizens Center site, 26 N. Main.

Allen Schellack, Compassionate Care Pastor with the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene and director of the Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries Outreach Center, is coordinating the event.

The outreach center is located above the Senior Citizens Center at 26 N. Main.

Schellack can be reached at 620-223-2212.

Bourbon County Senior Citizens Center, 26 N. Main.

“Tina Westbay, SE Kansas Coordinator for Safe Families will be leading the meeting and answering questions,” Schellack said. “This is the grassroots meeting for Bourbon County and we hope to recruit families, churches, and the general public.”

“Our goal is to provide ‘a circle of support for families’,” Schellack said. ” Safe Families is working with CarePortal and is launching in five southeast Kansas counties, Topeka and Kansas City metro area.”

“This started in Chicago approximately 15 years ago and is in 30 states of the US, the UK, and Canada, and has proven beneficial in providing families with children with support services before they get to a point where legal interaction is needed,” he said.

Training will be provided at a later time depending on interest, he said.

Fort Scott, Schools

USD 234 Dismisses Early Because of Winter Storm

November 12, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

USD 234 will dismiss early today.

All schools will follow the early release schedule.

There will be no after-school child care and no afternoon preschool.

All evening activities will be canceled.
Winfield Scott Elementary School will dismiss at 1:06 pm.

Eugene Ware Elementary School will dismiss at 1:01 pm.

Fort Scott Middle School will dismiss at 1:11 pm.

Fort Scott High School will dismiss at 1:11

pm.

Area News, Fort Scott

Grants Awarded For Community Improvement Endeavors

November 9, 2018 Loretta George Leave a comment

USD 234 First Grade teachers were awarded a grant to allow students a chance to visit and learn about Fort Scott businesses. They are holding a photo-opportunity check which lists the amount handed out at the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation Grant Awards on Nov. 1. Stephanie Witt, president of the FSACF is far right in the photo.

The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation presented grant awards to 15 entities November 1 during the Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee, held at Landmark Bank.

Interest from money given the FSACF is distributed each year to 501 3C organizations, said Stephanie Witt, president of the foundation.

“This year, over $32,000 in grants is given out,” she told coffee attendees.