Tag Archives: featured

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

The Watts Of Smallville Are Superman “Nerds”

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Submitted photo. Aaron and Lindsey Watts, owners of Smallville Crossfit Fort Scott.

Aaron and Lindsey Watts are Superman “nerds”.

That’s why they named their business Smallville Crossfit Fort Scott.

“Smallville is a small town in Kansas, where Superman grew up,” Lindsey said.  Aaron was called Clark Kent/Superman while serving in the army, she said. Lindsey was from Fort Scott, Aaron lived in Fort Scott for a while when younger.

In December 2016, Aaron was honorably discharged from the army, following seven years of military service. He was stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. and also Fort Campbell, Kentucky and served in Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan.

“At Fort Campbell, we found Crossfit,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia in the seventh grade.

“Doctors told me all the activities you weren’t supposed to do,” she said. “I was taking 5 to 10 pills, two to three times a day. Nothing was helping.”

“I would sleep all the time.”

When Aaron and Lindsey got married eight years ago, they started “putting on weight,” she said. Aaron then started fitness training and together they started doing bodybuilding-type workouts.

“I found when I put stress on my body I felt better, less pain, less fatigue,” she said. “That intrigued Aaron. He learned about things to do in fitness. We’d go to the gym four to five times a week.”

Lindsey’s health improved.

That inspired Aaron to be a fitness coach in thinking about a job following his army career.

Lindsay always wanted to own a business, someday.

On June 1, 2017, they purchased the fitness business at 13 S. National Avenue. Lindsey is the business manager, Aaron writes the fitness programs and is the gym manager, with both husband and wife coaching the Crossfit members.

There are over 100 members currently.

CrossFit packages are $90 for unlimited contracts, $80 for student unlimited and a 10 class punch card for children for $80.

Two beginners classes will be offered in January. A beginner class is $50 for a one week class.

“We go over nine foundational movements and diagnose our athletes and find restrictions and teach them the movements they are capable of,” Lindsey said.

New hours for the business as of December 1: Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes start at 5 a.m. with the last class at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday have fewer classes offered. Saturday is open gym from 8 to 11 a.m. most Saturdays. Fit Kids is offered Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Aaron writes programming and training for the volleyball and baseball teams at Fort Scott Community College, as well.

For more information contact the Watts at 620-719-9602 or check them out on their Facebook page Smallville Crossfit.

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Submitted

FSCC Band And Choir Perform Dec. 9

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This Saturday is the Fort Scott Community College band and choir concert starting at 7 pm in the Ellis Fine Arts Center.

There will be a broad variety of music ranging from such quaint sources as classic TV Christmas specials, like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” to the more profound and thought-provoking music of classical composers.

Bring your family and friends for an enjoyable and heartwarming hour of fun and beautiful music celebrating the Christmas season!

Opinion

Patty LaRoche: Dealing with Customs’

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Every day, thousands of people cross the border between the United States and Mexico with no problema. Passports are checked, a few questions are asked, and sometimes the driver is told to open his/her trunk. Within minutes, cars are leaving one country and entering another.

My husband Dave and I understood the protocol.

Sort of. Entering Mexico for an extended stay, drivers register their vehicle at the border, pay $600 for a windshield sticker and drive south, where they then may legally drive in Mexico. When they leave Mexico for the final time, they turn in the sticker for a refund. Easy enough.

Unless their names are Dave and Patty.

First, some background. This past summer while in the U.S., we sold the stickered mini-van. Dave removed the sticker so we could turn it in, register a different vehicle and enter Mexico. Once in the Customs’ office, we waited 30 minutes in the car registration line before explaining to the young gal what we were doing. She made no attempt to understand my Spanish. Or my Charades. Fortunately, a bi-lingual man came forward to interpret. The news wasn’t all that bad. We needed to drive around to the other side of Customs to a small guard shack where we would turn in our sticker.

Which is what we did. Which is where that guard said we needed the sticker AND the mini-van (something about the VIN number). Dave explained that we sold it. “You have to have it to re-register.” “But we sold it.” “You have to have it to re-register.” “But we sold it.” The agent sent us back to Customs. We now found ourselves in the miles-long, bottle-neck of Thanksgiving traffic heading into the U.S. We could see ahead to the cross-road we needed—the empty cross-road—but had at least an hour’s wait to get to it.

My typically-patient husband’s next question shocked me. “What do you think would happen if I drove over the grassy field to get back to where we started?” I told him the guards with the assault rifles would probably blow out our tires. Or our brains.

No problema. Putting the car into gear, Dave took off across the field. We were Bonnie and Clyde, had they lived another forty years. Fortunately, the guards were tending to more important things, like emptying out pick-up beds looking for illegal Americans. Or perhaps they were simply amused at two old fogeys bouncing along the moguled terrain.

Back at the car registration window, we waited in line, found someone who spoke English, and asked him to interpret to the cranky young gal. She didn’t care. No mini-van? No car registration. It finally was determined that we could register this car in my name but Dave could never, ever register a vehicle in his name until he presented the mini-van at the border. Ever!

I think this is a problema.

Sometimes there are systems in place with which we might not agree. Telling the Customs’ agents that we are really nice guys, listing our works in ministry, even showing gifts we are taking to the orphans would do no good. The protocol is in place, whether we like it or not. We should have figured out ahead of time what those rules are because now it’s too late.

Isn’t that the same with our eternal lives? The Bible makes it clear there is a protocol for getting into Heaven, and it has nothing to do with being really good guys or doing missionary work. It’s black and white and has no loopholes, no matter what I might think, no matter how much I might protest or try to explain why I didn’t spend some time on earth figuring this out.

In John 14:6-7a, Jesus explains this to his disciple Thomas. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. There will be a time when it will be too late. And that, as we all know, is a problema none of us want to face. Thanks to God and His mercy, getting into Heaven is a lot easier than getting into Mexico.

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Submitted

Fort Scott Community College Students Visit With Warren Buffett

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Fort Scott Community College Students were provided a trip to visit with entrepreneur Warren Buffet in Omaha, Nebraska December 1.

Opportunity of a Lifetime

Submitted by  Debra Cummings, Fort Scott Community College Business Instructor

Rick and Shelly Mayhew provided fifteen FSCC students the opportunity of a lifetime, an all-expenses-paid trip to Omaha to meet Warren Buffett.

To learn more about Buffet go online to http://forbes.com/profile/warren-buffet

Rick, an alumnus of FSCC, through his connections with Western Insurance and Warren Buffet, received an invitation to bring students to Omaha, Neb. for a question and answer session with Warren Buffet.

The Mayhews announced in the spring of 2017 their willingness to fund another trip to Omaha. The first trip by FSCC students was in 2006.

 Fifteen students made the trip. The Mayhews paid for the lodging, meals, and fuel. FSCC supplied the bus and driver.

 Rick Mayhew recognized student’s needs and provided funds to obtain business attire for the session with Buffett.

Other colleges to join the session with  Buffett were Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Illinois, London, Michigan, MIT, Notre Dame, NYU/Stern schools of Business. FSCC was the only community college there.

On  Nov. 30, the students made the trip to Omaha by bus and met the Mayhews at Warren’s favorite Dairy Queen for lunch.

The FSCC students toured  Borsheims Jewelry, drove past the Buffett residence and checked into the Downtown Hilton and Convention Center.

They met with Buffet’s daughter, Susie, and had the opportunity to ask questions about her father and the foundations she runs.

The Mayhews provided dinner and a few of the students took in some ice skating afterward. They also toured Nebraska Furniture Mart.

On Friday, Dec 1,  the students attended a two-hour question and answer period with Buffet.  Buffet noted the importance of FSCC being there.

Following lunch, there was a  group photo with Buffett.

“I could not have asked for a better group of students,” Cummings said.

Students who did the trip were Leslie Damien, Dalton Deshazer, Alex Gilmore, Justin Jackson, Andrew Johnson, Jenna Kakas, Savannah Kratzberg, Kartis Leal, Malorie McCumons, Rebecca Stufflebeam, Franklin Torres, Shaun Tune, Jordan Underwood, Rachel Walker, and Johnna Walls.

“A special thank you to Kartis and Savannah for asking questions for our group,” Cummings said. “Thank you to Charles Howser, our driver, for making the trip with us. And, again, thank you to the Mayhews for making dreams come true.”

Fort Scott Community College also included a link to the Omaha-World Herald Newspaper, dated December 4, 2017, which included a  section entitled “Warren Watch” and an article that spoke of Fort Scott:

Fort Scott ties

They’re not from Harvard, Yale or Stanford, but students from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas were in Omaha last week as part of the latest group of business students to meet Buffett, thanks in part to their town’s auto insurance connection with Berkshire.

Rick Mayhew of Fenton, Missouri, a member of the Berkshire fan club known as the Yellow Brk-ers, cited an account in Andy Kilpatrick’s “Of Permanent Value” book of the Buffett-Fort Scott connection. (Fort Scott students also made an Omaha trip in 2006.)

Insurance agent Oscar Rice started Western Insurance Cos. in 1910 in Fort Scott. Ray Duboc was CEO when Buffett invested in the business in the 1950s. Buffett later sold that investment and used the money to invest in Geico, now a big moneymaker for Berkshire.

“Western, in a major way, contributed to the financial success I had,” Buffett once said. “I owe a lot to Ray Duboc, the Western and Fort Scott, Kansas.”

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Submitted

Mercy Home Health Named to HomeCare Elite™ List, Again

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Pictured left to right: Albert Sacbibit, physical therapist; Brenda Bailey, RN; Bob Meredith, physical therapist; Sandy Hayes, administrative assistance; Becky Davied, director; Jo Gauthier, account coordinator ; Alice Helton, RN; LaShawn Noel, social worker and volunteer coordinator; Chris Welch, community relations coordinator; Barbara Endicott, RN; Kathy Stienbarger, RN; Ashley Helton, RN; and Wade Pellett, RN. Not pictured are Hugo Dahlstrom, occupational therapist; Kyli Gates, RN clinical supervisor; and home health aides Cindy Remlinger and Golda Young.

Earning national awards is no easy feat. Add to that, repeatedly making the list and the pursuit is especially rewarding.

Just so happens that Mercy Fort Scott Home Health proudly announces it has been recognized once again on the prestigious list of the nation’s HomeCare Elite™. The list is compiled by OCS HomeCare and Decision Health and names the top 25 percent of home care agencies in the nation. This marks the fifth year Mercy Fort Scott Home Health has received the recognition.

Five domains of performance were analyzed to determine the elite awards – quality of care, quality of improvement and consistency, and experience (HHCAHPS), process measure implementation and financial performance. 

The methodology behind the OCS HomeCare Elite™ is derived from publicly available data from Home Health Compare and the CMS Cost Reports to create the HomeCare Elite™ list of agencies.

The quality of care component indexes agency performance in each of the 10 publicly-reported Home Health Compare measures released in July 2017. The process measures implementation index based on agencies’ rates in the 13 process measures included in the July 2017 Home Health Compare release.

“The Mercy Home Health team continually goes over and beyond to exceed expectations, at many times taking on extras that might not always fit in the job role,” said Becky Davied, Mercy Home Health, and Hospice director. “This is a special group of people and I feel privileged to work with them.”

Mercy Home Health, based in Fort Scott, was established in November 1978 and today serves approximately 900 annually in the counties of Linn, Anderson, Allen, Bourbon, Crawford, southern Miami, northern Neosho and northern Cherokee. In July 2012, Mercy Home Health launched hospice services and currently employs nine full-time staff plus multiple volunteers.

For more information about Mercy Home Health services, call 620-223-8090.

 

Bourbon County

Building Effective Community Board Leadership Skills in Chanute

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Submitted by Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District

K-State Research and Extension is conducting a series of Community Board Leadership workshops designed to provide basic training for members of community-based boards across the state on February 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2018.

“Informed and committed board members are the key to healthy, effective boards and committees in our Kansas communities.  K-State Research and Extension’s Board Leadership Series will provide an opportunity for board members to learn the basics of being a good board member,” said Trudy Rice, extension community development specialist. “Whether you are a member of a church board, a township board, a United Way agency board, or a rural water board, this training is appropriate for you.”

The series will kick-off on February 6, with Conducting Effective Meetings. During this session, participants will learn about their roles and responsibilities as a board member, basics of parliamentary procedure, and strategies to make meetings more productive and effective.

On February 13, the topic will be Fundraising, Fund Management, Legalities and Ethics. This session will explore a board’s options for raising and managing money, understanding such things as articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policies.

The February 20, session will cover Understanding Fellow Board Members and Conflict Management. Participants will explore how personalities and generational differences affect the decision-making process, and learn how to manage conflict in a way that is productive, not destructive, to the board.

Strategic Planning will be the final topic on February 27. Participants will learn about establishing a common mission and vision for the board, and how to plan priorities for the future.

All sessions will be conducted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Workshop participants will meet at host sites throughout the state to take part in web-based instruction and locally facilitated discussion. The Southwind Extension District will be hosting this valuable training at the Alliance Room in Chanute, Kan.

Pre-registration for the event is required by Wednesday, January 10. The $40 registration buys a seat and light lunch for all four sessions. Individuals may choose to attend on their own or boards may buy a seat and send a different board member to each session. Boards sending multiple members may negotiate a group rate. Registrations may be sent to Southwind Extension District or contact Carla Nemecek at 620-365-2242 for more information or to negotiate group rates.  Registration includes snacks, lunch, four educational sessions, and Board Basics materials.

 

Fort Scott

Fort Scott’s Christmas Parade

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Fort Scott Parks and Recreation Department served free hot cocoa and cookies to parade attendees Tuesday night.

About 50 parade entries and a large crowd braved temperatures in the  30s Tuesday evening to enjoy the 2017 Fort Scott Christmas Parade.  The event was sponsored by Briggs Automall and hosted by the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.

The theme was “Christmas Vacation” and new this year was a decorated golf cart category.

 

 

Mayor Jolynne Mitchell waits with Santa before the lighting of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree following the end of the parade.
Children could make craft items while waiting for Santa at Papa Don’s Restaurant, with the help of Fort Scott High School Pride students.
Santa was available to listen to children’s wishes at Papa Don’s Restaurant, with a free photo provided by Walgreens. A book was given to each child courtesy of USD 234.
Brita Rygmyr, manager of Papa Don’s Restaurant; Lindsay Madison, executive director of the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, and Santa Claus share a moment before names were drawn for the lucky-draw.

 

 

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Submitted

Mercy Auxiliary Hosts Holiday Bargain Sale

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Just in time for the holiday season, Mercy Hospital Auxiliary will host a Holiday Bargain Sale on Friday, Dec. 8 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. in the main lobby of Mercy Hospital Fort Scott.

The one-day fundraising event is a favorite with the public. Typically the Mercy Auxiliary brings the vendor to the hospital twice a year. The sale will feature over 1,000 items perfect for special occasions or stocking stuffers. These include trendy fashion accessories such as jewelry, scarves, seasonal items, gadgets, gifts and much more.

Many items are name brand, top quality products but priced up to 80 percent below retail.

The Mercy Hospital Auxiliary is a volunteer organization that raises money to benefit the hospital and provides scholarships for students.

Over the past 12 years, Mercy Auxiliary has donated nearly $850,000 to Mercy Hospital for equipment upgrades, program support, supplies and scholarships for nursing students. Proceeds from sales in the Mercy Market Place gift shop and other specialty sales support the Auxiliary. Collectively, auxiliary member’s volunteer the equivalent of almost seven full-time co-workers in hours of service each year to the hospital.

Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2016 by Truven, an IBM company, serves millions annually. Mercy includes 45 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 Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. 

Area News, Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Fort Scott’s Price Chopper To Open Dec. 13 According To CFO

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The cover sheet for the Price Chopper Fort Scott plans.

Citing “unforeseen issues” at the delayed store opening, Dennis Riley, Chief Financial Officer of Price Chopper, said the new grocery store will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 13, not December 6.

“Barring any other unforeseen issues, we will open Dec. 13,” Riley said. “We wish it would have been sooner… Everything will be open and operating and ready for the citizens of Fort Scott .”

“Late August is when demolition began,” Riley said. “It’s been a top to bottom remodel and a relocation of the flow of the store.”

The store is similar to the Price Chopper in Paola, Riley said.

“We have a heavy emphasis on fresh foods,” he said. “We are proud of our meat department and our produce department.”

There will be a cut fruit and salad bar where people can dine in, Riley said.

The Dunkin’ Donuts area has a drive-up window feature.

Price Chopper Fort Scott currently has 120 employees and is located at 2322 S. Main Street on the city’s south side.

The site was formerly Woods Supermarket.

Barry Queen is the owner of the store and has family ties to the Fort Scott area, Riley said.

 

Fort Scott

FSHS Thespians Present “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

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Submitted by Angela Bin

Fort Scott High School Thespians presents their children’s theatre production of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” at 2 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 9, and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10, in the high school auditorium.

The cast includes 44 local children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Some featured roles include second grader Gianna Gorman as Cindy Lou Who, fifth grader Remy Witt as the Grinch, and sixth grader Jericho Jones as the Mayor of Whoville. Other members of the Who family include Lou and Betty Lou played by seventh graders Zachary Cox and Lillian Collins, Drew played by fourth grader Payton Bowling, and Sue played by fifth grader Annabelle Gorman. The Grinch’s dog, Max, is played by fourth grader Matthew Eaton.

Tickets are $5 and currently on sale at the FSHS Office, 1005 S. Main, and at Common Ground, 116 S. Main. Seating is limited and doors will open 30 minutes before showtime.

FSHS Thespian Director Angie Bin is producing the show with leadership from FSHS Thespians including juniors Hunter Adamson and Darrick Green and sophomore Kaitlyn Hanks as assistant directors; junior Mary Gladbach and senior Katie Button as vocal directors; and sophomores Mesa Jones and Addy Labbe as choreographers. The show serves as the major fundraiser for students attending the International Thespian Festival next summer in Lincoln, Neb.

Additional information can be found on the “Fort Scott High School Thespians” facebook page.

 

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Where Is Winnie?

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Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Administrative Assistant Allison Turvey holds Winnie the elf. ” Where is Winnie” is a promotion for local businesses.

Winnie the elf works for the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.

Her job is to encourage people to shop in Fort Scott.

“Where is Winnie” is the Facebook page where you can learn more about her.

“The goal is to get people to shop local businesses,” Allison Turvey, administrative assistant at the Chamber said.

Turvey “escorts” Winnie to one of the Chamber member’s businesses and places her there.

A photo clue is given on the  Chamber Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/196009193830966

Participants can win a chance to enter a drawing for $100 in Chamber Bucks.

There are two ways to win a chance.

The first is to guess where Winnie is at and post the answer on Facebook.

The second way is to shop at the store Winnie visits then take a photo of your receipt and post it to the discussion board of the “Where Is Winnie” Facebook event page.

All receipts must come from shops where Winnie visited and be posted by December 15.

Each is one entry into the drawing for the $100 Chamber Bucks prize. The bucks can be spent at any of the 55 Chamber businesses.

Anyone unable to upload their receipt photos to Facebook may bring their receipts to the Chamber office, 231 E. Wall.

For more information, contact Turvey at 620-223-3566.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Submitted

Health for Life Fitness Center Waives Joining Fee

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Fitness just got easier, or at least the cost of it.

Now through Feb. 28, 2018, Mercy Health for Life fitness center is waiving the new member joining fee. That means members can access all the best cardiovascular equipment, free weights and strength training equipment at Health for Life, plus the services and amenities for the low monthly rate.

Monthly fitness center membership rates are $30 plus tax for a single, $40 plus tax for a family, or $25 for active duty military. SilverSneakers and Silver&Fit memberships are also available for those who qualify.

And at Health for Life members can upgrade to 24-hour access with the purchase a special access card. The cost is only $10 per card. With the card, members can simply swipe the card at the fitness center entrance to enjoy the freedom of exercising at a convenient time, any day of the week. For security and safety, a sophisticated security and camera system will monitor the facility around the clock.

“We take pride in providing an environment that meets all of our member’s needs,” said Kirk Sharp, fitness center manager. “Whether new to exercise or fitness fanatic, we’ve got something for everyone.”

For starters, the fitness center offers new members one, free baseline-fitness assessment and a customized workout plan.

“It just gets better from there,” Sharp added. “We offer dietician consultation, free towel usage, daily locker usage and shower facilities. Members can also purchase personal training packages with one of our two certified personal trainers.”

With the New Year quickly approaching and resolutions to eat healthily and get fit, here’s a chance to make the first move. And, a membership to Health for Life makes a great Holiday gift.

To learn more, call Mercy Health for Life at 620-223-7073 or visit the fitness center in the lower level of Mercy Hospital.