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Bourbon County, Schools, Youth

USD235 Vocational Agriculture Building Is Prepared For The Future

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Machines of various types are available to students at Uniontown VoAg. shop.

The Uniontown school district has an expanded classroom and shop, all new workspaces, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation, along with new security features to take the vocational agriculture program at the junior high and high school into the future.

Scott Sutton, from the USD 235 Staff Directory.

Vocational Agriculture Instructor Scott Sutton told attendees at the October 23 open house that there was a definite need for the renovation to the building constructed in 1967. The building is on the north side of the main campus building on Fifth Street in Uniontown.

Scott Sutton, center, discusses the newly made (by students) welding spaces with attendees.

The shop floor was uneven, there was no air conditioning, and the electrical, plumbing, and ventilation systems needed to be upgraded. The roof was replaced about nine years ago and was still under warranty, Sutton said.

The classroom space was extended in size, and additionally,  space was added to the shop by removing some stairs to a loft that was taken out. And now the teacher can see what is going on in the shop, while in the classroom, with a security camera.

“It’s ADA compliant, fire marshal approved,” he said.

The modernization of the 40-foot by 70-foot building began in February 2025. “It was gutted to the beams, the floor was torn out, and the new windows, electric, plumbing, ventilation system, air conditioning, and heating installed. We had heat, but no air conditioning,” Sutton said. “A new CNC Plasma Table to make metal parts will be here next week. It’s a common industry standard.”

An example of what can be made from a plasma table, Sutton said.

Sutton is the only vo.ag. teacher in the district with 187 students in the junior/senior high school, and 59 of those students are enrolled in the vo.ag. classes.

Freshmen students are offered an agriculture science class. Sophomores are offered plant and animal science, Juniors- agriculture mechanics (welding, electrical, engines), Seniors- agriculture leadership and communication.

Vance Eden, from the USD 235 Staff Directory.

USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden said the program helps students with the teaching of “presentation of self and team effort.”

 

Sutton said students have been very successful with livestock judging, meat judging, parliamentary procedure,  and public speaking competitions in the program. “Several students have received scholarships for livestock and meat judging at the collegiate level. And there are a lot of other scholarship opportunities in the agriculture field and through FFA.

The renovation was sparked by an audit in 2021 that declared there was a need for a plan for the future of the building, USD235 Superintendent Vance Eden said.  There was poor insulation, leaks and exhaust fume problems, among others.

A bond issue that included a renovation of the building failed in November 2023. COVID-19 Pandemic era funds were able to be set aside along with some Capital Improvement State Aide, Eden said. “We knew something was going to have to be done, so we saved for 3-4 years.”

The building renovation was just under one million dollars. There was also a donation from the Timken Foundation for the project.

 

 

 

Opinion

Opinion: Bitcoin, Noise, & Zoning’s Future

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In a recent county commission meeting, a moratorium on commercial bitcoin mining was passed. The moratorium makes it illegal for an entity to run a cryptocurrency mining algorithm if it meets the following criteria:

  1. Contains 3 or more interconnected computers.
  2. Is operated for commercial purposes.

If it isn’t immediately apparent the breadth of what the commissioners have voted to ban, here is a photograph of three computers that can be interconnected, can be used to mine cryptocurrency, and are owned by a commercial entity.

Why would the commissioners write a moratorium that would ban a particular algorithm from running on these three computers that can fit in the palm of your hand? It all goes back to a complaint by Cassie and Dereck Ranes, who reside in the county. (It isn’t clear exactly when they moved in, but tax records show they made their first tax payment on a modular home in January of 2025.) In 2024, a company called Evolution Technology, LLC leased a gas well across the road from them and at some point after January of 2024 put a large generator on it to run a bitcoin mining operation.

The Ranes say the sound of the generator is unbearable, even to the point of making it difficult to sleep. While the Ranes have standing to seek resolution in civil court under existing Kansas nuisance laws, they have not chosen to exercise that option. The county does not currently have standing to do anything on their behalf. The Ranes and other neighbors asked for this moratorium to prevent any new bitcoin mining operations from being started. A moratorium does nothing to deal with existing businesses operating in the county and would only stop new installations from operating.

Imagine that you have a problem with cars driving by the front of your house at high speeds. You go to the commissioners to complain and mention that there is a red car that drives by really fast. The commissioners could tell you to talk to law enforcement about laws that were being broken. They could change the speed limit to 45 mph to help slow people down. They might even have the county put a speed bump in front of your house. Those would all be things related to the speed issue.

But what if instead they passed a moratorium on registering cars that match the particular shade of red that you mentioned? What would that do?

  1. It would deprive everyone in the county of the freedom to buy a car of a particular color.
  2. It would introduce a huge burden of compliance with silly rules that would need to be enforced by someone.
  3. It would require the commissioners to spend time and attention doing things that individual citizens can better handle for themselves and away from things that only commissioners can do (deal with benefits, understand the budgeting process, make sure the payroll service they selected can handle the county needs, etc.).

Would it address the actual problem in any way? No. Absolutely not.

Is the car example just silliness, or is it a good proxy for what the county is doing with this moratorium?

When the commissioners wrote the moratorium, the problem at hand was noise, but they inexplicably wrote and passed a resolution that doesn’t contain a single parameter, guideline, or requirement related to noise. Instead, they banned an algorithm with parameters that encompass hardware that a middle schooler might run in their bedroom. (Though the middle schooler might be able to claim they are not operating commercially when law enforcement shows up at their door.)

Would the moratorium keep a company from putting another loud generator on another gas well they have leased? Absolutely not. The moratorium is completely orthogonal to the use of generators, production of sound, or pretty much anything else that is causing an issue. They could put in another installation, exactly like they have now, and run a different algorithm on it. For example, their setup would be perfect for training large language models.

I suppose the commissioners could try to pass another moratorium this time to ban a different algorithm. If they used a similar definition, they could ban people with a job working on AI training models who happen to have more than three computers in their home. The commissioners can play whack-a-mole with various algorithms without ever actually addressing the underlying problem. What if the commissioners finally decide to ban any GPU installation capable of more than 20,000 tera hashes per second? That would take care of the noise problem, right? Well, no. The generator can still be used to charge electric vehicles, pump water for irrigation, and all the other things that electricity can be used for.

While the moratorium is a bit silly with problems a crypto-savvy high-school student could have pointed out, it seems unlikely it could legally be applied to everything it technically applies to. However, I believe it points to a much bigger problem with the direction the commissioners are trying to go with zoning. As I’ve mentioned before, under the best conditions, maybe zoning would have some positive aspect for the county. There is some theoretical possible future where zoning does more good things than it does bad. But this moratorium illustrates that there are many more possible futures where zoning creates a huge mess.

How do we know what type of future zoning would have in Bourbon County? This moratorium is a good way to predict what would be a probable future. With full access to legal counsel and citizens who are willing to look over technical details, the commissioners managed to pass a moratorium that is completely divorced from the actual problem they were trying to address and is so broad that it covers things people run under their desks and even things that would fit in the palm of your hand.

In an effort to pass a moratorium quickly, no one stopped to consider what was actually in the documents they were signing. Imagine that same type of decision-making process being applied in the future with an expanded set of powers under zoning. This particular example is relatively benign, but it should serve as a warning about where the commission is trying to take the county with zoning.

Mark Shead

Note: FortScott.biz publishes opinion pieces with a variety of perspectives. If you would like to share a perspective or opinion, please send a letter to [email protected]. 

Bourbon County

Bourbon County Core Community: Giving A Helping Hand To Those Want It

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Submitted photo of Deana Betts.

 

Bourbon County Core Community is a local program that seeks to open the gates of poverty, give education and resources, and offer support to people in this community.
The organization is having its year-end funding campaign called Faces of Change,  which supports the program.
“The Core Community Faces of Change Campaign features three community members who are prominent leaders in Bourbon County but had humble beginnings in poverty,” said Deana Betts, liaison for the organization. “They had to navigate broken families, isolation in school and community, and nearly insurmountable odds to get to where they are today.”
To see the stories of local leaders, Greg Motley, Kelly Perry, and Josh Jones,  who had their lives begin in poverty: https://www.facebook.com/bbcocorecommunity/
Submitted photo.
“Many times, people have untapped potential trapped behind the bars of poverty. Core Community exists to open the gates of poverty, to give education, resources, support, and hope to people.”
“The results we are seeing are amazing! In our first two classes alone, we have seen eight people walk away from poverty!”
“As a group, our participants have increased their monthly income by $12,738, and they have paid off $36,786 worth of debt! This doesn’t just affect the families in our program; it has a lasting effect on our communities, our schools, dependency on the government, and so much more.”
“This work is needed in Bourbon County, but we cannot do it alone. We are a non-profit 501(c)3 and need the help of our community, churches, organizations, and individual donors to sustain this work.”
They currently have a $20,000 match on funds given during this campaign, which can double every dollar donated.
“This will be a great budget booster,” Betts said.
The match donors are Dean and Becky Mann, Carla Farmer
Steve Buerge, and two anonymous donors.
The website for giving, which also lists the “Faces of Change” stories in full:
“Every dollar donated between now and Christmas will double. If you donated $100 , it would be matched, and be $200,” Betts said.
Fort Scott, Youth

Local Girl Attends Ivy League School Seeking Research and Graduate Opportunities

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Caroline Barnes. Submitted photo.

Caroline Barnes, 18, a Fort Scott High School 2025 graduate, started at one of the nations Ivy League colleges in August.

Ivy League schools are considered the most sought-after institutions of higher learning in the country and around the world. Eight private Northeastern American schools are known for their highly selective admission process, academic excellence and promising career opportunities for those who attend, according to U.S. News and World Report online.

Princeton University, New Jersey; Harvard University, Massachusetts; Yale University, Connecticut; U. of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania; Cornell University, New York, Brown University, Rhode Island; Dartmouth College, New Hampshire and Columbia University, New York are the list of Ivy League Colleges.

Carolyn is the daughter of Penny Pollock-Barnes and Chris Barnes.

Why did you choose Cornell for college? And when did you start?

“I started this Fall (moved in August 18th, class started August 25th). I chose Cornell because it’s in a location I enjoy (upstate NY), it is strong in many fields (I have interdisciplinary interests, as you’ll see in my minors and majors), and has many opportunities for research and graduate study in plant biology. There’s also a very specified major to what I want to study.”

What is your major?

“I am majoring in Biological Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Cornell is divided into smaller colleges, like the College of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Art, Architecture, and Planning. Biological Sciences is within both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences). I’m wanting to concentrate in Plant Biology, and to minor in Business and in Fashion Studies.”

Was the process difficult applying at an Ivy League school?

“It was much more complicated than applying to a state school, but only slightly more involved than other out of state colleges I applied to. For many colleges you do a basic application through the Common App, which has a set of questions and essays of its own, and then complete essays specific to the university. For Cornell, the specific college your major is in also requires essays. This ended up being around 5 short essays, the longest having a word limit of 500 words and the smallest 150 words. Now the application requires submission of ACT scores, but they were not submitted at all when I applied.”

How many attend the college?

“3,861 in the class of 2029,

16,128 undergrads,

26,793 total students.”

What is the best part so far of your college experience?

“I would say getting all As in my first two preliminary exams (these are cumulative exams but over about half or a third of the course material interspersed through the year, and then a final fully cumulative exam at the end of the semester. We don’t do tests over each unit/idea). Coming into the semester I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle the coursework. Doing well on the exams (they were curved to As) made me feel better at belonging at Cornell. The friends I’ve made are also a highlight, but there’s nothing specific enough to note.”

What has been a challenge?

“It has been a challenge balancing school work with social engagement. To stay on top of my work, especially my chemistry class, I could easily spend 6-9 hours a day working outside of class. It usually ends up being about 7. To try and make sure I’m still having social interaction on a typical day I always get dinner with a group of friends and form study groups with friends in the same classes. I also have to intently plan actual hangouts, which is harder to fit in, but necessary. Joining clubs was also helpful, so I’m part of a mental health club, a voting advocacy club, a dungeons and dragons club, and a leadership club. All of these things has made balancing school with social engagement easier.”

How can you encourage those at Fort Scott High School  to dream big for their future?

“Get involved in high school. Even if you don’t want to leave Fort Scott, or know what you want to do, you’ll be exposed to so many new people and you’ll learn the things you like. No one is going to judge you for being involved. Also, don’t be afraid to start a club and make a major impact. If you can show a demonstrated interest you could have a huge impact on the school and town. You just have to try it!!”

“We also have really great counselors. Reach out to them to talk about school things and future things. They want to help you and they’re good at it. Don’t go through things alone.”

Bourbon County, Government

Candidate Forum This Evening at The Ellis Center

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TONIGHT !

Election Candidate Forum

Wednesday, October 22nd

@ Ellis Fine Arts Center

2108 S. Horton St.

5:30pm

Doors open for candidate Meet & Greet

6pm

Forum begins

_______________

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces an Election Candidate Forum that will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd in the meeting rooms of the Ellis Fine Arts Center, located at 2108 S. Horton St.

Doors will open at 5:30pm

with a Meet & Greet with the candidates

The forum will begin at 6pm.

The order of the forum will be as follows:

1.      USD234 School Board

2.     Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees

3.     City of Fort Scott Commission

4.     Bourbon County Commission

Candidate Questions:

Residents of the community are encouraged to submit questions for the candidates to the Chamber by 1pm on Monday, October 20th.

Questions may be emailed to [email protected], mailed to 231 E. Wall St., or dropped off in person at the Chamber office.

The forum will also be broadcast live on the Facebook page Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce for those unable to attend in person.

Candidates in these races are asked to RSVP to the Chamber by October 20th to confirm attendance.

For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566.
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
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Food, Government

If Federal Government Shut Down Continues, SNAP Benefits For November Are In Question

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Kansas Department for Children and Families Shares Update on Status of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Amid Ongoing Federal Government Shutdown

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has received a letter from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. That letter to all states says that if a lapse in funding, caused by the shutdown, continues, there will not be enough money to pay full SNAP benefits for November.

The letter directs agencies to hold off on processing November benefits until further notice. Until a budget agreement or continuing resolution is reached at the federal level, or the federal government identifies a funding pathway, November SNAP benefits may be delayed or interrupted entirely. If no federal action is taken by October 28, 2025, November SNAP benefits will not be disbursed until the federal government reaches a resolution.

SNAP provides benefits for approximately 42 million people across the country. That includes a total distribution of more than $34.4 million to more than 93,000 Kansas households – nearly 188,000 Kansans – who depend on SNAP each month to help put food on their tables.

Impact on Kansans

This potential interruption in benefits comes at the start of the holiday season – an already busy time for food banks and food pantries helping people in need and when many children have days off from school without access to school meals.

DCF is monitoring the situation closely and is exploring what this may mean for Kansans. November benefits for current SNAP recipients are set to begin processing on October 28 and appearing on Kansas Benefits Cards beginning November 1-10 on an established staggered schedule based on last names. If an agreement is not reached by October 28, benefits could be delayed or suspended until the shutdown has ended.

“As soon as an agreement is reached or the federal government finds an alternative funding source, and DCF receives approval from FNS, we are prepared to act quickly with contracting partners to get benefits out to Kansans,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “Depending on the timing of the approval, DCF and its partners could have benefits available on cards within 72 hours.”

October SNAP benefits were distributed as planned. At this time, SNAP recipients should continue using their October benefits as normal. SNAP recipients should continue meeting program requirements, including reporting required changes and completing recertifications.

DCF is continuing to process SNAP applications as usual. Applications can be accessed online at dcf.ks.gov or by visiting a local DCF service center. A map with service center locations can be found on dcf.ks.gov.

What happens next?

DCF is closely monitoring the impact the federal government shutdown is having on programs and services the agency delivers and will provide updates through its various communication channels as this situation evolves. Information about federal shutdown impacts on DCF programs and services is available at dcf.ks.gov.

Help for Kansans

For Kansans in need of additional support, Kansas Food Source, kansasfoodsource.org, and Harvesters.org provide locations of food banks and food pantries across the state. The United Way’s 211 hotline or website, 211.org, and 1-800-CHILDREN, 1800childrenks.com, also connects Kansans to resources in their communities.

The loss of federal funding places additional stress on Kansas food banks, pantries and meals programs, which are already strained to meet the needs of those who utilize them. Kansans wishing to help their local food resources can find those locations on the Kansas Food Source website, kansasfoodsource.org.

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Fort Scott, Fort Scott National Historic Site, Government

Pulling Together For The Common Good

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Fort Scott National Historic Site
The U.S. Federal Government shut down is affecting areas not thought of previously.
During a city supervisor’s meeting last week, it was brought up in conversation that the Fort Scott National Historic Site’s lawn had not been mowed as usual.
“With the government shutdown the FSNHS,  staff has not been allowed to work at the Fort, but the grass continues to grow,” said Brad Matkin, Fort Scott City Manager on the city’s Facebook page.  “So I reached out to the FSNHS superintendent to see what kind of hoops we needed to jump through to enable us to mow the property. After a few days of government work we were given the OK to proceed with mowing, Knowing the weekend is going to be nice and visitors will be wanting to see the Fort in it’s beauty, the Parks Department and Chief Bruner took time out of their regular daily duties to go mow and weedeat the grounds. Thank you guys for your dedication.”
Norman Mackley, Fort Scott Park Department Supervisor, said “At a supervisors weekly meeting, I think, (Fort Scott Fire Chief) Dave Bruner volunteered. Then Dave contacted me.”
Thursday afternoon, October 16, Mackley and Parks Maintenance employee Paul Ballou, each took a 72 inch city lawn mower and spent about three hours mowing the Fort Scott National Historic Site lawn.
“I found out, there is more to  mow than I thought,” Mackley said. “I estimate seven acres.”
On Friday, Bruner trimmed weeds and overgrown grass with a with a weed eater to keep the Fort lawn looking neat, and manicured, with trimming also from Mackley and Ballou.
Business, Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet Learns of Fall Happenings in Fort Scott

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Stacy Racy, facing, left, Lindsay Madison, and Wayne Racy at the Downtown Quarterly Meet and Greet at Common Ground Coffee Shop on Oct. 17.

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Quarterly Meet and Greet is a meeting to share events and opportunities that are coming.

Stacy and Wayne Racy, owners of Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall, were introduced by Lindsey Madison, Chamber CEO.

The Racy’s took over ownership in May 2025, from the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, where they are members. Since then, they have been revamping the menu to some healthier options and featuring evening entertainment periodically. They are having a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the Honor Flights program for military veterans on Oct. 25 starting at 4 p.m. To learn more:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=fort%20scott%20honor%20flights

Later than evening the coffee company will feature live music by Serenade at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 Admission is free for this concert.

For updates on happenings at the coffee company: https://www.facebook.com/fscommonground/

Main Street Approach

The City of Fort Scott Housing and Community Development Coordinator Lisa Dillon spoke about work done on a possible Main Street Program designation. Main Street assists in developing strategies to revitalize or strengthen downtown areas.

The Main Street Program will give technical assistance, training,  access to design services, available state and national grant funds  and membership to the Main Street America Network, according to info provided by Dillon.

Dillon said it has proven to be successful for communities enhancing the downtown area, but  there must be community engagement in the process.

“After meeting four times over the past six months to plan and discuss this effort, we’re now at the point of collecting letters of support for our application,” Dillon said later.

To create a letter of support:

Letter of Support Main Street

 

For more information contact Dillon at
Phone: 620-223-0550 Ext. 250
[email protected]

 Other news from the meeting:

  • Fort Scott National Historic Site Superintendent Jill Jaworski told the group that the annual Christmas Candlelight Tour will proceed, but because of the government shut down during the planning season for the event, ” it may not be what it was in the past.” Tickets will go on sale on Nov. 1.
  • The City of Fort is sponsoring a live music concert by Almost Kiss on Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. at the pavilion on North National Avenue, with costumes encouraged, said Rachel Carpenter,  Special Project Coordinator.
  • Carpenter also told of a new app that she is using  that can tell how many visitors visited the city, for example: Fortfest 2025 had 2,500 visitors. Additionally, it can tell spots the visitors went to while here.
  • The city is sponsoring Haunted Trails at Riverside Park on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Actors are still needed, those “who like to scare people.”

Contact Carpenter at 620-223-0550 Ext. 205.

  • The annual children’s downtown Halloween Parade will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday Oct. 25, with preliminary fun activities and pizza and drink to end the event. Drink donations are appreciated. Call the Chamber of Commerce at 620.223.3566.
  • Small business Saturday is November 29.
  • The Christmas Parade is Thursday, December 4 with a theme of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.
  • During Christmas on the Bricks festival event,  stores will stay open late and entertainment will abound in the downtown. Diane Striler is the facilitator of this annual event. There will be a cookie making site, a wreath making site, a skating rink, carriage rides, a  new event at the splash pad area for children, various alcoholic tasting spots around the downtown, a scavenger hunt and tree decorating contest among many others. See their Facebook page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/fortscottchristmasonthebricks
  • The Chamber downtown map that has been in the making is nearing completion, Madison said.
  • The Chamber Guide and Directory deadline is Oct. 31 for reviewing all info.
  • There is a Chamber sponsored candidate forum on Oct. 22 at the Ellis Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College, doors open at 5:30 p.m.
  • Upcoming Chamber Coffees: 10/23 is First United Methodist Church, 10/30 is Fort Scott Area Community Foundation Grant Awards at Landmark Bank.
  • There are E-community grants and Grow KS grants available: contact the Chamber for more details.
  • The Cohn’s Fall Murder Mystery Dinner is Oct. 30.
Buy Tickets by calling 620-418-6209
or order online at
  • The coffee bar at Hare and Crow Barber Shop opens soon.

 

 

Bourbon County

Heirloom Corn Sheller Will Be Moving From PHF

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A 2008 photo of the sheller. Submitted photo.

An heirloom corn sheller that has been a part of the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta for many years, will not likely be there in the future.

The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta event showcases rural America in an earlier era. One can experience educational and historic exhibits, refreshments, and live musical entertainment all weekend this weekend.

The Kemmerer’s corn sheller been a part of the PHF since 2009 after it was taken back from the Illinois Agriculture Museum.

“It’s a 1-of-its-kind in the world.” said Jim Kemmerer Jr., grandson of one of the creators of the machine.

Jim and his dad, Jim Sr. thought that, eventually, neither of them would be demonstrating, and began a search of what to do next with it.

Jim Jr. and his dad, Jim Sr. in front of the corn sheller in 2014. Submitted photo.

“Shortly after starting the search for a new home for the sheller, we found a couple of possible homes.  One is the Iowa 80 of Walcott,Iowa, which is the world’s largest truck stop and has a fantastic truck museum! Or the Will County Thresherman’s Association (Will County, IL).  The Will County group is similar to PHF.  It’s also the county that the sheller was ‘born’ and used from, 1950 to 1995, and some of the members remember my grandfather and seeing the sheller in operation.”

“Due to the eagerness of the new home possibilities, the chance is very good that 2025 is the last year the sheller will participate in PHF,”Jim Jr. said.

For those who don’t know, a sheller was a farm machine that separates corn, grown on one’s farm, from the cob, husk, and dust.

“It does everything a combine does except pick the corn.  Combines came after pickers and shellers.  The name combine is short for combination, which a combine is a combination of a picker and sheller.”

Kemmerer is encouraging people to stop by to see the sheller at the event this weekend at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.

 

About the PHF

The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta (PHF) is an annual Bourbon County event that takes place this year from October 3-5 at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds on South Horton Street in Fort Scott.

The event showcases rural American culture in an earlier time period.

To learn more: https://pioneerharvestfiesta.com/

The event kicks off with a parade of antique and classic farm implements and more, through Fort Scott’s historic downtown on Thursday, October 2, at 6 p.m., according to the PHF website.

All three days showcase steam engines, blacksmiths, food and Flea Market vendors, drag saw demonstrations, Tractors and Gas Engines on display, Baker Fan demonstrations, arts and crafts, straw baling, wheat threshing, corn husking and shelling, sorghum making, rock crushing, saw mill operation, Car Show, Tractor Pull (Antique & Classic), Garden Tractor Pull,  and many more.

This year’s full weekend admission is only $5 per person and includes a collector button and the Friday Bean Feed at 5 PM. Children under age 12 are free.

Free admission does not include a collector button. Prior year’s collector buttons are available for purchase for $1.

History of the Corn Sheller Heirloom

The circa 1950 was built by Harold Kemmerer, Jim Sr.’s dad, and Lloyd Erickson from “junk and used parts.”

Harold Kemmerer was the owner and operator from Plainfield, Illinois.

Erickson was creator and patent holder of the first articulated four-wheel drive tractor.

“The sheller is a 1932 Le Moon truck lengthened four feet, with a 1944 Buda diesel from a Greyhound Bus from Chicago,” Jim Jr. said.

Farm Collector Magazine featured the sheller in an 2020 article

3-31-20 Farm Collector Homemade Corn Sheller Built to Work

View Jim Kemmerer’s YouTube channel to see videos from a corn shelling job in August 1985. This was a trial job after reclaiming it from the Illinois Agriculture Museum in 2008.

Other facts about the machine:

“Only four new items ever used on it,” he said. “New items and when installed were:

    • 1950, a Joliet Big 6 Corn Sheller and a transfer case.
    • 1952, a Reeves Variable Speed Industrial Transmission which uses a wooden belt.
    • 1965, a Frantz Oil Filter System. That was also the last time the oil was changed.

“It was used from 1950 to 1995, it has shelled between 14 and 16 million bushels. That can fill the world’s second-largest elevator which is located in Enid, OK,” Jim Jr. said.

Other facts about the sheller:

    • Motor has never been rebuilt, and it can be started with a flame.
    • Still street-legal, with a maximum speed of 32 MPH.
    • It can shell up to 1,800 bushels per hour.
    • It weighs 13,480 lbs. 5 feet tall, 30 feet long when folded up, up to over 100’ long when used in a linear set-up.
    • The only electric items are the lights and starter. No power steering or power brakes.
    • It can be demonstrated with or without running corn through it. We have a binder of information to help with demonstrations.  We also can hang signage from the sheller which explains history and components.”
    • Kemmerer corn sheller videos can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NroTC5J44s&list=PLL3NXNyTZRWOX3jhAOqI-fA0PPJAgrpJ9&pp=gAQBiAQB.

 

 

 

Fort Scott, Housing

Fort Scott Manor Is Turned Into Standard Market Apartments

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Workers are finishing up work at the former Fort Scott Manor to turn it into apartments for the community, which are named Charlotte Place.

Fort Scottians need more apartments, and a Kansas contractor is turning a former nursing home, which has been vacant for several years, into new rentals after a complete renovation of the property.

The former Fort Scott Manor nursing home property, 736 Heylman, was purchased by  Rural Asset Management (RAM) in January 2022, after being closed down by the state several years prior.

The new name for the Fort Scott property is Charlotte Place, RAM Owner Shane Lamb said, adding that his children pick the name of the business’s properties.

The first four units are slated for rental availability in late October, said  Lamb, if all goes as planned.

Work started on the property, then halted to finish a similar Iola project in March 2025.

“It’s coming together, it’s been an intensive and costly project, and it should be nice when done,” he said. “Our goal is to be the nicest apartments in the community we are in, and to keep it affordable.”

There will be 24 units:  one-bedroom, one-bath apartments are 550-626 square feet with a range of $650-695 per month,  two-bedroom apartments are between 700-1000 square feet with a range of $800 to 875, and there will be a 500 square foot studio apartment for short-term rentals, Lamb said.

“The short-term rental, a couple of local businesses want to lease for their staff,” Lamb said.

The apartments will feature new appliances, including a stove, above-stove microwave, and fridge, and will be equipped with fiber optic internet availability.

Tenants will pay rent and their electric bill; the landlord pays for the water, trash, and sewer service.

There will be a brand new on-site laundry provided for the tenants.

Additionally, “there will be a pet-friendly fenced-in area in the back of the apartments,” he said.

These apartments will not be low-income rentals, but instead will be available to the standard market, said Lamb.

“The standard market means that they are not subsidized by the government,” Lamb said.

About Rural Asset Management

RAM focuses on rural towns and rural housing, purchasing nursing homes, schools,  and hospitals that are converted to housing, according to a prior interview with Lamb.

“We currently have 13 projects under construction in rural communities,” he said. “We typically supply 300-600 apartments per year in rural communities.”

Fort Scott

Jake Stevenson Will Open Rogers RBW Body Shop on September 22

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Jake Stevenson is the new owner of Rogers RWB Body Shop.

Jake Stevenson has purchased the Rogers Body Shop that closed in April this year and renamed it Rogers RBW.

“When I heard Larry Rogers was going to retire, I was interested,” Stevenson said.

For three generations, the Stevensons have been in the vehicle body repair industry and have operated a body repair shop in Richmond, KS, for 42 years. Richmond is north of Garnett.

They will still operate the Richmond Body Works in Richmond and operate the Rogers RBW, Stevenson said. He will be bringing three employees from that facility to Fort Scott to work, and in addition, is interviewing for more.

He is retaining the Rogers name as part of the new business venture, and Larry Rogers was helping him with finishing details on the facility on September 17.

The Rogers Body Shop sign remains and in fact, is part of the business venture name Rogers RWB.

Stevenson purchased the shop from Rogers on August 15 and has been updating the building and equipment since then.

The services they offer the community are paint and body repair, mostly with insurance claims, but they will also do private pay.

On Monday, September 22, Stevenson will open the office of the business and start bringing cars in, he said.

A Chamber of Commerce Coffee is scheduled for October 9.

The shop is located at 120 W. 19th, and the phone number is 620.223.0380.

Government

Ninety-Six People Became Citizens Today at a Federal Ceremony at the Fort

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New citizens use the program flyers of the naturalization ceremony for protection from the sun.
The future citizens wait for the ceremony to begin, which will officially conclude their journey to become American citizens.

Ninety-six people from 44 countries became new American citizens today at Fort Scott National Historic Site in a U.S. District Court of Kansas Naturalization proceeding.

Jill Jaworski, Superintendent of the Fort Scott National Historic Site, welcomes the citizens, their families, and the community to the ceremony.

The humidity of this beautiful September day made the ceremony a little stifling.

The Fort Scott High School Orchestra prepares for its performance at the ceremony at Fort Scott National Historic Site for new American citizens.

The citizens were welcomed by local, state, and federal officials, listened to the Fort Scott High School Orchestra students play patriotic songs, were introduced by their county of origin, pledged an oath of allegiance to their new country, and took numerous photos of the event.

Representatives of the Kansas Secretary of State were on hand so the new citizens could register to vote, following the ceremony.

New citizens could register to vote at the Fort following the ceremony.
A new citizen from the country of Belize stands during the recognition of countries in the ceremony.