Parker Stapp and his wife Shawna at the Kentucky Derby. Submitted photo. Stapp wears many hats, the latest is as the owner of the Bourbon Buzz, a new barber shop.
Parker Stapp has always wanted to own a barber shop.
“I’ve been coming to a barber shop since a little boy,” he said. “There is nothing better than walking in, enjoying good conversation, and walking out feeling better; that’s the goal of this new one.”
“We want to be the reason people stay in Fort Scott to get their grooming.”
The Bourbon Buzz is located at 14 E. Wall in historic downtown Fort Scott.
The Bourbon Buzz Men’s Grooming Shop is located at 14 E. Wall, next door to the Common Ground Coffee shop.
“We are offering grooming services: nose and ear waxing, eyebrow shaping (for men),” he said, in addition to haircuts for men.
One of the stations to get a haircut in the Bourbon Buzz barber shop.
He has hired two cosmetologists, Kayla Schwartz and Mac Burton, both of whom grew up here and just moved back. Stapp also recently moved here.
“Fort Scott feels like home,” he said.
Kayla Schwartz. From the business Facebook page.
Kayla has been a licensed cosmetologist for 16 years, specializing in men’s cuts, trends, and perfecting beards, with a specialty in skin fades, tapering, and razor cuts.
Macalaster Burton. From the business Facebook page.
Macalaster said she loves helping people leave the chair looking sharp and feeling their best. “Whether you’re coming in for a fresh cut, a beard trim, or just some good conversation, I’d love to have you in my chair.”
Stapp said the owners of the building, Kinede Jennings and her husband, and the city of Fort Scott personnel have helped start the new venture.
Currently, he is waiting on a cosmetology license from the State of Kansas to open the shop, and is putting the finishing touches on the building interior renovation in the historic downtown Fort Scott area.
He hopes to open the shop by August 8.
Hours of operation will be Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the business is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Danielle Bauer and her family have lived in Fort Scott for seven years is offering a free webinar to help women live life to their fullest on July 29 from 6- 7 a.m. CT (online).
Bauer is a mother of four, with another child on the way. She knows the everyday grind of life can be overwhelming.
“After years of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, I asked out to God for help, peace, and renewed energy. His answer surprised me. He led me to practical skills, intentional habits, and personal formation that transformed the way I lived.
“That journey eventually led me to become a Certified Wholeness Coach.”
“I will be presenting the whole webinar, and I will share more about why women often feel either overwhelmed, anxious, or flat in their lives – why women need more life in their life,” Bauer said.
“Then I will share some practical skills and formation needed to live a life fully alive. And women will hear more about a course I lead women through called the New Woman Masterclass.”
Her testimony
“I can honestly say my life has been transformed by the New Woman Masterclass – a course that has developed in me the skills and formation I never received as a young woman,” she said.
“How is it we get through 12 years of schooling without learning foundational skills like how to make a decision, how to communicate effectively, how to know our irreplaceable self worth and value, how to manage feedback and the opinions of others, how to create boundaries with toxic people, how to have a thriving marriage, how to have optimal health, what deep, meaningful friendships look like, and how to manage our mind, emotions, and thoughts – and direct them to our highest good – not towards our demise.”
“When I had three little children and was underskilled as a young mom, I didn’t realize that challenging moments throughout my day were not big fires – I was making mountains out of molehills because no one had taught me how to manage my thoughts. I was often thinking, ‘my kids are making a mess for me to clean up’, ‘everything depends on me,’ ‘this is TERRIBLE!'”
“Instead, when I learned to manage my mind, I learned to say aloud and in my thoughts: ‘Kids are curious. It’s only a spill; let’s clean it up. This is no big deal.’ Just this one skill of managing one’s own thoughts will impact a woman’s self-worth, her marriage, her family life, her health and so much more.”
“There is so much to be said about how this experience has changed the trajectory of my life. My family is more peaceful. My marriage is thriving. My health has never been better. My house is clean, orderly, and beautiful. My friendships are deep and meaningful. My career is expanding. And I’ve never been more confident and happy ever before in my life. When we begin to see ourselves as a whole woman and gain the skills and formation needed to become the woman God created us to be, then clarity, peace, and order return to our lives (and the lives of those we love)!”
How to join the free online webinar
“If you’re longing for greater peace, purpose, and direction, I’d love to invite you to join me for a FREE online webinar where we’ll explore how to intentionally become the woman God created you to be—instead of simply drifting from one day to the next.
Registration closes soon, and I’d love to have you there.”
FORT SCOTT, Kan. — City commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday to authorize City Manager Brad Matkin to begin developing plans for a covered, 2,000-seat rodeo and event arena at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds, a project his own estimate puts at $3,999,000.
What the commission did not do is approve the arena. The motion directs Matkin to bring back firm cost numbers, work with the city’s bond counsel on financing, assemble a task force and seek sponsorships. No bond has been authorized, no lease has been signed, and no construction contract exists.
A rendering of the proposed covered rodeo and event arena at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds, from City Manager Brad Matkin’s July 21 presentation to the Fort Scott City Commission. (City of Fort Scott)
“I would make a motion that we direct Brad to get real numbers, get with Garth on what he needs, set up the task force, set up the sponsorships, and whatever else he feels is needed to make the Fort Scott Rodeo Arena a reality,” Commissioner Matthew Wells said. The motion was seconded, and all five commissioners voted yes.
The “Garth” in the motion is Garth Herrmann of Gilmore & Bell, the city’s bond counsel. The arena was a new-business action item on Tuesday’s agenda.
Matkin’s plan builds on the fairgrounds’ existing 180-by-350-foot dirt arena rather than starting from bare ground. The existing bleachers would come down, replaced with 2,000 stadium seats. The design adds six professional bull chutes, three on each side; roping chutes; a party deck and a VIP deck; a food court for local restaurants; and an announcer stand equipped for electronic scoring.
A roof would cover the arena and both decks. The ends would stay open.
“It would not be totally enclosed because heating and AC would be a big expense for that,” Matkin told commissioners. He said Coach Cross from Fort Scott Community College and other rodeo experts told him the roof alone is what they care about.
Speaking Thursday on the weekly “What’s Up Fort Scott” radio program, Matkin added more: livestock holding facilities, concession areas, 250 outdoor stalls for rent, vendor and trade-show space, extra parking and RV hookups, and a sound system. A removable floor over the arena dirt would let the building host concerts, trade shows and conferences. The city would hire a coordinator to book events.
“We’re not just going to use it once a week. We’re not going to use it twice a week,” he said on the air. “We’re planning on using this thing a lot.”
The land would be leased from the Bourbon County Fair Board, which Matkin said has voted to give the city the opportunity. No lease has been drawn up or executed; he told commissioners he had not yet worked it through with the city attorney and would bring an agreement back before signing.
Matkin framed the arena as a revenue problem, not a rodeo one. City sales tax collections are on pace to fall $155,000 from 2025 to 2026, he said, and $302,000 since 2024. Sales tax, he argued, is what keeps property taxes down and pays for police, fire, parks and streets.
His proof of concept is a rodeo the city does not own. Fort Scott Community College’s three-day spring rodeo drew more than 3,900 spectators this year into Arnold Arena, which seats just over 500. Using Placer AI, a foot-traffic service the city subscribes to, Matkin tracked where they went afterward: 772 to Sharky’s Pub and Grub, 770 to McDonald’s, 673 to Casey’s, and several hundred more across Pete’s, the retail center and three local hotels.
He also pointed to a much smaller Kansas town.
“Population of Pretty Prairie, Kansas, 650 people. They put on a four-day rodeo event. Their attendance, 26,500 people,” Matkin said. “I’ve said this for four years. Why not us? Why not Fort Scott?”
The crowding costs the city visitors outright, he argued, describing a barrel racer whose own family skipped her college rodeos here because they could not get seats.
“You are literally just squeezed in there like sardines,” Buchta said, adding that she is grateful the college hosts the events at all.
Matkin’s presentation totals the project at $3,999,000, led by the roof at $1.8 million, lights and electrical at $981,000, and seating at $800,000. Smaller pieces include $85,000 for bathrooms, $68,000 for large fans and $60,000 for bull chutes. Speaking to commissioners he rounded it off: “I’m just going to say, $4 million.”
He said state officials pointed him first at STAR bonds, which use sales tax revenue generated inside a project district to repay the debt. He does not want that.
“To do what this is supposed to do, we don’t want to stop our sales tax from growing,” Matkin said. “So a star bond to me is an option, but not the best when you’re wanting to increase sales tax.”
Buchta asked him to clarify that for the public: he meant sales tax revenues, not the rate. “We will not increase sales tax,” Matkin said.
His preferred mix is a conventional bond paid from the city budget, plus grants, property sales, sponsorships and an annual rodeo gala. He said he has a verbal commitment of $20,000 for the party deck, which he described as a three-year commitment that would then need renewing.
Commissioner Tim Van Hoecke asked whether the city would take a cut of ticket sales or concessions, since it would be paying for the building. Matkin said a portion would come back, though part of any gate goes to prize money. Commissioner Tracy Dancer asked whether the site could handle livestock waste; Matkin said it could, noting a 12-inch water line serves the grounds.
Wells said an earlier feasibility study showed a Fort Scott arena would draw from Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, and warned that at least five communities within 40 minutes are eyeing similar projects.
“If we’re going to strike, we should strike while the iron’s hot,” he said.
Buchta tied it to the budget. “I feel like we really have to focus on revenue creators,” she said. “I don’t want us to have to cut services.”
Earlier in the meeting, resident Michael Hoyt used public comment to flag a new state law that could bear on how a project like this gets financed. House Bill 2622, which took effect July 1, tightens protest-petition requirements on municipal lease-purchase agreements.
“Anything over $100,000 is subject now to a protest petition by the voters if they do not agree with the lease purchase agreement,” Hoyt said. By his count it would take 186 signatures to force the question onto a special election ballot, and he told commissioners past special elections had cost the city roughly $5,000 apiece.
Hoyt raised the law about city budgeting generally, not the arena, and the arena’s preferred financing is a traditional bond rather than a lease-purchase. But the city has not settled on a structure.
Approved July 21: authority for the city manager to pursue the project: firm cost estimates, bond-counsel work on financing options, a task force, and sponsorships.
Not approved, and not yet done: firm costs. A financing or bond decision. An executed lease with the Bourbon County Fair Board. Sponsorships or the proposed annual gala. Hiring an events coordinator. And a decision to build.
Matkin wants the project moving in 2027. “Work just begun, I have a feeling,” he told commissioners after the vote.
Four years ago Bourbon County handed over significant taxpayer resources to Legacy Healthcare Foundation. This donation was the former Mercy hospital campus and $2 million. The agreement included a list of conditions all designed to make sure the massive donation was used in ways that benefit the taxpayer and ensure that Bourbon County would continue to have access to healthcare.
Some of the requirements imposed on Legacy Healthcare Foundation in return for the donation:
The $2 million can only be spent in three ways: building maintenance, operating costs including “development of an Acute Care Hospital,” and reduced rent for tenants providing “a legitimate community benefit.”
Proof of backing at closing — either a Bourbon County property purchase over $300,000, or a line of credit secured by a lending institution for $2 million or more.
Insurance naming the county — the recipient “shall have the Donor as a secondary insured” against wind, rain, tornado and fire.
An EMS transaction by Jan. 1, 2023. This came with a firm date, and the donation agreement only says it would involve “an agreed upon subsidy”.
Parcels can be transferred, but only where “the general purpose is for the development of these parcels for Bourbon County, Kansas.”
Whether the terms of the agreement have been met or not isn’t entirely clear. If $2 million was spent on building maintenance, it seems odd that the roof would be left to leak buckets of water every time it rains like some of the employees in the building claim is happening. Did Legacy spend the $2 million on maintenance and simply prioritize things other than the roof?
Several parcels have been transferred to Legacy Development Fort Scott Highway 69 Project, presumably meeting the terms of the agreement but that entity has unpaid taxes on that land clear back to 2023.
Since the agreement didn’t include any reporting requirement, it is up to the county commissioners to verify that the taxpayers are getting what they were promised in exchange for the building and cash.
If the terms aren’t met, the agreement gives the county one remedy: unwind the deal, take the property back, plus a refund of the cash donation that shrinks every year: $1 million, then $750,000, then $500,000. After the fifth year, in the agreement’s own words, “Donor will have no remedies.”
We are somewhere in year four. The agreement never says exactly when the clock started, but it becomes more urgent each day.
The commissioners owe it to the taxpayers to make sure this massive donation of taxpayer resources is not squandered. If the commissioners have all done their due diligence, looked into it, and believe the terms have all been met, then they need to state that plainly, show how all the terms have indeed been satisfied, and then move on to other matters. If Legacy hasn’t met the terms, then they need to make sure that the taxpayers don’t throw away what was originally a $45 million building project along with $2 million of cash and end up with a water-damaged, unmaintained building that has no hope of housing any of the healthcare services this county needs.
The worst thing the commissioners could do is to decide they can’t be bothered to see if the terms have been met until it is too late to do anything about it.
Mark Shead
Note: FortScott.biz publishes opinion pieces with a variety of perspectives. If you would like to share your opinion, please send a letter to [email protected].
All five Bourbon County commissioners spent two and a half hours at Fort Scott Community College on Wednesday, July 22, taking open-floor questions on the 2027 budget, the county counselor’s contract, the comprehensive plan, outsourcing, staffing and property taxes. The town hall was the most detailed public back and forth with constituents and highlighted the challenges facing Bourbon County.
District 1 Commissioner Samuel Tran, who chairs the board, opened with what he called rules of engagement. “Rule number one, very paramount, is be civil,” Tran said. “Be passionate. But please be civil.” He was joined by David Beerbower (District 2), Joe Allen (District 3), Gregg Motley (District 4) and Mika Milburn Kee (District 5).
Who did the talking
Billed as a chance for residents to be heard, the evening spent about 42% of the time hearing from the audience with commissioners holding the floor approximately 58% of the time. Tran spoke the most, at approximately 29% of the total, followed by Milburn Kee at approximately 11%, Beerbower at approximately 9%, Motley at approximately 8% and Allen at approximately 2%.
Tran argues growth is driving up taxes
A point of numerical and tax distribution disagreement surfaced early: whether Bourbon County is growing at all and whether more homes would raise or lower taxes.
Defending zoning and the comprehensive plan as protective tools, Tran argued the county needs rules in place before development arrives. “People are moving here. People are moving out of the city.” The county doesn’t track how much is being built, he said: “I drive up and down some of these roads and I’m like, wow, that’s a really nice mansion.”
Asked directly whether the county’s population has been growing, Tran conceded, “Right now, I don’t think it’s growing,” arguing instead that rising property values in Miami and Linn counties signal a wave moving toward Bourbon County, and that people who balk at a 30-minute commute today will eventually drive two hours. Pressed that he seemed to be describing the growth of inflation rather than population growth, Tran answered, “It’s both.” He returned to the tax consequence: “Now, can you imagine 500, 600 people moved into Fort Scott and start building these big homes? You don’t think that those taxes, your taxes are going to go up?”
Motley cut in before the topic moved on, with numbers. “Between the 2010 and the 2020 census, Bourbon County lost 810 people, about 81 people per year,” he said. “That rate of decline has slowed down a little bit.” He added that the total mill levy in the county runs about 168 mills, and county government accounts for only about 30% of it — the rest set by schools, cities, townships, fire districts and cemeteries.
Motley’s prescription: bring the work home & fix pay
Asked near the end of the night what he would do with the 2027 budget to move the county toward fiscal stability and a reserve fund, Motley, a retired banker, made three points.
First, stop outsourcing. Motley noted there were 15,300 banks in the United States when he started in 1979 and fewer than 4,000 when he retired in 2024, with survivors buying scale to escape the outsourcing trap. “It’s 20% more expensive in the long term to outsource functions, especially when we have qualified people within the county,” he said.
Second, the hidden cost of sending money out of town. “Every county has a measured statistic they call pull factor. What percentage of money earned by Bourbon County citizens are spent in Bourbon County? And our pull factor is about 77%,” Motley said. Paying vendors outside the county — or outside the state — drives that number down. “Money spent in the county is spent over and over and over again until it exits somehow. So that’s a hidden cost to us that we don’t see.”
Third, change how the county pays people. Bourbon County has leaned on benefits rather than salary to attract employees, Motley said, and benefits are the part the county cannot control. At Landmark, “we paid in the top one-third of salaries for our employees … but our benefits were in the lower range. And we did that intentionally because we can control this number, but … we can’t control that benefits number. And those benefits are accelerating dramatically.” He had hoped for a salary survey this year and did not get one, and warned against an abrupt switch: “These are human beings … we can’t just pull the rug out from underneath them.”
A $625,000 dispute
Michael Hoyt argued in a prepared analysis that the current commission spends roughly $625,303 more than the last one, about $344,000 of it recurring — citing a county counselor at about $96,000 against a predecessor at $58,000, $114,200 in outside legal fees and outsourced human resources at $56,000. Former commissioners Clifton Beth, Jim Harris and Brandon Whisenhunt may be owed an apology, Hoyt said, arguing they were criticized as irresponsible with money but managed the county’s core functions for less.
Commissioners Milburn disputed the numbers saying the counselor’s salary is about $2,000 more, closer to $98,000, but he takes neither insurance nor KPERS. The commissioners said that much of the outside legal spending defended the county against inherited litigation, and that all three outsourced contractors submitted flat budgets for next year. Mike Wunderly noted that $116,500 of Hoyt’s total is the comprehensive plan, which Beerbower had already moved on Monday, July 20, to freeze this year, “so that changes that number considerably.” Hoyt later said that his overall numbers did not include the comprehensive plan cost.
What residents asked for
Heather Etheridge, president of the West Plains and Centerville cemeteries, described driving to Linn County to get help creating her cemetery budget. Told an increase amounted to pennies, she pushed back: “How much is it going to cost my people? Because these are my people.”
Jackie Brown, a lifelong resident, said the county is “taxing people out of their homes,” called for a forensic audit, and asked commissioners to end the public bickering among elected officials. “We have to stop voting popularity contests. We have to start voting in people who are capable of doing the job.” Anne Dare backed an audit too — “if you’re going to audit one, you need to audit all” — and called for a return to basics: law enforcement, ambulance service and roads, questioning whether the sheriff’s request of up to $2 million for radios and towers qualifies. Clint Walker said the county leaves FEMA and grant money on the table and has no maintenance program: “We don’t hire diesel mechanics. We farm it all out.”
Beerbower mentioned the theme he says he has pressed all year. “Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results is just insane,” he said. “Reset. We need to reset.”
U.S.D. 234 Board of Education Building, 424 S. Main
The U.S.D. 234, Fort Scott School District, starts the 2026-27 school year on Friday, August 14, a little over three weeks away.
Enrollment is currently open and can be done through PowerSchool, a district-wide computer software program.
If a student is new to the district, they must sign up at their school’s building office.
August 10-13 are pre-service and work days in the district.
August 14 is the first day for students.
December 21 through January 1 is Christmas break.
Spring break is March 15-19.
The last day of school is May 14.
The following are newly hired staff and teachers for the year:
The west entrance of the Kansas Renewal Institute, June 2024. KRI is located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., Fort Scott.
Kansas Renewal Institute-Danae Esslinger
Unified School District 234 is committed to providing general and special education services to KRI residents within school age. These services will be provided on-site at Kansas Renewal Institute, according to a prior fortscott.biz interview with KRI administration.
The Fort Scott Preschool, at 409 S. Judson.
Fort Scott Preschool-Alyssa Smith, special education
Winfield Scott Elementary School, 316 W. 10th Street, Fort Scott.
Winfield Scott Elementary School: Caleb Hendricks-assistant principal, MaKayla Pickert- second grade, Madison Hughes-physical education, Kimberly Demko-speech/language, Katherine Hill and Emily Stephans-special education.
Eugene Ware Elementary School, 900 E. Third Street.
Eugene Ware Elementary School: There are no new teachers, and the administration is still hiring for paraprofessionals that are needed, according to a spokesman at Eugene Ware.
Fort Scott Middle School. 1105 East 12th Street.
Fort Scott Middle School: Jennifer Ellis-science, Don VanBuskirk-business essentials, electives, history instruction, Dawna Krebs-math teacher, Trinadie Oney-science teacher.
Fort Scott High School. 1005 S. Main.
Fort Scott High School: Jared Martin, athletic director; Ashley Keylon-counselor, Dan
i Cummings-business teacher, Sage Hill-special education teacher, and Lucretia Rugero, special education.
The school district’s board of education phone number is: 620-223-0800.
Maria Morris grew up on the Kansas/Missouri border in Deerfield, MO.
“I bar tended at Sharkey’s Pub for eleven years,” Morris said. “A year ago, I decided to start a different career. I always loved fashion, so I decided to follow my dream and own a clothing store.”
She started her venture in Nevada, MO in 2025.
“I was talking to Dean Striler (co-owner of the new space she is leasing in Fort Scott), and he presented the opportunity to open in Fort Scott. I always loved the community of Fort Scott and wanted to be a part of bringing customers to the area.”
The new space is 6 North Main, the former Tribune storefront.
The name of her new venture is Midwest Runway.
“I am really excited to be a part of the community,” she said. “I believe clothing is more than what we wear, but is also a unique part of who God created us to be.”
The next two weeks are the last weeks at her location at 14182 E. U.S. 54 Hwy, Nevada, and also starting the move to the new location in downtown Fort Scott.
Once she gets moved in, there will be a grand opening on Saturday, August 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Normal hours will follow: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The business is closed on Sundays.
Morris said she likes to “make women feel empowered and beautiful on the outside and the inside.”
The selection ranges from lounge wear to special-occasion clothing.
“Outfits you can take from day to night,” she said.
Sammie Barner is the manager of Midwest Runway. Submitted photo.
Sammie Barner will be the store manager, and there are some part-time employees as well.
The business can be contacted on its Facebook and Instagram pages or at [email protected].
Zach Johnson is the new superintendent for U.S.D. 234, Fort Scott’s school district, as of July 1.
ZJHeadshot – 1
As a leader, Johnson hopes to help facilitate a collective vision that focuses on the success of all students, he said.
“I believe in supporting and creating a culture that adds value and support to our staff. I look forward to working alongside our staff to create positive student outcomes every year.”
Background
“I am originally from Willard Missouri. I have been in education for 13 years. I have spent six of those years as a teacher and coach in Missouri. I then spent four years as an assistant principal/athletic director at Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville and I was the principal at Fort Scott Middle School for three years, and assistant superintendent for one year.”
Family
“My wife Bethany is a therapist at Kansas Renewal Institute (KRI). We have four kids. We are very active in the school and the Fort Scott community. We are excited to be here and look forward to continuing to build connections throughout our community.”
What is the best thing about being in education for you?
” The relationships that are made and the positive impact that is made on students.”
What is a challenge?
” I believe a challenge would be external factors that influence our district and other school districts across Kansas. Examples would be state and federal legislation that affects public education and the day-to-day work of educators.”
Is there anything new on the horizon for the district this year?-
” I am excited for the strategic planning that we will begin working on. This process will involve all stakeholders in our community to help develop the mission, vision, and values for U.S.D. 234. More information will come as we get closer to the school year.”
Submitted photos. Frankie’s Mission volunteers had a dinner at Wesley House for the homeless in Pittsburg.
Vickie Crowe, Fort Scott, started a mission to honor her son Frankie, who died about three years ago, and was homeless.
Since then, the group that has volunteered to help her has held dinners for the homeless at Wesley House and the Salvation Army in Pittsburg because she couldn’t find a place in Fort Scott to do a dinner, she said. She also does mission work in Pittsburg.
Recently, at the Heritage Pavilion in Fort Scott, she and a group of helpers handed out sack lunches to those in need.
“We would like to do more and more often,” she said. “We have to raise money to do this.”
The group that helps the mission consists of Cara Guthrie, Donna Brisbin, Jeri Mitchell, and Burt Hawkins, and recently some others have expressed interest in joining the group, she said.
Submitted photos from Vickie Crowe, a dinner for the homeless in Pittsburg.
Frankie’s Mission is a non-profit organization in Fort Scott.
“We help the homeless and less fortunate,” said Vickie Crow. “We pass out food, hygiene items, clothes, etc. We recently set up at the pavilion and handed out sack lunches and hygiene supplies . The photos I sent are of dinners we have had. We do things to raise money to do this stuff.”
A free-will donation yard sale to benefit the mission will be held on July 31 to August 1 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donations for the sale are accepted.
The yard sale will be at 2403 Jayhawk.
Submitted photos of the dinner for the homeless in Pittsburg, which Frankie’s Mission volunteers supplied.
“Everyone can vote,” said Bourbon County Election Clerk Amber Page. “But, since August is a Primary, there will only be ballots for Republican and Democrat parties to vote on candidates.
“For those who choose not to affiliate with either of the major parties, there will be an Unaffiliated Ballot with just the Constitutional Amendment question on it.”
“The Constitutional Amendment is copied exactly how the State sent it to us to put on the ballot,” Page said. “If I understood correctly, the strike-through is over the original script that is being voted on to change or remove.”
The following constitutional amendment will be voted on during the August 4, 2026 Primary Election, taken from the Kansas Secretary of State website.
Vote Yes or No
“Explanatory statement. This amendment gives the voters the right to elect the justices of the Kansas supreme court. The justices shall serve terms of six years, with the elections of justice positions 1, 2 and 3 to occur in 2028, positions 4 and 5 to occur in 2030 and positions 6 and 7 to occur in 2032, and every six years thereafter. The rules applicable for such elections and the designation of position numbers shall be provided by law. Any vacancy on the court for an unexpired term shall be filled at an election as provided by law.
“A vote for this proposition would give Kansas citizens the right to elect Kansas supreme court justices as provided by law. Justices will hold office for terms of six years. The Kansas supreme court nominating commission, whose membership consists of a majority of lawyers, would be abolished.
“A vote against this proposition would continue the current system in which the Kansas supreme court nominating commission, whose membership consists of a majority of lawyers, provides the governor a list of three individuals to choose from for vacancies on the Kansas supreme court. Justices hold office for a term of six years and retain their offices if they win a retention election in which they do not face an opponent.
Shall the following be adopted?
Ҥ 5. Selection of justices of the supreme court.The citizens of Kansas who are qualified electors shall elect the justices of the supreme court. The rules applicable for such elections and the designation of position numbers shall be provided by law. Justice positions 1, 2 and 3 shall be elected at the general election in November of 2028, justice positions 4 and 5 in November of 2030 and justice positions 6 and 7 in November of 2032, and every six years thereafter, respectively. Any vacancy occurring on the supreme court for an unexpired term shall be filled by election as provided by law.(a) Any vacancy occurring in the office of any justice of the supreme court and any position to be open thereon as a result of enlargement of the court, or the retirement or failure of an incumbent to file his declaration of candidacy to succeed himself as hereinafter required, or failure of a justice to be elected to succeed himself, shall be filled by appointment by the governor of one of three persons possessing the qualifications of office who shall be nominated and whose names shall be submitted to the governor by the supreme court nominating commission established as hereinafter provided.
(b) In event of the failure of the governor to make the appointment within sixty days from the time the names of the nominees are submitted to him, the chief justice of the supreme court shall make the appointment from such nominees.
(c) Each justice of the supreme court appointed pursuant to provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall hold office for an initial term ending on the second Monday in January following the first general election that occurs after the expiration of twelve months in office. Not less than sixty days prior to the holding of the general election next preceding the expiration of his term of office, any justice of the supreme court may file in the office of the secretary of state a declaration of candidacy for election to succeed himself. If a declaration is not so filed, the position held by such justice shall be open from the expiration of his term of office. If such declaration is filed, his name shall be submitted at the next general election to the electors of the state on a separate judicial ballot, without party designation, reading substantially as follows:
“Shall
_______________________________
(Here insert name of justice.)
_______________________________
(Here insert the title of the court.)
be retained in office?”
If a majority of those voting on the question vote against retaining him in office, the position or office which he holds shall be open upon the expiration of his term of office; otherwise he shall, unless removed for cause, remain in office for the regular term of six years from the second Monday in January following such election. At the expiration of each term he shall, unless by law he is compelled to retire, be eligible for retention in office by election in the manner prescribed in this section.
(d) A nonpartisan nominating commission whose duty it shall be to nominate and submit to the governor the names of persons for appointment to fill vacancies in the office of any justice of the supreme court is hereby established, and shall be known as the “supreme court nominating commission.” Said commission shall be organized as hereinafter provided.
(e) The supreme court nominating commission shall be composed as follows: One member, who shall be chairman, chosen from among their number by the members of the bar who are residents of and licensed in Kansas; one member from each congressional district chosen from among their number by the resident members of the bar in each such district; and one member, who is not a lawyer, from each congressional district, appointed by the governor from among the residents of each such district.
(f) The terms of office, the procedure for selection and certification of the members of the commission and provision for their compensation or expenses shall be as provided by the legislature.
(g) No member of the supreme court nominating commission shall, while he is a member, hold any other public office by appointment or any official position in a political party or for six months thereafter be eligible for nomination for the office of justice of the supreme court. The commission may act only by the concurrence of a majority of its members.”
“§ 8. Prohibition of political activity by justices and certain judges. No justice of the supreme court who is appointed or retained under the procedure of section 5 of this article, nor any judge of the district court holding office under a nonpartisan method authorized in subsection (a) of section 6 of this article shall directly or indirectly make any contribution to or hold any office in a political party or organization or take part in any political campaign, except when such judge is a candidate for election to a position on an appellate court.”
“§ 15. Removal of justices and judges. Justices of the supreme court may be removed from office by impeachment and conviction as prescribed in article 2 of this constitution. In addition to removal by impeachment and conviction, justices may be retired after appropriate hearing, upon certification to the governor, by the supreme court nominating commission that such justice is so incapacitated as to be unable to perform adequately his duties. Other judges shall be subject to retirement for incapacity, and to discipline, suspension and removal for cause by the supreme court after appropriate hearing.”
Boil Water Advisory Issued for the City of Fulton, Bourbon County
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Fulton public water supply system located in Bourbon County.
Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:
Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.
The advisory took effect on July 15, 2026 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because the city cannot currently maintain the minimum required chlorine residual. Failure to maintain required chlorine residual levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination.
Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.
The Fort Scott City Commission voted 4–1 on July 13 to decline a Continuum of Care grant that would have had the city acquire and operate the former convent building as a transitional housing project.
The vote came during a continued special meeting, where the grant was the central agenda item. The proposal — known as BridgePoint Community — would have used federal Continuum of Care funding to renovate the building into a transitional housing facility for people experiencing homelessness.
City Manager Brad Matkin opened the discussion by reading a prepared statement opposing the plan. He said his objection was not to transitional housing itself, but to the city owning and operating such a facility: grant funding is temporary, he noted, while the long-term operating costs would ultimately fall on taxpayers. A qualified nonprofit, he argued, would be better positioned to run the program.
Commissioner Julie Buchta then moved to reject the grant. “Our first decision, in my opinion, is that we disapprove this consideration, continuum of care grant,” she said. Commissioner Tim Van Hoecke seconded, and the motion to reject the grant passed 4–1. Commissioner Matthew Wells cast the lone dissenting vote, saying that even if he had been inclined to vote yes, he had already been outvoted.
Commissioners said the proposal felt rushed, raised concerns about the building’s location near an elementary school and Gunn Park, and felt the scale of the project was too large for the city to take on.
An extended public comment period followed, with residents and operators of existing transitional-housing programs sharing their perspectives on homelessness in Fort Scott — including personal recovery stories and calls for the community to keep working on the issue through other approaches.
Bottom line: the grant will not move forward. The city will not submit the application to acquire and operate the convent building as a transitional housing project.
