Front row left to right: Jace Cowan, Abbie Gorman, Rylee Loercher, Lexie Forester, Bristol Marsh, Raylee Cowan. Back row left to right: Kylee Hampton, Kinley Clements, Ella Regan, Aubrey Yarick, and Elsa Bishop.
“The Fort Scott 16b Mud Turtles have finished their summer season,” said Chrystal Cowan, coach. “One of the many highlights of the season was the KC Metro World Series Championship, in which the crew battled through rain, lightning, and extreme heat. The team has fought adversity this summer, but has managed to put it all together and continue to fight for each other. Southeast Kansas is loaded with softball talent, and continues to dish out incredibly skilled kids!”
The girls are coached by Cowan, Zack Marsh, and Eric Loercher.
“The 16U Mud Turtles participated in a softball tournament on the weekend of July 11-13th,”. The team competed against 24 other regional teams and went undefeated to win the tournament. The girls on the team have been playing together for almost eight years and display remarkable sportsmanship and teamwork,” said Marnie Zimmerman, an aunt to Lexie Forester, a member of the team.
This group of young athletes is a 16-year-old and under traveling softball team from Fort Scott.
Justin Miles and Josh Jones have been working on a miniature golf course project for the community to enjoy.
“It’s an idea that has been lingering for a little over a year, and we have been hard at work for about the last eight months ironing out the logistics of everything,” Miles said.
Recent Facebook debates over the location are prompting a rethink of several options that will work.
“Since Facebook has a way of muddying the water and stirring up confusion, we wanted to take a moment to clear the air about the mini golf project,” he said.
“First and foremost: this is a privately owned business, not a city project. We’ve been working behind the scenes on something we believe could bring fresh foot traffic, tourism, and life downtown. Because of the positive economic impact we hoped to create, we felt it was fair to ask the city for a little support, not ownership, just support.”
“This is not a get-rich scheme. This is a passion project. One we’ve poured time and heart into because we love this town and wanted to bring something new and fun to it,” Miles said.
The parking lot that was looked at was across from Sharky’s Pub and Grub on North National Avenue.
“It was presented to us—we didn’t go after it blindly. It’s a public city-owned lot, not owned by any one private business. After getting some initial thumbs-up from a handful of downtown business owners and neighbors, we decided to bring it to the Fort Scott City Commission to test the waters and get their input.”
“That (recent) commission meeting was the public communication step. It was the beginning of the conversation, and we hoped a public hearing would allow everyone to share thoughts and be part of the process. But instead of discussion, we got a Facebook frenzy.”
“To be clear, we never intended to take over the entire lot. In fact, plans included Wall Street adjustments to add new parking, and we hoped to use only about 50% of the lot, leaving 15–20 public spots.”
“But at this point, if it even needs to be said: We will not be moving forward with that location. We’re disappointed, sure—this wasn’t the welcome we hoped for. But we hear you.”
“We’re now going back to the drawing board, exploring new options, and reevaluating the overall feasibility of the project.”
“We truly appreciate everyone who has supported this idea and shared constructive feedback. Thank you for being part of the conversation—even if it came a little louder and messier than expected,” Miles said.
“We are surveying possible options and what will work best for us moving forward.”
Flood Warning
National Weather Service Springfield MO
613 AM CDT Thu Jul 17 2025
KSC011-171715-
/O.NEW.KSGF.FA.W.0026.250717T1113Z-250717T1715Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Bourbon KS-
613 AM CDT Thu Jul 17 2025
...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON...
* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Kansas, including the following
county, Bourbon.
* WHEN...Until 1215 PM CDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying
and flood-prone locations is imminent or occurring.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 613 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to
thunderstorms. Flooding is ongoing or expected to begin
shortly in the warned area.
- Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Fort Scott, Uniontown, Redfield, Marmaton, Hiattville, Pawnee
Station, Devon, Petersburg and Garland.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Many flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison, in green dress, leads the meeting, Second from right. Katie O’Kelly is the manager of the Landmark National Bank.
The Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet attendees learned of upcoming events, grants, and advertising opportunities on July 8 at the meeting, hosted by the Landmark National Bank.
Upcoming events:
Attendee John Hill commended the recent Fort Scott High School All Class Reunion committee for scheduling the majority of the events downtown.
Sales Tax Holiday, August 1-3, with a 9.65% discount on purchases from participating stores
Fall Fest is September 5; the Chamber staff is asking for ideas for this event.
The annual downtown Halloween Parade is on October 25, the Saturday before Halloween.
The Holiday Open House is November 6-8, with Thursday night the big event.
Small Business Saturday is November 29.
Christmas on the Bricks is December 4-7, when stores will be open late, and lots of activities for the community to enjoy.
July 25 is the Chamber Golf Classic fundraiser at Woodland Hills, and they are still taking sponsorships.
At the July 15 Fort Scott City Commission, a new downtown business will be announced, according to Mary Wyatt, Planning, Housing, & Business Development Director for the City of Fort Scott.
The Hedgehog INK Bookstore is for sale in the downtown district. Contact Randi Witt.
Jill Jaworski, Superintendent of Fort Scott National Historic Site, said that the site’s buildings remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday. They hope to have three seasonal employees by the end of August. A new executive order set a hiring freeze that affects the Fort until October 18.
The city and the chamber are having tourism meetings in preparation for the World Cup Soccer Game that is coming to Kansas City in 2026, in an effort to encourage people to come to Fort Scott.
The new Fort Scott Baseball Team, the Dragoons, will join the Mid-America League next season as the league expands to eight teams, according to a KOAM news report. The events surrounding the announcement of last weekend’s LaRoche Baseball Stadium events were given by Mary Wyatt at the meet and greet.
Fort Scott Area Community Foundation offers grants to local 501(c)(3) public charities, schools, government agencies, and religious institutions, with applications starting in August, said Becky Tourtillot.
E-Community Loans are available through www.networkkansas.com with 6 % interest for 10 years, a minimum is $5,000 and, maximum is $50,000.
Grow KS grants are 4% interest for five years, 6% for 10 years, maximum $100,000.
Some of the attendees of the meet and greet listen to speakers in the lobby of the Landmark Bank.
Advertisement Opportunities
New, revised downtown maps are being devised, with business card-sized ads available on them.
The Chamber Community Guide and Membership Directory is getting ready to launch by the first of 2026.
4 by 9-inch rack cards are available from Sekan Printing Company for Chamber distribution to visitors.
About the Host
The Landmark National Bank has two locations in Fort Scott: one at 2nd and Main Street in the downtown area, and another at 23rd Street and Highway 69. Statewide, there are 29 branches. Currently, a teller position is available. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Ali Simhiser, who will be a senior at Fort Scott High School this fall, is the only female Fort Scott wrestler to be invited to the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior National Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Championship, held July 10-19 in Fargo, ND.
The event is at the Fargo Dome and men’s wrestling Freestyle and Greco-Roman athletes will also compete.
“It’s the largest in the world and a pretty big deal to be invited,” said her Aunt Stephannie Erie, who submitted the information. “She is the first female from First Scott to attend. She is also ranked 2nd in her weight class of 190lbs in the state for 4A.”
“She is a two-time state qualifier, placing 3rd at state, winning a Southeast Kansas League Championship, and reaching a huge milestone—100 career wins and pins as a junior.”
Ali is pictured in a contest with another wrestler. Submitted photo.
This Kansas Female Wrestling Team is representing the state in different divisions at 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior National Championship in Fargo, N.D.. This photo was posted on the Columbus High School Wrestling Team Facebook page and was submitted.
Alvin Metcalf is the head wrestling coach at Fort Scott High School.
All American schools, including local schools, will be impacted by the funding freeze that President Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Education to delay, pending a review.
Destry Brown, superintendent of USD 234, Fort Scott’s school district, wrote the following about how the funding freeze will affect his district.
Destry Brown. Submitted photo.
“The federal funding freeze has affected two of our Title funds.
“The first is Title IIA. This money is used for professional development for our teachers and administrators. Title IIA provides $120,000 toward professional development. This accounts for 90% of our professional development budget. The impact of withholding that funding is that we will not be able to send staff for professional development. The State no longer provides funds to be specifically used for professional development any longer. As we prepare our budget for this school year, we do not expect to be able to fill this gap in funding.
“The other fund that is impacted is Title IV. This fund provides funding for innovative programs that enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math programs in the district, to provide more hands-on, interactive learning activities for our students. Title IV provides $38,000 to the district for these activities. The loss in funding will impact our ability to provide some of these updates and enhancements. Any updates will be funded through our regular supply and equipment accounts for each building.
“Currently, the State (of Kansas government) has advised us to budget as if we will receive the funds and spend as if we will not. The State expects to hear more about this funding later this month. Our understanding is that the money is being held while the US Department of Education evaluates these two programs.”
To contact your elected representatives with your views on this matter, according to the Bourbon County, KS website:
US Senator
Roger Marshall – (R)
PO Box 1588
Great Bend, KS 67530
(202) 224-4774
Jerry Moran – (R)
PO Box 1372
Pittsburg, KS 66762
(620-232-2286
Derek Schmidt (R)
1223 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6601
This graphic is taken from a Newsweek online story dated July 7, 2025.
All American schools, including local schools, will be impacted by the funding freeze that President Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Education to delay, pending a review.
Vance Eden, superintendent for USD 235. Photo from the school districts website.
USD235 Superintendent Vance Eden remains hopeful that the Trump administration will unfreeze funds, enabling schools to continue operations as authorized by Congress, he said.
Here is his statement
“The Uniontown USD 235 School District receives federal “Title” funds to support students. Currently, the Trump administration has directed the US Department of Education to delay reimbursement of some of these funds until a review can be completed. These Title funds aren’t a single lump of money, but instead are received by the district with individual designations for individual purposes. While we don’t qualify in all categories, the following three specifically apply to Uniontown.
Title IIA- These funds can be used to reduce class sizes and were initially used to add a teacher, and that position has continued to be paid with Title II funds. Our allocation for the coming year is $25,222. While not all funds the district receives can be used for teacher salaries, this can and has been a meaningful part of our budget and the goal of maintaining a quality salary schedule. The removal of this funding stream will make it more difficult to continue this practice.
Title IVA- These funds can’t be used on people and but instead are used primarily on safety and security items and also things that “extend the curriculum.” Our next year allocation was set at $17,492. While most are likely unaware if anything in their classroom has been purchased with these funds, the reality is that probably all of them have had some benefit. I manage these funds and purchase qualifying items throughout the school year as teachers submit requisitions that can qualify. As an example, field trips, science experiment supplies, digital cameras for the yearbook team, a pottery wheel, the window display at WBE, and a good chunk of the smartboards in the district are all things that have been purchased with these funds over the past few years. These funds invite creativity and foster a robust and quality learning experience. Losing these funds directly impacts our ability to maintain this commitment in the future without cutting from other areas or increasing the mill levy (which no one wants).
Title IVB- These funds pay for the WBE after-school program and summer program. Without this allocation, the district will not be able to afford to continue to offer this to students and parents.
We also receive Title I funds, which are used to support math and reading support at WBE. These funds are stated to still be usable for the coming year. This is good news as it represents our largest area of allocation and would be extremely difficult to adjust for in its absence.
I’d encourage you to visit with our federal legislators during this period of review to help them consider this change in direction and priority, as ultimately, they SHOULD control the disbursement of funds. Most likely, none of us enjoys making these contacts, but I want you to be informed and involved, as these decisions will affect us all.”
To contact your elected representatives, according to the Bourbon County, KS website:
US Senator
Roger Marshall – (R)
PO Box 1588
Great Bend, KS 67530
(202) 224-4774
Jerry Moran – (R)
PO Box 1372
Pittsburg, KS 66762
(620-232-2286
Derek Schmidt
1223 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6601
This graphic is taken from a Newsweek online story dated July 7, 2025.
Local author Levi Qualls, 29, grew up in Baxter Springs and graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration. While at P.S.U., he met his future wife, Taylor Schilling, and then earned his Master of Fine Arts in comics and storytelling from the Academy of Art, California, through its online program.
He became an author through the encouragement of an acquaintance.
“My first semester of college, my mom’s coworker saw some of my art and said I should be an artist. I wasn’t enjoying my first degree plan (biology), so I made the switch and never looked back.”
“After I earned my master’s degree and was working on the graphic novel of Calder, I realized that I was more interested in the actual story than I was in illustrating it. I have always loved to read, and it just made sense. I love it and it’s fun.”
“I still love drawing, and it was fun to illustrate a cover and chapter illustrations for this book!”
They moved to Fort Scott shortly before their first son was born, and it is here that he wrote most of this, his first book.
The Book
The front cover of Quall’s new book. Submitted photo.
Qualls sent this synopsis of his book: The Sea and The Sword is
an escape into the world of Aegindus, where the gods of Olympus reign and destiny hangs in the balance. It is packed with fantasy, action, suspense, mythology, and magic. The Sea and The Sword is an adventure for anyone who loves getting lost in a great story.
There is a Parental Advisory with the book because it contains descriptions of battle scenes, but nothing more graphic than video games or even the Bible, he said.
A bookmark depicts the different gods of Olympus, but they are also used for chapter headings. (There are a lot more than 12 chapters.) Submitted photo.
Aside from being a full-time stay-at-home father of two and author, he also runs Hercules Hobby, a local trading card store in downtown Fort Scott.
The quadruplet Katahdin lambs with their mother that were born June 23 on the Brock Farm, Redfield. Submitted photo.
Matt and Sally Brock started Brock Farms in Bourbon County in 1994.
On June 23, the farm had its first set of Katahdin Hair Sheep quadruplet lambs born.
Katahdin hair sheep provide a practical option to producers who are primarily interested in raising a meat animal, with great lamb vigor, mothering ability and do not want to shear or are no longer able to find shearers, according to https://katahdins.org/
“In the 1970s, someone bred an African Hair Sheep with an English Suffolk Sheep,” Brock said. “It sheds its hair in the summer. The wool industry became unprofitable, so in America, it changed to meat sheep.”
The recent quadruplet lambs were taken to the barn for extra care and fed for two weeks, he said.
“The decision was made to separate one lamb for bottle feeding. The other three lambs and momma were put back on the pasture with the rest of the herd for grass grazing on July 1. All lambs are healthy.”
The quadruplets are transported to another site. Submitted photo.
“The sheep farm has also raised five sets of triplets, but the ewes normally have twins or singles. Statistically, it is said a quad birth is 1 in 500. Their goat herd has produced two sets of quads from Kiko and Nubian goats in past years as well.”
About the Brock Farm
From left: Alaina, Annie, Sally, Matt, Alex, and Mary Brock. Submitted photo. “The sign on the barn came from the original Kansas Brock Farm established in 1879 in Buffalo, KS. The one on the ground behind Mary came from my Dad’s farm in Humboldt, KS. All three farms had sheep in their livestock history,” Matt Brock said.
Brock Farms comprises 300 acres near Redfield and currently has 100 hair sheep ewes raising around 150 lambs yearly. They have four dairy goats. The family works together to care for the herds.
“We started with cattle and switched to sheep in 2010,” Matt Brock said. “When we sold cattle, we got 30 Kiko breed goats and 30 Katahdin hair sheep. We decided that hair sheep is what we preferred to put on our pasture. The dairy goats are more of a hobby farm.”
They give about two farm tours a month, he said.
A farm tour visitor, Rex Brull, feeds a lamb. Submitted photo.
Brush crowds out the fishing spot in this “before” photo. Submitted photos.
Following the removal of brush around this same fishing spot, it has better accessibility. Submitted photos.
Seth Simpson’s work crew is getting all of the best fishing holes reopened at Rock Creek Lake just in time for the 4th of July weekend.
In the last year, the maintenance of Fort Scott Lake and Rock Creek Lake has come under the airport supervisor.
“I’m not exactly sure of the exact time that the airport got the maintenance of the lakes,” said Seth Simpson, Fort Scott’s Airport and Lakes Supervisor. “I was on orders to Germany for a year for the military. I believe it was about six to nine months ago.” Simpson is in the Missouri National Guard.
“Our duties at the Fort Scott and Rock Creek lakes include feeding the fish at the rearing pond, mowing, weed eating, trimming trees, maintaining the structures that the city owns, emptying trash cans and picking up loose trash, setting up and taking down the swim ropes, and maintaining the beach area.”
This city crew is cleaning up some former fishing spots that have been covered up with brush.
“We are clearing out brush and grass to open up spots that were previously inaccessible due to overgrowth so that people can walk to the water’s edge and be able to cast a line,” Simpson said. “We will continue to open up more spots around the lake as we have time.”
The submitted photos are before-and-after pictures of areas cleared on June 30, near the entrance just off Jayhawk Road near the bridge.
Another overgrown spot at Rock Creek Lake. Submitted photos.The same spot after clearing the brush for better lake accessibility. Submitted photo.
To get to Rock Creek, take Jayhawk Road and turn onto 195th Street and go down until you see the parking lot on the west side of the road.
The new fishing spots are on Jayhawk Road and near the bridge with a gravel parking area.
Emily Bolinger, the new Nurse Practitioner at Girard Medical Center of Uniontown.
Emily Bolinger, 42, is the new Nurse Practitioner at Girard Medical Center of Uniontown, as of June 1.
“I’m excited to be local and help take care of people in this community,” she said.
She attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Missouri at Kansas City and has been a Registered Nurse since 2007. She earned a master’s degree from UMKC in 2014 and has practiced all around Southeast Kansas. Her hometown is Olathe.
Her resume includes experience in primary care, urgent care, and School-Based Health as a Nurse Practitioner at Pittsburg High School and the Bryant Student Health Center at Pittsburg State University.
At the Uniontown Clinic, her duties will be primary care that includes same-day appointments, urgent care, along with Kansas Department of Transportation physicals and sports physicals.
She and husband Dustin have lived in the Uniontown area for six years, and their son Keaton will be going to Uniontown Junior High.
“He is involved in sports and is a percussionist,” she said.
She helps out with Keaton’s baseball team and gives fast-pitch softball lessons to young girls in the community.
Bolinger played softball while at the universities in Omaha and Kansas City.
An exam room in the Girard Medical Center of Uniontown clinic.
The clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
The former Uniontown Clinic provider, Nurse Practitioner Stephanie Hallacy, has transitioned to the Girard Medical Center Clinic at Arma, where she lives. Her last day in Uniontown was June 24.
