The Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition will hold its next General Membership meeting on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at Scottview Apartments, 315 S. Scott Ave.
See the full meeting agenda for details. The next General Membership meeting will be November 4, 2026.
The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Quilt and Fiber Arts Show was a success! Area quilters and fiber artists entered over 80 items in the Meyers Building at the Bourbon County fairgrounds last weekend.
This year, the show featured several vintage quilts, one over 100 years old.
Many visitors came through the doors, including third graders from Uniontown and Arma, who enjoyed voting for their favorite quilt.
Various fiber artists worked on their craft and shared their knowledge with visitors, covering wool rug hooking, embroidery, spinning, hand piecing, tatting, and needle felting.
Congratulations to Lita Miller and her “German Shepherd” quilt for winning Viewers’ Choice. Raffle basket winners were Susan Jones, Evelyn Rhodes, and Lita Miller.
The following businesses donated items for the raffle baskets: Blue Top Quilt Shop, Sew Happy Quilt Co, Rocking Chair Quilt Shop, Bee Creek Sewing Center, Linda Weidert of the Ponderosa Retreat, and Kay Walker, teacher of painted barn quilts.
A big thank you to all who helped make this year’s show a success, including Judy Wilson, Bobbie Schroeder, Ginger McElwee, Janet Tucker, and Jean Strader. The FSCC baseball team helped move display cases the Tuesday before the show for set-up and again after the show on Sunday. Organizers also thanked the Bourbon County Fair board for the use of the Meyers Building.
The love of hand-crafted gifts and treasures will remain for generations to come, and organizers said they enjoyed sharing with everyone who walked through the exhibits.
10-6-26 Agenda
Full agenda packet (PDF, 100 pages)
Agenda as of October 2nd, 2026 9:21 PM Central for the October 5th, 2026 6:00 PM meeting, fetched from HeyGov when this draft was created.
A full “Open Invoices By Department Summary” for the batch due 10/2/2026.
Batch Due 10/2/2026 — Grand Total: $463,336.56 (84 invoices) (Pages 12–23)
A series of real-estate, oil-lease and motor-vehicle tax roll abatement corrections approved by the County Appraiser’s office, affecting multiple tax years.
A full rewrite of the county’s Kansas Open Records Act procedures, assigning records-custodian responsibility to each office/department rather than routing all requests through the Clerk, and setting a $0.50-per-page copy fee plus staff-time and electronic-records charges. Supersedes Resolutions 99-19 and 10-06.
The full certified 2027 budget package (and, for comparison, the prior year’s 2026 adopted budget), covering every fund.
By Dr. Jack Welch
“I could have gone to college on a football scholarship. I had an offer right out of high school, but I joined a rock-and-roll band and ended up going nowhere. Now I’m fixing garage doors.” There is nothing wrong with fixing garage doors. Honest work is good work. The sad part is not the garage doors. It is the words, “I could have.”
Those words can become the epitaph of a dream. Imagine opening a high school yearbook and reading beneath every picture what that person dreamed of becoming. A doctor. Teacher. Coach. Athlete. Business owner. Musician. Missionary. Farmer. So many dreams. So many mountaintop visions.
Then life happened. Things happen to every one of us, some we want and some we don’t. We can’t always control what happens, but we can control how we respond. I call that attitude.
I’ve heard it said, “Obstacles are only visible when you lose sight of the goal.” Obstacles are real. Sometimes we stumble, fumble and fall. Sometimes people try to hold us back. Yet failure can teach us, disappointment can strengthen us, and adversity can make us better.
The heart of a person determines their lifestyle. A good friend of mine recently received a heart transplant. He has always had the heart of a champion. My prayer is that this new heart will allow him to continue encouraging people, sharing his life and helping others. Most importantly, I know God has him in His hands.
John 13 tells us how Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. One by one, Jesus cared for them individually. He knew each of them. He saw them. He served them. He even washed Judas’s feet. Jesus sees us individually. He knows our needs. He knows our hearts. He knows our names.
We make our name every day. We make it through how we treat people, how we respond to adversity, whether we keep going when we fall, and whether we encourage others. Don’t spend your life saying, “I could have.” Get out of the nest. Spread your wings. Keep your vision. Guard your attitude. Take care of your heart.
Your name isn’t simply something you’re given. You make your name every day.
Think about it.
Thought for the Week: “You may not get to choose what happens to you, but you do get to choose how you respond. Guard your heart, keep your eyes on the goal, and remember, you are making your name by the way you live every day.” — Jack Welch
Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.
Fort Scott police, fire and EMS logged 49 calls for service on October 4, 2026.
Traffic Stop — 12:49 AM, Shep’s Curve #, Fort Scott. Complaint No. 26-01603FS. Disposition: RPTG.
Warrant Service / Arrest — 12:18 PM, 106 Crawford. Complaint No. 26-01601FS. Disposition: ARRC.
Domestic / Physical — 2:10 PM, 420 W Wall St, Fort Scott. Complaint No. 26-01602FS. Disposition: ARRC.
EMS — 5:39 PM, 110 N 100. Complaint No. 26-0943BB. Disposition: * Multiple.
Traffic Stop — 11:47 PM, 69 Hwy. Complaint No. 26-0944BB. Disposition: RPTG.
EMS — 12:28 AM, 2104 S Eddy, Fort Scott. Disposition: AMBU.
EMS / Transfer — 7:20 AM, 401 Woodland Hills Blvd, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: AMBU.
EMS — 2:32 PM, 215 W First. Disposition: AMBU.
EMS / Transfer — 2:57 PM, 401 Woodland Hills Blvd, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: AMBU.
EMS — 4:50 PM, 2500 S Main, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: AMBU.
27,28,29 Checks — 12:05 AM, 1604 National, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: NR.
Check Vehicle — 1:30 AM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: HBO.
Seeking Advice/Info — 2:38 AM, 730 Horton St, Fort Scott. Disposition: HBO.
Noise Complaint — 3:39 AM, Oak. Disposition: HBO.
Seeking Advice/Info — 9:16 AM, 293 E 20th St. Disposition: HBO.
Traffic Complaint / Livestock — 9:38 AM, 7 Hwy. Disposition: 77.
911 / Accidental — 9:45 AM, 38 Golf View Dr. Disposition: HBD.
Check Vehicle — 9:55 AM, 7 Hwy. Disposition: HBO.
Check Subject — 10:32 AM, 140th Grand Rd. Disposition: HBO.
Seeking Advice/Info — 10:53 AM, 708 W 2nd St. Disposition: HBD.
Check Welfare — 11:24 AM, 714 Short St. Disposition: HBO.
Seeking Advice/Info — 12:23 PM, 293 E 20th St. Disposition: HBO.
Suspicious Activity — 1:24 PM, 101 Old Fort Blvd, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: HBD.
Vehicle Unlock — 1:40 PM, 1919 S Horton St, Fort Scott. Disposition: HBO.
Motorist Assist — 1:43 PM, Grand Rd. Disposition: HBO.
Suspicious Vehicle — 1:56 PM, Little St. Disposition: 77.
No Problem — 2:00 PM, 1604 National, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: HBO.
Seeking Advice/Info — 3:23 PM, 293 E 20th St. Disposition: HBO.
Suspicious Activity — 4:22 PM, Heylman, Fort Scott. Disposition: HBO.
Traffic Complaint / Livestock — 6:43 PM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: HBO.
Seeking Advice/Info / City — 6:58 PM, 1604 National, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: HBO.
Narcotics — 7:52 PM, 1720 E 1st St. Disposition: HBO.
Check Vehicle — 10:11 PM, 201 S National, Fort Scott, KS. Disposition: HBO.
Check Vehicle — 10:17 PM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: HBO.
Traffic Stop — 1:35 AM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 2:16 AM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 2:54 AM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 3:10 AM, 54 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 3:14 AM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 9:47 AM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 3:51 PM, N Washington St. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 4:09 PM, Wall St, Fort Scott. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 7:17 PM, 69 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 7:41 PM, 69 Hwy, Fort Scott. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 8:53 PM, 6th St. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 9:20 PM, Cooper. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 10:05 PM, 2216 S Main St, Fort Scott. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 10:20 PM, 2nd St. Disposition: WW.
Traffic Stop — 10:40 PM, 54 Hwy. Disposition: WW.
Total Calls for Service: 49
Documents:
Redbird, Nathaniel C (Age 46) — Arrested 10/2/2026 11:25 AM by Douglas County. Charge: Other Agency Hold. Bond: $0.00.
Wolford, John Ross (Age 41) — Arrested 10/2/2026 11:50 AM by Douglas County. Charge: Other Agency Hold. Bond: $0.00.
Rhoades, Timmy Lee (Age 41) — Arrested 10/2/2026 12:00 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Sanction. Bond: No Bond, $0.00.
Chase, Jesse Lee (Age 26) — Arrested 10/2/2026 8:00 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Sanction. Bond: $0.00. Released 10/4/2026 8:05 PM via Own Recognizance.
Benjamin, Clinton Donald (Age 48) — Arrested 10/2/2026 10:46 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Assault. Bond: $2,500.00 Cash/Surety. Released 10/4/2026 8:56 PM via Surety Bond.
McDaniel, Landon Lee (Age 18) — Arrested 10/3/2026 3:32 AM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Driving Under Influence of Alcohol or Drugs (Misdemeanor), Liquor; Purchase/Possess/Consume by Minor 18-20 Yrs (Unknown Conviction), Transporting an Open Container. Bond: $1,000.00 Cash/Surety. Released 10/4/2026 2:11 PM via Cash Bond.
Cummings, William Allen (Age 58) — Arrested 10/3/2026 7:08 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Driving Under the Influence (3rd Conviction in 10 Yrs, Combination Drugs and Alcohol), Driving While a Habitual Violator, Failure to Stop at Accident (Misdemeanor), Ignition Interlock Device Violation, Vehicle Liability Insurance Required Violation, Vehicles Operated in Kansas; Registration, Violation of Restrictions on Driver’s License or Permit. Bond: No Bond, $0.00.
Belcher-Cowlishaw, Gabrielle Kaye (Age 21) — Arrested 10/4/2026 12:36 PM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charge: Warrant Bourbon County (Probation Violation), Warrant No. BB-26-CR-64. Bond: No Bond, $0.00.
Doherty, Landon Monroe (Age 23) — Arrested 10/4/2026 2:35 PM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charge: Aggravated Endangering a Child, Aggravated Kidnapping, Criminal Restraint, Domestic Battery (Misdemeanor). Bond: No Bond, $0.00.
Benjamin, Clinton Donald — Released 10/4/2026 8:56 PM via Surety Bond (A+ Bonding).
Chase, Jesse Lee — Released 10/4/2026 8:05 PM via Own Recognizance (Self).
Crowe, Katie Lee — Released 10/3/2026 12:13 PM via Surety Bond (American Western Bonding).
Evanoff, Tristen Jenifer-Lee — Released 10/2/2026 2:15 AM via Cash Bond (Self).
Harbin, Jacob Albert-Louis — Released 10/2/2026 10:04 AM via Own Recognizance (Self).
McDaniel, Landon Lee — Released 10/4/2026 2:11 PM via Cash Bond (Self).
Renfro, Joshua Wayne — Released 10/2/2026 10:41 AM via Transferred Out (Douglas Co).
Salazar, Joshua — Released 10/2/2026 10:40 AM via Transferred Out (Douglas Co).
Staten, Madison Jane — Released 10/3/2026 9:10 AM via Surety Bond (American Western Bonding).
Vandament, Loretta Lynn — Released 10/3/2026 12:32 AM via Surety Bond (A+ Bonding).
Windsor, Gail Renae — Released 10/2/2026 12:19 PM via Own Recognizance (Self).
Total Inmates Released: 11
Documents:
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce presents the Halloween Trick-or-Treat Parade on Saturday, October 31st. Festivities start at 10am, with the parade at 11am, in downtown Fort Scott.
Start at the City Scales building on North Main at 10:00 a.m. for photos with a Halloween backdrop and face painting by the Fort Scott High School Thespians.
The parade begins at La Hacienda at 11:00 a.m. Families will trick-or-treat with downtown merchants as they travel south on Main Street to 2nd Street, cross the street and return north to Skubitz Plaza. Be sure to bring a bag for treats!
Following the parade, children in costume will receive a free slice of Papa Don’s pizza and a drink.
Each year, more than 600 children join us downtown for the Fort Scott Halloween Parade. We’re inviting local businesses to help make this free tradition possible again on Saturday, October 31!
Sponsorships help provide drinks for the children and cover advertising, supplies and other event needs. There are several ways to take part:
Presenting Sponsor: $500
Jack-o’-Lantern Sponsor: $250
Bat Sponsor: $100
Each level offers opportunities for business recognition. The attached flyer has the full details and benefits for each level.
We also welcome in-kind donations, including drinks, candy and other supplies. Businesses and organizations can set up a free table along the parade route to hand out treats, coupons or information. If you would like to donate bulk candy, ask us about becoming a Candy Collection Partner.
Mail checks payable to the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce or drop off donations at 231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.
Local businesses planning to hand out candy, please call 620-223-3566 or email communications@fortscott.com to reserve a spot along Main Street!
Thank you for helping us make Halloween a fun day for Fort Scott children and families!
Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Wasabi vs Guacamole
From the time I was born until I was five years old, my family lived in California. We had an avocado tree in our back yard and my family enjoyed eating that fruit/veggie. My favorite way to eat an avocado is simply peeled, sliced, and salted. I make homemade guacamole simply by smashing it with a fork and adding salt. In 2008, we took a family vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and on one of our outings we dined at a Japanese buffet. As I made my food choices, I spotted a big batch of guacamole and scooped a big pile onto my plate and joined my hubby and kids at the table. WOW! Did I get a surprise! This was not guacamole; it was wasabi, which is a Japanese word that means green, creamy FIRE! It instantly brought on a sharp mouth-burning and sinus-clearing heat that was unbelievable! My family found my stupidity to be quite humorous. I can’t remember if my tears were from laughing or pain – probably both.
Looks sure can be deceiving! If I’d used my brain, I would have known that this green creamy stuff would not be guacamole since I wasn’t in a Mexican restaurant. Not everything that glitters is gold.
In writing to the church of Galatia, apostle Paul packs a great punch of strong flavor to the Christ followers there.“Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside). [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap” (Galatians 6:7 AMP). Believers are not to be fooled, mistaken, led astray, or tricked. No one mocks the justice/ways of God and gets by with it. Whatever you sow, that’s what you’ll get. You’ll reap exactly what you plant.
God’s Word declares what sin is, but our culture persists in being mislead by redefining the truth. And Christ followers must not be guilty of ignoring the holy scriptures either. I could have sat in that Japanese restaurant and beat my fist on the table and screamed that I was eating guacamole, but it wouldn’t have changed the truthful facts that I had been deceived. My mouth was painfully reaping what I had planted in it. We must be on high alert and remember that God’s love, mercy, grace, and divine forgiveness cannot alter His law of sowing and reaping.
God would not be God if we could sow evil and reap good. Believers can’t afford to be misled by thinking we can change God’s theology in the way He operates. There’s a rich payoff in prayerfully studying His Word. Everything that God declares can be taken to the bank. Since God cannot be outwitted, no one should be deceived in thinking that he/she can dodge the consequences of a dimwitted choice.
It’s been said: “A man is free to choose, but is not free to choose the consequences of his choice.” I was free to choose whatever I wanted from the buffet. I made one foolish mistake and suffered the consequences immediately. Could I have avoided making this wrong choice? Yes, by considering what ethnic restaurant I was in and then using common sense.
The Key: Carefully evaluate everything that seems to be too good to be true.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites you!
Join us for the Downtown Meet & Greet
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
8:30 to 9:30 am
Cohn’s Cafe
110 S. Main St., Fort Scott
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites downtown business owners, representatives, and community members to its next Downtown Meet & Greet.
We are excited to welcome special guest, Kansas Main Street Director Drew Simpson! Stop by to meet him, connect with others downtown, and share ideas about events, promotions, and the future of our downtown district.
Questions? Contact the Chamber at (620) 223-3566.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701
620-223-3566
fortscott.com
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation is pleased to announce the availability of funds in the form of cost share assistance and incentive payments to assist commercial feedlots and dairy operations with livestock water efficiency technology. The Kansas Livestock Water Efficiency Project is part of the state’s ongoing effort to encourage water conservation and to seek solutions for water challenges in the state.
This initiative is designed to enhance and/or upgrade current large-scale livestock watering systems in commercial feedlots and dairies by providing cost share assistance for practices such as upgrading to high efficiency livestock waterers, water controls, and water recycling systems.
KDA–DOC will accept applications from Wednesday, October 14, 2026, to the close of business Friday, November 6, 2026. Equipment purchases and subscriptions made before application approval by KDA–DOC are not eligible for this initiative. Eligible applicants must hold a current water right for stock water with the state of Kansas.
Funding is provided through appropriation from the State Water Plan Fund and the program is administered by KDA–DOC in consultation with the State Conservation Commission.
Applications for this irrigation technology cost share funding must be made through KDA–DOC. Find more information about the project including the application and more details about funding eligibility at www.agriculture.ks.gov/DOCLivestockWater or email Jake Dooling at Jacob.Dooling@ks.gov.
Stay safe & enjoy your weekend! What’s happening in Fort Scott this October 2nd weekend edition, from the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.
70th & Final Pioneer Harvest Fiesta | Bourbon County Fairgrounds
Fort Scott Farmers Market | 8 AM to Noon
Gordon Parks Celebration | Events throughout the day
Oktoberfest Steinholding Competition | Bam-Bam Brewing
The Market at 23 Main V.I.P. Vendor Thank You Event | 6 PM
✨ Sunshine Boutique VIP Night | 6 PM
FSCC Alumni Rodeo + Coach Chad Cross Recognition | Performance 7:30 PM
Historic Fort Scott Trolley Tours | 10 AM, 11:30 AM,
1 PM & 2:30 PM
Crooners The Night Cap | 9 to 11 PM
Clark Street Lights + ScareFest Haunted House | 7 to 10 PM
Final Day of the 70th & Final Pioneer Harvest Fiesta
Final Day of Oktoberfest at Bam-Bam Brewing
☕ Crooners Sunday Brunch Buffet | 10 AM to Noon
Clark Street Lights | 7 to 10 PM
Chiefs vs. Raiders | 3:25 PM
✅ See more events & details: https://fortscott.com/events
Ride Dolly the Trolley and explore Fort Scott’s history with a narrated tour. Fridays & Saturdays – Now Boarding!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Coffees – Every Thursday at 8am
Fort Scott National Historic Site – Visit your National Park! Visitor Center and historic buildings are open Friday through Tuesday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. The grounds continue to be open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. Visit the website at fortscott National Historic Site.
The Artificers offers classes for ALL ages! See their class schedule at fortscott.com.
BINGO hosted by the American Legion Post 25 every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month unless it falls on a holiday. Doors open at 6pm and Bingo starts at 7pm at Memorial Hall.
KANSASWORKS in Fort Scott – Every Tuesday 9am-4pm. Office located at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, 104 N. National Ave. 620-231-4250
FS Public Library – Wednesday Writers every Wed. @ 1:30-3pm, 201 S. National Ave.
$3 Tuesdays at Fort Cinema! Follow their Facebook Page for updates.
Kansas Small Business Development Center at the Chamber, 231 E. Wall St. Every 2nd Thursday of the month 9am-3pm.
Want more details or updates on Community, Chamber, and Member events? Find full dates, times, locations, and links on the Chamber’s community calendar at fortscott.com/events/calendar/.
Farmers Market – Saturday Markets (May-October) 8am-12pm
Boutiques, antiques, flea markets & more! Visit fortscott.com for Chamber member specialty shopping and other retail in Downtown & other areas of the community.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701 | 620-223-3566 | fortscott.com
