The Fort Scott Planning Commission will be meeting at 4:00 p.m. today, November 30th, 2020 at City Hall in the City Commission meeting room. There may be a majority of City Commissioners present, but NO City business will be conducted. The public is welcome to attend this event.
Death Notice of Latroy White Jr.
Latroy F. “Troy” White, Jr., age 77, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away September 18, 2020, at his home in Ft. Scott.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, December 5th at the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
Burial with military honors was in the U. S. National Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Ft. Scott Church of the Nazarene and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Obituary of Della Lorene Emmerson
Della Lorene Emmerson, age 85, a former resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas and Joplin, Missouri, more recently of Gardner, Kansas, passed away Friday, November 27, 2020, at Azria Health Care in Olathe, Kansas. She was born July 22, 1935, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Charles Dixon and Della Reno Dixon. She married Robert Emmerson on September 18, 1954, at Ft. Scott. Lorene was a homemaker and dearly loved her family. She always enjoyed when family and friends came for a visit. Lorene liked doing the crossword puzzles in the newspaper and taking the occasional trip to the casino.
Survivors include a step-daughter, Virginia Lowry, of Gardner, Kansas and two sisters, Mary Brandt, of Joplin, Missouri and Betty Carpenter, of Lamar, Missouri. Also surviving are eight grandchildren and several great and great-great-grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews and a special neighbor and friend, Betty Campbell, of Joplin, Missouri. Lorene was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Emmerson, a daughter, Tina Benton, a step-son, Steve Emmerson and her parents, Charles Dixon and Della Dixon Runkle.
Graveside services will be held at 1:30 P.M. Wednesday, December 2nd at the Maple Grove Cemetery. Friends and family may meet at the cemetery. Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Obituary of William Junior Hamilton
William Junior Hamilton, age 92, a former resident of Garland, Kansas and more recently of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, passed away Friday, November 27, 2020, at the Jane Phillips Medical Center in Bartlesville. He was born July 31, 1928, in Garland, the son of William Hamilton and Mary A. Lockner Hamilton. He graduated from the Arcadia High School. Mr. Hamilton served with the United States Army from 1951 to 1953. He served as Postmaster for the Garland Post Office for many years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite Consistory and the American Legion.
Survivors include a brother, Robert Hamilton, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and two sisters, Mary Bach of Sebewaing, Michigan and Wilma Kleuver of Kansas City, Missouri and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Betty Brown and Helen Reed.
Funeral services will be held at 12:30 P.M. Friday, December 4th at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial with military honors will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Memphis Masonic Lodge #108 of Garland, Kansas and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Peerless Products Combats COVID-19
Peerless Products Inc. received a SPARK Grant to help with the costs of keeping the manufacturer producing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“We applied for $50,247 of reimbursement for items purchased to battle the coronavirus within the Peerless community, but also to do our part in mitigating the spread of the virus in the surrounding communities as we have employees who work here, but live generally within a 45-mile radius of Fort Scott,” said Cindy Davis, the company’s wellness and benefits manager. “We received our grant money about a month ago.”
The Strengthing People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) taskforce is responsible for the statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.
But the largest Bourbon County employer did not wait for help to begin combating the virus.
“In the initial weeks of the pandemic, we had a number of employees volunteer to hand-make face masks for every employee to have five, and then we were able to donate masks out around the local community,” she said. “For a solid month, after purchasing seven sewing machines, our small sewing taskforce churned out over 4,000 cloth reusable face masks!”
” We also implemented contact tracing,” Davis said. ” Supplies for all these methods of mitigating virus contamination were submitted on our SPARK grant application. The Peerless family collectively has viewed this pandemic as a very serious threat to personal health and welfare, but also to the financial welfare of each family supported by the work we do here, AND the economic health of Bourbon county.”
“As the reality of the COVID-19 virus became quickly apparent back in early March, we realized that, as the largest employer in Bourbon County (350-400 employees), we had to jump into action immediately,” she said. ” We kept close watch on the Center for Disease Control and state government guidelines and protocol recommendations, and continue to do so.”
They worked in the plant to reduce the virus.
“If certain steps were recommended, we put things into action here at Peerless as requirements,” she said. “As a business, Peerless has kept in close communication with state and local authorities, as well as with all of our employees regarding actions and protocols.”
“Peerless Products manufactures high-end custom windows and doors for buildings all over the country, high-rise business and apartment buildings, schools, hotels, hospitals, military installations, and more,” Davis said.
” However, when the pandemic accelerated, we pulled our field service personnel off the road, curtailed any travel by our sales force, and began daily temperature taking of every employee or vendor entering our facilities, she said. “Within our plant, our safety and environmental staff, employee wellness, human resources, Peerless culture, top-level management, as well as purchasing staff, sought out tools and supplies and methods to mitigate virus contamination.”
“Signage all around the plant on proper hygiene, procuring large numbers of face masks, extra handwash stations, great quantities of hand sanitizer, gloves, special air purifiers, enrollment of employees in telemedicine as a healthcare option (at no cost to the employee), the arrangement of employee break room seating (indoors and out) and office desks to implement the six feet distancing recommendation, and more were implemented.”
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Nov. 30
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports Nov. 25-29
BoCo Inter-Agency Coalition Meets Dec. 2
The regularly scheduled Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition membership meeting will be this Wednesday, December 2, at noon, in the Community Room at the High Rise Apartments, 315 Scott Avenue.
The agenda is as follows:
Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition
General Membership Meeting Agenda
December 2, 2020
- Welcome:
- Member Introductions and Announcements:
- Program (no programs until January, 2021, at the earliest):
- Open Forum:
- Adjournment: Next General Membership meeting will be January 6, 2021.
“Be sure to wear your mask and social distance as much as possible,” Billie Jo Drake, facilitator of the group said. “Due to the rise in Covid cases in Bourbon County, I certainly understand if you do not wish to attend a face-to-face meeting. If you have any announcements that you need to share, be sure to send them to me prior to 9:00 a.m. on meeting day.”
I Only Ate The Syrup by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker
My everyday routine occasionally triggers a childhood memory for me. I guess that’s a sign I’m getting older, but I really enjoy my trips down memory lane. While eating some canned peaches the other night, I remembered that when I was a kid I only liked to eat the sweet heavy syrup. There was no nutritional value in the syrup, and by refusing to eat the fruit I missed out on some protein, fiber, and vitamins. I eventually outgrew that silliness and now I eat the peaches and pour the syrup down the drain!
Occasionally, it appears that some Christians only want the limelight of following Jesus. You know, just the sweet stuff. But Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me“ (Matthew 16:24 NLT). Taking up your cross means to give your entire life to God. It’s a total dedication of your soul, spirit, and body given to His service in anything He says. You may be thinking, “God hasn’t told me to do anything for Him.” I think you better blow the dust off your Bible and read it.
Following Christ wholeheartedly means being a servant. At the Passover supper, scripture reveals the following account: “So He [Jesus] got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel He had around Him. …And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them” (John 13:4,5,14,15, 17 NLT).
The Son of God and King of kings performed an object lesson in humility and servanthood. Since Jesus humbled Himself to do the lowly service of a slave, we should serve one another in the same way. Sometimes we want the blessing without the service or the dedication. We also need to realize that love is the motive for being a servant. If we serve out of duty, then there’s no blessing in helping others because it‘s just a “job.” But if we serve out of love and compassion, then we’re reaching out to others as Jesus commands us.
The road of unselfish service is pretty narrow. There’s no room for all the sweet stuff you think you need, so toss it out. Living a self-centered life will blind you to the basics of what Jesus taught. But once your selfishness is laid aside, you’ll be able to see those in need. You’ll be free to use your gift to bless others: “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10 NLT).
Servant living is not popular today because the focus of our culture is on personal happiness and comfort. Believers should pray for a bigger servant’s heart toward God and man. Since Jesus washed dirty feet, it’s fair to say there’s no act of kindness too lowly for Christ followers to perform.
The Key: If you want a blessed life, drain the syrup and follow Jesus’ example.
Obituary of Talitha (Brown) Madison
Talitha Ann (Brown) Madison, age 47, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Wednesday, November 25th, 2020. She was born April 10, 1973, in Fort Scott, KS, the daughter of Mike and Vicki (Trites) Brown. She graduated from Fort Scott High School with the class of 1991. She attended Fort Scott Community College and obtained an associate degree then furthered her education at Pittsburg State University. In 1995, Tally married Charles “Hunter” Reeves. They were married 20 years and had 4 children together. In 2015 her life suddenly changed with the loss of Hunter. In normal Tally fashion she persevered and took on the role as both parents. In 2018, she remarried to Thomas William Madison. Together, they found a forever kind of love.
Tally lit up a room with her contagious smile and a few “colorful” words. She was the kind of friend that made life beautiful for others. Her love for dogs was evident as she wanted to bring every dog home just so they could feel loved. Her family was her first priority, but her friends always felt the same amount of love.
Survivors include her husband, Tom of the home; two daughters, Hannah Reeves and fiancé Caleb Brandt, Herman, MO, Emmah Dikeman and husband Miles, Fort Scott, KS; two sons, Hunter Reeves and Hollis Reeves; one brother, Kyle Brown and wife Jamie, Fort Scott; two nieces, Graycyn and Kinsley Brown; mother in law, Marge Madison, Ft. Scott; father in law, Dr. Stewart Reeves, Denver, CO; and sister in law, Catherine and Joe Kilanoski, Denver CO. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Hunter; mother in law, Harriett Reeves; grandmother, Mary Jane Brown; sister in law, Angie Handke; and father in law, Bill Madison.
Pastor Danny Brown will conduct graveside services at 11:00 AM Wednesday, December 9th, in the Centerville Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy memorial contributions are suggested for the Reeves Children and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St. Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
TFI Receives SPARK Grant For Foster Care Service in Bourbon County
TFI, a foster care and child welfare service, received $50,000 in SPARK funds in Bourbon County for more technology and personal protective equipment in the pandemic.
The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce is charged with leading Kansas forward in recovery from the far-reaching effects of COVID-19, with the statewide distribution of the U.S. Coronavirus Relief Fund.
Employees of TFI, Fort Scott in February 2020.
TFI serves approximately 80 children in Bourbon County, according to information provided by Taylor Forest, marketing specialist.
“The SPARK funding TFI received will help serve children in foster care in Bourbon County who have been impacted by COVID-19,” Forest said. “This funding has been used to purchase technology to allow for more remote work, and more telehealth visits when possible, minimizing face-to-face contact. Another way we are using the funds is to purchase PPE for children, families and staff. ”
They received the funding on Oct. 15, 2020.
“Children in foster care experience difficulties on a daily basis, and COVID-19 has added even more challenges” she said. “We’re incredibly grateful for the program and are thrilled that Kansas’ most vulnerable population can have some of their needs met through these unprecedented times!”
The TFI Fort Scott office is located at 710 W. 8th Street, Suite 203, FORT SCOTT KS 66701
To learn more:
See more about SPARK at:
https://covid.ks.gov/spark-recovery-office/
Know-It-All by Patty LaRoche
Jesus knew what he was talking about. Every time he spoke. He literally was a know-it-all.
Can you imagine how much fun that would be? I mean, sometimes I act like I know more than I do, but really KNOWING? Wow! As the wife of a former pitcher/coach, I probably have seen a few thousand baseball games in my life. Our house has been filled with players and staff who sit for hours and talk about the mechanics of pitchers. I should know the difference between the movement of a sinker and a change-up.
Dave and I watched this year’s World Series, and periodically I commented on a pitch. “Was that slider really outside?” Dave’s corrections were annoying. It was a “curve ball.”
He was wrong.
I watch “The Voice” on television and remark that the singer sounds just like Celine Dion. No judge turns his/her chair. Their observations stun me. The vocalist was “a little pitchy” or “had an irregular vibrato” or seemed “a little breathy.” WHAT?
Last week, I attended church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pastor Loran Livingston was livid about what he had read the previous week on social media. He called Christians into account after they had written defamatory statements about the presidential election on social media, reminding his congregation that none of us have all the facts, and that we act unloving when we pretend we do. Sometimes (most times) the best thing we can do is keep our thoughts to ourselves. Know-it-alls find that an almost impossible task.
The amazing thing about Jesus is he didn’t have to prove he knew anything…like we think we do. Sometimes, what he knew he refused to disclose. Before being crucified, he remained silent—instead of defending himself–when being interrogated by Herod, the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate. I’m fairly certain I would have had some pithy thoughts I could not keep to myself.
My granddaughter’s husband, Tyler, is in seminary in North Carolina. Recently, I was there to visit them (and meet my new great grandson—so cool!) and asked Tyler about his experience. He answered that he thought that seminary would provide more answers, especially after learning Greek so he could better understand and explain the true intent of scripture. He said that he has more questions now than when he entered seminary.
I shared with him how my former pastor explained the seminary experience:
The first year in seminary you don’t know what you don’t know.
The second year in seminary you know what you don’t know.
The third year in seminary you don’t know what you know.
The fourth year in seminary you know what you know and how much you still need to learn.
Know-it-alls expose their insecurities when their opinions are the only ones that matter, and I don’t know about you, but until we reach Heaven, none of us have those bragging rights. More times than not, we just need to keep our thoughts to ourselves.
That being said, I still think it was a slider.