From left: Gary Murrell, Director and David Gillen, Food Packaging Specialist at the Beacon, 525 E. Sixth.
The Beacon has a multi-decade history in Fort Scott as a helping agency to those with limited resources.
“The Beacon has just completed 33 years as a food pantry,” said Carol MacArthur, president of the Beacon Board of Directors. “We are working toward making Beacon’s services more available to clients, and this includes trying some methods not done previously.”
This includes the agency becoming more consumer-friendly by adding evening hours on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, starting March 12.
“On March 12, The Beacon will adapt its hours in order to become more “user-friendly” to Bourbon County residents,” MacArthur said.
“Since a number of individuals have expressed a need for evening hours, the Beacon staff will open for full service twice a month between 4:30 and 7 p.m.,” she said.
“We’ll be closed the Tuesday we are open in the evening,” said Garry Murrell, the director of the Beacon.
Murrell will be available to provide service and assistance as he does during day-time hours.
The Beacon provides a food pantry for the community.
“Basic needs for the family,” Murrell said. “Canned goods, rice, beans, potatoes, (the food) varies.”
“We have a limited amount of meat, which we give until we don’t have anymore,” he said.
Individuals, churches, businesses and others donate food throughout the year.
“We have a lot of food drives to help us,” Murrell said.
From left: David Gillen, Food Packaging Specialist and Sharon Farmer, Front Desk Receptionist at the Beacon.
The Beacon also provides financial assistance, if the person qualifies, for utility bills, and occasionally rent and prescription assistance.
“If we have the funds, we can help,” Murrell said. “If we don’t we can’t.”
The new evening hours will be offered on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month.
Doris Reola DeMott, age 85, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, February 19, 2019, at the Olathe Medical Hospice House in Olathe, Kansas. She was born December 29, 1933, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of Walter Eugene Knox and Hattie India Martin Knox. Doris graduated from the Ft. Scott High School with the Class of 1952. While in high school, she worked at the YMCA. This is where she met her future husband. She married Charles L. DeMott on December 28, 1952, in Bentonville, Arkansas. Doris later served as the Bourbon County Treasurer for twelve years and later worked for thirty-seven years for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Doris was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She lovingly cared for her husband following his stroke at a very early age. She especially loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a member of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Garland.
Survivors include her four children, Gary DeMott and wife, Linda, of Ft. Scott, Janet McLaughlin, of Topeka, Kansas, Shawnee Clary and husband, Ken, and Stephen DeMott, all of Ft. Scott; ten grandchildren, Trenton, Trevor, Ty, Lacey, Kelsey, Stephanie, Chadd, Jessica, Adrienne, and Matthew and eighteen great-grandchildren. Also surviving is a brother, Gene Knox and his wife, Lucille, of Little River, Kansas. Her husband, Charles, preceded her in death on April 19, 2016. She was also preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Robert and Paul and five sisters, Louise, Virginia, Marcella, Marguerite, and Rachael.
Pictured from left: Mammography Technicians Jennifer Dugan and Suzanne Quick. Together. they have 15 years experience and look forward to serving the women of Bourbon County and the surrounding area.
Women needing mammography services in Bourbon County and surrounding areas can once again schedule appointments for the procedure close to home. As part of the transition of services from Mercy Health System to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, the hospital’s 3D Mammography equipment was donated to CHC/SEK. It remains in its original location and staffed by the experienced staff who have been responsible for the service for more than 15 years.
The equipment – considered the most advanced breast screening technology available – was funded when it was originally acquired through a gift from the Mercy Health Center Foundation.
“We all agreed that the women of southeast Kansas – regardless of their ability to pay – should have continued access to this service,” said CHC/SEK Chief Executive Officer Krista Postai. “In our discussions with staff and community members, we found that many women in the region had come to rely upon its availability.” As in the past, regardless of where a woman goes for primary care, she can make an appointment for a mammogram in Ft. Scott.
“We were surprised at how many women have used this service locally saving – for many of them – a trip to Kansas City or elsewhere,” Postai said. “That certainly speaks well for the quality of the program and staff.
“We will now be able to extend this resource further making it more accessible to low-income women through special programs and discounts based on ability to pay,” she said. “Every woman has the right to quality screening and thanks to Mercy, the Mercy Foundation and CHC/SEK that will continue.” Postai went on to add the Foundation has contributed funding toward covering the cost for those in Bourbon County who otherwise would not be able to afford it.
Among the benefits of 3D mammography are more accurate detection resulting in fewer call backs for additional tests. Because of the use of multiple angled images, 3D mammography may help detect cancers earlier than conventional 2D mammography and is especially effective with women with dense breast tissue. It also can help reduce anxiety from false alarms while also delivering a minimal amount of radiation.
Mammography Technicians Jennifer Dugan and Suzanne Quick, well-known to area women, will be managing the program and look forward to continuing to serve women throughout the area.
“We chose to become a part of CHC/SEK because we love their mission and the opportunity to continue serving patients in the community that we have grown to love, as well as reaching out to a whole new group of women,” said Jennifer Dugan.
“It was their obvious commitment to helping women that convinced us that we should continue this service,” said Postai, who described her first meeting with the two technicians as inspirational. “I have never met anyone more dedicated,” she said. “They were far more concerned about their patients than themselves after learning of the hospital’s closure.”
Despite CHC/SEK’s lack of experience with mammography, Postai was confident the two women would make it work. “We’ve all spent the last two months learning the legal, technical and practical aspects of offering this service,” she explained. “Our staff worked closely with the organizations that approve mammography and despite all the hurdles were able to get all approvals within a week of transitioning the equipment to CHC/SEK ownership.”
Finding qualified radiologists to read the mammograms was also a challenge since this equipment is usually located in a hospital or a physician-owned service.
“Fortunately, Alliance Radiology based in Kansas City had originally provided this service to Mercy Fort Scott when it was started and were willing to reconnect,” said Postai. The technicians were very familiar with Alliance and had confidence they would meet local needs.
“This was definitely a team effort and it would not have been possible otherwise,” said Postai adding that the community – and CHC/SEK – owe a thank you to Jennifer and Suzanne for putting their patients first.
On February 6, Connie Jackson, a local resident and former Mercy employee, became the first person to have her mammogram at CHC/SEK. “I was scheduled for a six month follow up after having been diagnosed originally with breast cancer in January 2016. The technicians were so caring and considerate and put me at ease,” she said, urging other women to schedule this live-saving test.
In order to schedule a mammogram, it is not necessary to have a local physician. Women may call 620-223-8040 to make an appointment and test results will be sent to the physician of their choosing. Mammograms can be scheduled between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with expanded hours on Wednesdays to 5:30 p.m. to accommodate work schedules. Additional benefits offered through CHC/SEK include the ability to offer mammography at a lower cost with increased access.
Like Mercy, CHC/SEK is a participant in the Kansas Early Detection Works program with free mammograms available to women between the ages of 45 and 64years who do not have health insurance and otherwise qualify.More information about the program can be found on the Kansas Department of Health website www.kdheks.gov/edw.
CHC/SEK also offers financial assistance and accepts all patients regardless of their ability to pay along with commercial insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. For additional information on CHC/SEK’s financial assistance program go to their website at www.chcsek.org or call 620-231-9873.
ABOUT CHC/SEK:
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is a Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing quality health care to everyone regardless of income or insurance status.CHC/SEK is a patient-owned and operated organization serving more than 50,000 children and adults annually.CHC/SEK employs more than 400 professionals and support staff at 15 clinic sites in Bourbon, Crawford, Cherokee, Labette, Linn, Montgomery, and Allen counties and is governed by a 13- member Board of Directors which includes patients and community representatives.
###
FOR QUESTIONS CONTACT: Carla Farmer, senior marketing advisor, 620-224-6500
Community Bingo at Country Place Senior Living – 820 S. Horton St., 2pm-4pm
Residents and the public are invited the 3rd Tuesday of each month for Community Bingo at Country Place Senior Living, 820 S. Horton St.
19
Zumba Classes at FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center, 2108 S. Horton
Zumba classes are held every Tuesday & Thursday night from 5-6:15pm. $3 per class
Contact Kassie Fugate-Cate: 620-223-2700 for more info
19
City Commission Meeting – City Hall, 123 S. Main St., 6-7pm
20
Rotary Meeting – Presbyterian Church, 308 S. Crawford St., 12-1pm
20
Adult Coloring Program – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 2-4pm
Join us in the library events room for a relaxing afternoon of coloring and conversation. Library provides coloring pages, pens and pencils, and snacks. Bring your own beverage of choice (no alcohol, please)
20
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas – Clinic Benefits & Services Explained at Presbyterian Village – 2401 S. Horton St., 3:30pm
President and CEO of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Krista Postai, will be at the Presbyterian Village, located at 2401 S. Horton, Fort Scott, KS to present information about what CHC can do for the Presbyterian Village seniors, staff, family members, volunteers and the Fort Scott community, as a whole
(See flyer below)
20
TAG (Teen Advisory Group) – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 4-5pm
Exclusively for middle and high school students. We have meetings weekly, including a games & snack night, a community service project, a book club meeting, and a craft night each month
Make a difference in your community while having fun at TAG! Each meeting includes food, drinks, and a good time with your fellow teens. Bring your friends!
21
Join us for the weekly Chamber Coffee of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 8am. This week’s Chamber Coffee will be hosted by Fort Scott Lofts
Zumba Classes at FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center, 2108 S. Horton
Zumba classes are held every Tuesday & Thursday night from 5-6:15pm. $3 per class
Contact Kassie Fugate-Cate: 620-223-2700 for more info
21
Thursday Card Players – Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Ave., 6-9pm. Free weekly event to anyone that wants to play cards, drink coffee, eat snacks, and socialize
21
Hedgehog.INK presents February Author of the Month Gerri Hilger, 16 S. Main St., 6pm
Meet & greet author Geri Hilger, former Fort Scott teacher and resident. Gerri’s book, “Our Duty” recalls Kansas WWII nurses and airmen. It is available for purchase in the store
There will be an author talk, Q&A, and booksigning. Light refreshments served (See flyer below)
22-23
Weekly Livestock Sale at Fort Scott Livestock Market. Starting at 10am on both Fridays & Saturdays
Fridays: Cows, Pairs, Big Bulls
Saturdays: Stocker & Feeder Cattle, followed by any cows & bulls that come in late Friday & Saturday. Cafe open both sale days. You don’t have to be a buyer, just to come watch the sale and visit the cafe!
22
4th Annual Prairie Troubadour – Liberty Theatre, 113 S. Main St., Friday: 7-10pm; Saturday: 8:30am-8:30pm
The Prairie Troubadour is a group of friends inspired by stalwarts of the Faith to live and share the Joy of Christ. This year’s topic: REASON FOR FAITH – Reflections on Particles and Paraclete. Join Dale Ahlquist, David Whalen, Stacy Trasancos, Kevin O’Brien and William Fahey to discuss the good life
Hedgehog.INK presents their February Featured Artist, weaver Barbara Ritter, 16 S. Main St., 3pm
Barbara’s artwork is on display at Hedgehog.INK during the month of February. She will give a presentation about her artwork and the techniques she uses (See flyer below)
26-27
Story Time – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 10-11am
26
Kiwanis Pancake Feed at Buck Run Community Center – 735 Scott Ave., 11am-6:30pm
T.O.P.S Meeting – Buck Run Community Center,
3-4pm
26
Zumba Classes at FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center, 2108 S. Horton
Zumba classes are held every Tuesday & Thursday night from 5-6:15pm. $3 per class
Contact Kassie Fugate-Cate: 620-223-2700 for more info
27
Breakfast Bingo at BRCC – 735 Scott Ave., 9-10am
Come drink some coffee and play some bingo at Buck Run. Staff will provide the bingo cards, the caller, and coffee. Prizes provided by the Fort Scott Recreation Commission
Call Buck Run at 620-223-0386 for more info
27
Rotary Meeting – Presbyterian Church, 308 S. Crawford St., 12-1pm
27
Adult Coloring Program – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 2-4pm
Join us in the library events room for a relaxing afternoon of coloring and conversation. Library provides coloring pages, pens and pencils, and snacks. Bring your own beverage of choice (no alcohol, please)
27
TAG (Teen Advisory Group) – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 4-5pm
Exclusively for middle and high school students. We have meetings weekly, including a games & snack night, a community service project, a book club meeting, and a craft night each month
Make a difference in your community while having fun at TAG! Each meeting includes food, drinks, and a good time with your fellow teens. Bring your friends!
28
Join us for the weekly Chamber Coffee of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 8am. This week’s Chamber Coffee will be hosted by Adventures in Mission (at Hole In The Wall Liquor)
Zumba Classes at FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center, 2108 S. Horton
Zumba classes are held every Tuesday & Thursday night from 5-6:15pm. $3 per class
Contact Kassie Fugate-Cate: 620-223-2700 for more info
28
Thursday Card Players – Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Ave., 6-9pm. Free weekly event to anyone that wants to play cards, drink coffee, eat snacks, and socialize
Save the Date:
– March 6 – Google Livestream: Give Your Website a Refresh
– March 7 – 4th Annual KANSASWORKS Statewide Job Fair
Click here for full events listing on our website.
Patrick and Kristi Whalen have started a new coffee bean roasting business: Ad Astra Roasters.
Patrick Whalen and his wife, Kristi, and moved to Fort Scott in 2017. Patrick Whalen helped found and serves as the headmaster for St. Martin’s Academy, a new boy’s Catholic boarding school.
An interest in good tasting coffee turned into a coffee roasting business for the couple, called Ad Astra Roasters.
“As far as I can tell we are the only roasters in Fort Scott,” Whalen said. “We just obtained our license from the state and are excited to be doing business with a couple local coffee shops, Common Ground in Fort Scott and Root in Pittsburg.”
“I had served on active duty as a Marine for about a decade and both my wife Kristi, and I had done a lot of traveling where we developed a taste for geographically specific coffees and an interest in coffee cultures from around the world,” Whalen said.
“As a result of how hard it is to find excellent coffee, I have been roasting coffee for my own family for several years,” Whalen said.
“When we moved to Fort Scott and decided to settle down, we thought we’d share our beans with friends and colleagues etc.,” he said. ” We received great feedback and in 2018 thought we’d try to sell a little bit on the side.”
“We worked with some close friends to build bigger roasters and with the support of the Boiler Room Brewhaus (another local business) and the Common Ground Coffee Shop, were soon selling directly to folks in the community.”
Currently, Ad Astra Roasters is based out of the Whalen home on Main Street in Fort Scott.
“We have turned a section of our basement into the roastery and have our food processing and wholesale license,” he said.
Their beans are from a variety of different bean importing companies around the country who have a reputation for ethical sourcing and business practices, he said.
“Many of our offerings are organic and fair trade certified, and frequently we can tell you the name of the specific farm or cooperative from which the beans come,” Whalen said. “Most of the coffee we roast is what’s called a single origin, meaning that it is not a blend from all over the world, but represents the specific geography and climate of where it was farmed.”
The Whalens currently sell bags of coffee at Common Ground, The Boiler Room Brewhaus, and at Root Coffeehouse in Pittsburg or online through their website www.adastraroasters.com.
“Both Root and Common Ground serve our coffee by the cup, and we’re always happy to provide data on the coffee and brewing tips to make it the best possible cup of joe,” he said.
The Whalen’s can be contacted at 949-331-5506 or at [email protected].
Christopher Petty, M.S. Extension Agent Livestock Production and Forage Management, K-State Research and Extension Southwind Extension District, 210 S. National Fort Scott, KS 66701 (620) 223-3720 Work (620)224-6031 Cell [email protected]
During late winter, many cow herds begin the calving season. This is also the time that our feed resources may begin to become limited. Additionally, in southeast Kansas, we get the occasional severe winter storm. As our farmers and ranchers know, this winter has been particularly cold, muddy and icy. Do we really know if our hay and other feeds can accurately meet the nutritional needs of our cattle?
The best way to be sure that your hay and other feeds are adequate is to send a sample to a lab for testing. Your local extension office is a great place to go for help in this process. Your Southwind Extension District Offices can loan you a hay probe for use in testing hay bales. We can also help with sending samples to the lab and with explaining the lab results, once returned to you.
Just before a winter storm approaches and throughout severe weather, cattle should have the opportunity to eat your better quality feeds. This increase in nutrition will help them persist until the weather improves. After the bad weather passes, you can return to feeding your regular feeds. Testing is the best way to know which feeds are of higher quality.
Additionally, better quality feeds can be used for heifers. Generally speaking, young growing heifers need a higher plain of nutrition for growth and development. Older dry or open cows can be fed your average quality feeds.
For more information call me, Christopher Petty, at 620-223-3720, that’s 620-223-3720
