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Introduction To The Candidates: Lynne Oharah
This is part of a series of responses from candidates for the Nov. 6, 2018 election.
County Commission District #1 (vote for one)
Clinton L. Walker 1999 105th St. Mapleton 66754 Democratic
Lynne D. Oharah 2120 95th St. Uniontown 66779 Republican
Here are the responses from incumbent Lynne Oharah:
Name: Lynne Oharah
Age: 71
Candidate for the position of County Commissioner District 1
Place of residence: 2120 95th St. Uniontown, Ks.
Current occupation: Semi-retired, Current County Commissioner District 1
Community involvement: USA Navy Veteran, Past Kansas State Representative. Former USD235 School Board Member for 10 years. Current member of the Uniontown Ruritan club. Member of the Southeast Kansas Planning Committee.
Party affiliation: Republican
What is the biggest issue, if elected, and how do you plan to address it?
Growing the economy and reducing taxes. We have held the line on raising the mill levy and raising the mill levy in the future is not an option. We must make every effort to reduce taxes through economic growth which will increase our population and provide new avenues for growth and continue providing services needed and wanted by the public.
The programs that have been started are the Bourbon County Neighborhood Revitalization Program which is already starting to show results, the continuation of the partnership with CrawKan Telephone Company to provide broadband access to the highspeed internet, plans to promote a Data Center (server farm) in the old jail facility.
We must work with all business, existing and new, agriculture and not-agriculture, to promote growth.
Another extremely important issue to be addressed is dealing with the loss of Mercy Hospital. We must work together, county, cities, and communities, to address how we provide quality medical services to the population of Bourbon County.
I would be very involved in this process and be part of a team to that will work to ensure we do have the medical services we need.
Obituary of John William Owen
John William Owen, age 49, a resident of Bronson, Kansas, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at his home.
He was born October 17, 1968, in Kansas City, Kansas. He had made his home in Carrollton, Missouri for several years prior to moving to Bronson in 2017. While in Carrollton, he had worked as a welder for Cox Manufacturing.
Survivors include his wife, Sharon, of the home; and seven children, Shannon Dillon, Donald Taylor, Kelly Wright, and Daniel Wheeler, all of Carrollton, Sherry Tribble and Michael Owen, both of Bronson and Donna Owen, of Oregon, Missouri; twenty-seven grandchildren with one more on the way and seven great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers, Chad and Mark Owen and three sisters, Gayle Bryant, April Wilson and Heather Anderson.
There was cremation and a private family memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements were under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas.
KANSASWORKS App Available Today
TOPEKA – To better assist job seekers with finding great employment in Kansas, the Kansas Department of Commerce and KANSASWORKS are pleased to introduce the new KANSASWORKS app, available today on both Apple and Android devices.
This free app was designed to make it easier for Kansans to find work in the state. Once installed, the app will be able to find jobs through keyword and title searches or by zip code.
“Our agency is working hard to bring new business to the state and help companies that already call Kansas home to grow and become great successes,” said Robert North, Interim Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce. “To grow a business anywhere, you need a pipeline of qualified employees to fill open positions. If we can make finding and hiring great workers easier, and at the same time help Kansans find rewarding employment, then this app will be a be a huge benefit to the state.”
Features of the app include:
- Simple job search in Kansas
- Search by job title, location and radius you’re willing to commute
- View jobs that suite your goals
- Connect with employers via KANSASWORKS.com, save jobs and share with friends
- Bookmark your favorite jobs for follow up
- Find a local KANSASWORK Workforce Center
“KANSASWORKS has been busy leveraging technology to assist employers and job seekers in our state, and this app is the latest effort to make it easier to help make matches between the needs of our employers with job seekers on the market,” said Mike Beene, Director of Employment Services at the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Troop Banners order deadline approaching
Troop Banners will be on sale at the Regional Tourism Center, 231 E. Wall Street, through Monday, October 15th.
These high-quality, vinyl banners are 60” tall and 30” wide and will feature a picture of your veteran.
These banners will hang in downtown Fort Scott during the Veterans Day Celebration in November.
Banners are $200 each and a small portion of each sale will be used for the Veterans Day Celebration.
Bring a high-quality photo of your veteran, the larger the better, to be scanned.
Photos will not be kept but returned immediately on scanning.
Banner examples can be found on Facebook, just search for Visit Fort Scott KS.
For more information contact the Fort Scott Convention & Visitors Bureau at 620.670.2750 or online at visitfortscott.com.
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Gordon Parks Celebration Photo Contest Winners
2018 Gordon Parks Celebration
Photo Contest Winners Named
FORT SCOTT — Winners of the Gordon Parks Celebration “I Am Inspired By…” photo contest have been chosen. Thirty-four entries were received and the winner of First Place was Kole Wagner (Fort Scott) with his photo titled “First Love.” Second Place was Jennifer Yoder (Louisburg, KS) with her photo “Big Dreams.” Third Place was Kole Wagner with his photo, “Freedom Post.”
There were 5 Honorable Mentions named: “Ice Cream” by Miriam Mix (Fort Scott); “Puddle at Daylight” by Boguslaw Lowczyk (Roselle, Illinois); “Love Has No Labels” by Amanda Bourbina (Pittsburg, KS); “Everything is Beautiful on the Farm” by Stephen Robinson (Redfield, KS); and “Traversal” by Zoe McClure (Uniontown, KS).
First, Second and Third place winners received cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50 respectively and all finalists received a set of prints of Gordon Parks photos.
The contest was open to any non-professional photographer and was inspired by a quote by Parks: “Driven by an insatiable hunger, I still search for those things that inspire me—beautiful imagery, music, and literature.”
“We received good entries and the judges had a very difficult time making their choices,” said museum director Jill Warford. Judges for the competition were Merl Humphrey, Kassie Fugate-Cate, and Tammy Helm.
The photo exhibit is on display in the Lunt Lobby of the Ellis Fine Arts Center through October 15th. The building is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
FSCC Rodeo Team takes on the FSCC Alumni
The Fort Scott Community College Rodeo Team will host the annual Dan VandeWynkel Alumni Rodeo starting with Slack at 2 pm and then kicking off the rodeo at 7:30 pm Saturday, October 20th at Arnold Arena. During the rodeo, students will compete alongside FSCC alumni. Events will include bareback riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, bull riding, calf roping, goat tying, saddle bronco riding, steer wrestling, and team roping. Participants can register by phone on Oct. 15th from 12 pm to 7 pm, registration is $25 per event.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for FSCC students, $2 for children, and $20 for families (two adults plus children). The team will also host an athlete auction at 5:30 pm, where community members can bid on a few hours of labor from rodeo athletes. There will also be a silent auction throughout the day! All money raised will benefit rodeo student scholarships. For information, please call Chad Cross, FSCC Head Rodeo Coach, or Jaice Cross, FSCC Assistant Rodeo Coach, at 620-223-2700, ext. 7020.
Peer Support For Families With Special Needs Children
Supporting You launches, families who can offer support and guidance asked to volunteer
TOPEKA – Families of children with special needs benefit from the care and support that can only be offered by others who have shared their experience. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Special Health Services Family Advisory Council (SHS-FAC) announce a new peer-support initiative in Kansas that will enable individuals and families who have similar experiences to communicate and gain support from one another, by sharing ideas, resources and strategies to meet the needs of their children.
“The program offers participants the opportunity to express their grief, concerns, and questions, without feeling judged,” said Heather Smith, KDHE Special Health Services Director. “We know that peer support is one of the strongest measures of individual/family support.”
Implementation of the network will occur in three phases, Support Peer Recruitment, Support Peer Training, and Peer Matching. We are actively recruiting Support Peers—those who have navigated various service systems, have experience with advocating for a loved one or themselves and have learned lessons that can be shared with others. It does not take specialized training, specific experience with services or systems, or any kind of degree to be a Support Peer. It simply takes a caring individual who has a desire to help others and shares experiences with caring for a child with special health care needs.
In the next phase, Support Peers will provide training on confidentiality, communication, active listening and helping families who are dealing with loss, grief or fear. Training will take place in-person and online through November and December. The final phase, Peer Matching, will take place in early 2019, and begin matching those looking for supports with the trained Support Peers recruited.
Two existing programs are part of the initial launch, the Kansas Special Health Care Needs program and the Kansas School for the Deaf, to connect families of children served through these programs with peer supports.
Supporting You will be administered by KDHE’s Special Health Services Section, within the Bureau of Family Health. The network has been developed by the SHS-FAC, which will provide oversight to monitor consistent practices and fidelity among partnering organizations, ultimately ensuring that participating programs are meeting the needs of the families served through the network.
More information can be found on the Supporting You website at www.supportingyoukansas.org or by contacting Heather Smith, Special Health Services Director, at 785-296-4747 or [email protected].
Obituary of Richard Alan Smith
Richard Alan Smith, age 67, a resident of Redfield, Kansas, passed away Saturday, October 6, 2018, at his home in Redfield.
With his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, he has joined his beloved parents in paradise.
Richard was born July 18, 1951, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of Glenn McKinnis Smith and Ethel Berry Smith. He graduated from the Uniontown High School with the Class of 1969.
He later served with the United States Army. During his military service, he married Nola Pitts on March 27, 1971, at the United Methodist Church in Uniontown.
In earlier years, he had worked as a diesel mechanic for B & D Motors and then Burlington Motor Carrier. Later, he was employed by Bourbon County where he served as supervisor of the county rock quarry and later the count asphalt plant. Richard had served on the Redfield City Council, the volunteer fire department and the Redfield Ruritan. He enjoyed spending time outdoors gardening, hunting, and fishing. He also enjoyed times spent with family and friends and especially enjoyed the Fourth of July fireworks. He was a member of the Uniontown United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Nola, of the home; a son, Chris Smith (Darla) of Wamego, Kansas; a daughter, Kimberly Smith (Allen Beerbower) of Redfield, Kansas and two grandchildren, Glenn Arron Smith of Wamego and Hailey Beerbower of Redfield. Also surviving are a brother, Charles Smith (Peggy), of Middletown, New Jersey, and a sister, Glenda Miller (Bob) of Hiattville, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn, and Ethel Smith.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, October 11th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Uniontown Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 P.M. Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to Care to Share and may be left in the 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 Joe Dean Marlow
Joe Dean Marlow, age 68, a resident of Iola, KS, died Thursday, October 4, 2018, at the Olathe Medical Center, Olathe, KS.
He was born January 9, 1950, in Gas, KS, the son of Clinton Dean Marlow and Nadja Allen Marlow.
Joe was an outstanding athlete in school, playing football, basketball and baseball. He graduated from Crest High School with the class of 1968.
He served in Vietnam with the U. S. Army from 1969 to 1970.
He married Josephine Alcantar on March 12, 1971, in Iola.
Joe worked as a truck driver for Berg in Iola then later for Midland. When they closed, he drove for Valu Merchandisers in Ft. Scott, KS. To his credit, Joe drove over four million miles without an accident.
He enjoyed reading Stephen King novels, watching TV, listening to music, and traveling with his wife. He was an avid New England Patriots and Boston Celtics fan through the years.
Joe loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife Josephine of the home; a son, Jeff Marlow and significant other Lisa Jensen, Tampa, FL; a daughter, Jenni Ashworth and significant other Bryan Johnson, Iola, KS; four brothers, Richard Marlow and wife Nancy, Olathe, KS, William Marlow, Uniontown, KS, Dana Marlow and wife Janet, Parsons, KS, and Kyle Knight and wife Shayla, Uniontown, KS; a sister, Cheryl Marlow, Iola, KS; Step-siblings Donna and Henry Ross, Moran, KS, Wendy and Shea Thompson, Bayard, KS, Linda Korte, LaHarpe, KS, Raymond and Judi Knight, Zionsville, IN, Tim and Monica Knight, Oroville, WA, and Paul and Connie Knight, Mildred, KS; five grandchildren, Jessika Marlow, Ellen Huddleston, Danni Rains, Jeffrey Ashworth, and Jessa Ashworth; one great grandson, Dimitri Cruz; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a step-brother, Carl Wayne Knight; an infant niece, Angel Dawn Marlow; and his parents.
There was cremation. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Power Outage Causes Loss of Some Perishables at Walmart
Customers faced some empty shelves when shopping at Walmart on Sunday, Oct. 7.
“We had a power outage yesterday,” Kayla, a manager at the store said. “We lost dairy products and meat products.”
“We are restocking the shelves, ” she said.
The power outage was confined to the Walmart Store, 2500 S. Main, said Gina Penzig, Westar Media Communication Manager.
“It lasted about six hours,” she said. “It was most likely caused by a lightning strike.”
Veterans Day Parade Entries are now being accepted.
The 1st Annual Veterans Day Parade will be held on Saturday, November 10, beginning at 5:00 pm through downtown Fort Scott.
Entries for the parade are now being accepted at the Fort Scott Regional Tourism Center at 231 E. Wall Street in Fort Scott.
Parade entries should honor our veterans, showcase patriotism, and celebrate Veterans Day.
Entries are being accepted for floats, marching bands, foot units, antique or classic cars, horse units, or anything fitting for a Veterans Day Celebration.
Volunteers are also being sought to provide trucks and trailers for older veterans to ride.
Grand Marshalls will be the oldest male and female veteran living in Bourbon County.
The parade route will follow the normal parade route through Fort Scott, beginning on Main Street at 6th, traveling north to Wall, east on Wall Street to National, and south on National to 6th.
The parade staging area will be at Fort Scott High School.
For more information, or to volunteer, contact the Fort Scott Convention & Visitors Bureau at 620.670.2750 or online at visitfortscott.com.
Contact: Larry Gazaway
Phone: (620) 670.2750
Email:[email protected]
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