New Farm and Ranch Supply Store Is Open In Bourbon County

April 4, 2025 Loretta George 1 Comment

A new ranch and farm supply store opened on April 1, two miles south on Hwy.69 at 2187 Hackberry Road.

Producers Cooperative Association, of Girard, is the owner of the store.

Inside the new PCA Store on Hackberry Road, just south of Fort Scott, off of Hwy. 69. Submitted photo.

“All of your farm and ranch retail supplies, along with livestock feed, vaccines, pet food, fencing supplies, livestock equipment, and more,” will be offered at the store,” said Manager Kaylee Johnson.

Submitted photos of the Producers Cooperative Association’s new store in Bourbon County.

“There was a soft store opening on April 1^st with a Grand Opening to follow on May 8th,” she said.

Left to right: Brock Howser and Will Wunderly, two of the employees at the PCA Store in Bourbon County. Submitted photo.

The Location Supervisor is Will Wunderly, with three other employees.

In August 2024, the Producers Cooperative Association leadership began the process of expanding into Bourbon County, Wunderly said.

He said that the building was previously a tractor dealership.

Why a store in rural Bourbon County?

“With our main office being located just to the south, in Girard Kansas, we chose to expand with our growth into Bourbon County,” Johnson said. ” We have multiple customers in Bourbon County and saw it as an opportunity to expand our services for our customers.”

For more information: 1-800-442-2809 (option 8 for Fort Scott) or

https://www.facebook.com/pcacoop

The PCA Store as seen from Hwy. 69, south of Fort Scott. Submitted photo.

Opinion

God’s Nudges by Patty LaRoche

April 4, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Stories of Christians who witness on airplanes to fellow passengers confirm that my objective while flying—to read or snooze—is selfish. Maybe it’s navigating the traffic to get to the airline two hours before the flight departs or figuring out how to apply the sticky computerized luggage tags or watching the luggage scale inch up towards the 50-pound limit or navigating the terminal before entering the TSA maze, for starters.

Then here’s the actual TSA line. Heaven, help me. Does this airport want me to remove my computer and Kindle from my 80-pound backpack? Did I accidentally leave a four-ounce—instead of the maximum-size, three-ounce—hand lotion in one of the zippered bags? Can I place my shoes and purse inside the same carton as my boarding pass and belt? Do I have a stick of gum in my pant pocket, causing me to be frisked as I exit the Xray? Can I hold my arms above my head for the x-ray to do its magic? Is the agent laughing at my flabby triceps as I do?

By the time I navigate the airport and find my gate, I need a nap. But I’m not finished. Now there’s the humiliation of boarding in Group 9 because I chose the cheapest flight possible. Everyone and their service animal get on ahead of me, so I feel everyone’s stares as I head for Row 35, Seat B…you know, in the back, in the middle of two strangers and directly in front of the restrooms. You get my point.

So, I apologize to God in advance for not looking at my seatmates as potential Jesus-followers and instead want only to read or sleep. This past flight was no different. Leaving Las Vegas and heading to Kansas City, I had one stop in Dallas where, yes indeedy, I was in the back row. The young woman in the window seat seemed uninterested in conversation. Perfect.

And it would have been, had the Lord not nudged me multiple times to strike up a conversation, much against my selfish desire to be alone. I gave in. “Are you from the K.C. area?” I asked. She was. Lee Summit. Case closed, I told myself. God had a different idea. To Him, it was more like, “Case Open.”

“What brought you to Dallas?” I continued. I asked her about her job and family, at which point she became more conversant. When she asked why I was flying into KC, I told her that I was heading to Iowa to speak to a church on the evils of sex trafficking. Her eyes lit up…and then she shared her story.

Two weeks before, her 13-year-old daughter was talking on the phone when her mom overheard her say, “I’m not comfortable sharing that.” When questioned, the young teen said that she was talking to a boy from her middle school. The mother (“Beth”) said that she didn’t believe her daughter. After some time, the daughter told her the truth: it was a stranger she had met online and had been talking to for several weeks.

The more Beth shared, the more I recognized that that man fit the profile of a pedophile/trafficker at work. Beth listened, alarmed, as I told her how they operate, the very thing I would be talking about in Iowa. I asked the widowed mother if she and her daughter attended church. They had…and loved it…but stopped going. I recommended that they start again and find a church with a great youth program. She assured me that they will. We exchanged contact information as we exited the plane.

As usual, I learned something I pray I never forget: When God nudges, His purposes are far greater than my selfish desires. Isaiah 55:10-11 makes that clear. Just as God sends rain to grow our crops for food, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

In this case, God’s words, His desire, might have saved a life.

Bourbon County Sheriff's Office

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports April 4

April 4, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

4-4-25 A

4-4-25 R

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

What’s Happening in Fort Scott April 4 Edition

April 4, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

What’s Happening in Fort Scott! April 3rd Weekly Newsletter

SAVE THE DATE!

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Coffees

Every Thursday at 8am

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

________________

Fort Scott National Historic Site

Visit your National Park! Visitor Center and historic buildings are currently 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

** Guided tours Saturday & Sunday 10am & 1pm! **

Click HERE to visit the website.

Click here to see all the FUN classes at The Artificers, classes for ALL ages!

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. (Taking the month of August off for BINGO & will start again in September)

KANSASWORKS in Fort Scott

Every Tuesday 9am-4pm

Office located at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, 104 N. National Ave.

620-231-4250

Wednesday Writers at FS Public Library

Every Wednesday 1:30-3pm

201 S. National Ave.

Kansas Small Business Development Center

at the Chamber, 231 E. Wall St.

Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 9am-4pm.

EVERY THURSDAY EVENING

STUDENT NIGHT AT FORT CINEMA

$5 tickets for all students Pre-K thru College

KOMB-FM ALL HIT 103.9 Radio Auction

Every Wednesday and Thursday

January 22nd – thru mid-April!

Starting at 3pm

Get bidding and PIN #:

620-223-4500 or radioauction.kombfm.com

Dolly Trolley Historic 50-min narrated tours!

Adults $6 | Children 12&under $4

Call 620-223-3566 or stop in the Chamber at

231 E. Wall St. to book your ride!

__________________________________

FSHS Football Booster “Egg My Yard” Fundraiser

24 EGGS $35

36 EGGS $50

48 EGGS $60

Yards will be “egged” Saturday, April 19th after dark

Bourbon County only!

Click HERE to register by April 17th!

Payment must be made before delivery

Pay via Misty @ Citizen’s Bank -or-

Brian at The Butcher Block.

Venmo also accepted @ rebecca-williams38

UPCOMING EVENTS

4/4 ~ 7-10pm | First Friday Event by City of Fort Scott

Memorial Hall

Food & Adult Beverages available for purchase

Music by Nathan Ast and Ty Ellis & the Flatliners

4/4 ~ 5pm-7pm | Lenten Friday Fish Fry by the

Knights Of Columbus

(Every Friday from March 7th-April 11th)

Kennedy Gym, 705 S. Holbrook

Freewill Offering | To-Go Meals $9

4/4 ~ 5pm | Poetry On the Bricks

at the Green Lantern 110 S. Main St.

Literary poetry and music!

Dessert and Drink available for purchase

Dinner RSVP only

4/4 ~ 6pm | Boardwalk BBq 2025 by the Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation

Location: 1500 W. 7th St.

Chanute, KS 66720

4/4 ~ 6-9pm | First Fridays at The Artificers

Cheryl Volz Artist Opening Artist Reception Show

Live Folk music from Max Dubois

Click HERE to sign up for classes!

4/5-6 ~ | 4 Spurs Rodeo

2102 Huntington Blvd. Fort Scott, KS

4/5 ~ | Kansas Rockers Newbie Women Wheelers Basic Skills Course

2051 130th St. Mapleton, KS

4/5 ~ 9am-3pm | Home, Sport, Farm, & Garden Show by KOMB 103.9 FM and 98.3 FM.

Vendor Booths, Food Trucks, Live

Remote Broadcast & More!

Located at the FSCC Arnold Arena, 2108 S. Horton St.

Contact the Radio Station if interested in a booth.

620-223-4501 or [email protected]

Click HERE for vendor app!

4/5 ~ 10am-3:30pm | Cheryl Volz, Western Artist at The Artificers for Alcohol Ink Class!

10am-12:30pm & 1-3pm

$85 per person

spots limited / materials included!

Click HERE to sign up!

4/5 ~ 7pm | FSHS Prom

The River Room 3 W. Oak St.

4/5 ~ 9am-10am | Little Chefs Class at The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative.

$20

Perfect for ages 4-6

Making Spring Rice Krispy Nests

Click HERE to sign up!

4/9 ~ 11:45am-1pm | Community Connection Panelist Luncheon

Empress Event Center

7-minute updates from:

City of Fort Scott

Bourbon. Co. Commission

FSCC,

USD 234

USD 235

FREE – but registration is requested.

Papa Don’s sandwich box lunches

available for pre-order $10

Click HERE to register by 4/7 at 10am!

4/9 ~ 5:30-6:30pm Golf Lessons for Par-Tee Girls Golf League (each lesson is a different golf skill)

Everyone Welcome – All skill levels

$20/person/lesson

Contact Diane Striler if interested

248-568-7790 or [email protected]

4/9 ~ 8am SEK District FFA

Livestock Judging Contest

Bourbon Co. Fairgrounds

4/10 ~ 8am | Chamber Coffee hosted The Fort Scott Public Library

201 S. National Ave.

4/10 ~ 9am-4pm | KS Small

Business Developmental Center

A Rep from the PSU location is on site at the Fort Scott Chamber every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month.

Also available virtually M-F 9am-4pm

For in person meeting in Fort Scott click HERE

For Zoom meeting just indicate in the notes that you want it to be Zoom.

4/10 ~ 5:30pm-7:30pm | “Twinkle, Tinsel, & Tulips”

A mom & ME Spring Open house

by Better in Bourbon

Click HERE for the Facebook Event page & more details!

4/11th-12th ~ | SEK Spring Classic Livestock Show

at the Bourbon Co. Fairgrounds

Click HERE for the Facebook Event page & more details!

4/11-12th ~ | 5th Annual SEK Spring Classic Livestock Show

at the Bourbon Co. Fairgrounds

Click HERE for the Facebook Event page & more details!

4/11 ~ 8am-3:30pm | Preschool Round-Up

at FS Preschool Center, 409 S. Judson St.

4/11 ~ 8am-5pm | Craft Fair

by First Southern Baptist Church

21 Vendors plus the local church vendor tables!

Church sponsored meals

*Sausage Rolls $3/ea or $33 for 12

*Homemade Chiken Noodle Dinner $10

*Pulled Pork Sandwich $10

Dine-in, Carry-out, or call for Delivery

(Fri & Sat 10:30am-5pm)

4/11 ~ 11am-5:30pm | Pavie Tucker

Chicken & Noodles Fundraiser

The Elks Lodge, 111 W. 19th St

$10/meal

Carry-out

Delivery Contact (Linda) 620-215-2036

Members & Guests (Jolynne) 620-224-9330

4/11 ~ 5pm-7pm | Lenten Friday Fish Fry by the

Knights Of Columbus

(Every Friday from March 7th-April 11th)

Kennedy Gym, 705 S. Holbrook

Freewill Offering | To-Go Meals $9

4/11 ~ 7-9pm | FSMS Twirp Dance

Obituary of Marilyn Baldonado

April 3, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Marilyn Arleta (Haarberg) Baldonado was born on January 23, 1943 to William H. “Bill” Haarberg and Agnes G. “Peggy” (Walling) Haarberg in Chase County, Nebraska. She died on March 25, 2025, in Crystal City, MO at Crystal Oaks Long Term Care after a long battle with Parkinson’s.

Marilyn grew up south of Wauneta, NE on the family farm and graduated from Wauneta High School. She attended college at Kearney College (University of Nebraska – Kearney) for two years before marrying Paul Baldonado in June of 1963 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wauneta. They were married for fifty-seven years.

Marilyn spent many years as an executive assistant for Farmland Industries and concluded her working career managing the shower door manufacturing division of Ennis Glass in Fort Scott, KS. Marilyn was active in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod throughout her life and was a long-time member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Scott, KS.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband Tranquilino “Paul” Baldonado, her parents Bill and Peggy Haarberg, her brother Eugene “Gene” Haarberg, and her sister Connie Kuecker.

She is survived by her brother Lorris Haarberg and wife Ruth of Arapahoe, NE, daughter Kyla Scarborough, son Paul “Ryan” Baldonado, and son Eric Baldonado and wife Darcy of Festus, MO. She is also survived by her two granddaughters, Anna and Elena Baldonado, who brought her endless joy and provided her with many opportunities for fun, laughter and adventure.

There will be a small private burial at a later date.

Marilyn will be laid to rest with her husband Paul in the U. S. National Cemetery, Fort Scott, Kansas.

Arrangements 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.

Bourbon County, Government

Letters of Interest For Zoning Advisory Board Sought

April 3, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Government, Schools

Community Connection Panelist Luncheon on April 9

April 3, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Join us!

Community Connection Panelist Luncheon

Wednesday, April 9th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Empress Event Center, 7 N. Main St.

Chamber members and the community are invited to hear 7-minute updates by the following entities: City of Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, and the USD-234 and USD-235 School Districts.

The event is free to attend but registration is requested. Box lunches are available by pre-order for $10.

Those planning to attend may RSVP here. (lunch orders being accepted online thru 12pm, Monday the 7th.)

Moderator for the event will be Chamber Board Member Colleen Quick of Labconco.

Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 for more information or visit fortscott.com.

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US

Government, Kansas

Governor Kelly Signs Bipartisan Bills to Increase Government Efficiency

April 3, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly signed on Thursday a collection of bipartisan bills aimed at increasing government efficiency. These seven technical bills eliminate unnecessary requirements, clarify definitions, and streamline processes with the goal of achieving maximum government productivity.

“I am always looking for ways to make our government more efficient for the people of Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I’m pleased to sign bills into law that do just that.”

Governor Kelly signed the following bipartisan bills:

Senate Bill 104: Provides flexibility to the Shawnee County board of county commissioners to create a citizens commission on local government, giving local officials the discretion to create such a commission.

Senate Bill 77: Streamlines processes by removing state agencies that no longer exist from Kansas Administrative Regulations and establishing standards for public notice for the repeal of certain regulations.

Senate Bill 13: Reduces requirements for filings, registrations, and licenses certain businesses and organizations must submit to the secretary of state.

House Bill 2222: Requires ignition interlock device manufacturers to compensate the state for the administration of the ignition interlock program.

House Bill 2221: Transfers the alcohol and drug abuse treatment fund from the Department of Corrections to the Department for Aging and Disability Services, allowing for more efficient administration of the program and easier access to services for Kansans.

House Bill 2215: Modifies the definition of public-private partnership to increase the allowable cost-share for certain Department of Corrections projects, providing the ability for the Career Campus project to move forward.

House Bill 2110: Facilitates the State 911 Board’s transition to a state agency by establishing necessary budget funds and providing flexibility to ensure the agency can provide sufficient grant funding to public safety partners.

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Obituary

Obituary of Conrad “Conard” Wright

April 3, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Conrad “Conard” Calvin Wright, age 82, resident of Fort Scott, KS passed away Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Medicalodge of Fort Scott. He was born April 8, 1942, in Dade County, MO the son of John “Sam” and Perna Jones Wright. Conrad graduated from FSHS with the class of 1960 and then FSCC in 1963.

He worked for Harlan Hardware in Fort Scott until it sold. He then was employed with Mayco Ace Hardware until his retirement. Conrad was a scoutmaster for 35 years. He enjoyed working in the garden and repairing just about anything mechanical. He loved spoiling all the neighborhood kids that knew him.

Survivors include two brothers, Robert Wright (Mary) of Garnett, KS, and John Wright of Sabetha, KS; and a sister Carol Fehr, Fort Scott.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Wanita Morehead, two brothers, Arthur and Marvin Wright, and his parents.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, April 7^th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Memory Gardens Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 AM until service time Monday at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to Boy Scout Troop #114 and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.

Business, Fort Scott, Jobs

Rogers Body Shop Closed Its Doors: Couldn’t Find Workers

April 3, 2025 Loretta George 2 Comments

Larry Rogers said he “always figured that they would be taking me from my shop to the undertakers”, and that he would continue the auto repair shop work he had done for 37 years until he died.

But he couldn’t find workers to do the jobs that needed to be done.

“With what we do, put vehicles back to pre-crash conditions, we have to have people that can follow directions and come to work,” Rogers said. “Getting people to show up was a problem, more for younger applicants.”

“It wasn’t something we planned on doing, it was the turn of events,” he said.

“There should be five workers in the building, it ended up just Ryan and I,” he said.

“We had hired and trained workers, but not for over one year.”

His son, Ryan, has worked with him for 17 years.

“He was going to take over, but decided he’d go to work for someone else and let them have the headaches (of not having enough workers).”

Rogers quit taking on more auto body repair work at the end of October 2024 and had enough work on the books until the end of January 2025.

“I’ve talked to plumbers, mechanics, electricians, and they also couldn’t find anyone willing,” he said. “Things were tough before COVID-19. After COVID-19 we didn’t have many applicants. It used to be you’d have people stopping in to ask if we were hiring.”

“There used to be tech schools to train people on auto body repair…a lot of them have closed down.”

Nationwide

It is a nationwide problem, according to an article from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Workforce participation remains below pre-pandemic levels. The United States is missing 1.7 million Americans from the workforce compared to February 2020, according to https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/understanding-americas-labor-shortage

According to the article

Employers are facing unprecedented challenges trying to find enough workers to fill open jobs. Right now, the latest data shows that there are 8 million job openings in the U.S. but only 6.8 million unemployed workers.

If every unemployed person in the country found a job, we would still have millions of open jobs.

Some of the factors for this, according to the article are:

Early retirements and an aging workforce

Net international migration to the U.S. is at its lowest level in decades

Lack of access to child care.

Some opened their own businesses.

Increase in savings: higher-income and savings bolstered people’s economic stability.

Future for Rogers

“I’m not retired, said Rogers, who is 63. “I still own the Alignment Service, east of this building.”

Ryan went to work for a car dealership in Olathe in March, doing bodywork.

“I am basically trying to get ready for an auction, probably in June,” he said. “Trying to sort out and clean out the building. After 37 years in the business, there is a lot of stuff. The building will be for sale.”

“I don’t know what I’ll do after that,” he said.

Rogers bought the business from Frank Burchett in 1987 on East Wall Street. The building isn’t there now because of the new Highway 54 route. He built the current building at 120 W. 19th and opened his business in July 2003.

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