After being postponed a week because of recent heavy rains, the 4^th Annual Tryakathon at Gunn Park was almost delayed again because of wet conditions on the trails. But the night before the Saturday event, organizer Frank Halsey decided it was safe for the participants and the event continued.

“It’s been hectic,” Halsey said of the planning over the last couple weeks, which forced organizers to keep a close eye on the trail and river conditions.

Participants had to face muddy trails as well as a tree downed in the river, but individual competitors and teams still came out to compete in the event that covered 4 miles of running, 2.5 miles of kayaking and 6.5 miles of bike trails.

Because the event was delayed a week, the event lost some participants as well as gained some, but overall the numbers remained lower than previous years because of the conditions. Halsey said there was still a larger number of competitors than they expected.

Local volunteers such as from Fort Scott Community College also helped put on the event.

Members of the Young Professionals League invested their time and efforts into downtown Fort Scott Tuesday evening by washing windows and sweeping the sidewalks in order to make the vacant storefronts more presentable.

YPL executive board member Jessica Schenkel said she had recently come across records of the YPL doing a similar downtown event in 2008, and decided that would be a good way for the young professionals to get more involved in the community.

“We’re trying to do some more events to get the YPL out into the public eye,” Schenkel said, saying they want to encourage other young professionals to get involved in the organization as well as make sure the rest of the community knows they exist.

The YPL also helps with other community events throughout the year, such as through the high school job fair and a soup kitchen to raise money for the Beacon, this year switching to an enchilada meal for that same goal. On Saturday, a team of YPL members participated in the kickball tournament to help raise money for a new 3D mammogram machine for Mercy Hospital.

The organization’s members also gather for monthly social events as well as hold a meeting the first Friday of each month. This Sunday, members and their families and prospective members are invited to the Fort Wise Pumpkin Patch at 2 p.m. at a discount price.

Throughout the year, YPL members are encouraged to turn in hours of community service they complete in order to keep a record of some of the impact the members have on the city.

During their homecoming event Friday evening, Fort Scott High School crowned the 2016 homecoming king and queen while the football team protected their field against the Coffeyville Golden Tornadoes.

Taylor Engstrom was named the homecoming king while Lauren Hurd was crowned the queen. Other king candidates included Noah Daly, Wyatt DeHaven, Grant Goldston and Mayson Lane. Queen candidates were Alex King, Taylor Krokroskia, Makayla Robertson and Karlee Stanley.

The Fort Scott Tigers then held on for a 35-20 victory over the Golden Tornadoes, scoring 16 points in the third quarter after trailing Coffeyville by one at halftime. A Tigers’ defense that had three interceptions and four sacks held the Tornadoes to just over 200 yards of offense while their own surpassed 400 yards.

The Tigers continue their season with a district game on the road against the Louisburg Wildcats Friday.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday evening, Mercy Hospital offered demonstrations and information to visitors about the new HydroWorx 300 recently added to the hospital’s equipment available to patients and other members of the community.

“Aquatic therapy has been our goal and our target for a lot of years,” said Kirk Sharp of the hospital’s fitness center. “And it’s here.”

Tina Rockhold of public relations at Mercy said it took a long while to reach this point of purchasing the equipment, one of the only ones available in the state outside of those used by professional sports organizations. But with the funds raised in the community, the leadership of board members and the work from the hospital team, the goal became a reality.

Efforts to raise funds for the treadmill began with a golf tournament in June and continued with matching funds and other donation from the community.

The water treadmill provides aquatic therapy for those recovering from injuries as well as those suffering from arthritis and other ailments. It can also serve as an ideal way to exercise because of the added level of resistance in the water.

The treadmill, which cost about $140,000, includes features such as adjustable water depth, heated water, jet-propelled currents, deep-tissue massage hose and underwater video camera. The facilities include a changing room, shower and lockers.

While available first of all to patients and those needing the therapy, the treadmill can also be reserved for $1 a minute by Health for Life members and $1.50 each minute for non-members. Sharp said starting with just five minutes can provide and vigorous workout.

“What an awesome piece of equipment we have,” said Lindsay Madison, executive director of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.

For a second year in a row, the Fort Scott High School debate team took first place in the Pittsburg tournament over the weekend, not debating the final round since their only opponents were their fellow team mates.

“All five teams will share a co-championship,” coach Amber Toth explained. “These guys dropped one round to another team the entire weekend.”

Just as in a previous tournament, the Fort Scott students determined the winners based on earlier rounds and coin tosses so they would not have to debate against each other. The five teams and their results include:

• Breana Mooney and Hunter Parker, undefeated but losing two rounds to coin tosses
• Tayton Majors and Sara Al-Shawish, losing one round in the tournament and one coin toss
• Darby Toth and Rebekah Sweyko, undefeated but losing one coin toss
• Seth Cross and Zach Humble, undefeated but lost to own team based on speaker points
• Isabella Provence and Joe Adams, undefeated and winning all coin tosses
• Logan Hall and Darrick Green also competed and came away with a couple wins

The novice division teams also met with success:

• Levi Bin and Mark Adams placed third with a 4-1 record
• Alyssa Elliott and Conner Parker placed 5^th with a 4-1 record
• Madi Toth and Addisyn Guilfoyle finished with a 3-2 record
• Jordan Willard and Aztreia Milton finished with a 3-2 record
• Emma Faith Humble and Caleb Hopkins finished with a 3-2 record
• Addie Smith and Jonie Antonio finished with a 2-3 record
• Connor Mason and Carlee Studyvin finished with a 2-3 record

A range of church denominations and others of the community took part in the annual Life Chain Sunday afternoon in order to show their support for the pro-life movement and their opposition to abortion.

“You need to be mindful, this is not a protest,” organizer Joe Barr said to the participants, encouraging them not to argue with drivers or others who might disagree with their stance on the issue. “We’re out there to stand for the unborn.”

Participants stood along Highway 69 through Fort Scott, holding signs about every 25-30 feet from National Avenue to 25^th Street at Walmart. While not as many were involved in the event as the previous year, a significant number of people came to stand in the Life Chain for an hour.

Barr said in that one hour, an average of about 120 unborn children are aborted, while millions are aborted each year. Before the group formed the chain, Trevor Jacobs prayed that individuals considering abortion would instead consider the “alternative of love and life.”

The Fort Scott chapter of Kansans for Life and other members of the community organize the Life Chain in Fort Scott for the first Sunday in October each year. Barr said they are now looking for organizers to help plan for the 2017 event.

Ninety-three individuals took an oath in order to become United States citizens Friday morning during the annual United States District Court for the District of Kansas naturalization ceremony, hosted at the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

“Thank you for letting us share this special day with you,” Holly Baker, chief of interpretation and resource management at the fort, said to those becoming citizens and their families in attendance.

City Manager Dave Martin said the city of Fort Scott is both humbled and proud that the District Court of Kansas would again select the fort as the location for the special ceremony.

“You’re making a memory,” Martin said.

United States Magistrate Judge Teresa James said she considers it a tremendous honor to be able to participate in such ceremonies, saying it is one of her favorite aspects of her job. While she swears individuals in as citizens on a monthly basis in courthouses, James said she enjoys doing it yearly at the national historic site.

“There’s something very special about being here on these grounds,” James said.

The 93 individuals took an oath promising to renounce previous allegiance to any country and to now support and defend the constitution of the United States. Speaker Larry Nuss emphasized such rights as freedom of speech and others that the new citizens now have under that constitution.

Countries represented included Israel, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Germany, Bhutan, Columbia, Honduras, Mexico, the Peoples Republic of China, India, Ethiopia, Canada, Burma and a variety of others. The new citizens hold numerous positions in the United States such as with school districts, medical facilities, food services and as mechanics, managers, technicians, accountants as well as those who are retired and others who are college and high school students.

During their weekend competition, the Fort Scott High School debate team placed first at Pittsburg Colgan, facing each other as opponents in the final rounds.

“We were the last four undefeated in the tourney going into round 5,” coach Amber Toth said of the event end results. “So we were going to have to debate ourselves.”

Instead, Toth said the students decided to choose the winners based upon preliminary events and the flip of a coin in order not to debate against each other.

With that method, the results were as follows:

• Dalton Womeldorff and Chloe Studyvin took first with a 5-0 record and 20 speaks.
• Isabella Provence and Joe Adams took second with a 5-0 record and 21 speaks.
• Rebekah Sweyko and Darby Toth took third with a 4-1 record and 18 speaks.
• Seth Cross and Zach Humble took 4th with a 4-1 recordand 21 speaks.
• Georgia Loyd Breana Mooney took 7th with a 3-2 record.

In novice:

• Ashtyn Elizabeth Dowell and Madi Toth took first with a 5-0 record and 17 speaks.
• Emma Faith Humble and Caleb Hopkins took second with a 5-0 record and 18 speaks.
• Brooklyn Lyons and Elizabeth Ngatia took third with 4-1 record and 17 speaks
• Addie Smith and Jonie Antonio took 6th with a 3-2 record and 24 speaks.
• Conner Parker and Kaden Kiwan walked away with wins and amazing speaker points.

Tayton Majors and Tristan Watkins also participated in the weekend tournament as judges.

FSCC To Honor Local First Responders

Fort Scott Community College will honor local first responders during its football game on Saturday, October 15, at Frary Field in Fort Scott.

“We are grateful for everything these everyday heroes do to keep our community safe,” said Tom Havron, FSCC Director of Athletics. “FSCC is proud to recognize them during our First Responders Day.”

Emergency medical technicians, firefighters, police officers and other first responders will receive free admission to the game. In addition, several local first responders will serve as honorary captains of the football team for the evening.

The Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds will face the Dodge City Community College Conquistadors at 7 p.m. on October 15.

FSCC Rodeo to host the Dan VandeWynkel Alumni Rodeo

The Fort Scott Community College Rodeo Team will host the annual Dan VandeWynkel Alumni Rodeo 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 1, at the Arnold Arena, 2108 South Horton, Fort Scott.

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.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for FSCC students, $2 for children and $10 for families (two adults plus children). The team will also host an athlete auction at 6 p.m., where community members can bid on a few hours of labor from rodeo athletes.

All money raised will benefit rodeo student scholarships. For information, please call Chad Cross, FSCC Head Rodeo Coach, or Cali Griffin, FSCC Assistant Rodeo Coach, at 620-223-2700, ext. 7020.