Obituary

Obituary: Wanda Lea Kraft

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Submitted by Cheney Witt Funeral Home

Wanda Lea Kraft of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away on Saturday, November 4, 2017, at her home.

Wanda was born to George and Alice Miller on April 23, 1932, in Gridley, Kan. Wanda married Harold Kraft on November 5, 1950, in Wichita, Kan. Wanda and Harold later moved to Fort Scott and made it their home. Wanda loved God and her family and enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Wanda was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church.

Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, George and Alice (Scales) Miller; her husband, Harold Kraft; and one son, Gary Kraft. She is survived by her two siblings, Daryl (Kathy) Miller of Overland Park, Kan., and Sandra Todd of Conway, Ark., as well as her four children: Nancy (Tom) Sinn of Greenville, S.C.; Jan (Tom) Byler of Fort Scott; Roger (Chris) Kraft of Fort Scott; and Diana (Roger) Davis of Fort Scott. Wanda is also survived by ten grandchildren: Tommy (Shannon) Sinn, Tena (Todd) DeVaney, Ted (Tricia) Sinn, Kim Byler, Rachel (Nathan) Wells, Ryan (Alivia) Kraft, Megan (Ian) Goodyear, Haley (Mark) Bellmyer, Kelsey (Caleb) Bellmyer, and Marley Davis, as well as sixteen great-grandchildren with one more on the way and many nieces and nephews.

A private memorial service will be held on Wednesday, November 8, 2017, at Evergreen Cemetery. The service will be conducted by Wanda’s grandson, Ted Sinn. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Christian Learning Center or Tri Valley Developmental Services 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

Obituary: Colen James Milburn

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Submitted by Cheney Witt Funeral Home

Colen James Milburn, age 84, a resident of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away Friday, November 3, 2017, at his home.

He was born March 6, 1933, in Fort Scott, the son of Alfred Milburn and Hazel Taylor Milburn. He married Bonnie Harold on July 22, 1986, at Las Vegas. Colen had worked as a Fort Scott barber for 60 years. In earlier years, he enjoyed riding motorcycles, hunting and horseback riding. He also liked going on drives in the country and taking trips to the casinos. He was a past member of the First Christian Church.

Survivors include his wife, Bonnie, of the home; two sons, Michael Milburn and wife, Twila, and Duke Milburn and wife, Pam, all of Fulton, Kan.; nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Also surviving is a sister Marcella Bates, of Wichita, Kan. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Kirk Milburn, two brothers, Marion and Harold Milburn and six sisters, Cora, Lillie, Valeria, Earlene and Pearlene Milburn and Velma Cleveland.

Pastor Steve DeMott will conduct funeral services at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 12, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 10 a.m. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to Mercy Hospice and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Fort Scott

Bridal Veil Park Proposal from Fort Scott High School Students

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In 2015 Fort Scott High School students Gabrielle Allen,  Olivia Houston, Austin Bolinger, and Morgan Stoughton, under the instruction of teacher Amber Toth, put together a proposal for renovating Bridal Veil Park.

This was a semester long team project requiring students to research and implement solutions to community concerns in the City of Fort Scott.
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Their school project included an analysis of what could be done with a  virtual budget.

The student project to renovate the park included playground equipment, a walking trail, some new lighting, four new picnic tables, 14 new trees, and benches, with a total cost of just under $75,000

It also included an analysis of the ongoing costs.  The project was presented to the Fort Scott City Council.

Arial view of Bridal Veil Park provided in the student presentation.

With the recent discussion about the future of the park, the four students have graciously allowed us to share their proposal for the park.  The proposal can be downloaded here.

Bridal Veil Park Proposal

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Uncategorized

Library Teens November Events

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Fort Scott Library Teen Advisory Group, front from left are Joshua Kobernat, Kayla Kobernat, Jadelynne Russell; back row: Zachary Beerbower, Daniel Watson, and Dominic Cannon.

Submitted by Valetta Cannon, Fort Scott Public Library Youth Librarian, and Assistant Director

Fort Scott Public LibraryTeen Advisory Group events  for November:

November 8, 4-6 p.m., the teens will have their monthly games and snacks night in the library’s event room.

November 15, 4:15 – 5 p.m., the teens will create and share (if they want) creative writing short stories or poems. This will be the first teen creative writing night, in celebration of National Novel Writing Month.

November 29, 4:15 – 5 p.m. the teens will meet with at Common Ground Coffee for free treats while discussing this month’s Book Club story, “The Watsons go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Uncategorized

Librarian To Read At Fort Scott Preschool

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Restful Reading Adventure

What: Dinner & relaxed reading: tips and activities to help your child enjoy books

Featured Book: The Napping House

When: Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 6:00-7:00pm

Where: Fort Scott Preschool Center, 409 S. Judson, West entrance

Who: Special Guest, Youth Librarian & Assistant Director, Valetta Cannon

*Giveaways & door prizes!

*We will be wearing our pajamas and invite and encourage you all to do the same! We are providing dinner and story time. If you take care of baths before this adventure, the only evening task remaining for you is to tuck them in when you get home! We look forward to a great adventure in reading with you and yours! Please RSVP by Friday, November 10th to let us know how many we need to prepare food for. Thanks & see you there!!

(PAT) Star McClellan: 620-215-6009

(FSECP) Michelle Stevenson: 417-684-0795

Fort Scott

City of Fort Scott’s Agenda For Nov.7

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The Fort Scott City Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 at City Hall, 123 S. Main.

On the agenda for the commission:

  • A certificate of appropriateness will be reviewed for 9 N. Main, 11 N. Main and 13 N. Main on the Old Fort Blvd. side of the building.
  • There will be public hearings on the unsafe and dangerous structures at 747 S.  Wilson St., 1837 E. First St., 616 S. Horton St., 701 S. Barbee and 1311 S. National Ave.
  • They will consider an ordinance to adopt a common consumption area.
  • They will consider an amendment to a development agreement with Super Market Developers, Inc.
  • There will be consideration of four-way stops at 2nd St. and National Ave. and 3rd St. and National Ave.
  • They will approve a quit claim deed for 716 S. Crawford.
  • Consideration will be given of closing Gunn Park for Christmas In The Park.
  • They will discuss the Stout Building.
  • Consideration will be given to annex La Roche Ball Complex.
  • They will consider approval of Jeanie Parker as KCAMP voting delegate for the city.
  • There will be an expansion of scope for river intake and dam improvement.
  • There will be a time change for the Dec. 5 commission meeting to 4 p.m. because of the downtown Christmas parade.
  • For more information see the 11-7-2017 agenda packet

 

 

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Equipment Failure Causes Power Outage

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Several traffic lights in the south one-half of Fort Scott were out, following the power outage Saturday afternoon. Pictured is the recently installed lights at 23rd and Main Streets.

A piece of equipment called a lightning arrester, failed Saturday about 3:30 p.m. in the southern part of Fort Scott and some rural areas south of town. Power was restored in stages between 5 and 6 p.m., according to Gina Penzig, media relations manager with Westar Energy.

“It was in a sub-station that serves Fort Scott,” Penzig said.

About 3,000 customers of Westar, were affected, she said.

Penzig encourages people while the power is on and the weather is fine to download the Westar app, mywestar and/or sign up for text alerts.

To register for text alerts on a mobile phone, text 97827 and send “reg”. Then if there is a power outage in the future, text to that same number and send “out” for the outage, she said.

Calling 1-800-544-4857 or 1-800-LIGHTKS is another way to tell of a power outage and a person can also go to westarenergy.com and report it there, Penzig said.  Click “Outage Center” to see the map of the affected area and how to prepare for an outage.

“On the outage map, you can see if someone is on the way and an outline of the affected area and when electricity will be back on,” she said.

It is best to prepare ahead of time for power outages with a storm kit of bottled water, batteries, charging up a cell phone, and making sure flashlights are working, she said. For an extensive list of preparedness, see the website.

“For winter storms, we usually have advance notice of severe weather,” Penzig said.

If power lines are down, assume they are live and call 911, she said.

Check for damage to electric meter boxes and the power line that attaches to the house.

“If the damage is to those items, you may need an electrician before we can safely reconnect power,” she said.

Using the different messages received from Westar, “You will want to see if you should stay home or find shelter somewhere else she said. In addition, check on neighbors safety, she added.

 

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Seminar For Caregivers

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Mercy Hospice Hosts Seminar for Caregivers

Renowned expert Elaine K. Sanchez speaks on “Finding Hope, Humor and Heart in Caregiving”

FORT SCOTT, KAN. (Nov. 3, 2017) – Caring for a loved one or friend during a long-term illness may be one of the most rewarding and selfless things a person can experience. It may also be taxing on the caregiver’s physical and emotional health.

That’s why it’s important to learn more about the delicate balancing act in the role of caregiver.

Mercy Fort Scott Home Health and Hospice invites the public, as well as registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and other clinicians to attend “Finding Hope, Humor and Heart in Caregiving” by Elaine K. Sanchez on Thursday, November 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.

The presentation will cover many topics including anger, guilt, depression, grief, and self-care. There will also be time to visit with local professionals to collect helpful information and resources about being a caregiver.

Register online at www.mercy.net/FtScottCares by Nov. 24. Lunch is provided. Space is limited, so register today.

The general admission fee is $10 or $60 for six CEUs. CEUs can be provided to Registered Nurses and Respiratory Therapist. Certificates of Completion will be given for all other disciplines.

For more information, contact Chris Welch at (620) 223-8060.

Note: Partial funding was provided by the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation. FSACF serves to fulfill the philanthropic goals that benefit the common good and improve quality of life by providing leadership and programming that is responsive to the interests and needs of the residents of the Fort Scott area.

Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company, serves millions annually. Mercy includes 44 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Advance Voting

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Advance voting may be done at the Bourbon County Courthouse.

Advance voting for the November 7 election for city and school boards has begun. Don’t forget to bring photo identification to the Bourbon County Courthouse if choosing to vote early.

To see who is running and for what position, reference here:

City/School 2017 Election Forum Oct. 26

 

John Horn votes Thursday after being reminded by his wife.
Obituary

Obituary: Benjamin Harold Kemna

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Submitted by Cheney Witt Funeral Home

Benjamin Harold Kemna, 25, of Shady Shores, died Monday, October 30, 2017, at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Ben was born on July 10, 1992, in Dallas, Texas, to Barry Joseph and Gina Marie (Skotnicki) Kemna. He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Denton and president of the Denton Chess Club.

He is survived by his parents, Barry and Gina Kemna of Shady Shores; sister, Lexie Biedrzycki of Austin; brothers, Joshua Kemna of Dallas, Christopher Kemna of Shady Shores; grandparents, Bobbi Kemna of Fort Scott, Kan., Sharon Eatman of Fort Worth; nieces, Avery and Harper Kemna, both of Melbourne, Fla.; and many aunts uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jeremy Kemna; grandfathers, Harold Kemna and George Skotnicki.

Private burial will take place Saturday in Saint Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Fort Scott, Kan. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guest book at chenywitt.com.

Bourbon County Local News