Missy Scott, 56, is the new Fort Scott Community College Vice President of Finance and Operations, as of May 24.
Her office is in the Dick Hedges Administrative Building.
She earned a Master of Business from Pittsburg State University, with a Concentration in Accounting, and also from P.S.U. a Bachelor’s of Business Administration, Major in Accounting, and from Fort Scott Community College, an Associate of Science degree.
Scott has five years in hospital accounting, three years in corporate accounting, and 16 years in banking.
The duties of the position are to provide financial leadership for the college as part of the executive team, ensure the short and long-term fiscal health of the college, monitor FSCC’s revenue and expenditures, develop both internal and public budgets, oversee the business office, as well as other ancillary departments, she said.
Members of the Executive team include:
Sara Sutton, Interim President
Missy Scott, Vice President of Finance and Operations
Rick James is a Republican candidate for the 4th district House of Representative, a position currently held by Trevor Jacobs. Trevor announced that he is not seeking another term.
Rick is passionate about protecting the conservative values of fellow Kansans. He understands that freedom is not merely a privilege but a birthright. He was raised in La Cygne, Kansas where he attended La Cygne elementary school and graduated from Prairie View High School in 1981. He entered the Marine Corps a few short days later serving a 30-year career. This career included serving in Desert Storm, Haiti, Iraqi Freedom, serving on embassy duty and as a Marine Drill instructor. He achieved the rank of Sergeant Major and was awarded the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit. He also obtained a bachelor’s and a master’s Degree from the American Military University.
There was never a doubt, that he would return to Eastern Kansas. He moved his family to a small farm near highway 69 in 2008 and completed his Marine Corps career at Richard Gebauer Base in Belton. He retired a decorated Marine in 2011.
Since retiring from the Marine Corps he opened two local businesses, Semper Fi Auction Services and Bravo Realty. The Marine Corps instilled a dedication to serving his community. In 2014 he ran for the district 1 Linn County Commissioner. He served 2 full terms from 2014-2022. He did not seek reelection for a third term because, he believes there should be term limits in government at all levels.
He has a personal interest in Kansas, he was a military leader and a small Business owner. He has conservative views!! He believes in the right to bear arms, he is pro-life, he believes in a smaller government and reduced taxes.
Politicians represent the people they serve, and he takes that very seriously! He would appreciate your vote on August 6. Click here to follow him on Facebook. Semper Fi and God Bless!
Paid for by Rick James for KS State Representative.
The week of July 22, the Kansas Department of Transportation plans to begin replacing guardrail on the northbound lanes of U.S. 69 in Bourbon and Linn counties. The 27-mile project area starts at the south U.S. 69/U.S. 54 junction and continues north to Pleasanton.
The speed limit will be reduced to 60 miles an hour in the work zone, with alternating lane closures for northbound traffic. The ramp from westbound U.S. 54 to northbound U.S. 69 in Fort Scott will be closed to traffic between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, July 22-23. Use alternate routes during the closure.
KDOT awarded construction contracts totaling $1 million to Bettis Asphalt & Construction Inc., Topeka. Weather permitting, the work should be finished by the end of 2024. Check KDOT’s updated traveler information website, www.Kandrive.gov, for more highway condition and construction details. Persons with questions may contact Construction Manager Warren Ebberts at (620) 901-6549 or Public Information Officer Manager Priscilla Petersen at (620) 902-6433.
Larry William Stewart, age 63, a resident of rural Garland, Kansas, passed away Saturday June 29, 2024, at his home. He was born September 18, 1960, in Long Beach, California, the son of Luther William “Stu” Stewart and Lela Williams Stewart. Since his father was in the military, Larry lived in a variety of places throughout the United States while he was growing up. He graduated from high school in Hernando, Mississippi. Larry married Deborah Ervin in 1993. While living in Ft. Scott, Larry worked at Hammond Seed and Elevator, Shepard Team Auto Plaza and as a clerk at area service stations. He also enjoyed traveling to various malls and trade shows selling sports memorabilia. He also enjoyed photography.
Larry is survived by his wife, Debbie, of Ft. Scott, Kansas and his children, Shelby Watkins and Virina Stewart, both of Ft. Scott, Dustin Stewart of Garland, Kansas and Savannah Stewart of Carl Junction, Missouri; twelve grandchildren and a great-granddaughter with another great-granddaughter on the way, and a brother, Mike Stewart of Hernando, Mississippi. Also surviving are Larry’s loyal dogs, Harley and Smiley who were by his side when he passed away.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents and a granddaughter.
There was cremation. Private services will take place at a later date. Arrangements were under the direction 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.
Save the Date for a Summer Sidewalk Sale ~ Downtown & Around in Fort Scott! Enjoy fruity drinks and great deals while supporting local!
Participating Retailers:
110 South Main Mercantile, 110 S. Main St.
Angie Dawn’s Boutique, 108 S. Scott St.
Barbed Wire & Roses, 18 N. Main St.
Be The Light Boutique, 12 N. Main St.
Bids & Dibs, 108 S. Scott St.
Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, 16 S. Main St.
Laree + Co, 3 S. National Ave.
Museum of Creativity, 102 S. National Ave
Ruddick’s Furniture & Flooring, 117 S. National Ave.
Shirt Shack, 11 E. 18th St.
Sunshine Boutique, 18 E. Wall St.
Bourbon County Democrats will be set up Downtown with an information booth & Chamber Bucks drawing along with Riggs Chiropractic that will be doing free screenings!
There will be Business Bingo where you can pick up a card at any participating store, make a purchase of $5 or more from at least 3 stores during the Summer Sidewalk Sale, get your bingo card marked, and turn in at the third store for a chance to win $50 in Chamber Bucks. Chamber Bucks certificates can be used at over 60 local retailers and restaurants around the community!
A fun time to support local while finding some great sales inside and out of participating merchants! Most stores are open 10am to 5pm, but some hours may vary.
Don’t forget to support the Fort Scott Farmers’ Market which will be open Saturday from 8am-12pm under the Gathering Square Pavilion.
Organized by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Attendees of the Downtown Meet and Greet mingle before the meeting begins on July 9 at the Cohn’s Cafe.
Kathy and Tracy Dancer, owners of Cohn’s Cafe, 110 S. Main, hosted the quarterly Fort Scott Downtown Meet and Greet on July 9.
Tracy and Kathy Dancer in the entrance to 110 S. Main, called Mercantile and Market and Cohn’s Cafe.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors quarterly events to learn/tell of happenings in the downtown historic district.
Lindsay Madison, the Chamber’s executive director, told of the following upcoming events:
July 13 sidewalk sales-11 stores participating with a Business Bingo, Riggs Chiropractic offering free screenings, and the Bourbon County Democrats with a booth.
August 2-4 is the annual sales tax holiday weekend in Fort Scott.
September 12 is the Fall Fest from 5-8 p.m.
October 26 is the annual Halloween Parade at 11 a.m.
November 7-9 the Holiday Open House with the main kickoff on Thursday from 5-8 p.m.
December 5 is the Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. with the theme “A Storybook Christmas.”
December 6-7 stores are open late for Christmas on the Bricks.
New seasonal downtown light pole banners are being ordered featuring local veterans. The banners will be posted on Memorial Day, July 4th, and Veterans Day at a cost of $300 and the family gets the banner at the end. 30 banners have sold, so far.
There are a few ad spaces available on the Downtown Directory Sign on North Main Street, $100 per year.
The Chamber Golf Classic is this Friday, July 12. Raffle items and gift cards are welcome for this fundraiser for the Chamber.
There will be an Election Candidate Forum on Thursday, July 25 at the Fort Scott High School Auditorium with a meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. and the forum at 6 p.m.
Several business grants are available: e-community with 6% for 10 yrs., $5,000 to $50,000; Grow KS: maximum $100,000+, 4% for 5 yrs., 6% for 10 years; USDA REAP grant for energy efficiency and solar projects (the last round of grants deadline is Sept. 30); and HEAL Grants for downtown businesses.
Superintendent of Fort Scot National Historic Site Jill Jarworski said the fire suppression project is 50 % complete, the Blair House will soon have new siding, the infantry barracks will be renovated, three HVAC units will be replaced, there will soon be more accessibility at the Fort, Candlelight Tours are in the planning stages, the Naturalization Ceremony will be Sept. 20 this year, there is an app “Sunflower Summer” for 3-4th grade students is free and features Kansas attractions.
Downtown Trolley Tours has a new driver, Steve Allmond, with Friday tours on the hour starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m.; Saturday hours start at 10 a.m. on the hours. There is a wheelchair lift available and at least 6 persons minimum.
Merita Meech announced her inaugural Jim Meech Agri-Medical Foundation event at Sharkey’s Third Floor on July 27, from 6-8 p.m. She has a web link for the event to help farmers/ranchers in the first 30 days following a crisis.
There will be a craft event at the River Room Event Center at Oak and National Avenue on July 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fort Scott City representative Mary Wyatt said a new name for the golf course will be announced on August 15, a grant has been applied for Memorial Hall, KDOT recently awarded the city money for East National Avenue and the Third Street Park project is nearing completion.
Regional Economic Development Inc. Director Rob Harrington told of the Freeman Hospital opening in April 2025 at the former Mercy site. The health system is going through the Federal licensing process. At the August 2 Chamber Coffee, Kansas Renewal Institute and REDI will give tours of the newly renovated emergency department facility. REDI is having its annual gala on August 3 at the Liberty Theater with a live and online auction to provide scholarships for local high school students. He said in 2025, there will be many construction workers (solar energy) in the county that will need housing, and possibly be shopping and attending events in the county. He encourages welcome packets for them and “they will bring in a huge amount of sales tax.”
Open Mortgage, at Wall and National, has merged and will be getting a new name.
A new business, House of Cottonwood Candles,, there is opening in the former Common Ground building at 116 S. Main.
Jerry Witt, Riverfront Authority Chair, said that Riverfront Park will soon have some new features.
Two Fort Scott Community College Basketball Coaches attending said they are recruiting for the new season.
Konantz Cheney has a new website and can be followed on Facebook.
Madison said she and staff continually get compliments about the downtown area and thanked the downtown businesses.
In June 2025, there will be the all-school Fort Scott High School Reunion events.
The Bourbon County Fair starts next week and Meech encouraged all to walk through the fair and appreciate the effort the FFA and 4H youth have done throughout the year.
Jill Jarowski gets a coffee and sweets provided by Cohn’s Cafe for the event.
Former Fort Scott City Commissioner Josh Jones and a Fort Scott Water Distribution Supervisor discuss the splash pad project in this April 19, 2023 photo at the site on North National Ave.
Joshua Jones Candidate for Kansas House of Representative District 4
As election time approaches, I want to emphasize the need for candidates to remain active even after the election is over.
Too often, elected officials only engage with the community during election periods. As an eighth-generation resident of Bourbon County, I have a deep connection to this area and believe that community service and consistent involvement are key to our success.
Over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of working on projects such as refurbishing the high school tennis courts, helping acquire and donate a historic property to the Gordon Parks Museum, organizing events to raise awareness for Memorial Hall, and assisting in the development of a community splash pad.
.Josh Jones helped the Gordon Parks Museum receive the AME Church property in June 2023. Photo Courtesy of and Copyright by The Gordon Parks Foundation (left to right) Josh Jones, Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum and Sarah Smith, Fort Scott Community College Foundation.
As your representative, I understand that we are all in this together and recognize the dedication required to be a positive and active elected official year-round.
John Crain and Josh Jones paint the bathroom at Third Street Park in this October 2022 photo. Submitted photo.Josh Jones was part of a committee that helped bring the splash pad to Fort Scott. This is opening day in 2023 from the Fort Scott Splash Pad Facebook page.
My Promises to You
**Give Back My Salary**
My belief is simple: if the people I serve benefit, then I benefit. We are all in this together. I am giving back my salary because your tax dollars should work for you.
**Year-Round Accessibility and Transparency**
How often do you only hear from politicians during the election? During my time as Mayor/City Commissioner, I was the first to hold public forums to get citizens’ input.
This ad paid for by Joshua Jones Candidate/Treasurer
PRESS RELEASE
A bi-partisan Bourbon County citizens group, aptly named The Three-to-Five Committee, has published and received preliminary sufficiency, on a petition to place a question on the November 2024 general election ballot; “Shall the current number of
Bourbon County Commissioner Districts setforth on KSA 19-203(a)(b)(c)(d)&(e), be increased to five (5) Commissioner Districts?”
As provided in the Kansas Statutes the Districts will be five districts “as compact and equal in population” as possible. The change will have no impact on the County budget. The additional Commissioners will allow better collaboration and focused
representation on their respective districts.
As the Commission is currently constructed, the group noted, “Even two Commissioners having conversations on any topic that may
come before the Commission, is a violation of the Kansas Open Meeting Act (KOMA).”
Allowing an opportunity for collaboration and discussions with two Commissioners will improve the decision-making process and should provide improved transparency and accountability.
Signatures will be collected by registered voters in Bourbon County over the next few months to place the question on the November ballot to prevent the need for a special election and the expense associated with such an election.
Additional information is being assembled to make sure every petition signer is well informed on the benefits of this expansion in Bourbon County in the Bourbon County Commission.
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