The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees will meet today, July 22, at 1:00 pm in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall for a training followed by a building tour. No official business will take place.
The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees will meet today, July 22, at 1:00 pm in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall for a training followed by a building tour. No official business will take place.
Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Hayward Tucker
The Sky is Fuscia
People can say anything they want, but it doesn’t change the truth. The sky is blue but you can say it’s fuscia — that doesn’t mean it is. I can look in the mirror first thing in the morning and say, “I don’t have any wrinkles.” That would simply mean I don’t have my glasses on yet. The truth is, I do have wrinkles, just not as many as a Shar Pei.
There’s a number of people who refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance because of the phrase, “under God.” Just because they don’t like those two little big words doesn‘t change the truth. We (everyone on planet earth) are all under God. The Bible makes this clear: “At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah…prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them” (Ezra 5:1 NLT). Since God is over us, that means we are under Him. Personally, I love the U.S.A. flag and what it stands for. I’m thankful to be under God, as that allows Him to be my umbrella and protector.
People can say, “There is no God.” People can say, “There is no devil.” The truth is, both exist and God shouldn’t be blamed for what the devil does. Put the blame on Satan because he’s the “godfather of bad.” God is our Heavenly Father and is responsible for all blessings and everything that’s good. You can blame God unjustly if you want, but it doesn’t change the truth. Jesus makes it clear who’s responsible for bad or good. “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good Shepherd“ (John 10:10-11 NLT).
But don’t take my word for it, I’m not the final authority on anything — God’s Word is. He trumps every card life plays on His children. I’ll share three excellent scriptures: “So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow” (James 1:16-17 NLT). Many people see the wonderful works of God all around them and still remain unconvinced. Nevertheless, the truth of His life-changing Word keeps marching on day after day.
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT). Embracing the reality of Christ Jesus brings freedom and peace into one’s life. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and those wholly following Him can be released from the bondage of lies emanating from our self-absorbed culture. Knowing, accepting, and believing the truth of God’s Word will usually be contrary to what’s popular.
“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love — not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:8-10 NLT). Since God is love, all that He does is done in holy love. When you love your children, you’re not going to give them a gunnysack full of rattlesnakes for their birthday. But the devil would and he’d get a kick out of it.
The Key: Knowing and believing the truth that God is love, and nothing bad comes from Him, will blow your mind and change your life.
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
1st District Commissioner
2nd District Commissioner
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
July 22, 2024 5:30 p.m.
Executive Session Justifications:
KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the
representative(s) of the body or agency.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting
would jeopardize such security measures.
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Patsy Cordelia Herman, age 90, resident of Lake Ft. Scott, passed to her Lord, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in comfort at her son’s home in Ft. Scott following a complicated illness.
Patsy was born May 9, 1934, in Dyer County, TN, the oldest child of W. Doyle Beasley and Belva P. (Tucker) Beasley. She graduated from Cardwell High School, Cardwell, Mo. in 1952 and continued her education to become a dental assistant, upon receiving her certification, and began her career in that position in Butler, Mo.
Patsy married Glen R. Herman on May 5, 1956, in Butler, Mo, which continued for 54 years until Glen’s passing in 2010. This union produced 3 sons, all born in Butler, Mo.
Patsy was a committed follower of Jesus Christ and longtime bible teacher within the home, life, and as a member of the church of Christ. Within that context she was a faithful wife, dedicated mother, and a loving grandmother.
Patsy was a creative entrepreneur and wore many business hats through the years, sales in Tupperware, Amway, and established 2 businesses, The Echo (woman’s resale clothing, Pittsburg, Ks) and The Wicker Shop (wicker furniture and home décor, Hutchinson, KS). She was also active and an officer within Altrusa International, a women’s organization dedicated to community service. She also volunteered at the Fort Scott National Historic Site for many years and drew in many families and friends to also volunteer. You could find her every Monday at the bookstore in her “Sargeant Herman” uniform.
Patsy and Glen loved playing golf and the Colorado Rockies. They traveled for 22 years to Colorado from late May until the first real snowfall. They loved the mountain life and Arrowhead Ranch community. They hosted and invited any and all to come and spend time with them.
Survivors include 2 sons, Tim Herman and wife Lois, and Jim Herman, all of Ft. Scott, and daughter-in-law Paula Herman, Baton Rouge, La., sister Renee Gerteis (Ft. Scott), and brother Billy Beasley (Bakersfield, CA). She is also survived by 9 grandchildren, Jeremiah, Molly, Hannah, Paige, Annette, Lydia, Jon-Max, Christopher, Tori, and 17 great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and extended family.
Patsy was preceded in death by her husband Glen, a beloved son Linn Herman, Bonnie Troll (sister), brother in-laws (Jim Gerteis, Red Troll) and her parents.
Funeral services will be held at 11:30 AM Friday, July 26th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00-7:00 PM Thursday evening at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to either Care to Share or Mt. Carmel Hospice 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.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Office of Information Technology Services (OITS) confirmed that a software update from vendor partner CrowdStrike has impacted services for Executive Branch agencies.
This was not a cybersecurity attack and there is no threat to life safety services.
CrowdStrike, a vendor partner, deployed an update late Thursday evening and into the early morning hours of Friday, impacting servers and computers. CrowdStrike has provided fixes, and OITS is working closely with them and the Executive Branch agencies to remediate any issues. This is a global problem, impacting many beyond Kansas.
Services continue to be restored online. We cannot provide an estimated time for each service’s restoration.
More information will be provided as things develop.
Please direct any questions to Allie Denning, Director of Public Affairs, OITS. She can be reached at [email protected].
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A meeting of the Industrial Development Research Committee will be held on July 22, 2024 immediately following the Bourbon County Commission Meeting in the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Ave. Fort Scott, KS 66701.
A business space in Historic Downtown Fort Scott is available to rent.
In 2021, Sandra Davis and her husband Donald purchased the former J&W Sport Shop at 20 North Main and were there briefly before moving their businesses to the former Bartlesmeyer Jewelry Store at 1519 S. National in 2022.

“Once we moved into 20 N. Main we realized that we were going to have to renovate quicker than anticipated,” she said. They moved their businesses to another location while renovating.
“We originally were renting 1519 S. National when we first moved in it, but we liked the building so much we purchased it and decided to make it our business location.”

The 20 N. Main location, in historic downtown Fort Scott, is now ready for new tenants, following renovations.
“The bottom floor is completely renovated and is ready for tenants,” she said. ” We intend to start on the upper floor soon by turning it into an apartment. It will be an Airbnb or possibly a long-term rental.”
About the businesses

The Davis’s have their two businesses under one roof.
“I’m Davis Accounting Inc. and his business is Donald D. Davis CPA PA.,” she said. “We jointly own Professional Property Investors LLC which legally owns the buildings.”
Davis Accounting provides full-service bookkeeping and tax return preparation. She started in Arkansas in 2000 and moved to Fort Scott in 2004. Donald’s business formed in 1995.
“Between our two companies, we offer all aspects of bookkeeping; A/P, payroll, payroll taxation and reporting, Bank reconciliations and preparation of financial statements and tax returns,” she said.
Davis can be reached at 620.223.9777 or

In a scene from a movie I recently watched, the lead actor said, “You can’t rebuild a friendship without acknowledging what destroyed it.” Losing a friend hurts. I know. What once seemed to be indestructible suddenly is shattered. (S)he said something that makes you question the foundation on which your friendship was built. You thought rock. Your friend decided sand.
Let’s face it. A great friendship—not just a good one–requires much. Time (the ability to pick up where you left off, no matter how many weeks/months have passed, with no hint of guilt). Focused attention. Empathy. Majoring on the majors. Putting your own needs aside. And forgiveness, giving the other person the benefit of the doubt. I am blessed with friends from across the country as well as here locally. I respect our differences and cherish our times together. I call them my forever-friends, but I know the pain in having those relationships come to an end.
My best friend in grade school and I parted ways in junior high. We both entered public school after eight years in a Catholic school. We were besties. Shared secrets, including boy-crushes. Spent almost every Friday night roller-skating. Tons of sleepovers. Took turns leading each other around while one kept her eyes closed. Nerdy? You betcha.
But something changed in that junior high. My friend got in with the popular crowd, and I did not. I wanted to be in that group in the worst way, but my neediness, I’m sure, was a turn-off (that and a multitude of other issues). With whom would I talk about the latest guy who had nothing to do with me? Hold hands with as I skated backwards in an oval on those Friday nights? Prevent me from walking into a tree when I pretended to be blind?
A couple of years ago, we had a chance to discuss what happened to our relationship. Typical for most breakups, my gal-pal vividly remembered attempts to keep our friendship alive, none of which I shared. I had a very different version of that ninth-grade year. I imagine the truth lies somewhere in the middle of our two memories.
Sometimes, friendships dissolve painfully, and other times friendships are not meant to be. Proverbs 13:20 warns us of those times: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Other friendships need to end because God wants us to put our attention and energy somewhere else. That, of course, does not mean that we become enemies or do not wish the best for the other person.
In the Bible, the story of David and Jonathan is one that regularly surfaces when friendship is discussed. Jonathan was the son of King Saul who, out of jealousy, sought to murder the newly-appointed king, David. Jonathan’s loyalty to his friend was unwavering, warning David of his father’s intent to kill him and giving David his own robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt, items which would help to save his life.
In 1 Samuel 18, we read just how solidified their friendship was: “…the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” To be loved by a friend “as to his own soul” is a special gift, but how much greater it would be to have that kind of love to share as well as to receive! Sometimes, all we need to do is determine to knit our soul to someone else. Finding a forever-friend is worth the effort.