REDI Gala Is August 3
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AD: Joshua Jones for KS House of Representatives District 4
Joshua Jones: Candidate for Kansas House of Representatives District 4
Hello there! I’m Joshua Jones, a proud resident of Bourbon County, where my family’s legacy spans back to the 1850s. My wife Karen shares this deep connection, with her family settling in western Bourbon County around the same time. Together, we’ve celebrated 23 years of marriage and have been blessed with three wonderful children: Taylor and Madison, both 23, and David, who is 19.
**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.
“The position I am running for encompasses all of Bourbon County and most of Linn County. Over the past few years, through my business, I have expanded my connections in Linn County.
As your state representative, I plan to leverage these relationships, along with engaging with other citizens, to address Linn County concerns and work together to create beneficial legislation.
In Bourbon County, I am the only candidate who resides here.
Issues such as the lack of an emergency room directly affect me and our community. While the announcement of Freeman Health System coming to town gives me hope, we must remember past promises, like the one involving Noble, which did not materialize.
Being the only Bourbon County candidate, it is crucial for me to ensure that Freeman’s arrival becomes a reality. Securing state-level support will be essential to ensure Bourbon County has adequate healthcare.
Issues like Pike Reservoir where the proposed lake would encompass cemeteries where I have family buried. No matter if I am for or against a project I would commit to involving citizens in the process like I did when I was City Commissioner.
Living in Bourbon County also provides me with a unique understanding of medium to smaller issues, such as trains blocking intersections for hours or the challenges faced by public schools competing in the same KSHSAA class as private schools, which I have personally experienced as an injustice.
These are issues I can address at the state level, and my residency in Bourbon County gives me a unique perspective and dedication to tackling them. I am committed to working tirelessly for the betterment of both Bourbon and Linn Counties.”
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This ad paid for by Joshua Jones Candidate/Treasurer
Obituary of Dale Shelton
Dale Lee Shelton died unexpectedly Sunday evening July 21, 2024, at Nevada Regional Medical Center. He was born February 11, 1957, in Fort Scott, Kansas to Everett Frank Shelton and Mildred Irene Shelton, and grew up attending schools in Richards, Missouri and Fort Scott, Kansas.
On May 18, 1984, Dale married Shelly Turner with the couple celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2024. The pair welcomed their son Braden into the world in 2000. Dale worked 30 years for the US Postal Service as a postal clerk before retiring in 2008 to enjoy spending time with his family. Dale had a love for sports, especially baseball, which he shared with Braden. This helped create a truly special bond between the two. Dale coached Braden’s baseball and basketball teams over the years as his son grew up, and later took the opportunity to coach alongside Braden, together teaching a new generation of kids. The family also made many wonderful memories traveling around the state to Braden’s baseball and basketball tournaments and competitions.
Dale was an avid fan of the Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs, a car nut, and a hard-working jack-of-all-trades handyman and mechanic. He spent his free time working on cars, caring for his pets, going on daily walks with his wife, and watching ballgames. He was a selfless and kindhearted man who would always go out of his way to lend a helping hand to those who needed one and was especially devoted to his wife and son. Dale had a laid-back personality and a goofy sense of humor. He was generous in spirit and loved by everyone who knew him. Dale was a gentle, patient, and loving soul. A man with all the answers who is already greatly missed.
Dale was baptized into Christ in February of 2000 and was a member of Community Christian Church. A devoted Christian with a servant’s heart, Dale showed Jesus’ love to others through endless acts of service.
Survivors include his wife Shelly of the home, one son Braden, two sisters Linda Evans and Lana Beerbower (Gil) of Fort Scott, sister in law Sue Shelton of Redfield and aunt Lora Mason of Pittsburg, mother in law Sharon Ashcraft, sister in law Tammy Pruitt (Terry) of Fort Scott, as well as numerous other nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents Everett and Mildred Shelton, a brother Dennis Shelton, and beloved pet Barkley.
Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct funeral services at 1:00 PM Monday, July 29th, at the Community Christian Church. Cremation will follow.
The family will receive friends from 4:00 until 6:00 PM Sunday the 28th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the DALE SHELTON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND 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.
Candidate Forum Tonight, July 25, at Fort Scott High School
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Ongoing Revitalization of 110 S. Main Has Target of Fall Completion
The former Scottish Rite Temple, 110 S. Main, is in a constant stage of revitalization.
Kathy and Tracy Dancer, who purchased the building at a public auction, plan an “ongoing effort to revitalize the building and increase the useable commercial space. We also want to improve the energy efficiency of the building.”
The work will be a combination of restoration and renovation.
“The first project is new signage for the front of the building,” she said. “We will be removing the blue plastic lettering designating the building as the Scottish Rite Temple and replacing it with a new sign for the cafe and retail store. We are also installing a new ceiling and lighting in the south half of the building.”
“Because the building is part of the historic district, we are working with the Fort Scott Design Review Board,” she said. “Any changes to the exterior of a building in the historic district including painting, windows, and signage must go through the Design Review Board. They have been very helpful during this process and a great source of feedback for our plans.”
New windows, heating, and air conditioning are coming.
“Next, we will be installing glass windows in archways to restore the storefront appearance,” she said. “The new windows mean you will be able to see into the cafe and retail store if you are walking or driving down Main Street.”
” We are also adding several new HVAC… Once HVAC is installed, we will be moving and expanding our retail store into the south portion of the building. Moving the retail store to the south side of the building will more than double the amount of space we have for the Mercantile and Market store. The additional space will allow us to add new vendors and craftspeople to the retail store.”
“New HVAC will also be installed for the Speak Easy space we created on the second floor,” she said. “This will allow us to operate the Speak Easy year round.”
Speakeasy was a term used during Prohibition for drinking establishments and illegal bars, Dancer said in a prior interview. “They were usually hidden away in a building and sometimes you needed a password to be allowed to enter. Fort Scott had several speakeasies including The Green Lantern, operated by J.D. McClintock.”
On the horizon
“The Speak Easy will reopen in the Fall after we have installed new HVAC. We plan on being open two evenings a week for cocktails and light food. We had an excellent response to our soft opening in the Spring so we are really excited to reopen on a regular basis. While we wait for reopen, we have been working on the cocktail menu and working with suppliers to provide additional Kansas made wines, beers, and spirits.”
“We will also be hosting another Murder Mystery Dinner in October. The dinner we hosted this past spring sold out quickly and was very well received. Tickets for the October show will be available in mid-August.”
They are in the process of applying for grants focused on energy efficiency to defray the cost of adding HVAC and energy efficient windows and lighting.
“We might need to adjust the scope of some of the work based on the grant amounts, but we still plan on completing these projects,” she said.
” The new ceiling and lighting for the south half of the building has already started,” she said. “New sign letters for the front of the building have been ordered and should be ready for installation in August. The HVAC and storefront will take a bit longer since we will be ordering equipment and materials for these projects.”
“We hope to have the work completed by late Fall this year,” Dancer said.
“Our other BIG project is the distillery. We are in the final stages of the Federal licensing process to open the distillery and then we will file for state licensing. We do not have a projected opening date yet but we hope to be in production by the end of this year.”
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports July 25
Kansas ARTS COMMISSION GRANT AWARDED TO LOWELL MILKEN CENTER
The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes received a grant for $6,800 from the Kansas Arts Commission.! The grant will be used to honor three unsung heroes from the Japanese Internment Camps during WWII. Those unsung heroes are Mitsuye Endo, Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, and Minoru Yasui. The grant will allow for a historian presentation about the camps, a community book read of George Takei’s “The Called Us Enemy,” a public showing of the movie “Betrayed: Surviving an American Concentration Camp,” and a performance by the St. Louis Osuwa Taiko Japanese Drummers in the Lowell Milken Park at the Center.
Kansas Arts Commission: The Kansas Arts Commission (KAC) is dedicated to promoting, supporting, and expanding Kansas’ creative industries and enriching communities through arts and culture.
About the Lowell Milken Center: The Lowell Milken Center is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) that works with students and educators within a range of diverse academic disciplines, to develop projects focused on unsung heroes. Our mission is to share those projects and the stories of these unsung heroes with our community through our museum at the Lowell Milken Center and through special cultural events.
Death Notice for Dale Shelton
Dale Lee Shelton, age 67, resident of Fort Scott, KS passed away Monday, July 22, 2024, at the Nevada Regional Medical Center Emergency Room. Services for Dale Shelton will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.
AD: Rick James for KS State Representative 4th District
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.
End of Summer Craft Event on Saturday July 27
Fort Scott River Room, 3 W. Oak St., is the site of a Second Annual End of Summer Craft Creations event on July 27 from 10 a.m .to 4 p.m.
Food, Drinks, Crafts are offered for sale.
“We will have tees, hats, purses, wallets, trendy bags, bookmarks, keychains, pens, keychains, lanyards, scarfs, crochet baby booties, scrubbies, ponchos, wooden crafts,” said Cathy Bishop, event coordinator.
“Brick Street will have food and drinks available upstairs and off of their menu.”
“The bake sale is a fundraiser for the High School Volleyball Team selling all sorts of goodies.”
Vendors are still being accepted.
For more info
Email: [email protected]
620.224.8289
USD 234 New Teachers: Howell, Motley, Weddle
This is part of a series of new teachers in USD 234 School District, Fort Scott. There are 22 new teachers and two new administrators in the district.
School starts for students on August 16.
There are five campuses in the district:
- Fort Scott Preschool Center (serving pre-kindergarten students ages 3+)
- Winfield Scott Elementary School (serving kindergarten through through second-grade students)
- Eugene Ware Elementary School (serving third through fifth-grade students)
- Fort Scott Middle School (serving sixth through eighth-grade students)
- Fort Scott High School (serving ninth through twelfth-grade students)
The district has nearly two thousand students enrolled within the district and over 350+ staff members, according to its website.
Carolien Howell, 49, is a new second-grade teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
She has a varied teaching experience.
- First-grade teacher for 3 years at Grace Christian Academy in Saipan, Mariana Islands
- PE/Art teacher for grades 1-5 for one year at Grace Christian Academy in Saipan, Mariana Islands
- Third-grade teacher for 4 years at Grace Classical Academy, Springfield, MO
- Fourth-grade teacher for 1 year at Polk County Christian School, Bolivar, MO
- Substitute teacher in Wyoming elementary schools for 2 years.
- Substitute teacher at Meadowlark and George Nettels Elementary Schools for 3 years.
She is involved in her church, Family Life Assembly of God in Pittsburg as a pre-kindergarten teacher, works with youth Sunday School, life group leader and host, and on the refreshments team.
Her husband, Bill Howell, works as the director of Family and Children’s Services at Crawford County Mental Health and they have been married for 27 years.
They have two sons. Liam, 14 years old, attending Pittsburg High School as a freshman, and Karsten,12, a 7th grader at Pittsburg Community Middle School.
“The rest of my family lives in the Netherlands, which is where I am from,” she said.
“I think that the best part of being an educator is seeing the growth in the students,” she said.
There are many challenges to being an educator, she said.
“One of the biggest challenges is managing and helping all the students when there are so many needs within the classroom.”
Aubri Motley, 28, will be a new special education teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
” I graduated from Ottawa University with a bachelor of arts in elementary education and three years of experience as a para-educator in a school setting.”
She and her husband Levi have three children together and live on a small ranch with three dogs and a cat.
“From my experience as a para I think the best thing about being an educator is when you see the “aha moment” from a student because whatever they are learning is starting to click,” she said. “I am sure I will come across many challenges as a first-year educator but I am ready to tackle all of the challenges head-on.”
Codee Weddle, 25, is a new fourth-grade teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary School.
At Fort Scott Community College she earned an Associate in Science, from Ottawa University and a Bachelor’s in Arts in Education.
She was a paraprofessional for five years at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
She is a member of Fort Scott Nazarene Church, and she and her husband, Dalton, have two sons Porter (3) and Kallum (9 months).
“I love interacting with the kids and watching them feel excited about learning!” she said.
“A challenge I have had in the past is not being able to help more outside of school. Knowing what they go through and then expecting them to come to school as if everything is okay is heartbreaking.”