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Bourbon County Commission Will Not Meet on March 18
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Nelson Blythe
1st District Commissioner
Jim Harris, Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Clifton Beth
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
There will not be a Commission meeting held on Monday, March 18.
Obituary of Daniel Ellis
Daniel “Danny” Ellis, 92, of Fort Scott, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2024, in Overland Park, Kansas. He was born on February 6, 1932, in Rich Hill, Missouri, the beloved son of Ben and AnnaLee (Henderson) Ellis. On February 8, 1948, he married his beloved Willa Jean Marlin in Nevada, Missouri, who preceded him in death on January 22, 2018.
Danny was a pioneering entrepreneur and a pillar of his community. He founded Midwestern Transportation in the early 1960s, later renamed Midwestern Distribution in the early 1970s. Under his leadership, Midwestern Distribution flourished, boasting a fleet of over 1000 trucks serving nationwide routes and employing over 500 locals in Fort Scott, where it stood as a cornerstone of employment. In the early 1980s, Danny sold Midwestern Distribution and embarked on another successful venture, founding Multi-Service Corporation to address the fuel access needs of truckers. Multi-Service also became a global leader in aviation credit.
In 1997, Danny, along with his wife Willa, established The Ellis Foundation in memory of their daughter, Kathy Ellis-Adriance. The Foundation, now overseen by Danny’s son, Chris Ellis, has touched countless lives by awarding over 5,000 scholarships to deserving students, ensuring access to higher education for those in need.
Danny was deeply committed to the growth and prosperity of Fort Scott. He actively supported local initiatives, serving on the board of the Fort Scott Beacon and contributing to the establishment of Ellis Park and The Danny & Willa Ellis Family Performing Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College. He also played a pivotal role in bolstering tourism and development in the area. His generosity knew no bounds, as evidenced by his donation of the city’s first trolley, fondly known as “Dolly the Trolley.”
Danny loved to work, but in his downtime enjoyed golfing with his longtime friends in Fort Scott, relished time spent on the waters of Fort Scott Lake with family and friends, and cherished his travels, particularly his visits to Stuart, Florida.
Danny will be remembered as a visionary businessman, and a cherished friend who loved his family. His legacy of hard work, determination, and generosity will continue to inspire all who knew him. He leaves behind a son, Chris Ellis, and wife Cathy of Louisburg, Kansas, eight grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, Willa, and daughter Kathy, Danny was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Ben Ellis, Jr., Delmar Ellis, half-brother Charles Cooper, and a sister, June Ellis.
The family will hold private services at a later date, under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ellis Foundation for Scholarships, in care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kansas, 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com. Danny’s enduring legacy of kindness and generosity will continue to live on in the hearts of those he touched.
Whats Happening In Fort Scott
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Obituary of Paulette Sayers
Paulette Sue Sayers, age 74, resident of Fort Scott, KS passed away Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at Mercy Hospital, Joplin, MO. She was born December 23, 1949, in Pittsburg, KS the daughter of Emory and LaVon Geisler Arnold. She graduated from FSHS where she played flute, directed the band, and sang in many plays. She then graduated from FSCC and Pittsburg State. Sue loved music and sang at many weddings and funerals as well as the church choir. She taught school for over 30 years and touched the lives of many children.
She married Harry Sayers on May 29, 2004, in Fort Scott. She enjoyed helping Harry on the farm. She was a loving wife and mother who loved spending time with her family and her dog Cooper.
Survivors include her husband Harry of the home; children, Heather Davenport (Josh), Fort Scott, Kyle Green, Baldwin City, KS, Dean Sayers, Fort Scott, Stacy Sullivan (Casey) Tuscan, AZ, Eli Sayers, Northern CA, and her two nieces Crystal Arnold (fiancé Nathan Spurgeon) Fort Scott, and Ashley Mahnken (Drew) Farlington, KS; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Dan Arnold and his wife Wendy, and her mother and father.
Graveside services will be held at 11:00 am Friday, March 22nd at the Evergreen Cemetery Fort Scott.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 am until leaving for the cemetery at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Sue Sayers Memorial 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
Obituary of Maria Louise Smith
Maria Louise Smith, age 75, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at her home.
Maria was born June 20, 1948, to her parents, Charles Meek and Betty Graham. She was the oldest of four children. She was born in Ft. Scott, Kansas where she grew up and attended school. Maria married James Linn, who she had three children with but later divorced. Maria remarried in 1988 to Bill Smith.
She worked as a supervisor at Peerless for twenty-five years. In Maria’s younger years, she enjoyed playing softball as a catcher and dancing whenever given the chance. As she got older, Maria loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed listening to music on her record player and watching NBA basketball games.
Maria is survived by her three children, Cindy Marsh (Ashley Stark) of Ft. Scott, James Linn Jr., (Junie) of South Carolina and Ganette Davidson of Ft. Scott. She is also survived by one brother, fifteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Maria was preceded in death by her two husbands, parents, two brothers, two nephews and a granddaughter.
Graveside services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Friday, March 22nd at the Centerville Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Maria Smith Memorial Fund 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.
Bourbon County Garden Club Activities Start March 21: No Experience Necessary
The Bourbon County Garden Club started in 2003 and gives time and talent to the community through public garden care.
The Bourbon County Garden Club will open its season on Thursday, March 21, with a meeting at 6 p.m. at the Lowell Milken Center in downtown Fort Scott, at Wall and Main Street. The club meets once a month from March until October.
“New members bring new energy and new ideas,” said Martha Jane Gentry, co-president of the club in a press release. “Learn how you can contribute to Bourbon County Garden Club activities for the coming season by attending the March 21 meeting.”
“Garden experience is not necessary for participation,” said Gentry, “The club offers opportunities for learning and for community service.”
“The Garden Club started in 2003 and has grown in membership since then,” she said. “There are now about thirty members representing different ages, interests, and areas of the county.”
Membership is free, with the club’s activities financially supported by one fundraiser. The annual plant sale occurs on the opening Saturday of the Downtown Farmers’ Market, this year on May 4.
“The club partners with Tri-Valley Developmental Services to sell a wide variety of plants, all of which are geared to our area’s growing conditions,” she said. “Club members offer plants freshly dug from their own gardens, and Tri-Valley provides plants and hanging baskets from the agency’s greenhouse.”
About one-third of the members have chosen to further their gardening knowledge by taking the K-State Master Gardener course through the K-State Extension Service.
“The class is offered via Zoom in the fall, with occasional in-person meetings,” she said. “Master Gardeners are required to share their knowledge through area activities, and the local club offers some of those opportunities.”
Many Projects
In addition to increasing in number, the number of community projects has increased.
The partnership with the City of Fort Scott has been vital for many of these projects.
“The city installed the watering system for Heritage Park (at First and Main Street) which members designed and planted in 2006,” she said. “That garden features a mix of annuals and perennials and is a colorful backdrop for Friday night concerts, photo shoots, and downtown gatherings.”
“Later, the city added a watering system for the downtown hanging planters and for the island gardens at the pool,” Gentry said.” In addition to those projects, the club has planted, cared for, and watered gardens in the North Main area.”
“A recent project is the island garden at Riverfront Park, a collaboration with the Fire Department and Riverfront volunteers,” she said.
The newest project is outside the downtown area.
Residential pocket gardens were expanded last year through the club. Several members had already planted corner/pocket gardens, and the club decided to expand the project. Two local homeowners won free gardens from drawings through the club’s Facebook page and at the plant sale.
“A pocket garden is a small planting plot or large pot tucked into a convenient corner of your property,” according to www.bobvilla.com>articles>pocket-gardens.
“I do the four corners at 8th and Crawford as part of the pocket garden project,” she said. “There are bulbs currently blooming”
A club committee collaborated with those homeowners in the fall, before planting the garden.
“Look for Garden Club Pocket Garden signs throughout Fort Scott to see what can flourish in small areas with challenging conditions,” she said. “For all gardens, the plant selection focuses on choices that are drought. Both the city staff and club members are committed to minimal water usage.”
Leadership
The officers of the club are:
Barbara McCord and Martha Jane Gentry – co-presidents
Austin Bollinger – vice-president
Ronda Hassig – secretary
Sheryl Bloomfield – treasurer
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 15
Obituary of Jess Kemp II
Jesse Clarence Kemp II was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 29th, 1939, to Iva Glen (Amos) Kemp and Jesse Clarence Kemp I. He joined the love of his life on March 13th, 2024, after passing peacefully.
Jesse helped his parents train and race greyhounds, even sleeping with the new pups to keep them safe. He attended grade school in Appleton City and Girard and graduated from College High in Pittsburg. After high school, he joined the Air Force obtaining a degree as a mechanic and serving one of his four years of service in Thule, Greenland. After his honorable discharge, he worked at Western Auto, Farmers Insurance, and Cessna in Wichita, Kansas. The family then moved to Fort Scott where he created and implemented the computerizing system at Mercy Hospital, then as finance manager at Ray Shepherd Motors before opening his own company in health care billing. After retirement, he was employed at Walmart Automotive.
Jesse married Josephine Marie Ruggero on June 30th, 1957. Together they raised Kathy O’Dell (Nick), Kris Haas (Kevin), Kim Branson (Bobby), Kenny Kemp (Christy), Melissa Dunkley (Eric), Frank Ruggero (Lucretia), Lynn Ruggero, Buddy Ruggero, and Vesta Beal (Blake). He was also blessed with many grandkids and great-grandkids. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, music, motorcycles, and most of all, spending time with his family.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father, sister June, two infant siblings, and wife.
Rev. Marty Dewitt will conduct funeral services at 11:30 AM on Monday, March 18th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 10:30 AM until service time Monday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to either American Legion Post #25 or Arma American Legion Riders and may be left in the 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.
A Victimless Crime? by Patty LaRoche
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” Seneca
Pornography (inanely called the “victimless crime”) is one of the easiest, most toxic, temptations known to man.
The statistics are alarming. “Webroot” reports that every second, 28,258 users are watching pornography on the internet. Every day, 37 pornographic videos are created in the United States, and 116,000 queries related to child pornography are received. Last year, the top-ranked porn site had 700 million more visits than Amazon.
Tragically, about 200,000 Americans are classified as “porn addicts,” and 40 million American people regularly visit porn sites. “Psychology Today” states that one-third of porn viewers are women.
For the last few years, our son Adam has fought against sex-trafficking. He and his team talk openly about how most people engaged in the activity begin by looking at pornography, some at the age of five, but most around 10.
The younger a man is when he first views pornography, the more likely he is to want power over women. As for young girls, 80% of 15-year-old females reported that they have been exposed to violent, degrading online pornography.
Philippians 4:8 reminds us of why porn is a sin. Pornographers struggle with lust, and those desires conflict with God’s holiness Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
The antithesis of pornography.
Once that thrill ends, many viewers look for more and turn to prostitution. He becomes the pimp. The average pimp has 4-6 girls and can make between $150,000-$200,000 per year. (Not bad, until they are caught and end up with 20 years in prison.) Compare that to the prostitute who works 6-8 hours a day, 5-6 days a week and has 3-5 clients a might. She makes about $35,000 a year but has her room and drugs paid for. (A McDonalds’ worker makes around $29,000, has no risks of getting an STD, being beaten or murdered.)
Think about it. These girls were once in elementary school, swinging on the playground and practicing their tap dance moves. Something goes terribly wrong for them to end up in this career, but “johns” (patrons) don’t care.
Last week, my son’s anti-trafficking team spent time on the West coast, working with local police. They never left one road where dozens of prostitutes work. Even though the evenings were cold, there the girls stood, in lacy underwear, most under the age of 14, soliciting johns by selling their bodies. One twelve-year-old girl was recovered, reunited with her mother, and flown to the Midwest to a facility specializing in the treatment of these damaged girls.
So, what does prostitution have to do with pornography?
Pimps quickly learn that porn pays better and prostitutes are prime candidates to work in porn, and prostitutes quickly learn that they are in much less danger in that field.
I spoke to a former pornographer who referred to those engaged in porn as sex traffickers. He explained that these men are staring at women, performing for the entertainment of men, so they are equally liable for the degradation of females.
Matthew 5:28 28 says that a man looking at woman with lustful intent “has already committed adultery in his heart.”
The good news is there is hope. God is in the Forgiveness business, so anyone engaged in these behaviors can repent. No different than any other sin. But make no mistake. Porn is a slippery slope, and the cliff at the bottom will not be a safe place to land.
AD: Kansas Renewal Institute is Hiring For All Positions!
The Kansas Renewal Institute, located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. in Fort Scott, is a pioneering behavioral healthcare center specializing in treating adults and adolescents.
Our mission is to provide exceptional, accessible behavioral health services across Kansas, fostering resilience and renewal in our communities.
Kansas Renewal Institute offers full-time, part-time, and per-diem employment for all persons wishing to become a part of an exciting team of behavioral health professionals.
We need dedicated, responsible, caring individuals who have a passion for assisting others throughout their treatment process.
Join Our Team!
If you have a passion for helping others, join Kansas Renewal Institute to be part of a team that is saving lives! Our team provides compassionate treatment for children, adolescents, and adults who are struggling with their mental health and/or substance
use concerns.
We work to meet each patient’s unique needs to help them achieve mental wellness so they can live happier lives full of hope.
Located in Fort Scott, our residential treatment programs provide modern, safe, and patient-friendly environments that encourage positive interactions conducive to health, hope, and healing.
Behavioral Health Technicians Needed: A Great Career Starter
Helping children as a Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) could be your calling! No experience, certification, or college degree is necessary – we will train you on the job! Applicants must be 20 years or older with a high school diploma or GED. As a BHT, you will provide care and support to patients ages 6 to 18 who are
struggling with their mental health. We invite you to be their bridge to better health!
–Masters Level Therapist (must be licensed in Kansas or eligible for licensure):
Monday- Friday (days).
–Case Manager: Monday-Friday (days).
–Behavioral Health Technician providing direct care for Patients. Day, Night, and Weekend Shifts are needed.
(Applicants will be subject to a Drug Test and Background Check if hired)
If interested, please send an Inquiry to Jessica Allison @
jessica.allison@kansasrenewal.
The beginning date is 03/25/2024.
Taking Care of Our Team
The heart of our work is helping people. That means offering our employees a robust benefits package that ensures they’re able to care for themselves and their families, while they help children in need. Benefits include:
Competitive pay for the industry
Medical plans with generous employer contribution
Tuition, CEU and licensure reimbursement
Generous paid time off
A strong focus on promoting internally
Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
AND MUCH MORE!
**Must be at least 20 to apply.
If interested, please send an Inquiry to Jessica Allison @
jessica.allison@kansasrenewal.