Art, Bourbon County, Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Community College

Bourbon County Arts Council 32nd Annual Fine Arts Exhibit is Feburary 29-March 9

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The Bourbon County Arts Council will present its 32nd Annual Fine Arts Exhibit from February 29th through March 9th, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, on the Campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.

The Arts Council will host the Chamber Coffee at 8:00 am on Thursday, February 29th, at the Ellis Center.

The Exhibit will be open to the public beginning Thursday, February 29th through Saturday, March 9th, on weekdays from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and on Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  A reception to honor this year’s Juror and artists will be held on Thursday the 29th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm; the public is invited to attend and enjoy the opportunity to meet and visit with them about the art.

Artists will have their work on display and for sale in this multi-media exhibit, in categories including Ceramics, Drawing & Graphics, Fiber Arts, Glasswork, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Watercolor.

A “themed” category was added to the Exhibit, with this year’s theme being “Art of Everyday Life”.

An artist may create a piece in any of the above categories, in relation to the theme.

This year, artists from Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma will participate in the Fine Art Exhibit.

Local artists entered include Kathryn Allen, Maggie Brenner, Rylee Coulter, Jewel Endicott, Steve Floyd, Kate Freeman, Lucy Gladbach, Bobbi Kemna, Millie Karleskint, Julie Kibble, Steve Kibble, Terry Koester, Connie Neil, Kadra Nevitt, Eri Popp, Susan Porter, Elisabeth Ross, Kaitlynn Sampson, and Addison Smith.

Cash prizes awarded for category winners are given by the Bourbon County Arts Council in memory of E.C. Gordon, and by the generous sponsorship from these local businesses:  the Artificers, Buerge Art Studio, Citizens Bank, City State Bank, Edward Jones-Jamie Armstrong ,  H&H Realty, Landmark Bank, Lyons Realty, Mid-Continental Restoration, Osage Timber LLC, State Farm Insurance, Union State Bank, and Ward Kraft.

Bill Wilson will serve as this year’s Juror. He is a retired art educator with more than forty years of experience encompassing early elementary through college-level instruction. Most recently having taught visual art for Marmaton Valley, he also spent some time teaching at Allen County Community College. Mr. Wilson states “as an artist, I choose to work in a wide range of media that will allow me to best express my thoughts and ideas”.  He is currently exploring metal forging techniques and creating primitive-fired ceramic jewelry.

There is no admission charge for this event, and all are encouraged to come and enjoy an exciting collection of original artwork.

 

 

Fort Scott Community College, Government

FSCC Trustees Meet February 29 For A Special Meeting

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The FSCC Board of Trustees will be holding a special board meeting on Thursday, Feburary 29 at 1:00 pm in the meeting rooms of the Ellis Fine Arts Center.  After calling the meeting to order, the board will adjourn to executive session for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship.  A majority of board members may be present at noon to tour student housing, but no business will be conducted during the tour.

 

Entertainment, Government, Kansas

Kansans encouraged to celebrate Talking Books Week, March 3rd-9th

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TOPEKA – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed a proclamation declaring the week of March 3-9, 2024, Kansas Talking Books Week. According to the proclamation, the federal Pratt-Smoot Act, enacted on March 3, 1931, established free library services for blind adults, administered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) in the Library of Congress.

During Talking Books Week, the State Library of Kansas is celebrating services that Kansans with a print impairment can enjoy with a Talking Books account. Governor Kelly’s proclamation highlights the variety of more than 150,000 accessible reading materials and additional information services, including a new statewide sponsorship by the agency of NFB-Newsline. A service of the National Federation of the Blind, NFB-Newsline provides library patrons access to hundreds of newspapers, magazines, emergency weather alerts, job listings, and more by phone, internet, an iOS app, and an Alexa skill.

The Director of the Talking Books Division Michael Lang noted, “we encourage our current and potential patrons to explore the variety of services offered and the options for customization available through Kansas Talking Books. We want every user to find their perfect fit of service to meet their needs.”

Talking Books Week programming will be shared on social media at facebook.com/kansas.talking.books.service. Special events during the week will include an online patron open forum with division staff on Wednesday and a roadshow event at the Emporia Public Library on Thursday.

Kansas Talking Books, a division of the State Library of Kansas, proudly serves patrons who are blind, visually impaired, physically impaired, or otherwise print disabled in all 105 counties across the state with the assistance of outreach centers in Norton, Great Bend, and Iola. All services are provided at no cost to the patron. To learn more about services from the State Library’s Talking Books Division, call toll-free 1-800-362-0699 or visit kslib.info/Talking-Books.

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Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Announces Spring Open House, Find the Golden Egg Shopping Event

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The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Spring Open House, Find the Golden Egg shopping event which will take place on Friday and Saturday March 22nd and 23rd.  Most stores in the Downtown Historic District and several additional locations will be participating in the hunt.

 

Customers are invited to shop local retailers to search for the hidden gold eggs. The golden eggs will contain coupons, promotions, Chamber Bucks, and more.

In addition to the shopping fun that weekend, there will be plastic multi-colored eggs hidden around Downtown on Saturday the 24th after 10 a.m. suitable for young children to find.

 

The Chamber encourages the community to join the hunt on March 23rd-24th. Get ‘egg-cited’ to shop local.  Contact the Chamber for more information at 620-223-3566.

Obituary

Obituary of Robert Hirons

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Robert Evans “Bob” Hirons, age 77, a resident of Fort Scott, Kansas passed away Sunday, February 25, 2024, at Advent Shawnee Mission Hospital in Merriam, Kansas following complications from extensive back surgery.  He was born December 10, 1946, in Kansas City Missouri. He attended public school in Independence, Missouri and eventually moved with his family to Overland Park, Kansas and became part of the second graduating class at Shawnee Mission West High School.  Bob served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1968 where he was deployed in Korea with a unit that trained troops for the Vietnam War. He also served in the Kansas National Guard from 1979-1984.

 

Bob returned to Kansas City after his Army service and soon began a 40-year career with the U.S. Postal Service. During this time, he also served as a union representative and steward with the American Postal Workers Union.  Bob met his wife, Barbara Joan Hirons at a New Year’s Eve party in her hometown of Fredonia, KS. They began dating when they were both back in Kansas City and were married on March 17, 1970.  They moved to Fort Scott in 1971 and have resided in their beloved Victorian home on Crawford Street since 1976.  Bob dedicated much of his free time to serving at Community Christian Church in various roles including Sunday school teacher, deacon, elder, treasurer, and board chairman.  He and Joan joined Rinehart Christian Church and he has poured himself into caring for this church community over the last 6 years. Bob was passionate about baseball. He enjoyed coaching his sons’ little league teams, religiously followed the Kansas City Royals, and loved taking trips with his family to visit stadiums throughout the country. He also loved to follow the KU Jayhawks with his two sons and the KSU Wildcats with his grandson. Bob took great delight caring for his grandchildren in their earliest years, and loved attending their piano recitals, athletic events, and school activities as they grew older.

 

Survivors include his wife Joan and his children Michael (Julie) of Leawood and Scott (Alison) of Overland Park and three grandchildren:  Shade, Phoebe and Nora Hirons, all of Overland Park.  Also surviving are his brother Franklin Hirons (Lori) of St. Croix, VI and his sister Sandra Garrison (Dan) of Asheville, North Carolina.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Hirons (1973) and Edith Hirons Dennis (2017).

 

Rev. Kevin Moyers will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Friday, March 1st, at the Rinehart Christian Church in Richards, MO.  Burial will follow at 1:30 PM in the U. S. National Cemetery, Fort Scott.  The family will receive friends from 5:30 until 7:30 Thursday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.  Memorials are suggested to the Rinehart Christian Church Building 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.

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Fort Scott, Youth

Blue Collar Awards Event March 9 Will Benefit Local Trades Scholarships

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The 2023 Blue Collar Awards, 2023. Submitted photo.
Advance Bourbon County is sponsoring a Blue Collar Awards event on March 9 at Memorial Hall, located at Third Street and National Avenue.
“The purpose is to raise money for scholarships for local students going to college in the blue-collar trades field,” said Josh Jones one of the organizers of the event. The scholarships will be awarded to Fort Scott and Uniontown students who apply and are eligible
For students wishing to be considered for a scholarship in the trades field see the application below:
According to the scholarship requirements, students must be high school seniors and will attend a college/trade school within 180 miles of Bourbon County. All scholarship monies will be paid directly to the school. Qualified trade programs re: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, construction, welding, fabrication, automotive and diesel mechanics. commercdriver’svers license, auto CAD/drafting, manufacturing technology, machining, masonry, robotics/drones, lineman, railroad training, carpentry, and major appliance technology.
The student must also write a paragraph describing their plans upon completing the program.
The awardee must present proof of enrollment to Josh Jones to claim their scholarship award.
Some of lyear’sears recipients. Submitted photo.
Local tradesmen are on a ballot for a community vote with winners recognized during the March 9 event.
“We are in the voting process now and on March 1st we will tally the votes and give out awards based on each category to local businesses,” Jones said.
The event will also feature a comedian this year, the Copenhagen Bandit.
The Copenhagen Bandit from his Facebook page.

To view a prior feature on Advance Bourbon County’s beginnings:

Advance Bourbon County: New Non-Profit

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee Hosted by Bourbon County Arts Council on February 29

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Join us for Chamber Coffee!

Thursday, February 29th, 8am
Hosted by Bourbon County Arts Council

2108 S. Horton
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee this Thursday, February 29th at 8 a.m. hosted by Bourbon County Arts Council. The event will be held at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

The 32nd Annual Bourbon County Arts Council exhibit will be open to the public Thursday, February 29th through Friday, March 8th from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 9th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. An artist reception will also be held February 29th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. where participating artists will have the opportunity to listen to the juror critique and visit about their pieces. The public is welcomed, and light refreshments will be served. Categories include Ceramics, Sculpture, Mixed Media, Jewelry, Pastel, Watercolor, Fiber Art, Painting (Oil & Acrylic), Drawing & Graphic (Pencil, Pen, Ink), Photography, Glasswork, Printmaking, and Theme – “Art of Everyday Life”.

 

Any member business or organization wanting to host Chamber Coffee in 2024 is encouraged to contact the Chamber to save a date by calling 620-223-3566 or emailing [email protected].

 
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members

shown below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com
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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Government, Youth

Senator Marshall Offers Assistance for Students Struggling with FAFSA Application Failures

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Washington, D.C. – The Biden Administration’s attempt to update the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has put millions of students’ financial futures in limbo. The failed rollout of the new FAFSA program and the mismanagement by the U.S. Department of Education has led to a nationwide delay on the 2023-2024 FAFSA applications.

 

Students seeking federal financial aid for higher education courses must complete the FAFSA paperwork to be eligible for the assistance. Unfortunately, the continued hiccups with the Education Departments FAFSA program has created widespread uncertainty for students, parents, and colleges going into the next school year.

 

“Repeated delays by the Department of Education in rolling out the new FAFSA application have left millions of students and schools in limbo for the upcoming school year,” said Senator Roger Marshall. “Right now, colleges continue to lack the essential data required to formulate financial aid offers, leading to significant uncertainty for students’ futures. The mismanagement within the Department of Education disproportionately affects first-generation and low-income college students, who are most reliant on assistance to pursue higher education. As a community college graduate myself, I understand the stress these students face from this mismanagement.”

 

To help students and families navigate this period of uncertainty, Senator Marshall has published a new FAFSA resource guide. The guide includes links and contact information for his office for further assistance.

 

FAFSA Resources for Students and Parents

 

Parents and prospective college students continue to struggle with completing the new FAFSA forms. Below are resources and best practices for the most common concerns and complaints.

 

If you have tried the resources below and cannot resolve your issue, please contact our office at (785) 829-9000 for additional assistance.

 

Filling out the FAFSA

https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out

 

FAFSA Deadlines

https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/fafsa-deadlines

 

Renewing your FAFSA

https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/renew

 

Correcting a current FAFSA Form

https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/review-and-correct

 

IRS Data Retrieval Tool

https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/what-is-irs-drt

 

Completing the FAFSA without a contributor SSN

https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fafsa-support/contributor-social-security-number

 

Understanding the Types of Student Aid

https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/topic/types_of_aid/articles

 

Overview of the Student Aid Report

https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/review-and-correct/sar-student-aid-report

 

Background:

  • Senator Marshall recently met with college presidents in the Kansas City and Wichita areas to discuss ongoing concerns with the new FAFSA form and how the Administration’s delays are impacting the college’s ability to help potential students.
  • Earlier this month, the Senator joined Republican colleagues in a press conference highlighting the U.S. Department of Education’s mismanagement of the new online FAFSA form.
  • Senator Marshall co-sponsored the Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act, which would reinstate an exemption on the FAFSA form for family farms and small businesses, allowing them not to count assets towards financial aid. The Education Department removed the exemption in the most recent FAFSA. Assets will be counted on FAFSA applications for the 2024-2025 school year if left unchanged.
  • In January, the Senator joined 28 colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Education (DOE) demanding answers and solutions to ongoing issues with the FAFSA form.

 

 

Government

Minutes of the Bourbon County Commission on February 20

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February 20, 2024                                                              Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session for a special meeting with Commissioners Jim Harris and Clifton Beth and the County Clerk present in person with Commissioner Nelson Blythe attending via phone.

 

Mark McCoy, Jason Silvers, Patty Ropp, Michael Hoyt, Charles Gentry, Anne Dare, Elizabeth Nuss, Clint Walker, and Rachel Walker were present for some or all of the meeting.

 

Jim opened the meeting with the flag salute.

 

Michael Hoyt said he is working with schools to try to get 17-year-olds to register if they turn 18 before the election day.

 

Justin Meeks, County Counselor, said it is ultimately the Commission’s decision to decide on ballot wording. Justin said he thinks there is a viable option in what they are presenting tonight and part of tonight’s discussion is if we don’t have an emergency room how do we handle EMS. Clifton asked if Nelson had the two questions that Justin handed out, so Justin took a picture and sent them to Nelson. Justin discussed the time to hold the election whether that be in April or May and the cost associated with holding a special election which is estimated at $7,000-$10,000. Jim asked Charles Gentry if he would like to comment. Charles said on the issue of timing it is listed at 5 years with the language stating upon termination and explained there are two options to terminate which is it can sunset at the end of 5 years or can be put back on the ballot to repeal the sales tax. Jim said he would hope in two or three years we would have an ER but if not we would need to buy additional ambulances. Wording options were discussed between the Commissioners. Jim said a May election would be better for the citizens who are forming a committee who have a lot of work to do with promoting. Clifton said he would like to clarify the Commissioners did not form a committee and that it was citizens who decided to form the committee. Charles Gentry stated if the election is moved to May, then the July 1st date when sales tax would begin would have to be changed. Justin said with the Chairman’s permission he would like to work with Clifton Beth and Charles Gentry on the issue of what to do with EMS if we do not get an emergency room. Jim asked if the election is going to be in May if we would have time to table this until next week. Justin said yes, but we need as much time as possible to allow the public to research and be informed. Nelson said the sooner we get this on the ballot the better and that he would like the language to state a sunset date and make sure people know we can end by vote before 5 years. Justin said he can amend the language and have ready for the Commissioners to vote at the next meeting. Clifton asked if we generate 1.5 million dollars with the sales tax but the emergency room only needed $700,00 do we guarantee them a profit by handing over 1.5 million? Jim stated he is not going to vote on handing a blank check to anybody. Clifton asked what you would do with the extra money? Jim suggested Justin go back and work with Charles and Clifton and stated he would like the question to be short, to the point, and honest because we don’t want to send mixed messages. Justin said he asked for Clifton to be the Commissioner involved as the healthcare liaison. Nelson asked if there was contact information for those involved on the committees for the public to reach out. Justin said he is not sure since the wording is not final.

 

Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk, stated Susan Walker, CFO, is working on the additional pay for those who worked while the courthouse was closed during the ice storm. At the last meeting it was decided to pay public works, EMS, and Sheriff’s department employees who worked an additional 8 hours. Susan was unable to attend tonight’s meeting but wanted to make sure that this will be an additional 8 hours straight time regardless of the number of hours the employees worked and were paid time and a half for. It was agreed upon by the Commissioners that is how they would like the employees who physically worked that day to be paid.

 

Justin Meeks, County Counselor, requested a 10-minute executive session. Clifton made a motion to go into executive session under KSA (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship to include all three Commissioners, with Justin calling Nelson on his cell phone,  and Justin Meeks for 10-minutes to return at 6:22. Jim seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to resume normal session at 6:22 with no action. Jim seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to add another executive session. Jim seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to go back into executive session under KSA (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship to include all three Commissioners, with Justin calling Nelson on his cell phone, and Justin Meeks for 10-minutes to return at 6:34. Jim seconded the motion and all approved. Clifton made a motion to resume normal session at 6:34 with no action. Jim seconded the motion and all approved.

 

Jim and Clifton did not have any comments this evening. Nelson said a prayer during his Commission comments time.

 

Clifton made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:36. Jim seconded the motion and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

___________________, Chairman

___________________, Commissioner

ATTEST:                                                                                   ___________________, Commissioner

 

Jennifer Hawkins, Bourbon County Clerk

2-26-2024                         Approved Date

 

 

 

 

 

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