Fort Scott Police Department

Tony Lee Wagner Arrested For Assault, Kidnapping and Rape

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Submitted by the Fort Scott Police Department, this  KOAM News Now link.
Investigators from the Fort Scott Police Department recently assisted Missouri Highway Patrol in solving a 30 year old cold case from 1992.
This investigation led to the arrest of Tony Lee Wagner (61) of Fort Scott. Wagner was subsequently booked into the Bourbon County Jail.

Wagner was charged on Oct. 11, 2022 for an assault, kidnapping and forcible rape that happened in the Branson, Missouri area  August 15, 1992, in Henning State Park in Taney County, Missouri.

The Taney County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed the following charges against 61-year-old Tony Lee Wagner, of Fort Scott, on October 11, 2022 with two counts of assault first-degree, kidnapping first-degree and forcible rape.

 

  • According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, “On August 14, 1992, two women traveled from Texas to vacation in the Branson, Missouri, area. On the afternoon of August 15, 1992, both women visited the Henning State Park on Missouri Highway 76 in Taney County to walk on the trails.”

    While they were walking, they encountered an unknown man. Authorities say he started to assault both women.

    The MSHP states, “One of the women was able to escape and summoned help from a passing motorist. Law enforcement officers quickly began a search of the park.”

    Authorities found the second victim in the park in an area away from the original scene. Emergency personnel took both women to area hospitals.

    The Missouri State Highway Patrol states that it and the Taney County Sheriff’s Department immediately launched a joint investigation. They didn’t identify any suspects during the initial investigation and the case went cold.“Continued investigation efforts and advances in forensic science technology led to Wagner being identified as a suspect,” states the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

    Troop D Division of Drug and Crime Control Unit, the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory Division, Fort Scott (Kansas) Police Department, and Parabon Nanolabs worked together to solve the case.

    The Taney County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Wagner on October 11, 2022.

    Fort Scott (Kansas) Police Department officers arrested Wagner. They are holding him without bond in the Bourbon County, Kansas, jail pending extradition to Missouri.

Obituary

Obituary of Lois Henderson

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Lois Anita Henderson, age 83, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.

She was born April 12, 1939, in Ft. Scott the daughter of Andrew James Rose and Veneta Marie Anderson Rose.  Lois graduated from the Ft. Scott High School.  She married Marvin Henderson on October 4, 1958, at Ft. Scott.

Lois began working for Key Industries in 1957.  She continued working at Key for over forty years.  Lois enjoyed her family, playing bingo and computer games with friends, watching soap operas specifically The Bold and The Beautiful and Days of Our Lives and also watching the Chiefs games with her son, Lyle.

She especially enjoyed making what she called cozy quilts to give to family members and friends and truly hoped that they would know the joy she had in planning and making them for each specific person.  Lois wanted her close friends to know how much she treasured their long friendships, talks, and laughter.  She was grateful for her dear friend, Jackie Webster, and their daily communications.

Lois also wanted her care-givers, Kim, Marlene, Clara and Mary (who named Lois “My Ms. Lou Lou and said God brought them together”) to know their help and talks got her through many long days.  To everyone that had ever met her and shared memories, the family’s favorite remarks about her will always be “sweet lady” and she was until the very end.

 

Survivors include her two children, Valorie Leblanc (Pierre) and Lyle Henderson all of Ft. Scott; five grandchildren, Lyle Henderson (Ashley), Ali Dixon (Kyle); Austin Jefferis (Emily), Jean-Francois Leblanc and Pierre-Luc Leblanc and three great-grandchildren, Kyler and Brooklyn, Nicolas, and  Baby Jefferis on the way.

Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin, her son, Kenneth Eugene Henderson; two brothers, Andrew Rose Jr and Gerald Rose and two sisters Jocelyn Rose and Kathryn Tanner.

 

There was cremation.

A private graveside service will be held at the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas.

Friends and relatives are invited to sign the register book at Cheney Witt Chapel.  Memorials are suggested to the SEK Mental Health Center or Care to Share 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, Bourbon County Sheriff's Office, Fort Scott, Youth

Women’s Defense Class This Saturday For Those 12 Years and Up

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Fort Scott Middle School.

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office is sponsoring a women’s self defense class this Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Fort Scott Middle School from 10 a.m. to noon.

“This class is for women 12 years old and older, all the way up to 90,” said Kim Schwab, Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Assistant.
“The instructor is Jill Leiker, Executive Director of The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation,” she said. “She currently holds the rank of a 9th degree black belt, although the techniques taught in this class are not martial arts. They are simple techniques that any woman can learn and execute. She has instructed over 70,000 women in these techniques. She also was the recipient of the 2018 WIN for Kansas City’s Outstanding Woman Award for her positive impact on females, young and old.”
Participants should wear comfortable clothing and shoes, like sweatpants and athletic shoes, because they will be learning techniques of self-defense.
There is a suggested donation of $12 for the class to help  defray the cost of presenting the class, however if someone can’t afford to pay the fee, they can still take the class, she said.
The money goes to the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation and was created by a Leawood, KS. man whose daughter was raped and murdered.
History of the Class in Fort Scott

The class in Fort Scott came about when Schwab’s daughter was preparing to go to college.

“Four years ago I approached Sheriff Martin about the possibility of having a self-defense class for my college bound daughter to take. He directed me to The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation as an excellent way to accomplish this to help her and other women in our county  be proactive in taking responsibility for their own safety.”
No Class For A Few Years
COVID 19 prevented a class in 2020, she said.
Then this past April 2022, Roger Kemp, creator of the foundation, died suddenly.

“The foundation needed time to regroup after his passing and so we are now scheduled to do it this Saturday, October 15th,” she said.

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Shop Local Tomorrow: Downtown Fall Fest

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SHOP LOCAL TOMORROW NIGHT!
Thursday, October 13th
TAKE PART IN THE
DOWNTOWN FALL FEST!
Stores will be open late from 5 to 8pm with festive offerings such as pumpkin snacks, hot cider, and a chance to win $100 in Chamber Bucks!
  • Bids & Dibs will have Cotton Candy by free will donation with proceeds going towards Wreaths Across America.
  • Hedgehog.INK! Book Store will have additional pumpkin activities, too!
  • Museum of Creativity will have several craft projects of all different types and skill levels including FREE pencil ghosts and a decorate your own cookie for $1.
A fun and festive way to get out and support local while taking in the season! Find some great deals, see what’s new in apparel and holiday decor!
Join us TOMORROW, October 13th for
Fall Fest in Downtown Fort Scott!
Participating stores include:
Angie Dawn’s Boutique
Barbed Wire & Roses Vintage Market
Bids & Dibs
Hedgehog.INK! Book Store
Museum of Creativity Gift Shop
Sunshine Boutique
Treasure Hunt Flea Market
‌
PICK UP A PUMPKIN BINGO CARD,
shown below, at any participating store shown and get it marked by at least 3 stores ~ turn it in at your last store to be entered in a drawing for $100 in Chamber Bucks!
THANK YOU TO OUR CHAMBER CHAMPION MEMBERS BELOW!
FOLLOW US
Fort Scott

Wreaths Across America at Fort Scott National Cemetery

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          Volunteers are beginning plans for the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony and laying of wreaths at Fort Scott National Cemetery, scheduled for December 17,2022.  For anyone not familiar with this annual event, it is held to Remember, Honor and Teach about those who have served us in the military and offered their lives to defend our country.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP to sponsor wreaths.  “This event is only possible through donations made to sponsor individual wreaths”, says Diann Tucker, Location Project Coordinator.  Wreaths cost $15.00 each and donations must be received no later than November 22.  We hope you share our feelings of the importance of this project and will support it with your donations.  The nearly 7000 graves at Fort Scott National Cemetery are a tribute to the willingness of our military men and women to make the ultimate sacrifice for a cause bigger than oneself and is a mission worth supporting.  Your donations are a 501c3 not-for-profit tax deductible.  If you have a specific grave to receive and be honored with a wreath, please provide their name with your donation.  Without enough financial support, not all graves will receive wreaths.

 

Please mail your donation of $15.00 per wreath, checks payable to “Wreaths Across America” and send in care of Diann Tucker, 746 215th Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701.  If you live in Fort Scott you can drop by Stewart Realty Co., 1707 S. National, to make your donations.  We can also accept debit and credit cards.  Please contact me if you have any questions (620-224-7054) or email us at wreathsacrossamerica0049@yahoo.com.

 

We look forward to seeing you on December 17th at Fort Scott National Cemetery for our Annual Wreath-laying Ceremony.


Stewart Realty
1707 S. National Ave 
Fort Scott, KS 66701
620-223-6700
620-223-6701 fax
Housing

Emergency Rental Assistance Is Winding Down

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Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program enters hold phase

New applications to be reviewed, processed subject to availability of funds

More than 75,000 Kansans and 10,000 housing and service providers have received more than $250 million in rental and utility assistance, preventing thousands of evictions and providing vital services to more than 30,000 families at risk of losing their homes. A year and a half after the temporary initiative launched, the program is winding down and will close soon.

KERA has now received enough applications to exhaust all funds and has entered the Hold Phase. All applications and recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.

The closure process follows three phases. Here’s what this means for Kansas renters in need of assistance:

  1. Final Funding Phase: On Oct. 7, 2022, households were encouraged to apply or reapply for final assistance as soon as possible. The program has now received enough applications to exhaust all current funds, ending Final Funding phase. Applications submitted during Final Funding phase will still be reviewed and processed, subject to availability of funds.
  2. Hold Phase: Now that the program has received enough applications to fully expend all KERA funds, applications and recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold status and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.
  3. Closure Phase: When all program funds are exhausted the program will close and will stop accepting new applications.

 
The length and dates of each phase will be subject to a variety of factors, including application volume and amount of assistance requested. Each program closure phase will be announced on the KERA web page.

The Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program, established in March 2021 with federal pandemic relief funds, provides up to 18 months of rent and utility assistance for households experiencing financial hardship. Rental assistance is paid directly to housing and service providers, helping landlords cover their operating costs and keep up with essential maintenance and repairs, stimulating the local economy.

 

Prior to the KERA program, KHRC administered the Kansas Eviction Prevention Program (KEPP), a federal CARES-Act funded initiative to provide rental assistance to Kansans who had fallen behind on rent payments due to the pandemic. KEPP provided more than $17 million to more than 10,000 Kansas households, serving 21,642 Kansas renters and more than 4,000 housing providers.

The Kansas Homeowner Assistance Fund remains open and is currently accepting applications. KHRC’s ongoing housing programs will continue to serve Kansans beyond the closure of the KERA program.

For more information and to apply for KERA, visit kshousingcorp.org/emergency-rental-assistance.

 

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The KERA program is administered by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC), a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency, administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans.
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Kansas Housing Resources Corporation | 611 S. Kansas, Suite 300, Topeka, KS 66603
Government, Kansas

Fort Scott Get $1.5 Million For U.S. Hwy. 54

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Governor Laura Kelly Announces 34 Cities
Across Kansas to Receive $28M
for Local Highway Improvements

FORT SCOTT – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that 34 cities across Kansas have been selected to receive a total of $28.65 million for improvements to the State Highway System located within city boundaries. The funds will be directed to preserve and improve pavement, add turn lanes, and modify intersections along essential roadways in both rural and urban areas throughout the state.

The grants are administered through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP). The program is an important component of the state’s bipartisan transportation program, IKE, passed under the Kelly Administration.

“By making this investment, we’re improving the safety and accessibility of Kansas roadways that are local centers of community life,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Through these grants, we’re delivering economic opportunities throughout rural and urban Kansas.”

Governor Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced the CCLIP awards in Fort Scott, where $1.5 million in CCLIP funds will be directed to improvements on U.S. 54, also known as Wall Street.

KDOT was able to increase CCLIP funding level for this selection cycle by more than $10 million over previous years due to additional federal funds coming to Kansas as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL). Both federal and state funds are designated for the CCLIP program and local matching funds are required based on city population.

“With the Connecting Link program, KDOT partners with communities to find solutions to support local transportation priorities,” Transportation Secretary Lorenz said. “I very much appreciate the power of the state and communities pooling funds to make improvements.”

A City Connecting Link is defined as any routing of the State Highway System located with the corporate limits of a city, not including the Interstate System. For this CCLIP cycle applying to state fiscal years 2024-2025, KDOT received 54 applications requesting $38 million.

There are three categories of CCLIP projects: Surface Preservation (SP), which extends the life of the driving surface; Pavement Restoration (PR), which rehabilitates or replaces pavement; and Geometric Improvement (GI), which addresses safety or capacity by improving roadway turn lanes, intersections, or modifying lane configurations.

For each project – the category, city, highway, and amount awarded include:

Category

City

Highway

CCLIP Funds

Northeast Kansas

SP

Atchison

US-59

$400,000

SP

Bonner Springs

K-32

$400,000

SP

Emporia

US-50

$400,000

SP

Kansas City

US-169

$400,000

SP

Lawrence

US-59

$400,000

PR

Marysville

US-77

$1,250,000

North Central Kansas

SP

Clay Center

K-15

$400,000

SP

Concordia

K-9

$400,000

PR

Herington

US-56B

$1,250,000

PR

Moundridge

K-260

$800,000

PR

White City

K-4

$1,250,000

Northwest Kansas

SP

Colby

K-25

$400,000

PR

Smith Center

K-204

$1,300,000

PR

Smith Center

K-204

$1,300,000

PR

Stockton

US-24

$1,100,000

Southeast Kansas

PR

Baxter Springs

US-69A

$1,000,000

GI

Fort Scott

US-54

$1,500,000

SP

Independence

US-160

$400,000

SP

Independence

US-160

$400,000

GI

Madison

K-58

$1,500,000

PR

Parsons

US-59

$1,250,000

South Central Kansas

PR

Anthony

K-44

$900,000

SP

El Dorado

US-77

$400,000

SP

Great Bend

US-281/US-56

$400,000

PR

Hoisington

K-4

$1,250,000

PR

Kingman

US-54

$1,250,000

SP

Larned

US-56

$400,000

PR

Pratt

US-281

$750,000

PR

Wellington

US-81

$1,250,000

SP

Winfield

US-160

$400,000

Southwest Kansas

SP

Dodge City

US-50

$400,000

PR

Lakin

K-25

$1,250,000

PR

Ness City

K-96

$1,000,000

GI

Ulysses

US-160

$1,500,000

TOTAL:

$28,650,000

Bourbon County, Church news

Bronson Baptist Church Celebrates 140 Years

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Bronson Baptist Church was chartered in 1882.

Bronson Baptist Church has been in the Bronson community for 140 years.

The small congregation in western Bourbon County will celebrate the anniversaryChur this Sunday, Oct. 16 with a special music concert by Lloyd Houk at 9:45 a.m., followed by morning worship at 10:45 a.m. There will be a carry-in lunch following services.

The  Bronson Baptist Church was chartered in 1882.  At first the people met in a wood frame building that housed the congregation, then a brick building at 403 Randolph, across the street was built in 1925.

“My grandfather, Christian Frederick Ermel, was a brick layer that worked on it,” said Judy Wilson, whose family has attended the church for generations.

“My parents, Reta Mae and Buford Johnson, always attended the church,” Wilson said.

“I can remember some Sunday School teachers from way back, Cordie Volmer, and Ima Jean Sager,” she said. “The people I remember older than my parents generation is Glenn Entzminger, who was a leader of the church, always there for anything needed.”

Judy and husband Rex were married in the church.

And in recent years they had Reta Mae’s funeral there.

“Right now, not many attend the church, but if folks come they are going to hear the Word of God, for sure,” she said.

The church is an independent Baptist Church and the current pastor is Michael Miller.

“It was the preacher’s suggestion to have the 140th anniversary celebration,” Wilson said. “He thought it was worth celebrating.”

 

Government

Bourbon County Rural Water #4 and Fulton Receive Federal Grants

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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Kansas Director for Rural Development Christy Davis today announced that USDA is investing $5,517,200 in loans and grants toward eight community projects across the state.

Project details of today’s eight announcements are:

  • A $900,000 loan will help complete the rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plant for Rural Water District 4 in Bourbon County. Previous funds for the project included $488,000 applicant contribution from the Rural Water District and a $2,772,000 loan from Rural Development in 2020.
  • A $312,000 loan and a $650,000 grant will make improvements to the water distribution system of the City of Fulton. Improvements will include replacing the original water distribution system, meter assemblies, valves and fire hydrants. The city received a $15,000 grant in Aug. 2019, from Rural Development via the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Grant to complete a Preliminary Engineering Report.
  • A $90,000 grant will assist Tabor College in creating the Central Kansas Entrepreneurship Center (CKEC). The center will provide support for small businesses including marketing, pitch development, operations and management, finance and accounting and will be located on the Tabor campus in Hillsboro. It is anticipated 46 full time jobs will be created.
  • A $50,000 grant will assist in purchasing a fire truck on behalf of the Almena Rural Fire Department. A new brush fire truck will provide fire protection throughout Norton County and, when needed, to surrounding counties and southern Nebraska.
  • A $47,200 grant will help purchase a fully equipped vehicle and other equipment for the City of Neodesha law enforcement department. Funds from this project will provide rural residents with new and improved public safety services.
  • A $29,000 grant will be used to prepare an engineering evaluation for the City of Blue Mound‘s water system. The city needs an evaluation of their water facility and distribution system to determine what improvements are needed to mitigate line breaks. With this evaluation the city will be able to plan future water system improvements.
  • A $1,640,000 loan and a $995,000 grant will help complete improvements to the City of Hiawatha‘s wastewater collection system. This project will upgrade the system’s ability to process wastewater and make needed improvements to the north lift station.
  • A $143,000 loan and a $661,000 grant will help complete the first phase of improvements to the City of Vermillion‘s water system. The city previously received $1,279,000 in grants and a $272,000 loan for the project.

Bourbon County Local News