All God Wants? by Patty LaRoche
1 Corinthians 10:26: The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.
When Dave and I moved back to Fort Scott in the early 80’s, we attended various churches in order to decide where we best fit. It was a season for tithing sermons, I guess, a subject we were not too keen on obeying. I mean, we gave to charities and tossed some dollars into all of the collection plates, but if these churches were going to browbeat us into feeling guilty, they weren’t for us.
Embarrassing, I agree.
As relatively new Christians, we had missed out on a basic tenet of Faith, namely, God owns everything we think we own. Everything. He has blessed us with the ability to accumulate what we have, so we cannot take credit for any of our possessions.
When you read the Old Testament, it becomes evident that God wants the first 10% of what we make. The “first” 10%. Then Jesus arrived on the scene, and the New Testament tells us to “live generously.” No longer is a specific amount noted, so most scholars claim that 10% should be a minimum we give.
Pastor Todd Mullens, from the church Dave and I attended three years ago in Jupiter, Florida, made a powerful demonstration of how that minimum plays out. On the stage, he had a large basket of fruit. He pulled out 10 bunches of carrots, carefully counting them as he laid them on a table. He removed one bunch and placed it in a smaller basket. That was God’s portion. He did likewise with apples and cucumbers.
Then he told a story about his son’s sixth birthday party. For a present, his grandpa had given Jefferson 10 one-dollar bills. Todd asked his son who gave him the money and was told “Papa did.” Todd agreed but reminded young Jefferson that God had given Papa the ability to make the money. Todd took the bills and placed them side-by-side on the kitchen table, counting them out slowly.
“Jefferson, every time we get some money, we need to give God 1/10 of what we have received. You need to give God one dollar out of these ten. You get to keep the rest.”
Jefferson picked out one bill, looked at his father and asked, “Gee, Dad, this is all God wants?” A perspective we all should share.
According to the “Generous Church” organization, the average Christian gives 2.5% of his/her earnings to God. Should they give 10%, between $165 billion and $300 billion (depending on the source), more could be amassed. Look at how that plays out:
- $25 billion and five years would relieve global hunger, starvation, provide clean water and deaths from preventable diseases.
- $12 billion would eliminate illiteracy in 5 years.
- $15 billion would solve the world’s water and sanitation issues.
- $10.8 billion would free 27 million people living in slavery.
Add it up. That still would allow at least $100 billion to be used elsewhere. Scripture says that “God loves a cheerful giver.” Something tells me that those who give 2.5% of their earnings to God probably don’t fit that definition.
Tony Lee Wagner Arrested For Assault, Kidnapping and Rape
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 of Lois Henderson
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.
Women’s Defense Class This Saturday For Those 12 Years and Up
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.
To view a prior story on the class:
https://fortscott.biz/news/female-self-defense-class-coming-to-fort-scott
https://fortscott.biz/news/female-self-defense-class-coming-to-fort-scott
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 13
Shop Local Tomorrow: Downtown Fall Fest
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Wreaths Across America at Fort Scott National Cemetery
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@
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
Emergency Rental Assistance Is Winding Down
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Fort Scott Chamber At Trinity Lutheran Church Oct. 13
Fort Scott Get $1.5 Million For U.S. Hwy. 54
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:
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Category |
City |
Highway |
CCLIP Funds |
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Northeast Kansas |
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SP |
Atchison |
US-59 |
$400,000 |
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SP |
Bonner Springs |
K-32 |
$400,000 |
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SP |
Emporia |
US-50 |
$400,000 |
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SP |
Kansas City |
US-169 |
$400,000 |
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SP |
Lawrence |
US-59 |
$400,000 |
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PR |
Marysville |
US-77 |
$1,250,000 |
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North Central Kansas |
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SP |
Clay Center |
K-15 |
$400,000 |
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SP |
Concordia |
K-9 |
$400,000 |
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PR |
Herington |
US-56B |
$1,250,000 |
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PR |
Moundridge |
K-260 |
$800,000 |
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PR |
White City |
K-4 |
$1,250,000 |
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Northwest Kansas |
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SP |
Colby |
K-25 |
$400,000 |
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PR |
Smith Center |
K-204 |
$1,300,000 |
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PR |
Smith Center |
K-204 |
$1,300,000 |
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PR |
Stockton |
US-24 |
$1,100,000 |
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Southeast Kansas |
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PR |
Baxter Springs |
US-69A |
$1,000,000 |
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GI |
Fort Scott |
US-54 |
$1,500,000 |
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SP |
Independence |
US-160 |
$400,000 |
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SP |
Independence |
US-160 |
$400,000 |
|
GI |
Madison |
K-58 |
$1,500,000 |
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PR |
Parsons |
US-59 |
$1,250,000 |
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South Central Kansas |
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PR |
Anthony |
K-44 |
$900,000 |
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SP |
El Dorado |
US-77 |
$400,000 |
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SP |
Great Bend |
US-281/US-56 |
$400,000 |
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PR |
Hoisington |
K-4 |
$1,250,000 |
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PR |
Kingman |
US-54 |
$1,250,000 |
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SP |
Larned |
US-56 |
$400,000 |
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PR |
Pratt |
US-281 |
$750,000 |
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PR |
Wellington |
US-81 |
$1,250,000 |
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SP |
Winfield |
US-160 |
$400,000 |
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Southwest Kansas |
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SP |
Dodge City |
US-50 |
$400,000 |
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PR |
Lakin |
K-25 |
$1,250,000 |
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PR |
Ness City |
K-96 |
$1,000,000 |
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GI |
Ulysses |
US-160 |
$1,500,000 |
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TOTAL: |
$28,650,000 |
Bronson Baptist Church Celebrates 140 Years
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.”
