Scout Troop Asking for Donations For Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries

Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries is located on the second floor of the Senior Citizens Center at 26 N. Main. Submitted photo.

ScoutTROOP 114 is helping Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries
We are asking for donations of hygiene items:
-Bar soap
-Body wash
-Deodorant for men and women
-Shampoo and Conditioner
-New combs or hairbrushes

We will be in the Christmas parade on Dec. 4, 2025.
You can bring the items with you then or drop off at
26 N. Main in Fort Scott Tuesday-Thursday
Between 10am and 1pm.
If you need to have the items picked up please
Call or text
620-215-5311
Thank you for your support.

Chamber Coffee Hosted by Key Apparel on November 20

Join us for Chamber Coffee

hosted by

KEY Apparel

Thursday, November 20th

8am

2400 S. Main St., Suite 200

in the shopping center

next to T-Mobile

We hope to see you there!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee this Thursday, November 20th at 8am hosted by Key Apparel. The coffee will take place at 2400 S. Main, Suite 200, in the shopping center next to T-Mobile. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a door prize drawing.

KEY Apparel is pleased to announce its 17th Annual Warehouse Sale, taking place from November 22nd through November 29th. This event provides an exclusive opportunity for shoppers to take advantage of significant close-out discounts on apparel and accessories across men’s, women’s, and children’s lines. During the sale, customers can browse a diverse selection of workwear, office attire, and casual styles; all offered at deeply reduced prices. With the holiday season approaching, this warehouse sale presents an ideal moment to stock up on quality garments for family, friends, and professional wardrobes.

KEY Apparel has been a trusted name in quality clothing and accessories, providing versatile, durable, and stylish options for a wide range of customers. With a long tradition of community engagement and retail excellence, KEY Apparel continues to support local commerce while offering exceptional value.

For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566. Visit the Events Calendar on fortscott.com and click on the “Chamber Coffees” category for upcoming hosts and locations.

Click HERE to visit

KEY Apparel

Facebook Page!

Click HERE to visit

KEY Apparel

webpage!

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

Facebook  X  Instagram

Kiwanis Pioneers for their 37th Annual Chili Feed Tuesday, Nov 18th, 2025 11am-1:30pm and 4-6pm

Sending on behalf of Chamber Member

Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis Club

Join the Kiwanis Pioneers for their

37th Annual Chili Feed

Tuesday, Nov 18th, 2025

11am-1:30pm

and

4-6pm

with a free-will donation per meal.

(suggested minimum $8.00 donation)

📍First United Methodist Church

301 S. National Ave.

🥣 A meal of the Pioneers’ signature chili with crackers and a homemade cinnamon roll.

🚗 The annual fundraiser will be drive through only.

Pick-ups will be available under the canopy on the national Ave. side of the church. Please take care not to block private driveways as you are waiting in line for service.

🛍️ Deliveries will be available for orders of ten or more by calling 620-224-0563 during serving hours.

This is the Kiwanis Pioneers’ major fundraiser for the year.

In keeping with the Kiwanis motto of

“Improving the world one child and one community at a time”, the Pioneers support more than 40 community projects including College scholarships, CASA, the Backpack food program, FSHS Key Club, Head Start, the Beacon, Foster Kids, CORE, Feeding Families in his Name, Care to Share, and school reading and arts programs.

All of the funds raised stay in Bourbon County.

Click HERE to visit the

Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis

Facebook Page!

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

Facebook  X  Instagram
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

Obituary of Billy Joe Cowan

Billy Joe Cowan, 95, originally of Devon, Kansas and later of Nevada, Missouri, passed away November 10, 2025, at the Crystal Coast Hospice House in Newport, North Carolina. He was born in Walnut, Kansas April 11, 1930, the son of Charles Oscar and Grace Olive Boileau Cowan. He married Norma Jean Riggs on August 12, 1951. She preceded him in death on September 21, 2021. His son, Phillip Cowan, also preceded him in death August 8, 2022.

He is survived by his daughter, Diana Cowan, Beaufort, North Carolina, daughter-in-law, Lisa Walker Cowan, Tulsa, OK, grandsons Zachary, Tulsa, OK, and Seth (Lizbeth), Houston, TX. Additionally, he is survived by great-grandchildren Brooklyn, Haidyn, and Camdyn, sister, Chalene Bruns, and several nieces and nephews.

Bill owned and operated a service station and tire business in Devon, Kansas for several years. Later he sold cars and eventually he sold insurance. He was a member of both Devon Masonic Lodge and Ft. Scott Scottish Rite. He was a member of Devon and Nevada United Methodist Churches.

Services for Bill Cowan will be at 1:00 p.m., November 21, 2025, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home in Fort Scott. Burial will follow at the Centerville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, or the SECU Crystal Coast Hospice House, 100 Big Rock Weigh, Newport, NC  28570. Friends and Family may sign the online guest book and share memories at www.konantzcheney.com.

NRMC Foundation Tree of Shining Memories 

 

Where Every Life is Extraordinary & Honored as Sacred

 

The holiday season is a time to take pause, come together, and create memories with those around us. The NRMC Foundation Tree of Shining Memories provides a unique opportunity for our community members to come together and honor the special people in their lives by participating in this annual tribute ceremony. By doing so, participants are also supporting a worthy cause that will strengthen the quality of healthcare services provided to the community by Nevada Regional Medical Center.

 

The Tree of Shining Memories program began in the early 2000’s as a way to benefit Hospice services.  It has continued through the Foundation for nearly twenty five years.  NRMC Foundation Director Jennifer Eaton said, “the holidays are a natural time to think about family and loved ones who are no longer with us.  The Tree of Shining Memories is a great way to honor their memory in a positive and meaningful way.”

The sparkling lights of the Tree of Shining Memories honor the memory of our loved ones as their legacy continues to shine.  Lights can be purchased from the NRMC Foundation for $10.  Registration forms are available at the hospital information desk, clinic lobbies, or can be printed off the hospital website at www.nrmchealth.com/tosm. The names will be displayed in the lobby of the hospital throughout the month of December.  Those received by Monday, December 15th will also be printed in the holiday edition of the Nevada Daily Mail Saturday, December 20th.

An evening of remembrance will take place on Friday, December 5th in the hospital lobby at 5:15 pm.  Eaton noted “family and friends are welcome to gather for this special naming and lighting ceremony.  We are moving this ceremony inside at the hospital this year so that attendees can appreciate this reading of solitude in a climate controlled environment and still have time to return to the square to enjoy the annual Christmas parade afterwards.”

EVENING OF REMEMBRANCE             

Friday, December 5th

              NRMC Main Lobby

              Reading to begin at 5:15 p.m.

 

For further information about the Tree of Shining Memories, call the NRMC Foundation at 417-448-3710.

 

 

Voice Your Opinion on the Atmos Energy Rate Increase Request

Kansas Corporation Commission to hold a public
hearing on Atmos Energy rate increase request

TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) will hold a public hearing on December 2nd to give Atmos Energy gas customers the opportunity to learn more about the company’s rate increase request, ask questions and make comments before the Commission. Atmos is requesting approval to increase rates by $19.1 million to recover costs already incurred by the company to support safe and reliable service for its Kansas customers.

If approved, the average residential bill would increase by 11.2%. For a residential customer with average usage, that equates to an increase of approximately $9.12 per month. Atmos is also proposing a rate increase for commercial, public authority, school, large industrial, and transportation customers.

The public hearing will be held at Regnier Hall Auditorium on the KU Edwards Campus located at 12610 S. Quivira Rd in Overland Park beginning at 6 p.m. To make the hearing accessible for Atmos customers across the state, a virtual option through Zoom is available, giving remote participants a chance to comment and ask questions as well. Zoom participants must register in advance on the KCC’s website  by noon on December 1. The hearings will also be broadcast live on the KCC’s YouTube channel and recorded for later viewing. Registration is not required to view on YouTube.

The Commission is accepting written comments through 5 p.m., January 20, 2026. Comments may be submitted on the KCC’s website, by mail to the Commission’s Office at 1500 SW Arrowhead Rd, Topeka, KS 66604-4027 or by calling the KCC’s Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 785-271-3140 or 800-662-0027.

The Commission will issue an order on the application on or before March 24, 2026.

 

###

44th Annual Candlelight Tour Tickets on Sale Now

 

Be an Active Part of History this Holiday Season

 

Fort Scott, Kan. – Tickets are now on sale for the 44th Annual Candlelight Tour at Fort Scott National Historic Site, set for Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5–6, 2025.

 

Tickets are available online at fofs.ludus.com for $5 per person; children 5 and under are free. Tickets are non-refundable. Early purchase is recommended, as the event frequently sells out.

 

The 45-minute guided tours depart every 15 minutes, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday and 5 to 8:45 p.m. Saturday, and end in the Grand Hall with warm drinks and snacks provided by the Friends of Fort Scott NHS. Visitors should arrive 10 minutes early to allow time to park, check in and get oriented. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather, as the tours are outdoors and follow paved sidewalks.

 

This year’s program, “Comfort and Joy in Fort Scott,” explores the celebrations, large and small, that helped build morale at the fort. 1,000 candle lanterns will illuminate the site as reenactors, including you, bring the 19th-century Fort Scott to life.

 

“Each year, the Candlelight Tour gives visitors a chance to not just observe history, but to walk through it,” said Jill Jaworski, superintendent of Fort Scott National Historic Site. “It’s a special opportunity to experience the warmth, resilience and community spirit that defined Fort Scott.”

 

Fort Scott National Historic Site’s exhibit areas and visitor center are open Friday through Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Park grounds are open daily from a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset. Admission to the park is free.

 

For more information, call 620-223-0310, visit www.nps.gov/fosc, or follow the park on www.facebook.com/FortScottNPS and Instagram www.instagram.com/fortscottnps.

 

-NPS-

 

Credit Photo as: NPS Photo

New Businesses Start on East Wall In Fort Scott

Julie Thurston stands in front of the family’s new venture, Grit and Grace Mercantile.

Julie and Brian Thurston had a shirt-making home business, and were asked to come to rodeos to sell their wares.

This, along with living in a rural community and having a local college with a rodeo program, prompted their newest venture, Grit & Grace Mercantile at 323 E. Wall.

They thought that with the many local rural communities, and rodeos ( a big fashion/decor trend, she said) they would step out in this venture.  Julie previously had designed decor for weddings.

Julie Thurston showing the lines of jeans the mercantile carries

Their boutique sells Western clothing for men, women and children, along with decor and furniture.

Some of the women’s clothing that is sold at the boutique.

“A little something for everyone,” Julie said.

Julie said her husband’s brother has a funnel cake truck and they are hoping to have him at the business site during the upcoming Christmas on the Bricks festival, Dec. 4-7.

The Rest of the Building

They closed on the purchase of the two-story building, circa 1911, on October 24. Thurston said she heard that at one time there was a candy factory in the building and, most recently, a rural real estate agent’s office.

Their storefront neighbor, Dr. Erin Crank, will continue her chiropractic business in the building.

Upstairs, they have been readying two living spaces for use as short-term vacation rentals.

One of the bedrooms of a short-term rental unit on the second floor at 323 E. Wall that the Thurstons now own.

There are two apartments: a two-bedroom, one-bathroom living space and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom living space.

One of the bathrooms of a rental on the second floor of the building that the Thurstons own.

She said they hope to have the rentals available by the holidays.

For more information:

Website: gritgracemercantile.com

The store is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM — 7 PM

Phone: 620.215.4999

New Businesses Open On East Wall

Julie Thurston stands in front of the family’s new venture, Grits and Grace Mercantile.

Julie and Brian Thurston had a shirt-making home business, and were asked to come to rodeos to sell their wares.

This, along with living in a rural community and having a local college with a rodeo program, prompted their newest venture, Grits & Grace Mercantile at 323 E. Wall.

They thought that with the many local rural communities, and rodeos ( a big fashion/decor trend) they would step out in this venture.  Julie previously had designed decor for weddings.

Julie Thurston showing the lines of jeans the mercantile carries

Their boutique sells Western clothing for men, women and children, along with decor and furniture.

Some of the women’s clothing sold at the boutique.

“A little something for everyone,” Julie said.

Julie said her husband’s brother has a funnel cake truck and they are hoping to have him at the business site during the upcoming Christmas on the Bricks festival, Dec. 4-7.

The Rest of the Building

They closed on the purchase of the two-story building, circa 1911, on October 24. Thurston said she heard that at one time there was a candy factory in the building and most recently, a rural real estate agent office.

Their storefront neighbor, Dr. Erin Crank, will continue her chiropractic business in the building.

Upstairs, they have been readying two living spaces for use as short-term vacation rentals.

One of the bedrooms of a short-term rental unti on the second floor at 323 E. Wall that the Thurstons now own.

There are two apartments: a two-bedroom, one-bathroom living space and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom living space.

One of the bathrooms of a rental on the second floor of the building the Thurston’s own.

She said they hope to have the rentals available by the holidays.

For more information:

Website: gritgracemercantile.com

The store is open Wednesday thru Saturday 10:00 AM — 7:00 PM

Phone: 620.215.4999

 

 

 

Christmas Party To Improve Bourbon County Fairgrounds Cloverleaf Event Center Is December 12

Local businesses are joining together for a Christmas Party to raise money for improvements to the Cloverleaf Event Center at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds, on South Horton Street in Fort Scott.
Submitted graphic.
Cohn’s Cafe on Main Street will cater the event.  A tasting menu will include:  Bourbon Maple Burger Sliders, Bacon-wrapped Chicken Bites, Meatballs in Marinara, Twice-Baked, BBQ Brisket Potato, Spinach Dip and Chips, and a Seasonal Soup.
The menu will feature locally sourced products.  Blue Dog Wine Company will be providing wine samples that pair with the menu.
Submitted graphic.
For those who do not prefer wine, Mmm Flavor Shop will have a Tea Bar with a variety of herbal and black teas.  Mmm Flavor Shop will also have a Spiced Up Dessert Bar.
  These desserts will be easy to replicate at home.  Some of the offerings will be Saffron Coconut Cake, Spicy Brownies, and Chai Angel Food Cake.
Submitted graphic.
Sunshine Boutique will be having a Christmas Centerpiece Class to start the evening.  Attendees can also make a customized pen with WriteOn!.
Submitted graphic.
This event will be Friday, December 12th starting at 6 pm.  Tickets are $75 and will be available for purchase until November 30th.  You can reserve your tickets at the included link.

Bourbon County Local News