Visioning Meeting to Bring Community Stakeholders Together
BOURBON COUNTY REDI PRESS RELEASE
On Tuesday, August 23rd Bourbon County Regional Economic Development, Inc will bring Bourbon County Commissioners, city commissioners from Fort Scott, Uniontown, Bronson, Mapleton, Fulton, and Redfield, as well as Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce board members, the Good Neighbor Action Team (GNAT), Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) board members, USD 234 and USD 235 board members, and the Fort Scott Community College board together to discuss a unified vision and how to grow Bourbon County together.
The Visioning Meeting will be held at The River Room above Luther’s BBQ at 5:45 PM.
The meeting will be facilitated by Rob O’ Brien of O’Brien & Associates, an economic and community development consulting firm from Joplin, MO.
Bourbon County Regional Economic Development, Inc Director Robert Harrington said, “We want to bring the community together in a unified effort; get everyone to pull on the same end of the rope so we can achieve our agreed-upon goals in a more expedient manner. To my knowledge this type of gathering with so many stakeholders has not been done in Bourbon County.”
This will be the first of three meetings in which stakeholders will meet to create a unified vision for Bourbon County. The goal will be to take these recommendations and work with other members of our communities to make them a reality.
Bourbon County Regional Economic Development, Inc is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to attracting and creating investment, wealth, and economic opportunity in Bourbon County, Kansas.
For more information contact Rob Harrington, (620) 215-0144.
Chlorine Burnout of Fort Scott Water on August 22
The City of Fort Scott Water Utility will be initializing a free chlorine burnout of the water distribution system starting Monday August 22nd, and ending as soon as a free chlorine residual is established
throughout the entire system, approximately 2 (two) weeks.
This burnout is necessary maintenance of the water distribution system which will help maintain State standards for disinfection residual levels and ultimately maintain the high quality of water that you have come to expect.
Occasionally during this process customers may temporarily experience low pressures, taste or odors,
discolored water, or even some sediment in their water.
We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Any questions, concerns, or comments are welcome.
Please contact the Water Treatment Plant at 223–5160 between 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Monday through Friday.
Letter to the Editor: Deb McCoy
HONESTY IS ALWAYS THE BEST POLICY” George Washington
I want to encourage each and every one of you to get involved and not become complacent in what is happening among the City Commissioners. If you cannot attend the meetings they can be viewed live or at a later date on youtube.com. Simply type Fort Scott City Commission Meeting into the search bar. Become involved!
City Policies, Procedures and Ordinances. Why do we even have them? Because it gives guidelines for everyone to follow when presented with different situations. It provides consistency. It provides fairness. It provides cohesiveness and takes the guessing game out of what should be done.
We have been provided guidelines of all sorts since the beginning of time. Ten Commandments, Parliamentary guidelines, Constitutions, Bill of Rights, State guidelines, Kansas League of Municipalities guidelines, Professional guidelines, Workplace guidelines, Organizational guidelines, Meeting guidelines etc.
Where in the Rules of Professional Conduct does it say that we can manipulate the Rule of Law to fit our needs? It doesn’t. It states as a professional, the Rule of Law should be followed and respected.
Why are we wasting so much time on trying to get around or making exceptions as to what is written as an Ordinance or a State Statute? Why don’t we do what is right? We certainly have bigger things to be concerned about.
Put aside your personal agendas and start working for the citizens who voted you in and who are concerned about where our city is going.
Where are the written strategic plans for 5 years and 10 years? Why have we spent thousands of dollars on surveys and have not yet been given the results of these surveys nor have we seen any productive implementation of these studies.
We could have spent a lot of that money on infrastructure.
The fact is, without a good foundation, we don’t have a solid ground to build upon.
Without strategic plans we have no vision.
We need more action and less rhetoric over what should and should not be.
Why don’t you just follow the Rule of Law!
They are not in place for you to manipulate, they are there for you to follow.
Sincerely, Deb McCoy
Happy Kids Daycare and Preschool Opens
Lindsay Knopp and Afton Brown are the new owners of Happy Kids Daycare and Preschool, INC. at 1502 Scott Avenue, the former New Generations building.
The business provides daycare for children ages two weeks and up.
“We are pretty much full, with a waiting list of 50-plus,” Knopp said.
“We… have our normal daycare settings and preschool during the school months and then daycare and summer program during the summer months,” Brown said.
The hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Currently in the preschool there are 37 students, Knopp said. “This includes the USD 234 (students). They lease a space to serve more preschool age kids and the majority of those students are also served in our daycare the other half of the day. In daycare we currently have around 60.”
“We are still waiting on our license, but we signed on the building June 16th,” Knopp said.
To contact the business call (620) 223-1506 or email:
Restoration by Patty LaRoche
When Dave and I were first married, I found a couple of end tables at a garage sale and brought them home to restore them, stopping first at a lumber yard where an elderly man helped me buy the correct supplies. Dave was away on a baseball road trip, so it was the perfect time for me to set up shop in our one-car garage and turn ugly into beautiful.
It was a painstaking process, and to this day it has given me an appreciation for people like Jim Sackett who find it rewarding to refurbish furniture for a living. After sanding, I applied the stain. Two coats of polyurethane later (I had to protect my treasures), they turned into a masterpiece. Today, I would call them ugly and take them to the dump, but not then.
The night Dave returned—and not anticipating anything to be in his path in our garage—he drove in and ran right over them. I heard the noise and thought we were being ransacked which, actually, would have made more sense, but no! Dave simply did not pay attention and reduced my tables to splinters. His excuse didn’t fly (even though his car obviously did): “Why should I expect anything to be in the middle of the garage in the middle of the night?” “Well, lucky for me I wasn’t standing there to greet you. Would you have just plowed over me too?”
I don’t remember Dave’s response, but I’m pretty sure it was NOT an apology.
Since then, only a few other times have I attempted to restore something. This past week, I tried to restore the bottoms of my pots and pans. After soaking them in Google’s suggested homemade paste for several hours, not one stain came out. For some reason, what looks so simple…well, isn’t.
Of course, furniture is not the only thing needing restoration. Laptops, old photographs, leather boots, broken bones, friendships and marriages, to name a few, sometimes need repair. Then, there are Christians. Yes, Christians. Even they occasionally need a little help, and lucky for us, God’s the best in the business at making the old look new.
The word “restore” appears 136 times throughout the books of the Bible. King David simplified things in Psalm 23:3: He (God) restores my soul.
Do you ever need your soul restored? I sure do. Like now. A Christian couple is upset with me, and I fight the need to act ugly right back. I mean, where is their love, the one thing that’s supposed to set us apart from non-believers? What about walking the talk?
So, I take it to God—albeit reluctantly—who reminds me that I need to ask those two questions of myself. Where is my love? Am I walking the talk? If so, I would not be fighting the desire to tell this couple how they aren’t acting very Christ-like and demand an apology. Surely there’s a scripture entitling me to do so…somewhere.
But of course, there isn’t. Instead, I find Romans 12:21: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. In other words, I need to turn my ugly into beautiful. I need to allow God to restore what He knows needs a little help.
Lucky for me, no polyurethane required.
Letter to the Editor: Deb McCoy
Honesty is the best policy.
George Washington I want to encourage each and every one of you to get involved and not become complacent in what is happening among the City Commissioners. If you cannot attend the meetings they can be viewed live or at a later date on youtube.com. Simply type Fort Scott City Commission Meeting into the search bar. Become involved! City Policies, Procedures and Ordinances. Why do we even have them? Because it gives guidelines for everyone to follow when presented with different situations. It provides consistency. It provides fairness. It provides cohesiveness and takes the guessing game out of what should be done. We have been provided guidelines of all sorts since the beginning of time. Ten Commandments, Parliamentary guidelines, Constitutions, Bill of Rights, State guidelines, Kansas League of Municipalities guidelines, Professional guidelines, Workplace guidelines, Organizational guidelines, Meeting guidelines etc. Where in the Rules of Professional Conduct does it say that we can manipulate the Rule of Law to fit our needs? It doesn’t. It states as a professional, the Rule of Law should be followed and respected. Why are we wasting so much time on trying to get around or making exceptions as to what is written as an Ordinance or a State Statute? Why don’t we do what is right? We certainly have bigger things to be concerned about. Put aside your personal agendas and start working for the citizens who voted you in and who are concerned about where our city is going. Where are the written strategic plans for 5 years and 10 years? Why have we spent thousands of dollars on surveys and have not yet been given the results of these surveys nor have we seen any productive implementation of these studies. We could have spent a lot of that money on infrastructure. The fact is, without a good foundation, we don’t have a solid ground to build upon. Without strategic plans we have no vision. We need more action and less rhetoric over what should and should not be.Why don’t you just follow the Rule of Law! They are not in place for you to manipulate, they are there for you to follow.
Sincerely, Deb McCoy
Obituary of Duane Ketron
Duane Ketron, age 67, passed away on August 16, 2022 at Medicalodge of Fort Scott after suffering from a long illness. He was born February 19, 1955 in Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of Arthur Hursh Ketron and Mary Louise Clark Ketron.
Duane graduated from Fort Scott High School and worked at Peerless in Fort Scott for many years. He still owned his first car, a 1959 Ford Fairlane 2-door sedan named “Old Betsy”, that he dreamed of restoring. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a winning smile with those he encountered. In addition, he was an avid Royals fan and loved dogs and cats.
Survivors include two sisters – Kathee Light of Hoxie, AR and Carolyn Strauch of Neosho, MO; four nieces – Kamela Light of Hoxie, AR; Shawnta (spouse Randal) Whited of Walnut Ridge, AR; Caroline Green (spouse Steve) of Topeka, KS; and Julia (spouse Gabriel) Carroll of Springfield, MO; eight great-nieces/nephews – Harley Light, Chance Phillips, Memory Light, Hannah (spouse Brandon) Dawson, Weston Whited, Ethan Whited, Zackary Green, and Bradley Green; one great-great-niece – Londyn Light.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Hursh and Mary Louise Ketron, his younger brother, David Arthur Ketron, brother-in-law Ronnie “Frog” Light, and niece Kristy Light.
Visitation with the family and friends will be Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 10:30 am in the Cheney Witt Chapel
Memorial Service will follow at 11:00 am with interment at Memory Gardens after the Memorial Service.
Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The family would like to thank everyone for their prayers, love, and acts of caring for our brother and uncle Duane. We also want to thank the Cheney Witt staff for all their assistance and caring service. Please join us in celebrating and remembering his life.
Obituary of Margaret Leatherman
Margaret Lucille Leatherman, age 91, a former resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, and more recently of Joplin, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, August 17, 2022, at the Communities of
Wildwood in Joplin. She was born October 25, 1930, in Deerfield, Missouri, the daughter of Norman Louis Pettibon and Lucille Pilcher Pettibon. Margaret graduated from the Nevada High
School and the Ft. Scott Junior College. She went on to receive a teaching certificate from Pittsburg State Teachers College. Prior to her marriage, Margaret taught at both the Mapleton,
Kansas grade school and the Lath Branch School east of Ft. Scott. Margaret married Donald Leatherman on May 11, 1952, in rural Deerfield, Missouri. Together, they owned and operated
their own farm for many years. After her children were grown, she worked for a time at Master Printers and for Sears in Ft. Scott. Margaret was a devoted wife and mother. She enjoyed
fishing, gardening and tending her flowers. She was a longtime member of the First Southern Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School and was active with the Awana program.
Survivors include three sons, Tom Leatherman (Connie) of Deerfield, Missouri, Steve Leatherman (Debbie) of Joplin, Missouri and Mark Leatherman (Leanne) of Ft. Scott, Kansas, ten grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Also surviving is a son-in-law, David Cannon of Louisburg, Kansas and a sister, Norma Yoos, also of Joplin.
Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Don, on January 7, 2009. She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Beth Cannon and her sister, Beverly Davis.
Pastor Clarence Newman will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Monday, August 22 nd at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Clarksburg Cemetery
The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 P.M. Sunday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the First Southern Baptist Church or to 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.
New U234 Educators: Bethany Anderson, Kim Carpenter, Chad Ruddick
This is a series of features on the 26 new educators in Fort Scott.
School begins today for the district.
Bethany Anderson, 23, will be teaching English at Fort Scott High School.
She earned her education at Emporia State University and has taught English at Lawrence High School.
Her hometown is Sterling, KS.
“My dad was my high school principal, now is a professor in the teaching department at Sterling College,” she said. “My mom is a school nurse where I did my student teaching.”
Outside of school she works at a coffee shop during the summers in Kansas City. She is in a sand volleyball league on Sunday and Friday nights. “I also really love playing tennis and reading books in my free time. On Wednesday nights I serve at my church for the high school youth program. I love being busy,” she said.
“I absolutely love English and it’s one of my biggest passions, but my first passion is loving kids well and building those relationships. That’s something I learned from my dad who has been in education for about 25 years. He taught me how to invest in kids first and then focus on the subject I teach. I think that has to be my favorite part of teaching, is the relationships I have built with the kids.”
“There are also some major challenges I have faced already in my short time teaching… hardships with administration support and feeling as if the kids weren’t a first priority in some decisions being made. It has also been an eye opener that there is a lot more that goes into teaching that they don’t mention in college or even during student teaching. I am excited to be apart of a smaller district where I already feel valued as an educator.”
Kim Carpenter is an incoming 5th-grade teacher at Eugene Ware Elementary School.
Before returning to college to earn her B.Ed. from Pittsburg State University when her youngest child was in kindergarten, she worked at Winfield Scott Elementary as a paraprofessional and teacher’s aide. Having four children of her own while working in an educational setting made teaching seem like a natural career choice for her. Carpenter earned her M.Ed. ion Curriculum and Instruction from William Woods University in 2014. She taught 14 years as an elementary teacher from Nevada, MO.
Carpenter’s hometown is Fort Scott.
Her daughter Jana and husband Michael and their two sons Randy and Liam call Fort Scott home, as well at her son Jon and wife Rachel and their daughter, Evelyn. Her son Kyle and his wife Anna live in Erie and her daughter Kelsey and her husband Drew reside in Bentonville, AR.
When Carpenter isn’t spending time with her family, she enjoys camping, hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking. Apart from spending time in nature, she loves crafting, researching her family history, and going to flea markets. She is actively involved at her church, Faith Church.
Carpenter can’t say that any one teacher inspired her to become a teacher, but she has been blessed to have been impacted by many top-notch educators. Some of the most memorable include Don Miller, Fred Campbell, Jr., Barbara Albright, Joyce Sinn, Jean and Jack Gilmore, Connie Neil, and Pat Lamb to name a few.
She says the best part of teaching is building relationships with each new group of students who come through her classroom. Her philosophy is “relationships first and everything else will follow.”
Carpenter says there are many challenges educators face today. While there are so many things outside of our control, she says we can focus on the areas where they can have the most impact while still having fun.
Chad Ruddick, 39, will teach 11th grade English at FSHS.
He earned a Bachelors Degree in Pre-law from Pittsburg State University, a Master’s in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Teaching from PSU, and a Specialist of Education in Educational Admin. from William Woods University.
Ruddick taught 10 years at North Middle School in Joplin, MO; one year at Chetopa High School, and five years at Pittsburg Community Middle School.
His hometown is Scammon, KS.
He and his wife Jennifer have two children: Hayden (16 year old son) and Lily (13 year old daughter).
Outside of teaching he enjoys hunting, fishing, video games, woodworking, volunteering as a cook/chef for local organizations feeding those in need, and volunteer work with families in need.
He became a teacher accidentally, he said.
“After attending law school, I began working as an Outreach Coordinator with the Alzheimer’s Association. In an attempt to be better in that role, I began taking teaching courses through PSU. When my office closed in December of 2007, I focused on finishing my Master’s in Teaching and focused on teaching secondary English. What began as a two year plan has led me to 15 beautiful years in the classroom.”
Many have inspired him over the years, he said. “My parents and family have inspired me to be a better teacher, and man. However, I truly feel like the students and families we serve have had a tremendous amount of influence on my desire to keep teaching while becoming better at the things I wish to improve on. Knowing I am helping those who need me is the driving force that fuels success in my life.”
“The best part of teaching for me is helping students and families. Whether it’s the struggling student who finally connects the dots, or the family that finds success outside the classroom, the best part of teaching is serving those in our communities.”
There are some challenges.
“We face many challenges in the classroom in 2022. The evolution of technology has greatly enhanced our ability to help students, but keeping up with the technology can be a hustle. Teachers must continue to step up their game to stay relevant and provide 21st Century skills to our students. On a larger scale, dwindling economics impacts our families in the southeast Kansas area and directly affects our students in the classroom. It takes a village to educate and raise our young people. Fort Scott does a great job of reaching our families, so I feel fortunate to be a part of the high school team!”
“Winter Event Securitized Cost” on KGS bills, will range from $4.87 to $6.42
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