Obituary of Clifton Sexton
Clifton Dale Sexton, age 79, of Uniontown, Kansas passed peacefully into the arms of his Savior on Friday, March 4, 2022, with family in attendance, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas after a brief illness.
He was born June 28, 1942 in Wild Cherry, Arkansas. The youngest of three boys, they grew up in the White River country of Arkansas farming the land. As times grew hard in the region they moved to Overland Park, Kansas where Cliff finished his high school education.
As Cliff grew up, he married and had four children. He worked with his father and brother in concrete construction and service station work during his younger years. Then a yearning for his roots took hold and his profession took him to a variety of places working as a ranch hand and honing his skills as a professional trap shooter. He is a two-time All American Trap shooter and is enshrined in the Kansas Trap shooter Hall of Fame in Wichita.
Cliff is also a member of the Professional Cowboy Association and a private pilot. Cliff was very involved in civil war reenactments and was a movie set wrangler where he and his horse “Rebel” were extras in several movies, documentaries, and films. Later he worked at the American Royal.
In his later years he wrote poetry and songs based on his experiences. Cliff traveled to a variety of venues to perform his cowboy songs and poems. He has published three volumes of poems and contributed to several publications. Most recently he took his poetry to some of the local nursing homes in SE Kansas and SW Missouri. He loved talking to these folks and taking them back to happier times through his poetry.
Cliff was a Christian gentleman and a faithful member of Dry Ridge Baptist Church in Uniontown, Kansas.
Cliff is survived by a close and loving family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, William Vernon, his mother Zela Elmeta (Faught) Sexton, his brother Vergle Ernestene (Ernest) Sexton.
He is survived by his brother Vernon Eugene (Gene) Sexton of Lenexa, Kansas. Cliff is survived by four children, Donna Sue Sexton of Kansas City, Missouri; Terry Dale Sexton of Peculiar, Missouri; Tami Ann (Sexton) Stewart of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Cassie Leigh (Sexton) Todd of Mountain Grove, Missouri. He has four grandchildren and four great- grandchildren. Also, a loving family of cousins, a niece, nephews, and their families.
Cliff was loved and will be missed by all.
Memorial Services will be held 11:00 A.M., Saturday, March 19, 2022, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Dry Ridge Baptist Church of Uniontown, Kansas, and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Detected in Wild Birds in Kansas
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild waterfowl in central Kansas. This is the state’s first confirmed case of HPAI since 2015.
“Confirmed HPAI in wild birds in central Kansas is an indication that Kansas birds are at risk of exposure from the wild migratory bird population,” said Animal Health Commissioner Justin Smith. “We’ve encouraged Kansas poultry owners to be aware of this possibility, but now the reality is all poultry owners need to be vigilant in taking steps to protect their flocks from avian influenza. If you haven’t implemented biosecurity practices yet, the time to do it is now.”
Biosecurity refers to practices that prevent possible contamination. For poultry, biosecurity practices include:
- Prevent contact with wild birds, especially wild waterfowl. Remove any potential nesting areas for wild birds.
- Cover and enclose outdoor feeding areas, and cover stored feed.
- Take all possible steps to separate wild birds from having any access to your flock or their living area.
- Clean and disinfect any vehicle tires or equipment that has been on other farms or other locations where there is poultry or wild birds.
- Wear clean clothing, boots and shoes when in contact with your flock.
- Restrict unauthorized people and vehicles.
- Isolate new birds.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a highly contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys, and other birds and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death. HPAI has been identified in backyard flocks as well as commercial operations in neighboring states; at this time, it has not been detected in domestic birds in Kansas.
Attentively monitor your birds for symptoms of HPAI which include: coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and other signs of respiratory distress; lack of energy and appetite; decreased water consumption; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; incoordination; and diarrhea. Avian influenza can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing other symptoms.
If these symptoms are observed in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk. Poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly.
As part of existing avian influenza response plans, federal and state partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flock. The United States has the strongest avian influenza surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.
For more information about HPAI, including current status of the confirmed cases in other states as well as more information about biosecurity for your flock, go to the KDA’s avian influenza webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/AvianInfluenza or call KDA at 833-765-2006.
FSCC Trustees Work Session March 21
The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees will meet for a work/planning session at 4 p.m. on March 21. This is the day of the regular monthly meeting, so the work/planning session will take place prior to the meeting. The session is open to the public, but no official business will be conducted during this time.
Submitted by Juley McDaniel
Director of Human Resources
Fort Scott Community College
Obituary of Harry “Sonny” Peterson
Harry Willis “Sonny” Peterson, age 89, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, March 8, 2022, at his home. His life-journey toward this moment of entering heaven began on October 3, 1932, in Hiattville, Kansas, to parents, Willis and Verna Likely Peterson. As the oldest surviving child, Harry was soon joined by four brothers and three sisters. In many ways, this “Sonny Boy” guided and guarded each of them as he progressed through school at Hiattville and Mount Hope.
Even as a young man, Sonny knew the path to happiness, especially when he found and captured the love of his life, Edith Hopkins. Marrying her on February 13, 1954, gave these sweethearts many opportunities to guide, and raise other children through the years even though they remained childless. Cousins, nieces, nephews, siblings, 4-H kids, Rainbow girls and numerous others became their projects and indeed, their children.
Sonny was not only known for taking care of others; he was known for taking care of business by “fixing” anything – trucks, tractors, electricity, plumbing or carpentry projects. “Uncle Sonny” could change your tire, feed your cattle or cut wood for your heating system. He always gave the best he had with no expectation of reward or payment. This work ethic was seen in his jobs: twenty-one years for Ford Tractor and New Holland followed by twenty years for the Fort Scott U-234 School District. His education afterschool focused on the needs for his occupations specializing in tractors, combines and welding. Fixing problems paved his way to a life filled with good works.
Some of those good works included participation with the Grange, 4-H, Rainbow Girls, and Iza Stompers Square Dance Club.
Church became a priority in his life; as a member of the Ft. Scott First Baptist Church where he served as deacon, trustee, and moderator. Sonny’s love of people and of “fixing” problems led to being a member and past Master of Xenia Lodge, past District Deputy Grand Master for District #8, member of Royal Arch, Iola, past Grand Officer of AF & AM for Kansas, member and past Patron of Olive Chapter #13, OES, and Grand Chaplin for Grand Chapter in Kansas. His life was spent “fixing” lives of others and sacrificing for others.
Harry “Sonny” is survived by his wife, Edith, of the home; three sisters, Mary Loy Schaffer, Marge Madison and Sissy Mall and two brothers, Frank and Von and numerous relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister and two brothers, Pat and Bill.
Rev. Ken Ansell will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Monday, March 14th at the First Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the Centerville Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 P.M. Sunday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Masonic rites will take place at the close of visitation. Memorials are suggested to the First Baptist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel,
Freedom Farm Is Working Towards Agri-Tourism and Collaborations
As a family unit, Kylene and Gary Palmer and their daughters, are in the process of turning their farm near Fort Scott into a business model that is a resource for consumers and producers.
Many of the plans on Freedom Farm are “projects in motion”, said Kylene.
“We haven’t ‘arrived’ yet, she said, but they do have thoughtful plans and projects that they are currently seeking grants to build.
“We want to build a resource and outlet for local farmers that have sustainable practices to sell straight to consumers,” she said.” We are working on formulating the structure for a co-op that is both beneficial to the consumer and producer.”
“We are constructing a central hub at our farm to host farm tours, educational programs, a small market for local farmers and a certified kitchen as a resource for farmers, among other things,” Palmer said.
“We are super excited about the grant we received from the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team,” she said. “We plan to use those funds to build a freezer/cooler in order to have space to ramp up production of our meat and eggs.”
They have dreams of a small, by appointment only, on-farm restaurant.
“The idea there is less about a restaurant and more about connecting consumers to local farmers,” she said. “We would love to have guest chefs from our local community and surrounding areas to keep things new and exciting and really make it a community offering.”
Agricultural bus tours are on the horizon for Freedom Farms.
“We have been doing much building and property maintenance to work towards that goal of hosting agriculture bus tours as one of the stops here in Bourbon County,” she said. “We are signed up for the Big Kansas Road trip in May for anyone wanting to stop by and visit or ask questions.”
“One of the many ways the certified kitchen would be put into use would be to offer on-farm lunch to the bus tour participants,” she said. “We would love to work together with local farms to achieve that goal.”
Currently, Freedom Farm produces and sells eggs, pastured poultry, lamb, and a minimal amount of goat.
“It is a family affair, ” she said. “I do most of the day-to-day chores along with help from our children. My eldest daughter has started her own lamb herd and another daughter is in the beginning stages of growing her goat herd. Gary oversees the planning and marketing and is involved every day after work hours. Everyone is involved at many different levels and we hope to employ others as we grow.”
Chamber Coffee March 10 at Ellis Arts Center
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U234 Preschool Spring Fling: Fun and Info
The Early Childhood Community Partners are sponsoring an Early Childhood Spring Fling for ages 0-6 years on April 7th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to participate in family engagement activities. Early Childhood providers and community organizations may also provide brochures or flyers to promote their organizations to assist any family based on their level of need. The event will also honor the “Week of the Young Child”, which is April 4-8th.
The location is at the Fort Scott Preschool Center, 409 S. Judson.
For more information: 620.223-8965.
U234 Is Taking Applications For Preschool
The USD 234 Preschool Round-Up is on May 6th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are currently accepting applications and the qualifications are listed on the flyer. Families may call the Fort Scott Preschool Center at 620-223-8965 for more information. The preschool is located at 409 Judson.
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports March
“Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” 2022 Recipients
Adger Cowans and William C. Rhoden will be the recipients of the “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” at the annual celebration October 6th -8th, 2022 in Fort Scott, Kansas. The celebration is in honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, noted photographer, writer, musician, and filmmaker. The Choice of Weapons Award was established in Parks’ honor to be given annually at the Celebration. More detailed information about the annual celebration will be coming soon with a full press release.
Adger Cowans, a fine arts photographer and abstract expressionist painter, has experimented with a myriad of mediums over his artistic career. Renowned in the world of photography and fine art, his works have been shown by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, International Museum of Photography, Museum of Modern Art, The Studio Museum of Harlem, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Harvard Fine Art Museum, Detroit Art Institute, James E. Lewis Museum and numerous other art institutions.
After attending Ohio University where he received a BFA in photography, Cowans furthered his education at the School of Motion Picture Arts and School of Visual Arts in New York. While serving in the United States Navy, he worked as a photographer before moving to New York, where he later worked with Life magazine photographer Gordon Parks and fashion photographer Henri Clarke.
Cowans was awarded the Lorenzo il Magnifico alla Carriera in recognition of a Distinguished Career at the 2001 Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art. He is the recipient of a John Hay Whitney Fellowship and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Caesar Chavez, Rosa Parks Visiting Scholars Award, Wayne State University. At his first one man show at the Heliography Gallery in New York, Jacob Deschin of the New York Times described Cowans’ work as “Boldly inventive and experimental…and the artist is a craftsman to his fingertips.”
William C. Rhoden, is an award-winning national sports writer and visiting professional at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Rhoden is one of the most accomplished sports journalists of his generation and is regarded as an expert on the topics of sports and race. He is currently a columnist and editor-at-large at Andscape, ESPN’s digital platform that explores the intersection of race, culture and sports.
In collaboration with Andscape formerly (The Undefeated), ESPN, and The Walt Disney Company, he has established the Rhoden Fellows Initiative, which identifies and trains aspiring African-American journalists from historically black colleges and universities. At the Cronkite School, Rhoden serves as a visiting professional and teaches “Opinion in the Digital Age,” which introduces students to the art of crafting and forming thoughtful opinion pieces for all existing platforms. In addition, he also is a visiting senior practitioner for the Global Sport Institute, where he provides feedback on the institute’s strategic direction and helps develop concepts for the Global Sport Matters content hub.
Rhoden rose to prominence at The New York Times, where he published his award-winning “Sports of the Times” column for 26 years and established himself as one of the top sports columnists in the country.
The veteran journalist has received numerous career honors. In 2021, the National Sports Media Association inducted Rhoden’s into its Hall of Fame in. In 2018, he was inducted to the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame for contributions to journalism and the Black community.
He won a Peabody Award in 1996 as a writer for HBO’s documentary “Journey of the African American Athlete” and earned an Emmy Award for his writing on the documentary “Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football.” Rhoden is an accomplished author who published “Forty Million Dollar Slaves” in 2006 and “Third and a Mile: The Trials and Triumphs of The Black Quarterback” in 2007. He was also presented with the 2017 Sam Lacy-Wendell Smith Award by the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism for contributions to racial and gender equality in sports.
Ticket information and the full schedule will be posted at a later date on the website gordonparkscenter.org.
Sen. Moran Applauds Passage of Postal Reform Legislation
Sen. Moran Applauds Passage of Postal Reform Legislation
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today applauded the passage of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 to help improve and sustain the United States Postal Service (USPS).
“Throughout my time representing Kansans in Washington, D.C., I have advocated for the preservation of rural post offices and sensible reforms that ensure the Postal Service’s stability,” said Sen. Moran. “When a post office closes, it creates problems for businesses and the community and can cause significant harm to the local economy. For rural Kansans and older residents, the Postal Service is the glue that keeps them connected to the rest of the country. The Postal Service is an indispensable piece of infrastructure that can reach nearly every address in America, and I am pleased we are one step closer to getting this critical reform across the finish line.”
Sen. Moran has been a long-time supporter of preserving and reforming the USPS. This legislation included several provisions from Sen. Moran’s legislation the Postal Service Reform Act of 2018.
Click HERE or Below for Sen. Moran’s Full Remarks
Sen. Moran’s Provisions Included in H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022:
- allow USPS to enter into agreements with state, local and tribal governments to provide non-postal services to increase revenue;
- increase transparency of USPS delivery results by requiring USPS to submit frequent performance reports to Congress;
- create a new Postal Service Health Benefits program within the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and integrate employees over age 64 to enroll in Medicare; and
- eliminate the pre-funding requirement of retiree health benefits.
Sen. Moran’s Work on Postal Reform:
- In 2001, then-Rep. Jerry Moran supported H.Con.Res.181 which expressed the sense of Congress that the USPS should provide a maximum degree of effective and regular services to all communities and take all necessary steps to ensure post offices are not closed or consolidated.
- In 2009, then-Rep. Jerry Moran supported H.R.22, the United States Postal Service Financial Relief Act of 2009, which reduced the amount the USPS must pay into the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund from $5.4 billion to $1.4 billion.
- In 2011, the USPS published a list of more than 130 rural post offices in Kansas that were under initial consideration for closure. In response, staff for Sen. Moran attended nearly every community meeting that USPS leadership held to solicit feedback on the future of their post office.
- Sen. Moran met with Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe on several occasions, including a U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) hearing on postal reform, to emphasize his support for keeping rural community post offices open.
- In November 2011, HSGAC adopted Sen. Moran’s amendment to protect rural post offices by strengthening the criteria for communities to fight back against closures during a markup of the Lieberman-Collins postal reform bill.
- In 2012, the Senate passed S.1789 the 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012 which included Sen. Moran’s amendment from the HSGAC markup in 2011.
- S.1789 did not pass the House of Representatives.
- USPS abandoned efforts to close post offices on the 2011 list, and instead adjusted customer “window” hours for these locations—which kept post offices open in rural communities, and still allowed USPS to right-size its workforce and reduce labor costs.
- Sen. Moran held a follow-up conversation with U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, the Postmaster General and staff to discuss ways to protect rural post offices.
- In 2013, in response to the USPS announcement the agency would be eliminating Saturday mail delivery, Sen. Moran began requesting report language in the FSGG Subcommittee Appropriations bill requiring the USPS to maintain six-day and rural mail delivery without reduction in services. He has continued to support the six-day delivery provision in every subsequent fiscal year.
- In 2015, Sen. Moran led Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) to introduce the Improving Postal Operations Service and Transparency Act.
- In 2018, Sen. Moran introduced the Postal Service Reform Act of 2018: Improving Postal Operations, Service, and Transparency with Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.).
- In 2019, along with Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Sen. Moran led 23 of his Senate colleagues to reintroduce a bipartisan resolution opposing privatization of the USPS, noting the agency is a self-sustaining establishment and privatization would result in higher prices and reduced services for USPS customers, especially in rural communities.
- In 2020, Sen. Moran encouraged the new USPS Postmaster General to work with Congress to discuss postal reform legislation and released an editorial highlighting the new opportunity for the USPS and Congress to work together.
- In 2020, Sen. Moran wrote an op-ed on the importance of the USPS to rural life, which ran in the Salina Journal.
- In 2021, during an FSGG Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Sen. Moran expressed concern to the USPS OIG to consolidate another 18 mail processing centers under the agency’s proposed 10-year plan. Sen. Moran also cosponsored S.1720, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2020.
- On March 1, 2022, Sen. Moran spoke on the U.S. Senate floor regarding the importance of the USPS to Kansas and shared stories of the impact several Kansan letter carriers have had on their community.
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