Area News, Health Care, Youth

Nevada Welcomes New Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

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NRMC Welcomes Child Psychiatrist

Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) is pleased to welcome Dr. Janell Tabora to our team of specialty physicians.  Dr. Tabora is a Board Certified Psychiatrist, specially trained in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Focusing on a holistic approach to treatment, Dr. Tabora enjoys listening to a patient’s life journey to select the right path toward mental health and wellness.  Some common conditions that Dr. Tabora can evaluate are the following:

  • ADHD
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Attachment disorders
  • Autism
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Depression
  • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
  • Early Onset Schizophrenia
  • Eating disorders
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Oppositional defiant disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Personality disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

 

Dr. Tabora is accepting new patients, ages 5 to 25, via convenient telehealth visits.  When on-site, her office is located within the Primary Care Clinic.  Appointments can be made by calling 417-448-3600.

 

Fort Scott Community College, Opinion

From the Bleachers-747 by Dr. Jack Welch

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FROM THE BLEACHERS-747

BY DR. JACK WELCH

 When College Football Became Professional

The national title game between Miami and Indiana will be remembered not just for the final score, but for what it represents. Indiana, a program long respected for basketball stands as the national champion for the first time in history. This would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. In today’s college football landscape, it makes perfect sense.

Indiana didn’t stumble into a national championship. They built it the modern way, through the transfer portal and NIL. This was not a slow build; multi-year plan defined by redshirts and recruiting classes growing together. This was a rapid transformation fueled by money, movement, and immediate results.

College football has abandoned tradition, it has become professional sports. The programs willing to change and invest accordingly have a chance to win. That is what Indiana did.

College football is no longer amateur athletics. Indiana’s football roster reportedly carried roughly $21.1 million in NIL spending, with marquee players like quarterback Fernando Mendoza earning more than $2 million. When you factor in total football operations expenses surpassing $61 million, the scale begins to resemble professional franchises more than traditional college programs.

Miami was in the same boat. Both teams took the field with rosters assembled less like college depth charts and more like professional free-agent lists. These weren’t freshmen growing into men within a system. These were proven players, recruited nationally and internationally, placed into schemes designed to win now.

History will judge today’s college coaches differently than those of the past. Yesterday’s great coaches were measured by how they built programs, developed players, and mastered the game itself. Today’s coaches are increasingly evaluated by how well they build rosters, manage NIL, navigate the portal, and assemble talent. The question for the future won’t be whether one era was better than the other, but whether coaching greatness can still be defined by teaching and leadership in a game now driven by acquisition and economics.

Indiana’s national championship is not an anomaly. It’s a blueprint. Spend wisely. Win the portal and raise the necessary funding. If done correctly, history can be rewritten in a single offseason.

College football didn’t die, it evolved into the professional ranks. Make no mistake, what we watched between Miami and Indiana wasn’t amateur athletics. It was professional football wearing college uniforms.

Thought for the week, “Change is inevitable. Those who adapt thrive, those who resist get left behind.”  Jack Welch

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.

Government, Kansas

Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson

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Caryn Tyson

January 23, 2026

 

Property Tax Relief – The CAP Assessment Protection (CAP) Amendment (SCR 1616) has cleared the Senate Tax Committee, moving us closer to protecting Kansans from runaway property tax increases. Currently, there’s no cap on how much a property’s assessed value can rise. It has been reported in the past five years that Kansas saw a 45-52% surge in residential valuations statewide, with an average 26-32% jump in just the last three years. Linn County led the state with a 66% increase. (Thankfully the County has remained neutral since 2021, but other taxing authorities like the schools took all the increase). The CAP Amendment would limit annual assessment growth to 3% or less, using 2022 as the baseline and the limit stays in place even after a sale of the property. County appraisals remain unchanged; the taxable value becomes the lower of the unrestricted assessment or the capped value. By capping the biggest driver of your tax bill—the assessed value—the amendment shields homeowners from inflation-driven tax spikes and addresses the problem of taxes on unrealized gains. It’s a common-sense safeguard to keep Kansans in their homes.

 

Kansas City Chiefs Stadium Deal was discussed in recent House and Senate committee hearings because legislation creating a stadium authority must pass for the project to advance. Hall talk suggests over 100 lobbyists are pushing it. Committee proponents highlighted the revenue the project would generate for the state, but a Wyandotte County representative commented that similar promises for past STAR bond projects fell short. It’s a public-private partnership with approximately 60% public funding (mainly via STAR bonds – sales taxes in the affected area would be used to pay off the bonds). These deals often let private businesses tap taxpayer dollars for their projects.

 

Committee work is the focus at the beginning of any session. This is the stage where a bill, such as the CAP Amendment, undergoes its most rigorous scrutiny before ever reaching the floor of a chamber for a full vote. Committees are where legislators review language of a bill and hear testimony from conferees. During this phase a bill can be amended, refined, or even completely rewritten when the committee “works” a bill. Because committees act as gatekeepers, a bill’s passage out of a committee can be a significant milestone; it signals that the proposal has enough merit and support to be considered by the entire legislative body of the Senate or the House, whichever chamber the bill is currently located.

 

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.

Caryn Tyson

Kansas Senate, District 12

Opinion

I Was Born to Do This by Carolyn Tucker

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Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker

I was Born to Do This

I had a 14-inch-diameter corner post that had been useful in years past, but was no longer needed. It was nothing more than an annoyance to mow around. Naturally, the responsibility of removing the post fell to my son. I watched Aaron on the tractor as he expertly operated the tractor’s front-end loader and pulled up the huge corner post. I was impressed with how easy Aaron made this massive chore look – it was like pulling a toothpick out of an ant hill! I walked over and complimented him on a job well done! He shot me a subtle smile and matter-of-factly said, “I was born to do this.” I wasn’t about to argue with him because the proof was in the pudding.

His statement, “I was born to do this,” reminded me of a song that the Happy Goodman Family made popular when I was in my teens. “Born to Serve the Lord” has been recorded by various artists, but nobody sings it like Vestal Goodman. The straightforward lyrics, penned by Bud Chambers in 1959, are as follows:

“From the dust of the earth my God created man. His breath made man a living soul. And God so loved the world He gave His only Son, and that is why I love Him so. My hands were made to help my neighbor. My eyes were made to read God’s Word. My feet were made to walk in His footsteps. My body is the temple of the Lord. I was made in His likeness, created in His image. For I was born to serve the Lord. And I can’t deny Him, I’ll always walk beside Him for I was born to serve the Lord.” Believers can be like Apostle Paul who had one passion, and that was to serve Christ by serving others.

Sometimes, when a subject of interest is over my head, I’ll ask an “expert” to explain it to me as if I’m in third grade. I like to challenge the individual to put it in the simplest terms so I can understand the answer as clearly as possible. Often times, Christ followers make following Jesus more complicated by thinking they’re supposed to be doing something earth-shattering for the kingdom of God. But Jesus very simply explained how we’re supposed to live as believers.

Jesus told His disciples, “You will lead by a completely different model. The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others, because the greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one with the heart of a servant. For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served by everyone, but to serve everyone, and to give His life in exchange for the salvation of many” (Matthew 20:26-28 TPT). In our dog-eat-dog world these scriptures seem ridiculous to nonbelievers. But when we are good and helpful to others, we’re actually loving and serving God.

Believers were born to serve the Lord so, instead of being afraid that God will call us to go to Africa as missionaries, it’s more likely He’s calling us to get off the couch and do good to the people we rub shoulders with and also strangers. Jesus plainly states that, “I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. …Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:35-36,40 NKJV).

The Key: Let’s jump in with both feet and serve the Lord! We were born to do this.

Bourbon County

Bourbon County Commission Jan. 26 Meeting Agenda Summary

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The north wing, east side of the Bourbon County Courthouse.

Bourbon County Commission Meeting Agenda: January 26, 2026

Date: January 26, 2026 Time: 5:30 PM Location: Bourbon County Commission

Meeting Agenda Outline

01.26.26 Agenda

  1. Call Meeting to Order

  2. Roll Call

  3. Pledge of Allegiance

  4. Prayer

  5. Introductions

  6. Approval of Agenda

  7. Public Hearing (5:35 PM) – Vacation of Road

    • Resolution 08-26

  8. Minutes

    • Commission Minutes 01.12.26

    • Commission Minutes 01.15.26

  9. Approval of Consent Agenda

    • Accounts Payable 1.23.26 ($1,123,999.50) & 1.22.26 ($98,394.22)

    • Tax Corrections

  10. Citizen Comments

  11. Executive Session

    • K.S.A. 75-4319 (b)(1) – Motley

  12. Department Updates

    • Payroll update – Milburn-Kee

    • Courthouse Space – Lora Holdridge

    • Inventory – County Clerk

    • Commission Minutes – County Clerk

    • County Clerk Procedures

    • 2025 End of Year Financials – County Clerk

  13. Old Business

    • Sewer update – Milburn-Kee

    • Handbook Follow-ups

  14. New Business

    • Strategic Planning – Motley

    • Commission Calendar – Motley

  15. Create Agenda for Next Meeting

  16. Commission Comments

  17. Adjournment

(Agenda source: Page 1)

Detailed Information Packet Summary

Resolution 08-26: Road Vacation (Page 3)

The commission is considering the vacation of a 62′ wide by 125′ section of 267th Street located in Woodard’s addition to Garland, Kansas. This resolution follows K.S.A. 68-102, which allows for the vacation of roads consisting of less than two consecutive miles. If approved, the County Clerk is instructed to publish the resolution for two consecutive weeks in the Fort Scott Tribune.

Meeting Minutes Summary: January 12, 2026 (Pages 4–8)

  • Reorganization: The board appointed Samuel Tran as Chairman and David Beerbower as Vice Chairman.

  • Board & Liaison Assignments: Commissioners finalized their roles on various boards (e.g., Fair Board, SEK Mental Health) and department liaison duties. Greg Motley was assigned Finance, while Samuel Tran took Public Works.

  • Public Safety: Mark McCoy discussed the critical need for a trained Emergency Manager and the current status of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

  • Software Upgrade: The commission approved the purchase of “Hey Gov” software for approximately $1,100 to manage meeting agendas and minutes more efficiently.

  • Contract Approval: A contract with Schwab Eaton for annual bridge inspections was approved for a total of $43,910.

Special Meeting Minutes Summary: January 15, 2026 (Pages 9–16)

This meeting focused almost exclusively on a methodical review of the 65-page County Employee Handbook. Key updates included:

  • Elected Officials: Added language clarifying that while the handbook establishes general policies, independent elected officials maintain statutory discretion over certain operational matters in their offices.

  • Probationary Period: After debate, the commission settled on a 90-day probationary period for new employees.

  • Sick Leave Payout: A new policy was established allowing a 25% payout of sick leave for employees with at least 10 years of service.

  • Inclement Weather: Essential personnel will now receive time-and-a-half pay during courthouse closures, while non-essential staff receive regular pay.

  • Law Enforcement: Specific biweekly work schedules (86 hours) and overtime triggers were added to accommodate the Sheriff’s department.

Financials and Accounts Payable (Pages 17–81)

The packet includes extensive line-item documentation for accounts payable.

  • January 23rd Totals: $1,123,999.50. This includes significant payroll clearing accounts for various departments including the Appraiser’s office and Ambulance services.

  • January 22nd Totals: $98,394.22. Notable expenses include $19,589.36 for District Court (including courtroom hearing devices and software) and $10,443.72 for the County Treasurer’s department.

County Commission Calendar (Page 82)

The packet concludes with a 2026 statutory calendar outlining critical deadlines for tax foreclosures, budget certifications (due to the State by September 20th), and strategic planning sessions scheduled for February and March.

Obituary

Obituary of Rose Mary Bailey

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Rose Mary Bailey, 95, of Fort Scott, passed away Wednesday, January 8, 2026, at the Credo Senior Living Center in Fort Scott. She was born March 6, 1930, in Eve, Missouri, the daughter of Joseph Ray Clyburn and Edna Pauline (Weber) Clyburn. She married Arthur Leon Bailey December 18, 1949, in Garland, Kansas, and he preceded her in death on May 29, 2009.

Rose was active in Shriners Mobile Noble and Eastern Star, achieving her 75-year pin in the Topaz Chapter O.E.S. She was secretary of the bowling league, and also enjoyed playing cards.

Survivors include her son, Larry Bailey, of Fort Scott; her daughter Debra Holt and husband Randy, also of Fort Scott; six grandchildren, Justin Bailey, Jeremy Bailey, Ryan Bailey, Clint Holt, Ross Holt, and Haley Fry; twelve great-grandchildren, Dakota, Trevor, and Brayden Bailey, Madison Brothers, Shelby Bailey, Myla and Dani Bailey, Julian and Mara Fry, Rhys Holt, Knox and Eastyn Holt; two great-great-grandchildren, Kinzer and Colyns Brothers. In addition to her husband Arthur, she was also preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Margie Martin, and three brothers, Earl Clyburn, Joe Clyburn, and Donald “Bill” Clyburn.

Graveside services have been postponed due to weather. Memorial contributions may be made to Care To Share or Shriner’s Hospital and may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, KS, 66701. Friends and family may sign the online guest book and share memories at www.konantzcheney.com.

K-State Extension

Sharing the Road in the Winter by Lonnie Mengarelli

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Lonnie Mengarelli. Submitted photo.

Sharing the Road in the Winter
By Lonnie Mengarelli

Fort Scott, Kan. — As winter hay feeding and field work is ramping up in the Southwind District, I was recently reminded how dangerous our roads can be for farmers. Tractors, sprayers, and tillage equipment move steadily from pasture to pasture and field to field, often at a crawl, while motorists impatiently line up behind them. It’s a scene immortalized in the Craig Morgan hit “International Harvester,” but in real life, the stakes are much higher than a country song lyric.

I reached out to my academic advisor at Kanas State to visit with him about farm equipment on public roads.

With increased interaction between farm machinery and passenger vehicles comes an increased risk of crashes and injuries, said Ed Brokesh, assistant professor in Kansas State University’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

“When there is a collision with machinery on main roads, most of the time somebody is traveling at a higher rate of speed that greatly contrasts that piece of equipment,” Brokesh said. “That leads to rear-end or side-swipe incidents, and 39% of the time it involves a tractor.”

Wrongful passing and left-hand turns are also common causes of serious incidents. The danger, Brokesh explained, stems from the extreme size and weight difference between agricultural equipment and automobiles.

“The smaller party is the one that is going to take the brunt of the damage,” he said. “When there is harm — a fatality or an injury — it is usually to those in the pickup, car or utility vehicle.”

These realities place added responsibility on producers to ensure experienced operators are behind the wheel when equipment is on public roads. According to Brokesh, younger or less-skilled drivers are disproportionately involved in roading accidents.

“Those who are under 16 or are newly hired are more likely to get into trouble,” he said.

To reduce the likelihood of incidents, Brokesh recommends producers set minimum age requirements for employees who operate machinery on public roads.

“If someone is unfamiliar with a piece of equipment, let’s just not send them out on the road,” he said. “At a minimum, operators should have a driver’s license or learner’s permit.”

Training is equally important. Simply pointing to a tractor and telling a new hire to “go figure it out” is a recipe for disaster, Brokesh said.
“Take some time with them and explain the equipment, how it handles, and how it should be operated both in the field and on the road,” he said.

Other safety practices producers should prioritize include driving defensively, monitoring traffic in rear-view mirrors, properly marking equipment, cleaning reflectors, and replacing faulty lighting systems.

Still, Brokesh emphasized that roadway safety is a shared responsibility.

“This is a two-way street,” he said. “As an industry, we need to advocate for more training and awareness involving agricultural equipment on roads. Educating all motorists on how to safely share the road with farm machinery will lower the risk of accidents for everyone.”

For motorists and farmers alike, patience, visibility and awareness can mean the difference between a safe harvest season and a tragic one. Remember Farmers have the same right to use public roads as other vehicles. Share the road.
Lonnie Mengarelli is a K-State Research and Extension Agriculture agent assigned to Southwind District. He may be reached at [email protected] or 620-223-3720

Bourbon County

HBCAT Awarded Pathways to Healthy Kansas $100,000 Grant

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Submitted photo. Pictured are:
Jody Love, HBCAT & Rural Community Partners
Aura Brillhart, HBCAT & Rural Community Partners
Cristy Garrison Mitchell, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
Darrell Pulliam, Rural Community Partners
Taylor Bailey, Fort Scott Community College
Malinda Bailey, Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center
Jennifer Epting, City of Mapleton
Lindsay Madison, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce (HBCAT Board Member)

Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Announces Continued Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Investment and $75,000 in Implementation Awards

FORT SCOTT, KS, January 22, 2026 — In January 2025, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT) was awarded continued investment through Phase 3 of the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative, funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas®. HBCAT received a two-year, $100,000 Pathways Coordination Grant to support coalition leadership, planning, and implementation across multiple community health strategies in Bourbon County.

As part of the Phase 3 coordination process, HBCAT worked closely with its Local Health Equity Action Teams (LHEATs) to identify priority needs and recommend Pathways packages grounded in local data, lived experience, and community input. Through this community-driven process, five Pathways packages were selected for development.

Two of those packages advanced through required policy development and were subsequently awarded noncompetitive Pathways implementation grants totaling $75,000.

 

The Incubator Kitchen Package, awarded $50,000, is being implemented in partnership with The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative. Funding supports expanded access to licensed commercial kitchen space for food entrepreneurs, including a fee waiver program for income-eligible participants, equipment upgrades, outreach, and nutrition-focused programming. This work helps remove financial and structural barriers for individuals launching or growing food-based businesses while increasing access to healthy, locally produced foods in Bourbon County.

“This work is about building systems that work for real people,” said Rachel French, Co-Owner and Operating Partner of The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative. “Through our partnership with HBCAT and Pathways, we’re creating an ecosystem where food entrepreneurs can thrive, barriers are reduced, and community health and economic stability grow together.”

 

 

 

The Social Entrepreneurship Supports Package, awarded $25,000 and led by HBCAT, supports the expansion and formalization of HBCAT’s regional mentorship and Catalyst entrepreneurship programs. Funding is being used for paid local mentor stipends, participant incentives, program coordination, outreach, and technical assistance. These supports are designed to strengthen businesses whose work directly contributes to community health, including food access, behavioral health, social connectedness, and economic stability. This work is also supported through HBCAT’s Kansas Food Action Network efforts, funded by the Kansas Health Foundation, and implemented in partnership with the University of Kansas School of Business.

 

 

“For ten years, our work has focused on policy, systems, and environmental change because that is how you create lasting impact,” said Jody Love, President and CEO of HBCAT. “When communities design systems that make the healthy choice the default, individual behavior change becomes easier, more equitable, and more sustainable. These Pathways investments reflect that philosophy and the trust built through a decade of community-led work.”

In addition to these awarded packages, HBCAT continues active Pathways coordination and development on three additional initiatives. The Mapleton Multi-Modal Package focuses on improving walkability, safety, and access to physical activity in partnership with the City of Mapleton and Friends of Mapleton. The Health-Related Social Needs Package is being developed with Freeman Health System to address non-medical drivers of health such as transportation, food access, and care coordination. The Farm to School Package, in collaboration with USD 234, focuses on strengthening local food systems, agricultural education, and student access to fresh, locally grown foods.

Community members, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and local organizations interested in technical assistance, mentorship, and community support can learn more and sign up for services through HBCAT’s regional partner, Rural Community Partners, at ruralcommunitypartners.org.

Funding for these initiatives is being provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas® as part of Bourbon County’s Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant.

About Pathways to a Healthy Kansas

Pathways to a Healthy Kansas is the largest community grant program ever funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. The Pathways program provides community coalitions with the tools and resources needed to remove barriers and engage their communities in ways that improve active living, healthy eating, behavioral health, and commercial tobacco prevention. The grant funding for each community includes a coordination grant along with the opportunity to apply for noncompetitive implementation and achievement grants. For more information, visit bcbsks.com/pathways.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

For more than 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers by providing outstanding customer service while quickly and accurately processing claims, fairly administering benefit plans and contracts, offering programs, services, and tools to help members improve or maintain their health, and operating under the highest ethical standards while being good stewards of premium dollars. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state’s largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit bcbsks.com.

Licensee Disclosure

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. BLUE CROSS®, BLUE SHIELD®, and the Cross and Shield Symbols are registered service marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team is leading the Pathways initiative in Bourbon County and is not affiliated with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.

From left, Angela Simon, Jody Love, Bailey Lyons, Rachel French Submitted photos.
Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

What’s Happening In Fort Scott Jan. 23 Edition

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What’s Happening in Fort Scott! January 23rd Weekly Newsletter

RADIO AUCTION Every Wednesday & Thursday

Click HERE for details!

SAVE THE DATE!

Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Coffees

Every Thursday at 8am

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

________________

Fort Scott National Historic Site

Visit your National Park! Visitor Center and historic buildings are open Friday through Tuesday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. The grounds continue to be open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset

Click HERE to visit the website.

Click here to see all the FUN classes at The Artificers, classes for ALL ages!

BINGO hosted by the American Legion Post 25 every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month unless it falls on a holiday. Doors open at 6pm and Bingo starts at 7pm at Memorial Hall. (Taking the month of August off for BINGO & will start again in September)

KANSASWORKS in Fort Scott

Every Tuesday 9am-4pm

Office located at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, 104 N. National Ave.

620-231-4250

FS Public Library

*Wednesday Writers every Wed. @ 1:30-3pm

201 S. National Ave.

Kansas Small Business Development Center

at the Chamber, 231 E. Wall St.

Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 9am-3pm.

Grief Share Support Group – Mondays 5-7pm –
Mary Queen of Angels Church, Rm 203 –

Jan 2nd – March 30th.

$3 Tuesdays at Fort Cinema!

Follow their Facebook Page HERE for updates!

UPCOMING EVENTS

🍕 Paint & Pizza with Happy Sappy Art @ Papa Don’s Pizza

📆Saturday, January 24, 2026

🕐 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

📍 Papa Don’s Pizza — 10 N. Main St.

Details: Enjoy a fun, creative afternoon of painting while enjoying pizza! All painting supplies included, step-by-step instructions provided. Seating is limited; tickets cost $30.

❤️‍🩹 GriefShare – Grief Support Group

📆 Monday, January 26, 2026

🕐 Time: 5-7pm

📍 Mary Queen of Angels, Rm 203

Details: Weekly grief support group.

🛠️ Bourbon County Commission Meeting

📆 Monday, January 26, 2026

🕠 5:30 PM

📍 Bourbon County Commission Office/Courthouse

🛠️ FSCC Board of Trustees Meeting

📆 Monday, January 26, 2026

🕠 5:30 PM

📍 Ellis Fine Arts Center

📊 KANSASWORKS in Fort Scott (Weekly)

📆 Tuesday, January 27, 2026

🕘 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

📍 Healthy Bourbon County Action Team (HBCAT), 104 N. National Ave

Details: Workforce development services — job search and career support.

🤝 Kiwanis Weekly Meeting

📆 Tuesday, January 27, 2026

🕐 Time: 12-1pm

🏀 FSHS Tiger Basketball vs. Girard

📆 Tuesday, January 27, 2026

🕐 Time: Games starting @ 4:30pm

📍 Fort Scott High School

🎟️ $3 Tuesdays at Fort Cinema!

📆 Tuesday, January 27, 2026

🕐 All Day

📍 Fort Cinema

Details: Discount movie pricing all Tuesday.

🌮 VFW Taco Tuesday

📆 Tuesday, January 27, 2026

🕐 Time: 6pm

📍 VFW

Details: Taco night event.

✍️ Wednesday Writers at FS Public Library

📆 Wednesday, January 28, 2026

🕐 Time: 1:30-3pm

📍 Fort Scott Public Library

Details: Weekly writers group.

☕ Chamber Coffee – Friends of the Fort

📆 Thursday, January 29, 2026

🕗 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

📍 Fort Scott National Historic Site, 199 Old Fort Blvd

Details: Networking with coffee hosted by Friends of the Fort.

🌾 Kansas Day Celebration

Thursday, January 29, 2026

📆 All Day

📍 Various Locations, Fort Scott

Details: Celebration of Kansas statehood and heritage.

📚 January Book & Cook Club (Meeting 2)

📆 Thursday, January 29, 2026

🕕 6:00 PM

📍 The Kitchen C + C

Details: Book discussion paired with

culinary experience.

🐂 Bull Pen Management Workshop

📆 Thursday, January 29, 2026

🕐 Time: 6-8pm

📍 Location listed on calendar

Details: Workshop on cattle herd management fundamentals.

🥞 Little Chefs – Saturday Morning Cartoon Pancakes

📆Saturday, January 31, 2026

🕐 Time: 9-10am

📍 The Kitchen C + C

Details: Kids pancakes and cartoons morning event.

🧶 Make & Take Rug Workshop @ Papa Dons

📆 Saturday, January 31, 2026

🕐 Time: 11am

📍 Papa Dons

Details: Rug crafting workshop.

🎱 Care to Share: Colee Miller Memorial Pool Tournament – TEAMS ARE FULL

📆 Saturday, January 31, 2026

🕐 Time: 11am

📍 Local billiards venue

Details: Memorial pool tournament.

Live & Silent Auction with lots of great items!

50/50 Raffle will be drawn at 8pm

SHOPPING ~ SUPPORT LOCAL!

Boutiques-Antiques-Flea Markets & more!

Click here for Chamber member

specialty shopping & other retail in

Downtown & other areas of the community.
Fort Scott Area
Chamber of Commerce
In This Issue

Calendar of Events

Special Event Features

THANK YOU Chamber Champion members!!
Chamber Highlights
Click here for our
Membership Directory.
We THANK our members for their support! Interested in joining the Chamber?
Click here for info.
Thinking of doing business in or relocating to Fort Scott?
Contact us for a relocation packet, information on grants & incentives, and more!
Seeking a job/career?
We post a Job of the Day daily on our Facebook page, distribute a monthly job openings flyer, and post jobs on our website.
Many opportunities available!
Housing needs?
Click here for a listing of our Chamber member realtors.
Click here for our rental listing.

Upcoming Movie Schedule @ Fort Cinema
THANK YOU TO OUR CHAMBER CHAMPION MEMBERS!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
231 E. Wall Street
Fort Scott, KS 66701
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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 
Government, Kansas

U.S. Congressman Derek Schmidt Newsletter

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Rep. Derek Schmidt's header image

Friends,

Late Thursday afternoon, the House of Representatives passed the remaining annual appropriation bills – Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Transportation and Housing and Urban Development; and Homeland Security. Six of the annual bills are now signed into law and the other six have passed the House and are pending in the Senate. If the Senate is able to finish the job and pass them next week, it would mark the first time in three decades that Congress has done what it is supposed to do by passing the annual government-funding bills. I ran for Congress to help fix a system that had become badly broken, and returning to “regular order” – the process by which government funding decisions are made through annual bills written with input from the entire Congress, not just by a select few – is a big step in the right direction.

Notably, the overall effect of enacting these twelve funding bills would be to have total federal discretionary spending decline rather than increase for the first time in many years. In my view, this is another step in the right direction.

One disappointment in the appropriations work this week was not getting year-around access to E15 into the bill. I’m a strong supporter of E15 because it can bring value to Kansas farmers and much of our rural economy that are really struggling, and it could help without spending any more taxpayer money. To me, it just makes common sense to remove the government restriction on selling E15 and let consumers — not the federal government — decide whether to buy it. We have spent years working toward that goal and had hoped this would be the time it was accomplished, but late opposition kept us from finishing the job despite hours of work throughout this week. I’m still committed to fighting for year-around consumer access to E15, and we’re regrouping to carry the fight forward.

Also this week, the House considered and passed two bills that aim to support pregnant women by authorizing funds to pregnancy centers (H.R. 6945) and resources at higher education institutions to support women carrying a baby to term (H.R. 6359). I was proud to join my colleagues in passing these bills, which now will be considered by the Senate.

On Wednesday, I participated in a House Small Business Committee hearing gathering information about the boom in data center construction in our country and the opportunities and challenges it presents for rural communities. In our Second Congressional District, several communities have made data centers part of their economic development strategy, and I found the information from this hearing helpful. In my view, engaging with the community before construction decisions are made is critically important to hear concerns and address questions, and that was a perspective shared by each of the witnesses who testified.

Also this week, I participated in a House Armed Services Committee briefing on Thursday pertaining to the Defense Health Agency’s efforts to improve the military health system. It was a pleasure to discuss a new provision of law that I helped enact as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act that directs the Department of Veterans Affairs and military medical facilities to cooperate to improve access to healthcare for veterans as well as military personnel and their families. Our focus in particular is on Irwin Army Community Hospital at Fort Riley, which has the opportunity to be at the forefront of expanded partnership.

Out of the headlines this week was this good news: General Motors announced this production of the Buick Envision will from China to Kansas City, Kansas. This is another success story in the ongoing work to bring home American investment and jobs to the United States, and I’m very happy the Second Congressional District is benefiting from this move.
Constituent Services

My team stands ready to help Kansans in the Second Congressional District who are dealing with unresolved federal issues. This includes assistance with the VA, Social Security, the IRS, and other federal agencies.

 

If you are experiencing an issue with a federal agency and need assistance, please call my office at (785) 205-5253 or fill out the form on our website.

It’s always good to be home to meet with Kansans around our district. From last weekend to the beginning of this week, I visited Neodesha to discuss rural healthcare issues at Wilson Medical Center and the opportunities presented by the Rural Health Transformation Program we created last year that is providing an additional $222 million for Kansas rural healthcare providers this year; Fort Scott to receive an update on happenings and needs at the Fort Scott National Historic Site and to meet with the new president of Fort Scott Community College; Atchison for a legislative townhall with local residents; Pittsburg to visit the terrific new childcare facility in the community; and Kansas City to join in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. Thank you for the opportunity to visit with you all!
 

 

Bourbon County Local News