Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: April 26, 2022
1st District–Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District–Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________
3rd District–Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk–Ashley Shelton
MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM
Call to Order
• Flag Salute
• Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
• Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
• County Counselor Comment
o Elm Creek
• Susan Bancroft, Finance Director Comment
o ARPA Compliance
o Transient Guest Tax
o EMS Equipment Request
o Lease Purchase Bid for Crusher
o March Financials
o Executive Session – KSA 75–4319(b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property
• Public Comment
• Elected Officials Comment
• Commission Comment
Obituary of Estelle Cox
Estelle Cox, age 81, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, took her Heavenly Father by the hand and went home to Heaven on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at the Guest Home Estates in Ft. Scott.
She was born May 3, 1940, in Lutz, Tennessee, the daughter of LeRoy White and Myrtle Petty White.
Estelle first married Arthur I. Gibbs. Together they had two daughters, April and Sandy. Arthur preceded her in death on September 24, 1990.
She later married Robert S. Cox on November 13, 1998.
He passed away on February 17, 2012.
Estelle was a woman of faith, and her family finds comfort knowing that she is in Heaven with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Survivors include her daughters, April Jacobs (Trevor) and Sandy Gibbs all of Ft. Scott; six grandchildren, Cody (Olivia), Johnathan (Kerri), Gage, Abby, Kolby and Kyra and three great-grandsons, Jason, Luke and Nathan. Also surviving are two sisters, Lynn Reynolds, Maryland Heights, Missouri and Nell Welch (Doug), Pilot Knob, Missouri and two sisters-in-law, Dot White, Louisburg, Kansas and Tita White, Florissant, Missouri and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by four brothers, James, Bobby, Roland and Roy White.
Trevor Jacobs will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Friday, April 29th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
The family will receive friends on Friday from 9:00 A.M. until service time at the chapel.
Following services, there will be cremation and private burial will take place in the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Hospital and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 666701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Death Notice For Patricia Payne
Patricia Kay Payne, age 80, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Thursday, April 21, 2022, at Medicalodge of Ft. Scott.
Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday, April 27th, in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the Cheney Witt Chapel from 10:00 AM until leaving for the cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to either Integrity Hospice or Medicalodge Activity Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.
Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
USD234 Press Release
NEWS RELEASE
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 424 S. Main for a special board meeting on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 5:30 p.m.
The board went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and returned to open meeting. Board members approved the following employment matters:
A. Retirement of David Brown, Fort Scott Middle School Principal, effective July 1, 2022
B. Resignation of Ted Hessong, Superintendent, effective June 30, 2022
C. Resignation of Nina Merriman-Reed, middle school paraprofessional, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year
D. Change of title for Dalaina Smith, Director of Academics, to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the 2022-23 school year
E. Work schedule adjustment for Staci Sinn-Black, technician, to include two periods of teaching middle school Business Essentials for the 2022-23 school year
F. Addition of a special education early childhood teaching position for the 2022-23 school year
G. Adjustment in a middle school half-time teacher aide position to a full-time teacher aide position for the 2022-23 school year
The board adjourned.
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 424 S. Main for a second special board meeting on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 6:48 p.m.
The board went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and returned to open meeting.
The board adjourned.
Brenner: Other Stories Need To Be Told
In 2019, a group of representatives from Fort Scott National Historic Site, Gordon Parks Museum, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Fort Scott Community College, Bourbon County Historic Preservation Assn. and other partners, began work on a grant proposal.
The project title is Student Researched Unsung African American Heroes of Bourbon County.
The proposal idea came from Carl Brenner, who has been the Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management at FSNHS since 2018.
The idea for a grant proposal came “from the dark recesses of my mind,” Brenner said.
“The fort has told the stories of white (mostly male) people coming….but Native American, women and African American stories need to be brought into the story.” he said.
“This project is funded through the National Park Service to work with community youth to uncover those stories that are little known or untold or under told,” he said. “It is a partnership with the Park, the Gordon Park Museum, Fort Scott High School, and Fort Scott Community College.”
“Our historian, Dominic Henry, and other local volunteers, will assist students to research local African American leaders and those who fought for or ushered in change in our community and beyond,” Brenner said. “Once they have completed their research, they will create videos and social media posts to share their newly found stories in their own ‘voice’ to better connect with other youth.”
Those videos and social media posts will be shared on the park’s web and social media platforms and also shared by the Gordon Parks Museum, Fort Scott High School, and Fort Scott Community College.
“As the project is wrapping up, we will work with all of the partners to develop exhibits to share these stories and the student’s work with our visitors,” Brenner said.
“Through small stories like these, the hope is to have conversations about equality and equity and discuss the history and what we have learned from it,” Brenner said.
A kick-off for the project was planned for April 25, but due to unforeseen circumstances will need to be rescheduled, Brenner said.
Brenner is Acting Superintendent Since March
Brenner recently has been designated as the FSNHS Acting Superintendent, since former Superintendent Betty Boyko left in March 2022. He is also Acting Superintendent of Fort Larned National Historic Site and also providing guidance and training to Nicodemus National Historic Site.
The park phone number is 620-223-0310, its website https://www.nps.gov/fosc/index.htm
Fort Scott National Historic Site Schedule of Annual Events
Civil War Encampment – April 23
Experience artillery, cavalry and infantry troops preparing for battle. Hear, see, and smell history come to life in a weekend of living history demonstrations and stories.
Symbols of Sacrifice – Memorial Day Weekend:
Approximately 7,000 flags commemorate the ultimate sacrifice members of the United States Armed Forces have made to keep this country free.
Good Ol’ Days – First Friday-Saturday of June:
Relive yesteryear in a town-wide celebration of Fort Scott’s history. Each year a different historical theme will be highlighted.
Independence Day Celebration – July 4th Weekend:
This holiday weekend feature talks, tours, demonstrations, and living history programs about Fort Scott’s role in pivotal events of American History in the place where they happened!
Labors of the Fort – Labor Day Weekend:
Learn about the jobs and tasks vital to the survival of the fort. Rangers and volunteers demonstrate skills and trades of the 1840’s.
Naturalization Ceremony – September 23:
Reflect on the privileges of US citizenship as you witness new citizens take the oath of allegiance to their newly ad- opted country.
Veterans Day Programs – Veteran’s Day Weekend:
Flags honoring our nation’s veterans will be on display and we will host discussions around service and the meaning of service.
Candlelight Tour – December 2-3:
1,000 candle lanterns illuminate the site as reenactors (including you) bring the fort to life. Ticket sales begin November 1st.
Ted Hessong Resigns as Superintendent
USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong resigned last evening at a special meeting of the board of education, effective the end of the school year, June 30, 2022.
A search is underway by the district for a new superintendent.
“The Kansas Association of School Boards in coordination with the Ft. Scott school district is conducting an online survey to seek community input on desired characteristics of the next superintendent. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.
The survey will close at 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, April 27,’ according to a press release from board clerk Gina Shelton.
Obituary of Helen Harper
Helen Louise Harper, 95, of Uniontown, passed away Wednesday evening April 20, 2022, at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg. She was born February 18, 1927, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Carl William and Sophia Mary (Leitz) Eshelbrenner. She married Floyd Gilbert Harper on January 18, 1953, in Fort Scott, and he preceded her in death August 18, 2019.
Helen was a Registered Nurse and a homemaker. She loved to sing, solve crossword puzzles, and play games like Dominos, Uno, and other card games. She liked to watch KU Basketball, the Royals and Chiefs, and she loved to watch her kids and grandkids play sports. Helen’s goodbyes always included saying “watch out for the deer.”
Helen is survived by her three sons, Danny Harper and wife Tina of Hepler, Kansas, Dennis Harper and wife Carolyn of Fort Scott, Kansas, Dale Harper and wife Jody, also of Fort Scott, Kansas; a daughter, Joyce Strawn and husband Scott of Omaha, Texas; a brother, Bob Eshelbrenner and wife Barbara of Derby, Kansas; eight grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband Floyd, Helen was also preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, Carl, Jr., Albert, Jack, and Billy; four sisters, Betty, Esther, Joan, and Mary Sue; and two grandchildren.
Bob Martin will officiate graveside services at 10:30 a.m. on Monday April 25, 2022, at the Uniontown Cemetery under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. The family will then have a Celebration of Life at the Uniontown Community Center following services. Memorial contributions may be made to the Horton House Activities Fund, and may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kansas, 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.
Town-Wide Garage Sale May 6-7
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What’s Happening in Fort Scott April 22 Newsletter
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High Energy Costs Expected to Remain
KCC alerts utility customers that high energy costs are forecast to continue nationwide due to increased commodity price volatility
TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) is alerting consumers that energy prices are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future based on current national forecasts. This will likely increase the cost to cool homes and businesses this summer and heat them this winter. Now is the time to take steps to weatherize your home and undertake energy efficiency investments as you are able.
Like many other energy and commodity prices, monthly wholesale natural gas prices have recently increased to levels not seen in the United States since September 2008. Wholesale electricity prices have increased as well. On April 18, the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) futures price for natural gas climbed to nearly $8/MMBtu (Metric Million British thermal units) for May and June, with prices over $8/MMBtu for the rest of this year and upcoming winter. For context, natural gas prices regularly traded in the $2-$3/MMBtu range for much of the last decade.
Wholesale prices for natural gas are based on supply and demand and are not regulated, a decision made by the U.S. Congress in the 1980s. Accordingly, these costs are often outside the direct control of energy providers, and are passed through to the end consumer outside of a rate case without markup or profit. It is important to note that the pass through energy costs are audited by KCC audit staff to make sure customers only pay the actual wholesale energy costs that their utility provider pays, again without markup or profit.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released its Short-Term Energy Outlook indicating energy price forecasts for the rest of the year are subject to heightened levels of uncertainty from factors such as the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine, decisions of OPEC+, and the rate at which U.S. Oil and Natural Gas producers increase drilling in response to higher prices.
The Commission has launched an online resource to provide additional information, help consumers minimize the impact, and find financial and weatherization assistance. The information is available at https://kcc.ks.gov/
