The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office investigated a report of a rape, kidnapping, aggravated indecent liberties of a juvenile, and intimidation of a 13-year-old female witness/victim on June 29.
On June 30 Ryan Burgin, 26, Fort Scott, the suspect, was located at a residence in the 1000 block of 195th Street.
Deputies attempted to contact the suspect when an arrest warrant was issued. Burgen refused to leave the resident, and a negotiator with the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. Following 30 minutes of discussion with Burgin, he exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident.
Burgin will go before a judge for due process and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The sheriff’s office personnel thanks the Kansas Highway Patrol Special Response Team, the Fort Scott Police Department and the Bourbon County Emergency Medical Services.
A meeting of the Industrial Development Research Committee will be held on July 1, 2024 immediately following the Bourbon County Commission Meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. This meeting will be held in the Commission Room of the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Ave. Fort Scott, KS 66701.
This is a series featuring those who are candidates for the upcoming August Primary Election.
This is part of the series featuring the seven candidates running for Bourbon County Commission.
Jim Harris, 2nd District Bourbon County Commissioner, and current chair.
Jim Harris, 69, Fort Scott, is the incumbent District 2 Commissioner.
He attended Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Community College.
Harris has 34 years of experience in government. Duties with the city: planning and zoning administrator, codes director, and special public projects. With the county: sanitary inspector, emergency preparedness director, and public works director.
He has been married 52 years. “I have two wonderful sons and a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons one at Fort Scott Community College and one grandson is a Fort Scott Tiger.”
“Having served both the City of Fort Scott and the County for most of my professional life, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact of commissioners’ decisions on every aspect of our county’s functioning,” he said. “From my tenure in various managerial capacities within the city to my time with the county’s Public Works department, I have cultivated a deep understanding of our community’s needs and challenges.”
The most pressing issue of the commission? In these challenging times, with significant projects and economic intricacies at play, it’s vital to prioritize sound fiscal stewardship and resolute leadership. I assure the constituents of District 2 that I’ll continue to serve them with the same dedication and determination that has marked my time in office thus far.”
Brandon Whisenhunt, Submitted photo.
Brandon Whisenhunt has lived in Mapleton with his wife Becky for over 24 years and they have four children. He was recently selected to replace Nelson Blythe as District 1 Commissioner.
He graduated from Uniontown High School and then served the country and was deployed to Iraq twice as an equipment operator and mechanic.
As part of community service, he helps organize the Mapleton Homecoming Celebration every year.
“I currently work for WM in Kansas City, Kansas as a trash truck technician,” he said.
“I believe the role of government is to protect the citizens and be a good steward of the tax dollars,” he said. “As District 1 Commissioner we have many things going on, first is the solar panel companies we have to find a good solution for those.”
“Second, is fighting Pikes Reservoir. No one wants it, so we need to do what we can to move it somewhere else in the county,” he said.
Clifton Beth, incumbent District 3 Commissioner, did not respond to the questions sent via email.
Clinton Walker, running for District 1 Commissioner, could not be reached for an interview.
My son came home on his day off to do some chores for me. I had a “to-do list” for him and I could tell he enjoyed marking off the tasks as he completed them. I’d suspected that my 29-year-old dishwasher might possibly have a tiny leak, so Aaron removed the front panels to get a good look at everything. There was no apparent leak, but we found icky gooey things and major calcium buildup. In the words of my mom, “I can’t tell it bad enough.” Both of us were appalled and decided that just because the appliance still worked didn’t mean it wasn’t time for a new one! Although the dishwasher still functioned and the exterior looked great, the hidden workings of it were disgusting and unacceptable. It reminds me of Phyllis Diller’s standup comedy when she said her oven was so dirty she could only bake one cupcake at a time.
Jesus had a few things to say about washing the dishes. He was emphasizing that true righteousness and authenticity come from within, not in outward appearances. He was not pleased with how the teachers of religious law and Pharisees were conducting their lives. “How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You clean the outside of the cup and dish. But on the inside you are full of greed. You only want to satisfy yourselves” (Matthew 23:25 NIRV). This scripture is a serious call for all believers to continually examine our hearts and motives rather than focusing only on our actions. Genuine inner purity and integrity is more important than outer actions.
My family and some friends recently attended a Christian comedian show together. A few of us in the combined group didn’t know each other, so there were some introductions before the show started. My friend, Tami, looked at my son and adamantly said, “He looks like you!“ I said, “Yeah, it’s the beard.“
It’s been said that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Outward appearances are not a reliable indication of the true character of someone. I find it interesting that the way an individual looks can be revealing or misleading. Generally speaking, we’re all too quick to judge by first impressions. The following is a personal incident dating back to 1979 when I worked in Springfield. I hadn’t been friends with Marilyn, a coworker, very long when she came clean regarding her first impression of me. She said, “When I first saw you, I didn’t like you. I thought you were stuck-up…just by the way you walked. But when you opened your mouth, I knew you weren’t.” I thought her misconception of me, a simple country girl at heart, was fascinating. Apparently, my confident stride on the outside was mistaken for being stuck-up. But the friendly way I talked came from the inside and, thankfully, she changed her opinion after she heard my hillbilly lingo.
Jesus continues his weighty lesson on washing the dishes: “You are blind and deaf to your evil. Shouldn’t the one who cleans the outside also be concerned with cleaning the inside? You need to have more than clean dishes; you need clean hearts!” (Matthew 23:26 TPT). The inside heart is more important than outside appearances. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).
The Key: Keep your heart in pristine condition for it determines whether your dishes are clean or dirty.
ATTENTION: Broadway from 5th to 6th street will be closed until further notice due to a sinkhole developing, due to the storm drain collapsing, in this area of the road. Please use an alternate route when traveling in this area. City crews will be closing this section of Broadway off shortly. All residents in this block will have access to their houses, please use 6th street when entering your residence.
I will continue to update citizens on our findings.
Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience in advance,
The above link is an article published by State Affairs/Hawver’s Capitol Report and written by Matt Resnick, a former Fort Scott Tribune reporter. https://stateaffairs.com/author/mresnick/
It is a story on former Fort Scott Community College President Alysia Johnston who retired in April 2023 as FSCC President.
Now that the gardens are planted and things are growing, gardeners should be on the look-out for insect pests.
If you are having difficulty with insect, the first thing you need to do is determine exactly what insect pest you are dealing with. To figure this out, start by looking at the type of damage being caused to the plant.
Most pests that feed on vegetable plants have either chewing or sucking mouthparts which each produce different types of feeding damage. For example, insect pests with chewing mouthparts feed on leaves, stems, flowers, fruits and roots. They physically remove plant tissue while feeding. This type of pest will often leave physical evidence of their feeding as well – such as the tomato horn worm.
Insect pests with sucking mouthparts feed on plant juices causing stunting, wilting, leaf distortion and leaf yellowing. An example of this is aphids. They also leave behind physical evidence in the form of honeydew – a clear, sticky substance on plant surfaces.
Scouting plants for insects is an important part of gardening and should be done often. I know many gardeners browse through their plants every day and that is great! It is important to find insect pests as soon as possible. Inspect the top of the leaves as well as the underside of the leaves. The underside is where most insect pests will be found.
Once pests are found, again it is very important to get them correctly identified. Caterpillars, beetles and bugs can be removed from plants quickly and easily by handpicking and then placing them into a container of soapy water. Aphids and mites can actually be dislodged off of plants with a forceful spray of water.
Pesticides can also be used and those labeled for vegetable gardens work in one of two ways – they either kill insects on contact or act as stomach poisons. But again, you need to know what insect you are targeting before application of chemical control. Many times, at the first sight of a pest, gardeners get excited and search the cabinet for some type of product to use. This is not the best approach to take! Beneficial insects can be killed using this tactic.
Speaking of beneficial insects, they actually prey on other insects and mites. Examples include parasitic wasps, ladybird beetles and green lacewings. Beneficial insects can even be encouraged to remain in a garden area by planting specific plants to attract them. The plants need to be placed in or around the perimeter of the garden. Examples of plants include dill, fennel, coneflower, yarrow and garlic chives.
If gardeners do not want to used pesticides, there are other practices to keep insect pressure down in the garden. Healthy plants are less likely to be attacked by insects. Plants that receive too much or too little water are more susceptible to insect pests. The same is true for fertilizer use – too much or too little will cause problems. Keep weeds down too as weedy areas are just a good place for aphids, mites and leafhoppers to congregate.
As you scout for insects in the garden, if you come across one that you cannot identify, the Extension office can help! Insects can be brought into one of our four office locations or pictures can be e-mailed. Remember, it is very important to know what pest you are targeting before pesticides are used.
Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Horticulture agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Starlite FCE held its June meeting at the Presbyterian Village Community Room. Twelve members and five guests were in attendance. President Glenda Miller opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and led the group in the Club Collect. The members reported that they had volunteered thirty hours and had recycled one hundred and ninety pounds.
Donna Strickland shared with the club the replicas of the flags that have flown over the United States which she had made. Glenda Miller presented the history of each flag while Taylor Bailey displayed them.
Glenda also recognized Birthdays for June and July, which were Joyce Allen, Doris Ericson, Betty Johnson Bernita Hill and Jackie Warren. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. Doris Ericson presented the Treasurer’s report, Deb Lust moved we accept the Treasurer’s report, Claudia Wheeler seconded, motion carried. Glenda reminded the Club that the State Meeting will be October 7-9 in Chanute this year.
Karen Peery passed out Operation Christmas Child boxes and Glenda handed out a list of items that can be placed in the boxes. We will be collecting the boxes at our October meeting.
Glenda also announced that she had placed a Tri-fold display at Hedge Hog Inc. about Flags, which is on display in their History Room. Plans for the Clubs entries in the Hay Bale and Scarecrow contest were discussed as well as sign-up sheets to help at the fair were passed around.
Joyce Allen moved the meeting be adjourned, Doris Ericson seconded the motion, meeting adjourned.
Glenda Miller presented the lesson on Citizenship after the meeting. She reminded us that one set of rules apply to all and that we the people make the rules through our elected officials. A good citizen takes action and votes. We must be informed to make a discission. She also informed us on proper flag etiquette then Myra Jowers and Deb Lust preformed the Flag folding ceremony
Refreshments of Red White and Blue Pie, Fruit Pizza, nuts, chocolates and water were provided by Letha Johnson and LeAnna Taylor and enjoyed by all.
