Obituary

Obituary of Robert Stone

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Robert (Bob) Lee Stone passed away on January 7, 2022, in Overland Park, KS from Parkinson’s disease. Bob was born September 22, 1941, in Louisville, Kentucky to Robert Thomas and Elsie Burr Payne Stone. His siblings include twin sister Beverly Ann Stone Felton, and brother Stephen Bruce Stone.

 Bob graduated from Bartlett High School in Memphis, TN.  He continued his education at Northwest Mississippi Community College and Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Business Administration and Industrial Arts.

Inducted into the Army in May 1966, Bob served in Korea during the Vietnam War.   He was honorably discharged in May 1968

. He was married to Virginia Ann Vincent May 10, 1968, to August 1989.  They had twin sons, Robert Bryant, and Vincent Barrett. 

  On January 1,1996 he married Pamela Sue Vineyard.

 Bob spent the majority of his working career in the garment industry in various locations and finished his career with Key Industries in Fort Scott, KS.    

Bob loved Jesus and was active in the Baptist church in the various communities he lived as a Sunday School teacher, camp counselor, and participated in mission trips.   

He leaves behind his wife Pam, son Bryant of Muscle Shoals, AL and son Barrett and wife Katherine of Florence, AL, and three grandsons, Rett, Ren, and Rowan, his sister Ann, two nieces and a nephew, several great-nieces and nephews, and great, great-nieces and nephew. 

His loved ones who preceded him in death were his parents, Bob and Elsie, his brother, Steve, and his nephew Johnny Felton. 

Celebration of Life service will be held at Cheney Witt Funeral Chapel, Fort Scott, Kansas at 9:30 a.m. Friday, January 14th, with burial service at Fort Scott National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. 

  Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Baptist Church of Overland Park, KS, First Baptist Church in Fort Scott, KS, or charity of donor’s choice and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

COVID-19, Fort Scott, Government, Health Care, Schools

Fort Scott’s Middle School: Masks Required

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USD 234 Board of Education Building, 424 S. Main
USD234 Superintendent Ted Hessong said in an email that as of Friday, January 7, the school district had 29 student active cases and nine staff cases.

 He gave the statistics of the number of COVID positive students and staff/total number of students and staff in a building as of Friday:

Fort Scott High School= 1.52%
Fort Scott Middle School= 2.26%
Eugene Ware Elementary School = 1.88%
Winfield Scott Elementary School= 1.30%
USD 234 Preschool = 2.00%
“According to the district’s gaiting criteria, any building that has a positivity rate over two percent and the community spread is over 30 new cases, that building will need to wear masks until the positivity rate falls below 2%,” Hesson said.  “Therefore, the middle school is required to wear masks at this time until the building positivity rate falls below 2%.  The preschool is not required to wear masks at this time because they have a lower student/staff population, but we are monitoring that building’s numbers.”
The school district has provided a way to follow  USD 234’s COVID Attendance Dashboard, he said, and this information is updated daily in the afternoon.
To view the state’s COVID-19 data:
Kansas has had 566,000 cases of the virus and 7,124 deaths. Bourbon County has had 3,192 cases and 44 deaths reported, according to https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=latest+covid+stats+for+bourbon+county+ks
from the New York Times.
Government, Kansas

Virtual Job Fair for Open Positions

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Kansas Department of Commerce Hosting Virtual Job Fair for Open Positions

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today encouraged job seekers to participate in the January 12 KANSASWORKS Virtual Job Fair, which will feature openings at the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The virtual job fair will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 12, and allow job seekers to easily live chat and conduct interviews with Human Resources team members on computers, tablets and mobile devices. Job candidates also will be able to upload their resumes to their Virtual Job Fair account.

Click here to register for the Virtual Job Fair.

“We have an outstanding team at the Department of Commerce, with motivated and talented individuals doing an extraordinary job every day serving the people of Kansas,” Lieutenant Governor/Secretary Toland said. “We’re looking for new team members who are eager to contribute to our mission of advancing economic growth and prosperity across the state.”

The Jan. 12 job fair will seek to fill the following positions at Commerce: Director of Marketing and Communications; Communications Coordinator for the Marketing-Communications Division; Program Manager for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program; Main Street Design Specialist for Kansas Main Street; Website and Database Manager for the Tourism Division; and other openings.

Numerous virtual job fairs have been organized by Commerce since the pandemic started, serving as a safe and convenient way to successfully connect Kansas job seekers and employers.

Any individual with a disability may request accommodations for this or future job fairs by contacting their nearest workforce center at (877) 509-6757 prior to the event.

About KANSASWORKS

KANSASWORKS links businesses, job candidates and educational institutions to ensure that employers can find skilled workers. Services are provided to employers and job candidates through the state’s 27 workforce centers, online or virtual services KANSASWORKS is completely free for all Kansans to use.  Learn more at kansasworks.com.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas in 2021 was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award and was named Site Selection Magazine’s Best Business Climate in the West North Central region of the United States. Find the Department’s strategic plan for economic growth here: Kansas Framework for Growth.

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

K-State Garden Hour – 2022 Line-Up

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Krista Harding
District Extension Agent, Horticulture
Southwind Extension District
111 S. Butler
Erie, KS 66733
Office: 620-244-3826
Cell: 620-496-8786

K-State Garden Hour – 2022 Line-Up

If you haven’t participated in the K-State Garden Hour in the past, plan to start this year! The K-State Garden Hour began in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for K-State Research and Extension horticulture experts to share research-based information to gardeners of all abilities and experience. Due to the overwhelming success, the K-State Garden Hour continued through 2021 and is gearing up for this year!

The 2022 lineup has been announced and it is full of great topics. Each program is held online from 12 noon to 1 p.m. (CST), including a 45-minute presentation and 10-15 minutes for viewer questions.

“We are excited to offer a new round of webinars in 2022, based on the topics our participants requested most,” said Matthew McKernan, a K-State Research and Extension horticulture agent in Sedgwick County. “There’s no better time than the cold, winter months to be planning for next year’s garden. That’s why, whether you are wanting to grow more produce from next year’s garden, or redesign your landscape next year, our K-State Garden Hour webinars will kick off the new year to will get your garden started right in 2022.”  

A one-time registration gives viewers free access to all of the 2022 sessions, which include: 

  • Feb. 2 – Indoor Seed Starting. 
  • March 2 – Landscape Design 101. 
  • April 6 – Pollinator Plans for Continuous Food Sources. 
  • May 4 – New and Improved Annual Flower Varieties. 
  • June 1 – Organic Pest Management for Vegetable Gardens. 
  • July 6 – Growing Culinary Mushrooms at Home. 
  • Aug. 3 – Landscaping for Wildlife. 
  • Sept. 7 – Recommended Trees for Kansas. 
  • Oct. 5 – Improving Soil Health in the Landscape and Garden. 
  • Nov. 2 – Wildlife Damage Prevention and Control in the Lawn and Garden. 
  • Dec. 7 – Accessible Gardening for All. 

In 2021, the K-State Garden Hour was watched by viewers in 39 states, five countries and four continents. Between February and December, the program drew 16,326 viewers, including a single-session high of 1,034 live viewers for a workshop on container gardening. 

To register for this free, on-line series, visit: http://www.ksre-learn.com/KStateGardenHour  

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.

Opinion

Hide and Theek by Carolyn Tucker

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Carolyn Tucker. Submitted photo.

Keys to the Kingdom

My daughter Mariam had asked if I could watch the girls while she attended a doula-client appointment.

Lydia Mae is 7 years old, Felicity 5, and Vivienne 2. When I entered their house, all three granddaughters greeted me with smiles and hugs.

Immediately, Vivienne looked at me and said, “I want to play hide and theek.“ Felicity focused her big green eyes on mine and warned, “She can only count to four, so you better hide quick.” Vivienne started counting and I dashed to the bathroom, got in the tub, and stood behind the open bathroom door. After counting, Vivienne chose not to look in the bathroom and headed down the hall. Lydia Mae saw me through the crack in the door and coaxed Vivienne into the bathroom. She entered, walked straight to the toilet, and looked in. I then heard Lydia Mae exclaim, “She won’t be in the toilet.”

Vivienne was simply covering all the bases because she was determined to find me…wherever I might be.

Many scriptures tell us to seek God, however, I don’t believe He’s hiding. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT).

All who really want God will find Him. As believers, we should have a continuous lifelong desire to revere and worship God. Seeking God means studying His Word, listening for His voice, praying, and obeying.

“The Seeker,“ written and recorded by Dolly Parton, was released in 1975 and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Country singles chart. She shared that this song was her heart-to-heart “talk with God.“ Some of the lyrics are: “I am a seeker and You are a teacher, You are a reacher so reach down. Reach out and lead me, guide me, and keep me in the shelter of Your care each day. ‘Cause I am a seeker and You are a keeper. You are the Leader won’t You show me the way.“ The songwriter may have used the following scripture as her foundational inspiration: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need” (Luke 12:31 NLT).

I’m all for reading good books in order to gain insight into areas that need improvement or further understanding. But if believers are not reading and obeying The Good Book as our #1 resource, we’re headed for trouble.

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure My commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT).

God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. However, the following scripture states the reason why we may not have certain things: “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2 AMP). He promises to give wisdom and understanding to those humble enough to ask.

If believers could truly comprehend that wisdom is of greater value than money or stuff, we could be walking in high cotton.

God’s children need wisdom to live victoriously in Christ, so seek His face and ask for insight and understanding.

The Key: Be a lifelong seeker of God and you’ll have everything you need.

Opinion

New Tax Information by Gregg Motley

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Gregg Motley. President of the Regional Economic Development, Inc. Submitted photo.

New Tax Information

Tax and population data is out for the State of Kansas, and the news is not great for the Southeast region (“SEK”). Take a look at the following chart which compares recent statistics of ten SEK counties:

2020

SEK CO

Ave. Levy

Assessed Valuation

RE Tax Collected

Total Indebtedness

State Sales & Use Tax

Pop.

Pop. Change Fr: 2010

Allen

165.46

$146,805,344

$24,290,135

$75,368,802

$13,591,758

12,526

-6.3%

Andersn

157.31

$102,604,431

$16,140,605

$56,970,915

$6,753,171

7,836

-3.3%

Bourbon

177.71

$110,449,986

$19,628,242

$74,703,182

$12,359,701

14,360

-5.4%

Chrokee

126.63

$183,227,294

$23,201,518

$89,831,807

$13,122,232

19,362

-10.4%

Crawfrd

140.53

$283,005,938

$39,771,012

$103,816,059

$39,673,559

38,242

-0.4%

Labette

182.10

$140,643,679

$25,611,206

$77,859,089

$17,756,922

20,184

-6.6%

Linn

114.72

$276,085,698

$31,672,158

$55,630,275

$7,384,659

9,591

-0.7%

Montgy

168.61

$319,796,651

$53,919,647

$178,713,713

$32,637,872

31,486

-11.2%

Neosho

184.67

$131,908,705

$24,359,925

$131,369,383

$18,528,447

15,904

-3.7%

Woodsn

170.58

$39,443,799

$6,728,368

$1,703,681

$1,860,797

3,183

-5.9%

Average

158.832

$173,397,153

$26,532,282

$84,596,691

$16,366,912

17,267

-5.4%

The bad news is that SEK loses about 83 people a year, about 8 of which move out of Bourbon County. The good news is that Bourbon County had the highest average levy a few years ago, and now is down to 3rd out of the 10 counties; our levy has been lowered slightly in recent years, while surrounding counties have continued to increase theirs. Additionally, our countywide debt is lower than the average SEK county.

Notice that two of the three counties with the lowest average levies experienced the lowest percentage of population loss. The exception is Cherokee County, which is experiencing other cultural issues; additionally, their levy is low because their assessed valuation is relatively high.

The two challenges ahead for Bourbon County are to raise our total assessed valuation by attracting new construction, and continuing to lower the mill levy until we are not in the upper half of this list. We cannot think about competing with the rest of Kansas and Western Missouri for economic development if we do not compare well with our neighbors in SEK. These two objectives will be the focus of Bourbon County REDI in the coming years.

Obituary

Obituary of John Rodabaugh

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John L. Rodabaugh, age 74, a former resident of Pittsburg, Kansas and more recently of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Thursday, January 6, 2022, at the Freeman West Hospital in Joplin, Missouri.

He was born February 17, 1947, in Pittsburg, the son of Roy Rodabaugh and Anna Mae Westerlin Rodabaugh.  John graduated from the Pittsburg High School and then served with the United States Army during the Vietnam War.  He had worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as a track foreman for thirty years.

John married Hope Hall Gage on July 6, 1996, at Ft. Scott.  He was a member of the Marvin Armstrong Masonic Lodge #187 of Pittsburg, the Scottish Rite and the Mirza Shrine.

John enjoyed coon hunting, fishing and raising fighting roosters.  He attended the Open Door Church in Pittsburg.

Survivors include his wife, Hope, of the home; a daughter, Johanna Strum (Joshua) of Walnut, Kansas; two step-sons, Troy Gage (Barbara) of Columbus, Kansas and Jason Gage (Melissa) of Louisburg, Kansas and ten grandchildren, Tommy, Pixie, Brayden, Danielle, Johnathan, Bryce, Devin, Brock, Danny and Deacon.

John was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Roberta Hurlbert and a step-son, Tom Gage II.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, January 12th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial with military honors will follow in the Centerville Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Shrine Transportation Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Bourbon County, Government

Dawson Mitchell To Appear on January 20 For Preliminary Hearing For Double Murder

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The double murder case in Bourbon County is moving forward with the defendant, Dawson Mitchell, scheduled to appear on January 20 in a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. at the Bourbon County District Court, according to information provided by John P. Milburn, Public Information Officer for the Office of Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Mitchell is charged with killing his mother and step-father with a gun stolen from his father, and is currently an inmate in the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center, Fort Scott.

The Bourbon County Courthouse.

The case is being prosecuted by attorneys with the Kansas Criminal Litigation Division of the Office of the Attorney General at the request of the Bourbon County Attorney. The case number is 2021-CR-588.

Charges are merely accusations; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, according to the document provided.

The following are the charges against Mitchell.

The State of Kansas versus Dawson James Mitchell case alleges that

Count 1
On or about the 21st day of December 2021, in Bourbon County, Kansas, Dawson James Mitchell did unlawfully, feloniously, intentionally, and with premeditation, kill Melissa Hays Mitchell, which is murder in the first degree.

Count 2
On or about December 21,  2021, in Bourbon County, Dawson  Mitchell did unlawfully, feloniously, intentionally, and with premeditation, kill Leonard Zimmerman, which is murder in the first degree.

Count 3
On or between December 19 and December 21, 2021, in Bourbon County,   Mitchell, did unlawfully and knowingly possess a firearm, a Walther 9 mm handgun, and within five years preceding such possession was convicted of the distribution of a controlled substance. He was not found to have owned a firearm at the time of the prior crime, and has not had the prior conviction expunged or been pardoned for such crime. The charge is criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Count 4
On or between  December  19, 2021, and December 21, 2021 in Bourbon County,  Mitchell, exerted unauthorized control over property: a Walther 9 mm handgun, with the intent to permanently deprive the owner Jerald Mitchell, of the possession, use, or benefit of the property of a value of less than $25,000. The charge is theft of a firearm.

Count 5
On or about  December 19-21 2021 in Bourbon County,   Mitchell did unlawfully and knowingly possess a weapon; which was a Puma pocketknife, and within five years preceding such possession was convicted of the distribution of a controlled substance. He has not had the prior conviction expunged or been pardoned for such crime. The charge is an aggravated weapon violation by a convicted felon.

Count 6
On or between the December 19-21, 2021, in Bourbon County,  Mitchell, exerted unauthorized control over property: which was Puma pocketknife and $200 cash, with the intent to permanently deprive the owner Jerald Mitchell, of the possession, use, or benefit of the property of a value of less than $25,000.

All of the above acts then and there committed being contrary to the statutes in such cases made and provided and being against the peace and dignity of the State of Kansas, according to the document.

The case was filed by:
OFFICE OF THE KANSAS ATTORNEY GENERAL
DEREK SCHMIDT
CJ. Rieg, W21 0
Assistant Attorney General
120 SW 10th Avenue, 2nd Floor
Topeka, Kansas 66612—1597
Phone: 785276-9707
Fax: 785.291.3875
[email protected]

Bourbon County Local News