FS Land Bank Meets Oct. 20
The Land Bank meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 20th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall in the City Commission meeting room. There will be a majority of City Commissioners present, but no City Commission business will be conducted.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
Obituary of Lois Swope
Lois LaVerne Swope, age 92, a former resident of Frontenac, Kansas and more recently of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at the home of her daughter in Ft. Scott. She was born May 26, 1929, in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Cledies Dray and Ellen Cummings Dray. Lois graduated from the Pittsburg High School with the Class of 1947. She married Eddie L. Swope on June 12, 1949, at Pittsburg. Lois had worked for seventeen years at the Parsons Ammunition Plant. She was a life-long Methodist. She was a past member of the American Legion Auxiliary of Frontenac. She loved to play bingo.
Survivors include her son, Kevin K. Swope and wife, Trish, of Thomasville, Georgia and her daughter, Landia Antonetti and husband, Paul, of Ft. Scott; four grandchildren, Laurie Antonetti of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Alison Nelson (Jason), of St. Louis, Missouri, Samantha Peterson (Matt), of Thomasville, Georgia and Andrew Swope, of Tallahassee, Florida and six great-grandchildren, Conner Antonetti, Sophia and Seraph Nelson and Isaac, Ivy and Isla Swope. Also surviving are two sisters, Louise and Nancy.
Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Eddie, on July 22, 1996. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Ruby Chubb.
Private burial will take place in the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to Care to Share 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.
New Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Employee: Rachel Carpenter
Rachel Carpenter, 23, started yesterday as the new program coordinator for the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.
Carpenter earned an associate degree from Fort Scott Community College and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University in sociology. She has a certification in community development, program evaluation, and grant writing from FHSU and will graduate in the fall of 2022.
“I’ve been working in Honduras (in Central America) and decided to study sociology and am learning how to make data-driven decisions in how to help,” she said.
She interned with Jody Hoener, CEO of HBAT, and then applied for the full-time position when it became available.
“Rachel met all the minimum qualifications for the… position and brought additional skill sets to move our mission forward,” Hoener said. “She is passionate about our work and helping people, that’s the kind of culture we aim to nurture at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team. With everyone seeking employees right now, we consider ourselves considerably blessed to have an amazing skilled induvial as a part of our team.”
Carpenter’s salary comes from a $560,000 grant which will also provide grants for farmers and ranchers and start-up businesses, she said.
The grant will also help with development funding for the east side of Fort Scott and the historic downtown Fort Scott, Carpenter said.
The grant was from the Patterson Family Foundation, a family-led foundation extending the legacy of Neal and Jeanne Patterson which strives to help lift rural communities through health care, education, economic opportunity, and beyond, according to its website How We Help | Patterson Family Foundation.
Carpenter is married to Jon, a Fort Scott Policeman, and is a nursery volunteer at Faith Church, Fort Scott. She is also the founder of the Carpenter’s Hands, a ministry to Honduras. Her hometown is Wichita, but she has lived in Bourbon County for five years.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team has a vision of a community where we feel safe, earn a living wage, find healthy food, have access to sidewalks, ride safe bike routes, have opportunities for recreation, and more according to its Facebook page
The HBAT is currently seeking community input to better fund development projects.
Bourbon County’s Health and Wellness Survey is open at
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Board consists of a cross-sector of community organizations, businesses, and governmental entities:
Jody Hoener, President, and CEO, Ex Officio
Craig Campbell, (Chair) Community leader and volunteer, Fort Scott Good Neighbor Action Team Chair
Lindsay Madison (Treasurer), President and CEO Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
Joy Miller, (Secretary) Kansas State University Extension Office
Sally Johnson, City of Uniontown Clerk, USD 235 Board
Alysia Johnston, President Fort Scott Community College
Chelsea Yount, Fort Scott Community College
Josh Jones, Mayor City of Fort Scott
Kayla Stewart, RN Coordinator Via Christi
Mayra Montanez, Downtown Business Owner, and Entrepreneur
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 19
The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports
Election Candidate Forum Oct. 20
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FS Lake Advisory Board Meets Oct. 23
The Lake Fort Scott Advisory Board will meet on Saturday, October 23rd, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. at the City Hall Commission meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public.
The meeting will be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
Friday Night Free Concert: Bethel Community Church
Bethel Community Church will provide the music for this week’s Friday Night Concert. “The performing musicians and vocalists represent a diversity of ages and talent. The audience is sure to enjoy their program of gospel music excellence,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “I’m very pleased to welcome the Bethel Community Church to the park pavilion. The concert season is nearly over, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of this musical presentation Friday evening.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main Streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas of Parsons serves as sound technician each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
Riverfront Park: A Work In Progress
Riverfront Park on the north end of Fort Scott near the Marmaton River, is a work in progress.
As grants have been received, the Riverfront Park Authority Board has put in place many amenities that the public can enjoy: a tree-lined walking trail and lighting for that trail, a pavilion with electricity, several resting areas and a boardwalk, with views overlooking the river.
A recent flood wrecked the boardwalk overlook, so it was disassembled and moved to the south, across the river on higher ground.
“The flood put it on the edge of the riverbank, almost in the river,” Jerry Witt, a member of the Riverfront Park Authority said.
Johnny Walker Construction did the work of moving the boardwalk, he said. The timber for the original project was donated by Evergy Electric and was reused.
The Fort Scott Fire Department washed and cleaned it after it was reconstructed, about two months ago, Witt said.
“It’s shaded in a beautiful spot,” Witt said.
On the horizon for the Riverfront Park Authority is an 8-foot wide asphalt trail that will lead to the boardwalk overlook.
In a circle garden spot on the River Loop Road, from which one can now see the boardwalk, the Bourbon County Garden Club has planted a colorful garden.
“I want to thank them for their work,” Witt said.
This club also plants and maintains the plants in downtown Fort Scott.
“The fire department has been watering the flower bed this summer and we thank them, as well,” Witt said.
There has been added traffic to the River Loop Park because of the murals painted in the Hwy. 69 underpass that segments the park, he said.
The murals were painted by local artist Stephen Toal.
To view a prior story on Toal and see the murals: Art Is Therapy For Toal
The Riverfront Park Authority Board is preparing the write a grant to finish the walking trails on the River Loop Road, Witt said.
The board has also had the engineering done and also permits completed to build a walking bridge across the river, he said.
“We just need the funding to secure that,” Witt said.
The board applied for a grant a few years ago to bring a historic Bourbon County bridge to the park for public use.
“We received a $750,000 grant to move it, but all bids came in over $1,000,000, so we gave the grant back,” Witt said.
The idea to remake Riverfront Park began in 2005 and a group of citizens was commissioned by then-Governor Sibelius in 2007.
The board is comprised of Witt, Bob Love, Danny Magee, Arnold Schofield, Jeff Sweetser, and Allen Warren. Ex-officio members are Dean Mann, Betty Boyko, Penny Barnes, and Kate Sweetser.
To see a prior story on the park:
Overlook of the Marmaton River in Place at Riverfront Park
Death Notice of Mary Ramsey
Mary Evelyn Ramsey, age 77, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Saturday, October 16, 2021, at Hillside Guest Home, Ft. Scott.
Mary was born January 12, 1944, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of James and Helen Greenfield Ramsey.
She worked in accounting for an electrical company.
Mary enjoyed cross stich and raising ferrets as pets.
She enjoyed the staff and her time at Hillside the last three years.
There was cremation. No services are scheduled. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.
Self-Administered COVID-19 Testing Available to Child Care Providers
Self-Administered COVID-19 Testing Available to Child Care Providers
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is partnering with Battelle, a leader in the field of science and technology, to provide rapid self-delivered COVID-19 testing to all licensed child care providers in Kansas.
Battelle has been selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to manage the logistics of administering COVID-19 tests for millions of Americans in 16 states through the Midwest Expanded Testing Coordination Hub.
“Until vaccines are approved for our kids, testing is one of the best tools we have to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and child care centers,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Child care providers have done excellent work throughout the pandemic to keep our children safe. With this extra assistance, our providers can ensure Kansas families maintain access to safe, quality child care.”
KDHE recognizes how important it is to provide access to easy, reliable, and rapid testing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and control outbreaks. Testing in child care settings helps identify individuals who have the virus but do not have symptoms and who may be contagious. This testing can support organizations with maintaining normal operations and keeping children, staff, visitors, and volunteers safe.
“Child care providers across the state have continued to provide this vital service to Kansans,” said Lee Norman, M.D., Secretary of KDHE. “We are excited to partner with Battelle to provide another tool for child care providers to use. Through COVID-19 testing, positive cases will be identified earlier to reduce the amount of spread of this virus.”
Outreach for the Midwest Coordination Center is ramping up this month. Battelle has an extensive team on board ready to assist organizations who serve children in group settings to administer the complete testing process from registering and collecting samples to receiving the results. Saliva testing is now available for children as young as 3 years old, and nasal swab testing is available for children as young as 5 years old, both with a 24 to 48-hour turnaround time for results. Testing supplies, shipping, and technical assistance are available at no charge.
These services are also available to other congregate settings in Kansas such as schools, organizations that provide group services for children, homeless shelters, group homes, or detention centers.
For more information about the Midwest Coordination Center and the testing program overview, please visit the website at www.testedandprotected.org.
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