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Jordann Lankford-Forster Named 2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellow
This is part of a series of
2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellows.
FORT SCOTT, KS – June 1, 2025 – The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in
Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious
Fellowship to Jordann Lankford-Forster (Bright Trail Woman), an Indigenous Education for All instructional coach and educator at Great Falls Public Schools in Great Falls, MT. Jordann will arrive in Fort Scott on June 22nd for a week of collaboration with LMC staff and the other members of the Fellowship.
The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.
Jordann Lankford-Forster, an Indigenous Education for All instructional coach and teacher from Great Falls, MT, has been honored to receive the Montana Indigenous Teacher of the Year Award and named the 2022 Montana History Teacher of the Year. Due largely to Jordann’s leadership, American Indian Studies is a popular subject at Paris Gibson Education Center and encourages students to learn about historical, cultural, and contemporary information concerning American Indian people.
Jordann also assists other educators within her district and state in embedding cultural content into their classrooms and learning spaces. She serves as the Chairwoman of the Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education, the President of the Potlatch Fund, and a Montana representative for the United States Commission on Civil Rights.
LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “We are so excited to have Jordann, our first Fellow from Montana, as part of the Lowell Milken Center Fellowship. As an award-winning instructional coach for Indigenous Education, she brings a unique cultural perspective and will be a valuable resource for the discovery of many new Unsung Heroes.”
While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources, and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.
A Father’s Influence by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
A Father’s Influence
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) made a thought-provoking statement when he said, “When the sun goes below the horizon he is not set; the heavens glow for a full hour after his departure. And when a great and good man sets, the sky of this world is luminous long after he is out of sight. Such a man cannot die out of this world. When he goes he leaves behind him much of himself. Being dead, he speaks.” My late husband was a gentle, kind-hearted, influential man who loved God. And I watched him be a good father to our son and daughter for 34 years; he left a goodly part of himself in each one.
Although Jimmy is gone from our children’s sight and touch, he continues to influence them. Whenever my son repairs, builds, uses a chainsaw or power tool, shoots a gun, problem shoots, discusses the Bible, or rides his motorcycle, I am seeing his father in him. A father’s influence lasts a lifetime.
Whenever my daughter goes fishing, shoots a deer, rides a horse, reads a book, plays with her children, helps someone, or starts another hobby, I am seeing her father in her. A father’s influence lasts a lifetime.
Being a great dad doesn’t just happen automatically. A lot of godly wisdom, effort, and selflessness goes into the definition of a good dad. Being a dad to your children is the highest and hardest calling, but it’s not “mission impossible.” Jimmy used God’s Word as the user manual for training our children. The following scripture was underlined in his Bible: “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it” (Proverbs 22:6 NLT). He believed it was his responsibility to teach our children about God’s Son and they both accepted Jesus as their Savior as youngsters. Today, they are committed believers and a lot of the reason why is because their father’s godly influence is still alive in their lives.
Children spell “love” as T I M E. They don’t want your money, toys, or gadgets as a substitute for your time. They want and need you! The time fathers spend with their kids (no matter their age) is time well spent and well remembered. Forget the term, “quality time.” Just be present and share life with them, whether it’s on the creek bank, the woods, in a tree house, horseback riding, in a deer stand, or on the basketball court. Be present.
Dads are a critical piece to a child’s puzzle of life. Your influence will remain with them forever. The question is, after you’re gone, what will be the main thing you’ll be remembered for? Mariam and Aaron have described their father as an “All-In” Dad. Even though being a dad is often challenging, it’s not complicated. Just keep your priorities straight: love them, don’t spoil them, discipline them, and teach them about Jesus. Be a good man and a godly example for the sake of your children. And don’t beat yourself up when you fall short. God will help you be all you need to be as a man, husband, and father. Simply do your best and God will do the rest.
No matter how old we are, we never outgrow our need for a father. Mine has been gone for 13 years and I still feel him in my heart and hear him in my head — because a father‘s influence lasts a lifetime.
The Key: “Thank you” to all the fathers who are being the #1 Best Dad you can be.
KANSASWORKS Hosts June Virtual Job Fair for Open Positions Across Kansas
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Updated Agenda For FSCC Trustees Meeting This Evening
The updated Fort Scott Community College Trustees agenda for tonight – added minutes from the president interviews special meetings and the transfer of Vickie Laderer from Interim Director to Nursing Director.
Kansas Main Street Program is Tuesday, June 17 at 10 AM at Fort Scott City Hall
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Obituary of Windfred Allen DeMott
Windfred Allen DeMott, age 84, resident of Bronaugh, Missouri, died Saturday June 7, 2025, at the home. He was born September 15, 1940, in Mound City, Kansas and his parents were Clyde Vernon DeMott and Alice Rosemond (Jackman) DeMott. He attended Mound City High School. He had worked at the Hydraulic Cement Plant in Ft. Scott, the Bourbon County Barn as a shop foreman, the City of Ft. Scott with the equipment maintenance dept., Bill’s Coal Co in Garland, Kansas, and a few of the local rock quarry companies in Fort Scott.
He enjoyed restoring and parading his antique tractors. He attended many local festivals with his tractor collection. His 1937 vintage McCormick-Deering Farmall tractor was the featured tractor in the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta in 1994. In his later years, he spent his time spoiling the cows and feeding the chickens on the farm in Bronaugh.
His family included three children, son, Allen DeMott, Fort Scott and two daughters Sheryl Crawley, Overland Park, Kansas and Shelly DeMott, Peculiar, Missouri. His friend for over thirty years, Carol (Griffiths) Claflin of Bronaugh, ten grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren, two brothers, Delton DeMott, Peck, Kansas and Roger DeMott, La Cygne, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Cleta Fern Stump.
The family will receive friends for a celebration of life from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday June 21st at the Cheney Witt Carriage House, 301 S. Main St, in Fort Scott.
Interment will follow at the Woodland Cemetery in Mound City, Kansas at 2:30 PM for those who would like to attend.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials to the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta 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.
Doris Ericson Celebrates 90th Birthday June 22
Hercules Hobby Opens in Fort Scott
Hercules Hobby, a store that sells sports cards, autographed memorabilia, helmets, Pokemon, and Magic The Gathering cards, opened in Fort Scott on June 13.
The store is located at 20 Scott Avenue.
“I had 25 kids in here on our soft opening,” said Phil Jackson, owner of the store. “Some kids play tournaments with Pokémon and MTG cards. There may be tournaments possible at a later date.”
“I have been a collector my entire life; my grandpa, who passed away, was a collector,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about a brick and mortar store for a while—something fun for kids to do on the weekend.”
“My grandfather will be in the soul of this store,” he said.
Hours of operation currently are 4-8 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Other days and times to be determined at a later date.
“It’s something we don’t have around here,” Jackson said. “I bought and sold items at shops in Kansas City. There is none like this in our area.”
He hired the manager, Levi Qualls, following a conversation at Faith Church, where they both attend.
“Levi shares the same love of this hobby that I do,” Jackson said.
For more information, contact Jackson at 515-512-3883.
This new business is under Jacksons Enterprise LLC.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports June 16
Jennifer Klein Named 2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellow
This is part of a series of
2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellows.
FORT SCOTT, KS – June 1, 2025 – The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Jennifer Barletto Klein, a high school social studies teacher at Weston High School in Weston, CT. Jennifer will arrive in Fort Scott on June 22nd for a week of collaboration with LMC staff and the other members of the Fellowship.
The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.
Jennifer Barletto Klein, a social studies teacher at Weston High School in Weston, CT, received international recognition from Yad Vashem in 2023 and was selected as a 2024 Auschwitz-Birkenau Fellow. She strives to cultivate a reflective classroom environment, encouraging students to participate in open discussions and develop critical thinking skills. She teaches both in a traditional classroom setting, including at the AP level, and in an alternative educational program that provides students with smaller class sizes and a more supportive environment. She is an advisor to the Jewish Student Union and has been involved in programming to combat antisemitism and hate.
In recent years, Jennifer has been particularly engaged in Holocaust education and participated in a Holocaust education program with Echoes and Reflections at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and traveled to Warsaw, Krakow, and Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of her fellowship. Her semester-long course, Facing History and Ourselves, which examines the Holocaust through a sociological lens, has been deeply enriched by her scholarly pursuits and international experiences.
LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Jennifer is a trailblazer in Holocaust Education, receiving national recognition by Yad Vashem. Her passion for engaging students with history and its impact on current times ties in with the mission of the Lowell Milken Center. Jennifer will be a great resource for our Fellows seeking to help students create connections between unsung heroes from the past and their own roles in the world today.”
While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources, and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.
Alex Lahasky Named 2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellow
This is part of a series on the
2025 National Lowell Milken Center Fellows.
The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Alex Lahasky, a Social Studies teacher at Blue Valley West High in Overland Park, KS. Alex will arrive in Fort Scott on June 15th for a week of collaboration with LMC staff and the other members of the Fellowship.
The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.
Alex Lahasky, a social studies teacher from Overland Park, KS, was recognized as a 2023 Kansas Milken Educator. AP US History is a popular subject at Blue Valley West High School, as Lahasky empowers his students to succeed and excel by fostering open discussion and critical thinking skills. His students consistently surpass state and global pass rates on the AP History exams. Lahasky also aims to develop empathy and interpersonal skills through the exercise of historical thinking.
Within his school, Lahasky serves as social studies department chair, sits on the building leadership team, facilitates a mentor program for new teachers, and is an assistant baseball coach. His measured and methodical leadership fosters a dialogue that has created positive change in school administration and culture.
LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Alex’s innovative lessons fuel his students’ passion for the past and help them make connections to the present. His strong research and literary skills will provide a unique project development resource for the 2025 team of Fellows.”
While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources, and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning by creating projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.