On Monday afternoon, Feb. 22, a USD 234 School Bus was attempting to cross 12th Street at the HWY. 69 bypass with a destination of the Fort Scott Middle School, according to a USD 234 Facebook post by Superintendent Ted Hessong.
A semi-trailer hit the front of the bus, he said
“Everyone on the bus is fine physically,”Hessong said on the Facebook post. “The bus driver was obviously shaken up, and the students, around 20 of them appeared fine.”
“A few USD 234 staff were on the scene to help with the students and I want to thank them for helping to manage the students and parents, they did an excellent job,” he said. “We were able to send most of the students with their parents once the highway patrol released the students from the scene. We did need to transport a few students on a substitute bus.”
“We are thankful no one was seriously injured and I appreciate everyone who helped to manage the situation for the safety of our students and driver.”
Fort Scott Police Chief Travis Shelton said the Kansas Highway Patrol worked the accident.
A local photographer, new to the business is featured in a farm magazine.
Erika George, 25, owns her own business,
Erika George Photography, which she started in 2017.
“I have always loved photography and enjoyed taking lots of scenery photos when I was younger,” she said. “It wasn’t until I moved to Uniontown after college that I started photography as an actual business.”
“My sister-in-law, Lacey (George) Wray, had just started a photography business in Ottawa so I got to tag along and second shoot with her at weddings,” George said. “I started doing a few free sessions just for fun around the area, but then started having more and more people ask me for sessions.”
The interest turned serious and she changed careers.
“I was working at the Uniontown daycare as the preschool teacher and decided I wanted to do something a little different,” she said.
She started her business promotion with social media.
“I created a Facebook page for my business to post previews for the sessions I had been doing and it started growing from there,” she said. “It has grown more and more every year as I gain new clients and broaden my education of photography. This past year has definitely been my busiest year and I foresee it getting busier this next year.”
“I love to create the session that you have envisioned in your mind, no matter the location,” George said .”I love to travel and find new locations for sessions too.”
” While I do love outdoor photoshoots, I did just start renting a studio space in downtown Fort Scott at 118 S. Main Street, so that I can offer more options, especially during the winter months,” she said. “I offer most sessions that you can think of from weddings to newborns. I have many different packages for families, kids, seniors, newborns, engaged couples, and expecting parents! “
George rents the middle section of the building at 118 S. Main, behind the barbershop storefront that is coming this summer.
Her favorite photoshoots are Western-inspired, she said.
Featured In FARMtographer Magazine this month
She recently was honored with being featured in a photography magazine, FARMtographer Magazine.
“I saw the magazine advertising on Instagram for their upcoming categories, so I used their hashtag on one of my photos,” she said.
“I got a message saying my photo was going to be entered into a contest for the cover photo based on a Facebook contest.”
“There were 10 other photos in the contest and mine was chosen as the cover photo for the CHILDREN/KIDS issue,” she said. “You also had the chance to enter as the featured photographer by entering a story about the photo or photos you entered and a story about your editing style.”
George decided to do that for the chance to be featured as a magazine spread.
“I entered a few more photos along with the story,” she said. ” They don’t tell you until the issue is printed who the featured photographers are so I found out that I was the first featured photographer once I bought the magazine issue.”
“FARMtographer Magazine is an agriculture photographer’s magazine and some of the other photos featured in the issue were from Wyoming, Texas, Australia, Canada, and Utah,” she said.
The winning photo is of a five-year-old cowboy, Miles Pollack, helping bring in calves at G3 Ranch near Uniontown. G3 is a family-owned business.
Miles Pollack. Submitted photo. This photo was on the front cover of FARMtographer Magazine.
Miles is the son of Jared and Delta Pollack of Uniontown. Jared works for G3 Ranch.
Miles on his horse, Doc. Submitted photo.
“He was riding on his horse, Doc, alongside his dad and cousin, Cole George,” she said. Erica is married to Cole George who also works at G3 Ranch.
Miles Pollack. Submitted photo.
” My favorite type of images to capture are western-influenced, whether it be western fashion, western lifestyle, or the equipment and livestock that go along with farming and ranching,” George said. “I grew up in the western lifestyle so it has always been what is natural to me!”
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE CHAMBER COFFEE ON FEBRUARY 25, 2021 HOSTED BY ASCENSION VIA CHRISTI ER DEPARTMENT.
Save the date for Chamber Coffee for February 25, 2021!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces that the Chamber Coffee will be hosted by Ascension Via Christi ER Department on Thursday, February 25th at 8:00 a.m. at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. Ascension Via Christi ER Department will be celebrating their Two-Year Anniversary in Fort Scott with a Drive-Thru hosting and serving coffee, donuts and a Free Mug for the Chamber Members and guest.
The Fort Scott Chamber President, Lindsay Madison will able to livestream video via Facebook while meeting and greeting the staff of the ER department. Other Chamber Members are welcomed to be part of the meet & great as well.
All attendees are strongly encouraged to wear masks and masks will be available for those without one and practice social distancing.
The Chamber is now booking Coffees for 2021 calendar year. Any member business or organization wanting to host may contact the Chamber to reserve a date at 620-223-3566 or email [email protected].
Chamber members and guests are invited to Chamber Coffee events each Thursday at 8 a.m. to network, make announcements, hear about happenings in the community as well as learn about the host business or organization.
James Paul Tucker, age 63, Fort Scott, KS, died Sunday, February 21, 2021, at his home. He was born on July 24, 1957, at the Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, the son of Rev. James D. and Betty J. Tucker.
He was united in marriage to Carolyn Ann Hayward Tucker on April 18, 1980, in El Dorado Springs, MO. To this union was born two children, Mariam Ann Tucker Self and Aaron James Tucker.
Survivors include his devoted wife Carolyn Ann, two children and their spouses: Mariam and Levi Self of Peculiar, MO, Aaron and Cynthia Tucker of Asbury, MO; three granddaughters: Lydia Mae, Felicity Ann, and Vivienne Hope Self; his parents Rev. James D. and Betty J. Tucker; brothers Roger and Genie Tucker, Mark and Brenda Tucker, Joe and Belinda Tucker; sisters Carma Tucker, and Kerri and Kirk Bland; brother-in-law Randy and Corda Hayward, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family.
As a “preacher’s kid” he was exposed to the love of God and the way of salvation from birth. He received Jesus as his Lord and Savior as a small child at home. He had a Christian education all through grade school and high school, attended Rio Hondo College in Whittier, California, and Fort Scott Community College for printing, auto-tuneup, and welding classes. He also attended a piano tuning and regulation class at Pittsburg State University. He successfully completed all four levels of the Joplin Nazarene Ministerial Studies, earning As in all 27 classes, concluding in 2006.
Jimmy was employed in Systems and Information Services at The Western Insurance Companies from 1979 to 1986. He then worked as a top pressman at Ward/Kraft from 1986 until April 2017.
Jimmy felt a call to the ministry in 1988. God spoke to him about preaching the truths he had been reading. He and Carolyn began a jail ministry in 1993 that lasted five years in Fort Scott. In 2000 the Lord gave him a dream of people waiting in line for the judgment. God told him to tell the people what He required. While reading Charles G. Finney’s theology on the attributes of love, he experienced that love shed abroad in his heart. His heart was opened to the reality of God’s love and he surrendered himself to a lifelong relationship with his Savior.
He was a passionate worker in the church, serving in various capacities of ministry: Sunday School teacher, worship leader, board member, sound engineer, home Bible studies, music ministry, counselor, and many Spirit-led endeavors. The Fort Scott First Church of the Nazarene issued nine local minister’s licenses to Jimmy, with the first one in 1998. He served as assistant pastor for the Independent Holiness Church, and fill-in preaching. He was pastor of the Diamond Community Church in Fort Scott from October 2016 until his resignation in September 2020.
He was a faithful husband, “all-in” dad and father-in-law, and a devoted and playful “Pappy” to his three granddaughters. He honored his parents, loved his siblings, and genuinely cared for his family and friends. He loved to help people any way he could, and was especially concerned about the spiritual welfare of everyone he knew. He truly walked in love and was honest in all his dealings. He loved the Word of God and desired to know and do the will of God.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, February 25th at the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Both the visitation and funeral service are open to the public. Memorials are suggested to Ft. Scott Christian Heights or Jailhouse Rock Ministries, Inc. 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.
The foster care system in Kansas is broken. Senate Bill (SB) 85 is another effort to fix it. It would require notifications by foster care contractors to the Department for Children and Families (DCF) when a foster child is missing or spends the night in a location that is not licensed. There is a $500 fee per day the incident is not reported. The bill passed 38 to 0.
Unemployment System
Many of you have experienced the flaws in the Kansas unemployment system, be it as someone trying to file for payment, someone who had a fraudulent claim filed in your name, or a business with false claims filed against. The problems are too numerous to list. It is devastating and it didn’t happen overnight. Documentation presented in committee, stated that millions of dollars have been appropriated to upgrade and improve the system but those upgrades did not occur. A Legislative Post Audit in 2007 speaks to fraud and flaws in the system and still those problems have multiplied over the years. On top of this, approximately $1 billion in the unemployment fund has been depleted in less than one year. It is estimated over $300 million has been paid in fraudulent claims.
In an effort to address the problems, there are two bills being worked, one in the House and SB 177 in the Senate. Legislators are working hard to address these issues but ultimately it is the responsibility of the Governor. There’s plenty of blame for governors past and present. Let’s get it fixed.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Ward-Kraft started in 1972 with 25 employees, doubled in four years, and has grown to over 300 employees.
The company quickly became one of the top five manufacturers in the print industry and now has over 49 years of experience. Numerous patents, in-house R&D, and an in-house machine shop allows for both.
Ward-Kraft continues expansion to
new products and in perfecting of their forms & labels, specialty coatings,
and plastics divisions.
Ward-Kraft
encourages you to join our company & vision to be the first choice of our customers, members, and suppliers!
· Create and maintain systems using C#,VB.NET/ASP.NET, SQL Server, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, and XAML
· Follow Domain-Driven Design (DDD) Principles
· Adhere to Agile methodologies
· Maintain Git repositories and Nuget Packages
Job Requirements:
· Associate’s Degree with emphasis on programming preferred, but not required
· Experience with C# preferred but any OOP (Object Oriented Programming) language will suffice
· Experience using relevant tool suites -Visual Studio, SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio)
· Strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills
· Creative problem-solving skills
· Self-Motivated
The ideal candidate will be a team player who is goal-oriented, possesses a strong work ethic, and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Position Summary: Responsible for digital file preparation, manipulation of customer artwork, recreating logos and other graphics, variable data file preparation, and pagination of images in a precise and accurate manner.
Key Qualifications:
Good working knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator & Photoshop
Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office especially Excel
Color manipulation experience
Mac and PC proficient
Outstanding problem-solving skills
Professional
The ideal candidate will be a team player who is goal-oriented, possesses a strong work ethic, and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
If you have an interest in these positions, applications may be obtained at www.wardkraft.com or email resume to [email protected].You can also pick up a paper application at
The Tourism Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, February 25th, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room at City Hall, 123 S. Main. This meeting is open to the public.
The Tourism meeting will be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
The deadline to sign up for the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site’s Fly the Flag project is quickly approaching. Applications for new subscriptions must be postmarked by March 1st. Subscribers renewing for 2021 must submit a renewal application and payment by March 31st.
The project provides homeowners and businesses, within the city limits of Fort Scott, the opportunity to fly the Stars and Stripes, hassle free, on five different flag holidays. For $35 annually, the Friends will install a 3’x5′ flag on a 12 foot staff at your home or business on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Veteran’s Day.
Application forms can be obtained at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce or can be requested by phone or text by calling Kelley Collins at 417-684-2484. Renewals notices have been mailed/emailed to all 2020 subscribers. Questions can be directed to Kelley or Martha Scott at 620-224-9924.
All proceeds support programs at Fort Scott National Historic Site. These include: Symbols of Sacrifice, a Citizenship Ceremony, Candlelight Tour, Youth Engagement, and many others.
Show your patriotism and help our local National Park by lining the streets of Fort Scott with our nation’s symbol!
The Fly the Flag project is a yearly project sponsored by the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site. Once signed up, you will receive the option to renew annually.
Gary Dean Beerbower, age 54, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Friday, February 19, 2021, at his home. He was born August 13, 1966, in Ft. Scott, the son of Lowell William Beerbower and Donna Kay Lawson Beerbower.
Gary graduated from FSHS with the class of 1985. He married Angie Riley on February 4, 1999. They later divorced but remained good friends.
Gary enjoyed shooting and was a member of the Old Fort Sharpshooters. He liked music and was a horror movie buff. He was a packrat and lover of junk. He enjoyed spending time with his family.
Survivors included 3 sons, Landon Beerbower, Trevor Pulliam, and Zach Riley; ex-wife Angie Riley; 3 brothers David Beerbower and wife Donna Jo, Ft. Scott, Allen Beerbower and wife Kim, Redfield, KS, and L. W. Beerbower, Ft. Scott; a sister, Rhonda Tinkey and husband Preston, Ft. Scott; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and beloved friends.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Troy Beerbower, and his parents.
There was cremation. Services will be announced at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the Gary Beerbower Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Kansas Municipality Gas Agency is the natural gas supplier for Uniontown, in western Bourbon County.
“They are the broker that the gas comes through,” Mayor Larry Jurgensen said. “We are the only town in Bourbon County to get gas from them.”
This last week, during the long duration of sub-freezing weather, the Uniontown City Council was involved in a Zoom online meeting with the agency every day.
“The gas companies couldn’t keep up with the demand,” Jurgensen said. “We were close to being shut down.”
Due to the warmer weather, that has been averted, however people need to still conserve their gas usage, he said.
“We don’t want people to panic,” Jurgensen said.
“Our supply is going to be there,” he said. “The cost is extremely high.”
“We had money put back for emergencies, whether it’s enough, we don’t know, we don’t have the bill yet. We won’t get the February bill, until March.”
At a special meeting on February 18, the city, in conjunction with other local entities, devised an emergency plan. That plan is in bold in the provided minutes from Uniontown City Clerk Sally Johnson.
The following is a comment from the City of Uniontown Council that was approved at a special meeting on Feb. 18.
“As many of you have heard, with the extreme cold we have recently experienced, gas prices have skyrocketed.
At this time the City of Uniontown is able to pay for the gas we supply to you. However, a portion of this may
have to be passed on to you.
We have an emergency plan if for some reason our gas supplier is unable to supply us. We appreciate all of the conservation efforts you have put forth and ask that you continue to conserve. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Following are the unapproved minutes of that meeting. Minutes are not approved until the next city council meeting.
CITY OF UNIONTOWN
FEBRUARY 18, 2021 SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
The Special City Council Meeting on February 18, 2021 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 7:00 PM by
Mayor Jurgensen.
Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Josh Hartman (by phone), Amber Kelly, and Charles Wehry.
Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting were Joe George, City Superintendent Bobby Rich,
and City Clerk Sally Johnson.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
To discuss and make decisions on the following topics:
KMGA February 17, 2021 invoice –
Invoice consisted of usual March 2021 estimate prepayment, January 2021 true-up,
but also included a Collateral Call to reimburse for the $1,000,000 cash collateral required to secure gas to all of their
members through the holiday weekend.
Our portion of the collateral call is $6,295. The invoice is due by Monday, February 22, 2021, instead of the usual 30 days.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Wehry, Approved 5-0 to pay the KMGA February 17, 2021 invoice in the amount of $10,178.22 by March 22, 2021
How to pay KMGA March Invoice –
Council reviewed the usage to date and the daily indexes to date. Clerk Johnson estimates the bill to be $133,678.47 without the collateral call adjusted back off. She will ask KMGA if the collateral call will be adjusted on the next billing and if we could possibly get a month-to-date or weekly statements/invoices to better understand the true financial impact for the month.
Council will look at whether to pass on to customers, how much, and in what manner at the March 9, 2021, regular meeting.
Finalize emergency procedures for this gas/extreme weather emergency.
Mayor Jurgensen, Councilman Wehry, Superintendent Rich, and Clerk Johnson met on February 16, 2021, with Will Wallis, Bourbon County Emergency Manager, and Commissioner Lynne Oharah.
Bourbon County Emergency Management has cots, blankets, etc needed to set up a warming station.
Clerk Johnson had spoken with Bret Howard, Superintendent USD #235, about using the WBE gym for a warming station in the event of loss of gas. It was verbally agreed on
A calling tree has been set up to notify the gas
customers in the event of loss of gas.
Superintendent Rich informed that manpower would be an issue if this occurred.
All gas meters would have to shut off and when the flow was reinstated all meters would have to be turned on, bled, and all pilots lit. This would require several people if to be done in a timely manner and each person would have to have to proper tools to complete the task. It was suggested to compile 4-5 tool kits with all the tools that would be needed.
The emergency procedures for a loss of gas event would be:
1. Notify Bourbon County Emergency Management and USD 235.
2. Notify Governing Body to implement calling tree. If no answer, visit the location. If they have special needs or need transportation they are to call City Hall.
3. Shut off meters.
4. Help transport citizens to the warming station.
5. End of the event, an adult household member must be present to turn on gas, bleed lines, and light pilots.
Moved by Ervin, Second by Hartman, Approved 5-0, to adjourn at 8:40PM
