News

A group of citizens assembled at the former Beaux Arts Centre building at 102 S. National Ave., Tuesday night to learn about and discuss the idea of creating a unified form of government. About 30 to 40 people attended the town hall meeting, in which local business owner Mark McCoy explained the research he has conducted into a combined form of government, opened the topic up for questions, and then guided discussion toward what next steps could potentially be if citizens were interested in researching the idea.. ...

City officials are waiting before proceeding further after a petition was filed protesting the city’s proposed purchase of two fire trucks for the Fort Scott Fire Department. Commissioners have in recent months heard details on financing a new pumper truck and aerial ladder truck for the fire department, which seeks to replace a 1992 pumper truck that is past its 20-year lifespan, and a 1993 ladder truck with a 25-year lifespan. ...

The Bourbon County Commissioners agreed Tuesday to provide a free-dump day to all county residents. There will be no charge to haul solid waste or construction and demolition materials to the landfill from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 17 and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18...

The annual Kiwanis Easter Egg hunt was held Saturday at Gunn Park. Approximately 200 children searched the ground near Shelter House No. 2 for the 3,000 eggs placed by the Kiwanis members. Some of the eggs were filled with coupons from local merchants...

Bourbon County Commissioners on Tuesday amended the 2019 budget to include the newly organized Bourbon County Emergency Medical Services. The ambulance budget is set for $1,020,000. During the public hearing held Tuesday, commissioners said of that amount, $316,000 was already set aside in the budget to pay Mercy Hospital Fort Scott for EMS it provided through a contract with the county. ...

The criminal justice program at Fort Scott Community College has grown from where it was more than 10 years ago, the FSCC Board of Trustees learned during the board’s Monday meeting. Vanessa Poyner, an instructor in the program, provided an update on the program. Poyner said while criminal justice courses were offered in previous years, the criminal justice program was created 12 years ago, in the 2006-07 school year...

Elementary students from Fort Scott and Uniontown schools participated in Conservation Day activities Friday in Gunn Park. During the event, students rotated through multiple 15-minute stations to learn from presenters about various areas of conservation. Topics at each station included edible soil, enviroscape, forestry service, fish aquatics, recycling, a soil tunnel trailer, wildlife, a rain simulator, a stream trailer and bees...

The Friends of the Fort Scott National Historic Site held its 10th Friends Fest Tuesday night at Liberty Theatre. Each year, the group recognizes a special “friend” of the site. This year’s honor went to Arnold Schofield for his many years of service – as a chief of interpretation, site historian and cultural resource specialist as well as a volunteer...

The USD 234 school district is in the process of forming a policy on drug testing for students at Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School. Amber Toth, assistant principal at FSHS, presented information on the proposed policy during the Monday meeting of the USD 234 Board of Education. School officials said a proposed policy is meant to be a proactive approach to addressing drugs in schools, as well as a support program providing resources for parents and students...

U.S. Congressman Steve Watkins stopped in Fort Scott Friday for a tour of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and to present site staff with a copy of the text of legislation signed into law March 12 that modifies the historic site’s boundaries. H.R. 1061, the Fort Scott National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act, was included in the bipartisan Lands Package President Trump signed into law March 12...

City officials on Tuesday responded to some citizen concerns voiced at the March 19 meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission. Director of Finance Rhonda Dunn and Human Resources Director Deb Needleman addressed concerns regarding the city’s proposal to purchase two new fire trucks, at a cost of about $1.8 million, for the Fort Scott Fire Department...

The Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County presented “An Evening with Bat Masterson” during its annual meeting Saturday night at the Old Congregational Church, 502 S. National Ave.

City officials called on the Bourbon County Commissioners Tuesday asking for funds to help market tourism in the county. The only promise County Commission Chairman Lynne Oharah made was that commissioners would “look at it” when they begin work in the near future on the 2020 budget...

Mike Reith is returning to familiar territory to take on the first administrative position of his education career. Reith, whom the USD 235 Board of Education hired in March, will be the new junior/senior high school principal/transportation director, effective Aug. 1...

Fort Scott Community College hosted its annual Aggie Day Friday. About 1,600 FFA students from several high schools attended the event. They competed in various judging and speech contests held throughout the FSCC campus.

The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees on Monday heard a report on a research project that began in 2018 to determine what FSCC can do to improve numbers for student retention and graduation. FSCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Adam Borth and FSCC Director of Advising and Retention Russ Souza presented findings from a committee formed for the research project, which involved gathering of data and surveys of faculty, staff and students...

County Commissioners on Tuesday heard a report about planned KDOT projects that affect Bourbon County, including the U.S. Highway 69 project. Darrin Petrowsky, KDOT area engineer, shared a schedule he had received on Feb. 25 for the U.S. 69 project...

The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees on Monday approved a step in the process for an upcoming expansion to Burris Hall, which houses the college’s agriculture department. During the meeting, trustees reviewed bids submitted by four contractors for construction of the building’s new addition. On a recommendation from FSCC administration, the board approved the base bid of $877,000 from Crossland Construction to complete the addition...

Some changes have been made to a proposed $5.5 million project to create a housing development in the Union Block building in Fort Scott’s historic downtown district. During the Tuesday meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission, Director of Economic Development Rachel Pruitt reported blueprints have been approved for the Union Lofts project, a sister development to the Fort Scott Lofts, formerly the Western Senior Living apartments...

With Bourbon County Commissioners facing a deadline to decide whether to continue in a contract to house juvenile offenders in a Girard facility, recent discussions have taken place about the cost of that service. On Tuesday, Bourbon County Attorney Jacqie Spradling provided commissioners with information from Franklin, Johnson, Douglas counties and “others.”...

Fort Scott City Commissioners on Tuesday approved a measure to amend the 2019 city budget to include an EMS fund. During a public hearing, Director of Finance Rhonda Dunn provided some background on the process to establish the city-county ambulance service, which is called Bourbon County Emergency Medical Services and will replace Mercy EMS as of April 1, when the county’s contract with Mercy expires...

The issue of hard surface roads maintenance was discussed again during the Bourbon County Commissioners’ meeting Tuesday. Jeremiah Hill, Larry Howard and Steve Hill of the Garland area met with commissioners to get clarification on the cost of hard surface roads projects...

Allen and Jackie Warren are recipients of this year’s Keystone Award presented during the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Awards Celebration Thursday night at the River Room. The annual award is presented to longtime Fort Scott residents who as an individual or couple have made an outstanding contribution to the community. The award was presented by FSACC Executive Director Lindsay Madison, center...

Bourbon County officials continue to discuss issues with the HVAC system at the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center. During the Bourbon County Commission meeting Tuesday, BCLEC Major Bobby Reed, Capt. Alvin Metcalf, Undersheriff Ben Cole and Shane Walker, information technology director, met with commissioners to discuss a peer review of the HVAC system at the law enforcement facility...

The Uniontown USD 235 Board of Education made a decision on a replacement for the junior/senior high school principal/transportation director during its meeting Monday night. Mike Reith was offered a two-year contract from 2019-2023. Terms of the contract were not available...

Four area legislators discussed taxes and provided their thoughts on various bills this session during a Legislative Update event Saturday morning at the Empress Event Center. State Sens. Richard Hilderbrand, District 13, and Caryn Tyson, District 12, as well as State Reps. Trevor Jacobs, District 4, and Ken Collins of District 2 provided updates on the current legislative session and also fielded a variety of questions from constituents...

The 38th annual Spring College Rodeo, which got underway Friday night, featured 500 competitors from 25 different two-year and four-year colleges in Kansas and Oklahoma. Rodeo competition continued with two performances on Saturday. The event wrapped up on Sunday...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., on Tuesday applauded the president’s signing of the Fort Scott National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act, which was included in S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act, a package of more than 100 bills relating to public lands, natural resources and water projects...

The Bourbon County Arts Council 27th Annual Fine Arts Exhibit and Sale got underway Thursday at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the Fort Scott Community College campus. The public was invited to an artists' reception Thursday evening, when Cathleen Gordon, juror, met with artists and discussed winning exhibits...

Fort Scott Director of Finance Rhonda Dunn highlighted some aspects of the city’s finances during Tuesday’s meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission. Dunn explained the city’s debt and provided commissioners and attendees of the meeting with documents showing the city’s general obligation debt and sources of debt, as well as the time frame for each item of debt...

Another date was set Friday morning in Bourbon County District Court in the case of a Kansas City, Kan., man facing seven felony counts, including two counts of attempted murder in the first degree. During a “no-go” preliminary hearing for Shawn Thomas Keating, 38, Bourbon County Magistrate Judge Valorie Leblanc granted a request from defense attorney W. Scott Toth, an Olathe lawyer, for a 30-day continuance of the case...

Longtime Fort Scott City Attorney Bob Farmer announced his plans to resign from the position at Tuesday’s meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission. During the comments portion of the meeting, Farmer said he is “tendering my resignation” effective March 30, and read from a letter he sent to commissioners and City Manager Dave Martin. The letter is dated March 5...

Integrity Home Care + Hospice announces the opening of its Fort Scott location, offering quality post-acute care and hospice throughout the region. Effective March 1, the home health and hospice provider is located at 902 S. Horton St., where it will provide acute rehabilitation and hospice services, an Integrity press release states...

The Fort Scott Preschool Center will expand to a five-day program next school year following action Monday by the USD 234 Board of Education. Based on a recommendation from administration, the board approved moving the preschool program from a Monday-through-Thursday schedule to a schedule that includes Friday starting in the 2019-20 school year. The need is based upon a rising number of students applying to the program, and other factors, Assistant Superintendent Nicki Traul said...

A celebration of the addition of another piece of the local health care puzzle took place Thursday at the new Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department. The event included remarks from Ascension Via Christi officials, representatives of the city and Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, prayers and tours of the new department. Refreshments were also served...

Federal legislation which includes a measure that would modify the boundaries of the Fort Scott National Historic Site to include the Lunette Blair Civil War Block House passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. The bill, called S.47 or the Natural Resources Management Act, passed the House by a vote of 363-62. It passed the Senate Feb. 12 by a vote of 92-8...

An arrest has been made in connection with an alleged shooting incident that took place Feb. 9 at a local residence. Shawn Thomas Keating, 38, was arrested at 2:02 p.m. Tuesday by the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office for his alleged involvement in a shooting at the 1100 block of East Oak St...

Harold Cunningham, left, and Scott Michaels, friends from Pleasanton, relax by Fern Lake Monday afternoon at Gunn Park. They were taking advantage of some springlike weather as temperatures reached into the 50s. On Tuesday, temperatures dropped as another winter-weather system moved into the area...

Nearly 20 Bourbon County residents packed into the Bourbon County Commission meeting room Tuesday for the first meeting planned to hash out this year’s hard surface road plan. During the meeting, members of the public were invited to list five roads they consider high priority on a survey handed out prior to a presentation by Second District Commissioner Jeff Fischer. The commissioners would then consider those lists as they prioritize roads for asphalt or chip and seal, Fischer said...