News

The sixth name on the November ballot for Fort Scott City Commissioner will be determined Tuesday when county commissioners break a tie between two primary election candidates. Ballots from the Aug. 6 primary election were canvassed Thursday. See the print or online edition of the Tribune for complete story...

Dick Hedges gets a little emotional when he recalls a memory involving one of the players he coached at Fort Scott High School in the 1970s. Hedges, who is now retired, has written various columns for The Fort Scott Tribune through the years, and continues to write a weekly column, which is published on Saturdays...

rea youth have a few more days to enjoy the pool, which closes Sunday. School starts for USD 234 students Aug. 22, and classes begin for USD 235 students Aug. 29.

The USD 234 Board of Education on Monday learned of an opportunity to boost economic development and bridge gaps in the workforce. USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong presented information to the board on the ACT WorkReady Communities program, which he said is an “economic development program” geared toward “closing workforce skills gaps.”...

Some Uniontown students will have an opportunity to participate in a new mentoring program in the near future. The USD 235 Board of Education on Monday approved spending $7,500 to participate in Teammates Mentoring, which will assist the district in establishing the program at Uniontown...

The Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees adopted the 2019-20 budget during the board’s regular meeting Tuesday night. Highlights of the approved budget include a total mill levy of 29.389; $8,038,672 in budgeted expenses and transfers and $3,165,343 in tax to be levied in 2019. ...

Concerns have been raised about a proposed development and safety at Lake Fort Scott. During Tuesday’s meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission, commissioners heard from Rebecca Howard, a property owner at Lake Fort Scott, who opposes the proposed construction of condominiums at the lake by a Fort Scott company. ...

The field of Fort Scott City Commission candidates for the Nov. 5 election was narrowed from 14 to six Tuesday after voters cast their ballots in the primary election. The election also included five candidates for the USD 234 Board of Education Position 3. There will be two names on the November ballot for that election...

The USD 234 Board of Education got a glimpse of the district’s proposed 2019-20 budget, as well as future district plans and goals, during a budget workshop Tuesday, July 30, at Fort Scott Middle School. The public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled to take place at the board’s next regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12...

The love, bond and faith shared by Wilbur and Mae Mowen are as strong as the day the couple got married 75 years ago. “We’ve loved each other through the years, even when we had some ups and down,” Wilbur said. “We knew it was God who could lift us out.”...

Nearly 30 people attended a meeting to discuss economic development in Bourbon County. The meeting, held Tuesday evening as part of the Bourbon County Commission meeting at the courthouse, was led by Bourbon County Economic Development Director Jody Hoener...

Candidates running for open seats on the Fort Scott City Commission and USD 234 Board of Education gave their views on key topics during a candidate forum Tuesday night at the Ellis Fine Arts Center. During the forum, which was hosted by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce and Young Professionals League of Bourbon County, candidates were able to answer questions submitted by the public, and give brief opening and closing statements. ...

Candidates running for open seats on the Fort Scott City Commission gave their views on key topics during a candidate forum Tuesday night at the Ellis Fine Arts Center. During the forum, which was hosted by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce and Young Professionals League of Bourbon County, candidates were able to answer questions submitted by the public, and give brief opening and closing statements. ...

Bourbon County Commissioners met Tuesday with Kansas Department of Transportation District 5 officials who said they were on a “listening tour.” During the conversation, county officials reported problem areas on state highways, asked about the completion date for the entire U.S. Highway 69 expansion project and learned about a new cost share program...

Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin and Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center Major Bobby Reed presented their 2020 budget requests – both of which show increases from 2019 – to the Bourbon County Commission on Tuesday. Martin and Reed discussed the components of their budgets and the reasons behind the requested increases for 2020. Martin presented two budget requests; one for $837,449 and one for $893,702, the latter of which includes a budgeted 3 percent raise for sheriff’s staff...

A Fort Scott manufacturer has no plans to leave Fort Scott, the company’s chief executive officer told the Fort Scott City Commission on Tuesday. Bill Osborn, CEO of Peerless Products, a window and door manufacturer, talked to commissioners about the company’s recent expansion into Nevada, Mo., and purchase of the old vacant American Standard building in Nevada for warehouse and storage space. ...

Although it’s been five decades, a landmark event in U.S. history resonates with local citizens. The Tribune spoke to some Fort Scott residents about their memories of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which subsequently resulted in the first man stepping on the lunar surface, on the 50th anniversary of the historic event...

The Bourbon County Fair began Friday night with the ACR/IPRA rodeo. Saturday’s events were the 4-H and Open Dog Show and the conclusion of the rodeo in the evening. On Sunday, 4-H’ers took to the arena for the annual 4-H Horse Show. Monday was the day for checking entries into the fair, including judging of exhibits in the 4-H Building. Open class entries, rabbits, poultry, sheep and meat goats were judged Tuesday and the day capped off with the Draft Horse Pull...

Public Works Director Jim Harris asked commissioners to consider renting a bulldozer to help with preparing quarries for future blasts. He said dozer work is needed at the Shephard Quarry. The contractor who typically does bulldozing work for the county is unable to do the work this year, Harris said, adding that a couple of his employees are qualified to operate the machine...

Fort Scott City Commissioners spent time Thursday and Friday conducting work sessions with city officials and department heads as work begins to plan the city’s 2020 budget. Using a different format for planning the budget this year, commissioners heard from directors of all city departments on each department’s needs, as well as expenses and revenue. ...

The fort’s Fourth of July programs included a time for old fashioned games. Younger visitors learned about the type of games kids played in the 1840s and the kind of toys they had. In this game, players used wooden drum sticks to toss and catch a wooden ring. Visitors could also learn about medical procedures, tour a historic garden and take guided tours of the fort during the weekend. The cannon was fired each hour on the Fourth of July as part of the artillery demonstration...

Demolition of the old Stout Building at 1st Street and National Avenue is expected to wrap up today. After that, it will take about two weeks to clean up the rubble, then the lot will be used to store equipment needed to renovation the Union Block along Main Street into an apartment complex...

USD 234 district handbooks for the 2019-20 school year will include a policy for drug testing students at Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School. After a discussion and remarks from Superintendent Ted Hessong, the board approved handbooks for students at all four district schools, as well as the Fort Scott High School activities handbook, coaches handbook and district employee handbook. ...

Several communities held Fourth of July celebrations, which children appeared to enjoy.

With the condition of city streets a topic in town, city officials are looking into the creation of an advisory committee for roads. During Tuesday’s meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission, Public Works Director Chad Brown talked about the 2019 Road Improvement Program, which commissioners approved at their May 21 meeting, as well as future plans for determining road projects...

On Monday, demolition of the old Stout Building at 1st Street and National Avenue got underway. The canopy, which was attached the west side of the building, was removed on May 13. After demolition, the lot will be used to store equipment that will be used to renovate the Union Block on Main Street. That building will become an apartment complex...

On Tuesday, county commissioners expressed their satisfaction with a new paving machine and approved the purchase of an asphalt planer machine that they said will pay for itself in two years. The county’s asphalt program got underway on June 24 with the 5.5 miles of overlay on 235th Street beginning at Walnut and Franklin streets and going to Poplar Road. ...

City officials will look to get pricing on the purchase of a pumper engine fire truck for the Fort Scott Fire Department after approval Tuesday by the Fort Scott City Commission. After hearing from Fort Scott Fire Chief Paul Ballou and Director of Finance Rhonda Dunn, commissioners unanimously approved a motion to obtain pricing for replacement of the department’s 1992 International Engine Truck using group pricing through the Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC), pricing from used equipment dealers and other sources to obtain the best recommendation for the commission.. ...

Just a few months after Community Health Care of Southeast Kansas opened its doors in Fort Scott, it is now looking to expand. CHC has announced a letter of intent has been signed to accept a donation of property from Mercy Hospital. The donation of 8 acres on the west side of the Mercy campus is expected to be finalized in August. After that, CHC/SEK will begin work on construction for a $5 to $5 million new medical clinic facility...

During discussion on repair of the county’s hard surface roads Tuesday, Bourbon County Commissioner Jeff Fischer selected the roads he would like to see overlaid in 2019. Fischer discussed four areas he has prioritized for repairs, and said he based his decision on traffic count and the condition of the roads. Fischer also suggested an overlay “thick enough to restore the surface for chip sealed condition...

Kansas Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Republican who represents the 12th District, touched on state issues such as taxes and education during a legislative update Thursday morning at the River Room. The update was part of the 2019 Kansas Association of Airports Conference, which Fort Scott hosted Wednesday and Thursday. Tyson talked about her and her family’s experience and involvement in the aviation industry...

The four-lane expansion of U.S. Highway 69 from Kansas City to Interstate Highway 44 is one step closer to being completed this week. On Monday, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to herald the opening of six miles of four lanes south of Fort Scott to the Bourbon-Crawford county line...

The county’s paving season got underway Monday with a new-to-the-county asphalt paver. This year’s paving projects include 5.5 miles on 235th beginning at Walnut and Franklin Streets in Fort Scott to Soldier Road; and 3 miles on 125th beginning at the Mapleton city limits. As of Monday, Bourbon County Commissioner Jeff Fischer had not made his request for asphalt projects in District 2...

Low storm clouds roll eastward over the Fort Scott National Historic Site as a short-lived storm system moved into the area Tuesday night. There is a chance of rain each day through Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will hover in the upper 80s throughout the next week...

Some changes are happening in the city’s codes department. During the Fort Scott City Commission Meeting Tuesday, City Manager Dave Martin reported he has made a “management change,” moving the codes department underneath Community Development Director Robert Uhler to allow Director of Finance Rhonda Dunn to focus “strictly on finance.”...

Public Works Director Jim Harris submitted his 2020 budget request, which includes the addition of employees, to county commissioners Tuesday. Harris wants to add two employees to the Road and Bridge budget, which he said is needed in order to keep up on ditch maintenance...