Stories from Friday, August 22, 2025

With a joyful heart, Kara Jeneane Wood Baker moved to her heavenly home on Aug. 22, 2025, just six days before her 92nd birthday. She had no fear of death, as she had been preparing all her life for the inevitable change. All of her confidence was placed in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and when the summons came, she passed away as peacefully as twilight falls upon a perfect day...

Katheryn L Kelley, age 79 went home to be with the Lord on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 in Edmond, Okla., where she resided with her daughter Tonya, due to declining health. She was born on March 26, 1946 in Fort Scott, Kan., to Herbert E. Miller and Katheryn Esther Bruce Miller. She was a lifelong resident of Fort Scott. She attended EJ Hawkins School, Fort Scott public schools, graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1964, and from Fort Scott Community College in 1966...

Dr. Robert Wayne Stark, known affectionately as Wayne to his friends and family, passed away on Aug. 19, 2025, due to heart complications. Born on April 14, 1937, in Blue Mound, Kan., the son of Nolan Vern Stark and Mary Maxine Stark. Wayne’s life was a beacon to all who knew him and to the Lord Jesus Christ. He departed this world in Fort Scott, Kan., surrounded by the warmth of his family’s love...

I have a friend named Wes and he’s the real deal. He loves God and He loves people (Mark 12:30 & 31). It does not get any more real than that. The other day after we had been discussing what it looks like to follow Jesus he sent me a text message, “Are any of us really Christians?” I get his point...

• Tonya Renee Smith,51, was arrested at 11:22 a.m. Aug. 19 by the FSPD on a Fort Scott municipal warrant. Smith was released at 12:02 p.m. Aug. 19 on a $500 cash bond. • Dana Rey Shadden, 46, was arrested at 12:43 p.m. Aug. 19 by Wyandotte County on an out-of-county warrant. Shadden was being held on a $50,000 cash/surety bond...

A Mapleton man was injured in a one-vehicle collision involving a deer Tuesday night on Kansas Highway 31. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log, a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Ronald B. Burton, 56, of Mapleton, was traveling north on K-31 when the vehicle struck a deer that entered the roadway. The collision was reported at 7:39 p.m. Thursday and occurred on K-31 mile post 120.1 westbound or the intersection of W. 200th Road and Kelly Road...

Don’t you love those encounters when a military person returns from duty and is reunited with one of his loved ones? It is a common sight on YouTube channels. I tear up when I see an adolescent child run across his school cafeteria, sobbing into the arms of his/her returning parent, with no concern at all for how that looks to his classmates...

In the past 30 days, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Inc. has achieved several significant milestones, bringing the six-bed emergency department and 10-bed acute care hospital closer to fruition. The multi-million-dollar project is still on track to open at the end of 2025, Freeman officials said...

O, precious daughter of Abraham, thou art By thine eighteen years of suffering near our heart— Thou, who for years hast seen naught but dust and feet, But now a healing touch on Sabbath and voice so sweet— “Thou art now, my daughter, purged of thine infirmity!”...

Items from the Past 25 Years Ago 2000 Aug. 23 There have been a number of changes in Fort Scott city lakes since Don George started in the area in 1986. George, Kansas Wildlife and Parks fisheries biologist, in conjunction with the city in 1986, took the defunct rearing pond at Lake Fort Scott, and again made it functional...

Look what is happening in our small community. As of the 2020 Census, the total population of the incorporated cities in Bourbon County was 8,464, and 5,896 live in unincorporated communities and rural regions making our total population of Bourbon County 14,360...

The 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am.” What Descartes meant by that was that he knew he existed because he was conscious of himself, which is what is called self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is a uniquely human attribute that all non-impaired individuals share. ...

As we continue to engage in outdoor activities as the weather cools and hunting season begins, it’s important to protect yourself from tick bites. The Lone Star tick has been linked to causing the Alpha-Gal allergy in individuals who eat red meat. Symptoms include rash, hives, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, nausea, and severe stomach pain. These symptoms can occur in 3-8 hours after eating red meat. Seek medical attention if this occurs...

As the summer sun fades and the crisp air of autumn approaches, it’s time for one of the most exciting (and sometimes hectic) times of the year: Back-to-School. Whether you’re a student stepping into a new grade, a parent preparing for the morning rush, or a teacher welcoming fresh faces, this season marks a new chapter full of opportunities, growth, and fresh routines...

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) today announced that the measles outbreak affecting southwest Kansas has officially ended. Two full incubation periods, for a total of 42 days, have passed since the last confirmed case was reported. ...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Kansas of the Sept. 22 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding occurring May 18-19...

A week after voting to provide infrastructure services to support Fort Scott Community College leaders in a grant program, Fort Scott City Commissioners on Tuesday voted to rescind that offer after hearing new information. See Saturday's print or online edition for full story...

Bourbon County Commissioners and members of a budget advisory committee reviewed the committee’s proposed budget changes for 2026 during a work session Thursday evening. Commissioners and committee members discussed proposed reductions and increases in various department budgets. As they make decisions, numbers provided to County Clerk Susan Walker can be inputted into the budget document in order to determine the impact on the mill levy...