Fort Scott interim City Manager named

FORT SCOTT, Kans. — The Fort Scott City Commission announced their pick for the City Manager position.

Brad Matkin

The commission’s choice of Brad Matkin to take over the role was confirmed Tuesday in a unanimous vote. He will replace current City Manager, Jeff Hancock. Hancock will stay on for three months to help make it a smooth transition.

Previously, Matkin worked for the city’s public works department from 1989-1990. He returned to the city as the Human Resources Director in August of 2021 and has served as Assistant City Manager since September.

“I’ve been a lifelong resident of Fort Scott and I’m passionate about making our community a better place to live, to work, and to raise our children, just like I’ve raised mine here. We’ve worked to assemble an excellent staff and I know I speak for all of them, as well as myself when I say we’re looking forward to building on what has already been done. We have a great community full of caring citizens. Together, from city staff to residents, we can do some good things to affect positive change in our community,” Matkin said.

Flags are to fly at half-staff Wednesday and Thursday

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Flags will be flying at half-staff Wednesday through Thursday.

Wednesday is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It was 81 years ago when a sneak attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy struck America’s naval base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

The attack killed over 2,400 American service members and civilians and wounded over 1,000. In addition, the bombing raid destroyed nearly 20 American naval vessels and over 300 aircraft.

It was the final catalyst that brought the United States into World War II. The following day, Dec. 8, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Imperial Japan.

Governor Laura Kelly has ordered flags be flown at half-staff starting at sunrise Wednesday through sundown Thursday.

“I encourage all Kansans to join me in remembering those killed on December 7, 1941, and in honoring all veterans and service members who have given the ultimate sacrifice while defending our country,” says Kelly in a news release.

1,000 lanterns illuminate historic fort in Kansas

FORT SCOTT, Kan. — A national historic site in Southeast Kansas is all lit up for a weekend of holiday tours, but not with Christmas lights. Nearly 1,000 candle lanterns illuminate a night-time walk way at the Fort Scott National Historic Site. This year marks the 41st annual candlelight tour.

Starting at dark, visitors follow the glowing path to five different stations where actors in full costume and character act out scenes from the days when the fort was active. Before the grounds opened to ticket holders tonight (12/2), members of the media were invited to walk the candle-lit pathway, stopping at each station to learn what mid-19th century life was like at the historic site in Fort Scott, Kansas.

“We look at this as a way to share history, but also as a way to celebrate the holidays. We use candles because traditionally people put candles in their windows, so this is a good way to bring it outside. We put almost 1,000 candle lanterns across the grounds, just to let it twinkle with life. Then, at the different scenes, all the different vignettes have people that interact with those on the tour, so it’s not like you’re Ebenezer Scrooge looking through a window, you’re actually part of it,” said Carl Brenner, Program Manager of the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

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The annual holiday event continues tomorrow night (12/3) at the Fort Scott National Historic Site, however tickets are sold out. If you’d like to attend next year, Brenner suggests you purchase tickets as soon as they’re available (early November 2023).

You’ll find more information on the historic fort, HERE.

Big increase in DUI arrests in Kansas over the Thanksgiving holiday

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) — Figures from the special traffic enforcement conducted by the Kansas Highway Patrol over the Thanksgiving holiday show a nearly double increase in the number of arrests for DUI.

In 2020, 17 people were arrested for DUI. In 2021, that number dropped to 15. This year, 29 people were arrested for allegedly driving under the influence in Kansas.

The KHP says it investigated one fatal crash that appears to be DUI-related. Troopers say they also investigated two separate crashes that killed four people.

The KHP issued 1,087 speeding tickets over the holiday, which is 343 fewer than last year. In addition, there were 88 citations for adult seatbelt violations, compared to 103 in 2021. Twelve citations were issued for teenage seatbelt violations compared to eight in 2021, and 13 were given for unrestrained children, compared to 15 in 2021.

The enforcement ran from 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23, through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27.

41st Annual Candlelight Tour in Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT, Kan. — Tickets for the 41st Annual Candlelight Tour at the Fort Scott National Historic Site are on sale now.

The tours begin on December 2nd and 3rd. There will be a total of 27 tours, leaving every 15 minutes.

A quarter of the tickets have already been sold for the first day.

Superintendent Carl Brenner says the tour has been expanded this year.

“It’s a celebratory time of the year, but there’s a lot of stories along with it. We’re talking about the Santa Fe Trail this year, we’re going to be talking about Bleeding Kansas. We’re talking about the Ladies Aid Society which helped support the troops and provide supplies during the Civil War. And we’re talking about the railroads coming in,” said Carl Brenner, Superintendent, Fort Scott National Historic Site.

The tickets will cost $8 per person and are free for children under five years old.

FSCC Bailey Hall namesake legacies cut ribbon to commemorate recent renovation

FORT SCOTT, Kans. — Crowds gathered at Fort Scott Community College for the unveiling of the renovated Bailey Hall.

The family of Robert and Sylvia Bailey cut the ribbon on the $1.6 million dollar renovation project. It includes study rooms and a new computer lab. Work on the project began last spring and should completely wrap up in two weeks.

For the Bailey children, this is a project near and dear to their hearts.

“Dad was very proud of where he went to school, where he grew up, getting his educational start right at Fort Scott Community College. And then that’s where my mom and dad met at the college while they were attending here. So I mean for that reason, it’s just a huge part of our life. And it’s where we were all born here,” said Jim Bailey, son of Robert Bailey.

“Incredibly impactful and I think that the changes that we’ve made are sustainable and they’re relevant to student needs. So we’ll have computer labs upstairs computer bars, and places for them to study and reflect on what they’re doing here and we couldn’t be more honored to be able to do this renovation. It will be here for years to come,” said Alysia Johnston, President of FSCC.

Johnston says these renovations opened up the library space, while also establishing private areas for tutoring and studying.

Several dove hunting fields open in Southeast Kansas

KANSAS — The 2022 Kansas dove hunting season has officially begun and quality public hunting opportunity awaits at more than 90 locations managed specifically for dove hunting by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP).

Several of those locations are located in Southeast Kansas.

Bourbon County

Hollister Wildlife Area

Bourbon State Fishing Lake

Cherokee County

Shoal Creek Wildlife Area

Spring River Wildlife Area

Crawford County

Mined Land Wildlife Area

Labette County

Harmon Wildlife Area

Montgomery County

Big Hill Wildlife Area

Elk City Wildlife Area

Neosho County

Neosho Wildlife Area

You’ll find a complete list of publicly-accessible dove fields open this season in Kansas, HERE.

Though drought events earlier in the year have had a significant effect on spring plantings across the state, KDWP’s public land managers have worked hard to provide optimum wildlife habitat for public enjoyment, to include crops of sunflowers, milo and wheat stubble that attract good numbers of fast-flying quarry.

Hunters can increase their odds of successful hunts this year by:

  • Checking the latest reports for the specific wildlife area they are interested in, or by calling the wildlife area office for the most up-to-date information.
  • Ensuring only non-toxic shot is utilized on public lands, and making sure shotguns are plugged and incapable of holding more than three shells at a time.
  • Downloading the “Go Outdoors Kansas” mobile app, which gives hunters instant access to their license and permit purchases, current regulations, and public lands check-in/check-out system.

The 2022 Kansas dove hunting season runs September 1st through November 29th, during which time hunters may take mourning, white-winged, Eurasian collared and ringed turtle doves.

After the season closes, only Eurasian collared and ringed turtle doves may be harvested.

Hunters may keep a daily bag limit of up to 15 doves total, which can be mourning and white-winged doves in any combination; There is no limit on Eurasian collared or ringed turtle doves, but any taken in addition to the mourning and white-winged dove daily bag limit must have a fully-feathered wing attached for identification while in transport.

The possession limit for dove is 45.

Lastly, hunters should keep in mind that migratory doves may only be taken while in flight.

You can learn more about doves in Kansas, including the dove hunting season, HERE.

HS student documentary wins $6k in Lowell Milken Center Discovery Award Competition

FORT SCOTT, Kans. — The Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes, has picked the stand-out from a handful of students honored for bringing awareness to unsung heroes.

This year’s grand prize winner is Gracie Conrad, an 11th-grade student from a high school in Nebraska. Conrad made a documentary about an 18-year-old daycare worker, Betty Goudsmit-Oudkerk. She was a member of the Dutch Resistance that helped save the lives of 600 Jewish children during World War II.

“I’m so overwhelmed that I got recognized, and I think that I’m just more happy that Betty gets recognized because she deserves that recognition for what she did, and she’s just an amazing person and I’m just so beyond happy that I could be the one to tell her story,” said Conrad.

In all, $15,000 were awarded to the winners, $6,000 went to Conrad for her documentary.

If you’d like to see her project, or those of the other winners, follow this link here.

Milken Center announces exhibit across from White House

FORT SCOTT, Kans. — The man behind The Milken Center For Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott plans on building a second, similar facility… But nowhere near southeast Kansas. Lowell Milken says another center is in the works for our nation’s capital. He made the announcement Monday during a double celebration for the grand opening of a park that bares his name, as well as the Center’s 15th anniversary. The new facility will be on a much larger scale, in a much more heavily visited area.

“And we’re extremely excited about having a permanent exhibition in the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream which will open in 2024 and is located across from the White House so we’ll be able to take the messages and importance of this center to Washington D.C.,” said Lowell Milken, Founder, Lowell Milken Family Foundation.

The mission of that facility will be to advance economic and social mobility for all Americans.

Milken Center celebrates two big events in Fort Scott

FORT SCOTT, Kans. — Not everyone that makes a significant contribution to the world around them becomes a household name. But that doesn’t mean their story is any less courageous. A facility devoted to promoting its efforts is celebrating a milestone.

Norm Conard is the executive director of the Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, and he says it’s hard to believe how long the facility has been open and how many amazing, yet not well-known, stories school children have uncovered in that time.

“We had a dream that was born in Fort Scott, the dream was a museum of unsung heroes and role models that has reached three million students in 50 states,” said Norm Conard, Exec. Dir., Lowell Milken Center For Unsung Heroes.

The Center highlights people who’ve played a significant role in the lives of others but aren’t household names. Conard was a history teacher in Uniontown several years ago when a group of his students uncovered the life story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social worker that secretly saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish children living in the Warsaw Poland Ghetto in World War II. She snuck them into the homes of Christian families, preventing them from dying at the hands of the Germans.

“We had no idea what was ahead, the hundred days of slaughter, more than a million people killed,” said Carl Wilkens, Unsung Hero.

Carl Wilkens, was a Christian missionary and was the only American to stay in the war-torn African country of Rwanda when civil war broke out there in 1994. Students learned about his bravery and thought everyone else should know his story, too.

“Kids always inspire us all right, and to see the depth that the students have gone in digging into stories by their own inspiration, their own curiosity, it’s just exciting to see and it snowballs it’s growing and that’s, that’s really exciting to be part of that,” said Wilkens.

Skipper Higgins is the grandson of unsung hero Andrew Jackson Higgins, who designed and built thousands of landing crafts used by U.S. soldiers to invade Asian islands in the Pacific and the beaches of Omaha in Europe during World War II. Students also brought his relative’s achievement to light as well.

“It’s just an amazing place, absolutely amazing, and then the core purpose of it is education and enlightenment of students all over America and all over the world, oh my goodness, it’s just unbelievable,” said Higgins.