Community to send Prescott veteran on Honor Flight
- Roger Sims, Journal Staff
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
Updated: May 1
By Roger Sims, Journal staff
MOUND CITY – Community members and businesses from the area have quickly responded to a request for donations to help send a Prescott veteran, his “guardian,” and a sponsor on an Honor Flight slated for June this year.
As a result of that outpouring of support, Jayhawk-Linn High School senior Clay Nichols and Art Grigsby, a Prescott veteran, will be headed to Washington, D.C., in June on JLHS’s first Honor Flight.
The donations have been sufficient enough to not only pay for this year’s trip, but to begin building a fund to expand the program next year, according to Stephanie Nichols, student services coordinator for Jayhawk USD 346.
Nichols began the Honor Flight program for Prairie View High School about five years ago, before she took her post with the Jayhawk district.
Several veterans from the Hewitt New American Legion Post No. 248 have made the Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C. through the Prairie View program, and Nichols has said she wants to create a similar program for Jayhawk Linn High School.
Both the Prairie View and the JLHS programs are sponsored through Central Heights High School and coordinated by Tom Horstick, former JLHS administrator and Central Heights principal.
A fund-raising concert was held at the First Baptist Church of Mound City on Saturday, April 25, with several area musicians performing. Those performing included:
Cole Holler who collaborated with Martin, Louis and Carissa Shillito on a set. Cole and Louis performed “Summertime” together for the finale.
Luke Simpson, a sixth-grade trumpet player from Jayhawk Elementary School played two pieces including the National Anthem.
Melissa Brown and Debbie Lynch, Art Grigsby’s daughters, sang and were accompanied by Josh Simpson. Simpson did a vocal solo
The Faith Community Band, including Jayhawk-Linn High School principal Julie Samuels on the keyboard, performed.
Roger Sims performed an acoustic set.
Ryland Summers, a JLHS ninth grade trumpet player, performed the piece that he took to the State Solo competition earlier that day. He received a I rating at that competition.
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