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Bo Co Coalition Minutes from January 3

Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition

General Membership Meeting Minutes

 

January 3, 2024

 

 

  1. Welcome:  Twenty-one members representing nineteen agencies attended.  For the 2023 calendar year, the Coalition Board was able to assist 29 families, including 79 children with rent and utilities.  The Board voted to increase the monthly benefit available to $1,000.  The family swim pass applications will be ready before the first of April at Buck Run and The Beacon.

 

  1. Member Introductions and Announcements:
  • Clara Wicoff was unable to attend, but sent information concerning a summer internship with K-State Research. Billie Jo will forward the information to members.
  • Lea Kay Karleskint, K-State Research: The free “Walk With Ease” class will begin on January 8 at Buck Run Community Center; contact Lea Kay at 620-224-0182 or [email protected] to register.  Classes will be from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays until February 16.  Lea Kay is always looking for community partners for her nutrition classes; she only needs space, sink, and electricity.
  • Allen Schellack, Compassionate Ministries, Salvation Army, Ministerial Alliance: Allen announced that he and his family will be leaving Bourbon County to relocate in Georgia; he needs to find someone who cares about people to take over these ministries.  This year the Red Bucket Campaign for the Salvation Army raised enough to spend approximately $850 per month to help Bourbon County citizens.  Allen expressed thanks to all those who volunteered to ring the bells this Christmas season.
  • Lisa Robertson, CHC Community Health Worker and COPE (and Kylie Paulsen): They have been busy with Wash Wednesdays at the Washateria from 10-2; there is always a Community helper on site during these times to help clients with resources.  They will be  working with the east side laundry to provide free wash on the first Thursday of the month from 3 -6 pm.  These programs will run for at least one year.  The grant for COPE runs only through the end of May;  some job descriptions may change at that time.
  • Rachel Carpenter, HBCAT: PSU Small Business Development Center has new hours –  Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9-4; Amy Sawyer will be the new person in the office.
  • Stephanie Herring, Family Resource Center; She is available to help with anything to make sure kids are receiving proper care for and are safe in their homes.
  • Christine Abbott, KansasWorks SEK: She is always looking for 16-24 year old young people who need help with employment issues, GED certifications, work study, etc.
  • Star Culp, Parents as Teachers: She has a waiting list for USD 234 but has openings in 235; contact Star through the Greenbush website.
  • Larry Jump, Community Liaison with SEKCAP: SEKCAP provides center and home based services for preschool children and parents.  Larry also uses his graphic design background to produce promotional items for SEKCAP.
  • Dawn Cubbison, Aetna Better Health: New 2024 brochures listing benefits and rewards for clients were distributied to members.
  • Elizabeth Schafer, CASA and Pioneer Kiwanis: These organizations need volunteers.
  • Lori Holman, American Red Cross: Lori has just begun her job as the account manager for the American Red Cross; she is in charge of nine counties.
  • Nick Johnson, USD 234 Pre-School: Nick announced that the district has recently purchased the former Family Physicians building on Horton Street to house the pre-school.  Once grant monies are received and remodeling completed, the pre-school will be able to serve 150-160 students.  The projected date for the pre-school to relocate is January 2025.
  • Patty Simpson, Fort Scott Housing Authority: At present there are only 13 applicants on the waitlist but they continue to  take applications.
  • Dee Dee LeFever, Community Liaison Greenbush: She is the resource person who helps match needs with services.  She will now also be helping on the Autism Team in order to provide more evaluation days each month.
  • Cheri Walrod: Fifteen core leaders are involved in the first session of Core Community; fund raising reached the goal for 2023; and families enjoyed several special adventures for the Christmas season.

 

  1. Program:  Tess Watson, founder of the Dream Big Little One project, Patti Street and Luann Nicoletti, project volunteers, shared how the program began in Tess’s kitchen making cinnamon rolls to raise funds and evolved into the 501c3 organization that it is at present. To date, the organization has helped over 1700 children obtain a bed complete with mattress, bedding, and comfort items.    Their mission is to provide clean, new or recycled beds and bedding for SE Kansas and SW Missouri children in need, free of charge.  Their need is help in donating bedding, new or gently used beds, or financial donations to help purchase said items.  The goal is to ensure that every child has a warm bed to rest his/her head.  To help with this project contact [email protected].

 

  1. Open Forum:

 

 

  1. Adjournment:  The next General Membership meeting will be February 7, 2024.

 

KS Tax Collections Below Estimate

December Total Tax Collections at $1.043B;

3.4% Below Estimate

TOPEKA –The State of Kansas ends December 2023 with total tax collections at $1.043 billion. That is $36.9 million, or 3.4%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 3.8% from December 2022.

Individual income tax collections were $397.1 million. That is $17.1 million, or 4.5%, above the estimate, and up 5.9% from December 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $235.7 million. That is $39.3 million, or 14.3%, below the estimate and down 16.1% from December 2022.

“Withholding tax, the largest component of the individual income tax receipts, was 9.2% greater than December 2022”, said Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart. “This comes as no real surprise as the growth is entirely consistent with recent findings of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which showed that personal income and earnings in Kansas grew during the second and third quarters of 2023 at some of the highest rates in the country.”

Secretary Burghart further observed that the corporate income tax receipts were lower than expected because there was one less deposit day this December compared to December 2022. Nearly $34.4 million was deposited on that additional day in December 2022.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $302.4 million, which is $5.6 million, or 1.8%, below the estimate and down $4.9 million, or 1.6%, from December 2022.

Click to here view the December 2023 revenue numbers.

Downtown Meet and Greet Is January 9

Quarterly Downtown Meet & Greet scheduled for January 9th!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces a Downtown Meet & Greet will be held Tuesday, January 9th at Papa Don’s Pizza, 10 N. Main, from 8:30am-9:30am.

These informal, quarterly meetings are hosted by the Chamber for downtown business owners, representatives, and community members to network and share ideas on events, promotions and anything related to downtown. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.

Contact the Chamber at 620-223-3566 with any questions.

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701

James Woods Leaves a Vacancy on USD 234 Board of Education

James Wood from the USD 234 School Directory.

James Wood has served as a member of the Board of Education in Fort Scott for four years. He was just recently re-elected in November for a second term. James works at Diehl Banwart Bolton CPAs, PA. In late November, James was promoted to a partner position with Diehl Banwart Bolton CPAs, PA, which changed his responsibilities at the firm. Consequently, James is resigning his position on the USD # 234 school board effective January 1, 2024.

“James has been a great board member and has held several leadership positions on the school board during his term. He is a creative thinker and has been a great asset to the board because of his accounting and business background. He will be sorely missed on our board,” states Destry Brown, superintendent.
On reflecting about his time on the board, James reflects, “I have truly enjoyed my time on the Board of Education. I believe in the direction our school district is going and am excited for the future of the district. I grew up as a Tiger and will always be a Tiger at heart.”
The Board of Education will discuss filling the vacancy created by Wood’s resignation at the next board meeting on January 11th. 

Youth Sex Trafficking Prevention Presentation is January 31

The following is a press release from USD 234 Superintendent Destry Brown.

“I am excited to announce that thanks to Shanda Stewart, the E3 Ranch Foundation, and the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Department we are able to bring a phenomenal speaker to our community to educate us on the dangers of social media and its relationship to sex trafficking.  Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, January 31st 6 p.m. at the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center!,” according to the press release.

“Russ Tuttle will also be presenting to our students in all Fort Scott Schools on February 1st. His presentations to students are age appropriate and are geared at teaching students about the dangers of using social media.,” according to the release.
Here is the flyer for the event:

BeAlert® is the awareness and prevention strategy of The Stop Trafficking Project® to end domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST)before it starts by disrupting the exploitation of vulnerability.

THIS ADULT ONLY COMMUNITY PRESENTATION FOCUSES ON THE ROLE OF “LIFE ONLINE” FOR STUDENTS

ONE IMAGE & THREE WORDS WILL CHANGE YOUR PARADIGM!

 

The Who – caring adults invited to attend:

  • Law enforcement
  • Firefighter’s and EMT’s
  • Medical professionals
  • Counselors
  • Faith community leaders
  • School personnel
  • Parents, guardians, and all other adult family members

 

The What – educate and empower caring adults in our community:

  • Students are enamored with social media and “life online”
  • Name apps and provide practical advice to guide caring adults
  • Unpack vulnerabilities that can be exploited: loneliness, isolation, depression, suicide, sexting, sextortion, pornography, cyberbullying, exploitation, sexual exploitation, and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST)

The How – the approach: Fast-moving Power Point presentation designed for maximum impact

 

The presenter – an active abolitionist: Has command of the topic and speaks with energy that grabs and keeps the attention of attendees.

The presentation – fast paced with appropriate images and videos:

  • Provide insight into the role of technology in exploiting vulnerabilities
  • Identify the demand in this high demand business of sexual exploitation
  • Provide the option to engage with the BeAlert® Strategy, the Stop Trafficking App, and the “top ten practical steps” for adults to keep students safer

 

LOCATION:   FSCC ELLIS FINE ARTS CENTER

SPONSORS:  E3 RANCH FOUNDATION & BOURBON COUNTY SHERIFF’S         DEPARTMENT

TIME: 6 PM  on January 31

OTHER DETAILS: NO CHILDREN PLEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: SHANDA STEWART 620-215-2681

Governor Kelly’s Year In Review

Year in Review: Kelly Administration Delivers a Successful 2023 for Kansas

TOPEKA – As 2023 comes to an end, Governor Laura Kelly today highlighted some of the key successes from the first year of her second term.

“This year, I worked with the Legislature, members of my administration, and Kansans from across the state to continue building on the successes of our first term,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Heading into 2024, there is more work to be done to ensure Kansas remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Bipartisanship: In 2023, Governor Kelly signed 89 bipartisan bills into law, including significant legislation that:

Expanding Affordable Child Care:  The first executive order of Governor Kelly’s second term established the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. The task force was charged with reviewing Kansas’ early childhood programs and developing a roadmap to create a cabinet-level agency solely focused on supporting our youngest Kansans. Earlier this month, the task force presented Governor Kelly with its final report.

Throughout 2023, the Kelly administration has allocated more than $65 million to create nearly 6,000 new child care slots.

Economy and Workforce: In 2023 alone, the Kelly administration closed 256 economic development projects, totaling more than $3 billion in new business dollars invested into the state and creating or retaining more than 12,000 jobs.

In September, Governor Kelly celebrated the anniversary of establishing the Office of Registered Apprenticeship. Now, over 4,500 Kansans are active in a registered apprenticeship program, showing a nearly 55% increase in new registered apprentices and 18 new programs established in 2023.

Infrastructure: In 2023, Governor Kelly announced the final phase of the last two projects remaining from the T-WORKS program. These projects were only able to move forward through the Governor’s and Legislature’s bipartisan work to close the “Bank of KDOT” by the end of her first term.

High-Speed Internet: The collaboration of the Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Research and Education Network, and private providers brought $43 million in federal funding to strengthen the state’s high-speed internet infrastructure. Nearly 9,000 homes and businesses have been connected to high-speed internet in 2023.

Water: In partnership with the Legislature, Governor Kelly invested a record $35 million to protect vital water resources and fund projects to address high-priority dams and small-town water infrastructure through the passage of HB 2302. As she proposed in her budget, funding has also been dedicated to pay off debt for the Milford and Perry Reservoirs, saving Kansas taxpayers money in long-term interest payments.

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No Rearview Mirrow by Carolyn Hayward Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Hayward Tucker

 

At the expense of sounding like the worst driver in the world, I’ll share my personal experience because it’s the perfect lede for this column.

My mother convinced me to enter my seven-month-old daughter in a baby contest in 1987. When we were in the car and on our way, I heard Mariam sneeze from the backseat. The thought of the possibility of snot running down her face was more than I could bear, so I turned around to see if there was a “disaster on aisle 3.” With my head turned and looking backward, I sideswiped an oncoming vehicle and my Buick and ended up in a bean field. My daughter and I were unhurt, and the driver of the other car had some scratches on her arm from the broken driver’s window. The wreck occurred because my attention wasn’t focused on what was in front of me. Looking backward instead of forward is the worst technique for driving.

 

Looking backward to your past is not the best approach to life either. Please don’t live your life looking in the rearview mirror. “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 TEV.) Maybe your past hasn’t been perfect. If that’s the case, then join the crowd and realize you‘re in good company. The only perfect One on planet earth was Jesus. And even His life had some disappointments, hurts, and sorrow. I encourage you to let go of your past, move on, and embrace a future that’s full of hope in Christ.

 

It’s nice that we have a new year every 12 months because it gives us a fresh chance to change out the old and do things different and better. In Luke 9:51 TEV, it states that, “Jesus made up His mind….” Let’s make up our minds to do something beautiful for the Kingdom of God in 2024. We need to watch where we’re going and stop being halfhearted about our purpose and future.

 

Jesus is the loving and merciful Redeemer who can make all things new. Believe against all odds that divine help is on the way in 2024. Don’t look back at the things that have fallen to pieces, but look up and forward to Jesus. He is the One that is designing your future on a rock-solid foundation. “Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you” (Proverbs 4:25 NLT.)

Although I’m uneasy about heights, I managed to walk across the Royal Gorge four times by looking straight ahead and focusing my eyes on the other side of the bridge. Life is short and there’s no time to waste on wallowing in regret or discouragement about the past. We can pour our heart out to God for any sin or failure, humbly receive His mercy, and then bravely move forward in hope and peace.

 

If you search your heart and find something that you should apologize and ask forgiveness for, by all means, do it for the sake of peace. But if there’s nothing you can do to defuse the bomb of your past, then simply walk forward into your future holding onto Jesus‘ nail-scarred hand. He loves you and can heal you everywhere you hurt. But you have to make up your mind to let Him soothe away the scars of your past.

 

Let’s stop looking back and intensify our commitment to do something worthwhile for the Kingdom of God.

 

The Key:  Obliterate your rearview mirror so you won’t look backward at your life.