Category Archives: Area News

The SEKnFind Newsletter October 2021

This newsletter about new books is distributed to people who are registered adult users at a southeast Kansas library participating in the SEKnFind catalog. We hope you find it useful, but if you don’t wish to receive this anymore, you can click on the “Manage Subscriptions or Unsubscribe” link at the bottom.
All the books included in this newsletter are new additions in one or more SEKnFind libraries–and since the catalog is shared, that means they are available to you whether they are in your local library or not!  Just place a hold on the item(s) you want.  If you don’t know how, your librarian can show you.

New Fiction

The Lincoln highway
by Amor Towles

In June of 1954, 18-year-old Emmett Watson, released after serving 15 months for involuntary manslaughter, discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car and have hatched a different plan for Emmett’s future.

Crossroads
by Jonathan Franzen

As Christmas 1971 approaches, the Hildebrand family of New Prospect, Illinois deals increasing points of crisis including a stale marriage, the draft and their son’s sexual orientation in the first novel in a new trilogy from the author of Purity

The gold in these hills : a novel
by Joanne Bischof

“Two second-chance love stories, hope across the centuries, and the legacy that binds them together”

Her perfect life
by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Lily Atwood, a beloved television reporter with fame, fortune, Emmy awards and a young daughter is spooked when the anonymous source who feeds her tips begins suddenly giving her inside information about her own life. 60,000 first printing.

Bewilderment : a novel
by Richard Powers

A widowed astrobiologist and single father to a troubled son contemplates an experimental neurofeedback treatment that trains the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother’s brain in the new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Overstory

The mad women’s ball
by Victoria Mas

Under the cover of the Madwomen’s Ball—when the great and good come to gawk at the patients of the Salpetriere Asylum in Paris—19-year-old Eugenie, who can see spirits, is determined to escape and seek those who will believe in her. 40,000 first printing.

The wolf and the woodsman
by Ava Reid

Inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology, a debut novel follows Évike, a young pagan woman, as she, rescued by Gáspár, the one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen—and a disgraced prince, makes a tenuous pact to stop his brother from instigating a violent reign. 100,000 first printing.

No gods, no monsters : a novel
by Cadwell Turnbull

When creatures from myth and legend come out of the shadows, setting off a chain of seemingly unrelated events, people start disappearing, suicides and hate crimes increase and protests erupt globally—until the world finds out what has frightened the monsters out of the dark.

Ronin : a Visions novel
by Emma Mieko Candon

This thrilling original novel is inspired by the upcoming Star Wars Visions animated anthology series

Empire of the vampire
by Jay Kristoff

The last living member of the Silver Order, a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending humanity from vampires, stands alone to fight and tell his story in a world where the sun hasn’t risen in 27 years. 100,000 first printing.

Late city : a novel
by Robert Olen Butler

A 115-year-old man lies on his deathbed as the 2016 election results arrive, and revisits his life in a story of love, fatherhood, and the American century from a Pulitzer Prize winner.

And the river ran red : a novel of the massacre at Bear River
by Rod Miller

“January 29, 1863. United States Army troops attack a Shoshoni village on the banks of the Bear River in what is now southeastern Idaho. Four hours later, the army abandons the field, leaving behind the dead bodies of some three hundred men, women, and children. This all-but-forgotten massacre stands today as the worst killing of Indians by the military in the history of the American West. In the pages of And the River Ran Red, four-time Spur Award-winning author Rod Miller puts human faces and feelings on this incomparable tragedy. Follow Shoshoni leaders Bear Hunter and Sagwitch, military officers Colonel Patrick Edward Connor and Major Edward F. McGarry, Mormon leader Brigham Young, and frontiersman Porter Rockwell in a tapestry of intrigue and violence leading up to the massacre, and its aftermath. Chilling in its detail, scrupulous in its portrayal of history, And the River Ran Red sheds light on a dark day that deserves to come out of the shadows and find its place in the history of the West”

New Nonfiction

Dirty work : essential jobs and the hidden toll of inequality in America
by Eyal Press

A groundbreaking, urgent report from the front lines of “dirty work”—the work that society considers essential but morally compromised. 50,000 first printing. Index.

Rationality : what it is, why it seems scarce, why it matters
by Steven Pinker

Can reading a book make you more rational? Can it help us understand why there is so much irrationality in the world? The author of Enlightenment Now answers all the questions

Baby, unplugged : one mother’s search for balance, reason, and sanity in the digital age
by Sophie Brickman

“Combining a journalist’s investigative eye with her unborn second child as an experimental guinea pig, Baby, Unplugged draws on Sophie Brickman’s own experiences as a journalist and parent to try to discover what aspects of technology are actually helpful, which are making us crazy, and most importantly, how we might learn to trust ourselves and our instincts again when it comes to raising children”

Fuzz : when nature breaks the law
by Mary Roach

A best-selling author offers an investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet. Illustrations.

The sleeping beauties : and other stories of mystery illness
by Suzanne O’Sullivan

“A riveting exploration of the phenomenon of psychosomatic disorders, mass hysteria, and other culture-bound syndromes occurring around the world. In Sweden, hundreds of refugee children fall asleep for months and years at a time. In upstate New York, teenage girls develop involuntary twitches and seizures that spread like a contagion. In the US Embassy in Cuba, employees experience headaches and memory loss after hearing strange noises in the night. There are more than 200 officially listed culture-bound syndromes–specific sets of symptoms that exist in a particular culture–affecting people around the world. In The Sleeping Beauties, Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan–a prize winning British neurologist–investigates psychosomatic disorders and mass hysteria, traveling the world to visit communities suffering from these so-called “mystery” illnesses. From a derelict post-Soviet mining town in Kazakhstan, to the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua, to the heart of the Maria Mountains in Colombia, O’Sullivan records the remarkable stories of culture-bound syndromes related by an array of people from all walks of life. She presents these curious and often distressing case studies of seeming mass hysteria with compassion and humanity, persuasively arguing that psychologicalsuffering demands much greater respect and discussion than it’s given at present. In attempting to understand the complexity of psychogenic illness, O’Sullivan has given us a book of both fascination and serious concern as these syndromes continue to proliferate around the globe”

Garden allies : the insects, birds, & other animals that keep your garden beautiful and thriving
by Frédérique Lavoipierre

An illustrated guide to the animals and insects that live in our yards and gardens and act as helpful friends by pollinating and keeping pests in check and includes information on welcoming and nurturing these creatures. Original. 10,000 first printing. Illustrations.

Modern freezer meals : simple recipes to cook now and freeze for later
by Ali Rosen

“Modern Freezer Meals provides one hundred fresh recipes for frozen food–from healthy, vibrant grain bowls to proteins cooked straight from the freezer with tons of flavor still intact. Frozen food guru Ali Rosen offers proper packing and labeling techniques to shatter some of the myths around freezer meals. The days of freezer burn or giant blocks of unwieldy meals are replaced by dozens of dishes that stand up to the cold”

Major labels : a history of popular music in seven genres
by Kelefa Sanneh

“The entire history of popular music over the past fifty years refracted through the big genres that have defined and dominated it-including rock, country, punk, R&B, dance and hip-hop-woven together into a cosmic reckoning with music’s evolution as a popular art form, as a huge cultural and economic force, and as an essential component to our identities, from Black Sabbath to Black Flag to Beyoncé, and beyond”

True raiders : the untold story of the 1909 expedition to find the legendary Ark of the Covenant
by Brad Ricca

Told for the first time, this legendary story, which was the inspiration for the film Raiders of the Lost Ark follows a British rogue nobleman, who, after being dared to do so, headed a secret 1909 expedition to find the fabled Ark of the Covenant. 75,000 first printing. Illustrations.

Where the deer and the antelope play : the pastoral observations of one ignorant American who loves to walk outside
by Nick Offerman

In July 2019, Nick took a hiking trip to Glacier National Park with his friends Jeff Tweedy and George Saunders. The trip, and the conversations between the three men, began a study and exploration of both the American West and its National Parks that addresses so many of the important issues that affect America today. This book both maps out the group’s travels and dives deeply into subjects such as: the history and geology of the National Parks of the West; farming, animal life, and conservation; the importance of outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing.

Even more reading suggestions

NextReads Sneak Peek<

680th Avenue to close east of U.S. 69

680th Avenue to close east of U.S. 69

 

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), 680th Avenue in Crawford County will close east of U.S. 69 the week of Nov. 1.

The road will be closed for six to eight weeks for the reconstruction of the intersection with U.S. 69.

Drivers should use alternate routes until the road is reopened.

680th Avenue will remain open west of U.S. 69.

Sweets Featured in New Roving Food Truck

 

People line up at the Crumble and Cream food truck on Thursday afternoon on the Tractor Supply Company parking lot.

A new food truck business visited Fort Scott on Oct. 21.

The Crumble and Cream food truck was positioned in the parking lot of Tractor Supply Company, Scooters Coffee House, and Hibbets Sports Store on South Main Street, for its debut in Fort Scott.

Specials of the day for Crumble and Cream food truck are listed on signs in front of the truck.

“We specialize in deep dish cookies,” Joshua Scott, operations manager, said. “They are soft and gooey on the inside and slightly crusty on the outside.” They also have ice cream and sundaes.

Joshua Scott, operations manager of Crumble and Cream food truck.

The Crumble and Cream business is headquartered in Wichita and is owned by Rachel Marlow. Marlow started the venture four months ago, Scott said.

The food truck gets daily shipments of fresh cookies to replenish supplies.

“The home office in Wichita is where the bakery is,” Scott said. “We are entirely mobile, on the road.”

“We are visiting many towns really quick, going to places a second time in maybe six weeks,” Scott said.

The hours were from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The price of the cookies is $5 each or six cookies for $25.

Cara Guthries pays the food truck assistant Tandi Jackson, Pittsburg, for sundaes.

“Facebook is our huge (marketing) type of notifying people of when we will be in town,” he said. On Oct. 20 they were in Chanute, yesterday in Fort Scott, and today in Iola, he said.

Blaze Burns smiles after just receiving his Monster Sundae on Thursday afternoon at the Crumble and Cream food truck.

He stays in a hotel each night in between cities.

“Going to small towns, we are having success,” he said. “We also do corporate events.”

Corporate events,  such as an apartment landlord providing the truck for a few hours for tenants, or Scholfield Honda and Home Depot paying a flat fee and serving all their employees to show appreciation, Scott said.

To find out more,  follow them on their Crumble and Cream Facebook page.

A cinnamon roll cookie.

 

 

Evergy seeks to add more wind energy

 

Midwest projects of 50 MW or larger requested

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Oct. 18, 2021 – Evergy (NYSE: EVRG) today issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for wind energy to supply the needs of its customers.

 

The RFP solicits bids for Evergy’s purchase of wind resources of up to 1,000 megawatts (MW) that will be in service by 2026. Projects that achieve commercial operation by mid-2024 and year-end 2025 will be given preference. Wind resources must be a minimum of 50 MW and interconnect to the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). Siting preference will be given to projects located in Kansas.

 

Proposals are due by Nov. 23, 2021. Response and contact information are available online at www.evergy.com/2021rfp. Proposals selected from the RFPs are subject to appropriate regulatory approvals.

 

Evergy has outlined its plan to expand ownership of renewable energy and to retire fossil-fueled generation as the company works toward its 2045 target for net zero carbon emissions. These wind projects would fulfill the plan to add up to 1,000 MW of wind energy by 2026 with projects that benefit from production tax credits.

 

About Evergy, Inc.

Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG) serves approximately 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. We were formed in 2018 when long-term local energy providers KCP&L and Westar Energy merged. We generate nearly half the power we provide to homes and businesses with emission-free sources. We support our local communities where we live and work, and strive to meet the needs of customers through energy savings and innovative solutions.

What’s an alligator gar doing in the Neosho River

Alligator Gar Fish taken from Bing.

First-ever Alligator Gar Caught in Kansas

PRATT – When a lure drops below the water’s surface, it’s not always known what might rise to meet it. On a warm night late last month, one angler fishing the Neosho River east of Parsons caught something he probably never expected to see – a four and a half-foot, 39.5-pound Alligator Gar. The kicker? Alligator Gar aren’t native to Kansas and have never been documented here.

Though not always common, Alligator Gar are distributed from southwestern Ohio and southeastern Missouri and Illinois, south to the Gulf of Mexico, and a small portion of northeastern Mexico. A predatory fish, Alligator Gar are sometimes referred to as “living fossils” since fossil records trace them back nearly 100 million years. As the name implies, Alligator Gar are easily identified by their broad snouts that loosely resemble that of the American Alligator. Alligator Gar are the largest gar species with specimens weighing more than 300 pounds and measuring more than 8 feet long. Just three gar species are native to Kansas: Longnose, Shortnose, and Spotted Gar. Longnose Gar are the most common and largest gar species in Kansas. While the Longnose Gar are common in the state and reach lengths exceeding 5 feet, they are distinguished from the Alligator Gar by a narrow snout and smaller overall size, among other characteristics. So, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Fisheries biologists must ask, “What’s an alligator gar doing in the Neosho River?”

It’s a good question, and one KDWP Fisheries biologists are attempting to answer.

“We’re confident the information from the angler is accurate and the fish was, in fact, caught from the Neosho River,” said KDWP Fisheries biologist Connor Ossowski. “However, that doesn’t mean the fish originated from the river.”

To determine the fish’s origins, KDWP biologists have several unique options.

Since all states involved in Alligator Gar reintroduction efforts for populations in decline have been tagging each hatchery-produced Alligator Gar, KDWP staff had the option of looking for a tag. After using a “wand” to detect any identification markers, KDWP staff are confident this catch was not part of a formal reintroduction effort.

“Because most populations of this species can be distinguished from one another with a sample of the fish’s fins, another option we’re considering is genetic identification,” said KDWP assistant director of Fisheries research, Jeff Koch. “This will tell us if the fish came from an existing population in another state.”

If genetic testing doesn’t pan out, not all hope is lost; KDWP Fisheries biologists would still have one more option.

“Microchemistry is another technique at our disposal,” Koch added.

Microchemistry is performed by measuring the elemental proportion of a bone on a given fish and comparing it to the elemental concentration of a surrounding water. If consistencies exist, the data may be able to help Fisheries biologists determine at least how long the fish had been in the Neosho River.

Of all the potential scenarios for how this giant came to be in the Neosho River, there’s one hypothesis that rings the truest – the possibility that the Kansas-caught Alligator Gar was released from an aquarium.

“It’s not unlikely that this fish was once somebody’s pet or purchased from a pet store, and simply released into the river once it became too large,” said Doug Nygren, KDWP Fisheries Division director. “These techniques should allow us to determine which mode of introduction occurred.”

Time will tell if the Neosho River Alligator Gar made its way to the Sunflower State by natural or assisted means. While it would be very difficult for this fish to have made its way to Kansas naturally, due to the distance to the nearest population and the series of dams along the river, KDWP Fisheries biologists won’t jump to conclusions; they’ll do as they always have, which is rely on verifiable data from proven research methods.

Once their research is complete, KDWP Fisheries biologists will publish the results of this catch on ksoutdoors.com and on the Kansas Fisheries Division Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KDWPFisheries.

In the meantime, it’s important to note that transporting and releasing fish or other species in public waters, whether native or non-native, is illegal in Kansas. Chris Steffen, KDWP Aquatic Nuisance Species coordinator, warns, “Transporting and releasing fish risks spreading other harmful species such as microscopic zebra mussels, fish diseases, or aquatic vegetation that might be present in the water used to transport the fish.”

To report a rare species find in Kansas, email [email protected] and visit  https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Threatened-and-Endangered-Wildlife/Rare-Species-Sighting for more information.

KS State Treasurer Will Speak in Pittsburg Oct. 10

STATE TREASURER TO CELEBRATE OKTOBERFEST IN PITTSBURG

Lynn Rogers, Kansas State Treasurer, will join local citizens in celebrating Oktoberfest on Sunday, October 10th. Rogers will be the guest speaker at a fundraiser hosted by the Crawford County Democrat Party being held at the Frisco Event Center, 210 E. Fourth, in Pittsburg starting at 12 noon.

Nancy Ingle, Party County Chair, said that the “local Democrats are excited to welcome the State Treasurer back to Crawford County. Lynn has served the people of Kansas well first as Lieutenant Governor and now Treasurer.” In a recent month (August) nearly 6,000 Kansans received checks for unclaimed property totaling 6.3 million dollars. “That’s the kind of common-sense hard work that Kansans expect from their government,” Ingle stated.

In addition to Rogers, other candidates, including Patrick Schmidt, candidate for Second District Congress, will be in attendance.

The celebration will offer a traditional Oktoberfest menu and live performances by local musicians. Tickets are $10 for adults, children age 5 to 12 $5, and children under the age of 5 are free.

Evergy Warns Customers Regarding Recent Utility Scam Attempts

 

Imposters asking for immediate payment

KANSAS CITY, Mo., – Oct. 1, 2021 – Evergy has received customer reports today of individuals placing phone calls to customers and claiming to be Evergy representatives. The individuals are asking customers for immediate payment to avoid service disconnection. These representatives are not employees of Evergy. For past-due accounts, calls from Evergy requesting payment are never made the same day as the disconnection.

 

Several customers have contacted us after receiving suspicious calls. In most cases, the caller claims to be an Evergy customer service representative and asks the customer to provide credit card information or other personal information, telling the customer a check has bounced or he or she has a past-due bill. Imposters will often ask customers to use a pre-paid card for payment. Evergy will never ask a customer to purchase a pre-paid debit card to pay for service.

Customers may verify an individual is from Evergy by asking to see company identification or by calling the Customer Contact Center before giving any information such as your Evergy account number or banking information. If you can’t verify that you’re speaking with an Evergy employee, do not give them this information.  Evergy Missouri and Evergy Kansas Metro customers may reach customer service toll-free at 1-888-471-5275. Evergy Kansas Central customers may call 1-800-383-1183. Customers can also review their account status online by visiting www.evergy.com.

 

Evergy wants its customers to know how to identify Evergy representatives. Employees will carry Evergy employee identification. For a service appointment, they may be driving an Evergy vehicle or wearing Evergy branded clothing. Evergy does not perform door-to-door sales. Evergy employees rarely need to enter a customer’s home.

 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers have increased calls, texts, emails, and in-person tactics and are contacting utility customers asking for immediate payment to avoid service disconnection. As a reminder, Evergy will never ask customers to make payments with a pre-paid debit card, gift card, any form of cryptocurrency, or third-party digital payment mobile applications. If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, please work with your local law enforcement agency to report the crime.

 

Want to Restore Natural Gas in Your Home? Special Payment Plan Now Available!

Customers without service can take advantage of special payment plan in October

Overland Park, Kan. – Oct. 1, 2021 – Colder temperatures are on the horizon, and Kansas Gas
Service urges customers with inactive service to sign-up for a special offering. During October,
customers who have exhausted standard payment arrangement opportunities can make a down
payment to restore their service.
“We understand many customers continue to navigate through the challenges of the pandemic,
and we don’t want any of them to go without their natural gas service,” said Abbey Frye, director
of Customer Service for Kansas Gas Service. “By taking advantage of this special offer to
re-establish service now, those customers can also avoid the winter rush that brings longer wait
times.”
How to sign up for the payment plan:
• CALL – Call the Kansas Gas Service Customer Contact Center at 800-794-4780.
• PAY – Pay one-fourth of the total account balance. The company will bill the remaining
balance in six monthly installments.
• SCHEDULE – Schedule service restoration. Customer Service Representatives are
available to assist Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Customers who are experiencing financial hardships may qualify for assistance through several
programs and community agencies. Visit the KansasGasService.com/Cares for energy assistance
resources.

About Kansas Gas Service

Kansas Gas Service provides a reliable and affordable energy choice to more than 640,000 customers in Kansas and
is the largest natural gas distributor in the state, in terms of customers.
Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas Gas Service is a division of ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS), a 100-percent
regulated natural gas utility that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “OGS.” ONE Gas is
included in the S&P MidCap 400 Index and is one of the largest natural gas utilities in the United States.
For more information and the latest news about Kansas Gas Service, visit kansasgasservice.com and follow its social
channels: @KansasGas, Facebook, Nextdoor, LinkedIn and YouTube.
###

New Overland Park Hospital Opens

Governor Laura Kelly Celebrates New AdventHealth South Overland Park Hospital

OVERLAND PARK –  Governor Laura Kelly yesterday celebrated the grand opening of the AdventHealth South Overland Park Hospital, the Kansas City metro’s first new, full-service hospital in 15 years.

“I want to thank AdventHealth for anticipating and responding to the increased need for health care in this area,” Governor Kelly said. “My administration will continue to work with our hospitals during the pandemic and beyond to ensure that they have what they need to provide quality health services for Kansans.”

The 193,000-square-foot addition to the Bluhawk development was designed to provide patients with access to a full suite of medical and emergency services when it opens in early October 2021. The addition includes a birth center, surgical services, intensive care unit, heart care and more.

“Our patients have demonstrated clear need for expanded services in southern Johnson County and surrounding communities, and we are thrilled to provide these with our whole-person care approach,” Alan Verrill, MD, chief executive officer for AdventHealth South Overland Park, said. “Our facilities and our staff provide so much more than medicine by caring for our patients’ body, mind and spirit and we are proud to have the opportunity to deliver this care in a beautiful, high-quality facility.”

SEK Community Foundation Grants Awarded

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas Announces $155,000 in General Funds Grantmaking

Every summer, the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) Grant Review Committee awards funding to programs focusing on Basic Human Needs, Youth Activities, and Arts & Culture. CFSEK is pleased to announce General Grant Funds totalling $155,000 have been awarded to 45 non-profit organizations in Southeast Kansas representing 20 communities in 6 counties. Since 2004, the funds directly managed by CFSEK have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to many Southeast Kansas nonprofit projects.

The Community Foundation continues to celebrate its 20th anniversary by encouraging charitable giving benefiting the common good and the quality of life in our region. CFSEK focuses on ‘inspiring leadership with programming that is responsive to the interests and needs of those we serve now and in the future.’

The following grants were awarded during the 2021 General Grant Cycle:

Basic Human Needs – $56,652

Caney Valley Agape Network – Protective supplies for volunteers.

Catholic Charities, Inc. – Homeless and housing services.

Class LTD – Client emergency assistance funds.

Communities in Schools, Inc. – Basic needs support for students in schools in SEK.

Community Health Center of SEK – Baby basics for the Baby4Baby program.

First Baptist Church of Riverton Kansas – Share with love food bank.

First United Methodist Church Wesley House – Safety supplies for the homeless program.

Homer Cole Community Center – Security cameras.

Kansas Food Bank Warehouse, Inc. – Food 4 Kids weekend backpack program.

Labette County Emergency Assistance Center – Emergency funding for Labette County residents.

Mount Carmel Foundation – Save a life by providing critical inhalers.

Olive Street Presents, Ltd. – Bringing local stages to life.

Sacred Heart Parish – Thanksgiving meal turkey distribution.

SEK Animal Advocates Society – Services to support permanent homes for animals.

Spring River Mental Health & Wellness – Medication assistance and organization.

TFI Family Services, Inc. – Calming kits.

The Beacon – Basic nutritional needs through their food bank.

The Salvation Army – Emergency utility and rental assistance.

Youth Activities – $87,000

Boy Scout of America – Hooked on Scouting recruitment campaign.

Cherry Street Youth Center, Inc. – Art Enrichment.

Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc. – Go Blue SEK kickoff event.

City of Girard – Frisbee Golf Course.

City of Parsons – Parsons Area splash pad.

Coffeyville Regional Medical Center Foundation – Childbirth Education Curriculum and Equipment.

Curious Minds Discovery Zone, Inc. – ‘Rigamajig’

Family Resource Center – Software update.

First United Methodist Church Wesely House – Coats for Kids.

Girls Scouts of the Missouri Heartland – Disaster Preparedness weekend campout.

Mem – Erie Historical Society -Discovering Memories through interactive programming.

Pittsburg Community Child Care Learning Center – Poured in place rubber playground surface.

PSU Foundation, Inc. – PSU Media Production Camp.

PSU Foundation, Inc. – Affordable service provision for children with reading difficulties.

Safehouse Crisis Center – Creating for Healing – a project for the children of Safehouse services.

Southeast Kansas Community Action Program – Early Learning Center flooring.

Special Olympics Kansas – SEK athlete recognition.

The Salvation Army – Stocking stuffers for Christmas.

USD 234 Winfield Scott Leadership Club – Healthy snacks.

USD 246 Northeast Elementary/JH – Back to School Bash.

USD 246 Northeast Elementary/JH Magazines in the classroom.

USD 506 – Junior High Color Guard flags.

Victory Life Church – Back 2 School event

Women’s Resource Center Vie Medical Clinic – Come Play with Me safe play space for children.

Arts & Culture – $1,348

Olive Street Presents, Ltd. – Bringing local stages to life.

Affiliates – $10,000

Girard Area Community Foundation – GACF Youth Activities granting.

Fort Scott Area Community Foundation – FSACF Youth Activities granting.

The CFSEK Board of Trustees and staff congratulate all the 2021 grant recipients!

If you are interested in establishing a grantmaking fund with the CFSEK, please visit www.SoutheastKansas.org or call 620-231-8897.

SEK Library Newsletter Sept. 2021

The SEKnFind Newsletter
September 2021

This newsletter about new books is distributed to people who are registered adult users at a southeast Kansas library participating in the SEKnFind catalog. We hope you find it useful, but if you don’t wish to receive this anymore, you can click on the “Manage Subscriptions or Unsubscribe” link at the bottom.
All the books included in this newsletter are new additions in one or more SEKnFind libraries–and since the catalog is shared, that means they are available to you whether they are in your local library or not!  Just place a hold on the item(s) you want.  If you don’t know how, your librarian can show you.

New Fiction

Cloud cuckoo land : a novel
by Anthony Doerr

Follows four young dreamers and outcasts through time and space, from 1453 Constantinople to the future, as they discover resourcefulness and hope amidst peril in the new novel by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of All the Light We Cannot See.

The reading list : a novel
by Sara Nisha Adams

Working at the local library, Aleisha reads every book on a secret list she found, which transports her from the painful realities she’s facing at home, and decides to pass the list on to a lonely widower desperate to connect with his bookworm granddaughter. 75,000 first printing.

The heron’s cry
by Ann Cleeves

While looking into the murder of Dr. Nigel Yeo, who was investigating the suicide of a young man who was a member of chilling online group, Detective Matthew Venn, as the body count rises, must wade through the lies at the heart of his community. 150,000 first printing.

How to kill your best friend
by Lexie Elliott

When their close friend and former swim teammate, Lissa, drowns while on vacation with her husband, Georgie and Bronwyn attend a celebration of her life at Kanu Cove and discover danger lurking in the water and beyond.

Sisters in arms : a novel of the daring black women who served during World War II
by Kaia Alderson

The first Black women allowed to serve in the army, Grace Steele and Eliza Jones, helping form the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, navigate their way through the segregated ranks, finally making it overseas where they do their parts for the country they love.

Witch please
by Ann Aguirre

A fully modern witch who keeps her heart protected, Danica Waterhouse meets her match in Titus Winnaker, who’s been cursed to be alone, and wonders if she can find love with an old-fashioned mundane who refuses to settle for anything less than forever. Original.

Murder most fowl
by Donna Andrews

When a filmmaker takes footage of Macbeth, which her husband is producing, that reveals dark secrets about the major players, Meg Langslow, with the filmmaker’s electronic devices destroyed, must uncover the darkest secret of all to expose a killer. 40,000 first printing.

My heart is a chainsaw
by Stephen Graham Jones

Protected by horror movies—especially the ones where the masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them—Jade Daniels, an angry, half-Indian outcast, pulls us into her dark mind when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian lake. 100,000 first printing.

Holdout : a novel
by Jeffrey Kluger

Walli Beckworth refuses to leave her post at the international space station after an accident forces her colleagues to evacuate in the hopes of using her position to save her niece working as a healthcare provider in the Amazon jungle.

Shards of earth
by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Idris, an enhanced human, and his crew, 50 years after the destruction of the earth by alien aggressors, the Architects, discover some strange in space that many people would kill to obtain—and could herald the return of the enemy. 40,000 first printing.

The great glorious goddamn of it all : a novel
by Josh Ritter

Filled with heart, humor and magic, this lyrical, sweeping novel about the last days of the lumberjacks is told by of one of the greatest lumberjacks of all who recounts tales rife with murder, mayhem, avalanches and bootlegging in the tiny timber town of Cordelia, Idaho. 75,000 first printing.

Fork in the false trail
by C. M. Wendelboe

“Tucker Ashley returns to his Black Hills ranch only to find that Indians have raided it. They’ve killed livestock and taken his best friend and business partner Jack captive. Tucker has no choice but to head out after the Indians. Meanwhile, Hack Reed, his nemesis from his recent prison stint, has just broken out of jail, and his gang of cutthroats is hot after Tucker. The Reed gang attacks the posse, killing everyone except their tracker, who narrowly escapes with a gunshot wound. The fact that Tucker was not with them only fuels Reed’s fury. Tucker, tracking the Indians who kidnapped Jack, sees they have taken others captive. Among the familiar faces are a murderer of miners, and a rancher and his daughter. Suddenly Tucker has more pressing issues. The gang springs an ambush that Tucker should have seen coming. Still, he manages to kill some of Reed’s men and make his escape. Resuming the hunt for Jack, his pursuit of the Indians is more difficult now that Tucker is on foot. In a desperate act, the captives cut their bonds and flee the Indians. The murderer and the rancher are killed right off. The posse tracker that was left for dead catches up with Tucker. Together, they follow the Indians, unaware that the rancher’s daughter and Jack escaped. They made it far enough away to hide out in the forest, safe for now. It’s a tight line Tucker walks between surviving himself and saving his friend. Will Tucker find Jack before he is killed by the Indians, or will Reed and his killers find Tucker first?”

New Nonfiction

The quiet zone : unraveling the mystery of a town suspended in silence
by Stephen Kurczy

An award-winning journalist takes us deep into the Appalachian Mountains where the last truly quiet town of America exists and where its residents live a life free from constant digital connectivity, challenging us to rethink the role of tech in our lives. 50,000 first printing.

Breaking the stress cycle : 7 steps to greater resilience, happiness, and piece of mind
by Andrew Bernstein

Using a program developed by the author called Activinsight, this simple seven step guide can help you through some of the most challenging experiences of modern life in a matter of minutes. Original.

Pastoral song : a farmer’s journey
by James Rebanks

The author of the New York Times best-selling A Shepard’s Life returns with a chronicle of his family’s farm in England’s Lake District across three generations and how he restored the viability of its future. 25,000 first printing.

Can I recycle this? : a guide to better recycling and how to reduce single-use plastics
by Jennie Romer

This practical guide to recycling includes a look at how recycling actually works, how to better handle the waste we produce, the way rules differ in every municipality and which common household objects can or cannot be recycled. Illustrations.

Arriving today : from factory to front door–why everything has changed about how and what we buy
by Christopher Mims

An investigative look at how the demand for convenience and instant gratification has changed online commerce, caused huge shifts in transportation and supply chain management and led to massive shifts in how industry uses labor. 50,000 first printing.

Easy crafts for the insane : a mostly funny memoir of mental illness and making things
by Kelly Williams Brown

The New York Times best-selling author of Adulting describes how she used crafting to help her cope with a series of negative events in her life, including a failed marriage, unrelated bodily injuries, and her father’s cancer diagnosis. Illustrations.

The heirloom gardener : traditional plants & skills for the modern world
by John Forti

An award-winning heirloom specialist, garden historian, ethnobotanist and writer offers this wood-block illustrated, alphabetical compendium of heirloom flowers and artisanal crafts like distilling and wreath-making to help inspire gardeners to connect with the natural world. Illustrations.

Sheet cake : easy one-pan recipes for every day and every occasion
by Abigail Johnson Dodge

A baking guru and award-winning cookbook author teaches home bakers how to build spectacular sheet cake creations with her three techniques for assembly—classic, stacked and rolled—along with everything else you need to turn your cake into a masterpiece. Illustrations.

52 weeks of socks : Beautiful Patterns for Year-Round Knitting
by Laine

“52 Weeks of Socks is a modern collection of sock patterns from Nordic knitting experts Laine. That’s 52 sock patterns contributed by 46 leading knitwear designers from across the world, suitable for knitters of all abilities. Each uses different yarns and techniques, including projects with stunning stitch definition and classic slippers for beginners. From sole to toe, these easy-to-follow patterns will sweep you up with stunning photography and styling that evokes the inspiring Nordic landscape and slow living”

Travels with George : in search of Washington and his legacy
by Nathaniel Philbrick

Written at a moment when America’s founding figures are under increasing scrutiny, the author, retracing George Washington’s journey as a new president through all thirteen former colonies, paints a picture of 18th-century America as divided and fraught as it is today. Illustrations.

Even more reading suggestions

NextReads Sneak Peek
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Each issue contains around 9 to 10 reading suggestions. If we don’t have a copy, make a purchase suggestion or ask your library about interlibrary loan. Here’s a sneak peek of titles from this month’s

Grant Opportunities for Juvenile Crime Community Prevention

The Kansas Department of Corrections is pleased to announce the release of two new grant opportunities for Juvenile Crime Community Prevention.

These grants will support communities in providing services to youth that are at risk for juvenile delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement.

These grants are being made available to both governmental agencies (i.e., counties, judicial districts etc.) as well as community-based agencies and service providers (i.e. non-profits).

Applicants can submit requests for grant funds for both fiscal year 2022 (1/1/22 – 6/30/22) and fiscal year 2023 (7/1/22 – 6/30/23) on these applications.

 

These grants will have two tracts.

  • The first grant application is for Juvenile Crime Community Prevention for Nonspecific Areas of Prevention with a Matching Fund Requirement. Applications can target any area of juvenile crime prevention and is not limited to any specific priority area. This grant will require a $1-for-$1 local or private funds match.
  • The second grant application is for Juvenile Crime Community Prevention while targeting one of four priority areas (i.e., crossover youth, homeless youth, jobs/workforce development for youth, and runaway youth). This grant will not require matching funds.

 

Both grants require the development and implementation of evidence-based juvenile crime prevention programs and practices

 

All applications, including all related documents and completed signatory approval pages, are due October 29, 2021.

 

If you have questions regarding these grants or need assistance please contact either: