KS Victim Notification Service Directory Is Being Developed

AG Kris Kobach: New Kansas VINE features assist victims of crime

TOPEKA – (February 19, 2026) – The Office of Attorney General is excited to announce that Kansas VINE now includes a searchable “Service Provider Directory” and an “I Need Guidance” feature.

VINE is the automated victim notification service for custody status on adult offenders held in county jail facilities in Kansas. VINE is a safety resource often used by crime victims needing immediate notification when an offender is released from jail or changes custody status.

The new “Service Provider Directory” and the “I Need Guidance” features provide access to resources from a central place, making it easier for a person to locate assistance. VINE users can search for state-approved local and national service providers by organization name, services they offer, and/or the type of crime. The providers in the directory can help with needs such as crisis services, counseling, housing, and financial resources, and victim advocacy.

“Our division’s experience talking to people across the state confirms that it can be overwhelming for victims of crime to locate and connect with services and support immediately after a crime occurred; and even months later when longer-term impacts emerge,” says Arica Roland, Associate Division Chief, Victim Services Division. “We are currently working with service providers across the state to build the directory to best serve victims of crime. During the beginning stages of building the directory, search requests will return with limited results. As more service providers are added to the directory, search requests will display additional resources available.”

Kansas Service Providers: We Need Your Help

The Office of the Attorney General and Kansas VINE are asking for Service Providers’ assistance. Please consider submitting your agency’s information to join the Kansas VINE Service Provider Directory. To join the Kansas VINE Service Provider Directory, go to the National Service Provider website, select Kansas, review the State Guidelines, select “Join” directory, and complete the survey. https://vine.equifax.com/service-provider-directory

Kansas VINE is free, confidential, and is accessible through the internet, telephone, and mobile App. VINE’s automated notifications are delivered via telephone, email, text message, and in-app. TTY (hearing impaired) service is also available. VINE information is available in English and Spanish. Kansas VINE is available-24/7/365 and can be reached by calling toll-free 1-866-574-8463, visiting www.vinelink.com, or via the VINELink mobile app.

https://www.ag.ks.gov/divisions/victim-services/kansas-vine

 

###

Kansas Attorney General’s Office | 120 SW 10th Ave. | Topeka, KS 66612 US

Uniontown Schools Kindergarten Roundup Is March 23

West Bourbon Elementary School – Uniontown

Kindergarten Roundup Coming in March

 

A screening clinic for 2026-2027 kindergarten students has been scheduled for Monday, March 23 at West Bourbon Elementary. To be eligible for kindergarten, your child must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2026.

Students who will be new to WBE will sign up for a 30 minute slot to be assessed on March 23. Please bring in your child’s birth certificate and immunization record. The agenda for the child will include kindergarten skills assessment, vision, hearing, speech, and checking health records.

Kindergarten children are required to have a physical exam within 12 months of beginning school and have all current immunizations. The Girard Medical Center is available for immunizations and physicals; if you would like to contact them for a coinciding appointment call 620-756-4111.

Due to the screenings, there will be no Kindergarten class on March 23rd.

For the best testing environment for your child, we ask that you not bring brothers or sisters.

To set up a time for screening and assessment, please call the school at 620-224-2350, option 1, or visit https://tinyurl.com/2026WBEK-Roundup.

FSHS Wrestling Program Is Seeking Sponsors

Sending on behalf of Chamber Member

Fort Scott High School

Tiger Wrestling Teams

The Fort Scott Tiger Boys and Girls Wrestling teams are reaching out because they need your help!

It has been an exciting season filled with hard work, dedication, and Tiger pride, and now the teams are pushing to finish strong as they prepare for the State Wrestling Championships.

Your business can be part of that journey!

A $100 minimum sponsorship secures your business’s place on the official FS Tiger Wrestling sponsorship poster.

Any additional contribution goes directly toward making the end of the season even more special for our athletes – supporting their hard work, their dedication, and the pride they feel representing our community.

As a thank-you for your generous support, your business will receive:

✅ A sponsorship poster featuring the 2 teams group photo

✅ All sponsors listed on the poster alongside the teams

✅ A keepsake you can proudly hang in your office, storefront, or building to show you are a proud supporter of Tiger Wrestling and our local student-athletes!

This sponsorship promotes your business while supporting our local athletes as they finish the season strong and celebrate meaningful final moments with teammates, families, and seniors. #TigerPride

Important Dates:

📅 Sponsor contribution due by: February 25

📅 Tiger State Wrestling State Tournament in Salina: February 27–28th!

(Stay tuned for updates on live feed and streaming opportunities if available. You can watch the state tournament on www.flowrestling.org – but this will require a subscription purchase.)

Below is a sample of what the sponsorship poster will look like. Each space on the poster will display a sponsor’s logo or advertisement. The size of each logo, as well as the total number featured, will be determined by the final number of sponsors.

TO SPONSOR:

Cash or Check

Make Checks Payable to FSHS Booster Club

(if you need to use Venmo or CashApp

please reach out, and we can make arrangements.)

💵 Drop off/mail payment to:

Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall St.

Attn: Leslie Godden (Tiger Wrestling Booster Parent)

 

📧 Send business/company logos

(high-resolution image preferred)

and your contact information by replying directly to this email, or [email protected]

 

 

📞 Questions?

Contact Leslie Godden at the Chamber of Commerce

or on her cell at 620-644-8050

Thank you for supporting our Tigers! 🐯

GO BIG RED!

Click HERE to visit

Fort Scott Tiger Wrestling Facebook Page!

Click HERE to visit

Fort Scott High School Facebook Page!

Click HERE to visit

Fort Scott High School website!

A special thank you to our Chamber Champion members below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com

Facebook  X  Instagram
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice
Constant Contact

Beyond the Bite: Understanding Ticks & Alpha-Gal

Beyond the Bite Understanding Ticks & Alpha-Gal

Because one bite can change a life

Ticks are more than just a nuisance—they can carry diseases and,
in some cases, trigger long-term, life-altering health conditions
such as Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Join Southwind Extension to learn
how to protect your family and navigate life after an Alpha-Gal
diagnosis.

The program will feature two K-State experts:
Priscilla Brenes, MPH, Ph.D. will talk on how Alpha-Gal affects the body and nutritional strategies for managing life with AGS.

Raymond Cloyd, Ph.D. will talk on tick species, life cycles, and behavior, diseases associated with ticks, and prevention and personal protection tips

Whether you spend time outdoors for work, recreation, or everyday
life, this program offers practical, research-based information to
help reduce risk and increase awareness.

Monday, March 23
Fort Scott Community College
Ellis Meeting Rooms
6:00 p.m.
Call 620-244-3826 by March 20 to register.

Biscuit Making Class Coming March 7

Beyond the Box: Easy Biscuit Making

3.7.26 Ft. Scott Biscuit Flyer

Learn to make both drop and rolled biscuits while building
practical, from-scratch baking skills. This Southwind
Extension Food Volunteers class explores ingredient function,
simple techniques, and the benefits and tradeoffs of
homemade versus mix-based options.

Saturday, March 7, Noon – 2pm
First Southern Baptist Church
1818 S. Main in Fort Scott
$10 supplies fee

Contact Sandy Haggard to register:
620-365-2242 or [email protected]

Choose Your Unsung Hero

ARTEFFECT Competition
Steps to Participate

Step 1: Choose Your Unsung Hero
The 2026 ARTEFFECT Competition for middle and high school students is open through April 21, 2026! The first step for young artists in creating an ARTEFFECT submission is to select an LMC Unsung Hero—an individual who resonates as a role model.

The ARTEFFECT website now features an Unsung Heroes Role Models Interactive that encourages students to explore all LMC Unsung Heroes through a choice-based activity. Use this interactive to learn about what type of role model you would like to be and what Heroic Traits are most important to you!

Role Models Interactive
Still Time to Join!
Remembering the Holocaust Session

Tomorrow, February 18, 2026
4:00-5:15 PM Pacific Time
All educators are invited to join the next ARTEFFECT online session. Led by 2020 Nebraska Teacher of the Year and 2021 LMC Fellow Megan Helberg, this session explores best practices for guiding students in the creation of visual artworks representing stories of Unsung Heroes from the Holocaust and other genocides. All registrants will receive the lesson plan and recording. Attendees to the live session can receive a Certificate of Participation. Free to join—registration required. Learn more about the session and instructor.
Register Now
Ambassadors in Action!
Meet our 2024-2025 Ambassador Ashli Knoell, a S.T.E.A.M. + Robotics Teacher at V. Sue Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Each ARTEFFECT Ambassador culminates their visual arts online fellowship with a capstone project that brings the inspiring stories of the LMC Unsung Heroes into their classrooms and communities. Here is an excerpt from Ashli’s Capstone Project report:

“As students explored the lives and legacies of their Unsung Heroes, their creativity and excitement soared … In essence, the ARTEFFECT Project has become more than just an activity; it’s a transformative process that empowers students to merge creativity with problem-solving, developing them into well-rounded individuals ready to tackle complex problems in the real world.”

Congratulations to Ashli and her students at V. Sue Cleveland High School for their incredible ARTEFFECT projects!

Read more about Ashli’s capstone project
JOIN THE GROWING COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS:
ARTEFFECT Educators Facebook Group
For inquiries, contact: [email protected]
ARTEFFECT Facebook
ARTEFFECT Instagram
ARTEFFECT
ARTEFFECT YouTube
X
Copyright © 2025 Lowell Milken Center, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you either subscribed on our website or expressed interest in receiving updates while visiting us.

Our mailing address is:
1250 Fourth Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Phone: 310-570-4859
Email: [email protected]

Governor Kelly Celebrates Completion of 69Express Project in Overland Park

Submitted photo. Governor Laura Kelly is second from right. The scene behind is a Hwy 69 Project poster.

Governor Kelly Celebrates Completion of 69Express Project in Overland Park


TOPEKA
– Governor Laura Kelly was joined by Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03), the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), local leaders, and state and local officials today in Overland Park to cut a ceremonial ribbon marking the opening of Kansas’ first express lanes on the U.S. 69 Express corridor. The project was among the first selected for funding under the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), a 10-year bipartisan initiative to modernize and expand Kansas’ transportation infrastructure.

KDOT’s $572 million design-build project, known as 69Express, included reconstruction of U.S. 69 in Overland Park, widening the highway with added express lanes – one northbound and one southbound between 103rd and 151st Streets – and interchange improvements at U.S. 69/167th Street.

The express lanes are scheduled to open to traffic on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at 8:00 a.m.

“The launch of Kansas’ first express lanes is a huge win for infrastructure in our state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This project represents a forward-thinking approach to reducing congestion immediately while building a foundation for Johnson County’s future economic growth.’’

More than 80,000 vehicles use the 69Express corridor each day, with traffic volume expecting to increase by more than 30% by 2050. The express lanes will allow KDOT to manage congestion using tolls that vary based on traffic levels and time of day to keep express lane trips congestion-free. When drivers choose to pay the toll and move into the express lanes, traffic is then reduced in the non-tolled general-purpose lanes as well.

“This is a big day for our community,” said Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03). “Anyone who lives, works, or drives through Johnson County knows the frustration of sitting in traffic on U.S. 69. Too many families have also felt the pain of crashes on the highway. These new lanes will ease congestion, make travel safer, and give thousands of Kansans a more predictable, reliable commute every day. I’m proud of this team effort.”

Drivers will be able to enter and exit the express lanes at three points along U.S. 69: 103rd Street, Blue Valley Pkwy, and 151st Street. Dynamic messaging signs at these entry points will show the current toll rate to the driver’s destination. The rates shown on the sign are for drivers with two-axle vehicles and a KTAG or compatible transponder. These drivers will pay the lowest toll rate on 69Express – 50% lower than vehicles without a KTAG.

“69Express is the result of successful collaboration between our federal, state, and local partners,” said Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed. “Together, we’re implementing express lanes as a sustainable congestion-management solution to provide drivers with reliable travel times today and as traffic grows in the future.”

The Kansas Turnpike Authority is KDOT’s tolling partner for 69Express. Drivers are encouraged to visit DriveKS.com, Kansas’ toll payment system, to set up their accounts and order a free KTAG for use on 69Express and all other Kansas toll facilities, as well as on compatible systems in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida.

69Express was funded by federal, state, and local sources and completed as part of Kansas’ IKE Program. Additional project information is available on the 69Express project website, www.69express.org.

Capitol Update Over Coffee Saturday Feb. 28 at KRI

Join us for a

Capitol Update Over Coffee

Saturday, February 28th

9am-10am

Kansas Renewal Institute

in the McAuley Center

401 Woodland Hills Blvd.

Guests should enter through the main east doors; the meeting room is located down the hallway on the right.

We hope to see you there!

Chamber members and the community are invited to attend a Capitol Update Over Coffee hosted by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, February 28th, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

The event will take place at Kansas Renewal Institute (KRI), 401 Woodland Hills Blvd., in the McAuley Center. Guests should enter through the main east doors; the meeting room is located down the hallway on the right. KRI will sponsor coffee and light refreshments provided by Common Ground Coffee Co. Tours of the KRI facility will be offered immediately following the event.

Kansas Senator Tim Shallenburger and State Representative Rick James are confirmed to attend. The legislators will provide an update on the current legislative session, share information about the committees on which they serve, and address questions and issues presented by attendees. Bryan Holt will serve as moderator for the event.

Events such as this reflect the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to supporting commerce, building community, and promoting spirit throughout Fort Scott, Bourbon County, and the surrounding area.

For more information, please contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566.

Click HERE to visit

Kansas Renewal Institutes Facebook Page!

Click HERE to visit

Kansas Renewal Institutes website!

A special thank you to our Chamber Champion members below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com

Facebook  X  Instagram
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
Unsubscribe | Update Profile

Bourbon County Local News