Help Prevent Equine Disease This Summer 

For Immediate Release:
June 2, 2021

For more information:
Heather Lansdowne
785-564-6706
[email protected]

MANHATTAN, Kansas — As summer approaches, the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health encourages horse owners to take proactive steps to prevent the transmission of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), an equine disease that is common in the summer months. VSV is transmitted by insect vectors, and recent years have seen an increase in cases of VSV in Kansas.

If you own horses or take care of horses, this is the time of year to be vigilant in changes to your animal care routine to prevent introduction of VSV. Consider these best practices in your horse care this summer:

  • Strict fly control. VSV is primarily spread by black flies and midges. Keep pens clean, remove manure, and use appropriate fly sprays and traps. Minimize bright lights that attract insects at night.
  • Regularly inspect horses for symptoms that might indicate VSV, such as blister-like lesions, fever, excessive salivation, reluctance to eat, or lameness.
  • If you travel to events with horses from other properties, keep your horses separated. Don’t tie up your horse with other horses, and don’t share equipment, tools, tack or water buckets.

Kansas experienced a significant outbreak of VSV in 2020, with positive cases on over 100 premises in 26 counties. Other species including cattle can be susceptible to VSV, although it is primarily an equine disease. VSV is a reportable disease by state law; if there is a concern of a possible VSV infection or another reportable disease, call the Kansas Animal Health Commissioner at the KDA Division of Animal Health.

Putting these best practices into action now can protect horses across the state and assist the Kansas equine industry in disease prevention to help avoid an outbreak this summer. Go to www.agriculture.ks.gov/VSV for more information about VSV symptoms and prevention.

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Good Ol’ Days Update: Free Bounce Houses

Shawn O’Brien, president of the Good Ol’ Days Stearing Committee has some good news and some bad news.

“Bad news- our carnival had to cancel due to staffing issues,” he said. “We have been very fortunate to get bounce houses to place on the grassy area north of the blockhouse,  east of Luther’s BBQ (at Oak and National Avenue).  The bounce houses will be free for all kids. There is a wide variety for all ages. Come check them out.”

The 40th annual Fort Scott event continues on with a parade, foods galore, talent and baby contests, live music, vendors lining Main Street, displays, tournaments, a petting zoo, a zip line, balloonist, and Friday and Saturday street dances- something for everyone.

In addition, there are other freebies:

Vendors lined Main Street in 2017.
“We will have a movie night on Friday and Saturday around 8:30 p.m. at sunset at Skubitz plaza,” O’Brien said. “We will have a different movie each night and free popcorn.”
Movies chosen by a poll on the Good Ol’ Days Facebook page are “Twister” and  “Grease,” he said.
Kids can get a free t-shirt.
“We will have tye die t-shirts for the first 150 kids,” O’Brien said. ” Thanks to Modern Woodmen Insurance, Highway3 and Shirt Shack for their generosity.”
“We will also have caricature drawings and balloon artist for free,’ he said.
Check out their webpage at
www.fortscottgoodoldays.com and click on schedule.

Candidates that Filed For Bourbon County Elections

CANDIDATES THAT HAVE FILED FOR THE 2021 CITY/SCHOOL ELECTION provided by Bourbon County Clerk Kendell Mason.

Bronson City Council
Clearsia Botts, 912 Linn St, Bronson, KS 66716, 620-939-4557
Kayla Greenway, 904 Clay St., Bronson, KS 66716, 620-363-0195
Kelly Perry, 611 Orange St., Bronson, KS 66716, 620-363-4842
Bronson Mayor
Joshua Marlow, 212 S. Clay, Bronson, KS 66716, 620-363-2769

Fort Scott City Commission
Michael Hoyt, 1315 Beech Ave., Ft Scott, KS 66701, 602-405-5202
Josh Jones, 617 Fairway, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-215-3680
Ann Rawlins, 1017 E Wall St, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 541-801-9179
Tim Van Hoecke, 802 S Hill Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 913-240-6348
Judy Warren, 1706 S. Eddy St., Fort Scott, KS 66701, 913-488-1889
Matthew Wells, 1201 South National Ave, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 417-684-1714
Willa Wilson, 304 Ivy, Ft Scott, KS 66701, 913-285-0496

Fulton Mayor
No Candidates Filed
Fulton City Council
No Candidates Filed

Mapleton City Council
Mike Blevins, 1251 N. Main St, Mapleton, KS 66754, 620-743-3070
Homer Wisdom, 507 N Bourbon, Mapleton, KS 66754, 913-795-7381
Mapleton Mayor
Ronald B Burton Jr, 127 E 6th, Mapleton, KS 66754, 620-768-9399

Redfield City Council
Michael Beerbower, 402 W 3rd Street, Redfield, KS 66769, 620-756-4175
Kirby Martin, 403 W. 2nd, Redfield, KS 66769, 620-756-4718
Redfield Mayor
Wilma K. Graham, 102 W 4th, Redfield, KS 66769, 620-756-4436
Clarence Ed Guss, 301 N Pine, Redfield, KS 66769, 417-339-1530

Uniontown City Council
Jess Ervin, 401 Clay St., Uniontown, KS 66779, 620-756-4825
Amber Kelly, 408 Fulton St., Uniontown, KS 66779, 620-228-0130
Kyle Knight, 606 Sherman, Uniontown, KS 66779, 620-224-6053
Uniontown Mayor
Larry Jurgensen, 113 S. Hill, Uniontown, KS 66779, 620-224-9810
Bill Marlow, 403 Sherman St, Uniontown, KS 66779, 620-224-7209

USD 234 – Position #4
David Stewart, 772 190th, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-224-1179
USD 234 – Position #5
Garold (Gary) Billionis, 719 S National, Ft. Scott, KS 66701, 620-223-6733
Casey Bolden, 2015 E 1st, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-215-1961
USD 234 – Position #6
Brian L. Allen, 1809 Richards Rd., Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-224-6679
Tracy King, 2386 Jayhawk Rd, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-412-8500
Joshua Query, 721 S Margrave St, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-719-6828

USD 235 – Position #4
Brian Ray Stewart, 179 Soldier Rd, Bronson, KS 66716, 620-215-6394
USD 235 – Position #5
Mike Mason, 978 60th Street, Uniontown, KS 66779, 620-756-4561
USD 235 – Position #6
Tyler J. Martin, 1058 Hackberry Rd., Redfield, KS 66769, 620-547-2519

FSCC – Board of Trustees
John Bartelsmeyer, 22 ½ N Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701, 620-224-9547
James L. Fewins, 1200 Maple Rd., Redfield, KS 66769, 620-756-4749
Bryan Holt, 2095 Kansas Rd, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-215-2832
Bill Meyer, 14 Golfview Drive, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-224-4299
Kevin D Wagner, 390 130th St., Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-547-2233

Southwind Extension District
Ethan A. Holly, 1606 Maple Rd, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-228-7258
Gary Palmer, 1863 Eagle Rd, Fort Scott, KS 66701, 620-224-1001

Chamber Coffee hosted by The Fort Scott Good Ol’ Day’s Committee

 

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted by the Fort Scott Good Ol’ Days Committee, Thursday, June 3rd at 8 a.m. on Skubitz Plaza, Downtown Fort Scott. In case of rain we will continue under the Boardwalk at the North end of Main Street facing the Fort.

Shawn O’Brien, Chairman, and the Good Ol’ Days committee are excited to celebrate the four-decade anniversary of the Good Ol’ Days festival with the theme of 40 years of Family, Friends and Fun. 

Tickets are on sale at the Chamber of Commerce for the Good Ol’ Chicken Dinner to be held Friday, June 4th, and the Talent Show to be held Thursday, June 3rd. The Chamber is also taking entries for the Good Ol’ Days Parade planned for 6pm Friday, June 4th. The full schedule of events may be found on the festival website fortscottgoodoldays.com.

Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served along with door prizes.

Chamber members and guests are invited to Chamber Coffee events each Thursday at 8 a.m. to network, make announcements, hear about happenings in the community as well as learn about the host business or organization.

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Bourbon County Commission Meeting Minutes of May 11

May 11, 2021                                       Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.

 

Also present were the following: (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting), Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune, Susan Bancroft, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Scott Shelton, Anne Dare, Mark McCoy, Nancy Van Etten, Sparky Schroeder, Michael Hoyt, June Bloomfield and Heather Ethridge.

 

Clifton made a motion to approve the minutes from the previous Commission meeting, Jim seconded and all approved and signed the minutes.

 

Eric said the wood-top bridge on Victory between 265th & 267th had failed; he said he is doing a study to get a cost to repair the bridge.

 

Eric said they are removing the overburden at the Blake Quarry.

 

Eric said they had the yearly inspection at the Landfill and are waiting on this report to come back.

 

Eric said KDOT reviewed (audited) a bridge to make sure the results were the same as the annual bridge inspection.

 

Eric said grader #36 (a 2010 with 8,924 hours) has metal shavings in the transmission fluid; it’s estimated to cost $32,000 to repair.  Eric said there is some money in the special machinery fund, but said there are other expenses that will come out of this fund.  Susan Bancroft said she would present debt service numbers to the Commissioners soon. Eric reported that there are two other 2010 graders with 14,300 & 12,742 hours. The Commissioners will discuss the grader at a later date.

 

Eric said they have a bridge truck with a bad motor; he had two possible replacement options; one for $23,500 & one for $27,500.  Jim made a motion to give Eric permission to view the 2013 International for $23,500 and if Eric likes it to buy it, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Jayhawk Wind update: Eric said the capping of the roads has been completed.  He said they will continue to maintain the roads in the area and are putting in cross tubes.  Eric said they did repairs on 20th Street between 39 Highway and Eagle.

 

Jim told Eric he did a good job getting data for T&C Wildlife.

 

Lynne asked Eric if he had reviewed the traffic report for Fern Road; Eric said he wasn’t sure if this involved Jayhawk Wind or others doing work in this area.

 

Eric said crushing is going well and said they are hauling chips to the asphalt plant.

 

BNSF Bridge overview (located on old 69 Highway); Lynne said he had talked to Will Wallis and was told it had been signed off on for a disaster payout of $120,000 and said Eric is looking at State grants for bridges.  Lynne said because of this money it was probable that the County would have the money available for the matching 80/20 grant funds.  Jim said the 80/20 grant is for bridges only and will not include other expenses such as inspections, railroad expenses.  Clifton said the public needed to know this bridge was a fracture critical bridge and said it is in bad shape.  Justin said he and Susan can help Eric with the bridge and the grant process.  Clifton made a motion to allow Eric to start the process for BNSF bridge #RS518 regarding grants, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Justin Meeks said if people request signs be placed in the County (kids at play, school) then Eric would meet with the Commissioners about installing the signs.

 

Lynne discussed refinancing the sewer district bonds; he said this would result in lower interest, the payments wouldn’t increase, a shorter debt time frame and approximately $60,220 in savings.  Lynne questioned if they wanted to move forward with refinancing the bonds; Susan said she felt they should move forward due to the savings, but said some people might be delinquent on their sewer district payments and said liens might have to be placed on their property.  Lynne made a motion to move forward with the bond refinancing, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Susan will notify Greg Vahrenberg of the plan to move forward.

 

Jim made a motion to allow Kendell Mason to sign the request to rescind call for redemption for the 2012A & 2012B bonds, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Jim made a motion to appoint Clifton Beth to the Community Corrections Advisory Board, Lynne seconded and all approved.

 

Scott Shelton met with the Commissioners; he had previously met with them about variances for the installation of septic systems at the housing addition near Redfield.  He presented the Commissioners with a site map with property lines outlined of the homeowners there.  He said he had talked to two different people with KDHE and said they both said that given the situation a septic tank would be the best solution for the problem as long as the local officials are ok with this. Justin Meeks said that variances for lots 2,4 & 5 would be necessary since they are less than an acre, but said 1,6 & 7 were easily an acre.  Justin said this problem is an issue between Redfield City and the housing addition.  Scott said a septic tank contractor said that a septic tank is possible for lots 7,1 & 3; Scott questioned if you could make a system fit in the space provided, why not allow it?  Jim Harris questioned if the residents there had considered a lagoon system; Scott said this had been discussed.  Justin said if the Commissioners wanted to do a variance for a property that is .6 of an acre, he would need to make some phone calls, since they would be taking the minimum of one acre and cutting it 40%.  Scott said they were trying to make this work with the space they had available; and said some homeowners there may not participate in the septic tanks.  Lynne said there are County regulations and said the homeowners had every right to put in a request for a septic tank and said this would go through the environmental department and then if there was a variance needed it would go to the Commissioners.

 

Anne Dare met with the Commissioners regarding the bike trails; she said that the Bourbon County Coalition had met on 5/5/2021 and reported that the bike trail signs had been received and would be placed between Fort Scott and Iola for the ABC Trails (Prairie Pathways).  Anne questioned the cost to install the trails, questioned who had ok’d the trails, asked if safety studies had been done, questioned who would pay for the road improvements, discussed the condition (narrowness of the road) of old 54 Highway and questioned the liability for the trails.  Shane Walker is on the board for the bike trails and told Anne that the PEDNET study was done to show where things could be built, but said the only thing being done is that signs were going up to tie into the 76-bike route and said they were doing this to raise awareness of the bikes on the trails.  Susan Bancroft said there is a PEDNET plan within the city limits of Fort Scott.  Shane said the signs were done to try and make it safer for people on bikes, he said public meetings were held about this.

 

Elected official comment: Bill Martin and Bobby Reed met with the Commissioners; Bill said they have had concerns for several years now; he said one employee is considering leaving employment due to pay and said one employee is working part time elsewhere in addition to his department.  Bill said he was afraid the County would lose a trained employee(s) for a job that would pay more.  Bill suggested having a work session to help educate the community. Bobby said he has two positions that aren’t filled and said they can’t get people to apply.  He said other employers are upping the starting wage to get employees and questioned why the County couldn’t give incentives to stay.  Bobby said he had one employee leaving employment and one interviewing elsewhere for more money.  Bobby discussed the County wage resolution and said that everyone in the same position makes the same wage.  He said they would continue to lose employees for people going elsewhere for more pay and said the Commissioners were the only ones that could fix this.  Jim questioned if either of them had considered a step system for wages; they were told to present this to the Commissioners and work with Susan regarding their budgets and wages.  Bobby said his department has a step system, but said the bottom line was that a correctional officer starts out at $12.14/hour vs. public works at $12.99/hour. Bobby said it seemed harder for offices that are out of the scope of the Commissioners to get things done; Lynne said they had worked with the Attorney’s office when they re-did the pay schedules there.  Bill questioned where the money would come from for raises. He said lack of supervision and training are the top two issues for lawsuits.  Bill suggested offering extra pay incentives for extra training and certification.  Lynne said to work with Susan during the budget process.  Susan said the County could never be able to compete with the public sector, but said they needed to consider the benefits here, she said the “benefits here are rich”.  Susan said that wage bands take a lot more planning, she said they are waiting on the audit to be done and then will start building budgets.  Bobby said if we have a valued employee that we have invested training and time in we should do something to retain the employee so we don’t loose them.  Bobby discussed a secretary at the Courthouse making $2/hour more than his secretary.  Lynne said when Jim Harris presented pay levels (bands), he showed where they could save in order to do this; Lynne said they have given people raises if they give them more work, but said he didn’t hear any talk about more work for their employees.  Lynne said they gave a person a raise due to more work; Bobby questioned why the additional work wasn’t offered elsewhere, Lynne said if was offered to others in the Courthouse. Susan said wage bands are offered when people obtain more education or advance to a different job, she said she felt every position should be evaluated.  Bill said his opinion was that our benefits weren’t that great.  Clifton said not everyone is worth the same pay and said he didn’t know what Bobby’s secretary did or the qualifications and felt that Bill should set the wage scale for his department.  Bill said the majority of corporate businesses give raises every few years; he said the prior Commissioners gave him a pay raise to $60,000; he suggested reducing his salary back down to give the money to his employees.

 

Justin Meeks said the County did not have a noise ordinance and said since we didn’t have one, it would be hard to enforce any problems with loud noises in the County.

 

Justin said he was doing research and working on a cemetery issue; he said Susan will review the budgets for this cemetery.

 

Justin said a KORA request would be coming to the County regarding an election issue from the 1980’s; he said this would deal with some city issues.

 

Tax Sale – Justin said the County would have two tax sales in 2021; he said he is getting some certified mail back and said some people are paying back taxes.

 

Lynne made a motion to go into a 10-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship with possible litigation, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:44, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  At 10:44 Clifton made a motion to resume the normal meeting, Jim seconded and all approved.  Lynne made a motion to allow Clifton to call an individual familiar with the BWERKS operation, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 7-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy regarding an administrative issue and a job function, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:52, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Susan Bancroft and Justin Meeks).  At 10:54, Clifton made a motion to resume the Commission meeting and said there was no action, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne introduced the new BEDCO Economic Development Director Rob Herrington; his office is on the 2nd floor of the Landmark Bank. Rob said he was looking forward to working with the City, the County and the businesses and hoped to grow Bourbon County and better the County.

 

Jim made a motion to amend the agenda to allow Eric Bailey to talk about a truck, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Eric said that the Special Bridge department had budgeted for a truck and said he had found a 2007 dump truck with 30,000 miles on it for $30,000.  Clifton made a motion to allow Eric to look at this truck and purchase it for up to $30,000 with the budgeted money, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Susan Bancroft met with the Commissioners; she discussed SB13/HB 2104.  She said the tax lid was removed from legislature and said there are new ways to do the budget.  She said whatever was levied last year is what you can budget for this year, unless you have a special hearing (the tax rate hearing is a hearing to exceed the revenue neutral rate (RNR)) – she said you can’t exceed or there will be penalties.  She said October 1 would be the certification date if exceeding the RNR.  She said that public safety is no longer an exception to the revenue neutral rate.

 

Public Comment: Sparky Schroeder said he heard the Commissioners were looking at County zoning; the Commissioners said they had a preliminary discussion about this, Sparky asked if this would be voted on, the Commissioners said yes.  Sparky asked if this zoning would only apply to the County; Lynne said this would only be the County.  Sparky said when he went door-to-door he heard two issues from the voters: zoning and joining the City and County together.  He suggested being fair with the property owners and their property rights. He said if zoning is implemented then the cost of government will get extremely high.  He said he didn’t believe in zoning.  He discussed the 30×30 plan and said the government wants control of 30% of the land by 2030 and control of 50% by 2050.  He compared the Kansas tax rate to other states.  He said it is easier to fix a problem if you come with a solution and said more people need to get involved and work together and not against.

Michael Hoyt said he a had counted 5 issues that a well-organized citizens advisory board could help with if they were involved in the correct way. Jim Harris agreed.

Clint Walker commended public works for a culvert that was installed; he said this will keep the gravel from being washed away and will save money.  He said that Linn County was having the same issues retaining public work employees.

 

Jim Harris suggested when doing the annual budgets that they hear from the public on what their needs are.

 

Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda to add an executive session, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 7-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship with possible litigation, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 11:33, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  At 11:34, Lynne made a motion to return to the meeting, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Justin asked that Lynne be able to sign a release for the BWERKS property.  Jim suggested inspecting the property before and after they move it; Justin said that Susan had looked at the property and said one piece of property has already been damaged.  Jim made a motion to allow Lynne to review and add information to the release agreement and to sign the agreement to recover the property belonging to BWERKS and to inspect prior to and after the move, Lynne seconded, Jim and Lynne both voted yes on this issue and Clifton voted no.  Clifton said this is County property and said we shouldn’t have to sign a release to get our property back, he said this is an abuse of power and abuse of the law.  Lynne said they needed to expedite the process and get the property back; he said the County is responsible for BWERKS until 12/31/2021.  Jim made an additional motion to get Susan, Shane and Lynne involved in the move and to inspect the property, Lynne seconded and all approved.

 

Commissioners Comment: Clifton said regarding 30×30; vote for your Federal elected officials.  Anne questioned if there was a way to put something in place to protect property rights would you look at it; Clifton said yes.  Clifton said he wasn’t sold on citizens advisory boards, but said if someone wants to start one, they can.  Michael Hoyt suggested the Commissioners pick a topic and then select people to focus on this topic.  Anne said only a few had shown an interest in the advisory boards.

 

Clifton said he should have an update on healthcare in the next few weeks.

 

At 11:44, Jim made a motion to adjourn, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

May 18, 2021, Approved Date

 

 

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of May 18

May 18, 2021                                                 Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the County Clerk present.

 

Also present were the following: (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting) Mark McCoy, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Anne Dare, Lora Holdridge, Susan Bancroft, Michael Hoyt, Bill Martin, Bobby Reed, Rachel Pruitt, Rebecca Williams and Jessie Pohlmann.

 

Jim made a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the minutes.

 

Eric Bailey and Dustin Hall with Road & Bridge met with the Commissioners; Lynne made a motion to approve a culvert permit for Doyle Zimmerman on 230th south of Jayhawk, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Eric invited the Commissioners to attend CIC software training on May 20th; Clifton made a motion to allow all the Commissioners to attend if they want to, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Eric reported that the MSHAW training will be June 2-4th; Clifton made a motion to allow all three Commissioners to attend the training if they choose, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Eric said some road signs had been placed in the County that say street instead of road; he said they are correcting this.

 

Eric said Frank Young with Ag Engineering is reviewing and will provide recommendations regarding insurance on the dam at Elm Creek Lake.

 

Eric said the City of Fort Scott had crack sealing done to the road from North National to 13th, which cost the City $38,000.  Jim suggested the County get a bid to crack seal Liberty Bell Road from Jayhawk to Campbell, the Commissioners were ok with getting an estimate for a crack sealing machine.

 

Eric said the road is starting to fail on Jayhawk from 69 Highway to the Railroad tracks; he said Bettis provided an estimate of $35,000 to do 1 ½” overlay for less than ½ of a mile.

 

Eric said they asphalted last week near Hackberry and 135th; he said they will be doing an area near Hiattville.

 

Eric gave the Commissioners a list of projects to be considered for the 2021 asphalt program; there was discussion over what should be done.  They will start on Arrowhead & 250th and do a dept of around 2”.

Eric said they filled the fish feeders at Elm Creek Lake last week.

 

Eric discussed the bridge on Victory between 265 & 267th; he said a metal culvert is $3,576 and a plastic (100-year) culvert is $3,761.  He will be installing a plastic culvert that is 32 ½’ wide x 60” in diameter.

 

Eric said the dump truck the Commissioners approved purchasing last week had already sold, but said there will be another one available in September and said he reserved the truck for purchase, (he said it will be the same price and has approximately the same mileage).

 

Dustin said he viewed a possible bridge truck in Little Rock; he said it wasn’t good and said it wouldn’t start.  He did test drive an F-750 and said it looks good and will be DOT ready prior to purchase with 174,000 miles.  Jim made a motion to approve purchasing the 2012 Ford F-750 for $27,000, Clifton seconded, Lynne said the funding for this will come out of the equipment reserve fund and all approved the motion.

 

Dustin said the County has a road grader with 8,000 hours on it with a bad transmission and brake issues; Foley quoted $32,502.48 and Larry’s Diesel Repair quoted $16,289.69 for the repairs.  Clifton made a motion to repair the road grader (unit 36) at Larry’s Diesel, Jim seconded the motion and said he felt the difference in the quotes was due to a reconditioned transmission at Larry’s, all approved the motion.

 

Eric said that Jayhawk Wind had been temporarily shut down due to the wet weather.  He said when they start back up, they will be working on culverts west of 20th on Eagle.

 

Justin Meeks said he and Eric had met regarding an old, metal, tressel bridge on 35th between Yellowstone and 65th; Justin said the property owners there are not interested in the bridge and said there are others like it in the same condition in the County that the Commissioners may need to decide what to do with them due to liability issues with them.  He said they may want to give them away for use for walking or bike trails.  Jim questioned if they wanted to look at the historical value of the bridge to possibly move the bridge; Lynne said yes.  Justin said they could make this a low maintenance road (35th between Yellowstone and 65th); the Commissioners were ok with moving forward with a designated plan. Lynne said Lora Holdridge had been on the radio this morning addressing low maintenance roads; Justin said making certain roads low maintenance roads is a committee type project.  Lynne made a motion to start reviewing the bridges, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lora Holdridge discussed 221st street where the mini packing plant is going in at; she said the City had contacted her, the City will put culverts in & extend 221st, she said this is a County road and said KDOT will deed part of the property to extend the road.  Jim suggested that the County accept Hickory Road from the City.  Justin said he and Lora will handle both 221st and Hickory Road.

 

Jessie Pohlmann met with the Commissioners regarding the shooting range on 54 Highway; he said they do shoot the weapons at night.  Justin said there was no noise ordinance in the County, he compared a noise ordinance to the dog ordinance that the County previously had and said it wasn’t enforced.  Justin said this issue could be a civil remedy.

 

Rachel Pruitt with the City of Fort Scott met with the Commissioners to discuss the proposed draft NRP Lease to purchase property tax relief program.  She said this program was brought to the Commissioner in the fall of 2019, but hadn’t gone any further, but the City Manager asked that this be tried again.  She said this program turns businesses leasing property into property owners.  She said there are currently 3 options to help business owners; IRB – which is a complete tax abatement, but is for $1 ½ – $2 million projects, EDX – few businesses qualify for this or the NRP program for owners. The NRP lease to purchase property tax relief program is a program to help leasers.  The draft of the program states that it would be a 10-year incentive period, residential property would not be eligible for this program, there must be a minimum investment of $100,000 for commercial or industrial property, improvements must conform to all codes, participant can’t be delinquent on any taxes.  The draft goes from year one to year ten with year one beginning with 10% of the total property tax due increasing 10% each year until year 10 with 100% due. This program is not transferable with ownership of the property.  Lynne suggested that Susan Bancroft review the program.  No decision was made on the program.

 

Susan Bancroft met with the Commissioners; she discussed the sewer district and said when it was created in 2011 the owners then were charged $6,000 to connect to the district, the City is now considering charging any new connects approximately $2,000 + $22/monthly for an ongoing service fee (Susan said this $22 fee would go into a maintenance fund).  Susan said the City is putting together a map with defined sewer district boundaries.  Susan said the City is in the process of doing an agreement with the St. Marten’s academy, she said they will be billed in arrears.  Justin suggested that the City should make the final decision on who can tie into the district.

 

Clifton made a motion for Kendell Mason to sign the 2012A & 2012B refinancing bonds with a redemption date of June 18, 2021, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Rebecca Williams met with the Commissioners regarding the Bronson ballpark; she said that parents and fundraisers have been maintaining the ballpark, but said they need a storage facility there ($4,600), the wooden bleachers are in bad shape ($12,000), need dirt groundwork ($2,000) and do not have a scoreboard ($4,500).  She said there were no grants available to help with funding these items and asked the Commissioners to look at what might be available to help with funding this.  Lynne said he would talk to the new Economic Development director about this.

 

Bill Regina was scheduled to meet with the Commissioners about the shooting range on 54 Highway, but didn’t appear at the meeting.

 

Justin Meeks said he had reviewed and recommended that Lynne sign the amendment to memorandum of agreement between the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Grant and the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Inc.  Clifton made a motion for Lynne to sign the amendment, Jim seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the document.

 

Jim made a motion for Lynne to sign an addendum to the incubator space (regarding technology issues) lease for Spider, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Justin said he would be meeting with Clint Anderson regarding property values.  He said 37 more properties had been uploaded for the tax sale.  He said there would be 2 sales in 2021.

 

Justin said the Commissioners could consider distributing some of the PILOT money to the different ballparks.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 10-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b) (2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship regarding possible litigation, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:32, Jim seconded and all approved.  Before going into executive session, Clifton made a motion to amend the motion to reconvene at 10:36, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  At 10:36, Clifton made a motion to come back into open session and said no action, Lynne seconded and all approved.  Justin said he would be meeting with Kendell regarding KORA requests submitted and said he would get Lynne involved with one of the KORA requests.

 

Justin suggested that PILOT money could be used to help fund the Gunn Park bike trails; this will be discussed on May 25th.

 

Susan Bancroft gave the Commissioners a draft of the current debt service for the County.

 

Lynne made a motion to get a quote from KCAMP for dam failure insurance at Elm Creek Lake, Clifton seconded and all approved.  Susan said she would provide this quote to the Commissioners.

 

Susan discussed the 2002 County handbook for employees; she said the book says that comp time is not allowed.  She said Eric had questioned on whether to allow comp time or not.  The Commissioners told Susan to send out a memo to the department heads regarding the handbook policy.

 

Susan said they are finishing the 2020 audit.

 

Public Comment: Michael Hoyt said that this was National Law Enforcement Appreciation week, he said he would like to acknowledge what they do for our County. He said he was forming a citizen’s advisory board and said the topic would be law enforcement and criminal justice, he said people interested in being on the board could submit a letter of interest to him at PO Box 1009.  He said the board would bring solutions and ask for the Commissioners to take action or ask for their opinions.

 

Commissioner Comment: Clifton said he would support the advisory board.

 

Clifton gave an update on healthcare; he said in 2018 72% of healthcare needs in Bourbon County took place outside of Bourbon County.  He said that same year over 100 other hospitals closed (in addition to Mercy Hospital of Fort Scott).  He said healthcare reimbursements changed around this same time.  He said hospitals are businesses and are there to make money; he said Mercy was losing money.  Clifton said hospitals are not lining up to come to Bourbon County, he said Mercy built too big of a hospital and said there was no such thing as critical access anymore.  Clint Walker said many times facilities have management problems.  Michael Hoyt asked what the solution was and where to start; Clifton said that Medicaid wouldn’t have saved Mercy and said the solution starts at Washington with the lobbyists and the politicians.  Clifton said they are still working on keeping an emergency room.  There was a discussion over billed rates vs. what the insurance companies pay, Clint Walker compared healthcare in the U.S. to Germany.

 

Lynne said that the BEDCO property was moved on Sunday and said they have started negotiations with a couple on interested entities.

 

Lynne said the CDBG grant should be completed in the next few days; he said this is a grant regarding COVID relief.

 

At 11:09, Jim made a motion to adjourn, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

May 25, 2021, Approved Date

 

 

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of May 25

May 25, 2021                                       Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners and the County Clerk present.

 

Also present were the following, (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting); Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune, Anne Dare, Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker, Susan Bancroft, Rob Herrington, Mark Mccoy, Shane Walker and Frank Halsey.

 

Jim made a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the minutes.

 

Eric Bailey presented a culvert permit that had been completed for 1068 238th Street, the Commissioners signed the permit.

 

Eric reported they attended CIC training and are looking at moving forward with the time clock usage for the Road & Bridge department; he said they will use the cellphones to clock in or out, Jim questioned what employees without a phone would use; Eric said there is one employee without a phone.

 

Eric reported that MSHAW training will be June 2-4th.

 

Eric said they have started clearing bridge decks with a skid steer.

 

They plan to start pulling the shoulders tomorrow at 250th & Arrowhead.

 

They are working around cemeteries to prepare for Memorial Day.  Lynne said that Hatch Cemetery needs rock; Eric said this will be taken care of.

 

They are trying to crush at the quarry, but are dealing with the weather.

 

Jayhawk Wind update: Eric said they are also dealing with the wet weather, but are working on private roads and working on a low water crossing.

 

Lynne reported that the Uniontown Mayor and KDWP is in the process of fixing the pond at 75th & Maple Road; Lynne said they need rock and hauling labor and suggested that the County do an in-kind contribution of labor and rock.  Eric said he would discuss this with Uniontown and KDWP.

 

Lynne said KDWP has grant money and if awarded Elm Creek could use the grant to repair the dam, Lynne will give the grant information to Susan Bancroft.  Lynne said Susan will need the cost to repair the dam from Eric.  Jim reported that the last time they tried the valve at Elm Creek it didn’t work.

 

Eric reported that a tube had been ordered for the road that was recently closed.

 

Richard Horton met with the Commissioners to discuss Project 17; (this involves the 17 counties in our surrounding area).  He asked if Bourbon County still wanted to be associated with Project 17 and said there was no fee to join.  Their organization takes issues that are going on in each of the Counties and takes those issues to their board to help find connections and solutions.  The four main areas they focus on are Economic Development, Workforce Development, Leadership and Health.  Lynne asked Richard Horton to contact the BEDCO Economic Development Director Rob Herrington.  All three of the Commissioners wanted to be associated with Project 17.

 

Joshua Sapp with Heartland Benefits Group, a representative from Corporate Plan Management as well as a representative from Oread Rx met with the Commissioners regarding health insurance benefits beginning in 2021.  Mr. Sapp said the County paid $1,478,269.97 for health benefits in 2020 and only utilized $731,156.31 worth of benefits.  He said the State Health Plan (the current County insurance carrier) rates will go up 2.8% in June.  Heartland Benefits can offer a partially self-funded program and can customize a plan based on the County needs.  They said by being fully insured through the State, we have been preparing for the worse, but said if we don’t use the insurance, we are losing money and said if the County were self-funded the County could retain funds.  They can mirror the current plan or can build a different plan to meet our needs.  They can offer NexUS (aligns physician, member and employer incentives to drive down the cost of care while improving the quality of care), Hostcare Resources (a company that looks for procedures that could be performed cheaper elsewhere), Whole Health Solutions (EAP, Telemedicine, Health & Wellness Program & Human Resource Counseling).  Clifton said with a former insurance carrier he had that he had to jump through hoops to earn discounts and questioned if it was the same way with Heartland Benefits Group; Joshua said that if they couldn’t get all of the needed claim’s data, then they would need health questionnaires filled out by the employees.  Joshua encouraged the County to be fully funded the first few years and then be a partially funded plan later in order to build up reserves.  Susan said that the health insurance for the county employees would be a good topic for an advisory board.

 

Rob Herrington with BEDCO met with the Commissioners; he requested that the Commissioners provide BEDCO with up to $100,000 of the PILOT money in order for BEDCO to give the money out in grants for quality-of-life issues.  Susan Bancroft said she had contacted Terry Sercer and Terry told her that the County could use this money at their own discretion.  Rob said that the City of Fulton needed assistance with tearing down houses, Lynne said all of the communities want help.  Rob said with this program he would have people fill out applications and the applications would then go before the BEDCO board for approval and said this could be a matching grant. Lynne discussed the Gunn Park Trails and said this was an economic draw to our community and said if it could be improved it would be a resource to draw more people to our community.  Lynne said the request was to have $25,000 for the completion of the Gunn Park bike trails.  Lynne suggested dedicating $25,000 to Gunn Park trails and increase the total from $100,000 to $125,000.  Jim said he wanted the money to be used to focus on the community and not to be used for tearing houses down.  Jim made a motion to approve $125,000 out of the PILOT money with $25,000 dedicated to the Gunn Park Trails as a grant program through BEDCO, Clifton seconded and stated that we were giving BEDCO more money, but said BEDCO could turn this money into more money, Mark McCoy a member of the BEDCO board said he would make sure the funds were spent ethically and distributed properly, all approved the motion.

 

Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda for a 5-minute executive session, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 5-minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships and said the subject would be trade secrets of a corporation, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:52, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Susan Bancroft and Rob Herrington).  At 10:52, Clifton made a motion to return to open session and said there was no action, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Greg Vahrenberg met with the Commissioners via telephone regarding refinancing the sewer district bonds; Greg said they had completed the sale of the 2021 bonds for the sewer district and said by doing this it shortened the payment period 3 years; the interest went from 2.75% to 2.41% and there was a savings of $54,317.  Clifton made a motion to adopt Resolution 17-21 a Resolution for the General Obligation Refunding Bonds Series 2021-B, Jim seconded and all approved and all signed the paperwork.

 

Susan Bancroft met with the Commissioners; she said she had been attending conference calls on what the ARPA money could be used for.  She said the County would be receiving $2.8 million.  She said there would be a lot of reporting that would need completed and said the County would need to get registered and someone would have to draw down the funds; the Commissioners asked that she do this.  Susan said when the money is received it would need to be put in a separate fund.  Susan said the cities would get their own funding, but was unsure of townships.  Susan said she is starting to help with budgets and said Terry Sercer is still working on the 2020 audit and said the County should have the audit the first part of July.  Susan and Frank Halsey will put together an advisory board for the County health insurance.

 

Commissioners Comment: the Commissioners and Susan Bancroft plan to attend KAC in October and asked that Kendell enroll them for the conference and reserve hotel rooms.

 

At 11:08, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

 

 

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

June 1, 2021, Approved Date

 

 

U.S. Senator Moran’s Weekly Newsletter

 If you are having trouble viewing this email, please view it on my website.

 

 

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Resources

To find further resources on how to protect you and your family, visit
coronavirus.gov or the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website here.

Vaccines in Kansas

Visit kansasvaccine.gov for information regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in Kansas, including availability and FAQs.

To find providers offering COVID-19 vaccinations, use KDHE’s Find My Vaccine map tool. Enter your zip code or address to find the providers nearest you.

Assistance

If you are a Kansas resident and you or your family needs assistance with matters related to COVID-19, please click here.

Kansas Informational Resources

Please visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment here.

U.S. Small Business Administration Resources

For information regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including second draw loans, please visit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website by clicking here.

For information regarding Economic Injury Disaster loans, please click here.

Veteran Resources

For information on veteran and VA related topics, resources and contact information, please click here.

———–

Phone Calls to Kansans

Major General Douglas Sims, CG, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley

Don Koerperich, Decatur County Emergency Management, Selden

Lt. General James Rainey, CG, Fort Leavenworth

Alex Louderback, Decatur County Emergency Management, Oberlin

Ryan Murphy, Rawlins County Emergency Management, Atwood

Blake Flanders, CEO, Kansas Board of Regents, Topeka

Joe Bainter, Sheridan County Commissioner, Selden

Hon. Larry Alley, Kansas State Senate, Wichita

Hon. Renee Erickson, Kansas State Senate, Wichita

Shane & Kristin Bangerter, Bangerter Law Office, Dodge City

Dr. Scott Fischer, Fischer Chiropractic, Dodge City

Col. Herman Jones, Kansas Highway Patrol, Topeka

CJ & Becca Mahoney of Russell

Mason & Connie Jones of Overland Park

Kevin Sarmiento of Mission

Kansas Lt. Gov. David Toland of Topeka

Cliff Illig, Cerner Corporation, Leawood

Jim Johnson, JE Johnson Construction, Lenexa

Marla and Jeff Copper, Copper Carts, Hays

Caroline & Ryan Canfield, Guide Post Strategies, Prairie Village

Hon. Alan Wheat of Kansas City

 

 

 

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Hello,

Welcome to “Kansas Common Sense.” Thanks for your continued interest in receiving my weekly newsletter. Please feel free to forward it on to your family and friends if it would interest them.

 

Honoring WWII Sgt. Carol Eugene Domer On Memorial Day

Each Memorial Day presents us the opportunity to remember the men and women who had the courage to defend our nation. Yesterday, we honored their bravery and sacrifice, and we paused to properly respect them and their families.

Yesterday, after 16 years of working with the Domer family, I was honored to be at the Nemaha County Veterans Memorial for a memorial service for Sergeant Carol Eugene Domer, a World War II airman who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country when his plane – a B-24 Liberator – went down off the coast of Papua New Guinea in 1943.

 

 

 

The Domer family first contacted me in December of 2003 to help discover the remains of Sgt. Domer and hopefully have him returned to Kansas. Over the course of the next couple of years, I stayed in contact with the family to assist in their efforts to gain information regarding recovery efforts for Sgt. Domer. In 2005, we learned that the Army was able to survey the crash site to determine whether recovery was possible at that time.

 

 

 

After years of working with the Army, Ken Domer and his family, the underwater investigation of the wreckage was finally scheduled for early 2013. However, we were later informed that the water in the surrounding area was not accurately chartered, hindering the boats’ ability to investigate for the wreckage. As a result, the investigative team had to forego the planned activity.

In early 2015, I contacted the office of the Secretary of Defense to advocate for Sgt. Domer’s case and learned that efforts were being made to coordinate with the Navy regarding the navigability of the waters to assess the mission. During this process, Ken Domer was also working with Pacific Wrecks, a non-governmental organization which had discovered Sgt. Domer’s plane in 2000 and completed a dive to the plane in 2002.

Now that we had an exact location, I met with the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) – the agency in charge of recovering our fallen servicemember’s remains – to see to it that the investigative mission of Sgt. Domer’s crash site would occur as planned in 2016.

The investigative mission took place in January 2016, followed by a recovery mission in November. In 2017, the recovery mission findings were shared with the Domer family and my office, which included a picture of a signet ring that was found on the ocean floor.

 

 

 

We requested that the ring be returned to Sgt. Domer’s family, and I met with the DPAA Director again to submit an official request to return the ring to Kansas. The family was able to locate a photograph of Sgt. Domer wearing the ring right before he was deployed to the Pacific. Following the proper approvals and this evidence connecting Sgt. Domer to the ring, the ring was delivered to the family last year.

During the service yesterday, the family told Sgt. Domer’s story and shared their tradition of visiting the Centralia Cemetery each Memorial Day to honor their family member’s sacrifice at his empty grave.

As a symbol of Sgt. Domer’s remains, I was grateful to have the opportunity to present his family with his ring recovered from the ocean floor at the site of the crash to his three nephews, along with an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol on February 28, 2020, for Sgt. Domer’s 100th birthday.

While no one in the living family knew Sgt. Domer, they have demonstrated to us the importance of honoring and remembering those who came before us, working for over a decade to bring peace to their family.

 

 

On my way home from Sgt. Domer’s memorial service, I joined neighbors and family members for a community gathering in Vermillion to recognize Memorial Day. I paid my respects to American heroes at the cemetery, spoke with folks on Main Street and caught part of the Peterson Brothers concert which concluded the community’s weekend events.

 

 

 

Prioritizing Veterans as Lead Republican on the Senate VA Committee

Recognizing Veterans’ Mental Health Month
No matter what mental health challenges you are facing, you are not alone. May was Mental Health Awareness Month, and we all can do our part to help create a conversation about mental health for veterans. To all of our servicemembers and veterans, I want to say thank you for your service. Military service is a high calling and requires great sacrifice.

Military service can take a toll on servicemembers leaving the invisible wounds of war – PTSD, depression, anxiety and more. If you or a loved one are in need of immediate mental health assistance, please call 800-273-8255, then select 1. Click here or below to watch my message to veterans.

 

 

Addressing Gaps in Health Care for Rural Veterans
This week, I introduced the Guaranteeing Healthcare Access to Personnel Who Served (GHAPS) Act with my Senate VA colleagues. This legislation would address gaps in veteran health care to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is serving veterans in hard-to-reach places.

While Congress has passed sweeping comprehensive legislation in the VA health care space in recent years, veterans on the margins—like rural and highly rural, overseas, or community care veterans—still face challenges in accessing care. Whether a veteran lives in Manhattan, Kansas, or Manhattan, New York, the VA should work to find solutions to meet their unique health care needs. Following the implementation of the MISSION Act and the John Scott Hannon Act, we now know the programs that have been successful in the effort to care for hard-to-reach veterans. The GHAPS Act would make certain they will continue to have access to these programs no matter where they live for years to come.

 

Implementing Rapid Retraining Assistance for Unemployed Veterans
This week, the Senate passed the THRIVE Act, legislation that will allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) to properly implement the rapid retraining program for unemployed veterans. The THRIVE Act is now headed to the President’s desk so that the VA and DOL can work to get unemployed veterans back into jobs so they can provide for themselves and their families.

In 2019, thanks to the many reforms enacted by Congress, we saw the lowest unemployment rate in 20 years. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the unemployment rate for veterans spiked into the double digits in the early surge of the pandemic and continue to be higher than the historic lows we experienced previously. This legislation is one more tool to ensure veterans receive the retraining opportunities they have earned. If signed into law, this legislation will provide needed resources and benefits to our Kansas veterans and the men and women across the country who have raised their right hand to serve our nation and want to return back into the workforce.

 

Lesser Prairie Chicken Proposal Harmful to Kansas Energy Producers, Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities

This week, the Biden administration’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a proposal to list the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This proposal threatens to harm farmers, ranchers, energy producers and rural communities. Kansas and surrounding states invested millions of public and private dollars in conservation efforts in the habitat area, resulting in the bird’s population more than doubling. The decision to propose a listing despite voluntary conservation efforts that continue to successfully restore habitat area removes any incentive for similar locally-driven efforts to occur for other species. This proposal will result in less wildlife conservation in the future, not more. I will continue to fight any effort by the Biden administration to infringe upon the private property rights of Kansans.

 

My Statement on President Biden’s FY2022 Budget

Four months into this administration, President Biden has already laid out plans for $7.1 trillion of new spending over the next couple of years. It is no surprise that his FY2022 budget proposal calls for the highest level of federal spending since World War II. As our national debt nears $30 trillion and the economy begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a budget that will raise taxes, cause prices to skyrocket and saddle future generations with burdensome levels of debt should be unthinkable.

I will evaluate the details of the President’s budget and will work with my Senate colleagues to craft a federal budget that supports jobs and American competitiveness while maintaining responsible fiscal boundaries. We cannot spend our way to economic prosperity. Our families and their economic futures are best served by keeping costs low, making certain parents are able to return to work and reining in our national debt

 

Discussing the NIH’s FY2022 Budget Request

On Wednesday, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services held a hearing focused on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) FY2022 budget request. NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and I spoke about the NIH’s Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, which provides grants to academic medical centers across the country. The University of Kansas Medical Center participates in the CTSA program and the current framework has allowed them to choose community partners from around the state. Dr. Collins provided assurance that, despite the new leadership at the NIH department overseeing CTSA, the framework would continue to foster essential partnerships between regional research centers and community partners. I also asked Dr. Ned Sharpless, Director of the National Cancer Institute, about the state of Alzheimer’s research in rural areas and was pleased he again accepted an invitation to visit KU’s Cancer Center.

 

Meeting with Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth

On Wednesday, I met with Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth prior to her confirmation as the first woman to hold this position. During our meeting, we discussed some of the recent achievements and goals of our Army installations in Kansas and our mutual priority of making certain we give our soldiers and veterans the best support possible. We also discussed the importance of the 1st Infantry Division’s ability to deploy quickly to win our nation’s wars, the responsibility placed on Fort Leavenworth as the Army’s intellectual hub, and the National Guard’s ability to support COVID-19 relief efforts throughout last year. I thank her for taking time out of her day to meet with me, and I look forward to working with her as Secretary of the Army.

 

 

 

Prioritizing Kansas Farmers as America Combats Global Food Shortages

During Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations hearing, I emphasized to Administrator Samantha Power of the U.S. Administration for International Development (USAID) the need to prioritize Kansas and American farmers when buying agricultural products to meet food shortages overseas. I stressed the need to review and update USAID guidelines to ensure our own country’s farmers are not passed over for foreign-sourced commodities in instances when local and regional purchases are not an option. As co-chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus, I recognize American farmers are capable of providing much-needed food assistance to other countries and take pride in doing so.

I also addressed my recent amendment to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act with Senator Tim Kaine that would urge the U.S. Department of State, in coordination with USAID and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to share excess COVID-19 vaccines with countries in need. I sought clarification on how the vaccines would be distributed to maximize impact and serve our nation’s interests. With access to vaccines assured for Americans, I will continue to look for ways to provide for countries and people in need, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Reviewing the Department of Commerce’s FY2022 Budget Request

On Wednesday, as the lead Republican of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, I questioned Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as the committee reviews the the President’s FY2022 funding request for the U.S. Department of Commerce. As we begin to recover from the pandemic and look to rebuild the economy, the Department of Commerce has a direct impact on the strength and sustainability of our communities and local businesses.

The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is hugely important to communities across Kansas. I recently announced a nearly $4 million EDA grant to the City of Salina that will support infrastructure improvements for a nearby manufacturing facility, Schwan’s Company. As COVID-19 has increased the need for reliable broadband and internet connection, I will also continue to work with Secretary Raimondo and the department as it works to close the digital divide so that all Americans, rural or urban, have access to high speed internet. Watch the full hearing by clicking here.

 

Virtual Meeting with Kansas Optometric Association

I appreciated visiting with Dr. Wayne Gilmore, Dr. Eric McPeak, Dr. Matt Gestberger and Jeremy Durham with the Kansas Optometric Association this week. We discussed several recent bills that would improve eye care for Kansans and ensure they are receiving quality contact products. Dr. Gilmore and I also discussed the importance of making certain the Department of Veterans Affairs provides full recognition for doctors of optometry, who are qualified to provide excellent quality of care to their patients.

 

Thanking K-State President Meyers

On Monday, Kansas State University President Richard Myers announced his retirement at the end of the year.

President Myers’ leadership coupled with his care and concern for the K-State family has greatly benefited Kansas State University during his time in Anderson Hall. I admire and appreciate President Myers for his lifetime of service, first to our nation in the Air Force and as the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs, and currently to the students who call Manhattan home. I look forward to working with him through the end of the year to continue to support the university’s educational and research goals.

 

Information Regarding the Aviation and Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program

On Wednesday, May 26, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) held a virtual webinar regarding the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program. I would encourage all interested companies in participating to watch the webinar which describes the program and answers incoming questions. Additionally, you can ask questions directly to DOT using the following email address: [email protected].

 

Now Accepting Fall 2021 Internship Applications

An internship in my office provides a unique opportunity for students to work closely with my staff on behalf of Kansans, and applications for the Fall 2021 Intern Session are now available. Interns witness the workings of Congress from a unique perspective, and develop knowledge and professional skills that will serve them in their future career pursuits. My office is accepting applications for the Fall Session through June 24. To hear from past interns, find the application link and learn more about this opportunity, click here.

 

Honored to Serve You in Washington
It is an honor to serve you in Washington, D.C. Thank you to the many Kansans who have been calling and writing in to share their thoughts and opinions on the issues our state and country face. I appreciate the words of Kansans, whether in the form of a form of letter, a Facebook comment or a phone call, who wish to make their voice heard.

 

Please let me know how I can be of assistance. You can contact me by email by clicking here. You can also click here to contact me through one of my Kansas offices or my Washington, D.C. office.

 

Very truly yours,
Jerry

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Kansas Tax Collections Up From 2020

Kansas’ Total Tax Receipts Up $604.6 Million Over Last May

TOPEKA – The month of May marked one year since Governor Laura Kelly signed Executive Order 20-31 to safely reopen businesses across the state. Since that time, the Kansas economy has rebounding significantly – with May 2021 tax collections totaling $604.6 million, or 134.7% more than May 2020. For the month of May, the state collected $1.1 billion in total taxes; an increase of $509.4 million, or 93.7%, more than the estimate.

“Our May tax receipt numbers are good news and show that our efforts to strengthen Kansas’ economy are paying off,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “We will continue moving forward by prioritizing pro-growth policies that will support Kansas businesses and Kansas families.”

Individual income tax collections were $708.7 million. That is 154.9%, or $430.7 million, above the estimate and $492.8 million, or 228.2%, more than last May. Corporate income tax collections were $29.8 million. That is $33.2 million, or 976.8%, more than last May. Those collections are $24.8 million, or 495.6%, more than the estimate.

“Overall, the economy performed much better during the pandemic than any state had forecasted and the tax receipt trend in Kansas is comparable to that experienced in other states,” Revenue Secretary Mark Burghart said. “Taxpayers who had meaningful positions in the stock market did extremely well during the pandemic. A significant portion of the individual income tax receipts are due to capital gains transactions.”

Retail sales tax collections were up $53.9 million, or 31.0%, over last May with $227.8 million collected. Collections were $32.8 million, or 16.8%, more than the estimate. Compensating use tax collections were $54.4 million which was $14.4 million, or 36.0%, more than estimated. That is a $16.7 million, or 44.5%, gain compared to the same month of the previous fiscal year.Ka

Victory Laps at Kansas Speedway Vaccination Event

COVID-19 Courtesy photo.

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Raffle for Prizes

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansans will have the opportunity to enter a free raffle drawing for various prizes from the Kansas Speedway next weekend – including the chance to drive two laps around the track – at a Race to End COVID-19 event.

Participants can enter the Race to End COVID-19 by getting a free COVID-19 saliva test and/or vaccine administered by the University of Kansas Health System and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

“It is critical to our state’s continued pandemic recovery efforts that every Kansan gets vaccinated,” Governor Kelly said. “The Race to End COVID-19 is a great incentive to curb declines in vaccine demand and encourage Kansans to get tested for and vaccinated against COVID-19. I appreciate the Kansas Speedway for their partnership in making this event possible, and I encourage all unvaccinated Kansans to attend.”

The Race to End COVID-19 will be held at Kansas Speedway, 400 Speedway Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas (enter via France Family Drive, near the Sporting KC stadium across from Nebraska Furniture Mart):

  • Friday, June 4 from 5 to 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Kansas Speedway is hosting the event in partnership with Wyandotte County Unified Government, University of Kansas Health System, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

All vaccine recipients will be asked to review educational material about COVID-19 vaccines and sign a consent form. After receiving the vaccine, participants will wait 15 minutes for observation for any rare allergic reactions. Those receiving the Pfizer vaccine will need to make separate arrangements for their second dose.

RAFFLE DRAWING:

Individuals that are tested and/or vaccinated will be entered into a free raffle drawing. Prizes include a set of two tickets to the Oct. 24, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Race; a set of four tickets to the Oct. 24, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Race; and gift cards for the NASCAR Racing Experience Ride Along.

VICTORY LAP DETAILS:

Track lap participants must have a valid driver’s license, car registration in their name, and proof of vehicle insurance. Track lap participants 16 to 17 years old with a valid driver’s license must have a parent or legal guardian in the vehicle to sign a minor release form. All track lap participants are required to remain in their personal vehicle at all times. Drivers and their riders will take two laps behind a track pace vehicle at highway speed. No motorcycles, tractor-trailers, recreational vehicles, etc., may be used for track rides.

Additional information can be found at: https://www.kansasspeedway.com/Vanity-Pages/Race-to-End-COVID-Laps.aspx.

New FS Tourism Manager: Jackson Tough

Jackson Tough. Submitted photo.
W. Jackson Tough, 52, is the new Fort Scott Tourism Manager.
 
“I have some commitments related to my position as the El Dorado Springs, Missouri Chamber of Commerce CEO/Executive Director so I will be full-time as of Monday, June 21,” Tough said. “However, I do plan to attend some functions and meetings to immerse myself into the new position before the start date.”
“I’ve spent quite a bit of time around Fort Scott the past two and a half years since my wife, Michele Love Tough is a life-long resident,” he said. “We reside just south of town, adjacent to the family farm near her parents, Bob and Joyce Love.”
“I’ve spent many years in marketing and promotion, from broadcast media in Springfield to promoting businesses and communities in a rural area.,” Tough said.” I’m a native of El Dorado Springs, Missouri which is just about thirty-six miles east of Fort Scott.”

Tough has been the CEO / Executive Director at El Dorado Springs, MO Chamber of Commerce – from September 2012 to June 2021.

“As the El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, I was deeply involved in our community on many levels,” he said.” I participated on many boards and committees; Discover More on Route 54 which promotes the US Highway 54 corridor from Jefferson City to Nevada, the Opera House Theater board which is about maintaining the historic theater and promotion of the arts (especially for our youth), the El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools Capital Improvements Committee, the Spring City Revitalization Group as well as all of the committees through the chamber organization.
“I really look forward to taking an active role in Fort Scott as well!”

“I developed professional networks, created marketing plans for our organization and community, and united business and community leaders,” Tough said. “Along with our members and staff, I developed and coordinated community events including National Day of Prayer, Clean-Up El Do Campaign, Annual Excellence in El Dorado Springs Awards Gala and coordinated monthly chamber luncheons for 50-60 attendees.”

“I also developed and implemented tourism activities, attractions, and events including Patriot Parkway – forty-eight US flags (on 48 utility poles) along a one mile stretch of US Highway 54 in El Dorado Springs, Spring City-Wide Sale, Labor Day Weekend 100 Mile Sale from Camdenton to Nevada, Spring City Spooktacular is a Halloween event that draws hundreds to the community, Christmas Parade, Lighting Celebration, and our annual Holiday Expo among others.”

“I Initiated and coordinated community betterment projects, published a weekly e-newsletter, and I’m the primary administrator for our social media and press releases,” he said.

Before that, he was the marketing and events director for Spring City Revitalization Group (El Dorado Springs, MO) from October 2006 to August 2012.

In this job he developed and coordinated marketing and events for downtown revitalization including grants, an annual chili cook-off, summer concert series, and more, he said.

 

From 1999 to 2005 Tough was the station and sales manager for Clear Channel Communications (Springfield, MO).

In this position, he designed marketing strategies and promotional events with staff on behalf of clients to increase their business revenue and market share, as well as managed daily sales operations for US97 and ESPN 1400. He was also an on-air personality and voiceover production.

Tough attended El Dorado Springs, MO R-2 Schools, and Missouri State University.
Tough has a new bride, Michele Love Tough, two daughters in college, both studying in the medical field, two “bonus” daughters, one in El Dorado Springs and one in Frederick, Maryland and three grandsons.
 “I see a lot of opportunities here and I believe Fort Scott has so much to offer visitors! ” Tough said. “I know quite a bit about the community but I also believe I bring “fresh eyes” to the community and to our tourism.”
 
 

Bourbon County Local News