Governor Declares Drought Emergency, Warnings and Watches for Kansas Counties
The Governor’s Drought Response Team examines conditions; and recommends updates to the Governor
Effective June 27, Governor Laura Kelly has approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #22-06. This drought declaration places all 105 Kansas counties either in watch, warning or emergency status.
“A significant portion of the state of Kansas has experienced drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several months,” said Governor Kelly. “Unfortunately, these conditions are forecast to persist or get worse, so I strongly encourage Kansans to be mindful of drought conditions while we work to minimize the threat of fires across the state.”
The drought declaration placed 34 counties into an emergency status, 8 counties in a warning status and 63 into a watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Although most of Kansas has experienced high precipitation this past month, a record-breaking heat wave has been making its way across the area. While most of eastern Kansas is currently drought free, the forecasted hot and dry conditions will likely lead to the rapid intensification of drought conditions in portions of the Midwest over the next few weeks.
“We have watched drought conditions in parts of the state continue to get worse since this past fall or longer in some areas, causing concern with groundwater supplies, crop production, elevated wildfire risk and more,” said Owen. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the situation and make recommendations to the Governor as necessary. As future outlooks call for hot and dry conditions to continue into July, the potential for a “flash drought” is likely.”
Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes. These counties also become eligible for water in some Federal reservoirs.
Individuals and communities need to contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes. These requests will in turn be referred to the appropriate office to obtain necessary permits to withdraw requested water.
This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.
Effective immediately, Executive Order #22-06:
Declares a Drought Emergency, Warning or Drought Watch for the counties as identified below;
Authorizes and directs all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate
watch, warning or emergency level-drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.
The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the effects drought has on Kansans.
For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas
The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Bonnie Garrett, a 7th and 8th grade PLTW/STEM teacher at Morris Middle School in Huntsville, Alabama. Bonnie Garrett arrived in Fort Scott on June 26th for a week of collaboration with LMC staff.
The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.
Bonnie Garrett, a veteran middle school PLTW/STEM master teacher at Morris Middle School in Huntsville, AL, with 20 years of experience, was a 2007 Alabama Milken Educator. Bonnie strives to make STEM “real and relevant” for her students through creative learning experiences and experiential connections. She connects STEM concepts with local industries and organizations, allowing her students to develop a sense of community while building their mastery in STEM concepts.
Bonnie has been involved with various educational programs, like the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Global Studies, which developed Exceptional Virtual Lessons with Global Content as an educator resource for various subject areas. In 2017, she was selected as a NEA Foundation Global Fellow and traveled with a cohort of educators on a 10-day field study to Beijing and Xi’an to investigate the historical and cultural context of China. They learned about its education system through meetings with policymakers and business and nonprofit leaders and visited schools to meet teachers, students, and administrators. Bonnie also coaches her school’s Robotics and Greenpower USA teams, serves as the President of the Huntsville Education Association, and facilitates nationwide trainings as a master teacher for PLTW.
LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Bonnie is an outstanding educator who provides the leadership necessary to make education relevant in our world today. Her work in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math will make her an invaluable asset to our team of Fellows.”
While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning through the creation of projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world
Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, numerous, sensible laws designed to protect the lives of the unborn have been blocked by unelected judges. On Friday, nearly 50 years after Roe, the Supreme Court ruled there is no constitutional right to an abortion. As Justice Alito stated, “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.” With this ruling, the American people will again have the opportunity to make their voices heard through their representatives and the legislative process. This decision will now allow legislatures, accountable to the citizens who elected them, to take action to pass laws that protect children in the womb and support their mothers.
Announcing Amelia Earhart Statue to be Placed in U.S. Capitol
Today, I joined Senator Roger Marshall in announcing that the Architect of the Capitol approved placement of a statue of Amelia Earhart – the most famous woman in aviation and in Kansas history – in the U.S. Capitol. The Congressional Statue Dedication Ceremony will take place on July 27. A bold and inspiring aviator, Amelia Earhart soared into the history books, setting flight records and breaking barriers. She led the way for thousands of women to pursue their dreams – whether that was in aviation or to break their own, new barriers.
Next month, the statue of Amelia Earhart will join President Dwight D. Eisenhower as bronze beacons representing Kansas in our nation’s capital. I want to thank the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, the Earhart family and the City of Atchison for their tireless work to bring Amelia to the Capitol.
The National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol consists of 100 statues – two contributed by each state. Kansas first sent marble statues of U.S. Senator John James Ingalls and Kansas Governor George Washington Glick to the U.S. Capitol. In 1999, the Kansas Legislature voted to replace these two statues with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Amelia Earhart. The Amelia Earhart statue will be the 10th woman represented in the 100 statues in the U.S. Capitol. The bronze statue of Earhart was created by George and Mark Lundeen and will be a twin to an Amelia Earhart statue that will be placed at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison.
Questioning Federal Reserve Chairman Powell on Rate Hikes on Agricultural Industry
On Wednesday, I questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during a U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing on recent interest rate hikes and their impact on the Kansas agricultural community. In the increasingly difficult business environment Kansas farmers already face, uncertainty surrounding the trajectory of costs poses growing concern for the farming industry and its lenders.
Farming is a noble calling, and our agricultural industry is the backbone of our nation and the world. Kansas farmers already face an uphill climb as costs rise and profit margins shrink. Our agricultural community must be given the confidence that the Fed will do all in its power to prevent rate hikes from threatening this essential industry.
Last week, I voted to oppose the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on the Senate floor. We can and must do a better job of preventing violence, however we must work to address the root issues of violent crime rather than create new laws that hinder the Second Amendment rights of legal gun owners. In order to make our policies genuinely effective, we should start by enforcing existing gun laws, punishing criminals to the fullest extent of the law and ensuring our schools are safe from senseless acts of violence. We must also recognize that violence cannot be solved by the federal government alone. State legislatures should work to find solutions that fit the needs of their states, and we ought to always be working to instill family values, rid our communities of hate, support our law enforcement and end the stigma of mental health.
Touring the University of Kansas Cancer Center
On Tuesday morning, before returning to Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to visit The University of Kansas Cancer Center – the only National Cancer Institute-designated center in the region. It was great to tour the state-of-the-art facility and meet with some of the hardworking individuals who lead cancer research in the heartland. I am grateful for their work and dedication to finding new treatments and a cure for cancer. Thank you to Dr. Roy Jensen, Dr. Robert Simari and Christine Thomas for taking the time to provide a tour of the research labs.
Responding to Biden’s Gas Tax Holiday Proposal
On Wednesday, President Biden called on Congress to suspend the federal gas and diesel fuel tax for three months. However, a federal gas tax holiday is a trivial attempt to address a serious issue that is hurting Kansas families. When President Biden took office he immediately sought to undermine American fossil fuel production – creating significant difficulty and uncertainty for domestic producers which has contributed to gas prices skyrocketing to historic levels. The Biden administration must shift course and pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy which unleashes American oil and gas production.
Questioning U.S. Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai
On Tuesday, during my Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, I questioned U.S. Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai regarding the soaring costs of imported fertilizer. The increasing input prices facing farmers are tightening margins and straining their ability to operate. The U.S. Trade Representative must work to reduce trade barriers and ensure farmers have access to an adequate supply of fertilizers. The Biden administration must reverse anti-energy policies that are driving up the cost of fertilizer inputs like natural gas, and roll back tariffs on phosphates and nitrogen fertilizers. I also asked Ambassador Tai about ongoing negotiations to lower duties on softwood lumber and steel. Homebuilders in Kansas are seeing growing costs of materials, which is driving up home prices, and forcing low- and middle-income buyers out of the market. When our country faces an affordable housing shortage, and the world is facing decreased food production, we should not let high tariffs stand in the way of Kansans meeting these needs.
Holding Big Tech Accountable
Last week, I joined Senator Roger Marshall as a co-sponsor of the Political Bias of the Algorithm Sorting (BIAS) Emails Act. This important legislation would provide needed accountability to Big Tech. Censorship of political emails by Big Tech hurts Kansans’ ability to decide for themselves who they want to elect as their representatives. We must make certain Big Tech does not use biased algorithms that are designed to influence voters and push agendas.
Indian Affairs Committee Hearing
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held an oversight hearing on the Department of Interior’s recently published report on Federal Indian Boarding Schools. I listened to Secretary Deb Haaland provide moving testimony on the impact of these schools on Native American children and successive generations. The report listed a dozen schools in Kansas, and described conditions at the Haskell Institute and Kickapoo Boarding School. We must know our past to build our future, and this report is a necessary starting point for the work ahead. Before the hearing began, I visited with Secretary Haaland and Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland about the need to quickly hire a new president at Haskell to provide stability, and I was pleased they both informed me this is a priority for the department.
Addressing the Kiwanis Club in Newton
Last week, I was pleased to join the Kiwanis Club in Newton and speak with them about the current issues impacting their community. I always appreciate hearing input from Kansans on what is important to them, as well as their insight regarding current happenings in our state and nation. Thank you to Kelly McElroy, the Newton City Manager, for the invitation and to the entire Kiwanis Club for hosting me.
Touring Agco Corporation in Hesston
Last week, I stopped by Agco Corporation in Hesston to tour their facilities and to visit with their senior leadership on the current issues facing their business and community. A highlight of my tour was the opportunity to see the final production of the combines and swathers they manufacture. Thank you to Beth Shelton, Executive Director of the Harvey County Economic Development, Megan Smith, Executive Director of the Hesston City Chamber, Susan Swartzendruber, Hesston City Councilmember, and all of the senior leadership of Agco Corporation for hosting me during this tour.
Visiting Full Vision in Newton
On Monday, I was in Harvey County and had the opportunity to tour Full Vision, a precision metal fabrication ship that has been in business for 60 years. Thank you to Doug Scheible and his team for showing me the wide array of products they manufacture, including equipment roll over bars and medical grade treadmills. Thank you to Newton City Manager Kelly McIlroy and Economic Development Director Zach McHatton, as well as Harvey County Economic Development Director Beth Shelton, for joining the tour.
Meeting with Kansans in Washington, D.C.
Sedgwick County Commissioner Sarah Lopez
On Thursday, I met with Sedgwick County Commissioner Sarah Lopez to discuss the federal government’s economic development initiatives and how these initiatives will assist Sedgwick County. As the Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, I help fund the Economic Development Administration and their work to build durable economies across the country, including in Kansas. I look forward to continuing to work alongside local leaders, like Commissioner Lopez, to strengthen the local economies in our state.
Kansas Music Educators Association
I enjoyed meeting with members of the Kansas Music Educators Association in our nation’s capital last week to discuss their legislative priorities, as well their efforts to grow the number of music educators in Kansas and provide more opportunities in music for Kansas students. Thank you to Jamie Minneman, John Taylor, Kelly Knedler and Holly Taylor for sharing their insights on the challenges for music educators and their accomplishments in training young Kansans to have a love for music. I look forward to continuing to work together with these educators to make certain all Kansas students have access to a well-rounded education.
Douglas County 4-H Group
On Wednesday, I welcomed members of the Douglas County 4-H to my D.C. office. It’s always great to spend time with young Kansans, and this group was no exception. I enjoyed speaking with these young men and women about the positive effects that 4-H has had on their lives. I have no doubt that they are all on the path to becoming great leaders who will positively impact our state in the years to come.
Wheat Harvest Near Albert
I wanted to share this photo of the Kansas wheat harvest that I received this week from Katie Rosborough and her dad. Kansans truly do feed the world, and pictures like this one are a great reminder of the dedication our Kansas farmers have in this mission.
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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Hays
1200 Main St.,
Suite 402
P.O. Box 249
Hays, KS 67601
Phone: (785) 628-6401
The Gordon Parks Museum Announces a Fundraiser Event Featuring a Music Performance by
CHARLIE REDD & LUNA VOO DOO BAND
The Liberty Theatre
Friday, July 8th, 8pm | Doors Open at 7pm
The Gordon Parks Museum is excited to announce a fundraiser Event: Featuring a music performance by Charlie Redd & Luna Voo Doo Band. This very popular and entertaining band will be providing the very best fun party dance music in Rock, R&B, Pop, etc.
Charlie Redd & Luna Voo Doo perform regularly at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, OK. The performance will be held at the Liberty Theater on Friday, July 8. Doors open at 7 p.m. and performance starts at 8 p.m. Cash bar will be available. Tickets are $25 each or $30 at the door.
Tickets are on sale now at The Gordon Parks Website and the Gordon Parks Museum located at 2108 S. Horton St. on the FSCC Campus.
The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas has awarded its 2022 Fellowship to 11 educators. As part of their week-long experience in Fort Scott, the five fellows for June 26 – July 1 were given the key to the city. Six other Fellows were in Fort Scott last week.
The Fellows honored this week were Trysta Asche from Nebraska, Bonnie Garrett from Alabama, Jayda Pugliese from Pennsylvania, Josha Sietsma from the Netherlands, and Suzy Turner from Iowa.
LMC Director Norm Conard praised these outstanding individuals, saying, “It is an honor to be able to network and collaborate with these exceptional educators and provide this opportunity for them to reflect, re-energize and strategize with each other as they seek new ways to inspire their students.”
Every summer, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes awards their Fellowship to national and international award-winning educators from America and around the world.
As LMC Fellows, they deepen their understanding of Unsung Heroes and project-based learning, preparing them to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students and learn the stories of role models who help change the world.
Along with the time spent deepening their professional skills at the LMC, the Fellows enjoy visiting the Fort Scott area.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to the Chamber Coffee this Thursday, June 30th at 8am. This week’s coffee will be hosted by Bourbon County Garden Club located at the Heritage Park Pavilion at 1st and Main. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
The Bourbon County Garden Club is a group of like-minded gardeners that gather to share their knowledge, and better their community through gardening. They meet to plant and care for gardens spread throughout Fort Scott.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
Fireworks over the Union State Bank, Uniontown, 2019. Submitted by Amy Holt.
The Uniontown fireworks display by Union State Bank is a go, but has moved to Friday, July 1.
That day will see the Uniontown Park fill with residents and visitors to view the fireworks which are purchased by the bank.
Free hot dogs, chips and a drink are provided for free from the bank.
“We usually serve about 500 hot dogs,” USB CEO and President Bryan Holt, said, but the crowd is bigger than that for the fireworks display.
In addition, there will be inflatable jump houses for the kids, a photo station for selfies and food and drink purchases from local vendors/organizations.
Additional food and drink offerings are:
Mimi’s Food Truck (turkey legs and funnel cakes)
Lora Ripper (popcorn)
Uniontown High School Cheerleaders (bake sale)
First Missionary Baptist Church raising funds for kids going to summer camp (pop/drinks)
Uniontown school kids and parents raising funds for Washington Workshop next summer (bake sale)
” We are still open for any organizations or vendors that would like to set up in the park,” said Amy Holt, who is Vice President of Loan Administration at the Uniontown branch. She is facilitating the event for the bank. “They can contact me at 620-756-4305 during business hours or by email at [email protected].”
There will be a disc jockey entertaining the crowd as well.
Since 2005, the bank has sponsored fireworks for the community on July 3, but since it fell on Sunday this year, the the CEO, Bryan Holt decided he didn’t want the employees to work on Sunday.
The bank employees plan the event and prepare and hand out the free hot dogs with chips and a bottle of water.
In addition, they didn’t want to conflict with Fort Scott’s Independence Day celebration on July 3, he said.
This event was originally a fund raiser for improving the Uniontown Park, but it is now “A way to say thanks to our customers,” Bryan Holt said.
Uniontown has been the headquarters for Union State Bank since 1901.
In 1992, the bank expanded operations and started a branch in Fort Scott. This year they have expanded again to accommodate more employees and upgrade security. There will be a feature of this expansion later this week on fortscott.biz.
Dale Richard Johnson, age 85, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Friday, June 24, 2022, at his home at the Presbyterian Village in Ft. Scott.
He was born August 26, 1936, in Hillsboro, Kansas, the son of Carl G. Johnson and Marjorie E. Pavey Johnson. The family moved to Wilson County in southeast Kansas in 1938.
Dale obtained his elementary education in one-room country schools. He graduated from the Neodesha, Kansas High School in 1953. Dale began his career with Kansas State government in the Fall of 1953 when he was hired by the Kansas Highway Commission as an engineering aide. He worked as an engineering aide in construction offices at Independence and Dighton, Kansas.
On June 5, 1955, Dale married Betty June Berg. She remained his best friend throughout their life together. In 1961, the family moved to Topeka where he continued his career in State government until retiring in 1993.
The last twenty-five years of his career were spent in management positions in the computer field. In 1979, Dale was President of the International Highway Engineers Exchange Program, an organization dedicated to the exchange of information regarding the use of computers in planning, design, and construction of highways.
Dale and Betty retired to Ft. Scott in 2002. They have always been active in the ministry of their local church. Dale had taught Sunday school for many years.
He was currently a member of Community Christian Church. Dale and Betty enjoyed being actively involved in the Ft. Scott community. Dale was a member of the Bourbon County Art Council, the Ft. Scott Kiwanis Club, the Bourbon County Garden Club, the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Committee and also volunteered his time at the Beacon and at the Ft. Scott National Historic Site. He was also an active supporter of Ft. Scott High School athletics.
Survivors include his wife of sixty-seven years, Betty, of the home at the Presbyterian Village, a daughter, Brenda (Eric) Deeter of Kansas City, Kansas, and two sons, Bret Johnson of Spokane, Washington and Bart (Pam) Johnson, of Chattanooga, Tennessee; four grandchildren, Michael (Heather) Deeter of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dana (Joe) Patton of Kansas City, Kansas, Sarah Maike of Ft. Scott and Avery Johnson of Chattanooga, Tennessee and six great-grandchildren, Jacob (Andrea), Christopher (Madison), Judah, Brody, Ava and Brooklyn. Also surviving is a sister, Carol (Joe) Newby of Thayer, Kansas.
Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct a memorial service at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, July 9th at the Community Christian Church.
Burial will take place at a later date at the Star Cemetery near Thayer, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to Show-Me-Christian Youth Home or to Community Christian Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas, an international educational non-profit, has awarded its prestigious Fellowship to Suzy Turner, a Talented and Gifted teacher and National History Day advisor at Nashua-Plainfield Jr/Sr High School in Nashua, IA. Suzy arrived in Fort Scott on June 26th for a week of collaboration with LMC staff.
The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. The Center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop, and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history.
Suzy Turner, a teacher and National History Day advisor for the past 18 years at Nashua-Plainfield Jr./Sr. High School in Nashua, Iowa, has earned many teaching honors due to her students’ extraordinary successes, including National History Day (NHD) in Iowa Teacher of the Year (2009, 2013, 2020), and NHD Senior Division National Teacher of the Year (2020). The secret to Suzy’s project-based learning success is helping her students find topics connected to their personal interests, facilitating research opportunities at university libraries and archives, and providing project interview support. In 2021, after winning 1st place at the NHD national contest for his project on the Ghost Army of World War II, one of Turner’s students began lobbying for the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act. On February 1, 2022, his efforts achieved success when President Biden signed the bill into law, providing long overdue recognition for this top-secret deceptive unit.
Suzy has presented on history and history education topics at state and national conferences, facilitated professional development sessions for K-12 social studies teachers from eighteen area schools, and served as a guest blogger for PBS: History In The Classroom. As a scholar participant in programs sponsored by National History Day, the World War I Centennial Commission, and American Battle Monuments Commission, Turner has honored the memories of military veterans and fallen soldiers. She has helped improve understanding of the meaning of sacrifice by presenting graveside eulogies, writing silent hero profiles, and authoring published lesson plans for teachers. Most recently, Turner has lent her time and talents to elevating education about marginalized groups in history by authoring a lesson on the Americans with Disabilities Act for Building A More Perfect Union and a lesson plan book jointly published by the National Endowment for the Humanities and National History Day in recognition of our nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. In her spare time, Suzy likes playing Scrabble and competitive golf with her family, as well as running road races.
LMC Executive Director Norm Conard says, “Suzy is a superior project developer and will have much expertise to share with our 2022 Fellows team. We look forward to working with Suzy and learning from her vast array of successes and experiences.”
While in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning through the creation of projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be equipped to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world
