Monthly Archives: March 2023

Government, Kansas

Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson

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Caryn Tyson

 

March 3, 2023

 

The Senate did not work any bills on the floor this week.  Hopefully, that will not be the case next week.  The floor schedule is not made available until the evening before – so stay tuned.

 

Here are a few more highlights from the previous week when over 30 bills were debated and voted on in two days.

 

Personal Property Tax, such as trailers, golf carts, some mobile homes, and other items have very steep penalties if owners do not file a form with the county appraiser on or before March 15 each year.  Senate Bill (SB) 8 lowers the failure to file penalty from 50% to 12.5%, late filing penalties from 25% to 10% and other penalties from 5% to 2%.  The bill would also limit required filings to an initial filing and when there has been a change to the report or property previously listed so that you don’t have to file every year.  It passed the Senate unanimously.

 

Education Opportunities were expanded for low income students in SB 83 by increasing the eligibility.  It eliminates the requirement a student must qualify for the free and reduced lunch program and increases the income limit to 400% above federal poverty.  Children who are adopted or in foster care, and children of parents in law enforcement, firefighter, or emergency medical service provider are eligible.  The tax credit for donors will increase from 70 to 75% with a limit of $100,000 per donor.  The program is capped at $10 million and could be increased each year certain conditions are met until a final cap of $20 million.  Some argue that this program hurts K-12 public education funding.  However, K-12 funding has increased to record highs in the past few years the program has been in existence.  The bill passed 22 to 16.  I voted yes.

 

Child Mutilation Prevention would prohibit gender reassignment surgery on children.  The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts would be required to revoke the license of medical person(s) who preformed the surgery.  The bill passed 26 to 11.  I voted yes.

 

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.

Caryn

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee hosted by Riggs Chiropractic on March 9

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The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee on Thursday, March 9th at 8 a.m. hosted by Riggs Chiropractic. The event will be held at their new Fort Scott location at 304 E. 23rd St. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.

 

Riggs Chiropractic, with locations in Pittsburg and Riverton, recently expanded to Fort Scott providing the same great care to patients in this area.

Riggs Chiropractic has partnered with Bourbon County CASA for a Miracle Year of Wellness in which they will donate all new patient exam fees to CASA to help further their mission.  In just their first month, Riggs has accrued $1,000 to donate to this worthy cause.  Dr. Megan Vyhlidal, native of Pittsburg, is excited to bring her expertise to the Fort Scott community.  Chiropractic Assistant, Kalyn Turner, lives in Fort Scott and is excited to help people live a more wellness-focused life.

 

Any member business or organization wanting to host Chamber Coffee in 2023 is encouraged to contact the Chamber to save a date by calling 620-223-3566 or emailing [email protected].

 

Fort Scott, Government

Improvements to Highway 69 Nearing Completion

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The KDOT building located on Hwy. 69.

Progress is being made on the section of highway that slices through Fort Scott from north to south. Improvements are also on the horizon for several other Southeast Kansas highway projects.

In March 2022,  U.S. Hwy. 69 in Bourbon County was approved a bid for improvement to the intersections of 3rd, 6th, 12th and 25th Streets in Fort Scott,  including traffic signals.

The two miles of highway improvement inside the city limits of Fort Scott was awarded to LaForge & Budd Construction Company Inc., Parsons, Kansas, for a price tag of $2,645,573.03.

The improvement work began on Sept. 6, 2022.

“The project on US 69 is for intersection improvements for both pedestrians and vehicle traffic,” KDOT Iola Area Office Engineer Troy Howard, said. “Several intersections are getting signal updates. Both 6th St. and 12th St. are getting turning lanes added to improve traffic flows. At this point they are working on the turning lanes.”

“According to the contractors schedule they are supposed to be completed around the first of June,” Howard said.

 

Hwy. 69 Near Arma Is Nearing Completion

Travelers may have noticed that there is work on Hwy. 69, around Arma, as well.

“By late May, work should be completed on the U.S. 69 expansion project at Arma, weather permiting,” KDOT’s Priscilla Petersen,  said. “The highway will be four lanes between Pittsburg and Kansas City.”

 

Four-Lane Corridor?

At one point there was work towards a four-lane highway corridor down U.S. 69 Highway from Kansas City to past Pittsburg.

“The goal for U.S. 69 is debatable, depending on who you ask,” Wayne Gudmonson, KDOT Dist. IV Engineer, Chanute, said. “There is a group and a large number of supporters that want to construct U.S. 69  four-lane  (all the way) to I-44.There is another group who do not want this… so, at this time, U.S.69 will be four-lane from Kansas City to Pittsburg, once the work around Arma is completed.”

 

Baxter Springs

“We are also currently constructing a four- lane piece of U.S. 166 down around Baxter Springs (south of Pittsburg),” Gudmonson said. “This work begins on U.S. 400 just north east of Baxter Springs.  It angles down and … reconstructs U.S. 166 to a four-lane with an interchange just east of Baxter and a second interchange at the junction of K 26 and U.S. 166. From this interchange we diagonal down to the south east with a two lane section that ties back into U.S. 166 just west of the Kansas-Missouri line.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business, Fort Scott, Schools

Youth Entrepreneur Challenge Trade Show March 7 at Fort Scott High School

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CHAMBER INVITES COMMUNITY TO THE
YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE TRADESHOW EXHIBIT
Stop by the FSHS Aux Gym
TOMORROW
Tuesday, March 7th between
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Come check out the different business plans conceived by students as part of the competition organized
by the Chamber. These students have worked hard over the last semester-plus on all aspects of their business concepts and your attendance and support would be appreciated!
COME VOTE FOR THE POPULAR CHOICE
TRADESHOW EXHIBIT ~ CASH PRIZE!
Click here for the FB event.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the fourth annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in partnership with Fort Scott High School. Eighteen students have prepared startup business ideas and will compete for cash prizes to be judged on Tuesday, March 7th.
As part of the event, the students will have tradeshow exhibits displaying their business concepts in the Fort Scott High School auxiliary gym from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday and the public is invited and encouraged to stop by during this time, take a look at the different booths, and vote for their favorite.
The Chamber organizes the program in association with the NetWork Kansas E-Community Partnership and Bourbon County is one of many communities across Kansas to host a local competition from which the students compete against each other for nearly $3,000 in prize money with the top winner advancing to the state Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge to be held in April 20th in Manhattan.
The public is welcome and encouraged to stop by the tradeshow on Tuesday, March 7th to view the creative business plans and support these students who have worked on their projects over the past several months as part of their class.
Both the east and west doors of the high school will be open for entry during this time; however, it is encouraged that you use the main west doors to enter.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce for more information at 620-223-3566 or [email protected].
Thank you to our Chamber Champions for their support!
Y
Bourbon County, Schools

West Bourbon Elementary School: Kindergarten Roundup Coming March 20

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West Bourbon Elementary School, Uniontown, KS

West Bourbon Elementary School – Uniontown

Kindergarten Roundup Coming in March

 

 

A screening clinic for 2023-2024 kindergarten students has been scheduled for Monday, March 20 at West Bourbon Elementary. To be eligible for kindergarten, your child must be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2023.

Students who will be new to WBE will sign up for a 30 minute slot to be assessed on March 20. Please bring in your child’s birth certificate and immunization record. The agenda for the child will include kindergarten skills assessment, vision, hearing, speech, and checking health records.

Kindergarten children are required to have a physical exam within 12 months of beginning school and have all current immunizations. The Bourbon County Health Department will be onsite providing immunizations and physicals.

Due to the screenings, there will be no Kindergarten class on March 20th.

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

To set up a time for screening and assessment, please call the school at 620-756-4335 or visit https://tinyurl.com/WBEKindergartenRoundup.

Government, Kansas

Free Library Services For The Blind: Talking Books

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Governor Laura Kelly signs proclamation for Kansas Talking Books Week

TOPEKA –Govenor Laura Kelly signed a new proclamation in late February designating this week, March 6-10, 2023, as Kansas Talking Books Week.

The week-long celebration marks the anniversary of the enactment of legislation establishing free library services for the blind.

The Pratt-Smoot Act, signed March 3, 1931, placed the responsibility of providing adequate library materials for the use of blind adults under the administration of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled in the Library of Congress. Several updates to the original Act included additional funding and provisions for people with print disabilities other than blindness to be included.

Kansas Talking Books, a division of the State Library of Kansas, presently serves patrons in all 105 counties across the state. Print-impaired Kansans enrolled in the program are connected to a collection of more than 140,000 items. Materials include digital and braille books, popular magazines, and locally produced materials of particular interest to Kansans or by Kansas authors. All services are provided at no cost to the patron.

Talking Book Week programming will be shared on social media at https://www.facebook.com/kansas.talking.books.service. Information about the webinars, book club meeting, and other activities can be found at kslib.info/talking.

Patrons, caregivers, and community members can find more information and the application for services at the same web address. Those in the Emporia area can call 620-341-6280. Other regions in Kansas can call toll-free at 800-362-0699.

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K-State Extension

 Soil Testing – First Step in Garden Preparation

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Krista Harding
District Extension Agent, Horticulture
Southwind Extension District
111 S. Butler
Erie, KS 66733
Office: 620-244-3826
Cell: 620-496-8786

 

Whether you are new to gardening or have been gardening for years, all gardeners should think about their soil fertility levels. Just looking at your plants won’t provide the proper information. Soil fertility is something that cannot be seen, felt or guessed about. As we get ready for planting time, consider having a soil analysis on your garden soil.

 

A soil test reveals the base line nutritional values of soil. From this test, the type and amount of fertilizer to be used can be determined. In addition, a soil test will find the pH level of the soil. This kind of information is basic for developing a good plant nutrition program. For example, if your soil doesn’t need phosphorus or potassium – which may very well be the case – applying it is a waste of time and money.

 

Nutrient levels can change over time of course. K-State recommends testing garden soil every three to five years. But soil tests are only as good as the samples submitted. To take a soil sample, follow these steps:

 

  1. Mentally divide your garden into areas. Each area should be fairly uniform in soil color, texture and slope, as well as ability to grow plants. Avoid or sample separately any places that could give misleading results: low spots, old fence rows, etc.

 

  1. You will need a clean bucket and a soil probe or spade. Take 10 thin core or slices from different spots in the garden. Include soil down 6 to 8 inches deep. This is much easier to do if you don’t take samples when the soil is really wet.

 

  1. Put all samples into a bucket, crumble and mix them thoroughly. Remove any stones, grass, roots and thatch. Then take out a cup to a pint’s worth of soil, air dry it, and put it in a sealable container. You can spread the soil out on a newspaper to dry.

 

  1. Put soil into a lock-seal plastic bag or plastic food container. Label each container with your name, mailing address and phone number.

 

  1. Bring soil sample to the Southwind District Extension Office in Erie, Iola, Fort Scott or Yates Center. Chanute residents can drop soil of at Breiner’s Feed Store for pick-up. Soil sampling cost is $20 per sample. Sample results are usually available in 7 to 10 days.

 

Phosphorus and potassium levels tend to build up in the soil. Excess can harm growth, or worse yet, leach out and pollute streams and lakes. In recent years, the soil testing lab at K-State has found some Kansas garden and landscape samples contained so much phosphorus and potassium that testing couldn’t measure the amounts. The results literally were “off the charts.” By soil testing, you can determine if these nutrients need to be applied or not.

 

Did your garden just not perform the way you wanted it to last year? It could have been because the soil fertility level is not what it should be or the soil pH is off. Soil testing will determine that.

 

Don’t put off sampling until after the garden is planted. Do it now so soil fertility corrections can be made!

 

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Horticulture agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

 

K-State Research and Extension is an equal

Opinion

Ezekiel’s Spinning Wheels by Carolyn Tucker

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Keys to the Kingdom by Carolyn Tucker

 

Around 1971, the Mt. Zion Bible School choir from Ava, MO, came to my church at  Stockton and presented an enthralling concert. The piano and organ were masterfully  played by two students and the musical talents of the chorale had my steadfast attention. I was completely taken by a song I’d never heard before and I don’t believe I’ve heard it since. Some of the lyrics in the refrain was, “He’s my Rock my Sword my Shield, He’s my wheel in the middle of the wheel.” My heart grabbed that song and it’s still in there!

 

While reading through the Old Testament recently, I felt a strong prompting to study Ezekiel and his God-given vision of the wheels. During this time, I purchased a large round decorative piece of aluminum which reminded me of Ezekiel‘s wheels. I attached the circular décor to my east fence where I can see it from my front porch.

 

Ezekiel was about 30 years old when God commissioned him as a prophet and watchman and gave him a bizarre vision of the glory of God. He was beside the Kebar River and the heavens opened and he saw visions of God and felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him. “From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and four wings. Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back. They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around. As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each. …each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around. When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went“ (Ezekiel 1:5,6,10,12,15,16,18-20 NLT).

 

Bible scholars believe the wheels display the omnipotence and omnipresence of God. The explanation of the four faces are as follows: Man is considered the king of the earth and has dominance over the animals and rules the earth. The lion is considered the king of the jungle and represents strength, fierceness, and commands respect. The ox symbolizes strength, honesty, and hard work. The eagle is the king of the air, has an all-seeing eye, and represents victory, speed, royalty, release from bondage, longevity, inspiration, and power. The eyes around the wheel portray an all-knowing God who sees the good and the bad no matter which way humans turn. Ezekiel’s wheels are said to be a symbol of moving forward with the presence of God. As we study Ezekiel’s calling and visions, we can think about the Spirit of God resting on him while moving him forward into the prophetic ministry. May our eyes be opened to the unique ways God still works today.

 

The amount of time it takes believers to move up spiritually depends on how long we spin our wheels trying to make things happen on our own. When the hand of the Lord takes hold of us, we must be willing and ready to move forward with Him. As we worship and respond in obedience to the moving of the Spirit, heavenly things can be released upon us that we couldn’t have made happen ourselves. Let’s intently ask and expect God to move in our lives daily.

 

The Key: Allow the Holy Spirit to move you forward in your life and calling.

Fort Scott, Government, Schools

USD234 Board of Education Agenda for March 6

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BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING

MARCH 6, 2023 – 5:30 P.M.

PUBLIC AGENDA

1.0       Call Meeting to Order

           

2.0       Flag Salute

 

3.0       Approval of the Official Agenda (Action Item)

 

4.0       Approval of the Consent Agenda (Action Item)

 

            4.1       Board Minutes

  1. 02-13-23 Minutes
  2. 02-27-23 Minutes

            4.2       Financials-Cash Flow Report

            4.3       Check Register

            4.4       Payroll – February 17, 2023 – $1,583,201.90

            4.5       Activity Fund accounts

            4.6       Items of Interest: Preschool Spring Fling – April 6, 2023 5:30 – 7 pm

 

5.0       Student Recognition (Information/Discussion Item)

            5.1       FSHS Thespians

 

6.0       Leadership Reports (Information/Discussion Item)

 

            6.1       Superintendent’s Report

            6.2       Assistant Superintendent’s Report

            6.3       Finance Director’s Report

 

7.0       Old Business

 

7.1       Summary of Work Session (Information/Discussion Item)

7.2       HVAC Proposal (Information/Discussion Item)

7.3       MOU – Community Health Center & FSHS Clinic Space discussion                                                                    (Information/Discussion Item)

7.4       Tennis Courts Resurface – Pro Track and Tennis, Inc. (Action Item)

 

8.0       New Business

 

8.1       Activity Bus Purchase – $129,342 (Action Item)

8.2       Football Uniform Bids & Recommendation (Action Item)

8.3       Roof Payment 1 & Roof Payment 2 (Action Item)

8.4       Kansas Infinitec Coalition for 2023-24 (Action Item)

8.5       Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) – Kansas School-to-Work Program (Action Item)

8.6       Pre-Funding Early Retirement Payments (Action Item)

8.7       Greenbush Contracts for Low-Incidence and Audiology for the 2023-24 school year                               (Action Item)

8.8       FSHS Courses for 2022-23 (Action Item)

 

9.0       Public Forum

 

10.0     Other Business – Negotiations

 

10.1     Enter Executive Session – Negotiations (Action Item)

10.2     Exit Executive Session

 

11.0     Other Business – Personnel Matters

 

11.1     Enter Executive Session – Personnel Matters (Action Item)

11.2     Exit Executive Session

11.3     Approval of Personnel Report (Action Item)

11.4     Approval of Personnel Report (Action Item)

11.5     Approval of Personnel Report (Action Item)

 

12.0     Adjourn Meeting

                       

Area News

Kansas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children Conference March 28

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KADEC 2023 Conference Flyer

Kansas Alliance for
Drug Endangered Children
Conference
March 28th, 2023
8:30am – 4:45pm at
Manhattan Conference Center
410 S. 3rd Street Manhattan, Kansas
The agenda includes:
Drug Endangered Children Community Awareness Training
Speaker: Jennifer Gassmann, Kansas Children’s Service
League and Kansas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Helping Traumatized Children Learn and Succeed


Speaker: Edward Jacobs, MSW; Plymouth County,
Massachusetts Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Marijuana and Children


Speaker: Amy Ronshausen, Drug Free America Foundation,
Inc. and Save our Society from Drugs
Current Drug Trends


Speaker: Chris Bumgarner, Kansas Bureau of Investigation


Registration fee: $75
Lunch will be provided
7.25 CEUs available
Learn more and register at: wichita.edu/gphc