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Monthly Archives: February 2024
KDHE Announces Expansion of Newborn Screening Program
New screen for X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) added.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Kansas Newborn Screening Program (KS-NBS) began screening for X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) at the start of the month. The move aligns with the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel, which is the national guideline for newborn screening.
“We are very excited to be able to add testing for X-ALD to our screening process,” Janet Stanek, KDHE Secretary, said. “This will have a direct and positive impact on the health and future of our youngest Kansans.”
Nearly 35,000 Kansas babies receive the newborn screening shortly after birth each year. With one small blood sample, 33 metabolic and genetic conditions can be detected. Early diagnosis and entry into treatment has demonstrated evidence of better health outcomes for children. Many of the conditions on the screening panel are not detectable at birth or during routine follow-up visits.
According to multiple sources, it is estimated that one out of every 15,000 newborns is diagnosed with X-ALD. X-ALD is a disease that affects the nervous system and the adrenal cortex. If untreated, X-ALD can impact learning and behavior in boys, with onset typically occurring between the ages of 4 and 10.
The KS-NBS strives to protect and improve the health of all newborns in Kansas. Visit kdhe.ks.gov/NewbornScreening to learn more about the program. More information on tests included in newborn screenings can be found at Babys First Test. For specific information on X-ALD, visit ALD Parents Guide.
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KDOT’s Cost Share Program: Financial Assistance To Local Entities For Improving Transportation Systems
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports February 12
Bo Co Democrats Meet Feb. 18
Bourbon County Democrats kick off 2024 with their first general meeting on Sunday, February 18th, 2024.
The meeting will be held at Fort Scott Community College in The Ellis Building meeting rooms.
The meeting time is 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
They will welcome a well-known Kansas Legislator to this first meeting: Representative Vic Miller, House Minority Leader. Miller is leaving the House to run for Kansas Senate this year and will be discussing “Cracking the Super Majority,” along with other issues relevant to Bourbon County and the State.
Please join BBcoDems to welcome Representative Miller.
We are also holding a special drawing (which involves customized engraving).
For more information, call or text 620 215 1505. Please add your name to the message.
Carol MacArthur
Chair, Bourbon Co. Democrats
620 215 1505
Please like us on Facebook
“Serving Bourbon County’s Registered Democrats”
Bo Co Commission Agenda for Feb. 12
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Attachments:
Bourbon County, Kansas
Nelson Blythe
1st District Commissioner
Jim Harris, Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Clifton Beth
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
February 12, 2024 5:30 p.m.
- Call Meeting to Order
- Flag Salute
- Approval of Consent Agenda
- Approval of Minutes from 2/5/2024
- Approval of Payroll Totaling $297,154.89
- Approval of Accounts Payable Totaling $810,179.43
- Public Comments
- Department Updates
- Public Works
- Jennifer Hawkins-Resolution
- Sheriff Bill Martin
- Equitable Sharing Agreement Certification
- Vehicle Loan-KCAMP
- Justin Meeks-Healthcare Sales Tax
- Jim Harris- Executive Session KSA 75-4319(b)(2)
- Commission Comments
- Adjourn Meeting
Executive Session Justifications:
KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the
representative(s) of the body or agency.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting
would jeopardize such security measures.
Letter to The Editor: Cory Bryars
As a resident of Bourbon County and highly engaged in several goings-on in Fort Scott, I strongly advocate for a City staff position to represent the best interests of Fort Scott in Economic Development efforts in our City, County, and region. I am asking fellow residents to vocally support this via phone calls, emails, Facebook or however you make your opinion known
Nothing against any of the third-party agencies that are involved in trying to bring business, housing, training, workforce, whatever, to Fort Scott, but each has its own agenda and its own leadership. They each do what they do well, but what they inherently can NOT do is put the City of Fort Scott first and foremost in ALL of their efforts. And that is what ONLY the City of Fort Scott CAN do, and needs to do.
In the best of times, economic development is a vital part of City operations. In times like these with pending closures of major employers, it is paramount that we take swift and decisive action to assess what other economic issues might be coming our way, head off any that we can, and actively preserve as well as grow our existing business and housing base.
And this action is long overdue. The City Manager stated clearly in the Feb 6 City Commission meeting that existing local businesses need to be contacted regularly, and it is known that to-date they have not been. Why not?
A letter from REDI to the community stated that Timken and Valu leadership/corporate were contacted immediately upon the closure announcements. This is REACTIVE—not a recipe for success. Why were relevant city and county officials and their contracted economic development entities not in regular PROACTIVE contact with local and corporate leadership—asking what’s working, what’s not, what threats are there to your staying in Fort Scott? What do you need to never leave Fort Scott, and to grow your operations in Fort Scott. Why? Because perhaps WE DON’T HAVE A PERSON WHOSE JOB THAT IS?? WHY NOT???
Some have said Brad Matkin can do that. Some have said REDI can do that. Some might think that is the role of a Chamber of Commerce, or a group of civic-minded private citizens who are good at getting things done.
And maybe you know the old story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. Well—if you do, it’s worth hearing again relative to this situation, and if not—here ya go…
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.
The moral of the story? NOBODY DID IT. Is that the Fort Scott way? Every day I see people of ACTION, changing old things, making new things, whatever it takes to GET IT DONE. We have the people, and we have the spirit, but for the last several years apparently, we HAVEN’T HAD THE JOB ASSIGNED.
I had a discussion with a party relevant to one of the closures as to whether they would have entertained work-study or apprenticeship programs from the high school or FSCC. Their answer was “absolutely, but no one ever even asked if they were interested, let alone proposed an actionable plan.” Sure—the phone rings both ways, but if we want to control our destiny, we don’t wait for that call—WE DIAL THAT PHONE A THOUSAND TIMES EVEN IF THEY DON’T CALL BACK ONCE!
We’ve been hearing that there are work-force problems—from skill set to just a willingness to show up on time, if at all. That problem wasn’t resolved with significant pay increases—that it is a sign of a deeper problem than any one company or city or county can solve. These are cultural issues, so we’ve got to get the schools involved, and community programs well beyond chasing net new business.
Sure, there are several agencies that I’m aware of that are working on their perceived portion of this, and I’m sure the cliché of “Together, we can start to make change” is true in this case, but WHO IS TYING IT TOGETHER? WHO IS ADDRESSING IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF OUR CITY, which drives the well-being of our County and surrounding areas.
$40,000 to REDI might as well be washed away in river foam 
UNLESS we have a systemic way to specify how it SHOULD be used, How it WAS used, and what the RESULTS were.
UNLESS we have a systemic way to specify how it SHOULD be used, How it WAS used, and what the RESULTS were.Instead of starting with how little can we spend and hope to get better results from an entity over which we have little or no control and whose results are not where everyone “planned” them to be, how about we say—
∙ What are our desired end results? (how many dwellings, incremental tax dollars, FTEs, whatever other measurable results)
∙ How do we achieve those results?
∙ And once we have an action plan, How Much Will It Cost?
∙ And if we can afford—we do it. If not, we cycle back and prioritize until we have $$$ and actions aligned. And if we say we can’t afford it, are we willing to accept the results? If not—find a way to afford it—we have the money, and there are ways.
This is not an indictment of REDI. Far from it. And it is not a recommendation that more money at REDI is the solution. And it is not an endorsement of HBCAT, although I do support them strongly, as well as supporting REDI and any other entity helping our citizens.
This is ONE THING—a call for action by our City Commission to hire a City employee to look out for the best interests of our city. That is the solution. Not a solution. THE SOLUTION.
Cory Bryars…913-269-3122 text or call
Heart-Shaped Box by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Dad and Mom have been gone for quite some time now; 11 years and 8 years respectively. I still miss my parents, but I’ve gotten used to them not being around. I’m often reminded of their biblical love for one another. I distinctly remember Mom telling me that Dad had given her a heart-shaped box of chocolates for every Valentine’s Day. Their hearts had intertwined so deeply that it was heartbreaking for them to be separated when Mom transferred to a healthcare facility. They were solidly married for 69 years.
There are at least three descriptive levels of love: words, actions, giving. There’s probably something wrong in our mindset if one of these three ways to express love is missing. Love is not saying, “I love you,“ when our attitude denies those words. Love is not doing the right thing with the wrong motive. And, by itself, love is not giving a box of chocolates, dazzling jewelry, or a dozen roses. Love is a steady intense affection that demonstrates genuine feelings of love with kindness and unselfishness.
I don’t want to live a small life that’s full of myself. I want to live with an enlarged heart full of love for others. God is the supreme example of what real love is because He is love; He invented it. Even in this pro-self society, brotherly love is still supposed to show up and reach out every day in every believer’s life. No love is more convincing than the God-kind of love flowing out from our own heart. The best motivating explanation of love is found in the New Testament:
“If I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value. Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. Love never stops loving” (1 Corinthians 13:3-8 TPT).
Christ followers are commanded to love, so it’s not a mere suggestion. In the above letter, Apostle Paul is teaching that love covers everything, like a roof covers the home. Genuine love doesn’t focus on what’s wrong but will patiently endure the shortcomings of others. Like a roof that protects, love doesn’t spring a leak. It’s a safe place that offers shelter, not exposure. Love doesn’t tell everything it knows, even if it’s true. Love doesn’t throw anyone under the bus. Love takes a licking and still keeps ticking. In the end, love wins every time.
The Key: Love never goes out of style and neither will a heart-shaped box of chocolates.
Carpenter named HBCAT Executive Director
In her first two years at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Rachel Carpenter has helped lead many transformational projects.
From the downtown arch project and park improvements in Fort Scott to the countywide child care coalition, Carpenter has been instrumental in bringing positive, impactful change to Southeast Kansas.
For that work and her leadership throughout Bourbon County, Carpenter has been named the new HBCAT Executive Director.
“We are so proud to have Rachel on our team and now as our Executive Director,” HBCAT President Jody Love said. “She works tirelessly to build wealth and economic stability in all her efforts, recruiting individuals to use our services and working with community health workers on self-sustainability. She is passionate about building healthier, thriving people and communities.
“We believe people deserve access to opportunity. We believe we should have a choice and a say in our own health and welfare. We make that happen through our unique programming, and Rachel is such a wonderful partner in that mission.”
Carpenter, who leads the Local Health Equity Action Team (LHEAT) and Center for Economic Growth, said she is excited for this elevated role at HBCAT.
“I spearhead the LHEAT, which is a coalition that informs the work that we do at HBCAT,” she said. “Our LHEAT has been successful in bringing in free county-wide transportation and launching two laundry programs. The LHEAT received the KDADS Introductory Grant ($30,000) that focuses on building coalition capacity to develop youth drug prevention strategies.”
Carpenter also leads the Bourbon County Childcare (BC3) which is comprised of early childhood professionals and support organizations.
“The BC3 coalition received the Childcare Community Partnership Grant ($48,500) that went toward child care providers to purchase capacity building items, and to bring more in-person training to Bourbon County,” she said.
“I implemented the HBCAT Grant program that awarded a total of $194,000 to 31 businesses in Bourbon County with a capital infusion of $1.5 million,” she said. “The grant program focuses on Farmer/Ranchers, Restaurants/Food Retail, and Minority, Low-Income, or Women Owned Start-Ups. The Center for Economic Growth Program has a success rate of 74.3 percent.
“I love being able to meet people and hear about their goals,” she said. “It is so fulfilling to be able to connect them to resources and opportunities so that they can thrive in Bourbon County”
For more information on HBCAT and its services, visit https://hbcat.org/
Agenda for USD 234 Board of Education Meeting on February 12
Unified School District 234
424 South Main
Fort Scott, KS 66701-2697
620-223-0800 Fax 620-223-2760
DESTRY BROWN
Superintendent
BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING
February 12, 2024 – 5:30 P.M.
PUBLIC AGENDA
1.0 Call Meeting to Order David Stewart, President
2.0 Flag Salute
3.0 Approval of the Official Agenda (Action Item)
4.0 Reorganization of Board (Action Item)
4.1 Appoint Board Member
5.0 Approval of the Consent Agenda (Action Item)
5.1 Board Minutes
- 01/08/24 Board Minutes
5.2 Financials-Cash Flow Report
5.3 Check Register
5.4 Payroll – January 19, 2024 – $1,662,919.06
5.5 Activity Fund accounts
5.6 USD 234 Gifts
5.7 Resolution 23-15 KMIP Signers
6.0 Recognitions (Information/Discussion Item)
6.1 Employee Recognition
7.0 Leadership Reports (Information/Discussion Item)
7.1 Superintendent’s Report
7.2 Assistant Superintendent’s Report
7.3 Special Education Director’s Report
7.4 Finance Director’s Report
7.5 Food Service Report
8.0 Old Business
8.1 Preschool Update & Plan (Discussion Item)
9.0 New Business
9.1 Hight Jackson Fort Scott Preschool Contract (Action Item)
9.2 District cell phone policy (Discussion Item
10.0 Public Forum
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)
12.0 Adjourn Meeting David Stewart, President
Two Vacancies Announced for the Fort Scott Public Library
FORT SCOTT PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNOUNCES:
There are (2) open positions for the Fort Scott Public Library. The function of the Library Board is to review requests in reference to the library. These are (4) year terms and the board meets the second Tuesday of each month. These are voluntary positions and board are not compensated. Please send your Letter of Interest to the City Clerk at [email protected] (or City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701) by Friday, March 1, 2024, and be sure to include your contact information.
All submitted letters will be presented to the Library Board for consideration. The board will then make a recommendation to the City Commission for approval. All letters will be posted on www.fscity.org , as they are included in the City Commission Agenda Packet and are a matter of public record (contact information will be redacted).
For further information or questions about the position, please contact Jennifer Gun-Fowler, Fort Scott Public Library Director at (620) 223-2882.
