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Monthly Archives: September 2025
.png "Rep. Schmidt speaks to the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association.")
.png "Rep. Schmidt at the Topeka Mars facility")
Bourbon County Commission Agenda Packet for Sept. 8
BOURBON COUNTY,
KANSAS
Bourbon County Commission Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Chambers, 210 S National Ave.
September 08, 2025, 5:30 PM
I. Call Meeting to Order
• Roll Call
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Prayer
II. Discussion of meeting limits-Beerbower
III. Approval of Agenda
IV. Approval of Minutes 08/25/25 & 08/29/25
V. Consent Agenda
• Approval of 09.05.25Accounts Payable Totaling $308,641.44
• Approval of 09.05.25 Payroll Totaling $326,473.16
VI. Lora Holdridge-Budget Question
VII. Executive Session: Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected
personnel to protect their privacy. Tran
VIII. Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda
IX. Old Business
• Mapleton Road – Beerbower
• Phone System -Beerbower
• Software program – Beerbower
• Stronghold
• FSACF Grant – Beerbower
• Security Camera’s – Beerbower
• Craw-Kan
• Elm Creek Quarry
• Freeman Agreement
X. New Business
• North Crawford St. – Beerbower
• Eagle Road – Beerbower
• 95th Street South of Unique – ROD & Security 1st
• Opioid Settlement
• Planning Commission Selection Process
• Agenda-Clerk
XI. Commission Comments
XII. Adjournment _____________
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS – FORM OF MOTION
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body of agency which would be deemed
privileged in the attorney-client relationship
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in
consultation with the representatives of the body or agency
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations,
partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of acquisition of real estate
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at
an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures
The subject to be discussed during executive session: ________________________________________
State persons to attend
Open session will resume at _____ A.M./P.M. in the commission chambers.
Hope Into Action Summit Cancelled
The FSCC Trustees Will Hold a Mock HLC Accreditation Visit on Sept. 8
The FSCC Board of Trustees will hold a special board meeting on Monday, September 8 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm in the Cleaver-Boileau-Burris Agriculture Building to participate in a mock Higher Learning Commission Accreditation visit. No action will be taken during this time.
Juley McDaniel
Director of Human Resources
Fort Scott Community College
Move for Mental Health Is Sept. 9 at the Ellis Fine Arts Center from 5-7pm
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A Senior Living Conference: October 22 in Chanute
Submitted photo.
Picture 2 is Melanie Smith, SHICK Coordinator. Providing information about Medicare programs.
Aging = Living Conference Offers Resources, Education, and Inspiration for Seniors and Their Families
The Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SEKAAA) invites seniors, caregivers, and families to attend the Aging = Living Conference, a one-day event dedicated to helping older adults live life to the fullest. The conference will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the SEK Impact Center, 1500 W. 7th Street, Chanute, Kansas.
The Aging = Living Conference will feature expert speakers, interactive workshops, and resource booths covering a wide range of topics, including healthy aging, financial planning, home safety, community resources, and ways to stay active and engaged. Attendees will have opportunities to connect with local organizations, discover services available in Southeast Kansas, and take part in meaningful discussions about aging well.
Registration Information:
- Mail: SEKAAA – Aging = Living, P.O. Box J, Chanute, KS 66720
- Online: www.sekaaa.com
- Phone: 620-431-2980
- Cost: $10.00
Admission includes access to all sessions, resource fair, lunch, and materials. Early registration is encouraged to ensure space availability.
“Aging is living – it’s about embracing every chapter of life with purpose, joy, and the right support,” said Kathy Brennon, CEO of SEKAAA. “This conference is designed to empower our seniors and their families with tools, connections, and inspiration to make the most of every day.”
Whether you are planning for your own future, caring for a loved one, or simply interested in learning more about resources for aging well, the Aging = Living Conference is a valuable opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired.
About SEKAAA
The Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging is committed to improving the quality of life for older adults and their families through advocacy, education, and access to community resources. Serving 10 counties in Southeast Kansas, SEKAAA provides services that promote independence, dignity, and well-being.
What’s Happening in Fort Scott Sept. 5 Edition
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[Message clipped] View entire message
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran Shows Support with Visit to Freeman Fort Scott Hospital
Stately Visit
FORT SCOTT, Kan. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan) paid an impromptu visit to Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Inc. Friday morning, roughly 24 hours after the facility’s long-awaited public opening in Fort Scott.
Calling the facility “impressive,” Moran – the long-time advocate for rural health care in Kansas – was given a brief tour of the six-bed emergency department and 10-bed acute care hospital by Freeman’s Chief Executive Officer of Rural Hospitals Renee Denton and Anita Walden, Chief Administrative Officer at Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Inc.
“There was this email about ‘something exciting happened in Fort Scott today,” Moran said, following a plane flight from Washington D.C. He immediately reached out to Freeman officials, asking if he could visit the new hospital.
During its first full day of operation, Freeman Health System’s newest hospital recorded seven patients at the ED, including one patient in need of immediate cardiac intervention that was sent urgently to Freeman Hospital West in Joplin.
Moran learned details about the hospital while shaking hands with Freeman nurses and the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Mark Brown, inside the emergency department.
“I’m here to see what you do on day two,” the Senator said. “I appreciate your passion, and I wish you all the best.”
Making certain Kansas residents have easy access to affordable, quality health care has been one of the Senator’s core beliefs. He has spoken extensively in the past about the challenges facing rural hospitals in Kansas, citing the closure of facilities across the Sunflower state. He’s publicly supported Freeman’s efforts to reopen the city’s emergency department and establish the 10-bed acute medical center for Fort Scott and Bourbon County residents to utilize.
During his visit, Moran pledged to help expedite the process concerning the hospital’s upcoming credentialing survey conducted by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officials.
“His desire to be on site day two not only shows his support, but his continued commitment was evident with his offer to assist however he can to expedite the CMS survey process to receive our CMS certification,” Denton said, adding that he also has penned a letter of support in favor of the Freeman Fort Scott hospital to CMS officials. “That will be our final hurdle.”
Moran also pledged to look into the time-consuming process Missouri-based Freeman physicians must undergo to receive their required licensure to practice medicine in Kansas.
Having worked closely with Moran, via email and Zoom meetings, for many months, “I can tell you he is very passionate about affordable healthcare and making sure all rural communities have access to it,” Walden said.
For more information about Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Inc. – located at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. – and the services offered, visit freemanhealth.com.
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About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 90 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, children’s services, women’s services, and many others for all of the Four State Area. Freeman is also involved in numerous community-based activities and sponsored events and celebrations. Additionally, in the Joplin/Pittsburg areas, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.
What Does a Frozen Chicken Have to do with Trust? by Patty LaRoche
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
If you ever have had your trust in someone broken, chances are the wound of betrayal took some time to heal. Repairing the damage will not be done overnight.
I know two individuals who had their companies stolen from them by underhanded co-owners; both ended up claiming bankruptcy. Some of my friends have caught their spouses in adulterous relationships. Death, they say, would have been better. Recently, I sat with a friend who shared that she caught her employees stealing from her. When she confronted them, they lied about it.
Our three sons are in the restaurant business. Jeff, the eldest, runs them. When they first started out, Jeff was warned by other owners in the dining business about how easy it is to have inventory stolen. It took Jeff little time to find out just how true that was. When Debbie, my friend in Mazatlán, Mexico, bought a restaurant, she was shocked at how much of her inventory ended up in employees’ car trunks. Only when a parking lot security guard told her what he saw late at night did she have reason to fire her workers.
Debbie’s friend Lisa, another restaurant owner, told Debbie that she had a chicken disappear every day for a year. When she finally realized that her head chef left work every night with his chef’s hat on, she demanded he remove it. Sure enough, there sat a frozen chicken, resting atop his head.
Whom do you trust? My daughter-in-law Kira is a flight instructor in the Colorado mountains. A couple of months ago, she was teaching an older gentleman how to fly. Part of the instruction is that the pilot has to stall the plane mid-air and then bring the plane out of the stall (one of several reasons I have no desire to get my pilot’s license). Kira teaches her students the proper technique, but this man failed to do what he had been taught. Kira had to take over to prevent a crash. The gentleman seemed unbothered and later said that he trusted that if something went wrong, Kira would make it right. Fortunately for him, she did.
If we’re going to trust, that person needs to earn our trust.
My daily Bible reading is in the book of Job. We all know him as the man who lost everything…except his nagging wife and three, know-it-all friends. Job questions God, imploring Him to explain why this has happened to him. In Job 29, he reminds God (and his “friends”) that he is a good man. He has helped the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the blind and the lame, and now they all have turned against him. God remains silent, even when Job’s buddies remind him how he obviously has done something to irritate God.
For 38 chapters, we read the verbal tug-of-war, and then God speaks. He doesn’t answer “why” Job was asked to endure what he did. He simply reminds Job of Who He is, of what He is capable of doing, and how no one should contend with him. In chapter 42, God admonishes the three friends for their lack of trust in Him and reminds them that Job has remained faithful.
God does not need to answer us when we question His ways. He has a greater plan and purpose that we may never understand. When I am tempted to ask the “Why” questions, I need instead to trust that His ways are not my ways. They are far greater than anything I can imagine.
Rom 11:34-36 is confirmation: “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
People will fail us, but God never will.
Ad: What FSCC Offers
Looking for a college that gives you options? At Fort Scott Community College, students can choose from associate degrees in Arts, Science, Applied Science, and General Studies, along with a variety of certificates that lead straight to rewarding careers. Whether you’re interested in healthcare fields like Certified Medication Aide, Nurse Aide, EMT, Home Health Aide, Manicuring, or Phlebotomy, or want to take on a technical challenge with certificates in Ag Technology (John Deere), Construction, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Environmental Water Tech, Farm & Ranch Management, Harley-Davidson Technology, Heavy Equipment Operation, HVAC, Masonry, or Welding we’ve got you covered!
But college isn’t just about the classroom. FSCC offers plenty of ways to get involved through music and performance opportunities (band, choir, theater), student clubs and organizations (like Collegiate Farm Bureau, Phi Theta Kappa, SkillsUSA, STEAM Club, FSCC Media Team, and more), and even competitive judging teams in livestock and meat.
If athletics is more your thing, FSCC is home to intercollegiate sports for both men and women. Compete in basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, rodeo, track & field, or cross country, all while building friendships and representing the Greyhounds.
And the best part? We’re still growing. New programs, degrees, certifications, and athletic opportunities are on the horizon! There’s never been a better time to join FSCC!
Fort Scott Community College; where opportunity meets possibility.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Sept. 5
Agenda Packet for the Uniontown City Council on Sept. 9
The Uniontown City Council agenda for Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at City Hall
ROLL CALL: ___ Jess Ervin ___ Amber Kelly ___ Mary Pemberton ___ Savannah Pritchett
___ Bradley Stewart
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
Appoint city clerk and administer oath of office.
CITIZENS REQUESTS
FINANCIAL REPORT
Sally Johnson – Financial reports
APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
- Minutes of August 12, 2025- 2026 Budget Hearing and Regular Meeting and August 14, 2025 Special Meeting
- August Treasurers Report, Monthly Transaction Report & September Accounts Payables
- Resolution 2025-0909-01 waiving the requirements of K.S.A. 75-1120a(a)
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Codes Enforcement: Doug Coyan
Superintendent: Bobby Rich
Park Food Truck Outlets
Clerk Report:
Possible office hour changes
COUNCIL & COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Ervin –
Councilman Kelly –
Councilwoman Pemberton –
Councilwoman Pritchett –
Councilman Stewart–
Mayor Jurgensen –
OLD BUSINESS
SEED Grant –
FEMA Flooding–
NEW BUSINESS
Motion by _____________, Second by __________, Approved ______, to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to discuss performance of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at ____________.
ADJOURN Time ____________ Moved by ______________, 2nd ___________________, Approved ___________
Res 2025-0909-01 Audit Waiver for 2025