The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office daily reports can best be viewed on a computer.
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Escape Room Event Comes To FSCC
Fort Scott Community College President’s Ambassadors have come up with a fun way to fundraise, and add an entertainment venue to the community.
“Last fall, Matt Glades, Jennalee Martin and I went to an escape room in Joplin,” Kassie Fugate-Cate said. All three are staff/faculty at the college.
“An escape room is an interactive game/puzzle where groups of people are locked in a room and have to solve puzzles and find clues to escape, all within 60 minutes,” according to Newsweek Magazine.
Following the Joplin excursion, Glades proposed an idea to the Ambassadors of designing and implementing an escape room for fundraising, Fugate- Cate said. They agreed.
“He got them a room, they did the rest,” Fugate-Cate said.
“We began planning in August,” Haley O’Neal, an FSCC Ambassador said. “We just now got to the point to financially support it.”
The cost isn’t much, but a camera had to be installed in the room.
“We had to install a camera, which was $500,” O’Neal said. “Legally we had to be able to watch so there is no property damage (to the school).
“We did research on designing a room, (and) one of our Ambassadors had been through a lot of escape rooms,” O’Neal said.
The theme the group chose for their room is “Secret Agency.”
The lights are turned off the duration of the time in the escape room.
“Initially, someone must find the flashlight,” O’Neal said.
Waivers must be signed and fees paid 24 hours prior to the assigned time.
Prices are $5 for students and faculty/staff, $10 for community members. A team is comprised of up to five people.
The escape event is available Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 6 to 8 p..m or by appointment.
Contact the admissions office at 620.223.2700 ext. 3520 or email [email protected] for more information.
Participants must be at the escape room 15 minutes prior to their assigned time. If a time has been scheduled, no refund will be provided.
Several groups have spent time in the “Secret Agency” room for trial runs, Fugate-Cate said.
“The best time they have now is 30 minutes,” Fugate- Cate said.
The storyline will be changed periodically, Fugate- Cate said, to keep it interesting.
“I love that we are trying something new,” O’Neal said. “The Ambassadors are creating a fundraiser to do a fun day together later.”
O’Neal said the group has a plan to Main Event Entertainment in Kansas City on April 14.
Area Artists Exhibit At Ellis Art Center
The Bourbon County Arts Council’s 26th Annual Fine Arts Exhibit and Sale has grown over the years, according to the judge who picked the winners.
Schultz judged about four years ago she said.
“There is a lot more artwork this time, 125 pieces,” Schultz said. “Last time it was 80ish pieces.”
This year is a bigger variety as well, she said.
Schultz said she looks for composition, color techniques, and technical skills when she judges art.
This year she felt like the jewelry pieces “were really beautifully done, they were amazing,” she said.
The exhibit continues from noon to 7 p.m. through March 9 at the Ellis Fine Art Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.
Featured below are the first and second place winners of the exhibit.
Pictured below are some glimpses of artwork submitted to the exhibition by area artists.
The following are corporate prize sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Goldston, Landmark Bank, City State Bank, McDonald’s Restaurant, Union State Bank, H & R Block, H & H Realty, Fort Scott Broadcasting, Bernita Hill, Ward Kraft. The best of show prize is awarded in honor of E. C. Gordon.
Juror Tera Schultz is the fine arts instructor at Allen County Community College, Iola.
Meals On Wheels, A Collaboration
Meals on Wheels in Bourbon County delivers a lunch to 45 households Monday through Thursday.
The service is for people 60 years and older.
“There are no income guidelines,” Jackie Sellers, site manager of Bourbon County Senior Citizens, said. “There is a suggested donation of $1 per meal.”
There are two driving routes that take approximately 45 minutes to deliver the meals.
Each Wednesday a frozen meal is delivered with the hot meal, which can be consumed on Friday.
At 9:30 a.m. each Meals on Wheels day, volunteers gather to divide and pack up the meals that are supplied through the Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, Pittsburg. The meals are then delivered in a local vehicle.
Snowy or icy weather can prevent the van full of food from Pittsburg to arrive, Sellers said.
“People have to watch on TV for cancellations,” Sellers said. “It’s referred to as Senior Meals.”
Deb Needleman, treasurer of the Bourbon County Senior Citizens said the United Way of Bourbon County grant money received goes to the Meals on Wheels part of the Bourbon County Senior Citizens budget.
“The expense of meal preparation is $30,000,” Needleman said. The United Way funds 30 percent of our budget for Meals on Wheels.”
The Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging provides oversight for Meals on Wheels, Sellers said.
The SEKAAA Executive Director is Cindy Lane, who can be reached at 620-431-2980.
Legislators Answer Questions
Legislators gave answers to questions posed to them at Mercy Hospital’s Catherine Cafe Saturday morning during a legislative coffee sponsored by the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.
Senator Richard Hilderbrand, Representative Trevor Jacobs, Representative Adam Lusker and Senator Caryn Tyson sat as a panel and received questions from the moderator,Chamber Member Mark McCoy and also questions from the audience.
Richard Hilderbrand is the Kansas District 13 Senator from Galena. He can be reached at 785-296-7370 or [email protected].
The following are excerpts from Hilderbrand’s answers to questions posed to the legislators on current issues.
On education, Senator Hilderbrand clarified in a later interview ” My position on restoring Higher Ed. funding is we need to prioritize all of our commitments that have been cut, and not to add any other new items to fund. We need to work on restoring cuts before adding anything new.”
Support of bill lowering the sexual consent age to 11 years of age: “Absolutely not.”
School safety: “It’s a heart issue, no law will fix hate.”
Community college funding: “I haven’t heard anything at the state level.”
Poultry operations: “There were no existing statutes, so this puts some in place for rights….and kept local control.”
KanCare: “When they budgeted it was only for the initial cost….not maintaining…now they have to come back and raise fees.”
Convention of states: “I would not support that.”
Transportation: “For 2019, the finishing of Fort Scott to Pittsburg Highway 69 seems to be the mood.”
Parting remarks: “It’s important to have this interaction with constituents. If there are any issues, contact us.”
Trevor Jacobs is the District 4 Representative from Fort Scott. He can be reached at 785-296-7616 or [email protected].
The following are excerpts from Jacobs answers to questions posed to the legislators.
Education funding: “No more expansion of higher education.”
Support of bill lowering the sexual consent age to 11 years of age: “I would not.”
School safety: “One of the 10 Commandments is ‘Thou shalt not kill’. We need to address the root of the problem. We need a revolution of family and education.”
Property tax: “I’m not into raising taxes.”
Marijuana decriminalization: “I’m not in favor..we have enough problems.”
Convention of states: No
Transportation: (Rep. Jacobs in a later interview stated)”I am on the House Transportation Committee. I was never told any date, it doesn’t look like Hwy. 69 is budgeted.”
Parting remarks: “I was able to introduce a Choose Life (car) license plate. Lord willing, they will pass, to show life is valuable.”
District 2 Representative Adam Lusker (D) resides in Frontenac and can be reached at 785-296-7698 or [email protected].
The following are excerpts from Luskers’s answers to questions posed to the legislators.
Lusker was late to the coffee event, therefore did not answer some of the questions, explaining he misunderstood the begin time.
KanCare: “KanCare is problematic.”
DCF: “Deals with tough situations.”
Marijuana decriminalization: “There is no legislation on either side for recreational marijuana. CDB oil passed for epilepsy but never came to fruition. We are a long way from legalizing in Kansas.”
Convention of states: “I would be opposed to a convention of states.”
Transportation: “Highway 69 in late 2019 will be completed. There is a $50-55 million budget. It will be on the front burner of the next transportation incentives for Bourbon County.
Parting remarks:”It’s a pleasure to serve you. I don’t align with these individuals (legislative colleagues) on a lot of issues, but they are very good people. We work together for the best of Kansas.”
Senator Caryn Tyson (R) represents Kansas District 4. She resides in Parker and can be reached at 785-296-6838 or [email protected].
Tyson said she is also running for U.S. Congress to replace Lynn Jenkins, who is retiring.
The following are excerpts from Tyson’s answers following questions posed to the legislators.
Education: “Over 60 percent of the state budget goes to k-12 and higher education…We have obligations for education but have other obligations. Schools can we do it better, can we do it smarter? We need to ask, is it a need or want.”
Support of bill lowering the sexual consent age to 11 years of age: “I would not vote to support that bill.”
School safety: “The hall talk is teachers to take training.”
Community college funding: “We have demonstrated our priority…60 percent of our budget is in education.”
Poultry operations: “The whole community should have input on their coming in.”
KanCare: “The legislature did not decide on that, the administration did. KanCare was pushed into the State of Kansas without legislation. We have to make sure our contracts are understood.”
DCF: “There are a lot of problems. (However) We have a new secretary.”
Marijuana decriminalization: “The issue is dosage control. There is no way to control. Kansas has lessened the laws for marijuana.
Convention of states: “It (the U.S. Constitution) is not a perfect document. Women wouldn’t be able to vote without constitutional amendments.”
Transportation: “Highway 69 will be completed.”
Parting remarks: “We are a citizen legislature. When we make decisions we need to know who we are impacting.”
Aggie Day at FSCC April 6
The Fort Scott Community College Agriculture Department will host the 42nd annual Aggie Day on Friday, April 6. Approximately 1,400 students representing more than 100 schools will compete in the contest.
“We look forward to hosting Aggie Day each year,” said Ryan Edgecomb, FSCC Agriculture Instructor. “We are anticipating another large event, which will draw schools and 4-H clubs from across the Four States.”
Students will compete in a variety of areas, including agronomy, entomology, farm management, floriculture, food science, livestock, meat evaluation, milk quality and products, nursery/landscape, poultry, speech, and veterinary science.
Sponsored by Purina and Purina Mills Honor Show Chow, this event is the longest running interscholastic competition in the region. “We are honored to have Purina and Honor Show Chow back as our sponsors for a third straight year, and we’re grateful for their support,” said Edgecomb.
Teams should pre-register online at http://www.fortscott.edu/aggieday/registration before Friday, March 30. Registration for the event will begin at 7:00 am on April 6 at Arnold Arena, 2108 S. Horton St. Fort Scott, Kan. For more information, please call Ryan Edgecomb at 620-223-2700, ext. 3280.
Kansas District 13 Senator Richard Hilderbrand’s Weekly Newsletter
State senator Richard Hilderbrand 13th district
communications from the state capitol
March 2, 2018 ∙ Week Eight
Quote of the Week:
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand;
the spines of others are often stiffened.”
– Billy Graham
HARD FACTS:
- Report: Changes in federal tax laws will boost Kansas revenues. A new report projects that Kansas will collect more than $505 million in additional revenues over the next three years because of changes in federal income tax laws. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2018/feb/15/report-changes-federal-tax-laws-will-boost-kansas-/
- Kansas Implements Changes to ABLE, 529 Accounts. Individuals living with a disability can now roll funds saved within a 529 Education Savings Account into their ABLE Account. Additionally, Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Account holders can utilize their funds for K-12 education tuition. These changes came about due to tax reform on the federal level. Like with past federal tax changes, the Kansas Department of Revenue will implement the changes as prescribed by Congress. http://www.koamtv.com/story/37549429/ks-implements-changes-to-able-529-accounts
- Tax receipts for February totaled $373.1 million, $41.58 million above February 2017 and collected nearly $27 million more in taxes than anticipated in February. https://www.ksrevenue.org/cms/content/03-01-2018-Fiscalreceipts.pdf
- Total tax receipts are $612.7 million above last year at this time. https://www.ksrevenue.org/cms/content/03-01-2018-Fiscalreceipts.pdf
- Individual income tax collections for the fiscal year are $268.97 million above expectations, totaling at $1.99 billion. https://www.ksrevenue.org/cms/content/03-01-2018-Fiscalreceipts.pdf
- Since the fiscal year began in July, the state has collected $4.3 billion in taxes which is $275 million more than expected and a surplus of 6.8 percent. https://www.apnews.com/199d6f5de21640b29d62a0044f47509d
PRESENATION ON K-12 EDUCATION FUNDING:
On Friday February 23rd, Dr. Lori L. Taylor gave a preliminary presentation to a joint session of the Kansas Senate and House of Representatives on the methods, data, and analysis plan for her research on K-12 education funding in Kansas.
Dr. Taylor was hired by the Legislature in December to act as an expert witness and to investigate whether Kansas’ K-12 funding is adequate. This comes after the Kansas Supreme Court declared the current funding level is not enough and gave the legislature an April 30th deadline to create a new funding system.
Taylor, a native Kansan, holds a BA in economics and a BS in business administration from the University of Kansas and received her PhD in economics from the University of Rochester.
She is currently a professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and works as the Director for Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy. Taylor’s research is focused in school finance and she has consulted for numerous state legislatures and state and federal agencies on the topic.
During Friday’s presentation, Taylor outlined her study’s objective to estimate the level of spending required to produce a given outcome within a given educational environment. Taylor explained that she is looking at many different factors of school finance such as differences in spending, student outcomes, student needs, labor costs, geographical differences, and many other variables. One major variable Taylor will investigate in her research is student achievement relative to spending per pupil.
Taylor is expected to deliver her results to the Legislature by March 15th, a few weeks before the court mandated deadline.
I had the opportunity to attend the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce First Friday Legislative update on March 2nd, at the Kansas Crossing Casino, and on Saturday March 3rd, I had the opportunity to attend the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Update at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott.
TASK FORCE ON SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
On Thursday, Governor Jeff Colyer issued an executive order creating a task force addressing substance use disorder. The objective of the task force is to gather information regarding substance abuse in Kansas, particularly regarding the growing number of opioid and heroin overdoses in the state along with methamphetamine addiction. The task force will work to find useful resources and initiatives to fight drug abuse. It will also examine practices for prevention and treatment along with recovery options for at-risk individuals through early detection and education.
Since 2012, more than 1,500 Kansans have died from opioid or heroin overdoses and more than 100 Kansas residents continue to die each year. In 2016, drug poisoning was the cause of death to more than 300 people in Kansas, with 95 deaths caused by methamphetamine alone. The task force acknowledges that substance abuse is an illness which not only impacts the lives of those addicted but also their families and surrounding communities.
The task force will be chaired by Dr. Greg Lakin, Chief Medical Officer at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Membership will be comprised of heads from numerous state agencies, legislators, and professionals in industries such as education, law enforcement, hospitals, and more.
AVIATION DAY:
The Kansas Department of Transportation Division of Aviation along with the Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education (KCAE) held their 4th annual Aviation Day event Thursday.
The day began with an economic development training event for city officials on how to best harness state and local resources to boost the aviation industry. During the Aviation Day event, legislators, manufacturers, suppliers, and aviation organizations gathered to discuss industry growth and opportunities and addressed development potentials for Kansas economic stakeholders.
The Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education highlighted industry development opportunities throughout the day, spreading awareness regarding STEM and aviation education through KCAE.
NEXT WEEK:
Monday-
-
- Consideration of agency budget: Department of Education – [Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education, March 5 at 11:30 am]
- Presentation on: High Enrollment Weighting: KSDE, Dale Dennis, Deputy Commissioner, Legislative Research Department & Revisor of Statutes – [Senate Education Committee, March 5 at 1:30 pm]
Tuesday-
- Hearing on: HB 2511, Making commercial driver’s licenses renewable every five years – [Senate Transportation Committee, March 6 at 8:30 am]
- Hearing on: SB 400, tax lid exemption when taxing entity abolished and duties assumed by a city or county – [Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee, March 6 at 9:30 am]
- Hearing on: HB 2088, allow use of certified drug abuse treatment program for drug severity level 4 crimes – [Senate Judiciary Committee, March 6 at 10:30 am]
- Presentation on: FutureMaker Mobile STEM Lab – update on Hands on Experience – [Senate Education Committee, March 6 at 1:30 pm]
Wednesday-
- Hearing on: HB 2486, allowing golf carts to be driven on certain streets at night – [Senate Transportation Committee, March 7 at 8:30 am]
- Hearing on: SB 415, depositing all state sales tax revenues from sales on the Kansas state fairgrounds into the state fair capital improvements fund – [Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee, March 7 at 9:30 am]
- Hearing on: HB 2501, establishing the health occupations credentialing fee fund – [Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, March 7 at 9:30 am]
- Hearing on: HB 2600, increasing the fees assessed by KDHE for certain radiation protection services – [Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, March 7 at 9:30 am]
- Hearing on: HB 2458, adding violations of the act for obtaining a guardian or conservator, or both, to the crimes of mistreatment of a dependent adult and mistreatment of an elder person, changing the felony loss thresholds and adding the crimes to the inherently dangerous felony list – [Senate Judiciary Committee, March 7 at 10:30 am]
- Hearing on: HB 2479, allowing criminal cases to be stayed during state appeal of writ of habeas corpus relief – [Senate Judiciary Committee, March 7 at 10:30 am]
- Hearing on SB 378, creating the crime of counterfeiting currency – [Senate Judiciary Committee, March 7 at 10:30 am]
- Discussion on: Joint Senate Select Committee on Education Finance & House K-12 Education Budget Committee- Dr. Jesse Levin, Peer Review of the LPA and Augenblick Studies (Skype Presentation) – [Senate Select Committee on Education Finance and House K-12 Education Budget Committee, March 7 at 1:00 pm]
Thursday-
- Hearing on: SB 367, sales taxation; treatment of coupons; certain cash rebates on sales or leases of new motor vehicles – [Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee, March 8 at 9:30 am]
- Presentation on: Concurrent Enrollment – KBOR, Dr. Blake Flanders, President & CEO – [Senate Education Committee, March 8 at 1:30 pm]
Below are links to make it easy for constituents to follow the Kansas Legislature:
Website – www.kslegislature.org. It is great for looking up bills, calendars, journals, as well as, the roster in each Chamber.
YouTube of Legislature – http://bit.ly/2CZj9O0 Did you know the legislature is now streaming its proceedings? The YouTube page has an archive of the sessions thus far – including the State of the State and the State of the Judiciary.
Committee Streaming – http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00287/Harmony/en/View/Calendar/ The Kansas Legislature is also streaming committees, with every committee room equipped with audio streaming technology.
Thank You for Engaging
Thank you for all your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. Constituent correspondence helps inform my decision-making process and is taken into great consideration when I cast my vote in the Kansas Senate. I
Middle School Technology Class Tour
Learning is hands-on in Mr. Feagins technology classes.
Attendees of the weekly coffee coordinated by the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce took a tour of the career technology education class Thursday.
Adam Feagins is the instructor of the classes: Intro to technology,
Pre-Engineering, 6th Grade Technology, 7th Grade technology, and
8th Grade Technology.
USD 234 Curriculum Director Nicki Traul told the Chamber attendees that Feagins classes are popular among students.
“The goal is to teach the students basic technology concepts,” Feagins said in a later interview. “Once they learn the concepts they have to use the knowledge in some type of project.”
The following photos are some of the students working on projects in the classroom.
Middle School Flex Room Has Many Benefits
Fort Scott Middle School Principal Brian Weilert spoke to the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Weekly Coffee social Thursday at the school.
An important purpose of the building is safety during tornados.
“We can fit 650 people in this space,” Weilert said. “We can get the student body in here in four minutes.”
The building was constructed of concrete with minimal windows for student safety.
But the school uses what is referred to as “flex space”, for other purposes, Weilert said. “There is a community space, an art gallery, and breakout rooms.”
The brightly painted and colorfully decorated large building can be divided easily for different purposes. It is located on the south side of the school
“This space encourages creativity and it’s good to get out of class once in a while, to change environments,” Weilert said.
The newly constructed space was added to the school in 2017 as part of a district-wide building improvement project.
Pictured below are members of the community who congregated in small groups before the announcement segment of the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Weekly Coffee.
During the coffee event, members can tell about upcoming community events or organizations for a $1 donation, which goes to fund the town trolley car.
At the conclusion of the weekly coffee, the host organization/business/school/church gets a platform to tell about the events or projects that are currently happening.
DCF Promotes Need for More Social Workers
Governor Jeff Colyer signs proclamation declaring March Social Work Month
TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) social workers are often one of the first lines of defense against abuse and neglect for children and vulnerable adults. They work in collaboration with law enforcement, the courts, contractors, families and others to ensure the safety and well-being of those who cannot protect themselves. Due to the high demands of the job, Kansas, like other states across the nations, is experiencing a shortage of social workers.
To call attention to this need, today, Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel and DCF staff joined Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D., as he designated March as Social Work Month at the State Capitol Building, Topeka.
“Social workers perform an essential duty for Kansas families, and I am happy to recognize their dedication in a field that is so challenging,” said Governor Jeff Colyer. “Recruiting and retaining social workers is difficult, so I fully support the efforts of DCF to incentivize social workers to consider State service.”
DCF, along with its contracted providers, employ more than 1,000 social workers statewide. DCF has taken the following steps to attract social workers.
-
- Increased the starting salary for social workers to $40,000, and supervisors to $44,000
- Increased DCF attendance at career fairs, including out-of-state
- Started posting open positions on Handshake, Indeed and DCF’s Facebook page
- Worked with the Kansas Department of Commerce to recruit
- Partnered with a headhunter organization to fill positions
- Started accepting social workers on a part-time basis and as temporary positions. (These part-time social worker positions have increased dramatically since 2010.)
- Increased the number of social work practicum students we take per region.
- Hosted on-site career fairs at our DCF service centers.
“We should recognize and support our social workers, because their work is tough and essential,” said Secretary Meier-Hummel, a social worker. “I have the upmost respect for those who come to work each day with the goal of changing and saving lives.”
DCF Social Worker Ann Goodall, Topeka, discusses the challenges and rewards of her job.
“People don’t really understand the day in, day out duties because our work is so confidential. We protect families from harm, but we also protect their privacy,” Goodall said. “I’ve been a social worker in child welfare for 20 years, it is my passion. Getting to be one-one-one with children, talking with them about their lives, it makes a difference, and it is what I love doing.”
To become a social worker, individuals must graduate from an accredited university with at least a bachelor’s degree in social welfare. They must also pass a licensure exam and maintain the license with 40 hours of continuing education, every two years.
DCF is always looking for people who have a heart for serving vulnerable adults and children in Kansas. To learn more about becoming a social worker, and to view available positions, visit www.jobs.ks.gov.
Old Tribune Building Being Gutted
Workers were doing demolition on the building located at 9 S. National Avenue Wednesday, known as the old Tribune building.
Michael Barnard and members of the Yoder family were”gutting” down to the floor and wall, Barnard said.
The crew was hired by Walker Construction and Demolition, Barnard said.
Jennifer LaRoche is the owner of the building, since early 2017.
In a later interview, LaRoche said the demolition is part of the “cleaning up” of the historic building at Wall Street and National Avenue, “so we can see what we got”.
“We still have lots of ideas,” for the building, she said.
Host Families Needed For Students
DeAnn Welch started the Adopt-A-Greyhound program eight years ago at Fort Scott Coummunity College because of a need she perceived.
In her job as FSCC Student Success Center Director and Tutoring and Testing Administrator see saw students coming to college from other distant states.
“They come here not knowing anyone,” Welch said. ” Some even come here on a one way bus ticket in hopes of playing football and getting away from a life that they could have ended up dead. It is a sad situation.”
She had an idea.
“I thought, why not place these kids with local families who can give them that home away from home,” she said.
“The families can have this student over for dinner, go to their games if they are athletes, and simply be a support system.”
The program has had many success stories, she said.
“Some families still keep in touch with their student and even travel to see their games when they advance to the next level. It truly has developed many lifelong friendships,” Welch said.
For more information, contact Welch at 620-223-2700, ext. 4300 or [email protected]