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Opinion

No Problems With the Ultimate Reunion by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche. 2023

My college sorority sisters and I are organizing our annual reunion, our time to catch up on each other’s’ lives.  It is not going well.  Diana lives in Tulsa.  Keller lives in Indianapolis.  Dizzy lives in Florida.  Colleen and Cathy live in K.C.  And I live in Fort Scott. 

 Where we live is only part of the problem.  Diana is wheel-chair bound since taking prescribed medicine that caused her muscles to atrophy.  Keller fell through ice last winter while helping a neighbor, and the pins, plates and screws holding her foot together keep her in constant pain.  Dizzy has medical issues and lives on a fixed income.  Colleen’s husband retired and they have planned many trips–granted, a “problem” we all would like to have.  Cathy owns a company that suffered with COVID, so recovering has made it hard for her to take time off.  I just do as I am told.  (Um-hmmm…)                                                                                                                  

Our texting correspondence to pick viable dates shows the difficulty we are having. After   dozens of “I’m watching my grandkids then,” or “Flights are too expensive on those dates,” or “I have glaucoma surgery scheduled that week,” or “If we meet up at my house, I’ll send my husband to stay with one of the kids but I have to know soon,” or “What if we take two trips, one to Keller’s and one to Diana’s and stay only three days at each place?” or “Why isn’t Cathy responding to these texts?” or…you get the point.                                                                       

Planning our annual reunion always is difficult because just as soon as we think we agree on the dates, one of the girls has a change in her plans, and we start over. Still, we keep at it because we know that memories will be made and friendships solidified. Plus, there will be stories to share with anyone who’s interested (typically, no one) when we return home.                         

Mark 9:2-9 speaks to a special reunion, one which blows away our girls’ trips. Jesus invited his best friends, Peter, James and John, to join him for a mountaintop getaway.  With no warning, they were joined by Elijah (deceased for 900 years) and Moses (deceased for around 1600 years).  The excitable, terrified Peter did what he always does: chatter.  Why, they could make three tents and camp out there. How fun!                                                                            

God, speaking from a cloud, silenced Peter.  “This is my beloved son; listen to him.” (In other words, “Zip it, Peter!”) And with that, Elijah and Moses disappeared.                                            

Can you imagine what that must have been like? Did James and John rip Peter’s head off for causing this momentous reunion to end far too soon?  Or did that not matter because Jesus’ friends were so eager to share with their family and friends what they had just witnessed, albeit for only a short time?                                                                                                              

I imagine they were beside themselves to blab, but as they descended the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen “until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”  WHAT?  Who could possibly keep that event to him/herself? Surely part of the thrill was reliving it, right?  I would be a crazy woman if I couldn’t tell my best friends what I had just witnessed (which, if the cliché “Three people can keep a secret only when two are dead” is true, this story would be passed on to everyone I knew before the day was over).                                          

The best thing about the reunion God is planning for us is that we don’t have to pick the dates or the place or who joins us. That is all determined once we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.  Should we die before Jesus returns, our last breath here on earth will be on first one in Heaven.  Talk about a reunion! There won’t be anything we can’t share.                             

Personally, that makes me very happy.                                               

 

Fort Scott, Government

Amended Agenda For Fort Scott City Commission on July 11

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NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR
MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY HALL COMMISSION ROOM – 123 SOUTH MAIN ST.
July 11, 2023 – 6:00 P.M.

I. Roll Call:
T. VanHoecke K. Harrington E. Woellhof M. Guns M. Wells
II. Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation: Led by T. VanHoecke
III. Approval of Agenda:
IV. Consent Agenda:
A. Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 20, 2023
B. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1339-A — $1,207,831.66
C. Request to Pay – Bennett Construction, Inc. via Earles Engineering & Inspection, Inc. – 2022 CDBG Sanitary Sewer Project – Contractor’s Application for No. 2 – Work done June 10, 2023 – June 25, 2023 – $262,723.50
D. Request to Pay – SEKRPC Grant Admin Services Project 22-PF-016 – Invoice #2 – $4,000.00
V. Public Comment:
Sign up required. Comments on any topic not on agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at Commission’s discretion.
VI. Old Business:

A. Consideration of Phase II Aeration Upgrade to Cell 1B and the Inlet of Cell 2 for Wastewater Treatment Plant – J. Dickman – TABLED FROM JUNE 20, 2023
B. Approval of CORRECTED Ordinance No. 3746 VACATING PORTION OF BARTEAU STREET – Ordinance No. 3745 originally approved February 7, 2023. Error found during recording process at the Appraiser’s Office. Correction made and ordinance renumbered.
VII. Appearances:
1. Rachel French: 1st Colored Infantry Mural – seeking approval from the City Commission
2. Sarah Klassen: Old Fort Genealogy – regarding ADA Compliance of the West Entrance of Memorial Hall
3. Arnold Schofield: Discussion of the Design Review Board
4. Michael Hoyt: House numbering ordinance and expansion of the Municipal Court
5. Kendall Schoenrock: Regarding the DCF Building proposed for Wall Street and National Avenue
VIII. Public Hearing: None
IX. New Business:
A. Consideration to approve purchase of a green’s mower package from Professional Turf Products – $12,720.00 – D. Guns
B. Consideration to close Hospice account – D. Tally
C. Consideration to purchase 2015 Ford F-250 SD 4×4 EX Cab 4DR F250 Utility Bed ¾ Ton for the Collections Department from Evans Motors in Pittsburg, KS – $29,995.00 – S. Flater
D. Consideration of Ordinance No. 3747 ESTABLISHING THE REQUIRED HOOKUPS TO THE CITY WATER SYSTEM FOR THE CITY OF FORT SCOTT, KANSAS – Required by the USDA as part of their funding of the River Intake Project – B. Farmer
E. Consideration of adopting Certified Local Government Program – Design Review Advisory Board option – M. Wells
F. Selection of Commissioner to represent the City on the Land Bank Advisory Board
X. Reports and Comments:
A. City Manager Comments:
B. Engineering Comments:
C. Commissioners Comments:
T. VanHoecke –
K. Harrington –
E. Woellhof –
M. Guns –
M. Wells –

D. City Attorney Comments:

XI. Executive Session:
XII. Adjournment:

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

What’s Happening In Fort Scott

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What’s Happening in Fort Scott! July 7th Weekly Newsletter

UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

________________

Fort Scott National Historic Site

Daily Guided Tours: 10am & 1pm

Special activites all this weekend! See link below.

Visit your National Park!

Trolley Tours of Fort Scott

50-minute narrated historical tour

Every Friday & Saturday on the hour

Fridays 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm

Saturdays 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm

$6 adults, $4 12 & under, leaves from the Chamber

Click this link: The Artificers

July pottery class/workshop

schedule, a creative space for all ages!

Click here for all the FUN activities at the

Museum of Creativity, something for all ages!

BINGO hosted by the American Legion Post 25 every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month unless it falls on a holiday. Doors open at 6pm and Bingo starts at 7pm at Memorial Hall.

June Special at Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, Good Ol’ Days & Good Books, 25% off History, Historical Fiction, and Old Books

Fort Scott Public Library Summer Schedule has ALOT of fun things to do! Click here to see!

The Lavender Patch Farm will be open many days throughout the month of July, click here for specific hours/dates.

7/7 ~ Friday Night Concert in the Park featuring Prairie Sunflower Strings, free event and all are welcome, bring lawn chairs as seating is limited, click here for more info!

7/7-8 ~ Bourbon County Fair Rodeo, 8pm Nightly at the Fairgrounds, Beer Garden/Calf Scramble/Bull Poker/and MORE!, click here for more info! Advance tickets on sale @ Chamber!

7/6-9 ~ John Hill FSCC Summer Showcase Baseball Tournament, click here for more info!

7/6 ~ First Friday at The Artificers, opened late from 5-9pm, click here for more info! Artist Opening & Reception for Master Textile & Fabric Artist Liberty Worth and Guest Artist Gentry Warren, artist talk @ 7pm.

7/6 ~ Backroom Art Gallery First Friday Located at Hare & Crow, 1-9pm, click here for more info!

7/8 ~ Master Artist Class @ The Artificers, Abstract Fabric Collage with Textile and Fabric Artist Liberty Worth, age 14+, 10am-12pm and 1-3pm.

7/8 ~ 49th Annual Bronson Day, Bronson Public Park, 10am-1pm, click here for more info!

7/8 ~ Kale Nelson State Farm Car Show as part of Bronson Day, 12-3pm, click here!

7/9 ~ Flower Bouquet Class at Sunshine Boutique, $10/person, 10am-12pm, click here for more info!

7/11 ~ Downtown Meet & Greet, Lyons Realty Group, 8:30-9:30am, click here for more info!

7/11-12 ~ USD 234 Fort Scott School District JOB FAIR, click here for more info!

7/11 ~ Paint your Pet 2 – Paint and Pizza at Papa Don’s, $5 to reserve your spot with $20 due at class, 11am-2pm, click here for more info!

7/13 ~ Garlic Crate Plate Class at The Artificers ages 14+, 5:30-6:30pm & 7-8pm,

click here to register!

7/13 ~ Chamber Coffee hosted by City State Bank, 202 Scott Avenue, 8am

7/14 ~ Chamber Golf Classic, 4 person scramble, 9am registration with a 10am tee-off time, click here for more info and to register!

7/14 ~ Movie Night in Uniontown City Park, hotdogs/chips/drinks will start at 7pm with the movie starting at 9pm, LOTS of games/activities, rain will cancel the event. Click here for more info.

7/14 ~ Friday Night Concert in the Park featuring Dangerous Doug Harper, the entertainment is free and all are welcome, 7-8pm at Heritage Park Pavilion, click here for more info!

7/15-16 ~ Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale Downtown & Around, participating stores are Angie Dawns/Barbed Wire & Roses/Bids & Dibs/Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore/Iron Star/Shirt Shack with more to come!

7/15-21 ~ Bourbon County FAIR at the Fairgrounds, click here for the schedule!

7/16 ~ Bourbon County Democrats Summer Social, Buck Run Community Center, food/music/and a special drawing, 1-4pm, free event, click here for more info!

7/18 ~ Book Launch for Patty LaRoche’s new book, “A Little Faith Lift”, at Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, 7-8:30pm.

7/20 ~ Chamber Coffee, Bourbon County Fair Association, 8am

7/20 ~ 2023 Fried Chicken Dinner at Bourbon County Fair, tickets are for sale from 6/22-7/18, $10 per ticket in advance with $12 at the door, click here for more info!

SAVE THE DATE!

7/21-22 ~ Wahzhazhe- The Osage Ballet, Danny and Willa Ellis Family Arts Center, Three different date/times: July 21st @ 7:30pm, July 22nd @ 3pm and 7:30pm, click here for more info and to order tickets!

7/22 ~ Game Show Road Show Event by Advanced Bourbon Couty, Memorial Hall, 1 E. 3rd St. 7-10pm, click here for more info!

7/28 ~ Uniontown Live Music Event Featuring Country Singer Rick Hite, Ice Cream Social starting at 6:15pm, music @ 7pm, Uniontown Park, click here for more info!

_________

SHOPPING ~ SUPPORT LOCAL!

Boutiques-Antiques-Flea Markets & more!

Click here for Chamber member

specialty shopping & other retail in

Downtown & other areas of the community.
Fort Scott Area
Chamber of Commerce
620-223-3566
In This Issue

Calendar of Events

Special Event Features

THANK YOU Chamber Champion members!!
Chamber Highlights
Click here for our
Membership Directory.
We THANK our members for their support! Interested in joining the Chamber?
Click here for info.
Thinking of doing business in or relocating to Fort Scott?
Contact us for a relocation packet, information on grants & incentives, and more!
Seeking a job/career?
We post a Job of the Day daily on our Facebook page, distribute a monthly job openings flyer, and post jobs on our website.
Many opportunities available!
Housing needs?
Click here for a listing of our Chamber member realtors.
Click here for our rental listing.

Friday Night Concert in the Park Featuring Prairie Sunflower Strings!

Bourbon County Fair Rodeo!

Advance tickets on sale @ the Chamber!

Downtown Meet & Greet at

Lyons Realty Group!

Chamber Golf Classic coming Friday, July 14th!

We welcome sponsorships & raffle items!

One of the Chamber’s primary fundraisers of the year!

Click graphic below for more info!

Fried Chicken Dinner at

Bourbon County Fairgrounds 4H Building!
…

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Obituary

Obituary of Lisa Larkin

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Lisa Jo Larkin was born October 13, 1966, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, Kansas, to parents Bob and Judi Larkin.  She grew up with one sister, Laura, one foster brother, Dwayne Craig, and one cousin, Kenny Hively, who was more like a brother to her.

She had a happy childhood, growing up mostly on the farm.  She loved life, music, animals, and all of her grandparents.  She especially liked high school where she participated in debate and forensics, and anything that involved school plays, or the theater.  She was editor of the high school paper and always created a certain amount of controversy.

Her life changed dramatically on December 5, 1984, when she was injured seriously in a car accident.  That was the beginning of a lifelong battle with medical issues.  She graduated from Fort Scott High in 1985.  She had lots of wonderful friends, many of whom stayed in touch with her all of these years.

She married Michael Antony on July 24, 1994.  They lived almost all of their married life in Las Vegas, Nevada, where their son, Macoy, was born in 2001.  Lisa and Michael both enjoyed the theater and they usually had season tickets to the Smith Center in Las Vegas where they could see current Broadway plays.  Michael and Macoy both helped take care of Lisa at home these past few years as her health declined.

Her mother, Judi, lived close by and helped with Lisa’s healthcare.  Lisa and her Dad were very close and talked on the phone almost daily.  He tried to make sure she had whatever she needed to fight the various health problems she endured.

Lisa died at Nelson Adelson Hospice Center in Las Vegas on June 19, 2023, after a lengthy illness.  Most of her family and her dear friend, Karen Curran, were with her in the days before and at the time of her death.

Lisa is survived by her husband, Michael Antony, son, Macoy Antony, and mother Judith Larkin (Glenn), all of Las Vegas; also her father, Robert Larkin (Jan) of Fort Scott, sister, Laura Peterson (Frank) of Erie, cousin, Kenneth Hively (Jan) of Loveland, Colorado, and uncle, Don Larkin (Sue) of Phoenix, Arizona.  She has many other uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends, whom she loved dearly.  She will be missed by all who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Bill and Alma Larkin, and maternal grandparents, Lewis and Bertha Baucom, and foster brother Dwayne Craig.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:30 PM Friday, July 14th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

In honor of Lisa’s favorite color, pink attire is encouraged.

The family wishes memorial contributions be made to SEK Humane Society, as Lisa loved animals, and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.

Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

 

Fort Scott, Government

FS Budget Work Session and Meeting Agenda for July 11

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BUDGET WORK SESSION BEGINS AT 5:00pm (NO AGENDA) AND CITY COMMISSION BEGINS AT 6:00pm AT CITY HALL.

                                                                                              

NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR        

MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION

CITY HALL COMMISSION ROOM – 123 SOUTH MAIN ST.

July 11, 2023 – 6:00 P.M.

 

  1.  Roll Call:
  2.   VanHoecke       K. Harrington       E. Woellhof        M. Guns         M. Wells
  3. Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation:  Led by T. VanHoecke

III.  Approval of Agenda:

  1. Consent Agenda:
  2. Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 20, 2023
  3. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1339-A — $1,207,831.66
  4. Request to Pay – Bennett Construction, Inc. via Earles Engineering & Inspection, Inc. – 2022 CDBG Sanitary Sewer Project – Contractor’s Application for No. 2 – Work done June 10, 2023 – June 25, 2023 – $262,723.50
  5. Request to Pay – SEKRPC Grant Admin Services Project 22-PF-016 – Invoice #2 – $4,000.00
  6. Public Comment:

Sign up required.  Comments on any topic not on agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at Commission’s discretion.

  1. Old Business:

 

  1. Consideration of Phase II Aeration Upgrade to Cell 1B and the Inlet of Cell 2 for Wastewater Treatment Plant – J. Dickman
  2. Approval of CORRECTED Ordinance No. 3746 VACATING PORTION OF BARTEAU STREET – Ordinance No. 3745 originally approved February 7, 2023. Error found during recording process at the Appraiser’s Office. Correction made and ordinance renumbered.

VII.    Appearances:

  1. Rachel French:  1st Colored Infantry Mural – seeking approval from the                           City Commission
  2. Sarah Klasser:  Old Fort Genealogy – regarding ADA Compliance of the West     Entrance of Memorial Hall
  3. Arnold Schofield:  Discussion of the Design Review Board
  4. Michael Hoyt:  House numbering ordinance and expansion of the Municipal Court

 

VIII.    Public Hearing:  None

  1. New Business: 
  2. Consideration to approve purchase of a green’s mower package from Professional Turf Products – $12,720.00 – D. Guns
  3. Consideration to close Hospice account – D. Tally
  4. Consideration to purchase 2015 Ford for the Collections Department from Evans Motors in Pittsburg, KS – S. Flater
  5. Consideration of Ordinance No. 3747 ESTABLISHING THE REQUIRED HOOKUPS TO THE CITY WATER SYSTEM FOR THE CITY OF FORT SCOTT, KANSAS – Required by the USDA as part of their funding of the River Intake Project – B. Farmer
  6. Consideration of adopting Certified Local Government Program – Design Review Advisory Board option – M. Wells
  7. Consideration of Commissioner to represent seat for Land Bank Advisory Board

 

  1.  Reports and Comments:
  2. City Manager Comments:
  3. Engineering Comments:
  4. Commissioners Comments:
  5. VanHoecke –
  6. Harrington –
  7. Woellhof –
  8. Guns –
  9. Wells –

 

  1. City Attorney Comments:

 

  1. Executive Session:

 

XII.    Adjournment:

Business, Fort Scott

New Coffee Bean Roasting Business Starts In Fort Scott

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Submitted photo.

A local couple has started a new coffee bean roasting business.

Crooked Cactus Coffee Co. owners Randy and Tanya Glessner
started their new venture on July 3, 2023.
“We sell small farm, single origin coffee beans from around the world and roast them locally here in Fort Scott, with love,” Randy Glessner said.
Randy and Tanya Glessner. Submitted photo.
They have a Facebook page where the current coffee menu is posted at the top, he said.
“Menu selections vary by season,” Randy Glessner said.
The current coffee menu is:
light-Mexican
medium- Nicaraguan
dark-Sumatran
decaf-Medium Timor
The business is  located at 408 Jefferson Street on Fort Scott’s east side,  inside of Upper Cut Salon, a beauty shop operated by Tanya.
“We both have a passion for coffee and wanted a way to enjoy it in the freshest, purest way possible,” he said. “So we started looking into the best coffee beans and wanted to support small coffee bean farms around the world. After that,  we started mastering our coffee roasts and knew this was something we had to share with others! “
The coffee costs $15 for a 12 ounce bag. When ordering, please specify whether whole beans or ground beans are desired.
They accept cash, credit/debit card or cashapp.
Orders can be placed by calling or texting 620-224-6704.
Submitted graphic.
Tanya is an ordained minister.
“She doesn’t work for any church,” he said. “She volunteers her own time and money to help women in prison and recovering addicts.
Ten percent of all proceeds goes to the prison ministry/mentoring and local community mentoring for recovering addicts.”
Government, Kansas

KDWP to Conduct Five-Year Review of State Listed Species

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PRATT – The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is conducting a five-year review of the lists of Kansas species that are endangered, threatened or Species In Need of Conservation (SINC). Endangered is the most imperiled category of the three, and species on the SINC list are deemed to require conservation measures to prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered. A five-year review is required by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975. Any individual or group can petition KDWP to propose an addition, deletion, or modification to the current lists by providing pertinent scientific information required within the petition form.

KDWP relies on the Threatened and Endangered Species Task Committee to assist with the review process. The task committee consists of seven members representing various disciplines, and include staff from state and federal agencies and state universities. To determine if a full review is warranted, the task committee examines updated scientific information and research for any species petitioned for a listing change. Species experts are consulted and all available data is evaluated during the full review. These recommendations, and any amendments to them, are published in the Kansas Register for public comment for at least 90 days. After a full review is completed, the task committee makes recommendations to the KDWP Secretary and any changes to the lists must be approved by the KDWP Commission following a public hearing.

At the last five-year review completed in 2019, the Arkansas darter was removed from the threatened list and added to the SINC list. The Wabash pigtoe mussel was removed from the SINC list, and the cylindrical papershell mussel was added to the endangered list.

The state endangered list currently includes 11 invertebrates, five fish, two amphibians, two birds and two mammals. The state threatened list includes six invertebrates, 10 fish, six amphibians, three reptiles, one turtle, two birds and one mammal. The state SINC list includes 82 species.

A recent survey conducted by Responsive Management – an internationally recognized research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues – found that conservation of threatened and endangered wildlife remains important among Kansans. Some interesting findings included:

  • A majority of Kansas residents (94 percent) agreed that the KDWP should continue to identify and protect habitat critical to threatened and endangered species.
  • A majority (84 percent) of residents agree with the statement, “Wildlife that is threatened and endangered in Kansas yet abundant in other states should still be protected in Kansas.”

Petitions must be received by October 5, 2023 to be considered for the current five-year review. Petition forms can be downloaded at: https://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Threatened-and-Endangered-Wildlife/2023-Five-Year-Reviewand submitted electronically to [email protected] or mailed to KDWP, Attn: Ecological Services, 512 SE 25th Ave., Pratt, KS 67124-8174.

For more information, including a list of the current threatened and endangered species in Kansas, visit ksoutdoors.com/Services/Threatened-and-Endangered-Wildlife,

###

Bourbon County, Government

Uniontown City Agenda for July 11

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The Uniontown City Council will meet July 11 at City Hall at 7 p.m.

CALL TO ORDER AT ________ by _____________________________

ROLL CALL: 

___ Jess Ervin ___ Danea Esslinger ___ Josh Hartman ___ Amber Kelly ___ Bradley Stewart

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS

Globe Life benefits – Dakota Harris –

 

Appoint/Oath City Clerk/Municipal Court Clerk, Treasurer, Judge, Prosecutor, Designate Official Newspaper, Official Bank –

 

 

CITIZENS REQUESTS

 

 

FINANCIAL REPORT

Charlene Bolinger – Financial reports

 

APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA

  1. Minutes of June 21, 2023 Regular Council Meeting
  2. Treasurers Report, Monthly Transaction Report & Accounts Payables

 

DEPARTMENT REPORTS

Superintendent:  Bobby Rich

Tool batteries

 

Codes Enforcement:  Doug Coyan

404 Washington St

305 Clay St

505 Wall St

 

Clerk Report:  Sally Johnson  

LKM Voting Delegates –

LKM Conference –

 

COUNCIL & COMMITTEE REPORTS

Councilman Ervin –

Councilwoman Esslinger –

Councilman Hartman –

Councilwoman Kelly –

Councilman Stewart–

Mayor Jurgensen –

 

OLD BUSINESS

KMGA Gas Supply Management –

 

Mural Grant –

 

Placemaking Project – booth at Independence Day Bash

 

NEW BUSINESS

Fall Cleanup –

 

 

ADJOURN Time ____________ Moved by ______________, 2nd ___________________, Approved ___________

 

2023 Financials – June(1)

07-23 Informational items

Business, Government, Kansas

KS Is a National Leader in Economic and Income Growth

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Kansas: National Leader in Economic and Income Growth in First Quarter of 2023

~~Bureau of Economic Analysis Report Reflects Success of Kelly Administration Efforts to Create Jobs, Support Businesses~~

TOPEKA – A report recently released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows that, in the first quarter of 2023, Kansas ranked fourth in the nation for personal income growth and seventh in the nation for economic growth. The report highlights the Kelly administration’s success in recruiting and supporting businesses that grow the state’s economy and increase wages for workers.

“This report is further proof that the work my administration is doing to create good-paying jobs, grow the economy, and balance the budget is benefiting Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The days of Kansas making headlines for failure and mismanagement are long behind us. Now, we are leading the nation in creating a strong economy.”

Kansas’ real gross domestic product (GDP), or the market value of goods and services produced in the state, grew by 6.0% from the fourth quarter of 2022 when adjusted for inflation, triple the national average of 2.0%.

Personal income in Kansas grew by 8.4% over the same period, surpassing the national rate of 5.1%.

“This report demonstrates the resiliency and strength of the Kansas economy,” Secretary of Administration and Director of Budget Adam Proffitt said. “The state has placed in the top 7 for both GDP and Personal Income in the aggregate and across multiple sectors of the economy, showing that our economy is not overly dependent on any one sector. Our state’s fiscal health is strong, and the outlook remains promising.”

The report showed that agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting were the lead contributors to growth in states including Kansas – a testament to the Kelly administration’s efforts to reinvigorate the state’s economy across multiple sectors.

“The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and residents have worked hard to build a reputation for the Sunflower State as one of the top states in the nation for outdoor recreation, and our six percent rise in real GDP this quarter certainly reflects that,” Secretary of Wildlife and Parks Brad Loveless said. “By prioritizing sustainable practices and collaboration with private landowners, I’m confident we’ll continue to develop our great tradition of hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping for many more generations, and visitors, to come.”

“Agriculture has always been at the heart of the Kansas economy, and the growth we’ve seen in agriculture and agribusiness across the state shows the entrepreneurial spirit of Kansans,” Agriculture Secretary Mike Beam said. “Innovative approaches in technology, science, and sustainability will keep Kansas agriculture at the forefront of producing the food, fiber, and fuel that are needed in the future.”

Read more from the BEA here.

Art, Entertainment, Fort Scott, History

Presenting Osage History and Culture Through Ballet Requires Care

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PAWHUSKA, Okla.—When researching Osage history for Wahzhazhe: An Osage Ballet, co-creator Randy Tinker-Smith, founder of Osage Ballet, spoke with around 50 elders. Tinker-Smith is Osage, and she knows that some things are not meant to be shared onstage.

“While doing research for the ballet, I spoke with around 50 Osage elders,” she said. “I did not want to do one thing without permission. I met with some of them numerous times, and by the end of that year we had lost three of them. Now looking back, I am just so thankful that I had that time with them.”

 

With Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon being recently filmed in the present-day Osage Nation, Osage history is on the minds of many people. Visitors to Fort Scott, KS have three opportunities to experience 400 years of the rich history of the Osage through artistic dance when Wahzhazhe: An Osage Ballet is presented at Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, July 21 and 22.

Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2401 S. Horton.

The production is the work of Osage Ballet, a nonprofit organization which seeks to preserve and share the history of the Osage people through dance.

 

The first half of the ballet depicts life in the Osages’ ancestral homelands, which encompassed much of the middle of the United States, including the entirety of what is now Missouri. One of the earliest diaries chronicling the Osage people describe them as the “happiest people in the world.” Family and ceremony were at the center of culture and moving with the seasons was a way of life. With the arrival of Europeans, many of the ceremonies and the complex Osage clan system were almost decimated by war and disease. Like many Indigenous people, the mighty Osage were forced west onto smaller and smaller pieces of land. Eventually, the Osage bought their own reservation in Indian Territory and settled there in what is now Osage County, Oklahoma.

 

Tinker-Smith said her own family’s history was on her mind as she researched.

 

“When our tribe left Kansas in 1871, there had been so much death because of smallpox and starvation and other diseases,” she said. “The buffalo had been slaughtered. Fences had been put up. Everything had changed drastically. Because of that, the elders put away our ceremonies because they did not have the animals, plants, and implements they needed to do them properly. We are a highly organized people: You have a purpose, you learn how to do it, and you pass it on, but that could not be done anymore. My great-grandfather was born at St. Paul Mission in Kansas. I read a diary that said 600 Osage people died in one week while he was living there. This history touches our family so deeply.”

 

The first act of the ballet chronicles what was lost, while the second act portrays how the Osage survived and continue to thrive despite so much trauma.

 

“When I started meeting with these elders, I wanted to have permission about what I could tell in the story,” she said. “As long as I am alive, for example, you will never see our sacred ceremonial ways on our stage, but what you will see are the things we still have: Fire, feathers, water. Songs. There is a lot that we can share, and it is exceptionally beautiful.”

 

The Osage Ballet, Wahzhazhe was created by a predominately Indigenous team with choreography by Jenna LaViolette (Osage) and original music by Osage composer Lou Brock. Dr. Joseph Rivers, chair of the film department at the University of Tulsa, composed original music and arranged the score. Osage artists Wendy Ponca, Alexander Ponca Stock, and the late Terry Wann, designed the costumes and backdrops. Shawnee Peoria artist Roman Jasinski, Jr. served as artistic adviser. (Jasinski is the son of Moscelyne Larkin, one of five Indigenous ballerinas from Oklahoma to gain international fame in the 20th century.) Professional dancers for the production are from ballet companies around the US. Joining the professional dancers are students of Dance Maker Academy in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, representing 19 Native nations.

 

For tickets and information on the July 21 and 22 performances in Fort Scott, KS visit their website, www.osageballet.com/events  and watch for posts