There will be a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 12th at 12:00 PM.
Topic of discussion is for non-elected personnel with possible action.
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Unselfishness by Patty LaRoche
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
Last night, I attended a T-ball game to watch Joey, a four-year-old, swing away at a rubber ball placed chest-high on a batting tee. The rest of the time, he stood at attention in the infield, moving only when a ball landed between his feet and the coach told him to pick it up and throw it to first. His mother is a childhood friend of my granddaughter, and I went to play “grandparent” since her parents live several hours away.
Joey isn’t fond of the game. He is the shortest player on the Grasshoppers’ team and rarely has a ball hit his direction. This night was different. “Did you see me, Mom? Did you see me, Dad? I caught the ball and threw it.” A first for the little guy.
From that point on, Joey covered the entire field. From left field to center field to third base, if the ball was hit, he sprinted to be part of the group that tackled each other to come up with the prize. I remember with great fondness our sons doing the same, and last night, I could not stop smiling.
But what really caught my attention was another teammate of Joey who was a head taller than all the other players and clearly had some baseball skills. Instead of showing off his arm, however, he would catch the ball and hand it to one of the smaller Grasshoppers to throw it to first. His parents had to be proud.
Unselfishness is in short supply. Two weeks ago, I watched a video of an Easter egg hunt at a Florida beach where my four-year-old granddaughter, Paige, placed plastic eggs in her younger sister’s basket. Other hunters were not so kind. They scooped up as many eggs as they could to fill their baskets, with no regard for much smaller kids reaching for just one.
What makes some people share (like that Grasshopper and Paige) and others be all about themselves? One such story in the Bible addresses what happens when we seek to serve ourselves. Abraham and his nephew Lot had accumulated great wealth in livestock and possessions, and soon there was an argument amongst their servants about rights to the springs of water. Deciding it was time to part company, Abraham gave Lot the choice of which parcel of land he wanted. Lot chose the richer, greener acreage of the Jordan River and settled near Sodom (Gen. 13:10-12) having no idea the sins of its citizens would result in his family and him running for their lives.
Ignoring God’s warning not to look back, Lot’s wife disobeyed and was turned into a statue of salt (Gen. 19:26). The end was not good for Lot and his daughters. Once safe (if living in a cave is “safe”), the daughters got their father drunk, had sexual relations with him, and birthed the beginning of Israel’s enemies, the Moabites and the Ammonites.
I wonder if Philippians 2:3 was written with Lot in mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. That little Grasshopper and my granddaughter offer lessons for all of us.
Bo Co Zoning Committee Meets May 13
The Bourbon County Commission Zoning Committee’s next regular committee meeting is Tuesday, 5/13 at 5:30 pm in Courthouse, commission room.
Up coming Public Forums:
Wednesday, 5/14 at 6:00 pm at Uniontown Community Center.
Tuesday, 5/20 at 6:00 pm at Fulton Community Center.
Wednesday, 5/21 at 6:00 pm at Memorial Hall in Fort Scott.
Susan Walker, Bourbon County Clerk
Fort Scott Community College Trustees Special Meeting is May 12
FSCC Board of Trustees will hold a special board meeting on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 5:30 pm in the Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Agriculture Hall to conduct business needing addressed before the regularly scheduled meeting on May 19. The Board will also adjourn to executive session(s) for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel.
Juley McDaniel
Director of Human Resources
Fort Scott Community College
Fort Scott National Historic Site needs your help: Symbols of Sacrifice
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Bourbon County Arts Council Presents Barnaby Bright
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Bo Co Commission Agenda Packet for May 12
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Brandon Whisenhunt, Chairman
1st District Commissioner
David Beerbower, Vice-Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Mika Milburn-Kee
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room 210 S National Ave.
May 12, 2025, 5:30 PM
I. Call Meeting to Order
a. Roll Call
b. Pledge of Allegiance
c. Prayer
II. Approval of Agenda
III. Approval of Minutes from 05.05.25
IV. Consent Agenda
a. Approval of 05.09.25 Accounts Payable Totaling $58,537.22
b. Tax Roll Corrections
V. Old Business
a. Policy & Procedures
i. Workers Compensation – Beerbower
ii. Letterhead
iii. Dump Fees for Employees – Milburn
b. Separation of Public Works and Landfill Departments – Beerbower
VI. Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda
VII. New Business
a. Ealyn Taylor – Animal Control
b. Commissioner Comments
VIII. Adjournment
Future business that has been tabled in past meetings or planned for future meetings:
Public Hearing 05.19.25 5:35PM Vacation of Road
SEK Mental Health Budget
Juvenile Detention Budget
Office Restructuring Cost
Handbook: Personal Improvement Plan, Corrective Action Plan, Formal Written Notice,
Deviation Policy
Mission Statement (June 2nd)
Job Descriptions
Handbook Updated
Economic Development Direction
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.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports May 9
$33 Million is Terminated for Health Care and Mental Health Service Grants
Trump Administration Cuts Critical State
Health Funds, Eliminating Access to Vital Services During Disease Outbreaks
~Grant Terminations Harm Mental Health Programs
and Response to Disease Outbreaks~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced Thursday that the Trump administration’s abrupt unilateral termination of more than $33 million in health care and mental health service grants has forced the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to abolish 56 positions in vital health posts, leaving communities without access to critical services. This marks the first large-scale state employment dismissal initiated by the Trump administration’s cuts to congressionally authorized funds.
On Tuesday, March 25, the Trump administration notified KDHE and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) that six of the grants they administer were immediately terminated as of the previous day, Monday, March 24.
The mission of the grants and employees paid through that funding was to strengthen the state’s epidemiology and laboratory work, monitor and respond to disease outbreak, administer critical programs that provide vaccines for children, and address health disparities for underserved communities and rural Kansans. These actions also eliminated $7.4 million in funding that goes directly to local non-profits in Kansas.
After receiving notification that the grants were terminated, Governor Kelly called upon Attorney General Kobach to bring a case on behalf of Kansas to fight back against federal cuts to vital state health services. The attorney general declined.
“The Trump administration’s abrupt and unilateral funding cuts will have severe and immediate consequences for the health, safety, and quality of life of Kansans across the state, especially in rural areas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These cuts come when Kansas is in the midst of fighting two outbreaks — tuberculosis and measles — and has no additional resources to continue this work.”
The governor is committed to pushing back against the Trump administration’s harmful actions that impact Kansans and has directed the Department of Administration to take proactive steps to provide resources to those affected by the separations, including rapid response, outplacement services, and mental health assistance. The Kelly administration will continue to monitor federal actions taken and inform employees, partners, and stakeholders of any relevant developments in a timely manner.
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports May 8
The Next Bourbon County Zoning Advisory Committee Forum is May 14
The Bourbon County Zoning Advisory Committee will hold public forums to inform residents of the proposal to add zoning in the County and to hear input from citizens. The first forum will be held on Wednesday, May 14th, at the Uniontown Community Center. Additional forums will be held on Tuesday, May 20th, at the Fulton Community Center and on Wednesday, May 21st, at Memorial Hall in Fort Scott. All forums will begin at 6:00 pm. We need and value your opinion, so every person who wishes to speak will be given 3 minutes to express your thoughts. All Bourbon County residents are encouraged to attend one of the forums; those dates again are May 14th at Uniontown, May 20th at Fulton and May 21st at Fort Scott.
Submitted by Mary Pemberton
Church Garage Sale This Friday
First Southern Baptist Church, 1818 South Main
1/2 price garage sale
Friday, May 7th, 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.