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Cold Weather Rule and the LIEAP application period end soon
TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) wants to remind utility customers that there are two important dates coming up that they should be aware of. First, the Cold Weather Rule ends on Monday, March 31. The Cold Weather Rule protects residential customers, served by KCC regulated utilities, from disconnection when temperatures are forecast to drop below 35 degrees.
In addition, Monday is the deadline to apply for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, known as LIEAP. Applications for the federally funded program must be received by the Kansas Department of Children and Families by 5 p.m. on Monday. Information about the program is available at https://www.dcf.ks.gov/
When the Cold Weather Rule is in effect, regulated utilities are required to offer a 12-month payment plan upon request, even if a previous payment plan has been broken. When that protection ends on Monday, failure to make arrangements or failure to adhere to an already established payment plan could result in disconnection. Reconnection after March 31 may require past due balances be paid in full, depending on the utility’s policy. That is why it is important to call now – while regulated utilities are still required to offer the Cold Weather Rule 12-month payment plan.
The KCC urges all customers facing financial difficulties to act now to stay connected. To find out more about utility assistance programs in your area, please contact your utility or the KCC Consumer Protection Office at 800-662-0027 or 785-271-3140. Utility assistance program information is also posted on the KCC’s website.
It is important to note that the KCC does not regulate co-ops or municipal utilities, although many of those utilities also offer a cold weather payment plan. For a complete list of utilities regulated by the KCC visit: http://kcc.ks.gov/
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KS Dairy Producers Reminded to Obtain 2025 Dairy Margin Coverage by March 31
Manhattan, Kansas March 25, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging dairy producers to enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program that helps offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup began Jan. 29 and the deadline to enroll is March 31, 2025.
“We encourage producers to join the 67 dairy operations in Kansas that have already signed up for this important safety net program in advance of the deadline,” said USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Deputy State Executive Director Joshua Ridder “At $0.15 per hundredweight for $9.50 coverage, risk protection through Dairy Margin Coverage is a cost-effective tool to manage risk and provide security for your operations.”
The American Relief Act, 2025 extended provisions of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) authorizing DMC for coverage year 2025.
DMC provides dairy operations with risk management coverage that pays producers when the difference (the margin) between the national price of milk and the average cost of feed falls below a certain level selected by the program participants.
DMC offers different levels of coverage minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran.
DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay.
For more information on DMC, visit the or contact your local USDA Service Center.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson
Note: Bourbon County is represented by Kansas Senator Tim Shallenberger and Representative Rich James. They have not responded to requests for a weekly newsletter. In the interest of providing legislative information, Senator Tyson provides a weekly newsletter. U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt has recently started providing information at the federal level.
March 21, 2025
It was a difficult week in the legislature. Over 80 bills were worked on the Senate floor. It was intense and made for a long week. There were too many bills to discuss in this update. All the legislation is posted at www.KSLegislature.gov.
Property Taxes are a concern for most Kansans. The Senate Tax Committee held hearings on the House position of limiting taxable valuation increases in House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 5011 and repealing part of the Truth in Taxation, Revenue Neutral notices, in House Bill (HB) 2396. The Committee didn’t support the House averaging over several years to limit tax values and instead supported the 3% tax value limit passed in Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1603, 28 to 12 on February 5th. So, the Committee voted to put the same language in 1603 into 5011. The Senate then passed 5011 on a bipartisan vote of 30 to 10. I voted Yes.
The Tax Committee also rejected repealing Revenue Neutral notices, but did move forward on a protest petition that would block local governments from increasing their property tax revenues (i.e. taxes). The Senate lowered the threshold to 3% or an inflation index, whichever is lower, plus new construction and voted on bonds. If the local government unit increases property taxes greater than that amount, voters could block the increase by signing a protest petition. Some of the logistics still need to be worked out, but it is being considered. One thing that most of us can agree on is that the current system is taxing people out of their homes and needs attention.
Slowing State Government Growth by passing SB 259, automatic income tax reductions would be set in place based on taxes collected the previous year. For years Kansas taxpayers have been paying more, growing the beast that is big government. SB 259 would trigger a personal income tax cut for the next year when taxes collected are greater than inflation until the personal income tax bracket is 4.5%. Once 4.5% is reached, the trigger would be used to decrease corporate and privilege taxes until comparable reductions are reached. The bill passed 30 to 10. I voted Yes.
Illegals Voting in Kansas elections would be exposed if HB 2020 becomes law. It would require the Department of Revenue to notify the Secretary of State of any noncitizens drivers licenses issued. The Secretary would then be required to investigate any names on the noncitizen list with voter registrations and direct county clerks to remove the registered voter from the voter rolls. The bill passed 32 to 8. I voted Yes.
Special Elections that often increase taxes will only be held in April, August, or November if HB 2022 becomes law with the Senate changes. A recent election in Sedgewick County cost taxpayers $136,000. If it would have been on the August or November ballot, there wouldn’t have been an extra expense. I voted yes. It passed 24 to 16.
Artificial Intelligence generated visual sexual images of children will be a sex crime if HB 2183 becomes law. It passed the Senate unanimously.
Prayers for those who have lost loved ones. It was a difficult week in the Kansas Senate, as a few senators lost loved ones. It is one of the hardest things we face in life. For all who have lost a loved one, their life was a gift from God and may their memory continue to bless you.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn
K-52 resurfacing project will begin soon in Linn County
The week of March 31, the Kansas Department of Transportation plans to begin a resurfacing project on K-52 in Linn County. The 14-mile project area includes two highway sections: from K-31 northeast to the U.S. 69 south junction, and from the U.S. 69 north junction east to the Kansas-Missouri state line.
Project activity includes a mill and overlay. Flaggers and a pilot car with guide one-lane traffic through the work zone during weekday daylight hours; expect delays of 15 minutes or less. Weather permitting, the work should be completed by June.
KDOT awarded Bettis Asphalt & Construction Inc., of Topeka, the $3.2 million construction contract. Persons with questions may contact Ian Stringham, (785) 433-6116, or Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.
KDOT urges drivers to slow down and obey the posted signs in all work zones. For information on this project and other construction activity on state highways in Kansas, visit www.kandrive.gov or call 5-1-1.
ArtEfffect Submission Guide
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Uniontown City Council Will Meet April 9 at 5:30 p.m.
PUBLIC NOTICE
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 8, 2025 has been rescheduled for April 9, 2025 at 5:30PM, due to anticipated lack of quorum
AT UNIONTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER
206 SHERMAN ST
Construction Careers Highlighted at Kansas Virtual Job Fair
KANSASWORKS Highlighting Construction Careers at Upcoming Virtual Job Fair
TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today encouraged jobseekers and employers interested in construction careers to take advantage of an upcoming virtual job fair. Hosted by KANSASWORKS, the sector-specific fair will be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 9.
“As we continue on our strong trajectory of economic growth, there has been a corresponding increase in new building construction across the state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Many employers are eager to hire hardworking Kansans ready to fill the many open construction roles – and at the same time help build a new and better Kansas.”
The virtual job fair allows anyone searching for a new position to fill out applications, chat live, and interview virtually with participating employers.
The virtual job fair portal features helpful information such as a jobseeker training video, a list of participating employers, and channels for attendees to register and log in. Jobseekers are encouraged to dress professionally, as employers may request to engage in a video interview.
Candidates can participate through any digital device. Any individual with a disability may request accommodation by contacting their nearest workforce center at (877) 509-6757 prior to the event.
Registration is required to participate in virtual job fairs, regardless of previous participation. To register, click here.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce:
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.
About the KANSASWORKS:
KANSASWORKS links businesses, job candidates and educational institutions to ensure that employers can find skilled workers. Services are provided to employers and job candidates through the state’s 27 workforce centers, online or virtual services KANSASWORKS is completely free for all Kansans to use. Learn more at KANSASWORKS.com. State employment opportunities can be found at jobs.ks.gov.
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 25
Obituary of Janice Patterson
Janice Patterson, age 100, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, died peacefully at the Medicalodge on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Jan was born February 13, 1925, in Mapleton, Kansas, to Willis Francis Patterson and Mabel Evelyn Cooper Patterson. Her family lived on a farm south of Mapleton.
She attended school in Mapleton for her early years and graduated as Valedictorian from Fulton High School in 1943. In the fall of that year, Jan enrolled as a freshman at Ft. Scott Junior College. The 1944 school yearbook pictured her as a Student Council Member and part of the annual staff. The next year, she went to Kansas City to work for Pratt and Whitney, a defense contractor during World War II
By 1950, she was working for Skelley Oil in Kansas City. By the early 1970’s, she was transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma where her career ended with Chevron Oil. In the early 1980’s, she retired and returned to Ft. Scott. She was very active in the First Christian Church where she eventually became a deacon. Jan also played bridge, attended FCE meetings and belonged to different social groups.
Jan was preceded in death by her parents Willis and Mabel Patterson as well as her brothers, Elgin Patterson, John Patterson, Byron Patterson and sister-in-law, Erma Essicks Patterson, a sister, Doris Underwood and brother-in-law, Jake Underwood, and a niece, Ruth Ann Underwood Burleson.
Jan is survived by two nieces, Susan Underwood Karleskint of Uniontown, Kansas and Mary Underwood Gregory and husband, Brad, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri. In addition, there are six great nieces and nephews and seven great-great-nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, March 29th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Mapleton Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Saturday from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Letter to the Editor: Mary Pemberton
Letter from Mary Pemberton in response to this opinion piece.
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My, Oh My! How quickly fortscott.biz and Concerned Citizens changed from being a place where you could get news about local happenings and people could share stories and opinions about a variety of topics, to a personal soapbox for Mark Shead (all others will be “moderated”).
Let me refresh your obviously biased memory, Mark. November 13, 2023 the county commission was presented with contracts for Hinton Creek Solar development, which they quickly voted and signed. Was there prior discussion or notification with the public about this development? Were the neighboring homeowners notified or consulted for their feedback on real or perceived health and safety issues (or even told about the project)? NO, there was none of that. Commissioners did not negotiate the contracts, Rob Harrington with REDI “negotiated” for them. The same Rob Harrington who promotes solar developments across the U.S. for The Center for Infrastructure & Economic Development which is a subsidiary of (funded entirely by) NextEra Energy, who also happens to be the developer for the Hinton Creek Solar project. No conflict of interest there! He did the best he could when he managed to get a 25’ setbacks from the property line! Half the average “donation” (aka PILOT) that other counties receive was as good as Bourbon County could get! No need to mention fire protection or training in the contracts, we will just let it burn for a week or more until it extinguishes on its own, after all, chances are it won’t spread to that neighbor 25’ away!
It doesn’t sound like the Commissioners were “fully engaged, carefully understanding any potential side effects, finding ways to address concerns, balancing risks”. It sounds like they took a money grab without thinking about any potential effects or making any attempt to address concerns or risks. Do some of the people who have spoken or posted articles about detrimental side effects exaggerate the danger, whether knowingly or unknowingly? Yes, but you, Mark, are doing the same thing by refusing to acknowledge there is any risk whatsoever! Do you really believe there is not an increased risk of fire (compared to other power generation systems)? Do you really believe there is no risk of the structures not being removed at end of life when the contracts are written to give the developer 10 years before they have to put up security for the removal (in Bourbon County’s case, our commissioners agreed to NextEra providing a piece of paper stating that they have enough funds to cover decommissioning, not that they actually put aside the money into a fund for that purpose). A little-known fact (but easily discovered if researching) about solar is that certain components (such as inverters) only have a lifespan of about 12 years, at which time the owner or developer can choose to terminate the facility or “repower” meaning replace those components. Which also means they get another 10 or even 15 years without having to put up decommissioning security and get a new round of government subsidies and property tax abatements. It is very likely that Bourbon County will never see any or at most only a year or two of the huge windfall property taxes that the project would bring in after the 10-year abatement expires.
Then recall, Mark, that on October 31, 2024 the commissioners made a last minute amendment to their meeting agenda to sign new contracts with the solar developers (funny how it became a last minute need when the developers’ representatives were told and made airline reservations two weeks prior so they would be there for the signing). When originally signed in Nov 2023, Commissioners Harris and Beth and Counselor Meeks did not provide the third commissioner a copy of the contracts prior to the meeting in which they were signed; in 2024 the third commissioner was not emailed a copy of the contracts until after he was at his full-time evening/night-shift job, knowing he wouldn’t have time to read them thoroughly prior to the commission meeting (then they refused to delay the vote to give him time to read them). Also, recall the original Hinton Creek Solar contracts were terminated and the “donation” money was diverted to a non-profit organization hand-picked by one commissioner and to two schools which are entirely or largely out of district of the project. Not saying that the non-profit is not a worthy organization, but it shouldn’t be up to one or two commissioners to decide to give away what should be considered tax funds. It left the County NO monetary benefit whatsoever and will actually cost the County money or will leave us in worse shape than without the project (ex. the agreements do not require the developer to maintain roads, that is left to the county to fund).
The urgent, lame-duck, behind the scenes manipulation of the contracts and donations is what caused the lawsuit. Do I need to remind you how many times Former Commissioner Harris told citizens “FILE A LAWSUIT” when they simply asked for their opinions to be considered? He even said it again immediately after signing the revised contracts on Halloween (perhaps the SCARY date was chosen on purpose). If the former commissioners, counselor and economic development director had truly been looking out for and taking into consideration the best interests, opinions and desires of all the citizens of the county, or had done their research on the issues rather than relying solely on the attorney for the developer, then more than likely none of this fiasco, including the lawsuit, would have happened. Alternative energy projects are controversial in all counties; most counties deal with the controversy in a public manner (town hall meetings, zoning meetings, and other public forums where information is disseminated and opinions can be voiced) and it never comes to a lawsuit. Should Bourbon County forever be a pawn in the hands of a few people who happen to hold power at the time a decision needs to be made and who choose to make decisions based on their own personal benefits (or opinions or retributions) rather than the betterment of the county or wishes of the majority of residents? Should the new commissioners roll over to the fact that their lame-duck predecessors tried to contract away their power to protect citizens (which is not only immoral and unethical, it is illegal)?
So, Mr. Shead, rather than asking my current commissioner to continue taking part in the “good-old-boy” system and ignore his duty to the citizens of the county, I ask everyone reading this who subscribes to fortscott.biz or the Concerned Bourbon Co. Citizens Facebook page to unsubscribe from these. Perhaps someone else will start an actual news-based “paper” or website to fill the void that you have created.
Written and Submitted by Mary Pemberton
Kansas Supreme Court announces new portal to search appellate cases
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