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Spotlight on the 2024 National Discovery Award Competition Outstanding Teachers

 

November 25, 2024

Vol. 11

Spotlight on the 2024 National Discovery Award Competition Outstanding Teachers

In September, the Lowell Milken Center proudly announced the outstanding educators honored in the 2024 National Discovery Award competition. In this edition of our newsletter, we want to dedicate special recognition to these exceptional teachers whose efforts inspire excellence and student achievement.

Chris Dier of Benjamin Franklin High School (LA), a 2023 LMC Fellow, was honored as the inaugural National Discovery Award Outstanding Teacher for his remarkable dedication to student engagement and project-based learning. Additional Outstanding Teacher Awards were presented to Megan Helberg (Loup County Public Schools, NE), Tami Lunsford (Newark Charter School, NJ), and Miranda Spina and Jayda Pugliese (St. Mary Interparochial School, PA).

These educators have gone above and beyond, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and the discovery of unsung heroes whose stories inspire change. Their contributions ensure that the Discovery Award’s legacy continues to empower the next generation of changemakers.

In Their Own Words: Educators Reflect on the

Discovery Award Experience

We reached out to each of the Outstanding Teacher Award winners to hear their thoughts on the impact of the Discovery Award competition. These educators shared their inspiring experiences of guiding students through the process of uncovering the stories of unsung heroes and how this journey has enriched their classrooms. Their reflections highlight the power of project-based learning to ignite curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper connection to history. Following are their responses.

2024 National Outstanding Teacher Chris Dier Shares How the Discovery Award Transformed His Classroom 🚀✨ Hear how this innovative competition has empowered his students and elevated his teaching approach. We know you’ll be inspired!

Thank you to the Kansas Museums Association for selecting Fort Scott as the host city for the 2024 KMA Conference! It was a privilege to connect with museum professionals from across the state, share the work of the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, and present on Life in a Jar. We’re excited about future collaborations and opportunities to celebrate history together.

Your Generosity Fuels Our Mission

Consider a Personalized Brick in Unsung Heroes Park!

For just $100, you can create a unique and enduring tribute to honor a hero in your life. By purchasing a brick, you not only create a lasting memorial but also support the Lowell Milken Center’s mission to share the remarkable stories of Unsung Heroes throughout history.

Your purchase is tax-deductible, as the Lowell Milken Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We’ll promptly email you a printable certificate, making it a hassle-free and meaningful gift option.

Secure your brick today by visiting the Lowell Milken Center at 1 S. Main, Fort Scott, KS, or by submitting this form: https://bit.ly/brick_form. For more information, contact LMC at 620-223-1312.

Support our mission by purchasing a book on Unsung Heroes! Every book shares inspiring stories of courage and change—and helps us continue our work to transform classrooms and communities.

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Gordon Parks Birthday Celebration is Now Dec. 5

Gordon Parks Museum is located on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

Nov. 26, 2024 – The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College will celebrate the anniversary of Gordon Parks’ birthday on Thursday, December 5th with the showing of films throughout the day and a speaking presentation and performance by Lem Sheppard, internationally known musician and historian titled “The Music Around Gordon Parks”. The events are free of charge and the public is invited to attend. Parks, born in Fort Scott on November 30, 1912, would have been 112 this year.  He died in March 7, 2006 at the age of 93.

The schedule throughout the day will include:

 

9:25 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. — “Showing of the film Criterion Collection The Learning Tree” in FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center FREE.

 

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. — (Lunch and Learn) “The Music Around Gordon Parks” Join us as Lem Sheppard, internationally known musician and historian will be presenting a program of Jazz, blues, and Spirituals. Gordon Parks was born and grew up during the period that was referred to as the Harlem Renaissance and he will perform music that Gordon would have experienced as a child in Fort Scott, as well as in; St. Paul, Chicago and New York City. Birthday cake and drinks will be provided in the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. FREE.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. — “Showing of the film Solomon Northup’s Odyssey” in FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. FREE.

 

Throughout the day, visitors will be able to receive a 25% birthday discount on all apparel items.

For more information contact the Gordon Parks Museum at 620- 223-2700, ext. 5850 or by email at [email protected]

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Southeast Kansas Library Newsletter Nov. 2024

The SEKnFind Newsletter
November 2024

We hope you enjoy this newsletter sent as a courtesy to adult patrons of a southeast Kansas library using the SEKnFind catalog.
This selection of titles are NEW at a SEKnFind library and available for a hold.
Need assistance? Your local librarian can show you how!
Happy Reading!

New Fiction

Toto
by Hackwith, A. J.

“I was mostly a Good Dog until they sold me out to animal control, okay? But if it’s a choice between Oz, with its creepy little singing dudes, and being behind bars in gray old Kansas, I’ll choose the place where animals talk and run the show for now, thanks. It’s not my fault that the kid is stuck here too, or that she stumbled into a tug-of-war over a pair of slippers that don’t even taste good. Now one witch in good eyeliner calls her pretty and we’re off on a quest? Teenagers. I try to tell her she’s falling in with the wrong crowd when she befriends a freaking hedge wizard made of straw, that blue jay with revolutionary aspirations, and the walking tin can. Still, I’m not one to judge when there’s the small matter of a coup in the Forest Kingdom…. Look, something really stinks in Oz, and this Wizard guy and the witches positively reek of it. As usual, it’s going to be up to a sensible little dog to do a big dog’s job and get to the bottom of it. And trust me: Little dogs can get away with anything”

The lake of lost girls
by Greene, Katherine

“It’s 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina, but freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears. Twenty-four years later, Jessica’s sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast that focuses on cold cases to guide her own investigation. Soon,interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery. In the present, one sister searches to untangle a complicated web of lies. In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate”

Every moment since
by Whalen, Marybeth

“A small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace”

The love elixir of Augusta Stern
by Loigman, Lynda Cohen

A heartwarming story explores how love and healing can be found in unexpected places—and how a bit of magic in each can go a long way.

One big happy family
by Mallery, Susan

At first, Julie Parker is happy that her children do not plan to visit for Christmas, because she has been hiding her younger beau from them, but when they instead want to spend the holiday at the family cabin and the guest list grows beyond Julie’s expectations, she discovers that more really is merrier.

All I want is you
by Ballard, Falon

“A holiday rom-com in which two rival authors are trapped in a hotel together when a blizzard strikes their publisher’s holiday party”

This cursed house
by Sandeen, Del

A young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth: they’re under a curse, and they think she can break it.

Bloodguard
by Robson, Cecy

In Old Erth, elves reign supreme, controlling all other races with an iron fist, but they are not all-powerful; unable to propagate their race, they depend on using humans as livestock, mating them with elven women to further themselves.

The estate
by Jost, Sarah

“For fans of The Cloisters and The Cartographers comes a gripping speculative suspense that follows one woman with the ability to enter the dimension of art, who finds herself trapped in a French estate as the pawn in a rich man’s game… Every estate has a secret… Art historian Camille Leray has spent her career surrounding herself with fineries and selling pieces worth millions. But she harbors a secret: she has the ability to enter the world of the artworks, and she can take others with her. But tapping into history comes with great risks. And someone has been watching, someone who knows about her magic, and her mistakes… After Camille ruins her career and reputation by misusing her powers, she vows to get her old life back. So when Maxime Foucault, an enigmatic aristocrat who owns a sprawling French estate, enlists her help in authenticating the statues of a mysterious artist, whose disappearance she has been trying to solve for years, she knows this could be her chance to turn her career around and get the man she’s always wanted. But something isn’t right about the Foucault family and the grand chateau they inhabit, and as Camille gets sucked into its walls, she finds a world of luxury and greed that causes her to risk losing herself, and everything she has ever known, forever”

The collaborators
by Idov, Michael

“Combining realistic thrills with sophisticated spycraft and witty dialogue, The Collaborators delivers a gut-punch answer to the biggest geopolitical question of our time: how, exactly, did post-Soviet Russia turn down the wrong path? Crisscrossing the globe on the way to this shocking revelation are disaffected millennial CIA officer Ari Falk, thrown into a moral and professional crisis by the death of his best asset; and brash, troubled LA heiress Maya Chou, spiraling after the disappearance of her Russian American billionaire father. The duo’s adventures take us to both classic and surprising locales-from Berlin, to Latvia, Belarus, and a 1980s Jewish refugee camp near Rome. Dynamic, fast-paced, and filled with captivating details that provide a window into a secretive world, The Collaborators is a first-rate thriller that pays homage to both meanings of “intelligence.””

Tooth and claw
by Johnson, Craig

In Alaska, Vietnam veterans Walt and Henry find work with an oil company, only to face a deadly polar bear and uncover a more dangerous threat from their co-workers, who are fiercely pursuing priceless treasure and will go to any lengths to obtain it.

The edge of nowhere
by Johnstone, William W.

A lonely drifter finds himself snowbound with a lovely widow, her young son—and a gang of trigger-happy thieves. Original.

New Audiobooks

The More the Terrier
by Rosenfelt, David

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is relieved to be headed back to Paterson, New Jersey, after a week-long family vacation in the Adirondacks. He’s ready to put the holly jolly season way behind him and settle in at home with his three dogs. But when they finally arrive, there is an extra dog eagerly awaiting them, as well as one anxious dog sitter. When the dog showed up on the doorstep a few days ago, the sitter knew Andy would know what to do. Indeed, Andy recognizes Murphy, who the Carpenters fostered before the dog went home with BJ Bremer and his mother. BJ wanted to learn all he could about caring for Murphy, which made Andy like him immediately. When Andy goes to take Murphy back to the Bremers, though, instead of the happy reunion he expects, he finds BJ’s mother in tears. It turns out Murphy ran off after BJ was arrested for murder. Andy had hoped for a quiet Christmas vacation, but he likes Murphy’s family and his golden retriever, Tara, likes Murphy, so he can’t resist getting involved. The case isn’t as simple as Andy thought it would be, though, with BJ suspected of murdering one of his professors. With nothing to go on but Andy’s own conviction in BJ’s dog-loving character, proving his innocence would be a Christmas miracle.

The Grey Wolf
by Penny, Louise

A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Chief Inspector Gamache reading“this might interest you,” a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list—and then a murder all propel Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization: something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching.

Now or Never
by Evanovich, Janet

Stephanie Plum now has two fiancés and no idea what to do about it. But the way things are going, she might not live long enough to marry anyone. While Stephanie stalls for time, she buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down an unusually varied assortment of fugitive men.

New Nonfiction

Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie
by Kindscher, Kelly

“For some 10,000 years, the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains regarded edible native plants as an important source of food. Not only did plants provide sustenance during times of scarcity, but they also added variety to what otherwise would have been a monotonous diet of game. The use of native plants as food sharply declined when white settlers arrived and imposed their own culture with its differing notions of what was fit to eat. The biggest change with this new edition is that line drawings have been replaced with color photographs that will assist foragers in identifying edible plants and allow the book to compete more successfully with other foraging guides. What else is new? A completely revised introduction Some new species; some removed Language that honors the cultures from which the plants came and a recognition that Native people’s food traditions did not die out in the nineteenth century”

Raising resilience
by Klein, Tovah P.

Drawing on research on trauma and its impact on emotional and intellectual development, an expert on child development, in this timely and hopeful new approach, offers parents five strategies for raising children who are motivated, resourceful, caring and resilient—all of what’s needed in an ever-changing world.

Revenge of the tipping point
by Gladwell, Malcolm

Twenty-five years after the publication of his bestselling first book, the author returns with a brand-new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light.

The serviceberry
by Kimmerer, Robin Wall

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass explains how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity and community, based on the lessons of the natural world. Illustrations.

What the chicken knows
by Montgomery, Sy

Explores the special relationship between humans and chickens. Illustrations.

Most requested copycat dishes
by Favorite Family Recipes

“Unravel the culinary secrets behind your most-loved restaurant meals. From fast-food classics to gourmet restaurant delights, Most Requested Copycat Dishes brings the restaurant experience directly to your home kitchen. From crave-worthy appetizers likeDisneyland’s Jalapeäno Cheese Stuffed Pretzels and PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps to mouthwatering main courses like Mizithra Pasta from The Old Spaghetti Factory and Gino’s East Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Then finish off your meal with decadent desserts like Marie Callender’s Chocolate Satin Pie or Nothing Bundt Cake’s White Chocolate Raspberry Cake. This cookbook presents 101 tested and perfected recipes that mirror their famous cousins. With insider tips along with step-by-step photo instructions for some of the trickier recipes, Most Requested Copycat Dishes can elevate your home dining experience whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen enthusiast”

Start Here – Paint
by Clinch, Moira

Start Here: Paint gives you exciting prompts for kick-starting an artistic practice centered on painting. By e

Core Community Thanks the Community

On behalf of our Bourbon County Core Community family I just want to extend our warmest wishes to you and yours as we pause to give thanks for the relationships and growth we have witnessed this past year. We can not do what we do without the generosity of our supporters, volunteers, and donors; so please accept our deepest gratitude for your involvement and support in 2024. You are so appreciated! Happy Thanksgiving.

Submitted graphic.

Jack E. Johnson Obituary

 

 

Jack Eldon Johnson, age 93, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Sunday, November 24, 2024, at his home.  He was born July 14, 1931, in Newton, Kansas, the son of Leslie George Johnson and Elizabeth Trouslot.  Jack’s father was killed in an automobile accident when Jack was a young child.  He was then raised by his mother and step-father, Frank Hill.

Jack married Darlene Krueger on June 2, 1952.  Together they had six children, Betty, Bobby, Susie, Jody, Chuck and Patty.  The Johnson family moved to their farm east of Fulton, Kansas in 1974.  Jack and Darlene later divorced, and he married Alberta Herring on May 26, 2009.

Jack worked hard to provide for his family.  In addition to maintaining his farm, Jack was also a talented welder and mechanic.  He was very mechanically minded and used this skill on several of his inventions.  In fact, he built his first welder out of an old B29 generator.  He also worked for Bill’s Coal Company for a time.  Jack enjoyed hunting and fishing as well as going to the casinos and watching Westerns.

 

Survivors include his wife, Alberta, of the home and his six children, Betty Hedges of Valley Center, Kansas, Bobby Johnson (Becky) of Wichita, Kansas, Susie Marsh (Oke) of Rose Hill, Kansas, Jody Harper (Dale) of Ft. Scott, Kansas, Chuck Johnson (Dawn) of Centerville, Kansas and Patty Simpson (Brady) of Garland, Kansas; fifteen grandchildren and thirty great-grandchildren.  Also surviving is a brother, Dennis Hill (Carolyn) of Benton, Kansas.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Ronald Hill.

 

Pastor Matthew Hunt will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, November 30th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Burial will follow in the Barnesville Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Friday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Hospital 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.

Christmas On The Bricks Merch Orders Due at Midnight Tonight

ORDER DEADLINE TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT

Christmas on the Bricks merch

Order HERE by clicking “Register” and checking out online.

Order your event merch for the 2nd Annual Christmas on the Bricks Festival!

Orders will be available for pickup at the Chamber office on Friday, December 6th and if not picked up by 5pm on the 6th, they will be at the Festival Information Booth that will be set up at Wall & Main St. over that weekend.

Design options are shown below.  Adult sizes only – unisex sizing All prices below include sales tax.

Sweatshirt – Gildan Brand

Gray/Ash Color

S-XL $34

2XL $36

3XL-5XL $38

Long Sleeve T-Shirt – Gildan Brand

Gray/Ash Color

S-XL $32

2XL $36

3XL-4XL $38

Sweatshirt – Comfort Colors Brand

Spruce/Green Color

S-XL $48

2XL $52

3XL $56

Long Sleeve T-Shirt – Comfort Colors Brand

Spruce/Green Color

S-XL $30

2XL $32

3XL $34

A special thank you to our Chamber Champion members below…
STAY CONNECTED
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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 

No Bourbon County Commission This Week

 

 

Bourbon County Courthouse

210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800

Fax: 620-223-5832

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Kansas

Brandon Whisenhunt

1st District Commissioner

Jim Harris, Chairman

2nd District Commissioner

Clifton Beth

3rd District Commissioner

 

 

Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.

Fort Scott, KS 66701

 

 

 

 

There will not be a meeting of the Board of Bourbon County Commissioners this week.

 

 

Executive Session Justifications:

 

KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the

attorney-client relationship.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the

representative(s) of               the body or agency.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual     proprietorships

KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting

would jeopardize such security measures.

 

Uniontown City Council Special Meeting Unapproved Minutes of November 19

The Special Council Meeting on November 19, 2024 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 7:00PM by Mayor Jurgensen.  Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Amber Kelly, Mary Pemberton, and Bradley Stewart.

 

Motion by Kelly, Second by Stewart, Approved 5-0 to enter in to executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel matters exception, KSA 4319(b)(1), in order to discuss vacancy of non-elected personnel position, the open meeting to resume at 8:10PM

 

Councilwoman Esslinger exited executive session at 7:45, back in at 8PM.

 

Meeting resumed at 8:10PM.

 

Motion by Stewart, Second by Pemberton, Approved 4-0 to accept resignation of Danea Esslinger as Councilwoman, effective immediately.

 

Motion by Kelly, Second by Pemberton, Approved 4-0 to accept resignation of Christina Miller as City Clerk effective 11/18/2024 and to hire Danea Esslinger as City Clerk, with a start date of December 5th or 9th, dependent upon notice to her current employer.

 

 

Moved by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0, to adjourn at 8:12PM

Uniontown City Council Unapproved Minutes from November 12

The Regular Council Meeting on November 12, 2024 at Uniontown Community Center was called to order at 7:00PM by Mayor Jurgensen.  Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Amber Kelly, Mary Pemberton, and Bradley Stewart.  Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting were City Treasurer Charlene Bolinger, City Superintendent Bobby Rich, and City Clerk Sally Johnson.

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS

Public Restroom toilet issue – Danny Taylor, Taylor Plumbing, has worked on the flush valves for the toilets.  There is not enough water volume or pressure for the valves to work properly.  Suggestions to remedy are to replace current piping from the meter to the valves with larger piping and increase pressure to the valves or replace the toilets with residential toilets.

 

Motion by Kelly, Second by Esslinger, Failed 2-3 to replace toilets with residential ADA toilets

 

He will return next month with estimated figures for both options.

 

CITIZENS REQUEST

none

 

FINANCIAL REPORT

Treasurer Bolinger presented the October 2024 Treasurer’s Report.  Beginning Checking Account Balance for all funds was $272,926.87, Receipts $72,792.48, Transfers Out $3,026.00, Expenditures $36,882.81, Checking Account Closing Balance $305,810.54. Bank Statement Balance $313,061.25, including Checking Account Interest of $60.96, Outstanding Deposits $0, Outstanding Checks $7,250.71, Reconciled Balance $305,810.54.  Water Utilities Certificates of Deposit $37,624.74, Sewer Utilities Certificate of Deposit $21,491.62, Gas Utilities Certificates of Deposit $39,426.41, Total All Funds, including Certificates of Deposit $404,353.31. Year-to-Date Interest in Checking Acct is $587.65, and Utility CDs $1,443.93 for a Total Year-to-Date Interest of $2,031.58.  Also included the status of the Projects Checking Account for the month of October 2024, Beginning Balance $0, Receipts $0, Expenditures $0, Ending Balance $0.  October Transfers from Sewer Utility Fund to Sewer Revolving Loan $1,402.00; from Water Utility Fund to GO Water Bond & Interest $1,624.00 for Total Transfers of $3,026.00.  Net Income for the month of October $32,883.67, Year-to-Date Net Income $70,331.34.  Budget vs Actual Water Fund YTD Revenue $99,922.94 (81.0%), Expenditures $102,002.05 (62.8%); Sewer Fund YTD Revenue $29,153.80 (78.9%), Expenditures $25,731.01 (61.1%); Gas Fund YTD Revenue $100,521.58 (68.6%), Expenditures $93,332.91 (52.6%); General Fund YTD Revenue $205,264.79 (104.9%), Expenditures $160,323.61 (51.8%); and Special Highway YTD Revenue $8,175.91 (112.5%), Expenditures $7,183.05 (70.9%).  The November 2024 payables to date in the amount of $25,002.71 were presented.  The invoices from Homestead Tech, KMGA, Johnson-Schowengerdt, and Ag Engineering have not been received by noon meeting day.

 

CONSENT AGENDA

Motion by Kelly, Second by Ervin, Approved 5-0, to approve Consent Agenda:

  • Minutes of October 8, 2024 Regular Council Meeting
  • Treasurer’s Reports, Monthly Transaction Report & Accounts Payables

 

DEPARTMENT REPORTS

City Superintendent Rich had nothing to report.

 

Clerk Johnson reminded the council that we had received another quote for the storm siren maintenance in August, but no action was taken.

 

Motion by Stewart, Second by Esslinger, Approved 4-0-1 (Kelly abstained) to accept the quote from Kelly Electric to inspect semi-annually at $300/inspection for a contract term of five years

 

The 2025-2026 Projected Gas Supply Schedule was presented.

 

Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0 to accept 2025-2026 Projected Gas Supply Schedule as presented

 

KMGA prepay project – after discussion, Council requested more information.

A KMGA member update was presented.

League of Kansas Municipalities announced a Cyber Liability Insurance Program in partnership with Cowell Insurance Service Inc and Travelers Insurance.  There will be a free webinar November 21, 2-3PM to learn more.

Progress on Warehouse – the roof and outside metal has been removed.  Contractor says will be completed by December 15, 2024.

 

COUNCIL REPORT

Councilman Ervin – nothing

Councilwoman Esslinger – nothing

Councilwoman Kelly – asked about check to Bloesser Outdoor Services.  It is in approved payables and will be mailed tomorrow.

Councilwoman Pemberton – nothing

Councilman Stewart – nothing

Mayor Jurgensen – asked if we know when Bettis Asphalt will be here to complete warranty work.  Clerk Johnson sent email request for timeline this morning, no response as of meeting time.  She will reach out again and impress upon them that property owners want to be able to get in their garage before it gets much colder.  He also presented a retirement plaque to Sally Johnson.

 

OLD BUSINESS

Pickleball Court Placemaking Project – Councilwoman Pemberton gave report that the will begin erecting fence on November 25 or 26.

 

Streets/FEMA – Clerk Johnson requested budgeting quotes from three contractors for the proposed mitigation work.  None were received by noon today.  One contractor did call this morning and will have quote to us later this week.

Sale of property – sale of property closed today and funds received.

 

SEED Grant – Grant application was submitted 11/4/24.  Councilman Ervin wrote the narrative and Clerk Johnson filled in the budget information.  Grant will be awarded in December.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0 to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to discuss non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at 8:15

 

Open meeting resumed at 8:15.

 

Motion by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0 to extend executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to discuss non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at 8:30PM.

 

Clerk Johnson called in at 8:15, out at 8:28.  Open meeting resumed at 8:30PM.

 

Motion by Ervin, Second by Esslinger, Approved 5-0 to accept retirement of Sally Johnson as City Clerk effective 11/15/2024; accept resignation of Charlene Bolinger as City Treasurer effective 11/13/2024; appoint Christina Miller as City Clerk effective 11/18/24; and appoint Sally Johnson as City Treasurer effective 11/18/24

 

Moved by Ervin, Second by Kelly, Approved 5-0, to adjourn at 8:32PM

 

Commerce Announces New Housing Workforce Development Grant

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced the launch of the Fostering Residential Advancement through Mentoring and Education (FRAME) grant program, a groundbreaking initiative that will address both housing needs and workforce development in Kansas. This new opportunity will provide up to $2 million to qualified Kansas technical and community colleges to build and renovate residential homes, while training the next generation of well-skilled trade workers.

“Kansas has ushered in unprecedented levels of business investment, unlocking more workforce opportunities than we’ve ever seen before, but we don’t want a housing shortage to limit our potential,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This new grant opportunity will help build more housing in Kansas and create more opportunities for skilled professionals to put down roots in our state.”

FRAME was developed in response to a housing study conducted by the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. The study highlighted the critical shortage of housing and skilled workers needed to meet the state’s growing demand. Existing contractors are stretched thin, and there is an urgent need to recruit and train a new workforce to ensure Kansas communities can build, grow and thrive.

“We believe the FRAME grant program has the ability to transform communities across the state,” Assistant Secretary of Quality Places Matt Godinez said. “Not only will we see added housing, but we are creating a pipeline of skilled workers who are essential to the future of our economy.”

Key details of the FRAME include:

  • Funding Amount: $2 million in total funding is available, with individual awards ranging from $250,000 to $1 million per college
  • Eligibility: Open to technical and community colleges in Kansas with existing construction programs
  • Purpose: Funds will support the construction of new homes or renovation of existing homes while providing training in skilled trades such as construction, plumbing, electrical work and more
  • Application Period: Opens on December 1 and closes on February 14, 2025
  • Awards Announcement: Recipients will be notified in March 2025

Those applying should clearly demonstrate how the funds will be used to expand or develop housing programs, add residential housing in Kansas, and train students in various skilled trades. Colleges must outline a sustainable plan for future growth and how they will partner with local high schools, community organizations and industry professionals to engage students and ensure employment opportunities.

To learn more about the FRAME grant, click here. Commerce will present an informational webinar at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 3. 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.

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