All posts by Submitted Story

Determined Woolly Worm by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Determined Woolly Worm

My son Aaron and wife Emily decided to build a workshop on their property. So the day came to pour the 32×36’ cement floor. Although I didn’t do any hard labor like the rest of the family-and-friends crew, I was given charge of the eating department. Therefore, I  had the opportunity to observe what was happening outside. I was very impressed with everyone’s positive attitude and teamwork. Nevertheless, I was even more impressed with a lone woolly worm. Just after the cement was poured, one of the guys spotted him on the wet cement and tossed him over the side. A bit later, I was looking at the still-wet floor and saw the woolly worm inching his way across the wet cement again! He was struggling and I felt sorry for him, knowing he would soon have so much cement on his feet and furry body that he would clog his cogs and die. Much to my surprise, he never gave up or waved a tiny white flag. He was very determined and just kept making small strides of progress until he made it to the other side and became free.

Against all odds, the little guy made it! God uses everything at His disposal to inspire and encourage a believer’s life. In this new year, let’s be determined to stay strong, keep moving in harmony with God’s direction, and one day cross the finish line.

All types of people are watching the everyday lives of Christ followers. A few may be impressed with us, some may be against us, and some may think we’re nuts. But, against all odds, we’re to press on with joy and confidence that God is for us. “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NLT). I appreciate the wording from The Message,  “With God on our side like this, how can we lose? Several years ago I heard a church speaker interpret this verse as, “If God is for us, who cares who’s against us?” I like that perspective for sure.

I was astonished with the determined attitude of the little woolly worm, and this scripture should encourage all believers to keep moving straight toward the finish line: “When I am pressed on every side by troubles, I am not crushed and broken. When I am perplexed because I don’t know why things happen as they do, I don’t give up and quit” (2 Corinthians 4:8 TLB).

I don’t know what goes on in the mind of a woolly worm, maybe he had no thoughts. But in case he did, maybe he was thinking like humans often think. “This is just too hard. I’m all alone. No one cares about my dilemma. I can’t handle this any more — I’m just going to give up.” If we’re tempted to think along these lines, let’s remember this scripture: “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency] (Philippians 4:13 AMP).

With a clean slate of a new year ahead of us, let’s approach every morning with a made-up mind that we can do whatever we need to do. “I am rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined” (1 Peter 5:9).

 The Key: Be determined not to give up and quit, because God is on your side in 2026.

Herbicide Resistance: What it looks like in Kansas fields—and what to do next by Lonnie Mengarelli

Lonnie Mengarelli. Submitted photo.

Herbicide resistance: What it looks like in Kansas fields—and what to do next

By Lonnie Mengarelli Ag and Natural Resources Agent – Southwind District

Herbicide resistance is one of the most serious and persistent challenges facing Kansas agriculture and crop production worldwide. Since the first documented case of resistance—wild carrot surviving 2,4-D in 1957—the problem has expanded dramatically. Today, 273 weed species worldwide have evolved resistance to 21 different herbicide modes of action, including many species found right here in Kansas.

When weed control fails, it is critical to determine why. If herbicide resistance is the cause, management programs must be adjusted quickly and decisively. Resistance develops through repeated use of herbicides with the same or similar mode of action at the same site over several years. This repeated selection pressure favors survival of resistant individuals within what was once a susceptible population. Timely diagnosis, regular field scouting, and early detection are essential—not only to reduce yield losses but also to slow the spread of resistance across fields and regions. According to the Weed Science Society of America and Take Action on Weeds, there are three broad field indicators that may signal herbicide resistance.

Species-specific survival occurs when a particular weed survives an herbicide application while nearby plants of the same species are controlled.
Spreading patches appear as clusters of surviving weeds that often expand in following seasons through seed movement by tillage, harvest equipment, or wind.
Mixed injury responses happen when a single weed species shows a range of reactions—some plants dead, others injured, and some completely healthy. This uneven response suggests genetic diversity that can drive further resistance evolution.

These warning signs should raise concern, but it is important to remember that not all herbicide failures are due to resistance. In fact, roughly nine out of ten failures are caused by other factors such as unfavorable weather, incorrect application rates, poor spray coverage, improper timing, large weed size, soil moisture conditions, skips, or equipment problems. Producers typically rely on pre-emergence (PRE), post-emergence (POST), or residual herbicides—often in combination—for broad-spectrum weed control. Knowing how these products should perform is key to identifying potential resistance. POST herbicides normally produce visible injury symptoms such as yellowing, burning, stunting, drooping, or plant death. Residual herbicides, by contrast, should suppress new weed flushes for weeks after application. When weeds continue to emerge or survive despite proper application and favorable conditions, resistance should be suspected and investigated. Field observations provide valuable clues. For example, kochia surviving ALS inhibitors without any stunting, waterhemp emerging weeks after a residual Group 15 herbicide under moist conditions, or horseweed showing no injury following a glyphosate application are all documented red flags.

Field patterns can also hint at the type of resistance involved. Target site resistance often produces uniform, healthy survivors with little or no visible injury. Non-target site resistance tends to show patchy survival and partial injury and is generally more difficult to manage because it may confer resistance across multiple herbicide groups. While laboratory confirmation is needed for certainty, these field-level observations help guide immediate management decisions. If herbicide resistance is suspected, quick action is essential. Post-spray scouting should occur soon after application to assess weed responses. Survivors should be compared across species and field areas. When possible, re-sprays should include multiple effective herbicide modes of action. However, if weeds are too large, a second application may fail, and mechanical control such as cultivation or hand removal may be necessary. Scouting should continue through harvest to identify escapes and inform future crop and herbicide rotations. Producers are encouraged to contact their local extension agent, input supplier, commercial applicator, or weed science specialist if resistance is suspected.

Herbicide resistance continues to threaten effective weed control in Kansas and beyond. While herbicide failure is a major warning sign, other agronomic and environmental causes must be ruled out first. Understanding herbicide modes of action and recognizing when weeds do not respond as expected are critical steps in early detection. Watch closely for dead plants next to live ones, increasing weed populations that were once controlled, and patches or trails of survivors after application. Early detection and rapid response remain the most powerful tools to prevent the spread of herbicide resistance and protect long-term crop productivity.

 Lonnie Mengarelli is a K-State Research and Extension Agriculture agent assigned to Southwind District. He may be reached at [email protected] or 620-223-3720

References

Switzer, C. M. 1957. The existence of 2,4-D–resistant strains of wild carrot. Proc. Northeast. Weed Control Conference. 11:315-318.

Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), & Take Action on Weeds. (2015). Field identification and control of suspected herbicide-resistant weeds. United Soybean Board. Retrieved from https://iwilltakeaction.com/uploads/files/Field-Identification-of-Suspected-Herbicide-Resistant-Weeds.pdf

Yasir Parrey, Assistant Scientist, Weed Extension Lab
[email protected]

Sarah Lancaster, Extension Weed Management Specialist
[email protected]

Patrick Geier, Weed Scientist, Garden City
[email protected]

       Gordon Parks Museum celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr.on January 15

Submitted.

Fort Scott, Kan. – The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events will be held in Fort Scott. All of the events will take place at Ellis Fine Arts Center (2108 Horton Street) and are open and free for the entire community to attend.

The events will start on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center with a free (Lunch and Learn) event that will be held at 12:00 p.m., featuring Fort Scott Community College Students and Pittsburg State University Students for a Tribute Reading of the Letter From the Birmingham Jail” a written letter by Dr. King. Tomato soup, dessert, birthday cake and drinks will also be provided by Great Western Dining Services.

submitted.

The celebration will wrap up on Monday, January 19th, with a film showing of the PBS home video documentary In Remembrance of Martin., (Lunch and Learn) event and Canned and Non-perishable Food Drive. Food items will be collected at the museum from 9:00am – till 2:00p.m. The film In Remembrance of Martin will be shown at 10:30a.m. The (Lunch and Learn) Speaker Presentation Event “The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” by Dr. Prisca Barnes is will be held at 12:00p.m. – till 1:00p.m. Gumbo soup, drinks and desserts will be provided by Great Western Dining Services.

Submitted.

“The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau and “21st Century Civics,” a collection of resources that invite Kansans to participate in community discussions and learn more about the history of American democracy and the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st Century Civics” is made possible with support from “A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 

More information on the events can be found at https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events. For more information call the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700 ext. 5850.

 

 

 

Tough Tasks Require a Friend by Patty LaRoch

Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

Stu Webber, a pastor and author, writes of his experience in the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1967.  Young men were exhausted, trying to survive the heat, humidity and painful rigors of camp, knowing that their final destination, Vietnam, was a very real possibility.

Webber writes of the day the raspy voice of the drill sergeant barked out his first, passionate speech. “We are here to save your lives,” he told the young men headed for combat. “First, we’re going to see to it that you overcome all your natural fears. … And second, we are going to show you just how much incredible stress the human mind and body can endure. And when we’re finished with you, you will be the U.S. Army’s best! America’s best. You will be confident. You will survive, even in combat. And you will accomplish your mission!”

The sergeant gave Webber and his fellow recruits their first assignment. These guys were ready for anything. They had prepared for a 10-mile run in full battle gear. They’d already envisioned rappelling down a sheer cliff. So, what would be the tough guy’s first tough order?

“Find yourself a Ranger buddy,” he growled. “You will stick together. You will never leave each other. You will encourage each other, and, as necessary, you will carry each other.” As brusque as the sergeant was, he realized that tough tasks require a friend.

In the Introduction to Education class I am teaching this year, I have invited a myriad of individuals to speak to my students.  Few are classroom teachers.  Most are individuals who, like teachers, make a difference in the lives of others.  Katie, a federal parole officer, addressed my students a few weeks ago.  Not only does she work with felons, she also has joined forces with my son’s anti-sex-trafficking foundation to teach recovered women how to turn their lives around.

Ahead of time, the students prepare questions for the guest speaker, but they struggled with this assignment…until Katie shared her mission of making a difference.  When Trent asked if she believes there is hope for everyone, no matter how evil they are, Katie did not hesitate.

“Absolutely!” she answered.  “I believe that there is good in everyone.  Sometimes, it’s just a little harder to find it.” She continued, sharing that as a Christian, she believes that God creates everyone with a purpose.

I’ve thought of Katie’s comment and wondered how many potential “friends” I failed to “find the good in.”  People with irritating or unkind or “unforgiveable” traits.  How much of my time has been devoted to encouraging them to be less irritating or less unkind or less unforgiveable?  Granted, I’m not going to find myself in a fox-hole with that person, and my life may never depend on them, but as a Christian, aren’t I called to invest in their lives?  To see the good in them as opposed to dwelling on the bad?

Jesus did that.  He chose twelve, but only one stayed near him at his crucifixion, and that was John, the apostle who later wrote about one of the others, Thomas. Thomas deserted Jesus and the other disciples and was not present when Jesus appeared to them after his resurrection.  When the disciples told Thomas they had seen Jesus, he said that he would not believe until he could see the nail prints on Jesus’ hands and put his finger in Jesus’ side.  Eight days later, Jesus gave Thomas that opportunity.

Except for loyal John, Jesus could have ousted all his “close friends” who ran for the hills as he hung, dying on the cross, but Scripture gives no indication that happened.  If Jesus could see good in those who failed him so miserably, what’s my excuse?

Governor Kelly Highlights 2025 Successes, Looks Ahead to 2026

Kansas Governor’s legislative priorities in 2026 center on budget, water and children
12.25.25 | Kansas Reflector

  • Kelly, scheduled to deliver the State of the State address on Jan. 13, said developing a budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 would be her primary quest.
  • “No. 1 is always the budget,” she said in an interview with Kansas Reflector. “That the Legislature pass a balanced, reasonable, sane budget that funds the important responsibilities of state government.”
  • Kelly said another objective was to sustain the push for economic development. The state’s commitment to financially support relocation of the Kansas City Chiefs to a stadium in Wyandotte County and a headquarters in Johnson County was a “game-changer for our state,” she said.
  • In the 2026 session, Kelly said she also would focus on finalizing a long-term plan for preserving and enhancing the state’s water resources.
  • “We are on the cusp of coming up with that strategic plan that I’d like to see in place before I’m out of office,” Kelly said. “As I’ve said before, I don’t expect to solve the water problem by the time I leave, but I would like in place a structure and a funding source that will ensure that we can address water.”
  • In addition, the governor said she was committed to standing up the new state Office of Early Childhood by July 1. The goals would be consolidation of programs housed in a cluster of state agencies and the upgrading of services beneficial to children.

‘Seamless opening’ of office a top priority in Laura Kelly’s last year
12.29.25 | Topeka Capital-Journal 

  • Kelly, who is entering her final year as governor, told The Capital-Journal in a Dec. 17 interview that one of her top priorities for her last year “is to ensure a seamless opening of the Office of Early Childhood.”
  • “We have been putting all the puzzle pieces in place,” she said. “I think we will be ready on July 1, but I won’t stop focusing on that to ensure that we are.”
  • “That office is what will ensure that my original campaign goal in 2018 of having the most comprehensive, robust early childhood education system in the country can become a reality,” Kelly said.
  • Creation of a new state agency was a top priority of Kelly’s second term. She campaigned for reelection on a promise to consolidate programs into a newly established cabinet-level agency. Her first official act of her second term was signing an executive order — while holding her granddaughter on her lap — to set up a task force to study the issue. The task force solicited input with meetings around the state.

Water planning among Gov. Laura Kelly’s priorities ahead of 2026 legislative session
12.17.25 | WIBW

  • Governor Laura Kelly outlined some of her priorities for the 2026 legislative session in an interview with 13 NEWS Wednesday. The outgoing Democrat said she wants to have the Office of Early Childhood up and running by July and finalize a strategic approach to the state’s water resources before leaving office.
  • Kelly said continuing to develop a long-term plan for the state’s water resources remains a priority, building the legislative task force established in the 2025 session.
  • “I don’t expect I’m going to solve the issues around water before I’m out of office, but I am hoping in concert with the legislature, and particularly with the task force that they set up last year that by the time I’m walking out this door that there will be in place a very solid strategic plan to deal with water, and that plan will include a dedicated funding source,” Kelly said.
  • Kelly said the state’s approach to transportation infrastructure is comparable to her vision for water planning.
  • “What I hope it would be very much is what we do for our roads and bridges,” she said. “We think long-term with roads and bridges and we also have a dedicated funding source for that. You have to have that for those kinds of projects that are going to be constructed over a longer period,” Kelly said. “So that’s what I’m hoping when all is said and done, that we have in place here in Kansas the ways and the means to implement a water plan that will ensure quality and quantity for generations.”

###

2026 ArtEffect Competition Info Session is Jan. 14

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2026 ARTEFFECT Competition Info Session
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
4:00-5:00 PM Pacific Time
All Educators! Join us for the 2026 ARTEFFECT Competition Info Session. This session will provide an overview of the annual art competition for students in grades 6-12. Rules, guidelines, judging criteria, tips for submission, prizes, and resources.
Register Now
The 2026 ARTEFFECT competition is open through April 21, 2026.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/2026-ARTEFFECT-Competition

Unsung Heroes & STEAM Session
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
4:00-5:15 PM Pacific Time
All educators are invited to this interactive and engaging session focused on Unsung Heroes & STEAM. 2021 LMC Fellow Jennifer Braverman will present strategies for using a STEAM framework and divergent thinking skills with students. Participants investigate how logic and creativity overlap to generate innovative ideas and concepts for visual artmaking. Learn more about the session and instructor.
Register Now
ARTEFFECT online sessions are free to join and registration is required. All registrants receive a session recording and lesson plan. Certificate of Participation available for session attendees.
Ambassadors in Action!
Meet our 2024-2025 Ambassador Erica Quale, a U.S. History Teacher at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Each ARTEFFECT Ambassador culminates their visual arts online fellowship with a capstone project that brings the inspiring stories of the LMC Unsung Heroes into their classrooms and communities. Here is an excerpt from Erica’s Capstone Project report:

“Part of our school was transformed into a museum showcasing all 41 student-created artworks. Families, teachers, and other students were invited to walk through the exhibit, scan the QR codes, and learn about the unsung heroes we had researched. Seeing visitors pause to read, ask questions, and engage with the stories behind the art was incredibly rewarding and made it feel like we had brought history to life.”

Congratulations to Erica and her students at Wachter Middle School for their incredible ARTEFFECT projects!

Read more about Erica’s capstone project

JOIN THE GROWING COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS:
ARTEFFECT Educators Facebook Group
For inquiries, contact: [email protected]
ARTEFFECT Facebook
ARTEFFECT Instagram
ARTEFFECT
ARTEFFECT YouTube
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Gordon Parks Museum celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Fort Scott, Kan. – The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events will be held in Fort Scott. All of the events will
take place at Ellis Fine Arts Center and are open and free for the entire community to attend.
The events will start on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center with
a free (Lunch and Learn) event that will be held at 12:00p.m., featuring Fort Scott Community College Students
and Pittsburg State University Students for a Tribute Reading of the “Letter From the Birmingham Jail” a
written letter by Dr. King. Tomato soup, dessert, birthday cake and drinks will also be provided by Great
Western Dining Services.
The celebration will wrap up on Monday, January 19th, with a film showing of the PBS home video
documentary In Remembrance of Martin., (Lunch and Learn) event and Canned and Non-perishable Food
Drive. Food items will be collected at the museum from 9:00am – till 2:00p.m. The film In Remembrance of
Martin will be shown at 10:30a.m. The (Lunch and Learn) Speaker Presentation Event “The Dockum Drugstore
Sit-In” by Dr. Prisca Barnes is will be held at 12:00p.m. – till 1:00p.m. Gumbo soup, drinks and desserts will be
provided by Great Western Dining Services.
“The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Speakers Bureau and “21st Century Civics,” a
collection of resources that invite Kansans to participate in community discussions and learn more about the
history of American democracy and the shared responsibilities of citizenship. “21st Century Civics” is made
possible with support from “A More Perfect Union: America at 250,” an initiative of the National Endowment for
the Humanities.
More information on the events can be found at https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events. For more
information call the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700 ext. 5850.
###

New Book Titles in the SEK Library System

The SEKnFind Newsletter
December 2025

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

Best Offer Wins
by Marisa Kashino

A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success–and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams? Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand). A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged–but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief. Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.

Peter Pulaski Must Pay
by Jen Lancaster

Call to order the Friday Night Doom Crew. They’re an eclectic group of true-crime enthusiasts–a forensic psychologist, historian, and popular Instagram presence among them–dedicated to sleuthing out nefarious offenders and doing whatever it takes to set things right. But when dark secrets threaten one of their own, the Doom Crew grapples with how far they are willing to go to protect her Diana Pulaski is the crew’s meticulously organized beating heart whose physician husband, Peter, is secretly a swindler behind an illegal pill mill, not to mention a loathsome cheater involved in an online romance. When they discover the truth, the amateur vigilantes have a plan to make Peter pay. Unfortunately, the closer Diana’s friends are to hunting Peter down, the closer they get to discovering a secret Diana has been hiding–

The Wrong Sister
by Claire Douglas

In this sensational thriller from the number-one internationally bestselling author, two sisters discover that the secrets they keep from each other prove to be deadly.–Provided by publisher.

The Forget-Me-Not Library
by Heather Webber

Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for. Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books-and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way. When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again–

Dead Ringer
by Chris Hauty

Set in present-day, a disgraced former Secret Service [officer] and a Jesuit professor join forces to delve into the mysteries surrounding the events of November 22, 1963. Fixated on deciphering the conspiracies behind the history-changing assassination, they are oblivious to the fact that the cabal is still active–and may face an end as bloody as the carnage in Dealey Plaza. Will they be able to uncover the truth in time? Or will they become two more footnotes in history?–

Second Chance Romance: A Harlot’s Bay Novel
by Olivia Dade

Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers–but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery. The only connection the pair has shared over the years is painfully one-sided: now divorced, Molly narrates monster romance audiobooks, and Karl is an ever-diligent listener, clinging to his only piece of the one that got away. Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland–where she finds Karl very much alive, the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary–

It Was Her House First
by Cherie Priest

Venita Rost, a former silent film star, has stayed put for the last century-fuming and raging, luring investors and ambitious DIYers to their doom in her haunted home on the cliff. But her nemesis also remains: a once-famous detective she blames for the death of her daughter. Inspector Bartholomew Sloan blames himself, too. He couldn’t save Priscilla any more than he could save his best friend from the noose. Or save himself from Venita’s wrath. Now all he can do is watch as Venita lures each new owner to their death, trapped in this house of horror he helped create and unable to do anything to stop it–

I, Medusa
by Ayana Gray

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – From New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a captivating villain origin story (People Book of the Week), reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek mythology as a provocative and powerful young heroine. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents–both gods, albeit minor ones–she dreams of leaving her family’s island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home. In the colorful market streets of Athens and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena’s favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, the course of Meddy’s promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered. When her locs are transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity–not as a victim, but as a vigilante–and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the crosscurrents between her heart’s deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.

Cold Eternity
by S. A. Barnes

Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago… The cryo program, created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld, is long defunct, and the AI hologram hosts, ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld’s three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there’s a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents. It’s not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from…–Provided by publisher.

Pariah
by Dan Fesperman

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF 2025 – An adrenaline-fueled thriller about a disgraced comedian-turned-politician who takes on the role of a lifetime: infiltrating a corrupt Eastern European country to spy on their brutal dictator.

Wild Instinct
by T. Jefferson Parker

The hunt for the truth is the deadliest game. Lew Gale, a former Marine sniper, now an Orange County California Sheriff’s detective, is assigned to track and shoot a mountain lion that has killed a man in Caspers Park, located in the rugged country east of Laguna Beach, California. The victim is Bennet Tarlow, a rich developer and man-about-town in upscale coastal Orange County. The investigation takes a chilling turn when Lew and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, discover that Bennet was dead long before the lion got to him. And while Bennet might have been the first to die, he certainly will not be the last–

The Pride of Texas
by Dusty Richards

Twin brothers Andrew and Jackson Franks have lived and worked under the iron fist of their father, Prior, for as long as they can remember. But when a petty household argument turns violent and Prior shoots and kills their mother before turning the gun upon himself, the boys are left with nothing but each other and the family’s hardscrabble South Texas ranch. Andrew’s a planner and a thinker, while Jackson’s a workhorse with a stubborn streak a couple miles wide. They’ve both got dreams of climbing out of the dust to become real Texas cattleman, but they’ll need a hell of a lot more than hope to make it happen. They’ll need luck, too, a whole damn heap of it… and it comes in a form they never imagined.

New Audiobooks

The Tin Men
by Nelson DeMille

At a top-secret Army training facility in the Mojave Desert, Special Agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor plunge into a deadly web of military intrigue, AI technology, and robot soldiers as they unravel the shocking murder of a senior scientist in this gripping thriller from New York Times bestselling authors Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille.

Evil Bones
by Kathy Reichs

Kathy Reichs returns with a twisty, magnetic thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who finds herself enmeshed in a series of grisly animal killings that escalate into something far more sinister.

The Tortoise’s Tale
by Kendra Coulter

Snatched from her ancestral lands, a giant tortoise finds herself in an exclusive estate in southern California where she becomes an astute observer of societal change. Her journey is one of discovery, as she learns to embrace the music of jazz and the warmth of human connection. Through each era, the tortoise remains a refreshingly honest, humble, and endearing narrator.

New Nonfiction

Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books
by Hwang Bo-Reum

From the author of the international bestseller Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, a heartfelt invitation to reflect on your relationship with reading and celebrate the joys of books.

The Crone Zone: How to Get Older with Style, Nerve, and a Little Bit of Magic
by Nina Bargiel

A crone-inspired lifestyle guide centered on connecting with the wisdom of age, understanding one’s own desires, and learning to do as one pleases– Provided by publisher.

The Best True Crime Stories of the Year 2025
by Book Author

Bestselling author Douglas Preston selects the best true crime writing from the past year, aided by series editor Pete Crooks, to produce an eclectic collection of intriguing, mysterious, and exciting true tales.

The Tree of Life: Solving Science’s Greatest Puzzle
by Max Telford

Taking readers inside one of science’s most ambitious projects, a leading evolutionary biologist offers a definitive portrait of life’s family tree.

Gardenista: The Low-Impact Garden: A Guide to Creating Sustainable Outdoor Spaces
by Kendra Wilson

In Gardenista The Low Impact Garden, author Kendra Wilson covers everything you need to know to create a garden that’s good for the planet, and to create beautiful and well designed outdoor spaces. This comprehensive guide to eco conscious gardening features in depth garden tours of all sorts, from a wildflower prairie in the Midwest to an indoor outdoor garden in London, a forest garden in Vancouver to a permaculture garden in Australia. There are breakouts on specific garden types, like front yards and rooftop gardens, as well as practical advice on green approaches to key garden elements, lawns, soil, trees and shrubs, water, and even pools. With three hundred and fifty full color photographs, a round up of standout eco conscious garden tools, expert advice, resources, and more, Gardenista The Low Impact Garden is the ultimate handbook for creating sustainable outdoor spaces– Provided by publisher.

Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking
by Pyet DeSpain

Next Level Chef winner Pyet De Spain celebrates her Mexican and Native American heritage in this collection of mouthwatering recipes, a vibrant fusion that ties us to the land and to one another.Star chef Pyet DeSpain rose to prominence as the first winner of Gordon Ramsey’s Fox television show Next Level Chef. Now, in her debut cookbook, she shares the joy of cooking fueled by her burning passion for Native American and Mexican American cuisine. Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking is a tribute to her dual heritage–a gorgeously crafted celebration of the diversity of food and the stories, traditions, culture, and profound philosophies of Indigenous people that season each meal.Pyet shows you how to incorporate a delicious range of key ingredients–from venison, dandelion greens, to sunchokes, bison, and native berries–into more than sixty fusion dishes. Family and friends will be excited to gather around the table to enjoy sweet and savory food such as: Three Sisters SaladBison and Sweet Corn SoupFry BreadMexican Chocolate & Mezcal CakeCorn Silk and Honey TeaWojapi BBQ SauceIn addition to her inventive and palate pleasing recipes, Pyet invites home cooks to honor the seasons on our beautiful Earth and connect with essential foodways. This is more than just a cookbook, Pyet writes. It’s giving a voice to Indigenous people, while also highlighting the fusion of my two cultures with fire and purpose.

The Heart-Shaped Tin: Love, Loss, and Kitchen Objects
by Bee Wilson

Heart-wrenching and heartwarming in equal measure. No one is so good at capturing the everyday magic of kitchens, cooking, and life as Bee Wilson. –Letitia Clark, author of Bitter Honey

Scrap Quilts from Crumbs, Strips and Strings: Use Up Every Last Piece with 15 Scrap Quilt Patterns
by Emily Bailey

Every piece must go with this practical guide to quilt making by using even the tiniest pieces of scrap fabric from your stash. No piece is too small when you follow author Emily Bailey’s advice on how to turn all your fabric crumbs, strips and string scraps into beautiful patchwork quilts and quilted projects.Includes step-by-step instructions for how to turn fabric scraps into pieces of patch-worked fabric to use in quilted projects.Author Emily Bailey explains how to use modern cutting techniques like the AccuQuilt cutter to make scrap quilting quicker and easier.Includes 15 patterns for quilted projects including full-size bed quilts, through to smaller projects for quicker makes. This is the ultimate zero waste guide to patchwork and quilting, designed to get you raiding your stash and turning your scraps into beautiful finished makes.

Dog Only Knows: The Dog Portraits of Alison Friend
by Alison Friend

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER Dog Only Knows is the perfect gift for dog lovers, featuring over 125 irresistible portraits by acclaimed artist Alison Friend–each uniquely mischievous, funny, and full of personality. Meet Midge, who keeps her mind sharp with a Rubik’s Cube. Alan, who looks like a million dollars in his new harness. Lola, whose motto is People to see, bums to sniff. Chupa Chops–how did he unwrap that lollipop? The oh-so-earnest Clive, who does everything–biscuit eating, squirrel chasing, ball fetching–with a single-minded focus. Irrepressible Debbie, who loves cocktail night, and Little Louis, a chain-smoking existentialist who can’t stop chewing over the canine condition. Usually with an espresso. Welcome to Alison Friend’s world of dogs, a singular and very special place created by an artist with a unique gift for depicting that ineffable thing we call character–dog characters, actually–using oil paint, empathy, techniques of the Old Masters, and an imagination like no other. With their big expressive eyes and Mona Lisa smiles, charming habits and childlike pleasures, the subjects of these portraits seem all too human yet fantastically doglike. Perfectly capturing–as Little Louis would tell you–the canine condition, like you’ve never seen it before.

Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and a Reckoning in Tombstone
by Mark Lee Gardner

Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday: legendary gunfighters and friends who gained immortality because of a thirty-second shootout near a livery stable called the O.K. Corral. Their friendship actually began three years before that iconic 1881 gunfight, in the rollicking cattle town of Dodge City. Wyatt, an assistant city marshal, was surrounded by armed, belligerent cowboys. Doc saw Wyatt’s predicament from a monte table in the Long Branch saloon and burst out the door with two leveled revolvers shouting, ‘Throw up your hands!’ The startled cowboys did, and Wyatt and Doc led them off to jail. Wyatt credited Doc with saving his life, and thus began their lasting–and curious–friendship. In this … dual biography, … the lives of these two men, one a sometime lawman and the other a sometime dentist, are chronicled in a swirling tableau of saloons, brothels, gambling dens, stage holdups, arrests, manhunts, and revenge killings–

Even more reading suggestions

NextReads Sneak Peek
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Must-Read Books

A Bitter Wind by James R. Benn
Good Spirits by B. K. Borison
Conform by Ariel Sullivan

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Southeast Kansas Library System
218 E. Madison Ave.
Iola, Kansas 66749
620-365-5136sekls.org

Learn More about Radon Action Month

Learn More about Radon Action Month

Did you know that one in four homes in Kansas has elevated radon levels? January is Radon Action Month, making it the perfect time to learn more about this dangerous gas. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers—and you can’t see, smell, or taste it—making it impossible to detect without testing. It naturally seeps up from the soil and can accumulate in your home without you even knowing.

Take action this winter to protect your home and loved ones. Radon test kits are available for just $9.00 at your local extension office in Iola, Erie, Fort Scott, or Yates Center.

Learn more by joining a free Radon 101 Webinar (30 minutes):
Jan 6 – Noon
Jan 13 – 2 PM
Feb 3 – 6 PM
Register here: https://shorturl.at/B1jCa

For more information, call Tara at 620-244-3826.

Bourbon County Local News