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KS Tax Collections Below Estimate For September

September Total Tax Collections at $1.00 Billion; 0.3% Below Estimate


TOPEKA
– The State of Kansas ends September 2025 with total tax collections at $1.00 billion. That is $3.4 million, or 0.3%, below the estimate. Total tax collections were down 1.9% from September 2024.

“I have been consistent in expressing concern that the reckless budgets passed by the state legislature risk veering us off the course of fiscal responsibility,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “While one month of revenues missing the estimate is not cause for panic, it is a reminder that fiscal restraint is sound policy.”

Even though individual income tax collections were above estimates, they are offset by a significant 15% loss in corporate income. Individual income tax collections were $481.4 million. That is $26.4 million, or 5.8% above the estimate. Individual income tax collections were up 2.8% from September 2024. Corporate income tax collections were $199.6 million. That is $35.4 million, or 15.0% below the estimate, and down 12.5% from September 2024.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $293.3 million, which is $5.3 million, or 1.8% above the estimate, and down 1.1% from September 2024.

Click here to view the September 2025 revenue numbers.

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KS Commerce Announces $23M in Funding Available for Broadband Investments

Commerce Announces $23M in Funding Available for Broadband Investments

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced $23 million is available to improve broadband infrastructure through the Broadband Acceleration Grant (BAG) program. Grants up to $1 million will be awarded to offset the capital expenses providers need to deploy service in unserved areas of Kansas.

In its fifth year through the bipartisan Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), the Broadband Acceleration Grant program aims to provide high-quality, reliable broadband access throughout the state, prioritizing unserved areas, economically distressed communities and areas of compelling need.

“Ensuring that every Kansan has access to high-speed internet is not just about connectivity — it’s about economic mobility and community growth,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These grants provide long-term, sustainable benefits by fostering innovation, attracting businesses, and supporting and retaining the workforce across the state.”

During the first four years of this program, high-speed internet has been delivered to more than 11,000 homes and businesses in 35 counties. The cumulative $25 million generated another $31 million in matching funds.

“The Broadband Acceleration Grant program is an important part of KDOT’s commitment to modernizing Kansas’ infrastructure,” Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed said. “Just as transportation infrastructure connects communities to opportunity, reliable broadband access is essential to building a stronger, more connected Kansas.”

Broadband enables small businesses to grow, agriculture to be more efficient, families to connect and communities to prosper.

“By continuing to invest in broadband we are not just investing in critical infrastructure, we are investing in the future of every Kansan,” Director of Broadband Development Bill Abston said. “The Broadband Acceleration Grant program is a critical tool to ensuring that all Kansans, no matter where they live, can access their high-speed digital future.”

The grant application period will run from 3 p.m. Friday, October 3, to 3 p.m. Friday, October 31. The Office of Broadband Development has scheduled a kickoff webinar at 2:00 p.m. Friday, October 3. To register for the webinar, click here. For more information about the program or to apply for the Broadband Acceleration Grant Program, 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 Kansas Office of Broadband Development:

Established in 2020 by Governor Laura Kelly through Executive Order, the Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) is committed to ensuring all Kansans have the opportunity to live, work, learn and compete in a digital economy. KOBD accomplishes this by administering state and federal funding to support critical broadband infrastructure and expand access to high-speed internet. These efforts help enhance workforce readiness, education, digital opportunities and economic development across the state.

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Obituary of Brenda Louise Lawrence

Brenda Louise Lawrence, age 67, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at her home. She was born May 14, 1958, in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of John Edward Chastain and Betty Louise Rupert Chastain. Brenda married Jack William Lawrence on December 23, 1974. She had worked for Peerless Products in Ft. Scott for many years. Brenda enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles and listening to music as well as spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Brenda was a member of the Bethel Community Church.

Survivors include two sons, Gary Lawrence (Kerri) and Keith Lawrence, all of Ft. Scott; five grandchildren, Sabree, Tydas, Zyler, Dylan, and Zachery and four great-grandchildren, Kamdyn, Kylee, Kruze and Khenzo. Also surviving are three brothers, Jim Chastain, Randie Glover and Ronnie Glover. Brenda was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Lawrence, on October 29, 2011. She was also preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Robbie Glover.

Pastor Ben Heffernan will conduct funeral services at 12:30 P.M. Friday, October 3rd at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Thursday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Bethel Community 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.

New Books In the SEK Library System

The SEKnFind Newsletter
September 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

Buckeye : a novel
by Patrick Ryan

In postwar Ohio, a stolen moment between Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt reverberates through generations, as a small town’s buried secrets and a wife’s spiritual gift expose the longing for love and goodness.

The witch’s orchard : a novel
by Archer Sullivan

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore is getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

The ghostwriter : a novel
by Julie Clark

“From the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell comes a dazzling new thriller. June, 1975. The Taylor family shatters in a single night when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets. Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she’s offered a job to ghostwrite her father’s last book. What she doesn’t know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it’s not another horror novel he wants her to write. After fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975”

The literati : a novel
by Susan Coll

Clemi, a broke 26-year-old book lover, lands her dream job at a literary nonprofit only to face absent leadership, legal scrutiny, and a collapsing gala, leading her to question whether the literary life is worth the chaos it brings. Original.

Life, and death, and giants
by Ronald J. Rindo

A remarkable child transforms a small, rural community—and soon the world.

Let’s give ’em pumpkin to talk about
by Isabelle Popp

Prickly textile artist Sadie comes home to Pea Blossom, Indiana, to care for her father’s beloved pumpkin patch until the Indiana State Fair pumpkin contest, but wild hogs destroy the patch; tech-millionaire-turned-farmer Josh offers his help, and a storm-fueled kiss proves there’s something between them. Original.

Play nice
by Rachel Harrison

Clio’s mother Alex lost custody of Clio and her sisters when Alex wrote a book saying their house was possessed; after Alex’s sudden death, the house passes to the sisters, and as the home makeover begins and Clio finally reads the book, the presence in the house becomes real and sinister.

Audition for the fox
by Martin Cahill

“Nesi is desperate to earn the patronage of one of the Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven. As a child with godly blood in her, if she cannot earn a divine chaperone, she will never be allowed to leave her temple home. But with ninety-six failed auditions and few options left, Nesi makes a risky prayer to T’sidaan, the Fox of Tricks”

The book of lost hours : a novel
by Hayley Gelfuso

In 1938, 11-year-old Lisavet Levy becomes trapped in a mysterious library of memory called the time space, where her path intertwines with American timekeeper Ernest Duquesne, whose 1965 death compels his niece Amelia to uncover buried truths amid shifting histories and shadowy CIA intrigue.

Dogs : a novel
by C. Mallon

Cruising Carbon’s lonely backroads one night, the quiet Hal witnesses both beauty and horror in his troubled hometown, where a catastrophic chain of events threatens his fragile bond with his compassionate friend Cody John and shatters their world.

A bitter wind
by James R. Benn

U.S. Army Captain Billy Boyle investigates a murder tied to World War II radio espionage at an English airbase, uncovering secrets from the White Cliffs of Dover to war-torn Yugoslavia, in the latest addition to the long-running series following The Phantom Patrol.

I’m here to kill you : the last mountain man and the taming of the West
by William W. Johnstone

Two more tales from Johnstone Country: in “Brutal Night of the Mountain Man,” Smoke Jensen helps a saloon owner defend her family and business against the ruthless Silas Atwood and his army of killers, while “Venom of the Mountain Man” sees Smoke boarding a train east to rescue his wife from Gabe Briggs and his bloodthirsty gang

New Audiobooks

Departure 37
by Scott Carson

On a clear October day, the American skies empty after hundreds of pilots refuse to fly, triggering a complete ground stop as authorities seek to explain an act of baffling coordination that the pilots insist was anything but planned. The pilots received disturbing, middle-of-the-night calls from their mothers, and each mother had a simple and urgent request: do not fly today. There are a few concerning elements to the calls. None of the mothers remember making them—and some of the mothers are dead. While the nation’s military chiefs and artificial intelligence experts mobilize in search of answers, a sixteen-year-old girl named Charlie on the coast of Maine watches a strange, silvery balloon drift across the water and toward her home—a place she loathes. Her father’s dream of opening a craft brewery on an old airfield has been a disaster, and all she wants is an escape back to Brooklyn. She’s about to get much more than that. Her new home is ground zero for a story that begins at a remote naval base in Indiana during the winter of 1962, when a physicist named Martin Hazelton discovered something extraordinary—and deadly. All Hazelton wanted was time to seek an explanation, but pressure from both American and Russian actors forced him into a perilous race.

The End of the World As We Know It : New Tales of Stephen King’s the Stand
by S. A. Cosby

For the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, The End of the World As We Know It features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand–brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.

Katabasis
by R. F. Kuang

When the greatest magician in the world, Professor Jacob Grimes, dies, two of his graduate students put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save his soul. Alice and Peter have only the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them across Hell, but Hell is nothing like what the storybooks say.

New Nonfiction

Reacher : the stories behind the stories
by Lee Child

These are the origin tales of all of the Reacher novels written solely by Lee Child, chock full of colorful anecdotes and intriguing inspirations; one by one, they expand upon each novel and place it in the context not only of the author’s life, but of the world outside the books.

Mission Driven : The Path to a Life of Purpose
by Mike Hayes

Filled with smart, empathetic guidance, this volume is a road map for discovering what drives you and a playbook for translating those drives into opportunities — a book to help us satisfy our ambitions and our souls.

Anointed : the extraordinary effects of social status in a winner-take-most world
by Toby Stuart

Exploring the hidden force of social status, this analysis reveals how invisible hierarchies shape our decisions, behaviors and opportunities and amplify inequality through small advantages while influencing everything from health and careers to innovation, culture and technology.

Proto : How One Ancient Language Went Global
by Laura Spinney

Daughter. Duhitár-. Dustr. Dukte. Listen to these English, Sanskrit, Armenian and Lithuanian words, all meaning the same thing, and you hear echoes of one of history’s most unlikely journeys. All four languages-along with hundreds of others, from French and Gaelic, to Persian and Polish-trace their origins to an ancient tongue spoken as the last ice age receded. This language, which we call Proto-Indo-European, was born between Europe and Asia and exploded out of its cradle, fragmenting as it spread east and west. Its last speaker died thousands of years ago, yet Proto-Indo-European lives on in its myriad linguistic offspring and in some of our best loved works of literature, including Dante’s Inferno and the Rig Veda, The Lord of the Rings and the love poetry of Rumi. How did this happen? Acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney set out to answer that question, retracing the Indo-European odyssey across continents and millennia.

The beast in the clouds : the Roosevelt brothers’ deadly quest to find the mythical giant panda
by Nathalia Holt

Recounts the perilous expedition into the Himalayas to find the elusive panda undertaken by the two eldest sons of Theodore Roosevelt in 1928, chronicling their scientific achievements, physical hardships, and the broader impact of their journey on Western conservation efforts. Illustrations.

The cook’s garden : a gardener’s guide to selecting, growing, and savoring the tastiest vegetables of each season
by Kevin West

Features practical gardening advice and seasonal cooking techniques to help readers grow and prepare their own produce—regardless of space—while providing tips on preservation and reflections on the deeper value of cultivating and cooking food at home. Illustrations.

The Blue Zones Kitchen one pot meals : 100 recipes to live to 100
by Dan Buettner

Rooted in the dietary habits of the world’s longest-lived communities, this collection of 100 plant-based recipes emphasizes one-pot, one-pan, and sheet pan meals made with accessible ingredients, offering fast, longevity-focused options for breakfasts, mains, snacks, and sides suited to busy home cooks. Illustrations.

Crochet Your Celebrity Crush : Stitch Your Very Own Amigurumi Heartthrobs, Hunks, and Hotties
by Lee Sartori

Features 15 amigurumi patterns inspired by well-known male celebrities, offering step-by-step instructions for creating collectible figures, along with bonus content like fun facts and a personality quiz, appealing to crafters and pop culture fans alike. Original. Illustrations. Index.

Into the ice : the Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-year-old mystery
by Mark Synnott

Determined to navigate the treacherous Northwest Passage solo, an internationally certified mountain guide and Air Force Pararescuemen trainer embarks on a pulse-pounding journey to both complete this rare feat and investigate the 250-year-old mystery of Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition. Illustrations.

History matters
by David G. McCullough

This posthumous collection of essays from the legendary historian looks at subjects such as the character of American leaders, the influence of art and mentors and the importance of understanding the past to better navigate the present and future.

Even more reading suggestions

NextReads Sneak Peek
Looking for something else to read? Try NextReads!
Newsletters are divided into genres and topics. Get recommendations tailored to your interests sent directly to your inbox.
If we don’t yet own a suggested title, make a purchase suggestion or ask your library about interlibrary loan. Here’s a sneak peek of titles from the latest issue:
Historical Fiction

The Harvey girls by Juliette Fay
Fonseca : a novel by Jessica Francis Kane
The art of a lie : a novel by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

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

Chamber Coffee Hosted by Gordon Parks Museum on Oct. 2

Join us for Chamber Coffee

hosted by

The Gordon Parks Museum

Thursday, October 2nd

8am

@ The Gordon Parks Museum

2108 S. Horton St.

(FSCC Campus)

We hope to see you there!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee this Thursday, October 2nd at 8am hosted by the Gordon Parks Museum, 2108 S. Horton, on the campus of Fort Scott Community College. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a door prize drawing.

The Chamber Coffee will kick off the 22nd Annual Gordon Parks Celebration to be held this weekend for which the full schedule of events may be found on gordonparkscenter.org. The Celebration is in honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, noted photographer, writer, musician, and filmmaker. Kirk Sharp, Executive Director of the Museum, and the committee work throughout the year to bring in artists, speakers, programs, and events that have enriched our community and world for all ages.

This year’s event features two meaningful dedications. On Thursday, October 2, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., there will be a tribute to the historic Wayman Chapel AME Church at 301 S. Lowman St., established in 1866, with a ribbon–cutting to inaugurate the new commemorative park and honor its enduring legacy. The next day, Friday, October 3, from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m., the community will gather for the unveiling of the mural “No Place Like Home” by Cbabi Bayoc. This mural celebrates Gordon Parks and his strong connection to his hometown of Fort Scott, and it will be displayed on the Wilder House building at 18 E. Wall Street.

A highlight this year is the “Celebration Dance Party” featuring The Full Flava Kings at the River Room, 3 W. Oak St. on Friday, October 3rd starting at 8pm. The Full Flava Kings, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, are one of the best party bands in the region.

Tickets are available at the Gordon Parks Museum, online at gordonparkscenter.org, or call 620-223-2700 ext. 5850.

Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information. Visit the Events Calendar and category of Chamber Coffees on fortscott.com for upcoming locations.

Click HERE to visit

The Gordon Parks Museum website!

Click HERE to visit

The Gordon Parks Facebook Page!

Click HERE for a schedule of events for

The 22nd Annual

Gordon Parks Celebration!

(October 2nd-4th)

Gordon Parks

Photographer

Filmmaker

Writer

Musician

The Wayman Chapel AME Commemorative Church Park

Est. 1866.

Special Grand Opening Event

Thursday, Oct. 2nd

4:30-5:30pm

301 S. Lowman St.

“No Place Like Home” mural

by Cbabi Bayoc

Celebration Unveiling

Friday, Oct. 3rd

4:15-4:45pm

@ Wilder House Building

18 E. Wall St.

(SW corner of Main & Wall St.)

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members shown below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com

Facebook  X  Instagram
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 

Freeman’s Dr. Todd Twiss Noted by Newsweek for Shoulder Surgery Excellence  

Top Shoulder Doctor in Nation

                                     

JOPLIN, Mo. – Freeman Health System’s Dr. Todd Twiss was named one of America’s most talented shoulder surgeons working in the field today by New York-based news magazine Newsweek and global data intelligence firm Statista.

“It certainly is a privilege to be recognized by Newsweek with some of the best shoulder surgeons in the country, and I think it speaks volumes to the team we work with in both clinic and the operating room at Freeman to provide high-level care to our shoulder patients,” Dr. Twiss said.

In all, 2,845 specialists across 15 medical fields, from hearts to hips to hands, were named by the magazine from a pool of more than 1 million specialists nationwide. Dr. Twiss admitted the recognition came out of left field.

“An out-of-town professional colleague forwarded the article to me, and I was surprised to see our name on the list,” Dr. Twiss said.

His recognition comes from the excellent results from two of his primary shoulder surgeries – rotator cuff repairs and total shoulder replacements.

“These would be the two most common operations we performed, and the lion’s share of any shoulder surgery practice,” the board-certified surgeon said.

Additional shoulder surgeries he performs regularly include reverse total shoulder replacement, labral repairs, instability repairs, fracture fixation, arthroscopic bone resection, open shoulder reconstruction, and biceps tenodesis.

Dr. Twiss gravitated to orthopedics as a medical subspecialty for one primary reason – he simply wanted recreational and occupational athletes alike to get back into the game they enjoyed playing.

“I enjoyed treating the various traumatic and degenerative conditions with targeted interventions to relieve pain, restore function, and improve quality of life,” he said. “I chose to pursue a year-long fellowship after residency in the shoulder because of a love for the complex pathology and evolving treatments being developed during my training.”

Dr. Twiss also treats a large spectrum of shoulder disorders, including rotator cuff pathology, Instability and labral lesions, frozen shoulder, osteoarthritis, rotator cuff arthropathy, sports injuries, fractures, dislocations, post traumatic abnormalities, and generalized shoulder pain with both surgical and non-surgical treatments.

“I think all of the physicians and staff members at Freeman Orthopedics & Sports Medicine strive to provide high-level, musculoskeletal care for the people of the four-state area,” Dr. Twiss said. “For myself, to be recognized for the shoulder, the recognition validates those efforts and motivates us toward continued improvement.”

Dr. Twiss is currently accepting new patients at Freeman Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, 3105 McClelland Blvd. in Joplin. Call 417.347.5400 to make an appointment.

Join the FSHS Quarterback Club

Sending on behalf of Chamber Member

FS Tiger Quarterback Club

FSHS Head Coach Johnathan Stark invites you to join the

Fort Scott Tiger

Quarterback Club

What is the Quarterback Club?

The FS QB Club is a 501c3 organization formed to provide support to eh FSHS Football Team. Quarterback clubs are common in other communities and help provide financial support and resources to the team. We operate separate from the school district, and anyone is welcome to join. We need your help to build a strong football program now and for the future.

Why become a member?

  • Financial Support for the Football Program — Your membership helps purchase equipment, camp fees, team meals, and other team related expenses approved by our board that are not covered by the school district.
  • Exclusive Access & Perks — Your membership gets you insight into the football program and season updates from Coach Stark.

How much is a membership?

  • An individual membership is $25 for the year, and a Corporate Membership is $100. we recognize the Corporate Memberships on our Facebook Page.

How to Join:

Fill out your name, address, and email address, and send payment via Venmo or Check.

Corporate Memberships please email us your logo.

  • Venmo to: @fsqbclub
  • Mailing Check: FS QB Club, 809 Meadow Lane, Fort Scott, KS 66701

Need more information?

If you have questions, reach out via email at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook at Fort Scott Tiger QB Club.

Let’s grow stronger together.

Join the Quarterback Club today.

Go Big Red!!!

Thank you,

Matt Harris, President

Jordan Witt, VP / Treasurer

Coach Johnathan Stark

Fort Scott Tigers Quarterback Club

Click HERE for the Fort Scott Tigers Quarterback Club Facebook Page!

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701

Newsletter of Congressman Derek Schmidt

Rep. Derek Schmidt's header image

Friends,

 

We are now just hours away from the September 30 midnight deadline to pass a bill to keep the federal government open. While the House passed a bill more than a week ago to keep the federal government open and funded, unfortunately the Senate has not yet passed that bill. Instead of a “clean” continuing resolution, which temporarily maintains current funding levels while negotiations continue on the 12 full-year appropriations bills, House and Senate Democrats are instead trying to push through a $1.5 trillion wish list.

We must get our fiscal house in order and begin to reverse the trends that have led to our $37 trillion national debt. We made a good start in the policies that were in the reconciliation bill passed this summer, which included $1.2 trillion in spending reductions over the next 10 years. The funding bills that have passed out of the House  Appropriations Committee build on this effort by decreasing spending by $30 billion from FY25 levels. We can’t go back to business-as-usual and leave our children and grandchildren saddled with these massive debts.

I spoke with KVOE radio in Emporia on Friday about our efforts to keep the government open. 🔉 Listen here.

Supporting Victims of Violent Crime

Video

Sadly, our news feeds recently have been filled with horrific instances of violent crime, from the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the stabbing incident on the train in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Kansas, we have had four law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the past four months.

This morning, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight, on which I serve, held a field hearing in Charlotte to hear directly from crime victims and their families on the impact the rise in violence has had on their community, and discuss policy solutions to begin to reverse these troubling trends.

Expanding Health Savings Accounts

One of the lesser-known provisions in the reconciliation bill passed earlier this summer was a big expansion in the number of individuals and families who are eligible to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to save and pay for medical expenses tax-free.

Effective January 1, 2026, all Bronze and Catastrophic plans purchased through the ACA Exchange will qualify as HSA-eligible plans. Bronze plans are selected by approximately 30% of enrollees. This change, coupled with changes in eligibility for Catastrophic plans, led the Council of Economic Advisors to estimate an additional 10 million Americans will be eligible for HSAs next year. Kansas families who are enrolled in these plans can now save hundreds of dollars by using pre-tax money to pay their healthcare expenses.

Fr. Kapaun Graphic Novel

Last week, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) released a new graphic novel featuring Kansas Medal of Honor recipient Fr. Emil Kapaun. The novel is part of AUSA’s ongoing series of graphic novels featuring Medal of Honor recipients.

Fr. Kapaun, a native son of Pilsen in Marion County, is the most decorated chaplain in Army history. He was known for his courage and spiritual guidance in a prisoner of war camp during the Korean War. He gave his meager rations to fellow soldiers and led clandestine prayer meetings. Fr. Kapaun was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2013. In 2021 — 70 years after his death — Fr. Kapaun’s remains were identified thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). He is now interred in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, and is under consideration for sainthood in the Catholic Church. The Kansas Legislature has passed a bill to install a statue of Fr. Kapaun in the State Capitol in Topeka, and efforts are underway to bring that to fruition.

Revised Bo Co Commission Agenda for Sept. 29

BOURBON COUNTY,
KANSAS
Bourbon County Commission Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Chambers, 210 S National Ave.

Map Qt_Bourbon_Bridge 19.2-Q.0

1302 Project Programming Request

I. Call Meeting to Order
 Roll Call
 Pledge of Allegiance
 Prayer
II. Approval of Agenda
III. Consent Agenda
 Approval of 09.19.25 Accounts Payable Totaling $250,084.75
 Approval August Financials
IV. Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body of agency which
would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
V. Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda
VI. Old Business
 Budget Discussion
 Roads Discussion
i. Lynne Oharah – 95th & Unique
ii. North Crawford Street
iii. Eagle Road
iv. 190th Street Benefit District
 CIC Access – Milburn
 Elevator – Milburn
 108 W 2nd – Milburn
 Crawkan – Milburn
 Planning Commission announce terms – Beerbower
 Resolution Review – Beerbower
i. Commission Meetings & Commissioner Conduct
VII. New Business
 Credit App for Enterprise – Bill Martin
 Resolution – Law Enforcement
 Motion to move normal meeting from the 13th of October to the 14th
VIII. Department Updates
 Public Works – Kenny Allen and Dustin Hall
i. KDOT Grant – Bridge 19.2-Q.0
ii. Transfer of Thomas Quarry
IX. Build Agenda for following meeting
X. Commission Comments
XI. Adjournment _____________
FUTURE 10/6/2025 10/14/2025 10/20/2025 10/27/2025
Vehicle Lease Program Credit Cards – Milburn Culverts Bitcoin Mining
Economic Development Gov. Deals – Beerbower 2025 Tri-Valley Agreement Noise Resolution
Juvenile Detention Contract Road Closure 140th Moratorium
Sanitation Worksession
Benefits Committee Letters
Elm Creek Quarry
Phone System
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS – FORM OF MOTION
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to
protect their privacy
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body of agency which
would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether
or not in consultation with the representatives of the body or agency
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of
corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of acquisition of real estate
____ Pursuant to KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of
such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures
The subject to be discussed during executive session: ________________________________________
State persons to attend
Open session will resume at _____ A.M./P.M. in the commission chambers.