NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR SPECIAL
MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
City Hall Commission Room – 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
August 4, 2025 – 5:00 P.M.
III. New Business
Action Items:
~~Kansas Joins Coalition in Suing Federal Agencies Over Illegal Use of
a Single Clause in Federal Regulations to Terminate Billions of Dollars
in Federal Funding~~
TOPEKA — Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansas joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and governors for the commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Kentucky in suing the Trump Administration over its unprecedented and unlawful attempts to invoke a single provision buried in the federal regulations to strip away billions of dollars in critical federal funding for states and other grantees. The lawsuit seeks to limit the Trump Administration’s use of this regulation to indiscriminately and illegally terminate critical funding for combating violent crime, educating our students, protecting clean drinking water, conducting lifesaving medical and scientific research, safeguarding public health, addressing food insecurity, and much more.
“It makes no sense to claim that protecting Kansans from natural disasters or supporting Kansas farm products no longer supports the priorities of FEMA or the USDA,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I joined this lawsuit on behalf of Kansas to ensure funds going towards critical programs our state depends on are not ripped away by the Trump Administration—or any presidential administration—on a whim.”
Since January 20, at the direction of President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), federal agencies have stripped away thousands of grants they had previously awarded to states and grantees. The Trump Administration has slashed this critical federal funding by invoking a single clause in the federal regulations of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which provides that agencies may terminate an award of federal funding if it “no longer effectuates … agency priorities.” Those five words have formed the basis for much of the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate campaign to unlawfully terminate critical funding expressly authorized by Congress and awarded to states.
In Kansas, since January 20, the Trump Administration has terminated millions of dollars of federal funding for a wide variety of critical programs.
Among other things, the Trump Administration has invoked the five words in this regulation to terminate millions of dollars used to purchase goods from Kansas farmers, to mitigate natural disasters, and to enhance childhood education.
It has cut $2 million to a Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) program that strengthened our food supply chain by purchasing local Kansas grown food and goods for distribution across the state. It has cut Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) programs in Southeast Kansas that enhanced K-12 science education and access to healthy food.
As this lawsuit explains, the Trump Administration’s decision to invoke this regulation as its basis for slashing billions of dollars of critical funding to states is a dramatic departure from past practice. Before the Trump Administration, federal agencies had not terminated grants merely because the agency’s priorities shifted midway during the use of the grant without any advance notice. That was not how they applied the regulation, either.
However, since President Trump took office, federal agencies have shifted course and claimed unfettered authority to terminate grants on a whim and with no advance notice. In February, President Trump issued an executive order formally directing agencies—and the DOGE employees assigned to these agencies—to terminate grants en masse. And federal agencies have carried out that directive by invoking the regulation as grounds for terminating entire programs based on a purported shift in agency priorities, without any notice to the states and in conflict with the federal statutes appropriating funding for these programs.
The lawsuit argues that the Trump Administration’s decision to invoke the regulation to terminate grants based on their changed agency priorities is unlawful. The lawsuit explains that the regulation does not authorize federal agencies to terminate grants based on changes in agency preferences that occur after a grant is awarded. The lawsuit also notes the importance of obtaining clarity regarding the scope of this regulation, as states collectively accept hundreds of billions of dollars a year that are at risk of termination pursuant to this regulation.
The coalition’s lawsuit is against OMB and a number of federal agencies that have unlawfully relied on this regulation to collectively slash billions of dollars in federal funding to states: the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, and State, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Science Foundation.
The coalition filed suit in the District of Massachusetts and seeks a declaratory judgment that the OMB regulation and Defendants’ regulations do not independently authorize the Trump Administration to terminate funding based on agency priorities that were identified after the grant was awarded. In the alternative, the coalition seeks to vacate the Trump Administration’s decision—reflected in its uniform practice across all of the Defendant agencies—to invoke the regulation as grounds for terminating billions of dollars of federal funding based on purported changes in agency priorities.
Joining the amended filing alongside Governor Kelly is Governor Andy Beshear for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Others participating in the suit include: the Attorneys General of New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Governor Josh Shapiro for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A copy of the filing is available here.
###
Have you ever flattered someone, only because you wanted them to think kindly of you or because you were going to need them to do something for you later? Games-players can appear soooo sweet. (“I am so sorry I didn’t show up for our meeting but I’ve been under such stress and I didn’t want to bother you all with my problems so I’ll just carry them alone.”)
They might even manipulate with money or gifts, obligating you to do whatever they ask. Think wolf in sheep’s clothing. Allow me to illustrate with a real-life scenario. I once attended a ladies’ Bible study in which the leader instructed us on how to make our husbands more attentive (i.e., how to manipulate):
The key, we were told, was to keep him wondering.
I thought the leader was going to get a standing ovation. The young audience was excitedly taking copious notes. New tactics! Hooray! My girlfriend Gretchen and I were glancing at each other, our eyeballs doing somersaults with each new option. Simultaneously, our arms shot up. Gretchen got the nod.
Of course. Gretchen always got the nod. She was gorgeous, stylish, energetic, and she had a southern drawl that would curl your eyelashes.
“I’m sorry,” she began, “but isn’t that a form of manipulation?” The leader stammered, desperately trying to win back her audience with a scripture or two. It was pointless. Every justification she presented was immediately countered with our frantic arm movements.
Before long, she glanced at her watch and silenced our gestures with, “Oh, dear, IMAGINE THAT. We’re out of time.” Our session quickly was terminated, and she disappeared.
Another way to play games is to use favors. We cook his favorite meal or wash her car or run his errands or tolerate her anger…anything to get what we want, either the same day or, for the real pro’s, a few weeks later.
You know how this works. You’ve been eyeing that stunning new suit at your favorite boutique, but oh, my! Way too expensive. There’s no money in the budget for anything that extravagant. What to do! Well, just maybe if you can get Hubby in a good mood he’ll oblige. Yes, of course, that’s it. Mood is everything.
You swing into action. You recognize what moves your husband and you get busy. Perhaps he needs help weeding the yard—you lather on the sunscreen, clap the crusted dirt off your gardening gloves, and whistle while you work. Maybe he just enjoys your company when he runs his errands—you grin and bear it, pretending to actually enjoy your one-aisle-at-a-time, Home Depot excursion. He’s one content man. Happy camper man. Now, if you’re really smart you let a little time pass—you don’t spring your request on him immediately, but you do make sure his mood hasn’t changed before petitioning for that expensive outfit.
Oh, yes, you are so clever. And he is so clueless! A fine combination, indeed.
Proverbs 24:8 states, “He who plots evil will be called a schemer,” and 12:2 warns us, “The good person obtains favor from the Lord, but He condemns a man who schemes.” Any time we do anything with the intent of getting something in return, we are scheming. God is not concerned with the outcome; He is concerned with our motives. Certainly worth a little self-investigating, don’t you think?
FSACF Launches 2025 Grant Cycle
The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) is now accepting applications for the 2025 General Funds Grant program. Applications will be accepted through August 31st, 2025.
Since 2009, the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) has hosted their annual FSACF grant cycle supporting a variety of projects in Bourbon County. Since inception, the foundation has awarded over $464,000 to a variety of projects across Bourbon County.
“The Community Foundation and its donors literally change lives of area residents for the better,” said Gregg Motley, FSACF Board Member and Granting Committee Chairman. “It is a joy to be a part of it.”
Applications for the 2025 FSACF grant cycle are available at FSACF.com/Grant-App and are open until midnight on August 31st.
Information about the FSACF grant cycle, and a list of previous recipients are available at FSACF.com/nonprofits/grants.
Questions regarding the grant applications should be directed to CFSEK Program Coordinator Kara Mishmash at SoutheastKansas.org/Contact/Kara.
***
KDHE Issues Air Quality Health Advisory due to Smoke
TOPEKA – Light northeast to east winds is bringing Canadian wildfire smoke into the state, particularly central and eastern Kansas. These conditions are likely to persist today and tomorrow. The Air Quality Index (AQI) will likely range from Moderate to Unhealthy at times. You can view the current air quality, AQI and fire activity for your area on https://fire.airnow.gov.
Steps to protect your health on days when smoke is present in your community include:
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Governor Kelly Proclaims August “Kansas Breastfeeding Month”
In support of World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month
TOPEKA –
Governor Laura Kelly recently signed a proclamation recognizing August as “Kansas Breastfeeding Month.” This proclamation recognizes the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of Kansans.
“We are extremely pleased with Governor Kelly’s proclamation, which highlights the importance of breastfeeding support for families in Kansas. This proclamation supports their decision and provides a foundation to build a landscape of breastfeeding support in our state,” Brenda Bandy, IBCLC, Executive Director of the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition (KBC), said.
“Breastfeeding is a public health priority in Kansas,” Dereck Totten, MD, KDHE Chief Medical Officer, said. “Improving breastfeeding rates reflects the strength of our statewide partnerships and community collaboration. Breastfeeding is a vital step in safeguarding the health of both parents and infants that we remain committed to promoting and supporting.”
Nearly 90 percent of families in Kansas choose to breastfeed. Kansas is ranked fourth in the nation for exclusively breastfeeding at three months, and fifth in the nation at six months. However, only around one in three Kansas infants are exclusively breastfed through the critical first six months of life. Lack of support and barriers in the workplace can often be obstacles for parents who choose to breastfeed.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides guidance on breastfeeding which calls for policy changes to address obstacles for parents who choose to breastfeed, including universal paid maternity leave and insurance coverage for lactation support. Establishing better breastfeeding support will improve both baby and mother’s future health and reduce reliance on infant formula.
Today’s proclamation stresses the role of every Kansan to make breastfeeding easier in our state. The KBC State of Breastfeeding in Kansas 2024 report has action items and resources for individuals, employers, child care providers, healthcare professionals, and others to support breastfeeding.
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William Leslie Ross, age 96, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at his home. He was born October 25, 1928, in Warrensburg, Missouri, the son of John F. Ross and Goldie Andrews Ross. Bill married Harriet Ann Jamieson on May 14, 1955. He had worked for many years as an air traffic control specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration. While working for the FAA, the Ross family made their home in Milwaukee, Nashville and Wichita as well as Puerto Rico and Panama. Following retirement, they moved to Ocala, Florida where they resided at On Top of the World retirement community. Bill enjoyed playing tennis and traveling. They later relocated to Ft. Scott to be near family.
Survivors include a son, Mike Ross (Mimi) of Ft. Scott, two grandchildren, Krista Park (Matt) and Luke Ross and four great-grandchildren, Jovie, Kenley, Noble and Kansas Park. Also surviving is a daughter-in-law, Willow Ross of Wichita, Kansas. Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Harriet, on May 16, 2023. He was also preceded in death by his son, Steven Ross, two sisters, Laverne McNamara and Winnie Danaldson and four brothers, Gene, Jack, L.T., Ralph and Bob Ross.
There was cremation. Burial will take place at a later date in the Liberty Cemetery, Warrensburg, Missouri. Arrangements are under the direction of Cheney Witt Chapel 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
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A special thank you to our Chamber Champion members.. |
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Get ready to save 
9.65%
110 South Main Mercantile
Angie Dawn’s
Spend $5+ more in 3 or more stores for a chance to win $
($50) in Chamber Bucks!
In conjunction with the Sales Tax Holiday Shopping Event, will be Laree + Co’s, Lillian’s 9th Birthday Celebration. 
Enjoy Special Storefront Hours 9am-5pm!
Birthday Treats
Charm Bar
