There will be a planning commission meeting held on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM at 210 S National Avenue. These meetings are open to the public.
Oct. 30: Bourbon County Planning Commission First Meeting
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Obituary of Gladene Rose Reavis
Gladene Rose Reavis Obituary
Gladene Rose Reavis, age 92, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Monday, October 27, 2025, at the Guest Home Estates in Ft. Scott. She was born July 29, 1933. Gladene grew up in Cato, Kansas. She married Henry A. Reavis on May 14, 1956, at Miami, Oklahoma. Gladene was a devoted wife and a loving mother to her three children. She was employed for a time with the Western Insurance Company and later in the library at Ft. Scott Community College.
Gladene is survived by a daughter, Cindy Feagins (C.J.) of Ft. Scott and a son, Bob Reavis (Bonnie) of Cato, Kansas. Also surviving are a son-in-law, Dave Peterson of Olathe, Kansas, six grandchildren, Adam Feagins (Tessa), Andrea McNutt (Travis), Brian Woodworth, Tracy Watson (Owen), Sam Peterson and Sophie Enslinger (Garrett) and five great-grandchildren, Grant and Addison Feagins, Logan McNutt and Charlotte and Matilyn Woodworth; two brothers, Merhle and Dorvin Reynolds both of Cato and a sister, Pat Mix (Richard) of Devon, Kansas. Gladene was preceded in death by her husband, Henry, on November 25, 2004. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Pam Peterson and a brother, Charles Reynolds, Jr.
Graveside services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, October 31st at the Evergreen Cemetery. Family and friends may meet on Friday at the Cheney Witt Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery at 10:45 A.M. Memorials are suggested to the Guest Home Estates Activity Fund 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.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 29
Letter To The Editor: Joe Smith
A Message After Last Night’s Bourbon County Commission Meeting
After sitting through last night’s Bourbon County Commission meeting, I feel I need to speak up.
As elected officials, your first and most important duty is to serve the public. Your second is to work respectfully and cooperatively with your fellow elected officials. And your third is to be transparent and honest with the people you represent.
Unfortunately, our current commission is failing in all three areas. The lack of respect, cooperation, and professionalism has become obvious. I hear the word “team” used often, but there is no real team — only three commissioners, their county counselor, and an outside HR consultant.
The way some of these officials treat others, especially their peers, is disrespectful. It’s not how local government should function.
I want to make something clear: I didn’t personally know our Clerk, Treasurer, Register of Deeds, or Sheriff until I joined the Budget Advisory Board. But it didn’t take long to notice that personal issues between the commissioners and these other elected officials are preventing real progress in our county.
I’ve talked with a lot of people about this. The majority are unhappy with the lack of respect, lack of transparency, and the misuse of authority. Many have even told me they preferred the previous commission — the same one these current members fought so hard to replace.
If we want Bourbon County to move forward, we must work together. We must be transparent. We must stop silencing others and start listening to the people who know how county government operates.
The treatment of the Treasurer, Clerk, and Deputy Clerk at last night’s meeting was unacceptable. I want to personally apologize to those individuals for the way they were spoken to.
Our Clerk has a wealth of knowledge and experience in city, county, and school government. The Budget Advisory Board said more than once that this commission could succeed — if they would simply work with her instead of against her.
Our commissioners also need to start working with our Sheriff and EMS departments, not against them. These are two of the most vital departments in our county. They’ve repeatedly come before the commission asking for tools and resources to do their jobs, only to be pushed further down the agenda each week.
We can’t keep dragging these meetings out while our first responders go without. It’s time to make clear, informed decisions based on facts and expertise, not personal feelings or politics.
At the next meeting, I’d also like to hear directly from the Deputy Clerk, the Clerk, and the Treasurer in response to Mr. Emerson’s comments last night — comments they were not allowed to address.
I would like to know what other counties Mr. Emerson has helped go through this process, from his remarks (and what I’ve researched myself), he doesn’t seem to understand how our county’s systems actually function. The people who do this work every day deserve a chance to speak publicly about how these proposed changes affect them.
From what I’ve learned through the payroll office, this new process isn’t saving us money, time, or effort — it’s adding work to an already overburdened and understaffed office. And the fact that the commission tried to push this change during an election says a lot about their lack of understanding of how government truly works.
I’m also concerned with the number of executive sessions this commission holds is alarming. Almost every meeting includes multiple closed-door discussions, usually listed as “non-elected personnel.” But the only non-elected personnel under their direct authority are the Public Works Director, EMS Director, and County Appraiser.
So are we to believe all these sessions are only about those three individuals? It doesn’t add up. These closed meetings are happening far more often than anything we ever saw from the last commission, despite all the criticism those former members received.
At the end of the day, if we want this county to succeed, we need leadership that’s willing to put in the time, do the work, and respect the process. Being a county commissioner is not part-time job. It takes commitment, study, preparation and cooperation.
If the people of District 5 choose to write me in and elect me, I promise a complete turnaround — in transparency, respect, and professionalism.
All of our elected officials are Republicans, and we should be working together — not tearing each other down. This infighting is why our party struggles nationwide.
This is our home. And I refuse to sit back and watch it fail because of ego, disrespect, and personal politics.
-Joe Smith
Write-In Candidate for District 5 Bourbon County Commissioner
Online Character and Values Session is November 19
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Draft Minutes of the Uniontown City Council Meeting on Oct. 14
CITY OF UNIONTOWN
UNIONTOWN, KS 66779
OCTOBER14, 2025 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
The Regular Council Meeting on October 14, 2025 at Uniontown Community Center was called to order at 7:00PM by
Mayor Jurgensen. Council members present were Jess Ervin, Mary Pemberton, Savannah Pritchett, and Bradley Stewart.
Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting was Joe George, Codes Enforcement Officer Doug Coyan, City
Superintendent Bobby Rich, City Treasurer Sally Johnson and City Clerk Haley Arnold.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
CITIZENS REQUEST
FINANCIAL REPORT
Treasurer Johnson presented the September 2025 Treasurer’s Report. Beginning Checking Account Balance for all funds
was $252,115.82, Receipts $31,969.75, Transfers Out $3,024.00, Expenditures $54,279.68, Checking Account Closing
Balance $226,781.89. Bank Statement Balance $236,405.85, including Checking Account Interest of $50.74, Outstanding
Deposits $0, Outstanding Checks $9,623.96, Reconciled Balance $226,781.89. Water Utilities Certificates of Deposit
$38,501.14, Sewer Utilities Certificate of Deposit $23,159.28, Gas Utilities Certificates of Deposit $45,414.89, Total All
Funds, including Certificates of Deposit $333,857.20. Year-to-Date Interest in Checking Acct is $528.81, and Utility CDs
$1,920.63 for a Total Year-to-Date Interest of $2,449.44. Also included the status of the Projects Checking Account for
the month of September 2025, Beginning Balance $0, Receipts $0, Expenditures $0, Ending Balance $0. September
Transfers from Sewer Utility Fund to Sewer Revolving Loan $1,402.00; from Water Utility Fund to GO Water Bond &
Interest $1,622.00, Capital Improvement-Streets from Gas Utility $6,250.00, Capital Improvement-Streets from General
Fund $2,500.00, Utility Capital Improvement-Streets from Sewer Fund $750.00, and Capital Improvement-Streets from
Water Fund $2,000.00, for Total Transfers of $20,572.00. Net Loss for the month of September $25,333.93, Year-to-Date
Net Loss $37,081.85. Budget vs Actual Gas Fund YTD Revenue $103,492.52 (76.9%), Expenditures $95,272.53
(62.4%); Sewer Fund YTD Revenue $26,499.17 (71.2%), Expenditures $32,012.71 (69.4%); Water Fund YTD Revenue
$84,725.37 (68.4%), Expenditures $91,205.86 (57.2%); General Fund YTD Revenue $142,473.78 (95.1%), Expenditures
$192,841.51 (90.2%); and Special Highway YTD Revenue $5,979.53 (82.4%), Expenditures $4,356.02 (60.0%). The
September 2025 payables to date in the amount of $32,459.80 were presented. The invoices from Consolidated R.W.D.
#2 has not been received by noon meeting day.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Ervin, Second by Pemberton, Approved 4-0, to approve Consent Agenda:
Minutes of September 9, 2025 Regular Meeting
September Treasurer’s Report, Profit & Loss Report by Class & October Accounts Payables
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Codes Enforcement Officer Doug Coyan reported the ditch at 202 4th St had been mowed and cleaned up by HB Mowing.
401 Sherman weedeating, junk vehicles, and trash issues; phone call will be made to property owner by council member
Bradley Stewart. 301 2nd St 1 trash and overgrown vegetation; certified letter will be sent to property owner. 101
Washington trash and overgrown vegetation; citation will be issued. 405 Hill in compliance.
City Superintendent Bobby Rich had nothing to report.
Clerk Arnold informed the council of the upcoming Trunk or Treat and volunteered to hand out candy. Council set a
$150 limit to purchase candy.
COUNCIL REPORT
Councilman Ervin – nothing
Councilwoman Kelly – absent
Councilwoman Pemberton – nothing
Councilwoman Pritchett – nothing
Councilman Stewart – Has ideas for the memorial stones in the park. He will email ideas to the council and will vote at a
later date.
Mayor Jurgensen – Proposed the idea of selling the empty property on the corner north of City Hall. Declined 4-0. Ask
the council about vacation of that portion of the Alley located between Lot 4 and Lot 5, Lot 12 and Lot 13, Block 2,
Well’s Addition.
Moved by Ervin, Second by Stewart, Approved 4-0, to start the process of vacation of alley located
between Lot 4 and Lot 5, Lot 12 and Lot 13, Block 2, Well’s Addition.
Repairs to the fire engine at the park will cost $675 to be split with Ruritan. Discussed installing cameras at park and
updating camera system in City Hall and Community Center. Prices and placement will be discussed at the next meeting.
OLD BUSINESS
SEED Grant – Treasurer Johnson working on close out paperwork for the project. 5 shelves were purchased for the
library. MEW Inc. will be in to finish setting up laptops and guest WIFI password.
FEMA Flooding– Second Street, component 2 is complete. Currently have no update from FEMA on this matter.
Council discussed the cost from the City to finish components 1, components 3, and components 4.
Motion by Stewart, Second by Ervin, Approved 4-0 to pay FEMA project components out of Capital
Improvement-Streets.
NEW BUSINESS
Motion by Ervin, Second by Stewart, Approved 4-0, to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected
personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to discuss performance of non-elected personnel, the open
meeting to resume at 8:27.
Moved by Ervin, Second by Pritchett, Approved 4-0, to add City Clerk Haley Arnold as an authorized
user of City bank accounts.
Moved by Ervin, Second by Stewart, Approved 4-0, to adjourn at 8:29PM.
KS Governor Sues Trump Administration
Governor Kelly Sues Trump Administration
for Illegally Suspending SNAP Benefits
~~Coalition Urges Court to Immediately Restore SNAP Funding
Relied Upon by 42 Million Americans~~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and two governors in filing a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Secretary Brooke Rollins for unlawfully suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
“States cannot, and should not, take on the federal government’s responsibility to fund SNAP,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Cutting off SNAP payments is an unprecedented choice made by the Trump Administration and Congress that will harm millions of families across the country. I joined this lawsuit to protect Kansans, because the federal government has a legal and moral responsibility to fund this program, not to take food out of the mouths of Kansas children.”
On October 1, 2025, the new federal fiscal year began without an appropriation by Congress to fund the federal government, creating a government shutdown. On October 10, the USDA sent a letter to state SNAP agencies saying that if the shutdown continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for the approximately 42 million Americans that rely on them.
Despite USDA’s claim of insufficient funds, the agency has access to billions of dollars in SNAP-specific contingency funds appropriated by Congress for this purpose. Furthermore, USDA has funded other programs with emergency funds during this shutdown, but has refused to fund SNAP, leaving millions of Americans without the assistance they need to buy food. It is clear the federal government is making a deliberate, illegal, and inhumane choice not to fund the crucial SNAP program.
The lapse in benefits will have dire consequences for the health and well-being of millions across the country, who rely on the program to feed themselves and their families. This lapse will also put unnecessary strain on state and local governments and community organizations, as families increasingly rely on emergency services and local food pantries that are already struggling to fill a growing nutrition gap. It will affect school systems, including college and university communities, where food insecurity will stand in the way of educating students. Suspending SNAP benefits will also harm the hundreds of thousands of grocers and merchants that accept SNAP payment for food purchases across the country. The USDA has estimated that in a slowing economy, every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity.
In Kansas, nearly 188,000 children, families, and seniors rely on SNAP each month to meet their needs. Ordinarily, more than 93,000 Kansas households would receive a total distribution of more than $34.4 million in SNAP benefits. The Kansas Department for Children and Families, which administers the SNAP program, will continue to closely monitor the situation and its impacts on services the agency provides.
While the federal government funds and sets the monthly amount of SNAP benefits, states are responsible for administering programs in their state. Suspending SNAP benefits in this manner is both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Where Congress has clearly spoken, providing that SNAP benefits should continue even during a government shutdown, USDA does not have the authority to say otherwise. The coalition will also be filing a temporary restraining order later today asking the court to immediately turn benefits back on.
Joining Governor Kelly in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania have also joined.
Information about federal shutdown impacts on DCF programs and services is available at dcf.ks.gov.
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Kansas Cold Weather Rule takes effect November 1
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports October 28
Scout Troop Will Work On Hiking Merit Badge on November 1
Two young men from Scout Troop 114 are working on their last hike for their hiking merit badge. They will be hiking 20 miles. They would like the community to come out and give them some encouragement. They hike about 3 miles per hour. Their names are Charlie Hoffmeyer, age 14 and Max Petrillo, age 11.
The route they will be hiking is as follows
Leaving Pete’s on Wall Street, headed to Holbrook on Wall Street to 2nd Street and Lowman, then turn right on 6th Street, turn on Horton and walk past the community college and continue on Horton to Indian Road. The children will be taking a small break at Indian Road. They will then continue past 165th Road and Indian Road, then 165th and Huckleberry. They then plan to rest again at the parking lot for Hollister. They will continue to follow the curves in the road to 130th. The final intersection in their route is 130th and Brch.
The start time of this hike is 0600 on Saturday, November 1st
Chamber Coffee at Landmark Bank on October 30
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Taco Tuesday’s! VFW members and guests are welcome
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