Category Archives: Area News

Fall Family Fun Activities Starting Oct. 5 at Rinehart Christian Church

The Lion of Judah is depicted in the years Rinehart Christian Church corn maize, taken from the church’s Facebook page.
Rinehart Christian Church Annual Corn Maze is part of a FREE fall festival event for the public.
The surrounding community is invited to come out for an afternoon of fall fun and fellowship on three Saturdays: October 5, October 12 and October 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to the church located at 9443 S. 900 Rd. Richards, MO 64778, about 14 miles from Fort Scott.
Family activities include a petting zoo on October 5, horse rides on October 12, and hatchet throwing on October 19.
Besides the corn maze, activities include hay rides, corn pits, pumpkin painting, fire pits, lawn games, duck races, concessions, photo booths, cow train, grain wagon basketball hoops, and inflatables.

“The reason for the corn maze is to give area people a fun day for the family and to let them know Rinehart is a church that cares about them,” said Pastor Kevin Moyer.

“This is the 5th year for us to have the maze,” he said. ” It grows each year in numbers, and people come and stay for hours. It really is a family event, and people can’t get over the fact that it’s free. Even the lunch is free! It’s our gift to the community. Our people volunteer their time for three Saturdays in October.”

‘If you look at the maze from high above you’ll see the full design, the Lion of Judah,” he said.

The Lion of Judah is mentioned in the scripture Revelation 5:5.

Rinehart Christian Church’s mission is to love God, live like Jesus, and lift others up, he said.

U.S. 54 Project starts Oct. 2 in Allen County to Bourbon County Line

 

On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Kansas Department of Transportation plans to begin resurfacing work on U.S. 54 in Allen County. The work will start at the east city limits of LaHarpe and continue east for 12.3 miles to end at the Bourbon County line.

 

The contractor will place ultra-thin bonded asphalt surfacing on the roadway. Flaggers and a pilot car will direct one-lane traffic through the work zone. Expect delays of 15 minutes or less during weekday daylight hours until early November.

 

KDOT awarded the $1.7 million construction contract to Bettis Asphalt & Construction Inc., Topeka. Check KDOT’s updated traveler information website, www.Kandrive.gov, for more highway condition and construction details. Persons with questions may contact Construction Manager Warren Ebberts at (620) 901-6549 or Public Information Officer  Priscilla Petersen at (620) 902-6433.

SEK Library System Newsletter Sept. 2024

The SEKnFind Newsletter
September 2024

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

New Fiction

The life impossible / : A Novel
by Matt Haig

When Grace Winters is left a house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, she arrives in Ibiza with no guidebook and no plan, in a novel by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Midnight Library.

Sleep tight : a novel
by James Markert

When, after Father Silence is put to death, a copycat serial killer called the Outcast emerges, kidnapping her daughter, Detective Tess Claibourne must face her worst fears and long-buried memories to visit the only survivor of Father Silence to see what secrets might be buried in his broken mind.

Looking for smoke
by K. A. Cobell

“When local girl Loren includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway to honor Loren’s missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends on the Blackfeet reservation. Instead, a girl from the Giveaway, Samantha White Tail, is found murdered. Because the four members of the Giveaway group were the last to see Samantha alive, each becomes a person of interest in the investigation. And all of them–Mara, Loren, Brody, and Eli–have a complicated history with Samantha. Despite deep mistrust, the four must now take matters into their own hands and clear their names. Even though one of them may be the murderer”

The village library demon-hunting society
by C. M. Waggoner

A librarian with a knack for solving murders soon realizes there is something supernatural afoot in her little town, in a cozy mystery by the author of The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry. Original.

And so I roar : a novel
by Abi Darâe

After accidentally hearing a secret conversation between her terminally ill mother and her aunt, Tia must choose between protecting a runaway girl or uncovering a truth that could change the lives of the girls in their Nigerian village.

The book swap
by Tessa Bickers

When she accidentally donates her favorite book containing a memento she can’t be without to the community library, Erin, when the book turns up a week later with fresh notes in the margins, starts a life-changing conversation through an anonymous book exchange that leads to something unexpected.

William : a novel
by Mason Coile

“Henry is a brilliant engineer who, after untold hours spent in his home laboratory, has achieved the discovery of his career-he has created artificially intelligent consciousness. He calls the half-formed robot William. No one knows about William. Not yet anyway. Henry’s agoraphobia keeps him inside the house, and his fixation on William keeps him up in the attic, away from everyone, including his pregnant wife, Lily. When Lily’s coworkers show up one day, wanting to finally meet Henry and see their newhouse, the smartest-of-smart-homes, things start to go wrong. Because William can “talk” to the house, and it turns out he’s not a fan of visitors–especially not the man who seems to know Lily a little too well. Soon Henry and Lily discover the securityupgrades they wanted to keep danger out are even better at locking people in. William is a clever, twisty, one-sitting read, a timely exploration of our intimate relationship with technology and the enormous responsibility that comes with invention, withparenthood, with marriage”

Strange folk : a novel
by Alli Dyer

Returning to Appalachia to live with her grandmother, Belva, Lee vows to stay far away from Belva’s world of magic until the target of one of Belva’s spells is discovered dead and she fears she may have conjured something far more sinister, forcing Lee to rediscover her power to protect them all

The book of elsewhere : a novel
by Keanu Reeves

A warrior who cannot be killed, known simply as“B,” wants to die and a U.S. black-ops group has promised they can help with that if he helps them in return, but when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event points to a force even more mysterious than B himself.

Godwin
by Joseph O’Neill

A technical writer living in Pittsburgh with his young family is pulled into a scheme with his half-brother to recruit a soccer phenom in Africa to play for his team in the United Kingdom, in the new novel by the author of Neverland.

Intermezzo : a novel
by Sally Rooney

In the wake of their father’s death, two brothers—successful Dublin lawyer Peter and his younger brother Ivan, a competitive chess player—find different ways to deal with their grief, which affects not only their lives, but the lives of those they hold dear. 500,000 first printing.

Gun Thunder
by Carson Mccloud

“Jack Noble built the Rafter N Ranch with his own blood, sweat, and tears — the pride of Montana and the envy of every cattleman in the surrounding territory. His eldest grandson Gabriel Bartlett inherited Noble’s fighting spirit, necessary to survive in an unforgiving land. Daniel, Gabriel’s younger brother, has the strength and discipline to work the ranch, but lacks true grit when faced with a truly bad man. Gabriel is now the notorious Noble Bartlett, a quick-draw gunfighter surly as a sidewinder. So when he learns about rustlers targeting the Rafter N, rides hard for home. There he finds Daniel holding down the ranch. He’s a hardworking family man who puts his trust in law and order. But the Bartlett brothers face brutal killers who know no mercy. They’ll need Daniel’s righteous resolve and Noble’s vicious violence to protect their family and send evil men to the hell that they deserve . . .”

New Audiobooks

Talking to Strangers
by Fiona Barton

While investigating the Valentine’s Day murder of Karen Simmons, Detective Elise King is derailed by aggressive reporter Kiki Nunn, who sees this case as her opportunity to boost her career?—?and is willing not only to go up against Elise, but also the killer himself to do it.

The booklover’s library : a novel
by Madeline Martin

In wartime England, widow Emma, when she’s separated from her daughter, seeks solace in the friendships she forms at Boots’ Booklover’s Library, but when the Blitz intensifies, she fights to reunite with her daughter, learning to depend on her community and the power of literature to find hope in the darkest of times.

Counting Miracles
by Nicholas Sparks

Returning to 1903 Iowa, a reclusive musician, Otis Taylor, returns to settle family affairs and find his missing niece, while Sadie West, seeking to help her family, creates a transformative bond with him, potentially unlocking the mystery of his niece. Simultaneous.

New Nonfiction

Bone of the bone : essays on America by a daughter of the working class, 2013-2024
by Sarah Smarsh

The author of Heartland returns with a collection of incisive essays on class division, political fissures, gender inequality and more, reflecting on one of the most tumultuous decades in civic life, with a new introduction and previously unpublished work.

Nexus : a brief history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI
by Yuval N. Harari

From the Stone Age through the canonization of the Bible, Stalinism, Nazism and the resurgence of populism today, a historian and philosopher explores human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world, addressing the urgent choices we face as nonhuman intelligence threatens our very existence. Illustrations.

The paranormal ranger : a Navajo investigator’s search for the unexplained
by Stanley. Milford

A Navajo Ranger recounts his experiences investigating paranormal and unexplained phenomena within the Navajo Nation, blending his heritage with his law enforcement training to provide a chilling and factual perspective on cases ranging from mysterious livestock mutilations to sightings of cryptids and unidentified aerial phenomena.

Lies That Kill : A Citizen’s Guide to Disinformation
by Elaine C. Kamarck

Takes readers inside the world of disinformation campaigns to show concerned citizens how to recognize disinformation, understand it and protect themselves and others. Original.

The light eaters : how the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on Earth
by Zoèe Schlanger

An award-winning environment and science reporter immerses us in the awe-inspiring and complex world of green life, challenging our very understanding of agency, consciousness and intelligence by examining the latest epiphanies in botanical research and the tremendous biological creativity it takes to be plant. Illustrations.

Accessible Ashtanga : an all-levels guide to the primary and intermediate series
by Kino MacGregor

“Ashtanga Yoga is a physically challenging style of yoga, which even experienced practitioners can find daunting. Kino MacGregor has re-envisioned this strong and beneficial practice to make it accessible to everyone. Whether you’re a beginner, living ina bigger body, or need modifications for any reason, this book will make you feel empowered, inspired, and confident that you have the tools to make the adjustments and modifications that feel right for your body. Complete with a breakdown of some of thekey elements of the Ashtanga Yoga method presented with the beginner student in mind, Kino makes the philosophy of Ashtanga Yoga more relatable to practitioners and teachers of all levels. She also presents a brief theory of movement mechanics that can help prevent injury, optimize physical mobility and tap into the natural intelligence of the body”

Good lookin’ cookin’ : a year of meals : a lifetime of family, friends, and food
by Dolly Parton

Music legend Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel share their prized dishes and family stories in recipes sorted by months of the year including Barbecue Spare Ribs, Slaw of Many Colors, Watermelon Fruit Salad, Mac and Cheese and Strawberry Shortcake. Illustrations.

KS Supreme Court Will Hold Special Evening Meeting For the Public in Louisburg

Supreme Court to conduct special evening session November 12 in Louisburg 

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court will conduct a special evening session November 12 in Louisburg as part of its ongoing outreach to familiarize Kansans with the court, its work, and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.

 

The court will be in session from 6:30 p.m. to about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, November 12, at Louisburg High School, 202 Aquatic Drive, Louisburg.

 

The public is invited to attend the special session to observe the court as it hears oral argument in one case. After oral argument, the justices will greet the public in an informal reception.

 

“Special sessions give Kansans an up-close look at how the judicial branch works,” Chief Justice Marla Luckert said. “Watching an appellate argument helps people understand how courts resolve disputes and the steps taken to make sure court proceedings are fair and case resolution is based on a correct application of the law.”

 

Luckert said people generally understand the trial process because they may have been in a local courtroom as a juror or witness, or they may know someone who has been in court. But fewer people have seen an appellate court in action.

 

“Bringing arguments to communities throughout Kansas gives everyone the opportunity to learn how the Kansas Supreme Court decides cases,” she said. “People who come to watch and meet us afterward tell us they gained a better understanding of the Kansas judicial system and its constitutional responsibility to fairly and impartially resolve disputes.”

 

Louisburg will be the 24th community the court will visit since it began the outreach program 13 years ago.

 

In 2011, the Supreme Court began conducting special sessions outside its Topeka courtroom. That year, it marked the state’s 150th anniversary by convening in the historic Supreme Court courtroom in the Kansas Statehouse.

 

Since 2011, the court has conducted special sessions in Colby, Concordia, Dodge City, El Dorado, Emporia, Garden City, Great Bend, Greensburg, Hays, Hiawatha, Hutchinson, Kansas City, Lawrence, Lansing, Manhattan, Overland Park, Parsons, Pittsburg, Salina, Topeka, Wichita, and Winfield.

 

Learn more about the court’s visit to Louisburg at www.kscourts.org/travel-docket.

Kansas Judicial Branch

Office of Judicial Administration

301 SW 10th Avenue

Topeka, KS 66612-1507

785-296-2256

www.kscourts.gov

 

url

Women’s Health Fund Grant Applications Are Open Until September 30

2024 CFSEK Women’s Health Fund Grant Applications Now Open!

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas’s (CFSEK) Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund Grant applications are now open!

The Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Endowed Fund is made up of two giving circles, the Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) and the Circle of Friends Giving Circle (COF). The Women’s Health Fund’s mission is: “To improve the health and well-being of women by supporting education, increasing awareness, and sharing quality of life opportunities to benefit all women.”

In 2023, the Community Foundation awarded $53,000 to 12 organizations from the Women’s Health Fund grant cycle. These organizations represented 8 Southeast Kansas communities and 6 counties.

Learn more about the Women’s Health Fund Grant’s history with CFSEK here.

 

Contact Kara Mishmash at SoutheastKansas.org/contact/Kara with any questions as you work on your proposal.

Applications close Monday, September 30th at midnight.

We look forward to receiving your grant applications!

Apply Now!

Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund 2024 Grant Application Now Open

 

 

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is pleased to announce that the Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund 2024 grant applications are now open.

In 2007, the establishment of the Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund at CFSEK was a philanthropic beginning for women helping women in our area. Today, the Fund is made up of the Women’s Giving Circle, the Circle of Friends, and the Nightingale Endowment.

 

Annual memberships in these giving circles support the awarding of grants to carry on the group’s mission, “To improve the health and wellbeing of women by supporting education, increasing awareness, and sharing quality of life opportunities to benefit all women.”

 

Since its inception, the Women’s Health Fund has granted over $400,000 to improve women’s health throughout Southeast Kansas, including $52,511 in grants last year. The annual support provided by these memberships not only help provide immediate grants, but they also build the endowment so that more grant dollars are available every year.

 

“The Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund is an inspiring example of what can be achieved by a dedicated group combining their resources to improve their community,” said Devin Gorman, CFSEK Executive Director. “We are blessed with so many compassionate and caring women in our area who are committed to the improvement women’s healthcare in our region.”

Applications are available at SoutheastKansas.org/Grant-App. Applications close on September 30th.

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas is pleased to be the host agency for the Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund. CFSEK serves the region by helping donors fulfill their charitable giving goals in ways that benefit the common good and improve the quality of life. If you would like to learn more about the CFSEK or the RJB Women’s Giving Circles, please visit SoutheastKansas.org/WHF or call 620-231-8897.

Bourbon County Coalition Meets Sept. 4

Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition

General Membership Meeting Agenda

We will be meeting at the Keyhole this week for our September 4 General Meeting. The Keyhole is located at the corner of 10th. and Main Street across from the south end of the Fort Scott High School. See you Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at The Keyhole

 

 

 

  1. Welcome: 

 

 

  1. Member Introductions and Announcements:

 

 

  1. Program:  Judy Hood will give us an update on The Keyhole.

October program will be by Dustin Emmett, Retain Outreach Coordinator for SEKANSASWORKS.

 

  1. Open Forum:

 

 

  1. Adjournment:  The next General Membership meeting will be October 2, 2024.

 

CFSEK Presents a Free Nonprofit Marketing Workshop

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is hosting a free Nonprofit Marketing Workshop on Thursday, September 19th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. With presentations from Andra Stefanoni, Director of Media Relations at Pittsburg State University, CFSEK is offering this free workshop for nonprofit staff and volunteers to help increase their marketing capacity and skills.

“We are so excited to offer this for our nonprofit partners around the region,” said CFSEK Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Matthew Buck. “Andra Stefanoni has so much experience and insight, and I think it will be really valuable to everyone who attends!”

Some of the topics being discussed are:

  • The four kinds of nonprofit communication and best practices for each
  • How to write a press release that will get noticed by media
  • Storytelling on your own channels and how it can help you advance your organization
  • Communication and promotional tools for your tool kit

 

The free Workshop will take place via Zoom on Thursday, September 19th, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Registration is available online at SoutheastKansas.org/npm24.

For questions or more information,  contact Matt at (620) 231-8897 or at SoutheastKansas.org/Contact/Matthew.

Interested in a Good Read?

The SEKnFind Newsletter
August 2024

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

New Fiction

After Oz : a novel
by Gordon McAlpine

Accused of murder after going missing for four days and returning with tales of a fantastical land, a young Dorothy must convince a psychologist of her innocence in 1896 Kansas, in a retelling of The Wizard of Oz.

The best lies : a novel
by David Ellis

Diagnosed a pathological liar with unimaginable skeletons in his family’s closet, crusading attorney Leo Balanoff, when his fingerprints show up on the murder weapon used to kill a ruthless drug dealer, is forced to go undercover for the FBI, finding himself backed into a corner, but has a few more cards left to play.

The perfect son
by Freida McFadden

When a high school girl vanishes from her quiet suburban neighborhood and her teenage son, Liam, was the last one to see her alive, Erika, who has always sensed something dark and disturbed in her seemingly perfect older child, must decide how far she’ll go to protect him. Original.

Five-star Stranger : a novel
by Kat Tang

A New York gig economy worker who makes a living renting himself out as a pretend fiancé, wingman or extra funeral mourner confronts his own longing for connection when a client blurs the line between what’s real and what’s fake.

Zero stars do not recommend : a novel
by M J Wassmer

When the apocalypse plunges the world into darkness during their vacation at an all-inclusive resort, professional underachiever Dan Foster and his girlfriend, as the island falls under martial law, find a way to escape, but Dan has second thoughts about abandoning the burgeoning revolution he might-have-kind-of-sort-of single-handedly started. Original.

The truth according to Ember
by Danica Nava

A Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more. A first novel. Original.

Do what Godmother says
by L. S. Stratton

“A dual-timeline psychological thriller about a sinister white patron of Harlem Renaissance artists known as “Godmother” and a contemporary young Black woman who has inherited what may be a cursed painting”

Dungeon crawler Carl
by Matt Dinniman

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game-like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon.

The mercy of gods
by James S. A. Corey

When the Carryx decimate the human population, taking the best and brightest of Anjiin society to serve on their homeworld, Dafyd Alkhor, swept along with them, is forced to compete against the other captive species with extinction as the price of failure.

Burn : a novel
by Peter Heller

Longtime hunting buddies Jess and Storey stumble out of the woods and into a post-apocalyptic Maine after their two-week, off-the-grid moose hunt, forcing them to fight their way home amidst bewildering secessionist violence and a shocking discovery.

The chamber : a novel
by Will Dean

Locked inside a hyperbaric chamber, six experienced saturation divers, when one of them is found dead in his bunk, must always watch one another’s backs and when another diver is discovered unresponsive, they must discover what—or who—is taking them out one by one. Original.

The journey south
by Reavis Z. Wortham

When a friend who’s in jail for murder in a small Oklahoma town needs his help, Texas cowboy Cap Whitlatch, while escorting him through Indian territory, faces bloodthirsty Cherokees, outlaws after the gold in his saddlebags and a marshal hell-bent on bringing every lawbreaker in—dead or alive. Original.

New Audiobooks

Dog Day Afternoon
by David Rosenfelt

A retired lawyer and dog rescue operator investigates after one of his recent adopters is implicated in a mass shooting at his workplace in the latest addition to the series following‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas. Simultaneous.

The Burning
by Linda Castillo

Discovering the charred body of an Amish man, chained to a stake and burned alive, in the woods, newlywed Chief of Police Kate Burkholder, at odds with everyone around her, uncovers a secret legacy that shatters everything she thought she knew about the Amish themselves?—?and her own roots.

The lost coast
by Jonathan Kellerman

PI Clay Edison, when a case of simple fraud explodes into an elaborate con game stretching back decades and involving countless victims, follows the evidence to a tiny town on California’s remote Lost Coast where he discovers the price of truth is higher?—?and deadlier?—?than he ever could’ve imagined.

New Nonfiction

That librarian : the fight against book banning in America
by Amanda Jones

Part memoir, part manifesto, the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of America’s vicious culture wars. Illustrations.

The Metaverse : Building the Spatial Internet
by Matthew Ball

“In this substantially revised and updated edition of his internationally best-selling book, pioneering theorist and entrepreneur Matthew Ball goes beyond the hype cycle to present a definitive account of the future of the internet. The Metaverse, according to Ball’s industry-shaping definition, is a persistent and interconnected network of 3D virtual worlds that will eventually serve as the gateway to most online experiences and underpin much of the physical world.”

The incorruptibles : a true story of kingpins, crime busters, and the birth of the American underworld
by Dan Slater

Drawn from never-before-seen sources and peopled with unforgettable characters, this epic and often brutal saga of crime and redemption, set in the early 1900s when a strictly off-the-books vice squad called the Incorruptibles waged war on the sin they saw as threatening the future of their New York City community. Illustrations.

What Happy Teachers Do : The Three-step Self-care System to Support You Inside and Outside the Classroom
by Michelle Auton

It’s a cliché but it’s true: teaching is the best job in the world. So why are more teachers leaving the profession than ever before? Thanks to staff shortages, accountability pressures, and heavy workloads, teachers are burning out fast. This raises the question: How do you stay happy and keep teaching?

Light : The Visible Spectrum and Beyond
by Kimberly Arcand

A visual exploration of the power and behavior of light across the entire electromagnetic spectrum reveals how types ranging from radio waves to X-rays affect life on earth and throughout the universe. –Publisher.

Puppy kindergarten : the new science of raising a great dog
by Brian Hare

The New York Times best-selling authors of The Genius of Dogs, to find out what it takes to raise a great dog, enrolled 101 puppies in the Duke Puppy Kindergarten to understand the secrets of the puppy mind to help them grow up to be the best dogs they can be. Illustrations.

What to cook when you don’t feel like cooking
by Caroline Chambers

“With three little boys less than two years apart and a packed schedule as an online creator, Caroline Chambers often doesn’t feel like cooking. Inspired by her wildly popular Substack newsletter of the same name, this book is brimming with efficient recipes that take the guesswork out of dinner-in fact, each one is a complete meal: protein, veg, starch, done! The recipes are organized by the amount of time they take to cook, so whether you have 15 minutes to throw together something or a little bit moretime on your hands, dinnertime is totally doable. On top of that, Caro gives you more ways to choose, so you can search by protein (chicken thighs waiting in the fridge? Make White Chicken Chili. Nothing but beans in the pantry? Cannellini Caprese with Burrata is it!) or mood (Tomato Farrotto is perfect for a cozy craving, and Crunchy Honey Harissa Fish Tacos are an excellent way to show off). Most importantly, these recipes include Caro’s famously extensive swaps, riffs, tips, shortcuts, and more to be sure they work best for you, helping you save money, improvise, and even learn a thing or two”