Category Archives: Area News

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”

Women’s Christian Temperance Union News

Submitted photo.

Submitted by Loreta Jent

Hosted by national officers, the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) celebrated its Sesquicentennial recently, August 5-8, 2024, in the beautiful Amish country
of Berlin, Ohio.

Attendees from this community were the National Educator Director, Loreta Jent and husband, Larry, from rural Fort Scott, KS.

Convention business, reports, and awards took place followed by special celebration activities such as attending a
production of “Ruth” at the Ohio Star Theater, and discovering the Amish culture through a beautiful cyclorama at the Amish Mennonite Heritage Center in nearby Behalt, OH.

President Merry Lee Powell gave a closing banquet address entitled, “150 Years – Now What?”

Pictured is President Powell as she invited and announced that NWCTU will host the 42nd World WCTU Convention, July 21-25, 2025, in Skokie, IL.

Pictured on the screen behind President Powell is World WCTU President from Norway, Margaret Ostenstad, who plans to be present with many other WCTU women from around the world!

Hollister Wildlife Area and Shooting Range: Gun Practice Area

Hollister Wildlife Area photo credit, Jackson Tough.

Bryan Buchta is the president of Old Fort Sharp Shooters Club, a gun club.  That club volunteers at a local wildlife area, Hollister Wildlife Area and Shooting Range, eight miles southwest of Fort Scott.

The Hollister Wildlife Area has been a state wildlife area since 1978, when it was purchased by the Kansas Fish and Game, according to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks website. The wildlife area includes 2,432 acres of rolling range and pasture land, interspersed with native woodlands.

The shooting range, within the wildlife area,  is operated solely by volunteer Range Safety Officers (RSO’s) who adhere to National Rifle Association range safety guidelines, Buchta said.

There are always two Range Safety Officers on duty during the times of the shooting range events.

Firearm safety and knowledge are the club’s main goals.

Bryan Buchta. Submitted photo.

“There are about 250 memberships,” he said. “There are about 50-75 regulars. Although it’s never crowded there.”

“During hunting season, hunters come out to sight their rifles,” Bryan said. “There are also shooting competitions.”

There was a 22 caliber rife competition recently and there is an upcoming pistol competition, he said.

“Pistol competitions; “Steel Challenge” and “Action Pistol”, are held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays respectively each month at 8:00 am,” he said. ” Everyone is welcome to compete in the matches including new shooters as the RSOs and competitors are always happy to teach new shooters how the competition operate.”

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Scott Police Department also do training at Hollister Shooting Range.

In 1994, the Old Fort Sharp Shooters (OFSS) signed a “Friends Group” agreement with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks outlining the operation and management of a shooting range, according to the group’s Facebook page. Persons utilizing the range are required to pay a maintenance fee to help cover Old Fort Sharp Shooters’ costs for range operation.
“Hollister Shooting Range is a very economical training facility that’s just a few miles outside of town,” said Julie, his wife.
OFSS also has a blog located at http://oldfortsharpshooters.proboards.com/
PRICES: OFSS members are not required to pay daily use fees (does not apply to trap-see below)
•$20- Individual yearly OFSS maintenance fee
•$30- Family yearly OFSS maintenance fee
•$10 – Daily shooting range fee (non-member)
The shooting range area is open from March through November:
on the 1st FULL weekend of each month and the
3rd FULL weekend of each month on Saturdays from  11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.

The Sharp Shooters meet the first Wednesday of each month at the fire station on 54 Hwy. east of Fort Scott and the public is welcome.

Bryan Buchta can be reached at 913-368-8811.

To learn more:

 

Veteran’s Benefit: A Place to Stay in K.C. For Medical Visits

Submitted photo.

The Buchta’s also wanted veterans to know of Fisher House in Kansas City, which is accommodations provided for vets receiving medical care.

“My husband is a veteran and he’s had multiple procedures at the Kansas City Veterans’ Administration Hospital hospital and if an overnight is needed for the procedure, or if it’s early in the morning, even if it’s outpatient, you can request to stay at the Fischer house. It is a 100% free ‘hotel room’.The people in the Fort Scott and the surrounding area qualify for this benefit because we are more than 50 miles away from the hospital,” Julie said.

Julie and Bryan Buchta. Submitted photo.

“It has a fully stocked amazing kitchen, with snacks and food options in the fridge and freezer, free of charge.… although the procedures can be at any area hospital, it does not have to be at the VA hospital,” she said.

“They are very kind and accommodating,” she said.  “The Fisher House was built approximately 3 or 4 years old and is a gorgeous facility.”

The address of the Fisher House is 4801 E. Linwood Blvd.
Kansas City, MO64128, which is near the VA Hosptial.

The manager is Mike Peters who can be reached at
[email protected]
or (816) 714-8697

To learn more:

https://fisherhouse.org/about/our-history/

 

Viral Infections On The Rise In The Region

A Note from the Bourbon County  Health Officer:
Rebecca Johnson, SEKMCHD Director.
As respiratory illnesses such as colds, flu, COVID-19, and other viral infections are on the rise in our region, it is crucial for our community to take preventive measures to protect both individual and public health. The SEK Multi-County Health Department is urging everyone to be vigilant in practicing habits that can reduce the risk of infection and help control the spread of these viruses.Here are some key steps everyone can take:

  1. Practice Good Hand Hygiene: Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of viruses.
  1. Wear a Mask: Masks are particularly important in crowded or enclosed spaces where social distancing may be difficult. They help reduce the transmission of respiratory droplets.
  1. Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Always use a tissue or your elbow to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. This simple action helps prevent the spread of germs to others.
  1. Stay Home if You Are Sick: If you are experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness, please stay home to avoid spreading the virus to others. Rest and recovery are essential for your health and the health of our community.
  1. Get Vaccinated: Staying up to date with your flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine (when available) is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and others from serious illness. You may also want to consider getting the RSV vaccine if you are pregnant or are 60 years or older.

We encourage everyone to follow these guidelines and stay informed about the latest public health recommendations. Together, we can make a significant impact in reducing the spread of respiratory viruses in our community.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. By working together, we can keep our community healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Johnson, BSN, RN

Administrator/SEK Local Health Officer

SEK Multi-County Health Department

 

 

 

Becky Johnson, BSN-RN
Administrator/SEK Local Health Officer
SEK Multi-County Health Department
Address 524 S Lowman St, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Website www.sekmchd.com/   Email [email protected]
Phone (620)223-4464   Fax (620) 223-1686

Several Bourbon County Entities Awarded CFSK Grants

CFSEK Awards $170,000 to SEK Nonprofits

 

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is excited to announce General Funds grants totaling $170,000 have been awarded to 65 nonprofit organizations across 23 counties in Southeast Kansas.

 

The areas of Basic Human Needs, Youth Activities, and Arts & Culture are the focus of the CFSEK General Funds competitive grant process. Proposals for projects in these focus areas were accepted during the month of June. Submissions were reviewed, and selections for funding were completed late last month.

 

“We are continually inspired by the commitment of our nonprofit partners in Southeast Kansas, and we take pride in supporting their impactful work,” said Devin Gorman, CFSEK Executive Director. “These organizations deliver a diverse range of programs, services, and activities that significantly enhance our community. We know these grants will truly benefit Southeast Kansas as a whole.”

 

Since 2004, competitive granting from funds directly managed by CFSEK have provided over $1.8 million to organizations throughout Southeast Kansas. Competitive granting differs from other granting provided by CFSEK, such as donor-advised grants, designated grants, field of interest grants, and others. Since its inception in 2001, CFSEK has provided over $22 million in total grant funding throughout Southeast Kansas.

 

The following organizations and projects were awarded funds from the 2024 General Funds grant process:

 

Arts & Culture – $5,200

  • Big Brutus, Inc. – Brutus Fest 2025
  • Family Resource Center, Inc. – Children’s Art Gala
  • Howard City Library – Culture Experience
  • Josiah Fletcher Foundation – Scholarships for Jazz Camp
  • Spring River Mental Health and Wellness – Pathfinders
  • USD 404 Riverton – Elementary Cafeteria

 

Basic Human Needs – $71,800

  • Care Cupboard Hygiene Pantry – This Is How We Roll
  • Catholic Charities, Inc. – Housing and Homeless Services
  • Catholic Diocese of Wichita – The Lord’s Diner-Pittsburg – Weekend Nutrition Matters
  • CLASS LTD – AED Access for Individuals with IDD
  • Coffey Health System – Commitment to Excellence, Baby Approved
  • Community Food Pantry Fund – Milk Money
  • Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas – Southeast Kansas Diaper Stock
  • Cornerstones of Care – Stopping the Spiral
  • Crosstimbers Food Pantry Association – Feeding the Need
  • DBLO Association – Beds for Children in Need
  • Dream Center of the 4 States – Help and Hope
  • Families and Children Together, Inc. – Starting with the Basics
  • First Baptist Church Riverton – Share with Love Food Pantry
  • First United Methodist Church Wesley House – Food for Families
  • Fort Scott Community College – Greyhound Pantry Upgrade
  • Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries – Family Empowerment and Stability
  • Happy Kids Daycare & Preschool, Inc. – Safety First
  • Homer Cole Community Center Inc – Ensuring Guest Safety and Keepin’ Up Appearances
  • Howard City Library – Drinking Water Availability
  • Safehouse Crisis Center, Inc. – Welcome Home
  • Humanity House Foundation – Feeding Allen County 2024
  • Integrated Behavioral Technologies, Inc. – Individual ABA Start-up Kits for Children in Autism Program
  • Labette County Emergency Assistance Center – Emergency Funds for Labette County Families
  • McCune Lions Club – Restroom Addition to Pavilion
  • Mosaic – Ensuring Safety, Security and Well Being
  • Sacred Heart Parish – Enhancing Client Access to Quality Frozen Meat
  • SEK-CAP – Safe Homes
  • Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging – TC Fund All Counties
  • Southwind Extension Education Foundation Inc – Kitchen Restore
  • The Beacon Inc. – Maintaining Food Assistance
  • The Salvation Army – Pittsburg Home Goods Pantry and Personal Hygiene Items

 

Youth Activities – $93,000

  • Altamont Public Library – Youth Activity Area
  • Caney Valley Agape Network, Inc. – Grandfamilies and Youth Support
  • Chanute Public Library – Literacy4Littles
  • Cherry Street Youth Center, Inc. – Garden Improvements
  • City of Galena – City Park Splashpad Shade
  • City of Girard – Diving into Summer with New Diving Boards
  • City of Mulberry – Mulberry Ball Park Improvements
  • Columbus Area Community Foundation – Youth Activities Granting
  • Columbus USD 493- Park Elementary – Sensory/Focus Room
  • Crawford County Fair Association – Show Arena and Livestock Barn Paint Upgrade
  • Curious Minds Discovery Zone, Inc. – Backyard Exhibit Landscaping
  • Eden Early Learning Academy – Sensory Play in Safe Spaces
  • Families and Children Together Inc. – Here Comes the Sun
  • First United Methodist Church Wesley House – The Cozy Kids, Coats for Kids Program
  • Fort Scott Area Community Foundation – Youth Activities Granting
  • Fostering Connections – Sleep in Safety Program
  • Friends of Crawford State Park via Kansas Wildscape Foundation – Outdoor Education at the Lake
  • Girard Area Community Foundation – Youth Activities Granting
  • Girard FFA Chapter – Sand Blasting
  • Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland – Tables for Girl Scout Outdoor Activities
  • Howard City Library – Reading Incentive Program
  • Learning Tree Institute at Greenbush – Aligning the Stars
  • Miners Hall Museum Foundation – MHM/Franklin Community Park Continued Improvements
  • Our Lady of Lourdes Parish/St. Mary’s Colgan Catholic Schools – Resurfacing the Track
  • Ozark Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America – Hooked On Scouting Recruitment Campaign
  • Southeast Kansas Baptist Association – A Threefold Cord-Faith, Friendship and Fun
  • Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center – It’s More Than A Snack
  • Special Olympics Kansas – Sports Equipment
  • Patrick Catholic School – Students Learning Through Technology
  • TFI Family Services – Helping SE Kansas Teens in Care Become Adults
  • The Foster Closet, Inc. – Family Enrichment Events
  • University of Kansas Medical Center Area Health Education Center – Journeys & Destinations – Girard, KS
  • Victory Life Church – Back2School Event 24

 

The CFSEK Board of Trustees and staff congratulate all the 2024 grant recipients!

 

For additional information related to CFSEK’s competitive granting opportunities, visit www.SoutheastKansas.org or call 620-231-8897.

 

The SEKnFind Newsletter July 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

Bear : a novel
by Julia Phillips

Trapped on a remote Washington island with their dreams out of reach, two sisters clash when a mysterious bear arrives swimming in the channel, forcing them to confront their conflicting desires for escape and connection

The god of the woods
by Liz Moore

In 1975, when a camp counselor discovers the 13-year-old daughter of the summer camp’s owners has disappeared just like her brother 14 years earlier, a panicked search begins as the secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow are revealed.

Broiler
by Eli Cranor

From the nationally bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of Don’t Know Tough and Ozark Dogs comes another edge-of-your-seat noir thriller that exposes the dark, bloody heart of life on the margins in the American South and the bleak underside of a bygone American Dream

The summer of keeping secrets
by Jill Lynn

While cleaning out the family home in Dillon, Colorado, Marin and her two adult children, free-spirited Slade and strait-laced Reed, when secrets are revealed from both the past and present, must decide if these revelations will tear them apart or piece them back together. Original.

Big in Sweden : a novel
by Sally Franson

Paulie Johansson auditions for a reality tv show where Swedish-American compete to win a reunion with their relatives and discovers through increasingly absurd challenges how to embrace her heritage, find love and a newfound sense of self.

Let the games begin
by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

Interning at the 2024 Summer Games in Athens, Olivia, when she meets Zeke, the heartthrob runner of Team Great Britain, finds things heating up as they become close, but when the competition gets fierce, she must decide if their relationship is strong enough to cross the finish line. Original.

Only One Survives
by Hannah Mary McKinnon

Drummer Vienna Taylor, when her band’s bus careens off an icy mountain road during a blizzard, stranding them in a nearby abandoned cabin, finds her dreams turning into a terrifying nightmare, as, one by one, her fellow band members meet a gruesome end?—?and her best friend vanishes in the night. Original.

The spellshop
by Sarah Beth Durst

When the Great Library of Alyssium goes up in flames, introverted librarian Kiela and her sentient spider plant flee to the faraway island of her childhood where she opens a spell shop to restore the island’s power, coming out of her shell to make a new life for herself.

All this and more : a novel
by Peng Shepherd

A divorced, middle-aged woman full of regrets is selected for a reality show that uses quantum technology to allow contestants to relive and revise their pasts but she discovers that changing everything doesn’t necessarily bring her happiness.

Shanghai : a novel
by Joseph Kanon

After escaping the Gestapo, Daniel Lohr arrives in Shanghai, where glamor and squalor exist side-by-side, and as he tries to navigate through his uncle’s world in the city’s fabled nightlife, he tries to stay one step ahead of murder and outrun his own past.

Wolf at the table : a novel
by Adam Rapp

A Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-finalist playwright presents a harrowing multigenerational saga about a family harboring a serial killer in their midst.

The heart in winter : a novel
by Kevin Barry

In 1891 Montana, Tom Rourke, a young poet and ballad-maker, and Polly Gillspie, the new bride of an extremely devout mine captain, falling madly in love, strike out west on a stolen horse, but with a posse of deranged gunmen in hot pursuit, the choices they make will haunt them forever.

New Audiobooks

The summer pact : a novel
by Emily Giffin

Ten years after they made a pact, promising to always be there for each other in their times of need, Hannah, when one of the happiest moments of her life is suddenly turned upside down, calls on her closest friends, and together, they embark on a shared journey of self-discovery, forgiveness and acceptance. Simultaneous.

Shelterwood
by Lisa Wingate

In 1990 Oklahoma, Valerie, a Law Enforcement Ranger reporting for duty at Horsethief Trail National Park, is immediately faced with the long-hidden burial site of three children, and working with the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police, unearths old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.

Familiaris
by David Wroblewski

It is spring 1919, and John Sawtelle’s imagination has gotten him into trouble, again. Now John and his newlywed wife, Mary, along with their two best friends and their three dogs, are setting off for Wisconsin’s northwoods, where they hope to make a fresh start, and, with a little luck, discover what it takes to live a life of meaning, purpose and adventure. But the place they are headed for is far stranger and more perilous than they realize, and it will take all their ingenuity, along with a few new friends, to realize their dreams.

New Nonfiction

Three Kings : Race, Class, and the Barrier-breaking Rivals Who Launched the Modern Olympic Age
by Todd Balf

The first globally broadcast swim match, the one-hundred-meter at the 1924 Olympics, saw three great swimmers shatter records and invite unprecedented scrutiny about race, class, and celebrity. This book traces the careers and rivalries of these men and the epochal times they lived in.

Right thing, right now : good values, good character, good deeds
by Ryan Holiday

Drawing on fascinating stories of historical figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Florence Nightingale, Ghandi and Frederick Douglass, one of the world’s bestselling living philosophers teaches readers the transformational power of living by a moral code—to do what’s right even when it isn’t easy.

Ruin their crops on the ground : the politics of food in the United States, from the Trail of Tears to school lunch
by Andrea Freeman

Based on 15 years of research to argue American food law and policy have historically been used to create and maintain racial and cultural inequality, the author, who pioneered the term“food oppression,” shows how these practices continue to this day, upending the notion that we freely and equally choose what we eat.

The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2025 : Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes
by Gen Tanabe

This #1 selling scholarship guide from winners of more than $100,000 in scholarships provides information on 1.5 million scholarships, grants and prizes along with guidance for students and parents to complete the application process, including eligibility requirements, sponsor website listings, award amounts, deadlines and more. Original.

The secret history of sharks : the rise of the ocean’s most fearsome predators
by John A. Long

A world-leading paleontologist on the cutting edge of shark research for decades showcases the global search to discover sharks’ secret history, from ancient megalodons to fearsome Great Whites, as he and dozens of other extraordinary scientists embark on digs to all seven continents where they find clues to sharks’ singular story. Illustrations.

The chair and the valley : a memoir of trauma, healing, and the outdoors
by Banning Lyon

In this no-holds-barred story about healing from trauma and starting over, the author recounts how he was forced to stay in a psychiatric hospital for 353 life-altering days, and after years of highs and lows, found hope in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park where he discovered a new purpose.

Dinner Tonight : Simple Meals Full of Mediterranean Flavor
by Meliz Berg

Inspired by her Turkish-Cypriot heritage, a self-taught cook and recipe developer follows up her best-selling cookbook with a second collection of quick and nourishing meals including One-Pot Orzo, Leftover Hummus Soup, Cheater’s Lahmacun Pide Pockets and Tavuk Kebab Curry. Illustrations.

Crochet monsters
by Megan Lapp

A mix and match guide to crocheting adorable monsters with interchangeab