Category Archives: Area News

CFSEK launches inaugural Mount Carmel Foundation Legacy Grant Cycle

Honoring the past by looking to the future:

CFSEK launches inaugural Mount Carmel Foundation Legacy Grant Cycle

On April 14, 1903, the Mount Carmel Hospital in Pittsburg opened its doors. For over 100 years, the hospital was a cornerstone of healthcare in the Southeast Kansas community. The name, Mount Carmel, means much to the community. The Mount Carmel Foundation (MCF) was formed in 1983 to ensure everyone in Southeast Kansas had access to quality healthcare and continued that mission until August 2024.

The changing landscape of healthcare in Southeast Kansas led the MCF board to consider transferring their assets to another local organization to carry on their mission. They chose to donate their funds to the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) to establish the Mount Carmel Foundation Legacy Grant Cycle, with the mission to carry on the legacy of MCF throughout Southeast Kansas, forever.

“The Mount Carmel name has such a rich history in our area and holds a special place in many peoples’ hearts,” said Devin Gorman, CFSEK Executive Director. “We are extremely proud to help carry on the name and honor the great work the Mount Carmel Foundation achieved during its lifetime. These annual healthcare grants will honor that history while providing significant programs, services, and equipment, which will have a positive impact on the lives of so many people in our community.”

The inaugural Mount Carmel Foundation Legacy Grant Cycle through CFSEK is open February 1-28, 2025. This grant opportunity is for any nonprofit healthcare providers in Southeast Kansas that share the vision of the Mount Carmel Foundation: to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare for SEK residents.

Applications are available at SoutheastKansas.org/Grant-App, and more information about the granting fund is available at SoutheastKansas.org/news/blog/mtcarmel.

Tragic Plane Crash Near Washington, D.C. Airport From Wichita

Governor Kelly Releases Statement Regarding
Tragic Plane Crash Near Washington, D.C. Airport


TOPEKA — This morning, Governor Laura Kelly released the below statement: 

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives last night and extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones. I have been in constant communication with federal, state, and local officials overnight and want to thank the over 300 first responders from across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for their response efforts. I will issue a flag order today to acknowledge this devastating event and tragic loss of lives.”

Southeast Kansas Library Newsletter January 2025

View Online
The SEKnFind Newsletter
January 2025

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

New Fiction

Midwestern Gothic : a collection of horror stories from the American heartland /
by Scott Thomas

“Close your eyes. Picture open plains, wheat stalks swaying gently in the wind. Picture the quaint Main Street of a one-stoplight town. Picture endless summers on sunny, tranquil lakes. With three provocative novellas, Kill Creek author and Kansas native Scott Thomas takes a hatchet to the idyllic tropes of the American heartland. With this collection, Thomas digs his hands into the soil of the American heartland and establishes himself as the master of Midwestern Gothic”

Knife skills for beginners
by Orlando Murrin

Covering for friend Christian Wagner at Chester Square Cookery School in London, Paul Delamare enjoys imparting wisdom to students until someone is found killed with Paul’s knife, and Paul must discover the killer before he gets butchered.

Hotel lucky seven : a novel
by Kåotaråo Isaka

In Bullet Train, underworld operative Ladybug was tasked by his handler Maria with retrieving a suitcase from a high-speed train in Japan. The job did not go according to plan, to the delight of millions of readers and movie fans around the world. Will the unluckiest assassin in the world will find things easier this time around? All he has to do is deliver a painting to a hotel guest, a portrait made by his daughter. Easy enough, except when Ladybug makes the delivery, he realizes that the guest is clearly not the guy in the painting. Then he attacks Ladybug, they fight, and the guest ends up dead. How can such simple jobs always go wrong?

Homeseeking
by Karissa Chen

Separated by war and reunited after 60 years, Haiwen and Suchi navigate decades of love, loss and survival across continents, as their shared past clashes with their hopes for a second chance at life.

All the water in the world : a novel
by Eiren Caffall

Follows a young girl, Nonie, and her family as they navigate a post-apocalyptic New York ravaged by melting glaciers, as they safeguard cultural history while surviving storms, scarcity and meeting diverse communities in their quest for a hopeful future.

Give me butterflies : a novel
by Jillian Meadows

Millie, an ambitious entomologist, and Finn, a grumpy astronomer dealing with personal loss, clash at work but can’t avoid each other when he joins the committee for her dream job. Original. 100,000 first printing.

Witchcraft for wayward girls
by Grady Hendrix

“Set in Florida in the 1970s, Grady Hendrix’s newest novel follows five young women in a home for unwed mothers who find a guide to witchcraft”

The Last One
by Rachel Howzell Hall

Waking up in a forest, Kai, who doesn’t remember anything of her life before today, is hunted by otherworldly creatures, unlocking new powers every time she fights them, but the moment she touches another, a piece of her dies, leading her on a desperate search for answers to who?—?and what?—?she is.

Exordia
by Seth Dickinson

“Anna Sinjari–refugee, survivor of genocide, disaffected office worker–has a close encounter that reveals universe-threatening stakes. Enter Ssrin, a many-headed serpent alien who is on the run from her own past. Ssrin and Anna are inexorably, dangerously drawn to each other…While humanity reels from disaster, Anna must join a small team of civilians, soldiers, and scientists to investigate a mysterious broadcast and unknowable horror. If they can manage to face their own demons, they just might save the world”

The bullet swallower : a novel
by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

“In 1964, when Jaime Sonoro, Mexico’s most renowned actor and singer, discovers a book telling of the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors, he must pay for their crimes unless he can uncover the truth about his grandfather, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower”

The resurrectionist / : A Twisty Gothic Mystery of Dark Scottish History
by A. Rae Dunlap

In 1828 Edinburgh, determined to study surgery, naïve James Willoughby abandons his privileged life for the bustling medical scene, only to become embroiled with the charming but dangerous body snatcher Aneurin MacKinnon, leading him into a dark world of rival gangs and deadly competition for cadavers.

Leaving Independence
by William W. Johnstone

“Independence, Missouri, 1865. Seasoned wagon master Virgil Grissom prepares to lead a new group of families westward across the Oregon Trail. Among them are struggling farmer Matt Moran, his wife Katie, and their three small children. In spite of the long, treacherous journey ahead, Grissom is confident that this solid, hard-working farmer and his family are tough enough to endure the harsh elements, the rugged terrain, and the occasional run-in with hostile tribes. But he’s not so sure about the farmer’s younger brother, Clay, who plans to catch up with them along the trail. Alone. Which has Grissom worried . . . On the Oregon Trail, a lone man is dead man. Clay Moran fought hard in the Civil War, serving as lieutenant in the US Calvary. Now that Robert E. Lee has surrendered, Clay is free to head west with his brother’s family. Problem is, the wagon train has left Independence already-and Clay has to go it alone. Luckily, the army let him keep his horse. But when a couple of bushwhackers steal that horse and all his money, he’s left high and dry. If Clay hopes to catch up with the wagon train, he’ll have to rely on his wits. His guts. And every skill he learned in the war. Along the way, he’ll have to do things a man should never have to do-just to survive . . . “

New Audiobooks

Defense protocol
by Brian Andrews

“Every word a president utters is weighed and examined, but none more so than when he is talking about Taiwan. That’s why it’s shocking that President Jack Ryan seems to imply that the US has no appetite for a war to protect Taiwan from the communist Chinese on the mainland. President Ryan is determined to protect the independence of the island nation, but he is determined that one slip of the tongue should not cost thousands of young soldiers, sailors and Marines their lives. Jack Ryan returns in a blockbuster novel of action, thrills and intrigue in the world created by master storyteller Tom Clancy.”

Stuart Woods’ Golden Hour
by Brett Battles

Teddy Fay is ready to embark on the European press tour of Peter Barrington’s latest film Storm’s Eye, when he receives an unexpected visit from Lance Cabot, director of the CIA. Several CIA agents have been turning up dead. The commonality? They were all part of a mission Teddy was involved in: Golden Hour. Lance wants Teddy to use his trip as a cover to investigate who is behind these killings. From Venice and Budapest to their last stop at a film festival in Berlin, Teddy must dodge excited fans, enamored women, and a few too many assassins who seem dead set on tracking down Golden Hour agents. And if Teddy doesn’t work fast enough, his identity–and life–might just be the next target in the killer’s ruthless plot for revenge.

The Mirror
by Nora Roberts

When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets. Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past, and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again, a centuries-old curse that must be broken, and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse.

New Nonfiction

The Let Them Theory : A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About
by Mel Robbins

A simple, transformative approach to improving personal and professional relationships by shifting focus from controlling others to accepting them, offering science-backed strategies to reduce stress, enhance happiness, foster healthier connections, and empower individuals to prioritize their well-being and achieve personal fulfillment.

Beyond anxiety : curiosity, creativity, and finding your life’s purpose
by Martha Nibley Beck

“From bestselling author Martha Beck, a new path to overcoming anxiety by awakening the creativity within We live in an epidemic of anxiety. Most of us assume that the key to overcoming it is to think our way out. And for a while it works. But there is always something that sends us back into the anxious spiral we’ve been trying to climb out of. In Beyond Anxiety, Dr. Martha Beck explains why anxiety is skyrocketing around you, and likely within you. She also tells you how to not only reduce your anxietybut use it to propel you into a life filled with peace, meaning, and joy. Using a combination of the latest neuroscience as well as her background in sociology and coaching, Beck explains how our brains tend to get stuck in an “anxiety spiral,” a feedback system that can increase anxiety indefinitely. To climb out, we must engage different parts of our nervous system–the parts involved in creativity. Beck provides instructions for engaging the “creativity spiral,” in a process that not only shuts down anxiety but leads to innovative problem solving, a sense of meaning and purpose, and joyful, intimate connection with others–and with the world. The opposite of anxiety, it turns out, is a wonderful new way of life–one that can calm and inspire us as individuals and help us become a source of healing for everything around us”

Breaking free from broke : the ultimate guide to more money and less stress
by George Kamel

“America has become the land of the free and the home of the broke. Household debt is at an all-time high, and every day people-just like you-are feeling more cynical and hopeless about their financial futures. It’s time to stop believing countless liesfrom a system designed to take your money-lies like student loans are the golden ticket to a good-paying job, car payments are just part of life, and that you need to have a credit card. Ramsey Personality and personal finance expert George Kamel shareshis story of going from a negative net worth to a millionaire in under 10 years by following Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps. George’s delivery, highlighted by his snarky sense of humor, will keep you laughing and engaged from cover to cover (no put-you-to-sleep financial advice here). Through a millennial point of view, George exposes the toxic money system designed to keep you average (and broke) and offers solutions to help you break free from: credit cards and credit scores, student and car loans, mortgage mistakes, investing traps, marketing and consumerism. No matter where you’re starting from, you’ll learn that you have the power to buck the toxic money system and build wealth if you follow the same principles George used to become a millionaire”

Fluent forever : how to learn any language fast and never forget it
by Gabriel Wyner

“Gabriel Wyner speaks seven languages fluently. He didn’t learn them in school-who does? Rather, he mastered each one on his own, drawing on free online resources, quick daily practice sessions, and his knowledge of neuroscience and linguistics. In Fluent Forever, Gabe shares his foolproof method for learning any language. It starts by hacking the way your brain naturally encodes information. You’ll begin by learning how to hear new sounds and training your tongue to produce them accurately. You’ll connect spellings and sounds to images rather than rely on translation exercises so that you start thinking in a new language. With the help of spaced-repetition systems, you’ll build a foundation for your language in one week and learn hundreds of words a month-with just a few minutes of practice each day. This revised edition also shares fresh strategies that Gabe has refined over years of study. You’ll learn how to: Use your interests to curate vocabulary that you’ll actually be excited to study; Pick up the subtleties of your target language by conversing with native speakers; Fast-track fluency with a new appendix devoted to conversation strategies with native speakers; Compile the best language-learning tool kit for your budget; Harness the science of motivation and habit building to turbocharge your progress; Find the perfect level of difficultly with reading and listening comprehension to stay engaged and avoid frustration”

Vanishing treasures : a bestiary of extraordinary endangered creatures
by Katherine Rundell

“A tour of the natural world’s most awe-inspiring animals currently facing extinction”

Instant loss quick and easy : 125 recipes that are big on flavor when you’re light on time
by Brittany Williams

“Bestselling author Brittany Williams is back with a new collection of 125 recipes that make it easier than ever to enjoy delicious, healthy meals every day! Brittany Williams, founder of the popular online platform Instant Loss, transformed her life bychanging the way she eats. Her motto is simple: just eat real food. Brittany understands the challenges of maintaining a healthy diet while juggling a busy life and feeding a family. In her highly anticipated cookbook, Brittany shares 125 brand-new recipes that come together in a hurry, so you can enjoy crowd-pleasing, wholesome meals without spending hours in the kitchen”

Making things : finding use, meaning & satisfaction in crafting everyday objects
by Erin Boyle

”Through easy-to-follow tutorials for over 100 projects that are both accessible and aspirational, Making Things invites readers to try their hands at a variety of crafts and celebrate the satisfaction that comes from slowly and carefully creating for oneself. Learn to fold magazine pages into Masu Boxes for organizing bits and bobs, make a cardboard loom for weaving potholders out of old linens, braid your own Kumihimo Dog Leash, or starch fabric scraps for decorative bunting. Makers Rose Pearlman and Erin Boyle met in 2018 and immediately struck up a friendship, united by a reverence for everyday objects. Their approach towards craft reflects a shared commitment to sustainability and accessibility–as they write in Making Things’ introduction, ”Craftcan be exquisite and exacting, the result of formal training and years of practice, but it can also be experimental and messy and not quite perfect.” Scouring sidewalks, stoops, and thrift stores, the authors repurpose materials to create projects that range from functional to fun and frivolous. Step-by-step guides make it simple to start and finish each project, while the book’s stunning photographs show how each craft can fit within an organized, thoughtfully curated home. As Making Things demonstrates, relying on a limited range of supplies and repurposing the same materials can spur our creativity, encouraging us to look at a pile of junk on a stoop and see endless possibilities”

Let’s move the needle : an activism handbook for artists, crafters, creatives, and makers
by Shannon Downey

With activities, exercises, prompts and stories about the work of other art activists across mediums and throughout history, a guide to social activism using art educates and empowers creatives to center their art around action in service of political, social or community issues. 12,000 first printing. Illustrations.

Red Dead’s history : a video game, an obsession, and America’s violent past
by Tore C. Olsson

Weaving the best-selling games’ plot and characters into an exploration of American violence between 1870-1920, an award-winning historian reveals the gritty and brutal world that inspired the Red Dead games, shedding light on dark corners of the American past for gamers and history buffs alike. Illustrations.

Four against the West : the true saga of a frontier family that reshaped the nation–and created a legend
by Joe Pappalardo

“A thrilling true saga of legendary Texas figure Judge Roy Bean and his brothers–and their violent adventures in Wild West America. Roy Bean was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Texas, who called himself “The Only Law West of the Pecos.” He and his three brothers set out from Kentucky in the mid 1840s, heading into the American frontier to find their fortunes. Their lifetimes of triumphs, tragedies, laurels and scandals will play out on the battlefields of Mexico, in shady dealings in California city halls, inside eccentric saloon courtrooms of Texas, and along the blood-soaked Santa Fe Trail from Missouri to New Mexico. They will kill men, and murder will likewise stalk them. The Beans chase their American dreams as the nation reinvents itself as a coast-to-coast powerhouse, only to be tested by the Civil War. During their saga, the brothers become soldiers, judges, husbands, guerillas, lawmen, entrepreneurs, refugees, fathers, politicians, pioneers and–in Judge Roy Bean’s case–one of the Old West’s best known but least understood scoundrels. Using new information gleaned from exhaustive research, Four Against the West is an unprecedented and vivid telling of the intertwined stories of all four Bean brothers, exploring for the first time how their relentless ambitions helped create a new America”

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

Electric Cooperative Youth Tour: All-expenses-paid Trip to Washington, D.C

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative is pleased to support the next generation of leaders and skilled workers in eastern Kansas through two programs that are now accepting applications from Heartland-served high schoolers.
The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour is an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., scheduled to take place from June 14–20 this summer. Each year, Heartland selects one outstanding high school sophomore or junior who lives in a home served by Heartland to attend, giving them the opportunity to meet state and national leaders, tour historic landmarks, and build lifelong connections.
Those interested are encouraged to apply online at https://www.heartland-rec.com/community/youth-tour/. Applications are due February 17, 2025.
Meanwhile, the newly expanded Future Foundations Scholarship Program provides up to $1,000 for high school seniors pursuing careers in trades, nursing, teaching, and other high-demand fields. Up to eight scholarships will be awarded each year (two per Heartland voting district).
Students must live in Heartland-served homes, have a GPA of 2.0+, and plan to enroll in a Kansas-based college or training program in Fall 2025.
More information and a downloadable application form are available at https://www.heartland-rec.com/community/future-foundations-scholarship/. Applications due March 17, 2025.
Questions can be directed to Doug Graham at dougg@heartland-rec.com or (620) 724-5526.

SEK Community Foundations Launch 2025 Scholarship Applications

 

Many Southeast Kansas high school seniors and current college students will receive support for their education thanks to the 2025 scholarship cycle at the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) and its affiliate foundations in Columbus, Fort Scott, and Girard. Scholarship applications became available on January 15th and will be open through March 31st.

CFSEK and its affiliates host 45 scholarship opportunities and have awarded over $700,000 in scholarships since 2008 to hundreds of students from Southeast Kansas. In 2024, scholarships totaled over $160,000 to area students.

“I’m so excited for scholarship season and seeing all of the wonderful things area students are achieving,” said Kara Mishmash, CFSEK Program Coordinator.

Mishmash has prepared a pre-application checklist (available on CFSEK’s website) and is planning to offer workshops and virtual office visits for high school seniors.

“The new workshop opportunities and virtual meetings we’ve implemented will also be a fantastic way to put CFSEK in front of the students to ensure they’re comfortable with our software and confident in their understanding of the questions,” said Mishmash. “Being a small part of their journey is amazing!”

Scholarship applications are available now through March 31st. The online only application is available at SoutheastKansas.org/Scholarship-App. For questions, please contact Mishmash at SoutheastKansas.org/Contact/Kara, or call (620) 231-8897.

 

Former FSHS Music Teacher Meredith Reid Honored

 

 

Girard Music Teacher Hits All the Right Notes

with $25,000 Milken Award

Girard High School graduate Meredith Reid surprised with district’s first “Oscar of Teaching” for outstanding achievement and leadership in music education.

Reid formerly taught music at Fort Scott High School

  

 

Girard, Kan. (January 8, 2025) —Girard native and choral teacher Meredith Reid received the surprise of a lifetime this morning when she was presented with a Milken Educator Award at an all-school assembly at Girard High School in front of cheering students, colleagues, dignitaries and media. Hailed as the “Oscar of Teaching,” the prestigious national honor created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken recognizes exceptional educators for their dedication to excellence in education and leadership. It includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize that the recipient may use however they choose. Milken Educator Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop and Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson presented the Award, the first-ever in Girard United School District 248 history.

 

“Today we celebrate Girard’s own Meredith Reid for her exceptional dedication to music education and the positive influence she brings to her students, school and community,” said Bishop, who herself received the Milken Educator Award as a fine arts teacher in Virginia. “Meredith cultivates artistic excellence in everyone she supports, nurturing hearts and minds and sustaining the love and appreciation of music in the community for generations to come. With Meredith as a guide, the possibilities are limitless! We look forward to her contributions to the national Milken Educator Network.”

 

Reid was honored as part of the Milken Family Foundation’s 2024-25 Milken Educator Awards season. The tour will honor up to 45 pioneering professionals coast to coast, marking the 3,000th Milken Educator in the Awards’ ranks and celebrating a history of changing lives in communities across America. Since the presentation of the first Awards in 1987, more than $75 million in individual cash prizes and over $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the K-12 profession and encouraging young, capable people to consider a career in education.

“We are so pleased to see Meredith recognized for her tremendous contribution to her students and to the Girard community,” said Dr. Watson. “Her work not only to restore the school’s choral music program but to achieve state and national opportunities for her students and bring that pride to her community is what excellent teaching looks like.”

 

More about Meredith Reid

Revitalizing a Legacy While Inspiring Excellence: When Meredith Reid attended Girard High School as a student, the choral music program had no longer existed. When she returned to her alma mater as a teacher several years later, Reid reestablished the program which now produces an award-winning choir. They regularly perform throughout the community and compete at regional and state music events, where the group earned the “superior” rating this past school year.

In addition, nearly all her high school soloists receive top ratings at the regional and state competitions. Reid had six students chosen for the Kansas All-State Choirs, one of only two choral programs in southeast Kansas to achieve this honor. One of her choral students was selected to join the prestigious Kansas State University Summer Choral Institute, a highly selective program that admits only 48 students across the country each year.

In her classroom, Reid uses a positive rewards system to motivate her students to utilize good singing techniques. The system was so well-received she was asked to present the model at the Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop. For students in this rural community with little to no access to private vocal lessons, Reid opens a world of musical opportunities for her choral students.

A Hometown Leader: Outside of GHS, Reid is an engaged member of her hometown and beyond, serving as a local officer in P.E.O., a nonprofit organization that helps women pursue education; representing GHS at a national education conference; and serving as board secretary for the American Choral Directors Association. Reid has been involved with the Kansas Music Educators Association and served as Southeast Kansas choral chair. Her commitment to music education extends to her colleagues and young music teachers in the district and region who benefit from her friendship and mentorship. Her community choir, “Generations,” reflects her goals of having a sustained music program whose members serve as role models for young musicians and represent the importance of lifelong dedication to music appreciation.

Education: A Kansas State University graduate, Reid earned a Bachelor of Music Education in 2010 and a Master of Music in 2017.

 

The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits

 

  • The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
  • Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs.
  • The honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in April 2025, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
  • Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.

 

The Milken Educator Award might come to a community near you! Who will be next? Join us as we surprise these remarkable individuals and celebrate their dedication to excellence in education! Follow the tour and use the #MEA3K and #MilkenAward hashtags on: Facebook (MilkenEducatorAwards)| X (Milken)| YouTube (MilkenAward)| Instagram (MilkenFamilyFdn)| LinkedIn (MilkenFamilyFdn)| TikTok (MilkenAward).

 

Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.

-MEA-

About the Milken Educator Awards: “The Future Belongs to the Educated”
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.

 

Stream Advisory Issued For Unnamed Tributary near 185th and Quail in Bourbon County

In mid-December, a Pittsburg company was cited in northeast Bourbon County for not complying with Kansas laws on solid waste disposal. In 2024, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued five stream advisories in the State of Kansas.

“Radell Underground, Inc. was issued a Notice of Non-Compliance by KDHE, citing violation of K.S.A. 65-3409(a)(1) Disposal of solid waste by open dumping, on Dec. 13, for dumping the bore tailings and bore gel compound (containing bentonite and silica) as a slurry into the waterways shown on the attached map,” according to Jill Bronaugh, KDHE Communications Director in an email.

 

Radell bore dumping site in northeast Bourbon County. Submitted map.

 

“We do telecommunication (fiber optic cable) for CrawKan (Telephone Cooperative). One of our guys dumped mud where he wasn’t supposed to,” said Anthony McNeely a manager with Radell.

Organically modified bentonites effectively reduce the consumption of drilling fluids, conserve resources, and lessen environmental effects, according to https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10707903/

Industrial sand and gravel, often called “silica,” “silica sand,” and “quartz sand,” include sands and gravels with high silicon dioxide (SiO2) content. These sands are used in glassmaking; for foundry, abrasive, and hydraulic fracturing (frac) applications; and for many other industrial uses, according to https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/silica-statistics-and-information

Radell Underground Inc. is a utility contractor that specializes in horizontal directional drilling, also known as boring. Their clients include AT&T, Evergy, CrawKan, and many more, according to their website.

“We met with Radell representatives to discuss the clean-up of the dumping sites and established a date of Jan. 10, to obtain the proper permits and approvals from the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who have jurisdiction over waterways. The clean-up is required to be completed by Jan. 20; at which time, the stream advisory will be rescinded,” Bronaugh said.

 

The following was posted on: December 13, 2024, on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1385

Stream Advisory Issued for an Unnamed Tributary North of Fort Scott, Kansas

Stream Advisory

 

“Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a stream advisory for the unnamed tributary near 185th Street and Quail Road North of Fort Scott, Kansas.

The stream advisory is a result of multiple disposal sites from a boring operation that contained silica, bentonite, and a gel polymer near 185th Street and Quail Road North of Fort Scott, Kansas.

The advisory has been issued because of potential sediment and unknown contaminants being present in the unnamed tributary. If you live or have activities near this area, do not enter the stream or allow children or pets to enter the stream.

KDHE will rescind the advisory once secondary (wading) contact has been deemed safe.”

 

 

Delegates are being sought for the Kansas Silvered Haired Legislature.

Delegates are being sought for the Kansas Silvered Haired Legislature.
The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature is a unicameral (one-chambered) legislature composed of 125 representatives across the state. SHL delegates are 60 years or older and are elected from their county of residence.
SEK Area Agency on Aging is seeking candidates to serve a two-year term representing their county. SEKAAA covers a 9-county area: Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson.
The legislature provides an educational experience in the political process and provides an opportunity to identify priority concerns of Kansas’ older adults.
The SHL develops bills and resolutions which are presented to the Kansas Legislature and the governor as recommendations for state policy.
SHLs were created by Congress in 1969 when each state was encouraged to create a body of older adults who would identify issues important to older adults 60+ and educate their state legislatures about those issues.
The Kansas Silver-Haired Legislature was created by a 1982 Senate resolution. The website for Kansas Silver-Haired Legislature is www.Kansas-shl.org
“It is important that the voice of older Kansans is heard,” says Kathy Brennon, SEKAAA Executive Director, “there are constant changes that have an impact on individuals 60 and older that can be overlooked. It is important to have this group that is solely focused on issues that impact older Kansans.”
If anyone is interested in being a delegate, they can request an application packet by emailing kathy.brennon@sekaaa.com or calling 620-431-2980. Applications must be received by February 3, 2025. If more than one person is interested in a position an election will be held on February 21, 2025. The term is for two years. March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2027.

The SEKnFind Newsletter December 2024

The SEKnFind Newsletter
December 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 Sunflower House
by Adriana Allegri

Allina Gottlieb’s peaceful life in 1939 Germany shatters when she is forced to work as a nurse in Hochland Home, a facility for breeding Aryan children, where she conceals her Jewish identity and develops a risky relationship with Karl, an SS officer with his own hidden secrets.

Havoc
by Christopher Bollen

“A fast-paced literary thriller for fans of The Bad Seed, set in a crumbling luxury hotel in Egypt, in which an elderly widow and an 8 year old boy find themselves rivals, locked in a gleefully criminal psychological game of cat-and-mouse”

Silent are the dead
by D. M. Rowell

“While back on tribal land, Mud Sawpole uncovers an illegal fracking operation underway that threatens the Kiowas’ ancestral homeland. But there’s an even greater threat: a local businessman involved in artifact thefts is murdered, and a respected tribe elder faces accusation of the crime. After being roped in by her cousin, Denny, they begin to investigate the death while also pursuing evidence to permanently stop frackers from destroying Kiowa land, water, and livelihoods. When answers evade her, Mud heeds her grandfather’s and great-aunt’s words of wisdom and embraces Kiowa tribal customs to find the answers that she seeks. But her ceremonial sweat leads to a vision with answers wrapped in more questions. Mud and Denny race against the clock to uncover the real killer and must face the knowledge that there may be a traitor–and a murderer–in their midst. It’s already too late for one victim–and Mud may be next”

City of night birds
by Juhea Kim

After a career-halting accident, prima ballerina Natalia Leonova returns to St. Petersburg to confront her past and to decide whether to rejoin the stage amidst the cutthroat world of Russian ballet. 75,000 first printing.

I made it out of clay
by Beth Kander

“Nothing’s going well for Eve: she’s single, turning forty, stressed at work and anxious about a recent series of increasingly creepy incidents. Most devastatingly, her beloved father died last year, and her family still won’t acknowledge their sorrow. With her younger sister’s wedding rapidly approaching, Eve is on the verge of panic. She can’t bear to attend the event alone. That’s when she recalls a strange story her Yiddish grandmother once told her, about a protector forged of desperation…and Eve,to her own shock, manages to create a golem. At first, everything seems great. The golem is indeed protective-and also attractive. But when they head out to a rural summer camp for the family wedding, Eve’s lighthearted rom-com fantasy swiftly mudslides into something much darker. With moments of moodiness, fierce love and unexpected laughter, I Made It Out of Clay will make you see monsters everywhere”

Most wonderful
by Georgia Clark

Three siblings struggling in the romance department head to their mother’s house in the Catskills for the holidays, determined to swear off love and focus on themselves and their work, but the spirit of the season seems to have different plans for them.

Bless your heart
by Lindy Ryan

The Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in their Southeast Texas town, discover generations of calm ending as the dead begin to rise again forcing them to once again fight the Strigoi, the original vampires. 75,000 first printing.

A trinket for the taking
by Victoria Laurie

“Dovey Van Dalen has a gorgeous day planned for her 200th birthday: driving her new Porsche, admiring the cherry blossoms abloom in her adopted city of Washington, D.C., and a little pampering. But her boss has other ideas. A powerful artifact has been stolen, and he fears it’s causing chaos in the unmagical world… The rich and connected Ariti family has suffered a string of suspicious deaths, with no signs of foul play. Yet each member has died in the way they feared most. As the enchanting agent mostskilled at blending in with mere mortals, Dovey must find answers and retrieve the dangerous trinket. There’s just one unexpected wrinkle: By the time Dovey arrives at the art gallery where the Ariti patriarch died, FBI agent Grant “Gib” Barlow has takencontrol of the scene. Dovey needs his cooperation to investigate–but she’ll have to hide her abilities, and her true objective, from a man who uncovers deceptions every day. And as they inch nearer a deadly truth, both will face danger even the spellbound would be lucky to survive…”

The city and its uncertain walls
by Haruki Murakami

Explores a familiar town where a Dream Reader interprets dreams, and shadows detach from their owners, weaving a love story, a quest, and an ode to books and libraries into a parable reflecting the complexities of post-pandemic life.

Polostan
by Neal Stephenson

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Termination Shock and Cryptonomicon, the first installment in a new series—an expansive historical epic of intrigue and international espionage, presaging the dawn of the Atomic Age.

Granite harbor
by Peter Nichols

A single father and the only detective in town investigates his first murder in Granite Harbor when a teenager is brutally murdered in a local archaeological site, in a new book from the author of The Rocks. 100,000 first printing.

Slaughter at Rebel Ridge
by Robert Vaughan

“In the dusty frontier town of Rebel Ridge, Sheriff Jesse Loman rules with an iron fist, exploiting the local populace through unjust taxes and a corrupt legal system. His gang of outlaw deputies ensures his dominance, staging mock trials and sentencing innocents to the gallows while protecting their own. But when chaos grips Rebel Ridge, hope arises in the form of a legendary bounty hunter. Renowned for his unwavering principles, Dane Caulder reluctantly steps in to free the town from Jesse’s grasp, pitting himself against corrupt deputies in a deadly showdown. Can Dane deliver the long-awaited justice that the oppressed town of Rebel Ridge yearns for-or will its chance at peace be slaughtered once and for all?”

New Audiobooks

A Bloom in Winter
by J. R. Ward

Nothing warms a cold heart like true love, and in this newest Black Dagger Brotherhood winter book, a fighter who has never been a savior finds himself falling in love–and trying to rescue–a male who’s lost all hope. With the BDB training center reopening, and the Brothers looking to add more soldiers in the war against the Lessening Society, fan favorite Callum decides to find his purpose in fighting. Apex knows what suffering the male has survived, and he joins the program just to make sure Callum doesn’t get himself killed. As the two hit the streets, and the danger gets real, Callum must decide whether he can open himself up to love or if he will give in to his inner darkness and spiral down into an abyss of hatred and death… forever.

Night and Day
by John Connolly

Filled with eerie surprises and dark delights, Night and Day takes us from the dusty shelves of an uncanny library filled with fictional characters to a bunker deep beneath the earth where scientists seek revenge on old Nazis; from an English marsh haunted by a mother and her son to a country house where a grieving widower finds comfort from a most unlikely source. Concluding with the author’s account of how an obscure horror film brought him closer to his lost father, and how nostalgia can help to keep us sane, this is a collection that will move, entertain, and keep you reading late into the night.

A Christmas Duet
by Debbie Macomber

Hailey Morgan, a high school band teacher with dreams of songwriting, escapes to a cabin for a solo holiday retreat only to find herself entangled in small-town drama and a blossoming romance that reignites her passion for music.

New Nonfiction

The book of murder
by Matt Murphy

A former Homicide prosecutor and current legal analyst for ABC news examines murder from an insider’s perspective and weaves his personal narrative throughout his case work in a way that humanizes the people entrusted with the duty of seeking justice on behalf of the public.

Cabinet of curiosities
by Aaron Mahnke

Brings the popular podcast to print, sharing stories about the invention of the croissant in a country that was not France; a dog that stowed away and went to war, only to help capture a German spy; and much more.

Green Christmas
by Jen Chillingsworth

”Jen Chillingsworth will show you how to get the most out of the season and make considered choices in how you prepare, decorate and gift this Christmas. Featuring 30 projects, this practical, illustrated book showcases simple changes you can make for agreener Christmas. Jen offers achievable advice on how to sustainably shop for the season, forage for your own wreath and create beautiful handmade gifts”

Merlin’s tour of the universe
by Neil deGrasse Tyson

“In Neil deGrasse Tyson’s delightful journey through the cosmos, his fictional character Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike. Merlin, a timeless visitor from Planet Omniscia in the Andromeda Galaxy, has observed firsthand many of the major scientific events of Earth’s history. Merlin’s friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time–da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein, and Hubble…Merlin clarifies the details of familiar phenomena like gravity, light, space, and time, and travels to distant stars and galaxies to describe what makes them tick, rotate, explode, and collapse”

Good nature
by K. J. Willis

“In Good Nature, Kathy Willis takes the reader on a journey with her to dig out all the experiments around the world that are looking for this evidence-experiments made easier by the new kinds of data being collected from satellites and big-data biobanks. Having a vase of roses on your desk or a green wall in your office makes a measurable difference to your well-being; certain scents in room diffusers genuinely can boost your immune system; and, in a chapter that Kathy calls “Hidden Sense,” we learn that touching organic soil has a significant effect on the healthiness of your microbiome”

A Kwanzaa keepsake and cookbook
by Jessica B. Harris

“Now with a new introduction by award-winning writer and iconic culinary historian Jessica B. Harris, a foreword by chef and television personality Carla Hall, revised recipes and stories, and a fresh new package, A Kwanzaa Keepsake offers proverbs, ceremonies, family projects, inspirational biographies, blessings, and of course, wonderful recipes. Structured around the seven days of Kwanzaa and the virtues each day represents, Harris shares a themed feast for each night, designed to reflect the principle of the day. Some of the menus include: -Umoja (Unity), featuring dishes of multinational origin such as Seasoned Olives, Mechoui-Style Leg of Lamb with cumin, mint, and chili, and a classic Caribbean rum punch, and reminds readers of the union of all peoples of African descent. -Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), composed of dishes from the African continent including Sweet Potato Fritters, Grilled Pepper Salad, and Piment Aimee, a hot sauce from one of the author’s friends. -Kuumba (Creativity) is a healing supper and communal meal that opens the gates of remembrance through food. The repast is centered around a heritage recipe and includes others for Pickled Black-Eyed Peas, a fish dish from the the Ivory Coast, Spicy Cranberry Chutney, and a killer pecan pie with molasses whipped cream”

The art of small business social media
by Peg Fitzpatrick

“In The Art of Small Business Social Media, social media marketing expert Peg Fitzpatrick provides a hands-on guide designed to empower small business underdogs and teach them to leverage social media for brand growth and sales; turning their passion into profit”

Invisible strings
by Kristie Frederick-daugherty

“An anthology of brand-new poems inspired by Taylor Swift songs, from a powerhouse group of contemporary poets, including Kate Baer, Maggie Smith, and Joy Harjo”

Adventures
by Wally Koval

Adventure awaits in this new visual odyssey from Accidentally Wes Anderson, taking readers on stunning trips to every continent and sharing oddly moving human tales along the way. For lovers of travel, design, and exploration, AWA presents a brand-new collection of real-world places that seem plucked from the films of Wes Anderson, and the stories that bring each location to life. You’ll venture to Antarctica through the treacherous Drake Passage, make a stop in lesser-known Jincumbilly, Australia (where platypuses outnumber people), discover the bridge in Wisconsin that went to nowhere, and drop into the most peculiar umbrella shop in London. But adventure means nothing without someone to tell the tale. You’ll meet the father of American skydiving, who created the officially-sanctioned center of Earth — a California town with a population of two. You’ll visit the “post office at the end of the world” — and meet its mustachioed letter carrier, who runs an anarchist island nation in his free time. And you’ll travel to a town in the Arctic Circle where cats are prohibited, humans may not be buried, and doomsday vaults hold all we need to survive an apocalypse — including the secret recipe for the Oreo cookie. Authorized by the legendary filmmaker himself, Accidentally Wes Anderson Adventures reminds us that the world is ours to explore.

Bandit heaven
by Tom Clavin

A New York Times bestselling author tells the thrilling true story of the most infamous hangout for bandits, thieves and murderers of all time. Illustrations. Maps.

Even more reading suggestions

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Southwind Extension District Appreciation Award 2024: Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging

(Left to Right) – Stacy Dickerhoof, SEKAAA; Diedre Reed, SEKAAA; Tara Solomon-Smith, Southwind District; Kathy Brennon, SEKAAA; Krista Harding, Southwind District
Submitted photo.

 

The Southwind Extension District is proud to recognize Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SEKAAA) for their outstanding support of the mission of K-State Research & Extension. SEKAAA has partnered with Southwind Extension District to implement evidence-based health programs that increase independence, balance, and state of mind.  These organizations also work together to assist Medicare beneficiaries in navigating their health insurance decisions. The K-State Research and Extension Appreciation Award was authorized by Extension administrative staff in 1977. Its purpose is to honor a person, business or organization who has made outstanding contributions to extension programs in a county or district. The Southwind District Extension board and agents want to express their sincere gratitude to Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging for their support and look forward to partnerships yet to come.