FORT SCOTT — Bourbon County Clerk Susan Walker has submitted the written resignation letter whose absence stalled the search for her successor, addressing it to Gov. Laura Kelly and giving as her reason “the current culture and leadership within this organization.”
The one-page letter is dated Aug. 15. A handwritten notation on the file copy reads “Copy to file / mailed 8/17/26” — meaning it went out on Monday, the day Walker helped conduct the county canvass certifying the Aug. 4 primary. Deputy Election Clerk Amber Page provided a scanned copy to FortScott.biz on Tuesday.
Her last day remains Aug. 31, the date she gave commissioners on Aug. 10 and the date the letter states.
“It is with deep respect, gratitude but also a heavy heart that I submit my resignation from my position as Bourbon County Clerk effective August 31, 2026.”
Walker dated the letter one day after County Attorney James Crux found that the recall petition seeking her removal from office had enough valid signatures to proceed.
Walker’s letter to the governor runs four short paragraphs and names no one.
“After much reflection, I have decided to step down due to the current culture and leadership within this organization. While this has been a difficult decision, I believe it is the right step for me personally and professionally.”
That is a narrower statement than the one she read to commissioners on Aug. 10, which addressed Commission Chairman Samuel Tran directly and accused him of open disrespect, sexist comments and “underhanded public statements designed to make people think I’m doing something criminal when I am not.” The letter to the governor drops the names and the specifics, and keeps only the phrase about culture and leadership.
Why a letter mattered
Walker announced her resignation on Aug. 10, but under Kansas law an announcement and a filing are separate things — and for a week only the announcement existed.
K.S.A. 19-2606 requires an elected county officer to file written notice of resignation “in the office of the officer or officers authorized by law to fill vacancies in such office,” send a copy to the county election officer, and state the effective date. For a county clerk, K.S.A. 19-303 routes the appointment through the same procedure used to fill a vacancy in the state House, which ends with the governor making the appointment. That is why the letter goes to Topeka rather than to the courthouse.
On Aug. 14, county Republican chair Kaety Bowers issued a statement saying Walker had told the Secretary of State’s office that her resignation was instead an “announcement” and that she had not notified the governor. The same statement retracted the party’s intent to begin the replacement process, on the election director’s instruction. Bowers wrote that the party “remains prepared to follow the law the moment formal notice is properly filed.”
Walker said in an interview on Aug. 15 — the date the letter carries — that the letter was coming and that election work had come first: “Am I sending my letter in? Absolutely, I am. I just haven’t had time.”
Asked why the party had been told to stop when K.S.A. 25-3902 starts the clock on notice that a vacancy “will occur,” the Secretary of State’s office pointed to the resignation statute.
“Bryan’s response was based on the information known at the time, as the situation has been fluid,” Whitney Tempel, the office’s director of communications and policy, wrote to FortScott.biz on Aug. 17, referring to State Elections Director Bryan Caskey. “The process cannot begin until a formal resignation has been submitted.” Her reply quoted K.S.A. 19-2606 in full.
Walker’s letter was mailed that same day.
What happens next
Under K.S.A. 25-3902, the county party chair has 21 days from receipt of notice that a vacancy “has occurred or will occur” to convene a convention of precinct committeemen and committeewomen, who elect someone for the governor to appoint. The governor then has seven days to make the appointment after receiving the convention’s certificate.
Bourbon County Commission Work Session – August 20, 2026, 3:30 PM
The Bourbon County Commission will convene a work session on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 3:30 PM in the Commission Meeting Room at the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Ave., Fort Scott, KS.
The session will focus on plans to modernize the current elevator in the Courthouse. Representatives from OTIS Elevator will be presenting.
The public is welcome to attend. Note: Three or more County Commissioners may be present, but no formal County business will be conducted at this work session.
Source: Michael J. Hoyt, Bourbon County Deputy Clerk
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report – August 19, 2026
Arrested
Reeves, Wanita Louise (Age 62) — Arrested 8/18/2026 1:03 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) – BB-2025-CR-000278; Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) – BB-2025-CR-000166. Bond: $0.00 No Bond.
Hawn, Ryan (Age 38) — Arrested 8/18/2026 10:17 AM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Warrant Bourbon County (Bond Revoke). Bond: $10,000.00.
Helms, Sebastian (Age 32) — Arrested 8/18/2026 11:00 AM by Douglas County. Charge: Other Agency Hold. Bond: $0.00.
Murray-Crawford, Benz (Age 21) — Arrested 8/18/2026 11:05 AM by Douglas County. Charge: Other Agency Hold. Bond: $0.00.
Sanders, Dominic L (Age 27) — Arrested 8/18/2026 12:50 PM by Douglas County. Charge: Other Agency Hold. Bond: $0.00.
Carr, Randle R (Age 46) — Arrested 8/18/2026 12:50 PM by Douglas County. Charge: Other Agency Hold. Bond: $0.00.
Salazar, Joshua None (Age 32) — Arrested 8/18/2026 1:52 PM by Douglas County. Charge: Other Agency Hold. Bond: $0.00.
Morris, Caleb Michael (Age 24) — Arrested 8/18/2026 10:07 PM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charge: Warrant – Fort Scott Municipal. Bond: $100.00 Cash. Released 8/18/2026 10:48 PM via Cash Bond.
Steeley, Jeremy Glenn (Age 49) — Arrested 8/18/2026 11:55 PM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Interference with LEO; Obstruct/Resist Unknown Circumstances; Pedestrians Under Influence of Alcohol or Drugs. Bond: $0.00 No Bond.
Released
Ahtone, Randy — Released 8/18/2026 10:07 AM via Transferred Out (Douglas County).
Bourque, Chandra Dawn — Released 8/18/2026 9:47 AM via Transferred Out (Taney Co MO).
Ford, Bruce — Released 8/18/2026 10:08 AM via Transferred Out (Douglas County).
Kerron, Dakota — Released 8/18/2026 10:07 AM via Transferred Out (Douglas County).
Morris, Caleb Michael — Released 8/18/2026 10:48 PM via Cash Bond (Self).
Munoz, Eliseo — Released 8/18/2026 10:06 AM via Transferred Out (Douglas County).
Pyzer, Travis — Released 8/18/2026 10:11 AM via Transferred Out (Douglas County).
Roberts, Ronnie — Released 8/18/2026 6:12 PM via Time Served (Self).
The petition to recall Bourbon County Clerk Susan Walker has enough valid signatures, the County Attorney has found. The complete signature sheets and an index of the names on them follow the story.
The recall committee got the signatures it needed.
In a letter dated August 14, Bourbon County Attorney James Crux told the three recall committee members and Walker that his office had finished reviewing the signatures on the petition to remove her from office, and that 2,312 of them are valid. “This is sufficient to meet the statutory requirements,” he wrote.
That finding sets a recall election in motion by operation of law, and it lands on a county where the office in question is about to be empty. Walker is leaving the clerk’s office effective August 31. The same statute that schedules the election also allows it to be called off once the seat is vacant.
The committee turned in 296 pages carrying 2,602 signatures on July 27. The review threw out 290 of them. Crux gives four reasons, without saying how many fell to each: “request for removal, illegible signatures, unregistered voters, and pages submitted without appropriate affidavits.”
That last reason is the only one that operates on a whole page rather than a single line. Every sheet carries a circulator’s notarized affidavit on its back, swearing that the signatures on that page were made in the circulator’s presence. A page submitted without a proper affidavit takes every signature on it down — up to ten at a time. The letter does not say how many pages were excluded that way.
What remained was 2,312 valid signatures against a requirement of 2,228 — a margin of 84.
The bar moved, and that is why the petition cleared it
For most of the year the number everyone thought was the threshold was 2,374.
That figure came from Crux himself. He gave it to the Bourbon County Monitor and to the Fort Scott Tribune in May, when he certified the grounds for recall and started the 90-day clock, and it was repeated in coverage all summer, including in the committee’s own announcement that it had beaten the requirement.
The August 14 letter revises it. Under K.S.A. 25-4325 a recall petition needs signatures equal to 40% of the votes cast for all candidates for the office at the last election. Crux now puts that vote total at 5,570, making the requirement 2,228, and explains the change in a parenthesis: “the original estimate double counted the write-in vote as the distinction between separate votes and mere explanation of the write-in vote was not clear.”
The arithmetic behind the old number implies a vote total of 5,935, about 365 votes higher, which would have meant a signature requirement 146 higher.
The difference decided the outcome. Against the corrected requirement of 2,228, the petition’s 2,312 valid signatures clear the bar by 84. Against the 2,374 that had been the published figure since May, the same 2,312 signatures would have fallen 62 short.
A recall election is scheduled. It may not be held.
K.S.A. 25-4328 requires a recall election between 60 and 90 days after the findings, and folds it into a regularly scheduled election if one falls in that window: “If a primary or general election is to be held not less than 60, nor more than 90, days after the date that notification is given that the petition was properly filed, the special election shall be held on the date of the primary or general election.”
The November 3 general election falls inside the window. “As such,” Crux writes, “the recall election shall be held at the same time as the general election.” Bourbon County voters would find a question on their November ballot asking whether Walker should be recalled from the office of county clerk.
Except that she will not be in it. The letter closes by turning to her resignation:
“However, it has come to my attention that Ms. Walker has tendered her resignation effective on August 31, 2026. On that date, her position will become open. Pursuant to K.S.A. 25-4328, the county election officer, when the position subject to recall becomes open, may cancel the special election to avoid unnecessary election expense. Once the position becomes open, that decision will be made.”
The statute reads: “If a vacancy occurs in the office held by the local officer sought to be recalled at any time after the date that notification is given that the petition therefor was properly filed, the county election officer, if such officer determines that unnecessary election expenses may be avoided thereby, may cancel such special election.” If that happens, the officer “shall immediately notify the recall committee.”
Crux does not say who will make the decision, or when beyond “once the position becomes open.” That matters here because the ordinary decision-maker is the county election officer, and in Bourbon County the county election officer is the county clerk — the office that becomes vacant on August 31. It isn’t immediately clear who will hold that authority on September 1.
Why the county attorney counted the signatures
Verifying a recall petition normally belongs to the county election officer. Under K.S.A. 25-4318, when the official facing recall is the county election officer, the county attorney takes on those duties instead. That is why this letter comes from Crux rather than from the clerk’s office: Walker could not review the signatures gathered to remove her.
The sheets are the record
The recall committee turned in 296 petition sheets on July 27. FortScott.biz requested them under the Kansas Open Records Act. The County Attorney’s office first replied that the sheets contained information falling outside the act under K.S.A. 45-221(a)(30), the personal-privacy exemption, and that redactions would be needed. All 296 sheets were then produced unredacted on August 3. What is published here is the record as the county released it.
The PDFs are the source of truth. The list further down is an index, not the document. Every name in it was read off handwriting by software, and software misreads handwriting — letters run together, strike-throughs change the shape of a word, and a scanned pen stroke is often genuinely ambiguous. Names our reading was least certain about are marked with an asterisk (*), but an unmarked name can be wrong too.
So the index exists to help you find a page, and the page is what counts. Every entry links to the sheet it came from. If a name matters to you, open the sheet and read it there.
Use your browser’s find function — Ctrl+F, or ⌘+F on a Mac — to search the index for a name.
What is on each sheet
The form is set by statute. K.S.A. 25-4320(b) gives each page ten numbered rows and four columns for the signer: printed name, street number or rural route “as registered,” city, and date of signing, next to the signature. Below the rows, the form warns that it is a class B misdemeanor to sign a name other than your own, to knowingly sign more than once for the recall of the same officer at the same election, or to sign knowing you are not a registered elector.
Each sheet also carries the grounds for the recall. The stated ground is a single one — failure to perform duties prescribed by law — but it rests on several separate assertions about the November 2025 general election, when USD 235 school board candidates were left off ballots cast during advance voting. The petition asserts that incorrect ballots were printed and distributed; that “despite the issue being brought to her attention by multiple individuals during the early voting period,” the clerk failed to correct it promptly; that she said the ballots had been printed from forms provided by the school district, a statement “later contradicted by testimony from the school superintendent”; and that corrective action came only the night before the election.
That the early-voting ballots were wrong is not in dispute; Walker has said so herself, and her office printed corrected ballots before election day. The assertion that she was told during the early voting period and did not act is disputed. Walker has said the first notification came the day before the election, and her lawsuit put the first call at 9:51 a.m. on November 3.
The back of every sheet is a sworn affidavit
Each sheet has a second side. Under K.S.A. 25-4325, the person who circulated it signs a notarized affidavit stating:
“I, [name], affiant hereto, am a circulator (sponsor) of this recall petition, the only person that has circulated this copy of the petition. The signatures found hereon were made in my actual presence and to the best of my knowledge the signatures are those of the persons whose names they purport to be. I have circulated this petition in the manner provided by K.S.A. 25-4301 et seq., and being duly sworn state the grounds for recall are true.“
The affidavit covers several distinct things. The circulator swears to how the signatures were gathered — that each was made in their presence and is the person it purports to be — and separately swears that the grounds for recall are true, which on this petition includes the disputed assertions above as well as the undisputed one. They also swear that the laws governing ciruclating the petition were followed (K.S.A. 25-4301 and following). It is sworn before a notary, who stamps a seal and signs beneath it.
The affidavit for any sheet is the page immediately after it in the same PDF, so opening a sheet and moving forward one page shows who collected those signatures, the date they swore to it, and which notary took the oath. Sixty-five people circulated these 296 sheets.
About the files
The sheets are published as the county produced them: 30 PDF files, each holding about ten sheets, front and back. Every page of the production is included, among them a few stray pages — two near-blank bleed-through scans, a page of handwritten phone notes, and three extra affidavits — that came with the record. About half the sheets were scanned sideways, so a rotation flag was added to make them display upright; no image data was altered.
What the index does not tell you
It does not indicate whether any individual signature was accepted. The County Attorney’s review produced the totals set out above, not a line-by-line result, and nothing on these sheets shows how any particular row was treated.
It does not indicate whether any signer is a registered voter. No registration status was published or determined, and nothing here should be read as suggesting anything about it.
It is also not a count of valid signatures. The index lists 2,553 names from rows that are not crossed out, together with 98 crossed-out entries and 6 rows whose printed name could not be read. Those figures count rows with writing in them; whether any particular signature was counted as valid is the county’s determination, set out above, and its numbers are the official ones.
Index of names
Alphabetical by last name, from all 296 sheets. Names marked * are ones the reading was least confident about. Click a sheet number to open the county’s scan at that page.
Names appear exactly as they were written on the sheet, including middle initials and formal first names. Someone who signed as “Michael J. Smith” is listed that way, not as “Mike Smith,” so a search for the name you go by may find nothing even though you are on the list. Searching your last name on its own is the surest way to find yourself. If you still cannot find your name, the sheets themselves are the record — the index below points to the page each one is on.
98 entries are struck through on the sheets. The record does not show who crossed them out or why. They are listed separately rather than mixed into the index above.
All 296 signature sheets are posted as the county produced them, in 30 files. Each link below opens the file holding that block of sheets; the sheet number is handwritten at the bottom right of every page. Every name in the index above also links straight to its own sheet.
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report – August 18, 2026
Arrested
Reeves, Wanita Louise (Age 62) — Arrested 8/18/2026 1:03 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charges: Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) – BB-2025-CR-000278; Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) – BB-2025-CR-000166. Bond: $0.00 (No Bond).
Released
Frederick, Rachel Tannette — Released 8/17/2026 11:23 AM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).
Mefford, Trenton William — Released 8/17/2026 12:30 PM via Court Order (Self).
Prettyman, Addison James — Released 8/17/2026 12:49 PM via Probation (Self).
The accounts payable packet (163 invoices) covers the payment batch due August 14, 2026, broken down by department and fund across all county operations.
Batch Due 8/14/2026 — Grand Total: $129,800.18(Pages 9–29)
Fund 016 – Appraisers — $233.40: 2 invoices. Card Services – AT&T Ford Data Plan (12-month unlimited) $225.00; Galen C. Bigelow Jr. – monthly contract copies $8.40.
Fund 062 – Election — $1,493.99: 5 invoices. Fort Scott Tribune – election candidates/election notice/2nd quarterly/budgets ad $1,258.00; Card Services (Page) – tabletop voting booth/Voice RSS $61.57; Card Services (Walker) – office supplies $52.14; Susan Walker – padlock reimbursement $15.97; Galen C. Bigelow Jr. – monthly contract copies $106.31.
Fund 097 – Special Law Enforcement — $990.00: 1 invoice. Town Square Publications LLC – advertising, Chamber of Commerce $990.00.
Fund 108 – Landfill — $7,795.30: 5 invoices. Allen County Public Works – MSW 7/23–7/31/26 $7,611.01; Lockwood Motor Supply – bulbs/grommets/pigtails #154 $58.11; O’Reilly Auto Parts – bulbs #154 $23.98; Tri-State Truck Center – cooling hose #154 $83.75; ComplianceOne – monthly charge $6.15/person for 33 people $18.45.
Fund 120 – County Sheriff/Correctional — $33,916.26: 41 invoices. Major items include: WEX Bank – fuel Sheriff $10,147.47; Benchmark Government Solutions – inmate meals (SEKRCC) $16,428.75; Enterprise FM Trust – fleet lease/maintenance (Bond Sales Tax–County Jail, Fund 370) spread across multiple invoices; Satterlee Plumbing – plumbing repairs $720.00 and HVAC service $381.96; Freeman Fort Scott Hospital – inmate medical multiple invoices totaling $951.68; Bourbon County EMS – inmate medical $706.18; Advanced Radiology Consultants of KC PA – inmate medical $63.53; training/lodging (Reichard) $1,369.83; WEX Bank – SEKRCC fuel $611.67; Five Corners Mini-Mart – fuel $544.97.
Fund 220 – Road and Bridge — $8,058.20: 37 invoices. Notable items: Pomp’s Tire Service – tires #2 $1,062.00, tires #110 $795.50, O-ring labor #52 $1,373.00, O-rings #79 labor $1,075.00, O-ring #9 labor $430.00; Enterprise FM Trust – PW vehicle lease #12 & #13 $786.81; Bobby Ann Miller – August 2026 trash services $85.50 (Road & Bridge) + $80.00 (Elm Creek); K & K Auto Parts – batteries #133 $329.90, high-temp grease $136.25; Tri-State Truck Center – slack adjuster #152 $314.46; Oklahoma Turnpike Authority – turnpike fees #130 $132.09.
Fund 222 – Road & Bridge Sales Tax Fund — $4,086.11: 10 invoices. Kunshek Chat and Coal Co. – sand and haul 50.61 tons @ $39.50 = $1,999.10; Enterprise FM Trust – PW vehicle lease $786.80; Big Sugar Lumber and Home Ctr. – concrete mix/ratchet strap $307.11; Pomp’s Tire Service – tire tube #84 $517.20; Amazon Capital Services – oscillating tool kit $99.00; Card Services (Allen) – meal $94.17; K & K Auto Parts – high-temp grease $136.25, oil/hydraulic filters $49.07; O’Reilly – cleaning wipes #12 & #13 $8.24; ComplianceOne $89.17.
Fund 370 – Bond Sales Tax – County Jail — $34,275.82: 3 invoices. Enterprise FM Trust – fleet lease/maintenance customer #662996 $32,341.42; customer #668011 $1,659.02; customer #653283 $275.38.
County Department Operations — $38,632.73:(Pages 15–26)
Dept 01 – County Commission — $3,655.87: MSB Law LC – review/analysis of contracts, opinion letter $3,485.21; Galen C. Bigelow Jr. – monthly contract copies $170.66. (Page 15)
Dept 02 – County Clerk — $748.65: Fort Scott Tribune – election ad $259.00; Tri-Valley Developmental Services – material shred $192.60; Fort Scott Tribune – budget advertisement $138.75; Card Services (Page) – postage $58.00; Galen C. Bigelow Jr. – copies $100.30. (Page 16)
Dept 03 – County Treasurer — $320.06: Fort Scott Tribune – election ad $259.00; Galen C. Bigelow Jr. – copies $61.06. (Page 17)
Dept 04 – County Attorney — $782.54: Thomson Reuters-West – Westlaw subscription $589.48; Card Services (Attorney) – Vistaprint/Culligan $171.30; Galen C. Bigelow Jr. – copies $21.76. (Page 18)
Dept 05 – County Register of Deeds — $452.74: Underground Vaults & Storage – underground storage $376.86; Galen C. Bigelow Jr. – copies $75.88. (Page 19)
Dept 10 – District Court — $7,399.89: 20 invoices. Notable: Villamaria Law – conflict attorney BB2026CR85 $1,561.80; Villamaria, John A – conflict attorney 2026JV6 $1,274.75; Claire Clark – mileage reimbursement 744 mi @ $0.725/mi = $539.40; Hartley Law Group – multiple conflict attorney cases totaling $975.30; Manbeck Law – multiple conflict attorney cases totaling $1,444.00; TranslationPerfect.com – interpreter BB2026CR61 $279.57; KADCCA – 2026 Fall Conference $200.00; Stericycle – August 2026 shred bin rental & document shredding $130.66. (Pages 20–21)
Dept 18 – Juvenile Detention — $11,313.85: SEK Regional Juvenile Detention Center – monthly detention fee $11,194.00; medical for inmate $28.00 and $91.85. (Page 23)
Dept 24 – Ambulance Service — $929.78: Nova Biomedical – glucose test strips $624.78; Card Services (Hulsey) – cleaning & station supplies $188.67, ChatGPT & Adobe subscription $43.84, postage/shades refund (–$157.46); Mayco Ace Hardware – supplies $69.97; Bobby Ann Miller – trash services $103.00; Kirkland Welding Supplies – oxygen $18.00; Evergy – 2817 S Horton storage electricity $38.98. (Page 24)
Dept 43 – Courthouse General — $7,857.01: Otis Elevator Company – install board & keyswitch $5,489.10; Fort Scott Tribune – election ad $703.00; Absolute Protection Inc. – fire alarm system repair $720.00; Cintas Corporation Loc. 459 – cleaning & courthouse supplies $416.38; Bobby Ann Miller – trash services $201.50; Bluemark Energy LLC – fuel transport $327.03. (Page 25)
Dept 44 – Human Resources — $4,300.00: HR Solutions on Call LLC – custom monthly HR support package $4,300.00. (Page 26)
Department/Fund Totals Summary — Grand Total: $129,800.18(Pages 27–28)
2. July Financials — Bank Reconciliation & Fund Status Report (Pages 30–37)
The July financials include the Bourbon County Bank Reconciliation for the seven months ending July 31, 2026, and a Fund Status Report covering the period 7/1/2026–7/31/2026 for all fund types.
Total Bourbon County Certificate of Deposits: $1,550,000.00
Treasurer Cash on Hand: $1,700.00
Total Bourbon County Cash Balance All Accounts as of 07/31/26: $9,826,808.35 (matches Fund Status Report total — Variance: $0)
Fund Status Report — Period 7/1/2026 to 7/31/2026 (all funds):(Pages 31–37)
General Fund (01) ending balance: $975,449.81 (001-General Fund $938,573.75; 060-Diversion Application Fee $52,369.63; 100-Insufficient Fund Checks –$15,493.57)
Special Purpose Funds (02) selected highlights: 016-Appraisers $94,844.84; 064-Employee Benefit $1,232,549.96; 120-County Sheriff/Correctional $596,147.32; 220-Road and Bridge $378,055.29; 222-Road & Bridge Sales Tax Fund $897,689.96; 370-Bond Sales Tax–County Jail $1,756,772.00; 375-Ambulance Service $137,415.58; 399-Emergency Services Sales Tax $0.00 (receipts $52,247.07, disbursements –$108,386.51); Special Purpose Fund total ending balance: $6,430,910.99
Business Funds (03): 108-Landfill $280,954.85; 358-Sewer Repayment-Lake Ft Scott $20,173.82; total $301,128.67
3. Official Meeting Minutes Approval — August 10, 2026 (Pages 3–8)
Citizens Attendance & Logistics: Meeting called to order Monday, August 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM in Fort Scott, KS. Chairman Samuel Tran (District 1), Commissioner David Beerbower (District 2), Commissioner Joe Allen (District 3), Commissioner Gregg Motley (District 4), Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee (District 5), County Clerk Susan Walker, and Deputy Clerk Michael Hoyt were present. Citizens in attendance included Clint Walker, Rachel Walker, Teri Hulsey, Jason Silver, Mike Wunderly, Tim Emerson, Marlon Merida, Michael Hoyt, Mike Hueston, Nick Graham, Amber Page, Joan Page, Jason Gorman, Trey Sharp, Bill Martin, Pam Cowan, Phil Pavey, Pete Owenby, Matt Lawn, Justin Harvit KDWP, James Crux, Clayton Miller, Diane Ballou. (Page 3)
Agenda Modifications: The agenda was amended: Old Landfill item moved to Special Appearances (VII.b); Executive Session (KSA 75-4319(b)(1)) added between items VII and VIII; item XII (Executive Session – Non-elected Personnel) removed; new business items added for HR Contract (XIV.d) and Purchasing Policy (XIV.e). Motion by Chairman Tran, seconded by Commissioner Beerbower — carried unanimously. (Page 3)
Approval of Minutes 08.03.26: Motion by Commissioner Beerbower, seconded by Commissioner Motley — carried unanimously. (Page 3)
Financial & Payables Approvals: Accounts Payable $323,572.46 — motion by Chairman Tran, seconded by Commissioner Allen — carried unanimously. (Page 4)
Executive Session – KSA 75-4319(b)(1): Motion by Commissioner Tran to convene for 15 minutes to discuss personal matters of individual non-elected personnel; participants included the five commissioners, Executive Assistant Laura Krom, and Dr. Cohen by phone (garnishments/child support). Seconded by Commissioner Milburn-Kee — carried unanimously. Motion to return to regular session without action by Chairman Tran, seconded by Commissioner Motley — carried unanimously. (Page 4)
Walk-In Hunting – Philip Pavey: Philip Pavey, cemetery President, raised concerns about the approved walk-in hunting program on county-owned property adjacent to Oak Grove Cemetery, presenting a letter from neighbors Richard and Alyssa Cromemeyer citing trespassing, safety, lack of fencing, and adjacency issues. Justin Harvit of KDWP explained the one-year agreement is primarily archery-based and scatter shots in the southern timbered section; he had walked and posted the boundary. The Commission acknowledged the concerns and took no action to rescind prior approval.
Old Landfill – Milburn: Commissioner Milburn-Kee raised outstanding obligations regarding the closed landfill — groundwater testing (last completed 2020) and deed restrictions/restrictive covenants required by KDHE. Motion by Commissioner Beerbower, seconded by Commissioner Milburn-Kee to authorize Commissioner Milburn-Kee to draft a proposal directing Public Works to coordinate groundwater testing with KDHE and update deed covenants — carried unanimously.
Public Comments: No public comment cards were submitted. (Page 4)
County Clerk – Susan Walker: Delivered a detailed primary election report — all poll workers completed two hours of training; new incident report procedures implemented; four incident reports filed (incorrect ballot issuance or poll pad discrepancies); outdated equipment cited; accuracy 99.999%. Walker then raised recurring payroll reconciliation issues over the past eight months (KPERS variances, unresolved benefit billing) and recommended Baker Tilly handle general ledger payroll entries. Walker announced her resignation effective August 31, 2026, citing deteriorating work environment and accepting another position; she addressed Commissioner Tran directly regarding disrespectful conduct. Deputy Clerk Michael Hoyt to assume responsibilities for the remainder of the meeting and pending the Republican Party’s election of a new clerk at a convention TBD.
EMS Director Update – Hulsey: Comparative rate analysis of Bourbon County EMS billing against Allen, Anderson, Crawford, and Neosho counties — Anderson and Neosho operate as hospital-based services, accounting for their higher rates. Chairman Tran requested additional data before the next meeting: Medicare vs. private insurance billing breakdown, monthly collection amounts, percentage collected by billing company Omni, and man-hours associated with transfers.
KCJIS Compliance – Sheriff: Sheriff William Martin reported 12 department computers must be updated to Windows 10/11 for CJIS compliance (deadline early 2027). Two bids: Stronghold at $14,465.52; Advantage Computer of Iola at $14,544. Motion to authorize Sheriff to use jail inmate revenue funds to purchase computers — made by Commissioner Milburn-Kee, seconded by Commissioner Allen — carried unanimously.
KHP Truck Route – Sheriff: KHP trooper unable to attend; item deferred to next regular meeting.
Budget Discussion – Matt Lawn: Budget approximately 96–97% complete. Proposed schedule: regular meeting August 17 (full budget presentation); work session August 19 (or 20); regular meeting August 24 (final agreement); fallback August 31. Mandatory public hearing publication deadline September 4; hearing scheduled September 14. Discussion of proposed additional EMS paramedic position — additional benefit cost ~$9,600 remainder of FY2026 and ~$33,500 annually; decision deferred pending full breakdown from Director Hulsey. (Page 5)
S&P Conference Call – Motley: Commissioner Motley reported on S&P Global Ratings call — last formal review 2019 (reserves ~63% of expenses); current review triggered by low DARF reserves and less-than-clean audit; Ben Hart addressed S&P’s concerns as procedural rather than financial; S&P prefers hard-dollar reserve targets and long-term capital replacement plan; rating decision expected in ~1.5 weeks; Motley expressed concern about possible downgrade. Chairman Tran noted the county lacks life cycle plans, preventive maintenance plans, and purchasing plans for equipment across departments.
Letter of Resignation (Appraiser): Commission acknowledged resignation of County Appraiser. Commissioner Milburn-Kee authorized to contact Linn County and Allen County for interim/shared appraiser arrangements.
Policy/Procedures Set Work Session – Beerbower: Commissioner Beerbower distributed a draft resolution for adopting/updating county policies and procedures. Discussion tabled until September following budget completion.
Landfill Backhoe – Tran: Chairman Tran questioned the previously approved ~$179,000 Caterpillar backhoe purchase for Transfer Station; questioned whether a certified pre-owned unit could satisfy needs at lower cost. Transfer Station Supervisor Diana Ballou confirmed she needs reliable but functional equipment. Commissioner Milburn-Kee moved to authorize chairman to sign contract for new backhoe; the motion died for lack of a second. Motion to recall prior approval of new Caterpillar backhoe purchase by Chairman Tran, seconded by Milburn-Kee — carried 4–1 (Commissioner Beerbower opposed). Commission directed Public Works Director Kenny to independently seek and present alternative backhoe options; Tran indicated a certified pre-owned Caterpillar in the $120,000 range would be an appropriate target.
Court Space – Beerbower: Upcoming elevator replacement project (expected 30+ days beginning October) will render courthouse inaccessible for disabled individuals and create security challenges for prisoner transport. Two potential relocation sites toured. Motion by Commissioner Beerbower, seconded by Commissioner Motley to schedule a work session with court personnel and relevant stakeholders — carried unanimously. Work session scheduled Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM.
Building Maintenance Supervision: Commissioner Beerbower motioned to establish a full-time Courthouse Maintenance Supervisor reporting directly to the Board of County Commissioners, at entry-level pay, with 90-day introductory period, and subsequent pay adjustment to supervisory rate. Seconded by Motley. After extensive discussion, Beerbower withdrew the motion; may be resubmitted in revised form.
Commission & Board Assignment – Allen: Commissioner Allen raised question of commissioners attending assigned boards and reporting back to full commission. Commissioners and citizens confirmed respective assignments and attendance. No formal action taken.
HR Contract: Chairman Tran summarized contract amendment with Dr. Cohen for HR consulting — 12 months (August 11, 2026 – August 10, 2027) at $4,343/month ($51,600 annually), covering HR leadership, policy manual updates, performance appraisal administration, and whistleblower hotline. Motion to authorize chairman to sign by Chairman Tran, seconded by Milburn-Kee — motion failed (all voting no); item deferred to next regular meeting.
Purchasing Policy: Commissioner Allen distributed information regarding a resolution requirement for lease purchases exceeding $100,000 spanning more than one fiscal year, confirmed by financial advisor. Informational only; to be brought back at a future meeting.
Future Agenda Topics: Items deferred to August 17, 2026 meeting include: KHP Truck Route (Sheriff), HR contract, EMS overtime analysis, old landfill water testing and deed covenant proposal, and the full budget presentation by Matt Lawn. Budget work session tentatively scheduled August 19. (Page 7)
Commission Comments & Adjournment: Commissioner Allen thanked attendees for staying. Commissioner Milburn-Kee apologized to Chairman Tran for speaking out of turn. Motion to adjourn by Chairman Tran, seconded by Allen at 9:35 PM — carried unanimously. (Page 7)
4. TUSA – Radio Protect Agenda Request Form (Page 38)
A Bourbon County Agenda Request form submitted by the Sheriff’s Office (contact: Sheriff Martin, dated August 12, 2026) for the August 17, 2026 meeting.
Agenda Topic: TUSA – Radio Protect
Action Requested: Move forward with Phase 1; working with City on Phase 2
Budget Impact: Not at this time
Agreements/Contracts reviewed by County Counsel & Attached: No
County Clerk Susan Walker, Bourbon County’s election officer, spoke with FortScott.biz on Aug. 15 about the canvassing process.
The Bourbon County Commission meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday, an hour before its regular meeting, to decide which provisional ballots count.
That meeting is the county canvass. It is the step that turns the Aug. 4 primary from unofficial into official, and in the Republican primary for County Commission District 1, Walker says the ballots it rules on will likely decide who won.
The unofficial count has Mike Hueston at 163 votes and Lyle K. “Pete” Owenby at 160 — a three-vote margin out of 382 votes cast in that race. Lisa Dillon finished with 59.
Walker said in an interview Saturday that roughly nine provisional ballots are still in play.
“I think there’s nine provisionals that will determine that race,” Walker said.
She said she has been at the office night and day getting ready for it. “I know it’s going to be a tough one with the race being so close.”
Who actually does the canvassing
Under K.S.A. 25-3101, “the board of county commissioners of each county shall be the board of canvassers for elections occurring within the county.” The clerk presents the records; the commissioners make the calls.
That creates an obvious problem this year, because two of the five commissioners were themselves on the Aug. 4 ballot — Joe Allen in District 3 and Gregg Motley in District 4 — and a third, Mika Milburn-Kee, was on it as a candidate for Republican precinct committeewoman in Osage Township.
Kansas’s canvassing statutes do not bar a candidate from canvassing an election they ran in; they contain no disqualification provision at all. What they do contain is K.S.A. 25-3102, which covers a member who is dead, “absent, or from any casualty be prevented from serving,” and lets the remaining members “select an elector to serve on the county board of canvassers in such member’s place.” While it is written for absence, not conflicts of interest, Walker said using it this way is permitted.
Walker said she asked the commissioners who were on the ballot to use it anyway.
“I have recommended to the commission that if they were on the ballot that they shouldn’t be involved in the canvass,” she said. “They can be, but for appearances it would be better if you just find somebody to go in your place. And that’s legal.”
Allen and Motley have both named stand-ins, she said. Milburn-Kee told FortScott.biz that Sheriff Bill Martin will represent her at the canvass.
What the board can and cannot see
The canvass runs like a meeting — called to order, then a series of votes on groups of ballots. The preparatory work is already done by the time the commissioners sit down.
“My deputy clerk does all the work behind the scenes,” Walker said. “She goes and looks up registration. She makes sure that they voted in the correct precinct. There’s lots of little things that she does.” (FortScott.biz walked through how the county runs an election, step by step, in June.)
What the board rules on is the reason a group of ballots were set aside, not the ballot. Provisional ballots get pulled for things like a name change, an address change, or a question about whether the person was a registered voter.
The secrecy rule here is important. Under K.S.A. 25-2422, anyone charged with an election duty who intentionally discloses the contents of a ballot — or the name of the voter who cast it — commits a felony, and the only exception is a court order in an election contest. The Secretary of State’s Election Standards warn canvassers and the clerk to be careful not to disclose how any voter voted.
Under K.S.A. 25-409(b) the election judges write the reason for the challenge on the provisional envelope and attach the voter’s registration application to it. Walker said she will tell the board to read the first and leave the second alone.
“When I do the canvass on Monday night, I’m going to instruct the canvassing board that they do not turn the envelope over,” she said. “They look at what the reason was for, and they make their determination based on that.”
That is also why she thinks there is little for either campaign to contest. “It’s going to be really hard to challenge any of them, because they don’t know what’s inside the provisional,” she said. Ballots the board rejects are not opened; K.S.A. 25-3107(a) bars the canvassers from unsealing them, and the Election Standards say they stay sealed and are stored with the other ballots after the canvass.
The partial ballots
A few of the provisionals, Walker thought about three, are partial counts, cast by someone who voted in the wrong precinct.
Those do not get thrown out. State law requires them to be counted as far as they legally can be. Under K.S.A. 25-3002(b)(3), when a voter casts a provisional ballot in the wrong precinct but still inside the same county, every race that appears on both precincts’ ballots counts, and any race that does not appear on both is dropped.
Statewide races and the constitutional amendment question carry over, because they are on every ballot. What changes is the local part.
“It’s the precinct people, the township clerk, and the county level that will get changed,” she said. “If they voted for somebody on their ballot that isn’t on the correct ballot, then that vote does not count. That’s why it’s called a partial count.”
The correction happens Monday. Walker is seating an auditing board to do that work — transferring the valid votes onto a ballot from the voter’s correct precinct, spoiling the original, and checking for write-in votes that need to be caught.
She said an auditing board at a Bourbon County canvass “has never been done in the past.”
Write-ins and coin flips
A write-in campaign can carry a party office on a handful of votes. Under K.S.A. 25-213(d), a person can be elected precinct committeeman or committeewoman on write-ins alone with at least five, provided no one filed for the seat and the person is a qualified elector of that precinct in that party. For a township office the bar is lower still, but it buys something different: three or more write-in votes win the party’s nomination and a place on the November ballot, not the office itself.
Walker said one person has already qualified that way, and the canvass will take it up Monday. A write-in on the provisionals ballots could produce more.
And if two candidates finish level, the tie is broken in the room. K.S.A. 25-3108(a) says that where the county board makes the final canvass, the board “shall determine by lot which person is nominated or elected,” after giving the candidates reasonable notice of when that will happen — and if they do not show up, the board does it without them.
Walker described how she runs that for the party and township contests: a coin flip when two are tied, with the candidate listed first on the ballot calling it, and the coin has to land on the ground. Three or more, and names are drawn.
Asked whether the law specifies what type of coin, Walker said she believes she can use any coin she wants.
The deadlines
K.S.A. 25-3104 puts the canvass between 8 and 10 a.m. on the Monday after the election, but lets the county election officer move it to any business day “not later than 13 days following any election.” The primary was Tuesday, Aug. 4. Thirteen days later is Monday, Aug. 17. The statute also requires that notice of the time and place be published in a newspaper of general circulation and on the county election office’s website before the canvass happens.
Once the board certifies, the result is official. For a local race the county canvass is the final canvass — there is no state board above it. The Secretary of State’s Election Standards say those certified results cannot be changed except by court order in a general-election contest, or through an objection to a primary nomination.
The one mechanism that can still change a count is a recount, and the window is short. Under K.S.A. 25-3107(b), any candidate may request a recount of the ballots for the office they ran for, in all voting areas or only specified ones. The request has to be in writing, filed with the county election officer, no later than 5 p.m. on the day following the last meeting of the canvassers. If the board finishes Monday, means 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The candidate who asks also has to post a bond, with security approved by the county or district attorney, covering the county’s costs. If the recount flips the race to the candidate who requested it, the bond is not touched and the county pays.
The winner of the District 1 Republican primary advances to the November general election against Democrat Clinton L. Walker, who was unopposed in his primary with 88 votes.
The Bourbon County Republican Party has stopped its search for a new county clerk, days after announcing it would begin one.
In a statement issued Aug. 14, party chair Kaety Bowers said the party “officially retracts its statement of intent to begin the replacement process” for the office of County Clerk, and that it did so after the Secretary of State’s election director instructed it to cease.
County Clerk Susan Walker announced her resignation at the Aug. 10 county commission meeting, effective Aug. 31, ending 24 years with different entities in Bourbon County. The written statement she read to commissioners says she will be “stepping down from my position as County Clerk, effective 08/31/26.”
As of late Saturday morning, Aug. 15, no resignation letter had been filed with the governor. Walker said in an interview then that she had not yet sent one and that she intends to. Kansas law treats an announced resignation and a filed one as separate matters, and that distinction runs through everything that followed.
The party’s statement, in full
Bowers issued the following statement on Aug. 14. It is reproduced here in its entirety.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2026
Bourbon County Republican Chair Responds to Clerk’s Announcement
FORT SCOTT, Kan. —
On Monday, Clerk Walker publicly announced her resignation effective August 31, 2026, during the county commission meeting. Her written statement was later published online. She informed the Secretary of State’s office today that the resignation was instead an “announcement” and that she has not notified the Governor. It remains unclear when, or if, a formal resignation letter will be submitted.
Earlier this week, the Secretary of State’s election director cleared the Bourbon County Republican Party to begin the statutory replacement process for the office of County Clerk under K.S.A. 19-303 and 25-3902. After the subsequent discussion with County Clerk Susan Walker today, the same director instructed the Party to cease the process. The Party does not hold the election director at fault.
In light of these developments, the Bourbon County Republican Party officially retracts its statement of intent to begin the replacement process.
The people of Bourbon County deserve clarity, not shifting statements depending on the audience. If the resignation is genuine, the letter should be filed where the law requires. If it is not, the public announcements should stop as this uncertainty serves no one. The unfortunate timing of any vacancy places a new clerk directly into preparation for the November general election, making every day of transition time valuable.
The Party remains prepared to follow the law the moment formal notice is properly filed and will comply with the latest directive from the Secretary of State’s office until then.
Kaety Bowers
Chair, Bourbon County Republican Party
What Walker says happened
Walker described the call in an interview with FortScott.biz on Saturday. She said she phoned the Secretary of State’s office about the county canvass — the Aug. 4 primary left a three-vote margin in the District 1 commission race — and that her resignation letter came up incidentally. The state election director is the official county election officers work with on election administration, which is what Walker said she called about.
“I called the Secretary of State because I was working on my canvassing and I had some questions, and I said, by the way, I said, do I send my letter to you? And also the governor,” Walker said. “He goes, ‘What? You haven’t sent your letter in yet?'”
She said the director asked whether she had made an announcement, and she said she had.
“He goes, ‘Well, you need to call the party chair.’ I said, ‘She won’t take my phone calls.’ And he goes, ‘Well, fine, I’ll do it.'”
In Walker’s telling, the missing letter is the reason the process stopped, and the director acted on his own. She said the letter is coming: “Am I sending my letter in? Absolutely, I am. I just haven’t had time.” Election work had priority, she said. Reached shortly before noon on Saturday, she said she was only then leaving the office after working the weekend on the canvass: “I’ve been working tirelessly to make sure the canvass goes off. I’m just now leaving the office.”
What the party was told
The party’s understanding of that same call differs on one point.
Bowers explained to FortScott.biz that, while Walker’s announcement would ordinarily have counted as notice that a vacancy was going to occur — the event that starts a county party’s clock to find a replacement — the director told her Walker had called him to say her announcement should not be treated as that notice.
On that account, the lack of a letter to the governor was not what stopped the process.
The written statement stops short of saying that. It places the halt after the director’s discussion with Walker without saying the discussion caused it.
Two statutes, two different questions
Read together, the two accounts may be describing the same conversation from either side of a single legal question: whether Walker has officially resigned, or whether the party may begin looking for a successor before she has. Kansas law treats those as separate questions, and different statutes answer each. The party’s statement cites the two that govern filling the vacancy; a third governs how a county officer resigns in the first place.
K.S.A. 19-2606 governs how an elected county officer resigns. It requires a written notice filed in the office of whoever is authorized to fill the vacancy — for a county clerk, the governor — plus a copy to the county election officer, and it must state the effective date. Walker’s published statement does give an effective date. What has not happened is the filing.
K.S.A. 25-3902 governs when the party may act. It gives the county chair 21 days from “receipt of notice that the vacancy has occurred or will occur” to convene a convention of precinct committeemen and committeewomen, who elect someone for the governor to appoint. The tense is future. The statute sets no form for that notice, and nothing in it makes a completed 19-2606 filing a precondition.
So both things can be true at once: that Walker’s resignation is not yet complete, and that the party’s clock had already started. Neither statute ties one to the other, and an official weighing whether a resignation is final could reasonably land somewhere different from one weighing when a party’s 21 days begin.
What is not in dispute
Walker announced a resignation on Aug. 10, effective Aug. 31, and a written statement was published the following day. No letter had reached the governor as of late Saturday morning, Aug. 15. The Secretary of State’s election director first cleared the party to begin and later told it to stop. That reversal followed his conversation with Walker. The party’s statement says it does not hold the election director at fault.
What happens next
The party says it “remains prepared to follow the law the moment formal notice is properly filed.” Filing a letter would not by itself create a vacancy. Walker gave notice ahead of time and set her last day as Aug. 31, so she remains the clerk until that date either way — including Monday afternoon, when she helps conduct the county canvass that certifies the Aug. 4 primary.
Walker told commissioners on Aug. 10 that Deputy Clerk Michael Hoyt would fill the office until a clerk is appointed.
Note: After publication Kaety Bower provided the following statement.
Clerk Walker has preferred to communicate with the party by email for some time. Her claim that I failed to answer her calls—and that this forced the election director to contact me—is false. I missed one call from her at 6:18 p.m. on Friday, August 14, while traveling with my daughters. That call came days after our initial Facebook post about the replacement process, hours after the election director had already directed me to cease it, and after we had already announced that the process was stopped. This constant rewriting of events needs to stop. I wish her well in her new position and pray for peace and happiness for her and her family.
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report – August 14, 2026
Arrested
Cameron, Shawn Edward (Age 50) — Arrested 8/13/2026 9:50 AM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charge: Warrant Bourbon County (Probation Violation). Bond: $0.00 No Bond.
Kern, Kristapher Thomas Allen (Age 36) — Arrested 8/13/2026 2:00 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charges: Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) – Case 19CR335, Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) – Case 21CR97, Warrant Bourbon County (Probation Violation) – Case 21CR97. Bond: $0.00 No Bond.
Steeley, Jeremy Glenn (Age 49) — Arrested 8/13/2026 6:06 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charges: DWS, KS Insurance Violation, No/Improper Endorsement for Non-CDL CMV, Operate Vehicle with No Registration, Possess Opiates/Opium/Narcotic Drug and Certain Stimulants. Bond: $0.00.
McReynolds, Curtis Douglas (Age 41) — Arrested 8/13/2026 8:36 PM by Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Charges: Aggravated Battery – Cause Great Bodily Harm, Criminal Restraint. Bond: $0.00 No Bond.
Carson, Lowell (Age 75) — Arrested 8/14/2026 7:01 AM by Fort Scott Police Department. Charge: Warrant Bourbon County (Failure to Appear) – Case BB-26-CR-75. Bond: $1,000.00 Cash/Surety.
Released
Hatcher, Hadison Mae — Released 8/13/2026 6:09 PM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).
Poyner-Reed, Lakin Gentry — Released 8/13/2026 5:50 PM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).
Prestley, Trinity Debra Rose — Released 8/13/2026 8:56 PM via Surety Bond (A+ Bonding).
Roberson, Malcolm — Released 8/13/2026 2:12 PM via Transferred Out (Douglas County).
Stewart, Steven Neil — Released 8/13/2026 2:15 PM via Time Served (Self).
White, Joseph — Released 8/13/2026 2:11 PM via Transferred Out (Douglas County).
Willard, Gleynona Renea — Released 8/13/2026 6:16 PM via Surety Bond (Able Bonding).
FORT SCOTT — Bourbon County’s chief district judge asked county commissioners Wednesday night to let the district court operate virtually from a county-owned building at 108 W. Second St. for roughly a month this fall, while the courthouse elevator is rebuilt.
Chief Judge Amy Harth presented the plan as a proposal, not a settled decision, and said she cannot commit the court on her own. Commissioners took no votes; it was a work session, and no motions were made.
The proposal scales back an earlier concept — building out a 40-by-40 courtroom at 108 W. Second — that commissioners and court staff had been weighing alongside a look at the former federal courtroom at the Fort Scott Post Office. Harth said she developed the new approach over the previous day or two with Chief Clerk Administrator Stephanie Gerken and Bourbon County District Court Clerk Melissa Trim, and had taken it to the district’s other judges.
“In terms of trying to minimize fiscal impact for you all, I am proposing that we use that space,” Harth said. “It will need some work. I want to be clear about that. We can’t use it the way it is right this minute. We’re proposing to use that space to move court virtual for those 30 days, for those four weeks.” (video, 39:53)
The courthouse elevator is working now. The four-week outage under discussion is the planned Otis modernization, not the breakdown that put the elevator out of service earlier this summer.
“When the elevator is under repair, we have to continue with court operations,” Harth said. “We’re operational, which is great. But when it goes down for repair, the days we were quoted was 30.” (video, 34:44)
What the plan would do
The county-owned building at 108 W. Second St., which the district court has proposed using as temporary quarters. Image: Google Street View.
Under the proposal, security would move to the front door at 108 W. Second. Two to three court clerks would be stationed there to handle public interface. The eight offices running around the outside of the building could serve as Zoom rooms and other flexible court space.
“They already have doors on them, so for confidential hearings, that helps out with that,” Harth said, naming child in need of care and adoption cases. The rooms would also let the court separate litigants in protection-from-abuse and protection-from-stalking cases, and give the county attorney a place to sit with a witness. (video, 49:02)
Three smart TVs would live-stream the Zoom proceedings so the public can watch. Hearings would still be recorded from the courtroom upstairs, and inmates would appear virtually from the jail.
Harth asked commissioners to vote to close public access to the courthouse’s second and third floors while the court is operating off site. Since this meeting was a work session no decisions were made. That vote could be made at the next scheduled meeting on Monday.
“The other thing about you all just saying no access is people will get confused about where they’re supposed to go for court,” she said. “Versus if you all post it and say there is no public access to the second and third floor, you can put a sign right at the front and say if you have court business, go to 108.” (video, 60:32)
The court’s shift to centralized case management is what makes the move practical, Harth said: “The great thing about us going to centralized case management is we can just, if we have Wi-Fi, we can pick up and move.” (video, 59:54)
Gerken, the district’s chief clerk administrator, said public access is not optional.
“We’re going to have to have the public access,” she said. “Because this going up there, we were running up and down the stairs trying to serve the public, and that’s just an accident waiting to happen.” (video, 65:35)
The timeline
Chairman Samuel Tran said he spoke with Otis the day of the meeting. The company needs a three-week lead time to get parts delivered, then two weeks for the modernization itself, one week to tie the new equipment into building power, and a fourth week of cushion.
“That’s where the four weeks comes in,” Tran said. … “And then a spare week just in case they need a little bit more time. And that’s standard.” (video, 36:04)
The elevator keeps running until the work actually begins, he said: “Nothing gets shut down until they’re ready to start. The elevator will be fully operational.” (video, 38:29)
Otis currently has the county scheduled for the whole month of October. Harth first asked whether the work could start Oct. 26, then proposed Oct. 20, citing a jury trial expected to run through Oct. 2 and a separate commitment on Oct. 19.
“If they could start the 20th, that would be even better,” she said, adding that it would also leave cushion before Thanksgiving week. (video, 39:17)
Tran said he would ask, and pressed for Otis to come to Fort Scott for a pre-construction meeting with the judge, court staff, commissioners and maintenance personnel.
“They can outline the table of events, how they plan it, all the different phases of construction,” he said. “And then you can decide whether you want it from October the 20th to November the 10th, or do you want it sooner.” (video, 50:43)
Commissioners discussed holding that meeting Wednesday, Aug. 19, possibly an hour before a budget work session, but did not finalize a date. Tran had not reached the Otis representative by the end of the meeting and said he would follow up with Harth.
A possible asbestos question at 108
Tran raised a complication near the end of the meeting. While the others walked the building, he said, he had been looking for hazards, drawing on a safety certification he previously held.
“In one of the closets, there are nine-by-nine floor tiles. And in that room, the carpet is not glued down, it’s taped. So that tells me to be careful,” he said. “Do I think there’s a hazard to your health or your staff’s health right now? No, I do not. But what I’m saying is if you do any type of construction, I would have somebody look at what you’re trying to do.” (video, 55:17)
Nine-by-nine floor tile is a common indicator of asbestos-era material. Tran said he expected an abatement company would have to come from Kansas City. No local company was identified during the discussion.
Paying for it
Commissioner Gregg Motley said grant money looks unlikely.
“There’s very few grants, private grants, for government, and there’s even fewer for construction or remodeling,” he said. Most of the grants they had looked at go to dual-purpose buildings, he said, citing Memorial Hall, which qualified as a citizen-benefit building rather than a government one. He said he would meet with the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission on Thursday. (video, 63:50)
Commissioner David Beerbower suggested the short timeline might require using or adapting a sales-tax approach the sheriff had raised earlier. (video, 64:42)
No price has been put on the buildout. Beerbower said the court’s rough diagram of what it needs in each space, plus an equipment list, would let the county prepare a request for proposals if commissioners decide to proceed. The court will inventory what it already owns first — it has some laptops and possibly pandemic-era tablets, Harth said, but not the three 32-inch smart TVs the plan calls for — and the county may lease chairs rather than buy them.
Beerbower suggested copying the jail’s existing setup rather than designing new stations: “We don’t have to reinvent anything. We just copy what whoever installed for you guys could do.” (video, 61:43)
What happens if the four weeks slips
Harth said she has notified her departmental justice and is prepared to propose the relocation formally to the court. But the plan depends on Otis holding to four weeks.
“If they can’t get it done in four weeks, we’re going to have to regroup on where we’re going for trials,” she said. “We’re going to start running into speedy trial problems with criminal. That’s my biggest concern — where are we going to have jury trials?” (video, 65:49)
Harth laid out the stakes in more detail at the commission’s July 27 meeting, when the elevator was still out of service. The court had been “really down since June 16th,” she said then. One defendant charged with aggravated kidnapping had her jury trial continued because summonses had to go out and the court could not be assured the elevator would work. Because the obstacle is the court’s inability to hold a jury trial, she said, the delay “is not going to be assessed against the defendant” — and “if these people run out of time, these cases will have to be dismissed.” (video, July 27, 62:01)
Background
Commissioners approved the Otis modernization on Dec. 18, 2025, allocating $199,000 from the jail sales tax fund, Fund 370. The funding vote split, with Beerbower voting against that funding source.
Harth appeared at that December meeting, when the elevator was down, and told commissioners: “This is an ADA violation for us and probably a 19-104 violation for the county.” (video, Dec. 18, 2:15:39) K.S.A. 19-104 requires Kansas counties to provide a suitable courthouse and keep it in repair.
Beerbower handed out a maintenance history at Wednesday’s work session. The elevator was installed in 1977, he said, and the commission’s own minutes on it begin in November 2019.
Commissioners gave the court a key so staff can get back into 108 W. Second, walk it again and build a punch list, with the key to be returned to the commission’s executive assistant afterward. Harth said she and Gerken would return Friday with the Office of Judicial Administration’s audiovisual-grant contact to walk the courtrooms.
HBCAT Shows Measurable Progress in Bourbon County Health Indicators Over Time
Ten years of sustained community work are producing measurable improvements in tobacco use, nutrition, and healthy-weight indicators
FORT SCOTT, Kan. — August 2026 — Ten years after Bourbon County received its first Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant, long-term data are showing measurable progress in several of the health priorities the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team has worked to address since 2016.
Bourbon County is seeing measurable signs of improved health, with fewer adults smoking, fewer adults classified as overweight, and more adults reporting that they eat fruits and vegetables at least once each day.
Heather Smith, then economic development director for the City of Fort Scott, and Jody Love, then community benefit lead at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, worked together to write Bourbon County’s successful 2016 application for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas® (BCBSKS) Pathways to a Healthy Kansas (Pathways) grant.
The application was informed by Bourbon County’s Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan, both written by Love during her work at Mercy Hospital. Local data identified tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, chronic disease, and limited access to healthy choices as significant community concerns.
Following the award, Love established and led the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team to implement the Pathways initiative and build the lasting community infrastructure needed to carry the work forward.
At the time of the application, Bourbon County ranked near the bottom of Kansas counties for overall health outcomes. The original grant called for long-term policy, environmental, and systems changes that would make healthy choices easier and more accessible for residents.
Long-Term Indicator Movement
Indicator
Earlier Value
Latest Value
Change
Adults who smoke
21.2% (2018)
16.9% (2023)
More than 20% reduction
Consuming fruit less than once daily
44.7% (2017)
42.1% (2021)
About 6% improvement
Consuming vegetables less than once daily
22.9% (2017)
21.1% (2021)
About 8% improvement
Adults classified as overweight
36.6% (2017)
26.6% (2021)
More than 27% reduction
Lower percentages represent improvement for the fruit and vegetable indicators because they measure the percentage of adults consuming those foods less than once per day.
The original grant application envisioned increased access to healthy food, safer places for physical activity, greater youth and community engagement, stronger cross-sector relationships, and a community culture in which the healthy choice could become the easier choice.
That early work developed into a broader and sustained effort addressing community health, food access, active living, tobacco prevention, economic mobility, entrepreneurship, and quality of life. HBCAT created a structure through which residents and organizations could continue working together beyond a single grant or funding cycle.
Over the past decade, HBCAT has worked with residents and organizations across healthcare, education, economic development, local government, business, and the nonprofit sector. Individual partners and levels of participation have changed over time, but HBCAT has remained focused on the long-term vision established in 2016.
Population-level outcomes are affected by many factors and cannot be attributed to one grant or organization alone. However, the alignment between the priorities identified in 2016, nearly a decade of sustained policy, environmental, and systems-change work, and improvement in several long-term indicators provides strong evidence that HBCAT and Bourbon County’s broader community efforts have contributed to meaningful change.
“When Heather and I wrote the Pathways grant in 2016, we knew meaningful community change would not happen quickly. We have been through hospital closure, leadership transitions, funding challenges, a pandemic, and countless changes in our community. Through it all, we kept building relationships, listening to residents, using data, and working to change the systems and environments that shape health. Ten years later, we are seeing the fruit of that hard work.”
— Jody Love, President and CEO, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team
“Pathways to a Healthy Kansas is grounded in the belief that better health starts long before someone needs medical care. By investing in partnerships, supporting local leadership and addressing the factors that shape health, BCBSKS is helping create lasting change across Kansas communities,” said Virginia Barnes, director of Blue Health Initiatives. “The health improvements we are seeing after a decade of partnership with the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team reflect our belief that real change happens through local leadership, strong relationships and sustained commitment.”
“The numbers matter, but so does what it took to move them,” Love said. “This progress represents years of persistence from staff, residents, volunteers, businesses, organizations, policymakers, and funders who believed Bourbon County could become a healthier place. We still have significant work ahead of us, but we should also pause and recognize that sustained community investment can produce measurable results.”
The original 2016 Pathways application stated that Bourbon County was ready to pursue work that would have “meaningful impact and measurable outcomes.” Ten years later, the community can demonstrate progress toward that promise.
Data cited are from Kansas Health Matters. Available measurement years vary by indicator. The fruit, vegetable, overweight, and adult-smoking indicators referenced here are archived indicators and should be considered alongside local program, policy, and systems-change evidence.
About the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team works to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco prevention and cessation, enhance quality of life, and support economic growth. HBCAT advances community-driven solutions through resident engagement, cross-sector relationships, resource development, and policy, environmental, and systems change.
About Pathways to a Healthy Kansas
Pathways to a Healthy Kansas is the largest community grant program ever funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. The Pathways program provides community coalitions with the tools and resources needed to remove barriers and engage their communities in ways that improve active living, healthy eating, behavioral health and commercial tobacco prevention. For more information, visit bcbsks.com/pathways.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
For more than 80 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has built a reputation of trust with its members and contracting providers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and is the state’s largest insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte. For more information, visit bcbsks.com.
Media Contact: Jody Love | President and CEO | Healthy Bourbon County Action Team | 620-215-2892
A Fox television station in the Kansas City area reported recently they had received tips that some people in Kansas are not getting money loaded onto their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
EBT is the electronic debit card system used to access the official Food Assistance Program in Kansas, which is the state’s name for the federal United States SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), according to the KDCF website.
Fortscott.biz went to the local Department of Children and Families in Fort Scott to find out more.
The spokesperson at DCF, Fort Scott, said she was unable to give information and sent a request to the Kansas Department of Children and Families media relations spokesperson.
In a nutshell, the answer is yes, there have been delays for some people because of requirements by federal and state laws that need longer processing times for case updates, along with increased workload and staffing shortages.
Erin La Row, MBA, who is the Deputy Director of Media Relations, responded with the following in an email:
“My colleagues in Fort Scott said after seeing the FOX 4 story, you were looking for information about delays clients may be facing with receiving their SNAP Food Assistance,” she said in the email.
The Department of Children and Families building, National Avenue and Wall Street, August 2024
“Some clients are experiencing delays in receiving their benefits due to longer processing times for required case updates, including recertifications, change reports, and interim reports. We understand how important these benefits are to the individuals and families who rely on them, and we recognize the hardship and uncertainty that delays can create.”
She listed several factors contributing to longer processing times.
“Increased seasonal workload and staffing shortages, and the time required to obtain and review required verifications —such as shelter and utility expenses— to ensure benefit accuracy and reduce error rates. Some of these factors are related to new requirements put in place by the U.S. Congress and Kansas Legislature.
“DCF is committed to reducing processing times. The agency has implemented overtime opportunities and continues to prioritize recruitment and training to strengthen the eligibility workforce, reduce wait times, and improve service for Kansans.”
Result of 2025 Laws
The U.S. Congress in 2025 enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with the effect trickling down now to the local level.
To learn more about this legislative act, click below.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 reduces federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $187 billion through 2034 and establishes stricter eligibility standards nationwide, according to a Public Broadcasting Service story:
