Governor Laura Kelly Announces Nearly $14 Million in Grants for Rural Kansas Communities
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced 32 rural Kansas communities will receive a share of $13,864,149 in federal grants to assist with community development projects.
Through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program facilitated by the Kansas Department of Commerce, these federal grants are being awarded for a variety of community improvement projects, including sewer and water projects, housing rehabilitation and community facility improvements.
“The Community Development Block Grant program is a powerful tool for improving communities, revitalizing vital infrastructure, and maximizing economic opportunity,” Governor Kelly said. “Over the past several months, the pandemic has heightened the challenges our rural communities face when it comes to community development – making assistance like this more important than ever. My administration is dedicated to doing all we can to continue addressing rural Kansans’ most pressing needs.”
“Providing assistance to address quality-of-life issues is a necessary and noble part of economic development,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “By funding community projects like these, the CDBG program is helping to improve the overall business and residential appeal of these small towns. These investments will improve living conditions for Kansas residents, create new economic opportunities for rural communities and bolster the overall prosperity of our entire state.”
Counties, applicant cities and award amounts are as follows:
The CDBG program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce provides federal funds to local governments for the development of viable communities by addressing their housing, public facilities and economic development needs. To be awarded funds, local government units must meet at least one of three program objectives:
The grant will benefit low- and moderate-income persons
The grant will prevent or eliminate slums and blight
The grant will resolve an urgent need where local resources are not available to do so
The CDBG funds are one of the Department of Commerce’s primary tools in supporting the state’s small, predominantly rural communities.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses.
Patty Love, Bourbon County Treasurer. Submitted photo.
Bourbon County staff are in the process of carrying out a tax sale on property owners who have not paid their taxes.
In Bourbon County, a property qualifies for the tax sale after taxes are three years delinquent, said Bourbon County Treasurer Patty Love. “The taxes become delinquent in October of the following year. For example, the 2020 taxes will not be delinquent until October 1, 2021.”
“The tax sale is the only recourse we have to force people to pay their taxes,” Love said.
“We have mailed out warning letters letting people with 2016 and prior delinquent taxes know that we are working on a tax sale for 2021,” she said. “Those letters were mailed in October, November and December. We have now sent the list to the title company and they are doing the title searches.”
The property title company then returns these to the county attorney and will be filed with the court.
“To keep their property off of the tax sale, the property owner can pay 2016 and prior taxes at this time and they will be removed from the tax sale,” Love said. “Once the attorney has filed them with the court, the only way they can be taken off of the tax sale is if the property owner pays all taxes 2020 and prior taxes plus a $200. court filing fee.”
Once all the properties are filed, a notification will be published in the Fort Scott Tribune newspaper and also to the website bourboncountyks.org.
“The property owner has up until 10 a.m. the day of the tax sale to redeem their property by paying all taxes and $200,” Love said.
“In order to bid on the property at the tax sale, you have to have all of your property taxes current, and sign a paper stating that you are not related to the owner of the property you are bidding on and that you are not buying the property for the delinquent owner,” she said.
The tax sale takes place in the lobby of the Bourbon County Courthouse. with the property being sold to the highest bidder, she said.
“We will determine a date after all properties are filed with the cour,” Love said.
Justin Meeks, Bourbon County Counselor. Submitted photo.
“We started to receive abstracts from the title company about two weeks ago,” said Bourbon County Counselor Justin Meeks. “We are getting a couple a day. We should have the sale in the late spring and if needed, another one in October or November of this year.”
The county personnel are on the the title company’s timeline,” Meeks said.
“They have been very busy, which is a good thing for everyone because that means houses are selling,” Meeks said.
The Uniontown High School Seniors are selling raffle tickets to raise funds for their Send-Off-Seniors post-graduation event. The SOS event began as a way for the seniors to celebrate their accomplishments together in a drug-free and alcohol-free environment. All of the donations collected will go towards providing items the seniors will need as they move away from home to college dorms or their own houses.
It has been a challenging year to raise funds for this event. In years past the SOS committee has relied on concession stand revenue and silent auctions. This year the committee has decided to hold a beef raffle. Tickets are $1 each or 6 tickets for $5. TWO winners will receive a 40 lb. beef bundle. Bundles will include 25 lbs. of ground beef, 10 lbs. of steak and 5 lbs. of roast. Winners will be drawn on February 25th and you need not be present to win.
The UHS seniors and parents would like to thank G-Three Ranch and the Sutterby Family for donating all of the beef for this raffle.
Please contact any UHS senior or senior parent for tickets. If you or your business would like to donate please contact SOS committee member Rebecca Sutterby at [email protected] or Amy Holt at [email protected]
March 15 Last Day to Complete Enrollment for 2021 Agriculture Risk Coverage,
Price Loss Coverage Programs
Call Today About 2021 Crop Year Eligibility
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2021 – Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2021 must do so by March 15. Producers who have not yet signed a 2021 enrollment contract or who want to make an election change should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to make an appointment. Program enrollment for 2021 is required in order to participate in the programs, but elections for the 2021 crop year are optional and otherwise remain the same as elections made for 2020.
“FSA offices have multiple programs competing for the time and attention of our staff. Because of the importance and complexities of the ARC and PLC programs, and to ensure we meet your program delivery expectations, please do not wait to start the enrollment process,” said FSA Acting Administrator Steve Peterson. “I cannot emphasize enough the need to begin the program election and enrollment process now. This process can be completed when applying for other FSA programs as well.”
ARC and PLC provide income support to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms.
Although 1,033,310 contracts have been completed to date, this represents less than 59% of the more than 1.7 million contracts anticipated by the Agency. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears.
Producers who do not complete enrollment by close of business local time on Monday, March 15 will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2021 crop year and will be ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for an eligible crop.
ARC and PLC contracts can be emailed, faxed or physically signed and mailed back to FSA. Producers with level 2 eauthentication access can electronically sign contracts. Service Center staff can also work with producers to sign and securely transmit contracts electronically through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. You can learn more about these solutions at farmers.gov/mydocs. Producers may also make arrangements to drop off signed contracts at the FSA county office. Please call ahead for local mailing or drop off information and options for submitting signed contracts electronically.
Producers are eligible to enroll farms with base acres for the following commodities: barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium- and short-grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
Yield Data and Web-Based Decision Tools Available
FSA recently updated the annual and benchmark yields for ARC/PLC program years 2019, 2020 and 2021. This data is useful to producers in choosing to participate in either ARC or PLC.
For added assistance with ARC and PLC decisions, USDA partnered with the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University to offer web-based decision tools to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Tools include:
Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, the University of Illinois tool that offers farmers the ability to run payment estimate modeling for their farms and counties for ARC-County and PLC.
ARC and PLC Decision Tool, the Texas A&M tool that allow producers to analyze payment yield updates and expected payments for 2019 and 2020. Producers who have used the tool in the past should see their username and much of their farm data will already be available in the system.
Crop Insurance Considerations
Producers are reminded that enrolling in ARC or PLC programs can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products. Producers who elect and enroll in PLC also have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their Approved Insurance Provider. Producers of covered commodities who elect ARC are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres.
Unlike SCO, RMA’s Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is unaffected by participating in ARC for the same crop, on the same acres. You may elect ECO regardless of your farm program election.
Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the stacked income protection plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres.
More Information
For more information on ARC and PLC including web-based decision tools, visit farmers.gov/arc-plc.
All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with NRCS, Farm Service Agency, or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus .
St. Martin’s Academy Theotokos Hall. Photo was taken from the school’s website.The St. Martin’s Academy all-school photo taken December 2020. Submitted.
Saint Martin’s Academy, rural Fort Scott, is a Catholic boarding school for boys that combines classical academics with a practical work program on a sustainable farm, according to its’ website. www.saintmartinsacademy.org
The school is in its’ third year.
Daniel Kerr is the headmaster of the academy and gave fortscott.biz an email interview.
Daniel Kerr is the founder and headmaster of St. Martin’s Academy. Photo was taken from the academy’s website.
“We have 42 students this year across all four grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th,” Kerr said. “Our first graduating class of nine will graduate on May 29th. Our graduates’ plans include college, apprenticing in a trade, and mission work.”
Adam Taylor is the new assistant headmaster of St. Martin’s Academy. Photo was taken from the academy’s website.
One of the new faculty this year is Adam Taylor, who is the assistant headmaster.
“Adam spent 20 years in the Marines before entering the private sector as a vice president at Cloudera, a software company,” Kerr said. “His son, Ian, is a 12th grader.”
Bryan Meyers is the new St. Martin’s Academy Dean of Student Life. Photo was taken from the academy’s website.
The school also has a new dean of student life, Bryan Meyers.
“Bryan has taught at a variety of private and public schools for over a decade and has a passion for integrating academics with the living laboratory of the farm and fields,” Kerr said. “He teaches several classes and is also the school’s beekeeper with several active hives and more on the way.”
St. Martin’s Academy Rugby Team. Submitted photos.
The school offers rugby as part of the program.
“Practices for the 2021 Rugby season are well underway and we have seven or eight matches slated in the late winter and early spring, mostly with teams from the Kansas City metro area,” Kerr said. “Team captains Ian Taylor, Henry Hickey (12th grade), and Nate Jones, Danny Harrington (11th grade) will lead the Kingfishers in our first year of playing with a full squad of 15. Rugby is played by all the boys who are able and helps develop a real esprit de corps and sense of camaraderie.”
The school is still in the construction phase with the main completed building, Theotokos Hall, the center of activity.
“Theotokos Hall serves a multifunctional purpose during our first years,” Danielle Bauer, who has development and fundraising duties at the academy, said. “Currently the building houses our kitchen, dining hall, common area and hearth, library and classrooms. Most importantly, the top floor of Theotokos Hall serves as our chapel where the boys gather daily for prayer and Holy Mass.”
It also served as a temporary dormitory until bunkhouses could be built.
A bunkhouse at St. Martin’s Academy in construction. The students help with the building of the structures. Submitted photos.
“Three of our five bunkhouses scheduled for construction are now occupied by the boys,” Kerr said. ” This has been a game-changer for us by freeing up space within our main building, Theotokos Hall, to be developed for proper classrooms and a library. Enrollment next year should approach 60 and it is likely we will have a waiting list by May.”
The students are involved in the community.
“Among our work project, the boys are currently re-building several picnic tables for Gunn Park and have done some preparatory cooking for Fort Scott’s soup kitchen (Feeding Families In His Name at the First United Methodist Church),” Kerr said.
“I am sincerely grateful for the hospitality and kindness of Fort Scott’s civic leaders and residents in welcoming St. Martin’s these first few years,” Kerr said. “We look forward to being increasingly engaged in service and cultural projects that make positive contributions to the community.”
St. Martin’s Academy students practice music in their bunkhouse room. Submitted photo.
St. Martin’s Academy is located at 1950 Indian Road, Fort Scott.
Both Uniontown Eagles Varsity teams won their games against the Oswego Indians on Friday night.
The Lady Eagles won their game 62-31. Danielle Howard once more led the team in points, garnering 27 during the game. She also had 4 assists and 8 steals. Karleigh Schoenberger followed with 22 points and 4 steals. Gwenyth Fry had 6 rebounds, and Sammie Hampton had 3 steals.
“It was a nice win on the road tonight,” said Coach Miller. “We plan on carrying this momentum into next week, where we will play three league games. We will enjoy the win for the evening and get back to work on Monday for a road trip to Marmaton Valley.”
The boys’ Varsity team also defeated Oswego with a score of 62-34. Jake Harvey led with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. Clay Sutterby followed with 11 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists. Cade Goodridge scored 10 points, and Dawson Dreisbach had 7 rebounds.
“I thought our team played very well against Oswego Friday night,” Coach Hays said. “We were able to get good looks against their zone, and defensively, we were very active. We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from deep and the free throw line, but we did score 42 points in the paint. We out-rebounded them 36-20. When you win the battle in the paint, more often than not you will come out on top. I’m proud of the boys and how we are progressing.”
Krista Harding District Extension Agent, Horticulture Southwind Extension District 111 S. Butler Erie, KS 66733 Office: 620-244-3826 Cell: 620-496-8786
Even though the calendar says that we are only half-way through winter, the seed catalogs are telling us spring is just around the corner by the number of mailings they are sending out. I think I have already received six or seven!
I thoroughly enjoy flipping through the catalogs and planning what new plants I want to try this year. I’m sure many of you do the exactly the same. But do you understand all of the terminology that you see in seed catalogs? A clear understanding of the lingo used in the catalogs is needed so that you can be the most successful with your plantings.
When shopping for perennials, you will encounter the term “hardiness zone”. The United States (lower 48) is broken up into 8 hardiness zones based upon the lowest average winter temperature for the area. Southeast Kansas is located in zone 6. Knowing what zone your garden is in and seeing what zone the plant is hardy to will help you pick plants that will survive the winter. However, keep in mind that your individual planting areas might include a “microclimate.” A microclimate is an area that the soil, moisture, humidity, heat, wind or other conditions affect the viability of individual plants. So think about your planting site before ordering.
If you are looking at tomatoes, you will probably see the words determinant and indeterminate. These words refer to how large the plants get and how they grow. Determinant types tend to stay more compact and bushy. These are best suited for a smaller garden. Indeterminate types tend to get tall and just keep getting taller over the summer. If you want a tall plant to impress your neighbor, this is the one!
“Days to harvest” refers to the average number of days it usually takes after you set out transplants before you can expect your first harvest. This is highly variable and just because you count back the right number of days from the Fourth of July, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have ripe tomatoes by then. I have a friend that ordered in an array of sunflower seeds last year in preparation for a September wedding. The “days to harvest” was supposed to be around 70-75 days. So, she counted back from the wedding date and planted accordingly. Unfortunately, they bloomed about day 52 thanks to high heat! It just goes to show us that Mother Nature always wins regardless of our planning.
Terms such as AAS (All American Selections) and Perennial Plant of the Year, indicate that those varieties have been trialed for many years in trial gardens through the United States and have been shown to be outstanding performers. They are often worthy of a place in the garden.
Looking for plants that have disease tolerance or disease resistance is good. But the two terms have different meanings. A plant listed as disease tolerant will probably get a disease common to the plant, but it may not be so bad that treatment is needed. The disease probably won’t affect the appearance much. Disease resistance means the plant has been bred to resist common disease problems and will probably not get the disease. One of the best examples of this is in roses. Some roses will be listed as disease resistant to black spot and then some will be listed as disease tolerant to black spot.
Seed catalogs can be somewhat overwhelming. But if you do your homework and know the lingo, you will be able to pick out the best suited plants for your garden.
If you have questions on variety selection as you browse through your catalogs, please contact me. I would be happy to visit with you.
Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
MEETING WILL BE HELD IN COMMISSION ROOM. ANYONE ATTENDING THE MEETING WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. MUST MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.
An exam room in the Girard Medical Center of Uniontown clinic.
Girard Medical Center of Uniontown, the new community health center in western Bourbon County, will open in March.
Residents currently must travel either to Fort Scott which is 20 miles away, Iola-25 miles, Pittsburg-38 miles, or Girard-30 miles for medical care.
Spearheaded by Uniontown Ruritan, and the vision of several members of the community, the Uniontown health clinic is a collaboration of Ruritan, USD 235 School District, the Bourbon County Commission, the City of Uniontown, and Girard Medical Center.
“We hoped to open March 1, but it may be mid-March,” Ruth Duling, the CEO of Girard Medical Center, said.
Ruth Duling, CEO of Girard Medical Center. Photo from CMC website.
The school district provided the building for the clinic, which is located south of the Uniontown High School football field on the main street in the small town.
The sign in front of the Girard Medical Center of Uniontown building, which is located just south of the town’s football field.
“Uniontown USD 235 is excited to partner with other organizations to bring health care options to our district communities,” USD 235 Superintendent Bret Howard said. “The 2020-21 school year has been very challenging, especially when it comes to community health. USD 235 is pleased to partner with Girard Medical Center and the Uniontown Ruritan Club in making this dream a reality.”
Bret Howard, Superintendent of USD 235. Submitted. photo.
“It is great to see the successful culmination of a dream become reality in the creation of the Uniontown rural health clinic,” Mark Warren, District #37 Governor of Middle America Ruritan, who helped spearhead the project, said. “This clinic has the potential to benefit citizens of all ages and provide a choice in health care for the residents of our community.”
Mark Warren, Uniontown Ruritan member, opens the east door of the medical clinic. in February 2020, before the renovation of the building began.
GMC is planning to start providing services to the community with the clinic open three days a week, Duling said.
“The remodel has gone well, and we just have clean—up and finishing touches,” she said.
“We are still working on securing personnel,” Duling said. “We will have two positions to start with and we have applicants for those positions already.”
The Girard Medical Center of Uniontown is part of the satellite clinics that GMC has in southeast Kansas: Girard Medical Center of Cherokee, Girard Medical Center of Arma, and Girard Medical Center of Frontenac.
The business area of the Girard Medical Center of Uniontown.
Tuesday was a successful night for the Eagles. Both Lady Eagles teams won their games, as did the Varsity boys. The JV boys were defeated by the Vikings.
The Varsity girls defeated the Central Heights Vikings 43-27. Danielle Howard scored 19 points and had 5 steals. Karleigh Schoenberger had 7 points and 6 rebounds. Gwenyth Fry and Sammie Hampton had 4 rebounds, and Fry also had 2 assists.
“We earned a couple of good wins on the road tonight,” says Coach Miller. “The Varsity girls faced a little adversity in the second quarter, but overcame it with a solid second half performance. Our JV girls played well in their 2-quarter competition. There are a few in the group that are ready to compete for some Varsity minutes. We will be on the road again this Friday where we will take on the Oswego Indians.”
The boys’ Varsity team also beat the Vikings 51-45. Jake Harvey scored 17 points and had 9 rebounds and 2 steals. Clay Sutterby had 9 rebounds and 2 steals as well. Dawson Dreisbach had 5 rebounds, and Cade Goodridge had 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
“We didn’t play with great energy in the first half,” comments Coach Hays. We got in some foul trouble early and we never really got in a rhythm that first half. I thought, in the second half, we played with much better energy. We applied some full court pressure and that helped change the momentum. Central Heights is a good team and we were fortunate to come out on top.”
Shirley Hurd is a lifelong resident of Fort Scott and a researcher at Old Fort Genealogy Society (OFGS).
In 1995 she started to research the Mayhew Cemetery, she said in a press release. “This cemetery was set out in a deed in 1885, when the owner, Henry Mayhew sold all but a 100 x 100-foot section where his son-in-law was buried.”
The cemetery is predominantly an African-American burial site .
At the time she began her research, she and two others made a visit to Chet Ober (the property owner) of the site and asked if he could show them where the Mayhew Cemetery was.
“The location (Ober) took us to is where the Mayhew No. 2 cemetery is located,” she said. “Mr. Ober told us that he asked Bourbon County several times to fix up the cemetery. He stated that the county dozed the tombstone, sometime after 1961, into the river, and told him to use the ground as farmland.”
Others Have Sought Info About the Cemetery
Prior to Hurd, in 1973 OFGS Member Gerald Wood met with Ober.
“He stated that he tried diligently to get someone to help preserve the cemetery, but when they were unable to do so, they had it bulldozed since they needed the land,” she said.
In 2006 Hurd was asked for information about the Mayhew Cemetery by Sandra Dudley who was writing a story about the cemetery.
Hurd told Dudley all that she knew about the cemetery and Dudley attempted to view the site.
Dudley found a sign that stated “Do Not Enter – Hazardous Waste – Keep Out” and a Fort Scott City employee told her she was not allowed on the property, that it was private property, according to Hurd.
Dudley published a booklet in 2007 named “The Buried Roots of African-American Ancestry in Fort Scott, Kansas” which includes information on the Mayhew Cemetery.
Hurd Started Researching Again in 2019, After a Hiatus
Last year, she had another join in the research.
“In 2020, Ann Rawlins joined the research of the Mayhew Cemetery and we soon located Mayhew Cemetery No. 2 from aerial maps,” she said. “We believe that Mayhew No.1 could no longer hold any more burials in the 100 x 100-foot lot and burials were started north of the original site, and then to the east just south of the (Marmaton) river bank.”
The updated list of names is now about 175 buried in the two sites of the Mayhew Cemetery, she said.
“There is a Civil War Soldier buried in Mayhew, along with some that were freed as slaves and retained their slave owners’ names,” Hurd said. “There is an entire family that died in 1911 – 13 of whooping cough and other complications due to disease at that time. There are newborns, children, families, neighbors, and a couple (of people) that even lived to be 100 years old. There are so many stories of these families that need to be told.”
“Restoration of the cemetery is not possible,” Hurd said, “but there is a plan to have a memorial stone with all the names of the deceased on it placed in Fort Scott.”
A tombstone that had been located at Mayhew Cemetery. Submitted photos.
The memorial stone will be financed through personal and business donations.
“If you would like more information on the Mayhew Cemetery, please stop by OFGS Library or give me a call,” Hurd said.
OFGS’s phone number is 620-223-3300 or her email address is [email protected]. The office is located on National Avenue, in the basement of Memorial Hall.
Ann Rawlins is a librarian at Old Fort Genealogical Society and recently assisted Hurd on the project.
The site for Mayhew Cemetery No. 2 was unknown until Rawlins’ twin brother, Dr. Wayne R. Tucker, used lidar photography of the area. He found that there were two separate locations that were divided by a low channel.
“Once this was discovered…and we had located and recorded GPS coordinates of several surface items,” Rawlins said, “we have been authorized…to dig, but are still working on surface finds.”
“There are many buried in Mayhew who would never have been posted in the local newspapers or death records, so the total number of burials may never be known,” Rawlins said.
“Robert J. Hoard, Ph.D., State Archeologist of Kansas Historical Society is investigating the sites,” Rawlins said, “and has now classified them as historic and archeological cemeteries.”
Currently, a moratorium is in effect that Fort Scott city crews can only brush hog the area to maintain it, and no further damage to the site can be done.
The document is signed by former Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin and authorized by the Fort Scott City Commissioners, Rawlins said.
For an upcoming information event on the Mayhew Cemetery:
