Category Archives: Bourbon County

Bourbon County, Schools

St. Martin’s: Third Year Educating Boys

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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.
Bourbon County, Schools, Sports

UHS BASKETBALL GAME 13 RESULTS vs. Oswego 2/5/21

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Adelay Martin. Submitted photo.

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.”

-Adelay Martin, UHS Sports Media Reporter

Bourbon County, K-State Extension

Understanding Seed Catalog Lingo

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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.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda For Feb. 9

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Agenda

Bourbon County Commission Room

1st Floor, County Courthouse

210 S. National Avenue

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Tuesdays starting at 9:00

Date: February 9, 2021

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

 

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.

Call to Order

 

  • Flag Salute
  • Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
  • Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
  • Bobby Reed – Bourbon County Fair Association
  • Cereal Malt Beverage License
  • Corrected Fence Viewing from 1990
  • County Counselor Comment
  • Public Comment
  • Commission Comment
Bourbon County, Health Care

Girard Medical Center of Uniontown To Open In March 2021

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Schools, Sports

UHS BASKETBALL GAME 12 vs. CENTRAL HEIGHTS 2/2/2021

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Adelay Martin. Submitted photo.

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.”

-Adelay Martin, UHS Sports Media Reporter

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Interest In The Mayhew Cemetery Has Revived

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Submitted photo.
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:
To donate to the memorial:
Bourbon County

Bourbon County Coalition Minutes of Feb. 3

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Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition

General Membership Meeting Minutes

February 3, 2021

  1. Welcome: Chairman Billie Jo Drake welcomed fourteen members representing twelve agencies. She made the following announcements:
  • The VA Fort Scott Shuttle service has been discontinued and is not expected to resume. Any local citizen with an interest in resuming the Fort Scott VA shuttle service should call Carl Jowers at 620.215.1688 for more information.
  • The Bourbon County United Way will soon provide a press release about upcoming items.
  • Due to recent changes in Red Cross protocol, there will be no local Red Cross calling committee. Anyone interested in making a donation needs to make an online appointment or respond to the call from Wichita to be guaranteed of being able to donate.
  • Until we are able to meet in person and have programs, agendas will not be created. If this is a problem for anyone, let Billie Jo know prior to the next meeting.
  • John will again set up a Zoom meeting for March 3. We will evaluate the Covid conditions each month to determine whether to continue Zoom or resume face-to-face meetings.
  1. Member Introductions and Announcements:
  • Elizabeth Schafer: Feeding Families In His Name continues to be carry-out only. Several other churches and organizations have agreed to help with the program; the Methodist Church no longer must be responsible for every week.
  • Cinda Reynolds, Red Cross: Cinda is now involved and quite busy with the ICCT: Integrated Care Condolence Team. She works virtually with people in both Kansas and Oklahoma.
  • Sandy Haggard, RSVP: Sandy, Dena Kemp, and Patty Simpson presented a Medication Safety seminar for fifteen participants on February 2 at the High Rise. Even with going through technical difficulties, it was a successful seminar.
  • Kathy Brennon, Prairie Ridge CDDO: If anyone with a disability has questions as to services Prairie Ridge can provide, check the website at prcddo.org.
  • Michelle Worsley and Alice Leonard, SEK-CAP Head Start: They have openings and are accepting applications for both the Birth to Three and the Three to Five programs.
  • Michelle Stevenson, USD 234: She has been able to be in the homes of her clients by using masks and social distancing.
  • Nancy Van Etten, Red Cross: Red Cross desperately needs volunteers; interested persons should go to redcross.org to sign up. At this point all activities are virtual.
  • Christine Abbott, SEKansasWorks: Office in Pittsburg should be open with regular hours beginning March 1. The Fort Scott office in the BWERC Center is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is funding available for both the 16-24 and the adult programs. For more information, Christine’s cell number is 620-779-3727; she is in the Fort Scott office on Thursdays. Amy Kauffman is in the Fort Scott office on Tuesdays; her contact information is [email protected] or 620-687-0462.
  • Mandi H-Woods, Children’s Service League: Taking referrals; contact [email protected]
  • Patty Simpson, Fort Scott Housing Authority: A two-bedroom, handicapped accessible apartment is available now; some one-bedroom apartments will be coming available soon; however, there is a waiting list for those. If there is a need, Patty suggests getting on the waiting list.
  • Jeanne Camac, USD 235: Uniontown is able to have  face-to-face school with only a few doing virtual classes. At present no students in USD 235 in  7-12 grades are quarantined.
  1. Program (no programs for Zoom meetings)
  1. Open Forum: Nancy clarified for members that the Coalition Board still had funds available for clothing items; persons in need should apply through the Beacon.
  1. Adjournment: Next General Membership Zoom meeting will be March 3, 2021.
Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Minutes of Jan. 26

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January 26, 2021                                  Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the deputy County Clerk-Doretta Neville present.

 

Also present were the following, (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting): Mark McCoy, Michael Hoyt, Nancy Van Etten, Anne Dare, Susan Bancroft and Mr. & Mrs. Clint Walker.

 

Jim Harris made a motion to approve a utility construction permit for Heartland Rural Electric for work to be done at 242 Terrace & Xavier for 975’ on the North side of the road, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the permit.

 

Jim made a motion to approve a culvert permit for Brad Wright at 1175 275th, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the permit.

 

The Commissions plan to set a 2021 asphalt work session at a later date.

 

Eric Bailey reported that heavy rain had caused road issues near Uniontown.  He said they are putting brine on the road today for forecasted bad weather.

 

Eric reported that the guardrail is back up at 215th & Range Road.  He said the work is being finished on the shelter at Elm Creek on the rock at the North end.

 

Eric said he has been working with Chad at the City of Fort Scott regarding the potholes behind the Courthouse; he said they are working on a cost estimate for patching and for curb and gutter.

 

He said the side arm mower is ready to mow at the Fort Scott Lake.

 

They are waiting on the turbo for the crusher and hope to have it fixed later this week.  Eric said they sold $3,080 worth of scrap metal at the Landfill.  Eric asked what the plans were for the beams at the Landfill; they planned to build compost with them.  Eric asked if they wanted to sell them, the Commissioners said yes and told him to set a price for them.  Eric said the air compressor may be out of dump truck #146, he said it is at Foley for repairs.  Eric said they are waiting on two estimates on the truck and trailer that were involved in an accident.  Jim questioned Eric on what he wanted to do regarding the Sterling truck that needs $18,000 repairs, Eric said he would review this.

 

Alan Drake requested rock and a grader for Evergreen Cemetery; all of the Commissioners were in agreement to this.  Eric reported that Lath Branch is also needing rock and grading work done.

 

Eric and the Commissioners briefly discussed the 2020 bridge inspection manual; Eric said they have a crew of two employees and they plan to start working on bridges that need immediate attention.  He said they repaired a bridge at 85th & Xavier for $3,700.

 

Lynne made a motion to go into a 15 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss a job description and job duties, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 9:36, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Eric Bailey and Susan Bancroft).  At 9:36, Clifton made a motion to come out of executive session and said no action, Jim seconded and all approved.  Lynne asked that an executive session be placed on the agenda next week for personnel matters.

 

Lynne made a motion to amend the agenda to remove the executive session that Jim Harris had scheduled, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to adopt Resolution 07-21 for the refinancing of the jail bonds, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Jim Harris said when he was campaigning, it was suggested to have different times and dates of the Commission meetings so the public could attend, it was discussed to possibly have Wednesday afternoon meetings once a month, the Commissioners will discuss this again next week.

 

Emergency Manager Will Wallis met with the Commissioners to discuss the new Covid strain; he said it is more contagious and just as deadly if not more, he said people may need double mask for protection, (he said he has plenty of masks and gloves).  He said he and Bill Martin sought after a State grant of approximately $100,000 – he said the County purchases supplies and provides a receipt to the State for reimbursement.  Will recommended a department head meeting to have a refresher course on protection from the virus, to discuss double masks, to suggest department heads create a plan for employee vacations (travel restrictions), to discuss if employees can work from home, (if they have equipment/internet).  He said the Commissioners may have to consider another closure or partial closure of the Courthouse and said employees may need to work from home if so.  The Commissioners were in favor of a department head meeting for a refresher course.  Will said they are having an exercise Thursday on administering the Covid vaccine, he invited Clifton to attend the exercise, but Clifton said he wasn’t sure if he could attend.  Clifton said his opinion was that the new variant of the Covid virus is more contagious, he said if people are wearing the right mask there should be no reason to double mask, he said the department heads should be following the CDC, State and Federal guidelines regarding travel restrictions.  Clifton suggested that Will talk with CHC and the Health Department to offer assistance regarding the distribution of the vaccine.

 

Clifton made a motion for Lynne to attend a SEK Works meeting on Thursday, Jim seconded and all approved.  The Commissioners plan to discuss renewing the Chief Elected official for SEK Works again on February 2nd.

 

The Commissioners were in agreement to pay the $1,100 annual dues for the League of Municipalities.

 

Lynne said the Assistant County Attorney had resigned and said the County Attorney has been trying to fill the position, they have found someone, but that person can’t start until March 1st, so the County Attorney wants to hire a 1099 Assistant County Attorney from now until March 1st @ $100/hour and said the new employee hired March 1st will make $80,000 annually, which is $15,000 more than they were paying.  Clifton made a motion to allow them to hire a 1099 person between now and March 1st, Jim seconded the motion, Jim questioned how the County Attorney working only part time affected other employees; Justin said the County Attorney couldn’t do both the County Attorney and the Assistant County Attorney duties.  Lynne said the Attorney has the money in their budget to make these changes.  All approved the motion.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss the job performance for a specific employee, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 10:37, (the session included the Commissioners and Susan Bancroft), Jim seconded and all approved.  At 10:37, Clifton made a motion to come out of executive session and back into open session, no action, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 20 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel to protect their privacy to discuss applications for a new hire, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 11:02, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks, Shane Walker and Susan Bancroft).  At 11:02, Clifton made a motion to come out of executive session and back into open session and to add this to the agenda again next week, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Justin Meeks said he had met with the Hidden Valley Lake board regarding the 74 parcels there and the tax sale; he discussed the cost/benefit analysis of selling those properties at a tax sale and setting a minimum bid amount on tax sale properties.  Jim made a motion to have Justin and Lynne reach out to legislatures to find a solution regarding a tax sale for Hidden Valley Lake properties, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to give Appraiser Clint Anderson permission to hire a 3rd party consultant for the appraisal of commercial property, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Justin suggested scheduling KOMA training on a Tuesday afternoon; the Commissioners were ok with this.  Lynne made a motion to approve a consent order for KOMA training, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Justin briefly discussed the ongoing Opioid lawsuit; he said some businesses involved in the lawsuit had filed for bankruptcy.

 

Lynne made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship to discuss potential litigation, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 11:25, Clifton seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks).  At 11:25, Lynne made a motion to come out of executive session and back into open session and said no action, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne opened the meeting up for public comment; Anne Dare told the Commissioners that changing the meeting day and time is a good start, she questioned if Wednesday interfered with church activities, she questioned if the Commissioners would continue to conduct business first and then allow public comment, she also said the Commissioners should consider the location for the meetings and questioned if YouTube would still be available for broadcasting meetings.  Anne suggested that Justin should have scheduled Hidden Valley Lakes on the agenda in case anyone from that area would have wanted to be a part of the conversation.  Nancy Van Etten asked about Resolution 07-21; Lynne said this was to refinance the jail bonds and said they needed to attach a resolution to the refinancing documents, Nancy asked if resolutions were published prior to adoption; Lynne said no, but they are kept on file.  Nancy said she felt it was good that Will Wallis was having an exercise; she said she would like to see the public health office give a public update more often.

 

Frank Miller met with the Commissioners regarding his dump bill; he said he would like to pay every two weeks until he gets caught up, Lynne told him to talk to Susan Bancroft and Jennifer in public works about this.

 

Jim Harris commended Lynne, Clifton and Jeff Fischer for the work they did to refinance the jail bonds and save over $300,000.

 

Lynne said he would attend a meeting tonight for juvenile detention, but said Clifton will attend future meetings.

 

Lynne made a motion to appoint Jim Harris to the Landbank, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

At 11:37, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

 

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

February 2, 2021, Approved Date

 

 

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes of Jan. 19

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January 19, 2021                                            Tuesday 9:00 am

 

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session with all three Commissioners, the County Counselor and the Deputy County Clerk Doretta Neville present.

 

Also present were the following; (some were present for a portion of the meeting and some were present for the entire meeting), Jason Silvers with the Fort Scott Tribune, Anne Dare, Mark McCoy and Nancy Van Etten.

 

The Commissioners signed the prior meeting minutes.

 

Road & Bridge Director Eric Bailey said they treated the roads in the N.E. part of the County on Friday due to inclement weather.

 

Eric Bailey discussed a bridge at 85Th & Xavier; he said it had prior damage, they cleaned out the channel, filled in the damage and capped the concrete and the bridge is now open.

 

Eric reported there a several telephone poles at the Landfill; he said some have treated ends and asked the Commissioners to consider selling them.  Jim Harris said to sell them for $15/each, first come-first serve.

 

Eric said any new road cut permits or culvert permits will be given to the Road & Bridge secretary.

 

Eric suggested having a work session to discuss the 2021 asphalt program; Jim received permission from the other Commissioners to meet with Eric to review what work had been done over the past 10 years, Lynne suggested scheduling a work session after Jim met with Eric.

 

Eric said he is gearing up for the bridge and culvert crew and asked the Commissioners about advertising for a supervisor position since he had internal candidates interested in the position.  Jim said to ask the County Counselors opinion, but said the handbook said positions will be advertised in the newspaper; Justin suggested advertising the position.

 

Eric said they are replacing a guardrail (from a hit and run accident) on 215th, North of Range Road,   he said this road is shut down today for the repairs.

 

Eric said there was an issue with parts ordered for the crusher, but said the crusher should be running in two weeks.

 

Eric said they have hired someone to repair the rock that fell off of a header at Elm Creek.

 

Jim asked the other Commissioners opinion on the County using the side arm mower at the park at the Fort Scott Lake; all of the Commissioners were in agreement to this.

 

Jody Hoener met with the Commissioners; she suggested that the County use Kansas Works to help fill vacant job positions.

 

Jody said the County received $132,000 in CDBG grant funds to disperse, she said they have granted out $102,000, she said the County had one year to disperse all of the funds, she said at some point the Commissioners may want to increase the $14,000 parameters previously set.  Clifton made a motion to allow Lynne to sign the request for payments of the CDBG funds, Jim asked if there was any accountability on how the funds were spent, and Jody said yes they have to provide receipts for the grant funds, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Jody discussed the NRP program; she said the NRP program includes all of the cities and said the program is an incentive to increase the overall value to help lower property taxes. She said the goal in 2020 was to get 20 new applications, but said they received 29.

 

Jody said they had a feasibility study done for a multi-use facility; she said there is a possible interested developer which could have a $2 million impact on our community.

 

Jody said they are working on grants for Bwerc; she said they received a $5,500 anonymous donation to remain in the space.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve paying the 2021 Chamber of Commerce dues, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve paying the 2021 NACO dues, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve paying the 2021 Kansas League of Municipalities dues, Clifton seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve paying the 2021 KAC dues, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve Resolution 08-21; a resolution approving wage increases for the County Counselor (now a 1099 contract laborer), the Appraiser and the Elm Creek caretaker, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed the resolution.  Jim questioned how much time the caretaker would spend doing windfarm work since he also operates a mower.

 

Lynne made a motion to approve Resolution 09-21; a resolution certifying the January 5, 2021 election results, Clifton seconded and all approved and signed resolution.

 

Clifton made a motion to appoint County Commissioner Jim Harris to the Lake Advisory board, Lynne seconded and all approved.

 

Clifton made a motion to go into a 20 minute executive session for KSA 75-4319(b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, the subject will be healthcare in Bourbon County, the Commissioners will meet in another location and reconvene in the Commission room at 9:57 am, Jim seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners).  At 9:57, Clifton made a motion to go back into open session and said that no action, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

 

Justin Meeks reported that the 2nd part of the bond for Phoenix Coal Company would be released shortly; Justin said he believed the roads had been reclaimed as best as they could.

 

Justin said opened/closed roads are a 100 year old problem in Bourbon County; Lynne said Lora Holdridge had been working through road closing/opening documents.  Justin suggested having a work session with residents to help make decisions on opening or closing roads low maintenance roads.  Lynne said the County has a map designating low maintenance roads.

 

Justin said all of the demand letters had been sent regarding the tax sale for property from 2016 and back.  He said he would get the cases for the tax sale filed in the next few months.  Justin said he is still an advocate for the Landbank and said they were still working on this.

 

Justin said he is working on an issue from a taxpayer where their taxes went up due to a change in valuation.

 

The Commissioners and Justin discussed roads and bridges in the County; Justin said the bridge on old 69 Highway needs repairs and said it wouldn’t be around much longer.  He suggested getting citizens opinion when it comes to making a decision on what to do about the bridge.  Justin expressed a concern over the safety of some of the roads and bridges.

 

Justin said the City/County had a good meeting recently about shared services.

 

The Commissioners allowed public comment; Anne Dare asked that the Commissioners apply for KDOT and Federal funds for the roads and bridges in the County.  She questioned how much the KAC dues were and suggested that the Commissioners consider having something in writing on what the different organizations that the County belongs to does for the County.  She also suggested that the different departments and boards do reports to keep the community involve in what they have been doing/spending.  Nancy Van Etten questioned what Lynne was discussing at the City meeting about the sewer board; Lynne said they were going to discuss possibly refinancing the sewer district bond.  Mark McCoy discussed shared services between the County/City; he commended the County for working with the City to save money.  He said sharing a finance manager with the City is a start in the right direction.  Mark said he was the chairman of the shared services committee.  He said that Bourbon County economic development is working to hire an economic development director. Mark said he is on the BEDCO board; he said it is a board of 13 volunteer members.

 

Clifton made a motion to amend the agenda to allow for Commissioner comments, Jim seconded and all approved.  Clifton responded to the public comments; he said they needed to hire the right person for the economic development director, he told Anne Dare that they were heading in the direction of getting reports of what is spent.  Jim said when he was campaigning he heard the term transparency; he said he felt all of the Commissioners were going to be transparent.  Lynne said the Commissioners get a monthly detailed report of what is spent, but thought the finance director would provide easier to read reports. Lynne said the economic development director position would be a challenging job, but said it would be beneficial to the entire county.

 

Lora Holdridge met with the Commissioners regarding the west parking lot; she said several months ago it was discussed about the City fixing this, she said there is a water leak there and said cars bottom out when entering/exiting the parking lot due to damage there.  Jim Harris said the City was going to fix this last September, Lynne said there are also bricks missing out of the street on the northwest end of the block.  The Commissioners asked Lynne to call Eric Bailey and have him work with the City on getting the lot fixed.

 

Greg Vahrenberg with Raymond and James met over the phone with the Commissioners regarding refinancing the 2015 jail bonds; he said Gilmore and Bell had drafted the legal documents and said Standard and Poor’s gave the County an “A” rating, he said they considered giving better than an “A” rating, but didn’t due to the current pandemic.  They originally thought refinancing the bonds for the years of 2024-2035 would save $251,000, but a lower interest rate was locked in and the County should have an estimated savings of $367,699.  He said there is no penalty for paying the bonds off early.  Clifton made a motion to approve the refinancing documents, (Resolution 07-21), Jim seconded and all approved.  Jeff made a motion to allow Lynne to sign the documents, Clifton seconded and all approved and all signed the documents.  Greg said he would send an updated analysis for the sewer district bonds.

 

At 11:42, Clifton made a motion to adjourn, Jim seconded and all approved.

 

 

 

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jim Harris, Commissioner

(ss) Clifton Beth, Commissioner

ATTEST:

 

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

January 26, 2021, Approved Date

 

Bourbon County, Schools, Sports

UHS BASKETBALL GAME 11 RESULTS vs. Chetopa 1/29/2021

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Adelay Martin. Submitted photo.


The Uniontown Eagles played the Chetopa Hornets last Friday. Both Varsity teams were able to defeat the Hornets.

The Lady Eagles won against Chetopa 62-21. Danielle Howard scored 19 points and had 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Karleigh Schoenberger had 16 points and 2 steals. Gwenyth Fry had 7 boards and Sammie Hampton had 5. Hampton also had 12 points and 3 assists.

“Great win tonight!” said Coach Miller. “The girls came out and played hard for 4 quarters. That’s the effort we will challenge ourselves to match every time we compete. We will enjoy the win for the evening. Tomorrow we will begin looking forward to a road trip to Central Heights next Tuesday.”

The boys won their game 81-52 on Friday. Jake Harvey had 27 points and 9 rebounds. Luke Perry had 16 points, followed Clay Sutterby with 13. Sutterby also had 12 rebounds and 3 steals. Drew Perry had 6 assists and 3 steals.

From Coach Hays: “I’m extremely proud of our basketball team. We went back to work Wednesday and Thursday to improve on things from our last game against Jayhawk. Our ball screen defense was much better and ball movement on the offensive end was improved as well. We aren’t where we need to be yet, but we are getting there. I loved seeing everyone get involved against Chetopa.”

-Adelay Martin, UHS Sports Media Reporter