The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) began a project to replace a bridge on K-39 in Bourbon County in April, with a completion date in November 2021.
The bridge replacement is funded under the T-WORKS transportation program.
The bridge spans Pawnee Creek and is located approximately 7½ miles east of the east K-3/K-39 junction.
K-39 is closed to through traffic at the bridge.
A new signed state detour route is in effect around the project.
Eastbound traffic, from the west K-39/U.S. 59 junction, will travel south on U.S. 59 to K-47, east on K-47 to U.S. 69, and north on U.S. 69 to K-39.
Westbound K-39 traffic should follow the same route in the opposite direction.
KDOT awarded the $1.4 million construction contract to B&B Bridge Company, Inc., of St. Paul.
Weather permitting, the project should be completed by November 2021.
Persons with questions may contact Iola Area Engineer Troy Howard, (620) 901-6557, or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Local Governments to Receive Federal Coronavirus Relief
Editor’s note: Fort Scott received over $1.1 million, Bronson- over $46,000, Fulton-over $23,000, Mapleton-over $12,000,Redfield-over $21,000 and Uniontown-over $40,000. Click on the link to view others.
TOPEKA – Governor Kelly today released the list of local governments that will receive allocations through the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (LFRF) of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
In addition to the 105 Kansas counties and 10 metropolitan cities across the State receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury, 614 Non-Entitlement Units of Government (NEUs) with populations of under 50,000, will receive funds directly from the State of Kansas, as directed by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The complete list of NEUs and federal award allocation amounts can be found here: https://covid.ks.gov/neu.
The American Rescue Plan (ARPA) provides $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus to assist in the long-term recovery from the economic and public health impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to funding through LFRF for NEU’s, counties and metropolitan cities, the State of Kansas received direct funding through the State Fiscal Recovery Fund (SFRF).
“The American Rescue Plan Act will provide critical resources to Kansas communities as we continue our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Governor Kelly said. “We must use these dollars to make the strategic investments that will build a better, more inclusive and resilient economy for future Kansans.”
The US Department of Treasury’s eligibility requirements specify that NEU’s must have operational capacity and provide a “broad range of services that would constitute eligible uses under ARPA.” Given this requirement, townships will not receive direct funding from the state under the LFRF. For more information on federal requirements, visit https://covid.ks.gov/neu.
“Although townships won’t receive direct allocations from the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, I will make a recommendation to the SPARK committee that interested communities be eligible for resources from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund,” Governor Kelly said.
All NEUs receiving funding must certify with the State that they wish to receive their allocation of funds. Any NEU eligible for funding can affirmatively take a step to decline their award and reallocate to the State Fiscal Recovery Fund. Instructions for certification with the state will be sent to NEUs directly.
The Office of Recovery will provide resources and support to all local governments to ensure alignment with federal guidelines and compliance requirements. The State will encourage and coordinate collaboration across state, county, and city funding to ensure funds are maximized for the benefit of all Kansas populations.
The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Task Force will oversee the use of SFRF dollars, while LFRF dollars will be allocated by local governments. You can learn more about the State of Kansas’ response to the pandemic through the Office of Recovery at https://covid.ks.gov.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) expects to begin work on a U.S. 54 resurfacing project the week of June 14. The project starts at Allen-Bourbon county line and continues east through Bourbon County to end at Fort Scott.
Project activity includes a surface recycle and ultra-thin bonded asphalt overlay. KDOT awarded the $2.8 million construction contract to Apac-Central, Fayetteville, Ark. Flaggers and a pilot car will direct one-lane traffic through the work zone; expect delays of 15 minutes or less on days when the project is active.
The road work should be completed by late August, weather permitting. Persons with questions may contact Iola Area Engineer Troy Howard, (620) 901-6557, or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433. Check KDOT’s updated traveler information website, www.Kandrive.org, for more road condition and construction details. KDOT urges all motorists to be alert and obey the warning signs when approaching and driving through a work zone.
SEK Muliti-County Health Department, located at 6th and Lowman Streets, Fort Scott.
SEK Multi-County Health Department lead nurse, Alice Maffett BSN, RN, is retiring after 20 plus years.
“I have worked in public health for over 21 years besides working as a clinical nurse in different settings such as obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedic and psychiatric medicine,” she said.
Alice Maffett. Submitted photo.
“I have always enjoyed the aspect of public health even when I was in nursing school,” she said. “Public health allowed me the opportunity to work with my community partners and to further good health practices in this county.”
She did this through immunization clinics, teaching health-related subjects in schools, disease investigations, and public speaking to community groups.
“The best part of working in public health was the people in our community I got to help every day,” she said.
” I can honestly say that the most challenging issue that I’ve had to face with my job has been the COVID outbreak,” Maffett said. “At one point I was working seven days a week from early morning until the evening. This virus has just been relentless. I believe it has wearied all of us.”
Maffett’s last day officially with the SEK Multi-County Health Department will be June 26.
“I will start a new chapter in my life from that point and I’m excited to see where God will lead me,” she said.
“Thank you to all the many, many community members and organizations that I have had the privilege of working with during my time in public health. I will miss them all,” Maffett said.
A three-attorney disciplinary panel recommended the Kansas Supreme Court disbar former Shawnee County prosecutor Jacqie Spradling for misconduct in two high-profile Kansas criminal cases overturned on appeal. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — A three-attorney panel unanimously recommended the Kansas Supreme Court disbar a Kansas attorney for knowingly making false statements to juries during two high-profile trials and for misleading claims about her prosecutorial misconduct to justices of the state’s highest court.
Jacqie Spradling, who more recently worked as an attorney in Bourbon and Allen counties, landed before the disciplinary panel after the Supreme Court overturned the 2012 double-homicide conviction of Dana Chandler in Shawnee County and the Kansas Court of Appeals overturned a 2017 guilty verdict against Jacob Ewing in a sex-crime case in Jackson County. Spradling was lead prosecutor in both cases.
Chandler is awaiting retrial for first-degree murder, while Ewing accepted a plea deal in May to avoid another trial.
“Based on the deliberative pattern of serious misconduct and the serious injury that followed, the hearing panel unanimously recommends that the respondent be disbarred,” the report submitted to the Supreme Court said. “From all the evidence presented, it appears that the respondent concluded that Chandler and Ewing were guilty of the crimes charged and she adopted a ‘win-at-all-costs’ approach.”
The report obtained Friday by the Kansas Reflector was submitted by panelists John Larson, Darcy Williamson and William Jeter for consideration by the Supreme Court. The panel said the issue wasn’t that Spradling engaged in an isolated incident or made an inconsequential mistake in the heat of trial. The panel said the Iola resident “knowingly and intentionally” engaged in a “deliberative pattern of serious misconduct.”
In addition, the panel determined Spradling’s handling of the two criminal cases “undermines the confidence in the judicial system and caused serious injury to the administration of justice.”
Members of the Supreme Court, which hold final authority in disciplinary cases involving attorneys, will issue a decision based on the panel’s 78-page report.
The state disciplinary administrator’s office in Kansas that investigated complaints about Spradling’s behavior as a prosecutor proposed that her license to practice law be indefinitely suspended. Spradling, however, told the disciplinary panel that she shouldn’t be disciplined at all.
Spradling had been dismissive of allegations of wrongdoing until she testified at the disciplinary panel hearing in December. During that under-oath appearance, she conceded to having “failed in these cases” to uphold the ethical duties of a prosecutor. She begged the hearing panel to accept her assertion that her work as an officer of the court was defined by a “protectiveness, a loyalty and a belief in justice.”
“When these cases were overturned, it was very difficult because I had let the system down. I had let the victims down and I had denied the defendants a fair trial,” Spradling said.
As of Friday, Spradling was employed as the Bourbon County attorney in Fort Scott. Allen County attorney Jerry Hathaway said Spradling resigned from her position Friday as assistant county attorney for Allen County.
“With regard to the recommendation of the disciplinary panel, I was disappointed,” Hathaway said.
The Supreme Court laid the foundation for advancement of a disciplinary case against Spradling in 2018 when the justices overturned Chandler’s convictions in the Topeka slayings of Mike Sisco, Chandler’s ex-husband, and his fiancee, Karen Harkness. The Supreme Court said Spradling’s conduct in the Chandler case illustrated how a compulsion for courthouse victories could subvert a prosecutor’s duty to guarantee a person’s fair-trial rights.
Supreme Court Justice Dan Biles summed up Spradling’s tactics in the Chandler trial: “Taken as a whole, this prosecution unfortunately illustrates how a desire to win can eclipse the state’s responsibility to safeguard the fundamental constitutional right to a fair trial owed to any defendant facing criminal prosecution in a Kansas courtroom.”
During the Chandler trial in Shawnee County District Court, Spradling falsely told the jury a protection from abuse order was issued against Chandler prior to the 2002 slaying of Sisco and Harkness. There is evidence Sisco requested a mutual temporary restraining order four years before his death while going through the divorce from Chandler.
When Chandler appealed her case, Spradling told Supreme Court justices in a written brief that she believed the more rigorous protection from abuse order had been put in place by a district court. That’s what she had told the Chandler jury and repeated to state disciplinary investigators despite an inability to produce evidence a judge had ever issued that type of restraining order against Chandler.
Spradling testified to the three-person disciplinary panel that she never possessed documentary proof of the protection from abuse order. She said filing of the disciplinary case led her to conduct a fresh attempt to locate such a document. That search was unsuccessful, she said.
“I was wrong. Dead wrong,” Spradling told the panel. “So, for a person who wants to be right, strives to be right, being wrong is embarrassing, humbling.”
The disciplinary panel responded to her confession in its report: “In addition to the false statement made to the jury and to the Supreme Court, during the respondent’s sworn statement made during the disciplinary investigation, she also made false statements. During the disciplinary hearing, the respondent admitted that her sworn statement included misstatements. The hearing panel concludes that the respondent took an oath to tell the truth when she gave the sworn statement and she failed to do so.”
Spradling’s reputation as an experienced prosecutor of complex crimes in Johnson and Shawnee counties led officials in Jackson County to hire her as a special prosecutor in the Ewing case. It was a case made difficult because the alleged crimes occurred in a small community and turned on the jury’s conclusions of the credibility of female witnesses.
Spradling convinced a jury in Jackson County that Ewing was guilty of rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and battery. The Holton man was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
In 2019, the Court of Appeals concluded Spradling made a half-dozen errors during the Ewing trial and had offered unsubstantiated claims to the Ewing jury during closing arguments. The case was remanded to Jackson County District Court. Rather than go through a retrial, Ewing agreed in May to a plea deal that would trigger a 10-year sentence for sexual assault.
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The beauty of Kansas agriculture has been celebrated throughout the state’s ag industry, and we encourage photographers to capture that beauty and share it with others through the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s annual photo contest. KDA began accepting photos on June 7, and will continue accepting entries through August 16.
This year’s KDA Photo Contest categories were selected to promote different aspects of Kansas agriculture. Kansas Weather, Celebrating Local Foods, Water in Kansas and Rural Kansas categories will showcase the many places and ways we experience agriculture across the state of Kansas — from the beauty of the Flint Hills and the western plains to the family-run local ranches and colorful farmers’ markets, and the many ways that weather and water have an impact on Kansas agriculture. And for the first time ever, we have added a Video category to showcase drone footage, harvest videos, or other short clips of under 30 seconds. As always, there will be a separate Youth category, for young photographers under age 19. Prizes will be awarded to the top two winners in each of the six categories.
KDA serves to advocate for agriculture, the state’s largest industry and economic driver. Photos which best capture the categories will be used throughout the year as we tell the story of Kansas agriculture. After submission, KDA is granted permission to use any photograph for publications, social media, websites, displays, etc. without payment or other consideration from the photographer.
Photo entries should be sent in .jpg format to [email protected]. Videos should be sent in .mp4 or .mov format. Entries must include a title and brief description, where and when the photo/video was taken, the photographer’s full name and age, entry category hometown and email address.
Guidelines for the KDA Photo Contest, including deadlines, categories and prizes, can be found at agriculture.ks.gov/photocontest. Voting to select finalists will begin on KDA’s social media sites in late August. For more information, contact Heather Lansdowne, KDA director of communications, at [email protected] or 785-564-6706.
KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
KSA 75-4319(b)(2) For consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
KSA 75-4319(b)(3) To discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319(b)(6) For the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property
KSA 75-4319(b)(12) To discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Bipartisan SPARK Executive Committee to Continue Economic Recovery Efforts
TOPEKA – As part of her efforts to build a better, more resilient economy in Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly today announced the bipartisan members of the executive committee of the second Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce.
The Taskforce, originally established in May 2020 to oversee the distribution of funds from the federal CARES Act, is charged with leading Kansas forward in continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Through the SPARK process, we have transparently and equitably allocated more than $1 billion in CARES Act funds to support businesses, keep Kansans healthy, improve access to broadband, and boost our economy,” Governor Kelly said. “I’m pleased to reignite the Taskforce this year to maintain that transparent process and show Kansans that we’re using these relief funds to make strategic investments where they are needed most.”
Similar to the CARES funding distribution process, the Kansas Office of Recovery will again be responsible for the statewide distribution of federal coronavirus relief funds allocated to Kansas through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of March 2021.
A new and expanded seven-member executive committee will oversee the funding distribution process, assisted by an advisory committee with additional members. The advisory committee recommends investments to the executive committee, and the executive committee then makes recommendations to the State Finance Council, which makes the final determination.
Appointments to the advisory committee will be announced in the following weeks.
The members of the SPARK Executive Committee are as follows:
Lt. Governor David Toland – Chair
Secretary of Administration DeAngela Burns-Wallace – Governor’s Public Sector Appointee
Jon Rolph, Governor’s Private Sector Appointee
Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman
Senate President Ty Masterson
Greg Orman – Speaker Ryckman’s Appointee
Bill Pickert – President Masterson’s Appointee
“Through its combination of public and private partners, I know that the SPARK Taskforce will look past immediate COVID-19 recovery to build a better, more inclusive and resilient economy for future generations,” Governor Kelly said. “I want to thank these leaders for their willingness to serve.”
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), has issued several public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae.
Active Advisories
Warning
Marion Reservoir, Marion County (upgraded from watch 5/27)
Webster Reservoir, Rooks County (new)
Jerry Ivey Lake, Saline County (continued from 5/27)
Watch
Marion County Lake, Marion County (new)
Keith Sebelius Reservoir, Norton County (new)
When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.
Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.
Water contact should be avoided.
Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.
Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.
If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.
Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.
A watch means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.
During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
Signage will be posted at all public access locations.
Water may be unsafe for humans/animals.
Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.
Swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms.
Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals.
Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact.
Clean fish well with potable water and eat fillet portion only.
KDHE investigates publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.
If you observe a scum, a paint-like surface on the water, small floating blue-green clumps or filaments, or the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.
For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm.
The State Library of Kansas Announces the 2021 Kansas Notable Books
TOPEKA – State Librarian Eric Norris announced the 16th annual selection of Kansas Notable Books celebrating Kansas people, places, and events. The fifteen books feature quality titles with wide public appeal, either written by a Kansan or a Kansas related topic and published in the previous calendar year.
“I am proud to present the 2021 Kansas Notable Book list. This year’s books bring to life the Kansas experience through the vivid storytelling of gifted writers, talented illustrators, essayists, and poets. The rich array of works on this year’s list will both entertain as well as educate,” State Librarian Eric Norris said. “Reading is more important than ever. I encourage every Kansan to contact their local public library and celebrate the artists and artistry of Kansas.”
The State Library first launched the Kansas Notable Books Program in 2006. Since then, more than 200 books have been recognized for their contribution to Kansas literary heritage. This year’s selection committee included representatives of public, university, and school libraries, teachers, academics, and historians. State Librarian Eric Norris selected the final list of 15 titles which includes nonfiction and fiction books that will appeal to a wide range of audiences and cover a variety of topics and issues.
Kansas Notable Books authors will be awarded their medals at the Kansas Book Festival on September 18 at Washburn University. The public is invited.
Kansas Notable Books is a project of the Kansas Center for the Book, a program at the State Library of Kansas which is the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. The Kansas Center for the Book exists to highlight the state’s literary heritage and foster an interest in books, reading, and libraries.
For descriptions, downloadable bookmarks, posters, and more information about Kansas Notable Books, visit kslib.info/2021KNB, call the State Library at 785-296-3296 or email [email protected].
2021 Kansas Notable Books
All Hallows’ Shadow by Michael D. Graves (Emporia) Meadowlark Books
The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray (Fayetteville, AR) Paula Wiseman Books
The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia (Lyme, NH) G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Croaked! (The Misadventures of Nobbin Swill) by Lisa Harkrader (Tonganoxie) Yellow Jacket
Farmers Unite!: Planting a Protest for Fair Prices by Lindsay H. Metcalf (Concordia) Calkins Creek
Ladybird, Collected by Meg Heriford (Lawrence)
Un Mango Grows in Kansas by Huascar Medina (Topeka) Spartan Press
Mawson’s Mission: Launching Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Kansas by L. Marlene Mawson (Lawrence) University Press of Kansas
Northern Cheyenne Ledger Art by Fort Robinson Breakout Survivors by Denise Low (Lawrence) and Ramon Powers (Topeka) University of Nebraska Press
People, Pride, and Promise: The Story of the Dockum Sit-in by Prisca Barnes (Wichita), illustrated by Priscella Brown (Wichita) Storytime Village
Prairie Bachelor: The Story of a Kansas Homesteader and the Populist Movement by Lynda Beck Fenwick (Pratt) University Press of Kansas
Premeditated Myrtle: A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Lenexa) Algonquin Young Readers
Swimming Shelter: Poems by Al Ortolani (Lenexa) Spartan Press
What Sound is Morning? by Grant Snider (Wichita) Chronicle Books
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Oxford MS) Milkweed Editions
The State Library of Kansas – To learn more, visit kslib.info.
According to court records, on May 5, 2021, the City of Fort Scott was presented with a waiver document.
“The waiver that you are referencing has nothing to do with the merits of Ms. Pruitt’s claims,” according to Forest Rhodes, a partner with Foulston Siefkin, Wichita, who was the referral to contact given from the City of Fort Scott. “It is simply a procedural tool that allows the plaintiff to avoid having to engage someone to formally serve the complaint on the City. In a nutshell, the City has agreed to voluntarily accept service of the Complaint, which also allows it to avoid the potential of having service costs imposed against it.”
“In terms of next steps, later this month the City will file an Answer that responds to the allegations in the Complaint,” Foulston said in an email. “Sometime after the Answer has been filed the Court will set a scheduling conference in order to establish a schedule for the case.”
Pruitt has requested a trial by jury, according to the March 21 document.
“It’s too early to know when a trial might be scheduled but the various litigation activities that occur prior to trial often take as much as a year or more, so it’s unlikely that any trial would be scheduled before Summer 2022, although that’s all subject to the court’s determination.”
