Governor Laura Kelly Orders Flags to be Flown at Half-staff in Honor of Deputy Corporal Daniel Abramovitz
TOPEKA –In accordance with Executive Order 20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff on Thursday, November 12, 2020 until sunset in honor of Leavenworth County Deputy Corporal Daniel Abramovitz.
“Deputy Corporal Abramovitz lost his life in the line of duty after serving and protecting his community for 26 years,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to his family and colleagues at the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office. On behalf of the state of Kansas, we are grateful for the ultimate sacrifice Deputy Abramovitz has made for his community and the state.”
SENATOR HILDERBRAND ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE PLANS TO INTRODUCE ELECTION FRAUD PROTECTION BILL
TOPEKA, KS – Kansas State Senator Richard Hilderbrand (R-13) says he will waste no time introducing an election fraud protection bill to the Kansas Senate once the 2021 session begins in January.
At issue is what election officials call DRE’s, or direct-recording electronic machines, which do not produce an individual paper record for each vote cast. Despite national criticism and legal action, the machines are still being used in some Kansas counties. Senator Hilderbrand’s bill would make the use of DRE’s illegal in Kansas.
“The fact that DRE’s are extremely vulnerable to fraud is not a question,” explains Hilderbrand, “Experts unilaterally agree they are bad practice, but Kansas is moving way too slowly in upgrading machines. Protecting our election process is understandably of the utmost importance to Kansas voters.”
A Kansas law passed in 2018 required any Kansas voting system purchased, leased or rented in the future to provide a paper record of each vote cast. However, the statute didn’t mandate upgrading existing DRE systems. Senator Hilderbrand’s bill would ensure Kansans would not experience an election doubting the validity of results based on vulnerable technology, which is happening now in other states.
“As I stated during a committee hearing on this topic last year, ‘If an electronic voting system is connected to the internet or has wireless connectivity technology, it can be hacked. Even machines not connected to the Internet are hackable through compromised memory cards used to set up the voting machine before each specific election or remote access software or a miscalibration of the DRE. If the results of an election with paper ballots is questioned, the election results can be verified by doing an audit or recount of the paper ballots. If the results of an election using electronic system without a paper trail is contested, you can only say, trust me the results are accurate.’ My testimony holds true today and given the controversy going on in other states, Kansas voters deserve to remain confident in our country’s most cherished democratic process,” Hilderbrand concluded.
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Fort Scott Middle School Commons on Monday, November 9, for their regular monthly meeting.
President David Stewart opened the meeting. The board approved the official agenda. The board also approved the consent agenda as follows:
A. Minutes
B. Bills and Claims
C. Payroll – October 20, 2020 – $1,414,951.80
D. Financial Report
E. Activity Fund Accounts
F. Parent/Teacher Conference Attendance
G. Fundraisers
One patron spoke during the public forum. Ella Beth presented a report on the
Fort Scott High School Courtyard project.
Board members heard reports from the following:
· Brenda Hill, KNEA President
· Michelle Stevenson, Early Childhood Program
· All building principals
· Dalaina Smith, Director of Academics
· Ted Hessong, Superintendent
· Gina Shelton, Business Manager/Board Clerk
The board went into executive session to discuss employer-employee negotiations. The board returned to open session.
Superintendent Hessong gave a Return-to-School update. Board members approved the following changes to the Return-to-School Plan:
· Classroom contact of an individual with lab-confirmed COVID-19 is not considered a close contact requiring quarantine if mitigation strategies are in place.
o High-risk contacts are defined as those individuals with unmitigated exposure such as unmasked lunch exposure, social exposure, extracurricular activities including sports, home exposure, or other exposure outside of school setting, and as determined by a health officer or designated official.
o Low-risk exposure is defined as mitigated classroom exposure (mask-in-place, appropriate hand washing/sanitation) and casual contact, as determined by the health officer or designated official, with mitigation standards in place.
· Remote learners are eligible for extracurricular activities with mitigation strategies in place.
The board approved Blue Cross/Blue Shield for the district health insurance for 2021.
Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel and returned to open meeting
The board approved the following employment matters:
A. Resignation of Heather Geiger, high school paraprofessional
B. Resignation of Brenda Hathaway, high school cook
C. Employment of Whitley Chesney as middle school/high school choir teacher for the 2020-21 spring semester
D. Employment of Elizabeth Rose as a middle school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
E. Resignation of Sarah Bahr, high school assistant debate and forensics coach
F. Resignation of Angie Kemmerer as middle school head volleyball coach, effective at the end of the 2020 season
G. Transfer of Joie Moore, high school 6.5-hour cook, to a high school 6.5-hour ticket clerk for the 2020-21 school year
H. Employment of Glenda Cooper as a high school 6.5-hour cook for the 2020-21 school year
I. Resignation of Jacy Walker as high school head volleyball coach
J. Employment of Mark Bergmann as high school assistant debate and forensics coach for the 2020-21 school year
The Street Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, November 12th, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at the City Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street. This meeting is open to the public.
This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9th, 2020. This meeting will be held to discuss the Interim City Manager position, and the City Manager search. It is anticipated the City Commission will adjourn into Executive Session.
This meeting will be held at 123 S. Main Street in the City Commission meeting room. This meeting will be broadcast on the City’s You tube channel. This meeting is open to the public.
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.
9:00 – 9:30 Eric Bailey, Road & Bridge
9:30 – 9:45 Greenbush, SPARK Funds
9:45 – 9:50 Sewer hookup fee for St. Martens and another resident connecting to the
sewer district.
10:00 – 10:15 Bill Martin, Covid Leave
10:15 Gregg Motley, Bedco.
10:30 – 10:45 Billiard Hammer/Atkins, County Insurance Quotes
10:50 – 10:55 Michael Hoyt, Advisory Boards and Petition Issues
11:00 – 11:20 Jody Hoener, Executive Session-Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
11:45 – 11:50 Don George of KS Dept of Wilflife, Parks & Tourism, Status of Dam at Elm Creek Lake
12:00 – 12:05 Don Banwart, Lake Advisory Board, Transfer of Land Fire Dist #3 and #5
Justifications for Executive Session:
Personnel matters of individual non-elected personnel
Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
Matters relating to the security of a public body or agency, public building or facility or the information system of a public body or agency, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize the security of such public body, agency, building, facility or information syst
The City of Fort Scott offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th, 2020 in observance of Veterans Day. The regular offices will reopen on Thursday, November 12th, 2020.
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Estimated $3.5 Million in Grants to Assist Kansas Child Care Programs
TOPEKA –Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Child Care Aware of Kansas, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Office of Recovery, has launched a new Child Care Health Consultant Network to provide technical assistance to licensed child care providers as they implement COVID-19 health and safety guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
After working directly with a consultant to assess the environment, child care programs are eligible to apply for grant funding to purchase supplies or make adaptations to home or center-based facilities. Child Care Aware of Kansas anticipates providing $3.5 million in grants and supplies.
“Through the assistance and funding provided to Kansas child care providers by the Child Care Health Consultant Network, we will not only protect the health and safety of our child care workers and kids, but also ensure that centers can stay open throughout the duration of the pandemic,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These grants will help ensure working parents have access to safe, healthy child care facilities and continue to strengthen our economy and keep businesses open. I want to thank Child Care Aware of Kansas, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Office of Recovery for their innovative approach to fulfilling this need.”
The Child Care Health Consultant Network comes at a critical time for Kansas’ child care system. A recent study by Yale University showed that child care settings were not associated with increased risks of COVID-19 infections provided that appropriate health and safety measures were taken. Kansas’ Child Care Health Consultants work with child care providers to implement the most current guidance from the CDC and KDHE.
With the first phase of implementation for the Child Care Health Consultant Network nearing completion, Child Care Aware of Kansas and state partners are now shifting their attention to long-term sustainability of the Network. In addition to supporting healthy and safe child care settings, Child Care Health Consultants will play a crucial role in protecting and promoting the health growth and development of children and their families.
“The Child Care Health Consultant Network is a critical support for child care programs that are working hard to ensure that children are safe and healthy in the midst of the pandemic. We work with providers to assess the child care environment and ensure that health and safety measures are in place,” said Kelly Davydov, Executive Director. “Child care is essential to a thriving Kansas economy, and families want to know that their children are cared for in a safe, nurturing environment. We’re doing everything we can to ensure that this support continues to be available for child care programs.”
“The global pandemic placed a considerable amount of uncertainty into my day-to-day that I had not expected at the beginning of the year,” said Dawn Chapman, owner and operator of The Nature and Nurture Spot in Gardner, Kansas. “With the help of the Child Care Health Consultant Network, I’ve been able to purchase the supplies I need to help ensure the safety of the children I care for every day.”
To date, 415 child care programs have requested consultations.
Child Care Aware of Kansas’ vision is that all communities across Kansas value and support early childhood development. It is, therefore, its mission that high-quality early education is available to all Kansas families and children. Child Care Aware of Kansas is known as a strong advocate for children, their families and the early childhood profession. It works to:
Ensure families have access to affordable, high-quality child care across the state.
Support child care providers with ongoing professional development training and information/coaching support about how to improve the quality of child care.
Network with employers and community partners on how to support high-quality child care in their communities.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has amended its travel quarantine list to include those who have traveled to South Dakota and the countries of Belgium and Czechia beginning today, November 4. North Dakota and the country of Andorra remain on the list as does attendance at out-of-state mass gatherings with 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance and wear masks.
Kansas evaluates the previous two week’s case rates by 100,000 population for states and countries. Locations with significantly higher rates – approximately 3x higher than Kansas – are added to the list. North Dakota has a two-week case rate 3.6 times higher than Kansas while South Dakota’s rate is 3.2 times Kansas.
This list is effective for all persons returning to or entering Kansas on the effective dates. A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine for 14 days includes visitors and Kansans who have:
Travel to or from South Dakota on or after November 4.
Travel to or from Belgium and Czechia on or after November 4.
Travel to or from North Dakota on or after October 21.
Travel to or from the country of Andorra on or after October 21.
Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.
Travel quarantines do not prohibit travel through Kansas. People from these locations may still travel through Kansas. If this is done, KDHE recommends limited stops, wearing a mask at rest stops or when getting gas and being 6’ from others when doing so. If the destination is Kansas, they would be required to quarantine upon arrival to their destination.
Mass gatherings are defined as any event or convening that brings together 500 or more persons in a single room or space at the same time such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theater or any other confined indoor or outdoor space. This includes parades, fairs and festivals. Mass gatherings does not include normal operations of airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, libraries, shopping malls and centers, or other spaces where 500 or more persons may be in transit. It also does not include typical office environments, schools, restaurants, factories or retail/grocery stores where large numbers of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within 6 feet of one another for more than 10 minutes.
Critical infrastructure sector employees who have travelled to these destinations should contact their local health department regarding instructions for application of these quarantine orders while working. Critical infrastructure employees, such as public health, law enforcement, food supply, etc., need to have the staffing resources to continue serving Kansans so the local health department may allow a modified quarantine. Please note the only exemption for these quarantine mandates for critical infrastructure sector
employees is work – they are not to go any other locations outside of work.
