Category Archives: Government

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Minutes Aug. 7 and July 30, Election Tie-Breaker

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Breaking a tie for votes in the primary election was held on August 20 during the Bourbon County Commission meeting, with both candidates attending.

The tie-breaker was between incumbant Cheryl Adamson and Josh Jones for a spot on the November 2019 ballot for the Fort Scott City Commission.

“Josh Jones won the tie-breaker,” Bourbon County Clerk Kendell Mason said. “The commissioners put both Cheryl Adamson’s and Josh Jones’ name in a box three times each and (Commissioner) Nick (Ruhl) drew Josh’s name as the winner.”

Tie-breakers are few and far between.

“I’ve seen a few tie-breakers over the years, mostly with township races,” Mason said.

Following are the minutes of the two prior minutes of the commission meeting.

August 7, 2019                                                          Tuesday 9:00 am

The Bourbon County Commission met in open session to hold a 2020 budget work session. All of the Commissioners were present for the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 4:00 pm.

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner

(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

08/31/2019, Approved Date

 

July 30, 2019                                                            Tuesday 1:00 pm

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

Mark Ward met with the Commissioners; he questioned if Lynne (the Commissioner Chairman) had received written notice of the City of Fort Scott changing the rates for the Lake Sewer District. The Commissioners received an email notifying them of the meeting date and the proposed change. Mr. Ward said that the original sewer district contract said that the rates could only be changed when the rates were changed for the city rates too. The City of Fort Scott plans to discuss raising the rates for the Fort Scott Lake Sewer District on August 6th, 2019.

Terry Sercer met with the Commissioners to present the first rough draft of the 2020 budget. Terry was told to use the requested budgets for the 2020 budget for the initial budget; the current actual mill levy for Bourbon County is 66.602, with the initial 2020 budget the estimate tax rate is 67.909. Terry said the 1.3 mill increase is still under the tax lid. The Commissioners reviewed the initial budget after Terry left.

Nick made a motion to go into a 20 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.

Nick made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship, Jeff seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners and Justin Meeks). No action was taken.

Jeff made a motion that Lynne sign a TRICARE document, Nick seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the document.

Lynne signed a document extending the Blue Cross & Blue Shield grant.

Jeff made a motion to go into a 10 minute executive session for confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships, Nick seconded and all approved, (the session included the Commissioners, Justin Meeks and Jody Hoener). No action was taken.

The Commissioners will have a budget work session on August 7th, 2019 beginning at 9:00 am.

There will not be a Commission meeting on August 6th, 2019 due to the Election.

At 4:15, the Commissioners took a break for dinner and reconvened at 5:30.

Jody Hoener met with the Commissioners to discuss Bourbon County Economic Development and to get the communities input for a strategic plan; she presented data and discussed Bourbon County Economic Development and community wide assessment and setting priorities. Some of the people present for the meeting were: Deb Mccoy, Cheryl Deloney, Diana Morriss, Cheryl Adamson, Jean Reeves, Rachel Pruitt, Katie Casper, Steve Anthony, Michael Hoyt, Randy Neeley, Tammy Helm, Patty Love, Pete Allen, John George, Bobby Duncan, Kevin Allen, Bobbi Kemna and Josh Jones. Jody questioned what the goals for the next 5-10 years and the tasks should be to move towards growth. Michael Hoyt suggested addressing the strengths and weaknesses; he said we need to become a friendly tax environment by lowering sales tax and becoming competitive with the surrounding areas as well as increase jobs and the population. Lynne Oharah said that the services the County provides are directly related to property and sales tax. Bobby Duncan said if we want the economy to grow we need to be competitive with the areas around us, he suggested paying off debts and cutting expenses somewhere. Deb Mccoy discussed the Industrial Park and questioned if there were areas for expansion there for additional businesses to add to add to the economy. Katie Casper suggested helping the businesses that are already here. Jody questioned what could move our community forward; Diana Morriss suggested that we need to pay attention to trends and look at what Fort Scott can be, she said it needs to be a place that offers quality of life. Matt Sanders suggested healthcare, he also discussed Kansas Rocks and the people using that as well as the bike trails. Matt Sanders did say that there isn’t enough workforce here now to fill the jobs that are available. Jessica Allison discussed the slow rate of internet in the County and suggested faster internet could help. Bill Michaud said we needed to take the assets we already have and gain growth there. Bill Michaud discussed wind farms and pipelines; he suggested being aggressive in developing this here. Bobby Duncan said that we needed to let the business owners do the improvements they can afford to do. Katie Casper said we needed to engage the people in the age group that is declining. Pete Allen said the community needed to work together and change the attitude of the people that are going out of town to eat and shop. Bobbi Kemna said she had traveled a lot and said that people appreciate art; she discussed an arts festival she had and the success of it, she plans to do the art festival again. Kevin Allen suggested having more rodeo events (since rodeos bring money and people to the area) and focusing on the Fort Scott Lake and possibly adding a second tier lake. Donna Wilson discussed the Airport Days that the Fort Scott Airport used to have; she discussed other airports having “fly in days” and said this brings in a lot of tourism. John George felt that agriculture is a strong point for this area; he said he had seen a decline in agriculture partially due to State regulations. Jody Hoener asked for the top points; Lindsay Madison suggested that if another sales tax falls off that possibly an economic development sales tax be started for funding economic development, she also suggested developing shared services to reduce property tax. Deb Mccoy suggested communication; she discussed how a codes inspection is done in Nevada. Diversified recreation was a priority. Michael Hoyt suggested that education and training should be a priority.

Road & Bridge supervisor Jim Harris met with the Commissioners; he said they have been covering the C&D at the Landfill. He said they are finished patching at the Industrial Park and said they are waiting on pricing for the concrete at the intersections. Jim said they are starting Ironwood on August 1st. Jim said they are making chips and discussed a crusher machine that could make enough chips for everyone. The Commissioners discussed a municipalities cooperation contract between the City of Fort Scott and Bourbon County; the contract stated “The parties agree that the value of the EMS services provided by the City can be exchanged for the service and products that the County will provide to the City for that value, the County will provide 1,400 tons of delivered asphalt to the City at $68.00 dollars per ton.” Jeff made a motion to give Lynne the authority to sign the contract, Nick seconded and all approved and Lynne signed the contract.

Matt Sanders met with the Commissioners regarding placing signs (either speed limit or slow children playing) at an area near 250th & Fern Road; this was discussed and Jim said he could get Matt Sanders information on where slow children playing signs could be purchased.

Lynne asked Jim to get the intersections mowed since school would be starting soon.

Lynne made a motion to give all of the Commissioners permission to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for State Farm and the Meeks Law Firm on August 8th, Jeff seconded and all approved.

At 7:22, Nick made a motion to adjourn, Jeff seconded and all approved.

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

OF BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS

(ss) Lynne Oharah, Chairman

(ss) Jeff Fischer, Commissioner

(ss) Nick Ruhl, Commissioner

ATTEST:

Kendell Mason, Bourbon County Clerk

08/13/2019, Approved Date

Government, Health Care, Kansas

Brain Injury Waiver Expanded

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Governor Kelly Applauds KDADS Expansion of HCBS Brain Injury Waiver;

Services to now include individuals age 16 years and older with traumatic or acquired brain injury

 

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) is pleased to announce the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved its Brain Injury Waiver to include both acquired and traumatic brain injuries for individuals ages 16 years and older.

 

“Secretary Howard and her team at KDADS have accomplished what is a true collaboration between her agency and interested stakeholders and community partners,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I believe expanding inclusion for this wavier will positively impact many Kansans and I’m grateful for the time and effort so many people put into making it happen.”

 

In accordance with a legislative proviso, the expanded waiver makes eligible for services under the traumatic brain injury home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver under the Kansas medical assistance program (KanCare):

  1. Individuals with a documented brain injury acquired from a cause not already covered under the traumatic brain injury waiver, including, but not limited to, stroke, brain trauma, infection of the brain, brain tumor, anorexia or other cause; and
  2. Individuals of any age who would otherwise qualify for services under the traumatic brain injury waiver but for the individual’s age.

 

“Working with the legislature and collaborating with partners is part of my team’s commitment to continue the long-standing leadership in home and community-based services people expect from KDADS,” Secretary Howard said. “We will continue to look at and talk about innovative ways to approach waiver renewals from a people-first perspective.”

 

KDADS plans to submit an amendment to CMS later this year to include children younger than age 16 years. Kansas is the first state to propose including children in its brain injury waiver.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda Aug. 20

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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: August 20th, 2019

1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________

2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________

3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________

County Clerk-Kendell Mason

9:00-9:45-Jim Harris

10:00-10:30-Terry Sercer-2020 Budget

10:30-10:35-2019 Primary Election Tie Breaker

11:00-12:00-Justin Meeks

12:00-1:30-Commissioners gone to lunch

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 system

Fort Scott, Government

Fort Scott City Commission Agenda for August 20

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AGENDA

FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION

FORT SCOTT CITY HALL

COMMISSION ROOM

123 SOUTH MAIN

AUGUST 20, 2019

6:00 P.M.

I. ROLL CALL:

ADAMSON BARTELSMEYER MITCHELL NICHOLS PARKER

II. FLAG SALUTE

III. INVOCATION: Pastor Paul Rooks, Grace Baptist Tabernacle

IV. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS: None

V. CONSENT AGENDA:

  1. Approval of minutes of the regular meeting of August 6th, 2019.

  1. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1244-A totaling $338,300.97.

VII. APPEARANCE/COMMENTS/PUBLIC HEARING:

  1. APPEARANCE: Terry Sercer – 2018 Audit Presentation

Zach Adams – Waggoner Group Update

B. CITIZEN COMMENTS (Concerning Items Not on Agenda – 3 minute limit per citizen)

C. PUBLIC HEARINGS/COMMENTS:

6:00 p.m. – 2020 Budget Hearing – Adoption of 2020 Budget

VIII. CONSIDERATION:

  1. Consideration of Certificate of Appropriateness – 123 S. National – Shiney Studio – Replacement of Roof

  1. Consideration of approval to purchase Pumper Truck – Fire Dept.

  1. Consideration to secure financing for the Pumper Truck

  1. Consideration of street closing – Wreath Ride – August 24th

  1. Consideration of approval to rebid Water Treatment Plant clarifier – painting and sand blasting

  1. Consideration of Resolution of Intent – Purpose of Financing or Refinancing the acquisition, construction, improvement and equipping senior living – Presbyterian Manors, Inc.

IX. COMMENTS:

  1. Director Updates:
  1. Commission:
  1. City Manager:

EXECUTIVE SESSION:

I MOVE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE

SESSION FOR ________________________________ IN ORDER TO

(see below justification)

DISCUSS ______________________________________. THE

EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE ___________ MINUTES AND THE OPEN

MEETING TO RESUME AT ________________.

Justifications for Executive Sessions:

  • Personnel matters of 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 or representatives 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

X. MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT: ROLL CALL

Elections, Government

Meet the Candidate: Abbie Hodgson

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The public is invited to a Meet & Greet with
Abbie Hodgson
Candidate for Congress 2020
this Sunday, August 18th at 2pm
(sending on behalf of Chamber member
Bourbon County Democrats)
Candidate for Congress
Abbie Hodgson
will be at Boiler Room Brewhaus,
2 s. National Ave., for a Meet and Greet
this Sunday, August 18th at 2pm.
The public is welcome and
encouraged to attend.
Find out more about Abbie
by clicking HERE.
Bourbon County, Government, Kansas, Schools

DCF Terminates Grant Funding for Kansas Reading Roadmap Administrator

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Audit Discovered Non-Compliance with Grant Terms and Conditions

 

Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today terminated the agreement with Hysell & Wagner, LLC, which administers the Kansas Reading Roadmap (KRR) program. In addition, Howard also announced the agency will directly fund schools that made plans to offer the KRR program during the 2019-20 school year at the same level Hysell & Wagner was contractually obligated under the terminated grant.

 

“The Department for Children and Families is committed to ensuring that recipients of federal and state funds are spending those funds efficiently,” Howard said. “After reviewing the results of a DCF audit and despite heightened oversight during the first six months of 2019, it’s clear that Hysell & Wagner is falling short of this basic standard.”

 

The audit, initiated during the Brownback administration but never finalized or released, uncovered problems with internal controls required to achieve compliance with grant terms and conditions and applicable state regulations. All totaled, DCF auditors determined nearly $2.3 million were incorrectly claimed and paid to Hysell & Wagner during the time period from February 2014 to December 2015.

 

Since January, DCF Economic and Employment Services leadership uncovered additional concerns with Hysell & Wagner’s FY 2019 Kansas Reading Roadmap grant, including:

–          TANF funds, categorized as indirect costs, used for excessive payments to company executives surpassing federal salary limits

–          $216,000 was paid to owners as direct expenses and more than $607,000 has been charged to the grant in “guaranteed payments” as indirect expenses which would also go to the owners

–          TANF funds, categorized as indirect costs, were used for 38 trips between Kansas and the CEO’s and CFO’s residences in Washington, DC, and San Diego, CA

–          Administrative expenses charged to the Kansas Reading Roadmap grant exceeded federal and grant-specific limits of 15% of grant costs.

DCF has, in good faith, worked with Hysell & Wagner to educate and correct the identified issues. Despite these efforts, Hysell & Wagner continues to struggle with the heightened monitoring requirements and has rejected revisions in their FY 2020 contract addressing indirect costs.

 

 

“I’ve always been concerned about the use of no-bid contracts and lack of accountability under the previous administration,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “It’s clear that the State of Kansas cannot continue to support Hysell & Wagner’s administration of the Kansas Reading Roadmap program.

 

I am pleased that the Department for Children and Families is providing direct funding to schools for the coming year to ensure they receive the funds they’re counting on.”

 

Hysell & Wagner has until September 15 to complete their work with the program including providing notice of termination to sub-recipients of the award. DCF issued the draft audit to Hysell & Wagner August 15. The company has up to 30 days to respond. Once the agency receives their response the audit report will be finalized and made public.

 

Following is a complete list of schools who will receive funding directly from DCF for the 2019-20 school year.

 

Kansas Reading Roadmap Schools
• USD 210 Hugoton
• USD 216 Deerfield
• USD 235 Uniontown-Bourbon
• USD 247 Southeast Cherokee
• USD 252 Southern Lyon County
• USD 283 Elk Valley
• USD 288 Central Heights
• USD 297 St. Francis
• USD 298 Valley Heights
• USD 310 Fairfield
• USD 322 Onaga
• USD 333 Concordia
• USD 341 Oskaloosa
• USD 353 Wellington
• USD 383 Manhattan
• USD 386 Madison-Virgil
• USD 404 Riverton
• USD 417 Council Grove
• USD 428 Great Bend
• USD 440 Halstead Bentley
• USD 447 Cherryvale
• USD 457 Winfield
• USD 487 Herington
• USD 493 Columbus/Highland Park
• USD 497 Lawrence
• USD 503 Parsons
• USD 504 Oswego
• USD 505 Chetopa
• USD 506 Labette County
• USD 508 Baxter Springs
• Manhattan Boys and Girls Club
• Olathe Boys and Girls Club

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Government

Bourbon County Unification Committee Forms

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Fort Scott City Hall.

In an effort to help make government more efficient in the county, a new Bourbon County Unified Services Committee was formed August 7, 2019.

“I have heard about it (unifying government) for three years,” Greg Motley, who was selected to be the vice-chairman of the group, said. “We have to look for ways to be more efficient.”

“We had one meeting to organize ourselves,” he said. “The purpose is ‘how can we make government more efficient: city, county, school districts, community college’.”

Fort Scott Community College

The unifying committee was launched by Bourbon County Economic Development Corporation, BEDCO.

They are in the first stage, which is researching the possibilities, Motley said.

“That will take a while,” he said.

“We have to plan for a reduced population,” Motley said. “The cost of government is going to increase. We have to think about ways…to do it (government) more effectively.”

Motley said Wyandotte County has unified in northeast Kansas and other sparsely populated counties are considering combining to unify resources.

So the group will study the issue to see if it can be done, and done well, he said.

Motley knows that if the public is not for the unification of government, it will not happen.

“People could say ‘even if it saves money on taxes, we don’t want it’ and that’s ok,” Motley said.

 

USD 234 Board of Education Building.
Uniontown High School.
The  Bourbon County Courthouse

 

Bourbon County Unified Services Committee is comprised of Mark McCoy, chairman; Motley, vice chairman; Nancy Maze, secretary/treasurer; Greg Fess, Clayton Whitson, Larry Shead, David Foster, Larry Martin and Larry Jurgensen.

Greg Motley

 

Motley can be reached at 620-768-2329 or cell 620-215-6411 or [email protected]

 

Bourbon County, Government

Eco Devo Director Gives Update

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Bourbon County Economic Development August 2019 Report

by Jody Hoenor, Economic Director

Performance Tracking

In light of Bourbon County’s economic trends, County leadership took an active approach to seek solutions in order to boost economic development. The county is taking a more proactive role in efforts to revitalize the economy, county-wide, and is placing more emphasis on outcomes. County officials believe tracking performance allows community members to see results of ongoing efforts, increases accountability, and ultimately trust in county leadership.

A National Association of Counties (NACo) survey found 84% of respondents mentioned that their county tracks performance. Despite the many differences between counties, all have the same goals: improve outcomes and increase efficiency.

Performance tracking involves both metrics and measures to help an organization evaluate and report outcomes and effectiveness. Essential to this process is evaluating against a baseline, determined as part of a strategic planning process. The strategic plan is tailored to meet the needs of county government and its residents.

Three Phases of Strategic Planning

In order to better allocate resources and plan for future growth, Bourbon County has adopted a community-informed approach to the strategic planning process. The three phases consist of:

  1. Gathering Data to Identify Needs and Priorities

Successfully complete!

2. Develop and Implement a Strategic Plan with Performance Metrics and Measures

Next Steps!

3. Ongoing Evaluation and Reporting

The top identified priorities are:

1. Business Retention and Expansion

2. Housing

3. Quality of Life

Government, Kansas

2019 Kansas Water Photo Contest Launched

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Photos Featured at the Governor’s Water Conference in November

 

Kansas is blessed with an abundance of great natural resources and Kansans are encouraged to capture the most vital of these; water. The Kansas Water Office (KWO) is accepting water photos to be featured at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference in November. The photos need to pertain to water or water use in Kansas.  Examples include all bodies of water, irrigation, agriculture, recreation and fun, or other water infrastructure.

 

Worthy entries will be selected for display at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference, scheduled for Nov. 7-8, 2019 in Wichita. Attendees at the conference will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite photo. The winning photo will earn feature photo at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference. It will also, along with second and third place, be displayed in the Kansas State Capitol and KWO during the year.

 

Entries can be submitted to [email protected] with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. The following formats are accepted: .jpg, .png and .gif. Participants have until October 11, 2019, to enter a maximum of five photos that follow contest guidelines.

 

By submitting photos, participants grant KWO permission to freely use and share photos at the Governor’s Water Conference, on social media, web, publications and displays.

 

Updates on the contest will be provided through the KWO social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information about the categories, etc., visit www.kwo.ks.gov

 

The Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas is hosted by the Kansas Water Office, K-State /Kansas Water Resource Institute. Major sponsors for the event include Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock.

 

Government, Kansas

Kansas Beyond Visual Line of Sight Drone Operation To Advance Technologies

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Kansas approved for first Beyond Visual

Line of Sight drone flight in the nation

 

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) received permission to conduct the first ever Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operation in the nation leveraging only onboard detect-and-avoid systems. This is the first-ever FAA authorized operation to fly without a requirement for visual observers or ground-based radar and is the result of the 31-member Kansas Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP) team efforts to advance drone technologies.

 

In a collaborative effort between Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus (K-State Polytechnic), Westar Energy, Iris Automation and KDOT, the Kansas IPP team will fly a nine-mile track to evaluate technologies to inspect power lines in rural Kansas. This approval is the first of its kind for long line linear infrastructure and is the first step to enable routine commercial infrastructure inspection across the state.

 

“The UAS industry has worked over 10 years to demonstrate the most significant commercial benefit of drone operations within the United States,” said Bob Brock, KDOT Director of Aviation. “We are proud of the joint state, university and industry team effort that made this landmark decision possible.”

 

“The ability to fly BVLOS missions without ground-based radar or visual observers is a significant advancement, and Westar Energy views this as an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of UAS operations within the utility industry,” said Mike Kelly, Westar Energy Senior UAS Coordinator. “Being able to operate under this waiver allows the Kansas IPP team the ability to research and develop truly scalable BVLOS UAS operations for the automated inspection of linear infrastructure.”

 

The Applied Aviation Research Center on the K-State Polytechnic Campus will be responsible for the training and flight operations with a cross-functional team from the KDOT IPP. Flights will take place over the next few months, providing the FAA with much-needed data on true BVLOS activity.

 

“We look forward to leveraging this waiver to integrate UAS technology into the transmission line inspection process,” said Kurt Carraway, UAS Executive Director of the K-State Polytechnic Applied Aviation Research Center. “We are certain that utilities will be able to quickly realize a return on investment while mitigating safety to their maintenance personnel and increasing the reliability of their infrastructure to the general public.”

 

This is the first UAV flight in history to leverage onboard sense-and-avoid systems alone for collision avoidance. It also marks the first required automated avoidance action. Historically, all FAA-issued Part 107 BVLOS waivers have required visual observers or ground-based radar. These mitigations limit the possibility of true BVLOS flights, as they are typically prohibitively expensive and limit operations to pre-defined corridor areas with radar coverage.

 

This important milestone is facilitated by Kansas UAS IPP partner Iris Automation’s Casia onboard collision avoidance system.

 

“Flying rural missions like these without a human pilot onboard or costly radar on the ground is exponentially safer and more cost effective,” said Iris Automation CEO and Co-Founder Alexander Harmsen. “The FAA is trusting us to pave the way for a safer, scalable future together with this precedent-setting second approval of our system.”

 

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Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Government, Kansas

Don’t Drink and Drive

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Kansas Law Enforcement Warns: Don’t Drink and Drive

Impaired drivers to be tested during “No Refusal Weekend”

 

Topeka, KS – As the summer season concludes over the next few weeks, Kansas law enforcement will be doing all they can to keep the roads safe from impaired drivers. Beginning on Aug. 14 and through the Labor Day weekend, more than 150 law enforcement agencies from across the state will join forces in a concentrated effort detecting and removing the impaired driver.

 

This year’s campaign includes a No Refusal Weekend, Aug. 16 – 17, when all suspected impaired drivers who refuse breath testing may be subject to blood testing for alcohol and/or drugs. This No Refusal Weekend, law enforcement officials may work in coordination with prosecutors to obtain blood draw warrants for drivers who refuse breath and/or drug testing. No Refusal programs help ensure that prosecutors obtain the scientific evidence needed to effectively prosecute cases involving impaired driving.

“My hope is there are no impaired driving crashes or fatalities in the state of Kansas,” said Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Herman Jones.  “Make the right decision, don’t get behind the wheel impaired. The impaired driver makes the choice to endanger themselves and everyone else on the road.”

 

According to the National Safety Council, 40 percent of car fatalities occur in the summer months. The Labor Day holiday brings increased traffic and unfortunately, a higher-than-normal number of deaths related to impaired drivers on the road. On average, impaired drivers cause about one-third of all traffic fatalities in Kansas. Across Kansas, impaired drivers injure or kill more than 2,200 people each year in car crashes.

 

“We want everyone’s summer to end on high note and not in a senseless death that is 100 percent preventable,” said Chris Bortz, Kansas Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Program Manager. “Law enforcement will be vigilant in their efforts to keep everyone safe, but everyone has a personal responsibility in this effort; not just law enforcement.”

 

The 22-day enforcement campaign will be supported with statewide education and on-the-street vigilance by law enforcement.  This year’s campaign reinforces that no excuse is a good excuse for driving impaired. Designate before you celebrate, use a ride sharing service or get a ride from a sober friend are just a few ways to get home safely.

 

Impaired drivers can face jail time, suspension of their driving privileges, fines and other costs of up to $10,000. In addition, the offender will be required to install and pay monthly services fees on an ignition interlock. Beyond the financial and legal penalties, impaired drivers face the risk of losing their own lives or taking someone else’s.

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Government

Greet Congressman Watkins Aug. 22

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Meet and Greet with
Congressman
Steve Watkins
(2nd District of Kansas)
at Boiler Room Brewhaus
Thursday, August 22nd
at 4:00 p.m.
Community members are invited to a
Meet & Greet with
Congressman Steve Watkins.
The event will take place on
Thursday, August 22nd at the
Boiler Room Brewhaus, located at
2 S. National Ave. Doors will open at 4:00pm for the meet & greet.
Steve Watkins is a 6th generation Kansan, growing up down the street from the State Capitol in Topeka. His father served in the Air Force and has been a well-respected physician for nearly 40 years. His mother is
a retired public school teacher.
After graduating from Topeka West high school, Steve went on to get an engineering degree from West Point and master’s degrees from both MIT and Harvard.
Steve Watkins is an Iditarod racer,
a Mt. Everest climber, and a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan in 2004.
Steve Watkins’ life and career have been characterized by integrity, courage, leadership, and selfless service.
While the uniform may be changing, the values and convictions are not.
For more information, contact the Chamber at 620-223-3566.

Bourbon County Local News