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Category Archives: Kansas
KS Child Care Licensing, Background Check Fees Are Waived Through 2025
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KS Supreme Court Will Hold Special Evening Meeting For the Public in Louisburg
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City of Bronson Awarded Placemaking/Recreation Grant From KS Rural Champions Program
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KDOT employees celebrate service anniversaries
The Kansas Department of Transportation expresses its appreciation for employees celebrating state service anniversaries in October. KDOT is proud to acknowledge them for the long-term dedication they have provided to the state of Kansas.
Those celebrating 35 years:
- Lora Kowach, CIT Program Manager, Longford
Those celebrating 30 years:
- Kevin Hennes, Public Service Executive II , Topeka
- David Schwartz, Special Projects Engineer, Topeka
Those celebrating 25 years:
- Brian Briggs, Database Administration Supervisor, Topeka
- John Cukjati, Engineering Technician Specialist, Hutchinson
- Perry Huffman, Highway Maintenance Supervisor, Oakley
Those celebrating 20 years:
- Dominic Harrington, Highway Maintenance Superintendent, Hoyt
- Michael Hernandez, Network Service Technician III, Topeka
- Roy Whitcomb, Highway Maintenance Supervisor, Kincaid
Those celebrating 15 years:
- Leah Ogden, Public Service Administrator I, Topeka
Those celebrating 10 years:
- Jaylon Ashburn, Equipment Operator Specialist, Troy
- Jennifer Cavanaugh, ROW Property Appraiser II , Topeka
- Kevin Diers, Equipment Operator, Osage City
- Mark Massey, Applications Developer II, Topeka
- Chelsea Milner, Engineering Technician Senior, Burrton
- Lisa Mussman, Public Information Officer I, Phillipsburg
- Brian Varnadore, Equipment Operator, Alma
- Karen Williams, Equipment Operator Senior, Mapleton
Virtual Statewide Job Fair Highlights Booming Opportunities for Jobseekers
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Over 200 Will Receive Citizenship in Fort Scott on Friday September 20

Fort Scott National Historic Site is hosting the U.S. Federal Court proceeding by the U.S. District Court, Kansas District, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Friday, September 20 at 10:30 a.m.
“The park hosts the proceedings by providing the venue, and, working with the community and state, offers added value to the new citizens, their families, and the community,” said Carl Brenner, Program Manager for Interpretation and Resource Management
Fort Scott National Historic Site (www.nps.gov/fosc.)

Fort Scott National Historic Site.
“This includes snacks for the naturalizing citizens before the ceremony, a beautiful and historic setting for the event, information about the community and its businesses, and the opportunity to fulfill the civic duty by registering to vote.” he said. “There are also a series of clubs, organizations, and state and local groups helping to make this happen (it takes a village). The Kansas Secretary of State’s office will have a representative here to register voters, new citizens or otherwise.”
What does one have to do to become a citizen?
“Section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires naturalization applicants to demonstrate an understanding of the English language, including an ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage in the English language, and demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government (civics). To meet the requirements of Section 312 of the INA, applicants must pass a naturalization test to become U.S. citizens. The naturalization test consists of two components: an English language and a civics component. The English language component tests applicants on their ability to speak, read, write, and understand the English language. Applicants who fail one or both test components will have a second opportunity to pass both portions of the test, called a re-exam. More info at www.uscis.gov/citizenship We have been running some of the questions on our Facebook page this week.”
Today’s questions on its Facebook page:
www.instagram.com/FortScottNPS
http://twitter.com/FortScottNPS

The Ceremony
“Check-in begins at 9 a.m., and the ceremony begins at 10:30. Fort Scott VFW Post 1165, Olson-Frary-Burkhart Post, will be the Color Guard. Musical performances from the Fort Scott High School Orchestra, with welcoming remarks by Fort Scott National Historic Site Superintendent Jill Jaworski and Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin. A keynote address will be made by Angela Bates, founder, past president, and current executive director of the Nicodemus Historical Society and Museum,” he said.



“We are looking at 201 naturalized citizens from 57 different countries. One of the largest ceremonies in the National Park Service,” he said.
Countries represented are Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo (Kinshasa), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

New Round of SEED Grants Available for Rural Quality-of-Life Initiatives
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Nominate a Kansas Health Champion
Kansas Governor’s Council on Wellness 2025 Health Champion Nomination Form
Health Champions Awards Nominations are officially out.
Please consider nominating:
- Yourself
- Your Colleague
- Your Friend
- Your Community Health Worker
- A small business is making a big difference (those restaurants and food retailers are the real heroes in getting local produce in their market).
- A partner organization that deserves to be awarded
Here is the link!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HKSNRRC
KDA Extends Summer Youth Food Program
DCF Announces Application Deadline Extension for Summer EBT Program
Application deadline is now 5 p.m. on October 15
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is extending the application deadline for the 2024 Summer EBT program, a new federal program designed to help eligible families offset some of the costs of buying food for their school-aged children during the summer.
Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks in other states, is a partnership between DCF, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, and the Kansas Department of Education. The program provides families a one-time installment of $120 per each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries over the summer. Applications will be accepted through the DCF online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov, until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. Families will need to use their existing account through the DCF self-service portal or create an account to apply.
Since July 2024, about 117,200 students have received the one-time $120 Summer EBT benefit through an auto-issuance, and DCF has received more than 2,000 applications. For families with children receiving food assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and/or foster care benefits, the Summer EBT benefit was automatically added to existing households’ Kansas Benefits Cards (also known as an EBT card) or loaded onto a Kansas Benefits Card and mailed to the home. DCF estimates there could be more than 100,000 children who did not automatically receive the benefit but may be eligible.
Eligibility:
Children may be eligible for the program if:
- The child attended a Kansas school offering the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program, and the household income met the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals at any point during the 2023-24 school year.
Or
- the school-aged child (7-17 years old) received food assistance, TANF, and/or foster care benefits at any point during the 2023-24 school year. (Summer EBT benefits were auto-issued to these households in July 2024.)
“While Summer EBT is intended to help offset the cost of food during summer break when kids don’t have access to the free or reduced-price meals they get at school, even with children already back in class the program can still provide families with a little extra help in putting food on their tables,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “We hope that by extending the application deadline, more families with eligible children will have the opportunity to apply for this year’s Summer EBT benefit.”
Application:
Families with children who did not receive the Summer EBT benefit by the end of July 2024 should apply through the online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2024.
Learn more about the Summer EBT program at dcf.ks.gov.
Phone/Internet Services Assistance
Lifeline helps low-income Kansans stay connected
TOPEKA – Phone and internet services are vital to accessing healthcare and community services, finding employment, and calling for help in an emergency. However, the cost to stay connected is out of reach for many Kansans.
In observance of Lifeline Awareness Week, September 8-14, the Kansas Corporation Commission joins utility regulators nationwide in creating awareness of the Lifeline program and encourages those in need of assistance to apply.
Lifeline provides federal and state discounts of up to $17.02 per month to help pay for residential or wireless phone service, internet, or a bundled phone and internet plan. Subscribers living on tribal lands qualify for additional discounts. Currently, nearly 8 million Americans, including 23,000 in Kansas, are enrolled in the program.
Eligibility is based on income (at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines) or participation in certain assistance programs such as:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FHPA)
- Veterans Pension & Survivors Pension Benefit
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Head Start Tribal Programs (income based)
- The Food Distribution Program on Tribal Lands
More information on income eligibility, participating providers, and the enrollment process is available on the KCC’s website or by calling 800-662-0027.
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Governor Kelly Announces August Total Tax Collections Surpass Estimate by Nearly $23M
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the August 2024 total tax collections were $665.6 million. That is $22.8 million, or 3.5% more than the estimate. Total tax collections are up 4.0% from August 2023.
“While we are seeing collections higher than the estimate, we likely won’t see the impact of the income tax cuts from Senate Bill 1 on monthly collections until the beginning of next year,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Because of that timing, we must continue to be fiscally responsible for our long-term outlook.”
Individual income tax collections were $329.4 million, which is $19.4 million, or 6.3% more than the estimate and up 10.1% from August 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $20.2 million, which is $9.8 million, or 32.8% less than the estimate and down 19.7% from August 2023.
Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $294.6 million, which is $12.6 million, or 4.5% more than the estimate and up $2.2 million, or 0.7% from August 2023.
Click here to view the August 2024 revenue numbers.
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