Governor Directs Flags Be Flown Half-Staff for Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

TOPEKA –In accordance with Executive Order 20-30, and in recognition of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7, 2020, Governor Laura Kelly has ordered flags throughout the State of Kansas to be flown at half-staff on Monday, December 7, 2020, until sunset.

“We will never forget the tragic day of December 7, 1941, when Imperial Japan launched an attack on Pearl Harbor, killing thousands of U.S. personnel and civilians,” Governor Laura Kelly said, “That day changed the trajectory of our nation and the world. We are thankful for all the veterans who have given their lives for the cause of freedom.”

To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honors.

Court of Appeals Nominating Commission Announces Application Deadline for Court of Appeals Vacancy

TOPEKA –The Court of Appeals Nominating Commission today announced the application deadline for individuals interested in applying for the impending vacancy to be created by the Supreme Court appointment of Melissa Taylor Standridge.

Applications will be due by 3:00 PM Wednesday, December 23. Individuals should contact [email protected] for application materials.

The interview days and schedule will be announced at a later date. All updates may be found at https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/press-releases/.

Governor Laura Kelly signed Executive Order 20-01 on January 28, 2020, establishing the Court of Appeals Nominating Commission. Under Kansas law, the Governor appoints judges to the Court of Appeals subject to confirmation by the Senate. The Commission will review each applicant’s background and qualifications, conduct interviews, and then submit three nominees for the Governor to consider.

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Rural Preservation Grant Applications Now Available

TOPEKA –Governor Laura Kelly today announced that applications are now available for the Kansas Historical Society’s Kansas Rural Preservation grant program through the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Earlier this year, the Kansas Historical Society received a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service’s Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program. Those funds are now being offered through this subgrant program to the owners of historic properties for repair and rehabilitation projects.

A complete program description, application information, and application link are available online at kshs.org/20430. The application deadline is midnight on March 1, 2021. Applications must be submitted online via the weblink above.

“The Kansas Historical Society has been actively working to preserve and share Kansas history for nearly 150 years,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Paul Bruhn grants will go a long way in ensuring historic properties across the state can get the upkeep and treatment they need, so we can continue to celebrate and learn about our rich history for generations to come.”

Applicants must own a property listed in the National Register of Historic Places individually or as a contributing property in a National Register-listed historic district or have their property determined eligible for listing before the grant application is submitted. Properties determined eligible must be listed officially to the National Register during the grant period. The property must be within a community with a population of less than 30,000 according to the 2010 U.S. Census and applicants must provide justification of their rural location as part of the application. Property owners may not be the State or federal governments.

Grantees can receive between $5,000 and $50,000. The grant reimburses 90 percent of eligible project activities up to the award amount and grant recipients shall provide 10 percent of the cost of eligible project activities as match.

All rehabilitation work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards & Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. Eligible activities include professional services (architect and engineering fees) and projects involving the preservation, rehabilitation, or restoration of an eligible property. Repairs involving building components such as walls, doors, windows, chimneys, roofing, and foundations are eligible activities. Projects involving the preservation or restoration of non-building properties such as archeological sites, parks, cemeteries, bridges, and monuments are also eligible. Because this grant is supported by funding administered by the National Park Service, projects must follow federal project requirements including competitive selection of contractors and consultants. In addition, an easement will be placed on the property following the project completion.

Kansas Historical Society staff members will offer a free webinar with specifics for this program at 1 p.m. Thursday, December 17, 2020. Staff members will discuss the application process, approaches to writing the application, and answer questions about the program. Contact the Historic Preservation Office at 785-272-8681, ext. 240; or [email protected] to register for this workshop or to request additional information.

EMPORIA – Deer hunters across Kansas can have deer they harvest during the 2020-2021 seasons tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) free of charge through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). KDWPT, in collaboration with the University of Missouri, is undertaking a research project to better understand where CWD is present in Kansas and how the disease spreads. As part of the research project, the cost of CWD testing will be covered for the next three years at a maximum of 450 samples per Deer Management Unit (DMU). Harvest location in the form of GPS coordinates, section Range-Township-Section number, or nearest intersection will be required to receive free testing.

“We’re excited to be able to cover the cost of CWD testing for hunters statewide for the next three years,” said Levi Jaster, KDWPT big game program coordinator. “Hunters will benefit immediately from cost-free test results, but they’ll also benefit long term from better information related to deer herd disease management as a result of this project.”

Hunters can benefit from cost-free CWD testing during the 2020-2021 seasons through one of several options listed below:

• Hunters may obtain collection instructions from University of Missouri staff by calling (620) 402-4195 or emailing [email protected]. And, hunters in DMUs 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 19 may receive direct assistance from University of Missouri staff. Simply call or email to make arrangements.

• Hunters may drop off samples to their local KDWPT district biologist. See https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Administrative-Offices for KDWPT contact information. Hunters may also visit https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Big-Game-Information/Chronic-Wasting-Disease-CWD/CWD-Collection-Zones for a list of drop-off and sample collection locations.

• Hunters may transport their harvested deer head to a participating taxidermist for sample collection. Visit https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Big-Game-Information/Chronic-Wasting-Disease-CWD/CWD-Collection-Zones for a list of participating taxidermists.

• Hunters may utilize a manned voluntary sample collection station on Dec. 2, 4, 5, 11 and 12. See below for locations. Masks and social distancing protocols will be in place at sample stations.

Manned voluntary sample collection stations will be offered at the following locations:

Country Junction 

153 US 54 

Toronto, KS 66777 

Farmer’s Cooperative Association (parking lot) 

515 E Maple St.  

Columbus, KS 66725 

Casey’s Gas Station 

915 S. First St. 

Hiawatha, KS 66434 

Dara’s Fast Lane – Cenex 

5321 Tuttle Creek Blvd. 

Manhattan, KS 66502 

BP Gas Station and Car Wash 

2305 South Cedar St. 

Ottawa, KS 66067 

For more information on CWD in Kansas, visit https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Big-Game-Information/Chronic-Wasting-Disease-CWD or www.cwdks.com.

Governor Laura Kelly Introduces Program to Provide Broadband Access to Rural and Underserved Communities

~Broadband Acceleration Grant to invest $85 million in statewide funds to broadband expansion~

TOPEKA –Governor Laura Kelly today announced the introduction of the new Broadband Acceleration Grant Program to expand broadband access to rural and underserved communities across the state. This year marks the first time in Kansas history that there has been a concerted, statewide, bipartisan effort to fund increased broadband access.

Over the next ten years, the program seeks to invest $85 million toward bridging the digital divide in Kansas thanks to broadband modernization funding provided through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE). As the result of swift legislative action, $5 million will be available annually over the next three years, with $10 million annually made available over the following seven years.

“These grants are a critical part of my administration’s work to provide underserved Kansans with the high speed internet they need to compete economically and to improve access to health, education, and commercial tools,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “We are working quickly to ensure our communities, no matter their zip code, are adequately equipped for prosperity and growth, as Kansas continues to rebuild its foundation.”

A maximum of $1 million per grant will go toward funding projects that provide access to high quality, reliable broadband throughout Kansas, with priority given to applications that address unserved areas, economically distressed communities, and areas of compelling need.

“The Office of Rural Prosperity has engaged with thousands of Kansans, and one thing we hear time and time again is that expanding broadband would be a blessing for their communities,” Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers said. “Governor Kelly and her administration as a whole are committed to delivering the resources rural Kansans need.”

Broadband Acceleration grants will specifically assist with projects that address priorities for unserved, economically distressed, and service areas with compelling needs.

“These grants will make the difference for so many communities without access to broadband,” Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “We’re looking to assist innovative, forward-thinking organizations and projects through this program, in order to ensure that Kansas communities aren’t just catching up but are pushing forward into the future.”

Applicants are expected to engage community leaders and stakeholders in developing projects that are strategic, scalable, and bridge critical access gaps to support the quality of life considerations and economic viability for Kansas citizens and communities.

“These grants will be very complementary with the work we have undertaken through the SPARK-funded Connectivity Emergency Response Grant projects, which will be completed by year-end.” Stanley Adams, Director of the Office of Broadband Development at the Kansas Department of Commerce, said. “Accelerating broadband deployment is critical for all of us, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m grateful to Governor Kelly for her commitment to our work in broadband development. This new grant program will be a powerful tool in the ongoing mission to get Kansas fully connected.”

The application window will open at 4 p.m. December 7, 2020, with intent to apply due on December 11, 2020, and applications due by noon on January 7, 2021. Broadband Acceleration grant program guidelines and information are available at this link.

A grant application workshop webinar will be offered by the Office of Broadband Development on December 9 at 10:30 a.m. for entities interested in applying for the grant. Those interested in participating can sign up here.

This new grant program is the latest signal of the Kelly administration’s continuing efforts toward increasing connectivity across the state. Previously, Governor Kelly announced nearly $50 million in Connectivity Emergency Response Grant (CERG) funds through the SPARK grant program to underserved communities across the state, with 67 broadband projects designed to address pandemic-related health, education, and business challenges.

Governor Laura Kelly Proclaims November as Native American Indian Heritage Month

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly this month proclaimed November as Native American Indian Heritage Month and encouraged Kansans to strive to learn more about the rich and diverse indigenous cultures of the four tribes of Kansas.

“Native American Indian Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories, and to acknowledge the important contributions of American Indians and indigenous peoples,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Kansas tribes are valuable partners to the State, and to the communities and economies near their reservations.”

There are over 570 federally recognized tribes in the United States, and Kansas had once been home to many American Indian tribes. Some of the Tribes that are considered to be native to present day Kansas include the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, Pawnee, and the Wichita. Kansas was also inhabited by many emigrant tribes. The emigrant Indians are those people who had been moved to a new geographic region after being displaced from their original homelands.

Nearly 30 tribes were given land in the Kansas Territory with the assurance of the federal government that they would not be moved again. However, the Kansas Territory was opened for settlement in 1854 and once again the tribes were forced to move off the land.

Kansas is home to four Indian tribes:

• The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska located in White Cloud, KS
• The Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas located in Horton, KS
• The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation located in Mayetta, KS
• The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska located in Reserve, KS

Each tribe has a rich history and works maintain their own language, ceremonies and customs. And, while it is easy to view the tribes from a historic lens by visiting museums and reading history books, it is important to remember that the tribes are modern sovereign governments, as well as citizens of Kansas.

Visit the Kansas Native American Affairs website to learn more about their history, culture and the contemporary operations of their governments. You can also learn more about the Kansas tribes by visiting one of the three tribal museums and the Kansas Museum of History.

View the proclamation here.