The Kansas Department of Transportation has continued to improve enhancements to its KanDrive road and weather website/mobile app. KanDrive is a one-stop gateway for current highway and weather conditions that are available 24/7.
“Informed drivers can make better decisions about which routes are best for them,” said Shari Hilliard, KDOT Project Manager. “Upgrades to the KanDrive app, such as sending and receiving alerts hands-free, are timely and useful benefits for travelers as we head into winter and the holiday season.”
The KanDrive features were first introduced in 2024 and have been fine-tuned for a better user experience. They were developed as part of the U.S. 83 Advanced Technology Project, which extends from the southern Finney County line to the northern Thomas County line. While some KanDrive enhancements are corridor-specific to U.S. 83, most are available for use statewide.
Some of the new features include:
Ability to report incidents in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Hands-free voice incident reporting through Apple CarPlay
The KanDrive website has served motorists since 2009. It provides real-time travel information such as road conditions, closures, construction updates, camera/video feeds and detour information.
Since the first round of enhancements were released in December of 2024, KanDrive has logged 3.7 million sessions and nearly 75,000 app downloads on iOS and Android.
KDOT encourages motorists to plan ahead and “know before you go,” by visiting the KanDrive website at KanDrive.gov or downloading the app in the App Store or Google Play.
Commissioner Mika Milburn brought up a dispute with the cost of a new firewall for the sheriff’s department. Commissioner Samuel Tran said it was “mission creep,” that the commission hadn’t approved. Sheriff Bill Martin addressed the commission, saying that the quotes for new phones and a firewall were approved in the Sept. 25, 2025 meeting, to be paid for from the jail sales tax.
Commissioner David Beerbower moved to table the issue for a week to iron out the disputes as to when the approval was given.
There was also a dispute about which fund should pay for the mapping services needed to redistrict Bourbon County to 5 districts.
Beerbower said it needed to be paid for regardless of where it comes from. Milburn said she wants to be sure the commissioners’ fund doesn’t get spent without the commission’s direct order. They decided to pay for it from the general government fund.
The remainder of the consent agenda was approved.
Emerson and Co. regarding longevity, insurance
Emerson, County Clerk Susan Walker, and Dr. Cohen addressed the commission.
Emerson addressed the need for the commission’s approval of a quote for COBRA administration, FSA, and HSA. The commission so voted.
Emerson also said that they need to address when the new insurance deduction amounts should be collected from the employees. Until now the process has been to collect them the month prior to their due date in order to have the funds on hand to pay at the beginning of the following month. However, with the new employee navigator integration, funds will not be collected in advance, and the start date of the deductions will be the first payroll in January. Manual deduction entries will need to be added in December, 2025. Emmerson recommended making the change.
Blue Cross Blue Shield requires the county to pay a month in advance, per County Clerk Susan Walker. She said that if they don’t do the deductions in the previous month, the county may not be able to pay for their premiums. She said the county had already planned to manually enter everything by the cutoff date of Dec. 3. She said this problem will come about each December.
She said that employee navigator doesn’t allow for automated employer contributions, so they have to be manually entered.
The clerk also said that they would have to change benefits availability to 30 days after first hire date for county employees. Tran and Cohen both said that is standard industry policy. Tran said he had no problem with that.
Emerson recommended finding out what the cash flow amount shortage would be. The clerk told the commission that the amount needed is approximately $8,800.
Milburn moved to follow Emerson’s recommendation. Tran seconded with a discussion.
Handbook — Dr. Cohen
Cohen brought his current copy of the handbook. He asked for the commissioners’ individual input, then plans to take it to the elected officials and department heads, receive their input and comments, and make changes, then bring a final document to the commission for approval by the first of the year.
Cohen also brought a recommendation to the commission to have them fund an administrative assistant position for the commission. That assistant would cover matters related to personnel, records, benefits, and more.
“It’s become abundantly clear that you need a person that’s accountable to you and you only,” he said. He also said that the funding for that position would come from existing funds currently allocated elsewhere.
Milburn said that up until 2025, the commission had that person in the position of county clerk.
Tran does not oppose the position but has concerns about how they would pay for the person.
Beerbower said funding is the number one issue as well. Cohen said he thought they could find the money and that the commission should approve the decision to fill the position contingent upon finding the funding.
The motion was passed to move forward with recruiting for the position, pending funding.
Tran said they should look at the inmate housing fund to pay insurance for employees and for the commission’s administrative assistant.
Beerbower said he was not willing to do that.
Longevity pay — Dr. Cohen
Cohen addressed bridging, which is when an employee leaves and then returns. He recommended not giving them longevity pay, per his recommendation. He said that if the bridged time is shorter, continuing longevity pay may be a good idea, so long as they return to their original position. He recommended that as a consequence for employees who leave and want to come back.
Beerbower, Milburn, and Tran agreed with Cohen. They agreed that if an employee leaves and is paid out, they cannot come back at the same level they left.
Victory Foronberry, from county corrections, asked about a problem with longevity pay. Tran and Beerbower spoke to her. One of the problems was that a funding stream they voted to use to cover it was contested.
Longevity pay approved by previous commission was put into each department’s budget, but most departments didnt have it in their budgets for this last paycheck.
Tran said they did what they thought was best at the time, but within 72 hours of the commission’s decision, the revenue source was contested.
Davis asked the commission to leave the longevity as is and pay it to the employees. He said that their decision to add a new position, although it is pending the ability to find funding for it, was a terrible decision and makes the entire commission look like they put county employees second.
Sheriff Bill Martin said he doesn’t know who would contest using the inmate housing revenue to pay the employees their longevity.
Another audience member asked the commission to use the inmate housing fund to pay employees what they were promised.
Janet Harper, who works in the appraiser’s office, said that the money sent out on that stub, which was not paid by the county, was her grandchildren’s Christmas.
Tran moved to pull the inmate housing fund and put it into the general fund. Milburn gave a second with discussion.
Sheriff Bill Martin said he came to the commission offering them a 60/40 split a couple of months ago, and they wouldn’t take it. Asking to take all of it is an insult to the sheriff’s office. He said they should only take out what it costs to meet longevity pay requirements.
Clerk Susan Walker said that her projections show that a lot of the inmate housing money will be needed for the sheriff’s budget amendment, and the commission should speak with his financial advisor before moving the money.
“Everytime we try to do something, we’re getting our legs chopped off,” said Tran.
Tran then amended the motion to pull $200,000 from the inmate housing fund. Motion carried with Beerbower voting against.
Tran proposed that they take $55,100 from the general fund to pay for the longevity pay.
Beerbower moved to leave 2025 longevity as it has been and make the changes in 2026.
“We didn’t create this mess. We’re trying to fix this mess,” said Tran.
The motion to pay longevity through the end of 2025 carried, Milburn opposing.
Sheriff Martin said that his 2025 budget was created by two other individuals without input from him. The outgoing commissioners at the time told him his budget was “screwed.”
He asked why Tran made the comment about him choosing to sue the commission. Tran replied that he knew Martin had been “done dirty,” in the past and he wanted to help him. However, Martin’s continuous referral to the requirement that the county give his department what it needs to function seemed like a threat of suing the commission.
Tran said that as an executor for the county, he will take care of the county, and give the Sheriff’s department what it needs, but maybe not what it wants.
Sheriff Martin said the conversation should have happened in his office one-on-one. He told Tran that they (the commission) are confusing everyone with the numbers game. He said he appreciated Tran’s honesty.
Tran and Martin each accused the other of not reaching out to communicate about their issues outside of an open meeting.
Lines of Communication – Susan Walker, county clerk
Walker told the commissioners she needs direction from them about how they intend to communicate with her.
“I’m having trouble getting responses, and it’s very difficult for me to do my job,” she said. “It is very hard for me to do my job as clerk if I cannot get a hold of you,” she said.
Walker said she can’t set up meetings if she can’t get a hold of anyone. She asked for clarification about expectations.
“For the most part, I think that communication works well, especially by the email,” said Beerbower.
Solar Litigation
Beerbower said that the commission has been in litigation with solar developers over agreements signed with the 2024 commission. They are working to find a solution outside of court via mediation.
Next week, the commission will be voting on resolutions to change the moratorium that will exempt these two companies from moving forward with their projects. They will also vote to amend the development agreement, including setbacks for battery systems and emergency training.
There have also been some settlements on pilot money that include settlements totaling about $320,000 per year paid to the county for the next ten years.
Counsel will send to the clerk the needed information for the resolutions, which will be voted on in the December 8th meeting.
Jackie Demott with the appraiser’s office spoke to the commission. She said that while folks have issues with solar, bringing businesses into Bourbon County will help solve the county’s funding issues.
“Maybe you need to start thinking about, not just what is best for each individual, but what is best for the county. What’s going to bring this revenue in?” she said. She suggested they form a committee to bring businesses into the county.
Planning Commission — Bob Johnson
County attorney Bob Johnson attended the new Planning Commission meeting before Thanksgiving. They discussed the procedure going forward, as well as hiring a part-time individual who has helped neighboring counties with their planning commissions.
District 3 Vacancy — Bob Johnson
The Kansas Secretary of State’s legal team has said the commission can either have the replacement for the District 3 come from the old district, or from the newly created District 3, which is preferable and makes more common sense, but either option passes statutory guidance.
The commission passed a resolution for the correct political party to appoint a commissioner for the new district 3 when current district 3 commissioner, Mika Milburn, becomes the commissioner for district 5 in January 2026. That commissioner will hold office until January 2027 with the person elected in November of 2026 is seated on the commission.
The north wing, east side of the Bourbon County Courthouse.
November 10, 2025 Bourbon County Commission Meeting Continued
Sheriff Lease for Vehicles
Sheriff Bill Martin brought new numbers and handed them out to the county commission.
The documentation he provided is for an 11 vehicle lease because they need to replace that many in the current fleet.
Annual lease cost is $137,449 per year. The first year will include police equipment for a total cost of $399,303. This would be paid for out of the jail sales tax, as it’s part of the operations of the sheriff’s office and jail.
Martin said he would get the contract updated.
Milburn wanted to get the numbers together and make sure that the funds would be in the jail sales tax.
County Clerk Susan Walker said she could run the numbers if the sheriff’s department would give her five-year number projections for the vehicle lease.
Martin said they would get the numbers for her. He also expressed frustration at how long it’s taking the commission to come to a decision.
After he left the meeting, Tran expressed concern at the entry cost of nearly $400,000, and said he wasn’t sure Martin needed 11 new vehicles.
Beerbower cautioned Tran about trying to manage Martin’s fleet.
“This is one of those things that got kicked down the road,” said Beerbower. “This is one of those things that he’s been asked to compromise on for several years.”
Winners of the Gordon Parks Museum photo contest,
sponsored by Merl Humphrey Photography and Don Thompson Images, have been selected.
This year’s
theme was, “What Does Your Heart See?”.
141 entries were received, which was the highest number of entries ever.
First Place was Yasser Alaa
Mobarak, Alexandria Egypt, with the photo titled “Nepali Woman.”
Second Place was Kevin B. Jones, San
Francisco, CA, with the photo “2025 Cuba Revisited #2.”
and Third Place was Jacki Lunberg, Fort Scott, KS,
with the photo, “My Baby You’ll Be.”
There were five Honorable Mentions named: “Turn the Page” by KrystalCarter, (Las Vegas, NV), “Not Forgotten” by Mark Dolf, (Tulsa, OK), “SalsaFeet” by Robert D. Little, Stillwater, OK), “Best Friends Forever” by LeyaJanine, (Wichita KS). and ”A Love Without Words” by Mika Milburn,(Fulton, KS).
First, Second, and Third place winners received cash prizes of $200, $75, and $50 respectively.
This photo contest was inspired by a quote from Gordon Parks, “I feel it is the heart, not the eye, that should determine the content of the photograph. What the eye sees is its own. What the heart can perceive is a very different matter. Photographers were invited to capture the essence of the theme.
Judges for the photo contest was professional photographer, Veretta Cobler and, established creative director designer, Donna Fumoso.
The photo exhibitwill be on display on the Gordon Parks Museum facebook page facebook.com/fsccgpmuseum/ and the museum’s website
gordonparkscenter.org.
We are now just hours away from the September 30 midnight deadline to pass a bill to keep the federal government open. While the House passed a bill more than a week ago to keep the federal government open and funded, unfortunately the Senate has not yet passed that bill. Instead of a “clean” continuing resolution, which temporarily maintains current funding levels while negotiations continue on the 12 full-year appropriations bills, House and Senate Democrats are instead trying to push through a $1.5 trillion wish list.
We must get our fiscal house in order and begin to reverse the trends that have led to our $37 trillion national debt. We made a good start in the policies that were in the reconciliation bill passed this summer, which included $1.2 trillion in spending reductions over the next 10 years. The funding bills that have passed out of the House Appropriations Committee build on this effort by decreasing spending by $30 billion from FY25 levels. We can’t go back to business-as-usual and leave our children and grandchildren saddled with these massive debts.
I spoke with KVOE radio in Emporia on Friday about our efforts to keep the government open. 🔉 Listen here.
Supporting Victims of Violent Crime
Sadly, our news feeds recently have been filled with horrific instances of violent crime, from the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the stabbing incident on the train in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Kansas, we have had four law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the past four months.
This morning, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight, on which I serve, held a field hearing in Charlotte to hear directly from crime victims and their families on the impact the rise in violence has had on their community, and discuss policy solutions to begin to reverse these troubling trends.
Expanding Health Savings Accounts
One of the lesser-known provisions in the reconciliation bill passed earlier this summer was a big expansion in the number of individuals and families who are eligible to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to save and pay for medical expenses tax-free.
Effective January 1, 2026, all Bronze and Catastrophic plans purchased through the ACA Exchange will qualify as HSA-eligible plans. Bronze plans are selected by approximately 30% of enrollees. This change, coupled with changes in eligibility for Catastrophic plans, led the Council of Economic Advisors to estimate an additional 10 million Americans will be eligible for HSAs next year. Kansas families who are enrolled in these plans can now save hundreds of dollars by using pre-tax money to pay their healthcare expenses.
Last week, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) released a new graphic novel featuring Kansas Medal of Honor recipient Fr. Emil Kapaun. The novel is part of AUSA’s ongoing series of graphic novels featuring Medal of Honor recipients.
Fr. Kapaun, a native son of Pilsen in Marion County, is the most decorated chaplain in Army history. He was known for his courage and spiritual guidance in a prisoner of war camp during the Korean War. He gave his meager rations to fellow soldiers and led clandestine prayer meetings. Fr. Kapaun was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2013. In 2021 — 70 years after his death — Fr. Kapaun’s remains were identified thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). He is now interred in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, and is under consideration for sainthood in the Catholic Church. The Kansas Legislature has passed a bill to install a statue of Fr. Kapaun in the State Capitol in Topeka, and efforts are underway to bring that to fruition.
Approval of 09.19.25 Accounts Payable Totaling $250,084.75
Approval August Financials
Executive Session (Statutory consultation with an attorney)
V. Public Comments for Items Not on The AgendaVI. Old Business
Budget Discussion
Roads Discussion
Lynne Oharah – 95th & Unique
North Crawford Street
Eagle Road
190th Street Benefit District
CIC Access – Milburn
Elevator – Milburn
108 W 2nd – Milburn
Crawkan – Milburn
Planning Commission announce terms – Beerbower
Resolution Review – Beerbower
Commission Meetings & Commissioner Conduct VII. New Business
Credit App for Enterprise – Bill Martin
Resolution – Law Enforcement
Motion to move normal meeting from the 13th of October to the 14th
VIII. Build Agenda for following meetingIX. Commission CommentsX. Adjournment
Detailed Summary of Information Packet
Executive Sessions and Future Agenda Items
Executive Sessions (PDF Page 2): The form for a motion to enter Executive Session lists statutory reasons, including discussion of personnel matters, attorney consultation (which would be privileged), employer/employee negotiations, financial affairs/trade secrets, preliminary real estate acquisition, and security measures.
Future Agenda Items (PDF Page 2):
October 6, 2025: Vehicle Lease Program, Economic Development, Juvenile Detention Contract, Sanitation Work Session, Benefits Committee Letters, Elm Creek Quarry, Phone System.
The Fort Scott High School Thespians host their 8th Annual Royal-Tea & Friends Party from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 18 in the FSHS Commons and Courtyard.
Children can join their favorite princesses and princes, superheroes and villains, and other characters. They are invited to take photos with favorite characters as they make crafts, have treats, and play games. Fort Scott High School Thespians will be dressed in character and leading the event. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume as well.
Tickets for the Royal-Tea & Friends Party are $6 per child and all must be accompanied by an adult (no fee for adults). Tickets may be purchased online in advance at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com or at the door.
For more information, please see the Fort Scott High School Thespians Facebook page or contact Angie Bin at [email protected] or 620-719-9622.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to this week’s Chamber Coffee, hosted by The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative (The Kitchen C+C). 12 S. Main St., on Thursday, September 18th, at 8am. Coffee, juice, and refreshments will be served, and attendees may register to win a special drawing.
The Kitchen C+C is celebrating its one-year anniversary as a fully licensed food incubator, retail kitchenware store, grab-and-go meal and sweets provider, and event space in downtown Fort Scott. Over the past year, it has become a hub for local food entrepreneurs, community events, and culinary creativity.
This past April, co-founders Rachel French, Bailey Lyons, and Angela Simon were recognized with the Community Spirit Award at the Chamber Annual Dinner, honoring their passion and dedication to initiatives to better Fort Scott and the downtown area.
Located in historic McDonald Hall,
The Kitchen C+C offers a shared commercial kitchen/incubator for personal, group, or resale food preparation; retail kitchenware; grab-and-go meals; event and class space; and community-focused programming.
For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 or visit the Events Calendar and category of Chamber Coffees on fortscott.com for upcoming locations.
Patty LaRoche. 2023. Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection www.alittlefaithlift.com AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
The sophomore sat in my class, day one, and shared that when she tried out for middle school track, a teammate told her that she was fat. Another spoke about how classmates treated her after social services visited her home, and the claim of negligence spread throughout the community. Both girls were judged for falling short. But short of what?
We understand their pain, but what about the ones who had offended them? Aren’t we all guilty? Oh, maybe we don’t say it out loud, but we sure say it to ourselves. We fail to understand that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night might be a single mother who was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and run back to her night job. We forget that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested man who cannot make change correctly is a stressed, 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester. As for that weird-looking bum? The one begging for money in the same spot every day (I mean, seriously! Why doesn’t he have a job? Everyone is looking for employees.). Do we stop to consider that he might be a slave to heroin, an addiction we can imagine only in our worst nightmares?
We roll our eyes at the old couple walking slowly through the store aisles, blocking our hurried-shopping progress, and we fail to recognize that maybe, just maybe, they are savoring this moment because, based on the biopsy report she received last week, this will be the last year they go shopping together. We stare at the obese, secretly wondering why they don’t walk instead of using the store’s mobile device, not even considering that perhaps they eat for emotional comfort due to the abuse they received as children.
The point is, it doesn’t matter what makes people different from us; what matters is that we arrogantly dare to look at them differently than God looks at them. Only if we never have judged someone can we claim innocence.
The other evening, Dave and I were with another couple, and we were talking about difficult people. The husband (“Ron”) shared a story about delivering a package to a company in which a sourpuss woman worked. Sure enough, Ron showed up near closing time and got an earful from the employee who was ticked that she had to process the package.
Instead of responding in an equally hateful manner, the next morning, Ron picked up a special coffee drink he found out the woman liked and surprised her with it. He said that he assumed she had had a bad day and might enjoy a pick-me-up. Every time he saw her after that, she greeted him with a smile and a hug.
Ron could easily have judged her attitude. After all, she had judged him, and he was just doing his job and didn’t deserve to be treated so hatefully. She had no right to unload on him when he had done nothing except what his job required. He chose not to pay back. He chose not to judge.
Deciding to give someone the benefit of the doubt is the way Jesus would have us handle this situation. Every situation. 1 Peter 3:8 is a verse we all should remember: “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
Second Place was Kevin B. Jones, San
