Category Archives: Youth

SparkWheel- Sparking Success for Students in Uniontown Receives Grant

July 23, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

CFSEK Awards $180,000 in 2025 General Funds Grants

Since 2001, the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) General Funds grant cycle has been making a difference across the region. This year is no different, with $180,000 granted to 68 organizations in 20 towns across 10 SEK counties for projects in the focus areas of Arts & Culture, Basic Human Needs, and Youth Activities. Since 2001, the CFSEK General Funds grant cycle has awarded over $2,100,000 in competitive grants across SEK!

“Our General Funds grant cycle is always a highlight for us because it allows us to support all of Southeast Kansas,” said Devin Gorman, CFSEK Executive Director. “Our review committee has the opportunity to evaluate proposals from so many different communities, each with their own unique needs. We are proud to support these wonderful organizations that work hard to improve our region.”

This year’s recipients are:

Arts & Culture

Altamont Flag Day INC- Bringing Art and Culture to Altamont Flag Day 2026
Cato Historical Preservation Association, Inc.- Cato Celebration for Kids (Cato Kids Day)
First Baptist Church Riverton- BE THE ART
Josiah Fletcher Foundation- Josiah Fletcher Jazz Camp Theme
Northeast Unified School District #246- Less Stress Through Crafting
Oswego Historical Society- Historic Arts Workshop Series for Youth
Safe Families for Children- Support Through Reading

Basic Human Needs

Building Health, Inc.- Unlocking Home
Caney Valley Agape Network, Inc.- Family Crisis Intervention
Care Cupboard Hygiene Pantry- Hygiene for Hope
Catholic Charities Inc.- Housing and Homeless Services
Catholic Diocese of Wichita – The Lord’s Diner-Pittsburg- Healthy Bodies, Healthy Living
Cherokee County Health Department- Good Night, Sleep Tight, Protecting Babies, With All of Our Might
CLASS LTD- Client Emergency Assistance Fund
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas- SEK Diaper Stock
Cornerstones of Care- Stopping the Spiral
Crosstimbers Food Pantry Association- Cooking on a Budget with Shelf Stable Foods
DBLO Association- No Longer Sleeping on the Floor for SEK Children
Dream Center of the 4 States- Help and Hope Community Meal Project
Family Resource Center, Inc.- Detection and Prevention of Bed Bugs in Cherokee and Crawford Counties
First Baptist Church Riverton- Share with Love Food Pantry
First United Methodist Church Wesley House- One Monty Supply for Food Pantry
Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries- Restore
Foster Adopt Connect, Inc.- Family Stabilization Assistance
Habitat for Humanity of Crawford County KS, Inc- Handicap Accessible Ramps for Two Crawford County Families
Homer Cole Community Center Inc- Height Matters…
Hospital District 1 Crawford County Foundation- Pressure Check: Expanding Access to Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
Integrated Behavioral Technologies, Inc- Acquisition of Needed Assessments and Program Materials for SEK Autism Program
Labette County Emergency Assistance Center- Emergency funds for Labette County Residents
Mosaic- Making Healthy Lives Happen for People with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities in SE KS
Outside the Wire Veterans Foundation- Unit Reunification and Mental Health Wellness retreat
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States- Meeting Basic Human Needs for Families with Hospitalized Children
Safehouse Crisis Center, Inc- Soles for Survivors
SE Kansas Women Helping Women- Basic Needs
Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging- 60+ Nutrition Kitchen Upgrades
Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center- Assertive Community Treatment
Southwind Extension Education Foundation Inc- Libraries with Heart: Empowering Rural Communities to Take Charge of their heart Health
Stay Strong Live Long Wilson County- Free Community Baby Shower

Youth Activities

Arma Rec- Arma Rec Free Signup for Basketball and 2 New Goals
Caney Valley Agape Network, Inc.- At-Risk Youth Support
Care to Share Cancer Support Group of Bourbon County, Kansas, Inc.- FortFest 25
Chanute Public Library- Literacy4Littles
City of Mulberry- New Playground Equipment for Park
City of Pittsburg – Memorial Auditorium- 2025/2026 School Outreach Series
City of West Mineral, Kansas- A Gathering Place for All
Compass Academy Network, Inc.- Pitsco Modules at Compass Academy Network in SEK, 2026
Curious Minds Discovery Zone, Inc.- Exploration Through Energy Release
Families and Children Together Inc.- Autism Safe and Play
Fostering Connections- Teen Impact Events
Frontenac USD 249- Next Gen Assembly at Frontenac USD 250
Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland- First Aid and Safety Fair
Inspire Health Foundation, Inc.- Inspire Health Careers
Kids First Daycare- New Playground Equipment
Learning Tree Institute at Greenbush- Interactive Video Wall
Miners Hall Museum Foundation- Franklin Community Park Playground Improvements
Oswego Historical Society- Voices of Oswego: Youth Oral History Recording and Digital Access Project
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish/St. Mary’s Colgan Catholic Schools- Playground Fun
Ozark Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America- Ozark Trails Council Recruitment Activity Materials
Pittsburg Kiwanis Club (Noon)- Kiwanis Park Improvements
Reach One Teach One Foundation- Youth QPR Suicide Prevention Training
SEK Running Camp- The Running Camp
SparkWheel- Sparking Success for Students in Uniontown
Special Olympics Kansas- Unified Games in Southeast Kansas
Spring River Mental Health and Wellness- Pathfinders 2025-2026
The Foster Closet, Inc.- Family Enrichment Events
The Salvation Army- Gifting Indoor & Outdoor Play Items
USD 257- Writing Our Way Out: Publishing Youth Perspectives in Allen County
Victory Life Church- Back2School Event 2025

CFSEK also granted $5,000 for youth activities to each of its affiliate foundations in Columbus, Fort Scott, and Girard.

CFSEK would like to congratulate this year’s recipients and thank them for their work in Southeast Kansas every day, making this a great place to call home.

Government, Kansas, Youth

KS Modernizes Child Welfare System

July 22, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

DCF Announces Contracts Awarded to Modernize State’s Child Welfare System

New System Will Help Agency Work More Efficiently, Effectively

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announced on July 22, 2025, three contracts have been awarded for the department’s new Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS). The CCWIS project will modernize DCF’s child welfare information systems and develop interfaces between the various agencies serving DCF’s Prevention and Protection Services (PPS) and Adult Protective Services (APS) programs.

Many states are pursuing CCWIS projects. Kansas’ CCWIS project will consolidate the functions of the agency’s multiple legacy information systems – most of which are based on 20th century technology – into a single, integrated solution that is flexible and collaborative, streamlining work processes and services for employees, partnering agencies, and clients.

The three new contracts joining the DCF project team include: Design, development, and implementation (DDI); independent verification and validation (IV&V); and quality assurance (QA). The three selected vendors will work with the DCF CCWIS project team to develop and implement the new system.

Design, Development, and Implementation Contract
The DDI contract is the largest contract for the project. This contractor will work alongside DCF staff to develop and roll out the new system. Eleven bids were received for the DDI RFP. RedMane Technology LLC, a Chicago-based software solutions and systems integration company, was selected during the competitive bid process and has been awarded a $44 million contract to design, develop, and implement the department’s CCWIS.

Since 2000, RedMane has created software solutions to help health and human services organizations implement, modernize, and optimize systems for child welfare, child support, and critical case management.

Independent Verification and Validation Contract
Maximus US Services, Inc. has been selected as the IV&V vendor. Maximus brings 23 years of experience, providing IV&V and real-time objective assessment services to the CCWIS project as well as independent oversight of the DDI contractor’s project performance and adherence to schedules and scope of work. The contract award amount is $2,192,200.

Quality Assurance Contract
CSG Government Solutions, headquartered in Chicago, has been selected as the Quality Assurance (QA) vendor for DCF’s CCWIS project. The CSG team offers 25 years of experience delivering quality assurance services for complex health and human services agencies across the country, including multiple active CCWIS projects.

Under the awarded contract valued at $4,745,760, CSG will provide quality analysis of the project’s output, validate system functionality, and ensure Kansas receives the system as contracted.

“A modern and adaptable information technology infrastructure system will help our employees and partners seamlessly work together to better serve Kansans,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “We’re happy to be working with RedMane, Maximus, and CSG to bring the information technology side of Kansas’ child welfare system into the 21st century.”

Benefits of a CCWIS
The new CCWIS will replace multiple older systems, eliminating redundancy and standardizing practice and service delivery statewide. The CCWIS solution will better support key child welfare functions such as management of client files, intake functions, ongoing case management, visitation report entries, court record production, comprehensive reporting, and decision support processing.

Other key benefits may include:

Improved interfaces with Title IV-A (TANF), Title IV-D (Child Support Enforcement), Title XIX (Medicaid), and the State’s financial and administrative systems;
Better data sharing with key community partners, including courts, schools, law enforcement, and other state agencies;
Data accuracy and timeliness.

Once implemented, the CCWIS solution will be fully compliant with the CCWIS Final Rule and subsequent communications by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

“This project aligns with our mission to protect children and promote healthy families by transforming our dated child welfare information technology systems into a modern, adaptable ecosystem that will provide the right services and supports needed to help support the well-being of Kansas children and families,” Howard said.

Process and Funding
DCF has spent the past few years planning for the new CCWIS. The project is expected to cost a total of $100 million over the estimated four-year development period. Approximately 50% of the total cost will come from the State General Fund and 50% from Federal IV-E funds.

During the 2024 Legislative session, Governor Laura Kelly requested, and the Kansas Legislature approved, an enhancement request for an additional $17 million per year for four years starting in FY2025. This $68 million of additional funding, along with $32 million from the base budget, will provide $100 million over the next four years to finish the development. The total cost includes contracts for DDI, QA, and IV&V vendors as well as costs for internal salaries, staffing contractors, travel, training, and other required contracts.

Timeline
Project initiation is anticipated to begin immediately now that all contracted partners have been approved by ACF and the State of Kansas. The DDI contract, the centerpiece of the project, is for four base years and includes three optional 36-month renewals.

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Fort Scott, Sports, Youth

Fort Scott Mud Turtles 16U Softball Team Wins World Championship in KC

July 21, 2025 Loretta George Leave a comment

Front row left to right: Jace Cowan, Abbie Gorman, Rylee Loercher, Lexie Forester, Bristol Marsh, Raylee Cowan. Back row left to right: Kylee Hampton, Kinley Clements, Ella Regan, Aubrey Yarick, and Elsa Bishop.

“The Fort Scott 16b Mud Turtles have finished their summer season,” said Chrystal Cowan, coach. “One of the many highlights of the season was the KC Metro World Series Championship, in which the crew battled through rain, lightning, and extreme heat. The team has fought adversity this summer, but has managed to put it all together and continue to fight for each other. Southeast Kansas is loaded with softball talent, and continues to dish out incredibly skilled kids!”

The girls are coached by Cowan, Zack Marsh, and Eric Loercher.

“The 16U Mud Turtles participated in a softball tournament on the weekend of July 11-13^th,”. The team competed against 24 other regional teams and went undefeated to win the tournament. The girls on the team have been playing together for almost eight years and display remarkable sportsmanship and teamwork,” said Marnie Zimmerman, an aunt to Lexie Forester, a member of the team.

This group of young athletes is a 16-year-old and under traveling softball team from Fort Scott.

Bourbon County, K-State Extension, Youth

k-State Parent Empowerment Circle Is This Sunday July 27

July 21, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Youth

July 27 Is the Parent Empowerment Circle

July 17, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Bourbon County, Fair, Youth

Uniontown FFA Cornhole Tourney at the Fair on July 17

July 16, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Bourbon County, Entertainment, Fair, Food, Youth

Today at the Bourbon County Fair

July 15, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Today, July 15, at the Bourbon County Fair:
The Uniontown 4H Club will be selling items at the Chuckwagon in the Cloverleaf Event Center starting at this morning.

This is a fundraiser for their club this year.

The Rabbit Judging will begin at 8 am in the Rabbit/Poultry Barn followed by Poultry Judging at 10 am.

The Myers Building is closed until 12 pm for Open Class Judging.

At 12 pm the FCE (Food and Community Education) will be auctioning the Open Class Food entries to raise funds for the scholarships they provide to area students.

The Sheep Show will begin at 5 pm followed by the Meat Goat Show at approximately 6:15 pm.

The Merchant’s Building is Businesses only this year and opens at 5 pm.

Vendors include:
Miller’s Feed and Farm
Sally Kraft
T-Mobile
Flying P
Pretty Notations
Baked by Dylan
Mary Kay – Lauren Wagner
Twig and Berries Cotton Candy
Fizz Factory – Non-alcoholic Dirt Sprites
Uppa Creek Honey
2 Ashley’s Just Crafting Around
Riggs Chiropractic
Leaf Guard
Champion Bath
Kitty’s Kreations
Kaitlyn’ Comely Creations
Seams Sew Nice

Remember to get your Chicken Annie’s ticket by Tuesday, July 15th from the Fort Scott FFA Officers or Aikins Insurance, to support the Fort Scott FFA. Then stay and play some Cornhole supporting the Uniontown FFA.

Fort Scott, Schools, Sports, Youth

FSHS Senior Ali Simhiser Is Competing At The Junior National Wrestling Championship

July 11, 2025 Loretta George 1 Comment

Ali Simhiser, who will be a senior at Fort Scott High School this fall, is the only female Fort Scott wrestler to be invited to the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior National Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Championship, held July 10-19 in Fargo, ND.

The event is at the Fargo Dome and men’s wrestling Freestyle and Greco-Roman athletes will also compete.

“It’s the largest in the world and a pretty big deal to be invited,” said her Aunt Stephannie Erie, who submitted the information. “She is the first female from First Scott to attend. She is also ranked 2nd in her weight class of 190lbs in the state for 4A.”

“She is a two-time state qualifier, placing 3rd at state, winning a Southeast Kansas League Championship, and reaching a huge milestone—100 career wins and pins as a junior.”

Ali Simhiser, top position, wrestles with a competitor. Submitted photo. — Ali is pictured in a contest with another wrestler. Submitted photo.

This Kansas Female Wrestling Team is representing the state in different divisions at 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior National Championship in Fargo, N.D.. This photo was posted on the Columbus High School Wrestling Team Facebook page and was submitted.

Alvin Metcalf is the head wrestling coach at Fort Scott High School.

Area News, Kansas, Youth

Learn How Recent Federal Bill Will Affect Families

July 9, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Submitted by

Jessica Herrera Russell

Senior Communications Manager for Kansas Action For Children

Now that the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” has been passed and signed into law, advocacy groups like Kansas Action for Children are diving deeper into the provisions to understand exactly how everyday Kansans will be impacted. Join the KAC experts on Tuesday, July 15, at 11:30 a.m. (CT) to learn what the bill means for kids and families. After the briefing, KAC policy advisors will be available for questions.

REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uTupmf1VQROKaVvHCR29kw

Featuring:

Emily Barnes, Education Policy Advisor, KAC
Heather Braum, Senior Policy Advisor, KAC
Dustin Hare, Economic Security Policy Advisor, KAC
Nathan Kessler, Fiscal Policy Manager, KAC

During the call, we’ll cover what happened with Medicaid, SNAP, taxes, education, and more, including:

How SNAP is in danger of ending in Kansas – if state lawmakers don’t choose to pay the required cost share
Changes to child care tax credits
Implications for the health care system
Kansas kids losing access to the federal child tax credit

Bourbon County, K-State Extension, Youth

Parent Empowerment Circle Sunday, JUNE 22, 2025

June 20, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

Parent Empowerment Circle

Sunday, JUNE 22, 2025

Agenda

1:30 PM – Sign the attendance sheet and get name tag

1:30-1:45 PM – Meet and Greet Time with other attendees

1:45 PM – Round table introductions: Please briefly introduce yourself, why you are attending today and what you hope to gain from coming to this meeting. Please share a recent “WIN” that you are positive about.

2:00 PM – RESOURCE GUIDE – Review Handouts of resources and discuss, take notes, updates, corrections

3:00 PM to 3:15 PM –

July Meeting: “Dealing with Discouragement”, guest speaker – Candy Turner

August Meeting: meet up at splash pad for a fun day?

September Meeting: “IEP’s and 504’s”, guest speaker – Tonya Barnes

October meeting: TBA

Incident at National Speech and Debate Conference Explained by Destry Brown

June 19, 2025 Submitted Story Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

6/19/2025

Nine students and three coaches from Fort Scott High School attended the National Speech and Debate Conference this week in Des Moines, IA.

During the finals round of one of the competitions and unknown person walked onto the stage and interrupted the speech. They evacuated the auditorium thinking he was an active shooter. Later the National Speech and Debate Conference posted the following announcement:

This afternoon, an unidentified attendee entered the stage during the Humorous Interpretation Finals, interrupting the round. The individual has been subdued and removed from the premises. There were no weapons involved, and no threats were made. The hall was evacuated and there are no reported injuries. The rest of the venue has been swept for any potential threats by members of law enforcement. We understand the concerns people have, and we want to assure everyone that this is an isolated incident. We plan to resume the tournament later today and will aim to update attendees on the revised schedule by 4 PM CT.

The reunification area for all participants is the North parking lot, outside the Memorial Hall entrance.

All our students and coaches are safe and accounted for. The district administrators along with the sponsors on the trip have made the decision to bring everyone home this evening. Upon their arrival home, in addition to their families, our high school counselors and other support staff will be there to meet them at the school. We want to make sure our students, sponsors, and parents are given any support they may need in the coming days as a result of this very scary situation.

Mr. Slinkard, our debate and forensics coach, reported that our kids reacted very calmly and maturely during the evacuation and were helping each other as well as other kids from around the country get to safety. He is very proud of the way our kids and coaches conducted themselves during this situation.

We are very thankful that everyone is safe and on their way back home.

Submitted by Destry Brown, Superintendent of USD234

Fort Scott, Youth