In today’s hearing of BB-2024-CV-000075, Jennifer Hill was allowed to withdraw from her role on the case defending the Bourbon County Commission which consists of Beerbower, Kruger, and Wisenhunt.
Patrick Hughes representing the Plaintiffs (which include all three county commissioners) objected to the reason for her withdrawal stating that there is no conflict of interest according to rule 1.7. He stated there were no objections to her withdrawing other than an objection to the reasoning that there was a conflict of interest.
Judge Richard Fisher asked if there were any objections to the withdrawal and none one objected so he allowed her to withdraw without making any mention of whether their was a conflict or not.
Seth Curtis Wright, defense for Tennyson Creek Solar I & II, pointed out that any conflict in Jennifer Hill representing the Beerbower, Kruger, & Wisenhunt as commissioners would also apply to Mr. Hughes representing all three of them as individuals. Further, he pointed out, that anyone replacing Jennifer Hill will have the same conflict of interest since all three of the commissioners are defendants in a suit filed with the three of them as plaintiffs.
He said he wasn’t presenting that today but would file a motion. Hill said that the county commissioners were working to secure the services of a lawyer, but there were some things that needed to resolve before it could be done. It wasn’t clear what lawyer was being referenced.
The case will be revisited once the conflict of interest motions are filed and the county commissioners obtain someone to represent them in their capacity as commissioners.
There will be a hearing on February 24th at 3 pm in the District Court of Bourbon County in regards to the lawsuit BB-2024-CV-000075. The plaintiffs in the case are David Beerbower, Leroy Kruger, Brandon Whisenhunt, Boa Casper, Katie Casper, Timothy Emerson, Samuel Tran, Karen Tran, and Michael Wunderly. The defense consists of the Board of County Commissioners (made up of Beerbower, Kruger, & Whisenhunt), Hinton Creek Solar LLC, Kingbird Solar Energy LLC, Tennyson Creek Solar LLC, and Tennyson Creek Solar II LLC.
Previously, the solar companies filed a motion to dismiss the case, saying that while they recognize plaintiffs may not like their agreements with the landowners and county, the plaintiffs haven’t shown any actual legal injury that would entitle them to relief.
The attorney representing Beerbower, Kruger, Whisenhunt in their capacity as commissioners has filed to withdraw from the case based on the conflict of every member of the commission being both plaintiffs and defendants. The commissioners (in their capacity as individuals) and other plaintiffs, on the other hand, responded, saying that there was no conflict, but wouldn’t contest her withdrawal if she stated that the cause was the insurance company refusing to pay for the defense.
Lynn County News is reporting that USD 346 was informed that the board of Southeastern Technical Academy for Rural Students has voted to seek separation from Fort Scott Community College for the upcoming school year. They plan to ask the Kansas Board of Regents to provide mediation in the efforts to separate from FSCC.
FortScott.biz reached out to the STARS, but the employees had been instructed not to communicate with the paper.
According to the FSCC website and USD346’s website, South Eastern Technical Academy for Rural Students offers high school students dual credit college-level courses through FSCC in the following programs from the location in Pleasanton:
Certified Nurse Aide
Emergency Medical Technician
Criminal Justice
Construction Trades
Welding
Heavy Equipment
HVAC
STARS 2024 Graduates in front of 1701 Laurel St. Pleasanton, KS. Photo from FSCC promotional literature. Photo credit Kristie Kern
The program was announced in 2021 and began in the fall semester of 2022 with programs offered through the Kansas Board of Regents for Excel in CTE funding, which meant students could complete technical college courses without being charged tuition and most fees.
This Sunday, Feb. 23, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., parents of children with special needs will have an opportunity to connect with others who understand the challenges and joys of this responsibility.
“You’re not alone. We’re here to inspire, educate, and connect you with others who understand your unique challenges and joys,” according to Cherri Walrod, who is a Community Health Worker with K-State Research and Extension Southwind District.
The Parent Empowerment Circle event will be at First Southern Baptist Church Family Life Center at 1818 S. Main this Sunday.
There will be refreshments and parents are welcome to bring their children.
A head count is needed, so please contact Walrod at 620-945-9081 or cwalrod@ksu.edu
Cherri Walrod. From her Facebook page.
Background of the group
“In December of 2023, I was giving a presentation for a local church,” Walrod said. “During my presentation, I mentioned that I am the mom of special needs children. I talked briefly about the special kind of loneliness and isolation that many parents of special needs children experience. After the presentation, Becky Lee (also a mom of a special needs child) asked if I would be willing to meet with her to discuss ways to begin a group to help connect, inspire and educate parents of special needs children.”
“The Parent Empowerment Circle is the result of working with many community members and partners over the last year to launch this important resource for local parents,” Walrod said.
Walrod joined the K-STATE Southwind District in August of 2024 as the Community Health Worker.
Community Health Work aims to address the social determinants of health, some of which include isolation and loneliness. The Parent Empowerment Circle fits well within the scope and mission of the CHW by helping to reduce the isolation and loneliness the parents of children with behavioral or physical differences sometimes experience.
“Parents of children with behavioral and physical differences are invited to become part of the Parent Empowerment Circle in Fort Scott for inspiration, education, connection, and empowerment, according to a press release from Walrod.
Why Join?
Inspiration: Find motivation in shared stories, successes, and resilience within our community. Let’s turn obstacles into opportunities together.
Education: Gain access to expert-led workshops, resources, and the latest information tailored to support your child’s needs. Knowledge is power, and we’re here to empower you.
Connection: Build a network of support. Meet parents who share your experiences, exchange advice, and form lasting friendships. From navigating the educational system to understanding therapy options, we’re a collective of shared wisdom.
Empowerment: Move from merely surviving to truly thriving. Our circle is designed to elevate your parenting journey, providing you with the tools and encouragement to embrace every moment.
What Is Offered:
Monthly Meetups: Engage in discussions, learn from guest speakers, and find solace in community. At this time, monthly meetups are scheduled for the fourth Sunday of the month, at the First Southern Baptist Church, Family Life Center at 1818 S. Main Street, Fort Scott. Meeting time is from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Children are welcome to attend with parents. Refreshments will be served.
Special Workshops: Topics range from advocacy strategies, understanding IEPs, to self-care for parents. Once we have additional feedback from parents, we will work to schedule programs the parents feel will help them the best.
Join – Because Together, We Thrive
Whether you’re facing questions about education plans, therapies, or daily life, our group is here to provide the answers and support you need. No judgment, just understanding and empowerment.
Let’s inspire each other. Let’s educate ourselves. Let’s connect hearts and minds.”
The CHW project has received funding and support from K-State 105, Kansas State University’s economic growth and advancement initiative for all 105 counties in Kansas. Learn more at k-state.edu/105.
I am pleased to announce that I have filed as a Republican candidate to run for the open District 4 County Commission seat. Bourbon County is well-positioned to thrive well into the future provided we come together and elect competent and compassionate leaders who will help bring out the best in us. My top priorities are:
Helping to rebuild trust inside and outside of county government
Lower mill levy and fees to improve property values and quality of life
Detailed review of department budgets to improve efficiency and save money
Improve human resource routines to improve performance and fairness
Reduce risk by improving the use of legal representation
My qualifications include a B.A. in Business Administration, Accounting and Economics along with a graduate degree in Bank Management. I recently retire from a 45-year career in banking, business and non-profit work, having been president of three banks. I have worked for the largest bank in the state and some of the smallest. My expertise was developed in real estate, business and real estate law, small business, agriculture and public finance. I have banked cities and counties all across eastern Kansas, including Bourbon County, the City of Fort Scott, USD 234 and Fort Scott Community College.
My hometown is Barry, IL, population 1,300, and I graduated from Lee’s Summit High School in Lee’s Summit, MO. I got my undergraduates degree from a private Christian college located in a small town of about 5,200 people and attended the University of Virginia for my graduate degree. After a 25-year career in the Kansas City area, my wife, Kim and I returned to our small-town roots when I took a banking job in Southeast Kansas in 2010. We moved to Bourbon County in 2015. I retired in 2024.
My political experience includes precinct committeeman, Vice-Chairman of the Johnson County (Kansas) Republican Party and Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of the State of Kansas. I retired from my political activity in 1998 when I lost my first wife to cancer and became a single father to five.
Restoring trust takes time and must be won every day by the way we treat people. My focus will be listening to, and caring about constituents, other elected officials, employees of the county and other governing bodies across the county. There is much to do and I am anxious to get started.
The north wing, east side of the Bourbon County Courthouse.
The commissioners spent a good portion of this week’s meeting discussing the technicalities of the sale of tax-foreclosed properties.
The county currently has properties going back to 2020 that would be eligible for a tax sale. The commissioners spoke with attorney Christopher McElgunn with Klenda Austerman, attorney’s at law.
McElgunn explained the service his firm offers to counties with properties that are in tax foreclosure. They will handle the entire process “from soup to nuts,” he said. His firm will contact the property owners whose taxes haven’t been paid and notify them of the county’s intent to sell them, should the back taxes and fees not be paid.
He said their primary goal is to get people to come in and pay their taxes before foreclosure. He gave information on several issues to the commission, including that only owners and mortgage holders have the right to try to have a tax sale of their property set aside by the court. In order to do that, the owner must be able to show they weren’t serviced properly with notice of unpaid taxes.
McElgunn also said that in tax foreclosure the county doesn’t give any warranties. The property deed comes from the court. For that reason, anybody who buys property at a tax foreclosure sale takes it with notice of all defects and it becomes the buyer’s issue.
McElgunn also said that he has been doing this job for 30 years, and in the last 15 years, he’s had 3 set aside motions filed and his firm won all three of those.
In discussing the county’s liability regarding these property sales, he said that the county has no obligations coming out of that tax sale after that property is sold, as a matter of law. If somebody comes in and says they weren’t served with process and they are able to get the sale set aside, the bidder gets his bid back, but the owner must pay all the back taxes and costs at that time.
McElgunn said that his service starts the lawsuit, making an initial filing for all the parcels that are eligible for foreclosure that year. They collect tax roll information and serve those people first to give them time to pay their back taxes, fees and costs on the property. In the meantime they get the title work from the title company, and add all the parties that the title work reveals to the lawsuit, serving them notice. Next, they make a showing to the court that they’ve made a reasonable attempt to locate them. That’s enough to withstand any type of challenge after the sale.
Commissioner Brandon Whisenhunt said, “We’re several years behind on having our tax foreclosure services even caught up, I believe. So we are looking for a way to start having these auctions and getting these back taxes.”
The county has approximately 180 tax foreclosure properties going back to 2020 and before.
McEgunn said his firm charges a per parcel flat fee of $300-350 per parcel which is added to the amount the owner must pay to redeem the parcel. These services create an incentive for the owners to come in and pay all the taxes and interests, attorney fee, title company fee, and court fee.
Once properties are sold, the proceeds go into paying remaining costs. If there’s not enough to pay the attorney’s, the attorney fees are reduced to whatever is left to pay, passing the cost of the foreclosure action to the property owner, rather than the county.
He said that properties which don’t sell can be brought back up at a later date. They stay pending if they don’t sell at the sale, but they can be rolled into the next year’s sale. Alternatively, the county can also sell it as a private sale.
McElgunn agreed to come to a Fort Scott Land Bank meeting, followed by the county commissioner meeting on Feb. 24 to answer any further questions.
The commission tabled the issue until that in-person meeting, Feb. 24
Hospital Equipment Disposal
Commissioner Leroy Kruger brought a list of 10-12 items from Freeman, but there’s more that’s been collected from throughout the hospital. Upon speaking with the county attorney, Kruger suggested holding an auction to sell what can be sold before donating the rest of the unwanted items to a non-profit.
Kruger said the items range from hospital equipment to desks, chairs and fixtures. Some of the equipment is outdated and obsolete.
The commission voted to have Kruger continue working on equipment disposal by finding an auctioneer and date to hold the auction.
Public Comments
Clint Walker on Flags and Dispatch
Walker told the commissioners that the American flag, Kansas State flag, and POW/MIA flag are the only three that should be on a county building. They should have a light on them at night and in rainy weather and not be flown when they get ragged.
Regarding dispatch, he asked if the city [Fort Scott] pays for it’s prisoners when held in a county jail. He advised the commission to make sure it’s equal both ways for county use of city resources and city use of county resources.
Michael Hoyt on Elections.
When spending time in Topeka for county government day, he had conversations about holding a special election for the two new commissioners. “I don’t think anyone within the state would give a legal opinion to just anybody as to how to proceed,” he said. The Secretary of State is in charge of state and federal elections and local elections are left to local officials. The county elections officer is in charge of conducting them, but not in charge of making policies or procedures.
He urged the commissioners to move quickly, as the new districts leave large sections of the county unrepresented, based on the new maps. We should move ahead so that at the latest we could have the new ones seated by Jan. 1. 2026, he said.
Kruger asked, “If there is a chance of wrong doing or legality, in your words explain to me the rush to doing it right now as opposed to doing it in the regular cycle.”
Hoyt replied, “My only concern is mixing the partisan with non-partisan.” And went on to ask who would sue the county regarding the legality of a special election.
Kruger said the commission is accountable at the state level.
Beerbower said the reason he is opposed to a special election is that the parties pick people to run for the open commission seats, versus people picking people to fill the empty seats in a primary and then general election cycle.
“I think it would be beneficial to having the people pick these people, rather than a party,” said Kruger.
Hoyt and Beerbower agreed.
Budget Meeting Decisions
Susan Walker, County Clerk, asked the commission how they would like to handle the budget process, commenting that meeting usually being in March.
Whisenhunt said he would like to start earlier and have more time to work on it, saying the commission should notify departments to get their budgets together and then start work sessions with each department head.
Kruger voiced the idea of face to face work session immediately after budgets are submitted to get the discussions off on the right foot.
Beerbower wants to have a commission work session first to decide what the commission wants the department heads to bring to the meetings.
Kruger said he is in favor of detailed reports for each budget.
Walker asked if they wanted a work session to better understand fund accounting. Kruger replied, “Anything that teaches us what we need to know for this job is what we need to do.”
The commission scheduled a work session March 12 at 2 p.m. open to the public.
Other business
No County Commission meeting will be held Feb. 17 for the holiday of President’s Day.
Whisenhunt talked with the commission about their upcoming work session scheduled for Feb. 19, saying that in light of winter weather, it may be cancelled. “I don’t want to put nobody in danger, trying to get here.”
He also asked the commission to look at the situation of Unique Road and 95th Street, which requires a decision. Unique Roa was closed, per county maps, in 1954. It goes 1000 feet past 95th St. beyond that is a house and the owner wants the road re-opened. That is a cost the county would incur, unless the commission chooses to use the state law that allows for telling the homeowner that he can build the road up to county standards first and the county will maintain it afterward. Whisenhunt asked commission to make a decision soon.
He also said that the commission is now “past our 2 and 3 hour long meetings,” and proposed changing the meeting format to a short business meeting every other week, followed by a work session, and hold full-length meetings in between.
Every Tues. at 7:45, Whisenhunt is on the radio. He asked the commission who could step in for him if he can’t make it. Both offered to cover for him.
Commissioner comments
Kruger mentioned their joint meeting the other night. It went well. “But what I appreciated more than anything was that everybody in the audience were our county people that come to these meetings…I want to applaud you guys for being there.”
Beerbower clarified that the work being done at entrance to hospital is not on county property. Wood is being cut for the use of the wood. It is going to be cleared by Legacy.
Calvin “Joe” Barr creates pallet art from old pallets at his home at 1225 245th Street.
Joe and his wife Rita decorate their home for each season, including an American Flag, a large pumpkin, a snowman, and for St. Patrick’s Day.
He sent this one with a note to fortscott.biz.
Joe and Rita Barr’s home in Fort Scott with his Valentine to his wife. Submitted photo.
“At the end of this month, I will move the Valentine one and take it to the storage shed until next year and put up Saint Patrick’s for the month. I just finished the Saint Pats one this week. I made the Valentine in the last week of January, mainly for my bride of 60 years come this May 29th if the good Lord is willing,” Barr said.
Calvin “Joe” and Rita Barr from his Facebook page.
BB-2024-CV-000075 is an ongoing lawsuit by all three members of the Board of Bourbon County Commissioners against the Board of Bourbon County Commissioners. The Commissioners are joined on the plaintiff side by six citizens and on the defendant side by four solar companies.
Jennifer Hill, the lawyer representing the Bourbon County Commissioners on the Defendant side of the lawsuit, filed a motion to withdraw as counsel because “the fact that since the filing of this lawsuit, the Board of County Commissioners of Bourbon County, Kansas is now made up of three individuals who are all also named Plaintiffs in the litigation. Plaintiffs Whisenhunt, Beerbower, and Kruger are the three elected board members of the County commission. Such continued representation violates KRPC 1.7.”
She went on to say that if the County Commission cannot retain counsel, they would need to appear at any future hearings personally. KRPC 1.7 deals with situations where a lawyer discovers that representing a client creates a conflict of interest. For example, any conversation Ms. Hill had with her clients of the County Commission as defendants of the lawsuit would necessarily be shared with three of the people who filed the lawsuit against the County Commission.
Rule 1.7 does allow a lawyer to continue to represent a client even when there is a conflict of interest, but only if:
“the representation does not involve the assertion of a claim by one client against another client represented by the lawyer in the same litigation or other proceeding before a tribunal;”
This conflict of interest would appear to apply to any counsel that the County Commission retained. If that is the case, then the County Commission may be forced to represent itself.
Patrick Hughes of Adams Jones Law Firm in Wichita is representing the Plaintiffs. If Rule 1.7 required Jennifer Hill to withdraw as counsel due to a conflict of interest, it would seem there would be a conflict by the counsel representing the Plaintiffs as well.
On 2/5/2025, three solar companies filed briefs supporting their motion to dismiss. They claim that the plaintiffs appear to be trying to make changes to their petition without following the correct procedures, failing to address the Defendants’ arguments, and having no standing to file the lawsuit in the first place.
The Responses to the Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss only serve to reinforce the notion that the sole basis of Plaintiffs’ claim is that they do not like the Agreements but do not have any actual, legal injury that entitles them to relief. Accordingly, dismissal is required.
The new Care to Share space at 9 East Wall on Jan. 31 from its Facebook page.
Care to Share, a local helping organization, is having a ribbon cutting at their new location, which also houses a gift shop.
The organization helps cancer fighters and their families in their battle.
“We try to provide help in many ways and each case is different based on the needs of that specific individual and their family,” said Teresa Davenport, president of Care to Share. “We will clean, mow, drive, provide meals, etc. One of our biggest expenses is gas vouchers so people can get to treatment. We also provide hotel rooms and meals if overnight stays are needed. We have supplemental drinks available at the office too. When asked what Care to Share does or what we can provide, our answer is’ What do you specifically need?’ and our team of volunteers do everything we can to meet those needs.”
Teresa Davenport, president of Care to Share, and Cory Bryars, vice president.
“The space and gift shop are very exciting for us,” she said.
The ribbon cutting will be on Feb. 27th at 8 a.m. at the new office at 9 E. Wall.
The new gift shop offers shirts, sweatshirts, hats, earrings, slippers, dog beds, fishing lures, kooies, wristbands, keychains, throws, and other items for sale.
“Several people (vendors) have put their items in our gift shop as well and we get 20% of sales on those items, with some vendors giving us 100% of their sales. What a blessing that is!”
“If people would like to be a vendor, they can contact me to discuss,” she said.
The gift shop is owned by Care to Share.
The organization continues to offer, wigs, jewelry, hats, slippers, throws, and several other items, free, to those fighting cancer.
The shop is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. “with hopes to expand our hours of operation with the help of people wanting to volunteer a few hours a month to include Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
The window of the new Care to Share downtown business space at 9 East Wall on Jan. 31 from its Facebook page.
“All sales from our gift shop will go to help our local cancer survivors in our catchment area, which is Linn, Bourbon, and Crawford Counties.”
Their mission statement is “Care to Share provides friendship and support through emotional and financial assistance to cancer fighters and their caregivers because we…… Care to Share.”
“We were organized in June of 2007 and started raising funds in March of 2009. We have no paid staff, a wonderful volunteer base, and a board of directors. We provide thousands of volunteer hours and hundreds of rides and meals every year. WE COULD NOT DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES!”
Lavetta Simmons, Teresa Davenport, and Joy O’Neal, the founders of Care to Share. Submitted photo.
We now have intake coordinators for each county. Leah Lewis and Debbie West for Bourbon. Richard Long for Linn and Greg Scott for Crawford. We also have a meal coordinator, Whendi Martin, a cleaning Coordinator, Karis Poyner, a Transportation Coordinator, Dadle Cathey, and our prayer chain and grants coordinator, Kathy Clark. We have other coordinator positions open as well if someone is interested in giving up their time. We are looking for a media person and people to pick one of our events as a year to be the coordinator for that one event one time a year. Being spread out in three counties, it would help us grow to find volunteers to head these events. We are also looking to grow our events in Linn and Crawford Counties, so if anyone has any ideas for a fundraiser, they are welcome to give us a call!!!!! We can be reached at 620.644.9090 or they may call me directly at 620.238.0902.
Upcoming Events
“Our next big event is the Pre-Spring Fling, February, 15 at the River Room featuring The Piano Man. Tickets and information can be found on our Facebook page. Something new to our organization is The Community Concert Series that we are collaborating with the City of Fort Scott.”
A warning to parents appeared on the Fort Scott Middle School Facebook page on January 31 of a Choke Out Game or Tap-Out Challenge that has been happening at the school.
“The Choke Out Game, also known as the Tap-Out Challenge, is a dangerous activity where individuals intentionally restrict their breathing or blood flow to the brain in an attempt to achieve a brief sense of euphoria or dizziness,” said USD 234 Assistant Superintendent Terry Mayfield. “This practice can cause serious harm, including unconsciousness, brain damage, and even death.”
“It is also known as many other things, chicken, redneck, tap out, blackout, etc.,” said Beth Worthing whose Fort Scott Middle School child participated and was taken to the hospital. “We need to let every child know not to play or accept this challenge…That you win the challenge when you walk away from it.”
“The challenge has been noticed in various schools and communities, with reports indicating it has gained some attention in social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The post on the Fort Scott Middle School page serves as a warning to parents and caregivers, as this dangerous activity has surfaced among students.”
“While the challenge has been noticed primarily at the middle school level, it is important to understand that it can potentially affect students in different age groups. The influence of social media platforms, especially TikTok and Instagram, has made it easier for these kinds of trends to spread quickly among young people.”
Mayfield sent the following to help parents/caregivers in working with their children on this matter.
“Open Communication: Talk to your children about the dangers of participating in challenges like these and encourage them to speak up if they come across harmful trends.
Monitor Social Media: Keep an eye on the apps and content your children are engaging with, and consider using parental control features to limit exposure to risky content.
Educational Discussions: Discuss the potential consequences of these dangerous behaviors, and provide information about safer, healthier alternatives.
Encourage Peer Support: Empower children to look out for each other. If they see peers engaging in harmful challenges, they should know how to intervene and seek adult help if needed.”
One incident
The following is an account of a Fort Scott Middle School student’s mother, Beth Worthing.
“On January 22, I received a call from the school that Tyler had been choked by another student, but that he had agreed to it. Tyler was supposed to ‘tap out’ when he had enough,” Worthing said.
“The other student had choked out another peer prior and that student ‘tapped out’ of the challenge. Tyler said he doesn’t ‘Tap out’ so the child came over and choked him too.”
“Tyler did not ‘Tap Out’ he, in turn, blacked out. The child that choked him said he waited around 16 seconds or so when he thought he heard Tyler say something.”
“Tyler didn’t say a word, he couldn’t, he was out cold. When the child let go, Tyler landed flat on his face. He lost all consciousness, he could not recall things from before the event or after.”
“My husband picked Tyler up from school and took him to Nevada Regional Medical Center. I arrived about 30 minutes after they got to the Emergency Room. Tyler was in and out of fogginess all afternoon. He had no idea how he got from the school to NRMC, and bits and pieces of the event were coming back to him.”
“Tyler had a CT scan, and x-rays as they thought his nose may also be broken.”
“I asked Tyler if other kids were participating in this, and if it’s a challenge or something that’s going around. Tyler told me he had no clue it was a challenge.”
“I however had a hunch it was, and was a bigger thing than Tyler knew or understood.”
“I called the Superintendent as I felt God used Tyler for a greater good that day. I just had a hunch he was the wake-up call this community needed to raise awareness and hopefully end this.”
“I called (USD234 Superintendent) Destry Brown, and stated all my concerns. I could have blamed the school, or the child that choked him or went about this so many different ways, but that wouldn’t have put the right amount of urgency on this challenge.”
“I didn’t want another parent or child to go through what we did or worse, as I have a childhood friend, Jen Burns, who lost her son at age 9 about 9 or 10 years ago, so I was already aware of the dangers.”
“I told Destry Brown what I wanted to come from this was awareness to all the parents and children in every school in our community.”
“I said Tyler is your wake-up call. This happened this way for a reason. The fact that he didn’t die from being choked, or the fall that day, and that the event took place at school tells me this is a bigger deal than we think, and we need to do our part to protect the children and families.”
“He agreed but stated an investigation needed to take place first.
“The Principal at the Middle School and Mr. Brown did their part. I got a phone call about a week later and Destry Brown notified me that this was a bigger deal than they thought, and that young children were allowing older kids to choke them, and asked them to ‘tap out’ when it was too much.”
“The young kids will think it’s cool to be doing a challenge or playing a game with the older kids.”
Teri Hamilton, owner of The Hamilton’s Artisan Bakery, is putting her own business on pause and will be using her baking talents at Common Ground Coffee Co.12 E. Wall as of Monday, February 3.
Common Ground Coffee Shop.
In recent years, Hamilton’s husband has been able to help her with her home business, but because of a new job, he won’t.
“This makes it unsustainable for me physically,” Hamilton said. “The bakery business needs to grow in employees and space…and we are not ready to take that step.”
Starting on February 3 she will be at the coffee shop on Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to noon, baking for them.
“I’ll be making cookies and pastry-type things and possibly adding a few things of my own but will be keeping that baked good case full,” she said. “Taking this part-time job will keep me baking for the community.”
She started her artisan bakery three years ago, and feels the job will allow her to “see people, interact with them and see them enjoy the things I make for them.”
“I’m excited to join the Common Ground team, I look forward to serving people good food.”
Suzanne Griffin will continue her weekly dinners at the coffee shop and offer catering services.
Together they will produce some fun offerings for Super Bowl parties and Valentine’s Day.
Griffin said they will be offering appetizer trays and dip assortments for Super Bowl parties and for Valentine’s Day-chocolate dipped strawberries and Chardudery Trays for men.
“We call it Chardudery Trays because it has bacon, beef and no frilly stuff,” Griffin said.
For more information contact Common Ground Coffee Co. at 620.223.2499.
Left to right: Common Ground Coffee Co. staff working this day: Ashton Pridey Heidi Dixon Orpha Durossette Ava Witt Suzanne Griffin Jenna Graham Submitted photo.
A lawsuit was filed in November 2024 seeking to declare Bourbon County Resolution 14-24 unenforceable, which had been approved by the County Commissioners on October 31st, 2024. The resolution revoked an existing moratorium on solar energy developments and “limit the Board of County Commissioner’s exercise of police powers in the future with respect to” the solar companies.
The lawsuit was filed by David Beerbower, Leroy Kruger, Brandon Whisenhunt, Boa Casper, Katie Casper, Timothy Emerson, Samuel Tran, Karen Tran, and Michael Wunderly against The Board of County Commissioners of Bourbon County Kansas, Hinton Creek Solar LLC, Kingbird Solar Energy LLC, Tenneyson Creek Solar LLC, and Tenneyson Creek Solar II LLC.
On January 30th, Jennifer M. Hill, counsel for the Board of County Commissioners of Bourbon County, Kansas, moved to withdraw as counsel. She said three of the people who brought the lawsuit now represent the entirety of the Bourbon County Board of Commissioners, which is being sued in the lawsuit. Thus, a subset of the plaintiffs represents the entirety of one of the defendants. This, she said, violates Kansas Court rule KRPC 1.7 regarding conflict of interest.
In the most recent filing, Jennifer Hill advises the commissioners,
“You are further notified that further proceedings may be held in this matter whether or not you are represented by counsel. “If you do not retain other counsel, you should appear personally at any scheduled hearings. There are no presently scheduled hearings. However, Judge Richard Fischer, JR. will preside over hearings related to various Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss in the upcoming weeks or months.”
The original petition in the lawsuit can be found here.
