The Bourbon County Commission Agenda for October 31

Bourbon County Courthouse

210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800

Fax: 620-223-5832

 

Bourbon County, Kansas

Brandon Whisenhunt

1st District Commissioner

Jim Harris, Chairman

2nd District Commissioner

Clifton Beth

3rd District Commissioner

 

 

Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.

Fort Scott, KS 66701

 

October 31, 2024 9:00 a.m.

 

 

  1. Call Meeting to Order
  2. Flag Salute
  • Approval of Consent Agenda
    1. Approval of Minutes from 10/21/2024
  1. Mary Pemberton-Donation Agreements
  2. Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk
  3. Approval of Longevity Pay-$55,900.00
  4. Election Update
  5. Countywide Food Drive
  6. Commission Comments
  • Adjourn Meeting

 

 

Executive Session Justifications:

 

KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the

attorney-client relationship.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the

representative(s) of               the body or agency.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual     proprietorships

KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting

would jeopardize such security measures.

 

Bo Co Commission Agenda for October 31

 

 

Bourbon County Courthouse

210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800

Fax: 620-223-5832

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Kansas

Brandon Whisenhunt

1st District Commissioner

Jim Harris, Chairman

2nd District Commissioner

Clifton Beth

3rd District Commissioner

 

 

Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.

Fort Scott, KS 66701

 

October 31, 2024 9:00 a.m.

 

 

  1. Call Meeting to Order
  2. Flag Salute
  • Approval of Consent Agenda
    1. Approval of Minutes from 10/21/2024
  1. Mary Pemberton-Donation Agreements
  2. Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk
  3. Approval of Longevity Pay-$55,900.00
  4. Election Update
  5. Countywide Food Drive
  6. Commission Comments
  • Adjourn Meeting

 

 

Executive Session Justifications:

 

KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the

attorney-client relationship.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the

representative(s) of               the body or agency.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual     proprietorships

KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.

KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting

would jeopardize such security measures.

 

Character and Values Online Development Session Nov. 20

Character & Values
Online Professional Development Session

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024
4:00-5:15PM Pacific Time
All K-12 educators are invited to join this free online session! Explore the LMC Unsung Heroes as role models. Learn strategies to engage students with the stories of LMC Unsung Heroes by building historical empathy—the ability to connect with the experiences of people from different times. Historical empathy can foster greater creativity and understanding in visual art projects. This session explores hands-on activities, research-based methods for arts-integration, and K-12 curriculum connections.

All registered will receive a copy of the session recording and lesson plan. Certificate of Participation available for attendees.

Registration Required
Learning Objectives for Character & Values Session

In this session, educators will:

  1. Understand historical empathy as a tool for students to examine issues and problems from the past, placing people and events in a matrix of time and place.
  2. Create approaches for teaching students the importance of individual moral standards, and heroic traits and actions with an emphasis on the LMC Unsung Heroes.
  3. Support students in visually interpreting the stories of LMC Unsung Heroes as role models who have made a difference in the lives of others by comparing the present with the past, evaluating the consequences of events and decisions, and determining the lessons that were learned.
  4. Strengthen connections between visual art, English language arts, and social studies.

This session explores some Heroic Traits and Acts (listed below) demonstrated by the LMC Unsung Heroes: 

About Dr. Veronica Alvarez
Instructor
Born in Michoacán, Mexico, Dr. Alvarez is an educator, historian, and arts advocate. She has worked with students of all ages, teaching subjects such as Spanish, ancient Greek and Roman history, and inclusive pedagogy. She was a museum practitioner for over 20 years, working at the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art where she wrote curricula and led professional development for teachers. Dr. Alvarez has served as an education consultant for various entities including UCLA’s Fowler’s Museum, LMU’s Family of Schools, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the U.S. State Department, and the State Department of Cultural Affairs in Chiapas, Mexico. Dr. Alvarez has also developed online learning models on arts integration with the Teaching Channel and the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Dr. Alvarez holds a BA in Liberal Studies, an MA in History, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice. Dr. Alavarez is currently Executive Director of Create CA, an art education advocacy organization, and was previously Executive Director, Community Arts Partnerships at CalArts.
ARTEFFECT Annual Competition Resources
Open through April 27, 2025
The 2025 ARTEFFECT competition invites submissions from all students in grades 6-12 around the world interested in making a positive impact through their art. Students creatively interpret the story of an Unsung Hero by creating an original visual artwork, accompanied by an artist’s Impact Statement. Check out the competition resources below!
Visit ARTEFFECT Competition
ARTEFFECT Lesson Plan
Download ARTEFFECT Competition Poster
Stay connected with ARTEFFECT through our expanding social media channels on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Join a growing network of art educators at the
For inquiries, contact: [email protected]
ARTEFFECT Facebook
ARTEFFECT Instagram
LMC ARTEFFECT
ARTEFFECT YouTube
Copyright © 2024 Lowell Milken Center, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you either subscribed on our website or expressed interest in receiving updates while visiting us.

Our mailing address is:

Lowell Milken Center

1 South Main St

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Starlite Family and Consumer Education Minutes October 2024

Starlite FCE Minutes
October 2024
The October meeting of the Starlite FCE was held at the Presbyterian Village meeting room.  President Glenda Miller called the meeting to order and Joyce Allen led the club in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Club Collect.  Ten members were in attendance and reported that they have volunteered ninety-three hours and had recycled fifty-five pounds.
The members put together bags to be presented to veterans’ and also packed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, fourteen boxes were assembled.  The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.  Doris Ericson presented the treasurer’s report which was approved.
Glenda Miller presented a video explaining how the electoral college works.  She also announced that Fall Follies will be held at The Methodist Church in Humboldt, seven members are planning on attending.
Karen Peery reported on the State Conference held in Chanute this year.
Joyce Allen volunteered to take the veterans bags to Medical Lodge, Claudia Wheeler will be taking them to Guest Home Estates and Calgary Crossing and Letha Johnson and Betty Johnson will deliver the ones at Presbyterian Village.
Betty Johnson moved the meeting be adjourned; Letha Johnson seconded it meeting adjourned.  After the meeting the members enjoyed refreshments of brownies, ice cream fresh vegetables and dip provided by Deb Lust and Joyce Allen.
Prepared by
Terri Williams

Obituary of Phyliss Plaster

Phyllis Plaster, age 82, resident of Hiattville, KS passed away Monday, October 28, 2024, at her home.  She was born Phyllis Jean Fricke on October 6th, 1942, in Kansas City, MO. She was the daughter of Virgil and Helen Fricke of the same city.

She went to school at Southeast High School in Kansas City, where she met her husband, Steve, at age 13. In algebra class, she kept asking him what the algebra equation meant and what the answer was. And he, of course, provided the answers to this young blonde beauty. Later, at the age of 16 and 10 months both of them were brought together at the Fairyland Park swimming pool in July of 1959. They hit it off and were a steady couple from October 20th, 1959, until their marriage on September 1st, 1963. In between that time they were lavaliered, pinned, engaged, and then finally married. They were blessed to be kept together because Steve went to the University of Kansas and Phyllis went to Research Hospital and the University of Missouri, Kansas City. So they were 50 miles apart, but they made sure for three years, 1960 through 1963, that they were a couple on each and every weekend, whether in Kansas City or in Lawrence, KS.

In. late October 1964, their first son, Brad Plaster was born. What a joy. They now lived in Kansas City and Steve had gotten a job at Union Carbide in July of 1964. Phyllis had already been working from September 1963 at Research Hospital as a Registered Nurse. They were both interested in moving from Kansas City to have more opportunities on the East Coast. Steve in particular wanted to be with a large public corporation such as Union Carbide, which was headquartered in New York City, NY. So they moved in 1968 to Willingboro New Jersey. Then they moved to Yorktown, NY in 1970. Along the way, in 1967, their daughter Jennifer, or Jen as she’s called, was born in Kansas City and was with them there for one year before moving with her parents to New Jersey. What a joy she is. Eric Plaster, their third child, was born in 1968 in Willingboro, NJ where they resided. What a joy. Then in 1970, they moved another time 2 times in Yorktown.

The Lord found them at the age of 28 and they accepted the Lord at that time at Community Bible Church in Ossining, NY.

They worked at various places in the New York area and enjoyed bringing up their family. Steve continued to go to school throughout the many years they were married, which Phyllis tolerated graciously. They then transferred to Westlake, OH and spent four years raising high schoolers. In Westlake, OH. at Westlake High School all of their kids were athletes and Friday Night Lights was the big event. They then returned to the East Coast living and working in Connecticut, both Ridgefield and Danbury, CT and attended the same church, Community Bible Church. During this time, Phyllis worked in Connecticut and New York.

In all, she had 50 years of nursing work experience. In 1985, Union Carbide was challenged with a takeover and was ultimately broken up into divisions to be sold. The Eveready-Energizer Battery Company was sold to Ralston Purina of St. Louis, MO. So after four years in Connecticut, they moved to St. Louis, MO. And, at this time, Phyllis got her Bachelor’s Degree from Webster University in nursing. Steve worked at Ralston Purina with Eveready Battery Company from 1987 until his retirement in 1996.

In 1996, the oldest son Brad felt that our immediate family was too spread out and so he thought we ought to move together all in the same area. And so he scouted out the various areas and selected Florida as our next home, so in 1994-95. Eric and Brad moved down to Florida, Brad first to Clearwater and then on down to Naples. Brad married Kristin in 2004. Eric married Angie and moved to Naples in 1995. Then Jen and Chuck still living in Connecticut moved down in 2008, so that we were all together within 3 miles of each other. The boys started their own company and it was a pool building and service company that has been very successful. They live next door to each other and they work together in the same complex that they own. Chuck is a very successful Carpenter and skilled in those matters of repair and has his own business and also works for a franchise.

All three of Phyllis’s children live in Naples. A couple of years ago Phyllis and Steve decided to begin to transition more back to Missouri and Kansas, as Phyllis had inherited a farm and some acreage in Hiattville, Kansas in 1990, near Fort Scott, Kansas. Phyllis added some land and a couple more houses and she and Steve began to come down first on a couple of weekends in the summer and then for a month and then more and more, then as they were much older in their sixties and seventies, for example, they came down for two months and three months respectively. During the last three years, they decided to be in their beloved Hiattville for six months and in Naples, FL, where our family is for six months. They had always wanted to spend their last years together here. And also to be buried right next to their property in the cemetery next to Virgil Fricke, who is Phyllis’s father.

Phyllis is dear to many people both in Florida and every church and community she has lived in. They were transferred nine times with Steve’s job. Phyllis worked at a total of 28 different jobs in nursing, health care, and home care across the Eastern half of the country. So she was employed for a long time, 50 years, although sometimes part time.

They accepted the Lord together at age 28. And were determined to raise their three children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They’ve been blessed with seven grandchildren and that would be: Brad’s children, who are Dietrich and Harrison, with Jen’s four children who are Erica, Rachel, Alli and Luke, and then with Eric’s five children, who are Zane, Cheyenne, Josephine, Grant, and Olivia. Erica and Rachel live in on the East Coast in Stuart, and West Palm. Alli lives in North Carolina. Luke lives in Nashville, TN and Zane is in the Los Angeles area of California. Erica is married to Andy Hall with their two children Marley Jeane and Julie. Rachel is married to Garrett Bechtel with their three children Reagan, Joshua, and Grady. Alli is married to Jacob Van Proyen. Cheyenne is married to Nic Hannigan with two children Anakin and Rohan. So Phyllis has three children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

 

Phyllis has been a person that has been a blessing all of her life. She loves the outdoors, she loves exercise, and she loves projects. She loves serving others and she is a giver rather than a receiver. She has been the love of her husband’s life, for a total of 65 years. They’ve been married for 61 years since September 1, 1963. They presently are residing in Hiattville, Kansas. They have attended multiple churches. Between the ages of 18 to 28, Phyllis was a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Then she was a member of a Bible church for eleven years, and then a member of a Baptist Church for four years, each time they were transferred to a different state. Then she was a Plymouth Brethren for about 22 years and then, a member of a Bible church in Naples and then, a Southern Baptist Church for the past 18 years. Phyllis has enjoyed sewing, cooking, bike riding, swimming, and particularly buying little gifts for her great-grandchildren. Steve says. “To have friends like you here today and some who are not here because of distances and other encumbrances is a blessing. Phyllis wanted each one that hears this message to know that she loves them and that she prays for them and has done that for many years, particularly the family and close friends.” Phyllis has probably 50 cousins in the Sedalia, Warrensburg, and Concordia, MO area. Her closest cousins are Kathy Wilburn, Connie Skelton, Mary Siard and Carl Ray Colson.

 

Rev. Joel Crippen will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Thursday, October 31st, at the Hiattville United Methodist Church.

Burial will follow in the Hiattville Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the First Southern Baptist Church, Fort Scott and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted online at cheneywitt.com.

Fire Engulfs Farm Combine on Oct. 28: Community Steps In

Bill Keith, looks on as his combine is engulfed in fire on Oct. 28, during strong winds in the region. Submitted photo.

The unusually warm weather—almost 90 degrees—and the strong winds have created dangerous conditions for fires once they have started.

Stacy Racy stated on her Facebook page last night that her dad, Bill Keith , had a piece of farm equipment engulfed in fire.

Her dad was combining wheat on his farm near Hammond, about 12 miles north of Fort Scott on Monday evening, October 28.

“You can’t see right behind you on a combine,” Racy said. “The combine died and he stood on the platform on it and saw that it was on fire.”

“Tonight, my dad’s combine caught fire. Once again, Jerry Nafzger, my dad’s guardian angel here on earth, came to his rescue,” she said on her Facebook page. “My dad didn’t know the combine was on fire until it died in the field. Jerry had seen the fire and called the fire department as he headed to the field.”

“Two young men Kyler Tweedy and Clint Barker from the Muddy Waters Farms elevator (in Hammond) arrived and plowed around the north side of the combine since the wind was blowing fiercely,” she said. “They plowed around… to keep the fire from jumping.”

Racy thanked the Bourbon County Fire District #3 for aiding in putting out the fire. This rural fire department had just come from a grass fire in the area.

“Thank you to Bourbon County Fire District 3. This rural fire district covers the Devon, Uniontown, Hiattville, Fulton, Bronson, and Redfield areas in the county,” she said

“Most of these young men and women are volunteers and all worked together to get the fire under control quickly,” she said.

Racy noted that the fire crew had to wait on a train at Soldier Road in traveling to the site of the fire.

Racy posted the above photo on her Facebook page and said:

“I have several pictures ( she took of the combine fire) but this one spoke volumes as a 80-year-old man watches his combine go up in smoke,” she said. “We can replace the combine, it’s just materialistic, but once again Jesus protected him and sent people to help him. Jerry (Nafger)even came back later to pray with him!”

“Numerous neighbors came to check on him,” Racy said.” Living in this community is such a blessing.”

The combine is a total loss, she said.

This morning she received a text from a young farmer neighbor, Charles Johnson, who volunteered to come combine the rest of the wheat, she said.

“When people need help, people step up,” she said. “We have such good people as neighbors.”

This is the proclamation against all outside fires in Bourbon County, until lifted.

“Due to the extreme heat and little rain, fire-hazard conditions in Bourbon County are very high.  Because of the limitations of water usage by rural fire districts, there is concern for the capabilities of those fire districts to address any fire.  Once started, with the present weather conditions, a fire will be difficult to control by fire departments.  Water usage is of great concern to all fire departments, and the availability of enough water to contain a fire.

 

The dry conditions, above-normal temperatures and fire danger will continue unabated until sufficient rainfall occurs across the area.

 

It is hereby proclaimed, directed, and ordered by the Bourbon County Commissioners, in accordance with K.S.A. 48-932, that the following acts are prohibited within the boundaries of this County by all citizens and visitors:

 

  1. All outside burning, unless specifically approved in writing by the Fire Chief, with the exception of covered barbeque grills.

 

The knowing and willful violation of this order shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor and any person convicted of such violation shall be punished as provided by law. [K.S.A. 48-939]

 

This Proclamation shall be in full force and effect until lifted.

 

Passed in open session by the Board of County Commissioners of Bourbon County, Kansas, this 15th day of October 2024.”

 

Chamber Coffee Hosted by FSNHS On Oct. 31

Join us for Chamber Coffee!

Thursday, October 31st, 8am

Hosted by

Fort Scott National Historic Site

1 Old Fort Blvd.

In the Downtown Historic District!

Click here for their Facebook page.

Click here for their website.

_____________

We hope to see you there for Networking * Community News * Refreshments!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee this Thursday, October 31st at 8 am hosted by the Fort Scott National Historic Site, 1 Old Fort Blvd. The coffee will be held in the West Infantry Barracks Theatre. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site’s 43rd Annual Candlelight tour tickets go on sale Friday, November 1st. Tickets are $8.00 per person and non-refundable, children 5 and under are free. Tickets are shifting this season, come to the coffee to find out how. It is recommended tickets be purchased early to ensure choice of tour times, as the event frequently sells out.

The 43rd Annual Candlelight Tour will be held Friday and Saturday, December 6-7th. Tours on December 6th begin at 6:30pm, leaving every 15 minutes, until 9pm. Saturday, December 7th, the tours will start at 5pm with the final tour leaving at 9pm. Participants are advised to dress for the weather and conditions, as the entire tour will be outside.

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members shown below…
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com

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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US

Fort Scott High School Performs Disney’s Frozen Jr.

 

Fort Scott High School performs Disney’s Frozen Jr. musical at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12, 14, and 16 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the FSHS Auditorium.

 

The music and lyrics for Frozen Jr. are by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez with a book by Jennifer Lee. It is based on the Disney film written by Jennifer Lee and directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.

 

“A story of true love and acceptance between sisters, Frozen JR. expands upon the emotional relationship and journey between Princesses Anna and Elsa. When faced with danger, the two discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood,” according to publisher Music Theatre International.

 

The production features Junior Junie Fisher as Elsa, Junior Chris Newman as Anna, sophomore Theodore Bowman as puppeteer for Olaf, senior Cooper George as Hans, senior Mykael Lewis as Kristoff, and junior Sypher Cannon as puppeteer for Sven. Eugene Ware students Olivia Ford and Nevaeh Fialkowski play Young Elsa and Young Anna and freshmen Gianna Gorman and Mary Racer portray Middle Elsa and Middle Anna.

 

Tickets are reserved seating in advance and available at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com. Seating is limited, but some tickets may be available at the door. Adults are $8 and children are $6. A $14 VIP Ticket experience includes the opportunity to meet the Frozen cast and take an exclusive photo, a Frozen gift bag, concession snack, and concession drink.

 

Frozen Jr. is directed by Theatre Director Angie Bin, Music Director Taylor Jones, Choreographer Abby Stepps, and Assistant Director Mesa Jones.

The 2024 Kansas Museums Association Conference will be held in Fort Scott

Gordon Parks Museum is located on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

 

The Gordon Parks Museum is pleased to announce that Fort Scott, KS will be the host site for the 2024 Kansas Museums Association Conference, November 6 – 8, 2024. The Gordon Parks Museum will serve as the Member Host Organization and both The Fort Scott National Historic Site and The Lowell Milken Center will also serve as Additional Hosts.

 

Fort Scott’s local host planning committee put together a competitive bid proposal almost three years ago to host this annual event. This three-day annual conference will attract 125-150 museum professionals from around the state of Kansas. The conference will provide breakout sessions and workshops with a wide range of topics and the latest trends in museums and preservation.

 

The conference will use several venues in Fort Scott such as: The Gordon Parks Museum, Ellis Fine Arts Center, and The River Room Events Center. Conference attendees will also go on tours and site visits at some of the attractions in the community to include, the Fort Scott National Historic Site, Lowell Milken Center, 110 S. Main (Cohn’s Café), The Liberty Theater and many others along with other site visits in the surrounding area.

 

“We are very excited about this great opportunity to bring such large group of museum professionals from across the state to our town, to not only show what we have to offer, but for them to shop, dine, stay and support our museums and other attractions in our community.” said, Kirk Sharp, Executive Director, Gordon Parks Museum.

 

For 55 years, the KMA Annual Conference has served as a focal point for its member institutions that range from Stanton County Museum in Johnson, Kansas to the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka. Officially formed in spring 1969 when its first organizational meeting was held in Abilene. The Kansas Museums Association offers numerous networking and professional development gatherings and opportunities across the state each year. The KMA is headquartered in Wichita.

The SEK Library Newsletter October 2024

The SEKnFind Newsletter
October 2024

We hope you enjoy this newsletter sent as a courtesy to adult patrons of a southeast Kansas library using the SEKnFind catalog.
This selection of titles are NEW at a SEKnFind library and available for a hold.
Need assistance? Your local librarian can show you how!
Happy Reading!

New Fiction

Society of lies : a novel
by Lauren Brown

When her sister Naomi, about to graduate from Princeton, is found dead on campus, Maya, believing it was no accident, discovers Naomi joined the same underground society she did years ago and now every clue is leading her back to the past?—?and to the secrets she’s kept all these years.

Blood like mine
by Stuart Neville

On the run from a grisly secret, a desperate mother and her teenage daughter hide out in the foothills of Colorado unaware that they have entered the orbit of a gruesome serial killer who drains victims of blood.

This Girl’s a Killer
by Emma C. Wells

Cordelia is a serial killer who kills unscrupulous men, and she never had a problem with it, until she starts to become not so sure about the new man her best friend, Diane, is dating.

Libby lost and found
by Stephanie Booth

Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, author Libby Weeks, known as F.T. Goldhero to the fans of her fantasy series, realizes she needs help finishing her long anticipated final book, and turns to an unlikely source for support.

Mina’s matchbox
by Yåoko Ogawa

In 1972, 12-year-old Tomoko is sent to stay with her affluent aunt’s family in a coastal town in Japan where she, beguiled by her devoted aunt, her German great-aunt, her charming uncle and her cousin, Mina, who draws her into an intoxicating world of secrets and storytelling, soon discovers the truth behind their glittering façade.

Prime time romance : a novel
by Kate Robb

When she, after making a wish, wakes up in the ideal world of her favorite 2000s teenage soap, Brynn soon discovers Carson’s Cove is not as perfect as seen on TV and when there’s a plot twist, she must choose between sticking to the script, or let love change the story forever. Original.

I’ll be waiting : a novel
by Kelley Armstrong

Outliving the expectations of her Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis, Nicola Laughton marries Anton, but after his death in a car crash goes viral as a supernatural event, a group of spiritualists offering closure hold a séance that unleashes a terrifying force.

Bull moon rising
by Ruby Dixon

Aspeth Honori, a noble’s daughter, must join the Royal Artifactual Guild and marry a surly minotaur to retrieve lost magical artifacts and save her family, all while concealing her identity and navigating increasingly complex challenges.

This world is not yours
by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

“An action-packed, inventive novella about a toxic polycule consumed by jealousy and their attempts to survive on a hostile planet. After fleeing her controlling and murderous family with her fiancâee Vinh, Amara embarks on a colonization project, New Belaforme, along with her childhood friend, Jesse. The planet, beautiful and lethal, produces the Gray, a “self-cleaning” mechanism that New Belaforme’s scientists are certain only attacks invasive organisms, consuming them. Humans have been careful to do nothing to call attention to themselves until a rival colony wakes the Gray. As Amara, Vinh, and Jesse work to carve out a new life together, each is haunted by past betrayals that surface, expounded by the need to survive the rival colony and the planet itself. There’s more than one way to be eaten alive”

Sharpe’s command / : Richard Sharpe and the Bridge at Almaraz, May 1812
by Bernard Cornwell

Sent on an undercover mission to a small village in the Spanish countryside in the early 19th century, far behind enemy lines, the formidable Captain Sharpe and his group of men—with their cunning and courage to rely on—must stop two French armies from meeting on the Almaraz bridge.

The treasure hunters club : a mystery
by Tom Ryan

A murder mystery is set in a seaside town filled with pirate lore, family secrets, unforgiveable grudges, secret societies and, of course, a treasure lost to time.

The hanging party
by William W. Johnstone

In a new series from a pair of best-selling authors, a legendary gunslinger tries to outrun his past and start a new life. But after so many years, so many bullets—and so much bloodshed—he finds old habits die hard.

New Audiobooks

Billy the Kid : The War for Lincoln County
by Ryan C. Coleman

In 1870s New Mexico, the territory is at a crossroads. After escaping jail, William Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid, is a seventeen-year-old orphan who’s been on the run for the better part of two years. Billy falls in with a gang of ruthless rustlers and murderers, but when Billy crosses one of the members, the gang sets out to kill him. Billy narrowly escapes, finding refuge under the tutelage of English immigrant and businessman John Tunstall. When Tunstall is murdered, the Kid becomes determined to seek revenge.

Tell Me Everything
by Elizabeth Strout

While defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother, town lawyer Bob Burgess falls into a deep and abiding friendship with acclaimed writer, Lucy Barton, and together they meet the iconic Olive Kitteridge and spend afternoons in Olive’s apartment, telling each other stories, which imbues their lives with meaning.

The House at Watch Hill
by Karen Marie Moning

Zo Grey is reeling from the death of her mother when she receives word of an inheritance. But to receive it, Zo must live in a mansion, alone, for three years. What she doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to awaken her dormant powers, she must face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend.

New Nonfiction

Framed : astonishing true stories of wrongful convictions
by John Grisham

Exposes 10 harrowing tales of innocent Americans unjustly found guilty and convicted of crimes they didn’t commit, shedding light on the flaws within the legal system that led to their imprisonment and the relentless battles for exoneration that ensued.

The free mind : finding clarity in a digitally distracted world
by Kilung Rinpoche

“Our engagement with digital technology connects us to people but can also cause anxiety, distraction, imbalance, and suffering. This book offers a unique Buddhist approach to develop a clear understanding of our inner lives and the world of digital communication to lessen our suffering and deepen our happiness. Dza Kilung Rinpoche, a respected contemporary Tibetan Buddhist teacher, skillfully addresses these widespread issues in modern life geared toward his Western students and readers. He offers straightforward Buddhist strategies and tools to clear away the distractive clutter that prevents us from advancing in our careers and relationships. The book also explores deeper issues like the nature of wisdom, question of karma, and importance of lovingkindess and compassion. The practices and meditations in this book will appeal to anyone who enjoys mindfulness apps like Ten Happier, Insight Timer, and Headspace. By calming our minds, we can clearly see the sources of our inner and outer problems and begin to work on them for the benefit of ourselves, others, and the earth”

The bookshop : a history of the American bookstore
by Evan Friss

Drawing on oral histories, archival collections, municipal records, diaries, letters and interviews with leading booksellers, this ode to bookstores discusses its central place in American cultural life and offers a captivating look at this institution beloved by so many. Illustrations.

Sharks don’t sink : adventures of a rogue shark scientist
by Jasmin Graham

A marine biologist and co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences shares how she flourished outside of academia by remembering the important lesson she learned from sharks: keep moving forward, in this guidebook to respecting and protecting some of nature’s most misunderstood and vulnerable creatures—and grant the same grace to ourselves. Illustrations.

Heal your gut, save your brain : the five pillars of enhancing your gut and optimizing your cognitive health
by Partha Nandi

“The brain and the gut are neurologically and biochemically connected via millions of nerves and the trillions of microbes that populate the intestines. Known as the gut-brain axis, this communication network between the two systems is vast and complex. Although scientists have known about this axis for some time, the assumption was that the gut needed the brain in order to function. Only recently has science given the gut its due credit in this relationship. As a gastroenterologist with a personal and professional interest in understanding the role the gut plays in brain health and in employing targeted treatments that can prevent cognitive decline, Dr. Nandi is poised to deliver this information to consumers. Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain explains the emerging science, including the pathophysiology between the gut and disorders, in lay terms. It also shows readers how simple changes to improve gut health-most of which are not currently part of a neurologist’s standard treatment protocol-can help them to achieve excellent brain health; preserve brain health to help prevent neurological disease; and dramatically improve recovery from devastating neurological disorders such as: stroke, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s Dr. Nandi’s accessible and simple program is based on five pillars, which include nutrition, movement, purpose, spirituality, and community, and offers an holistic approach to helping prevent and mitigate cognitive decline”

Food to die for : recipes & stories from America’s most legendary haunted places
by Amy Bruni

A paranormal investigator collects stories rooted in history and recipes from haunted hotels, ghost towns and includes scary-good eats like Villisca Ax Murder House Skillet Cornbread. Old Absinthe House Frappe and Grand Hotel Pecan Balls. Illustrations.

DIY thrift flip : sewing techniques for transforming old clothes into fun, wearable fashions
by April Yang

“DIY Thrift Flip teaches how to shop and sew sustainably by providing how-tos for finding, upcycling, and customizing secondhand clothing with basic sewing instructions”

Bourbon County Local News