Chamber Coffee Hosted by SparkWheel on January 30
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Obituary of Goldie Weyant Arndt
Goldie Marie Weyant Arndt, age 94, a resident of Uniontown, Kansas, passed away Sunday, January 26, 2025, at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, Kansas. She was born April 27, 1930, in Ft. Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Willis William Wells and Goldie Belle Weston Wells.
Goldie was raised in the Uniontown area and graduated from the Uniontown High School. She married Miles Weyant on December 25, 1948. Together they had five children, Jim, Brad, Chuck, Mary and Matt.
Goldie loved to cook. She owned and operated her own restaurant, Goldie’s Place, located on the north side of the square in Uniontown, for many years. During this time, she made countless pies and was often called on to cater the annual Thanksgiving dinner for the employees of Bourbon County.
Goldie’s husband, Miles, preceded her in death on December 13, 1993. She later married Larry Arndt on October 4, 2003. They enjoyed several happy years together until his death in 2015.
Goldie was loved by many and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
Survivors include her three children, Chuck Weyant (Donna) of Bronson, Kansas, Mary Beerbower (Alvin) of Uniontown, Kansas and Matt Weyant also of Uniontown and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving is a brother, Richard Wells (Sharon) of Poteau, Oklahoma.
In addition to her husbands, Goldie was preceded in death by her parents, two sons, Jim and Brad Weyant, three grandsons, Clayton Michael Weyant, Brandon Weyant and Tony Weyant, a granddaughter, Melanie Beerbower and a sister, Una Wells.
Rev. Marty Dewitt will conduct a memorial service at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, February 1st at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Uniontown.
Private burial will take place at a later date at the Uniontown Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the First Missionary Baptist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Report Jan. 28
Ground(Hog) Breakfast Fundraiser On Feb. 1
JOIN US FOR OUR 6TH ANNUAL
“ALL YOU CAN EAT PANCAKES
WITH A SERVING OF GROUND(HOG)”
OR (added this year)
“ALL YOU CAN EAT BISCUITS WITH GROUNDHOG GRAVY”
DINE IN OR CARRY OUT
SILENT AUCTION & BAKE SALE
February 1, 2025, 8 A.M. – 2 P.M.
at First Southern Baptist Church
1818 South Main, Fort Scott, KS
Children 7 and under FREE
8 to Adult $5.00 in advance or
$6.00 at the door
for advanced tickets Contact
Ida Ford 417-262-3948 or
Terri Williams 620-215-3202
**All proceeds go to FSBC Building Fund
Program Helps Families with Eligible Children Offset the Cost of Food over Summer Break
DCF Announces 2025 SUN Bucks Application Period Now Open
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announced Monday, Jan. 27 that the 2025 application period for SUN Bucks is now open. SUN Bucks, previously called Summer EBT in Kansas, is a federal program administered by DCF that provides a one-time benefit of $120 per year for each eligible school-aged child to help offset the cost of groceries over the summer.
“Children and teenagers need consistent access to healthy foods to grow and thrive, and summer is a time when many of them lose access to the healthy meals they receive at school,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “SUN Bucks can help fill the gap by providing families a small boost with helping to put nutritious food on their tables.”
Many families will automatically get the SUN Bucks benefit without needing to apply. Households with an eligible child who can be identified by DCF will receive a letter from DCF in January 2025 notifying them that their child is eligible for SUN Bucks. SUN Bucks benefits will be added to an existing household Kansas Benefits Card (also known as an EBT card) or loaded onto a Kansas Benefits Card and mailed to their home in April.
If a household did not receive a letter from DCF in January regarding SUN Bucks eligibility, and they believe their child is eligible, they will need to apply. SUN Bucks applications will be accepted from Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, through 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. Families will need to use their existing DCF self-service account or create an account to apply through the DCF online self-service portal, dcfapp.kees.ks.gov. Benefits will be issued beginning in April 2025.
Eligibility:
Children may be eligible for the program if:
- The child attends a Kansas school offering the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program, and the household income meets the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals at any point since July 2024.
OR
- The school-aged child (7-17 years old) lives in a household where someone has received Food Assistance (SNAP) or TANF Cash Assistance at any point since July 2024.
Children in the custody of the DCF Secretary and enrolled in a Kansas school are eligible for SUN Bucks. Relatives, non-related kin, and foster homes will need to submit a SUN Bucks application for children in their care after April 1, 2025, to ensure the benefit is issued to the correct address. For any applications submitted after April 1, SUN Bucks benefits will be issued once the child has been determined eligible.
In 2024, the SUN Bucks program provided more than $15 million in benefits to 127,202 Kansas children. Learn more about SUN Bucks at SUNBucks.dcf.ks.gov.
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Updated Agenda for the Bourbon County Commission for Jan. 27
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Brandon Whisenhunt, Chairman
1st District Commissioner
David Beerbower, Vice-Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Leroy Kruger
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room 210 S National Ave.
January 27, 2025, 5:30 PM
I. Call Meeting to Order
a. Roll Call
b. Pledge of Allegiance
c. Prayer – JD Handly
II. Approval of Agenda
III. Approval of Minutes from 01.20.25
IV. Consent Agenda
a. Approval of Accounts Payable Totaling $392,977.53
b. Approval of Payroll Totaling $295,830.74
V. Old Business
VI. Public Comments for Items Not on The Agenda
VII. New Business
a. County Clerk End of Year Reallocations
i. Reallocate Expenses from Public Safety to General $52,325.45
ii. Reallocate Expenses from Appraiser to General $4,500
b. Executive Session K.S.A.75-4319 (b)(1) – Whisenhunt (10 minutes)
c. Sheriff Salary Discussion – Leroy Kruger
d. Executive Session K.S.A.75-4319 (b)(3) – Whisenhunt (10 minutes)
e. Teri Hulsey, EMS Director – Ambulance Bids
f. John Heckman, Noxious Weeds Manager
i. Financial Report
ii. Weed Management Plan
g. Meeting Decorum – Whisenhunt
h. Noise Ordinance Discussion – Whisenhunt
i. Resolution Setting Legal Descriptions for Five Districts
j. Election Information for District #4 & #5
k. Board Seats
i. Southeast Kansas Health Department
ii. Soil Conservation District
iii. Juvenile Detention Center
iv. Bourbon County Senior Citizens
v. Bourbon County Redi
vi. Fair Board
l. Commissioner Comments
VIII. Adjournment
Electric Cooperative Youth Tour: All-expenses-paid Trip to Washington, D.C
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative is pleased to support the next generation of leaders and skilled workers in eastern Kansas through two programs that are now accepting applications from Heartland-served high schoolers.
The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour is an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., scheduled to take place from June 14–20 this summer. Each year, Heartland selects one outstanding high school sophomore or junior who lives in a home served by Heartland to attend, giving them the opportunity to meet state and national leaders, tour historic landmarks, and build lifelong connections.
Those interested are encouraged to apply online at https://www.heartland-rec.com/
Meanwhile, the newly expanded Future Foundations Scholarship Program provides up to $1,000 for high school seniors pursuing careers in trades, nursing, teaching, and other high-demand fields. Up to eight scholarships will be awarded each year (two per Heartland voting district).
Students must live in Heartland-served homes, have a GPA of 2.0+, and plan to enroll in a Kansas-based college or training program in Fall 2025.
More information and a downloadable application form are available at https://www.heartland-rec.com/
Questions can be directed to Doug Graham at [email protected] or (620) 724-5526.
Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson
Legislative Update by State Senator Caryn Tyson
January 24, 2025
The past week eyes were on Washington D.C. and the swift actions taken by our President. He has established a path for states and a constitutional government dealing with illegal immigration, tax reductions, runaway spending, and government efficiencies. The Kansas Senate is on board with the President.
Illegal immigration will be debated on the Senate floor January 28; Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1602, requesting the Governor fully cooperate with federal enforcement of immigration laws. The opponents cried foul in committee debate because the SCR would support President Trump’s attempts to deport illegals, especially those who continue to break federal and state laws. Citizens have been put in harm’s way by the open border. Just ask Mr. Hopkins whose daughter was killed and his granddaughter brutally attacked in Kansas City. Ask the lady that was attacked by an illegal immigrant near Garnett while riding on a bike trail, or the youth that was violently raped in Topeka by an illegal. Are the opponents more concerned for the criminals than the victims?
Some of you may remember the illegal immigrants who committed identity theft and were prosecuted. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled they couldn’t be prosecuted because, in the Court’s opinion, the criminals couldn’t be held accountable for breaking State laws because they had illegally entered the United States and that was a federal issue. That doesn’t even make sense. Thankfully, Kansas Attorney General Schmidt took it to the U.S. Supreme Court and the opinion of the Kansas State Supreme Court was rejected. The three illegal immigrants who stole Social Security numbers and committed identity theft were convicted and Kansas laws were upheld. It’s past time that federal immigration laws are upheld.
Property Tax will also be debated on the Senate floor next week; Senate Bill (SB) 10 exempting ATVs, electric wheelchairs, golf carts, watercraft and other items from property taxes; and SB 35 repealing the 1.5 mill the state collects in property taxes. I’ll let you know the results.
Budget work has begun. This year the legislature established a new process. Instead of using the Governor’s proposed budget as a baseline, last year’s budget with all the one-time spending and other reductions will be the baseline. Let’s hope it helps reign in runaway spending. According to Legislative Research, State General Fund (SGF) spending increased 7.3% in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and 18.1% in FY 2025. The state FY is from July 1 to June 30 the following year, so FY 2024 is from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
The Senate Committee On Government Efficiencies (COGE) was established this year. The Committee is intended to align with President Trump’s plans for an unofficial federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
All bills, hearings, and floor debates can be found at www.KSLegislature.gov.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Jan. 27
The Real Deal by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
The Real Deal
My mom was a great country cook and spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals. Therefore, she was always willing to at least try new time-saving methods. She was an excellent pie maker and desserts were usually the “guinea pig” foods she would test on the family. Down through the years her pies were first topped with whipped cream, then Dream Whip in the late ‘50s, and then in the ‘60s she tried frozen whipped topping. However, heavy whipping cream was always Dad’s #1 favorite because it was the real deal. He didn’t really complain about the new toppings — as long as the pie itself was tasty he could put up with the imitation toppings. However, he gave the frozen whipped topping the nickname of “calf slobbers.“
As Christ followers, we need to continually check up on ourselves to ensure that we’re living as the real deal. No one, especially God, is pleased with an imitation Christian. One day I was wearing a “Gulf Shores Alabama” t-shirt when I met a gentleman on the sidewalk. He asked, “Have you been there, or just have the t-shirt?” I happily answered in the affirmative. I later realized that my response made me an authentic advertiser for this great beach; otherwise I guess I would have been a fake. Believers need to keep in mind that we’re to be genuine examples of Jesus.
Because no one wants to be around a fake, we need to challenge ourselves to examine our motives and actions. Being the real deal means that we do acts of kindness for others out of a sincere love for God and our neighbor. “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding” (Matthew 6:1 MSG).
It’s important that everything believers say can be taken to the bank. Otherwise, if we’re just pulling someone’s leg every other sentence, he/she quickly learns that our words are meaningless and we can’t be trusted. “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” (Ephesians 4:25 NLT). Here is the same verse in The Passion Translation: “So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another.”
When Christ followers practice being the real deal, we are actively booting out characteristics that could hinder our ability to reflect Christ. When we kick deceit and hypocrisy to the curb and choose to be genuine in our daily lives, we’re living like Jesus taught us. Being the real deal is characterized by practicing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. People can usually distinguish genuine from fake by how we respond to the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). The sum total of a genuine believer’s lifestyle is one word. Love.
Apostle Paul writes about how believers are to live: “I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be His sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights His heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes” (Romans 12:1-2 TPT).
The Key: I don’t want to be identified with calf slobbers. I want to be the real deal.