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Presented by the Kansas Department for Children and Families and University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
| You’re invited…
At our previous community gatherings, many of you shared that we need to keep digging into how we see and respond to families’ circumstances. Whether you joined us before or are coming for the first time, this is your chance to be part of that ongoing conversation. DCF and the KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research are continuing their partnership to bring you Seeing Risk Clearly: Navigating Danger, Poverty, and Perception—a session designed to explore real-life scenarios, challenge assumptions, and strengthen how we respond to families in our communities. Through interactive activities and discussion, we’ll look at:
Your perspective matters. We hope you’ll join us in creating solutions that reflect the needs, strengths, and realities of the communities we serve. Lunch will be provided, please RSVP using the button below.
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 Location
Fort Scott Nazarene Church 1728 Horton Fort Scott, KS 66701 |
Thank You!We hope you’ll take this opportunity to learn more about ongoing efforts to help build support for children and families in Kansas. Thank you for being a part of these important conversations! |
Thank you to our partners:
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Agenda For The USD234 School Board on November 10
Unified School District 234
424 South Main
Fort Scott, KS 66701-2697
www.usd234.org
620-223-0800 Fax 620-223-2760
DESTRY BROWN
Superintendent
This will be held at Fort Scott Middle School Commons Area (1105 E 12th St) at 5:30pm on November 10th.
BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING
November 10, 2025 – 5:30 P.M.
AGENDA SUMMARY PUBLIC
1.0 Call Meeting to Order David Stewart, President
2.0 Flag Salute
3.0 Approval of the Official Agenda (Action Item)
4.0 Approval of the Consent Agenda (Action Item)
4.1 Board Minutes
10-13-25
4.2 Financials – Cash Flow Report
4.3 Check Register
4.4 Payroll – October 20, 2025 – $1,826,376.48
4.5 Activity Funds Accounts
4.6 USD 234 Gifts
4.7 Resolution 25-13 Add Bank Signers
4.8 Fundraising Application
4.9 FCA Fundraising Application
5.0 Middle School Presentation
6.0 Leadership Reports (Information/Discussion Item)
6.1 Assistant Superintendent’s Report
6.2 Assistant Superintendent’s Report
6.3 Special Education Director’s Report
7.0 Public Forum
8.0 Other Business – Personnel Matters – Time __________
8.1 Enter Executive Session – Personnel Matters (Action Item)
8.2 Exit Executive Session – _______ (Time)
8.3 Approval of Personnel Report (Action Item)
9.0 Adjourn Meeting _____ (Time) David Stewart, President
Trash or Treasure by Patty LaRoche
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
Jesus did not make it easy to be a disciple, but I can’t figure out why he chose such a ragtag group of nobodies to fill that role. In their defense, fishing and collecting taxes had to be a lot easier than trying to figure out what Jesus was teaching them. No doubt, the twelve spent most of their time scratching their heads, wondering what they had gotten themselves into. Can you imagine their private conversations when Jesus went off to be alone?
When they questioned their teacher about the purpose of using parables, this was his answer: “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (the other followers) it has not been given.” (Matthew 10: 10) How frustrating when they were supposed to “get it” but couldn’t!
“Any of you guys understand what happened to that fig tree today?”
“I sure wouldn’t have hidden that treasure. I would have grabbed that baby and run!”
“I don’t blame the prodigal son’s older brother. Who wouldn’t be mad?”
“If we go after one sheep, couldn’t the other 99 run away?”
“How are we supposed to know if leaven is good or bad?”
“Anybody get the ‘unshrunk cloth on a new garment’ or ‘new wine into old wineskins’?”
“I didn’t sign up to pluck out my eyes.”
The twelve Jesus chose would not have been the ones I would have selected to work in my company. Not exactly Mensa candidates, they constantly misunderstood Jesus, vied for the top position in the group, doubted what he said and failed to accomplish the tasks set before them. They were the poster children for the adage “Everyone’s trash is someone else’s treasure.”
It’s not dissimilar from stories of people who buy some junky ceramic piece only to find it is a priceless heirloom. How about those times when you go shopping in a second-hand store and come across a $10 pastel sweater in your size with the Niemann Marcus, $350 tag still on it? Even if it doesn’t fit, surely someone will benefit from your purchase, right?
That’s how it was with Jesus’ chosen disciples. Some scholars believe that Mark was the first gospel from which the other apostles wrote their own accounts of Jesus’ life. He demonstrated Jesus’ exasperation and frustration with his disciples for their slow comprehension of faith and spirituality. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of Mark’s gospel, he writes of their progress, and even though they failed at more lessons than they passed, the end result of their missionary work proved they were chosen gems. Who doesn’t love that kind of story?
In my Introduction to Education class I am teaching this year, I showed my students the Temple Grandin movie, the true story of an autistic girl who was bullied, teased and avoided by classmates and coworkers. Even educators mocked her inability to socialize. One of our discussions centered on how those who viewed Temple as discarded trash had to feel when they realized she obtained a Ph.D., became a professor at the University of Colorado and revolutionized the cattle industry. How many of the disciples’ neighbors and relatives dealt with that same realization?
Just like Jesus did not make it easy to be one of the twelve disciples, Christians in other parts of the world are having to prove their faith in ways we spoiled Americans never have had to. So, before we haughtily pat ourselves on our backs for being so spiritual, maybe we need instead to ask ourselves one question: “When was the last time I treated some discarded “trash” as Jesus’ treasure?”
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports November 7
Agenda Packet for the Uniontown City Council on November 11
10142025 Regular Meeting
ORDINANCE NO. 207- Vacate alley Lots 4,5,12,13, block 2, Well’s Addition
ROLL CALL: ___ Jess Ervin ___ Amber Kelly ___ Mary Pemberton ___ Savannah Pritchett ___ Bradley Stewart
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
Vacating Alley Between Lots 4, 5, 12 and 13, Block 2, Well’s Addition
Memorial Stone Design
CITIZENS REQUESTS
FINANCIAL REPORT
Sally Johnson – Financial reports
APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
- Minutes of October 14, 2025 Regular Meeting
- October Treasurers Report, Profit & Loss Report by Class & November Accounts Payables
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Codes Enforcement: Doug Coyan
Superintendent: Bobby Rich
Clerk Report: Haley Arnold
Park 240 Outlets
COUNCIL & COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Ervin –
Councilman Kelly –
Councilwoman Pemberton –
Councilwoman Pritchett –
Councilman Stewart–
Mayor Jurgensen –
OLD BUSINESS
SEED Grant –
FEMA Flooding–
NEW BUSINESS
Motion by _____________, Second by __________, Approved ______, to enter into executive session pursuant to non-elected personnel exception, KSA 75-4319(b)(1), in order to discuss performance of non-elected personnel, the open meeting to resume at ____________.
ADJOURN Time ____________ Moved by ______________, 2nd ___________________, Approved ___________
Fort Scott’s Holiday Open House Starts At 5 p.m. Today
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports November 6
Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Newsletter November 5
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Entries due July 1, 2026!
LEARN MORE
Inspiration in Action!
Inspiration truly multiplies when stories of courage and compassion are shared.
Staff Spotlight: Kayla Cannon
Local Community Foundation Match Week is November 10-14
FSACF’s Match Week 2025 is Almost Here!
The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) is expanding its annual Match Day event into Match Week, taking place from Monday, November 10 through Friday, November 14, 2025!
Match Week is an exciting fundraising campaign to help provide matching funds for community contributions to participating charitable funds. Match Week is a way your generosity can have an even greater impact in supporting our community by amplifying your donations. FSACF is offering $25,000 in matching funds this year!
“Match Week is one of my favorite times of the year because it really shows what our community can do when we come together,” said Becky Tourtillott, FSACF Board Chair. “Thanks to the generous support of the Patterson Family Foundation, every gift made adds up to something even bigger. We’re so grateful for their commitment to helping rural communities in Kansas grow and thrive. It’s a great reminder that when we all pitch in, good things happen right here at home.”
CACF charitable funds participating in Match Week this year:
- Anna Faye Steele Memorial Fund
- Care to Share Cancer Support Group
- Pratt and Pauline Irby Endowment Fund
- DuVall Family Memorial Endowment Fund
- First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Fort Scott Endowment
- Fort Lincoln School House Endowment Fund
- Fort Scott Area Chamber Foundation
- Fort Scott Area Community Foundation General Endowment Fund
- Fort Scott Area Public Parks Endowment Fund
- John Valentine and Patricia Jean Neff Health Care Fund
- Robert Gordon Steele Memorial Fund
- Shepherd Family Endowment Fund
- Shirley Yeager’s Animal Friends Foundation Endowment
Donations are accepted online, in-person, or via mail during Match Week. Please visit FortScottGives.org to see a full list of funds and how to donate.
Kaylee Lunsford Receives $10,000 Scholarship
The American Hereford Association (AHA) hosted their annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 24. This year 27 National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) members were awarded $165,500 in scholarships.
A junior member from our community, Kaylee Lunsford, received the $10,000 Vanier Family Scholarship at the event, provided by the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA).
Kaylee Lunsford, Fort Scott, Kan., is an animal science major in her last year at Oklahoma State University.
She has broad future goals that include agricultural law and business. “My ambition is to use this foundation to address the critical challenges of global food security by bridging the gap
between producers and the consumers who depend on them,” she says. “I want to be part of the conversations that will later shape agricultural policy and trade, ensuring that the producer’s voice is
represented in decisions that impact the future of our industry.”.
Ten National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) members each received a $10,000 Vanier Family Scholarship, totaling $100,000 of financial support, from the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA). The scholarships were presented as part of the 2025 World Hereford Conference coinciding with the American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Meeting in Kansas City,
Mo., on Oct. 24. During the Shaping the Breed’s Future: Young Breeders Competition and HYFA Scholarship Awards Luncheon presented by VitaFerm®
HYFA and its donors awarded $165,500 in scholarships to 27 NJHA members to help support their higher education goals.
“This year marks a truly special milestone for the Hereford Youth Foundation of America’s scholarship program,” says Amy Cowan, AHA director of youth activities and foundation. “Throughout
the past decade, thanks to the generosity of the Vanier family, we’ve awarded $1 million in scholarships to 100 young people who represent the bright future of the Hereford community. It’s truly an honor to continue Jack and Donna Vanier’s legacy. Their deep belief in education, youth and the Hereford family
continues to inspire us all.”
The Vanier family believes the work ethic young people learn growing up in the Hereford breed
sets them apart in today’s workforce.
Peerless Products Rebrands
Peerless Products Unveils Rebrand In Bold Step Forward for Company Growth and Innovation
New website, brand design reflect leading manufacturer’s commitment to excellence
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (November 5, 2025) – Peerless Products, a leading manufacturer of high-performance curtain walls, windows and doors, announced a comprehensive brand refresh to reflect its continued growth and the exceptional quality of its products and services. The rebrand includes a new logo, color palette, brand voice, website, anthem video and storybook—each showcasing Peerless’s drive to deliver state-of-the-art manufacturing, engineering and innovation.
“At Peerless, we’re constantly striving upward, and our new brand look reflects our ongoing evolution,” said president Coby Jones. “As we continue to build on our 70-year legacy of quality, innovation and strong customer relationships, this new direction is a testament to our continuous drive for improvement and our dedication to engineering solutions that truly matter.”
Peerless has continued to experience strong growth across its national footprint, with several large-scale Talon Wall®, commercial and multifamily projects underway in markets such as Kansas City, Seattle, Chicago and Dallas. To keep pace with demand, the company has increased its workforce at all three of its locations in Fort Scott, Kan., Nevada, Mo. and Iola, Kan.
Since 1952, Peerless has built a reputation for excellence, true to its namesake, in everything from materials to process, engineering to testing, packaging to partnerships, and on-time delivery to on-demand solutions. Specializing in aluminum and hybrid fiber resin windows and doors, the company offers a variety of capabilities across a project’s lifespan, including customized design, engineering, sustainable and long-lasting powder coating, in-house testing, 3D prototyping and aluminum extrusion. Peerless also offers a patented curtain wall system, Talon Wall®, which is lab-tested and certified to the industry’s most demanding air, water, thermal, seismic, fire and acoustic standards.
Peerless services a versatile range of building types within the multifamily, hospitality, historic, government and military, school and university, office and medical sectors. Peerless manufactures, services and distributes from the heart of the U.S., but its portfolio extends far beyond the Midwest, including several projects from coast to coast. Peerless has produced windows for some of the most demanding applications in the country, including projects like the Hudson Exchange residential buildings in Jersey City, N.J., Universal’s Stella Nova Resort in Orlando, Fla., the Lees-McRae College’s Historical Commons in Banner Elk, N.C., the Texas Tech University Honors Hall in Lubbock, Texas and more.
About Peerless Products
Peerless Products is a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-performance curtain walls, windows and doors. With a legacy dating back to 1952, Peerless is dedicated to delivering superior quality, innovative engineering and unparalleled customer service. The company’s commitment to continuous improvement and enduring partnerships makes it the best choice for complex architectural applications. Learn more at peerlessproducts.com.
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Unapproved Minutes of The Fort Scott City Commission on November 3
CITY OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION MEETING
Unaproved
Minutes of November 3, 2025 Regular Meeting
A meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission was held in the City Commission Meeting Room at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. The meeting was streamed live on YouTube.
The meeting was called to order at 6:00PM. Roll call was taken. Commissioners Kathryn Salsbury, Dyllon Olson, Tracy Dancer, and Matthew Wells were present with Mayor Tim Van Hoecke.
In Attendance – Brad Matkin/City Manager, Bob Farmer/City Attorney, Lisa Lewis/City Clerk, Lt. Jason Eastwood/FSPD, Lisa Dillon/Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator, and Jason Dickman/Earles Engineering & Inspection.
VAN HOECKE led the Pledge of Allegiance and OLSON said a prayer asking God for guidance for the City, the Citizens, our Government and City officials.
Approval of Agenda
MOTION: VAN HOECKE moved to approve the amended agenda. Amendments were requested prior to motion: Removal of Item A. Consideration of Change Order #1 – Gunn Park – Shelter #3 and the addition of $529,112.95 to Consent Agenda Item A. Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1395-A – Expense Approval Report – Payment Dates of October 15, 2025 – October 31, 2025. DANCER seconded.
MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
Consent Agenda
– Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1395-A – Expense Approval Report – Payment Dates of October 15, 2025 – October 31, 2025
– Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting of October 21, 2025
MOTION: DANCER moved to approve the Consent Agenda. SALSBURY seconded.
MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
Public Comment – No comments
Appearances
Patty Ann Sanborn/SEK Service Inc. – Did not appear
Unfinished Business – No unfinished business
New Business /Action Items:
Discussion of City Connecting Link Agreement
MATKIN explained Wall Street’s condition, especially east of the CCLIP project, is deteriorating. KDOT pays Fort Scott $12,340 annually under a 1999 agreement to maintain 2.468 miles, which the city seeks to update. A study found the road sits atop brick without a proper base, requiring ongoing resurfacing. If the city declines repairs, the state could bill up to $200,000 annually for ten years. Only essential safety work is planned until more CCLIP funding becomes available.
ACTION: MATKIN will pursue an updated KDOT resolution.
Consideration of Bids for Davis Lift Station Extraneous Flow Pump and Force Main – EEI No. 21-303
DICKMAN explained that Jeff Asbel Excavating and Trucking was the low bidder for the Davis Lift Station extraneous flow pump and force main project (Earle’s Engineering Project No. 21-303), though their bid was 33.84% above estimate due to increased costs. The specified Vaughan chopper pump may be overpriced as a sole source; switching to a Hayward pump could save $100,000. The Hayward pump meets specs, has a six-month lead time, and is used by nearby municipalities. Asbel plans to begin work around March 1. Further information regarding the pump choice was requested before a decision was made.
MOTION: WELLS moved to table the decision to November 18, 2025. DANCER seconded.
MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
ACTION: Bill Lemke and Scott Flater to appear at the November 18th meeting for discussion on pump choice.
ACTION: City Clerk will email to FLATER the information provided by DICKMAN regarding the Hayward Gordon pump.
Reports and Comments
City Engineer:
– E. National update
– CCLIP Phase 3 update
City Manager:
– Request to discuss dog limits in City – November 18, 2025
– Crescent Drive and Archer update
– Eddy Street update
– FEMA projects on hold due to government shutdown
City Attorney:
– Request for (10) minute Executive Session
City Clerk: No comment
Commissioner Wells:
– 6th and Little
– Overpass plan at Jayhawk Road
Commissioner Olson:
– Railroad crossing
Commissioner Dancer:
– Special meeting on Saturday
– Remember to vote
Commissioner Salsbury:
– Downtown alley
Commissioner Van Hoecke
– Remember to vote
– Sales tax
Executive Session
MOTION: VAN HOECKE moved that the City Commission recess into Executive Session for the purpose of discussion pursuant to the attorney-client privilege exception in K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(2). In the Executive Session will be the (5) City Commissioners, the City Attorney and the City Manager in the City Manager’s office. The open meeting will resume at 6:59PM in the Commission Room. OLSON seconded.
MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
MOTION: VAN HOECKE moved to come out of Executive Session with no action. OLSON seconded.
MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
Adjourn
MOTION: DANCER moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:00PM. OLSON seconded.
NOVEMBER 3, 2025, CITY COMMISSION MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:00PM.
Submitted by Lisa A. Lewis, City Clerk