Bourbon County, Business

Grant Opportunity Available to Bolster Registered Apprenticeship Programs

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TOPEKA — The Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship today announced a new $500,000 grant opportunity for established registered apprenticeship programs in Kansas. Awards will range from $75,000 to $200,000 per awardee.

These grant funds will be awarded to assist existing programs with technical instruction, on-the-job training, staffing and additional employees to implement and manage programs, marketing and outreach, and other activities.

“The Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship plays a vital role in our state’s economic growth by helping prepare our workforce for success,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “We know that registered apprenticeships are key pipelines to career advancement, professional development and prosperity. This grant opportunity bolsters our commitment to preparing Kansans for in-demand jobs that need their skills right now.”

This additional funding opportunity plays an integral part in growing and supporting the registered apprenticeship programs throughout the state. Over time, the grant has helped with recent successes including the 80% growth in new registered apprentices across the state (from 925 in 2023 to 1,672 in 2024).

“Last year, registered apprenticeship programs used these funds in a variety of creative ways,” Director of Apprenticeship and Internship Shonda Anderson said. “Investments were made in Spanish-speaking instructors, new training equipment for electricians and heavy equipment operators, as well as agriculture and human resource opportunities.”

The Kansas Department of Commerce currently is seeking applications. Eligible applicants must be a state educational institution, business, non-profit group or workforce board with projects that will attract and retain employees and continue to build the state’s workforce through registered apprenticeship.

Those applying should clearly demonstrate linkage between project, industry demand, apprentice training and recruitment. Additionally, applicants are required to provide a 1:1 match for every grant dollar requested.

Interested parties have until 5:00 p.m. August 25 to apply. Announcement of awardees is expected in September.

For more information about the application or to apply, click here. For more information about the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship, click here.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce:

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.

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Bourbon County

Register for 2024 Kansas Ag Growth Summit

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MANHATTAN, Kansas — Join the Kansas Department of Agriculture in Manhattan this month as they discuss growth opportunities for agriculture at the ninth annual Kansas Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth on Wednesday, August 21, at the K-State Alumni Center at 1720 Anderson Ave. in Manhattan. Attendees are also invited to participate in a social event on Tuesday evening, August 20, also at the K-State Alumni Center.

In addition to hearing directly from sector leaders and partners on the most important issues impacting the Kansas agriculture industry, the 2024 Ag Growth Summit will feature two guest speakers who will share their expertise on international agriculture issues. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor will speak on “Global Markets, Local Impact: The Power of Trade in Advancing U.S. Agriculture.” The other guest speaker will be Eddy Acevedo, who serves as the principal advisor on national security and foreign policy matters at The Wilson Center, and he will present on “Geopolitical Impact on International Trade and National Security.”

There is no cost to attend the Ag Growth Summit events, but it is important that attendees register by August 9 so KDA can provide adequate materials for attendees and have accurate meal counts. Registration can be found at www.agriculture.ks.gov/Summit.

All farmers, ranchers, agribusiness owners and industry professionals are welcome at the 2024 Ag Growth Summit — if you’re committed to working for agricultural growth in Kansas, please join us in this effort.

If you have questions about the 2024 Kansas Governor’s Summit on Agricultural Growth, please contact Auburn Wassberg at [email protected] or 785-564-6799.

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AD: Joshua Jones, Candidate for KS House of Representatives District 4

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Josh Jones.

Joshua Jones: Candidate for Kansas House of Representatives District 4

Hello there! I’m Joshua Jones, a proud resident of Bourbon County, where my family’s legacy spans back to the 1850s. My wife Karen shares this deep connection, with her family settling in western Bourbon County around the same time. Together, we’ve celebrated 23 years of marriage and have been blessed with three wonderful children: Taylor and Madison, both 23, and David, who is 19. 

 

**My Promises to You:** 

 

  1. **Give Back My Salary** 

   My belief is simple: if the people I serve benefit, then I benefit. We are all in this together. I am giving back my salary because your tax dollars should work for you. 

 

  1. **Year-Round Accessibility and Transparency** 

   How often do you only hear from politicians during the election? During my time as Mayor/City Commissioner, I was the first to hold public forums to get citizens’ input. 

 

“The position I am running for encompasses all of Bourbon County and most of Linn County. Over the past few years, through my business, I have expanded my connections in Linn County.  

 

As your state representative, I plan to leverage these relationships, along with engaging with other citizens, to address Linn County concerns and work together to create beneficial legislation. 

 

In Bourbon County, I am the only candidate who resides here.

Issues such as the lack of an emergency room directly affect me and our community. While the announcement of Freeman Health System coming to town gives me hope, we must remember past promises, like the one involving Noble, which did not materialize. 

 

 Being the only Bourbon County candidate, it is crucial for me to ensure that Freeman’s arrival becomes a reality. Securing state-level support will be essential to ensure Bourbon County has adequate healthcare. 

 

Issues like Pike Reservoir where the proposed lake would encompass cemeteries where I have family buried. No matter if I am for or against a project I would commit to involving citizens in the process like I did when I was City Commissioner. 

 

Living in Bourbon County also provides me with a unique understanding of medium to smaller issues, such as trains blocking intersections for hours or the challenges faced by public schools competing in the same KSHSAA class as private schools, which I have personally experienced as an injustice.  

 

These are issues I can address at the state level, and my residency in Bourbon County gives me a unique perspective and dedication to tackling them. I am committed to working tirelessly for the betterment of both Bourbon and Linn Counties.” 

 

 

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This ad paid for by Joshua Jones Candidate/Treasurer

Opinion

We Need Each Other by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche. 2023.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)

With one, dull, uncooperative blade shaving my legs, I turned to a new one (blade, not leg).  This one had not two but five blades, guaranteeing that the hair missed by the first four would be clipped by the last.  Only, when I was finished, my legs were no smoother.  Perhaps I needed a razor with ten blades since these five had not done their job.  I tried again, shaving slower and more deliberately. No difference.  Scissors would have been more effective.

Clearly, I had gotten ripped off on this razor. I would return it and ask for my money back. Later that morning, I told Dave that they didn’t make razors like they used to. He asked to look at it. “Maybe if you put the blades in the correct way instead of upside down, that will help.” Seriously?  How had I not figured that out?  What was wrong with me?  Dave appreciated that he wasn’t the only one who messed up.

Two hours before, we were to load our mower onto the trailer to take to our friend who would change the oil and filters, sharpen and level the blades.  A team effort.

Hubby, after three tries, found where he had stashed the key that unlocked the cabinet that held the trailer hitch and the tie-downs and after two tries, found the key that unlocked the trailer hitch.  He backed the truck up to the trailer, aided by my keen eye to direct him to reverse in a straight line.  He was masterful as he moved levers and connected hooks and electrical cables to ensure the trailer was properly attached to the trailer hitch. We checked and triple-checked every possibility for the trailer not to come unhinged.  It was a proud moment for my manual man.

We lowered the back ramp so he could ride the mower up onto the trailer.  Imagine my surprise when he exited the garage on our golf cart, the golf cart that runs on batteries and is, last I checked, incapable of cutting a blade of grass.  Perhaps he was just moving it out of the way for the mower?  No. When he came zipping around the corner, heading for the trailer, I realized that he was having a “moment” where not all cylinders were firing.  I admit, I had my own “moment” and thought of letting him load the golf cart, use his tie-downs to anchor it, and drive it to the repair person who would, of course, find this as hysterical as I did.

But as a submissive, Christian woman (ahem), I realized that God might not find that as funny as I did, and since I am to be Dave’s helpmate, I kindly (well, sort of) reminded Hubby that he was driving a golf cart and not a lawnmower. Actually, I cracked up.  And so did he.
And here I was, two hours later, asking for help for a blade I had inserted upside down into the razor handle.  It’s easy at those times to point out each other’s inadequacies, ignoring Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) which tells us to be kind and tenderhearted.  Dave and I know that our brains aren’t what they used to be.  We now help each other with a word or name that escapes us, remind our partner that a tag is out or a zipper down, assist-drive from the passenger seat, repeat our daily schedules (multiple times) and fill each other’s gaps, gaps that are widening each day.

Most of all, we try to find humor in our mess-ups. I think that God appreciates that.  I hope we always find them as funny as we do now.

 

Fort Scott, Schools

FSHS Tiger Newsletter August 2024

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A message from Pam Hutchison:
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A message from Pam Hutchison:
 We are so excited about the new school year!
Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Tax Holiday This Weekend in Fort Scott

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Join us THIS weekend for a Sales Tax Holiday Weekend Downtown & Around Fort Scott!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces an opportunity for shoppers to save money this weekend, August 2nd-4th!

With no “official” Sales Tax Holiday weekend in the State of Kansas, we have our own holiday here where these local retailers pay the tax for you!

Save 9.4% this weekend at participating businesses around Fort Scott!

Participating businesses will be announced on the Chamber Facebook or fortscott.com.

These stores offer a variety of merchandise including apparel, home furnishings and décor – both new and repurposed, school supplies and much more!

There is no need to cross the border during this

No Sales Tax Holiday Weekend.

Save money, shop local, shop Fort Scott!

Thank you to our Chamber Champion members below!
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Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 
Government, Kansas

KS July Tax Collections Below Estimate

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July Total Tax Collections at 660.3 Million; 1.0% Below the Estimate

TOPEKA – The State of Kansas ended July 2024 with total tax collections at $660.3 million. That is $6.4 million, or 1.0%, below the estimate. Total tax collections are down 3.0% from July 2023.

Individual income tax collections were $308.5 million, which is $8.5 million, or 2.8% above the estimate and down 1.7% from July 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $34.3 million, which is $15.7 million, or 31.4%, below the estimate and down 23.3% from July 2023.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $305.1 million, which is $4.1 million, or 1.4% above the estimate, and down $10.1 million, or 3.2%, from July 2023. Retail sales tax receipts are 3.7% less than the July 2023 collections as Kansans continue to save money on groceries from the reduced state food sales tax rate.

Click here to view the July 2024 revenue numbers.

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Fort Scott, Schools

New USD 234 Teachers: Oxholm, Prine, Jones

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This is part of a series of new teachers in USD 234 School District, Fort Scott. There are 24 new teachers and two new administrators in the district.

School starts for students on August 16.

There are five campuses in the district:

  • Fort Scott Preschool Center (serving pre-kindergarten students ages 3+)
  • Winfield Scott Elementary School (serving kindergarten through through second-grade students)
  • Eugene Ware Elementary School (serving third through fifth-grade students)
  • Fort Scott Middle School (serving sixth through eighth-grade students)
  • Fort Scott High School (serving ninth through twelfth-grade students)

According to its website, the district has nearly two thousand students enrolled within the district and over 350+ staff members.

 

Submitted photo. Chris Oxholdm.

Chris Oxholm , 34, is a new Fort Scott High School Special Education teachers.

He earned degrees from the Mass. College of Liberal Arts (BA), and Colorado Christian University (MEd) and has four years of teaching experience.

In his spare time, “You can catch me with Ashley and the kids down at the Pool! We are new to Kansas but we love this cool town so far!”

They have been married since September 3, 2016, and have three children; Charles (6), Frannie (4), and little Emma (2).

“We also live with our Nanny, Miss Dana, and our two Standard Poodles, Fenway and Wrigley. “

“The best part about being an educator, for me, is seeing progress in students that have worked on something that they struggle with.”

“My biggest challenge as an educator has been maintaining the same energy all day.”

Amanda Prine. Submitted photo.

Amanda Prine, 37, is a new 2nd-grade teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Missouri Southern State University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Northwest Missouri State University.

She is entering her 14th year in education.

“During that time, I have worked as an elementary teacher and as the director of an early childhood center.”

She is a parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Nevada, MO, where her family resides, and has recently finished a term serving on her local Parks and Recreation Board.

She and her husband, Lee, have two daughters, Aubrey and Lynleigh “as well as three dogs and two cats.”

” Aubrey will be entering her senior year in Nevada this school year and Lynleigh will be joining me in Fort Scott as she enters first grade!”

She said the best thing about being an educator is making a positive impact on our students and getting to witness the moment that learning concepts click for them as they learn something new.

For her the most challenging thing about being a teacher is “managing our time so that we can best meet the needs of each student while accounting for different levels of learners and learning styles.”

Taylor Jones. Submitted photo.
Taylor Jones, 23, is a new Spanish teacher at Fort Scott High School.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts, Modern Languages; emphasis in Spanish language and culture  from Pittsburg State University class of 2023 and is a 2019 FSHS graduate.
“I am in the Transition to Teaching program through Fort Hayes State University, which will take me from a restricted teaching license to a professional teaching license while also getting my Masters of Science in Education,” she said.
Her community involvement includes volunteering with Core Communities in Fort Scott since November of 2023.
“I enjoy watching a variety of sports, music, and theatre events at the high school and college level. I also have been going to the Pittsburg Presbyterian Church since college, singing in the choir, playing instruments, and helping with the tech team.”
She is the eldest child of Joshua and Karen Jones and has a twin sister, Madison, and a younger brother, David.
“The best thing about being a new educator is the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on students’ lives while continuously learning and growing in the profession,” she said.
“One challenge of being a new teacher is balancing the various student needs while learning the ins and outs of the job.”
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AD: Rick James for KS House of Representative, District 4

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Rick James is a Republican candidate for the 4th district House of Representative, a position currently held by Trevor Jacobs. Trevor announced that he is not seeking another term.

Rick is passionate about protecting the conservative values of fellow Kansans. He understands that freedom is not merely a privilege but a birthright. He was raised in La Cygne, Kansas where he attended La Cygne elementary school and graduated from Prairie View High School in 1981. He entered the Marine Corps a few short days later serving a 30-year career. This career included serving in Desert Storm, Haiti, Iraqi Freedom, serving on embassy duty and as a Marine Drill instructor. He achieved the rank of Sergeant Major and was awarded the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit. He also obtained a bachelor’s and a master’s Degree from the American Military University.

There was never a doubt, that he would return to Eastern Kansas. He moved his family to a small farm near highway 69 in 2008 and completed his Marine Corps career at Richard Gebauer Base in Belton. He retired a decorated Marine in 2011.

Since retiring from the Marine Corps he opened two local businesses, Semper Fi Auction Services and Bravo Realty. The Marine Corps instilled a dedication to serving his community. In 2014 he ran for the district 1 Linn County Commissioner. He served 2 full terms from 2014-2022. He did not seek reelection for a third term because, he believes there should be term limits in government at all levels.

He has a personal interest in Kansas, he was a military leader and a small Business owner.  He has conservative views!! He believes in the right to bear arms, he is pro-life, he believes in a smaller government and reduced taxes.

Politicians represent the people they serve, and he takes that very seriously! He would appreciate your vote on August 6. Click here to follow him on Facebook.  Semper Fi and God Bless!

Paid for by Rick James for KS State Representative.

Bourbon County Local News