Chamber Coffee Hosted by Gordon Parks Museum on Oct. 3

Join us for Chamber Coffee!

Thursday, October 3rd, 8am

Hosted by Gordon Parks Museum

2108 S. Horton St.

On the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

Click here for their website.

Click here for their Facebook page.

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This week’s Coffee kicks off the 21st Annual Gordon Parks Celebration!

Click here for a printable schedule of events.

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 3rd at 8am hosted by the Gordon Parks Museum, 2108 S. Horton, on the campus of Fort Scott Community College. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a door prize drawing.

The Chamber Coffee will kick off the 21st Annual Gordon Parks Celebration to be held this weekend for which the full schedule of events may be found on gordonparkscenter.org. The Celebration is in honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, noted photographer, writer, musician, and filmmaker. Kirk Sharp, Executive Director of the Museum, and the committee work throughout the year to bring in artists, speakers, programs, and events that have enriched our community and world for all ages.

A highlight this year is the “Celebration Dance Party” featuring The Full Flava Kings at the Liberty Theatre on Friday, October 4th starting at 8pm. The Full Flava Kings, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, are one of the best party bands in the region. The Celebration will culminate with a Tribute Dinner and presentation of the Choice of Weapons Awards along with the presentation of the Learning Tree Award to Arnold Schofield and the late Daryl Roller. The weekend celebration will also feature the Choice of Weapons Conversation, Premier Screening of the documentary I Needed Paris, and free Lunch and Learn events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Tickets are available at the Gordon Parks Museum, online at gordonparkcenter.org, or call 620-223-2700 ext. 5850.

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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Respiratory Season Increase in Fall and Winter

KDHE Reminds Kansans to be Aware as Respiratory Virus Season Approaches

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) would like to remind Kansans as we approach the respiratory virus season to remain aware of symptoms, preventative measures and when to seek medical treatment.

Every year, respiratory viruses such as influenza (flu), COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumococcal disease cause hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths during the fall and winter virus season.

“We know the risk of contracting and spreading respiratory viruses will increase as we move into the fall and winter months,” KDHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dereck Totten said. “It is imperative that people follow common-sense preventative measures and consider getting a vaccine, especially if they fall into a high-risk category.”

Getting an immunization is an important preventative measure against respiratory viruses.  Vaccines are available for all three major fall and winter respiratory diseases – flu, COVID-19, and RSV (for groups eligible for RSV immunization). In addition, pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for children younger than five years, adults, 65 years and older, and individuals at an increased risk for pneumococcal disease.

Kansas will receive approximately $780,000 from the federal government this year to cover about 9,380 COVID-19 doses for uninsured and underinsured adults. These doses will be equitably distributed across Kansas to Local Health Departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, and other vaccination locations to help provide vaccine coverage to uninsured and underinsured adults in Kansas.

While anyone can become sick from common respiratory viruses like COVID-19, flu, RSV, and pneumococcal disease, some individuals have risk factors that can increase their chances of getting a severe illness.

Groups of people at a higher risk for respiratory illnesses

  • Older adults
  • Young children
  • People with weakened immune systems
  • People with disabilities
  • Pregnant and recently pregnant individuals

If you believe you may have a respiratory virus (if you feel sick or tested positive for one) and you have risk factors for severe illness, seek health care right away for testing and/or treatment.

If you test positive for the flu or COVID-19, treatment may be an option to make your symptoms less severe and shorten the time you are sick. Treatment should be started within a few days of when your symptoms begin.

Examples of respiratory virus symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny or stuffy nose, decrease in appetite, sore throat, vomiting, new loss of taste or smell, headache, muscle or body aches, diarrhea, and/or weakness.

Keep in mind:

  • Washing hands and improving airflow in the places where people live and work are important to lowering risk from respiratory viruses.
  • Effective treatments are available for those who get flu or COVID-19 and are recommended for those at higher risk for severe illness. Treatment can reduce severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
  • You should seek emergency care‎ if you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing or chest pain), seek emergency medical care immediately.
  • Everyday actions like masking and physical distancing can provide an additional layer of protection and can protect their family, friends, and coworkers.
  • Tests are available that can quickly detect these respiratory viruses.

For more information on respiratory viruses from KDHE read here.

Read here for more information on respiratory viruses from the CDC.

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U.S. 54 Project starts Oct. 2 in Allen County to Bourbon County Line

 

On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Kansas Department of Transportation plans to begin resurfacing work on U.S. 54 in Allen County. The work will start at the east city limits of LaHarpe and continue east for 12.3 miles to end at the Bourbon County line.

 

The contractor will place ultra-thin bonded asphalt surfacing on the roadway. Flaggers and a pilot car will direct one-lane traffic through the work zone. Expect delays of 15 minutes or less during weekday daylight hours until early November.

 

KDOT awarded the $1.7 million construction contract to Bettis Asphalt & Construction Inc., Topeka. Check KDOT’s updated traveler information website, www.Kandrive.gov, for more highway condition and construction details. Persons with questions may contact Construction Manager Warren Ebberts at (620) 901-6549 or Public Information Officer  Priscilla Petersen at (620) 902-6433.

Gordon Parks Celebration Is Oct. 3-5

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Sending on behalf of Chamber member Gordon Parks Museum…
Gordon Parks Museum invites you to take part in the 21st Annual Celebration

This weekend ~ October 3rd-5th!

The Celebration kicks off with the Chamber Coffee hosted by the Gordon Parks Museum, Thursday, October 3rd, 8am ~ everyone welcome!

The 21st Annual event will include photo exhibits, poetry contest/exhibit, sign and mural display, films, a special Gordon Parks themed trolley tour & more!

Friday will feature the Celebration Dance Party with “Full Flava Kings”, see below for more details.

Saturday will feature the Celebration Tribute Dinner with the presentation of the Choice of Weapons Awards along with the presentation of the Learning Tree Award to Arnold Schofield and the late Daryl Roller.

The Choice of Weapons Conversation, Premier Screening of the documentary I Needed Paris and the free Lunch and Learn events on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Tickets are available at the Gordon Parks Museum, online at gordonparkcenter.org, or call 620-223-2700 ext. 5850

Click here for the Gordon Parks Museum website and a list of detailed events.

Click here to download a printable copy of the schedule of events linked below.

A highlight this year is the “Celebration Dance Party” featuring The Full Flava Kings at the Liberty Theatre. The Full Flava Kings from Tulsa, Oklahoma are one of the best party bands in the region.

A special thank you to our Chamber Champion members!
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street | Fort Scott, KS 66701 US
 

SEK Library System Newsletter Sept. 2024

The SEKnFind Newsletter
September 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

The life impossible / : A Novel
by Matt Haig

When Grace Winters is left a house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, she arrives in Ibiza with no guidebook and no plan, in a novel by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Midnight Library.

Sleep tight : a novel
by James Markert

When, after Father Silence is put to death, a copycat serial killer called the Outcast emerges, kidnapping her daughter, Detective Tess Claibourne must face her worst fears and long-buried memories to visit the only survivor of Father Silence to see what secrets might be buried in his broken mind.

Looking for smoke
by K. A. Cobell

“When local girl Loren includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway to honor Loren’s missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends on the Blackfeet reservation. Instead, a girl from the Giveaway, Samantha White Tail, is found murdered. Because the four members of the Giveaway group were the last to see Samantha alive, each becomes a person of interest in the investigation. And all of them–Mara, Loren, Brody, and Eli–have a complicated history with Samantha. Despite deep mistrust, the four must now take matters into their own hands and clear their names. Even though one of them may be the murderer”

The village library demon-hunting society
by C. M. Waggoner

A librarian with a knack for solving murders soon realizes there is something supernatural afoot in her little town, in a cozy mystery by the author of The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry. Original.

And so I roar : a novel
by Abi Darâe

After accidentally hearing a secret conversation between her terminally ill mother and her aunt, Tia must choose between protecting a runaway girl or uncovering a truth that could change the lives of the girls in their Nigerian village.

The book swap
by Tessa Bickers

When she accidentally donates her favorite book containing a memento she can’t be without to the community library, Erin, when the book turns up a week later with fresh notes in the margins, starts a life-changing conversation through an anonymous book exchange that leads to something unexpected.

William : a novel
by Mason Coile

“Henry is a brilliant engineer who, after untold hours spent in his home laboratory, has achieved the discovery of his career-he has created artificially intelligent consciousness. He calls the half-formed robot William. No one knows about William. Not yet anyway. Henry’s agoraphobia keeps him inside the house, and his fixation on William keeps him up in the attic, away from everyone, including his pregnant wife, Lily. When Lily’s coworkers show up one day, wanting to finally meet Henry and see their newhouse, the smartest-of-smart-homes, things start to go wrong. Because William can “talk” to the house, and it turns out he’s not a fan of visitors–especially not the man who seems to know Lily a little too well. Soon Henry and Lily discover the securityupgrades they wanted to keep danger out are even better at locking people in. William is a clever, twisty, one-sitting read, a timely exploration of our intimate relationship with technology and the enormous responsibility that comes with invention, withparenthood, with marriage”

Strange folk : a novel
by Alli Dyer

Returning to Appalachia to live with her grandmother, Belva, Lee vows to stay far away from Belva’s world of magic until the target of one of Belva’s spells is discovered dead and she fears she may have conjured something far more sinister, forcing Lee to rediscover her power to protect them all

The book of elsewhere : a novel
by Keanu Reeves

A warrior who cannot be killed, known simply as“B,” wants to die and a U.S. black-ops group has promised they can help with that if he helps them in return, but when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event points to a force even more mysterious than B himself.

Godwin
by Joseph O’Neill

A technical writer living in Pittsburgh with his young family is pulled into a scheme with his half-brother to recruit a soccer phenom in Africa to play for his team in the United Kingdom, in the new novel by the author of Neverland.

Intermezzo : a novel
by Sally Rooney

In the wake of their father’s death, two brothers—successful Dublin lawyer Peter and his younger brother Ivan, a competitive chess player—find different ways to deal with their grief, which affects not only their lives, but the lives of those they hold dear. 500,000 first printing.

Gun Thunder
by Carson Mccloud

“Jack Noble built the Rafter N Ranch with his own blood, sweat, and tears — the pride of Montana and the envy of every cattleman in the surrounding territory. His eldest grandson Gabriel Bartlett inherited Noble’s fighting spirit, necessary to survive in an unforgiving land. Daniel, Gabriel’s younger brother, has the strength and discipline to work the ranch, but lacks true grit when faced with a truly bad man. Gabriel is now the notorious Noble Bartlett, a quick-draw gunfighter surly as a sidewinder. So when he learns about rustlers targeting the Rafter N, rides hard for home. There he finds Daniel holding down the ranch. He’s a hardworking family man who puts his trust in law and order. But the Bartlett brothers face brutal killers who know no mercy. They’ll need Daniel’s righteous resolve and Noble’s vicious violence to protect their family and send evil men to the hell that they deserve . . .”

New Audiobooks

Talking to Strangers
by Fiona Barton

While investigating the Valentine’s Day murder of Karen Simmons, Detective Elise King is derailed by aggressive reporter Kiki Nunn, who sees this case as her opportunity to boost her career?—?and is willing not only to go up against Elise, but also the killer himself to do it.

The booklover’s library : a novel
by Madeline Martin

In wartime England, widow Emma, when she’s separated from her daughter, seeks solace in the friendships she forms at Boots’ Booklover’s Library, but when the Blitz intensifies, she fights to reunite with her daughter, learning to depend on her community and the power of literature to find hope in the darkest of times.

Counting Miracles
by Nicholas Sparks

Returning to 1903 Iowa, a reclusive musician, Otis Taylor, returns to settle family affairs and find his missing niece, while Sadie West, seeking to help her family, creates a transformative bond with him, potentially unlocking the mystery of his niece. Simultaneous.

New Nonfiction

Bone of the bone : essays on America by a daughter of the working class, 2013-2024
by Sarah Smarsh

The author of Heartland returns with a collection of incisive essays on class division, political fissures, gender inequality and more, reflecting on one of the most tumultuous decades in civic life, with a new introduction and previously unpublished work.

Nexus : a brief history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI
by Yuval N. Harari

From the Stone Age through the canonization of the Bible, Stalinism, Nazism and the resurgence of populism today, a historian and philosopher explores human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world, addressing the urgent choices we face as nonhuman intelligence threatens our very existence. Illustrations.

The paranormal ranger : a Navajo investigator’s search for the unexplained
by Stanley. Milford

A Navajo Ranger recounts his experiences investigating paranormal and unexplained phenomena within the Navajo Nation, blending his heritage with his law enforcement training to provide a chilling and factual perspective on cases ranging from mysterious livestock mutilations to sightings of cryptids and unidentified aerial phenomena.

Lies That Kill : A Citizen’s Guide to Disinformation
by Elaine C. Kamarck

Takes readers inside the world of disinformation campaigns to show concerned citizens how to recognize disinformation, understand it and protect themselves and others. Original.

The light eaters : how the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on Earth
by Zoèe Schlanger

An award-winning environment and science reporter immerses us in the awe-inspiring and complex world of green life, challenging our very understanding of agency, consciousness and intelligence by examining the latest epiphanies in botanical research and the tremendous biological creativity it takes to be plant. Illustrations.

Accessible Ashtanga : an all-levels guide to the primary and intermediate series
by Kino MacGregor

“Ashtanga Yoga is a physically challenging style of yoga, which even experienced practitioners can find daunting. Kino MacGregor has re-envisioned this strong and beneficial practice to make it accessible to everyone. Whether you’re a beginner, living ina bigger body, or need modifications for any reason, this book will make you feel empowered, inspired, and confident that you have the tools to make the adjustments and modifications that feel right for your body. Complete with a breakdown of some of thekey elements of the Ashtanga Yoga method presented with the beginner student in mind, Kino makes the philosophy of Ashtanga Yoga more relatable to practitioners and teachers of all levels. She also presents a brief theory of movement mechanics that can help prevent injury, optimize physical mobility and tap into the natural intelligence of the body”

Good lookin’ cookin’ : a year of meals : a lifetime of family, friends, and food
by Dolly Parton

Music legend Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel share their prized dishes and family stories in recipes sorted by months of the year including Barbecue Spare Ribs, Slaw of Many Colors, Watermelon Fruit Salad, Mac and Cheese and Strawberry Shortcake. Illustrations.

KS Internet Initiative Applications Announced

Governor Kelly Announces Applications to Open for $451.7M Internet Initiative

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that applications will open on Oct. 21 for the National Telecommunications Information and Administration (NTIA) Internet for All initiative. With the launch of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, the Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) will begin taking applications to deploy the $451.7 million allocated to bring high-speed internet to all Kansans.

“My administration is dedicated to making Kansas a top 10 state for broadband by 2030,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Our state continues to build on this critical infrastructure, connecting communities and innovators. This historic investment will have a long-lasting impact across Kansas and continue to support our education, health care, and workforce growth.”

The application window will open after the 21-day project review period, allowing eligible applicants to apply for 403 project areas with 52,343 locations needing high-speed internet. Applications will be scored on their cost-effectiveness, consumer affordability, fair labor practices, technology, speed to deployment, and community engagement.

“This program amplifies the Kelly-Toland administration’s commitment to providing universal broadband coverage to every home, business, farm, and community anchor institution in the state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Through partnerships and community engagement, Kansas is setting the gold standard for the entire country for how to roll out future-proof technologies, improve the lives of its citizens, and stimulate economic growth across every region of the state.”

Key highlights of the BEAD program include:

  • Qualifying program speed of 100/20 megabits per second (Mbps)
  • Requirement of 25% matching funds (with the option to apply for match waiver via NTIA)
  • Consumer affordability

“This is a historic moment for Kansas; we are empowering current and future generations with opportunity through high-speed internet connection,” said Joseph Le, interim director of the Office of Broadband Development. “By leaning into the BEAD process, we continue to unlock and multiply opportunities across the state — and we signal that Kansas is future-ready, right here and right now.” 

Eligible applicants include:

  • Local governments
  • Tribal governments
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Those authorized to provide broadband services in the proposed service areas

The project funding rounds will open on Oct. 21 and close on Dec. 5. The Office of Broadband Development will continue to provide technical assistance webinars and engagement opportunities.

For more information about the program, click here. A technical assistance webinar will be scheduled prior to the launch of the portal.

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Amended Agenda For the Bo Co Commission Today, September 30

 

 

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

 

September 30, 2024 5:30 p.m.

 

 

  1. Call Meeting to Order
  2. Flag Salute
  • Approval of Consent Agenda
    1. Approval of Minutes from 9/16/2024
    2. Approval of Payroll Totaling $300,038.70
    3. Approval of Accounts Payable Totaling $386,598.32
  1. Samuel Tran-Solar Issues
  2. 5:45 p.m. Mike Dallman-PVD Compliance Conference Call
  3. Department Updates
    1. Public Works
    2. County Clerk
  • Eric Bailey-Executive Session KSA 75-4319(b)(1)
  • Thomas Quarry
  1. Solar Panel Setback Discussion
  2. Executive Session KSA 75-4319 (b)(1)
  3. 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.

 

Fiber Art Items Added to Pioneer Harvest Fiesta 2024 October 4-6

Pioneer Harvest Fiesta is almost here.  Plan to come to the Bourbon County Fairgrounds for a fun weekend October 4, 5 & 6.  Lots of activities on the east side of the green fence.  Sorghum cooking has returned!  Watch the hay baling, rock crushing, log cutting, blacksmith and see the vendors.  The car show is on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm

This year there is more than the beautiful quilts to see.  Fiber Art is being added to the Quilt Show in the Myers Building.   Come and learn a new hobby.  There will be demonstrations during the day on quilting, tatting, rug hooking, needle felting and more.   Lots of quilts on exhibit along with embroidery, cross stitching and knitting.  Bring your needlework projects and share with others as we all learn something new.  Take a chance of winning a heart quilt or a basket of sewing items and gift certificates.

Bring your quilts and fiber art items on Thursday, September 3, 9 am – 1 pm.  If this time does not work for you call me to arrange another time, or if you have questions – Jackie Warren at 620-224-8161

“Quilts and More” will be open at the Myers Building Friday and Saturday 9 am – 4 pm.  Also, open on Sunday noon – 3 pm.  Your items can be picked up on Sunday afternoon 2 pm – 3 pm.

Don’t forget the downtown parade, Thursday evening October 3 at 6 pm.  With the purchase of a PHF button, come and enjoy the bean feed Friday evening October 4 at 5 pm (or earlier if the beans are done),

Submitted by Jackie Warren

New Trail Coming To Riverfront Park

Jerry Witt near a marker for the new Riverfront Trail.

A new walk/bike trail should be completed by early 2025 in Riverfront Park.

The Overlook Trail will be 1,722 feet long, and eight feet wide, and follow the curves of the Marmaton River on the south side of the park, said Jerry Witt, Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority Chairman.

It is being funded by a $92,000 grant from Kansas Wildlife and Parks and the Riverfront Authority adding $75,000.

The survey stakes are in place for the proposed trail,and the land was surveyed by Agricultural Engineering Associates, Uniontown.

The entrance to the Riverfront Park’s south side, south of the orange bridge that crosses the Marmaton River. The stakes are in place to mark the new trail from this starting point.

The concrete path contractor will be Marbery Concrete Inc., Fort Scott.

Following the curve of the Marmaton River around to the Hwy. 69 bridge, it will include a concrete ramp for the wooden observation deck, for handicap accessibility, he said. The deck, called an overlook, gives an unobstructed view of the river.

The river overlook deck will have a concrete ramp added to make it more handicap-accessible.

The grant proposal process started in 2021 and a grant was 11submitted in 2022. The grant was awarded in 2023 and will be completed in 2025, he said.

History of the Riverfront Park

Riverfront Park is covered with tall deciduous trees that provide shade to walkers along the Belltown Trail.

The Riverfront Park came out of a 2005 town-wide visioning meeting that gave ideas for the future of the city.

One of the visions that came out of this meeting was the formation of a committee to clean up the unused area around the Marmaton River on the north edge of Fort Scott.

In 2007, then Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, authorized a board, called the Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority to secure the needed land for a new park.

From 2007 to 2010 the board secured all the properties needed.

“Most donated the land,” Witt said. “Once the land was secured, we were able to develop the land.”

The development since then: lighted trails, a pavilion with lights, the river overlook deck, benches, and bike repair stations, all with the help of the community and local organizations.

The bicycle repair station is one of several around the park, donated by the Rotary Club.

The overlook had to be moved to higher ground on the south side of the Marmaton River,  following a flood that partially destroyed it.

The Riverfront Park has daily walkers, businesses and schools use it, Boy Scouts have camped there, and weddings and other events, including last weekend’s FortFest have large gatherings there.

FortFest 2024 is a blues music festival that benefits Care to Share, a local helping organization.

Paul Ballou, the retired Fort Scott Fire Department Chief, is the park caretaker, and Witt said he does a good job.

The flower garden and in the back,  the underpass with mural art.

The Bourbon County Garden Club maintains the flowers in the circle in the south part of the park and local artist Stephan Toal has created mural art in the 69 Hwy. underpass area.

The Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority is comprised of Witt, Bob Love, Arnold Schofield, Penny Barnes, Dean Mann, Danny Magee, Jeff and Kate Sweetser.

 

The Riverfront Park is one of several in the City of Fort Scott, as shown on this sign at the park.
A historical marker in the south Riverfront Park is about the Fort Scott floods in this area.

KS Child Care Licensing, Background Check Fees Are Waived Through 2025

Governor Kelly Directs Child Care Licensing and Background Check Fees Waived through 2025

~~Excess federal funds to cover fees associated with becoming a licensed
child care provider or renewing an existing license~~

TOPEKA—Governor Laura Kelly announced today the State of Kansas will cover the state licensing, background check, and fingerprinting fees for child care providers seeking initial licensure or licensure renewal through 2025 or until available funds are expended. Fee coverage will assist new child care providers by reducing start-up costs and continuing to support existing providers as they retain their licensure.

“I’m committed to expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care opportunities for Kansas children and families,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These funds allow for continued support for child care providers by removing financial barriers.”

Since 2021, the State of Kansas has been covering the initial and renewal licensing fees for child care providers in the state through federal discretionary Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) assistance through federal pandemic relief legislation. Additional funding to extend this coverage is being provided through reallocated Governor Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funding. The funding will be administered through an agreement between the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the agency responsible for child care licensing.

“This additional funding, and Governor Kelly’s commitment to directing it to child care licensing, will go a long way in allowing potential and current child care providers to continue the important work of creating and sustaining quality child care options for Kansas families,” KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek said.

“The Kansas Children’s Cabinet is happy to work collaboratively with KDHE Licensing to support child care providers across Kansas in all license categories by helping to offset the cost of being licensed in good standing,” said Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund.

Covering these fees will lower the total start-up cost for child care businesses—costs that often become too large of a barrier to overcome. Additionally, this action will incentivize more unlicensed providers to become licensed, ensuring safer care based on industry best standards. For current providers, the decision to cover these fees is another way the Kelly administration has invested in Kansas’ child care workforce and continues to provide them with critical support.

Local jurisdictions may charge fees unrelated to those imposed by the state. Providers should consult their local health departments or local resource and referral agencies to learn more about applicable local fees in their jurisdiction.

To learn more about becoming a child care provider, please visit https://childcareinkansas.com/providers/.

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Bourbon County Local News