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Cost Share Assistance Available for Irrigation Technology
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Conservation (KDA–DOC) is pleased to announce the availability of funds in the form of cost share assistance and incentive payments to assist landowners with irrigation efficiency technology. The funding is provided by KDA–DOC through appropriation from the State Water Plan Fund and the program is administered by Conservation Districts across the state.
This initiative is designed to promote irrigation efficiency by providing cost share assistance to landowners for automated mobile drip irrigation systems, autonomous pivot systems, water meter monitoring software subscriptions, bubbler nozzle packages, and remote monitoring systems (soil moisture probes included as part of system).
Eligible projects must be located within Kansas groundwater management districts 1 through 5. Applications are currently being accepted, and projects will be approved beginning on November 1, 2023, until all funds have been allocated. Equipment purchases and subscriptions made before application approval by KDA–DOC are not eligible for this initiative.
Applications for this irrigation technology cost share funding must be made through local Conservation Districts. For application assistance and details about funding eligibility, along with more information concerning other available services, please contact your local Conservation District office. A directory of Conservation Districts can be found at agriculture.ks.gov/
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Cost Share Assistance Available for Irrigation Technology.pdf
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Eagle Road Closed Starting Oct. 30
Eagle Road will be closed starting Monday, October 30th at 8:00am from US 69Hwy to 230th Rd. It will reopen at 8:00am on Tuesday, October 31st.
Submitted by
Becky Robertson
Bourbon County Public Works
The Privilege of Standing Up by Patty LaRoche
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
Award-winning author/historian/speaker Dr. Rebecca Price Janney was contacted by a Moms for Liberty local representative to speak to a group of children about the U.S. Constitution. The venue would be a local public library. Dr. Janney, dressed as Martha Washington, would present her original rendition of the Constitution to a group of elementary students at the public library to promote a positive platform for children to learn about American history. How fun, and how exciting for those little ones, right?
Apparently not. Protestors, finding this teaching inappropriate because Moms for Liberty backed it, planned to block her performance. (MfL promotes parental authority and opposes public schools having pornography in their libraries and teaching sexuality to young children, especially apart from parental consent.) Prayers encouraged this brave woman to continue to do what she knew was God’s work. The last email we received from Dr. Janney addressed her experience:
“I had been informed a few days ahead of the library event that there would be four police forces on hand, including undercover law enforcement. The protestors, led by one very vocal local woman, sort of our version of the 1960s Madeline Murray O’Hair, promised there would be between 75-100 of them. The police designated a place where they could stand, and I was so relieved when they said none of them, or the media, would be allowed inside for my presentation. One of my biggest concerns was being shouted down, having the kids be scared, and having the event turn ugly. Moms for Liberty requested that there not be a counter-protest, but some private citizens turned up to support us, without signs, just their presence.”
Dr. Janney shared that her husband Scott and a friend, Jen, to avoid the protestors, arrived at the library early. God was at work. The weather, cold and rainy, kept many of them away. Most of the library staff were cordial. Three local police officers stood near the presentation room, so Dr. Janney struck up a conversation with them, thanking them for being there. They responded that it was an honor to protect her and the children. The story continues: “Scott positioned himself just outside the entrance and, dressed in a colonial outfit, played colonial tunes on his fiddle. When the protestors arrived with their hate-filled signs and their banners, all 20 of them, and they started chanting as people brought their children into the library, Scott would play ‘Yankee Doodle’ loudly, and the children’s attention was on him, not these protestors, many of whom appeared quite bizarre.”
After recruiting children to dress in colonial outfits and help with readings about the Constitution, Dr. Janney felt encircled by prayer and good will. The event had reached the library’s capacity of 30 people, and everything went better than planned. The kids were energized by what they had learned.
When the event was over, Dr. Janney, her husband and her friend were escorted out a back door so they did not have to face the protestors. We on the prayer chain celebrated that Dr. Janney had persevered and not caved to those who disagreed with her. Her prayers before that day touched many of us as we saw her great love for those protesting: “I do pray they will have eyes to see and ears to hear how much God, who made them in His image, loves and affirms them as His created ones… But it is also a huge privilege to stand for truth, and I pray I’ll be everything He desires me to be in this, to the praise of His glory!”
Amen and amen. May we all be as convicted and loving when God moves in our hearts.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Oct. 27
The Beacon Food Pantry sign up for 2024 EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 3RD
The signup period has been extended to November 3 for the Beacon Food Pantry.
Hours will be on the following days Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday through November 3rd.
Normal business hours from 9:15 am to 12:45 pm
Sign-ups must be done by November 3rd No Exceptions
You will need to call in advance to the Beacon to set an appointment for one of these days. We will start taking calls for appointments beginning October 2nd our phone number is 620-223-6869.
You will need to bring with you to qualify for a food card:
Picture ID for all adults in the household
Social Security card for all in the household and Birthdates, all dependent children with different names must show full-time parental custody, and adoption papers, and must live with you to be on your card.
Proof of income, pension, retirement, social security disability, VA benefits, unemployment, child support/alimony and any other income
If you receive any services from DCF please bring the verification letter.
Please have your information with you when you come or you will be turned away and will have to reschedule an appointment
WE WILL ALSO BE DOING SIGN-UPS FOR THE ADOPT-A-CHILD AND THE ELKS FOOD BASKET AT THAT TIME.
PLEASE WEAR A MASK IF YOU HAVE A COUGH OR COLD OR HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID-19 FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF. WE ARE ASKING ONLY 1 PERSON PER FAMILY IN THE BUILDING AT THAT TIME.
IF YOU ARE ALSO GETTING FOOD THAT DAY YOU WILL NEED TO CALL IN ADVANCE AND YOUR ORDER WILL BE PUT ON THE BACK PORCH FOR PICKUP
Adopt a Child pick-up and food baskets will be at Community Christian Church on December the 15 from 10 am to 1 pm. Pick-up will be a drive-thru like last year.
Elk’s baskets will be delivered the Sunday before Christmas.
PLEASE CALL TO SET UP YOUR APPOINTMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
THANK YOU, THE BEACON STAFF
Letter to the Editor: Randy Nichols
Subsidizing emergency room care is a direct investment in critical services to secure our community’s safety and wellbeing. Recently, concerns have been raised about resources used to sustain the existing hospital building as an asset for future medical/community services. That is a legitimate debate. Let’s remember though how we got here and then consider the difference between support for a building and support for needed ER services.
Following Mercy’s departure, a combined city/county task force contacted multiple hospital systems. There was no viable path forward to re-establish an acute care hospital. The county subsequently negotiated with Mercy for ownership of the building and funds representing demolition expenses. Based on public opinion, the county commission and their economic director chose to keep the building and attempt to establish a “medical mall.” The ongoing county decisions to use financial resources to engage Noble Health and subsequently Legacy Health is directly related to this “medical mall” decision. We now have a building available for expanded health or community services, a building with Legacy Health responsible for utilities and maintenance at no ongoing tax payer expense. This building houses our current and hopefully future ER services
The prior support for a building is different from support for emergency room services. The community needs to understand we are on the verge of losing our emergency room. Without subsidizing ER care it will not be available. Here is the issue. Emergency Rooms lose money. In a traditional system, the ER loss is made up by down stream revenue through admissions to the supporting/receiving hospital. This system has allowed Ascension Via Christi -Pittsburg (AVC-P) to do our ER services and we should recognize the excellent job they have done. However, the adverse financial impact of Covid on health systems across the nation has changed the dynamics of AVC-P ability to continue our ER services. To their credit, Legacy Health has engaged Amberwell. Amberwell has an innovative business, health care approach with proven success in rural Kansas. However, to insure long term, stable ER services, a subsidy is justified and reasonable. Based on the critically important need for ER services and the high risk of completely losing these services altogether we should not view the subsidies as expenses but as investment in our future.
An investment in our personal health and wellbeing. People you know will die unnecessarily without access to a local ER. An investment to avoid increasing the cost of EMS transport for emergencies that don’t require transport to regional hospitals. An investment in maintaining our current population as well as attracting new people to live in Bourbon Co. People will leave and others won’t come because of no ER. An investment in supporting our current businesses and manufacturing and demonstrates support for services that will attract new industry. An investment in future overall economic development. Basically, an investment in sustaining our vitality and overall quality of life. We stand at a crossroad.
Many communities have traditionally subsidized their health care systems. With over 50 hospitals in Kansas at risk for closure, many more will have to do the same. For 150 years we were not faced with this decision. Now we are and our elected officials have stepped up to financially support ongoing ER service. We need to support that decision or suffer the consequences. Arguing about past handling of the building is a fatal distraction.
One last topic. Although, subsidies are needed right now, we need to pursue and encourage two sources of outside funding that could dramatically reduce or eliminated our subsidies all together. First is expanded Medicaid. Expanded Medicaid would reduce the amount of unpaid services delivered in the ER and thereby reduce ER financial losses. We need state legislation to become involved. Expanding Medicaid simply gives us access to federal tax dollars we are already paying and 40 other states are spending on their healthcare. It’s just common sense. The second, and possibly more important source, is Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. REH is federally funded through a bill introduced by Republican Senator Grassly. Reimbursement is made on a cost plus basis for emergency services and expanded 24 hour observation beds. Efforts are currently under way for acceptance into this program. There are some stumbling blocks but it is realistic to think in time this can be accomplished. Calls and letters to our elected state and federal officials in support of these funding opportunities would be helpful. To support expanded Medicaid contact state representative Trevor Jacobs. To support REH contact Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall as well as representative Jake LaTurner.
We’ve lost our hospital, let’s not lose our ER.
Randy Nichols MD
Voices From the Grave Tour Postponed to Nov. 4, Due to Weather
The Voices from the Grave Tour produced by the Bourbon County Community Theatre scheduled for Oct. 28 has been postponed to Nov. 4 due to the possibility of inclement weather.
Bourbon County Community Theatre Presents Voices from the Grave Tour
The newly formed Bourbon County Community Theatre, LLC presents their inaugural production entitled Voices from the Grave.
Voices from the Grave takes place from 6-9 p.m. on November 4 at Riverfront Park in Fort Scott, KS. Guests will enjoy a guided walking tour of short acting vignettes centering around stories of murder and mayhem in Fort Scott. Scenes were written by the students in the Advanced Drama class at Fort Scott High School and are based off of stories from local author Brian Allen’s books about Fort Scott.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and are available from the Chamber of Commerce in Fort Scott. Tour times must be pre-scheduled and run every 10 minutes. Parents must accompany children under the age of 14.
More information can be found on the Bourbon County Community Theatre Facebook page or by contacting Angie Bin at 620-729-9622 or [email protected].
What’s Happening in Fort Scott
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Kiwanis Pioneers Host Drive Through Chili Feed Fundraiser
The Kiwanis Club of Fort Scott Pioneers will hold their 35th annual Chili Feed on Tuesday, November 7th at the United Methodist Church at 301 South National in Fort Scott. A meal of the Pioneers’ signature chili with crackers and a homemade cinnamon roll will be served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. for a free will donation (suggested minimum $8.00 donation per meal) to be collected at the door.
This is the Kiwanis Pioneers’ major fundraiser for the year. In keeping with the Kiwanis motto of “Improving the world one child and one community at a time”, the Pioneers support more than 40 community projects including College scholarships, CASA, the Backpack food program, FSHS Key Club, Head Start, the Beacon, Foster Kids, Feeding Families in his Name, Care to Share, and school reading and arts programs. “All of the funds raised stay in Bourbon County” stated Kiwanis Pioneer President Kelley Collins.
“The annual fundraiser will be drive through only.” according to Collins. Pick-ups will be available under the canopy on the National Avenue side of the church. Please take care not to block private driveways as you are waiting in line for service.
Deliveries will be available for orders of ten or more by calling 620-224-0563 during serving hours.
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Design Review Advisory Board Meeting is Nov. 6
The Fort Scott Design Review Advisory Board Meeting
When: November 6th, 2023
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: City Hall
Topics for discussion:
- Certificate of Appropriateness for storefronts of 6 S. Main and 8 S. Main in Fort Scott submitted for consideration.
- Certificate of Appropriateness for 10 S. National DCF Building project submitted for consideration.
The meeting is open to the public and the recording is available to watch on YouTube after the meeting is held.
Submitted by:
Mary Wyatt
Community Development Director
City of Fort Scott
Brad Matkin Resigns as City of Fort Scott Manager, Effective January 3
Brad Matkin, Fort Scott’s City Manager for approximately 1.5 years resigned yesterday, posting a public service announcement on the City of Fort Scott Facebook page.
Matkin said on October 24 he turned in a letter of resignation to the Fort Scott City Commission, effective on January 3, 2024.
“I will continue doing duties of city manager until that time and close out some of the projects we’ve got, and establish guidelines for the next few years, ” he said on Facebook.
“There is a lot left to do,” Matkin said. “We have only touched the very tip of the iceberg with our accomplishments. As a City, we must establish a Housing/Business Development Coordinator who works full-time for the city and goes and visits with our existing businesses to see if there is anything the City of Fort Scott can do for them. We worry so much about bringing in new business sometimes the great businesses like Timken, Peerless, Ward Kraft, etc. get forgotten.”
This Housing/Business Development Coordinator position would also help developers in their housing and business developments, finding grants, property, and opportunities, he said.
Other projects that Matkin sees as not completed are street, water, and wastewater 2024 and 2025 programs that need to be developed and executed, along with several other tasks.
“You sacrifice a lot with this position and family is very important to me,” he said in an interview. “I have lost many years with my family in previous jobs, and I have decided this was not fair to me or my family. There are several reasons for my departure but this is the only one I will discuss.”
Matkin thanked the city staff and utility work crews, the commissioners, citizens, and his family for their support.
Even “Citizens who haven’t always been supportive, I want to thank you because you are the motivation that drives us,” he said.
He credits any accomplishments to his staff and crews, he said in an interview. “I was just the person that helped with the decisions, they are the ones that made them happen. Every accomplishment I can write down was done by the City of Fort Scott Team and not the City Manager.”
Here are the staff accomplishments:
- Building the staff that the city currently has.
- Establishing the “My Fort Scott” app.
- Finishing Cooper Street.
- Finishing “Old Faithful” project.
- Improving wages for City staff members.
- Improving wages for City Public Safety members
- Gunn Park camping area improvements.
- Lake Fort Scott stem repair.
- 2022 Cape Seal program completion and 2023 Cape Seal program preparation work.
- Increasing advertisements and promotions of area events by the tourism department.
- Approvement of 2025 CCLIP grant for 2nd phase of Wall Street
- Pothole and Crack sealing program.
- Establishing a brick crew, and a street repair team.
- Memorial Hall improvements.
- Additional Lake Fort Scott fishing docks.
- Buck Run Community Center improvements.
- Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements and elimination of “the smell”.
- Assignment of Baker Tilly as City’s Finance Director.
- Flawless 2022 City audit.
- $1.7 million CDBG sewer repair grant ($1.1 million was the city’s responsibility).
- Airport runway and taxi-way improvements.
- Stormwater project on 17th and Eddy.
- Purchased street line painter, painting the city streets with city crews.
- Several street and water line repairs.
- Bringing back the Community Development position.
- Establishing a budget that did not increase taxes and opened up some additional monies.
Fort Scott has a future, he said. “If it’s allowed, but it’s going to take positivity. That was my goal to spread positivity and get rid of negativity. I feel like I have done that, for the most part.”
“It’s my hometown,” he said on the Facebook announcement of his resignation. “I’ve lived here 53 years….there is no place better.”
He will help the commission find a replacement for the position, he said. “To get everything ready for basically what I would have done into the next two years,” he said in making the resignation announcement at the Community Connections Panel at noon yesterday.
When Matkin told the panel he was resigning, at the end of his presentation of highlights at the city, the moderator, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce President Bailey Lyons thanked Matkin for his service to the city of Fort Scott, and asked if there is a new search started for city manager.
“I haven’t talked to the commission, personally,” he said. “If I had a recommendation, I would make it a national search or a least broaden the search out a little further. It will take a little while to find one.”
To view a prior story: