NEWS RELEASE
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, for a special board meeting.
President James Wood opened the meeting.
The board went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel. The board returned to open meeting and adjourned.
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USDA and EDA Launch Resource Guide to Boost Economic Development in Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small and U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Dennis Alvord today unveiled a joint resource guide to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic development in rural America.
“America’s rural communities are critical to the success of our nation’s economy,” Torres Small said. “When we invest in rural communities, we build opportunity and prosperity for the people who live in them. The guide we are unveiling today will better equip people with the tools they need to make their communities more attractive, economically viable and safe places to live and work.”
Alvord added, “We are committed to working together to explore new ways to support and strengthen rural America. It’s important that we’re equipping our communities with tools that are easily accessible and easily utilized to maximize the work of providing greater, inclusive economic prosperity across our country. This guide is a great tool to deliver on that commitment.”
The resource guide outlines programs and services that can be used to advance community and economic development in rural communities through four key focus areas:
The guide also features information and links to USDA Rural Development and U.S. Economic Development Administration key priorities and resources.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
A new church will soon be starting in Fort Scott which is being started from Family Life Assembly of God (FLAG) of Pittsburg.
At 3 p.m. on May 22, FLAG will be hosting a first interest meeting at the Fort Cinema Movie Theater, 224 W. 18th.
“We want to start being in the community and give the opportunity for people in Fort Scott to come learn what were all about,” said Grady Proffitt, Fort Scott Campus Pastor for FLAG.
“We will be in the exact location where we will host our Sunday morning worship services starting September 11,” he said. “Everyone and anyone are welcome as we get to share and our plan and meet new people!”
History of the Church Plant
FLAG Church began the church planting process in 2019, he said, but they had a transition with lead pastor’s at the church as well as the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in early 2020.
“FLAG decided to pause and wait for the dust to settle during the pandemic before continuing the process to church plant,” he said.
In the pandemic, the Fort Scott Assembly of God Church closed late last year, he said.
“The pastor lost his wife to COVID,” Profitt said.
“We believe God is sending us to be another light in a great community”, he said. “FLAG’s decision to plant a video venue campus was heavily influenced by the closing of (the) other affiliated Assemblies of God church in Fort Scott just this past year. Our heart is to be another avenue for people of Fort Scott to be a part of a healthy church community and become disciples of Jesus!”
“Everything is live (in a video venue), except a message that will come from the church in Pittsburg,” Proffitt said. Tom Jacobs is the pastor of that church, with an attendance at about 480 people. “In person attendance has been going up (since the waning of the pandemic),” he said.
“We think God is sending us there for a reason,” he said. “We are not replacing a church, we are starting a new church.”
“Through God’s perfect timing, we as a church have said yes to God’s call and we are planting FLAG Fort Scott Sunday, September 11th, 2022.”
Proffitt, 27, and his wife, Jacque, have a one-year-old son, Tyson.
Proffitt attended the James River Leadership College, Springfield, MO. then earned a bachelor of science in business administration from Evangel University, Springfield. He has been in ministry seven years and helped plant James River Church in Joplin and has been at FLAG for two years.
“I love pastoring,” he said. “I will still be under the administration of FLAG Church, with the official title of campus pastor.”
There will be several “interest” meetings, he said. This one in May, then one in June, one in July and one in August.
“At the meetings we will tell about who we are and listen and hear what people are excited about,” Proffitt said.
Family Life Assembly of God can be contacted in the following ways for more information:
(620) 232-FLAG
Lori Grace Ruddick, age 63, resident of Nevada, MO, passed away Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at the Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS. She was born February 1, 1959, in Fort Scott, KS, the daughter of Alvin M. and Betty Pauli Ruddick. Lori graduated from Fort Scott High School in 1977 and received her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS in 1982. She was in private practice at Alternatives in Mental Health since 1994 in Nevada, MO. She raised two children, Jeremy Adam Ruddick, and Abby Ruddick Simmons.
Lori had a passion for raising golden retrievers and Maltese for over 40 years. She lived for her children and dedicated her time to their community and school extracurriculars throughout their childhood. She spent summers, holidays, and many days in between traveling to the lake to spend time with family and friends.
Survivors include her mother, Betty Ruddick, Fort Scott, KS; her two children, Jeremy Ruddick and wife Nicole and their son Cooper, Lamar, MO, and Abby Simmons and husband Cody and their son Jackson R., Carl Junction, MO; her three sisters, Lisa and husband Ron, St. Louis, MO, Linda Burger, St. Louis, MO, and Leslie and husband Chris, Lee’s Summit, MO; her nieces and nephews Haley Trainor and husband Michael, Aaron Rucker, Nick Ogden and wife Taylor, Hannah Ogden, and Samantha Irene. She was preceded in death by her father, Alvin M. Ruddick.
There was cremation. The family will hold private services with a public celebration of life to be announced at a later date. Memorials are suggested to Bourbon County CASA and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online quest book at cheneywitt.com.
~~This Legislation Helps Students Transition from Career and Technical Education Programs into the Workforce~~
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed bipartisan House Bill 2466 to promote computer science education in Kansas schools and provide additional funding for current and aspiring teachers to receive training in computer science programs. HB 2466 also establishes a pilot program that covers credential exam costs and assists career and technical education students in their transition to the workforce.
“By expanding computer science education and creating this transition program, we can better retain the skilled workforce Kansas produces through our K-12 schools,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “In addition, it signals to companies looking to build or expand their business that Kansas is the place to do it.”
HB 2466 provides scholarships for educators in rural areas and underrepresented socioeconomic groups to obtain computer science education training.
“HB2466 will bring much needed resources and training to our teachers,” Representative Steve Huebert, District 90, said. “With that, more classes will be offered, allowing students to gain the computer science skills they need for today’s workforce demands.”
More information about HB 2466 can be found here.
Governor Kelly also signed the following bills:
HB 2138
Provides for the use of electronic poll books in elections and the approval of such books by the secretary of state, requires all voting systems for elections to use individual voter-verified paper ballots with a distinctive watermark, requires the secretary of state and local election officers to develop an affidavit to be signed by election workers regarding the handling of completed ballots, requires audits of any federal, statewide or state legislative race that is within 1% of the total votes cast and requires randomized audits of elections procedures used in four counties in even-numbered years, requires a county election officer to send a confirmation of address when there is no election-related activity for any four-calendar year period and exempts poll workers from certain election crimes.
Since Larry and Vickie Shead’s retirement as educators a few years back they have been showcasing their farm to the public.
They started an event last year for visitors to explore and gather ideas from the Shead’s sustainable lifestyle farm.
“We feel we are just caretakers (of the farm),” Vickie Shead said. “This is what God has given us to do.”
“The Shead Farm Homestead Festival is great for all ages with the farm’s 50 point tour, children’s educational game center, music, and food court, all setting the stage for new innovative ideas and educational information about gardening and farming that produce quality food,” she said.
On May 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. they are opening their farm to the public for the second annual Shead Farm Homestead Festival, located at 2468 Cavalry Rd, Garland, KS, southeast of Fort Scott.
In addition to a farm tour of their gardens, orchard, greenhouse, animals and bee keeping activities there will be a food court serving products made at the farm: walking tacos for $5 and supercharged cookies for $2.
Vendors will be selling seedlings, soap, honey and more.
The farm will be filled with sounds of live music by many local musicians, David Pritchett, Ralph Carlson, Mim Carlson and Carolyn Tucker. Also, a local group called the Prairie Sunflower Strings will perform as well: Marilyn Adcock, Charlena Burns, Jack and Sandy Hemphill, Joyce Love, Cherry Nelson, Jean Strader, Stephen Moses. There will also be an open jam session. Sound is provided by Dave Oas.
Children will have lots to choose from for activities: an animal arena, story station, photo place, cow milking, butter making, and more.
Admission for the day is $5 per person or $20 for a family of four and more.
Their children and their spouses will be helping the day of the festival excluding Michael and Chrisi Shead and family, who are missionaries to Guatemala. Those who will be helping May 21 are: Mark and Haley Shead, Mitzi and Joel Ray, and Maria and Clayton Whitson, along with most of their 21 grandchildren. Many other volunteers are helping to make this a great family outing.
For more information:
Vickie Shead
Phone: (620) 224-4149
Email: [email protected]
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SheadFarm
https://SheadFarm.com
History of the Shead’s Sustainable Homestead
In 1978, Larry and Vickie Shead moved to their family’s 1892 homestead with a goal of having a healthy, sustainable, organic farm.
They began to produce fruits, vegetables, herbs and animals, and also to teach and train the family the value of hard work as a fun activity and entertainment.
Before “agritourism” was a word, the Sheads found themselves welcoming guests who wanted to experience farm life. These included: school field trips, church camps, reunions, weddings, and large Thanksgiving gatherings.
Over the decades, five colleges used the farm for weekend retreats where students could experience the life of work and fun in the outdoors. Over 3000 students representing 50 states and 54 different countries have come to enjoy the farm.
In 2017, Vickie’s dream of a high tunnel (greenhouse) became a reality through a Natural Resource Conservation Service grant, through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
“The high tunnel not only extends the growing season but helps protect against insects and chemical contaminants that might drift from neighboring farms,” she said.
In 2021, the Shead Farm was registered as an Agritourism Farm with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
VEGGIE POWDER
Over 44 years, Vickie has planted, grown, harvested, and preserved all her organic produce surplus which was dehydrated and ground into extremely fine powder and added to cookies, eggs, smoothies, peanut butter sandwiches, meats, soups, casseroles,
puddings, salads, etc.
It is called VEGGIE POWDER.
The powder provides extra nutrients for families constantly on the go, parents of difficult eaters, or those wanting a more healthy natural diet, she said.
The concentrated organic Veggie Powder from the Shead Farm has an interested beginning.
“Having 250 kindergartners come to the farm
for a fun, farm field trip was an eye opener,” Vickie said. “The school provided healthy sack lunches. However, when the trash was emptied, almost all of the carrots and most of the apples were in the trash along with half-eaten peanut butter sandwiches. The
cookies were ALL EATEN. Children, as well as adults, often choose to eat what they want to eat, pushing the healthy vegetables to the side. Vegetables are sadly missing in so many diets.”
VEGGIE POWDER is made without fillers. In each bottle, she uses available vegetables: kale, cucumbers, zucchini, chard, sweet potatoes, sweet potato leaves, summer squash, carrots, carrot tops, butternut squash, okra, spinach, beets, beet greens, eggplant, Malabar spinach, and Moringa.
Veggie Powder will be available for sale on the day of the festival and additionally, the powder is sold on Etsy for $5 per oz.
After ordering, each customer receives a thank you card with a recipe on the back, usually made by Vickie and Larry’s grandchildren.
Customers can visit their Facebook page for inspiration on how to incorporate the powder into their meals.
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, May 9, 2022
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Board of Education office on Monday, May 9, 2022, for their regular monthly meeting.
President James Wood opened the budget hearing. There were no comments; the budget hearing was closed. The board approved the official agenda. The board also approved the consent agenda as follows:
A. Minutes
B. Bills and Claims
C. Payroll – April 20, 2022 – $1,443,359.12
D. Financial Report
E. Activity fund accounts
F. Point of Information
G. LCP Assurances
H. Greenbush Energy Group Participation Agreement and Hedging Authorization for 2022-23
There were no comments in the public forum. Representatives from HTK Architects presented ideas and concepts for the Fort Scott Preschool Center.
Board members reviewed the principals’ reports. In addition, board members heard reports from Dalaina Smith, Academics Director; Ted Hessong, Superintendent; and Gina Shelton, Finance Director.
The board approved the budget adoption. Dan Koppa, Facilities Director, reported on summer maintenance projects. Superintendent Hessong gave a KESA update and ESSER III update.
The board approved the following
· High school science curriculum recommendation
· Summer camps
· 2022-23 lunch fees
· 2022-23 fees
Board members shared comments and then went into executive session to discuss employer-employee negotiations. The board returned to open session and then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel. The board returned to open session and approved Resolution 21-13 – Intent to nonrenew a teacher’s contract. The board approved the following employment matters:
A. Resignation of Jeff Dillow, central office HVAC maintenance, effective June 30, 2022
B. Resignation of Raymond Allen, high school custodian, effective May 13, 2022
C. Resignation of Amanda Jamison, Winfield Scott paraprofessional, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year
D. Transfer of Sabrina Keating, Eugene Ware fourth grade teacher, to high school/Eugene Ware gifted teacher for the 2022-23 school year
E. Transfer of Moriah Dillow, Winfield Scott focus room teacher, to Winfield Scott kindergarten teacher for the 2022-23 school year
F. Transfer of Stuart Troutman, central office maintenance, to central office technology help desk specialist beginning May 10, 2022
G. Employment of Hannelie Smit as a district occupational therapist for the 2022-23 school year
H. Employment of Jessica Johnson as a Eugene Ware secretary for the 2022-23 school year
I. Extended contract request from Angella Curran, high school debate/forensics teacher
J. Resignation of Torrie Singmaster, middle school girls’ basketball coach, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year
K. Resignation of Jared Martin as high school summer conditioning coordinator
L. Addition of a middle school summer conditioning position for the upcoming summer
M. Resignation of Reyna Valenzuela, high school English teacher, effective May 9, 2022
N. Resignation of Clint Heffern, high school physical education teacher and high school head boys’ basketball coach, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year
O. Resignation of Laura Howard, middle school language arts teacher, effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year
P. Resignation of Zach Hart, Winfield Scott paraprofessional, effective May 12, 2022
Q. Employment of Shelly Charter as Winfield Scott Principal for the 2022-23 school year
R. Employment of Krystle Griem as Winfield Scott Assistant Principal for the 2022-23 school year
S. Employment of Colin Downey as a high school social studies teacher for the 2022-23 school year
T. Employment of Christina Lutter-Smith as a speech/language pathologist for the 2022-23 school year
U. Employment of Lori Jett as a high school English teacher for the 2022-23 school year
V. Employment of Andrew Ables as a middle school seventh grade science teacher for the 2022-23 school year
W. Employment of Sarah Long as a high school paraprofessional for the 2022-23 school year
X. Employment of Bo Graham as high school summer conditioning coordinator for the 2022-23 school year
The board went into executive session to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel. The board returned to open meeting and adjourned.
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