Letter to the Editor: Trevor Jacobs
Today, four of my colleagues and I have formulated a letter that has been sent out today.
We are trying to encourage our fellow Legislators to get on board and actually stand for individual liberty.
Some legislators have made excuses for why this will not work. Some say it will cost 60 to 65 thousand dollars a day to stand and defend the individual liberties of the people of Kansas. Sadly, are many of these excuses because they do not want to go back to work for us?
Still, all of these legislators who oppose this are the very same legislators who voted for the highest spending budget in Kansas history. This grew bigger government and shrunk our own private budgets. Yet they will not stand for our God-given liberties?
How can this make rational sense to anyone who is about ready to lose their job, their home, or their livelihood? It does not. Still, state leadership will not stand up and are also holding captive both legislative bodies.
There must be pressure put on those who claim to stand for Justice. We the people must remind these legislator holdouts that they swore to uphold the Kansas State Constitution and they swore to serve we the people and protect our individual liberties.
Let’s stand together for Liberty,
4th District
Representative
Trevor Jacobs
620-224-6928
Bourbon County Commission Agenda Sept. 28
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: September 28, 2021
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________
3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM
Call to Order
-
- Flag Salute
- Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
- Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
- Terry Sercer – 2020 Audit Review
- County Counselor Comment
- Susan Bancroft, Finance Director Comment
- Public Comment
- Elected Officials Comment
- Commission Comment
Chamber Coffee hosted The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, 65th Anniversary
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted by the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, Thursday, September 30th at 8 a.m. inside the Yeager Building on the Fairgrounds located at 2102 S. Huntington Blvd. Coffee and refreshments will be served and a drawing for Pioneer Button for the 65th Annual Pioneer Fiesta.
The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta will be celebrating its 65th Anniversary of hosting this event at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds in Fort Scott, Kansas October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The Pioneer Harvest Fiesta features one of the largest, most interesting Flea Markets in the Four-State regions. Experience educational and historic exhibits, refreshments, and live musical entertainment all weekend.
Chamber members and guests are invited to Chamber Coffee events each Thursday at 8 a.m. to network, make announcements, hear about happenings in the community as well as learn about the host business or organization.
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Gordon Parks Immersive Educational Experience Oct. 8
Professor Duane “Michael” Cheers: “I needed Paris Launch Event” at the 2021 Gordon Parks Celebration
Fort Scott- Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Scott, KS, will host “I needed Paris Launch Event,” a presentation and discussion by Professor, Duane “Michael” Cheers during the 2021 Annual Gordon Parks Celebration events on Friday, October 8th at 11:30 A.M. at The Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St. Fort Scott, KS.
Members of the community are invited to attend the free presentation. Contact Kirk Sharp at 620 -223-2700 ext. 5850 for more information.
Duane “Michael’ Cheers, Associate Professor of Photojournalism, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, San Jose State University will provide a presentation and discussion launch event for the immersive educational experience that will take a group of diverse American and Parisian student photographers through Paris, traversing the same streets and neighborhoods as Gordon Parks. Prof. Cheers will help these students reimagine Parks’ panache as a fashion photographer and will help them recreate his black and white film photo techniques while using the same type of camera Gordon used – with twin lens reflex film cameras.
In 1948, Life magazine sent Gordon Parks who was 36 years old at the time, to Paris. He was to cover the French collections during fashion week. Not long after this, Parks was given a coveted assignment: two years in Life magazine’s Paris bureau. He would focus on photographing the latest fashions in the world’s fashion capital, Paris. Parks would more specifically take pictures of Americans in Paris. He would also be the magazine’s correspondent, using the lens of his camera to reveal scenes of a post-war Europe.
Contrary to many fashion photographers who did fashion shoots in studios, at that time, Parks, whose fashion photography had graced Vogue and Glamour magazines, photographed his fashion models mostly outdoors.
This project will showcase the diverse hues of women and men fashion models, unlike the Paris publications of the 1940s and early 1950s in which Black people were rarely seen. Student participants will style and photograph their models at some of the same locations chosen by Parks.
Part of this travel experience will be foundation of a book, “Blacks in Paris”, and it will feature some of our best photographs. This book will honor Parks as a documentary photographer. This project will also explore a close-knit community of the Black diaspora, known as “Little Africa”, mostly west and north African immigrants whose neighborhood area is now threatened by gentrification, much like the neighborhoods of Harlem, New York.
This print-on-demand picture book will be created in partnership with the Gordon Parks Museum, Fort Scott, Kansas, and with Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours. It will be published the latter part of 2022, the 30th anniversary of Songs of My People: African Americans, A Self-Portrait. Gordon Parks wrote the introduction to Songs of My People, and it was a best-selling coffee table picture book.
The student-photographers will receive academic credit for their published work. The proceeds from the sale of the book will assist the Gordon Parks Museum in their ongoing programming to promote cultural awareness and diversity in a global society.
The book launch and exhibition are scheduled for February 2023, at Fort Scott Community College.
The diverse pool of student-photographers will come from the photojournalism and photography departments
at San José State University, The George Washington University, and The Corcoran School of Art and Design.
For and other information email [email protected] or by phone call 223-2700, ext. 5850.
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Flags Half-Staff As Kansas COVID-19 Cases Reach 6,000
Governor Laura Kelly Directs Flags be Flown at Half-staff to Honor 6,024 Kansans Who Lost Their Lives to COVID-19
TOPEKA – In honor of the more than 6,000 lives lost due to COVID-19, and the families they left behind, Governor Laura Kelly has directed that flags be lowered to half-staff throughout the state effective immediately to sundown Wednesday, September 29.
“It is with great sadness that, for the 6th time since the pandemic began, I am ordering flags to half-staff to honor the lives and memories of another 1,000 Kansans who have died from COVID-19,” Governor Kelly said. “We have the tools to stop the virus in its tracks and prevent further unnecessary deaths of our loved ones and neighbors. I urge all Kansans to get vaccinated, wear masks, and follow best health practices.”
To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit: https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honor.
CHC Update: Designing, Ordering, and Searching For More Drs.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is moving forward with the renovation of the former Price Chopper building on South Main.
“We are still in the design phase, but still on schedule for a December 2022 occupancy,” CHC/SEK CEO Krista Postai said.
The lease with Bourbon County, the owners of the former Mercy Hospital building, ends in December of 2022.
“The COVID Pandemic is most certainly impacting the availability of almost everything so we have already ordered,” Postai said. “This includes many of the larger pieces of equipment, including a CT Scanner and the bone density equipment.”
CHC/SEK has started recruitment for additional staff including a pediatrician and a dentist, she said.
And additionally, CHC has assumed operations of another medical clinic.
“We will be assuming operations of the medical clinic in LaCygne – formerly operated by Olathe Health- and will ultimately be doubling the staff,” she said. LaCygne is in Linn County, north of Bourbon County.
About CHC/SEK
“CHC/SEK opened its doors in 1997 on the second floor of a 90-year-old elementary school building in Pittsburg as a community outreach of Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center, the hospital Mother Sheridan founded in 1903,” according to its’ website.
“Our purpose was to ensure that all children were “ready to learn” by providing physicals and immunizations, no matter their parents’ ability to pay. It was a mission of love in an area of critical need – a community that continues to have some of the highest rates of childhood poverty in Kansas.
“We quickly realized these children’s parents and grandparents needed care too. We expanded our services and facility to provide quality, affordable healthcare to patients of all ages. By 2003, we had become an independent organization with 11 employees that cared for 3,300 patients.
“Today, more than 600 employees care for more than 70,000 patients every year, providing medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and support services across southeast Kansas – still regardless of the ability.”
Friday Night Free Concert: Stephan Moses
Stephan Moses will be the guest performer at this week’s Friday Night Concert. Moses is a songwriter vocalist and musician who plays guitar, banjo, and mandolin. He will perform a variety of classic country, southern gospel, and the gospel songs of Elvis.
“Formerly from Kansas City and now residing in Nevada, MO, Moses began playing music at age ten,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “Moses has a strong family heritage in music, as his grandfather played banjo, and an uncle played guitar and sang. Hearing this music as a young boy left a strong impression and influence on Moses. We are happy to welcome Stephan Moses back to the park pavilion. We invite you to bring a friend and join us for an evening of great music.“
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas of Parsons serves as sound technician each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Sept. 27
Jazz and R&B Violinist Performs on Oct. 8
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Bourbon County Commission Agenda For Sept. 28
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: September 28, 2021
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________
3rd District-Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM
Call to Order
-
- Flag Salute
- Approval of Minutes from previous meeting
- Eric Bailey – Road and Bridge Report
- County Counselor Comment
- Susan Bancroft, Finance Director Comment
- Public Comment
- Elected Officials Comment
- Commission Comment
Justifications for Executive Session:
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 security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.
Was It Worth It? by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom – By Carolyn Tucker
When I was expecting our first child, my Mom tried to encourage me with these wise words, “After a woman has a baby and she sees and holds it for the first time, she forgets all about the pain.” So I was banking on that to happen when I delivered my first child. I don’t know what was wrong with me, but my amnesia never did kick in. That’s the only time my Mom lied to me. However, I can honestly say that it was worth it — both times.
Christ followers have to keep on and stand strong in the pain of adversities. We have His promises and the privilege of going boldly to God’s throne for whatever we need. We mustn’t give up or give in when the going gets rough.
Believers need to make up their minds and purpose in their hearts that no matter what, they’re going to be radically dedicated to Jesus. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. Endurance is defined as the ability to last, continue, or remain. “For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy” (James 5:10,11 NLT).
“The path of the godly leads away from evil; he who follows that path is safe” (Proverbs 16:17 TLB). Should you wander off the good path, don’t despair. One of Satan’s meanest tricks is to try to convince you that you’re a big fat fail and you might as well give up. The enemy of your soul doesn’t want you to know God‘s Word: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23,24 NKJV).
One of my favorite songs, “I Won’t Turn Back,” was written by Geron Davis, Tim Pedigo, and Janet Paschal. The lyrics encourage me to keep going. “It’s a struggle for survival, we daily meet the foe. Out there on the battlefield sometimes we stand alone. That‘s when I reach for my holy armor; I pick up my shield of faith and I march onto the battlefield — I take up my sword and say, ‘The mountain is high but it’s not too steep. The battle is rough but I’m not too weak. And I won’t turn back, oh no, I won’t turn back! The road is hot but it’s not too long. And the enemy is near but he’s not too strong. And I won’t turn back, oh no, I won’t turn back.’ In the face of strong resistance, we press on through the night. For often on the battlefield we walk by faith not sight. We march through persecution, determined come what may. We have to fight a good fight; we have to keep the faith!”
“The godly have a refuge when they die” (Proverbs 14:32 TLB). I love to use my husband’s preaching Bible. Jimmy underlined the following verse: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT). If I could ask him today, “Was it worth it?” I know he would answer, “Oh my, yes!”
The Key: When you’ve run your final race and you see your Savior’s face, it will be worth it all.