FORT SCOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting
June 21, 2021
PRESENT: John Bartelsmeyer, Jim Fewins, Dave Elliott, Kirk Hart, Bill Meyer, and Robert Nelson
ALSO PRESENT: Alysia Johnston, President, Juley McDaniel, Board Clerk, faculty, and staff
Chairman Bartelsmeyer called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall. The meeting was opened
with the Pledge of Allegiance.
COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR: None.
CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Meyer, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to approve
the consent agenda.
ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS:
A. A motion was made by Meyer, seconded by Nelson, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the bid from
Philadelphia for property/casualty/auto/and excess liability insurance for $186,829.
B. A motion was made by Fewins, seconded by Elliott, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the 2021-22
meeting dates as provided and specifying July 19, 2021 for the July meeting date.
C. A motion was made by Elliott, seconded by Nelson, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the Memorandum
of Agreement with FSCAPE.
D. A motion was made by Fewins, seconded by Hart, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the KASB Worker’s
Compensation Member Participation Premium Agreement and Loyalty Credit Program Agreement.
E. A motion was made by Elliott, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the amended lease
with Mercy for student housing
F. A motion was made by Hart, seconded by Nelson, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the continuation of
the proposed agreement between IA DOE and FSCC for July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The budget will not
exceed $848,237 for the fiscal year, and FSCC will retain 8% administrative allowanced as fiscal agent.
G. A motion was made by Nelson, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to table the discussion of the
Fort Lincoln School rock fossils so the origin of the rocks could be determined prior to taking any action on
allowing recovery of the fossils within the rocks.
H. A motion was made by Fewins, seconded by Hart, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the apartment
flooring quote from SEK Floors for $38,357.20.
I. A motion was made by Elliott, seconded by Nelson, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the apartment
painting quote from H2 Painting for $24,000.00.
J. A motion was made by Meyer, seconded by Hart, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the bid from Lenovo
to purchase laptops for the CAMP students.
K. A motion was made by Meyer, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the list of
memberships and dues for 2021-22 as presented.
L. A motion was made by Meyer, seconded by Elliott, and carried by unanimous vote to appoint Alysia Johnston as
FSCC’s delegate to the CTEC Board of Directors.
ITEMS FOR REVIEW: The Board reviewed letters of correspondence.
REPORTS:
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A. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: The Board reviewed and heard reports from the Miami County Campus,
Gordon Parks Museum, Student Services, Athletics, Instruction, Finance and Operations, and the President.
Chairman Bartelsmeyer thanked Board members for their contributions to the functions of FSCC’s Board of
Trustees. Jim Fewins noted that the presentation at Liberty Theater sponsored by the Gordon Parks Center was
great.
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Trustees, a motion to adjourn was made at 7:37
p.m. by Meyer, seconded by Elliott, and carried by unanimous vote.
Chairman Clerk
Obituary of Stan Fisher
Stan Douglas Fisher, age 72, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Thursday, July 8, 2021, at his home. He was born October 23, 1948, in Ft. Scott, the son of Weldon Fisher and Ester McCracken Fisher.
Stan graduated from both Ft. Scott High School and Ft. Scott Community College. He married Elaine Russell on August 20, 1972, at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle in Ft. Scott. While in high school, Stan began working at Whiteside’s IGA. He remained there for nearly thirty years where he served as grocery department manager. He then worked for a short time at Ward/Kraft prior to going to work for the Burlington Northern Railroad. He worked as a conductor for the railroad until his retirement in 2018.
Stan was a longtime member of the Grace Baptist Tabernacle. He enjoyed gardening and keeping up his yard. In his younger days, he was an avid quail hunter.
Survivors include his wife, Elaine, of the home; his daughter, Stana Wynn and her husband, Jeremy, of Windsor, Colorado and two grandchildren, Nolan Wynn and wife, Anna, of Chesterfield, Missouri and Payton Wynn, of Windsor, Colorado. Also surviving is his brother, Steve Fisher and wife, Liz, of Ft. Scott.
Rev. Paul Rooks and Rev. Jeremy Wynn will conduct funeral services at 1:30 P.M. Monday, July 12th at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle.
Burial will follow in the Centerville Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 P.M. Sunday afternoon at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Grace Baptist Tabernacle and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Rodeo! At Bourbon County Fair Starts Today
It’s that time of year, spending time with family, friends, and neighbors at the Bourbon County Fair.
The fair showcases talents, and provides entertainment, and offers local products to buy. Local entertainers will be featured at the final event on Saturday night.
This year’s Bourbon County Fair starts this tonight at the fairgrounds located on south Horton Street, across from Fort Scott Community College.
“The rodeo starts Friday, July 9th (at 8 p.m.) and events continue clear till Saturday, July 17th,” Diane Brillhart, treasurer of the fair board, said.
Adult tickets to the rodeo are $12, kids six-years-old and up $7 and kids under 6 are free.
“New this year is ‘Christmas at the Fair,'” she said. “Retail booths will be set up in the Merchant’s Building Monday through Friday from 4-9 p.m. We have a great assortment of items.”
Hands-on activities will be happening in the 4-H Building, sponsored by Southwind K-State Extension, the Museum of Creativity, and the Bourbon County Conservation District.
A Decluttering Program by Starlite FCE, led by Glenda Miller, Karen Peery, and Terri Williams, will be presented Wednesday, 2 p.m., at the Myers Building.
Food trucks will be onsite opening at 10:30 a.m. each day. Breakfast will be available in the 4-H Building 7-9:30 a.m.
“We are having the Fair Finale on Saturday, July 17th,” Brillhart said. “D.J. Brown and the Bourbon County Revival along with The Barnstormers will be providing a great night of entertainment.”
Gates open at 6 p.m. and music will start at about 7 p.m. Tickets are $5.
In addition, there will be food trucks and refreshments available, she said.
Continuing this year is the draft horse pull on Tuesday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. and the 4-H Dance and Cornhole Tournament, Thursday, July 15.
“Ben Cole, the voice of the Bourbon County Fair, will be announcing our Market Livestock Shows,” Brillhart said.
Bourbon County Fair Board Officers are President Dale Griffiths; Vice-President Mark Crystal ; Secretary Lynda Foster; Assistant Secretary Sue Reinecke; Treasurer Diane Brillhart; Assistant Treasurer Mark Brillhart; Grandstand Superintendent Stewart Gulager and Assistant Grandstand Superintendent Bobby Reed.
Obituary of Daniel O. Longfell
Daniel Oscar Longfellow, age 80, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, July 6, 2021, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.
He was born July 24, 1940, in rural Lawrence, Kansas, the son of Arthur Daniel Longfellow and Hazel Grammar Longfellow. He served with the United States Army.
Daniel worked as a custodian for the Bonner Springs School District.
He married Mary Tharp on June 18, 1993, in Topeka, Kansas. Together they enjoyed camping and attending Old West reenactments.
Survivors include Richard Longfellow of Ft. Scott, Jonathan Longfellow of Minnesota, Tammy Longfellow of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Hannah Longfellow of Ottawa and Becky Longfellow of Topeka, Kansas and several grandchildren.
His wife, Mary, preceded him in death on May 10, 2019. He was also preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Alvin Dean, Dennis Arthur, and Delbert Olan Longfellow.
Rev. Rod Hillhouse will conduct graveside services at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, July 13th at the U. S. National Cemetery.
Family and friends may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel on Tuesday prior to leaving for the cemetery at 9:45 A.M.
Military honors will be conducted at the cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
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What’s Happening in Fort Scott July 9 Newsletter
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports July 9
Mushrooms by Patty LaRoche
Horrible, disgusting mushrooms have found a home in my yard.
This, after hiring a landscaping crew to come in four times a year to do whatever landscapers do to keep our grass green and somewhat weed-free.
These mushrooms prevent me from keeping up with my neighbor, the one to the south who last year sodded his yard and installed an irrigation system. Without fail, sprinklers come on in a watering pattern that keeps his grass worthy of a Better Homes and Garden cover photo.
I have zero chance since I am our sprinkler system. I purchased two sprinklers for the days in which it did not rain, and while joined to their 100-ft. hoses, I drag them around the yard, spending hours a week trying to keep my grass green and happy
You can imagine my horror this year when I returned from Mexico to find unwanted demon-guests (aka mushrooms) leeching off the decaying nutrients in my soil.
When no local business offered a solution, I made phone calls to experts and was told that the shrooms no doubt had thrived because of the rain.
“As soon as the sun comes out and the rain stops, they will go away.” Whining to experts has accomplished nothing.
I have spiked the area around the little imps and filled it with liquid detergent. Two gallons of Dawn later, the parasites had turned black and stank horribly. (Stink, stank, stunk…yes, that is correct.
) But then they resurrected in another area, including the edge of my neighbor’s pristine yard, and I felt responsible.
No doubt they had spread their underground mushroom spore-filled gills into Never-Never-Neighbor-Land and now might overtake the entire neighborhood.
I have dug them up and bagged them for disposal. I have doused them with a vinegar/water solution and have treated them with non-soluble fertilizer.
Still, their bothersome bouquets proliferate.
It’s no coincidence that this morning’s Bible reading is in Romans where Paul addresses our sin nature. Several chapters are spent on the entanglement of sin and how easily we continue doing what we should not do instead of understanding that as Christians, we are to move toward holiness.
You know, instead of continuing to feed our souls on rot.
Sin comes natural to us, and like mushrooms, if unchecked, works its way out in thoughts, words, and deeds. If we do not kill the decay upon which our sin is relying for nourishment, it can take over our lives.
The apostle Paul was direct when asked if it’s okay to ignore sin (since we are covered by grace). He used three words to answer: “By no means!” We have to do everything we can to correct all ways we do not reflect Jesus Christ.
In other words, just like the death of the mushrooms is the Sun, the death of our sin is dependent on the Son of God.
I just need to spend as much time with Him as I do the annoying pests in our ground.
Building For Lease In Downtown Fort Scott
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Recovery of February Weather Event Costs
KCC issues first order on recovery of February weather event costs
TOPEKA – Today, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) issued the first of several utility-specific orders addressing customer payment of deferred energy costs related to the February 2021 winter weather event. On February 15, the KCC ordered regulated utilities to do everything possible to continue providing power and natural gas service to their customers in spite of skyrocketing natural gas prices. Utilities were instructed to defer any extraordinary costs and then propose a plan to recoup the charges over time to reduce the financial impact on customers. Each plan would require Commission approval.
The first of the payment plans to be considered by the Commission, submitted by American Energies Gas Service, was approved this morning. The company, which supplies gas service to approximately 200 customers in Harvey, McPherson, and Marion counties, reported $317,914 in extraordinary costs for the weather event, inclusive of carrying costs to finance the delayed recovery plan. For context, that is more than the utility typically collects in total annual revenues from customer billing. Under the plan, American Energies customers have the option to make monthly payments over a 5-year period or make a lump sum payment. If a customer chooses to make a lump sum payment, they will avoid the monthly carrying charges over 60 months. The payment amounts are based on individual customer usage during February 2021.
In light of ongoing state and federal investigations into the higher than normal February prices for natural gas, provisions are being included in each payment plan to protect ratepayer interests while still allowing utilities to begin recouping service costs.
“These investigations take time, and we don’t know when they will be completed. In the event there is a finding that the market price was unjust or the result of market manipulation, we make it crystal clear to utilities in these agreements that those proceeds will go back to the individual customers that are paying their bills today,” said Justin Grady, KCC Chief of Revenue Requirements, Cost of Service, and Finance.
An agreement on a plan proposed by the City of Eskridge is currently pending before the Commission while plans submitted by Southern Pioneer, Black Hills Energy, and Evergy are still being evaluated by KCC staff. Atmos, Empire, and Kansas Gas Service have not yet filed plans.
A recording of today’s Commission Business Meeting is available on the KCC You Tube channel.
Care To Share: $5 Flower Bouquets Fundraiser at Fort Scott’s Tuesday Farmer’s Market
Care to Share is a cancer support group, solely run by volunteers is seeking donations to help with cancer patient’s travel costs. In the support group, no salaries are paid.
For the next three Tuesdays (July 13, 20, 27) from 4-6 PM at the Farmer’s Market located at Scubitz Plaza, $5 flower bouquets will be sold by The Little Flower Farm.
100% of the proceeds will go to Care to Share. The Little Flower Farm is a local, sustainably grown, cut flower business.
The closure of Fort Scott Cancer Center has forced local cancer patients to travel out of town for care. Costs of travel are rising, and the bills quickly add up. With your support, Care to Share helps our neighbors, friends, and family who are fighting cancer.
We ask that you come out to the Tuesday Farmer’s Markets and support this wonderful mission these next three weeks.
Submitted by Calista Richards
(620)215-3008
Johnson County U.S. 69 Hwy. Expansion/Modernization Announced
Governor Laura Kelly Announces U.S. 69 Expansion and Modernization Project in Johnson County
~Kelly Administration’s Bipartisan Transportation Plan to Improve Accessibility, Safety, and Spur New Business Growth~
OVERLAND PARK – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced in Overland Park that the region’s number one priority, the U.S. 69 Expansion and Modernization project – totaling a $300 million investment – has been committed to construction as part of the Kelly Administration’s bipartisan transportation plan.
“This project will enhance accessibility, address long-term safety concerns, and relieve congestion to recruit new businesses and families to Johnson County,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Since day one, we’ve honored our commitment to ending the practice of using infrastructure dollars for projects they were never meant for – and instead use these dollars to directly fix our roads, bridges, and expand broadband access. Today’s announcement is further proof that our commitment to good stewardship of these funds is benefitting our communities, taxpayers, and businesses.”
Express toll lanes (ETLs) are a new-to-the-region strategy for managing congestion along busy highway corridors like U.S. 69. While the two existing lanes will remain free for drivers to use, the project will add a new, third tolled lane in each direction from 151st and 103rd streets, replace 50-year-old pavement and reconfigure interchanges at Blue Valley Parkway and I-435.
“This project improves traffic flow for all drivers on U.S. 69,” said Secretary Julie Lorenz. “The Overland Park Council voted to use this approach to manage congestion and provide their local contribution through tolls. The Kelly Administration’s transportation program is built on partnerships. Communities across the state are providing a local funding contribution or phasing projects so their projects can be constructed sooner.”
“I’m glad to join Governor Kelly, Secretary Lorenz, and Overland Park City Councilmembers as they take the next step on this project to expand US 69—a project that has been a longtime priority for our community. It’s a team effort, and with the recent passage of the bipartisan INVEST in America Act through Congress, we are one step closer to bringing home additional federal funds for the US 69/167th Street interchange,” said Rep. Sharice Davids. “I look forward to continuing my work in Congress to secure smart, sustainable infrastructure investments that create good-paying jobs here in the Third District.”
“Commuters on U.S. 69 corridor are frustrated with increasing congestion and travel times,” said Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach. “We must address these issues to keep the Overland Park community and economy growing.”
Moving this project to the construction phase will take place as soon as preliminary engineering and right of way acquisition is complete. The U.S. 69 project is scheduled to be let for construction in fiscal year 2022 and open to traffic in 2025.
KDOT will turn to informing the public on what to use ETLs between now and when the project opens to traffic.
For more information, visit www.69Express.org or follow @69ExpressKS on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Nextdoor. Social media posts can be tagged with #69Express.
The below photos of today’s event are available for media use:
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Tri-Valley Raffled Truck Winner: Gary Thomas
Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation Announces Winner of 21st Annual Raffle Truck Drawing
The Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation is proud to announce the winner of the 21st Annual Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation Truck Raffle Drawing: Gary Thomas.
Mr. Thomas’ ticket was drawn from 1,894 entries on Friday, June 25th at 1:30 pm by TVDS CEO Bill Fiscus. Mr. Thomas was notified immediately and was both surprised and excited to hear that he had won the raffle drawing. Mr. Thomas is now the proud owner of a 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 Long Horn Edition Truck, purchased from Shields Motor Company in Chanute, KS.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s raffle drawing.
This year’s raffle drawing raised $29,600 which will go to provide quality and affordable housing as well as aid in the delivery of services for our neighbors with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD).
Since 2001, the Foundation has built six houses as well as acquired six houses and one duplex. These thirteen houses are home to 62 individuals with I/DD that reside in the SE Kansas counties of Allen, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson. The Friends of Tri-Valley is licensed through the State of Kansas for this raffle (RAF000005).