I have great news! The Rural Community Partners Website is officially live!
Thanks to our Pittsburg State University Micro-Intern (funded through the Parker Dewey and the Kansas Department of Commerce), we have a BEAUTIFUL, user friendly website that clearly showcases our work and makes it easy for people to sign up for services, get involved, and connect with us. It’s all part of our effort to find, connect, and engage across our rural communities!!
A few of the services offer to our rural communities:
General community support,
Small Business Mentorship Program (funded through HBCAT’s Social Entrepreneurship BCBS Pathways Grant),
Coalition and community technical assistance and community investment in partnership with KUMC COPE,
Small business micro grant program (a project we spearheaded with the support of our KFAN grant, funded by KHF)
Feasibility Studies and Cost Benefit Analysis
We’re incredibly proud of this milestone and grateful to the partners who helped make it happen. Please take a look, share the site, and encourage individuals, businesses, and community partners to explore how they can connect with Rural Community Partners.
Thank you to everyone involved in making this happen!!
The north wing, east side of the Bourbon County Courthouse.
The Bourbon County Commission gained one new member this week, with another on the way. Citizens of Bourbon County had voted to change the county from a three-commissioner district to a five-commissioner one. In the fall of 2025, Greg Motley was elected to district 4 and Mika Milburn to district 5. Milburn was already serving as the old district 3 commissioner, which lead to an interesting situation.
Oaths of Office
Prior to taking the oath of office to serve as commission of the new fifth district, Commission Mika Milburn officially resigned her position as commissioner of the third district of Bourbon County.
County Clerk Susan Walker administered the oath of office to Greg Motley as commissioner for district 4, and Mika Milburn for district 5.
Chair of the Bourbon County Republican party, Kaety Bowers thanked Motley for his willingness to serve and Milburn for her service in 2025. She then read an excerpt from President Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” speech.
The Republican Party will appoint another commissioner to serve for district 3. Those who live in the district and want to serve in this way should contact Bowers.
Reorganization of Board
Appoint Chairman: 2025 Chair David Beerbower nominated Samuel Tran. Milburn seconded and the nomination passed, Tran abstaining.
After discussion the commissioners will serve as follows:
Beerbower serves on the SEK Mental Health and SEK Health Department boards.
Milburn serves on the Fair Board and Soil Conservation Board.
Motley will serve on the SEK Regional Planning Commission and the Juvenile Detention Center board.
Tran serves on the SEK Mental Health Board, Bourbon County Senior Citizens, and SEK Area on Aging.
When the new commissioner is appointed for district 3, he or she will take board positions as well.
Liaison Assignments
David Beerbower: Public Safety including EMS, Sheriff/Corrections, Emergency Management
Samuel Tran: Public Works
Mika Milburn: Courthouse
Greg Motley: Finance
Motley said his vision is to get the commission off to an early start and keep them on schedule regarding creating a budget for 2027. He said he would want to identify the county’s priorities via work sessions early in the year and then put numbers to them closer to the end of the year.
Motley pointed out that tying the county’s priorities to its budget helps keep continuity of purpose within the county.
Beerbower suggested putting the fifth commissioner onto an economic development and grant writing liaison possition.
Motley then suggested that he work on the grant writing and economic development and the courthouse liaison position get split into two parts, one to deal with the building and the departments it contains and the other to liaise with the vendors who serve the county.
Milburn said she isn’t clear how to divide those positions out right now.
Tran suggested they keep everything the same for now, adding economic development with the new commission.
Milburn formalized the decision with a motion and the motion carried.
Public Comments
Mark McCoy is the community emergency response team (CERT) leader in Bourbon County. He spoke with the commission about the importance of having an Emergency Manager in place. Reasons a manager is needed include: emergencies don’t happen on a shared schedule; preparedness is a full-time mindset, not an occasional task; liabilities and legal exposure; the manager has the ability to lead, guide, follow, and assist throughout the county. Disasters don’t wait. Volunteers need official plans and connections with entities facilitated by the Emergency Manager.
Beerbower said that the part-time position of Bourbon County Emergency Manager is posted on the county website.
County Clerk Susan Walker showed the commission the program HeyGov for making meeting agendas. She demonstrated it for the commission. It creates the minutes from the YouTube video as well as linking to the county’s website. The program allows the commissioners to work on the agenda without violating the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA). It can also be used by other boards in the county such as the building commission. The cost is about $1,100 per year.The commission voted to purchase the program.
Old Business Handbook Review
Beerbower said he received his copy of the revised handbook the day of the meeting at noon. Motley said he hadn’t received a copy yet.
Jennifer Hawkins, County Treasurer, spoke to the commission, expressing concerns with several parts of the handbook including the handling of complaints, who qualifies as full-time, definitions of longevity, vacation and leave policy, and dress code.
Tran said he wanted to have another work session before approving the handbook. Milburn said they received the changes everyone requested last week.
Sheriff Bill Martin joined the conversation, saying elected officials should have an opportunity to see the changes before the commission votes on the new handbook. He said that military leave and take-home cars aren’t addressed. He was concerned with the time crunch the commissioners put on the other elected officials regarding their feedback on the proposed new handbook.
Milburn said that the process of updating the handbook was started in 2022 and never completed.
Terry with EMS said that the department heads haven’t seen the updated copy yet.
Susan Walker, County Clerk, said that the department heads should be in on the discussion to make changes to the handbook. “Right now, I don’t feel like we have a voice,” she said.
Beerbower and Motley both said that a work session with the other elected officials and department heads seemed like a good idea.
Tran said that a meeting will not lead to a 100% consensus, as we don’t live in a perfect world. The handbook is intended to be a guide, but is not written in stone.
“You’re not going to get everything you want,” he said.
He then moved to have a special meeting to include elected officials and department heads on Jan. 13 at 4:30 with a 2 hour limit.
“It’s going to be better than what we had and we’re going to keep improving upon it,” said Tran of the upcoming new handbook.
New Business
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System
The commission appointed its executive assistant, Laura Krom, as the KPRS designated agent, with Mika Milburn as her alternate.
Kansas Department of Labor and Unemployment
Milburn said that the unemployment claims need to go to the HR department, Dr. Cohen, who will contact their department heads. This only applies to employees of the county working for the commission, not those working for other elected officials.
Disposition of Body K.S.A. 22a-215
Susan Walker, County Clerk, said that no next of kin could be found for an individual who died in Bourbon County last summer, so the county paid for the body’s cremation. Next of kin have since been found, but are on a fixed income and have asked for a waiver of the policy that they should pay cremation costs in order to recover the body.
The commission was in favor of waiving the fee.
November 2025 Financials
Susan Walker said she and the county treasurer have run into issues with past entries that were made in the county’s books. They will have a quarterly report ready at the end of Jan. The county’s audit is the last week of February.
Build Agenda for Following Meeting
Motley asked to plan to set work sessions for the budget and strategic planning in the first quarter of the year.
Milburn also asked to add a first quarter meeting with the City of Fort Scott.
Commission Comments
“I’m going to need each and every one of you to assist me as I chair the helm,” said Tran. He then thanked Beerbower for his work as chairman in 2025 and Milburn for her work on the commission as well. He welcomed Greg Motley aboard and adjourned the meeting.
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, for their regular monthly meeting at 424 S Main.
President David Stewart opened the meeting.
David Stewart welcomed new Board Members.
The board approved the official agenda, and the consent agenda as follows:
Board Minutes
12-08-25
Financials – Cash Flow Report
Check Register
Payroll – December 20, 2025 – $1,831,678.21
Activity Funds Accounts
USD 234 Gifts
Superintendent Destry Brown informed the Board on the new Tiger Academy. As of now there are five students enrolled and they are doing well. Mr. Brown reviewed the handbook and daily routine of the Academy.
Assistant Superintendent Terry Mayfield provided a shared document. Mr. Mayfield provided an update on the Preschool building, Wrestling Facility, and budget information.
Assistant Superintendent Zach Johnson updated the Board on testing scores over the last ten years. Staff was thanked for the improvement in results. There will be a Board planning meeting to be set up in February.
Special Education Director Tonya Barnes shared an update on state reports. The district scored 100% on the Indicator 12. Mrs. Barnes thanked the SPED staff for the hard work on these reports.
The Board approved the following:
Resolution 25-14 To Establish Regular Board Meetings 2026
Resolution 25-15 To Establish Election of School Board Officers
Administration has updated and consolidated USD 234’s Human Resources Processes & Procedures to improve clarity, consistency, and fiscal stewardship related to staffing and hiring. The update formalizes vacancy review, centralizes HR coordination, and standardizes onboarding and exit procedures, while preserving existing board authority and hiring practices.
There were none present for public forum.
The Board went into an executive session for personnel matters.
President David Stewart adjourned the meeting.
PERSONNEL REPORT – APPROVED
January 12, 2026
RESIGNATIONS/TERMINATIONS/RETIREMENTS:
Able, Andrew – Supplemental Resignation – Assistant Speech Coach – Middle School
Black, Staci – Retirement – Business Teacher – Middle School – end of 2025-26 school year
Burton, Toni – Termination – Teacher’s Aide – Middle School
Dotson, Destiny – Resignation – Paraprofessional – Eugene Ware
Guss, Stewart – Retirement – Bus Driver
Harper, Amy – Resignation – Math Teacher – High School – end of 2025-26 school year
Lail, Brandon – Resignation – Paraprofessional – Winfield Scott
Robertson, Tom – Supplemental Resignation – Head Boys Golf Coach – High School
Shaw, Mike – Termination – Custodian – Eugene Ware
Young, Annie – Resignation – Paraprofessional – Winfield Scott
Leave of Absence:
Engstrom, Lauren – Middle School – Jan 19 through April 7
TRANSFER:
Barnes, Jon – Supplemental – Assistant Boys Golf Coach to Head Boys Golf Coach – High School
Ruggero, Lucretia – Paraprofessional to ISS Supervisor – High School
EMPLOYMENT:
Classified Recommendations for 2025-26 School year:
Harper, Melonie – Paraprofessional – Winfield Scott
Ingraham, Elizabeth – Paraprofessional – Winfield Scott
Lemcke, Hailey – Paraprofessional – High School
VanBuskirk, Don – Student Support – Middle School
Supplemental Recommendations for the 2025-26 school year:
Collins, Clayton – Supplemental – Assistant Baseball Coach – High School
Nelson, Andrew – Supplemental – Academic Team – Winfield Scott
Ruggero, Lucretia – Supplemental – Assistant Debate & Forensics – High School
Announcing the new ARTEFFECT Gallery
at MCAAD in Washington, D.C.!
The Visualizing Impact exhibition showcases 43 award-winning ARTEFFECT artworks created by young artists over the last decade.
A rich tapestry marking the courage of an American Revolutionary War heroine … a striking portrait of Hollywood actor and inventor Hedy Lamarr … and an elaborate, 3D multimedia book honoring the father of algebra … all created by students in grades 6-12. These are among the 43 stunning artworks on display at the Lowell Milken Family Foundation’s permanent, 3,000-square-foot ARTEFFECT Gallery on the fifth floor of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) in Washington, D.C.—a newly minted Best New Museum by USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
The inaugural exhibition titled Visualizing Impact includes visual artworks, text panels, and short films that celebrate the inspiring stories of Unsung Heroes—role models, largely unrecognized by society, who demonstrated heroic character traits such as courage, selflessness, and perseverance and took extraordinary actions in service to others that made a positive and profound impact on the course of history.
Founded by Lowell Milken in 2016, ARTEFFECT fosters reflection on the invaluable contributions of these Unsung Heroes through the creation of original visual art. ARTEFFECT offerings include an annual international art competition for middle and secondary school students, museum exhibitions, and the ARTEFFECT Ambassadors program—a prestigious visual arts fellowship for educators, online professional development sessions, and educational resources for championing the stories of Unsung Heroes through the visual arts.
“Celebrating the qualities of character embodied in the Unsung Heroes motivates younger generations to aspire to values essential during the challenging times we face as a nation and as a worldwide community,” said LMC and ARTEFFECT Founder Lowell Milken. “ARTEFFECT provides powerful opportunities to promote these values to students in schools.”
Still Time to Join!
2026 ARTEFFECT Competition Info Session Wednesday, January 14, 2026
4:00-5:00 PM Pacific Time
Join us for the 2026 ARTEFFECT Competition Info Session. This session will provide an overview of the annual art competition for students in grades 6-12. Rules, guidelines, judging criteria, tips for submission, prizes, and resources. Hear experiences from participating educators and students!
Unsung Heroes & STEAM Session Wednesday, January 21, 2026
4:00-5:15 PM Pacific Time
All educators are invited to this free interactive and engaging professional development session focused on Unsung Heroes & STEAM. 2021 LMC Fellow Jennifer Braverman will present strategies for using a STEAM framework and divergent thinking skills with students. Participants investigate how logic and creativity overlap to generate innovative ideas and concepts for visual artmaking. Lesson plan and Certificate of Participation provided.Learn more about the session and instructor.
Commerce Seeking Support to Identify Vacant Buildings for Redevelopment
TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced that the Department of Commerce is launching an initiative to identify vacant, abandoned or underutilized buildings suitable for redevelopment into housing units. Local leaders, community organizations and property owners can assist in this effort by submitting information about buildings in their area that could be considered for conversion.
“Our communities are rich with structures that have strong bones and the potential for future use,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Connecting private developers to available vacant buildings is an easy way to address the prevalent housing crisis being felt throughout the country — while also preserving the architectural character and history of our Kansas communities.”
The Department of Commerce will compile submissions into a statewide list that will be shared with developers, contractors and housing partners seeking adaptive reuse opportunities. Examples of potential buildings include former schools, nursing homes, hospitals, churches, detention facilities — or other structures that might be vacant but well-positioned for conversion into residential units.
“Through this new effort, we’re able to help communities in a proactive way, attracting investments and meeting specific local housing needs,” Assistant Secretary of Commerce Matt Godinez said. “There are a lot of unique buildings that are full of history and even more potential — and what better way to activate these unique community assets than by turning these beloved buildings into new housing opportunities for Kansans?”
Communities and property owners interested in participating are encouraged to submit building or property details here.
For more information about the initiative, contact Kerri Falletti at [email protected].
About the Kansas Department of Commerce:
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.
About the Quality Places Division:
Established in 2024, the Quality Places Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce exists to improve quality of life in communities across the state through various programs and services. The Kansas Department of Commerce understands the immense role played by strong communities in economic development and prioritizes investments in people and communities as major contributors to the overall strength of the Kansas economy. To learn more, click here.
Case No. 129,788: Governor Laura Kelly, in her Official Capacity v. Kansas Attorney General, Kris Kobach, in his Official Capacity
Original Action, Writ of Quo Warranto: The material facts are not in dispute. Governor Laura Kelly has requested that Attorney General Kris Kobach join several lawsuits she believes have merit challenging federal government action on behalf of the State of Kansas, and Kobach has refused because he believes the lawsuits lacked merit. Kelly then purported to join two federal lawsuits in her official capacity as Governor, attempting to seek relief on behalf of the State. Kobach responded by filing amicus briefs in those two cases arguing that under Kansas law only the Attorney General may sue on behalf of the State in federal court. Kelly has also expressed interest in seeking judicial review in federal district court of a SNAP Appeals Board decision. Kobach contends authority for bringing that action on behalf of the State rests solely with the Attorney General. Kelly filed this petition for writ of quo warranto action.
Issues under review are whether: 1) Kansas statutes vest the Attorney General with exclusive control of the State’s litigation in federal court; 2) the Governor has constitutional litigation authority as the “supreme executive” of Kansas; 3) the Attorney General lacks the power to prevent the Governor from participating in litigation; and 4) the Attorney General’s statutory authority to control the State’s litigation in federal court violates the Kansas Constitution.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee this Thursday, January 15th, at 8am hosted by Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St., in the Ellis Fine Arts Center. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a door prize drawing.
Fort Scott Community College, in partnership with the Gordon Parks Museum, will host a special Chamber Coffee event as part of its Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. The event will honor Dr. King’s legacy and bring the community together for coffee and conversation.
The celebration continues with several free events at the Ellis Fine Arts Center, including:
Thursday, Jan 15th
*1pm- A Tribute Reading of Dr. King’s
“Letter from the Birmingham Jail” with complimentary refreshments and birthday cake.
Monday Jan 19th
*9am-2pm – A Day of Service Food Drive collecting donations for The Beacon.
*12-1pm – A PBS documentary screening and educational presentation on the historic
“Dockum Drugstore Sit-In”.
Photo opportunities with “I Stand For” signs will be available at multiple events.
All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, call (620) 223-2700 ext. 5850.
For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566. Visit the Events Calendar on fortscott.com and click on the “Chamber Coffees” category for upcoming hosts and locations.
Kansas Files Response to USDA Appeals Board in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Data Request
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) has filed a reply to the United State Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Appeals Board in response to the USDA’s demand that DCF turn over the private, legally protected, personal information of all Kansans and members of their households who have received, or applied for, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in the last 5 years. The USDA’s data request includes provisions allowing for Kansans’ personal information—which includes Social Security numbers and dates of birth—to be shared with foreign governments.
“There’s no reason that Kansans’ personal, private data, including social security numbers, should be turned over to foreign governments,” said Will Lawrence, Governor Kelly’s Chief of Staff. “This demand is the epitome of federal government overreach, and a federal district court has already deemed this request to be likely unlawful. Governor Kelly and DCF remain steadfast in their commitment to safeguarding Kansans’ privacy and complying with the law.”
After the USDA rejected DCF’s Corrective Action Proposal in response to the data request in September 2025, DCF swiftly filed an appeal with the USDA. The filing of that appeal immediately prevented the USDA from withholding $10.4 million in administrative funding for SNAP. The State of Kansas has not lost any SNAP administrative funding, and the program continues to operate as usual. Kansas’ appeal with the USDA is ongoing.
DCF has complied with state and federal law at every stage of this process and has maintained the confidentiality of thousands of Kansans whose personal information would be at risk. Protection of this personally identifiable information is legally required by both the Food Nutrition Act (FNA) and the Kansas Cybersecurity Act (KCA).
A copy of Kansas’ reply brief in support of the appeal filed by DCF can be found here.
Rebecca Sutterby and our digital media kids have put together their second magazine of the school year. As people of the press, I thought you might enjoy their efforts.
When we opened our rural country store, we committed to giving it a full three years then see if it’s sustaining on its own or choking out our pork rind business that we worked so hard to build. Thanks to our community’s support, we now have clear data showing what works. The results are simple: 76% of our revenue happens Thursday through Sunday. Smart business means recognizing trends, knowing the numbers, and being responsible.
Those four days are when our customers show up in force. To continue operating a healthy, sustainable rural store, we must focus on those days. Staying open just to be open the other three days would drain the business and jeopardize having a rural micro grocery store at all. We already knew the pork rind side of the business was sustainable and working since 2017. Tossing in a micro grocery store was all new and uncertain. Moving forward, Perry’s will operate Thursday through Sunday, this will begin Monday, January 19, 2026.
This decision doesn’t mean we are slowing down, it means we are scaling up.
Those three weekdays will now be dedicated to:
Expanding pork rind and fudge production
Building more wholesale partnerships across Kansas for our pork rinds and nationwide for our fudge
Growing our pork rind and fudge fundraiser program
Strengthening our role as a supplier to other small businesses — many people don’t realize we offer bulk foods, packaging, and even labels to other small businesses
Today, we already supply two bakeries with bulk butter, flour, sugar, and packaging, and several non chain convenience stores. Thus saving them the trip to Sam’s or meeting high minimums with suppliers on their own. We recognize the power of working together for sustainability when you’re not one of the big guys.
We will still offer everything our customers love:
Perry’s Produce Boxes
Fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and hanging baskets
Our full menu of deli & hot foods
Milk, eggs, cheese, and grocery staples
This shift ensures Perry’s continues to be what it was always meant to be: a sustainable rural store, a growing Kansas-made food brand, and a community partner for years to come. While others have struggled or even closed in communities two and three times our size, we intend to press forward and pivot with honesty and transparency about why we do what we do. A family member told us we don’t owe anyone a story or explanation — and while that may be true, we believe transparency and realness are exactly why our model is working.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who shops local, buys our products, and believes in what we’re building in a rural area. This is how rural businesses survive — by being honest with the numbers, bold with the vision, and committed to serving their community in the smartest way possible.
8th and Eddy Intersection will be closed for the next two-three weeks while City Crews work on the stormwater system in this area. Intersection will then be concreted. 8th Street will be closed from Crawford to Holbrook and from St. Mary’s road to 9th Street except for residents. Thank you,
