EMPORIA, Kan. – Emporia State University’s new, full-ride scholarship opportunity for incoming freshmen majoring in education or nursing is the most recent in a long history of collaboration with the Jones Foundation. The new Jones Premier Nursing and Education Scholarship will fund up to six students per year who attend ESU and intend to eventually work in two fields currently facing workforce shortages.

The competitive scholarship is available to high-achieving graduating high school seniors in Lyon, Osage and Coffey counties, who plan to major in education or nursing at Emporia State. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years as long as the scholars meet grade and credit hour benchmarks. Selected students will have the full cost of their attendance at ESU paid.

This is the third scholarship program at Emporia State University created by the Jones Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “improving the health and education of eligible Kansans in Coffey, Lyon and Osage counties.”

The original Jones voucher program became the Jones Success Scholarship in 2022 – a $7,000 value over four years that is automatically granted to eligible ESU students whose hometown is in Osage, Coffey and Lyon counties.

“Education and healthcare have long been a focus for the Jones Foundation,” said Sharon L. Tidwell, executive director of the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Foundation. “The development of the Jones Premier Nursing and Education Scholarship with ESU provides a unique opportunity for some of the brightest students in the three counties we serve.”

The Jones Premier Nursing and Education Scholarship will provide three full-ride education scholarships and three full-ride nursing scholarships to ESU – one of each from Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties. To apply, students must have a 3.7 or more weighted GPA OR a 28 or more ACT score, submit two essays, and live in Osage, Coffey or Lyon counties. Applications will be accepted Nov. 1, 2023, through Jan. 15, 2024. For more information or to apply for the scholarships, see emporia.edu/jones.

EMPORIA, Kan. – Emporia State University’s School of Business and Technology is preparing to host several of the nation’s leading cybersecurity experts next week at CYBERCON, an on-campus event that will highlight ESU’s expanding cybersecurity academic programs and the job opportunities for graduates trained in the protection of online data and computer systems.

CYBERCON will be 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4, 2023, in Webb Hall in the Memorial Union. The event is free to the public and designed particularly for students, business owners and those interested in cybersecurity-related topics.

John Bryant, a former U.S. Naval Intelligence officer with 11 years of experience with the U.S. Army, will deliver the event’s keynote speech, “Social Engineering.” He most recently served as the chief information officer for Army University and the Command General Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Bryant is now a regional cybersecurity advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency office in Kansas City, Mo.

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Stan Richister, manager of Missile Defense Agency’s Cybersecurity Service Provider Computer Emergency Response Team at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, will also deliver remarks on “Social Engineering and Operations Security,” or OPSEC.

Jerry Horton, technology and cybersecurity director for two Kansas-based companies, Networks Plus and Blue Valley Technologies, will deliver CYBERCON’s third presentation, “Tales From The Darkside – Lessons Learned While Becoming An Ethical Hacker.” Horton has more than four decades of experience in internet technology, cybersecurity and telecommunications.

Besides hearing from the featured presenters, CYBERCON attendees will also attend a panel discussion from ESU students and have access to vendor displays, an opportunity for students to have their resumes reviewed, a raffle and prize giveaways, and a video-gaming area that includes virtual reality games. A taco bar lunch will be provided.

For information, call 620-341-5106 or email cyroc@emporia.edu.

The Osage County commissioners will be sponsoring a free grant writing workshop for Osage County entities, such as county and city employees, businesses, libraries, historical societies, museums, community organizations, school districts, non-profits, fire and medical entities.

The workshop will be 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, at the Melvern Community Center, Melvern, Kan.

The goal is to build grant writers within each community by recruiting one to four people to attend the workshop. The workshop will be presented by Nancy Daniels, a community vitality specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

Registration is required, and registration deadline is Sept. 29, 2023, with a 60-person maximum. Lunch will be provided.

Register at  http://tinyurl.com/yyh5273z, or for more information, contact Colleen Mendoza at cmendoza@osageco.org or 785-829-5302 x144.

Osage City citywide garage sales will be Sept. 15-16, 2023. The garage sales are hosted by the Osage City Chamber of Commerce, which distributes a map of the sales. Sellers are encouraged to signup now to get their sale on the map.

Garage and yard sales offer a great opportunity to get rid of some of that stuff you never use and free up some space.

The area map provides a chart for the type of items at the garage sales. To list your sale on the map or for more information, stop by to see Tricia Gundy at Peterson’s Assisted Living, Osage City, or call 785-219-9727.

Information needed is your name, address, a phone number in case of questions about the sale, Friday and Saturday or Saturday only sale, what area on the map, type of items to be sold (example: children clothing, adult clothing, furniture, collectibles, kitchen items, household items, craft items, miscellaneous), and a $5 donation fee. The proceeds go towards a scholarship awarded every year to two college-bound Osage City High School graduates. The deadline for adding a sale to the garage sale map is Sept. 14.

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Office of Broadband Development is developing a comprehensive strategic plan to expand broadband infrastructure statewide and ensure every Kansan has access to reliable high-speed internet. To assist in this and provide accurate data for the plan, the department is calling on residents to participate in an important online speed test and survey. The data collected ultimately will help guide the allocation of state and federal resources to areas in need.

“Accurate, comprehensive data is critical to our state’s efforts to bridge the digital divide across Kansas,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “By engaging directly with Kansans to learn about their broadband capacity, we aim to secure significant funding to connect underserved areas and establish Kansas as one of the best states in the nation for high-speed internet access.”

To participate, residents should visit the official website of the initiative, broadbandks.com, where they can complete a quick and simple online speed test. This test, which only takes a few minutes, will provide valuable data on internet connectivity throughout the state.

The speed test will measure internet speed, general location and IP address, while maintaining the privacy of personal information. Participants also will be asked to complete an optional survey that provides vital insights into connectivity patterns, necessary training requirements and affordability of internet services.

Note: Chamber After Hours

ECKAN will be hosting a Chamber After Hours 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 27, 2023. The office is located at 528 Market St., Osage City. Chamber members and the public are invited to come and join the staff in enjoying refreshments and visiting with fellow community members. ECKAN employees will be available to visit about services the organization provides for the community.

Osage County Fair and Parade

July 19-22, 2023, will be the dates for the Osage County Fair, in Osage City. The theme for the fair and the parade will be determined soon. The parade will be 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 21, 2023.

Adam Burnett, parade chairman is in the process of creating some new and innovative concepts for the parade for this year. Adam will provide information regarding the parade, and a parade form will be available soon to submit an entry for the parade. The Chamber will be offering cash prizes for float entries and golf cart and ATV entries. Contact Adam, at 785-760-0621 for questions or comments about the event.

Community Fireworks Celebration

The date for the annual community fireworks show hosted by the Osage City Chamber of Commerce will be Friday, July 21, 2023. A committee will be selected and start working on plans for the celebration.

Support your hometown, stay at home and shop locally

Osage City is a strong, versatile community with businesses that offer the reasons you should commit to shopping locally. Just think about it and consider a few reasons that you should shop in your home town.

• Don’t have to travel far.
• Don’t have to stand in long lines.
• Purchase locally produced foods which in turn supports local agriculture.
• Find quirky, amazing and unique gifts.
• Sales tax paid supports the community and county in vital services such as police and fire protection, street and road repairs, maintaining recreational facilities, etc.
• Business owners are more personal and willing to help with your shopping needs.
• Local owners of business in your small town are informed about their products, they know their customers; therefore, they adjust inventories to include goods and services that local people want to buy.
• Shopping locally is the best way to show pride in your town and help to protect the businesses that make your town unique.