BY JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

A 26-year-old serial sexual offender will serve the rest of
his life in prison for a violent attack on a Hays woman in 2019.

Tre Carrasco was sentenced to 96 years in prison Wednesday
in Ellis County District Court by 20th Judicial District Court Judge
Steve Johnson.

In December, Carrasco pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and
one count of aggravated battery.

The sentence will run concurrently to a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8745153c-5b12-45b8-b2e5-0e1c4a42a045">136-year prison</a>
sentence Carrasco received after he was convicted on 11 counts stemming from an
attempted kidnapping and violent sexual assault of an Aurora, Colo., woman in February 2019,
three days after the assault in Hays.

According to Ellis County court documents, on Feb. 3, 2019, Carrasco
held a gun to the neck of a 19-year-old Hays woman and threatened to kill her
while he raped her.

If the case went to trial and he was convicted on the three
Ellis County charges, Carrasco could have faced 1,306 months or more than 108 years
in jail.

Carrasco and his defense believe his prison sentence in Colorado could
be reduced to 96 years.

Ellis County Attorney Robert Anderson elected to agree, as
part of the plea agreement, to a downward departure sentence, matching the 96
years.

The plea agreement also states that if his Colorado
conviction is reduced or voided, he will be returned to Kansas to serve out the
remainder of his sentence.

Johnson presided over the case because both 23rd
Judicial District Chief Judge Glenn Braun and District Judge Tom Drees recused
themselves.

“Ninety-six years pretty much ensures he spends the rest of his life behind bars," Johnson said.

In a statement to Hays Post, Ellis County Attorney Robert
Anderson said, “Knowing that this defendant was sentenced to serve 136-years to
life in Colorado, I was comfortable agreeing to what we agreed to do. Even if
the defendant is successful at getting his time reduced in Colorado, and even
if he earns all possible good time, according to my calculation, he wouldn’t be
eligible for parole on this sentence until he is 105 years old. The reality is
that he will die in the Colorado prison system. This was a great result for
this case. Hopefully, the survivor of these horrific crimes can begin to heal
now that this is behind her.”

Carrasco has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to
an incident in Hays in 2008 when he was 13 years old.

He has prior convictions for forced sexual assault when he
was 16-year-old. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2013.

Shorty after, he was released Carrasco committed the February 2019 attacks in Hays and Aurora.

Anderson said authorities are working to get Carrasco transferred back
to Colorado, which could happen within a few days.

Carrasco sentence 'pretty much ensures he spends the rest of his life behind bars'

Kansas Wheat Rx program to be offered Feb. 9 in Hays

The Red Cross Blood Donation Center in Hays will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 24. It's typically closed on Mondays. 

People can visit&nbsp;<a href="http://redcrossblood.org/">redcrossblood.org</a>&nbsp;or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to schedule.

Hays blood donation center will be open Monday

Delivered to your virtual porch every morning — on time and free :-)

📨 Sign up for the Hays Post Morning News Update!

“Human Nature," the MFA Thesis Exhibition in Ceramics by Kathy Robb, will be opening on January 24th and will run through February 23rd. There will be a reception on February 4th from 6-8pm. Gallery Hours are from 9-4pm M-F.&nbsp;

'Human Nature' exhibit set to open at FHSU's Moss-Thorns

Submit events to admin@hayspost.com. Cover photo courtesy Pixabay.

🎙 Weekend Setlist; Community Calendar

The&nbsp;Ellis County&nbsp;Treasurer’s Office, 718 Main, began implementing a new queueing system&nbsp;Monday designed to efficiently serve residents with their transactions.&nbsp;

Customers can use the queueing system during normal office hours,&nbsp;from&nbsp;8 a.m. to 4 p.m., to reserve a virtual place in line. This includes motor vehicle,&nbsp;commercial vehicle&nbsp;and real estate/personal property tax transactions.

Residents&nbsp;can&nbsp;continue sending in their transactions via mail, online or drop box whenever possible. All transactions sent to the Treasurer’s Office should include the person’s contact information (including a phone number and email) for any follow-up questions.&nbsp;

The payment drop box is located on the south side of the administration building and is on the left-hand side as residents are&nbsp;driving down the alley.

For more information regarding transactions,&nbsp;Ellis County Treasury&nbsp;encourages&nbsp;the public to<a href="http://www.ellisco.net/">www.ellisco.net</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;on the Treasurer’s Office department page.

Residents can use several options to join the line at the Treasurer’s Office.

SMS Text Messaging: Text EllisCountyKS&nbsp;to (785)329-0287. You will be asked to join the line for the queue of your choice, for example title work,&nbsp;tag renewal, etc. Enter your name to be placed into the line. An estimated wait time will be sent to you. Once summoned to a station, you may enter the office to proceed.

QLess App (available on Android or iPhone): Download the QLess app, then search the available list for&nbsp;Ellis&nbsp;County Treasurer’s Office. Follow the prompts to join the queue of your choice. An estimated wait time will be sent to you via text message. Once summoned to a station, you can enter the office to proceed.

Home Kiosk: Go to&nbsp;https://kiosk.na8.qless.com/kiosk/app/home/78&nbsp;

to join the line from any physical location and any device. The link also will be available by going to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ellisco.net/">www.ellisco.net</a>, located on the Treasurer’s Office department page. The estimated wait time will be sent to you via text message. Once summoned to a station, you may enter the office to proceed.&nbsp;

Office Kiosk: a kiosk&nbsp;is&nbsp;available at the Treasurer’s office to join the line.&nbsp;You can visit the officeand&nbsp;sign in on the ipad to&nbsp;the queue of your choice. An estimated wait time will be sent to you via text message. Once summoned to a station, you can enter the office to proceed.

Residents who miss their appointments will have to start over and join the line again. There are several options for extending a customer’s wait time via text if they cannot make it at their scheduled time.&nbsp;

Staff will be in the office to assist the public with logging in to the system and to answer questions. There will be options if a person does not have a cell phone.

Ellis Co. treasurer implements new queuing system

ABILENE - Join us for Ike's Book Club where this year we will read and discuss various books about leadership. Generally held the second Tuesday evening of every other month, our theme this year is titled "Dwight Eisenhower: The Making of a Leader." Our book selection focuses on the categories of family, military, presidency, and mentorship. The book discussions will each focus on how they relate to Dwight Eisenhower's leadership. The first book in February is "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni with the discussion led by Dr. Gene Chaves with Humanities Kansas.

The March selection is perfect for the entire family to read and join in the discussion. 

This year-long leadership series culminates in October with Susan Eisenhower discussing her recent book "How Ike Led."

The full&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J4mX-WsH4RahqtaGpeHrsw4fLzGeabAySyCln1mCzFdlPGk6NjK_loH7oL8aydDiUfTHKfqCvnK4cLe_IFc75YWw1Qub7ILmALzrPCHw2yZ1PY-p8mr2_Z7Fz2rWdGMCQXwD6fhDOmt65azOhN5PRgqY8glBeCFO7PwAgKcQyTe2SJVZP-vFiOzytFP49_364MpVgqCsgNsTUQB1QIenYGMP_kinmfMcfQEFEwl9z6Q=&amp;c=5lxQlOHLMTNp6rbsO8V4s0zWvgHs8KZe7fK4QZvQxebPRFWTnMifSw==&amp;ch=1oSBdT4lpuKF1wdgbpPYVea11eazSAAM-03-Dfu3sph6kLY_Z70Usw==" target="_blank">reading list and schedule</a>&nbsp;is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001J4mX-WsH4RahqtaGpeHrsw4fLzGeabAySyCln1mCzFdlPGk6NjK_lv6CnU9TCLzhh-D1Gi9Nge5rza9J8pYXG6IRiRm6BMqXTluUvErnCaqKytaTmWV06_quLITVyGveuIYQ67ihuyeGn60yvOyDQg==&amp;c=5lxQlOHLMTNp6rbsO8V4s0zWvgHs8KZe7fK4QZvQxebPRFWTnMifSw==&amp;ch=1oSBdT4lpuKF1wdgbpPYVea11eazSAAM-03-Dfu3sph6kLY_Z70Usw==" target="_blank">eisenhowerlibrary.gov</a>. Ike's Book Club will meet using the Zoom platform where you can register to attend each book discussion and add the connection details on your personal calendar.

President Eisenhower was a voracious reader. We honor his love for reading with our book club. You are welcome to share your related stories and experiences even if you haven't yet read the book or just listen in to gain insight from others.

Virtual Ike's Book Club resumes next month

Recently, Imagine Ellis County hosted representatives of various organizations from Ellis County to identify, from their perspective, community needs that needed to be met for long-term growth and success of our county and region. Now it is your turn. We need your help to help identify community needs from the perspective of the residents of Ellis County.

On Feb. 7, we will host a Town Hall and facilitate small and large group discussions to learn more from our community members. It is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hays. Dinner is provided for those who attend. &nbsp;

Attendees are encouraged to be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID test within 48 hours of attendance. Masks are not required but feel free to wear one. There will be plenty of space for a safe event.

While walk-ins are welcome, let us know if you intend to attend by clicking that you will attend on our event posted on our Facebook page or use our sign-up form at&nbsp; <a href="https://forms.gle/F1bgNywhV37N7rqw6">https://forms.gle/F1bgNywhV37N7rqw6</a>. See our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1523831934656766/?active_tab=discussion">Facebook event page</a> for more information. Find <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ImagineEllisCounty">Imagine Ellis County</a> on Facebook, like and follow us.

Imagine Ellis County is a committee comprised of over 30 community members from Ellis County. The committee exists to serve the long-term interests of Ellis County. We have representatives from Catherine, Ellis, Hays, and Victoria on our committee. Committee members include people who serve as local elected officials, local government employees, employees from various community businesses, and those who are involved with non-profits and charitable organizations.

If you would like more information, contact Joe Leroux at 785-650-3600, or joe.leroux@hess-services.com.

Imagine Ellis County is a collaborative strategic vision for our community and region.

Imagine Ellis County schedules town hall meeting

The successes of tomorrow begin today, Catholic education is a lifetime advantage.

Catholic schools...schools you can believe in.

Holy Family Elementary weekly update

Science Café presents: “SAVING BEES BY KILLING THEM!” 7 p.m. Jan. 31 The Venue @ Thirsty’s, 2704 Vine The honey bee is a significant agricultural tool that is suffering from many factors that lead to colony collapse, and&nbsp;the overall death of arguably the world’s most important pollinator.

This science café is outlining parasitisation of the honey bee,&nbsp;which is just one of the factors that may lead to colony collapse. Here we outline the research being done at FHSU into&nbsp;the mitigation of parasites, which starts with isolation and production of genetic “poisons.”

Presenter:&nbsp;Mr. James Balthazor PhD, Fort Hays State University,&nbsp; Associate Prof Chemistry, K-INBRE Campus Coordinator Sponsored by Science and Mathematics Education Institute

Science Cafe: 'Saving Bees by Killing Them!'

SHERMAN COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 1p.m. Wednesday in Sherman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; C.E. Tubensvelazquez, 26, New York, NY., was eastbound on Interstate 70 four miles east of Kansas 267.

The semi left the roadway to the right and the driver over-corrected. The vehicle then crossed both lanes of travel, continued through the median, overturned, and blocked both lanes of westbound traffic.

EMS transported Tubensvelazquez to the hospital in Goodland. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP..

Driver hospitalized after semi overturns on I-70

RUSSELL — Wednesday afternoon, Russell USD 407 announced that all buildings will shut down due Thursday and Friday.

The closure comes as the district faced the inability to adequately staff shortages from illness.

"Due to the significant illness throughout our community,
buildings are not functioning with the ability to manage, staff, and educate
our children," the announcement said.

The district said the closure will allow "staff the space and time needed to rest and recover from the illnesses
that are present in our community."

While the buildings will be closed, students are still expected to have the opportunity to participate in weekend sporting events.

"Because RHS has a level of overall health,
USD 407 will allow for teams to compete so long as health is maintained," the announcement said. "Staff
will implement team symptom and temperature checks that occur prior to travel
or practice to ensure this validity of health."

The middle school might also require symptom checks.

Russell schools closed for illness: 'We have reached the breaking point'

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported COVID-19 clusters identified in northwest Kansas.

The following clusters were noted in Wednesday's coronavirus update (case count indicates cases in the last 14 days):

•&nbsp;Norton Correctional Facility: 19 cases •&nbsp;Larned State Hospital: 14 cases •&nbsp;Rush County Memorial Hospital ISB Unit, La Crosse: 11 cases •&nbsp;Russell Regional Hospital: 12 cases •&nbsp;La Crosse USD 395: 9 cases

There are currently 275 active COVID-19 clusters accounting for 4,616 cases, 61 hospitalizations and 52 deaths, KDHE reported.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">HERE</a>&nbsp;for more information.

KDHE identifies more COVID-19 clusters in northwest Kansas

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported 350 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.

Due to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there was no case count update Monday.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1d396c85-96b5-4024-8cb8-3f5d19d0f6a3">RELATED: KDHE identifies COVID clusters in northwest Kansas counties</a>

There have been 991 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;

As of Wednesday morning, there were 22 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 14 active cases and eight recovering cases.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.

Since reporting began, there have been 6,165 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

KDHE: 350 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Friday

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Water projects and development property adjustments are the focus of tomorrow's Hays City Commission work session.

Agenda items include a discussion of the rehabilitation of six water production wells this year as well as an upgrade to the waterline at Eighth and Park streets.

In late 2020, staff from water resources and fire departments discussed options to increase water flow to hydrants on the east campus of Fort Hays State University.&nbsp;

"An investigation found that the 4-inch waterline along Park Street was having some capacity restrictions," according to Collin Bielser, assistant city manager. "So the 2022 capital improvement plan did include a project to upgrade the waterline from 4-inch to 8-inch."

Commissioners will also hear from Public Works Director Jesse Rohr about a rezoning request for 1680 E. 10th from agriculture to heavy industrial.&nbsp;The 17.9-acre tract is located west of Canterbury Road north of the railroad tracks.

Applicant Pete Langer wants to move his metal recycling transfer facility from 37th Street just off Interstate 70 to the East 10th location for access to a rail spur.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The property is within the Langer Industrial Addition. Commissioners will review the final plat for the addition. There are currently five other properties along East 10th Street that are of heavy industrial&nbsp;use.&nbsp;

A pre-annexation agreement with BBJ LLC will also be presented.&nbsp;&nbsp;

City staff and the owner of four parcels along 55th Street near 230th Avenue (BBJ LLC) have worked out the&nbsp;terms of a pre-annexation agreement as&nbsp;well as the construction of infrastructure to serve future development.

One tract of land has already been developed as a Peterbilt dealership. All&nbsp;tracts of land are currently outside the city limits, and only the dealership is served by&nbsp;a city waterline. City water and sewer infrastructure do not exist to serve the vacant&nbsp;properties for future development.

Bielser reviews details of the <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01202022-1321">Jan. 20</a> agenda.

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.&nbsp;

🎥 Water projects, property developments to be discussed by city commission

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

All three of the Hays USD 489 bond options include the closure of Westside school and moving that program to Wilson Elementary School.

The Westside program is in cooperation with High Plains Mental Health and assists children with mental health needs that can't be addressed in their home schools.

The school was built as part of the high school that is now Rockwell Administration Center. Even if the district would pass a bond, the earliest ground would be broken would be is 2023.

Members of the Hays school board toured the school with Lindy McDaniel, assistant director of special education. 

The program can accommodate up to 40 students. Students from the full special education co-op can qualify for the program. That includes children from Hays, Ellis, Victoria and La Crosse public schools, as well as local private schools.

The program is currently serving 28 students.

McDaniel pointed out some improvements that have been made in the last couple of years and many limitations that remain.

Westside programs are not accessible to students with physical disabilities. Students must climb two flights of stairs at Rockwell Administration Center to attend their mental health therapy sessions with High Plains because Westside doesn't have enough space.

The students also have to maneuver down stairs to access the Rockwell gym, which is used for their PE and recess in inclement weather.

Westside has a handicap ramp to the first floor. It's at the back of the building and is quite long. 

The only access to the second floor, the location of the middle school and high school classrooms, is via a steep set of stairs.

The elementary classroom on the first floor is small for the number of students being served, but state law prohibits young elementary children from attending classes on the second floor of a building.

The Westside program has a very small playground. It has received a grant from the Heartland Community Foundation to add a swing set and picnic area for outdoor learning. Those are on back order due to supply chain issues.

The elementary and middle school students in the program go to O'Loughlin Elementary School for lunch, and the high school students go to Hays High School for lunch.

That's at least 3,600 instructional minutes lost each year just in the commute to the other schools for lunch, McDaniel said.

Seventy-one percent of the students in the program also go to their home school for some portion of their day, which means more transition time and instruction time lost.

"One of our kindergarten elementary kids starts his day at Westside, goes to one of the elementary buildings, but that's not where this group of elementary kids eats lunch, so then he goes to another elementary to eat lunch. These are the kids with the most severe needs," McDaniel said.

Ideally, there would be a Westside program at each of the grade levels, elementary, middle and high, McDaniel said.

Westside serves students kindergarten through 12th grade. All of the students meet in the same room for breakfast in the morning. McDaniel said she had a concern about young children being mixed with high school students.

A secure entrance is in the works for Westside school. It's the last building in the district to receive a secure entrance. COVID has further delayed work on the project, Superintendent Ron Wilson said.

McDaniel said the school recently faced a potential security threat. School officials realized the school had no outside cameras to see who they might be buzzing into the school.

The school also doesn't have an intercom system or the background check system that the others schools have.

The board has approved replacing windows at Westside. The new windows should be in place by the end of the school year.

The current single-pane windows are likely original to the building. They are not insulated and are not conducive to security either, McDaniel said. One teacher also said the windows to do not seal completely, so water and dust both blow into the building.

There are only two bathrooms in the building. They are both one-stall bathrooms — one for boys and one for girls. There is no staff bathroom in the facility.

When Washington school closed, Westside repurposed some of the lockers for the middle school and high school students. Even though Westside has been a program for more than 30 years, it did not have its own library. That was added, in part thanks to donations from the Hays Public Library, in 2021.

All of the students have been assigned a laptop or Chromebook from their home school, but not all of the devices are working. 

"Because these kids have this school and their home school, we have to be very diligent about getting them the things that they need," McDaniel said. "We were definitely the last school to get our access to our computers this year."

Despite the challenges the school faces, the staff remains dedicated. Carla Emerson has taught for 14 years at Westside in the middle school classroom.

"I can't seem to leave this place," Emerson said. "These are great kids. They just need a little bit of a boost."

The district bond committee is set to meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom. The link is <a href="https://dlrgroup.zoom.us/j/2112122300" target="_blank">https://dlrgroup.zoom.us/j/2112122300</a>. Members will be considering bond plans to send to the school board.

The board could hear a recommendation from the committee as soon as Monday at its regular meeting a 6:30 p.m. also at Rockwell Administration Center.

Westside struggles with facilities; move could be part of bond

The Ellis County Conservation District has selected Eric and Lori Flax as the recipient of the 2021 Wildlife Habitat Award.

In January 2014, Eric and Lori Flax were able to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning farmland when they purchased a 30-acre pasture south of Walker. The parcel was mainly grassland with a nice mix of mature trees growing on both sides of a portion of Big Creek that ran through the center of the property.

Eric enjoys hunting turkey and bow hunting deer. Lori and their son, Adam, enjoy watching the wildlife and spending time in the country. This pasture was a place they could do that.

There was also an opportunity to help enhance the wildlife habitat. The west edge of the property was bordered by the county road. In order to provide a buffer between the road and the pasture, in May 2014, with the aid of Landon Leiker and the conservation office, a cost sharing wildlife habitat project was approved to plant a shelter belt. Eastern red cedars were purchased from the Kansas Forest Service and weed barrier was purchased from the Ellis County Conservation District. Lori’s father, Ralph Wellbrock, and his tractor were enlisted to help plant a two-row, 210 yard cedar shelter belt. Drip irrigation was set up to aid the newly planted trees take root and grow. Besides creating a barrier, the shelter belt would also provide thermal cover and wind protection.

With the shelter belt growing in nicely, Eric and Lori again consulted the conservation district staff in March 2017 about additional habitat projects. After discussing the various programs available, Eric and Lori entered into an Environmental Quality Incentive Program cost share contract to plant native warm season grass strips.

The grass strips were mapped out to create edge habitat and to act as a buffer on the north, south and west edges of the pasture. Strips were also laid out on both sides of the lease road that provided access to the producing oil well and tank battery in the pasture. A seed blend was selected to benefit the pollinators as well as the wildlife.

Eric has planted fruit trees and established food plots edged with screening cover all with the intention of providing additional food sources and cover for the wildlife.

Eric and Lori have been pleased with the progress and the results of their habitat projects. Even with the limitations of what most would consider a small parcel, the impact of these projects can provide long-lasting and far-reaching benefits.

The Ellis County Conservation District is honored to present Eric and Lori Flax with the 2021 Wildlife Habitat Award for their conservation efforts.

2021 Conservation Wildlife Habitat Award presented to Flaxes

By JAMES BELL 
Hays Post

This weekend the Hays Community Theater is set to present It’s
Showtime, a musical journey through television, film and Broadway.

Along with a diversity of source material, the production will
provide fun and drama for the audience, according to director Cheryl Glassman.

"The way that it's put together, there are some comedic
moments, but there are some serious moments that are going to pull at your
heartstrings that, you know, just give it a little bit more meat," Glassman
said.

“They're going to see maybe some things they've seen in the
past that might help them rekindle some memories, reminisce a little bit, see
some things that they may have not seen before, and hopefully make new memories
and just enjoy.”

The audience might even be able to sing along with a few of
the numbers.

And she said the show, while leaning in on an assortment of material, will also feature a mixed cast.

“We've got people from probably age 7, all the way up
into their 50s,” Glassman said. “So, a large range of ages and talent, and
people that you might know and people that you might need to know because
they're very talented.”

And with the varied nature of the show, many of the cast
members will present a number of characters.

“The one thing that the group has to do is — because it's
not just one musical or one play — they have to play different characters and
change costumes and get in and out of different characters,” Glassman said. “So that's really exciting, too.”

Without giving away too much of the show, she said, the
various musical numbers will come together for the finale.

“It's put together in a way that hopefully allows people
to make a full circle,” Glassman said. “And at the end of the show, that kind of
does make a full circle with the final song. So I've got some big cast
numbers, everybody's in them, got some solos and duets, and small group
numbers.

“It's really a good event for the community to come out and
enjoy.”

And with this family-friendly production, everyone can come and
enjoy.

“If you want to bring your kids, there are snippets from
different productions that kids will really love,” Glassman said. “And there
are things from other shows that adults are really going to love.”

She added that with so many canceled events over the last
two years, this show presents an opportunity for the community to come together.

“I think is important is that we're able to get out with our
families and our friends and that we can do this again,” Glassman said. “So,
it's, it's a good opportunity to do that.”

The show is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Hays Community Theatre building at 121 E. Eighth.

For more information about It’s Showtime, the Hays Community
Theatre or to purchase tickets, visit <a href="https://www.hctks.com/">hctks.com.</a>

🎙 Hays Community Theatre to present 'It's Showtime' 

Twenty-three new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas 
Law Enforcement Training Center on Jan. 14 at a ceremony 
held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.&nbsp;

Officer William Butrum of the Baldwin City Police Department was the 
graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Darrell 
Atteberry, Chief of Police for the Bel Aire Police Department. Michael 
Turenne, KLETC Senior Instructor of Police, was the Class Coordinator 
for the 287th Basic Training Class.

Chase Turner from the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office was recognized 
during the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the class’ “Top 
Shot”.

Graduates receive certificates of course completion from KLETC and 
Kansas law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace
 Officers’ Standards and Training, the state’s law enforcement licensing
 authority. The training course fulfills the state requirement for law 
enforcement training. Classroom lectures and hands-on applications help 
train officers to solve the increasingly complex problems they face in 
the line of duty.

Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968, KLETC trains the 
majority of municipal, county, and state law enforcement officers in 
Kansas and oversees the training of the remaining officers at seven 
authorized and certified academy programs operated by local law 
enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

About 300 officers enroll annually in KLETC 14-week basic training 
programs. KLETC offers continuing education and specialized training to 
over 10,000 Kansas officers each year. KLETC is located one mile west 
and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, and is a division of the 
University of Kansas Lifelong &amp; Professional Education.

The graduates, who began their training in September 2021, 
represented 19 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from
 across Kansas. Area graduates are listed below by county and agency: 
 
Barton 
Christopher Kelso - Great Bend Police Department

Ellis 
Alanna Hansen - Fort Hays State University Police Department

Wichita 
Chase Penterman - Wichita County Sheriff’s Office

NW Kan. officers among newest police academy graduates

MANHATTAN – The Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association recently named Parker Vulgamore as the organization’s Collegiate Fellow for 2022.

In this role, Vulgamore will assist Kansas Grain Sorghum connect smart policy solutions with farm-oriented programming at the state-level as well as assist staff of National Sorghum Producers with similar programming at regional and national levels.

We are thrilled to welcome Parker to Kansas Grain Sorghum,” KGS Executive Director Jesse McCurry said. "Having dedicated young people is exciting for our staff and board. As sorghum grows in importance throughout our region, we are excited to continue working with the next generation of Kansas talent to improve the industry in the state."

“Parker brings great perspective to an outstanding team serving sorghum farmers in Kansas,” added NSP Executive Vice President John Duff. “We look forward to leveraging this perspective to advance the interests of sorghum farmers and continue building bridges with student communities in Kansas and beyond.”

Vulgamore is a junior at Kansas State University studying agricultural economics with a pre-law specialty. 

As a fifth-generation wheat, corn, and sorghum farmer from Scott City, KS, he is no stranger to the complex issues facing sorghum producers across the state. "Through my deep agricultural roots and passion for public service, I am excited to advocate for and advance the sorghum industry in this position," Vulgamore said.

In addition to his new role with Kansas Grain Sorghum and National Sorghum Producers, Vulgamore is actively involved across his campus and community where he serves in the Student Governing Association as a senator and caucus leader, ambassador for the Pre-Law Program, officer for the college of agriculture, and president of his fraternity, Delta Upsilon.&nbsp; Vulgamore plans to graduate in May 2023.

5th generation western Kan. farmer named Fellow in Grain Sorghum Association

The Hays High boys basketball team moves up one spot to No. 6 in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings.

The Trego boys hold at No. 8 in 2A. Osborne jumps two spots to No. 3 in 1A Division I and Wheatland-Grinnell holds at No. 5 in 1A Division II.

The Mid-Continent league has two girls teams ranked. Phillipsburg is up one to No. 7 in 3A. Smith Center drops a spot to No. 6 in 2A.&nbsp;

The Osborne girls drop one to No. 8 in 1A Division I. St. John's-Tipton is sixth and Wheatland-Grinnell ninth in 1A Division II.

The Liberal girls are eighth and Dodge City ninth in 6A.

Complete rankings below... GIRLS RANKINGS 6A Girls 1. Shawnee Mission West 2. Olathe North 3. Derby 4. Topeka High 5. Blue Valley 6. Shawnee Mission Northwest 7. Washburn Rural 8. Liberal 9. Dodge City 10. Wichita Heights

5A Girls 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. Salina Central 3. Andover Central 4. Lansing 5. Bishop Carroll 6. Emporia 7. Goddard 8. Spring Hill 9. Basehor-Linwood 10. Maize

4A Girls 1. Wamego 2. Wellington 3. Bishop Miege 4. Eudora 5. Andale 6. Labette County 7. Rock Creek 8. Clearwater 9. Pratt 10. McPherson

3A Girls 1. Hugoton 2. Nickerson 3. Silver Lake 4. Goodland 5. Eureka 6. Cheney 7. Philipsburg 8. Hiawatha 9. Santa Fe Trail 10. Southeast of Saline

2A Girls 1. Sterling 2. Valley Heights 3. Elbing -Berean Academy 4. St. Mary's Colgan 5. Jackson Heights 6. Smith Center 7. Elkhart 8. Ell Saline 9. Remington 10. Garden Plain

1A-Div 1 1. Burlingame 2. Hodgeman County 3. Centralia 4. St. Paul 5. Little River 6. Norwich 7. Pretty Prairie 8. Osborne 9. Highland Doniphan West 10. Coldwater South Central

1A-Div 2 1. Central Plains 2. Lebo 3. Hanover 4. Golden Plains 5. Hutchinson Central Christian 6. St. John's/Tipton 7. Attica 8. Ashland| 9. Wheatland/Grinnell 10. South Haven

BOYS RANKINGS 6A Boys 1. Lawrence Free State 2. Blue Valley Northwest 3..Dodge City 4. Wichita Heights 5. Blue Valley West 6. Olathe South 7. Shawnee Mission South 8. Wichita Northwest 9. Junction City 10. Shawnee Mission Northwest

5A Boys 1. Andover Central 2. Highland Park 3..Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4. Topeka West 5. Maize 6. Hays 7. St. James Academy 8. Andover 9. Valley Center 10. Pittsburg

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