<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715547133625.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school board will meet today at 6:30 p.m. at the Rockwell Administration Center to consider purchasing a new activity bus.

The purchase would be from Master Transportation for $312,400.

The board will also consider approving a three-year contract with BP-Cleanrite to provide evening janitorial services for USD 489 school facilities.

The board also will consider approving updates to graduation policies.

The superintendent will give bond updates and a report on republishing the budget for at-risk funds.

Hays High School seniors and district librarians will give presentations.

Jessie Groff, Wilson Elementary School teacher, will be recognized as a Region 1 Teacher of the Year nominee.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays USD 489 school board will meet today at 6:30 p.m. at the Rockwell Administration Center to consider purchasing a new activity bus.The purchase would be from Master Transportation for $312,400.The board will also consider approving a three-year contract with BP-Cleanrite to provide evening janitorial services for USD 489 school facilities.The board also will consider approving updates to graduation policies.The superintendent will give bond updates and a report on republishing the budget for at-risk funds.Hays High School seniors and district librarians will give presentations.Jessie Groff, Wilson Elementary School teacher, will be recognized as a Region 1 Teacher of the Year nominee.

Hays USD 489 school board to consider activity bus purchase

Vast prairie, unpredictable weather conditions, long work hours – farming and ranching can be a stressful business. Farm families often face heightened levels of stress because so many factors influencing their livelihood (like the weather and commodity prices) are beyond their control.

Stress is a normal part of life, and farm families are often very resilient! However, sometimes stress can become too much and overwhelm our natural ability to cope. In these challenging times, it’s important to have someone trustworthy to talk things over with.

Here at High Plains Mental Health Center, we understand the unique challenges faced by farm families. Several of our staff also come from agriculture backgrounds, and many of our therapists are AgriSafe Farm Response Certified to better understand your concerns.

With more than 50 access sites in 20 counties and more telehealth options for your family’s privacy and convenience, We’re Here for You. A sliding fee scale is available to make care affordable for any budget.

Help is always just a phone call away, with mobile crisis options and after-hours support also available. Just call 1-800-432-0333 or 988 to be connected with a mental health professional.

There are also self-care steps that may help rural residents cope with rising stress levels:

- Set priorities and plan your time. Say no to extra commitments that you do not have time to do.

- Try to reframe stressful situations. Try to see the big picture and look for solutions.

- Remember that most situations are temporary and strong feelings will fade.

- Take time to notice and appreciate what you have accomplished.

- Focus on relaxing your body and mind. Try taking deep breaths.

- Tune into your body and take care of it. Exercise regularly and eat well-balanced meals.

- Limit intake of alcohol and stimulants such as coffee, soda and tea.

- Take a break. You can exercise for a few minutes, take a walk, or pause to appreciate the beauty of nature.

- Before responding to a stressful situation, pause. Take deep breaths and slowly release them to release unnecessary stress.

- Find someone that you can talk to about your worries and frustrations.

- Engage your social support systems. Families with greater community involvement and stronger social networks are often more resilient.

- Look for the humor in the things that you do.

- Seek help when you need it. Everyone needs help sometimes. If stress is affecting your relationships, your work, or you feel like it is taking over your life, help is available! Mental health care is health care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578344475899.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z77KgMdbo84?si=VfsH3MKZZ_F8JUps" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>High Plains Mental HealthVast prairie, unpredictable weather conditions, long work hours – farming and ranching can be a stressful business. Farm families often face heightened levels of stress because so many factors influencing their livelihood (like the weather and commodity prices) are beyond their control.Stress is a normal part of life, and farm families are often very resilient! However, sometimes stress can become too much and overwhelm our natural ability to cope. In these challenging times, it’s important to have someone trustworthy to talk things over with.Here at High Plains Mental Health Center, we understand the unique challenges faced by farm families. Several of our staff also come from agriculture backgrounds, and many of our therapists are AgriSafe Farm Response Certified to better understand your concerns.With more than 50 access sites in 20 counties and more telehealth options for your family’s privacy and convenience, We’re Here for You. A sliding fee scale is available to make care affordable for any budget.Help is always just a phone call away, with mobile crisis options and after-hours support also available. Just call 1-800-432-0333 or 988 to be connected with a mental health professional.There are also self-care steps that may help rural residents cope with rising stress levels:- Set priorities and plan your time. Say no to extra commitments that you do not have time to do.- Try to reframe stressful situations. Try to see the big picture and look for solutions.- Remember that most situations are temporary and strong feelings will fade.- Take time to notice and appreciate what you have accomplished.- Focus on relaxing your body and mind. Try taking deep breaths.- Tune into your body and take care of it. Exercise regularly and eat well-balanced meals.- Limit intake of alcohol and stimulants such as coffee, soda and tea.- Take a break. You can exercise for a few minutes, take a walk, or pause to appreciate the beauty of nature.- Before responding to a stressful situation, pause. Take deep breaths and slowly release them to release unnecessary stress.- Find someone that you can talk to about your worries and frustrations.- Engage your social support systems. Families with greater community involvement and stronger social networks are often more resilient.- Look for the humor in the things that you do.- Seek help when you need it. Everyone needs help sometimes. If stress is affecting your relationships, your work, or you feel like it is taking over your life, help is available! Mental health care is health care.

🎥 Sponsored: High Plains Mental Health Center here to help farmers and ranchers

By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas Outdoors

Cats of any description are fierce, efficient hunters, and feral cats, all-the-more. They do untold damage to pheasant and quail populations and kill large numbers of songbirds. By feral cats I mean cats that live totally in the wild and possibly haven’t had a domestic relative for years or even generations; NOT “Fluffy” next door that rolls around at your feet and plays hide and seek with you from a paper sack.

Feral cats have become so overpopulated in some states that over the years, hunting seasons have actually been proposed for them. Heck, when we were kids, we called feral cats RT’s, short for Running Targets. But I think I have some good ideas to actually utilize feral cats in today’s topsy-turvey society. For starters, and in light of all the recent “protests” at our nation’s colleges, how about using them for crowd control. Rioting crowds would probably react badly to snarling German Shepherds, which will soon be history anyway since the K-9 police units will probably be washed down the drain with the rest of law enforcement officers by those claiming animal cruelty. But who’s gonna’ notice a few fluffy cats rubbing against everyone’s legs. Really long-haired ones rolled in some sort of fairy-dust sleeping potion and turned loose to spread it through the crowd could have the “demonstrators” simply falling asleep where they stand. All that’s needed is to pile everyone against the curbs and traffic is restored; no buildings burned, no one shot, no historic statues that have stood there for generations torn down, and just look at the money saved on tear gas. Hopefully when the protestors all awake to see how pathetic they look on the evening news, they’ll just slink off into the shadows and be too ashamed to try it again.

Since it appears many 911 calls could soon be answered by only mental health professionals of some description who will undoubtedly be unarmed except for a clipboard and some colored markers, a few of the nastiest, old hag, feral cats can be trained to go with them when they enter whatever the new nations within our cities will call themselves by then. They can be carried in small cat size carriers or with those nifty little harnesses with a handle so they can be carted around like a lunch box. “A cat against a crowd of demonstrators?” you’re thinking. Remember,

these “demonstrators” that want the world to believe they are the toughest things since Dirty Harry are mostly snowflakes and tree huggers; they’ll urge violence against law enforcement officers and burn cities, but they won’t harm a cat. And if one does get out-of-line, that old hag, feral cat will lay them open like a fish with a couple lightning quick swipes of a paw; pretty good protection I’d say.

Those new nations set-up within our cities will probably become overrun with rodents, since none of the snowflakes or tree huggers would ever think of killing a mouse or rat. Heck, I have already read a report claiming someone released rats into one of the college “encampments.” Those rodents would soon spread out into the rest of the city, so a crew of feral cats released there could soon take care of the issue. Besides, the only food our feline mousers would be offered by residents there would probably only be vegan.

Well, there you have just a few examples of innovative ways to repurpose feral cats for today’s topsy-turvey world. I see it as a win-win-deal; a few feral cats are taken out of the wild, pet lovers are happy cause’ they weren’t killed and we hunters reap the benefits… Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas OutdoorsCats of any description are fierce, efficient hunters, and feral cats, all-the-more. They do untold damage to pheasant and quail populations and kill large numbers of songbirds. By feral cats I mean cats that live totally in the wild and possibly haven’t had a domestic relative for years or even generations; NOT “Fluffy” next door that rolls around at your feet and plays hide and seek with you from a paper sack.Feral cats have become so overpopulated in some states that over the years, hunting seasons have actually been proposed for them. Heck, when we were kids, we called feral cats RT’s, short for Running Targets. But I think I have some good ideas to actually utilize feral cats in today’s topsy-turvey society. For starters, and in light of all the recent “protests” at our nation’s colleges, how about using them for crowd control. Rioting crowds would probably react badly to snarling German Shepherds, which will soon be history anyway since the K-9 police units will probably be washed down the drain with the rest of law enforcement officers by those claiming animal cruelty. But who’s gonna’ notice a few fluffy cats rubbing against everyone’s legs. Really long-haired ones rolled in some sort of fairy-dust sleeping potion and turned loose to spread it through the crowd could have the “demonstrators” simply falling asleep where they stand. All that’s needed is to pile everyone against the curbs and traffic is restored; no buildings burned, no one shot, no historic statues that have stood there for generations torn down, and just look at the money saved on tear gas. Hopefully when the protestors all awake to see how pathetic they look on the evening news, they’ll just slink off into the shadows and be too ashamed to try it again.Since it appears many 911 calls could soon be answered by only mental health professionals of some description who will undoubtedly be unarmed except for a clipboard and some colored markers, a few of the nastiest, old hag, feral cats can be trained to go with them when they enter whatever the new nations within our cities will call themselves by then. They can be carried in small cat size carriers or with those nifty little harnesses with a handle so they can be carted around like a lunch box. “A cat against a crowd of demonstrators?” you’re thinking. Remember,these “demonstrators” that want the world to believe they are the toughest things since Dirty Harry are mostly snowflakes and tree huggers; they’ll urge violence against law enforcement officers and burn cities, but they won’t harm a cat. And if one does get out-of-line, that old hag, feral cat will lay them open like a fish with a couple lightning quick swipes of a paw; pretty good protection I’d say.Those new nations set-up within our cities will probably become overrun with rodents, since none of the snowflakes or tree huggers would ever think of killing a mouse or rat. Heck, I have already read a report claiming someone released rats into one of the college “encampments.” Those rodents would soon spread out into the rest of the city, so a crew of feral cats released there could soon take care of the issue. Besides, the only food our feline mousers would be offered by residents there would probably only be vegan.Well, there you have just a few examples of innovative ways to repurpose feral cats for today’s topsy-turvey world. I see it as a win-win-deal; a few feral cats are taken out of the wild, pet lovers are happy cause’ they weren’t killed and we hunters reap the benefits… Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Repurposing feral cats for today’s topsy-turvey world

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

WAKEENEY - The support poles for the planned new drive-in theatre screen in WaKeeney are finally in the ground.

Installation of the 106 metal sheets and their horizontal braces that make up the screen was expected to start this weekend.&nbsp;

Two buildings are to be moved onto the site south of Interstate 70 at Exit 128 in June and July.&nbsp;

"It's coming together. We're so excited," said theatre board member volunteer Lynelle Shubert.

It's a slow process. The project is in its <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/497a901e-7490-454b-91d4-34f56e8c39a3">fourth year</a>.&nbsp;

The labor is being done by volunteers or donated by professionals.

"The screen poles laid on the ground for 10 months. Linemen at Western Coop Electric and Midwest Energy donated their time and equipment to install the poles in mid-April, but of course, we weren't a priority so we had to wait until they had time."

A year ago the Trego Sky View Foundation received a $44,400 attraction development grant from&nbsp;Kansas Tourism, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce.&nbsp;

"It shows their faith in us and how this will be good not only for WaKeeney but also northwest Kansas.

"The nearest drive-in theatres are in Kanopolis and Dodge City."&nbsp;Wichita, Kansas City and Paola are the only other remaining communities in the state with drive-ins.

Shubert said they've been building as they have the money.&nbsp;

"The big push now is to build the bank account again so that we can get the projector.

"A new one is outside our budget. We're looking at a buying used one for about $50,000."

Shubert, who is the director of WaKeeney Tourism and Travel, attended a&nbsp; Main Street America program last week in Las Vegas.

One of the sessions focused how having a theatre in a town can enhance the local economy.

"We have done the market research and this will bring Trego County increased sales tax and transient guest tax, and create seasonal jobs," Shubert wrote on the Trego Sky View Drive-in Theatre Facebook page.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"So when people say movies are dying,&nbsp; you can stay home and watch a movie, that might be true for in-house theatres. But what we're building is very different.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The tourism trend is that people want an experience. They want to go back in time and have a nostalgic experience."

Shubert said the project is on the right track even though there is a whole generation that has no concept what a drive-in movie is.

"We've had some people say they don't want their kids riding their bikes across the interstate. But this is not a 'send your kids to the movie' experience. It's a whole family experience."

One group eagerly anticipating the drive-in are high school-aged students, she said.

"They don't really have any place to go socially in WaKeeney for fun with their friends or date night and they wind up driving to Hill City or Hays."

"Once the projector is purchased, we're ready to rock and roll."

Shubert is aiming for the drive-in to be open in June 2025.

"The only thing we won't have until after the first year of operation is bathroom facilities. Once we get up and rolling we can tell people their patronage will help us buy bathrooms next season. We'll probably use portable ones until then. "&nbsp;

Donations toward the drive-in project may be made by Venmo which is available on the theatre's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tregoskyview">Facebook page</a> and below.

Questions may be emailed to&nbsp;tregoskyview@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715372998365.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostWAKEENEY - The support poles for the planned new drive-in theatre screen in WaKeeney are finally in the ground.Installation of the 106 metal sheets and their horizontal braces that make up the screen was expected to start this weekend.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715377130495.png" alt="Planned Trego Sky View Drive-In movie theatre location south of I-70 at Exit 128, WaKeeney." />
 <figcaption>Planned Trego Sky View Drive-In movie theatre location south of I-70 at Exit 128, WaKeeney.</figcaption>
 </figure>Two buildings are to be moved onto the site south of Interstate 70 at Exit 128 in June and July.&nbsp;"It's coming together. We're so excited," said theatre board member volunteer Lynelle Shubert.It's a slow process. The project is in its <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/497a901e-7490-454b-91d4-34f56e8c39a3">fourth year</a>.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715470725086.jpeg" alt="Poles for the 30' by 70' planned Trego Sky View Drive-In movie screen are erected in mid-April by Western Electric Cooperative and Midwest Energy employees. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Poles for the 30' by 70' planned Trego Sky View Drive-In movie screen are erected in mid-April by Western Electric Cooperative and Midwest Energy employees. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The labor is being done by volunteers or donated by professionals."The screen poles laid on the ground for 10 months. Linemen at Western Coop Electric and Midwest Energy donated their time and equipment to install the poles in mid-April, but of course, we weren't a priority so we had to wait until they had time."A year ago the Trego Sky View Foundation received a $44,400 attraction development grant from&nbsp;Kansas Tourism, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce.&nbsp;"It shows their faith in us and how this will be good not only for WaKeeney but also northwest Kansas."The nearest drive-in theatres are in Kanopolis and Dodge City."&nbsp;Wichita, Kansas City and Paola are the only other remaining communities in the state with drive-ins.Shubert said they've been building as they have the money.&nbsp;"The big push now is to build the bank account again so that we can get the projector."A new one is outside our budget. We're looking at a buying used one for about $50,000."Shubert, who is the director of WaKeeney Tourism and Travel, attended a&nbsp; Main Street America program last week in Las Vegas.One of the sessions focused how having a theatre in a town can enhance the local economy."We have done the market research and this will bring Trego County increased sales tax and transient guest tax, and create seasonal jobs," Shubert wrote on the Trego Sky View Drive-in Theatre Facebook page.&nbsp;&nbsp;"So when people say movies are dying,&nbsp; you can stay home and watch a movie, that might be true for in-house theatres. But what we're building is very different.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The tourism trend is that people want an experience. They want to go back in time and have a nostalgic experience."Shubert said the project is on the right track even though there is a whole generation that has no concept what a drive-in movie is."We've had some people say they don't want their kids riding their bikes across the interstate. But this is not a 'send your kids to the movie' experience. It's a whole family experience."One group eagerly anticipating the drive-in are high school-aged students, she said."They don't really have any place to go socially in WaKeeney for fun with their friends or date night and they wind up driving to Hill City or Hays.""Once the projector is purchased, we're ready to rock and roll."Shubert is aiming for the drive-in to be open in June 2025."The only thing we won't have until after the first year of operation is bathroom facilities. Once we get up and rolling we can tell people their patronage will help us buy bathrooms next season. We'll probably use portable ones until then. "&nbsp;Donations toward the drive-in project may be made by Venmo which is available on the theatre's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tregoskyview">Facebook page</a> and below.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715470136588.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Questions may be emailed to&nbsp;tregoskyview@gmail.com.

New WaKeeney drive-in movie theatre project slowing coming together 

MANHATTAN AND ANDOVER — The statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://cba.k-state.edu/academics/departments/center-advancement-entrepreneurship/KEC-competition-info.html">Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge</a>&nbsp;recently awarded more than $75,000 in total prizes to 31 aspiring entrepreneurs. In total,&nbsp;72 businesses and 81 students participated in&nbsp;the event in April at the K-State Student Union.

The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge, or KEC, is a program of the NetWork Kansas Entrepreneurship (E)-Community Partnership and involves several Kansas State University partners, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://cba.k-state.edu/academics/departments/center-advancement-entrepreneurship/">Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship</a>&nbsp;in the College of Business Administration. Through the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.k-state.edu/105">K-State 105 initiative</a>, the 2023-2024 competition year involved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/">K-State Research and Extension</a>&nbsp;and Kansas 4-H.KEC represents the culmination of a sequence of community-based entrepreneurship competitions for students in grades 6-12, known as the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, or YEC, series. Students are selected to compete in KEC by winning a sanctioned YEC series competition or by being selected as one of 16 wildcard participants, who are chosen because of the strength of their executive summary and pre-recorded elevator pitch.

This competition year marks the 11th annual YEC season and was the largest year for the entrepreneurship series, with 1,159 students participating from across the state.

"NetWork Kansas is thrilled with the growth of the YEC Series over the past decade," said Amara Kniep, director of (E)-Community Partnership. "Our goal is to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in young Kansans and to empower our youth to know that their future is in their hands."

The YEC series consists of local-level youth entrepreneurship competitions hosted by volunteers. Local YEC series events require students to prepare an executive summary and formal presentation, and they often feature interactive tradeshows or elevator pitches. Students work in teams or individually to represent a business concept and compete for awards and prizes. Students' work is judged by local entrepreneurs, public sector partners, teachers and other community members.

The businesses that advanced to the KEC state championship were judged on their executive summaries and mock boardroom presentations."K-State Research and Extension is excited to be a partner in this hands-on learning experience for the youth of Kansas," said Sarah Maass, program director for 4-H youth development. "The future for our state is bright with these young entrepreneurs helping lead the way."

The following businesses and students were selected as finalists:

•&nbsp;Aerial View, created by Callie Umphres and Sydney Bailey,&nbsp;Great Bend.•&nbsp;Bakers Box, created by Autumn Wynn,&nbsp;Goodland.•&nbsp;Beach Bound Creations, created by Maci Morgan,&nbsp;Wichita.•&nbsp;Chording with Cylie, created by Cylie LaTourell,&nbsp;Sterling.•&nbsp;DayWeb Media, created by Isaac Day,&nbsp;Fort Scott.•&nbsp;Enlightened Wellness, created by Jenna Wilson,&nbsp;Garden City.•&nbsp;Greener Grass, created by Felix Kirkland,&nbsp;Lawrence.•&nbsp;Intricates, created by Bryan Garvert,&nbsp;Plainville.•&nbsp;Katie's Car Freshies, created by Katie Aubert,&nbsp;Rossville.•&nbsp;Layton's Show Cattle Embryos, created by Layton Hopkins,&nbsp;Tribune.•&nbsp;Logan Lawn Care, created by Blake Logan,&nbsp;Towanda.•&nbsp;Made in Minutes, created by Hailie Mick,&nbsp;Osborne.•&nbsp;Pittsburg Poticas, created by Anamarija Kalan,&nbsp;Pittsburg.•&nbsp;Tsooi's Cattle - Kansas Lange,&nbsp;Larned.

The following businesses and students received exemplary recognition:

•&nbsp;Aaron’s Lawn Care, created by Aaron Collins,&nbsp;Leavenworth.•&nbsp;Blackbird Blades, created by Jonas Letourneau,&nbsp;Beloit.•&nbsp;Bluehill Adventure Tours, created by Norah Ellenz,&nbsp;Tipton.•&nbsp;CB’s Handcrafted Jigs, created by Cody Burns,&nbsp;Girard.•&nbsp;Chargelet, created by Gabby Poels,&nbsp;Phillipsburg.•&nbsp;Crouse Electrical Co., created by Peter Crouse,&nbsp;Atwood.•&nbsp;Dough-licious, created by Armando Duran, Carson Ablard,&nbsp;Salina.•&nbsp;Eggs Xpress, created by Brady Childs,&nbsp;Ellsworth.•&nbsp;Elkhorn Silver, created by Josie Kueser,&nbsp;Ellsworth.•&nbsp;High Plains Aquaculture, created by Landon Hendricks,&nbsp;Cheylin.•&nbsp;LB.Leather, created by Lindsey Beltz,&nbsp;Sterling.•&nbsp;Norris Tutoring, created by Dylan Norris,&nbsp;Salina.•&nbsp;Sydney's Savings Storefront LLC, created by Sydney Heller,&nbsp;Sylvan Grove.•&nbsp;Tre's Squeeze LLC, created by Tre Glasper,&nbsp;Manhattan.

The students also had the opportunity to participate in a tradeshow to showcase their businesses. Members of the public could attend and vote for their favorite businesses.

The following businesses and students were recognized with the Tradeshow People's Choice Award:

•&nbsp;First place: Made in Minutes, created by Hailie Mick,&nbsp;Osborne.•&nbsp;Second place: Delectably Dried, created by Ames Schielke and Jack Denny,&nbsp;Colby.•&nbsp;Third place: Cowgirl Creations, created by Riley Hunnicutt,&nbsp;Hope.•&nbsp;Third place: Katie’s Car Freshies, created by Katie Aubert,&nbsp;Rossville.•&nbsp;Fourth place: Lizzie’s Lounge Doggie Daycare &amp; Kennel, created by Londyn Detlefson,&nbsp;Salina.

The following people were recognized as YEC Champions:

•&nbsp;Heather Stamper-Voss, Rooks County.•&nbsp;Liz Watson, Morton County.•&nbsp;Linda Haring, Lincoln County.•&nbsp;Brian Richter, Rice County.•&nbsp;Stephanie Maike, Wabaunsee County.•&nbsp;Beth Zimmerman, Anderson County.•&nbsp;Candis Meerpohl, Shawnee County.

The Kansas communities that hosted a local YEC series event included Allen County, Anderson County, Barton County, Bourbon County, Butler County, Chase County, Chautauqua County, Cherokee County, Cheyenne County, Clay County, Cloud County, Cowley County, Crawford County, Douglas County, Elk County, Ellis County, Ellsworth County, Finney County, Ford County, Franklin County, Graham County, Greeley County, Harvey County,&nbsp; Jewell County, Kiowa County, Labette County, Leavenworth County, Lincoln County, Linn County, McPherson County, Mitchell County, Montgomery County, Morris County, Morton County, Neosho County, Norton County, Osborne County, Pawnee County, Phillips County, Pottawatomie County, Rawlins County, Reno County, Republic County, Rice County, Rooks County, Saline County, Scott County, Sedgwick County, Seward County, Shawnee County, Sherman County, Stafford County, Sumner County, Thomas County, Wabaunsee County, Wichita County and Wyandotte County. Additional communities were invited to participate.

For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001FfcLFpCy5g0vx_CnTTh3cWYS_nxABaApqkBaKICNumdr_zDneNEd5lJ2Eo5h2Sm4BgrDyHt1SlUU2ynURn6Xak_m7LNLcIt6OBsRVLbGJsg8EiwS-OvL7g==">youtheshipchallenge.com</a>.&nbsp;

MANHATTAN AND ANDOVER — The statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://cba.k-state.edu/academics/departments/center-advancement-entrepreneurship/KEC-competition-info.html">Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge</a>&nbsp;recently awarded more than $75,000 in total prizes to 31 aspiring entrepreneurs. In total,&nbsp;72 businesses and 81 students participated in&nbsp;the event in April at the K-State Student Union.The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge, or KEC, is a program of the NetWork Kansas Entrepreneurship (E)-Community Partnership and involves several Kansas State University partners, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://cba.k-state.edu/academics/departments/center-advancement-entrepreneurship/">Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship</a>&nbsp;in the College of Business Administration. Through the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.k-state.edu/105">K-State 105 initiative</a>, the 2023-2024 competition year involved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/">K-State Research and Extension</a>&nbsp;and Kansas 4-H.KEC represents the culmination of a sequence of community-based entrepreneurship competitions for students in grades 6-12, known as the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, or YEC, series. Students are selected to compete in KEC by winning a sanctioned YEC series competition or by being selected as one of 16 wildcard participants, who are chosen because of the strength of their executive summary and pre-recorded elevator pitch.This competition year marks the 11th annual YEC season and was the largest year for the entrepreneurship series, with 1,159 students participating from across the state."NetWork Kansas is thrilled with the growth of the YEC Series over the past decade," said Amara Kniep, director of (E)-Community Partnership. "Our goal is to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in young Kansans and to empower our youth to know that their future is in their hands."The YEC series consists of local-level youth entrepreneurship competitions hosted by volunteers. Local YEC series events require students to prepare an executive summary and formal presentation, and they often feature interactive tradeshows or elevator pitches. Students work in teams or individually to represent a business concept and compete for awards and prizes. Students' work is judged by local entrepreneurs, public sector partners, teachers and other community members.The businesses that advanced to the KEC state championship were judged on their executive summaries and mock boardroom presentations."K-State Research and Extension is excited to be a partner in this hands-on learning experience for the youth of Kansas," said Sarah Maass, program director for 4-H youth development. "The future for our state is bright with these young entrepreneurs helping lead the way."The following businesses and students were selected as finalists:•&nbsp;Aerial View, created by Callie Umphres and Sydney Bailey,&nbsp;Great Bend.•&nbsp;Bakers Box, created by Autumn Wynn,&nbsp;Goodland.•&nbsp;Beach Bound Creations, created by Maci Morgan,&nbsp;Wichita.•&nbsp;Chording with Cylie, created by Cylie LaTourell,&nbsp;Sterling.•&nbsp;DayWeb Media, created by Isaac Day,&nbsp;Fort Scott.•&nbsp;Enlightened Wellness, created by Jenna Wilson,&nbsp;Garden City.•&nbsp;Greener Grass, created by Felix Kirkland,&nbsp;Lawrence.•&nbsp;Intricates, created by Bryan Garvert,&nbsp;Plainville.•&nbsp;Katie's Car Freshies, created by Katie Aubert,&nbsp;Rossville.•&nbsp;Layton's Show Cattle Embryos, created by Layton Hopkins,&nbsp;Tribune.•&nbsp;Logan Lawn Care, created by Blake Logan,&nbsp;Towanda.•&nbsp;Made in Minutes, created by Hailie Mick,&nbsp;Osborne.•&nbsp;Pittsburg Poticas, created by Anamarija Kalan,&nbsp;Pittsburg.•&nbsp;Tsooi's Cattle - Kansas Lange,&nbsp;Larned.The following businesses and students received exemplary recognition:•&nbsp;Aaron’s Lawn Care, created by Aaron Collins,&nbsp;Leavenworth.•&nbsp;Blackbird Blades, created by Jonas Letourneau,&nbsp;Beloit.•&nbsp;Bluehill Adventure Tours, created by Norah Ellenz,&nbsp;Tipton.•&nbsp;CB’s Handcrafted Jigs, created by Cody Burns,&nbsp;Girard.•&nbsp;Chargelet, created by Gabby Poels,&nbsp;Phillipsburg.•&nbsp;Crouse Electrical Co., created by Peter Crouse,&nbsp;Atwood.•&nbsp;Dough-licious, created by Armando Duran, Carson Ablard,&nbsp;Salina.•&nbsp;Eggs Xpress, created by Brady Childs,&nbsp;Ellsworth.•&nbsp;Elkhorn Silver, created by Josie Kueser,&nbsp;Ellsworth.•&nbsp;High Plains Aquaculture, created by Landon Hendricks,&nbsp;Cheylin.•&nbsp;LB.Leather, created by Lindsey Beltz,&nbsp;Sterling.•&nbsp;Norris Tutoring, created by Dylan Norris,&nbsp;Salina.•&nbsp;Sydney's Savings Storefront LLC, created by Sydney Heller,&nbsp;Sylvan Grove.•&nbsp;Tre's Squeeze LLC, created by Tre Glasper,&nbsp;Manhattan.The students also had the opportunity to participate in a tradeshow to showcase their businesses. Members of the public could attend and vote for their favorite businesses.The following businesses and students were recognized with the Tradeshow People's Choice Award:•&nbsp;First place: Made in Minutes, created by Hailie Mick,&nbsp;Osborne.•&nbsp;Second place: Delectably Dried, created by Ames Schielke and Jack Denny,&nbsp;Colby.•&nbsp;Third place: Cowgirl Creations, created by Riley Hunnicutt,&nbsp;Hope.•&nbsp;Third place: Katie’s Car Freshies, created by Katie Aubert,&nbsp;Rossville.•&nbsp;Fourth place: Lizzie’s Lounge Doggie Daycare &amp; Kennel, created by Londyn Detlefson,&nbsp;Salina.The following people were recognized as YEC Champions:•&nbsp;Heather Stamper-Voss, Rooks County.•&nbsp;Liz Watson, Morton County.•&nbsp;Linda Haring, Lincoln County.•&nbsp;Brian Richter, Rice County.•&nbsp;Stephanie Maike, Wabaunsee County.•&nbsp;Beth Zimmerman, Anderson County.•&nbsp;Candis Meerpohl, Shawnee County.The Kansas communities that hosted a local YEC series event included Allen County, Anderson County, Barton County, Bourbon County, Butler County, Chase County, Chautauqua County, Cherokee County, Cheyenne County, Clay County, Cloud County, Cowley County, Crawford County, Douglas County, Elk County, Ellis County, Ellsworth County, Finney County, Ford County, Franklin County, Graham County, Greeley County, Harvey County,&nbsp; Jewell County, Kiowa County, Labette County, Leavenworth County, Lincoln County, Linn County, McPherson County, Mitchell County, Montgomery County, Morris County, Morton County, Neosho County, Norton County, Osborne County, Pawnee County, Phillips County, Pottawatomie County, Rawlins County, Reno County, Republic County, Rice County, Rooks County, Saline County, Scott County, Sedgwick County, Seward County, Shawnee County, Sherman County, Stafford County, Sumner County, Thomas County, Wabaunsee County, Wichita County and Wyandotte County. Additional communities were invited to participate.For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001FfcLFpCy5g0vx_CnTTh3cWYS_nxABaApqkBaKICNumdr_zDneNEd5lJ2Eo5h2Sm4BgrDyHt1SlUU2ynURn6Xak_m7LNLcIt6OBsRVLbGJsg8EiwS-OvL7g==">youtheshipchallenge.com</a>.&nbsp;

Students honored at statewide youth entrepreneurship competition led by NetWork Kansas, K-State partners

The Kansas Department of Transportation announces approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects. The letting took place April 17, 2024, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.

Douglas ‑&nbsp;23 TE‑0517‑01 ‑ Church Street, from 20th to 15th Street, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.5 mile, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $1,145,158.48.

Nemaha ‑&nbsp;66 C‑5195‑01 ‑ Major collectors north of U.S. 36, signing, 105.6 miles, KOMO Construction LLC / DBA A&amp;H CO., Elko New Market, Minnesota, $218,746.60.

Ellsworth ‑&nbsp;232‑27 KA‑5724‑01 ‑ K‑232, bridge #055 over Wilson Creek located 1.25 miles south of I‑70, bridge replacement, L &amp; M Contractors Inc., Great Bend, Kansas, $1,080,721.50.

Morris ‑&nbsp;56‑64 U‑2402‑02 – Routes in Council Grove: Chautauqua Street, from Hall Street to Hays Street; Hall Street, from Chautauqua Street to Neosho Street; 3rd Street, from Oak Street to U.S. 56; U.S. 56, from 3rd Street to 10th Street; 8th Street, from U.S. 56 to Stevens Avenue; and 9th Street, from Welch Street to U.S. 56, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.5 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $907,401.95.

Sherman ‑&nbsp;24‑91 KA‑7106‑01 – U.S. 24B, from the end of portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) east of the K‑27/U.S. 24 junction east to the I‑70/U.S. 24B junction, milling and overlay, 2.4 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $928,933.10.

Sherman ‑&nbsp;70‑91 KA‑7200‑01 ‑ I‑70, from 0.5 mile east of Caruso to 0.1 mile east of K‑253, milling and overlay, 14.6 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $6,896,798.33.

Franklin ‑&nbsp;35‑30 KA‑6536‑01 ‑ I‑35, beginning at the Osage/Franklin county line north and east for 20.6 miles to the I‑35/U.S. 59 north junction, special, 20.6 miles, L Underwood LLC, Ottawa, Kansas, $803,113.89.

Greenwood ‑&nbsp;37 C‑5197‑01 ‑ Major collectors east of K‑99, signing, 114.0 miles, Signs Up LTD DBA Haren's Trees and Critters, Webster City, Iowa, $369,933.80.

Butler ‑&nbsp;8 KA‑6765‑01 ‑ K‑900, bridge #170 located at El Dorado State Park, state park road, Wildcat Construction Co Inc &amp; Subsidiaries, Wichita, Kansas, $96,870.00.

Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;135‑87 KA‑6769‑01 ‑ I‑135; bridge #036 located 0.42 mile north of I‑235, bridge repair, Highway Heavy Repair LLC, Rogers, Minnesota, $641,031.30.

Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;235‑87 KA‑6771‑01 ‑ I‑235, bridge #320 located 0.81 mile east of West Street, bridge repair, Wildcat Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiaries, Wichita, Kansas, $293,464.00.

Statewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6262‑01 ‑ K‑254, U.S. 54 and I‑135, in Sedgwick and Butler counties, signing, Fulsom Brothers, Inc., Cedar Vale, Kansas, $1,480,585.00.

Lane ‑&nbsp;96‑51 KA‑6607‑02 ‑ K‑96, beginning at the Scott/Lane county line east to the west city limits of Dighton, guard fence, 11.4 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $232,350.25.

Ness ‑&nbsp;96‑68 KA‑7107‑01 ‑ K‑96, from the Ness/Lane county line east to the west city limits of Ness City, milling and overlay, 18.3 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $4,084,078.39.

The Kansas Department of Transportation announces approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects. The letting took place April 17, 2024, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.District One — NortheastDouglas ‑&nbsp;23 TE‑0517‑01 ‑ Church Street, from 20th to 15th Street, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.5 mile, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $1,145,158.48.Nemaha ‑&nbsp;66 C‑5195‑01 ‑ Major collectors north of U.S. 36, signing, 105.6 miles, KOMO Construction LLC / DBA A&amp;H CO., Elko New Market, Minnesota, $218,746.60.District Two — North CentralEllsworth ‑&nbsp;232‑27 KA‑5724‑01 ‑ K‑232, bridge #055 over Wilson Creek located 1.25 miles south of I‑70, bridge replacement, L &amp; M Contractors Inc., Great Bend, Kansas, $1,080,721.50.Morris ‑&nbsp;56‑64 U‑2402‑02 – Routes in Council Grove: Chautauqua Street, from Hall Street to Hays Street; Hall Street, from Chautauqua Street to Neosho Street; 3rd Street, from Oak Street to U.S. 56; U.S. 56, from 3rd Street to 10th Street; 8th Street, from U.S. 56 to Stevens Avenue; and 9th Street, from Welch Street to U.S. 56, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.5 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $907,401.95.District Three — NorthwestSherman ‑&nbsp;24‑91 KA‑7106‑01 – U.S. 24B, from the end of portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP) east of the K‑27/U.S. 24 junction east to the I‑70/U.S. 24B junction, milling and overlay, 2.4 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $928,933.10.Sherman ‑&nbsp;70‑91 KA‑7200‑01 ‑ I‑70, from 0.5 mile east of Caruso to 0.1 mile east of K‑253, milling and overlay, 14.6 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $6,896,798.33.District Four — SoutheastFranklin ‑&nbsp;35‑30 KA‑6536‑01 ‑ I‑35, beginning at the Osage/Franklin county line north and east for 20.6 miles to the I‑35/U.S. 59 north junction, special, 20.6 miles, L Underwood LLC, Ottawa, Kansas, $803,113.89.Greenwood ‑&nbsp;37 C‑5197‑01 ‑ Major collectors east of K‑99, signing, 114.0 miles, Signs Up LTD DBA Haren's Trees and Critters, Webster City, Iowa, $369,933.80.District Five — South CentralButler ‑&nbsp;8 KA‑6765‑01 ‑ K‑900, bridge #170 located at El Dorado State Park, state park road, Wildcat Construction Co Inc &amp; Subsidiaries, Wichita, Kansas, $96,870.00.Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;135‑87 KA‑6769‑01 ‑ I‑135; bridge #036 located 0.42 mile north of I‑235, bridge repair, Highway Heavy Repair LLC, Rogers, Minnesota, $641,031.30.Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;235‑87 KA‑6771‑01 ‑ I‑235, bridge #320 located 0.81 mile east of West Street, bridge repair, Wildcat Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiaries, Wichita, Kansas, $293,464.00.Statewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6262‑01 ‑ K‑254, U.S. 54 and I‑135, in Sedgwick and Butler counties, signing, Fulsom Brothers, Inc., Cedar Vale, Kansas, $1,480,585.00.District Six — SouthwestLane ‑&nbsp;96‑51 KA‑6607‑02 ‑ K‑96, beginning at the Scott/Lane county line east to the west city limits of Dighton, guard fence, 11.4 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $232,350.25.Ness ‑&nbsp;96‑68 KA‑7107‑01 ‑ K‑96, from the Ness/Lane county line east to the west city limits of Ness City, milling and overlay, 18.3 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $4,084,078.39.

KDOT announces approved April bids

By ALEXANDRA MIDDLEWOOD Insight Kansas

In November 2021, I wrote my second column for Insight Kansas as a guest contributor. I wrote on the prevalence of lead pipes in our state.

The number of lead pipes in Kansas is particularly high, comparatively, because lead mining was a major industry in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri.

This issue is an important one to me as I grew up right outside of Flint, Michigan and the Flint Water Crisis had a major impact on my loved ones.

In that column I discussed a national study published by the American Medical Association that showed 65% of Kansas children (15 points higher than the national average) had elevated levels of lead in their blood. I also discussed the ability of the then-being-debated federal infrastructure bill to prevent exposing our children to even more lead.

Children are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects caused by lead exposure.

Per the National Resources Defense Council, Kansas has the third highest number of lead pipes per capita; an estimated 158,000 lead pipes are still in place across the state. These pipes carry potentially toxic water into our homes, businesses, and schools.

However, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced wonderful news this week for Kansas. The agency has allocated $28.6 million from the 2021 federal infrastructure bill to continue replacing our state’s lead water pipes.

This $28.6 million won’t replace all the remaining lead pipes in Kansas, but it will make a decent dent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that no amount of lead exposure is safe, so any amount of reduction in lead pipes is a win for Kansas’ kids

The EPA’s goal is to replace all remaining lead pipes nationwide by 2033.

As I stated in that previous column: if the past four years have shown us anything it’s that health crises are public problems and therefore require public solutions.

In these four years we have also learned that scientific truths are often dismissed for political reasons.

The 2021 bill that is providing the funding for the EPA to replace our state’s lead pipes was passed with bipartisan support. However, only Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas’ Third Congressional District voted in support of the bill; the other five members of Kansas’ congressional delegation voted opposed.

It’s very unlikely that the Republican members of our congressional delegation were specifically opposed to the funds earmarked for lead pipe replacement.

However, as I wrote over two years ago, government’s ability to protect rights, promote equality, and prevent historic injustice is reliant on their willingness to use their governing power preventatively.

A lead crisis, like the one in Flint, Michigan, would be too late for Kansas’ kids. No amount of lead exposure is safe.

The $28.6 million in federal infrastructure funds is our chance to protect the health and wellbeing of Kansas’ kids. Additional allocations in future infrastructure bills could get us even closer to this goal.

With the current funding allocations for lead pipe replacement, the federal government strides towards safeguarding Kansas’ children from lead exposure. While not a complete solution, it signifies progress in a crucial battle for public health. As we continue this fight, let’s remember: every step counts in securing a safer future for our kids.

Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is the Department Chair of Political Science at Wichita State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694699489540.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ALEXANDRA MIDDLEWOOD Insight KansasIn November 2021, I wrote my second column for Insight Kansas as a guest contributor. I wrote on the prevalence of lead pipes in our state.The number of lead pipes in Kansas is particularly high, comparatively, because lead mining was a major industry in southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri.This issue is an important one to me as I grew up right outside of Flint, Michigan and the Flint Water Crisis had a major impact on my loved ones.In that column I discussed a national study published by the American Medical Association that showed 65% of Kansas children (15 points higher than the national average) had elevated levels of lead in their blood. I also discussed the ability of the then-being-debated federal infrastructure bill to prevent exposing our children to even more lead.Children are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects caused by lead exposure.Per the National Resources Defense Council, Kansas has the third highest number of lead pipes per capita; an estimated 158,000 lead pipes are still in place across the state. These pipes carry potentially toxic water into our homes, businesses, and schools.However, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced wonderful news this week for Kansas. The agency has allocated $28.6 million from the 2021 federal infrastructure bill to continue replacing our state’s lead water pipes.This $28.6 million won’t replace all the remaining lead pipes in Kansas, but it will make a decent dent.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that no amount of lead exposure is safe, so any amount of reduction in lead pipes is a win for Kansas’ kidsThe EPA’s goal is to replace all remaining lead pipes nationwide by 2033.As I stated in that previous column: if the past four years have shown us anything it’s that health crises are public problems and therefore require public solutions.In these four years we have also learned that scientific truths are often dismissed for political reasons.The 2021 bill that is providing the funding for the EPA to replace our state’s lead pipes was passed with bipartisan support. However, only Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas’ Third Congressional District voted in support of the bill; the other five members of Kansas’ congressional delegation voted opposed.It’s very unlikely that the Republican members of our congressional delegation were specifically opposed to the funds earmarked for lead pipe replacement.However, as I wrote over two years ago, government’s ability to protect rights, promote equality, and prevent historic injustice is reliant on their willingness to use their governing power preventatively.A lead crisis, like the one in Flint, Michigan, would be too late for Kansas’ kids. No amount of lead exposure is safe.The $28.6 million in federal infrastructure funds is our chance to protect the health and wellbeing of Kansas’ kids. Additional allocations in future infrastructure bills could get us even closer to this goal.With the current funding allocations for lead pipe replacement, the federal government strides towards safeguarding Kansas’ children from lead exposure. While not a complete solution, it signifies progress in a crucial battle for public health. As we continue this fight, let’s remember: every step counts in securing a safer future for our kids.Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is the Department Chair of Political Science at Wichita State University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: A $28.6 million lifeline, progress in Kansas’ lead pipe problem

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715451967435.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

First Class Oil new Hays business

After dealing with a rare genetic fibrosis of the liver—<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513307/">Caroli's Syndrome</a>&nbsp;—since he was 2 years old, 13-year-old Liam Edwards of Hays was on a liver transplant list for just six days.

Liam was evaluated in mid-March to see if he was a good candidate for a liver transplant and what kind of support he would need.

He was approved for the wait list by Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City on April 20 and was offered a donor liver on April 26.

On May 7, 11 days later, Liam was discharged from the hospital after successful transplant surgery.

His parents, Ashley and Ian Edwards, both nurses, were astounded at how quickly the process went.

"He got through it like a champ,"&nbsp;said Liam's mother, Ashley.

"They told us to be ready, that Kansas City Children's Mercy Hospital is the fastest moving transplant list in the United States, but I don't think six days is enough time to get fully ready," she said.

The welcome phone call came after the Edwards had returned home from church. Their reaction, she said, was "Holy cow! There's so much that needs to get done and be taken care of."

"We'd been watching the disease progress for a long time. He was having procedures, and it had gotten to where it was affecting his heart, lungs, stomach, pretty much everything," Ashley said.&nbsp;

"Luckily, his dad and I are both nurses, so it was a little bit easier for us to manage than somebody who doesn't do anything in the medical field. It would be incredibly overwhelming for them."&nbsp;

The disease gradually slowed down Liam's day-to-day life. 

"He wasn't able to keep up with his peers," Ashley said. "He wasn't as active as he wanted to be. That's when we started to notice and begin thinking it was time for a transplant because you don't want to inhibit a kid's quality of life."&nbsp;

Liam and his mom&nbsp;must stay in the Kansas City area through the end of the month to be near his medical team to monitor his new liver and his blood levels. 

Then, if everything looks good, they'll return to Hays.

"Of course, he's recovering now. But he should have increased energy, and have better stamina. Things like riding a bike were getting difficult. He would get exhausted after riding his bike to school," Ashley said.

"We're hopeful that he'll feel better and want to do more and be able to do more."

His family started noticing a positive change last weekend.&nbsp;

"His old personality came back. Liam is definitely kind of a class clown. He's always giggling, laughing, cracking jokes," Ashley said.&nbsp; &nbsp;

"On Monday, he told us he finally felt like himself again. There for a while, he was pretty quiet, pretty stoic."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ashley said Liam was very excited to be discharged on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Liam will return to Kansas City every month for checkups. Weekly blood draws and tests will continue for the rest of his life. He'll also have to take the anti-rejection drug Tacrolimus lifelong. It's an immunosuppression medication designed to teach his body not to reject its new liver.&nbsp;

Classes for USD 489 will have ended for the summer break before Liam returns to Hays.

Hays Middle School gave him a dispensation for the time he missed in his seventh-grade classes. Liam plans to return ready for the eighth grade this fall.

He can't go out in public for eight weeks. He must wear a face mask when he is out and about and practice social distancing.&nbsp; &nbsp;

His mother said donations to a GoFundMe account started by his aunt Lindsey Patterson, along with other financial contributions toward Liam's liver transplant procedure, will go directly into a savings account for him.

"The purpose of that will be to pay for any medical bills [after insurance]. It will help pay for his medication and follow-up medical care," she said.&nbsp;

Liam and his family are grateful for the sacrifice made by the donor family.

"We think of that choice on their behalf that is going to impact us the rest of our lives,"&nbsp; Ashley said.

"As a mom, you know that somebody else had the worst day of their life."

"It's something we've been wanting and needing for 11 years. It's kind of hard to put into words how thankful and excited we are.&nbsp;We're just overjoyed," she said.

&nbsp;"We hope through this process people realize how important it is that people donate their organs and to be a donor if possible."&nbsp;

Ashley and Ian Edwards are both organ donors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715349038822.jpeg" alt="Liam Edwards, Hays, with therapy dog Jelly Bean on the day of his discharge from Kansas City Children's Mercy Hospital after a liver transplant. Photo courtesy Ashley Edwards." />
 <figcaption>Liam Edwards, Hays, with therapy dog Jelly Bean on the day of his discharge from Kansas City Children's Mercy Hospital after a liver transplant. Photo courtesy Ashley Edwards.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostAfter dealing with a rare genetic fibrosis of the liver—<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513307/">Caroli's Syndrome</a>&nbsp;—since he was 2 years old, 13-year-old Liam Edwards of Hays was on a liver transplant list for just six days.Liam was evaluated in mid-March to see if he was a good candidate for a liver transplant and what kind of support he would need.He was approved for the wait list by Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City on April 20 and was offered a donor liver on April 26.On May 7, 11 days later, Liam was discharged from the hospital after successful transplant surgery.His parents, Ashley and Ian Edwards, both nurses, were astounded at how quickly the process went."He got through it like a champ,"&nbsp;said Liam's mother, Ashley."They told us to be ready, that Kansas City Children's Mercy Hospital is the fastest moving transplant list in the United States, but I don't think six days is enough time to get fully ready," she said.The welcome phone call came after the Edwards had returned home from church. Their reaction, she said, was "Holy cow! There's so much that needs to get done and be taken care of.""We'd been watching the disease progress for a long time. He was having procedures, and it had gotten to where it was affecting his heart, lungs, stomach, pretty much everything," Ashley said.&nbsp;"Luckily, his dad and I are both nurses, so it was a little bit easier for us to manage than somebody who doesn't do anything in the medical field. It would be incredibly overwhelming for them."&nbsp;The disease gradually slowed down Liam's day-to-day life. "He wasn't able to keep up with his peers," Ashley said. "He wasn't as active as he wanted to be. That's when we started to notice and begin thinking it was time for a transplant because you don't want to inhibit a kid's quality of life."&nbsp;Liam and his mom&nbsp;must stay in the Kansas City area through the end of the month to be near his medical team to monitor his new liver and his blood levels. Then, if everything looks good, they'll return to Hays."Of course, he's recovering now. But he should have increased energy, and have better stamina. Things like riding a bike were getting difficult. He would get exhausted after riding his bike to school," Ashley said."We're hopeful that he'll feel better and want to do more and be able to do more."His family started noticing a positive change last weekend.&nbsp;"His old personality came back. Liam is definitely kind of a class clown. He's always giggling, laughing, cracking jokes," Ashley said.&nbsp; &nbsp;"On Monday, he told us he finally felt like himself again. There for a while, he was pretty quiet, pretty stoic."&nbsp;&nbsp;Ashley said Liam was very excited to be discharged on Tuesday.&nbsp;Liam will return to Kansas City every month for checkups. Weekly blood draws and tests will continue for the rest of his life. He'll also have to take the anti-rejection drug Tacrolimus lifelong. It's an immunosuppression medication designed to teach his body not to reject its new liver.&nbsp;Classes for USD 489 will have ended for the summer break before Liam returns to Hays.Hays Middle School gave him a dispensation for the time he missed in his seventh-grade classes. Liam plans to return ready for the eighth grade this fall.For now, Liam is immunocompromised. He can't go out in public for eight weeks. He must wear a face mask when he is out and about and practice social distancing.&nbsp; &nbsp;His mother said donations to a GoFundMe account started by his aunt Lindsey Patterson, along with other financial contributions toward Liam's liver transplant procedure, will go directly into a savings account for him."The purpose of that will be to pay for any medical bills [after insurance]. It will help pay for his medication and follow-up medical care," she said.&nbsp;Liam and his family are grateful for the sacrifice made by the donor family."We think of that choice on their behalf that is going to impact us the rest of our lives,"&nbsp; Ashley said."As a mom, you know that somebody else had the worst day of their life.""It's something we've been wanting and needing for 11 years. It's kind of hard to put into words how thankful and excited we are.&nbsp;We're just overjoyed," she said.&nbsp;"We hope through this process people realize how important it is that people donate their organs and to be a donor if possible."&nbsp;Ashley and Ian Edwards are both organ donors.

New liver, new life for young Hays teenager

The Governor's Scholars program honors the top academic one percent of Kansas high school seniors. Scholars are selected from accredited public and private schools in the state.

This program is coordinated for the Governor by the&nbsp;<a href="http://ksconfidencetaskforce.weebly.com/">Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force</a>. It is funded by donations from private sector businesses in Kansas. The Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force was formed 30 years ago to strengthen public confidence in education.

<a href="https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Communications/GovernorScholarProgram-2024.pdf?ver=2024-05-07-143111-510">Click here to see a full list of scholars.</a>

The Governor's Scholars program honors the top academic one percent of Kansas high school seniors. Scholars are selected from accredited public and private schools in the state.This program is coordinated for the Governor by the&nbsp;<a href="http://ksconfidencetaskforce.weebly.com/">Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force</a>. It is funded by donations from private sector businesses in Kansas. The Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force was formed 30 years ago to strengthen public confidence in education.<a href="https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Communications/GovernorScholarProgram-2024.pdf?ver=2024-05-07-143111-510">Click here to see a full list of scholars.</a>

Northwest Kansas students honored as Governor Scholars on Sunday

FHSU students and faculty from Criminal Justice, Clinical Psychology, and Art and Design recently created a pilot research project to explore the often-neglected facets of gender-based violence through art illustration and storytelling. Through this innovative project, researchers and artists use art and storytelling as tools to empower survivors and individuals navigating trauma, fostering resilience along the way.

An interdisciplinary team presented their pilot project research at ResilienceCon in Nashville, Tenn., April 14-17. The project was funded through FHSU’s Undergraduate Research Experience and Education Opportunity Fund.

“Working with other people’s stories has taught me a lot about the universal language of art,” said Jenny Cox, senior art and design student. “The majority of people we presented to, though they weren’t artists, found connection with our work.”

The team’s project invites survivors to reclaim their narratives and find strength in shared experiences. Through the transformative power of storytelling and art, survivors are building bridges of empathy and understanding.

Tasanya Rowe, a research team member pursuing a master’s in clinical psychology, was recognized with the Life Promising Scholar Honorable Mention, an accolade typically reserved for doctoral candidates and established scholars.

“Presenting our findings at ResilienceCon was an incredibly rewarding experience that allowed us to share our passion for understanding and addressing gender-based violence through the lens of illustrations and resilience,” Rowe said. “Engaging with fellow researchers and practitioners at the conference provided valuable feedback and perspectives, enriching our understanding and shaping future directions for our work.”

Team members attending ResilienceCon included: Matthias Pearce (Criminal Justice, B.S.); Tasanya Rowe (Clinical Psychology, MS); Emily Schoeppner, (Art Education with an emphasis in painting and drawing, B.A.); Jenny Cox (Drawing, B.F.A); Lexis Beesley (Painting and Drawing, B.F.A.); Amy Schmierbach; (Art and Design, M.F.A.); Ziwei Qi (Criminal Justice, Ph. D).

For information on the team’s research and upcoming initiatives, please contact Dr. Ziwei Qi at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:z_qi5@fhsu.edu">z_qi5@fhsu.edu</a>&nbsp;or Amy Schmierbach at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aschmier@fhsu.edu">aschmier@fhsu.edu</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715011588951.png" alt="Illustrations by Lexis Beesley, upper left; Jenny Cox, upper right; Emily Schoeppner, lower left. Team members are shown, lower right." />
 <figcaption>Illustrations by Lexis Beesley, upper left; Jenny Cox, upper right; Emily Schoeppner, lower left. Team members are shown, lower right.</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University CommunicationsFHSU students and faculty from Criminal Justice, Clinical Psychology, and Art and Design recently created a pilot research project to explore the often-neglected facets of gender-based violence through art illustration and storytelling. Through this innovative project, researchers and artists use art and storytelling as tools to empower survivors and individuals navigating trauma, fostering resilience along the way.An interdisciplinary team presented their pilot project research at ResilienceCon in Nashville, Tenn., April 14-17. The project was funded through FHSU’s Undergraduate Research Experience and Education Opportunity Fund.“Working with other people’s stories has taught me a lot about the universal language of art,” said Jenny Cox, senior art and design student. “The majority of people we presented to, though they weren’t artists, found connection with our work.”The team’s project invites survivors to reclaim their narratives and find strength in shared experiences. Through the transformative power of storytelling and art, survivors are building bridges of empathy and understanding.Tasanya Rowe, a research team member pursuing a master’s in clinical psychology, was recognized with the Life Promising Scholar Honorable Mention, an accolade typically reserved for doctoral candidates and established scholars.“Presenting our findings at ResilienceCon was an incredibly rewarding experience that allowed us to share our passion for understanding and addressing gender-based violence through the lens of illustrations and resilience,” Rowe said. “Engaging with fellow researchers and practitioners at the conference provided valuable feedback and perspectives, enriching our understanding and shaping future directions for our work.”Team members attending ResilienceCon included: Matthias Pearce (Criminal Justice, B.S.); Tasanya Rowe (Clinical Psychology, MS); Emily Schoeppner, (Art Education with an emphasis in painting and drawing, B.A.); Jenny Cox (Drawing, B.F.A); Lexis Beesley (Painting and Drawing, B.F.A.); Amy Schmierbach; (Art and Design, M.F.A.); Ziwei Qi (Criminal Justice, Ph. D).For information on the team’s research and upcoming initiatives, please contact Dr. Ziwei Qi at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:z_qi5@fhsu.edu">z_qi5@fhsu.edu</a>&nbsp;or Amy Schmierbach at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aschmier@fhsu.edu">aschmier@fhsu.edu</a>.

Survivors empowered through art and storytelling by FHSU interdisciplinary team 

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District

I have been getting more phone calls this year than normal about wheat fields being infected with Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV).

As a reminder volunteer wheat ideally needs to be completely dead/killed two weeks before wheat is drilled in the Fall. Volunteer wheat, or wheat leftover from past crops, houses the wheat curl mite. Mite populations, ultimately, depend on the amount of volunteer wheat within an area. If you had some wheat in a neighboring field that survived after harvest, or maybe it was hidden in some double crop field nearby, that's where those curl mites survive. They can then blow into your field or a neighbor’s field in either the fall or the early spring and that's typically when you start to see damage.

You can get wheat samples tested for WSMV at the K-State plant pathology lab, just to confirm it. You can contact your local Extension Office to bring in your sample.

You get kind of a fan appearance, so it is worse on the edge of the field and gets progressively better as you move towards the center of the field.

Warm weather conditions induce the appearance of wheat streak mosaic within fields. While plants may be infected during the winter and times of cold, hot temperatures activate the viruses’ symptoms. “Usually, you don't see that streaking symptom until the weather starts to warm, so we can have some infection cooking there over the winter”, says K-State wheat disease specialist Kelsey Anderson Onofre.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681266655144.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension DistrictI have been getting more phone calls this year than normal about wheat fields being infected with Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV).As a reminder volunteer wheat ideally needs to be completely dead/killed two weeks before wheat is drilled in the Fall. Volunteer wheat, or wheat leftover from past crops, houses the wheat curl mite. Mite populations, ultimately, depend on the amount of volunteer wheat within an area. If you had some wheat in a neighboring field that survived after harvest, or maybe it was hidden in some double crop field nearby, that's where those curl mites survive. They can then blow into your field or a neighbor’s field in either the fall or the early spring and that's typically when you start to see damage.You can get wheat samples tested for WSMV at the K-State plant pathology lab, just to confirm it. You can contact your local Extension Office to bring in your sample.You get kind of a fan appearance, so it is worse on the edge of the field and gets progressively better as you move towards the center of the field.Warm weather conditions induce the appearance of wheat streak mosaic within fields. While plants may be infected during the winter and times of cold, hot temperatures activate the viruses’ symptoms. “Usually, you don't see that streaking symptom until the weather starts to warm, so we can have some infection cooking there over the winter”, says K-State wheat disease specialist Kelsey Anderson Onofre.Increased moisture and other weather events during the 2023 harvest contributed to more volunteer wheat and desirable conditions for the wheat streak mosaic virus to thrive in the current growing season.One last note or observation from my experience is that in the spring when volunteer wheat gets terminated either with tillage or herbicide. If there is nearby wheat it will get WSMV. Because the curl mite must have green and living tissue to survive on. Once the wheat is dying or killed, the mite will leave the plants using the wind because they do not have wings. They will then infest other nearby healthy fields with the wheat curl mite and thus WSMV.For further information about WSMV just search on-line for Wheat Streak Mosaic, KSU. If you have any questions give me a call at 785-628-9430.Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or by calling 785-628-9430.