The
Chamber in Hays, Kansas celebrated the outstanding achievements and
contributions of individuals and businesses at the 2024 Awards Ceremony hosted
at Fort Hays State University January 30.

During the awards presentation,
President and CEO Sarah Wasinger acknowledged the exemplary efforts of
community members in various categories, along with Chamber staff and board
leadership.

She also shared appreciation for Eagle
Communications President and CEO Kurt David for serving as this year’s emcee.

"By honoring the outstanding
individuals and businesses in Ellis County, we shine a spotlight on the
exceptional qualities that collectively contribute to making our community a
standout destination,” Wasinger said. "In recognizing the excellence that
surrounds us, we not only celebrate the achievements but also acknowledge the
collaborative efforts that make Ellis County a standout community in which to
live, work, and thrive."

The awards presentation began
with the Vyve Broadband Rising Star Award, recognizing young professionals for
excellence in leadership, community involvement, and chamber engagement. 

This year’s recipient of the Vyve
Broadband Rising Star Award was Tasha Eichman, Brand Manager at Nex-Tech
Wireless. 

Described as a true advocate for
the community, Tasha's passion for improving lives and dedication to serving
others with tenacity, passion, and integrity set her apart as an emerging
leader, Wasinger said.

The Nex-Tech Citizen of the Year
award was presented to Jayne Inlow, Development Officer for the HaysMed
Foundation. Jayne's quiet yet impactful contributions to the Kiwanis Club of
Hays and various community initiatives earned her this prestigious recognition,
Wasinger said.

High Plains Mental Health Center
received the eyeSMILE Vision + Dental Helping Hands Award, honoring their
exceptional work in improving the quality of life for residents in the Hays
area. 

“The center's tireless efforts
and commitment to mental health services have positively impacted vulnerable
populations in Kansas for nearly five decades,” Wasinger said.

LaVonne Giess, Employment
Services Manager at Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, was honored
with the Nex-Tech Wireless Businesswoman of the Year Award. 

“It was an honor to recognize LaVonne's
dedication to supporting individuals with disabilities and her significant
contributions to the community,” Wasinger said.

Brent Schulte, owner of Thirsty’s
Brew Pub &amp; Grill and Gella’s Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co., received the Grow
Hays Robert E. Schmidt Entrepreneur of the Year Award. 

“Brent's visionary leadership,
resilience, and commitment to giving back to the community made him a standout
recipient,” Wasinger said.

Insurance Planning was recognized
as the Werth Wealth Management Member Investor of the Year. 

“The company's long-standing
support, active participation, and financial contributions to The Chamber are
always appreciated and made them a most deserving choice for this year’s
award,” Wasinger said.

Regeena’s Flowers &amp; Events
received the City of Hays Small Business Achievement Award, acknowledging their
exceptional service and impact on the community over the past 25 years.

The evening concluded with the
presentation of the Golden Belt Bank Hall of Fame Award to Errol Wuertz. 

Recognized for his lifelong
commitment to community service, Wuertz's extensive contributions to various
boards and organizations, including his 42-year tenure as a Chamber Ambassador,
were celebrated as the award was presented.

"The remarkable
contributions of our community members paint a vivid picture of the exceptional
character that defines Ellis County, making it a place where people truly care
about one another," Wasinger said. “Recognizing excellence in Ellis County
not only celebrates the achievements of individuals and businesses but also
highlights the shared values and commitment that make our community
outstanding. In honoring the people, organizations, and businesses that shape
Ellis County, we showcase the heart and soul of our community – a place where
passion, innovation, and community spirit thrive."

For more information about The
Chamber in Hays, Kansas, and the award winners, please visit <a href="http://www.hayschamber.com">hayschamber.com.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706672920250.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe
Chamber in Hays, Kansas celebrated the outstanding achievements and
contributions of individuals and businesses at the 2024 Awards Ceremony hosted
at Fort Hays State University January 30.During the awards presentation,
President and CEO Sarah Wasinger acknowledged the exemplary efforts of
community members in various categories, along with Chamber staff and board
leadership.She also shared appreciation for Eagle
Communications President and CEO Kurt David for serving as this year’s emcee."By honoring the outstanding
individuals and businesses in Ellis County, we shine a spotlight on the
exceptional qualities that collectively contribute to making our community a
standout destination,” Wasinger said. "In recognizing the excellence that
surrounds us, we not only celebrate the achievements but also acknowledge the
collaborative efforts that make Ellis County a standout community in which to
live, work, and thrive."The awards presentation began
with the Vyve Broadband Rising Star Award, recognizing young professionals for
excellence in leadership, community involvement, and chamber engagement. This year’s recipient of the Vyve
Broadband Rising Star Award was Tasha Eichman, Brand Manager at Nex-Tech
Wireless. Described as a true advocate for
the community, Tasha's passion for improving lives and dedication to serving
others with tenacity, passion, and integrity set her apart as an emerging
leader, Wasinger said.The Nex-Tech Citizen of the Year
award was presented to Jayne Inlow, Development Officer for the HaysMed
Foundation. Jayne's quiet yet impactful contributions to the Kiwanis Club of
Hays and various community initiatives earned her this prestigious recognition,
Wasinger said.High Plains Mental Health Center
received the eyeSMILE Vision + Dental Helping Hands Award, honoring their
exceptional work in improving the quality of life for residents in the Hays
area. “The center's tireless efforts
and commitment to mental health services have positively impacted vulnerable
populations in Kansas for nearly five decades,” Wasinger said.LaVonne Giess, Employment
Services Manager at Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, was honored
with the Nex-Tech Wireless Businesswoman of the Year Award. “It was an honor to recognize LaVonne's
dedication to supporting individuals with disabilities and her significant
contributions to the community,” Wasinger said.Brent Schulte, owner of Thirsty’s
Brew Pub &amp; Grill and Gella’s Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co., received the Grow
Hays Robert E. Schmidt Entrepreneur of the Year Award. “Brent's visionary leadership,
resilience, and commitment to giving back to the community made him a standout
recipient,” Wasinger said.Insurance Planning was recognized
as the Werth Wealth Management Member Investor of the Year. “The company's long-standing
support, active participation, and financial contributions to The Chamber are
always appreciated and made them a most deserving choice for this year’s
award,” Wasinger said.Regeena’s Flowers &amp; Events
received the City of Hays Small Business Achievement Award, acknowledging their
exceptional service and impact on the community over the past 25 years.The evening concluded with the
presentation of the Golden Belt Bank Hall of Fame Award to Errol Wuertz. Recognized for his lifelong
commitment to community service, Wuertz's extensive contributions to various
boards and organizations, including his 42-year tenure as a Chamber Ambassador,
were celebrated as the award was presented."The remarkable
contributions of our community members paint a vivid picture of the exceptional
character that defines Ellis County, making it a place where people truly care
about one another," Wasinger said. “Recognizing excellence in Ellis County
not only celebrates the achievements of individuals and businesses but also
highlights the shared values and commitment that make our community
outstanding. In honoring the people, organizations, and businesses that shape
Ellis County, we showcase the heart and soul of our community – a place where
passion, innovation, and community spirit thrive."For more information about The
Chamber in Hays, Kansas, and the award winners, please visit <a href="http://www.hayschamber.com">hayschamber.com.</a>

The Chamber in Hays, Kansas honors outstanding community partners during 2024 Annual Awards Banquet

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Victoria school district is considering moving to a four-day school week.

The district will host a community meeting on the proposal from 5:30 to 7:30 tonight at the Victoria Elementary School cafeteria. Gina Riedel will facilitate the discussion. Questions can be submitted until noon today at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D9NHLHP?fbclid=IwAR2Bl9WUa8rgx8uLEfxIZaOVPgYPSpYKz5PebUS7gQRPwBdGlfC3wld_5Ig" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D9NHLHP</a>.

Although no decisions on the change have been made, district officials proposed a calendar that would have students attending Tuesdays through Fridays most weeks of the school year.&nbsp;

Jeanna Wellbrock, board member, said she anticipates the schedule change if it is approved by the board would not be implemented until the 2025-26 school year.&nbsp;

Students would attend 10 fewer days per school year, but 30 minutes would be added to each school day with students attending from 8 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. That would equal about four to five minutes added to each junior high and high school class period.

The proposed school calendar also would have students beginning classes earlier in August and ending later in May.

Students would still be attending about the same amount of minutes per year under the proposal.

Superintendent Kimberly Woolf said she thought the quality of the time spent in the classroom is more important than how much time is spent.

She said the district is considering the change to offer more time for teacher professional development and improve student academic success.

Woolf said she hopes the change would allow for more professional development time for teachers, which she thought would help recruit new educators and increase the academic performance of the district's students.

Eighty-six percent of teachers surveyed in the district said they would support a change to a four-day school week.

Woolf said the district has struggled with recruitment and retention. The district is only receiving about two applications per open position.&nbsp;

According to a district presentation on the change, "students who frequently&nbsp;experience teacher turnover struggle with inconsistencies in curriculum and lose caring relationships with adult role models as teachers and coaches. Stability is&nbsp;important to build trusting relationships."

Woolf said the district hopes the development time will allow the district to better align its curriculum to state accreditation standards. The district also hopes to focus on structured literacy.

"We know if our teachers are given that gift of time to be able to be their absolute best, then we know that is going to transfer over to students," Woolf said.

Wellbrock said she hopes the change could help increase family time. She said she hoped teachers would not have to spend as much planning time outside of the workday.&nbsp;

She said she hoped the longer weekend would reduce stress for students and allow them to spend more time with their families.

District representatives and students visited Ingalls USD 477, which is a similar-sized school district to Victoria and has had a four-day school week for several years.

Students there said the four-day school week allowed them to focus on homework on Mondays. The Victoria district has also suggested a tutor could be available on Mondays for students needing extra help.

Woolf also said the schedule could increase older students' opportunities for job shadowing, internships and mentorships.

District officials hope more time per day at the elementary school will allow teachers to further focus on reading and math.

The district also said in an earlier presentation that junior high and high school students would have the opportunity for more meaningful career and technical education classwork and more options for exploratory class offerings such as band, vocal music, agriculture, industrial arts, family and consumer science, health care, and art.

Wellbrock said the Ingalls' students said they preferred having Mondays off as opposed to Fridays because they wanted to be in school on days of varsity athletics.

The four-day school week is not without its drawbacks, among them was a lack of child care for working parents.

About 29 percent of families said child care would be an issue if a four-day school week is implemented. Wellbrock said the district is working with community partners to try to establish care for families who would need additional child care.

The district is also exploring ways to address the nutritional needs for students who are on free or reduced-cost meals during the longer weekend.

Woolf said she anticipates the district will receive little to no monetary savings from the change. Woolf said hourly employees could be affected, but she said she did not see the change as significantly reducing overall hours or pay for those employees.

The top concern, 43 percent expressed by families in a survey, was the length of the additional time added to each school day.

Although the survey asked if parents would support the proposal, that statistic has not been released by the district.

Wellbrock emphasized no decisions on the proposal have been made yet. She said the district and board are still gathering data and input from the community. The proposal schedule is an example of what a four-day schedule might look like. It has not been approved by the board.

"It is not determined that we are going to a four-day week," she said. "We are in the research phase of things and wanted to have public input so that if we decide to go this route, we have looked at it from multiple perspectives to make it the most beneficial we can.

"This is about looking at a different way to see if we think it a better way, or worth trying."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699057737318.jpeg" alt="Victoria High School. File photo" />
 <figcaption>Victoria High School. File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Victoria school district is considering moving to a four-day school week.The district will host a community meeting on the proposal from 5:30 to 7:30 tonight at the Victoria Elementary School cafeteria. Gina Riedel will facilitate the discussion. Questions can be submitted until noon today at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D9NHLHP?fbclid=IwAR2Bl9WUa8rgx8uLEfxIZaOVPgYPSpYKz5PebUS7gQRPwBdGlfC3wld_5Ig" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D9NHLHP</a>.Although no decisions on the change have been made, district officials proposed a calendar that would have students attending Tuesdays through Fridays most weeks of the school year.&nbsp;Jeanna Wellbrock, board member, said she anticipates the schedule change if it is approved by the board would not be implemented until the 2025-26 school year.&nbsp;Students would attend 10 fewer days per school year, but 30 minutes would be added to each school day with students attending from 8 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. That would equal about four to five minutes added to each junior high and high school class period.The proposed school calendar also would have students beginning classes earlier in August and ending later in May.Students would still be attending about the same amount of minutes per year under the proposal.Superintendent Kimberly Woolf said she thought the quality of the time spent in the classroom is more important than how much time is spent.She said the district is considering the change to offer more time for teacher professional development and improve student academic success.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706642560256.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Woolf said she hopes the change would allow for more professional development time for teachers, which she thought would help recruit new educators and increase the academic performance of the district's students.Eighty-six percent of teachers surveyed in the district said they would support a change to a four-day school week.Woolf said the district has struggled with recruitment and retention. The district is only receiving about two applications per open position.&nbsp;According to a district presentation on the change, "students who frequently&nbsp;experience teacher turnover struggle with inconsistencies in curriculum and lose caring relationships with adult role models as teachers and coaches. Stability is&nbsp;important to build trusting relationships."Woolf said the district hopes the development time will allow the district to better align its curriculum to state accreditation standards. The district also hopes to focus on structured literacy."We know if our teachers are given that gift of time to be able to be their absolute best, then we know that is going to transfer over to students," Woolf said.Wellbrock said she hopes the change could help increase family time. She said she hoped teachers would not have to spend as much planning time outside of the workday.&nbsp;She said she hoped the longer weekend would reduce stress for students and allow them to spend more time with their families.District representatives and students visited Ingalls USD 477, which is a similar-sized school district to Victoria and has had a four-day school week for several years.Students there said the four-day school week allowed them to focus on homework on Mondays. The Victoria district has also suggested a tutor could be available on Mondays for students needing extra help.Woolf also said the schedule could increase older students' opportunities for job shadowing, internships and mentorships.District officials hope more time per day at the elementary school will allow teachers to further focus on reading and math.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706651322567.png" alt="An example of what a four-day school week might look like in Victoria USD 432. This calendar has not been approved by the board." />
 <figcaption>An example of what a four-day school week might look like in Victoria USD 432. This calendar has not been approved by the board.</figcaption>
 </figure>The district also said in an earlier presentation that junior high and high school students would have the opportunity for more meaningful career and technical education classwork and more options for exploratory class offerings such as band, vocal music, agriculture, industrial arts, family and consumer science, health care, and art.Wellbrock said the Ingalls' students said they preferred having Mondays off as opposed to Fridays because they wanted to be in school on days of varsity athletics.The four-day school week is not without its drawbacks, among them was a lack of child care for working parents.About 29 percent of families said child care would be an issue if a four-day school week is implemented. Wellbrock said the district is working with community partners to try to establish care for families who would need additional child care.The district is also exploring ways to address the nutritional needs for students who are on free or reduced-cost meals during the longer weekend.Woolf said she anticipates the district will receive little to no monetary savings from the change. Woolf said hourly employees could be affected, but she said she did not see the change as significantly reducing overall hours or pay for those employees.The top concern, 43 percent expressed by families in a survey, was the length of the additional time added to each school day.Although the survey asked if parents would support the proposal, that statistic has not been released by the district.Wellbrock emphasized no decisions on the proposal have been made yet. She said the district and board are still gathering data and input from the community. The proposal schedule is an example of what a four-day schedule might look like. It has not been approved by the board."It is not determined that we are going to a four-day week," she said. "We are in the research phase of things and wanted to have public input so that if we decide to go this route, we have looked at it from multiple perspectives to make it the most beneficial we can."This is about looking at a different way to see if we think it a better way, or worth trying."

Victoria USD 432 considers 4-day school week; community meeting tonight

SMITH COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9 p.m. Tuesday in Smith County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Chevy Traverse driven by Daniel C. Prowse, 62, Natoma, was southbound on Kansas 181 Highway at 220 Road.

The SUV left the roadway and entered the west ditch. The driver overcorrected, crossed the southbound lane, crossed the center line and the driver overcorrected again.

The SUV re-entered the west ditch struck a culvert in ditch and rolled, coming to rest on its passenger side.

A passenger identified as Wanda R.Prowse, 69, Natoma, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Rentschler Family Mortuary.&nbsp; EMS transported the driver to&nbsp;Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp;

There was a juvenile present in the vehicle. The information on the juvenile is protected data, according to the KHP.

SMITH COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9 p.m. Tuesday in Smith County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Chevy Traverse driven by Daniel C. Prowse, 62, Natoma, was southbound on Kansas 181 Highway at 220 Road.The SUV left the roadway and entered the west ditch. The driver overcorrected, crossed the southbound lane, crossed the center line and the driver overcorrected again.The SUV re-entered the west ditch struck a culvert in ditch and rolled, coming to rest on its passenger side.A passenger identified as Wanda R.Prowse, 69, Natoma, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Rentschler Family Mortuary.&nbsp; EMS transported the driver to&nbsp;Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.&nbsp;There was a juvenile present in the vehicle. The information on the juvenile is protected data, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies after SUV rollover crash

The Hays Arts Council is pleased to announce the addition of five key individuals to its Board of Directors. These new members bring a wealth of experience and passion for the arts, further strengthening the council's commitment to fostering creativity and cultural enrichment in the Hays community.

The Hays Arts Council, founded in 1967, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts in Hays, Kansas. Through various programs, events, and exhibitions, the Hays Arts Council strives to enhance the cultural vibrancy of the region.

The newly appointed members joining the Board of Directors are:

"We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional individuals to the Hays Arts Council's Board of Directors," said Brittney Squire, current President of the Board of Directors. "Their diverse expertise and unwavering commitment to the arts will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success of our organization."

The Hays Arts Council also expresses its gratitude to the existing board members for their dedication and ongoing support. Their tireless efforts have played a crucial role in the council's achievements and impact on the local arts scene.

As the Hays Arts Council looks forward to an exciting year ahead, this Board of Directors will play a key role in shaping the future of the organization and furthering its mission to make the arts accessible to all.

More information about the Hays Arts Council can be found at www.haysartscouncil.org.

SubmittedThe Hays Arts Council is pleased to announce the addition of five key individuals to its Board of Directors. These new members bring a wealth of experience and passion for the arts, further strengthening the council's commitment to fostering creativity and cultural enrichment in the Hays community.The Hays Arts Council, founded in 1967, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts in Hays, Kansas. Through various programs, events, and exhibitions, the Hays Arts Council strives to enhance the cultural vibrancy of the region.The newly appointed members joining the Board of Directors are:· Adam Conkey· Sherry Dibble· Nicole Frank· Margie Hammerschmidt· Cathy Van Doren"We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional individuals to the Hays Arts Council's Board of Directors," said Brittney Squire, current President of the Board of Directors. "Their diverse expertise and unwavering commitment to the arts will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success of our organization."The Hays Arts Council also expresses its gratitude to the existing board members for their dedication and ongoing support. Their tireless efforts have played a crucial role in the council's achievements and impact on the local arts scene.Other board members include:· Brittney Squire, president· JoAnn Jennings, vice president· Sharon Dreher, treasurer· Amy Normandin, secretary· Janis Lee, past president· Norman Keller· Jennifer Sauer· Alan Stecklein· Ben Dome, youth representativeAs the Hays Arts Council looks forward to an exciting year ahead, this Board of Directors will play a key role in shaping the future of the organization and furthering its mission to make the arts accessible to all.More information about the Hays Arts Council can be found at www.haysartscouncil.org.

Hays Arts Council welcomes five new members to Board of Directors

By Dolores Brown SAMARITAN'S PURSE

Generosity throughout&nbsp;Hays​​​​​​&nbsp;contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUXp3xvLqtpe-2FApP8eJvZwjng7RPy04O4bpse-2BBgi9rJgGxG49fslNdk6Kzoi1ATGkcZxHIadF-2Fjl2s9CcU3umDMAfgU0yZsb2ujjr8nOmUzhWT9LcFMt11BGapMtk2OmV-2FGevE6jHpzHARbUQL1Pw2lKdpDwteh4UfuQfJ-2BXZvx5Hoh45fZuXqWHmg3Z0jBdG5djQXA7JMuktQfLqiVl6I2d-2FeP8B96qPsN9gUvNHZUcpgAn_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3Ije4rhriqtlP8sMCUjg-2Fzm039W-2BmqAZN2SWqd89lxobIQM5cIJGuwNiz2E1mX07fW9kjZ4m3Ndvyxqvrjv14USKLsDbego7uqS1g8xVvPax0r-2B2ZdNZB9dZI8HK6eQ0HNoxeMuaQDEOnzS2CGyWtwg2jMHgZEdF3Rwhz9sFJYvEh-2F47RKNEJElYJWgPd3pwr5nU-2FE-2BPMiI0F1QgCwxrt4Y82XPSRs8SZtlObXUzjPbJ5d0w8o5xfhBFyDb3TAggoXcPF-2BoyK5X3XxJxF4onbEI-3D">Operation Christmas Child</a>.&nbsp;Across the U.S., the project collected 10 million shoebox gifts in 2023. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2023, the ministry is now sending over 11.3 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide,&nbsp;including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster.

Through shoeboxes—packed with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items—Hays​​​​​&nbsp;area&nbsp;volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.

Across&nbsp;KS​​​​​​,&nbsp;shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer. Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round can also be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUXp3xvLqtpe-2FApP8eJvZwjng7RPy04O4bpse-2BBgi9rJgGxG49fslNdk6Kzoi1ATGkcZxHIadF-2Fjl2s9CcU3umDMAfgU0yZsb2ujjr8nOmUzhWT9LcFMt11BGapMtk2OmV-2FGevE6jHpzHARbUQL1Pw2lKdpDwteh4UfuQfJ-2BXZvx5Hoh45fZuXqWHmg3Z0jBdG5djQXA7JMuktQfLqiVl6I2d-2FeP8B96qPsN9gUvNHZUc176y_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3Ije4rhriqtlP8sMCUjg-2Fzm039W-2BmqAZN2SWqd89lxobIQM5cIJGuwNiz2E1mX07fW9kjZ4m3Ndvyxqvrjv14USKLsDbego7uqS1g8xVvPax0r-2B2ZdNZB9dZI8HK6eQ0HIqyHvoFte8hdip5KHOS9n40Wf5vynC8PCXT8gh1b0PFy-2FT9PK6naIllK4Q6yqDtBSJH-2B3ICumUASbwjQtt7fVtMxcEKXUtptoYFFmIotryqumUv23qQvKciJWQNNv6AoYqH5xkHjcPfd3YOUnJHuis-3D">samaritanspurse.org/occ</a>&nbsp;or by calling 816-622-8316.&nbsp;

Although local drop‑off locations for shoebox gifts are closed until Nov. 18 – 25, 2024, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUYETDhCe3dUJHzagzf9RMOYd7-2F5wYTRjIrMxtchaApTl6qXlc6s81BL1pfgfxf-2BX7AolEcf0uihIh8Vh4LZGzFlJEVOT9MPiS376atOqUY2PXTdqL1qCTzK5gUUqFJ8x6-2FdxDgFTJx4GME3HqUPg1sc7N-2BTcGon9wUYmeB8yA5-2BU-2BIEMbCBIh6FtAQkLyW2RJvfRvMrJhyonp5m2dLmHelut-2Fm-2F7OBz3U5SYyPAN5m6lkpeS_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3Ije4rhriqtlP8sMCUjg-2Fzm039W-2BmqAZN2SWqd89lxobIQM5cIJGuwNiz2E1mX07fW9kjZ4m3Ndvyxqvrjv14USKLsDbego7uqS1g8xVvPax0r-2B2ZdNZB9dZI8HK6eQ0HCbGeqwfTHUrYsQiWacXyAEsioo2ee-2F4LmUwAAJDVQh4-2BbsdFSZnVJsGMeG7aeFlYnFDS-2BunYf43rXIAFeFIKQ9-2FBKL-2F-2BQqBnRHo91joTGRrjcPYd8ow9F0G3kHXas4WLkmf1o7ckK3YzJJzANc14gw-3D">samaritanspurse.org/buildonline</a>.

These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582750752139.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By Dolores Brown SAMARITAN'S PURSEGenerosity throughout&nbsp;Hays​​​​​​&nbsp;contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUXp3xvLqtpe-2FApP8eJvZwjng7RPy04O4bpse-2BBgi9rJgGxG49fslNdk6Kzoi1ATGkcZxHIadF-2Fjl2s9CcU3umDMAfgU0yZsb2ujjr8nOmUzhWT9LcFMt11BGapMtk2OmV-2FGevE6jHpzHARbUQL1Pw2lKdpDwteh4UfuQfJ-2BXZvx5Hoh45fZuXqWHmg3Z0jBdG5djQXA7JMuktQfLqiVl6I2d-2FeP8B96qPsN9gUvNHZUcpgAn_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3Ije4rhriqtlP8sMCUjg-2Fzm039W-2BmqAZN2SWqd89lxobIQM5cIJGuwNiz2E1mX07fW9kjZ4m3Ndvyxqvrjv14USKLsDbego7uqS1g8xVvPax0r-2B2ZdNZB9dZI8HK6eQ0HNoxeMuaQDEOnzS2CGyWtwg2jMHgZEdF3Rwhz9sFJYvEh-2F47RKNEJElYJWgPd3pwr5nU-2FE-2BPMiI0F1QgCwxrt4Y82XPSRs8SZtlObXUzjPbJ5d0w8o5xfhBFyDb3TAggoXcPF-2BoyK5X3XxJxF4onbEI-3D">Operation Christmas Child</a>.&nbsp;Across the U.S., the project collected 10 million shoebox gifts in 2023. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2023, the ministry is now sending over 11.3 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide,&nbsp;including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster.Through shoeboxes—packed with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items—Hays​​​​​&nbsp;area&nbsp;volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.Across&nbsp;KS​​​​​​,&nbsp;shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer. Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round can also be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUXp3xvLqtpe-2FApP8eJvZwjng7RPy04O4bpse-2BBgi9rJgGxG49fslNdk6Kzoi1ATGkcZxHIadF-2Fjl2s9CcU3umDMAfgU0yZsb2ujjr8nOmUzhWT9LcFMt11BGapMtk2OmV-2FGevE6jHpzHARbUQL1Pw2lKdpDwteh4UfuQfJ-2BXZvx5Hoh45fZuXqWHmg3Z0jBdG5djQXA7JMuktQfLqiVl6I2d-2FeP8B96qPsN9gUvNHZUc176y_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3Ije4rhriqtlP8sMCUjg-2Fzm039W-2BmqAZN2SWqd89lxobIQM5cIJGuwNiz2E1mX07fW9kjZ4m3Ndvyxqvrjv14USKLsDbego7uqS1g8xVvPax0r-2B2ZdNZB9dZI8HK6eQ0HIqyHvoFte8hdip5KHOS9n40Wf5vynC8PCXT8gh1b0PFy-2FT9PK6naIllK4Q6yqDtBSJH-2B3ICumUASbwjQtt7fVtMxcEKXUtptoYFFmIotryqumUv23qQvKciJWQNNv6AoYqH5xkHjcPfd3YOUnJHuis-3D">samaritanspurse.org/occ</a>&nbsp;or by calling 816-622-8316.&nbsp;Although local drop‑off locations for shoebox gifts are closed until Nov. 18 – 25, 2024, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUYETDhCe3dUJHzagzf9RMOYd7-2F5wYTRjIrMxtchaApTl6qXlc6s81BL1pfgfxf-2BX7AolEcf0uihIh8Vh4LZGzFlJEVOT9MPiS376atOqUY2PXTdqL1qCTzK5gUUqFJ8x6-2FdxDgFTJx4GME3HqUPg1sc7N-2BTcGon9wUYmeB8yA5-2BU-2BIEMbCBIh6FtAQkLyW2RJvfRvMrJhyonp5m2dLmHelut-2Fm-2F7OBz3U5SYyPAN5m6lkpeS_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3Ije4rhriqtlP8sMCUjg-2Fzm039W-2BmqAZN2SWqd89lxobIQM5cIJGuwNiz2E1mX07fW9kjZ4m3Ndvyxqvrjv14USKLsDbego7uqS1g8xVvPax0r-2B2ZdNZB9dZI8HK6eQ0HCbGeqwfTHUrYsQiWacXyAEsioo2ee-2F4LmUwAAJDVQh4-2BbsdFSZnVJsGMeG7aeFlYnFDS-2BunYf43rXIAFeFIKQ9-2FBKL-2F-2BQqBnRHo91joTGRrjcPYd8ow9F0G3kHXas4WLkmf1o7ckK3YzJJzANc14gw-3D">samaritanspurse.org/buildonline</a>.These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.

LETTER: Samaritan’s Purse announces another successful Operation Christmas Child 

Commercial as it is, Valentine’s Day reminds the two of us how many years we’ve loved one another. Despite hype designed to convince my sweetheart to fulfill romantic obligations with cut flowers, chocolates, scented candles, and bubble bath products, he ignored those messages a few years ago and gave me a gift that went crazy wild.

After decades of marriage, I’ve learned flower shops hold no power over my guy. He prefers multi-department businesses where he slowly cruises the sporting good section for most of a store visit. Once he’s checked out every fishing lure and all the hunting supplies, he camps out in the Valentine card section. Over time, he’s learned I’m a sucker for messages he actually reads. No generic I love you from this guy. He looks for a card that perfectly expresses his feelings--sometimes funny and sometimes sweet—just like him. Year after year, the man knocks it out of the park.

Typically, after wrapping up this shopping challenge, he zips past the cut flower case, snagging a bouquet on the go to carry home to his bride, and heads to check-out. If you haven’t figured it out, I most look forward to the envelope encased love note he’ll cleverly hide.

Due to bad weather a few years ago, he didn’t shop til Valentine’s Day. I desperately needed to visit the art supply aisle so he let me tag along, reminding me to keep my nose out of his business. Yeah, like the calendar date and days seeing hearty advertisements hadn’t clued me in.

Because of our late visit to the store, the bedraggled flower case looked bad sad, and so did my favorite guy when he couldn’t find a suitable arrangement. Keeping my nose out of his business, I’d lifted my winter mood earlier, buzzing through the garden area where I’d noticed a store display of 6-inch, gift wrapped pots filled with blooming kalanchoes. When he apologized for his lack of success in the bloom department, I said, “Hey, the garden section has great plants that will bloom longer than any cut flower you could buy.”

In no time, we headed home with a fishing lure or two and a blossoming, warmth-loving succulent covered in a plastic bag to protect it from Kansas elements. It reigned in our living room until garden season arrived, and we could move it outdoors.

After a month or so absorbing unadulterated sunshine, that baby needed a bigger pot to sustain its flourishing greenery and delicate orange/red blossoms. I transplanted it to a much larger container, thinking it would take a while to grow into it. Ha, it overtook its new home in a flash, and has sunbathed this winter in front of our living room window. New shoots and emerging blossoms indicate it intends to serve another year as the best Valentine flower ever.

As we slip up on another Valentine’s Day, guess what? This holiday, I don’t want flowers. I want a huge planter to accompany the card I look forward to every year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>Commercial as it is, Valentine’s Day reminds the two of us how many years we’ve loved one another. Despite hype designed to convince my sweetheart to fulfill romantic obligations with cut flowers, chocolates, scented candles, and bubble bath products, he ignored those messages a few years ago and gave me a gift that went crazy wild.After decades of marriage, I’ve learned flower shops hold no power over my guy. He prefers multi-department businesses where he slowly cruises the sporting good section for most of a store visit. Once he’s checked out every fishing lure and all the hunting supplies, he camps out in the Valentine card section. Over time, he’s learned I’m a sucker for messages he actually reads. No generic I love you from this guy. He looks for a card that perfectly expresses his feelings--sometimes funny and sometimes sweet—just like him. Year after year, the man knocks it out of the park.Typically, after wrapping up this shopping challenge, he zips past the cut flower case, snagging a bouquet on the go to carry home to his bride, and heads to check-out. If you haven’t figured it out, I most look forward to the envelope encased love note he’ll cleverly hide.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706310576245.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Due to bad weather a few years ago, he didn’t shop til Valentine’s Day. I desperately needed to visit the art supply aisle so he let me tag along, reminding me to keep my nose out of his business. Yeah, like the calendar date and days seeing hearty advertisements hadn’t clued me in.Because of our late visit to the store, the bedraggled flower case looked bad sad, and so did my favorite guy when he couldn’t find a suitable arrangement. Keeping my nose out of his business, I’d lifted my winter mood earlier, buzzing through the garden area where I’d noticed a store display of 6-inch, gift wrapped pots filled with blooming kalanchoes. When he apologized for his lack of success in the bloom department, I said, “Hey, the garden section has great plants that will bloom longer than any cut flower you could buy.”In no time, we headed home with a fishing lure or two and a blossoming, warmth-loving succulent covered in a plastic bag to protect it from Kansas elements. It reigned in our living room until garden season arrived, and we could move it outdoors.After a month or so absorbing unadulterated sunshine, that baby needed a bigger pot to sustain its flourishing greenery and delicate orange/red blossoms. I transplanted it to a much larger container, thinking it would take a while to grow into it. Ha, it overtook its new home in a flash, and has sunbathed this winter in front of our living room window. New shoots and emerging blossoms indicate it intends to serve another year as the best Valentine flower ever.As we slip up on another Valentine’s Day, guess what? This holiday, I don’t want flowers. I want a huge planter to accompany the card I look forward to every year.

MADORIN: Valentine Gone Wild

<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/2024/1/1706641464067.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

Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging will be at the Oakley Senior Center to present information on programs that offer financial benefits to eligible individuals. This presentation will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 and anyone is welcome to attend and participate in the lunchtime meal. To sign up for a meal, please call the Senior Center at 785-671-3903. You must call before 11 am the day before to reserve a meal which is $6.75 for guests under 60. For individuals 60 and over, a donation of $3.75 is requested for the lunch meal.

A Benefits Enrollment Specialist will be available to complete a personalized Benefits Checkup, discuss what programs are available and eligibility requirements for these programs. 

Applications are being accepted for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). 

LIEAP provides an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay winter heating bills.

Individuals with disabilities, older adults and families with children are the primary groups assisted. The deadline for LIEAP applications is March 29.

The Benefits Enrollment Specialist can also assist in completing many other benefit applications including those for prescription drug assistance from sources other than Medicare Part D.

This presentation and extra assistance with applications is made possible due to a donation in honor of Evelyn Engel.

For individuals not able to attend this event, but needing assistance filling out or submitting an application, call Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-432-7422 or 785-628-8204 to schedule an appointment.

SubmittedNorthwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging will be at the Oakley Senior Center to present information on programs that offer financial benefits to eligible individuals. This presentation will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 and anyone is welcome to attend and participate in the lunchtime meal. To sign up for a meal, please call the Senior Center at 785-671-3903. You must call before 11 am the day before to reserve a meal which is $6.75 for guests under 60. For individuals 60 and over, a donation of $3.75 is requested for the lunch meal.A Benefits Enrollment Specialist will be available to complete a personalized Benefits Checkup, discuss what programs are available and eligibility requirements for these programs. Applications are being accepted for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). LIEAP provides an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay winter heating bills.Individuals with disabilities, older adults and families with children are the primary groups assisted. The deadline for LIEAP applications is March 29.The Benefits Enrollment Specialist can also assist in completing many other benefit applications including those for prescription drug assistance from sources other than Medicare Part D.This presentation and extra assistance with applications is made possible due to a donation in honor of Evelyn Engel.For individuals not able to attend this event, but needing assistance filling out or submitting an application, call Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-432-7422 or 785-628-8204 to schedule an appointment.

Aging agency to present on financial benefits at Oakley Senior Center

Midwest Energy's Hays, Kan., office is hiring a Manager of Distribution Engineering. The position oversees Midwest Energy electric distribution system planning and engineering functions for electric line and substation facilities 34.5kV and below. This position plans, organizes, directs and supervises assigned engineering staff, providing strategic support, project management, technical support and career developmental assistance. 

A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited school of engineering is required. A minimum of seven years of increasingly responsible experience in the engineering and/or planning services in the electric utility industry is preferred. A successful candidate must also be licensed as a Professional Engineer in Kansas, or it is required to be obtained within two years of hire date. 

Midwest Energy is a great company to work for. We offer excellent pay and benefits, like family coverage through Blue Cross &amp; Blue Shield of Kansas, Delta dental, a vision/wellness plan, 401K with generous match PLUS a company-funded pension plan! Find more information on our website under www.mwenergy.com/careers. If you’re ready to apply, visit https://mwenergy.clearcompany.com/careers/jobs/8a762b10-1375-45e3-c58c-113dcd7b5534/apply?source=2919761-CS-43286 before Feb. 23. Midwest Energy is an EOE.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706641912800.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Midwest Energy's Hays, Kan., office is hiring a Manager of Distribution Engineering. The position oversees Midwest Energy electric distribution system planning and engineering functions for electric line and substation facilities 34.5kV and below. This position plans, organizes, directs and supervises assigned engineering staff, providing strategic support, project management, technical support and career developmental assistance. A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited school of engineering is required. A minimum of seven years of increasingly responsible experience in the engineering and/or planning services in the electric utility industry is preferred. A successful candidate must also be licensed as a Professional Engineer in Kansas, or it is required to be obtained within two years of hire date. Midwest Energy is a great company to work for. We offer excellent pay and benefits, like family coverage through Blue Cross &amp; Blue Shield of Kansas, Delta dental, a vision/wellness plan, 401K with generous match PLUS a company-funded pension plan! Find more information on our website under www.mwenergy.com/careers. If you’re ready to apply, visit https://mwenergy.clearcompany.com/careers/jobs/8a762b10-1375-45e3-c58c-113dcd7b5534/apply?source=2919761-CS-43286 before Feb. 23. Midwest Energy is an EOE.

Roosevelt locked down as Hays police pursued suspect

Scott City at Hays High Tuesday, Jan. 30 Hays, Kan. - Hays High School

Radio: KFIX (96.9) <a href="https://kfix.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video: Hays High Sports Network <a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/938338">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

The Hays High Indians step out of WAC play Tuesday for a matchup witht the Scott City Beavers.

Both Indian boys and girls basketball teams are coming off wins over Great Bend on Fridy night. Both teams are 7-5 on the season.

The Scott City girls are 9-3 and the boys are 8-5.

The girls game is set to tipoff at 6:00 p.m. with the boys
game at follow at Hays City High School.

Live coverage includes The Hays High Sports Network and
Eagle Radio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694699014932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Scott City at Hays High Tuesday, Jan. 30 Hays, Kan. - Hays High SchoolRadio: KFIX (96.9) <a href="https://kfix.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video: Hays High Sports Network <a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/938338">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>The Hays High Indians step out of WAC play Tuesday for a matchup witht the Scott City Beavers.Both Indian boys and girls basketball teams are coming off wins over Great Bend on Fridy night. Both teams are 7-5 on the season.The Scott City girls are 9-3 and the boys are 8-5.The girls game is set to tipoff at 6:00 p.m. with the boys
game at follow at Hays City High School.Live coverage includes The Hays High Sports Network and
Eagle Radio.

🏀🎥 Indians step out of league play for meeting with Scott City

TMP-Marian at WaKeeney-Trego Community Tuesday, Jan. 30 – 6 p.m. WaKeeney, Kan. - Trego Community High School gym

Radio: KHAZ (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN </a>Video: TMP-Marian Sports Network&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/938374">CLICK HERE TO WATCH
($)</a>

The TMP-Marian Monarchs return to Mid-Continent League play Tuesday in WaKeeney against the Trego Colden Eagles.&nbsp;

The TMP girls are coming off a win over Abilene while the boys came up short against the Cowboys.&nbsp;

The Trego girls are 9-3 while the boys are 3-9.

Tipoff of the girls game is set for 6:00 p.m. with the boys to follow from Trego Community High School on the Monarchs Sports Network.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575411582384.jpeg" alt="TMP YouTube Slate.jpg" />
 <figcaption>TMP YouTube Slate.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>TMP-Marian at WaKeeney-Trego Community Tuesday, Jan. 30 – 6 p.m. WaKeeney, Kan. - Trego Community High School gymRadio: KHAZ (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN </a>Video: TMP-Marian Sports Network&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/938374">CLICK HERE TO WATCH
($)</a>The TMP-Marian Monarchs return to Mid-Continent League play Tuesday in WaKeeney against the Trego Colden Eagles.&nbsp;The TMP girls are coming off a win over Abilene while the boys came up short against the Cowboys.&nbsp;The Trego girls are 9-3 while the boys are 3-9.Tipoff of the girls game is set for 6:00 p.m. with the boys to follow from Trego Community High School on the Monarchs Sports Network.

🏀🎥 TMP return to league play at Trego

Kansas Department of Transportation

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Transportation’s I-70 asphalt improvement project in Gove County received the 2023 Sheldon G. Hayes Award – the top paving award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association.

The award was presented this week to the project’s contractor, APAC Kansas, Inc., Shears Division, of Hutchinson, at the NAPA annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

“This award acknowledges what we Kansans have always known; Kansas contractors are second to none,” said Calvin Reed, Secretary of Transportation.&nbsp; “It is the result of exceptional collaboration between Kansas-based industry partners and KDOT who completed the I-70 project with a high degree of skill and attention to detail.”

The Gove County project covered just over 9 miles of I-70 starting 4 miles east of Park and ending at the Trego County line. Nearly 76,000 tons of asphalt was used on the driving lanes and shoulders.

The winner and finalists are determined through a two-year evaluation process. To be eligible, projects must use more than 50,000 tons of asphalt and be selected for a NAPA Quality in Construction Award the previous year. Qualifying projects are then evaluated for smoothness and inspected in person by an independent pavement consultant.

This award is named for a founder of NAPA and the association’s first chairman. It has been presented annually since 1971.

Kansas Department of TransportationTOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Transportation’s I-70 asphalt improvement project in Gove County received the 2023 Sheldon G. Hayes Award – the top paving award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association.The award was presented this week to the project’s contractor, APAC Kansas, Inc., Shears Division, of Hutchinson, at the NAPA annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.“This award acknowledges what we Kansans have always known; Kansas contractors are second to none,” said Calvin Reed, Secretary of Transportation.&nbsp; “It is the result of exceptional collaboration between Kansas-based industry partners and KDOT who completed the I-70 project with a high degree of skill and attention to detail.”The Gove County project covered just over 9 miles of I-70 starting 4 miles east of Park and ending at the Trego County line. Nearly 76,000 tons of asphalt was used on the driving lanes and shoulders.The winner and finalists are determined through a two-year evaluation process. To be eligible, projects must use more than 50,000 tons of asphalt and be selected for a NAPA Quality in Construction Award the previous year. Qualifying projects are then evaluated for smoothness and inspected in person by an independent pavement consultant.This award is named for a founder of NAPA and the association’s first chairman. It has been presented annually since 1971.

APAC Kansas Shears Division wins national paving award

As the Ogallala Aquifer dwindles, rural towns try to keep their sole water source

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">KEVIN HARDY</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

This story, the first in an occasional series about water challenges facing the American heartland, is a partnership between Stateline and the Kansas Reflector.

MOSCOW, Kan. — Brownie Wilson pulls off a remote dirt road right through a steep ditch and onto a farmer’s field.

He hops out of his white Silverado pickup, mud covering nearly all of it except the Kansas Geological Survey logo stuck on the side with electrical tape. Dry cornstalks crunch under his work boots as he makes his way to a decommissioned irrigation well.

He unspools a steel highway tape measure a few feet at a time and feeds it into the well until gravity takes over. He keeps a thumb on it to control the speed.

How much of the tape comes out wet lets him calculate how much water has been lost here.

Wilson crisscrosses western Kansas every January to measure wells and track the rapid decline of the Ogallala Aquifer,&nbsp;which contains&nbsp;the nation’s largest underground store of fresh water.

Last year, some wells had dropped 10 feet or more because of the severe 2022 drought. But this year, they stayed about the same or dropped a couple feet. Some of these wells have dropped more than 100 feet since Wilson started working for the agency in 2001, he said.

“Some of our issues looking forward look gargantuan,” Wilson said. “But I do think we can peck away at it and make some headway.”

The Ogallala Aquifer,&nbsp;the underground rock and sediment formation that&nbsp;spans eight states from South Dakota to the Texas panhandle, is the only reliable water source for some parts of the region. But for decades, states have allowed farmers to overpump groundwater to irrigate corn and other crops that would otherwise struggle on the arid High Plains.

Now, the disappearing water is threatening more than just agriculture. Rural communities are facing dire futures where water is no longer a certainty. Across the Ogallala, small towns and cities built around agriculture are facing a twisted threat: The very industry that made their communities might just eradicate them.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly acknowledges some communities are just a generation away from running out of water. But she said there’s still time to act.

“If they do nothing, I think they’re going to suffer the consequences,” Kelly said in an interview.

Today, the aquifer supports 20 percent of the nation’s wheat, corn, cotton and cattle production and represents 30 percent of all water used for irrigation&nbsp;in the United States.

Depletion is forcing aquifer-dependent communities across the region to dig deeper wells, purchase expensive water rights from farmers, build pipelines and recycle their water supplies in new ways to save every drop possible.

Since the mid-20th century, when large-scale irrigation began,&nbsp;water&nbsp;levels in the stretches of the Ogallala&nbsp;underlying Kansas have dropped an average 28.2 feet farther below the surface, far worse than the eight-state average of 16.8 feet.

Water levels in&nbsp;Texas,&nbsp;where the Ogallala&nbsp;runs under the state’s panhandle, have&nbsp;dropped 44 feet.&nbsp;New Mexico has seen a 19.1-foot decline.

In&nbsp;Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming, the&nbsp;water level has declined less than&nbsp;the eight-state average, while&nbsp;in&nbsp;South Dakota it has risen.

While the Ogallala Aquifer presents distinct circumstances, tensions over groundwater are growing across the country, said climate scientist and author Peter Gleick, who founded the Pacific Institute, a global water think tank.

“You’re not alone,” Gleick told Kansas irrigators and policymakers at the Governor’s Conference on Water, held in November in Manhattan, Kan.&nbsp;“A lot of the issues that you’re dealing with in Kansas, they’re dealing with in Arizona, and the Colorado [River] basin.”

Without drastic measures, some communities may not survive.

“I think, without a doubt, we will see some communities dry up,” Gleick said in an interview. “We’ve seen that historically, where communities outgrow a natural resource or lose a natural resource and people have to move to abandon their homes.”

When Micheal Shannon got his start in local government over 40 years ago, water supplies were not top of mind.

“We’re running out of water,” said Shannon, the interim city manager in Guymon, Okla. “We’re pumping our maximum. And the water levels keep coming down.”

The largest city in the Oklahoma Panhandle, Guymon relies on 18 wells to draw water from the Ogallala. But dropping water levels have forced the city of about 13,000 to explore new wells outside of town.

The city has already committed some $4.5 million to study and drill new wells, but there’s no guarantee the wells will produce a reliable water supply.

“There’s always that what if,” he said. “There could not be any water.”

The city’s largest water user and employer is a massive pork plant that slaughters and processes more than 20,000 hogs per day. The plant has voluntarily reduced water usage by nearly half during times of shortened supply.

Shannon said the city, industry and agricultural producers must work together.

“We all still want to be here the next 35, 40 years,” he said. “We know farmers are going to have to produce ag products. And the citizens of Guymon are going to have to have water.”

More than 200 miles away, several New Mexico communities are banking on more drastic measures.

A new pipeline, expected to cost more than $800 million, will bring water from the Canadian River’s Ute Reservoir to four municipalities and Cannon Air Force Base.

“This is our future, no doubt about it,” said Orlando Ortega, administrator of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority. “Without this project, none of these communities could exist for very long.”

The pipeline is being funded largely by the federal government, though four participating communities have been paying dues to the water authority for years. Officials aim to have the pipeline operational by the end of the decade.

Even so, communities will still need to get more aggressive about conserving water, said Michael Morris, who leads the water authority board and is mayor of Clovis, one of its member communities.

Morris is active in agricultural efforts to decrease pumping — such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ogalwc.org/">conservation programs</a>&nbsp;in the region that pay producers to stop pumping. And the city is working to expand water recycling efforts.

But he said the situation is even more dire than locals realize. Few know how close Clovis has come to seeing its water demand outpace the underground supply.

“So is there another option?” he said. “No.”

In Kansas, the Ogallala Aquifer supplies 70 percent to 80 percent of the water residents use each day. But for decades, the state’s regulation of water benefited its largest user and its largest industry: agriculture.

The once-abundant water allowed farmers to grow cheap cattle feed, attracting the feedlots, and increasingly, dairy farms, that dot southwest Kansas.

But that feed is cheap, partly because — aside from the fuel costs associated with running a well — the water is free.

A report commissioned by the Kansas Legislature in 1955 warned of a future without it.

“Ground-water mining is a serious problem,” the report says.

After the grave 1955 warning, however, the state legislature only made it easier to pump the water, according to Burke Griggs, a water law professor at Washburn University in Topeka.

Griggs, formerly a water lawyer for the state, criticized Kansas lawmakers’ decadeslong posture that depletion would best be solved locally. He said it is a stance held by every governor since the 1980s.

“They want it to be voluntary. And they want it to be cooperative. They want to have local-based solutions,” Griggs said. “These are the catchwords you hear. None of them have achieved much.”

Kelly follows the same line. The second-term governor recently signed a law mandating more reporting and planning from groundwater management districts and created a new subcabinet to coordinate water issues across agencies. But she hasn’t wavered from her position that water conservation efforts are most effective when they are voluntary.

“Things are more likely to work out in the long run and succeed if there is local buy-in, and local commitment and the idea is generated locally — rather than the state wielding that heavy hammer,” Kelly said.

But even some farmers want the state to step in, water policy watchers say.

“Many families who are trying to make a living from farming, and who would like to keep farming on their own land, are just waiting for the state to step in and help them fix this. Most people agree that we need fair, enforceable and transparent rules to get this turned around,” said&nbsp;Lucas&nbsp;Bessire, a professor of anthropology at the University of Oklahoma who grew up in southwest Kansas.

For the first time since their father dug an irrigation well in the dusty sandhills of southwest Kansas more than 50 years ago, Gina and Marc Gigot’s farm isn’t growing corn.

The sibling farmers are trying to preserve the precious water below their land outside Garden City.

For decades,&nbsp;the Gigot family has benefited from drawing groundwater to the surface to grow bright green circles of crops where the sandy soil is otherwise so dusty it might blow away.

<h2>As the Ogallala Aquifer dwindles, rural towns try to keep their sole water source</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706560795592.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Brownie Wilson kneels next to a decommissioned irrigation well outside Moscow, Kan., as part of the Kansas Geological Survey’s efforts to measure the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer. Groundwater has been declining for decades because of irrigation in the eight states that rely on the aquifer. (Kevin Hardy/Stateline)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Brownie Wilson kneels next to a decommissioned irrigation well outside Moscow, Kan., as part of the Kansas Geological Survey’s efforts to measure the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer. Groundwater has been declining for decades because of irrigation in the eight states that rely on the aquifer. (Kevin Hardy/Stateline)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/kevinhardy/">KEVIN HARDY</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>This story, the first in an occasional series about water challenges facing the American heartland, is a partnership between Stateline and the Kansas Reflector.MOSCOW, Kan. — Brownie Wilson pulls off a remote dirt road right through a steep ditch and onto a farmer’s field.He hops out of his white Silverado pickup, mud covering nearly all of it except the Kansas Geological Survey logo stuck on the side with electrical tape. Dry cornstalks crunch under his work boots as he makes his way to a decommissioned irrigation well.He unspools a steel highway tape measure a few feet at a time and feeds it into the well until gravity takes over. He keeps a thumb on it to control the speed.How much of the tape comes out wet lets him calculate how much water has been lost here.Wilson crisscrosses western Kansas every January to measure wells and track the rapid decline of the Ogallala Aquifer,&nbsp;which contains&nbsp;the nation’s largest underground store of fresh water.Last year, some wells had dropped 10 feet or more because of the severe 2022 drought. But this year, they stayed about the same or dropped a couple feet. Some of these wells have dropped more than 100 feet since Wilson started working for the agency in 2001, he said.“Some of our issues looking forward look gargantuan,” Wilson said. “But I do think we can peck away at it and make some headway.”The Ogallala Aquifer,&nbsp;the underground rock and sediment formation that&nbsp;spans eight states from South Dakota to the Texas panhandle, is the only reliable water source for some parts of the region. But for decades, states have allowed farmers to overpump groundwater to irrigate corn and other crops that would otherwise struggle on the arid High Plains.Now, the disappearing water is threatening more than just agriculture. Rural communities are facing dire futures where water is no longer a certainty. Across the Ogallala, small towns and cities built around agriculture are facing a twisted threat: The very industry that made their communities might just eradicate them.Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly acknowledges some communities are just a generation away from running out of water. But she said there’s still time to act.“If they do nothing, I think they’re going to suffer the consequences,” Kelly said in an interview.Today, the aquifer supports 20 percent of the nation’s wheat, corn, cotton and cattle production and represents 30 percent of all water used for irrigation&nbsp;in the United States.Depletion is forcing aquifer-dependent communities across the region to dig deeper wells, purchase expensive water rights from farmers, build pipelines and recycle their water supplies in new ways to save every drop possible.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706560868265.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Since the mid-20th century, when large-scale irrigation began,&nbsp;water&nbsp;levels in the stretches of the Ogallala&nbsp;underlying Kansas have dropped an average 28.2 feet farther below the surface, far worse than the eight-state average of 16.8 feet.Water levels in&nbsp;Texas,&nbsp;where the Ogallala&nbsp;runs under the state’s panhandle, have&nbsp;dropped 44 feet.&nbsp;New Mexico has seen a 19.1-foot decline.In&nbsp;Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming, the&nbsp;water level has declined less than&nbsp;the eight-state average, while&nbsp;in&nbsp;South Dakota it has risen.While the Ogallala Aquifer presents distinct circumstances, tensions over groundwater are growing across the country, said climate scientist and author Peter Gleick, who founded the Pacific Institute, a global water think tank.“You’re not alone,” Gleick told Kansas irrigators and policymakers at the Governor’s Conference on Water, held in November in Manhattan, Kan.&nbsp;“A lot of the issues that you’re dealing with in Kansas, they’re dealing with in Arizona, and the Colorado [River] basin.”Without drastic measures, some communities may not survive.“I think, without a doubt, we will see some communities dry up,” Gleick said in an interview. “We’ve seen that historically, where communities outgrow a natural resource or lose a natural resource and people have to move to abandon their homes.”<h2>‘We’re running out of water’</h2>When Micheal Shannon got his start in local government over 40 years ago, water supplies were not top of mind.Those days are gone.“We’re running out of water,” said Shannon, the interim city manager in Guymon, Okla. “We’re pumping our maximum. And the water levels keep coming down.”The largest city in the Oklahoma Panhandle, Guymon relies on 18 wells to draw water from the Ogallala. But dropping water levels have forced the city of about 13,000 to explore new wells outside of town.The city has already committed some $4.5 million to study and drill new wells, but there’s no guarantee the wells will produce a reliable water supply.“There’s always that what if,” he said. “There could not be any water.”The city’s largest water user and employer is a massive pork plant that slaughters and processes more than 20,000 hogs per day. The plant has voluntarily reduced water usage by nearly half during times of shortened supply.Shannon said the city, industry and agricultural producers must work together.“We all still want to be here the next 35, 40 years,” he said. “We know farmers are going to have to produce ag products. And the citizens of Guymon are going to have to have water.”More than 200 miles away, several New Mexico communities are banking on more drastic measures.A new pipeline, expected to cost more than $800 million, will bring water from the Canadian River’s Ute Reservoir to four municipalities and Cannon Air Force Base.“This is our future, no doubt about it,” said Orlando Ortega, administrator of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority. “Without this project, none of these communities could exist for very long.”The pipeline is being funded largely by the federal government, though four participating communities have been paying dues to the water authority for years. Officials aim to have the pipeline operational by the end of the decade.Even so, communities will still need to get more aggressive about conserving water, said Michael Morris, who leads the water authority board and is mayor of Clovis, one of its member communities.Morris is active in agricultural efforts to decrease pumping — such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ogalwc.org/">conservation programs</a>&nbsp;in the region that pay producers to stop pumping. And the city is working to expand water recycling efforts.But he said the situation is even more dire than locals realize. Few know how close Clovis has come to seeing its water demand outpace the underground supply.“So is there another option?” he said. “No.”<h2>Decades of state inaction</h2>In Kansas, the Ogallala Aquifer supplies 70 percent to 80 percent of the water residents use each day. But for decades, the state’s regulation of water benefited its largest user and its largest industry: agriculture.The once-abundant water allowed farmers to grow cheap cattle feed, attracting the feedlots, and increasingly, dairy farms, that dot southwest Kansas.But that feed is cheap, partly because — aside from the fuel costs associated with running a well — the water is free.A report commissioned by the Kansas Legislature in 1955 warned of a future without it.“Ground-water mining is a serious problem,” the report says.After the grave 1955 warning, however, the state legislature only made it easier to pump the water, according to Burke Griggs, a water law professor at Washburn University in Topeka.Griggs, formerly a water lawyer for the state, criticized Kansas lawmakers’ decadeslong posture that depletion would best be solved locally. He said it is a stance held by every governor since the 1980s.“They want it to be voluntary. And they want it to be cooperative. They want to have local-based solutions,” Griggs said. “These are the catchwords you hear. None of them have achieved much.”Kelly follows the same line. The second-term governor recently signed a law mandating more reporting and planning from groundwater management districts and created a new subcabinet to coordinate water issues across agencies. But she hasn’t wavered from her position that water conservation efforts are most effective when they are voluntary.“Things are more likely to work out in the long run and succeed if there is local buy-in, and local commitment and the idea is generated locally — rather than the state wielding that heavy hammer,” Kelly said.But even some farmers want the state to step in, water policy watchers say.“Many families who are trying to make a living from farming, and who would like to keep farming on their own land, are just waiting for the state to step in and help them fix this. Most people agree that we need fair, enforceable and transparent rules to get this turned around,” said&nbsp;Lucas&nbsp;Bessire, a professor of anthropology at the University of Oklahoma who grew up in southwest Kansas.<h2>Voluntary efforts in action</h2>For the first time since their father dug an irrigation well in the dusty sandhills of southwest Kansas more than 50 years ago, Gina and Marc Gigot’s farm isn’t growing corn.The sibling farmers are trying to preserve the precious water below their land outside Garden City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706560914560.jpeg" alt="Gina and Marc Gigot stand in front of a center pivot irrigation system on their farm outside of Garden City, Kansas. The farm has historically been among the largest water users in Kansas, but it has cut usage in recent years as part of voluntary conservation measures aimed at slowing the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer. (Kevin Hardy/Stateline)" />
 <figcaption>Gina and Marc Gigot stand in front of a center pivot irrigation system on their farm outside of Garden City, Kansas. The farm has historically been among the largest water users in Kansas, but it has cut usage in recent years as part of voluntary conservation measures aimed at slowing the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer. (Kevin Hardy/Stateline)</figcaption>
 </figure>For decades,&nbsp;the Gigot family has benefited from drawing groundwater to the surface to grow bright green circles of crops where the sandy soil is otherwise so dusty it might blow away.As Marc’s pickup bumps along the farm’s private roads, he and Gina point to the electric systems and water pipes laid by their father. Some of the massive center pivot systems use the same parts he installed 50 years ago.To extend the life of the aquifer, the siblings are opting for&nbsp;fewer water-intensive crops and grazing cattle. The farm has historically been among Kansas’ largest water users, irrigating 9,000 acres, but they’ve cut their usage in recent years and committed to another 10 years of voluntary water conservation.In exchange, they get more flexibility in how they use the water. As long as they hit their five-year goal, they can pump more water in drought years.Beyond that, they’re partnering with Garden City, the largest city in southwest Kansas and a major agricultural hub. Garden City’s municipal water wells sit right next door to the Gigot farm, which can directly impact the city’s ability to supply drinking water.To keep more water underground, Garden City will soon divert treated wastewater to the Gigot farm — rather than continuing to dump it into the bone-dry bed of the Arkansas River. That will allow the farm to turn off some wells.“It’s not really a situation where either the city gets what they need or the irrigators get what they need. It is way more symbiotic,” said Fred Jones, who oversees Garden City’s water.In northwest Kansas, a group of farmers voluntarily cut their water usage by 20 percent through a five-year conservation program with the state. They switched from corn to wheat or grain sorghum and used irrigation more strategically. Farmers in the area exceeded their goal and cut use, on average, 23.1 percent over the initial five-year period and slowed the decline of the aquifer from 2 feet per year to less than half a foot.Still, the Gigots said the state must force other producers to cut back.Even Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland said he’s fearful that voluntary efforts aren’t enough.Newland, a former Kansas Republican legislator, offered an amendment in 2022 that effectively sank a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/01/shooting-themselves-in-the-foot-committee-guts-kansas-bill-to-protect-water/">massive bill</a>&nbsp;designed to make the aquifer a higher priority in state government, impose more requirements on local groundwater officials, and give communities a greater voice in decisions over water.In Kansas, the agricultural industry, led in part by Newland,&nbsp;has largely pushed back against aggressive water restrictions, instead calling for voluntary conservation measures. But Newland worries that those voluntary measures haven’t saved enough water, which could&nbsp;eventually&nbsp;push the state to hand down strict mandates.“I’m always hopeful and prayerful that people realize just how important it is that we’re doing this on a voluntary basis and not ever have to go through a mandatory situation,” he said. “But that’s going to be determined in the near future how this works, because, as I said, we don’t have decades to fix this problem.”<h2>Kansas towns take the lead</h2>Few places evoke the Old West like Dodge City, where Wyatt Earp patrolled the lawless streets rife with gambling, saloons and shootouts.Today, the city proudly displays remnants of those days at the Boot Hill Museum, which contains a reproduction of the legendary Long Branch Saloon and an Old West photo booth for visitors.But the former frontier outpost has embraced some of the state’s most progressive water strategies.“We were recycling before recycling was cool,” said City Manager Nick Hernandez, who highlighted water reuse efforts that began in the 1980s.Effluent from one of the city’s wastewater treatment plants keeps a golf course green. Another plant sends about 1.8 billion gallons of treated wastewater to irrigate 3,000 acres of crops at a nearby farm, reducing the need for aquifer pumping.Another project aims to directly recharge the aquifer with treated wastewater. That will not only help protect the city’s quantity of water, but also prevent contamination from agricultural runoff like nitrates by keeping the hydraulic pressure up in city wells, he said.That project is expected to cost $60 million. Dodge City, home to about 28,000 people,&nbsp;is seeking federal and state assistance for the effort. But even without grants, Hernandez said that would prove cheaper than buying water rights and digging new wells.All those projects are building toward treating the city’s sewage directly into drinkable water — still&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/2023/12/12/from-flush-to-faucet-more-places-look-to-turn-sewage-into-tap-water/">an emerging idea in most parts of the country.</a>&nbsp;That would allow the city to decrease demand on groundwater by continually reusing its water.“We all have a concern about the stability of the aquifer because that’s our lifeline,” said Ray Slattery, the city’s director of engineering services. “But I feel very good about where the city is, and what we’ve done in the past to conserve. We knew it was important and so we took steps way before it became a problem.”Communities such as Dodge City offer a glimpse into the future of municipal water supplies in the region, said state Rep. Jim Minnix, a Republican who represents part of western Kansas and leads the House Water Committee.Minnix,&nbsp;who raises cattle and farms both dryland and irrigated crops, said cities and farms alike must adapt. Cities need to continue embracing water recycling efforts, reduce lawn watering and encourage more efficient appliances. Farmers, he said, should embrace new technologies such as more efficient irrigation systems and drought-resistant crops.“You’d be amazed at the water quantity that’s actually being saved out there from what had been done 40, 50 years ago,” he said. “As a farmer myself, I know a lot of little things add up to something that’s really worthwhile. And to maintain our aquifer and our economy out here is absolutely worthwhile.”But the way Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office, sees it, change is coming to both agricultural and municipal water users one way or another.“If we don’t adapt to different behaviors, it will run dry,” she said.&nbsp;“And that will cause the economic devastation that everyone fears with restrictions.”

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