After performing this weekend at the Chamber Singers' annual Cabaret, students EJ Fenwick, Harley Foarde, and Kamden McBride received news they will represent Hays High at the KMEA All-State Honor Choir in late February.

All three auditioned in early November and attended the District Honor Choir at Fort Hays State University on Dec. 6.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765993527352.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After performing this weekend at the Chamber Singers' annual Cabaret, students EJ Fenwick, Harley Foarde, and Kamden McBride received news they will represent Hays High at the KMEA All-State Honor Choir in late February.All three auditioned in early November and attended the District Honor Choir at Fort Hays State University on Dec. 6.

Three Hays High singers selected for KMEA All-State Honor Choir

If you or someone you know, a friend or family member, has ever had a crisis of an emotional, behavioral or psychiatric nature—some kind of painful experience that caused so much distress that you didn’t know where to turn, you can probably easily understand the life-changing nature of such an experience.

We’ve often called such crises times and episodes “having a nervous breakdown," a time of great emotional, mental and even physical upheaval. In such episodes, it’s common to feel an overwhelming amount of stress, confusion, fear, anxiety or depression. 

In turn, our ability to cope and to function in our daily lives, to relate to family and loved ones, friends, co-workers, and employers is deeply affected. The overwhelming emotional distress and feelings of depression can even become life-threatening for some.

In emotional and psychiatric crisis situations like these, we need the assistance of others when we can’t assist ourselves. Friends and family may not have the needed resources to assist in a crisis or may not know where to turn.

Sometimes, police become involved if safety issues are in question. Although usually well-intended, law enforcement interventions may add even more stress for a person in crisis and may not even result in effectively meeting the immediate need for treatment. So, where can we turn for help?

High Plains Mental Health is ready to answer the call. The High Plains planned <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> to be housed in the Hadley Center on East Seventh St. in Hays will provide much-needed 24/7 specialized psychiatric treatment for voluntary and involuntary adults in the Hays community and the surrounding area.

It has been many years since an adult psychiatric crisis treatment facility has been available in Hays to meet the mental health crisis needs of folks in the area.

With the new High Plains Crisis Intervention Center, access to crisis services will not require the added stress of being transported long distances or having to wait hours upon hours to gain access to needed interventions and treatment. Compassionate, effective stabilization interventions can be given sooner, closer to home, and provide the gateway to recovery.

The High Plains Crisis Intervention Center is planned to be operational by this coming spring. But we need your help. Money continues to be raised both through grants and private donations. I kindly urge you to consider contributing in any amount you can to this most worthy cause. You will be helping someone who may need crisis care at the most vulnerable and volatile time in their lives. What better way can there be to serve others?

Thank you most kindly. — Ken Windholz---

More information about donating to the Crisis Intervention Center can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://donatehighplains.com/">donatehighplains.com</a>

Gifts can be made online or by check, payable to HPMHC Endowment. High Plains can also accept pledges and set up payment plans. Contact&nbsp;donate@hpmh.com. Gifts of $500 or more receive a plaque on the center's mobile donor wall.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>If you or someone you know, a friend or family member, has ever had a crisis of an emotional, behavioral or psychiatric nature—some kind of painful experience that caused so much distress that you didn’t know where to turn, you can probably easily understand the life-changing nature of such an experience.We’ve often called such crises times and episodes “having a nervous breakdown," a time of great emotional, mental and even physical upheaval. In such episodes, it’s common to feel an overwhelming amount of stress, confusion, fear, anxiety or depression. In turn, our ability to cope and to function in our daily lives, to relate to family and loved ones, friends, co-workers, and employers is deeply affected. The overwhelming emotional distress and feelings of depression can even become life-threatening for some.In emotional and psychiatric crisis situations like these, we need the assistance of others when we can’t assist ourselves. Friends and family may not have the needed resources to assist in a crisis or may not know where to turn.Sometimes, police become involved if safety issues are in question. Although usually well-intended, law enforcement interventions may add even more stress for a person in crisis and may not even result in effectively meeting the immediate need for treatment. So, where can we turn for help?High Plains Mental Health is ready to answer the call. The High Plains planned <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> to be housed in the Hadley Center on East Seventh St. in Hays will provide much-needed 24/7 specialized psychiatric treatment for voluntary and involuntary adults in the Hays community and the surrounding area.It has been many years since an adult psychiatric crisis treatment facility has been available in Hays to meet the mental health crisis needs of folks in the area.With the new High Plains Crisis Intervention Center, access to crisis services will not require the added stress of being transported long distances or having to wait hours upon hours to gain access to needed interventions and treatment. Compassionate, effective stabilization interventions can be given sooner, closer to home, and provide the gateway to recovery.The High Plains Crisis Intervention Center is planned to be operational by this coming spring. But we need your help. Money continues to be raised both through grants and private donations. I kindly urge you to consider contributing in any amount you can to this most worthy cause. You will be helping someone who may need crisis care at the most vulnerable and volatile time in their lives. What better way can there be to serve others?Thank you most kindly. — Ken Windholz-------More information about donating to the Crisis Intervention Center can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://donatehighplains.com/">donatehighplains.com</a>Gifts can be made online or by check, payable to HPMHC Endowment. High Plains can also accept pledges and set up payment plans. Contact&nbsp;donate@hpmh.com. Gifts of $500 or more receive a plaque on the center's mobile donor wall.&nbsp;

LETTER: Crisis Intervention Center seeks donations 

<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/2025/12/1766160616785.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

Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Doug Williams of Grow Hays about the bid awards for the Tallgrass Addition phase 4 and community partnerships with manufacturer Agiliti on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667693163285.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Grow Hays" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=fg27z-19f8086-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300%22 loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
Podbean Player
 </div>Reporter Cristina Janney speaks with Doug Williams of Grow Hays about the bid awards for the Tallgrass Addition phase 4 and community partnerships with manufacturer Agiliti on this episode of the Hays Post Podcast.

🎙 Post Podcast: Doug Williams on Tallgrass Addition, Agiliti partnerships

By STEVE GILLILAND Explore Kansas Outdoors

Welcome to Kansas, you’ll know when you’re here, Cause we hunt our pheasants, our quail and our deer.

But that wiley ole’ Grinch tried to spoil my deer season And he gave me no clue, not a why, not a reason.

I hunted deer high, and I hunted deer low But I left empty handed, not a buck nor a doe.

Now the Who’s down in Whoville continued to feast When that Grinch wrecked their Christmas and stole their roast beast.

But I needed a plan to show all was not lost Then I scratched on my noggin” and I thought and I thought.

So, I set out to prove I could spoil his Grinch notion, When out in the field there arose a commotion.

As I peered from my blind, what did appear, But a strange looking sleigh pulled by flying reindeer.

So, I’m thinking “Take that” Mr. Grinch you old geezer, Just one of those deer will fill my fridge and my freezer.

They landed their rig not far away, And a chubby old man tumbled out of the sleigh.

Now I’m thinkin’ it’s Grinch dressed like St Nick, Out here to fool me with some kind of trick.

To keep me from shootin’ one of these beasts, To keep me from havin’ a fine reindeer feast.

But instead of defending his steeds from my hunt, He gestured their way and said “Which one do you want?”

Now I thought this was odd for even the Grinch, That he’d let me shoot one and not even flinch.

But the deer in the front had a bright shiny nose, It’d be hard to miss that one the way that it glowed.

So, I lined up my shot, my freezer to fill When commotion again came from over the hill

It’s looked like ole’ Santa runnin’ our way, Seems the Grinch had tossed him out of his sleigh.

He tackled Ole’ Grinch and took back his red suit, Then he put on his hat, his coat and his boots.

He climbed into the sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And off they all flew like the down of a thistle.

And I heard him exclaim as they flew out of sight, “Thanks for not shootin’ Rudolph and ruining the night.”

But he also admonished to all who could hear “Keep Christ in Christmas and Happy New Year.”

Guess I’ll travel to Whoville and join in their feast, And hope that Ole’ Grinch gave them back their roast beast.

Merry Christmas from Steve and Joyce at Exploring Kansas Outdoors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Steve Gilliland. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Explore Kansas OutdoorsWelcome to Kansas, you’ll know when you’re here, Cause we hunt our pheasants, our quail and our deer.But that wiley ole’ Grinch tried to spoil my deer season And he gave me no clue, not a why, not a reason. I hunted deer high, and I hunted deer low But I left empty handed, not a buck nor a doe.Now the Who’s down in Whoville continued to feast When that Grinch wrecked their Christmas and stole their roast beast.But I needed a plan to show all was not lost Then I scratched on my noggin” and I thought and I thought.So, I set out to prove I could spoil his Grinch notion, When out in the field there arose a commotion.As I peered from my blind, what did appear, But a strange looking sleigh pulled by flying reindeer.So, I’m thinking “Take that” Mr. Grinch you old geezer, Just one of those deer will fill my fridge and my freezer.They landed their rig not far away, And a chubby old man tumbled out of the sleigh.Now I’m thinkin’ it’s Grinch dressed like St Nick, Out here to fool me with some kind of trick.To keep me from shootin’ one of these beasts, To keep me from havin’ a fine reindeer feast.But instead of defending his steeds from my hunt, He gestured their way and said “Which one do you want?”Now I thought this was odd for even the Grinch, That he’d let me shoot one and not even flinch.But the deer in the front had a bright shiny nose, It’d be hard to miss that one the way that it glowed.So, I lined up my shot, my freezer to fill When commotion again came from over the hillIt’s looked like ole’ Santa runnin’ our way, Seems the Grinch had tossed him out of his sleigh.He tackled Ole’ Grinch and took back his red suit, Then he put on his hat, his coat and his boots.He climbed into the sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And off they all flew like the down of a thistle.And I heard him exclaim as they flew out of sight, “Thanks for not shootin’ Rudolph and ruining the night.”But he also admonished to all who could hear “Keep Christ in Christmas and Happy New Year.”Guess I’ll travel to Whoville and join in their feast, And hope that Ole’ Grinch gave them back their roast beast.Merry Christmas from Steve and Joyce at Exploring Kansas Outdoors.

Explore Kansas Outdoors: You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Fort Hays State University has created a new position to engage business leaders in Kansas and build relationships that lead to professional opportunities for students.

Ben Schears, the former president of Fort Hays Tech | Northwest in Goodland, was selected to serve as the Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development at FHSU in Hays.

FHSU President Tisa Mason said the position aligns with the university's strategic affiliation initiative with Fort Hays Tech | Northwest and Fort Hays Tech | Northcentral to drive economic and workforce development across the state.&nbsp;

Funding from the Kansas Legislature made the position possible.

"Ben was the ideal candidate because of his high energy, strategic vision and proven ability to unite stakeholders, particularly those in the community, toward common goals," Mason said.

Schears has been traveling across western Kansas since he started the job in August, meeting with current and potential partners.

He's also worked closely with economic and workforce development partners, including FHSU's affiliated tech colleges, Grow Hays and the Kansas Department of Commerce to identify opportunities.

Grow Hays reached out to Schears when Agiliti, the medical equipment manufacturer, was deciding whether to expand its operations in Hays or go elsewhere.

"One of the concerns Agiliti had, which is a fair one because we all have it, is workforce. How do we access, secure and keep talent in the area?" Schears said.&nbsp;

"We bring to the table a kind of concierge support to try to figure out, within the tech colleges and the university, how do we make those connections and help the employer stay?

"We were super thrilled when they decided to stay here in Ellis County and are on the path to grow," Schears said.

The medical technology firm was courted by the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, to relocate.

Schears has also been working with an overseas manufacturing business considering bringing jobs to several U.S. locations.&nbsp;

He recently met with the Larned State Correctional Facility, which has a staffing shortage, particularly nurses.

A trip to southwest Kansas included visits with local economic development officers and the community colleges in Garden City and Dodge City.&nbsp;

"The folks in Dodge City do a very good job of working with our Professional and Continuing Education Department, our PCE program, in order to deliver some core training that they need in southwest Kansas," Schears said.

"One good example of that is Excel for their local businesses. We're looking to see what more we can do of that kind of thing," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Schears said he's been figuring out where southwest Kansas needs Fort Hays State University and its tech schools to plug in and engage and what resources FHSU can bring to bear.

"We have really talented people who are working in our small businesses who, with a class or two, a training or two, can level up and move up. QuickBooks is another example of that," he said.

Schears said Fort Hays State has an expanding relationship with the Kansas Bankers Association with the Robbens Banking Institute.

"We have an entry-level, 12-credit-hour banking certificate," he said. "If you're an entry-level teller and thinking one day you'd like to be a loan officer or a bank vice-president, ... this is a leg up, an opportunity, for these really talented folks.

"They can make a bigger impact in their local businesses, and they stay, which is the most important piece."

"Some pretty exciting things down there with doors we can open on our front," Schears said.

He's also met with potential economic partners in Norton and Phillipsburg.&nbsp;

Schears has helped Fort Hays Tech | North Central in Hays and Beloit partner with High Plains Mental Health and expand its workforce in Hays.

He's working with the Center on Rural Innovation, which along with the Patterson Foundation, funded Heartland Rural Innovation. Center on Rural Innovation's work focuses on closing the gap in technology-focused jobs in urban and rural settings in America.

"I spend about 80% of my time just listening," Schears said, " ... and then you get into the diagnosing stage, and how do we take what we have and plug it into the narrative and the solution.

"We can't be the be-all, end-all, but where we can, we will be."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741789828638.jpeg" alt="Ben Schears. Photo courtesy Fort Hays State University" />
 <figcaption>Ben Schears. Photo courtesy Fort Hays State University</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Post Podcast: Ben Shears, FHSU VP for economic and workforce development" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=jjibx-19dfe06-pb&square=1&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>By BECKY KISER Hays PostFort Hays State University has created a new position to engage business leaders in Kansas and build relationships that lead to professional opportunities for students.Ben Schears, the former president of Fort Hays Tech | Northwest in Goodland, was selected to serve as the Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development at FHSU in Hays.FHSU President Tisa Mason said the position aligns with the university's strategic affiliation initiative with Fort Hays Tech | Northwest and Fort Hays Tech | Northcentral to drive economic and workforce development across the state.&nbsp;Funding from the Kansas Legislature made the position possible."Ben was the ideal candidate because of his high energy, strategic vision and proven ability to unite stakeholders, particularly those in the community, toward common goals," Mason said.Schears has been traveling across western Kansas since he started the job in August, meeting with current and potential partners.He's also worked closely with economic and workforce development partners, including FHSU's affiliated tech colleges, Grow Hays and the Kansas Department of Commerce to identify opportunities.Grow Hays reached out to Schears when Agiliti, the medical equipment manufacturer, was deciding whether to expand its operations in Hays or go elsewhere."One of the concerns Agiliti had, which is a fair one because we all have it, is workforce. How do we access, secure and keep talent in the area?" Schears said.&nbsp;"We bring to the table a kind of concierge support to try to figure out, within the tech colleges and the university, how do we make those connections and help the employer stay?"We were super thrilled when they decided to stay here in Ellis County and are on the path to grow," Schears said.The medical technology firm was courted by the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, to relocate.Schears has also been working with an overseas manufacturing business considering bringing jobs to several U.S. locations.&nbsp;He recently met with the Larned State Correctional Facility, which has a staffing shortage, particularly nurses.A trip to southwest Kansas included visits with local economic development officers and the community colleges in Garden City and Dodge City.&nbsp;"The folks in Dodge City do a very good job of working with our Professional and Continuing Education Department, our PCE program, in order to deliver some core training that they need in southwest Kansas," Schears said."One good example of that is Excel for their local businesses. We're looking to see what more we can do of that kind of thing," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Schears said he's been figuring out where southwest Kansas needs Fort Hays State University and its tech schools to plug in and engage and what resources FHSU can bring to bear."We have really talented people who are working in our small businesses who, with a class or two, a training or two, can level up and move up. QuickBooks is another example of that," he said.Schears said Fort Hays State has an expanding relationship with the Kansas Bankers Association with the Robbens Banking Institute."We have an entry-level, 12-credit-hour banking certificate," he said. "If you're an entry-level teller and thinking one day you'd like to be a loan officer or a bank vice-president, ... this is a leg up, an opportunity, for these really talented folks. "They can make a bigger impact in their local businesses, and they stay, which is the most important piece.""Some pretty exciting things down there with doors we can open on our front," Schears said.He's also met with potential economic partners in Norton and Phillipsburg.&nbsp;Schears has helped Fort Hays Tech | North Central in Hays and Beloit partner with High Plains Mental Health and expand its workforce in Hays.He's working with the Center on Rural Innovation, which along with the Patterson Foundation, funded Heartland Rural Innovation. Center on Rural Innovation's work focuses on closing the gap in technology-focused jobs in urban and rural settings in America."I spend about 80% of my time just listening," Schears said, " ... and then you get into the diagnosing stage, and how do we take what we have and plug it into the narrative and the solution."We can't be the be-all, end-all, but where we can, we will be."

🎙 FHSU vice-president working to keep businesses, students in western Kansas

Submitted Sana G. Cheema,&nbsp;MD, a native of Hays, recently received the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Workforce Expansion Award for presenting her research at the annual ACR meeting in Chicago.

She is currently completing her internal medicine residency at the&nbsp;Washington University in Saint Louis, School of Medicine and also is matched there into 2026 Rheumatology Fellowship.

Sana Cheema is always alert for those eureka moments, when a new passion emerges that demands attention.&nbsp; This open-minded can-do attitude means that when lightning strikes, Sana commits, determined to do the best she can in her studies, campus leadership and future career as a physician. 

When a high school science experiment won Sana top prize in the state of Kansas, she took this as a sign to keep asking questions about the world around us and enrolled as a biology major at KU. Running parallel to, and in conjunction with this interest in science, was a determination to help others and leave a lasting impact on the world.

 A pre-med student with ambitions to work in the medical field was a start, but Sana wanted to take her commitment to public service further. A "wonderful internship experience" working with Kansas Senator Jerry Moran in Washington D.C. deepened Sana's interest in public policy and how it impacts people. 

Back on campus, Sana got involved in a range of activities, contributing her energy as vice president of both the KU pre-medical society and Student Alumni Leadership Board, as well as founding and running KU's Friends of Pakistan organization, helping combat often negative portrayals of that country seen in the media. 

We are sure that this aspiring physician, public servant and advocate for all people will leave a lasting impact on the world, as she has already done here in the college, the heart of KU.&nbsp;

Although advanced studies has kept Sana Cheema mostly away from her hometown Hays, she frequently visits there to meet her loving parents Dr. and Mrs. Gulraiz Cheema who have been her mentors, motivators and role models.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765985118825.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Submitted Sana G. Cheema,&nbsp;MD, a native of Hays, recently received the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Workforce Expansion Award for presenting her research at the annual ACR meeting in Chicago. She is currently completing her internal medicine residency at the&nbsp;Washington University in Saint Louis, School of Medicine and also is matched there into 2026 Rheumatology Fellowship.Sana Cheema is always alert for those eureka moments, when a new passion emerges that demands attention.&nbsp; This open-minded can-do attitude means that when lightning strikes, Sana commits, determined to do the best she can in her studies, campus leadership and future career as a physician. When a high school science experiment won Sana top prize in the state of Kansas, she took this as a sign to keep asking questions about the world around us and enrolled as a biology major at KU. Running parallel to, and in conjunction with this interest in science, was a determination to help others and leave a lasting impact on the world. A pre-med student with ambitions to work in the medical field was a start, but Sana wanted to take her commitment to public service further. A "wonderful internship experience" working with Kansas Senator Jerry Moran in Washington D.C. deepened Sana's interest in public policy and how it impacts people. Back on campus, Sana got involved in a range of activities, contributing her energy as vice president of both the KU pre-medical society and Student Alumni Leadership Board, as well as founding and running KU's Friends of Pakistan organization, helping combat often negative portrayals of that country seen in the media. We are sure that this aspiring physician, public servant and advocate for all people will leave a lasting impact on the world, as she has already done here in the college, the heart of KU.&nbsp;Although advanced studies has kept Sana Cheema mostly away from her hometown Hays, she frequently visits there to meet her loving parents Dr. and Mrs. Gulraiz Cheema who have been her mentors, motivators and role models.

Honors for medical higher education student from Hays

GRAHAM COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Saturday in Graham County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Escape driven by Cody Harmon, 33, Phillipsburg, was westbound on J Road just east of 390th Avenue. The driver lost control of the SUV.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled into the south ditch, continued westbound in the&nbsp; ditch and struck a tree.

Harmon was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Stinemetz Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

GRAHAM COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Saturday in Graham County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Ford Escape driven by Cody Harmon, 33, Phillipsburg, was westbound on J Road just east of 390th Avenue. The driver lost control of the SUV.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled into the south ditch, continued westbound in the&nbsp; ditch and struck a tree.Harmon was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Stinemetz Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after SUV strikes a tree

Northwest Kansas Community Corrections strongly supports the need and implementation of the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> in Hays. The CIC will directly address a critical need in our community by providing immediate treatment to those experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.

I believe this project will significantly improve the lives of individuals suffering from a mental health crisis by providing crisis intervention care for those who are pending inpatient psychiatric treatment at the state hospitals. Too often, those who screen for inpatient services are placed on a wait list, and it can be days or even weeks before a bed becomes available. 

The CIC will provide a safe and therapeutic place for them to stay while they await that bed date. Additionally, receiving immediate treatment through the CIC may potentially eliminate a patient's need for a bed at a state hospital, returning them home to their family and friends sooner.

Those suffering from substance use disorders will also benefit from the CIC. Currently, the closest state-funded medical detox facility is over 90 miles away. Those beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and finding safe transportation to those facilities can be difficult. Having this service available right here in Hays will be a huge benefit and will help alleviate the transportation barrier, ensuring people receive the appropriate detox services they need promptly.

I am excited to see this project come to fruition and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our community and western Kansas.

— Erin Geist, director Northwest Kansas Community Corrections

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Northwest Kansas Community Corrections strongly supports the need and implementation of the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e84760a-7c74-4287-a983-669114414f47">Crisis Intervention Center</a> in Hays. The CIC will directly address a critical need in our community by providing immediate treatment to those experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.I believe this project will significantly improve the lives of individuals suffering from a mental health crisis by providing crisis intervention care for those who are pending inpatient psychiatric treatment at the state hospitals. Too often, those who screen for inpatient services are placed on a wait list, and it can be days or even weeks before a bed becomes available. The CIC will provide a safe and therapeutic place for them to stay while they await that bed date. Additionally, receiving immediate treatment through the CIC may potentially eliminate a patient's need for a bed at a state hospital, returning them home to their family and friends sooner.Those suffering from substance use disorders will also benefit from the CIC. Currently, the closest state-funded medical detox facility is over 90 miles away. Those beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and finding safe transportation to those facilities can be difficult. Having this service available right here in Hays will be a huge benefit and will help alleviate the transportation barrier, ensuring people receive the appropriate detox services they need promptly.I am excited to see this project come to fruition and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our community and western Kansas.— Erin Geist, director Northwest Kansas Community Corrections

LETTER: Support for the Crisis Intervention Center, community corrections director

By Russell Arben Fox Insight Kansas

As the year comes to its end, thoughts often take an introspective turn. For me, for reasons both personal and public, that turn has me reflecting on the matriarchal nature of our state.

Of course, given Kansas’s strong conservative streak and often rather traditional Christian culture, it’s easy for outsiders to assume that Kansas history reflects an antiquated “Father Knows Best” politics. And it’s true that men still dominate the Kansas Republican party, which has nearly twice the number of supporters across the state as the Democrats.

But last week, while attending the burial of a powerful and beloved local woman and friend in Sedgwick County, I couldn’t help thinking about the women who have built, and continue to shape, this state.

Some were crusaders with national reputations, whose time in Kansas was only part of their full story.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/nichols-clarina-irene-howard">Clarina Howard Nichols</a>&nbsp;was an abolitionist who relocated to Kansas in the years before the Civil War, and spent her time in the state fighting not only the evil of slavery but for temperance and women’s rights as well.&nbsp;It is due to women like her that Kansas granted women the right to vote in school board elections as early as 1861.

&nbsp;The activist and lawyer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/mary-elizabeth-lease-populist-reformer">Mary Elizabeth Lease</a>&nbsp;is another example; an orator and organizer who helped shape the Kansas People’s Party, and thereby the national Populist movement, the arguments she developed in Kanas became foundational to American reform movements throughout the early 20th&nbsp;century.

But many of the women that came to my mind were people whose influence was inseparable from their deep roots in our state, and the families and communities they were entwined with.

<a target="_blank" href="https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/fa/428/">Mary Skubitz</a>&nbsp;was a Slovenian immigrant to Kansas as a child in 1890; as a wife and mother in Crawford County, she helped organize the “Amazon Army” in 1921, a mass protest of women demanding improvements of the terrible conditions their husbands and sons suffered in the coal mines.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.explorelawrence.com/blog/post/womens-history-month-honoring-lawrences-trailblazers/">Minnie Wish-Ken-O</a>&nbsp;was a Potawatomie woman and farmer in Jackson County who took up leadership in her tribe during the 1930s, and led the fight against the national government’s efforts at tribal re-organization and termination over the subsequent two decades.

Even more humbly, a filmmaker colleague of mine&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sodandstubble.com/">has resurrected the story of Rosa Ise</a>, a new bride who settled with her husband Henry and raised a family in Osborne County in the 1870s; the frontier challenges she overcame made her a determined believer in education, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/12/kansas-profile-deb-goodrich-sod-and-stubble.html">leading to her children graduating from some of the most prestigious schools in America</a>.

Education is a constant in so many of these stories, leading up to the present day.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2014/b2013_14/committees/misc/ctte_s_ed_1_20130307_03_other.pdf">Eldora Dugan Love</a>&nbsp;settled with her husband Charles in Butler County in the 1870s; from her homestead, she published a women’s journal which made educational and religious improvement its central message.

Three generations on her great-granddaughter,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heartlandhero.org/post/they-didn-t-watch-us-weave-how-the-fringe-became-the-fabric-of-education-reform">Becky Love Elder</a>, became a devout believer in home schooling, and spent her life organizing and raising money for independent schools that defined not only the lives of her children and grandchildren, but of hundreds of others who were touched by her indefatigable commitment to learning, reading, and community.

Attending Becky’s graveside service, I was struck by the pastor’s invocation of “place,” and of Becky’s commitment to putting down roots, to growing and blessing others, from where she made her home. The same can be said, I think, of hundreds of matriarchs across Kansas history, whose strength was, and is, inseparable from the soil which all us Kansans—both native-born and new arrivals—share. Bless them, each and every one.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750955074364.jpeg" alt="Russell Arben Fox. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Russell Arben Fox. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By Russell Arben Fox Insight KansasAs the year comes to its end, thoughts often take an introspective turn. For me, for reasons both personal and public, that turn has me reflecting on the matriarchal nature of our state.Of course, given Kansas’s strong conservative streak and often rather traditional Christian culture, it’s easy for outsiders to assume that Kansas history reflects an antiquated “Father Knows Best” politics. And it’s true that men still dominate the Kansas Republican party, which has nearly twice the number of supporters across the state as the Democrats.But last week, while attending the burial of a powerful and beloved local woman and friend in Sedgwick County, I couldn’t help thinking about the women who have built, and continue to shape, this state.Some were crusaders with national reputations, whose time in Kansas was only part of their full story.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/nichols-clarina-irene-howard">Clarina Howard Nichols</a>&nbsp;was an abolitionist who relocated to Kansas in the years before the Civil War, and spent her time in the state fighting not only the evil of slavery but for temperance and women’s rights as well.&nbsp;It is due to women like her that Kansas granted women the right to vote in school board elections as early as 1861.&nbsp;The activist and lawyer&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/mary-elizabeth-lease-populist-reformer">Mary Elizabeth Lease</a>&nbsp;is another example; an orator and organizer who helped shape the Kansas People’s Party, and thereby the national Populist movement, the arguments she developed in Kanas became foundational to American reform movements throughout the early 20th&nbsp;century.But many of the women that came to my mind were people whose influence was inseparable from their deep roots in our state, and the families and communities they were entwined with.<a target="_blank" href="https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/fa/428/">Mary Skubitz</a>&nbsp;was a Slovenian immigrant to Kansas as a child in 1890; as a wife and mother in Crawford County, she helped organize the “Amazon Army” in 1921, a mass protest of women demanding improvements of the terrible conditions their husbands and sons suffered in the coal mines.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.explorelawrence.com/blog/post/womens-history-month-honoring-lawrences-trailblazers/">Minnie Wish-Ken-O</a>&nbsp;was a Potawatomie woman and farmer in Jackson County who took up leadership in her tribe during the 1930s, and led the fight against the national government’s efforts at tribal re-organization and termination over the subsequent two decades.Even more humbly, a filmmaker colleague of mine&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sodandstubble.com/">has resurrected the story of Rosa Ise</a>, a new bride who settled with her husband Henry and raised a family in Osborne County in the 1870s; the frontier challenges she overcame made her a determined believer in education, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/12/kansas-profile-deb-goodrich-sod-and-stubble.html">leading to her children graduating from some of the most prestigious schools in America</a>.Education is a constant in so many of these stories, leading up to the present day.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2014/b2013_14/committees/misc/ctte_s_ed_1_20130307_03_other.pdf">Eldora Dugan Love</a>&nbsp;settled with her husband Charles in Butler County in the 1870s; from her homestead, she published a women’s journal which made educational and religious improvement its central message. Three generations on her great-granddaughter,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heartlandhero.org/post/they-didn-t-watch-us-weave-how-the-fringe-became-the-fabric-of-education-reform">Becky Love Elder</a>, became a devout believer in home schooling, and spent her life organizing and raising money for independent schools that defined not only the lives of her children and grandchildren, but of hundreds of others who were touched by her indefatigable commitment to learning, reading, and community.Attending Becky’s graveside service, I was struck by the pastor’s invocation of “place,” and of Becky’s commitment to putting down roots, to growing and blessing others, from where she made her home. The same can be said, I think, of hundreds of matriarchs across Kansas history, whose strength was, and is, inseparable from the soil which all us Kansans—both native-born and new arrivals—share. Bless them, each and every one.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Kansas, a land made by matriarchs

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766160372448.jpeg" alt=" " />
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657833314681.jpeg" alt="Family Worship Center" />
 <figcaption>Family Worship Center</figcaption>
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🏀📺 Hays girls go for 3rd; boys in title game

RUSSELL COUNTY —Multiple fire departments and first responder agencies responded to two large grass fires in southeast Russell County on Thursday, according to Russell County Emergency Management.

At noon, the first fire was located eight miles southwest of Bunker Hill in the area of 189th Street and Lincoln Road. Russell County Rural Fire District Five responded, but almost immediately requested more Russell County rural fire departments respond due to high winds with gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range. The cause of the first fire was electrical power lines.

The second fire to the north started approximately a mile south of US Highway 40 on 193rd Street south of Bunker Hill. It was caused by a responding fire truck losing a tire and crashing into the ditch.

All told, approximately 2,000 acres of grassland were burned in both fires. There were no injuries due to the fires and a handful of structures and residences were threatened, but none were damaged.

Russell County EMS responded to a crash involving a Russell County Sheriff’s Deputy vehicle and a Dorrance Fire Department fire truck. No one was transported to the hospital and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated both vehicle crashes, the other being the fire truck that lost a tire.

Early in the process, a verbal disaster declaration for Russell County was requested and approved by the Russell County Commission, thereby allowing the request of mutual aid resources from the state.

All fire departments from Russell County were involved in the response, as well as fire departments and additional agencies from multiple surrounding counties.

Both fires were declared under control at around 5 PM Thursday evening with some firefighters remaining on scene to put out hot spots and monitor the area.

Russell County Emergency Management, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and Russell County Rural Fire District Five thank all local and state agencies that responded to assist, as well as private citizens and businesses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766089811922.png" alt="Image from KHP video" />
 <figcaption>Image from KHP video</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL COUNTY —Multiple fire departments and first responder agencies responded to two large grass fires in southeast Russell County on Thursday, according to Russell County Emergency Management.At noon, the first fire was located eight miles southwest of Bunker Hill in the area of 189th Street and Lincoln Road. Russell County Rural Fire District Five responded, but almost immediately requested more Russell County rural fire departments respond due to high winds with gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range. The cause of the first fire was electrical power lines.The second fire to the north started approximately a mile south of US Highway 40 on 193rd Street south of Bunker Hill. It was caused by a responding fire truck losing a tire and crashing into the ditch.All told, approximately 2,000 acres of grassland were burned in both fires. There were no injuries due to the fires and a handful of structures and residences were threatened, but none were damaged.Russell County EMS responded to a crash involving a Russell County Sheriff’s Deputy vehicle and a Dorrance Fire Department fire truck. No one was transported to the hospital and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated both vehicle crashes, the other being the fire truck that lost a tire.Early in the process, a verbal disaster declaration for Russell County was requested and approved by the Russell County Commission, thereby allowing the request of mutual aid resources from the state.All fire departments from Russell County were involved in the response, as well as fire departments and additional agencies from multiple surrounding counties.Both fires were declared under control at around 5 PM Thursday evening with some firefighters remaining on scene to put out hot spots and monitor the area.Russell County Emergency Management, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and Russell County Rural Fire District Five thank all local and state agencies that responded to assist, as well as private citizens and businesses.

2,000 acres of grassland burned in Russell Co. wildfire

ELLIS — The Ellis High School wrestling team celebrated Senior Night during the 2025 Railer Round Robin Wrestling Tournament on Friday, December 12, 2025. We were proud to recognize one of our senior Lady Railer wrestlers, Kia Mader.

Kia is the daughter of Michael and Mindi Mader. She is an active student involved in various clubs and sports, consistently maintaining an A-B Honor Roll standing. Recently, she was inducted into the National Honor Society. Currently, Kia is ranked #4 in her weight class statewide for wrestling.

Kia plans to attend Barton Community College, where she intends to major in nursing and minor in psychology.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765981525844.jpeg" alt="Kia Mader. Photo courtesy Ellis High School&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kia Mader. Photo courtesy Ellis High School&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Ellis High School&nbsp;ELLIS — The Ellis High School wrestling team celebrated Senior Night during the 2025 Railer Round Robin Wrestling Tournament on Friday, December 12, 2025. We were proud to recognize one of our senior Lady Railer wrestlers, Kia Mader.Kia is the daughter of Michael and Mindi Mader. She is an active student involved in various clubs and sports, consistently maintaining an A-B Honor Roll standing. Recently, she was inducted into the National Honor Society. Currently, Kia is ranked #4 in her weight class statewide for wrestling.Kia plans to attend Barton Community College, where she intends to major in nursing and minor in psychology.

Ellis High School wrestling team celebrates Senior Night

Hays city commissioners had a couple of suggestions for Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, who is looking for ideas to help bring down property taxes for Kansans and to make up for revenue losses to the state that counties and cities are having to endure.&nbsp;

Wasinger met with city and Ellis County commissioners this week during their regular meetings.&nbsp;

SEE RELATED STORY: <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0dc3bf76-bd9f-4190-a0c7-231ca8172d18">Rep. Wasinger seeks local input on property tax relief</a>

Having formerly served on both governing bodies, Wasinger said she was "trying not to do anything to bind your hands. It helps that I've been in local government."

Alaina Cunningham, commissioner, said, "When we eliminate sources of funding, we're just shifting the burden."

Mason Ruder, vice-mayor, pointed out the state's current "valuation structure for vacant land is cheap, and essentially incentivizing holding on to it because it keeps the tax prices low," he said. "Once you begin to develop it, then you start getting hit with high commercial property taxes. ... We're incentivizing to not build.''&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ruder and Reese Barrick, outgoing commissioner, suggested the Legislature look at a new revenue stream in the form of taxation on marijuana sales.&nbsp;

"People go to the states surrounding us to buy it, and we continue to use law enforcement, justices, jails and time for marijuana," Ruder said. "We could capture that tax revenue and utilize it to offset property taxes. ... It also helps communities like ours that rely on sales tax."

"Kansas used to be a state that had no alcohol sales or gambling allowed," Barrick said.

"If you want to get rid of property taxes for all Kansans, institute a 'sin tax' on marijuana," he said. "It would be new revenue."

Wasinger said she is not a fan of legalizing marijuana, except possibly for medicinal purposes. 

"It's still not legal in the U.S. even if states say it's for medicinal purposes," she said.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0eec18ac-4b5f-47d0-9661-a8b6eb949e37">executive order</a> that would reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and open new avenues for medical research. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded by reminding the public, "rescheduling is not the same as legalization."

Wasinger said she would take the commissioners' ideas back to Topeka.&nbsp; The Kansas Legislature will convene Monday, Jan. 12.

Jesse Rohr, public works director, presented recommended bid awards related to the new Tallgrass 4th Addition housing development in east Hays, a joint venture between Heart of America Development Corporation and the city.&nbsp; 

The low bidder for street, storm sewer, water and sanitary sewer improvements was Hess Services, Hays, at slightly more than $4 million. Rohr also recommended a construction inspection agreement with Sloan Engineering and Inspection, Hays, for $196,000.

Platting and zoning of the proposed 101-lot development were completed in early 2025. The project is planned to be built in one phase beginning in March.

A rezoning request from agriculture to commercial general district and annexation of the city-owned 90 acres on both sides of Interstate 70, Exit 161, was presented by Rohr. The south side acreage is the site of the city's tree farm, which Rohr said would be relocated as development gets underway.

A $3.9 million contract for the installation of water, sewer and street infrastructure has already been approved with Smoky Hill, Salina.&nbsp;

Funding for construction services will be paid from&nbsp;general&nbsp;obligation bonds.&nbsp;A&nbsp;portion&nbsp;of the project will be funded with a $2 million state grant&nbsp;acquired&nbsp;by Grow Hays.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;initial&nbsp;new infrastructure would serve about 11 buildable lots, ranging in size from 2 to&nbsp;8 acres, for commercial and residential development.

Commissioners are expected to vote on all six agenda items at their meeting next week&nbsp;at 4 p.m.  Tuesday, Dec. 23, at Hays City Hall.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766160602261.jpeg" alt="Hays city commissioners at their Dec. 18 work session. Commissioner Alaina Cunningham participated remotely. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays city commissioners at their Dec. 18 work session. Commissioner Alaina Cunningham participated remotely. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostHays city commissioners had a couple of suggestions for Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, who is looking for ideas to help bring down property taxes for Kansans and to make up for revenue losses to the state that counties and cities are having to endure.&nbsp;Wasinger met with city and Ellis County commissioners this week during their regular meetings.&nbsp;SEE RELATED STORY: <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0dc3bf76-bd9f-4190-a0c7-231ca8172d18">Rep. Wasinger seeks local input on property tax relief</a>Having formerly served on both governing bodies, Wasinger said she was "trying not to do anything to bind your hands. It helps that I've been in local government."Alaina Cunningham, commissioner, said, "When we eliminate sources of funding, we're just shifting the burden." Mason Ruder, vice-mayor, pointed out the state's current "valuation structure for vacant land is cheap, and essentially incentivizing holding on to it because it keeps the tax prices low," he said. "Once you begin to develop it, then you start getting hit with high commercial property taxes. ... We're incentivizing to not build.''&nbsp;&nbsp;Ruder and Reese Barrick, outgoing commissioner, suggested the Legislature look at a new revenue stream in the form of taxation on marijuana sales.&nbsp;"People go to the states surrounding us to buy it, and we continue to use law enforcement, justices, jails and time for marijuana," Ruder said. "We could capture that tax revenue and utilize it to offset property taxes. ... It also helps communities like ours that rely on sales tax.""Kansas used to be a state that had no alcohol sales or gambling allowed," Barrick said."If you want to get rid of property taxes for all Kansans, institute a 'sin tax' on marijuana," he said. "It would be new revenue."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766160265974.jpeg" alt="Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Wasinger said she is not a fan of legalizing marijuana, except possibly for medicinal purposes. "It's still not legal in the U.S. even if states say it's for medicinal purposes," she said.&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/0eec18ac-4b5f-47d0-9661-a8b6eb949e37">executive order</a> that would reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and open new avenues for medical research. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded by reminding the public, "rescheduling is not the same as legalization."Wasinger said she would take the commissioners' ideas back to Topeka.&nbsp; The Kansas Legislature will convene Monday, Jan. 12.Tallgrass 4th AdditionJesse Rohr, public works director, presented recommended bid awards related to the new Tallgrass 4th Addition housing development in east Hays, a joint venture between Heart of America Development Corporation and the city.&nbsp; The low bidder for street, storm sewer, water and sanitary sewer improvements was Hess Services, Hays, at slightly more than $4 million. Rohr also recommended a construction inspection agreement with Sloan Engineering and Inspection, Hays, for $196,000.Platting and zoning of the proposed 101-lot development were completed in early 2025. The project is planned to be built in one phase beginning in March.I-70, Exit 161&nbsp;A rezoning request from agriculture to commercial general district and annexation of the city-owned 90 acres on both sides of Interstate 70, Exit 161, was presented by Rohr. The south side acreage is the site of the city's tree farm, which Rohr said would be relocated as development gets underway.A $3.9 million contract for the installation of water, sewer and street infrastructure has already been approved with Smoky Hill, Salina.&nbsp;Funding for construction services will be paid from&nbsp;general&nbsp;obligation bonds.&nbsp;A&nbsp;portion&nbsp;of the project will be funded with a $2 million state grant&nbsp;acquired&nbsp;by Grow Hays.&nbsp;The&nbsp;initial&nbsp;new infrastructure would serve about 11 buildable lots, ranging in size from 2 to&nbsp;8 acres, for commercial and residential development.Commissioners are expected to vote on all six agenda items at their meeting next week&nbsp;at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, at Hays City Hall.

Hays City Commission talks housing, business developments, marijuana sales 

The recent approval of the Tallgrass Development LLC solar farm is a profound moral and regulatory failure.

For four years, a small handful of landowners worked in secret to secure corporate leases, looking their neighbors in the eye and lying to people they called friends.

They prioritized personal profit over the well-being of the community and chose a payout over decades of friendship, but the betrayal doesn't end there. It has now escalated to outright bullying. 

The leasing landowners recently hired an attorney who threatened me with a lawsuit in a cowardly attempt to silence any opposition. Using legal pressure to intimidate your neighbors is an admission that your position cannot withstand honest scrutiny.

This project isn't being built on "green energy." It is being built on a foundation of deception and a ruthless "profit at any cost" mentality. 

To add insult to injury, the leasing landowners live miles away, comfortably insulated from the project’s impact, while neighbors and former friends are forced to live with the adverse consequences of their naked greed.

Unfortunately, rather than carefully and systematically reviewing the implications of a massive solar conversion facility, the Ellis County Planning and Zoning Committee facilitated this unscrupulous behavior. 

The developers plotted for four years, but the public was given a mere 20 days’ notice before zoning approval. This window, conveniently spanning holiday closings, was clearly designed to stifle dissent and speed the project to approval.

Even more alarming is that the committee moved this project forward with a list of conditions that weren't even finalized or made public.

I spent the morning after the meeting searching for specific requirements, only to find many are still being "decided." 

How can our officials recommend a 35-year conditional-use permit when significant details of the project are still a mystery?

Perhaps the worst of failures (almost too many to count) is the lack of basic due diligence regarding our natural resources.

To approve three decades of industrial construction and operation without securing a water source is the height of irresponsibility.

By approving this project, the Zoning and Planning Committee has effectively signed a blank check to a corporation and left the community to deal with the social, environmental and financial fallout. 

We deserve better than a government that rewards secrecy and intimidation, while ignoring basic due diligence. 

We deserve a government that protects its residents from corporate-funded bullying and demands transparency before the project has been approved, not after the damage is done

— Keith Pfannenstiel, Mt. Pleasant Road, Hays

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698091063975.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The recent approval of the Tallgrass Development LLC solar farm is a profound moral and regulatory failure.For four years, a small handful of landowners worked in secret to secure corporate leases, looking their neighbors in the eye and lying to people they called friends.They prioritized personal profit over the well-being of the community and chose a payout over decades of friendship, but the betrayal doesn't end there. It has now escalated to outright bullying. The leasing landowners recently hired an attorney who threatened me with a lawsuit in a cowardly attempt to silence any opposition. Using legal pressure to intimidate your neighbors is an admission that your position cannot withstand honest scrutiny.This project isn't being built on "green energy." It is being built on a foundation of deception and a ruthless "profit at any cost" mentality. To add insult to injury, the leasing landowners live miles away, comfortably insulated from the project’s impact, while neighbors and former friends are forced to live with the adverse consequences of their naked greed.Unfortunately, rather than carefully and systematically reviewing the implications of a massive solar conversion facility, the Ellis County Planning and Zoning Committee facilitated this unscrupulous behavior. The developers plotted for four years, but the public was given a mere 20 days’ notice before zoning approval. This window, conveniently spanning holiday closings, was clearly designed to stifle dissent and speed the project to approval.Even more alarming is that the committee moved this project forward with a list of conditions that weren't even finalized or made public.I spent the morning after the meeting searching for specific requirements, only to find many are still being "decided." How can our officials recommend a 35-year conditional-use permit when significant details of the project are still a mystery?Perhaps the worst of failures (almost too many to count) is the lack of basic due diligence regarding our natural resources.To approve three decades of industrial construction and operation without securing a water source is the height of irresponsibility.By approving this project, the Zoning and Planning Committee has effectively signed a blank check to a corporation and left the community to deal with the social, environmental and financial fallout. We deserve better than a government that rewards secrecy and intimidation, while ignoring basic due diligence. We deserve a government that protects its residents from corporate-funded bullying and demands transparency before the project has been approved, not after the damage is done— Keith Pfannenstiel, Mt. Pleasant Road, Hays

LETTER: Neighbor expresses frustration on solar project's approval

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District

Water supply to rural residences and agricultural operations without rural or public water systems is usually obtained from a private well or surface water supply. 

In Kansas, more than 73,000 individuals rely on private wells for a water supply. When public and rural water systems that use well water are added to the private well numbers, 34.6% of the Kansas population relies on groundwater for their water supply.

Municipal and rural water systems must maintain water quality standards specified by local, state, or federal requirements; however, owners of private wells are responsible for the water quality of their wells. Permanent contamination of groundwater can decrease property values, affect human and animal health, and involve legal liability.

Testing water from private wells has shown that some wells do not meet the safe drinking water standards used for public water systems. The primary reasons for this reduction in water quality from private wells include:

· contamination sources upslope or near the well;

· failure to construct the well in accordance with current standards;

· inadequate well maintenance and service; and

· lack of protection from activities that risk contamination.

Following the guidelines for recommended separation distance and direction from potential contamination sources when locating a well can help protect private well water quality. 

When private wells are appropriately sited and constructed, routine maintenance is required to ensure wells continue to be safe. Wells that do not receive regular maintenance are more likely to produce unsafe water.

Detailed information about properly constructing a well in a safe location and maintenance guidelines for existing wells can be found in two recently updated publications from K-State Research and Extension, says Stacie Minson, Extension Watershed Specialist. 

Private Wells – Safe Location MF3667 https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/download/private-wells-safe-location_MF3667

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765989648006.png" alt="Illustration by Kansas Research and Extension" />
 <figcaption>Illustration by Kansas Research and Extension</figcaption>
 </figure>By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension DistrictWater supply to rural residences and agricultural operations without rural or public water systems is usually obtained from a private well or surface water supply. In Kansas, more than 73,000 individuals rely on private wells for a water supply. When public and rural water systems that use well water are added to the private well numbers, 34.6% of the Kansas population relies on groundwater for their water supply.Municipal and rural water systems must maintain water quality standards specified by local, state, or federal requirements; however, owners of private wells are responsible for the water quality of their wells. Permanent contamination of groundwater can decrease property values, affect human and animal health, and involve legal liability.Testing water from private wells has shown that some wells do not meet the safe drinking water standards used for public water systems. The primary reasons for this reduction in water quality from private wells include:· contamination sources upslope or near the well;· failure to construct the well in accordance with current standards;· inadequate well maintenance and service; and· lack of protection from activities that risk contamination.Following the guidelines for recommended separation distance and direction from potential contamination sources when locating a well can help protect private well water quality. When private wells are appropriately sited and constructed, routine maintenance is required to ensure wells continue to be safe. Wells that do not receive regular maintenance are more likely to produce unsafe water.Detailed information about properly constructing a well in a safe location and maintenance guidelines for existing wells can be found in two recently updated publications from K-State Research and Extension, says Stacie Minson, Extension Watershed Specialist. Private Wells – Safe Location MF3667 https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/download/private-wells-safe-location_MF3667 Private Well Maintenance and Protection MF3666 <a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/item/private-well-maintenance-and-protection_MF3666">https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/item/private-well-maintenance-and-protection_MF3666 </a>Testing Private Water Systems MF3655 <a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/download/testing-private-water-systems_MF3655">https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/download/testing-private-water-systems_MF3655</a>Information provided by Stacie Minson, Extension Watershed Specialist, KCARE sedgett@ksu.edu.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.

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