ADELPHI, MD —&nbsp; John Grimes of Victoria&nbsp;was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2024 term at University of Maryland Global Campus. To be eligible for the honor, a student must complete at least six credits during the term, earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the term, and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 at UMGC.

University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military servicemembers. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland and continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide, and more than 135 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of a state university and the University System of Maryland. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://email.readme.readmedia.com/ss/c/u001.2MAbPpABZpoNwpazzwdE_sPJkLZaxTMnuWD0uQg6PdI/470/wptps12lQHSn9vSVh_k6Bw/h0/h001.Ywp9nZfWzYhHSpNYb1XTA7E_QvVsjTvbm4uPKYtcQ1Q">umgc.edu</a>.

SubmittedADELPHI, MD —&nbsp; John Grimes of Victoria&nbsp;was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2024 term at University of Maryland Global Campus. To be eligible for the honor, a student must complete at least six credits during the term, earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the term, and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 at UMGC.University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military servicemembers. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland and continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide, and more than 135 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of a state university and the University System of Maryland. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://email.readme.readmedia.com/ss/c/u001.2MAbPpABZpoNwpazzwdE_sPJkLZaxTMnuWD0uQg6PdI/470/wptps12lQHSn9vSVh_k6Bw/h0/h001.Ywp9nZfWzYhHSpNYb1XTA7E_QvVsjTvbm4uPKYtcQ1Q">umgc.edu</a>.

John Grimes named to Dean's List at University of Maryland Global Campus

By KARISSA WINKEL Cottonwood Extension District

Farmer’s market season has arrived, and if you’re anything like me, strolling past vendors with an array of fresh produce and homemade goods is a refreshing way to shop. Fresh fruits and vegetables, local honey, and canned goods are just a few products that draw me to the market, but there are multiple reasons why shopping at the farmer’s market is a good choice for the entire community.

· Fresh produce. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are often picked later, full of color, and packed with nutrients. Compared to produce picked thousands of miles away, local foods are harvested at peak ripeness. This can contribute to nutrient-dense produce that is full of flavor! If you or a loved one is picky when it comes to vegetables, experimenting with farm fresh produce is a great way to reintroduce foods that may taste better than superstore options.

· Support the local economy. When you shop at the farmer’s market, your money stays in the community. You support small businesses and the vendors who work to provide such valuable goods.

· Safer food. Produce is typically sustainably grown, and consumers can learn about farming methods. If you are concerned about the use of pesticides and herbicides, the opportunity to ask questions may give you peace of mind. Plus, food from the farmer’s market can be a safer option while mass disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in industrial settings.

· Cultivate healthy behaviors. Taking children to the market can spark interest in healthy eating behaviors and teach them how food is grown. Exposure to the farmer’s market can inspire children (and adults) to make new foods, create a handmade craft, or plant a garden.

Now that you’re ambitious to shop local, make sure to stop by the Great Bend Summer Street Stroll Market at Jack Kilby Square on Thursdays from 4-7 pm. Fresh produce, honey, art, and handmade crafts are the focus of this market, and local vendors are available from May to October. Or, if you’re in the Hays area, stop by 110 E 10th St. on Saturday mornings from 7:30- 11 am. Customers can shop for weekly groceries, find unique gifts made by local artisans, and enjoy musical talents.

The Senior Nutrition Farmer’s Market Program is available in both locations. Those 60 and older can receive vouchers to purchase produce from participating vendors. Contact the Barton County Health Department or the Cottonwood Extension office in Hays to see if you qualify.

Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697546908793.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KARISSA WINKEL Cottonwood Extension DistrictFarmer’s market season has arrived, and if you’re anything like me, strolling past vendors with an array of fresh produce and homemade goods is a refreshing way to shop. Fresh fruits and vegetables, local honey, and canned goods are just a few products that draw me to the market, but there are multiple reasons why shopping at the farmer’s market is a good choice for the entire community.· Fresh produce. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are often picked later, full of color, and packed with nutrients. Compared to produce picked thousands of miles away, local foods are harvested at peak ripeness. This can contribute to nutrient-dense produce that is full of flavor! If you or a loved one is picky when it comes to vegetables, experimenting with farm fresh produce is a great way to reintroduce foods that may taste better than superstore options.· Support the local economy. When you shop at the farmer’s market, your money stays in the community. You support small businesses and the vendors who work to provide such valuable goods.· Safer food. Produce is typically sustainably grown, and consumers can learn about farming methods. If you are concerned about the use of pesticides and herbicides, the opportunity to ask questions may give you peace of mind. Plus, food from the farmer’s market can be a safer option while mass disease outbreaks are more likely to occur in industrial settings.· Cultivate healthy behaviors. Taking children to the market can spark interest in healthy eating behaviors and teach them how food is grown. Exposure to the farmer’s market can inspire children (and adults) to make new foods, create a handmade craft, or plant a garden.Now that you’re ambitious to shop local, make sure to stop by the Great Bend Summer Street Stroll Market at Jack Kilby Square on Thursdays from 4-7 pm. Fresh produce, honey, art, and handmade crafts are the focus of this market, and local vendors are available from May to October. Or, if you’re in the Hays area, stop by 110 E 10th St. on Saturday mornings from 7:30- 11 am. Customers can shop for weekly groceries, find unique gifts made by local artisans, and enjoy musical talents.The Senior Nutrition Farmer’s Market Program is available in both locations. Those 60 and older can receive vouchers to purchase produce from participating vendors. Contact the Barton County Health Department or the Cottonwood Extension office in Hays to see if you qualify.Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.

WINKEL: Farmer’s market season, shop local

Hannah Gideon, a 2024 graduate of Russell High School, was recently announced as the Jobs for America’s Graduates -Kansas (JAG-K) “Student of the Year.” Gideon was elected by JAG-K state and regional student officers to receive the honor. Criteria for the award were the five pillars of the JAG-K Career Association: Leadership Development, Career Development, Civic Awareness, Service Learning, and Social Awareness.

&nbsp;“JAG-K’s student leaders developed this honor and selected Hannah as the first recipient, which is a testament to the impact she has had, not only on the Russell High School program, but the legacy she leaves with the organization as a whole,” said JAG-K President and CEO Chuck Knapp.

Gideon served three school years as the president of the Russell High School JAG-K student-led Career Association.

“Hannah has worked hard to make JAG-K a place for everyone,” said Russell High School JAG-K Career Specialist Raina Tomlinson, who nominated Gideon for the award. “I have not only watched Hannah grow from her experience, but I have watched her develop and encourage those around her.”

After participating in a summer internship coordinated by the Ogallala Commons in the summer of 2022, Gideon encouraged other JAG-K students to participate and helped coordinate several entities to offer internships to a number of Russell High School JAG-K participants in the ensuing summers.

Gideon has fostered connections between the Russell JAG-K program and the community, including helping with elections, visiting the hospital and connecting with elementary school students through a letter writing program. She also helped spearhead a drive to start a school library at Russell High School. “JAG-K is not just a class for her. This is something she believes in,” Tomlinson said of Gideon.

Kansas’ 112 JAG-K programs serve approximately 6,000 students in 47 school districts across the state. JAG-K Career Specialists help students graduate and learn career, leadership, and life skills by executing a nationally-accredited, evidence-based model. Participants must meet criteria to be selected for the program and have potential to overcome various barriers to post-secondary success.

The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 38 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include ADM, AT&amp;T, EagleU, Evergy, Goldstein Charitable Trust, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, John Deere, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City Royals Foundation, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, Kohl’s, Synchrony Financial, the Taco Bell Foundation, the City of Topeka, United Way of Kaw Valley, United Way of the Plains, U.S. Bank and Walmart.

To learn more about JAG-K, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.jagkansas.org&amp;c=E,1,XcIPZdzQd07ZcF4gsRuE1NvRHhFyJiH8VsklalLAnpIl7NY_QmekdxBgdJNlckoTdg1d6rJgi7DKJxjrZg6wHJt3r2RHUwIDEMk3ZrzUk1jG4XzEtBaxSPM,&amp;typo=1">www.jagkansas.org</a>, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, and on Twitter at @JAG_Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718045299565.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedHannah Gideon, a 2024 graduate of Russell High School, was recently announced as the Jobs for America’s Graduates -Kansas (JAG-K) “Student of the Year.” Gideon was elected by JAG-K state and regional student officers to receive the honor. Criteria for the award were the five pillars of the JAG-K Career Association: Leadership Development, Career Development, Civic Awareness, Service Learning, and Social Awareness.&nbsp;“JAG-K’s student leaders developed this honor and selected Hannah as the first recipient, which is a testament to the impact she has had, not only on the Russell High School program, but the legacy she leaves with the organization as a whole,” said JAG-K President and CEO Chuck Knapp.Gideon served three school years as the president of the Russell High School JAG-K student-led Career Association.“Hannah has worked hard to make JAG-K a place for everyone,” said Russell High School JAG-K Career Specialist Raina Tomlinson, who nominated Gideon for the award. “I have not only watched Hannah grow from her experience, but I have watched her develop and encourage those around her.”After participating in a summer internship coordinated by the Ogallala Commons in the summer of 2022, Gideon encouraged other JAG-K students to participate and helped coordinate several entities to offer internships to a number of Russell High School JAG-K participants in the ensuing summers.Gideon has fostered connections between the Russell JAG-K program and the community, including helping with elections, visiting the hospital and connecting with elementary school students through a letter writing program. She also helped spearhead a drive to start a school library at Russell High School. “JAG-K is not just a class for her. This is something she believes in,” Tomlinson said of Gideon.Kansas’ 112 JAG-K programs serve approximately 6,000 students in 47 school districts across the state. JAG-K Career Specialists help students graduate and learn career, leadership, and life skills by executing a nationally-accredited, evidence-based model. Participants must meet criteria to be selected for the program and have potential to overcome various barriers to post-secondary success.The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 38 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include ADM, AT&amp;T, EagleU, Evergy, Goldstein Charitable Trust, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, John Deere, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City Royals Foundation, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, Kohl’s, Synchrony Financial, the Taco Bell Foundation, the City of Topeka, United Way of Kaw Valley, United Way of the Plains, U.S. Bank and Walmart.To learn more about JAG-K, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.jagkansas.org&amp;c=E,1,XcIPZdzQd07ZcF4gsRuE1NvRHhFyJiH8VsklalLAnpIl7NY_QmekdxBgdJNlckoTdg1d6rJgi7DKJxjrZg6wHJt3r2RHUwIDEMk3ZrzUk1jG4XzEtBaxSPM,&amp;typo=1">www.jagkansas.org</a>, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, and on Twitter at @JAG_Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Recent Russell High School graduate voted JAG-K Student of the Year

<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/2024/6/1718046178153.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

THOMAS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Sunday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Frieghtliner semi driven by&nbsp;Ernst&nbsp; Lacoste, 51, Delray Beach, Florida, was westbound on Interstate 70 four miles west of the U.S. 83 exit.

The semi left the roadway onto the inside shoulder and the driver attempted to return the vehicle to the roadway. The semi's trailer began to tip to the left side and laid onto its side as the vehicle came back onto the roadway.

&nbsp;EMS transported Lacoste and a co-driver in the sleeper compartment Marc&nbsp;Marcellus, 49, Stamford, Connecticut, to the Thomas County Hospital.

THOMAS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Sunday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Frieghtliner semi driven by&nbsp;Ernst&nbsp; Lacoste, 51, Delray Beach, Florida, was westbound on Interstate 70 four miles west of the U.S. 83 exit.The semi left the roadway onto the inside shoulder and the driver attempted to return the vehicle to the roadway. The semi's trailer began to tip to the left side and laid onto its side as the vehicle came back onto the roadway.&nbsp;EMS transported Lacoste and a co-driver in the sleeper compartment Marc&nbsp;Marcellus, 49, Stamford, Connecticut, to the Thomas County Hospital.

Two hospitalized after NW Kansas semi accident

By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle Communications

Four states now boast average prices for regular gasoline below $3 per gallon. The cheapest pump prices are in Mississippi, followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. The auto club AAA reports Kansas prices are down four cents to $3.04 per gallon, with some counties in northeastern Kansas below $3.

The near-month contract for light sweet crude in New York settled Friday at $75.53 per barrel, a weekly loss of more than a dollar and a half. Futures prices gained a dollar and change by midday Monday, with Nymex crude topping $76 and London Brent over $80 a barrel.

Kansas prices start the week at $65.75 per barrel, down two dollars from the first of the month but up nearly four dollars from the first of the year. Prices in McPherson in May dropped from $69.25 to $67.25 per barrel, for a monthly average of $68.81 per barrel.

The crude export group known as OPEC-Plus will extend its production cuts, but also set an end date, or at least the beginning of one. Some output cuts will stay, some will be phased out. But, prices dropped more than three percent, to four-month lows, on the announcement from a group with the stated goal of increasing prices. Eight OPEC-Plus members led by Saudi Arabia and Russia will pump up production by more than two million barrels per day beginning in October.

The Energy Secretary says Strategic Petroleum Reserve refills could start to happen faster. The U.S. could speed up current efforts to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as maintenance on the stockpile is completed by the end of the year. That's according to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in an interview with Reuters. Granholm said she does not expect a big increase in oil and gas prices soon. The Energy Department this year has been buying about three million barrels of oil per month for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after selling 180 million barrels in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The government added another 900,000 barrels to our strategic reserves last week bringing the total to 370.2 million barrels as of May 31. They're paying less than $80 a barrel, after selling strategic barrels for over $95. That's a paper profit over $5.5 billion.

The&nbsp;Energy Information Administration said commercial inventories increased by 1.2 million barrels to just under 456 million barrels. Stockpiles are about four percent below the five year average for this time of year.

Crude production in the United States held steady with some modest increases in Alaska raising last week's total to 13,126,000 barrels per day.

Crude production in the United States rose to 408.6 million barrels in March. That's 13,182,000 barrels per day, up 77,000 daily barrels from the month before. The Energy Information Administration reports production in Kansas averaged 74,000 barrels a day. That's up one-and-a-half percent from February but down nearly four percent from a year ago.

EIA reports a big drop in quarterly averages, due largely to the weather downturn across the U.S. in January. First quarter production drops to 12.9 million barrels per day across the US, and 70-thousand barrels per day in Kansas.

Output continues to decline in Texas, the nation's biggest oil producer. The latest preliminary numbers from the Railroad Commission show crude production of 120.7 million barrels in March, which is the lowest monthly tally since February of 2022. It's more than a million barrels lower than February, &nbsp;more than seven million barrels lower than January and more than 20-million barrels less than the all-time high in July of last year. The total for January through March is 370.6 million barrels, or 4.07 million per day.&nbsp; The all-time best first-quarter production total in The Lone Star State was a year ago, when three-month production averaged over 4.4 million barrels a day.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 7.1 million barrels per day last week, an increase of 289,000 barrels per day from the previous week.&nbsp; Crude imports outpace exports by more than 2.5 million barrels a day. Four week average imports are up more than three percent from last year.

Hess Corp. shareholders approved the company’s buyout by Chevron for $53 billion. Just 51% of outstanding shares voted to accept the offer.

The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes dropped by five horizontal rigs, down four oil rigs and two gas rigs to 594 nationwide. Oklahoma was down four from last week.

The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service is up seven percent, but still down 24% from a year ago, at 32 active rigs. There are 13 in eastern Kansas and 19 west of Wichita. Both tallies are up one for the week. Operators reached total depth this week on wells in Ellis, Russell and Stafford counties. They're rigging up and preparing to spud on a lease in Stafford county.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652188903167.jpg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle CommunicationsFour states now boast average prices for regular gasoline below $3 per gallon. The cheapest pump prices are in Mississippi, followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. The auto club AAA reports Kansas prices are down four cents to $3.04 per gallon, with some counties in northeastern Kansas below $3.The near-month contract for light sweet crude in New York settled Friday at $75.53 per barrel, a weekly loss of more than a dollar and a half. Futures prices gained a dollar and change by midday Monday, with Nymex crude topping $76 and London Brent over $80 a barrel.Kansas prices start the week at $65.75 per barrel, down two dollars from the first of the month but up nearly four dollars from the first of the year. Prices in McPherson in May dropped from $69.25 to $67.25 per barrel, for a monthly average of $68.81 per barrel.The crude export group known as OPEC-Plus will extend its production cuts, but also set an end date, or at least the beginning of one. Some output cuts will stay, some will be phased out. But, prices dropped more than three percent, to four-month lows, on the announcement from a group with the stated goal of increasing prices. Eight OPEC-Plus members led by Saudi Arabia and Russia will pump up production by more than two million barrels per day beginning in October.The Energy Secretary says Strategic Petroleum Reserve refills could start to happen faster. The U.S. could speed up current efforts to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as maintenance on the stockpile is completed by the end of the year. That's according to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in an interview with Reuters. Granholm said she does not expect a big increase in oil and gas prices soon. The Energy Department this year has been buying about three million barrels of oil per month for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after selling 180 million barrels in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The government added another 900,000 barrels to our strategic reserves last week bringing the total to 370.2 million barrels as of May 31. They're paying less than $80 a barrel, after selling strategic barrels for over $95. That's a paper profit over $5.5 billion.The&nbsp;Energy Information Administration said commercial inventories increased by 1.2 million barrels to just under 456 million barrels. Stockpiles are about four percent below the five year average for this time of year.Crude production in the United States held steady with some modest increases in Alaska raising last week's total to 13,126,000 barrels per day.Crude production in the United States rose to 408.6 million barrels in March. That's 13,182,000 barrels per day, up 77,000 daily barrels from the month before. The Energy Information Administration reports production in Kansas averaged 74,000 barrels a day. That's up one-and-a-half percent from February but down nearly four percent from a year ago.EIA reports a big drop in quarterly averages, due largely to the weather downturn across the U.S. in January. First quarter production drops to 12.9 million barrels per day across the US, and 70-thousand barrels per day in Kansas.Output continues to decline in Texas, the nation's biggest oil producer. The latest preliminary numbers from the Railroad Commission show crude production of 120.7 million barrels in March, which is the lowest monthly tally since February of 2022. It's more than a million barrels lower than February, &nbsp;more than seven million barrels lower than January and more than 20-million barrels less than the all-time high in July of last year. The total for January through March is 370.6 million barrels, or 4.07 million per day.&nbsp; The all-time best first-quarter production total in The Lone Star State was a year ago, when three-month production averaged over 4.4 million barrels a day.U.S. crude oil imports averaged 7.1 million barrels per day last week, an increase of 289,000 barrels per day from the previous week.&nbsp; Crude imports outpace exports by more than 2.5 million barrels a day. Four week average imports are up more than three percent from last year.Hess Corp. shareholders approved the company’s buyout by Chevron for $53 billion. Just 51% of outstanding shares voted to accept the offer.The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes dropped by five horizontal rigs, down four oil rigs and two gas rigs to 594 nationwide. Oklahoma was down four from last week.The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service is up seven percent, but still down 24% from a year ago, at 32 active rigs. There are 13 in eastern Kansas and 19 west of Wichita. Both tallies are up one for the week. Operators reached total depth this week on wells in Ellis, Russell and Stafford counties. They're rigging up and preparing to spud on a lease in Stafford county.

News from the Oil Patch: Pump prices drop below $3 in four states

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Since 6 a.m. Friday, Hays received .61 inches of rain as measured at the Eagle Communications office at 2300 Hall in Hays.

Hays has received 1.85 inches of rain for the month and 7.81 inches of precipitation year to date, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.&nbsp;

Hays averages 3.38 of rain in June and 11.31 inches of precipitation by the end of June.

As of the drought monitor released on Thursday, Ellis County is still showing moderate drought to abnormally dry.

The forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of rain Tuesday afternoon and Thursday night. Hays will have more chances of showers or thunderstorms on Friday night and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Today's high is forecasted at 83, but temperatures will steadily increase to a blistering 101 on Thursday.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostSince 6 a.m. Friday, Hays received .61 inches of rain as measured at the Eagle Communications office at 2300 Hall in Hays.Hays has received 1.85 inches of rain for the month and 7.81 inches of precipitation year to date, according to the K-State Ag Research Center.&nbsp;Hays averages 3.38 of rain in June and 11.31 inches of precipitation by the end of June.As of the drought monitor released on Thursday, Ellis County is still showing moderate drought to abnormally dry.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718039085165.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of rain Tuesday afternoon and Thursday night. Hays will have more chances of showers or thunderstorms on Friday night and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.Today's high is forecasted at 83, but temperatures will steadily increase to a blistering 101 on Thursday.

Hays receives rain over weekend; heat set to hit on Thursday

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays Post

Participants in this year’s Thunder on the Plains vehicle show and fundraiser in Hays experienced more than the thunder of loud cars and motorcycles Friday evening.

A storm with thunder, lightning and rain hit the area just after the classic vehicles left Municipal Park following their cruise down Main Street to the park on South Main.&nbsp;

But Saturday dawned bright and beautiful for the ninth-annual show that also includes trucks and tractors.

Almost 200 vehicles from around the state and a couple of neighboring states covered the park's grounds, where folks enjoyed a pleasant day of walking after Friday's storm.

Committee members were pleased with the turnout, especially since the date was changed from its former weekend in September to the second weekend of June.

Many awards were given to vehicle owners, including the one that traveled the farthest (Dan Rosenblatt from Littleton, Colorado) and the oldest (a 1930 five-window coupe owned by Shorty Lawrence from Scott City). An even older vehicle, Hays’ first motorized fire truck (a 1921 model), also was on display at the event.

While visitors enjoyed browsing the park and checking out the shiny restored vehicles, the Thunder committee says the show's primary purpose has always been to raise money for charity.

The organization awards up to four scholarships for graduating seniors who will attend NCK Tech in either the auto mechanics or auto body repair program.

On Saturday, the committee presented $2,000 checks to seven different local organizations, using money gathered from local and area sponsors.

Thunder had decided beforehand to gift the entire proceeds from the live auction to Make-A-Wish Missouri &amp; Kansas, a nonprofit organization that helps fulfill the wishes of seriously ill children. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is nationwide, and the Thunder donations are awarded to children in Ellis County.

The auction garnered $11,710, most of which came from a red leather sofa with working LED tail lights made from the back of a 1955 Chevrolet.

Auctioneer Roger Legleiter from Farmland Auction and Realty Co., who volunteered his services for the auction, included the crowd in the bidding, helping urge on Mike Hertel from Hays and Don Kopfman from Munjor in a bidding war for the couch.

Kopfman ended up winning the bid of $8,100. Make-A-Wish also earned $3,000 from a raffle for a grill and another $500-pluis from a 50-50 raffle.

Make-A-Wish is near and dear to Jackie Lang, a long-time member of the Thunder organization with her late husband, Mark. And Saturday was an especially emotional day for Jackie.

The Langs took their oldest son, Brett, to Disney World in 2010, thanks to Make-A-Wish when they lived in Oklahoma, and Brett died from cancer two years later.&nbsp;

Mark Lang, who had done much of the bodywork on the vehicle part of the couch for this year’s auction, died unexpectedly this past Christmas Eve. Others helped finish the couch in time for Saturday’s auction. Mark’s employer, Oldham Sales in Hays, donated the grill that was raffled off.

Thunder volunteers had fun posing for pictures with Hertel and Kopfman sitting on the couch with Make-A-Wish recipient Angelina Molstad between them.

Angelina and Macie Kieffer, both from Hays, have enjoyed trips to Disney World – thanks to generous donors such as Thunder on the Plains – and attended Saturday’s activities.&nbsp;

Thunder had planned to do a public Make-A-Wish reveal on Saturday for 3-year-old Damon Sheeley from Victoria, whose family makes frequent trips to Kansas City for his leukemia treatments at Children’s Mercy Hospital.

However, Damon was not feeling well on Saturday and couldn’t attend the car show and auction.

Damon and his family—Mom Kylie, Dad Joseph, and four older siblings—will visit Disney World in December.

“We are so thankful to Make-A-Wish for this trip,” Damon’s mother said. “When we learned of Damon’s condition, it changed our lives, of course. We have friends who help out a lot with our other kids. We just had to build an army to help. And our older kids are a big help, too. It’s a family effort.”

Jackie Lang said it also takes a family effort to make Thunder on the Plains a success.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this if it weren’t for all our families helping out,” she said. “The day of the show, we all bring spouses and children and other family members.”

Addie Foster from Stockton, the Wish specialist for the area, works with families to learn their child’s wish and fill out paperwork, etc. Wishes often involve trips, but Foster stressed that it’s something the child wishes for.

One child wished for a special birthday party and another for a camper for her family. Make-A-Wish Missouri &amp; Kansas's motto is “transform lives, one wish at a time.”

“It’s very rewarding working with these families,” Foster said, “and we are so very grateful for donations such as these.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717980131749.jpeg" alt="There was even a miniature convertible on display, and Nicole Dreiling from Antonino enjoyed giving her friend, Kelsey Jo Thompson, a ride around the park in the car owned by Dreiling’s dad, John Dreiling. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien, Special to Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>There was even a miniature convertible on display, and Nicole Dreiling from Antonino enjoyed giving her friend, Kelsey Jo Thompson, a ride around the park in the car owned by Dreiling’s dad, John Dreiling. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien, Special to Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays PostParticipants in this year’s Thunder on the Plains vehicle show and fundraiser in Hays experienced more than the thunder of loud cars and motorcycles Friday evening.A storm with thunder, lightning and rain hit the area just after the classic vehicles left Municipal Park following their cruise down Main Street to the park on South Main.&nbsp;But Saturday dawned bright and beautiful for the ninth-annual show that also includes trucks and tractors.Almost 200 vehicles from around the state and a couple of neighboring states covered the park's grounds, where folks enjoyed a pleasant day of walking after Friday's storm.Committee members were pleased with the turnout, especially since the date was changed from its former weekend in September to the second weekend of June.Many awards were given to vehicle owners, including the one that traveled the farthest (Dan Rosenblatt from Littleton, Colorado) and the oldest (a 1930 five-window coupe owned by Shorty Lawrence from Scott City). An even older vehicle, Hays’ first motorized fire truck (a 1921 model), also was on display at the event.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717980361713.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>While visitors enjoyed browsing the park and checking out the shiny restored vehicles, the Thunder committee says the show's primary purpose has always been to raise money for charity.The organization awards up to four scholarships for graduating seniors who will attend NCK Tech in either the auto mechanics or auto body repair program.On Saturday, the committee presented $2,000 checks to seven different local organizations, using money gathered from local and area sponsors.Thunder had decided beforehand to gift the entire proceeds from the live auction to Make-A-Wish Missouri &amp; Kansas, a nonprofit organization that helps fulfill the wishes of seriously ill children. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is nationwide, and the Thunder donations are awarded to children in Ellis County.The auction garnered $11,710, most of which came from a red leather sofa with working LED tail lights made from the back of a 1955 Chevrolet.Auctioneer Roger Legleiter from Farmland Auction and Realty Co., who volunteered his services for the auction, included the crowd in the bidding, helping urge on Mike Hertel from Hays and Don Kopfman from Munjor in a bidding war for the couch.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717980510079.jpeg" alt="Don Kopfman, right, poses for photos with his top bidding opponent Mike Hertel, Make-A-Wish recipient Angelina Moldstad and Thunder on the Plains volunteers. Photo courtesy of Roberta Molstad" />
 <figcaption>Don Kopfman, right, poses for photos with his top bidding opponent Mike Hertel, Make-A-Wish recipient Angelina Moldstad and Thunder on the Plains volunteers. Photo courtesy of Roberta Molstad</figcaption>
 </figure>Kopfman ended up winning the bid of $8,100. Make-A-Wish also earned $3,000 from a raffle for a grill and another $500-pluis from a 50-50 raffle.Make-A-Wish is near and dear to Jackie Lang, a long-time member of the Thunder organization with her late husband, Mark. And Saturday was an especially emotional day for Jackie.The Langs took their oldest son, Brett, to Disney World in 2010, thanks to Make-A-Wish when they lived in Oklahoma, and Brett died from cancer two years later.&nbsp;Mark Lang, who had done much of the bodywork on the vehicle part of the couch for this year’s auction, died unexpectedly this past Christmas Eve. Others helped finish the couch in time for Saturday’s auction. Mark’s employer, Oldham Sales in Hays, donated the grill that was raffled off.Thunder volunteers had fun posing for pictures with Hertel and Kopfman sitting on the couch with Make-A-Wish recipient Angelina Molstad between them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717980640027.jpeg" alt="Macie Kieffer, left, and Angelina Molstad, Make-A-Wish recipients from Hays, enjoy looking at a photo album with Addie Foster, Stockton, a Wish specialist for the area. Photo courtesy of Roberta Molstad" />
 <figcaption>Macie Kieffer, left, and Angelina Molstad, Make-A-Wish recipients from Hays, enjoy looking at a photo album with Addie Foster, Stockton, a Wish specialist for the area. Photo courtesy of Roberta Molstad</figcaption>
 </figure>Angelina and Macie Kieffer, both from Hays, have enjoyed trips to Disney World – thanks to generous donors such as Thunder on the Plains – and attended Saturday’s activities.&nbsp;Thunder had planned to do a public Make-A-Wish reveal on Saturday for 3-year-old Damon Sheeley from Victoria, whose family makes frequent trips to Kansas City for his leukemia treatments at Children’s Mercy Hospital.However, Damon was not feeling well on Saturday and couldn’t attend the car show and auction.Damon and his family—Mom Kylie, Dad Joseph, and four older siblings—will visit Disney World in December.“We are so thankful to Make-A-Wish for this trip,” Damon’s mother said. “When we learned of Damon’s condition, it changed our lives, of course. We have friends who help out a lot with our other kids. We just had to build an army to help. And our older kids are a big help, too. It’s a family effort.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717980778629.jpeg" alt="A 1930 yellow Ford coupe was one of almost 200 classic vehicles that visited Municipal Park this weekend. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien, Special to Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A 1930 yellow Ford coupe was one of almost 200 classic vehicles that visited Municipal Park this weekend. Photo by Diane Gasper-O’Brien, Special to Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Jackie Lang said it also takes a family effort to make Thunder on the Plains a success.“We wouldn’t be able to do this if it weren’t for all our families helping out,” she said. “The day of the show, we all bring spouses and children and other family members.”Addie Foster from Stockton, the Wish specialist for the area, works with families to learn their child’s wish and fill out paperwork, etc. Wishes often involve trips, but Foster stressed that it’s something the child wishes for.One child wished for a special birthday party and another for a camper for her family. Make-A-Wish Missouri &amp; Kansas's motto is “transform lives, one wish at a time.”“It’s very rewarding working with these families,” Foster said, “and we are so very grateful for donations such as these.”

Thunder on the Plains: Classic way of making children’s wishes come true

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Residents wishing to drive UTVs, or utility task vehicles, on Hays city streets, will soon have an easier process in permitting the request.

The current ordinance approved by city commissioners requires inspection by the Hays Police Department with an annual fee of $100, plus registration.&nbsp;

This year the city approved golf carts to be driven on certain city streets and no inspection or registration is necessary.&nbsp;

Commissioners recently discussed amending the UTV ordinance to mirror the less restrictive golf cart ordinance.

"City staff has already discussed this very issue, and I appreciate the opportunity to bring it forward," said Don Scheibler, police chief, at Thursday's city commission work session.&nbsp;

"The amended UTV ordinance would repeal existing registrations, licenses and fee requirements," he said. "It does not remove any requirements for safety equipment or the insurance requirements and the drivers must still follow the rules of the road," he said.

UTVs may travel on 35-mph city streets but not highways, according to state ordinance.

Scheibler estimated the city registers approximately 27 UTVs annually, bringing in about $2,300 dollars.

"By the time the community service officer schedules the appointment, brings them in, does the inspection, and the records clerk enters the tag data, it's really a financial wash."&nbsp;

Scheibler called the police department an enforcement agency, not an registration agency.

"We've been able to do it for the ordinance requirements, but if we could stop doing it, that'd be helpful."

The police have issued about 60 UTV tags, although about half of those were not renewed by the owners. 

Scheibler said to date no tickets&nbsp; have been issued to UTV drivers.

Mayor Shaun Musil said he's talked to one local seller of UTVs who believes they may sell more UTVs if registration and inspections are eliminated.

"That'd mean more sales tax for the city," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor.

The city of Hays' general fund is primarily financed by the city sales tax.&nbsp;

Commissioners will vote on the changes at the June 13 meeting.

An update on the&nbsp;proposed construction delivery method for the new police station and municipal court facility, was  presented by Collin Bielser advise, deputy city manager.&nbsp;

Design-build is a construction delivery method that brings together the architectural/engineering team and construction company at the beginning of the project. The early collaboration can reduce change orders and other minor oversights typical of a multi-million dollar building project. The early collaboration also results in a condensed project schedule.&nbsp;

The city has purchased the Astra Bank building at 1100 Fort and will remodel the facility.&nbsp;

Hays police and Ellis County law enforcement have jointly occupied the space at 105 W. 12th since 1976.

• Heard a recommended low bid of $227,740 for four pickups from Lewis Ford of Hays for the public works and water resources departments.

• Heard&nbsp; a recommended low bid from Mayer Specialty Services, Goddard, not to exceed the budget of $150,000, for rehabilitation of 102 manholes.

•  Heard  a recommended low bid for sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection by&nbsp;CC Steel, LLC, Fargo, North Dakota, to&nbsp;perform light cleaning and video inspection of 22.2 miles of sanitary sewer.

• Heard an update from Bielser that June 13 will be the date for a public hearing&nbsp;and an ordinance levying a 2% district sales tax  for the proposed Vernie's Trux-N-Equip community improvement district, and approving the development agreement with the city, located northwest of the intersection of 48th Street and General Hays Road.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717958080508.png" alt="UTV courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>UTV courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostResidents wishing to drive UTVs, or utility task vehicles, on Hays city streets, will soon have an easier process in permitting the request.The current ordinance approved by city commissioners requires inspection by the Hays Police Department with an annual fee of $100, plus registration.&nbsp;This year the city approved golf carts to be driven on certain city streets and no inspection or registration is necessary.&nbsp;Commissioners recently discussed amending the UTV ordinance to mirror the less restrictive golf cart ordinance."City staff has already discussed this very issue, and I appreciate the opportunity to bring it forward," said Don Scheibler, police chief, at Thursday's city commission work session.&nbsp;"The amended UTV ordinance would repeal existing registrations, licenses and fee requirements," he said. "It does not remove any requirements for safety equipment or the insurance requirements and the drivers must still follow the rules of the road," he said.UTVs may travel on 35-mph city streets but not highways, according to state ordinance.Scheibler estimated the city registers approximately 27 UTVs annually, bringing in about $2,300 dollars."By the time the community service officer schedules the appointment, brings them in, does the inspection, and the records clerk enters the tag data, it's really a financial wash."&nbsp;Scheibler called the police department an enforcement agency, not an registration agency."We've been able to do it for the ordinance requirements, but if we could stop doing it, that'd be helpful."The police have issued about 60 UTV tags, although about half of those were not renewed by the owners. Scheibler said to date no tickets&nbsp; have been issued to UTV drivers.Mayor Shaun Musil said he's talked to one local seller of UTVs who believes they may sell more UTVs if registration and inspections are eliminated."That'd mean more sales tax for the city," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor.The city of Hays' general fund is primarily financed by the city sales tax.&nbsp;Commissioners will vote on the changes at the June 13 meeting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717959210368.png" alt="The design-build construction delivery method will be used for the new&nbsp; Hays&nbsp;police station and municipal court facility. City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>The design-build construction delivery method will be used for the new&nbsp; Hays&nbsp;police station and municipal court facility. City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>An update on the&nbsp;proposed construction delivery method for the new police station and municipal court facility, was presented by Collin Bielser advise, deputy city manager.&nbsp;Design-build is a construction delivery method that brings together the architectural/engineering team and construction company at the beginning of the project. The early collaboration can reduce change orders and other minor oversights typical of a multi-million dollar building project. The early collaboration also results in a condensed project schedule.&nbsp;The city has purchased the Astra Bank building at 1100 Fort and will remodel the facility.&nbsp;Hays police and Ellis County law enforcement have jointly occupied the space at 105 W. 12th since 1976.In other business, commissioners:• Heard a recommended low bid of $227,740 for four pickups from Lewis Ford of Hays for the public works and water resources departments.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717959852943.png" alt="City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>• Heard&nbsp; a recommended low bid from Mayer Specialty Services, Goddard, not to exceed the budget of $150,000, for rehabilitation of 102 manholes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717960122748.png" alt="City of Hays" />
 <figcaption>City of Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>• Heard a recommended low bid for sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection by&nbsp;CC Steel, LLC, Fargo, North Dakota, to&nbsp;perform light cleaning and video inspection of 22.2 miles of sanitary sewer.• Heard an update from Bielser that June 13 will be the date for a public hearing&nbsp;and an ordinance levying a 2% district sales tax for the proposed Vernie's Trux-N-Equip community improvement district, and approving the development agreement with the city, located northwest of the intersection of 48th Street and General Hays Road.

Commissioners consider lessening restrictions for driving UTVs on Hays city streets  

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced that 12 communities, including <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/18fc3c3f-379c-47ee-bdf2-184442746c6c">Ellis</a>, and organizations will receive a combined $78,800 to allow 20 new murals and public art projects to revive public spaces and engage residents and visitors.

“Murals and public art installations welcome people to our rural communities while developing community pride and showcasing the rich history of our state,” Kelly said. “Investments in this program allow art to flourish and enhance public spaces for visitors and communities alike.”

The Office of Rural Prosperity’s Rural Mural Public Art grant program awardees are in communities across the state with a population of less than 15,000. The murals will highlight community gathering spaces and tourist attractions.

Each project requires a one-to-one match from the community, with the smallest of communities allowed to match the grant with in-kind donations. Seventy-five percent of the grant funding will be gifted upfront as several projects plan to start in the next few weeks.&nbsp;

“Working with local partners to develop compelling places across the state is one of the initiatives detailed in the Kansas Framework for Growth – our state’s economic development strategic plan,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kelly-Toland administration is keenly focused on strengthening community assets that help keep younger Kansans interested in staying here. Every completed Rural Mural is a testament to that commitment.”

Since 2021, the Office of Rural Prosperity has funded 77 murals in 38 communities.&nbsp;

“This round of Rural Murals and Public Art applications included so many communities that have not ever received funding from Commerce before,” Director of the Office of Rural Prosperity Trisha Purdon said. “We are excited to see so many empowered communities that are excited to welcome visitors and residents to witness these beautiful and creative visual expressions of community identity and history.”

For more information about Rural Mural and Public Art grants, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmthbnNhc2NvbW1lcmNlLmdvdi9tdXJhbHMvIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDYwNy45NTk0ODI5MSJ9.qGYbte74ta2Wqdjung6rfs-G4qVlFgukIedTp5SS1EM/s/1303161001/br/243823743663-l" target="_blank">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717792089621.jpeg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Governor's OfficeTOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced that 12 communities, including <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/18fc3c3f-379c-47ee-bdf2-184442746c6c">Ellis</a>, and organizations will receive a combined $78,800 to allow 20 new murals and public art projects to revive public spaces and engage residents and visitors.“Murals and public art installations welcome people to our rural communities while developing community pride and showcasing the rich history of our state,” Kelly said. “Investments in this program allow art to flourish and enhance public spaces for visitors and communities alike.”The Office of Rural Prosperity’s Rural Mural Public Art grant program awardees are in communities across the state with a population of less than 15,000. The murals will highlight community gathering spaces and tourist attractions.Each project requires a one-to-one match from the community, with the smallest of communities allowed to match the grant with in-kind donations. Seventy-five percent of the grant funding will be gifted upfront as several projects plan to start in the next few weeks.&nbsp;“Working with local partners to develop compelling places across the state is one of the initiatives detailed in the Kansas Framework for Growth – our state’s economic development strategic plan,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kelly-Toland administration is keenly focused on strengthening community assets that help keep younger Kansans interested in staying here. Every completed Rural Mural is a testament to that commitment.”Since 2021, the Office of Rural Prosperity has funded 77 murals in 38 communities.&nbsp;Awardees for FY 2025 include:&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717791795642.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“This round of Rural Murals and Public Art applications included so many communities that have not ever received funding from Commerce before,” Director of the Office of Rural Prosperity Trisha Purdon said. “We are excited to see so many empowered communities that are excited to welcome visitors and residents to witness these beautiful and creative visual expressions of community identity and history.”For more information about Rural Mural and Public Art grants, click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmthbnNhc2NvbW1lcmNlLmdvdi9tdXJhbHMvIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDYwNy45NTk0ODI5MSJ9.qGYbte74ta2Wqdjung6rfs-G4qVlFgukIedTp5SS1EM/s/1303161001/br/243823743663-l" target="_blank">here</a>.

Ellis, area towns receive state funding for murals, public art projects

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development, KSU

Kansas Supreme Court Justice KJ Wall walks into a room, but this isn’t the Supreme Court Chambers. It’s not even a courtroom. This room is at a high school in Ashland in southwest Kansas.

A group of high-schoolers had an opportunity to meet a Supreme Court Justice through the Kansas Supreme Court Traveling Docket program. Now, the court has launched another initiative to help more attorneys serve rural Kansas.

Wall, a Scott City native, graduated from K-State and then went to KU law school. He had a distinguished law career before being appointed to the bench in 2020.

The Supreme Court began observing a disturbing trend in the legal system: Rural areas were becoming underserved. For example, 80% of Kansas attorneys are located in the state’s six most populous counties.

“Our chief judges were telling us they didn’t have enough attorneys to make appointments, and we have successful older attorneys who weren’t finding folks to take over their practice,” Wall said.

In December 2022, Chief Justice Marla Luckert issued an order establishing a Rural Justice Initiative Committee to be chaired by Justice Wall. That committee includes rural judges and attorneys; legislators; and representatives of agriculture, business and nonprofit organizations plus the Office of Rural Prosperity and Washburn and KU law schools.

The committee is staffed by Laurel Searles, Chief of Attorney Services and Compliance in the Office of Judicial Administration at the Kansas Supreme Court.

The committee is to study the issue, gather data, and make recommendations by fall 2024. Statewide surveys and listening sessions have been conducted along with interviews of law school students.

“(The shortage of attorneys) is becoming a constitutional crisis,” Wall said. “People have a right to representation.”

Searles adds: “People in rural Kansas deserve access to attorneys just like people in the cities.

And, “as more attorneys retire, it is getting more difficult for people to be served,” said committee member and attorney Ashley Comeau of Plainville.

Comeau is a young professional who graduated from Washburn Law School. She and her husband moved back to their home area in northwest Kansas where she joined a Hays law firm and maintains a practice in Plainville.

“We would like to replicate people like Ashley, who worked with a large law firm in Kansas City but chose to come back to her home area,” Wall said. “I thought we just needed to attract more attorneys to non-urban locations, but the law schools are telling us they don’t have enough people applying in the first place.”

That means more young people need to be encouraged earlier to consider a career in law.

“We need to start these conversations earlier in a student’s career,” Searles said. “There are lots of opportunities to work in the legal field. We’re now seeing law firms participate in high school career fairs.”

Student debt is a huge issue. “We need to be more flexible and open when considering incentives to bring students to rural Kansas,” Comeau said.

“We also need to help students feel that they belong in those communities,” Searles said.

So why practice in rural Kansas? “You develop closer relationships and can do a lot more hands-on work,” Comeau said.

“This type of work really makes a difference and gives you more purpose,” Searles said.

Wall agreed. In some cases, he believes the financial returns of a rural practice could even exceed that of an urban practice in the long run.

In 2011, the Kansas Supreme Court began conducting a traveling docket where cases are heard in communities around the state. While there, the justices also visit local schools and inform students about legal careers. That’s how Justice KJ Wall came to meet the high school students in the rural community of Ashland, population 783 people. Now, that’s rural.

We commend Justice KJ Wall and all of the Kansas Supreme Court, plus Laurel Searles, Ashley Comeau and others involved in this initiative. I hope it helps move more students from the high school classroom to the hometown courtroom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602791058568.jpeg" alt="Photo by Unsplash" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Unsplash</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development, KSU Kansas Supreme Court Justice KJ Wall walks into a room, but this isn’t the Supreme Court Chambers. It’s not even a courtroom. This room is at a high school in Ashland in southwest Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/images/2024/kansas-profile/justicekjwall-icon.jpg" alt="Kansas Supreme Court Justice KJ Wall. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Supreme Court Justice KJ Wall. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>A group of high-schoolers had an opportunity to meet a Supreme Court Justice through the Kansas Supreme Court Traveling Docket program. Now, the court has launched another initiative to help more attorneys serve rural Kansas.Wall, a Scott City native, graduated from K-State and then went to KU law school. He had a distinguished law career before being appointed to the bench in 2020.The Supreme Court began observing a disturbing trend in the legal system: Rural areas were becoming underserved. For example, 80% of Kansas attorneys are located in the state’s six most populous counties.“Our chief judges were telling us they didn’t have enough attorneys to make appointments, and we have successful older attorneys who weren’t finding folks to take over their practice,” Wall said.In December 2022, Chief Justice Marla Luckert issued an order establishing a Rural Justice Initiative Committee to be chaired by Justice Wall. That committee includes rural judges and attorneys; legislators; and representatives of agriculture, business and nonprofit organizations plus the Office of Rural Prosperity and Washburn and KU law schools.The committee is staffed by Laurel Searles, Chief of Attorney Services and Compliance in the Office of Judicial Administration at the Kansas Supreme Court.The committee is to study the issue, gather data, and make recommendations by fall 2024. Statewide surveys and listening sessions have been conducted along with interviews of law school students.“(The shortage of attorneys) is becoming a constitutional crisis,” Wall said. “People have a right to representation.”Searles adds: “People in rural Kansas deserve access to attorneys just like people in the cities.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717762787285.png" alt="Ashley Comeau. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ashley Comeau. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>And, “as more attorneys retire, it is getting more difficult for people to be served,” said committee member and attorney Ashley Comeau of Plainville.Comeau is a young professional who graduated from Washburn Law School. She and her husband moved back to their home area in northwest Kansas where she joined a Hays law firm and maintains a practice in Plainville.“We would like to replicate people like Ashley, who worked with a large law firm in Kansas City but chose to come back to her home area,” Wall said. “I thought we just needed to attract more attorneys to non-urban locations, but the law schools are telling us they don’t have enough people applying in the first place.”That means more young people need to be encouraged earlier to consider a career in law.“We need to start these conversations earlier in a student’s career,” Searles said. “There are lots of opportunities to work in the legal field. We’re now seeing law firms participate in high school career fairs.”Student debt is a huge issue. “We need to be more flexible and open when considering incentives to bring students to rural Kansas,” Comeau said.“We also need to help students feel that they belong in those communities,” Searles said.So why practice in rural Kansas? “You develop closer relationships and can do a lot more hands-on work,” Comeau said.“This type of work really makes a difference and gives you more purpose,” Searles said.Wall agreed. In some cases, he believes the financial returns of a rural practice could even exceed that of an urban practice in the long run.In 2011, the Kansas Supreme Court began conducting a traveling docket where cases are heard in communities around the state. While there, the justices also visit local schools and inform students about legal careers. That’s how Justice KJ Wall came to meet the high school students in the rural community of Ashland, population 783 people. Now, that’s rural.We commend Justice KJ Wall and all of the Kansas Supreme Court, plus Laurel Searles, Ashley Comeau and others involved in this initiative. I hope it helps move more students from the high school classroom to the hometown courtroom.

Now That’s Rural: KJ Wall, rural attorney shortage

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717962964729.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>

The overdue farm bill is finally making its way through Congress, after the House agriculture committee recently advanced a proposal. Food assistance is likely to be one of the biggest sticking points as the draft moves forward.

By ELIZABETH REMBERT <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2024-06-07/snap-benefits-are-a-huge-part-of-the-farm-bill-and-a-big-point-of-contention-for-lawmakers?mc_cid=a5f0d9d772&amp;mc_eid=4e2c084f1d">KCUR</a>

The long-stalled farm bill took a step forward in the House of Representatives last month as a Republican-led proposal made it out of the agriculture committee.

The clock is ticking as the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, which expired eight months ago, ends in September.

Yet food assistance will likely be a flashpoint in the discussions ahead.

<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research/#:~:text=In%20FY%202022%2C%20SNAP%20served,%24230.88%20per%20participant%20per%20month." target="_blank">More than 41 million Americans</a>&nbsp;rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program monthly to put food on the table. The program takes a lot of funding –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/minority-blog/reviewing-the-february-2024-baseline-for-usda-farm-and-nutrition-programs" target="_blank">about 80% of the farm bill’s massive budget goes to SNAP.</a>

The House draft suggests placing limits on how the Thrifty Food Plan is updated in the future. The Thrifty Food Plan is a basket of foods that represents a “nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet prepared at home” for a family of four,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/thriftyfoodplan" target="_blank">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</a>

The money people receive through SNAP is calculated by how much that basket of food costs.

Right now, the plan is updated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans#:~:text=As%20stipulated%20in%20the%20Agriculture,reevaluation%20is%20anticipated%20in%202026." target="_blank">every five years</a>&nbsp;based on food prices, food composition data, consumer data and dietary standards. The new proposal suggests updating the cost of the plan only for inflation.

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://thompson.house.gov/" target="_blank">House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson</a>&nbsp;– a Republican from Pennsylvania – the nonpartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/" target="_blank">Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimates the limit would cut SNAP by $30 billion over the next 10 years.

“The cut would take away a day’s worth of benefits from the participants each month, then it would rise to two days of benefits each day,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://hayes.house.gov/" target="_blank">Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes</a>&nbsp;from Connecticut during discussions. “You may think losing one or two days of food is not significant. But I do think it’s quite significant for a low-income family trying to make ends meet.”

But&nbsp;<a href="https://alford.house.gov/" target="_blank">Republican Rep. Mark Alford</a>&nbsp;from Missouri said he’s focused on making the program more efficient, not slashing benefits.

“Democrats feel like we’re trying to cut the program. And that’s not the case,” he said. “If we can move to a program that has more integrity, more health benefits, it is going to be greater for our nation and greater for our taxpayers.”

Alford points to&nbsp;<a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/detailed_summary_final.pdf" target="_blank">parts of the bill</a>&nbsp;that would allow frozen and canned produce to be covered, create an accountability office and expand eligibility for the program.

Other SNAP proposals in the House’s farm bill draft would:

“We don’t feel there are cuts to SNAP – we’re just tightening up some of the issues,” Alford said. “I don’t want anyone who is truly hungry, truly needy and can’t work to go to bed hungry at night.”

Megan Hamann, a community organizer focused on food and nutrition access with&nbsp;<a href="https://neappleseed.org/who-we-are" target="_blank">Nebraska Appleseed</a>, said framing limits to the Thrifty Food Plan as anything but cuts to SNAP is a “pretty problematic characterization, because it would erode SNAP’s buying power over time.”

“So while families wouldn’t see their benefits go down in an immediate sense, SNAP would be increasingly less efficient as time goes on,” she said. “What we would see is a decline in how well the program actually works in people’s lives.”

Hamann said she hopes the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/rural_prosperity_and_food_security_section-by-section.pdf" target="_blank">Senate’s farm bill proposal</a>&nbsp;can find support, which would maintain the regular re-evaluation of SNAP benefits.

The House’s draft has a long way to go before it makes it into law as the new farm bill; it will need final passage in the House and endorsement from the Senate.

“Everyone knows that this bill would never become law. The Senate won’t accept it and the administration won’t accept it,” Rep. David Scott of Georgia, the ranking Democrat on the House’s Agriculture committee, said during discussions. “And while this bill is a giant misstep, it nevertheless begins our journey toward passing a farm bill.”

This story was produced in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/harvestpublicmedia" target="_blank">Harvest Public Media,</a>&nbsp;a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest. It reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717798696726.png" alt="This story is part of Harvest Public Media's ongoing coverage of the 2023 Farm Bill." />
 <figcaption>This story is part of Harvest Public Media's ongoing coverage of the 2023 Farm Bill.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The overdue farm bill is finally making its way through Congress, after the House agriculture committee recently advanced a proposal. Food assistance is likely to be one of the biggest sticking points as the draft moves forward.</h2>By ELIZABETH REMBERT <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2024-06-07/snap-benefits-are-a-huge-part-of-the-farm-bill-and-a-big-point-of-contention-for-lawmakers?mc_cid=a5f0d9d772&amp;mc_eid=4e2c084f1d">KCUR</a>The long-stalled farm bill took a step forward in the House of Representatives last month as a Republican-led proposal made it out of the agriculture committee.The clock is ticking as the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, which expired eight months ago, ends in September.Yet food assistance will likely be a flashpoint in the discussions ahead.<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research/#:~:text=In%20FY%202022%2C%20SNAP%20served,%24230.88%20per%20participant%20per%20month." target="_blank">More than 41 million Americans</a>&nbsp;rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program monthly to put food on the table. The program takes a lot of funding –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/minority-blog/reviewing-the-february-2024-baseline-for-usda-farm-and-nutrition-programs" target="_blank">about 80% of the farm bill’s massive budget goes to SNAP.</a><h2>House farm bill proposal</h2>The House draft suggests placing limits on how the Thrifty Food Plan is updated in the future. The Thrifty Food Plan is a basket of foods that represents a “nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet prepared at home” for a family of four,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/thriftyfoodplan" target="_blank">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</a>The money people receive through SNAP is calculated by how much that basket of food costs.Right now, the plan is updated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans#:~:text=As%20stipulated%20in%20the%20Agriculture,reevaluation%20is%20anticipated%20in%202026." target="_blank">every five years</a>&nbsp;based on food prices, food composition data, consumer data and dietary standards. The new proposal suggests updating the cost of the plan only for inflation.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://thompson.house.gov/" target="_blank">House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson</a>&nbsp;– a Republican from Pennsylvania – the nonpartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/" target="_blank">Congressional Budget Office</a>&nbsp;estimates the limit would cut SNAP by $30 billion over the next 10 years.“The cut would take away a day’s worth of benefits from the participants each month, then it would rise to two days of benefits each day,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://hayes.house.gov/" target="_blank">Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes</a>&nbsp;from Connecticut during discussions. “You may think losing one or two days of food is not significant. But I do think it’s quite significant for a low-income family trying to make ends meet.”But&nbsp;<a href="https://alford.house.gov/" target="_blank">Republican Rep. Mark Alford</a>&nbsp;from Missouri said he’s focused on making the program more efficient, not slashing benefits.“Democrats feel like we’re trying to cut the program. And that’s not the case,” he said. “If we can move to a program that has more integrity, more health benefits, it is going to be greater for our nation and greater for our taxpayers.”Alford points to&nbsp;<a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/uploadedfiles/detailed_summary_final.pdf" target="_blank">parts of the bill</a>&nbsp;that would allow frozen and canned produce to be covered, create an accountability office and expand eligibility for the program.Other SNAP proposals in the House’s farm bill draft would:<ul>
 <li>Add frozen, fresh, canned and dried fruits and vegetables as SNAP-eligible products&nbsp;</li><li>Create an office of program integrity to focus on SNAP and address erroneous payments and other inefficiencies&nbsp;</li><li>Allow individuals with past drug offenses to receive SNAP</li><li>Direct the USDA to issue formal guidance on notifying eligible college students that they qualify for SNAP</li>
 </ul>“We don’t feel there are cuts to SNAP – we’re just tightening up some of the issues,” Alford said. “I don’t want anyone who is truly hungry, truly needy and can’t work to go to bed hungry at night.”Megan Hamann, a community organizer focused on food and nutrition access with&nbsp;<a href="https://neappleseed.org/who-we-are" target="_blank">Nebraska Appleseed</a>, said framing limits to the Thrifty Food Plan as anything but cuts to SNAP is a “pretty problematic characterization, because it would erode SNAP’s buying power over time.”“So while families wouldn’t see their benefits go down in an immediate sense, SNAP would be increasingly less efficient as time goes on,” she said. “What we would see is a decline in how well the program actually works in people’s lives.”Hamann said she hopes the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/rural_prosperity_and_food_security_section-by-section.pdf" target="_blank">Senate’s farm bill proposal</a>&nbsp;can find support, which would maintain the regular re-evaluation of SNAP benefits.The House’s draft has a long way to go before it makes it into law as the new farm bill; it will need final passage in the House and endorsement from the Senate.“Everyone knows that this bill would never become law. The Senate won’t accept it and the administration won’t accept it,” Rep. David Scott of Georgia, the ranking Democrat on the House’s Agriculture committee, said during discussions. “And while this bill is a giant misstep, it nevertheless begins our journey toward passing a farm bill.”This story was produced in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/harvestpublicmedia" target="_blank">Harvest Public Media,</a>&nbsp;a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest. It reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues.&nbsp;

SNAP benefits huge part of farm bill, big point of contention for lawmakers

By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas Outdoors

Years ago, we had a wren house hung under the eaves just outside my office window. We watched a pair of wrens raise a family there for a couple years, then they never returned. I took the old tattered house down and didn’t have a wren house for a while. Two years ago, I got a pattern from a friend who is a very avid back-yard birder. I build two new houses, hung one at the same place outside my office window, and the other under the eaves of our workshop. We had no renters last year, and this spring, I guess a robin decided the house on the shop would make a nice two-story condo, and built a nest on the roof. She raised 3 chicks up there, but still no wrens. I’m suspicious they might not like the location any more because of the plethora of Baltimore Orioles we now feed nearby.

House wrens are cocky, brownish little birds with long pointy beaks that can easily be recognized by the way their tails point upward at a jaunty little angle. Next to Purple Martins, House Wrens seem to be the second most popular backyard songbird home owners like to provide with housing. Having wintered in the south, male wrens arrive here several days before the females, around mid-April, intent upon staking out their territories early and having a nice selection of summer homes for the ladies to choose from when they arrive. They take very well to the homes we provide for them, but wrens have been seen nesting in many places other than those nifty houses we build. Their nests have been found in overturned flower pots in garden sheds, in the small hole in the center of a ball of twine, in a large abandoned hornet’s nest, in old shoes, boots and hats, and in the pocket of a scare crow’s coat. The style of the house doesn’t seem to be important, as long as the interior is kept fairly small, as wrens are cavity nesters and feel secure in small tight places. I found directions showing entrance holes anywhere from 7/8 to 1 1/8 inches in diameter. Smaller holes keep out starlings, sparrows and other bigger birds. I found results of a study suggesting that slotted holes seem to work well and are evidently appreciated by the males, as slots allow them easier access into the house with nesting materials in their mouths.

When the male arrives (often to the same general nesting area each year,) he chooses more than one nesting site and immediately sets about stuffing them all full of sticks and twigs. After he has successfully wooed a female, she makes her choice from the options he’s provided and adds a lining of feathers, hair or wool to his bachelor pad and moves in. Male wrens are known to literally stuff these chosen sites so full of material that the female has to remove some just to get inside. One writer had watched a male wren in her backyard as he crammed a house so full of sticks they stuck out the hole. When the female arrived, she threw most of it back out into a pile on the ground below. While she was gone to hunt for suitable lining material, the male put one of his precious twigs back inside, and when the female arrived back, she again threw the stick out into the pile. I guess it’s that “When mammas happy everyone’s happy” thing.

Wrens often raise 2 broods a year. Five to eight tiny ½ inch eggs are laid, 13 to 15 days later, the hungry youngsters hatch, and 12 to 18 days after hatching are ready to fly from the nest. A wren’s diet is primarily insects and for those 12 to 18 days the parents’ life is put on hold as they strive to keep a house full of ravenous little insect guzzlers fed. One observer (who had way too much time on their hands and obviously a worse social life

than even I) counted over 1000 feeding trips made by a pair of wrens in one day! Just one of many good reasons to place wren houses near your garden.

A friend recently told me there seems to be a little controversy whether to clean wren houses or not. All my research shows that wren houses SHOULD be cleaned out each fall after the birds are done with them for the year. Cleaning helps rid them of any parasites, and removes any old nesting debris and anything else leftover after raising a couple families of hungry chicks.

I used to scoff at back-yard birders, but now I spend time on our deck most mornings with binoculars and a Kansas bird book handy, listening and learning to identify all the finches, orioles and other songbirds that frequent our seed and jelly feeders. Beautiful, colorful back-yard songbirds, yet more reminders of God’s marvelous Creation…Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas OutdoorsYears ago, we had a wren house hung under the eaves just outside my office window. We watched a pair of wrens raise a family there for a couple years, then they never returned. I took the old tattered house down and didn’t have a wren house for a while. Two years ago, I got a pattern from a friend who is a very avid back-yard birder. I build two new houses, hung one at the same place outside my office window, and the other under the eaves of our workshop. We had no renters last year, and this spring, I guess a robin decided the house on the shop would make a nice two-story condo, and built a nest on the roof. She raised 3 chicks up there, but still no wrens. I’m suspicious they might not like the location any more because of the plethora of Baltimore Orioles we now feed nearby.House wrens are cocky, brownish little birds with long pointy beaks that can easily be recognized by the way their tails point upward at a jaunty little angle. Next to Purple Martins, House Wrens seem to be the second most popular backyard songbird home owners like to provide with housing. Having wintered in the south, male wrens arrive here several days before the females, around mid-April, intent upon staking out their territories early and having a nice selection of summer homes for the ladies to choose from when they arrive. They take very well to the homes we provide for them, but wrens have been seen nesting in many places other than those nifty houses we build. Their nests have been found in overturned flower pots in garden sheds, in the small hole in the center of a ball of twine, in a large abandoned hornet’s nest, in old shoes, boots and hats, and in the pocket of a scare crow’s coat. The style of the house doesn’t seem to be important, as long as the interior is kept fairly small, as wrens are cavity nesters and feel secure in small tight places. I found directions showing entrance holes anywhere from 7/8 to 1 1/8 inches in diameter. Smaller holes keep out starlings, sparrows and other bigger birds. I found results of a study suggesting that slotted holes seem to work well and are evidently appreciated by the males, as slots allow them easier access into the house with nesting materials in their mouths.When the male arrives (often to the same general nesting area each year,) he chooses more than one nesting site and immediately sets about stuffing them all full of sticks and twigs. After he has successfully wooed a female, she makes her choice from the options he’s provided and adds a lining of feathers, hair or wool to his bachelor pad and moves in. Male wrens are known to literally stuff these chosen sites so full of material that the female has to remove some just to get inside. One writer had watched a male wren in her backyard as he crammed a house so full of sticks they stuck out the hole. When the female arrived, she threw most of it back out into a pile on the ground below. While she was gone to hunt for suitable lining material, the male put one of his precious twigs back inside, and when the female arrived back, she again threw the stick out into the pile. I guess it’s that “When mammas happy everyone’s happy” thing.Wrens often raise 2 broods a year. Five to eight tiny ½ inch eggs are laid, 13 to 15 days later, the hungry youngsters hatch, and 12 to 18 days after hatching are ready to fly from the nest. A wren’s diet is primarily insects and for those 12 to 18 days the parents’ life is put on hold as they strive to keep a house full of ravenous little insect guzzlers fed. One observer (who had way too much time on their hands and obviously a worse social lifethan even I) counted over 1000 feeding trips made by a pair of wrens in one day! Just one of many good reasons to place wren houses near your garden.A friend recently told me there seems to be a little controversy whether to clean wren houses or not. All my research shows that wren houses SHOULD be cleaned out each fall after the birds are done with them for the year. Cleaning helps rid them of any parasites, and removes any old nesting debris and anything else leftover after raising a couple families of hungry chicks.I used to scoff at back-yard birders, but now I spend time on our deck most mornings with binoculars and a Kansas bird book handy, listening and learning to identify all the finches, orioles and other songbirds that frequent our seed and jelly feeders. Beautiful, colorful back-yard songbirds, yet more reminders of God’s marvelous Creation…Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Spring wrens…sometimes

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

WILSON—Take cover and spend the night in an underground missile base in Wilson, transformed into a tourist stop and Airbnb.

Built during the Cold War, the Atlas F Missile Base once housed a weapon of mass destruction but is now a site for camping, an RV park, hiking trails and campfires.

Owner Matthew Fulkerson of Ad Astra Missile Silo purchased the bunker in 2013 but couldn't do much with it initially due to financial issues.

"In 2017, I realized that 'You know what, nothing is going to happen here unless you come out and start working,'" he said.

The Adventure Resort, 354 Fourth Road, is on the 24-acre property and is accessed through a steel door and a flight of stairs.

Around a few corners and behind two massive 2,000-pound doors, guests will find the Launch Control Center, now equipped with home utilities and living spaces.

Fulkerson began remodeling the property, and since 2019, visitors from around the globe have been able to travel through time.

"Most missile base owners will keep it very private, but I'm one of the few people in the world that opened up a place for people to tour and stay," he said.

For $350 a night for up to six guests, you can <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/655066825417773535?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3_Q-civBDYSztjEqVKfIhOJN8jHGKKti6E7jYnDDMSju3MCK6-Wv0tj74_aem_AbBQ24HI1tbmYXpX4p3KsXEcm3cozROxgH23gE3R3zWMOWhwKdOXVOniUAJDrml8hWtBeHSoUhixCrXmPqbVvrSE&amp;source_impression_id=p3_1717427997_ETZKlLQqP0mYlaaS&amp;guests=1&amp;adults=1">book a stay</a> at Atlas Ad Astra or schedule a <a href="https://atlas-ad-astra.checkfront.com/reserve/">one-hour tour</a> to learn about the Atlas Program and structures built by the U.S. Army.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517740083.jpeg" alt="Mathew Fulkerson and Buddy the Missile Silo dog at the base entrance. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Mathew Fulkerson and Buddy the Missile Silo dog at the base entrance. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717536573500.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostWILSON—Take cover and spend the night in an underground missile base in Wilson, transformed into a tourist stop and Airbnb.Built during the Cold War, the Atlas F Missile Base once housed a weapon of mass destruction but is now a site for camping, an RV park, hiking trails and campfires.Owner Matthew Fulkerson of Ad Astra Missile Silo purchased the bunker in 2013 but couldn't do much with it initially due to financial issues."In 2017, I realized that 'You know what, nothing is going to happen here unless you come out and start working,'" he said.The Adventure Resort, 354 Fourth Road, is on the 24-acre property and is accessed through a steel door and a flight of stairs.Around a few corners and behind two massive 2,000-pound doors, guests will find the Launch Control Center, now equipped with home utilities and living spaces.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717516883399.jpeg" alt="Two large 2,000-pound steel doors to prevent an explosive force from reaching inside. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Two large 2,000-pound steel doors to prevent an explosive force from reaching inside. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717516948013.jpeg" alt="The kitchen space in the Launch Control Center of the base. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The kitchen space in the Launch Control Center of the base. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717516997429.jpeg" alt="Bunk beds and kitchen utilities located in the Launch Control Center.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Bunk beds and kitchen utilities located in the Launch Control Center.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517049327.jpeg" alt="Private room with a king-size bed in the Launch Control Center of the base.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Private room with a king-size bed in the Launch Control Center of the base.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517176217.jpeg" alt="Mathew Fulkerson sitting in the living room space with a TV.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Mathew Fulkerson sitting in the living room space with a TV.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Fulkerson began remodeling the property, and since 2019, visitors from around the globe have been able to travel through time."Most missile base owners will keep it very private, but I'm one of the few people in the world that opened up a place for people to tour and stay," he said.For $350 a night for up to six guests, you can <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/655066825417773535?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3_Q-civBDYSztjEqVKfIhOJN8jHGKKti6E7jYnDDMSju3MCK6-Wv0tj74_aem_AbBQ24HI1tbmYXpX4p3KsXEcm3cozROxgH23gE3R3zWMOWhwKdOXVOniUAJDrml8hWtBeHSoUhixCrXmPqbVvrSE&amp;source_impression_id=p3_1717427997_ETZKlLQqP0mYlaaS&amp;guests=1&amp;adults=1">book a stay</a> at Atlas Ad Astra or schedule a <a href="https://atlas-ad-astra.checkfront.com/reserve/">one-hour tour</a> to learn about the Atlas Program and structures built by the U.S. Army.With required reservations, regular tours are at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Prices vary for ages 10 and older, while children 9 and younger are free but must be supervised.You can also <a href="https://www.campspot.com/book/atlasadastra">book </a>tent camping from March to November, car camping all year and RV parking with amenities."Originally, [the control center] was suspended from the ceiling at four different points around the room. If an explosion happened at the bottom, everything would be safe inside," Fulkerson said.Below the remodeled Airbnb floor is the silo that once housed the U.S.'s first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, prepared for the Nuclear War during the 1950s and '60s.According to Fulkerson, Kansas was a target during the height of the Cold War because it could launch a retaliatory strike."We had about a 30-minute window if we saw that we were being attacked," he said. "The concept was if you launched on us, then we would launch on you; nobody wins and mutually assured destruction."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517252564.jpeg" alt="The tunnel leading to the silo with a door meant to protect the base from an explosion of its own missile.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The tunnel leading to the silo with a door meant to protect the base from an explosion of its own missile.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517332843.jpeg" alt="The doorway leading to an overlook view of the silo.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The doorway leading to an overlook view of the silo.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517392630.jpeg" alt="The 176-foot-deep silo with 70 feef of water inside where the missile was once stored.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The 176-foot-deep silo with 70 feef of water inside where the missile was once stored.&nbsp;Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517436465.jpeg" alt="The blast doors which would conceal the missile inside the silo.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The blast doors which would conceal the missile inside the silo.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The silo was decommissioned in 1965 after four years of operation. It was the first structure built to withstand a blast within a one-mile radius, making it the most hardened structure of its time.The construction costs for the structure alone amount to more than $120 million in today's currency.Grow Ellsworth congratulated Fulkerson on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=848275910673655&amp;set=a.554937336674182">Facebook </a>after receiving an $80,000 Attraction Development Grant from the Kansas Department of Tourism and support from Airbnb."It's been an incredible journey. The more hard work I put in, the more people believe in what I'm doing," Fulkerson said.Within the silo, Fulkerson intends to transform the Launch Control Center into an Educational Center for Space Habitat Studies, offering simulations of life in a space station or colony.Plans for the property's surface level include a gourmet coffee shop, sauna, event center, obstacle course and other amenities for travelers' convenience.To support Fulkerson, you can donate to his <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/missilesilo?attribution_id=undefined&amp;utm_campaign=unknown&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=website_widget">GoFundMe</a> campaign. For every dollar donated, you will receive two entries for a chance to win a two-night stay at the silo.Since 2020, Fulkerson has lived on the property in his RV and a tiny house he built near the silo entrance, accompanied by the Missile Silo dog, Buddy."I'm super excited to have my life revolve around hospitality, meeting new people and sharing this piece of history," Fulkerson said.You can find more information on Atlas Ad Astra-Adventure Resort and its history on its <a href="https://www.atlasadastra.com/">website</a>.You can also follow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AtlasAdAstra">Atlas Ad Astra-Missile Silo Adventure Resort</a> on Facebook.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517568427.jpeg" alt="The blast doors above the missile silo made from 9 feet of concrete.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The blast doors above the missile silo made from 9 feet of concrete.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517612765.jpeg" alt="The entrance to the missile base next to a small island.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The entrance to the missile base next to a small island.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717517680882.jpeg" alt="Mathew and Buddy exiting the missile base.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Mathew and Buddy exiting the missile base.&nbsp;Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>