By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The K-State Ag Research Center in Hays reported 1.5 inches of snow overnight in Hays.

This is on top of the estimated eight inches of snow the city received Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Hays and most of Kansas are in a wind chill warning from today through noon on Tuesday.

Wind chills could drop as low as -29 degrees as of Sunday night in Hays.

Snow will be possible across southcentral and portions of southwest Kansas on Sunday. Hays has a 30 percent chance of snow after noon on Sunday. Accumulation is estimated to be less than an inch.

All of Ellis County was reported to be out of extreme drought for the first time in months as of the drought report Thursday. However, most of the county still remains in severe drought as of the report.&nbsp;

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe K-State Ag Research Center in Hays reported 1.5 inches of snow overnight in Hays.This is on top of the estimated eight inches of snow the city received Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.Hays and most of Kansas are in a wind chill warning from today through noon on Tuesday.Wind chills could drop as low as -29 degrees as of Sunday night in Hays.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705074200679.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Snow will be possible across southcentral and portions of southwest Kansas on Sunday. Hays has a 30 percent chance of snow after noon on Sunday. Accumulation is estimated to be less than an inch.All of Ellis County was reported to be out of extreme drought for the first time in months as of the drought report Thursday. However, most of the county still remains in severe drought as of the report.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705074442962.png" alt="Kansas Drought Monitor map as of Thursday." />
 <figcaption>Kansas Drought Monitor map as of Thursday.</figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays receives more snow overnight; dangerous wind chills forecast through Tuesday

SHERMAN COUNTY —The cold weather provided the perfect conditions for a rare&nbsp;atmospheric optical phenomenon late Thursday.

The National Weather Service in Goodland shared a photo of light pillars seen from their headquarters at 920 Armory Road.

"It's gotten pretty cold, but the nice treat was worth it. Light pillars coming from town with our sign in the foreground."

Light pillars form when a bright light source reflects off the surfaces of millions of falling ice crystals associated with thin, high-level clouds, for example, cirrostratus clouds, according to the National Weather Service.

Overnight temperatures Thursday in northwest Kansas were in the single digits with wind chill temperatures well below zero. The forecast calls for Friday night low temperature around -8 in Goodland.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705069872735.png" alt="Photo NWS Goodland" />
 <figcaption>Photo NWS Goodland</figcaption>
 </figure>SHERMAN COUNTY —The cold weather provided the perfect conditions for a rare&nbsp;atmospheric optical phenomenon late Thursday.The National Weather Service in Goodland shared a photo of light pillars seen from their headquarters at 920 Armory Road."It's gotten pretty cold, but the nice treat was worth it. Light pillars coming from town with our sign in the foreground."Light pillars form when a bright light source reflects off the surfaces of millions of falling ice crystals associated with thin, high-level clouds, for example, cirrostratus clouds, according to the National Weather Service.Overnight temperatures Thursday in northwest Kansas were in the single digits with wind chill temperatures well below zero. The forecast calls for Friday night low temperature around -8 in Goodland.

Light pillars dazzle in the extreme NW Kansas cold

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

After serving the last five years as the first-ever defense
attorney for Ellis County Drug Court, Hays attorney Curtis Brown has stepped
down and was recently honored by the court and graduates of the program.

The first week of January marked the last days as Ellis
County Drug Court Defense Attorney for Brown before he is set to pursue other
career opportunities.

Brown, who signed on to serve as the program's first defense attorney in 2018, was honored with a plaque for his service by Chief Justice of the 23rd Judicial District Glenn Braun last week in front
of a courtroom that was packed with Ellis County Drug Court, now Recovery
Court, program graduates and participants.

Judge Braun oversees recovery court and celebrated Brown for
his work as a founding member of the court, saying he was a key part of getting the court up and running in Ellis County and Brown went above and beyond in his responsibilities.

Brown said in the beginning, he had reservations, but he said seeing members of his family struggle with addiction was the
biggest factor in taking part in the program, a decision he said he could not
have been happier with.

“It's amazing. It's helped so many people in this in this
community,” Brown said. “There are people that would start using, like
methamphetamine at the age of 10, and have used for 20 years, and they're able
to get sober and have long-term sobriety.

"It not only helps them, but helps
the community where community resources aren’t being used on them, or they're
not in jail. It just has a whole bigger positive impact than just even that
person getting sober. It has a big community impact.”

As the defense attorney for participants of the recovery
court, Brown represented program members who might have committed violations. However, as Judge Braun said Brown went above and beyond to help.

“I've helped a lot of them outside of drug court through
trying to get their license back or trying to figure out child support or child
custody questions or issues that have come up,” Brown said.

Recovery Court Coordinator Teresa Greenwood said as of the
beginning of the year, there have been 49 people graduate from the program since
it started in 2018 and Brown was a key part of that.

“It’s so hard to describe. When you see somebody that
graduates drug court that has lived with addiction for years,” Brown said, “just the
smile on their face, it's so rewarding.”

Brown said there is a misconception surrounding the
specialty court that the court is easy and the participants are treated with, “kid
gloves.” But he said it’s harder than regular probation.



“Drug court, now recovery court, is so hard on these people. They’re so
demanding on them,” Brown said. “It is a lot of work for these individuals to
get through it.”

Brown said he appreciated the acknowledgment he received
and said he doesn’t think everyone involved in recovery court gets enough
credit for the work that they do.

“It's really neat working with everybody that's committed to
helping these folks,” Brown said, “a lot of agencies coming together.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704988489181.jpeg" alt="Judge Glenn Braun, left, honors&nbsp;Hays attorney Curtis Brown, right, for his service to the Ellis County Drug Court. Brown served as the first defense attorney for the court, which was created in 2018. Photo by Jonathan Zweygardt/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Judge Glenn Braun, left, honors&nbsp;Hays attorney Curtis Brown, right, for his service to the Ellis County Drug Court. Brown served as the first defense attorney for the court, which was created in 2018. Photo by Jonathan Zweygardt/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostAfter serving the last five years as the first-ever defense
attorney for Ellis County Drug Court, Hays attorney Curtis Brown has stepped
down and was recently honored by the court and graduates of the program.The first week of January marked the last days as Ellis
County Drug Court Defense Attorney for Brown before he is set to pursue other
career opportunities.Brown, who signed on to serve as the program's first defense attorney in 2018, was honored with a plaque for his service by Chief Justice of the 23rd Judicial District Glenn Braun last week in front
of a courtroom that was packed with Ellis County Drug Court, now Recovery
Court, program graduates and participants.Judge Braun oversees recovery court and celebrated Brown for
his work as a founding member of the court, saying he was a key part of getting the court up and running in Ellis County and Brown went above and beyond in his responsibilities.Brown said in the beginning, he had reservations, but he said seeing members of his family struggle with addiction was the
biggest factor in taking part in the program, a decision he said he could not
have been happier with.“It's amazing. It's helped so many people in this in this
community,” Brown said. “There are people that would start using, like
methamphetamine at the age of 10, and have used for 20 years, and they're able
to get sober and have long-term sobriety."It not only helps them, but helps
the community where community resources aren’t being used on them, or they're
not in jail. It just has a whole bigger positive impact than just even that
person getting sober. It has a big community impact.”As the defense attorney for participants of the recovery
court, Brown represented program members who might have committed violations. However, as Judge Braun said Brown went above and beyond to help.“I've helped a lot of them outside of drug court through
trying to get their license back or trying to figure out child support or child
custody questions or issues that have come up,” Brown said.Recovery Court Coordinator Teresa Greenwood said as of the
beginning of the year, there have been 49 people graduate from the program since
it started in 2018 and Brown was a key part of that.“It’s so hard to describe. When you see somebody that
graduates drug court that has lived with addiction for years,” Brown said, “just the
smile on their face, it's so rewarding.”Brown said there is a misconception surrounding the
specialty court that the court is easy and the participants are treated with, “kid
gloves.” But he said it’s harder than regular probation.

“Drug court, now recovery court, is so hard on these people. They’re so
demanding on them,” Brown said. “It is a lot of work for these individuals to
get through it.”Brown said he appreciated the acknowledgment he received
and said he doesn’t think everyone involved in recovery court gets enough
credit for the work that they do.“It's really neat working with everybody that's committed to
helping these folks,” Brown said, “a lot of agencies coming together.”

Brown honored for service to Ellis County Drug Court

<a href="https://ccnks.org/">Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas</a>, alongside Bishop Jerry Vincke and <a href="https://hayschamber.com/">The Chamber in Hays, Kansas,</a> invites the community to a special "Before the Build" Breakfast and Preview Event at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 26. The event, hosted at the future home of Catholic Charities, a building generously donated by a local family at 1015 Centennial Blvd. in Hays, aims to educate the community about the renovation project and celebrate progress towards the fundraising goal.

This gathering will provide an opportunity for community members to learn more about the upcoming renovation, with a particular focus on the collaborative efforts that have made it possible. The building, a generous gift from a local family, symbolizes a significant step towards expanding Catholic Charities' presence in Hays. The event will also serve as a platform to celebrate the launch of the renovation and highlight the progress made towards achieving the fundraising goal. Attendees will also have the opportunity to preview project plans.

"We are thrilled to share the exciting progress of our renovation project and celebrate the support we have received from the community, the Patterson Family Foundation, and the Kansas Department of Commerce. This event is not only about the building; it's about the collective effort to enhance our capacity to serve the community. We invite everyone to join us as we launch this renovation and celebrate this significant gift," said Megan Robl, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas.

The event is open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.ccnks.org/haysproject.">www.ccnks.org/haysproject.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704997734314.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Submitted<a href="https://ccnks.org/">Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas</a>, alongside Bishop Jerry Vincke and <a href="https://hayschamber.com/">The Chamber in Hays, Kansas,</a> invites the community to a special "Before the Build" Breakfast and Preview Event at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 26. The event, hosted at the future home of Catholic Charities, a building generously donated by a local family at 1015 Centennial Blvd. in Hays, aims to educate the community about the renovation project and celebrate progress towards the fundraising goal.This gathering will provide an opportunity for community members to learn more about the upcoming renovation, with a particular focus on the collaborative efforts that have made it possible. The building, a generous gift from a local family, symbolizes a significant step towards expanding Catholic Charities' presence in Hays. The event will also serve as a platform to celebrate the launch of the renovation and highlight the progress made towards achieving the fundraising goal. Attendees will also have the opportunity to preview project plans."We are thrilled to share the exciting progress of our renovation project and celebrate the support we have received from the community, the Patterson Family Foundation, and the Kansas Department of Commerce. This event is not only about the building; it's about the collective effort to enhance our capacity to serve the community. We invite everyone to join us as we launch this renovation and celebrate this significant gift," said Megan Robl, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas.The event is open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.ccnks.org/haysproject.">www.ccnks.org/haysproject.</a>

Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas event to celebrate renovation project

Government Surplus Commodities will be distributed in Hays at:

Unite Free Store (inside The Gamers Guild) 200 E. Eighth&nbsp;St. in Hays, KS Wednesday, Jan. 24th&nbsp;from 7:30-9 a.m. Commodities will be distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis until we run out.

To be eligible for commodities, your household's total monthly income must be below: $1,473 Household of one$ 1,984 Household of two$ 2,495 Household of three $3,007 Household of four $3,518 Household of five $4,029 Household of six $4,541 Household of seven $5,052 Household of eight

*Add $512 for each additional family member after eight

Commodities included in this distribution are anticipated to be: applesauce, black beans, mixed fruit, green beans, diced tomatoes, long grain rice, beef stew, cheddar cheese, frozen strawberries, garbanzo beans, pork loin, UHT Milk, Apple slices, American cheese, cheddar chunk cheese, and almonds.&nbsp;

Contact Brandon Nimz, Unite Ministry leader, with any questions at 785-259-2539. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

SubmittedGovernment Surplus Commodities will be distributed in Hays at:Unite Free Store (inside The Gamers Guild) 200 E. Eighth&nbsp;St. in Hays, KS Wednesday, Jan. 24th&nbsp;from 7:30-9 a.m. Commodities will be distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis until we run out.Doors will not open until 7:30 a.m.To be eligible for commodities, your household's total monthly income must be below: $1,473 Household of one$ 1,984 Household of two$ 2,495 Household of three $3,007 Household of four $3,518 Household of five $4,029 Household of six $4,541 Household of seven $5,052 Household of eight*Add $512 for each additional family member after eightCommodities included in this distribution are anticipated to be: applesauce, black beans, mixed fruit, green beans, diced tomatoes, long grain rice, beef stew, cheddar cheese, frozen strawberries, garbanzo beans, pork loin, UHT Milk, Apple slices, American cheese, cheddar chunk cheese, and almonds.&nbsp;Contact Brandon Nimz, Unite Ministry leader, with any questions at 785-259-2539. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Government surplus commodities set for Jan. 24 distribution

Stay indoors when possible and heat your home safely

&nbsp;A winter storm will blow through the region starting late Thursday, bringing freezing temperatures and subzero wind chills that will persist for several days.

The American Red Cross serving Kansas and Oklahoma&nbsp;urges families to take several steps to deal with the cold and heat their homes safely. As with any potential emergency:

“The safest place to be during a winter storm is indoors, and we encourage people to check on loved ones and neighbors to make sure they are staying warm, especially if older adults and babies are involved,” said Shelly Webb, Regional Disaster Officer for the Red Cross Kansas and Oklahoma Region.

PLAN TO STAY WARM&nbsp;Stay warm indoors to prevent frostbite and hypothermia, and bring your pets inside. Follow these tips to stay safe if you need to go outside:

HEAT YOUR HOME SAFELY&nbsp;Overall, home fires account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters that the Red Cross responds to each year — and home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of year.

“Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in this country,” Webb said. “But, there are steps people can take to avoid having this happen to them.&nbsp;Help keep your family safe by providing at least three feet of space around all heating equipment, testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your two-minute home fire escape plan.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

HOW TO SAFELY HEAT YOUR HOME&nbsp;According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips on how to safely heat your home:

PREVENT HOME FIRE TRAGEDIES&nbsp;To help protect your family year-round, test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.

IF YOU NEED HELP&nbsp;If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUbSEB1yYF5kXzlN-2FZgqLHeLS8IJC-2BB99tiXP4W4kr5K676kcpn73o7zE9XvMKCf0BQ-3D-3DToXd_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BldppdMx-2FuaAGxc2uC3R9HastYXNz9-2FjgvgycW25VF4Kl1En72fk1b4s0B4ov9tQrOjUcrpI1GuxRo2buJc91wPSPqP5fGa-2BDG7Wj31NzIUB3CJ7MtSXHNzpYVntJTyII8crnyGCNtGdeHbCOXOzPhQ-3D">local Red Cross</a>&nbsp;for help.

Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=TeZUXWpUv-2B6TCY38pVLo9geTRvg6gONCxWCfsFRiiR-2BZ4-2Fiwq42Ttnjp-2FND3x4KZR1wV_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BlIwbnGhZzHLvz9eDZjyYz4PGyV5zxGS9mDXdCWroCGFUzpIWazGN8-2F8mnqB-2BspmO25U0FSroF2LYfF5PoMTE4eAu0Opv096mwZqIy-2FE3ZH5odgmdjsZGAC9gwcyqvmkmlTNCCq00rmLMeT6dyGT5ko-3D">redcross.org/fire</a>&nbsp;for more information, including an&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUbSEB1yYF5kXzlN-2FZgqLHeILn3iXR3b-2F1ZMW-2FbpT1vi6fxFkZqILiRyVUc-2BdHMc-2B9MoBaBPnnpHle-2FLYeRRJhX5t9mB2tij-2FSVR3mo1Asnbkpo0TZuPnCn8WMbDRBYoOw7OlwfrwyjuqCgJdFFMvvms-3DIwZu_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BnrN8Joot3f8EMvStjrKftsC7IiURoNgvX9yPed1h-2Fjv6w6E29A8vD5ucugLEeNZp-2FgwWTgdSrCOhzCgtaAbzOR22Pb8VedsuABbqzxnYxeBhG307W4vd3E4l4Muz1e-2FYcr-2BdJyNW9MMN97Q3qobM00-3D">escape plan</a>&nbsp;to practice with your family. Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies.&nbsp;Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector.&nbsp;Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=TeZUXWpUv-2B6TCY38pVLo9geTRvg6gONCxWCfsFRiiR-2BnhGpJFvOLzDF2abERlvDHXV5IgDLutGVK3Bc-2BUmXa0Q-3D-3DwcqO_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BvpRVLJmeTP230F5yAZ4KyR96pfgoGjDI36natdIz-2FW9FIKG0lmL9KrASAUhcnGwYa-2B-2BMswGMHu23TcASl4QUooCZLhXb-2FjhUHmAYgrU-2FUeF0BZb7-2FS1okll-2FhxjBR4SoX-2F70xeYebkbgZpoDQXpTso-3D">redcross.org/apps.</a>

American Red Cross<h2>Stay indoors when possible and heat your home safely</h2>&nbsp;A winter storm will blow through the region starting late Thursday, bringing freezing temperatures and subzero wind chills that will persist for several days.The American Red Cross serving Kansas and Oklahoma&nbsp;urges families to take several steps to deal with the cold and heat their homes safely. As with any potential emergency:<ol>
 <li>Get a kit.&nbsp;Gather food, water and medicine for every member of your household, including pets. Stores may be closed, and it may be unsafe to travel.</li><li>Make a plan.&nbsp;Know where you will go if your power is out or if your home becomes too cold.</li><li>Stay informed.&nbsp;Sign up for free emergency alerts, follow local weather and news, and download the free&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=TeZUXWpUv-2B6TCY38pVLo9geTRvg6gONCxWCfsFRiiR8cGFRKXyJbM1vK9CAowRNVLNqO_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2Bpf-2BDmN3FLbPCRBIT93Mv8a78OutLEIkAY5mzzEYoN3HhGUy470qMLAKNTglJdssVuG83C8Y-2FAmSBeY6HV2yjf-2Byr9benaoreCTeMgR-2B1jWx-2FgyTUzDRt7vHYoJ44FvVaGr6eEPp6jfDMga8LAJ0Xj8-3D">Red Cross Emergency app</a>.</li>
 </ol>“The safest place to be during a winter storm is indoors, and we encourage people to check on loved ones and neighbors to make sure they are staying warm, especially if older adults and babies are involved,” said Shelly Webb, Regional Disaster Officer for the Red Cross Kansas and Oklahoma Region.PLAN TO STAY WARM&nbsp;Stay warm indoors to prevent frostbite and hypothermia, and bring your pets inside. Follow these tips to stay safe if you need to go outside:<ul>
 <li>Dress properly. Keep your nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes covered in warm, dry clothing. These areas are the first to be at risk of frostbite. Wear layers of loose clothing, a coat, hat, mittens or gloves, and water-resistant boots. Use a scarf to cover your face and mouth.</li><li>Drink plenty of warm fluids, but avoid caffeine and alcohol.</li><li>Avoid travel if you can.</li><li>Use ice-melting products to keep your walkways safe.</li><li>Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia. If you or someone you are with is shaking uncontrollably, getting extremely tired, turning very pale or getting numb fingers, toes, ears or nose — get out of the cold immediately.</li>
 </ul>HEAT YOUR HOME SAFELY&nbsp;Overall, home fires account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters that the Red Cross responds to each year — and home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of year.“Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in this country,” Webb said. “But, there are steps people can take to avoid having this happen to them.&nbsp;Help keep your family safe by providing at least three feet of space around all heating equipment, testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your two-minute home fire escape plan.”&nbsp;&nbsp;HOW TO SAFELY HEAT YOUR HOME&nbsp;According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips on how to safely heat your home:<ul>
 <li>If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. Place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes.</li><li>Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets&nbsp;— never into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.&nbsp;</li><li>Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least three feet&nbsp;away from heating equipment.&nbsp;</li><li>Never use a cooking range&nbsp;or oven&nbsp;to heat your home.</li><li>Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.</li><li>Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually&nbsp;by a professional and cleaned if necessary.</li>
 </ul>PREVENT HOME FIRE TRAGEDIES&nbsp;To help protect your family year-round, test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.IF YOU NEED HELP&nbsp;If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUbSEB1yYF5kXzlN-2FZgqLHeLS8IJC-2BB99tiXP4W4kr5K676kcpn73o7zE9XvMKCf0BQ-3D-3DToXd_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BldppdMx-2FuaAGxc2uC3R9HastYXNz9-2FjgvgycW25VF4Kl1En72fk1b4s0B4ov9tQrOjUcrpI1GuxRo2buJc91wPSPqP5fGa-2BDG7Wj31NzIUB3CJ7MtSXHNzpYVntJTyII8crnyGCNtGdeHbCOXOzPhQ-3D">local Red Cross</a>&nbsp;for help.Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=TeZUXWpUv-2B6TCY38pVLo9geTRvg6gONCxWCfsFRiiR-2BZ4-2Fiwq42Ttnjp-2FND3x4KZR1wV_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BlIwbnGhZzHLvz9eDZjyYz4PGyV5zxGS9mDXdCWroCGFUzpIWazGN8-2F8mnqB-2BspmO25U0FSroF2LYfF5PoMTE4eAu0Opv096mwZqIy-2FE3ZH5odgmdjsZGAC9gwcyqvmkmlTNCCq00rmLMeT6dyGT5ko-3D">redcross.org/fire</a>&nbsp;for more information, including an&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUbSEB1yYF5kXzlN-2FZgqLHeILn3iXR3b-2F1ZMW-2FbpT1vi6fxFkZqILiRyVUc-2BdHMc-2B9MoBaBPnnpHle-2FLYeRRJhX5t9mB2tij-2FSVR3mo1Asnbkpo0TZuPnCn8WMbDRBYoOw7OlwfrwyjuqCgJdFFMvvms-3DIwZu_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BnrN8Joot3f8EMvStjrKftsC7IiURoNgvX9yPed1h-2Fjv6w6E29A8vD5ucugLEeNZp-2FgwWTgdSrCOhzCgtaAbzOR22Pb8VedsuABbqzxnYxeBhG307W4vd3E4l4Muz1e-2FYcr-2BdJyNW9MMN97Q3qobM00-3D">escape plan</a>&nbsp;to practice with your family. Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies.&nbsp;Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector.&nbsp;Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to&nbsp;<a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=TeZUXWpUv-2B6TCY38pVLo9geTRvg6gONCxWCfsFRiiR-2BnhGpJFvOLzDF2abERlvDHXV5IgDLutGVK3Bc-2BUmXa0Q-3D-3DwcqO_Q14NuxFof-2FlSOp3J3UZ6h3JsMwrH0FQP9CbYhwp0E-2Fi6k9-2FY7KIUQQIAJ9nTnr7S67jx-2FpLkk7LCz-2FvWQPef3JNh7xNUiSr7CmOagB6uAucmJuQjfa0fWiBID0IOylyNM2f-2FSzCoLfCvUDLYsiQlrczwZnHwz0LjuBOKQV5SiTaMHb6JD3l9iwo6yLpWSLJjWi2sI5bDFPl-2FEISG6Pj4-2BvpRVLJmeTP230F5yAZ4KyR96pfgoGjDI36natdIz-2FW9FIKG0lmL9KrASAUhcnGwYa-2B-2BMswGMHu23TcASl4QUooCZLhXb-2FjhUHmAYgrU-2FUeF0BZb7-2FS1okll-2FhxjBR4SoX-2F70xeYebkbgZpoDQXpTso-3D">redcross.org/apps.</a>

Bitter cold coming ─ Red Cross has tips to stay safe

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704997268853.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

The Kansas Department of Transportation has reopened both directions of I-70 between WaKeeney and Russell. The interstate was previously closed because of whiteout conditions and crashes blocking the driving lanes.

Accumulating snowfall and strong winds are continuing to cause snow-packed and icy roadways. Motorists are advised to slow down, use caution and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.

For the latest information on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kandrive.gov/" target="_blank">www.kandrive.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705024607036.png" alt="KanDrive image 7:30p.m. Thursday" />
 <figcaption>KanDrive image 7:30p.m. Thursday</figcaption>
 </figure>KDOTThe Kansas Department of Transportation has reopened both directions of I-70 between WaKeeney and Russell. The interstate was previously closed because of whiteout conditions and crashes blocking the driving lanes.Accumulating snowfall and strong winds are continuing to cause snow-packed and icy roadways. Motorists are advised to slow down, use caution and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.For the latest information on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kandrive.gov/" target="_blank">www.kandrive.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.

All lanes of I-70 reopened

TMP-Marian at Ellis Thursday, Jan. 11 – 6 p.m. Ellis, Kan. - Ellis High School

Radio: KFIX (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN </a>Video: TMP-Marian Sports Network&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/893981">CLICK HERE TO WATCH
($)</a>

The TMP-Marian Monarchs return to league play Thursday night as they travel to Ellis for a matchup with their rivals Ellis Railroaders.

&nbsp;The Monarch girls are 3-5
and trying to end a three-game losing streak after a loss to Sacred Heart last
Friday. The Ellis girls 5-3 and have won four of their last six.

The Ellis boys are 3-5 and have won two straight while the
TMP boys are 2-6.

Tipoff of the girls game is set for 6:00 p.m. with the boys to follow at Al Billinger Fieldhouse. Live coverage includes The TMP-Marian Sports Network and Eagle Radio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575411582384.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TMP-Marian at Ellis Thursday, Jan. 11 – 6 p.m. Ellis, Kan. - Ellis High SchoolRadio: KFIX (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN </a>Video: TMP-Marian Sports Network&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/893981">CLICK HERE TO WATCH
($)</a>The TMP-Marian Monarchs return to league play Thursday night as they travel to Ellis for a matchup with their rivals Ellis Railroaders.&nbsp;The Monarch girls are 3-5
and trying to end a three-game losing streak after a loss to Sacred Heart last
Friday. The Ellis girls 5-3 and have won four of their last six.The Ellis boys are 3-5 and have won two straight while the
TMP boys are 2-6.Tipoff of the girls game is set for 6:00 p.m. with the boys to follow at Al Billinger Fieldhouse. Live coverage includes The TMP-Marian Sports Network and Eagle Radio.

🏀🎥 TMP travels to Ellis for rivalry game with Railers

ROOKS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Thursday in Rooks County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2014 Chevy UT driven by Amber Dawn Hageman, 30, Salina, was westbound on N Terrace Road at 16 Road. The driver fell asleep.&nbsp; The SUV traveled off the roadway to an embankment and into a field.

EMS transported&nbsp; Hageman to the Rooks County Health Center. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

ROOKS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Thursday in Rooks County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2014 Chevy UT driven by Amber Dawn Hageman, 30, Salina, was westbound on N Terrace Road at 16 Road. The driver fell asleep.&nbsp; The SUV traveled off the roadway to an embankment and into a field.EMS transported&nbsp; Hageman to the Rooks County Health Center. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kan. woman injured after she fell asleep while driving

Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun will serve as the president of the Kansas Sheriff's Association for 2024. He highlighted some of the legislative priorities for the association before the Kansas Legislative session began on Monday.

Braun was elected as a president-elect last year by sheriffs from across the state.

This is Braun's first term as Ellis County Sheriff, a position for which he has already filed for re-election, but he has served for 27 years with the Ellis County Sheriff's Department, including as undersheriff.

The Legislature will be considering changes to forfeiture laws in drug cases.

Lawmakers have considered several changes to the law, including basing seizure laws on dollar amounts, the amount of the drug or criminal charges.

For example, a suspect might be required to have a minimum of $5,000 in cash for that money to be seized.

Funds seized by local law enforcement currently stay in the jurisdiction in which they are seized. Lawmakers have discussed having that money go to the state.

Diverting seized funds away from local law enforcement could be very harmful, Braun said. That money is used by counties to purchase equipment and fund drug enforcement operations.

Braun said he also does not support a cash limit being placed on seizures. He said a seizure of $500 might not be very much in a metro area, but it could stifle drug sales in a small community.

"Our stance as a KSA is if we can continue to do our forfeitures, even if there were some stipulations put in place, and receive that back, we are cutting off their funding mechanism, which slows down the drugs," he said.

Braun said he thinks the public has misconceptions about the forfeiture process. he said people think criminal cases are not being filed or funds are being taken without cause.

"I hear that in Topeka that we are stealing from the citizens or that we are doing an injustice or it's illegally being taken," Braun said.

Forfeiture is a civil process that is governed by state law, he said.

"If forfeiture is taken away from law enforcement, it will have an effect on taxpayers," Braun said. "We either won't be able to buy the equipment to do our job to get the drugs off the street or we are going to have to go to commissioners and say I'm going to need X amount of dollars to do controlled buys and buy equipment ..."

Braun would not disclose specific amounts of recent seizures in Ellis County, but he said during his work with drug enforcement within the Ellis County Sheriff's Department, the county has seized up to $1 million in one operation.

He said he hoped the Legislature will continue to work to provide more funding for mental health services in the state.&nbsp;

"Every sheriff across the state of Kansas is struggling with the mental health side," Braun said.

Despite the state set to add more in-patient mental health beds with a new facility in Wichita, the state is still short of beds, Braun said.

Individuals are still encountering long waits in county jails for competency evaluations, Braun said. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/04260d57-2a0e-44e4-ae10-6034573c773f">The ACLU was unsuccessful in a recent attempt to force the state to address these wait times, which have been as much as 100 days</a>, according to Braun.

"I'm not really sure they should be within our facilities. If they have a mental health issue, they should be elsewhere," he said.

Braun said at least 60 percent of the inmates in the Ellis County Jail have some sort of mental illness.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/6c3fc17e-1cf6-4785-972f-65b081707ae7">The association strongly supports VINE funding. VINE is an app that can be downloaded for Android or Apple devices and will notify a victim when someone is being released from jail. Braun said this is especially important for the safety of domestic violence victims.</a>

The association offers annual training and a law enforcement conference. This includes training for jail staff and jail supervisors.

It also annually awards $15,000 in scholarships to children of members of law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642037189770.jpeg" alt="Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun. File photo" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun. File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostEllis County Sheriff Scott Braun will serve as the president of the Kansas Sheriff's Association for 2024. He highlighted some of the legislative priorities for the association before the Kansas Legislative session began on Monday.Braun was elected as a president-elect last year by sheriffs from across the state.This is Braun's first term as Ellis County Sheriff, a position for which he has already filed for re-election, but he has served for 27 years with the Ellis County Sheriff's Department, including as undersheriff.The Legislature will be considering changes to forfeiture laws in drug cases.Lawmakers have considered several changes to the law, including basing seizure laws on dollar amounts, the amount of the drug or criminal charges.For example, a suspect might be required to have a minimum of $5,000 in cash for that money to be seized.Funds seized by local law enforcement currently stay in the jurisdiction in which they are seized. Lawmakers have discussed having that money go to the state.Diverting seized funds away from local law enforcement could be very harmful, Braun said. That money is used by counties to purchase equipment and fund drug enforcement operations.Braun said he also does not support a cash limit being placed on seizures. He said a seizure of $500 might not be very much in a metro area, but it could stifle drug sales in a small community."Our stance as a KSA is if we can continue to do our forfeitures, even if there were some stipulations put in place, and receive that back, we are cutting off their funding mechanism, which slows down the drugs," he said.Braun said he thinks the public has misconceptions about the forfeiture process. he said people think criminal cases are not being filed or funds are being taken without cause."I hear that in Topeka that we are stealing from the citizens or that we are doing an injustice or it's illegally being taken," Braun said.Forfeiture is a civil process that is governed by state law, he said."If forfeiture is taken away from law enforcement, it will have an effect on taxpayers," Braun said. "We either won't be able to buy the equipment to do our job to get the drugs off the street or we are going to have to go to commissioners and say I'm going to need X amount of dollars to do controlled buys and buy equipment ..."Braun would not disclose specific amounts of recent seizures in Ellis County, but he said during his work with drug enforcement within the Ellis County Sheriff's Department, the county has seized up to $1 million in one operation.<h2>Mental health services</h2>He said he hoped the Legislature will continue to work to provide more funding for mental health services in the state.&nbsp;"Every sheriff across the state of Kansas is struggling with the mental health side," Braun said.Despite the state set to add more in-patient mental health beds with a new facility in Wichita, the state is still short of beds, Braun said.Individuals are still encountering long waits in county jails for competency evaluations, Braun said. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/04260d57-2a0e-44e4-ae10-6034573c773f">The ACLU was unsuccessful in a recent attempt to force the state to address these wait times, which have been as much as 100 days</a>, according to Braun."I'm not really sure they should be within our facilities. If they have a mental health issue, they should be elsewhere," he said.Braun said at least 60 percent of the inmates in the Ellis County Jail have some sort of mental illness.<h2>Domestic violence, VINE</h2><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/6c3fc17e-1cf6-4785-972f-65b081707ae7">The association strongly supports VINE funding. VINE is an app that can be downloaded for Android or Apple devices and will notify a victim when someone is being released from jail. Braun said this is especially important for the safety of domestic violence victims.</a>The association offers annual training and a law enforcement conference. This includes training for jail staff and jail supervisors.It also annually awards $15,000 in scholarships to children of members of law enforcement.

Legislature to consider drug forfeiture changes; top sheriff says seized funds needed by local law enforcement

By WILL BAUER <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2023-12-22/u-s-trade-deficit-agriculture-exports-imports-record-high">Harvest Public Media&nbsp;</a>

The United States has imported $20 billion more in agricultural products than it exported — putting the sector on pace to run a record deficit. A look at what’s behind the numbers.

For the third time in five years, agricultural trade in the United States will be at a deficit — when a country imports more than it exports.

As of November, the U.S. imported $20 billion more in agricultural products than it exported in 2023, which would set a record for biggest deficit in a calendar year in nearly a century if the trend continues through the last month of the year.

For some farmers, this year’s big deficit is a sign that trade has taken a hit and other countries may be out trading the U.S. However, some economists argue there are logical explanations behind what has created such an eye-popping deficit — including rising imports, a strong American dollar and basic supply and demand.

“Trade deficits aren’t something we should be inherently worried about,” said Bill Ridley, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who studies international trade.

Over the last five years,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/foreign-agricultural-trade-of-the-united-states-fatus/u-s-agricultural-trade-data-update/" target="_blank">agricultural exports</a>&nbsp;have climbed from $141 billion in 2019 to nearly $196 billion in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In both 2020 and 2021, agricultural trade was at a surplus, or the opposite of a deficit, where exports exceed imports.

In the 2023 calendar year, the U.S. has reported exporting $143 billion and importing $163 billion. At this time last year, the country had exported about $18 billion more.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/foreign-agricultural-trade-of-the-united-states-fatus/u-s-agricultural-trade-data-update/" target="_blank">Data for the remainder of the year</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be published Jan. 11.

“The U.S. is very much still the breadbasket to the world,” said Doug McKalip, chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, the government agency responsible for promoting trade. “We're growing things and successfully exporting them around the globe. So there's certainly a lot more to it than what might meet the eye initially.”

To the farmers who grow some of the most profitable exports — soybeans, corn and wheat — the deficit is concerning and something many watch closely.

Chris Otten, a fourth generation grower who owns roughly 1,400 acres in southwest Illinois, said farmers would like to see the deficit turn into a surplus.

“That’d be ideal for us,” Otten said. “I don’t know if that’ll ever happen, but that is ideal for us to get back to where we’re exporting as much as we possibly can.”

During a year like this, when export totals have also dropped, farmers are naturally prepared to weather the current economic conditions, Otten said. However, the politics of trade are frustrating to him.

Examples include when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/06/china-agriculture-us-economy.html" target="_blank">China pulled out of buying</a>&nbsp;U.S. agricultural products in 2019 or how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-gm-corn-trade-dispute-5b3127bff468f48592d1bbe80e1b1fac" target="_blank">Mexico announced this year it intends to ban genetically modified corn</a>. The political nature of those disputes cost farmers, he said.

“I contend our food source shouldn't be a political game,” Otten said.

In his eyes, one remedy would be striking trade deals with other countries around the world to establish more avenues to sell American products.

For Otten and other farmers, checking a small box — called the commodity checkoff program — is a good place to start. Those provide small funds to certain commodity groups that could help advocate for expanded trade opportunities.

To Ridley, the Illinois professor, analyzing all agricultural trade markets in one lump can be misleading. While all share similarities, looking at individual commodities paints a more accurate picture, he said.

For example, exports of soybeans, the most profitable commodity, have been robust this year, Ridley said. Through October, Americans exported $21.38 billion worth of soybeans this year. In 2022, a record year, that figure stood at $23.81 billion during the same time frame.

Corn exports also remain high. This year, $11.1 billion worth of corn has been sold and shipped abroad, according to USDA data. At the same time last year, the U.S. exported $16.5 billion.

Economists have a variety of answers as to why agricultural imports will far outpace exports in 2023. Simply put, Ridley said, it boils down to one thing: more imports.

“It seems to be purely and almost entirely a story about imports rising,” Ridley said. “And, of course, the more you import, holding your exports mostly constant, that's going to shrink your trade surplus or create a trade deficit.”

Through November, the U.S. had imported $163 billion worth of agricultural products. That figure stood at $166 billion at the same time in 2022.

The strength of the American dollar also plays a factor with the deficit, said Tanner Ehmke, an economist with CoBank, one of the biggest lenders to rural America.

"A strong dollar makes our exports non-competitive overseas, and it makes imports more competitive,” Ehmke said. “Our stronger dollar gives us more purchasing power. Therefore, we can afford to bring in more imports.”

Also, Americans are now using some products domestically that they used to export, Ehmke said. Namely,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/agriculture/101223-us-shifts-to-net-soybean-oil-importer-on-biofuel-boom-foreign-agricultural-service#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20FAS%2C%20increased,out%20of%20global%20export%20market." target="_blank">renewable diesel demand</a>&nbsp;has grown so much that the U.S. is keeping vast amounts of soybean oil home. To compensate for this, Americans are now importing more canola oil, largely from Canada, to fill that demand.

As the U.S. exports trickled downward,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/us-corn-soy-exporters-continue-battling-huge-brazilian-supplies-2023-10-06/" target="_blank">Brazil</a>&nbsp;continues to have record years. They’re becoming especially competitive with American farmers when it comes to corn, soybeans, cotton and rice, Ehmke said.

Russia is yet another country that’s had a record crop in 2023. Pair that with the value of their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasfed.org/research/economics/2023/1010" target="_blank">currency collapsing</a>, the agriculture exports from Russia are ample and cheap, Ehmke said.

“There's a lot of events that are coalescing here,” Ehmke said.

Not only are economic dynamics changing abroad, they are also changing domestically, said Tait Berg, a southern Minnesota farmer who also works at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

“The U.S. consumer, we want a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and we can’t grow that year round here,” Berg said.

Through October, the U.S. imported $79 billion worth of fruits and vegetables. At the same time in 2022, that figure stood at nearly $76 billion.

In Berg’s eyes, this is the global market meeting its demand. The market responded similarly in 2020 when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2020/04/15/flour-yeast-sales-rise-people-bake-bread-quarantine/" target="_blank">demand for flour grew like crazy</a>. Many people baked more while they worked from home.

“Hopefully, we're growing global trade, and that's kind of part of the deal,” Berg said. “That's what we want.”

Economists expect that agriculture trade may eventually swing in the other direction and could be in surplus again. If and exactly when are harder questions to answer.

During the next fiscal year, USDA forecasters anticipate the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=108031" target="_blank">deficit could widen</a>. Exports are projected to total $169.5 billion. Imports will tally $200 billion — leaving the deficit standing around $30.5 billion.

For farmers, they say they will wait to see what happens. As always, they’ll need to be financially prepared for whatever weather they get or whatever the markets dictate.

“These forecasts and projections always change,” Berg said. “And that’s just something that we’re all a part of as producers. We need to keep our ducks in a row.”

<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/will-bauer" target="_blank">Will Bauer</a>&nbsp;is St. Louis Public Radio's Metro East reporter. This story was produced in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/harvestpublicmedia" target="_blank">Harvest Public Media</a>, a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest. It reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/174d4ae/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1500x1000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbc%2F5c%2F663ac7304703990f28ae32e5cda2%2F12222023-tr-harvestagexports-7.png" alt="Jason Imel, a deck hand with Cargill, Inc., blows excess soybeans off the top of a river barge and closes the barge’s loading lids on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Cargill, Inc.’s facility in East St. Louis, Illinois. For the third time in five years, the U.S. will import more agricultural products than it exports. However, this year’s deficit is tracking to be around $20 billion, far more than last year’s $2 billion deficit.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>Jason Imel, a deck hand with Cargill, Inc., blows excess soybeans off the top of a river barge and closes the barge’s loading lids on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Cargill, Inc.’s facility in East St. Louis, Illinois. For the third time in five years, the U.S. will import more agricultural products than it exports. However, this year’s deficit is tracking to be around $20 billion, far more than last year’s $2 billion deficit.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure> By WILL BAUER <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2023-12-22/u-s-trade-deficit-agriculture-exports-imports-record-high">Harvest Public Media&nbsp;</a><h2>The United States has imported $20 billion more in agricultural products than it exported — putting the sector on pace to run a record deficit. A look at what’s behind the numbers.</h2>For the third time in five years, agricultural trade in the United States will be at a deficit — when a country imports more than it exports.As of November, the U.S. imported $20 billion more in agricultural products than it exported in 2023, which would set a record for biggest deficit in a calendar year in nearly a century if the trend continues through the last month of the year.For some farmers, this year’s big deficit is a sign that trade has taken a hit and other countries may be out trading the U.S. However, some economists argue there are logical explanations behind what has created such an eye-popping deficit — including rising imports, a strong American dollar and basic supply and demand.<figure>
 <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9941387/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe4%2F0c%2F18a64ece4859bac70abff5f8de71%2F12222023-tr-harvestagexports-2.JPG" alt="A river barge is loaded with soybeans on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Cargill, Inc.'s facility in East St. Louis, Illinois. While major commodity crop exports such as corn and soybeans remain high, U.S. imports far outpaced exports in 2023.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A river barge is loaded with soybeans on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at Cargill, Inc.'s facility in East St. Louis, Illinois. While major commodity crop exports such as corn and soybeans remain high, U.S. imports far outpaced exports in 2023.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>“Trade deficits aren’t something we should be inherently worried about,” said Bill Ridley, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who studies international trade.Over the last five years,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/foreign-agricultural-trade-of-the-united-states-fatus/u-s-agricultural-trade-data-update/" target="_blank">agricultural exports</a>&nbsp;have climbed from $141 billion in 2019 to nearly $196 billion in 2022, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In both 2020 and 2021, agricultural trade was at a surplus, or the opposite of a deficit, where exports exceed imports.In the 2023 calendar year, the U.S. has reported exporting $143 billion and importing $163 billion. At this time last year, the country had exported about $18 billion more.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/foreign-agricultural-trade-of-the-united-states-fatus/u-s-agricultural-trade-data-update/" target="_blank">Data for the remainder of the year</a>&nbsp;is scheduled to be published Jan. 11.“The U.S. is very much still the breadbasket to the world,” said Doug McKalip, chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, the government agency responsible for promoting trade. “We're growing things and successfully exporting them around the globe. So there's certainly a lot more to it than what might meet the eye initially.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704846572125.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>To the farmers who grow some of the most profitable exports — soybeans, corn and wheat — the deficit is concerning and something many watch closely.Chris Otten, a fourth generation grower who owns roughly 1,400 acres in southwest Illinois, said farmers would like to see the deficit turn into a surplus.“That’d be ideal for us,” Otten said. “I don’t know if that’ll ever happen, but that is ideal for us to get back to where we’re exporting as much as we possibly can.”During a year like this, when export totals have also dropped, farmers are naturally prepared to weather the current economic conditions, Otten said. However, the politics of trade are frustrating to him.Examples include when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/06/china-agriculture-us-economy.html" target="_blank">China pulled out of buying</a>&nbsp;U.S. agricultural products in 2019 or how&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-gm-corn-trade-dispute-5b3127bff468f48592d1bbe80e1b1fac" target="_blank">Mexico announced this year it intends to ban genetically modified corn</a>. The political nature of those disputes cost farmers, he said.“I contend our food source shouldn't be a political game,” Otten said.In his eyes, one remedy would be striking trade deals with other countries around the world to establish more avenues to sell American products.For Otten and other farmers, checking a small box — called the commodity checkoff program — is a good place to start. Those provide small funds to certain commodity groups that could help advocate for expanded trade opportunities.<figure>
 <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ee8fae9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1500x1000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fec%2F0b%2F414dd9554f5bb498bd80377634c7%2F12182023-tr-harvestagexports-14.JPG" alt="&nbsp;Chris Otten checks the moisture levels of his corn crop, stored in bins while they wait to be sold, on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, at his farm outside St. Libory, Illinois. Otten said he's concerned about the ag trade deficit and hopes the Biden administration is focused on finding new trade partners.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/Lance Lillibridge" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Chris Otten checks the moisture levels of his corn crop, stored in bins while they wait to be sold, on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, at his farm outside St. Libory, Illinois. Otten said he's concerned about the ag trade deficit and hopes the Biden administration is focused on finding new trade partners.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/Lance Lillibridge</figcaption>
 </figure>To Ridley, the Illinois professor, analyzing all agricultural trade markets in one lump can be misleading. While all share similarities, looking at individual commodities paints a more accurate picture, he said.For example, exports of soybeans, the most profitable commodity, have been robust this year, Ridley said. Through October, Americans exported $21.38 billion worth of soybeans this year. In 2022, a record year, that figure stood at $23.81 billion during the same time frame.Corn exports also remain high. This year, $11.1 billion worth of corn has been sold and shipped abroad, according to USDA data. At the same time last year, the U.S. exported $16.5 billion.The causes of the deficitEconomists have a variety of answers as to why agricultural imports will far outpace exports in 2023. Simply put, Ridley said, it boils down to one thing: more imports.“It seems to be purely and almost entirely a story about imports rising,” Ridley said. “And, of course, the more you import, holding your exports mostly constant, that's going to shrink your trade surplus or create a trade deficit.”Through November, the U.S. had imported $163 billion worth of agricultural products. That figure stood at $166 billion at the same time in 2022.The strength of the American dollar also plays a factor with the deficit, said Tanner Ehmke, an economist with CoBank, one of the biggest lenders to rural America.<figure>
 <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4d06e6b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1500x1000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff3%2Fc4%2F15b2b9954a06a9d31cbc33531ae0%2F12222023-tr-harvestagexports-1.JPG" alt="&nbsp;Corn is dropped out of a transport truck and into a collection pit on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023 at Cargill, Inc.’s facility in East St. Louis, Illinois. The U.S. exported $11.1 billion worth of corn through November, according to USDA data, compared with $16.5 billion at the same point in 2022.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Corn is dropped out of a transport truck and into a collection pit on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023 at Cargill, Inc.’s facility in East St. Louis, Illinois. The U.S. exported $11.1 billion worth of corn through November, according to USDA data, compared with $16.5 billion at the same point in 2022.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure>"A strong dollar makes our exports non-competitive overseas, and it makes imports more competitive,” Ehmke said. “Our stronger dollar gives us more purchasing power. Therefore, we can afford to bring in more imports.”Also, Americans are now using some products domestically that they used to export, Ehmke said. Namely,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/agriculture/101223-us-shifts-to-net-soybean-oil-importer-on-biofuel-boom-foreign-agricultural-service#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20FAS%2C%20increased,out%20of%20global%20export%20market." target="_blank">renewable diesel demand</a>&nbsp;has grown so much that the U.S. is keeping vast amounts of soybean oil home. To compensate for this, Americans are now importing more canola oil, largely from Canada, to fill that demand.As the U.S. exports trickled downward,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/us-corn-soy-exporters-continue-battling-huge-brazilian-supplies-2023-10-06/" target="_blank">Brazil</a>&nbsp;continues to have record years. They’re becoming especially competitive with American farmers when it comes to corn, soybeans, cotton and rice, Ehmke said.Russia is yet another country that’s had a record crop in 2023. Pair that with the value of their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasfed.org/research/economics/2023/1010" target="_blank">currency collapsing</a>, the agriculture exports from Russia are ample and cheap, Ehmke said.“There's a lot of events that are coalescing here,” Ehmke said.Not only are economic dynamics changing abroad, they are also changing domestically, said Tait Berg, a southern Minnesota farmer who also works at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.“The U.S. consumer, we want a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and we can’t grow that year round here,” Berg said.Through October, the U.S. imported $79 billion worth of fruits and vegetables. At the same time in 2022, that figure stood at nearly $76 billion.<figure>
 <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9c73ab7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1500x1000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F35%2Ff9%2F88b7c94c410fab69af86a46b32c5%2F12182023-tr-harvestagexports-3.JPG" alt="Chris Otten holds some of his harvested corn crop at his farm outside St. Libory, Illinois.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio" />
 <figcaption>Chris Otten holds some of his harvested corn crop at his farm outside St. Libory, Illinois.&nbsp;Tristen Rouse/St. Louis Public Radio</figcaption>
 </figure>In Berg’s eyes, this is the global market meeting its demand. The market responded similarly in 2020 when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2020/04/15/flour-yeast-sales-rise-people-bake-bread-quarantine/" target="_blank">demand for flour grew like crazy</a>. Many people baked more while they worked from home.“Hopefully, we're growing global trade, and that's kind of part of the deal,” Berg said. “That's what we want.”Economists expect that agriculture trade may eventually swing in the other direction and could be in surplus again. If and exactly when are harder questions to answer.During the next fiscal year, USDA forecasters anticipate the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=108031" target="_blank">deficit could widen</a>. Exports are projected to total $169.5 billion. Imports will tally $200 billion — leaving the deficit standing around $30.5 billion.For farmers, they say they will wait to see what happens. As always, they’ll need to be financially prepared for whatever weather they get or whatever the markets dictate.“These forecasts and projections always change,” Berg said. “And that’s just something that we’re all a part of as producers. We need to keep our ducks in a row.”<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/will-bauer" target="_blank">Will Bauer</a>&nbsp;is St. Louis Public Radio's Metro East reporter. This story was produced in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/harvestpublicmedia" target="_blank">Harvest Public Media</a>, a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest. It reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues.

U.S. agricultural trade deficit could reach record highs for 2023. Is there cause for concern?

In 1915, Woodrow Wilson served as U.S. President. Typhoid Mary, working under a pseudonym, was sentenced to lifetime quarantine after infecting an additional 25 people while she cooked for a New York hospital. Dwight D. Eisenhower graduated from West Point with a 2nd Lt. commission. That same year, Ellis High School seniors published The Prairie Thistle yearbook.

In this annual, students documented college prep, domestic science and art, agriculture, normal training, manual training, and commerce course work. The local paper mentioned the Kansas State School Superintendent and High School Inspector approved these classes and ranked Ellis High School in the First Class.

This acknowledgement benefitted graduates. Those who successfully completed the College Prep course were admitted as university freshmen without having to take the entrance examination. Those completing Normal School courses received a high school diploma and a two-year State Teacher’s Certificate. In addition to aiding individuals, the school received an apportionment of $1,000 for maintaining courses in Home Economics, Agriculture, and Normal Training. This amount equals approximately $31,356 in today’s economy.

In addition to previously mentioned classes, students could enroll in typewriting and commercial arithmetic. The forward-thinking board, placing music on par with regular studies, gave credit for outside work in music. The primary source stressed that work occurred under supervision of the school and competent instructors.

The 1915 Prairie Thistle also contained the seniors’ last will and testament, pictures and descriptions of seniors, sports photos, predictions, club news, a list of graduates, and alumni notes detailing what past graduates were doing in 1915. Historically significant, candid photos depict the last high school class to graduate from the stone school building.

Ellis-area railroad and agricultural pursuits continued to prosper. According to historian Eileen Langley, in 1916, the district built a brick building north of the stone school, establishing the older site as the grade school with the new brick construction designated as the high school.

Ellis may have been far from the WWI battlefields of Europe, but war burdens soon combined with those the Spanish influenza epidemic created to do more than fill hospital beds and cemetery plots. One of many 1918 cancellations included the alumni banquet, according to Maxine Bradbury.

Regaining momentum after WW I ended, regional communities, including Ellis, approved bond issues to build new high schools. Note dates on old school buildings to verify area-wide examples. Upon voter approval of a $100,000 bond, Ellis’s board chose a site across Big Creek on West Adams Street, now 11th Street. According to July 1926 Board Minutes, members met at the brick high school to determine necessary changes before moving the grade school into the recently constructed north building.

This 1926 meeting led to alterations in the Ellis skyline. Once the physical transfer of students and materials from the stone school to the brick one occurred, the board elected to raze the stone building. Although the school proud citizens dreamed and built now exists only in old photos, masons incorporated its locally quarried limestone into several homes and a church in the community.

Board minutes didn’t state the newer buildings helped maintain their budget, but they managed to educate Ellis students with an operating budget of $40, 070.55. This included salaries and operating expenditures.

History reminds us nothing is static. World-wide and local changes clearly affected Ellis education.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7dbf4b2f-ff51-490e-96d4-527cf5ce1596">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part 10</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5d3b0050-884e-43a6-8da4-9419e81bbf3f">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;9</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/6046ee3c-c6c2-4d3a-adf3-98084fcf506b">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part 8</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a410c8ea-2038-4aa9-bbac-4ba20e3dce59">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;7</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c4d25696-4e64-4f03-b53f-52322f5800a6">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;6</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d1be1bca-b1ce-4748-b41f-f04fdecdd0c9">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;5</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/31162282-e1ad-4458-94c1-4efa3642155e">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part 3</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4116f584-aca2-45ea-92ea-f4cb948ad1af">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;2</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/539bba70-e799-4512-9cf1-809101486476">Madroirn: The beginning of Ellis schools</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>In 1915, Woodrow Wilson served as U.S. President. Typhoid Mary, working under a pseudonym, was sentenced to lifetime quarantine after infecting an additional 25 people while she cooked for a New York hospital. Dwight D. Eisenhower graduated from West Point with a 2nd Lt. commission. That same year, Ellis High School seniors published The Prairie Thistle yearbook.In this annual, students documented college prep, domestic science and art, agriculture, normal training, manual training, and commerce course work. The local paper mentioned the Kansas State School Superintendent and High School Inspector approved these classes and ranked Ellis High School in the First Class.This acknowledgement benefitted graduates. Those who successfully completed the College Prep course were admitted as university freshmen without having to take the entrance examination. Those completing Normal School courses received a high school diploma and a two-year State Teacher’s Certificate. In addition to aiding individuals, the school received an apportionment of $1,000 for maintaining courses in Home Economics, Agriculture, and Normal Training. This amount equals approximately $31,356 in today’s economy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704497107140.jpeg" alt="Ellis School ca 1911-ish. Courtesy Paul Kraus" />
 <figcaption>Ellis School ca 1911-ish. Courtesy Paul Kraus</figcaption>
 </figure>In addition to previously mentioned classes, students could enroll in typewriting and commercial arithmetic. The forward-thinking board, placing music on par with regular studies, gave credit for outside work in music. The primary source stressed that work occurred under supervision of the school and competent instructors.The 1915 Prairie Thistle also contained the seniors’ last will and testament, pictures and descriptions of seniors, sports photos, predictions, club news, a list of graduates, and alumni notes detailing what past graduates were doing in 1915. Historically significant, candid photos depict the last high school class to graduate from the stone school building.Ellis-area railroad and agricultural pursuits continued to prosper. According to historian Eileen Langley, in 1916, the district built a brick building north of the stone school, establishing the older site as the grade school with the new brick construction designated as the high school.Ellis may have been far from the WWI battlefields of Europe, but war burdens soon combined with those the Spanish influenza epidemic created to do more than fill hospital beds and cemetery plots. One of many 1918 cancellations included the alumni banquet, according to Maxine Bradbury.Regaining momentum after WW I ended, regional communities, including Ellis, approved bond issues to build new high schools. Note dates on old school buildings to verify area-wide examples. Upon voter approval of a $100,000 bond, Ellis’s board chose a site across Big Creek on West Adams Street, now 11th Street. According to July 1926 Board Minutes, members met at the brick high school to determine necessary changes before moving the grade school into the recently constructed north building.This 1926 meeting led to alterations in the Ellis skyline. Once the physical transfer of students and materials from the stone school to the brick one occurred, the board elected to raze the stone building. Although the school proud citizens dreamed and built now exists only in old photos, masons incorporated its locally quarried limestone into several homes and a church in the community.Board minutes didn’t state the newer buildings helped maintain their budget, but they managed to educate Ellis students with an operating budget of $40, 070.55. This included salaries and operating expenditures.History reminds us nothing is static. World-wide and local changes clearly affected Ellis education.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7dbf4b2f-ff51-490e-96d4-527cf5ce1596">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part 10</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5d3b0050-884e-43a6-8da4-9419e81bbf3f">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;9</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/6046ee3c-c6c2-4d3a-adf3-98084fcf506b">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part 8</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a410c8ea-2038-4aa9-bbac-4ba20e3dce59">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;7</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c4d25696-4e64-4f03-b53f-52322f5800a6">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;6</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d1be1bca-b1ce-4748-b41f-f04fdecdd0c9">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;5</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/31162282-e1ad-4458-94c1-4efa3642155e">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part 3</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4116f584-aca2-45ea-92ea-f4cb948ad1af">Madorin: History of Ellis Schools, part&nbsp;2</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/539bba70-e799-4512-9cf1-809101486476">Madroirn: The beginning of Ellis schools</a>

MADORIN: History of Ellis Schools Part 11: 1915 -1926

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704912557737.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 National Weather Service has issued a wind chill watch that will be in effect from 6 p.m. Friday through Tuesday.&nbsp;

Thursday will start partly sunny, but Hays has a 50 percent chance of snow after 4 p.m. Wind chill values could be as low as zero Thursday night with gusts up to 20 mph.

New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible during the day, but as much as three inches could accumulate overnight, according to the weather service.

Snow is forecast to subside by midnight Thursday, but windchills could dip to as low as -13.

Friday's high is forecast for 18 with a low overnight of -6.

There's a 20 to 30 percent chance of snow in Hays between Saturday night and Sunday night. Highs Saturday through Monday will be in the single digitals with actual low temperatures being in negative numbers.

Tuesday is forecast to be sunny with a slight warm up to a high of 20.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704918782751.png" alt="National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe National Weather Service has issued a wind chill watch that will be in effect from 6 p.m. Friday through Tuesday.&nbsp;Thursday will start partly sunny, but Hays has a 50 percent chance of snow after 4 p.m. Wind chill values could be as low as zero Thursday night with gusts up to 20 mph.New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible during the day, but as much as three inches could accumulate overnight, according to the weather service.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704918828968.png" alt="National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Snow is forecast to subside by midnight Thursday, but windchills could dip to as low as -13.Friday's high is forecast for 18 with a low overnight of -6.There's a 20 to 30 percent chance of snow in Hays between Saturday night and Sunday night. Highs Saturday through Monday will be in the single digitals with actual low temperatures being in negative numbers.Tuesday is forecast to be sunny with a slight warm up to a high of 20.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704918859298.png" alt="National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays' forecast for more snow Thursday, dangerous windchills over weekend

WAKEENEY — A couple in WaKeeney has turned a crumbling nursing home into a beautiful Airbnb with a coffee bar, and bar and grill.

The former nursing home,&nbsp;320 South Ave., WaKeeney, was built in 1970 and closed in 2017. The inn is conveniently located right off Interstate 70 at the west WaKeeney exit

David and Tami Green, partners in the business, said the building was in very poor repair when they and a partner bought the property.&nbsp;

Pipes had frozen and burst in the building, ruining the ceiling. The original hospital tile was also still in place.

What guests will find today is nothing reminiscent of the building's past. The couple aimed for an 1860s Western feel. The tile was taken up, and the floors were refinished. David estimated they removed 15,000 tiles from the building.

Tami used antiques and thrifted furniture to decorate the rooms. One room has a sink stand made from an old, solid-wood school desk. 

They used wood from an old gym floor on one of the suite's walls.

"If you purchase things new, things are so high," David said.

The Morning Rose coffee shop's condiment table is an antique pie safe. The safe still contained old deeds from a former owner, and Leann Dexter thought it best to leave the historical documents where they were.

The tea and water canisters are set on an antique kerosene stove, which still has its original glass fuel bottle.

The Greens took mahogany doors from the building to construct the bar in Rosie's Bar and Grill. The back of the bar includes a lighted mirror framed by ornately carved wood. Tami said they wanted to give the restaurant the feel of an 1860s gentleman's club.&nbsp;

The Prairie Rose Inn opened in December with 16 rooms. This includes singles with queen beds, doubles and larger family suites with three queen beds.

The owners remodeled the physical therapy room into a suite with a kitchenette.

The names of the rooms were all taken from towns that once existed in Trego County.

Leann Dexter manages the Morning Rose coffee shop at the inn. Dexter is a transplant to Trego County, but she said she loves the community.

She grew up on a guest ranch, and that's where she picked up her cooking skills.

The shop offers espresso and associated drinks as well as homemade breakfast seven days a week.

From 6 to 7 a.m., the shop offers coffee and pastries. From 7 until close at about 11 a.m., breakfast is served. The shop opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday but closes later on those days.

The coffee shop even opened on Christmas and was packed, Dexter said.

She said her from-scratch biscuits and sausage gravy, made with half and half, has been a hit. She also makes a German breakfast casserole with sausage, brioche French toast, eggs Benedict, crepes, and waffles in addition to standard breakfasts like bacon and eggs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704483996018.jpeg" alt="Rosie's Bar and Grill in the newly opened Prairie Rose Inn in WaKeeney. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Rosie's Bar and Grill in the newly opened Prairie Rose Inn in WaKeeney. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostWAKEENEY — A couple in WaKeeney has turned a crumbling nursing home into a beautiful Airbnb with a coffee bar, and bar and grill.The former nursing home,&nbsp;320 South Ave., WaKeeney, was built in 1970 and closed in 2017. The inn is conveniently located right off Interstate 70 at the west WaKeeney exitDavid and Tami Green, partners in the business, said the building was in very poor repair when they and a partner bought the property.&nbsp;Pipes had frozen and burst in the building, ruining the ceiling. The original hospital tile was also still in place.What guests will find today is nothing reminiscent of the building's past. The couple aimed for an 1860s Western feel. The tile was taken up, and the floors were refinished. David estimated they removed 15,000 tiles from the building.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704484295919.jpeg" alt="Rooms at the Prairie Rose Inn can be booked on Airbnb for between $100 and $160 per night, depending on the size of the room. Each room is named for a town that was once in Trego County. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Rooms at the Prairie Rose Inn can be booked on Airbnb for between $100 and $160 per night, depending on the size of the room. Each room is named for a town that was once in Trego County. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Tami used antiques and thrifted furniture to decorate the rooms. One room has a sink stand made from an old, solid-wood school desk. They used wood from an old gym floor on one of the suite's walls."If you purchase things new, things are so high," David said.The Morning Rose coffee shop's condiment table is an antique pie safe. The safe still contained old deeds from a former owner, and Leann Dexter thought it best to leave the historical documents where they were.The tea and water canisters are set on an antique kerosene stove, which still has its original glass fuel bottle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704484659970.jpeg" alt="Many furnishings in the Prairie Rose Inn are thrifted, donated or antiques. This is a three-queen-bed suite that once was the former nursing home's physical therapy room. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Many furnishings in the Prairie Rose Inn are thrifted, donated or antiques. This is a three-queen-bed suite that once was the former nursing home's physical therapy room. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The Greens took mahogany doors from the building to construct the bar in Rosie's Bar and Grill. The back of the bar includes a lighted mirror framed by ornately carved wood. Tami said they wanted to give the restaurant the feel of an 1860s gentleman's club.&nbsp;The Prairie Rose Inn opened in December with 16 rooms. This includes singles with queen beds, doubles and larger family suites with three queen beds.The owners remodeled the physical therapy room into a suite with a kitchenette.The names of the rooms were all taken from towns that once existed in Trego County.Leann Dexter manages the Morning Rose coffee shop at the inn. Dexter is a transplant to Trego County, but she said she loves the community.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704484876770.jpeg" alt="The Morning Rose coffee shop is an expresso bar that makes made-from scratch breakfast, including biscuits and gravy, crepes, and French toast. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Morning Rose coffee shop is an expresso bar that makes made-from scratch breakfast, including biscuits and gravy, crepes, and French toast. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>She grew up on a guest ranch, and that's where she picked up her cooking skills.The shop offers espresso and associated drinks as well as homemade breakfast seven days a week.From 6 to 7 a.m., the shop offers coffee and pastries. From 7 until close at about 11 a.m., breakfast is served. The shop opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday but closes later on those days.The coffee shop even opened on Christmas and was packed, Dexter said.She said her from-scratch biscuits and sausage gravy, made with half and half, has been a hit. She also makes a German breakfast casserole with sausage, brioche French toast, eggs Benedict, crepes, and waffles in addition to standard breakfasts like bacon and eggs."[I do] pretty much anything and everything," she said. "If someone wants something special, I say OK. ... I don't do oatmeal."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704485018389.jpeg" alt="Prairie Rose Inn is located off of the west WaKeeney exit at&nbsp;320 South Ave. in WaKeeney.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Prairie Rose Inn is located off of the west WaKeeney exit at&nbsp;320 South Ave. in WaKeeney.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>She runs regular specials, especially on holidays and Sundays.There's limited seating in the coffee bar, but ample table seating in the adjacent lobby."I think it is nice that we can do something like this for the community," Dexter said. "The people here have been so wonderful."Rosie's Bar and Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The grill will offer appetizers as well as chicken-fried chicken, hamburgers, steak sandwiches plus a daily home-cooked meal special such as lasagna.The inn has a small conference room that could also be used for meals for larger families. There is also outdoor patio seating with an additional bar.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704485139820.jpeg" alt="Rosie's Bar and Grill inside the Prairie Rose Inn in Wakeeney has outdoor seating, including an outdoor bar, which can be opened in the summer. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Rosie's Bar and Grill inside the Prairie Rose Inn in Wakeeney has outdoor seating, including an outdoor bar, which can be opened in the summer. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Rosie's offers full bar service with a selection of beers on tap. A selection of Shiloh Vineyard wine, based in Trego County, also will be offered.The inn also has a laundry facility open to guests. The public dog park is across the street, as well as a<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/db7a80a1-cc4c-4370-ad64-8749848b4c75">n out-of-service F-14 Tomcat that is on loan to the city.</a>"We are trying to get people to come to WaKeeney and stay as a destination," Tami said. "That was one of our main goals."Single rooms cost $100 per night to $160 for suites.You can book through <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/">Airbnb</a>. The inn's website is still under construction, but you should be able to book direct through that site once it's up.You can follow Prairie Rose Inn on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093959709405"> Facebook.</a>&nbsp;

Local