GREAT BEND - Barton Community College has named 233 students to the President’s List for the spring 2023 semester. To qualify for this honor students must have been enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours and maintained a grade point average of 4.0 on a 4.0 or "A" letter scale

&nbsp;Albert Thomas Bahr&nbsp; &nbsp; Belleville Ty Sothers Beloit Brian Thiessen Claflin Callie Zink&nbsp; Ellinwood Jordan Elliott&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Josh Komarek&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Mya Maxwell&nbsp; Ellis Lakyn Fischer&nbsp; Ellsworth Caiten Britt&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Gary Diehl&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Shelby Ellegood&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Richard Johnson&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Lance Todd&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; James Urbanek&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Alexander Winters&nbsp; Grainfield Dustin Henry Great Bend Bradley Beck&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jasmine Campos&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Sienna Cauley&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Bailey Creamer&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Brody Feist&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Melyne Fletchall&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Alondra Gomez&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Javier Gonzalez&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Alyssa Habash&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Ashley Herrman&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Madison Huslig&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Elle Hutchinson&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Hannah Loomis&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Sarah Mehlhaff&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Andrea Orona Favela&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jeri Patry&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Antony Reyes Pilo&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Caden Rhan-Nokleby&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Brandi Sander&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Mariah Thomas&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Madalyn Toll&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Ailyn Urias&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Einar Vargas&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Isabelle Willms&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Avery Wolf&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jayla Wyant Hoisington Audra Clark&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Chandra Ehler&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Todd Hamby&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Tyler Reif&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Addison Smith Kensington Brennan Kirchhoff La Crosse Kara Lonnon Larned Paige Cobb&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Kirsten Gabel&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Irineo Garcia&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Zachary Luna&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Branden Miller&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Tyson Nicholson&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Joseph Theis&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Victor Wente&nbsp; Lincoln Kaylee Babcock&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Albus Huskey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ness City Madison Barrera&nbsp; Otis Taylor Croisant&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Chloe Schenk Phillipsburg Jacie Roth Portis Elizabeth Ducote Russell Stephan Baldwin&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jennifer Pummell&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jesse Schreiner&nbsp;&nbsp; Sylvan Grove MeKelle Hurlbut Wilson Adam Kirkbride&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683464268899.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BCCGREAT BEND - Barton Community College has named 233 students to the President’s List for the spring 2023 semester. To qualify for this honor students must have been enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours and maintained a grade point average of 4.0 on a 4.0 or "A" letter scale&nbsp;Albert Thomas Bahr&nbsp; &nbsp; Belleville Ty Sothers Beloit Brian Thiessen Claflin Callie Zink&nbsp; Ellinwood Jordan Elliott&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Josh Komarek&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Mya Maxwell&nbsp; Ellis Lakyn Fischer&nbsp; Ellsworth Caiten Britt&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Gary Diehl&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Shelby Ellegood&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Richard Johnson&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Lance Todd&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; James Urbanek&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Alexander Winters&nbsp; Grainfield Dustin Henry Great Bend Bradley Beck&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jasmine Campos&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Sienna Cauley&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Bailey Creamer&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Brody Feist&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Melyne Fletchall&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Alondra Gomez&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Javier Gonzalez&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Alyssa Habash&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Ashley Herrman&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Madison Huslig&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Elle Hutchinson&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Hannah Loomis&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Sarah Mehlhaff&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Andrea Orona Favela&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jeri Patry&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Antony Reyes Pilo&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Caden Rhan-Nokleby&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Brandi Sander&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Mariah Thomas&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Madalyn Toll&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Ailyn Urias&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Einar Vargas&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Isabelle Willms&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Avery Wolf&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jayla Wyant Hoisington Audra Clark&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Chandra Ehler&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Todd Hamby&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Tyler Reif&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Addison Smith Kensington Brennan Kirchhoff La Crosse Kara Lonnon Larned Paige Cobb&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Kirsten Gabel&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Irineo Garcia&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Zachary Luna&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Branden Miller&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Tyson Nicholson&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Joseph Theis&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Victor Wente&nbsp; Lincoln Kaylee Babcock&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Albus Huskey&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ness City Madison Barrera&nbsp; Otis Taylor Croisant&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Chloe Schenk Phillipsburg Jacie Roth Portis Elizabeth Ducote Russell Stephan Baldwin&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jennifer Pummell&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Jesse Schreiner&nbsp;&nbsp; Sylvan Grove MeKelle Hurlbut Wilson Adam Kirkbride&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Barton Community College area students named to President’s List for spring 2023

On this episode of the&nbsp;<a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">Post Podcast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/" target="_blank">Hays Arts Council</a> executive director Brenda Meder discusses current happenings at the Hays Arts Center as preparations begin for the Fall Art Walk.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div><iframe title="Hays Arts Council begins Fall Art Walk preparations" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=kztav-145fed2-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=315" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>On this episode of the&nbsp;<a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">Post Podcast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/" target="_blank">Hays Arts Council</a> executive director Brenda Meder discusses current happenings at the Hays Arts Center as preparations begin for the Fall Art Walk.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🎙 Post Podcast: Hays Arts Council begins Fall Art Walk preparations

By JAMES BELL 
Hays Post

Jay Harris, K-State Cottonwood Extension District director,
recently added new responsibilities to his position after accepting the duties
of Horticulture Agent filling the long-time role for the first time in two
years.

He said the district board of directors were “pretty excited”
to have someone in the position after they were unable to fill the job with an
outside hire.

In the new job, Harris will serve the community with their
questions on trees, lawns and gardens.

He will also serve as the coordinator for the Extension Master Gardener Program. The program
has been serving area residents since 1996.

“Master gardeners do a lot of
good things for the public,” Harris said. “These are volunteers that take the
time to do some pretty extensive training.”

The next round of training is
set to begin in September.

“The
biggest thing is being there for people,” Harris said.

Since
assuming the position, he said he has been educating residents on their
trees in the midst of the ongoing excessive drought.

“We've
been in such a drought for a couple of years,” Harris said. “And even though
we've been getting rain, our trees are so far behind in the growth they're
showing dead spots and some fertility issues.”

The
Master Gardener program also maintains demonstration gardens throughout the
area. 

There are
two located at the Ag Experiment Station and one at the Old Fort Hays, he said.

Year-round the program helps residents with questions and provides assistance to all
types of horticulture issues with participants required to complete 40 hours of
volunteer service the first year and 20 each year after.

“The
volunteer service needs to be educational,” Harris said. “It's not truly labor
hours going out and working in the gardens. It is actually helping do some of
the educational part of extensions’ goal and our mission.”

Two
upcoming events will highlight that educational mission.

Today Iris Day will be during Bazaar on the Bricks. They will be providing Iris
bulbs for a suggested donation of $1.

On Aug.
23, the Master Gardeners will conduct a garden tour from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in conjunction with the
Hays Art Council’s Fall Art Walk at the demonstration gardens and at their
perennial garden at the district office at 601 Main.

It is a “good way for the
public to come out and see what Master Gardeners are doing,” Harris said.

Following
the events in September, training for the newest Master Gardeners will begin and
include people from all walks of life, Harris said.

“They do this extensive
training,” he said, in order to help out people with all sorts of questions and
assist with projects throughout the community.

To become a Master Gardner,
Harris said requirements include a high school diploma a desire to “get their
hands dirty” and “a love of gardening.” 

For more information about the Master Gardner program, visit the Cottonwood Extension District's website,<a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/MasterGardeners.html">&nbsp;cottonwood.k-state.edu</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689958422362.jpeg" alt="Photo by James Bell/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by James Bell/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL 
Hays PostJay Harris, K-State Cottonwood Extension District director,
recently added new responsibilities to his position after accepting the duties
of Horticulture Agent filling the long-time role for the first time in two
years.He said the district board of directors were “pretty excited”
to have someone in the position after they were unable to fill the job with an
outside hire.In the new job, Harris will serve the community with their
questions on trees, lawns and gardens.<div><iframe title="Cottonwood director assumes horticulture agent, Master Gardener coordinator position" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=5ewcw-145ed33-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>He will also serve as the coordinator for the Extension Master Gardener Program. The program
has been serving area residents since 1996.“Master gardeners do a lot of
good things for the public,” Harris said. “These are volunteers that take the
time to do some pretty extensive training.”The next round of training is
set to begin in September.“The
biggest thing is being there for people,” Harris said.Since
assuming the position, he said he has been educating residents on their
trees in the midst of the ongoing excessive drought.“We've
been in such a drought for a couple of years,” Harris said. “And even though
we've been getting rain, our trees are so far behind in the growth they're
showing dead spots and some fertility issues.”The
Master Gardener program also maintains demonstration gardens throughout the
area. There are
two located at the Ag Experiment Station and one at the Old Fort Hays, he said.Year-round the program helps residents with questions and provides assistance to all
types of horticulture issues with participants required to complete 40 hours of
volunteer service the first year and 20 each year after.“The
volunteer service needs to be educational,” Harris said. “It's not truly labor
hours going out and working in the gardens. It is actually helping do some of
the educational part of extensions’ goal and our mission.”Two
upcoming events will highlight that educational mission.Today Iris Day will be during Bazaar on the Bricks. They will be providing Iris
bulbs for a suggested donation of $1.On Aug.
23, the Master Gardeners will conduct a garden tour from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in conjunction with the
Hays Art Council’s Fall Art Walk at the demonstration gardens and at their
perennial garden at the district office at 601 Main.It is a “good way for the
public to come out and see what Master Gardeners are doing,” Harris said.An ice cream truck also will be on site.Following
the events in September, training for the newest Master Gardeners will begin and
include people from all walks of life, Harris said.“They do this extensive
training,” he said, in order to help out people with all sorts of questions and
assist with projects throughout the community.To become a Master Gardner,
Harris said requirements include a high school diploma a desire to “get their
hands dirty” and “a love of gardening.” For more information about the Master Gardner program, visit the Cottonwood Extension District's website,<a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/MasterGardeners.html">&nbsp;cottonwood.k-state.edu</a>.

🎙 Cottonwood director assumes horticulture agent, Master Gardener coordinator position

Disorganization could lead to closure of all school buildings in Barton County’s USD 112

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

CLAFLIN — Barton County residents will decide whether to break up with their school district and “start fresh” following heartbreak and anger over the closure of a rural community’s high school.

The change could result in hundreds of students displaced and three more schools shut down.

The Aug. 1 disorganization vote is a test case for rural communities that increasingly have to make decisions to shut down or consolidate as populations dwindle&nbsp;and schools face financial strain.

“This is brand new territory for the Department of Education, for the State Board of Education and basically every district in the state of Kansas,” said KSDE general counsel Scott Gordon during a June 27 meeting in Claflin.

Dissolving the district is likely to have widespread consequences for all district schools and likely will increase residents’ taxes, according to opponents of disorganization.

Wilson parent Kayla Cullens said the split needs to happen because the Claflin-based Unified School District 112 school board voted to shut down Wilson High School.

The district covers portions of five counties, including the Holyrood, Bushton, Claflin, Dorrance, Lorraine, Wilson, Beaver and Odin communities, along with other rural areas. Claflin and Wilson are a little less than a half hour apart, and the other communities mostly fall within a 10-30 minute range of each other.

Cullens, part of a disorganization campaign, said the district’s school board had long treated the Wilson community unfairly. She said the “hostility” in the decision to close the high school was the latest evidence of other schools being prioritized over Wilson.

“It’s been growing animosity between both ends of the district since consolidation, and it’s now a good time just to part ways,” Cullens said. “They weren’t willing to work with us. They weren’t willing to look at the bigger picture.”

Michael Kratky, a lifelong Wilson resident and fellow disorganization advocate, said the Wilson shutdown was a bad decision by the board. Kratky said part of his frustration stemmed from Claflin’s consolidation with Wilson, Holyrood, Bushton and Lorraine in 2010, when the Claflin school district needed financial help.

Kratky said the district didn’t extend the same help these past two years to Wilson.&nbsp;

“They’re shooting for everything to be centrally located eventually in Claflin. … (The district) helped them survive. They didn’t help us survive,” Kratky said.

The district now has three schools left: Central Plains Elementary, Central Plains Junior-Senior High School and Wilson Elementary School.

Cullens said she is aware that disorganization isn’t likely to re-open the high school, but she said the Wilson community will fare better under a different district school board.

“I do not think it will get re-opened,” Cullens said. “I hope it will, and it’s really the only chance we have of reopening it. But I don’t see a yes vote opening our high school.”

Other members of communities in the district call the move misguided.

Denise Schmidt, a Claflin resident, educator and member of the opposing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.unitedusd112.com/">“United USD 112” campaign</a>, said the disorganization effort is driven by anger and fear.

“They will lose their elementary school, we will lose our elementary school, Central Plains Elementary, and we’ll also lose Central Plains Junior Senior High School,” Schmidt said. “We will lose everything in a yes vote.”

Some have said the disorganization campaign has been misleading, with Wilson residents encouraged to believe signing the disorganization petition would bring back the high school or allow them to create their own district. Schmidt said a sign at the local post office asked residents to go in and sign the petition to “save our schools.”&nbsp;

“Obviously it’s for the postal officials to decide, but putting it out there to patrons, ‘save our school’ or ‘we need a high school’ and then encouraging them to sign the petition is misleading, because by signing the petition, it doesn’t open the high school,” Schmidt said.

Cullens said signs about saving the school were the work of one person, and not the official campaign effort, which has put up signs asking for a “fresh start.”

If the measure doesn’t pass in the Aug. 1 vote, the USD 112 school district will stay the same, keeping the tax rate and schools intact.

If the measure passes, the Kansas State Board of Education takes over, deciding how to divide up the USD 112 territory into 10 neighboring school districts. The district’s schools will either be absorbed into the surrounding districts or shut down.

Officials from the Kansas State Department of Education held two informational meetings on June 27 to explain the repercussions of disorganization. During one of the informational meetings, Gordon, the agency attorney, said he wanted to clear up rumors that people in the school district would have some say over which school district they became a part of.

“I don’t know who came up with that,” Gordon said. “And that’s probably not going to happen.”

Gordon said Wilson High School wouldn’t be reopened unless the incorporating school district decided it was a good choice. Gordon said reassignment wouldn’t assure the future safety of any of the district’s schools, or the school staffs’ jobs.

“Do we get to guarantee that they’re going to stay open? I don’t believe so,” Gordon said. “If you vote to disorganize a school district and you disorganize the locally elected school board, it is the same as if an employer suddenly goes out of business or a business owner suddenly goes out of business. The business is gone. It is entirely up to the receiving school districts.”

According to Gordon, former USD 112 residents likely would lose any say in school district functions for a few months. After the state Board of Education makes the reassignment decision, people from the former district wouldn’t be eligible to vote in elections for about 120 days.

Gordon estimated it would take 18 months after reassignment before anyone from the former USD 112 could run for local school board.

Taxpayers will pay the rate of their new district. Because nine of the 10 neighboring districts have higher mill levy rates, it’s likely many reassigned residents would see a tax increase.

Cullens said she understood there could be negative implications for the district but that Wilson needed better representation.

“We don’t know if a school will close,” Cullens said. “That’s totally up to the receiving district. We don’t know what that looks like. … They can choose to leave as open as is. They can choose to reopen the high school here in Wilson. They could choose to shut everybody down.”

She added: “We’re putting faith in the effort that they will be looking out for what’s in the best interest of our students, which we feel they’re not getting today.”

In April 2022, the USD 112 Central Plains Board of Education voted to reassign Wilson junior and high school students to the Central Plains Junior-Senior High School because of low enrollment and financial issues.

Members of the Wilson community began to explore options of keeping the school open, such as a land transfer, which would place the building into a neighboring district.

After those unsuccessful efforts, the BOE voted in January to close Wilson High School at the end of the 2022-23 school year. The plan was that Wilson junior high and high school students would be bused to Central Plains High School in Claflin. Kindergarten through sixth grade students would continue to attend school in Wilson.

According to KSDE data, the Wilson high school had 73 students at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, a 50 percent decline over 10 years. The Claflin high school had 140 students for the same school year.

Members of the community asked the board to grant an one-year extension to give the school time to find alternate solutions, such as opening a Catholic school in the space, or continuing efforts to have other school districts accept the high school.

After the extension was refused, a group of community residents successfully filed a petition in May to dissolve the school district entirely. Under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch72/072_006_0035.html">Kansas statute</a>, a disorganization petition with enough signatures is put on a ballot for all voters in the district.

Cullens, who has lived in Wilson for about 20 years, has said the months since the closure have been difficult. Her son graduated from the high school after attending the school since preschool, and her daughter, a rising senior, was set on the same track before the closure announcement. Now, she will shift schools, splitting her up from friends she has known since kindergarten.

“It’s very sad,” Cullens said. “And it’s hard on her.”

She blames a “lopsided” school board for the decision. Two out of the seven board members represent Wilson, and she said the school board wasn’t advocating for her community.

Cullens cited differences in janitor pay and being passed over for collaborative opportunities with other schools for athletic programs as examples of unequal treatment

She said she’s already seen some families move away as a result.

“There’s a house on the market,” Cullens said. “There’s no more local spending. … I just foresee it getting worse.”

In reaction to anger from the Wilson community, and support from other rural communities, the Legislature this year voted into law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/summary_hb_2138_2023">House Bill 2138</a>.

The law allows citizens to request the state BOE to conduct an administrative review of a resolution to close a school building if 5 percent or more of registered voters in the school district request the review.

Kratky went to Topeka multiple times to testify in support of the proposal.

“Through all of this in our district, this discussion was never about education,” Kratky said in testimony submitted for a&nbsp; March 22 hearing. “It was always about one school surviving at the cost of another closing. … The current structure allows lopsided boards to overpower smaller schools in a district, and the smaller schools don’t have the ability to do what’s best for our communities. We need your help.”

Following the review, the state BOE will give its opinion on closure to the local board, which will make the final decision.

Schmidt said rural communities needed to find ways to cope with shrinking populations, pointing to Bushton as an example. When the district voted to shut down the Bushton middle school in 2019, her daughter was one of the students transferred to the Claflin school.

Schmidt said Wilson could learn from Bushton, which has turned the former middle school building into a multi-purpose facility for community spaces. She pointed out the Bushton community didn’t “take their anger and hurt” and use the statute to disorganize the school district.

“There’s always a loss,” Schmidt said. “Kind of like a death. You have to mourn the death of what was. You’re not the same community you’ve always been. But that doesn’t mean your community can’t go on, that your students can’t prosper, and that there’s good things to come.”

<h2>Disorganization could lead to closure of all school buildings in Barton County’s USD 112</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689621524859.jpeg" alt="Barton County residents will vote August 1, 2023, on whether to disorganize or keep the USD 112 school district intact. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Barton County residents will vote August 1, 2023, on whether to disorganize or keep the USD 112 school district intact. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/rmipro/">RACHEL MIPRO</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>CLAFLIN — Barton County residents will decide whether to break up with their school district and “start fresh” following heartbreak and anger over the closure of a rural community’s high school.The change could result in hundreds of students displaced and three more schools shut down.The Aug. 1 disorganization vote is a test case for rural communities that increasingly have to make decisions to shut down or consolidate as populations dwindle&nbsp;and schools face financial strain.“This is brand new territory for the Department of Education, for the State Board of Education and basically every district in the state of Kansas,” said KSDE general counsel Scott Gordon during a June 27 meeting in Claflin.Dissolving the district is likely to have widespread consequences for all district schools and likely will increase residents’ taxes, according to opponents of disorganization.Wilson parent Kayla Cullens said the split needs to happen because the Claflin-based Unified School District 112 school board voted to shut down Wilson High School.The district covers portions of five counties, including the Holyrood, Bushton, Claflin, Dorrance, Lorraine, Wilson, Beaver and Odin communities, along with other rural areas. Claflin and Wilson are a little less than a half hour apart, and the other communities mostly fall within a 10-30 minute range of each other.Cullens, part of a disorganization campaign, said the district’s school board had long treated the Wilson community unfairly. She said the “hostility” in the decision to close the high school was the latest evidence of other schools being prioritized over Wilson.“It’s been growing animosity between both ends of the district since consolidation, and it’s now a good time just to part ways,” Cullens said. “They weren’t willing to work with us. They weren’t willing to look at the bigger picture.”Michael Kratky, a lifelong Wilson resident and fellow disorganization advocate, said the Wilson shutdown was a bad decision by the board. Kratky said part of his frustration stemmed from Claflin’s consolidation with Wilson, Holyrood, Bushton and Lorraine in 2010, when the Claflin school district needed financial help.Kratky said the district didn’t extend the same help these past two years to Wilson.&nbsp;“They’re shooting for everything to be centrally located eventually in Claflin. … (The district) helped them survive. They didn’t help us survive,” Kratky said.The district now has three schools left: Central Plains Elementary, Central Plains Junior-Senior High School and Wilson Elementary School.Cullens said she is aware that disorganization isn’t likely to re-open the high school, but she said the Wilson community will fare better under a different district school board.“I do not think it will get re-opened,” Cullens said. “I hope it will, and it’s really the only chance we have of reopening it. But I don’t see a yes vote opening our high school.”Other members of communities in the district call the move misguided.Denise Schmidt, a Claflin resident, educator and member of the opposing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.unitedusd112.com/">“United USD 112” campaign</a>, said the disorganization effort is driven by anger and fear.“They will lose their elementary school, we will lose our elementary school, Central Plains Elementary, and we’ll also lose Central Plains Junior Senior High School,” Schmidt said. “We will lose everything in a yes vote.”Some have said the disorganization campaign has been misleading, with Wilson residents encouraged to believe signing the disorganization petition would bring back the high school or allow them to create their own district. Schmidt said a sign at the local post office asked residents to go in and sign the petition to “save our schools.”&nbsp;“Obviously it’s for the postal officials to decide, but putting it out there to patrons, ‘save our school’ or ‘we need a high school’ and then encouraging them to sign the petition is misleading, because by signing the petition, it doesn’t open the high school,” Schmidt said.Cullens said signs about saving the school were the work of one person, and not the official campaign effort, which has put up signs asking for a “fresh start.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689621606794.jpeg" alt="A sign placed in a Wilson gas station tells residents to “vote yes” on the Aug. 1, 2023, petition to disorganize. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector) " />
 <figcaption>A sign placed in a Wilson gas station tells residents to “vote yes” on the Aug. 1, 2023, petition to disorganize. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector) </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>What will happen?&nbsp;</h2>If the measure doesn’t pass in the Aug. 1 vote, the USD 112 school district will stay the same, keeping the tax rate and schools intact.If the measure passes, the Kansas State Board of Education takes over, deciding how to divide up the USD 112 territory into 10 neighboring school districts. The district’s schools will either be absorbed into the surrounding districts or shut down.Officials from the Kansas State Department of Education held two informational meetings on June 27 to explain the repercussions of disorganization. During one of the informational meetings, Gordon, the agency attorney, said he wanted to clear up rumors that people in the school district would have some say over which school district they became a part of.“I don’t know who came up with that,” Gordon said. “And that’s probably not going to happen.”Gordon said Wilson High School wouldn’t be reopened unless the incorporating school district decided it was a good choice. Gordon said reassignment wouldn’t assure the future safety of any of the district’s schools, or the school staffs’ jobs.“Do we get to guarantee that they’re going to stay open? I don’t believe so,” Gordon said. “If you vote to disorganize a school district and you disorganize the locally elected school board, it is the same as if an employer suddenly goes out of business or a business owner suddenly goes out of business. The business is gone. It is entirely up to the receiving school districts.”According to Gordon, former USD 112 residents likely would lose any say in school district functions for a few months. After the state Board of Education makes the reassignment decision, people from the former district wouldn’t be eligible to vote in elections for about 120 days.Gordon estimated it would take 18 months after reassignment before anyone from the former USD 112 could run for local school board.Taxpayers will pay the rate of their new district. Because nine of the 10 neighboring districts have higher mill levy rates, it’s likely many reassigned residents would see a tax increase.Cullens said she understood there could be negative implications for the district but that Wilson needed better representation.“We don’t know if a school will close,” Cullens said. “That’s totally up to the receiving district. We don’t know what that looks like. … They can choose to leave as open as is. They can choose to reopen the high school here in Wilson. They could choose to shut everybody down.”She added: “We’re putting faith in the effort that they will be looking out for what’s in the best interest of our students, which we feel they’re not getting today.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689621671526.jpeg" alt="The high school side of the Wilson school building closed at the end of the school year. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The high school side of the Wilson school building closed at the end of the school year. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Timeline of the vote&nbsp;</h2>In April 2022, the USD 112 Central Plains Board of Education voted to reassign Wilson junior and high school students to the Central Plains Junior-Senior High School because of low enrollment and financial issues.Members of the Wilson community began to explore options of keeping the school open, such as a land transfer, which would place the building into a neighboring district.After those unsuccessful efforts, the BOE voted in January to close Wilson High School at the end of the 2022-23 school year. The plan was that Wilson junior high and high school students would be bused to Central Plains High School in Claflin. Kindergarten through sixth grade students would continue to attend school in Wilson.According to KSDE data, the Wilson high school had 73 students at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, a 50 percent decline over 10 years. The Claflin high school had 140 students for the same school year.Members of the community asked the board to grant an one-year extension to give the school time to find alternate solutions, such as opening a Catholic school in the space, or continuing efforts to have other school districts accept the high school.After the extension was refused, a group of community residents successfully filed a petition in May to dissolve the school district entirely. Under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch72/072_006_0035.html">Kansas statute</a>, a disorganization petition with enough signatures is put on a ballot for all voters in the district.Cullens, who has lived in Wilson for about 20 years, has said the months since the closure have been difficult. Her son graduated from the high school after attending the school since preschool, and her daughter, a rising senior, was set on the same track before the closure announcement. Now, she will shift schools, splitting her up from friends she has known since kindergarten.“It’s very sad,” Cullens said. “And it’s hard on her.”She blames a “lopsided” school board for the decision. Two out of the seven board members represent Wilson, and she said the school board wasn’t advocating for her community.Cullens cited differences in janitor pay and being passed over for collaborative opportunities with other schools for athletic programs as examples of unequal treatmentShe said she’s already seen some families move away as a result.“There’s a house on the market,” Cullens said. “There’s no more local spending. … I just foresee it getting worse.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689621738925.jpeg" alt="Half of the Wilson school building has been shut down. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Half of the Wilson school building has been shut down. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Rural communities across Kansas&nbsp;</h2>In reaction to anger from the Wilson community, and support from other rural communities, the Legislature this year voted into law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/summary_hb_2138_2023">House Bill 2138</a>.The law allows citizens to request the state BOE to conduct an administrative review of a resolution to close a school building if 5 percent or more of registered voters in the school district request the review.Kratky went to Topeka multiple times to testify in support of the proposal.“Through all of this in our district, this discussion was never about education,” Kratky said in testimony submitted for a&nbsp; March 22 hearing. “It was always about one school surviving at the cost of another closing. … The current structure allows lopsided boards to overpower smaller schools in a district, and the smaller schools don’t have the ability to do what’s best for our communities. We need your help.”Following the review, the state BOE will give its opinion on closure to the local board, which will make the final decision.Schmidt said rural communities needed to find ways to cope with shrinking populations, pointing to Bushton as an example. When the district voted to shut down the Bushton middle school in 2019, her daughter was one of the students transferred to the Claflin school.Schmidt said Wilson could learn from Bushton, which has turned the former middle school building into a multi-purpose facility for community spaces. She pointed out the Bushton community didn’t “take their anger and hurt” and use the statute to disorganize the school district.“There’s always a loss,” Schmidt said. “Kind of like a death. You have to mourn the death of what was. You’re not the same community you’ve always been. But that doesn’t mean your community can’t go on, that your students can’t prosper, and that there’s good things to come.”

After school shutdown, rural Kansas community tries to divorce district

WICHITA - Come out to FHSU Soccer Stadium (1315 230th&nbsp;Ave) at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 22 to experience intense high-caliber adult men's soccer as Sporting Wichita plays Indios Denver to earn the UPSL national tournament semi-final game spot! Noisemakers welcome. &nbsp;

Join your local Hays Soccer Club tailgating outside the stadium starting around 5:30 p.m. Please bring your own tailgating items.

UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) is the largest and most competitive soccer pro-development league in North America. 

Each spring/summer the UPSL hosts it national tournament. Just to enter the tournament, the Sporting Wichita First Team (adult men's team) won its local Kansas league. Next, Sporting Wichita won two national tournament single-elimination bracket games -- first against Minneapolis, then against Dallas -- to reach this UPSL national tournament quarter-finals round against Denver.

Learn more about the match-up online:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk</a>

Let others know about this game by re-posting game information from Sporting Wichita First Team’s &nbsp;facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/</a>&nbsp; or twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam</a>

View the full national tournament bracket and learn more about UPSL soccer:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689793424440.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedWICHITA - Come out to FHSU Soccer Stadium (1315 230th&nbsp;Ave) at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 22 to experience intense high-caliber adult men's soccer as Sporting Wichita plays Indios Denver to earn the UPSL national tournament semi-final game spot! Noisemakers welcome. &nbsp;Join your local Hays Soccer Club tailgating outside the stadium starting around 5:30 p.m. Please bring your own tailgating items.UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) is the largest and most competitive soccer pro-development league in North America. Each spring/summer the UPSL hosts it national tournament. Just to enter the tournament, the Sporting Wichita First Team (adult men's team) won its local Kansas league. Next, Sporting Wichita won two national tournament single-elimination bracket games -- first against Minneapolis, then against Dallas -- to reach this UPSL national tournament quarter-finals round against Denver.Learn more about the match-up online:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/upsl-national-quarterfinal-saturday-preview-central-and-southeast-region/?fbclid=IwAR0XzJDpC4TnNO7hJ6ZxY42SShuc3OAnbgfMeAE8eRCocXO7Z-xHZdZEJSk</a>Let others know about this game by re-posting game information from Sporting Wichita First Team’s &nbsp;facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/p/Sporting-Wichita-First-Team-100063500486580/</a>&nbsp; or twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/SWFirstTeam</a>View the full national tournament bracket and learn more about UPSL soccer:&nbsp;<a href="https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/" target="_blank">https://premier.upsl.com/playoffs/</a>

UPSL national tournament quarter-finals to be played in Hays tonight

Typically, wheat growers will keep back enough of their wheat seed to plant again, but also they may be looking to replace a variety in an effort to reduce seed borne diseases, and to improve genetics for various factors including but not limited to yield and disease prevention.

Each year many county agents put out wheat variety demonstration plots and conduct field days to view and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of varieties and wheat production issues. Most demonstration plots are also harvested.

To see the complete yield results and details of the cultural practices go to our web site at <a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/">www.cottonwood.ksu.edu</a>.

 This demonstration wheat plot should not be used solely for making your variety selection decision. It is more for showing and talking about the varieties each year at the Field Day.

Instead I would highly encourage growers to make your variety selection decisions based on the K-State Agricultural Experiment Station's replicated wheat performance tests. 

They are randomized replicated trials, meaning each variety is randomly planted in four different spots in the field; all seed is either foundation or registered. Replicated field trials will account for or smooth out the variability within a field, and thus are more accurate. These results from the K-State Agricultural Experiment Stations can also be found on our web site.

Yield should not be the only consideration in your selection, and multiple years of data should be considered. Some other important considerations are stripe and leaf rust resistance, drought tolerance, winter hardiness, straw strength, shattering reputation, maturity and test weight. Each grower may differ some in what is most important to them and may add other considerations not mentioned. 

A good resource is “Wheat Variety Guide – MF991” publication that is updated yearly. It will be posted on our web site as well, click onto Crops and Livestock, and look under Hot Topics.

Many thanks to Neil Gottschalk and his family and Brandon Riedel for putting out the wheat demonstration plot! And to the following businesses for sponsoring the field day meal – Bank of Hays, Bieker Insurance Agency, Carrico Implement, Commerce Bank, Emprise Bank, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Danny Dinkel, First Kansas Bank, Golden Belt Bank, Golden Belt Coop, Gorham State Bank, High Plains Farm Credit, Kippes Insurance Agency, LDI, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Radke Implement, Sunflower Bank, United Ag and A &amp; A Coors.

Stacy Campbell is a crop production agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681266655144.jpeg" alt="Stacy Campbell is a crop production agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Stacy Campbell is a crop production agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Typically, wheat growers will keep back enough of their wheat seed to plant again, but also they may be looking to replace a variety in an effort to reduce seed borne diseases, and to improve genetics for various factors including but not limited to yield and disease prevention.Each year many county agents put out wheat variety demonstration plots and conduct field days to view and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of varieties and wheat production issues. Most demonstration plots are also harvested.To see the complete yield results and details of the cultural practices go to our web site at <a href="https://cottonwood.k-state.edu/">www.cottonwood.ksu.edu</a>. This demonstration wheat plot should not be used solely for making your variety selection decision. It is more for showing and talking about the varieties each year at the Field Day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689604292324.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Instead I would highly encourage growers to make your variety selection decisions based on the K-State Agricultural Experiment Station's replicated wheat performance tests. They are randomized replicated trials, meaning each variety is randomly planted in four different spots in the field; all seed is either foundation or registered. Replicated field trials will account for or smooth out the variability within a field, and thus are more accurate. These results from the K-State Agricultural Experiment Stations can also be found on our web site.Yield should not be the only consideration in your selection, and multiple years of data should be considered. Some other important considerations are stripe and leaf rust resistance, drought tolerance, winter hardiness, straw strength, shattering reputation, maturity and test weight. Each grower may differ some in what is most important to them and may add other considerations not mentioned. A good resource is “Wheat Variety Guide – MF991” publication that is updated yearly. It will be posted on our web site as well, click onto Crops and Livestock, and look under Hot Topics.Many thanks to Neil Gottschalk and his family and Brandon Riedel for putting out the wheat demonstration plot! And to the following businesses for sponsoring the field day meal – Bank of Hays, Bieker Insurance Agency, Carrico Implement, Commerce Bank, Emprise Bank, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Danny Dinkel, First Kansas Bank, Golden Belt Bank, Golden Belt Coop, Gorham State Bank, High Plains Farm Credit, Kippes Insurance Agency, LDI, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Radke Implement, Sunflower Bank, United Ag and A &amp; A Coors.Stacy Campbell is a crop production agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension.&nbsp;

CAMPBELL: Ellis County wheat variety demonstration plot results

<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/2023/7/1689960083874.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

COLBY - Colby Community College conferred 260 degrees and certificates on May 12, 2023, during the 58th&nbsp;annual commencement ceremony at the Colby Event Center.

Hometowns are published as indicated by the student. Kansas residents are arranged by city, out-of-state residents are listed by city and state, and international students by country. By request, some names are not published.

Atwood:&nbsp;Juliann Sis.&nbsp;Belleville:&nbsp;Karlie Strutt.&nbsp;Brewster:&nbsp;Candy Aschenbrenner.&nbsp;Colby:&nbsp;Marissa Bermudez, Patyn Branum, Samantha Brenn, Sheena Brown, Jersey Carney, Michaela Derickson, Jayla Helus, Shawna Petersen, Wade Rush, Jacob Sack, Morgan Voss, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Hanna Cepeda, Elena Flores, Sara Salcedo.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Melissa Womack.&nbsp;Hays:&nbsp;Melanie Fisher.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Angela Sorter.&nbsp;Oakley:&nbsp;Wayne Flipse, Brandi Horton.&nbsp;Oberlin:&nbsp;Miranda Stevenson.&nbsp;Osborne:&nbsp;Sarah Seifert.&nbsp;Phillipsburg:&nbsp;Kelly Cote.&nbsp;Plainville:&nbsp;Shandra Griffin.&nbsp;Rexford:&nbsp;Toby Korte.&nbsp;Scott City:&nbsp;Jose Garcia, Kaely Zilla.&nbsp;

Atwood:&nbsp;Sapphira Bailey.&nbsp;Bird City:&nbsp;Rubie Yost.&nbsp;Colby:&nbsp;William Bradley, Colin Carroll, Britton Knowles, Britnee McKinney, Kirsten Miessler, Claire Nelson, Lydia Rinehart, Tyler Voss, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Damar:&nbsp;Kirsten Marcotte.&nbsp;Gem:&nbsp;Kylah Smith.&nbsp;Glade:&nbsp;Kylie Solida.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Valeria Almanza-Chavez.&nbsp;Gove:&nbsp;Kristy Packard.&nbsp;Great Bend: Shailey Clark.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Isabella Ostmeyer.&nbsp;Hays:&nbsp;Micah Leibbrandt.&nbsp;Hill City:&nbsp;Stephanie Winn.&nbsp;Hoxie:&nbsp;Emily Diercks.&nbsp;Monument:&nbsp;Eric Cain.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Natasha Flores.&nbsp;Phillipsburg:&nbsp;Rylan Hays, Brittany King.&nbsp;WaKeeney:&nbsp;Desiree Littlechild, Sydney Rothchild.&nbsp;Winona:&nbsp;Regan Stramel.&nbsp;

Colby:&nbsp;Dante Brown, Colin Carroll, Michaela Derickson, Seth Gundlach, Britton Knowles, Britnee McKinney, Claire Nelson, Gage Odell, Lydia Rinehart, Isaac Smith, Tyler Voss, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Edson:&nbsp;Aliya Holzmeister.&nbsp;Glade:&nbsp;Kylie Solida.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Valeria Almanza-Chavez, Dustin Delgado,&nbsp;Dallin Tew.&nbsp;Gove: Kristy Packard.&nbsp;Great Bend:&nbsp;Shailey Clark.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Isabella Ostmeyer.&nbsp;Monument:&nbsp;Eric Cain.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Natasha Flores.&nbsp;Oakley:&nbsp;Jera Schoenfeld.&nbsp;Sharon Springs:&nbsp;Kylie Ryser.&nbsp;WaKeeney:&nbsp;Desiree Littlechild, Sydney Rothchild.&nbsp;Winona:&nbsp;Regan Stramel.

Atwood:&nbsp;Juliann Sis.&nbsp;Colby:&nbsp;Maria Austin, Breon Barton, Kasandra Blackhart, Reese Blatt, Michaela Derickson, Chelsea Goni, Alexis Hancock, Nicole Jansonius, Taitym Knott, Postenea Louisjeune, Nikki Murphy, Brenda Platt, Melissa Reed,&nbsp;Aden Reilley, Wade Rush, Jacob Sack, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Elena Flores, Xochitl Rodriguez.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Melissa Womack.&nbsp;Hoxie:&nbsp;Kellie Tice.&nbsp;Lebanon:&nbsp;Nicholas Lange.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Hayley Cadwalader, Eden Davis, Destiny Gretzschel, Clint Hammond, Katie Meitl.&nbsp;Oakley:&nbsp;Wayne Flipse.&nbsp;Oberlin:&nbsp;Nicole Irwin.&nbsp;&nbsp;Osborne:&nbsp;Helen Carlin, Gabriel Pasilas.&nbsp;Quinter:&nbsp;Dayna Beachel.&nbsp;Rexford:&nbsp;Toby Korte.&nbsp;Scott City:&nbsp;Gabrielle Martinez, Kenlea Stegman.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611227923055.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CCCCOLBY - Colby Community College conferred 260 degrees and certificates on May 12, 2023, during the 58th&nbsp;annual commencement ceremony at the Colby Event Center.Hometowns are published as indicated by the student. Kansas residents are arranged by city, out-of-state residents are listed by city and state, and international students by country. By request, some names are not published.Associate of Applied ScienceAtwood:&nbsp;Juliann Sis.&nbsp;Belleville:&nbsp;Karlie Strutt.&nbsp;Brewster:&nbsp;Candy Aschenbrenner.&nbsp;Colby:&nbsp;Marissa Bermudez, Patyn Branum, Samantha Brenn, Sheena Brown, Jersey Carney, Michaela Derickson, Jayla Helus, Shawna Petersen, Wade Rush, Jacob Sack, Morgan Voss, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Hanna Cepeda, Elena Flores, Sara Salcedo.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Melissa Womack.&nbsp;Hays:&nbsp;Melanie Fisher.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Angela Sorter.&nbsp;Oakley:&nbsp;Wayne Flipse, Brandi Horton.&nbsp;Oberlin:&nbsp;Miranda Stevenson.&nbsp;Osborne:&nbsp;Sarah Seifert.&nbsp;Phillipsburg:&nbsp;Kelly Cote.&nbsp;Plainville:&nbsp;Shandra Griffin.&nbsp;Rexford:&nbsp;Toby Korte.&nbsp;Scott City:&nbsp;Jose Garcia, Kaely Zilla.&nbsp;Associate of ArtsAtwood:&nbsp;Sapphira Bailey.&nbsp;Bird City:&nbsp;Rubie Yost.&nbsp;Colby:&nbsp;William Bradley, Colin Carroll, Britton Knowles, Britnee McKinney, Kirsten Miessler, Claire Nelson, Lydia Rinehart, Tyler Voss, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Damar:&nbsp;Kirsten Marcotte.&nbsp;Gem:&nbsp;Kylah Smith.&nbsp;Glade:&nbsp;Kylie Solida.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Valeria Almanza-Chavez.&nbsp;Gove:&nbsp;Kristy Packard.&nbsp;Great Bend: Shailey Clark.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Isabella Ostmeyer.&nbsp;Hays:&nbsp;Micah Leibbrandt.&nbsp;Hill City:&nbsp;Stephanie Winn.&nbsp;Hoxie:&nbsp;Emily Diercks.&nbsp;Monument:&nbsp;Eric Cain.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Natasha Flores.&nbsp;Phillipsburg:&nbsp;Rylan Hays, Brittany King.&nbsp;WaKeeney:&nbsp;Desiree Littlechild, Sydney Rothchild.&nbsp;Winona:&nbsp;Regan Stramel.&nbsp;Associate of ScienceColby:&nbsp;Dante Brown, Colin Carroll, Michaela Derickson, Seth Gundlach, Britton Knowles, Britnee McKinney, Claire Nelson, Gage Odell, Lydia Rinehart, Isaac Smith, Tyler Voss, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Edson:&nbsp;Aliya Holzmeister.&nbsp;Glade:&nbsp;Kylie Solida.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Valeria Almanza-Chavez, Dustin Delgado,&nbsp;Dallin Tew.&nbsp;Gove: Kristy Packard.&nbsp;Great Bend:&nbsp;Shailey Clark.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Isabella Ostmeyer.&nbsp;Monument:&nbsp;Eric Cain.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Natasha Flores.&nbsp;Oakley:&nbsp;Jera Schoenfeld.&nbsp;Sharon Springs:&nbsp;Kylie Ryser.&nbsp;WaKeeney:&nbsp;Desiree Littlechild, Sydney Rothchild.&nbsp;Winona:&nbsp;Regan Stramel.CertificatesAtwood:&nbsp;Juliann Sis.&nbsp;Colby:&nbsp;Maria Austin, Breon Barton, Kasandra Blackhart, Reese Blatt, Michaela Derickson, Chelsea Goni, Alexis Hancock, Nicole Jansonius, Taitym Knott, Postenea Louisjeune, Nikki Murphy, Brenda Platt, Melissa Reed,&nbsp;Aden Reilley, Wade Rush, Jacob Sack, Elizabeth White.&nbsp;Goodland:&nbsp;Elena Flores, Xochitl Rodriguez.&nbsp;Grinnell:&nbsp;Melissa Womack.&nbsp;Hoxie:&nbsp;Kellie Tice.&nbsp;Lebanon:&nbsp;Nicholas Lange.&nbsp;Norton:&nbsp;Hayley Cadwalader, Eden Davis, Destiny Gretzschel, Clint Hammond, Katie Meitl.&nbsp;Oakley:&nbsp;Wayne Flipse.&nbsp;Oberlin:&nbsp;Nicole Irwin.&nbsp;&nbsp;Osborne:&nbsp;Helen Carlin, Gabriel Pasilas.&nbsp;Quinter:&nbsp;Dayna Beachel.&nbsp;Rexford:&nbsp;Toby Korte.&nbsp;Scott City:&nbsp;Gabrielle Martinez, Kenlea Stegman.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Area spring graduates announced at Colby Community College

EMPORIA -&nbsp; Tasiah Nunnery of Hays, was one of nearly 700 Emporia State University undergraduate students named to the university honor roll after the spring 2023 semester.

To qualify for the university honor roll, students earned a minimum 3.80 semester grade point average in at least 12 graded hours.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617728682748.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ESUEMPORIA -&nbsp; Tasiah Nunnery of Hays, was one of nearly 700 Emporia State University undergraduate students named to the university honor roll after the spring 2023 semester.To qualify for the university honor roll, students earned a minimum 3.80 semester grade point average in at least 12 graded hours.

Tasiah Nunnery of Hays named to Emporia State honor roll

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with Kayla Cullens and Roberta Myers to discuss the situation at Wilson schools&nbsp; USD 112 and the upcoming vote to disorganize the district.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2OW7zkj0BEM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with Kayla Cullens and Roberta Myers to discuss the situation at Wilson schools&nbsp; USD 112 and the upcoming vote to disorganize the district.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686337406551.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Forward Ever: USD 112 disorganization vote part 1

TOPEKA, Kan. – Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.8 percent in June. This is a decrease from 2.9 percent in May and an increase from 2.6 percent in June 2022.

The unemployment rate in Hays was 2.2 percent in June up slightly from 1.9 percent in May. Russell County's rate also was up slightly to 2.6 percent in June compared to 2.4 percent in May.

Trego County's unemployment rate continues to decline from 3 percent&nbsp; in May to 2.9 percent in June.

“After remaining unchanged for seven consecutive months, the Kansas unemployment rate declined in June to end the second quarter at 2.8 percent,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “This is an increase from 2.6 percent one year ago, but is still one of the lowest unemployment rates recorded in the state of Kansas.”

Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 1,000 from May. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 300 over the month, while government increased by 700.

“Average nominal hourly earnings in the Kansas private sector grew 2.3 percent over the year in June, as national inflation rates slowed for the 12th consecutive month,” said labor economist, Nathan Kessler.

“While they remain above the Federal Reserve target, inflation rates are now more aligned with wage growth compared to much of the past 18 months.”

Since June 2022 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 31,900. This change is due to an increase of 27,200 private sector jobs and an increase of 4,700 government jobs.

Complete Kansas labor market information for June is available<a href="https://klic.dol.ks.gov/vosnet/gsipub/documentView.aspx?enc=O+qpCkhjA+v3dzYVbAEMjQ=="> here.</a>

The July 2023 Labor Report will be released Aug. 18.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689952795093.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. – Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.8 percent in June. This is a decrease from 2.9 percent in May and an increase from 2.6 percent in June 2022.The unemployment rate in Hays was 2.2 percent in June up slightly from 1.9 percent in May. Russell County's rate also was up slightly to 2.6 percent in June compared to 2.4 percent in May.Trego County's unemployment rate continues to decline from 3 percent&nbsp; in May to 2.9 percent in June.“After remaining unchanged for seven consecutive months, the Kansas unemployment rate declined in June to end the second quarter at 2.8 percent,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “This is an increase from 2.6 percent one year ago, but is still one of the lowest unemployment rates recorded in the state of Kansas.”Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 1,000 from May. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 300 over the month, while government increased by 700.“Average nominal hourly earnings in the Kansas private sector grew 2.3 percent over the year in June, as national inflation rates slowed for the 12th consecutive month,” said labor economist, Nathan Kessler.“While they remain above the Federal Reserve target, inflation rates are now more aligned with wage growth compared to much of the past 18 months.”Since June 2022 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 31,900. This change is due to an increase of 27,200 private sector jobs and an increase of 4,700 government jobs.Complete Kansas labor market information for June is available<a href="https://klic.dol.ks.gov/vosnet/gsipub/documentView.aspx?enc=O+qpCkhjA+v3dzYVbAEMjQ=="> here.</a>The July 2023 Labor Report will be released Aug. 18.

June unemployment up slightly in Ellis, Russell counties

This is day 14 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

Up and down the Colorado border, wheat producers are working to finish up harvest. The northwestern corner of the state was among the few that received moisture last fall, snow this winter and rain this spring, leading to better yields than many other areas of the state. In contrast, the southwest corner of the state is faring poorer with high rates of abandonment and declining conditions for wheat left standing in the field. Universally, moisture in the air continues to delay cutting, extending harvest well beyond a normal pace.&nbsp;

Jason Ochs of Hamilton County had to abandon about 60 percent of his wheat this year due to the drought. On the remaining acres, he is averaging yields of about 20 bushels per acre. He did have one field that was adjusted at 0.3 bushels per acre, but it started raining in April before he got it destroyed, so he will harvest it, saying that it might make 15 bushels per acre. Test weights are averaging 58 to 59 pounds per bushel.&nbsp;

Ochs grows both hard red winter (HRW) and hard white (HW) wheat. Both classes are shattering due to wind and hail. One of his fields had 50 percent loss after four separate hail events and has been hailed on twice since then.

He said the majority of the area had a hard time getting fall crops in due to excessive rains in May and June, so wheat acres should be up this fall. His mantra is, “You have to take advantage of the opportunity when there is moisture” — even if it messes up the crop rotation a bit.

“Residue is big-time cash as far as I’m concerned,” Ochs said.

Harvest began on July 3 and 4, but rains came in, keeping them out of the fields for several more days. Ochs noted that it is difficult to find help because of the late harvest, and he currently has one combine sitting because he has no one to run it. Weed pressure, moisture and humidity — not common issues during harvest in this part of the state — mean the machines that are running have to go slow.&nbsp;

“I have two days of harvest left,” he said, “but it will take five or six.”

Ochs noted that Kansas Wheat Alliance’s hard white wheat variety Joe has been a good performer this year, yielding in the mid-30s, and that PlainsGold’s HRW wheat variety Canvas has also done well, weathering the drought.

Harvest is further behind in the northwest part of the state at 60 to 70 percent complete, well behind the normal timeline for the area, according to Stan Remington, CEO/president of Frontier Ag Inc. With the weather forecast showing temperatures in the mid-90s and no chances of rain — yet — harvest could finish up by the end of next week.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Along Highway 36, the wheat harvest has been the best in the territory, Remington said. The area had some moisture last fall that got the wheat up, snow throughout the winter and rains this spring. Moisture was timely, but not early enough for disease to set in, allowing wheat to grow into more of its yield potential. As a result, yields started out at 70 to 80 bushels per acre with protein ranging from 10 to 11 percent where yields are high and adjusting up to 12 percent further east where conditions were drier. Test weights started excellent at 61 to 62 pounds per bushel, with daily averages now at 58 bushels per acre. Weeds are starting to be more of an issue for producers.&nbsp;

Weather has been a constant battle since the day harvest started. In addition to rain delays, producers can only cut from mid-afternoon to dark, thanks to fog in the mornings and humidity that comes with the rising and setting of the sun. Two different sizeable hail events along the Cheyenne/Sherman County line eliminated some acres, along with significant damage to the corn and other fall crops. Still, Remington said producers will take the moisture because fall crops that weren’t hit by hail are looking fantastic.&nbsp;

Overall, Frontier Ag Inc. expects to end up with 60 percent of the historical average for bushels across their draw area, which extends from the Colorado line up to the Nebraska border, across Highway 36, dropping down to Highway 24 to Hill City then down to Ransom and back across the I-70 corridor from WaKeeney to Goodland.&nbsp;

“With the year, and as we look back at the first day of May, we feel pretty fortunate,” Remington said.

He noted grain shipments from northwest Kansas depend on how the final crop unfolds, but he is excited for when the Amber Wave wheat gluten plant comes online in Phillipsburg for additional marketing opportunities for area producers.&nbsp;

The Kansas Wheat crew is keeping their eyes to the sky this weekend but will be back next week to share more updates on the Kansas wheat harvest with the next report scheduled for July 24.&nbsp;

The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. 

To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your harvest story and photos.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689952908061.png" alt="Kansas Wheat" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Wheat</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas WheatThis is day 14 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.Up and down the Colorado border, wheat producers are working to finish up harvest. The northwestern corner of the state was among the few that received moisture last fall, snow this winter and rain this spring, leading to better yields than many other areas of the state. In contrast, the southwest corner of the state is faring poorer with high rates of abandonment and declining conditions for wheat left standing in the field. Universally, moisture in the air continues to delay cutting, extending harvest well beyond a normal pace.&nbsp;Jason Ochs of Hamilton County had to abandon about 60 percent of his wheat this year due to the drought. On the remaining acres, he is averaging yields of about 20 bushels per acre. He did have one field that was adjusted at 0.3 bushels per acre, but it started raining in April before he got it destroyed, so he will harvest it, saying that it might make 15 bushels per acre. Test weights are averaging 58 to 59 pounds per bushel.&nbsp;Ochs grows both hard red winter (HRW) and hard white (HW) wheat. Both classes are shattering due to wind and hail. One of his fields had 50 percent loss after four separate hail events and has been hailed on twice since then.He said the majority of the area had a hard time getting fall crops in due to excessive rains in May and June, so wheat acres should be up this fall. His mantra is, “You have to take advantage of the opportunity when there is moisture” — even if it messes up the crop rotation a bit.“Residue is big-time cash as far as I’m concerned,” Ochs said.Harvest began on July 3 and 4, but rains came in, keeping them out of the fields for several more days. Ochs noted that it is difficult to find help because of the late harvest, and he currently has one combine sitting because he has no one to run it. Weed pressure, moisture and humidity — not common issues during harvest in this part of the state — mean the machines that are running have to go slow.&nbsp;“I have two days of harvest left,” he said, “but it will take five or six.”Ochs noted that Kansas Wheat Alliance’s hard white wheat variety Joe has been a good performer this year, yielding in the mid-30s, and that PlainsGold’s HRW wheat variety Canvas has also done well, weathering the drought.Harvest is further behind in the northwest part of the state at 60 to 70 percent complete, well behind the normal timeline for the area, according to Stan Remington, CEO/president of Frontier Ag Inc. With the weather forecast showing temperatures in the mid-90s and no chances of rain — yet — harvest could finish up by the end of next week.&nbsp;&nbsp;Along Highway 36, the wheat harvest has been the best in the territory, Remington said. The area had some moisture last fall that got the wheat up, snow throughout the winter and rains this spring. Moisture was timely, but not early enough for disease to set in, allowing wheat to grow into more of its yield potential. As a result, yields started out at 70 to 80 bushels per acre with protein ranging from 10 to 11 percent where yields are high and adjusting up to 12 percent further east where conditions were drier. Test weights started excellent at 61 to 62 pounds per bushel, with daily averages now at 58 bushels per acre. Weeds are starting to be more of an issue for producers.&nbsp;Weather has been a constant battle since the day harvest started. In addition to rain delays, producers can only cut from mid-afternoon to dark, thanks to fog in the mornings and humidity that comes with the rising and setting of the sun. Two different sizeable hail events along the Cheyenne/Sherman County line eliminated some acres, along with significant damage to the corn and other fall crops. Still, Remington said producers will take the moisture because fall crops that weren’t hit by hail are looking fantastic.&nbsp;Overall, Frontier Ag Inc. expects to end up with 60 percent of the historical average for bushels across their draw area, which extends from the Colorado line up to the Nebraska border, across Highway 36, dropping down to Highway 24 to Hill City then down to Ransom and back across the I-70 corridor from WaKeeney to Goodland.&nbsp;“With the year, and as we look back at the first day of May, we feel pretty fortunate,” Remington said.He noted grain shipments from northwest Kansas depend on how the final crop unfolds, but he is excited for when the Amber Wave wheat gluten plant comes online in Phillipsburg for additional marketing opportunities for area producers.&nbsp;The Kansas Wheat crew is keeping their eyes to the sky this weekend but will be back next week to share more updates on the Kansas wheat harvest with the next report scheduled for July 24.&nbsp;The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share your harvest story and photos.

KANSAS WHEAT: NW Kansas harvest extended well beyond normal pace

ELLIS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Thursday in Ellis County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Jeep SUV driven by Jasmine E. Dauer, 28, Fort Collins, Colorado, was eastbound on Interstate 70 three miles west of Yocemento.

The vehicle left the roadway to the right. It is believed the driver of the SUV became incapacitated due to a medical condition just prior to the vehicle leaving the roadway. The SUV traveled through the KDOT fence and across a steep draw before coming to rest in a pasture south of the Interstate.

EMS transported Dauer to Hays Medical Center. She was propery restrained, according to the KHP.

ELLIS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Thursday in Ellis County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Jeep SUV driven by Jasmine E. Dauer, 28, Fort Collins, Colorado, was eastbound on Interstate 70 three miles west of Yocemento.The vehicle left the roadway to the right. It is believed the driver of the SUV became incapacitated due to a medical condition just prior to the vehicle leaving the roadway. The SUV traveled through the KDOT fence and across a steep draw before coming to rest in a pasture south of the Interstate.EMS transported Dauer to Hays Medical Center. She was propery restrained, according to the KHP.

Woman hospitalized in Hays after medical condition led to crash

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays received.26 inches of rain overnight and another .32 inches of rain as of Thursday morning, according to the K-State Ag Research Station.

Hays has received 3.44 inches of rain for the month of July and 12.62 inches of precipitation year to date.

Hays receives an average of 3.33 inches of rain during the month of July but is still behind the 14.60 inch-average year to date by the end of July.

Although the Kansas drought monitor shows conditions improving across the state, the drought map released Thursday still shows pockets of exceptional drought for Ellis County, as well as south-central Kansas.

The National Weather Service forecast for Hays is clear through Tuesday. The forecast is for a high of 81 degrees today and increasing to a high of 101 by Tuesday.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays received.26 inches of rain overnight and another .32 inches of rain as of Thursday morning, according to the K-State Ag Research Station.Hays has received 3.44 inches of rain for the month of July and 12.62 inches of precipitation year to date.Hays receives an average of 3.33 inches of rain during the month of July but is still behind the 14.60 inch-average year to date by the end of July.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689950639336.png" alt="Kansas Drought Monitor map for July 21 Courtesy image." />
 <figcaption>Kansas Drought Monitor map for July 21 Courtesy image.</figcaption>
 </figure>Although the Kansas drought monitor shows conditions improving across the state, the drought map released Thursday still shows pockets of exceptional drought for Ellis County, as well as south-central Kansas.The National Weather Service forecast for Hays is clear through Tuesday. The forecast is for a high of 81 degrees today and increasing to a high of 101 by Tuesday.

Hays receives .58 inches in 2 days, remains in exceptional drought

The Morning Blend's Summer Music Showdown is underway! Listen in Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KAYS">94.3 FM/1400 AM KAYS</a> to hear today's selections

Each Friday through the month of July, one lucky voter will win a Date Night package, including an appetizer, two dinners and a dessert to share from the&nbsp;<a href="https://paisleypear.net/">Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro and Market.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687537524742.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure><h2>Which song is best!?</h2>The Morning Blend's Summer Music Showdown is underway! Listen in Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KAYS">94.3 FM/1400 AM KAYS</a> to hear today's selections <h2>Vote for your favorites below</h2><div>  <script src="https://embed-994684.secondstreetapp.com/Scripts/dist/embed.js" data-ss-embed="promotion" data-opguid="b554f225-689f-49de-b35b-66081fcec7f9" data-routing="hash">/**/</script></div>Each Friday through the month of July, one lucky voter will win a Date Night package, including an appetizer, two dinners and a dessert to share from the&nbsp;<a href="https://paisleypear.net/">Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro and Market.</a><figure>
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KAYS Summer Music Showdown underway

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Discussion about a potential common alcohol consumption area in downtown Hays continued during Thursday's city commission work session.

Commissioners first talked about the idea at their&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8b222c8f-4665-4812-9b19-d40f55f24721">June 6 work session</a>.

Proposed boundary areas are Seventh Street to 13th Street and Fort to Oak, or further to Walnut to Oak, which is favored by Commissioner Alaina Cunningham.&nbsp;

Ordinances for both areas will be drawn up by the city attorney after the R9 Ranch water transfer public hearing concludes in Wichita and then put on an agenda for further consideration and possible vote sometime in August.

To implement a common consumption area, the city commission must pass an ordinance designating the area boundaries, with dates and time of operation included in the ordinance. Commissioners are considering 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., 365 days a year.&nbsp;

Cost of the signage is estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.

Vice-Mayor Sandy Jacobs said she had many people tell her they were in favor of the idea; one downtown merchant was opposed. Several businesses Commissioner Reese Barrick spoke to were against the proposal.

One of the downtown business owners in favor of the common consumption area is Dustin Roths, owner of the Fox, the Strand, and Diamond R Jewelry.

Roths told the commission it's something that would make Hays "look like a forward-thinking city and that we understand the economic power of this."

The city would seek the common consumption area permit from the state. Businesses within or immediately adjacent to the district already licensed to sell alcoholic beverages must apply to the state to participate.&nbsp;

State law previously required roads within a common consumption area to be blocked to vehicle traffic.&nbsp;

The requirement was modified on July 1, and now areas need only to be posted with signage designating the boundaries and hours of operation.

In other business, the commission asked to add an expenditure in the proposed 2024 budget for more Municipal Park pickleball courts.

The budget, which maintains a 25.000 mill levy, will be reviewed during two more work sessions before the public hearing on Sept. 14.

Commissioners also heard from Ellis County Commissioner Michael Berges, a former city commissioner, about the county's Rural Opportunity Zone.&nbsp;

The state program is a tool for communities to incentivize citizens to move to counties with populations of fewer than 40,000 residents.

Berges encouraged the city to also participate by dedicating monies for a student loan repayment program. The state kicks in a five-year income tax credit. 

The city commission previously talked about the rural opportunity zone program in 2021 when Ellis County became eligible but took no action.&nbsp;

Commissioner Mason Ruder was absent from the work session.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689927522553.jpeg" alt="Hays city commissioners talk about establishing a common alcohol consumption area during their July 20 work session. Photos and video by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Hays city commissioners talk about establishing a common alcohol consumption area during their July 20 work session. Photos and video by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostDiscussion about a potential common alcohol consumption area in downtown Hays continued during Thursday's city commission work session.Commissioners first talked about the idea at their&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8b222c8f-4665-4812-9b19-d40f55f24721">June 6 work session</a>. Proposed boundary areas are Seventh Street to 13th Street and Fort to Oak, or further to Walnut to Oak, which is favored by Commissioner Alaina Cunningham.&nbsp;Ordinances for both areas will be drawn up by the city attorney after the R9 Ranch water transfer public hearing concludes in Wichita and then put on an agenda for further consideration and possible vote sometime in August.To implement a common consumption area, the city commission must pass an ordinance designating the area boundaries, with dates and time of operation included in the ordinance. Commissioners are considering 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., 365 days a year.&nbsp;Cost of the signage is estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.Vice-Mayor Sandy Jacobs said she had many people tell her they were in favor of the idea; one downtown merchant was opposed. Several businesses Commissioner Reese Barrick spoke to were against the proposal.One of the downtown business owners in favor of the common consumption area is Dustin Roths, owner of the Fox, the Strand, and Diamond R Jewelry.Roths told the commission it's something that would make Hays "look like a forward-thinking city and that we understand the economic power of this."<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/oBvxBwUU-P46diVCW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Roths 1" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>The city would seek the common consumption area permit from the state. Businesses within or immediately adjacent to the district already licensed to sell alcoholic beverages must apply to the state to participate.&nbsp;State law previously required roads within a common consumption area to be blocked to vehicle traffic.&nbsp;The requirement was modified on July 1, and now areas need only to be posted with signage designating the boundaries and hours of operation.In other business, the commission asked to add an expenditure in the proposed 2024 budget for more Municipal Park pickleball courts.The budget, which maintains a 25.000 mill levy, will be reviewed during two more work sessions before the public hearing on Sept. 14.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689927924915.jpeg" alt="Ellis County Commissioner Michael Berges encouraged the city of Hays to participate in the county's Rural Opportunity Zone program. It includes financial incentives from the state for people to move to rural counties. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County Commissioner Michael Berges encouraged the city of Hays to participate in the county's Rural Opportunity Zone program. It includes financial incentives from the state for people to move to rural counties. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Commissioners also heard from Ellis County Commissioner Michael Berges, a former city commissioner, about the county's Rural Opportunity Zone.&nbsp;The state program is a tool for communities to incentivize citizens to move to counties with populations of fewer than 40,000 residents.Berges encouraged the city to also participate by dedicating monies for a student loan repayment program. The state kicks in a five-year income tax credit. The city commission previously talked about the rural opportunity zone program in 2021 when Ellis County became eligible but took no action.&nbsp;Commissioner Mason Ruder was absent from the work session.

🎥Vote on common alcohol consumption area in Hays to be in late summer 

The Hays Post will be publishing a series of profiles introducing the community to the 10 candidates who are running for Hays USD 489 school board.&nbsp;

Those candidates are&nbsp;David Clingan,&nbsp;James Feyerherm,&nbsp;Jayme Goetz,&nbsp;Lori Hertel,&nbsp;Craig Pallister, Allen Park, Ruth Ruder, Duff Watson,&nbsp;Dennis Wilkie and&nbsp;Derek Yarmer.

Hays PostThe Hays Post will be publishing a series of profiles introducing the community to the 10 candidates who are running for Hays USD 489 school board.&nbsp;Those candidates are&nbsp;David Clingan,&nbsp;James Feyerherm,&nbsp;Jayme Goetz,&nbsp;Lori Hertel,&nbsp;Craig Pallister, Allen Park, Ruth Ruder, Duff Watson,&nbsp;Dennis Wilkie and&nbsp;Derek Yarmer.The Hays Post sent questionnaires to the candidates asking for biographical information and why they chose to run for school board.Not enough candidates filed for the school board to require a primary. The general election will be Nov. 7. The voter registration deadline for the general election is Oct. 17.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689800225929.jpeg" alt="Dennis Wilkie" />
 <figcaption>Dennis Wilkie</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Dennis Wilkie</h2>Age: 45Profession: project manager with Roofmasters Roofing and Sheet MetalAre you an Incumbent?&nbsp;NoDo you have children or grandchildren who attend Hays public school? Daughter who graduated in 2022 and two boys who are attending O' Loughlin Elementary School.&nbsp;Please give a brief bio on yourself in 100 words or less.&nbsp;Born and raised in Seattle, Wash. As a sophomore, I went to prep school and played hockey in Boston and then transferred to play hockey in Iowa.&nbsp; I have a broad understanding of different school systems due to my family moving and also playing hockey for different schools throughout the USA. I also grew tremendously as a member of the military.&nbsp;I have five kids. My daughter, Kelsi, is a nurse in the ICU unit in Omaha; Madison is in the U.S. Airforce and currently stationed in Canada and Cassidy, who graduated from Hays High in 2022,&nbsp; is attending Kansas University for physical therapy. My wife, Kari, and I have two young sons who are attending O' Loughlin Elementary.Please explain why you are running for school board in 500 words or less.&nbsp;As a potential school board member, I would love the chance to look for opportunities for our students to excel in every area of education and to be innovative and inventive.&nbsp;We, as parents, members of the community, and teachers, each have a unique opportunity to mold and shape the next generation.&nbsp; The students that are in the classroom right now are the future, and the future begins now.&nbsp;If voted as a USD 489 board member, I think that it is part of my responsibility to look for opportunities for the students to not just be status quo but to be the best that they can be. We want them to be the best leaders, who lead with integrity and morals, and lead with confidence because of the schooling they received and the sense of community that was instilled in them. Whatever field of expertise that they choose for a career, it is our responsibility to ensure the students we have in our classrooms today will have the skills and expertise to thrive as adults.&nbsp;As someone who has lived all over the United States and whose children have attended schools both big and small, I believe Hays has great things going for it and has a great chance for continued improvement.&nbsp;As a potential board member, I know it is inevitable that differences of opinions will occur and that we will face unique challenges over the next four years. I believe my faith, integrity and personal experiences are key to my making decisions in high-pressure situations and a unique ability to see the big picture. I am determined to not just sit back, but to really dig in and encourage staff, administration and teachers to think outside the box and find ways that we can strive to be the absolute best school district in Kansas —one that is concerned about education and not indoctrination. Our kids deserve a foundation in academics, character, responsibility and integrity so they can stand up to the challenges they will face in tomorrow’s world.

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