Senator Rick Billinger Newsletter January 30, 2023

Last week, hundreds of Kansans came out on a cold day for the annual March and Rally for Life at the Statehouse. Senator Masterson addressed the crowd and further committed us to a culture of life, telling those gathered that, “It will be a cold day in you-know-what before we stop fighting to protect women and children, including unborn children.” Republicans will continue to support a culture of life in Kansas and work to reduce abortions through support for crisis pregnancy centers and preserving protections currently in law that are supported by the vast majority of Kansans.

A bill of interest to our rural committees is SB13. This bill will allow local broadcast companies to broadcast sporting events for our rural schools. Currently KSHSAA (Kansas State High School Activities Association) has contracted with NFHS network to broadcast sporting events across the state of Kansas. The contract with NFHS prohibits local broadcasters from broadcasting regular and post season activities. The proposed SB13 would allow local broadcasters to broadcast regular season activities and post season activities. Rural broadcasters have been denied access to stream or broadcast sporting activities when a school has contracted with NFHS. When a school is contracted with NFHS our listeners are then required to pay a fee to listen to their favorite team play.

The Local Government Committee is working on a bill which would allow county commissioners to appoint members to a hospital board who would reside in adjoining counties. Many times, in rural communities finding people who are willing to serve on boards, including hospital boards is difficult to accomplish.

This week the Senate Ways and Means Committee will start with subcommittee hearings on the budget. The budget committee plans to focus this session on paying of debt, putting additional money into the rainy-day fund, looking at bonds that are payable and finding opportunities to use federal dollars to fund onetime expenses.

My office has several dates available for 6th&nbsp;graders through high school to serve as a page. Working as a page in the Kansas Legislature is an excellent way to learn more about the legislative process. If your child is interested in being a page for my office the following dates are available:

February 6, 13, 20 or March 6th. Please contact Donna at 785-296-7399 to reserve a date.

I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th&nbsp;Senate District in Kansas. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me by email:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov" target="_blank">rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov</a>&nbsp;or call me with your questions or concerns, my office number is 785-296-7399 or my cell is 785-899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.

Rick Billingr, R-Goodland, is the 40th District senator which includes:

* Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins,&nbsp;Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace counties * Phillips County: Cities: Logan, Long Island, Prairie View, Speed;&nbsp;Townships: Beaver, Belmont, Dayton, Granite, Logan, Long Island, Mound, Plainview, Prairie View,&nbsp;Solomon (part) and Towanda

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644852447177.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist. File photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist. File photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Senator Rick Billinger Newsletter January 30, 2023Last week, hundreds of Kansans came out on a cold day for the annual March and Rally for Life at the Statehouse. Senator Masterson addressed the crowd and further committed us to a culture of life, telling those gathered that, “It will be a cold day in you-know-what before we stop fighting to protect women and children, including unborn children.” Republicans will continue to support a culture of life in Kansas and work to reduce abortions through support for crisis pregnancy centers and preserving protections currently in law that are supported by the vast majority of Kansans.A bill of interest to our rural committees is SB13. This bill will allow local broadcast companies to broadcast sporting events for our rural schools. Currently KSHSAA (Kansas State High School Activities Association) has contracted with NFHS network to broadcast sporting events across the state of Kansas. The contract with NFHS prohibits local broadcasters from broadcasting regular and post season activities. The proposed SB13 would allow local broadcasters to broadcast regular season activities and post season activities. Rural broadcasters have been denied access to stream or broadcast sporting activities when a school has contracted with NFHS. When a school is contracted with NFHS our listeners are then required to pay a fee to listen to their favorite team play.The Local Government Committee is working on a bill which would allow county commissioners to appoint members to a hospital board who would reside in adjoining counties. Many times, in rural communities finding people who are willing to serve on boards, including hospital boards is difficult to accomplish.This week the Senate Ways and Means Committee will start with subcommittee hearings on the budget. The budget committee plans to focus this session on paying of debt, putting additional money into the rainy-day fund, looking at bonds that are payable and finding opportunities to use federal dollars to fund onetime expenses.My office has several dates available for 6th&nbsp;graders through high school to serve as a page. Working as a page in the Kansas Legislature is an excellent way to learn more about the legislative process. If your child is interested in being a page for my office the following dates are available:February 6, 13, 20 or March 6th. Please contact Donna at 785-296-7399 to reserve a date.I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th&nbsp;Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov" target="_blank">rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov</a>&nbsp;or call me with your questions or concerns, my office number is 785-296-7399 or my cell is 785-899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.Rick Billingr, R-Goodland, is the 40th District senator which includes:* Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins,&nbsp;Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace counties * Phillips County: Cities: Logan, Long Island, Prairie View, Speed;&nbsp;Townships: Beaver, Belmont, Dayton, Granite, Logan, Long Island, Mound, Plainview, Prairie View,&nbsp;Solomon (part) and Towanda

BILLINGER: Senate Update, Jan. 30, 2023

Gove County Conservation District annual meeting is Feb. 6; reservations required

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Fort Hays State University Encore Series has four shows left, and there's still plenty of time to get tickets.

The series is offering a special spring season ticket package. Reserved adult tickets are $115 and as little as $55 for children's unreserved seats for the four remaining shows.

You can purchase tickets at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/encore/">www.fhsu.edu/encore/</a>. You can also purchase tickets by calling&nbsp;785-628-5306. You can purchase tickets in person at the FHSU Memorial Union in room 208. The Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center box office will be open 45 minutes prior to each performance for ticket sales if any tickets are remaining.

The remaining shows include Peking Acrobats on Monday, Feb. 13; National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine on Wednesday, March 1; Forbidden Broadway on Tuesday, March 7; and singer-songwriter Steve Dorf on Saturday, April 1.

Single tickets are on sale now for the Peking Acrobats.

Edith McCracken, special events committee chairwoman, said the Encore series has tried to book an acrobat troop for some time.

The Chinese acrobat troupe Peking Acrobats has been thrilling audiences for 31 years through daring maneuvers atop a pagoda of chairs, trick-cycling, tumbling, juggling and gymnastics, according to the acrobat's biography.

The acrobats have made numerous TV performances and set a world record in 1999 for the human chair stack, the biography said.

The acrobats are currently also partnered with the Shanghai Circus.&nbsp;

The Encore Series in cooperation with the Hays Arts Council will offer a Peking Acrobats school show for area second- and third-graders on Feb. 13.

National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine

The 83-member <a href="https://philharmonia.lviv.ua/en/collective/lviv-national-philharmonic-symphony-orchestra/">National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine</a> is based in Lviv, Ukraine. Although war has raged in that country for more than a year,&nbsp;Lviv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located away from the bulk of the fighting.

President&nbsp;Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written a letter that is being read at the orchestra's performances as it tours internationally.

"This is the first time in quite a while that we've had an orchestra on the Encore Series," McCracken said.

The orchestra was formed in 1902. Since 2018, the orchestra has been cooperating with the famous American conductor of Ukrainian origin&nbsp;Theodore Kuchar, according to the orchestra's website.

Listeners can expect pieces from&nbsp;Ludwig van Beethoven,&nbsp;Antonin Dvorak and Johannes Brahms.

"It's a mix, but we're excited," McCracken said. "The committee listened to different tracks because we had some options on selecting the program. We tried to pick the one that would most appeal to our audience, but we also have some more modern-sounding pieces mixed in."

Kaley&nbsp;Klaus, member of the special events committee, said she has never attended a performance of such a large orchestra.

"I think it is going to be a really powerful experience. Knowing what Ukraine as a country is going through right now will make it all the more meaningful," she said.

<a href="https://bbtheatricals.com/forbidden-broadway-next-generation/">"Forbidden Broadway"</a> is a comedy troupe that performs spoofs of famous Broadway shows, including "Hamilton," "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Moulin Rouge."

"Forbidden Broadway" has been part of the Encore Series before, but it has been years ago. The show is back with "Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation," which includes spoofs on newer musicals, McCracken said.

You might not know <a href="https://www.stevedorff.com/">Steve Dorff's</a> name, but you have likely heard his music.

Dorff has written music for&nbsp;Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Anne Murray, George Strait and Garth Brooks, according to his website.

Some of the songs Dorff has authored include "Through The Years," "I Just Fall In Love Again," "Heartland," "Every Which Way But Loose,"&nbsp; "Hypnotize The Moon" and "I Cross My Heart," according to Dorff's website.

He wrote the theme song for "Growing Pains." His film contributions include songs and scores for "Bronco Billy," "Rocky IV," "Pure Country," "Tin Cup" and "Honky Tonk Man."

Dorff is working on two pieces for musical theater, including "Josephine" (The Josephine Baker Story) and "Pure Country" (The Musical), according to his website.

Dorff will perform pieces from his extensive catalog as well as offer stories behind the music, McCracken said.

The Encore Series' first season was during the 1981-82 school year. The series moved to Beach / Schmidt during the 1990-91 season.

The special events committee is already planning for the 2023-24 season. That lineup should be released in April.

The series is driven by donations and ticket sales. McCracken said sponsorship opportunities are still available for the 2022-23 season. Opportunities will be opening soon for the 2023-24 season.

These sponsorships allow the Encore Series to keep ticket prices affordable. McCracken said local audiences are able to see the same shows for less than audiences in Kansas City, Wichita or Denver.

Donors interested in supporting the series can contact McCracken at&nbsp;785-628-5305.

Klaus said she has been attending the Encore Series since she was a student at FHSU.

"It is something good to do to add a little bit of culture and fun in a town that doesn't always have a wide variety of entertainment available, especially during the winter" Klaus said. ... "Not a lot of towns our size have opportunities like this."

Wonder Women League members are volunteering this season as ushers for all of the Encore shows.&nbsp;

"It's been a huge help to us," McCracken said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674752588167.jpeg" alt="Tickets are on sale now for the Peking Acrobats, who will perform Feb. 13 at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center as part of the Encore Series. Photo courtesy of Peking Acrobats" />
 <figcaption>Tickets are on sale now for the Peking Acrobats, who will perform Feb. 13 at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center as part of the Encore Series. Photo courtesy of Peking Acrobats</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Fort Hays State University Encore Series has four shows left, and there's still plenty of time to get tickets.The series is offering a special spring season ticket package. Reserved adult tickets are $115 and as little as $55 for children's unreserved seats for the four remaining shows.You can purchase tickets at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/encore/">www.fhsu.edu/encore/</a>. You can also purchase tickets by calling&nbsp;785-628-5306. You can purchase tickets in person at the FHSU Memorial Union in room 208. The Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center box office will be open 45 minutes prior to each performance for ticket sales if any tickets are remaining.The remaining shows include Peking Acrobats on Monday, Feb. 13; National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine on Wednesday, March 1; Forbidden Broadway on Tuesday, March 7; and singer-songwriter Steve Dorf on Saturday, April 1.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674752668118.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Peking Acrobats" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Peking Acrobats</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Peking Acrobats</h2>Single tickets are on sale now for the Peking Acrobats.Edith McCracken, special events committee chairwoman, said the Encore series has tried to book an acrobat troop for some time.The Chinese acrobat troupe Peking Acrobats has been thrilling audiences for 31 years through daring maneuvers atop a pagoda of chairs, trick-cycling, tumbling, juggling and gymnastics, according to the acrobat's biography.The acrobats have made numerous TV performances and set a world record in 1999 for the human chair stack, the biography said.The acrobats are currently also partnered with the Shanghai Circus.&nbsp;The Encore Series in cooperation with the Hays Arts Council will offer a Peking Acrobats school show for area second- and third-graders on Feb. 13.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674752800300.jpeg" alt="The&nbsp;<a href="https://philharmonia.lviv.ua/en/collective/lviv-national-philharmonic-symphony-orchestra/">National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;will perform&nbsp;March 1 at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center as part of the Encore Series. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>The&nbsp;<a href="https://philharmonia.lviv.ua/en/collective/lviv-national-philharmonic-symphony-orchestra/">National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;will perform&nbsp;March 1 at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center as part of the Encore Series. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine</h2>The 83-member <a href="https://philharmonia.lviv.ua/en/collective/lviv-national-philharmonic-symphony-orchestra/">National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine</a> is based in Lviv, Ukraine. Although war has raged in that country for more than a year,&nbsp;Lviv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located away from the bulk of the fighting.President&nbsp;Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written a letter that is being read at the orchestra's performances as it tours internationally."This is the first time in quite a while that we've had an orchestra on the Encore Series," McCracken said.The orchestra was formed in 1902. Since 2018, the orchestra has been cooperating with the famous American conductor of Ukrainian origin&nbsp;Theodore Kuchar, according to the orchestra's website.Listeners can expect pieces from&nbsp;Ludwig van Beethoven,&nbsp;Antonin Dvorak and Johannes Brahms."It's a mix, but we're excited," McCracken said. "The committee listened to different tracks because we had some options on selecting the program. We tried to pick the one that would most appeal to our audience, but we also have some more modern-sounding pieces mixed in."Kaley&nbsp;Klaus, member of the special events committee, said she has never attended a performance of such a large orchestra."I think it is going to be a really powerful experience. Knowing what Ukraine as a country is going through right now will make it all the more meaningful," she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674752901898.jpeg" alt=""Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation" will be featured as part of the Encore Series at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center on&nbsp;March 7. Courtesy image." />
 <figcaption>"Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation" will be featured as part of the Encore Series at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center on&nbsp;March 7. Courtesy image.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>'Forbidden Broadway'</h2><a href="https://bbtheatricals.com/forbidden-broadway-next-generation/">"Forbidden Broadway"</a> is a comedy troupe that performs spoofs of famous Broadway shows, including "Hamilton," "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Moulin Rouge.""Forbidden Broadway" has been part of the Encore Series before, but it has been years ago. The show is back with "Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation," which includes spoofs on newer musicals, McCracken said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674752986731.jpeg" alt="Multiple Grammy winner Steve Dorf will perform April 1 at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center as part of the Encore Series. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Multiple Grammy winner Steve Dorf will perform April 1 at Beach / Schmidt Performing Arts Center as part of the Encore Series. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Steve Dorff</h2>You might not know <a href="https://www.stevedorff.com/">Steve Dorff's</a> name, but you have likely heard his music.Dorff has written music for&nbsp;Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Anne Murray, George Strait and Garth Brooks, according to his website.Some of the songs Dorff has authored include "Through The Years," "I Just Fall In Love Again," "Heartland," "Every Which Way But Loose,"&nbsp; "Hypnotize The Moon" and "I Cross My Heart," according to Dorff's website.He wrote the theme song for "Growing Pains." His film contributions include songs and scores for "Bronco Billy," "Rocky IV," "Pure Country," "Tin Cup" and "Honky Tonk Man."Dorff is working on two pieces for musical theater, including "Josephine" (The Josephine Baker Story) and "Pure Country" (The Musical), according to his website.Dorff will perform pieces from his extensive catalog as well as offer stories behind the music, McCracken said.-----The Encore Series' first season was during the 1981-82 school year. The series moved to Beach / Schmidt during the 1990-91 season.The special events committee is already planning for the 2023-24 season. That lineup should be released in April.The series is driven by donations and ticket sales. McCracken said sponsorship opportunities are still available for the 2022-23 season. Opportunities will be opening soon for the 2023-24 season.These sponsorships allow the Encore Series to keep ticket prices affordable. McCracken said local audiences are able to see the same shows for less than audiences in Kansas City, Wichita or Denver.Donors interested in supporting the series can contact McCracken at&nbsp;785-628-5305.Klaus said she has been attending the Encore Series since she was a student at FHSU."It is something good to do to add a little bit of culture and fun in a town that doesn't always have a wide variety of entertainment available, especially during the winter" Klaus said. ... "Not a lot of towns our size have opportunities like this."Wonder Women League members are volunteering this season as ushers for all of the Encore shows.&nbsp;"It's been a huge help to us," McCracken said.

FHSU Encore Series to offer 4 more shows, Peking Acrobats Feb. 13

By TISA MASON, BEN SCHEARS and ERIC BURK FHSU, Northwest Tech and NCK Tech presidents

Fort Hays State University, North Central Kansas Technical College, and Northwest Kansas Technical College have long been beacons of opportunity and drivers of economic prosperity in rural Kansas. We, the three presidents and creators of a new institutional affiliation initiative, believe it is now more essential than ever that every Kansan must have a chance to develop their talents, skills, and interests fully.&nbsp;

Our affiliation initiative was created to deliver solutions for rural Kansas. These include the development of market-smart academic programs, integrated student services, and leveraging new efficiencies and optimizations that reduce unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to student success. We will also create a powerful coalition of businesses, industries, and communities focused on increasing opportunities for our students, expanding entrepreneurship, and meeting local workforce development needs.

You may ask why this affiliation and why now? Simply put, our institutions exist to serve our students and communities. This is the true north that guides all of our work. Our shared responsibility is to recognize and embrace our role in creating opportunities for rural Kansans and their communities. Today and in the days ahead, our communities face significant demographic and economic challenges, including:&nbsp;

•A shrinking rural population:&nbsp;Experts from the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State forecast a 33 percent decline in rural populations in Kansas by 2064.&nbsp;•An aging workforce:&nbsp;According to the Administration on Aging, more than one-half-million people in Kansas are now over 60. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts nearly 25 percent of the state’s population will be 60 or older by 2030.•A decline in the number of college-bound students in rural Kansas:&nbsp;According to a 2018 report titled&nbsp;Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education, Kansas will see a 15 percent drop in college-going students by 2029.

The economic impact of these demographic changes is unfortunately straightforward: a declining workforce means a declining rural Kansas economy.

As we work to implement our initiative, our primary focus will be to deliver better and more effective solutions for the students, businesses, and communities we serve.&nbsp;

For students, our efforts will focus on increasing access and creating new pathways to achieve our students’ educational goals. These include opportunities to earn a certificate, secure stackable credentials, or earn an associate, bachelor, or graduate degree.&nbsp;

We also will create new hands-on learning opportunities, expand career networks, and deliver integrated professional advising services that help students navigate what we expect to be an expanding range of choices and options.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For employers, the partnership will grow the talent pipeline, create more experiential learning partnerships, and allow employers to shape how those programs are developed and delivered. Employers will also benefit from expanding access to employee professional/workforce development programs and services ranging from training and consulting programs to continuing education opportunities.&nbsp;

This affiliation will create opportunities for employers to engage with and assess prospective employees through micro internships and “earn as you learn” programs.&nbsp;These programs will allow employers to&nbsp;recruit and train future employees who are job and work-culture-ready on day one. Our initial academic pilot programs in agriculture, nursing, and construction were selected purposefully to address critical workforce needs in rural Kansas.

This affiliation will build stronger communities by addressing our demographic and workforce challenges. Our efforts will keep our graduates local so they can contribute to the vitality of our region through the careers they build and through their many contributions to the economic, social, and civic health of our hometowns.

To turn the tide against the threats facing our rural communities, we will need your help. Join us as we work to identify new opportunities and strengthen our ties to the communities we serve.

Each of our institutions is prepared to pursue this initiative from a position of strength and at a time when the challenges we face may be proactively addressed. Our efforts will forge stronger connections between our three institutions, our students, and the communities, businesses, and industries we serve.&nbsp;This affiliation initiative is the right move at the right time.

Follow our strategic affiliation initiative and share your feedback and questions online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/president/affiliation/">fhsu.edu/affiliation</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675012264290.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TISA MASON, BEN SCHEARS and ERIC BURK FHSU, Northwest Tech and NCK Tech presidentsFort Hays State University, North Central Kansas Technical College, and Northwest Kansas Technical College have long been beacons of opportunity and drivers of economic prosperity in rural Kansas. We, the three presidents and creators of a new institutional affiliation initiative, believe it is now more essential than ever that every Kansan must have a chance to develop their talents, skills, and interests fully.&nbsp;Our affiliation initiative was created to deliver solutions for rural Kansas. These include the development of market-smart academic programs, integrated student services, and leveraging new efficiencies and optimizations that reduce unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to student success. We will also create a powerful coalition of businesses, industries, and communities focused on increasing opportunities for our students, expanding entrepreneurship, and meeting local workforce development needs.You may ask why this affiliation and why now? Simply put, our institutions exist to serve our students and communities. This is the true north that guides all of our work. Our shared responsibility is to recognize and embrace our role in creating opportunities for rural Kansans and their communities. Today and in the days ahead, our communities face significant demographic and economic challenges, including:&nbsp;•A shrinking rural population:&nbsp;Experts from the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State forecast a 33 percent decline in rural populations in Kansas by 2064.&nbsp;•An aging workforce:&nbsp;According to the Administration on Aging, more than one-half-million people in Kansas are now over 60. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts nearly 25 percent of the state’s population will be 60 or older by 2030.•A decline in the number of college-bound students in rural Kansas:&nbsp;According to a 2018 report titled&nbsp;Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education, Kansas will see a 15 percent drop in college-going students by 2029.The economic impact of these demographic changes is unfortunately straightforward: a declining workforce means a declining rural Kansas economy.As we work to implement our initiative, our primary focus will be to deliver better and more effective solutions for the students, businesses, and communities we serve.&nbsp;For students, our efforts will focus on increasing access and creating new pathways to achieve our students’ educational goals. These include opportunities to earn a certificate, secure stackable credentials, or earn an associate, bachelor, or graduate degree.&nbsp;We also will create new hands-on learning opportunities, expand career networks, and deliver integrated professional advising services that help students navigate what we expect to be an expanding range of choices and options.&nbsp;&nbsp;For employers, the partnership will grow the talent pipeline, create more experiential learning partnerships, and allow employers to shape how those programs are developed and delivered. Employers will also benefit from expanding access to employee professional/workforce development programs and services ranging from training and consulting programs to continuing education opportunities.&nbsp;This affiliation will create opportunities for employers to engage with and assess prospective employees through micro internships and “earn as you learn” programs.&nbsp;These programs will allow employers to&nbsp;recruit and train future employees who are job and work-culture-ready on day one. Our initial academic pilot programs in agriculture, nursing, and construction were selected purposefully to address critical workforce needs in rural Kansas.This affiliation will build stronger communities by addressing our demographic and workforce challenges. Our efforts will keep our graduates local so they can contribute to the vitality of our region through the careers they build and through their many contributions to the economic, social, and civic health of our hometowns.To turn the tide against the threats facing our rural communities, we will need your help. Join us as we work to identify new opportunities and strengthen our ties to the communities we serve.Each of our institutions is prepared to pursue this initiative from a position of strength and at a time when the challenges we face may be proactively addressed. Our efforts will forge stronger connections between our three institutions, our students, and the communities, businesses, and industries we serve.&nbsp;This affiliation initiative is the right move at the right time.Follow our strategic affiliation initiative and share your feedback and questions online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/president/affiliation/">fhsu.edu/affiliation</a>.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Presidents: Affiliation plan a powerful step forward for rural Kansas

On Dec. 29, the following federal bills were signed into law, expanding federal protections for both pregnant and breastfeeding workers.&nbsp;

PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act:&nbsp;PUMP stands for Providing Urgent Maternal&nbsp;Protections.&nbsp;The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act expands the legal right to receive pumping breaks and private space to nearly 9 million more workers, including teachers, registered nurses, farmworkers, and many others.&nbsp;&nbsp;The PUMP Act makes several important changes to the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law that you may already be familiar with. &nbsp;The Break Time for Nursing Mothers law, required employers since 2010 to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for lactating employees to pump milk during the workday. &nbsp;The 2022 PUMP act closed some of the loopholes in the original law.&nbsp;The legislation’s requirement to provide lactation break time and space to previously uncovered workers (teachers, registered nurses, farmworkers, and others) went into effect on December 29, 2022. &nbsp;The law’s expanded enforcement&nbsp;provision&nbsp;goes into effect on April 28, 2023.&nbsp;More information can be found here:

<a href="https://worklifelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PUMP-Act-Explainer.pdf">https://worklifelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PUMP-Act-Explainer.pdf</a>

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act&nbsp;(PWFA):&nbsp;Gives pregnant and postpartum workers, including breastfeeding employees, a right to reasonable workplace accommodations, including lactation accommodations.&nbsp;&nbsp;PWFA guarantees workers the affirmative right to receive&nbsp;reasonable&nbsp;accommodations for known limitations stemming from pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions unless the requested accommodations would pose an “undue hardship” to the employer. &nbsp;The PWFA goes into effect on June 27, 2023. &nbsp;This act closes a gap that left pregnant and postpartum workers without remedy if they needed accommodations in order&nbsp;to prevent health complications and keep working.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More information about the PWFA can be found here:

<a href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PWFA-Explainer-_-Final.pdf">https://www.abetterbalance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PWFA-Explainer-_-Final.pdf</a>

Both of these pieces of legislation have been in the making for about 10 years. &nbsp;It is exciting to see the hard work by many in the pregnancy and lactation fields see this come to fruition. &nbsp;I enjoy supporting employers and employees to make these accommodations work for everyone. &nbsp;There are two programs in Kansas that support employers in becoming breastfeeding friendly. They include the Business Case for Breastfeeding and the Breastfeeding Welcome Here program both supported by the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition<a></a>.&nbsp;Part of a healthy community is supporting mothers and families in reaching their breastfeeding&nbsp;and motheringgoals. Please let me know if you have any questions about the new legislation or helping your business become more breastfeeding friendly.

Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:moniquek@ksu.edu">moniquek@ksu.edu</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668522152076.jpeg" alt="Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>On Dec. 29, the following federal bills were signed into law, expanding federal protections for both pregnant and breastfeeding workers.&nbsp;PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act:&nbsp;PUMP stands for Providing Urgent Maternal&nbsp;Protections.&nbsp;The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act expands the legal right to receive pumping breaks and private space to nearly 9 million more workers, including teachers, registered nurses, farmworkers, and many others.&nbsp;&nbsp;The PUMP Act makes several important changes to the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law that you may already be familiar with. &nbsp;The Break Time for Nursing Mothers law, required employers since 2010 to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for lactating employees to pump milk during the workday. &nbsp;The 2022 PUMP act closed some of the loopholes in the original law.&nbsp;The legislation’s requirement to provide lactation break time and space to previously uncovered workers (teachers, registered nurses, farmworkers, and others) went into effect on December 29, 2022. &nbsp;The law’s expanded enforcement&nbsp;provision&nbsp;goes into effect on April 28, 2023.&nbsp;More information can be found here:<a href="https://worklifelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PUMP-Act-Explainer.pdf">https://worklifelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PUMP-Act-Explainer.pdf</a>Pregnant Workers Fairness Act&nbsp;(PWFA):&nbsp;Gives pregnant and postpartum workers, including breastfeeding employees, a right to reasonable workplace accommodations, including lactation accommodations.&nbsp;&nbsp;PWFA guarantees workers the affirmative right to receive&nbsp;reasonable&nbsp;accommodations for known limitations stemming from pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions unless the requested accommodations would pose an “undue hardship” to the employer. &nbsp;The PWFA goes into effect on June 27, 2023. &nbsp;This act closes a gap that left pregnant and postpartum workers without remedy if they needed accommodations in order&nbsp;to prevent health complications and keep working.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More information about the PWFA can be found here:<a href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PWFA-Explainer-_-Final.pdf">https://www.abetterbalance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PWFA-Explainer-_-Final.pdf</a>Both of these pieces of legislation have been in the making for about 10 years. &nbsp;It is exciting to see the hard work by many in the pregnancy and lactation fields see this come to fruition. &nbsp;I enjoy supporting employers and employees to make these accommodations work for everyone. &nbsp;There are two programs in Kansas that support employers in becoming breastfeeding friendly. They include the Business Case for Breastfeeding and the Breastfeeding Welcome Here program both supported by the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition<a></a>.&nbsp;Part of a healthy community is supporting mothers and families in reaching their breastfeeding&nbsp;and motheringgoals. Please let me know if you have any questions about the new legislation or helping your business become more breastfeeding friendly.Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:moniquek@ksu.edu">moniquek@ksu.edu</a>

KOERNER: New legislation supporting nursing, pregnant mothers

<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/2023/1/1674848222808.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

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://amberwaveusa.com/">HERE</a>&nbsp;for more information or to apply.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674148030475.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Click&nbsp;<a href="https://amberwaveusa.com/">HERE</a>&nbsp;for more information or to apply.

IRS: Some refunds will be smaller this year

Medical Assistants are vital to the operation of any medical facility and now people wanting to pursue a career in this exciting field can now do so completely online through Barton Community College and complete their clinical work at local medical facilities in their area.

There is an associate degree option as well as a certificate option and textbooks are offered at a low cost for this program.

Medical assistants perform important tasks:

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income is up to $38,000 and projected growth for this profession is 16 percent from now through 2031.

For more information, contact Medical Assistant Instructor Cathy Smith at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:smithc@bartonccc.edu">smithc@bartonccc.edu</a>&nbsp;or (620) 792-9326 or visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://bartonccc.edu/programs/medical-assistant?utm_medium=news&amp;utm_campaign=medassistspring23&amp;utm_id=19594420011">information page</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674833492460.jpeg" alt="Barton’s Medical Assistant courses are comprised of general education, administrative, and clinical courses. During the final semester, students will also complete an internship in an ambulatory healthcare setting. Also, Students in both the AAS program and certificate program are eligible to sit for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam, from the NHA National Health Careers Association, given during or after their last Patient Care Class." />
 <figcaption>Barton’s Medical Assistant courses are comprised of general education, administrative, and clinical courses. During the final semester, students will also complete an internship in an ambulatory healthcare setting. Also, Students in both the AAS program and certificate program are eligible to sit for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam, from the NHA National Health Careers Association, given during or after their last Patient Care Class.</figcaption>
 </figure>Story and photo by Joe VinduskaMedical Assistants are vital to the operation of any medical facility and now people wanting to pursue a career in this exciting field can now do so completely online through Barton Community College and complete their clinical work at local medical facilities in their area.There is an associate degree option as well as a certificate option and textbooks are offered at a low cost for this program.Medical assistants perform important tasks:<ul>
 <li>Record patient history and personal information</li><li>Measure vital signs, such as blood pressure</li><li>Help physicians with patient examinations</li><li>Give patients injections or medications as directed by physicians and as permitted by state law</li><li>Schedule patient appointments</li><li>Prepare blood samples for laboratory tests</li><li>Enter patient information into medical records</li>
 </ul>According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income is up to $38,000 and projected growth for this profession is 16 percent from now through 2031.For more information, contact Medical Assistant Instructor Cathy Smith at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:smithc@bartonccc.edu">smithc@bartonccc.edu</a>&nbsp;or (620) 792-9326 or visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://bartonccc.edu/programs/medical-assistant?utm_medium=news&amp;utm_campaign=medassistspring23&amp;utm_id=19594420011">information page</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674833539573.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Barton Medical Assistant Program available fully online

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-23/how-bad-was-the-2022-drought-for-these-seven-kansas-communities-it-was-the-driest-on-record">Kansas News Service</a>

It might not rain much in Healy. But if it does, it’s Steve Fenster’s job to know about it.

Every
 morning for more than 40 years as a volunteer with the National Weather
 Service, he’s peered out the window of his west-central Kansas home 
scouring his patio for any signs of moisture.

If it’s the least 
bit wet, he inspects whatever water has collected in a nine-inch 
aluminum can with a ruler that measures to the hundredth of an inch.

But Fenster hasn’t been walking out to his rain bucket much this past year.

The Lane County town of 195 people is one of seven western Kansas communities that just experienced its driest year on record.

“That’s not a record you’d like to have,” Fenster said. “But it is what it is.”

Only
 8.75 inches of precipitation fell in Healy all of last year. That edged
 out the town’s previous record of 8.92 inches from the milestone 
drought of 1956. Two other towns that set new records last year — Garden
 City and WaKeeney — broke marks from the Dust Bowl.

Even in a place where extreme droughts come with the territory, 2022 
stands out. And the domino effects — from empty grain bins to stressed 
psyches to strained economies — will take time to fade even if the 
ongoing drought breaks by this spring.

Rain is liquid gold here, a semi-arid region where agriculture drives everything and the ability to counter dry years with <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-10/this-is-do-or-die-western-kansas-farmers-push-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-before-its-too-late" target="_blank">irrigation from underground reserves</a> isn’t what it used to be.

So
 when people in Healy want to know how much the rare sprinkle adds up 
to, they call Fenster. If they can’t catch him on the phone, they stop 
him in town. On the wall at the bank hangs a big white board where he 
writes the daily precipitation totals — or lack thereof — which dominate
 conversations in a year like this.

“This is agriculture country,” Fenster said. “Everybody’s talking about it.”

Deserts are commonly defined as places that get <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">fewer than 10 inches</a> of rain a year. So at least for this past year, much of western Kansas slipped into that desolate category.

Lawns
 are more brown dirt than green grass. Ponds dried up long ago. Fields 
that would normally have wheat plants growing several inches high by 
this time of year are barren and blowing away.

Fenster has watched his community take a financial hit, too. Farmers have experienced more <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">losses from crop failures</a> — he works at a crop insurance agency — this past year than he’s ever seen. Ranchers have had to <a href="https://www.hppr.org/2022-11-25/heres-how-this-years-drought-has-battered-the-midwest-and-what-it-might-mean-for-next-year" target="_blank">sell off cattle</a> as their pasture grass disintegrates into nothing. In town, people aren’t spending money like they normally would.

“There’s not much optimism out there,” Fenster said. “We’re all praying for rain.”

Lindy McMillen works directly with farmers as they bring in harvests 
to sell at the Garden City Co-op’s grain elevator just southeast of 
Healy. And this year, she said, her office’s traffic has been slow and 
quiet.

The co-op bought roughly half as much corn last year as it 
normally does because farmers just didn’t have much to sell. For grain 
sorghum, or milo, it was less than half.

“A tough year for farmers,” McMillen said, “is tough for everyone.”

In
 past droughts, she said, some pocket of the company’s footprint — which
 stretches from Lane County through southwest Kansas — would get enough 
rain to make a decent crop. This year, the rain missed everybody.

And the <a href="https://twitter.com/DroughtCenter/status/1616129962133667859" target="_blank">forecast</a> calls for drought to hang on for at least another month.

Farmers
 who have small stands of wheat now are concerned that the plants won’t 
make it to harvest. Others whose wheat seeds haven’t sprouted yet worry 
that they never will. If this winter’s wheat fails, that brings up 
another whole set of stressful questions about pulling the plug on it 
and trying a different crop in that same field this spring.

Federal
 financial assistance and payouts from crop insurance have helped a lot 
of farmers stay afloat for now. But it’s still devastating, she said, to
 toil all year and then watch your handiwork die.

“Every farmer I 
know is resilient and tough, but they’re down,” McMillen said. “There’s a
 lot more somber, concerned feeling heading into this growing season 
than probably in any one that I’ve ever been involved in.”

Western Kansas 
started 2022 dry, with southwest parts of the state withering under 
extreme drought since January. It only went downhill from there.

For
 the seven towns that broke records, assistant state climatologist Matt 
Sittel said, the fall particularly accelerated the drought’s deep 
descent toward parched history.

WaKeeney only got 0.01 inches of 
precipitation for all of November. Utica didn’t get any that month. 
Scott City recorded no precipitation whatsoever for the whole month of 
October and just 0.08 total for the last three months of the year 
combined.

When the dust settled, some of the new records ended up shattering marks that had stood for decades.

“They didn’t just barely break the record, that’s two inches less,” Sittel said. “That’s unprecedented.”

Here are the numbers for each record-breaking town (based on data from <a href="https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/" target="_blank">NOAA</a>, limited to towns whose records began before 1956):

1. Garden City, Finney County New record low: 5.03 inches, 2022 Previous record: 8.86 inches, 1937 Records go back to 1893 Historical average: 18.95 inches

2. Scott City, Scott County New record low: 8.01 inches, 2022 Previous record: 10.15 inches, 1956 Records go back to 1895 Historical average: 20.18 inches

3. Collyer, Trego County New record low: 8.37 inches, 2022 Previous record: 9.32, inches, 1956 Records go back to 1940 Historical average: 20.64 inches

4. Healy, Lane County New record low: 8.75 inches, 2022 Previous record: 8.92 inches, 1956 Records go back to 1901 Historical average: 22.38 inches

5. Utica, Ness County New record low: 9.78 inches, 2022 Previous record: 12.86 inches, 1916 Records go back to 1916 Historical average: 22.93 inches

6. Ransom, Ness County New record low: 9.89 inches, 2022 Previous record: 11.74 inches, 2010 Records go back to 1946 Historical average: 22.08 inches

7. WaKeeney, Trego County New record low: 10.52 inches, 2022 Previous record: 12.17 inches, 1937 Records go back to 1892 Historical average: 23.92 inches

Other parts of western Kansas came close to breaking their records, 
too. The station at Cedar Bluff Dam in Trego County saw its 
second-driest year. And for several towns — from Dodge City and Liberal 
in southwest Kansas to Russell Springs and Atwood in northwest Kansas — 
2022 landed among the top five driest years on record.

“This was not just a little isolated event,” Sittel said. “Most of western Kansas was all in the same dry boat.”

The heat didn’t help. For nearly all of western Kansas, this past summer’s average temperatures ranked among the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/county/mapping/14/tavg/202207/3/value" target="_blank">top 25 warmest</a> on record. Dodge City’s summer, for instance, ranked as its sixth hottest.

The compound force of drought and heat particularly zeroed in on Healy.

In
 addition to experiencing its driest year on record, the town also 
nearly broke its record for the most days with 100-degree temperatures. 
Healy saw a total of 47 days reach 100 degrees in 2022. That’s more than
 three-times its average and one day shy of its record.

Across 
western Kansas — in towns from WaKeeney to Dodge City to Oakley — the 
number of 100-degree days in 2022 landed in the top 10 of all years on 
record.

Then there’s the wind. In a normal year, western Kansas is already one of the <a href="https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/325" target="_blank">windiest places</a> in the country. But 2022 turned that up a notch.

April
 is typically the state’s windiest month. And Goodland in northwest 
Kansas and Salina in north-central Kansas both saw their windiest Aprils
 on record dating back to 1948. Wind speeds in Goodland clocked in at a 
wearying average of 17.7 mph for the entire month. Salina’s wind 
averaged 15.2 mph.

The average peak wind gust in April across the state’s 79 monitoring 
stations was 55 mph. On April 29 — the same day a tornado tore through 
south-central Kansas — wind gusts in Hays reached 83 mph.

When dry
 air blows across the soil, it ramps up evaporation and robs the dirt of
 whatever moisture it has left. That also fueled the towering clouds of 
dust that swept across parts of western Kansas this past year.

Changes
 in farm practices, such as less tilling of the soil and using more 
drought-tolerant seeds, have helped keep the region from reliving the 
worst consequences of the Dust Bowl. But the drought of the 1930s also 
lasted a few years, and we don’t yet know when this drought will end.

One
 ray of hope comes from the Pacific Ocean. A rare triple dip La Niña 
weather pattern there has helped keep Kansas dry over the past two 
years. The latest <a href="https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/" target="_blank">ENSO forecast</a>
 predicts that La Niña will finally begin to break this spring. But that
 forecast made similar predictions the past two winters, Sittel said, 
neither of which came true.

Even if the La Niña pattern ends, Sittel said, it might only mean an 
extra inch or two of moisture for Kansas. Most of western Kansas would 
need <a href="https://mesonet.k-state.edu/precip/daily/#mtIndex=28&amp;tab=chart-tab" target="_blank">more than 10 inches</a> of rain to get back to its historical average for the past year.

So it’ll likely be a slow, unsure crawl back to normalcy.

And
 the stakes are raised with every month that the drought continues. If 
it lasts into May or June, he said, Kansas will know it’s in trouble.

“What if it happens again in 2023?” Sittel said. “It’s going to be catastrophic.”

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674661010889.png" alt="This field of dead wheat plants near Healy, Kansas, illustrates how the record-dry year has ravaged the area's crops. The town is one of seven in western Kansas that set new records for low precipitation totals in 2022. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>This field of dead wheat plants near Healy, Kansas, illustrates how the record-dry year has ravaged the area's crops. The town is one of seven in western Kansas that set new records for low precipitation totals in 2022. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-23/how-bad-was-the-2022-drought-for-these-seven-kansas-communities-it-was-the-driest-on-record">Kansas News Service</a>It might not rain much in Healy. But if it does, it’s Steve Fenster’s job to know about it.Every
 morning for more than 40 years as a volunteer with the National Weather
 Service, he’s peered out the window of his west-central Kansas home 
scouring his patio for any signs of moisture.If it’s the least 
bit wet, he inspects whatever water has collected in a nine-inch 
aluminum can with a ruler that measures to the hundredth of an inch.But Fenster hasn’t been walking out to his rain bucket much this past year.The Lane County town of 195 people is one of seven western Kansas communities that just experienced its driest year on record.“That’s not a record you’d like to have,” Fenster said. “But it is what it is.”Only
 8.75 inches of precipitation fell in Healy all of last year. That edged
 out the town’s previous record of 8.92 inches from the milestone 
drought of 1956. Two other towns that set new records last year — Garden
 City and WaKeeney — broke marks from the Dust Bowl.<div><iframe title="How much precipitation did Kansas get in 2022?" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-lkAEE" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lkAEE/4/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="600" height="510" data-external="1"></iframe></div>Even in a place where extreme droughts come with the territory, 2022 
stands out. And the domino effects — from empty grain bins to stressed 
psyches to strained economies — will take time to fade even if the 
ongoing drought breaks by this spring.Rain is liquid gold here, a semi-arid region where agriculture drives everything and the ability to counter dry years with <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-10/this-is-do-or-die-western-kansas-farmers-push-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-before-its-too-late" target="_blank">irrigation from underground reserves</a> isn’t what it used to be.So
 when people in Healy want to know how much the rare sprinkle adds up 
to, they call Fenster. If they can’t catch him on the phone, they stop 
him in town. On the wall at the bank hangs a big white board where he 
writes the daily precipitation totals — or lack thereof — which dominate
 conversations in a year like this.“This is agriculture country,” Fenster said. “Everybody’s talking about it.”<h2>The new American desert</h2>Deserts are commonly defined as places that get <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">fewer than 10 inches</a> of rain a year. So at least for this past year, much of western Kansas slipped into that desolate category.And Healy has looked the part.Lawns
 are more brown dirt than green grass. Ponds dried up long ago. Fields 
that would normally have wheat plants growing several inches high by 
this time of year are barren and blowing away.Fenster has watched his community take a financial hit, too. Farmers have experienced more <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">losses from crop failures</a> — he works at a crop insurance agency — this past year than he’s ever seen. Ranchers have had to <a href="https://www.hppr.org/2022-11-25/heres-how-this-years-drought-has-battered-the-midwest-and-what-it-might-mean-for-next-year" target="_blank">sell off cattle</a> as their pasture grass disintegrates into nothing. In town, people aren’t spending money like they normally would.“There’s not much optimism out there,” Fenster said. “We’re all praying for rain.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674661198338.png" alt="Steve Fenster stands next to the white board that he updates with daily rainfall totals at First State Bank of Healy. Especially in a year like this, he said, the board is a big conversation starter. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Steve Fenster stands next to the white board that he updates with daily rainfall totals at First State Bank of Healy. Especially in a year like this, he said, the board is a big conversation starter. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Lindy McMillen works directly with farmers as they bring in harvests 
to sell at the Garden City Co-op’s grain elevator just southeast of 
Healy. And this year, she said, her office’s traffic has been slow and 
quiet.The co-op bought roughly half as much corn last year as it 
normally does because farmers just didn’t have much to sell. For grain 
sorghum, or milo, it was less than half.“A tough year for farmers,” McMillen said, “is tough for everyone.”In
 past droughts, she said, some pocket of the company’s footprint — which
 stretches from Lane County through southwest Kansas — would get enough 
rain to make a decent crop. This year, the rain missed everybody.And the <a href="https://twitter.com/DroughtCenter/status/1616129962133667859" target="_blank">forecast</a> calls for drought to hang on for at least another month.Farmers
 who have small stands of wheat now are concerned that the plants won’t 
make it to harvest. Others whose wheat seeds haven’t sprouted yet worry 
that they never will. If this winter’s wheat fails, that brings up 
another whole set of stressful questions about pulling the plug on it 
and trying a different crop in that same field this spring.Federal
 financial assistance and payouts from crop insurance have helped a lot 
of farmers stay afloat for now. But it’s still devastating, she said, to
 toil all year and then watch your handiwork die.“Every farmer I 
know is resilient and tough, but they’re down,” McMillen said. “There’s a
 lot more somber, concerned feeling heading into this growing season 
than probably in any one that I’ve ever been involved in.”<div><iframe title="How 2022 broke drought records in western Kansas" aria-label="Grouped Column Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-kMh0W" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kMh0W/10/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="600" height="500" data-external="1"></iframe></div><h2>The record-breakers</h2>Western Kansas 
started 2022 dry, with southwest parts of the state withering under 
extreme drought since January. It only went downhill from there.For
 the seven towns that broke records, assistant state climatologist Matt 
Sittel said, the fall particularly accelerated the drought’s deep 
descent toward parched history.WaKeeney only got 0.01 inches of 
precipitation for all of November. Utica didn’t get any that month. 
Scott City recorded no precipitation whatsoever for the whole month of 
October and just 0.08 total for the last three months of the year 
combined.When the dust settled, some of the new records ended up shattering marks that had stood for decades.“They didn’t just barely break the record, that’s two inches less,” Sittel said. “That’s unprecedented.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I saw a bunch of sad corn fields like this one while I was in Finney County. The months-long drought — paired with recent 100-degree temperatures — has fried a lot of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/westernkansas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#westernkansas</a> corn crop. <a href="https://t.co/ivcXV1xTDG">pic.twitter.com/ivcXV1xTDG</a>&mdash; David Condos (@davidcondos) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidcondos/status/1551992149754904576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Here are the numbers for each record-breaking town (based on data from <a href="https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/" target="_blank">NOAA</a>, limited to towns whose records began before 1956):1. Garden City, Finney County New record low: 5.03 inches, 2022 Previous record: 8.86 inches, 1937 Records go back to 1893 Historical average: 18.95 inches2. Scott City, Scott County New record low: 8.01 inches, 2022 Previous record: 10.15 inches, 1956 Records go back to 1895 Historical average: 20.18 inches3. Collyer, Trego County New record low: 8.37 inches, 2022 Previous record: 9.32, inches, 1956 Records go back to 1940 Historical average: 20.64 inches4. Healy, Lane County New record low: 8.75 inches, 2022 Previous record: 8.92 inches, 1956 Records go back to 1901 Historical average: 22.38 inches5. Utica, Ness County New record low: 9.78 inches, 2022 Previous record: 12.86 inches, 1916 Records go back to 1916 Historical average: 22.93 inches6. Ransom, Ness County New record low: 9.89 inches, 2022 Previous record: 11.74 inches, 2010 Records go back to 1946 Historical average: 22.08 inches7. WaKeeney, Trego County New record low: 10.52 inches, 2022 Previous record: 12.17 inches, 1937 Records go back to 1892 Historical average: 23.92 inchesOther parts of western Kansas came close to breaking their records, 
too. The station at Cedar Bluff Dam in Trego County saw its 
second-driest year. And for several towns — from Dodge City and Liberal 
in southwest Kansas to Russell Springs and Atwood in northwest Kansas — 
2022 landed among the top five driest years on record.“This was not just a little isolated event,” Sittel said. “Most of western Kansas was all in the same dry boat.”The heat didn’t help. For nearly all of western Kansas, this past summer’s average temperatures ranked among the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/county/mapping/14/tavg/202207/3/value" target="_blank">top 25 warmest</a> on record. Dodge City’s summer, for instance, ranked as its sixth hottest.<div><iframe title="How many days reached 100 degrees?" aria-label="Range Plot" id="datawrapper-chart-nMH7x" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMH7x/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" width="600" height="346" data-external="1"></iframe></div>The compound force of drought and heat particularly zeroed in on Healy.In
 addition to experiencing its driest year on record, the town also 
nearly broke its record for the most days with 100-degree temperatures. 
Healy saw a total of 47 days reach 100 degrees in 2022. That’s more than
 three-times its average and one day shy of its record.Across 
western Kansas — in towns from WaKeeney to Dodge City to Oakley — the 
number of 100-degree days in 2022 landed in the top 10 of all years on 
record.Then there’s the wind. In a normal year, western Kansas is already one of the <a href="https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/325" target="_blank">windiest places</a> in the country. But 2022 turned that up a notch.April
 is typically the state’s windiest month. And Goodland in northwest 
Kansas and Salina in north-central Kansas both saw their windiest Aprils
 on record dating back to 1948. Wind speeds in Goodland clocked in at a 
wearying average of 17.7 mph for the entire month. Salina’s wind 
averaged 15.2 mph.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Here’s what the dust storm looked like during my drive back to Hays. This is along K-156 east of Jetmore. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> And that center pivot you can barely see in the field… is spraying water. <a href="https://t.co/YDdOSZByLY">pic.twitter.com/YDdOSZByLY</a>&mdash; David Condos (@davidcondos) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidcondos/status/1584265479434039296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>The average peak wind gust in April across the state’s 79 monitoring 
stations was 55 mph. On April 29 — the same day a tornado tore through 
south-central Kansas — wind gusts in Hays reached 83 mph.When dry
 air blows across the soil, it ramps up evaporation and robs the dirt of
 whatever moisture it has left. That also fueled the towering clouds of 
dust that swept across parts of western Kansas this past year.Changes
 in farm practices, such as less tilling of the soil and using more 
drought-tolerant seeds, have helped keep the region from reliving the 
worst consequences of the Dust Bowl. But the drought of the 1930s also 
lasted a few years, and we don’t yet know when this drought will end.One
 ray of hope comes from the Pacific Ocean. A rare triple dip La Niña 
weather pattern there has helped keep Kansas dry over the past two 
years. The latest <a href="https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/" target="_blank">ENSO forecast</a>
 predicts that La Niña will finally begin to break this spring. But that
 forecast made similar predictions the past two winters, Sittel said, 
neither of which came true.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674661440647.png" alt="This newspaper page from March of 1957 describes the massive blizzard that brought 18-foot-tall snow drifts to parts of western Kansas... and finally helped the region break free from the historic 1956 drought. Currently, much of the region would need more than 12 inches of rain (or many more inches than that of snow) just to get back to its historical average precipitation total for the past year. Newspaper Archive" />
 <figcaption>This newspaper page from March of 1957 describes the massive blizzard that brought 18-foot-tall snow drifts to parts of western Kansas... and finally helped the region break free from the historic 1956 drought. Currently, much of the region would need more than 12 inches of rain (or many more inches than that of snow) just to get back to its historical average precipitation total for the past year. Newspaper Archive</figcaption>
 </figure>Even if the La Niña pattern ends, Sittel said, it might only mean an 
extra inch or two of moisture for Kansas. Most of western Kansas would 
need <a href="https://mesonet.k-state.edu/precip/daily/#mtIndex=28&amp;tab=chart-tab" target="_blank">more than 10 inches</a> of rain to get back to its historical average for the past year.So it’ll likely be a slow, unsure crawl back to normalcy.And
 the stakes are raised with every month that the drought continues. If 
it lasts into May or June, he said, Kansas will know it’s in trouble.“What if it happens again in 2023?” Sittel said. “It’s going to be catastrophic.”David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.

For these 7 Kansas communities, 2022 was the driest on record

On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Middle School principal Tom Albers shares information about the upcoming student-led conferences.

<div><iframe title="Hays Middle School prepares for student led conferences" allowtransparency="true" height="450" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=q3b36-137750c-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=450" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Middle School principal Tom Albers shares information about the upcoming student-led conferences.

🎙 Post Podcast: Hays Middle School prepares for student led conferences

A wind chill advisory is in effect for most of northwest Kansas through Monday morning.

The National Weather Service in Dodge City is predicting a bitterly cold start to the work week, with a high temperature of just 16 forecast for Monday.

There is a slight chance of snow flurries through the day Sunday and into early Monday morning — the only precipitation predicted in the long-range forecast. Wind chill values early Monday morning could be as low as 15 below zero.

The mercury will rise as the week progresses, with a high of 30 Tuesday, followed by highs in the upper-30s Wednesday and Thursday. By Friday, a high near 50 is expected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675012616087.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A wind chill advisory is in effect for most of northwest Kansas through Monday morning.The National Weather Service in Dodge City is predicting a bitterly cold start to the work week, with a high temperature of just 16 forecast for Monday.There is a slight chance of snow flurries through the day Sunday and into early Monday morning — the only precipitation predicted in the long-range forecast. Wind chill values early Monday morning could be as low as 15 below zero.The mercury will rise as the week progresses, with a high of 30 Tuesday, followed by highs in the upper-30s Wednesday and Thursday. By Friday, a high near 50 is expected.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Cold Temperatures and bitter wind chills can be expected across southwest Kansas over the next few days. Wind Chills as low as -15F will be possible early this Sunday morning and again early Monday morning. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://t.co/zR76yHChyM">pic.twitter.com/zR76yHChyM</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1619632106703036417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

Bundle up: Bitter cold start to the work week in NW Kansas

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

From the perspective of Doug Williams, executive director of <a href="https://www.growhays.com/">Grow Hays</a>, the biggest project for the non-profit economic development group in 2022 was the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4b0833de-8582-4800-b0ce-7f4ea9baf6d7">microfactory</a>.

It's a 30,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility to be built near Ninth and Commerce Parkway that will utilize an incubator for business startups and expansions of small manufacturers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Once completed, the microfactory will be an incubator for four to six industrial startups at a time, allowing manufacturers to begin operations at a much lower cost than if they were to set up in their own location.

Williams reported to Hays city commissioners last week the project was been in the planning stage for more than two years.&nbsp; Thanks to gifts, grants and the work of a diverse group of individuals in Hays and beyond, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4b0833de-8582-4800-b0ce-7f4ea9baf6d7">ground was broken in October for the microfactory</a>.

The city of Hays issued industrial revenue bonds for the project, "allowing us to avoid the (city) sales tax on the construction materials as well as a 10-year tax abatement, both of which are huge, allowing us to pass that on to the tenants who can be in there for less rent, grow their business, then grow out of it so we can bring the next one in," Williams explained.

Construction costs have risen dramatically recently, increasing costs for the work from $3.8 million to about $4.3 million, "so we're still out looking for money. ... It's the environment we live in."

Williams touched on other highlights of 2022 during his annual report to the city commission.

As part of its partnership with <a href="https://www.networkkansas.com/">Network Kansas</a>,&nbsp;Grow Hays made six loans totaling just less than $200,000 to new small businesses last year.&nbsp;

"Because of a program that Network Kansas has with the Patterson Foundation, not only did those businesses get their loans, but they got a portion of that loan granted back to them."&nbsp;

'Imagine Ellis County' is marketing the area to pull in new residents with a targeted focus on people who may want to leave the hectic living conditions in the Denver and Rocky Mountains front range area.&nbsp;

Business activity in Hays last year was robust, according to Williams, with&nbsp;17 new businesses or acquisitions opening in the community.

The trend continues into the new year with five more in the process that will open in the next 60-90 days.&nbsp;

Williams said there are retail developers actively looking at the community, including a couple of big-box retailers.&nbsp;

"That's always a challenge to get those people to do something. And it's even more challenging now based on cost of construction and what some of these large retailers are willing to pay for rent."&nbsp;

One developer is looking at a STAR bond for Hays. 

State Sales Tax and Revenue Bonds are a financing tool that allows Kansas municipalities to issue bonds to finance the development of major commercial, entertainment and tourism projects. The bonds are paid off through the sales tax revenue generated by the development.

When it comes to the hierarchy of needs for rural areas, Williams contends that housing is the number one need, followed closely by education opportunities.&nbsp;

Housing last year in Hays is a great story to tell, Williams said to the commission.&nbsp;

Infrastructure for the Heart of America Tallgrass Addition Phase 1, northwest of 22nd and Wheatland in Hays, was completed in late 2021.&nbsp; &nbsp;

All 36 lots are sold, with 19 homes occupied. Seventeen houses are under construction; five of those will be completed in the next 30-60 days.&nbsp;

Williams considers Tallgrass a "team effort."

"You all, (the city) in 2020, passed an RHID. (Rural Housing Incentive Districts provide reimbursements to developers in building housing in rural communities.) Heart of America (a local non-profit developer) was willing to invest a million and half dollars in infrastructure, without knowing when or if they would get their money back."&nbsp;

Tallgrass Addition Phase 2 is 18 lots and almost done. The two builders that have been the most active in Phase 1 have each purchased nine lots in Phase 2 and plan to continue building houses as fast as they can, according to Williams.&nbsp;

"Certainly, this spring we should see some construction in that phase."

Commissioner Sandy Jacobs praised Williams and others for their work.

"This is huge when you think this has happened in this community basically the past 15 months.&nbsp;

"Your foresight, the foresight of Heart of America Corporation, all the work the city has done, everybody should be patting themselves on the back," Jacobs said. "We didn't have anything like this for a long time."&nbsp;

"This is exactly what we wanted," added Shaun Musil, commissioner. "We all wanted people moving to Hays, other houses opening up (for sale as current residents move to Tallgrass.) Kudos to all involved."

The housing project is expected to expand this spring for development across the street to the north on Wheatland Drive.

Williams shared the story of an email he received about three years ago from a Topeka resident who wanted to move back to Hays where their kids live, but couldn't find any housing.

"They moved into their house two months ago in Tallgrass," Williams said with a smile. "I think that tells the story of what the development has been and what it can be to others."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674974013712.jpeg" alt="Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, told Hays city commissioners last week the non-profit organization made good progress in 2022. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, told Hays city commissioners last week the non-profit organization made good progress in 2022. Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostFrom the perspective of Doug Williams, executive director of <a href="https://www.growhays.com/">Grow Hays</a>, the biggest project for the non-profit economic development group in 2022 was the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4b0833de-8582-4800-b0ce-7f4ea9baf6d7">microfactory</a>.It's a 30,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility to be built near Ninth and Commerce Parkway that will utilize an incubator for business startups and expansions of small manufacturers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651769647438.png" alt="The Grow Hays microfactory will be built just north of the Army Reserve on East 9th Street. Photo courtesy city of Hays.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The Grow Hays microfactory will be built just north of the Army Reserve on East 9th Street. Photo courtesy city of Hays.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Once completed, the microfactory will be an incubator for four to six industrial startups at a time, allowing manufacturers to begin operations at a much lower cost than if they were to set up in their own location.Williams reported to Hays city commissioners last week the project was been in the planning stage for more than two years.&nbsp; Thanks to gifts, grants and the work of a diverse group of individuals in Hays and beyond, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4b0833de-8582-4800-b0ce-7f4ea9baf6d7">ground was broken in October for the microfactory</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674972127931.jpeg" alt="Slides by Grow Hays" />
 <figcaption>Slides by Grow Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>The city of Hays issued industrial revenue bonds for the project, "allowing us to avoid the (city) sales tax on the construction materials as well as a 10-year tax abatement, both of which are huge, allowing us to pass that on to the tenants who can be in there for less rent, grow their business, then grow out of it so we can bring the next one in," Williams explained.Construction costs have risen dramatically recently, increasing costs for the work from $3.8 million to about $4.3 million, "so we're still out looking for money. ... It's the environment we live in."Williams touched on other highlights of 2022 during his annual report to the city commission.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674973702811.jpeg" alt="Grow Hays" />
 <figcaption>Grow Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>As part of its partnership with <a href="https://www.networkkansas.com/">Network Kansas</a>,&nbsp;Grow Hays made six loans totaling just less than $200,000 to new small businesses last year.&nbsp;"Because of a program that Network Kansas has with the Patterson Foundation, not only did those businesses get their loans, but they got a portion of that loan granted back to them."&nbsp;'Imagine Ellis County' is marketing the area to pull in new residents with a targeted focus on people who may want to leave the hectic living conditions in the Denver and Rocky Mountains front range area.&nbsp;Business activity in Hays last year was robust, according to Williams, with&nbsp;17 new businesses or acquisitions opening in the community.The trend continues into the new year with five more in the process that will open in the next 60-90 days.&nbsp;Williams said there are retail developers actively looking at the community, including a couple of big-box retailers.&nbsp;"That's always a challenge to get those people to do something. And it's even more challenging now based on cost of construction and what some of these large retailers are willing to pay for rent."&nbsp;One developer is looking at a STAR bond for Hays. State Sales Tax and Revenue Bonds are a financing tool that allows Kansas municipalities to issue bonds to finance the development of major commercial, entertainment and tourism projects. The bonds are paid off through the sales tax revenue generated by the development.When it comes to the hierarchy of needs for rural areas, Williams contends that housing is the number one need, followed closely by education opportunities.&nbsp;Housing last year in Hays is a great story to tell, Williams said to the commission.&nbsp;Infrastructure for the Heart of America Tallgrass Addition Phase 1, northwest of 22nd and Wheatland in Hays, was completed in late 2021.&nbsp; &nbsp;All 36 lots are sold, with 19 homes occupied. Seventeen houses are under construction; five of those will be completed in the next 30-60 days.&nbsp;Williams considers Tallgrass a "team effort.""You all, (the city) in 2020, passed an RHID. (Rural Housing Incentive Districts provide reimbursements to developers in building housing in rural communities.) Heart of America (a local non-profit developer) was willing to invest a million and half dollars in infrastructure, without knowing when or if they would get their money back."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674977901544.jpeg" alt="Grow Hays" />
 <figcaption>Grow Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>Tallgrass Addition Phase 2 is 18 lots and almost done. The two builders that have been the most active in Phase 1 have each purchased nine lots in Phase 2 and plan to continue building houses as fast as they can, according to Williams.&nbsp;"Certainly, this spring we should see some construction in that phase."Commissioner Sandy Jacobs praised Williams and others for their work."This is huge when you think this has happened in this community basically the past 15 months.&nbsp;"Your foresight, the foresight of Heart of America Corporation, all the work the city has done, everybody should be patting themselves on the back," Jacobs said. "We didn't have anything like this for a long time."&nbsp;"This is exactly what we wanted," added Shaun Musil, commissioner. "We all wanted people moving to Hays, other houses opening up (for sale as current residents move to Tallgrass.) Kudos to all involved."The housing project is expected to expand this spring for development across the street to the north on Wheatland Drive.Williams shared the story of an email he received about three years ago from a Topeka resident who wanted to move back to Hays where their kids live, but couldn't find any housing."They moved into their house two months ago in Tallgrass," Williams said with a smile. "I think that tells the story of what the development has been and what it can be to others."Still, according to Williams, it's not enough.<div><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/zxe4kdV0-P46diVCW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Grow Hays Report" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674978981624.jpeg" alt="Grow Hays" />
 <figcaption>Grow Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>He shared statistics from the city's planning and development division showing 55 total living units, single and multi-family, were built in Hays last year.&nbsp;To support the 1% annual population growth city leaders would like to see in Hays, 85 to 90 new units are required to be built each year.&nbsp;At that point in his presentation, Williams publicly announced <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/09ac3361-ef7e-4078-a540-b0cfafaf1bc5">plans for The Grove</a>, a retiree-friendly 100-unit housing complex with a community center to be built north of HaysMed on Canterbury Drive.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674979513103.jpeg" alt="Grow Hays" />
 <figcaption>Grow Hays</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674979593613.jpeg" alt="Development map for The Grove, a $40 million mixed housing complex and community center planned for north of HaysMed on Canterbury. Grow Hays" />
 <figcaption>Development map for The Grove, a $40 million mixed housing complex and community center planned for north of HaysMed on Canterbury. Grow Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>Although Musil expressed some skepticism about completion of the proposed 100-plus housing units, he supports the community center concept.The other commissioners, with Alaina Cunningham participating by phone, were enthusiastic about the plan."Disruption is always a time for innovation," said Commissioner Reese Barrick, "and when you want to put money towards things and try to advance forward during those hardships, even though it doesn't seem like the appropriate time, it is the appropriate time because that puts you ahead of the game. ... It's one of the things I appreciate about the people of Hays... We're going ahead aggressively."