Mystery, romance, history, comedy, thriller, suspense, science fiction, cook books—all&nbsp;reading categories. Reading cookbooks for fun surprises folks, but once you&nbsp;begin&nbsp;reading&nbsp;them&nbsp;recreationally, you discover those categories listed above slip into each and every recipe&nbsp;book&nbsp;on your shelf.&nbsp;

Though she was a good cook, my mom didn’t love to cook. As a result,&nbsp;I grew up&nbsp;reading&nbsp;few cook books.&nbsp;Her mom, however,&nbsp;loved&nbsp;creating amazing meals and desserts so&nbsp;Grandma Lottie&nbsp;owned&nbsp;more. While&nbsp;she didn’t have near the selection I have or that I’ve&nbsp;found&nbsp;at&nbsp;nearby&nbsp;auctions&nbsp;or thrift stores, her most interesting&nbsp;recipes&nbsp;were&nbsp;written on scraps of paper, old envelopes, and snipped&nbsp;from old newspapers. She tucked these in the fronts and backs of&nbsp;her worn&nbsp;recipe books&nbsp;where I found them after she&nbsp;passed away. In addition, she&nbsp;saved&nbsp;a manila envelope full of her mom’s&nbsp;and grandmother’s&nbsp;recipes. These&nbsp;originated in England and came with the&nbsp;Bears&nbsp;to Russell County.&nbsp;

These handwritten,&nbsp;detailed ingredients remind me of reading history. The&nbsp;cooks wrote instructions&nbsp;for wood or coal stoves so this modern-day cook had&nbsp;to&nbsp;research&nbsp;what cool, warm, and hot oven mean.&nbsp;Rarely did they offer exact cup or spoon measurements. A pinch,&nbsp;a dash,&nbsp;a handful, an egg-&nbsp;size bit of butter&nbsp;made their point.&nbsp;

To complicate matters,&nbsp;these recipes&nbsp;call for ingredients I either can’t find in Kansas&nbsp;such as&nbsp;eels to make eel pie or saleratus, which I learned is an old-timey&nbsp;word for baking soda.&nbsp;My great- and great-great-grandmothers saved&nbsp;several&nbsp;recipes&nbsp;that called for fresh&nbsp;kidneys. Though I can get those from the butcher, I have no&nbsp;urges to&nbsp;bake&nbsp;a&nbsp;kidney pie.&nbsp;

Since I&nbsp;began&nbsp;cooking in my teens, cookbooks and cooking shows have gained popularity. Any of us can buy a celebrity cookbook and serve our families the&nbsp;same&nbsp;meals&nbsp;that Trish Yearwood and Valerie Bertinelli whip up in their kitchens. For those of us who like learning about other cultures through their foods, we can add Amish, Mexican, Italian, Native American, Creole and other&nbsp;foods to our diets.

Regional collections put together by churches or communities as commemorative collections or fundraisers&nbsp;count&nbsp;among my&nbsp;favorites. Ellis County&nbsp;contributes&nbsp;a treasure trove of amazing dishes created by Volga German, Bukovina, and Bohemian cooks. Even though I have a Volga German grandmother, I’d&nbsp;have never learned&nbsp;how much I love&nbsp;those&nbsp;old&nbsp;recipes&nbsp;if I hadn’t&nbsp;moved here&nbsp;and bought cookbooks.&nbsp;On another note,&nbsp;I have&nbsp;a&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;from Wallace, Idaho, a&nbsp;mountain&nbsp;silver mining town. Huckleberry recipes abound as desserts, side dishes, and meat sauces. Because English families moved there to work the mines, the book&nbsp;shares&nbsp;several pasty varieties, a great find for cooks who love hand pies.&nbsp;

One way&nbsp;to&nbsp;travel back in time&nbsp;involves&nbsp;rereading&nbsp;cookbooks I&nbsp;received&nbsp;as a bride or soon after. Not only do I recall foods we loved to eat back then like Watergate Salad,&nbsp;but also,&nbsp;I see names that&nbsp;jerk&nbsp;me back&nbsp;several decades. What a poignant way to remember favorite people and foods.&nbsp;

So, if you can’t&nbsp;find anything good to read at the library or on your kindle,&nbsp;scan&nbsp;through your old recipe books. You might get as lucky as I did the other day and have your grandma’s best lemon meringue pie recipe written in her hand fall in your lap. It was almost as good a real visit.

Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and
 sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671733838286.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINMystery, romance, history, comedy, thriller, suspense, science fiction, cook books—all&nbsp;reading categories. Reading cookbooks for fun surprises folks, but once you&nbsp;begin&nbsp;reading&nbsp;them&nbsp;recreationally, you discover those categories listed above slip into each and every recipe&nbsp;book&nbsp;on your shelf.&nbsp;Though she was a good cook, my mom didn’t love to cook. As a result,&nbsp;I grew up&nbsp;reading&nbsp;few cook books.&nbsp;Her mom, however,&nbsp;loved&nbsp;creating amazing meals and desserts so&nbsp;Grandma Lottie&nbsp;owned&nbsp;more. While&nbsp;she didn’t have near the selection I have or that I’ve&nbsp;found&nbsp;at&nbsp;nearby&nbsp;auctions&nbsp;or thrift stores, her most interesting&nbsp;recipes&nbsp;were&nbsp;written on scraps of paper, old envelopes, and snipped&nbsp;from old newspapers. She tucked these in the fronts and backs of&nbsp;her worn&nbsp;recipe books&nbsp;where I found them after she&nbsp;passed away. In addition, she&nbsp;saved&nbsp;a manila envelope full of her mom’s&nbsp;and grandmother’s&nbsp;recipes. These&nbsp;originated in England and came with the&nbsp;Bears&nbsp;to Russell County.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>These handwritten,&nbsp;detailed ingredients remind me of reading history. The&nbsp;cooks wrote instructions&nbsp;for wood or coal stoves so this modern-day cook had&nbsp;to&nbsp;research&nbsp;what cool, warm, and hot oven mean.&nbsp;Rarely did they offer exact cup or spoon measurements. A pinch,&nbsp;a dash,&nbsp;a handful, an egg-&nbsp;size bit of butter&nbsp;made their point.&nbsp;To complicate matters,&nbsp;these recipes&nbsp;call for ingredients I either can’t find in Kansas&nbsp;such as&nbsp;eels to make eel pie or saleratus, which I learned is an old-timey&nbsp;word for baking soda.&nbsp;My great- and great-great-grandmothers saved&nbsp;several&nbsp;recipes&nbsp;that called for fresh&nbsp;kidneys. Though I can get those from the butcher, I have no&nbsp;urges to&nbsp;bake&nbsp;a&nbsp;kidney pie.&nbsp;Since I&nbsp;began&nbsp;cooking in my teens, cookbooks and cooking shows have gained popularity. Any of us can buy a celebrity cookbook and serve our families the&nbsp;same&nbsp;meals&nbsp;that Trish Yearwood and Valerie Bertinelli whip up in their kitchens. For those of us who like learning about other cultures through their foods, we can add Amish, Mexican, Italian, Native American, Creole and other&nbsp;foods to our diets.Regional collections put together by churches or communities as commemorative collections or fundraisers&nbsp;count&nbsp;among my&nbsp;favorites. Ellis County&nbsp;contributes&nbsp;a treasure trove of amazing dishes created by Volga German, Bukovina, and Bohemian cooks. Even though I have a Volga German grandmother, I’d&nbsp;have never learned&nbsp;how much I love&nbsp;those&nbsp;old&nbsp;recipes&nbsp;if I hadn’t&nbsp;moved here&nbsp;and bought cookbooks.&nbsp;On another note,&nbsp;I have&nbsp;a&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;from Wallace, Idaho, a&nbsp;mountain&nbsp;silver mining town. Huckleberry recipes abound as desserts, side dishes, and meat sauces. Because English families moved there to work the mines, the book&nbsp;shares&nbsp;several pasty varieties, a great find for cooks who love hand pies.&nbsp;One way&nbsp;to&nbsp;travel back in time&nbsp;involves&nbsp;rereading&nbsp;cookbooks I&nbsp;received&nbsp;as a bride or soon after. Not only do I recall foods we loved to eat back then like Watergate Salad,&nbsp;but also,&nbsp;I see names that&nbsp;jerk&nbsp;me back&nbsp;several decades. What a poignant way to remember favorite people and foods.&nbsp;So, if you can’t&nbsp;find anything good to read at the library or on your kindle,&nbsp;scan&nbsp;through your old recipe books. You might get as lucky as I did the other day and have your grandma’s best lemon meringue pie recipe written in her hand fall in your lap. It was almost as good a real visit.Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and
 sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

MADORIN: The joy of reading cookbooks

<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/2022/12/1672421469717.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

Don't have a fireplace or just don't want to fire it up? Click the video above, enter full-screen mode and enjoy the sights and sounds of your very own holiday fire!

Brought to you by Turn-Key Property Solutions

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WhDIRNs40_E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Don't have a fireplace or just don't want to fire it up? Click the video above, enter full-screen mode and enjoy the sights and sounds of your very own holiday fire!Brought to you by Turn-Key Property Solutions<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576701305695.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Warm and cozy with the Hays Post virtual fireplace!

A minor earthquake was detected in Russell County on Friday evening, the Kansas Geological Survey reported.

The 2.2-magnitude quake was recorded at 8:47 p.m. Friday in northeast Russell County, just south of the Osborne County line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672526795994.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A minor earthquake was detected in Russell County on Friday evening, the Kansas Geological Survey reported.The 2.2-magnitude quake was recorded at 8:47 p.m. Friday in northeast Russell County, just south of the Osborne County line.

Earthquake detected Friday in Russell County

New Year's Eve offers an annual moment to reflect on the past while looking to the future.

So as we wrap up 2022, take a look back at the local stories Hays Post readers were talking about the most.

No. 10: Victoria man sentenced to life for multiple sex crimes

In March, a Victoria resident was sentenced to life in prison&nbsp;for a pair of sex crimes involving two young girls and the rape of an 18-year-old almostt six years ago. Cody Schultz was found guilty of the crimes in February after going through mediation and a bench trial.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3f50d0e1-77e3-4339-b6a8-ee4d9090cff1">https://hayspost.com/posts/3f50d0e1-77e3-4339-b6a8-ee4d9090cff1</a>

Schultz is listed as incarcerated in the Hutching Correction Facility, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.

No. 9: Hays USD 489 to revisit dress code after parent complains about satanism ban

As summer ended and USD 489 schools were preparing for the year, controversy erupted after a parent approached the school board asking for changes to the dress code that would allow students to wear clothing featuring satanism.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e153a0fc-fe06-4de4-b5c7-d6f0d57fa59b">https://hayspost.com/posts/e153a0fc-fe06-4de4-b5c7-d6f0d57fa59b</a>

After initially banning Satanic clothing in the 2022 dress code, the board reversed that decision less than a week later based on looming legal action against the district.

No. 8: KBI: 2 suspects arrested in Rush Co. homicide investigation

Months went by as suspects were sought in connection with the Jan. 21 homicide of 61-year-old Leslie Randa of La Crosse. In March, Jennifer Page Stipe and Darin Lee McBee were arrested.&nbsp;Stipe was arrested on a requested charge of first-degree murder. McBee was arrested on requested charges that included multiple felonies related to the murder.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ede0f34f-81e1-457b-848d-bd495cdd79dd">https://hayspost.com/posts/ede0f34f-81e1-457b-848d-bd495cdd79dd</a>

In September, Stripe was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole&nbsp;in Rush County District Court by Chief Judge Bruce Gatterman. Legal proceedings in McBee's case are ongoing.

No. 7: Wild West Festival sets concert lineup, including ACM-nominated singer

The Wild West Festival in downtown Hays always draws a crowd, so it's not surprising to see the 2022 lineup announcement made the list of our most-read stories of the year.&nbsp;

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/72c571d3-c2a8-466d-b9d5-7dfda02cdfc8">https://hayspost.com/posts/72c571d3-c2a8-466d-b9d5-7dfda02cdfc8</a>

Organizers are currently finalizing acts for 2023's event.&nbsp;

No. 6: Former Hays Carlos O'Kelly's gets surprising new tenant

After years of vacancy, a new tenant was announced for the former Carlos O'Kelly's building near the Interstate 70 and Vine intersection. The new tenant was a surprising choice for some. It was announced in August the building would house the&nbsp;Hays’ Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5209a047-9f23-4676-825b-4ceffc58252d">https://hayspost.com/posts/5209a047-9f23-4676-825b-4ceffc58252d</a>

At the time the story was published, the agency anticipated moving into the space late fall into early spring in 2023.

No. 5: Local couple to reopen grocery store in La Crosse

Rush County was dealt a blow this year when its sole grocery store was permanently closed in August. The closure would be short-lived. Just months after&nbsp;Kelly and Pat Baalmann of La Crosse purchased the grocery store in La Crosse and hope to reopen it after the first of the year as B's Hometown Market

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/21a30dc7-dd83-4c64-8c63-fa25bbaf4d5b">https://hayspost.com/posts/21a30dc7-dd83-4c64-8c63-fa25bbaf4d5b</a>

Work continues at the location and an early 2023 opening is expected.&nbsp;

No. 4: Former Ellis County court administrator charged with falsifying signatures

The 23rd Judicial Court prosecution of a former court administrator was concluded this year. Amanda Truan was charged in August after falsifying signatures on district court staff performance evaluations.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1ab99350-b38d-40d7-a37b-0de4d3060455">https://hayspost.com/posts/1ab99350-b38d-40d7-a37b-0de4d3060455</a>

Truan entered into a diversion agreement just weeks ago.

No. 3: Hays man faces possible murder charges after wife dies

The arrest of a Hays man on suspicion of first-degree murder in March shocked many across Ellis County and beyond.&nbsp;Jay Naldo Schumacher was initially arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery, domestic battery and mistreatment of a dependent adult, but a charge of&nbsp;murder in the first degree was added following the death of his wife, Karen Schumacher.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/31909cf2-4721-42e3-ab7e-5e2de4392888">https://hayspost.com/posts/31909cf2-4721-42e3-ab7e-5e2de4392888</a>

The case continues its way through the 23rd Judicial District Court.

No. 2: Ellis Co. Attorney warns Delta-8 illegal; pulled from area stores

As 2022 began, a court case involving a burglary in a Hays convenience store and guidance from the Kansas Attorney General led to hemp-derived Delta-8 THC products being pulled from Ellis County stores.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9397fb25-5dc6-4443-a340-6aae96abc594">https://hayspost.com/posts/9397fb25-5dc6-4443-a340-6aae96abc594</a>

While the issue generated statewide media attention and spurred enforcement in Ellis County around the first of the year, Delta 8 products were again being openly sold on store shelves in Ellis County by the end of 2022.&nbsp; And they were widely available at locations in other nearby counties throughout the year, despite the focused attention and legal guidance.

And our most read story of the year was...

Former Plainville Livestock Commission owner sentenced to prison, millions in restitution

After years of winding through the court system, a federal jury convicted Tyler Gillum, former owner of the Plainville Livestock Commission, of 31 counts of bank fraud, one count of making a false statement in connection with a Small Business Administration guaranteed loan, and one count of making a false statement in a loan or credit card application.

Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/08447b94-7c65-4720-9a1a-f2c5c71d26b5">https://hayspost.com/posts/08447b94-7c65-4720-9a1a-f2c5c71d26b5</a>

Judge Daniel Crabtree later sentenced him to 60 months in prison and more than $7.2 million in restitution.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672374283194.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>New Year's Eve offers an annual moment to reflect on the past while looking to the future.So as we wrap up 2022, take a look back at the local stories Hays Post readers were talking about the most.<h2>No. 10: Victoria man sentenced to life for multiple sex crimes</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672372579218.jpeg" alt="Cody Schultz" />
 <figcaption>Cody Schultz</figcaption>
 </figure>In March, a Victoria resident was sentenced to life in prison&nbsp;for a pair of sex crimes involving two young girls and the rape of an 18-year-old almostt six years ago. Cody Schultz was found guilty of the crimes in February after going through mediation and a bench trial.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3f50d0e1-77e3-4339-b6a8-ee4d9090cff1">https://hayspost.com/posts/3f50d0e1-77e3-4339-b6a8-ee4d9090cff1</a>Schultz is listed as incarcerated in the Hutching Correction Facility, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.<h2>No. 9: Hays USD 489 to revisit dress code after parent complains about satanism ban</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658257154494.png" alt="File photo " />
 <figcaption>File photo </figcaption>
 </figure>As summer ended and USD 489 schools were preparing for the year, controversy erupted after a parent approached the school board asking for changes to the dress code that would allow students to wear clothing featuring satanism.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e153a0fc-fe06-4de4-b5c7-d6f0d57fa59b">https://hayspost.com/posts/e153a0fc-fe06-4de4-b5c7-d6f0d57fa59b</a>After initially banning Satanic clothing in the 2022 dress code, the board reversed that decision less than a week later based on looming legal action against the district.<h2>No. 8: KBI: 2 suspects arrested in Rush Co. homicide investigation</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672369498228.png" alt="Jennifer Page Stipe" />
 <figcaption>Jennifer Page Stipe</figcaption>
 </figure>Months went by as suspects were sought in connection with the Jan. 21 homicide of 61-year-old Leslie Randa of La Crosse. In March, Jennifer Page Stipe and Darin Lee McBee were arrested.&nbsp;Stipe was arrested on a requested charge of first-degree murder. McBee was arrested on requested charges that included multiple felonies related to the murder.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ede0f34f-81e1-457b-848d-bd495cdd79dd">https://hayspost.com/posts/ede0f34f-81e1-457b-848d-bd495cdd79dd</a>In September, Stripe was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole&nbsp;in Rush County District Court by Chief Judge Bruce Gatterman. Legal proceedings in McBee's case are ongoing.<h2>No. 7: Wild West Festival sets concert lineup, including ACM-nominated singer</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1656793537129.jpeg" alt="Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>The Wild West Festival in downtown Hays always draws a crowd, so it's not surprising to see the 2022 lineup announcement made the list of our most-read stories of the year.&nbsp;Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/72c571d3-c2a8-466d-b9d5-7dfda02cdfc8">https://hayspost.com/posts/72c571d3-c2a8-466d-b9d5-7dfda02cdfc8</a>Organizers are currently finalizing acts for 2023's event.&nbsp;<h2>No. 6: Former Hays Carlos O'Kelly's gets surprising new tenant</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1659374367584.jpeg" alt="Photo by James Bell/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by James Bell/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>After years of vacancy, a new tenant was announced for the former Carlos O'Kelly's building near the Interstate 70 and Vine intersection. The new tenant was a surprising choice for some. It was announced in August the building would house the&nbsp;Hays’ Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5209a047-9f23-4676-825b-4ceffc58252d">https://hayspost.com/posts/5209a047-9f23-4676-825b-4ceffc58252d</a>At the time the story was published, the agency anticipated moving into the space late fall into early spring in 2023.<h2>No. 5: Local couple to reopen grocery store in La Crosse</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672367777750.jpeg" alt="Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Rush County was dealt a blow this year when its sole grocery store was permanently closed in August. The closure would be short-lived. Just months after&nbsp;Kelly and Pat Baalmann of La Crosse purchased the grocery store in La Crosse and hope to reopen it after the first of the year as B's Hometown MarketRead the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/21a30dc7-dd83-4c64-8c63-fa25bbaf4d5b">https://hayspost.com/posts/21a30dc7-dd83-4c64-8c63-fa25bbaf4d5b</a>Work continues at the location and an early 2023 opening is expected.&nbsp;<h2>No. 4: Former Ellis County court administrator charged with falsifying signatures</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672350399244.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The 23rd Judicial Court prosecution of a former court administrator was concluded this year. Amanda Truan was charged in August after falsifying signatures on district court staff performance evaluations.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1ab99350-b38d-40d7-a37b-0de4d3060455">https://hayspost.com/posts/1ab99350-b38d-40d7-a37b-0de4d3060455</a>Truan entered into a diversion agreement just weeks ago.<h2>No. 3: Hays man faces possible murder charges after wife dies</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648238084775.jpeg" alt="Karen Schumacher" />
 <figcaption>Karen Schumacher</figcaption>
 </figure>The arrest of a Hays man on suspicion of first-degree murder in March shocked many across Ellis County and beyond.&nbsp;Jay Naldo Schumacher was initially arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery, domestic battery and mistreatment of a dependent adult, but a charge of&nbsp;murder in the first degree was added following the death of his wife, Karen Schumacher.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/31909cf2-4721-42e3-ab7e-5e2de4392888">https://hayspost.com/posts/31909cf2-4721-42e3-ab7e-5e2de4392888</a>The case continues its way through the 23rd Judicial District Court.<h2>No. 2: Ellis Co. Attorney warns Delta-8 illegal; pulled from area stores</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641305014931.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As 2022 began, a court case involving a burglary in a Hays convenience store and guidance from the Kansas Attorney General led to hemp-derived Delta-8 THC products being pulled from Ellis County stores.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9397fb25-5dc6-4443-a340-6aae96abc594">https://hayspost.com/posts/9397fb25-5dc6-4443-a340-6aae96abc594</a>While the issue generated statewide media attention and spurred enforcement in Ellis County around the first of the year, Delta 8 products were again being openly sold on store shelves in Ellis County by the end of 2022.&nbsp; And they were widely available at locations in other nearby counties throughout the year, despite the focused attention and legal guidance.<h2>And our most read story of the year was...</h2><h2>Former Plainville Livestock Commission owner sentenced to prison, millions in restitution</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575404210576.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After years of winding through the court system, a federal jury convicted Tyler Gillum, former owner of the Plainville Livestock Commission, of 31 counts of bank fraud, one count of making a false statement in connection with a Small Business Administration guaranteed loan, and one count of making a false statement in a loan or credit card application.Read the original story at&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/08447b94-7c65-4720-9a1a-f2c5c71d26b5">https://hayspost.com/posts/08447b94-7c65-4720-9a1a-f2c5c71d26b5</a>Judge Daniel Crabtree later sentenced him to 60 months in prison and more than $7.2 million in restitution.

Goodbye 2022: Take a look back with Hays Post top 10 most read stories

The operator of the Keystone Pipeline on Thursday restarted the leg of the system that spilled thousands of barrels of heavy crude in north-central Kansas. TC Energy announced that after repairs, inspections and testing, and a controlled restart on Thursday, the Keystone system is "...operational to all delivery points." The company said it will operate what it calls the Cushing Extension through Kansas at reduced pressure and with additional risk-mitigation measures under plans approved by the &nbsp;U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). As of Friday morning the company said it had recovered 10,637 barrels of oil, out of an estimated 14,000 barrels spilled from the pipe after the rupture December 8th. Water, soil and metallurgical testing continue, but regulators have been slow to release details of the investigation into the Keystone Pipeline spill in Washington County. Despite media reports suggesting contamination downstream of the containment zone, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is holding off on releasing the results of its water testing in the area saying they need more data to establish benchmarks for analysis. The agency's Director of Communications &amp; Legislative Affairs Matt Lara said in an e-mail response that his agency has preliminary water data samples, but needs more sampling and other information before a promised release to the public. Lara says there have been no reports from farmers in the area of wells showing contamination. Free well testing is available through the pipeline operator. &nbsp; KDHE is not currently testing soil in the area. Lara said the company removed the layer of topsoil that had oil "staining." TC Energy’s environmental consultant will collect soil samples from the spill area to confirm that all contaminated soil has been removed, according to KDHE. The PHMSA continues its probe into the cause of the spill, including metals testing on the section of pipeline that ruptured.&nbsp; TC Energy was operating the Keystone Pipeline at a dramatically increased flow-rate just prior to the rupture and spill in Kansas. The Energy Consultant Wood Mackenzie confirmed broadcast reports that flows to the Midwest jumped to nearly 650,000 barrels per day on the night of the rupture, up from a baseline of 622,000 barrels per day. The company said in October it would raise flows to test the system's operational efficiency. In an email response to our request for comment, the company replied "At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements." Russia banned the sale of its oil and petroleum products to countries that put a cap on the price. The Kremlin is trying to undermine one of many sanctions prompted by the invasion of Ukraine. The G-7 countries want to bar the shipping, financing or insuring of seaborne Russian crude unless it is sold for $60 a barrel or less. Russia is also preparing to cut production early next year according to its oil minister. Winter weather has dramatically curtailed crude output from the number-three producing state in the country. S&amp;P Global reports current production in North Dakota of about 650,000 to 700,000 barrels per day, down from 1.12 million barrels per day in September and October. A blizzard December 19th shut in more than 400,000 barrels per day of production, and more shut-ins occurred the following week.&nbsp; US crude production drops below 12 million barrels per day for the first time in eight weeks and only the third time since June. The Energy Information Administration reports US output of 11.954 million barrels per day for the week through December 23rd, down 196,000 barrels per day from the week before. EIA reports crude imports of 6.3 million barrels per day for the week, up 433,000 barrels per day from the week before. The four-week average is down 3.8 percent from a year ago. The government said domestic crude-oil inventories increased last week by 700,000 barrels to 419 million barrels as of December 23. Stockpiles are about six percent below the five-year average for this time of year. Marathon Oil Corporation completed a big bucks acquisition first announced in November. Ensign [["EN-sign"]] Natural Resources will reap a total cash consideration of $3 billion. In return, Marathon takes over assets in the Eagle Ford basin of South Texas which they predict will deliver more than 22,000 barrels of oil per day. Crude prices Friday were up slightly. The benchmark Nymex contract was trading for $78.87 per barrel. London Brent was a few cents over $84. Kansas crude prices dropped 75 cents on Thursday, with Kansas Common crude fetching $68.75 per barrel at CHS in McPherson. That's about three dollars less than at the start of the month, and about three dollars more than at the start of the year. Just as you start driving less, pump prices plummet. According to the latest numbers from the government, gasoline stockpiles dropped by 3.1 million barrels last week. The Energy Information Administration says gasoline inventories are about four percent below the five-year seasonal average. But, regular gasoline prices continue to drop, down to $3.17 a gallon nationwide (12/30). It's going for $2.79 across Kansas. Going into the holiday weekend we spotted anywhere from $2.79 to $2.89 per gallon locally. Diesel Inventories increased 300,000 barrels last week but remain about 7% below the five-year seasonal average. Diesel deliveries are down nearly seven percent from a year ago. US and statewide diesel-fuel prices remain above four dollars per gallon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672511700944.jpeg" alt="Excavated and repaired section of the Cushing Extension in Washington County, Kansas. TC Energy photo" />
 <figcaption>Excavated and repaired section of the Cushing Extension in Washington County, Kansas. TC Energy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARThe operator of the Keystone Pipeline on Thursday restarted the leg of the system that spilled thousands of barrels of heavy crude in north-central Kansas. TC Energy announced that after repairs, inspections and testing, and a controlled restart on Thursday, the Keystone system is "...operational to all delivery points." The company said it will operate what it calls the Cushing Extension through Kansas at reduced pressure and with additional risk-mitigation measures under plans approved by the &nbsp;U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). As of Friday morning the company said it had recovered 10,637 barrels of oil, out of an estimated 14,000 barrels spilled from the pipe after the rupture December 8th. Water, soil and metallurgical testing continue, but regulators have been slow to release details of the investigation into the Keystone Pipeline spill in Washington County. Despite media reports suggesting contamination downstream of the containment zone, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is holding off on releasing the results of its water testing in the area saying they need more data to establish benchmarks for analysis. The agency's Director of Communications &amp; Legislative Affairs Matt Lara said in an e-mail response that his agency has preliminary water data samples, but needs more sampling and other information before a promised release to the public. Lara says there have been no reports from farmers in the area of wells showing contamination. Free well testing is available through the pipeline operator. &nbsp; KDHE is not currently testing soil in the area. Lara said the company removed the layer of topsoil that had oil "staining." TC Energy’s environmental consultant will collect soil samples from the spill area to confirm that all contaminated soil has been removed, according to KDHE. The PHMSA continues its probe into the cause of the spill, including metals testing on the section of pipeline that ruptured.&nbsp; TC Energy was operating the Keystone Pipeline at a dramatically increased flow-rate just prior to the rupture and spill in Kansas. The Energy Consultant Wood Mackenzie confirmed broadcast reports that flows to the Midwest jumped to nearly 650,000 barrels per day on the night of the rupture, up from a baseline of 622,000 barrels per day. The company said in October it would raise flows to test the system's operational efficiency. In an email response to our request for comment, the company replied "At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements." Russia banned the sale of its oil and petroleum products to countries that put a cap on the price. The Kremlin is trying to undermine one of many sanctions prompted by the invasion of Ukraine. The G-7 countries want to bar the shipping, financing or insuring of seaborne Russian crude unless it is sold for $60 a barrel or less. Russia is also preparing to cut production early next year according to its oil minister. Winter weather has dramatically curtailed crude output from the number-three producing state in the country. S&amp;P Global reports current production in North Dakota of about 650,000 to 700,000 barrels per day, down from 1.12 million barrels per day in September and October. A blizzard December 19th shut in more than 400,000 barrels per day of production, and more shut-ins occurred the following week.&nbsp; US crude production drops below 12 million barrels per day for the first time in eight weeks and only the third time since June. The Energy Information Administration reports US output of 11.954 million barrels per day for the week through December 23rd, down 196,000 barrels per day from the week before. EIA reports crude imports of 6.3 million barrels per day for the week, up 433,000 barrels per day from the week before. The four-week average is down 3.8 percent from a year ago. The government said domestic crude-oil inventories increased last week by 700,000 barrels to 419 million barrels as of December 23. Stockpiles are about six percent below the five-year average for this time of year. Marathon Oil Corporation completed a big bucks acquisition first announced in November. Ensign [["EN-sign"]] Natural Resources will reap a total cash consideration of $3 billion. In return, Marathon takes over assets in the Eagle Ford basin of South Texas which they predict will deliver more than 22,000 barrels of oil per day. Crude prices Friday were up slightly. The benchmark Nymex contract was trading for $78.87 per barrel. London Brent was a few cents over $84. Kansas crude prices dropped 75 cents on Thursday, with Kansas Common crude fetching $68.75 per barrel at CHS in McPherson. That's about three dollars less than at the start of the month, and about three dollars more than at the start of the year. Just as you start driving less, pump prices plummet. According to the latest numbers from the government, gasoline stockpiles dropped by 3.1 million barrels last week. The Energy Information Administration says gasoline inventories are about four percent below the five-year seasonal average. But, regular gasoline prices continue to drop, down to $3.17 a gallon nationwide (12/30). It's going for $2.79 across Kansas. Going into the holiday weekend we spotted anywhere from $2.79 to $2.89 per gallon locally. Diesel Inventories increased 300,000 barrels last week but remain about 7% below the five-year seasonal average. Diesel deliveries are down nearly seven percent from a year ago. US and statewide diesel-fuel prices remain above four dollars per gallon.

News From the Oil Patch: Keystone restarts pipeline

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Laura Kelly recently announced that Kansas State Fire Marshal Doug Jorgensen will retire from the position in January 2023 after serving in the role for 11 years. Jorgensen will temporarily stay with the agency as Deputy Fire Marshal to help the new State Fire Marshal transition into the role.

“I thank Doug Jorgenson for his 43 years of public service in Kansas, including 11 years as State Fire Marshal,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“He has worked tirelessly to protect Kansans and property from devastating fires and to support communities in times of loss. His service has been appreciated, and we thank him for making this transition as smooth as possible.”

Prior to his role as State Fire Marshal, Jorgensen served four years with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department, 28 years as a Special Agent with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and one year as Director of Alcoholic Beverage Control in the Kansas Department of Revenue.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving three governors as the State Fire Marshal for the last eleven years, and most importantly, supporting the state fire service and helping keep the citizens of Kansas safe,”&nbsp;Jorgensen said.&nbsp;“It has been a very rewarding career.”

In retirement, Jorgensen plans to spend more time with his family and volunteer at his church and in the broader community.

The State Fire Marshal is a Senate-confirmed position. A new State Fire Marshal has not been appointed at this time.

Individuals interested in applying for this position should email their resumes to the Governor’s Appointments Office at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:boardsandcommissions@ks.gov" target="_blank">boardsandcommissions@ks.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672226902220.jpeg" alt="Doug Jorgensen (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Doug Jorgensen (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Office of Gov. KellyTOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Laura Kelly recently announced that Kansas State Fire Marshal Doug Jorgensen will retire from the position in January 2023 after serving in the role for 11 years. Jorgensen will temporarily stay with the agency as Deputy Fire Marshal to help the new State Fire Marshal transition into the role.“I thank Doug Jorgenson for his 43 years of public service in Kansas, including 11 years as State Fire Marshal,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“He has worked tirelessly to protect Kansans and property from devastating fires and to support communities in times of loss. His service has been appreciated, and we thank him for making this transition as smooth as possible.”Prior to his role as State Fire Marshal, Jorgensen served four years with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department, 28 years as a Special Agent with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and one year as Director of Alcoholic Beverage Control in the Kansas Department of Revenue.“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving three governors as the State Fire Marshal for the last eleven years, and most importantly, supporting the state fire service and helping keep the citizens of Kansas safe,”&nbsp;Jorgensen said.&nbsp;“It has been a very rewarding career.”In retirement, Jorgensen plans to spend more time with his family and volunteer at his church and in the broader community.The State Fire Marshal is a Senate-confirmed position. A new State Fire Marshal has not been appointed at this time.Individuals interested in applying for this position should email their resumes to the Governor’s Appointments Office at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:boardsandcommissions@ks.gov" target="_blank">boardsandcommissions@ks.gov</a>.

State fire marshal to retire; Jorgensen previously served Ellis Co. Sheriff's Dept. 

BUNKER HILL, KS –&nbsp;Smoky Hills PBS will air a day of local sports on New Year’s Day. The day will kick off at noon with the KSHSAA 8-Player State Football Championship (DI and DII).&nbsp; Next, will be&nbsp;The Jackie Stiles Story&nbsp;at 5:30 p.m. followed by the 2022 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

The KSHSAA 8-Player State Football Championship will start at noon with the DII Championship game between Axtell and Thunder Ridge. Following DII will be the DI championship game between Little River and Wichita County. These games were previously played on Nov. 26 in Newton.

The Jackie Stiles Story will air on Smoky Hills PBS at 5:30 p.m.&nbsp; This inspirational film is about a 5’8” girl from Claflin, who became a basketball legend in the Midwest. Against all odds, Jackie became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history and the WNBA Rookie-of-the-Year. Her coaches and teammates agree that Jackie’s work ethic will probably never be matched.&nbsp;

A re-airing of this documentary also will be available in March.&nbsp; Check&nbsp;<a href="http://smokyhillspbs.org/">SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>&nbsp;for a time and date to be announced.

The 2022 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame will be featured at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The mission of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is to honor those that have contributed to the history of sports in Kansas and to educate and inspire the public regarding the value of athletics and Kansas athletic history by providing the requisite leadership and resources. Some 2022 inductees include NASCAR driver CLINT BOWYER from Emporia; Emporia State women’s basketball All-American TARA HOLLOWAY CHURCHILL from Moundridge; the winningest coach in Kansas girls high school basketball JESSE NELSON from Olpe; former University of Kansas basketball coach, ROY WILLIAMS.&nbsp; For a full list of the KSHOF Class of 2022 visit,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshof.org/">www.kshof.org</a>.

A full Smoky Hills PBS January program schedule can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.smokyhillspbs.org/">www.SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>.&nbsp;

BUNKER HILL, KS –&nbsp;Smoky Hills PBS will air a day of local sports on New Year’s Day. The day will kick off at noon with the KSHSAA 8-Player State Football Championship (DI and DII).&nbsp; Next, will be&nbsp;The Jackie Stiles Story&nbsp;at 5:30 p.m. followed by the 2022 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.The KSHSAA 8-Player State Football Championship will start at noon with the DII Championship game between Axtell and Thunder Ridge. Following DII will be the DI championship game between Little River and Wichita County. These games were previously played on Nov. 26 in Newton.The Jackie Stiles Story will air on Smoky Hills PBS at 5:30 p.m.&nbsp; This inspirational film is about a 5’8” girl from Claflin, who became a basketball legend in the Midwest. Against all odds, Jackie became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history and the WNBA Rookie-of-the-Year. Her coaches and teammates agree that Jackie’s work ethic will probably never be matched.&nbsp;A re-airing of this documentary also will be available in March.&nbsp; Check&nbsp;<a href="http://smokyhillspbs.org/">SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>&nbsp;for a time and date to be announced.The 2022 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame will be featured at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The mission of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is to honor those that have contributed to the history of sports in Kansas and to educate and inspire the public regarding the value of athletics and Kansas athletic history by providing the requisite leadership and resources. Some 2022 inductees include NASCAR driver CLINT BOWYER from Emporia; Emporia State women’s basketball All-American TARA HOLLOWAY CHURCHILL from Moundridge; the winningest coach in Kansas girls high school basketball JESSE NELSON from Olpe; former University of Kansas basketball coach, ROY WILLIAMS.&nbsp; For a full list of the KSHOF Class of 2022 visit,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshof.org/">www.kshof.org</a>.A full Smoky Hills PBS January program schedule can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.smokyhillspbs.org/">www.SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>.&nbsp;

Local sports on PBS to start your New Year

Due to the observance of the New Year’s holiday on Monday, Jan. 2 refuse/recycling route collection schedules in Hays will be altered as follows:

Monday, Jan. 2 and Tuesday, Jan. 3 will be picked up on Tuesday, Jan. 3. 

Routes collected Wednesday, Jan. 4 - Friday, Jan. 6 will have no change.

Although collections may not occur on your normal day, collections will be completed during the week. &nbsp;It is anticipated that heavy volumes of refuse/recycling will be encountered around the holidays. Please make sure your refuse and recycling are out by 7 a.m., and keep in mind that the trucks have no set time schedule.

City of Hays customers that may have any questions regarding this notice should contact the Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department at 785-628-7350.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605721681274.jpeg" alt="(File photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>(File photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysDue to the observance of the New Year’s holiday on Monday, Jan. 2 refuse/recycling route collection schedules in Hays will be altered as follows:Monday, Jan. 2 and Tuesday, Jan. 3 will be picked up on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Routes collected Wednesday, Jan. 4 - Friday, Jan. 6 will have no change.Although collections may not occur on your normal day, collections will be completed during the week. &nbsp;It is anticipated that heavy volumes of refuse/recycling will be encountered around the holidays. Please make sure your refuse and recycling are out by 7 a.m., and keep in mind that the trucks have no set time schedule.City of Hays customers that may have any questions regarding this notice should contact the Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department at 785-628-7350.

Hays' refuse/recycling collection changes for New Year holiday

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672421431919.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>

RUSSELL - The Russell City Building will be closed to the public on Friday, December 30th, 2022 for end of year processing. 

Sanitation routes and public transportation will still operate normal operation hours. In case of emergency, please contact 911 or Russell Police Department at 785-483-2121.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666734874208.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>City of RussellRUSSELL - The Russell City Building will be closed to the public on Friday, December 30th, 2022 for end of year processing. Sanitation routes and public transportation will still operate normal operation hours. In case of emergency, please contact 911 or Russell Police Department at 785-483-2121.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Russell city offices closed today 

RUSSELL - It doesn't get more open than the local government, the government closest to the people. &nbsp;

The fall and winter are stressful times for most folks, with school starting, extra-curricular activities, and the holidays compressed into a few short months. &nbsp;When the economy is in poor shape, it only exacerbates the issues. Whatever metric you choose to use to gauge the economy – GDP, the consumer price index, unemployment, or others – most folks would agree that the current economy is not good with an uncertain outlook.

The annual arrival of tax statements adds to an already stressful year. &nbsp;Yesterday, someone showed me a social media post from a gentleman who was upset with his tax bill and commented, "this town is pathetic." I don't disagree that property taxes are high; I pay them too. However, I encourage you to look at your tax statement and see what taxing entities on your bill levy a property tax and the amount of money each expects to collect. &nbsp;

For folks who own property in the city of Russell, the taxing entities included on your tax statement include the state of Kansas, Russell County, USD 407, city of Russell, Russell Recreation, and Midwest Extension District No. 15. Each entity levies property tax, with a combined levy of 186.339 mills. &nbsp;So what do 186.339 mills mean? &nbsp;A valid question, as there is often a misunderstanding of mills, valuation, property class, taxes paid, and where they go. &nbsp;

The value of one mill differs for each taxing entity based on the total property valuation in that entity's jurisdiction. For example, the 2022 valuation for Russell County is $110,232,422, the total valuation for USD 407 is $80,554,401, and the city of Russell's valuation is $32,951,842. So, what does that mean? &nbsp;That means that one mill levied for Russell County brings them $110,232 in property tax revenue; one mill brings USD 407 $80,554 in revenue, and for the city of Russell, one mill brings $32,952 in property tax revenue. Comparing the number of mills levied by a taxing entity to another is like comparing apples and oranges. For example, for the city of Russell to receive $100,000 in property tax revenue requires 3.0347 mills or 1.24155 for USD 407 and 0.90718 mills for Russell County.&nbsp; It takes three mills for the city to raise the same property tax revenue as the county raises with one mill. &nbsp;

You may see a clearer picture with different valuations if you focus on the dollars each taxing entity levies. The Russell County Treasurer includes an insert with your tax statement that includes a graphic of where your tax dollars go. The same data is available on the Kansas Department of Revenue website under the Property Valuation Division's data by county page. I appreciate the County Treasurer making this information available to all taxpayers – it is informative and allows one to see the big picture. 

&nbsp;On the insert, "City" receives 12.17 percent of all property tax. &nbsp;USD 407 receives 25.59 percent, and Russell County receives 48.13 percent, based on the 2021 Real and Personal Property Value and Tax Summary from the Kansas Department of Revenue.&nbsp;

The 2023 adopted budgets for Russell County and taxing entities within the county are not yet available on the Kansas Department of Administration website. I did find the 2023 property tax revenue for Russell County, $8,362,387, on their website, and the city of Russell's adopted budget requests $1,916,595 in property tax revenue. I point out these numbers not to pit one entity against another. I do not know the reasons or plans behind other taxing entities' budgets; you'll have to ask the entity. &nbsp;

I show this information to inform taxpayers, generate interest, seek questions, and invite involvement in your government – city, school, county, and state. Each one of these entities impacts your property taxes. If your property taxes are high, find out why.

As author Adora Svitak said, "The first thing anyone can do about any issue is get informed."

So what does the city do with the $1,916,595 property tax revenue? &nbsp;

Most of the revenue funds the police, fire, public transportation, 911 services, public works, street maintenance, building, planning, zoning, the municipal court, golf course, swimming pool, park, public library, municipal airport, and the Deines Cultural Center. Other entities that receive funds from the city are Russell County Economic Development, Russell Main Street, Russell Chamber of Commerce, Western Kansas Child Advocacy, and Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. &nbsp;

Just listing the services provided through property tax doesn't show the entire operation of the city of Russell; it's in the numbers. &nbsp;

The latest census puts Russell's population at around 4,400 people. To serve our community's public safety needs, we have eight police officers, one animal control officer, one full-time fire chief, 15 volunteer firefighters, and nine 911 communication dispatchers. That's one police officer for every 550 residents, and dispatch serves all of Russell County for 911 services and dispatches for the city police, county sheriff, city fire, EMS, and 10 rural fire departments. &nbsp;

The parks department maintains 160 acres of parks, the city cemetery, the airport, public right-of-way, and city-owned properties with five employees. Two full-time employees maintain our beautiful nine-hole golf course. The street department has four street maintenance folks for 108 lane miles of the road while also helping the four employees working sanitation and recycling – truly a team effort. The Deines Cultural Center is staffed with two part-time employees, while the municipal court clerk is part-time and assists the police with records management. One full-time and one part-time employee drives the public transit bus, providing 14,000 rides annually. &nbsp;

To round out the general fund, we have one certified building official who serves as the city's zoning administrator and supervises one code officer to address blight, weeds, and overgrowth, a public works mechanic, and a GIS technician who assists all departments. I would be remiss if I did not mention the seasonal employees, lifeguards at the Duke Johnson Municipal Swimming Pool, and summer help for parks and golf. &nbsp;

What about all the other city employees I see around? Those are likely from one of our utility departments. The city operates four utilities – electric, water, wastewater, and sanitation – which receive zero property tax revenue. Our electric distribution shop has four journeyman linemen and four apprentices who maintain an electric distribution system covering 50 square miles with 146 miles of 3-phase primary and 5,875 power poles. Electric production has eight employees who maintain and operate two power plants capable of generating 23 megawatts of energy. &nbsp;

The water utility has seven certified operators and seven distribution maintenance personnel who convert an average of 1,000 acre-feet raw water into more than 320 million gallons of finished water, serving 2,419 customers through 92 miles of water mains. &nbsp;

To meet EPA standards, two certified wastewater operators treat over 300 million gallons of wastewater and infiltrate water yearly. &nbsp;

The four sanitation employees I mentioned earlier serve 2,197 customers and haul away an average of 5,250,000 pounds of trash yearly.&nbsp; Additionally, the city collects an average of 24,000 pounds of plastic, 8,000 pounds of tin, 38,000 pounds of glass, 9,000 pounds of aluminum, and 368,000 pounds of cardboard, newspaper, and magazines annually. &nbsp;

And I cannot forget the folks who support all these employees –human resource/payroll, utility billing clerk, cashier, assistant city manager, city clerk, finance director, city attorney, city prosecutor, municipal judge, and the GIS technician. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Operating a city, especially one that also provides utilities, is a unique operation. Imagine an entity that directly impacts the lives of every resident, business, or visitor 24 hours a day, every day of the year. &nbsp; 

Take a moment and find a day when the city's operation did not impact you. The community's reliance on the services provided magnifies even the slightest operational flaw. As a team, city employees work daily to improve services and the quality of life for our community.

Do we make mistakes or equipment fail? Yes, and we learn from them and get better each time. &nbsp;

Our job is to serve the community. To do so, we need constructive and informed input. I invite you to attend city council meetings on the first&nbsp;and third&nbsp;Tuesday of each month beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the city building. If you cannot attend in person, perhaps you can attend virtually. If not, you can sign up to receive text or email notifications when the city council agenda and packet are ready for download from the city website. When you download the agenda and packet, you have the same information provided to each city council member. &nbsp;If you see an item of interest or have a question, please stop in, call the city building, or come to a city council meeting. We would be happy to discuss each item on the agenda. &nbsp; If you have a general question, comment, concern, or suggestion, you are always welcome to call or stop in the city building and talk with city staff. If we can't answer your questions, we will find someone who can. &nbsp; 

However, if you post your question, comments, concern, or suggestions on social media, I won't be able to answer them. I don't have social media, and city staff does not regularly monitor the city's social media accounts. One uninformed post or misinformation can contribute to a contentious environment and divisiveness. Our community is better than "them or us"; we all belong to this community. 

&nbsp;What good does it do to disparage the community on social media or any place? Forming false beliefs requires exposure to false information. Those not from Russell who hear constant negativity are likely to get a negative perception of our community, whether that is one's intent or not. A negative perception harms the entire community – businesses, schools, and other residents. Take a moment and look around; there is no better place to call home than Russell. &nbsp;

I am not suggesting that all contrary opinions are incorrect; I only ask that you become informed on the topics. The best way to become informed with local government is to engage – attend city council, school board, and county commission meetings and ask questions, require answers, then make an informed decision. If you can't attend, reach out to those who can answer your questions or take your comments – a staff member or elected official. &nbsp;

Your local government – city, school, and county – are the closest to the people. Where else do you have access to information and input on how your city, school, or county government provides public services, prioritizes infrastructure projects, or allocates budgets? You don't have the same access and input at the state and federal levels. &nbsp;

Always remember the words of so many of the founding fathers, eloquently stated by Daniel Webster in 1830, "It is, sir, the people's Constitution, the people's government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people."

On behalf of the city of Russell employees, we wish you a Happy New Year!

Jon Quinday is the Russell City Manager.&nbsp;

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 </figure>RUSSELL - It doesn't get more open than the local government, the government closest to the people. &nbsp;The fall and winter are stressful times for most folks, with school starting, extra-curricular activities, and the holidays compressed into a few short months. &nbsp;When the economy is in poor shape, it only exacerbates the issues. Whatever metric you choose to use to gauge the economy – GDP, the consumer price index, unemployment, or others – most folks would agree that the current economy is not good with an uncertain outlook.The annual arrival of tax statements adds to an already stressful year. &nbsp;Yesterday, someone showed me a social media post from a gentleman who was upset with his tax bill and commented, "this town is pathetic." I don't disagree that property taxes are high; I pay them too. However, I encourage you to look at your tax statement and see what taxing entities on your bill levy a property tax and the amount of money each expects to collect. &nbsp;For folks who own property in the city of Russell, the taxing entities included on your tax statement include the state of Kansas, Russell County, USD 407, city of Russell, Russell Recreation, and Midwest Extension District No. 15. Each entity levies property tax, with a combined levy of 186.339 mills. &nbsp;So what do 186.339 mills mean? &nbsp;A valid question, as there is often a misunderstanding of mills, valuation, property class, taxes paid, and where they go. &nbsp;The value of one mill differs for each taxing entity based on the total property valuation in that entity's jurisdiction. For example, the 2022 valuation for Russell County is $110,232,422, the total valuation for USD 407 is $80,554,401, and the city of Russell's valuation is $32,951,842. So, what does that mean? &nbsp;That means that one mill levied for Russell County brings them $110,232 in property tax revenue; one mill brings USD 407 $80,554 in revenue, and for the city of Russell, one mill brings $32,952 in property tax revenue. Comparing the number of mills levied by a taxing entity to another is like comparing apples and oranges. For example, for the city of Russell to receive $100,000 in property tax revenue requires 3.0347 mills or 1.24155 for USD 407 and 0.90718 mills for Russell County.&nbsp; It takes three mills for the city to raise the same property tax revenue as the county raises with one mill. &nbsp;You may see a clearer picture with different valuations if you focus on the dollars each taxing entity levies. The Russell County Treasurer includes an insert with your tax statement that includes a graphic of where your tax dollars go. The same data is available on the Kansas Department of Revenue website under the Property Valuation Division's data by county page. I appreciate the County Treasurer making this information available to all taxpayers – it is informative and allows one to see the big picture. &nbsp;On the insert, "City" receives 12.17 percent of all property tax. &nbsp;USD 407 receives 25.59 percent, and Russell County receives 48.13 percent, based on the 2021 Real and Personal Property Value and Tax Summary from the Kansas Department of Revenue.&nbsp;The 2023 adopted budgets for Russell County and taxing entities within the county are not yet available on the Kansas Department of Administration website. I did find the 2023 property tax revenue for Russell County, $8,362,387, on their website, and the city of Russell's adopted budget requests $1,916,595 in property tax revenue. I point out these numbers not to pit one entity against another. I do not know the reasons or plans behind other taxing entities' budgets; you'll have to ask the entity. &nbsp;I show this information to inform taxpayers, generate interest, seek questions, and invite involvement in your government – city, school, county, and state. Each one of these entities impacts your property taxes. If your property taxes are high, find out why.As author Adora Svitak said, "The first thing anyone can do about any issue is get informed."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672406562242.jpeg" alt="Courtesy city of Russell" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy city of Russell</figcaption>
 </figure>So what does the city do with the $1,916,595 property tax revenue? &nbsp;Most of the revenue funds the police, fire, public transportation, 911 services, public works, street maintenance, building, planning, zoning, the municipal court, golf course, swimming pool, park, public library, municipal airport, and the Deines Cultural Center. Other entities that receive funds from the city are Russell County Economic Development, Russell Main Street, Russell Chamber of Commerce, Western Kansas Child Advocacy, and Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. &nbsp;Just listing the services provided through property tax doesn't show the entire operation of the city of Russell; it's in the numbers. &nbsp;The latest census puts Russell's population at around 4,400 people. To serve our community's public safety needs, we have eight police officers, one animal control officer, one full-time fire chief, 15 volunteer firefighters, and nine 911 communication dispatchers. That's one police officer for every 550 residents, and dispatch serves all of Russell County for 911 services and dispatches for the city police, county sheriff, city fire, EMS, and 10 rural fire departments. &nbsp;The parks department maintains 160 acres of parks, the city cemetery, the airport, public right-of-way, and city-owned properties with five employees. Two full-time employees maintain our beautiful nine-hole golf course. The street department has four street maintenance folks for 108 lane miles of the road while also helping the four employees working sanitation and recycling – truly a team effort. The Deines Cultural Center is staffed with two part-time employees, while the municipal court clerk is part-time and assists the police with records management. One full-time and one part-time employee drives the public transit bus, providing 14,000 rides annually. &nbsp;To round out the general fund, we have one certified building official who serves as the city's zoning administrator and supervises one code officer to address blight, weeds, and overgrowth, a public works mechanic, and a GIS technician who assists all departments. I would be remiss if I did not mention the seasonal employees, lifeguards at the Duke Johnson Municipal Swimming Pool, and summer help for parks and golf. &nbsp;What about all the other city employees I see around? Those are likely from one of our utility departments. The city operates four utilities – electric, water, wastewater, and sanitation – which receive zero property tax revenue. Our electric distribution shop has four journeyman linemen and four apprentices who maintain an electric distribution system covering 50 square miles with 146 miles of 3-phase primary and 5,875 power poles. Electric production has eight employees who maintain and operate two power plants capable of generating 23 megawatts of energy. &nbsp;The water utility has seven certified operators and seven distribution maintenance personnel who convert an average of 1,000 acre-feet raw water into more than 320 million gallons of finished water, serving 2,419 customers through 92 miles of water mains. &nbsp;To meet EPA standards, two certified wastewater operators treat over 300 million gallons of wastewater and infiltrate water yearly. &nbsp;The four sanitation employees I mentioned earlier serve 2,197 customers and haul away an average of 5,250,000 pounds of trash yearly.&nbsp; Additionally, the city collects an average of 24,000 pounds of plastic, 8,000 pounds of tin, 38,000 pounds of glass, 9,000 pounds of aluminum, and 368,000 pounds of cardboard, newspaper, and magazines annually. &nbsp;And I cannot forget the folks who support all these employees –human resource/payroll, utility billing clerk, cashier, assistant city manager, city clerk, finance director, city attorney, city prosecutor, municipal judge, and the GIS technician. &nbsp;&nbsp;Operating a city, especially one that also provides utilities, is a unique operation. Imagine an entity that directly impacts the lives of every resident, business, or visitor 24 hours a day, every day of the year. &nbsp; Take a moment and find a day when the city's operation did not impact you. The community's reliance on the services provided magnifies even the slightest operational flaw. As a team, city employees work daily to improve services and the quality of life for our community.Do we make mistakes or equipment fail? Yes, and we learn from them and get better each time. &nbsp;Our job is to serve the community. To do so, we need constructive and informed input. I invite you to attend city council meetings on the first&nbsp;and third&nbsp;Tuesday of each month beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the city building. If you cannot attend in person, perhaps you can attend virtually. If not, you can sign up to receive text or email notifications when the city council agenda and packet are ready for download from the city website. When you download the agenda and packet, you have the same information provided to each city council member. &nbsp;If you see an item of interest or have a question, please stop in, call the city building, or come to a city council meeting. We would be happy to discuss each item on the agenda. &nbsp; If you have a general question, comment, concern, or suggestion, you are always welcome to call or stop in the city building and talk with city staff. If we can't answer your questions, we will find someone who can. &nbsp; However, if you post your question, comments, concern, or suggestions on social media, I won't be able to answer them. I don't have social media, and city staff does not regularly monitor the city's social media accounts. One uninformed post or misinformation can contribute to a contentious environment and divisiveness. Our community is better than "them or us"; we all belong to this community. &nbsp;What good does it do to disparage the community on social media or any place? Forming false beliefs requires exposure to false information. Those not from Russell who hear constant negativity are likely to get a negative perception of our community, whether that is one's intent or not. A negative perception harms the entire community – businesses, schools, and other residents. Take a moment and look around; there is no better place to call home than Russell. &nbsp;I am not suggesting that all contrary opinions are incorrect; I only ask that you become informed on the topics. The best way to become informed with local government is to engage – attend city council, school board, and county commission meetings and ask questions, require answers, then make an informed decision. If you can't attend, reach out to those who can answer your questions or take your comments – a staff member or elected official. &nbsp;Your local government – city, school, and county – are the closest to the people. Where else do you have access to information and input on how your city, school, or county government provides public services, prioritizes infrastructure projects, or allocates budgets? You don't have the same access and input at the state and federal levels. &nbsp;Always remember the words of so many of the founding fathers, eloquently stated by Daniel Webster in 1830, "It is, sir, the people's Constitution, the people's government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people." On behalf of the city of Russell employees, we wish you a Happy New Year!Jon Quinday is the Russell City Manager.&nbsp;

QUINDAY: To be transparent, government must be open

The Hays Police Department responded to 57 calls from Dec. 11-17, 2022 according to the HPD Activity Log.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592410704431.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>The Hays Police Department responded to 57 calls from Dec. 11-17, 2022 according to the HPD Activity Log.<figure>
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Hays PD Activity Log, Dec. 11-17  

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

A new restaurant north of Plainville brings the taste of the Chesapeake Bay to Kansas.

Jason Kephart and his wife, Kari, were born and raised in the Chesapeake Bay area. The couple has a history of working in the restaurant industry for about 15 years, but the <a href="https://www.facebook.com">Chesapeake Roadhouse</a> is their first attempt at ownership.

"We were born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay, and we crabbed and fished recreationally and grew up fixing that sort of food," Jason Kephart said. "That is in our culture and our background."

Jason first came to Kansas in the Air Force and was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base. After most recently living in Topeka, the family moved to northwest Kansas so Kari could work in an area school system.

The new restaurant is in the former Rooks County Golf Course restaurant building, which is about three miles north of Plainville on U.S. Highway 183.

Specialties on the menu include crab cakes and oysters. The couple hopes to add whole crab, lobster and crawfish when they come into season in the spring and summer.

The seafood is shipped by air to Kansas. The majority of the food is overnighted, and Kephart cooks the dishes fresh, never frozen, and made from scratch.

The restaurant's most popular dishes thus far have been its crab cakes and crab dip. Raw and fried oysters come in a close second.

In addition to seafood dishes, the restaurant also serves steaks cooked sous vide and then pan-seared with garlic, thyme and rosemary, as well as prime rib. Sous vide is a process of cooking through water submersion that allows the meat to be cooked to an exact temperature and allows the meat to stay very tender, Kephart said.

The restaurant specializes in half-pound and one-pound burgers that are cooked to order with a variety of options for toppings and specialty cheeses.

"You can get a burger anywhere in Kansas, around every corner, but once someone sits down and actually sees our burger and tastes our burger, they know there's a difference," Kephart said.

Kephart said the burgers are a meal for at least two people.&nbsp; All of the fries are fresh and hand-cut per order.

The roadhouse offers a special menu item for two called the 19th Hole, which includes a ribeye, crabcake, steamed shrimp and fries.

Appetizers include Rocky Mountain oysters, fried pickles, battered green beans and loaded nachos. The roadhouse also offers a kid's menu.

The restaurant offers full bar service with a special mead (honey beer) cocktail. It includes half honey hibiscus mead, half Arnold Palmer with a splash of cranberry on top.

The roadhouse is open late on the weekends to allow for extended bar service. It has a game room in the back with pool tables, air hockey and a jukebox.

The restaurant had not been open in six years, and the Kepharts did extensive remodeling to the interior of the building. 

The restaurant has been serving for 30 days, but Kephart has been rehabbing the building for four months.

The main seating area has a bar, gas fireplace and television.

"When I had an idea for a restaurant, 33 percent of the idea was the atmosphere," Kephart said. "I wanted people to come out and have a good time and feel relaxed. I wanted people to be able to come and hang out and enjoy themselves."

Kephart said work on the building is ongoing, with plans to revive the building's patio by this spring.

Although the restaurant is off the beaten path, Kephart said the restaurant's soft opening has been successful, with people coming as far as Salina and Hastings, Neb., to try a taste of the Chesapeake Bay.

The restaurant's hours starting in January will be noon to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and noon to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Reservations are recommended on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant can be reached at 785-688-4000.

The restaurant will be open special hours on New Year's Eve from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. The special that day will be a 16-ounce ribeye with baked potato and six grilled shrimp. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672335942697.jpeg" alt="Frutti di Mare, a seafood pasta, offered at the new Chesapeake Roadhouse, three miles north of Plainville on U.S. Highway 183. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Frutti di Mare, a seafood pasta, offered at the new Chesapeake Roadhouse, three miles north of Plainville on U.S. Highway 183. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA new restaurant north of Plainville brings the taste of the Chesapeake Bay to Kansas.Jason Kephart and his wife, Kari, were born and raised in the Chesapeake Bay area. The couple has a history of working in the restaurant industry for about 15 years, but the <a href="https://www.facebook.com">Chesapeake Roadhouse</a> is their first attempt at ownership."We were born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay, and we crabbed and fished recreationally and grew up fixing that sort of food," Jason Kephart said. "That is in our culture and our background." Jason first came to Kansas in the Air Force and was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base. After most recently living in Topeka, the family moved to northwest Kansas so Kari could work in an area school system. The new restaurant is in the former Rooks County Golf Course restaurant building, which is about three miles north of Plainville on U.S. Highway 183. Specialties on the menu include crab cakes and oysters. The couple hopes to add whole crab, lobster and crawfish when they come into season in the spring and summer.The seafood is shipped by air to Kansas. The majority of the food is overnighted, and Kephart cooks the dishes fresh, never frozen, and made from scratch.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672336243122.jpeg" alt="Steamed blue crab from the Chesapeake Roadhouse north of Plainville. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Steamed blue crab from the Chesapeake Roadhouse north of Plainville. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>The restaurant's most popular dishes thus far have been its crab cakes and crab dip. Raw and fried oysters come in a close second. In addition to seafood dishes, the restaurant also serves steaks cooked sous vide and then pan-seared with garlic, thyme and rosemary, as well as prime rib. Sous vide is a process of cooking through water submersion that allows the meat to be cooked to an exact temperature and allows the meat to stay very tender, Kephart said. The restaurant specializes in half-pound and one-pound burgers that are cooked to order with a variety of options for toppings and specialty cheeses."You can get a burger anywhere in Kansas, around every corner, but once someone sits down and actually sees our burger and tastes our burger, they know there's a difference," Kephart said. Kephart said the burgers are a meal for at least two people.&nbsp; All of the fries are fresh and hand-cut per order.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672336336551.jpeg" alt="Chesapeake Roadhouse offers half-and full-pound burgers cooked to order with your choice of fixings and specialty cheeses. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Chesapeake Roadhouse offers half-and full-pound burgers cooked to order with your choice of fixings and specialty cheeses. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>The roadhouse offers a special menu item for two called the 19th Hole, which includes a ribeye, crabcake, steamed shrimp and fries.Appetizers include Rocky Mountain oysters, fried pickles, battered green beans and loaded nachos. The roadhouse also offers a kid's menu. The restaurant offers full bar service with a special mead (honey beer) cocktail. It includes half honey hibiscus mead, half Arnold Palmer with a splash of cranberry on top. The roadhouse is open late on the weekends to allow for extended bar service. It has a game room in the back with pool tables, air hockey and a jukebox.The restaurant had not been open in six years, and the Kepharts did extensive remodeling to the interior of the building. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672337471364.jpeg" alt="Jason Kephart, owner Chesapeake Roadhouse, stands behind the bar at his new restaurant north of Plainville. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post " />
 <figcaption>Jason Kephart, owner Chesapeake Roadhouse, stands behind the bar at his new restaurant north of Plainville. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post </figcaption>
 </figure>The restaurant has been serving for 30 days, but Kephart has been rehabbing the building for four months. The main seating area has a bar, gas fireplace and television."When I had an idea for a restaurant, 33 percent of the idea was the atmosphere," Kephart said. "I wanted people to come out and have a good time and feel relaxed. I wanted people to be able to come and hang out and enjoy themselves." Kephart said work on the building is ongoing, with plans to revive the building's patio by this spring. Although the restaurant is off the beaten path, Kephart said the restaurant's soft opening has been successful, with people coming as far as Salina and Hastings, Neb., to try a taste of the Chesapeake Bay.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672337724721.jpeg" alt="The main dining room of the new Chesapeake Roadhouse north of Plainville. The restaurant/bar specializes in dishes inspired by the bay area. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post " />
 <figcaption>The main dining room of the new Chesapeake Roadhouse north of Plainville. The restaurant/bar specializes in dishes inspired by the bay area. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post </figcaption>
 </figure>The restaurant's hours starting in January will be noon to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and noon to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.Reservations are recommended on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant can be reached at 785-688-4000.The restaurant will be open special hours on New Year's Eve from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. The special that day will be a 16-ounce ribeye with baked potato and six grilled shrimp.

Chesapeake Roadhouse in Plainville offers fresh taste of bay

Throughout the last four and half years, Jake Gill has raised tens of thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations around the U.S. and the world.

Jake is excited to be bringing his performance to the community and families of Hays. The concert will take place at The Rose Garden Banquet Hall at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 for the “Great Christmas Regift Concert."

“I am excited to be a part of such a great event for the Hays and for Jana’s Campaign,” Gill said. “We are anxious to continue our mission in aiding a great non-profit organization and putting on a high-energy show.”

The Rose Garden Banquet Hall welcomes Jake Gill.

They will have a Christmas Re-gift silent auction. Bring a gift you received (and really didn't want) or one you bought to donate to our silent auction.

All proceeds will be donated to Jana’s Campaign.

After a whirlwind tour across the U.S. in 2022, Jake Gill has much to celebrate as his much new single “Crazy Girl” has over 33 million streams on social media since it’s release.

The TikTok viral sensation was preceded by the hit single “Baby I'm on It," which continues to be a crowd favorite and is on course to be his first certified gold single.

The Sylvia native showed no signs of slowing down with the first of 12 shows in his new venue home in Nashville, the famed Hard Rock Cafe.

His tour this last season has taken the singer and his band to over 37 states and 180 shows and allowed the artist and his band to meet hundreds of thousands of people and sample some of the country’s best food.

During his last show of the week on the "Maverick in Me Tour" in New York, Gill was fired up as the entire crowd learned the lyrics to his energy-packed single “John Deere Rockstar,” which honors the American farmer.

Dean McNeal with Dean Connections in Seatac, Wash., said the show was a great success. Gill will continue the momentum on the "Maverick in Me Tour"  tour on Jan. 6 in Hays at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall. Doors at open 7 p.m. Watch social media for updates and sponsorship opportunities.

For more information on Jake Gill, visit <a href="http://jakegill.net">jakegill.net</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672259897269.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Concert to benefit Jana's Campaign</h2>SubmittedThroughout the last four and half years, Jake Gill has raised tens of thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations around the U.S. and the world.Jake is excited to be bringing his performance to the community and families of Hays. The concert will take place at The Rose Garden Banquet Hall at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 for the “Great Christmas Regift Concert."“I am excited to be a part of such a great event for the Hays and for Jana’s Campaign,” Gill said. “We are anxious to continue our mission in aiding a great non-profit organization and putting on a high-energy show.”The Rose Garden Banquet Hall welcomes Jake Gill.They will have a Christmas Re-gift silent auction. Bring a gift you received (and really didn't want) or one you bought to donate to our silent auction.All proceeds will be donated to Jana’s Campaign.After a whirlwind tour across the U.S. in 2022, Jake Gill has much to celebrate as his much new single “Crazy Girl” has over 33 million streams on social media since it’s release.The TikTok viral sensation was preceded by the hit single “Baby I'm on It," which continues to be a crowd favorite and is on course to be his first certified gold single.The Sylvia native showed no signs of slowing down with the first of 12 shows in his new venue home in Nashville, the famed Hard Rock Cafe.His tour this last season has taken the singer and his band to over 37 states and 180 shows and allowed the artist and his band to meet hundreds of thousands of people and sample some of the country’s best food.During his last show of the week on the "Maverick in Me Tour" in New York, Gill was fired up as the entire crowd learned the lyrics to his energy-packed single “John Deere Rockstar,” which honors the American farmer.Dean McNeal with Dean Connections in Seatac, Wash., said the show was a great success. Gill will continue the momentum on the "Maverick in Me Tour" tour on Jan. 6 in Hays at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall. Doors at open 7 p.m. Watch social media for updates and sponsorship opportunities. For more information on Jake Gill, visit <a href="http://jakegill.net">jakegill.net</a>.

Jake Gill Holiday Re-gift concert set for Jan. 6 in Hays

RUSSELL COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Thursday in Russell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F250 driven by Lance S. Jones, 43, Gaylord, was northbound on Kansas 232 at the Kansas 18 Junction just east of Lucas.

The driver&nbsp; failed to stop at the intersection of Kansas 18. The pickup entered the north ditch, rolled and came to rest on its roof.

EMS transported Jones to Russell Regional Hospital. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

RUSSELL COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Thursday in Russell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F250 driven by Lance S. Jones, 43, Gaylord, was northbound on Kansas 232 at the Kansas 18 Junction just east of Lucas.The driver&nbsp; failed to stop at the intersection of Kansas 18. The pickup entered the north ditch, rolled and came to rest on its roof.EMS transported Jones to Russell Regional Hospital. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man hospitalized after pickup rollover crash

It’s game day. The high school athlete has her jersey on and prepares to go into action.&nbsp;&nbsp;All eyes are on her as she makes her move. But right now this athlete isn’t using a ball, she’s using a book.&nbsp;

On game days at Frankfort High School, the athletes don’t just perform on the court, they read to younger kids in the classroom. This is small-town athletics at its best.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dean Dalinghaus is principal at Frankfort High School, home of the Wildcats. He went to high school at B&amp;B, graduated from K-State, and has been principal at Frankfort since 2006. He has observed the significance of hometown sports teams in rural communities.&nbsp;

“I think it brings the community together,” he said. “It creates a sense of pride. It’s the joy of seeing the kids put their heart and soul on the line, for the (town) name on the front of the jersey.”&nbsp;

Among the competitive athletes who recently came from his school is Emilee Ebert. In fact, her parents are directly involved with the school. Her father, Brian, is a teacher and was Emilee’s basketball coach at Frankfort. Her mother, Jennifer, is the school librarian.&nbsp;

Emilee Ebert had a standout athletic career at Frankfort. She set the school record with 1,648 career points in basketball. A four-time Kansas Basketball Coaches Association honoree, she earned first-team honors in 2018 and 2019. She completed her basketball career as a four-time All-Twin Valley League First Team recipient and a four-time All-Flint Hills First Team honoree by the&nbsp;Manhattan Mercury.&nbsp;

At the end of her senior season in 2018-19, Emilee was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and garnered top-15 All-Class honors as well as Class 1A All-State First Team honors from multiple sources. Not only was she selected to play in several all-star games, but she was also selected as the most valuable player at two of them.&nbsp;

Ebert was also an outstanding competitor in volleyball and track and field.&nbsp;

Emilee Ebert chose to come to K-State to play basketball for women’s coach Jeff Mittie.&nbsp;&nbsp;By her sophomore season, she was the only Wildcat to start all 27 games. That year, she finished among the Big 12’s best in assists, blocks per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio. Ebert set the school record for blocks by a guard in a season and was the only player in the Big 12 to appear in the top 15 in assists and blocks.&nbsp;

In her junior year, she played in a career-high 31 games with 24 starts. As this is being written—partway through her senior season—she has helped lead the Cats to a 9-2 record and a top 25 ranking. On Dec. 7, she led K-State in scoring in its win against Kansas City and has been consistently good from the free-throw line.&nbsp;

She is also an excellent example of a student-athlete. Ebert has made the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice, plus the Big 12 All-Rookie Academic Team, and the Academic All-Big 12 Team the following year.&nbsp;

Dalinghaus said he wants his students to appreciate academics as well. Frankfort has a K-12 attendance center, so all grades are in the same building. This creates an opportunity for interaction between older and younger students.&nbsp;

Three years ago, Dalinghaus created an initiative called Wildcat Readers. On game days, the athletes take turns reading a book to the elementary school children while wearing their jerseys or dress clothes, depending on the sport.&nbsp;

“It lets the little kids see the older kids as student-athletes, not just athletes,” Dalinghaus said. By modeling reading and encouraging the kids to read, it is a win-win for academics as well as athletics.&nbsp;

This type of interaction works especially well in a school in a rural community such as Frankfort, population 723 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

All eyes are on the athlete as she makes her move—not to the basket, but to the book.&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Dean Dalinghaus for making a difference with this initiative to connect learning and athletics, and we salute Emilee Ebert and all small-town athletes for representing their communities so well.

It’s game day. The high school athlete has her jersey on and prepares to go into action.&nbsp;&nbsp;All eyes are on her as she makes her move. But right now this athlete isn’t using a ball, she’s using a book.&nbsp;On game days at Frankfort High School, the athletes don’t just perform on the court, they read to younger kids in the classroom. This is small-town athletics at its best.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dean Dalinghaus is principal at Frankfort High School, home of the Wildcats. He went to high school at B&amp;B, graduated from K-State, and has been principal at Frankfort since 2006. He has observed the significance of hometown sports teams in rural communities.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672283436581.jpeg" alt="Emilee Ebert, K-State basketball. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Emilee Ebert, K-State basketball. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>“I think it brings the community together,” he said. “It creates a sense of pride. It’s the joy of seeing the kids put their heart and soul on the line, for the (town) name on the front of the jersey.”&nbsp;Among the competitive athletes who recently came from his school is Emilee Ebert. In fact, her parents are directly involved with the school. Her father, Brian, is a teacher and was Emilee’s basketball coach at Frankfort. Her mother, Jennifer, is the school librarian.&nbsp;Emilee Ebert had a standout athletic career at Frankfort. She set the school record with 1,648 career points in basketball. A four-time Kansas Basketball Coaches Association honoree, she earned first-team honors in 2018 and 2019. She completed her basketball career as a four-time All-Twin Valley League First Team recipient and a four-time All-Flint Hills First Team honoree by the&nbsp;Manhattan Mercury.&nbsp;At the end of her senior season in 2018-19, Emilee was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and garnered top-15 All-Class honors as well as Class 1A All-State First Team honors from multiple sources. Not only was she selected to play in several all-star games, but she was also selected as the most valuable player at two of them.&nbsp;Ebert was also an outstanding competitor in volleyball and track and field.&nbsp;Emilee Ebert chose to come to K-State to play basketball for women’s coach Jeff Mittie.&nbsp;&nbsp;By her sophomore season, she was the only Wildcat to start all 27 games. That year, she finished among the Big 12’s best in assists, blocks per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio. Ebert set the school record for blocks by a guard in a season and was the only player in the Big 12 to appear in the top 15 in assists and blocks.&nbsp;In her junior year, she played in a career-high 31 games with 24 starts. As this is being written—partway through her senior season—she has helped lead the Cats to a 9-2 record and a top 25 ranking. On Dec. 7, she led K-State in scoring in its win against Kansas City and has been consistently good from the free-throw line.&nbsp;She is also an excellent example of a student-athlete. Ebert has made the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice, plus the Big 12 All-Rookie Academic Team, and the Academic All-Big 12 Team the following year.&nbsp;Dalinghaus said he wants his students to appreciate academics as well. Frankfort has a K-12 attendance center, so all grades are in the same building. This creates an opportunity for interaction between older and younger students.&nbsp;Three years ago, Dalinghaus created an initiative called Wildcat Readers. On game days, the athletes take turns reading a book to the elementary school children while wearing their jerseys or dress clothes, depending on the sport.&nbsp;“It lets the little kids see the older kids as student-athletes, not just athletes,” Dalinghaus said. By modeling reading and encouraging the kids to read, it is a win-win for academics as well as athletics.&nbsp;This type of interaction works especially well in a school in a rural community such as Frankfort, population 723 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;All eyes are on the athlete as she makes her move—not to the basket, but to the book.&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Dean Dalinghaus for making a difference with this initiative to connect learning and athletics, and we salute Emilee Ebert and all small-town athletes for representing their communities so well.Ron Wilson is the director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University .