In honor of its unique and distinct history, the Fort Hays State University Rodeo has established its first-ever Hall of Fame class to recognize individuals whose contributions have shaped Fort Hays State’s rodeo or the rodeo industry.

“For the inaugural class, 22 remarkable individuals were nominated, including representatives from every decade of Fort Hays State rodeo,” said Dr. Marcy Aycock, an FHSU Rodeo Club alumna, and 1984 graduate.

Fort Hays State University is pleased to announce&nbsp;that&nbsp;Neil Barstow, Doug Philip, and Bronc Rumford have been selected for the&nbsp;inaugural FHSU Rodeo Hall of Fame class&nbsp;− all leaders, in and out of the arena.&nbsp;These individuals will be acknowledged for their incredible contributions during the April 20-22 FHSU Rodeo and social on April 22.

Hall of Fame inductee, Neil Barstow, assisted Philip with constructing the university’s rodeo grounds when he came to Fort Hays State as a bull rider in 1966. Barstow was an early FHSU Rodeo Club member and participated in the team’s first annual rodeo in May 1966, where he won the bull riding tournament. While his rodeo career ended abruptly due to an injury, Barstow remained infatuated with the sport and purchased a rodeo equipment company in Texas. Barstow Pro Rodeo Equipment is now operated by his daughter, Erica, who continues the family legacy of producing high-quality rodeo products.

Considered by many as the “father of the Fort Hays State rodeo,” the late Doug Philip exemplifies commitment to rodeo tradition. His lifetime of rodeo contacts, combined with his drive to get things done, led to the early success of the FHSU Rodeo. Many original structures for the rodeo, including its bleachers and rough stock chutes, were built locally on his ranch in the mid-1960s. The Fort Hays State Rodeo team honored Philip in 1992 for his commitment, years of sponsorship, and investment in providing resources and contacts by dedicating the Doug Philip Arena in his name.

Long-standing Fort Hays State rodeo coach Bronc Rumford rounds out the inaugural class. Rumford began breaking rodeo records at 3 ½ years old as the world’s youngest bareback rider. Throughout his lifelong career, Rumford has broken records as a pick-up man, chute boss, and cowboy at rodeos nationwide. He has also served in secretarial roles at several professional rodeos, including president of Miss America Rodeo, Inc. After five decades of involvement with the team and fourteen years as head coach of Fort Hays State’s rodeo team, Rumford passed the title to current coach Guy Forell in the spring of 2022.

As the Fort Hays State University Rodeo celebrates this inaugural Hall of Fame class, it hopes to continue honoring critical figures in the program and industry. The group invites students, alumni, and extended members of the FHSU Rodeo family to join in recognition of these figures during a FHSU Rodeo Social on Saturday, April 22, in the Schenk Building at the Ellis County Fairgrounds. Register for the social online by April 18 at&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/bddurr/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/JUIHBQGB/fhsualumni.com/events/alumni-rodeo-social">fhsualumni.com/events/alumni-rodeo-social</a>. Any questions regarding the social may be directed to Megan Purinton with the FHSU Alumni Association at 785-628-4430.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681242799419.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Alumni AssociationIn honor of its unique and distinct history, the Fort Hays State University Rodeo has established its first-ever Hall of Fame class to recognize individuals whose contributions have shaped Fort Hays State’s rodeo or the rodeo industry.“For the inaugural class, 22 remarkable individuals were nominated, including representatives from every decade of Fort Hays State rodeo,” said Dr. Marcy Aycock, an FHSU Rodeo Club alumna, and 1984 graduate.Fort Hays State University is pleased to announce&nbsp;that&nbsp;Neil Barstow, Doug Philip, and Bronc Rumford have been selected for the&nbsp;inaugural FHSU Rodeo Hall of Fame class&nbsp;− all leaders, in and out of the arena.&nbsp;These individuals will be acknowledged for their incredible contributions during the April 20-22 FHSU Rodeo and social on April 22.Hall of Fame inductee, Neil Barstow, assisted Philip with constructing the university’s rodeo grounds when he came to Fort Hays State as a bull rider in 1966. Barstow was an early FHSU Rodeo Club member and participated in the team’s first annual rodeo in May 1966, where he won the bull riding tournament. While his rodeo career ended abruptly due to an injury, Barstow remained infatuated with the sport and purchased a rodeo equipment company in Texas. Barstow Pro Rodeo Equipment is now operated by his daughter, Erica, who continues the family legacy of producing high-quality rodeo products.Considered by many as the “father of the Fort Hays State rodeo,” the late Doug Philip exemplifies commitment to rodeo tradition. His lifetime of rodeo contacts, combined with his drive to get things done, led to the early success of the FHSU Rodeo. Many original structures for the rodeo, including its bleachers and rough stock chutes, were built locally on his ranch in the mid-1960s. The Fort Hays State Rodeo team honored Philip in 1992 for his commitment, years of sponsorship, and investment in providing resources and contacts by dedicating the Doug Philip Arena in his name.Long-standing Fort Hays State rodeo coach Bronc Rumford rounds out the inaugural class. Rumford began breaking rodeo records at 3 ½ years old as the world’s youngest bareback rider. Throughout his lifelong career, Rumford has broken records as a pick-up man, chute boss, and cowboy at rodeos nationwide. He has also served in secretarial roles at several professional rodeos, including president of Miss America Rodeo, Inc. After five decades of involvement with the team and fourteen years as head coach of Fort Hays State’s rodeo team, Rumford passed the title to current coach Guy Forell in the spring of 2022.As the Fort Hays State University Rodeo celebrates this inaugural Hall of Fame class, it hopes to continue honoring critical figures in the program and industry. The group invites students, alumni, and extended members of the FHSU Rodeo family to join in recognition of these figures during a FHSU Rodeo Social on Saturday, April 22, in the Schenk Building at the Ellis County Fairgrounds. Register for the social online by April 18 at&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/bddurr/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/JUIHBQGB/fhsualumni.com/events/alumni-rodeo-social">fhsualumni.com/events/alumni-rodeo-social</a>. Any questions regarding the social may be directed to Megan Purinton with the FHSU Alumni Association at 785-628-4430.

FHSU Rodeo honors inaugural Hall of Fame class

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Gov. Laura Kelly will travel to communities across western Kansas, including Colby and Ellis, during a two-day tour highlighting her education priorities. 

Topics include special education, education funding, teacher shortages, workforce preparedness, and more. 

She will participate in roundtable discussions at each event.

On Wednesday, Kelly will speak at Dodge City and Garden City high schools.

On Thursday, the governor will make stops at the Colby and Ellis high schools.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681222639329.jpeg" alt="(Photo by Pixabay)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo by Pixabay)</figcaption>
 </figure>Office of the GovernorTOPEKA&nbsp;– Gov. Laura Kelly will travel to communities across western Kansas, including Colby and Ellis, during a two-day tour highlighting her education priorities. Topics include special education, education funding, teacher shortages, workforce preparedness, and more. She will participate in roundtable discussions at each event.On Wednesday, Kelly will speak at Dodge City and Garden City high schools.On Thursday, the governor will make stops at the Colby and Ellis high schools.&nbsp;

Kelly to be at Colby, Ellis schools to highlight education priorities

On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Chamber president and CEO Sarah Wasinger shares details from their upcoming Plinko Patio Party.

<div><iframe title="Preparations underway for Hays Chamber Plinko Patio Party" allowtransparency="true" height="600" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=rm92g-13dc566-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=600" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Chamber president and CEO Sarah Wasinger shares details from their upcoming Plinko Patio Party.

🎙 Post Podcast: Preparations underway for Hays Chamber Plinko Patio Party

Crude prices were trading a few cents above $80 a barrel by lunchtime Monday, after dipping below that mark earlier. That's nearly sixty cents below the settlement price on Thursday ($80.69). The markets were closed for Good Friday. Kansas Common crude at CHS starts the week at $71 per barrel, the highest price in McPherson since January 20. Just days after leading the way on the output cut announced by its allies, the world’s largest crude exporter is raising prices to its biggest customers.&nbsp; Bloomberg reports that Saudi Aramco bumped up prices 30 cents a barrel in Asia. The government reported average US crude production last week was unchanged from the week before, at 12.232 million barrels per day. We came close to "unchanged" twice in the last year or so, but those totals were rounded to the nearest 100,000 barrels. Actual published totals haven't matched in recent memory. US crude inventories dipped by nearly four million barrels last week to 470 million barrels. That's about four percent above the five-year average for this time of year according to the Energy Information Administration. EIA said US crude imports in the week through March 31st rose by 1.8 million barrels from the week before. The four-week average is about 2.3% less than the same period a year ago. Diesel fuel stockpiles as of March 31st were down 3.6 million barrels from the week before. EIA said gasoline stockpiles dropped by more than four million barrels. The auto club AAA says Monday's average US gasoline price is a dime higher than a week ago and 13 cents higher than a month ago at just over $3.60 per gallon. Diesel is down slightly at $4.19. Oklahoma regulators placed limits on water disposal in the oil patch after a series of earthquakes beginning Thursday northeast of Oklahoma City near the town of Carney. One magnitude 4.0 quake was among a half-dozen tremors, some felt as far away as Fayetteville, Arkansas early Thursday morning. The weekly Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes was down two oil and two gas rigs, for a total of 751 active rigs. The number of horizontal drilling rigs at work Thursday was down five from a week earlier. Oklahoma and New Mexico were each down one, while Texas was up one rig for the week. Drilling was underway Friday on leases in Barton, Russell and Stafford counties. The Kansas Rig Count showed 13 active rigs in eastern Kansas, which is down one from last week. The count west of Wichita was unchanged at 25 rigs. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 310 wells spudded so far this year, down 39 wells from the tally a year ago. The Kansas Corporation Commission Web site notes 96 new intent-to-drill notices statewide last month. that’s 344 for January-through-March, up from 213 at the end of the quarter last year. Barton County notched four new intents in March, 13 for the first quarter of 2023. There were no new intents last month in Ellis County, with 13 so far this year. Russell County added one intent, three so far this year. In Stafford County, the first-quarter tally is 11, with three filed in March. &nbsp; Kansas regulators okayed 39 new drilling permits, including one in Barton County and one in Ellis County among 17 in Western Kansas. That's 353 new drilling locations statewide so far this year, compared to 407 a year ago.&nbsp; Operators completed 26 new wells across Kansas last week, according to Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service. That's 519 so far this year, compared to 433 a year ago. There are 20 in Western Kansas, including one each in Ellis and Barton counties. Total rail traffic was down 7.6% last month, but oil-by-rail posted gains over 9%. The Association of American Railroads reports oil-by-rail for the month increased 4,280 tanker carloads over the same month last year. Weekly traffic was up 18% across the US.

By JOHN P. TRETBARCrude prices were trading a few cents above $80 a barrel by lunchtime Monday, after dipping below that mark earlier. That's nearly sixty cents below the settlement price on Thursday ($80.69). The markets were closed for Good Friday. Kansas Common crude at CHS starts the week at $71 per barrel, the highest price in McPherson since January 20. Just days after leading the way on the output cut announced by its allies, the world’s largest crude exporter is raising prices to its biggest customers.&nbsp; Bloomberg reports that Saudi Aramco bumped up prices 30 cents a barrel in Asia. The government reported average US crude production last week was unchanged from the week before, at 12.232 million barrels per day. We came close to "unchanged" twice in the last year or so, but those totals were rounded to the nearest 100,000 barrels. Actual published totals haven't matched in recent memory. US crude inventories dipped by nearly four million barrels last week to 470 million barrels. That's about four percent above the five-year average for this time of year according to the Energy Information Administration. EIA said US crude imports in the week through March 31st rose by 1.8 million barrels from the week before. The four-week average is about 2.3% less than the same period a year ago. Diesel fuel stockpiles as of March 31st were down 3.6 million barrels from the week before. EIA said gasoline stockpiles dropped by more than four million barrels. The auto club AAA says Monday's average US gasoline price is a dime higher than a week ago and 13 cents higher than a month ago at just over $3.60 per gallon. Diesel is down slightly at $4.19. Oklahoma regulators placed limits on water disposal in the oil patch after a series of earthquakes beginning Thursday northeast of Oklahoma City near the town of Carney. One magnitude 4.0 quake was among a half-dozen tremors, some felt as far away as Fayetteville, Arkansas early Thursday morning. The weekly Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes was down two oil and two gas rigs, for a total of 751 active rigs. The number of horizontal drilling rigs at work Thursday was down five from a week earlier. Oklahoma and New Mexico were each down one, while Texas was up one rig for the week. Drilling was underway Friday on leases in Barton, Russell and Stafford counties. The Kansas Rig Count showed 13 active rigs in eastern Kansas, which is down one from last week. The count west of Wichita was unchanged at 25 rigs. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 310 wells spudded so far this year, down 39 wells from the tally a year ago. The Kansas Corporation Commission Web site notes 96 new intent-to-drill notices statewide last month. that’s 344 for January-through-March, up from 213 at the end of the quarter last year. Barton County notched four new intents in March, 13 for the first quarter of 2023. There were no new intents last month in Ellis County, with 13 so far this year. Russell County added one intent, three so far this year. In Stafford County, the first-quarter tally is 11, with three filed in March. &nbsp; Kansas regulators okayed 39 new drilling permits, including one in Barton County and one in Ellis County among 17 in Western Kansas. That's 353 new drilling locations statewide so far this year, compared to 407 a year ago.&nbsp; Operators completed 26 new wells across Kansas last week, according to Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service. That's 519 so far this year, compared to 433 a year ago. There are 20 in Western Kansas, including one each in Ellis and Barton counties. Total rail traffic was down 7.6% last month, but oil-by-rail posted gains over 9%. The Association of American Railroads reports oil-by-rail for the month increased 4,280 tanker carloads over the same month last year. Weekly traffic was up 18% across the US.

News From the Oil Patch: Prices at 3-month high after OPEC+ cuts

By&nbsp;Dr. TIM DAVIS Fort Hays State University

Several years ago,&nbsp;in response to the urgent need for professional social work clinicians in rural Kansas, the Department of Social Work at Fort Hays State University&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to offer a master’s degree program.&nbsp;On March 13, 2023, the Council on Social Work Education granted initial accreditation to the FHSU Master of Social Work (MSW) program. This decision is retroactively effective to the date that Candidacy status was granted when the program launched in 2020.

As a comprehensive public university,&nbsp;FHSU has a responsibility to contribute to the quality of life and economic prosperity in our service area.&nbsp;One pervasive and,&nbsp;unfortunately,growing area of need that adversely impacts the quality of life in our rural communities is&nbsp;the lack of&nbsp;access to critical social services.&nbsp;The need for clinical&nbsp;social workers&nbsp;in Kansas is expected to rise at a rate of&nbsp;11%.&nbsp;Unfortunately,&nbsp;only 5% of&nbsp;the state’s&nbsp;clinical social workers practice in the western half of Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU is leading the charge to address this&nbsp;critical rural workforce shortage.&nbsp;From an initial graduating class of 27 in 2021 to our projected graduating class in 2024 of 56 students, the program has steadily grown&nbsp;every year.

The Clinical MSW program we created at Fort Hays State University is unique on several levels. First, it&nbsp;takes advantage of the flexibility and outreach aspects of online education while maintaining a strong hands-on clinical training emphasis.&nbsp;The program&nbsp;also&nbsp;features several innovative strategies to educate and train practitioners, utilizing the advantages of delivering coursework online while infusing robust face-to-face clinical training experiences.&nbsp;As the first university in Kansas to offer online MSW, our innovative approach to training clinicians broke new ground.

Since the program coursework is completed entirely online, it is accessible from wherever students might live.&nbsp;Thus, the program makes it easier for students in rural areas to stay with their families, keep their current jobs, and remain in their home communities as they progress through the program.&nbsp;

When designing the program, we&nbsp;also took extra steps to&nbsp;meet with agencies across Kansas to ensure we fully understood their&nbsp;needs and&nbsp;considered&nbsp;their perspectives. The program has been designed to ensure both&nbsp;the&nbsp;personal and professional growth&nbsp;of&nbsp;our students and that they&nbsp;develop the&nbsp;highest&nbsp;quality clinical skills.

Another key contributor to the success and continued growth&nbsp;of our&nbsp;social work programs&nbsp;is the investment&nbsp;the university&nbsp;has made in essential agency partnerships.&nbsp;Department of Social Work&nbsp;faculty and staff work closely&nbsp;with agencies that traditionally struggle to recruit and retain qualified practitioners by offering guaranteed admission to applicants sponsored by our agency partners.&nbsp;This ensures that the agency will be able to grow&nbsp;its&nbsp;own clinicians while the social worker provides services to clients&nbsp;as they progress to&nbsp;the&nbsp;completion of their&nbsp;academic program.

We are immensely grateful for the enthusiastic&nbsp;support&nbsp;we received from our elected representatives, including&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall,&nbsp;for their support in launching the program. We are also thankful for the work of&nbsp;representative Barbara Wasinger, who championed legislation that ensured that our students who earned their degrees online would remain eligible for licensure as the accreditation process&nbsp;was in process.

We are&nbsp;also thankful&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;generous&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;and support we’ve received from&nbsp;the agency and&nbsp;community college&nbsp;professionals&nbsp;in our service area&nbsp;who helped us shape and focus our program&nbsp;to best meet&nbsp;the needs of the people and communities we all serve.&nbsp;Today, more and more non-traditional agencies are discovering the value a compassionate and multi-skilled social work professional can add to the quality of services delivered in settings that range from the military, law, law enforcement, and&nbsp;special treatment settings like veterans centers&nbsp;and drug and alcohol abuse clinics.&nbsp;

With&nbsp;full&nbsp;program&nbsp;accreditation confirmed,&nbsp;the pipeline of&nbsp;FHSU-trained&nbsp;clinicians&nbsp;is about to expand with a new student cohort group forming this spring. To learn more about the master’s in social work program at Fort Hays State University, go to fhsu.edu/socialwork.&nbsp;

Dr. Tom Davis is department chair and professor with the FHSU Department of Social Work.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681136164738.png" alt="Davis" />
 <figcaption>Davis</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;Dr. TIM DAVIS Fort Hays State UniversitySeveral years ago,&nbsp;in response to the urgent need for professional social work clinicians in rural Kansas, the Department of Social Work at Fort Hays State University&nbsp;decided&nbsp;to offer a master’s degree program.&nbsp;On March 13, 2023, the Council on Social Work Education granted initial accreditation to the FHSU Master of Social Work (MSW) program. This decision is retroactively effective to the date that Candidacy status was granted when the program launched in 2020.As a comprehensive public university,&nbsp;FHSU has a responsibility to contribute to the quality of life and economic prosperity in our service area.&nbsp;One pervasive and,&nbsp;unfortunately,growing area of need that adversely impacts the quality of life in our rural communities is&nbsp;the lack of&nbsp;access to critical social services.&nbsp;The need for clinical&nbsp;social workers&nbsp;in Kansas is expected to rise at a rate of&nbsp;11%.&nbsp;Unfortunately,&nbsp;only 5% of&nbsp;the state’s&nbsp;clinical social workers practice in the western half of Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU is leading the charge to address this&nbsp;critical rural workforce shortage.&nbsp;From an initial graduating class of 27 in 2021 to our projected graduating class in 2024 of 56 students, the program has steadily grown&nbsp;every year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Clinical MSW program we created at Fort Hays State University is unique on several levels. First, it&nbsp;takes advantage of the flexibility and outreach aspects of online education while maintaining a strong hands-on clinical training emphasis.&nbsp;The program&nbsp;also&nbsp;features several innovative strategies to educate and train practitioners, utilizing the advantages of delivering coursework online while infusing robust face-to-face clinical training experiences.&nbsp;As the first university in Kansas to offer online MSW, our innovative approach to training clinicians broke new ground.Since the program coursework is completed entirely online, it is accessible from wherever students might live.&nbsp;Thus, the program makes it easier for students in rural areas to stay with their families, keep their current jobs, and remain in their home communities as they progress through the program.&nbsp;When designing the program, we&nbsp;also took extra steps to&nbsp;meet with agencies across Kansas to ensure we fully understood their&nbsp;needs and&nbsp;considered&nbsp;their perspectives. The program has been designed to ensure both&nbsp;the&nbsp;personal and professional growth&nbsp;of&nbsp;our students and that they&nbsp;develop the&nbsp;highest&nbsp;quality clinical skills.Another key contributor to the success and continued growth&nbsp;of our&nbsp;social work programs&nbsp;is the investment&nbsp;the university&nbsp;has made in essential agency partnerships.&nbsp;Department of Social Work&nbsp;faculty and staff work closely&nbsp;with agencies that traditionally struggle to recruit and retain qualified practitioners by offering guaranteed admission to applicants sponsored by our agency partners.&nbsp;This ensures that the agency will be able to grow&nbsp;its&nbsp;own clinicians while the social worker provides services to clients&nbsp;as they progress to&nbsp;the&nbsp;completion of their&nbsp;academic program.We are immensely grateful for the enthusiastic&nbsp;support&nbsp;we received from our elected representatives, including&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall,&nbsp;for their support in launching the program. We are also thankful for the work of&nbsp;representative Barbara Wasinger, who championed legislation that ensured that our students who earned their degrees online would remain eligible for licensure as the accreditation process&nbsp;was in process.We are&nbsp;also thankful&nbsp;for&nbsp;the&nbsp;generous&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;and support we’ve received from&nbsp;the agency and&nbsp;community college&nbsp;professionals&nbsp;in our service area&nbsp;who helped us shape and focus our program&nbsp;to best meet&nbsp;the needs of the people and communities we all serve.&nbsp;Today, more and more non-traditional agencies are discovering the value a compassionate and multi-skilled social work professional can add to the quality of services delivered in settings that range from the military, law, law enforcement, and&nbsp;special treatment settings like veterans centers&nbsp;and drug and alcohol abuse clinics.&nbsp;With&nbsp;full&nbsp;program&nbsp;accreditation confirmed,&nbsp;the pipeline of&nbsp;FHSU-trained&nbsp;clinicians&nbsp;is about to expand with a new student cohort group forming this spring. To learn more about the master’s in social work program at Fort Hays State University, go to fhsu.edu/socialwork.&nbsp;Dr. Tom Davis is department chair and professor with the FHSU Department of Social Work.

DAVIS: FHSU Master of Social Work Program earns initial accreditation 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681138433196.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

Hays High School has announced 2023 prom candidates.

Front Row (left to right): Danica Scheve, Claire Humphrey, Halle Lohmeyer, Ashlyn Zimmer, Spenser Mills-Kulmala

Back Row (left to right): Peyton Zimmerman, Cyrus Vajnar, Matthew Berner, Carson Spray, Ashton Putz

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681158822377.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hays High School has announced 2023 prom candidates.Front Row (left to right): Danica Scheve, Claire Humphrey, Halle Lohmeyer, Ashlyn Zimmer, Spenser Mills-KulmalaBack Row (left to right): Peyton Zimmerman, Cyrus Vajnar, Matthew Berner, Carson Spray, Ashton Putz

Hays High announces 2023 prom candidates

The temperature will jump as the week progresses, with the mercury expected to top out in the mid-80s Tuesday through Thursday.

The warmer weather, accompanied by strong winds and persistent dry conditions, will also increase the risk of wildfires across western Kansas, the National Weather Service in Dodge City reported.

Winds Tuesday through Thursday will be sustained at 20 to 35 mph, with gusts of up to 45 mph possible.

Friday will see a cooling trend begin, with a high in the mid-70s expected. By the weekend, daytime highs will be in the upper-50s to mid-60s.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1426290b-e2df-4574-8524-c25b94c4e8c8">After a half-inch of rain fell in Hays on Easter Sunday, </a>the NWS is predicting no chance for additional precipitation in the long-range forecast.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681158053302.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The temperature will jump as the week progresses, with the mercury expected to top out in the mid-80s Tuesday through Thursday.The warmer weather, accompanied by strong winds and persistent dry conditions, will also increase the risk of wildfires across western Kansas, the National Weather Service in Dodge City reported.Winds Tuesday through Thursday will be sustained at 20 to 35 mph, with gusts of up to 45 mph possible.Friday will see a cooling trend begin, with a high in the mid-70s expected. By the weekend, daytime highs will be in the upper-50s to mid-60s.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1426290b-e2df-4574-8524-c25b94c4e8c8">After a half-inch of rain fell in Hays on Easter Sunday, </a>the NWS is predicting no chance for additional precipitation in the long-range forecast.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">5 Day Forecast for Southwest Kansas. Warmer Temperatures will return to southwest Kansas this week along with High Fire Weather Risks. A Fire Weather Watch is currently in effect for Tuesday west of a Scott City to Liberal line and north of the I-70 corridor. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://t.co/WPMMEZ9nME">pic.twitter.com/WPMMEZ9nME</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1645350442141106179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

Warm, windy days will increase fire risk this week, NWS warns

On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Public Libary communications coordinator Callie Kolacny shares details of upcoming events at the library.

<div><iframe title="Fun and educational events fill Hays Public Library’s April calendar" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=95m5f-13dc54f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=315"></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Public Libary communications coordinator Callie Kolacny shares details of upcoming events at the library.

🎙 Post Podcast: Fun and educational events fill Hays Public Library's April calendar

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

The first moisture in April for Hays came in the late afternoon of Easter Sunday.

The official amount measured at the K-State Agricultural Center was 0.50 - an even half-inch.&nbsp;

Hays has received just 2.45 inches of moisture so far this year.&nbsp;

The western two-thirds of Kansas remains in a drought, according to the U.S Drought Monitor. Conditions in Ellis County range from severe to extreme drought.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681138399742.jpeg" alt="Rain clouds form over Hays on Easter Sunday. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Posts)" />
 <figcaption>Rain clouds form over Hays on Easter Sunday. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Posts)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThe first moisture in April for Hays came in the late afternoon of Easter Sunday.The official amount measured at the K-State Agricultural Center was 0.50 - an even half-inch.&nbsp;Hays has received just 2.45 inches of moisture so far this year.&nbsp;The western two-thirds of Kansas remains in a drought, according to the U.S Drought Monitor. Conditions in Ellis County range from severe to extreme drought.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681138262549.png" alt="Courtesy U.S. Drought Monitor" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy U.S. Drought Monitor</figcaption>
 </figure>

Easter Sunday rain in Hays is first moisture of the month

The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Monday in the area of Hall St. to Highway 183 Bypass between 27th St. and 43rd St. 

This is part of a coordinated effort by the city of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680811499972.jpg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysThe Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Monday in the area of Hall St. to Highway 183 Bypass between 27th St. and 43rd St. This is part of a coordinated effort by the city of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.

Fire hydrant testing, inspections continue Monday in northwest Hays

Center for Life Experience reorganizes, restarts support groups

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Alan Scheuerman spent years trying to cope with the death of his 2-year-old son, who died of spinal coccal meningitis.

"I was angry, but mostly at myself," he said. "I felt as a husband and a father that I was responsible for that child. It was my fault that this child got this disease and died.

"It took many, many years to work through that. It took 10 years to just stop hating myself," he said. "It took me another 30 years to understand that I couldn't have done anything differently that would have affected it in a positive manner and changed the outcome."

His wife of almost 38 years died of cancer in 2008. She was 55.

Two weeks after his wife died, he came to a Center for Life Experience support group.

"I sought them out because I didn't want to go through 10 years of what I went through the first time," he said. "It was a godsend for me. I was so thankful."

The first three months,  Scheuerman couldn't find the words to talk about his losses.

"Every time I wanted to talk, I'd start crying," he said. "On the ride home I'd curse myself because I couldn't talk, but every month, the time would come around and I'd be at that meeting."

Today&nbsp;Scheuerman is on the board of Center of Life Experience.

After briefly being closed after the resignation of its executive director, the Center for Life Experience has reorganized and restarted its support groups.

The group offers three grief support groups. They are Healing After Loss, which is a general grief support group. Healing Hearts, which seeks to help parents who are grieving children and Healing After Loss of Suicide, which is for people who have lost friends or family members to suicide.

All the groups meet at Oak Park Plaza, 103 E. 27th, Ste. C, Hays.

• Healing After Loss meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. • Healing Hearts meets on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. • Healing After Loss of Suicide meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m.

The Center for Life Experience is a nonprofit and all grief support groups are free to attend and confidential.

The group had a director, who handled both the business side of the non-profit and served as the groups' facilitator.&nbsp;

After the last director's resignation in December, the group decided to reorganize. The board is searching for a director who will handle the business side of the non-profit, and it will contract with trained facilitators to work with the three grief support groups.

"There's a lot of work — too much work for one person," said Scheuerman, group treasurer. "The one that's taking care of the financing and making sure everything meets everyone's needs does not have the ability to keep up with that and also keep abreast of what's going on with each group and the group members."

During the pandemic, the groups lost members. Most members wanted to meet in person, and at times, that was not possible.

Scheuerman said since the groups resumed in March, they have had strong attendance. They have attracted attendees from across northwest Kansas. A woman came from Colby to one recent group.

"I was very thankful that we had the ability to help her and that's what it's all about. We try to help each other," he said.

Scheuerman said when you have lost someone close to you, often you have a hard time dealing emotionally with that loss.&nbsp;

Everyone's losses are different, and everyone responds differently to those losses. However, when you have the opportunity to visit with someone else who has suffered a similar loss, it's easier to relate to them, Scheuerman said.

"I think when you first lose someone who is close to you, you go into a fog and you have some real serious issues of how to just deal with day to day," he said.

"It could be losing a child, a parent, a spouse or brother, sister or grandparent. It can cause those kinds of issues because those are people you relied on physically, mentally and spiritually. You don't have the people to turn to you used to."

Scheuerman found that help in the groups himself.

"Today's society says after three days you are supposed to be over it," he said. "You lost your child. You've lost your parents. You've lost your spouse. They give you three days leave because of your loss. You come back from the funeral and you're supposed to be over it.

"It doesn't work that way. You never get over it. You learn to accept and deal with it, but you never get over it."

Scheuerman continues to participate in both Healing After Loss and Healing Hearts.

"I feel I learn something every time I attend a meeting," he said. "I hope that I help provide some kind of hope to some other member of that group. I want to give back what was given to me."

Doreen&nbsp;Timken, who also lost a child and a spouse, said the first thing you lose when someone you love dies is hope. Timken also has been a long-time member of Healing Hearts and Healing After Loss.

Timken, 30 years after losing her 19-year-old daughter to cancer, still is deeply saddened by a song or seeing mothers Christmas shopping with their daughters.

"My hope has been rebuilding my life to honor her," Timken said. ... "In honoring her, I couldn't be weak. I had to be strong."

Years later, after coming to Healing Hearts, she realized that she hadn't dealt with her daughter's death.

"I lost half my family. It was just my son and me. You are losing the whole core of your family," she said, "and you think you're the only one experiencing it until you come to a group like this."

Everyone is affected by death, Timken said, but if you have resources, it's a lot better.

"You can try to understand, but unless you have had that gut pain and come out of it, you really don't understand," Timken said.

&nbsp;A long-time member of he HALOS group said losing a loved one to suicide is different than other types of grief. She wished to not be identified.

Guilt can last for years. Some of the people she met when the group began in 2009 had lost loved ones to suicide years before and never talked about it because of the shame and stigma associated with the death.

The loved ones were able to tell their stories without being judged.

"To me that gave me hope that I might survive this because I didn't think I would," she said.

She said she had suicidal thoughts after her son died by suicide.

"It becomes like family — the people in the group. You form friendships with other people, and they are very lasting," she said.&nbsp;

She acknowledged it's hard to make that initial step to come to your first support group, but she said she knew she needed to more help.

The Center for Life Experience is one of the few places in northwest Kansas that provides grief support groups.

Anyone interested in donating to the Center For Life Experience can do so online on the group's website&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cflehope.org/">www.cflehope.org</a>&nbsp;or on the group's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CenterforLifeExperienceinc/fundraisers">Facebook page</a>.

Checks can be sent to the CFLE, 203 C. E. 27th, Hays, KS 67601.

You can reach&nbsp;Scheuerman for more information on the groups by calling 785-259-6859.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1680019435297.jpeg" alt="A traveling mural created by members of the Center for Life Experience to spread awareness about the organization's grief support groups. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A traveling mural created by members of the Center for Life Experience to spread awareness about the organization's grief support groups. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Center for Life Experience reorganizes, restarts support groups</h2>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostAlan Scheuerman spent years trying to cope with the death of his 2-year-old son, who died of spinal coccal meningitis."I was angry, but mostly at myself," he said. "I felt as a husband and a father that I was responsible for that child. It was my fault that this child got this disease and died."It took many, many years to work through that. It took 10 years to just stop hating myself," he said. "It took me another 30 years to understand that I couldn't have done anything differently that would have affected it in a positive manner and changed the outcome."His wife of almost 38 years died of cancer in 2008. She was 55.Two weeks after his wife died, he came to a Center for Life Experience support group."I sought them out because I didn't want to go through 10 years of what I went through the first time," he said. "It was a godsend for me. I was so thankful."The first three months, Scheuerman couldn't find the words to talk about his losses."Every time I wanted to talk, I'd start crying," he said. "On the ride home I'd curse myself because I couldn't talk, but every month, the time would come around and I'd be at that meeting."Today&nbsp;Scheuerman is on the board of Center of Life Experience.After briefly being closed after the resignation of its executive director, the Center for Life Experience has reorganized and restarted its support groups.The group offers three grief support groups. They are Healing After Loss, which is a general grief support group. Healing Hearts, which seeks to help parents who are grieving children and Healing After Loss of Suicide, which is for people who have lost friends or family members to suicide.All the groups meet at Oak Park Plaza, 103 E. 27th, Ste. C, Hays.• Healing After Loss meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. • Healing Hearts meets on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. • Healing After Loss of Suicide meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m.The Center for Life Experience is a nonprofit and all grief support groups are free to attend and confidential.The group had a director, who handled both the business side of the non-profit and served as the groups' facilitator.&nbsp;After the last director's resignation in December, the group decided to reorganize. The board is searching for a director who will handle the business side of the non-profit, and it will contract with trained facilitators to work with the three grief support groups."There's a lot of work — too much work for one person," said Scheuerman, group treasurer. "The one that's taking care of the financing and making sure everything meets everyone's needs does not have the ability to keep up with that and also keep abreast of what's going on with each group and the group members."During the pandemic, the groups lost members. Most members wanted to meet in person, and at times, that was not possible.Scheuerman said since the groups resumed in March, they have had strong attendance. They have attracted attendees from across northwest Kansas. A woman came from Colby to one recent group."I was very thankful that we had the ability to help her and that's what it's all about. We try to help each other," he said.Scheuerman said when you have lost someone close to you, often you have a hard time dealing emotionally with that loss.&nbsp;Everyone's losses are different, and everyone responds differently to those losses. However, when you have the opportunity to visit with someone else who has suffered a similar loss, it's easier to relate to them, Scheuerman said."I think when you first lose someone who is close to you, you go into a fog and you have some real serious issues of how to just deal with day to day," he said."It could be losing a child, a parent, a spouse or brother, sister or grandparent. It can cause those kinds of issues because those are people you relied on physically, mentally and spiritually. You don't have the people to turn to you used to."Scheuerman found that help in the groups himself."Today's society says after three days you are supposed to be over it," he said. "You lost your child. You've lost your parents. You've lost your spouse. They give you three days leave because of your loss. You come back from the funeral and you're supposed to be over it."It doesn't work that way. You never get over it. You learn to accept and deal with it, but you never get over it."Scheuerman continues to participate in both Healing After Loss and Healing Hearts."I feel I learn something every time I attend a meeting," he said. "I hope that I help provide some kind of hope to some other member of that group. I want to give back what was given to me."Doreen&nbsp;Timken, who also lost a child and a spouse, said the first thing you lose when someone you love dies is hope. Timken also has been a long-time member of Healing Hearts and Healing After Loss.Timken, 30 years after losing her 19-year-old daughter to cancer, still is deeply saddened by a song or seeing mothers Christmas shopping with their daughters."My hope has been rebuilding my life to honor her," Timken said. ... "In honoring her, I couldn't be weak. I had to be strong."Years later, after coming to Healing Hearts, she realized that she hadn't dealt with her daughter's death.She lost her husband in 2007.&nbsp;"I lost half my family. It was just my son and me. You are losing the whole core of your family," she said, "and you think you're the only one experiencing it until you come to a group like this."Everyone is affected by death, Timken said, but if you have resources, it's a lot better."You can try to understand, but unless you have had that gut pain and come out of it, you really don't understand," Timken said.&nbsp;A long-time member of he HALOS group said losing a loved one to suicide is different than other types of grief. She wished to not be identified.Guilt can last for years. Some of the people she met when the group began in 2009 had lost loved ones to suicide years before and never talked about it because of the shame and stigma associated with the death.The loved ones were able to tell their stories without being judged."To me that gave me hope that I might survive this because I didn't think I would," she said.She said she had suicidal thoughts after her son died by suicide."It becomes like family — the people in the group. You form friendships with other people, and they are very lasting," she said.&nbsp;She acknowledged it's hard to make that initial step to come to your first support group, but she said she knew she needed to more help.The Center for Life Experience is one of the few places in northwest Kansas that provides grief support groups.Anyone interested in donating to the Center For Life Experience can do so online on the group's website&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cflehope.org/">www.cflehope.org</a>&nbsp;or on the group's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CenterforLifeExperienceinc/fundraisers">Facebook page</a>.Checks can be sent to the CFLE, 203 C. E. 27th, Hays, KS 67601.You can reach&nbsp;Scheuerman for more information on the groups by calling 785-259-6859.

'You never get over it,' but Hays groups seek to support grieving

Crabgrass preventers are another name for preemergence herbicides that prevent crabgrass seeds from developing into mature plants. Many people have a somewhat foggy idea of how they work and assume they kill the weed seed.&nbsp; Such is not the case. They do not kill the seed or even keep the seed from germinating but rather kill the young plant after it germinates.&nbsp; Therefore, they do not prevent germination but prevent emergence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Crabgrass preventers are just that – preventers. With few exceptions they have no effect on existing crabgrass plants, so they must be applied before germination. Additionally, preventers do not last forever once applied to the soil.&nbsp; Microorganisms and natural processes begin to gradually break them down soon after they are applied. If some products are applied too early, they may have lost much of their strength by the time they are needed. Most crabgrass preventers are fairly ineffective after about 60 days, but there is considerable variation among products.&nbsp;

For most of Kansas, crabgrass typically begins to germinate around May 1 or a little later. April 15 is normally a good target date for applying preventer because it gives active ingredients time to evenly disperse in the soil before crabgrass germination starts.&nbsp; Even better, base timing on the bloom of ornamental plants. The Eastern Redbud tree is a good choice for this purpose. When the trees in your area approach full bloom, apply crabgrass preventer. A follow-up application will be needed about 8 weeks later unless you are using Dimension or Barricade.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dimension and Barricade are the only two products that give season-long control of crabgrass from a single application. In fact, they can be applied earlier than April 15 and still have sufficient residual strength to last the season. Barricade can even be applied in late fall for crabgrass control the next season.&nbsp;

Dimension can be applied as early as March 1. Because of the added flexibility in timing, these products are favorites of lawn care companies who have many customers to service in the spring. Though Dimension is usually not applied as early as Barricade, it is the herbicide of choice if it must be applied later than recommended. It is the exception to the rule that preemergence herbicides do not kill existing weeds. Dimension can kill crabgrass as long as it is young (two- to three-leaf stage). Dimension is also the best choice if treating a lawn that was planted late last fall. Normally a preemergence herbicide is not recommended unless the lawn has been mowed two to four times. But Dimension is kind to young tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass seedlings and some formulations can be applied as early as two weeks after the first sign of germination. However, read the label of the specific product you wish to use to ensure that this use is allowed. Lawns established in the fall can be safely treated with Dimension the following spring even if they have not been mowed.&nbsp;

Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141354634.png" alt="Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>Crabgrass preventers are another name for preemergence herbicides that prevent crabgrass seeds from developing into mature plants. Many people have a somewhat foggy idea of how they work and assume they kill the weed seed.&nbsp; Such is not the case. They do not kill the seed or even keep the seed from germinating but rather kill the young plant after it germinates.&nbsp; Therefore, they do not prevent germination but prevent emergence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Crabgrass preventers are just that – preventers. With few exceptions they have no effect on existing crabgrass plants, so they must be applied before germination. Additionally, preventers do not last forever once applied to the soil.&nbsp; Microorganisms and natural processes begin to gradually break them down soon after they are applied. If some products are applied too early, they may have lost much of their strength by the time they are needed. Most crabgrass preventers are fairly ineffective after about 60 days, but there is considerable variation among products.&nbsp;For most of Kansas, crabgrass typically begins to germinate around May 1 or a little later. April 15 is normally a good target date for applying preventer because it gives active ingredients time to evenly disperse in the soil before crabgrass germination starts.&nbsp; Even better, base timing on the bloom of ornamental plants. The Eastern Redbud tree is a good choice for this purpose. When the trees in your area approach full bloom, apply crabgrass preventer. A follow-up application will be needed about 8 weeks later unless you are using Dimension or Barricade.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dimension and Barricade are the only two products that give season-long control of crabgrass from a single application. In fact, they can be applied earlier than April 15 and still have sufficient residual strength to last the season. Barricade can even be applied in late fall for crabgrass control the next season.&nbsp;Dimension can be applied as early as March 1. Because of the added flexibility in timing, these products are favorites of lawn care companies who have many customers to service in the spring. Though Dimension is usually not applied as early as Barricade, it is the herbicide of choice if it must be applied later than recommended. It is the exception to the rule that preemergence herbicides do not kill existing weeds. Dimension can kill crabgrass as long as it is young (two- to three-leaf stage). Dimension is also the best choice if treating a lawn that was planted late last fall. Normally a preemergence herbicide is not recommended unless the lawn has been mowed two to four times. But Dimension is kind to young tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass seedlings and some formulations can be applied as early as two weeks after the first sign of germination. However, read the label of the specific product you wish to use to ensure that this use is allowed. Lawns established in the fall can be safely treated with Dimension the following spring even if they have not been mowed.&nbsp;Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:aboor@ksu.edu">aboor@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

BOOR: Tips on preventing crabgrass in lawns

On a sunny April afternoon, Fort Hays State University celebrated its recently completed charging station with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Community members, alongside university administration, faculty, alumni, and students, learned how the collaborative project came to fruition and admired the finished product, which served as a backdrop for the event outside the university’s Center for Applied Technology.

In 2017, Eric Deneault, associate professor of Applied Technology, began brainstorming with former Informatics assistant professor, Dmitry Gimon, to create a hands-on project to encourage students to participate in undergraduate research. The pair hoped to demonstrate the first-class technology that prospective students could learn at Fort Hays State while providing a service to current students.&nbsp;

Fort Hays State’s unique charging station is powered primarily by solar panels mounted to the roof with batteries charging to full capacity within an 8-hour timeframe. The goal is to carry that energy through the night. Dusk-to-dawn lights come on in the evening to illuminate the entire area after dark.

The charging station receives secondary energy from users initiating a swinging motion. After five years in the making, FHSU’s one-of-a-kind charging station boasts a dual-side porch swing made of steel. The swing accommodates up to four people who can sit back-to-back. As individuals swing, they create energy. Those taking a break outside the Center for Applied Technology can enjoy the weather and swinging bench while charging personal devices.

Through years of planning and implementation, 50 plus students from applied technology, the Academy of Math and Science, informatics, and the College of Education have gained experience creating the charging station’s cutting-edge design. For instance, informatics students developed schematics for the project, and applied technology students completed the design and construction work.&nbsp;

Students have poured their hearts and souls into extensive research, proposal writing, finetuning the design, and building the station from the ground up. Students presented internationally with classmates, worked with a structural engineer to stress test the charging station, and created a one-off design stamped and approved by a licensed engineer.&nbsp;

During the ribbon-cutting event Thursday afternoon, three FHSU alumni involved with the project remarked how valuable the hands-on experience has been in building their professional careers. They learned about sustainable energy and how to work effectively and collaboratively as a team.

“Fort Hays State’s campus is full of history,” said 2019 alumnus Joe Walters. “Every time I come back to visit, there is something new among these limestone buildings. Finally, we have made our own unique contribution to campus”.

“The opportunity to work hands-on with solar technology and to study the ins and outs of renewable energy was simply amazing, Walters added. “To say that I learned a lot in our undergraduate research class would be an absolute understatement. This project led to the most valuable experiences of my college years – how to communicate with industry professionals, how to build lasting relationships with peers regardless of our differences, and the responsibility that comes with being part of a team that relies on each and every member.”

Walters worked on the charging station with fellow 2019 graduate Blake Dreher.

“Getting to research what solar panels and battery bank would best fit our needs gave me a great understanding of how solar panel systems work,” Dreher said. “I vividly remember the day the batteries arrived and being amazed at how heavy each one was. Joe Walters and I were like kids in a candy store when we were able to set the solar panels up.

“We checked in every chance we could get to see how much energy had been collected throughout the day. I am grateful for the opportunity to work on such an exciting project and to be part of a community that values sustainability and innovation.”

Aside from the commitment from faculty and students involved with the project, generous Fort Hays State University donors contributed financially to the charging station. Most notably, Peter Werth, a 1959 graduate of FHSU, donated substantially to fund the project and was thrilled to see it come to fruition. Werth, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, is a longtime supporter of applied technology and is the namesake of Fort Hays State’s Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics. &nbsp;

This innovative charging station is a prime example of the impactful undergraduate research that takes place across campus. Since 2005, Fort Hays State has recognized and honored scholarly, research, and creative activities during the John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activities Day (SACAD). This year, SACAD will take place April 17-21. Community members and research enthusiasts are encouraged to attend and will have the opportunity to view student, faculty, and staff research from an array of academic perspectives.

For more information about SACAD, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://fhsu.edu/research/events-and-opportunities/SACAD">fhsu.edu/research/events-and-opportunities/SACAD</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680881690826.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU FoundationOn a sunny April afternoon, Fort Hays State University celebrated its recently completed charging station with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Community members, alongside university administration, faculty, alumni, and students, learned how the collaborative project came to fruition and admired the finished product, which served as a backdrop for the event outside the university’s Center for Applied Technology.In 2017, Eric Deneault, associate professor of Applied Technology, began brainstorming with former Informatics assistant professor, Dmitry Gimon, to create a hands-on project to encourage students to participate in undergraduate research. The pair hoped to demonstrate the first-class technology that prospective students could learn at Fort Hays State while providing a service to current students.&nbsp;Fort Hays State’s unique charging station is powered primarily by solar panels mounted to the roof with batteries charging to full capacity within an 8-hour timeframe. The goal is to carry that energy through the night. Dusk-to-dawn lights come on in the evening to illuminate the entire area after dark.The charging station receives secondary energy from users initiating a swinging motion. After five years in the making, FHSU’s one-of-a-kind charging station boasts a dual-side porch swing made of steel. The swing accommodates up to four people who can sit back-to-back. As individuals swing, they create energy. Those taking a break outside the Center for Applied Technology can enjoy the weather and swinging bench while charging personal devices.Through years of planning and implementation, 50 plus students from applied technology, the Academy of Math and Science, informatics, and the College of Education have gained experience creating the charging station’s cutting-edge design. For instance, informatics students developed schematics for the project, and applied technology students completed the design and construction work.&nbsp;Students have poured their hearts and souls into extensive research, proposal writing, finetuning the design, and building the station from the ground up. Students presented internationally with classmates, worked with a structural engineer to stress test the charging station, and created a one-off design stamped and approved by a licensed engineer.&nbsp;During the ribbon-cutting event Thursday afternoon, three FHSU alumni involved with the project remarked how valuable the hands-on experience has been in building their professional careers. They learned about sustainable energy and how to work effectively and collaboratively as a team.“Fort Hays State’s campus is full of history,” said 2019 alumnus Joe Walters. “Every time I come back to visit, there is something new among these limestone buildings. Finally, we have made our own unique contribution to campus”.“The opportunity to work hands-on with solar technology and to study the ins and outs of renewable energy was simply amazing, Walters added. “To say that I learned a lot in our undergraduate research class would be an absolute understatement. This project led to the most valuable experiences of my college years – how to communicate with industry professionals, how to build lasting relationships with peers regardless of our differences, and the responsibility that comes with being part of a team that relies on each and every member.”Walters worked on the charging station with fellow 2019 graduate Blake Dreher.“Getting to research what solar panels and battery bank would best fit our needs gave me a great understanding of how solar panel systems work,” Dreher said. “I vividly remember the day the batteries arrived and being amazed at how heavy each one was. Joe Walters and I were like kids in a candy store when we were able to set the solar panels up.“We checked in every chance we could get to see how much energy had been collected throughout the day. I am grateful for the opportunity to work on such an exciting project and to be part of a community that values sustainability and innovation.”Aside from the commitment from faculty and students involved with the project, generous Fort Hays State University donors contributed financially to the charging station. Most notably, Peter Werth, a 1959 graduate of FHSU, donated substantially to fund the project and was thrilled to see it come to fruition. Werth, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, is a longtime supporter of applied technology and is the namesake of Fort Hays State’s Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics. &nbsp;This innovative charging station is a prime example of the impactful undergraduate research that takes place across campus. Since 2005, Fort Hays State has recognized and honored scholarly, research, and creative activities during the John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activities Day (SACAD). This year, SACAD will take place April 17-21. Community members and research enthusiasts are encouraged to attend and will have the opportunity to view student, faculty, and staff research from an array of academic perspectives.For more information about SACAD, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://fhsu.edu/research/events-and-opportunities/SACAD">fhsu.edu/research/events-and-opportunities/SACAD</a>.

FHSU unveils innovative, student-created charging station

BUNKER HILL —&nbsp;Spring has sprung and so has an all new season of&nbsp;Traveling Kansas.&nbsp; The first episode will focus on the counties of Smith, Jewell and Republic on April 20th&nbsp;at 7 PM.&nbsp;

A re-airing will also take place on&nbsp;April 30th&nbsp;at 6 PM.

On this episode of&nbsp;Traveling Kansas,&nbsp;we offer a preview of the attractions in these three counties hosting&nbsp;the 2023 Big Kansas Road Trip on May 4-7.&nbsp;

“We are so excited to bring&nbsp;Traveling Kansas&nbsp;back to our viewers,” said Sara Oberle, Smoky Hills PBS Corporate Support Rep.&nbsp; “We want to thank the folks in Smith, Jewell, and Republic counties for letting us capture the history and beauty of their communities.”

This episode of Traveling Kansas will also premiere on our Smoky Hills PBS YouTube Channel on April 20th&nbsp;at 7 PM.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/StreamSmokyHillsPBS">Stream Smoky Hills PBS</a>

Traveling Kansas&nbsp;is a Smoky Hills PBS production that highlights Kansas communities, events and natural wonders.&nbsp; Previous episodes can be viewed at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.smokyhillspbs.org/">SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>.

SHPTVBUNKER HILL —&nbsp;Spring has sprung and so has an all new season of&nbsp;Traveling Kansas.&nbsp; The first episode will focus on the counties of Smith, Jewell and Republic on April 20th&nbsp;at 7 PM.&nbsp;A re-airing will also take place on&nbsp;April 30th&nbsp;at 6 PM.On this episode of&nbsp;Traveling Kansas,&nbsp;we offer a preview of the attractions in these three counties hosting&nbsp;the 2023 Big Kansas Road Trip on May 4-7.&nbsp;“We are so excited to bring&nbsp;Traveling Kansas&nbsp;back to our viewers,” said Sara Oberle, Smoky Hills PBS Corporate Support Rep.&nbsp; “We want to thank the folks in Smith, Jewell, and Republic counties for letting us capture the history and beauty of their communities.”This episode of Traveling Kansas will also premiere on our Smoky Hills PBS YouTube Channel on April 20th&nbsp;at 7 PM.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/StreamSmokyHillsPBS">Stream Smoky Hills PBS</a>Traveling Kansas&nbsp;is a Smoky Hills PBS production that highlights Kansas communities, events and natural wonders.&nbsp; Previous episodes can be viewed at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.smokyhillspbs.org/">SmokyHillsPBS.org</a>.

'Traveling Kansas' is back for a new season

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680883359905.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>

By MADDY ROHR K-State Research and Extension News Service&nbsp;

MANHATTAN —Kansas State University horticulture instructor Cynthia Domenghini says home gardeners can expand garden space by taking it to the next level…literally.&nbsp;

Domenghini said many crops can be grown vertically, including the more traditional tomatoes, pole beans, and peas as well as vining crops such as cucumbers, melons, squash and gourds.&nbsp;

“Elevating plants off the ground increases the air flow which can help prevent disease,” Domenghini said. “Bringing the height of the produce up also makes harvesting easier.”&nbsp;

Domenghini recommends edible-pod and snow peas because those crops have longer vines and are therefore more appropriate for growing vertically than English (shelling) peas.&nbsp;

Bush-type vining crops produce short vines and are consequently less suitable for vertical growth. 

“Be mindful of crops that grow large fruit as they could damage the vine if grown vertically,” Domenghini said.&nbsp;

Supporting your vertical garden with a study structure is also important. Domenghini suggests bamboo poles. &nbsp;

“Create a pup tent or A-frame structure by leaning two cattle panels or pallets together and securing them at the top. Alternatively, a single panel can be tied upright to T-posts for support. Plant vining crops at the base and train them to grow upward,” she said.&nbsp;

Domenghini and her colleagues in K-State's Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html" target="_blank">Horticulture Newsletter</a>&nbsp;with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.&nbsp;

Interested persons can also send their garden and yard-related questions to &nbsp;Domenghini at&nbsp;cdom@ksu.edu,&nbsp;or contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations.html" target="_blank">local K-State Research and Extension office</a>.

By MADDY ROHR K-State Research and Extension News Service&nbsp;MANHATTAN —Kansas State University horticulture instructor Cynthia Domenghini says home gardeners can expand garden space by taking it to the next level…literally.&nbsp;Domenghini said many crops can be grown vertically, including the more traditional tomatoes, pole beans, and peas as well as vining crops such as cucumbers, melons, squash and gourds.&nbsp;“Elevating plants off the ground increases the air flow which can help prevent disease,” Domenghini said. “Bringing the height of the produce up also makes harvesting easier.”&nbsp;Domenghini recommends edible-pod and snow peas because those crops have longer vines and are therefore more appropriate for growing vertically than English (shelling) peas.&nbsp;Bush-type vining crops produce short vines and are consequently less suitable for vertical growth. “Be mindful of crops that grow large fruit as they could damage the vine if grown vertically,” Domenghini said.&nbsp;Supporting your vertical garden with a study structure is also important. Domenghini suggests bamboo poles. &nbsp;“Create a pup tent or A-frame structure by leaning two cattle panels or pallets together and securing them at the top. Alternatively, a single panel can be tied upright to T-posts for support. Plant vining crops at the base and train them to grow upward,” she said.&nbsp;Domenghini and her colleagues in K-State's Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly&nbsp;<a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html" target="_blank">Horticulture Newsletter</a>&nbsp;with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.&nbsp;Interested persons can also send their garden and yard-related questions to &nbsp;Domenghini at&nbsp;cdom@ksu.edu,&nbsp;or contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations.html" target="_blank">local K-State Research and Extension office</a>.

Maximize garden space by growing vertically 

The men of the Fort Hays State University fraternities, Alpha Gamma Rho, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, and Sigma Phi Epsilon, will host their 15th annual Walk-A-Mile in Her Shoes™ philanthropy event on April 12. The event raises money and awareness for the victims of sexual and domestic abuse. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services and Jana’s Campaign. &nbsp;

Options is based in Hays and provides services to the victims of sexual and physical abuse in western and central Kansas. Providing a 24-hour crisis intervention, Options specializes in one-on-one counseling, personal advocacy, safety planning, safe shelters, support groups, community referrals, and public presentations. &nbsp;

Jana’s Campaign plays a significant role in breaking the cycle of domestic and dating violence, serving as a catalyst for social change. This local charity partners with other advocates, activists, victims, the criminal justice system, and lawmakers to reduce and respond to domestic and dating violence through public awareness and community action; education, prevention, and intervention; public policy advocacy; campus action; and engaging men and boys to reduce domestic and dating violence.

This year’s Walk-A-Mile event begins at 4:30 p.m. on April 12 on the patio of the FHSU Memorial Union.&nbsp;Speakers from Options and other university organizations will be featured.

“Walk-A-Mile has been a long-standing tradition and a way for our fraternities to show their support and help raise awareness for domestic violence and the options available for victims in this area,” said Parker Opat, Interfraternity Council president. “This event has been successful due to the amazing support from local organizations within our community.”

“For 15 years, Walk-A-Mile has rallied countless people and taught them how to stand up and make a difference for the future.”&nbsp;

The night will culminate with the ceremonial one-mile walk through the FHSU campus while the men of FHSU Greek Life, student organizations, athletic teams, and FHSU faculty and staff walk wearing high heels to show their dedication to end gender-based violence and honor the victims of these crimes.

The Walk-A-Mile event is open to the public. Registration to participate and receive a T-shirt is free and available at the Student Engagement office in the FHSU Center for Student Success or at the event.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680800543249.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University CommunicationsThe men of the Fort Hays State University fraternities, Alpha Gamma Rho, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, and Sigma Phi Epsilon, will host their 15th annual Walk-A-Mile in Her Shoes™ philanthropy event on April 12. The event raises money and awareness for the victims of sexual and domestic abuse. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services and Jana’s Campaign. &nbsp;Options is based in Hays and provides services to the victims of sexual and physical abuse in western and central Kansas. Providing a 24-hour crisis intervention, Options specializes in one-on-one counseling, personal advocacy, safety planning, safe shelters, support groups, community referrals, and public presentations. &nbsp;Jana’s Campaign plays a significant role in breaking the cycle of domestic and dating violence, serving as a catalyst for social change. This local charity partners with other advocates, activists, victims, the criminal justice system, and lawmakers to reduce and respond to domestic and dating violence through public awareness and community action; education, prevention, and intervention; public policy advocacy; campus action; and engaging men and boys to reduce domestic and dating violence.This year’s Walk-A-Mile event begins at 4:30 p.m. on April 12 on the patio of the FHSU Memorial Union.&nbsp;Speakers from Options and other university organizations will be featured.“Walk-A-Mile has been a long-standing tradition and a way for our fraternities to show their support and help raise awareness for domestic violence and the options available for victims in this area,” said Parker Opat, Interfraternity Council president. “This event has been successful due to the amazing support from local organizations within our community.”“For 15 years, Walk-A-Mile has rallied countless people and taught them how to stand up and make a difference for the future.”&nbsp;The night will culminate with the ceremonial one-mile walk through the FHSU campus while the men of FHSU Greek Life, student organizations, athletic teams, and FHSU faculty and staff walk wearing high heels to show their dedication to end gender-based violence and honor the victims of these crimes.The Walk-A-Mile event is open to the public. Registration to participate and receive a T-shirt is free and available at the Student Engagement office in the FHSU Center for Student Success or at the event.&nbsp;

FHSU Interfraternity Council to host 15th annual Walk-A-Mile event

Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas recently
announced the successful completion of its Stronger Forever Together capital
campaign.

The five-year effort wrapped up in December
after raising $5 million, thanks to large and small donors, including some of
the biggest philanthropic people and organizations in northwest Kansas.

With the campaign marking the first time an
effort like this has been undertaken by DSNWK, the funds raised will help the
nonprofit organization continue fulfilling its mission to serve the region.

“Developmental
Services of Northwest Kansas serves people with intellectual and developmental
disabilities, and we serve 18 counties of northwest Kansas,” said DSNWK Director of Development Steve Keil. “We
go all the way to the Colorado border all the way up to the Nebraska border.
And we help people in a variety of ways.”

Founded
in 1967, DSNWK has been a long-term asset to area residents with special needs.

“We help
people find employment, we help people and the residential setting where they
might live in a group home, or they might live more independently in their own
apartment,” Keil said. “We have some children's services, in not as many
counties as the 18 counties, but in several counties in Northwest Kansas, and we
provide case management.”

He said
over 500 people are currently using their services. 

DSNWK
President and CEO Jerry Michaud said
the organization's services and reach are made possible by various community partners.

“It goes
back to, really, the fundamentals of how our system has received the support to
do the mission work that we do every day,” Michaud said. “We receive state and
federal funds and local funds. But oftentimes those funds … they've never gone
far enough to meet the need.”

Donations
of all sizes were received during the campaign, but DSNWK hit the $5 million mark
with a check from the Robert E. and Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation.

“We are forever grateful to all of the
supporters of our capital campaign who believe in our mission and who have
shown it by their financial support,” Michaud said in a statement announcing
the gift. “Our special thanks are extended to the Schmidt Foundation for helping
us reach the finish line. It is through all of this support and generosity that
has allowed us to achieve our goal.”

While
fundraising has been a long-time part of DSNWK’s efforts creating a five-year
capital campaign was a new venture for the organization undertaken as other
funding avenues were explored.

“We
started actually our change of direction or an enhancement to what we've been
doing,” Michaud said. “We've been doing fundraising for a long time, but we
entered into the realm of planned giving, and estate planning and those types
of things.”

Ensuring
adequate funding levels is a necessity for the group and is used to keep services
available. 

“Oftentimes, our funding does not cover the physical plant aspects of things,” Michaud
said. “And as we all know, homeowners and alike have stuff that just deteriorates
over time, and you must take care of it. And if you don't, it's just not good.
And so we knew we had many, many needs and, and reached out through this
approach to engage with other people by first educating them about what those
needs are.

“And I'm
convinced that when people understand that there are needs out … there's a
generosity within this community, this region, that's just pretty amazing.”

Among the specific goals outlined
for the campaign was to establish an endowed fund.

“We
established a Jim and Rose Bloom endowment,” Keil said. “Jim Bloom was a
president before Jerry took over. And a lot of people know him here in Hays.”

They
also desired to improve technology and facilities with the campaign.

“The one
thing that happened during these five years was a pandemic,” Keil said. “If there was ever a time where technology became such an integral part of
business, it was during that pandemic — with Google Meet, and with Zoom calls, and
all those kinds of things — and we need really needed to get our technology up
to speed to be able to connect with people.

“And
then we really wanted to update the facilities that we have that … needed
attention. And so we've, over the course of the time, we've put flooring in,
siding, HVAC units, just a lot of things, roofing, things that facilities were
in dire need of, and this campaign helped us to be able to do those things.”

By
upgrading those services, Michaud said DSNWK could see cost savings, further
benefiting the organization’s financial standing.

“When
you've got an old unit that is not very efficient, or you've got old lighting
systems where you update to LEDs, you see the benefit in more than one way,”
he said. “It's better. And it's more economical.”

Increasing
accessibility was also a cornerstone of the campaign.

“Meeting
accessibility needs is another one of those things,” Michaud said. “And we
learned along the way that some of our settings were, we're not where we wanted
them to be.”

With the successful completion of
the campaign, he said the organization is sharing the news across the region as
they celebrate the generosity that made successfully completed the campaign.

“We're
trying to go out to some of the communities throughout the area and talk to
maybe local chambers or just the community in general and just kind of give
them an update on how the campaign went and some of the things that have their
community has benefited from the campaign, what's happened at their local
center or the group homes there in their community and some of the things that
we've been able to do because of the campaign,” Keil said. “And so we're going
to spend the next few months just being able to go out and talk to people about
how this how this turned out.”

<div><iframe title="DSNWK celebrates completion of five-year capital campaign; $5 million raised" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=badfj-13d854e-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>By JAMES BELL Hays PostDevelopmental Services of Northwest Kansas recently
announced the successful completion of its Stronger Forever Together capital
campaign.The five-year effort wrapped up in December
after raising $5 million, thanks to large and small donors, including some of
the biggest philanthropic people and organizations in northwest Kansas.With the campaign marking the first time an
effort like this has been undertaken by DSNWK, the funds raised will help the
nonprofit organization continue fulfilling its mission to serve the region.“Developmental
Services of Northwest Kansas serves people with intellectual and developmental
disabilities, and we serve 18 counties of northwest Kansas,” said DSNWK Director of Development Steve Keil. “We
go all the way to the Colorado border all the way up to the Nebraska border.
And we help people in a variety of ways.”Founded
in 1967, DSNWK has been a long-term asset to area residents with special needs.“We help
people find employment, we help people and the residential setting where they
might live in a group home, or they might live more independently in their own
apartment,” Keil said. “We have some children's services, in not as many
counties as the 18 counties, but in several counties in Northwest Kansas, and we
provide case management.”He said
over 500 people are currently using their services. DSNWK
President and CEO Jerry Michaud said
the organization's services and reach are made possible by various community partners.“It goes
back to, really, the fundamentals of how our system has received the support to
do the mission work that we do every day,” Michaud said. “We receive state and
federal funds and local funds. But oftentimes those funds … they've never gone
far enough to meet the need.”Donations
of all sizes were received during the campaign, but DSNWK hit the $5 million mark
with a check from the Robert E. and Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation.“We are forever grateful to all of the
supporters of our capital campaign who believe in our mission and who have
shown it by their financial support,” Michaud said in a statement announcing
the gift. “Our special thanks are extended to the Schmidt Foundation for helping
us reach the finish line. It is through all of this support and generosity that
has allowed us to achieve our goal.”While
fundraising has been a long-time part of DSNWK’s efforts creating a five-year
capital campaign was a new venture for the organization undertaken as other
funding avenues were explored.“We
started actually our change of direction or an enhancement to what we've been
doing,” Michaud said. “We've been doing fundraising for a long time, but we
entered into the realm of planned giving, and estate planning and those types
of things.”Ensuring
adequate funding levels is a necessity for the group and is used to keep services
available. “Oftentimes, our funding does not cover the physical plant aspects of things,” Michaud
said. “And as we all know, homeowners and alike have stuff that just deteriorates
over time, and you must take care of it. And if you don't, it's just not good.
And so we knew we had many, many needs and, and reached out through this
approach to engage with other people by first educating them about what those
needs are.“And I'm
convinced that when people understand that there are needs out … there's a
generosity within this community, this region, that's just pretty amazing.”Among the specific goals outlined
for the campaign was to establish an endowed fund.“We
established a Jim and Rose Bloom endowment,” Keil said. “Jim Bloom was a
president before Jerry took over. And a lot of people know him here in Hays.”They
also desired to improve technology and facilities with the campaign.“The one
thing that happened during these five years was a pandemic,” Keil said. “If there was ever a time where technology became such an integral part of
business, it was during that pandemic — with Google Meet, and with Zoom calls, and
all those kinds of things — and we need really needed to get our technology up
to speed to be able to connect with people.“And
then we really wanted to update the facilities that we have that … needed
attention. And so we've, over the course of the time, we've put flooring in,
siding, HVAC units, just a lot of things, roofing, things that facilities were
in dire need of, and this campaign helped us to be able to do those things.”By
upgrading those services, Michaud said DSNWK could see cost savings, further
benefiting the organization’s financial standing.“When
you've got an old unit that is not very efficient, or you've got old lighting
systems where you update to LEDs, you see the benefit in more than one way,”
he said. “It's better. And it's more economical.”Increasing
accessibility was also a cornerstone of the campaign.“Meeting
accessibility needs is another one of those things,” Michaud said. “And we
learned along the way that some of our settings were, we're not where we wanted
them to be.” With the successful completion of
the campaign, he said the organization is sharing the news across the region as
they celebrate the generosity that made successfully completed the campaign.“We're
trying to go out to some of the communities throughout the area and talk to
maybe local chambers or just the community in general and just kind of give
them an update on how the campaign went and some of the things that have their
community has benefited from the campaign, what's happened at their local
center or the group homes there in their community and some of the things that
we've been able to do because of the campaign,” Keil said. “And so we're going
to spend the next few months just being able to go out and talk to people about
how this how this turned out.”