The Alzheimer’s Association invites Hays residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by registering for the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

This event is Sept. 10 at Fort Hays State University Quad (east side of Memorial Union). Register today to get your team ready to raise critical awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The event begins at 9 a.m. Register for any of the Walks in Central and Western Kansas at&nbsp;<a href="http://alz.org/cwkswalk">alz.org/cwkswalk</a>.&nbsp;

More than 6.5 million Americans&nbsp;&nbsp;are living with Alzheimer’s disease — 55,000 in Kansas. Additionally, more than 86,000 Kansas caregivers are providing unpaid care, valued at $1.4 billion, to their loved ones with Alzheimer’s. 

“As a member of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s planning committee, I am excited to plan this walk in the Hays community,"&nbsp; said Brandon Taylor. "I know our community will continue the fight to help eliminate Alzheimer’s from future generations.”

The Alzheimer’s Association makes fundraising easy with available tips from walk staff, motivation from fellow fundraisers and information from walk committee members to make your fundraising experience as smooth as possible. Participating in Walk to End Alzheimer’s is free, however a $100 fundraising minimum is required to receive the walk event T-shirt.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635457940924.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseThe Alzheimer’s Association invites Hays residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by registering for the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s.This event is Sept. 10 at Fort Hays State University Quad (east side of Memorial Union). Register today to get your team ready to raise critical awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The event begins at 9 a.m. Register for any of the Walks in Central and Western Kansas at&nbsp;<a href="http://alz.org/cwkswalk">alz.org/cwkswalk</a>.&nbsp;More than 6.5 million Americans&nbsp;&nbsp;are living with Alzheimer’s disease — 55,000 in Kansas. Additionally, more than 86,000 Kansas caregivers are providing unpaid care, valued at $1.4 billion, to their loved ones with Alzheimer’s. “As a member of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s planning committee, I am excited to plan this walk in the Hays community,"&nbsp; said Brandon Taylor. "I know our community will continue the fight to help eliminate Alzheimer’s from future generations.”The Alzheimer’s Association makes fundraising easy with available tips from walk staff, motivation from fellow fundraisers and information from walk committee members to make your fundraising experience as smooth as possible. Participating in Walk to End Alzheimer’s is free, however a $100 fundraising minimum is required to receive the walk event T-shirt.&nbsp;

Walk to End Alzheimer's scheduled Sept. 10 in Hays

The past&nbsp;10 days have&nbsp;been&nbsp;a whirlwind of activity. Our Program Development Committee met to welcome Monique, our new Family and Community Wellness agent in the Hays office. Conversation was lively as we planned for&nbsp;some&nbsp;issue-based&nbsp;programming in the months ahead.Then three days on&nbsp;our K-State&nbsp;campus participating in an agent update reinforced the important work we do&nbsp;in Extension&nbsp;related to health and wellness in our communities.&nbsp;

We have all heard it&nbsp;a lot.&nbsp;The pandemic changed the way we do business. A hiring freeze with K-State Research and Extension&nbsp;was lifted&nbsp;late last year so many of the open Family and Community Wellness positions have been filled.&nbsp;There was good energy among the new&nbsp;hires&nbsp;at our conference&nbsp;and I loved it.&nbsp;I found out that many of them have an interest in some of the things I am&nbsp;passionate&nbsp;about. As my Extension career winds down and I retire early next year,&nbsp;I have a full schedule of classes and workshops to lead.&nbsp;

The fermentation workshop I mentioned in last week’s column now has a waiting list, so I am hoping to offer another session later this fall.&nbsp;Several&nbsp;colleagues at K-State asked if I would&nbsp;provide a “train the trainer” workshop for them to learn about fermentation so that is also in the works.&nbsp;

Then there is the signature program I have enjoyed teaching since I&nbsp;was trained&nbsp;in 2012; Stay Strong Stay Healthy. This eight-week program&nbsp;is designed&nbsp;to help older adults improve their strength,&nbsp;flexibility,&nbsp;and balance. When our class starts the last week of September,&nbsp;we’ll&nbsp;be missing Reta Brack, who passed away this summer. Reta sat in the front row of every SSSH class I led, and like&nbsp;many&nbsp;of the other participants, enjoyed the socialization as much as the exercises.&nbsp;To register for the last Stay Strong Stay Healthy workshop that I will be leading, you will want to call our office to reserve your spot. The cost is $20 and class size&nbsp;is&nbsp;limited.&nbsp;

I will be leading a one-hour Medicare Update at our Great Bend activity center on October 12th. As more people become eligible for Medicare it is&nbsp;a good time&nbsp;to review the basic parts of Medicare. My husband John, and I will also be&nbsp;providing appointments during open enrollment (October 15 – December 7) to help people review their prescription drug plan in either the Great Bend or Hays offices.

Besides&nbsp;the face-to-face&nbsp;programs&nbsp;that Extension is&nbsp;well-known for,&nbsp;watch our Cottonwood&nbsp;District website and&nbsp;Facebook page for messages and links to on-line learning resources that you can&nbsp;take advantage whenever you have&nbsp;a few&nbsp;spare moments.&nbsp;

Who would have guessed that when my Extension career started in Barton County in July 1989 (and I typed my column on a typewriter) that I would be talking about websites,&nbsp;internet links, and Zoom meetings&nbsp;in 2022? While&nbsp;a lot&nbsp;has changed technology wise, a lot remains the same.&nbsp;K-State Research and Extension&nbsp;and the Cottonwood District&nbsp;still want to be your go-to source for&nbsp;research-based&nbsp;information to&nbsp;help improve your life!

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at (620)792-1910 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573141404420.png" alt="Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. " />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. </figcaption>
 </figure>The past&nbsp;10 days have&nbsp;been&nbsp;a whirlwind of activity. Our Program Development Committee met to welcome Monique, our new Family and Community Wellness agent in the Hays office. Conversation was lively as we planned for&nbsp;some&nbsp;issue-based&nbsp;programming in the months ahead.Then three days on&nbsp;our K-State&nbsp;campus participating in an agent update reinforced the important work we do&nbsp;in Extension&nbsp;related to health and wellness in our communities.&nbsp;We have all heard it&nbsp;a lot.&nbsp;The pandemic changed the way we do business. A hiring freeze with K-State Research and Extension&nbsp;was lifted&nbsp;late last year so many of the open Family and Community Wellness positions have been filled.&nbsp;There was good energy among the new&nbsp;hires&nbsp;at our conference&nbsp;and I loved it.&nbsp;I found out that many of them have an interest in some of the things I am&nbsp;passionate&nbsp;about. As my Extension career winds down and I retire early next year,&nbsp;I have a full schedule of classes and workshops to lead.&nbsp;The fermentation workshop I mentioned in last week’s column now has a waiting list, so I am hoping to offer another session later this fall.&nbsp;Several&nbsp;colleagues at K-State asked if I would&nbsp;provide a “train the trainer” workshop for them to learn about fermentation so that is also in the works.&nbsp;Then there is the signature program I have enjoyed teaching since I&nbsp;was trained&nbsp;in 2012; Stay Strong Stay Healthy. This eight-week program&nbsp;is designed&nbsp;to help older adults improve their strength,&nbsp;flexibility,&nbsp;and balance. When our class starts the last week of September,&nbsp;we’ll&nbsp;be missing Reta Brack, who passed away this summer. Reta sat in the front row of every SSSH class I led, and like&nbsp;many&nbsp;of the other participants, enjoyed the socialization as much as the exercises.&nbsp;To register for the last Stay Strong Stay Healthy workshop that I will be leading, you will want to call our office to reserve your spot. The cost is $20 and class size&nbsp;is&nbsp;limited.&nbsp;I will be leading a one-hour Medicare Update at our Great Bend activity center on October 12th. As more people become eligible for Medicare it is&nbsp;a good time&nbsp;to review the basic parts of Medicare. My husband John, and I will also be&nbsp;providing appointments during open enrollment (October 15 – December 7) to help people review their prescription drug plan in either the Great Bend or Hays offices.Besides&nbsp;the face-to-face&nbsp;programs&nbsp;that Extension is&nbsp;well-known for,&nbsp;watch our Cottonwood&nbsp;District website and&nbsp;Facebook page for messages and links to on-line learning resources that you can&nbsp;take advantage whenever you have&nbsp;a few&nbsp;spare moments.&nbsp;Who would have guessed that when my Extension career started in Barton County in July 1989 (and I typed my column on a typewriter) that I would be talking about websites,&nbsp;internet links, and Zoom meetings&nbsp;in 2022? While&nbsp;a lot&nbsp;has changed technology wise, a lot remains the same.&nbsp;K-State Research and Extension&nbsp;and the Cottonwood District&nbsp;still want to be your go-to source for&nbsp;research-based&nbsp;information to&nbsp;help improve your life!Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at (620)792-1910 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:dkrug@ksu.edu">dkrug@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;

KRUG: Extension learning opportunities around the corner

<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/2022/8/1661537206289.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

On this episode of the Post Podcast Grow Hays, Executive Director Doug Williams shares information about an RHID planned for downtown Hays.

<a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

On this episode of the Post Podcast Grow Hays, Executive Director Doug Williams shares information about an RHID planned for downtown Hays.<div><iframe title="Grow Hays’ latest RHID presented to USD 489 Board of Education" 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=v6yhu-12ab137-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><a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

🎙Post Podcast: Grow Hays’ latest RHID presented to USD 489 Board of Education

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp; Heartland Credit Union (HCU) has been named the number one Return of the Member (ROM) credit union in their asset group nationwide and number 25 in the nation, as measured by Callahan &amp; Associates.

ROM is a quantifiable metric used to measure the value a credit union provides to its members based on loan and savings rates, the products and services the credit union offers to its members, and member engagement.

“There’s no greater compliment than to be recognized for the value we provide to our members,” Dan Springer, President/CEO said. “I want to thank our staff for their dedication to making our members their number one priority and finding the right solutions for our members’ needs. We couldn’t do it without them.”

HCU is headquartered in Hutchinson, and just recently expanded into the Hays market to go along with branches in Haven, Newton and Wichita. The credit union has about 35,000 members with total assets of $550 million.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661543357119.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp; Heartland Credit Union (HCU) has been named the number one Return of the Member (ROM) credit union in their asset group nationwide and number 25 in the nation, as measured by Callahan &amp; Associates.ROM is a quantifiable metric used to measure the value a credit union provides to its members based on loan and savings rates, the products and services the credit union offers to its members, and member engagement.“There’s no greater compliment than to be recognized for the value we provide to our members,” Dan Springer, President/CEO said. “I want to thank our staff for their dedication to making our members their number one priority and finding the right solutions for our members’ needs. We couldn’t do it without them.”HCU is headquartered in Hutchinson, and just recently expanded into the Hays market to go along with branches in Haven, Newton and Wichita. The credit union has about 35,000 members with total assets of $550 million.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Heartland Credit Union receives high marks

🎥 Green & Growing: Mulching options

Thomas Jefferson once wrote critically of those who “look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the arc of the covenant, too sacred to be touched.” While he firmly opposed “frequent and untried changes in laws,” he argued that, in the end “laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.” In other words, as people learn and grow and change, their constitutions necessarily should too.

These words are on my mind today, with one failed constitutional amendment in our recent past and another constitutional amendment facing Kansas voters this coming November.

There have always been Americans who believe that society needs clear and unchanging constitutional rules, reflecting clear and unchanging values, or else it will fall apart. It’s undeniable that there is much&nbsp;truth in that belief.

But some of these people seem to express far more confidence as to the content of those values, and the operation of those rules, than is justified. Which means that when the democratically expressed interests of the people — their “mind” in Jefferson’s terms — come to challenge what those individuals assume to be necessarily unchanging rules and values, they sometimes see it as a political development that they need to save the “true” or “authentic” constitution from.

When the Kansas Supreme Court determined that the guarantee of “equal and inalienable natural rights” in the Kansas Constitution included at least a limited protection of “bodily integrity” and therefore the right of Kansas women to choose abortion, anti-abortion voters, and those who represent them, were furious, which was to be expected. But their response was to propose amending the Kansas Constitution itself, so as to make it impossible for people to legally or politically interpret the document in that way. That proposal was firmly rejected on August 2.

Come November 8, there will be another amendment on the ballot, this one designed to increase the power of the legislature in Topeka, enabling it to exercise exclusive veto power over how the governor chooses to implement the laws which the legislature itself had written and passed. This proposal, like the last one, is driven by political fury, this time to the way Governor Kelly, at the beginning of the pandemic, used the power granted her under existing laws to order school closures and take other extensive public health measures, actions that were highly unpopular with certain voters and their representatives. A legislative veto is their proposed response.

Legislative vetoes aren’t a new idea; there are plenty of good legal and theoretical arguments both for and against them. What’s notable here is not the arguments being made, but the political reality inspiring them. In both cases, we have a specific action or decision which created a conviction that something shouldn’t be politically possible—that abortion can’t possibly be interpreted as a right, or that a governor’s emergency powers can’t possibly be used in ways which a legislative majority dislikes—in turn causing people who claim to value stability looking to change the constitutional basis of those powers and interpretations themselves.

I’m with Jefferson; I don’t think constitutions are sacred, and changing them doesn’t strike me as at all illegitimate. But when the impetus behind a proposed amendment isn’t an engagement with legal or theoretical arguments, but rather a politically-driven conviction, maybe voters should think twice. They did three weeks ago; whether they will again in November remains to be seen.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583339056495.jpeg" alt="Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita.</figcaption>
 </figure>Thomas Jefferson once wrote critically of those who “look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the arc of the covenant, too sacred to be touched.” While he firmly opposed “frequent and untried changes in laws,” he argued that, in the end “laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.” In other words, as people learn and grow and change, their constitutions necessarily should too.These words are on my mind today, with one failed constitutional amendment in our recent past and another constitutional amendment facing Kansas voters this coming November.There have always been Americans who believe that society needs clear and unchanging constitutional rules, reflecting clear and unchanging values, or else it will fall apart. It’s undeniable that there is much&nbsp;truth in that belief.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>But some of these people seem to express far more confidence as to the content of those values, and the operation of those rules, than is justified. Which means that when the democratically expressed interests of the people — their “mind” in Jefferson’s terms — come to challenge what those individuals assume to be necessarily unchanging rules and values, they sometimes see it as a political development that they need to save the “true” or “authentic” constitution from.When the Kansas Supreme Court determined that the guarantee of “equal and inalienable natural rights” in the Kansas Constitution included at least a limited protection of “bodily integrity” and therefore the right of Kansas women to choose abortion, anti-abortion voters, and those who represent them, were furious, which was to be expected. But their response was to propose amending the Kansas Constitution itself, so as to make it impossible for people to legally or politically interpret the document in that way. That proposal was firmly rejected on August 2.Come November 8, there will be another amendment on the ballot, this one designed to increase the power of the legislature in Topeka, enabling it to exercise exclusive veto power over how the governor chooses to implement the laws which the legislature itself had written and passed. This proposal, like the last one, is driven by political fury, this time to the way Governor Kelly, at the beginning of the pandemic, used the power granted her under existing laws to order school closures and take other extensive public health measures, actions that were highly unpopular with certain voters and their representatives. A legislative veto is their proposed response.Legislative vetoes aren’t a new idea; there are plenty of good legal and theoretical arguments both for and against them. What’s notable here is not the arguments being made, but the political reality inspiring them. In both cases, we have a specific action or decision which created a conviction that something shouldn’t be politically possible—that abortion can’t possibly be interpreted as a right, or that a governor’s emergency powers can’t possibly be used in ways which a legislative majority dislikes—in turn causing people who claim to value stability looking to change the constitutional basis of those powers and interpretations themselves.I’m with Jefferson; I don’t think constitutions are sacred, and changing them doesn’t strike me as at all illegitimate. But when the impetus behind a proposed amendment isn’t an engagement with legal or theoretical arguments, but rather a politically-driven conviction, maybe voters should think twice. They did three weeks ago; whether they will again in November remains to be seen.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita.

INSIGHT KANSAS: When politics and constitutions collide

Click <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqduyrrjwjHtM0M5O7UQoPFcVpO0Q-tYVT">HERE</a> to register.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661202896889.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Click <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqduyrrjwjHtM0M5O7UQoPFcVpO0Q-tYVT">HERE</a> to register.

'You are not alone': NAMI offers online partner/spouse support group

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661537172920.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>

Hays High School JAG-K Review: August Edition

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-08-24/here-are-7-ways-this-dry-hot-year-stacks-up-against-the-worst-droughts-in-kansas-history">Kansas News Service</a>

Even for a perennially dry region like western Kansas, this year sticks out. 

Barely
 any rain. Temperatures that bake the soil into a cracked, parched mess.
 And forecasts that don't offer much hope of relief.

This summer 
in Dodge City ranks as its 5th hottest on record. And this year is the 
southwest Kansas city’s 12th driest in history going back to the 1870s.

And Dodge City is merely one hot, dry spot in a state that’s only occasionally found itself this warm and parched.

Drought currently covers <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Maps/MapArchive.aspx" target="_blank">nearly three-fourths</a>
 of Kansas. And roughly one-third of the state is in extreme or 
exceptional drought — the highest levels on the U.S. Drought Monitor 
scale.

But is 2022 one of the worst drought years in the state’s history? It depends on how you look at it.

“It
 is bad, but it’s not near as bad as it has been,” National Weather 
Service meteorologist Jeff Hutton in Dodge City said. “It's been far, 
far worse than this.”

That doesn’t mean 2022’s drought hasn’t had 
grave consequences. The timing and location of some of this year’s 
harshest conditions devastated crops, as western Kansas <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">wheat farmers</a> saw earlier this summer.

But
 dry, hot weather is nothing new in this semi-arid part of the world. 
And experts like Hutton and Kansas State University meteorologist Chip 
Redmond said frequent breaks in the heat and timely bits of moisture 
have kept 2022 from surpassing the records set by the most extreme years
 in Kansas history.

That illustrates the complexity of trying to compare one bad year with another.

“We
 can look at basic statistics, such as average monthly precipitation and
 temperature and their departure from normal,” said Redmond, who manages
 K-State’s <a href="https://mesonet.k-state.edu" target="_blank">Kansas Mesonet</a> climate monitoring system. “(But) that doesn’t tell the whole story.”

Based
 on historical data, he said, the years that top the charts for drought 
and heat in Kansas history came during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s — 
particularly 1934 and 1936 — and then in 1956, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1983, 
2000 and 2011-2012.

So, how does 2022 measure up against those benchmark years? Here are seven ways to compare them.

Rainfall totals this 
year are several inches below normal across Kansas. Hays has received 
around 9.5 inches of precipitation so far in 2022. That’s roughly half 
of the 18 inches it can usually expect to bank by this time of year.

Hutchinson
 has seen fewer than 14 inches of precipitation when it’s supposed to 
have more than 22 inches. Only 6.5 inches have fallen on Scott City — 
way less than its usual 15 inches.

Here’s another way to look at 
it: How many inches of rain would a town need today in order to get back
 in line with its historical year-to-date average?

For places like
 Hays, Hutchinson and Scott City, it would take more than eight inches 
of rain to climb out of their current deficits. Some pockets of 
northwest, central and southeast Kansas would need more than 10 inches 
of rain just to get back to average.

But even with how dry it’s been this year, 2022 doesn’t come close to being the driest in Kansas history.

“This year has quite a bit of work needed,” Redmond said, “if it wants to rank high.”

Out
 of 358 Kansas weather stations measuring precipitation, none have 
recorded their driest-ever 40-day period in 2022. That’s compared to 46 
stations that set records for their driest 40-day period in 2000, 39 
that set records in 1983 and 10 that still have records standing from 
the Dust Bowl in 1936.

In this 
traditionally dry region, annual precipitation averages are already 
measured in inches instead of feet. So when parts of western Kansas miss
 out on their precious few chances for summer rain — as has been the 
case this year — it particularly stings.

“The majority of our 
precipitation anywhere in the High Plains comes during the warm season 
from thunderstorms,” Hutton said, “So typically, you're not going to get
 a lot of precip in the late fall (or) wintertime that's going to 
alleviate the drought.”

A lack of moisture can directly fuel hotter temperatures, too. The drier soil gets, Hutton said, the faster it heats up.

But this summer still doesn’t hold a candle to the driest summers of years past.

Only
 one location in Kansas is on track to set a new record for its driest 
summer this year. Girard in southeast Kansas has received just over 2 
inches of rain from the start of June to late August. That’s compared 
with 45 locations that experienced their driest June-August period in 
1980 and 35 stations that set records in 1936.

It’s also worth 
noting that there are considerably more weather stations active today 
than there were in 1936, which makes it all the more remarkable that so 
many precipitation and heat records still stand from the Dust Bowl era. 
The Girard weather station, for example, didn’t begin monitoring until 
1957, so one of those earlier years might actually have been drier than 
2022.

One way to assess this year’s heat is to compare the number of days that reached 100 degrees.

In
 Wichita, 23 days have hit that mark so far this year. In northwest 
Kansas, the town of Atwood has seen 31 of those days. Ashland in 
southwest Kansas leads the state with 39 days.

Those figures run 
well above average. Ashland’s total is more than double the number of 
100-degree days the town has normally racked up at this point in the 
year. Wichita’s total puts 2022 in the top 10% of its recorded history.

But it’s still not close to breaking records.

“I’ve
 already heard people say, ‘Oh, it’s the hottest year ever,’” Hutton 
said. “No, it’s not. We only have to go back 11 years to 2011.”

Dodge City set an all-time record with 50 days of 100-degree weather that year. So far in 2022, it has seen 31 days that hot.

While
 that doesn’t come close to touching 2011’s record, it still means that 
2022 already has the sixth most 100-degree days ever recorded in Dodge 
City.

Unlike 
the most extreme years in Kansas history, this year’s 100-degree days 
have been much less likely to be strung together consecutively.

Ashland had 23 consecutive 100-degree
 days back in 1954 and 22 in a row in 1934. This year, it’s had two 
separate streaks of six days. That’s just the 81st longest streak in 
Ashland history.

Wichita experienced 20 days in a row in 1936 and 
an 18-day streak in 1980. Its longest run in 2022 was five days in a 
row. That’s Wichita’s 47th longest streak ever.

Hays saw streaks 
of 18 days and 15 days in 1934 and a streak of 17 days in 1980. This 
year, its longest streak is only three days, which is actually tied for 
the shortest streak in Hays history.

The number of consecutive 
100-degree days matters because the heat’s impact — on people, crops and
 the environment — is multiplied as more extremely hot days fall 
back-to-back.

“When considering flash — or rapid onset — drought,” Redmond said, “stringing together consecutive hot days is important.”

So far this year, 
seven of 159 Kansas weather stations have set new records for their 
hottest average high temperatures over a 20-day period.

That’s bad
 news for those seven locations. But statewide, that total pales in 
comparison to the 42 stations that have records still standing from 1980
 or the 31 stations still holding on to records from 1936.

The actual temperatures this year haven’t been quite as hot as past record years either.

The
 state’s two all-time hottest 20-day periods both happened during the 
Dust Bowl — an average of 110.2 degrees in Winfield (1936) and Lincoln 
(1934). The hottest 20-day average of the seven new records set this 
year is several degrees below that — 102.7 degrees in Garden City.

Another
 way to look at heat is to compare a combined average of the high and 
low temperatures. This shows not only which years had the hottest 
afternoon highs, but also which years had the warmest overnight lows.

Climate change has <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-29/hotter-nights-from-climate-change-will-mean-worse-harvests-for-kansas-farmers" target="_blank">slowly increased</a> average low temperatures across Kansas since 1970 — nights have gotten 2.7 degrees warmer in Wichita. Dodge City recorded its <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1536701402667331585" target="_blank">warmest nighttime low temperature</a> ever this June. And those rising nighttime temps can have destructive effects on <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-08-05/summer-nights-are-heating-up-and-thats-impacting-crops-and-livestock" target="_blank">crops</a> and <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-07-08/how-an-increasingly-brutal-kansas-climate-threatens-cattles-health-and-ranchers-livelihoods" target="_blank">livestock</a>.

But 2022 still falls far short of being the state’s hottest year by this measure as well.

In
 all, only seven of 159 Kansas weather stations set a new record for the
 hottest combined average temperature across a 20-day period in 2022 — 
compared with 40 records that still stand from 1980, 39 records from 
2011 and 25 records from 1934.

And the record temperatures in 2022 aren’t as hot as their counterparts from past years.

The
 warmest 20-day period for combined high and low temperatures happened 
in 1980 when Wichita, Eureka and Anthony all recorded averages of 93.4 
degrees. The comparable highest temperature from a record set this year —
 85.3 degrees in Liberal — is several degrees cooler than that.

One thing we don’t know yet about this year’s drought? When it will end.

Some
 of the most destructive droughts in Kansas history spanned multiple 
years. Depending on whom you ask, the Dust Bowl lasted somewhere between
 six and 10 years during the 1930s. A decade ago, Kansas experienced two
 historically dry, hot years back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.

Just 
like the compounding power of consecutive 100-degree days, having dry 
years back-to-back amplifies the damage those years inflict. Some parts 
of western Kansas saw the current dry spell begin to creep in during the
 second half of last year as rain totals fell below average, which set 
them up to fall faster and harder into drought this year.

And if 
the current drought continues into next year, Hutton said, that’s when 
it would be time to reassess 2022’s place in history.

“If I felt 
that we were going to be in a super dry pattern for two or three years,”
 Hutton said, “then we'll start looking at that 1956 drought, look at 
the 2011 drought, 2012 drought … and just compare the aerial extent and 
the severity of it.”

But he said that’s unlikely to happen. 
Long-term forecasts point toward Kansas getting more rain next year than
 this year, even though next year’s precipitation totals will likely 
remain below-average.

What’s happening in 2022, Hutton said, is just part of the natural weather cycle in this near-desert region.

Dodge
 City actually enjoyed above-average precipitation for seven straight 
years from 2013-2020. Prior to that, the southwest Kansas city had never
 experienced more than three years in a row of above-average rainfall.

So
 after decades of periodically extreme weather, he said, Kansans who 
farm this land should expect a year like this to come around sooner or 
later.

“They know that they’re going to have to endure these bad years,” Hutton said, “before we get back to the good gravy train.”

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369025337.png" alt="A dust storm approaches the southwest Kansas town of Elkhart during the Dust Bowl in 1937. Farm Security Administration / Library of Congress" />
 <figcaption>A dust storm approaches the southwest Kansas town of Elkhart during the Dust Bowl in 1937. Farm Security Administration / Library of Congress</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-08-24/here-are-7-ways-this-dry-hot-year-stacks-up-against-the-worst-droughts-in-kansas-history">Kansas News Service</a>Even for a perennially dry region like western Kansas, this year sticks out. Barely
 any rain. Temperatures that bake the soil into a cracked, parched mess.
 And forecasts that don't offer much hope of relief.This summer 
in Dodge City ranks as its 5th hottest on record. And this year is the 
southwest Kansas city’s 12th driest in history going back to the 1870s.And Dodge City is merely one hot, dry spot in a state that’s only occasionally found itself this warm and parched.Drought currently covers <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Maps/MapArchive.aspx" target="_blank">nearly three-fourths</a>
 of Kansas. And roughly one-third of the state is in extreme or 
exceptional drought — the highest levels on the U.S. Drought Monitor 
scale.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369101790.png" alt="This map shows how drought covers roughly three-fourths of Kansas. Some parts of western Kansas have been experiencing extreme or exceptional drought since the beginning of this year. U.S. Drought Monitor" />
 <figcaption>This map shows how drought covers roughly three-fourths of Kansas. Some parts of western Kansas have been experiencing extreme or exceptional drought since the beginning of this year. U.S. Drought Monitor</figcaption>
 </figure>But is 2022 one of the worst drought years in the state’s history? It depends on how you look at it.“It
 is bad, but it’s not near as bad as it has been,” National Weather 
Service meteorologist Jeff Hutton in Dodge City said. “It's been far, 
far worse than this.”That doesn’t mean 2022’s drought hasn’t had 
grave consequences. The timing and location of some of this year’s 
harshest conditions devastated crops, as western Kansas <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">wheat farmers</a> saw earlier this summer.But
 dry, hot weather is nothing new in this semi-arid part of the world. 
And experts like Hutton and Kansas State University meteorologist Chip 
Redmond said frequent breaks in the heat and timely bits of moisture 
have kept 2022 from surpassing the records set by the most extreme years
 in Kansas history.That illustrates the complexity of trying to compare one bad year with another.“We
 can look at basic statistics, such as average monthly precipitation and
 temperature and their departure from normal,” said Redmond, who manages
 K-State’s <a href="https://mesonet.k-state.edu" target="_blank">Kansas Mesonet</a> climate monitoring system. “(But) that doesn’t tell the whole story.”Based
 on historical data, he said, the years that top the charts for drought 
and heat in Kansas history came during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s — 
particularly 1934 and 1936 — and then in 1956, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1983, 
2000 and 2011-2012.So, how does 2022 measure up against those benchmark years? Here are seven ways to compare them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369154516.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>1. Dry spells</h2>Rainfall totals this 
year are several inches below normal across Kansas. Hays has received 
around 9.5 inches of precipitation so far in 2022. That’s roughly half 
of the 18 inches it can usually expect to bank by this time of year.Hutchinson
 has seen fewer than 14 inches of precipitation when it’s supposed to 
have more than 22 inches. Only 6.5 inches have fallen on Scott City — 
way less than its usual 15 inches.Here’s another way to look at 
it: How many inches of rain would a town need today in order to get back
 in line with its historical year-to-date average?For places like
 Hays, Hutchinson and Scott City, it would take more than eight inches 
of rain to climb out of their current deficits. Some pockets of 
northwest, central and southeast Kansas would need more than 10 inches 
of rain just to get back to average.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369192338.png" alt="This map from Kansas Mesonet shows how many inches below-average precipitation totals are for various places across Kansas. A higher number (and darker red coloring) means that a location is more dry this year compared with historical averages." />
 <figcaption>This map from Kansas Mesonet shows how many inches below-average precipitation totals are for various places across Kansas. A higher number (and darker red coloring) means that a location is more dry this year compared with historical averages.</figcaption>
 </figure>But even with how dry it’s been this year, 2022 doesn’t come close to being the driest in Kansas history.“This year has quite a bit of work needed,” Redmond said, “if it wants to rank high.”Out
 of 358 Kansas weather stations measuring precipitation, none have 
recorded their driest-ever 40-day period in 2022. That’s compared to 46 
stations that set records for their driest 40-day period in 2000, 39 
that set records in 1983 and 10 that still have records standing from 
the Dust Bowl in 1936.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369248041.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>2. Summer rain</h2>In this 
traditionally dry region, annual precipitation averages are already 
measured in inches instead of feet. So when parts of western Kansas miss
 out on their precious few chances for summer rain — as has been the 
case this year — it particularly stings.“The majority of our 
precipitation anywhere in the High Plains comes during the warm season 
from thunderstorms,” Hutton said, “So typically, you're not going to get
 a lot of precip in the late fall (or) wintertime that's going to 
alleviate the drought.”A lack of moisture can directly fuel hotter temperatures, too. The drier soil gets, Hutton said, the faster it heats up.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369302901.png" alt="This photo from the Dust Bowl in 1936 shows a farmer's son playing on one of the large soil drifts that threaten to cover up his home near Liberal. Farm Security Administration / Library of Congress" />
 <figcaption>This photo from the Dust Bowl in 1936 shows a farmer's son playing on one of the large soil drifts that threaten to cover up his home near Liberal. Farm Security Administration / Library of Congress</figcaption>
 </figure>But this summer still doesn’t hold a candle to the driest summers of years past.Only
 one location in Kansas is on track to set a new record for its driest 
summer this year. Girard in southeast Kansas has received just over 2 
inches of rain from the start of June to late August. That’s compared 
with 45 locations that experienced their driest June-August period in 
1980 and 35 stations that set records in 1936.It’s also worth 
noting that there are considerably more weather stations active today 
than there were in 1936, which makes it all the more remarkable that so 
many precipitation and heat records still stand from the Dust Bowl era. 
The Girard weather station, for example, didn’t begin monitoring until 
1957, so one of those earlier years might actually have been drier than 
2022.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369343296.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>3. 100-degree days</h2>One way to assess this year’s heat is to compare the number of days that reached 100 degrees.In
 Wichita, 23 days have hit that mark so far this year. In northwest 
Kansas, the town of Atwood has seen 31 of those days. Ashland in 
southwest Kansas leads the state with 39 days.Those figures run 
well above average. Ashland’s total is more than double the number of 
100-degree days the town has normally racked up at this point in the 
year. Wichita’s total puts 2022 in the top 10% of its recorded history.But it’s still not close to breaking records.“I’ve
 already heard people say, ‘Oh, it’s the hottest year ever,’” Hutton 
said. “No, it’s not. We only have to go back 11 years to 2011.”Dodge City set an all-time record with 50 days of 100-degree weather that year. So far in 2022, it has seen 31 days that hot.While
 that doesn’t come close to touching 2011’s record, it still means that 
2022 already has the sixth most 100-degree days ever recorded in Dodge 
City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369371945.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>4. Back-to-back days of heat</h2>Unlike 
the most extreme years in Kansas history, this year’s 100-degree days 
have been much less likely to be strung together consecutively.Ashland had 23 consecutive 100-degree
 days back in 1954 and 22 in a row in 1934. This year, it’s had two 
separate streaks of six days. That’s just the 81st longest streak in 
Ashland history.Wichita experienced 20 days in a row in 1936 and 
an 18-day streak in 1980. Its longest run in 2022 was five days in a 
row. That’s Wichita’s 47th longest streak ever.Hays saw streaks 
of 18 days and 15 days in 1934 and a streak of 17 days in 1980. This 
year, its longest streak is only three days, which is actually tied for 
the shortest streak in Hays history.The number of consecutive 
100-degree days matters because the heat’s impact — on people, crops and
 the environment — is multiplied as more extremely hot days fall 
back-to-back.“When considering flash — or rapid onset — drought,” Redmond said, “stringing together consecutive hot days is important.”<h2>5. Hot high temps</h2>So far this year, 
seven of 159 Kansas weather stations have set new records for their 
hottest average high temperatures over a 20-day period.That’s bad
 news for those seven locations. But statewide, that total pales in 
comparison to the 42 stations that have records still standing from 1980
 or the 31 stations still holding on to records from 1936.The actual temperatures this year haven’t been quite as hot as past record years either.The
 state’s two all-time hottest 20-day periods both happened during the 
Dust Bowl — an average of 110.2 degrees in Winfield (1936) and Lincoln 
(1934). The hottest 20-day average of the seven new records set this 
year is several degrees below that — 102.7 degrees in Garden City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369423238.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>6. Afternoon highs and overnight lows</h2>Another
 way to look at heat is to compare a combined average of the high and 
low temperatures. This shows not only which years had the hottest 
afternoon highs, but also which years had the warmest overnight lows.Climate change has <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-29/hotter-nights-from-climate-change-will-mean-worse-harvests-for-kansas-farmers" target="_blank">slowly increased</a> average low temperatures across Kansas since 1970 — nights have gotten 2.7 degrees warmer in Wichita. Dodge City recorded its <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1536701402667331585" target="_blank">warmest nighttime low temperature</a> ever this June. And those rising nighttime temps can have destructive effects on <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-08-05/summer-nights-are-heating-up-and-thats-impacting-crops-and-livestock" target="_blank">crops</a> and <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-07-08/how-an-increasingly-brutal-kansas-climate-threatens-cattles-health-and-ranchers-livelihoods" target="_blank">livestock</a>.But 2022 still falls far short of being the state’s hottest year by this measure as well.In
 all, only seven of 159 Kansas weather stations set a new record for the
 hottest combined average temperature across a 20-day period in 2022 — 
compared with 40 records that still stand from 1980, 39 records from 
2011 and 25 records from 1934.And the record temperatures in 2022 aren’t as hot as their counterparts from past years.The
 warmest 20-day period for combined high and low temperatures happened 
in 1980 when Wichita, Eureka and Anthony all recorded averages of 93.4 
degrees. The comparable highest temperature from a record set this year —
 85.3 degrees in Liberal — is several degrees cooler than that.<h2>7. What happens next</h2>One thing we don’t know yet about this year’s drought? When it will end.Some
 of the most destructive droughts in Kansas history spanned multiple 
years. Depending on whom you ask, the Dust Bowl lasted somewhere between
 six and 10 years during the 1930s. A decade ago, Kansas experienced two
 historically dry, hot years back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.Just 
like the compounding power of consecutive 100-degree days, having dry 
years back-to-back amplifies the damage those years inflict. Some parts 
of western Kansas saw the current dry spell begin to creep in during the
 second half of last year as rain totals fell below average, which set 
them up to fall faster and harder into drought this year.And if 
the current drought continues into next year, Hutton said, that’s when 
it would be time to reassess 2022’s place in history.“If I felt 
that we were going to be in a super dry pattern for two or three years,”
 Hutton said, “then we'll start looking at that 1956 drought, look at 
the 2011 drought, 2012 drought … and just compare the aerial extent and 
the severity of it.”But he said that’s unlikely to happen. 
Long-term forecasts point toward Kansas getting more rain next year than
 this year, even though next year’s precipitation totals will likely 
remain below-average.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661369486213.png" alt="This photo from the Dust Bowl in 1936 shows a farmer working his fields near Liberal. Farm Security Administration / Library of Congress" />
 <figcaption>This photo from the Dust Bowl in 1936 shows a farmer working his fields near Liberal. Farm Security Administration / Library of Congress</figcaption>
 </figure>What’s happening in 2022, Hutton said, is just part of the natural weather cycle in this near-desert region.Dodge
 City actually enjoyed above-average precipitation for seven straight 
years from 2013-2020. Prior to that, the southwest Kansas city had never
 experienced more than three years in a row of above-average rainfall.So
 after decades of periodically extreme weather, he said, Kansans who 
farm this land should expect a year like this to come around sooner or 
later.“They know that they’re going to have to endure these bad years,” Hutton said, “before we get back to the good gravy train.”David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank"> @davidcondos</a>.

How this dry, hot year stacks up against the worst droughts in Kansas history

On this episode of the Post Podcast, Cottonwood extension district agent Stacy Campbell shares information about the impacts and resources available to ag producers during the ongoing drought.

On this episode of the Post Podcast, Cottonwood extension district agent Stacy Campbell shares information about the impacts and resources available to ag producers during the ongoing drought. <div><iframe title="Cottonwood extension district offers resources for producers dealing with drought" 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=ay3bk-12a9c3a-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><a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

🎙Post Podcast: Cottonwood Extension offers resources for dealing with drought

Four minor earthquakes were reported near the Ellis-Russell county line between Friday night and Saturday morning.

The Kansas Geological Survey reported a 2.6-magnitude quake just east of the county line at 8:31 p.m., followed by another 2.3-magnitude quake at 9:20 p.m. Friday.

At 6:01 a.m. Saturday, a 2.8-magnitude temblor was detected just west of he county line in Ellis County. Another 2.6-magnitude quake was recorded just north of the original report at 7:24 a.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661611552778.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Four minor earthquakes were reported near the Ellis-Russell county line between Friday night and Saturday morning.The Kansas Geological Survey reported a 2.6-magnitude quake just east of the county line at 8:31 p.m., followed by another 2.3-magnitude quake at 9:20 p.m. Friday.At 6:01 a.m. Saturday, a 2.8-magnitude temblor was detected just west of he county line in Ellis County. Another 2.6-magnitude quake was recorded just north of the original report at 7:24 a.m.

Four earthquakes in Ellis, Russell counties Friday, Saturday

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

It was a busy week at the new location of the children's psychiatric hospital in Hays, 3000 New Way Blvd.

The building in south Hays, which also houses&nbsp;HaysMed Business Center, is under renovation and scheduled to open in January 2023. It's part of&nbsp;<a href="https://hospitals.kvc.org/2021/12/13/governor-laura-kelly-announces-partnership-to-bring-youth-psychiatric-hospital-to-hays/" target="_blank">a new partnership</a>&nbsp;with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS).&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the hospital announced a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5ae12a8c-733d-4e90-ae26-b6ce1d5c7e6d">name change from KVC Hospital to Camber Children’s Mental Health</a> to more accurately reflect its comprehensive program of care for youth ages 6-18.

On Wednesday, area legislators, representatives of HaysMed and High Plains Mental Health Center, and KDADS employees were among those touring the facility as construction workers scurried about.

Last Friday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was shown around in a private tour.&nbsp;

The former KVC Hospital in the Hadley Center, 205 E. 7th,&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d3de94af-2857-447a-955b-b0cacf3adeda">housed acute patients from 2010 to 2019</a>&nbsp; following the closure of the children’s hospital at Larned State Hospital.&nbsp;KVC cited CMS' (Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services) licensure as a reason they closed the acute beds in Hays.&nbsp;CMS required KVC to have acute patients and residential patients in separate spaces. The new facility will allow that.&nbsp; &nbsp;

All the current psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) services at the Hadley Center will relocate to the bigger facility.&nbsp;

With 18 PTRF beds and 14 new acute beds, Bobby Eklof, Camber president, estimates an additional 600 children can be served each year.

"We want it to be safe for children," Eklof said, "but you also want it to be kid-friendly, and make sure that we're addressing their behavioral health needs."

Making the facility especially kid-friendly is a secure outdoor play area, something that has not been possible in Hadley Center.&nbsp;

Inpatient hospitalization has still been available at similar Camber facilities in Wichita and Kansas City, but they are many hours away from western Kansas and the beds are almost always filled.

Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, was part of the group tour Wednesday along with other state and local leaders.

"It's a huge advantage, a huge advantage," she said of the local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wasinger said she's had concerned parents calling her needing help for their kids.

"When you talk to people who have children in need of these facilities, they couldn't get their kids into Wichita or Kansas City. Even if they could get them there, they had long waiting lists.

"Having them this close, for people in western Kansas, makes it that much easier to keep an eye on your child and making sure they're improving and getting the help that they need.

"So this is crucial to the healthcare within this community and I'm so grateful that it's getting done."

Wasinger praised Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, who was also on the tour, for his role as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means committee in getting the acute care beds back in Hays.

"The funding is there," Billinger said. "Three years ago we allocated four million dollars to get this facility back open in Hays."&nbsp;

The state has made major investments in the facility, according to Gov. Kelly, who has a longtime interest in children's mental health.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before she entered politics, Kelly was a recreation therapist at Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center in New York. She eventually headed the department, working there for about seven years.&nbsp;

"This fills a gap that has existed here where there really hasn't been any place for a kid experiencing a psychiatric episode of some sort. This way they can come here and get treatment and maybe not have to go to Larned, Osawatomie, Wichita, into a psychiatric facility."

"I have a warm spot in my heart for kids with mental health issues," she said during her tour last week.&nbsp;

The new hospital will be "incredibly important" not only to its young clients and their families, "but to this whole region economically," Kelly said.

"If you have good services close to home, you're going to keep more productive citizens here in the region and be able to fill those jobs you've got."&nbsp;

The building will have state-of-the-art technology including motion sensors and cameras in addition to 24/7 direct supervision.&nbsp;

Some additional staff will be hired, including a psychiatrist. Most of that staff will be specialized positions in nursing as well as  clinicians for the acute program.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661595287073.jpeg" alt="Employees of Camber Children's Mental Health, formerly KVC Hospital in Hays, answer questions during a tour Aug. 24 with local and state officials about the new facility scheduled to open in January 2023.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Employees of Camber Children's Mental Health, formerly KVC Hospital in Hays, answer questions during a tour Aug. 24 with local and state officials about the new facility scheduled to open in January 2023.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostIt was a busy week at the new location of the children's psychiatric hospital in Hays, 3000 New Way Blvd.The building in south Hays, which also houses&nbsp;HaysMed Business Center, is under renovation and scheduled to open in January 2023. It's part of&nbsp;<a href="https://hospitals.kvc.org/2021/12/13/governor-laura-kelly-announces-partnership-to-bring-youth-psychiatric-hospital-to-hays/" target="_blank">a new partnership</a>&nbsp;with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS).&nbsp;&nbsp;On Tuesday, the hospital announced a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5ae12a8c-733d-4e90-ae26-b6ce1d5c7e6d">name change from KVC Hospital to Camber Children’s Mental Health</a> to more accurately reflect its comprehensive program of care for youth ages 6-18.On Wednesday, area legislators, representatives of HaysMed and High Plains Mental Health Center, and KDADS employees were among those touring the facility as construction workers scurried about.Last Friday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was shown around in a private tour.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661550053382.jpeg" alt="The building at 3000 New Way Boulevard is being designed and renovated to meet the unique safety, security, and therapeutic needs of youth receiving acute and inpatient psychiatric care.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The building at 3000 New Way Boulevard is being designed and renovated to meet the unique safety, security, and therapeutic needs of youth receiving acute and inpatient psychiatric care.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661549990824.jpeg" alt="Dave Anderson, High Plains Mental Health Center Director of Clinical Services, Hays, 111th Dist. Rep. Barb Wasinger, Hays, and KDADS Secretary Laura Howard, Topeka, were among those on the Aug. 24 tour of Camber&nbsp;Children’s Mental Health in Hays hosted by Bobby Eklof, Camber president (back to camera)." />
 <figcaption>Dave Anderson, High Plains Mental Health Center Director of Clinical Services, Hays, 111th Dist. Rep. Barb Wasinger, Hays, and KDADS Secretary Laura Howard, Topeka, were among those on the Aug. 24 tour of Camber&nbsp;Children’s Mental Health in Hays hosted by Bobby Eklof, Camber president (back to camera).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661583233679.jpeg" alt="Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly toured the renovations underway at the new Hays children's mental health hospital on Aug. 19. The program will relocate from the downtown Hadley Center to 3000 New Way Blvd. The new location will provide expanded inpatient hospital and residential services that are more accessible to families in western Kansas." />
 <figcaption>Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly toured the renovations underway at the new Hays children's mental health hospital on Aug. 19. The program will relocate from the downtown Hadley Center to 3000 New Way Blvd. The new location will provide expanded inpatient hospital and residential services that are more accessible to families in western Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>The former KVC Hospital in the Hadley Center, 205 E. 7th,&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d3de94af-2857-447a-955b-b0cacf3adeda">housed acute patients from 2010 to 2019</a>&nbsp; following the closure of the children’s hospital at Larned State Hospital.&nbsp;KVC cited CMS' (Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services) licensure as a reason they closed the acute beds in Hays.&nbsp;CMS required KVC to have acute patients and residential patients in separate spaces. The new facility will allow that.&nbsp; &nbsp;All the current psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) services at the Hadley Center will relocate to the bigger facility.&nbsp;With 18 PTRF beds and 14 new acute beds, Bobby Eklof, Camber president, estimates an additional 600 children can be served each year."We want it to be safe for children," Eklof said, "but you also want it to be kid-friendly, and make sure that we're addressing their behavioral health needs."Making the facility especially kid-friendly is a secure outdoor play area, something that has not been possible in Hadley Center.&nbsp;Inpatient hospitalization has still been available at similar Camber facilities in Wichita and Kansas City, but they are many hours away from western Kansas and the beds are almost always filled.<div><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/CbYRdKZK-P46diVCW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Camber Tours" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, was part of the group tour Wednesday along with other state and local leaders."It's a huge advantage, a huge advantage," she said of the local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wasinger said she's had concerned parents calling her needing help for their kids."When you talk to people who have children in need of these facilities, they couldn't get their kids into Wichita or Kansas City. Even if they could get them there, they had long waiting lists."Having them this close, for people in western Kansas, makes it that much easier to keep an eye on your child and making sure they're improving and getting the help that they need."So this is crucial to the healthcare within this community and I'm so grateful that it's getting done."Wasinger praised Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, who was also on the tour, for his role as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means committee in getting the acute care beds back in Hays."The funding is there," Billinger said. "Three years ago we allocated four million dollars to get this facility back open in Hays."&nbsp;The state has made major investments in the facility, according to Gov. Kelly, who has a longtime interest in children's mental health.&nbsp;&nbsp;Before she entered politics, Kelly was a recreation therapist at Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center in New York. She eventually headed the department, working there for about seven years.&nbsp;"This fills a gap that has existed here where there really hasn't been any place for a kid experiencing a psychiatric episode of some sort. This way they can come here and get treatment and maybe not have to go to Larned, Osawatomie, Wichita, into a psychiatric facility.""I have a warm spot in my heart for kids with mental health issues," she said during her tour last week.&nbsp;The new hospital will be "incredibly important" not only to its young clients and their families, "but to this whole region economically," Kelly said."If you have good services close to home, you're going to keep more productive citizens here in the region and be able to fill those jobs you've got."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661591031667.jpeg" alt="The new hospital will have a secure outdoor play area, something that is not available in the Hadley Center.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The new hospital will have a secure outdoor play area, something that is not available in the Hadley Center.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The building will have state-of-the-art technology including motion sensors and cameras in addition to 24/7 direct supervision.&nbsp;Some additional staff will be hired, including a psychiatrist. Most of that staff will be specialized positions in nursing as well as clinicians for the acute program.&nbsp;

🎥 Governor, legislators visit children's psychiatric hospital in Hays; opens in Jan. 

FORT LARNED — Labor Day Weekend traditionally signals the end of summer. Bring your summer fun to a historic close with a weekend of fun and learning at Fort Larned’s Labor Day Weekend Living History Event. &nbsp;

Volunteers and staff will once again bring Fort Larned to life during the Labor Day Weekend living history event.&nbsp;&nbsp;Get a glimpse into the life of a frontier soldier with rifle and artillery firing demonstrations, and their life in the army.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can also visit with officers’ wives, as well as watch the post blacksmith use a forge and anvil to transform iron into everyday objects.&nbsp;

Come out and end your summer with a celebration of our nation’s history.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here is the schedule of events for all three days.&nbsp;

10:00 am – Forge and Anvil: Blacksmith Demonstration&nbsp;

11:00 am – Frontier Army Weapons: Rifle and Artillery Firing Demonstration&nbsp;

1:00 pm – Special Program – Buffalo Soldiers: An American Legend on the Western Frontier&nbsp;

2:00 pm – Frontier Army Weapons: Rifle and Artillery Firing Demonstration&nbsp;

3:00 pm – Beat the Drums – Drum Calls of the Civil War Era&nbsp;

4:30 pm – Flag Retreat: Traditional Army Flag Lowering Ceremony&nbsp;

1:00 pm – Special Speaker – Dr. Leo Oliva – early Kansas History and Zebulon Pike&nbsp;

3:00 pm – Life on Officers’ Row&nbsp;

1:00 pm – Special Program – Santa Fe Trail: Its History and Influence&nbsp;

2:00 pm – Earning Your Stripes: Non-Commissioned Officers at Fort Larned&nbsp;

Fort Larned National Historic Site is located six miles west of Larned on Kansas Highway 156. Information on visiting is on the internet at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/fols">www.nps.gov/fols</a>, or by calling 620-285-6911, or email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:fols_superintendent@nps.gov">fols_superintendent@nps.gov</a>. For information on area tourism partners, lodging, dining, and community services go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.larnedks.org/">www.larnedks.org</a>&nbsp;or call (620) 285-6916.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661439822558.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseFORT LARNED — Labor Day Weekend traditionally signals the end of summer. Bring your summer fun to a historic close with a weekend of fun and learning at Fort Larned’s Labor Day Weekend Living History Event. &nbsp;Volunteers and staff will once again bring Fort Larned to life during the Labor Day Weekend living history event.&nbsp;&nbsp;Get a glimpse into the life of a frontier soldier with rifle and artillery firing demonstrations, and their life in the army.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can also visit with officers’ wives, as well as watch the post blacksmith use a forge and anvil to transform iron into everyday objects.&nbsp;Come out and end your summer with a celebration of our nation’s history.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here is the schedule of events for all three days.&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;10:00 am – Forge and Anvil: Blacksmith Demonstration&nbsp;11:00 am – Frontier Army Weapons: Rifle and Artillery Firing Demonstration&nbsp;1:00 pm – Special Program – Buffalo Soldiers: An American Legend on the Western Frontier&nbsp;2:00 pm – Frontier Army Weapons: Rifle and Artillery Firing Demonstration&nbsp;3:00 pm – Beat the Drums – Drum Calls of the Civil War Era&nbsp;4:30 pm – Flag Retreat: Traditional Army Flag Lowering Ceremony&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;10:00 am – Forge and Anvil: Blacksmith Demonstration&nbsp;11:00 am – Frontier Army Weapons: Rifle and Artillery Firing Demonstration&nbsp;1:00 pm – Special Speaker – Dr. Leo Oliva – early Kansas History and Zebulon Pike&nbsp;2:00 pm – Frontier Army Weapons: Rifle and Artillery Firing Demonstration&nbsp;3:00 pm – Life on Officers’ Row&nbsp;4:30 pm – Flag Retreat: Traditional Army Flag Lowering Ceremony&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;10:00 am – Forge and Anvil: Blacksmith Demonstration&nbsp;11:00 am – Frontier Army Weapons: Rifle and Artillery Firing Demonstration&nbsp;1:00 pm – Special Program – Santa Fe Trail: Its History and Influence&nbsp;2:00 pm – Earning Your Stripes: Non-Commissioned Officers at Fort Larned&nbsp;3:00 pm – Life on Officers’ Row&nbsp;4:30 pm – Flag Retreat: Traditional Army Flag Lowering Ceremony&nbsp;Fort Larned National Historic Site is located six miles west of Larned on Kansas Highway 156. Information on visiting is on the internet at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/fols">www.nps.gov/fols</a>, or by calling 620-285-6911, or email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:fols_superintendent@nps.gov">fols_superintendent@nps.gov</a>. For information on area tourism partners, lodging, dining, and community services go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.larnedks.org/">www.larnedks.org</a>&nbsp;or call (620) 285-6916.&nbsp;

End your summer with a dose of living history at Fort Larned event

Nathan Legleiter,&nbsp;loan officer and&nbsp;vice&nbsp;president&nbsp;of&nbsp;Golden Belt Bank,&nbsp;has graduated from&nbsp;the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado’s state-of-the-art graduate school of banking program. Legleiter&nbsp;was among&nbsp;169&nbsp;graduates of&nbsp;the class of 2022 honored during a ceremony on July 28 in Boulder, Colo.

Students graduate from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado upon successfully completing&nbsp;three annual two-week sessions&nbsp;of classroom training&nbsp;and six immersive intersession research projects between sessions throughout the year. Courses covering four career areas are delivered by community-banking experts and include Financial Management &amp; Strategy, Innovation &amp; Engagement, Leadership &amp; Culture and Lending.

The program’s&nbsp;capstone course&nbsp;is an&nbsp;in-depth&nbsp;bank management simulation, where&nbsp;students assume the roles&nbsp;of senior management&nbsp;of&nbsp;a commercial bank, involving themselves in the group dynamics and managerial skills of managing a bank in a competitive environment with changing economic conditions.

“The coursework and projects associated with GSBC strive to enhance the skills of community bankers around the country,” said GSBC President Michael Stevens. “The ultimate beneficiary will be the consumers and businesses in the communities where these financial professionals serve.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661445930095.png" alt="Legleiter" />
 <figcaption>Legleiter</figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseNathan Legleiter,&nbsp;loan officer and&nbsp;vice&nbsp;president&nbsp;of&nbsp;Golden Belt Bank,&nbsp;has graduated from&nbsp;the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado’s state-of-the-art graduate school of banking program. Legleiter&nbsp;was among&nbsp;169&nbsp;graduates of&nbsp;the class of 2022 honored during a ceremony on July 28 in Boulder, Colo.Students graduate from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado upon successfully completing&nbsp;three annual two-week sessions&nbsp;of classroom training&nbsp;and six immersive intersession research projects between sessions throughout the year. Courses covering four career areas are delivered by community-banking experts and include Financial Management &amp; Strategy, Innovation &amp; Engagement, Leadership &amp; Culture and Lending.The program’s&nbsp;capstone course&nbsp;is an&nbsp;in-depth&nbsp;bank management simulation, where&nbsp;students assume the roles&nbsp;of senior management&nbsp;of&nbsp;a commercial bank, involving themselves in the group dynamics and managerial skills of managing a bank in a competitive environment with changing economic conditions.“The coursework and projects associated with GSBC strive to enhance the skills of community bankers around the country,” said GSBC President Michael Stevens. “The ultimate beneficiary will be the consumers and businesses in the communities where these financial professionals serve.”

Golden Belt's Legleiter among newest graduates of banking institution

TOPEKA — The Kansas Corporation Commission has been awarded a $25 million initial federal grant to help plug abandoned wells in the state. The initial grant is part of $1.15 billion earmarked under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help states remediate abandoned oil and gas wells. A total of $4.7 billion has been allocated over the next eight years to plug abandoned wells in the U.S. The KCC is eligible to receive another $33.6 million in future formula grant funding.

“These federal grants provide Kansas with a one-time opportunity to help address the issue of abandoned wells in Kansas while helping the economy by providing good paying jobs for several years,” said Ryan A. Hoffman, KCC Conservation Division Director.

The KCC plans to use the initial $25 million grant to pay for eight projects involving the plugging of more than 2300 abandoned wells over the next two to three years.&nbsp; Four projects are located in Eastern Kansas. The other four are located in Central and Western Kansas. A map showing the locations of the projects and number of wells in each can be viewed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA4MjUuNjI3NzcyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tjYy5rcy5nb3YvaW1hZ2VzL1ByZXNzX0xpbmtzL0tTX1BsdWdnaW5nX1ByZXZpZXcucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.A2xRLIAXNrCU9ZPNslYvhkaGu9uf6NfXkkEv3oLZJpQ/s/1510803200/br/143080971176-l" target="_blank">here</a>.

A well is considered “abandoned” when it has been permanently taken out of production, is not properly plugged to prevent possible air or groundwater pollution, and the rightful legal owner cannot be determined or located to take responsibility.

While the federal grants will help reduce the total number of abandoned wells in Kansas, they are insufficient to address the entire problem.&nbsp; The KCC will still rely on industry generated funds to plug the thousands of wells remaining after the federal program expires.

More than 11,000 abandoned wells have been plugged since the establishment of the state well plugging fund in 1995. Oil and gas drilling in Kansas began in the 1860’s. Record keeping by early operators was not as precise as it is today. It is not uncommon for older abandoned wells to be discovered by landowners who were unaware they existed.

&nbsp;“These federal grant funds will provide important assistance in plugging abandoned wells in Kansas. However, to adequately protect Kansas fresh water resources, it will also be necessary to continue funding the plugging of abandoned wells with state well plugging fund resources provided by oil and gas industry fee assessments,” said Dwight D. Keen, Chair of the KCC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661454183131.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KCCTOPEKA — The Kansas Corporation Commission has been awarded a $25 million initial federal grant to help plug abandoned wells in the state. The initial grant is part of $1.15 billion earmarked under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help states remediate abandoned oil and gas wells. A total of $4.7 billion has been allocated over the next eight years to plug abandoned wells in the U.S. The KCC is eligible to receive another $33.6 million in future formula grant funding.“These federal grants provide Kansas with a one-time opportunity to help address the issue of abandoned wells in Kansas while helping the economy by providing good paying jobs for several years,” said Ryan A. Hoffman, KCC Conservation Division Director.The KCC plans to use the initial $25 million grant to pay for eight projects involving the plugging of more than 2300 abandoned wells over the next two to three years.&nbsp; Four projects are located in Eastern Kansas. The other four are located in Central and Western Kansas. A map showing the locations of the projects and number of wells in each can be viewed&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA4MjUuNjI3NzcyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tjYy5rcy5nb3YvaW1hZ2VzL1ByZXNzX0xpbmtzL0tTX1BsdWdnaW5nX1ByZXZpZXcucGRmP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.A2xRLIAXNrCU9ZPNslYvhkaGu9uf6NfXkkEv3oLZJpQ/s/1510803200/br/143080971176-l" target="_blank">here</a>.A well is considered “abandoned” when it has been permanently taken out of production, is not properly plugged to prevent possible air or groundwater pollution, and the rightful legal owner cannot be determined or located to take responsibility.While the federal grants will help reduce the total number of abandoned wells in Kansas, they are insufficient to address the entire problem.&nbsp; The KCC will still rely on industry generated funds to plug the thousands of wells remaining after the federal program expires.More than 11,000 abandoned wells have been plugged since the establishment of the state well plugging fund in 1995. Oil and gas drilling in Kansas began in the 1860’s. Record keeping by early operators was not as precise as it is today. It is not uncommon for older abandoned wells to be discovered by landowners who were unaware they existed.&nbsp;“These federal grant funds will provide important assistance in plugging abandoned wells in Kansas. However, to adequately protect Kansas fresh water resources, it will also be necessary to continue funding the plugging of abandoned wells with state well plugging fund resources provided by oil and gas industry fee assessments,” said Dwight D. Keen, Chair of the KCC.

$25M federal grant will fund abandoned NW Kan. well plugging

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661537137138.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 RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

Let’s visit a birthplace – not of a president or a general, but the birthplace of a cattle breed. Today we’ll learn more about an innovative family that helped develop a new breed of cattle in rural Kansas.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/2022/08/kansas-profile-hoagland-jn-ranch.html">Last week in this column</a>, we met Dirck and Natalie Hoagland of J&amp;N Ranch near Leavenworth. Dirck’s parents, Joe and Nancy Hoagland, bought the place near Leavenworth in 1985 and have expanded operations since. For years, they raised registered Hereford cattle.&nbsp;

Hereford cattle are recognized for having a white-colored face and a red-colored body.&nbsp;&nbsp;During the 1990s, the Hoaglands and their friend John Gage had the idea of trying to breed Herefords that had the traditional white face but were black in color.&nbsp;

To traditional cattle producers, the name black Hereford might sound like an oxymoron – a contradiction in terms, like jumbo shrimp or single option. Yet these breeders wanted the carcass quality and market premiums of black Angus, while retaining the hardiness, docility and versatility of the Hereford breed.&nbsp;

They did so using the same process as that used by other breeds; namely, by introducing Angus genetics and then selecting for black hair color in the descendent generations.&nbsp;

When Joe Hoagland’s friend, John Gage, passed away from cancer, Joe purchased cattle and records from his estate and established the Black Hereford Registry in the barn office at the J&amp;N Ranch in 1999. Joe and Norma registered the first black Hereford and purchased the first membership in the American Black Hereford Association.&nbsp;

Later, the Hoaglands publish the first Black Hereford magazine and hold the first ABHA national sale.&nbsp;

As the association grew, the breed headquarters moved from J&amp;N Ranch to a Kansas City office in 2011. In 2017, Joe and Norma were inducted into the American Black Hereford Association Hall of Fame. Today the association has 500 breeders in 45 states plus overseas. All of these trace their cattle lineage back to the J&amp;N Ranch in Kansas.&nbsp;

Joe and Norma’s son, Dirck, and his wife, Natalie, now operate J&amp;N Ranch, which continues to be a major producer of black Hereford cattle.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bull and heifer development takes place at the ranch near Leavenworth. Their summer pasture is in Wabaunsee County at the Hoagland’s Gun Barrel Ranch, located near the rural community of Eskridge, population 439 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

The Hoaglands recently received a Kansas Wildlife Habitat Conservation award from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for their work to improve prairie chicken habitat on the Wabaunsee County ranch. In this case, improving habitat meant removing trees so as to reduce predator risk for the prairie chicken.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We believe that we should protect the original species on the prairie,” Dirck said.&nbsp;

J&amp;N Ranch has two production sales yearly, selling bulls and females. Their breeding stock is sold across the Midwest and beyond. They’ve sent bulls as far east as Pennsylvania and as far west as Hawaii.&nbsp;

“One of our favorite things is delivering bulls and seeing our customer’s operations first hand,” Dirck Hoagland said (although the bulls that went to Hawaii were shipped by plane, so it sounds like the Hoaglands missed out on that trip).&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s great to travel around and see how our genetics have benefitted our customers’ herds.”&nbsp;

Dirck and Natalie have two boys, Dayton and Reed, ages 10 and 8. The Hoaglands value their rural, agricultural lifestyle deeply and seek to pass it on. “Natalie and I were very lucky to be able to come back into our family operation,” Hoagland said.&nbsp;

“Our one driving goal is to give these two boys the opportunity to live this life on the ranch if they choose to do so,” he said. “We want to be able to provide this opportunity to the next generation.”&nbsp;

For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jnranch.com/">www.jnranch.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;For more information on Black Herefords, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.blackhereford.org/">www.blackhereford.org</a>.&nbsp;

It’s time to leave this birthplace – the birthplace of a cattle breed. We commend Joe and Norma Hoagland, Dirck and Natalie Hoagland, and all those who are making a difference at J&amp;N Ranch.&nbsp;

This ranch built more than a cattle breed – it built innovation, commitment and family.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661350321003.png" alt="Joe and Natalie Hoagland" />
 <figcaption>Joe and Natalie Hoagland</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;Let’s visit a birthplace – not of a president or a general, but the birthplace of a cattle breed. Today we’ll learn more about an innovative family that helped develop a new breed of cattle in rural Kansas.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/2022/08/kansas-profile-hoagland-jn-ranch.html">Last week in this column</a>, we met Dirck and Natalie Hoagland of J&amp;N Ranch near Leavenworth. Dirck’s parents, Joe and Nancy Hoagland, bought the place near Leavenworth in 1985 and have expanded operations since. For years, they raised registered Hereford cattle.&nbsp;Hereford cattle are recognized for having a white-colored face and a red-colored body.&nbsp;&nbsp;During the 1990s, the Hoaglands and their friend John Gage had the idea of trying to breed Herefords that had the traditional white face but were black in color.&nbsp;To traditional cattle producers, the name black Hereford might sound like an oxymoron – a contradiction in terms, like jumbo shrimp or single option. Yet these breeders wanted the carcass quality and market premiums of black Angus, while retaining the hardiness, docility and versatility of the Hereford breed.&nbsp;They did so using the same process as that used by other breeds; namely, by introducing Angus genetics and then selecting for black hair color in the descendent generations.&nbsp;When Joe Hoagland’s friend, John Gage, passed away from cancer, Joe purchased cattle and records from his estate and established the Black Hereford Registry in the barn office at the J&amp;N Ranch in 1999. Joe and Norma registered the first black Hereford and purchased the first membership in the American Black Hereford Association.&nbsp;Later, the Hoaglands publish the first Black Hereford magazine and hold the first ABHA national sale.&nbsp;As the association grew, the breed headquarters moved from J&amp;N Ranch to a Kansas City office in 2011. In 2017, Joe and Norma were inducted into the American Black Hereford Association Hall of Fame. Today the association has 500 breeders in 45 states plus overseas. All of these trace their cattle lineage back to the J&amp;N Ranch in Kansas.&nbsp;Joe and Norma’s son, Dirck, and his wife, Natalie, now operate J&amp;N Ranch, which continues to be a major producer of black Hereford cattle.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bull and heifer development takes place at the ranch near Leavenworth. Their summer pasture is in Wabaunsee County at the Hoagland’s Gun Barrel Ranch, located near the rural community of Eskridge, population 439 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;The Hoaglands recently received a Kansas Wildlife Habitat Conservation award from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for their work to improve prairie chicken habitat on the Wabaunsee County ranch. In this case, improving habitat meant removing trees so as to reduce predator risk for the prairie chicken.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We believe that we should protect the original species on the prairie,” Dirck said.&nbsp;J&amp;N Ranch has two production sales yearly, selling bulls and females. Their breeding stock is sold across the Midwest and beyond. They’ve sent bulls as far east as Pennsylvania and as far west as Hawaii.&nbsp;“One of our favorite things is delivering bulls and seeing our customer’s operations first hand,” Dirck Hoagland said (although the bulls that went to Hawaii were shipped by plane, so it sounds like the Hoaglands missed out on that trip).&nbsp;&nbsp;“It’s great to travel around and see how our genetics have benefitted our customers’ herds.”&nbsp;Dirck and Natalie have two boys, Dayton and Reed, ages 10 and 8. The Hoaglands value their rural, agricultural lifestyle deeply and seek to pass it on. “Natalie and I were very lucky to be able to come back into our family operation,” Hoagland said.&nbsp;“Our one driving goal is to give these two boys the opportunity to live this life on the ranch if they choose to do so,” he said. “We want to be able to provide this opportunity to the next generation.”&nbsp;For more information, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jnranch.com/">www.jnranch.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;For more information on Black Herefords, see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.blackhereford.org/">www.blackhereford.org</a>.&nbsp;It’s time to leave this birthplace – the birthplace of a cattle breed. We commend Joe and Norma Hoagland, Dirck and Natalie Hoagland, and all those who are making a difference at J&amp;N Ranch.&nbsp;This ranch built more than a cattle breed – it built innovation, commitment and family.&nbsp;

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