BELOIT — NCK Tech Foundation has announced its inaugural&nbsp;Founders’&nbsp;Week at NCK Tech.&nbsp;In 1963, a group of Trailblazers envisioned the need for a local technical education institution, and with their guidance and tenacity, NCK Tech was the first technical college established in the State of Kansas in 1964.&nbsp;

Nov. 14 to 18, the school will commemorate and honor those founders and Trailblazers who helped establish the college&nbsp;as well as those who led the way as instructors and administrators. Founders’ Week is also a time to celebrate our current students, faculty and staff. Events are planned each day of Founders’ Week, which will take place on both the Hays and Beloit campuses.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586713055800.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseBELOIT — NCK Tech Foundation has announced its inaugural&nbsp;Founders’&nbsp;Week at NCK Tech.&nbsp;In 1963, a group of Trailblazers envisioned the need for a local technical education institution, and with their guidance and tenacity, NCK Tech was the first technical college established in the State of Kansas in 1964.&nbsp;Nov. 14 to 18, the school will commemorate and honor those founders and Trailblazers who helped establish the college&nbsp;as well as those who led the way as instructors and administrators. Founders’ Week is also a time to celebrate our current students, faculty and staff. Events are planned each day of Founders’ Week, which will take place on both the Hays and Beloit campuses.&nbsp;

Inaugural Founders’ Week events scheduled at NCK Tech

Doonan Truck is seeking an individual to fill the position of Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck Technician.&nbsp;Qualified candidate would be responsible for diagnosing, repairs and maintenance of heavy-duty Class 7 and 8 diesel powered trucks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benefits include: &nbsp;Competitive pay based on experience,&nbsp;Mon-Friday work week,&nbsp;Uniforms, paid vacation,&nbsp;Paid Holidays,&nbsp;Health/Dental Insurance,&nbsp;Retirement Plan,&nbsp;Overtime,&nbsp;EOE, air-conditioned shop and heated floors.

Apply in person at dealership, 1980 W. 55th, Hays,&nbsp;Kansas, or contact Bill Rowe at 620-793-0780 or 785-621-4045.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664399164792.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Doonan Truck is seeking an individual to fill the position of Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck Technician.&nbsp;Qualified candidate would be responsible for diagnosing, repairs and maintenance of heavy-duty Class 7 and 8 diesel powered trucks.&nbsp;&nbsp;Benefits include: &nbsp;Competitive pay based on experience,&nbsp;Mon-Friday work week,&nbsp;Uniforms, paid vacation,&nbsp;Paid Holidays,&nbsp;Health/Dental Insurance,&nbsp;Retirement Plan,&nbsp;Overtime,&nbsp;EOE, air-conditioned shop and heated floors.Apply in person at dealership, 1980 W. 55th, Hays,&nbsp;Kansas, or contact Bill Rowe at 620-793-0780 or 785-621-4045.

Three-day weather outlook

Throwing money at a problem is not leadership or an answer.&nbsp;But State Representative Barb&nbsp;Wasinger’s&nbsp;democratic opponent thinks otherwise.

We have heard a lot from Ed Hammond over the last month. &nbsp;Unfortunately, even though he has said a lot,&nbsp;he hasn’t told us much about himself, his positions, or his beliefs. &nbsp;He has mostly spent his time telling us why his opponent is&nbsp;bad and&nbsp;wrong&nbsp;while&nbsp;not giving us much of an understanding of his ideas and solutions.

We know his position on education. &nbsp;He believes schools should have an open checkbook that allows them to spend as much money as needed to provide a good education. &nbsp;The problem is that Kansas’s checkbook is not limitless,&nbsp;and money doesn’t guarantee a good education. &nbsp;Barb knows we&nbsp;must&nbsp;ensure every dollar is spent wisely and gets to the teacher and the classroom. &nbsp;

Ed Hammond wants a blank check for public schools and universities without restrictions or guidance to ensure that money&nbsp;reaches&nbsp;the teachers, students, and classrooms.&nbsp;&nbsp;Funding is not the only problem with&nbsp;schools and&nbsp;special education. &nbsp;Does he have a plan on how he&nbsp;will&nbsp;help&nbsp;fix the existing system? &nbsp;If he does,&nbsp;it would be great to hear that plan. &nbsp;

Barb&nbsp;has been consistently&nbsp;pro-education, pro-student, and pro-teacher.&nbsp;She&nbsp;wants each young person in our state to&nbsp;receive&nbsp;a high-quality education. &nbsp;She wants to see every single student be&nbsp;prepared&nbsp;for&nbsp;success when they&nbsp;leave our schools. &nbsp;Money is part of that solution,&nbsp;but only if it is well spent&nbsp;with an understanding that it is not limitless. &nbsp;

We&nbsp;would like to hear where Ed stands on other issues that are very important to us too. &nbsp;Education is only part of the legislative agenda, and&nbsp;many other issues will be proposed and debated this year. &nbsp;I have even&nbsp;searched his website for answers to&nbsp;abortion and&nbsp;defunding the police, for example,&nbsp;and&nbsp;found none.&nbsp;These issues in my opinion need to be on the forefront of the debate.&nbsp;

Since&nbsp;education&nbsp;is&nbsp;the only topic that Ed wants to discuss, we would like to know how he will vote on these two issues which affect our schools and&nbsp;their&nbsp;athletic programs. &nbsp;This year we are excited to be celebrating&nbsp;fifty&nbsp;years since the&nbsp;historic&nbsp;passing&nbsp;of&nbsp;Title&nbsp;IX.&nbsp;Title IX&nbsp;has been&nbsp;an&nbsp;incredible&nbsp;game-changer&nbsp;for women’s athletics and activities. &nbsp;We&nbsp;would like to hear how he will continue to protect women’s athletics&nbsp;in our state. &nbsp;Will he ensure that females only have to compete against other females and that they will have privacy in their&nbsp;own&nbsp;locker rooms? &nbsp;Will he ensure that only other female athletes break the records they worked so hard to set? &nbsp;We would like to hear his view on this issue as it affects many of our daughters.

The other thing we would like to know is how he is going to vote in the upcoming vote on the KSHSAA Multiplier. Is he for punishing private schools&nbsp;(primarily catholic schools)&nbsp;by forcing them to play up a classification? &nbsp;The current proposal&nbsp;to&nbsp;be voted on in the Kansas legislature will force many private schools to play up a classification against much bigger schools. &nbsp;These schools are being punished for being successful against schools of a similar size.&nbsp;They are putting kids at risk in sports like football and wrestling by making them compete against much bigger schools.&nbsp;Public schools&nbsp;with the same success level&nbsp;against their similar-sized peers do not receive a bump. &nbsp;Why is one group of schools treated differently? &nbsp;The voters would like to hear how Ed Hammond will vote&nbsp;on&nbsp;this proposal as it affects our community and schools. &nbsp;

Ed Hammond states that K&nbsp;-&nbsp;12, Fort Hays State and&nbsp;HaysMed&nbsp;are the largest employers in the area, what he forgets to mention&nbsp;is&nbsp;they are all tax dollar funded and&nbsp;other than&nbsp;HaysMed&nbsp;they do not&nbsp;produce actual income. They take the wealth from the citizens in tax&nbsp;dollars,&nbsp;but&nbsp;no one has mentioned this.&nbsp;

Though I feel Medicaid expansion is important, if it wouldn’t have been for the unrelated abortion debate derailing the bipartisan effort in the 2022 session, it probably would have passed.

Although Kansas has not implemented the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, the state did implement the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-postpartum-coverage-extension-tracker/">American Rescue Plan&nbsp;provision</a>&nbsp;that allows states to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months (postpartum Medicaid coverage previously ended 60 days after the baby was born). In Kansas, the postpartum Medicaid coverage extension&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-kelly-announces-approved-expansion-of-medicaid-coverage-to-kansas-mothers-postpartum/">took effect in April 2022</a>.

These are just a few examples of the many things Ed has not told us about his beliefs and how he will vote on issues. &nbsp;If we elect someone to represent us, we need to know what&nbsp;they&nbsp;stand&nbsp;for and how&nbsp;they&nbsp;will represent us on all the issues&nbsp;and not just education.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Throwing money at a problem is not leadership or an answer.&nbsp;But State Representative Barb&nbsp;Wasinger’s&nbsp;democratic opponent thinks otherwise.We have heard a lot from Ed Hammond over the last month. &nbsp;Unfortunately, even though he has said a lot,&nbsp;he hasn’t told us much about himself, his positions, or his beliefs. &nbsp;He has mostly spent his time telling us why his opponent is&nbsp;bad and&nbsp;wrong&nbsp;while&nbsp;not giving us much of an understanding of his ideas and solutions.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>We know his position on education. &nbsp;He believes schools should have an open checkbook that allows them to spend as much money as needed to provide a good education. &nbsp;The problem is that Kansas’s checkbook is not limitless,&nbsp;and money doesn’t guarantee a good education. &nbsp;Barb knows we&nbsp;must&nbsp;ensure every dollar is spent wisely and gets to the teacher and the classroom. &nbsp;Ed Hammond wants a blank check for public schools and universities without restrictions or guidance to ensure that money&nbsp;reaches&nbsp;the teachers, students, and classrooms.&nbsp;&nbsp;Funding is not the only problem with&nbsp;schools and&nbsp;special education. &nbsp;Does he have a plan on how he&nbsp;will&nbsp;help&nbsp;fix the existing system? &nbsp;If he does,&nbsp;it would be great to hear that plan. &nbsp;Barb&nbsp;has been consistently&nbsp;pro-education, pro-student, and pro-teacher.&nbsp;She&nbsp;wants each young person in our state to&nbsp;receive&nbsp;a high-quality education. &nbsp;She wants to see every single student be&nbsp;prepared&nbsp;for&nbsp;success when they&nbsp;leave our schools. &nbsp;Money is part of that solution,&nbsp;but only if it is well spent&nbsp;with an understanding that it is not limitless. &nbsp;We&nbsp;would like to hear where Ed stands on other issues that are very important to us too. &nbsp;Education is only part of the legislative agenda, and&nbsp;many other issues will be proposed and debated this year. &nbsp;I have even&nbsp;searched his website for answers to&nbsp;abortion and&nbsp;defunding the police, for example,&nbsp;and&nbsp;found none.&nbsp;These issues in my opinion need to be on the forefront of the debate.&nbsp;Since&nbsp;education&nbsp;is&nbsp;the only topic that Ed wants to discuss, we would like to know how he will vote on these two issues which affect our schools and&nbsp;their&nbsp;athletic programs. &nbsp;This year we are excited to be celebrating&nbsp;fifty&nbsp;years since the&nbsp;historic&nbsp;passing&nbsp;of&nbsp;Title&nbsp;IX.&nbsp;Title IX&nbsp;has been&nbsp;an&nbsp;incredible&nbsp;game-changer&nbsp;for women’s athletics and activities. &nbsp;We&nbsp;would like to hear how he will continue to protect women’s athletics&nbsp;in our state. &nbsp;Will he ensure that females only have to compete against other females and that they will have privacy in their&nbsp;own&nbsp;locker rooms? &nbsp;Will he ensure that only other female athletes break the records they worked so hard to set? &nbsp;We would like to hear his view on this issue as it affects many of our daughters.The other thing we would like to know is how he is going to vote in the upcoming vote on the KSHSAA Multiplier. Is he for punishing private schools&nbsp;(primarily catholic schools)&nbsp;by forcing them to play up a classification? &nbsp;The current proposal&nbsp;to&nbsp;be voted on in the Kansas legislature will force many private schools to play up a classification against much bigger schools. &nbsp;These schools are being punished for being successful against schools of a similar size.&nbsp;They are putting kids at risk in sports like football and wrestling by making them compete against much bigger schools.&nbsp;Public schools&nbsp;with the same success level&nbsp;against their similar-sized peers do not receive a bump. &nbsp;Why is one group of schools treated differently? &nbsp;The voters would like to hear how Ed Hammond will vote&nbsp;on&nbsp;this proposal as it affects our community and schools. &nbsp;Ed Hammond states that K&nbsp;-&nbsp;12, Fort Hays State and&nbsp;HaysMed&nbsp;are the largest employers in the area, what he forgets to mention&nbsp;is&nbsp;they are all tax dollar funded and&nbsp;other than&nbsp;HaysMed&nbsp;they do not&nbsp;produce actual income. They take the wealth from the citizens in tax&nbsp;dollars,&nbsp;but&nbsp;no one has mentioned this.&nbsp;Though I feel Medicaid expansion is important, if it wouldn’t have been for the unrelated abortion debate derailing the bipartisan effort in the 2022 session, it probably would have passed.Although Kansas has not implemented the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, the state did implement the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-postpartum-coverage-extension-tracker/">American Rescue Plan&nbsp;provision</a>&nbsp;that allows states to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months (postpartum Medicaid coverage previously ended 60 days after the baby was born). In Kansas, the postpartum Medicaid coverage extension&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-kelly-announces-approved-expansion-of-medicaid-coverage-to-kansas-mothers-postpartum/">took effect in April 2022</a>.These are just a few examples of the many things Ed has not told us about his beliefs and how he will vote on issues. &nbsp;If we elect someone to represent us, we need to know what&nbsp;they&nbsp;stand&nbsp;for and how&nbsp;they&nbsp;will represent us on all the issues&nbsp;and not just education.&nbsp;&nbsp;Joe Wilkerson , Catharine

LETTER: Education spending, Title IX and KSHSSA 

Trick-or-Treat So Others Can Eat food drive in Ellis has bee postponed because of wind today.

The event has been rescheduled to 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30.

SubmittedTrick-or-Treat So Others Can Eat food drive in Ellis has bee postponed because of wind today.The event has been rescheduled to 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Ellis Trick-or-Treat So Others Can Eat postponed to Oct. 30

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Enter to win Eagle Radio's Cash Grab

After a record-setting Saturday, Ellis County and most of western Kansas is under a high wind advisory and red flag warning on Sunday.

The K-State Ag Research Center in Hays said the 90-degree high reached on Saturday was a record high for the date.

A strong front entering western Kansas will bring strong southwest winds, with gusts up to 55 mph. The National Weather Service in Dodge City is advising against travel, as there is a high risk of blowing dust and increased risk of wildfires.

The wind will persist until after midnight, and the mercury again is expected to approach 90 degrees Sunday. A high of just 56 degrees is predicted on Monday, and the next potential precipitation will be Thursday night, the NWS said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666541038160.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After a record-setting Saturday, Ellis County and most of western Kansas is under a high wind advisory and red flag warning on Sunday.The K-State Ag Research Center in Hays said the 90-degree high reached on Saturday was a record high for the date.A strong front entering western Kansas will bring strong southwest winds, with gusts up to 55 mph. The National Weather Service in Dodge City is advising against travel, as there is a high risk of blowing dust and increased risk of wildfires.The wind will persist until after midnight, and the mercury again is expected to approach 90 degrees Sunday. A high of just 56 degrees is predicted on Monday, and the next potential precipitation will be Thursday night, the NWS said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Strong southwest winds gusting to over 55 mph will be expected tomorrow afternoon. Blowing dust and possibly smoke will reduce visibility in places. Travel is not recommended. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nwsddc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nwsddc</a> <a href="https://t.co/ykFJHO4ufI">pic.twitter.com/ykFJHO4ufI</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1583938000106319872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

Record Saturday, followed by red flag warning Sunday

On this episode of the Post Podcast Wilson Elementary principal, Anita Schieve shares information about the district's first parent-teacher conference of the year.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e72721bf-17fe-43d1-a428-8eb7c32185ff">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 Wilson Elementary principal, Anita Schieve shares information about the district's first parent-teacher conference of the year.<div><iframe title="USD 489 prepares for parent-teacher conferences" 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=pv78y-12f4a0a-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://hayspost.com/posts/e72721bf-17fe-43d1-a428-8eb7c32185ff">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

🎙 Post Podcast: USD 489 prepares for first parent-teacher conference of the year

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The amazing sculptures of Sayaka Ganz will be shown at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History from now through Dec. 30.

Ganz used reclaimed plastic objects such as discarded utensils, like brush strokes, which appear visibly unified at a distance though separated at close proximity.

She describes her style as “3D impressionism.” Sculptures in the exhibition include recent installations of animals in motion, which are rich in color and energy and create an illusion of form.

The amazing sculptures of Ganz have been displayed at the Hermann Geiger Foundation in Cecina, Italy, and the Isle Gallery, Isle of Man. 

Commissions of work by Ganz include a series of four marine life sculptures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and an underwater scene with right whale and various schools of fish in the atrium of the Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral, Fla.

Ganz was born in Yokohama, Japan, and grew up living in Japan, Brazil, and Hong Kong.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington and a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

She has lectured widely and taught design and drawing courses at Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne between 2002 and 2012. She was the subject of a video titled SAYAKA GANZ: Danz Della Natura produced by the Hermann Geiger Foundation which is available on-line at: h<a href="ttps://player.vimeo.com/video/62684324">ttps://player.vimeo.com/video/62684324</a>.

About her work, the artist says, “My work is about perceiving harmony, even in situations that appear chaotic from the inside. When observing my sculptures up close, one might see gaps, holes and items being held on only by small points.

"Step away, however, and the sculptures reveal the harmony created when the objects are aligned to the same general (but not identical) direction. Similarly, it is important to gain perspective by stepping back from current problems and look at the larger picture. Then one can perceive the beauty and patterns that exist.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666383835449.jpeg" alt="Artist Sayaka Ganz "Emergence"&nbsp; is part of the "Reclaimed Creation'"exhibit now on display at the Sternberg Museum. Photo by Valentina Ragozzino" />
 <figcaption>Artist Sayaka Ganz "Emergence"&nbsp; is part of the "Reclaimed Creation'"exhibit now on display at the Sternberg Museum. Photo by Valentina Ragozzino</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe amazing sculptures of Sayaka Ganz will be shown at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History from now through Dec. 30.Ganz used reclaimed plastic objects such as discarded utensils, like brush strokes, which appear visibly unified at a distance though separated at close proximity.She describes her style as “3D impressionism.” Sculptures in the exhibition include recent installations of animals in motion, which are rich in color and energy and create an illusion of form.The amazing sculptures of Ganz have been displayed at the Hermann Geiger Foundation in Cecina, Italy, and the Isle Gallery, Isle of Man. Commissions of work by Ganz include a series of four marine life sculptures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and an underwater scene with right whale and various schools of fish in the atrium of the Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral, Fla.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666383881186.jpeg" alt=""Explorers" by Sayaka Ganz " />
 <figcaption>"Explorers" by Sayaka Ganz </figcaption>
 </figure>Ganz was born in Yokohama, Japan, and grew up living in Japan, Brazil, and Hong Kong.She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington and a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.She has lectured widely and taught design and drawing courses at Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne between 2002 and 2012. She was the subject of a video titled SAYAKA GANZ: Danz Della Natura produced by the Hermann Geiger Foundation which is available on-line at: h<a href="ttps://player.vimeo.com/video/62684324">ttps://player.vimeo.com/video/62684324</a>.About her work, the artist says, “My work is about perceiving harmony, even in situations that appear chaotic from the inside. When observing my sculptures up close, one might see gaps, holes and items being held on only by small points."Step away, however, and the sculptures reveal the harmony created when the objects are aligned to the same general (but not identical) direction. Similarly, it is important to gain perspective by stepping back from current problems and look at the larger picture. Then one can perceive the beauty and patterns that exist.”

'Reclaimed Creation' on exhibit at Sternberg Museum

Project meant to prove transfers of water could help save disappearing aquifer

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/10/21/officials-plan-to-truck-6000-gallons-of-water-from-missouri-river-across-kansas/">Missouri Independent</a>

An agency charged with conserving groundwater in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/09/southwest-kansas-water-crisis-through-eyes-of-a-liberal-farmer-this-drought-is-real/">arid western Kansas</a>&nbsp;plans to truck thousands of gallons of water from the Missouri River nearly 400 miles almost to the Colorado border.

Half of the 6,000 gallons drawn from the river will be poured onto a 
property in Wichita County. The other half will be taken into Colorado.

Groundwater Management District 3, in southwestern Kansas, received a
 permit from state water authorities for the project, which is expected 
to cost the district $7,000. The district manager Mark Rude said it’s 
designed to prove large-scale movement of water could be a tool to keep 
the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/29/western-kansas-economy-threatened-by-reliance-on-irrigating-crops-with-ogallala-aquifer/">Ogallala Aquifer</a>&nbsp;from drying up.

“Basically moving water from where it’s in excess to where it’s in short supply,” Rude said.

But other groundwater management officials say it’s a distraction 
from the far more urgent task of conserving water that’s quickly 
disappearing from under Kansans’ feet.

“For one, it’s a waste of water,” said Shannon Kenyon, who manages Groundwater Management District 4 in northwest Kansas.

She said: “Their idea instead of telling their producers, ‘You need 
to cut back,’ is to just dump water all over western Kansas.”

The Ogallala Aquifer, America’s largest underground reservoir, has 
been in decline for decades —&nbsp;since soon after farmers started pumping 
the underground water to cultivate crops following World War II.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/09/nonrenewable-resource-as-western-kansas-dries-up-legislature-revisits-water-policy/">Some parts of the aquifer have half the water they had before irrigation</a>&nbsp;on the aquifer began. In some areas, there’s only about 10 years of water left.

Loss of the aquifer would fundamentally alter life in western Kansas 
and destroy farmers’ livelihoods. There’s little surface water since 
streams that reliably flowed through the area in 1961 all but 
disappeared, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/HighPlains/HPA_Atlas/index.html">Kansas Geological Survey</a>.

Officials have pursued a number of strategies to help the aquifer, 
including equipping farmers with probes to measure moisture under the 
ground to help them water their crops more conservatively without 
reducing their yield, and reaching agreements with farmers to cut their 
use.

Rude’s hope with the effort to truck water is to prove that 
transferring water from where it’s more plentiful or where an area has 
become flooded is feasible. One such idea is known as the Kansas 
Aqueduct, which would pump water uphill from the Missouri River at 
Kansas’ eastern border to western Kansas.

There are no formal efforts underway to make the longshot project a 
reality, Rude said, but his district’s website houses a presentation on 
the idea, and he has touted it to the Kansas Legislature in the past.

Rude said going through the regulatory process necessary to truck the
 water across the state helps walk water officials through the process 
in preparation for whatever larger project might come along.

“And so what’s the right project? Well, I don’t know. We don’t know 
yet,” Rude said. “… So you take steps and you evaluate and you learn, 
and this (proof of concept) is part of that process for the board of the
 Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District.”

Earl Lewis, the state’s chief engineer, who signed off on the permit,
 said the state’s Division of Water Resources didn’t see the district’s 
project as comparable to a larger water transfer.

“You’re not really demonstrating that you could transfer a large 
amount of water by hauling 6,000 gallons of water across the state,” 
Lewis said. “I mean, that happens all the time in the state of Kansas.”

Kansas House Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, called it a “political stunt.”

“For the sake of local farmers and families, and for the future of 
our entire state, I hope GMD 3 starts to take its responsibility 
seriously, and soon,” she said. “Time is running out.”

Groundwater management districts 1 and 4, which are north of Rude’s 
near the Colorado border, are taking different approaches to saving the 
Ogallala. Shannon Kenyon in district 4 said western Kansas needs to 
focus on conserving water now while an aqueduct could take decades to 
get off the ground.

“Am I against it? No,” she said. “But do I think it’s fantasy? Yes.”

Katie Duhram, who manages Groundwater Management District 1, noted 
the district’s board chose not to participate in the project though the 
Wichita County farm that will receive 3,000 gallons of water lies in the
 district’s territory.

Durham said it’s always smart to look for projects that could help in the future.

“But I think it’s also important to take steps towards managing the 
resource that you have in order to address decline in the Ogallala in 
order to protect the local communities because again,” Durham said.

Both Durham and Kenyon’s districts have established local enhanced 
management areas, or LEMAs, which allow the GMD to enforce reductions in
 groundwater use. Durham’s district is working to establish a LEMA 
covering the whole district.

Rude said his district is conserving water by providing information 
to well owners on the amount they’ve pumped from the aquifer, how that 
compares to their neighbors and how they’re affecting the long-term 
health of the aquifer.

“That information is key for people in their voluntary conservation 
efforts as well as discussions for collective limits to further conserve
 the groundwater supply,” Rude said.

At this time, he said, there are no discussions about establishing a LEMA to require reductions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666368733725.png" alt="The dry bed of the Arkansas River near the Santa Fe Trail crossing at Cimarron, Kansas. The Ogallala aquifer groundwater levels in much of western Kansas started dropping in the 1950s as pumping increased, according to the Kansas Geological Survey (File Photo / Max McCoy)." />
 <figcaption>The dry bed of the Arkansas River near the Santa Fe Trail crossing at Cimarron, Kansas. The Ogallala aquifer groundwater levels in much of western Kansas started dropping in the 1950s as pumping increased, according to the Kansas Geological Survey (File Photo / Max McCoy).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Project meant to prove transfers of water could help save disappearing aquifer</h2>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/10/21/officials-plan-to-truck-6000-gallons-of-water-from-missouri-river-across-kansas/">Missouri Independent</a>An agency charged with conserving groundwater in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/09/southwest-kansas-water-crisis-through-eyes-of-a-liberal-farmer-this-drought-is-real/">arid western Kansas</a>&nbsp;plans to truck thousands of gallons of water from the Missouri River nearly 400 miles almost to the Colorado border.Half of the 6,000 gallons drawn from the river will be poured onto a 
property in Wichita County. The other half will be taken into Colorado.Groundwater Management District 3, in southwestern Kansas, received a
 permit from state water authorities for the project, which is expected 
to cost the district $7,000. The district manager Mark Rude said it’s 
designed to prove large-scale movement of water could be a tool to keep 
the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/29/western-kansas-economy-threatened-by-reliance-on-irrigating-crops-with-ogallala-aquifer/">Ogallala Aquifer</a>&nbsp;from drying up.“Basically moving water from where it’s in excess to where it’s in short supply,” Rude said.But other groundwater management officials say it’s a distraction 
from the far more urgent task of conserving water that’s quickly 
disappearing from under Kansans’ feet.“For one, it’s a waste of water,” said Shannon Kenyon, who manages Groundwater Management District 4 in northwest Kansas.She said: “Their idea instead of telling their producers, ‘You need 
to cut back,’ is to just dump water all over western Kansas.”The Ogallala Aquifer, America’s largest underground reservoir, has 
been in decline for decades —&nbsp;since soon after farmers started pumping 
the underground water to cultivate crops following World War II.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/09/nonrenewable-resource-as-western-kansas-dries-up-legislature-revisits-water-policy/">Some parts of the aquifer have half the water they had before irrigation</a>&nbsp;on the aquifer began. In some areas, there’s only about 10 years of water left.Loss of the aquifer would fundamentally alter life in western Kansas 
and destroy farmers’ livelihoods. There’s little surface water since 
streams that reliably flowed through the area in 1961 all but 
disappeared, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/HighPlains/HPA_Atlas/index.html">Kansas Geological Survey</a>.Officials have pursued a number of strategies to help the aquifer, 
including equipping farmers with probes to measure moisture under the 
ground to help them water their crops more conservatively without 
reducing their yield, and reaching agreements with farmers to cut their 
use.Rude’s hope with the effort to truck water is to prove that 
transferring water from where it’s more plentiful or where an area has 
become flooded is feasible. One such idea is known as the Kansas 
Aqueduct, which would pump water uphill from the Missouri River at 
Kansas’ eastern border to western Kansas.There are no formal efforts underway to make the longshot project a 
reality, Rude said, but his district’s website houses a presentation on 
the idea, and he has touted it to the Kansas Legislature in the past.Rude said going through the regulatory process necessary to truck the
 water across the state helps walk water officials through the process 
in preparation for whatever larger project might come along.“And so what’s the right project? Well, I don’t know. We don’t know 
yet,” Rude said. “… So you take steps and you evaluate and you learn, 
and this (proof of concept) is part of that process for the board of the
 Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District.”Earl Lewis, the state’s chief engineer, who signed off on the permit,
 said the state’s Division of Water Resources didn’t see the district’s 
project as comparable to a larger water transfer.“You’re not really demonstrating that you could transfer a large 
amount of water by hauling 6,000 gallons of water across the state,” 
Lewis said. “I mean, that happens all the time in the state of Kansas.”Kansas House Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, called it a “political stunt.”“For the sake of local farmers and families, and for the future of 
our entire state, I hope GMD 3 starts to take its responsibility 
seriously, and soon,” she said. “Time is running out.”Groundwater management districts 1 and 4, which are north of Rude’s 
near the Colorado border, are taking different approaches to saving the 
Ogallala. Shannon Kenyon in district 4 said western Kansas needs to 
focus on conserving water now while an aqueduct could take decades to 
get off the ground.“Am I against it? No,” she said. “But do I think it’s fantasy? Yes.”Katie Duhram, who manages Groundwater Management District 1, noted 
the district’s board chose not to participate in the project though the 
Wichita County farm that will receive 3,000 gallons of water lies in the
 district’s territory.Durham said it’s always smart to look for projects that could help in the future.“But I think it’s also important to take steps towards managing the 
resource that you have in order to address decline in the Ogallala in 
order to protect the local communities because again,” Durham said.Both Durham and Kenyon’s districts have established local enhanced 
management areas, or LEMAs, which allow the GMD to enforce reductions in
 groundwater use. Durham’s district is working to establish a LEMA 
covering the whole district.Rude said his district is conserving water by providing information 
to well owners on the amount they’ve pumped from the aquifer, how that 
compares to their neighbors and how they’re affecting the long-term 
health of the aquifer.“That information is key for people in their voluntary conservation 
efforts as well as discussions for collective limits to further conserve
 the groundwater supply,” Rude said.At this time, he said, there are no discussions about establishing a LEMA to require reductions.

6,000 gallons of water from Missouri River headed to western Kan.

WICHITA — Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;joined the Kansas Department of Transportation last week to announce&nbsp;that&nbsp;more than $11 million will be awarded to 14 transportation construction projects&nbsp;as part of the Fall 2022&nbsp;Cost Share Program.With these grants, more than $114 million in state funding has&nbsp;been invested in&nbsp;over130 Kansas communities through the Cost Share program since&nbsp;it was founded in 2019.&nbsp;

“Quality infrastructure is the foundation of strong communities, which is why my administration has invested over $114 million in our roads, trails, and bridges since the start of the Cost Share program,” Kelly said. “Congratulations to each of our Cost Share awardees. Thank you for the work you do to continue building a beautiful, vibrant and safe Kansas.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;For each project, cities and counties&nbsp;match state&nbsp;funding&nbsp;50/50, bringing&nbsp;the total investment for this Cost Share round to $22 million.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fall 2022 Cost Share recipients and projects include:&nbsp;

View a map of Cost Share projects&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMjEuNjU1MDUyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjIvMTAvRmFsbC0yMDIyLUNvc3QtU2hhcmUtTWFwLXNpbmNlLTIwMTktMTAxNzIyLmpwZyJ9.e7YDGRs8ZahZGQdb1qMbgfq9GcjgGeskYRZGx8PnONc/s/1372079104/br/146577327282-l" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;More information about KDOT’s Cost Share Program is on KDOT’s website at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMjEuNjU1MDUyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5rc2RvdC5vcmcvQ29zdFNoYXJlL0Nvc3RTaGFyZVByb2dyYW0uYXNwIn0.l9FCM2chThCBwzfA-mmuieP5NejX5P8PD7bhrumapU0/s/1372079104/br/146577327282-l" target="_blank">https://www.ksdot.org/CostShare/CostShareProgram.asp</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Office of the GovernorWICHITA — Gov. Laura Kelly&nbsp;joined the Kansas Department of Transportation last week to announce&nbsp;that&nbsp;more than $11 million will be awarded to 14 transportation construction projects&nbsp;as part of the Fall 2022&nbsp;Cost Share Program.With these grants, more than $114 million in state funding has&nbsp;been invested in&nbsp;over130 Kansas communities through the Cost Share program since&nbsp;it was founded in 2019.&nbsp;“Quality infrastructure is the foundation of strong communities, which is why my administration has invested over $114 million in our roads, trails, and bridges since the start of the Cost Share program,” Kelly said. “Congratulations to each of our Cost Share awardees. Thank you for the work you do to continue building a beautiful, vibrant and safe Kansas.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For each project, cities and counties&nbsp;match state&nbsp;funding&nbsp;50/50, bringing&nbsp;the total investment for this Cost Share round to $22 million.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fall 2022 Cost Share recipients and projects include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>City of Auburn –&nbsp;Auburn Road and 8th&nbsp;Street Pedestrian Crossing Improvements - $252, 359.25&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Barnes&nbsp;– Barnes Street Reconstruction - $1,485,440&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Cheney –&nbsp;ADA Curb Ramp Installation - $91,392&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of El Dorado –&nbsp;Central Avenue Improvements - $1,000,000&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Ellinwood –&nbsp;Ellinwood Tunnels Sidewalk Improvements - $212,880&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Garden City –&nbsp;East Side Pedestrian Pathway/Sidewalk Expansion - $1,500,000&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Hays&nbsp;– 13th&nbsp;Street Reconstruction – Hays High School to Commerce Pkwy - $1,200,000&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Holton&nbsp;– Banner Road Improvements - $225,720&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Hutchinson&nbsp;– Woodie Seat Freeway Improvement Project - $1,500,000&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Marion&nbsp;– Elm Street and Locus Street Improvements - $162,890&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Osawatomie&nbsp;– 6th&nbsp;Street Reconstruction - $1,500,000&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation&nbsp;– 158th&nbsp;Street Full Depth Replacement - $1,500,000&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Sheridan County –&nbsp;Sheridan Avenue Road Improvement - $500,000&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>City of Udall-&nbsp;Williams Street Sidewalk Addition - $16,900&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>View a map of Cost Share projects&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMjEuNjU1MDUyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjIvMTAvRmFsbC0yMDIyLUNvc3QtU2hhcmUtTWFwLXNpbmNlLTIwMTktMTAxNzIyLmpwZyJ9.e7YDGRs8ZahZGQdb1qMbgfq9GcjgGeskYRZGx8PnONc/s/1372079104/br/146577327282-l" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;More information about KDOT’s Cost Share Program is on KDOT’s website at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMjEuNjU1MDUyOTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5rc2RvdC5vcmcvQ29zdFNoYXJlL0Nvc3RTaGFyZVByb2dyYW0uYXNwIn0.l9FCM2chThCBwzfA-mmuieP5NejX5P8PD7bhrumapU0/s/1372079104/br/146577327282-l" target="_blank">https://www.ksdot.org/CostShare/CostShareProgram.asp</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hays, Sheridan County among road construction grant recipients

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666375353167.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>

In this month's Hays Chamber&nbsp;of Commerce&nbsp;candidate forum, Democrat Ed Hammond&nbsp;brought up the issue of “dark money” being spent in the&nbsp;state&nbsp;representative race between&nbsp;incumbentState Representative Barb Wasinger and him. &nbsp;Dark money seems to be&nbsp;a&nbsp;big&nbsp;bugaboo for&nbsp;Democrat&nbsp;Hammond&nbsp;(Hammond was a registered Republican until May&nbsp;of this year when hea dmittedly approached the Democrat party&nbsp;&nbsp;to run for office).

A close second, however,&nbsp;is&nbsp;his&nbsp;disdain&nbsp;for the Kansas Chamber’s&nbsp;audacity to support&nbsp;various Kansas&nbsp;candidates&nbsp;with a campaign contribution. Apparently, giving the maximum dollar donation of $500 to candidates somehow&nbsp;beholdens&nbsp;them to vote for every issue the Kansas Chamber champions.

I was curious about his comments, so I decided to evaluate his claims.&nbsp;What I found&nbsp;truly illustrates&nbsp;the&nbsp;sort of&nbsp;blatant hypocrisy that&nbsp;has infiltrated our politics&nbsp;for far too long&nbsp;and eroded our trust&nbsp;in our institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2020,&nbsp;Democrat Barbara Bollier,&nbsp;who ran against&nbsp;now&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, was the beneficiary of&nbsp;over&nbsp;$20 Million dollars of campaign contributions,&nbsp;the majority of which came&nbsp;from out-of-state contributors&nbsp;and&nbsp;Super PACs, exactly&nbsp;what Hammond&nbsp;would&nbsp;describe as dark money. &nbsp;This year, Democrat Governor Laura Kelly is the recipient of millions of dollars of out of state money and dark money campaign donations.&nbsp;I have yet to see any opposition to the dark money being spent on behalf of Democrat Kelly either.&nbsp;

Indeed,&nbsp;a quick review of Hammond’s own financial disclosures shows&nbsp;he&nbsp;has&nbsp;too&nbsp;taken&nbsp;PAC&nbsp;money. His disclosures&nbsp;also show he has taken money&nbsp;from&nbsp;representatives of the Kansas Medical Society,&nbsp;a proponent of Obamacare expansion, a program&nbsp;he is more than happy to vocally support.&nbsp;Hammond,&nbsp;local,&nbsp;state&nbsp;and national Democrats&nbsp;are apparently perfectly fine&nbsp;with taking the “right kind”&nbsp;money from&nbsp;PACs&nbsp;or special interests when&nbsp;it works in their&nbsp;favor but promote a&nbsp;narrative&nbsp;about how corrupt Republicans are for accepting similar contributions.

More interesting is Hammond’s incessant railing against the Kansas Chamber and its&nbsp;purported&nbsp;terrible influence on candidates he and other state and local Democrats oppose. &nbsp;You see, according to them, if a candidate takes a donation from the Kansas Chamber,&nbsp;that candidate is automatically considered corrupted and state representatives and senators who do so&nbsp;are&nbsp;deemed to be incapable of&nbsp;voting for an issue&nbsp;which in their view is&nbsp;in the best interests&nbsp;of the people they serve.

But here is the most interesting aspect of Hammond’s&nbsp;claims. &nbsp;He served on the Board of&nbsp;Directors of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce&nbsp;for&nbsp;a number of&nbsp;years.&nbsp;How&nbsp;is it&nbsp;acceptable to take a seat on the Kansas Chamber’s board,&nbsp;then&nbsp;turn around and bash it every chance he gets for being a bad influence on Kansas legislators?

I don’t know about everyone else, but&nbsp;from&nbsp;my perspective&nbsp;Democrat Hammond’s criticism of dark money and the Kansas Chamber rings hollow and represents the height of hypocrisy. &nbsp;I believe in our political system, and I believe we can do better. That is why I am voting for&nbsp;Representative Barb Wasinger.&nbsp;I believe our&nbsp;community&nbsp;needs someone who we know lives her values, says what she means, and is focused on real issues that Kansas voters care about.&nbsp;

In this month's Hays Chamber&nbsp;of Commerce&nbsp;candidate forum, Democrat Ed Hammond&nbsp;brought up the issue of “dark money” being spent in the&nbsp;state&nbsp;representative race between&nbsp;incumbentState Representative Barb Wasinger and him. &nbsp;Dark money seems to be&nbsp;a&nbsp;big&nbsp;bugaboo for&nbsp;Democrat&nbsp;Hammond&nbsp;(Hammond was a registered Republican until May&nbsp;of this year when hea dmittedly approached the Democrat party&nbsp;&nbsp;to run for office).A close second, however,&nbsp;is&nbsp;his&nbsp;disdain&nbsp;for the Kansas Chamber’s&nbsp;audacity to support&nbsp;various Kansas&nbsp;candidates&nbsp;with a campaign contribution. Apparently, giving the maximum dollar donation of $500 to candidates somehow&nbsp;beholdens&nbsp;them to vote for every issue the Kansas Chamber champions.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>I was curious about his comments, so I decided to evaluate his claims.&nbsp;What I found&nbsp;truly illustrates&nbsp;the&nbsp;sort of&nbsp;blatant hypocrisy that&nbsp;has infiltrated our politics&nbsp;for far too long&nbsp;and eroded our trust&nbsp;in our institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2020,&nbsp;Democrat Barbara Bollier,&nbsp;who ran against&nbsp;now&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, was the beneficiary of&nbsp;over&nbsp;$20 Million dollars of campaign contributions,&nbsp;the majority of which came&nbsp;from out-of-state contributors&nbsp;and&nbsp;Super PACs, exactly&nbsp;what Hammond&nbsp;would&nbsp;describe as dark money. &nbsp;This year, Democrat Governor Laura Kelly is the recipient of millions of dollars of out of state money and dark money campaign donations.&nbsp;I have yet to see any opposition to the dark money being spent on behalf of Democrat Kelly either.&nbsp;Indeed,&nbsp;a quick review of Hammond’s own financial disclosures shows&nbsp;he&nbsp;has&nbsp;too&nbsp;taken&nbsp;PAC&nbsp;money. His disclosures&nbsp;also show he has taken money&nbsp;from&nbsp;representatives of the Kansas Medical Society,&nbsp;a proponent of Obamacare expansion, a program&nbsp;he is more than happy to vocally support.&nbsp;Hammond,&nbsp;local,&nbsp;state&nbsp;and national Democrats&nbsp;are apparently perfectly fine&nbsp;with taking the “right kind”&nbsp;money from&nbsp;PACs&nbsp;or special interests when&nbsp;it works in their&nbsp;favor but promote a&nbsp;narrative&nbsp;about how corrupt Republicans are for accepting similar contributions.More interesting is Hammond’s incessant railing against the Kansas Chamber and its&nbsp;purported&nbsp;terrible influence on candidates he and other state and local Democrats oppose. &nbsp;You see, according to them, if a candidate takes a donation from the Kansas Chamber,&nbsp;that candidate is automatically considered corrupted and state representatives and senators who do so&nbsp;are&nbsp;deemed to be incapable of&nbsp;voting for an issue&nbsp;which in their view is&nbsp;in the best interests&nbsp;of the people they serve.But here is the most interesting aspect of Hammond’s&nbsp;claims. &nbsp;He served on the Board of&nbsp;Directors of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce&nbsp;for&nbsp;a number of&nbsp;years.&nbsp;How&nbsp;is it&nbsp;acceptable to take a seat on the Kansas Chamber’s board,&nbsp;then&nbsp;turn around and bash it every chance he gets for being a bad influence on Kansas legislators?I don’t know about everyone else, but&nbsp;from&nbsp;my perspective&nbsp;Democrat Hammond’s criticism of dark money and the Kansas Chamber rings hollow and represents the height of hypocrisy. &nbsp;I believe in our political system, and I believe we can do better. That is why I am voting for&nbsp;Representative Barb Wasinger.&nbsp;I believe our&nbsp;community&nbsp;needs someone who we know lives her values, says what she means, and is focused on real issues that Kansas voters care about.&nbsp;Chris McGowne, Hays

LETTER: The two faces of Ed Hammond

We all have stress. &nbsp;Did you know there are different kinds of stress? &nbsp;There are good kinds of stress that help us meet deadlines or get where we need to be.&nbsp;It is typically short term and subsides after the event.&nbsp;There is also stress that lasts for long periods of time or is severe, such as a divorce or a move. &nbsp;This is called chronic or toxic stress. &nbsp;Toxic stress can affect not only our mental health but also our physical health&nbsp;because that stress response stays elevated and wears out the body. &nbsp;This may leave a person feeling overwhelmed&nbsp;and affect their bodily systems.

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of life’s stressors.&nbsp;This may not be as easy as it sounds as sometimes the sources of stress may not be so obvious. For example, it might be your time management that causes stress—NOT the demands of your duty! To identify true sources of stress, it is important to look at your habits, attitude and excuses. Then, ask yourself: Can I eliminate the source of my stress? What are some healthier methods of managing and coping with my stress? You can either change your reaction or change the situation. In addition to a take-charge approach and positive attitude, you can reduce stress by nurturing yourself with a healthy lifestyle and by making time for fun and relaxation. This will help you be in a better place when life’s stressors come knocking.

Taking time for yourself and doing something you enjoy everyday can also be important in not only stress reduction but just taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. &nbsp;What do you enjoy doing? &nbsp;Some people enjoy taking a walk every day. &nbsp;Some people may find any form of exercise a stress reliever. &nbsp;Other people may find that doing some sort of art or craft relaxing. &nbsp;The important thing is finding something that works for you and makes you feel happy&nbsp;or makes you laugh. &nbsp;Laughing can be a huge stress reliever.

If you would like more information on stress relief, feel free to contact the office to obtain the fact sheet on Stress Management.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658934620122.png" alt="Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. " />
 <figcaption>Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. </figcaption>
 </figure>We all have stress. &nbsp;Did you know there are different kinds of stress? &nbsp;There are good kinds of stress that help us meet deadlines or get where we need to be.&nbsp;It is typically short term and subsides after the event.&nbsp;There is also stress that lasts for long periods of time or is severe, such as a divorce or a move. &nbsp;This is called chronic or toxic stress. &nbsp;Toxic stress can affect not only our mental health but also our physical health&nbsp;because that stress response stays elevated and wears out the body. &nbsp;This may leave a person feeling overwhelmed&nbsp;and affect their bodily systems.Stress management starts with identifying the sources of life’s stressors.&nbsp;This may not be as easy as it sounds as sometimes the sources of stress may not be so obvious. For example, it might be your time management that causes stress—NOT the demands of your duty! To identify true sources of stress, it is important to look at your habits, attitude and excuses. Then, ask yourself: Can I eliminate the source of my stress? What are some healthier methods of managing and coping with my stress? You can either change your reaction or change the situation. In addition to a take-charge approach and positive attitude, you can reduce stress by nurturing yourself with a healthy lifestyle and by making time for fun and relaxation. This will help you be in a better place when life’s stressors come knocking.Taking time for yourself and doing something you enjoy everyday can also be important in not only stress reduction but just taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. &nbsp;What do you enjoy doing? &nbsp;Some people enjoy taking a walk every day. &nbsp;Some people may find any form of exercise a stress reliever. &nbsp;Other people may find that doing some sort of art or craft relaxing. &nbsp;The important thing is finding something that works for you and makes you feel happy&nbsp;or makes you laugh. &nbsp;Laughing can be a huge stress reliever.If you would like more information on stress relief, feel free to contact the office to obtain the fact sheet on Stress Management.Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:moniquek@ksu.edu">moniquek@ksu.edu</a>

KOERNER: Tips on dealing with stress

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“A few years ago, there were eight or nine empty buildings along our main street. Now, it’s hard to even find an open office space downtown.”&nbsp;

That quote comes from a businesswoman who has observed the resurgence of businesses in her community of Council Grove. This downtown, independent business renaissance has been led by women.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Last week we met Jennifer Kassebaum, who recently opened a bookstore in Council Grove. Her business is one of many new enterprises downtown. Julie Hower, president and CEO of Farmers &amp; Drovers Bank in Council Grove, recently convened a group of downtown business owners. They met in the office of Zoey Bond, executive director of the Council Grove Area Trade and Tourism Association, and shared about their businesses.&nbsp;

Lindsey Forge is the owner of Weathered Wood Home, a vintage home décor furnishing business.&nbsp;

As a mother of four, she was a stay-at-home mom for eight years who found she enjoyed woodworking and building furniture. “This became a hobby that got out of control,” Lindsey said with a smile.&nbsp;

She started using reclaimed barn wood to make picture frames and expanded to offer candles and many other types of home décor products. In addition to her online business, she opened a downtown boutique in Council Grove in 2016.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.weatheredwoodhome.com/">www.weatheredwoodhome.com</a>.&nbsp;

In 2020, Nicky Tiffany opened The Territory Ballroom, a coworking, lodging, and event space in a historic building downtown.&nbsp;

In addition to available short-term offices, it has open space that is designed for weddings and other events plus a sumptuous bridal suite.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theterritoryballroom.com/">www.theterritoryballroom.com</a>.&nbsp;

Lindsay Gant and Deidre Knight, their husbands and a friend are partners at Riverbank Brewing, a new brewery in the converted armory building in downtown Council Grove.&nbsp;

It is located next to the Neosho River, with craft beers on tap and indoor and outdoor venues to enjoy them. The facility is also available to be rented for special events.&nbsp;

On-tap craft beers include Thrill Hills Kolsch, Rio Salado Mexican lager, Legends Never Die chocolate porter, and one called The IPA With No Name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Craft cocktails, charcuterie boards and more are on the menu.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.riverbankbrewing.com/">www.riverbankbrewing.com</a>.&nbsp;

In that same building, Deidre operates an online screenprinting and embroidery business called Twin Lakes Tees, plus a social media and marketing business called Story Media.&nbsp;

That enterprise works in web design, branding, and event management.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twinlakestees.com/">www.twinlakestees.com</a>&nbsp;and<a href="http://www.storymediacompany.com/">www.storymediacompany.com</a>.&nbsp;

A few blocks west along Main Street is a building with a garage door on the front.&nbsp;&nbsp;It looks like it could have been an auto dealership years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;That is now the home of a business called The Dealership Building, owned by Amanda McDonald and her husband.&nbsp;

It is a multi-use space with a retail store featuring antiques and other specialty products such as soaps, candles, and candy on consignment. The Dealership also offers a micro-shop space and incubator kitchen for other entrepreneurs.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thedealershipcg.com/">www.thedealershipcg.com</a>.&nbsp;

All this is in addition to Dee Gieswein’s Farmers Insurance agency and Shirley and Ken McClintock’s Trail Days Café and Museum that have been the topics of past Kansas Profiles features.&nbsp;

“When I started, I was the only woman in our business district,” Gieswein said.&nbsp;

Bond added: “In addition to these women, we have another six, women-owned businesses.”&nbsp;

What is causing these women to open these new businesses in Council Grove?&nbsp;

How exciting to find these entrepreneurial women leading a resurgence of business in the rural community of Council Grove, population 2,140 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information about the community, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.councilgrove.com/">www.councilgrove.com</a>.&nbsp;

From closed buildings downtown to a vibrant set of new businesses, Council Grove has experienced this downtown renaissance. We commend these women ruralpreneurs for making a difference with their initiative and investment.&nbsp;

Thanks to their efforts, this downtown is experiencing an upturn.&nbsp;

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665580765760.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development“A few years ago, there were eight or nine empty buildings along our main street. Now, it’s hard to even find an open office space downtown.”&nbsp;That quote comes from a businesswoman who has observed the resurgence of businesses in her community of Council Grove. This downtown, independent business renaissance has been led by women.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Last week we met Jennifer Kassebaum, who recently opened a bookstore in Council Grove. Her business is one of many new enterprises downtown. Julie Hower, president and CEO of Farmers &amp; Drovers Bank in Council Grove, recently convened a group of downtown business owners. They met in the office of Zoey Bond, executive director of the Council Grove Area Trade and Tourism Association, and shared about their businesses.&nbsp;For example:&nbsp;Lindsey Forge is the owner of Weathered Wood Home, a vintage home décor furnishing business.&nbsp;As a mother of four, she was a stay-at-home mom for eight years who found she enjoyed woodworking and building furniture. “This became a hobby that got out of control,” Lindsey said with a smile.&nbsp;She started using reclaimed barn wood to make picture frames and expanded to offer candles and many other types of home décor products. In addition to her online business, she opened a downtown boutique in Council Grove in 2016.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.weatheredwoodhome.com/">www.weatheredwoodhome.com</a>.&nbsp;In 2020, Nicky Tiffany opened The Territory Ballroom, a coworking, lodging, and event space in a historic building downtown.&nbsp;In addition to available short-term offices, it has open space that is designed for weddings and other events plus a sumptuous bridal suite.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theterritoryballroom.com/">www.theterritoryballroom.com</a>.&nbsp;Lindsay Gant and Deidre Knight, their husbands and a friend are partners at Riverbank Brewing, a new brewery in the converted armory building in downtown Council Grove.&nbsp;It is located next to the Neosho River, with craft beers on tap and indoor and outdoor venues to enjoy them. The facility is also available to be rented for special events.&nbsp;On-tap craft beers include Thrill Hills Kolsch, Rio Salado Mexican lager, Legends Never Die chocolate porter, and one called The IPA With No Name.&nbsp;&nbsp;Craft cocktails, charcuterie boards and more are on the menu.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.riverbankbrewing.com/">www.riverbankbrewing.com</a>.&nbsp;In that same building, Deidre operates an online screenprinting and embroidery business called Twin Lakes Tees, plus a social media and marketing business called Story Media.&nbsp;That enterprise works in web design, branding, and event management.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.twinlakestees.com/">www.twinlakestees.com</a>&nbsp;and<a href="http://www.storymediacompany.com/">www.storymediacompany.com</a>.&nbsp;A few blocks west along Main Street is a building with a garage door on the front.&nbsp;&nbsp;It looks like it could have been an auto dealership years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;That is now the home of a business called The Dealership Building, owned by Amanda McDonald and her husband.&nbsp;It is a multi-use space with a retail store featuring antiques and other specialty products such as soaps, candles, and candy on consignment. The Dealership also offers a micro-shop space and incubator kitchen for other entrepreneurs.&nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thedealershipcg.com/">www.thedealershipcg.com</a>.&nbsp;All this is in addition to Dee Gieswein’s Farmers Insurance agency and Shirley and Ken McClintock’s Trail Days Café and Museum that have been the topics of past Kansas Profiles features.&nbsp;“When I started, I was the only woman in our business district,” Gieswein said.&nbsp;Bond added: “In addition to these women, we have another six, women-owned businesses.”&nbsp;What is causing these women to open these new businesses in Council Grove?&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>“I love my community,” Gieswein said, adding, “Without Julie (Hower and her community bank), this would not have been here.”&nbsp;</li><li>“It’s for my kids,” Nicky Tiffany said.&nbsp;</li><li>“We moved here ten years ago, and my husband and I are choosing to be here,” Lindsay Forge said.&nbsp;</li><li>“I’m so thankful that the community is so supportive,” Amanda McDonald said.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>How exciting to find these entrepreneurial women leading a resurgence of business in the rural community of Council Grove, population 2,140 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information about the community, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.councilgrove.com/">www.councilgrove.com</a>.&nbsp;From closed buildings downtown to a vibrant set of new businesses, Council Grove has experienced this downtown renaissance. We commend these women ruralpreneurs for making a difference with their initiative and investment.&nbsp;Thanks to their efforts, this downtown is experiencing an upturn.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Council Grove 

THOMAS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Saturday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Peterbilt semi driven by Stacey Lee Rowling, 52, Fernley Nevada, was northbound on County Road 3 at approximately 55 mph. 

Another northbound semi loaded with round hay bales passed the Peterbilt semi. 

The Peterbilt semi then traveled in the ditch for approximately 75 yards. The driver attempted to bring it back to the road when i overturned. The power unit remained on the road and the trailer ended up in the ditch.

EMS transported Rowling to the Hospital in Colby. The driver was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

THOMAS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Saturday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Peterbilt semi driven by Stacey Lee Rowling, 52, Fernley Nevada, was northbound on County Road 3 at approximately 55 mph. Another northbound semi loaded with round hay bales passed the Peterbilt semi. The Peterbilt semi then traveled in the ditch for approximately 75 yards. The driver attempted to bring it back to the road when i overturned. The power unit remained on the road and the trailer ended up in the ditch.EMS transported Rowling to the Hospital in Colby. The driver was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Driver hospitalized after semi overturns in NW Kansas 

Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.6&nbsp;percent in September. This was an increase from 2.5 percent in August and a decrease from 3.0% in September 2021.

“The unemployment rate edged up to 2.6&nbsp;percent in September,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “Despite this small increase, the unemployment rate has remained below pre-pandemic rates each month since last September.”  

The Ellis County jobless rate fell a half a percentage point to 1.9 percent in September. The unemployment rate was less than 2 percent in Osborne, Smith, Norton and Greeley counties, as well. Only Decatur County — 3.6 percent — had a jobless rate higher than 3 percent in northwest Kansas.

Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 500 from August. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 1,600 over the month, while government decreased by 1,100.

“Kansas job estimates for the private sector indicate 2.5&nbsp;percent growth compared to last September,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “The manufacturing and trade, transportation, and utilities industries saw the largest gains during this period.”

Since September 2021 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 27,500. This change is due to an increase of 28,300 private sector jobs and a decrease of 800 government jobs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666455413163.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.6&nbsp;percent in September. This was an increase from 2.5 percent in August and a decrease from 3.0% in September 2021.“The unemployment rate edged up to 2.6&nbsp;percent in September,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “Despite this small increase, the unemployment rate has remained below pre-pandemic rates each month since last September.” The Ellis County jobless rate fell a half a percentage point to 1.9 percent in September. The unemployment rate was less than 2 percent in Osborne, Smith, Norton and Greeley counties, as well. Only Decatur County — 3.6 percent — had a jobless rate higher than 3 percent in northwest Kansas.Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 500 from August. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 1,600 over the month, while government decreased by 1,100.“Kansas job estimates for the private sector indicate 2.5&nbsp;percent growth compared to last September,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “The manufacturing and trade, transportation, and utilities industries saw the largest gains during this period.”Since September 2021 Kansas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 27,500. This change is due to an increase of 28,300 private sector jobs and a decrease of 800 government jobs.

Ellis Co. jobless rate falls below 2 percent in September

On this episode of the Post Podcast Glen McNeil shares information about the impacts of diet on bone health.

On this episode of the Post Podcast Glen McNeil shares information about the impacts of diet on bone health.<div><iframe title="Healthy diet helps create healthy bones" 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=at8m4-12f49ff-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://hayspost.com/posts/e72721bf-17fe-43d1-a428-8eb7c32185ff">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

🎙 Post Podcast: Healthy diet helps create healthy bones

By DAVE BERGMEIER <a href="https://www.hpj.com/bergmeier/wheat-industry-gets-boost-from-biofuel-protein-plant/article_a0fb1e92-4b23-11ed-a06a-e79815502268.html">High Plains Journal</a>

PHILLIPSBURG — A new wheat protein processing center is providing welcome news to the breadbasket of America.

In Phillipsburg, a corn ethanol plant is being retooled so that it can produce wheat-based biofuel and wheat protein (gluten) for the baking and pet food industries.

Amber Wave, through its parent 
group Summit Ag Investors, Alden, Iowa, purchased the Prairie Horizon 
Agri-Energy corn ethanol plant in summer 2021, said Chief Operating 
Officer Steve Adams.

While
 the converted plant will have the capacity to handle both crops in the 
future, the emphasis is on the construction and conversion to a wheat 
processing facility that will produce a wheat-based biofuel for the 
energy sector and wheat protein for bakers and pet food manufacturers, 
said CEO Randy Cimorelli.

The
 Prairie Horizon plant at the time of the purchase was producing 50 
million gallons a year of corn ethanol and in the short run will 
continue to produce that type of biofuel until the conversion to wheat 
takes place, Adams said.

In
 January, Amber Wave broke ground on the 27,500 hundredweight wheat 
flour mill that is currently under construction, he said. In addition to
 the mill, a wheat protein extraction facility is being built.

“We’ll
 grind about 20 million bushels of wheat per year, Adams said. “One 
hundred percent of the flour that comes out of that mill will go to our 
wheat protein extraction facility and ultimately we will produce in 
excess of 100 million pounds of finished wheat protein to sell to 
bakeries and pet food manufacturers.”

During
 protein extraction a mechanical process is involved that separates the 
starch from the protein, the protein can then be dried and packed in 
bags, totes or bulk, Adams said. The starch will then go to the ethanol 
plant.

Cimorelli said 
the focus of the plant will be as a wheat processing center for biofuel 
and protein production. “This country, as a whole, imports over 
70%—probably closer to 80%—of its wheat protein, or gluten, (each 
year),” Cimorelli said. “If you look at what’s been going on in the 
world the last few years we knew that if we could create a domestic 
source of manufacturing we would be a solution provider by helping our 
future customers eliminate the global supply chain challenges and 
constraints that they were faced with.”

Wheat protein, he said, is the “plant based protein of the world.” Our goal is to be the largest manufacturer in North America.

The
 interest in wheat as an alternative to corn has been well received by 
growers, he said. While Mother Nature can be unkind to growers 
regardless of crop, Cimorelli says the Phillipsburg plant is at the 
right location for them to leverage best possible outcomes. “We may have
 some years where we’ll need to go farther away (to secure wheat) for 
the plant but the opportunity for growers in the region and beyond is 
real.”

Cimorelli said 
he believes connections with Kansas State University, seed companies, 
grower organizations and farmers will produce protein that is beneficial
 for Amber Wave’s needs while also benefiting growers. “Ultimately, we 
can reward higher protein levels.

Adams said the ability to 
repurpose and add to the Phillipsburg plant as well as have it in full 
production in a year made it the right fit. The region’s ability to 
produce wheat and the proximity to rail transport facilities was an 
added bonus.

“Location-wise, from a wheat standpoint, it was very beneficial for Phillipsburg,” Adams said.

Construction
 and renovation has meant as many as 200 workers, including the local 
employees, have been onsite on a daily basis, Adams said. The economic 
impact is being felt in the local community as many of those temporary 
workers are buying fuel, eating lunch, staying in local motels or 
renting a place to stay. “We believe the local community is feeling the 
impact everywhere,” Cimorelli said. Phillipsburg and surrounding 
communities have been unified in watching the project succeed.

A
 Kansas native who grew up on a farm and ranch operation in Greenwood 
County, Adams said the project is a source of pride as he has worked on 
various successful projects across the country. “Being able to fit 
something in my home state provides a benefit to the farmers and 
ranchers in that area I’m excited and it definitely means a lot to me.”

Adams
 has been busy recruiting milling science interns and full-time 
professionals and he is eager to see how those talented professionals 
will mesh in the community.

Cimorelli
 said the commitment and support from community leaders, the community 
at large and state officials has been excellent. And that support makes 
for a great long-term partnership going forward.

Justin
 Gilpin, CEO of the Kansas Wheat, said the Amber Wave project is great 
news for High Plains growers as he called it an exciting development for
 wheat farmers and the state’s wheat industry.

“It
 will create increased localized demand in the largest producing state 
of hard red winter wheat in the United States,” Gilpin said. “Increasing
 localized demand for Kansas-grown wheat will be a positive for Kansas 
farmers. This plant, in combination with PureField Ingredients wheat 
protein plant in Russell, will make the state of Kansas the largest 
wheat protein producing state in the country.”

Gilpin
 said the Amber Wave plant should create localized demand for wheat not 
just in Phillips County area but throughout the region, particularly 
western Kansas. The Kyle Railroad runs from northeast Colorado to Kansas
 City and there is opportunity to pull wheat from other regions to meet 
Amber Wave’s commitments, he said, and that can benefit growers from 
those regions, too.

Amber Wave’s commitment demonstrates its commitment to wheat growers and to the hard red winter wheat industry.

“We’re
 excited about it, not just because of the increased and demand and that
 specific project, but we’re encouraged by the leadership team that’s in
 place with Amber Wave and their approach on how they are coming into 
the state of Kansas and going into that area of Kansas,” Gilpin said.

“Kansas
 farmers are some of the most diversified in the United States with crop
 rotations and they do what they need to do to stay profitable,” Gilpin 
said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666304611406.png" alt="An aerial view of the Amber Wave plant in Phillipsburg, Kansas, that is being retooled to produce wheat-based biofuel and wheat protein, or gluten. (Photo courtesy of Amber Wave.)" />
 <figcaption>An aerial view of the Amber Wave plant in Phillipsburg, Kansas, that is being retooled to produce wheat-based biofuel and wheat protein, or gluten. (Photo courtesy of Amber Wave.)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE BERGMEIER <a href="https://www.hpj.com/bergmeier/wheat-industry-gets-boost-from-biofuel-protein-plant/article_a0fb1e92-4b23-11ed-a06a-e79815502268.html">High Plains Journal</a>PHILLIPSBURG — A new wheat protein processing center is providing welcome news to the breadbasket of America.In Phillipsburg, a corn ethanol plant is being retooled so that it can produce wheat-based biofuel and wheat protein (gluten) for the baking and pet food industries.Amber Wave, through its parent 
group Summit Ag Investors, Alden, Iowa, purchased the Prairie Horizon 
Agri-Energy corn ethanol plant in summer 2021, said Chief Operating 
Officer Steve Adams.While
 the converted plant will have the capacity to handle both crops in the 
future, the emphasis is on the construction and conversion to a wheat 
processing facility that will produce a wheat-based biofuel for the 
energy sector and wheat protein for bakers and pet food manufacturers, 
said CEO Randy Cimorelli.The
 Prairie Horizon plant at the time of the purchase was producing 50 
million gallons a year of corn ethanol and in the short run will 
continue to produce that type of biofuel until the conversion to wheat 
takes place, Adams said.In
 January, Amber Wave broke ground on the 27,500 hundredweight wheat 
flour mill that is currently under construction, he said. In addition to
 the mill, a wheat protein extraction facility is being built.“We’ll
 grind about 20 million bushels of wheat per year, Adams said. “One 
hundred percent of the flour that comes out of that mill will go to our 
wheat protein extraction facility and ultimately we will produce in 
excess of 100 million pounds of finished wheat protein to sell to 
bakeries and pet food manufacturers.”During
 protein extraction a mechanical process is involved that separates the 
starch from the protein, the protein can then be dried and packed in 
bags, totes or bulk, Adams said. The starch will then go to the ethanol 
plant.Cimorelli said 
the focus of the plant will be as a wheat processing center for biofuel 
and protein production. “This country, as a whole, imports over 
70%—probably closer to 80%—of its wheat protein, or gluten, (each 
year),” Cimorelli said. “If you look at what’s been going on in the 
world the last few years we knew that if we could create a domestic 
source of manufacturing we would be a solution provider by helping our 
future customers eliminate the global supply chain challenges and 
constraints that they were faced with.”Wheat protein, he said, is the “plant based protein of the world.” Our goal is to be the largest manufacturer in North America.The
 interest in wheat as an alternative to corn has been well received by 
growers, he said. While Mother Nature can be unkind to growers 
regardless of crop, Cimorelli says the Phillipsburg plant is at the 
right location for them to leverage best possible outcomes. “We may have
 some years where we’ll need to go farther away (to secure wheat) for 
the plant but the opportunity for growers in the region and beyond is 
real.”Cimorelli said 
he believes connections with Kansas State University, seed companies, 
grower organizations and farmers will produce protein that is beneficial
 for Amber Wave’s needs while also benefiting growers. “Ultimately, we 
can reward higher protein levels.Adams said the ability to 
repurpose and add to the Phillipsburg plant as well as have it in full 
production in a year made it the right fit. The region’s ability to 
produce wheat and the proximity to rail transport facilities was an 
added bonus.“Location-wise, from a wheat standpoint, it was very beneficial for Phillipsburg,” Adams said.Construction
 and renovation has meant as many as 200 workers, including the local 
employees, have been onsite on a daily basis, Adams said. The economic 
impact is being felt in the local community as many of those temporary 
workers are buying fuel, eating lunch, staying in local motels or 
renting a place to stay. “We believe the local community is feeling the 
impact everywhere,” Cimorelli said. Phillipsburg and surrounding 
communities have been unified in watching the project succeed.A
 Kansas native who grew up on a farm and ranch operation in Greenwood 
County, Adams said the project is a source of pride as he has worked on 
various successful projects across the country. “Being able to fit 
something in my home state provides a benefit to the farmers and 
ranchers in that area I’m excited and it definitely means a lot to me.”Adams
 has been busy recruiting milling science interns and full-time 
professionals and he is eager to see how those talented professionals 
will mesh in the community.Cimorelli
 said the commitment and support from community leaders, the community 
at large and state officials has been excellent. And that support makes 
for a great long-term partnership going forward.Justin
 Gilpin, CEO of the Kansas Wheat, said the Amber Wave project is great 
news for High Plains growers as he called it an exciting development for
 wheat farmers and the state’s wheat industry.“It
 will create increased localized demand in the largest producing state 
of hard red winter wheat in the United States,” Gilpin said. “Increasing
 localized demand for Kansas-grown wheat will be a positive for Kansas 
farmers. This plant, in combination with PureField Ingredients wheat 
protein plant in Russell, will make the state of Kansas the largest 
wheat protein producing state in the country.”Gilpin
 said the Amber Wave plant should create localized demand for wheat not 
just in Phillips County area but throughout the region, particularly 
western Kansas. The Kyle Railroad runs from northeast Colorado to Kansas
 City and there is opportunity to pull wheat from other regions to meet 
Amber Wave’s commitments, he said, and that can benefit growers from 
those regions, too.Amber Wave’s commitment demonstrates its commitment to wheat growers and to the hard red winter wheat industry.“We’re
 excited about it, not just because of the increased and demand and that
 specific project, but we’re encouraged by the leadership team that’s in
 place with Amber Wave and their approach on how they are coming into 
the state of Kansas and going into that area of Kansas,” Gilpin said.“Kansas
 farmers are some of the most diversified in the United States with crop
 rotations and they do what they need to do to stay profitable,” Gilpin 
said.Republished with permission

Wheat industry gets boost from NW. Kan. biofuel, protein plant

Abortion rights may not be on the ballot, but&nbsp;they&nbsp;will undoubtedly&nbsp;influence&nbsp;the&nbsp;November&nbsp;election.&nbsp;

You’ve probably heard a lot of people try to&nbsp;extrapolate&nbsp;from&nbsp;the August 2nd&nbsp;results to forecast&nbsp;what will happen on November 8th.&nbsp;

Doing so is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

November is a different election with different&nbsp;motivations&nbsp;for voter turnout. The question of abortion rights is not on the ballot for a direct democratic vote the way it was in August.

Between 20 and 30 percent of “No” voters in August were registered Republicans.&nbsp;On the issue of abortion alone, those Republicans voted that it should remain&nbsp;legal,&nbsp;but this issue isn’t a priority for many Republicans when there are other issues at play&nbsp;in the election.

In national polling, abortion is battling with inflation as the top political issue of the midterms.

In the polls, Republicans are more likely to say inflation is the most important issue, while Democrats and independents&nbsp;still seem to be mostly&nbsp;mobilized by&nbsp;abortion rights.

So, if the August results can’t tell us who will win the general election, what can they tell us?

Turnout is likely to remain higher than previous midterm elections and it is likely due to increased turnout among specific demographics of voters.

Women, especially young women, had a massive surge in turnout in August.

In the months leading up to the election, women made up&nbsp;a majority of&nbsp;first-time registered voters. Also, the number of women registering to vote increased about 35 percent over the summer&nbsp;compared to previous years. There was only a 9 percent increase among men.

Furthermore, women cast&nbsp;56 percent of all votes on the amendment.&nbsp;The&nbsp;12 point&nbsp;gender gap in turnout&nbsp;was&nbsp;larger than any recent election and more than double the 2018 gender gap.

Additionally,&nbsp;21 percent of all voters in August were young people — those under the age of 35. In the 2018 primary, only 14% of ballots were cast by this same age group.

Turnout among Latino voters was also higher than&nbsp;in&nbsp;any other midterm election. In fact, it was higher turnout than we’ve ever seen from Latino voters&nbsp;with the exception of&nbsp;the 2020 presidential election.

Now that these&nbsp;citizens have voted, many of them for the first time, they’re more likely to vote again in the future because with each election they become more familiar with the voting process.&nbsp;Familiarity&nbsp;makes it&nbsp;easier&nbsp;for voters&nbsp;to navigate an increasingly complex system.

In general, these turnout&nbsp;trends are good news&nbsp;for the Democratic Party, which&nbsp;holds&nbsp;a majority of&nbsp;women, young people, and Latino voters within its coalition.&nbsp;But it’s far from a guaranteed victory for any of the statewide Democrats on the ballot.

We will likely once again see elevated turnout from the most ardent pro-life voters. While abortion is not on the ballot, the six judicial retention elections could dramatically alter the makeup of the Kansas Supreme Court — the very court that made the decision, in&nbsp;Hodes and&nbsp;Nauser&nbsp;v. Kansas, that abortion rights are protected by the state constitution.&nbsp;

Pro-life&nbsp;activists&nbsp;are certainly motivated&nbsp;to mobilize&nbsp;their&nbsp;voters&nbsp;against retaining these justices. A new slate of justices could potentially overturn the decision on the&nbsp;Hodes&nbsp;case if they were politically inclined to do so.&nbsp;

There’s a lot we don’t know about what will happen in November. Many statewide races are too close to call. And analyzing the August 2nd&nbsp;results can set some general expectations, but it can’t give us the answers.

The results of the November 8th&nbsp;election are between Kansas voters and the ballot box.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633377761670.jpeg" alt="Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University." />
 <figcaption>Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.</figcaption>
 </figure>Abortion rights may not be on the ballot, but&nbsp;they&nbsp;will undoubtedly&nbsp;influence&nbsp;the&nbsp;November&nbsp;election.&nbsp;You’ve probably heard a lot of people try to&nbsp;extrapolate&nbsp;from&nbsp;the August 2nd&nbsp;results to forecast&nbsp;what will happen on November 8th.&nbsp;Doing so is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.November is a different election with different&nbsp;motivations&nbsp;for voter turnout. The question of abortion rights is not on the ballot for a direct democratic vote the way it was in August.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Between 20 and 30 percent of “No” voters in August were registered Republicans.&nbsp;On the issue of abortion alone, those Republicans voted that it should remain&nbsp;legal,&nbsp;but this issue isn’t a priority for many Republicans when there are other issues at play&nbsp;in the election.In national polling, abortion is battling with inflation as the top political issue of the midterms.In the polls, Republicans are more likely to say inflation is the most important issue, while Democrats and independents&nbsp;still seem to be mostly&nbsp;mobilized by&nbsp;abortion rights.So, if the August results can’t tell us who will win the general election, what can they tell us?It’s mostly about voter turnout.Turnout is likely to remain higher than previous midterm elections and it is likely due to increased turnout among specific demographics of voters.Women, especially young women, had a massive surge in turnout in August.In the months leading up to the election, women made up&nbsp;a majority of&nbsp;first-time registered voters. Also, the number of women registering to vote increased about 35 percent over the summer&nbsp;compared to previous years. There was only a 9 percent increase among men.Furthermore, women cast&nbsp;56 percent of all votes on the amendment.&nbsp;The&nbsp;12 point&nbsp;gender gap in turnout&nbsp;was&nbsp;larger than any recent election and more than double the 2018 gender gap.Additionally,&nbsp;21 percent of all voters in August were young people — those under the age of 35. In the 2018 primary, only 14% of ballots were cast by this same age group.Turnout among Latino voters was also higher than&nbsp;in&nbsp;any other midterm election. In fact, it was higher turnout than we’ve ever seen from Latino voters&nbsp;with the exception of&nbsp;the 2020 presidential election.Now that these&nbsp;citizens have voted, many of them for the first time, they’re more likely to vote again in the future because with each election they become more familiar with the voting process.&nbsp;Familiarity&nbsp;makes it&nbsp;easier&nbsp;for voters&nbsp;to navigate an increasingly complex system.In general, these turnout&nbsp;trends are good news&nbsp;for the Democratic Party, which&nbsp;holds&nbsp;a majority of&nbsp;women, young people, and Latino voters within its coalition.&nbsp;But it’s far from a guaranteed victory for any of the statewide Democrats on the ballot.We will likely once again see elevated turnout from the most ardent pro-life voters. While abortion is not on the ballot, the six judicial retention elections could dramatically alter the makeup of the Kansas Supreme Court — the very court that made the decision, in&nbsp;Hodes and&nbsp;Nauser&nbsp;v. Kansas, that abortion rights are protected by the state constitution.&nbsp;Pro-life&nbsp;activists&nbsp;are certainly motivated&nbsp;to mobilize&nbsp;their&nbsp;voters&nbsp;against retaining these justices. A new slate of justices could potentially overturn the decision on the&nbsp;Hodes&nbsp;case if they were politically inclined to do so.&nbsp;There’s a lot we don’t know about what will happen in November. Many statewide races are too close to call. And analyzing the August 2nd&nbsp;results can set some general expectations, but it can’t give us the answers.The results of the November 8th&nbsp;election are between Kansas voters and the ballot box.Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.

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