The Center for Life Experience, 103C E. 27th, Hays, has canceled its <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9ae21cd0-3b2c-44f3-a096-4ddc0344e07b">Healing Kids’ Hearts Retreat</a>, originally scheduled for March.

The free one-day retreat is for children who have recently lost a loved one. The annual event has been designed to help the children through the grieving process through a series of hands-on activities. Each child is paired with a trained adult “buddy” to help guide them through the day’s events.

The center has recently lost two key members of its staff, said Scott Robson, vice chair of the CFLE’s Board of Directors.

“The vision of CFLE to make a positive impact in the children's lives is at the core of our decision to announce the postponement of the Healing Kids' Hearts Retreat until March 2024,” Robson said. 

“Unfortunately,&nbsp;changes in leadership and limited resources made us concerned whether we could plan the event, maintain its high quality and meet the children's needs by March of this year.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675817232243.jpeg" alt="Ann Wellbrock, 6, works with her retreat buddy on her memory box to honor her older brother, Matthew, at the 2022 Healing Kids' Heart Retreat. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Ann Wellbrock, 6, works with her retreat buddy on her memory box to honor her older brother, Matthew, at the 2022 Healing Kids' Heart Retreat. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>CFLE The Center for Life Experience, 103C E. 27th, Hays, has canceled its <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9ae21cd0-3b2c-44f3-a096-4ddc0344e07b">Healing Kids’ Hearts Retreat</a>, originally scheduled for March.The free one-day retreat is for children who have recently lost a loved one. The annual event has been designed to help the children through the grieving process through a series of hands-on activities. Each child is paired with a trained adult “buddy” to help guide them through the day’s events.The center has recently lost two key members of its staff, said Scott Robson, vice chair of the CFLE’s Board of Directors.“The vision of CFLE to make a positive impact in the children's lives is at the core of our decision to announce the postponement of the Healing Kids' Hearts Retreat until March 2024,” Robson said. “Unfortunately,&nbsp;changes in leadership and limited resources made us concerned whether we could plan the event, maintain its high quality and meet the children's needs by March of this year.”

Healing Kids’ Hearts Retreat in Hays canceled for 2023

Fort Hays State University will present "Light from the Past: Ian Hornak, A Retrospective," a major exhibition of the innovator’s life’s work. The exhibit originated in Los Angeles, California, in 2012 and was later showcased at the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. during the 2013 Presidential Inauguration. Hornak's work will be on display at the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art from Feb. 10 to 24.

Ian Hornak's (1944-2002) artistic talent was visible at an early age. Today, he is regarded in art history as one of the founding artists of the Photorealist and Hyperrealist movements.

His earliest works show influences of the high renaissance masters, such as Leonardo and Michelangelo, whose drawings and paintings he saw in a book about the Old Masters given to him by his mother. The technical skills Hornak learned from emulating the work of previous masters are visible in his art throughout his career.&nbsp;

Hornak's realism was counter to the abstract expressionist movement popular in the 1960s, but he resisted pressure from teachers and other artists to work in a non-representational style. He continued in the realist tradition even after moving to New York City in 1968, where he became close friends with some of the leading abstract and pop artists, Willem de Kooning, Robert Indiana, Andy Warhol, and Robert Motherwell.&nbsp;

One of Hornak's signature styles was the technique of transposing multiple photographs of a landscape into one painting. Using photographs he took during his travels as inspiration, Hornak layered the images to create multiple-exposure landscape paintings. The resulting paintings display both surrealism and romanticism and brought critical acclaim to the artist in the 1970s. John Canaday wrote in the New York Times in 1974, “…Mr. Hornak is right at the top of the list of romantically descriptive painters today.”

In the mid-1980s, Hornak began adding "painted frames" -- flat, wood borders that he would use to expand the imagery of the canvas. He used these painted frames in his landscapes to create a different type of multiple-exposure painting.&nbsp;

Hornak also employed "painted frames" when he began experimenting with still-life painting in the late-1980s. His still lifes show reverence for Flemish and Dutch masters and portray a keen sense of design and openness to vibrant color.&nbsp;

In a 1994 interview with Cover Magazine, Hornak said of his artistic approach to still life painting, “While I know that the beautiful, the spiritual and the sublime are today suspect, I have begun to stop resisting the constant urge to deny that beauty has a valid right to exist in contemporary art.”

Hornak continued to paint and create new, imaginative works until his untimely death from an aortic aneurysm in 2002 at the age of fifty-eight at his studio in East Hampton, New York.

Ian Hornak’s artwork is owned by many major museums throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Corcoran Gallery of Art Legacy Collection, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

For many years, the Department of Art and Design was spread out among a number of buildings and never had a formal gallery. In 1969, John C. Thorns, Jr. first presented his vision to the college administration for a regional art museum with educational laboratories to house the Department of Art. With the completion of Rarick Hall in the spring of 1981, Thorns' vision was realized.

When it first opened, the gallery was called the Visual Arts Center Gallery. It was rededicated the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art on October 11, 1987, during the annual homecoming activities. The gallery was renamed for Joel C. Moss (chair of the department from 1946 to 1973) and John C. Thorns, Jr. (chair from 1973 to 1990).

Connected to the Center for Art &amp; Design, the Moss-Thorns Gallery (&amp; The Patricia A. Schmidt Gallery Lobby) is home to various student art exhibits, faculty shows, and traveling exhibits throughout the year. During the fall and spring, the gallery is open Monday - Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675806764575.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University CommunicationsFort Hays State University will present "Light from the Past: Ian Hornak, A Retrospective," a major exhibition of the innovator’s life’s work. The exhibit originated in Los Angeles, California, in 2012 and was later showcased at the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. during the 2013 Presidential Inauguration. Hornak's work will be on display at the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art from Feb. 10 to 24.Ian Hornak's (1944-2002) artistic talent was visible at an early age. Today, he is regarded in art history as one of the founding artists of the Photorealist and Hyperrealist movements.His earliest works show influences of the high renaissance masters, such as Leonardo and Michelangelo, whose drawings and paintings he saw in a book about the Old Masters given to him by his mother. The technical skills Hornak learned from emulating the work of previous masters are visible in his art throughout his career.&nbsp;Hornak's realism was counter to the abstract expressionist movement popular in the 1960s, but he resisted pressure from teachers and other artists to work in a non-representational style. He continued in the realist tradition even after moving to New York City in 1968, where he became close friends with some of the leading abstract and pop artists, Willem de Kooning, Robert Indiana, Andy Warhol, and Robert Motherwell.&nbsp;One of Hornak's signature styles was the technique of transposing multiple photographs of a landscape into one painting. Using photographs he took during his travels as inspiration, Hornak layered the images to create multiple-exposure landscape paintings. The resulting paintings display both surrealism and romanticism and brought critical acclaim to the artist in the 1970s. John Canaday wrote in the New York Times in 1974, “…Mr. Hornak is right at the top of the list of romantically descriptive painters today.”In the mid-1980s, Hornak began adding "painted frames" -- flat, wood borders that he would use to expand the imagery of the canvas. He used these painted frames in his landscapes to create a different type of multiple-exposure painting.&nbsp;Hornak also employed "painted frames" when he began experimenting with still-life painting in the late-1980s. His still lifes show reverence for Flemish and Dutch masters and portray a keen sense of design and openness to vibrant color.&nbsp;In a 1994 interview with Cover Magazine, Hornak said of his artistic approach to still life painting, “While I know that the beautiful, the spiritual and the sublime are today suspect, I have begun to stop resisting the constant urge to deny that beauty has a valid right to exist in contemporary art.”Hornak continued to paint and create new, imaginative works until his untimely death from an aortic aneurysm in 2002 at the age of fifty-eight at his studio in East Hampton, New York.Ian Hornak’s artwork is owned by many major museums throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Corcoran Gallery of Art Legacy Collection, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Detroit Institute of Arts.About the Moss-Thorns Gallery of ArtFor many years, the Department of Art and Design was spread out among a number of buildings and never had a formal gallery. In 1969, John C. Thorns, Jr. first presented his vision to the college administration for a regional art museum with educational laboratories to house the Department of Art. With the completion of Rarick Hall in the spring of 1981, Thorns' vision was realized.When it first opened, the gallery was called the Visual Arts Center Gallery. It was rededicated the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art on October 11, 1987, during the annual homecoming activities. The gallery was renamed for Joel C. Moss (chair of the department from 1946 to 1973) and John C. Thorns, Jr. (chair from 1973 to 1990).Connected to the Center for Art &amp; Design, the Moss-Thorns Gallery (&amp; The Patricia A. Schmidt Gallery Lobby) is home to various student art exhibits, faculty shows, and traveling exhibits throughout the year. During the fall and spring, the gallery is open Monday - Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Artist Ian Hornak’s work to be exhibited at Moss-Thorns

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675888964949.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District

The&nbsp;2022 Kansas Performance Tests with Corn&nbsp;and&nbsp;Grain Sorghum&nbsp;Hybrids&nbsp;and Soybean Varieties&nbsp;report is now online and in print form. In these crop specific&nbsp;reports, you will find a review of the 2022 corn, grain sorghum&nbsp;and soybean&nbsp;crop, with a detailed discussion summarizing the statewide growing conditions and impacts from diseases and insects&nbsp;for each crop respectively.&nbsp;More importantly, the results of the 2022 corn, grain sorghum&nbsp;hybrid&nbsp;and soybean varieties&nbsp;performance tests are also shown. Corn, sorghum&nbsp;and soybean&nbsp;performance tests are conducted each year by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The results from these tests provide producers, extension agents, and industry professionals with unbiased agronomic information on many of the corn, sorghum&nbsp;hybrids&nbsp;and soybean varieties&nbsp;marketed in Kansas.

Performance of&nbsp;corn, sorghum&nbsp;hybrids and&nbsp;soybean varieties or brands varies from year to year and from location to location, depending on factors such as weather, management practices, and variety adaptation. When selecting varieties or brands, producers should carefully analyze variety performance for two or more years across locations. Performance averaged over several environments&nbsp;can help to&nbsp;provide a better estimate of genetic potential and stability than performance based on a few environments.

Producers,&nbsp;extension agents,&nbsp;and crop consultants can use this resource&nbsp;as an unbiased agronomic tool&nbsp;to help select corn, sorghum&nbsp;hybrids&nbsp;and soybean varieties&nbsp;for their operation&nbsp;and clientele&nbsp;by checking for varieties that show a consistently good performance in their region.

The online version of the corn, sorghum&nbsp;and soybean&nbsp;performance test results&nbsp;and many other crops commonly grown in Kansas&nbsp;can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/SRP1174.pdf">https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/SRP1174.pdf</a>.

Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or by calling 785-628-9430.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574181994278.png" alt="Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District" />
 <figcaption>Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District</figcaption>
 </figure>By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension DistrictThe&nbsp;2022 Kansas Performance Tests with Corn&nbsp;and&nbsp;Grain Sorghum&nbsp;Hybrids&nbsp;and Soybean Varieties&nbsp;report is now online and in print form. In these crop specific&nbsp;reports, you will find a review of the 2022 corn, grain sorghum&nbsp;and soybean&nbsp;crop, with a detailed discussion summarizing the statewide growing conditions and impacts from diseases and insects&nbsp;for each crop respectively.&nbsp;More importantly, the results of the 2022 corn, grain sorghum&nbsp;hybrid&nbsp;and soybean varieties&nbsp;performance tests are also shown. Corn, sorghum&nbsp;and soybean&nbsp;performance tests are conducted each year by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The results from these tests provide producers, extension agents, and industry professionals with unbiased agronomic information on many of the corn, sorghum&nbsp;hybrids&nbsp;and soybean varieties&nbsp;marketed in Kansas.Performance of&nbsp;corn, sorghum&nbsp;hybrids and&nbsp;soybean varieties or brands varies from year to year and from location to location, depending on factors such as weather, management practices, and variety adaptation. When selecting varieties or brands, producers should carefully analyze variety performance for two or more years across locations. Performance averaged over several environments&nbsp;can help to&nbsp;provide a better estimate of genetic potential and stability than performance based on a few environments.Producers,&nbsp;extension agents,&nbsp;and crop consultants can use this resource&nbsp;as an unbiased agronomic tool&nbsp;to help select corn, sorghum&nbsp;hybrids&nbsp;and soybean varieties&nbsp;for their operation&nbsp;and clientele&nbsp;by checking for varieties that show a consistently good performance in their region.The online version of the corn, sorghum&nbsp;and soybean&nbsp;performance test results&nbsp;and many other crops commonly grown in Kansas&nbsp;can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/SRP1174.pdf">https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/SRP1174.pdf</a>.Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or by calling 785-628-9430.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

CAMPBELL: Kansas grain performance testing report

The Kansas Geological Survey recorded an earthquake in Ellis County on Wednesday afternoon.

The 2.8-magnitude quake was recorded at 12:26 p.m. north of Walker near the Russell County line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675886355586.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Geological Survey recorded an earthquake in Ellis County on Wednesday afternoon.The 2.8-magnitude quake was recorded at 12:26 p.m. north of Walker near the Russell County line.

2.8-magnitude earthquake recorded in Ellis Co. Wednesday

THOMAS COUNTY—A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 9a.m. Wednesday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Ford Expedition driven by Reba S. White, 77, Hoxie, was westbound on U.S. 24 at County Road 27.

The SUV traveled off the road and came to rest in a field. 

EMS transported White to Citizens Medical Center in Colby. She was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

THOMAS COUNTY—A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 9a.m. Wednesday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Ford Expedition driven by Reba S. White, 77, Hoxie, was westbound on U.S. 24 at County Road 27.The SUV traveled off the road and came to rest in a field. EMS transported White to Citizens Medical Center in Colby. She was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

NW Kan. woman hospitalized after SUV travels into field

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office received a report of stolen hay from a field near Olmitz.&nbsp; 

Approximately 150 large bales were stolen from the location sometime between late November and Feb. 7. Estimated loss is in excess of $25,000. A white truck tractor and semi trailer as well as a John Deere tractor were seen in the area prior to the theft.

If you have information about this incident or any other crime, please call Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300 or 888-305-1300.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675883126866.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office received a report of stolen hay from a field near Olmitz.&nbsp; Approximately 150 large bales were stolen from the location sometime between late November and Feb. 7. Estimated loss is in excess of $25,000. A white truck tractor and semi trailer as well as a John Deere tractor were seen in the area prior to the theft.If you have information about this incident or any other crime, please call Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300 or 888-305-1300.

More than $25,000 worth of hay stolen in Barton County

On Wednesday, Mix 103.3 KJLS, 101.9 The Bull and KFIX 96.9 will be off air at times as transmitter repairs are made.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The stations will return to the airwaves Wednesday, but at very low power until permanent repairs can be made.&nbsp;

The online streams will be unaffected. Click <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3385e3ba-4a05-4f97-be47-3d54dc97ed41">HERE</a> to listen to your favorite station online.

We apologize for any inconvenience — and thanks for listening!

On Wednesday, Mix 103.3 KJLS, 101.9 The Bull and KFIX 96.9 will be off air at times as transmitter repairs are made.&nbsp;&nbsp;The stations will return to the airwaves Wednesday, but at very low power until permanent repairs can be made.&nbsp;The online streams will be unaffected. Click <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3385e3ba-4a05-4f97-be47-3d54dc97ed41">HERE</a> to listen to your favorite station online.We apologize for any inconvenience — and thanks for listening!<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587155364471.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Eagle Radio stations signal will be disrupted Wednesday

ELLIS — Ellis became a bit bigger Monday night after the city council unanimously
voted to annex land on West Second Street into the city.

The four acres now officially part of the city are located between
Dorrance and Tayor streets on the north side of Second.

The vote came after a public forum that sparked conversation about the development
of the area near Interstate 70, which has seen other growth in recent years, including
the addition of an A&amp;W restaurant brought to Ellis by developer S.J. Singh.

Singh owns the annexed land, along with another empty lot next to the restaurant and spoke about his desire to continue working
to bring further economic development to the city.

&nbsp;“We need to create employment in
the city,” Singh said. He said when buying the property from the previous owner, they
desired to see the land put to use.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/ucA3AP3Za1E?feature=share">WATCH: View the entire Feb. 6 Ellis City Council meeting by clicking here.</a>

He told the council that he wants to continue developing businesses in
Ellis but has no specific plans currently underway.

“Nothing is finalized,” Singh said. “I always build what the community
needs. I go for that first.”

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/72690a0c-15d2-464b-8b3a-c4c07d53b2ef">While
usage has not been determined, he had previously noted a desire to open a car
or truck wash in Ellis,</a> a point of contention for Swede Holmgren, who owns
land adjacent to the annexed land and spoke at the meeting.

“Western Kansas is dying,” Holmgren said. “If you doubt that,
go look at the Ogallala Aquifer.”

He said that as towns search for a replacement for water being
depleted from the aquifer, he has concerns about water use in Ellis and development
that does not factor into consideration additional water use.

“I would ask you to get an estimate from whoever is going to
do with whatever they're going to do that ground up there to get — not a
conservative estimate — but a real-world estimate of water usage with showers
and toiletries and a swimming pool, if that's someplace up there.

“We all understand that the car wash is in the mill, and it will
use recycled water for whatever that’s worth, but recycled water in an
apartment complex is going to be real iffy.”

Holmgren also shared concerns about unforeseen adverse
effects development would bring to the area along with the water concerns.

“I really have a deep-seated concern about who is going to
police that area up there when that fence starts looking like Walmart, and all
that crap is blowing from that apartment complex,” Holmgren said. “I get trash
right now from the hamburger stand, A&amp;W, and I get trash from the travel plaza.
I also get animals from the travel plaza. It's not a fun time. An apartment
complex is only going to make that worse.”

Council member Jolene Niernberger said water use is something to be considered as
development occurs, but with no plan in the works for the land, any discussion of
use should come later, as the planning and development commission considers
zoning and project applications.

Ellis Development
Corporation President Travis Kohlrus also spoke to the council and said development
in the city is essential, and as any potential development comes to fruition, specific
usage concerns could be addressed.

“We just want to be a
proponent of development and the process and the due process of what it takes,
and this step is the annexation, and then next steps going to be zoning,”
Kohlrus said. “And at each one of those steps along the way, your plans get a
little bit firmer.”

During the process, specific
concerns could be addressed as each group completes its due diligence.

“And so, from that part
of the process, we just want to see Ellis be a great place to live, work, play,
grow a family and be a great place.”

Holmgren agreed as he said
he understands for western Kansas towns, “if you don’t grow, you die,” but the
council should work to ensure that growth makes sense for the community.

Singh said while he was
unsure what the land would be used for, his top priority is fostering city
development. 

“I have no idea what I
am going to do over there,” he said. “Whenever I do, I can guarantee you it’s
in favor of the city and not against it.”

He said for 25 years his company has pursued development that helps the local area and has been a
champion for Ellis, even though many, including members of his family, saw
better opportunities in other locations.

After finishing his
remarks, Holmgren asked Singh if he was planning to build a car or truck wash.
Singh again confirmed nothing was currently in the works, but he was exploring
both options.

After closing public
comments and working through some procedural details, Holmgren asked to speak
again, but the request was denied, and he was told the comment period had closed.

“There’s going to be a
fight. You can take that to the bank,” he said anyway.

The measure was moved to
vote after the public meeting was concluded by Council member John Walz, with a
second from Niernberger, and passed unanimously.

Disclosure: Travis Kohlrus serves on the Eagle Communications Inc. board of directors. Eagle is the parent company of Hays Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675796822891.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostELLIS — Ellis became a bit bigger Monday night after the city council unanimously
voted to annex land on West Second Street into the city.The four acres now officially part of the city are located between
Dorrance and Tayor streets on the north side of Second.The vote came after a public forum that sparked conversation about the development
of the area near Interstate 70, which has seen other growth in recent years, including
the addition of an A&amp;W restaurant brought to Ellis by developer S.J. Singh.Singh owns the annexed land, along with another empty lot next to the restaurant and spoke about his desire to continue working
to bring further economic development to the city.&nbsp;“We need to create employment in
the city,” Singh said. He said when buying the property from the previous owner, they
desired to see the land put to use.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/ucA3AP3Za1E?feature=share">WATCH: View the entire Feb. 6 Ellis City Council meeting by clicking here.</a>He told the council that he wants to continue developing businesses in
Ellis but has no specific plans currently underway.“Nothing is finalized,” Singh said. “I always build what the community
needs. I go for that first.”<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/72690a0c-15d2-464b-8b3a-c4c07d53b2ef">While
usage has not been determined, he had previously noted a desire to open a car
or truck wash in Ellis,</a> a point of contention for Swede Holmgren, who owns
land adjacent to the annexed land and spoke at the meeting.“Western Kansas is dying,” Holmgren said. “If you doubt that,
go look at the Ogallala Aquifer.”He said that as towns search for a replacement for water being
depleted from the aquifer, he has concerns about water use in Ellis and development
that does not factor into consideration additional water use.“I would ask you to get an estimate from whoever is going to
do with whatever they're going to do that ground up there to get — not a
conservative estimate — but a real-world estimate of water usage with showers
and toiletries and a swimming pool, if that's someplace up there.“We all understand that the car wash is in the mill, and it will
use recycled water for whatever that’s worth, but recycled water in an
apartment complex is going to be real iffy.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675796780277.jpeg" alt="Screen capture of Google Maps image of land recently annexed by the City of Ellis" />
 <figcaption>Screen capture of Google Maps image of land recently annexed by the City of Ellis</figcaption>
 </figure>Holmgren also shared concerns about unforeseen adverse
effects development would bring to the area along with the water concerns.“I really have a deep-seated concern about who is going to
police that area up there when that fence starts looking like Walmart, and all
that crap is blowing from that apartment complex,” Holmgren said. “I get trash
right now from the hamburger stand, A&amp;W, and I get trash from the travel plaza.
I also get animals from the travel plaza. It's not a fun time. An apartment
complex is only going to make that worse.”Council member Jolene Niernberger said water use is something to be considered as
development occurs, but with no plan in the works for the land, any discussion of
use should come later, as the planning and development commission considers
zoning and project applications.Ellis Development
Corporation President Travis Kohlrus also spoke to the council and said development
in the city is essential, and as any potential development comes to fruition, specific
usage concerns could be addressed.“We just want to be a
proponent of development and the process and the due process of what it takes,
and this step is the annexation, and then next steps going to be zoning,”
Kohlrus said. “And at each one of those steps along the way, your plans get a
little bit firmer.”During the process, specific
concerns could be addressed as each group completes its due diligence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675796908313.jpeg" alt="Boundry survey showing the location of property annexed by the City of Ellis this week. Courtesy City of Ellis" />
 <figcaption>Boundry survey showing the location of property annexed by the City of Ellis this week. Courtesy City of Ellis</figcaption>
 </figure>“And so, from that part
of the process, we just want to see Ellis be a great place to live, work, play,
grow a family and be a great place.”Holmgren agreed as he said
he understands for western Kansas towns, “if you don’t grow, you die,” but the
council should work to ensure that growth makes sense for the community.Singh said while he was
unsure what the land would be used for, his top priority is fostering city
development. “I have no idea what I
am going to do over there,” he said. “Whenever I do, I can guarantee you it’s
in favor of the city and not against it.”He said for 25 years his company has pursued development that helps the local area and has been a
champion for Ellis, even though many, including members of his family, saw
better opportunities in other locations.After finishing his
remarks, Holmgren asked Singh if he was planning to build a car or truck wash.
Singh again confirmed nothing was currently in the works, but he was exploring
both options.After closing public
comments and working through some procedural details, Holmgren asked to speak
again, but the request was denied, and he was told the comment period had closed.“There’s going to be a
fight. You can take that to the bank,” he said anyway.The measure was moved to
vote after the public meeting was concluded by Council member John Walz, with a
second from Niernberger, and passed unanimously.Disclosure: Travis Kohlrus serves on the Eagle Communications Inc. board of directors. Eagle is the parent company of Hays Post.

Ellis City Council votes to annex land eyed for future development

SALINA — The Catholic Diocese of Salina has announced that Hannah Doll has joined the Salina Catholic Schools team as marketing  director.

Doll, a 2013 graduate of Salina-Sacred Heart High School, has spent most of her life in Salina.

She graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2018 with a bachelor of business administration in marketing.

Doll started her marketing career at Child Care Aware of Kansas, a statewide nonprofit organization located in Salina that supports child care providers and their efforts.

She furthered her career in digital marketing at Blue Beacon, Inc., where she worked on a variety of marketing campaigns for Blue Beacon Truck Wash and Charlie’s Car Wash.&nbsp;

“I am overjoyed for this opportunity to be able to give back to Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s (Elementary School) and the Salina community," Doll said "Exciting things are happening in Salina Catholic Schools, and I am thrilled to be a part of it."

Doll's roots in the Salina community run deep, as several generations of her family attended and supported Salina Catholic Schools.&nbsp;

Doll and her fiancé, Colten VonLintel — also a Sacred Heart graduate — are planning a wedding in Salina this summer.

"Colten and I are eager to meet and connect with the families of Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s,"  Doll said, "plus all of those who make these institutions thrive today and for many years to come.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675784735070.png" alt="Doll" />
 <figcaption>Doll</figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Catholic DioceseSALINA — The Catholic Diocese of Salina has announced that Hannah Doll has joined the Salina Catholic Schools team as marketing director.Doll, a 2013 graduate of Salina-Sacred Heart High School, has spent most of her life in Salina.She graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2018 with a bachelor of business administration in marketing.Doll started her marketing career at Child Care Aware of Kansas, a statewide nonprofit organization located in Salina that supports child care providers and their efforts.She furthered her career in digital marketing at Blue Beacon, Inc., where she worked on a variety of marketing campaigns for Blue Beacon Truck Wash and Charlie’s Car Wash.&nbsp;“I am overjoyed for this opportunity to be able to give back to Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s (Elementary School) and the Salina community," Doll said "Exciting things are happening in Salina Catholic Schools, and I am thrilled to be a part of it."Doll's roots in the Salina community run deep, as several generations of her family attended and supported Salina Catholic Schools.&nbsp;Doll and her fiancé, Colten VonLintel — also a Sacred Heart graduate — are planning a wedding in Salina this summer."Colten and I are eager to meet and connect with the families of Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s," Doll said, "plus all of those who make these institutions thrive today and for many years to come.”

FHSU alum named marketing director of Salina Catholic Schools

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported six new COVID-19 cases had been identified in Ellis County from Jan. 28 and Feb. 3.

KDHE reports updated case numbers weekly on Wednesdays.

Ellis County remained the moderate-incidence category, the KDHE reported. Trego and Osborne counties were the only in northwest Kansas listed in the high-incidence category. (See map below).&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Since reporting began, there have been 8,373 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675879738507.png" alt="Ellis County COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Ellis County COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported six new COVID-19 cases had been identified in Ellis County from Jan. 28 and Feb. 3.KDHE reports updated case numbers weekly on Wednesdays.Ellis County remained the moderate-incidence category, the KDHE reported. Trego and Osborne counties were the only in northwest Kansas listed in the high-incidence category. (See map below).&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.Since reporting began, there have been 8,373 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675879834678.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Just six new COVID cases in Ellis Co. this reporting period

Ellis High School basketball/cheer senior night will be Friday. Varsity action begins at 6 p.m. with the Ellis Railroaders taking on the Oakley Plainsmen.&nbsp; Senior Recognition will take place at about 5:50 p.m. before the start of varsity action.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675731659645.jpeg" alt="(Back row, left to right )Dakota Metzler, son of Jim and Becky Metzler; Maverick Gnad, son of John and Pam Gnad and the late Sandy Robinson; Carson North, son of Heath and Paula North; (Front row, left to right) Myah McCoy, daughter of Casey and Melanie McCoy; Harlie Bittel, daughter of Kristi Bittel and Blake Bittel; Hannah Schiel, daughter of Jared and Beth Schiel; Makenna Kohl, daughter of Jeff and Emily Kohl; Emily Eck, daughter of Mark and Sarah Eck." />
 <figcaption>(Back row, left to right )Dakota Metzler, son of Jim and Becky Metzler; Maverick Gnad, son of John and Pam Gnad and the late Sandy Robinson; Carson North, son of Heath and Paula North; (Front row, left to right) Myah McCoy, daughter of Casey and Melanie McCoy; Harlie Bittel, daughter of Kristi Bittel and Blake Bittel; Hannah Schiel, daughter of Jared and Beth Schiel; Makenna Kohl, daughter of Jeff and Emily Kohl; Emily Eck, daughter of Mark and Sarah Eck.</figcaption>
 </figure>Ellis High School basketball/cheer senior night will be Friday. Varsity action begins at 6 p.m. with the Ellis Railroaders taking on the Oakley Plainsmen.&nbsp; Senior Recognition will take place at about 5:50 p.m. before the start of varsity action.— USD 388

Ellis High basketball, cheer senior night set for Friday

By KIM BADLWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Six more weeks of winter for 2023. At least that’s the prediction based on a rodent in Pennsylvania.&nbsp; My 7-year-old daughter has recently taken to studying calendars. She can tell you when all of the important and slightly less important days are. She’s also memorized birthdays and does an impressively good job at reminding the rest of us about what a particular day holds. So when she woke up and announced it was Groundhog Day, there was a sense of excitement in the air.&nbsp; While eating breakfast we feverishly switched television channels trying to catch the festivities of the morning live to learn of our future.&nbsp; By the time the kids had to bundle up and head out to their bus stop, my daughter tried to talk me into letting her skip the bus to school so she could watch the revelation unfold in real time. She just had to know what the future would hold. I denied her request to skip the morning bus and told her we’d watch the exciting announcement together on YouTube when she got home that afternoon.&nbsp; By the time I searched for the prognostication that had taken place earlier in the day, I already knew what had been seen and what had been declared but kept that knowledge to myself. As we gathered around my iPad to watch the replay of that morning’s events unfold, you could sense my daughter anxiously awaiting the announcement of her future.&nbsp; We watched as the stage of gathered gentlemen wearing top hats revealed a royal red carpet and scrolls. We cheered with the crowd as they chanted for a groundhog named Phil while a man formally knocked on a tiny, padlocked door at the base of tree stump located on the stage.&nbsp; We waited in anticipation as the groundhog was awakened from his wintery slumber and brought forth from his den to hint at the scroll containing his discovery. The prognostication was revealed when we heard the statement, “I see a shadow upon my stage. No matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter weather.” My daughter refused to accept the prophesy. She argued that she didn’t see his shadow and suggested that the rodent was misguided. In her distraught state, she demanded to watch other videos from that morning that would surely show different angles of the events. She needed better proof. I assured her that taking weather advice from a rodent is not the only way one should plan for the future and challenged her to look around the farm for her own observed signs of spring. And in her brief time of discovery and reflection before dinner she saw three newborn lambs cuddled together in a bed of straw with their mother. She saw how much more space she had to roller skate in the machine shop as we’ve begun to make room for future seed deliveries. And after moving a pile of leaves, she uncovered the tiny tip of a crocus beginning to peek through the soil. Whether we’ll experience more winter weather or not this year, there are definitely hints of another season beginning to appear.&nbsp; And as my daughter learned, we just have to rely less on a soothsaying rodent and keep our own eyes open for other signs of spring.&nbsp; "Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573617414005.jpeg" alt="Kim Baldwin&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BADLWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Six more weeks of winter for 2023. At least that’s the prediction based on a rodent in Pennsylvania.&nbsp; My 7-year-old daughter has recently taken to studying calendars. She can tell you when all of the important and slightly less important days are. She’s also memorized birthdays and does an impressively good job at reminding the rest of us about what a particular day holds. So when she woke up and announced it was Groundhog Day, there was a sense of excitement in the air.&nbsp; While eating breakfast we feverishly switched television channels trying to catch the festivities of the morning live to learn of our future.&nbsp; By the time the kids had to bundle up and head out to their bus stop, my daughter tried to talk me into letting her skip the bus to school so she could watch the revelation unfold in real time. She just had to know what the future would hold. I denied her request to skip the morning bus and told her we’d watch the exciting announcement together on YouTube when she got home that afternoon.&nbsp; By the time I searched for the prognostication that had taken place earlier in the day, I already knew what had been seen and what had been declared but kept that knowledge to myself. As we gathered around my iPad to watch the replay of that morning’s events unfold, you could sense my daughter anxiously awaiting the announcement of her future.&nbsp; We watched as the stage of gathered gentlemen wearing top hats revealed a royal red carpet and scrolls. We cheered with the crowd as they chanted for a groundhog named Phil while a man formally knocked on a tiny, padlocked door at the base of tree stump located on the stage.&nbsp; We waited in anticipation as the groundhog was awakened from his wintery slumber and brought forth from his den to hint at the scroll containing his discovery. The prognostication was revealed when we heard the statement, “I see a shadow upon my stage. No matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter weather.” My daughter refused to accept the prophesy. She argued that she didn’t see his shadow and suggested that the rodent was misguided. In her distraught state, she demanded to watch other videos from that morning that would surely show different angles of the events. She needed better proof. I assured her that taking weather advice from a rodent is not the only way one should plan for the future and challenged her to look around the farm for her own observed signs of spring. And in her brief time of discovery and reflection before dinner she saw three newborn lambs cuddled together in a bed of straw with their mother. She saw how much more space she had to roller skate in the machine shop as we’ve begun to make room for future seed deliveries. And after moving a pile of leaves, she uncovered the tiny tip of a crocus beginning to peek through the soil. Whether we’ll experience more winter weather or not this year, there are definitely hints of another season beginning to appear.&nbsp; And as my daughter learned, we just have to rely less on a soothsaying rodent and keep our own eyes open for other signs of spring.&nbsp; "Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Signs of spring

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675798085738.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>

LOGAN - The Hansen Museum Continuing Education Program is pleased to welcome certified Bob Ross instructor Sandy Seamone to teach two Joy of Painting classes on February 18th and 19th. 

On Saturday, February 18th, the class will paint “Desert Paradise,” and on Sunday, February 19th, “Peaceful Night.” Classes held in the Hansen Museum Community Room, Logan, KS, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with an hour-long lunch break each day.

The Bob Ross method is designed to be a fun and simple way to paint. Sandy learned from the happy tree guy himself. Implementing the soft-spoken, supportive ways of her mentor, Sandy creates a classroom with a relaxing and light-hearted atmosphere. 

All painting supplies are provided, and no previous experience is necessary. Young and old alike will enjoy the camaraderie of these classes. Students need only bring a roll of paper towels.

Call the Museum to register or find the registration form on our website (hansenmuseum.org) under Classes &amp; Workshops. Discounts are available for Patron and Sustaining Hansen Museum Members. 

This enjoyable learning opportunity is brought to you through the Hansen Museum Continuing Education Program, underwritten by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. For more information, please call 785-689-4846.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675816752597.jpeg" alt="Hansen Museum Joy of Painting" />
 <figcaption>Hansen Museum Joy of Painting</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675816794045.jpeg" alt="Hansen Museum Joy of Painting" />
 <figcaption>Hansen Museum Joy of Painting</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedLOGAN - The Hansen Museum Continuing Education Program is pleased to welcome certified Bob Ross instructor Sandy Seamone to teach two Joy of Painting classes on February 18th and 19th. On Saturday, February 18th, the class will paint “Desert Paradise,” and on Sunday, February 19th, “Peaceful Night.” Classes held in the Hansen Museum Community Room, Logan, KS, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with an hour-long lunch break each day.The Bob Ross method is designed to be a fun and simple way to paint. Sandy learned from the happy tree guy himself. Implementing the soft-spoken, supportive ways of her mentor, Sandy creates a classroom with a relaxing and light-hearted atmosphere. All painting supplies are provided, and no previous experience is necessary. Young and old alike will enjoy the camaraderie of these classes. Students need only bring a roll of paper towels.Call the Museum to register or find the registration form on our website (hansenmuseum.org) under Classes &amp; Workshops. Discounts are available for Patron and Sustaining Hansen Museum Members. This enjoyable learning opportunity is brought to you through the Hansen Museum Continuing Education Program, underwritten by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. For more information, please call 785-689-4846.

Beginning Joy of Painting classes offered at Hansen Museum Feb. 18 and 19

Do you want to be part of creating a better experience where you live, work and play? Why not grow with a company where you are not just an employee, but where you can be an owner?&nbsp;

The North Platte Media Center at Eagle Communications is seeking a news director to help grow our newsgathering and publishing operations for our local radio properties and market-leading news site. We are looking for a journalist who understands and loves the local relationship with — and responsibility to —&nbsp;their community and audience.

This position will be an integral part of the day-to-day newsgathering operations for the North Platte and Ogallala coverage area for our five radio stations and NorthPlattePost.com. Collaboration is key at Eagle, and the news director will work closely with the operations manager, market manager, marketing consultants, programmers, and the video team. &nbsp;

Compensation is commensurate with experience along with a competitive benefits package including health insurance, 401(k), paid vacation and Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The selected candidate will be required to pass a criminal history background check and motor vehicle check. Eagle Communications is an Employee-Owned company and an EEO employer.

<a href="https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=7c09ab04-f576-4f5a-bdb8-f914cdd1f344&amp;ccId=19000101_000001&amp;jobId=454725&amp;lang=en_US&amp;source=EN">APPLY HERE</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587155364471.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Do you want to be part of creating a better experience where you live, work and play? Why not grow with a company where you are not just an employee, but where you can be an owner?&nbsp;The North Platte Media Center at Eagle Communications is seeking a news director to help grow our newsgathering and publishing operations for our local radio properties and market-leading news site. We are looking for a journalist who understands and loves the local relationship with — and responsibility to —&nbsp;their community and audience.This position will be an integral part of the day-to-day newsgathering operations for the North Platte and Ogallala coverage area for our five radio stations and NorthPlattePost.com. Collaboration is key at Eagle, and the news director will work closely with the operations manager, market manager, marketing consultants, programmers, and the video team. &nbsp;Responsibilities:<ol>
 <li>Ensure reliable coverage of North Platte-area local news, and community events</li><li>Guide and promote creativity and good programming practices with on-air and digital peers</li><li>Broadcast news coverage&nbsp;</li><li>Publish text, visual and&nbsp;audio content&nbsp;to NorthPlattePost.com</li><li>Help maintain a growing&nbsp;social&nbsp;media presence on North Platte Post Facebook page, being responsive to posts and messages</li><li>Providing Talent for Live Broadcasts for our clients</li><li>Handling Severe Weather Coverage for our county coverage area in North Platte and Ogallala Region</li><li>Attend City Council and community meetings as needed in North Platte and Ogallala</li>
 </ol>Experience:<ol>
 <li>News writing and on-air experience preferred; photography and video skills a plus</li><li>Knowledge of social media platforms and ability to learn Eagle’s proprietary content management system</li><li>Knowledge of radio production preferred</li><li>Excellent communication skills</li>
 </ol>Compensation:Compensation is commensurate with experience along with a competitive benefits package including health insurance, 401(k), paid vacation and Employee Stock Ownership Plan.Other Information:&nbsp;Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The selected candidate will be required to pass a criminal history background check and motor vehicle check. Eagle Communications is an Employee-Owned company and an EEO employer.<a href="https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=7c09ab04-f576-4f5a-bdb8-f914cdd1f344&amp;ccId=19000101_000001&amp;jobId=454725&amp;lang=en_US&amp;source=EN">APPLY HERE</a>

Eagle seeks news director for Nebraska communities

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Hays USD 489 will add certified staff for the 2023-24 school year, including new elementary science teachers and an additional librarian.

The USD 489 school board approved the changes at its meeting Monday night.

The district will add one and a half library/media specialists. The three largest elementary schools — Roosevelt, Wilson and O'Loughlin — will all have full-time librarians under this plan. Lincoln Elementary School will share a librarian with Hays Middle School and Hays High School.

The district will add three STEM teachers — one each at Roosevelt, Wilson and O'Loughlin. It will be eliminating non-certified technology assistants at those schools. Those staff members will have opportunities to be reassigned. Lincoln will keep its technology assistant.

Superintendent Ron Wilson said he thought adding the science teachers will help students better meet their science standards and create consistency in how the standards are taught.

To offset the positions that will be added, the district will temporarily eliminate two elementary class sections due to low enrollment during the next school year. A fifth-grade class will be eliminated at Roosevelt, and a fourth-grade class will be eliminated from Lincoln.

One social studies teacher will be added at Hays High School. Those social studies classes are currently being split between a foreign language and physical education teacher.

Adding the new position will allow the foreign language teacher to offer more language classes and the physical education teacher to teach more PE classes.

The district plans to add one family and consumer science teacher who will split time between HHS and HMS. HHS will be able to add four electives taught by the new teacher, including culinary arts. 

HMS has no FACS teacher. The additional staff member will allow the school to add two sections of electives. Family and consumer science was eliminated from the middle school previously because of a lack of space.

A half-time music teacher will be added. This will not change the music offering in the district, but it will allow one of the current vocal music teachers to teach speech and debate half-time at the high school.

Shawn Henderson, HHS principal, said the school has low participation in debate because students have to prepare for tournaments before or after school and that conflicts with other school activities. He said he thought participation should soar when the class is added back into the school day.

The district will net 3.5 new certified positions for the next school year at a cost of $230,000, which includes benefits.

Board member Curt Vajnar asked if the increase in certified staff could affect the ability of the district to offer raises. Wilson said it is possible.&nbsp;

"We feel like this is really beneficial to our district, beneficial to our students and beneficial to our staff. It's going to make a huge impact," Wilson said of adding the positions.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/34dac033-3ec6-4302-973b-289799fc1d5f">The board approved a lease-purchase agreement for HVAC improvements to O'Loughlin and Wilson elementary schools and field turf and lighting for the sports field at Hays High School.</a>

The cost for the three projects will be almost $5 million. The cost with interest will be just less than $6.8 million.

Work has begun on the field project. Work will be done this summer on the HVAC projects.

The board approved the purchase of two Bluebird school buses for $255,213 from Kansas Truck through the Kansas School Bus Purchasing Program.

This purchase is part of the school district's five-year transportation plan. $300,000 had been budgeted for the purchases.

The board approved a bid from Kansas City Audio Visual for $48,100 for nine Clear Touch Interactive teaching boards and installation at the Early Childhood Complex.

Three local residents spoke during the public comments section of the meeting. All three said they no longer wanted Hays High School to use the Indian as its school mascot.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675805873921.jpg" alt="Photo provided by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo provided by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays USD 489 will add certified staff for the 2023-24 school year, including new elementary science teachers and an additional librarian.The USD 489 school board approved the changes at its meeting Monday night.The district will add one and a half library/media specialists. The three largest elementary schools — Roosevelt, Wilson and O'Loughlin — will all have full-time librarians under this plan. Lincoln Elementary School will share a librarian with Hays Middle School and Hays High School.The district will add three STEM teachers — one each at Roosevelt, Wilson and O'Loughlin. It will be eliminating non-certified technology assistants at those schools. Those staff members will have opportunities to be reassigned. Lincoln will keep its technology assistant.Superintendent Ron Wilson said he thought adding the science teachers will help students better meet their science standards and create consistency in how the standards are taught.To offset the positions that will be added, the district will temporarily eliminate two elementary class sections due to low enrollment during the next school year. A fifth-grade class will be eliminated at Roosevelt, and a fourth-grade class will be eliminated from Lincoln.One social studies teacher will be added at Hays High School. Those social studies classes are currently being split between a foreign language and physical education teacher.Adding the new position will allow the foreign language teacher to offer more language classes and the physical education teacher to teach more PE classes.The district plans to add one family and consumer science teacher who will split time between HHS and HMS. HHS will be able to add four electives taught by the new teacher, including culinary arts. HMS has no FACS teacher. The additional staff member will allow the school to add two sections of electives. Family and consumer science was eliminated from the middle school previously because of a lack of space.A half-time music teacher will be added. This will not change the music offering in the district, but it will allow one of the current vocal music teachers to teach speech and debate half-time at the high school.Shawn Henderson, HHS principal, said the school has low participation in debate because students have to prepare for tournaments before or after school and that conflicts with other school activities. He said he thought participation should soar when the class is added back into the school day.The district will net 3.5 new certified positions for the next school year at a cost of $230,000, which includes benefits.Board member Curt Vajnar asked if the increase in certified staff could affect the ability of the district to offer raises. Wilson said it is possible.&nbsp;"We feel like this is really beneficial to our district, beneficial to our students and beneficial to our staff. It's going to make a huge impact," Wilson said of adding the positions.<h2>HVAC projects</h2><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/34dac033-3ec6-4302-973b-289799fc1d5f">The board approved a lease-purchase agreement for HVAC improvements to O'Loughlin and Wilson elementary schools and field turf and lighting for the sports field at Hays High School.</a>The cost for the three projects will be almost $5 million. The cost with interest will be just less than $6.8 million.Work has begun on the field project. Work will be done this summer on the HVAC projects.<h2>School buses</h2>The board approved the purchase of two Bluebird school buses for $255,213 from Kansas Truck through the Kansas School Bus Purchasing Program.This purchase is part of the school district's five-year transportation plan. $300,000 had been budgeted for the purchases.The board approved a bid from Kansas City Audio Visual for $48,100 for nine Clear Touch Interactive teaching boards and installation at the Early Childhood Complex.Three local residents spoke during the public comments section of the meeting. All three said they no longer wanted Hays High School to use the Indian as its school mascot.

Hays USD 489 adding teachers, class offerings for next school year

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-02-01/30-years-ago-these-kansas-farmers-were-told-to-use-less-water-heres-how-they-did-it">Kansas News Service</a>

Trying to cut back on irrigation in western Kansas isn’t a new idea.

More
 than three decades ago, the state came to farmers in the Walnut Creek 
basin south of Hays with a mandate. Farmers had to drastically change 
how much water they used on their crops. Some had to cut irrigation by 
nearly half.

Roger Mohr, who has grown grain in that area since 
1970, remembers the irrigation limits didn’t go over well — at least at 
first.

“None of us liked that when it happened,” Mohr said. “But we all realized that we had to make changes.”

A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366988632_Adapting_to_water_restrictinons_Intensive_versus_extensive_adaptation_over_time_differentiated_by_water_right_seniority" target="_blank">new study</a>
 from Kansas State University shows how farmers in this part of 
west-central Kansas have made those changes to meet the state’s strict 
irrigation restrictions since they began in 1992.

The research focuses on the Walnut Creek Intensive Groundwater Use 
Control Area, or IGUCA, which spans part of the creek’s basin in Ness, 
Rush and Barton counties.

Prior to the IGUCA’s restrictions, Mohr 
said, nearly all of the irrigation in his area came from inundating 
fields with long trenches of water that ran between the crop rows — a 
method that’s notorious for losing water to <a href="https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog3/node/1096" target="_blank">evaporation and runoff</a>. Now, pretty much every piece of land that can field a more-efficient center pivot irrigation system has one.

The
 water limits spurred farmers to make other changes, too. They’ve 
switched up what they grow, Mohr said, from mostly irrigated corn — 
which requires a lot of water — to a rotation that includes other crops,
 such as soybeans and sorghum. Some of his neighbors have gone beyond 
center pivots and installed subsurface drip irrigation systems that 
conserve even more water.

Those changes have meant some big upfront expenses for farmers. But in Mohr’s view, it’s been worth it.

“We have to be very careful,” Mohr said, “because without water, none of us are going to be here.”

The state established the Walnut Creek IGUCA to leave more water for 
nearby streams that flow into Cheyenne Bottoms, a critical wetland bird 
habitat that the recent drought temporarily <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-11-04/up-to-1-million-birds-count-on-kansas-wetlands-during-migration-drought-has-left-them-high-and-dry" target="_blank">dried up</a>. If aquifer levels decline enough, the water that historically flowed in a stream above it can get <a href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic9/pic9_2.html" target="_blank">sucked underground</a> and leave a <a href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic9/pic9_2.html" target="_blank">dry bed on the surface</a>.

As opposed to local enhanced management areas, or LEMAs, that allow local landowners to <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-10/this-is-do-or-die-western-kansas-farmers-push-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-before-its-too-late" target="_blank">come up with their own plan</a> for cutting irrigation, <a href="https://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/dwr/managing-kansas-water-resources/intensive-groundwater-use-control-areas" target="_blank">IGUCAs</a>
 are initiated by the state. And farmers don’t have a say about how big 
the cuts are or whether they have to abide by the rules the state sets.

Here’s
 what that meant for farmers in the Walnut Creek area. Those who got 
their water rights after October of 1965 had to cut their irrigation the
 most — roughly twice as much as those with older water rights that were
 established between 1945 and 1965. Some farmers, like Mohr, had land 
that fell into both categories.

The junior water rights holders, which make up roughly half of the 
total allocations in the area, had to reduce their water use by 42%. 
Those with more senior rights only had to cut irrigation by around 20%.

Nathan
 Hendricks, a Kansas State University agricultural economics professor 
who worked on the study, said that 20% cut purposefully left senior 
rights farmers with as much water as the state determined was the bare 
minimum for growing irrigated corn in that area.

“The juniors just got whatever was left after that amount,” Hendricks said. “So it became much more restrictive.”

The
 remaining one-fifth of farmers had water rights that were established 
prior to the Kansas Water Appropriation Act of 1945 and didn’t have to 
reduce their irrigation at all — basically serving as a control group 
for the study.

And it turns out that if the farmers weren’t forced
 to cut their water use, they didn’t choose to do it on their own. The 
farmers whose irrigation got grandfathered in, Hendricks said, have 
hardly changed how much they water their crops over the past few 
decades.

Up to a certain point — around a 25% reduction in irrigation, 
Hendricks said — farmers can shrink their water use by just sprinkling 
fewer inches on a field. But once irrigation cuts exceed 25%, they 
pretty much have to stop watering some fields altogether, leaving the 
crops planted there to rely on the weather or choosing to not plant 
crops on those fields at all.

The K-State study reports that the 
reduction in irrigated acres around Walnut Creek significantly reduced 
the area's land values. That’s because there’s a big difference between 
rental rates for irrigated and nonirrigated farmland. 

In Barton County, for instance, an <a href="https://www.agmanager.info/farm-management/land-rental-rates/2023-kansas-county-level-cash-rental-rates-irrigated-cropland" target="_blank">irrigated acre of land</a> is worth more than twice as much as <a href="https://www.agmanager.info/farm-management/land-rental-rates/2023-kansas-county-level-cash-rental-rates-non-irrigated-cropland" target="_blank">one without irrigation</a>.

The
 study calculated all of the potential money forfeited due to those 
cheaper rents within this IGUCA and showed it adds up to a loss of 
$283,000 per year for the region.

For the farmers who had to stop 
irrigating some of their fields entirely, Hendricks said, it’s likely 
they also took a personal financial hit to their harvests and profits.

“If you’re backing off irrigated acres,” Hendricks said, “it’s hard to imagine there’s not a loss.”

Other research from part of northwest Kansas has shown that some farmers who cut irrigation end up seeing their <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-05-05/farmers-trying-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-face-tension-from-peers-but-their-profits-are-improving" target="_blank">profits go up</a>
 as they spend less money pumping water from underground and buying seed
 and fertilizer. But the conditions farmers face — the local climate, 
the depth and quality of their section of aquifer — can vary greatly 
from one part of the state to another.

And with the ongoing 
extreme drought, there’s only so much farmers can do to make up for a 
lack of rain even if they have irrigation.

Parts of Ness County near the western edge of the Walnut Creek IGUCA experienced their <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-23/how-bad-was-the-2022-drought-for-these-seven-kansas-communities-it-was-the-driest-on-record" target="_blank">driest year on record</a> in 2022. And many farmers in west-central Kansas already saw drought <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">burn up their wheat</a> and <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-09-20/how-the-drought-killing-kansas-corn-crops-could-make-you-pay-more-for-gas-and-beef" target="_blank">corn crops</a> last year, drastically reducing harvests.

Without
 some precipitation in the next 60 days, Mohr said, farmers in his area 
will have to start making tough choices about the coming season.

“Mother Nature’s water,” Mohr said, “is much better than irrigating water.”

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675279076013.png" alt="Irrigation restrictions pushed farmers in the Walnut Creek basin to switch from flood irrigation to center pivot sprayers, like the one seen here, in order to use their water more efficiently. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Irrigation restrictions pushed farmers in the Walnut Creek basin to switch from flood irrigation to center pivot sprayers, like the one seen here, in order to use their water more efficiently. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-02-01/30-years-ago-these-kansas-farmers-were-told-to-use-less-water-heres-how-they-did-it">Kansas News Service</a>Trying to cut back on irrigation in western Kansas isn’t a new idea.More
 than three decades ago, the state came to farmers in the Walnut Creek 
basin south of Hays with a mandate. Farmers had to drastically change 
how much water they used on their crops. Some had to cut irrigation by 
nearly half.Roger Mohr, who has grown grain in that area since 
1970, remembers the irrigation limits didn’t go over well — at least at 
first.“None of us liked that when it happened,” Mohr said. “But we all realized that we had to make changes.”A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366988632_Adapting_to_water_restrictinons_Intensive_versus_extensive_adaptation_over_time_differentiated_by_water_right_seniority" target="_blank">new study</a>
 from Kansas State University shows how farmers in this part of 
west-central Kansas have made those changes to meet the state’s strict 
irrigation restrictions since they began in 1992.The research focuses on the Walnut Creek Intensive Groundwater Use 
Control Area, or IGUCA, which spans part of the creek’s basin in Ness, 
Rush and Barton counties.Prior to the IGUCA’s restrictions, Mohr 
said, nearly all of the irrigation in his area came from inundating 
fields with long trenches of water that ran between the crop rows — a 
method that’s notorious for losing water to <a href="https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog3/node/1096" target="_blank">evaporation and runoff</a>. Now, pretty much every piece of land that can field a more-efficient center pivot irrigation system has one.The
 water limits spurred farmers to make other changes, too. They’ve 
switched up what they grow, Mohr said, from mostly irrigated corn — 
which requires a lot of water — to a rotation that includes other crops,
 such as soybeans and sorghum. Some of his neighbors have gone beyond 
center pivots and installed subsurface drip irrigation systems that 
conserve even more water.Those changes have meant some big upfront expenses for farmers. But in Mohr’s view, it’s been worth it.“We have to be very careful,” Mohr said, “because without water, none of us are going to be here.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667578335644.png" alt="A basin at Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands in central Kansas that's normally filled with water sits empty during the extreme drought of 2022.&nbsp;Catherine Evans / Colby Moorberg / Kansas Geological Survey / Kansas State University" />
 <figcaption>A basin at Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands in central Kansas that's normally filled with water sits empty during the extreme drought of 2022.&nbsp;Catherine Evans / Colby Moorberg / Kansas Geological Survey / Kansas State University</figcaption>
 </figure>The state established the Walnut Creek IGUCA to leave more water for 
nearby streams that flow into Cheyenne Bottoms, a critical wetland bird 
habitat that the recent drought temporarily <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-11-04/up-to-1-million-birds-count-on-kansas-wetlands-during-migration-drought-has-left-them-high-and-dry" target="_blank">dried up</a>. If aquifer levels decline enough, the water that historically flowed in a stream above it can get <a href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic9/pic9_2.html" target="_blank">sucked underground</a> and leave a <a href="https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic9/pic9_2.html" target="_blank">dry bed on the surface</a>.As opposed to local enhanced management areas, or LEMAs, that allow local landowners to <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-10/this-is-do-or-die-western-kansas-farmers-push-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-before-its-too-late" target="_blank">come up with their own plan</a> for cutting irrigation, <a href="https://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/dwr/managing-kansas-water-resources/intensive-groundwater-use-control-areas" target="_blank">IGUCAs</a>
 are initiated by the state. And farmers don’t have a say about how big 
the cuts are or whether they have to abide by the rules the state sets.Here’s
 what that meant for farmers in the Walnut Creek area. Those who got 
their water rights after October of 1965 had to cut their irrigation the
 most — roughly twice as much as those with older water rights that were
 established between 1945 and 1965. Some farmers, like Mohr, had land 
that fell into both categories.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675279221952.png" alt="This map shows the boundaries of the Walnut Creek IGUCA (the section shaded black) within the Walnut Creek watershed (the section shaded blue) in west-central Kansas south of Hays. Kansas Department of Agriculture" />
 <figcaption>This map shows the boundaries of the Walnut Creek IGUCA (the section shaded black) within the Walnut Creek watershed (the section shaded blue) in west-central Kansas south of Hays. Kansas Department of Agriculture</figcaption>
 </figure>The junior water rights holders, which make up roughly half of the 
total allocations in the area, had to reduce their water use by 42%. 
Those with more senior rights only had to cut irrigation by around 20%.Nathan
 Hendricks, a Kansas State University agricultural economics professor 
who worked on the study, said that 20% cut purposefully left senior 
rights farmers with as much water as the state determined was the bare 
minimum for growing irrigated corn in that area.“The juniors just got whatever was left after that amount,” Hendricks said. “So it became much more restrictive.”The
 remaining one-fifth of farmers had water rights that were established 
prior to the Kansas Water Appropriation Act of 1945 and didn’t have to 
reduce their irrigation at all — basically serving as a control group 
for the study.And it turns out that if the farmers weren’t forced
 to cut their water use, they didn’t choose to do it on their own. The 
farmers whose irrigation got grandfathered in, Hendricks said, have 
hardly changed how much they water their crops over the past few 
decades.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675279264020.png" alt="This photo from 2021 shows a field of nonirrigated grain sorghum, or milo, in part of the Walnut Creek basin in Rush County. Some farmers in this area have switched from growing corn to growing milo, which requires less water, since the IGUCA's irrigation restrictions went into effect. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>This photo from 2021 shows a field of nonirrigated grain sorghum, or milo, in part of the Walnut Creek basin in Rush County. Some farmers in this area have switched from growing corn to growing milo, which requires less water, since the IGUCA's irrigation restrictions went into effect. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Up to a certain point — around a 25% reduction in irrigation, 
Hendricks said — farmers can shrink their water use by just sprinkling 
fewer inches on a field. But once irrigation cuts exceed 25%, they 
pretty much have to stop watering some fields altogether, leaving the 
crops planted there to rely on the weather or choosing to not plant 
crops on those fields at all.The K-State study reports that the 
reduction in irrigated acres around Walnut Creek significantly reduced 
the area's land values. That’s because there’s a big difference between 
rental rates for irrigated and nonirrigated farmland. In Barton County, for instance, an <a href="https://www.agmanager.info/farm-management/land-rental-rates/2023-kansas-county-level-cash-rental-rates-irrigated-cropland" target="_blank">irrigated acre of land</a> is worth more than twice as much as <a href="https://www.agmanager.info/farm-management/land-rental-rates/2023-kansas-county-level-cash-rental-rates-non-irrigated-cropland" target="_blank">one without irrigation</a>.The
 study calculated all of the potential money forfeited due to those 
cheaper rents within this IGUCA and showed it adds up to a loss of 
$283,000 per year for the region.For the farmers who had to stop 
irrigating some of their fields entirely, Hendricks said, it’s likely 
they also took a personal financial hit to their harvests and profits.“If you’re backing off irrigated acres,” Hendricks said, “it’s hard to imagine there’s not a loss.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675279312650.png" alt="A combination of drought on the surface and depleted aquifer levels underground can leave river beds dry. Here, the Smoky Hill River south of Hays sits parched in the fall of 2022. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>A combination of drought on the surface and depleted aquifer levels underground can leave river beds dry. Here, the Smoky Hill River south of Hays sits parched in the fall of 2022. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>Other research from part of northwest Kansas has shown that some farmers who cut irrigation end up seeing their <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-05-05/farmers-trying-to-save-the-ogallala-aquifer-face-tension-from-peers-but-their-profits-are-improving" target="_blank">profits go up</a>
 as they spend less money pumping water from underground and buying seed
 and fertilizer. But the conditions farmers face — the local climate, 
the depth and quality of their section of aquifer — can vary greatly 
from one part of the state to another.And with the ongoing 
extreme drought, there’s only so much farmers can do to make up for a 
lack of rain even if they have irrigation.Parts of Ness County near the western edge of the Walnut Creek IGUCA experienced their <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-01-23/how-bad-was-the-2022-drought-for-these-seven-kansas-communities-it-was-the-driest-on-record" target="_blank">driest year on record</a> in 2022. And many farmers in west-central Kansas already saw drought <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-06-08/western-kansas-wheat-crops-are-failing-just-when-the-world-needs-them-most" target="_blank">burn up their wheat</a> and <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-09-20/how-the-drought-killing-kansas-corn-crops-could-make-you-pay-more-for-gas-and-beef" target="_blank">corn crops</a> last year, drastically reducing harvests.Without
 some precipitation in the next 60 days, Mohr said, farmers in his area 
will have to start making tough choices about the coming season.“Mother Nature’s water,” Mohr said, “is much better than irrigating water.”David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank">@davidcondos</a>.

30 years ago, these Kansas farmers were told to use less water. Here's how they did it

After reaching the mid-50s Tuesday afternoon, expect temperatures to cool somewhat through the rest of the week.&nbsp;

The high Wednesday is expected to reach near 50, but a north wind will cause the mercury to dip Thursday and Friday, with highs only reaching the low-40s. Winds could gust near 40 mph Wednesday night and throughout the day Thursday.

But by the weekend, unseasonably warm temperatures will return — with highs expected to be near 60 Saturday and Sunday and the mid-50s on Monday.

There is a slight chance of precipitation in the long-range forecast, with a 20 percent to 30 percent chance of rain in the Hays area Monday and Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Dodge City reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675806309581.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After reaching the mid-50s Tuesday afternoon, expect temperatures to cool somewhat through the rest of the week.&nbsp;The high Wednesday is expected to reach near 50, but a north wind will cause the mercury to dip Thursday and Friday, with highs only reaching the low-40s. Winds could gust near 40 mph Wednesday night and throughout the day Thursday.But by the weekend, unseasonably warm temperatures will return — with highs expected to be near 60 Saturday and Sunday and the mid-50s on Monday.There is a slight chance of precipitation in the long-range forecast, with a 20 percent to 30 percent chance of rain in the Hays area Monday and Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Dodge City reported.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The high temperatures this weekend will range from the mid 50s to near 65 each day. On Saturday near critical fire weather conditions will be possible south and west of the Dodge City. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://t.co/WFbqa8nJJc">pic.twitter.com/WFbqa8nJJc</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1622970092421279744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The best chance of precipitation over the next week is across south central Kansas, with lesser chances farther west. The highest chance is early next week when some rain is possible at locations such as Medicine Lodge and Pratt. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KSWX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KSWX</a> <a href="https://t.co/LRFfgqNGHk">pic.twitter.com/LRFfgqNGHk</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1622901148066938881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

Warm weekend on the way — with a chance of rain on the horizon

The presidents of Fort Hays State University, North Central Kansas Technical College and Northwest Kansas Technical College will host a town hall-style discussion about the Strategic Affiliation Initiative the three institutions launched in January.&nbsp;

The town hall will be 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday at FHSU's Memorial Union.

Those unable to attend in person can join via live stream video on Tiger Media Network’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw">YouTube Channel</a>.

FHSU University CommunicationsThe presidents of Fort Hays State University, North Central Kansas Technical College and Northwest Kansas Technical College will host a town hall-style discussion about the Strategic Affiliation Initiative the three institutions launched in January.&nbsp;The town hall will be 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday at FHSU's Memorial Union.Those unable to attend in person can join via live stream video on Tiger Media Network’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw">YouTube Channel</a>.&nbsp;.

FHSU town hall to focus on strategic affiliation initiative

I have been a citizen of Hays, Kansas, for&nbsp;33&nbsp;years, and&nbsp;my daughter attended all four years of high school at HHS, graduating in 2005.&nbsp;&nbsp;She and I are of the same mind regarding the HHS mascot, and I’m sharing that view here.

The Kansas Board of Education&nbsp;this past November urged school districts to eliminate&nbsp;American Indian&nbsp;mascots within the next&nbsp;3-5&nbsp;years.&nbsp;Approximately&nbsp;24 Kansas schools still have such mascots, and the Hays High Indians are one of them.&nbsp;With&nbsp;plans underway to build&nbsp;new Hays High School, the time is right to&nbsp;comply and&nbsp;change the HHS mascot.

In fact, it’s past time to make this change. &nbsp;The American Psychological Association (APA) passed a resolution way back in 2005&nbsp;calling for schools to abandon such mascots. &nbsp;Here’s a summary of the resolution from the APA website:

<a href="https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/indian-mascots">“In 2005, the APA called for the immediate retirement of all American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities by schools, colleges, universities, athletic teams and organizations. APA's position is based on a growing body of social science literature that shows the harmful effects of racial stereotyping and inaccurate racial portrayals, including the particularly harmful effects of American Indian sports mascots on the social identity development and self-esteem of American Indian young people.”</a>

So what’s keeping this&nbsp;mascot change&nbsp;from happening? &nbsp;I’ve heard several claims against making a change that I would like to address here.

Claim:&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of the people we’re hearing from do not support changing the mascot, so we should keep it the same.

I have been a citizen of Hays, Kansas, for&nbsp;33&nbsp;years, and&nbsp;my daughter attended all four years of high school at HHS, graduating in 2005.&nbsp;&nbsp;She and I are of the same mind regarding the HHS mascot, and I’m sharing that view here.The Kansas Board of Education&nbsp;this past November urged school districts to eliminate&nbsp;American Indian&nbsp;mascots within the next&nbsp;3-5&nbsp;years.&nbsp;Approximately&nbsp;24 Kansas schools still have such mascots, and the Hays High Indians are one of them.&nbsp;With&nbsp;plans underway to build&nbsp;new Hays High School, the time is right to&nbsp;comply and&nbsp;change the HHS mascot.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In fact, it’s past time to make this change. &nbsp;The American Psychological Association (APA) passed a resolution way back in 2005&nbsp;calling for schools to abandon such mascots. &nbsp;Here’s a summary of the resolution from the APA website:<a href="https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/indian-mascots">“In 2005, the APA called for the immediate retirement of all American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities by schools, colleges, universities, athletic teams and organizations. APA's position is based on a growing body of social science literature that shows the harmful effects of racial stereotyping and inaccurate racial portrayals, including the particularly harmful effects of American Indian sports mascots on the social identity development and self-esteem of American Indian young people.”</a>So what’s keeping this&nbsp;mascot change&nbsp;from happening? &nbsp;I’ve heard several claims against making a change that I would like to address here.Claim:&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of the people we’re hearing from do not support changing the mascot, so we should keep it the same.Response:&nbsp;&nbsp;A majority do not have to favor change for it to&nbsp;be the right course of action. &nbsp;A majority of Southerners would likely not have supported the abolition of slavery—but it&nbsp;was,nevertheless, the right thing to do.Claim:&nbsp;&nbsp;But it’s not offensive. &nbsp;We’re&nbsp;honoring&nbsp;Indians with this mascot.Response:&nbsp;&nbsp;Ask the&nbsp;National&nbsp;Congress of American Indians&nbsp;if they feel honored. &nbsp;You don’t have to ask them, as they have already made this statement&nbsp;on their website:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncai.org/proudtobe#:~:text=NCAI%20is%20the%20oldest%2C%20largest,mock%2C%20and%20harm%20Native%20people%2C">“NCAI is the oldest, largest, and most representative national organization that shares the unified voice of hundreds of Tribal Nations representing millions of Native people, and that voice has been consistent and clear for decades: sports mascots are symbols of disrespect that degrade, mock, and harm Native people.”</a>Claim:&nbsp;&nbsp;I’m German, and I would not be offended if Germans were used as mascots.Response:&nbsp;&nbsp;How about the “Krauts”?&nbsp;&nbsp;Would that perhaps be offensive? &nbsp;It might be, given that it’s&nbsp;a false name given to German people,&nbsp;just&nbsp;as “Indians” is a false name based on the mistaken assumption that Columbus had sailed to India&nbsp;when he landed in the Americas.&nbsp;Moreover, Germans&nbsp;in this country have not&nbsp;experienced the&nbsp;widespread oppression&nbsp;and injustice endured by indigenous people who had their land stolen, their children taken away for “re-education,”&nbsp;treaties broken, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;So it is truly a false comparison.Claim:&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s tradition.Response: &nbsp;In Kansas, Wichita North High School has changed its mascot from the “Redskins” to the “Redhawks.” &nbsp;Their principal, Stephanie Wasco, notes&nbsp;in a KWCH&nbsp;article&nbsp;that&nbsp;the memories made by former students over the years are not diminished by a new mascot:<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2022/12/14/administrators-wichita-public-schools-announce-new-mascot-north-high-school/">“It doesn’t change the memories they have here. It doesn’t change the pride they have here,” Wasko said. “It doesn’t change the friends they made here or the education they got here. Those things they can still be proud of. We’re simply changing the name of the mascot. It’s not changing anything that’s important to them.”</a>The Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians) and the Washington Commanders (formerly Redskins)&nbsp;are two national sports teams who have not let something like “tradition” keep them from&nbsp;moving forward from a racist and insensitive past.Claim: &nbsp;We’re erasing our history if we get rid of the “Indians” mascot.Response:&nbsp;Logically, then, any event&nbsp;or&nbsp;group&nbsp;not&nbsp;designated as a mascot is erased from history? &nbsp;Forgive me if I&nbsp;find this argument to be absurd. &nbsp;Beyond the absurdity, please recognize that history is preserved in many, many more&nbsp;respectful ways—such as through the Ellis County Historical Society or the many websites, textbooks, organizations, and journals devoted to the honorable work of preserving history. &nbsp;School mascots do not belong in&nbsp;that list.Claim:&nbsp;&nbsp;It will cost too much.Response:&nbsp;&nbsp;If you read the sources below (from such credible sites as the Associated Press, the PEW Research Trust, and the American Psychological Association), you’ll see that the writing is on the wall—and has been for some time. &nbsp;The day is coming when it will no longer be simply a “strong recommendation” to change our mascot. &nbsp;Colorado, our next-door neighbor, for example, has already banned their use statewide. &nbsp;We will actually&nbsp;save&nbsp;money in the long run if we change our mascot now rather than&nbsp;waiting until after we have&nbsp;wasted money on “Indians” branding that will likely need to be removed&nbsp;due to a future mandate.The arguments against changing the mascot simply don’t hold up. &nbsp;Therefore, if&nbsp;the&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Board of Education, the American Psychological Association, and the&nbsp;National Congress of American Indians&nbsp;ALL&nbsp;say that&nbsp;having&nbsp;“Indians”&nbsp;as a mascot is damaging and offensive and&nbsp;it&nbsp;should&nbsp;be replaced, why would&nbsp;we not do so? &nbsp;Sincerely, Cheryl Hofstetter Duffy, HaysFor further reading:<a href="https://www.ksn.com/news/local/kansas-boe-schools-should-drop-native-american-mascots/">“Kansas BOE: Schools Should Drop Native American Mascots”—November 2022</a><a href="https://www.apa.org/about/policy/mascots.pdf">APA Resolution&nbsp;Recommending the Immediate Retirement of American Indian Mascots, Symbols, Images, and Personalities by Schools, Colleges, Universities, Athletic Teams, and Organizations</a><a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-11-10/we-ought-to-be-ashamed-kansas-board-urges-schools-to-eliminate-native-american-mascots">“‘We ought to be ashamed’:&nbsp;Kansas Board Urges Schools to Eliminate American Indian Mascots”</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-education-race-and-ethnicity-native-americans-kansas-4ec9bd8aa5239cf45c6728c4c3fd25b7">“Kansas Board Recommends Ending American Indian Mascots” (Associated Press)</a><a href="https://www.ncai.org/proudtobe#:~:text=NCAI%20is%20the%20oldest%2C%20largest,mock%2C%20and%20harm%20Native%20people%2C">“Ending the Era of Harmful ‘Indian’ Mascots” (National Congress of American Indians)</a><a href="https://www.ncai.org/attachments/PolicyPaper_mijApMoUWDbjqFtjAYzQWlqLdrwZvsYfakBwTHpMATcOroYolpN_NCAI_Harmful_Mascots_Report_Ending_the_Legacy_of_Racism_10_2013.pdf">Ending the Legacy of Racism in Sports &amp; the Era of Harmful “Indian” Sports Mascots</a>&nbsp;(a 2013 policy paper from the National Congress of American Indians—NCAI)<a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/11/10/heeding-tribal-leaders-states-ban-native-mascots">“Heeding Tribal Leaders, States Ban Native Mascots”</a>

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