On this episode of the Post Podcast, Hays Chamber president and CEO Sarah Wasinger and administrative assistant Crystal Young share information about the Ag Appreciation Dinner.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e72721bf-17fe-43d1-a428-8eb7c32185ff">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

On this episode of the Post Podcast, Hays Chamber president and CEO Sarah Wasinger and administrative assistant Crystal Young share information about the Ag Appreciation Dinner. <div><iframe title="Preparations underway for Hays Chamber Ag Appreciation dinner" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=zve8b-12ef4d3-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e72721bf-17fe-43d1-a428-8eb7c32185ff">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

🎙 Post Podcast: Preparations underway for Hays Chamber Ag Appreciation Dinner

<div>  <script src="https://embed-1007182.secondstreetapp.com/Scripts/dist/embed.js" data-ss-embed="promotion" data-opguid="3f27d7e7-9db8-467d-8ceb-af5b4731fd79" data-routing="hash">/**/</script></div>

Enter to win Eagle Radio's Cash Grab

On this week's Tiger Talk, Voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock speaks with Fort Hays State University Head Football Coach Chris Brown about the latest in FHSU Football.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pJ7YImqF7U8"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On this week's Tiger Talk, Voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock speaks with Fort Hays State University Head Football Coach Chris Brown about the latest in FHSU Football.

🎥🏈 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

Fort Hays State University Concert
Choirs will take the stage Friday for the first FHSU music event of the year.

Under the direction of professor of music and director of choral activities&nbsp;Terry Crull, the free concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in
the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center, 600 Park.

“It's
going to be a fun concert,” Crull said. “We're calling it Take Me to the Water because
this summer, when I was looking at potential pieces, I found a great gospel,
spiritual arrangement by Rollo Dilworth, an upcoming arranger called Take Me
to the Water, and it features Wait in the Water and Down by the Riverside,
two old spiritual hymns.”

All
selections, he said, feature water, rivers or lakes as a theme.

“We've
got River Run. We've got Walking on the Green Grass, which happens
if you get rain,” Crull said. “And Wade in the Water by the Fort Hays
Singers and At the River, a hymn arrangement, Flow Gently Sweet Afton
a folk song from Scotland. And just every title has something to do in some way
or other with water or rain or rivers.”

The
concert will start with the FHSU Concert Choir singing the Fort Hays alma
mater and then Take Me to the Water.

Following
the adult community group, the Smokey Hill Chorale will offer four songs. The
Fort Hays Singers will take the stage after.

They
will offer songs prepared for the evening but also selections from their
recent trip to the Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs.

“We went
in costume and sang a couple of performances on a beautiful warm day with lots
of people at the Renaissance Festival,” Crull said. “We had a good trip and a
fun stay.”

The
Concert Choir will wrap the concert with several songs dealing with water.

Their
selections will include, To the Old Mill, “about a guy who met a girl 20 years
ago and he didn't make work of it, so now she married somebody else, and he's
still waiting at the mill to grind his meal, and he's turned old and gray,”
Crull said.

“That
can be a nice fun folk story,” he continued, “And Water Night, a great piece for
choral singers by Eric Whitacre. … That was one of his first ones, a big hit Water
Night. Interesting text and beautiful music.”

“So
that'll be, I think, an entertaining concert,” Crull said. “Something for
everybody. ... Fun
spirituals and folk songs for people who just want to hear a great story put to
music. That's what we do, we tell stories.”

While
the concert marks the first of the year for the students, some of the
performers will be familiar to the audience as FHSU students return alongside
new recruits. &nbsp;

Crull estimates
that about half of the choir are music majors, with the others made up of
students from across campus.

“You
don't have to be a music major to be in either group,” Crull said. “Although,
in the Fort Hays Singers, which was the top ensemble, most of them are majors
or music ed majors. Not all of them, but most of them.”

“It's
just a fun group to watch, perform, and to hear perform,” Crull said. “And so,
I invite everybody to come on out and hear us.”

<div><iframe title="FHSU music department kicks-off season with Choirs Concert Friday" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=fcbc2-12ee344-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>By JAMES BELL Hays PostFort Hays State University Concert
Choirs will take the stage Friday for the first FHSU music event of the year.Under the direction of professor of music and director of choral activities&nbsp;Terry Crull, the free concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in
the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center, 600 Park.“It's
going to be a fun concert,” Crull said. “We're calling it Take Me to the Water because
this summer, when I was looking at potential pieces, I found a great gospel,
spiritual arrangement by Rollo Dilworth, an upcoming arranger called Take Me
to the Water, and it features Wait in the Water and Down by the Riverside,
two old spiritual hymns.”All
selections, he said, feature water, rivers or lakes as a theme.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583259164034.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“We've
got River Run. We've got Walking on the Green Grass, which happens
if you get rain,” Crull said. “And Wade in the Water by the Fort Hays
Singers and At the River, a hymn arrangement, Flow Gently Sweet Afton
a folk song from Scotland. And just every title has something to do in some way
or other with water or rain or rivers.”The
concert will start with the FHSU Concert Choir singing the Fort Hays alma
mater and then Take Me to the Water.Following
the adult community group, the Smokey Hill Chorale will offer four songs. The
Fort Hays Singers will take the stage after.They
will offer songs prepared for the evening but also selections from their
recent trip to the Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs.“We went
in costume and sang a couple of performances on a beautiful warm day with lots
of people at the Renaissance Festival,” Crull said. “We had a good trip and a
fun stay.”The
Concert Choir will wrap the concert with several songs dealing with water.Their
selections will include, To the Old Mill, “about a guy who met a girl 20 years
ago and he didn't make work of it, so now she married somebody else, and he's
still waiting at the mill to grind his meal, and he's turned old and gray,”
Crull said. “That
can be a nice fun folk story,” he continued, “And Water Night, a great piece for
choral singers by Eric Whitacre. … That was one of his first ones, a big hit Water
Night. Interesting text and beautiful music.”“So
that'll be, I think, an entertaining concert,” Crull said. “Something for
everybody. ... Fun
spirituals and folk songs for people who just want to hear a great story put to
music. That's what we do, we tell stories.”While
the concert marks the first of the year for the students, some of the
performers will be familiar to the audience as FHSU students return alongside
new recruits. &nbsp;Crull estimates
that about half of the choir are music majors, with the others made up of
students from across campus.“You
don't have to be a music major to be in either group,” Crull said. “Although,
in the Fort Hays Singers, which was the top ensemble, most of them are majors
or music ed majors. Not all of them, but most of them.”Many are
from Hays, he said.“It's
just a fun group to watch, perform, and to hear perform,” Crull said. “And so,
I invite everybody to come on out and hear us.”

🎙 FHSU music department kicks off season with Choirs Concert Friday

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

Ellis County public works crews will work to patch more than
a dozen trouble spots along the southern portion of Ellis Avenue in the coming
weeks while a final decision on the road will be left to a future commission.

Residents from the area south of Ellis once again approached
the Ellis County Commission last week to discuss the future of a 5-mile
stretch of Ellis Avenue after the commission delayed work on the road last month.

Public Works Director Brendan Mackay was tasked with
presenting the commission with several options for the future of the road after
the commission had previously approved changing the road from a hard surface
asphalt road to a milled rock asphalt surfaced road.

Mackay presented the commission with four options for the
5-mile stretch of road.

The first was a to completely redo the road with hotmix
asphalt for $5.6 million.

Mackay the county does not have the money to do that option.
They would have to contract the work to an outside entity, because the county does not
have the equipment for the job.

Option two was to fix the spots in the road that are in
immediate need of repair. A Trego County farmer who uses the road to access
nearby farm land said at the meeting last month they he wanted the county to
fix the four or five “bad” spots.

Mackay said crews identified 14 spots of road in that stretch that need to be addressed.

The cost for material, but not including county employee labor, is estimated at $132,514, according to Mackay.

The county also does not have all of the material mixed at the
moment and will have to dip into material set aside for next year to make
enough to fix the road. They will also have to go out of
state to Texas or Oklahoma to get the oil and pay to have APAC make the material.

Commission Chair Butch Schlyer asked Mackay if patching is
just “Kicking the can down the road?”

“When you do a patch like this, you want three to five years
of life,” Mackay said. “I'm not willing to say we'll get three years out of it.”

Several times Tuesday, Mackay equated the road to a house.

“You keep patching the plaster, the drywall, but until you
build that foundation up, you're just spending good money after bad,” Mackay
said.

He said the two other options were a prime and seal and
a coldmix repair.

The prime and seal would cost approximately $467,921 and a
coldmix repair was estimated at $2.38 million.

County Administrator Darin Myers said the county has set aside a
total of $250,000 for the project; $50,000 for the next five years.

Mackay recommended to the commission the original plan — mill
the current asphalt surface, work it into the base and top the
newly formed base with work rock into the milled surface.

He said that process would prevent moisture from getting
into the surface from water, snow and freezing and thawing. It
would also stop the moisture from the bottom in the form of springs that are
causing some of the current issues with the roadway.

Mackay said that while it isn’t a hard surfaced road of
asphalt or concrete, it's also not a dirt road. 

The one option that Mackay said he would not go with was the
patching of the trouble stops.

“It's not going to solve the issue,” Mackay said. “The base
needs to be repaired.

“Even with that patching, where we'd do those patches, we
would nail rock into it,” he added. “Where do we start, where do we stop.”

A Rush County resident claimed the county had not
maintained the road had been maintained in the last 15 years.

Mackay said the entire 5-mile stretch of that road was
completely sealed was in 2015.

“And also asphalt patching has occurred every year except
for the fall of last year and this year when we were directed to start operation
to turn it from a paved road to an unpaved roadway,” Mackay said. “So it hasn’t
been 15 years of neglect.”

Despite Mackay’s recommendation against patching the
roadway, Schlyer and Commissioner Neal Younger elected to have
county crews patch the trouble spots.

Schlyer said residents approached
the commission requesting patching the road, so that’s the route he was in
favor of going forward.

“If we patch, it kicks the can down the road to the next board of
commissioners,” he said. 

Younger said that he will be involved in that decision and, “I
have no problem with that.”

“I would be supporting of Band-Aid it together and then when
a new commission comes, we address it at that time,” Younger said. 

Mackay said they do not have the material to make the cold
mix to fix the trouble spots and he does not know if they will be able to get
it this year. If they do, it will likely affect what they are able to do next
year.

He also said they have other projects that are ready to
begin in the coming weeks.

Mackay’s suggestion was to mill in rock in the trouble spots
and level them out.

He said a lot of the problems with similar roads is that
there was never a base built. They instead just used a prime and seal process
over the existing road and never created a solid base.

“Milling the rock in would address the base issue, so we
would have a good solid foundation to build off of,” Mackay said. “Whether we
go back with asphalt or we use the millings and rock mixture on the top.”

Mackay added that 27 states said in a 2018 survey that roads
that have fewer than 250 vehicles that travel it per day probably should not
have been paved to begin with.

A 2018 survey of the road found that approximately 100
vehicles travel that stretch of road every day.

Mackay said they will attempt to begin working on the
patchwork repairs at the end of October. A detour around the area will most likely be
required, he said.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostEllis County public works crews will work to patch more than
a dozen trouble spots along the southern portion of Ellis Avenue in the coming
weeks while a final decision on the road will be left to a future commission.Residents from the area south of Ellis once again approached
the Ellis County Commission last week to discuss the future of a 5-mile
stretch of Ellis Avenue after the commission delayed work on the road last month.Public Works Director Brendan Mackay was tasked with
presenting the commission with several options for the future of the road after
the commission had previously approved changing the road from a hard surface
asphalt road to a milled rock asphalt surfaced road.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665761322510.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mackay presented the commission with four options for the
5-mile stretch of road.The first was a to completely redo the road with hotmix
asphalt for $5.6 million.Mackay the county does not have the money to do that option.
They would have to contract the work to an outside entity, because the county does not
have the equipment for the job.Option two was to fix the spots in the road that are in
immediate need of repair. A Trego County farmer who uses the road to access
nearby farm land said at the meeting last month they he wanted the county to
fix the four or five “bad” spots.Mackay said crews identified 14 spots of road in that stretch that need to be addressed.The cost for material, but not including county employee labor, is estimated at $132,514, according to Mackay.The county also does not have all of the material mixed at the
moment and will have to dip into material set aside for next year to make
enough to fix the road. They will also have to go out of
state to Texas or Oklahoma to get the oil and pay to have APAC make the material.Commission Chair Butch Schlyer asked Mackay if patching is
just “Kicking the can down the road?”Mackay said, “Yes.”“When you do a patch like this, you want three to five years
of life,” Mackay said. “I'm not willing to say we'll get three years out of it.”Several times Tuesday, Mackay equated the road to a house.“You keep patching the plaster, the drywall, but until you
build that foundation up, you're just spending good money after bad,” Mackay
said.He said the two other options were a prime and seal and
a coldmix repair.The prime and seal would cost approximately $467,921 and a
coldmix repair was estimated at $2.38 million.County Administrator Darin Myers said the county has set aside a
total of $250,000 for the project; $50,000 for the next five years.Mackay recommended to the commission the original plan — mill
the current asphalt surface, work it into the base and top the
newly formed base with work rock into the milled surface.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665761285780.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>He said that process would prevent moisture from getting
into the surface from water, snow and freezing and thawing. It
would also stop the moisture from the bottom in the form of springs that are
causing some of the current issues with the roadway.Mackay said that while it isn’t a hard surfaced road of
asphalt or concrete, it's also not a dirt road. The one option that Mackay said he would not go with was the
patching of the trouble stops.“It's not going to solve the issue,” Mackay said. “The base
needs to be repaired.“Even with that patching, where we'd do those patches, we
would nail rock into it,” he added. “Where do we start, where do we stop.” 
A Rush County resident claimed the county had not
maintained the road had been maintained in the last 15 years.Mackay said the entire 5-mile stretch of that road was
completely sealed was in 2015.“And also asphalt patching has occurred every year except
for the fall of last year and this year when we were directed to start operation
to turn it from a paved road to an unpaved roadway,” Mackay said. “So it hasn’t
been 15 years of neglect.”Despite Mackay’s recommendation against patching the
roadway, Schlyer and Commissioner Neal Younger elected to have
county crews patch the trouble spots.Schlyer said residents approached
the commission requesting patching the road, so that’s the route he was in
favor of going forward.“If we patch, it kicks the can down the road to the next board of
commissioners,” he said. Younger said that he will be involved in that decision and, “I
have no problem with that.”“I would be supporting of Band-Aid it together and then when
a new commission comes, we address it at that time,” Younger said. Mackay said they do not have the material to make the cold
mix to fix the trouble spots and he does not know if they will be able to get
it this year. If they do, it will likely affect what they are able to do next
year.He also said they have other projects that are ready to
begin in the coming weeks.Mackay’s suggestion was to mill in rock in the trouble spots
and level them out.He said a lot of the problems with similar roads is that
there was never a base built. They instead just used a prime and seal process
over the existing road and never created a solid base.“Milling the rock in would address the base issue, so we
would have a good solid foundation to build off of,” Mackay said. “Whether we
go back with asphalt or we use the millings and rock mixture on the top.” 
Mackay added that 27 states said in a 2018 survey that roads
that have fewer than 250 vehicles that travel it per day probably should not
have been paved to begin with.A 2018 survey of the road found that approximately 100
vehicles travel that stretch of road every day.Mackay said they will attempt to begin working on the
patchwork repairs at the end of October. A detour around the area will most likely be
required, he said.

Commission: Patch South Ellis Ave. now; next commission will make final decision

WICHITA — The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/">Kansas Leadership Center</a>&nbsp;has selected 87 organizations across Kansas — two from Hays — as 2023 Leadership Transformation Grant partners. The grants will help the partner organizations create a culture that embraces change, tackles problems and seizes opportunities.

“The Leadership Transformation Grants are our primary vehicle for sharing the gift of KLC's core grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. KLC and KHF partner this way to build the leadership and civic engagement capacity of organizations across the state. We’re proud to see this program grow every year since we started offering these grants nine years ago,” said Julia Fabris McBride, interim president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center.

The 2023 Leadership Transformation Grant partners from Hays are Fort Hays State University and Kansas Association of Conservation Districts.

Leadership Transformation Grants provide the opportunity for participants to learn, practice and engage with the KLC Framework. The program also utilizes KLC’s new book,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/when-everyone-leads/">When Everyone Leads</a>, to be released by best-selling business publisher Bard Press on January 31, 2023.

“Leadership isn’t about authority and position, it’s an activity where small actions are taken in moments of opportunity,” said Kaye Monk-Morgan, KLC’s chief impact officer and teacher. “When everyone leads, we make progress on our most important challenges. That’s what the Leadership Transformation Grants are all about – engaging people across the state to solve daunting challenges in their communities, organizations and professional lives.”

Organizations who receive a Leadership Transformation Grant will establish a core team of three to six individuals to take on the responsibilities of the grant. Organizations chosen will have one year to participate in KLC’s dynamic program experiences and utilize KLC resources and consultation.

“The Leadership Transformation Grants provide access to programs on the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/the-klc-path/">KLC Path</a>, a three-step sequence which teaches that leadership is an activity—not a position—and that anyone within an organization can exercise leadership effectively. These programs offer a framework by which organizations can share a common language and skills to approach their challenges and empower employees to mobilize others to create progress in their organization and communities,” said Katy Weidner, KLC program manager.

Applications for Leadership Transformation Grants are accepted between July and September each year.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/announcing-recipients-of-leadership-transformation-grants/">See the complete list of 2023 partners</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634745891489.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseWICHITA — The&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/">Kansas Leadership Center</a>&nbsp;has selected 87 organizations across Kansas — two from Hays — as 2023 Leadership Transformation Grant partners. The grants will help the partner organizations create a culture that embraces change, tackles problems and seizes opportunities.“The Leadership Transformation Grants are our primary vehicle for sharing the gift of KLC's core grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. KLC and KHF partner this way to build the leadership and civic engagement capacity of organizations across the state. We’re proud to see this program grow every year since we started offering these grants nine years ago,” said Julia Fabris McBride, interim president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center.The 2023 Leadership Transformation Grant partners from Hays are Fort Hays State University and Kansas Association of Conservation Districts.Leadership Transformation Grants provide the opportunity for participants to learn, practice and engage with the KLC Framework. The program also utilizes KLC’s new book,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/when-everyone-leads/">When Everyone Leads</a>, to be released by best-selling business publisher Bard Press on January 31, 2023.“Leadership isn’t about authority and position, it’s an activity where small actions are taken in moments of opportunity,” said Kaye Monk-Morgan, KLC’s chief impact officer and teacher. “When everyone leads, we make progress on our most important challenges. That’s what the Leadership Transformation Grants are all about – engaging people across the state to solve daunting challenges in their communities, organizations and professional lives.”Organizations who receive a Leadership Transformation Grant will establish a core team of three to six individuals to take on the responsibilities of the grant. Organizations chosen will have one year to participate in KLC’s dynamic program experiences and utilize KLC resources and consultation.“The Leadership Transformation Grants provide access to programs on the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/the-klc-path/">KLC Path</a>, a three-step sequence which teaches that leadership is an activity—not a position—and that anyone within an organization can exercise leadership effectively. These programs offer a framework by which organizations can share a common language and skills to approach their challenges and empower employees to mobilize others to create progress in their organization and communities,” said Katy Weidner, KLC program manager.Applications for Leadership Transformation Grants are accepted between July and September each year.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/announcing-recipients-of-leadership-transformation-grants/">See the complete list of 2023 partners</a>.

Hays organizations earn Kansas Leadership Center grants

By RON FIELDS <a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/post-news-network">Post News Network</a>

On Aug. 31, a little-known but fast-growing broadband company received nearly half a billion dollars from the federal government to expand rural access, including in Kansas and Nebraska.

Texas-based <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/">Nextlink Internet</a> plans to deploy a mix of fiber and fixed wireless services across 11 states with funding from the Federal Communications Commission's Rural Broadband Opportunity Fund.

“We are excited to partner with the FCC to deploy gigabit connectivity to households across rural America," Bill Baker, co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. "With significant licensed spectrum holdings to support gigabit wireless plus fiber projects ready to kick-off construction, we are well-positioned to move quickly to connect the unconnected.”

Of the $429 million committed by the FCC, more than $50 million is devoted to expansion in Kansas and Nebraska, creating service for an additional 26,000 customers in Kansas and 14,000 in Nebraska. 

"The majority of it is fixed wireless, but fiber is a growing part of our business and will be going forward," said Claude Aiken, Nextlink chief strategy officer. "One of the benefits of fixed wireless is it's quicker and less costly to deploy ... and is relatively easily upgradeable."

Fixed wireless uses an access point — generally located on an existing tower or other high point in a service area — to connect customers who otherwise are unable to get high-speed service via a traditional provider.

Aiken said a typical fixed wireless deployment generally offers 100 MB download and 20 MB upload speeds, although he said the company's technology could offer much higher speeds.

"The technology has really improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the past few years," he said. "We just did a deal with Wise County, Texas, to build out 500-by-100 across 95 percent of the county."

COMING SOON: Legacy broadband providers react to massive FCC award for Nextlink

In 2021, <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/american-tower-rural-america/">Nextlink and American Tower entered into a colocation agreement,</a> allowing Nextlink to place equipment on more than 1,000 existing towers across 11 states.

"We do a mix of different things with towers. We'll construct our own, we'll leverage our partnership with American Tower where it makes sense .. or find a high point in a community," Aiken said. "Whatever the best solution is to get to the community."

While there is no specific build schedule or timelines yet, the FCC requires RDOF projects to be completed within six years, with requirements that milestones of completion are met after two years and then annually.

Nextlink already has offices in both Kansas (Kingman, Goddard, Salina, Great Bend) and Nebraska (Hastings, Norfolk, Lincoln, Beatrice), and Aiken said Nextlink plans more expansion as its service area grows.

"It's still a little preliminary to say what's going where," he said. "In the near term, it will be where we have existing public/private partnerships. But we're always looking at new areas for growth and folks who really need high-quality connectivity ... where it makes economic sense and where there is a community need."

While the federal fund is targeted at those who lack rural high-speed internet access, Aiken said there is a competitive aspect to the expansion, as well, offering a second option for some customers.

However, Aiken said some providers without the capital to build into rural areas have welcomed Nextlink.

"In having some of those conversations with other providers, there are some folks who are very happy to kind of stay in their existing footprint and service folks in town and not do the hard work of connecting the far-flung farmland and ranchland," Aiken said. "On the other hand, we do compete and offer that second option."

Nextlink currently serves 88,000 homes and businesses across its seven-state footprint and employs 950. In 2017, when the company served only an area on the outskirts of Dallas-Fort Forth, the company employed 150. 

"Projecting forward, we anticipate pretty significant employee growth in Kansas and Nebraska," Aiken said, noting the project builds and deployment will be kept in-house "as much as possible."

This is the second major influx of federal dollars to fuel growth at Nextlink. <a href="https://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/here-s-how-nextlink-biggest-caf-ii-auction-winner-spending-its-281m">In 2018, the company was awarded $281 million</a> as part of the Connect America Fund Phase II program, which sparked expansion into Kansas and Nebraska.

"We were on track for 40 percent (completion) milestone at the end of 2022 ... but now we are 50 percent done. In Kansas, that actually is at about 60 percent complete," Aiken said.

Nextlink is owned by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/1754156D:US">AMG Technology Investments LLC</a> and currently serves customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota. With the RDOF award, the company plans to expand into Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Wyoming and Louisiana.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662136805159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON FIELDS <a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/post-news-network">Post News Network</a>On Aug. 31, a little-known but fast-growing broadband company received nearly half a billion dollars from the federal government to expand rural access, including in Kansas and Nebraska.Texas-based <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/">Nextlink Internet</a> plans to deploy a mix of fiber and fixed wireless services across 11 states with funding from the Federal Communications Commission's Rural Broadband Opportunity Fund.“We are excited to partner with the FCC to deploy gigabit connectivity to households across rural America," Bill Baker, co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. "With significant licensed spectrum holdings to support gigabit wireless plus fiber projects ready to kick-off construction, we are well-positioned to move quickly to connect the unconnected.”Of the $429 million committed by the FCC, more than $50 million is devoted to expansion in Kansas and Nebraska, creating service for an additional 26,000 customers in Kansas and 14,000 in Nebraska. "The majority of it is fixed wireless, but fiber is a growing part of our business and will be going forward," said Claude Aiken, Nextlink chief strategy officer. "One of the benefits of fixed wireless is it's quicker and less costly to deploy ... and is relatively easily upgradeable."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665422995103.png" alt="Aiken" />
 <figcaption>Aiken</figcaption>
 </figure>Fixed wireless uses an access point — generally located on an existing tower or other high point in a service area — to connect customers who otherwise are unable to get high-speed service via a traditional provider.Aiken said a typical fixed wireless deployment generally offers 100 MB download and 20 MB upload speeds, although he said the company's technology could offer much higher speeds."The technology has really improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the past few years," he said. "We just did a deal with Wise County, Texas, to build out 500-by-100 across 95 percent of the county."COMING SOON: Legacy broadband providers react to massive FCC award for NextlinkIn 2021, <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/american-tower-rural-america/">Nextlink and American Tower entered into a colocation agreement,</a> allowing Nextlink to place equipment on more than 1,000 existing towers across 11 states."We do a mix of different things with towers. We'll construct our own, we'll leverage our partnership with American Tower where it makes sense .. or find a high point in a community," Aiken said. "Whatever the best solution is to get to the community."While there is no specific build schedule or timelines yet, the FCC requires RDOF projects to be completed within six years, with requirements that milestones of completion are met after two years and then annually.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665423054163.png" alt="Active Nextlink coverage map in Nebraska. <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/areas-we-serve/internet-in-nebraska/">Click HERE to see a list of communities.&nbsp;</a>" />
 <figcaption>Active Nextlink coverage map in Nebraska. <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/areas-we-serve/internet-in-nebraska/">Click HERE to see a list of communities.&nbsp;</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Nextlink already has offices in both Kansas (Kingman, Goddard, Salina, Great Bend) and Nebraska (Hastings, Norfolk, Lincoln, Beatrice), and Aiken said Nextlink plans more expansion as its service area grows.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665423081924.png" alt="Active Nextlink coverage map in Kansas. <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/areas-we-serve/internet-in-kansas/">Click HERE to see a list of communities.</a>" />
 <figcaption>Active Nextlink coverage map in Kansas. <a href="https://nextlinkinternet.com/areas-we-serve/internet-in-kansas/">Click HERE to see a list of communities.</a></figcaption>
 </figure>"It's still a little preliminary to say what's going where," he said. "In the near term, it will be where we have existing public/private partnerships. But we're always looking at new areas for growth and folks who really need high-quality connectivity ... where it makes economic sense and where there is a community need."While the federal fund is targeted at those who lack rural high-speed internet access, Aiken said there is a competitive aspect to the expansion, as well, offering a second option for some customers.However, Aiken said some providers without the capital to build into rural areas have welcomed Nextlink."In having some of those conversations with other providers, there are some folks who are very happy to kind of stay in their existing footprint and service folks in town and not do the hard work of connecting the far-flung farmland and ranchland," Aiken said. "On the other hand, we do compete and offer that second option."Nextlink currently serves 88,000 homes and businesses across its seven-state footprint and employs 950. In 2017, when the company served only an area on the outskirts of Dallas-Fort Forth, the company employed 150. "Projecting forward, we anticipate pretty significant employee growth in Kansas and Nebraska," Aiken said, noting the project builds and deployment will be kept in-house "as much as possible."This is the second major influx of federal dollars to fuel growth at Nextlink. <a href="https://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/here-s-how-nextlink-biggest-caf-ii-auction-winner-spending-its-281m">In 2018, the company was awarded $281 million</a> as part of the Connect America Fund Phase II program, which sparked expansion into Kansas and Nebraska. "We were on track for 40 percent (completion) milestone at the end of 2022 ... but now we are 50 percent done. In Kansas, that actually is at about 60 percent complete," Aiken said.Nextlink is owned by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/1754156D:US">AMG Technology Investments LLC</a> and currently serves customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota. With the RDOF award, the company plans to expand into Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Wyoming and Louisiana.

Nextlink to pour $50M into Kansas, Nebraska rural broadband access

Just today at a 90th&nbsp;birthday celebration for a member of our community, some of us sat around a table discussing our tendencies to buy “stuff” at garage sales and auctions we really don’t need&nbsp;at the time. One guy surmised we&nbsp;really&nbsp;do that so that our kids have to deal with it when they settle our estate. Anyway, it made me think about the pool ladder I constantly move around outside my shed because I have no place to put it. Here’s how the story goes.

Several years back, on a nice&nbsp;fall&nbsp;morning,&nbsp;we happened to be in town&nbsp;and&nbsp;Joyce’s radar was actively seeking garage sale signs as we headed through town.&nbsp;We followed signs to a sale&nbsp;in a nice neighborhood&nbsp;a little off the beaten path,&nbsp;and in the yard sat one of those “u” shaped ladders used to get in-and-out of a raised swimming pool. It had my attention&nbsp;even though we had no pool,&nbsp;and for the&nbsp;four-dollar&nbsp;price tag I reasoned that certainly we could use it for something (you know how that goes; you never know when you might need it!) Evidently the owner was having a difficult time getting rid of it, so when she saw my interest,&nbsp;she immediately&nbsp;made her way over to me.&nbsp;She told&nbsp;me&nbsp;“We’re&nbsp;selling it because we built a deck around our pool and have no need of that ladder now, so if you want it,just take it;” …&nbsp;our kind of deal.

Fast forward&nbsp;a few weeks to a crisp winter morning during trapping season. As I remember, weather&nbsp;conditions&nbsp;were&nbsp;far from ideal with frozen ground most mornings and mud by evening,&nbsp;but&nbsp;I&nbsp;still&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to try setting a few coyote traps. One spot I had&nbsp;near town&nbsp;was&nbsp;at the far edge of a pasture/hay field and&nbsp;was&nbsp;easy to drive to.&nbsp;It appeared the coyotes were coming from&nbsp;the adjoining wheat field, still owned by the same farmer, but&nbsp;getting in there&nbsp;was going to be&nbsp;a slight problem.&nbsp;The wheat field&nbsp;was&nbsp;a couple feet higher than the hayfield and fence surroundedthe entire field. Now I encounter lots of electric fence and barbwire also for that matter, but this was four strands of&nbsp;brand-new barbwire&nbsp;stretched tighter than grandma’s&nbsp;corset&nbsp;and fastened onto new “T” posts, the top strand catching my&nbsp;six-foot-three frame across the top of my chest&nbsp;because of the height difference of the two fields. In short, I wasn’t climbing that fence!&nbsp;

As I pondered how this was ever going to work, guess what popped into my&nbsp;mind…&nbsp;the pool ladder from the garage sale.&nbsp;I hauled it out there and lifted one end over onto the other side of the fence and viola; I could now scale the fence without permanent physical damage to certain&nbsp;anatomical extremities.&nbsp;I recall the top wire on the fence&nbsp;being&nbsp;just high enough that it made&nbsp;the ladder a little tipsy,but it will still worked&nbsp;just fine.

I’m sure some of us have sheds full of stuff we cabbaged-onto because “You&nbsp;just&nbsp;never know when you might need it,” and usually it turns out that you never do. This was one time,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;that&nbsp;one of those treasures actually filled a need, and to think it was free! It just doesn’t get much better than that….Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>Just today at a 90th&nbsp;birthday celebration for a member of our community, some of us sat around a table discussing our tendencies to buy “stuff” at garage sales and auctions we really don’t need&nbsp;at the time. One guy surmised we&nbsp;really&nbsp;do that so that our kids have to deal with it when they settle our estate. Anyway, it made me think about the pool ladder I constantly move around outside my shed because I have no place to put it. Here’s how the story goes.Several years back, on a nice&nbsp;fall&nbsp;morning,&nbsp;we happened to be in town&nbsp;and&nbsp;Joyce’s radar was actively seeking garage sale signs as we headed through town.&nbsp;We followed signs to a sale&nbsp;in a nice neighborhood&nbsp;a little off the beaten path,&nbsp;and in the yard sat one of those “u” shaped ladders used to get in-and-out of a raised swimming pool. It had my attention&nbsp;even though we had no pool,&nbsp;and for the&nbsp;four-dollar&nbsp;price tag I reasoned that certainly we could use it for something (you know how that goes; you never know when you might need it!) Evidently the owner was having a difficult time getting rid of it, so when she saw my interest,&nbsp;she immediately&nbsp;made her way over to me.&nbsp;She told&nbsp;me&nbsp;“We’re&nbsp;selling it because we built a deck around our pool and have no need of that ladder now, so if you want it,just take it;” …&nbsp;our kind of deal.Fast forward&nbsp;a few weeks to a crisp winter morning during trapping season. As I remember, weather&nbsp;conditions&nbsp;were&nbsp;far from ideal with frozen ground most mornings and mud by evening,&nbsp;but&nbsp;I&nbsp;still&nbsp;wanted&nbsp;to try setting a few coyote traps. One spot I had&nbsp;near town&nbsp;was&nbsp;at the far edge of a pasture/hay field and&nbsp;was&nbsp;easy to drive to.&nbsp;It appeared the coyotes were coming from&nbsp;the adjoining wheat field, still owned by the same farmer, but&nbsp;getting in there&nbsp;was going to be&nbsp;a slight problem.&nbsp;The wheat field&nbsp;was&nbsp;a couple feet higher than the hayfield and fence surroundedthe entire field. Now I encounter lots of electric fence and barbwire also for that matter, but this was four strands of&nbsp;brand-new barbwire&nbsp;stretched tighter than grandma’s&nbsp;corset&nbsp;and fastened onto new “T” posts, the top strand catching my&nbsp;six-foot-three frame across the top of my chest&nbsp;because of the height difference of the two fields. In short, I wasn’t climbing that fence!&nbsp;As I pondered how this was ever going to work, guess what popped into my&nbsp;mind…&nbsp;the pool ladder from the garage sale.&nbsp;I hauled it out there and lifted one end over onto the other side of the fence and viola; I could now scale the fence without permanent physical damage to certain&nbsp;anatomical extremities.&nbsp;I recall the top wire on the fence&nbsp;being&nbsp;just high enough that it made&nbsp;the ladder a little tipsy,but it will still worked&nbsp;just fine.I’m sure some of us have sheds full of stuff we cabbaged-onto because “You&nbsp;just&nbsp;never know when you might need it,” and usually it turns out that you never do. This was one time,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;that&nbsp;one of those treasures actually filled a need, and to think it was free! It just doesn’t get much better than that….Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Never know when you might need it

My name is Jim Barrett. The purpose of this letter is to support Dr. Ed Hammond as the best
candidate for election to the Kansas House of Representatives from District 111. I was
employed by Fort Hays State University from the fall of 2007 until June of 2018. I taught in the
Advanced Education Programs Department for four years and served as the Chair of that
Department for my last seven years at FHSU. The last two of those years, Dr. Hammond served
as a half-time faculty member in that department.

Dr. Hammond obviously has many leadership qualities as demonstrated through the years of his
highly successful guidance of Fort Hays State University. I observed one quality that highly
impressed me that I believe makes him the best candidate for the 111th. Dr. Hammond had two
all-campus meetings each year when he would lay out the objectives for the year and provide
feedback on the progress toward those objectives. During those meetings, Dr. Hammond would
articulate the conditions in the United States, our region and Kansas in particular and link them
to what Fort Hays State University needed to do to continue to grow and be successful. That
ability to see the big picture as a framework through which to create a vision and direction for
the University was demonstrated yearly.


I am confident that Dr. Hammond will continue to analyze information from the US, Kansas, and
111th District, and use that to create a framework of advocacy that benefits all of the 111th as
well as Kansas. He is a skilled communicator, a tactful negotiator and someone who not only
knows what is right, but has the fortitude to use those skills and beliefs to work for what is right
for those he represents.


I am going to vote for Dr. Ed Hammond as representative for the 111th District and encourage
you to vote for him as well.


Dr. Jim Barrett, Professor Emeritus, Fort Hays State University

My name is Jim Barrett. The purpose of this letter is to support Dr. Ed Hammond as the best
candidate for election to the Kansas House of Representatives from District 111. I was
employed by Fort Hays State University from the fall of 2007 until June of 2018. I taught in the
Advanced Education Programs Department for four years and served as the Chair of that
Department for my last seven years at FHSU. The last two of those years, Dr. Hammond served
as a half-time faculty member in that department.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Dr. Hammond obviously has many leadership qualities as demonstrated through the years of his
highly successful guidance of Fort Hays State University. I observed one quality that highly
impressed me that I believe makes him the best candidate for the 111th. Dr. Hammond had two
all-campus meetings each year when he would lay out the objectives for the year and provide
feedback on the progress toward those objectives. During those meetings, Dr. Hammond would
articulate the conditions in the United States, our region and Kansas in particular and link them
to what Fort Hays State University needed to do to continue to grow and be successful. That
ability to see the big picture as a framework through which to create a vision and direction for
the University was demonstrated yearly.
I am confident that Dr. Hammond will continue to analyze information from the US, Kansas, and
111th District, and use that to create a framework of advocacy that benefits all of the 111th as
well as Kansas. He is a skilled communicator, a tactful negotiator and someone who not only
knows what is right, but has the fortitude to use those skills and beliefs to work for what is right
for those he represents.
I am going to vote for Dr. Ed Hammond as representative for the 111th District and encourage
you to vote for him as well.
Dr. Jim Barrett, Professor Emeritus, Fort Hays State University

LETTER: Hammond's credentials make him best choice for 111th

“The Cowboy&nbsp;Ain’t&nbsp;Dead Yet" — one of the longest&nbsp;running, most successful one-man musical comedies ever produced — is coming to Colby at 3 p.m. Central Sunday, Oct. 30, 3:00&nbsp;p.m.(CST) in the Cultural Arts Center on Colby Community College campus. 

R.J.&nbsp;Vandygriff&nbsp;stars in this show about the most fascinating character to ever ride across the pages of history, the American cowboy. R.J.,&nbsp;starring as “Joe Texas,”&nbsp;and&nbsp;the San Antonio&nbsp;orchestra,&nbsp;have been receiving awards&nbsp;in&nbsp;recognized excellence such as the 2013 Cowboy Keeper Award, the 2012 Wrangler Award for Outstanding Original Composition,&nbsp;and the 2014 CMA of Texas Hall of Fame Inductee. 

The Western Plains Arts Association performance is&nbsp;funded in part by grants&nbsp;from&nbsp;both&nbsp;the Thomas County Community Foundation through Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation&nbsp;and the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Admission is with season ticket, or at the door; Adults, $20; Students, $10.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665612732882.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WPAA“The Cowboy&nbsp;Ain’t&nbsp;Dead Yet" — one of the longest&nbsp;running, most successful one-man musical comedies ever produced — is coming to Colby at 3 p.m. Central Sunday, Oct. 30, 3:00&nbsp;p.m.(CST) in the Cultural Arts Center on Colby Community College campus. R.J.&nbsp;Vandygriff&nbsp;stars in this show about the most fascinating character to ever ride across the pages of history, the American cowboy. R.J.,&nbsp;starring as “Joe Texas,”&nbsp;and&nbsp;the San Antonio&nbsp;orchestra,&nbsp;have been receiving awards&nbsp;in&nbsp;recognized excellence such as the 2013 Cowboy Keeper Award, the 2012 Wrangler Award for Outstanding Original Composition,&nbsp;and the 2014 CMA of Texas Hall of Fame Inductee. The Western Plains Arts Association performance is&nbsp;funded in part by grants&nbsp;from&nbsp;both&nbsp;the Thomas County Community Foundation through Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation&nbsp;and the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Admission is with season ticket, or at the door; Adults, $20; Students, $10.

'The Cowboy Ain't Dead Yet' set to take the stage in Colby

Messiah Lutheran Church is offering a FREE PARENTING SEMINAR on Sat, Oct. 22 from 9:00 am - noon.&nbsp;

Dr. Annette Anschutz is a professor of Early Education at Concordia University Nebraska. She will be focusing on children's growth and development, discipline, and faith development. We want to help each of you as parents of preschool and elementary students grow in your parenting skills! Our children are such amazing gifts to each one of us! Let us sharpen our parenting tools and give our kids the best we can!&nbsp;

Messiah is located at 2000 Main St. Hays, KS.&nbsp;

There will be free refreshments served! If you need childcare, please call DCE Ben at the church office by Thursday. 785-639-2933

Messiah Lutheran Church is offering a FREE PARENTING SEMINAR on Sat, Oct. 22 from 9:00 am - noon.&nbsp;Dr. Annette Anschutz is a professor of Early Education at Concordia University Nebraska. She will be focusing on children's growth and development, discipline, and faith development. We want to help each of you as parents of preschool and elementary students grow in your parenting skills! Our children are such amazing gifts to each one of us! Let us sharpen our parenting tools and give our kids the best we can!&nbsp;Messiah is located at 2000 Main St. Hays, KS.&nbsp;There will be free refreshments served! If you need childcare, please call DCE Ben at the church office by Thursday. 785-639-2933

Three-day weather outlook

The Hays Police Department responded to 80 calls from Sept. 25 through Oct. 1, 2022 according to the HPD Activity Log.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666041529157.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hays Police Department responded to 80 calls from Sept. 25 through Oct. 1, 2022 according to the HPD Activity Log.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666043157003.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666043200533.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666041529157.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays PD Activity Log, Sept. 25-Oct. 1    

<div>  <script src="https://embed-1007181.secondstreetapp.com/Scripts/dist/embed.js" data-ss-embed="promotion" data-opguid="157acf99-3cfb-4537-baaa-c54da59ad7cb" data-routing="hash">/**/</script></div>

With the mercury expected to take a drastic nosedive this week, a freeze warning is in effect for most of northwest Kansas overnight Monday and Tuesday.

The National Weather Service in Dodge City is expected the low in the Hays area to drop to 27 degrees early Tuesday morning, with a low of 29 predicted early Wednesday morning.

The highs Monday and Tuesday are only expected to reach the low- to mid-50s. By Wednesday, the temperature will tick back up, with highs in the low- to mid-70s and overnight lows in the low-40s.

Skies are expected to remain clear and calm through the week.

The overnight low early Monday morning was 28 degrees, the K-State Ag Research Center in Hays reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666016636110.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>With the mercury expected to take a drastic nosedive this week, a freeze warning is in effect for most of northwest Kansas overnight Monday and Tuesday.The National Weather Service in Dodge City is expected the low in the Hays area to drop to 27 degrees early Tuesday morning, with a low of 29 predicted early Wednesday morning.The highs Monday and Tuesday are only expected to reach the low- to mid-50s. By Wednesday, the temperature will tick back up, with highs in the low- to mid-70s and overnight lows in the low-40s.Skies are expected to remain clear and calm through the week.The overnight low early Monday morning was 28 degrees, the K-State Ag Research Center in Hays reported.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">After the first freeze of the season for many Monday morning, another freeze is expected Tuesday morning. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://t.co/YiSRnIDyWW">pic.twitter.com/YiSRnIDyWW</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1581976189387743234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The cooler weather sticks around the next few days including another round of freezing temperatures tonight. Record lows tonight are unlikely due to clouds. Otherwise, dry and warmer the rest of the week including some potential fire weather conditions Wed. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/newx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#newx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cowx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cowx</a> <a href="https://t.co/0jrWmzNjuu">pic.twitter.com/0jrWmzNjuu</a>&mdash; NWS Goodland (@NWSGoodland) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSGoodland/status/1581945394065379328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

NWS: Freeze warning issued for most of northwest Kansas

<div>  <script src="https://embed-1007178.secondstreetapp.com/Scripts/dist/embed.js" data-ss-embed="promotion" data-opguid="e13a36ef-9373-4ab6-81b9-8c8e51a1f6cc" data-routing="hash">/**/</script></div>

With the Nov. 8 general election less than a month away, the deadline to get registered to vote is quickly approaching. 

Residents in Kansas have until Tuesday to register
for the Nov. 8 general election.

Kansas can register online through the Kansas Department of
Revenue and Secretary of State by clicking <a href="https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg">HERE</a>&nbsp;or by contacting the county
election office.

Voters will be required to provide a driver’s license or a
valid identification card.

Voter registration applications and advance mail ballot
applications are available on the county website at ellisco.net. 

You should re-register if you have moved or changed their
names. If you are not certain if you are registered correctly, contact the
county clerk's Office.

In Ellis County, advanced ballots will begin to be mailed Oct. 19. 

The last day to request a mail-in ballot through the Ellis
County Clerk’s office is Nov. 1. Mail-in ballots have to be returned to the clerk’s
office by Nov. 14 this year because the Friday after election day is Veteran’s
Day, Nov. 11.

The ballots still have to be postmarked on election day,
Nov. 8.

There are two constitutional amendments on the ballot this
year and Ellis County Election Officer and Clerk Bobbie Dreiling said the best
way to view the amendment questions and the retention vote for Supreme Court
judges is to view a sample ballot at <a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView">myvoteinfo.voteks.org</a>.

The clerk’s office will not send out the questions in
advance. 

Dreiling also said because of the additional questions on this
year’s ballot, in Ellis County the ballots will be 17 inches long front and
back, and she reminded voters to make sure to check both sides of the ballot.

In Ellis County, the election canvass will be Nov. 17 at 8
a.m. 

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostWith the Nov. 8 general election less than a month away, the deadline to get registered to vote is quickly approaching. Residents in Kansas have until Tuesday to register
for the Nov. 8 general election.Kansas can register online through the Kansas Department of
Revenue and Secretary of State by clicking <a href="https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg">HERE</a>&nbsp;or by contacting the county
election office.Voters will be required to provide a driver’s license or a
valid identification card.Voter registration applications and advance mail ballot
applications are available on the county website at ellisco.net. You should re-register if you have moved or changed their
names. If you are not certain if you are registered correctly, contact the
county clerk's Office.In Ellis County, advanced ballots will begin to be mailed Oct. 19. The last day to request a mail-in ballot through the Ellis
County Clerk’s office is Nov. 1. Mail-in ballots have to be returned to the clerk’s
office by Nov. 14 this year because the Friday after election day is Veteran’s
Day, Nov. 11.The ballots still have to be postmarked on election day,
Nov. 8.Advanced voting begins on Oct. 24. There are two constitutional amendments on the ballot this
year and Ellis County Election Officer and Clerk Bobbie Dreiling said the best
way to view the amendment questions and the retention vote for Supreme Court
judges is to view a sample ballot at <a href="https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView">myvoteinfo.voteks.org</a>.The clerk’s office will not send out the questions in
advance. Dreiling also said because of the additional questions on this
year’s ballot, in Ellis County the ballots will be 17 inches long front and
back, and she reminded voters to make sure to check both sides of the ballot.In Ellis County, the election canvass will be Nov. 17 at 8
a.m.

Deadline to register in general election is Oct. 18

The Kansas Geological Survey reported an earthquake Sunday evening in Rooks County.

The 2.5-magnitude quake was recorded at 8:36 p.m. Sunday just east of the Graham-Rooks county line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666011157522.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Geological Survey reported an earthquake Sunday evening in Rooks County.The 2.5-magnitude quake was recorded at 8:36 p.m. Sunday just east of the Graham-Rooks county line.

Quake recorded Sunday in western Rooks County

The Hays Police Department responded to 90 calls from Sept. 11 through Sept. 17, 2022 according to the HPD Activity Log.

The Hays Police Department responded to 97 calls from Sept. 18 through Sept. 24, 2022 according to the HPD Activity Log.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573140734289.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hays Police Department responded to 90 calls from Sept. 11 through Sept. 17, 2022 according to the HPD Activity Log.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666040706024.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure><figure>
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Hays PD Activity Log, Sept. 11-24  

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays Post

It was planned as a celebration of life for a popular Hays businessman who died during the COVID pandemic.

For those who attended a get-together on Oct. 6 at The Strand Event Center in downtown Hays, it was a trip down memory lane for many reasons.

Russ Clark was the former co-owner of the Village Shop, a men’s clothing store where The Strand is now located at 1102 Main. Clark died at the age of 96 in December of 2020 during a time when large gatherings were discouraged.

Two of Clark’s six children had milestone class reunions during this year’s homecoming activities for Hays High School in October. So they decided to organize a celebration of life for their dad at The Strand during that time as well.

“We had always watched what was going on at 1102 Main; it was a big part of our family,” said Steve Clark, the third born of the six Clark siblings, who made the trip to Hays from New York for the weekend.

After the Village Shop closed in 1990, the building housed some retail businesses and even a Goodwill store for a few years. It sat empty from 2009 until Hays entrepreneurs Dustin and Laney Roths bought and remodeled the building, then opened for business in 2020.

“When we heard the building was going to be turned into an event space, we were excited about that, thought it was a great use of the space,” Steve said. “So when we were talking about having some kind of get-together to honor our dad, this seemed like a logical place to have it.”

People came from near and far to honor Clark and to reminisce about days gone by.

After hugs and hellos for those attending – many who hadn’t seen each other in years – most conversations were started off with one common question: “Do you remember …?”&nbsp;

For those who didn’t know (or remember) certain facts, folks who lived during the Village Shop days were more than happy to fill in some blanks.

Russ Clark had opened the Village Shop in 1963 with Don Volker. In 1977, Volker sold his interest in the business to Jim Schiffelbein, then the manager of Browne’s for Men, another men’s clothing store across the street.

Clark and his wife, Dora Lou, opted for retirement when Schiffelbein took a job with Wolverine Worldwide in Michigan. Dora Lou had worked as bookkeeper for the Village Shop for decades, and the Clark couple was able to enjoy 28 years of retirement together before her death in 2018 at the age of 93.

Schiffelbein talked about how during the 1970s and ’80s, the men’s clothing stores never had to go looking for help. They always had plenty of applicants from down the street at Fort Hays State University.

He also mentioned how many of those young men went on to become successful professionals no matter what career they chose.

“You won’t get a better education than meeting with the public on a day-to-day basis,” Schiffelbein said. “We’re one of the few professions that you have to train the mind and the body.”

One of those young employees was Jerry Moran from Plainville, who went on to excel in a career other than a men’s clothing salesman.

“I learned a lot as a young college student, watching how Russ Clark conducted himself,” said Moran, who went on to succeed as an attorney and in local and state politics and now is in his second term as a U.S. Senator.

While attending Fort Hays State, Moran worked in Browne’s for Men, in which Clark and Volker had ownership shares along with the Village Shop. Therefore, Moran frequented the Village Shop – which specialized in men’s suits but also sold sportswear and other outerwear – and says he was a customer there until the store closed.

Moran admits his first college employment experience set a solid foundation for life.&nbsp;

“Russ Clark was a good role model for all kinds of professions, an honorable person,” Moran said. “I learned a lot just watching his relationship with customers. He always stood straight and tall, and his clothes seemed like something out of a magazine.”

Moran said he remembers the Village Shop being a “center of attention in Hays.”

“People from all over our part of Kansas wandered into the store to shop, not only to shop but to have a conversation with Russ Clark,” he said. “He had an aura about him where people not only liked him, but they respected him, too.”

Those who worked alongside Clark day in and day out had similar feelings.

“Russ was like a father to me,” Schiffelbein said in a telephone interview. Schiffelbein still lives in Michigan and was unable to make the celebration because of a prior commitment.

“He would tell what he thought about something,” Schiffelbein said, “and although you might not agree on everything, he was easy-going.”

He added that a big reason for the business’ success was it service, which included professional in-house tailoring.

“Tailoring was an art back then,” Schiffelbein said. “You were basically rebuilding the suit. That was a service that people really appreciated."

In its early days, the Village Shop occupied about half the building, and a men’s shoe store was in the other half.

Joe Pflaum, an assistant manager for that shoe store (Brown’s Shoe Fit Co.) at the time, said he remembers having to keep the Village Shop’s front door locked right up to opening time because customers would be standing outside waiting to get in.

“It was a really popular store, and it was really enjoyable to work there,” Pflaum said. “It was so family-oriented.”

The get-together on Oct. 6 resembled a family gathering as the Clark siblings mingled with the crowd, getting reacquainted with several. Three tables displaying memorabilia from Russ Clark’s life brought back a lot of memories for many and prompted more “remember whens.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660754177628.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN Special to Hays PostIt was planned as a celebration of life for a popular Hays businessman who died during the COVID pandemic.For those who attended a get-together on Oct. 6 at The Strand Event Center in downtown Hays, it was a trip down memory lane for many reasons.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665849154593.png" alt="Russ Clark" />
 <figcaption>Russ Clark</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665765040693.jpeg" alt="A table at the celebration of life for Russ Clark displayed memorabilia about him, including his photo on a National Geographic cover, family photos and the American flag his family received from his committal serve at the Kansas Veterans' Cemetery in WaKeeney." />
 <figcaption>A table at the celebration of life for Russ Clark displayed memorabilia about him, including his photo on a National Geographic cover, family photos and the American flag his family received from his committal serve at the Kansas Veterans' Cemetery in WaKeeney.</figcaption>
 </figure>Russ Clark was the former co-owner of the Village Shop, a men’s clothing store where The Strand is now located at 1102 Main. Clark died at the age of 96 in December of 2020 during a time when large gatherings were discouraged.Two of Clark’s six children had milestone class reunions during this year’s homecoming activities for Hays High School in October. So they decided to organize a celebration of life for their dad at The Strand during that time as well.“We had always watched what was going on at 1102 Main; it was a big part of our family,” said Steve Clark, the third born of the six Clark siblings, who made the trip to Hays from New York for the weekend.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665765065478.jpeg" alt="Two of Clark’s children, Sara Clark (far right) and Patrick Clark (against wall with tie) enjoyed greeting Hays folks from days gone by at their father’s celebration of life. At the table looking at memorabilia are DJ Bickle and his father, Don. Visiting with Sara is Sharon Wagner. In the back with Patrick is Mike Leas." />
 <figcaption>Two of Clark’s children, Sara Clark (far right) and Patrick Clark (against wall with tie) enjoyed greeting Hays folks from days gone by at their father’s celebration of life. At the table looking at memorabilia are DJ Bickle and his father, Don. Visiting with Sara is Sharon Wagner. In the back with Patrick is Mike Leas.</figcaption>
 </figure>After the Village Shop closed in 1990, the building housed some retail businesses and even a Goodwill store for a few years. It sat empty from 2009 until Hays entrepreneurs Dustin and Laney Roths bought and remodeled the building, then opened for business in 2020.“When we heard the building was going to be turned into an event space, we were excited about that, thought it was a great use of the space,” Steve said. “So when we were talking about having some kind of get-together to honor our dad, this seemed like a logical place to have it.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665765089753.jpeg" alt="A photo of a full Village Shop in its boom era." />
 <figcaption>A photo of a full Village Shop in its boom era.</figcaption>
 </figure>People came from near and far to honor Clark and to reminisce about days gone by.After hugs and hellos for those attending – many who hadn’t seen each other in years – most conversations were started off with one common question: “Do you remember …?”&nbsp;For those who didn’t know (or remember) certain facts, folks who lived during the Village Shop days were more than happy to fill in some blanks.Russ Clark had opened the Village Shop in 1963 with Don Volker. In 1977, Volker sold his interest in the business to Jim Schiffelbein, then the manager of Browne’s for Men, another men’s clothing store across the street.Clark and his wife, Dora Lou, opted for retirement when Schiffelbein took a job with Wolverine Worldwide in Michigan. Dora Lou had worked as bookkeeper for the Village Shop for decades, and the Clark couple was able to enjoy 28 years of retirement together before her death in 2018 at the age of 93.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665765113285.jpeg" alt="Village Shop employees always dressed their part. On the left, from bottom to top are: Tracy Bishop, Robert Layher, Jack Dart and Harry Watts. On the right, from bottom to top, are Russ Clark, Brad Jordan and Chuck Comeau." />
 <figcaption>Village Shop employees always dressed their part. On the left, from bottom to top are: Tracy Bishop, Robert Layher, Jack Dart and Harry Watts. On the right, from bottom to top, are Russ Clark, Brad Jordan and Chuck Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>Schiffelbein talked about how during the 1970s and ’80s, the men’s clothing stores never had to go looking for help. They always had plenty of applicants from down the street at Fort Hays State University.He also mentioned how many of those young men went on to become successful professionals no matter what career they chose.“You won’t get a better education than meeting with the public on a day-to-day basis,” Schiffelbein said. “We’re one of the few professions that you have to train the mind and the body.”One of those young employees was Jerry Moran from Plainville, who went on to excel in a career other than a men’s clothing salesman.“I learned a lot as a young college student, watching how Russ Clark conducted himself,” said Moran, who went on to succeed as an attorney and in local and state politics and now is in his second term as a U.S. Senator.While attending Fort Hays State, Moran worked in Browne’s for Men, in which Clark and Volker had ownership shares along with the Village Shop. Therefore, Moran frequented the Village Shop – which specialized in men’s suits but also sold sportswear and other outerwear – and says he was a customer there until the store closed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665765151685.jpeg" alt="A coat hanger and suit bag from the Village Shop were a fun topic of conversation at the celebration of life." />
 <figcaption>A coat hanger and suit bag from the Village Shop were a fun topic of conversation at the celebration of life.</figcaption>
 </figure>Moran admits his first college employment experience set a solid foundation for life.&nbsp;“Russ Clark was a good role model for all kinds of professions, an honorable person,” Moran said. “I learned a lot just watching his relationship with customers. He always stood straight and tall, and his clothes seemed like something out of a magazine.”Moran said he remembers the Village Shop being a “center of attention in Hays.”“People from all over our part of Kansas wandered into the store to shop, not only to shop but to have a conversation with Russ Clark,” he said. “He had an aura about him where people not only liked him, but they respected him, too.”Those who worked alongside Clark day in and day out had similar feelings.“Russ was like a father to me,” Schiffelbein said in a telephone interview. Schiffelbein still lives in Michigan and was unable to make the celebration because of a prior commitment.“He would tell what he thought about something,” Schiffelbein said, “and although you might not agree on everything, he was easy-going.”He added that a big reason for the business’ success was it service, which included professional in-house tailoring.“Tailoring was an art back then,” Schiffelbein said. “You were basically rebuilding the suit. That was a service that people really appreciated."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665765175079.jpeg" alt="One of Clark’s sons, Steve Clark, right, visits with another icon of Downtown Hays – Georgia Moore, longtime co-owner of Mooretours International, Inc." />
 <figcaption>One of Clark’s sons, Steve Clark, right, visits with another icon of Downtown Hays – Georgia Moore, longtime co-owner of Mooretours International, Inc.</figcaption>
 </figure>In its early days, the Village Shop occupied about half the building, and a men’s shoe store was in the other half.Joe Pflaum, an assistant manager for that shoe store (Brown’s Shoe Fit Co.) at the time, said he remembers having to keep the Village Shop’s front door locked right up to opening time because customers would be standing outside waiting to get in.“It was a really popular store, and it was really enjoyable to work there,” Pflaum said. “It was so family-oriented.”The get-together on Oct. 6 resembled a family gathering as the Clark siblings mingled with the crowd, getting reacquainted with several. Three tables displaying memorabilia from Russ Clark’s life brought back a lot of memories for many and prompted more “remember whens.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665849367070.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Steve Clark and his younger brother, Patrick (Sibling No. 5 who lives in Overland Park), entertained visitors with stories of their first jobs at the Village Shop.“My first job was to sweep the sidewalk or vacuum the carpet,” Steve said. “I spent a lot of time down here from grade school through my first year of college at Fort Hays State.”“Shining shoes – that was the first thing I got paid for,” Patrick said with a laugh, adding that he got proficient at removing tack stitching that is sewn on suit pockets to keep the shape of the suit during shipping.“They watched me the first several times I removed those stitches,” he added, “but I got pretty good with that seam ripper after a while.”Other Clark siblings in attendance were sisters Cindy Maddux from Randolph and Sara Clark from Oregon. The family’s oldest sibling (sister Lynne Burke from Mississippi) and youngest (Robert Clark from New York) were not able to make the trip.Russ Clark survived the Dust Bowl and World War II and enjoyed a good, long life. And most everyone who knew him would tell you his No. 1 priority was family.He would have been pleased that his family – immediate and extended – could get together for another visit at the Village Shop.“Our parents enjoyed Hays, and Dad enjoyed interacting with people,” Steve Clark said. “Speaking for all my siblings, we agreed he would appreciate the serendipity that his final get-together was at 1102 Main. Dad was a good man. He made the world a better place.”

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