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By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Your neighbor has trash piled up around his yard, grass up to your knees.

In most incorporated cities, local governments have nuisance abatement ordinances on the books that require property owners to keep their properties cleaned up and vegetation under control.

If property owners don't comply with requests to clean up properties, cities can usually have the cleanup done and charge the property owners for the expense.

However, if you live in an unincorporated area of Kansas under the jurisdiction of your local county, you can't get such relief.

A group of neighbors in Walker, which is an unincorporated community in Ellis County, recently came to the Ellis County Commission complaining about a couple of properties that they said had trash and clutter on them.

Bill Jeter, longtime county counselor, told the residents the county had conducted nuisance abatements for years — until a 2012 appellate court ruling involving a Cowley County case.

A Kansas appellate court in 2012 ruled counties don't have the power to enforce nuisance ordinances based on a case in Cowley County, Barnes V. Cowley County Board of Commissioners.

Jeter explained, at this point, there was little the county could do.

Nuisance abatements can be quite costly, depending on the size of the property and the extent of the cleanup. In the Barnes case, Cowley County billed the Barnes' $11,740 for the cleanup of a 14-acre tract.

The county filed a tax lien against the Barnes' property for the cleanup expenses.

The court ruled counties could only enforce resolutions through injunction, fine, confinement in jail, or both fine and confinement. 

Jeter told the commission property owners could be held liable for violating health and safety regulations, which would be a misdemeanor crime that would be filed by the county attorney's office. However, there's nothing a county commission can do to clean up properties.

The Walker residents were concerned about fire risk, as one of the properties had a recent fire. 

Van Froelich, neighbor, said he was also concerned about rodents.

Commissioner Neal Younger urged the neighbors to try to document rodent activity, including skunks, and to contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for possible relief under health codes.

Froelich said he was aware of the Cowley County case.

"We feel it's a nuisance. It's a hazard. I don't know where we can fall under to get it cleaned up," he said. 

Walker is served by volunteer rural fire out of Gorham, and firefighters have a much slower response time than city departments.

Darin Myers, county administrator and Ellis County fire chief, said danger of fire in rural areas of the county are significant. Firefighters would likely have at least a 10-minute response time to Walker. 

If the wind was strong and blowing in an unfavorable direction, fire could spread quickly and threaten homes, he said.

Myers said he would write a letter to the property owners and pay them a visit in person. He said he was unsure if that would do any good.

Commission Chairman Butch Schlyer added, "We can't do a lot. That's the predicament we're in. We had a very nice nuisance abatement policy. It was very specific with what we could and couldn't do. We just tore it up in 2012 as Jeter referred to."

Myers said in a follow-up interview some members of the Kansas Association of Counties had expressed interest in lobbying for legislation that would grant counties home rule. That would allow Kansas counties to again enforce nuisance regulations.

However, he said the association received much pushback from the owners of agriculture properties and owners of land being used for oil production. They expressed concerns about being unable to upkeep their properties to county standards.

Myers said the pushback was intense enough that the association took the home rule issue off of its legislative agenda within the last year.

Small communities such as Walker have the option to incorporate, but both Froelich and Younger, who also lives in an unincorporated community, Munjor, said that can be an uphill battle.

Froelich said, "The good guy has no justice at all. It's the bad people who can do anything."

Myers said the property owners in question in Walker had voluntarily made some progress in cleanup since the county meeting on Aug. 15.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostYour neighbor has trash piled up around his yard, grass up to your knees.In most incorporated cities, local governments have nuisance abatement ordinances on the books that require property owners to keep their properties cleaned up and vegetation under control.If property owners don't comply with requests to clean up properties, cities can usually have the cleanup done and charge the property owners for the expense. However, if you live in an unincorporated area of Kansas under the jurisdiction of your local county, you can't get such relief.A group of neighbors in Walker, which is an unincorporated community in Ellis County, recently came to the Ellis County Commission complaining about a couple of properties that they said had trash and clutter on them.Bill Jeter, longtime county counselor, told the residents the county had conducted nuisance abatements for years — until a 2012 appellate court ruling involving a Cowley County case.A Kansas appellate court in 2012 ruled counties don't have the power to enforce nuisance ordinances based on a case in Cowley County, Barnes V. Cowley County Board of Commissioners.Jeter explained, at this point, there was little the county could do.Nuisance abatements can be quite costly, depending on the size of the property and the extent of the cleanup. In the Barnes case, Cowley County billed the Barnes' $11,740 for the cleanup of a 14-acre tract.The county filed a tax lien against the Barnes' property for the cleanup expenses.The court ruled counties could only enforce resolutions through injunction, fine, confinement in jail, or both fine and confinement. Jeter told the commission property owners could be held liable for violating health and safety regulations, which would be a misdemeanor crime that would be filed by the county attorney's office. However, there's nothing a county commission can do to clean up properties.The Walker residents were concerned about fire risk, as one of the properties had a recent fire. Van Froelich, neighbor, said he was also concerned about rodents.Commissioner Neal Younger urged the neighbors to try to document rodent activity, including skunks, and to contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for possible relief under health codes.Froelich said he was aware of the Cowley County case."We feel it's a nuisance. It's a hazard. I don't know where we can fall under to get it cleaned up," he said. Walker is served by volunteer rural fire out of Gorham, and firefighters have a much slower response time than city departments.Darin Myers, county administrator and Ellis County fire chief, said danger of fire in rural areas of the county are significant. Firefighters would likely have at least a 10-minute response time to Walker. If the wind was strong and blowing in an unfavorable direction, fire could spread quickly and threaten homes, he said.Myers said he would write a letter to the property owners and pay them a visit in person. He said he was unsure if that would do any good.Commission Chairman Butch Schlyer added, "We can't do a lot. That's the predicament we're in. We had a very nice nuisance abatement policy. It was very specific with what we could and couldn't do. We just tore it up in 2012 as Jeter referred to."Myers said in a follow-up interview some members of the Kansas Association of Counties had expressed interest in lobbying for legislation that would grant counties home rule. That would allow Kansas counties to again enforce nuisance regulations.However, he said the association received much pushback from the owners of agriculture properties and owners of land being used for oil production. They expressed concerns about being unable to upkeep their properties to county standards.Myers said the pushback was intense enough that the association took the home rule issue off of its legislative agenda within the last year. Small communities such as Walker have the option to incorporate, but both Froelich and Younger, who also lives in an unincorporated community, Munjor, said that can be an uphill battle.Froelich said, "The good guy has no justice at all. It's the bad people who can do anything."Myers said the property owners in question in Walker had voluntarily made some progress in cleanup since the county meeting on Aug. 15. Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay

Ellis Co. neighbors frustrated; counties unable to address nuisances

An optometrist from Colby has taken over the practice of Dr. Kendall Krug of Hays. Krug spent 32 of his 37 years as an optometrist practicing in Hays.

Dr. Mark Wahlmeier, 49, took over the practice as of Aug. 1.

Wahlmeier received his eye training form the University of Missouri St. Louis School of Optometry, graduating in 2000. He is licensed to practice in Kansas.

He most recently worked at Vision Source of Colby, Goodland, Burlington, Atwood and St. Francis. 

Krug was a low-vision specialist. Wahlmeier works in general optometry, including the treatment of glaucoma and cataracts.

Wahlmeier and his wife, Amanda, both graduated from Fort Hays State University, two of their children have graduated from FHSU and one child is attending FHSU. Their fourth child is still in high school.

"We thought with most of the family down this way, this might be a good transition to look at," he said. "We wanted to get closer to our kids and family that is back here."

The family also enjoys weekends at Wilson Lake, and Hays is closer to that favorite leisure spot.

Wahlmeier said he looks forward to becoming active in the community. He is a past member of the Thomas County Community Foundation and Rotary.

Wahlmeier will be transferring Krug's patients to his care, as well as accepting new patients.

He will continue to operate from Krug's former location at 2203 Canterbury, but under the new name Vision Source of Hays. Krug's staff has stayed on with the new doctor.

The clinic is in the process of getting credentialed for both Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medicare.

Hours at the clinic will be 8 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays.

The Wahlmeiers have added 500 new frames to their inventory since taking over the practice. 

Vision Source's optician will be the Wahlmeier's daughter, Kellyn Eck, who just graduated from Fort Hays State University.

"I'm just excited to make this transition," Wahlmeier said. "I've been practicing for 22 years, and I feel like I have another 20 before I look to that next stage. I'm happy to be around family and join the Hays community."

In a letter to patients, Krug said he plans to spend more time with his children and continue to provide vision impairment services for the Kansas State School for the Blind for students in the western half of the state.

"I would like to thank Dr. Krug for the opportunity," Wahlmeier said. "He has had some very big shoes to fill. He has been a staple of the community for a long, long time. I feel very honored to try to help out. We will do our best to fill the legacy that he had."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661372800841.jpeg" alt="Dr. Mark Wahlmeier " />
 <figcaption>Dr. Mark Wahlmeier </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostAn optometrist from Colby has taken over the practice of Dr. Kendall Krug of Hays. Krug spent 32 of his 37 years as an optometrist practicing in Hays.Dr. Mark Wahlmeier, 49, took over the practice as of Aug. 1.Wahlmeier received his eye training form the University of Missouri St. Louis School of Optometry, graduating in 2000. He is licensed to practice in Kansas.He most recently worked at Vision Source of Colby, Goodland, Burlington, Atwood and St. Francis. Krug was a low-vision specialist. Wahlmeier works in general optometry, including the treatment of glaucoma and cataracts. Wahlmeier and his wife, Amanda, both graduated from Fort Hays State University, two of their children have graduated from FHSU and one child is attending FHSU. Their fourth child is still in high school. "We thought with most of the family down this way, this might be a good transition to look at," he said. "We wanted to get closer to our kids and family that is back here."The family also enjoys weekends at Wilson Lake, and Hays is closer to that favorite leisure spot.Wahlmeier said he looks forward to becoming active in the community. He is a past member of the Thomas County Community Foundation and Rotary. Wahlmeier will be transferring Krug's patients to his care, as well as accepting new patients.He will continue to operate from Krug's former location at 2203 Canterbury, but under the new name Vision Source of Hays. Krug's staff has stayed on with the new doctor.The clinic is in the process of getting credentialed for both Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medicare. Hours at the clinic will be 8 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays. The Wahlmeiers have added 500 new frames to their inventory since taking over the practice. Vision Source's optician will be the Wahlmeier's daughter, Kellyn Eck, who just graduated from Fort Hays State University. "I'm just excited to make this transition," Wahlmeier said. "I've been practicing for 22 years, and I feel like I have another 20 before I look to that next stage. I'm happy to be around family and join the Hays community." In a letter to patients, Krug said he plans to spend more time with his children and continue to provide vision impairment services for the Kansas State School for the Blind for students in the western half of the state. "I would like to thank Dr. Krug for the opportunity," Wahlmeier said. "He has had some very big shoes to fill. He has been a staple of the community for a long, long time. I feel very honored to try to help out. We will do our best to fill the legacy that he had."

Eye doctor from Colby takes over Krug's practice in Hays

The Fort Hays State University Robbins Banking Institute and The Kansas Bankers Association recently announced the hiring of FHSU alum Tommy Powell as its director.&nbsp;

With more than a decade of sales and support experience in the banking industry, Powell completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration&nbsp;with a major in finance&nbsp;in 2020; in addition, Powell has completed&nbsp;classes in&nbsp;the Robbins Banking Institute program.&nbsp;Powell was a commercial lender in the Hays regional office of Commerce Bank.&nbsp;His office will be in the Robbins Banking Institute Center on the FHSU campus.&nbsp;Powell resides in&nbsp;Hays with his wife and young son.

&nbsp;“We are excited to have Tommy lead the initiatives of the Robbins Banking Institute,” said Dr. Dosse Toulaboe, FHSU Chair of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting. “He is already familiar with our banking program and has the banking industry experience and connections to help the Robbins Banking Institute achieve its goals.”

The Robbins Banking Institute is part of FHSU’s Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting&nbsp;within the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Its purpose is to prepare students for banking industry careers to help alleviate the shortage of banking professionals in Kansas.&nbsp;

Management of the Robbins Banking Institute is being assumed by the Kansas Bankers Association. In this role, the KBA plans to fulfill the Robbins Banking Institute’s goals of attracting the next generation of Kansas bankers by showing prospective students the benefits of a career in banking and teaching them the principles of community banking.

Powell will also manage and promote the activities of the Kansas Bankers Educational Foundation. KBEF is a 501(c)3 non-profit subsidiary of the Kansas Bankers Association.

“We are very pleased to announce the addition of Tommy Powell to our Kansas&nbsp;Bankers&nbsp;Association staff team, and we are equally confident Tommy will enhance the important strategic partnership between Fort Hays State University’s Robbins Banking Institute and the Kansas Bankers Association,” said Doug Wareham, KBA President &amp; CEO. “Tommy’s professional banking experience coupled with his direct ties to Fort Hays State University’s Business School and Robbins Banking Institute brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to this partnership and this position.”

Offering a stand-alone certificate program, a minor program (to complement another major), and an undergraduate degree program, the Robbins Banking Institute courses are offered both on campus and online.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661542019867.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University CommunicationsThe Fort Hays State University Robbins Banking Institute and The Kansas Bankers Association recently announced the hiring of FHSU alum Tommy Powell as its director.&nbsp;With more than a decade of sales and support experience in the banking industry, Powell completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration&nbsp;with a major in finance&nbsp;in 2020; in addition, Powell has completed&nbsp;classes in&nbsp;the Robbins Banking Institute program.&nbsp;Powell was a commercial lender in the Hays regional office of Commerce Bank.&nbsp;His office will be in the Robbins Banking Institute Center on the FHSU campus.&nbsp;Powell resides in&nbsp;Hays with his wife and young son.&nbsp;“We are excited to have Tommy lead the initiatives of the Robbins Banking Institute,” said Dr. Dosse Toulaboe, FHSU Chair of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting. “He is already familiar with our banking program and has the banking industry experience and connections to help the Robbins Banking Institute achieve its goals.”The Robbins Banking Institute is part of FHSU’s Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting&nbsp;within the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Its purpose is to prepare students for banking industry careers to help alleviate the shortage of banking professionals in Kansas.&nbsp;Management of the Robbins Banking Institute is being assumed by the Kansas Bankers Association. In this role, the KBA plans to fulfill the Robbins Banking Institute’s goals of attracting the next generation of Kansas bankers by showing prospective students the benefits of a career in banking and teaching them the principles of community banking.Powell will also manage and promote the activities of the Kansas Bankers Educational Foundation. KBEF is a 501(c)3 non-profit subsidiary of the Kansas Bankers Association.“We are very pleased to announce the addition of Tommy Powell to our Kansas&nbsp;Bankers&nbsp;Association staff team, and we are equally confident Tommy will enhance the important strategic partnership between Fort Hays State University’s Robbins Banking Institute and the Kansas Bankers Association,” said Doug Wareham, KBA President &amp; CEO. “Tommy’s professional banking experience coupled with his direct ties to Fort Hays State University’s Business School and Robbins Banking Institute brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to this partnership and this position.”Offering a stand-alone certificate program, a minor program (to complement another major), and an undergraduate degree program, the Robbins Banking Institute courses are offered both on campus and online.

New Robbins institute director brings banking experience to FHSU

Our house faces west, it’s brick, and the flower bed in front is filled with river rock. If only one of these ingredients were our reality, the sun would work its magic and multiply the heat. Tripled, the thermometer can’t keep up with the increasing temperatures by 5 p.m. Though the previous owners chose plants that do well in heat and require less water than most,&nbsp;I&nbsp;wetthem down several times a week during blast furnace days that&nbsp;don’t remember&nbsp;when&nbsp;the last raindrop fell.

A couple of weeks ago, I was dousing those wilted lilies and salvia when a thin cottontail hopped into the hose stream. It stood under the water, getting plenty damp. As I continued down the line of plants, it&nbsp;stood on its hind legs, preening and polishing its fur. I thought it was odd behavior, but it was 105 in the shade that day and out front was even hotter. She wasn’t there the next time I watered on a cooler day so I put&nbsp;her behavior&nbsp;down to a weird coincidence, even though NCIS’s Gibbs has drilled into me there are no coincidences.&nbsp;

No more bunny for the next few waterings. That is until this morning when&nbsp;cottontails&nbsp;shrank and multiplied. I went out early to take advantage of the cool morning and early pastel light.&nbsp;In the smaller bed north of the porch,&nbsp;helianthus and&nbsp;the&nbsp;bush next to it guzzled their&nbsp;refreshment before I tugged the hose over to the bigger rock garden on the&nbsp;south&nbsp;side. Those lilies, roses, and salvia looked pretty dry so I gave them an extra count of ten as I watered.&nbsp;

While the drought and heat wilt my garden plants, weeds thrive. As I counted&nbsp;40 for&nbsp;each plant’s drink time, I was&nbsp;calculating&nbsp;how much time I’d need to spend weeding once things dried out.&nbsp;At that point, I got to the salvia where I’d earlier seen the&nbsp;showering rodent.&nbsp;My plant&nbsp;looked&nbsp;even&nbsp;more spread out and leggy&nbsp;than before&nbsp;so I directed a head-on shot of water toward it.

Imagine my surprise when four tiny, tiny fur-covered&nbsp;cottontails exploded out of it! Aha, mom may have taken an inadvertent shower two weeks before but what she was really doing was guarding her nest&nbsp;that probably contained still naked newborns with closed eyes. I can’t believe I never thought of that, but it’s so hot out front I couldn’t imagine anything but a snake turning that into a nursery.

Naturally, I&nbsp;turned the&nbsp;water&nbsp;toward other plants while those babies made their escape.&nbsp;Once I turned off the&nbsp;spigot&nbsp;and rolled up&nbsp;the hose, I returned to the house and opened the living room shades. I kept&nbsp;peaking&nbsp;out the window to see if&nbsp;any bunnies were&nbsp;returning to their cozy nest.&nbsp;For the next few&nbsp;days&nbsp;I never saw hide nor hare!

About a week afterward, I discovered why. Mom moved her bouncing babes to our backyard and hid them in the pumpkin patch. Now that I know they are there, I’ll be more careful when&nbsp;and where&nbsp;I water.

Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and
 sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661545554426.jpeg" alt="DSCN0533.JPG" />
 <figcaption>DSCN0533.JPG</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINOur house faces west, it’s brick, and the flower bed in front is filled with river rock. If only one of these ingredients were our reality, the sun would work its magic and multiply the heat. Tripled, the thermometer can’t keep up with the increasing temperatures by 5 p.m. Though the previous owners chose plants that do well in heat and require less water than most,&nbsp;I&nbsp;wetthem down several times a week during blast furnace days that&nbsp;don’t remember&nbsp;when&nbsp;the last raindrop fell.A couple of weeks ago, I was dousing those wilted lilies and salvia when a thin cottontail hopped into the hose stream. It stood under the water, getting plenty damp. As I continued down the line of plants, it&nbsp;stood on its hind legs, preening and polishing its fur. I thought it was odd behavior, but it was 105 in the shade that day and out front was even hotter. She wasn’t there the next time I watered on a cooler day so I put&nbsp;her behavior&nbsp;down to a weird coincidence, even though NCIS’s Gibbs has drilled into me there are no coincidences.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>No more bunny for the next few waterings. That is until this morning when&nbsp;cottontails&nbsp;shrank and multiplied. I went out early to take advantage of the cool morning and early pastel light.&nbsp;In the smaller bed north of the porch,&nbsp;helianthus and&nbsp;the&nbsp;bush next to it guzzled their&nbsp;refreshment before I tugged the hose over to the bigger rock garden on the&nbsp;south&nbsp;side. Those lilies, roses, and salvia looked pretty dry so I gave them an extra count of ten as I watered.&nbsp;While the drought and heat wilt my garden plants, weeds thrive. As I counted&nbsp;40 for&nbsp;each plant’s drink time, I was&nbsp;calculating&nbsp;how much time I’d need to spend weeding once things dried out.&nbsp;At that point, I got to the salvia where I’d earlier seen the&nbsp;showering rodent.&nbsp;My plant&nbsp;looked&nbsp;even&nbsp;more spread out and leggy&nbsp;than before&nbsp;so I directed a head-on shot of water toward it.Imagine my surprise when four tiny, tiny fur-covered&nbsp;cottontails exploded out of it! Aha, mom may have taken an inadvertent shower two weeks before but what she was really doing was guarding her nest&nbsp;that probably contained still naked newborns with closed eyes. I can’t believe I never thought of that, but it’s so hot out front I couldn’t imagine anything but a snake turning that into a nursery.Naturally, I&nbsp;turned the&nbsp;water&nbsp;toward other plants while those babies made their escape.&nbsp;Once I turned off the&nbsp;spigot&nbsp;and rolled up&nbsp;the hose, I returned to the house and opened the living room shades. I kept&nbsp;peaking&nbsp;out the window to see if&nbsp;any bunnies were&nbsp;returning to their cozy nest.&nbsp;For the next few&nbsp;days&nbsp;I never saw hide nor hare!About a week afterward, I discovered why. Mom moved her bouncing babes to our backyard and hid them in the pumpkin patch. Now that I know they are there, I’ll be more careful when&nbsp;and where&nbsp;I water.Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and
 sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

MADORIN: Blooming Bunnies

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661796140579.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 ERIN PENNINGTON K-State News

MANHATTAN — A Kansas State University-led study has found that reintroducing bison — a formerly dominant grazer — doubles plant diversity in a tallgrass prairie. The research involves more than 30 years of data collected at the Konza Prairie Biological Station and was recently published in the prestigious journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2022-08/pnas.2210433119.pdf">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>, or PNAS. The study found that plant communities also were resilient to the most extreme drought in four decades. These gains are now among the largest recorded increases in species richness because of grazing in grasslands globally, researchers said.&nbsp; "Bison were an integral part of North American grasslands before they were abruptly removed from over 99% of the Great Plains,"&nbsp;said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/biology/about/people/faculty/ratajczak/">Zak Ratajczak</a>, assistant professor of biology and lead researcher.&nbsp;"This removal of bison occurred before quantitative records and therefore, the effects of their removal are largely unknown." The study took place in the Flint Hills ecoregion, which is the largest remaining landscape of tallgrass prairie. Researchers examined plant community composition and diversity in three treatments that were designed to capture characteristic management regimes: no mega-grazers were present; bison were reintroduced and allowed to graze year-round; or domestic cattle were introduced and allowed to graze during the growing season. "Our results suggest that many grasslands in the central Great Plains have substantially lower plant biodiversity than would have occurred before bison were widely wiped out,"&nbsp;Ratajczak said.&nbsp;"Returning or 'rewilding' native megafauna could help to restore grassland biodiversity." The study also found that cattle had a positive impact on plant diversity, compared to having no large grazers present, although increases in plant species richness were significantly smaller than those caused by bison.&nbsp; "I think this study also shows that cattle can have a largely positive impact on biodiversity conservation in our region, especially considering that many in cattle production conduct the prescribed fires that have kept these grasslands from becoming woodlands," Ratajczak said. "What this study really suggests is that when it's economically and ecologically feasible, reintroducing bison might have an even more positive effect on biodiversity conservation."&nbsp; Along with addressing land use, researchers also set out to learn how bison affect plant community resilience to climate extremes. Because of the long duration of the study, researchers were able to capture one of the most extreme drought events that has occurred in the Great Plains since the 1930s' Dust Bowl. Researchers found that after the climate extreme, native plant species in the bison-grazed area were resilient to drought.&nbsp; "The resilience we found in the bison grasslands is also consistent with the idea that diversity promotes ecological resilience," Ratajczak said. "And this resilience will only become more important if our climate becomes more extreme."&nbsp; Other K-State researchers on the study include Jesse Nippert, professor; John Blair, university distinguished professor; Allison Louthan, assistant professor; and Jeffrey Taylor, research assistant, all from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/biology/">Division of Biology</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="http://artsci.k-state.edu/">College of Arts and Sciences</a>. Additional collaborators include Scott Collins, University of New Mexico; Sally Koerner, University of North Carolina; and Melinda Smith, Colorado State University.&nbsp; "Some of the most meaningful ecological trends take decades to unfold, and we can only identify them using long-term records like those supported by the NSF LTER program," Nippert said. "Without this type of data, fundamental properties of ecosystems may go unnoticed using only short-term experiments." A series of six grants totaling more than $31.6 million since 1980 from the National Science Foundation funded the study and was conducted as part of the NSF Long-Term Ecological Research, or LTER, program. "The research done at the Konza Prairie is truly unique and impressive,&nbsp;"&nbsp;said David Rosowsky, K-State vice president for research.&nbsp;"There are very few locations in the world that can provide this type of long-term data that can have such a strong impact on how we interact with our natural resources." The Konza Prairie Biological Station is jointly owned by Kansas State University and The Nature Conservancy.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661802042264.png" alt="Courtesy K-State News" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy K-State News</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIN PENNINGTON K-State NewsMANHATTAN — A Kansas State University-led study has found that reintroducing bison — a formerly dominant grazer — doubles plant diversity in a tallgrass prairie. The research involves more than 30 years of data collected at the Konza Prairie Biological Station and was recently published in the prestigious journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/2022-08/pnas.2210433119.pdf">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>, or PNAS. The study found that plant communities also were resilient to the most extreme drought in four decades. These gains are now among the largest recorded increases in species richness because of grazing in grasslands globally, researchers said.&nbsp; "Bison were an integral part of North American grasslands before they were abruptly removed from over 99% of the Great Plains,"&nbsp;said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/biology/about/people/faculty/ratajczak/">Zak Ratajczak</a>, assistant professor of biology and lead researcher.&nbsp;"This removal of bison occurred before quantitative records and therefore, the effects of their removal are largely unknown." The study took place in the Flint Hills ecoregion, which is the largest remaining landscape of tallgrass prairie. Researchers examined plant community composition and diversity in three treatments that were designed to capture characteristic management regimes: no mega-grazers were present; bison were reintroduced and allowed to graze year-round; or domestic cattle were introduced and allowed to graze during the growing season. "Our results suggest that many grasslands in the central Great Plains have substantially lower plant biodiversity than would have occurred before bison were widely wiped out,"&nbsp;Ratajczak said.&nbsp;"Returning or 'rewilding' native megafauna could help to restore grassland biodiversity." The study also found that cattle had a positive impact on plant diversity, compared to having no large grazers present, although increases in plant species richness were significantly smaller than those caused by bison.&nbsp; "I think this study also shows that cattle can have a largely positive impact on biodiversity conservation in our region, especially considering that many in cattle production conduct the prescribed fires that have kept these grasslands from becoming woodlands," Ratajczak said. "What this study really suggests is that when it's economically and ecologically feasible, reintroducing bison might have an even more positive effect on biodiversity conservation."&nbsp; Along with addressing land use, researchers also set out to learn how bison affect plant community resilience to climate extremes. Because of the long duration of the study, researchers were able to capture one of the most extreme drought events that has occurred in the Great Plains since the 1930s' Dust Bowl. Researchers found that after the climate extreme, native plant species in the bison-grazed area were resilient to drought.&nbsp; "The resilience we found in the bison grasslands is also consistent with the idea that diversity promotes ecological resilience," Ratajczak said. "And this resilience will only become more important if our climate becomes more extreme."&nbsp; Other K-State researchers on the study include Jesse Nippert, professor; John Blair, university distinguished professor; Allison Louthan, assistant professor; and Jeffrey Taylor, research assistant, all from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/biology/">Division of Biology</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="http://artsci.k-state.edu/">College of Arts and Sciences</a>. Additional collaborators include Scott Collins, University of New Mexico; Sally Koerner, University of North Carolina; and Melinda Smith, Colorado State University.&nbsp; "Some of the most meaningful ecological trends take decades to unfold, and we can only identify them using long-term records like those supported by the NSF LTER program," Nippert said. "Without this type of data, fundamental properties of ecosystems may go unnoticed using only short-term experiments." A series of six grants totaling more than $31.6 million since 1980 from the National Science Foundation funded the study and was conducted as part of the NSF Long-Term Ecological Research, or LTER, program. "The research done at the Konza Prairie is truly unique and impressive,&nbsp;"&nbsp;said David Rosowsky, K-State vice president for research.&nbsp;"There are very few locations in the world that can provide this type of long-term data that can have such a strong impact on how we interact with our natural resources." The Konza Prairie Biological Station is jointly owned by Kansas State University and The Nature Conservancy.&nbsp;

Reintroducing bison to grasslands increases plant diversity, drought resilience

<div> <script src="https://embed-926810.secondstreetapp.com/Scripts/dist/embed.js" data-ss-embed="promotion" data-opguid="461fc559-1ccd-4f99-b6f5-044ed5cac212" data-routing="hash">/**/</script></div>

YOU HAVE TO PLAY TO WIN! CERVs Football Matchup

After a glimmer of hope for much-needed moisture faded, the Hays area is expected to have another dry week ahead.

Hays received only about a tenth of an inch of rainfall over the weekend. And forecasts for more possible precipitation have dried up, the National Weather Service in Dodge City reported.&nbsp;

Scattered thunderstorms predicted in western Kansas are now expected to stay south of Ellis County, the NWS said.

Mostly sunny skies are now expected into the Labor Day weekend, with highs in the low- to mid-90s, dropping to the low-60s overnight.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661780165341.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>After a glimmer of hope for much-needed moisture faded, the Hays area is expected to have another dry week ahead.Hays received only about a tenth of an inch of rainfall over the weekend. And forecasts for more possible precipitation have dried up, the National Weather Service in Dodge City reported.&nbsp;Scattered thunderstorms predicted in western Kansas are now expected to stay south of Ellis County, the NWS said.Mostly sunny skies are now expected into the Labor Day weekend, with highs in the low- to mid-90s, dropping to the low-60s overnight.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Another hot afternoon is on tap for southwest KS on Monday, with highs well into the 90s. However, some slight relief is coming as a cold front late Monday will shave a few degrees off temperatures for Tuesday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KSwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KSwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/dGgGAJfhuj">pic.twitter.com/dGgGAJfhuj</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1564001169118076928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

Forecast calls for another warm, dry week for Hays area

Editor's note: Northwest Kansas is a special place filled with fascinating people —&nbsp;each with their own story to tell. Beginning today, the Nwester will cast light on those stories, sharing the tales of northwest Kansas. From youth activities to sports, business to community events, the topics will run the gamut. Have an idea for a future story? Email <a href="mailto:admin@hayspost.com">admin@hayspost.com</a> to share your idea.

By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN Special to Hays Post

The Hays Soccer Club has served as a training ground for budding stars for the local high schools — and beyond — for more than 20 years.

Numerous HSC players have moved on to play in college at several levels, including NCAA Division I.

College is still a few years off for Cedric Durr, an eighth-grader at Hays Middle School. But he can already talk of playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.

Cedric closed out a whirlwind summer in July by finishing fourth in the U.S. Youth Soccer Keeper Wars National Championships.

Keeper Wars is a one-on-one competition for goalkeepers to showcase their talents. And Cedric put on quite a show at nationals while representing the HSC in style in his first year of Keeper Wars competition.

After going 4-0-1 in pool play of the U12-U13 age division, Cedric qualified for the semifinal rounds. When the last goal had been scored, the HSC could boast of a national finalist.

It’s an experience Cedric won’t soon forget, and he hopes to use what he learned from Keeper Wars competition to help the local club’s U-15 Predators team this year. The Predators and other HSC teams opened their 2022 fall season this weekend at the Stryker Cup in Wichita.

“We were really happy that Cedric did so well this summer, and it was fun to track his progress at nationals,” said Mark Luck, the Predators’ coach. “Cedric has really excelled and improved a lot in the short time he’s been with us. We’re really looking forward to this season.”

Cedric hadn’t even heard of Keeper Wars until he joined the HSC last year after moving to Hays from Christiansburg, Va., when his parents, Boyce and Tara Durr, both accepted positions at Fort Hays State University.

Cedric admitted that moving halfway across the country to unfamiliar territory was a little scary.&nbsp;

However, he quickly found a niche with the Predators, where he played both on defense and at goalkeeper last fall. He then enjoyed a successful season in his first school competition with the seventh-grade Hays Middle School team in the spring.

The Hays Soccer Club had been promoting the Keeper Wars competition for a few years, so Cedric decided to give it a try.

Players qualify for nationals by winning one of the Keeper Wars’ City Tour or Showcase Tour events.&nbsp;

The last qualifier for this year was scheduled for the Fourth of July weekend in St. Louis, Mo.&nbsp;Cedric had not planned to attend this event because he was supposed to visit his grandparents in Pensacola, Fla. A COVID infection caused a&nbsp;last-minute change of plans, freeing Cedric up for that weekend.

So Cedric’s dad checked to see if there were still spots available in Cedric’s age division. With the last spot in the 20-player competition at St. Louis secured for Cedric, a hectic month of July began for the Durr family.

After Cedric claimed top honors in his age division in St. Louis, the Durrs had 48 hours to accept one of the 26 automatic qualifying spots and began making plans for their trip to Florida.

Part of Cedric’s&nbsp;success stems from his being a student of the game, which isn't a surprise since he's a straight-A student in the classroom.

While waiting his next turn up at the Keeper Wars events, Cedric would watch other competitors and take note of their tendencies – both physical and mental.

Cedric saw that one keeper had trouble going to his left. So Cedric, a lefty, took advantage of his natural curve kick to place the ball in the right side of the net.

He also has other natural characteristics that give him a bit of an advantage. He is tall for his age. He is 5-foot, 10 inches and didn’t turn 13 years old until August 19.

“Goalkeeper is a difficult position, and Cedric does such a good job of keeping his cool, not giving the other team an advantage,” Luck said. “And he has no problem in stepping in and playing any position we ask him to. We’re really excited for his future – just keep working and improving.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660754177628.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661536518937.jpeg" alt="Cedric Durr / Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars." />
 <figcaption>Cedric Durr / Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars.</figcaption>
 </figure>Editor's note: Northwest Kansas is a special place filled with fascinating people —&nbsp;each with their own story to tell. Beginning today, the Nwester will cast light on those stories, sharing the tales of northwest Kansas. From youth activities to sports, business to community events, the topics will run the gamut. Have an idea for a future story? Email <a href="mailto:admin@hayspost.com">admin@hayspost.com</a> to share your idea.By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN Special to Hays PostThe Hays Soccer Club has served as a training ground for budding stars for the local high schools — and beyond — for more than 20 years.Numerous HSC players have moved on to play in college at several levels, including NCAA Division I.College is still a few years off for Cedric Durr, an eighth-grader at Hays Middle School. But he can already talk of playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.Cedric closed out a whirlwind summer in July by finishing fourth in the U.S. Youth Soccer Keeper Wars National Championships.Keeper Wars is a one-on-one competition for goalkeepers to showcase their talents. And Cedric put on quite a show at nationals while representing the HSC in style in his first year of Keeper Wars competition.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661542172799.jpeg" alt="Cedric Durr of the Hays Soccer Club dives for a ball during the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Keeper Wars in Orlando in July. Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars." />
 <figcaption>Cedric Durr of the Hays Soccer Club dives for a ball during the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Keeper Wars in Orlando in July. Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars.</figcaption>
 </figure>After going 4-0-1 in pool play of the U12-U13 age division, Cedric qualified for the semifinal rounds. When the last goal had been scored, the HSC could boast of a national finalist.It’s an experience Cedric won’t soon forget, and he hopes to use what he learned from Keeper Wars competition to help the local club’s U-15 Predators team this year. The Predators and other HSC teams opened their 2022 fall season this weekend at the Stryker Cup in Wichita.“We were really happy that Cedric did so well this summer, and it was fun to track his progress at nationals,” said Mark Luck, the Predators’ coach. “Cedric has really excelled and improved a lot in the short time he’s been with us. We’re really looking forward to this season.”Cedric hadn’t even heard of Keeper Wars until he joined the HSC last year after moving to Hays from Christiansburg, Va., when his parents, Boyce and Tara Durr, both accepted positions at Fort Hays State University.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661542217033.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Cedric admitted that moving halfway across the country to unfamiliar territory was a little scary.&nbsp;However, he quickly found a niche with the Predators, where he played both on defense and at goalkeeper last fall. He then enjoyed a successful season in his first school competition with the seventh-grade Hays Middle School team in the spring.The Hays Soccer Club had been promoting the Keeper Wars competition for a few years, so Cedric decided to give it a try.Players qualify for nationals by winning one of the Keeper Wars’ City Tour or Showcase Tour events.&nbsp;The last qualifier for this year was scheduled for the Fourth of July weekend in St. Louis, Mo.&nbsp;Cedric had not planned to attend this event because he was supposed to visit his grandparents in Pensacola, Fla. A COVID infection caused a&nbsp;last-minute change of plans, freeing Cedric up for that weekend.So Cedric’s dad checked to see if there were still spots available in Cedric’s age division. With the last spot in the 20-player competition at St. Louis secured for Cedric, a hectic month of July began for the Durr family.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661542196540.jpeg" alt="Durr tries to secure a hard shot during national-championship weekend. Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars." />
 <figcaption>Durr tries to secure a hard shot during national-championship weekend. Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars.</figcaption>
 </figure>After Cedric claimed top honors in his age division in St. Louis, the Durrs had 48 hours to accept one of the 26 automatic qualifying spots and began making plans for their trip to Florida.Part of Cedric’s&nbsp;success stems from his being a student of the game, which isn't a surprise since he's a straight-A student in the classroom.While waiting his next turn up at the Keeper Wars events, Cedric would watch other competitors and take note of their tendencies – both physical and mental.Cedric saw that one keeper had trouble going to his left. So Cedric, a lefty, took advantage of his natural curve kick to place the ball in the right side of the net.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661612320529.png" alt="One of Durr’s strengths is his powerful left leg. Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars." />
 <figcaption>One of Durr’s strengths is his powerful left leg. Photo by Michaela Clark, USYS Keeper Wars.</figcaption>
 </figure>He also has other natural characteristics that give him a bit of an advantage. He is tall for his age. He is 5-foot, 10 inches and didn’t turn 13 years old until August 19.Coach Luck has high hopes for Cedric.“Goalkeeper is a difficult position, and Cedric does such a good job of keeping his cool, not giving the other team an advantage,” Luck said. “And he has no problem in stepping in and playing any position we ask him to. We’re really excited for his future – just keep working and improving.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661612227868.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661612361053.jpeg" alt="Awards that Durr won during his Keeper Wars competition this year. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Awards that Durr won during his Keeper Wars competition this year. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>

NWester: Hays goalie nets national honors at ESPN tournament

Gov.
 Laura Kelly last week announced $3.2 million in grants that will be used to 
assist rural first responders combatting opioid abuse. The grants will 
fund training regarding carrying and administering approved medication 
for emergency reversal of opioid overdose.&nbsp;

“The opioid crisis 
impacts families across Kansas, which is why it’s crucial that our first
 responders have the support and training they need to save lives and 
bring relief to our communities,” Kelly said.&nbsp;“This 
funding will be instrumental in helping struggling Kansans access 
appropriate treatment and recovery support services.”&nbsp;

The 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) First
 Responder-Comprehensive Addiction &amp; Recovery Act (FR-CARA) grants, 
administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services 
(KDADS), are open for application by rural first responder agencies and 
members of other key community sectors at the state, tribal, and local 
levels.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Far too many Kansans have lost loved ones, and far too 
many communities have experienced heartbreak at the hands of the opioid 
epidemic. This grant will help train our first responders to save lives 
and educate our neighbors about this issue, particularly in rural 
communities,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.&nbsp;“I’m glad to 
support these federal grants and to support Governor Kelly in ensuring 
this crisis is addressed in every corner of our state.”&nbsp;

“Expanding
 our efforts to address the substance abuse crisis through access to 
treatment, training and other proven tools and resources is a priority 
for our agency,”&nbsp;KDADS Behavioral Health Services Commissioner Andy 
Brown said. “This funding will help us identify partners across the 
state who can connect recovery services and resources to rural 
communities to meet the needs of Kansans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

KDADS has selected 
four rural regions of the state that encompass 53 counties for 
implementing this project based on the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical
 Services map.&nbsp; These regions include:&nbsp;

First
 responder agencies can find additional information, including 
application forms and submission instructions, for the grant funding&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA4MjMuNjI2NTQ3NTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkYWRzLmtzLmdvdi9mdW5kaW5nLW9wcG9ydHVuaXRpZXMifQ.xmo6bX0xtqIRUy3tuMTgfpAQ6GRt0fFEKXWxptt6Thg/s/1303136047/br/142949263520-l" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Applications are due to KDADS&nbsp;by Sept. 15.&nbsp;

Gov.
 Laura Kelly last week announced $3.2 million in grants that will be used to 
assist rural first responders combatting opioid abuse. The grants will 
fund training regarding carrying and administering approved medication 
for emergency reversal of opioid overdose.&nbsp;“The opioid crisis 
impacts families across Kansas, which is why it’s crucial that our first
 responders have the support and training they need to save lives and 
bring relief to our communities,” Kelly said.&nbsp;“This 
funding will be instrumental in helping struggling Kansans access 
appropriate treatment and recovery support services.”&nbsp;The 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) First
 Responder-Comprehensive Addiction &amp; Recovery Act (FR-CARA) grants, 
administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services 
(KDADS), are open for application by rural first responder agencies and 
members of other key community sectors at the state, tribal, and local 
levels.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Far too many Kansans have lost loved ones, and far too 
many communities have experienced heartbreak at the hands of the opioid 
epidemic. This grant will help train our first responders to save lives 
and educate our neighbors about this issue, particularly in rural 
communities,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.&nbsp;“I’m glad to 
support these federal grants and to support Governor Kelly in ensuring 
this crisis is addressed in every corner of our state.”&nbsp;“Expanding
 our efforts to address the substance abuse crisis through access to 
treatment, training and other proven tools and resources is a priority 
for our agency,”&nbsp;KDADS Behavioral Health Services Commissioner Andy 
Brown said. “This funding will help us identify partners across the 
state who can connect recovery services and resources to rural 
communities to meet the needs of Kansans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;KDADS has selected 
four rural regions of the state that encompass 53 counties for 
implementing this project based on the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical
 Services map.&nbsp; These regions include:&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Region
 I – Northwest: Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Sherman, 
Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Rooks, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, 
Russell, Ness, and Rush&nbsp;</li><li>Region II – Southwest: Greeley, 
Wichita, Scott, Lane, Hamilton, Kearney, Finney, Hodgeman, Gray, Ford, 
Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Meade, Clark, Morton, Stevens, and Seward&nbsp;</li><li>Region
 III – North Central: Smith, Jewell, Republic, Osborne, Mitchell, Cloud,
 Clay, Ottawa, Lincoln, Dickinson, Saline, and Ellsworth&nbsp;</li><li>Region
 IV – Southeast: Greenwood, Woodson, Allen, Bourbon, Elk, Wilson, 
Neosho, Crawford, Chautauqua, Montgomery, Labette, and Cherokee&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>First
 responder agencies can find additional information, including 
application forms and submission instructions, for the grant funding&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA4MjMuNjI2NTQ3NTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkYWRzLmtzLmdvdi9mdW5kaW5nLW9wcG9ydHVuaXRpZXMifQ.xmo6bX0xtqIRUy3tuMTgfpAQ6GRt0fFEKXWxptt6Thg/s/1303136047/br/142949263520-l" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Applications are due to KDADS&nbsp;by Sept. 15.&nbsp;

NW Kan. counties eligible for assistance to combat opioids

SMITH COUNTY—A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Sunday in Smith County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Pontiac Vibe driven by Sarah M. Portlock, 35, Topeka, was&nbsp; eastbound on Kansas Highway 9 eight miles west of Gaylord.&nbsp;

The vehicle crossed the center line and the driver corrected. The car crossed the center line again, left the roadway, entered the ditch and rolled into a field.

EMS transported Portlock to the Smith County Hospital. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

SMITH COUNTY—A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Sunday in Smith County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Pontiac Vibe driven by Sarah M. Portlock, 35, Topeka, was&nbsp; eastbound on Kansas Highway 9 eight miles west of Gaylord.&nbsp;The vehicle crossed the center line and the driver corrected. The car crossed the center line again, left the roadway, entered the ditch and rolled into a field.EMS transported Portlock to the Smith County Hospital. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman hospitalized after car rolls into field

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KRUG: Extension learning opportunities around the corner

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661537206289.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

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

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

On this episode of the Post Podcast Grow Hays, Executive Director Doug Williams shares information about an RHID planned for downtown Hays.<div><iframe title="Grow Hays’ latest RHID presented to USD 489 Board of Education" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=v6yhu-12ab137-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heartland Credit Union receives high marks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics in Wichita.

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

INSIGHT KANSAS: When politics and constitutions collide

🎥 Green & Growing: Mulching options

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661537172920.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

Hays High School JAG-K Review: August Edition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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