<a></a>LOGAN — "Under Pressure: Painting With Air" (A Survey of Contemporary Airbrush Realism)&nbsp;is on view at the Hansen Museum&nbsp;now&nbsp;through May 22. &nbsp;

This&nbsp;exhibition is comprised of&nbsp;45&nbsp;works,&nbsp;wide-ranging in&nbsp;theme,&nbsp;by&nbsp;noteworthy,&nbsp;working&nbsp;artists who have chosen airbrush as their principal&nbsp;medium of expression.&nbsp;According to the exhibit’s curator,&nbsp;David J. Wagner,&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air"&nbsp;has been a long time in coming.

“The&nbsp;earliest, and perhaps the&nbsp;last&nbsp;exhibition to&nbsp;broadly&nbsp;survey&nbsp;airbrushed&nbsp;fine&nbsp;art that I am aware of was&nbsp;The Artist and The Airbrush,&nbsp;curated by Barbara Rogers, herself an accomplished artist,&nbsp;40 years ago&nbsp;at&nbsp;the Art Department&nbsp;of&nbsp;San Jose State University in California&nbsp;where she served on the faculty.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two&nbsp;of the artists whose work&nbsp;was featured in&nbsp;that seminal exhibition&nbsp;who are still active&nbsp;today,&nbsp;have current work in&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air" — Don Eddy (b. 1944) and Jerry Ott (b. 1947) — as does another,&nbsp;George Green(1943-2020),&nbsp;though he&nbsp;passed&nbsp;away&nbsp;unexpectedly&nbsp;during the organization of&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air."&nbsp; This&nbsp;exhibition is comprised of works&nbsp;by&nbsp;these and&nbsp;the&nbsp;artists&nbsp;who followed&nbsp;in their footsteps&nbsp;including&nbsp;several of&nbsp;today’s&nbsp;younger&nbsp;generation of&nbsp;accomplished&nbsp;airbrush&nbsp;masters.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Airbrush as a medium may be known to most people as a&nbsp;go-to medium for commercial artists who&nbsp;decorate a broad&nbsp;range of&nbsp;material culture&nbsp;beyond fine art,&nbsp;such&nbsp;as&nbsp;t-shirts,&nbsp;sporting equipment&nbsp;andvehicles ranging from boats to&nbsp;pickup trucks, semis,&nbsp;cars and motorcycles, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, it became a go-to medium for&nbsp;the so-called Kustom Kulture, a neologism&nbsp;that refers to&nbsp;styles and&nbsp;fashionsassociated with&nbsp;custom cars and motorcycles in the United States&nbsp;particularly the&nbsp;hot rod culture of Southern California.&nbsp;Then there is animation,&nbsp;the culinary arts,&nbsp;body art, make up, and tattoos. &nbsp;You name it, and airbrush artists seem to have covered it in one form or another. As would be expected, many commercially successful airbrush artists possess incredible skill, but&nbsp;many&nbsp;lack true artistry, which&nbsp;may be the reason&nbsp;the medium has been&nbsp;unfairly&nbsp;maligned or ignored by&nbsp;highbrow aesthetes over the years.&nbsp;

Though a hip medium&nbsp;in the world of commercial art today,&nbsp;airbrush&nbsp;is&nbsp;actually&nbsp;a&nbsp;nineteenth-century invention.&nbsp;Francis Stanley, who with his twin brother became&nbsp;famous for the Stanley Steamer, patented a simple “atomizer” airbrush to colorize photographs in 1876.&nbsp;An instrument called the “paint distributor,” which relied on a hand-operated compressor to supply continuous air, was developed in 1879 by Abner Peeler “for the painting of watercolors and other artistic purposes.”&nbsp;A commercial prototype was developed by Liberty Walkup who re-patented it under a name suggested by his wife: “air-brush.” She would go&nbsp;on&nbsp;to&nbsp;establish&nbsp;the Illinois Art School in Rockford where airbrushing&nbsp;would be&nbsp;taught.&nbsp;Seventy-five miles north and a decade later, Charles Burdick&nbsp;revolutionized the air brush&nbsp;in Madison, Wisconsin.&nbsp;Patented in 1892,&nbsp;his airbrush was a double-action, internal-mix&nbsp;airbrush similar to those used today. It contained paint somewhat like a fountain&nbsp;pen and&nbsp;featured an index finger trigger with the air supply re-positioned through the bottom, which&nbsp;improved balance and control. Burdick’s invention was&nbsp;promotedby Thayer and Chandler, a Chicago mail order arts and crafts retailer,&nbsp;which&nbsp;also&nbsp;showcased it&nbsp;at the 1892 World Columbian Exposition.&nbsp;As other improvements ensued&nbsp;the medium took off.&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;airbrushes are used for&nbsp;countless commercial applications, as well as fine art.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the world of fine art, Man Ray (1890–1977),&nbsp;remembered&nbsp;to many&nbsp;as a force of&nbsp;the Dada and Surrealism art movements,&nbsp;was among the first to employ&nbsp;airbrush in the production of fine art. Alberto Vargas (1896–1992), the pioneering artist who had emigrated from Peru to the U.S. after studying art in Europe, used airbrush in combination with watercolors, to produce his signature pin-ups, which&nbsp;associated&nbsp;airbrush with so-called girlie pictures,&nbsp;an association&nbsp;that has&nbsp;trended&nbsp;to this day. &nbsp;With the emergence of Photorealism in the mid and late 1960’s, the airbrush assumed a special place of distinction as a&nbsp;favorite medium among&nbsp;the first generation of&nbsp;artists practicing&nbsp;that style in America,&nbsp;e.g.,&nbsp;Paul&nbsp;Sarkisian (1928-2019) and&nbsp;Ben Schonzeit (b.&nbsp;1942)&nbsp;though he&nbsp;stopped airbrushing about a decade ago and&nbsp;no&nbsp;longer works in airbrush today.&nbsp;Interestingly,&nbsp;this&nbsp;phenomenon&nbsp;hasn’t&nbsp;just&nbsp;been&nbsp;male dominated.In addition to Barbara Rogers&nbsp;(b. 1937),&nbsp;Audrey Flack (b. 1931),&nbsp;for example,&nbsp;projected images onto canvas instead&nbsp;of making preliminary drawings,&nbsp;and&nbsp;developed a method of applying paint in layers with an airbrush. Others followed.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the first wave of Photorealists in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, younger artists produced work that extended&nbsp;the medium of&nbsp;airbrush&nbsp;in new and interesting ways, notably, in the stylistic realm of what has become known as, Hyperrealism. &nbsp;Today,&nbsp;work by artists who use airbrush embodies adiverse range&nbsp;of style, subject matter, and technique.

Of the artists exhibiting in&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air,"&nbsp;Southerner, Dru Blair(Charleston, SC),&nbsp;is widely known&nbsp;as much for his art as he is an educator having founded his Blair School of Art in the ‘90’s in Raleigh, NC which he&nbsp;operates today in Charleston. &nbsp;To&nbsp;demonstrate&nbsp;his impact, examples of work by&nbsp;several&nbsp;former students&nbsp;now&nbsp;having&nbsp;their own&nbsp;successful careers&nbsp;are&nbsp;also featured: Silvia Belviso (from&nbsp;Italy, now&nbsp;residing&nbsp;in&nbsp;Charleston), David&nbsp;Evanoff&nbsp;(Cleveland, GA), and Joshua&nbsp;Zarambo (Richmond, VA). &nbsp;In addition to&nbsp;this younger generation, and the older masters previously mentioned -- Don Eddy&nbsp;(New York, NY), George Green, and&nbsp;Jerry Ott (Duluth, MN) – others&nbsp;exhibiting in&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air,"&nbsp;include&nbsp;some of the very best who have ever worked with the medium:&nbsp;Bruce Evans (Philadelphia, PA), Kirk Lybecker (Portland, OR), Alan Pastrana (Queens, NY; with studio in Plainville, CT), Cesar Santander (New York, NY), and Hisaya Taira (Tokyo, Japan).&nbsp;&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air"&nbsp;features a&nbsp;diverse selection&nbsp;of works by&nbsp;each of these artists to share&nbsp;with viewers&nbsp;the breadth and&nbsp;depth&nbsp;of each artist’s oeuvre and their&nbsp;artistic prowess. &nbsp;As such,&nbsp;the exhibit&nbsp;is a celebration of&nbsp;artistic virtuosity&nbsp;and achievement&nbsp;through a unique, American&nbsp;medium:airbrush.&nbsp;&nbsp;Serving as Curator for&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air,"&nbsp;is David J. Wagner, who earned his Ph.D. in American Studies and served as a museum director for 20 years. &nbsp;

For booking information, contact: &nbsp;DAVID J. WAGNER, L.L.C.,&nbsp;EXHIBITION&nbsp;TOUR OFFICE&nbsp;(414) 221 6878;&nbsp;<a href="mailto:davidjwagnerllc@yahoo.com">davidjwagnerllc@yahoo.com</a>;&nbsp;davidjwagnerllc.com

The Hansen Museum is open Monday through Friday 9-12 &amp; 1-4; Saturdays 9-12 &amp; 1-5; Sundays &amp; Holidays 1-5. We are closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The Museum is handicapped&nbsp;accessible,&nbsp;and admission is always free thanks to the generous support of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.&nbsp;To learn more, call 785-689-4846, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hansenmuseum.org/">www.hansenmuseum.org</a>, or follow us on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/InsideNatGeo/">Facebook</a>.

News release<a></a>LOGAN — "Under Pressure: Painting With Air" (A Survey of Contemporary Airbrush Realism)&nbsp;is on view at the Hansen Museum&nbsp;now&nbsp;through May 22. &nbsp;This&nbsp;exhibition is comprised of&nbsp;45&nbsp;works,&nbsp;wide-ranging in&nbsp;theme,&nbsp;by&nbsp;noteworthy,&nbsp;working&nbsp;artists who have chosen airbrush as their principal&nbsp;medium of expression.&nbsp;According to the exhibit’s curator,&nbsp;David J. Wagner,&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air"&nbsp;has been a long time in coming.“The&nbsp;earliest, and perhaps the&nbsp;last&nbsp;exhibition to&nbsp;broadly&nbsp;survey&nbsp;airbrushed&nbsp;fine&nbsp;art that I am aware of was&nbsp;The Artist and The Airbrush,&nbsp;curated by Barbara Rogers, herself an accomplished artist,&nbsp;40 years ago&nbsp;at&nbsp;the Art Department&nbsp;of&nbsp;San Jose State University in California&nbsp;where she served on the faculty.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Two&nbsp;of the artists whose work&nbsp;was featured in&nbsp;that seminal exhibition&nbsp;who are still active&nbsp;today,&nbsp;have current work in&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air" — Don Eddy (b. 1944) and Jerry Ott (b. 1947) — as does another,&nbsp;George Green(1943-2020),&nbsp;though he&nbsp;passed&nbsp;away&nbsp;unexpectedly&nbsp;during the organization of&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air."&nbsp; This&nbsp;exhibition is comprised of works&nbsp;by&nbsp;these and&nbsp;the&nbsp;artists&nbsp;who followed&nbsp;in their footsteps&nbsp;including&nbsp;several of&nbsp;today’s&nbsp;younger&nbsp;generation of&nbsp;accomplished&nbsp;airbrush&nbsp;masters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Airbrush as a medium may be known to most people as a&nbsp;go-to medium for commercial artists who&nbsp;decorate a broad&nbsp;range of&nbsp;material culture&nbsp;beyond fine art,&nbsp;such&nbsp;as&nbsp;t-shirts,&nbsp;sporting equipment&nbsp;andvehicles ranging from boats to&nbsp;pickup trucks, semis,&nbsp;cars and motorcycles, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, it became a go-to medium for&nbsp;the so-called Kustom Kulture, a neologism&nbsp;that refers to&nbsp;styles and&nbsp;fashionsassociated with&nbsp;custom cars and motorcycles in the United States&nbsp;particularly the&nbsp;hot rod culture of Southern California.&nbsp;Then there is animation,&nbsp;the culinary arts,&nbsp;body art, make up, and tattoos. &nbsp;You name it, and airbrush artists seem to have covered it in one form or another. As would be expected, many commercially successful airbrush artists possess incredible skill, but&nbsp;many&nbsp;lack true artistry, which&nbsp;may be the reason&nbsp;the medium has been&nbsp;unfairly&nbsp;maligned or ignored by&nbsp;highbrow aesthetes over the years.&nbsp;Though a hip medium&nbsp;in the world of commercial art today,&nbsp;airbrush&nbsp;is&nbsp;actually&nbsp;a&nbsp;nineteenth-century invention.&nbsp;Francis Stanley, who with his twin brother became&nbsp;famous for the Stanley Steamer, patented a simple “atomizer” airbrush to colorize photographs in 1876.&nbsp;An instrument called the “paint distributor,” which relied on a hand-operated compressor to supply continuous air, was developed in 1879 by Abner Peeler “for the painting of watercolors and other artistic purposes.”&nbsp;A commercial prototype was developed by Liberty Walkup who re-patented it under a name suggested by his wife: “air-brush.” She would go&nbsp;on&nbsp;to&nbsp;establish&nbsp;the Illinois Art School in Rockford where airbrushing&nbsp;would be&nbsp;taught.&nbsp;Seventy-five miles north and a decade later, Charles Burdick&nbsp;revolutionized the air brush&nbsp;in Madison, Wisconsin.&nbsp;Patented in 1892,&nbsp;his airbrush was a double-action, internal-mix&nbsp;airbrush similar to those used today. It contained paint somewhat like a fountain&nbsp;pen and&nbsp;featured an index finger trigger with the air supply re-positioned through the bottom, which&nbsp;improved balance and control. Burdick’s invention was&nbsp;promotedby Thayer and Chandler, a Chicago mail order arts and crafts retailer,&nbsp;which&nbsp;also&nbsp;showcased it&nbsp;at the 1892 World Columbian Exposition.&nbsp;As other improvements ensued&nbsp;the medium took off.&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;airbrushes are used for&nbsp;countless commercial applications, as well as fine art.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the world of fine art, Man Ray (1890–1977),&nbsp;remembered&nbsp;to many&nbsp;as a force of&nbsp;the Dada and Surrealism art movements,&nbsp;was among the first to employ&nbsp;airbrush in the production of fine art. Alberto Vargas (1896–1992), the pioneering artist who had emigrated from Peru to the U.S. after studying art in Europe, used airbrush in combination with watercolors, to produce his signature pin-ups, which&nbsp;associated&nbsp;airbrush with so-called girlie pictures,&nbsp;an association&nbsp;that has&nbsp;trended&nbsp;to this day. &nbsp;With the emergence of Photorealism in the mid and late 1960’s, the airbrush assumed a special place of distinction as a&nbsp;favorite medium among&nbsp;the first generation of&nbsp;artists practicing&nbsp;that style in America,&nbsp;e.g.,&nbsp;Paul&nbsp;Sarkisian (1928-2019) and&nbsp;Ben Schonzeit (b.&nbsp;1942)&nbsp;though he&nbsp;stopped airbrushing about a decade ago and&nbsp;no&nbsp;longer works in airbrush today.&nbsp;Interestingly,&nbsp;this&nbsp;phenomenon&nbsp;hasn’t&nbsp;just&nbsp;been&nbsp;male dominated.In addition to Barbara Rogers&nbsp;(b. 1937),&nbsp;Audrey Flack (b. 1931),&nbsp;for example,&nbsp;projected images onto canvas instead&nbsp;of making preliminary drawings,&nbsp;and&nbsp;developed a method of applying paint in layers with an airbrush. Others followed.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the first wave of Photorealists in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, younger artists produced work that extended&nbsp;the medium of&nbsp;airbrush&nbsp;in new and interesting ways, notably, in the stylistic realm of what has become known as, Hyperrealism. &nbsp;Today,&nbsp;work by artists who use airbrush embodies adiverse range&nbsp;of style, subject matter, and technique.Of the artists exhibiting in&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air,"&nbsp;Southerner, Dru Blair(Charleston, SC),&nbsp;is widely known&nbsp;as much for his art as he is an educator having founded his Blair School of Art in the ‘90’s in Raleigh, NC which he&nbsp;operates today in Charleston. &nbsp;To&nbsp;demonstrate&nbsp;his impact, examples of work by&nbsp;several&nbsp;former students&nbsp;now&nbsp;having&nbsp;their own&nbsp;successful careers&nbsp;are&nbsp;also featured: Silvia Belviso (from&nbsp;Italy, now&nbsp;residing&nbsp;in&nbsp;Charleston), David&nbsp;Evanoff&nbsp;(Cleveland, GA), and Joshua&nbsp;Zarambo (Richmond, VA). &nbsp;In addition to&nbsp;this younger generation, and the older masters previously mentioned -- Don Eddy&nbsp;(New York, NY), George Green, and&nbsp;Jerry Ott (Duluth, MN) – others&nbsp;exhibiting in&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air,"&nbsp;include&nbsp;some of the very best who have ever worked with the medium:&nbsp;Bruce Evans (Philadelphia, PA), Kirk Lybecker (Portland, OR), Alan Pastrana (Queens, NY; with studio in Plainville, CT), Cesar Santander (New York, NY), and Hisaya Taira (Tokyo, Japan).&nbsp;&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air"&nbsp;features a&nbsp;diverse selection&nbsp;of works by&nbsp;each of these artists to share&nbsp;with viewers&nbsp;the breadth and&nbsp;depth&nbsp;of each artist’s oeuvre and their&nbsp;artistic prowess. &nbsp;As such,&nbsp;the exhibit&nbsp;is a celebration of&nbsp;artistic virtuosity&nbsp;and achievement&nbsp;through a unique, American&nbsp;medium:airbrush.&nbsp;&nbsp;Serving as Curator for&nbsp;"Under Pressure: Painting With Air,"&nbsp;is David J. Wagner, who earned his Ph.D. in American Studies and served as a museum director for 20 years. &nbsp;For booking information, contact: &nbsp;DAVID J. WAGNER, L.L.C.,&nbsp;EXHIBITION&nbsp;TOUR OFFICE&nbsp;(414) 221 6878;&nbsp;<a href="mailto:davidjwagnerllc@yahoo.com">davidjwagnerllc@yahoo.com</a>;&nbsp;davidjwagnerllc.comThe Hansen Museum is open Monday through Friday 9-12 &amp; 1-4; Saturdays 9-12 &amp; 1-5; Sundays &amp; Holidays 1-5. We are closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The Museum is handicapped&nbsp;accessible,&nbsp;and admission is always free thanks to the generous support of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.&nbsp;To learn more, call 785-689-4846, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hansenmuseum.org/">www.hansenmuseum.org</a>, or follow us on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/InsideNatGeo/">Facebook</a>.

'Under Pressure' airbrush exhibition open at Hansen

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson&nbsp;County farmer My family and I recently enjoyed a few days off the farm having some fun in the snow in northern New Mexico.&nbsp; While homeward bound from our spring break ski trip, there were signs of a new season quickly approaching during our drive. Over our nearly eight hours on the road, our window views changed from mountainous snowy landscapes highlighting herds of grazing elk to wintery grasslands dotted with antelope.&nbsp; As we traveled from New Mexico into Oklahoma and then through western Kansas, the rangeland views slowly changed to farm ground. Remnants of the 2021 cotton, corn and sorghum crops were ever present as we took in the landscape. Mama cows and their young calves now occupied the fields that had grain harvested from them last fall.&nbsp; We could also see that this year’s wheat crop was slowly coming out of dormancy. As we continued eastbound back to our home, the wheat fields that displayed small patches of greens among fields of mostly drab browns slowly transformed into larger and more colorful sections of green. The color variations continued to change as we continued towards our central Kansas home. While appreciating the extra hour of daylight during our drive, I was able to take in the view of the fields as we got closer to our farm. The evening sunlight allowed me a glimpse of a sure sign of a quickly-approaching spring as we returned to our neighborhood. Carpets of vividly green wheat fields occupied my view. The bright green blanketed entire fields and provided an unexpected “pop” of color. The color was so intense and obviously noticeable that I immediately pointed it out to everyone in the car. We had only been gone a few days, but within that time spring had clearly sprung!&nbsp; The bright green views not only offered my family a warm welcome home but provided me with a simple reminder that we are getting closer to the end of a long, dreary and cold winter.&nbsp; Those beautiful windshield views of bright green fields provided me a gentle assurance that warmer temperatures, longer days and our busy season on the farm are just around the corner.&nbsp; As the days continue to get longer and warmer, the wheat near our home continues to showcase its magnificent beauty with its dazzling pop of emerald. While some might believe that the view of a waving golden wheat field in the summer is one of the best views in the world, I’d argue the magnificent green fields of wheat in the spring are near the top of my list. To me, it’s a color that represents an awakening that ushers in the promise of new life, growth and warmer days to come.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573617414005.jpeg" alt="Kim Baldwin" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson&nbsp;County farmer My family and I recently enjoyed a few days off the farm having some fun in the snow in northern New Mexico.&nbsp; While homeward bound from our spring break ski trip, there were signs of a new season quickly approaching during our drive. Over our nearly eight hours on the road, our window views changed from mountainous snowy landscapes highlighting herds of grazing elk to wintery grasslands dotted with antelope.&nbsp; As we traveled from New Mexico into Oklahoma and then through western Kansas, the rangeland views slowly changed to farm ground. Remnants of the 2021 cotton, corn and sorghum crops were ever present as we took in the landscape. Mama cows and their young calves now occupied the fields that had grain harvested from them last fall.&nbsp; We could also see that this year’s wheat crop was slowly coming out of dormancy. As we continued eastbound back to our home, the wheat fields that displayed small patches of greens among fields of mostly drab browns slowly transformed into larger and more colorful sections of green. The color variations continued to change as we continued towards our central Kansas home. While appreciating the extra hour of daylight during our drive, I was able to take in the view of the fields as we got closer to our farm. The evening sunlight allowed me a glimpse of a sure sign of a quickly-approaching spring as we returned to our neighborhood. Carpets of vividly green wheat fields occupied my view. The bright green blanketed entire fields and provided an unexpected “pop” of color. The color was so intense and obviously noticeable that I immediately pointed it out to everyone in the car. We had only been gone a few days, but within that time spring had clearly sprung!&nbsp; The bright green views not only offered my family a warm welcome home but provided me with a simple reminder that we are getting closer to the end of a long, dreary and cold winter.&nbsp; Those beautiful windshield views of bright green fields provided me a gentle assurance that warmer temperatures, longer days and our busy season on the farm are just around the corner.&nbsp; As the days continue to get longer and warmer, the wheat near our home continues to showcase its magnificent beauty with its dazzling pop of emerald. While some might believe that the view of a waving golden wheat field in the summer is one of the best views in the world, I’d argue the magnificent green fields of wheat in the spring are near the top of my list. To me, it’s a color that represents an awakening that ushers in the promise of new life, growth and warmer days to come."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Color of awakening

<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/2022/3/1647969844849.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

KVC HOSPITALS/HAYS SEEKING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TECHNICIANS, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES AND R.N'S

KVC HOSPITALS HAYS, PROVIDING CHILDREN'S PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT IS LOOKING FOR COMPASSIONATE AND QUALIFIED TEAM MEMBERS. KVC IS HIRING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TECHNICIANS, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES, REGISTERED NURSES AND MORE POSITIONS. KVC HAS A SUPPORTIVE AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE WITH COMPETITIVE BENEFITS INCLUDING MEDICAL INSURANCE, FREE DENTAL, A 2.5 PERCENT RETIREMENT SAVINGS MATCH, AND GENEROUS PAID TIME OFF. MOST OF ALL, KVC HAS AN INSPIRING MISSION – FIND YOUR PURPOSE WITH A MEANINGFUL CAREER. APPLY TODAY ONLINE AT KVC.ORG AND SEARCH CAREERS AND JOIN THE KVC TEAM.&nbsp; KVC HOSPITALS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

* Inspiring mission – make your career meaningful!

* KVC pays 76% of medical insurance costs for employees

* Generous policies for parental leave, paid time off and holidays

* 403(b) retirement savings plan with 2.5% company match

* A positive, supportive culture where employee opinions count

* Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

* Fun employee celebrations including meals, parties and casual &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; get-togethers

* Ongoing training and learning opportunities

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647899492930.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KVC HOSPITALS/HAYS SEEKING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TECHNICIANS, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES AND R.N'SKVC HOSPITALS HAYS, PROVIDING CHILDREN'S PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT IS LOOKING FOR COMPASSIONATE AND QUALIFIED TEAM MEMBERS. KVC IS HIRING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TECHNICIANS, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES, REGISTERED NURSES AND MORE POSITIONS. KVC HAS A SUPPORTIVE AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE WITH COMPETITIVE BENEFITS INCLUDING MEDICAL INSURANCE, FREE DENTAL, A 2.5 PERCENT RETIREMENT SAVINGS MATCH, AND GENEROUS PAID TIME OFF. MOST OF ALL, KVC HAS AN INSPIRING MISSION – FIND YOUR PURPOSE WITH A MEANINGFUL CAREER. APPLY TODAY ONLINE AT KVC.ORG AND SEARCH CAREERS AND JOIN THE KVC TEAM.&nbsp; KVC HOSPITALS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERKVC BENEFITS:* Inspiring mission – make your career meaningful!* Competitive pay for the industry* KVC pays 76% of medical insurance costs for employees* Free dental insurance* Generous policies for parental leave, paid time off and holidays* 403(b) retirement savings plan with 2.5% company match* A positive, supportive culture where employee opinions count* A strong focus on promoting internally* Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion* Fun employee celebrations including meals, parties and casual &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; get-togethers* Ongoing training and learning opportunitiesAND MUCH MORE!

Midwest Energy crews work to get customers back online after storm

WAKEENEY — At Western Cooperative Electric, we&nbsp;strive&nbsp;to serve our members with&nbsp;a&nbsp;constant, reliable&nbsp;source of&nbsp;electricity. However,&nbsp;freezing rain mixed with&nbsp;severe wind has caused power&nbsp;outages&nbsp;across a large section of our service area.&nbsp;Our&nbsp;goal is to safely restore electrical service to every home and business as quickly as possible. However, we know that some members may experience an extended delay in service.

We ask for your patience as we do our best to respond to the effects of this storm. The weather conditions&nbsp;that&nbsp;caused significant outages&nbsp;have also&nbsp;made getting around the countryside difficult.&nbsp;As of 4:00 p.m.,&nbsp;Western has&nbsp;power outages affecting approximately&nbsp;3,000 meters. The power outage areas most&nbsp;impacted&nbsp;include&nbsp;Rooks, Ellis, Trego, Rush, Graham, and Osborne counties.

Power is first restored to substations, major lines, and critical infrastructure when an outage occurs. Line crews are making significant progress toward repairing substations lines and hope to have most of the main feeds restored by the end of the day.

Currently, we are aware of&nbsp;roughly&nbsp;150 downed power poles, which equates to over seven miles of downed power poles. That number could climb as crews continue to assess the damage.&nbsp;With so much severe damage, some residents and businesses could be without electricity for an extended time.

Western&nbsp;has&nbsp;requested assistance from other power companies who participate in&nbsp;the Kansas&nbsp;mutual aid program. Eighteen linemen from J and J Powerline Contractors, Southern Pioneer, and Wheatland Electric will work with the Western crews to restore power quickly and safely.

Although we post service updates to social media, we do not monitor social media for reports of outages. All emergencies must be reported by phone. To report an outage or a downed power line,&nbsp;call 1-800-456-6720. To view a real-time outage map or receive updates, visit our website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.westerncoop.com/">www.westerncoop.com</a>.

Midwest Energy's outage viewer also reported about 4,000 customers affected ranging from Kinsley to Plainville. Click <a href="https://outageviewer.mwenergy.com/">HERE</a> for the Midwest outage viewer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647986754707.jpeg" alt="There was more than 2.5” of ice accumulated on power lines in some areas of Ellis and Rooks counties. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>There was more than 2.5” of ice accumulated on power lines in some areas of Ellis and Rooks counties. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedWAKEENEY — At Western Cooperative Electric, we&nbsp;strive&nbsp;to serve our members with&nbsp;a&nbsp;constant, reliable&nbsp;source of&nbsp;electricity. However,&nbsp;freezing rain mixed with&nbsp;severe wind has caused power&nbsp;outages&nbsp;across a large section of our service area.&nbsp;Our&nbsp;goal is to safely restore electrical service to every home and business as quickly as possible. However, we know that some members may experience an extended delay in service.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMidwestEnergy%2Fvideos%2F522480629287136%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>We ask for your patience as we do our best to respond to the effects of this storm. The weather conditions&nbsp;that&nbsp;caused significant outages&nbsp;have also&nbsp;made getting around the countryside difficult.&nbsp;As of 4:00 p.m.,&nbsp;Western has&nbsp;power outages affecting approximately&nbsp;3,000 meters. The power outage areas most&nbsp;impacted&nbsp;include&nbsp;Rooks, Ellis, Trego, Rush, Graham, and Osborne counties.Power is first restored to substations, major lines, and critical infrastructure when an outage occurs. Line crews are making significant progress toward repairing substations lines and hope to have most of the main feeds restored by the end of the day.Currently, we are aware of&nbsp;roughly&nbsp;150 downed power poles, which equates to over seven miles of downed power poles. That number could climb as crews continue to assess the damage.&nbsp;With so much severe damage, some residents and businesses could be without electricity for an extended time.Western&nbsp;has&nbsp;requested assistance from other power companies who participate in&nbsp;the Kansas&nbsp;mutual aid program. Eighteen linemen from J and J Powerline Contractors, Southern Pioneer, and Wheatland Electric will work with the Western crews to restore power quickly and safely.Although we post service updates to social media, we do not monitor social media for reports of outages. All emergencies must be reported by phone. To report an outage or a downed power line,&nbsp;call 1-800-456-6720. To view a real-time outage map or receive updates, visit our website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.westerncoop.com/">www.westerncoop.com</a>.Midwest Energy's outage viewer also reported about 4,000 customers affected ranging from Kinsley to Plainville. Click <a href="https://outageviewer.mwenergy.com/">HERE</a> for the Midwest outage viewer.

Freezing rain, high winds cause widespread power outages

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post

One of the most decorated football players and athletes in Hays High history made official his decision to continue his football career at Kansas State University.

The roller coaster ride started with offers from power five conference schools in search of bringing the linebacker to their campus. Then COVID hit and with it a hit to Meyers' opportunities. The NCAA granted players another season of eligibility. That opportunity for so many collegiate players limited the opportunities for players like Meyers. Offers that had been on the table were pulled off when established starters declared their intent to remain in school for another year. In the end however, Meyers decided on a school that he thought would be the best fit for the player that he is and the one he can become.&nbsp; Gavin Meyers

Among the many accolades that have Meyers name on it include the Sports in Kansas 5A Defensive Player of the Year, Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, along with numerous all-state team lists.

He leaves the program as the all-time leading tackler, a mark he achieved early in his senior season. The leaderboard now show Gavin Meyers at the top with 385 tackles, over 130 more than second place. He is second in all-time tackles for loss at 43, behind only his future Wildcat teammate Gaven Haselhorst.

His career numbers feature a program high seven forced fumbles. Meyers names ranks second and third for most tackles in a single game at 23 and 22. He recorded 124 tackles this past fall which is second most in a single season, the 121 tacles from his sophomore year ranks third.

Meyers most recently completed a undefeated (37-0) wrestling season that was capped with the 220 pound 5A title. He is a three time qualifier, missing only his sophomore season with a broken jaw. He also qualified for the 5A state track meet in javelin his freshman season when he placed 3rd. He qualified for the 300 meter hurdles his junior season. The sophomore track season was canceled due to COVID-19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647973653000.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays PostOne of the most decorated football players and athletes in Hays High history made official his decision to continue his football career at Kansas State University. The roller coaster ride started with offers from power five conference schools in search of bringing the linebacker to their campus. Then COVID hit and with it a hit to Meyers' opportunities. The NCAA granted players another season of eligibility. That opportunity for so many collegiate players limited the opportunities for players like Meyers. Offers that had been on the table were pulled off when established starters declared their intent to remain in school for another year. In the end however, Meyers decided on a school that he thought would be the best fit for the player that he is and the one he can become.&nbsp; Gavin Meyers<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1236900433&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/gavin-meyers" title="Gavin Meyers" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Gavin Meyers</a></div></div> Among the many accolades that have Meyers name on it include the Sports in Kansas 5A Defensive Player of the Year, Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, along with numerous all-state team lists.He leaves the program as the all-time leading tackler, a mark he achieved early in his senior season. The leaderboard now show Gavin Meyers at the top with 385 tackles, over 130 more than second place. He is second in all-time tackles for loss at 43, behind only his future Wildcat teammate Gaven Haselhorst.His career numbers feature a program high seven forced fumbles. Meyers names ranks second and third for most tackles in a single game at 23 and 22. He recorded 124 tackles this past fall which is second most in a single season, the 121 tacles from his sophomore year ranks third.Coach Tony Crough<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1236900091&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/tony-crough-about-gavin-meyers" title="Tony Crough About Gavin Meyers" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Tony Crough About Gavin Meyers</a></div></div>Meyers most recently completed a undefeated (37-0) wrestling season that was capped with the 220 pound 5A title. He is a three time qualifier, missing only his sophomore season with a broken jaw. He also qualified for the 5A state track meet in javelin his freshman season when he placed 3rd. He qualified for the 300 meter hurdles his junior season. The sophomore track season was canceled due to COVID-19.

🏈 Hays High's Gavin Meyers heads to KSU

The Kansas Department of Transportation has reopened westbound Interstate 70 at Goodland.&nbsp;

KDOT encourages motorists to buckle up and stay alert for changing road and weather conditions.

For the latest information on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a href="x-webdoc://19C99D95-F383-4331-8B0E-ACAC209BF1AE/2020/2019/Templates/www.kandrive.org">www.kandrive.org</a>, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.

KDOTThe Kansas Department of Transportation has reopened westbound Interstate 70 at Goodland.&nbsp;KDOT encourages motorists to buckle up and stay alert for changing road and weather conditions.For the latest information on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a href="x-webdoc://19C99D95-F383-4331-8B0E-ACAC209BF1AE/2020/2019/Templates/www.kandrive.org">www.kandrive.org</a>, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.

UPDATE: Interstate 70 reopened in Kansas

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

An early spring blizzard warning Monday evening for Ellis County and much of western Kansas resulted in much needed moisture to Hays.

The storm first brought rain as the daytime high of 64 degrees fell to the overnight low of 32 degrees. Then light snow fell overnight, a total of&nbsp; 1.8 inches according to the official report from the K-State Agricultural Center.

Total precipitation as of 9 a.m. Monday was 1.19 inches.

To date, Hays has received 2.50 inches of moisture this year, slightly more than the average cumulative total of 2.46 inches by March 22.

A high wind warning issued by the National Weather Serice in Dodge City continues until 7 p.m.

Wind will be out of the north at 35 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

Midwest Energy reported&nbsp;160 separate outages and 3,025 customers without power as of 9 a.m.&nbsp;

The heavy snow and ice building up on power lines in Russell combined with the high wind has caused line galloping, according to a <a href="http://www.russellcity.org/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=74">city alert</a>. The city also reports some power poles down and customers currently without electricity.&nbsp;

A handful of area schools were closed Tuesday or delayed opening. Westbound traffic on Interstate 70 was stopped at WaKeeney for several hours Monday night.&nbsp;

The Hays&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b7712469-2cd7-424c-8526-464d31540530">weather forecast </a>calls for another blustery day Wednesday and warmer with sunshine on Thursday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647960781376.jpeg" alt="Light snow continued falling mid-morning Tuesday in Hays. A high wind warning continues until 7 p.m. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>Light snow continued falling mid-morning Tuesday in Hays. A high wind warning continues until 7 p.m. (Photo by Becky Kiser/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostAn early spring blizzard warning Monday evening for Ellis County and much of western Kansas resulted in much needed moisture to Hays.The storm first brought rain as the daytime high of 64 degrees fell to the overnight low of 32 degrees. Then light snow fell overnight, a total of&nbsp; 1.8 inches according to the official report from the K-State Agricultural Center.Total precipitation as of 9 a.m. Monday was 1.19 inches.To date, Hays has received 2.50 inches of moisture this year, slightly more than the average cumulative total of 2.46 inches by March 22.A high wind warning issued by the National Weather Serice in Dodge City continues until 7 p.m.Wind will be out of the north at 35 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.Midwest Energy reported&nbsp;160 separate outages and 3,025 customers without power as of 9 a.m.&nbsp;The heavy snow and ice building up on power lines in Russell combined with the high wind has caused line galloping, according to a <a href="http://www.russellcity.org/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=74">city alert</a>. The city also reports some power poles down and customers currently without electricity.&nbsp;A handful of area schools were closed Tuesday or delayed opening. Westbound traffic on Interstate 70 was stopped at WaKeeney for several hours Monday night.&nbsp;The Hays&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/b7712469-2cd7-424c-8526-464d31540530">weather forecast </a>calls for another blustery day Wednesday and warmer with sunshine on Thursday.&nbsp;

Blizzard warning brings welcome moisture to Hays

🎥🥎⚾️Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

Volatility continues in the crude-oil marketplace. Prices dropped nearly 15 dollars a barrel in two days last week, after what MarketWatch called a reassessment of the earlier run-up in prices. On Monday, after several European countries announced a possible ban on Russian crude, prices in New York were seven percent higher. The near-month contract for light sweet crude was up $7.20 to $111.90 per barrel. London Brent was up $7.92 to $115.85 per barrel. At CHS in McPherson, Kansas Common crude starts the week at $95 per barrel after gaining $1.75 on Friday.&nbsp; Gasoline prices continue to drop.&nbsp; After hitting a record $4.33 on March 11, the national average for a gallon of regular has fallen to $4.25 according to the auto club AAA. Drilling activity in Kansas continues at twice the pace of a year ago, with 78 operators spudding 225 wells so far this year. Operators completed 37 new wells across the state last week, including two in Barton County and one in Stafford County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 334 new well-completions so far this year. Kansas regulators approved 41 new drilling locations last week, eighteen of them east of Wichita, and 23 in the western half of the state, including six new permits in Barton County. That's 305 new drilling permits so far this year, nearly double the tally last year at this time. The Rig Count in Kansas is up 15% over last week, 18% over a month ago, and 130% higher than the count last year at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 46 drilling rigs either scheduled, moving to or currently on drill sites, up six for the week. There are 18 active rigs in eastern Kansas, up three, and 28 west of Wichita, which is also up three. The aggregate Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes was unchanged, but reflected a drop of three oil rigs. New Mexico, North Dakota and Pennsylvania were each down one rig for the week. The Energy Information Administration reported domestic crude inventories rose more than four million barrels. By March 11th total stockpiles rose to 415.9 million barrels. That's about 12% below the five-year average for this time of year. Gasoline stockpiles dropped 3.6 million barrels and are now equal to the five year seasonal average. The government said US crude-oil production was unchanged last week at 11.641 million barrels per day.&nbsp; Imports rose 76,000 barrels to 6.4 million barrels per day. Over the last four weeks, average imports were more than 15% higher than the same four weeks last year. Weekly oil-by-rail totals in the US are down 12% from a year ago, but up from last week's report. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,005 tanker car-loads hauling petroleum and petroleum products in the week through March 12th. That's up 810 carloads over the week before. Oil-by-rail shipments in Canada were up slightly year-over-year, but down slightly from a week ago. Colorado's biggest driller suffers a setback on setbacks. Some big players are among the first to test Colorado's sweeping new environment-friendly oil-and-gas regulations. But the first of them has struck out.&nbsp; The state's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission denied an application by Kerr-McGee to drill dozens of wells near a neighborhood in Firestone, Colorado. The state's new setback rule allows operators to drill within 2,000 feet of homes if they can provide protections that are substantially equivalent to such a buffer. In the case of Kerr-McGee that meant the use of quieter, electric drills and water pipelines to reduce truck traffic. But the commission voted 4-1 last week to deny the drilling application. The Denver Post reports Commissioner Bill Gonzalez was the lone vote in favor of the project. Gonzalez said the protective measures Kerr-McGee planned to take would have provided safeguards similar to drilling farther away. The company did not say how it planned to proceed.&nbsp; If you're in business, and you're thinking of going green, don't expect a cordial welcome in the Lone Star State. Texas is playing hardball with businesses that, in their words, discriminate against the fossil fuel industry. The State Comptroller wrote to more than a dozen major finance firms seeking detailed information on their operations and plans. According to a statement, any company that fails to respond within 60 days will be presumed to be boycotting energy companies. The inquiries come six months after a new Texas law went into effect banning state agencies from investing in finance firms that have “boycotted energy companies.” That includes those that adhere to policies aimed at pivoting away from oil and natural gas in favor of more climate-friendly initiatives. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and his office have been in charge of creating a list of firms that will be subject to divestment.&nbsp; Several large refiners are turning to Ecuador for crude oil in a rush to replace imports of Russian crude. The South American country's oil trading manager says they held meetings in Louisiana with US refiners Valero Energy and Marathon Petroleum, along with Shell's trading unit. Bloomberg reports fuel makers and trading companies are seeking to plug a supply gap in an already tight market. That has sparked a hunt to replace the Russian barrels amid wild price swings.&nbsp;

By JOHN P. TRETBARVolatility continues in the crude-oil marketplace. Prices dropped nearly 15 dollars a barrel in two days last week, after what MarketWatch called a reassessment of the earlier run-up in prices. On Monday, after several European countries announced a possible ban on Russian crude, prices in New York were seven percent higher. The near-month contract for light sweet crude was up $7.20 to $111.90 per barrel. London Brent was up $7.92 to $115.85 per barrel. At CHS in McPherson, Kansas Common crude starts the week at $95 per barrel after gaining $1.75 on Friday.&nbsp; Gasoline prices continue to drop.&nbsp; After hitting a record $4.33 on March 11, the national average for a gallon of regular has fallen to $4.25 according to the auto club AAA. Drilling activity in Kansas continues at twice the pace of a year ago, with 78 operators spudding 225 wells so far this year. Operators completed 37 new wells across the state last week, including two in Barton County and one in Stafford County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 334 new well-completions so far this year. Kansas regulators approved 41 new drilling locations last week, eighteen of them east of Wichita, and 23 in the western half of the state, including six new permits in Barton County. That's 305 new drilling permits so far this year, nearly double the tally last year at this time. The Rig Count in Kansas is up 15% over last week, 18% over a month ago, and 130% higher than the count last year at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 46 drilling rigs either scheduled, moving to or currently on drill sites, up six for the week. There are 18 active rigs in eastern Kansas, up three, and 28 west of Wichita, which is also up three. The aggregate Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes was unchanged, but reflected a drop of three oil rigs. New Mexico, North Dakota and Pennsylvania were each down one rig for the week. The Energy Information Administration reported domestic crude inventories rose more than four million barrels. By March 11th total stockpiles rose to 415.9 million barrels. That's about 12% below the five-year average for this time of year. Gasoline stockpiles dropped 3.6 million barrels and are now equal to the five year seasonal average. The government said US crude-oil production was unchanged last week at 11.641 million barrels per day.&nbsp; Imports rose 76,000 barrels to 6.4 million barrels per day. Over the last four weeks, average imports were more than 15% higher than the same four weeks last year. Weekly oil-by-rail totals in the US are down 12% from a year ago, but up from last week's report. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,005 tanker car-loads hauling petroleum and petroleum products in the week through March 12th. That's up 810 carloads over the week before. Oil-by-rail shipments in Canada were up slightly year-over-year, but down slightly from a week ago. Colorado's biggest driller suffers a setback on setbacks. Some big players are among the first to test Colorado's sweeping new environment-friendly oil-and-gas regulations. But the first of them has struck out.&nbsp; The state's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission denied an application by Kerr-McGee to drill dozens of wells near a neighborhood in Firestone, Colorado. The state's new setback rule allows operators to drill within 2,000 feet of homes if they can provide protections that are substantially equivalent to such a buffer. In the case of Kerr-McGee that meant the use of quieter, electric drills and water pipelines to reduce truck traffic. But the commission voted 4-1 last week to deny the drilling application. The Denver Post reports Commissioner Bill Gonzalez was the lone vote in favor of the project. Gonzalez said the protective measures Kerr-McGee planned to take would have provided safeguards similar to drilling farther away. The company did not say how it planned to proceed.&nbsp; If you're in business, and you're thinking of going green, don't expect a cordial welcome in the Lone Star State. Texas is playing hardball with businesses that, in their words, discriminate against the fossil fuel industry. The State Comptroller wrote to more than a dozen major finance firms seeking detailed information on their operations and plans. According to a statement, any company that fails to respond within 60 days will be presumed to be boycotting energy companies. The inquiries come six months after a new Texas law went into effect banning state agencies from investing in finance firms that have “boycotted energy companies.” That includes those that adhere to policies aimed at pivoting away from oil and natural gas in favor of more climate-friendly initiatives. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and his office have been in charge of creating a list of firms that will be subject to divestment.&nbsp; Several large refiners are turning to Ecuador for crude oil in a rush to replace imports of Russian crude. The South American country's oil trading manager says they held meetings in Louisiana with US refiners Valero Energy and Marathon Petroleum, along with Shell's trading unit. Bloomberg reports fuel makers and trading companies are seeking to plug a supply gap in an already tight market. That has sparked a hunt to replace the Russian barrels amid wild price swings.&nbsp;

News From the Oil Patch: Kansas drilling activity increasing

Beginning Monday, the reconstruction of 27th Street between Lincoln Drive and Fort Street will resume. During this phase of construction, the south side of 27th Street will be reconstructed while maintaining one-way westbound traffic along the north side of 27th Street.&nbsp;

For more, visit the project <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/778/27th-St-Project">webpage</a>&nbsp;or by contact the Office of Project Management at (785)&nbsp; 628-7350 or Paul-Wertenberger Construction at (785) 625-8220. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647872164450.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Beginning Monday, the reconstruction of 27th Street between Lincoln Drive and Fort Street will resume. During this phase of construction, the south side of 27th Street will be reconstructed while maintaining one-way westbound traffic along the north side of 27th Street.&nbsp;For more, visit the project <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/778/27th-St-Project">webpage</a>&nbsp;or by contact the Office of Project Management at (785)&nbsp; 628-7350 or Paul-Wertenberger Construction at (785) 625-8220. &nbsp;

27th Street reconstruction project will resume next week

The Kansas Masonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to benefiting Kansas communities, has partnered with Hays Lodge No. 195 to donate $2,000 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://foundation.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df41901562e4cd17c79971f1f&amp;id=7540efb110&amp;e=0e203346aa" target="_blank">Hays Public Library</a>, an organization centered around providing valuable resources and experiences for all people in the local community.

Founded in 1881, Hays Lodge No. 195 is a Kansas Masonic lodge dedicated to Freemasonry, the oldest surviving fraternal organization in the world. The lodge has 60 members and supports various local organizations and programs, including the Community Assistance Center, the Firefighters’ Relief Association, and the Kansas Masonic High School Essay Contest. Over the last eight years, the lodge has provided over $30,000 in scholarships to students attending technical and four-year university programs and was able to donate $11,500 to the Fort Hayes State University Virtual Literacy Institute.&nbsp;

“Our lodge is an organization designed to help men be better than before and be better friends, husbands, and citizens,” said Hays Lodge No. 195 Master Christopher Neeley. “The brothers of Hays Lodge No. 195 consider community service an essential part of their lives and one of the keys to self-improvement. For that reason, the Lodge has made supporting our community organizations, particularly those supporting literacy in our area, a primary goal.”

To further their mission of supporting literacy in the area, the Brothers at Hays Lodge No. 195 have teamed up with the Kansas Masonic Foundation to donate $2,000 to the Hays Public Library. The library provides community members access to a collection of 300,000 print, non-print, and digital materials, hosts hundreds of programs for all ages annually, and offers free Wi-Fi access and technical assistance to all patrons. The funds will help purchase newborn books for babies born at Hays Medical Center, provide books for Kindergarten milestone prizes, and incentives for other special storytimes and parties. A formal donation announcement will take place later this month.&nbsp;

About the Kansas Masonic Foundation As the philanthropic arm of Kansas Masons, the Kansas Masonic Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to benefiting Kansas communities and supporting fellow Masons and their families. Since its inception, the foundation has invested more than $50 million in Kansas communities and individuals through funding academic, scientific, and charitable endeavors. For additional information about the Kansas Masonic Foundation and to get involved, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://foundation.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df41901562e4cd17c79971f1f&amp;id=0c07cc3abf&amp;e=0e203346aa" target="_blank">https://kansasmasonic.foundation/</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647887802964.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;News releaseThe Kansas Masonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to benefiting Kansas communities, has partnered with Hays Lodge No. 195 to donate $2,000 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://foundation.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df41901562e4cd17c79971f1f&amp;id=7540efb110&amp;e=0e203346aa" target="_blank">Hays Public Library</a>, an organization centered around providing valuable resources and experiences for all people in the local community.Founded in 1881, Hays Lodge No. 195 is a Kansas Masonic lodge dedicated to Freemasonry, the oldest surviving fraternal organization in the world. The lodge has 60 members and supports various local organizations and programs, including the Community Assistance Center, the Firefighters’ Relief Association, and the Kansas Masonic High School Essay Contest. Over the last eight years, the lodge has provided over $30,000 in scholarships to students attending technical and four-year university programs and was able to donate $11,500 to the Fort Hayes State University Virtual Literacy Institute.&nbsp;“Our lodge is an organization designed to help men be better than before and be better friends, husbands, and citizens,” said Hays Lodge No. 195 Master Christopher Neeley. “The brothers of Hays Lodge No. 195 consider community service an essential part of their lives and one of the keys to self-improvement. For that reason, the Lodge has made supporting our community organizations, particularly those supporting literacy in our area, a primary goal.”To further their mission of supporting literacy in the area, the Brothers at Hays Lodge No. 195 have teamed up with the Kansas Masonic Foundation to donate $2,000 to the Hays Public Library. The library provides community members access to a collection of 300,000 print, non-print, and digital materials, hosts hundreds of programs for all ages annually, and offers free Wi-Fi access and technical assistance to all patrons. The funds will help purchase newborn books for babies born at Hays Medical Center, provide books for Kindergarten milestone prizes, and incentives for other special storytimes and parties. A formal donation announcement will take place later this month.&nbsp;About the Kansas Masonic Foundation As the philanthropic arm of Kansas Masons, the Kansas Masonic Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to benefiting Kansas communities and supporting fellow Masons and their families. Since its inception, the foundation has invested more than $50 million in Kansas communities and individuals through funding academic, scientific, and charitable endeavors. For additional information about the Kansas Masonic Foundation and to get involved, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://foundation.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df41901562e4cd17c79971f1f&amp;id=0c07cc3abf&amp;e=0e203346aa" target="_blank">https://kansasmasonic.foundation/</a>

Hays Masonic Lodge donates $2,000 to Hays Public Library

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647890318064.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District

As our weather warms, alfalfa producers are reminded to eliminate weeds in their fields before&nbsp;alfalfa&nbsp;plants break dormancy. Herbicide selection is critical now if you need to&nbsp;spray weeds in alfalfa stands that are green and growing.

Herbicides for controlling winter annual weeds such as pennycress, mustards and shepherd's purse should be applied before alfalfa regrowth reaches 2 inches of height. If alfalfa shoots are green when sprayed, its growth may be set back a couple weeks.

Broadleaf weeds can lower yields, reduce hay quality and slow first-cutting alfalfa dry-down. Grassy weeds such as downy brome, cheatgrass and bromegrass can have even higher impact on lowering hay quality.&nbsp;

If your alfalfa variety is Roundup Ready, then glyphosate can be applied to the alfalfa almost any time without harming the fields. Fortunately, if you treat your alfalfa soon, you can have cleaner, healthier alfalfa at first cutting.

Before spraying these weeds, be sure they are causing economic damage to your crop.&nbsp;Spraying will provide a purer alfalfa stand but may reduce your overall total tonnage.&nbsp;

Our new&nbsp;2022&nbsp;Chemical Weed Control&nbsp;for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland&nbsp;guide,&nbsp;lists herbicides labelled to control weeds in alfalfa. To be most successful, apply herbicides before alfalfa shoots green up this spring to avoid&nbsp;alfalfa injury.&nbsp;If it does get late, use either Raptor or Pursuit, because they tend to cause less injury to your alfalfa.

As always with any weed control program it is best to time spraying when weeds are small, and to pay close attention to growth stage of alfalfa and label recommendations to&nbsp;avoid crop injury.

&nbsp;Replacing Thin Alfalfa&nbsp;- planting new fields of alfalfa is expensive.&nbsp;So many of us put off tearing up old fields and planting new ones. But is this&nbsp;the right thing to do?

Alfalfa stands usually reach peak production by year two or three.&nbsp;After this, yields tend to decline each year.&nbsp;By year four or five, yields are often much lower than their peak years, especially for dryland fields, because the subsurface moisture that plants were using during&nbsp;the&nbsp;early years is all gone.&nbsp;This is most noticeable during drought years when regrowth is almost zero after the first or second cutting. Yield decline in irrigated fields is slower but usually is a ton&nbsp;or more less&nbsp;by year five or six. In addition, thin stands with densities of less than 50 stems per square foot can open the door for weed encroachment.

So, should you try to squeeze another year out of your alfalfa stand? Calculate the costs. First, and most obvious, how will the lower yield of your old field compare to yields from a younger field? A second loss is the lost rotation benefit received by crops like corn that follow alfalfa in the rotation.&nbsp;Depending on the alfalfa stand poor (&lt;1 plant/ft2) vs. good (2-5 plants/ft2). Stand destruction with tillage can reduce&nbsp;your nitrogen fertilizer needs from&nbsp;0 (poor stand) to 80&nbsp;(good stand)&nbsp;pounds over the next couple years.&nbsp;If the stand is killed by spraying (no-till) then the nitrogen credit would be reduced by half. Much research has shown that corn after alfalfa often yields&nbsp;more than corn after corn, even after applying&nbsp;extra&nbsp;nitrogen.&nbsp;

This rotation benefit could be especially valuable this year if corn prices stay high.&nbsp;So if you have alfalfa fields that are past their prime, or maybe show winter damage this spring, this might be an excellent time to rotate those fields to a different crop and plant some new, higher yielding acres to alfalfa.

Both your alfalfa crop and the rotated crop could benefit.

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

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension DistrictAs our weather warms, alfalfa producers are reminded to eliminate weeds in their fields before&nbsp;alfalfa&nbsp;plants break dormancy. Herbicide selection is critical now if you need to&nbsp;spray weeds in alfalfa stands that are green and growing.Herbicides for controlling winter annual weeds such as pennycress, mustards and shepherd's purse should be applied before alfalfa regrowth reaches 2 inches of height. If alfalfa shoots are green when sprayed, its growth may be set back a couple weeks.Broadleaf weeds can lower yields, reduce hay quality and slow first-cutting alfalfa dry-down. Grassy weeds such as downy brome, cheatgrass and bromegrass can have even higher impact on lowering hay quality.&nbsp;If your alfalfa variety is Roundup Ready, then glyphosate can be applied to the alfalfa almost any time without harming the fields. Fortunately, if you treat your alfalfa soon, you can have cleaner, healthier alfalfa at first cutting.Before spraying these weeds, be sure they are causing economic damage to your crop.&nbsp;Spraying will provide a purer alfalfa stand but may reduce your overall total tonnage.&nbsp;Our new&nbsp;2022&nbsp;Chemical Weed Control&nbsp;for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland, and Noncropland&nbsp;guide,&nbsp;lists herbicides labelled to control weeds in alfalfa. To be most successful, apply herbicides before alfalfa shoots green up this spring to avoid&nbsp;alfalfa injury.&nbsp;If it does get late, use either Raptor or Pursuit, because they tend to cause less injury to your alfalfa.As always with any weed control program it is best to time spraying when weeds are small, and to pay close attention to growth stage of alfalfa and label recommendations to&nbsp;avoid crop injury.&nbsp;Replacing Thin Alfalfa&nbsp;- planting new fields of alfalfa is expensive.&nbsp;So many of us put off tearing up old fields and planting new ones. But is this&nbsp;the right thing to do?Alfalfa stands usually reach peak production by year two or three.&nbsp;After this, yields tend to decline each year.&nbsp;By year four or five, yields are often much lower than their peak years, especially for dryland fields, because the subsurface moisture that plants were using during&nbsp;the&nbsp;early years is all gone.&nbsp;This is most noticeable during drought years when regrowth is almost zero after the first or second cutting. Yield decline in irrigated fields is slower but usually is a ton&nbsp;or more less&nbsp;by year five or six. In addition, thin stands with densities of less than 50 stems per square foot can open the door for weed encroachment.So, should you try to squeeze another year out of your alfalfa stand? Calculate the costs. First, and most obvious, how will the lower yield of your old field compare to yields from a younger field? A second loss is the lost rotation benefit received by crops like corn that follow alfalfa in the rotation.&nbsp;Depending on the alfalfa stand poor (&lt;1 plant/ft2) vs. good (2-5 plants/ft2). Stand destruction with tillage can reduce&nbsp;your nitrogen fertilizer needs from&nbsp;0 (poor stand) to 80&nbsp;(good stand)&nbsp;pounds over the next couple years.&nbsp;If the stand is killed by spraying (no-till) then the nitrogen credit would be reduced by half. Much research has shown that corn after alfalfa often yields&nbsp;more than corn after corn, even after applying&nbsp;extra&nbsp;nitrogen.&nbsp;This rotation benefit could be especially valuable this year if corn prices stay high.&nbsp;So if you have alfalfa fields that are past their prime, or maybe show winter damage this spring, this might be an excellent time to rotate those fields to a different crop and plant some new, higher yielding acres to alfalfa.Both your alfalfa crop and the rotated crop could benefit.Stacy Campbell is&nbsp;the Crop Production&nbsp;agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or calling 785-628-9430.

CAMPBELL: Alfalfa weeds and thinning stands 

The Kansas Department of Transportation has reopened westbound I-70 at WaKeeney.&nbsp;

For the latest information on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a href="x-webdoc://3812610F-CF2D-4AC3-954D-0E4183EBA483/2020/2019/Templates/www.kandrive.org">www.kandrive.org</a>, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.

KDOTThe Kansas Department of Transportation has reopened westbound I-70 at WaKeeney.&nbsp;KDOT encourages motorists to buckle up and stay alert for changing road and weather conditions.For the latest information on road closures and conditions, visit&nbsp;<a href="x-webdoc://3812610F-CF2D-4AC3-954D-0E4183EBA483/2020/2019/Templates/www.kandrive.org">www.kandrive.org</a>, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.

UPDATE: Interstate 70 reopened at WaKeeney

A blizzard warning is in effect in Hays and Ellis County from 10 p.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Dodge City has said.

Wind gusting up to 65 mph is expected to accompany a mox of rain and snow as the evening progresses. Total snow accumulation could be up to 4 inches.

The NWS warned of dangerous travel conditions, including slippery roads and poor visibility.

Check Hays Post and tune into your Eagle Radio of Hays stations for the latest on severe weather and cancellations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647898991995.png" alt="Dodge City NWS" />
 <figcaption>Dodge City NWS</figcaption>
 </figure>A blizzard warning is in effect in Hays and Ellis County from 10 p.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Dodge City has said.Wind gusting up to 65 mph is expected to accompany a mox of rain and snow as the evening progresses. Total snow accumulation could be up to 4 inches.The NWS warned of dangerous travel conditions, including slippery roads and poor visibility.Check Hays Post and tune into your Eagle Radio of Hays stations for the latest on severe weather and cancellations.

Blizzard warning issued for Ellis Co., surrounding counties

The Kansas Department of Transportation has closed Interstate 70 westbound at the Colby exit at the request of Colorado. No further information is available at this time.

The Kansas Department of Transportation has closed Interstate 70 westbound at the Colby exit at the request of Colorado. No further information is available at this time.

KDOT closes I-70 westbound at Colby

THOMAS COUNTY—Three people were injured in an accident just before noon Monday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Jeep Cherokee driven by Stetson M. Barnes, 21, Warner Robbins, Georgia, was eastbound on Interstate 70 one mile west of Country Club Road.

The Jeep exited the roadway to the left, traveled several hundred feet in the median, exited the interstate overpass and collided with a concrete barrier on Range Avenue in Colby.

EMS transported Barnes and passengers 33-year-old Shaequala&nbsp;Shoulars and an 8-year-old girl, both from Omaha, to the hospital in Colby. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

THOMAS COUNTY—Three people were injured in an accident just before noon Monday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Jeep Cherokee driven by Stetson M. Barnes, 21, Warner Robbins, Georgia, was eastbound on Interstate 70 one mile west of Country Club Road.The Jeep exited the roadway to the left, traveled several hundred feet in the median, exited the interstate overpass and collided with a concrete barrier on Range Avenue in Colby.EMS transported Barnes and passengers 33-year-old Shaequala&nbsp;Shoulars and an 8-year-old girl, both from Omaha, to the hospital in Colby. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

2 adults, 8-year-old injured after Jeep strikes concrete barrier

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported one new COVID-19 case in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.

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

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>

As of Monday morning, HaysMed reported two COVID inpatients, both recovering.

On Wednesday, the Kansas Hospital Association reported 54 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (5 and older) are considered fully vaccinated — a figure that has remained constant for several weeks.

<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine-tracker">The Mayo Clinic</a>&nbsp;reported that as of March 13, just more than 65 percent of all eligible Americans and about 61 percent of eligible Kansans are considered fully vaccinated.

Since reporting began, there have been 7,133 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647888021439.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported one new COVID-19 case in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>As of Monday morning, HaysMed reported two COVID inpatients, both recovering.On Wednesday, the Kansas Hospital Association reported 54 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (5 and older) are considered fully vaccinated — a figure that has remained constant for several weeks.<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine-tracker">The Mayo Clinic</a>&nbsp;reported that as of March 13, just more than 65 percent of all eligible Americans and about 61 percent of eligible Kansans are considered fully vaccinated.Since reporting began, there have been 7,133 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647888123822.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Just one new COVID case in Ellis Co. since Friday

On Tuesday, March 15, the House debated one resolution and four bills. The House Concurrent Resolution 5032 is in response to the invasion by Russia in Ukraine. The resolution honors the Ukrainians fighting against the Russian invasion.

House Bill 2674 states that if a defendant fails to appear as directed by the court and guaranteed by an appearance bond, the court in which the bond is deposited can issue an arrest warrant for the defendant.

House Bill 2541 shifts the deposits of certain fees with the Judicial Branch to the State General Fund. Then an allocation from the State General Fund will be transferred to the Judicial Branch for funding.

House Bill 2676 allows counties to create a code inspection and enforcement fund and expands the exisiting equipment fund to include technology.

House Bill 2582 amends current law governing access, exhange, and disclosure of information in the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children.

On Wednesday, we discussed four bills. House Bill 2528 removes inflatable devices that are owned and operated by a nonprofit from the Kansas Amusement Ride Act.

Senate Bill 348 exempts the practice of threading from cosmetology.

Senate Bill 392 terminates the transfer of unencumbered moneys in the securities fee fund exceeding $50,000 to the State General Fund. I voted “yes” to all of these bills.

Last week the House Appropriations Committee conducted numerous bill hearings, presentations, and completed our committee work regarding the state budget. On Tuesday, we had a bill hearing on House Bill 2492 which is submitting claims against the state. Thursday, we conducted a bill hearing on House Bill 2626 which makes for increased contributions for the Teacher Service Scholarship Program.

We also had a presentation regarding the needs for rural housing across the state of Kansas. We had industry, banking, and economic development leaders discuss the need for additional housing in rural areas of the State. On Wednesday and Thursday, we had deliberations for the budget for fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025. We are planning to debate the budget next week.

Wednesday and Thursday last week, the House Appropriations Committee began reconstructing the state budget for Kansas. There were many adjustments that needed to be made in order to balance the budget due to legislation that has passed since Governor Kelly submitted her budget in January.

Some of the adjustments that needed to be made were regarding the passage of the APEX bill to generate economic development to entice extremely large corporations to Kansas. The incentives drastically affect the ending balance for the budget.

We also need to make changes to the proposals for the renovation of the Docking Building and the new Kansas Department of Health and Environment lab. We are awaiting the final numbers and how much of Federal funds can by utilized for the projects.

We decided to place $500 million in the Budget Stabilization Fund, commonly referred to as the “Rainy Day Fund.” This will be placed in the fund as savings and used if the state of Kansas experiences a recession or shortfall in future years.

We also discussed across the board pay increase of five percent for all state employees, as mentioned in the Governor’s budget. There was also discussion on the increase to the Intellectually Developmentally Disability waiver, which would be an increase of $27.4 million.

The overall budget position for the House budget when passed out of committee has us with an ending balance of more than $1.7 billion, more than that of the submission by the Governor.

Anytime that one would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, one can tune in by listening to the audio footage at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>.

As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov. Please contact me regarding any issues and legislation that we are discussing during session.

It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, is the Kansas House&nbsp;Appropriations Chairman and 109th District state representative which includes:

* Osborne, Russell, and Smith Counties * Barton County: Cities: Albert, Claflin, Galatia, Odin, Olmitz and Susank; Townships: Beaver, Cheyenne, Clarence, Cleveland, Fairview, Grant, Independent, Logan, Union, Walnut and Wheatland * Jewell County: Cities:Burr Oak, Esbon and Mankato; Townships: Athens,Browns Creek, Burr Oak, Calvin, Center,Erving, Esbon, Harrison, Highland, Holmwood, Ionia, Limestone, Odessa,Walnut and White Mound * Lincoln County: Cities: Lincoln Center(part) and Sylvan Grove; Townships: Battle Creek, Beaver(part), Cedron, Elkhorn(part), Golden Belt, Grant, Hanover, Highland, Indiana, Marion, Orange, Pleasant, Valley and Vesper * Rush County: Cities: Bison, Otis, Rush Center and Timken; Townships: Banner,Center,Garfield, Illinois, Lone Star, Pioneer and Pleasantdale

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633970422056.jpeg" alt="Troy L. Waymaster, State Representative, 109th Kansas House, R-Bunker Hill" />
 <figcaption>Troy L. Waymaster, State Representative, 109th Kansas House, R-Bunker Hill</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA March 21, 2022Bills Debated in the HouseOn Tuesday, March 15, the House debated one resolution and four bills. The House Concurrent Resolution 5032 is in response to the invasion by Russia in Ukraine. The resolution honors the Ukrainians fighting against the Russian invasion.House Bill 2674 states that if a defendant fails to appear as directed by the court and guaranteed by an appearance bond, the court in which the bond is deposited can issue an arrest warrant for the defendant.House Bill 2541 shifts the deposits of certain fees with the Judicial Branch to the State General Fund. Then an allocation from the State General Fund will be transferred to the Judicial Branch for funding.House Bill 2676 allows counties to create a code inspection and enforcement fund and expands the exisiting equipment fund to include technology.House Bill 2582 amends current law governing access, exhange, and disclosure of information in the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children.On Wednesday, we discussed four bills. House Bill 2528 removes inflatable devices that are owned and operated by a nonprofit from the Kansas Amusement Ride Act.Senate Bill 348 exempts the practice of threading from cosmetology.Senate Bill 392 terminates the transfer of unencumbered moneys in the securities fee fund exceeding $50,000 to the State General Fund. I voted “yes” to all of these bills.Appropriations CommitteeLast week the House Appropriations Committee conducted numerous bill hearings, presentations, and completed our committee work regarding the state budget. On Tuesday, we had a bill hearing on House Bill 2492 which is submitting claims against the state. Thursday, we conducted a bill hearing on House Bill 2626 which makes for increased contributions for the Teacher Service Scholarship Program.We also had a presentation regarding the needs for rural housing across the state of Kansas. We had industry, banking, and economic development leaders discuss the need for additional housing in rural areas of the State. On Wednesday and Thursday, we had deliberations for the budget for fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025. We are planning to debate the budget next week.State Budget Takes ShapeWednesday and Thursday last week, the House Appropriations Committee began reconstructing the state budget for Kansas. There were many adjustments that needed to be made in order to balance the budget due to legislation that has passed since Governor Kelly submitted her budget in January.Some of the adjustments that needed to be made were regarding the passage of the APEX bill to generate economic development to entice extremely large corporations to Kansas. The incentives drastically affect the ending balance for the budget.We also need to make changes to the proposals for the renovation of the Docking Building and the new Kansas Department of Health and Environment lab. We are awaiting the final numbers and how much of Federal funds can by utilized for the projects.We decided to place $500 million in the Budget Stabilization Fund, commonly referred to as the “Rainy Day Fund.” This will be placed in the fund as savings and used if the state of Kansas experiences a recession or shortfall in future years.We also discussed across the board pay increase of five percent for all state employees, as mentioned in the Governor’s budget. There was also discussion on the increase to the Intellectually Developmentally Disability waiver, which would be an increase of $27.4 million.The overall budget position for the House budget when passed out of committee has us with an ending balance of more than $1.7 billion, more than that of the submission by the Governor.Contact InformationAnytime that one would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, one can tune in by listening to the audio footage at <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/">www.kslegislature.org</a>.As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov. Please contact me regarding any issues and legislation that we are discussing during session.It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, is the Kansas House&nbsp;Appropriations Chairman and 109th District state representative which includes:* Osborne, Russell, and Smith Counties * Barton County: Cities: Albert, Claflin, Galatia, Odin, Olmitz and Susank; Townships: Beaver, Cheyenne, Clarence, Cleveland, Fairview, Grant, Independent, Logan, Union, Walnut and Wheatland * Jewell County: Cities:Burr Oak, Esbon and Mankato; Townships: Athens,Browns Creek, Burr Oak, Calvin, Center,Erving, Esbon, Harrison, Highland, Holmwood, Ionia, Limestone, Odessa,Walnut and White Mound * Lincoln County: Cities: Lincoln Center(part) and Sylvan Grove; Townships: Battle Creek, Beaver(part), Cedron, Elkhorn(part), Golden Belt, Grant, Hanover, Highland, Indiana, Marion, Orange, Pleasant, Valley and Vesper * Rush County: Cities: Bison, Otis, Rush Center and Timken; Townships: Banner,Center,Garfield, Illinois, Lone Star, Pioneer and Pleasantdale

WAYMASTER: From the Dome to Home, March 21, 2022

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d1dd6579-e78d-4e27-bf39-c9766a06279f">UPDATED 4:45 p.m. Monday: Blizzard warning issued for Hays, Ellis County</a>

The National Weather Service is calling for widespread rain beginning Monday, change to snow Monday night and into Tuesday.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for area west of U.S. 281.

Light rain is expected to begin in the Hays area early Monday afternoon, changing to snow in the early morning hours Tuesday. The front will be accompanied by strong sustained winds of 20 to 25 mph Monday, increasing to 29 to 36 mph Tuesday. Gusts as high as 50 mph are expected.

Less than an inch of rain and up to 2 inches of snow are possible in the Hays area, the NWS predicted.&nbsp;

Skies are expected to clear Tuesday night and remain clear through the rest of the week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647873015019.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/d1dd6579-e78d-4e27-bf39-c9766a06279f">UPDATED 4:45 p.m. Monday: Blizzard warning issued for Hays, Ellis County</a>The National Weather Service is calling for widespread rain beginning Monday, change to snow Monday night and into Tuesday.A winter weather advisory is in effect for area west of U.S. 281.Light rain is expected to begin in the Hays area early Monday afternoon, changing to snow in the early morning hours Tuesday. The front will be accompanied by strong sustained winds of 20 to 25 mph Monday, increasing to 29 to 36 mph Tuesday. Gusts as high as 50 mph are expected.Less than an inch of rain and up to 2 inches of snow are possible in the Hays area, the NWS predicted.&nbsp;Skies are expected to clear Tuesday night and remain clear through the rest of the week.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Widespread soaking rain Monday and Monday evening is expected to change to a wind blown wet snow after midnight Monday night through early Tuesday morning. Winds will gust near 60 mph for the Tuesday morning commute, with limited visibility expected. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://t.co/gGv6ulM7uB">pic.twitter.com/gGv6ulM7uB</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1505881058683731969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

NWS: Rain, snow, wind on the way to NW Kan. to open the week

The owners of Big Creek Crossing - Hays Mall LLC -&nbsp; have asked for a modification to their original CID (Community Improvement District) agreement with the city of Hays.

The one-cent sales tax on purchases made at the shopping mall, located at 2918 Vine, was approved in 2014 and is in effect for up to 22 years.

The city commission&nbsp;approved up to $3.1 million in eligible reimbursement costs - hard infrastructure costs determined by city policy.&nbsp; &nbsp;

"They were broken into Phase 1 and Phase 2 with completion deadlines set by the owner," said City Manager Toby Dougherty during last week's commission work session.

Both deadlines, selected by the property owners, were in 2016.

The developer has spent $2 million of the $3.1 million, which was certified by the city. 

&nbsp;"There was a million dollars that was never certified, never made the project deadline. That's what they're asking the development agreement to be amended for, to include that," Dougherty explained. "So far out of the sales tax collections, they've been reimbursed $1.3 million of the $2 million that was certified."&nbsp;

Phase 2 expenditures were to be for interior renovations and finish work.&nbsp;

If commissioners approve the amendment request at their Thursday meeting, it will create an 18-month deadline for the owners to expend the dollars and submit for reimbursement of the $1 million.&nbsp;

"What they would like to do is be reimbursed to do is be reimbursed for dollars they are spending for the creation of <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/55fbb118-f74e-471a-92f2-b2cd0fd4fb1d">Ollie's Bargain Outlet</a>, which is being done now," Dougherty continued.

"They have interior renovations; they've got some work in the parking lot. They've got some exterior work they need to do and they've got quite a bit of HVAC work they need to do."&nbsp;

Sandy Jacobs, commissioner, said she recently checked out&nbsp;Ollie's Bargain Outlet in Wichita and liked it. "It's a good operation," she said.&nbsp;

"I think (Big Creek Crossing) is working diligently. ... I hope they're redoing the mall for all outside entries with anything new that comes up.

"I just don't want that place sitting empty," Jacobs added. "I think that would be really detrimental to that area of Vine Street. I don't have any problem with extending (this)."

Shaun Musil was on the city commission in 2014 when the CID was created.&nbsp;

He said he's excited about Ollie's coming into the north end of the mall but is disappointed with the overall renovation progress.

"The key thing is how much (city sales tax) it brings in," Musil said. "We're a community where sales tax pays our general fund." Fire, police and parks are among the city departments supported by the general fund.&nbsp;

Based on information from the owners, the city estimates Ollie's Bargain Outlet annual sales tax to be between $70,000 and $87,500 each year the CID is in effect.&nbsp;

"I feel like they do everything on the cheap," Musil said. "I drove through the parking lot just before I came here. You get past the front, it's an absolute mess.

"But people still go there to shop. They've brought businesses in."

Musil said it would be difficult for him to vote for the CID amendment request, noting an area of brick facade that has been missing from the front west side of the facility for about three years.&nbsp;

He asked Dougherty if the city can hold future CIDs to higher standards, such as taking care of a business parking lot. "Or is that overreach?" Musil wondered.&nbsp;

Dougherty noted this is the city's first and only renovation CID as opposed to several CIDs also in effect that are outcome-based.

"Maybe we should have been a little more specific on exact details...&nbsp; The parking lot, they were going to 1.5 to 2 inch mill and overlay, but we didn't nail them down to the specific geographic size." Dougherty and Musil both said they accepted blame for the 2014 negotiations. "I think we could have done a better job of asking for details," Dougherty said, "and then you can hold them to more accountability."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mayor Mason Ruder said he didn't see why the city wouldn't approve the CID modification.

"We've done it before for other (CID) projects. It's not necessarily changing anything," Ruder said. "It's just kind of allowing them to potentially&nbsp; hold on to another anchor store, hopefully."

Ruder also agreed with Musil that he was "disappointed in them for kind of pushing it off for as long as they have and not taking care of it as they should have."&nbsp;

The city has not given "one dime" to Hays Mall, LLC, Musil pointed out.&nbsp;"Anytime the city has a CID, and we have multiple, the city doesn't give them money. If you shop there, you're contributing it."&nbsp;

Jacobs feels Big Creek Crossing is almost becoming a "discount mall."

"There are some nice stores in there. But there's absolutely a demographic we need to be focused on."&nbsp;

Commissioner Reese Barrick was absent from the work session.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629496877324.jpeg" alt="(Photo by James Bell/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo by James Bell/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostThe owners of Big Creek Crossing - Hays Mall LLC -&nbsp; have asked for a modification to their original CID (Community Improvement District) agreement with the city of Hays.The one-cent sales tax on purchases made at the shopping mall, located at 2918 Vine, was approved in 2014 and is in effect for up to 22 years.The city commission&nbsp;approved up to $3.1 million in eligible reimbursement costs - hard infrastructure costs determined by city policy.&nbsp; &nbsp;"They were broken into Phase 1 and Phase 2 with completion deadlines set by the owner," said City Manager Toby Dougherty during last week's commission work session.Both deadlines, selected by the property owners, were in 2016.The developer has spent $2 million of the $3.1 million, which was certified by the city. &nbsp;"There was a million dollars that was never certified, never made the project deadline. That's what they're asking the development agreement to be amended for, to include that," Dougherty explained. "So far out of the sales tax collections, they've been reimbursed $1.3 million of the $2 million that was certified."&nbsp;Phase 2 expenditures were to be for interior renovations and finish work.&nbsp;If commissioners approve the amendment request at their Thursday meeting, it will create an 18-month deadline for the owners to expend the dollars and submit for reimbursement of the $1 million.&nbsp;<figure>
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 </figure>"What they would like to do is be reimbursed to do is be reimbursed for dollars they are spending for the creation of <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/55fbb118-f74e-471a-92f2-b2cd0fd4fb1d">Ollie's Bargain Outlet</a>, which is being done now," Dougherty continued. "They have interior renovations; they've got some work in the parking lot. They've got some exterior work they need to do and they've got quite a bit of HVAC work they need to do."&nbsp;Sandy Jacobs, commissioner, said she recently checked out&nbsp;Ollie's Bargain Outlet in Wichita and liked it. "It's a good operation," she said.&nbsp;"I think (Big Creek Crossing) is working diligently. ... I hope they're redoing the mall for all outside entries with anything new that comes up."I just don't want that place sitting empty," Jacobs added. "I think that would be really detrimental to that area of Vine Street. I don't have any problem with extending (this)."Shaun Musil was on the city commission in 2014 when the CID was created.&nbsp;He said he's excited about Ollie's coming into the north end of the mall but is disappointed with the overall renovation progress."The key thing is how much (city sales tax) it brings in," Musil said. "We're a community where sales tax pays our general fund." Fire, police and parks are among the city departments supported by the general fund.&nbsp;Based on information from the owners, the city estimates Ollie's Bargain Outlet annual sales tax to be between $70,000 and $87,500 each year the CID is in effect.&nbsp;"I feel like they do everything on the cheap," Musil said. "I drove through the parking lot just before I came here. You get past the front, it's an absolute mess."But people still go there to shop. They've brought businesses in."Musil said it would be difficult for him to vote for the CID amendment request, noting an area of brick facade that has been missing from the front west side of the facility for about three years.&nbsp;He asked Dougherty if the city can hold future CIDs to higher standards, such as taking care of a business parking lot. "Or is that overreach?" Musil wondered.&nbsp;Dougherty noted this is the city's first and only renovation CID as opposed to several CIDs also in effect that are outcome-based."Maybe we should have been a little more specific on exact details...&nbsp; The parking lot, they were going to 1.5 to 2 inch mill and overlay, but we didn't nail them down to the specific geographic size." Dougherty and Musil both said they accepted blame for the 2014 negotiations. "I think we could have done a better job of asking for details," Dougherty said, "and then you can hold them to more accountability."&nbsp;&nbsp;Mayor Mason Ruder said he didn't see why the city wouldn't approve the CID modification."We've done it before for other (CID) projects. It's not necessarily changing anything," Ruder said. "It's just kind of allowing them to potentially&nbsp; hold on to another anchor store, hopefully."Ruder also agreed with Musil that he was "disappointed in them for kind of pushing it off for as long as they have and not taking care of it as they should have."&nbsp;The city has not given "one dime" to Hays Mall, LLC, Musil pointed out.&nbsp;"Anytime the city has a CID, and we have multiple, the city doesn't give them money. If you shop there, you're contributing it."&nbsp;Jacobs feels Big Creek Crossing is almost becoming a "discount mall.""There are some nice stores in there. But there's absolutely a demographic we need to be focused on."&nbsp;Commissioner Reese Barrick was absent from the work session.&nbsp;

🎥 Mayor: 'Let Big Creek Crossing continue renovations with amended 2014 CID agreement'

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

<a href="https://wildwestfestival.com/">Wild West Festival</a> tickets are on sale now. Despite some increases in costs, the old favorites will be back, including the fireworks and the carnival.

VIP tickets are $200 up from $150. General admission tickets for all three nights will be $25 this year — up from $20. Tickets at the gate will be $30 per night. Children 5 years and younger will be admitted free.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647631192190.jpeg" alt="File photo " />
 <figcaption>File photo </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post<a href="https://wildwestfestival.com/">Wild West Festival</a> tickets are on sale now. Despite some increases in costs, the old favorites will be back, including the fireworks and the carnival.VIP tickets are $200 up from $150. General admission tickets for all three nights will be $25 this year — up from $20. Tickets at the gate will be $30 per night. Children 5 years and younger will be admitted free. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/72c571d3-c2a8-466d-b9d5-7dfda02cdfc8">The Wild West Festival has already set its music lineup. </a>Lainey Wilson, who will appear July 2, recently won two Academy of Country Music Awards — one for new young female artist for the year and the other for Song of the Year, "Things a Man Oughta Know."She has been nominated for a CMT Music Awards for Breakthrough Video of the Year for "Things a Man Oughta Know."VIP tickets include alcoholic drinks and dinner, as well as preferred seating. Gella's Diner, Fuzzy's Tacos and the Rose Garden will be catering the meals for the VIPs this year. Which nights the three caters will be serving has yet to be determined. Hard alcohol is served in the VIP area until 9 p.m. Beer is served until 10:30 p.m.The Kiwanis will be hosting beer garden sales for general admission again this year. Concert tickets can be purchased online now. They will be available at all three Cervs locations and possibly other locations starting May 1.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647632399429.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>Sandi Maier, event coordinator, said tickets are going up this year to help cover costs. The cost to ship a container of fireworks from China to the United States went from about $9,000 to $50,000.What used to cost the festival $15,000 for fireworks is now going to cost $25,000. To further help defray the increased costs for fireworks, the festival is asking for fireworks sponsors this year.Sponsorship levels are available from $400 to $10,000 and above. Sponsors receive festival concert tickets based on their sponsorship amounts. To become a sponsor, contact Maier at 785-639-3365 or at <a href="mailto:contact@wildwestfestival.com">contact@wildwestfestival.com</a>. Maier said sponsorships also help the festival keep ticket prices affordable. The festival will have a carnival again this year provided by Ozark Amusements of Springfield, Mo.The carnival will be open from Friday, July 1, through Monday, July 4.The annual festival parade will be at 10 a.m. down Main Street. There is no cost to have an entry in the parade, but pre-registration is suggested, which will help with parade lineup. Candy or items can't be thrown from vehicles per the Hays Police Department. These items must be handed out by walkers. The parade theme is yet to be announced. Registration forms will be available through the website soon.The 5K, which is sponsored by another group in conjunction with the Wild West Festival, also will be back this year. Look for more information on that event to be announced at a later date. The Convention and Visitor's Bureau also is sponsoring a kite festival at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex during the Fourth of July weekend. More information will be announced on this event at a later date.The Wild West Fest Committee annually sponsors the Wichita Special Olympics team when they visit Hays for the annual basketball tournament in Hays. That event was Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum. They usually provide a $100 donation to the group in addition to playing host to the club. Burglars broke into the group's storage shed shortly before this year's tournament and stole all of the group's athletic gear. Maier has asked the festival committee to increase its contribution to the group to $300 this year to help the club replace some of that equipment. CORRECTION: This story was updated to correct the price of the three-day General Admission tickets. Hays Post apologizes for the error.

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