By JAMES BELL 
Hays Post

VICTORIA — It has been said,it's the little things that make all the
difference. That attitude was on full display during the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/265c36b5-eb2f-4dc4-b35a-642c5ace4d7b">second of three
Imagine Ellis County town hall events </a>that looked to explore the future of
Ellis County.

The meeting took place Thursday at the VFW Hall in Victoria,
<a href="https://imagineelliscounty.org/">giving area residents another opportunity to share, develop and discuss the
future of Ellis County and its municipalities.</a>

Participants, including local leaders and business owners,
shared their thoughts on life in Ellis County and in Victoria — from the good to the bad — with many small and relatively quick community
goals suggested along with more major projects, including the development of an
already proposed Greenway Trail and redevelopment of the former rest home in
the heart of the city.

While many of the typical topics that affect area economies,
such as lacking retail options, a shortage of child care and workforce concerns, were addressed, the
conversations cited a lack of organized communication methods and community
leadership, as specific concerns within the city.

After opening remarks from Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs,
Heartland Community Foundation Executive Director Sarah Meitner and Grow Hays
Executive Director Doug Williams and Dane G. Hansen Foundation consultant Betty
Johnson began the event breaking the participants into four groups of eight to
10.

Each group then considered topics discussed during the event, with
a purposefully open dialogue.

“Whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear,” Johnson said. “Nothing’s off the table.

“We've had some amazing ideas come out of these kinds of
sessions and these kinds of processes,” she said. “So, you know, money is
always an issue down the road. But tonight, we're here for ideas and to really
see what we can come up with. It's your county. It's your community. It's
your part of the world. And whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear
tonight, whether you think it's crazy or insane, put it out there.”

The groups first considered what was going well in Ellis
County.

Events such as the Wild West Festival and Herzogfest were listed as beneficial
to area residents, along with parks, health care and educational organizations.

But a central location, safety, including above-average emergency
medical services and law enforcement agencies engaged in the county and communities, also were top benefits named.

Expanded affordable
shopping, including a grocery or dollar-type store in Victoria, county-wide public transportation,
and small business development were listed as needs by the groups. But community
communication was cited by several groups as a concern in the city.

“We have a city Facebook page, but a lot of people don't
know or use that,” said Victoria Utilities Clerk Nancy Piatt. “Our city
newsletter only comes out quarterly. If you don't go to church and get the bulletins,
which is a good resource of information, but if you're a Catholic, you don't
get that information.”

Along with large needs and proposed projects, the groups also
outlined a number of smaller desires that could be implemented fairly quickly and
easily.

One idea was a&nbsp; countywide trail that would connect Ellis County
communities.

Johnson said she has seen communities build trails a little bit
at a time, and said overall it could be “very, very doable.”

Another; more tree throughout the county.

“You could do a tree and honor and memory of somebody or in
honor of your family,” Johnson said.

Flower pots lining Main Street in Victoria, a community garden
and enhanced signs around town were also discussed.

“Those are things that can happen quickly and easily. Those
are things that we could ramp up pretty quickly,” Johnson said.

But she said ongoing projects, including the proposed
Greenway Trail and rest home redevelopment, and the engagement of the community
at the event shows the dedication to grow Victoria and Ellis County.

“I like it," Johnson said. "You're building community and getting people
together, and I think that's what's important and that's how you'll continue to
grow and make things happen."

The third Imagine Ellis County town hall is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 7 at Gigi's Cafe, 814 Washington, Ellis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234194218.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL 
Hays PostVICTORIA — It has been said,it's the little things that make all the
difference. That attitude was on full display during the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/265c36b5-eb2f-4dc4-b35a-642c5ace4d7b">second of three
Imagine Ellis County town hall events </a>that looked to explore the future of
Ellis County.The meeting took place Thursday at the VFW Hall in Victoria,
<a href="https://imagineelliscounty.org/">giving area residents another opportunity to share, develop and discuss the
future of Ellis County and its municipalities.</a>Participants, including local leaders and business owners,
shared their thoughts on life in Ellis County and in Victoria — from the good to the bad — with many small and relatively quick community
goals suggested along with more major projects, including the development of an
already proposed Greenway Trail and redevelopment of the former rest home in
the heart of the city.While many of the typical topics that affect area economies,
such as lacking retail options, a shortage of child care and workforce concerns, were addressed, the
conversations cited a lack of organized communication methods and community
leadership, as specific concerns within the city.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234219803.jpeg" alt="Hays city commissioner Sandy Jacobs" />
 <figcaption>Hays city commissioner Sandy Jacobs</figcaption>
 </figure>After opening remarks from Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs,
Heartland Community Foundation Executive Director Sarah Meitner and Grow Hays
Executive Director Doug Williams and Dane G. Hansen Foundation consultant Betty
Johnson began the event breaking the participants into four groups of eight to
10.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234209135.jpeg" alt="Sarah Meitner, Heartland Community Foundation executive director" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Meitner, Heartland Community Foundation executive director</figcaption>
 </figure>Each group then considered topics discussed during the event, with
a purposefully open dialogue.“Whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear,” Johnson said. “Nothing’s off the table.“We've had some amazing ideas come out of these kinds of
sessions and these kinds of processes,” she said. “So, you know, money is
always an issue down the road. But tonight, we're here for ideas and to really
see what we can come up with. It's your county. It's your community. It's
your part of the world. And whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear
tonight, whether you think it's crazy or insane, put it out there.”The groups first considered what was going well in Ellis
County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234163338.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Events such as the Wild West Festival and Herzogfest were listed as beneficial
to area residents, along with parks, health care and educational organizations.But a central location, safety, including above-average emergency
medical services and law enforcement agencies engaged in the county and communities, also were top benefits named.Expanded affordable
shopping, including a grocery or dollar-type store in Victoria, county-wide public transportation,
and small business development were listed as needs by the groups. But community
communication was cited by several groups as a concern in the city.“We have a city Facebook page, but a lot of people don't
know or use that,” said Victoria Utilities Clerk Nancy Piatt. “Our city
newsletter only comes out quarterly. If you don't go to church and get the bulletins,
which is a good resource of information, but if you're a Catholic, you don't
get that information.”Along with large needs and proposed projects, the groups also
outlined a number of smaller desires that could be implemented fairly quickly and
easily.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234180079.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>One idea was a&nbsp; countywide trail that would connect Ellis County
communities.Johnson said she has seen communities build trails a little bit
at a time, and said overall it could be “very, very doable.”Another; more tree throughout the county.“You could do a tree and honor and memory of somebody or in
honor of your family,” Johnson said.Flower pots lining Main Street in Victoria, a community garden
and enhanced signs around town were also discussed.“Those are things that can happen quickly and easily. Those
are things that we could ramp up pretty quickly,” Johnson said.But she said ongoing projects, including the proposed
Greenway Trail and rest home redevelopment, and the engagement of the community
at the event shows the dedication to grow Victoria and Ellis County.“I like it," Johnson said. "You're building community and getting people
together, and I think that's what's important and that's how you'll continue to
grow and make things happen."The third Imagine Ellis County town hall is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 7 at Gigi's Cafe, 814 Washington, Ellis.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234145811.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Small goals, big vision bubble up at Victoria Imagine Ellis County meeting

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Gary Collins and his wife, Brandy, left their home in Pratt about 2 a.m. this morning to drive to Hays so Brandy could receive dental work at the Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic.

Collins had all of his teeth pulled at a Mission of Mercy event in 2018 in Hutchinson. Collins said he couldn't afford dental care, but prior to 2018 had been suffering with a lot of pain from his teeth.

He was having ear aches and was limited in what he could eat.

He said having his teeth pulled not only helped his physical health, but also improved his mental health and self confidence.

Brandy is horribly frightened of the dentist. Several times on the drive to Hays this morning, she asked Gary if they could turn around. However, Gary's story of how the Mission of Mercy helped him encouraged her to go through with getting seven teeth pulled on Saturday.

In near tears, she said she was still frightened, but as she held Gary's hand, said she knew getting the teeth pulled is what she needed to do to improve her health.

Although Gary is feeling much better since he had his diseased teeth pulled, he has still not been able to afford dentures — he said something that would help him be able to smile again.

Although the Kansas Mission of Mercy has offered millions of dollars in free dental care in its 20 years, it does not have the capacity to provide denture.

About 250 people were provided free dental services Friday during the first day of the Mission of Mercy and another 200 were served today.

The event is sponsored by the <a href="https://www.ksdentalfoundation.org/">Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation</a>.

The event continued today on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Ellis County Fairgrounds with doors opening at 5:30 a.m. Demand was so strong for the event that all of Friday's slots were filled by 6 a.m.

Although they didn't want their names used in the media, one couple said they drove five hours through the night from Oklahoma and were in line at 3 a.m. to receive care.

Some people stayed all night at the fairgrounds to ensure a place in line for treatment.

Eighty-three dentists, along with hundreds scores of other professional and lay volunteers, offered their time at the event, which served both adults and children.

Dentists offered everything from cleanings to full-mouth teeth extractions.

Dr. Jeff Stasch, dentist from Garden City, was one of the founders of the Kansas Mission of Mercy 20 years ago. Since the inception of the free dental clinics in Kansas, Stasch has recruited dentists from 35 states to also stage free-dental clinics in their states.

Before COVID hit, the nationwide network of dentists was doing about $8o million of free dental work per year.

"There's a Third World country right here in America," he said. "It's good that people go other places to help people, but there are people right here in the Untied States who need help too.

"It helps us help people who don't have access to care. The publicity also shows people how much need there is."

He said veterans dentists' eyes have been opened through volunteering for the Mission of Mercy events.

"You sit in your office," he said "You're schedule's full, and there's no shortage of patients, but you don't know how many can't get in either."

Taylor Springfield of Ellis was struggling to get her two daughters, Eberly and Kinly, both 3, in for cleanings, so she scheduled them for appointments at the Mission of Mercy event. Children were allowed to have scheduled appointments.

She said the girls were excited to see the dentist and loved the books volunteers shared with them. As a family on tight budget, she said she was also thankful that the care at the clinic was free.

Stasch said the clinic is about giving people a hand up, and not a hand out.

"People who don't have their front teeth can't smile, he said. "They say 'I could get a better job if I could face the public and have some teeth.' It will increase their ability to better themselves."

Some of the people who will be seen over the two-days of the clinic have very advanced dental disease. Stasch said as of 11 a.m., he had already planned dental treatments for about 10 people who were set to have all of their teeth in their mouths pulled at the event.

"There's a lot of unmet need everywhere, and meth is a terrible scourge on the state," he said.

Stasch said overall health starts with a healthy mouth that allows you to process your nutrition. He said he tries to extend those healthful trends by educating patients at the clinic on good dental hygiene.

"Educate and motivate," he said. "Those are two things we can do here in addition to providing care."

Working in Hays has been great, Stasch said, especially the volunteers. He said he hopes to find the next generation of volunteers who will carry the Mission of Mercy into the future.

Some of the next generation of health care workers were on site Friday helping do basic health screenings prior to the dental procedures. Nursing students from both NCK Tech and the Fort Hays State University nursing programs were on site, taking blood pressures and checking blood sugars.

Patricia Drees, NCK Tech instructor, said the event helped the students practice assessment skills, as well as learning to deal with patients in a community setting.

"This helps them look at nursing from the community aspect and look at the whole patient," she said. 

Mireya Serrano of Hays was one of the NCK Tech students who volunteered her time on Friday.

"I believe it's preparing us to interact with patients from different socioeconomic backgrounds and different ethnicities, so we can be a better rounded nurse," she said.

Kathryn Amrein, FHSU assistant professor of nursing, was supervising bachelor of nursing students at the clinic Friday. 

"They're learning a lot of social skills," she said. "They don't get a lot of hands-on in the classroom, so it's been good day today to interact with people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds and people from out of state even."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648242902465.jpeg" alt="Dental professionals work on patients Friday during the Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic at the Ellis County Fairgrounds in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post " />
 <figcaption>Dental professionals work on patients Friday during the Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic at the Ellis County Fairgrounds in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostGary Collins and his wife, Brandy, left their home in Pratt about 2 a.m. this morning to drive to Hays so Brandy could receive dental work at the Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic.Collins had all of his teeth pulled at a Mission of Mercy event in 2018 in Hutchinson. Collins said he couldn't afford dental care, but prior to 2018 had been suffering with a lot of pain from his teeth.He was having ear aches and was limited in what he could eat.He said having his teeth pulled not only helped his physical health, but also improved his mental health and self confidence."I'm very thankful," he said. Brandy is horribly frightened of the dentist. Several times on the drive to Hays this morning, she asked Gary if they could turn around. However, Gary's story of how the Mission of Mercy helped him encouraged her to go through with getting seven teeth pulled on Saturday.In near tears, she said she was still frightened, but as she held Gary's hand, said she knew getting the teeth pulled is what she needed to do to improve her health.Although Gary is feeling much better since he had his diseased teeth pulled, he has still not been able to afford dentures — he said something that would help him be able to smile again.Although the Kansas Mission of Mercy has offered millions of dollars in free dental care in its 20 years, it does not have the capacity to provide denture. About 250 people were provided free dental services Friday during the first day of the Mission of Mercy and another 200 were served today. The event is sponsored by the <a href="https://www.ksdentalfoundation.org/">Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation</a>.The event continued today on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Ellis County Fairgrounds with doors opening at 5:30 a.m. Demand was so strong for the event that all of Friday's slots were filled by 6 a.m.Although they didn't want their names used in the media, one couple said they drove five hours through the night from Oklahoma and were in line at 3 a.m. to receive care.Some people stayed all night at the fairgrounds to ensure a place in line for treatment.Eighty-three dentists, along with hundreds scores of other professional and lay volunteers, offered their time at the event, which served both adults and children.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648243198149.jpeg" alt="The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation offers an annual free dental clinic. This year the event was Friday and continues today in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation offers an annual free dental clinic. This year the event was Friday and continues today in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Dentists offered everything from cleanings to full-mouth teeth extractions.Dr. Jeff Stasch, dentist from Garden City, was one of the founders of the Kansas Mission of Mercy 20 years ago. Since the inception of the free dental clinics in Kansas, Stasch has recruited dentists from 35 states to also stage free-dental clinics in their states.Before COVID hit, the nationwide network of dentists was doing about $8o million of free dental work per year."There's a Third World country right here in America," he said. "It's good that people go other places to help people, but there are people right here in the Untied States who need help too."It helps us help people who don't have access to care. The publicity also shows people how much need there is."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648243484397.jpeg" alt="Taylor Springfield of Ellis with her daughters Eberly and Kinly, both 3, read books while they wait for the girls to receive free dental cleanings at the Kansas Mission of Mercy on Friday in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Taylor Springfield of Ellis with her daughters Eberly and Kinly, both 3, read books while they wait for the girls to receive free dental cleanings at the Kansas Mission of Mercy on Friday in Hays. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>He said veterans dentists' eyes have been opened through volunteering for the Mission of Mercy events."You sit in your office," he said "You're schedule's full, and there's no shortage of patients, but you don't know how many can't get in either."Taylor Springfield of Ellis was struggling to get her two daughters, Eberly and Kinly, both 3, in for cleanings, so she scheduled them for appointments at the Mission of Mercy event. Children were allowed to have scheduled appointments.She said the girls were excited to see the dentist and loved the books volunteers shared with them. As a family on tight budget, she said she was also thankful that the care at the clinic was free.Stasch said the clinic is about giving people a hand up, and not a hand out."People who don't have their front teeth can't smile, he said. "They say 'I could get a better job if I could face the public and have some teeth.' It will increase their ability to better themselves."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648243888658.jpeg" alt="A Hays nursing student takes a Mission of Mercy patient's vitals Friday during the free dental clinic. Both FHSU and NCK Tech nursing students volunteered at the clinic Friday and today. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A Hays nursing student takes a Mission of Mercy patient's vitals Friday during the free dental clinic. Both FHSU and NCK Tech nursing students volunteered at the clinic Friday and today. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Some of the people who will be seen over the two-days of the clinic have very advanced dental disease. Stasch said as of 11 a.m., he had already planned dental treatments for about 10 people who were set to have all of their teeth in their mouths pulled at the event."There's a lot of unmet need everywhere, and meth is a terrible scourge on the state," he said.Stasch said overall health starts with a healthy mouth that allows you to process your nutrition. He said he tries to extend those healthful trends by educating patients at the clinic on good dental hygiene."Educate and motivate," he said. "Those are two things we can do here in addition to providing care."Working in Hays has been great, Stasch said, especially the volunteers. He said he hopes to find the next generation of volunteers who will carry the Mission of Mercy into the future.Some of the next generation of health care workers were on site Friday helping do basic health screenings prior to the dental procedures. Nursing students from both NCK Tech and the Fort Hays State University nursing programs were on site, taking blood pressures and checking blood sugars.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648244038764.jpeg" alt="A volunteer helps dental patients get their teeth brushed before treatment Friday. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>A volunteer helps dental patients get their teeth brushed before treatment Friday. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Patricia Drees, NCK Tech instructor, said the event helped the students practice assessment skills, as well as learning to deal with patients in a community setting."This helps them look at nursing from the community aspect and look at the whole patient," she said. Mireya Serrano of Hays was one of the NCK Tech students who volunteered her time on Friday."I believe it's preparing us to interact with patients from different socioeconomic backgrounds and different ethnicities, so we can be a better rounded nurse," she said.Kathryn Amrein, FHSU assistant professor of nursing, was supervising bachelor of nursing students at the clinic Friday. "They're learning a lot of social skills," she said. "They don't get a lot of hands-on in the classroom, so it's been good day today to interact with people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds and people from out of state even."

UPDATE: Kansas Mission of Mercy serves 250 on first day, continues Saturday

TOPEKA – Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.5% in February. This was a decrease from 2.6% in January and a decrease from 3.6% in February 2021.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a4436d12-8920-454e-979f-00e36ce8893d">RELATED: Labor shortage plagues Midwest — with no easy solutions</a>

“The Kansas job market showed continued strength in February with an unemployment rate of 2.5%,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “Estimates indicate that in addition to an increase in the number of jobs, Kansas also saw an increase in the average workweek for jobs in the private sector compared to February 2021.”

Jobless rates in northwest Kansas counties remained relatively flat from January — and extremely low. Just a handful of area counties had unemployment rates over 2 percent, with Barton County's 2.6 percent the highest in the region. Ellis County's jobless rate was flat from January at 1.7 percent.

Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 6,900 from January. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 8,100 over the month, while government decreased by 1,200.

“Kansas estimates indicate that strong job growth continued in February as private sector employers added 8,100 jobs over the month,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “With this continued growth, the construction, information, and trade, transportation, and utilities industries are all above pre-pandemic levels.”

Since February 2021 Kansas seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 34,300. This change is due to an increase of 33,200 private sector jobs and an increase of 1,100 government jobs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648219866875.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – Preliminary estimates reported by the Labor Market Information Services division of the Kansas Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.5% in February. This was a decrease from 2.6% in January and a decrease from 3.6% in February 2021.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a4436d12-8920-454e-979f-00e36ce8893d">RELATED: Labor shortage plagues Midwest — with no easy solutions</a>“The Kansas job market showed continued strength in February with an unemployment rate of 2.5%,” said Secretary Amber Shultz. “Estimates indicate that in addition to an increase in the number of jobs, Kansas also saw an increase in the average workweek for jobs in the private sector compared to February 2021.”Jobless rates in northwest Kansas counties remained relatively flat from January — and extremely low. Just a handful of area counties had unemployment rates over 2 percent, with Barton County's 2.6 percent the highest in the region. Ellis County's jobless rate was flat from January at 1.7 percent.Seasonally adjusted job estimates for Kansas indicate total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 6,900 from January. Total nonfarm includes private sector and government employers. Private sector jobs increased by 8,100 over the month, while government decreased by 1,200.“Kansas estimates indicate that strong job growth continued in February as private sector employers added 8,100 jobs over the month,” said Labor Economist Emilie Doerksen. “With this continued growth, the construction, information, and trade, transportation, and utilities industries are all above pre-pandemic levels.”Since February 2021 Kansas seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs have increased by 34,300. This change is due to an increase of 33,200 private sector jobs and an increase of 1,100 government jobs.

NW Kan. unemployment rate still extremely low in February

Curiosity was piqued Friday as travelers on Old U.S. 40 reported a trio of camouflaged men walking down the side of the locals' favorite east-west highway.

And after the rumor mill was quick to drum up almost fantastic tales of their origins and mission, their true purpose might seem mundane.

The men were participating in the annual <a href="https://bataanmarch.com/">Bataan Memorial Death March</a>, an event first sponsored by the Army ROTC Department at New Mexico State University in March of 1989.

"The memorial march was to mark a page in history that included many native sons and affected many families in the state," according to the event website.&nbsp;

The event has only been canceled twice in its history, for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, according to the organization.

It was the latter that also led to the three men walking down Old 40. As COVID concerns again grew, this year's event was turned into a virtual one.

And so the three soldiers from the 391st Medical Logistics Company, an Army Reserve unit from Hays, walked the marathon-length event, 26 miles, on Old 40.

Starting at 8 a.m., they headed east from Hays, to a point a mile or so past Walker, before turning back.

During the march Friday, a brisk breeze was in the air, almost the opposite of what the marchers would have experienced at the typical location through the high desert terrain of the White Sands Missle Range.

But either way, the purpose would remain.

"The memorial march is conducted in honor of the heroic service member who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health, and, in many cases, their very lives," according to the organization.

And in person or spread around the U.S., the event also continues on the mission of those that have marched before.

"Since its inception, the Bataan Memorial Death March’s participation has grown from about 100 to about 9,600 marchers," according to the organization. "These marchers come from across the United States and several foreign countries. While still primarily a military event, many civilians choose to participate in the challenging march."

"Marchers participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March for many reasons: personal challenge, the spirit of competition, or to foster esprit de corps in their unit. Some march in honor of a family member or a particular veteran who was in the Bataan Death March or who was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese in the Philippines."

For more information about the Bataan Memorial Death March, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://bataanmarch.com/">bataanmarch.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648269163395.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostCuriosity was piqued Friday as travelers on Old U.S. 40 reported a trio of camouflaged men walking down the side of the locals' favorite east-west highway.And after the rumor mill was quick to drum up almost fantastic tales of their origins and mission, their true purpose might seem mundane.But, it was certainly important.The men were participating in the annual <a href="https://bataanmarch.com/">Bataan Memorial Death March</a>, an event first sponsored by the Army ROTC Department at New Mexico State University in March of 1989."The memorial march was to mark a page in history that included many native sons and affected many families in the state," according to the event website.&nbsp;The event has only been canceled twice in its history, for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, according to the organization.It was the latter that also led to the three men walking down Old 40. As COVID concerns again grew, this year's event was turned into a virtual one.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648269077212.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>And so the three soldiers from the 391st Medical Logistics Company, an Army Reserve unit from Hays, walked the marathon-length event, 26 miles, on Old 40.Starting at 8 a.m., they headed east from Hays, to a point a mile or so past Walker, before turning back.During the march Friday, a brisk breeze was in the air, almost the opposite of what the marchers would have experienced at the typical location through the high desert terrain of the White Sands Missle Range.But either way, the purpose would remain."The memorial march is conducted in honor of the heroic service member who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health, and, in many cases, their very lives," according to the organization.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648269148535.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>And in person or spread around the U.S., the event also continues on the mission of those that have marched before."Since its inception, the Bataan Memorial Death March’s participation has grown from about 100 to about 9,600 marchers," according to the organization. "These marchers come from across the United States and several foreign countries. While still primarily a military event, many civilians choose to participate in the challenging march.""Marchers participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March for many reasons: personal challenge, the spirit of competition, or to foster esprit de corps in their unit. Some march in honor of a family member or a particular veteran who was in the Bataan Death March or who was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese in the Philippines."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648269181113.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>For more information about the Bataan Memorial Death March, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://bataanmarch.com/">bataanmarch.com</a>.

Area soldiers spotted on memorial march in Ellis County

During the first months of 2022, economic news has painted a
bleak future, fraught with ever-rising costs, rapidly growing inflation and a
shaky supply chain.

But while it is easy to see the negative benchmarks as a
sign of an economy quickly turning sour, one prominent Kansas economist recently
said he sees many indications that economic strife in the U.S. is likely
temporary and sees many positives in the area economy and beyond.

Jeremy Hill, director of the Center for Economic Development
and Business Research, recently presented his economic outlook during the annual Eagle Radio sales
conference in Hays earlier this month, which focused on areas of <a href="https://eagleradio.net/services/radio">Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri that Eagle serves.</a>

“In January, I released my forecasts when we had all that
negative news,” Hill said. “All this negative news and I said, ‘No, I think
we're going to be positive.’ ”

At the time, he was forecasting robust growth but is
now more cautious while the Russian war against Ukraine continues to unfold.

But while the uncertainty surrounding the war creates unforeseeable
situations on the global stage, many economic benchmarks in the area show reasons to remain optimistic.

One snapshot Hill presented is what he calls his Household
Misery index, which is a way to measure how consumers feel about always present
economic measures. He has tracked that number since returning to Kansas in 2009
and, while COVID created a large spike, it has since returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels.

A driver of the perceived satisfaction is in part due to
higher home values.

“Home prices, also assets and wealth,” Hill said. “Wealth
increased for households creating more wealth. Employment opportunities are
better than it's ever been. You have all opportunity you want. The only thing
slowing down household right now is inflation.”

But inflation is likely not as signifcant a negative factor for
households as many perceive.

“This concept of inflation, it's just really hard to get
when we've had a couple of decades of almost 2 percent growth very consistently,
that we never went up,” Hill said, noting inflation has been fairly stable
since the '80s.

To gauge inflation, energy costs and food must be removed, along with vehicle purchasing, in order to get a clear picture
of inflationary factors outside of supply and demand issues.

“Remove both of those, inflation is actually closer to 3.2 to
3.5 percent,” Hill said. “So that's actually not high (or) higher inflation than it
was before [COVID.]”

Prior to COVID, inflation in Kansas was higher than 3.5 percent,
he said.

And the Federal Reserve had warned for months that this was
expected and is now reacting to slow that rate.

“So, when you look at this, this is not that high of a
market,” Hill said. “It’s higher than we were used to and the Federal Reserve
is getting control, but it's not in a position where we get this headline
number and it looks very scary. And yes, it's eating in people's pockets, right,
and it's eating into businesses too, but I think this is temporary and something
be managed.”

Prior to sanctions, Hill said about 8 percent of the
U.S. oil supply was being imported from Russia.

“The issue here is this the markets trying to correct itself
as a commodity,” Hill said. “We said our prices need to go up because we
already know there's going to be limited supply and it's allocating that
resource out. So, although people saw that jump in prices today as it will
continue to go up probably, the market already corrected for its supply
decrease. It's the market corrected.”

In more rural areas, food prices, along with the prices of many consumer goods, are rising
due to increased energy costs. 

“The market is going to correct on some of those,” Hill
said. 

Prior to the situation in Ukraine, he saw Nebraska and Kansas
oil production already ramping up and will offset the loss of the imported
oil, but it will take time to balance out supply and demand.

While a number of sectors of the U.S. economy continue to struggle
with finding a sufficient workforce to keep up with current demand, Hill said, it’s
not fewer people in the workforce causing the shortage. Instead, it's the result of a workforce
that shifted during the pandemic with many choosing to move out of part-time
jobs and&nbsp;shift toward better
pay and more traditional 9-to-5 positions. 

That movement has taken many of the workers who used to
fill two or three part-time jobs out of that market, creating the perception of
two people no longer being in the workforce, Hill said.

“From the business perspective, there's a ‘Where did
everyone go?’ ” he said. “They just got that upward mobility. This is a great
story. What's happened before COVID, this has accelerated it really fast, particularly
when you put federal money into it.”

So as businesses went to hire quickly to fulfill their
demand, workers benefited.

“This is actually good for the economy,” Hill said. “This
new growth is increasing middle-income class, that's going to drive the economy
going forward and all this upward mobility.”

And while the struggle to find labor, especially for those
looking to fill entry-level positions in the service sector, has created
headaches for business owners, Hill said this new balance is also likely to provide
the next generation of Americans an experience missed by the
millennial generation, as they participated in the labor market in a less significant
way than others who came before.

“There's so much demand, you're going to see people going to
high schools begging high school students to work at fast-food restaurants,” Hill
said. “They just got an experience which is great labor markets, a great
experience for them. They're learning how to deal with people, deal with
conflict, deal with money, and management and time, they're really great
lessons.”

Eventually, he said that underlying benefits to the economy
will occur while the industry goes through a natural correction, but in the meantime,
Kansas has already returned to pre-COVID employment levels.

While sourcing labor continues to drive operational costs,
Hill said, labor shortages will continue, but increased productivity and finding new ways to
retain employees, thereby shaving overall costs, should become more normal.

He said, however, employers have been reluctant to adjust to
the current situation.

“If you want to be competitive, it's not necessarily always
cash,” Hill said “They're moving to the employer who's actually going to build
up their benefits. And, guess what? When you look at your labor, it's not just
someone outside your door, your labor is actually the person that's in the
entry-level position that has more opportunity than you thought about before.

“You have got to look at your labor market differently,” he continued. "Say this person came in, they did six months and they're pretty talented. Although
they actually put training dollars to them, instead of waiting five years to
move up to this next level, I've got training knowledge to them, they move up to
the next level within a year and their productivity goes up.”

He said increasing productivity is the solution
to inflation. 

“If you get somebody who can produce more value per hour,
you can pay them more per hour,” he said. "That increases company productivity and
ultimately growth and profits."

Much of those productivity increases can be attributed to
the necessity of finding technological solutions to employment problems as
people worked from home during the pandemic.

“During COVID — we have all this technology, we have project
management systems, client management systems and all this stuff — we were
forced to finally use all that software,” Hill said. 

By using that tech, businesses can offset rising wages.

And those rising wages and rebalancing can have positive
effects on the overall area economy, as higher prices and higher wages balance out
naturally in the free market.

Another major factor of economic strife in the area is
supply chain issues.

Semiconductor shortages, especially, he pointed out have pushed
products to not be available, or to be sold at a significantly higher price.

But he said those issues are also likely to alleviate
themselves naturally over the next 12 months as economies worldwide balance.

Hill said as the world opened back up, consumer demand rose
sharply, creating demand that wiped out available supplies. As increased shopping
has continued, manufacturing has not caught up.

But manufacturers are also working to find ways around
current product shortages.

Agriculture economies especially could benefit from
increased demand as fuel, fertilizer and other associated prices rise.

“There are some losses there,” Hill said. “But the fuel
costs as a mix is that much. The fertilizers and pesticides as a mix is a cost,
but they're going to pass that all in food. So I'm not too concerned about
biomaterials. The prices are going to stay high for a long time and then the
weak, the weak commodities,&nbsp; are going to stay pretty high.
So, it should be able to get a pretty good profit margin.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647981260550.jpeg" alt="Jeremy Hill,&nbsp;director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (Photo by Jarrod Brantley / Eagle Radio)" />
 <figcaption>Jeremy Hill,&nbsp;director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (Photo by Jarrod Brantley / Eagle Radio)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostDuring the first months of 2022, economic news has painted a
bleak future, fraught with ever-rising costs, rapidly growing inflation and a
shaky supply chain.But while it is easy to see the negative benchmarks as a
sign of an economy quickly turning sour, one prominent Kansas economist recently
said he sees many indications that economic strife in the U.S. is likely
temporary and sees many positives in the area economy and beyond.Jeremy Hill, director of the Center for Economic Development
and Business Research, recently presented his economic outlook during the annual Eagle Radio sales
conference in Hays earlier this month, which focused on areas of <a href="https://eagleradio.net/services/radio">Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri that Eagle serves.</a>“In January, I released my forecasts when we had all that
negative news,” Hill said. “All this negative news and I said, ‘No, I think
we're going to be positive.’ ”At the time, he was forecasting robust growth but is
now more cautious while the Russian war against Ukraine continues to unfold.But while the uncertainty surrounding the war creates unforeseeable
situations on the global stage, many economic benchmarks in the area show reasons to remain optimistic.One snapshot Hill presented is what he calls his Household
Misery index, which is a way to measure how consumers feel about always present
economic measures. He has tracked that number since returning to Kansas in 2009
and, while COVID created a large spike, it has since returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels.A driver of the perceived satisfaction is in part due to
higher home values.“Home prices, also assets and wealth,” Hill said. “Wealth
increased for households creating more wealth. Employment opportunities are
better than it's ever been. You have all opportunity you want. The only thing
slowing down household right now is inflation.”But inflation is likely not as signifcant a negative factor for
households as many perceive.“This concept of inflation, it's just really hard to get
when we've had a couple of decades of almost 2 percent growth very consistently,
that we never went up,” Hill said, noting inflation has been fairly stable
since the '80s.To gauge inflation, energy costs and food must be removed, along with vehicle purchasing, in order to get a clear picture
of inflationary factors outside of supply and demand issues.“Remove both of those, inflation is actually closer to 3.2 to
3.5 percent,” Hill said. “So that's actually not high (or) higher inflation than it
was before [COVID.]”Prior to COVID, inflation in Kansas was higher than 3.5 percent,
he said.And the Federal Reserve had warned for months that this was
expected and is now reacting to slow that rate.“So, when you look at this, this is not that high of a
market,” Hill said. “It’s higher than we were used to and the Federal Reserve
is getting control, but it's not in a position where we get this headline
number and it looks very scary. And yes, it's eating in people's pockets, right,
and it's eating into businesses too, but I think this is temporary and something
be managed.”<h2>Energy</h2>Prior to sanctions, Hill said about 8 percent of the
U.S. oil supply was being imported from Russia.“The issue here is this the markets trying to correct itself
as a commodity,” Hill said. “We said our prices need to go up because we
already know there's going to be limited supply and it's allocating that
resource out. So, although people saw that jump in prices today as it will
continue to go up probably, the market already corrected for its supply
decrease. It's the market corrected.”In more rural areas, food prices, along with the prices of many consumer goods, are rising
due to increased energy costs. “The market is going to correct on some of those,” Hill
said. Prior to the situation in Ukraine, he saw Nebraska and Kansas
oil production already ramping up and will offset the loss of the imported
oil, but it will take time to balance out supply and demand.<h2>Employment</h2>While a number of sectors of the U.S. economy continue to struggle
with finding a sufficient workforce to keep up with current demand, Hill said, it’s
not fewer people in the workforce causing the shortage. Instead, it's the result of a workforce
that shifted during the pandemic with many choosing to move out of part-time
jobs and&nbsp;shift toward better
pay and more traditional 9-to-5 positions. That movement has taken many of the workers who used to
fill two or three part-time jobs out of that market, creating the perception of
two people no longer being in the workforce, Hill said.“From the business perspective, there's a ‘Where did
everyone go?’ ” he said. “They just got that upward mobility. This is a great
story. What's happened before COVID, this has accelerated it really fast, particularly
when you put federal money into it.”So as businesses went to hire quickly to fulfill their
demand, workers benefited.“This is actually good for the economy,” Hill said. “This
new growth is increasing middle-income class, that's going to drive the economy
going forward and all this upward mobility.”And while the struggle to find labor, especially for those
looking to fill entry-level positions in the service sector, has created
headaches for business owners, Hill said this new balance is also likely to provide
the next generation of Americans an experience missed by the
millennial generation, as they participated in the labor market in a less significant
way than others who came before.“There's so much demand, you're going to see people going to
high schools begging high school students to work at fast-food restaurants,” Hill
said. “They just got an experience which is great labor markets, a great
experience for them. They're learning how to deal with people, deal with
conflict, deal with money, and management and time, they're really great
lessons.”Eventually, he said that underlying benefits to the economy
will occur while the industry goes through a natural correction, but in the meantime,
Kansas has already returned to pre-COVID employment levels.<h2>Costs</h2>While sourcing labor continues to drive operational costs,
Hill said, labor shortages will continue, but increased productivity and finding new ways to
retain employees, thereby shaving overall costs, should become more normal.He said, however, employers have been reluctant to adjust to
the current situation.“If you want to be competitive, it's not necessarily always
cash,” Hill said “They're moving to the employer who's actually going to build
up their benefits. And, guess what? When you look at your labor, it's not just
someone outside your door, your labor is actually the person that's in the
entry-level position that has more opportunity than you thought about before.“You have got to look at your labor market differently,” he continued. "Say this person came in, they did six months and they're pretty talented. Although
they actually put training dollars to them, instead of waiting five years to
move up to this next level, I've got training knowledge to them, they move up to
the next level within a year and their productivity goes up.”He said increasing productivity is the solution
to inflation. “If you get somebody who can produce more value per hour,
you can pay them more per hour,” he said. "That increases company productivity and
ultimately growth and profits."Much of those productivity increases can be attributed to
the necessity of finding technological solutions to employment problems as
people worked from home during the pandemic.“During COVID — we have all this technology, we have project
management systems, client management systems and all this stuff — we were
forced to finally use all that software,” Hill said. By using that tech, businesses can offset rising wages.And those rising wages and rebalancing can have positive
effects on the overall area economy, as higher prices and higher wages balance out
naturally in the free market.<h2>Supply chain</h2>Another major factor of economic strife in the area is
supply chain issues.Semiconductor shortages, especially, he pointed out have pushed
products to not be available, or to be sold at a significantly higher price.But he said those issues are also likely to alleviate
themselves naturally over the next 12 months as economies worldwide balance.Hill said as the world opened back up, consumer demand rose
sharply, creating demand that wiped out available supplies. As increased shopping
has continued, manufacturing has not caught up.But manufacturers are also working to find ways around
current product shortages.Agriculture economies especially could benefit from
increased demand as fuel, fertilizer and other associated prices rise.“There are some losses there,” Hill said. “But the fuel
costs as a mix is that much. The fertilizers and pesticides as a mix is a cost,
but they're going to pass that all in food. So I'm not too concerned about
biomaterials. The prices are going to stay high for a long time and then the
weak, the weak commodities,&nbsp; are going to stay pretty high.
So, it should be able to get a pretty good profit margin.”

Kan. economist: Despite negative perceptions, reasons to be optimistic

Gov. Laura Kelly this announced appointments to the following Kansas boards and commissions.&nbsp;

Purpose: Whenever the Governor is to make an appointment to fill a vacancy on the Court of Appeals, the Commission shall nominate three qualified applicants from whom the Governor will choose one to appoint. The Commission shall make its nominations after a robust inquiry into each applicant's qualifications.

Purpose: By law, the board shall: - Advocate for statewide library services and resources, encouraging cooperation&nbsp; among libraries and promoting and encouraging innovative library services. - Advise and counsel the state librarian on policies and management and the state&nbsp; library strategic plan. - Review and approve the annual plans of regional systems of cooperating libraries. - Promote collaboration with the state board of regents to ensure the inclusion of&nbsp; libraries on the KAN-ED network and the continued availability of statewide library&nbsp; resources.

News releaseGov. Laura Kelly this announced appointments to the following Kansas boards and commissions.&nbsp;<h2>Court of Appeals Nominating Commission</h2>Purpose: Whenever the Governor is to make an appointment to fill a vacancy on the Court of Appeals, the Commission shall nominate three qualified applicants from whom the Governor will choose one to appoint. The Commission shall make its nominations after a robust inquiry into each applicant's qualifications.<ul>
 <li>Todd Powell, Hays (reappointment)</li><li>Linda Parks, Wichita (reappointment)</li><li>Mike Fleming, Leawood (reappointment)</li>
 </ul><h2>Kansas State Library Board</h2>Purpose: By law, the board shall: - Advocate for statewide library services and resources, encouraging cooperation&nbsp; among libraries and promoting and encouraging innovative library services. - Advise and counsel the state librarian on policies and management and the state&nbsp; library strategic plan. - Review and approve the annual plans of regional systems of cooperating libraries. - Promote collaboration with the state board of regents to ensure the inclusion of&nbsp; libraries on the KAN-ED network and the continued availability of statewide library&nbsp; resources.<ul>
 <li>George Seamon, Norton</li>
 </ul>

NW Kansans appointed to state commissions, boards

<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/2022/3/1648230751437.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

RAWLINS COUNTY —A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Friday in Rawlins County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1996 International semi driven by Carlos N.&nbsp;Rodriguez, Carlos N. was eastbound on County Road B just west of County Road 18.

The vehicle became unstable causing the trailer to fishtail and then overturn on its drivers side partially blocking the roadway.

EMS transported Rodriguez to the Rawlins County Health Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

RAWLINS COUNTY —A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Friday in Rawlins County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1996 International semi driven by Carlos N.&nbsp;Rodriguez, Carlos N. was eastbound on County Road B just west of County Road 18.The vehicle became unstable causing the trailer to fishtail and then overturn on its drivers side partially blocking the roadway.EMS transported Rodriguez to the Rawlins County Health Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man hospitalized after semi overturns

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Today let’s go to Lupa Osteria Romana, a high quality restaurant in the heart of New York City. The restaurant is serving delicious pork.&nbsp;

Where was it raised? On the Good Farm, half a continent away in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Craig and Amy Good are the owners of Good Farm, the source of this specialty pork.&nbsp;&nbsp;Craig, the son of Don and Jane Good, grew up in Manhattan. He graduated from Manhattan High and earned a degree from Kansas State in animal science. Craig met and married Amy who earned her degree in what is now called health and human sciences.&nbsp;

After graduation, Craig worked for Fred Germann, who was an innovator in producing Specific Pathogen Free hogs. After five years, with Fred’s blessing, Craig and Amy moved to a farm near Olsburg and started producing breeding stock of their own.&nbsp;

“My passion is to make the next generation of production better than the last,” Craig said. He worked hard on improving the family’s swine herd and selling quality breeding stock to other pork producers.&nbsp;

Then the hog market crashed in1998. The market dried up for Craig’s boars and gilts.&nbsp;

“We went through a brief time of blaming others,” Craig said. “We could blame the packers or blame the corporations, but the blame game serves no purpose.”&nbsp;

Craig and Amy came up with possible alternative crops for their farm and approached K-State agricultural economist Vincent Amanor-Boadu. He looked at the alternatives but ultimately said to them: “Do what you’re good at, and that is raising hogs.”&nbsp;

Amanour-Boadu connected Craig and Amy with a start-up company in Brooklyn, New York that was interested in utilizing heritage livestock breed products from independent farmers for the upscale restaurant industry.&nbsp;

That company is now known as Heritage Foods USA. The founders of Heritage Foods made a trip to Kansas to visit Craig and Amy’s farm near Olsburg, starting a relationship that is in its 19th year.&nbsp;

Heritage Foods USA sources heritage breed products for a number of upscale urban restaurants, especially on the east and west coasts. This was a totally different market than what the Goods had reached in the past.&nbsp;

“We donated a pig to a benefit event that was being held in the Hamptons for some worthy cause being promoted by Mikhail Baryshnikov,” Craig said. Heritage Foods USA continued to build a network of restaurants. “That was the start of the farm-to-table movement on the coasts. Now they buy everything we can produce.”&nbsp;

The Goods raise Duroc hogs as well as Old World breeds such as Gloucestershire Spot and Tamworth. “(The Heritage Foods USA people) have a saying,” Craig said. “They say, `To save a breed of livestock, you have to eat it.’&nbsp;&nbsp;That may sound crazy, but what it means is, if you can create consumer demand for products from that breed, then more farmers will grow them.”&nbsp;

Heritage Foods USA brought groups of chefs to Good Farm in Kansas to see Craig and Amy’s livestock production practices, and family farm firsthand.&nbsp;“Every piece of pork is traced back to the farm,” Craig said.&nbsp;

One day, Craig got a call from the folks at Grandma Hoerner’s, a nearby company that processes fruit and other products. An ice storm had knocked out their refrigeration temporarily. Seven pallets of frozen plums had thawed out to the point that they couldn’t use them, so they called Craig to see if he wanted to feed them to his hogs.&nbsp;

“I called New York and said, `How do you feel about plum-fed pork?’ They loved it,” Craig said. Then there was a neighbor with a Jersey cow who gave excess milk, so the Goods fed the hogs milk with good consumer results as well.&nbsp;

“We want to raise the best product out there,” Craig said. It’s a lofty goal for a family farm near a rural community such as Olsburg, population 219 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

We commend Craig and Amy Good for making a difference with niche marketing and building relationships with urban consumers. I’m glad this has produced such Good results.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648042186375.png" alt="Craig and Amy Good" />
 <figcaption>Craig and Amy Good</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural DevelopmentToday let’s go to Lupa Osteria Romana, a high quality restaurant in the heart of New York City. The restaurant is serving delicious pork.&nbsp;Where was it raised? On the Good Farm, half a continent away in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Craig and Amy Good are the owners of Good Farm, the source of this specialty pork.&nbsp;&nbsp;Craig, the son of Don and Jane Good, grew up in Manhattan. He graduated from Manhattan High and earned a degree from Kansas State in animal science. Craig met and married Amy who earned her degree in what is now called health and human sciences.&nbsp;After graduation, Craig worked for Fred Germann, who was an innovator in producing Specific Pathogen Free hogs. After five years, with Fred’s blessing, Craig and Amy moved to a farm near Olsburg and started producing breeding stock of their own.&nbsp;“My passion is to make the next generation of production better than the last,” Craig said. He worked hard on improving the family’s swine herd and selling quality breeding stock to other pork producers.&nbsp;Then the hog market crashed in1998. The market dried up for Craig’s boars and gilts.&nbsp;“We went through a brief time of blaming others,” Craig said. “We could blame the packers or blame the corporations, but the blame game serves no purpose.”&nbsp;Craig and Amy came up with possible alternative crops for their farm and approached K-State agricultural economist Vincent Amanor-Boadu. He looked at the alternatives but ultimately said to them: “Do what you’re good at, and that is raising hogs.”&nbsp;Amanour-Boadu connected Craig and Amy with a start-up company in Brooklyn, New York that was interested in utilizing heritage livestock breed products from independent farmers for the upscale restaurant industry.&nbsp;That company is now known as Heritage Foods USA. The founders of Heritage Foods made a trip to Kansas to visit Craig and Amy’s farm near Olsburg, starting a relationship that is in its 19th year.&nbsp;Heritage Foods USA sources heritage breed products for a number of upscale urban restaurants, especially on the east and west coasts. This was a totally different market than what the Goods had reached in the past.&nbsp;“We donated a pig to a benefit event that was being held in the Hamptons for some worthy cause being promoted by Mikhail Baryshnikov,” Craig said. Heritage Foods USA continued to build a network of restaurants. “That was the start of the farm-to-table movement on the coasts. Now they buy everything we can produce.”&nbsp;The Goods raise Duroc hogs as well as Old World breeds such as Gloucestershire Spot and Tamworth. “(The Heritage Foods USA people) have a saying,” Craig said. “They say, `To save a breed of livestock, you have to eat it.’&nbsp;&nbsp;That may sound crazy, but what it means is, if you can create consumer demand for products from that breed, then more farmers will grow them.”&nbsp;Heritage Foods USA brought groups of chefs to Good Farm in Kansas to see Craig and Amy’s livestock production practices, and family farm firsthand.&nbsp;“Every piece of pork is traced back to the farm,” Craig said.&nbsp;One day, Craig got a call from the folks at Grandma Hoerner’s, a nearby company that processes fruit and other products. An ice storm had knocked out their refrigeration temporarily. Seven pallets of frozen plums had thawed out to the point that they couldn’t use them, so they called Craig to see if he wanted to feed them to his hogs.&nbsp;“I called New York and said, `How do you feel about plum-fed pork?’ They loved it,” Craig said. Then there was a neighbor with a Jersey cow who gave excess milk, so the Goods fed the hogs milk with good consumer results as well.&nbsp;“We want to raise the best product out there,” Craig said. It’s a lofty goal for a family farm near a rural community such as Olsburg, population 219 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;We commend Craig and Amy Good for making a difference with niche marketing and building relationships with urban consumers. I’m glad this has produced such Good results.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Craig and Amy Good, Good Farms

The next Science Cafe will take a closer look at the Webb Space Telescope's "new view of the universe."

The event will be at 7 p.m. March 28 at The Venue @ Thirsty's,&nbsp;2704 Vine.

Presenter will be Dr. Paul Adams dean of the Fort Hays State University College of Education, also a Professor of Physics, Anschutz Professor of Education and NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador.

The Science Cafe is free and open to public. For more information, click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/FHSUScienceCafe">HERE</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648046588131.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The next Science Cafe will take a closer look at the Webb Space Telescope's "new view of the universe."The event will be at 7 p.m. March 28 at The Venue @ Thirsty's,&nbsp;2704 Vine.Presenter will be Dr. Paul Adams dean of the Fort Hays State University College of Education, also a Professor of Physics, Anschutz Professor of Education and NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador.The Science Cafe is free and open to public. For more information, click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/FHSUScienceCafe">HERE</a>.

Science Café  will discuss Webb telescope's 'new view'

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday revised COVID-19 case numbers in Ellis County, dropping the total by one.

It was the second straight report that decreased the total cases in Ellis County. The last time there were no new cases in Ellis County previous was late July.

<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 Friday morning, HaysMed reported two COVID inpatients, one active and one 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 Friday, 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 7,131 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648230630338.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday revised COVID-19 case numbers in Ellis County, dropping the total by one.It was the second straight report that decreased the total cases in Ellis County. The last time there were no new cases in Ellis County previous was late July.<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 Friday morning, HaysMed reported two COVID inpatients, one active and one 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 Friday, 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 7,131 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648230857638.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve</figcaption>
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KDHE: Ellis Co. COVID case counts revised down again

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Hays airport director Jamie Salter.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: Hays airport director Jamie Salter" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=hsgwg-11dfbf5-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=ffffff&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Hays airport director Jamie Salter.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

🎤Forward Ever: Hays airport director Jamie Salter

Hays police chief: 'We've criminalized mental illness'

A waiting list at Larned State Hospital has created what officials are calling a mental health crisis in western Kansas.

People have waited 14 hours and more in police conference rooms, days in hospital ERs and up to a week in jail cells before being transported to Larned for treatment.

Walt Hill, director of High Plains Mental Health, which is the community mental health center for 20 counties in northwest Kansas, said the waits are a burden on local resources and traumatic for the patients involved.

“If I’m here in Hays, and I have a heart attack, they’re going to have me at HaysMed and have me in a cath lab or surgery within a couple of hours," he said. "If I’m having a brain attack, which is a psychiatric crises, waiting five, six, seven days, just doesn’t make any sense. We aren’t treating people equally.”

The patients that are on the wait list are usually under a court commitment order and have been deemed a danger to themselves or others. 

This often means patients have to be in police custody in order to make sure they are safe from themselves or safe from hurting others. However, patients who are ill and have no criminal charges can't be legally housed in the jail.

<h2>Hays police chief: 'We've criminalized mental illness'</h2>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA waiting list at Larned State Hospital has created what officials are calling a mental health crisis in western Kansas.People have waited 14 hours and more in police conference rooms, days in hospital ERs and up to a week in jail cells before being transported to Larned for treatment.Walt Hill, director of High Plains Mental Health, which is the community mental health center for 20 counties in northwest Kansas, said the waits are a burden on local resources and traumatic for the patients involved.“If I’m here in Hays, and I have a heart attack, they’re going to have me at HaysMed and have me in a cath lab or surgery within a couple of hours," he said. "If I’m having a brain attack, which is a psychiatric crises, waiting five, six, seven days, just doesn’t make any sense. We aren’t treating people equally.”<h2>Patients in law enforcement custody</h2>The patients that are on the wait list are usually under a court commitment order and have been deemed a danger to themselves or others. This often means patients have to be in police custody in order to make sure they are safe from themselves or safe from hurting others. However, patients who are ill and have no criminal charges can't be legally housed in the jail. Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said the police department has had a patient who waited 14 hours in the department's interview room before they could be transferred. An officer had to be with that person that entire time for the person's safety."The only thing they have done is they're sick," Scheibler said. "They have a mental illness." Patients who have a criminal charge can be held in the jail.However, Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun said this is not the ideal place for these patients either — some of which have had to wait a week for transfer to Larned. In cases in which a person is suicidal, detainees with mental illness are placed in cells by themselves. They are denied anything that they might use to hurt themselves, including blankets and pillows. They are placed in smocks and fed from a rubber bowl, Braun said. <h2>'We're not professionals'</h2>Although numbers of contacts with residents with mental illness are decreasing. There was a spike in law enforcement contacts during the pandemic, according to local law enforcement. The jail has seen as many of half of its detainees on psychiatric medication in the last two years, Braun said. "We are not professionals," Ellis County Sheriff Scott Braun said. "We have to rely on those experts, and they are at Larned State and High Plains Mental Health. We need to get them in their hands."The system is obviously broken," Braun said. Frustrations run high for both offices and the patients when patients who have mental illness are being supervised by law enforcement. "We're doing the best we can. In reality, it's very stressful for everybody, and all too often that leads to an escalation. Now we have criminal charges, and we just criminalized mental illness," Scheibler said."If we just had the resources, we won't be in this situation. It's terrible, we shouldn't treat anyone like that in terms of the patient."<h2>Waiting in the ER</h2>Now the departments are taking patients to HaysMed to wait, often in the emergency room."Now the burden's on the medical center," Scheibler said. "We have people out there for days on the waiting list. If the person is cooperative and not resistant, just ill, we don't have to stay out there."But if they are violent or still in crisis — they're a danger to other people — sometimes that requires us to put a law enforcement officer [at the hospital.]"Since the first of the year, HaysMed has averaged 25 mental health patients a month who were brought to the emergency department, Tammie Williams, HaysMed director of Emergency Nursing Services, said.The time spent in the emergency department differs for each patient, she said. It depends on many factors, including the complexity of the case, how quickly medical and mental health assessments can be performed, the availability of openings at an appropriate mental health facility, if needed, and how quickly travel accommodations can be made. Only two patients in the last three months were housed over 24 hours waiting for final arrangements, she said. "The main consequence these patients face is waiting for the proper procedures to be completed to determine how and where they will be treated,"Williams said. "Other than the medical assessment, all other steps are dependent on outside entities. And again, the lack of mental health resources is a major deterrent" <h2>Law enforcement off the streets</h2>Braun and Scheibler both said they have limited manpower. If an officer has to be stationed with a person who has mental illness, that means that is one less person that is available for patrol or the department has to pay an officer overtime. When Larned is full, some patients are transferred to open beds in hospitals as far away as Kansas City. These transfers can take up two officers and are also a drain on the department, Braun said.Hays is lucky in that it has both mental health and the hospital here in Hays to assist with these patients, the law enforcement officials said. Smaller western Kansas communities are further away from resources and have fewer personnel to deal with these crises, Scheibler said.<h2>Waits traumatize </h2>Hill said delaying treatment can mean poorer outcomes for patients. “The longer you wait for treatment, the longer it takes to get better,” he said. “Often they are waiting in facilities, which aren’t designed for psychiatric care.“If you’ve ever been in a hospital ER, there’s lots happening. They’re chaotic or they’re waiting in regular medical units, both adults and kids,” Hill said.Hill said he feared the waits will discourage people from seeking treatment.“Any time you have a physical or mental health crisis, there’s some trauma involved,” he said. “The longer it takes to get that addressed, the longer that drags out and the frustration ... I think it’s very traumatic for people to have to wait.“My guess is that it would make people very reluctant to seek treatment again to have to go through that trauma,” he said.Regina Anderson, director of the High Plains Independence, a consumer run organization in Hays, agreed with Hill. "When you are already in a mental health crisis, and then you get traumatized because you didn't get services, that's like a double whammy," Anderson said. "The next time you get in crisis, you're not going to reach out like you did before because you're just going to say, 'They're just going to make me sit in the hospital or sit in a police room. They're not going to talk to me or help me.' ... then we lose another person to suicide." <h2>Why the wait times</h2>The delays have been an issue since May 2020 when Larned decreased the number of open beds from 90 to 70. A combination of COVID and lack of staffing was cited for the reduction, Hill said. Larned serves a catchment of 59 counties that includes all of western Kansas and as far east as Newton and Hutchinson.The Hays Post attempted to contact the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services, who oversees Larned; however, calls were not returned.Hill said he doesn't want wait times to become the new normal.“What I believe happens is that we begin to ignore people in crisis,” Hill said, “because it becomes so complicated and difficult and delayed that natural human inclination is that you just stop seeing it."<h2>Fixing a broken system</h2>Hill said an immediate remedy would be to open up the full 90 beds for which Larned is licensed. He said even more beds may be needed to meet the state's needs.The state has also increased wages at Larned to try to deal with its staffing problem, but more may need to be done to increase staff recruitment and retention at the facility. Schiebler and Bruan said the sate has also discussed opening regional crisis centers. Schiebler said this would be a return to what was the norm in the 1990s when local hospitals like Hadley Hospital in Hays had mental health units."The hospital is where we should deal with those severe cases," Scheibler said, "but we should be able to deal with that at a local level. It shouldn't be a long drawn-out affair. ..."The longer they are with law enforcement, the more likely that something bad is going to happen. ..."Every year we have challenges in law enforcement people who are in mental health crisis get injured or killed by law enforcement because we're being asked to do things we're not really qualified and trained to do."In the last several decades, most of the nonprofit and private hospitals in the state have closed. Even if private hospitals were available, Anderson said many of those individuals who are on the wait list for the state hospital have no insurance and no money to pay for the care. COVID relief money is being used to try to address mental health issues. However, both law enforcement officers expressed concerns if funding will continue when the COVID funds run out."This is a society thing," Scheibler said. "We didn't get here overnight, and we're not going to get out of it overnight. There's got to be a continued focus" <h2>Local efforts to deal with the crisis</h2>In the mean time, Scheibler said local law enforcement officials are doing what they can to deal with the issue locally."In 2017, we decided to start trying to control the things that we could control," Scheibler said, "and that was better educating our people on how to handle these calls for service. We knew that they were going to continue to be a problem. We knew that they were going to be drawn out. "All our employees get mental health first-aid training, and we try to get 20 percent of our staff to get crisis intervention training. We're really trying to prepare our people to deal with folks in crisis."The Sheriff's Department and Hays Police Department are both using the Columbia Suicide Rating Scale, which helps officers determine how in danger a person truly is."We were trying to send 21-, 22-year-old kids out to do an assessment on a mental health person," Scheibler said. "Now were giving them as many tools as we can to keep not only the officer safe, but the consumer safe. I think we've done some good work in that area."