By JAMES
BELL 
Hays Post

Young artists from around the area have the opportunity to
share their artwork during the Young Artists and Authors Showcase.

The showcase is sponsored by Hays Sister Cities, Hays Arts
Council and presented by Sister Cities International.

“It's all about the power of the arts to sort of unify us
and that the voices coming in from around the world are you know, well
expressed through the eyes of young people through their creative efforts,”
said Brenda Meder, Hays Arts Council executive director.

“Sister Cities International aims to promote peace through
mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation — one individual, one community
at a time,” according to the competition announcement. “For decades, Sister
Cities International has leveraged the power that art has to transform
societies and transcend cultural boundaries through the Young Artists and
Authors Showcase, or YAAS. The Showcase has given youth worldwide the
opportunity to express their vision for a more unified, peaceful world through
original art and literature.”

This year’s theme is "Generation Rescue: Sustainable Water
for All."

“Climate change has become an undeniably harsh reality in
our lives, making the importance of raising awareness and taking action more
essential every day,” the announcement said. “As temperatures rise, water
patterns are disrupted, ecosystems are disturbed, cultures are affected, and
energy resources are proven to be unsustainable for long-term use. These
ongoing changes impact our local and global communities in every aspect, and
youth are the key to tackle this global reality.”

The submissions will explore what does water sustainability
mean, how does the artist’s culture value water and water sustainability, how the
community has been affected by climate change and water disruption and how can the
artist, as a future leader, contribute to the solution through the lens of
citizen diplomacy and include creative ways people stand together looking
toward the future.

“It's not overly detailed, except for what you'll see is the
concept this year. It actually focuses on the sustainable nature of water, how
that is literally the lifeblood for anyone living on this planet,” Meder said.

The showcase will feature art from a variety of media,
including photography, creative writing, poetry and music.

Local winners in each of the six submission categories will be awarded a $100 cash prize.

“The top five winners in each category will be submitted to
the Sister Cities International competition on behalf of Hays Sister Cities,”
the announcement said. “The international showcase awards an overall first,
second, and third-place winner. The grand prize winner (first place) receives
$1,000, second place receives $250, and third place receives $100.”

Submissions are open to anyone between 13 and 18 years old at
the time of the deadline. 

<a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/yaas">For more
information visit the Hays Arts Council website, haysartscouncil.org.</a>

<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9m5RTDX1eDi60wkTvvP8WPf8rN6HxGnTi2hswdI32fiiBfw/viewform">The
submission form can be found by clicking here.</a>

By JAMES
BELL 
Hays PostYoung artists from around the area have the opportunity to
share their artwork during the Young Artists and Authors Showcase.The deadline for submission is Friday.The showcase is sponsored by Hays Sister Cities, Hays Arts
Council and presented by Sister Cities International.“It's all about the power of the arts to sort of unify us
and that the voices coming in from around the world are you know, well
expressed through the eyes of young people through their creative efforts,”
said Brenda Meder, Hays Arts Council executive director.“Sister Cities International aims to promote peace through
mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation — one individual, one community
at a time,” according to the competition announcement. “For decades, Sister
Cities International has leveraged the power that art has to transform
societies and transcend cultural boundaries through the Young Artists and
Authors Showcase, or YAAS. The Showcase has given youth worldwide the
opportunity to express their vision for a more unified, peaceful world through
original art and literature.”This year’s theme is "Generation Rescue: Sustainable Water
for All."“Climate change has become an undeniably harsh reality in
our lives, making the importance of raising awareness and taking action more
essential every day,” the announcement said. “As temperatures rise, water
patterns are disrupted, ecosystems are disturbed, cultures are affected, and
energy resources are proven to be unsustainable for long-term use. These
ongoing changes impact our local and global communities in every aspect, and
youth are the key to tackle this global reality.”The submissions will explore what does water sustainability
mean, how does the artist’s culture value water and water sustainability, how the
community has been affected by climate change and water disruption and how can the
artist, as a future leader, contribute to the solution through the lens of
citizen diplomacy and include creative ways people stand together looking
toward the future.“It's not overly detailed, except for what you'll see is the
concept this year. It actually focuses on the sustainable nature of water, how
that is literally the lifeblood for anyone living on this planet,” Meder said.The showcase will feature art from a variety of media,
including photography, creative writing, poetry and music.Local winners in each of the six submission categories will be awarded a $100 cash prize.“The top five winners in each category will be submitted to
the Sister Cities International competition on behalf of Hays Sister Cities,”
the announcement said. “The international showcase awards an overall first,
second, and third-place winner. The grand prize winner (first place) receives
$1,000, second place receives $250, and third place receives $100.”Submissions are open to anyone between 13 and 18 years old at
the time of the deadline. <a href="https://haysartscouncil.org/yaas">For more
information visit the Hays Arts Council website, haysartscouncil.org.</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9m5RTDX1eDi60wkTvvP8WPf8rN6HxGnTi2hswdI32fiiBfw/viewform">The
submission form can be found by clicking here.</a> Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Young Artists and Authors Showcase deadline Friday

The Kansas Department of Transportation began a pair of resurfacing projects on U.S. 36 and U.S. 281 in eastern Smith County on Thursday.

Construction activities will involve a mill and overlay on both routes.

The U.S. 36 project will cover 10 miles starting approximately 4 miles east of Smith Center and extending east to the Jewell County line. Work on U.S. 281 portion will begin at the U.S. 36 junction near Lebanon and extend 15 miles north to the Nebraska border.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane through the work zones and directed by flaggers and a pilot car during daylight hours. Delays of up to 15 minutes may be possible. KDOT expects the projects to be completed by the end of May, weather permitting.

KDOTThe Kansas Department of Transportation began a pair of resurfacing projects on U.S. 36 and U.S. 281 in eastern Smith County on Thursday.Construction activities will involve a mill and overlay on both routes.The U.S. 36 project will cover 10 miles starting approximately 4 miles east of Smith Center and extending east to the Jewell County line. Work on U.S. 281 portion will begin at the U.S. 36 junction near Lebanon and extend 15 miles north to the Nebraska border.Traffic will be reduced to one lane through the work zones and directed by flaggers and a pilot car during daylight hours. Delays of up to 15 minutes may be possible. KDOT expects the projects to be completed by the end of May, weather permitting.

Resurfacing projects begin in Smith County

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

An Ellis County District Court judge sentenced a Victoria
man to life in prison this week for a pair of sex crimes involving two young girls
and the rape of an 18 year-old nearly six years ago.

On Tuesday, 33-year-old Cody Schultz was sentenced to life in
prison with the possibly of parole after 25 years for aggravated indecent liberties
with a child under the age of 14, 15 years and six months in prison for electronic solicitation
of a child under the age of 14, and an additional 15 years and six months in prison for raping
a woman in 2014.

Following <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/09511767-3e23-4f78-a871-885fb807f5ea">mediation in February</a>, Schultz was found guilty on
all three charges.

At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Schultz attempted to get Chief
Judge Glenn Braun to issue a shorter prison sentence than the one agreed upon
in the February mediation.

During the more than two-hour long hearing Tuesday, several family
members testified on Schultz’s behalf, insisting he was not a predator and
claimed he made a mistake. 

In handing down his sentence, Braun disagreed, saying, “this
defendant was a predator. The evidence in this case clearly evidences that.”

The almost six years between the rape and the solicitation of
the young girls also proved that, according to Braun.

Sentencing Schultz to the prison sentence was, according to
Braun, a public safety issue.

Braun called it, “one of the strangest sentencing I’ve been
involved in, from the defendant's perspective.”

According to Braun, in voluntary statements submitted to the
court by Schultz, he admitted to one of the three crimes he was convicted of
but also blamed the victims.

In the court filings, Schultz said he believes the two young victims, ages 12 and
13 at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e010d1c57544d3fe90e82e3">time of the assaults</a>, should “be held accountable for lying.”

In another court filing, Schultz blamed one of the victims multiple
times.

“It’s a 12 year-old girl,"&nbsp;Braun said.

Braun presented court records showing the girls told
Schultz their ages before the crimes took place.

Charges in a similar incident involving Schultz messaging a 10-year-old
girl in Barton County were dropped as part of the mediation agreement. Ellis
County Attorney Robert Anderson said the state has evidence of dozensof other attempts by Schultz to solicit young girls for sex.

In a statement to Hays Post,&nbsp; Anderson said, “these two cases have been a top priority of mine since taking
office. A lot of time and effort was expended into the investigation and
prosecution. I know law enforcement is
pleased with the result, and they should be very proud of the work they did. Now
that these cases are over with at the trial court level, I hope the victims and
their families can begin to put this behind them and heal.”

During his allocution before his sentence was handed down, Schultz claimed to have a list of other offenders who have gotten lighter
prison sentences.

“I have never reduced
a sentence on a sex offender," he said.

Anderson said of those allegations, “The criminal justice
system simply does not have the time or resources to prosecute every case to
the fullest extent of the law. My job is to decide what cases and charges get
filed and how aggressively to pursue certain convictions and punishment. Any
leniency I give must be viewed in that context. I’ve never seen the court give
undeserved leniency. Since taking office last year, I have filed approximately
twenty sexual assault cases. No two cases are alike. The nuance of each case,
coupled with the wishes of the victims, dictates how aggressively I pursue a
given result.”

Both Braun and Anderson applauded the efforts of the Hays
Police Department for solving the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c0219c5e-6af1-4e74-a558-edac30586e8f">2014 rape case</a>. Schultz lived near the woman
at the time and DNA evidence proved that he attacked the woman, they said.

Anderson said, “This community should be very proud of all
of the agencies, organizations, and people who were part of the result achieved
today. Obviously, law enforcement, in particular the investigative unit for
Hays PD, did a stellar job in both of these cases, but I would be remiss if I
didn’t also praise the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners program at Hays Med; the
KBI forensic examiners; the forensic interviewer and advocates from the Western
Kansas Child Advocacy Center; the Department of Children &amp; Families; St.
Francis Ministries; and my office staff —if I’ve left anyone out, I apologize.
All of these people come together to make our community a better place to live.”

Schultz has already indicated that he plans to appeal the
sentencing. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648072335461.jpeg" alt="Schultz" />
 <figcaption>Schultz</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostAn Ellis County District Court judge sentenced a Victoria
man to life in prison this week for a pair of sex crimes involving two young girls
and the rape of an 18 year-old nearly six years ago.On Tuesday, 33-year-old Cody Schultz was sentenced to life in
prison with the possibly of parole after 25 years for aggravated indecent liberties
with a child under the age of 14, 15 years and six months in prison for electronic solicitation
of a child under the age of 14, and an additional 15 years and six months in prison for raping
a woman in 2014.Following <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/09511767-3e23-4f78-a871-885fb807f5ea">mediation in February</a>, Schultz was found guilty on
all three charges. At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Schultz attempted to get Chief
Judge Glenn Braun to issue a shorter prison sentence than the one agreed upon
in the February mediation.During the more than two-hour long hearing Tuesday, several family
members testified on Schultz’s behalf, insisting he was not a predator and
claimed he made a mistake. In handing down his sentence, Braun disagreed, saying, “this
defendant was a predator. The evidence in this case clearly evidences that.”The almost six years between the rape and the solicitation of
the young girls also proved that, according to Braun.Sentencing Schultz to the prison sentence was, according to
Braun, a public safety issue.Braun called it, “one of the strangest sentencing I’ve been
involved in, from the defendant's perspective.”According to Braun, in voluntary statements submitted to the
court by Schultz, he admitted to one of the three crimes he was convicted of
but also blamed the victims.In the court filings, Schultz said he believes the two young victims, ages 12 and
13 at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e010d1c57544d3fe90e82e3">time of the assaults</a>, should “be held accountable for lying.” In another court filing, Schultz blamed one of the victims multiple
times.“It’s a 12 year-old girl,"&nbsp;Braun said.Braun presented court records showing the girls told
Schultz their ages before the crimes took place.Charges in a similar incident involving Schultz messaging a 10-year-old
girl in Barton County were dropped as part of the mediation agreement. Ellis
County Attorney Robert Anderson said the state has evidence of dozensof other attempts by Schultz to solicit young girls for sex.In a statement to Hays Post,&nbsp; Anderson said, “these two cases have been a top priority of mine since taking
office. A lot of time and effort was expended into the investigation and
prosecution. I know law enforcement is
pleased with the result, and they should be very proud of the work they did. Now
that these cases are over with at the trial court level, I hope the victims and
their families can begin to put this behind them and heal.”During his allocution before his sentence was handed down, Schultz claimed to have a list of other offenders who have gotten lighter
prison sentences.Braun dismissed the accusation.“I have never reduced
a sentence on a sex offender," he said.Anderson said of those allegations, “The criminal justice
system simply does not have the time or resources to prosecute every case to
the fullest extent of the law. My job is to decide what cases and charges get
filed and how aggressively to pursue certain convictions and punishment. Any
leniency I give must be viewed in that context. I’ve never seen the court give
undeserved leniency. Since taking office last year, I have filed approximately
twenty sexual assault cases. No two cases are alike. The nuance of each case,
coupled with the wishes of the victims, dictates how aggressively I pursue a
given result.”Both Braun and Anderson applauded the efforts of the Hays
Police Department for solving the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c0219c5e-6af1-4e74-a558-edac30586e8f">2014 rape case</a>. Schultz lived near the woman
at the time and DNA evidence proved that he attacked the woman, they said.Anderson said, “This community should be very proud of all
of the agencies, organizations, and people who were part of the result achieved
today. Obviously, law enforcement, in particular the investigative unit for
Hays PD, did a stellar job in both of these cases, but I would be remiss if I
didn’t also praise the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners program at Hays Med; the
KBI forensic examiners; the forensic interviewer and advocates from the Western
Kansas Child Advocacy Center; the Department of Children &amp; Families; St.
Francis Ministries; and my office staff —if I’ve left anyone out, I apologize.
All of these people come together to make our community a better place to live.”Schultz has already indicated that he plans to appeal the
sentencing.

Victoria man sentenced to life for multiple sex crimes

A Hays man is facing possible first-degree murder charges after an incident that led to the death of his wife Monday.

According to the Ellis County Attorney's Office,&nbsp;Jay Naldo Schumacher was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery, domestic battery and mistreatment of a dependent adult. His bond was set at $150,000.

The alleged victim of the charges was his wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2c3cf903-b65a-45fa-bb67-a90446c67e61">Karen Schumacher</a>, who died later that day at Hays Medical Center.

In light of the development, the county attorney's office said in a news release, "the state now alleges that the crime(s) committed now include 1) murder in the first degree under the theory of felony murder — mistreatment of a dependent adult; 2) aggravated battery; 3) domestic battery, and 4) mistreatment of a dependent adult."

The state requested Jay Naldo Schumacher be seen by a judge again to revisit his bond, which was increased to $2 million.

The county attorney's office said it intends on filing charges in the coming days.

"Please keep in
mind that the arrest and/or charging of an individual is merely an allegation
of criminal wrongdoing," the news release stated. "All criminal suspects are presumed innocent unless and
until proven guilty in a court of law."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648133884032.jpeg" alt="Jay Naldo Schumacher (photo courtesy Ellis County Sheriff’s Department)" />
 <figcaption>Jay Naldo Schumacher (photo courtesy Ellis County Sheriff’s Department)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostA Hays man is facing possible first-degree murder charges after an incident that led to the death of his wife Monday.According to the Ellis County Attorney's Office,&nbsp;Jay Naldo Schumacher was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery, domestic battery and mistreatment of a dependent adult. His bond was set at $150,000.The alleged victim of the charges was his wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2c3cf903-b65a-45fa-bb67-a90446c67e61">Karen Schumacher</a>, who died later that day at Hays Medical Center.In light of the development, the county attorney's office said in a news release, "the state now alleges that the crime(s) committed now include 1) murder in the first degree under the theory of felony murder — mistreatment of a dependent adult; 2) aggravated battery; 3) domestic battery, and 4) mistreatment of a dependent adult."The state requested Jay Naldo Schumacher be seen by a judge again to revisit his bond, which was increased to $2 million.The county attorney's office said it intends on filing charges in the coming days."Please keep in
mind that the arrest and/or charging of an individual is merely an allegation
of criminal wrongdoing," the news release stated. "All criminal suspects are presumed innocent unless and
until proven guilty in a court of law."

Hays man faces possible murder charges after wife dies

The 37th annual Hays Optimist Tri-Star Basketball Competition was March 12.

The girl’s event had 26 participants Hays (24), Victoria (1), Ellis (1), the most girls in the history of the event.

The boy’s event had participants Hays (24), Victoria (1), Ellis (2).

To begin each event, Curtis Schmidt introduced himself as president and Elmer Finck as vice president, then welcomed the crowd and thanked everyone for coming.

He also thanked Gary Wentling for his 36 years of running the Tri-Star Competition and his 44 years of service with the Optimist Club of Hays. 

 Schmidt also thanked Roger Bixenman and the staff at HRC for allowing the event, providing the shirts and helping as needed.

Schmidt then mentioned the club and what it does and asked that anyone interested in becoming a member talk to him or another member.

Dylan from HRC then ran through the dribbling and passing drills to show how it is done. The event then kicked off with the second graders first and moved through the grades.

After each event, Schmidt congratulated and thanked all the participants and gave out the awards.

GIRLS 2ND GRADE 1ST place: Stella Rodger (76) 2nd place: Kyndal Martin (72) 3rd place: Riley Dennis (62)

3rd GRADE 1st place: Harper Nichell (91) 2nd place: Lily Atkinson (75) 3rd place: Macy Schaeffer (68)

4th GRADE 1st place: Myka Schoepf (95) 2nd place: Mia Reyes (94) 3rd place: Brynlee Walter (78)

5th GRADE 1st place: Kaymbree Staab (104) 2nd place: Ellee Lang (101) 3rd place: Amelia Atkinson (92)

6th GRADE 1st place: Brynlee Rupp (124) 2nd place: Adi Gottschalk (123) 3rd place: Brynn Schoepf (116)

7th GRADE 1ST place: Hannah Rose (138) ** TOP GUN WINNER!

BOYS 2ND GRADE 1ST place: Liam Fabrizius (113) 2nd place: Kasen Fisher (111) 3rd place: Roman Custer (95)

3rd GRADE 1st place: William Reed (134) 2nd place: Bennett Rupp (122) 3rd place: Jonah Gottschalk (112)

4th GRADE 1st place: Stryker Berry (151) 2nd place: Brady Holecek (140) 3rd place: Andrew Rose (131)

5th GRADE 1st place: Landon Funk (125) 2nd place: Boston Zimmerman (124) 3rd place: Rhys Custer (116)

6th GRADE 1st place: Carson Ditter (154) ** TOP GUN WINNER 2nd place: Easton Ditter (135) 3rd place: Carson Berens (126)

7th GRADE 1ST place: Aiden Aschenbrenner (132)

Volunteers were: Preparation work: Nathan Legleiter and HRC staff (trophies, balls, T-shirts, measurements) Competition: Curtis Schmidt, Amanda Schmidt, Avery Schmidt, Ron Sandstrom, Darrell Romme, Elmer Finck, LaVonne Finck, Dave Karlin, Leslie Karlin, Dale Brungardt

Scorer’s Table: LaVonne (registration), Amanda (scoring), Avery (shirts)

Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay.

SubmittedThe 37th annual Hays Optimist Tri-Star Basketball Competition was March 12.The girl’s event had 26 participants Hays (24), Victoria (1), Ellis (1), the most girls in the history of the event. The boy’s event had participants Hays (24), Victoria (1), Ellis (2).To begin each event, Curtis Schmidt introduced himself as president and Elmer Finck as vice president, then welcomed the crowd and thanked everyone for coming.He also thanked Gary Wentling for his 36 years of running the Tri-Star Competition and his 44 years of service with the Optimist Club of Hays. Schmidt also thanked Roger Bixenman and the staff at HRC for allowing the event, providing the shirts and helping as needed.Schmidt then mentioned the club and what it does and asked that anyone interested in becoming a member talk to him or another member.Dylan from HRC then ran through the dribbling and passing drills to show how it is done. The event then kicked off with the second graders first and moved through the grades.After each event, Schmidt congratulated and thanked all the participants and gave out the awards. The winners were as follows:GIRLS 2ND GRADE 1ST place: Stella Rodger (76) 2nd place: Kyndal Martin (72) 3rd place: Riley Dennis (62)3rd GRADE 1st place: Harper Nichell (91) 2nd place: Lily Atkinson (75) 3rd place: Macy Schaeffer (68)4th GRADE 1st place: Myka Schoepf (95) 2nd place: Mia Reyes (94) 3rd place: Brynlee Walter (78)5th GRADE 1st place: Kaymbree Staab (104) 2nd place: Ellee Lang (101) 3rd place: Amelia Atkinson (92)6th GRADE 1st place: Brynlee Rupp (124) 2nd place: Adi Gottschalk (123) 3rd place: Brynn Schoepf (116)7th GRADE 1ST place: Hannah Rose (138) ** TOP GUN WINNER!BOYS 2ND GRADE 1ST place: Liam Fabrizius (113) 2nd place: Kasen Fisher (111) 3rd place: Roman Custer (95)3rd GRADE 1st place: William Reed (134) 2nd place: Bennett Rupp (122) 3rd place: Jonah Gottschalk (112)4th GRADE 1st place: Stryker Berry (151) 2nd place: Brady Holecek (140) 3rd place: Andrew Rose (131)5th GRADE 1st place: Landon Funk (125) 2nd place: Boston Zimmerman (124) 3rd place: Rhys Custer (116)6th GRADE 1st place: Carson Ditter (154) ** TOP GUN WINNER 2nd place: Easton Ditter (135) 3rd place: Carson Berens (126)7th GRADE 1ST place: Aiden Aschenbrenner (132)Volunteers were: Preparation work: Nathan Legleiter and HRC staff (trophies, balls, T-shirts, measurements) Competition: Curtis Schmidt, Amanda Schmidt, Avery Schmidt, Ron Sandstrom, Darrell Romme, Elmer Finck, LaVonne Finck, Dave Karlin, Leslie Karlin, Dale BrungardtScorer’s Table: LaVonne (registration), Amanda (scoring), Avery (shirts)Dribbling: Dale, DarrellPassing: Ron, ElmerShooting: Dave, LeslieCover photo courtesy of Pixabay.

37th-Annual Hays Optimist Tri-Star Basketball Competition releases results

<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/2022/3/1648065134587.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

I came across a picture a few days ago that had the caption, “We can’t always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.”

I am part of a group&nbsp;of agents across several states&nbsp;who are reading and discussing the book, “The Positive Shift” by Catherine A. Sanderson. The research included in this book has been a fascinating look at how we can adjust our outlook as not all of us wake up every day filled with energy and excitement about a new day. For some, each day can be a struggle to be or stay positive. The research, however, shows that we can improve our physical and mental health by working on our outlook.

The last two years have been filled with frustration, separation, anxiety, and loss. Loss of&nbsp;civility, loss of relationships, loss of time together. I shared some pretty somber thoughts about loss with my 4-H families a few weeks ago with the reminder to check on themselves, their neighbors, and&nbsp;their&nbsp;friends.&nbsp;

At a good friend’s funeral recently, the message included that our friend had selected the Garth Brooks song, “The Dance” for the father-daughter dance at his daughter’s wedding. Our pastor related the words of the chorus&nbsp;which state:

And now I'm glad I didn't know The way it all would end, the way it all would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I'd have had to miss the dance

I hope that your takeaway of the last few years is to truly cherish friends and family and listen to the music life gives you. Look for opportunities to be kind, be helpful, be community and choose your dance every day.

Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness.

Michelle Beran is the 4-H and Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District – Barton County office. For more information on this article or other 4-H and Youth Development related questions, email Michelle at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mberan@ksu.edu">mberan@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or call 620-793-1910.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579114162620.jpeg" alt="Michelle Beran is the 4-H and Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District." />
 <figcaption>Michelle Beran is the 4-H and Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District.</figcaption>
 </figure>I came across a picture a few days ago that had the caption, “We can’t always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.”I am part of a group&nbsp;of agents across several states&nbsp;who are reading and discussing the book, “The Positive Shift” by Catherine A. Sanderson. The research included in this book has been a fascinating look at how we can adjust our outlook as not all of us wake up every day filled with energy and excitement about a new day. For some, each day can be a struggle to be or stay positive. The research, however, shows that we can improve our physical and mental health by working on our outlook.The last two years have been filled with frustration, separation, anxiety, and loss. Loss of&nbsp;civility, loss of relationships, loss of time together. I shared some pretty somber thoughts about loss with my 4-H families a few weeks ago with the reminder to check on themselves, their neighbors, and&nbsp;their&nbsp;friends.&nbsp;At a good friend’s funeral recently, the message included that our friend had selected the Garth Brooks song, “The Dance” for the father-daughter dance at his daughter’s wedding. Our pastor related the words of the chorus&nbsp;which state:And now I'm glad I didn't know The way it all would end, the way it all would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I'd have had to miss the danceI hope that your takeaway of the last few years is to truly cherish friends and family and listen to the music life gives you. Look for opportunities to be kind, be helpful, be community and choose your dance every day.Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness.Michelle Beran is the 4-H and Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District – Barton County office. For more information on this article or other 4-H and Youth Development related questions, email Michelle at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mberan@ksu.edu">mberan@ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or call 620-793-1910.

BERAN: Dancing to a better outcome

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday decreased by one the total number of COVID-19 cases in Ellis County that had been identified since Monday.

It was the last time since late July no new cases were reported in Ellis County.

<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 Wednesday morning, HaysMed reported two COVID inpatients, one active and one recovering.

Last week, 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 7,132 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648061695063.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday decreased by one the total number of COVID-19 cases in Ellis County that had been identified since Monday.It was the last time since late July no new cases were reported in Ellis County.<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 Wednesday morning, HaysMed reported two COVID inpatients, one active and one recovering.Last week, 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 7,132 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648061965902.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: First no-case COVID report for Ellis Co. since late July

THOMAS COUNTY —&nbsp;An Arkansas semi driver was injured in a single-vehicle accident just after 8 a.m. Wednesday in Thomas County.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Allen D. Narlock, 52, of Fayetteville, Ark., was eastbound on Interstate 70 approximately 20 miles east of Goodland when his 2017 Peterbilt exited the roadway to the right for unknown reasons. The semi traveled 400 feet in the ditch before rolling onto its right side.

Narlock was transported to Citizens Medical Center in Colby for treatment of a suspected minor injury. He was properly restrained, the KHP said.

THOMAS COUNTY —&nbsp;An Arkansas semi driver was injured in a single-vehicle accident just after 8 a.m. Wednesday in Thomas County.According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Allen D. Narlock, 52, of Fayetteville, Ark., was eastbound on Interstate 70 approximately 20 miles east of Goodland when his 2017 Peterbilt exited the roadway to the right for unknown reasons. The semi traveled 400 feet in the ditch before rolling onto its right side.Narlock was transported to Citizens Medical Center in Colby for treatment of a suspected minor injury. He was properly restrained, the KHP said.

Semi driver hospitalized after rig rolls on I-70 Wednesday

WICHITA — The fifth class of Rudd Scholars includes 16 Kansas high school seniors who will attend
                        Wichita State University, three of whom hail from northwest Kansas.

Each recipient will receive a full-ride scholarship, which includes tuition, fees,
                        on-campus housing, and considerable networking and coaching support along the way.
                        All Rudd Scholars are from Kansas and will attend Wichita State, Emporia State or
                        Fort Hays State.
                     

“We couldn’t ask for a better collaborative partnership from the Rudd Foundation,
                        in terms of not only making sure Shocker Rudd Scholars graduate from college debt-free,
                        but also their hands-on deployment of additional networking, mentoring and fellowship
                        activities for their students.” said Bobby Gandu, assistant vice president and director
                        of undergraduate admissions. “Based on the track record from the first four classes
                        of Rudd Scholars, this fifth class will be students who thrive academically at Wichita
                        State, while also securing incredible internships and being student leaders in our
                        campus community.”
                     

In addition to living on campus and carrying a full load of classes toward their college
                        degree, scholars will receive mentoring and success coaching to help them graduate
                        in four years. They will also participate in many developmental activities outside
                        the classroom, network with leaders in their future professions, build strong relationships
                        among themselves and serve to help the next generation of scholars through an active
                        and connected alumni association after graduation.
                     

“The foundation is honored to offer the Rudd Scholarship to each of these remarkable
 students — who are without exception, extraordinary in their intellect, work ethic
 and determination,” said Darrell Swank, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ruddfoundation.org/">Rudd Foundation</a>.&nbsp;“Leslie Rudd’s vision in establishing this scholarship program was to provide students
 of this caliber with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the college experience,
 graduate without debt and be inspired to pursue their own passions and dreams, all
 while developing a deep connection to their Kansas roots.&nbsp;As we witness the Rudd Scholars
 advance through our program and enter their chosen fields, we are seeing this come
 to fruition and Mr. Rudd would be very proud.”

This brings the greater total of Rudd Scholars studying at WSU to 64 students, the
                        most of any Kansas Board of Regents institution. In total, there are 30 Rudd Scholars
                        for 2022, and the expected value of the scholarships over four years is approximately
                        $1.2 million.
                     

The Rudd Scholarship, sponsored by the Rudd Foundation, aims to remove financial barriers
                        to a college education. Chosen scholars are expected to achieve a high level of excellence
                        on campus in preparing themselves to be leaders in their profession and in their communities
                        after graduation.
                     

2022 Rudd Scholars attending Wichita State:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637721410874.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WSUWICHITA — The fifth class of Rudd Scholars includes 16 Kansas high school seniors who will attend
 Wichita State University, three of whom hail from northwest Kansas.Each recipient will receive a full-ride scholarship, which includes tuition, fees,
 on-campus housing, and considerable networking and coaching support along the way.
 All Rudd Scholars are from Kansas and will attend Wichita State, Emporia State or
 Fort Hays State.
 “We couldn’t ask for a better collaborative partnership from the Rudd Foundation,
 in terms of not only making sure Shocker Rudd Scholars graduate from college debt-free,
 but also their hands-on deployment of additional networking, mentoring and fellowship
 activities for their students.” said Bobby Gandu, assistant vice president and director
 of undergraduate admissions. “Based on the track record from the first four classes
 of Rudd Scholars, this fifth class will be students who thrive academically at Wichita
 State, while also securing incredible internships and being student leaders in our
 campus community.”
 In addition to living on campus and carrying a full load of classes toward their college
 degree, scholars will receive mentoring and success coaching to help them graduate
 in four years. They will also participate in many developmental activities outside
 the classroom, network with leaders in their future professions, build strong relationships
 among themselves and serve to help the next generation of scholars through an active
 and connected alumni association after graduation.
 “The foundation is honored to offer the Rudd Scholarship to each of these remarkable
 students — who are without exception, extraordinary in their intellect, work ethic
 and determination,” said Darrell Swank, president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ruddfoundation.org/">Rudd Foundation</a>.&nbsp;“Leslie Rudd’s vision in establishing this scholarship program was to provide students
 of this caliber with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the college experience,
 graduate without debt and be inspired to pursue their own passions and dreams, all
 while developing a deep connection to their Kansas roots.&nbsp;As we witness the Rudd Scholars
 advance through our program and enter their chosen fields, we are seeing this come
 to fruition and Mr. Rudd would be very proud.”
 This brings the greater total of Rudd Scholars studying at WSU to 64 students, the
 most of any Kansas Board of Regents institution. In total, there are 30 Rudd Scholars
 for 2022, and the expected value of the scholarships over four years is approximately
 $1.2 million.
 The Rudd Scholarship, sponsored by the Rudd Foundation, aims to remove financial barriers
 to a college education. Chosen scholars are expected to achieve a high level of excellence
 on campus in preparing themselves to be leaders in their profession and in their communities
 after graduation.
 2022 Rudd Scholars attending Wichita State:<ul>
 <li>Gilberto Aguilera, Emporia High School</li><li>Cohen Ayres, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School (Wichita)</li><li>Riggin Carney, Flinthills High School (Rosalia, Kansas)</li><li>Hallie Fritz, Anderson County Junior and Senior High School (Garnett, Kansas)</li><li>Hyler Green, Udall High School</li><li>Megan Hensley, Kingman High School</li><li>Jace Lavigne, Ulysses High School</li><li>Carla Meraz, Sumner Academy of Arts and Science (Kansas City, Kansas)</li><li>Marisol Muñoz-Morales, Wichita Collegiate School</li><li>Bryson Murphy, Osage City High School</li><li>Amy Nguyen, Wichita South High School</li><li>Gary Phat Tran, Rose Hill High School</li><li>Ava Reis, Ness City High School</li><li>Ethan Shea, Golden Plains High School (Rexford, Kansas)</li><li>Gianna Watts, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School (Wichita)</li><li>Allison Wiggs, Wichita County Junior and Senior High School (Leoti, Kansas)</li>
 </ul>

NW Kan. students named Rudd Scholars at Wichita State

<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

<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>

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;