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

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

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

As of Monday morning, HaysMed reported three COVID inpatients, all recovering cases.

Since reporting began, there have been 7,130 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647276897242.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>No active inpatient cases at HaysMed</h2>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported one new COVID-19 case in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>As of Monday morning, HaysMed reported three COVID inpatients, all recovering cases.Since reporting began, there have been 7,130 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647276917130.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve</figcaption>
 </figure>

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

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with coach Rick Keltner.

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: Coach Rick Keltner" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=q85n3-11cfd91-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=ffffff&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with coach Rick Keltner.

🎤Forward Ever: Coach Rick Keltner

The Ellis County Fire Department on Monday announced the
implementation of a temporary burn ban in all unincorporated areas of Ellis County effective
immediately.


This is due to several reasons. First, as we move into springtime, the temperatures will start to climb
and, with little moisture to claim, ground fuels are dried out and easily susceptible to burning. In
addition to the climbing temperatures, there is continuous low humidity levels, and a long spell
without measurable moisture. The recent snowfall was not enough to keep a burn ban at bay.


The burn ban will stay in place for the foreseeable future until there is an adequate amount of
moisture throughout all the areas of Ellis County. As a reminder, the only allowable burning during a
burn ban is household waste in a barrel no larger than 55 gallons with a protective screen over the
top.


In any case in question, call 911 immediately to report a fire.


News releaseThe Ellis County Fire Department on Monday announced the
implementation of a temporary burn ban in all unincorporated areas of Ellis County effective
immediately.
This is due to several reasons. First, as we move into springtime, the temperatures will start to climb
and, with little moisture to claim, ground fuels are dried out and easily susceptible to burning. In
addition to the climbing temperatures, there is continuous low humidity levels, and a long spell
without measurable moisture. The recent snowfall was not enough to keep a burn ban at bay.
The burn ban will stay in place for the foreseeable future until there is an adequate amount of
moisture throughout all the areas of Ellis County. As a reminder, the only allowable burning during a
burn ban is household waste in a barrel no larger than 55 gallons with a protective screen over the
top.
In any case in question, call 911 immediately to report a fire.

Ellis County enacts temporary burn ban

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>

No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (30-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (23-9, 14-8 MIAA) Monday, March 14&nbsp;• 7 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Championship Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)

<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a>

Promotion: Wear Black! A trophy will be lifted and the nets will be cut down inside Gross Memorial Coliseum Monday evening by either fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball or Missouri Western. The Central Region title game between MIAA rivals will tip at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear black and purchase their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?sponsorid=15736">tickets online via this link</a>&nbsp;to avoid waiting in line at the door. Tickets ($10 adults, $5 K-12) will be available at the gate for those unable to purchase online. Free live video will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">The MIAA Network</a>, courtesy of Tiger Media Network, while voice of the Tigers, Gerard Wellbrock will have the call on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">KJLS</a>&nbsp;(103.3 FM in the Hays listening area) alongside Dustin Armbruster. The Tigers (30-3) won their 11th-consecutive game on Saturday, a thrilling 59-55 win over St. Cloud State in the regional semifinals. The Griffons (23-9) continued their impressive run in the tournament with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney to reach the regional final. Fort Hays State beat Missouri Western twice in the regular season,&nbsp;including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and a nine-point win in overtime at home (78-69, 2/23/22). The Tigers lead the all-time series 32-23, including wins in four straight. FHSU is 21-5 at home against the Griffons. The Tigers are 16-6 against MWSU under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;and 10-0 at home. Saturday's win was Fort Hays State's 30th victory of the season, with the Tigers reaching that milestone for the fourth time in program history. It's the third 30-win season for the Tigers over the last eight years. In comparison, the rest of the MIAA has a combined one 30-win season during that timeframe (UCM 2017-18). FHSU's 58 rebounds against Minnesota State are the most in a single game by a team through two rounds of the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner's</a>&nbsp;16 rebounds against MSU are fourth-most in a game by an individual and her six steals against St. Cloud State are third-most in a game during the tournament. The Tigers rank fourth overall with nine blocks, fourth in total rebounds with 91, fifth in rebounds per game at 45.5, second in total steals at 25, and ninth in field goal percentage defense at 33.9 percent. The Tigers are 7-6 overall, 0-2 in the championship, 6-3 as the No. 1 seed, 0-0 against the No. 7 seed, 6-2 in home games, 6-4 while ranked and 1-3 against MIAA programs in the NCAA DII regional tournament all-time. Six No. 1 seeds remain in the national tournament, with East Region No. 1 Southern New Hampshire falling in the quarterfinals and Midwest top seed Ashland losing in the semifinals. Fort Hays State is now 73-5 (.936) in non-conference home games under Hobson. The Tigers are 189-29 overall at home during the Hobson era, good for a winning percentage of .867. Through two games, Missouri Western ranks first out of 64 teams in the NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship in assists (44), assists per game (22.0), field goal percentage (56.8), scoring offense (91.5 ppg), 3-pointers made (20) and 3-point field goal percentage (52.6). The Griffons defeated second-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State 111-77 behind 15 3-pointers in the regional quarterfinal. Connie Clarke (team-high 12.7 points, 8.7 rebounds per game)&nbsp;was a second team All-MIAA selection in addition to earning a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Corbyn Cunningham and Brionna Budgetts also earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors. The victor of Monday's regional championship game will get a week off before opening play in the Elite Eight on Monday, March 21 in Birmingham, Ala. The national semifinals will be played on Wednesday, March 23 before the DII National Championship trophy is handed out on Friday, March 25.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647270807206.jpeg" alt="Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (30-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (23-9, 14-8 MIAA) Monday, March 14&nbsp;• 7 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Championship Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a>Promotion: Wear Black! A trophy will be lifted and the nets will be cut down inside Gross Memorial Coliseum Monday evening by either fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball or Missouri Western. The Central Region title game between MIAA rivals will tip at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear black and purchase their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?sponsorid=15736">tickets online via this link</a>&nbsp;to avoid waiting in line at the door. Tickets ($10 adults, $5 K-12) will be available at the gate for those unable to purchase online. Free live video will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">The MIAA Network</a>, courtesy of Tiger Media Network, while voice of the Tigers, Gerard Wellbrock will have the call on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">KJLS</a>&nbsp;(103.3 FM in the Hays listening area) alongside Dustin Armbruster. The Tigers (30-3) won their 11th-consecutive game on Saturday, a thrilling 59-55 win over St. Cloud State in the regional semifinals. The Griffons (23-9) continued their impressive run in the tournament with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney to reach the regional final. Fort Hays State beat Missouri Western twice in the regular season,&nbsp;including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and a nine-point win in overtime at home (78-69, 2/23/22). The Tigers lead the all-time series 32-23, including wins in four straight. FHSU is 21-5 at home against the Griffons. The Tigers are 16-6 against MWSU under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;and 10-0 at home. Saturday's win was Fort Hays State's 30th victory of the season, with the Tigers reaching that milestone for the fourth time in program history. It's the third 30-win season for the Tigers over the last eight years. In comparison, the rest of the MIAA has a combined one 30-win season during that timeframe (UCM 2017-18). FHSU's 58 rebounds against Minnesota State are the most in a single game by a team through two rounds of the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner's</a>&nbsp;16 rebounds against MSU are fourth-most in a game by an individual and her six steals against St. Cloud State are third-most in a game during the tournament. The Tigers rank fourth overall with nine blocks, fourth in total rebounds with 91, fifth in rebounds per game at 45.5, second in total steals at 25, and ninth in field goal percentage defense at 33.9 percent. The Tigers are 7-6 overall, 0-2 in the championship, 6-3 as the No. 1 seed, 0-0 against the No. 7 seed, 6-2 in home games, 6-4 while ranked and 1-3 against MIAA programs in the NCAA DII regional tournament all-time. Six No. 1 seeds remain in the national tournament, with East Region No. 1 Southern New Hampshire falling in the quarterfinals and Midwest top seed Ashland losing in the semifinals. Fort Hays State is now 73-5 (.936) in non-conference home games under Hobson. The Tigers are 189-29 overall at home during the Hobson era, good for a winning percentage of .867. Through two games, Missouri Western ranks first out of 64 teams in the NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship in assists (44), assists per game (22.0), field goal percentage (56.8), scoring offense (91.5 ppg), 3-pointers made (20) and 3-point field goal percentage (52.6). The Griffons defeated second-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State 111-77 behind 15 3-pointers in the regional quarterfinal. Connie Clarke (team-high 12.7 points, 8.7 rebounds per game)&nbsp;was a second team All-MIAA selection in addition to earning a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Corbyn Cunningham and Brionna Budgetts also earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors. The victor of Monday's regional championship game will get a week off before opening play in the Elite Eight on Monday, March 21 in Birmingham, Ala. The national semifinals will be played on Wednesday, March 23 before the DII National Championship trophy is handed out on Friday, March 25.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 FHSU women host Griffons with trip to Elite Eight on the line

After being <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4502fd64-a591-4bf8-8ba8-fc326c27f0cb">rebuffed
by the Ellis County Commission in January,</a> the Hays Board of Realtors
continues in its effort to bring a proposal to county voters that would
increase the number of commissioners from three to five.

To bring the measure to voters the board will need signatures
from five percent of Ellis County voters –&nbsp;around 950
signatures.

The effort to collect signatures began after the January meeting,
where County Commission chair Butch Schlyer said he was “100-percent opposed”
to the effort and asked that as they collect signatures, they tell the public, “This
is not in their best interest.”

Past president of the board Robert Readle said he had hoped the commission would be supportive of the measure going into that
meeting but were prepared to begin collecting signatures as well. 

“We looked into this petition effort and were advised by our
counsel, that there were really two avenues to go,” Readle said. 

He said the board was advised to approach the commission
first to see if they would be supportive of the measure.

“However, we were a little disappointed,” Readle said. “Neither
of the commissioners that were there that night&nbsp;– which ironically, one of the
commissioners had resigned at the beginning of that meeting, so, we were
presenting to two commissioners again&nbsp;– but nevertheless, neither one of them were
in support of that.”

And so, by default, they were forced to attempt the second
method, collecting signatures in order to bring the measure to voters.

“This is just placing it on the ballot,” Readle said. “This
isn't changing anything, it's really just putting it out to the public so that the
county can vote on this.”

And while the issue is being talked discussed in the public sphere,
he said some have been supportive of the effort itself, to bring the measure to a vote.

“Several people that actually have agreed to sign the
petition and said, ‘You know, I'm not saying whether I agree or disagree with
your effort, but I do think it should be put to a vote,’” Readle said. “And so,
it's really just to put it on the ballot.”

The first signatures were collected shortly after the
meeting with the commission, with the hopes of bringing the issue to the voters
this year.

After collecting signatures Readle said, “we take it to the
county clerk, they certify the petition. They'll have to make sure that
everybody that signed it is a registered voter in Ellis County. So that can be
a pretty lengthy process. Our goal is to get over 1000 signatures.”

Once certified the measure will be placed on the ballot.

“We’re looking to have this wrapped up by late July,” Readle
said. “That should give them plenty of time to certify the petition and put it
on the ballot for the November election.”

The board believes the commission should be expanded to help
bring more stability to the county government.

“As a board, we've kind of observed a couple of shortcomings
with the current county commission, just the way it's structured, not
necessarily the members or how they've been voting,” Readle said. “We've seen
just a couple of issues arise that we think could be very easily solved by just
expanding the commission from three seats to five.”

He pointed to land development projects that were rejected
by the commission as examples of why five commissioners would better suit Ellis
County, including Blue Sky Acres.

“That was a petitioner coming to the county government to do
a development south of Hays,” Readle said. “There were only three commissioners
at the time, and one of them had to recuse themselves. And so that left the
county commission, with only two voting members deciding on this, and
effectively a single commissioner was against it.”

“And so, they effectively had veto power on anything coming
through the commission when there's only two commissioners,” he continued. “Whether
you agree or disagree with the way she was voting, it's really not the point.
What we're concerned with is that we think with five commissioners, it would
take at least two commissioners to be against if one of them were to recuse.
And we just think two would be better than one. ... Veto
power like that is less than ideal in our eyes.”

While Readle said he was doubtful an expanded commission would
be an answer to every concern, it may help smooth over contentious issues, that
have in the past led to notable incidents during commission meetings.

“I do think that being able to communicate prior to
meetings, being able to go back to petitioners prior to them coming into the
public meeting, may help keep some of those really hot button issues from
boiling over,” Readle said. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7815a4ca-e1f2-45a7-a99d-bc45aa69e178">“I mean, I think one of those commission meetings a
gal got arrested during the meeting.”</a>

“And so, you know, just from our experience with the City
Commission, being able to come to them talk about the issue, they were able to
kind of step back, assess, think through it and come back to us again. I don't
know that the county really is able to work through that process as well. And
it may just help kind of iron out some of those issues prior to the meeting.
And then it isn't such a chaotic scene.”

Readle said while the board believes the expanded commission
would be a good move the Ellis County, he understands that with only three commissioners’
conversations, are more public by default.

“Some people that are against it, view a three-member
commission, as the best way to keep everything aboveboard,” he said. “With only
three commissioners, they cannot visit with each other directly. The Kansas
Open Meetings Act prohibits them from discussing things outside of the county
commission meeting itself.”

But the group’s experience with the five-member Hays City
Commission has demonstrated how well a five-member board can work.

“When there's a five-member commission, they're able to go
back and meet with each other on a one-on-one basis, discuss things, gain
additional insight, understand somebody else's point of view and oftentimes
that leads to more questions,” Readle said. “We were just able to really work
through a lot more of their concerns prior to it going to a public meeting,
which I think is good, it leads to better-informed decisions.”

“With the county, when there's only three, they can't visit
with each other before the meeting. And so sometimes it takes a long time to
work through the different issues. And we just feel like sometimes the
commissioners aren't seeing eye to eye on some issues. It leads to some
pretty wild meetings and on occasion.”

Hays residents interested in signing the petition that would
bring place the measure on the November ballot can visit most Hays realtors.

“If you're interested in finding out more you can go in,
talk to us,” Readle said. “Or if you're just ready to support our petition
again, just to place it on the ballot, stop in and sign up.”

<div><iframe title="Efforts to expand Ellis County Commission continue" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=p5dxi-11cc497-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=ffffff&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>By JAMES BELL Hays PostAfter being <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4502fd64-a591-4bf8-8ba8-fc326c27f0cb">rebuffed
by the Ellis County Commission in January,</a> the Hays Board of Realtors
continues in its effort to bring a proposal to county voters that would
increase the number of commissioners from three to five.To bring the measure to voters the board will need signatures
from five percent of Ellis County voters –&nbsp;around 950
signatures.The effort to collect signatures began after the January meeting,
where County Commission chair Butch Schlyer said he was “100-percent opposed”
to the effort and asked that as they collect signatures, they tell the public, “This
is not in their best interest.”Past president of the board Robert Readle said he had hoped the commission would be supportive of the measure going into that
meeting but were prepared to begin collecting signatures as well. “We looked into this petition effort and were advised by our
counsel, that there were really two avenues to go,” Readle said. He said the board was advised to approach the commission
first to see if they would be supportive of the measure.“However, we were a little disappointed,” Readle said. “Neither
of the commissioners that were there that night&nbsp;– which ironically, one of the
commissioners had resigned at the beginning of that meeting, so, we were
presenting to two commissioners again&nbsp;– but nevertheless, neither one of them were
in support of that.”And so, by default, they were forced to attempt the second
method, collecting signatures in order to bring the measure to voters.“This is just placing it on the ballot,” Readle said. “This
isn't changing anything, it's really just putting it out to the public so that the
county can vote on this.”And while the issue is being talked discussed in the public sphere,
he said some have been supportive of the effort itself, to bring the measure to a vote.“Several people that actually have agreed to sign the
petition and said, ‘You know, I'm not saying whether I agree or disagree with
your effort, but I do think it should be put to a vote,’” Readle said. “And so,
it's really just to put it on the ballot.”The first signatures were collected shortly after the
meeting with the commission, with the hopes of bringing the issue to the voters
this year.After collecting signatures Readle said, “we take it to the
county clerk, they certify the petition. They'll have to make sure that
everybody that signed it is a registered voter in Ellis County. So that can be
a pretty lengthy process. Our goal is to get over 1000 signatures.”Once certified the measure will be placed on the ballot.“We’re looking to have this wrapped up by late July,” Readle
said. “That should give them plenty of time to certify the petition and put it
on the ballot for the November election.”The board believes the commission should be expanded to help
bring more stability to the county government.“As a board, we've kind of observed a couple of shortcomings
with the current county commission, just the way it's structured, not
necessarily the members or how they've been voting,” Readle said. “We've seen
just a couple of issues arise that we think could be very easily solved by just
expanding the commission from three seats to five.”He pointed to land development projects that were rejected
by the commission as examples of why five commissioners would better suit Ellis
County, including Blue Sky Acres.“That was a petitioner coming to the county government to do
a development south of Hays,” Readle said. “There were only three commissioners
at the time, and one of them had to recuse themselves. And so that left the
county commission, with only two voting members deciding on this, and
effectively a single commissioner was against it.”“And so, they effectively had veto power on anything coming
through the commission when there's only two commissioners,” he continued. “Whether
you agree or disagree with the way she was voting, it's really not the point.
What we're concerned with is that we think with five commissioners, it would
take at least two commissioners to be against if one of them were to recuse.
And we just think two would be better than one. ... Veto
power like that is less than ideal in our eyes.”While Readle said he was doubtful an expanded commission would
be an answer to every concern, it may help smooth over contentious issues, that
have in the past led to notable incidents during commission meetings.“I do think that being able to communicate prior to
meetings, being able to go back to petitioners prior to them coming into the
public meeting, may help keep some of those really hot button issues from
boiling over,” Readle said. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7815a4ca-e1f2-45a7-a99d-bc45aa69e178">“I mean, I think one of those commission meetings a
gal got arrested during the meeting.”</a>“And so, you know, just from our experience with the City
Commission, being able to come to them talk about the issue, they were able to
kind of step back, assess, think through it and come back to us again. I don't
know that the county really is able to work through that process as well. And
it may just help kind of iron out some of those issues prior to the meeting.
And then it isn't such a chaotic scene.”Readle said while the board believes the expanded commission
would be a good move the Ellis County, he understands that with only three commissioners’
conversations, are more public by default.“Some people that are against it, view a three-member
commission, as the best way to keep everything aboveboard,” he said. “With only
three commissioners, they cannot visit with each other directly. The Kansas
Open Meetings Act prohibits them from discussing things outside of the county
commission meeting itself.”But the group’s experience with the five-member Hays City
Commission has demonstrated how well a five-member board can work.“When there's a five-member commission, they're able to go
back and meet with each other on a one-on-one basis, discuss things, gain
additional insight, understand somebody else's point of view and oftentimes
that leads to more questions,” Readle said. “We were just able to really work
through a lot more of their concerns prior to it going to a public meeting,
which I think is good, it leads to better-informed decisions.”“With the county, when there's only three, they can't visit
with each other before the meeting. And so sometimes it takes a long time to
work through the different issues. And we just feel like sometimes the
commissioners aren't seeing eye to eye on some issues. It leads to some
pretty wild meetings and on occasion.”Hays residents interested in signing the petition that would
bring place the measure on the November ballot can visit most Hays realtors.“If you're interested in finding out more you can go in,
talk to us,” Readle said. “Or if you're just ready to support our petition
again, just to place it on the ballot, stop in and sign up.”

🎙 Efforts to expand Ellis County Commission continue

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

<a href="https://hayschamber.com/sites/default/files/ec_summary_report_child_care_survey.pdf">A recent survey conducted in Ellis County on child care</a> found 151 individuals — 97 percent of those individuals seeking child care — would return to the work force if they had affordable child care.

Ninety percent of the respondents to this portion of the survey were women and 45 percent of those respondents had bachelor's degrees.

In a county with a unemployment rate of 1.4 percent as of December, that is significant, said Sarah Wasinger, Hays Chamber executive director.

"There's lots of mothers who are staying at home and providing child care for their children instead of working," Wasinger said. "We know additionally they would bring in an additional $40,000 to $50,000 in income each year if they would be able to work."

The survey included about 800 respondents who self-selected to take the survey. Wasinger said the survey likely does not reflect all the needs in the community, only the data the survey could capture.

The top three barriers to finding care were listed as cost, dependable care and quality of care, with the later two rankings very close behind cost.

On average in Kansas about 7 percent of a family's income is spent on child care, but Ellis County exceeds that at between 11 and 12 percent, Wasinger said.

Although these three factors were paramount in parents' minds, many parents in Ellis County and across northwest Kansas are caught in the child care gap. 

Ellis County has eight child care centers and 79 family child care homes. Child care has about an $11.4 million impact on the county, according to Child Care Aware of Kansas.

Care for infants and toddlers is especially critical. According to a 2020 child care demand study, Ellis County had one child care opening for every 10 children in need of care younger than 3.

However, Jewell, Decatur and Gove counties had no infant or toddler spots. Thomas County had 31 to 40 children for every opening, and Norton County had 21 to 30 children for every open spot.

Before the pandemic in 2019, the state reported the child care gap to be 35.5 percent with an economic impact of $2.2 to $3.3 billion.

Wasinger, who is a member of the <a href="https://hayschamber.com/child-care-task-force-of-ellis-county">Child Care Task Force of Ellis County</a>, said. The pandemic has worsened the issue, as more home-based care providers have chosen to close.

Members of the Child Care Task Force of Ellis County met Thursday with state representatives of Child Care Aware of Kansas and related child care support agencies. 

The group discussed the importance of child care to maintaining a quality work force, as well as how businesses could support the child care sector.

Sandy Gottschalk, HaysMed Pathways to Excellence coordinator, said child care is a significant issue in staffing. One of the counties largest employers, HaysMed employees 1,500 people.

Brett Schmidt, task force member and owner of Learning Cross Preschool in Hays, said he does not see a desire among businesses to become child care providers. The cost is too high, and they don't want the liability, he said.

However, some businesses in the region have been willing to provide space for outside providers. 

Wasinger said some communities have used a pay-to-play model. A business pays to reserve child care spots whether they have employees using the spots or not.

Schmidt said paying to reserve spots is becoming more common. Some families are waiting to start families until they know they have a spot reserved.

The group discussed ways of providing incentives for new providers to enter the market, as well as existing providers to expand their services.

Schmidt said many barriers exist for providers.

Among the top issues is a stable work force. He said wages tend to be low for child care workers and burn out tends to be high. In addition, child care staff need to have Child Development Accreditation to supervise children in a licensed child care center.&nbsp;

This requires 120 hours of early childhood education, 480 hours for work experience with children, an exam and a verification visit.

Sarah Meitner, task force member and director of the Heartland Community Foundation, suggested local students could be working toward their accreditation while in high school. This would provide extra hands for child care providers and help produce a new crop of professionals entering the workforce upon graduation.

The state provides scholarships for students who are seeking their accreditation. 

The group discussed the use of volunteers, but concerns were raised about training, as well as consistency and safety for the children.

Although funds are needed for start-up costs for centers, funds should also be dedicated for staff recruitment and retention, Schmidt said.

Schmidt suggested providers joining into networks to share employees. He said providers have a great need for substitute staff.

Schmidt also lamented the cost of building or even renting space in Hays can be prohibitive for providers. He said he was lucky his landlord for his second center agreed to keep his rent affordable based on the services he is offering.

The group talked about ways organizations, such as Grow Hays and the Heartland Community Foundation, which have non-profit status, could help providers apply for grants to renovate buildings for new child care facilities.

Meitner also suggested a fund could be created within the foundation that could be used to support child care providers. That fund could be the beneficiary of estate gifts, which could allow a donor to give a donation that could grow over time.

The state representatives also discussed a variety of funding sources and support programs for child care providers.

Christina Ferguson of Child Care Aware Kansas discussed a grant program that is providing a third round of COVID relief funds to child care providers. Applications are open now.

Program that are permanently licensed through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment can apply for up to $1,800 per month for child care homes and up to $18,000 per month for large child care centers.

The group also discussed options that could reduce operating costs or supplement providers' incomes. Representatives from the Department of Children and Families suggested providers encourage eligible low-income families to apply for child care subsidies.

"It helps the families and also helps the provider," said Jennifer Pishny of the Department for Children and Families.

Kelly Horn of Sunshine Connections discussed federally funded food assistance programs available to child care providers. Twenty-five percent of the children in a program have to qualify as low-income. The program supplements the cost of both meals and snacks for children.

"Children are getting the right foods they need to develop and are learning healthy eating habits," she said.

For providers who don't qualify for the federal program, she suggested providers organize purchasing groups so they could take advantage of discounts for buying in bulk.

<a href="https://kccto.org/">Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities</a>, <a href="https://ks.childcareaware.org/">Child Care Aware of Kansas</a>, <a href="https://ksaeyc.net/">Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children</a> and <a href="https://www.ccpcofks.com/">Child Care Providers Coalition of Kansas</a> all provide a long list of services and resources for both perspective and existing providers.

These groups can help with provider start-up, business plans, ideas on creating contracts and policies, training, as well as peer support.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646954244495.jpeg" alt="File photo " />
 <figcaption>File photo </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post<a href="https://hayschamber.com/sites/default/files/ec_summary_report_child_care_survey.pdf">A recent survey conducted in Ellis County on child care</a> found 151 individuals — 97 percent of those individuals seeking child care — would return to the work force if they had affordable child care.Ninety percent of the respondents to this portion of the survey were women and 45 percent of those respondents had bachelor's degrees.In a county with a unemployment rate of 1.4 percent as of December, that is significant, said Sarah Wasinger, Hays Chamber executive director."There's lots of mothers who are staying at home and providing child care for their children instead of working," Wasinger said. "We know additionally they would bring in an additional $40,000 to $50,000 in income each year if they would be able to work."The survey included about 800 respondents who self-selected to take the survey. Wasinger said the survey likely does not reflect all the needs in the community, only the data the survey could capture.The top three barriers to finding care were listed as cost, dependable care and quality of care, with the later two rankings very close behind cost.On average in Kansas about 7 percent of a family's income is spent on child care, but Ellis County exceeds that at between 11 and 12 percent, Wasinger said.<h2>Child care gap</h2>Although these three factors were paramount in parents' minds, many parents in Ellis County and across northwest Kansas are caught in the child care gap. Ellis County has eight child care centers and 79 family child care homes. Child care has about an $11.4 million impact on the county, according to Child Care Aware of Kansas. Care for infants and toddlers is especially critical. According to a 2020 child care demand study, Ellis County had one child care opening for every 10 children in need of care younger than 3.However, Jewell, Decatur and Gove counties had no infant or toddler spots. Thomas County had 31 to 40 children for every opening, and Norton County had 21 to 30 children for every open spot.Before the pandemic in 2019, the state reported the child care gap to be 35.5 percent with an economic impact of $2.2 to $3.3 billion.Wasinger, who is a member of the <a href="https://hayschamber.com/child-care-task-force-of-ellis-county">Child Care Task Force of Ellis County</a>, said. The pandemic has worsened the issue, as more home-based care providers have chosen to close.<h2>Effects of child care on local business</h2>Members of the Child Care Task Force of Ellis County met Thursday with state representatives of Child Care Aware of Kansas and related child care support agencies. The group discussed the importance of child care to maintaining a quality work force, as well as how businesses could support the child care sector.Sandy Gottschalk, HaysMed Pathways to Excellence coordinator, said child care is a significant issue in staffing. One of the counties largest employers, HaysMed employees 1,500 people. Brett Schmidt, task force member and owner of Learning Cross Preschool in Hays, said he does not see a desire among businesses to become child care providers. The cost is too high, and they don't want the liability, he said. However, some businesses in the region have been willing to provide space for outside providers. Wasinger said some communities have used a pay-to-play model. A business pays to reserve child care spots whether they have employees using the spots or not.Schmidt said paying to reserve spots is becoming more common. Some families are waiting to start families until they know they have a spot reserved.<h2>Child care work force issues</h2>The group discussed ways of providing incentives for new providers to enter the market, as well as existing providers to expand their services.Schmidt said many barriers exist for providers.Among the top issues is a stable work force. He said wages tend to be low for child care workers and burn out tends to be high. In addition, child care staff need to have Child Development Accreditation to supervise children in a licensed child care center.&nbsp;This requires 120 hours of early childhood education, 480 hours for work experience with children, an exam and a verification visit.Sarah Meitner, task force member and director of the Heartland Community Foundation, suggested local students could be working toward their accreditation while in high school. This would provide extra hands for child care providers and help produce a new crop of professionals entering the workforce upon graduation.The state provides scholarships for students who are seeking their accreditation. The group discussed the use of volunteers, but concerns were raised about training, as well as consistency and safety for the children.Although funds are needed for start-up costs for centers, funds should also be dedicated for staff recruitment and retention, Schmidt said. Schmidt suggested providers joining into networks to share employees. He said providers have a great need for substitute staff.Schmidt also lamented the cost of building or even renting space in Hays can be prohibitive for providers. He said he was lucky his landlord for his second center agreed to keep his rent affordable based on the services he is offering.<h2>Supplemental funding for providers</h2>The group talked about ways organizations, such as Grow Hays and the Heartland Community Foundation, which have non-profit status, could help providers apply for grants to renovate buildings for new child care facilities.Meitner also suggested a fund could be created within the foundation that could be used to support child care providers. That fund could be the beneficiary of estate gifts, which could allow a donor to give a donation that could grow over time.The state representatives also discussed a variety of funding sources and support programs for child care providers.Christina Ferguson of Child Care Aware Kansas discussed a grant program that is providing a third round of COVID relief funds to child care providers. Applications are open now. Program that are permanently licensed through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment can apply for up to $1,800 per month for child care homes and up to $18,000 per month for large child care centers.The group also discussed options that could reduce operating costs or supplement providers' incomes. Representatives from the Department of Children and Families suggested providers encourage eligible low-income families to apply for child care subsidies."It helps the families and also helps the provider," said Jennifer Pishny of the Department for Children and Families. Kelly Horn of Sunshine Connections discussed federally funded food assistance programs available to child care providers. Twenty-five percent of the children in a program have to qualify as low-income. The program supplements the cost of both meals and snacks for children."Children are getting the right foods they need to develop and are learning healthy eating habits," she said.For providers who don't qualify for the federal program, she suggested providers organize purchasing groups so they could take advantage of discounts for buying in bulk.<h2>More resources</h2><a href="https://kccto.org/">Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities</a>, <a href="https://ks.childcareaware.org/">Child Care Aware of Kansas</a>, <a href="https://ksaeyc.net/">Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children</a> and <a href="https://www.ccpcofks.com/">Child Care Providers Coalition of Kansas</a> all provide a long list of services and resources for both perspective and existing providers.These groups can help with provider start-up, business plans, ideas on creating contracts and policies, training, as well as peer support.

Moms would re-enter Ellis County workforce if child care available, survey says

Senator Rick Billinger&nbsp;Newsletter March 14, 2022

TOPEKA - Last week we passed the budget out of Ways and Means. On Tuesday debate will be held on the Senate floor to pass said budget. Next week I will let you know the highlights of the budget passed out of the Senate.

The Senate confirmed Janet Stanek as Secretary of Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Angela Coble to the Kansas Court of Appeals.

It is fiscally responsible to use one-time money to pay off debt. Given the influx of federal funds, Republicans are leading the effort to reduce the state’s debt and meet our obligation to retirees. SB523 passed the Senate and will authorize the transfer of $1.0 billion from the State General Fund to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) Trust fund in four scheduled payments. Of that amount, $600 million would be transferred in FY 2022 in two installments - $300.0 million on the effective date of the bill and $300.0 million on June 1, 2022. The remaining $400.0 million would be $200.0 million on October 1, 2022, and $200.0 million on January 1, 2023, with the State Finance Council’s approval after reviewing the State’s financial position.

A tax package was approved by the Senate, which offers a series of tax credits in addition to property tax relief for Kansans. The components include:

*Aviation Tax Credit which will allow employers whose principal business activity involves the aviation sector to receive a nonrefundable income tax credit beginning, tax year 2023, for tuition or certain program specific course-fee reimbursements paid to a full-time “qualified employee,” as defined by the bill, who has graduated from an accredited engineering or technology undergraduate or graduate degree program, an associate of applied science degree program, or career technical program.

*Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credit is to facilitate investment in suitable housing that will support the growth of communities lacking housing by attracting new employees, residents and families and will support the development and expansion of businesses that are job and wealth creating enterprises.

*Kansas Affordable Housing Tax Credit Act will create tax credits for individual, person, firm, corporation or other entity owning as interest in a “qualified development” and subject to applicable Kansas taxes. Qualified developments would be low-income housing projects.

*Teacher Classroom Supplies Tax Credits will create an individual income tax credit for public or private school teachers residing in Kansas equal to the taxpayer’s expenditures for school and classroom supplies during the year. The credit would be effective beginning in tax year 2022 and would be limited to $250 per year.

*Homestead Property Tax Refund Claims will provide for refund claims to be paid to claimants who are at least 65 years old or a disabled veteran, reside in a homestead with an appraisal value of $350,000 or less for the entire year, and have a household income of $50,000 or less. The $50,000 amount would be annually adjusted by the cost of living.

*Residential Property Tax Exemption will increase the amount of the residential exemption from the 20 mills uniform statewide school finance property tax levy from $20,000 of valuation to $65,000 of valuation beginning in tax year 2022 and provide for the amount to be increased in future tax years according to the average percentage change in statewide residential real property for the preceding 10 tax years.

I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions or concerns, my office number is 785 296-7399 or my cell is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.

Rick Billingr, R-Goodland, is the 40th district senator which includes:

Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins,&nbsp;Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace Counties Phillips County: Cities: Logan, Long Island, Prairie View, Speed;&nbsp;Townships: Beaver, Belmont, Dayton, Granite, Logan, Long Island, Mound, Plainview, Prairie View,&nbsp;Solomon(part) and Towanda

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644852447177.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist." />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, 40th Dist.</figcaption>
 </figure>Senator Rick Billinger&nbsp;Newsletter March 14, 2022 TOPEKA - Last week we passed the budget out of Ways and Means. On Tuesday debate will be held on the Senate floor to pass said budget. Next week I will let you know the highlights of the budget passed out of the Senate.The Senate confirmed Janet Stanek as Secretary of Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Angela Coble to the Kansas Court of Appeals.It is fiscally responsible to use one-time money to pay off debt. Given the influx of federal funds, Republicans are leading the effort to reduce the state’s debt and meet our obligation to retirees. SB523 passed the Senate and will authorize the transfer of $1.0 billion from the State General Fund to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) Trust fund in four scheduled payments. Of that amount, $600 million would be transferred in FY 2022 in two installments - $300.0 million on the effective date of the bill and $300.0 million on June 1, 2022. The remaining $400.0 million would be $200.0 million on October 1, 2022, and $200.0 million on January 1, 2023, with the State Finance Council’s approval after reviewing the State’s financial position.A tax package was approved by the Senate, which offers a series of tax credits in addition to property tax relief for Kansans. The components include:*Aviation Tax Credit which will allow employers whose principal business activity involves the aviation sector to receive a nonrefundable income tax credit beginning, tax year 2023, for tuition or certain program specific course-fee reimbursements paid to a full-time “qualified employee,” as defined by the bill, who has graduated from an accredited engineering or technology undergraduate or graduate degree program, an associate of applied science degree program, or career technical program.*Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credit is to facilitate investment in suitable housing that will support the growth of communities lacking housing by attracting new employees, residents and families and will support the development and expansion of businesses that are job and wealth creating enterprises.*Kansas Affordable Housing Tax Credit Act will create tax credits for individual, person, firm, corporation or other entity owning as interest in a “qualified development” and subject to applicable Kansas taxes. Qualified developments would be low-income housing projects.*Teacher Classroom Supplies Tax Credits will create an individual income tax credit for public or private school teachers residing in Kansas equal to the taxpayer’s expenditures for school and classroom supplies during the year. The credit would be effective beginning in tax year 2022 and would be limited to $250 per year.*Homestead Property Tax Refund Claims will provide for refund claims to be paid to claimants who are at least 65 years old or a disabled veteran, reside in a homestead with an appraisal value of $350,000 or less for the entire year, and have a household income of $50,000 or less. The $50,000 amount would be annually adjusted by the cost of living.*Residential Property Tax Exemption will increase the amount of the residential exemption from the 20 mills uniform statewide school finance property tax levy from $20,000 of valuation to $65,000 of valuation beginning in tax year 2022 and provide for the amount to be increased in future tax years according to the average percentage change in statewide residential real property for the preceding 10 tax years.I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions or concerns, my office number is 785 296-7399 or my cell is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.Rick Billingr, R-Goodland, is the 40th district senator which includes:Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Rawlins,&nbsp;Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, Trego and Wallace Counties Phillips County: Cities: Logan, Long Island, Prairie View, Speed;&nbsp;Townships: Beaver, Belmont, Dayton, Granite, Logan, Long Island, Mound, Plainview, Prairie View,&nbsp;Solomon(part) and Towanda

BILLINGER: Senate Update, March 14, 2022

Online ranker Best Things in Kansas recently placed two northwest Kansas establishments on its "Best Milkshakes in Kansas" listing.

Vernie's Hamburger House in Hays and Gibson's Health Mart in WaKeeney both were honored.

Click <a href="https://bestthingsks.com/milkshakes/">HERE</a> to read the article.

Online ranker Best Things in Kansas recently placed two northwest Kansas establishments on its "Best Milkshakes in Kansas" listing.Vernie's Hamburger House in Hays and Gibson's Health Mart in WaKeeney both were honored.Click <a href="https://bestthingsks.com/milkshakes/">HERE</a> to read the article.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Two NW Kan. establishments earn spot on 'best milkshake' list

By TROY RUDA Thomas More Prep-Marian

Seniors
 Kassidi Yost and Ella Brummer are hosting a delicious Sunday breakfast 
with all proceeds benefitting the Disaster Relief Fund with the 
Heartland Community Foundation.

Let us do the cooking and you 
enjoy scrambled eggs, sausage links, biscuits and gravy, hashbrowns, 
orange juice, coffee and water.

<a href="https://www.tmp-m.org/o/tmpm/page/capstone-breakfast">Click here to purchase your tickets online</a>, or visit the TMP-M front office to purchase in person.

By TROY RUDA Thomas More Prep-MarianSeniors
 Kassidi Yost and Ella Brummer are hosting a delicious Sunday breakfast 
with all proceeds benefitting the Disaster Relief Fund with the 
Heartland Community Foundation.Let us do the cooking and you 
enjoy scrambled eggs, sausage links, biscuits and gravy, hashbrowns, 
orange juice, coffee and water.<ul>
 <li>Sunday, April 24th, 2022</li><li>8:00 am - 12:00 pm</li><li>TMP-Marian Dining Hall</li><li>Adults - $10/$12 at the door</li><li>Students - $7/$9 at the door</li><li>Seniors - $8/$10 at the door</li><li>5 and under - Free</li>
 </ul><a href="https://www.tmp-m.org/o/tmpm/page/capstone-breakfast">Click here to purchase your tickets online</a>, or visit the TMP-M front office to purchase in person.

TMP-M Senior Capstone Breakfast will benefit disaster relief fund

<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/2022/3/1647026392918.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

MIDWEST WIRELINE OF HAYS IS LOOKING FOR CDL DRIVERS TO JOIN THEIR TEAM.&nbsp; THOSE WHO HAVE A CURRENT CDL ARE PREFERRED, BUT MIDWEST WIRELINE IS WILLING TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.&nbsp; 

MIDWEST WIRELINE OFFERS GREAT PAY, BENEFITS AND QUICK ADVANCEMENT POTENTIAL WITHIN THEIR COMPANY.&nbsp; 

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION, CALL 785-625-3858 OR IN PERSON AT 1846 250TH AVE, BLDG D IN HAYS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647010791148.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MIDWEST WIRELINE OF HAYS IS LOOKING FOR CDL DRIVERS TO JOIN THEIR TEAM.&nbsp; THOSE WHO HAVE A CURRENT CDL ARE PREFERRED, BUT MIDWEST WIRELINE IS WILLING TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.&nbsp; MIDWEST WIRELINE OFFERS GREAT PAY, BENEFITS AND QUICK ADVANCEMENT POTENTIAL WITHIN THEIR COMPANY.&nbsp; FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION, CALL 785-625-3858 OR IN PERSON AT 1846 250TH AVE, BLDG D IN HAYS.

Harvard professor to speak at Fort Hays State

Recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://imagineelliscounty.org/">Imagine Ellis County&nbsp;</a>hosted representatives of various organizations from Ellis County&nbsp;as well as a Hays town hall meeting,&nbsp;to identify community needs&nbsp;that needed to be met for long-term growth and success of our&nbsp;county and region.&nbsp;

On March 24, the organization will host a Victoria town hall and facilitate small- and large-group discussions&nbsp;to learn more from community members. It is&nbsp;from&nbsp;5:30 to 8 p.m. at the&nbsp;Victoria VFW.&nbsp;Dinner&nbsp;will be provided by Fork That Bakery&nbsp;for those who attend.

While&nbsp;walk-ins are welcome, RSVPs are requested via the group's Facebook page&nbsp;or use a&nbsp;sign-up&nbsp;form&nbsp;at &nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/QfJgHZak8dFcrXQeA">https://forms.gle/QfJgHZak8dFcrXQeA</a>.&nbsp;See the&nbsp;<a href="https://fb.me/e/4y9Jp7sxP">Facebook&nbsp;event&nbsp;page</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;more information.&nbsp;

Imagine Ellis County is a committee comprised of over 30 community members from Ellis County. The committee exists to serve the long-term interests of Ellis County. We have representatives from Catharine, Ellis, Hays, and Victoria on our committee. Committee members include people who serve as local elected officials, local government employees, employees from various community businesses, and those who are involved with non-profits and charitable organizations.If you would like more information, contact&nbsp;Grow Hays Inc.&nbsp;at 785.628.3102 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:IEC@GrowHays.com">IEC@GrowHays.com</a>. Imagine Ellis County is a&nbsp;collaborative strategic vision for our community and region.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642178166769.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseRecently,&nbsp;<a href="https://imagineelliscounty.org/">Imagine Ellis County&nbsp;</a>hosted representatives of various organizations from Ellis County&nbsp;as well as a Hays town hall meeting,&nbsp;to identify community needs&nbsp;that needed to be met for long-term growth and success of our&nbsp;county and region.&nbsp;On March 24, the organization will host a Victoria town hall and facilitate small- and large-group discussions&nbsp;to learn more from community members. It is&nbsp;from&nbsp;5:30 to 8 p.m. at the&nbsp;Victoria VFW.&nbsp;Dinner&nbsp;will be provided by Fork That Bakery&nbsp;for those who attend.While&nbsp;walk-ins are welcome, RSVPs are requested via the group's Facebook page&nbsp;or use a&nbsp;sign-up&nbsp;form&nbsp;at &nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/QfJgHZak8dFcrXQeA">https://forms.gle/QfJgHZak8dFcrXQeA</a>.&nbsp;See the&nbsp;<a href="https://fb.me/e/4y9Jp7sxP">Facebook&nbsp;event&nbsp;page</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;more information.&nbsp;Imagine Ellis County is a committee comprised of over 30 community members from Ellis County. The committee exists to serve the long-term interests of Ellis County. We have representatives from Catharine, Ellis, Hays, and Victoria on our committee. Committee members include people who serve as local elected officials, local government employees, employees from various community businesses, and those who are involved with non-profits and charitable organizations.If you would like more information, contact&nbsp;Grow Hays Inc.&nbsp;at 785.628.3102 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:IEC@GrowHays.com">IEC@GrowHays.com</a>. Imagine Ellis County is a&nbsp;collaborative strategic vision for our community and region.

Imagine Ellis County town hall scheduled in Victoria

Recently, the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University published the results from the 2021 Kansas Speaks survey. For those not familiar with Kansas Speaks, it is an annual public opinion survey that gauges public opinion on various issues of interest to Kansas citizens, including public policy.

According to the survey, nearly 73% of respondents support expanding KanCare — our state’s Medicaid program. This is a considerable increase in support. In 2015, the first year Kansas Speaks measured attitudes about Medicaid expansion, only 62% of respondents supported growing the program.

Considering elected officials genuinely care about issues that are important to their constituents — if only because they need constituent support to win re-election — why hasn’t Medicaid expansion been passed?&nbsp;

Despite high public support, and federal Affordable Care Act funds to cover 90% of the cost of expansion, there is a lack of political will to expand KanCare in the legislature.

There is bipartisan support for expansion, with most Democrats and some Republicans in favor. However, it’s a zero sum game for legislative Republicans.

Currently, Republicans would not politically benefit from expansion. In fact, it could put the GOP at a distinct disadvantage should Medicaid expansion pass in an election year like this one.&nbsp;

In 2018, Governor Kelly ran on a platform that included Medicaid expansion and members of her party have been trying to expand the program ever since. However, Republicans in the legislature, most of whom support expansion, don’t want to expand KanCare under a Democratic governor. Doing so would give Kelly’s administration an extremely popular policy win right before this year’s gubernatorial election.

The GOP also faces very little public backlash for not prioritizing Medicaid expansion.&nbsp;

While, 62% of survey respondents indicated that the issue of Medicaid expansion is important in deciding who to vote for come November, in practice it’s not popular enough for any more than a tiny fraction of Republicans voters to vote against their party.

It’s another win for partisan politics, but a major loss for Kansans.

Not only is KanCare expansion a popular public policy, it would create significant economic job growth. According to a 2021 report by George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, expanding Medicaid would create approximately 23,000 jobs in our state — 11,900 new jobs in healthcare, 2,400 in retail, 1,600 in construction, 700 jobs in finance and insurance, and 6,300 new jobs in other sectors. The report also stated that Kansas’ economic output would rise $17 billion by 2025, and personal income could rise by $6.3 billion due to increased employment.

Medicaid expansion is extremely beneficial for Kansans. But it’s unlikely to pass this year. Or any year where the legislature and governor’s mansion are divided by partisanship.

Even those legislative Republicans who support expansion will hold KanCare hostage until passage would give them a political advantage, which won’t happen under a Democratic governor. If the roles were reversed, Democrats would likely do the same.

A vast majority of citizens decide to run for public office to make their communities better. But once elected, officials have to play the politics game to gain and maintain power, otherwise they would never be able to pass legislation.&nbsp;

The result? Extremely popular policies like Medicaid expansion get buried in the name of “playing the game” and Kansans suffer.

Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633377761670.jpeg" alt="Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University." />
 <figcaption>Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>Recently, the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University published the results from the 2021 Kansas Speaks survey. For those not familiar with Kansas Speaks, it is an annual public opinion survey that gauges public opinion on various issues of interest to Kansas citizens, including public policy.According to the survey, nearly 73% of respondents support expanding KanCare — our state’s Medicaid program. This is a considerable increase in support. In 2015, the first year Kansas Speaks measured attitudes about Medicaid expansion, only 62% of respondents supported growing the program.Considering elected officials genuinely care about issues that are important to their constituents — if only because they need constituent support to win re-election — why hasn’t Medicaid expansion been passed?&nbsp;It should be a slam dunk. Right?Well, not quite.Despite high public support, and federal Affordable Care Act funds to cover 90% of the cost of expansion, there is a lack of political will to expand KanCare in the legislature.There is bipartisan support for expansion, with most Democrats and some Republicans in favor. However, it’s a zero sum game for legislative Republicans.Currently, Republicans would not politically benefit from expansion. In fact, it could put the GOP at a distinct disadvantage should Medicaid expansion pass in an election year like this one.&nbsp;In 2018, Governor Kelly ran on a platform that included Medicaid expansion and members of her party have been trying to expand the program ever since. However, Republicans in the legislature, most of whom support expansion, don’t want to expand KanCare under a Democratic governor. Doing so would give Kelly’s administration an extremely popular policy win right before this year’s gubernatorial election.The GOP also faces very little public backlash for not prioritizing Medicaid expansion.&nbsp;While, 62% of survey respondents indicated that the issue of Medicaid expansion is important in deciding who to vote for come November, in practice it’s not popular enough for any more than a tiny fraction of Republicans voters to vote against their party.It’s another win for partisan politics, but a major loss for Kansans.Not only is KanCare expansion a popular public policy, it would create significant economic job growth. According to a 2021 report by George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, expanding Medicaid would create approximately 23,000 jobs in our state — 11,900 new jobs in healthcare, 2,400 in retail, 1,600 in construction, 700 jobs in finance and insurance, and 6,300 new jobs in other sectors. The report also stated that Kansas’ economic output would rise $17 billion by 2025, and personal income could rise by $6.3 billion due to increased employment.Medicaid expansion is extremely beneficial for Kansans. But it’s unlikely to pass this year. Or any year where the legislature and governor’s mansion are divided by partisanship.Even those legislative Republicans who support expansion will hold KanCare hostage until passage would give them a political advantage, which won’t happen under a Democratic governor. If the roles were reversed, Democrats would likely do the same.A vast majority of citizens decide to run for public office to make their communities better. But once elected, officials have to play the politics game to gain and maintain power, otherwise they would never be able to pass legislation.&nbsp;The result? Extremely popular policies like Medicaid expansion get buried in the name of “playing the game” and Kansans suffer.Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Despite public support, Medicaid expansion still stalled

<figure>
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Severe weather training offered in Ellis Co. this week

<a href="https://5il.co/171vy">Click here for the latest edition of Thomas More Prep-Marian's Monarch Messenger.&nbsp;</a>

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 </figure><a href="https://5il.co/171vy">Click here for the latest edition of Thomas More Prep-Marian's Monarch Messenger.&nbsp;</a>

New edition of the Monarch Messenger available

HAYS, Kan. - The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team will play for a regional championship for a third time after a gritty 59-55 win over St. Cloud State Saturday evening inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. With the win, the Tigers (30-3) move on to play Missouri Western in the regional championship game Monday evening at 7 p.m.

The Huskies (24-5) pushed Fort Hays State to the brink late in the game, but two 3-pointers from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6447">Lauren West</a>&nbsp;in the final 43 seconds helped the Tigers hang on to the win. Fort Hays State led by as many as 10 midway through the third quarter, but a 17-8 run by the visitors from the end of the third quarter through the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter gave SCSU a one-point lead. The Huskies went in front with 59 seconds left after a 3-pointer from Tori Wortz, but West immediately answered with a 3-pointer of her own to put the Tigers back up by two, 54-52. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;then picked up her third steal of the game, giving possession back to the Tigers up two with 37 seconds to go. The ball found its way to West again at the top of the key, where the sophomore had plenty of space to fire up another 3-pointer that spun in with 15 seconds to go, erupting the crowd of 2,765.

Wortz hit another 3-pointer on the other end with 12 seconds to go, but Fort Hays State was able to get the ball in to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;who then knocked down a pair of free throws to all but ice the game. SCSU took one final shot in the waning seconds that missed, giving the Tigers the four-point win. The teams went back-and-forth all afternoon, with the lead changing hands six times. St. Cloud State led by as many as four early on before the Tigers scored seven in a row to lead by two after 10 minutes, 14-12. Each side scored 14 points in the second quarter, giving FHSU a 28-26 advantage at the break. Fort Hays State had a slight edge in shooting percentage, 38.2 percent (21-of-55) to 37.0 percent (20-of-54). The Tigers and Huskies missed a combined three free throws, with FHSU hitting 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) and SCSU hitting 8-of-9 (88.9 percent). <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 13 points thanks to a 5-for-5 effort at the free-throw line alongside six rebounds. Wagner added 12 points and tied Hollenbeck with a team-high six rebounds while also leading the Tigers with four assists and six steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;added eight points and four rebounds off the bench. This is the fourth time in program history that the Tigers have reached 30 wins in a season. The current 11-game winning streak is the seventh-longest in team history. Missouri Western earned its spot in the regional title game with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State beat the Griffons twice in the regular season, including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and an overtime victory at home on Senior Night (78-69, 3/23/22). The winner of Monday's regional championship will then move on to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA DII Elite Eight beginning March 21.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647149499317.jpeg" alt="Lauren West hit two key fourth quarter 3-pointers in FHSU's win over St. Cloud State Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Lauren West hit two key fourth quarter 3-pointers in FHSU's win over St. Cloud State Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>HAYS, Kan. - The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team will play for a regional championship for a third time after a gritty 59-55 win over St. Cloud State Saturday evening inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. With the win, the Tigers (30-3) move on to play Missouri Western in the regional championship game Monday evening at 7 p.m.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1231357786&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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-814667509/03-12-22-fhsu-women-postgame-press" title="Fort Hays State Postgame Press Conference vs. St. Cloud State (Mar 12, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State Postgame Press Conference vs. St. Cloud State (Mar 12, 2022)</a></div></div>The Huskies (24-5) pushed Fort Hays State to the brink late in the game, but two 3-pointers from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6447">Lauren West</a>&nbsp;in the final 43 seconds helped the Tigers hang on to the win. Fort Hays State led by as many as 10 midway through the third quarter, but a 17-8 run by the visitors from the end of the third quarter through the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter gave SCSU a one-point lead. The Huskies went in front with 59 seconds left after a 3-pointer from Tori Wortz, but West immediately answered with a 3-pointer of her own to put the Tigers back up by two, 54-52. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;then picked up her third steal of the game, giving possession back to the Tigers up two with 37 seconds to go. The ball found its way to West again at the top of the key, where the sophomore had plenty of space to fire up another 3-pointer that spun in with 15 seconds to go, erupting the crowd of 2,765. <div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1231357768&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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-814667509/03-12-22-fhsu-women-highlights" title="#4 Fort Hays State WBB vs. #16 St. Cloud State Highlights (Mar 12, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#4 Fort Hays State WBB vs. #16 St. Cloud State Highlights (Mar 12, 2022)</a></div></div>Wortz hit another 3-pointer on the other end with 12 seconds to go, but Fort Hays State was able to get the ball in to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;who then knocked down a pair of free throws to all but ice the game. SCSU took one final shot in the waning seconds that missed, giving the Tigers the four-point win. The teams went back-and-forth all afternoon, with the lead changing hands six times. St. Cloud State led by as many as four early on before the Tigers scored seven in a row to lead by two after 10 minutes, 14-12. Each side scored 14 points in the second quarter, giving FHSU a 28-26 advantage at the break. Fort Hays State had a slight edge in shooting percentage, 38.2 percent (21-of-55) to 37.0 percent (20-of-54). The Tigers and Huskies missed a combined three free throws, with FHSU hitting 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) and SCSU hitting 8-of-9 (88.9 percent). <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 13 points thanks to a 5-for-5 effort at the free-throw line alongside six rebounds. Wagner added 12 points and tied Hollenbeck with a team-high six rebounds while also leading the Tigers with four assists and six steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;added eight points and four rebounds off the bench. This is the fourth time in program history that the Tigers have reached 30 wins in a season. The current 11-game winning streak is the seventh-longest in team history. Missouri Western earned its spot in the regional title game with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State beat the Griffons twice in the regular season, including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and an overtime victory at home on Senior Night (78-69, 3/23/22). The winner of Monday's regional championship will then move on to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA DII Elite Eight beginning March 21.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Tiger women advance to regional final after win over St. Cloud State

HAYS, Kan. - Fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball scored the final six points to come from behind and defeat Minnesota State in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Central Regional Friday inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, 66-61. The Tigers (29-3) will now play in the DII regional semifinals for the fifth time in program history Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against St. Cloud State who defeated Missouri Southern 69-67 in overtime.

The top-seeded Tigers led for more than 33 minutes in the contest, but found itself down by one to the No. 8 seed with less than a minute to play. The Mavericks (21-7) used an 18-6 run over the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to storm in front after trailing by as many as 14. The visitors shot just 31.5 percent from the floor for the game, but hit 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) during that run to take a 61-60 lead with 3:52 to play. The Tigers ratcheted things up on defense down the stretch, however, forcing seven consecutive missed shots and two turnovers to give themselves a chance to retake the lead. After two turnovers of their own, the Tigers regained the lead with 53 seconds to go when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;laid in a basket following an offensive rebound.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;pushed the lead to three with 15 seconds to go with a breakaway layup, beating the persistent Maverick press and erupting the 2,725 Tiger fans in attendance.

The Mavericks had a layup rattle out with five seconds left before Wagner hit two free throws to seal the win. Fort Hays State trailed by as many as four early on before leading by three at the end of the first quarter, 15-12. The Tigers started to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 21-11 to lead 36-23 at the break. The aggressive MSU defense forced 28 Tiger turnovers thanks to 16 steals, the most during the Hobson era. Fort Hays State forced 20 turnovers defensively, including 12 steals of its own. Fort Hays State hit 39.7 percent from the floor (25-of-63) and dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Mavericks 58-35. The Tigers scored 11 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds. Wagner led the Tigers with 23 points, three off her career high, while matching her personal-best with 16 rebounds for her 10th career double-double.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points and grabbed a career-best nine rebounds while also leading the team with four assists. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6444">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;added four assists off the bench.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;contributed eight points and nine rebounds while matching&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6441">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;with a team-high two blocks. Two other MIAA programs won the first pair of quarterfinals, with No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney holding off No. 3 Minnesota Duluth, 77-70, and No. 7 Missouri Western racing past No. 2 Southwestern Oklahoma State, 111-77. Those conference rivals will play in the first regional semifinal on Saturday beginning at 5 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647057759459.jpeg" alt="Katie Wagner scored 23 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds in FHSU's NCAA II Tournament win over Minnesota State Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Katie Wagner scored 23 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds in FHSU's NCAA II Tournament win over Minnesota State Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>HAYS, Kan. - Fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball scored the final six points to come from behind and defeat Minnesota State in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Central Regional Friday inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, 66-61. The Tigers (29-3) will now play in the DII regional semifinals for the fifth time in program history Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against St. Cloud State who defeated Missouri Southern 69-67 in overtime.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1230801319&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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-814667509/03-11-22-fhsu-women-press-conference" title="#5 Fort Hays State WBB Postgame Press Conference vs. Minnesota State (Mar 11, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#5 Fort Hays State WBB Postgame Press Conference vs. Minnesota State (Mar 11, 2022)</a></div></div>The top-seeded Tigers led for more than 33 minutes in the contest, but found itself down by one to the No. 8 seed with less than a minute to play. The Mavericks (21-7) used an 18-6 run over the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to storm in front after trailing by as many as 14. The visitors shot just 31.5 percent from the floor for the game, but hit 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) during that run to take a 61-60 lead with 3:52 to play. The Tigers ratcheted things up on defense down the stretch, however, forcing seven consecutive missed shots and two turnovers to give themselves a chance to retake the lead. After two turnovers of their own, the Tigers regained the lead with 53 seconds to go when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;laid in a basket following an offensive rebound.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;pushed the lead to three with 15 seconds to go with a breakaway layup, beating the persistent Maverick press and erupting the 2,725 Tiger fans in attendance.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1230801397&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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-814667509/03-11-22-fhsu-women-highlights" title="#5 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Minnesota State Highlights (Mar 11, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#5 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Minnesota State Highlights (Mar 11, 2022)</a></div></div>The Mavericks had a layup rattle out with five seconds left before Wagner hit two free throws to seal the win. Fort Hays State trailed by as many as four early on before leading by three at the end of the first quarter, 15-12. The Tigers started to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 21-11 to lead 36-23 at the break. The aggressive MSU defense forced 28 Tiger turnovers thanks to 16 steals, the most during the Hobson era. Fort Hays State forced 20 turnovers defensively, including 12 steals of its own. Fort Hays State hit 39.7 percent from the floor (25-of-63) and dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Mavericks 58-35. The Tigers scored 11 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds. Wagner led the Tigers with 23 points, three off her career high, while matching her personal-best with 16 rebounds for her 10th career double-double.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points and grabbed a career-best nine rebounds while also leading the team with four assists. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6444">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;added four assists off the bench.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;contributed eight points and nine rebounds while matching&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6441">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;with a team-high two blocks. Two other MIAA programs won the first pair of quarterfinals, with No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney holding off No. 3 Minnesota Duluth, 77-70, and No. 7 Missouri Western racing past No. 2 Southwestern Oklahoma State, 111-77. Those conference rivals will play in the first regional semifinal on Saturday beginning at 5 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Top-seeded Tigers outlast Minnesota State in NCAA opener

Today Sunny, with a high near 52. South wind 10 to 16 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.

Tonight Clear, with a low around 26. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph.

Sunday Sunny, with a high near 63. West southwest wind 8 to 18 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph becoming west southwest 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.

Monday Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a west wind 9 to 14 mph becoming north 18 to 23 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.

Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 25. Blustery.

Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 62.

Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 39.

Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Thursday A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Breezy.

Thursday Night A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Sunny, with a high near 61.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Today Sunny, with a high near 52. South wind 10 to 16 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.Tonight Clear, with a low around 26. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph.Sunday Sunny, with a high near 63. West southwest wind 8 to 18 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 33. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph becoming west southwest 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.Monday Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a west wind 9 to 14 mph becoming north 18 to 23 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 25. Blustery.Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 62.Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 39.Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.Thursday A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Breezy.Thursday Night A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 30%.Friday Sunny, with a high near 61.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Weekend Weather

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

SkyWest Airlines has given a 90-day notice to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) that it will cease its United Express flights at 29 airports across the country, including Hays.

The SkyWest decision also impacts Essential Air Service (EAS) contracts in Salina, Dodge City, and Liberal.

SkyWest has a little more than <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/64397b75-5c55-42ec-95a7-af4d079f95e8">two years left in its EAS contract</a> with USDOT at Hays Regional Airport. It was the sole bidder in 2021 for the three year contract renewal.

According to a <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/civicalerts.aspx?AID=809">news release</a> from the city of Hays issued late Friday morning, "the decision is not driven by any failure in the USDOT’s Essential Air Service Program (EAS) or the communities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609799151484.jpeg" alt="SkyWest at the Hays Regional Airport (Photo by city of Hays)" />
 <figcaption>SkyWest at the Hays Regional Airport (Photo by city of Hays)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostSkyWest Airlines has given a 90-day notice to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) that it will cease its United Express flights at 29 airports across the country, including Hays.The SkyWest decision also impacts Essential Air Service (EAS) contracts in Salina, Dodge City, and Liberal.SkyWest has a little more than <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/64397b75-5c55-42ec-95a7-af4d079f95e8">two years left in its EAS contract</a> with USDOT at Hays Regional Airport. It was the sole bidder in 2021 for the three year contract renewal. According to a <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/civicalerts.aspx?AID=809">news release</a> from the city of Hays issued late Friday morning, "the decision is not driven by any failure in the USDOT’s Essential Air Service Program (EAS) or the communities."Instead, the decision was precipitated by an ongoing national pilot shortage [resulting] in service cuts by all U.S. airlines. SkyWest lacks the pilots needed to meet demand and is reducing flying across its network."The move is a "hedge against the future" for the airline, according to Toby Dougherty, Hays city manager. SkyWest "sees scenarios where they just cannot serve the markets they are obligated to serve." Dougherty said. "Knowing that there's a very lengthy process to get out of some EAS markets, they have to file this paperwork right now."&nbsp;&nbsp;USDOT has issued a hold-in order prohibiting SkyWest from terminating service at the Hays airport until a replacement carrier is selected and begins operations. During the hold-in period, SkyWest is expected to maintain the current daily schedule for regional jet service.A suspension of scheduled air service is not expected to occur, according to the city news release.Recently the Hays airport went from 12 SkyWest flights a week to 10 flights a week.&nbsp;There will be minimal impact on the flight schedule for the next 90 days. The biggest change will actually be the addition of a Chicago flight with a stop in Salina."Beginning April 3rd, we will go back to 14 flights a week but we will be tagged with Salina," Dougherty said."There will be a morning flight that leaves Hays, stops in Salina, and it goes to Chicago."There'll be an afternoon swing-through from Chicago to Salina and Hays and then it goes on to Denver. That will be our Denver outbound flight in the early afternoon. There's a flight early evening that comes back from Denver and spends the night in Hays.&nbsp;"SkyWest is making these tactical adjustments -&nbsp; and there may need to be more - hoping they can equal the pilots out versus the pilots in, and then get back to normal. They're losing pilots at the top end faster than they can hire on the bottom end."&nbsp;&nbsp;Hays will work with the USDOT, which issues the EAS contracts, if it does become necessary to select a replacement carrier, Dougherty added.&nbsp;The DOT ultimately decides who will be the EAS carrier, but takes local input&nbsp; into consideration.SkyWest flies a CRJ 200 50-passenger jet in and out of Hays. The flight schedule is available online at <a href="https://www.united.com/en/us">www.united.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;"We've been told by SkyWest it's their intent to put procedures in place and hire enough pilots to stay ahead of the curve and not have to vacate any EAS markets. But if they do have to vacate EAS markets, they can't do it without this step first."Hays is a good market for them. They provide a good product for us. We're hoping they get things straightened out," he said.

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