The Kansas Department of Transportation has started a field survey for a proposed project to replace the Middle Beaver Creek drainage bridge, located along K-8 in Smith County.

The bridge is located approximately 12 miles north of the U.S. 36 junction. Survey activities include the use of survey instruments on the ground to determine locations of existing features within the survey corridor. KDOT expects work to be complete by the end of March.

Crews will contact property owners or tenants for permission to enter private property if access is needed.&nbsp;<a>Kara LaRiviere, project survey manager, will oversee the survey for KDOT.</a>

Persons with questions may contact KDOT public affairs manager Lisa Mussman at 785-874-8107 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lisa.mussman@ks.gov">lisa.mussman@ks.gov</a>.

KDOTThe Kansas Department of Transportation has started a field survey for a proposed project to replace the Middle Beaver Creek drainage bridge, located along K-8 in Smith County.The bridge is located approximately 12 miles north of the U.S. 36 junction. Survey activities include the use of survey instruments on the ground to determine locations of existing features within the survey corridor. KDOT expects work to be complete by the end of March.Crews will contact property owners or tenants for permission to enter private property if access is needed.&nbsp;<a>Kara LaRiviere, project survey manager, will oversee the survey for KDOT.</a>Persons with questions may contact KDOT public affairs manager Lisa Mussman at 785-874-8107 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lisa.mussman@ks.gov">lisa.mussman@ks.gov</a>.

Survey starting on K-8 bridge in Smith County

There were 80 COVID-19 inpatient admissions at HaysMed in the month of January, the hospital reported.

The average age of inpatients was 59 — 53 percent male and 47 percent female.&nbsp;

There were eight COVID-related deaths at HaysMed in January, with an average age of 68.

Of the 80 admissions, 29 were Ellis County residents and 63 were unvaccinated.

There were 80 COVID-19 inpatient admissions at HaysMed in the month of January, the hospital reported.The average age of inpatients was 59 — 53 percent male and 47 percent female.&nbsp;There were eight COVID-related deaths at HaysMed in January, with an average age of 68.Of the 80 admissions, 29 were Ellis County residents and 63 were unvaccinated.

HaysMed reports January COVID-19 statistics

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 51 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.

Due to server maintenance, KDHE did not update case counts on Friday.

As of Monday morning, there were 23 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including six active cases and 17 recovering cases.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/480e57ce-8620-4269-aeec-c2b17d5f16c6">RELATED: HaysMed reports on January COVID numbers</a>

<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>

The Kansas Hospital Organization reported Wednesday that 54 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (5 and older) are fully vaccinated.&nbsp;

Since reporting began, there have been 7,040 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644861791764.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 51 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.Due to server maintenance, KDHE did not update case counts on Friday.As of Monday morning, there were 23 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including six active cases and 17 recovering cases.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/480e57ce-8620-4269-aeec-c2b17d5f16c6">RELATED: HaysMed reports on January COVID numbers</a><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>The Kansas Hospital Organization reported Wednesday that 54 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (5 and older) are fully vaccinated.&nbsp;Since reporting began, there have been 7,040 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644861813857.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 51 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Wednesday

On this episode of the Post Podcast Noelle Husmann, Fort Hays State University Alumni Association marketing program specialist along with alumni engagement strategist, Carolyn Tatro share information about upcoming association activities.

Fort
Hays State University Alumni stay connected through the area through a variety
of events. Noelle Husmann, marketing program specialist along with alumni
engagement strategist, Carolyn Tatro from the Alumni Association stopped by to
talk to us about some of those upcoming events on this episode of the Post
Podcast.

The MIAA
tournament coming up and we're really excited about that because we get to go
in you know, not just watch some really cool basketball and really awesome team
events but meet some alumni out there as well in the Kansas City area. Yeah.

Yeah,
there are you know, I love that I see that frequently with you guys. You do
these events. They're not always just here. They're in Kansas City. You do
events in Denver or, or whatever meetups across the nation you?

Oh,
yeah. We have a lot of events in the Kansas City area, because that's where a
lot of our alumni live. We have some in Wichita, sometimes we'll do some in
Oklahoma and Texas, and then a lot in Colorado, like you said.

Yeah,
it's crazy. The reach that Fort Hays has, but you know, I wonder how important
and how, I don't know if importance, the word but you know, how much does it
help to have like a, you know, the basketball team doing well to get people
together? Because I just imagine a lot of folks are like, Yeah, I want to go
watch that my home, you know, my team's doing well, and then they just kind of
naturally come together.

Oh,
yeah. Recently, we've actually worked with our building partners. The
foundation, one of their staff members is located in Kansas City. And she has
been hosting some basketball watch parties at a brewery in Kansas City. And one
of the owners is a Fort Hays grad is called Red crow brewing, I believe. And
she's had to watch parties there and they've been really successful. I think
the alumni in that area just look for any opportunity whether they're a
basketball fan or not to get together and enjoy each other's company.

Yeah,
Tiger athletics really brings people together and I think it's just a really
easy excuse for Tiger alumni to get together and Tiger fans in general. And I
think it's just a really great time everybody enjoys you know, year round you
know, if you if you go out to Clarks Park and watch a baseball game, you know,
those are those are usually packed and you know, football games are usually
packed. I mean, there are our athletic teams are just, you know, they're not
just really fun to watch. It's a really great opportunity to get with other
Tiger fans. Mm hmm.

Yeah,
absolutely. You know, and that's to speak to that point. That's almost exactly
why I go to the football games. I love watching the football games. Always have
I was in the marching band. This is how much how sports and athletic I am, I
was in the band. But I was you know, I was in the marching band. So I go to
those Fort Hays games and is from the from year one. When I came to Fort Hays,
I was involved. So I, you know, got that early look. And it just it sticks with
me. But now, you know, I still like to watch the play. But I love to bump into
people and what a great way to do so.

Yeah.
And the atmosphere, they experience the community. It's just all great. Good
feels.

Absolutely.
So you know, if someone's listening right now, they're thinking like, oh, man,
you know, I didn't know that the Alumni Association did events like this? How
do people like find out more or get involved in them?

You
know, we update our social media constantly. If you're not following us at fhsu
Alumni Association on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, we always
update our channels. And I know you guys are on those platforms, probably every
day, at least one of them. And that's the easiest way to stay up to date on the
events that we're doing.

LinkedIn
Hmm, do you have a job but I've never really got LinkedIn? I don't know. I have
an account. But it just seems weird to me.

Yeah.
Well, we I guess we don't post as many events on our LinkedIn, but we post the
majority of our updated information on our Facebook because that's where a lot
of our alumni are.

I was
gonna say, I think that's a it's circles that I I'm in. That's like the number
one thing everybody's on Facebook.

Yeah.
Everybody's on Facebook. Yeah, so true.

Yeah, so
our events are there. And if there's ever an event to register for that
requires registration as opposed to an event that you can just show up to. And
we'll post those links on our website and you know, we send out for events like
like this will send out invitations and people can find more information from
the invitations but our website are brand new, I brand, my anxiety clean
looking website, which Noel worked very hard with our our team and the
Foundation team to work together to put together here in the last couple of
months. Our brand new fhsu alumni.com website is where you can find some
information about these events. And that's where we'll post information about,
you know, other events that we've got coming up and it links directly to our
homecoming site as well. So again, your round we just, we just really try to
make things a little more smooth for people to Find out what we're doing and
how to connect with us.

All
right, cool. Yeah, speaking of that website, I was on there earlier, I was
pulling, you're pulling the titles for you guys. And I noticed this story this
uh, I forget the name. Oh, Sara Allen right there on top. There's some cool
stories on there as well. If you're you want to keep up with some of the
happenings and the folks from Fort Hays and all the cool things that they're
doing. You guys do a pretty good job of keeping that up there as well. Right?

Yeah, we
try in doing alumni spotlight every week, every week, every week we try. Maybe
every other week, might be more realistic. But yeah, we just get alumni who
share some short stories about their experience at Fort Hays and kind of what
they're doing now we post those also on our social media. And on our website,
we have a whole library of alumni, if you want to learn about them, you can
visit fhsu alumni.com.

And if
you guys are still ignore the minutes listening and wants to do it a little bit
more old school used to that your magazine, right?

Oh,
yeah. Oh, yeah, that is directly from the University Marketing Department. And
they have done a fantastic job. We have some alumni articles in there. And then
they usually have some more in depth stories on a couple of different alumni
too. You can access those online through our website. And if you're a paid
Alumni Association member, you can get a hardcopy mailed to your house twice a
year.

And
actually just read a story yesterday about how a lot of alumni magazines went
digital, during, you know, certain times of the pandemic, and a lot of people
are really appreciating that the hard copies of those magazines are coming
back, even if we do have the opportunity to see them online. There are a lot of
people who really like having that, that magazine in their hand. And like she
said, we do a really good job. Our our University Marketing Department does a
great job of putting that together. It's nice, clean, you know, feels good in
your hand kind of thing. I mean, it's a really great, it's a really great
publication. 

Yeah,
as, as everything transitions to online, you know, and obviously, I work, you
know, most of my job is online, you know, as a digital writer, but you're
right, that the feel of it, sometimes picking it up. It just it hits different,
you know, yeah, a modern expression. And I don't think that it's ever going to
truly, fully go away.

No,
especially if your name is in the magazine, too. We've had people contact our
office saying my daughter was featured in the magazine, can I get a copy? So
yeah, nothing feels the same, like a hardcopy you can keep in show your friends
and family. 

Keep
your kids you know, hold on to it in a scrapbook or something. I mean, they
definitely, yeah, people really appreciate it. And again, that's why we're
excited to bring people back together to a lot of our events just for the same
or the same kind of thing. You know, people want to they're they're ready to
celebrate Tiger family. And yeah, together.

And
especially with basketball being on hold. We have done an event at Boulevard
Brewing in Kansas City, and this will be our third time there. We weren't there
last year. We weren't there in 2020. So we're really excited to be back there
before the EMI double A tournament. Our Boulevard Brewing event will be on
March 1. And the registration for that is next week. It closes on February 15.
And that's one of our more popular events in Kansas City because it's a very
fun atmosphere like we've talked about kinda like a pre EMI double A tournament
kickoff party. So if you're interested in that, and you're heading to Kansas
City to watch the tournament, that will be on March 1, and then we will have
pregame and postgame parties during the tournament. Starting on Thursday, March
3, I believe it is the women's team is currently tied for the number one seed
and the men's team. They're ranked third. So we're kind of planning the parties
around the times that they'll play based on those seeds.

Very
cool. Although you plan something like that and you're gonna curse it. No, no,
we're not I yeah everybody listening. You heard it if if things don't go well
to tournament it's all Noel.

Don't
curse me like that, James. But if you are interested in going to the
tournament, you can buy tickets at a discount at the remaining Fort Hays home
games, which Carolyn said there's one tonight.

There's
one tonight there's a couple coming up. I think there's three or four more home
games. And you can buy tickets at those games. You can also go through the
athletic athletics office. And like Noel said, a pretty significant discount if
you do that versus walking up to the door and buying them at the arena in
Kansas City on the day of the tournament. So $50 I think is what they are if
you buy them through athletics,

Wow.
Yeah, that's a substantial discount. Very cool. Yeah. Well already Guys, we've
got just about a minute or so left. Anything else we want to hit on or last
thoughts where we go.

I think
we would just love to see everybody out there. And again, come to the games
tonight and join us in Kansas City. Check out our website, see what other
events we've got coming up over the next few months and go Tigers. 

<div><iframe title="The Alumni Association plans MIAA Tourney meet up in KC" 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=6863b-11a4b9c-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 the Post Podcast Noelle Husmann, Fort Hays State University Alumni Association marketing program specialist along with alumni engagement strategist, Carolyn Tatro share information about upcoming association activities.<h2>Transcript</h2>James Bell&nbsp;
Fort
Hays State University Alumni stay connected through the area through a variety
of events. Noelle Husmann, marketing program specialist along with alumni
engagement strategist, Carolyn Tatro from the Alumni Association stopped by to
talk to us about some of those upcoming events on this episode of the Post
Podcast.Carolyn Tatro&nbsp;
The MIAA
tournament coming up and we're really excited about that because we get to go
in you know, not just watch some really cool basketball and really awesome team
events but meet some alumni out there as well in the Kansas City area. Yeah.James Bell&nbsp;
Yeah,
there are you know, I love that I see that frequently with you guys. You do
these events. They're not always just here. They're in Kansas City. You do
events in Denver or, or whatever meetups across the nation you?Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Oh,
yeah. We have a lot of events in the Kansas City area, because that's where a
lot of our alumni live. We have some in Wichita, sometimes we'll do some in
Oklahoma and Texas, and then a lot in Colorado, like you said.James Bell&nbsp;
Yeah,
it's crazy. The reach that Fort Hays has, but you know, I wonder how important
and how, I don't know if importance, the word but you know, how much does it
help to have like a, you know, the basketball team doing well to get people
together? Because I just imagine a lot of folks are like, Yeah, I want to go
watch that my home, you know, my team's doing well, and then they just kind of
naturally come together.Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Oh,
yeah. Recently, we've actually worked with our building partners. The
foundation, one of their staff members is located in Kansas City. And she has
been hosting some basketball watch parties at a brewery in Kansas City. And one
of the owners is a Fort Hays grad is called Red crow brewing, I believe. And
she's had to watch parties there and they've been really successful. I think
the alumni in that area just look for any opportunity whether they're a
basketball fan or not to get together and enjoy each other's company.Carolyn Tatro&nbsp;
Yeah,
Tiger athletics really brings people together and I think it's just a really
easy excuse for Tiger alumni to get together and Tiger fans in general. And I
think it's just a really great time everybody enjoys you know, year round you
know, if you if you go out to Clarks Park and watch a baseball game, you know,
those are those are usually packed and you know, football games are usually
packed. I mean, there are our athletic teams are just, you know, they're not
just really fun to watch. It's a really great opportunity to get with other
Tiger fans. Mm hmm.James Bell&nbsp;
Yeah,
absolutely. You know, and that's to speak to that point. That's almost exactly
why I go to the football games. I love watching the football games. Always have
I was in the marching band. This is how much how sports and athletic I am, I
was in the band. But I was you know, I was in the marching band. So I go to
those Fort Hays games and is from the from year one. When I came to Fort Hays,
I was involved. So I, you know, got that early look. And it just it sticks with
me. But now, you know, I still like to watch the play. But I love to bump into
people and what a great way to do so.Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Yeah.
And the atmosphere, they experience the community. It's just all great. Good
feels.James Bell&nbsp;
Absolutely.
So you know, if someone's listening right now, they're thinking like, oh, man,
you know, I didn't know that the Alumni Association did events like this? How
do people like find out more or get involved in them?Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
You
know, we update our social media constantly. If you're not following us at fhsu
Alumni Association on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, we always
update our channels. And I know you guys are on those platforms, probably every
day, at least one of them. And that's the easiest way to stay up to date on the
events that we're doing.James Bell&nbsp;
LinkedIn
Hmm, do you have a job but I've never really got LinkedIn? I don't know. I have
an account. But it just seems weird to me.Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Yeah.
Well, we I guess we don't post as many events on our LinkedIn, but we post the
majority of our updated information on our Facebook because that's where a lot
of our alumni are.James Bell&nbsp;
I was
gonna say, I think that's a it's circles that I I'm in. That's like the number
one thing everybody's on Facebook.Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Yeah.
Everybody's on Facebook. Yeah, so true.Carolyn Tatro&nbsp;
Yeah, so
our events are there. And if there's ever an event to register for that
requires registration as opposed to an event that you can just show up to. And
we'll post those links on our website and you know, we send out for events like
like this will send out invitations and people can find more information from
the invitations but our website are brand new, I brand, my anxiety clean
looking website, which Noel worked very hard with our our team and the
Foundation team to work together to put together here in the last couple of
months. Our brand new fhsu alumni.com website is where you can find some
information about these events. And that's where we'll post information about,
you know, other events that we've got coming up and it links directly to our
homecoming site as well. So again, your round we just, we just really try to
make things a little more smooth for people to Find out what we're doing and
how to connect with us.James Bell&nbsp;
All
right, cool. Yeah, speaking of that website, I was on there earlier, I was
pulling, you're pulling the titles for you guys. And I noticed this story this
uh, I forget the name. Oh, Sara Allen right there on top. There's some cool
stories on there as well. If you're you want to keep up with some of the
happenings and the folks from Fort Hays and all the cool things that they're
doing. You guys do a pretty good job of keeping that up there as well. Right?Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Yeah, we
try in doing alumni spotlight every week, every week, every week we try. Maybe
every other week, might be more realistic. But yeah, we just get alumni who
share some short stories about their experience at Fort Hays and kind of what
they're doing now we post those also on our social media. And on our website,
we have a whole library of alumni, if you want to learn about them, you can
visit fhsu alumni.com.James Bell&nbsp;
And if
you guys are still ignore the minutes listening and wants to do it a little bit
more old school used to that your magazine, right?Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Oh,
yeah. Oh, yeah, that is directly from the University Marketing Department. And
they have done a fantastic job. We have some alumni articles in there. And then
they usually have some more in depth stories on a couple of different alumni
too. You can access those online through our website. And if you're a paid
Alumni Association member, you can get a hardcopy mailed to your house twice a
year.Carolyn Tatro&nbsp;
And
actually just read a story yesterday about how a lot of alumni magazines went
digital, during, you know, certain times of the pandemic, and a lot of people
are really appreciating that the hard copies of those magazines are coming
back, even if we do have the opportunity to see them online. There are a lot of
people who really like having that, that magazine in their hand. And like she
said, we do a really good job. Our our University Marketing Department does a
great job of putting that together. It's nice, clean, you know, feels good in
your hand kind of thing. I mean, it's a really great, it's a really great
publication. James Bell&nbsp;
Yeah,
as, as everything transitions to online, you know, and obviously, I work, you
know, most of my job is online, you know, as a digital writer, but you're
right, that the feel of it, sometimes picking it up. It just it hits different,
you know, yeah, a modern expression. And I don't think that it's ever going to
truly, fully go away.Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
No,
especially if your name is in the magazine, too. We've had people contact our
office saying my daughter was featured in the magazine, can I get a copy? So
yeah, nothing feels the same, like a hardcopy you can keep in show your friends
and family. Carolyn Tatro&nbsp;
Keep
your kids you know, hold on to it in a scrapbook or something. I mean, they
definitely, yeah, people really appreciate it. And again, that's why we're
excited to bring people back together to a lot of our events just for the same
or the same kind of thing. You know, people want to they're they're ready to
celebrate Tiger family. And yeah, together.Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
And
especially with basketball being on hold. We have done an event at Boulevard
Brewing in Kansas City, and this will be our third time there. We weren't there
last year. We weren't there in 2020. So we're really excited to be back there
before the EMI double A tournament. Our Boulevard Brewing event will be on
March 1. And the registration for that is next week. It closes on February 15.
And that's one of our more popular events in Kansas City because it's a very
fun atmosphere like we've talked about kinda like a pre EMI double A tournament
kickoff party. So if you're interested in that, and you're heading to Kansas
City to watch the tournament, that will be on March 1, and then we will have
pregame and postgame parties during the tournament. Starting on Thursday, March
3, I believe it is the women's team is currently tied for the number one seed
and the men's team. They're ranked third. So we're kind of planning the parties
around the times that they'll play based on those seeds.James Bell&nbsp;
Very
cool. Although you plan something like that and you're gonna curse it. No, no,
we're not I yeah everybody listening. You heard it if if things don't go well
to tournament it's all Noel.Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Don't
curse me like that, James. But if you are interested in going to the
tournament, you can buy tickets at a discount at the remaining Fort Hays home
games, which Carolyn said there's one tonight.Carolyn Tatro&nbsp;
There's
one tonight there's a couple coming up. I think there's three or four more home
games. And you can buy tickets at those games. You can also go through the
athletic athletics office. And like Noel said, a pretty significant discount if
you do that versus walking up to the door and buying them at the arena in
Kansas City on the day of the tournament. So $50 I think is what they are if
you buy them through athletics,Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Yep. James Bell&nbsp;
Wow.
Yeah, that's a substantial discount. Very cool. Yeah. Well already Guys, we've
got just about a minute or so left. Anything else we want to hit on or last
thoughts where we go.Carolyn Tatro&nbsp;
I think
we would just love to see everybody out there. And again, come to the games
tonight and join us in Kansas City. Check out our website, see what other
events we've got coming up over the next few months and go Tigers. Noelle Husmann&nbsp;
Yeah, go
Tigers.

🎙Post Podcast: The Alumni Association plans MIAA Tourney meet up in KC

TOPEKA - Hello from Topeka. We are getting closer to the first half of the 2022 legislative session. The next week&nbsp;will be full of committee hearings, debating bills on the floor and seeing what bills survive to go to the&nbsp;Senate.

Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto of Redistricting
Legislation

Last week, the Governor vetoed SB 355, the Congressional
map, known as Ad Astra 2. This week, the&nbsp;Legislature overrode the veto with the House voting 85-37 making the override successful. The next&nbsp;step is for the Congressional map to undergo court review, providing a check and balance for Kansans&nbsp;that the map is drawn fairly and that it does not disenfranchise minority or other voting populations.

Major Economic Development Legislation Becomes Law

This week, the House approved SB 347, known as the
Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX)&nbsp;Act. APEX would ensure that companies make a minimum investment in Kansas of $1 billion over a five-year-period and, in exchange, would grant tax incentives to those companies. The Department of&nbsp;Commerce has announced that Kansas is one of two finalists for a $4 billion, 3-million square foot&nbsp;advanced manufacturing facility that would employ 4,000 people and create 16,000 temporary jobs&nbsp;during construction. SB 347 retools the current Kansas tax incentives in an effort to win this&nbsp;megaproject, as well as attract other projects in the future.&nbsp;Republicans worked to incorporate accountability and safeguards into the bill, so that this economic&nbsp;development initiative is not designed solely for one company but is instead designed to drive economic&nbsp;development across the board. The incentives to attract APEX projects should help all Kansas companies – not just one - with a measured corporate tax reduction. Finally, the property tax component of the bill&nbsp;must be addressed to ensure local control so that economic development incentives offered by the state&nbsp;do not place an added tax burden on local residents and local business owners.&nbsp;During the House’s debate, an amendment providing for oversight by the State Finance Council was&nbsp;adopted. The House approved SB 347, with a vote of 80-41. The Senate concurred with the House&nbsp;amendments, sending the bill to the Governor. On Thursday, prior to the Governor signing SB 347,&nbsp;House Republican leadership reiterated their intent to require budget accountability from the Governor&nbsp;when an APEX plan is executed.&nbsp;“The Governor cannot escape economic reality,” said House Republican leadership. “She’s made a long&nbsp;list of costly election-year promises to Kansans – promises she cannot deliver while at the same time&nbsp;paying out economic development incentives before the money is there to back it up.”

Condemning Price Gouging in Kansas

On Wednesday, the House passed HCR 5023, with a vote of
114-2. HCR 5023 denounces the price&nbsp;gouging and market manipulation that occurred following the February 2021 cold snap. The resolution&nbsp;states the intent of the Legislature to support both state and federal investigations into the&nbsp;extraordinary price increases that resulted and hit Kansans and their communities hard. The resolution&nbsp;acknowledges the work of Attorney General Derek Schmidt for his efforts at investigating profiteering. A&nbsp;key component of the resolution is advocating for the protection of ratepayers should any corrective&nbsp;action be assigned. The adopted resolution will be sent to the chairperson of the Federal Energy&nbsp;Commission and the Attorney General.&nbsp;The 2021 Legislature passed the Utility Financing and Securitization Act, 2021 HB 2072, which gives&nbsp;utilities the opportunity to use securitized bonds at more favorable terms than traditional financing in&nbsp;order to mitigate the impact on Kansans’ utility bills. The agreement includes provisions to provide&nbsp;refunds to Kansans should money be recovered from on-going investigations and lawsuits regarding&nbsp;market manipulation and price gouging.

KPERS Legislation Moving Through the Process

The House Insurance and Pensions Committee has begun its
work on HB 2561, which utilizes some of&nbsp;the state’s budget surplus to stabilize the KPERS retirement fund, ensuring it will be there for our&nbsp;teachers, our firefighters, and other public employees when they need it. The plan would appropriate $1&nbsp;billion to the KPERS Trust Fund, which would:

• Bring KPERS above the 80 percent funded level, a goal in
ensuring the stability of retirement&nbsp;systems.

• Lower future costs for taxpayers by reducing the amount
needed for the state’s share of&nbsp;employer contributions, saving the taxpayers $82 million in Fiscal Year 2023 and $429 million over the&nbsp;next five years.

• Fully fund 2017 and 2019 payments, paying off layering
payments, and eliminating the annual&nbsp;$25.8 million payments on delayed employer contributions.

Proponent testimony was provided by Attorney General Derek
Schmidt and the Committee’s Chairman,&nbsp;Rep. Steven Johnson. The Attorney General noted that HB 2561 is a fiscally responsible approach in&nbsp;contrast to the Governor’s previous reamortizing proposals, which would have left taxpayers burdened&nbsp;with more than $4 billion in added debt service. HB 2561 reduces debt and the unfunded liability and&nbsp;frees up more than $70 million annually to sustain funding for core services or make future tax relief&nbsp;possible.

Neutral testimony from Budget Director Adam Proffitt showed
that the Governor only wants to fund&nbsp;$253.8 million to make up for Fiscal Year 2017 and Fiscal Year 2019 layering payments.

If you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My phone number is (785) 296- 7463 and email is: kenn.rahje@house.ks.gov and you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.

Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. House District 110 includes:&nbsp;

Norton and Phillips Counties Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis and Schoenchen;&nbsp;Townships: Big Creek(part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Herzog(part),&nbsp;Lookout(part) and Wheatland(part) Graham County: City: Hill City;&nbsp;Townships: Hill City(part) and Nicodemus(part) Rooks County: Cities: Damar, Palco, Plainville,&nbsp;Stockton, Woodston and Zurich

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644854972078.jpeg" alt="State Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist..jpeg" />
 <figcaption>State Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, 110th Dist..jpeg</figcaption>
 </figure>The Rahjes Report 02-14-22TOPEKA - Hello from Topeka. We are getting closer to the first half of the 2022 legislative session. The next week&nbsp;will be full of committee hearings, debating bills on the floor and seeing what bills survive to go to the&nbsp;Senate.Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto of Redistricting
LegislationLast week, the Governor vetoed SB 355, the Congressional
map, known as Ad Astra 2. This week, the&nbsp;Legislature overrode the veto with the House voting 85-37 making the override successful. The next&nbsp;step is for the Congressional map to undergo court review, providing a check and balance for Kansans&nbsp;that the map is drawn fairly and that it does not disenfranchise minority or other voting populations.Major Economic Development Legislation Becomes LawThis week, the House approved SB 347, known as the
Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX)&nbsp;Act. APEX would ensure that companies make a minimum investment in Kansas of $1 billion over a five-year-period and, in exchange, would grant tax incentives to those companies. The Department of&nbsp;Commerce has announced that Kansas is one of two finalists for a $4 billion, 3-million square foot&nbsp;advanced manufacturing facility that would employ 4,000 people and create 16,000 temporary jobs&nbsp;during construction. SB 347 retools the current Kansas tax incentives in an effort to win this&nbsp;megaproject, as well as attract other projects in the future.&nbsp;Republicans worked to incorporate accountability and safeguards into the bill, so that this economic&nbsp;development initiative is not designed solely for one company but is instead designed to drive economic&nbsp;development across the board. The incentives to attract APEX projects should help all Kansas companies – not just one - with a measured corporate tax reduction. Finally, the property tax component of the bill&nbsp;must be addressed to ensure local control so that economic development incentives offered by the state&nbsp;do not place an added tax burden on local residents and local business owners.&nbsp;During the House’s debate, an amendment providing for oversight by the State Finance Council was&nbsp;adopted. The House approved SB 347, with a vote of 80-41. The Senate concurred with the House&nbsp;amendments, sending the bill to the Governor. On Thursday, prior to the Governor signing SB 347,&nbsp;House Republican leadership reiterated their intent to require budget accountability from the Governor&nbsp;when an APEX plan is executed.&nbsp;“The Governor cannot escape economic reality,” said House Republican leadership. “She’s made a long&nbsp;list of costly election-year promises to Kansans – promises she cannot deliver while at the same time&nbsp;paying out economic development incentives before the money is there to back it up.”Condemning Price Gouging in KansasOn Wednesday, the House passed HCR 5023, with a vote of
114-2. HCR 5023 denounces the price&nbsp;gouging and market manipulation that occurred following the February 2021 cold snap. The resolution&nbsp;states the intent of the Legislature to support both state and federal investigations into the&nbsp;extraordinary price increases that resulted and hit Kansans and their communities hard. The resolution&nbsp;acknowledges the work of Attorney General Derek Schmidt for his efforts at investigating profiteering. A&nbsp;key component of the resolution is advocating for the protection of ratepayers should any corrective&nbsp;action be assigned. The adopted resolution will be sent to the chairperson of the Federal Energy&nbsp;Commission and the Attorney General.&nbsp;The 2021 Legislature passed the Utility Financing and Securitization Act, 2021 HB 2072, which gives&nbsp;utilities the opportunity to use securitized bonds at more favorable terms than traditional financing in&nbsp;order to mitigate the impact on Kansans’ utility bills. The agreement includes provisions to provide&nbsp;refunds to Kansans should money be recovered from on-going investigations and lawsuits regarding&nbsp;market manipulation and price gouging.KPERS Legislation Moving Through the ProcessThe House Insurance and Pensions Committee has begun its
work on HB 2561, which utilizes some of&nbsp;the state’s budget surplus to stabilize the KPERS retirement fund, ensuring it will be there for our&nbsp;teachers, our firefighters, and other public employees when they need it. The plan would appropriate $1&nbsp;billion to the KPERS Trust Fund, which would:• Bring KPERS above the 80 percent funded level, a goal in
ensuring the stability of retirement&nbsp;systems.• Lower future costs for taxpayers by reducing the amount
needed for the state’s share of&nbsp;employer contributions, saving the taxpayers $82 million in Fiscal Year 2023 and $429 million over the&nbsp;next five years.• Fully fund 2017 and 2019 payments, paying off layering
payments, and eliminating the annual&nbsp;$25.8 million payments on delayed employer contributions.Proponent testimony was provided by Attorney General Derek
Schmidt and the Committee’s Chairman,&nbsp;Rep. Steven Johnson. The Attorney General noted that HB 2561 is a fiscally responsible approach in&nbsp;contrast to the Governor’s previous reamortizing proposals, which would have left taxpayers burdened&nbsp;with more than $4 billion in added debt service. HB 2561 reduces debt and the unfunded liability and&nbsp;frees up more than $70 million annually to sustain funding for core services or make future tax relief&nbsp;possible.Neutral testimony from Budget Director Adam Proffitt showed
that the Governor only wants to fund&nbsp;$253.8 million to make up for Fiscal Year 2017 and Fiscal Year 2019 layering payments.If you would like to contact me: my office is still located in Room: 149-S. My phone number is (785) 296- 7463 and email is: kenn.rahje@house.ks.gov and you can always try my cell number at (785) 302-8416.It is my honor to serve you.Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the Kansas state representative of the 110th Dist. House District 110 includes:&nbsp;Norton and Phillips Counties Ellis County: Cities: Catharine, Ellis and Schoenchen;&nbsp;Townships: Big Creek(part), Buckeye, Catherine, Ellis, Herzog(part),&nbsp;Lookout(part) and Wheatland(part) Graham County: City: Hill City;&nbsp;Townships: Hill City(part) and Nicodemus(part) Rooks County: Cities: Damar, Palco, Plainville,&nbsp;Stockton, Woodston and Zurich

RAHJES REPORT: Feb. 14, 2022

Senator Rick Billinger&nbsp;Newsletter February 14, 2022

TOPEKA - Last week, Governor Kelly vetoed the legislation containing the Ad Astra 2 Congressional Map. The Senate and the House overrode the veto.

The House and Senate both adopted the finalized version of the state’s new Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX) economic growth plan. The APEX plan includes important oversight components, including oversight by the State Finance Council. The APEX Plan sets the stage for thousands of new jobs and game-changing private sector investments in our state, as well as important corporate tax reductions that benefit all who do business in Kansas. The legislature included several critical oversight provisions to ensure proper fiscal responsibility in the years ahead. 

The APEX Plan is an exciting and bold step that has the potential to drive significant economic activity to Kansas, and we look forward to seeing its responsible implementation in the months ahead. As I stated in a prior newsletter the legislature must be careful in providing incentives to bring in industries or businesses. This particular APEX Plan if accepted will cost over $1.0 billion which will considerably reduce our projected ending balances. Should any APEX project come forward, Republicans will expect the Governor to bring forward a balanced tax and budget proposal to the State Finance Council, and we must be cautious against any short-term payouts that would threaten the fiscal health of Kansas. If this offer is accepted it will impact our ability to reduce sales tax, such as taxes on food. To help drive taxes down for all who do business in Kansas, an important provision of the bill would lower the corporate income tax by .5% per project with a cap of two. In the amended legislation, the sunset of the program is on March 31, 2024, to ensure that the full legislature reviews the provisions of the APEX Act in just two years. The bill includes a refundable an investment tax credit of up to 15% of the business’ investment, which the state would refund over the period of a decade. The payroll tax refund would be capped at 7.5% for 10 years, but the State Finance Council could approve a higher refund of up to 10%. The bill includes a 5% refundable investment tax credit to the suppliers up to their first $50 million in capital investment, who would receive another percentage point of tax credits for every $10 million they invest up to the total of $100 million. The bill contains a reimbursement for suppliers for training costs up to $250,000 a year per supplier, with the primary manufacturing company able to receive to $5 million on an annual basis. It also establishes a $10 million matching incentive fund for the company to help with the relocation costs for employees who move from another state and make Kansas their primary residence. The bill also has claw back provisions in case the company relocates outside of the state in the 11th through 15th years following the year the manufacturer entered into the agreement with the state.

New legislation will hopefully help protect Kansans from identity theft by imposing stricter penalties. Sub for SB 300 will add to the definition of “covered person” a person who has engaged in identity theft or identify fraud, and also would add identity theft or identity fraud to the list of crimes for which committing, attempting, or conspiring to commit or soliciting, coercing, or intimidating another person to commit a misdemeanor or felony violation would constitute “racketeering activity.”

Last Thursday Wyandotte County voted to make their county a sanctuary city/county. An ordinance was passed that would give undocumented immigrants and others the opportunity to get a photo municipal ID so they can access government services. The ordinance prohibits local law enforcement agencies from helping federal authorities enforce federal laws. This makes one wonder how many midnight flights with illegals have been authorized to enter Kansas by Governor Kelly. Attorney General and Governor candidate Derek Schmidt has asked the legislature to pass legislation that would ban sanctuary cities/counties in Kansas.

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 February 14, 2022 TOPEKA - Last week, Governor Kelly vetoed the legislation containing the Ad Astra 2 Congressional Map. The Senate and the House overrode the veto.The House and Senate both adopted the finalized version of the state’s new Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX) economic growth plan. The APEX plan includes important oversight components, including oversight by the State Finance Council. The APEX Plan sets the stage for thousands of new jobs and game-changing private sector investments in our state, as well as important corporate tax reductions that benefit all who do business in Kansas. The legislature included several critical oversight provisions to ensure proper fiscal responsibility in the years ahead. The APEX Plan is an exciting and bold step that has the potential to drive significant economic activity to Kansas, and we look forward to seeing its responsible implementation in the months ahead. As I stated in a prior newsletter the legislature must be careful in providing incentives to bring in industries or businesses. This particular APEX Plan if accepted will cost over $1.0 billion which will considerably reduce our projected ending balances. Should any APEX project come forward, Republicans will expect the Governor to bring forward a balanced tax and budget proposal to the State Finance Council, and we must be cautious against any short-term payouts that would threaten the fiscal health of Kansas. If this offer is accepted it will impact our ability to reduce sales tax, such as taxes on food. To help drive taxes down for all who do business in Kansas, an important provision of the bill would lower the corporate income tax by .5% per project with a cap of two. In the amended legislation, the sunset of the program is on March 31, 2024, to ensure that the full legislature reviews the provisions of the APEX Act in just two years. The bill includes a refundable an investment tax credit of up to 15% of the business’ investment, which the state would refund over the period of a decade. The payroll tax refund would be capped at 7.5% for 10 years, but the State Finance Council could approve a higher refund of up to 10%. The bill includes a 5% refundable investment tax credit to the suppliers up to their first $50 million in capital investment, who would receive another percentage point of tax credits for every $10 million they invest up to the total of $100 million. The bill contains a reimbursement for suppliers for training costs up to $250,000 a year per supplier, with the primary manufacturing company able to receive to $5 million on an annual basis. It also establishes a $10 million matching incentive fund for the company to help with the relocation costs for employees who move from another state and make Kansas their primary residence. The bill also has claw back provisions in case the company relocates outside of the state in the 11th through 15th years following the year the manufacturer entered into the agreement with the state.New legislation will hopefully help protect Kansans from identity theft by imposing stricter penalties. Sub for SB 300 will add to the definition of “covered person” a person who has engaged in identity theft or identify fraud, and also would add identity theft or identity fraud to the list of crimes for which committing, attempting, or conspiring to commit or soliciting, coercing, or intimidating another person to commit a misdemeanor or felony violation would constitute “racketeering activity.”Last Thursday Wyandotte County voted to make their county a sanctuary city/county. An ordinance was passed that would give undocumented immigrants and others the opportunity to get a photo municipal ID so they can access government services. The ordinance prohibits local law enforcement agencies from helping federal authorities enforce federal laws. This makes one wonder how many midnight flights with illegals have been authorized to enter Kansas by Governor Kelly. Attorney General and Governor candidate Derek Schmidt has asked the legislature to pass legislation that would ban sanctuary cities/counties in Kansas.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, Feb. 14, 2022

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The 23rd Judicial District is implementing a new court program to keep people with mental illness in the community and out of hospitals and jails.

Assisted Outpatient Treatment is a preventive program to help people with severe and persistent mental illness from a cycle of hospitalization and acute mental health episodes, said District Judge Tom Drees.

Within the last five years, Ellis County has averaged about 71 care and treatment cases annually. These are civil cases and not criminal.

These are people who are a danger to themselves or others, to property or have exhibited a failure to care for themselves.

Some people come to the attention of the court through family members, agencies or law enforcement. Although some people who will be referred to the program may have outstanding criminal cases, those cases are handled separately in criminal court.

Drees said specialty court programs, such as assisted outpatient treatment and drug court, an existing court program in the judicial district, are&nbsp; becoming increasing popular across the United States.

A committee made up of members from the court and mental health services will meet monthly to choose people they think could benefit from the program and work to recommend treatment plans.

The first court hearings for the program are set for today.

Criteria for the program includes one of the following: • History of at least two hospitalizations during the last three to four years. •&nbsp;Using the emergency room for mental health treatment rather than staying on a mental health treatment program • Having a severe and persistent mental illness •&nbsp;Lacking an insight into their illness and having not been participants in their treatment program •&nbsp;Having a history of incarceration • Having had a violent behavior.

Sometimes a person’s mental illness makes it difficult for them to understand the need for treatment, Drees said, but we want to safeguard their due process rights, help them understand what is being asked of them and get them to buy into their treatment.

“In the 32 years I was in the county attorney’s office, I had some people who were committed 10, 12, 14 times,” he said. “Those are the ones we’re looking at — the ones with repetitive break downs, not following their treatment and ending up back in the system.”

The program will try to focus on community resources, which could include outpatient therapy, case workers, medication, and peer support through organizations such as High Plains Independence and National Alliance on Mental Illness.

High Plains Mental Health will coordinate the clinical services for the program participants.&nbsp; Participants who are under outpatient treatment orders would normally be seen in court once every three to six months, said Jessica Sherfick, assistant clinical director for community support services for High Plains Mental Health.

Under assisted outpatient treatment, the participant would be seen in court once a month. Sherfick said the hope is that services can be provided in the least restrictive setting as possible.

Most often the program would include individuals with diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. Sherfick said these diagnoses can severely affect an individual's ability to live work and play in comparison to someone without a mental illness. They are also usually lifelong afflictions. 

"This program is going to save lives," Sherflick said.

The program is not one-size-fits-all. The treatment programs are tailored for each individual. 

“The hope is if we can match the services to what is needed in their life" Drees said, "then they will more embrace their outpatient treatment, stay compliant and reduce the cycle of get back on track, quit following treatment, deteriorate, bad community event, back in for another care and treatment and then you start the whole cycle all over again."

Gina Anderson, director of High Plains Independence and a member of NAMI, is on the program's committee.&nbsp; She said peer support can be just as important as clinical treatment.

“I will provide the peer side, which is peer service where I’m talking to them as one of them," she said. "I’m somebody who has a mental illness. I’m someone who believes in recovery.  

“We work a program out here that if you want to recover with your mental illness and live a happy, productive life, we have tools you can use,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about is working together.”

Drees said the program can also help the community as a whole.

“If it can help prevent them from going to the ER when they need services, landing in jail when they need services, that’s a great benefit to the community,” he said. “More importantly it's going to be a benefit to these individuals to hopefully break their cycle of crisis..."

Drees said bringing a team together is a good concept instead of dealing with each case separately.

“I think it’s helpful to the court when you have the team approach,” he said. … “Instead of I have 10 minutes in a courtroom to guess to what they need and to issue orders.

The program is being supported through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services grant.

“It is really nice that the federal government and part of our state government is starting to understand that with the proper treatment and the proper availability of services, people can make different choices, and that’s what it’s all about, giving them a choice, ” Anderson said.

Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe 23rd Judicial District is implementing a new court program to keep people with mental illness in the community and out of hospitals and jails.Assisted Outpatient Treatment is a preventive program to help people with severe and persistent mental illness from a cycle of hospitalization and acute mental health episodes, said District Judge Tom Drees.Within the last five years, Ellis County has averaged about 71 care and treatment cases annually. These are civil cases and not criminal.These are people who are a danger to themselves or others, to property or have exhibited a failure to care for themselves.Some people come to the attention of the court through family members, agencies or law enforcement. Although some people who will be referred to the program may have outstanding criminal cases, those cases are handled separately in criminal court.Drees said specialty court programs, such as assisted outpatient treatment and drug court, an existing court program in the judicial district, are&nbsp; becoming increasing popular across the United States. A committee made up of members from the court and mental health services will meet monthly to choose people they think could benefit from the program and work to recommend treatment plans.The first court hearings for the program are set for today.Criteria for the program includes one of the following: • History of at least two hospitalizations during the last three to four years. •&nbsp;Using the emergency room for mental health treatment rather than staying on a mental health treatment program • Having a severe and persistent mental illness •&nbsp;Lacking an insight into their illness and having not been participants in their treatment program •&nbsp;Having a history of incarceration • Having had a violent behavior.Sometimes a person’s mental illness makes it difficult for them to understand the need for treatment, Drees said, but we want to safeguard their due process rights, help them understand what is being asked of them and get them to buy into their treatment.“In the 32 years I was in the county attorney’s office, I had some people who were committed 10, 12, 14 times,” he said. “Those are the ones we’re looking at — the ones with repetitive break downs, not following their treatment and ending up back in the system.”The program will try to focus on community resources, which could include outpatient therapy, case workers, medication, and peer support through organizations such as High Plains Independence and National Alliance on Mental Illness.High Plains Mental Health will coordinate the clinical services for the program participants.&nbsp; Participants who are under outpatient treatment orders would normally be seen in court once every three to six months, said Jessica Sherfick, assistant clinical director for community support services for High Plains Mental Health. Under assisted outpatient treatment, the participant would be seen in court once a month. Sherfick said the hope is that services can be provided in the least restrictive setting as possible. Most often the program would include individuals with diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. Sherfick said these diagnoses can severely affect an individual's ability to live work and play in comparison to someone without a mental illness. They are also usually lifelong afflictions. "This program is going to save lives," Sherflick said. The program is not one-size-fits-all. The treatment programs are tailored for each individual. “The hope is if we can match the services to what is needed in their life" Drees said, "then they will more embrace their outpatient treatment, stay compliant and reduce the cycle of get back on track, quit following treatment, deteriorate, bad community event, back in for another care and treatment and then you start the whole cycle all over again."Gina Anderson, director of High Plains Independence and a member of NAMI, is on the program's committee.&nbsp; She said peer support can be just as important as clinical treatment.“I will provide the peer side, which is peer service where I’m talking to them as one of them," she said. "I’m somebody who has a mental illness. I’m someone who believes in recovery. “We work a program out here that if you want to recover with your mental illness and live a happy, productive life, we have tools you can use,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about is working together.”Drees said the program can also help the community as a whole.“If it can help prevent them from going to the ER when they need services, landing in jail when they need services, that’s a great benefit to the community,” he said. “More importantly it's going to be a benefit to these individuals to hopefully break their cycle of crisis..."Drees said bringing a team together is a good concept instead of dealing with each case separately.“I think it’s helpful to the court when you have the team approach,” he said. … “Instead of I have 10 minutes in a courtroom to guess to what they need and to issue orders.The program is being supported through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services grant.“It is really nice that the federal government and part of our state government is starting to understand that with the proper treatment and the proper availability of services, people can make different choices, and that’s what it’s all about, giving them a choice, ” Anderson said.Cover photo courtesy of Pixabay.

23rd Judicial District program emphasizes outpatient treatment for mentally ill

By JAMES BELL 
Hays Post

After being canceled twice due to the pandemic, the Center for Life Experience’s
Healing Kids’ Hearts retreat is set to return this year, allowing children the opportunity
to share their experiences of the loss of a loved one in a supportive
atmosphere.

The retreat began in 2015, running each year until 2019, according to
Center for Life Experiences Executive Director Ann Leiker.

“We wanted it to be safe for our volunteers and our kids,” Leiker said, “so we didn't have it for a couple of years. And now, this March, we're going to give
it a good go.”

This year’s event is scheduled for March 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at
the Hays Senior Center.

“This year, we're really pleased that the Senior Center here in Hays has
offered to sponsor us,” Leiker said. “It's a really neat location. And there
are wonderful people there who will be helping us and become buddies for the
kids that day.”

Along with the seniors from the center, she said any volunteer is welcome
to participate.

“We would be glad to have (other) senior
volunteers,” Leiker said. “We also have reached out to the university to their
students in different areas as mentors. So, we have a wide variety of volunteers,
and we can always use more of it. The more the merrier.”

Volunteers will complete training
for the retreat in the coming weeks, she said.

Volunteers will interact with the
children, completing a variety of activities, while talking and sharing about
their experiences. 

“We have a lot of really good, fun
times,” Leiker said. "(At first) they're a little quiet, maybe wondering what's
going to happen. But by the end of the day, they're pattering up a storm, and
making new friends and just feeling like the weight of the world has been lifted
off their shoulders.”

Activities planned include making
a memory box, along with other activities designed to help the children explore
and deal with grief.

“Kids decorate the boxes we have,
and they can put photographs or keepsakes or whatever in the box of their loved
ones,” Leiker said. 

“We're looking forward to ... helping them learn how to honor those people who have been
significant in their lives and to grieve loss in a healthy way and to keep
moving on with their lives. But to keep those special people close to them in
their heart.”

She said key to the day is sharing
with others who have experienced loss, in an effort to continue healing.

“It's just really a lot of it is
sharing and not keeping it all stuffed inside,” Leiker said. Through that sharing, she said, the children find they are not alone and “there are other people,
there are other friends, there are children, other children, who are going
through the same thing.

“The kids can share with each
other, and the buddy can also help them know that it's OK to feel grief and
loss. And to honor the people they loved in specific ways. That's OK. We just
want to do it in a healthy way.”

Around 20 participants between the
ages of 7 to 12 typically participate in the retreat, with limited spots
available.

<a href="https://www.cflehope.org/">Applications
for volunteers and participants can be found the on Center for Life Experiences
website, cflehope.org.</a>

<div><iframe title="Healing Kids’ Hearts retreat returns for 2022" 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=kxyzh-11a3772-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 canceled twice due to the pandemic, the Center for Life Experience’s
Healing Kids’ Hearts retreat is set to return this year, allowing children the opportunity
to share their experiences of the loss of a loved one in a supportive
atmosphere.The retreat began in 2015, running each year until 2019, according to
Center for Life Experiences Executive Director Ann Leiker.“We wanted it to be safe for our volunteers and our kids,” Leiker said, “so we didn't have it for a couple of years. And now, this March, we're going to give
it a good go.”This year’s event is scheduled for March 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at
the Hays Senior Center.“This year, we're really pleased that the Senior Center here in Hays has
offered to sponsor us,” Leiker said. “It's a really neat location. And there
are wonderful people there who will be helping us and become buddies for the
kids that day.”Along with the seniors from the center, she said any volunteer is welcome
to participate.“We would be glad to have (other) senior
volunteers,” Leiker said. “We also have reached out to the university to their
students in different areas as mentors. So, we have a wide variety of volunteers,
and we can always use more of it. The more the merrier.”Volunteers will complete training
for the retreat in the coming weeks, she said.Volunteers will interact with the
children, completing a variety of activities, while talking and sharing about
their experiences. “We have a lot of really good, fun
times,” Leiker said. "(At first) they're a little quiet, maybe wondering what's
going to happen. But by the end of the day, they're pattering up a storm, and
making new friends and just feeling like the weight of the world has been lifted
off their shoulders.”Activities planned include making
a memory box, along with other activities designed to help the children explore
and deal with grief.“Kids decorate the boxes we have,
and they can put photographs or keepsakes or whatever in the box of their loved
ones,” Leiker said. “We're looking forward to ... helping them learn how to honor those people who have been
significant in their lives and to grieve loss in a healthy way and to keep
moving on with their lives. But to keep those special people close to them in
their heart.”She said key to the day is sharing
with others who have experienced loss, in an effort to continue healing.“It's just really a lot of it is
sharing and not keeping it all stuffed inside,” Leiker said. Through that sharing, she said, the children find they are not alone and “there are other people,
there are other friends, there are children, other children, who are going
through the same thing.“The kids can share with each
other, and the buddy can also help them know that it's OK to feel grief and
loss. And to honor the people they loved in specific ways. That's OK. We just
want to do it in a healthy way.”Around 20 participants between the
ages of 7 to 12 typically participate in the retreat, with limited spots
available.<a href="https://www.cflehope.org/">Applications
for volunteers and participants can be found the on Center for Life Experiences
website, cflehope.org.</a>Cover image courtesy Pixabay

🎙  Healing Kids' Hearts retreat returns for 2022

CASA of the High Plains is hosting its second annual Luck Bids for CASA Kids online auction fundraiser from March 17 to  11:59 p.m. March 28.

Visit the auction site <a href="https://event.auctria.com/9297b409-3309-4cc4-a325-150e1e9fbfd2/">HERE</a> to view items and register to bid. Items can already be viewed on the site.

Help CASA celebrate more than 30 years serving as a voice for children. In 2021, there were about 100 children who needed CASA’s (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in the 23rd Judicial District. The district covers Ellis, Rooks, Trego and Gove counties.

The CASA volunteers are assigned to the court cases for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. CASAs serve as the voice for these vulnerable children in court.

All proceeds benefit CASA of the High Plains Inc. to help children removed from their homes.

You can learn about the auction and <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2cd298a9-9e5c-47a6-a5ae-55697d1bd1f2">meet CASA's new executive director, Kristen Osborne,</a> during a Hays Chamber Chat at 9 a.m. Friday, March 4, at the CASA office, 107 W. 13th (upstairs).

CASA had planned to have its annual Valentine’s dinner, but circumstances resulted in CASA having to cancel that event. Look for an in-person auction and dinner to come back next spring.

CASA of the High Plains Inc., is funded in part by the United Way of Ellis County, the City of Hays and the Kansas Permanent Families Fund, which is administered by the Office of Judicial Administration.

For more information, to donate, or to become a sponsor, call CASA at 785-628-8641 or email <a href="mailto:casahighplains@kansascasa.org">casahighplains@kansascasa.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644520708218.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedCASA of the High Plains is hosting its second annual Luck Bids for CASA Kids online auction fundraiser from March 17 to 11:59 p.m. March 28.Visit the auction site <a href="https://event.auctria.com/9297b409-3309-4cc4-a325-150e1e9fbfd2/">HERE</a> to view items and register to bid. Items can already be viewed on the site.Help CASA celebrate more than 30 years serving as a voice for children. In 2021, there were about 100 children who needed CASA’s (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in the 23rd Judicial District. The district covers Ellis, Rooks, Trego and Gove counties.The CASA volunteers are assigned to the court cases for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. CASAs serve as the voice for these vulnerable children in court.All proceeds benefit CASA of the High Plains Inc. to help children removed from their homes.You can learn about the auction and <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2cd298a9-9e5c-47a6-a5ae-55697d1bd1f2">meet CASA's new executive director, Kristen Osborne,</a> during a Hays Chamber Chat at 9 a.m. Friday, March 4, at the CASA office, 107 W. 13th (upstairs).CASA had planned to have its annual Valentine’s dinner, but circumstances resulted in CASA having to cancel that event. Look for an in-person auction and dinner to come back next spring.CASA of the High Plains Inc., is funded in part by the United Way of Ellis County, the City of Hays and the Kansas Permanent Families Fund, which is administered by the Office of Judicial Administration.For more information, to donate, or to become a sponsor, call CASA at 785-628-8641 or email <a href="mailto:casahighplains@kansascasa.org">casahighplains@kansascasa.org</a>.

CASA sets online Lucky Bids for CASA Kids fundraiser for March

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

When your business or organization needs to conduct a staff retreat, where do you go?&nbsp;Sometimes groups leave their town to go to a bigger city with lots of venue choices.&nbsp;

Today we’ll meet an Extension district whose staff chose to go in the opposite direction.&nbsp;&nbsp;They are choosing to hold their retreats in the smaller towns within their counties.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Donna Krug is the district director for the K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District, comprised of Barton and Ellis Counties. She also serves as a family and consumer sciences agent for the district.&nbsp;

Donna grew up on a farm near Washington, Kansas. After graduating from K-State, she became a 4-H agent in Texas where her future husband, John, was attending chiropractic school. They married and came to back to Kansas where Donna became the family and consumer sciences agent in Barton County. John was a chiropractor in Great Bend for 32 years.&nbsp;

“As an Extension agent, I do a lot of health and wellness and nutrition classes,” Donna said. “I like sharing my knowledge on health and wellness, and I love the people who come to learn.”&nbsp;

She enjoys teaching Stay Strong, Stay Healthy workshops and has developed10 family and consumer sciences fact sheets focused on health and nutrition. She’s now teaching a sauerkraut making class.&nbsp;

“I recently did a fact sheet on taking a new look at fermented foods,” Donna said. “I shared it at a national meeting. The folks at Iowa State called and want me to come present it there.”&nbsp;

In 2017, Barton and Ellis counties joined together to form the Cottonwood district, and Donna became director. When county staffs join together as a new team, planning becomes especially important.&nbsp;

Donna recognized the need for a staff planning retreat and had a creative idea about where to conduct it. “So many of our activities take place in Hays or Great Bend,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Why not go to the outlying communities? I thought it would be good to reach out to the smaller towns in our counties.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the years since, the Cottonwood district has held its semiannual retreats in rural communities such as Hoisington, population 2,699; Ellinwood, population 2,131; Ellis, population 1,958; Claflin, population 645; and Catharine (including the surrounding area), population 113 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

“I reach out to the staff members who live in those areas and ask them to take the lead in planning those retreats,” Donna said. Such retreats typically involve a tour, meal, or fun activity plus a couple of hours of strategic program planning.&nbsp;

“Our 4-H agent Michelle Beran lives near Claflin,” Donna said. “She arranged for us to meet at the library and then walk to the pizza parlor.”&nbsp;

In Ellinwood, they learned about the Strengthsfinders program and toured the underground tunnels downtown. At Ellis, they visited a maker space.&nbsp;

“Our office professional in Hays, Theresa Meis, lives near Catharine,” Donna said. “She arranged for us to meet there and tour her beautiful church, and we also tried painting barn quilts.”&nbsp;

The retreat provides an opportunity for agents and staff to discuss program direction and practice staff development. “I always try to keep us focused on our mission statement,” Donna said. “At one meeting, I used Bill Snyder’s book on 16 goals for success and we shared how we could apply those to our work.”&nbsp;

She also organizes a joint meeting of Extension program development committees in both counties. “We share a meal, go over shared topics, and then break into our program development committees,” she said.&nbsp;

When your business or organization needs to conduct a staff retreat, where do you go?&nbsp;&nbsp;We’re thankful that Donna Krug and the K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District chose to make a difference by reaching out to the smaller communities in their counties. As Donna said, “It validates that every community and every person is important.”&nbsp;

And there’s more. Donna played a pivotal role in rerouting a national bicycle trail to her hometown of Great Bend.&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ll learn about that next week.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644416317024.png" alt="Krug / Courtesy Huck Boyd Institute" />
 <figcaption>Krug / Courtesy Huck Boyd Institute</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;When your business or organization needs to conduct a staff retreat, where do you go?&nbsp;Sometimes groups leave their town to go to a bigger city with lots of venue choices.&nbsp;Today we’ll meet an Extension district whose staff chose to go in the opposite direction.&nbsp;&nbsp;They are choosing to hold their retreats in the smaller towns within their counties.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Donna Krug is the district director for the K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District, comprised of Barton and Ellis Counties. She also serves as a family and consumer sciences agent for the district.&nbsp;Donna grew up on a farm near Washington, Kansas. After graduating from K-State, she became a 4-H agent in Texas where her future husband, John, was attending chiropractic school. They married and came to back to Kansas where Donna became the family and consumer sciences agent in Barton County. John was a chiropractor in Great Bend for 32 years.&nbsp;“As an Extension agent, I do a lot of health and wellness and nutrition classes,” Donna said. “I like sharing my knowledge on health and wellness, and I love the people who come to learn.”&nbsp;She enjoys teaching Stay Strong, Stay Healthy workshops and has developed10 family and consumer sciences fact sheets focused on health and nutrition. She’s now teaching a sauerkraut making class.&nbsp;“I recently did a fact sheet on taking a new look at fermented foods,” Donna said. “I shared it at a national meeting. The folks at Iowa State called and want me to come present it there.”&nbsp;In 2017, Barton and Ellis counties joined together to form the Cottonwood district, and Donna became director. When county staffs join together as a new team, planning becomes especially important.&nbsp;Donna recognized the need for a staff planning retreat and had a creative idea about where to conduct it. “So many of our activities take place in Hays or Great Bend,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Why not go to the outlying communities? I thought it would be good to reach out to the smaller towns in our counties.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the years since, the Cottonwood district has held its semiannual retreats in rural communities such as Hoisington, population 2,699; Ellinwood, population 2,131; Ellis, population 1,958; Claflin, population 645; and Catharine (including the surrounding area), population 113 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;“I reach out to the staff members who live in those areas and ask them to take the lead in planning those retreats,” Donna said. Such retreats typically involve a tour, meal, or fun activity plus a couple of hours of strategic program planning.&nbsp;“Our 4-H agent Michelle Beran lives near Claflin,” Donna said. “She arranged for us to meet at the library and then walk to the pizza parlor.”&nbsp;In Ellinwood, they learned about the Strengthsfinders program and toured the underground tunnels downtown. At Ellis, they visited a maker space.&nbsp;“Our office professional in Hays, Theresa Meis, lives near Catharine,” Donna said. “She arranged for us to meet there and tour her beautiful church, and we also tried painting barn quilts.”&nbsp;The retreat provides an opportunity for agents and staff to discuss program direction and practice staff development. “I always try to keep us focused on our mission statement,” Donna said. “At one meeting, I used Bill Snyder’s book on 16 goals for success and we shared how we could apply those to our work.”&nbsp;She also organizes a joint meeting of Extension program development committees in both counties. “We share a meal, go over shared topics, and then break into our program development committees,” she said.&nbsp;When your business or organization needs to conduct a staff retreat, where do you go?&nbsp;&nbsp;We’re thankful that Donna Krug and the K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District chose to make a difference by reaching out to the smaller communities in their counties. As Donna said, “It validates that every community and every person is important.”&nbsp;And there’s more. Donna played a pivotal role in rerouting a national bicycle trail to her hometown of Great Bend.&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ll learn about that next week.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Donna Krug, Cottonwood District 

<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/2022/2/1644604837056.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

Proper care can extend the life of the favored holiday flower&nbsp;

MANHATTAN — The calendar indicates that love will soon be in the air, and for those fortunate to receive Valentine’s Day roses, Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham has some guidelines for extending the life of the flowers.&nbsp;

“For floral arrangements,” he said, “keep the vase filled or floral foam soaked with warm water. Add fresh, warm water daily. If the water turns cloudy, replace it immediately.”&nbsp;

Upham suggests re-cutting stems by removing 1-2 inches with a sharp knife, while holding the stem under water.&nbsp;

The roses should be kept in a cool spot – 65-67 degrees Fahrenheit, Upham said – and away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents. He also suggests avoiding areas under ceiling fans or near radiators.&nbsp;

“If a rose starts to wilt, remove it from the arrangement and re-cut the stem under water,” he said. “Submerge the entire rose in warm water. The rose should revive in 1-2 hours.”&nbsp;

For loose stem roses, Upham shared the following tips:&nbsp;

<a></a><a>Upham and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining home landscapes. The newsletter is&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html">available to view online</a>&nbsp;or can be delivered by email each week.&nbsp;

Interested persons can also send their garden- and yard-related questions to Upham at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wupham@ksu.edu">wupham@ksu.edu</a>,&nbsp;or contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/stateandareamaps.html">local K-State Research and Extension office</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>Proper care can extend the life of the favored holiday flower&nbsp;</h2>K-State Research &amp; ExtensionMANHATTAN — The calendar indicates that love will soon be in the air, and for those fortunate to receive Valentine’s Day roses, Kansas State University horticulture expert Ward Upham has some guidelines for extending the life of the flowers.&nbsp;“For floral arrangements,” he said, “keep the vase filled or floral foam soaked with warm water. Add fresh, warm water daily. If the water turns cloudy, replace it immediately.”&nbsp;Upham suggests re-cutting stems by removing 1-2 inches with a sharp knife, while holding the stem under water.&nbsp;The roses should be kept in a cool spot – 65-67 degrees Fahrenheit, Upham said – and away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents. He also suggests avoiding areas under ceiling fans or near radiators.&nbsp;“If a rose starts to wilt, remove it from the arrangement and re-cut the stem under water,” he said. “Submerge the entire rose in warm water. The rose should revive in 1-2 hours.”&nbsp;For loose stem roses, Upham shared the following tips:&nbsp; <ul>
 <li>If you can’t get your flowers in a food solution right away, keep them in a cool place. &nbsp;</li><li>Fill a clean, deep vase with water and add the flower food obtained from the florist. Follow directions on the package. &nbsp;</li><li>Remove leaves that will be below the water line. Leaves in water will promote bacterial growth. &nbsp;</li><li>Re-cut stems under water with a sharp knife and place the flowers in the vase solution.&nbsp; </li>
 </ul><a></a><a>Upham and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining home landscapes. The newsletter is&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html">available to view online</a>&nbsp;or can be delivered by email each week.&nbsp;Interested persons can also send their garden- and yard-related questions to Upham at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:wupham@ksu.edu">wupham@ksu.edu</a>,&nbsp;or contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/stateandareamaps.html">local K-State Research and Extension office</a>.&nbsp;

K-State horticulture expert shares tips on caring for Valentine’s roses

Amazing delivery brings needed light to program critical to those in need

STOCKTON — The food ministry in Stockton received a shipment of a sweet treats last week — a large shipment of Zingers, the raspberry snack cake covered in coconut.

They received 56 pallets of this cousin to the Twinkie. That's 105 cases to a pallet, six boxes to case, 10 individually wrapped Zingers to a box.

Do the math: That's 352,800 cream-filled delights. If you stretched those end to end, that would cover about a mile and a half.

The Zingers are being stored in a shed with pallets stacked 10 feet tall. Thursday, during one of the pantry's giveaways, people were loading them onto trailers, stuffing them into trunks and wheeling them away on dollies — in Stockton, Kansas, a community of just 1,300 people.

The Zingers are past their best-by date, so the items could no longer be sold. However, the treats are perfectly good to eat.

Although the thought of that many filling-stuffed snack cakes might elicit a giggle, the delivery is part of a larger, very important, food program in rural Kansas called Convoy of Hope.

Stockton United Methodist Church Pastor Ted Stapleton coordinates the food drop at the Pantry of Blessings in Stockton, a program that has been in operation for about four years. 

The name for the program comes from a story in the Bible about a widow going to the pantry, who never ran out of flour.

"God is doing that with this," Stapleton said. "Everything we bring in is something people need or can use."

Convoy of Hope connects sites like the Pantry of Blessings with manufacturers or businesses that have overstock or, in the case of the Zingers, are reaching a best-by date.

Stapleton said an incredible amount of food in this country is thrown away — food that could be feeding people.

The Pantry of Blessings only pays for the shipping cost to get the products to Stockton. This typically ranges from $600 to $2,000, depending on how far the load has to travel. The program takes donations to pay for the trucking expenses. Stapleton said God always comes through with enough funds to get trucks to Stockton.

When Stapleton first started the program in northwest Kansas, he was taking whatever vehicle he could find to bring back food, including renting a U-Haul. Now, the program receives food by the semi load.

The pantry usually gets a shipment once every three months.

"Basically, we're bringing it out rural America instead of it all going to the cities," Stapleton said.

He said it is like Christmas when they open up the truck, because they never know what they're going to receive. The last shipment was protein bars. It's also been water, Gatorade, cereal, tortillas and rice, among other products.

The Zinger shipment was unusual in that the program received such a large quantity of all one item, Stapleton said.

During the pandemic, Pantry of Blessings received produce shipments from the federal government. The government was buying those commodities straight from farmers, and the government paid for the shipping on those trucks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644614527478.jpeg" alt="The Pantry of Blessing in Stockton is giving away free Zingers. The food program received a shipment of 56 pallets of the snack cakes last week. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The Pantry of Blessing in Stockton is giving away free Zingers. The food program received a shipment of 56 pallets of the snack cakes last week. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Amazing delivery brings needed light to program critical to those in need</h2>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostSTOCKTON — The food ministry in Stockton received a shipment of a sweet treats last week — a large shipment of Zingers, the raspberry snack cake covered in coconut.They received 56 pallets of this cousin to the Twinkie. That's 105 cases to a pallet, six boxes to case, 10 individually wrapped Zingers to a box.Do the math: That's 352,800 cream-filled delights. If you stretched those end to end, that would cover about a mile and a half. The Zingers are being stored in a shed with pallets stacked 10 feet tall. Thursday, during one of the pantry's giveaways, people were loading them onto trailers, stuffing them into trunks and wheeling them away on dollies — in Stockton, Kansas, a community of just 1,300 people.The Zingers are past their best-by date, so the items could no longer be sold. However, the treats are perfectly good to eat.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644614995437.jpeg" alt="Far right, Loren Goodheart, Pantry of Blessing volunteer, and far left, Pastor Ted Stapleton, Pantry of Blessing coordinator, help load cases of Zingers out of the pantry's storage area. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Far right, Loren Goodheart, Pantry of Blessing volunteer, and far left, Pastor Ted Stapleton, Pantry of Blessing coordinator, help load cases of Zingers out of the pantry's storage area. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Although the thought of that many filling-stuffed snack cakes might elicit a giggle, the delivery is part of a larger, very important, food program in rural Kansas called Convoy of Hope.Stockton United Methodist Church Pastor Ted Stapleton coordinates the food drop at the Pantry of Blessings in Stockton, a program that has been in operation for about four years. The name for the program comes from a story in the Bible about a widow going to the pantry, who never ran out of flour."God is doing that with this," Stapleton said. "Everything we bring in is something people need or can use."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644615491953.jpeg" alt="Cases of Zingers being loaded into a vehicle. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Cases of Zingers being loaded into a vehicle. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>Convoy of Hope connects sites like the Pantry of Blessings with manufacturers or businesses that have overstock or, in the case of the Zingers, are reaching a best-by date.Stapleton said an incredible amount of food in this country is thrown away — food that could be feeding people. The Pantry of Blessings only pays for the shipping cost to get the products to Stockton. This typically ranges from $600 to $2,000, depending on how far the load has to travel. The program takes donations to pay for the trucking expenses. Stapleton said God always comes through with enough funds to get trucks to Stockton. When Stapleton first started the program in northwest Kansas, he was taking whatever vehicle he could find to bring back food, including renting a U-Haul. Now, the program receives food by the semi load.The pantry usually gets a shipment once every three months.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644615535255.jpeg" alt="Cases of Zingers stacked up in a warehouse in Stockton. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post " />
 <figcaption>Cases of Zingers stacked up in a warehouse in Stockton. Photo by Cristina Janney / Hays Post </figcaption>
 </figure>"Basically, we're bringing it out rural America instead of it all going to the cities," Stapleton said. He said it is like Christmas when they open up the truck, because they never know what they're going to receive. The last shipment was protein bars. It's also been water, Gatorade, cereal, tortillas and rice, among other products. The Zinger shipment was unusual in that the program received such a large quantity of all one item, Stapleton said. During the pandemic, Pantry of Blessings received produce shipments from the federal government. The government was buying those commodities straight from farmers, and the government paid for the shipping on those trucks."Most people don't understand that poverty is reality," Stapleton said, "and when times get tough, we don't get enough food. We are not feeding our families well enough. If I can bring product in that will help people, then it's well worth it."Pantry of Blessings is connected with food pantries and churches across the region. The food helps supplement what the pantries can offer to their clients.Diana Koerner and a friend made the drive to Stockton this week and brought back a carload, about 54 cases, of the Zingers to Hays. They delivered to the Hays food banks, Hays High School, Thomas More Prep- Marian, the Fort Hays State University food pantry, Hays Senior Center and Homestead of Hays, among other organizations.The Ellis Food Pantry also received a load of Zingers. Althea Cross, volunteer, said the food pantry doesn't usually receive sweet items. It prepares 6o to 74 food boxes each month for local families.Loren Goodheart, Pantry of Blessings volunteer, said he has delivered Zingers to the Norton Correctional Facility, hospitals, senior care homes and day cares.As of Thursday morning, the program had about 40 pallets of Zingers left. Food from Stockton, has also gone to Bird City, Goodland, Colby, Nebraska, Smith Center, Beloit and other communities."In rural America, it's just about making sure we're taking care of each other," Stapleton said.Once charitable organizations and pantries have been served, the pantry offers the remaining food to local individuals and families. There are no income restrictions — people are just handed the food."We wanted to make it so as many people could be served as possible," Stapleton said. "We are not making a judgment on who needs it and who doesn't because nobody knows the reality of anybody's life."We are humbled to continue to be able to get the product and share it like we do."Stapleton said he rarely does interviews. The program is not about him, it's about the smiles on people's faces when they receive food. He said program is about offering glory to God."It's in God's hands," he said. "We'll do this as long as God wants us to, and when he decides that we're done and we've done all that we can, then it'll stop. But until that moment, we're going to keep doing what we do." Anyone interested in donating funds to pay for the program's trucking costs can donate to Pantry of Blessings, in care of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/170885512930055">Long Island Methodist Church</a>, 524 W. Washington Ave., Long Island, KS 67647.

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