Three-day weather outlook

Tall fescue lawns that have become thin over the summer can be thickened up by overseeding during September. Start by mowing the grass short (1 to 1.5 inches) and removing the clippings. This will make it easier to achieve good seed-soil contact and increase the amount of light that will reach the young seedlings. Good seed-soil contact is vital if the overseeding is to be successful. Excess thatch can prevent seeds from reaching the soil and germinating. Normally we want 1/4 inch of thatch or less when overseeding. If the thatch layer is 3/4 inch or more, it is usually easiest to use a sod cutter to remove it and start over with a new lawn. A power rake can be used to reduce a thatch layer that is less than 3/4 inch but more than a quarter inch. Once thatch is under control, the soil should be prepared for the seed. This can be done in various ways. &nbsp; For small spots, a hand rake can be used to roughen up the soil before the seed is applied. A verticut machine has solid vertical blades that can be set to cut furrows in the soil. It is best to go in two different directions with the machine. A slit seeder is a verticut machine with a seed hopper added so the soil prep and seeding operation are combined. Another option is to use a core aerator. The core aerator will punch holes in the soil and deposit the soil cores on the surface of the ground. Each hole produces an excellent environment for seed germination and growth. Make three to four passes with the core aerator to ensure enough holes for the seed. Using a core aerator has the additional benefit of reducing the amount of watering needed to get the seed germinated and growing. Aeration also increases the water infiltration rate, decreases compaction, and increases the amount of oxygen in the soil. Of the three methods, I prefer the slit seeder for obtaining good seed/soil contact. &nbsp;However, if watering is difficult, core aeration may be a better option. &nbsp;Regardless of the method used, fertilizer should be applied at the rate suggested by a soil test, or a starter fertilizer should be used at the rate suggested on the bag. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580750915301.jpeg" alt="Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Tall fescue lawns that have become thin over the summer can be thickened up by overseeding during September. Start by mowing the grass short (1 to 1.5 inches) and removing the clippings. This will make it easier to achieve good seed-soil contact and increase the amount of light that will reach the young seedlings. Good seed-soil contact is vital if the overseeding is to be successful. Excess thatch can prevent seeds from reaching the soil and germinating. Normally we want 1/4 inch of thatch or less when overseeding. If the thatch layer is 3/4 inch or more, it is usually easiest to use a sod cutter to remove it and start over with a new lawn. A power rake can be used to reduce a thatch layer that is less than 3/4 inch but more than a quarter inch. Once thatch is under control, the soil should be prepared for the seed. This can be done in various ways. &nbsp; For small spots, a hand rake can be used to roughen up the soil before the seed is applied. A verticut machine has solid vertical blades that can be set to cut furrows in the soil. It is best to go in two different directions with the machine. A slit seeder is a verticut machine with a seed hopper added so the soil prep and seeding operation are combined. Another option is to use a core aerator. The core aerator will punch holes in the soil and deposit the soil cores on the surface of the ground. Each hole produces an excellent environment for seed germination and growth. Make three to four passes with the core aerator to ensure enough holes for the seed. Using a core aerator has the additional benefit of reducing the amount of watering needed to get the seed germinated and growing. Aeration also increases the water infiltration rate, decreases compaction, and increases the amount of oxygen in the soil. Of the three methods, I prefer the slit seeder for obtaining good seed/soil contact. &nbsp;However, if watering is difficult, core aeration may be a better option. &nbsp;Regardless of the method used, fertilizer should be applied at the rate suggested by a soil test, or a starter fertilizer should be used at the rate suggested on the bag. Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions, she can be contacted by e-mail at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lfick@k-state.edu">lfick@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

FICK: Overseeding a lawn

NORTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged sex crimes in Norton County, according to a social media report from the Norton Police Department.

Over the weekend, police arrested 32-year-old Cody Hardy on a Norton County District Court warrant on four counts of&nbsp; alleged aggravated criminal sodomy, rape, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

Hardy remains jailed on a $1,000,000.00 bond. Police released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630343227790.png" alt="Hardy / photo Norton County" />
 <figcaption>Hardy / photo Norton County</figcaption>
 </figure>NORTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged sex crimes in Norton County, according to a social media report from the Norton Police Department.Over the weekend, police arrested 32-year-old Cody Hardy on a Norton County District Court warrant on four counts of&nbsp; alleged aggravated criminal sodomy, rape, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.Hardy remains jailed on a $1,000,000.00 bond. Police released no additional details.

Man jailed in NW Kansas for alleged sex crimes

Lori Reeves runs Lucas post office, raises chickens at home in Sylvan Grove

By LORI BRACK <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/29/kansan-who-trained-afghan-corrections-workers-agonizes-over-taliban-takeover/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LUCAS — Though it’s been 10 years 
since Lori Reeves left Afghanistan, she can still rattle off flight 
times from the Kabul airport to Dubai, from Dubai to Atlanta, and then 
the last two hours back home to Kansas.

Last week, that same Kabul airport was the site of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-us-news-08-28-21/index.html">a suicide bombing</a> that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 160 Afghans. Saturday saw <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/bombings-evacuations-kabul-bb32ec2b65b54ec24323e021c9b4a553">another 300 Americans evacuated</a> while the Taliban made access to the airport <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-afghanistan-united-nations-957bdc5ded58a337572313d27be13e73">even more difficult</a>
 for Afghans seeking safety outside of the country. As the window of 
opportunity closes for evacuation, President Joe Biden said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/28/afghanistan-live-news-uks-ability-to-process-evacuations-extremely-reduced-as-us-on-alert-for-further-attacks">another attack on the airport was likely</a> after the United States carried out an airstrike aimed at those responsible for the Thursday attack.

Reeves, who worked as a senior warden
 adviser and trainer in Afghan prisons from 2006 to 2011, is watching 
the nation fall to the Taliban with sadness and concern.

“I have a sense of remorse because of
 how much it meant to us to help these people, and this is how we leave 
them,” she said. “I felt like we were making such a difference. Now? 
What a shame. What a disaster.”

Reeves felt differently 15 years ago.
 Her 25-year career in corrections at El Dorado and Ellsworth 
correctional facilities led to a new adventure.

“I thought it would be exciting,” she said. “I wanted a challenge and was interested in how the world worked.”

Reeves, who now runs the Lucas post 
office and raises chickens at home in Sylvan Grove, found what she was 
looking for. While she warmly greets residents picking up mail, she 
doesn’t often get a chance to tell the story of her work in the Middle 
East.

She was based primarily in the 
northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, the capital of Balkh province. With a 
population of half a million, it’s Afghanistan’s fourth-largest city. 
From there, she traveled to nine prisons (in Badakhshan, Baghlan, 
Jawzjan, Kunduz, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Faryab and Takhar provinces) to 
train men and women in the basics of corrections procedures. In a series
 of six- to eight-week classroom sessions, she taught communication 
skills, self-defense, firearms, and prisoner restraint, each with a 
single interpreter. When she traveled, she and her two American 
assistants wore body armor and were accompanied by six bodyguards and 
two interpreters.

Reeves was hired by private 
contractor PAE, a corporation that provides services to the U.S. State 
Department around the world. The <a target="_blank" href="https://pae.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Featured-International/1/refreshFacet/318c8bb6f553100021d223d9780d30be">company’s website</a> continues to advertise positions, mostly medical services, as being open in Afghanistan despite the current crisis.

In her work, Reeves worked closely 
with the State Department, which provided needed materials, including 
uniforms and other corrections equipment, to the Afghan correctional 
workers she trained.

Reeves is grateful to the Kansas 
prison warden who alerted her to the opportunity in Afghanistan and 
allowed her a year’s leave of absence from her job in El Dorado if she 
were selected. But she didn’t know how challenging the road to Mazar-e 
Sharif would be.

Her first posting was in Kosovo, where she was trained. On her first day of work in April 2004, <a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr/21/kansans_wounded_in">she and 21 other Americans were wounded</a>
 and three of her colleagues killed in an ambush while trapped outside 
the Kosovo prison. Their attacker, who was killed in the gun battle, was
 a Jordanian police officer working for the United Nations with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.deseret.com/2004/4/25/19825224/was-kosovo-attack-linked-to-hamas">possible ties to Hamas</a>, a Palestinian terrorist group.

Reeves came home to Kansas after her 
tour of duty in Kosovo to recover from her wounds and returned to work 
as a corrections professional. But in January 2006, colleagues she 
trained with in Kosovo called from Afghanistan, asking her to come back.
 She accepted their invitation.

“When I got there, I found that a lot
 of my work was networking with the local government, commanders, and 
correctional staff while overseeing the nine prisons assigned to me. It 
was imperative that women were treated respectfully and with dignity,” 
she said.

Reeves remembered a time when a 
Taliban commander visited the prison. Her team was invited to partake in
 the luncheon festivities. The Taliban commander and Reeves struck up a 
cordial conversation, as the commander spoke good English. Reeves asked 
him why the Taliban attacks prisons at night when during the day they 
are comfortable conversing and eating together.

The leader responded, “That’s what we do.”

A daily concern for Reeves was 
conditions in the mud prisons, where it wasn’t uncommon for more than a 
thousand inmates to occupy a facility with a capacity of 84. She 
described how women and children were relegated to riding in the trunks 
of vehicles while men and goats, pigs, and cows rode inside. Young girls
 were married off in deals between fathers, and women who had been raped
 were imprisoned while their rapists went free.

“Conditions for women in all aspects of life in Afghanistan are deplorable,” Reeves said.

Reeves’s role as a senior warden adviser with two male correctional supervisors became a fascination for her Afghan colleagues.

“It was unheard of,” she said of 
being a woman in authority. “One winter, three Afghan correctional 
officers rode horses for three days in a blizzard just to see a woman 
corrections coordinator and attend training. I was embraced because we 
had a great team and program support. We treated the Afghan people with 
respect. We were guests in their country.”

With the U.S. military presence in 
Afghanistan focused today on evacuating Americans and Afghans who worked
 with the U.S. during its 20-year engagement there, Reeves remembers a 
beautiful country where she did the best work of her life.

“I wake up every day and think of my 
time there and I think we did something right,” she said. “If I got a 
phone call today, and if I could go with the same group of people, I’d 
be packing my bags.”

She is troubled, however, by what she
 sees as a bungled departure from Afghanistan and a lack of empathy on 
the part of U.S. government officials and politicians for those their 
nation counted on and who now have no way out.

“Representatives and senators were 
scared for their lives in the Capitol eight months ago,” she said, 
referring to the Jan. 6 insurrection. “It was nothing like the brutality
 now in Afghanistan. I wish they would remember their fear then. 
Americans should be involved in making the world better, but if we are, 
the U.S. has an obligation to bring them back safely.”

Lori Brack is the author of "A Case for the Dead Letter Detective" (2021) and "Museum Made of Breath" (2018). In 2010, her poetic script for "Farmer’s Dream," a work of performance art based in Kansas agricultural history and labor by Ernesto Pujol, was published as "A Fine Place to See the Sky." The script is a collaboration with her grandfather’s 1907-1918 Kansas farming journals. Brack worked in programs and publications for the Salina Art Center and as a college and community writing instructor. Most recently, she directed a foundation-funded artist development project in Salina. She moved to Lucas last fall where she lives two blocks from the Garden of Eden and 14 miles straight south of the geodetic center of the continent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630346320514.png" alt="Lori Reeves (left) poses with a group of Afghan women she trained for their work in correctional facilities in 2009. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Lori Reeves (left) poses with a group of Afghan women she trained for their work in correctional facilities in 2009. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lori Reeves runs Lucas post office, raises chickens at home in Sylvan Grove</h2>By LORI BRACK <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/29/kansan-who-trained-afghan-corrections-workers-agonizes-over-taliban-takeover/">Kansas Reflector</a>LUCAS — Though it’s been 10 years 
since Lori Reeves left Afghanistan, she can still rattle off flight 
times from the Kabul airport to Dubai, from Dubai to Atlanta, and then 
the last two hours back home to Kansas.Last week, that same Kabul airport was the site of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-us-news-08-28-21/index.html">a suicide bombing</a> that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 160 Afghans. Saturday saw <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/bombings-evacuations-kabul-bb32ec2b65b54ec24323e021c9b4a553">another 300 Americans evacuated</a> while the Taliban made access to the airport <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-afghanistan-united-nations-957bdc5ded58a337572313d27be13e73">even more difficult</a>
 for Afghans seeking safety outside of the country. As the window of 
opportunity closes for evacuation, President Joe Biden said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/28/afghanistan-live-news-uks-ability-to-process-evacuations-extremely-reduced-as-us-on-alert-for-further-attacks">another attack on the airport was likely</a> after the United States carried out an airstrike aimed at those responsible for the Thursday attack.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630346376025.jpeg" alt="Lori Reeves runs the Lucas post office and raises chickens at home in Sylvan Grove. From 2006 to 2011, she worked as a senior warden adviser and trainer in Afghan prisons. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Lori Reeves runs the Lucas post office and raises chickens at home in Sylvan Grove. From 2006 to 2011, she worked as a senior warden adviser and trainer in Afghan prisons. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Reeves, who worked as a senior warden
 adviser and trainer in Afghan prisons from 2006 to 2011, is watching 
the nation fall to the Taliban with sadness and concern.“I have a sense of remorse because of
 how much it meant to us to help these people, and this is how we leave 
them,” she said. “I felt like we were making such a difference. Now? 
What a shame. What a disaster.”Reeves felt differently 15 years ago.
 Her 25-year career in corrections at El Dorado and Ellsworth 
correctional facilities led to a new adventure.“I thought it would be exciting,” she said. “I wanted a challenge and was interested in how the world worked.”Reeves, who now runs the Lucas post 
office and raises chickens at home in Sylvan Grove, found what she was 
looking for. While she warmly greets residents picking up mail, she 
doesn’t often get a chance to tell the story of her work in the Middle 
East.She was based primarily in the 
northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, the capital of Balkh province. With a 
population of half a million, it’s Afghanistan’s fourth-largest city. 
From there, she traveled to nine prisons (in Badakhshan, Baghlan, 
Jawzjan, Kunduz, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Faryab and Takhar provinces) to 
train men and women in the basics of corrections procedures. In a series
 of six- to eight-week classroom sessions, she taught communication 
skills, self-defense, firearms, and prisoner restraint, each with a 
single interpreter. When she traveled, she and her two American 
assistants wore body armor and were accompanied by six bodyguards and 
two interpreters.Reeves was hired by private 
contractor PAE, a corporation that provides services to the U.S. State 
Department around the world. The <a target="_blank" href="https://pae.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Featured-International/1/refreshFacet/318c8bb6f553100021d223d9780d30be">company’s website</a> continues to advertise positions, mostly medical services, as being open in Afghanistan despite the current crisis.In her work, Reeves worked closely 
with the State Department, which provided needed materials, including 
uniforms and other corrections equipment, to the Afghan correctional 
workers she trained.Reeves is grateful to the Kansas 
prison warden who alerted her to the opportunity in Afghanistan and 
allowed her a year’s leave of absence from her job in El Dorado if she 
were selected. But she didn’t know how challenging the road to Mazar-e 
Sharif would be.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630346413519.png" alt="Lori Reeves scores an Afghan woman’s target shooting during firearms training in 2009. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Lori Reeves scores an Afghan woman’s target shooting during firearms training in 2009. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Her first posting was in Kosovo, where she was trained. On her first day of work in April 2004, <a target="_blank" href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr/21/kansans_wounded_in">she and 21 other Americans were wounded</a>
 and three of her colleagues killed in an ambush while trapped outside 
the Kosovo prison. Their attacker, who was killed in the gun battle, was
 a Jordanian police officer working for the United Nations with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.deseret.com/2004/4/25/19825224/was-kosovo-attack-linked-to-hamas">possible ties to Hamas</a>, a Palestinian terrorist group.Reeves came home to Kansas after her 
tour of duty in Kosovo to recover from her wounds and returned to work 
as a corrections professional. But in January 2006, colleagues she 
trained with in Kosovo called from Afghanistan, asking her to come back.
 She accepted their invitation.“When I got there, I found that a lot
 of my work was networking with the local government, commanders, and 
correctional staff while overseeing the nine prisons assigned to me. It 
was imperative that women were treated respectfully and with dignity,” 
she said.Reeves remembered a time when a 
Taliban commander visited the prison. Her team was invited to partake in
 the luncheon festivities. The Taliban commander and Reeves struck up a 
cordial conversation, as the commander spoke good English. Reeves asked 
him why the Taliban attacks prisons at night when during the day they 
are comfortable conversing and eating together.The leader responded, “That’s what we do.”A daily concern for Reeves was 
conditions in the mud prisons, where it wasn’t uncommon for more than a 
thousand inmates to occupy a facility with a capacity of 84. She 
described how women and children were relegated to riding in the trunks 
of vehicles while men and goats, pigs, and cows rode inside. Young girls
 were married off in deals between fathers, and women who had been raped
 were imprisoned while their rapists went free.“Conditions for women in all aspects of life in Afghanistan are deplorable,” Reeves said.Reeves’s role as a senior warden adviser with two male correctional supervisors became a fascination for her Afghan colleagues.“It was unheard of,” she said of 
being a woman in authority. “One winter, three Afghan correctional 
officers rode horses for three days in a blizzard just to see a woman 
corrections coordinator and attend training. I was embraced because we 
had a great team and program support. We treated the Afghan people with 
respect. We were guests in their country.”With the U.S. military presence in 
Afghanistan focused today on evacuating Americans and Afghans who worked
 with the U.S. during its 20-year engagement there, Reeves remembers a 
beautiful country where she did the best work of her life.“I wake up every day and think of my 
time there and I think we did something right,” she said. “If I got a 
phone call today, and if I could go with the same group of people, I’d 
be packing my bags.”She is troubled, however, by what she
 sees as a bungled departure from Afghanistan and a lack of empathy on 
the part of U.S. government officials and politicians for those their 
nation counted on and who now have no way out.“Representatives and senators were 
scared for their lives in the Capitol eight months ago,” she said, 
referring to the Jan. 6 insurrection. “It was nothing like the brutality
 now in Afghanistan. I wish they would remember their fear then. 
Americans should be involved in making the world better, but if we are, 
the U.S. has an obligation to bring them back safely.”Lori Brack is the author of "A Case for the Dead Letter Detective" (2021) and "Museum Made of Breath" (2018). In 2010, her poetic script for "Farmer’s Dream," a work of performance art based in Kansas agricultural history and labor by Ernesto Pujol, was published as "A Fine Place to See the Sky." The script is a collaboration with her grandfather’s 1907-1918 Kansas farming journals. Brack worked in programs and publications for the Salina Art Center and as a college and community writing instructor. Most recently, she directed a foundation-funded artist development project in Salina. She moved to Lucas last fall where she lives two blocks from the Garden of Eden and 14 miles straight south of the geodetic center of the continent.

Kansan who trained Afghan corrections workers agonizes over Taliban takeover

Hays native endorses Schmidt for Kan. governor

Campaign&nbsp; of Dr. Jeff Colyer for Governor

OVERLAND PARK – Dr.&nbsp; Jeff Colyer, former Kansas governor and Hays native, today announced that he is ending his campaign to be treated for prostate cancer and focus on his medical practice.&nbsp; Governor Colyer also announced his endorsement for Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s candidacy for governor. “I believe God put us here to make a difference in people’s lives.&nbsp; I chose to be a doctor to help people and am humbled to serve my fellow Kansans as Governor and Lt. Governor to fight for this wonderful place we call home. "I am proud of what we have achieved. When I completed my term, we accomplished a lot: more Kansans working than ever before, record household income, record small business formation, and a budget surplus over $1.1 billion (the most ever transferred from one administration to the next).” Gov. Colyer increased transparency, enacted paid parental leave for state employees, protected religious liberties, advanced pro-life policies, mandated sexual harassment prevention, upgraded the state’s credit outlook, and under his leadership Kansas became a national leader in digital state government services delivered though the award-winning iKan app.&nbsp; He oversaw the transformation of Kansas Medicaid and saved $2.5 billion while getting better results for patients which is a national model for other states. “While I have always focused on helping others, for the next few weeks I am going to focus on my health. I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer like my father and grandfather.&nbsp; After treatment, I am confident for a full recovery.&nbsp; Given these challenges, Ruth and I have decided to withdraw from the Governor’s race. "Kansas has felt the pain of nearly three years of Governor Kelly’s leadership.&nbsp; Now it’s time for Republicans to come together, rally around Derek Schmidt, and reclaim Cedar Crest.” Governor Colyer closed with the following message to his patients and Kansans: “To my patients, I will continue to take care of you for years to come.&nbsp;&nbsp;If I see you as a patient in the trauma bay, know that not only will I fight like hell for you but I also know first-hand how it feels to face adversity. &nbsp;I will continue my international work in warzones around the world. "To Kansans, I know you love our great state as much as Ruth and I do.&nbsp; Kansas is the true heart of America.&nbsp; It is an honor of a lifetime to serve you.&nbsp; Ruth and I will continue to find ways to lead Kansas forward."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623028329898.png" alt="Jeff Colyer&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Colyer&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Hays native endorses Schmidt for Kan. governor</h2>Campaign&nbsp; of Dr. Jeff Colyer for GovernorOVERLAND PARK – Dr.&nbsp; Jeff Colyer, former Kansas governor and Hays native, today announced that he is ending his campaign to be treated for prostate cancer and focus on his medical practice.&nbsp; Governor Colyer also announced his endorsement for Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s candidacy for governor. “I believe God put us here to make a difference in people’s lives.&nbsp; I chose to be a doctor to help people and am humbled to serve my fellow Kansans as Governor and Lt. Governor to fight for this wonderful place we call home. "I am proud of what we have achieved. When I completed my term, we accomplished a lot: more Kansans working than ever before, record household income, record small business formation, and a budget surplus over $1.1 billion (the most ever transferred from one administration to the next).” Gov. Colyer increased transparency, enacted paid parental leave for state employees, protected religious liberties, advanced pro-life policies, mandated sexual harassment prevention, upgraded the state’s credit outlook, and under his leadership Kansas became a national leader in digital state government services delivered though the award-winning iKan app.&nbsp; He oversaw the transformation of Kansas Medicaid and saved $2.5 billion while getting better results for patients which is a national model for other states. “While I have always focused on helping others, for the next few weeks I am going to focus on my health. I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer like my father and grandfather.&nbsp; After treatment, I am confident for a full recovery.&nbsp; Given these challenges, Ruth and I have decided to withdraw from the Governor’s race. "Kansas has felt the pain of nearly three years of Governor Kelly’s leadership.&nbsp; Now it’s time for Republicans to come together, rally around Derek Schmidt, and reclaim Cedar Crest.” Governor Colyer closed with the following message to his patients and Kansans: “To my patients, I will continue to take care of you for years to come.&nbsp;&nbsp;If I see you as a patient in the trauma bay, know that not only will I fight like hell for you but I also know first-hand how it feels to face adversity. &nbsp;I will continue my international work in warzones around the world. "To Kansans, I know you love our great state as much as Ruth and I do.&nbsp; Kansas is the true heart of America.&nbsp; It is an honor of a lifetime to serve you.&nbsp; Ruth and I will continue to find ways to lead Kansas forward."— Submitted

Colyer ends campaign after cancer diagnosis

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 25 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.

There have been 216 new COVID-19 cases identified in Ellis County in the month of August after a lull in cases dwindled to near zero in June.

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

As of Monday, the University of Kansas Health System reported 12 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.

Since reporting began, there have been 4,020 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 74 coronavirus-related deaths.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630342883377.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 25 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.There have been 216 new COVID-19 cases identified in Ellis County in the month of August after a lull in cases dwindled to near zero in June.<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.As of Monday, the University of Kansas Health System reported 12 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.Since reporting began, there have been 4,020 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 74 coronavirus-related deaths.

KDHE: 25 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Friday; count tops 4,000

Grow Hays / Ellis County E-Community, in association with the Network Kansas E-Community Partnership, has announced the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program will be offered at BriefSpace in Hays. 

Sessions will be held 6 to 830 p.m. on Wednesday evening beginning Sept. 22 and running through Nov. 3. Registration is $150 per participant. Students are $75. Participants can save $75 with the Early Bird Registration Discount if registered before Aug. 31.

The goal of the course is to teach participants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Taught by James Foster, a certified Ice House facilitator, this interactive seven-week program provides practical entrepreneurial lessons through first-hand experiences of successful, real-life entrepreneurs.

Based on the book "Who Owns the Ice House," this curriculum consists of video interviews and case studies along with individual assignments, assessments, and discussion topics. This popular course is offered only a handful of times per year across the state and Grow Hays has brought this course to the community for the second time.

"We hope this course will expose you to a new way of thinking, recognize opportunities, ignite your ambition and foster the habits that will enable you to succeed. Those who complete the program will learn how to develop the mindset skills that enable you to recognize and evaluate opportunities regardless of your chosen path," said Shelley Paasch, Ice House facilitator.

Participants can save $75 with the Early Bird Registration Discount if registered before Aug 31.

To register for the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program or for more information, contact Ernee Sly, at 785.628.3102 or email <a href="mailto:ernee@growhays.com">ernee@growhays.com</a>.

For more information about NetWork Kansas or the E-Community Partnership, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.networkkansas.com">www.networkkansas.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630337455288.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Grow HaysGrow Hays / Ellis County E-Community, in association with the Network Kansas E-Community Partnership, has announced the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program will be offered at BriefSpace in Hays. Sessions will be held 6 to 830 p.m. on Wednesday evening beginning Sept. 22 and running through Nov. 3. Registration is $150 per participant. Students are $75. Participants can save $75 with the Early Bird Registration Discount if registered before Aug. 31.The goal of the course is to teach participants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Taught by James Foster, a certified Ice House facilitator, this interactive seven-week program provides practical entrepreneurial lessons through first-hand experiences of successful, real-life entrepreneurs.Based on the book "Who Owns the Ice House," this curriculum consists of video interviews and case studies along with individual assignments, assessments, and discussion topics. This popular course is offered only a handful of times per year across the state and Grow Hays has brought this course to the community for the second time."We hope this course will expose you to a new way of thinking, recognize opportunities, ignite your ambition and foster the habits that will enable you to succeed. Those who complete the program will learn how to develop the mindset skills that enable you to recognize and evaluate opportunities regardless of your chosen path," said Shelley Paasch, Ice House facilitator.Participants can save $75 with the Early Bird Registration Discount if registered before Aug 31.To register for the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program or for more information, contact Ernee Sly, at 785.628.3102 or email <a href="mailto:ernee@growhays.com">ernee@growhays.com</a>.For more information about NetWork Kansas or the E-Community Partnership, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.networkkansas.com">www.networkkansas.com</a>.

Grow Hays to host 'Think Like an Entrepreneur' training

The last weekend of Aug. was busy one in downtown Hays.

 The Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk kicked off events, followed by the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Downtown Hays Development Corporation including Kids Fest and a street dance. 

And Saturday was just as busy with Brews on the Bricks, an outdoor performance in the downtown pavilion by the Hays Symphony Orchestra and Rockalooa in Municipal Park taking place.

Take a look at all the festivities below.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630189393329.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure>The last weekend of Aug. was busy one in downtown Hays. The Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk kicked off events, followed by the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Downtown Hays Development Corporation including Kids Fest and a street dance. And Saturday was just as busy with Brews on the Bricks, an outdoor performance in the downtown pavilion by the Hays Symphony Orchestra and Rockalooa in Municipal Park taking place.Take a look at all the festivities below.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630189268981.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630189311055.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630189438965.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630189509164.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630189699861.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211093055.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211041311.jpeg" alt="Kids Fest" />
 <figcaption>Kids Fest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211075215.jpeg" alt="Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk" />
 <figcaption>Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211133372.jpeg" alt="Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk" />
 <figcaption>Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211165538.jpeg" alt="Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk" />
 <figcaption>Hays Arts Council's Fall Art Walk</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211178774.jpeg" alt="Street Dance" />
 <figcaption>Street Dance</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211194359.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211208040.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211224044.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211237138.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211251807.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211261843.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211275687.jpeg" alt="Hays Symphony Orchestra conductor Brian Buckstead" />
 <figcaption>Hays Symphony Orchestra conductor Brian Buckstead</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211292587.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211315952.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211327886.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211343671.jpeg" alt="Rockalooa" />
 <figcaption>Rockalooa</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211355010.jpeg" alt="Brews on the Bricks" />
 <figcaption>Brews on the Bricks</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630211369728.jpeg" alt="Brews on the Bricks" />
 <figcaption>Brews on the Bricks</figcaption>
 </figure>

📷Hays goes big with weekend events as summer comes to an end

The 43rd Annual Logan Labor Day Celebration at the Logan Golf Course, 1.25 miles east of Logan on Highway 9, will be on Sept. 5.

The Hansen Museum with funds from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation sponsors this annual family-friendly event. There is no admission fee.

The day kicks off at 11 a.m. with a sand volleyball tournament and the Dane G. Bales Jr. Memorial Car Show.

The car show has been a highlight of the Labor Day Celebration since 1998. This year’s featured car is Bob &amp; Shirley Sproul’s 1947 four-door Ford.&nbsp; Make sure to get there before 4 p.m. to check out everything from classic coupes and beefed-up muscle cars to antique pick-up trucks and flashy hot rods.

As a special treat this year and fun for all ages, artist Brooker Werner will make the rounds sketching keepsake caricatures of cars and drivers.

Get some exercise, don a disguise, see the sights, or win a prize at this year’s festivities. Let the kids run loose and find entertainment that will burn off some energy, including a Big Red Barn bouncy house and the Melt Down Game.

“Disguise” yourself or the kiddos by visiting the free face painting booth. 

Ready to see the sights from higher up? Check out the popular 25-foot rock climbing wall that will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feeling competitive enough to try for a prize? The Siruta Pedal Pullers State Sanctioned Kid’s Tractor Pull begins at 2 p.m. and winners are eligible to compete in the State Pull at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.&nbsp;

In-between activities, you’ll find plenty of delicious options for both lunch and dinner, (plus snacking in-between), at the Logan Chamber of Commerce Food Booth, The Corn Kettle, and Buck’s Snow Shack.&nbsp; Save room for some icy, cold, creamy treats as Mijom’s Ice Cream Xpress will arrive around 7 p.m. &nbsp;

Take a break from the heat and drive into town to see the newly renovated Hansen Museum.&nbsp; Top to bottom, inside and out, the Hansen Museum has been completely re-imagined.

In addition to the wondrous upgrades to the museum’s interior, the Hansen Museum board also commissioned three additions for the outside.&nbsp; A beautiful hand-crafted covered wagon, two large digital signs announcing exhibits and upcoming events, and handsome metal signage proudly claiming the block for the Hansen Museum.

On view in the Hansen Museum gallery is the exhibition, "Animal Groups." Custom curated by Dr. David J. Wagner for the Hansen Museum’s re-opening after renovating, "Animal Groups" features 46 masterpieces by well-known and admired artists who focus and specialize in capturing the essence and personalities of animals. Amazing and inspiring, this is a must-see exhibition. The museum will be open from 1 to 5 p.m.

As the afternoon heat starts to wind down, bring your lawn chairs and settle in front of the stage as The Search from Hill City starts the evening entertainment at 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., The Innocence from Kearney, Neb., will take the stage and wow the crowd with their superior talent and a song list packed full of diverse hits from Journey to George Strait and Bruno Mars to AC/DC. &nbsp;

Last, but certainly not least, the grand finale by Rainbow Fireworks of Inman will light up the sky with a brilliant display of fireworks that can be seen for miles. All this and more happens at the 43rd annual Logan Labor Day Celebration.&nbsp;

For more information, call the Hansen Museum at 785-689-4846 or visit them on the web at <a href="http://www.hansenmuseum.org">www.hansenmuseum.org</a>.

Museum hours are 9 to noon and&nbsp;1 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays.

The museum is handicapped accessible, and admission is always free thanks to the generous support of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. For more information about this and other exhibits, contact Shari Buss at 785-689-4846.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630090273197.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe 43rd Annual Logan Labor Day Celebration at the Logan Golf Course, 1.25 miles east of Logan on Highway 9, will be on Sept. 5.The Hansen Museum with funds from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation sponsors this annual family-friendly event. There is no admission fee.The day kicks off at 11 a.m. with a sand volleyball tournament and the Dane G. Bales Jr. Memorial Car Show.The car show has been a highlight of the Labor Day Celebration since 1998. This year’s featured car is Bob &amp; Shirley Sproul’s 1947 four-door Ford.&nbsp; Make sure to get there before 4 p.m. to check out everything from classic coupes and beefed-up muscle cars to antique pick-up trucks and flashy hot rods.As a special treat this year and fun for all ages, artist Brooker Werner will make the rounds sketching keepsake caricatures of cars and drivers.Get some exercise, don a disguise, see the sights, or win a prize at this year’s festivities. Let the kids run loose and find entertainment that will burn off some energy, including a Big Red Barn bouncy house and the Melt Down Game.“Disguise” yourself or the kiddos by visiting the free face painting booth. Ready to see the sights from higher up? Check out the popular 25-foot rock climbing wall that will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feeling competitive enough to try for a prize? The Siruta Pedal Pullers State Sanctioned Kid’s Tractor Pull begins at 2 p.m. and winners are eligible to compete in the State Pull at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.&nbsp;In-between activities, you’ll find plenty of delicious options for both lunch and dinner, (plus snacking in-between), at the Logan Chamber of Commerce Food Booth, The Corn Kettle, and Buck’s Snow Shack.&nbsp; Save room for some icy, cold, creamy treats as Mijom’s Ice Cream Xpress will arrive around 7 p.m. &nbsp;Take a break from the heat and drive into town to see the newly renovated Hansen Museum.&nbsp; Top to bottom, inside and out, the Hansen Museum has been completely re-imagined.In addition to the wondrous upgrades to the museum’s interior, the Hansen Museum board also commissioned three additions for the outside.&nbsp; A beautiful hand-crafted covered wagon, two large digital signs announcing exhibits and upcoming events, and handsome metal signage proudly claiming the block for the Hansen Museum.On view in the Hansen Museum gallery is the exhibition, "Animal Groups." Custom curated by Dr. David J. Wagner for the Hansen Museum’s re-opening after renovating, "Animal Groups" features 46 masterpieces by well-known and admired artists who focus and specialize in capturing the essence and personalities of animals. Amazing and inspiring, this is a must-see exhibition. The museum will be open from 1 to 5 p.m.As the afternoon heat starts to wind down, bring your lawn chairs and settle in front of the stage as The Search from Hill City starts the evening entertainment at 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., The Innocence from Kearney, Neb., will take the stage and wow the crowd with their superior talent and a song list packed full of diverse hits from Journey to George Strait and Bruno Mars to AC/DC. &nbsp;Last, but certainly not least, the grand finale by Rainbow Fireworks of Inman will light up the sky with a brilliant display of fireworks that can be seen for miles. All this and more happens at the 43rd annual Logan Labor Day Celebration.&nbsp;For more information, call the Hansen Museum at 785-689-4846 or visit them on the web at <a href="http://www.hansenmuseum.org">www.hansenmuseum.org</a>.Museum hours are 9 to noon and&nbsp;1 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays.The museum is handicapped accessible, and admission is always free thanks to the generous support of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. For more information about this and other exhibits, contact Shari Buss at 785-689-4846.

Logan sets 43rd annual Labor Day Celebration

The Ellis County Public Works Road and Bridge Division is announcing that an asphalt road sealing project will take place on Highway 40 between US 183 Alternate and Yocemento Avenue.

This area will be closed to through traffic beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31 and will remain closed until the project is completed. 

The project is expected to be completed by 5:30 p.m. on the same day. Motorists traveling in the affected closure area should use alternate routes of travel until the project is complete.

Please direct any questions to the Ellis County Public Works Road and Bridge Division at 785-628-9455. Your cooperation during this project is appreciated.

Ellis CountyThe Ellis County Public Works Road and Bridge Division is announcing that an asphalt road sealing project will take place on Highway 40 between US 183 Alternate and Yocemento Avenue.This area will be closed to through traffic beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31 and will remain closed until the project is completed. The project is expected to be completed by 5:30 p.m. on the same day. Motorists traveling in the affected closure area should use alternate routes of travel until the project is complete.Please direct any questions to the Ellis County Public Works Road and Bridge Division at 785-628-9455. Your cooperation during this project is appreciated.

Portion of Highway 40 to close Tuesday for asphalt overlay

On this episode of the Post Podcast Grow Hays executive director Doug Williams shares information about upcoming Grow Hays events.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">To find out more about The Post Podcast, or subscribe to mobile&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">notifications click here.</a>

<div><iframe title="Grow Hays fosters entrepreneurship with upcoming events" 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=h38bz-10c66cc-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast Grow Hays executive director Doug Williams shares information about upcoming Grow Hays events.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">To find out more about The Post Podcast, or subscribe to mobile&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">notifications click here.</a>

🎙Post Podcast: Grow Hays fosters entrepreneurship with upcoming events

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Emergency management staff for the city of Hays and Ellis County are looking at a different solution to the current backup plan for when the countywide emergency dispatch system goes down, which happened earlier this month.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ea9092fb-3f58-48dc-bf1b-91d52840d030">Aug. 2 accidental activation </a>of a fire suppression sprinkler head in the Ellis County emergency communications center by a contractor soldering on the HVAC system caused more than $80,000 in water damage to computer and phone equipment.

"The county IT staff, the city of Hays IT staff and law enforcement center staff were very quick to respond" to the incident in the law enforcement center, according to Toby Dougherty, city manager.

The backup 911 dispatch center was set up temporarily in the Hays Fire Department for about a week.

"There were some calls transferred to the Pratt Communications Center, which is a combined communications center," Dougherty told Hays city commissioners Thursday night, "but very few calls were actually overflowed. We were able to set this up so they could get back online.

"Kudos to everybody involved. They did a great job getting <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c8967fcd-2a2d-4b71-ad00-28769cb8491e">everything back online</a>."

Although the temporary fix "worked beautifully," Mayor Sandy Jacobs also said she's concerned the city doesn't have an immediate backup if the 911 system goes down.

The backup contingency plan worked, Dougherty said, which involves utilizing computer terminals in the fire department set up by the communications officers and also transferring calls to Pratt as needed.

 "From the user end — for the people who actually utilized the 911 services — I think it was fairly seamless. ... [But] what we have is not optimal. There were some things that we couldn't do, mostly in the computer-aided dispatch realm."

A plan was included for a&nbsp;permanent secondary emergency communications center in the basement of the&nbsp;Ellis County Rural Fire and Emergency Medical Services building when it was constructed a few years ago at&nbsp;1105 E. 22nd in Hays.

"They're looking at the possibility of investing some money in that. It is a little bit disruptive for the fire department when they're set up and doing the dispatch there," Dougherty said.&nbsp;Fire Chief Ryan Hagans, who was in the audience, nodded his head in agreement.

The dispatch equipment in the basement of the LEC is extremely expensive, according to Dougherty.

"Sometimes when it's that expensive it's hard to duplicate for the redundancy, especially as quickly as you roll through the technology in that stuff. It becomes obsolete. It's extremely difficult," he said.

Discussions are underway between Hays and Ellis County emergency management teams about how much money is necessary to invest in a permanent secondary 911 communications system.

In other business, commissioners approved low bids for:

• Purchase of a new $166,220 biosolids handling truck from Summit Truck Goup, Salina, for the Water Reclamation and Reuse Facility&nbsp;

• Purchase of a customized solid waste baler and conveyer for $95,000 from TAKNEK LLC, Gainesville, Texas, used to bale cardboard and paper recycling

• Architechtural design services with Krayill Associates, Wichita, for $316,450 to design a second fire station&nbsp;

Commissioners also voted to sign a deed transferring title of a portion of north Vine Street frontage road excess right of way to the adjacent property owner, Russell J. Pfannenstiel Trust, and reserving a public utility easement at 3701 Vine — the Phillips 66 station — in connection with the current roundabout construction.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630056124688.jpeg" alt="Emergency management employees for the city of Hays and Ellis County are reviewing the possibility of installing a permanent 911 emergency dispatch backup system in the basement of the county's fire/EMS building. Accidental flooding from a fire sprinker head Aug. 2 forced temporary implementation of the backup system in the Hays Fire Dept. (Photos courtesy city of Hays)&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Emergency management employees for the city of Hays and Ellis County are reviewing the possibility of installing a permanent 911 emergency dispatch backup system in the basement of the county's fire/EMS building. Accidental flooding from a fire sprinker head Aug. 2 forced temporary implementation of the backup system in the Hays Fire Dept. (Photos courtesy city of Hays)&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostEmergency management staff for the city of Hays and Ellis County are looking at a different solution to the current backup plan for when the countywide emergency dispatch system goes down, which happened earlier this month.&nbsp;The <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ea9092fb-3f58-48dc-bf1b-91d52840d030">Aug. 2 accidental activation </a>of a fire suppression sprinkler head in the Ellis County emergency communications center by a contractor soldering on the HVAC system caused more than $80,000 in water damage to computer and phone equipment. "The county IT staff, the city of Hays IT staff and law enforcement center staff were very quick to respond" to the incident in the law enforcement center, according to Toby Dougherty, city manager.The backup 911 dispatch center was set up temporarily in the Hays Fire Department for about a week."There were some calls transferred to the Pratt Communications Center, which is a combined communications center," Dougherty told Hays city commissioners Thursday night, "but very few calls were actually overflowed. We were able to set this up so they could get back online."Kudos to everybody involved. They did a great job getting <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c8967fcd-2a2d-4b71-ad00-28769cb8491e">everything back online</a>."<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bt8iIJZYJ3c"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Although the temporary fix "worked beautifully," Mayor Sandy Jacobs also said she's concerned the city doesn't have an immediate backup if the 911 system goes down.The backup contingency plan worked, Dougherty said, which involves utilizing computer terminals in the fire department set up by the communications officers and also transferring calls to Pratt as needed. "From the user end — for the people who actually utilized the 911 services — I think it was fairly seamless. ... [But] what we have is not optimal. There were some things that we couldn't do, mostly in the computer-aided dispatch realm."A plan was included for a&nbsp;permanent secondary emergency communications center in the basement of the&nbsp;Ellis County Rural Fire and Emergency Medical Services building when it was constructed a few years ago at&nbsp;1105 E. 22nd in Hays.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630062817286.jpeg" alt="1105 E. 22nd, Hays (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>1105 E. 22nd, Hays (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>"They're looking at the possibility of investing some money in that. It is a little bit disruptive for the fire department when they're set up and doing the dispatch there," Dougherty said.&nbsp;Fire Chief Ryan Hagans, who was in the audience, nodded his head in agreement.The dispatch equipment in the basement of the LEC is extremely expensive, according to Dougherty."Sometimes when it's that expensive it's hard to duplicate for the redundancy, especially as quickly as you roll through the technology in that stuff. It becomes obsolete. It's extremely difficult," he said.Discussions are underway between Hays and Ellis County emergency management teams about how much money is necessary to invest in a permanent secondary 911 communications system.In other business, commissioners approved low bids for:• Purchase of a new $166,220 biosolids handling truck from Summit Truck Goup, Salina, for the Water Reclamation and Reuse Facility&nbsp;• Purchase of a customized solid waste baler and conveyer for $95,000 from TAKNEK LLC, Gainesville, Texas, used to bale cardboard and paper recycling• Architechtural design services with Krayill Associates, Wichita, for $316,450 to design a second fire station&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630066600616.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Commissioners also voted to sign a deed transferring title of a portion of north Vine Street frontage road excess right of way to the adjacent property owner, Russell J. Pfannenstiel Trust, and reserving a public utility easement at 3701 Vine — the Phillips 66 station — in connection with the current roundabout construction.&nbsp;<div><iframe title="Hays City Commission recap: Aug. 27, 2021" 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=hsjfb-10c6672-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

 🎥 🎙 City Manager: 'Emergency dispatch backup plan worked, but it's not optimal'

The Red Cross has 28 open appointments for the Plainville community blood drive. Its goal is 43 units of blood.

These units are promised to hospitals, and the Red Cross needs your help to ensure they receive them.&nbsp; If you have an appointment, thank you. If you do not yet have an appointment, please make one now.

Upcoming Blood Drive: Plainville Community Monday, Aug. 30 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Knights of Columbus Hall of Plainville

To schedule an appointment, visit <a href="http://www.redcrossblood.org">www.redcrossblood.org</a> — enter code: Plainville.

Need a better reason to donate blood? There are always patients in need of blood, whether it’s down the street or across the country. Every two seconds, someone needs blood in the U.S. and you can help save those patients’ lives by donating blood. Your donation is needed more than you may think. Let’s help save lives together!

Photo ID or Red Cross Donor Card and MASK required.

Don’t forget to save time by using RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history online before you come to your appointment.&nbsp;More info:&nbsp;<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redcrossblood.org%2FRapidPass&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cbill.dinkel%40redcross.org%7C4bf19a30f94143219b0008d967175b09%7Cdd5b5d42c0d34ad2b5f160edb3af2771%7C0%7C0%7C637654172272493194%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=w3gduG1imbuo7eh3kMO5oelGAH0ESZd44i0euaLrVr8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">redcrossblood.org/RapidPass</a>

You must provide a valid email address to receive $5 e-gift card for coming to donate.

Your e-gift card may be included in your post-blood drive thank you email from the American Red Cross.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629220487432.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>SubmittedThe Red Cross has 28 open appointments for the Plainville community blood drive. Its goal is 43 units of blood.These units are promised to hospitals, and the Red Cross needs your help to ensure they receive them.&nbsp; If you have an appointment, thank you. If you do not yet have an appointment, please make one now.Upcoming Blood Drive: Plainville Community Monday, Aug. 30 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Knights of Columbus Hall of PlainvilleTo schedule an appointment, visit <a href="http://www.redcrossblood.org">www.redcrossblood.org</a> — enter code: Plainville.Need a better reason to donate blood? There are always patients in need of blood, whether it’s down the street or across the country. Every two seconds, someone needs blood in the U.S. and you can help save those patients’ lives by donating blood. Your donation is needed more than you may think. Let’s help save lives together!Photo ID or Red Cross Donor Card and MASK required.Don’t forget to save time by using RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history online before you come to your appointment.&nbsp;More info:&nbsp;<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redcrossblood.org%2FRapidPass&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cbill.dinkel%40redcross.org%7C4bf19a30f94143219b0008d967175b09%7Cdd5b5d42c0d34ad2b5f160edb3af2771%7C0%7C0%7C637654172272493194%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=w3gduG1imbuo7eh3kMO5oelGAH0ESZd44i0euaLrVr8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">redcrossblood.org/RapidPass</a>You must provide a valid email address to receive $5 e-gift card for coming to donate.Your e-gift card may be included in your post-blood drive thank you email from the American Red Cross.

Plainville blood drive set for Monday

Last spring, with COVID vaccine distributed widely, we anticipated a fall school start where children’s hugs rekindled long-separated friendships, teenagers high-fived favorite teachers and everyone could cheer the football team from the stands.&nbsp; It would be a return to in-person instruction and excitement for teaching and learning.

The fall, however, has erupted in an explosion of anger at school board and county commission meetings amidst rising COVID infections with spikes among children.&nbsp; All this has killed the expectation of a fully productive school year.

CDC guidelines require masks inside school buildings, on buses and during school activities.&nbsp; The Kansas State Department of Education has recommend following the CDC guidelines.&nbsp; In Topeka, Perry-Lecompton, Wichita and at least 10 other school districts that include about 35 percent of the state’s students, masks are required, in many other districts “strongly encouraged.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yet, in Wichita, among scores of protesters to a county-wide mask mandate at a Sedgwick County meeting, an irate man threatened to protest outside homes of county commissioners.&nbsp; In the Shawnee Mission school district, two parents have sued challenging&nbsp;the district’s COVID protocols.&nbsp;&nbsp;The school district, upheld by a district court, is awaiting a Kansas Supreme Court hearing.

Nationally, the president of the American Federation of Teachers supports mandatory masks in schools.&nbsp; Eight states prohibit school districts from setting mask requirements while 14 states and the District of Columbia require masks be worn in schools.&nbsp; The remaining states have left the decision to each school district.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the battle over mask mandates, just about everyone seems to be ignoring the real problem—COVID will not ultimately disappear.&nbsp; As long as the virus keeps circulating, it will keep evolving and vaccines will eventually become less effective while variants, like Delta, can become stronger.&nbsp; It’s not inconceivable that infection rates may grow so high that schools again will be closed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

School mask (if considered dress code) and school vaccine mandates (12 are currently required for Kansas six-year-olds) have withstood legal challenges at the U. S. Supreme Court level.&nbsp; But more than a legal or political issue, the battle over safe schools is an ethical concern about how we live as Kansans.&nbsp;&nbsp;

COVID frustration and anger are understandable, but public behavior should be civil and public schools should align with the direction of public officials.&nbsp;

In America, each of us have the choice to wear a mask or not; yet isn’t following the advice of health and education leaders the right thing to do?&nbsp;&nbsp;

What are we teaching our children when they see us shouting disrespectfully at public meetings or disregarding requests from schools?&nbsp; We are role-models to our children; that’s reason enough to make our behavior considerate.&nbsp;

There have been reports, although limited, that mask-wearing children are being bullied on the playground by the kids who don’t wear masks.&nbsp; This is a COVID-related safety issue that teachers shouldn’t have to deal with.&nbsp;

It’s only fair for those who refuse for their children to wear a mask to use another form of education such as online learning, home schooling or private schools that don’t require masks.

All of us should look at the reality of the situation and show gratitude for the ability to go back to in-person school, then focus on what we can do to fight COVID and hold our communities together.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593719779701.jpeg" alt="Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education." />
 <figcaption>Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.</figcaption>
 </figure>Last spring, with COVID vaccine distributed widely, we anticipated a fall school start where children’s hugs rekindled long-separated friendships, teenagers high-fived favorite teachers and everyone could cheer the football team from the stands.&nbsp; It would be a return to in-person instruction and excitement for teaching and learning.The fall, however, has erupted in an explosion of anger at school board and county commission meetings amidst rising COVID infections with spikes among children.&nbsp; All this has killed the expectation of a fully productive school year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CDC guidelines require masks inside school buildings, on buses and during school activities.&nbsp; The Kansas State Department of Education has recommend following the CDC guidelines.&nbsp; In Topeka, Perry-Lecompton, Wichita and at least 10 other school districts that include about 35 percent of the state’s students, masks are required, in many other districts “strongly encouraged.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet, in Wichita, among scores of protesters to a county-wide mask mandate at a Sedgwick County meeting, an irate man threatened to protest outside homes of county commissioners.&nbsp; In the Shawnee Mission school district, two parents have sued challenging&nbsp;the district’s COVID protocols.&nbsp;&nbsp;The school district, upheld by a district court, is awaiting a Kansas Supreme Court hearing.Nationally, the president of the American Federation of Teachers supports mandatory masks in schools.&nbsp; Eight states prohibit school districts from setting mask requirements while 14 states and the District of Columbia require masks be worn in schools.&nbsp; The remaining states have left the decision to each school district.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the battle over mask mandates, just about everyone seems to be ignoring the real problem—COVID will not ultimately disappear.&nbsp; As long as the virus keeps circulating, it will keep evolving and vaccines will eventually become less effective while variants, like Delta, can become stronger.&nbsp; It’s not inconceivable that infection rates may grow so high that schools again will be closed.&nbsp;&nbsp;School mask (if considered dress code) and school vaccine mandates (12 are currently required for Kansas six-year-olds) have withstood legal challenges at the U. S. Supreme Court level.&nbsp; But more than a legal or political issue, the battle over safe schools is an ethical concern about how we live as Kansans.&nbsp;&nbsp;COVID frustration and anger are understandable, but public behavior should be civil and public schools should align with the direction of public officials.&nbsp;In America, each of us have the choice to wear a mask or not; yet isn’t following the advice of health and education leaders the right thing to do?&nbsp;&nbsp;What are we teaching our children when they see us shouting disrespectfully at public meetings or disregarding requests from schools?&nbsp; We are role-models to our children; that’s reason enough to make our behavior considerate.&nbsp;There have been reports, although limited, that mask-wearing children are being bullied on the playground by the kids who don’t wear masks.&nbsp; This is a COVID-related safety issue that teachers shouldn’t have to deal with.&nbsp;It’s only fair for those who refuse for their children to wear a mask to use another form of education such as online learning, home schooling or private schools that don’t require masks.All of us should look at the reality of the situation and show gratitude for the ability to go back to in-person school, then focus on what we can do to fight COVID and hold our communities together.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Anger won’t stop school COVID spread 

NORTON — Norton County Community Foundation awarded $19,225 to Norton County nonprofit organizations and charitable projects in July and August. Funds were part of the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, which offers financial support to qualifying and deserving projects and programs in Northwest Kansas, and the Youth Skilled Therapy Financial Assistance Fund. Grant funds supported the following projects:

According to the grant application, Norton County’s Rural Fire District #2 was in need of 800 MHz digital P25 Trunked mobile radios and intercom systems for their fire apparatuses, along with 800 MHz digital P25 Trunked portable radios for the firemen and women. “This grant will help provide a vital communication asset to our department, not only for our safety, but will also allow us to provide better aid to surrounding departments and agencies who use the same equipment,” said Kirk Persinger.&nbsp; Funds for the Kansas Suffrage Mural Media Campaign will support the production of media content that will provide professional visual and audio documentation of the mural’s creation and ongoing legacy. “This media campaign will produce a time-lapsed, storytelling documentation of not just the process, but the ideas and community ties that will be an important part of sharing the work and proving the impact that a large-scale mural project can have," said artist, Erika Nelson.&nbsp; “The Youth Skilled Therapy Financial Assistance Fund provides financial support for children who require skilled care in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, or Speech Therapy and demonstrate a financial need for such service,” said Tara Vance, NCCF Executive Director.&nbsp; The guidelines and application for the Hansen Community Grant can be found on NCCF’s website at&nbsp;<a href="http://nortonccf.org/">nortonccf.org</a>. Applications are due the first day of every month to be considered for that month’s funding. For more information, please contact Tara Vance at 785.874.5106,&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tara@nortonccf.org">tara@nortonccf.org</a>, or visit the NCCF office at the Heaton Building in Downtown Norton, KS, located at 112 S. Kansas Street.&nbsp;

About Norton County Community Foundation The Norton County Community Foundation was established in 1994 for the purpose of supporting local charitable activities in Norton County through endowments made to the foundation. Dedicated to serving today for tomorrow, to make our community a better place in which to live. Connect with the Norton County Community Foundation at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nortonccf.org/">www.nortonccf.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624440063597.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseNORTON — Norton County Community Foundation awarded $19,225 to Norton County nonprofit organizations and charitable projects in July and August. Funds were part of the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, which offers financial support to qualifying and deserving projects and programs in Northwest Kansas, and the Youth Skilled Therapy Financial Assistance Fund. Grant funds supported the following projects:<ul>
 <li>Norton County Rural Fire District #2&nbsp;received $17,000 for new communication equipment.</li><li>Norton Travel &amp; Tourism received&nbsp;$1,625 for the Kansas Suffrage Mural Media Campaign.</li><li>Youth Skilled Therapy Financial Assistance Fund&nbsp;distributed $600 through its program.</li>
 </ul>According to the grant application, Norton County’s Rural Fire District #2 was in need of 800 MHz digital P25 Trunked mobile radios and intercom systems for their fire apparatuses, along with 800 MHz digital P25 Trunked portable radios for the firemen and women. “This grant will help provide a vital communication asset to our department, not only for our safety, but will also allow us to provide better aid to surrounding departments and agencies who use the same equipment,” said Kirk Persinger.&nbsp; Funds for the Kansas Suffrage Mural Media Campaign will support the production of media content that will provide professional visual and audio documentation of the mural’s creation and ongoing legacy. “This media campaign will produce a time-lapsed, storytelling documentation of not just the process, but the ideas and community ties that will be an important part of sharing the work and proving the impact that a large-scale mural project can have," said artist, Erika Nelson.&nbsp; “The Youth Skilled Therapy Financial Assistance Fund provides financial support for children who require skilled care in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, or Speech Therapy and demonstrate a financial need for such service,” said Tara Vance, NCCF Executive Director.&nbsp; The guidelines and application for the Hansen Community Grant can be found on NCCF’s website at&nbsp;<a href="http://nortonccf.org/">nortonccf.org</a>. Applications are due the first day of every month to be considered for that month’s funding. For more information, please contact Tara Vance at 785.874.5106,&nbsp;<a href="mailto:tara@nortonccf.org">tara@nortonccf.org</a>, or visit the NCCF office at the Heaton Building in Downtown Norton, KS, located at 112 S. Kansas Street.&nbsp;About Norton County Community Foundation The Norton County Community Foundation was established in 1994 for the purpose of supporting local charitable activities in Norton County through endowments made to the foundation. Dedicated to serving today for tomorrow, to make our community a better place in which to live. Connect with the Norton County Community Foundation at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nortonccf.org/">www.nortonccf.org</a>.

Norton Co. foundation awards $19,225 in July, August grants

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

Let’s meet some freedom fighters. These won’t be found in some jungle fighting a dictator. These fighters are working to achieve freedom from bad Internet service, and they are based in rural Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Daniel Friesen is founder and chief innovation officer at IdeaTek in Buhler. He describes his company’s staff as freedom fighters for good Internet service, particularly in rural communities.&nbsp;

Daniel went to high school in Buhler. He was a tech-savvy kid. “When our teachers at the school got computers, they would ask me to set them up,” Daniel said.&nbsp;

In 1999, he and four high school friends started a computer repair business in Buhler with $250 in the basement of his parent’s house. The business was named IdeaTek.&nbsp;

Daniel continued the business in college while his four friends pursued other interests.&nbsp;He studied computer systems support at Hutchinson Community College and management information systems at Wichita State before pursuing the business full time in Buhler, where he and his wife and family live today.&nbsp;

Daniel served three terms as mayor of Buhler and is currently a Reno County Commissioner. He was a member of the Kansas Broadband Expansion Taskforce and the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Commission Competitive Infrastructure Working Group. Locally, he is a member of community foundation boards and trustee of the Buhler MB Church.&nbsp;

Back in 2005, Daniel transitioned IdeaTek from computers to the telecommunications business. IdeaTek pioneered fiber-to-the-home internet service in Buhler in 2007, followed by servicing nearby rural communities such as Bentley, population 530, and Yoder, population 194 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

The business continued to grow and change. Daniel transitioned from CEO to chief innovation officer.&nbsp;

“Today we are highly focused on high quality fiber optics,” Daniel said. “We are an internet service provider focused on underserved areas of the state of Kansas.”&nbsp;

“Everyone deserves high quality, robust broadband service. Geography shouldn’t be a limiting factor.”&nbsp;

The pandemic demonstrated the importance of broadband service for quality education, health care and more.&nbsp;

“We’re big proponents of competition,” Daniel said. “If you let the free market work, it will solve problems. Competition always benefits the consumer.”&nbsp;

Today, IdeaTek has grown to more than 120 employees. IdeaTek’s service area now reaches from Strong City to Liberal.&nbsp;

In 2020, federal CARES Act funding was allocated for broadband telecommunications in rural, underserved areas. IdeaTek took on several projects.&nbsp;

“That was a monumental lift,” Daniel said. In three months, IdeaTek reached out to serve 17 counties. Nearly 20 communities received fiber for the first time. The company deployed 20 cable plows and 39 bore machines to build 70 towers and 358 route miles.&nbsp;

In the end, the project involved 115,000 hours and 25,805 fiber miles with potential to serve 10,335 homes and businesses. The total investment was $18 million. “It was the most rewarding and challenging project we’ve done,” Daniel said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The goal remains to reach underserved areas of Kansas. According to IdeaTek, Kansas ranks 28th in the nation for broadband connectivity - 173,000 Kansans do not have wired broadband services available in their home, and 26 percent of rural Americans lack access to broadband compared to only one percent of urban customers.&nbsp;

“We call ourselves Internet freedom fighters,” Daniel said. “We want to free people from poor Internet service.” The company website even describes a freedom fighter’s characteristics: passionate, tenacious, inventive, hyper-adaptable and trustworthy.&nbsp;

IdeaTek was named one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies. The company website says: “We’re&nbsp;small-town&nbsp;techies and&nbsp;Kansans at heart,&nbsp;passionate about helping&nbsp;rural communities thrive. If we can help make that happen by connecting community members and organizations with our&nbsp;fast, reliable internet,&nbsp;we are&nbsp;all about it.”&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ideatek.com/">www.IdeaTek.com</a>.&nbsp;

It’s time to say goodbye to these freedom fighters. They’re not fighting guerilla warfare in some jungle somewhere; they are fighting for better broadband service in rural Kansas.&nbsp;

We salute Daniel Friesen and all the people at IdeaTek in Buhler for making a difference with rural broadband advocacy and investment.&nbsp;&nbsp;I hope they keep up the good fight.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629897872208.png" alt="Daniel Friesen,&nbsp;IdeaTek" />
 <figcaption>Daniel Friesen,&nbsp;IdeaTek</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;Let’s meet some freedom fighters. These won’t be found in some jungle fighting a dictator. These fighters are working to achieve freedom from bad Internet service, and they are based in rural Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Daniel Friesen is founder and chief innovation officer at IdeaTek in Buhler. He describes his company’s staff as freedom fighters for good Internet service, particularly in rural communities.&nbsp;Daniel went to high school in Buhler. He was a tech-savvy kid. “When our teachers at the school got computers, they would ask me to set them up,” Daniel said.&nbsp;In 1999, he and four high school friends started a computer repair business in Buhler with $250 in the basement of his parent’s house. The business was named IdeaTek.&nbsp;Daniel continued the business in college while his four friends pursued other interests.&nbsp;He studied computer systems support at Hutchinson Community College and management information systems at Wichita State before pursuing the business full time in Buhler, where he and his wife and family live today.&nbsp;Daniel served three terms as mayor of Buhler and is currently a Reno County Commissioner. He was a member of the Kansas Broadband Expansion Taskforce and the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Commission Competitive Infrastructure Working Group. Locally, he is a member of community foundation boards and trustee of the Buhler MB Church.&nbsp;Back in 2005, Daniel transitioned IdeaTek from computers to the telecommunications business. IdeaTek pioneered fiber-to-the-home internet service in Buhler in 2007, followed by servicing nearby rural communities such as Bentley, population 530, and Yoder, population 194 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;The business continued to grow and change. Daniel transitioned from CEO to chief innovation officer.&nbsp;“Today we are highly focused on high quality fiber optics,” Daniel said. “We are an internet service provider focused on underserved areas of the state of Kansas.”&nbsp;“Everyone deserves high quality, robust broadband service. Geography shouldn’t be a limiting factor.”&nbsp;The pandemic demonstrated the importance of broadband service for quality education, health care and more.&nbsp;“We’re big proponents of competition,” Daniel said. “If you let the free market work, it will solve problems. Competition always benefits the consumer.”&nbsp;Today, IdeaTek has grown to more than 120 employees. IdeaTek’s service area now reaches from Strong City to Liberal.&nbsp;In 2020, federal CARES Act funding was allocated for broadband telecommunications in rural, underserved areas. IdeaTek took on several projects.&nbsp;“That was a monumental lift,” Daniel said. In three months, IdeaTek reached out to serve 17 counties. Nearly 20 communities received fiber for the first time. The company deployed 20 cable plows and 39 bore machines to build 70 towers and 358 route miles.&nbsp;In the end, the project involved 115,000 hours and 25,805 fiber miles with potential to serve 10,335 homes and businesses. The total investment was $18 million. “It was the most rewarding and challenging project we’ve done,” Daniel said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The goal remains to reach underserved areas of Kansas. According to IdeaTek, Kansas ranks 28th in the nation for broadband connectivity - 173,000 Kansans do not have wired broadband services available in their home, and 26 percent of rural Americans lack access to broadband compared to only one percent of urban customers.&nbsp;“We call ourselves Internet freedom fighters,” Daniel said. “We want to free people from poor Internet service.” The company website even describes a freedom fighter’s characteristics: passionate, tenacious, inventive, hyper-adaptable and trustworthy.&nbsp;IdeaTek was named one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies. The company website says: “We’re&nbsp;small-town&nbsp;techies and&nbsp;Kansans at heart,&nbsp;passionate about helping&nbsp;rural communities thrive. If we can help make that happen by connecting community members and organizations with our&nbsp;fast, reliable internet,&nbsp;we are&nbsp;all about it.”&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ideatek.com/">www.IdeaTek.com</a>.&nbsp;It’s time to say goodbye to these freedom fighters. They’re not fighting guerilla warfare in some jungle somewhere; they are fighting for better broadband service in rural Kansas.&nbsp;We salute Daniel Friesen and all the people at IdeaTek in Buhler for making a difference with rural broadband advocacy and investment.&nbsp;&nbsp;I hope they keep up the good fight.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Daniel Friesen, IdeaTek 


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — University of Kansas political science professor Patrick Miller notes that, if Republicans can stay united in the Kansas Legislature, they can reshape the state's electoral map however they choose.

"There's no check on partisan based redistricting," Miller said. "The conservative majority on the Supreme Court has said recently that the federal courts cannot adjudicate cases about partisan redistricting, that you can't even bring that into the federal court."

D.C. is trying to shape redistricting on both sides, though.

"They are sending out maps from D.C. to the states, suggested maps to state legislatures saying, you know, this is kind of what we would like your map to look like, so that we can get another person of our party in D.C.," Miller said. "They're doing that more aggressively than they were 10 years ago, quite frankly. Democrats aren't going to waste their time sending model maps to Kansas. They're sending model maps to Illinois and New York. Republicans are sending model maps to Kansas and Georgia, places like that."

The Democrats best chance in Kansas to have a voice in the process may be to try to divide Republicans amongst themselves.

"Ten years ago, we couldn't come up with a map, quite frankly, because moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans couldn't compromise," Miller said. "They were each trying to shaft each other in that process, so the process broke down. There are a lot fewer moderate Republicans in the legislature these days, not very many, quite frankly. Republicans have that supermajority, which means that in theory, if Republicans stay united, they can override a gubernatorial veto."

Hutchinson Democrat Jason Probst is on the House committee. McPherson Republican Rick Wilborn chairs the Senate panel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575644168170.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — University of Kansas political science professor Patrick Miller notes that, if Republicans can stay united in the Kansas Legislature, they can reshape the state's electoral map however they choose."There's no check on partisan based redistricting," Miller said. "The conservative majority on the Supreme Court has said recently that the federal courts cannot adjudicate cases about partisan redistricting, that you can't even bring that into the federal court."D.C. is trying to shape redistricting on both sides, though."They are sending out maps from D.C. to the states, suggested maps to state legislatures saying, you know, this is kind of what we would like your map to look like, so that we can get another person of our party in D.C.," Miller said. "They're doing that more aggressively than they were 10 years ago, quite frankly. Democrats aren't going to waste their time sending model maps to Kansas. They're sending model maps to Illinois and New York. Republicans are sending model maps to Kansas and Georgia, places like that."The Democrats best chance in Kansas to have a voice in the process may be to try to divide Republicans amongst themselves."Ten years ago, we couldn't come up with a map, quite frankly, because moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans couldn't compromise," Miller said. "They were each trying to shaft each other in that process, so the process broke down. There are a lot fewer moderate Republicans in the legislature these days, not very many, quite frankly. Republicans have that supermajority, which means that in theory, if Republicans stay united, they can override a gubernatorial veto."Hutchinson Democrat Jason Probst is on the House committee. McPherson Republican Rick Wilborn chairs the Senate panel.

Miller: Key to redistricting in Kansas is Republican unity, or lack of it

By SHAUNA RUMBAUGH <a href="https://www.hpj.com/ag_news/camp-exposes-inner-city-youth-to-agriculture-college-experience/article_3508a398-01ba-11ec-b0f0-2b0e32302a85.html?utm_source=hpj.com&amp;utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Flists%2Fhpj-weekly%2F%3F-dc%3D1629478818&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=headline">High Plains Journal</a>

NICODEMUS — Agriculture is part of the legacy of the historic northwest Kansas town of Nicodemus in Graham County. In the late 1870s, freed slaves headed west and started a farming community in Nicodemus, the oldest and only remaining African American settlement west of the Mississippi River.

Descendants of those early settlers highlight the town’s history during an annual agriculture camp for students ages 10 to 17. The 2021 Switzer/KSU Ag Camp was held July 19 to 21. JohnElla Holmes, Ph.D., retired Kansas State University instructor, is the founder and director of Nicodemus Educational Camps.

The camp was named in honor of Nicodemus native, football All-American and Kansas State University Hall of Fame athlete Veryl Switzer. Holmes said Switzer is “a Kansas State great. His name is on the students’ section of the Snyder Family Football Stadium. He was a star athlete on the football and track field from 1950 to 1954, and he was drafted to and integrated the Green Bay Packers in 1954. He was the No. 4 pick in the first round draft in 1954.”

After returning from service in the U.S.
 Air Force and playing football in Canada, Switzer worked as an educator
 and administrator, then returned to K-State and served as associate 
director of athletics and assistant vice president of minority affairs 
before retiring.

“He started 
one of the first academic success programs in athletics,” Holmes said. 
While at K-State he also wrote a TRIO grant for Upward Bound, a 
Department of Education program that prepares students for 
post-secondary education.

Holmes said Switzer wanted to expand Upward Bound into agriculture and worked with Holmes to make that happen.

“He
 really wanted to do something that would make sure that our youth today
 understood what kind of pride there is in farming and owning your own 
land. He wanted to bring pride back into land ownership and farming, and
 he’s always believed that if you can feed your family then you are a 
success.”

Holmes said Switzer 
wanted to expose inner-city kids to agriculture, how diverse the degrees
 are, what opportunities are available and how agriculture continues to 
expand.

In 2005 Switzer and 
Holmes developed a curriculum modeled on the Upward Bound program, which
 resulted in the Switzer/KSU Ag Camp launching in 2007.

“For
 the first two days of camp, we bring them to Kansas State University, 
where K-State’s College of Agriculture hosts them. They take them 
through all kinds of tours and they talk to professors, graduate 
students and a MANNRS [Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and 
Related Sciences] group,” she said.

Campers
 stay in the residence halls, eat in the dining hall and experience 
college life as they meet with university student mentors.

“Because of the high population of 
ethnic minority students, they get to see students who look like them 
that are actually majoring in agronomy, milling science, pre-vet and 
that sort of thing,” Holmes said.

They also expose campers to career options in agribusiness, ag economics, ag communications and related fields.

The
 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
 leads part of the camp as well. One day of the camp is dedicated to 
water resources, conservation and sustainability, Holmes said.

In
 Osborne, Kansas, the campers meet with Extension agents and wildlife 
biologists to learn about erosion and how farmers and others use water, 
as well as what a precious resource it is and why it needs to be 
conserved. The youth also get to catch and release fish and see other 
wildlife on the trip.

The group
 then heads to Nicodemus to learn about the town’s heritage and visit 
area farms. During previous camps, students have been able to experience
 wheat harvest and take turns riding in a combine.

“They
 get to see Black-owned property and the pride and respect we have in 
that, and how we’re trying to increase agribusiness in this area,” 
Holmes said. For example, Angela Bates, executive director of the 
Nicodemus Historical Society, is turning her father’s farmland into a 
lavender field and the old homestead into a guesthouse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629480189221.png" alt="Photo courtesy of Nicodemus Educational Camps" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Nicodemus Educational Camps</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHAUNA RUMBAUGH <a href="https://www.hpj.com/ag_news/camp-exposes-inner-city-youth-to-agriculture-college-experience/article_3508a398-01ba-11ec-b0f0-2b0e32302a85.html?utm_source=hpj.com&amp;utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Flists%2Fhpj-weekly%2F%3F-dc%3D1629478818&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=headline">High Plains Journal</a>NICODEMUS — Agriculture is part of the legacy of the historic northwest Kansas town of Nicodemus in Graham County. In the late 1870s, freed slaves headed west and started a farming community in Nicodemus, the oldest and only remaining African American settlement west of the Mississippi River.Descendants of those early settlers highlight the town’s history during an annual agriculture camp for students ages 10 to 17. The 2021 Switzer/KSU Ag Camp was held July 19 to 21. JohnElla Holmes, Ph.D., retired Kansas State University instructor, is the founder and director of Nicodemus Educational Camps.The camp was named in honor of Nicodemus native, football All-American and Kansas State University Hall of Fame athlete Veryl Switzer. Holmes said Switzer is “a Kansas State great. His name is on the students’ section of the Snyder Family Football Stadium. He was a star athlete on the football and track field from 1950 to 1954, and he was drafted to and integrated the Green Bay Packers in 1954. He was the No. 4 pick in the first round draft in 1954.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629480271822.png" alt="Veryl Switzer (Photo courtesy of K-State Athletics Hall of Fame.)" />
 <figcaption>Veryl Switzer (Photo courtesy of K-State Athletics Hall of Fame.)</figcaption>
 </figure>After returning from service in the U.S.
 Air Force and playing football in Canada, Switzer worked as an educator
 and administrator, then returned to K-State and served as associate 
director of athletics and assistant vice president of minority affairs 
before retiring.“He started 
one of the first academic success programs in athletics,” Holmes said. 
While at K-State he also wrote a TRIO grant for Upward Bound, a 
Department of Education program that prepares students for 
post-secondary education.Holmes said Switzer wanted to expand Upward Bound into agriculture and worked with Holmes to make that happen.“He
 really wanted to do something that would make sure that our youth today
 understood what kind of pride there is in farming and owning your own 
land. He wanted to bring pride back into land ownership and farming, and
 he’s always believed that if you can feed your family then you are a 
success.”Holmes said Switzer 
wanted to expose inner-city kids to agriculture, how diverse the degrees
 are, what opportunities are available and how agriculture continues to 
expand.In 2005 Switzer and 
Holmes developed a curriculum modeled on the Upward Bound program, which
 resulted in the Switzer/KSU Ag Camp launching in 2007.<h2>Experiential learning</h2>“For
 the first two days of camp, we bring them to Kansas State University, 
where K-State’s College of Agriculture hosts them. They take them 
through all kinds of tours and they talk to professors, graduate 
students and a MANNRS [Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and 
Related Sciences] group,” she said.Campers
 stay in the residence halls, eat in the dining hall and experience 
college life as they meet with university student mentors.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629480331368.png" alt="Courtesy High Plains Journal" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy High Plains Journal</figcaption>
 </figure>“Because of the high population of 
ethnic minority students, they get to see students who look like them 
that are actually majoring in agronomy, milling science, pre-vet and 
that sort of thing,” Holmes said.They also expose campers to career options in agribusiness, ag economics, ag communications and related fields.The
 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
 leads part of the camp as well. One day of the camp is dedicated to 
water resources, conservation and sustainability, Holmes said.In
 Osborne, Kansas, the campers meet with Extension agents and wildlife 
biologists to learn about erosion and how farmers and others use water, 
as well as what a precious resource it is and why it needs to be 
conserved. The youth also get to catch and release fish and see other 
wildlife on the trip.The group
 then heads to Nicodemus to learn about the town’s heritage and visit 
area farms. During previous camps, students have been able to experience
 wheat harvest and take turns riding in a combine.“They
 get to see Black-owned property and the pride and respect we have in 
that, and how we’re trying to increase agribusiness in this area,” 
Holmes said. For example, Angela Bates, executive director of the 
Nicodemus Historical Society, is turning her father’s farmland into a 
lavender field and the old homestead into a guesthouse.They work in a garden and learn about 
how to have a garden anywhere, such as a patio, driveway or hay bale 
garden. K-State provides campers with a plant they can take home after 
learning how to care for it. Campers also go horseback riding and 
fishing and enjoy other recreational activities while visiting 
Nicodemus.The Kansas Black 
Farmers Association does fundraising for the camp and sponsors several 
scholarships. The organization funded a cabin in Nicodemus where the 
campers stay, and additional lodging is provided at the Bates farm.As
 of 2019, the camp has served 600 students, and Holmes said she is very 
proud that of the campers who have reached their senior year, “We had a 
100% graduation rate of all our campers.” She added that many of those 
students have gone on to receive higher education at a college, 
university or trade school. A few of the former campers have opted to 
pursue agriculture-related careers, too.The
 education they receive about agriculture at the Switzer/KSU Ag Camp is 
valuable to campers even if they do not choose to make it a career. 
Holmes said organizers plan to include an alumni reunion for the 15th 
anniversary of the camp next year.To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.nicodemuscamps.com">www.nicodemuscamps.com</a>.Shauna Rumbaugh can be reached at 620-227-1805 or <a href="mailto:srumbaugh@hpj.com">srumbaugh@hpj.com</a>. Republished with permission,