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

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

Since reporting began, there have been 3,794 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County.

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

Due to an ongoing system upgrade at the KDHE, the latest number of deaths in Ellis County were unavailable.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627499447009.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported nine new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Monday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.Since reporting began, there have been 3,794 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County.As of Wednesday, the University of Kansas Health System reported six COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.Due to an ongoing system upgrade at the KDHE, the latest number of deaths in Ellis County were unavailable.

KDHE: Nine new virus cases in Ellis Co. since Monday

The first full performance by the Hays Community Theatre since before the COVID-19 shutdown stymied production for the group is set for this weekend with "Little Shop of Horrors: The Musical."

Performances are set for 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Thomas More Prep- Marian Dreiling Theatre, 1701 Hall.

While the movie version of "Little Shop of Horrors," released in 1960 and remade in 1986, is the most well-known version of the story, director Jenni Rajewski said the musical has a long history.

"It began back in the beginning of the 20th century," Rajewski said. "It's been a short story, it's been a black-and-white movie, then the musical came out, then the (1986) movie with Rick Moranis. Now it is a cult classic."

Through the productions, however, the story remains similar.

"It's about this shy little florist, who discovers this very rare breed of what he thinks is a Venus flytrap, but it turns out that it is a carnivore," Rajewski said. "And in a very Faustian trip, he has to make a deal with the devil and decide if he is going to sell his soul for the money, the girl, all the fame and fortune, or if he is going to hold to his principals and let the plant go."

She said despite the heavy themes, the musical is lighthearted and family-friendly.

"It's so fun," Rajewski said. "It's very upbeat, there is this very weird connection between all of these different cast members and the music is really high energy.

While the story will be familiar to those that have seen the movie, Rajewski, said the movie version has a different ending, so attendees will still be able to be surprised.

"So if you have seen the movie, you still need to come to see our show because what you saw is not the ending we are going to give you,"&nbsp;she said.

The audience will also be presented with a variety of musical styles during the performance.

"It's got this mish-mosh," Rajewski said. "It's got some R&amp;B, it's got some almost bluesy stuff, there's rock-n-roll, there's a couple of songs, sweetie-cutie songs. It's just this very wide variety of singing. There's no rap, but other than that, I think I can accommodate just about anybody's taste."

While Rajewski is a theater veteran, this is her first show with the Hays group.

"I'm just super excited that they asked me to come and do this and be a part of the Hays Community Theatre team," she said. "It has been an enlightening and exciting experience.

"They work so hard to make sure this community has a theater program available to anybody."

Rajewski said the all-volunteer group was focused on helping as much as possible through the preparations for the production.

"Every single one of these people — every actor, every technician, every stagehand, every pit member — is just there because they want to do this, they want to help out, and they want to be part of this.

"They are just fabulous. I could not believe how well everything just pieced itself together and how willing people were to give up their time and all this energy and work to make this thing happen."

And some of the cast members will be familiar faces, but others are new.

"We've got 11 people in the cast, and they are about as true of a mix as you can get,"&nbsp;Rajewski said.&nbsp;

That cast list includes five high schoolers from the area, college students and community members.

The cast is also a mix of veterans and first timers.

"It's just such a wide variety," Rajewski said. "It's just amazing how much they vary and then they come together like this and form this little community of actors."

And with the group coming together for the first production since before the pandemic she said the excitement for the audience and the performers reflects a pent-up desire for artist expression.

"We lost our artistic outlet and for some of us, we lost that thing that levels us, ground us," Rajewski said. "So to come back and have that has just been astounding to see."

<a href="http://www.hctks.com">Tickets are available online now for $15 at hctks.com or available at the box office each night.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627445019885.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Hays Community Theatre set to present Little Shop of Horrors" 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=gu3c9-109db25-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>By JAMES BELL Hays PostThe first full performance by the Hays Community Theatre since before the COVID-19 shutdown stymied production for the group is set for this weekend with "Little Shop of Horrors: The Musical."Performances are set for 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Thomas More Prep- Marian Dreiling Theatre, 1701 Hall.While the movie version of "Little Shop of Horrors," released in 1960 and remade in 1986, is the most well-known version of the story, director Jenni Rajewski said the musical has a long history."It began back in the beginning of the 20th century," Rajewski said. "It's been a short story, it's been a black-and-white movie, then the musical came out, then the (1986) movie with Rick Moranis. Now it is a cult classic."Through the productions, however, the story remains similar."It's about this shy little florist, who discovers this very rare breed of what he thinks is a Venus flytrap, but it turns out that it is a carnivore," Rajewski said. "And in a very Faustian trip, he has to make a deal with the devil and decide if he is going to sell his soul for the money, the girl, all the fame and fortune, or if he is going to hold to his principals and let the plant go."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627445050867.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>She said despite the heavy themes, the musical is lighthearted and family-friendly."It's so fun," Rajewski said. "It's very upbeat, there is this very weird connection between all of these different cast members and the music is really high energy."It's a great show."While the story will be familiar to those that have seen the movie, Rajewski, said the movie version has a different ending, so attendees will still be able to be surprised."So if you have seen the movie, you still need to come to see our show because what you saw is not the ending we are going to give you,"&nbsp;she said.The audience will also be presented with a variety of musical styles during the performance."It's got this mish-mosh," Rajewski said. "It's got some R&amp;B, it's got some almost bluesy stuff, there's rock-n-roll, there's a couple of songs, sweetie-cutie songs. It's just this very wide variety of singing. There's no rap, but other than that, I think I can accommodate just about anybody's taste."While Rajewski is a theater veteran, this is her first show with the Hays group.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627445083115.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"I'm just super excited that they asked me to come and do this and be a part of the Hays Community Theatre team," she said. "It has been an enlightening and exciting experience."They work so hard to make sure this community has a theater program available to anybody."Rajewski said the all-volunteer group was focused on helping as much as possible through the preparations for the production."Every single one of these people — every actor, every technician, every stagehand, every pit member — is just there because they want to do this, they want to help out, and they want to be part of this."They are just fabulous. I could not believe how well everything just pieced itself together and how willing people were to give up their time and all this energy and work to make this thing happen."And some of the cast members will be familiar faces, but others are new."We've got 11 people in the cast, and they are about as true of a mix as you can get,"&nbsp;Rajewski said.&nbsp;That cast list includes five high schoolers from the area, college students and community members.The cast is also a mix of veterans and first timers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627445134363.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"It's just such a wide variety," Rajewski said. "It's just amazing how much they vary and then they come together like this and form this little community of actors."And with the group coming together for the first production since before the pandemic she said the excitement for the audience and the performers reflects a pent-up desire for artist expression."We lost our artistic outlet and for some of us, we lost that thing that levels us, ground us," Rajewski said. "So to come back and have that has just been astounding to see."<a href="http://www.hctks.com">Tickets are available online now for $15 at hctks.com or available at the box office each night.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627445164291.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🎙Hays Community Theatre's production of 'Little Shop of Horrors' set to open

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Kansas Education Commissioner was back in Hays on Tuesday asking if the state's Kansans Can school redesign, which focuses on applied skills, is still preparing students for life after K-12.

The answer was yes, but Kansas schools still have a way to go.

Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson first toured the state, including Hays in 2015 and 2016. After years of schools measuring student success on the basis of state assessments, employers said students were graduating without the skills needed to be effective workers.

Kansans need to help students connect why in geometry it is important to know slope,&nbsp;Brad Neuenswander, deputy education commissioner, told the Hays audience.

"If it's a 6/12, you're not walking on it," he said. "If it's a 4/12, maybe," Neuenswander said.

&nbsp;Business leaders said while being academically prepared is important, non-academic skills far outweigh academic skills, Neuenswander said.

"Predominantly what Kansans said was that they have to be able to use it in real-world, on-the-job applications, not just memorizing it to get the questions at the end of the chapter and pass the test,"&nbsp;Neuenswander said.

Eighty-one percent of business focus group members cited non-academic skills as the most needed attribute in new hires.

Skills that businesses said high school graduates were lacking included: • Professionalism/work ethic • Teamwork/collaboration • Verbal communication • Ethics/social responsibility • Critical thinking/problem solving • Information technology applications • Written communication • Diversity • Lifelong learning/self-direction • Creativity/innovation

"Business and industry says, 'I don't care what their ACT score is,' "&nbsp;Neuenswander said. "They did really well on the test, but they don't use it in real-world applications."

Businesses said even college graduates are missing many of the non-academic skills they need to be leaders.

"I with the CEO of Cerner. ... They hire tons of engineers and IT and computer scientists," Watson said. "They said they know their craft really well, but they can't project manage. They can't work in a team. They're not creative. They are just ... ugh.

"Why don't you quit sending us 4.0 students? They make great middle managers. They do exactly what they're told. I need people who reinvent our organization," he said.&nbsp;

These non-academic skills had traditionally been learned at home, on the farm and at church, Watson said.

"We don't know the reason, but it's shifted," he said. "A lot kids are good kids, but they just don't have these skills."

Today, kids are learning these skills in FFA, drama, sports or other extracurricular activities, but Watson argued students should be learnings these skills in core subjects, such as math, as well.

As the state has worked through redesign it aimed to individualize instruction, incorporate real-life problems into learning and focus on teaching students how to apply what they've learned, Watson said.

The plan included shifting school counselors' focus from scheduling to helping students with career planning and working with business to create opportunities for job shadows and internships.

A focus was also placed on pre-kindergarten education. Watson said the largest learning gap is in kindergarten. Some children come into kindergarten and are reading on a third-grade level, while others can't distinguish between a number and a letter and don't know their colors.

"Over the years, we catch it up, but we never get it entirely caught," he said.

He said schools need to do better jobs of designing education around students who will go on to two-year post-secondary and certification programs instead of just four-year colleges.

Schools need to create more individualized plans for students instead of conveyor belts that revolve around time, age and content, Watson said.

Focus groups also reported they wanted students to complete community service before graduation, something that some schools in the state have made a graduation requirement.

After the first state tour, the state set a "moon shot" goal of redesigning the state's schools during the next 10 years to address the issues the focus groups had raised. School districts volunteered to look at issues, including social and emotion engagement, and parent and community and engagement and incorporate improvements into their curriculums.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4e0af502-cd6a-4982-b1c7-6b887a06ab83">Lincoln Elementary School will be launching its redesign this school year.</a> Its progress was slowed by the pandemic last year.

Each school has come up with different strategies to meet their students' needs and the goals of the redesign. Watson said not all of them have been successful. The state is re-evaluating the successes of the school redesigns to see what strategies have worked.

Statewide numbers indicate some have, Watson said.

In the last five years, graduation rates among all students are up 2.6 percent to 88.3 percent.

Graduation rates among subgroups are as follows: • English as a second language students 83.7 percent — up 6.5 percent • Students receiving free and reduced-price lunches 81.2 percent — up 3.7 percent • Students with disabilities 80.3 percent — up 3.1 percent.

The state's goal is a graduation rate for all students of 95 percent. Watson said the state has made progress, but still has a ways to go.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627421489188.jpeg" alt="Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson speaks to an audience of more than 80 people Tuesday in Hays as part of his Kansans Can education redesign tour." />
 <figcaption>Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson speaks to an audience of more than 80 people Tuesday in Hays as part of his Kansans Can education redesign tour.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Kansas Education Commissioner was back in Hays on Tuesday asking if the state's Kansans Can school redesign, which focuses on applied skills, is still preparing students for life after K-12.The answer was yes, but Kansas schools still have a way to go.Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson first toured the state, including Hays in 2015 and 2016. After years of schools measuring student success on the basis of state assessments, employers said students were graduating without the skills needed to be effective workers.Kansans need to help students connect why in geometry it is important to know slope,&nbsp;Brad Neuenswander, deputy education commissioner, told the Hays audience."If it's a 6/12, you're not walking on it," he said. "If it's a 4/12, maybe," Neuenswander said.&nbsp;Business leaders said while being academically prepared is important, non-academic skills far outweigh academic skills, Neuenswander said."Predominantly what Kansans said was that they have to be able to use it in real-world, on-the-job applications, not just memorizing it to get the questions at the end of the chapter and pass the test,"&nbsp;Neuenswander said.Eighty-one percent of business focus group members cited non-academic skills as the most needed attribute in new hires.Skills that businesses said high school graduates were lacking included: • Professionalism/work ethic • Teamwork/collaboration • Verbal communication • Ethics/social responsibility • Critical thinking/problem solving • Information technology applications • Written communication • Diversity • Lifelong learning/self-direction • Creativity/innovation"Business and industry says, 'I don't care what their ACT score is,' "&nbsp;Neuenswander said. "They did really well on the test, but they don't use it in real-world applications."Businesses said even college graduates are missing many of the non-academic skills they need to be leaders."I with the CEO of Cerner. ... They hire tons of engineers and IT and computer scientists," Watson said. "They said they know their craft really well, but they can't project manage. They can't work in a team. They're not creative. They are just ... ugh."Why don't you quit sending us 4.0 students? They make great middle managers. They do exactly what they're told. I need people who reinvent our organization," he said.&nbsp;These non-academic skills had traditionally been learned at home, on the farm and at church, Watson said."We don't know the reason, but it's shifted," he said. "A lot kids are good kids, but they just don't have these skills."Today, kids are learning these skills in FFA, drama, sports or other extracurricular activities, but Watson argued students should be learnings these skills in core subjects, such as math, as well.As the state has worked through redesign it aimed to individualize instruction, incorporate real-life problems into learning and focus on teaching students how to apply what they've learned, Watson said.The plan included shifting school counselors' focus from scheduling to helping students with career planning and working with business to create opportunities for job shadows and internships.A focus was also placed on pre-kindergarten education. Watson said the largest learning gap is in kindergarten. Some children come into kindergarten and are reading on a third-grade level, while others can't distinguish between a number and a letter and don't know their colors."Over the years, we catch it up, but we never get it entirely caught," he said.He said schools need to do better jobs of designing education around students who will go on to two-year post-secondary and certification programs instead of just four-year colleges.Schools need to create more individualized plans for students instead of conveyor belts that revolve around time, age and content, Watson said.Focus groups also reported they wanted students to complete community service before graduation, something that some schools in the state have made a graduation requirement.After the first state tour, the state set a "moon shot" goal of redesigning the state's schools during the next 10 years to address the issues the focus groups had raised. School districts volunteered to look at issues, including social and emotion engagement, and parent and community and engagement and incorporate improvements into their curriculums.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/4e0af502-cd6a-4982-b1c7-6b887a06ab83">Lincoln Elementary School will be launching its redesign this school year.</a> Its progress was slowed by the pandemic last year.Each school has come up with different strategies to meet their students' needs and the goals of the redesign. Watson said not all of them have been successful. The state is re-evaluating the successes of the school redesigns to see what strategies have worked.Statewide numbers indicate some have, Watson said.In the last five years, graduation rates among all students are up 2.6 percent to 88.3 percent.Graduation rates among subgroups are as follows: • English as a second language students 83.7 percent — up 6.5 percent • Students receiving free and reduced-price lunches 81.2 percent — up 3.7 percent • Students with disabilities 80.3 percent — up 3.1 percent.The state's goal is a graduation rate for all students of 95 percent. Watson said the state has made progress, but still has a ways to go.

KS Education Department renews focus on building practical skills

When it comes to developing an idea, professional insight and experience makes the difference in launching a new product.&nbsp;

That’s why Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc., doesn’t just provide funding for qualifying entrepreneurs through its Business Concept Development Program. NWKEICI also helps connect prospective business owners with those with expertise in navigating the intricacies of getting a product on the market.

“Northwest Kansans are known for their innovation and independent spirit,” said NWKEICI Program Director Lucas Goddard. “While there is an abundance of these qualities in the entrepreneurs in our region, there isn’t always traditional financial support available to build these ventures. NWKEICI launched its program to ensure that these businesses aren’t just dreams, but that they become reality.”

NWKEICI reached out to the Technology Development Institute at Kansas State University to help one such inventor move his product forward.&nbsp;Barry Reinert had secured a patent for his Bac-Pac technology for use with hydraulic bale beds. The attachment allows ranchers to quickly attach and release the device that can be used to transport livestock and equipment as well as dump feed or gravel with the ability to be loaded at ground level.&nbsp;

It was a solid idea and Reinert had produced a prototype. But Bret Lanz, Commercialization Director at the Technology Development Institute, said this is where new products can stall because manufacturers need to know the bottom line for production.&nbsp;

“We work with inventors at all stages of the process and we can help them with understanding patents, timelines, and market research,” he said. “Barry did a great job developing his product, he just needed to be able to have everything in hand when he approached manufacturers.”

The Technology Development Institute has rural and innovation funds from the Department of Commerce that they were able to match with the support Reinert had from NWKEICI to take the design, put it into a virtual model and build a second and final prototype.&nbsp;

“In the end, he had a complete set of drawings for every part, a bill of materials - which is basically an ingredient list of everything that goes into iot, and the redesigned version,” Lanz noted. “We also worked with him to create a list of potential licensees or manufacturers for him. He’s now taking this information when he talks to prospective manufacturers.”&nbsp;

Manufacturers have limited engineering resources, so compiling details for a product is crucial.

“Having that information to offer a manufacturer the opportunity to put it into production with the minimal time and cost involved - that’s what we’re trying to help the entrepreneur do,” Lanz said. “We try to see how far we can help them get that ball down the court and give them all they need to put it into production.”&nbsp;

Goddard notes the reality of business isn’t just important for an entrepreneur - but for the region itself.

“When an entrepreneur succeeds, we all share in that success,” he said. “Getting a new business established or a product to market means more dollars in their pockets and more dollars in our communities.”&nbsp;

The Business Concept Development Program makes funds available to entrepreneurs to determine if a particular business idea, product, or service is commercially viable - especially when conventional funding sources are not an option. For more information, contact NWKEICI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627402399128.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedWhen it comes to developing an idea, professional insight and experience makes the difference in launching a new product.&nbsp;That’s why Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc., doesn’t just provide funding for qualifying entrepreneurs through its Business Concept Development Program. NWKEICI also helps connect prospective business owners with those with expertise in navigating the intricacies of getting a product on the market.“Northwest Kansans are known for their innovation and independent spirit,” said NWKEICI Program Director Lucas Goddard. “While there is an abundance of these qualities in the entrepreneurs in our region, there isn’t always traditional financial support available to build these ventures. NWKEICI launched its program to ensure that these businesses aren’t just dreams, but that they become reality.”NWKEICI reached out to the Technology Development Institute at Kansas State University to help one such inventor move his product forward.&nbsp;Barry Reinert had secured a patent for his Bac-Pac technology for use with hydraulic bale beds. The attachment allows ranchers to quickly attach and release the device that can be used to transport livestock and equipment as well as dump feed or gravel with the ability to be loaded at ground level.&nbsp;It was a solid idea and Reinert had produced a prototype. But Bret Lanz, Commercialization Director at the Technology Development Institute, said this is where new products can stall because manufacturers need to know the bottom line for production.&nbsp;“We work with inventors at all stages of the process and we can help them with understanding patents, timelines, and market research,” he said. “Barry did a great job developing his product, he just needed to be able to have everything in hand when he approached manufacturers.”The Technology Development Institute has rural and innovation funds from the Department of Commerce that they were able to match with the support Reinert had from NWKEICI to take the design, put it into a virtual model and build a second and final prototype.&nbsp;“In the end, he had a complete set of drawings for every part, a bill of materials - which is basically an ingredient list of everything that goes into iot, and the redesigned version,” Lanz noted. “We also worked with him to create a list of potential licensees or manufacturers for him. He’s now taking this information when he talks to prospective manufacturers.”&nbsp;Manufacturers have limited engineering resources, so compiling details for a product is crucial.“Having that information to offer a manufacturer the opportunity to put it into production with the minimal time and cost involved - that’s what we’re trying to help the entrepreneur do,” Lanz said. “We try to see how far we can help them get that ball down the court and give them all they need to put it into production.”&nbsp;Goddard notes the reality of business isn’t just important for an entrepreneur - but for the region itself.“When an entrepreneur succeeds, we all share in that success,” he said. “Getting a new business established or a product to market means more dollars in their pockets and more dollars in our communities.”&nbsp;The Business Concept Development Program makes funds available to entrepreneurs to determine if a particular business idea, product, or service is commercially viable - especially when conventional funding sources are not an option. For more information, contact NWKEICI.

Helping NW Kansas entrepreneurs’ dreams become reality

BY KIM BALDWIN McPherson&nbsp;County farmer A friend of mine recently asked when my family truly begins to enjoy summer. She asked this well-meaning question to help her figure out when we get to enjoy some rest and relaxation during the summer months. She has observed my family for many years and has recognized that while many others enjoy vacations during this time of the year, it seems as if my family does not get the “traditional” summer experience so many others do. &nbsp; Before I met and eventually married my husband, I lived in a town where I taught. As soon as I had wrapped up my lessons for the year, cleaned my classroom and submitted my final grades, my summer break began. My summer breaks consisted of a lot of cookouts with friends and family, a lot of time in a swimming pool, and a lot of travel. I had a lot of things to do during my breaks, and I generally kept a pretty busy schedule to ensure I’d soak up all of what summer offered. Many nights I’d usually fall asleep exhausted from a busy summer day and get a good, hard sleep before rising with the sun the next morning. &nbsp; When I look at what summers were like for me as a single teacher living in a small town compared to what my summers look like now on the farm, I can’t help but recognize that some things remain the same yet appear different. During wheat harvest, I still experience meals with friends and family — although what is generally grilled at home is then packaged up and hauled out to hungry people in a wheat field somewhere. I still enjoy meals with others while sitting in our lawn chairs, albeit the scenery and timeframes may look a little different. &nbsp; My time relaxing at the pool with friends has transitioned to water time with my kids. Pool time is now generally centered around our stock tank pool that sits in our front yard. It’s quite convenient for early morning or evening dips, and you don’t have to deal with crowds or admission fees. Sometimes the kids and I enjoy a trip to a local splash pad or enjoy time at our town’s public pool. In either of these scenarios, we all enjoy a little refreshing break from the summer heat. &nbsp; I also still get to travel during the summer months. Some days include unplanned short trips to a business in a nearby town to pick up irrigation or machine parts my husband needs. Unless the items are needed immediately, I usually have the kids put on their swimsuits under their clothes and pack some towels in the event we find a new community splash pad to enjoy. If we strike out with the splash pad on our parts runs, we’ll look for community parks or interesting things like murals to explore in these other communities. Sometimes, the kids and I can also sneak away for multiple days if schedules allow. &nbsp; As the summer continues and hectic, timely tasks on the farm like wheat harvest and planting have transitioned more into an autopilot mode of things like managing irrigation. We still take advantage of the daylight hours and generally still collapse into our beds nightly well after the lightening bugs fill the air. &nbsp; As summer continues, my family can begin to stray a bit further from the farm. We can enjoy a swimming pool at a hotel or a relaxing evening cookout together at home. We, no doubt, will still collapse into bed at night after exhausting days trying to take full advantage of all that the summer days allow us to absorb. And we will begin talking about what fun family trip we can plan for and enjoy some rest and relaxation — somewhere perhaps warm and sunny — in either January or February.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573617414005.jpeg" alt="Kim Baldwin" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin</figcaption>
 </figure>BY KIM BALDWIN McPherson&nbsp;County farmer A friend of mine recently asked when my family truly begins to enjoy summer. She asked this well-meaning question to help her figure out when we get to enjoy some rest and relaxation during the summer months. She has observed my family for many years and has recognized that while many others enjoy vacations during this time of the year, it seems as if my family does not get the “traditional” summer experience so many others do. &nbsp; Before I met and eventually married my husband, I lived in a town where I taught. As soon as I had wrapped up my lessons for the year, cleaned my classroom and submitted my final grades, my summer break began. My summer breaks consisted of a lot of cookouts with friends and family, a lot of time in a swimming pool, and a lot of travel. I had a lot of things to do during my breaks, and I generally kept a pretty busy schedule to ensure I’d soak up all of what summer offered. Many nights I’d usually fall asleep exhausted from a busy summer day and get a good, hard sleep before rising with the sun the next morning. &nbsp; When I look at what summers were like for me as a single teacher living in a small town compared to what my summers look like now on the farm, I can’t help but recognize that some things remain the same yet appear different. During wheat harvest, I still experience meals with friends and family — although what is generally grilled at home is then packaged up and hauled out to hungry people in a wheat field somewhere. I still enjoy meals with others while sitting in our lawn chairs, albeit the scenery and timeframes may look a little different. &nbsp; My time relaxing at the pool with friends has transitioned to water time with my kids. Pool time is now generally centered around our stock tank pool that sits in our front yard. It’s quite convenient for early morning or evening dips, and you don’t have to deal with crowds or admission fees. Sometimes the kids and I enjoy a trip to a local splash pad or enjoy time at our town’s public pool. In either of these scenarios, we all enjoy a little refreshing break from the summer heat. &nbsp; I also still get to travel during the summer months. Some days include unplanned short trips to a business in a nearby town to pick up irrigation or machine parts my husband needs. Unless the items are needed immediately, I usually have the kids put on their swimsuits under their clothes and pack some towels in the event we find a new community splash pad to enjoy. If we strike out with the splash pad on our parts runs, we’ll look for community parks or interesting things like murals to explore in these other communities. Sometimes, the kids and I can also sneak away for multiple days if schedules allow. &nbsp; As the summer continues and hectic, timely tasks on the farm like wheat harvest and planting have transitioned more into an autopilot mode of things like managing irrigation. We still take advantage of the daylight hours and generally still collapse into our beds nightly well after the lightening bugs fill the air. &nbsp; As summer continues, my family can begin to stray a bit further from the farm. We can enjoy a swimming pool at a hotel or a relaxing evening cookout together at home. We, no doubt, will still collapse into bed at night after exhausting days trying to take full advantage of all that the summer days allow us to absorb. And we will begin talking about what fun family trip we can plan for and enjoy some rest and relaxation — somewhere perhaps warm and sunny — in either January or February."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Summer schedules

Three-day weather outlook

Click <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/jobs.aspx">HERE</a> to visit the Ellis County Employment Opportunities page.

The Human Resources Coordinator 
is responsible for the major areas of employee recruitment, selection, 
and retention through employee relations, compensation, professional 
development, and benefits. This position will manage processes for new 
employee orientation as well as employee transfers and terminations.&nbsp; 
The Human Resources Coordinator has considerable latitude for 
independent judgment and initiative within established policies and 
procedures when determining work priorities.&nbsp; This employee handles 
confidential information when working with personnel records and will 
ensure the privacy of all protected information in compliance with 
federal and state laws.&nbsp; A resume will be required to be submitted with 
application.&nbsp; Starting Pay is $27.71 per hour with a pay raise at 6 
months and one year, 10 paid holidays and 21 days paid vacation per 
year, KPERS retirement, longevity bonus after two years, and health 
insurance paid at 86%.

This 
employee is responsible for the bookkeeping and clerical duties, as well
 as coordinating environmental activities with the Environmental 
Associate. The Environmental Technician routinely acts in implementing 
and monitoring Ellis County environmental programs. This employee may 
assist with field testing and review, perform site inspections under 
supervision, and develop database programs in relation to environmental 
activities.&nbsp; High school diploma or GED and two years of clerical and 
bookkeeping experience are preferred.&nbsp; Starting Pay is $16.05 per hour 
with a pay raise at 6 months and one year, 10 paid holidays and 21 days 
paid vacation per year, KPERS retirement, longevity bonus after two 
years, and health insurance paid at 86%.

Under 
the supervision of the Shop Foreman, the Mechanic performs semi-skilled 
and skilled mechanical work on equipment and vehicles assigned to the 
Ellis County Public Works Department. The employee in this position is 
responsible for performing the required maintenance and repair of 
vehicles and equipment for the Public Works Department. &nbsp;High School 
diploma or GED and two years of mechanic experience is required. A class
 B commercial driver's license with tanker endorsement is required. 
Successful applicant will be required to participate in the FHWA (CDL) 
drug-testing program.&nbsp; Starting Pay is $17.34 per hour with a pay raise 
at 6 months and one year, 10 paid holidays and 21 days paid vacation per
 year, KPERS retirement, longevity bonus after two years, and health 
insurance paid at 86%.

Ellis County Public 
Works is accepting applications for the full time position of Truck 
Driver in the Road and Bridge division.&nbsp; This employee hauls material to
 the job site for the repair and construction of roads within Ellis 
County.&nbsp; The truck driver also performs routine manual work in the 
operation of light and heavy equipment for loading and transporting 
materials.&nbsp; High school diploma or GED and one year truck driving 
experience are required.&nbsp; A class B commercial drivers license with 
tanker endorsement is required.&nbsp; Successful applicant will be required 
to participate in the FHWA (CDL) drug-testing program.&nbsp; Starting Pay is 
$14.25 per hour with a pay raise at 6 months and one year, 10 paid 
holidays and 21 days paid vacation per year, KPERS retirement, longevity
 bonus after two years, and health insurance paid at 86%.

A
 paid-per-call firefighters respond to fires, rescues, medical assists, 
hazardous conditions, and other related emergencies. It requires a 
significant amount of teamwork when working on emergency scenes to 
conducting regular fire company activities. Our firefighters work under 
the direct supervision of company officers to include a company chief.

Each
 firefighter understands they represent a larger ECFD organization and 
shall act, train, perform duties in such a way that they demonstrate 
pride and ownership in their department. An ECFD firefighter should have
 excellent interpersonal communication skills as they are expected to 
have direct contact with different public safety officials, the 
community, as well as fire and rescue victims. ECFD firefighters must be
 able to make quick decisions, take calculated risks, and take immediate
 actions on emergency scenes while maintaining safety in these actions.

Firefighters
 are required to complete basic NIMS courses, maintain CPR/First aid 
certification, hazardous materials awareness, attend 75% of scheduled 
monthly trainings, and report to their assigned companies when available
 for emergency responses. ECFD firefighters must read, understand, and 
abide by the ECFD standard operating procedures. Before firefighters are
 able to respond and/or drive apparatus to emergencies, firefighters are
 to complete an in-house training program. ECFD firefighters must be 18 
years of age with a valid driver’s license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626273354523.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Click <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/jobs.aspx">HERE</a> to visit the Ellis County Employment Opportunities page.<h2>Human Resources Coordinator</h2>The Human Resources Coordinator 
is responsible for the major areas of employee recruitment, selection, 
and retention through employee relations, compensation, professional 
development, and benefits. This position will manage processes for new 
employee orientation as well as employee transfers and terminations.&nbsp; 
The Human Resources Coordinator has considerable latitude for 
independent judgment and initiative within established policies and 
procedures when determining work priorities.&nbsp; This employee handles 
confidential information when working with personnel records and will 
ensure the privacy of all protected information in compliance with 
federal and state laws.&nbsp; A resume will be required to be submitted with 
application.&nbsp; Starting Pay is $27.71 per hour with a pay raise at 6 
months and one year, 10 paid holidays and 21 days paid vacation per 
year, KPERS retirement, longevity bonus after two years, and health 
insurance paid at 86%.<h2>Environmental Technician</h2>This 
employee is responsible for the bookkeeping and clerical duties, as well
 as coordinating environmental activities with the Environmental 
Associate. The Environmental Technician routinely acts in implementing 
and monitoring Ellis County environmental programs. This employee may 
assist with field testing and review, perform site inspections under 
supervision, and develop database programs in relation to environmental 
activities.&nbsp; High school diploma or GED and two years of clerical and 
bookkeeping experience are preferred.&nbsp; Starting Pay is $16.05 per hour 
with a pay raise at 6 months and one year, 10 paid holidays and 21 days 
paid vacation per year, KPERS retirement, longevity bonus after two 
years, and health insurance paid at 86%.<h2>Mechanic</h2>Under 
the supervision of the Shop Foreman, the Mechanic performs semi-skilled 
and skilled mechanical work on equipment and vehicles assigned to the 
Ellis County Public Works Department. The employee in this position is 
responsible for performing the required maintenance and repair of 
vehicles and equipment for the Public Works Department. &nbsp;High School 
diploma or GED and two years of mechanic experience is required. A class
 B commercial driver's license with tanker endorsement is required. 
Successful applicant will be required to participate in the FHWA (CDL) 
drug-testing program.&nbsp; Starting Pay is $17.34 per hour with a pay raise 
at 6 months and one year, 10 paid holidays and 21 days paid vacation per
 year, KPERS retirement, longevity bonus after two years, and health 
insurance paid at 86%.<h2>Truck Driver</h2>Ellis County Public 
Works is accepting applications for the full time position of Truck 
Driver in the Road and Bridge division.&nbsp; This employee hauls material to
 the job site for the repair and construction of roads within Ellis 
County.&nbsp; The truck driver also performs routine manual work in the 
operation of light and heavy equipment for loading and transporting 
materials.&nbsp; High school diploma or GED and one year truck driving 
experience are required.&nbsp; A class B commercial drivers license with 
tanker endorsement is required.&nbsp; Successful applicant will be required 
to participate in the FHWA (CDL) drug-testing program.&nbsp; Starting Pay is 
$14.25 per hour with a pay raise at 6 months and one year, 10 paid 
holidays and 21 days paid vacation per year, KPERS retirement, longevity
 bonus after two years, and health insurance paid at 86%.<h2>Paid Per Call Firefighter</h2>A
 paid-per-call firefighters respond to fires, rescues, medical assists, 
hazardous conditions, and other related emergencies. It requires a 
significant amount of teamwork when working on emergency scenes to 
conducting regular fire company activities. Our firefighters work under 
the direct supervision of company officers to include a company chief.Each
 firefighter understands they represent a larger ECFD organization and 
shall act, train, perform duties in such a way that they demonstrate 
pride and ownership in their department. An ECFD firefighter should have
 excellent interpersonal communication skills as they are expected to 
have direct contact with different public safety officials, the 
community, as well as fire and rescue victims. ECFD firefighters must be
 able to make quick decisions, take calculated risks, and take immediate
 actions on emergency scenes while maintaining safety in these actions.Firefighters
 are required to complete basic NIMS courses, maintain CPR/First aid 
certification, hazardous materials awareness, attend 75% of scheduled 
monthly trainings, and report to their assigned companies when available
 for emergency responses. ECFD firefighters must read, understand, and 
abide by the ECFD standard operating procedures. Before firefighters are
 able to respond and/or drive apparatus to emergencies, firefighters are
 to complete an in-house training program. ECFD firefighters must be 18 
years of age with a valid driver’s license.

Portion of Ellis Avenue will be closed this week

Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc. announced today that its Sharing Success Fund, managed by the Scott Community Foundation, has awarded a $1,000 grant to the Cottonwood Extension District in Great Bend.

The Sharing Success grant funds will be used toward the purchase of appliances for a meeting room in the new Extension District office. The meeting room will be used to create an area where youth and adult groups alike can learn nutrition and food preparation, says Donna Krug, district director. As Krug explains, a variety of other classes taught at the Cottonwood Extension District require the use of a stove and refrigerator, such as Babysitting 101, that strive to improve the quality of life for low-income families in Barton County.

The Scott Community Foundation began formally accepting applications for grants from the Wheatland Electric Sharing Success Fund from non-profit organizations on December 1, 2012. Wheatland Electric and CoBank have each contributed $10,000 this year to the fund. The program will continue to run until the funds are exhausted.

Non-profit groups interested in receiving funding from the Wheatland Electric Sharing Success Fund can apply online at https://www.weci.net/sharing-success-program. Questions should be referred to Alli Conine, Manager of Member Services &amp; Corporate Communications, at 620-874-4563 or aconine@weci.net.

About Us Our Mission: Delivering Energy for Life – Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc., a member owned distribution cooperative headquartered in Scott City, KS, was established in 1948 as a distribution and power cooperative, in the state of Kansas. Today, Wheatland Electric serves more than 33,000 electric meters in 14 Kansas counties and 3 Colorado counties and maintains over 4,000 miles of distribution power lines across western, southcentral Kansas and eastern Colorado. Together, with the help of our members, we are committed to building a better and stronger rural America. Visit www.weci.net for more information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627390307174.jpeg" alt="Alli Conine (right), manager of member services &amp; corporate communications at Wheatland Electric, presents a $1,000 Sharing Success grant to staff of the Cottonwood Extension District" />
 <figcaption>Alli Conine (right), manager of member services &amp; corporate communications at Wheatland Electric, presents a $1,000 Sharing Success grant to staff of the Cottonwood Extension District</figcaption>
 </figure>BUSINESS NEWSWheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc. announced today that its Sharing Success Fund, managed by the Scott Community Foundation, has awarded a $1,000 grant to the Cottonwood Extension District in Great Bend.The Sharing Success grant funds will be used toward the purchase of appliances for a meeting room in the new Extension District office. The meeting room will be used to create an area where youth and adult groups alike can learn nutrition and food preparation, says Donna Krug, district director. As Krug explains, a variety of other classes taught at the Cottonwood Extension District require the use of a stove and refrigerator, such as Babysitting 101, that strive to improve the quality of life for low-income families in Barton County.The Scott Community Foundation began formally accepting applications for grants from the Wheatland Electric Sharing Success Fund from non-profit organizations on December 1, 2012. Wheatland Electric and CoBank have each contributed $10,000 this year to the fund. The program will continue to run until the funds are exhausted.Non-profit groups interested in receiving funding from the Wheatland Electric Sharing Success Fund can apply online at https://www.weci.net/sharing-success-program. Questions should be referred to Alli Conine, Manager of Member Services &amp; Corporate Communications, at 620-874-4563 or aconine@weci.net.About Us Our Mission: Delivering Energy for Life – Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc., a member owned distribution cooperative headquartered in Scott City, KS, was established in 1948 as a distribution and power cooperative, in the state of Kansas. Today, Wheatland Electric serves more than 33,000 electric meters in 14 Kansas counties and 3 Colorado counties and maintains over 4,000 miles of distribution power lines across western, southcentral Kansas and eastern Colorado. Together, with the help of our members, we are committed to building a better and stronger rural America. Visit www.weci.net for more information.

Cottonwood Extension receives $1K grant from Wheatland Electric

On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Chamber president and CEO Sarah Wasinger shares updates from the chamber.

<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="Hays Chamber welcomes new members" allowtransparency="true" height="450" 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=dkw4s-109ca1b-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&btn-skin=3267a3&size=450" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Post Podcast Hays Chamber president and CEO Sarah Wasinger shares updates from the chamber.<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: Hays Chamber welcomes new members

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its 2021 Preseason Polls for football on Tuesday, July 27 at its annual Football Media Day in Kansas City. The Tigers tied Central Missouri for second in the Coaches Poll, each with 105 points, while the Tigers received a third-place selection in the Media Poll. Northwest Missouri State was a strong for first place in both polls. Fort Hays State matched Central Missouri in the Coaches Poll in vote count, and both received a first-place vote. The Tigers were four total points behind the Mules in the Media Poll, though both also received one first-place vote in that poll. Northwest Missouri State received 10 first-place votes in both polls. The upper third of the Media Poll looks pretty similar to the 2019 final MIAA standings. Northwest Missouri State and Central Missouri shared the regular season title in 2019, each at 10-1 in conference play, while Fort Hays State and Missouri Western tied for third at 8-3 in conference play. Nebraska-Kearney shakes up the top four in the Coaches Poll with a fourth-place nod. The improved Lopers posted big wins in 2019, including an upset of Northwest Missouri State, a dominant 28-point win over Missouri Western, and a win over Winona State in the Mineral Water Bowl. They could be a team to watch this upcoming season with their steady rise of success the past three seasons. The Lopers lost by six to FHSU and seven to Central Missouri in 2019. UNK was only one voting point shy of Missouri Western in the Media Poll. Fort Hays State returns four starters from 2019 on each side of the ball.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6146">Chance Fuller</a>&nbsp;(QB),&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6154">Ted Hessing</a>&nbsp;(OL), and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6120">Amari Angram-Boldin</a>&nbsp;(OL) are returning starters that received All-MIAA selections in 2019, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6188">Jordan Starks</a>&nbsp;(DB) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6180">Javaris Sanders</a>&nbsp;(DL) received all-conference nods as defensive starters for the Tigers in 2019. Hessing and Angram-Boldin helped Fuller throw for a school-record 35 touchdowns in 2019, while racking up 3,344 passing yards.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6174">Manny Ramsey</a>, one of Fuller's top targets and an All-MIAA pick in 2019, also returns after a breakout season that saw him collect 47 passes for 808 yards and 10 touchdowns. Starks, a safety, is the top returning tackler for the Tigers after recording 78 in 2019, while also tying for a team-best three interceptions. With high picks in the polls, several eyes will be on Hays in the first week of play. Northwest Missouri State travels to Fort Hays State for the season opener on September 2, a 7 pm kickoff at Lewis Field Stadium. The last three contests between the Tigers and Bearcats have been decided by a total of five points with FHSU claiming 1-point wins in both 2017 and 2018, then Northwest Missouri State claiming an overtime win by 3 points in 2019. Get your season tickets today by contacting the FHSU Athletic Department at (785) 628-4050 or drop by the office in person. The Tigers play at home six times in 2021 and reserved chairback seats are available for $90 per seat. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/football/schedule">2021 Fort Hays State Football Schedule</a> Below are the 2021 MIAA Football Coaches and Media Polls. 2021 MIAA Football Preseason Coaches Poll Rank Team (1stPlace Votes)Points 1. Northwest Missouri (10) 120 T2. Fort Hays State (1) 105 T2. Central Missouri (1) 105 4. Nebraska-Kearney 86 5. Missouri Western 71 6. Washburn 69 7. Pittsburg State 66 8. Emporia State 55 9. Central Oklahoma 52 T10. Missouri Southern 24 T10. Northeastern State 24 12. Lincoln 15 Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. 2021 MIAA Football Preseason Media Poll Rank Team (1stPlace Votes)Points 1. Northwest Missouri (10) 142 2. Central Missouri (1) 124 3. Fort Hays State (1) 120 4. Missouri Western 99 5. Nebraska Kearney 98 6. Pittsburg State 91 7. Washburn 70 8. Central Oklahoma 62 9. Emporia State 56 10. Missouri Southern 33 11. Northeastern State 25 12. Lincoln 16

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627397291266.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its 2021 Preseason Polls for football on Tuesday, July 27 at its annual Football Media Day in Kansas City. The Tigers tied Central Missouri for second in the Coaches Poll, each with 105 points, while the Tigers received a third-place selection in the Media Poll. Northwest Missouri State was a strong for first place in both polls. Fort Hays State matched Central Missouri in the Coaches Poll in vote count, and both received a first-place vote. The Tigers were four total points behind the Mules in the Media Poll, though both also received one first-place vote in that poll. Northwest Missouri State received 10 first-place votes in both polls. The upper third of the Media Poll looks pretty similar to the 2019 final MIAA standings. Northwest Missouri State and Central Missouri shared the regular season title in 2019, each at 10-1 in conference play, while Fort Hays State and Missouri Western tied for third at 8-3 in conference play. Nebraska-Kearney shakes up the top four in the Coaches Poll with a fourth-place nod. The improved Lopers posted big wins in 2019, including an upset of Northwest Missouri State, a dominant 28-point win over Missouri Western, and a win over Winona State in the Mineral Water Bowl. They could be a team to watch this upcoming season with their steady rise of success the past three seasons. The Lopers lost by six to FHSU and seven to Central Missouri in 2019. UNK was only one voting point shy of Missouri Western in the Media Poll. Fort Hays State returns four starters from 2019 on each side of the ball.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6146">Chance Fuller</a>&nbsp;(QB),&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6154">Ted Hessing</a>&nbsp;(OL), and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6120">Amari Angram-Boldin</a>&nbsp;(OL) are returning starters that received All-MIAA selections in 2019, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6188">Jordan Starks</a>&nbsp;(DB) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6180">Javaris Sanders</a>&nbsp;(DL) received all-conference nods as defensive starters for the Tigers in 2019. Hessing and Angram-Boldin helped Fuller throw for a school-record 35 touchdowns in 2019, while racking up 3,344 passing yards.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6174">Manny Ramsey</a>, one of Fuller's top targets and an All-MIAA pick in 2019, also returns after a breakout season that saw him collect 47 passes for 808 yards and 10 touchdowns. Starks, a safety, is the top returning tackler for the Tigers after recording 78 in 2019, while also tying for a team-best three interceptions. With high picks in the polls, several eyes will be on Hays in the first week of play. Northwest Missouri State travels to Fort Hays State for the season opener on September 2, a 7 pm kickoff at Lewis Field Stadium. The last three contests between the Tigers and Bearcats have been decided by a total of five points with FHSU claiming 1-point wins in both 2017 and 2018, then Northwest Missouri State claiming an overtime win by 3 points in 2019. Get your season tickets today by contacting the FHSU Athletic Department at (785) 628-4050 or drop by the office in person. The Tigers play at home six times in 2021 and reserved chairback seats are available for $90 per seat. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/football/schedule">2021 Fort Hays State Football Schedule</a> Below are the 2021 MIAA Football Coaches and Media Polls. 2021 MIAA Football Preseason Coaches Poll Rank Team (1stPlace Votes)Points 1. Northwest Missouri (10) 120 T2. Fort Hays State (1) 105 T2. Central Missouri (1) 105 4. Nebraska-Kearney 86 5. Missouri Western 71 6. Washburn 69 7. Pittsburg State 66 8. Emporia State 55 9. Central Oklahoma 52 T10. Missouri Southern 24 T10. Northeastern State 24 12. Lincoln 15 Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. 2021 MIAA Football Preseason Media Poll Rank Team (1stPlace Votes)Points 1. Northwest Missouri (10) 142 2. Central Missouri (1) 124 3. Fort Hays State (1) 120 4. Missouri Western 99 5. Nebraska Kearney 98 6. Pittsburg State 91 7. Washburn 70 8. Central Oklahoma 62 9. Emporia State 56 10. Missouri Southern 33 11. Northeastern State 25 12. Lincoln 16

🏈 Tigers picked 2nd and 3rd in MIAA football preseason polls

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

A group of Ellis County residents hope their passion and
dedication will lead to the revival of the Ellis County Historical Society.

In March, Amanda Rupp was appointed the interim director of
the Ellis County Historical Society and Amanda Unrein and Adam Conkey were
hired part-time. The board also expanded to 16 members in an effort to get
new faces involved in the historical society’s efforts.

Rupp, who worked at the historical society with for Director
Donald Westfall from 2012 to 2015, took on the role of director as a volunteer
after the previous director left amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On top of the pandemic that forced the historical
society to close its doors to the public, it is also dealing with structural
issues and a lack of space.

In 2019, the historical society was forced to close the historic
First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Seventh and Main streets, because
of a mold issue. The building has also suffered water and other structural
damage. 

Rupp said they are now in the process of moving artifacts
that were stored at two locations off campus back to the historical society campus
because they can no longer use those storage locations.

“Because of the pandemic, and because of structural
difficulties and because a loss of staffing, it feels a little bit like we’re
starting over,” Rupp said.

Rupp said the board has looked at several ideas to help the historical
society rebound but, for one reason or another, those ideas, many of which she
called great, have fallen short of expectations.

“It’s time to make some action. There’s no other way to go,”
Rupp said. “This just can’t sit here. It deserves a future.”

Rupp said because several artifacts and pieces of the
historical society’s collection have been moved around, they are focused on
getting everything back in one location.

“Our first priority is getting our collection under one roof
and accessing what we have,” Rupp said.

Once they have everything collected and stored in one
location, Rupp said they can begin talking about space.

Amanda Unrein said she knows that that may be difficult for
people to understand.

“It’s all behind-the-scenes work that we are doing,” Unrein
said. “A lot is happening. It’s not stuff you can physically see unless you’re
behind the scenes.”

The historical society was a topic of discussion at a pair
of Ellis County Commission budget hearings earlier this year. 

The group requested the same funding as in prior years,
$72,000, as instructed by the commission. Commission Chairman
Butch Schlyer said that money “just allows you to crash and burn” and
“that’s throwing good money after bad money.”

Unrein said, “It’s hard for us to put a number on that
because we’re only four to five months in a this point so we don’t know,” she
added. “I know that’s not an answer that anybody wants to hear that’s just the
reality of it.”

The commission has since agreed to provide the funding for
2022 but only if the historical society board provides monthly updates to the
commission through the rest of the year.

After receiving just $3,000 from the City of Hays for budget year 2021, the historical society requested $20,899 for 2022. They
received $12,000 in 2020. The city will hold budget discussions in August
before finalizing the 2022 budget in September.

Because of the structural issues of the church there are
questions about its viability. In 2019, Rupp said they received an estimate of
$1.6 million to fix the building. That did not include the costs of remodeling
the building and bringing it up to ADA compliance.

The historical society owns the entire lot from Main Street
west to Fort Street, and Rupp said the board has considered building an entire
campus to go along with the three buildings on site, but the cost was estimated
at more than $16 million.

Rupp said they understand that the historical society cannot
rely fully on funding from public entities to operate. 

“We understand the challenges, that an entity like this
cannot sustain itself from public funding along,” Rupp said. “It has to have a
revenue source.”

Rupp said, “This year we’re putting in a maximum amount of
elbow grease and to do so what we need is a little bit more operating costs
funds.”

Rupp said they hope to increase the two new employees' paid
hours from 10 to 20 hours.

She added that the most recent directors did a great job of
taking care of the programming and “front of house” issues but she believes
more attention needs to be paid to the “back of house” issues.

“That’s what the historical society has going for it right
now,” Rupp said. “They already have a massive, amazing collection and now they
have a good strong board that is willing to work together and three fresh
faces, young enough to maybe put some back work into it, that are part of this
community that want to see it through for pride.”

The board purchased a cataloging system a few years ago, and
they really have not gotten to use it to its full capacity, according to
Rupp, so they are planning on using it to better the experience as they get
everything located and properly stored.

This year marks the 50th year for the historical
society, and Rupp said she plans to reach out to founding members and volunteers
to talk about the early years because of all the issues they are dealing with,
“it feels a little bit like we’re starting over,” Rupp said. 

Another focus for the group will be raising funds. They are
hoping to increase their sponsorship numbers after they have dwindled in recent
years. 

Unrein said they are also working on grants and fundraising
opportunities in the future in hopes of helping with the budget.

“We realize that we can’t sustain ourselves on public
funding,” Unrein said. “So, we are going out there and we are doing the leg work.”

Rupp and Unrein said they are also urging members of the
community and service groups who are interested helping through volunteer work
to reach out.

Unrein said they also welcome help and input from the
community.

Both Rupp and Unrein said despite the challenges and some of
the negativity they have encountered so far, they are determined to
succeed.

“We’re going to focus our attention on our priorities,”
Unrein said. “However, another one of our priorities is to definitely
make sure that the community knows we’re here, knows we’re getting work done,
knows we’re moving forward. That we are here (and) we’re not going anywhere."

You can find more information on the historical society through
their Facebook page.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627310408956.jpeg" alt="Photos by James Bell / Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Photos by James Bell / Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostA group of Ellis County residents hope their passion and
dedication will lead to the revival of the Ellis County Historical Society.In March, Amanda Rupp was appointed the interim director of
the Ellis County Historical Society and Amanda Unrein and Adam Conkey were
hired part-time. The board also expanded to 16 members in an effort to get
new faces involved in the historical society’s efforts.Rupp, who worked at the historical society with for Director
Donald Westfall from 2012 to 2015, took on the role of director as a volunteer
after the previous director left amid the COVID-19 pandemic.On top of the pandemic that forced the historical
society to close its doors to the public, it is also dealing with structural
issues and a lack of space.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627310500467.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In 2019, the historical society was forced to close the historic
First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Seventh and Main streets, because
of a mold issue. The building has also suffered water and other structural
damage. Rupp said they are now in the process of moving artifacts
that were stored at two locations off campus back to the historical society campus
because they can no longer use those storage locations.“Because of the pandemic, and because of structural
difficulties and because a loss of staffing, it feels a little bit like we’re
starting over,” Rupp said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627310556666.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Rupp said the board has looked at several ideas to help the historical
society rebound but, for one reason or another, those ideas, many of which she
called great, have fallen short of expectations.“It’s time to make some action. There’s no other way to go,”
Rupp said. “This just can’t sit here. It deserves a future.”Rupp said because several artifacts and pieces of the
historical society’s collection have been moved around, they are focused on
getting everything back in one location.“Our first priority is getting our collection under one roof
and accessing what we have,” Rupp said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627310606833.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Once they have everything collected and stored in one
location, Rupp said they can begin talking about space.Amanda Unrein said she knows that that may be difficult for
people to understand.“It’s all behind-the-scenes work that we are doing,” Unrein
said. “A lot is happening. It’s not stuff you can physically see unless you’re
behind the scenes.”The historical society was a topic of discussion at a pair
of Ellis County Commission budget hearings earlier this year. The group requested the same funding as in prior years,
$72,000, as instructed by the commission. Commission Chairman
Butch Schlyer said that money “just allows you to crash and burn” and
“that’s throwing good money after bad money.”Unrein said, “It’s hard for us to put a number on that
because we’re only four to five months in a this point so we don’t know,” she
added. “I know that’s not an answer that anybody wants to hear that’s just the
reality of it.”The commission has since agreed to provide the funding for
2022 but only if the historical society board provides monthly updates to the
commission through the rest of the year.After receiving just $3,000 from the City of Hays for budget year 2021, the historical society requested $20,899 for 2022. They
received $12,000 in 2020. The city will hold budget discussions in August
before finalizing the 2022 budget in September.Because of the structural issues of the church there are
questions about its viability. In 2019, Rupp said they received an estimate of
$1.6 million to fix the building. That did not include the costs of remodeling
the building and bringing it up to ADA compliance.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627310846339.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The historical society owns the entire lot from Main Street
west to Fort Street, and Rupp said the board has considered building an entire
campus to go along with the three buildings on site, but the cost was estimated
at more than $16 million.Rupp said they understand that the historical society cannot
rely fully on funding from public entities to operate. “We understand the challenges, that an entity like this
cannot sustain itself from public funding along,” Rupp said. “It has to have a
revenue source.”Rupp said, “This year we’re putting in a maximum amount of
elbow grease and to do so what we need is a little bit more operating costs
funds.”Rupp said they hope to increase the two new employees' paid
hours from 10 to 20 hours.She added that the most recent directors did a great job of
taking care of the programming and “front of house” issues but she believes
more attention needs to be paid to the “back of house” issues.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627310916677.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“That’s what the historical society has going for it right
now,” Rupp said. “They already have a massive, amazing collection and now they
have a good strong board that is willing to work together and three fresh
faces, young enough to maybe put some back work into it, that are part of this
community that want to see it through for pride.”The board purchased a cataloging system a few years ago, and
they really have not gotten to use it to its full capacity, according to
Rupp, so they are planning on using it to better the experience as they get
everything located and properly stored.This year marks the 50th year for the historical
society, and Rupp said she plans to reach out to founding members and volunteers
to talk about the early years because of all the issues they are dealing with,
“it feels a little bit like we’re starting over,” Rupp said. Another focus for the group will be raising funds. They are
hoping to increase their sponsorship numbers after they have dwindled in recent
years. Unrein said they are also working on grants and fundraising
opportunities in the future in hopes of helping with the budget.“We realize that we can’t sustain ourselves on public
funding,” Unrein said. “So, we are going out there and we are doing the leg work.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627310979765.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Rupp and Unrein said they are also urging members of the
community and service groups who are interested helping through volunteer work
to reach out.Unrein said they also welcome help and input from the
community.Both Rupp and Unrein said despite the challenges and some of
the negativity they have encountered so far, they are determined to
succeed.“We’re going to focus our attention on our priorities,”
Unrein said. “However, another one of our priorities is to definitely
make sure that the community knows we’re here, knows we’re getting work done,
knows we’re moving forward. That we are here (and) we’re not going anywhere."You can find more information on the historical society through
their Facebook page.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627311035793.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627311059259.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627311073504.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627311087199.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627311108224.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627311123243.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627311143718.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis County Historical Society faces challenges with new strategies

Crude futures at lunchtime Monday were down slightly from the opening. The near-month Nymex contract for &nbsp;light sweet crude was going for $71.66, down 41 cents per barrel. London Brent was down a dime at $74.01. Crude prices in Kansas are slightly higher than a week ago, but down from the first of the month. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $62.25 per barrel.&nbsp; A selloff followed the announcement of an OPEC-Plus compromise, sending crude-oil prices tumbling around the world. But by Friday prices were posting weekly gains. The settlement price last Monday (7/19) for the Nymex benchmark crude contract was down more than five dollars from the previous session and nearly eight dollars lower than a week earlier. But Friday's settlement (7/23) was over $72 per barrel, a gain of 26 cents per barrel over a week earlier. Baker Hughes added seven oil rigs for a total of 491 active rigs on its weekly Rotary Rig Count. Texas was up six rigs; Utah was up two. The weekly Rig Count in Kansas from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reported a slight uptick in eastern Kansas with eight active rigs, while the count west of Wichita was unchanged at 22. Drilling was underway Friday on one lease in Barton County, and drilling was about to commence on a lease in Ellis County and two in Stafford County. Kansas regulators okayed 21 new drilling permits last week, with seven east of Wichita and 15 in Western Kansas, including one each in Barton and Ellis counties. That's 556 new permits so far this year, compared to just 245 by this time last year. Add six new well-completions this week for a total of 421 so far this year. That's down from 564 last year at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports new well-completions in Barton Ellis and Russell counties. A government report showed the first increase in U.S. crude-oil stockpiles since May. The Energy Information Administration said during the week through July 16, inventories increased just over two million barrels to nearly 438 Million. Domestic stocks are still about seven percent below the five-year average for this time of year. Total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 100,000 barrels and are right at the five year seasonal average. Crude production in the United States dropped last week compared to the week before by 56,000 barrels per day . EIA said current output is nearly 11.4 million barrels per day, more than a quarter-million barrels per day higher than the report from a year ago. The government said U.S. crude imports rose by nearly one million barrels, to 7.1 million per day. Imports averaged 6.4 million barrels per day over the last four weeks, a nearly three percent increase over the same period last year. Oil-by-rail shipments increased last week. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,518 petroleum tankers on the rails during the week through July 17. That's up more than 700 tankers from the week before, and a nearly two-percent increase over the same week last year. Canadian oil-by-rail is up more than 22% from a year ago. North Dakota operators increased output in May by about 4,000 barrels per day over April. Regulators in the number-two crude producing state say they pumped nearly 35 million barrels for the month, or over 1.12 million barrels per day. As production continues to increase in North Dakota, so does the amount of natural gas being flared or vented. The Department of Mineral Resources reported a gas-capture rate of 92%, compared to 93% the month before. That means eight percent of the gas produced at oil wells was burned or vented into the air. Colorado regulators have delayed public hearings on a very expensive new proposal for the oil patch. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will now hear from the public early next year on a new set of rules relating to the financial assurance, or bonding of each well. The state wants to require guarantees for the cost of plugging each new oil well, $78,000 each. That could cost the industry nearly $4 BILLION statewide. Such guarantees were mandated under the landmark law passed in Colorado over two years ago, requiring focus on health and environment by energy regulators. The Commission is now expected to consider several rounds of staff revisions for the rest of this year, before opening the process to the public in January. That means that if approved the effective date of the new rules would be pushed back to April. Under current rules, the state's operators can post a "blanket bond" of $60000 to cover up to 100 wells, and $100,000 for more than that. A study produced for the American Petroleum Institute shows the oil and gas industry was responsible for more than 11 million jobs across the U.S., 2.5 million of them in Texas. That means oil-patch jobs made up more than five percent of total U.S. employment and pumped out labor income totaling more than $890 BILLION in 2019. The study, by Price Waterhouse Coopers, shows that the industry directly and indirectly supported at least 100,000 jobs in each of 31 states. The Kansas patch accounted for between five and eight percent of all jobs here.

By JOHN P. TRETBARCrude futures at lunchtime Monday were down slightly from the opening. The near-month Nymex contract for &nbsp;light sweet crude was going for $71.66, down 41 cents per barrel. London Brent was down a dime at $74.01. Crude prices in Kansas are slightly higher than a week ago, but down from the first of the month. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $62.25 per barrel.&nbsp; A selloff followed the announcement of an OPEC-Plus compromise, sending crude-oil prices tumbling around the world. But by Friday prices were posting weekly gains. The settlement price last Monday (7/19) for the Nymex benchmark crude contract was down more than five dollars from the previous session and nearly eight dollars lower than a week earlier. But Friday's settlement (7/23) was over $72 per barrel, a gain of 26 cents per barrel over a week earlier. Baker Hughes added seven oil rigs for a total of 491 active rigs on its weekly Rotary Rig Count. Texas was up six rigs; Utah was up two. The weekly Rig Count in Kansas from Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reported a slight uptick in eastern Kansas with eight active rigs, while the count west of Wichita was unchanged at 22. Drilling was underway Friday on one lease in Barton County, and drilling was about to commence on a lease in Ellis County and two in Stafford County. Kansas regulators okayed 21 new drilling permits last week, with seven east of Wichita and 15 in Western Kansas, including one each in Barton and Ellis counties. That's 556 new permits so far this year, compared to just 245 by this time last year. Add six new well-completions this week for a total of 421 so far this year. That's down from 564 last year at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports new well-completions in Barton Ellis and Russell counties. A government report showed the first increase in U.S. crude-oil stockpiles since May. The Energy Information Administration said during the week through July 16, inventories increased just over two million barrels to nearly 438 Million. Domestic stocks are still about seven percent below the five-year average for this time of year. Total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 100,000 barrels and are right at the five year seasonal average. Crude production in the United States dropped last week compared to the week before by 56,000 barrels per day . EIA said current output is nearly 11.4 million barrels per day, more than a quarter-million barrels per day higher than the report from a year ago. The government said U.S. crude imports rose by nearly one million barrels, to 7.1 million per day. Imports averaged 6.4 million barrels per day over the last four weeks, a nearly three percent increase over the same period last year. Oil-by-rail shipments increased last week. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,518 petroleum tankers on the rails during the week through July 17. That's up more than 700 tankers from the week before, and a nearly two-percent increase over the same week last year. Canadian oil-by-rail is up more than 22% from a year ago. North Dakota operators increased output in May by about 4,000 barrels per day over April. Regulators in the number-two crude producing state say they pumped nearly 35 million barrels for the month, or over 1.12 million barrels per day. As production continues to increase in North Dakota, so does the amount of natural gas being flared or vented. The Department of Mineral Resources reported a gas-capture rate of 92%, compared to 93% the month before. That means eight percent of the gas produced at oil wells was burned or vented into the air. Colorado regulators have delayed public hearings on a very expensive new proposal for the oil patch. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will now hear from the public early next year on a new set of rules relating to the financial assurance, or bonding of each well. The state wants to require guarantees for the cost of plugging each new oil well, $78,000 each. That could cost the industry nearly $4 BILLION statewide. Such guarantees were mandated under the landmark law passed in Colorado over two years ago, requiring focus on health and environment by energy regulators. The Commission is now expected to consider several rounds of staff revisions for the rest of this year, before opening the process to the public in January. That means that if approved the effective date of the new rules would be pushed back to April. Under current rules, the state's operators can post a "blanket bond" of $60000 to cover up to 100 wells, and $100,000 for more than that. A study produced for the American Petroleum Institute shows the oil and gas industry was responsible for more than 11 million jobs across the U.S., 2.5 million of them in Texas. That means oil-patch jobs made up more than five percent of total U.S. employment and pumped out labor income totaling more than $890 BILLION in 2019. The study, by Price Waterhouse Coopers, shows that the industry directly and indirectly supported at least 100,000 jobs in each of 31 states. The Kansas patch accounted for between five and eight percent of all jobs here.

News from the Oil Patch: Prices erase $8 drop in one week

COLBY — Many might think a bicycle is a leisurely mode of transportation from childhood, or as adults, a tool used for exercise. But for students in Colby Community College adult education classes, a bike can be a means for changing lives.&nbsp;

Instructors noticed a transportation need during classes with CCC adult education financial literacy students at the Hays location. If those without a vehicle are unable to walk to their destination, they rely on friends and relatives or pay for public transportation and taxi services. Depending on the schedules of others often creates challenges to consistently arrive at work on time, attend required community corrections o@fficer meetings, go to the grocery store for necessities, or spend time with family and friends.

Adult Education director Nance Munderloh and her staff discussed solutions.&nbsp;

"While working at the Norton Correctional Facility, we became aware of the Wheels for the World project that refurbishes bikes and provides them to those who will benefit, children and adults alike," she said.

Instructors visited with Northwest Kansas Community Corrections Director Erin Geist about having bikes available for clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;From that discussion came a collaboration between Colby Community College Adult Education, Northwest Kansas Community Corrections (NWKCC), Norton Correctional Facility Wheels for the World, and KansasWorks in Hays. 

The partners identify appropriate candidates who work hard to progress in the classroom and meet their corrections requirements. Then they evaluate the students' work, personal needs, and available resources before determining who should receive a bike. To date, bikes have been provided to 10 students.

Noel Morales said his bike made an impact on his financial situation.

"I figured out that it saves me a minimum of $10 per day, for sure $300 a month. That is a lot," he said. "Now I have a bit of savings to fall back on."

Aside from the monetary benefits of the bike, Morales said he also has control of his life.

"I am able to plan my day and be independent. I have more options.&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides work, I can go to the store, my required meetings, and places I like to go for myself, like the park.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am proud to ride the bike and usually have front-row parking! This has been such a blessing in my life.&nbsp;&nbsp;The people here have cared about me and given me opportunities and help. I am so grateful."&nbsp;

Morales observed the staff has been there to assist him and help make life better, and the key was him wanting to take their direction and put forth the effort to change.

Another bike recipient saves money that she previously spent on cabs and will eventually purchase a vehicle. She is excited at the thought of reaching her goal and returning the bike so another student can benefit.

Munderloh believes the cooperation between local and state organizations to acquire bikes underscores the purpose of why each entity exists.

"Colby Community College Adult Education is privileged to have partners who care and work together to make a difference in the lives of the people they serve."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581529246979.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CCC Public RelationsCOLBY — Many might think a bicycle is a leisurely mode of transportation from childhood, or as adults, a tool used for exercise. But for students in Colby Community College adult education classes, a bike can be a means for changing lives.&nbsp;Instructors noticed a transportation need during classes with CCC adult education financial literacy students at the Hays location. If those without a vehicle are unable to walk to their destination, they rely on friends and relatives or pay for public transportation and taxi services. Depending on the schedules of others often creates challenges to consistently arrive at work on time, attend required community corrections o@fficer meetings, go to the grocery store for necessities, or spend time with family and friends.Adult Education director Nance Munderloh and her staff discussed solutions.&nbsp;"While working at the Norton Correctional Facility, we became aware of the Wheels for the World project that refurbishes bikes and provides them to those who will benefit, children and adults alike," she said.Instructors visited with Northwest Kansas Community Corrections Director Erin Geist about having bikes available for clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;From that discussion came a collaboration between Colby Community College Adult Education, Northwest Kansas Community Corrections (NWKCC), Norton Correctional Facility Wheels for the World, and KansasWorks in Hays. The partners identify appropriate candidates who work hard to progress in the classroom and meet their corrections requirements. Then they evaluate the students' work, personal needs, and available resources before determining who should receive a bike. To date, bikes have been provided to 10 students.Noel Morales said his bike made an impact on his financial situation."I figured out that it saves me a minimum of $10 per day, for sure $300 a month. That is a lot," he said. "Now I have a bit of savings to fall back on."Aside from the monetary benefits of the bike, Morales said he also has control of his life."I am able to plan my day and be independent. I have more options.&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides work, I can go to the store, my required meetings, and places I like to go for myself, like the park.&nbsp;&nbsp;I am proud to ride the bike and usually have front-row parking! This has been such a blessing in my life.&nbsp;&nbsp;The people here have cared about me and given me opportunities and help. I am so grateful."&nbsp;Morales observed the staff has been there to assist him and help make life better, and the key was him wanting to take their direction and put forth the effort to change.Another bike recipient saves money that she previously spent on cabs and will eventually purchase a vehicle. She is excited at the thought of reaching her goal and returning the bike so another student can benefit.Munderloh believes the cooperation between local and state organizations to acquire bikes underscores the purpose of why each entity exists."Colby Community College Adult Education is privileged to have partners who care and work together to make a difference in the lives of the people they serve."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Colby CC, prison partnership provides life-changing transportation

MANHATTAN — On July 22, the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission's Board of Directors elected Kevin Kniebel, White City, as Chairman of&nbsp;the Board. Kniebel assumes the leadership post from Stephen Bigge, Stockton, who has chaired the Commission since&nbsp;2015. 

Bigge&nbsp;will finish out his term as Vice Chairman. Nathan Larson, Riley, was reelected&nbsp;Secretary and Treasurer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627052709732.jpeg" alt="Kevin Kniebel &amp; Stephen Bigge&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kevin Kniebel &amp; Stephen Bigge&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN — On July 22, the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission's Board of Directors elected Kevin Kniebel, White City, as Chairman of&nbsp;the Board. Kniebel assumes the leadership post from Stephen Bigge, Stockton, who has chaired the Commission since&nbsp;2015. Bigge&nbsp;will finish out his term as Vice Chairman. Nathan Larson, Riley, was reelected&nbsp;Secretary and Treasurer.— Submitted

NW Kan. man passes torch for Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission

Newly planted trees have not established the extensive root system needed to absorb enough water during hot, dry, windy summers. Even trees two or three years old should receive special care. Deep, infrequent watering and mulching can help trees become established. Newly transplanted trees need at least 10 gallons of water per week, and on sandy soils, they will need that much applied twice a week. The secret is getting that water to soak deeply into the soil, so it evaporates more slowly and is available to the tree’s roots longer. One way to do this is to drill a 1/8" hole in the side of a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with water. The hole should be near the bottom of the bucket. &nbsp;Let the water dribble out slowly next to the tree. Refill the bucket once after moving it to the opposite side of the tree. &nbsp;After this bucket empties, you have applied 10 gallons. Very large transplanted trees and trees that were transplanted two to three years ago will require more water. A perforated soaker hose or drip irrigation can be used to water a newly established bed or foundation planting. In sunbaked soil, you may need to rough up the surface with a hoe or tiller to get water to infiltrate easily. It may be helpful to set the kitchen oven timer, so you remember to move the hose or shut off the faucet. If you are seeing surface runoff, reduce the flow, or build a berm with at least a 4-foot &nbsp;diameter around the base of the tree to allow the water to percolate down through the soil, instead of spreading out. Regardless of the method used, the soil should be wet at least 12 inches deep. Use a metal rod, wooden dowel, electric fence post, or something similar to check depth. Dry soil is much harder to push through than wet. 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>Newly planted trees have not established the extensive root system needed to absorb enough water during hot, dry, windy summers. Even trees two or three years old should receive special care. Deep, infrequent watering and mulching can help trees become established. Newly transplanted trees need at least 10 gallons of water per week, and on sandy soils, they will need that much applied twice a week. The secret is getting that water to soak deeply into the soil, so it evaporates more slowly and is available to the tree’s roots longer. One way to do this is to drill a 1/8" hole in the side of a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with water. The hole should be near the bottom of the bucket. &nbsp;Let the water dribble out slowly next to the tree. Refill the bucket once after moving it to the opposite side of the tree. &nbsp;After this bucket empties, you have applied 10 gallons. Very large transplanted trees and trees that were transplanted two to three years ago will require more water. A perforated soaker hose or drip irrigation can be used to water a newly established bed or foundation planting. In sunbaked soil, you may need to rough up the surface with a hoe or tiller to get water to infiltrate easily. It may be helpful to set the kitchen oven timer, so you remember to move the hose or shut off the faucet. If you are seeing surface runoff, reduce the flow, or build a berm with at least a 4-foot &nbsp;diameter around the base of the tree to allow the water to percolate down through the soil, instead of spreading out. Regardless of the method used, the soil should be wet at least 12 inches deep. Use a metal rod, wooden dowel, electric fence post, or something similar to check depth. Dry soil is much harder to push through than wet. 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: Watering newly planted trees and shrubs

LOGAN COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just after 3:30a.m. Monday in Logan County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2015 Jeep Wrangler driven by Raymond H. Kennedy, 45, Glendale, Arizona, was eastbound on U.S. 40 eight miles west of the Kansas 25 Junction.&nbsp; The Jeep collided with a cow that was on the roadway. 

The driver attempted to brake to miss the cow. The Jeep swerved, entered the north ditch and rolled.

Kennedy and a passenger Brenda G.&nbsp;Carrasco, 54, Peoria, Arizona, were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Baalmann Mortuary. They were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

LOGAN COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just after 3:30a.m. Monday in Logan County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a&nbsp; 2015 Jeep Wrangler driven by Raymond H. Kennedy, 45, Glendale, Arizona, was eastbound on U.S. 40 eight miles west of the Kansas 25 Junction.&nbsp; The Jeep collided with a cow that was on the roadway. The driver attempted to brake to miss the cow. The Jeep swerved, entered the north ditch and rolled.Kennedy and a passenger Brenda G.&nbsp;Carrasco, 54, Peoria, Arizona, were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Baalmann Mortuary. They were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

2 dead after Jeep strikes a cow on NW Kan. highway

THOMAS COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 11a.m. Monday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford F350 driven by Terry L. Overton, 50, Colby, was eastbound on Interstate 70 one mile east of the Kansas 25 Junction. 

Due to uneven weight distribution, the pickup shifted and the driver lost control of vehicle. 

The pickup entered the south ditch and rolled onto its side.

EMS transported Overton to the hospital in Colby. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

THOMAS COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 11a.m. Monday in Thomas County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford F350 driven by Terry L. Overton, 50, Colby, was eastbound on Interstate 70 one mile east of the Kansas 25 Junction. Due to uneven weight distribution, the pickup shifted and the driver lost control of vehicle. The pickup entered the south ditch and rolled onto its side.EMS transported Overton to the hospital in Colby. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

NW Kansas man hospitalized after pickup overturns

Today is the registration deadline for Backpacks For Kids. Students in need, grades Pre-K through high school who reside and attend school in Ellis County can register to receive a new backpack filled with school supplies and a hygiene bag. 

You can register over the phone at 785-623-2800 or stop in First Call For Help until 4:30 p.m. or you can register online at<a href="http://www.firstcallelliscounty.com/">www.firstcallelliscounty.com</a>&nbsp;until midnight tonight.

Today is the registration deadline for Backpacks For Kids. Students in need, grades Pre-K through high school who reside and attend school in Ellis County can register to receive a new backpack filled with school supplies and a hygiene bag. You can register over the phone at 785-623-2800 or stop in First Call For Help until 4:30 p.m. or you can register online at<a href="http://www.firstcallelliscounty.com/">www.firstcallelliscounty.com</a>&nbsp;until midnight tonight.

Back for Kids deadline is today for Ellis County school kids

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported no new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627325923993.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported no new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.&nbsp;<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 two COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.Since reporting began, there have been 3,785 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 73 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

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