The National Weather Service is calling for a slight chance of freezing rain overnight Tuesday — with more winter weather on the way Wednesday and Thursday.&nbsp;

Precipitation will move northward overnight, beginning as snow, then changing to rain or sleet by sunrise Wednesday morning. The NWS is calling for a 50 percent chance of rain or freezing rain Wednesday morning, increasing to 80 percent in the afternoon. As temperatures fall after sunrise, precipitation is expected to change to snow – with a half-inch of new snow possible.

On Thursday, there is a 60 percent chance of rain or snow before noon, tapering off to 30 percent as the day progresses. Skies are expected to clear Thursday evening.

Icy conditions are expected to to be primary hazard from the front.

A high temperature of 48 on Thursday and a low of 26 on Tuesday night is projected.

Check Hays Post and tune into your Eagle Radio of Hays stations for&nbsp; the latest on cancellations and delays.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603824770702.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The National Weather Service is calling for a slight chance of freezing rain overnight Tuesday — with more winter weather on the way Wednesday and Thursday.&nbsp;Precipitation will move northward overnight, beginning as snow, then changing to rain or sleet by sunrise Wednesday morning. The NWS is calling for a 50 percent chance of rain or freezing rain Wednesday morning, increasing to 80 percent in the afternoon. As temperatures fall after sunrise, precipitation is expected to change to snow – with a half-inch of new snow possible.On Thursday, there is a 60 percent chance of rain or snow before noon, tapering off to 30 percent as the day progresses. Skies are expected to clear Thursday evening.Icy conditions are expected to to be primary hazard from the front.A high temperature of 48 on Thursday and a low of 26 on Tuesday night is projected.Check Hays Post and tune into your Eagle Radio of Hays stations for&nbsp; the latest on cancellations and delays.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Cold and cloudy overnight as freezing rain pushes out of Oklahoma into far southern counties into the morning hours, mainly impacting areas south of the Hwy 400/54 corridors. <a href="https://t.co/LyXgBpSeq9">pic.twitter.com/LyXgBpSeq9</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1321152454466117634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

NWS: More wintry weather moving into the area

Shop our one-of-a-kind Christmas trees and holiday décor -- just what you need to cultivate that holiday spirit AND support the Hays ARC Park! We have unique, beautiful themed Christmas trees, fall décor, centerpieces, porch pots, home décor, and so much more! 

As a bonus, several items come with awesome mystery gift cards to area businesses!

Each tree is beautifully decorated with donated ornaments handpicked exclusively from The Arc Thrift Store. 

Themes include: Chiefs, KU, KSU, Nativity, Wizard of Oz, patriotic, rustic, farmhouse, mermaids, nutcrackers, John Deere, pheasants, dogs, homespun, southwest, and so much more! 

Gorgeous centerpieces, shelf displays, porch pots, and other décor for Thanksgiving and Christmas round out the auction.

The online auction opens NOVEMBER 6 at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. NOVEMBER 10. It will be open for bidding ANYTIME between those dates.

Come see the trees in person at The Arc activity room, 600 Main St. The Arc will be open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Nov. 6-7, 9-10). Buy it now is available! Or, just stop by to see the beautiful items and get inspired

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603811278530.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shop our one-of-a-kind Christmas trees and holiday décor -- just what you need to cultivate that holiday spirit AND support the Hays ARC Park! We have unique, beautiful themed Christmas trees, fall décor, centerpieces, porch pots, home décor, and so much more! As a bonus, several items come with awesome mystery gift cards to area businesses!Each tree is beautifully decorated with donated ornaments handpicked exclusively from The Arc Thrift Store. Themes include: Chiefs, KU, KSU, Nativity, Wizard of Oz, patriotic, rustic, farmhouse, mermaids, nutcrackers, John Deere, pheasants, dogs, homespun, southwest, and so much more! Gorgeous centerpieces, shelf displays, porch pots, and other décor for Thanksgiving and Christmas round out the auction.The online auction opens NOVEMBER 6 at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. NOVEMBER 10. It will be open for bidding ANYTIME between those dates.Come see the trees in person at The Arc activity room, 600 Main St. The Arc will be open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Nov. 6-7, 9-10). Buy it now is available! Or, just stop by to see the beautiful items and get inspired

Festival of Trees fundraiser for Hays ARC Park

<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>

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🎙 Post Podcast: Hays Chamber wraps up Q3 business showcase challenge; plans for Q4

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays school board voted to close Washington School at its meeting Monday night.

The school board has entered into a contract with Overland Property Group to purchase the school for $500,000. The developer plans to use tax credits to remodel the school into apartments.

The school was shuttered as a grade school and repurposed in 2015. The school is more than 90 years old, is not ADA compliant and younger students could not be housed on the second floor because of government rules.

Early Childhood Connections had been located in the school, but the program was moved to its new location on 13th Street in fall 2019. The Learning Center has been temporarily housed in that building. It will move to Hadley Center temporarily.

The district hopes to move the Learning Center into a remodeled space at Rockwell Administration Center within the next year.

When the board originally entered into the contract with OPG, members discussed using the $500,000 purchase price to pay down the lease purchase agreement for the ECC remodel project.&nbsp;

Superintendent Ron Wilson said if the $500,000 was used to pay down the lease agreement, $229,000 could be saved in interest.

Board member Craig Pallister said he had received feedback from the community members who were concerned the district needs a strategic plan to address the facility needs of the K-5 students.&nbsp;

"We don’t need to just jump with that $500,000; we need to make a plan," he said.

Board member Allen Park and former principal of Washington Grade School raised several concerns about the closure of the school. He voted against the closure.

He said he was concerned an appraisal was not obtained on the property before the school district entered into the contract with OPG.

He too was concerned about the future of K-5 education in the district.

"K-5 is the most neglected group in the district and that is a concern," he said.

Wilson said by closing Washington, the district will also save about $40,000 per year in insurance and utility costs.

Park said in the 10 months he had been on the board, it had not had any serious discussions about facilities.

Board President Mike Walker said the board had decided during the COVID pandemic was not the right time to take a bond issue to the community.

"I don't think we are going to unsell the building and put the kids back in," Walker said of Washington.

No one from the public spoke during a public hearing Monday on the school closure.

The motion to close the building passed on a vote of 6-1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602274168961.jpeg" alt="Washington school" />
 <figcaption>Washington school</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays school board voted to close Washington School at its meeting Monday night.The school board has entered into a contract with Overland Property Group to purchase the school for $500,000. The developer plans to use tax credits to remodel the school into apartments.The school was shuttered as a grade school and repurposed in 2015. The school is more than 90 years old, is not ADA compliant and younger students could not be housed on the second floor because of government rules. Early Childhood Connections had been located in the school, but the program was moved to its new location on 13th Street in fall 2019. The Learning Center has been temporarily housed in that building. It will move to Hadley Center temporarily.The district hopes to move the Learning Center into a remodeled space at Rockwell Administration Center within the next year.When the board originally entered into the contract with OPG, members discussed using the $500,000 purchase price to pay down the lease purchase agreement for the ECC remodel project.&nbsp;Superintendent Ron Wilson said if the $500,000 was used to pay down the lease agreement, $229,000 could be saved in interest.Board member Craig Pallister said he had received feedback from the community members who were concerned the district needs a strategic plan to address the facility needs of the K-5 students.&nbsp;"We don’t need to just jump with that $500,000; we need to make a plan," he said.Board member Allen Park and former principal of Washington Grade School raised several concerns about the closure of the school. He voted against the closure.He said he was concerned an appraisal was not obtained on the property before the school district entered into the contract with OPG.He too was concerned about the future of K-5 education in the district."K-5 is the most neglected group in the district and that is a concern," he said.Wilson said by closing Washington, the district will also save about $40,000 per year in insurance and utility costs.Park said in the 10 months he had been on the board, it had not had any serious discussions about facilities.Board President Mike Walker said the board had decided during the COVID pandemic was not the right time to take a bond issue to the community."I don't think we are going to unsell the building and put the kids back in," Walker said of Washington.No one from the public spoke during a public hearing Monday on the school closure.The motion to close the building passed on a vote of 6-1.

Hays BOE votes to close Washington school, notes need to improve K-5 facilities

Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $30 per barrel. That's down $1.25 from a week ago, up a dollar from the first of the month, but down $17 from a year ago. After posting their first weekly loss in three weeks, U.S. crude futures prices plunged on Monday. In afternoon trading the benchmark Nymex contract was down $1.34 to $38.51 per barrel. London Brent was down $1.37 to $40.40. Drilling activity in Kansas was up slightly last week. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports ten active drilling rigs in Western Kansas, up two for the week. The count east of Wichita was unchanged at five active rigs. Drilling is underway on two leases in Ellis County, where a third has reached total depth and is being evaluated. An operator in Stafford County is preparing to spud two new wells there. Baker Hughes reports 287 active drilling rigs across the country, an increase of six oil rigs. Texas added two rigs to the weekly count, while Oklahoma added one. Regulators approved 12 new permits to drill across Kansas last week, five of them east of Wichita and seven in Western Kansas, including one in Barton County and two in Stafford County. That's 358 permits for drilling at new locations statewide so far this year, compared to 876 at this time last year. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports a newly completed well in Ellis County among 13 completions in Western Kansas last week. Add one east of Wichita for a statewide total of 14 newly completed wells for the week, 694 so far this year. The government said U.S. crude inventories dropped one million barrels last week to just over 488 million. The report came less than a day after the American Petroleum Institute reported a surprise increase in stockpiles of more than half a million barrels.&nbsp; U.S. production dipped below ten million barrels per day for the first time in six weeks. The Energy Information Administration reports average production last week of 9.86 million barrels per day, down 586,000 barrels per day from the week before. Output is down nearly three million barrels per day from a year ago at this time. EIA said imports were down 167,000 barrels per day last week to just over five million barrels per day. The four-week average is nearly 14% less than during the same four-week period last year. Oil by rail traffic was up slightly on the week, but remained 19% below last years tallies. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,293 tanker cars hauling petroleum or petroleum products during the week ending October 17. Oil by rail in Canada is down nearly thirty percent compared to a year ago. Lower gasoline demand is dropping gasoline prices for the majority of the country.&nbsp; Across the U.S., pump prices were a penny cheaper last week than a week earlier, two cents lower than a month ago, and nearly half a dollar below last year at this time. Triple-A says the national average Thursday was $2.16 a gallon, while the average across the Sunflower State was $1.93. Kansas was among 13 states across the U.S. with average prices below two dollars. It was selling for $1.99 across Great Bend, and $1.90 in Hays. Filling your 15-gallon tank with cost you nine dollars more than it did six months ago, but about five dollars less than last year at this time. The two sides in Libya's civil war appear to have completed their reconciliation. On Friday they signed a permanent cease-fire, although skepticism is already rising.&nbsp; The deal includes an order for all foreign mercenaries to leave the country, and sets the state for political talks next month. Libya descended into chaos in 2011, after an uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.&nbsp; Renewed production amid continuing low demand have prompted renewed concerns about U.S. crude-oil storage capacity. The Energy Information Administration reports the national totals are safe, but users have reached 77% of capacity at the storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma. EIA reports on net stockpiles as a percentage of working storage capacity. That figure reached a high of 62 percent back in June, but has since dropped to 54%. Cushing is fast approaching the all-time high. The Oklahoma total reached 77% in the week ending June 19. The record of 83% of capacity was set May 1. ConocoPhillips agreed to buy Concho Resources for about $9.7 billion in stock, marking the largest shale industry deal since the collapse in energy demand earlier this year. Concho Resources was worth $32 billion just two years ago, but is selling for $9.7 billion in stock. The deal will create what Bloomberg calls a heavyweight driller in America’s most prolific oil field, rivaled only by the likes of Occidental Petroleum and Chevron.&nbsp; Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline have once again asked a federal judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over the line’s future plays out. The tribes succeeded on their first attempt, only to have an appeals court overturn the shutdown order earlier this year. The Bismarck Tribune reports they are now asking the judge to clarify his order to satisfy the appeals court and once again shut down the pipeline. The court is awaiting a new environmental study to determine the risk the pipeline poses to the tribes' water supply. The study is expected to take more than a year to complete. Given pandemic lockdown restrictions around the globe, worldwide crude oil demand is shrinking. You can't even dock a crude-oil tanker in some ports, where users are instead winding down inventories built up since March. Demand for crude tankers has fallen more than 14% this year according to Lloyd's List Maritime Intelligence, which covers shipping news. Only about 80% of the international tanker fleet is currently in use according to Lloyd's List.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARKansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $30 per barrel. That's down $1.25 from a week ago, up a dollar from the first of the month, but down $17 from a year ago. After posting their first weekly loss in three weeks, U.S. crude futures prices plunged on Monday. In afternoon trading the benchmark Nymex contract was down $1.34 to $38.51 per barrel. London Brent was down $1.37 to $40.40. Drilling activity in Kansas was up slightly last week. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports ten active drilling rigs in Western Kansas, up two for the week. The count east of Wichita was unchanged at five active rigs. Drilling is underway on two leases in Ellis County, where a third has reached total depth and is being evaluated. An operator in Stafford County is preparing to spud two new wells there. Baker Hughes reports 287 active drilling rigs across the country, an increase of six oil rigs. Texas added two rigs to the weekly count, while Oklahoma added one. Regulators approved 12 new permits to drill across Kansas last week, five of them east of Wichita and seven in Western Kansas, including one in Barton County and two in Stafford County. That's 358 permits for drilling at new locations statewide so far this year, compared to 876 at this time last year. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports a newly completed well in Ellis County among 13 completions in Western Kansas last week. Add one east of Wichita for a statewide total of 14 newly completed wells for the week, 694 so far this year. The government said U.S. crude inventories dropped one million barrels last week to just over 488 million. The report came less than a day after the American Petroleum Institute reported a surprise increase in stockpiles of more than half a million barrels.&nbsp; U.S. production dipped below ten million barrels per day for the first time in six weeks. The Energy Information Administration reports average production last week of 9.86 million barrels per day, down 586,000 barrels per day from the week before. Output is down nearly three million barrels per day from a year ago at this time. EIA said imports were down 167,000 barrels per day last week to just over five million barrels per day. The four-week average is nearly 14% less than during the same four-week period last year. Oil by rail traffic was up slightly on the week, but remained 19% below last years tallies. The Association of American Railroads reports 10,293 tanker cars hauling petroleum or petroleum products during the week ending October 17. Oil by rail in Canada is down nearly thirty percent compared to a year ago. Lower gasoline demand is dropping gasoline prices for the majority of the country.&nbsp; Across the U.S., pump prices were a penny cheaper last week than a week earlier, two cents lower than a month ago, and nearly half a dollar below last year at this time. Triple-A says the national average Thursday was $2.16 a gallon, while the average across the Sunflower State was $1.93. Kansas was among 13 states across the U.S. with average prices below two dollars. It was selling for $1.99 across Great Bend, and $1.90 in Hays. Filling your 15-gallon tank with cost you nine dollars more than it did six months ago, but about five dollars less than last year at this time. The two sides in Libya's civil war appear to have completed their reconciliation. On Friday they signed a permanent cease-fire, although skepticism is already rising.&nbsp; The deal includes an order for all foreign mercenaries to leave the country, and sets the state for political talks next month. Libya descended into chaos in 2011, after an uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.&nbsp; Renewed production amid continuing low demand have prompted renewed concerns about U.S. crude-oil storage capacity. The Energy Information Administration reports the national totals are safe, but users have reached 77% of capacity at the storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma. EIA reports on net stockpiles as a percentage of working storage capacity. That figure reached a high of 62 percent back in June, but has since dropped to 54%. Cushing is fast approaching the all-time high. The Oklahoma total reached 77% in the week ending June 19. The record of 83% of capacity was set May 1. ConocoPhillips agreed to buy Concho Resources for about $9.7 billion in stock, marking the largest shale industry deal since the collapse in energy demand earlier this year. Concho Resources was worth $32 billion just two years ago, but is selling for $9.7 billion in stock. The deal will create what Bloomberg calls a heavyweight driller in America’s most prolific oil field, rivaled only by the likes of Occidental Petroleum and Chevron.&nbsp; Native American tribes opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline have once again asked a federal judge to stop the flow of oil while the legal battle over the line’s future plays out. The tribes succeeded on their first attempt, only to have an appeals court overturn the shutdown order earlier this year. The Bismarck Tribune reports they are now asking the judge to clarify his order to satisfy the appeals court and once again shut down the pipeline. The court is awaiting a new environmental study to determine the risk the pipeline poses to the tribes' water supply. The study is expected to take more than a year to complete. Given pandemic lockdown restrictions around the globe, worldwide crude oil demand is shrinking. You can't even dock a crude-oil tanker in some ports, where users are instead winding down inventories built up since March. Demand for crude tankers has fallen more than 14% this year according to Lloyd's List Maritime Intelligence, which covers shipping news. Only about 80% of the international tanker fleet is currently in use according to Lloyd's List.

News From the Oil Patch: Drilling activity up slightly

The Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University today released its annual survey report on the significant issues facing our state and nation. The survey is usually published in the fall, and Institute leaders are pleased to publish this year’s survey in advance of the 2020 election. The report offers insights into how Kansans view the quality of life in the state, taxes, funding priorities, the performance of state and national political leadership, and public policy issues. The public policy issues covered in this year’s report include who voters plan to back in this year’s presidential election, the impact of COVID-19, and the handling of the pandemic by public officials, the security of mail-in voting, the death of Justice Ginsberg, and the Black Lives Matter movement.&nbsp;

Brett Zollinger, Docking Institute’s director and report co-author, believes the timing of this year’s report may be helpful to voters.

“We hope that findings released ahead of the election are particularly interesting to Kansans now when so many of the public affairs issues covered in the survey are on Kansans’ minds as they solidify their voting intentions,” Zollinger said.

This year’s report provides extensive insight into how Kansans perceive the current political, economic and social conditions in our state and the nation.&nbsp;Dr. Jian Sun, report co-author and assistant director of the institute, noticed that Kansans remain optimistic amid the coronavirus pandemic: “Although we see substantial increases as compared with last year in the percentage of respondents feeling the Kansas economy is getting worse and the percentage of respondents being concerned that the Kansas economy would seriously threaten their own or their family’s welfare, a large majority of people still believe that Kansas is at least a ‘good’ place to live, and that Kansas is on the right track.”&nbsp;Other key findings from the study include:

The 2020 Kansas Speaks Survey is available online at

<a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=AzU7JuM9gNoo13mIpsUPJOSpwwBMqLa2wzhooo2Ec6XdyN8iNeqPYKTopsv7xfTXsfH2vlfpTYi5H7tliR3pqbgeo1eP5fI-2BJXDyV24XIPA-3DWWl5_-2FnwFlkKVzcKMOkDYhP8GUyFUplsqhIzQPvqFQr864lE6mcAzErX0FzZi5JGU6rvvK6MLOuHK4jhl5V61fmGkhToZRMbpEKBDAFMZ0jElT3tJmz7vmG2Oh1wrxpMGOIemgwbcNqepMLdnS25zBQKsFZn-2Fk02e-2Fug1Waqy5En0xdVVPmsdnRhO0EsQPifPaJ0G1rTwLq-2BS17VpfYNsBMf-2BkzgyvyGadUEUznjD1k6Ra1bY4KnHIQ8eHDlLebhsrcYwqzhlgRs11Q3GwmrJKrvhIIJnbEMGR-2B6-2Bj2SOp3iN709-2BEo6MbR7JP3E9bc1sf2fbEjm-2FMfgeudDEqVX5563dXmiDg5xJctxneSv4cwiK0pxeC8-2FlihrC9xqFDOHRp1ZYUvqRWIfi621dXHA2TWqGrQ-3D-3D">http://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/kansas-speaks-report_v6</a>

FHSU’s report authors are Dr. Jian Sun, Docking institute assistant director and professor of political science; Dr. Brett Zollinger, institute director and professor of sociology; and Luis Montelongo, institute research coordinator. Docking Institute policy fellows who collaborated on question content for this year’s Kansas Speaks Survey were Dr. Patrick Miller, associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas, and Dr. Michael Smith, professor of political science at Emporia State University. Dr. Miller contributed a major portion of the questions relating to perceptions of mail-in voting, reducing the spread of coronavirus, public confidence in the safety of our election during the pandemic, and perceived impacts of Black Lives Matter protests. Dr. Smith contributed items rating public officials’ handling of the coronavirus, as well as items rating how protests around high profile police behaviors this year have been handled by various actors involved in the protests and by political actors.

The Kansas Speaks annual survey is a service of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University. Led by Director Dr. Brett Zollinger and Assistant Director Dr. Jian Sun, the staff and policy fellows of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs and its University Center for Survey Research are dedicated to serving the people of Kansas and surrounding states by facilitating effective public policy decision-making.&nbsp;

For more information on the 2020 Kansas Speaks Survey or the Docking Institute of Public Policy, contact FHSU Chief Communications Officer Scott Cason at 785-628-4208 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sacason@fhsu.edu">sacason@fhsu.edu</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603726115430.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsThe Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University today released its annual survey report on the significant issues facing our state and nation. The survey is usually published in the fall, and Institute leaders are pleased to publish this year’s survey in advance of the 2020 election. The report offers insights into how Kansans view the quality of life in the state, taxes, funding priorities, the performance of state and national political leadership, and public policy issues. The public policy issues covered in this year’s report include who voters plan to back in this year’s presidential election, the impact of COVID-19, and the handling of the pandemic by public officials, the security of mail-in voting, the death of Justice Ginsberg, and the Black Lives Matter movement.&nbsp;Brett Zollinger, Docking Institute’s director and report co-author, believes the timing of this year’s report may be helpful to voters.“We hope that findings released ahead of the election are particularly interesting to Kansans now when so many of the public affairs issues covered in the survey are on Kansans’ minds as they solidify their voting intentions,” Zollinger said.This year’s report provides extensive insight into how Kansans perceive the current political, economic and social conditions in our state and the nation.&nbsp;Dr. Jian Sun, report co-author and assistant director of the institute, noticed that Kansans remain optimistic amid the coronavirus pandemic: “Although we see substantial increases as compared with last year in the percentage of respondents feeling the Kansas economy is getting worse and the percentage of respondents being concerned that the Kansas economy would seriously threaten their own or their family’s welfare, a large majority of people still believe that Kansas is at least a ‘good’ place to live, and that Kansas is on the right track.”&nbsp;Other key findings from the study include:<ul>
 <li>Nearly 25 percent of respondents report that an adult in their household has lost a job since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.</li><li>This year, the 44 percent who are moderately or very concerned about the economy threatening their own or their family’s welfare is substantially higher than the 28 percent who felt the same way about one year ago in the 2019 Kansas Speaks survey.</li><li>More than 70 percent agreed that “wearing masks/face coverings helps reduce the spread of coronavirus,” and that it is their “responsibility to protect other people from coronavirus by wearing a mask/face covering,” with less than 15 percent disagreeing with those statements.</li><li>Like last year’s Kansas Speaks survey findings, more than 60 percent of respondents support expanding Medicaid in Kansas.&nbsp;</li><li>When asked if the November presidential election winner should name the successor to Justice Ginsburg, 42.7 percent of respondents said yes, 33.9 percent said no, and 23.5 percent said they don’t know.&nbsp;</li><li>President Trump leads Vice-President Biden by 14.4 percent among registered voters who plan to vote.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The 2020 Kansas Speaks Survey is available online at<a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=AzU7JuM9gNoo13mIpsUPJOSpwwBMqLa2wzhooo2Ec6XdyN8iNeqPYKTopsv7xfTXsfH2vlfpTYi5H7tliR3pqbgeo1eP5fI-2BJXDyV24XIPA-3DWWl5_-2FnwFlkKVzcKMOkDYhP8GUyFUplsqhIzQPvqFQr864lE6mcAzErX0FzZi5JGU6rvvK6MLOuHK4jhl5V61fmGkhToZRMbpEKBDAFMZ0jElT3tJmz7vmG2Oh1wrxpMGOIemgwbcNqepMLdnS25zBQKsFZn-2Fk02e-2Fug1Waqy5En0xdVVPmsdnRhO0EsQPifPaJ0G1rTwLq-2BS17VpfYNsBMf-2BkzgyvyGadUEUznjD1k6Ra1bY4KnHIQ8eHDlLebhsrcYwqzhlgRs11Q3GwmrJKrvhIIJnbEMGR-2B6-2Bj2SOp3iN709-2BEo6MbR7JP3E9bc1sf2fbEjm-2FMfgeudDEqVX5563dXmiDg5xJctxneSv4cwiK0pxeC8-2FlihrC9xqFDOHRp1ZYUvqRWIfi621dXHA2TWqGrQ-3D-3D">http://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/kansas-speaks-report_v6</a>FHSU’s report authors are Dr. Jian Sun, Docking institute assistant director and professor of political science; Dr. Brett Zollinger, institute director and professor of sociology; and Luis Montelongo, institute research coordinator. Docking Institute policy fellows who collaborated on question content for this year’s Kansas Speaks Survey were Dr. Patrick Miller, associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas, and Dr. Michael Smith, professor of political science at Emporia State University. Dr. Miller contributed a major portion of the questions relating to perceptions of mail-in voting, reducing the spread of coronavirus, public confidence in the safety of our election during the pandemic, and perceived impacts of Black Lives Matter protests. Dr. Smith contributed items rating public officials’ handling of the coronavirus, as well as items rating how protests around high profile police behaviors this year have been handled by various actors involved in the protests and by political actors.The Kansas Speaks annual survey is a service of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University. Led by Director Dr. Brett Zollinger and Assistant Director Dr. Jian Sun, the staff and policy fellows of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs and its University Center for Survey Research are dedicated to serving the people of Kansas and surrounding states by facilitating effective public policy decision-making.&nbsp;For more information on the 2020 Kansas Speaks Survey or the Docking Institute of Public Policy, contact FHSU Chief Communications Officer Scott Cason at 785-628-4208 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sacason@fhsu.edu">sacason@fhsu.edu</a>.

Kansas Speaks survey provides insights into Kansans’ perspectives

The mission of Letters From Home is to honor veterans, celebrate people, and unite the nation through music. Western Plains Arts Association brings this patriotic celebration to the Hoxie High School, Sunday, Nov. 1, at 3 p.m. Central. Admission is by WPAA season ticket or adults $20, students $10. This program is made possible through the generous support of area business and individual sponsors, including a special grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan, Kan.

Letters&nbsp;From&nbsp;Home was started by Erinn Dearth at the suggestion of her late father, Pat Dearth, a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. Since that time, the group has made its mark performing in venues across the United States, touching the hearts and caressing the memories of hundreds of thousands nationwide with their mission to honor our veterans, active military heroes and their families.

The show is now performed in theaters, for air shows, cruise ships, schools, patriotic celebrations,&nbsp;military bases, VA hospitals, VFWs, American Legions and many other venues. A television documentary on Letters&nbsp;From&nbsp;Home by&nbsp;OurState&nbsp;Television won the Emmy for best magazine documentary in 2017. The duo performed in Normandy, France to perform for the 75th&nbsp;Anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2019.

Erinn Dearth found her love of tap dancing at&nbsp;Franel&nbsp;School of Dance when she was three years old. She won her first national tap competition at five, and has been making noise ever since. For years, Dearth did musical theatre and performed on cruise ships, and when she returned to her home city of Winston-Salem, she founded First in Flight Entertainment which now books entertainers all over the world. Producing Letters&nbsp;From Home was a perfect way of combining her love of production and being onstage, while spreading a message of hope and patriotism.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, proverbial worlds away, New York-based actor Dan Beckmann was photographing penguins in Antarctica when he was approached by Dearth, who had discovered him through a YouTube video. She expressed interest in having him aboard, and before but another word was uttered, Beckmann packed up his lenses and hopped the next jet to Winston-Salem to accept his role within the LFH team.

Together, Dearth and Beckmann take audiences on a trip down memory lane with 1940s-1960s music, singing, tap dancing, comedy, audience interaction and a variety of other surprises along the way.

Dearth is&nbsp;the creator, founder and choreographer of Letters From Home. As an actress and producer, she has worked on over 200 theatrical productions and has toured with Cirque Productions. She is a published author, and founder of First in Flight Entertainment and the NC Triad Theatre League. Dearth is also the founder and Executive Director of the youth-inspired Spring Theatre in Winston-Salem, N.C. which is currently in it's ninth season of producing live theatre, classes and camps. Earlier this year (alongside Beckmann) she produced a socially-distanced film called “Lock-In” with 100 cast members filming all over the world in quarantine.

Dearth is half of "riley," an artistic umbrella of creativity that produces blogs, songs, talk shows and screenplays with the mission of playing with purpose. Each week, you can catch her and Beckmann on their weekly online “riley” talk show, and you can keep up with all of their endeavors big and small on <a href="http://www.itsriley.com/">www.ItsRiley.com</a>.

Beckmann is an actor, singer, director and photographer from Minneapolis, Minn. He holds a BFA in acting from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. Beckmann is the Artistic Director of Spring Theatre in Winston-Salem, N.C. Addicted to laughter from an early age, Beckman has been entertaining since he could first make noise. He has collaborated with Tony-nominated directors and Broadway legends on regional and Off-Broadway productions, concerts, national tours, cruise ships and international venues across the globe.

Band Leader John Trotta’s first “gig” was polyphonic organist at St. Gregory’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio at age 16. &nbsp;He went on to gradate from Xavier University in Cincinnati with a BS degree in Philosophy.&nbsp; While at Xavier, he participated in ROTC and in September 1969, he became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army with a six-year commitment. He fulfilled two years of active duty in Germany and Vietnam. He was honorably discharged at a First Lieutenant in 1975. Trotta has been involved in community theater and a number of local bands throughout the years in Ohio and North Carolina, including polka and Dixieland.

Soon after attending a post- 9/11 concert, he joined the “Kings of Swing” as their piano player.&nbsp; He formed “The Likewise Jazz Trio” a year later. Currently, he plays piano with the NC Revelers Big Band and the Holzhackern Tyrolean Band during Oktoberfest season. His other activities include conducting, arranging, vocal coaching and jazz concertizing. Joining “Letters from Home” is John’s way of honoring his fellow veterans.&nbsp;Lynn “Win” Roberts has been performing&nbsp;professionally since the age of 14.

He majored in&nbsp;music at the University of Nebraska and was a&nbsp;featured vocalist and instrumentalist with many&nbsp;swing bands including Guy Lombardo and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1964, Roberts started developing his&nbsp;musical variety act, playing more than a dozen&nbsp;instruments and singing. He began impersonating&nbsp;stars after hearing that he sounded or looked like&nbsp;them. Roberts's favorite impersonations are&nbsp;Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Jimmy&nbsp;Durante, W.C. Fields and Frank Fontaine. Roberts&nbsp;has won a Cloney Award for his impersonation and&nbsp;tribute to Bob Hope, the Bea Foggleman&nbsp;Lifetime Achievement Award, and the&nbsp;Lifetime Achievement Award from the American&nbsp;Federation of Musicians. For the past&nbsp;16 years, Roberts has been touring the U.S. and Canada doing his tributes.

Gerald “Jerry” Bryant, concert producer, completed an accountant degree in 1974. During his college years, he joined the Army Reserves with the intention of getting a job and continuing to go to night school. However, this plan was upended when his Reserve Unit was activated and he found himself in the midst of the Vietnam War. He served out his time as a Medical Lab Tech at Kenner Army Hospital at Fort Lee, Va. After separating from the Army, and returning to the Reserves, he returned to his job at General Electric, finished college, and then completed the Financial Management Program at GE, spending a long career with GE. In 2013 he transitioned from the corporate life to becoming a business manager at his local Catholic church. He met the performers of Letters from Home at a church event, and soon was named concert producer.

See <a href="http://www.lettersfromhomesingers.com">www.lettersfromhomesingers.com</a> for more information, high-resolution pictures and YouTube videos.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603290296734.jpeg" alt="Dearth and Beckmann / courtesy WPAA" />
 <figcaption>Dearth and Beckmann / courtesy WPAA</figcaption>
 </figure>WPAAThe mission of Letters From Home is to honor veterans, celebrate people, and unite the nation through music. Western Plains Arts Association brings this patriotic celebration to the Hoxie High School, Sunday, Nov. 1, at 3 p.m. Central. Admission is by WPAA season ticket or adults $20, students $10. This program is made possible through the generous support of area business and individual sponsors, including a special grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan, Kan.Letters&nbsp;From&nbsp;Home was started by Erinn Dearth at the suggestion of her late father, Pat Dearth, a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. Since that time, the group has made its mark performing in venues across the United States, touching the hearts and caressing the memories of hundreds of thousands nationwide with their mission to honor our veterans, active military heroes and their families.The show is now performed in theaters, for air shows, cruise ships, schools, patriotic celebrations,&nbsp;military bases, VA hospitals, VFWs, American Legions and many other venues. A television documentary on Letters&nbsp;From&nbsp;Home by&nbsp;OurState&nbsp;Television won the Emmy for best magazine documentary in 2017. The duo performed in Normandy, France to perform for the 75th&nbsp;Anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2019.Erinn Dearth found her love of tap dancing at&nbsp;Franel&nbsp;School of Dance when she was three years old. She won her first national tap competition at five, and has been making noise ever since. For years, Dearth did musical theatre and performed on cruise ships, and when she returned to her home city of Winston-Salem, she founded First in Flight Entertainment which now books entertainers all over the world. Producing Letters&nbsp;From Home was a perfect way of combining her love of production and being onstage, while spreading a message of hope and patriotism.&nbsp;Meanwhile, proverbial worlds away, New York-based actor Dan Beckmann was photographing penguins in Antarctica when he was approached by Dearth, who had discovered him through a YouTube video. She expressed interest in having him aboard, and before but another word was uttered, Beckmann packed up his lenses and hopped the next jet to Winston-Salem to accept his role within the LFH team.Together, Dearth and Beckmann take audiences on a trip down memory lane with 1940s-1960s music, singing, tap dancing, comedy, audience interaction and a variety of other surprises along the way.Dearth is&nbsp;the creator, founder and choreographer of Letters From Home. As an actress and producer, she has worked on over 200 theatrical productions and has toured with Cirque Productions. She is a published author, and founder of First in Flight Entertainment and the NC Triad Theatre League. Dearth is also the founder and Executive Director of the youth-inspired Spring Theatre in Winston-Salem, N.C. which is currently in it's ninth season of producing live theatre, classes and camps. Earlier this year (alongside Beckmann) she produced a socially-distanced film called “Lock-In” with 100 cast members filming all over the world in quarantine.Dearth is half of "riley," an artistic umbrella of creativity that produces blogs, songs, talk shows and screenplays with the mission of playing with purpose. Each week, you can catch her and Beckmann on their weekly online “riley” talk show, and you can keep up with all of their endeavors big and small on <a href="http://www.itsriley.com/">www.ItsRiley.com</a>.Beckmann is an actor, singer, director and photographer from Minneapolis, Minn. He holds a BFA in acting from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. Beckmann is the Artistic Director of Spring Theatre in Winston-Salem, N.C. Addicted to laughter from an early age, Beckman has been entertaining since he could first make noise. He has collaborated with Tony-nominated directors and Broadway legends on regional and Off-Broadway productions, concerts, national tours, cruise ships and international venues across the globe.Band Leader John Trotta’s first “gig” was polyphonic organist at St. Gregory’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio at age 16. &nbsp;He went on to gradate from Xavier University in Cincinnati with a BS degree in Philosophy.&nbsp; While at Xavier, he participated in ROTC and in September 1969, he became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army with a six-year commitment. He fulfilled two years of active duty in Germany and Vietnam. He was honorably discharged at a First Lieutenant in 1975. Trotta has been involved in community theater and a number of local bands throughout the years in Ohio and North Carolina, including polka and Dixieland.Soon after attending a post- 9/11 concert, he joined the “Kings of Swing” as their piano player.&nbsp; He formed “The Likewise Jazz Trio” a year later. Currently, he plays piano with the NC Revelers Big Band and the Holzhackern Tyrolean Band during Oktoberfest season. His other activities include conducting, arranging, vocal coaching and jazz concertizing. Joining “Letters from Home” is John’s way of honoring his fellow veterans.&nbsp;Lynn “Win” Roberts has been performing&nbsp;professionally since the age of 14.He majored in&nbsp;music at the University of Nebraska and was a&nbsp;featured vocalist and instrumentalist with many&nbsp;swing bands including Guy Lombardo and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1964, Roberts started developing his&nbsp;musical variety act, playing more than a dozen&nbsp;instruments and singing. He began impersonating&nbsp;stars after hearing that he sounded or looked like&nbsp;them. Roberts's favorite impersonations are&nbsp;Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Jimmy&nbsp;Durante, W.C. Fields and Frank Fontaine. Roberts&nbsp;has won a Cloney Award for his impersonation and&nbsp;tribute to Bob Hope, the Bea Foggleman&nbsp;Lifetime Achievement Award, and the&nbsp;Lifetime Achievement Award from the American&nbsp;Federation of Musicians. For the past&nbsp;16 years, Roberts has been touring the U.S. and Canada doing his tributes.Gerald “Jerry” Bryant, concert producer, completed an accountant degree in 1974. During his college years, he joined the Army Reserves with the intention of getting a job and continuing to go to night school. However, this plan was upended when his Reserve Unit was activated and he found himself in the midst of the Vietnam War. He served out his time as a Medical Lab Tech at Kenner Army Hospital at Fort Lee, Va. After separating from the Army, and returning to the Reserves, he returned to his job at General Electric, finished college, and then completed the Financial Management Program at GE, spending a long career with GE. In 2013 he transitioned from the corporate life to becoming a business manager at his local Catholic church. He met the performers of Letters from Home at a church event, and soon was named concert producer.See <a href="http://www.lettersfromhomesingers.com">www.lettersfromhomesingers.com</a> for more information, high-resolution pictures and YouTube videos.

Letters From Home set to perform in Hoxie

COVID-19 prevented international students interested in Fort Hays State University from visiting the campus this past summer. But the Office of Global Partnerships (OGP) was diligent about finding a way to still host those students through free virtual camps.

Discovering new ways to connect with international students in their freshman and sophomore years of college was&nbsp;remarkably effective and rewarding&nbsp;during the trying times of the pandemic, said Haley Williams, special projects coordinator for the OGP.

“COVID-19 forced us into a new way of thinking,” Williams said. “Now, we have a virtual platform in place, with which we can reach so many more people. We’re making a new path for those connections, refining techniques we will be able to use in the future.”

Cindy Elliott, assistant vice president for Global Partnerships, came up with the idea of hosting the camps online this summer. By the end of the summer, more than 500 students from four different countries –&nbsp;Cameroon, China, Turkey and the Bahamas –&nbsp;had registered to “tour” the FHSU campus virtually through scheduled Webinars.

Elliott chose five international partners for Special Projects Coordinator Haley Williams to contact and inquire if they were interested in participating. That list included&nbsp;Sias University and Shenyang Normal University, whose partnerships feature FHSU faculty teaching on their campuses as students earn degrees from Fort Hays State.&nbsp;

Williams&nbsp;drafted a proposal of a virtual summer camp to recruit 60 students to participate.&nbsp;However, the OGP was soon&nbsp;faced with keeping up with the overwhelming interest in these virtual experiences&nbsp;when one partner alone recruited 335 participants.

To meet the demand, OGP teamed up with International Student Services to recruit a summer camp team of current FHSU students, both domestic and international. This provided the opportunity for potential students to connect with current FHSU students. This was value added to the virtual camp experience as the participants often felt more comfortable asking questions to the Fort Hays State students.

Ting Zhou, instructional designer for the Department of&nbsp;Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies,&nbsp;worked closely with Williams to develop content and to format the sessions as a Webinar.&nbsp;With so much interest in the Webinars, the OGP extended the original plan for two sessions to five, culminating in a total of 44 hours of Zoom video/audio conferencing.

“We were blown away with the interest shown,” Williams said, “Students would send the link to others they knew, and parents would join, too.”

Each session began with a welcome from either FHSU President Dr. Tisa Mason or Provost Dr. Jill Arensdorf. There were presentations about career readiness, campus safety, adapting to American culture and much more. Participants got to meet Hays Mayor Shaun Musil. Melissa Dixon, executive director of the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, gave a video presentation of the city of Hays. And Ian Trevethan, education and outreach manager at FHSU’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History, gave a live virtual tour of the facility.

“We feel it was a great success because we were able to have a more interactive event to keep the students engaged,” Williams said. “I think it was a really good example of the caring spirit of Fort Hays State University, and it was an amazing collaboration of our Hays community and university campus departments.”

Because the Webinars included students from four different countries, Williams said it created a cultural exchange for all the participants.

“We learned so much along with the students,” Williams said.&nbsp;“The great thing in going online is that we were able to get in the homes of these students and their parents and connect with them in a more personal way. I think we were very successful in using these Webinar sessions as a vehicle to let them know how much we care about them and how much we look forward to one day welcoming them to FHSU.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602792750131.jpeg" alt="FHSU students and staff connect with international students around the globe during a virtual summer camp." />
 <figcaption>FHSU students and staff connect with international students around the globe during a virtual summer camp.</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsCOVID-19 prevented international students interested in Fort Hays State University from visiting the campus this past summer. But the Office of Global Partnerships (OGP) was diligent about finding a way to still host those students through free virtual camps.Discovering new ways to connect with international students in their freshman and sophomore years of college was&nbsp;remarkably effective and rewarding&nbsp;during the trying times of the pandemic, said Haley Williams, special projects coordinator for the OGP.“COVID-19 forced us into a new way of thinking,” Williams said. “Now, we have a virtual platform in place, with which we can reach so many more people. We’re making a new path for those connections, refining techniques we will be able to use in the future.”Cindy Elliott, assistant vice president for Global Partnerships, came up with the idea of hosting the camps online this summer. By the end of the summer, more than 500 students from four different countries –&nbsp;Cameroon, China, Turkey and the Bahamas –&nbsp;had registered to “tour” the FHSU campus virtually through scheduled Webinars.Elliott chose five international partners for Special Projects Coordinator Haley Williams to contact and inquire if they were interested in participating. That list included&nbsp;Sias University and Shenyang Normal University, whose partnerships feature FHSU faculty teaching on their campuses as students earn degrees from Fort Hays State.&nbsp;Williams&nbsp;drafted a proposal of a virtual summer camp to recruit 60 students to participate.&nbsp;However, the OGP was soon&nbsp;faced with keeping up with the overwhelming interest in these virtual experiences&nbsp;when one partner alone recruited 335 participants.To meet the demand, OGP teamed up with International Student Services to recruit a summer camp team of current FHSU students, both domestic and international. This provided the opportunity for potential students to connect with current FHSU students. This was value added to the virtual camp experience as the participants often felt more comfortable asking questions to the Fort Hays State students.Ting Zhou, instructional designer for the Department of&nbsp;Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies,&nbsp;worked closely with Williams to develop content and to format the sessions as a Webinar.&nbsp;With so much interest in the Webinars, the OGP extended the original plan for two sessions to five, culminating in a total of 44 hours of Zoom video/audio conferencing.“We were blown away with the interest shown,” Williams said, “Students would send the link to others they knew, and parents would join, too.”Each session began with a welcome from either FHSU President Dr. Tisa Mason or Provost Dr. Jill Arensdorf. There were presentations about career readiness, campus safety, adapting to American culture and much more. Participants got to meet Hays Mayor Shaun Musil. Melissa Dixon, executive director of the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, gave a video presentation of the city of Hays. And Ian Trevethan, education and outreach manager at FHSU’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History, gave a live virtual tour of the facility.“We feel it was a great success because we were able to have a more interactive event to keep the students engaged,” Williams said. “I think it was a really good example of the caring spirit of Fort Hays State University, and it was an amazing collaboration of our Hays community and university campus departments.”Because the Webinars included students from four different countries, Williams said it created a cultural exchange for all the participants.“We learned so much along with the students,” Williams said.&nbsp;“The great thing in going online is that we were able to get in the homes of these students and their parents and connect with them in a more personal way. I think we were very successful in using these Webinar sessions as a vehicle to let them know how much we care about them and how much we look forward to one day welcoming them to FHSU.”

FHSU stays in touch with international students through summer virtual camps

Three-day weather outlook

The Ellis County Joint Planning Commission will meet Wed., Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Ellis County Administrative Center.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593005347050.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ellis CountyThe Ellis County Joint Planning Commission will meet Wed., Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Ellis County Administrative Center.The agenda is below.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603745499156.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis Co. Joint Planning Commission meets Wednesday

<a href="https://www.jimrichardsonphotography.com/index">By JIM RICHARDSON</a>

“Republicans shouldn’t thresh with Democrats.”

My father was imparting 
wisdom upon me, something he’d heard from his father, learned on their 
farm in Kansas. Wisdom that maybe we could use today.

I’d probably better 
translate. Back then farmers banded together to buy a threshing machine 
to be shared among neighboring farms during wheat harvest. This great 
communal tradition is laden with nostalgic memories of neighbor helping 
neighbor. The threshing picnic at the end of harvest is a rich icon of 
idyllic rural life. Friendship shown all around, we imagine.

Not so, my father was 
telling me. Peace among farmers meant politics shouldn’t rear its ugly 
head. Republicans should harvest with Republicans. Democrats with 
Democrats. Worked better that way. Even then politics was bad medicine 
on farms in Liberty and Freedom townships in Republic County.

Our current season of <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/23/were-so-close-to-civil-war-everyone-can-smell-the-smoke/">fire and brimstone</a>
 triggered this memory. Politics consumes us now, like a raging prairie 
fire we can’t outrun. We are at each others’ throats, treat our 
neighbors like traitors. We suspect people we’ve known all our lives are
 actually an alien species, not one of us. We’ve learned to hate them.

This partisan rancor is 
not new. My mother wrote about a neighbor who got so worked up at a 
political meeting at a nearby farm that he drove home and forgot his 
wife and children. So he had to go back to the barn at midnight, hitch 
up the horses to the buggy and go get them. And when her grandfather (a 
staunch Democrat) was sick and required a transfusion, he got it from 
Aunt Lila — a Republican. Republican blood in his veins! They never let 
him live it down.

What have we forgotten about how to deal with this recurring feverish malady?

Recently I read of a New 
York editor (a COVID refugee) who had moved to rural Pennsylvania. 
Things had changed for her. Gone was her comfortable bubble, life among 
reliably like-minded people with whom any political thought could be 
shared without fear. It was pure culture shock.

Welcome to our world. I 
live in a small town where no such ideologically segregated enclaves are
 possible. No, out of necessity we live and work with each other every 
day. (We may well think that some of our friends and neighbors are 
wackos, but if we are smart we just shut up about it.) We need them, 
they need us. I don’t debate politics with our plumber; tomorrow I may 
have a clogged drain.

More than cynical social 
utility is at work here. (I’m not naive; political differences can’t 
just be swept under the carpet.) Without ever knowing his politics I 
know that plumber as a good and decent person. So are lots of people in 
town who don’t share my politics. That’s OK. Politics is just one 
measure of our social bargaining. Mutual respect demands forbearance, 
shown in small acts of tolerance. The conservative coffee group gathers 
early in the coffee shop, but they are careful to make way in good time 
for the liberal coffee group that comes in later.

So perhaps America has not
 fallen from some imagined state of divine neighborly grace. (That 
probably never existed.) But we do seem to have forgotten the rules of 
co-existence that our grandparents practiced.

Something else may also be at work. If this societal truce has broken down (replaced by mutual contempt that verges on <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/07/a-kansas-history-professor-sees-troubling-deeply-problematic-danger-signs-for-the-united-states/">civil breakdown</a>)
 perhaps it is because we have let politics monopolize our lives. What 
is wrong here is not that politics is bad but that it has come to 
dominate — indeed obliterate — all other measures by which we know each 
other.

Political parties are in 
the business of winning. But if winning means vanquishing your neighbor 
down the street, then that’s not winning at all. Small-town politics is a
 paradox: You can’t really win by winning. We need each other too much, 
whatever our disagreements.

Our communities are built 
out of a multitude of shared experiences and values, respect and mutual 
need. Politics today threatens to silence all those other ways by which 
we&nbsp;define ourselves, to break those links that bind us together.

The day after the upcoming
 election we must set politics aside for a while. We must remember the 
rules of daily life by which a community — and a state — can grow and 
prosper. We must not let politics become the sole defining aspect of our
 public lives. It will be the end of us.

Jim Richardson is a photographer known for his work in rural Kansas and for his 35 years with National Geographic Magazine. Among other awards, he was named Kansan of the Year, has received the Governor’s Arts Award and an honorary doctorate from Kansas State University, and has been named an Honored Citizen by the people of Cuba, Kansas. He lives in Lindsborg with his wife Kathy, where they own Small World Gallery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603748511118.png" alt="Jim Richardson's "Voting Baby" photograph was taken in 1976 in Russell, Kansas, when Bob Dole was running for vice president with Gerald Ford. (Submitted by Jim Richardson to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jim Richardson's "Voting Baby" photograph was taken in 1976 in Russell, Kansas, when Bob Dole was running for vice president with Gerald Ford. (Submitted by Jim Richardson to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.jimrichardsonphotography.com/index">By JIM RICHARDSON</a>“Republicans shouldn’t thresh with Democrats.”My father was imparting 
wisdom upon me, something he’d heard from his father, learned on their 
farm in Kansas. Wisdom that maybe we could use today.I’d probably better 
translate. Back then farmers banded together to buy a threshing machine 
to be shared among neighboring farms during wheat harvest. This great 
communal tradition is laden with nostalgic memories of neighbor helping 
neighbor. The threshing picnic at the end of harvest is a rich icon of 
idyllic rural life. Friendship shown all around, we imagine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Not so, my father was 
telling me. Peace among farmers meant politics shouldn’t rear its ugly 
head. Republicans should harvest with Republicans. Democrats with 
Democrats. Worked better that way. Even then politics was bad medicine 
on farms in Liberty and Freedom townships in Republic County.Our current season of <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/23/were-so-close-to-civil-war-everyone-can-smell-the-smoke/">fire and brimstone</a>
 triggered this memory. Politics consumes us now, like a raging prairie 
fire we can’t outrun. We are at each others’ throats, treat our 
neighbors like traitors. We suspect people we’ve known all our lives are
 actually an alien species, not one of us. We’ve learned to hate them.This partisan rancor is 
not new. My mother wrote about a neighbor who got so worked up at a 
political meeting at a nearby farm that he drove home and forgot his 
wife and children. So he had to go back to the barn at midnight, hitch 
up the horses to the buggy and go get them. And when her grandfather (a 
staunch Democrat) was sick and required a transfusion, he got it from 
Aunt Lila — a Republican. Republican blood in his veins! They never let 
him live it down.What have we forgotten about how to deal with this recurring feverish malady?Recently I read of a New 
York editor (a COVID refugee) who had moved to rural Pennsylvania. 
Things had changed for her. Gone was her comfortable bubble, life among 
reliably like-minded people with whom any political thought could be 
shared without fear. It was pure culture shock.Welcome to our world. I 
live in a small town where no such ideologically segregated enclaves are
 possible. No, out of necessity we live and work with each other every 
day. (We may well think that some of our friends and neighbors are 
wackos, but if we are smart we just shut up about it.) We need them, 
they need us. I don’t debate politics with our plumber; tomorrow I may 
have a clogged drain.More than cynical social 
utility is at work here. (I’m not naive; political differences can’t 
just be swept under the carpet.) Without ever knowing his politics I 
know that plumber as a good and decent person. So are lots of people in 
town who don’t share my politics. That’s OK. Politics is just one 
measure of our social bargaining. Mutual respect demands forbearance, 
shown in small acts of tolerance. The conservative coffee group gathers 
early in the coffee shop, but they are careful to make way in good time 
for the liberal coffee group that comes in later.So perhaps America has not
 fallen from some imagined state of divine neighborly grace. (That 
probably never existed.) But we do seem to have forgotten the rules of 
co-existence that our grandparents practiced.Something else may also be at work. If this societal truce has broken down (replaced by mutual contempt that verges on <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/07/a-kansas-history-professor-sees-troubling-deeply-problematic-danger-signs-for-the-united-states/">civil breakdown</a>)
 perhaps it is because we have let politics monopolize our lives. What 
is wrong here is not that politics is bad but that it has come to 
dominate — indeed obliterate — all other measures by which we know each 
other.Political parties are in 
the business of winning. But if winning means vanquishing your neighbor 
down the street, then that’s not winning at all. Small-town politics is a
 paradox: You can’t really win by winning. We need each other too much, 
whatever our disagreements.Our communities are built 
out of a multitude of shared experiences and values, respect and mutual 
need. Politics today threatens to silence all those other ways by which 
we&nbsp;define ourselves, to break those links that bind us together.The day after the upcoming
 election we must set politics aside for a while. We must remember the 
rules of daily life by which a community — and a state — can grow and 
prosper. We must not let politics become the sole defining aspect of our
 public lives. It will be the end of us.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603748636131.jpeg" alt="Jim Richardson" />
 <figcaption>Jim Richardson</figcaption>
 </figure>Jim Richardson is a photographer known for his work in rural Kansas and for his 35 years with National Geographic Magazine. Among other awards, he was named Kansan of the Year, has received the Governor’s Arts Award and an honorary doctorate from Kansas State University, and has been named an Honored Citizen by the people of Cuba, Kansas. He lives in Lindsborg with his wife Kathy, where they own Small World Gallery.Courtesy the Kansas Reflector

OPINION: Kansans need each other too much to let politics monopolize our lives

NORTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 8a.m. Monday in Norton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Peterbilt semi driven by David Posada-Martinez, 57, Garden City, was northbound on U.S. 183 ten miles north of Norton. 

The driver lost control due to snow covered roads. The semi traveled into the west ditch causing truck and trailer to roll. Vehicle came to rest on its wheels.

EMS transported&nbsp;Posada-Martinez to the hospital in Norton. The KHP did not have seat belt information.

NORTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 8a.m. Monday in Norton County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Peterbilt semi driven by David Posada-Martinez, 57, Garden City, was northbound on U.S. 183 ten miles north of Norton. The driver lost control due to snow covered roads. The semi traveled into the west ditch causing truck and trailer to roll. Vehicle came to rest on its wheels.EMS transported&nbsp;Posada-Martinez to the hospital in Norton. The KHP did not have seat belt information.

Kan. man hospitalized after semi crash on snowy road

The Ellis County Health Department on Monday reported the average number of new coronavirus cases per day in the last seven days again fell — from 10 on Friday to eight on Monday.

On Oct. 2, the Hays City Commission voted to extend the ordinance requiring face coverings until the seven-day new case average was five or fewer for 14 straight days.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/095697ac-eb4b-4005-867a-bb049ec8c10f">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays commissioners vote to extend mask ordinance</a>

It is the first time since the health department began reporting the seven-day average metric that it has been in the single digits.

The department reported 24 new cases of COVID-19 in Ellis County since Friday. There are currently 93 active cases, including seven active hospitalizations, and 1,261 recovered cases.

The seven-day average of percent of positive tests fell from 15.8 percent on Friday to 15.2 percent on Monday.

Since reporting began, there have been 1,372 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 18 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

Of the 10,225 total tests administered, 12.6 percent have returned positive for coronavirus.

NOTE:&nbsp;"New cases" reflects cases reported by the Ellis County Health Department between regular reporting periods of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. "Total cases" reflects all cases reported by the department. Because of delayed test results, total cases might include cases prior to the previous reporting period, so the figures might not necessarily correspond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603732217087.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Ellis County Health Department on Monday reported the average number of new coronavirus cases per day in the last seven days again fell — from 10 on Friday to eight on Monday.On Oct. 2, the Hays City Commission voted to extend the ordinance requiring face coverings until the seven-day new case average was five or fewer for 14 straight days.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/095697ac-eb4b-4005-867a-bb049ec8c10f">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays commissioners vote to extend mask ordinance</a>It is the first time since the health department began reporting the seven-day average metric that it has been in the single digits.The department reported 24 new cases of COVID-19 in Ellis County since Friday. There are currently 93 active cases, including seven active hospitalizations, and 1,261 recovered cases.The seven-day average of percent of positive tests fell from 15.8 percent on Friday to 15.2 percent on Monday.Since reporting began, there have been 1,372 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 18 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;Of the 10,225 total tests administered, 12.6 percent have returned positive for coronavirus.NOTE:&nbsp;"New cases" reflects cases reported by the Ellis County Health Department between regular reporting periods of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. "Total cases" reflects all cases reported by the department. Because of delayed test results, total cases might include cases prior to the previous reporting period, so the figures might not necessarily correspond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603740990231.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AClvlGge52U"></iframe>
 <figcaption>Sponsored</figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis Co. COVID-19 per-day rate falls; 24 new cases reported

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with Royals announcer Steve Stewart.

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: Royals announcer Steve Stewart" height="400" width="400" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/2buqw-f07415?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&vjs=1&auto=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=3&pfauth="></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with Royals announcer Steve Stewart.

🎤Forward Ever: Royals announcer Steve Stewart

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

A winter weather advisory remains in effect for Hays and all of western Kansas until 7:30 p.m. Monday.

An early season winter storm moved out of the Rockies and into the High Plains, bringing with it the first snowfall of the season in Hays.

According to official records at the K-State Agricultural Research Center, 1.5 inches of snow fell in Hays overnight Sunday, yielding 0.12 inches of precipitation.

That precipitation is the first recorded in Hays during the month of October. The average amount of moisture by the end of the month is 1.48 inches.&nbsp;

The National Weather Service in Dodge City received a report of 3.3 inches of snow four miles southwest of Ellis.&nbsp;

Sunday's overnight temperature in Hays fell to 17 degrees, breaking the record low of 18 degrees set on Oct. 25, 1957.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603728731114.jpeg" alt="Hays received 1.5 inches of snow Sunday night in the first snowfall of the season." />
 <figcaption>Hays received 1.5 inches of snow Sunday night in the first snowfall of the season.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostA winter weather advisory remains in effect for Hays and all of western Kansas until 7:30 p.m. Monday.An early season winter storm moved out of the Rockies and into the High Plains, bringing with it the first snowfall of the season in Hays.According to official records at the K-State Agricultural Research Center, 1.5 inches of snow fell in Hays overnight Sunday, yielding 0.12 inches of precipitation.That precipitation is the first recorded in Hays during the month of October. The average amount of moisture by the end of the month is 1.48 inches.&nbsp;The National Weather Service in Dodge City received a report of 3.3 inches of snow four miles southwest of Ellis.&nbsp;Sunday's overnight temperature in Hays fell to 17 degrees, breaking the record low of 18 degrees set on Oct. 25, 1957.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603730602685.jpeg" alt="snowfall amounts.jpg" />
 <figcaption>snowfall amounts.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

First snow of the season also brings record overnight low

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays school board will have a hearing on the Washington School closure during its regular board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Rockwell Administration Center.

The board also has on its agenda the resolution that would formally close the school.

The school board has entered into a contract with Overland Property Group to purchase the school for $500,000. The developer plans to remodel the school into apartments.

Early Childhood Connections had been located in the school, but the program was moved to its new location on 13th Street last fall. The Learning Center has been temporarily located in that building. It will move to a temporary location next semester.

In other business, the board will: • Hear a financial update from Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent • Hear an update on the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative from Kyle Carlin, director • Hear a communications report from Superintendent Ron Wilson • Select a delegate and alternate for the Kansas Association of School Boards conference in December

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602274168961.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays school board will have a hearing on the Washington School closure during its regular board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Rockwell Administration Center.The board also has on its agenda the resolution that would formally close the school.The school board has entered into a contract with Overland Property Group to purchase the school for $500,000. The developer plans to remodel the school into apartments.Early Childhood Connections had been located in the school, but the program was moved to its new location on 13th Street last fall. The Learning Center has been temporarily located in that building. It will move to a temporary location next semester.The district hopes to move the Learning Center into a remodeled space at Rockwell Administration Center within the next year.In other business, the board will: • Hear a financial update from Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent • Hear an update on the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative from Kyle Carlin, director • Hear a communications report from Superintendent Ron Wilson • Select a delegate and alternate for the Kansas Association of School Boards conference in December

Hearing on Washington School closure set for Monday

HaysMed invites you to celebrate Forensic Nurses Week — Nov. 9 to 13 — with us.
Marking 11 years and counting, Forensic Nurses Week is designated to recognize the dedicated
nurses who provide exceptional care to patients impacted by violence, abuse and trauma.


Sexual assault, gun violence and human trafficking continue to demand our attention,
presenting a pivotal opportunity for healthcare facilities to prioritize the needs of patients
affected by violence. Yet fewer than 20% of hospitals have a forensic nurse on staff.


HaysMed is proud to have a team of six specially trained forensic nurses to serve Ellis County
and the surrounding communities.


“By providing forensic nursing services, HaysMed provides a vital resource to ensure patients
impacted by violence receive the specialized care they deserve”, said SANE Clinical
Coordinator, Trisha Haskell.


In 2019, HaysMed added 3 new nurses to their team and provided care to over 70 patients.


Whether assessing and addressing injuries, collecting evidence, or preventing or treating
disease, a forensic nurse’s priority is always the health and safety of the patient. Forensic
nurses also provide consultation and testimony for civil and criminal proceedings. Communities
that promote forensic nursing arm themselves with the vital resources to combat the short- and
long- term health consequences of violence and abuse, launch effective prevention efforts, and
ensure the administration of justice.


To learn more about HaysMed Forensic Nurses please contact thaskell@kumc.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603294798210.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedHaysMed invites you to celebrate Forensic Nurses Week — Nov. 9 to 13 — with us.
Marking 11 years and counting, Forensic Nurses Week is designated to recognize the dedicated
nurses who provide exceptional care to patients impacted by violence, abuse and trauma.
Sexual assault, gun violence and human trafficking continue to demand our attention,
presenting a pivotal opportunity for healthcare facilities to prioritize the needs of patients
affected by violence. Yet fewer than 20% of hospitals have a forensic nurse on staff.
HaysMed is proud to have a team of six specially trained forensic nurses to serve Ellis County
and the surrounding communities.
“By providing forensic nursing services, HaysMed provides a vital resource to ensure patients
impacted by violence receive the specialized care they deserve”, said SANE Clinical
Coordinator, Trisha Haskell.
In 2019, HaysMed added 3 new nurses to their team and provided care to over 70 patients.
Whether assessing and addressing injuries, collecting evidence, or preventing or treating
disease, a forensic nurse’s priority is always the health and safety of the patient. Forensic
nurses also provide consultation and testimony for civil and criminal proceedings. Communities
that promote forensic nursing arm themselves with the vital resources to combat the short- and
long- term health consequences of violence and abuse, launch effective prevention efforts, and
ensure the administration of justice.
To learn more about HaysMed Forensic Nurses please contact thaskell@kumc.edu.— Submitted

HaysMed celebrates Forensic Nurses Week

Due to adverse weather conditions, alley cleanup activities are postponed until further notice. Once conditions improve, crews will resume collections in the unfinished areas and continue until complete. 

It is anticipated that all areas will be complete within 1-2 days of resuming cleanup activities.

Visit <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/DocumentCenter/View/3332/2020-10-23-Alley-Cleanup-Map">www.haysusa.com</a> to view a map showing all completed areas. Contact Public Works at 628-7350 with any questions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603720608081.jpeg" alt="Progress of the alley cleanup as of Friday, Oct. 23.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Progress of the alley cleanup as of Friday, Oct. 23.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysDue to adverse weather conditions, alley cleanup activities are postponed until further notice. Once conditions improve, crews will resume collections in the unfinished areas and continue until complete. It is anticipated that all areas will be complete within 1-2 days of resuming cleanup activities. Visit <a href="https://www.haysusa.com/DocumentCenter/View/3332/2020-10-23-Alley-Cleanup-Map">www.haysusa.com</a> to view a map showing all completed areas. Contact Public Works at 628-7350 with any questions.

Weather forces postponement of alley cleanup

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, area residents will gather at Breathe Coffee House, 703B Main, for "Can We Just Talk" — the first meeting of the black, indigenous and people of color community of Ellis County.

The informal meeting is designed to be a way to create a stronger community by enhancing the understanding of racial issues in a nearly entirely white community.

“This event grew from the development of a virtual community I
created in August 2020," said Nuchelle Chance, who organized the group with husband Demetrius Chance. "As a black woman, and specifically an underrepresented
minority in Hays, I am a firsthand witness to the fact that black, brown,
gay, Muslim, etc … people are not always made to feel welcomed and truly
included."

The isolation created by the pandemic even further compounded the problem Nuchelle said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has been significantly transformative as it has
really exacerbated the loneliness that a minority can feel in a place like
this," she said. "For me, I felt that this cannot be the best-case scenario for how I want
my time in northwest Kansas to be remembered."

The BIPOC group and the meeting Tuesday is a direct response to that concern.

"I created the Black, Indigenous and
Persons of Color Community of Ellis County Facebook group as a safe
space for community building, inclusivity and support for underrepresented
minorities in the area."

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis">That group can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis.</a>

With this first meeting, they hope to expand the reach of their message of inclusivity.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic regulations have been
adjusting I felt we were at a place where we could expand and take this
movement from a virtual space to reality," Nuchelle said "After conversations with my husband Demetrius&nbsp;Chance,
friends, HHS, FHSU students and colleagues I felt we could take this group
to the next level.”

While Demetrius and Nuchelle organized the event, they credit Patrick McGinnis as also being instrumental in adding the in-person meetings.

“Patrick, owner of Breathe
Coffee House, has been an avid supporter of community initiatives and supported
diversity and inclusion efforts since we moved to Hays," Nuchelle said. "Prior to COVID, Patrick was hosting conversations like this and, through conversations with him, it was obvious that with collaboration we could take it to the next level to
promote real inclusivity in this place."

While they hope to create a more understanding culture in the area, they understand change takes time.

“We clearly know we cannot
solve all the problems of the world, let alone Ellis County, but we can
provide those small moments of acceptance, welcomeness, peace, tranquility,
support and love," Nuchelle said. "We love our neighbors, black, white, brown, gay, straight,
disabled, fully-abled, Christian, Muslim, non-believer, and so on. If nothing
more than letting others that look, feel, and think like us know that we are
here. Further, we welcome all allies even if they do not self-identify as we do.”

Having a group like this in Ellis County, she said not only helps create a more understanding culture but can also help the minority populations by giving them an opportunity to gather together.

“An organization like this is
critical in a community like this where it is so easy for minorities to want to
simply disappear and be invisible just to go along with their daily lives only
to be hyper-visible and overly tokenized when it suits the masses,” Nuchelle said.

After moving to Hays from North Carolina in 2018, she said she has seen how difficult first-hand life in Hays can be for the BIPOC community.

“One of the biggest things for me is the fact that the
representation in this community is very small,” Nuchelle said. 

It’s so small that it seems that for minorities, even seeing other
people with a shared background can be comforting she said.

She said her family has experienced a few incidents that enforce
her belief that groups like this are helpful to the entire community.

“Even if they are just microaggressions, they still have an impact on
someone’s fears,” Nuchelle said. “Being accused of potentially robbing a store, just
because you are a black man in a hoodie, or being profiled by the police just because
you look suspicious based on your skin color, it is problematic. But it is happening
across the nation.”

It’s really just about bringing a sense of community and
showing that you are not by yourself, she said.

From those living in more urban settings, even with recent strife, often have more support in their communities, by virtue of the larger populations, Nuchelle said.&nbsp;

“In bigger cities, there is a sense of community in that you can walk
outside, or go to your neighborhood store and see people and communicate with
people that have lived experiences like you, look like you and perceiving the
world like you, but that doesn’t happen in Hays or northwest Kansas for the
majority of people that brown or black,” she said.

And she said in northwest Kanas the frequency of growing up in a
racially homogenous community creates misunderstandings and biases against minorities, simply because of the lack of experience with different groups.

With that lack of understanding comes troubling situations.

“Truth be told, now and in the past years in the current political
climate, it has really emboldened many people to spread these heinous and nasty thoughts,” Nuchelle said. “And it’s become
super polarized.”

With the lack of diversity in Hays, she said this area
is particularly susceptible to biases stemming from a lack of mutual
understanding and sense of community that bridges different backgrounds.

Even this month, Nuchelle said in Hays members of the BIPOC
group had reported racially motivated incidents.

A Hispanic member was walking while passed by a recent
political rally that saw people driving around Hays in support of President Donald
Trump’s re-election campaign.

“He was verbally assaulted by the protestors,” she said. “As
he was walking to work they drove by and called him a (racial slur).”

“You can’t even mind your business and go to school and be
brown without being harassed,” she said. “it’s disgusting, it’s intolerable and
it’s unfortunate. But at the same time, the burden of that lies on the
marginalized.”

“It’s one thing to be marginalized,” Demetrius said. “But
when you don’t have people to connect with it makes living here hard, it makes
it tough. To be able to be around people like look like you, that
think like you, it creates more of community with each other and changes the
climate.”

The opportunity to be around others can create an encouraging environment
that can spur change, he said.

He said with the situations that have created strife across the U.S. are not new.

“People are now standing up. People are now talking about
it,” Demetrius said. “These are situations and issues that people have felt for years, for generations. &nbsp;

While the desire to create change is being fostered, he said he has to start at home.

“We can't depend on federal legislation or state legislation
to make changes,”&nbsp;Demetrius said. “We have to start locally and we have to focus on
change and what can we do in this community to make it easier for people that
are marginalized to potentially survive more peacefully.”

While he acknowledges that Hays is generally a safe community, concerns for minorities remains a concern.

“I know that they say Hays is a great place, and compared to
a lot of cities, Hays is a great place to live,"&nbsp;Demetrius said. "It’s peaceful. People walk
around with their houses unlocked, so you can see the sense of security here,
but there are also issues when it comes to race.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603641929326.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostAt 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, area residents will gather at Breathe Coffee House, 703B Main, for "Can We Just Talk" — the first meeting of the black, indigenous and people of color community of Ellis County.The informal meeting is designed to be a way to create a stronger community by enhancing the understanding of racial issues in a nearly entirely white community.“This event grew from the development of a virtual community I
created in August 2020," said Nuchelle Chance, who organized the group with husband Demetrius Chance. "As a black woman, and specifically an underrepresented
minority in Hays, I am a firsthand witness to the fact that black, brown,
gay, Muslim, etc … people are not always made to feel welcomed and truly
included."The isolation created by the pandemic even further compounded the problem Nuchelle said."The COVID-19 pandemic has been significantly transformative as it has
really exacerbated the loneliness that a minority can feel in a place like
this," she said. "For me, I felt that this cannot be the best-case scenario for how I want
my time in northwest Kansas to be remembered."The BIPOC group and the meeting Tuesday is a direct response to that concern."I created the Black, Indigenous and
Persons of Color Community of Ellis County Facebook group as a safe
space for community building, inclusivity and support for underrepresented
minorities in the area."<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis">That group can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/bipocellis.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603657488149.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>With this first meeting, they hope to expand the reach of their message of inclusivity."As the COVID-19 pandemic regulations have been
adjusting I felt we were at a place where we could expand and take this
movement from a virtual space to reality," Nuchelle said "After conversations with my husband Demetrius&nbsp;Chance,
friends, HHS, FHSU students and colleagues I felt we could take this group
to the next level.”While Demetrius and Nuchelle organized the event, they credit Patrick McGinnis as also being instrumental in adding the in-person meetings.“Patrick, owner of Breathe
Coffee House, has been an avid supporter of community initiatives and supported
diversity and inclusion efforts since we moved to Hays," Nuchelle said. "Prior to COVID, Patrick was hosting conversations like this and, through conversations with him, it was obvious that with collaboration we could take it to the next level to
promote real inclusivity in this place."While they hope to create a more understanding culture in the area, they understand change takes time.“We clearly know we cannot
solve all the problems of the world, let alone Ellis County, but we can
provide those small moments of acceptance, welcomeness, peace, tranquility,
support and love," Nuchelle said. "We love our neighbors, black, white, brown, gay, straight,
disabled, fully-abled, Christian, Muslim, non-believer, and so on. If nothing
more than letting others that look, feel, and think like us know that we are
here. Further, we welcome all allies even if they do not self-identify as we do.”Having a group like this in Ellis County, she said not only helps create a more understanding culture but can also help the minority populations by giving them an opportunity to gather together.“An organization like this is
critical in a community like this where it is so easy for minorities to want to
simply disappear and be invisible just to go along with their daily lives only
to be hyper-visible and overly tokenized when it suits the masses,” Nuchelle said.After moving to Hays from North Carolina in 2018, she said she has seen how difficult first-hand life in Hays can be for the BIPOC community.“One of the biggest things for me is the fact that the
representation in this community is very small,” Nuchelle said. It’s so small that it seems that for minorities, even seeing other
people with a shared background can be comforting she said.She said her family has experienced a few incidents that enforce
her belief that groups like this are helpful to the entire community.“Even if they are just microaggressions, they still have an impact on
someone’s fears,” Nuchelle said. “Being accused of potentially robbing a store, just
because you are a black man in a hoodie, or being profiled by the police just because
you look suspicious based on your skin color, it is problematic. But it is happening
across the nation.”It’s really just about bringing a sense of community and
showing that you are not by yourself, she said.From those living in more urban settings, even with recent strife, often have more support in their communities, by virtue of the larger populations, Nuchelle said.&nbsp;“In bigger cities, there is a sense of community in that you can walk
outside, or go to your neighborhood store and see people and communicate with
people that have lived experiences like you, look like you and perceiving the
world like you, but that doesn’t happen in Hays or northwest Kansas for the
majority of people that brown or black,” she said.And she said in northwest Kanas the frequency of growing up in a
racially homogenous community creates misunderstandings and biases against minorities, simply because of the lack of experience with different groups.With that lack of understanding comes troubling situations.“Truth be told, now and in the past years in the current political
climate, it has really emboldened many people to spread these heinous and nasty thoughts,” Nuchelle said. “And it’s become
super polarized.”With the lack of diversity in Hays, she said this area
is particularly susceptible to biases stemming from a lack of mutual
understanding and sense of community that bridges different backgrounds.Even this month, Nuchelle said in Hays members of the BIPOC
group had reported racially motivated incidents.A Hispanic member was walking while passed by a recent
political rally that saw people driving around Hays in support of President Donald
Trump’s re-election campaign.“He was verbally assaulted by the protestors,” she said. “As
he was walking to work they drove by and called him a (racial slur).”“You can’t even mind your business and go to school and be
brown without being harassed,” she said. “it’s disgusting, it’s intolerable and
it’s unfortunate. But at the same time, the burden of that lies on the
marginalized.”“It’s one thing to be marginalized,” Demetrius said. “But
when you don’t have people to connect with it makes living here hard, it makes
it tough. To be able to be around people like look like you, that
think like you, it creates more of community with each other and changes the
climate.”The opportunity to be around others can create an encouraging environment
that can spur change, he said.He said with the situations that have created strife across the U.S. are not new.“People are now standing up. People are now talking about
it,” Demetrius said. “These are situations and issues that people have felt for years, for generations. &nbsp;While the desire to create change is being fostered, he said he has to start at home.“We can't depend on federal legislation or state legislation
to make changes,”&nbsp;Demetrius said. “We have to start locally and we have to focus on
change and what can we do in this community to make it easier for people that
are marginalized to potentially survive more peacefully.”While he acknowledges that Hays is generally a safe community, concerns for minorities remains a concern.“I know that they say Hays is a great place, and compared to
a lot of cities, Hays is a great place to live,"&nbsp;Demetrius said. "It’s peaceful. People walk
around with their houses unlocked, so you can see the sense of security here,
but there are also issues when it comes to race.”Now, he said, people are stepping up.“It’s not going to be a week-long battle or a month battle,”
he said. “Racism has been in Hays for generations, so it’s nothing that is going
to be corrected soon, but this is laying the foundations and starting the
process for us to create the community that everyone envisions.”<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/734145120470637/">For more information about the meeting visit their facebook page.</a>

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