The Ellis County Health Department on Monday announced 10 new positive cases of coronavirus in the county since Friday.

There are now 34 active cases in Ellis County, with 87 total cases since reporting began,<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/313e8963-6312-45d5-960d-9605f464bab1"> including one death related to COVID-19.</a>

The department said the new cases are under investigation, and noted that a third of the cases in Ellis County are familial contacts of one another who reside in the same home.

"If you reside with a positive case, you must be diligent in ensuring strict isolation," Monday's news release said.&nbsp;

The Ellis County Health Department on Monday announced 10 new positive cases of coronavirus in the county since Friday.There are now 34 active cases in Ellis County, with 87 total cases since reporting began,<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/313e8963-6312-45d5-960d-9605f464bab1"> including one death related to COVID-19.</a>The department said the new cases are under investigation, and noted that a third of the cases in Ellis County are familial contacts of one another who reside in the same home."If you reside with a positive case, you must be diligent in ensuring strict isolation," Monday's news release said.&nbsp;Read the entire release below:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595265137472.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

10 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ellis County

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

<div><iframe title="Even without Art Walks HAC has lots to offer" height="400" width="400" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/7d5zq-e3e330?from=pb6admin&amp;download=1&amp;version=1&amp;vjs=1&amp;auto=1&amp;share=1&amp;download=1&amp;rtl=0&amp;fonts=Helvetica&amp;skin=3&amp;pfauth="></iframe></div><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">To find out more about The Post Podcast, or subscribe to mobile&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd2f46c897d147ad4bb104b">notifications click here.</a>

🎙 Post Podcast: Even without Art Walks, HAC has lots to offer

Good Samaritan Society-Hays on Monday announced the results of a second round of mass coronavirus testing at its facility at 2700 Canal.

In a news release, Administrator Noe Gillespie announced that all 63 residents and 65 employees tested negative for COVID-19.

During its first round of mass testing, all residents tested negative and two staff members tested positive.

"All employees who previously tested positive have followed the KDHE guidelines of self-isolating, and are doing well.  In fact, we expect them to return to work soon," Gillespie said. "We want to thank our local and state health departments for their help. We are also sincerely grateful to the community and our Good Samaritan families that have continued to support us.”

In early June, a resident tested positive for COVID-19.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5ee2ba4aebfb13423b278c51">A mass testing conducted shortly&nbsp;</a>after showed no other residents or staff members were infected at the time.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591917306428.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Good Samaritan Society-Hays on Monday announced the results of a second round of mass coronavirus testing at its facility at 2700 Canal.In a news release, Administrator Noe Gillespie announced that all 63 residents and 65 employees tested negative for COVID-19.During its first round of mass testing, all residents tested negative and two staff members tested positive."All employees who previously tested positive have followed the KDHE guidelines of self-isolating, and are doing well. In fact, we expect them to return to work soon," Gillespie said. "We want to thank our local and state health departments for their help. We are also sincerely grateful to the community and our Good Samaritan families that have continued to support us.”In early June, a resident tested positive for COVID-19.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5ee2ba4aebfb13423b278c51">A mass testing conducted shortly&nbsp;</a>after showed no other residents or staff members were infected at the time.&nbsp;

All residents, staff test negative in second Good Sam mass testing

What: U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) Friday announced 
the Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum 
in Hutchinson, Kan. will host an event,&nbsp;“Engaging the Artemis Generation: A Virtual Q&amp;A with NASA Astronaut Nick Hague”&nbsp;on Tuesday, July 21 at 10:30 a.m. CDT.

Hague
 is a Hoxie native and late last year returned to Earth from the 
International Space Station. He will be joined by Sen. Moran, 
Cosmosphere President and CEO Jim Remar and Cosmosphere Camp Alumni, 
Teresa Sindelar and Charlie Garcia. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine 
will moderate the event.

The virtual event will give students 
interested in space the opportunity to ask questions and learn about 
NASA’s next steps towards&nbsp;the moon and beyond.

When: Tuesday, July 21 - 10:30 a.m. CDT&nbsp;

Who: U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Cosmosphere President and CEO Jim Remar NASA Astronaut Nick Hague NASA Media Operations Crew Training Instructor Teresa Sindelar Propulsion Design, Development &amp; Production Lead at Agile Space Industries, Charlie Garcia

Notes: To join the virtual event, please RSVP to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:Tom_Brandt@moran.senate.gov" target="_blank">Tom_Brandt@moran.senate.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595005445504.jpeg" alt="Nick Hague" />
 <figcaption>Nick Hague</figcaption>
 </figure>What: U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) Friday announced 
the Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum 
in Hutchinson, Kan. will host an event,&nbsp;“Engaging the Artemis Generation: A Virtual Q&amp;A with NASA Astronaut Nick Hague”&nbsp;on Tuesday, July 21 at 10:30 a.m. CDT.Hague
 is a Hoxie native and late last year returned to Earth from the 
International Space Station. He will be joined by Sen. Moran, 
Cosmosphere President and CEO Jim Remar and Cosmosphere Camp Alumni, 
Teresa Sindelar and Charlie Garcia. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine 
will moderate the event.The virtual event will give students 
interested in space the opportunity to ask questions and learn about 
NASA’s next steps towards&nbsp;the moon and beyond.When: Tuesday, July 21 - 10:30 a.m. CDT&nbsp;Who: U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Cosmosphere President and CEO Jim Remar NASA Astronaut Nick Hague NASA Media Operations Crew Training Instructor Teresa Sindelar Propulsion Design, Development &amp; Production Lead at Agile Space Industries, Charlie GarciaNotes: To join the virtual event, please RSVP to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:Tom_Brandt@moran.senate.gov" target="_blank">Tom_Brandt@moran.senate.gov</a>.

Moran to host virtual Q&A with astronaut from Hoxie

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with Kansas Board of Regents member Allen Schmidt.

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: KBOR member Allen Schmidt" height="400" width="400" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/uprmx-e3e2ea?from=pb6admin&amp;download=1&amp;version=1&amp;vjs=1&amp;auto=1&amp;share=1&amp;download=1&amp;rtl=0&amp;fonts=Helvetica&amp;skin=3&amp;pfauth="></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with Kansas Board of Regents member Allen Schmidt.

🎤Forward Ever: KBOR member Allen Schmidt

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Although statewide the unemployment rate has been in double digits, Ellis County is faring much better. Some employers are not only hiring, but struggling to find workers.

The statewide unemployment rate was 10 percent in May, down from 11.9 percent in April. It was 7.5 percent in June, in numbers reported on Friday.

Ellis County's unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in June down from 5.8 percent in May, which was down from 7.1 percent in April. Although low compared to the Kansas metro areas and nationwide, 4.1 percent is still high compared to the less than 2 percent unemployment rate that has been common for northwest Kansas for some time.

Business offers bonus for entry-level positions

Natashia Cecil, manager at the Hays Holiday Inn Express, said occupancy was light during the stay-at-home order in April and May. However, as the travel restrictions were lifted, occupancies have risen, and Cecil said the hotel is close to being back to being sold out almost every night.

The hotel has struggled to find housekeeping staff in its peak season even more than in years past. Between the Holiday Inn Express and Towne Place Suites, the businesses have 10 to 15 openings.&nbsp;Cecil said she is offering a $250 hiring incentive for housekeeping in attempts to fill the vacancies.

Cecil said in a normal year, the hotel industry would be able to gear up more slowly for the summer rush. This year that did not happen, so the hotels are cross training employees to do more with less.

Cecil speculated the $600 per week federal unemployment bonus payments are detouring some entry-level employees from returning the work force.

Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, which also administers the Work Hays job site, also speculated the federal $600 per week unemployment bonus, part of the CARES Act, was one reason local employers are struggling to fill entry-level jobs.

"I have had a number of employers who have told me that they have had struggles with that from the standpoint they can't get their employees to come back to work," Williams said,"because they are making more money on unemployment than they would make if they went back to work for them. That is in primary jobs."

With the additional federal payment, a person on unemployment can make $15 to $18 an hour, Williams said. Businesses offering minimum wage, Williams said, can't compete.

"It is a challenge for an employers who is use to paying somebody $10 an hour to go out and pay a lot more than that or to offer a bonus," Williams said, "because the economics of their business just doesn't provide for it.

"Hotels and restaurants are struggling anyway to make things work."

The additional federal unemployment payments are set to end in Kansas on July 25. Williams said he thought when the federal bonus ends, more people will go back to work.

Another factor in Hays, is the lack of college students. When the Hays campus closed for in-person classes, a portion of the student labor pool left the community.

However, Williams said the trend in the job market has been for fewer college students to work while they are attending school.

Ellis County is the largest oil producing county in the state. The oil industry took a significant hit during the COVID-19 shutdown. Oil demand sharply declined, and surpluses on the market led to prices falling to negative numbers for a brief time.

Initially, oil companies reported shutting down wells and suspending drilling.

However, Williams said in last 30 to 45 days, oil prices have increased.

"I think while they are not going gangbusters, they are maintaining their payrolls at this point, for the most part," Williams said.

Short-term future of job market uncertain

Williams said he thought Ellis County will show a continued positive rebound in&nbsp; employment July, but with the U.S. still battling COVID-19, it is very difficult to tell what the job market will look like in the near future.

"I think we can look long-term — that being two to five to 10 years — and be confident about some things, but what I would refer to as the short term — six months to a year — I don't think we have any idea," he said.

Another factor looming on the horizon is the K-12 school situation. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9c2106e8-8c7e-4c99-a681-39cb11dc76ee">Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday public schools will not reopen for in-person classes until at least after Labor Day.</a>

If families have students at home, this could effect at least one of the parent's ability to work.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594929976912.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostAlthough statewide the unemployment rate has been in double digits, Ellis County is faring much better. Some employers are not only hiring, but struggling to find workers.The statewide unemployment rate was 10 percent in May, down from 11.9 percent in April. It was 7.5 percent in June, in numbers reported on Friday.Ellis County's unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in June down from 5.8 percent in May, which was down from 7.1 percent in April. Although low compared to the Kansas metro areas and nationwide, 4.1 percent is still high compared to the less than 2 percent unemployment rate that has been common for northwest Kansas for some time.<h2>Business offers bonus for entry-level positions</h2>Natashia Cecil, manager at the Hays Holiday Inn Express, said occupancy was light during the stay-at-home order in April and May. However, as the travel restrictions were lifted, occupancies have risen, and Cecil said the hotel is close to being back to being sold out almost every night.The hotel has struggled to find housekeeping staff in its peak season even more than in years past. Between the Holiday Inn Express and Towne Place Suites, the businesses have 10 to 15 openings.&nbsp;Cecil said she is offering a $250 hiring incentive for housekeeping in attempts to fill the vacancies.Cecil said in a normal year, the hotel industry would be able to gear up more slowly for the summer rush. This year that did not happen, so the hotels are cross training employees to do more with less.<h2>$600 federal bonus may be factor</h2>Cecil speculated the $600 per week federal unemployment bonus payments are detouring some entry-level employees from returning the work force.Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, which also administers the Work Hays job site, also speculated the federal $600 per week unemployment bonus, part of the CARES Act, was one reason local employers are struggling to fill entry-level jobs."I have had a number of employers who have told me that they have had struggles with that from the standpoint they can't get their employees to come back to work," Williams said,"because they are making more money on unemployment than they would make if they went back to work for them. That is in primary jobs."With the additional federal payment, a person on unemployment can make $15 to $18 an hour, Williams said. Businesses offering minimum wage, Williams said, can't compete."It is a challenge for an employers who is use to paying somebody $10 an hour to go out and pay a lot more than that or to offer a bonus," Williams said, "because the economics of their business just doesn't provide for it."Hotels and restaurants are struggling anyway to make things work."The additional federal unemployment payments are set to end in Kansas on July 25. Williams said he thought when the federal bonus ends, more people will go back to work.Another factor in Hays, is the lack of college students. When the Hays campus closed for in-person classes, a portion of the student labor pool left the community.However, Williams said the trend in the job market has been for fewer college students to work while they are attending school.<h2>Oil industry on the rebound</h2>Ellis County is the largest oil producing county in the state. The oil industry took a significant hit during the COVID-19 shutdown. Oil demand sharply declined, and surpluses on the market led to prices falling to negative numbers for a brief time.Initially, oil companies reported shutting down wells and suspending drilling.However, Williams said in last 30 to 45 days, oil prices have increased."I think while they are not going gangbusters, they are maintaining their payrolls at this point, for the most part," Williams said.<h2>Short-term future of job market uncertain</h2>Williams said he thought Ellis County will show a continued positive rebound in&nbsp; employment July, but with the U.S. still battling COVID-19, it is very difficult to tell what the job market will look like in the near future."I think we can look long-term — that being two to five to 10 years — and be confident about some things, but what I would refer to as the short term — six months to a year — I don't think we have any idea," he said.Another factor looming on the horizon is the K-12 school situation. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9c2106e8-8c7e-4c99-a681-39cb11dc76ee">Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday public schools will not reopen for in-person classes until at least after Labor Day.</a>If families have students at home, this could effect at least one of the parent's ability to work.

Despite high jobless rates, employers struggle to hire entry-level workers

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Steve Hudman took over as the new VP of the NCK Tech Hays campus facing the challenge of COVID-19's "new normal."

Hudman, who has 13 years of experience in higher education, took over the leadership role in Hays days after the campus closed for COVID-19.

The school plans to restart in August with in-person classes, but Hudman acknowledged COVID-19 will require the school, its students and staff to be flexible and adjust as the COVID-19 situation evolves.

"We may come up and think we have the best plan in place ready to go, but that might all have to be changed in a month or a day, because of some sort of outbreak or an event that has increased the COVID spread rate,"&nbsp; Hudman said. "That has been the biggest challenge — to navigate all the uncertainty."

Although in-person and hands-on classes are planned and preferred, Hudman said classes could need to go back online.

"We may be meeting face-to-face one day," he said. "We may be meeting by Zoom one day."

The school is not planning for if a student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, they are planning on what to do when that happens, Hudman said.

"It is going to happen," he said. "How we manage the positive cases is going to determine how the semester goes.

"It is going to look a lot different than what people are used to, but we are going to create as normal an atmosphere as we possibly can to look as close as it can to a non-COVID year."

Although COVID-19 seems to be NCK Tech's most significant challenge,&nbsp;Hudman said the college has much potential for growth.

"I can't say exactly what drew me to NCK Tech other than the technical side of the house, the format, the structure and the course work that helps students succeed to become gainfully employed," he said.

Hudman said he believes higher education should be more than getting bodies in the seats. He said states, including Kansas, are putting more emphasis on completion of degree programs or certifications and employment after those programs are completed.

Hudman said if he had his education to do over, he said he does not know if he would have attended a four-year college.

"I have four kids of my own," he said. "If you want to go out and get a lucrative career ... I think technical college is the niche to get students gainfully employed into lifetime careers."

The COVID-19 crisis has put an even bigger emphasis on technical education, Hudman said. Nurses, plumbers, HVAC technicians, mechanics — these are the essential workers, he said.

"You don't come out of school with a lot of debt," he said. "You finish a program in nine months. You can go to work and make anywhere from $28,000 to $70,000 a year to as much money as you wanted to make no matter what the climate."

Hudman said he would like to further develop student life at the school.&nbsp;

Much of Hudman's career has been spent in student affairs. He served as the dean of student affairs and chief student affairs officer at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas.&nbsp;

Prior to Angelina College, Hudman served as the dean of student life and athletic director for Cisco College in Cisco, Texas. Both colleges had fewer than 5,000 students.

The school may be limited right now because of social distancing requirements, but Hudman said he would like to see more student activities, such as student barbecues, intramurals, dances or concerts.&nbsp;

He said bringing the student body together might start with bringing the P/HAC and culinary programs to campus. The school's Hays-based culinary program is at the Hadley Center and the P/HAC program is on Main Street in Hays.

"We have a lot of space. We have a lot of open areas that are just screaming, 'Let's do something with those spaces,' " Hudman said. "I don't want to say it's a blank canvas, because there is a lot going on at NCK Tech in both Beloit and here, but we're spread out throughout Hays."

He said the campus has room to grow and he thought the NCK Tech programs are in demand in the Hays market. The Hays NCK Tech programs are near to capacity.

"NCK Tech is the best kept secret in Hays," Hudman said. "The goal is to not make it a secret anymore. We want you to understand that we have a lot of good things going on."

He said family and community involvement were both his top priorities.

Hudman said he would like to see NCK Tech more active in the community in civic organizations and volunteer opportunities.

"I look forward to getting the NCK Tech family and the Hays community&nbsp; integrated more so than it already is," he said.

Hudman has four children — Bret, 23, will be finishing his degree at FHSU; Baleigh, 21; Bryce, 18, will be starting the P/HAC program at NCK-Tech in the fall; and Brock, 13, will be an eighth grader at Hays Middle School in the fall. Hudman has been married to his wife, Kelly, for 25 years.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594909185296.jpeg" alt="Steve Hudman, the new vice president of the Hays North Central Kansas Technical College campus, said he would like to improve student life on campus and increase community involvement." />
 <figcaption>Steve Hudman, the new vice president of the Hays North Central Kansas Technical College campus, said he would like to improve student life on campus and increase community involvement.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostSteve Hudman took over as the new VP of the NCK Tech Hays campus facing the challenge of COVID-19's "new normal."Hudman, who has 13 years of experience in higher education, took over the leadership role in Hays days after the campus closed for COVID-19.The school plans to restart in August with in-person classes, but Hudman acknowledged COVID-19 will require the school, its students and staff to be flexible and adjust as the COVID-19 situation evolves."We may come up and think we have the best plan in place ready to go, but that might all have to be changed in a month or a day, because of some sort of outbreak or an event that has increased the COVID spread rate,"&nbsp; Hudman said. "That has been the biggest challenge — to navigate all the uncertainty."Although in-person and hands-on classes are planned and preferred, Hudman said classes could need to go back online."We may be meeting face-to-face one day," he said. "We may be meeting by Zoom one day."The school is not planning for if a student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, they are planning on what to do when that happens, Hudman said."It is going to happen," he said. "How we manage the positive cases is going to determine how the semester goes."It is going to look a lot different than what people are used to, but we are going to create as normal an atmosphere as we possibly can to look as close as it can to a non-COVID year."Although COVID-19 seems to be NCK Tech's most significant challenge,&nbsp;Hudman said the college has much potential for growth."I can't say exactly what drew me to NCK Tech other than the technical side of the house, the format, the structure and the course work that helps students succeed to become gainfully employed," he said.Hudman said he believes higher education should be more than getting bodies in the seats. He said states, including Kansas, are putting more emphasis on completion of degree programs or certifications and employment after those programs are completed.Hudman said if he had his education to do over, he said he does not know if he would have attended a four-year college."I have four kids of my own," he said. "If you want to go out and get a lucrative career ... I think technical college is the niche to get students gainfully employed into lifetime careers."The COVID-19 crisis has put an even bigger emphasis on technical education, Hudman said. Nurses, plumbers, HVAC technicians, mechanics — these are the essential workers, he said."You don't come out of school with a lot of debt," he said. "You finish a program in nine months. You can go to work and make anywhere from $28,000 to $70,000 a year to as much money as you wanted to make no matter what the climate."Hudman said he would like to further develop student life at the school.&nbsp;Much of Hudman's career has been spent in student affairs. He served as the dean of student affairs and chief student affairs officer at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas.&nbsp;Prior to Angelina College, Hudman served as the dean of student life and athletic director for Cisco College in Cisco, Texas. Both colleges had fewer than 5,000 students.The school may be limited right now because of social distancing requirements, but Hudman said he would like to see more student activities, such as student barbecues, intramurals, dances or concerts.&nbsp;He said bringing the student body together might start with bringing the P/HAC and culinary programs to campus. The school's Hays-based culinary program is at the Hadley Center and the P/HAC program is on Main Street in Hays."We have a lot of space. We have a lot of open areas that are just screaming, 'Let's do something with those spaces,' " Hudman said. "I don't want to say it's a blank canvas, because there is a lot going on at NCK Tech in both Beloit and here, but we're spread out throughout Hays."He said the campus has room to grow and he thought the NCK Tech programs are in demand in the Hays market. The Hays NCK Tech programs are near to capacity."NCK Tech is the best kept secret in Hays," Hudman said. "The goal is to not make it a secret anymore. We want you to understand that we have a lot of good things going on."He said family and community involvement were both his top priorities.Hudman said he would like to see NCK Tech more active in the community in civic organizations and volunteer opportunities."I look forward to getting the NCK Tech family and the Hays community&nbsp; integrated more so than it already is," he said.Hudman has four children — Bret, 23, will be finishing his degree at FHSU; Baleigh, 21; Bryce, 18, will be starting the P/HAC program at NCK-Tech in the fall; and Brock, 13, will be an eighth grader at Hays Middle School in the fall. Hudman has been married to his wife, Kelly, for 25 years.&nbsp;

NCK Tech VP: COVID challenging, but Hays campus has room for growth

By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/rural-kansas-electric-coops-get-millions-federal-coronavirus-relief">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — Fearing what the coronavirus might
 do to the power industry, six electric cooperatives in Kansas applied 
and received up to $20 million total in loans as part of the federal <a href="https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program#section-header-5" target="_blank">Paycheck Protection Program</a>.

“It looked pretty bleak,” said Doug Jackson, the general manager of <a href="https://www.rollinghills.coop/service-territory" target="_blank">Rolling Hills Electric Co-op</a> based in Beloit. It received $1.19 million to help sustain 42 full-time employees.

Electric
 cooperatives are nonprofit organizations that provide power to rural 
Kansas and are run by their members. That is to say, they aren’t usually
 flush with cash. The money that comes in from customer bills each month
 is enough to pay the cost of operating.

When the coronavirus 
arrived, electric co-op CEOs worried about how it might impact their 
organization’s ability to pay their own bills. So, some turned to the 
PPP, part of the $2 trillion economic stimulus package Congress passed 
in late March to help small businesses keep their workforce employed.

“We were concerned we would face a loss of load (how much electricity people use),” <a href="https://www.sunflower.net/about-sunflower/" target="_blank">Sunflower Electric Power Corporation</a>
 CEO Stuart Lowry said from Hays, “and that loss of load would mean a 
loss of revenue and the loss of revenue would require that we raise 
rates.”

Sunflower received $10 million in loans to support 423 jobs.

One
 of the major things that brings in money for Sunflower and its 
distribution cooperatives’ is providing electricity to oil and gas pumps
 and pipelines. Many of those companies turned their wells off in April 
and May, when the price of oil dropped to about $5 a barrel, and 
momentarily even negative.

Sunflower also provides electricity to
 many large agricultural operations and food industries. At the 
beginning of the pandemic, Lowry said there was uncertainty about 
whether those plants would be able to continue to operate.

According
 to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the amount of electricity sold 
to industrial customers around the country in April was down 9% compared
 to the average in the previous five years; for commercial it dropped 
10%.

State electricity regulators also mandated that electric companies couldn’t disconnect service for non-payment.

At the beginning, the co-ops worried about what that could mean for their ability to collect. But <a href="https://www.weci.net/your-cooperative-believes-transparency" target="_blank">Wheatland Electric Cooperative</a> Director of Communications Alli Connine said that it hasn’t been as big of a problem as expected.

“We’ve
 actually been surprised,” said Connine, whose co-op is in Scott City. 
“We’re actually lower (with non-payments) than what we are usually at 
and I think that’s because we’ve been proactive and encouraged our 
members to call in if they have payment difficulties.”

Wheatland Electric Cooperative received between $2 and $5 million to support 138 jobs.

Both Lowry and Jackson said the main goal behind applying for PPP loans was to give their organizations options and flexibility.

“We
 value our employees very much and if we laid them off, they may get a 
job elsewhere and not return and then we’d have to retrain new people,” 
Jackson said.

At this point, none of the co-ops that the Kansas 
News Service spoke with knows whether they’ll have to repay the loans 
(the program has a mechanism that will forgive the loan if a company 
meets certain requirements.)

But leaders of the co-ops said if it helps sustain the business, it will be worth repaying parts of the loan if necessary.

“We’re
 really in a position to pass the amount of our loan, dollar for dollar,
 through to the electric ratepayer,” Lowry said. “Each dollar will be a 
dollar we may not have to collect from the ratepayer.”

Brian 
Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for 
KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on 
Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a>&nbsp;or
 email him at grimmett@kmuw.org. The Kansas News Service is a
 collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public
 Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594821482361.png" alt=" An electric substation. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> An electric substation. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/rural-kansas-electric-coops-get-millions-federal-coronavirus-relief">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — Fearing what the coronavirus might
 do to the power industry, six electric cooperatives in Kansas applied 
and received up to $20 million total in loans as part of the federal <a href="https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program#section-header-5" target="_blank">Paycheck Protection Program</a>.“It looked pretty bleak,” said Doug Jackson, the general manager of <a href="https://www.rollinghills.coop/service-territory" target="_blank">Rolling Hills Electric Co-op</a> based in Beloit. It received $1.19 million to help sustain 42 full-time employees.Electric
 cooperatives are nonprofit organizations that provide power to rural 
Kansas and are run by their members. That is to say, they aren’t usually
 flush with cash. The money that comes in from customer bills each month
 is enough to pay the cost of operating.When the coronavirus 
arrived, electric co-op CEOs worried about how it might impact their 
organization’s ability to pay their own bills. So, some turned to the 
PPP, part of the $2 trillion economic stimulus package Congress passed 
in late March to help small businesses keep their workforce employed.“We were concerned we would face a loss of load (how much electricity people use),” <a href="https://www.sunflower.net/about-sunflower/" target="_blank">Sunflower Electric Power Corporation</a>
 CEO Stuart Lowry said from Hays, “and that loss of load would mean a 
loss of revenue and the loss of revenue would require that we raise 
rates.”Sunflower received $10 million in loans to support 423 jobs.One
 of the major things that brings in money for Sunflower and its 
distribution cooperatives’ is providing electricity to oil and gas pumps
 and pipelines. Many of those companies turned their wells off in April 
and May, when the price of oil dropped to about $5 a barrel, and 
momentarily even negative.Sunflower also provides electricity to
 many large agricultural operations and food industries. At the 
beginning of the pandemic, Lowry said there was uncertainty about 
whether those plants would be able to continue to operate.According
 to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the amount of electricity sold 
to industrial customers around the country in April was down 9% compared
 to the average in the previous five years; for commercial it dropped 
10%.State electricity regulators also mandated that electric companies couldn’t disconnect service for non-payment.At the beginning, the co-ops worried about what that could mean for their ability to collect. But <a href="https://www.weci.net/your-cooperative-believes-transparency" target="_blank">Wheatland Electric Cooperative</a> Director of Communications Alli Connine said that it hasn’t been as big of a problem as expected.“We’ve
 actually been surprised,” said Connine, whose co-op is in Scott City. 
“We’re actually lower (with non-payments) than what we are usually at 
and I think that’s because we’ve been proactive and encouraged our 
members to call in if they have payment difficulties.”Wheatland Electric Cooperative received between $2 and $5 million to support 138 jobs.Both Lowry and Jackson said the main goal behind applying for PPP loans was to give their organizations options and flexibility.“We
 value our employees very much and if we laid them off, they may get a 
job elsewhere and not return and then we’d have to retrain new people,” 
Jackson said.At this point, none of the co-ops that the Kansas 
News Service spoke with knows whether they’ll have to repay the loans 
(the program has a mechanism that will forgive the loan if a company 
meets certain requirements.)But leaders of the co-ops said if it helps sustain the business, it will be worth repaying parts of the loan if necessary.“We’re
 really in a position to pass the amount of our loan, dollar for dollar,
 through to the electric ratepayer,” Lowry said. “Each dollar will be a 
dollar we may not have to collect from the ratepayer.”Brian 
Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for 
KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on 
Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en">@briangrimmett</a>&nbsp;or
 email him at grimmett@kmuw.org. The Kansas News Service is a
 collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public
 Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy.

Federal virus relief helped western Kan. electric co-ops weather storm

It’s been more than 60 years since Gary and Ila Hulett graduated together from Fort Hays State University. And it’s been more than 20 years since the husband-wife duo retired from teaching at their beloved alma mater.&nbsp; But their love and dedication have not waned – for each other or their university – and has led the Huletts to establish a scholarship through the FHSU Foundation in support of students studying chemistry.&nbsp; The scholarship is in honor of Ila, a long-time professor of chemistry, who was known for helping students no matter what time of day. Gary said he wanted to establish a scholarship in honor of Ila because of her contributions and dedication to FHSU’s Department of Chemistry.&nbsp; “We used to get phone calls at home in the evening hours, asking for Mrs. Hulett,” said Gary, a former professor of biology. “For the next hour or so, Ila would patiently work through chemistry problems with students who struggled to understand the content. That happened many, many times.”&nbsp; The Huletts grew up in small north-central Kansas towns – Ila on a farm near Tipton and Gary in Osborne – and have been together since the eighth grade. They came to college together and eventually settled on majors that would result in long, successful teaching careers.&nbsp; Following graduation from FHSU in 1958, the couple moved to Canada, where Gary completed his Ph.D. at the University of Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, Ila worked as a chemist at the university hospital and as an instructor for the university.&nbsp; While they continue to travel – they have spent time in several different countries, including Australia, Great Britain and Egypt – the Huletts are content calling Hays home. They are proud to start a scholarship at FHSU.&nbsp; “Fort Hays State has been an amazing place,” Ila said, “with excellent faculty and hardworking students.”&nbsp; The Huletts attended Fort Hays State University back in the days when freshmen wore beanies on campus, and the late George Sternberg – now a world-renowned paleontologist – worked on campus as curator of the Fort Hays Kansas State College Museum in McCartney Hall.&nbsp; During his freshman year, Gary’s part-time job was in the museum, where he got to work with Sternberg, after whom the museum would later be named.&nbsp; Gary remembers working for 39 cents an hour and paying $35 a month for an apartment on Sixth Street. Tuition back then was $45 a semester.&nbsp; It was another FHSU icon who got Gary interested in biology. Gary came to college to study geology. But after taking a class with Dr. Gerald Tomanek, a biology professor who would later become the university’s seventh president, Gary changed his major to biology.&nbsp; “Dr. Tomanek was a phenomenal teacher who preferred a lot of hands-on work outside,” Gary said. “He was not always organized, but he was so inspirational that it didn’t make any difference.”&nbsp; The Huletts displayed the same care and concern for students throughout their teaching careers.&nbsp; They continue to stay in touch with some of their previous students and have fond memories of their time at FHSU as both students and professors.&nbsp; “We recently got a note from a bright young woman who we both taught,” Ila said. “She wrote, letting us know that she had now finished her MD. We are so very proud of her.”&nbsp; The Huletts no doubt will be receiving similar notes from students for years to come, including Sienna Hockersmith, a senior from Victoria, one of the first two recipients of the Ila Hulett Chemistry Scholarship.&nbsp; “After hearing their story, these two are such an inspiration to current students like myself,” Hockersmith said. “Being awarded this scholarship will allow me to continue my journey at FHSU. It is an honor to have the support of such great Fort Hays State University alumni who believe in my future.”&nbsp; To contribute to the Ila Hulett Chemistry Scholarship, or to learn more about creating your own scholarship in support of students within the Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics at FHSU, contact Darci Cain with the Fort Hays State University Foundation at 785-628-5620 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:foundation@fhsu.edu">foundation@fhsu.edu</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594930432135.jpeg" alt="Ila and Gary&nbsp;Hulett" />
 <figcaption>Ila and Gary&nbsp;Hulett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsIt’s been more than 60 years since Gary and Ila Hulett graduated together from Fort Hays State University. And it’s been more than 20 years since the husband-wife duo retired from teaching at their beloved alma mater.&nbsp; But their love and dedication have not waned – for each other or their university – and has led the Huletts to establish a scholarship through the FHSU Foundation in support of students studying chemistry.&nbsp; The scholarship is in honor of Ila, a long-time professor of chemistry, who was known for helping students no matter what time of day. Gary said he wanted to establish a scholarship in honor of Ila because of her contributions and dedication to FHSU’s Department of Chemistry.&nbsp; “We used to get phone calls at home in the evening hours, asking for Mrs. Hulett,” said Gary, a former professor of biology. “For the next hour or so, Ila would patiently work through chemistry problems with students who struggled to understand the content. That happened many, many times.”&nbsp; The Huletts grew up in small north-central Kansas towns – Ila on a farm near Tipton and Gary in Osborne – and have been together since the eighth grade. They came to college together and eventually settled on majors that would result in long, successful teaching careers.&nbsp; Following graduation from FHSU in 1958, the couple moved to Canada, where Gary completed his Ph.D. at the University of Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, Ila worked as a chemist at the university hospital and as an instructor for the university.&nbsp; While they continue to travel – they have spent time in several different countries, including Australia, Great Britain and Egypt – the Huletts are content calling Hays home. They are proud to start a scholarship at FHSU.&nbsp; “Fort Hays State has been an amazing place,” Ila said, “with excellent faculty and hardworking students.”&nbsp; The Huletts attended Fort Hays State University back in the days when freshmen wore beanies on campus, and the late George Sternberg – now a world-renowned paleontologist – worked on campus as curator of the Fort Hays Kansas State College Museum in McCartney Hall.&nbsp; During his freshman year, Gary’s part-time job was in the museum, where he got to work with Sternberg, after whom the museum would later be named.&nbsp; Gary remembers working for 39 cents an hour and paying $35 a month for an apartment on Sixth Street. Tuition back then was $45 a semester.&nbsp; It was another FHSU icon who got Gary interested in biology. Gary came to college to study geology. But after taking a class with Dr. Gerald Tomanek, a biology professor who would later become the university’s seventh president, Gary changed his major to biology.&nbsp; “Dr. Tomanek was a phenomenal teacher who preferred a lot of hands-on work outside,” Gary said. “He was not always organized, but he was so inspirational that it didn’t make any difference.”&nbsp; The Huletts displayed the same care and concern for students throughout their teaching careers.&nbsp; They continue to stay in touch with some of their previous students and have fond memories of their time at FHSU as both students and professors.&nbsp; “We recently got a note from a bright young woman who we both taught,” Ila said. “She wrote, letting us know that she had now finished her MD. We are so very proud of her.”&nbsp; The Huletts no doubt will be receiving similar notes from students for years to come, including Sienna Hockersmith, a senior from Victoria, one of the first two recipients of the Ila Hulett Chemistry Scholarship.&nbsp; “After hearing their story, these two are such an inspiration to current students like myself,” Hockersmith said. “Being awarded this scholarship will allow me to continue my journey at FHSU. It is an honor to have the support of such great Fort Hays State University alumni who believe in my future.”&nbsp; To contribute to the Ila Hulett Chemistry Scholarship, or to learn more about creating your own scholarship in support of students within the Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics at FHSU, contact Darci Cain with the Fort Hays State University Foundation at 785-628-5620 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:foundation@fhsu.edu">foundation@fhsu.edu</a>.&nbsp;

Longtime FHSU supporters start scholarship for chemistry majors

TOPEKA – State Librarian Eric Norris, a former Hays resident, has&nbsp; announced the 15th annual selection of Kansas Notable Books.

The fifteen books feature quality titles with wide public appeal, written either by a Kansan, set in Kansas, or&nbsp;about a Kansas related topic.

Among the noted book authors are a former longtime Hoxie resident. Two other books feature a family who lived in Hays during their travels around the world and a story based in Nicodemus.&nbsp;

“I am proud to present the 2020 Kansas Notable Book list. This year’s list covers a wide swath of our cultural and&nbsp;natural history,” said Norris.

“The rich array of works on this year’s list examine petroglyphs&nbsp;across the prairie and go on fantastical high seas adventures with pirates; explore the careers of academics,&nbsp;athletes, and aviators; and consider the importance of family from the viewpoint of a young Exoduster in the&nbsp;1880s and as a world traveler in a present day small western Kansas town. This year’s list will both educate and&nbsp;entertain. I encourage every Kansan to contact their local public library and celebrate the artists and artistry of&nbsp;Kansas.”

A committee of librarians, academics, and historians nominated titles from a list of eligible books, and state&nbsp;librarian Norris selected the final list. In 2006, the first Kansas Notable Books list was announced. Since then&nbsp;more than 200 books have been recognized for their contribution to Kansas literary heritage.

Kansas Notable Books is a project of the Kansas Center for the Book. The Kansas Center for the Book is a&nbsp;program at the State Library of Kansas and the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. The&nbsp;Kansas Center for the Book exists to highlight the state’s literary heritage and foster an interest in books,&nbsp;reading, and libraries.

For more information about Kansas Notable Books, visit <a href="https://kslib.info/849/Kansas-Notable-Books">kslib.info/notablebooks</a>, call 785-296-3296, or email&nbsp;infodesk@ks.gov.

Birds, Bones, and Beetles: The Improbable Career and Remarkable Legacy of University of Kansas Naturalist&nbsp;Charles D. Bunker by Charles H. Warner (Lawrence) University Press of Kansas

A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo (Manhattan) HarperTeen

Crumbled! (The Misadventures of Nobbin Swill) by Lisa Harkrader (Tonganoxie) Yellow Jacket

Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town by A. LaFaye (Glen Carbon IL), illustrations by Nicole Tadgell (Oxford&nbsp;MA) Albert Whitman &amp; Company

Headwinds: A Memoir by Edna Bell-Pearson (Overland&nbsp;Park) Meadowlark

The Healer's Daughter: A Novel by Charlotte Hinger (Hoxie) Five Star Publishing

How to Be a Family: The Year I Dragged My Kids Around the World to Find a New Way to Be Together by&nbsp;Dan Kois (Arlington VA) Little, Brown and Company

Journey to a Promised Land: A Story of the Exodusters (I Am America) by Allison Lassieur (Schenectady NY) Jolly&nbsp;Fish Press

Kansas City Chiefs Legends: The Greatest Coaches, Players and Front Office Execs in Chiefs History by Jeff&nbsp;Deters (Lawrence) Deters Publications

A Perfect Silhouette by Judith Miller (Overland Park) Bethany House Publishers

Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills by Rex C. Buchanan (Lawrence), Burke W. Griggs (Lawrence), Joshua&nbsp;L. Svaty (Ellsworth) University Press of Kansas

The Reckless Oath We Made: A Novel by Bryn Greenwood (Lawrence) G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Steel Tide: A Seafire Novel by Natalie C. Parker (Lawrence) Razorbill

The Topeka School: A Novel by Ben Lerner (Brooklyn NY) Farrar, Straus and Giroux

What Color Is Night? by Grant Snider (Wichita) Chronicle Books

The State Library of Kansas – To learn more, visit <a href="https://kslib.info/">kslib.info</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594913476839.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State LibraryTOPEKA – State Librarian Eric Norris, a former Hays resident, has&nbsp; announced the 15th annual selection of Kansas Notable Books.The fifteen books feature quality titles with wide public appeal, written either by a Kansan, set in Kansas, or&nbsp;about a Kansas related topic.Among the noted book authors are a former longtime Hoxie resident. Two other books feature a family who lived in Hays during their travels around the world and a story based in Nicodemus.&nbsp;“I am proud to present the 2020 Kansas Notable Book list. This year’s list covers a wide swath of our cultural and&nbsp;natural history,” said Norris.“The rich array of works on this year’s list examine petroglyphs&nbsp;across the prairie and go on fantastical high seas adventures with pirates; explore the careers of academics,&nbsp;athletes, and aviators; and consider the importance of family from the viewpoint of a young Exoduster in the&nbsp;1880s and as a world traveler in a present day small western Kansas town. This year’s list will both educate and&nbsp;entertain. I encourage every Kansan to contact their local public library and celebrate the artists and artistry of&nbsp;Kansas.”A committee of librarians, academics, and historians nominated titles from a list of eligible books, and state&nbsp;librarian Norris selected the final list. In 2006, the first Kansas Notable Books list was announced. Since then&nbsp;more than 200 books have been recognized for their contribution to Kansas literary heritage.Kansas Notable Books is a project of the Kansas Center for the Book. The Kansas Center for the Book is a&nbsp;program at the State Library of Kansas and the state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. The&nbsp;Kansas Center for the Book exists to highlight the state’s literary heritage and foster an interest in books,&nbsp;reading, and libraries.For more information about Kansas Notable Books, visit <a href="https://kslib.info/849/Kansas-Notable-Books">kslib.info/notablebooks</a>, call 785-296-3296, or email&nbsp;infodesk@ks.gov.<h2>2020 Kansas Notable Books</h2>Birds, Bones, and Beetles: The Improbable Career and Remarkable Legacy of University of Kansas Naturalist&nbsp;Charles D. Bunker by Charles H. Warner (Lawrence) University Press of KansasA Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo (Manhattan) HarperTeenCrumbled! (The Misadventures of Nobbin Swill) by Lisa Harkrader (Tonganoxie) Yellow JacketFollow Me Down to Nicodemus Town by A. LaFaye (Glen Carbon IL), illustrations by Nicole Tadgell (Oxford&nbsp;MA) Albert Whitman &amp; CompanyHeadwinds: A Memoir by Edna Bell-Pearson (Overland&nbsp;Park) MeadowlarkThe Healer's Daughter: A Novel by Charlotte Hinger (Hoxie) Five Star PublishingHow to Be a Family: The Year I Dragged My Kids Around the World to Find a New Way to Be Together by&nbsp;Dan Kois (Arlington VA) Little, Brown and CompanyJourney to a Promised Land: A Story of the Exodusters (I Am America) by Allison Lassieur (Schenectady NY) Jolly&nbsp;Fish PressKansas City Chiefs Legends: The Greatest Coaches, Players and Front Office Execs in Chiefs History by Jeff&nbsp;Deters (Lawrence) Deters PublicationsA Perfect Silhouette by Judith Miller (Overland Park) Bethany House PublishersPetroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills by Rex C. Buchanan (Lawrence), Burke W. Griggs (Lawrence), Joshua&nbsp;L. Svaty (Ellsworth) University Press of KansasThe Reckless Oath We Made: A Novel by Bryn Greenwood (Lawrence) G.P. Putnam’s SonsSteel Tide: A Seafire Novel by Natalie C. Parker (Lawrence) RazorbillThe Topeka School: A Novel by Ben Lerner (Brooklyn NY) Farrar, Straus and GirouxWhat Color Is Night? by Grant Snider (Wichita) Chronicle BooksThe State Library of Kansas – To learn more, visit <a href="https://kslib.info/">kslib.info</a>.

Hoxie, Hays, Nicodemus connections among 2020 Kansas Notable Books

I am a local attorney that practices in Ellis County. I was born and raised in Hays, and I truly love my community. Ellis County is a wonderful place to raise my daughter and practice law. I’m speaking up because it is extremely important to me who holds the office of Ellis County Attorney.

I went to law school with both Robert Anderson, Jr. and Chris Lyon. In fact, Chris and I spent an entire semester sitting right next to each other in a class neither one of us ended up using...bankruptcy law. We visited as law students do, never knowing that we would one day practice in the same community. I found Chris to be friendly and intelligent. We ended up practicing on opposite sides of the courtroom. He as the Assistant Ellis County Attorney and me as a criminal defense attorney. We have maintained our friendliness despite our opposing views at times. I support Chris as a person and a friend, but I do not support him in his bid for Ellis County Attorney.

As a criminal defense attorney, I have been an active participant in Chris’ work as Assistant Ellis County Attorney, Hays City Attorney and Trego County Attorney. It is my opinion that he has overextended himself. His ambition is obvious, but his ability to manage on all fronts is lacking. When asked why he has taken on so much his standard answer has been that he is “just building [his] empire.” I believe the people of Ellis County deserve better than to just be part of someone’s “empire.” We deserve better than to be another job of an already overextended attorney.

I was co-counsel in a case Chris took to jury trial in Trego County that had no business going to trial. It was frivolous and totally unnecessary. A waste of taxpayer dollars. The charges were misdemeanors. My law partner was head counsel for the defense and she won the case easily. It was a full acquittal. In a previous conversation Chris had told me that sometimes you have to take a losing case to trial to “make a point.” I don’t believe taxpayer dollars should be spent on jury trials only to make a point. The justice system should be taken more seriously than that.

It bothers me that when Chris decided to step out of the Ellis County Attorney race he announced it and then threw his full support behind Robert only to remove that support when he decided to step back in. He privately met with Robert to encourage him to run. He has also told Robert that if he wins he will hire Robert at the office and pay him a higher salary than he pays himself. It sounds to me like he has more confidence in Robert than he states now that they are running against each other.

I also know Robert. We have provided professional support to each other throughout our practice. I have been closely involved in multiple cases with him in a wide range of situations. He is, absolutely, the best candidate for Ellis County Attorney.

Robert uses more than just his legal training to serve his clients. He cares about doing the right thing above his own interest in winning. He has a solid grasp on the legal system while not forgetting that he is working with humans...not just defendants. He’s not interested in “building an empire,” but in actually serving the people of Ellis County full time. Robert will not have multiple jobs that require several offices and homes throughout the state. He will have ONE office and ONE home. He will focus on ONE job.

He will not be taking frivolous cases to trial to “make a point.” He will be tough where we need toughness and wise where we need wisdom. We need someone that carefully takes matters to trial for stability and safety. That’s what we can count on Robert to do.

I’ve seen both of these attorneys in action in the courtroom. I’ve been in private meetings with both of them. I’ve seen their philosophy regarding law and order in their actions, and I wholeheartedly put my full support behind Robert Anderson, Jr. for the position of Ellis County Attorney. Please join me in voting him into office on August 4th.

Cassy A. Zeigler, Ellis, Partner at Raub &amp; Zeigler, LLC

Editor's Note: The deadline to submit opinion letters to Hays Post regarding the August primary is noon Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>I am a local attorney that practices in Ellis County. I was born and raised in Hays, and I truly love my community. Ellis County is a wonderful place to raise my daughter and practice law. I’m speaking up because it is extremely important to me who holds the office of Ellis County Attorney.I went to law school with both Robert Anderson, Jr. and Chris Lyon. In fact, Chris and I spent an entire semester sitting right next to each other in a class neither one of us ended up using...bankruptcy law. We visited as law students do, never knowing that we would one day practice in the same community. I found Chris to be friendly and intelligent. We ended up practicing on opposite sides of the courtroom. He as the Assistant Ellis County Attorney and me as a criminal defense attorney. We have maintained our friendliness despite our opposing views at times. I support Chris as a person and a friend, but I do not support him in his bid for Ellis County Attorney.As a criminal defense attorney, I have been an active participant in Chris’ work as Assistant Ellis County Attorney, Hays City Attorney and Trego County Attorney. It is my opinion that he has overextended himself. His ambition is obvious, but his ability to manage on all fronts is lacking. When asked why he has taken on so much his standard answer has been that he is “just building [his] empire.” I believe the people of Ellis County deserve better than to just be part of someone’s “empire.” We deserve better than to be another job of an already overextended attorney.I was co-counsel in a case Chris took to jury trial in Trego County that had no business going to trial. It was frivolous and totally unnecessary. A waste of taxpayer dollars. The charges were misdemeanors. My law partner was head counsel for the defense and she won the case easily. It was a full acquittal. In a previous conversation Chris had told me that sometimes you have to take a losing case to trial to “make a point.” I don’t believe taxpayer dollars should be spent on jury trials only to make a point. The justice system should be taken more seriously than that.It bothers me that when Chris decided to step out of the Ellis County Attorney race he announced it and then threw his full support behind Robert only to remove that support when he decided to step back in. He privately met with Robert to encourage him to run. He has also told Robert that if he wins he will hire Robert at the office and pay him a higher salary than he pays himself. It sounds to me like he has more confidence in Robert than he states now that they are running against each other.I also know Robert. We have provided professional support to each other throughout our practice. I have been closely involved in multiple cases with him in a wide range of situations. He is, absolutely, the best candidate for Ellis County Attorney.Robert uses more than just his legal training to serve his clients. He cares about doing the right thing above his own interest in winning. He has a solid grasp on the legal system while not forgetting that he is working with humans...not just defendants. He’s not interested in “building an empire,” but in actually serving the people of Ellis County full time. Robert will not have multiple jobs that require several offices and homes throughout the state. He will have ONE office and ONE home. He will focus on ONE job.He will not be taking frivolous cases to trial to “make a point.” He will be tough where we need toughness and wise where we need wisdom. We need someone that carefully takes matters to trial for stability and safety. That’s what we can count on Robert to do.I’ve seen both of these attorneys in action in the courtroom. I’ve been in private meetings with both of them. I’ve seen their philosophy regarding law and order in their actions, and I wholeheartedly put my full support behind Robert Anderson, Jr. for the position of Ellis County Attorney. Please join me in voting him into office on August 4th.Cassy A. Zeigler, Ellis, Partner at Raub &amp; Zeigler, LLCEditor's Note: The deadline to submit opinion letters to Hays Post regarding the August primary is noon Thursday.

LETTER: View of Ellis Co. Attorney's race

Ellis High School announces 2020 scholarship winners.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594932155710.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594932204818.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594932259738.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594932294434.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ellis High School announces 2020 scholarship winners.

Ellis High School announces 2020 scholarship winners

Three-day weather outlook

There’s a bit of an intellectual fistfight going on these days about free expression — and we all have a stake in the outcome.

The early rounds have been going on for years: in essence, a theory 
that pops up periodically in history that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous to allow them to be voiced in public. The opponent to that 
theory: The longtime belief in the “marketplace of ideas,” where any 
person may advance any idea — however repugnant, vile or even evil — and
 be subject to the review, and perhaps revile, of all others.

Critics of the marketplace approach have several arguments. American 
critics note the amendment was adopted in 1791, carrying forward ideas 
about free expression that even then were centuries old, and thus see it
 as out of place in a modern world.

Another objection is that the internet, with its instant and global 
reach, makes ineffective the expected marketplace interplay of speaker 
and responder, through which the hope is bad ideas fail, good ideas 
improve and best ideas thrive.

Yet another criticism of the marketplace concept is that money, 
technology and power have created an elite group (or groups) in control 
of most meaningful communication (and perhaps content) across the web, 
rendering criticism, counterviews, unpopular or unconventional ideas — 
and certainly revolutionary ones — unable to reach a mass audience.

Critical race theorists believe that American jurisprudence 
essentially has elevated the liberty interests of the First Amendment 
over the equality interests of the 14th Amendment.

And finally, there is the claim that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous or misleading or manipulative to be allowed into the 
marketplace at all — from race, ethnic and religious hatred to sexual 
exploitation and abuse to commercial messaging and political 
misinformation — now aided and abetted by hidden algorithms and those in
 charge of a handful of private tech companies more intent on profits 
than seeking truth.

Whew. That’s a pretty strong set of arguments that some things need 
fixing when it comes to free expression in the early years of the 21st century. Most of us likely would agree with many, if not all of them — on first glance.

Interestingly, the sides in this dispute don’t automatically align 
along our current political fractures. Some liberals and conservatives 
see the web as too wide open, allowing dangerous ideas and speakers 
access to audiences that can be influenced; while others view the web as
 a tightly controlled funnel of filtered information combined with 
manipulation that blocks voices (either too conservative or too liberal —
 take your pick) with a goal of shaping public opinion.

The current battle is not just over the criticisms, but over the 
solutions as well. Twitter and other sites gain praise and scorn for 
blocking some users for alleged violations of those sites’ terms of 
service, ranging from foul language to misleading health claims to 
personal attacks and what the sites deem deliberate misinformation. Tech
 firms can block, tag and take down posted content, in a bit of irony to
 some, because they have their own First Amendment rights as private 
companies.

So, some on either side of this dispute would bring government into 
the ring, where First Amendment freedoms would apply — one side seeking 
exceptions to free speech protections for things such as violent 
content, or racist views, or demeaning portrayals of women, or LGBTQ 
persons; and the other combatants asking government to oversee and 
override those private companies’ decisions, in the name of protecting 
conservative voices they see as all-too-often excluded from public 
discourse.

Who are the combatants of late? In one corner, signatories to an open
 letter titled, “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate,” published July 7 
in Harper’s Magazine, include a number of the world’s best-known creative minds, such as J.K. Rowling, Wynton Marsalis, Gloria Steinem, Salman Rushdie and about 150 other authors, journalists, publishers and artists.

In the other corner of this particular bout are those who signed this
 week onto another letter published on the online commentary site The 
Objective — which self-identifies as a place with information and views 
by and for “historically ignored communities” — another group of 
literary, media and artists. This missive entered the fray acknowledging
 the fight even reaches into its signatures area, noting some could be 
identified only generally, usually by professional occupation and place 
of work, because of fears of “workplace retaliation” by the established 
communication masters for whom some work.

Their view of the Harper’s letter, in a piece titled, “A 
More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate” explains, “Nowhere in 
it do the signatories mention how marginalized voices have been silenced
 for generations in journalism, academia and publishing …” and “the 
letter does not deal with the problem of power: Who has it and who does 
not.”

To be sure, many of latest blows in this intellectual boxing match 
have been struck via high-concept review of the theories of human 
communication and in well-founded critiques of who had and has access to
 tools of speaking out in public — news media, book publishers, 
broadcasters and now social media companies.

But in the early rounds, the heavyweights punched the outmoded model 
of the marketplace of ideas for two reasons: One, that it never worked 
as intended because many minority groups, however defined, were denied 
access to speak and be heard — a stark truth that cannot be denied; and 
two, there is such a thing as truth, and to knowingly permit non-truth 
is counter-productive to society and should not be permitted.

Boil it all down and it comes to a very simple First Amendment 
question: Is the response to speech you consider untruthful, disgusting 
or misleading more speech or less speech? If the former, what do you do 
as, with lightning speed and wide public acceptance by the unknowing, 
the web is flooded with true threats to public health, hate speech from 
white supremacists or deliberately misleading political ads and 
fraudulent electioneering from world adversaries?

If the latter, who gets to be the national nanny, defining truth, 
excluding some voices while inviting in others and monitoring the 
billions of social media posts each day — all while remaining 
nonpartisan and apolitical in today’s hyper-divided nation?

Wiser minds — including, with hope, most of us — will need to parse 
those questions and more as the First Amendment’s five freedoms 
(religion, speech, press, assembly and petition) are tested in court, on
 the street and occasionally on the pages of online magazines.

As for me, I theorize the nation’s founders would chuckle at the idea
 that all of this is new. The mechanisms of communications were 
different, but the goals in 1791 were the same: The exchange of ideas 
for a better life for us all, many at the time deemed too dangerous for 
society to hear — ideas like “all men are created equal” and that 
democracy was favorable over monarchy.

While this fistfight is mainly staged in the mind, there are real-world examples of the cost of the fight. New York Times op-ed editor Bari Weiss
 resigned the other day, saying in a letter she self-published that she 
was “hired with the goal of bringing in voices that would not otherwise 
appear in your pages: first-time writers, centrists, conservatives and 
others who would not naturally think of the Times as their home.”

In leaving the paper after about three years, she said, “ … a new 
consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this 
paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an 
orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform 
everyone else.”

Weiss concludes her resignation by noting founder Adolph Ochs’ 1896 statement “to make of the columns of The New York Times
 a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, 
and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of 
opinion.”

“Ochs’s idea is one of the best I’ve encountered,” Weiss continues. 
“And I’ve always comforted myself with the notion that the best ideas 
win out. But ideas cannot win on their own. They need a voice. They need
 a hearing. Above all, they must be backed by people willing to live by 
them.”

More of us need to make our voices heard in this latest fight over 
the meaning of the First Amendment’s 45 words, lest we see them reshaped
 — or lost — without having ever set foot in the ring.

Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the
 Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom
 Forum Institute. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593729871227.png" alt="Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. " />
 <figcaption>Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. </figcaption>
 </figure>There’s a bit of an intellectual fistfight going on these days about free expression — and we all have a stake in the outcome.The early rounds have been going on for years: in essence, a theory 
that pops up periodically in history that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous to allow them to be voiced in public. The opponent to that 
theory: The longtime belief in the “marketplace of ideas,” where any 
person may advance any idea — however repugnant, vile or even evil — and
 be subject to the review, and perhaps revile, of all others.Critics of the marketplace approach have several arguments. American 
critics note the amendment was adopted in 1791, carrying forward ideas 
about free expression that even then were centuries old, and thus see it
 as out of place in a modern world.Another objection is that the internet, with its instant and global 
reach, makes ineffective the expected marketplace interplay of speaker 
and responder, through which the hope is bad ideas fail, good ideas 
improve and best ideas thrive.Yet another criticism of the marketplace concept is that money, 
technology and power have created an elite group (or groups) in control 
of most meaningful communication (and perhaps content) across the web, 
rendering criticism, counterviews, unpopular or unconventional ideas — 
and certainly revolutionary ones — unable to reach a mass audience.Critical race theorists believe that American jurisprudence 
essentially has elevated the liberty interests of the First Amendment 
over the equality interests of the 14th Amendment.And finally, there is the claim that some ideas simply are too 
dangerous or misleading or manipulative to be allowed into the 
marketplace at all — from race, ethnic and religious hatred to sexual 
exploitation and abuse to commercial messaging and political 
misinformation — now aided and abetted by hidden algorithms and those in
 charge of a handful of private tech companies more intent on profits 
than seeking truth.Whew. That’s a pretty strong set of arguments that some things need 
fixing when it comes to free expression in the early years of the 21st century. Most of us likely would agree with many, if not all of them — on first glance.Interestingly, the sides in this dispute don’t automatically align 
along our current political fractures. Some liberals and conservatives 
see the web as too wide open, allowing dangerous ideas and speakers 
access to audiences that can be influenced; while others view the web as
 a tightly controlled funnel of filtered information combined with 
manipulation that blocks voices (either too conservative or too liberal —
 take your pick) with a goal of shaping public opinion.The current battle is not just over the criticisms, but over the 
solutions as well. Twitter and other sites gain praise and scorn for 
blocking some users for alleged violations of those sites’ terms of 
service, ranging from foul language to misleading health claims to 
personal attacks and what the sites deem deliberate misinformation. Tech
 firms can block, tag and take down posted content, in a bit of irony to
 some, because they have their own First Amendment rights as private 
companies.So, some on either side of this dispute would bring government into 
the ring, where First Amendment freedoms would apply — one side seeking 
exceptions to free speech protections for things such as violent 
content, or racist views, or demeaning portrayals of women, or LGBTQ 
persons; and the other combatants asking government to oversee and 
override those private companies’ decisions, in the name of protecting 
conservative voices they see as all-too-often excluded from public 
discourse.Who are the combatants of late? In one corner, signatories to an open
 letter titled, “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate,” published July 7 
in Harper’s Magazine, include a number of the world’s best-known creative minds, such as J.K. Rowling, Wynton Marsalis, Gloria Steinem, Salman Rushdie and about 150 other authors, journalists, publishers and artists.In the other corner of this particular bout are those who signed this
 week onto another letter published on the online commentary site The 
Objective — which self-identifies as a place with information and views 
by and for “historically ignored communities” — another group of 
literary, media and artists. This missive entered the fray acknowledging
 the fight even reaches into its signatures area, noting some could be 
identified only generally, usually by professional occupation and place 
of work, because of fears of “workplace retaliation” by the established 
communication masters for whom some work.Their view of the Harper’s letter, in a piece titled, “A 
More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate” explains, “Nowhere in 
it do the signatories mention how marginalized voices have been silenced
 for generations in journalism, academia and publishing …” and “the 
letter does not deal with the problem of power: Who has it and who does 
not.”To be sure, many of latest blows in this intellectual boxing match 
have been struck via high-concept review of the theories of human 
communication and in well-founded critiques of who had and has access to
 tools of speaking out in public — news media, book publishers, 
broadcasters and now social media companies.But in the early rounds, the heavyweights punched the outmoded model 
of the marketplace of ideas for two reasons: One, that it never worked 
as intended because many minority groups, however defined, were denied 
access to speak and be heard — a stark truth that cannot be denied; and 
two, there is such a thing as truth, and to knowingly permit non-truth 
is counter-productive to society and should not be permitted.Boil it all down and it comes to a very simple First Amendment 
question: Is the response to speech you consider untruthful, disgusting 
or misleading more speech or less speech? If the former, what do you do 
as, with lightning speed and wide public acceptance by the unknowing, 
the web is flooded with true threats to public health, hate speech from 
white supremacists or deliberately misleading political ads and 
fraudulent electioneering from world adversaries?If the latter, who gets to be the national nanny, defining truth, 
excluding some voices while inviting in others and monitoring the 
billions of social media posts each day — all while remaining 
nonpartisan and apolitical in today’s hyper-divided nation?Wiser minds — including, with hope, most of us — will need to parse 
those questions and more as the First Amendment’s five freedoms 
(religion, speech, press, assembly and petition) are tested in court, on
 the street and occasionally on the pages of online magazines.As for me, I theorize the nation’s founders would chuckle at the idea
 that all of this is new. The mechanisms of communications were 
different, but the goals in 1791 were the same: The exchange of ideas 
for a better life for us all, many at the time deemed too dangerous for 
society to hear — ideas like “all men are created equal” and that 
democracy was favorable over monarchy.While this fistfight is mainly staged in the mind, there are real-world examples of the cost of the fight. New York Times op-ed editor Bari Weiss
 resigned the other day, saying in a letter she self-published that she 
was “hired with the goal of bringing in voices that would not otherwise 
appear in your pages: first-time writers, centrists, conservatives and 
others who would not naturally think of the Times as their home.”In leaving the paper after about three years, she said, “ … a new 
consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this 
paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an 
orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform 
everyone else.”Weiss concludes her resignation by noting founder Adolph Ochs’ 1896 statement “to make of the columns of The New York Times
 a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, 
and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of 
opinion.”“Ochs’s idea is one of the best I’ve encountered,” Weiss continues. 
“And I’ve always comforted myself with the notion that the best ideas 
win out. But ideas cannot win on their own. They need a voice. They need
 a hearing. Above all, they must be backed by people willing to live by 
them.”More of us need to make our voices heard in this latest fight over 
the meaning of the First Amendment’s 45 words, lest we see them reshaped
 — or lost — without having ever set foot in the ring.Gene Policinski is a senior fellow for the First Amendment at the
 Freedom Forum, and president and chief operating officer of the Freedom
 Forum Institute. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:gpolicinski@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">gpolicinski@freedomforum.org</a>, or follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/@genefac" target="_blank">@genefac</a>.

FIRST FIVE: Fighting over the meaning of First Amendment freedoms

Thirty-six projects that will improve intersections and roads in Kansas cities have been selected for funding through the Kansas Department of&nbsp;Transportation’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program, which funds improvements to state highways that extend through&nbsp;cities.

Northwest Kansas communities benefitting from the projects include Norton, Colby, Smith Center, Atwood and La Crosse.

The cities will receive a combined total of approximately $18.5 million in&nbsp;funding under the CCLIP for these 36 projects. This total includes $8.9 million in state fiscal year 2022 and $9.6 million in state fiscal year 2023.

Under the CCLIP, a city is required to contribute up to 25 percent of the project cost based on its population, though some cities contribute significantly more. Cities under 2,500 in population aren’t required to provide a match. Projects in this program may fall into one of three different categories including Surface Preservation, Pavement Restoration or Geometric Improvement.

SP projects involve maintenance work such as resurfacing and are funded&nbsp;up to&nbsp;$300,000 per project. PR projects typically involve full-depth pavement replacement without changes to the overall geometric characteristics and may also address drainage issues. GI projects address geometric issues such as adding turn lanes, improving intersections or modifying the lane configuration to address capacity. The PR and GI categories are funded up to $1 million per project.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592777344559.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KDOTThirty-six projects that will improve intersections and roads in Kansas cities have been selected for funding through the Kansas Department of&nbsp;Transportation’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program, which funds improvements to state highways that extend through&nbsp;cities.Northwest Kansas communities benefitting from the projects include Norton, Colby, Smith Center, Atwood and La Crosse.The cities will receive a combined total of approximately $18.5 million in&nbsp;funding under the CCLIP for these 36 projects. This total includes $8.9 million in state fiscal year 2022 and $9.6 million in state fiscal year 2023.Under the CCLIP, a city is required to contribute up to 25 percent of the project cost based on its population, though some cities contribute significantly more. Cities under 2,500 in population aren’t required to provide a match. Projects in this program may fall into one of three different categories including Surface Preservation, Pavement Restoration or Geometric Improvement.SP projects involve maintenance work such as resurfacing and are funded&nbsp;up to&nbsp;$300,000 per project. PR projects typically involve full-depth pavement replacement without changes to the overall geometric characteristics and may also address drainage issues. GI projects address geometric issues such as adding turn lanes, improving intersections or modifying the lane configuration to address capacity. The PR and GI categories are funded up to $1 million per project.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594907837519.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594907866723.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

NW Kansas communities among those in line for road upgrades

NICODEMUS — The Nicodemus Homecoming celebration board of directors has announced a change for this year's celebration.

For the first time in 142 years, the Homecoming is going virtual.

Check out the website for connection details: <a href="http://www.nicodemushomecoming.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.nicodemushomecoming.org</a>

One of the most important places in the African-American experience is the Nicodemus National Historic Site, which is the only remaining all-black town west of the Mississippi River.

Every year in late July and early August, descendants from all over the United States and around the world travel to Nicodemus to celebrate their heritage and history. 

 During this weekend known as “Homecoming,” the population swells to several hundred.  Participants re-acquaint with family and friends doing their part to keep the dream of their ancestors alive.

All times are Central Daylight Time Plus, “Video Chat” will be running continuously both days

6pm-9pm Nicodemus Videos The Road to Nicodemus The Nicodemus Story Parts 1 &amp; 2 You “Can” Go Home “Nicodemus“ by John Mann

8am-9am Workout with Jamie 9am-10am Pancake Photos 10am-11am The Nicodemus Exodus (Kentucky to Kansas) 11am-12pm Parade Videos 12pm-1pm National Park Service Update 1pm-2pm Nicodemus Township Townhall 2pm-4pm Family Feud Game 4pm-5pm Nicodemus Got Talent 5pm-6pm Fashion Show 6pm-9pm Music Throughout the Generations

Children Activities 12pm-2pm (Registration Required)

“Story Time with Nicodemus Annie” “Nicodemus Virtual Scavenger Hunt” “Ivy Introduces the World of Science“ “Win It in A Minute Game” “The Sunshine Storyteller with Ina Buckner-Barnette” “Where Does Our Food Come From”?

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594830771397.png" alt="Robert Alexander, board of directors chairperson of the annual Nicodemus Homecoming celebration" />
 <figcaption>Robert Alexander, board of directors chairperson of the annual Nicodemus Homecoming celebration</figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseNICODEMUS — The Nicodemus Homecoming celebration board of directors has announced a change for this year's celebration.For the first time in 142 years, the Homecoming is going virtual. Check out the website for connection details: <a href="http://www.nicodemushomecoming.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.nicodemushomecoming.org</a>One of the most important places in the African-American experience is the Nicodemus National Historic Site, which is the only remaining all-black town west of the Mississippi River.Every year in late July and early August, descendants from all over the United States and around the world travel to Nicodemus to celebrate their heritage and history. During this weekend known as “Homecoming,” the population swells to several hundred. Participants re-acquaint with family and friends doing their part to keep the dream of their ancestors alive.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7FIc3ApLaCk"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>2020 Nicodemus Virtual Homecoming</h2>List of EventsAll times are Central Daylight Time Plus, “Video Chat” will be running continuously both daysFriday 07/31/2020&nbsp;6pm-9pm Nicodemus Videos The Road to Nicodemus The Nicodemus Story Parts 1 &amp; 2 You “Can” Go Home “Nicodemus“ by John MannSaturday 08/01/2020&nbsp;8am-9am Workout with Jamie 9am-10am Pancake Photos 10am-11am The Nicodemus Exodus (Kentucky to Kansas) 11am-12pm Parade Videos 12pm-1pm National Park Service Update 1pm-2pm Nicodemus Township Townhall 2pm-4pm Family Feud Game 4pm-5pm Nicodemus Got Talent 5pm-6pm Fashion Show 6pm-9pm Music Throughout the GenerationsChildren Activities 12pm-2pm (Registration Required)“Story Time with Nicodemus Annie” “Nicodemus Virtual Scavenger Hunt” “Ivy Introduces the World of Science“ “Win It in A Minute Game” “The Sunshine Storyteller with Ina Buckner-Barnette” “Where Does Our Food Come From”?<h2>Board of Directors</h2><ul>
 <li>Chairperson – Robert Alexander</li><li>Secretary – Heather Alexander</li><li>Treasurer – Rhea Darnell</li><li>Media – Debra Alexander-Wilson </li>
 </ul><h2>Sub-Committees</h2><ul>
 <li>Parade – Carol Alexander</li><li>Vendors – Norma Switzer</li><li>Music – Linda Jones-Harrington</li><li>Young Adults – Heather Alexander</li><li>1st Baptist Church – Pastor Andre Favors</li><li>Children Activities – Ivy VanDuvall</li>
 </ul>

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