Correction: 9:21 p.m. Aug. 5. This story was corrected to quote Ellis County Attorney as referring to Jordan Burgess as a serial sex offender.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

A Hays man was sentenced Monday to more than six years in prison on drug-dealing and sex charges after an emotional morning in court where his victim discussed her turmoil and supporters testified the defendant was a changed man after pursuing recovery for drug addiction.

Jordan Bradley Burgess was sentenced to 78 months in prison on a charge of distribution of cocaine and 40 months in prison on a charge of possession of cocaine, with both sentences to run concurrently.

He also pleaded to three counts misdemeanor sexual battery through an Alford plea, as well as a DUI charge with those sentences to also run concurrently with his prison sentence on the cocaine charges.

He will also be required to register for life as a sex offender.

Burgess has a criminal record, including sex and drug charges going back to 2018. He had 19 convictions, which put his criminal records score for sentencing at an A, which is the highest level on the sentencing grid.

Based on the Burgess' criminal record and charges, state sentencing guidelines would require a prison sentence.&nbsp;Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham requested 118 months in prison under the plea agreement.

However, Burgess' attorney, Kurt Kerns, filed a motion for a dispositional departure based on Burgess' participation in an intense drug recovery program.&nbsp;

Cunningham repeatedly referred to Burgess as a serial sexual offender as he cross-examined the six witnesses who were called to testify on Burgess' behalf.

However, before those witnesses took the stand, a victim of Burgess' alleged sexual abuse gave a statement.

She said she was haunted by Burgess' acts against her on May 29, 2021. She said the incident left her a "damaged shell of her former self," and said she was plagued by anxiety attacks and nightmares.

"That one night will last my lifetime," she told the judge, and urged him to do what was just, right and true.

Burgess was originally charged with rape, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated sexual battery, all felonies. Those charges were amended to misdemeanor sexual battery charges per the plea agreement.

In an Alford plea, a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to convict them.

In his address to the court before sentencing, Burgess did not discuss the sex charges or address the victim of his sexual crimes.

Those supporting Burgess testified to a dramatic transformation during the last year after he entered rehab in June 2024, which has included passionately trying to help others who are suffering from addiction and seeking a faith-driven life.

John Trembley, former Community Corrections director, testified he had never seen a more significant transformation than he has seen in Burgess.

Trembley said he regarded Burgess like a son.&nbsp;

"It's rare for someone to walk out of rehab and not use again," he said.

However, he said he believed Burgess was committed to his recovery and was not a threat to the community.

He said he was not attempting to excuse Burgess' behavior. Still, he thought he could be a contributing member of the community, and community corrections was the better alternative for Burgess.

"If we are here for 100% punishment for his past behavior, then there's nothing I can say," Trembley said.

He added, "I know the impact he has had on everybody. I know he is a changed man."

Cunningham asked&nbsp;Trembley if treatment for sex offenders was different from the treatment of substance abuse. Trembley said yes.

Cunningham also asked Trembley if he thought Burgess should have consequences for his crimes.

Trembley said, "Community corrections is not meant to be a cake walk. He is going to have a lot of consequences in his life.

"I have a daughter and granddaughter, and if I thought he was a risk, I wouldn't be here," he said.

Justin MacDonald, who leads a Bible study at the Family Worship Center, testified about Burgess' conversion and baptism.

"I think our city would be better if we had more men like Jordan," he said.

MacDonald said he had only known Burgess for 16 months and was not fully aware of his previous criminal history.

Several witnesses, who had participated in recovery programs with Burgess, also testified on his behalf.

Cade Gerhard said he had been struggling with alcoholism. He called Burgess out of desperation, and Burgess drove him to treatment.

Even after Gerhard relapsed, Burgess continued to call and encourage him in his road to recovery, he said.

Gerhard credited Burgess with saving his life.

"I think sending him to prison would be a disservice to the community," he said.

In his allocution to the court before sentencing, Burgess said he was a changed man. He said he wanted to be a father to his 11-year-old daughter.

He said he wanted to help people and to live as a "Godly man in service moving forward."

In his final statements to the court, Cunningham said Burgess had been given many chances on community corrections and had gone from using alcohol to marijuana to being a cocaine dealer.

"The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," he said.

He said a prison sentence was not only warranted as punishment and a public deterrent, but also a matter of public safety and again referred to Burgess as a serial sex offender.

In 14 years, probation has not been helpful,&nbsp;Cunningham said.

Despite Burgess' plea to the sex charges, Burgess' attorney Kerns said the charges were based on false accusations.

Kerns said he had never had a client in more than 30 years who had attended recovery meetings every day for more than a year.

He asked the judge to give Burgess "a single opportunity to prove who he is."

Judge Curtis Brown said he was impressed by Burgess' dedication to his recovery and faith. He said deciding on Burgess' sentence was not easy.

However, he denied the defense's motion for a dispositional departure and probation.

"I think this is just, fair and true in regards to this matter," Brown said.

Brown encouraged Burgess to continue his mission to help others during his time incarcerated with the Department of Corrections.

Burgess spent two days in jail, for which he will be given credit toward his sentence, but he had been out on bond for the majority of the time since his arrest.&nbsp;

Burgess was remanded to begin his sentence with the Kansas Department of Corrections immediately.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754415843760.png" alt="Burgess" />
 <figcaption>Burgess</figcaption>
 </figure>Correction: 9:21 p.m. Aug. 5. This story was corrected to quote Ellis County Attorney as referring to Jordan Burgess as a serial sex offender.By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA Hays man was sentenced Monday to more than six years in prison on drug-dealing and sex charges after an emotional morning in court where his victim discussed her turmoil and supporters testified the defendant was a changed man after pursuing recovery for drug addiction.Jordan Bradley Burgess was sentenced to 78 months in prison on a charge of distribution of cocaine and 40 months in prison on a charge of possession of cocaine, with both sentences to run concurrently.He also pleaded to three counts misdemeanor sexual battery through an Alford plea, as well as a DUI charge with those sentences to also run concurrently with his prison sentence on the cocaine charges.He will also be required to register for life as a sex offender.Burgess has a criminal record, including sex and drug charges going back to 2018. He had 19 convictions, which put his criminal records score for sentencing at an A, which is the highest level on the sentencing grid.Based on the Burgess' criminal record and charges, state sentencing guidelines would require a prison sentence.&nbsp;Ellis County Attorney Aaron Cunningham requested 118 months in prison under the plea agreement.However, Burgess' attorney, Kurt Kerns, filed a motion for a dispositional departure based on Burgess' participation in an intense drug recovery program.&nbsp;Cunningham repeatedly referred to Burgess as a serial sexual offender as he cross-examined the six witnesses who were called to testify on Burgess' behalf.However, before those witnesses took the stand, a victim of Burgess' alleged sexual abuse gave a statement.She said she was haunted by Burgess' acts against her on May 29, 2021. She said the incident left her a "damaged shell of her former self," and said she was plagued by anxiety attacks and nightmares."That one night will last my lifetime," she told the judge, and urged him to do what was just, right and true.Burgess was originally charged with rape, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated sexual battery, all felonies. Those charges were amended to misdemeanor sexual battery charges per the plea agreement.In an Alford plea, a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to convict them.In his address to the court before sentencing, Burgess did not discuss the sex charges or address the victim of his sexual crimes.Those supporting Burgess testified to a dramatic transformation during the last year after he entered rehab in June 2024, which has included passionately trying to help others who are suffering from addiction and seeking a faith-driven life.John Trembley, former Community Corrections director, testified he had never seen a more significant transformation than he has seen in Burgess.Trembley said he regarded Burgess like a son.&nbsp;"It's rare for someone to walk out of rehab and not use again," he said.However, he said he believed Burgess was committed to his recovery and was not a threat to the community.He said he was not attempting to excuse Burgess' behavior. Still, he thought he could be a contributing member of the community, and community corrections was the better alternative for Burgess."If we are here for 100% punishment for his past behavior, then there's nothing I can say," Trembley said.He added, "I know the impact he has had on everybody. I know he is a changed man."Cunningham asked&nbsp;Trembley if treatment for sex offenders was different from the treatment of substance abuse. Trembley said yes.Cunningham also asked Trembley if he thought Burgess should have consequences for his crimes.Trembley said, "Community corrections is not meant to be a cake walk. He is going to have a lot of consequences in his life."I have a daughter and granddaughter, and if I thought he was a risk, I wouldn't be here," he said.Justin MacDonald, who leads a Bible study at the Family Worship Center, testified about Burgess' conversion and baptism."I think our city would be better if we had more men like Jordan," he said.MacDonald said he had only known Burgess for 16 months and was not fully aware of his previous criminal history.Several witnesses, who had participated in recovery programs with Burgess, also testified on his behalf.Cade Gerhard said he had been struggling with alcoholism. He called Burgess out of desperation, and Burgess drove him to treatment.Even after Gerhard relapsed, Burgess continued to call and encourage him in his road to recovery, he said.Gerhard credited Burgess with saving his life."I think sending him to prison would be a disservice to the community," he said.In his allocution to the court before sentencing, Burgess said he was a changed man. He said he wanted to be a father to his 11-year-old daughter.He said he wanted to help people and to live as a "Godly man in service moving forward."In his final statements to the court, Cunningham said Burgess had been given many chances on community corrections and had gone from using alcohol to marijuana to being a cocaine dealer."The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," he said.He said a prison sentence was not only warranted as punishment and a public deterrent, but also a matter of public safety and again referred to Burgess as a serial sex offender.In 14 years, probation has not been helpful,&nbsp;Cunningham said.Despite Burgess' plea to the sex charges, Burgess' attorney Kerns said the charges were based on false accusations.Kerns said he had never had a client in more than 30 years who had attended recovery meetings every day for more than a year.He asked the judge to give Burgess "a single opportunity to prove who he is."Judge Curtis Brown said he was impressed by Burgess' dedication to his recovery and faith. He said deciding on Burgess' sentence was not easy.However, he denied the defense's motion for a dispositional departure and probation."I think this is just, fair and true in regards to this matter," Brown said.Brown encouraged Burgess to continue his mission to help others during his time incarcerated with the Department of Corrections.Burgess spent two days in jail, for which he will be given credit toward his sentence, but he had been out on bond for the majority of the time since his arrest.&nbsp;Burgess was remanded to begin his sentence with the Kansas Department of Corrections immediately.

Hays man sentenced to 6 years in prison on drug, sex charges

&nbsp;Congratulations&nbsp;to Mark Coomes and Matt Van Allen from Philllipsburg, our latest finalists in the Lite Beer from Miller&nbsp;UTV&nbsp;Giveaway.&nbsp; Their names were selected as finalists on Friday at the Phillipsburg Rodeo.

Congratulations to Pierce Day and Shane Wilson from Hays on being selected as finalists in the Lite Beer from Miller UTV Giveaway on Monday at Ol' 40 Express in Hays.

They join the following finalists: Garrett Bland – Relay for Life Golf Tournament – 6-13-20252 Earl Brungardt – Relay for Life Golf Tournament – 6-13-20253 Tara Graham – LoKal Country Bar – 6-27-20254 Brad Leitner – LoKal Country Bar – 6-27-20255 Becky Wachs – Wild West Festival – 7-3-20256 Kirby Garrison – Wild West Festival – 7-3-20257 Marlin Sherfick – Trego County Fair – 7-11-20258 Dale Pfannenstiel – Trego County Fair – 7-11-2025 Danny Wasinger – Ellis Co. Fair – 7-18-2025 Brett Davidson – Ellis Co. Fair – 7-18-2025 Erin Storer – Doghouse Liquor – 7-19-2025 Landon Paul – Doghouse Liquor – 7-19-2025 Mark Hauptman – Briney Motorsports – 7-25-2025 Rod Goetz – Briney Motorsports – 7-25-2025 Chad McCarty – Discount Smokes – 8-1-2025 Nolan Allen – Discount Smokes – 8-1-2025

The Lite Beer from Miller UTV Giveaway is courtesy of A &amp; A Coors and Miller, Briney Motorsports, Advantage Glass Plus, Commercial Sign Company, Hull Broadcasting and the Eagle Media Center of Hays.

Keep listening to Eagle Radio and reading the Hays Post all summer long for your chance to become a finalist.

The UTV will be given away at a Fort Hays Football Game on Saturday, Sept. 13.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753111227517.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750185433864.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Congratulations&nbsp;to Mark Coomes and Matt Van Allen from Philllipsburg, our latest finalists in the Lite Beer from Miller&nbsp;UTV&nbsp;Giveaway.&nbsp; Their names were selected as finalists on Friday at the Phillipsburg Rodeo.Congratulations to Pierce Day and Shane Wilson from Hays on being selected as finalists in the Lite Beer from Miller UTV Giveaway on Monday at Ol' 40 Express in Hays.They join the following finalists: Garrett Bland – Relay for Life Golf Tournament – 6-13-20252 Earl Brungardt – Relay for Life Golf Tournament – 6-13-20253 Tara Graham – LoKal Country Bar – 6-27-20254 Brad Leitner – LoKal Country Bar – 6-27-20255 Becky Wachs – Wild West Festival – 7-3-20256 Kirby Garrison – Wild West Festival – 7-3-20257 Marlin Sherfick – Trego County Fair – 7-11-20258 Dale Pfannenstiel – Trego County Fair – 7-11-2025 Danny Wasinger – Ellis Co. Fair – 7-18-2025 Brett Davidson – Ellis Co. Fair – 7-18-2025 Erin Storer – Doghouse Liquor – 7-19-2025 Landon Paul – Doghouse Liquor – 7-19-2025 Mark Hauptman – Briney Motorsports – 7-25-2025 Rod Goetz – Briney Motorsports – 7-25-2025 Chad McCarty – Discount Smokes – 8-1-2025 Nolan Allen – Discount Smokes – 8-1-2025The Lite Beer from Miller UTV Giveaway is courtesy of A &amp; A Coors and Miller, Briney Motorsports, Advantage Glass Plus, Commercial Sign Company, Hull Broadcasting and the Eagle Media Center of Hays.Keep listening to Eagle Radio and reading the Hays Post all summer long for your chance to become a finalist.The UTV will be given away at a Fort Hays Football Game on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Ol' 40 Express, Phillipsburg finalists named for Lite Beer from Miller UTV Giveaway

After an extensive search process, the Hays Arts Council is excited to announce the hiring of Chandler A. Reich as its next executive director.

Reich earned dual degrees from Fort Hays State University in 2022—a bachelor of fine arts in drawing and a bachelor of science in education, along with a certificate in art history.

From 2022 to 2025, she served as executive director of the Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, where she honed her skills in strategic execution, creative problem-solving, and organizational growth. 

During her tenure, she led several major capital improvement projects, including the construction and installation of a second-floor gallery, the addition of an ADA-compliant elevator, a renovated gift shop, an upgraded point-of-sale system, and enhanced collections storage.

While attending FHSU (2016–2022), Reich worked at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, gaining hands-on experience in public engagement and cultural programming. With more than three years of experience in organizational management, strategic planning, and operational oversight, she also led community arts workshops, facilitated grant funding, and coordinated student internships in support of grassroots artists.

&nbsp;“I am excited to begin working with the Hays Arts Council Board of Directors, Brenda Meder, our dedicated volunteers, members, and local artists,” said Reich. “I am eager to carry forward the mission of one of the oldest arts councils in Kansas and to continue strengthening the role of the arts in Hays.”&nbsp;

In addition to her professional roles, Reich is an active member of her community. She currently serves as a volunteer board member for the Russell County Historical Society, Vice President of the Switchgrass Art Cooperative in Lucas, and Vice President of P.E.O. Chapter HD of Russell, a philanthropic organization supporting women’s education.

“Chandler has strong connections within the arts community, and her experience is deeply rooted in this region and in making the arts accessible to all,” said board president Brittney Squire. “We’re excited to welcome her back to Hays and have her lead the Hays Arts Council through this pivotal time and into the future.”

Reich will begin her duties in a limited capacity on August 13 and will assume the role full time as executive director on September 2. A community meet-and-greet will be scheduled in September to welcome Reich to her new role.&nbsp;

More information about the Hays Arts Council is available at <a href="http://www.haysartscouncil.org">www.haysartscouncil.org</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754410447796.jpeg" alt="Chandler Reich. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Chandler Reich. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Arts CouncilAfter an extensive search process, the Hays Arts Council is excited to announce the hiring of Chandler A. Reich as its next executive director.Reich earned dual degrees from Fort Hays State University in 2022—a bachelor of fine arts in drawing and a bachelor of science in education, along with a certificate in art history.From 2022 to 2025, she served as executive director of the Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, where she honed her skills in strategic execution, creative problem-solving, and organizational growth. During her tenure, she led several major capital improvement projects, including the construction and installation of a second-floor gallery, the addition of an ADA-compliant elevator, a renovated gift shop, an upgraded point-of-sale system, and enhanced collections storage.While attending FHSU (2016–2022), Reich worked at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, gaining hands-on experience in public engagement and cultural programming. With more than three years of experience in organizational management, strategic planning, and operational oversight, she also led community arts workshops, facilitated grant funding, and coordinated student internships in support of grassroots artists.&nbsp;“I am excited to begin working with the Hays Arts Council Board of Directors, Brenda Meder, our dedicated volunteers, members, and local artists,” said Reich. “I am eager to carry forward the mission of one of the oldest arts councils in Kansas and to continue strengthening the role of the arts in Hays.”&nbsp;In addition to her professional roles, Reich is an active member of her community. She currently serves as a volunteer board member for the Russell County Historical Society, Vice President of the Switchgrass Art Cooperative in Lucas, and Vice President of P.E.O. Chapter HD of Russell, a philanthropic organization supporting women’s education.“Chandler has strong connections within the arts community, and her experience is deeply rooted in this region and in making the arts accessible to all,” said board president Brittney Squire. “We’re excited to welcome her back to Hays and have her lead the Hays Arts Council through this pivotal time and into the future.”Reich will begin her duties in a limited capacity on August 13 and will assume the role full time as executive director on September 2. A community meet-and-greet will be scheduled in September to welcome Reich to her new role.&nbsp;More information about the Hays Arts Council is available at <a href="http://www.haysartscouncil.org">www.haysartscouncil.org</a>.&nbsp;

New executive director hired by Hays Arts Council

By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle Media

Energy technology company Baker Hughes announced a blockbuster merger with competitor Chart Industries. The sale price is $13.6 billion in cash.

Rig counts are dropping toward five-year lows again, as horizontal drillers post big declines. The latest report from Baker Hughes is down five oil rigs from last week, while the gas tally was up two. 

The breakout for horizontal rigs drops a whopping 12 rigs from a week ago, and 49 from a year ago, marking the biggest decline in recent memory. 

Rig counts have dropped below this week's 540 only twice since September of 2021. Texas is down four rigs for the week. Oklahoma and Louisiana are each down one.

The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is down one rig in eastern Kansas and up two west of Wichita for a total of 19 active rigs. That's up nearly 60% from a month ago but down nearly 35% from a year ago.

Kansas Common crude starts the week and the month at $57.50 per barrel after falling two dollars on Friday. The average price for Kansas Common at CHS in McPherson in July is $57.44 per barrel.&nbsp; That's 76 cents a barrel cheaper than June, and down from last July by more than $13 a barrel.

Kansas regulators gave their okay to 21 new drilling locations, or 430 so far this year, compared to 591 a year ago. There are seven new permits in western Kansas including one in Finney County.

Operators completed 16 wells last week. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports seven in western Kansas. That's 725 completed wells so far this year, compared to 745 a year ago.

Kansas regulators gave the green light to 91 new drilling locations in July, including three in Ellis County. That's 480 intent-to-drill notices so far this year, down from 655 through July last year.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserves now stand at 402.7 million barrels after taking delivery on 200,000 barrels last week. Strategic stockpiles are up more than 25 million barrels from a year ago.

At 426.7 million barrels, commercial crude inventories are up 7.7 million barrels from last week. The government says stockpiles are about six percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

U.S. crude production for the week increased slightly to just over 13.3 million barrels a day. Cumulative output this year remains above 13.4 million barrels a day.

Crude imports increased to 6.1 million barrels a day last week, up 159,000 barrels a day from a week earlier. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports the four-week average is also 6.1 million, down eleven percent from a year ago.

EIA reports crude exports dropped by 30% from a week ago and 45% from a year ago to just under 2.7 million barrels a day. Four-week average exports are down by 25% from a year ago.

The Republic of the Congo is opening up a huge swath of land to energy exploration, in what's described in The Guardian newspaper as "the world’s worst place to prospect for oil.” It's pristine forests include the habitats of endangered wildlife.

President Donald Trump shortened his deadline for Russia in Ukraine from 50 days to just "ten-to-twelve days." Trump is now threatening Russia with so-called secondary sanctions on its oil export customers, notably China and India.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670507085360.jpeg" alt="Photo by Unsplash" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Unsplash</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBAR Eagle MediaEnergy technology company Baker Hughes announced a blockbuster merger with competitor Chart Industries. The sale price is $13.6 billion in cash.Rig counts are dropping toward five-year lows again, as horizontal drillers post big declines. The latest report from Baker Hughes is down five oil rigs from last week, while the gas tally was up two. The breakout for horizontal rigs drops a whopping 12 rigs from a week ago, and 49 from a year ago, marking the biggest decline in recent memory. Rig counts have dropped below this week's 540 only twice since September of 2021. Texas is down four rigs for the week. Oklahoma and Louisiana are each down one.The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is down one rig in eastern Kansas and up two west of Wichita for a total of 19 active rigs. That's up nearly 60% from a month ago but down nearly 35% from a year ago.Kansas Common crude starts the week and the month at $57.50 per barrel after falling two dollars on Friday. The average price for Kansas Common at CHS in McPherson in July is $57.44 per barrel.&nbsp; That's 76 cents a barrel cheaper than June, and down from last July by more than $13 a barrel.Kansas regulators gave their okay to 21 new drilling locations, or 430 so far this year, compared to 591 a year ago. There are seven new permits in western Kansas including one in Finney County.Operators completed 16 wells last week. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports seven in western Kansas. That's 725 completed wells so far this year, compared to 745 a year ago.Kansas regulators gave the green light to 91 new drilling locations in July, including three in Ellis County. That's 480 intent-to-drill notices so far this year, down from 655 through July last year.The Strategic Petroleum Reserves now stand at 402.7 million barrels after taking delivery on 200,000 barrels last week. Strategic stockpiles are up more than 25 million barrels from a year ago.At 426.7 million barrels, commercial crude inventories are up 7.7 million barrels from last week. The government says stockpiles are about six percent below the five-year average for this time of year.U.S. crude production for the week increased slightly to just over 13.3 million barrels a day. Cumulative output this year remains above 13.4 million barrels a day.Crude imports increased to 6.1 million barrels a day last week, up 159,000 barrels a day from a week earlier. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports the four-week average is also 6.1 million, down eleven percent from a year ago.EIA reports crude exports dropped by 30% from a week ago and 45% from a year ago to just under 2.7 million barrels a day. Four-week average exports are down by 25% from a year ago.The Republic of the Congo is opening up a huge swath of land to energy exploration, in what's described in The Guardian newspaper as "the world’s worst place to prospect for oil.” It's pristine forests include the habitats of endangered wildlife.President Donald Trump shortened his deadline for Russia in Ukraine from 50 days to just "ten-to-twelve days." Trump is now threatening Russia with so-called secondary sanctions on its oil export customers, notably China and India.&nbsp;&nbsp;

News from the Oil Patch: Horizontal drilling posts big declines

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733777655657.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754410571066.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754410579261.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754410589089.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754410602051.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis County Jail bookings: July 27-Aug. 2, 2025

Ellis County Sheriff's activity log: July 27-Aug. 2 2025

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Grinnell City Administrator Jewel Maier is visibly shaken weeks later when she repeats the words her best friend said minutes after a tornado struck this western Kansas town.

“She called me, and the first question out of her mouth was ‘Are you OK?’ I immediately start complaining about my patio table that got flipped over and just demolished,” Maier said. “Then she kind of choked up and she said, ‘Everything’s gone.’ ”

It was the moment Maier, who lives on a farm south of town, understood the devastation wreaked on her friends and neighbors in Grinnell.

On May 18, an EF-3 tornado swept into the small town of just over 240 people around 6:30 p.m., leveling a west-side neighborhood with more than 28 houses and outbuildings. The elementary school and a city-owned golf course were damaged, along with a Frontier Ag grain facility.&nbsp;

The National Weather Service reported 13 tornadoes that day in Kansas, six of them rated EF-3, which means winds 136 to 175 mph.

The destruction runs to millions of dollars. But Maier and Grinnell residents tend to focus on the lack of injuries in the stories they tell.

“There were a couple of people who just got beat up,” said Tristan Bixenman, a restaurant owner in nearby Grainfield whose family all lives in the area. “But nobody got seriously injured.”

Bixenman had been closely watching the weather and canceled a planned family dinner in town when the sky darkened.

“My parents were not very smart, and they were checking ground and happened to come up behind it,” she said, shooting a look at her mother, Christy Rathgeber, who just smiled.

“I was calling them and warning them to go to the basement, because they were in the path of it,” Rathgeber said.

She said she and her husband didn’t realize the storm’s strength until they turned a corner and saw power poles collapsing on the road in front of them.

“That’s when we stopped and backed up,” she said. “There’s so much debris. My husband barely rolled the window down, and it sucked the hat off his head. We’ll never see that hat again.”

Once she realized the tornado was heading to Grinnell, Rathgeber said she contacted family members in the path.

“We called them, and they had no intentions of going to the basement,” she said. “They didn’t think it was anything. Had we not called, I don’t know as if they would have gone to the basement in their house.

“Their house was demolished, but the china hutch was still sitting, and there were still dishes in it,” Rathgeber added.

Kenny Robben also lost his home. In his 80s, Robben had knee surgery and was sitting in his recliner, Bixenman said.

“Sirens are going off, (Robben was) watching the news. Wasn’t too concerned until the last second,” she said. “He stands up with his walker and then the wind just starts coming through his windows. He sits down and literally rides it out in his recliner.”

Bixenman shook her head. Robben was uninjured.

The list of work to be done is long. The local Catholic church lost its roof. Headstones were damaged at the VFW cemetery. The elementary school won’t reopen in time for the start of school.

Contractors are difficult to find, Maier said, but are filtering in to do the work.

A missionary team from the First Baptist Church in Dighton arrived July 21 and framed and sided a house in five days, said the Rev. Ken Bowden.

“We just asked if there was anybody we could help out specifically, and the city nominated one of the families in town to get their house rebuilt,” he said.&nbsp;

The church team of 20 included a contractor, who helped teach the others, Bowden said. They put walls up the first day, trusses the second and then finished decking it.

The town found a contractor to work on the elementary school, but all classes there are being moved to the middle school when the session starts Aug. 13, Maier said.&nbsp;

“We’re such a small school, so they’re just going to move some things around and make everybody fit for the year,” she said. “And God bless our lunch lady. She’s going to make the lunches and then hot box them down the street — they have a hot box on wheels — so they get breakfast and lunch. Prior to this, the middle schoolers would come down to eat lunch at the grade school.

“It’s been amazing to see the backbone of people,” Maier added. “Grinnell has some true grit in us. I’m so proud of our little town.”

On July 23, President Donald Trump approved disaster funding for Grinnell and Gove County, along with other Kansas counties affected by the May 18 and 19 storm. Public assistance funding is a cost-sharing federal program to pay for emergency work and repair and replace facilities damaged by storms, said Ryan Lowry-Lee, FEMA Region 7 spokesman.

The assistance will pay for debris removal and emergency protective measures, as well as permanent restoration of facilities such as roads, culverts, bridges and public buildings, he said.

“It’s been a very steep learning curve of what do you do to keep a town safe,” Maier said. “We have two paved roads in town, and everything else is sand road. We might have to dig up these roads, pull up to four inches off them and re-sand them, for safety reasons. Your kids can’t ride a bike if they’re full of nails.”

Maier, who worked in the insurance industry for 13 years, worried the town wouldn’t qualify for support because it had to show $5.8 million of damage to city-owned property. But state and FEMA staff helped her assess damages, and they made the threshold.

Along with damages to the school and the golf course, Maier said 40 water meter pits were damaged or completely gone, costing $1,000 to $1,500 each to replace.

A separate city insurance policy doesn’t cover roads and major infrastructure, and Maier didn’t expect to make the $10,000 deductible.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Grinnell grain facility owned by Frontier Ag will take about $6 million to rebuild, said CEO Stan Remington. They have insurance of $3.5 million to $4 million, he added.

“We lost approximately 750,000 bushels of storage,” he said. “We’ll be lucky to be in operation a year from now. Contractors aren’t easy to find, and it takes time to build that kind of complex back.”

Remington said his company’s other facilities are too far away to be of use for the upcoming fall harvest. The storm damaged storage bins full of grain and forced the company to store wheat under white tents on the ground, a practice they’ll continue. But that drives costs up.

“Labor costs go up because it takes about two times the labor to put it on the ground,” he said.

Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at the facility, said they were shut down for about four days after the storm, but welders have been coming in to remove broken metal and make repairs.

“We’re doing pretty good,” he said.

While some residents are rebuilding their houses, others have chosen to sell their lots instead, Maier said.

“I think it’s going to change us forever,” said Lisa Bixenman, a Grinnell resident and a cousin of Tristan Bixenman. “I don’t think a lot of them are going to build back, maybe we’re up to half. I just don’t think it’s ever going to be the same.”

Dolly Theobald’s family chose not to rebuild, but they didn’t leave town. Instead, a local woman offered to sell them her home, and they moved in last week.

The night of the storm, Theobald had just gotten home when her sister-in-law messaged to ask if they were in the basement. After a second call from her mother, Theobald said she gathered her two children and the pets and went to the basement.

“It was crazy loud, and it was probably done in less than 30 seconds,” Theobald said. “You could hear the windows breaking. You could hear debris hit.”

Their house was a total loss. Theobald said she’s grateful her family photos were in a center room in the basement, where they were safe.

Pieces of family history were scattered throughout the area, hung up in trees, and wrapped around jagged edges of aluminum siding. The town set up three tables at the VFW where people put things they found so they could be returned to owners, Rathgeber said.

Concern from small communities poured in through financial donations, boots on the ground, offers of an apartment complex to house people short term and hotels donating free rooms, Maier said.

Volunteers arrived by the hundreds. The day after the tornado, an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 people arrived to clean up, said Grinnell resident Shari Burks.

“Farmers were all supposed to be planting, and they just parked their tractors for a week,” Lisa Bixenman said. “Or they brought them to town to help. I mean, literally it put everybody behind for a week or a week and a half, because they all just dropped everything to come. It’s incredible.”

The VFW, initially the hub of emergency activity and a storm shelter, transitioned to a community center for meals, organizing volunteers, collecting donations and bringing everyone together.

Volunteer Melissa Shupe said donations quickly came from across the country. A semi-truck of new clothing was delivered. People who had been through the Joplin, Missouri, tornado drove in with supplies. Rathgeber, who owns Broken Handle catering, and Tristan Bixenman, who owns Meraki Market, both served dinners.

Nearby restaurants donated hundreds of pizzas and sandwiches, Pepsi donated 400-plus cases of Gatorade and soda, and other companies donated chips and pallets of water, Tristan Bixenman said.

“It was an overwhelming blessing type of thing,” she said. “It can be really challenging to keep all that organized in the aftermath of a disaster. It just kept coming in.”

Trish Gruber, Grinnell’s emergency operations manager, said short-term recovery after the storm is over. That included checking for injuries, removing debris and reporting what had happened to appropriate agencies, including utility companies that moved in to clean up downed power lines, she said.&nbsp;

Gruber also had to address the tornado siren in town that didn’t go off that night.&nbsp;

The two sirens were tested about 30 minutes before the storm in a regularly scheduled test that occurs every day at noon and 6 p.m., she said.

“It was just when we tried to set it off manually, it was not catching that signal,” Gruber said.

The working siren was located on the west side of town where the tornado hit, Gruber said, adding that emergency vehicles drove through town with their sirens screaming to warn residents.

Today, the siren is fixed, and the long-term recovery, expected to take two years, is underway.

Gruber said the city has applied for a grant to update its tornado shelter. Maier is looking at other grants to help homeowners and the city rebuild.

Sitting on a bench downtown, she is hopeful for Grinnell’s future.&nbsp;

“It all came together so fast and really, so smoothly,” Maier said of the recovery. “We had an amazing group of people that really stepped up to the plate. As overwhelming as it was, it was a lot of love.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345087321.png" alt="&nbsp;Jewel Maier, Grinnell city administrator, had been on the job for three months when a tornado hit the small western Kansas town. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Jewel Maier, Grinnell city administrator, had been on the job for three months when a tornado hit the small western Kansas town. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>GRINNELL — “Everything’s gone.”Grinnell City Administrator Jewel Maier is visibly shaken weeks later when she repeats the words her best friend said minutes after a tornado struck this western Kansas town.“She called me, and the first question out of her mouth was ‘Are you OK?’ I immediately start complaining about my patio table that got flipped over and just demolished,” Maier said. “Then she kind of choked up and she said, ‘Everything’s gone.’ ”It was the moment Maier, who lives on a farm south of town, understood the devastation wreaked on her friends and neighbors in Grinnell.On May 18, an EF-3 tornado swept into the small town of just over 240 people around 6:30 p.m., leveling a west-side neighborhood with more than 28 houses and outbuildings. The elementary school and a city-owned golf course were damaged, along with a Frontier Ag grain facility.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345169601.png" alt="Rubble from the May tornado could still be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. The town has continued cleaning up and making repairs but it will take months to recover. Under tarps in the background, Frontier Ag is storing grain after after its Grinnell facility sustained $5.5 million in damage. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rubble from the May tornado could still be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. The town has continued cleaning up and making repairs but it will take months to recover. Under tarps in the background, Frontier Ag is storing grain after after its Grinnell facility sustained $5.5 million in damage. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The National Weather Service reported 13 tornadoes that day in Kansas, six of them rated EF-3, which means winds 136 to 175 mph.The destruction runs to millions of dollars. But Maier and Grinnell residents tend to focus on the lack of injuries in the stories they tell.“There were a couple of people who just got beat up,” said Tristan Bixenman, a restaurant owner in nearby Grainfield whose family all lives in the area. “But nobody got seriously injured.”<h2>Kansas resilience</h2>Bixenman had been closely watching the weather and canceled a planned family dinner in town when the sky darkened.“My parents were not very smart, and they were checking ground and happened to come up behind it,” she said, shooting a look at her mother, Christy Rathgeber, who just smiled.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345221849.png" alt="Tristan Bixenman, owner of Meraki Market coffee shop and bakery in Grainfield, is helped by her son, Kip, in the kitchen. Bixenman provided food for volunteers and also worked for hours at the VFW in Grinnell after the tornado hit the town in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Tristan Bixenman, owner of Meraki Market coffee shop and bakery in Grainfield, is helped by her son, Kip, in the kitchen. Bixenman provided food for volunteers and also worked for hours at the VFW in Grinnell after the tornado hit the town in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“I was calling them and warning them to go to the basement, because they were in the path of it,” Rathgeber said.She said she and her husband didn’t realize the storm’s strength until they turned a corner and saw power poles collapsing on the road in front of them.“That’s when we stopped and backed up,” she said. “There’s so much debris. My husband barely rolled the window down, and it sucked the hat off his head. We’ll never see that hat again.”Once she realized the tornado was heading to Grinnell, Rathgeber said she contacted family members in the path.“We called them, and they had no intentions of going to the basement,” she said. “They didn’t think it was anything. Had we not called, I don’t know as if they would have gone to the basement in their house.“Their house was demolished, but the china hutch was still sitting, and there were still dishes in it,” Rathgeber added.Kenny Robben also lost his home. In his 80s, Robben had knee surgery and was sitting in his recliner, Bixenman said.“Sirens are going off, (Robben was) watching the news. Wasn’t too concerned until the last second,” she said. “He stands up with his walker and then the wind just starts coming through his windows. He sits down and literally rides it out in his recliner.”Bixenman shook her head. Robben was uninjured.<h2>Rallying to rebuild</h2>The list of work to be done is long. The local Catholic church lost its roof. Headstones were damaged at the VFW cemetery. The elementary school won’t reopen in time for the start of school.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345303986.png" alt="Rubble from the May tornado can be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. Cemeteries had headstone damage and 28 homes were destroyed. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rubble from the May tornado can be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. Cemeteries had headstone damage and 28 homes were destroyed. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Contractors are difficult to find, Maier said, but are filtering in to do the work.A missionary team from the First Baptist Church in Dighton arrived July 21 and framed and sided a house in five days, said the Rev. Ken Bowden.“We just asked if there was anybody we could help out specifically, and the city nominated one of the families in town to get their house rebuilt,” he said.&nbsp;The church team of 20 included a contractor, who helped teach the others, Bowden said. They put walls up the first day, trusses the second and then finished decking it.The town found a contractor to work on the elementary school, but all classes there are being moved to the middle school when the session starts Aug. 13, Maier said.&nbsp;“We’re such a small school, so they’re just going to move some things around and make everybody fit for the year,” she said. “And God bless our lunch lady. She’s going to make the lunches and then hot box them down the street — they have a hot box on wheels — so they get breakfast and lunch. Prior to this, the middle schoolers would come down to eat lunch at the grade school.“It’s been amazing to see the backbone of people,” Maier added. “Grinnell has some true grit in us. I’m so proud of our little town.”On July 23, President Donald Trump approved disaster funding for Grinnell and Gove County, along with other Kansas counties affected by the May 18 and 19 storm. Public assistance funding is a cost-sharing federal program to pay for emergency work and repair and replace facilities damaged by storms, said Ryan Lowry-Lee, FEMA Region 7 spokesman.The assistance will pay for debris removal and emergency protective measures, as well as permanent restoration of facilities such as roads, culverts, bridges and public buildings, he said.“It’s been a very steep learning curve of what do you do to keep a town safe,” Maier said. “We have two paved roads in town, and everything else is sand road. We might have to dig up these roads, pull up to four inches off them and re-sand them, for safety reasons. Your kids can’t ride a bike if they’re full of nails.”Maier, who worked in the insurance industry for 13 years, worried the town wouldn’t qualify for support because it had to show $5.8 million of damage to city-owned property. But state and FEMA staff helped her assess damages, and they made the threshold.Along with damages to the school and the golf course, Maier said 40 water meter pits were damaged or completely gone, costing $1,000 to $1,500 each to replace.A separate city insurance policy doesn’t cover roads and major infrastructure, and Maier didn’t expect to make the $10,000 deductible.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Grinnell grain facility owned by Frontier Ag will take about $6 million to rebuild, said CEO Stan Remington. They have insurance of $3.5 million to $4 million, he added.“We lost approximately 750,000 bushels of storage,” he said. “We’ll be lucky to be in operation a year from now. Contractors aren’t easy to find, and it takes time to build that kind of complex back.”Remington said his company’s other facilities are too far away to be of use for the upcoming fall harvest. The storm damaged storage bins full of grain and forced the company to store wheat under white tents on the ground, a practice they’ll continue. But that drives costs up.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345349545.png" alt="Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at Frontier Ag in Grinnell, said the facility lost its storage bins in a tornado in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at Frontier Ag in Grinnell, said the facility lost its storage bins in a tornado in May. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Labor costs go up because it takes about two times the labor to put it on the ground,” he said.Darrell Garner, a grain elevator supervisor at the facility, said they were shut down for about four days after the storm, but welders have been coming in to remove broken metal and make repairs.“We’re doing pretty good,” he said.<h2>So much help</h2>While some residents are rebuilding their houses, others have chosen to sell their lots instead, Maier said.“I think it’s going to change us forever,” said Lisa Bixenman, a Grinnell resident and a cousin of Tristan Bixenman. “I don’t think a lot of them are going to build back, maybe we’re up to half. I just don’t think it’s ever going to be the same.”Dolly Theobald’s family chose not to rebuild, but they didn’t leave town. Instead, a local woman offered to sell them her home, and they moved in last week.The night of the storm, Theobald had just gotten home when her sister-in-law messaged to ask if they were in the basement. After a second call from her mother, Theobald said she gathered her two children and the pets and went to the basement.“It was crazy loud, and it was probably done in less than 30 seconds,” Theobald said. “You could hear the windows breaking. You could hear debris hit.”Their house was a total loss. Theobald said she’s grateful her family photos were in a center room in the basement, where they were safe.Pieces of family history were scattered throughout the area, hung up in trees, and wrapped around jagged edges of aluminum siding. The town set up three tables at the VFW where people put things they found so they could be returned to owners, Rathgeber said.Concern from small communities poured in through financial donations, boots on the ground, offers of an apartment complex to house people short term and hotels donating free rooms, Maier said.Volunteers arrived by the hundreds. The day after the tornado, an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 people arrived to clean up, said Grinnell resident Shari Burks.“Farmers were all supposed to be planting, and they just parked their tractors for a week,” Lisa Bixenman said. “Or they brought them to town to help. I mean, literally it put everybody behind for a week or a week and a half, because they all just dropped everything to come. It’s incredible.”The VFW, initially the hub of emergency activity and a storm shelter, transitioned to a community center for meals, organizing volunteers, collecting donations and bringing everyone together.Volunteer Melissa Shupe said donations quickly came from across the country. A semi-truck of new clothing was delivered. People who had been through the Joplin, Missouri, tornado drove in with supplies. Rathgeber, who owns Broken Handle catering, and Tristan Bixenman, who owns Meraki Market, both served dinners.Nearby restaurants donated hundreds of pizzas and sandwiches, Pepsi donated 400-plus cases of Gatorade and soda, and other companies donated chips and pallets of water, Tristan Bixenman said.“It was an overwhelming blessing type of thing,” she said. “It can be really challenging to keep all that organized in the aftermath of a disaster. It just kept coming in.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754345390312.png" alt="&nbsp;Jared Mason was renting a farmhouse outside of Grinnell when a May 18 tornado hit the town. Without a basement, he went into a downstairs closet, where he heard creaking and twisting boards as the house was demolished. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Jared Mason was renting a farmhouse outside of Grinnell when a May 18 tornado hit the town. Without a basement, he went into a downstairs closet, where he heard creaking and twisting boards as the house was demolished. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Long-term recovery</h2>Trish Gruber, Grinnell’s emergency operations manager, said short-term recovery after the storm is over. That included checking for injuries, removing debris and reporting what had happened to appropriate agencies, including utility companies that moved in to clean up downed power lines, she said.&nbsp;Gruber also had to address the tornado siren in town that didn’t go off that night.&nbsp;The two sirens were tested about 30 minutes before the storm in a regularly scheduled test that occurs every day at noon and 6 p.m., she said.“It was just when we tried to set it off manually, it was not catching that signal,” Gruber said.The working siren was located on the west side of town where the tornado hit, Gruber said, adding that emergency vehicles drove through town with their sirens screaming to warn residents.Today, the siren is fixed, and the long-term recovery, expected to take two years, is underway.Gruber said the city has applied for a grant to update its tornado shelter. Maier is looking at other grants to help homeowners and the city rebuild.Sitting on a bench downtown, she is hopeful for Grinnell’s future.&nbsp;“It all came together so fast and really, so smoothly,” Maier said of the recovery. “We had an amazing group of people that really stepped up to the plate. As overwhelming as it was, it was a lot of love.”

‘It’s going to change us forever’: Resilient Grinnell rebuilds with grit after tornado

&nbsp;One of the goals identified by the Ellis County Workforce Committee is to develop a collaborative system that promotes local students staying in Ellis County post-graduation. 

To help accomplish this, a community career building sub-committee has been formed, which includes: Hays High School Principal Shawn Henderson, Hays High School Assistant Principal Becky Hickert, Grow Hays Director of Recruitment and Retention David Clingan, Fort Hays State University Vice President for Economic Development Ben Schears, and The Chamber in Hays, Kansas President/CEO Sarah Wasinger.

Discussions within the ECWC have identified a need to catalyze stronger collaboration between the education and business communities, which has stimulated a groundbreaking partnership that will connect Ellis County business leaders with education administration and faculty, as well as students in high school and post-secondary. 

This will be accomplished by hosting a series of industry cluster meetings. 

During these engaging sessions, the following business will be conducted:

· Discussing enrollment numbers to track student trends and better understand employer needs in hard-to-fill positions in the next three to five years

· Sharing success stories centered around unique partnerships between businesses and individual students

· Bringing students in to share what resonates with them most when seeking employment and potentially connecting with employers for scholarship-to-work contracts

· Providing a platform for businesses to share their expectations directly with students

· Identify potential courses that need to be added into the curriculum to address future workforce needs

· Find potential opportunities for externships so faculty can shadow with employers to better understand their industry’s current and future needs

· Have students share what they are looking for from an employment perspective

Based on current clusters available within Ellis County high schools, the following industries will be grouped together for the 2025-2026 academic year:

The first meeting will feature the manufacturing, distribution, and welding cluster and will be held at the new Hays High School on September 10 from 8:15 to 9:45 a.m. in the hospitality room. 

Members of the sub-committee will be contacting businesses to register for this event. Details for future cluster meetings will be shared in future newsletters, and invitations will be extended to chamber members in each of the outlined industries.

For more information about this exciting new collaboration or to get involved in the ECWC, email sarah@hayschamber.com call the Chamber in Hays at 785-628-8201.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648131478897.jpeg" alt="Image by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>The Chamber in Hays&nbsp;One of the goals identified by the Ellis County Workforce Committee is to develop a collaborative system that promotes local students staying in Ellis County post-graduation. To help accomplish this, a community career building sub-committee has been formed, which includes: Hays High School Principal Shawn Henderson, Hays High School Assistant Principal Becky Hickert, Grow Hays Director of Recruitment and Retention David Clingan, Fort Hays State University Vice President for Economic Development Ben Schears, and The Chamber in Hays, Kansas President/CEO Sarah Wasinger.Discussions within the ECWC have identified a need to catalyze stronger collaboration between the education and business communities, which has stimulated a groundbreaking partnership that will connect Ellis County business leaders with education administration and faculty, as well as students in high school and post-secondary. This will be accomplished by hosting a series of industry cluster meetings. During these engaging sessions, the following business will be conducted:· Discussing enrollment numbers to track student trends and better understand employer needs in hard-to-fill positions in the next three to five years· Sharing success stories centered around unique partnerships between businesses and individual students· Bringing students in to share what resonates with them most when seeking employment and potentially connecting with employers for scholarship-to-work contracts· Providing a platform for businesses to share their expectations directly with students· Identify potential courses that need to be added into the curriculum to address future workforce needs· Find potential opportunities for externships so faculty can shadow with employers to better understand their industry’s current and future needs· Have students share what they are looking for from an employment perspectiveBased on current clusters available within Ellis County high schools, the following industries will be grouped together for the 2025-2026 academic year:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754316068224.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The first meeting will feature the manufacturing, distribution, and welding cluster and will be held at the new Hays High School on September 10 from 8:15 to 9:45 a.m. in the hospitality room. Members of the sub-committee will be contacting businesses to register for this event. Details for future cluster meetings will be shared in future newsletters, and invitations will be extended to chamber members in each of the outlined industries.For more information about this exciting new collaboration or to get involved in the ECWC, email sarah@hayschamber.com call the Chamber in Hays at 785-628-8201.

Forging a stronger jobs pipeline to connect Ellis County students with local careers

Fort Hays Tech | North Central is proud to announce a transformative $1 million investment from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in support of the college’s new Construction&nbsp;Innovation Center, scheduled to open in Spring 2026. This generous contribution will help fund&nbsp;the construction of the nearly 30,000-square-foot facility, designed to expand access to high demand career training in construction technology, electrical technology, plumbing/heating/AC,&nbsp;and commercial driving (CDL).

“This extraordinary gift from the Hansen Foundation demonstrates their deep commitment to&nbsp;strengthening technical education and workforce development in North Central Kansas,” said&nbsp;Eric Burks, president at Fort Hays Tech | North Central. “Their support accelerates our ability to&nbsp;train more students to meet the critical demand for skilled workers in our region and help address&nbsp;the need for more housing.”

The Construction Innovation Center will include three industry-grade workshops/labs, interactive&nbsp;classrooms, and technology-enhanced training environments that mirror real-world job sites. The&nbsp;facility will allow Fort Hays Tech | North Central to double enrollment capacity in these&nbsp;construction-related programs.

This investment represents a major milestone in the capital campaign for the Construction&nbsp;Innovation Center. The project has also received strong support from industry partners, local&nbsp;businesses and other regional foundations.

For more information about the Construction Innovation Center or to contribute to the campaign,&nbsp;please visit fhtechnc.edu or contact Mendi Anschutz, Director of Advancement at 785.738.9090.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754303296687.jpeg" alt="Rendering of Construction Innovation Center,&nbsp;Fort Hays Tech | North Central" />
 <figcaption>Rendering of Construction Innovation Center,&nbsp;Fort Hays Tech | North Central</figcaption>
 </figure>Fort Hays Tech | North CentralFort Hays Tech | North Central is proud to announce a transformative $1 million investment from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in support of the college’s new Construction&nbsp;Innovation Center, scheduled to open in Spring 2026. This generous contribution will help fund&nbsp;the construction of the nearly 30,000-square-foot facility, designed to expand access to high demand career training in construction technology, electrical technology, plumbing/heating/AC,&nbsp;and commercial driving (CDL).“This extraordinary gift from the Hansen Foundation demonstrates their deep commitment to&nbsp;strengthening technical education and workforce development in North Central Kansas,” said&nbsp;Eric Burks, president at Fort Hays Tech | North Central. “Their support accelerates our ability to&nbsp;train more students to meet the critical demand for skilled workers in our region and help address&nbsp;the need for more housing.”The Construction Innovation Center will include three industry-grade workshops/labs, interactive&nbsp;classrooms, and technology-enhanced training environments that mirror real-world job sites. The&nbsp;facility will allow Fort Hays Tech | North Central to double enrollment capacity in these&nbsp;construction-related programs.This investment represents a major milestone in the capital campaign for the Construction&nbsp;Innovation Center. The project has also received strong support from industry partners, local&nbsp;businesses and other regional foundations.For more information about the Construction Innovation Center or to contribute to the campaign,&nbsp;please visit fhtechnc.edu or contact Mendi Anschutz, Director of Advancement at 785.738.9090.

Hansen Foundation invests $1M in construction center at Fort Hays Tech | North Central

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754411865542.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

First Care Clinic is excited to welcome Sydni Niernberger, Nurse Practitioner, to our dedicated medical team. With a strong background in patient-centered care and a passion for improving health outcomes, Sydni brings valuable experience and energy to the clinic. Her addition supports our continued commitment to providing accessible, high-quality healthcare for individuals and families across the region.

Sydni earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Washburn University and is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

First Care Clinic Medical Director, Dr. Christine Fisher states, “Sydni is the perfect addition to our clinic. She is from Hays and is well known in the community and by our staff. She comes with years of clinical experience. We are very fortunate to have such a kind, talented, hard-working provider join our practice!”

“We are very excited to have Sydni join our provider team at First Care Clinic.” Says Eric Flax, First Care Clinic CEO, “Sydni is an experienced provider with roots in our community. To have her back in Hays is such a positive thing for the health of our community. Having Sydni joining First Care reaffirms our commitment to our community to provide compassionate, quality care for all.”

First Care Clinic welcomes new medical patients and accepts all major insurances. A sliding fee scale discount is available to those who qualify. Patients can view our providers and request an appointment at firstcareclinic.com or by calling First Care Clinic at (785) 621-4990.

First Care Clinic is a federally qualified health center, with over ninety employees across their three locations in Hays, providing services for people of all ages, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. They provide family medicine, express care, pharmaceutical, behavioral health, and family dentistry services.

First Care Clinic welcomes all patients and accepts all major insurances. A sliding fee scale discount is also available to those who qualify. Patients can request an appointment at firstcareclinic.com or by calling First Care Clinic at (785) 621-4990. Patients can also schedule same-day Express Care visits on our website. Book a time and skip the line!

“The region’s premier medical home, dedicated to providing access to compassionate, quality care for all.”

For more information, contact Danielle Windholz, Director of Operations, at First Care Clinic (785-621-4990).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753894037622.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Sydni Niernberger" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Sydni Niernberger</figcaption>
 </figure>First Care Clinic is excited to welcome Sydni Niernberger, Nurse Practitioner, to our dedicated medical team. With a strong background in patient-centered care and a passion for improving health outcomes, Sydni brings valuable experience and energy to the clinic. Her addition supports our continued commitment to providing accessible, high-quality healthcare for individuals and families across the region.Sydni earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Washburn University and is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.First Care Clinic Medical Director, Dr. Christine Fisher states, “Sydni is the perfect addition to our clinic. She is from Hays and is well known in the community and by our staff. She comes with years of clinical experience. We are very fortunate to have such a kind, talented, hard-working provider join our practice!”“We are very excited to have Sydni join our provider team at First Care Clinic.” Says Eric Flax, First Care Clinic CEO, “Sydni is an experienced provider with roots in our community. To have her back in Hays is such a positive thing for the health of our community. Having Sydni joining First Care reaffirms our commitment to our community to provide compassionate, quality care for all.”First Care Clinic welcomes new medical patients and accepts all major insurances. A sliding fee scale discount is available to those who qualify. Patients can view our providers and request an appointment at firstcareclinic.com or by calling First Care Clinic at (785) 621-4990.ABOUT FIRST CARE CLINIC, INC.First Care Clinic is a federally qualified health center, with over ninety employees across their three locations in Hays, providing services for people of all ages, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. They provide family medicine, express care, pharmaceutical, behavioral health, and family dentistry services.First Care Clinic welcomes all patients and accepts all major insurances. A sliding fee scale discount is also available to those who qualify. Patients can request an appointment at firstcareclinic.com or by calling First Care Clinic at (785) 621-4990. Patients can also schedule same-day Express Care visits on our website. Book a time and skip the line!“The region’s premier medical home, dedicated to providing access to compassionate, quality care for all.”For more information, contact Danielle Windholz, Director of Operations, at First Care Clinic (785-621-4990).

Local