<a href="https://hayspost.com/state-farm-weather-window/">For a full look at weather visit the State Farm Weather Window by clicking here.</a>

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 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/state-farm-weather-window/">For a full look at weather visit the State Farm Weather Window by clicking here.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581112515760.jpeg" alt="" />
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Three-day weather outlook

The first Hays Area Chamber of Commerce legislative coffee of the new year featured five area state legislators, U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall of the First District, and the state director for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Alex Richard.

The seven answered questions from constituents Saturday morning in the Memorial Union Ballroom at Fort Hays State University.

The state representatives were invited to speak first by moderator Sara Wasinger, HACC executive director, followed by the national representatives.&nbsp;

Most of the written questions submitted by the audience overlapped state and federal issues, including potential Medicaid expansion in Kansas, rural healthcare, EPA regulations rollbacks, and federal tariffs on agricultural exports.

A poll conducted last year of the constituents of Rep. Leonard Mastroni (R-La Crosse) in the 117th District showed 73 percent of those residents supporting Medicaid expansion in Kansas.

"With 84 critical access hospitals in the state, 40 to 45 percent are operating in the red, according to new stats I just got," Mastroni said. There are six critical access hospitals in his district. 

"I think it's crucial for the hospitals for Medicaid expansion."&nbsp;

There are several related bills in the state legislature.

Last month, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning (R-Overland Park) announced a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e1749ae57544d3fe90e9381">compromise proposal</a> that would expand Medicaid to 150,000 Kansans, a step towards Kelly’s campaign promise to expand Medicaid eligibility.

 “This proposal includes elements of my plan, of Senator Denning’s plan, of the 2019 House plan, and of the bipartisan plan that passed both chambers in 2017,” Kelly said.

Sen. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland, called Denning's bill as "much better than the one that was passed in the House last year,&nbsp; which is dead on the floor and has a lot of problems."

"I think there's probably a good chance if they get everything else worked out that there will be a bill," Billinger said. "The bill in the Senate has 22 co-sponsors and it only takes 21 to pass that. I think at some point in time it will happen."

Work on the bill was scheduled to begin this week, but Friday, after an anti-abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution failed in the House, Senate President&nbsp;Susan Wagle (R-Wichita) sent more than a dozen bills related to Medicaid expansion back to committee.&nbsp;

"We'll see what happens Monday morning," said Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra). "Right now everything is truly fluid."

The federal government would cover 90 percent of the cost to expand Medicaid. The state would pick up the remaining 10 percent.

"We don't know what that cost is. That amount varies anywhere from $40 million to $120 million a year," said Rep. Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill, who is budget chairman for the Kansas House of Representatives and also a member of the bipartisan <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/committees/ctte_spc_2019_medicaid_expansion_1/">Special Committee on Medicaid Expansion</a>.&nbsp;

"We just came out of a situation in 2018 where we were fighting a deficit situation every single year when we came back in January.

"We're now in what I would call a state of solvency but we still need to be extremely cautious when we add a particular line item to the budget that we don't know what the cost to the state of Kansas will be," Waymaster cautioned.

New fees on health care providers would help cover the cost under Denning’s plan. If passed, Kansas would become the 37th state to expand Medicare.&nbsp;

Hays' representative Barb Wasinger (R-111th Dist.) emphasized the expansion issue doesn't stand alone.

"We need to rethink what we're doing with hospitals in rural Kansas so we can better meet the needs of rural Kansans," Wasinger said. "The old model is not working.

"It seems like one big issue, but it's many, many complex issues that everyone is trying to work on."

First District Congressman Roger Marshall, a doctor from Great Bend, declared healthcare as an issue "near and dear to my heart."

"I think you have to look at healthcare for the whole of rural America," Marshall said.

"We have hospitals that are underutilized in rural America."

Sitting alongside Marshall, Alex Richard, Olathe, state director for Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS, nodded his head in agreement.

"You've got empty beds here. You've got capacity here," Marshall pointed out. "I want to do everything I can to make Hays' hospital, Colby's hospital, successful."

Telemedicine helps fill the gap in rural healthcare and Marshall wants to see it used more for mental health and addiction treatments.&nbsp;

Richard also talked about the importance of military veterans in rural areas being able to get medical care in their local communities. Moran is&nbsp;chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

"Economically and probably care-wise, that's the best way," Richard said. "If the VA can reimburse you at the Hays hospital or the Salina hospital or wherever, and you can get the benefits that are good, that's going to be more economic and better taxpayer outcomes than having a VA hospital."

The HACC legislative coffee series is sponsored by AT&amp;T and Midwest Energy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581209645070.jpeg" alt="U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS,&nbsp;Alex Richard, state director for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS,&nbsp;Rep. Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill,&nbsp;Rep. Barb Wasinger (R-Hays,&nbsp;Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra, Rep. Leonard Mastroni (R-La Crosse, Sen. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland, and Sara Wasinger, HACC executive director at Saturday's legislative coffee.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS,&nbsp;Alex Richard, state director for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS,&nbsp;Rep. Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill,&nbsp;Rep. Barb Wasinger (R-Hays,&nbsp;Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra, Rep. Leonard Mastroni (R-La Crosse, Sen. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland, and Sara Wasinger, HACC executive director at Saturday's legislative coffee.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><div>By BECKY KISER Hays Post</div>The first Hays Area Chamber of Commerce legislative coffee of the new year featured five area state legislators, U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall of the First District, and the state director for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Alex Richard.The seven answered questions from constituents Saturday morning in the Memorial Union Ballroom at Fort Hays State University.The state representatives were invited to speak first by moderator Sara Wasinger, HACC executive director, followed by the national representatives.&nbsp;Most of the written questions submitted by the audience overlapped state and federal issues, including potential Medicaid expansion in Kansas, rural healthcare, EPA regulations rollbacks, and federal tariffs on agricultural exports.A poll conducted last year of the constituents of Rep. Leonard Mastroni (R-La Crosse) in the 117th District showed 73 percent of those residents supporting Medicaid expansion in Kansas."With 84 critical access hospitals in the state, 40 to 45 percent are operating in the red, according to new stats I just got," Mastroni said. There are six critical access hospitals in his district. "I think it's crucial for the hospitals for Medicaid expansion."&nbsp;There are several related bills in the state legislature.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OecpbCoo538"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Last month, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning (R-Overland Park) announced a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e1749ae57544d3fe90e9381">compromise proposal</a> that would expand Medicaid to 150,000 Kansans, a step towards Kelly’s campaign promise to expand Medicaid eligibility. “This proposal includes elements of my plan, of Senator Denning’s plan, of the 2019 House plan, and of the bipartisan plan that passed both chambers in 2017,” Kelly said.Sen. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland, called Denning's bill as "much better than the one that was passed in the House last year,&nbsp; which is dead on the floor and has a lot of problems.""I think there's probably a good chance if they get everything else worked out that there will be a bill," Billinger said. "The bill in the Senate has 22 co-sponsors and it only takes 21 to pass that. I think at some point in time it will happen."Work on the bill was scheduled to begin this week, but Friday, after an anti-abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution failed in the House, Senate President&nbsp;Susan Wagle (R-Wichita) sent more than a dozen bills related to Medicaid expansion back to committee.&nbsp;"We'll see what happens Monday morning," said Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra). "Right now everything is truly fluid."The federal government would cover 90 percent of the cost to expand Medicaid. The state would pick up the remaining 10 percent."We don't know what that cost is. That amount varies anywhere from $40 million to $120 million a year," said Rep. Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill, who is budget chairman for the Kansas House of Representatives and also a member of the bipartisan <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/committees/ctte_spc_2019_medicaid_expansion_1/">Special Committee on Medicaid Expansion</a>.&nbsp;"We just came out of a situation in 2018 where we were fighting a deficit situation every single year when we came back in January."We're now in what I would call a state of solvency but we still need to be extremely cautious when we add a particular line item to the budget that we don't know what the cost to the state of Kansas will be," Waymaster cautioned.New fees on health care providers would help cover the cost under Denning’s plan. If passed, Kansas would become the 37th state to expand Medicare.&nbsp;Hays' representative Barb Wasinger (R-111th Dist.) emphasized the expansion issue doesn't stand alone."We need to rethink what we're doing with hospitals in rural Kansas so we can better meet the needs of rural Kansans," Wasinger said. "The old model is not working."It seems like one big issue, but it's many, many complex issues that everyone is trying to work on."First District Congressman Roger Marshall, a doctor from Great Bend, declared healthcare as an issue "near and dear to my heart.""I think you have to look at healthcare for the whole of rural America," Marshall said."We have hospitals that are underutilized in rural America."Sitting alongside Marshall, Alex Richard, Olathe, state director for Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS, nodded his head in agreement."You've got empty beds here. You've got capacity here," Marshall pointed out. "I want to do everything I can to make Hays' hospital, Colby's hospital, successful."Telemedicine helps fill the gap in rural healthcare and Marshall wants to see it used more for mental health and addiction treatments.&nbsp;Richard also talked about the importance of military veterans in rural areas being able to get medical care in their local communities. Moran is&nbsp;chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee."Economically and probably care-wise, that's the best way," Richard said. "If the VA can reimburse you at the Hays hospital or the Salina hospital or wherever, and you can get the benefits that are good, that's going to be more economic and better taxpayer outcomes than having a VA hospital."The HACC legislative coffee series is sponsored by AT&amp;T and Midwest Energy.

🎥 Sen. Billinger:  'I think Medicaid expansion will happen.' 

Beginning Monday, 33rd Street will be closed east of Vine Street between the entrance to O’Reilly’s and the entrance to Big Creek Crossing. 

 Contact Midwest Energy Gas Division at (800) 222-3121 or City of Hays Public Works Department at (785) 628-7350 for more information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1580140238529.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysBeginning Monday, 33rd Street will be closed east of Vine Street between the entrance to O’Reilly’s and the entrance to Big Creek Crossing. The road will reopen by Feb. 21. Contact Midwest Energy Gas Division at (800) 222-3121 or City of Hays Public Works Department at (785) 628-7350 for more information.

Portion of 33rd Street to be closed until Feb. 21

Listen as
the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps the Chiefs thrilling win over San Francisco in Super LIV.

The
Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX
(96.9-FM, at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.

Listen as
the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps the Chiefs thrilling win over San Francisco in Super LIV.The
Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX
(96.9-FM, at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/756689629&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe></div>

Listen to the Holthus Hotline with ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus

By CRISTINA JANNEY,&nbsp;Hays Post&nbsp;

Confetti flew and staff cheered as the Sternberg Museum of Natural History celebrated its 1 millionth visitor Friday.

The unsuspecting visitor Ashley Cooper and her five children — Aiden, Adam, Arron, Alexander and Adalyn, who are from near Lincoln, Kan. — received a lifetime membership to the museum and a basket of gifts from the museum gift shop. The children range in ages from 11 to 1.

Video courtesy of the Sternberg Museum and the Hays CVB.

Cooper and her children traveled to Hays to participate in the museum's home-school program.&nbsp;

Cooper said she was excited about the lifetime membership and said the family will use it in the future.

"We definitely like to go see the dinosaurs and the dig. The kids really like that," she said.

The family tries to make it the museum at least a couple of times per year as part of the family's home-school science curriculum.

"When they are studying certain things and they have things here that are pertinent, we definitely come. It hands-on and I love to bring that to life," Cooper said. "It makes it a lot more interesting."

Cooper said the family was especially excited to see a new shark find that was discovered near Tipton, close to where the family lives.

Not long after the establishment of the Kansas State Normal College in 1902, some private collections of these early settlers were given to the young institution that would later be known as Fort Hays State University, according to the Sternberg website. This collection was the forebear of what eventually become the Sternberg.

The Sternberg opened at its current location at 3000 Sternberg Drive on March 13, 1999. The museum did not start counting its visitors until that date.

"It means there are a lot of people coming to Hays," said Reese Barrick, museum director, of Friday's celebration. "There is a lot of support from Hays. There are a lot of people who drop in from all over the state who come here.&nbsp;

"It is just kind of exciting that we have had 1 million people here and we are still going strong."

Barrick added, "I think we are looking forward to our next millionth. We hope that we can maybe get it in a shorter time than 20 years."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581111110607.jpeg" alt="Ashley Cooper of Lincoln, Kan., reacts Friday as she and her family learn from Rachel Unruh, Sternberg marketing coordinator, that she is the 1 millionth visitor to the Sternberg Museum." />
 <figcaption>Ashley Cooper of Lincoln, Kan., reacts Friday as she and her family learn from Rachel Unruh, Sternberg marketing coordinator, that she is the 1 millionth visitor to the Sternberg Museum.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY,&nbsp;Hays Post&nbsp;Confetti flew and staff cheered as the Sternberg Museum of Natural History celebrated its 1 millionth visitor Friday.The unsuspecting visitor Ashley Cooper and her five children — Aiden, Adam, Arron, Alexander and Adalyn, who are from near Lincoln, Kan. — received a lifetime membership to the museum and a basket of gifts from the museum gift shop. The children range in ages from 11 to 1.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QeNHG08v5_g" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Video courtesy of the Sternberg Museum and the Hays CVB.Cooper and her children traveled to Hays to participate in the museum's home-school program.&nbsp;Cooper said she was excited about the lifetime membership and said the family will use it in the future."We definitely like to go see the dinosaurs and the dig. The kids really like that," she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581111227156.jpeg" alt="Ashley Cooper receives a lifetime membership for her and her family to the Sternberg Museum from Reese Barrick, museum director, after Cooper is recognized as the 1 millionth visitor to the museum Friday." />
 <figcaption>Ashley Cooper receives a lifetime membership for her and her family to the Sternberg Museum from Reese Barrick, museum director, after Cooper is recognized as the 1 millionth visitor to the museum Friday.</figcaption>
 </figure>The family tries to make it the museum at least a couple of times per year as part of the family's home-school science curriculum."When they are studying certain things and they have things here that are pertinent, we definitely come. It hands-on and I love to bring that to life," Cooper said. "It makes it a lot more interesting."Cooper said the family was especially excited to see a new shark find that was discovered near Tipton, close to where the family lives.Not long after the establishment of the Kansas State Normal College in 1902, some private collections of these early settlers were given to the young institution that would later be known as Fort Hays State University, according to the Sternberg website. This collection was the forebear of what eventually become the Sternberg.The Sternberg opened at its current location at 3000 Sternberg Drive on March 13, 1999. The museum did not start counting its visitors until that date."It means there are a lot of people coming to Hays," said Reese Barrick, museum director, of Friday's celebration. "There is a lot of support from Hays. There are a lot of people who drop in from all over the state who come here.&nbsp;"It is just kind of exciting that we have had 1 million people here and we are still going strong."Barrick added, "I think we are looking forward to our next millionth. We hope that we can maybe get it in a shorter time than 20 years."

🎥 Sternberg Museum celebrates 1 millionth visitor

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays school board is set to take up an agreement with teachers at its meeting on Monday.

The school board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at O'Loughlin Elementary School.

This has been a contentious year of negotiations, with teachers and the board locked in a stalemate over pay and insurance benefits.

At issue was the district's move from a state-run Blue Cross Blue Shield plan to a plan administered by Aetna. Although the plan saved the district money, teachers complained of higher deductibles and issues with service.

The tentative agreement in the board's packet for Monday has the district remaining with Aetna through the end of this contract year, which ends June 30.

The district also has made a move to establish a set amount it will pay toward family insurance plans. The tentative agreement has the district paying the full amount for a single plan, but limiting its payment for dependent and family plans to $1,050 per month starting July 1, 2020.

A federal meditator was unable to bring the two sides to an agreement, and the process moved on to fact finding in the fall. Teachers have been working under their contract for the 2018-19 school year since July.

On salary, the agreement stipulates a $1,900 per year addition to base pay plus horizontal and vertical movement on the salary schedule.

The board will also consider a proposal to add 4.9 percent to the salary of classified staff and administrators, which is roughly equal to the raise being received by the teachers.

The board also will consider a proposal from Integrated Consulting Engineers of Wichita to develop plans for the replacement of the heating and air conditioning system at the high school.

HVAC work has been completed on several areas of the building including the gyms. However, Rusty Lindsay, USD 489 director of buildings and grounds, told the school board at its last meeting the district can no longer wait to replace the system.

Lindsay said he hoped the gas lines to the building could be replaced, and then rooftop units could be added as the district had the funds or through lease agreements.

Lindsay added during his last report to the board the district is experiencing more major facility failures and it no longer has the funds in the capital outlay budget to address all of its needs.

The board will also hear a report from Nutrition Services director Jessica Younker and a report on&nbsp; Kansas State Board of Education dyslexia recommendations from Shanna Dinkel, USD 489 assistant superintendent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576523661025.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays school board is set to take up an agreement with teachers at its meeting on Monday.The school board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at O'Loughlin Elementary School.This has been a contentious year of negotiations, with teachers and the board locked in a stalemate over pay and insurance benefits.At issue was the district's move from a state-run Blue Cross Blue Shield plan to a plan administered by Aetna. Although the plan saved the district money, teachers complained of higher deductibles and issues with service.The tentative agreement in the board's packet for Monday has the district remaining with Aetna through the end of this contract year, which ends June 30.The district also has made a move to establish a set amount it will pay toward family insurance plans. The tentative agreement has the district paying the full amount for a single plan, but limiting its payment for dependent and family plans to $1,050 per month starting July 1, 2020.A federal meditator was unable to bring the two sides to an agreement, and the process moved on to fact finding in the fall. Teachers have been working under their contract for the 2018-19 school year since July.On salary, the agreement stipulates a $1,900 per year addition to base pay plus horizontal and vertical movement on the salary schedule.The board will also consider a proposal to add 4.9 percent to the salary of classified staff and administrators, which is roughly equal to the raise being received by the teachers.<h2>HHS HVAC</h2>The board also will consider a proposal from Integrated Consulting Engineers of Wichita to develop plans for the replacement of the heating and air conditioning system at the high school.HVAC work has been completed on several areas of the building including the gyms. However, Rusty Lindsay, USD 489 director of buildings and grounds, told the school board at its last meeting the district can no longer wait to replace the system.Lindsay said he hoped the gas lines to the building could be replaced, and then rooftop units could be added as the district had the funds or through lease agreements.Lindsay added during his last report to the board the district is experiencing more major facility failures and it no longer has the funds in the capital outlay budget to address all of its needs.The board will also hear a report from Nutrition Services director Jessica Younker and a report on&nbsp; Kansas State Board of Education dyslexia recommendations from Shanna Dinkel, USD 489 assistant superintendent.

Hays school board set to vote on teacher contract

Strong showing for Kansas Press Association Awards

BY KIRBY ROSS Phillips County Review

PHILLIPSBURG — The&nbsp;Phillips County Review&nbsp;has had a very good half-decade run, receiving a number of honors along the way, including from the Kansas Press Association, the Kansas Legislature, and the United State Senate.

Every year, the KPA receives thousands of competing journalism awards nominations from hundreds of Kansas newspapers, from which it selects first place, second place and third place winners in a variety of categories.

Because of the sheer numbers of journalists involved, the competition is extremely difficult to win.

Illustrating the nature of the competition, going up directly against around 180 newspapers in its circulation class in 2016, the KPA awarded the&nbsp;Phillips County Review&nbsp;top awards in just five categories. &nbsp;That year the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;took in four first place wins and one second place.

With the newspaper stepping up to meet the challenge, in 2017 it won three first places, five seconds, and one third--nine total awards.

In 2018, the recognition for the&nbsp;Review’s&nbsp;work really took off, with the newspaper gathering in six first place awards, seven second places, and eight thirds--21 total wins.

That year, the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;was in the running for the Kansas Press Association’s newspaper of the year “sweepstakes” award--the best of the best in its circulation class across the entire state of Kansas--but didn’t quite make it.

The following year the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;did make it. &nbsp;That rare honor among Kansas newspapers was awarded by the KPA to theReview&nbsp;after it won 10 firsts, five seconds, and three thirds in 2019. &nbsp;

That was eighteen total awards in 2019--fewer overall than the year before, but more first place wins which vaulted the publication into being recognized at the 2019 KPA Convention as best of the best among Kansas newspapers in its circulation class.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Fast forward to the present--last Thursday the Kansas Press Association released the list of winners for 2020. &nbsp;And theReview&nbsp;not only surpassed the number of awards it won in its championship season last year--the&nbsp;Reviewactually eclipsed last year’s wins by a large margin.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Taking in a major haul of 15 first place Kansas Press Association wins, 10 second places, and six thirds, it is not known whether these 31 total awards will garner the&nbsp;Reviewrecognition as KPA’s newspaper of the year in its circulation class for the second year in a row, but we’ll be finding out in coming weeks. &nbsp;Stay tuned.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In the meantime, we’ll break down just how the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;ended up eclipsing 2019's championship year.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;First we’ll take a look at where individual staff members of the&nbsp;Reviewdominated the field of hundreds of individual competitors.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;With there being multiple categories in the competition, and just three winners in each of those categories,&nbsp;Phillips County Review&nbsp;employees managed total sweeps or near total sweeps in five of those categories.

Best Feature Package Sweep: First Place - Kirby Ross Second Place - Kirby RossThird Place - Kirby Ross

Review&nbsp;Editor Kirby Ross took first place, second place, and third place in the KPA’s Feature Package category.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In this one, judging is based on quality of writing, quality of photographs, quality of the use of the photographs, and the quality of the layout of the photos and the story itself.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The three stories Ross swept the category with were epic in length and structure, containing around 35,000 words in all, as well as dozens of images. &nbsp;For point of comparison, a middle school-size novel might run around 40,000 words.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The three stories Ross swept all three places with were his four-part “The Great Kirwin Fire” series; the two-part “The Day the Railroad Came to Kirwin” series; and the one-part “Frontier Kirwin: Wild West Buffalo Hunting Outpost” story.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;All were published in conjunction with the sesquicentennial celebration of Phillips County’s oldest town last fall.

Best Sports Photography Sweep: First Place - Jacque Bretton Second Place - Jacque Bretton Third Place - Jacque Bretton

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Judging in this category is based on action, newsworthiness and quality.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Anybody who has ever been to a sporting event anywhere in Kansas--football, basketball, volleyball, track, etc., etc., generally will see at least a couple of photographers working the sidelines at the edge of the action.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Now contemplate all of those sports, and contemplate that the&nbsp;Review, in competing in a Sports Photography category, is directly going up against 8-man, 1A, 2A, and 3A sports photographers in every nook and cranny of the state.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;There are literally over a thousand photographers taking sports pictures over the course of a school year.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Despite the large number of possible contenders vying for just one first place, one second place, and one third place sports photo prize, the&nbsp;Review’s&nbsp;Jacque Bretton swept this category. &nbsp;She won every sports photography award there was to win in theReview’s&nbsp;circulation class.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jacque’s first place win was captioned “Celebration” and depicted the joy on the Phillipsburg High School girls volleyball teams’ faces as they held their sub-state &nbsp;championship trophy up high.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jacque’s second place win for sports photography was of a steer wrestler in action at Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo last August, and was entitled “Man versus Beast.”

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;And completing her total sweep of the category was Bretton’s third place award for a photo captioned “Champion Backfield” which was of Phillipsburg High School fullback Tanner Ragsdale taking a hand-off from quarterback Trey Sides during the 3A High School State Championship football game in November 2018 (the qualifying timeframe for the KPA judging was from 11/1/18 thru 10/31/19.

Best General News Photography: First Place - Kirby Ross Second Place - Kirby Ross

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;This award focuses on hard news photography for events planned ahead of time, such as court hearings, news conferences and city council meetings. &nbsp;Judging is based on timeliness, impact and technical quality.&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Kirby Ross didn’t take first, second&nbsp;and&nbsp;third in this highly-competitive category, but he did take first and second.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ross’ first place winner was captioned “Closing Its Doors” and depicted a poignant scene of a large sign in a Phillipsburg parking lot along U.S. 36 stating “SHOPKO HOMETOWN CLOSING.” And in the distant background of the photo was the store itself in the near-empty parking lot.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ross also took second place in general news photography with a picture he took of State Senator Elaine Bowers at a Phillipsburg Town Hall meeting speaking to local constituents Marion and Joyce Tien of Prairie View.&nbsp;

Best Local Business Story: First Place - Kirby Ross Second Place - Kirby Ross

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ross also took first and second place in this category. &nbsp;His “Australians, Canadians Invest in Phillipsburg Cannabis Processing” won the award for first, while his “Local SHOPKO Closing” story took second.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Judging for these awards is based on writing style, community importance, originality and enterprise.

Best Entertainment Ad Near Sweep Second Place - Cheri Parks Third Place - Cheri Parks

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Judging for this one is for best single ad for restaurant, theater production, bowling alley, golf course, movie theater or other entertainment industry advertiser.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Competing against hundreds of talented graphic artist ad builders across the state of Kansas, the&nbsp;Review’sCheri Parks took second place and third place in this category.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In this near sweep, an ad she built entitled “Free Movie” for the Phillips County Christian Foundation and Phillipsburg’s Majestic Theater took second, while her “A Life in the Wild” ad for the Hansen Museum in Logan took third.

     The Phillips County Review has expressed pride in all its wins whether they be first, second, or third place.  However there are five first place wins of which we are particularly proud since they are awarded not to specific individuals, but to the newspaper as a whole as the result of a collective team effort.

     •Best Front Pages First Place -- Judging for this award is based on layout and design, use of photos and graphics, headlines, local coverage and reader appeal.

     •Design and Layout Excellence First Place -- Judging is based on layout and design of each page of the entire newspaper, use of white space, font selections and use of photos and graphics.

     •Best Editorial Pages First Place -- Judging is based on content, leadership, community interest, impact and layout and design.

     •Best Sports Pages First Place -- Judging for the sports pages is based on layout, use of photos and graphics, and variety of articles.  

     •Overall News and Writing Excellence First Place -- Judging is based an overall evaluation of the newspaper’s news and writing ability.  Consideration is given to writing styles, originality, headlines, and general interest.  

“Sen. Carl Hatch: Phillips County’s Native Son”

Judging in this category is based on writing style, originality and interest.

Best Investigative Reporting -- Kirby Ross

“Australians, Canadians Invest in Phillipsburg Cannabis Processing”

A local news story which dropped like a bombshell among Phillips County readers in which KPA judging was based on writing style, community importance of the writing, enterprise and thoroughness of reporting.  This same story also took top business reporting honors.

“Frontier Kirwin: Wild West Buffalo Hunting Outpost”

Judging in the sports feature story category is based on general interest, writing style and originality.

‘Whoa...Area Lakes are Really, Really Full’

‘Dying Little Girls’ Heroic Race to Save Her Sisters and Brother’

Judging for this one is based on originality and effectiveness of headlines, appropriateness for story subject and layout of headlines.

“Whoa...Area Lakes are Really, Really Full”

Judging is based on quality of writing, with extra consideration given to entries showing a strong ability to explain complicated environmental issues.

Oversize load illegally driving through Phillipsburg business district.

Judging based on timeliness, impact and technical quality.

“The Day the Railroad Came to Kirwin”

Judging based on writing style, reader interest, enterprise and thoroughness of reporting.

Judging is based on timeliness, impact and technical quality.

Judging is based on originality, creativity, artistic quality and subject matter.  A photo illustration is defined as a preconceived photograph used as a graphic to accompany a story.

Best Classified Display Ad -- Cheri Parks

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 </figure><h2>Strong showing for Kansas Press Association Awards</h2>BY KIRBY ROSS Phillips County ReviewPHILLIPSBURG — The&nbsp;Phillips County Review&nbsp;has had a very good half-decade run, receiving a number of honors along the way, including from the Kansas Press Association, the Kansas Legislature, and the United State Senate.Every year, the KPA receives thousands of competing journalism awards nominations from hundreds of Kansas newspapers, from which it selects first place, second place and third place winners in a variety of categories.Because of the sheer numbers of journalists involved, the competition is extremely difficult to win.Illustrating the nature of the competition, going up directly against around 180 newspapers in its circulation class in 2016, the KPA awarded the&nbsp;Phillips County Review&nbsp;top awards in just five categories. &nbsp;That year the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;took in four first place wins and one second place.With the newspaper stepping up to meet the challenge, in 2017 it won three first places, five seconds, and one third--nine total awards.In 2018, the recognition for the&nbsp;Review’s&nbsp;work really took off, with the newspaper gathering in six first place awards, seven second places, and eight thirds--21 total wins.That year, the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;was in the running for the Kansas Press Association’s newspaper of the year “sweepstakes” award--the best of the best in its circulation class across the entire state of Kansas--but didn’t quite make it.The following year the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;did make it. &nbsp;That rare honor among Kansas newspapers was awarded by the KPA to theReview&nbsp;after it won 10 firsts, five seconds, and three thirds in 2019. &nbsp;That was eighteen total awards in 2019--fewer overall than the year before, but more first place wins which vaulted the publication into being recognized at the 2019 KPA Convention as best of the best among Kansas newspapers in its circulation class.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Fast forward to the present--last Thursday the Kansas Press Association released the list of winners for 2020. &nbsp;And theReview&nbsp;not only surpassed the number of awards it won in its championship season last year--the&nbsp;Reviewactually eclipsed last year’s wins by a large margin.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Taking in a major haul of 15 first place Kansas Press Association wins, 10 second places, and six thirds, it is not known whether these 31 total awards will garner the&nbsp;Reviewrecognition as KPA’s newspaper of the year in its circulation class for the second year in a row, but we’ll be finding out in coming weeks. &nbsp;Stay tuned.CATEGORIES THE REVIEW SWEPT&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In the meantime, we’ll break down just how the&nbsp;Review&nbsp;ended up eclipsing 2019's championship year.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;First we’ll take a look at where individual staff members of the&nbsp;Reviewdominated the field of hundreds of individual competitors.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;With there being multiple categories in the competition, and just three winners in each of those categories,&nbsp;Phillips County Review&nbsp;employees managed total sweeps or near total sweeps in five of those categories.Best Feature Package Sweep: First Place - Kirby Ross Second Place - Kirby RossThird Place - Kirby RossReview&nbsp;Editor Kirby Ross took first place, second place, and third place in the KPA’s Feature Package category.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In this one, judging is based on quality of writing, quality of photographs, quality of the use of the photographs, and the quality of the layout of the photos and the story itself.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The three stories Ross swept the category with were epic in length and structure, containing around 35,000 words in all, as well as dozens of images. &nbsp;For point of comparison, a middle school-size novel might run around 40,000 words.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The three stories Ross swept all three places with were his four-part “The Great Kirwin Fire” series; the two-part “The Day the Railroad Came to Kirwin” series; and the one-part “Frontier Kirwin: Wild West Buffalo Hunting Outpost” story.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;All were published in conjunction with the sesquicentennial celebration of Phillips County’s oldest town last fall.Best Sports Photography Sweep: First Place - Jacque Bretton Second Place - Jacque Bretton Third Place - Jacque Bretton&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Judging in this category is based on action, newsworthiness and quality.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Anybody who has ever been to a sporting event anywhere in Kansas--football, basketball, volleyball, track, etc., etc., generally will see at least a couple of photographers working the sidelines at the edge of the action.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Now contemplate all of those sports, and contemplate that the&nbsp;Review, in competing in a Sports Photography category, is directly going up against 8-man, 1A, 2A, and 3A sports photographers in every nook and cranny of the state.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;There are literally over a thousand photographers taking sports pictures over the course of a school year.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Despite the large number of possible contenders vying for just one first place, one second place, and one third place sports photo prize, the&nbsp;Review’s&nbsp;Jacque Bretton swept this category. &nbsp;She won every sports photography award there was to win in theReview’s&nbsp;circulation class.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jacque’s first place win was captioned “Celebration” and depicted the joy on the Phillipsburg High School girls volleyball teams’ faces as they held their sub-state &nbsp;championship trophy up high.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jacque’s second place win for sports photography was of a steer wrestler in action at Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo last August, and was entitled “Man versus Beast.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;And completing her total sweep of the category was Bretton’s third place award for a photo captioned “Champion Backfield” which was of Phillipsburg High School fullback Tanner Ragsdale taking a hand-off from quarterback Trey Sides during the 3A High School State Championship football game in November 2018 (the qualifying timeframe for the KPA judging was from 11/1/18 thru 10/31/19.Best General News Photography: First Place - Kirby Ross Second Place - Kirby Ross&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;This award focuses on hard news photography for events planned ahead of time, such as court hearings, news conferences and city council meetings. &nbsp;Judging is based on timeliness, impact and technical quality.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Kirby Ross didn’t take first, second&nbsp;and&nbsp;third in this highly-competitive category, but he did take first and second.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ross’ first place winner was captioned “Closing Its Doors” and depicted a poignant scene of a large sign in a Phillipsburg parking lot along U.S. 36 stating “SHOPKO HOMETOWN CLOSING.” And in the distant background of the photo was the store itself in the near-empty parking lot.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ross also took second place in general news photography with a picture he took of State Senator Elaine Bowers at a Phillipsburg Town Hall meeting speaking to local constituents Marion and Joyce Tien of Prairie View.&nbsp;Best Local Business Story: First Place - Kirby Ross Second Place - Kirby Ross&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ross also took first and second place in this category. &nbsp;His “Australians, Canadians Invest in Phillipsburg Cannabis Processing” won the award for first, while his “Local SHOPKO Closing” story took second.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Judging for these awards is based on writing style, community importance, originality and enterprise.Best Entertainment Ad Near Sweep Second Place - Cheri Parks Third Place - Cheri Parks&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Judging for this one is for best single ad for restaurant, theater production, bowling alley, golf course, movie theater or other entertainment industry advertiser.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Competing against hundreds of talented graphic artist ad builders across the state of Kansas, the&nbsp;Review’sCheri Parks took second place and third place in this category.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In this near sweep, an ad she built entitled “Free Movie” for the Phillips County Christian Foundation and Phillipsburg’s Majestic Theater took second, while her “A Life in the Wild” ad for the Hansen Museum in Logan took third.COLLECTIVE FIRST PLACE WINS The Phillips County Review has expressed pride in all its wins whether they be first, second, or third place. However there are five first place wins of which we are particularly proud since they are awarded not to specific individuals, but to the newspaper as a whole as the result of a collective team effort. •Best Front Pages First Place -- Judging for this award is based on layout and design, use of photos and graphics, headlines, local coverage and reader appeal. •Design and Layout Excellence First Place -- Judging is based on layout and design of each page of the entire newspaper, use of white space, font selections and use of photos and graphics. •Best Editorial Pages First Place -- Judging is based on content, leadership, community interest, impact and layout and design. •Best Sports Pages First Place -- Judging for the sports pages is based on layout, use of photos and graphics, and variety of articles. •Overall News and Writing Excellence First Place -- Judging is based an overall evaluation of the newspaper’s news and writing ability. Consideration is given to writing styles, originality, headlines, and general interest. INDIVIDUAL WINS•First PlaceBest Feature Writing -- Kirby Ross“Sen. Carl Hatch: Phillips County’s Native Son”Judging in this category is based on writing style, originality and interest.•First PlaceBest Investigative Reporting -- Kirby Ross“Australians, Canadians Invest in Phillipsburg Cannabis Processing”A local news story which dropped like a bombshell among Phillips County readers in which KPA judging was based on writing style, community importance of the writing, enterprise and thoroughness of reporting. This same story also took top business reporting honors.•First PlaceBest Sports Feature Story -- Kirby Ross“Frontier Kirwin: Wild West Buffalo Hunting Outpost”Judging in the sports feature story category is based on general interest, writing style and originality.•First Place Best Headline Writing -- Kirby Ross‘Little Great Lakes Looking...Great’‘Whoa...Area Lakes are Really, Really Full’‘Dying Little Girls’ Heroic Race to Save Her Sisters and Brother’Judging for this one is based on originality and effectiveness of headlines, appropriateness for story subject and layout of headlines.•First PlaceBest Environmental Story -- Kirby Ross“Whoa...Area Lakes are Really, Really Full”Judging is based on quality of writing, with extra consideration given to entries showing a strong ability to explain complicated environmental issues.•First PlaceBest Spot News Photograph -- Jodie DerrOversize load illegally driving through Phillipsburg business district.Judging based on timeliness, impact and technical quality.•Second PlaceBest Story Series -- Kirby Ross“The Day the Railroad Came to Kirwin”10,000 words in two partsJudging based on writing style, reader interest, enterprise and thoroughness of reporting.<figure>
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 </figure>•Second PlaceBest Feature Photo -- Jacque Bretton“Fair Time in Phillips County”Judging is based on timeliness, impact and technical quality.•Second PlaceBest Photo Illustration -- Kirby Ross“Slow Death....”Judging is based on originality, creativity, artistic quality and subject matter. A photo illustration is defined as a preconceived photograph used as a graphic to accompany a story.•Second Place Best Classified Display Ad -- Cheri Parks“Prairie Land Electric”•Second PlaceBest Political Ad -- Kirby Ross“Your Voice, Your Vote”•Third PlaceBest Editorial Writing -- Kirby Ross“Oversize Load Series”Judging is based on local impact, reasoning, writing excellence and leadership shown. •Third PlaceBest Government and Political Reporting -- Kirby Ross“Sen. Carl Hatch: Phillips County’s Native Son”Judging is based on local impact, writing style, originality and enterprise.•Third PlaceBest Story/Picture Combination -- Kirby Ross“Kirwin’s Early Businessmen and their Magnificent Buildings”Winning entries in this category consist of stories which would not otherwise be told adequately without the combination of text and visual elements. — Republished with permission

KPA awards: Phillips County Review has biggest year in century-long history

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 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/state-farm-weather-window/">For a full look at weather visit the State Farm Weather Window by clicking here.</a><figure>
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 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/state-farm-weather-window/">For a full look at weather visit the State Farm Weather Window by clicking here.</a><figure>
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Kochia, also known as fireweed or tumbleweed, is native to Europe and Asia and was introduced from Europe as an ornamental in the mid- to late- 1800s. It is well adapted to the Great Plains. Kochia is related to common lambsquarters and Russian thistle and is similar to them in some ways.

Kochia has alternate, lance-shaped leaves with 3-5 prominent veins and hairs on the margins and lower surface. Small green flowers are formed at the base of leaves in late summer and early fall. Kochia is a round or pyramid-shaped plant with many branches that can grow up to 6 feet tall.

In Kansas, kochia generally emerges in March, but can emerge as early as late January. Kochia can produce more than 50,000 seeds per plant, which are spread when the matured plant breaks off at the soil surface and tumbles in the wind. Kochia seeds are viable in the soil seedbank for only 1 to 2 years.

Kochia can be grazed when it is young and is credited with helping ranchers survive droughts of the early 20th century. However, it can accumulate harmful levels of nitrates and has been linked to photosensitivity in livestock.

If uncontrolled, kochia can reduce soybean yield by 30%, corn and sorghum yield by about 40%, and wheat yield by 58%. Kochia populations in Kansas have confirmed resistance to: chlorsulforon (Group 2, dicamba and fluroxypyr (Group 4, atrazine (Group 5, and glyphosate (Group 9). &nbsp;

Resistance to key post-emergence herbicides coupled with early emergence makes herbicide timing critical for kochia management. Pre-emergence herbicides are highly recommended for more effective control of kochia vs. post emerge applications only. Even with an effective pre-emerge application a post application may have to follow on any of the remaining small kochia weeds. Pre-emerge applications should be applied in fall or very early spring. Products below are listed as examples. Always read and follow label directions.

C=corn, GS = grain sorghum, SB=soybean, W = wheat, F = fallow, BD = burndown
1Tolerant varieties only; 2Resistant varieties only

For those wanting more information on weed control we will be offering an “Integrated Weed Control Management of Herbicide Resistant Weeds” program on Wednesday, February 19th at American Ag Credit, Great Bend. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. the program starts at 9 and concludes at 11:30 a.m. followed by a complimentary lunch. RSVP for the meal count by Monday, Feb. 17th by calling Cottonwood Extension District Office in Great Bend at 620-793-1910. Topics of discussion will be – the role of integrated weed management in combating difficult weeds, managing multiple herbicide-resistant palmer amaranth weeds in central KS., update on herbicides and herbicide tolerant traits for 2020, and as always there will be time for Q &amp; A.&nbsp;

Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or calling 785-628-9430.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578070143255.png" alt="Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Kochia, also known as fireweed or tumbleweed, is native to Europe and Asia and was introduced from Europe as an ornamental in the mid- to late- 1800s. It is well adapted to the Great Plains. Kochia is related to common lambsquarters and Russian thistle and is similar to them in some ways.Kochia has alternate, lance-shaped leaves with 3-5 prominent veins and hairs on the margins and lower surface. Small green flowers are formed at the base of leaves in late summer and early fall. Kochia is a round or pyramid-shaped plant with many branches that can grow up to 6 feet tall.In Kansas, kochia generally emerges in March, but can emerge as early as late January. Kochia can produce more than 50,000 seeds per plant, which are spread when the matured plant breaks off at the soil surface and tumbles in the wind. Kochia seeds are viable in the soil seedbank for only 1 to 2 years.Kochia can be grazed when it is young and is credited with helping ranchers survive droughts of the early 20th century. However, it can accumulate harmful levels of nitrates and has been linked to photosensitivity in livestock.<h2>&nbsp;Management</h2>If uncontrolled, kochia can reduce soybean yield by 30%, corn and sorghum yield by about 40%, and wheat yield by 58%. Kochia populations in Kansas have confirmed resistance to: chlorsulforon (Group 2, dicamba and fluroxypyr (Group 4, atrazine (Group 5, and glyphosate (Group 9). &nbsp;Resistance to key post-emergence herbicides coupled with early emergence makes herbicide timing critical for kochia management. Pre-emergence herbicides are highly recommended for more effective control of kochia vs. post emerge applications only. Even with an effective pre-emerge application a post application may have to follow on any of the remaining small kochia weeds. Pre-emerge applications should be applied in fall or very early spring. Products below are listed as examples. Always read and follow label directions.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580825087309.png" alt="" />
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 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580825104296.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>C=corn, GS = grain sorghum, SB=soybean, W = wheat, F = fallow, BD = burndown
1Tolerant varieties only; 2Resistant varieties onlyFor those wanting more information on weed control we will be offering an “Integrated Weed Control Management of Herbicide Resistant Weeds” program on Wednesday, February 19th at American Ag Credit, Great Bend. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. the program starts at 9 and concludes at 11:30 a.m. followed by a complimentary lunch. RSVP for the meal count by Monday, Feb. 17th by calling Cottonwood Extension District Office in Great Bend at 620-793-1910. Topics of discussion will be – the role of integrated weed management in combating difficult weeds, managing multiple herbicide-resistant palmer amaranth weeds in central KS., update on herbicides and herbicide tolerant traits for 2020, and as always there will be time for Q &amp; A.&nbsp;Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or calling 785-628-9430.

CAMPBELL: Kochia, aka fireweed, tumbleweed

Two Alabama residents were arrested after a brief chase that ended west of Hays around noon Friday.&nbsp;

The chase began following a Kansas Highway Patrol stop of a black Hyundai with Georgia tags traveling eastbound near Interstate 70 mile marker 150, according to KHP Trooper Tod Hileman.

After the trooper made contact with the driver of the vehicle, they fled, traveling east on I-70 at around 11:52 a.m., he said.&nbsp;

The vehicle exited onto Old U.S. 40 traveling south, then east toward Hays. Stop sticks were deployed by the Ellis County Sheriff's deputies west of Hays and the vehicle came to a stop on Old U.S. 40 at Eighth Street around noon,&nbsp;Hileman said.

The driver, Jackie Ray Carter, 45, Alabama, and passenger, Donald Andrew Neely, 30, Alabama, were then taken into custody without further incident.

Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of flee and attempt to elude law enforcement and drug possession with intent to distribute,&nbsp;Hileman said.

By JAMES BELL, Hays PostTwo Alabama residents were arrested after a brief chase that ended west of Hays around noon Friday.&nbsp;The chase began following a Kansas Highway Patrol stop of a black Hyundai with Georgia tags traveling eastbound near Interstate 70 mile marker 150, according to KHP Trooper Tod Hileman.After the trooper made contact with the driver of the vehicle, they fled, traveling east on I-70 at around 11:52 a.m., he said.&nbsp;The vehicle exited onto Old U.S. 40 traveling south, then east toward Hays. Stop sticks were deployed by the Ellis County Sheriff's deputies west of Hays and the vehicle came to a stop on Old U.S. 40 at Eighth Street around noon,&nbsp;Hileman said.The driver, Jackie Ray Carter, 45, Alabama, and passenger, Donald Andrew Neely, 30, Alabama, were then taken into custody without further incident.Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of flee and attempt to elude law enforcement and drug possession with intent to distribute,&nbsp;Hileman said.

Two arrests made after brief chase near Hays on Friday

The North Vine Street Corridor Project in Hays will be completed by the time a smaller project begins on south Vine Street.

John Braun, city project manager, reviewed timelines for the two projects on Vine Street/U.S. Highway 183 during the city commission work session Thursday night.

The city received a $1 million KDOT City Connecting Link Improvement Program Grant for reconstruction of Vine from the south city limit to the McDonald's restaurant.&nbsp;

Braun presented the recommended low bid&nbsp;of $86,745 by Kaw Valley Engineers, Junction City, for engineering design. Commissioners will vote on the recommendation next week.

Final plans are due May 21, 2021. The KDOT bid letting is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2021 with work to begin in the&nbsp;2022 construction season.

The $4 million dollar project includes replacement of the concrete pavement, select areas of curb and gutter, sidewalk ramps, pedestrian signals at 8th Street, storm sewer inlet tops, and pavement markings.

Braun also reviewed the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and KDOT agreements in place for the larger North Vine Project between 32nd and 41st/Mopar Streets that includes four traffic roundabouts.&nbsp;

Among the key elements of the $6 million federal BUILD grant awarded in Dec. 2018 is that "construction must begin by July 31st of this year and all costs must be incurred by May 15, 2022. But we do anticipate construction being done by December of 2021," Braun&nbsp; told commissioners.&nbsp;

KDOT is the pass-through agency and will administer the $9.3 million project. The city's share is $3.3 million.

Final design plans went to the state agency last month and a March 25 bid letting is scheduled.&nbsp;

USDOT requires several performance reports from the city including auto crash rates.

"We're doing the project to improve safety so they want to see that safety is improved."

Vehicle crash reports are entered into a database. "We can look back 10 years or more and find crash rates (in this corridor) and the specifics of the crashes." Braun explained. "We just have to compile that data and send it in to see whether crash rates have improved or not."

For three years after the work is complete, reports must be submitted annually about the performance of the corridor.

"We have the levels of service at the intersections that was done as part of the traffic study. We'll have to collect data after the project is done about the delays, the amount of traffic flowing through, and how well it works."

Commissioners will vote next week to allow City Manager Toby Dougherty&nbsp;to enter the three-party agreement setting forth terms and provisions to accomplish the project.&nbsp;

In a related agenda item, Dougherty explained a request to the city commission from the Ellis County Commission about committing the city's remaining portion of a retired countywide sales tax towards the Northwest Business Corridor plan.

Butch Schlyer,&nbsp;Ellis County Commission chairman, wrote in his Feb. 3 request letter "this project will remove four miles of existing county roads north and west of the City of Hays, relieving the North Vine Street Corridor of freight traffic and contributing to the success of the new travel plaza development at 230th Avenue and 55th Street (Interstate 70 Exit 157)."

The commissioners supported the request for the county to retain the city's remaining $284,668.

"This is not going to have an immediate impact on our budget in any way," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor. "I consider this a windfall and when I look at windfalls, I look for opportunities. ... This whole project, the city is going to be one of the biggest benefactors of it."

Ellis County received a federal BUILD grant of $6.5 million in November for the $8.6 million project.&nbsp;

County Commissioner Dustin Roths and interim County Administrator Darin Myers were in the audience but did not speak. City Commissioner Mason Ruder,&nbsp;as an employee of Ellis County, recused himself from the discussion. A vote on the request will be conducted next week.

Developers of the travel plaza have requested a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District.&nbsp;

Kim Rupp, city finance director, reviewed the specifics for a public hearing to be conducted during the Feb. 13 city commission meeting and an ordinance to establish the TIF.

A 30-minute executive session was called at the end of the meeting by Dougherty, which included the city attorneys and the assistant city manager for consultation with the attorneys and discussing matters of litigation.

<div>By BECKY KISER Hays Post</div>The North Vine Street Corridor Project in Hays will be completed by the time a smaller project begins on south Vine Street.John Braun, city project manager, reviewed timelines for the two projects on Vine Street/U.S. Highway 183 during the city commission work session Thursday night.The city received a $1 million KDOT City Connecting Link Improvement Program Grant for reconstruction of Vine from the south city limit to the McDonald's restaurant.&nbsp;Braun presented the recommended low bid&nbsp;of $86,745 by Kaw Valley Engineers, Junction City, for engineering design. Commissioners will vote on the recommendation next week.Final plans are due May 21, 2021. The KDOT bid letting is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2021 with work to begin in the&nbsp;2022 construction season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580936464013.jpeg" alt="Reconstruction of south Vine Street to begin in 2022." />
 <figcaption>Reconstruction of south Vine Street to begin in 2022.</figcaption>
 </figure>The $4 million dollar project includes replacement of the concrete pavement, select areas of curb and gutter, sidewalk ramps, pedestrian signals at 8th Street, storm sewer inlet tops, and pavement markings.Braun also reviewed the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and KDOT agreements in place for the larger North Vine Project between 32nd and 41st/Mopar Streets that includes four traffic roundabouts.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581046206515.jpeg" alt="Requirements Hays must meet for the North Vine Project federal grant." />
 <figcaption>Requirements Hays must meet for the North Vine Project federal grant.</figcaption>
 </figure>Among the key elements of the $6 million federal BUILD grant awarded in Dec. 2018 is that "construction must begin by July 31st of this year and all costs must be incurred by May 15, 2022. But we do anticipate construction being done by December of 2021," Braun&nbsp; told commissioners.&nbsp;KDOT is the pass-through agency and will administer the $9.3 million project. The city's share is $3.3 million.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rA_OCnJqYWk"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Final design plans went to the state agency last month and a March 25 bid letting is scheduled.&nbsp;USDOT requires several performance reports from the city including auto crash rates."We're doing the project to improve safety so they want to see that safety is improved."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581050554266.jpeg" alt="The design for improvements to north Vine Street between 32nd and 41st Streets. Construction will begin this summer." />
 <figcaption>The design for improvements to north Vine Street between 32nd and 41st Streets. Construction will begin this summer.</figcaption>
 </figure>Vehicle crash reports are entered into a database. "We can look back 10 years or more and find crash rates (in this corridor) and the specifics of the crashes." Braun explained. "We just have to compile that data and send it in to see whether crash rates have improved or not."For three years after the work is complete, reports must be submitted annually about the performance of the corridor."We have the levels of service at the intersections that was done as part of the traffic study. We'll have to collect data after the project is done about the delays, the amount of traffic flowing through, and how well it works."Commissioners will vote next week to allow City Manager Toby Dougherty&nbsp;to enter the three-party agreement setting forth terms and provisions to accomplish the project.&nbsp;In a related agenda item, Dougherty explained a request to the city commission from the Ellis County Commission about committing the city's remaining portion of a retired countywide sales tax towards the Northwest Business Corridor plan.Butch Schlyer,&nbsp;Ellis County Commission chairman, wrote in his Feb. 3 request letter "this project will remove four miles of existing county roads north and west of the City of Hays, relieving the North Vine Street Corridor of freight traffic and contributing to the success of the new travel plaza development at 230th Avenue and 55th Street (Interstate 70 Exit 157)."The commissioners supported the request for the county to retain the city's remaining $284,668."This is not going to have an immediate impact on our budget in any way," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor. "I consider this a windfall and when I look at windfalls, I look for opportunities. ... This whole project, the city is going to be one of the biggest benefactors of it."Ellis County received a federal BUILD grant of $6.5 million in November for the $8.6 million project.&nbsp;County Commissioner Dustin Roths and interim County Administrator Darin Myers were in the audience but did not speak. City Commissioner Mason Ruder,&nbsp;as an employee of Ellis County, recused himself from the discussion. A vote on the request will be conducted next week.Developers of the travel plaza have requested a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District.&nbsp;Kim Rupp, city finance director, reviewed the specifics for a public hearing to be conducted during the Feb. 13 city commission meeting and an ordinance to establish the TIF.A 30-minute executive session was called at the end of the meeting by Dougherty, which included the city attorneys and the assistant city manager for consultation with the attorneys and discussing matters of litigation.No action was taken.

🎥 Construction 'must begin' by July 31 on North Vine Corridor

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🎤Post Podcast: Development projects in Hays continue pushing forward

The R9 Ranch applications and proposed water transfer by the cities of Hays and Russell are included in the Kansas Water Office 2020 annual report to the state legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly from&nbsp;Connie Owen, chair of the Kansas Water Authority (KWA).&nbsp;

Listed as a "Statewide Water Issue," the short history on page 30 begins with the 1995 purchase of the Edwards County property near Kinsley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581097594631.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div>By BECKY KISER Hays Post</div>The R9 Ranch applications and proposed water transfer by the cities of Hays and Russell are included in the Kansas Water Office 2020 annual report to the state legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly from&nbsp;Connie Owen, chair of the Kansas Water Authority (KWA).&nbsp;Listed as a "Statewide Water Issue," the short history on page 30 begins with the 1995 purchase of the Edwards County property near Kinsley.The process to request permission to convert irrigation water rights to municipal purposes and transfer the water to Hays/Russell began in 2015.&nbsp;In March 2019, the Chief Engineer of&nbsp;the Department of Agriculture – Division of Water Resources contingently approved the change applications.In May 2019,&nbsp;the Water Protection Association of Central Kansas (Water PACK) filed a request for judicial review on&nbsp;the contingent approval of the change application in Edwards County District Court where a legal ruling is still&nbsp;pending.If the changes applications pass legal review, the next step would be to initiate a water transfer proceeding&nbsp;to determine if it would be in the state’s overall best interest to allow the transfer of the water. This would be a nine to 15-month process.Hays and Russell have a cumulative water right authorization for irrigation use of approximately 7,700 acre-feet with a calculated consumptive use of approximately 6,750 acre-feet for conversion to municipal use.&nbsp;The cities have agreed to limit the quantity to be diverted to 4,800 acre-feet average over 10 years for the long-term yield of the R9 Ranch.The battle of junior water rights along Rattlesnake Creek impairing the senior water right of&nbsp;Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Groundwater Management District 5 (GMD) is also reviewed as a statewide water use.&nbsp;The R9 Ranch is located in <a href="https://gmd5.org/">GMD 5</a>.The entire report is available <a href="https://kwo.ks.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/annualreport2020final2.pdf?sfvrsn=1f698214_0&amp;fbclid=IwAR3gc52W0rNb_DGvv5LIj4_pqJLEM55UQXPwVoFvGyDh0qm1T1x-BCWVRMY">here</a>.&nbsp;