By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

That sounds like something a teenager might say, but in this case, I did get to know Jack. What’s more, I got to know the three creative women who are with Jack. They are utilizing his story to promote their business and their community, and having a lot of fun in the process.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sisters Marsha Hoagland, Diane Johnson and Rhonda Gabriel are the owners of Red Dirt Jack’s in Medicine Lodge. Red Dirt Jack’s is a gas station, convenience store and more.&nbsp;

These three women and a fourth sister, Kim Fowles, are the Hoagland sisters. They were raised on the family ranch in western Barber County. “We call it red dirt country,” Marsha said. The ranch is near the unincorporated rural community of Lake City which today has a population of perhaps 20 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

They grew up here, went to school in Medicine Lodge and on to college. Marsha went to Wichita State and had a career in finance. Her husband’s family owned a convenience store in Oklahoma for many years.&nbsp;

Diane became a dental hygienist in Wichita. She and her husband retired to Medicine Lodge in 2016.&nbsp;

Rhonda went to K-State. After her husband passed away, she recently remarried.&nbsp;

After many years, the sisters are all back in Medicine Lodge. In January 2020, they had an opportunity to buy the local convenience store. “This was just a dowdy little place,” Marsha said. These three sisters went together to buy it and worked on upgrading it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Then they had to decide what to name the store.&nbsp;

Years ago, Rhonda had been at a charity auction where she purchased a stuffed donkey that was the size of a large dog. She nicknamed it Jack. What does one do with a large stuffed donkey? “I tried giving him away, but somehow he kept finding his way back,” Rhonda said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As the sisters discussed what to name the store, their cousin suggested they name it for Jack. Because of the location in red dirt country, they named it Red Dirt Jack’s. Jack became the mascot for the business.&nbsp;

The sisters took Jack with them on a trip to Utah and had a lot of fun en route. “By the time we got to Lakin, Kan., Jack had his own Facebook page,” Marsha said.&nbsp;

Jack continues to post on social media and has become quite the celebrity. He has his own wardrobe, appeared in wedding photos and parades, and traveled as far away as Florida. On the first day of school at Medicine Lodge, he was pictured in his backpack at the school crosswalk. He waits patiently at the store and is available for photos.&nbsp;

Someone said that this was a genius marketing ploy. “No, it was a fluke,” Marsha said with a smile.&nbsp;

While the sisters have a lot of fun with Jack, they have significantly upgraded the store.&nbsp;&nbsp;That was no fluke. They refurbished the building, added an industrial kitchen, cleared a lot next door for parking, doubled the cooler space and added a deli and more food options. There are salads and made-to-order sandwiches and small booths for sitting.&nbsp;

“We are not a restaurant; we are a gas station with food,” Marsha said. Their daily lunch specials have become very popular. “We use our grandma’s recipe for meat loaf,” she said.&nbsp;

Their Monday Chinese food special can have people waiting in line outside the door.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other specials include homemade lasagna, pulled pork, spaghetti, patty melts and half-pound hand-patted cheeseburgers.&nbsp;

What has all this meant to the community? “There was no gathering place in town,” Diane said. “Maybe this community needed Jack.” Customers have told them how much they appreciate the sisters.&nbsp;

“We love Barber County,” Marsha said. “We are part of the community and we want to give back.”&nbsp;

For more information, find Red Dirt Jack’s on Facebook.&nbsp;

“You don’t know jack.” Well, now you do. We commend Marsha Hoagland, Diane Johnson and Rhonda Gabriel for making a difference by investing in their community and serving their customers with excellence - and, with Jack.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632921511797.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;“You don’t know jack.”&nbsp;That sounds like something a teenager might say, but in this case, I did get to know Jack. What’s more, I got to know the three creative women who are with Jack. They are utilizing his story to promote their business and their community, and having a lot of fun in the process.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sisters Marsha Hoagland, Diane Johnson and Rhonda Gabriel are the owners of Red Dirt Jack’s in Medicine Lodge. Red Dirt Jack’s is a gas station, convenience store and more.&nbsp;These three women and a fourth sister, Kim Fowles, are the Hoagland sisters. They were raised on the family ranch in western Barber County. “We call it red dirt country,” Marsha said. The ranch is near the unincorporated rural community of Lake City which today has a population of perhaps 20 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;They grew up here, went to school in Medicine Lodge and on to college. Marsha went to Wichita State and had a career in finance. Her husband’s family owned a convenience store in Oklahoma for many years.&nbsp;Diane became a dental hygienist in Wichita. She and her husband retired to Medicine Lodge in 2016.&nbsp;Rhonda went to K-State. After her husband passed away, she recently remarried.&nbsp;After many years, the sisters are all back in Medicine Lodge. In January 2020, they had an opportunity to buy the local convenience store. “This was just a dowdy little place,” Marsha said. These three sisters went together to buy it and worked on upgrading it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Then they had to decide what to name the store.&nbsp;Years ago, Rhonda had been at a charity auction where she purchased a stuffed donkey that was the size of a large dog. She nicknamed it Jack. What does one do with a large stuffed donkey? “I tried giving him away, but somehow he kept finding his way back,” Rhonda said.&nbsp;&nbsp;As the sisters discussed what to name the store, their cousin suggested they name it for Jack. Because of the location in red dirt country, they named it Red Dirt Jack’s. Jack became the mascot for the business.&nbsp;The sisters took Jack with them on a trip to Utah and had a lot of fun en route. “By the time we got to Lakin, Kan., Jack had his own Facebook page,” Marsha said.&nbsp;Jack continues to post on social media and has become quite the celebrity. He has his own wardrobe, appeared in wedding photos and parades, and traveled as far away as Florida. On the first day of school at Medicine Lodge, he was pictured in his backpack at the school crosswalk. He waits patiently at the store and is available for photos.&nbsp;Someone said that this was a genius marketing ploy. “No, it was a fluke,” Marsha said with a smile.&nbsp;While the sisters have a lot of fun with Jack, they have significantly upgraded the store.&nbsp;&nbsp;That was no fluke. They refurbished the building, added an industrial kitchen, cleared a lot next door for parking, doubled the cooler space and added a deli and more food options. There are salads and made-to-order sandwiches and small booths for sitting.&nbsp;“We are not a restaurant; we are a gas station with food,” Marsha said. Their daily lunch specials have become very popular. “We use our grandma’s recipe for meat loaf,” she said.&nbsp;Their Monday Chinese food special can have people waiting in line outside the door.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other specials include homemade lasagna, pulled pork, spaghetti, patty melts and half-pound hand-patted cheeseburgers.&nbsp;What has all this meant to the community? “There was no gathering place in town,” Diane said. “Maybe this community needed Jack.” Customers have told them how much they appreciate the sisters.&nbsp;“We love Barber County,” Marsha said. “We are part of the community and we want to give back.”&nbsp;For more information, find Red Dirt Jack’s on Facebook.&nbsp;“You don’t know jack.” Well, now you do. We commend Marsha Hoagland, Diane Johnson and Rhonda Gabriel for making a difference by investing in their community and serving their customers with excellence - and, with Jack.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Hoagland sisters, Red Dirt Jack’s 

All the talk on the news about inflation is a little
 scary. Is there any way to protect yourself against it on a day-to-day 
basis?

When people start 
talking about inflation, it seems like there are always some who want to
 start collecting gold, fill every container they own with gasoline and 
stick their cash under their mattresses. But listen, you can prepare&nbsp;for
 inflation and address the results&nbsp;without&nbsp;being panicked.

You&nbsp;are
 still in control of your money, inflation or not. You’ll be able to 
make sure your money is going toward the right things, while being able 
to find places where you can cut spending, if you’re living on a 
written,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/useful-forms" target="_blank">monthly budget</a>.
 If you’re noticing the prices of things like food and gas rising in 
your area, you’ll need to adjust your budget to account for this. That 
way, you’ll know exactly what you’re working with, and it will help you 
avoid any nasty surprises.

If you’re really feeling the pinch and want to save even more, look for specific ways to&nbsp;lower your grocery bill&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/the-secret-to-saving-money" target="_blank">save money</a>&nbsp;on
 gas.&nbsp;Maybe it’s time you switched to&nbsp;generic brands,&nbsp;or started a 
carpool into work. If you find great deals on canned food and things you
 can&nbsp;stock your pantry&nbsp;with—I’m talking about stuff you’ll actually 
use—go ahead and buy a little extra. Just make sure you’ve budgeted for 
it before heading to the grocery store. You’ll want to already know 
exactly what you’re going to spend, so you don’t get swept up into 
impulse buying.

Like it or not, inflation is a thing. If you plan on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-calculator" target="_blank">retiring</a>&nbsp;one
 day, it’s pretty much guaranteed that the cost of a loaf of bread, a 
tank of gas and even a cup of coffee will have gone up by then. The best
 way to protect yourself against inflation that’s bound to happen is 
to&nbsp;invest your money—and the sooner the better. But remember, if you 
still have debt other than your mortgage, and don’t have an emergency 
fund of three to six months of expenses, you need to take care of those 
things first!

<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has
 appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox 
News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped 
people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their 
lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,All the talk on the news about inflation is a little
 scary. Is there any way to protect yourself against it on a day-to-day 
basis?GarretDear Garret,When people start 
talking about inflation, it seems like there are always some who want to
 start collecting gold, fill every container they own with gasoline and 
stick their cash under their mattresses. But listen, you can prepare&nbsp;for
 inflation and address the results&nbsp;without&nbsp;being panicked.You&nbsp;are
 still in control of your money, inflation or not. You’ll be able to 
make sure your money is going toward the right things, while being able 
to find places where you can cut spending, if you’re living on a 
written,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/useful-forms" target="_blank">monthly budget</a>.
 If you’re noticing the prices of things like food and gas rising in 
your area, you’ll need to adjust your budget to account for this. That 
way, you’ll know exactly what you’re working with, and it will help you 
avoid any nasty surprises.If you’re really feeling the pinch and want to save even more, look for specific ways to&nbsp;lower your grocery bill&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/the-secret-to-saving-money" target="_blank">save money</a>&nbsp;on
 gas.&nbsp;Maybe it’s time you switched to&nbsp;generic brands,&nbsp;or started a 
carpool into work. If you find great deals on canned food and things you
 can&nbsp;stock your pantry&nbsp;with—I’m talking about stuff you’ll actually 
use—go ahead and buy a little extra. Just make sure you’ve budgeted for 
it before heading to the grocery store. You’ll want to already know 
exactly what you’re going to spend, so you don’t get swept up into 
impulse buying.Like it or not, inflation is a thing. If you plan on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/investment-calculator" target="_blank">retiring</a>&nbsp;one
 day, it’s pretty much guaranteed that the cost of a loaf of bread, a 
tank of gas and even a cup of coffee will have gone up by then. The best
 way to protect yourself against inflation that’s bound to happen is 
to&nbsp;invest your money—and the sooner the better. But remember, if you 
still have debt other than your mortgage, and don’t have an emergency 
fund of three to six months of expenses, you need to take care of those 
things first!Dave<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has
 appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox 
News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped 
people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their 
lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Protect against inflation?

By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau The calendar has turned to fall, and the weather is slowly following suit. Harvest is underway with combines rolling through fields and semis hauling grain to elevators and on-farm bins. There’s more of those bins and semis now than ever before because there’s more grain. Over time, small changes can make an extraordinary impact. Of all the crops being cut this season, corn is perhaps the best example of how slow, steady progress has created grain harvests our ancestors could have never fathomed. From the 1860s to the late 1930s, corn yields were essentially flat at 26 bushels per acre. The USDA’s latest estimate for the 2021 crop is projecting a nationwide average of about 175 bushels per acre. Over the span of about 80 years, farmers have increased their production nearly seven-fold. Yields for other grains have shot up too, but corn takes the crown in overall productivity. This proliferation didn’t happen overnight, rather it began quite slowly, with yields inching up about 0.8 bushels per acre per year from the late ’30s to 1955 with the use of double-cross pollinated varieties. Continued improvements in genetic selection, the use of nitrogen fertilizer, mechanization, better management and more effective pesticides have pushed yields up by about 2 bushels per acre per year over the last 65-plus years. While farmers have incorporated all of these advances into their operations, it’s the result of a truly collective effort. Public and private research across a range of industries has contributed to the incremental but reliable yield increase. While the actual yields still vary depending on weather, recent years have seen the national average stay within 10 bushels of the 176.6 bushel-per-acre record set in 2017. We’re just one good growing season away from setting a new national record. Harvest can top 300 bushels per acre in some areas across the country, but it requires some help from Mother Nature. Statewide, Kansas’ average is usually somewhere in the mid-130 bushel range because dryland acres dominate the landscape. Irrigated fields and those dryland parcels blessed with timely, adequate moisture often top 200 bushels per acre. That’s nearly six tons of grain per acre, an enormous increase from the inch-long cobs grown about 10,000 years ago in central Mexico where corn was first domesticated. The Columbian exchange delivered corn to the rest of the world. Now it grows across the globe, and its uses are just as versatile. Cattle convert corn to steak. Manufacturers transform the starch into plastics, fabrics, adhesives and more. It’s also a feedstock for the ethanol in your gas tank. Of course, it’s pounded into flour for things like cornbread and tortillas. Corn sugars sweeten drinks. My favorite though is corn that’s been fermented, distilled and poured over ice. Farmers have gotten so good at growing corn, wheat, soybeans, sorghum and many other staples we no longer see gradual improvements as something that’s especially newsworthy. This is partly because farmers make a very difficult job appear easy. While the rest of us enjoy all the bounty fall offers, from cool nights and tailgates to changing colors and bonfires, I hope the bounties in farmers’ fields are just as rich this autumn.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574694551876.png" alt="Greg Doering&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Greg Doering&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau The calendar has turned to fall, and the weather is slowly following suit. Harvest is underway with combines rolling through fields and semis hauling grain to elevators and on-farm bins. There’s more of those bins and semis now than ever before because there’s more grain. Over time, small changes can make an extraordinary impact. Of all the crops being cut this season, corn is perhaps the best example of how slow, steady progress has created grain harvests our ancestors could have never fathomed. From the 1860s to the late 1930s, corn yields were essentially flat at 26 bushels per acre. The USDA’s latest estimate for the 2021 crop is projecting a nationwide average of about 175 bushels per acre. Over the span of about 80 years, farmers have increased their production nearly seven-fold. Yields for other grains have shot up too, but corn takes the crown in overall productivity. This proliferation didn’t happen overnight, rather it began quite slowly, with yields inching up about 0.8 bushels per acre per year from the late ’30s to 1955 with the use of double-cross pollinated varieties. Continued improvements in genetic selection, the use of nitrogen fertilizer, mechanization, better management and more effective pesticides have pushed yields up by about 2 bushels per acre per year over the last 65-plus years. While farmers have incorporated all of these advances into their operations, it’s the result of a truly collective effort. Public and private research across a range of industries has contributed to the incremental but reliable yield increase. While the actual yields still vary depending on weather, recent years have seen the national average stay within 10 bushels of the 176.6 bushel-per-acre record set in 2017. We’re just one good growing season away from setting a new national record. Harvest can top 300 bushels per acre in some areas across the country, but it requires some help from Mother Nature. Statewide, Kansas’ average is usually somewhere in the mid-130 bushel range because dryland acres dominate the landscape. Irrigated fields and those dryland parcels blessed with timely, adequate moisture often top 200 bushels per acre. That’s nearly six tons of grain per acre, an enormous increase from the inch-long cobs grown about 10,000 years ago in central Mexico where corn was first domesticated. The Columbian exchange delivered corn to the rest of the world. Now it grows across the globe, and its uses are just as versatile. Cattle convert corn to steak. Manufacturers transform the starch into plastics, fabrics, adhesives and more. It’s also a feedstock for the ethanol in your gas tank. Of course, it’s pounded into flour for things like cornbread and tortillas. Corn sugars sweeten drinks. My favorite though is corn that’s been fermented, distilled and poured over ice. Farmers have gotten so good at growing corn, wheat, soybeans, sorghum and many other staples we no longer see gradual improvements as something that’s especially newsworthy. This is partly because farmers make a very difficult job appear easy. While the rest of us enjoy all the bounty fall offers, from cool nights and tailgates to changing colors and bonfires, I hope the bounties in farmers’ fields are just as rich this autumn."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: The bounty of fall

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“Betterment:&nbsp;&nbsp;The act or process of improving something.”&nbsp;

This definition certainly applies to the work of a group of volunteers who are helping to improve their rural southeast Kansas community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Danny Scott is with the Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation. He told of how Caney has made progress, thanks to the Kansas PRIDE Program, First Impressions, Rural Grocery Initiative, the City of Caney and members of the community.&nbsp;

Danny and his wife Norma have rural roots. They grew up in Chautauqua County near the rural community of Niotaze, population 82 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

Danny and Norma were in 4-H together and went to K-State before getting married. He started working at the bank in Caney during the summers and joined the bank full-time after earning his ag economics degree. He then worked for a computer network company in Coffeyville before coming back to Caney’s Community National Bank &amp; Trust, from which he retired in 2019. He had become quite concerned about the community’s trajectory.&nbsp;

“Caney was running downhill,” Danny said. Downtown businesses were boarded up, the grocery store had closed, the town’s old swimming pool was leaking, and the chamber of commerce closed down. “It was discouraging,” Danny said.&nbsp;

In 2015, the city hired Fred Gress as city administrator and he started working immediately on infrastructure.&nbsp;

In 2017, Danny and others got with the K-State Research and Extension local director to see what could be done to help. They formed the Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation, which joined the Kansas PRIDE program.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The group set out to conduct fundraisers to support diverse community improvements.&nbsp;One was for the swimming pool, another was to raise funds for a police drug dog, and another was for new Christmas lights downtown. “For every fundraiser we’ve had, it’s been different people that have stepped up,” Danny said. “Alumni and other people from out of town are donating too.”&nbsp;

These investments began to make a difference. A drug dog was purchased. A new swimming pool was built. Then there was the long-term question of grocery service in the town.&nbsp;

“Our grocery store had closed more than 10 years ago,” Danny said. “We tried all different alternatives but none of them worked.” Gress knew of an example where the grocery store was municipally owned and they finally decided to try it.&nbsp;

The city bought the former grocery store building and a bank loan helped finance the operation. Caney Market opened in March 2021 with help from a marketing analysis study provided by K-State’s Rural Grocery Initiative. “They’ve been wonderful,” Danny said.&nbsp;

“Kansas PRIDE has helped us a lot,” Danny said. “They helped us participate in the First Impressions program and hosted a grant-writing class provided by K-State Research and Extension.We’re very appreciative of the PRIDE program.”&nbsp;

Danny also credits Gress. “He took the lead on several of these projects. Without him, many of these things wouldn’t have happened. Hiring a good city administrator is worth the investment.”.&nbsp;

Last spring, Caney hosted a May Fest event at which more than a thousand people attended. A couple of K-State grads initiated a downtown outdoor live country music concert series called 4th and Live featuring Nashville recording artists. The concert series has proven quite popular.&nbsp;

“We have had several news businesses move to downtown,” Danny said. “We want to keep the positive momentum going. People have been good to us and I owe it to the community to improve it so it will be good for the future.”&nbsp;

For more information, search for Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation on Facebook.&nbsp;

Betterment is defined as the act or process of improving something. The community of Caney has benefitted from such improvement thanks to the work of committed volunteers such as Danny Scott and dedicated public servants such as Fred Gress.&nbsp;

We commend the Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation and all the donors and volunteers who are making a difference by investing their time and treasure. They are making their community a better place.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632322960025.png" alt="Norma and&nbsp;Danny Scott" />
 <figcaption>Norma and&nbsp;Danny Scott</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development“Betterment:&nbsp;&nbsp;The act or process of improving something.”&nbsp;This definition certainly applies to the work of a group of volunteers who are helping to improve their rural southeast Kansas community.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Danny Scott is with the Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation. He told of how Caney has made progress, thanks to the Kansas PRIDE Program, First Impressions, Rural Grocery Initiative, the City of Caney and members of the community.&nbsp;Danny and his wife Norma have rural roots. They grew up in Chautauqua County near the rural community of Niotaze, population 82 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;Danny and Norma were in 4-H together and went to K-State before getting married. He started working at the bank in Caney during the summers and joined the bank full-time after earning his ag economics degree. He then worked for a computer network company in Coffeyville before coming back to Caney’s Community National Bank &amp; Trust, from which he retired in 2019. He had become quite concerned about the community’s trajectory.&nbsp;“Caney was running downhill,” Danny said. Downtown businesses were boarded up, the grocery store had closed, the town’s old swimming pool was leaking, and the chamber of commerce closed down. “It was discouraging,” Danny said.&nbsp;In 2015, the city hired Fred Gress as city administrator and he started working immediately on infrastructure.&nbsp;In 2017, Danny and others got with the K-State Research and Extension local director to see what could be done to help. They formed the Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation, which joined the Kansas PRIDE program.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The group set out to conduct fundraisers to support diverse community improvements.&nbsp;One was for the swimming pool, another was to raise funds for a police drug dog, and another was for new Christmas lights downtown. “For every fundraiser we’ve had, it’s been different people that have stepped up,” Danny said. “Alumni and other people from out of town are donating too.”&nbsp;These investments began to make a difference. A drug dog was purchased. A new swimming pool was built. Then there was the long-term question of grocery service in the town.&nbsp;“Our grocery store had closed more than 10 years ago,” Danny said. “We tried all different alternatives but none of them worked.” Gress knew of an example where the grocery store was municipally owned and they finally decided to try it.&nbsp;The city bought the former grocery store building and a bank loan helped finance the operation. Caney Market opened in March 2021 with help from a marketing analysis study provided by K-State’s Rural Grocery Initiative. “They’ve been wonderful,” Danny said.&nbsp;“Kansas PRIDE has helped us a lot,” Danny said. “They helped us participate in the First Impressions program and hosted a grant-writing class provided by K-State Research and Extension.We’re very appreciative of the PRIDE program.”&nbsp;Danny also credits Gress. “He took the lead on several of these projects. Without him, many of these things wouldn’t have happened. Hiring a good city administrator is worth the investment.”.&nbsp;Last spring, Caney hosted a May Fest event at which more than a thousand people attended. A couple of K-State grads initiated a downtown outdoor live country music concert series called 4th and Live featuring Nashville recording artists. The concert series has proven quite popular.&nbsp;“We have had several news businesses move to downtown,” Danny said. “We want to keep the positive momentum going. People have been good to us and I owe it to the community to improve it so it will be good for the future.”&nbsp;For more information, search for Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation on Facebook.&nbsp;Betterment is defined as the act or process of improving something. The community of Caney has benefitted from such improvement thanks to the work of committed volunteers such as Danny Scott and dedicated public servants such as Fred Gress.&nbsp;We commend the Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation and all the donors and volunteers who are making a difference by investing their time and treasure. They are making their community a better place.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Caney Community Betterment Group Foundation 

Big-time, outside money has spread across Kansas elections for years but it hasn’t, until now, attempted to influence the most grassroots and least national-issue driven of all elections—the vote to choose who sits on a local school board.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In Kansas, candidates do not run as the nominee of a political party, but as local citizens.&nbsp; All school board elections are nonpartisan. So, it is surprising that a national Political Action Committee is taking an interest in who will sit on our school boards come November.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The 1776 Project PAC is backing as many as 50 school board races in seven states.&nbsp; A total of 13 school board candidates in Lansing, Olathe, Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission and Andover are slated to be supported according to Ryan Girdusky, head of the 1776 PAC in an interview with the&nbsp;Sunflower State Journal.&nbsp; The 1776 PAC opposes teaching critical race theory.&nbsp;&nbsp;

PACs get contributions mostly from wealthy individuals, corporations, labor unions and national organizations. Voters often don’t know the names of those supporting any given PAC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wichita is the only school district in Kansas large enough to be covered by the state ethics commission. In the other districts there is no limit on the size of campaign contributions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Contributions to campaigns are limited for individuals and corporations, but Political Action Committees may, not only make contributions to candidates, they can influence elections through unlimited expenditures independently of a candidate or political party.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We’re backing slates,” Girdusky said.&nbsp; “We want to take over the entire school board.”

Typically, PACs use advertising, social media and political-advocacy news outlets to support their candidates and attack messages to discourage votes for opposition candidates.&nbsp;

Also typically, as soon as one PAC appears on multiple communication platforms, the opposition political party strikes back with a PAC sympathetic to its candidate or cause.&nbsp;

Bringing the 1776 Project into Kansas school board elections is puzzling, because it’s basically pursuing a moot argument.&nbsp; In July the Kansas State Board of Education published a letter saying that critical race theory is not and never has been part of the state’s educational standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The board then pointed out that critical race theory is “not interchangeable with educational equity” which is “evident in federal and state education policies” taught across all schools in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In other words, Kansas schools do not teach theories of history just as they don’t teach differential equations to six-year-olds, but six-year-olds do understand respect for others and they are taught racism is wrong.&nbsp; Racist events and conditions in our state and nation are explained accurately and discussed widely in Kansas schools but theoretical critiques are left to university-level study.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

PACs like the 1776 Project are front-line warriors in culture-war battles.&nbsp; Their huge resources create massive megaphones that can skew elections toward hot-button non-issues and away from the democratic process of one person, one vote.&nbsp;&nbsp;

PACs can divert voters from other issues that face schools such as increasing achievement of our lowest performing students, preparing all students to enter higher education or the workforce, enhancing reading, math and civics education and expanding early childhood learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas doesn’t need school boards taken over by any special interest group.&nbsp; Kansas needs school boards taken over by reasonable, capable people with differing viewpoints who are committed to their local schools and are willing to do this difficult work without pay.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593719779701.jpeg" alt="Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education." />
 <figcaption>Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.</figcaption>
 </figure>Big-time, outside money has spread across Kansas elections for years but it hasn’t, until now, attempted to influence the most grassroots and least national-issue driven of all elections—the vote to choose who sits on a local school board.&nbsp;&nbsp;In Kansas, candidates do not run as the nominee of a political party, but as local citizens.&nbsp; All school board elections are nonpartisan. So, it is surprising that a national Political Action Committee is taking an interest in who will sit on our school boards come November.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The 1776 Project PAC is backing as many as 50 school board races in seven states.&nbsp; A total of 13 school board candidates in Lansing, Olathe, Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission and Andover are slated to be supported according to Ryan Girdusky, head of the 1776 PAC in an interview with the&nbsp;Sunflower State Journal.&nbsp; The 1776 PAC opposes teaching critical race theory.&nbsp;&nbsp;PACs get contributions mostly from wealthy individuals, corporations, labor unions and national organizations. Voters often don’t know the names of those supporting any given PAC.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wichita is the only school district in Kansas large enough to be covered by the state ethics commission. In the other districts there is no limit on the size of campaign contributions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Contributions to campaigns are limited for individuals and corporations, but Political Action Committees may, not only make contributions to candidates, they can influence elections through unlimited expenditures independently of a candidate or political party.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We’re backing slates,” Girdusky said.&nbsp; “We want to take over the entire school board.”Typically, PACs use advertising, social media and political-advocacy news outlets to support their candidates and attack messages to discourage votes for opposition candidates.&nbsp;Also typically, as soon as one PAC appears on multiple communication platforms, the opposition political party strikes back with a PAC sympathetic to its candidate or cause.&nbsp;Bringing the 1776 Project into Kansas school board elections is puzzling, because it’s basically pursuing a moot argument.&nbsp; In July the Kansas State Board of Education published a letter saying that critical race theory is not and never has been part of the state’s educational standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;The board then pointed out that critical race theory is “not interchangeable with educational equity” which is “evident in federal and state education policies” taught across all schools in Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;In other words, Kansas schools do not teach theories of history just as they don’t teach differential equations to six-year-olds, but six-year-olds do understand respect for others and they are taught racism is wrong.&nbsp; Racist events and conditions in our state and nation are explained accurately and discussed widely in Kansas schools but theoretical critiques are left to university-level study.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PACs like the 1776 Project are front-line warriors in culture-war battles.&nbsp; Their huge resources create massive megaphones that can skew elections toward hot-button non-issues and away from the democratic process of one person, one vote.&nbsp;&nbsp;PACs can divert voters from other issues that face schools such as increasing achievement of our lowest performing students, preparing all students to enter higher education or the workforce, enhancing reading, math and civics education and expanding early childhood learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas doesn’t need school boards taken over by any special interest group.&nbsp; Kansas needs school boards taken over by reasonable, capable people with differing viewpoints who are committed to their local schools and are willing to do this difficult work without pay.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

INSIGHT KANSAS: National PAC targets Kan. school board elections

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer Every so often I have the opportunity to visit a classroom full of elementary students and read a book to them. More often than not, I’ve accomplished my guest reading visits using virtual platforms that so many are now accustomed to using. Thanks to technology, and a decent internet connection, I’ve been able to read to classrooms hours away from our farm.&nbsp; &nbsp; While the books I read vary depending on the grade level of students, the subject matter and the conversations we have following ultimately always focus on agriculture. &nbsp; It’s a time I truly look forward to as it allows this former teacher to briefly get back into a classroom and get kids excited about reading while also sharing our farm with them. &nbsp; After reading, the students and I spend time talking about the story and they can ask me questions about my farm. While I never really know the direction the students’ questions may go, I do know a lot of elementary-aged children are very curious about how many dogs and cows I have on my farm. I also know that during every single one of my visits, without fail, I will have a child inquire about my favorite crop. &nbsp; While I generally answer that question diplomatically — just as a parent would if asked who their favorite child is — the reality is that while I value and appreciate all of the plants we grow on our farm, I do give one of our crops a bit more attention than the others. &nbsp; Our popcorn crop receives a lot of my time and focus throughout the year. It’s the smallest crop we grow based on the total number of acres, but it’s definitely the one I spend a lot of my thoughts on. &nbsp; Maybe it’s because we’ve only grown popcorn for a handful of years, making it the “baby” of the farm. Maybe it’s because it requires a bit more attention and TLC compared to the other crops. Maybe it’s the fact that we market it directly to consumers, which is different compared to our other commodities.&nbsp; &nbsp; Like a doting parent, the popcorn is also the most photographed on our farm — second only to my own two children. My cellphone is full of images I’ve captured of this crop’s milestones throughout the growing season. From observing the small seeds getting planted into the soil, celebrating when tiny plants emerge from the earth, and cheering them on as they develop and grow larger and larger by the day. It’s all documented. &nbsp; Whether it’s the threat of weather in our area, making sure the plants are getting plenty of water during the hot days of summer, or obsessing over the moisture content of the kernels leading up to harvest, I definitely fret over the popcorn a bit more as well.&nbsp; &nbsp; I always experience a sense of relief when we get the combine into the field and finally begin picking the corn. I’m calmed once we safely tuck the grain away into its bin for storage until it’s time to send it off to be cleaned, sorted and bagged. And I can also breathe easier knowing when the grain has safely arrived at its destinations. &nbsp; So, while I can honestly say that I appreciate all of the plants that we grow on our farm equally as they provide my family with the life we have, I find myself quite fond our little popcorn crop. It might be the smallest, but it definitely receives the mightiest amount of my attention annually.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573617414005.jpeg" alt="Kim Baldwin" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer Every so often I have the opportunity to visit a classroom full of elementary students and read a book to them. More often than not, I’ve accomplished my guest reading visits using virtual platforms that so many are now accustomed to using. Thanks to technology, and a decent internet connection, I’ve been able to read to classrooms hours away from our farm.&nbsp; &nbsp; While the books I read vary depending on the grade level of students, the subject matter and the conversations we have following ultimately always focus on agriculture. &nbsp; It’s a time I truly look forward to as it allows this former teacher to briefly get back into a classroom and get kids excited about reading while also sharing our farm with them. &nbsp; After reading, the students and I spend time talking about the story and they can ask me questions about my farm. While I never really know the direction the students’ questions may go, I do know a lot of elementary-aged children are very curious about how many dogs and cows I have on my farm. I also know that during every single one of my visits, without fail, I will have a child inquire about my favorite crop. &nbsp; While I generally answer that question diplomatically — just as a parent would if asked who their favorite child is — the reality is that while I value and appreciate all of the plants we grow on our farm, I do give one of our crops a bit more attention than the others. &nbsp; Our popcorn crop receives a lot of my time and focus throughout the year. It’s the smallest crop we grow based on the total number of acres, but it’s definitely the one I spend a lot of my thoughts on. &nbsp; Maybe it’s because we’ve only grown popcorn for a handful of years, making it the “baby” of the farm. Maybe it’s because it requires a bit more attention and TLC compared to the other crops. Maybe it’s the fact that we market it directly to consumers, which is different compared to our other commodities.&nbsp; &nbsp; Like a doting parent, the popcorn is also the most photographed on our farm — second only to my own two children. My cellphone is full of images I’ve captured of this crop’s milestones throughout the growing season. From observing the small seeds getting planted into the soil, celebrating when tiny plants emerge from the earth, and cheering them on as they develop and grow larger and larger by the day. It’s all documented. &nbsp; Whether it’s the threat of weather in our area, making sure the plants are getting plenty of water during the hot days of summer, or obsessing over the moisture content of the kernels leading up to harvest, I definitely fret over the popcorn a bit more as well.&nbsp; &nbsp; I always experience a sense of relief when we get the combine into the field and finally begin picking the corn. I’m calmed once we safely tuck the grain away into its bin for storage until it’s time to send it off to be cleaned, sorted and bagged. And I can also breathe easier knowing when the grain has safely arrived at its destinations. &nbsp; So, while I can honestly say that I appreciate all of the plants that we grow on our farm equally as they provide my family with the life we have, I find myself quite fond our little popcorn crop. It might be the smallest, but it definitely receives the mightiest amount of my attention annually."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: A farmer's pet

Fort Hays State University exists to improve lives. Our alumni, engaged citizens leaders, use their education and improve the lives of others. This pay-it-forward mission makes our world better. Whether a teacher, banker, nurse, artist, or physicist, our alumni are dedicated professionals who transform their fields and their communities.

In a couple of weeks, the FHSU Alumni Association will honor seven remarkable change agents. I love listening and learning about their journeys and the remarkable impact they have made on our world.

As I walk across campus, stopping to talk with several students, I find myself also thinking about these seven award winners’ beginning steps and how Tiger Nation nurtures talents and self-discovery. I think about Maya Angelou’s statement that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I think about the amazing students who have passed through our “halls” and those who are in the middle of figuring it all out right now. One of those is junior Hannah Dechant.&nbsp;

Hannah grew up in Goodland in northwest Kansas. For 13 years, her life was shaped and nurtured by her involvement in 4-H. She has shown sheep and dogs, done art and crafts, photography, and foods and nutrition.&nbsp;

“Growing up in my small town, agriculture is a way of life for us, so being in 4-H and doing so many things was not uncommon,” she said. “However, it was about a lot more than just all of the ribbons and awards I would receive. For me, it was about helping others achieve their goals and dreams.”

You may be guessing this accomplished 4-H’er came to campus to study agriculture. I did. Heck, Hannah even works on our university farm. As often is the case, there is more to Hannah’s story.&nbsp;

When Hannah was 5 years old, she was diagnosed with Amblyopia; she is legally blind in her left eye. That meant that throughout her K-12 years, she would navigate education via disability accommodations. As Hannah would say, there is an extra layer of challenges for those children who grow up with a disability. Her experiences as a person with a disability shaped and fueled her passion to become a special education teacher. At FHSU, Hannah is an elementary education major with a minor in special education.

“I have always had a heart for young kids, and 4-H only expanded on that more,” Hannah said. “Because I have been through the journey of living with a disability, and all the paperwork that comes with it for school, I will be able to help students with exceptionalities better.”&nbsp;

What I love about Hannah’s story is how she combines her love for agriculture with her calling to assist others with special needs.

“In 4-H, I have been able to help and teach students who have special needs reach their goals. I have been able to help those children feel like any other child,” she said. “For the past three years, I have been able to help a young girl who is unable to walk – or talk – show a lamb by training a lamb to walk by a wagon with her riding in it. I have also been able to help two children with a disability learn how to cook and bake.”

Hannah looks forward to the day she has her own classroom. She can’t wait to integrate different kinds of activities that will focus on all that agriculture has to offer.

“I feel that every student should understand agriculture and where our food comes from,” she said. I also want the children to know that livestock are not scary when you handle them the correct way.”&nbsp;

Hannah’s vision for her life is truly inspiring. Through that vision, I know her life will be rich, and those lives that she touches will be even more enriched.&nbsp;

In the words of Nelson Mandela, there is no doubt in my mind that a Fort Hays State education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. Thank you, Hannah, for your passion and the unique way you will make our world better one child at a time!&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>Fort Hays State University exists to improve lives. Our alumni, engaged citizens leaders, use their education and improve the lives of others. This pay-it-forward mission makes our world better. Whether a teacher, banker, nurse, artist, or physicist, our alumni are dedicated professionals who transform their fields and their communities.In a couple of weeks, the FHSU Alumni Association will honor seven remarkable change agents. I love listening and learning about their journeys and the remarkable impact they have made on our world.As I walk across campus, stopping to talk with several students, I find myself also thinking about these seven award winners’ beginning steps and how Tiger Nation nurtures talents and self-discovery. I think about Maya Angelou’s statement that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I think about the amazing students who have passed through our “halls” and those who are in the middle of figuring it all out right now. One of those is junior Hannah Dechant.&nbsp;Hannah grew up in Goodland in northwest Kansas. For 13 years, her life was shaped and nurtured by her involvement in 4-H. She has shown sheep and dogs, done art and crafts, photography, and foods and nutrition.&nbsp;“Growing up in my small town, agriculture is a way of life for us, so being in 4-H and doing so many things was not uncommon,” she said. “However, it was about a lot more than just all of the ribbons and awards I would receive. For me, it was about helping others achieve their goals and dreams.”You may be guessing this accomplished 4-H’er came to campus to study agriculture. I did. Heck, Hannah even works on our university farm. As often is the case, there is more to Hannah’s story.&nbsp;When Hannah was 5 years old, she was diagnosed with Amblyopia; she is legally blind in her left eye. That meant that throughout her K-12 years, she would navigate education via disability accommodations. As Hannah would say, there is an extra layer of challenges for those children who grow up with a disability. Her experiences as a person with a disability shaped and fueled her passion to become a special education teacher. At FHSU, Hannah is an elementary education major with a minor in special education.“I have always had a heart for young kids, and 4-H only expanded on that more,” Hannah said. “Because I have been through the journey of living with a disability, and all the paperwork that comes with it for school, I will be able to help students with exceptionalities better.”&nbsp;What I love about Hannah’s story is how she combines her love for agriculture with her calling to assist others with special needs.“In 4-H, I have been able to help and teach students who have special needs reach their goals. I have been able to help those children feel like any other child,” she said. “For the past three years, I have been able to help a young girl who is unable to walk – or talk – show a lamb by training a lamb to walk by a wagon with her riding in it. I have also been able to help two children with a disability learn how to cook and bake.”Hannah looks forward to the day she has her own classroom. She can’t wait to integrate different kinds of activities that will focus on all that agriculture has to offer.“I feel that every student should understand agriculture and where our food comes from,” she said. I also want the children to know that livestock are not scary when you handle them the correct way.”&nbsp;Hannah’s vision for her life is truly inspiring. Through that vision, I know her life will be rich, and those lives that she touches will be even more enriched.&nbsp;In the words of Nelson Mandela, there is no doubt in my mind that a Fort Hays State education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. Thank you, Hannah, for your passion and the unique way you will make our world better one child at a time!&nbsp;

MASON: An opportunity to change lives, community, the world

I love the Kansas State Fair and I love talking to people about trapping, so I spend some time each year at the Kansas Fur Harvesters Assn. booth, near the butter sculture, at the Kansas State Fair. That booth is an excellent way to educate people about the importance of trapping here in the U.S.&nbsp;

Displayed at the booth are tanned pelts representing every furbearer found in Kansas. Everyone enjoys trying to identify each pelt as they run their fingers through the soft luxurious fur. The skunk pelt is always a good conversation starter, and visitors are usually astonished at how soft and beautiful skunk fur really is; even more surprising to them is the fact that skunk essence is used in MINUTE amounts in perfume as an agent to hold and carry the aroma, making it last longer (ever noticed how long skunk smell hangs around?) We also have a unique hat made from 3 skunk pelts that provides me more fun than should be allowed. I talk fair visitors from seniors in wheelchairs to young kids into getting their pictures taken with it on their heads.&nbsp;

As people stop by the booth, one of the things we point out is that furbearers in Kansas are very prolific breeders and trapping is a perfect and necessary harvest tool to keep their populations manageable. Beavers have from one to six young each year, and they do considerable damage by damming streams and ponds that flood farmland, back roads and golf courses. They cut off newly planted saplings with just a couple bites and kill large standing trees by completely chewing off the bark as high as they can reach. Muskrats have three to five litters per year, each containing up to five kits, and even though they don’t chew trees, they can absolutely riddle dikes, stream banks and pond dams with holes for dens. Raccoons birth three or four young each year and their taste for eggs leads them to destroy large numbers of songbird, pheasant and quail nests every spring. Coyotes have six to ten pups each year and even if only three survive, that’s a three hundred percent population increase, and any hunter, farmer and rancher from the Midwest knows the predation damage to young deer fawns and livestock by coyotes.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Numerous men who stop at the booth trapped when they were kids and they often ask about fur prices today. Their eyes widen when we tell them that nearly all the wild-caught fur from the U.S. now goes overseas to China, Korea, Greece, Italy and Russia, so the economy of those countries and even the severity of winter in Russia directly affect the prices we are paid for our wild-caught fur here in Kansas.

As recently as a generation ago, hunting, trapping and fishing were never questioned and were just a part of life. Today, because of seasons and harvest limits there is more game and fish available for harvest than ever before in the history of our country, so it makes no sense to me that hunting, trapping and fishing would be challenged now. I wish every anti-hunter could envision a world without regulated hunting, trapping and fishing, where deer and predators died only from starvation, rampant disease and indiscriminate shooting; it wouldn’t be pretty! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>I love the Kansas State Fair and I love talking to people about trapping, so I spend some time each year at the Kansas Fur Harvesters Assn. booth, near the butter sculture, at the Kansas State Fair. That booth is an excellent way to educate people about the importance of trapping here in the U.S.&nbsp;Displayed at the booth are tanned pelts representing every furbearer found in Kansas. Everyone enjoys trying to identify each pelt as they run their fingers through the soft luxurious fur. The skunk pelt is always a good conversation starter, and visitors are usually astonished at how soft and beautiful skunk fur really is; even more surprising to them is the fact that skunk essence is used in MINUTE amounts in perfume as an agent to hold and carry the aroma, making it last longer (ever noticed how long skunk smell hangs around?) We also have a unique hat made from 3 skunk pelts that provides me more fun than should be allowed. I talk fair visitors from seniors in wheelchairs to young kids into getting their pictures taken with it on their heads.&nbsp;As people stop by the booth, one of the things we point out is that furbearers in Kansas are very prolific breeders and trapping is a perfect and necessary harvest tool to keep their populations manageable. Beavers have from one to six young each year, and they do considerable damage by damming streams and ponds that flood farmland, back roads and golf courses. They cut off newly planted saplings with just a couple bites and kill large standing trees by completely chewing off the bark as high as they can reach. Muskrats have three to five litters per year, each containing up to five kits, and even though they don’t chew trees, they can absolutely riddle dikes, stream banks and pond dams with holes for dens. Raccoons birth three or four young each year and their taste for eggs leads them to destroy large numbers of songbird, pheasant and quail nests every spring. Coyotes have six to ten pups each year and even if only three survive, that’s a three hundred percent population increase, and any hunter, farmer and rancher from the Midwest knows the predation damage to young deer fawns and livestock by coyotes.&nbsp; &nbsp;Numerous men who stop at the booth trapped when they were kids and they often ask about fur prices today. Their eyes widen when we tell them that nearly all the wild-caught fur from the U.S. now goes overseas to China, Korea, Greece, Italy and Russia, so the economy of those countries and even the severity of winter in Russia directly affect the prices we are paid for our wild-caught fur here in Kansas.As recently as a generation ago, hunting, trapping and fishing were never questioned and were just a part of life. Today, because of seasons and harvest limits there is more game and fish available for harvest than ever before in the history of our country, so it makes no sense to me that hunting, trapping and fishing would be challenged now. I wish every anti-hunter could envision a world without regulated hunting, trapping and fishing, where deer and predators died only from starvation, rampant disease and indiscriminate shooting; it wouldn’t be pretty! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.&nbsp;

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Trapping apologetics

“Bake the world a better place.” Not just “Make the world a better place,” but “Bake the world a better place.”&nbsp;

That sounds like a baker’s motto, and it would certainly apply to this bakery and gift shop in rural Kansas.&nbsp;

Nan Lisher is owner and founder of Elsie Grace’s Gift Shoppe and Bakery in Frankfort.&nbsp;As a kid, Nan was close to her grandmother, Elsie Grace Tilley. “She taught me a lot about baking and cooking,” Nan said. Nan and her cousin Sara even dreamed of running a restaurant someday.&nbsp;

That dream came true when Nan opened Nan’s Cooking Nook in Frankfort, with Sara’s help. They served homemade food. Their pies were especially popular. The restaurant operated until 1992.&nbsp;

Then Nan started formulating dry mixes for her snack dips, soups and pies. She formed a company to market these products and named it in honor of her grandmother, Elsie Grace’s. Nan and Sara marketed the dry mixes across northeast Kansas.&nbsp;

In downtown Frankfort, an older lady operated a small gift shop and fudge factory. One day in 1999, Nan stopped in to visit the lady and said, “If you ever want to sell this place, keep me in mind.” One month later, Nan owned the store. Talk about good timing.&nbsp;

Elsie Grace’s Gift Shoppe and Bakery now operates in that location, with Nan and her cousin Sara Colvin. The store offers a wide variety of gifts plus homemade pies, hot lunch meals and fudge. “There’s been fudge produced at this corner of town for 32 years,” Nan said.&nbsp;

Nan and Sara brought one of their homemade pies with them when they consulted with the director of the Small Business Development Center at the time. “He told us the pie was delicious but he said, ‘Nobody makes pies anymore.’” However, he helped with their business plan and promotion. “He was very beneficial, but I still laugh about that because I use that pie mix every day of the week,” Nan said.&nbsp;

“I love to bake and I love to cook,” she added. Her mother helped in the store and her husband would help open up in the mornings. “He called this my hobby.” That would change in a tragic instant.&nbsp;

April 7, 2002. Nan and her husband and her mom and dad were driving to Topeka for her grandson’s fourth birthday party. Near Frankfort, their car was hit by a drunk driver.&nbsp;Nan’s husband and her mother were killed instantly. Nan and her father were critically injured but survived.&nbsp;

“Without the town of Frankfort, I would never have made it,” Nan said. “The people in Frankfort wrapped their arms around us.” The community mobilized to help, with fundraisers and support.&nbsp;

“You have choices in life,” Nan said. “You can give up or you can stand on your feet.” With support from the community, Nan chose to continue Elsie Grace’s after her recovery. “I threw myself into the business after the accident,” Nan said. She later remarried.&nbsp;

Today, Elsie Grace’s offers products online as well as in the store at Frankfort. The business has expanded to the building next door. Upstairs apartments in the building are available for rent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nan and Sara created the 320-page Elsie Grace’s Family and Friends Cookbook. At the gift shop and bakery, hot homemade meals are served at lunch on weekdays. The dry mixes for pies, soups, pancakes, cookies and dips are marketed across the nation.&nbsp;

“We’ve shipped to most states and as far away as Germany,” Nan said. That’s an impressive record for a business based in the rural community of Frankfort, population 726 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

“Cooking is my therapy,” she said. “I love to make people happy with food.”&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.elsiegraces1.com/">www.elsiegraces1.com</a>.&nbsp;

“Bake the world a better place.” That is a good way to describe what happens at Elsie Grace’s Gift Shoppe and Bakery. We commend Nan Lisher and Sara Colvin at Elsie Grace’s for making a difference with a creative gift selection and delicious food. They are baking the world better, one pie at a time.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631712605760.png" alt="Sara Colvin and Nan Lisher" />
 <figcaption>Sara Colvin and Nan Lisher</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;“Bake the world a better place.” Not just “Make the world a better place,” but “Bake the world a better place.”&nbsp;That sounds like a baker’s motto, and it would certainly apply to this bakery and gift shop in rural Kansas.&nbsp;Nan Lisher is owner and founder of Elsie Grace’s Gift Shoppe and Bakery in Frankfort.&nbsp;As a kid, Nan was close to her grandmother, Elsie Grace Tilley. “She taught me a lot about baking and cooking,” Nan said. Nan and her cousin Sara even dreamed of running a restaurant someday.&nbsp;That dream came true when Nan opened Nan’s Cooking Nook in Frankfort, with Sara’s help. They served homemade food. Their pies were especially popular. The restaurant operated until 1992.&nbsp;Then Nan started formulating dry mixes for her snack dips, soups and pies. She formed a company to market these products and named it in honor of her grandmother, Elsie Grace’s. Nan and Sara marketed the dry mixes across northeast Kansas.&nbsp;In downtown Frankfort, an older lady operated a small gift shop and fudge factory. One day in 1999, Nan stopped in to visit the lady and said, “If you ever want to sell this place, keep me in mind.” One month later, Nan owned the store. Talk about good timing.&nbsp;Elsie Grace’s Gift Shoppe and Bakery now operates in that location, with Nan and her cousin Sara Colvin. The store offers a wide variety of gifts plus homemade pies, hot lunch meals and fudge. “There’s been fudge produced at this corner of town for 32 years,” Nan said.&nbsp;Nan and Sara brought one of their homemade pies with them when they consulted with the director of the Small Business Development Center at the time. “He told us the pie was delicious but he said, ‘Nobody makes pies anymore.’” However, he helped with their business plan and promotion. “He was very beneficial, but I still laugh about that because I use that pie mix every day of the week,” Nan said.&nbsp;“I love to bake and I love to cook,” she added. Her mother helped in the store and her husband would help open up in the mornings. “He called this my hobby.” That would change in a tragic instant.&nbsp;April 7, 2002. Nan and her husband and her mom and dad were driving to Topeka for her grandson’s fourth birthday party. Near Frankfort, their car was hit by a drunk driver.&nbsp;Nan’s husband and her mother were killed instantly. Nan and her father were critically injured but survived.&nbsp;“Without the town of Frankfort, I would never have made it,” Nan said. “The people in Frankfort wrapped their arms around us.” The community mobilized to help, with fundraisers and support.&nbsp;“You have choices in life,” Nan said. “You can give up or you can stand on your feet.” With support from the community, Nan chose to continue Elsie Grace’s after her recovery. “I threw myself into the business after the accident,” Nan said. She later remarried.&nbsp;Today, Elsie Grace’s offers products online as well as in the store at Frankfort. The business has expanded to the building next door. Upstairs apartments in the building are available for rent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nan and Sara created the 320-page Elsie Grace’s Family and Friends Cookbook. At the gift shop and bakery, hot homemade meals are served at lunch on weekdays. The dry mixes for pies, soups, pancakes, cookies and dips are marketed across the nation.&nbsp;“We’ve shipped to most states and as far away as Germany,” Nan said. That’s an impressive record for a business based in the rural community of Frankfort, population 726 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;“Cooking is my therapy,” she said. “I love to make people happy with food.”&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.elsiegraces1.com/">www.elsiegraces1.com</a>.&nbsp;“Bake the world a better place.” That is a good way to describe what happens at Elsie Grace’s Gift Shoppe and Bakery. We commend Nan Lisher and Sara Colvin at Elsie Grace’s for making a difference with a creative gift selection and delicious food. They are baking the world better, one pie at a time.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural:  Nan Lisher, Elsie Grace’s 

Health insurance companies have been shielding many customers from out-of-pocket “cost-sharing” expenses like deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments for Covid-related medical care. But that safety cushion is disappearing, increasing your direct financial risk from the disease.&nbsp;

Now that vaccines have proven safe and effective at mitigating Covid, insurers are shifting costs back onto customers, including large insurers here in Kansas like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and Blue KC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Testing and vaccines will continue to have no out-of-pocket costs under federal law, but other services will trigger customer cost-sharing.&nbsp;

For those who remain unvaccinated, that means a heightened risk of large medical bills, on top of their heightened risk of contracting Covid and suffering its more severe health effects.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The group most directly impacted is the nearly 60 percent of Kansans who, per the Kansas Health Institute (KHI), get their health insurance through an employer. Should these folks incur costs for Covid-related care, cost-sharing under their respective plans kicks in.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that in Kansas the average annual family deductible is about $3,600 and the average individual deductible is about $1,900. Annual out-of-pocket maximums for covered services for families can currently exceed $17,000 under federal law.&nbsp;

Going forward, then, an insured person who needs Covid treatment could face thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs that they didn’t risk before in the pandemic.&nbsp;

Roughly 250,000 Kansans lack health insurance, according to the KHI. These Kansans are disproportionately low income workers. They are also more likely to live in rural communities that have lower vaccination rates and that Covid has hit harder on a per capita basis. Not having benefited from cost-sharing waivers because they lacked insurance, not much changes for these folks and their risk for large medical debt.&nbsp;

If four-figure medical bills don’t intimidate you financially, congratulations on your comfort.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But for many Kansans, that kind of expense risks financial ruin and entrapment as a defendant in the legal system. Economic surveys commonly estimate that the median American has under $4,000 in cash savings, while the Federal Reserve reported in 2019 that about 40 percent of Americans would struggle to cover a $400 emergency expense.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Many readers probably know people—often the uninsured or the under-insured—who have asked for charity on GoFundMe to cover their medical bills. That is a sad reality of the modern American health care market, especially for the working class.&nbsp;&nbsp;

These crowdfunding attempts typically fall far short, though. The&nbsp;Journal of the American Medical Association&nbsp;published a study in early 2021 reporting that the roughly 250,000 medical expense fundraisers on GoFundMe in the previous decade raised just 36% of their total goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If neighborly goodwill can’t cover medical expenses for cancer patients when economic times are good, how can we expect it to cover the ballooning costs of Covid care in tougher economic times and when this disease has seemingly driven so many Americans to loathe each other and wish each other harm?&nbsp;

Most Kansans probably aren’t enthusiastic to blow thousands of dollars on Covid care. Nor would they proudly tout that bill in some grand display of conservative virtue signaling. There is no shame in getting vaccinated just to lower your financial risks. But for those who choose to remain unvaccinated, hopefully they know the heightened financial peril they are embracing.&nbsp;

Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575644168170.png" alt="Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Health insurance companies have been shielding many customers from out-of-pocket “cost-sharing” expenses like deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments for Covid-related medical care. But that safety cushion is disappearing, increasing your direct financial risk from the disease.&nbsp;Now that vaccines have proven safe and effective at mitigating Covid, insurers are shifting costs back onto customers, including large insurers here in Kansas like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and Blue KC.&nbsp;&nbsp;Testing and vaccines will continue to have no out-of-pocket costs under federal law, but other services will trigger customer cost-sharing.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>For those who remain unvaccinated, that means a heightened risk of large medical bills, on top of their heightened risk of contracting Covid and suffering its more severe health effects.&nbsp;&nbsp;The group most directly impacted is the nearly 60 percent of Kansans who, per the Kansas Health Institute (KHI), get their health insurance through an employer. Should these folks incur costs for Covid-related care, cost-sharing under their respective plans kicks in.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that in Kansas the average annual family deductible is about $3,600 and the average individual deductible is about $1,900. Annual out-of-pocket maximums for covered services for families can currently exceed $17,000 under federal law.&nbsp;Going forward, then, an insured person who needs Covid treatment could face thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs that they didn’t risk before in the pandemic.&nbsp;Roughly 250,000 Kansans lack health insurance, according to the KHI. These Kansans are disproportionately low income workers. They are also more likely to live in rural communities that have lower vaccination rates and that Covid has hit harder on a per capita basis. Not having benefited from cost-sharing waivers because they lacked insurance, not much changes for these folks and their risk for large medical debt.&nbsp;If four-figure medical bills don’t intimidate you financially, congratulations on your comfort.&nbsp;&nbsp;But for many Kansans, that kind of expense risks financial ruin and entrapment as a defendant in the legal system. Economic surveys commonly estimate that the median American has under $4,000 in cash savings, while the Federal Reserve reported in 2019 that about 40 percent of Americans would struggle to cover a $400 emergency expense.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many readers probably know people—often the uninsured or the under-insured—who have asked for charity on GoFundMe to cover their medical bills. That is a sad reality of the modern American health care market, especially for the working class.&nbsp;&nbsp;These crowdfunding attempts typically fall far short, though. The&nbsp;Journal of the American Medical Association&nbsp;published a study in early 2021 reporting that the roughly 250,000 medical expense fundraisers on GoFundMe in the previous decade raised just 36% of their total goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;If neighborly goodwill can’t cover medical expenses for cancer patients when economic times are good, how can we expect it to cover the ballooning costs of Covid care in tougher economic times and when this disease has seemingly driven so many Americans to loathe each other and wish each other harm?&nbsp;Most Kansans probably aren’t enthusiastic to blow thousands of dollars on Covid care. Nor would they proudly tout that bill in some grand display of conservative virtue signaling. There is no shame in getting vaccinated just to lower your financial risks. But for those who choose to remain unvaccinated, hopefully they know the heightened financial peril they are embracing.&nbsp;Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: Financial risks of COVID increasing for most Kansans 

By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie&nbsp;County farmer and rancher Last Sunday I was in church minding my own business when my occupation came under fire. Our church is without a pastor right now, and we rely on pulpit supply, so the preacher was a guest fill-in. The prayer he had prepared was one promoting environmental justice and in it we prayed to save our world from the overuse of harsh chemicals and the erosion of the soils brought on by agriculture. As you can imagine, that caught my attention. The pastor called on our church to take up the mantle of environmental justice. That carried with it a list of other issues I will not get into, but it also put a spotlight on global climate change and the effect agriculture has on it. I am Presbyterian, but the environmental justice movement was one promoted by the liturgy shared by many denominations. In our bulletin a small blurb promoted the environmental justice issue and indicated it was supported by several other churches including Catholic and Lutheran organizations. I would guess no matter what your religious affiliation you can find a link to this movement. Upon further research, and it did not take much, I learned one way your church could help save the environment was to limit the amount of red meat consumed because the production of red meat and the correlating grain production produced greenhouse gases. This is a tactic used by environmental activists that we know not to be true. Yes, the environmental movement has infiltrated even the most sacred space of the church. I am not trying to turn anyone against the church but rather I am saying as Farm Bureau members and as farmers and ranchers we must get involved to tell our story and let our fellow church members know what we are doing. We know we do not overuse “harsh” chemicals, and we do our best to retain and improve the soil. We all know we do our best to protect God’s creation, and now it is time to help educate our fellow church members. It is also time for us to get involved in the leadership of our churches at the regional and national levels so factual and correct information can be shared. If we do not tell our story others will tell it for us and we cannot let that happen. If it can happen in our churches it will happen in all other areas too. For that matter this charge should go for every other organization in our lives whether it be the Lions or Rotary and even the Chamber in our local towns and cities. We know as farmers and ranchers we are the best caretakers of all God has entrusted us with. We work hard to care for the water, soil and air we all rely on, we know that, but the challenge is to make sure our urban neighbors know the truth. I know I am preaching to the choir so maybe we all need to start preaching to the congregation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576508626397.png" alt="Glenn Brunkow" />
 <figcaption>Glenn Brunkow</figcaption>
 </figure>By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie&nbsp;County farmer and rancher Last Sunday I was in church minding my own business when my occupation came under fire. Our church is without a pastor right now, and we rely on pulpit supply, so the preacher was a guest fill-in. The prayer he had prepared was one promoting environmental justice and in it we prayed to save our world from the overuse of harsh chemicals and the erosion of the soils brought on by agriculture. As you can imagine, that caught my attention. The pastor called on our church to take up the mantle of environmental justice. That carried with it a list of other issues I will not get into, but it also put a spotlight on global climate change and the effect agriculture has on it. I am Presbyterian, but the environmental justice movement was one promoted by the liturgy shared by many denominations. In our bulletin a small blurb promoted the environmental justice issue and indicated it was supported by several other churches including Catholic and Lutheran organizations. I would guess no matter what your religious affiliation you can find a link to this movement. Upon further research, and it did not take much, I learned one way your church could help save the environment was to limit the amount of red meat consumed because the production of red meat and the correlating grain production produced greenhouse gases. This is a tactic used by environmental activists that we know not to be true. Yes, the environmental movement has infiltrated even the most sacred space of the church. I am not trying to turn anyone against the church but rather I am saying as Farm Bureau members and as farmers and ranchers we must get involved to tell our story and let our fellow church members know what we are doing. We know we do not overuse “harsh” chemicals, and we do our best to retain and improve the soil. We all know we do our best to protect God’s creation, and now it is time to help educate our fellow church members. It is also time for us to get involved in the leadership of our churches at the regional and national levels so factual and correct information can be shared. If we do not tell our story others will tell it for us and we cannot let that happen. If it can happen in our churches it will happen in all other areas too. For that matter this charge should go for every other organization in our lives whether it be the Lions or Rotary and even the Chamber in our local towns and cities. We know as farmers and ranchers we are the best caretakers of all God has entrusted us with. We work hard to care for the water, soil and air we all rely on, we know that, but the challenge is to make sure our urban neighbors know the truth. I know I am preaching to the choir so maybe we all need to start preaching to the congregation."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Preaching to the congregation

By DREW GANNON Fort Hays State University

On Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, individuals from Hays and surrounding communities gathered at Lewis Field for a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Walk in memory of the events that occurred 20 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001. Over the last several days I have tried to put into words what I experienced at the event.

As we began to plan for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Walk, my hope was that we would remember the events that happened on 9/11, to honor the sacrifices made by so many, and that participants would come together in unity just as this country did in 2001.

As I stood in front of the crowd last Saturday, I fought back emotions as I witnessed the love of a community, gathered for a purpose and uniting behind a cause. The emotions continued as we begin to climb stairs and I followed behind a group of firefighters in full gear, climbing 110 flights of stairs in remembrance of the first responders who answered the call and ran into the Twin Towers to save others.

This year, and each of the past 20, my heart aches for those who lost so much on 9/11 — for those who endured pain, for those who lost loved ones, for those who live every day struggling with the emptiness that day left, and for those that have had to deal with the implications and aftermath of 9/11. My heart hurts also for our divided nation struggling to mend its differences that seemed to not matter right after 9/11 as we stood together as Americans.

Perhaps in the heartache of recalling that fateful day lies our answer to take a step forward. As I looked around Saturday morning, I was filled with hope and a remembrance of my own.

I was reminded that we can stand united despite having different beliefs. At the heart of the matter lies a common need to be loved, understood, and recognized.

I was reminded that conversations are a two-way street, and that listening is more important that talking. It’s in the listening we find commonalities.

I was reminded that this country has by no means ever been perfect, rather that we’re more alike than we are different. It’s acts of love that bring us together.

I was reminded of Sept. 12, 2001, when the sun rose and America’s future shined bright. It’s in the moments after tragedy where we find our resolve.

As I looked around at Lewis Field, I said a prayer for those that have endured so much since 9/11, for this community, for our state, and for the United States of America…

May we begin to listen a little more to one another, even if we have different beliefs. May we seek out hope and chase after the hearts of one another, acting in love and making the extra effort to serve others. May we take time to climb more stairs together, or go for walks, to laugh, cry, and remember. May we find the light in dark moments and stand together as neighbors.

I am exponentially grateful to the many individuals that helped make the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Walk possible. Thank you to our friends at Fort Hays State University, the local fire and police departments, our EMS volunteers, and the different groups, organizations and businesses that advertised the event or helped us out. Thank you to those who came together in unity to remember, honor, and fill us with hope.

Drew Gannon is Fort Hays State University's director of the Tiger Fitness Center and a health and human performance instructor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631738334073.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By DREW GANNON Fort Hays State UniversityOn Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, individuals from Hays and surrounding communities gathered at Lewis Field for a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Walk in memory of the events that occurred 20 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001. Over the last several days I have tried to put into words what I experienced at the event.As we began to plan for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Walk, my hope was that we would remember the events that happened on 9/11, to honor the sacrifices made by so many, and that participants would come together in unity just as this country did in 2001.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As I stood in front of the crowd last Saturday, I fought back emotions as I witnessed the love of a community, gathered for a purpose and uniting behind a cause. The emotions continued as we begin to climb stairs and I followed behind a group of firefighters in full gear, climbing 110 flights of stairs in remembrance of the first responders who answered the call and ran into the Twin Towers to save others.This year, and each of the past 20, my heart aches for those who lost so much on 9/11 — for those who endured pain, for those who lost loved ones, for those who live every day struggling with the emptiness that day left, and for those that have had to deal with the implications and aftermath of 9/11. My heart hurts also for our divided nation struggling to mend its differences that seemed to not matter right after 9/11 as we stood together as Americans.Perhaps in the heartache of recalling that fateful day lies our answer to take a step forward. As I looked around Saturday morning, I was filled with hope and a remembrance of my own.I was reminded that we can stand united despite having different beliefs. At the heart of the matter lies a common need to be loved, understood, and recognized.I was reminded that conversations are a two-way street, and that listening is more important that talking. It’s in the listening we find commonalities.I was reminded that this country has by no means ever been perfect, rather that we’re more alike than we are different. It’s acts of love that bring us together.I was reminded of Sept. 12, 2001, when the sun rose and America’s future shined bright. It’s in the moments after tragedy where we find our resolve.As I looked around at Lewis Field, I said a prayer for those that have endured so much since 9/11, for this community, for our state, and for the United States of America…May we begin to listen a little more to one another, even if we have different beliefs. May we seek out hope and chase after the hearts of one another, acting in love and making the extra effort to serve others. May we take time to climb more stairs together, or go for walks, to laugh, cry, and remember. May we find the light in dark moments and stand together as neighbors.I am exponentially grateful to the many individuals that helped make the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Walk possible. Thank you to our friends at Fort Hays State University, the local fire and police departments, our EMS volunteers, and the different groups, organizations and businesses that advertised the event or helped us out. Thank you to those who came together in unity to remember, honor, and fill us with hope.Drew Gannon is Fort Hays State University's director of the Tiger Fitness Center and a health and human performance instructor.

LETTER: 9/11 tribute at Fort Hays State powerful

Each year here in Inman, we see one or two hummingbirds in the spring or in the fall, then we’ll hustle to get a feeder up but never see them again. Three weeks ago, the scenario repeated itself, we put up a couple feeders, and three of the little buggers have been regularly slurping sugar water every day since. In researching hummingbird “gurus” here in KS, I was told to contact Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary County.

Chuck told me both his mother and grandmother were avid bird watchers. He says “I was predisposed as early as four years old to be an avid “birder” like them, and now backyard “birding” is my passion.” He says that hummingbirds here in KS “leisurely” begin meandering south in late July; the adult males first, followed by the adult females then this-years young. Otte also says winds and weather fronts &amp; patterns help determine when they leave for their winter digs in southern Mexico or northern Central America. I just assumed they would all go together in one large group, especially so the youngsters could safely follow, but he says that’s not the case. &nbsp;

Here in the Hutchinson area, we are in a transition zone that runs north clear to North Dakota, putting us on the very western edge of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds range, but they are still the most likely species we’ll see. West of us, the Rufous, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned and Calliope species are more prevalent, and being this close to the edge of their boundaries, it’s possible to see some of those species around our area too.&nbsp;

When talking hummingbirds, feeding them always enters the discussion, and Otte had lots of advice. He advises feeding hummingbirds straight sugar water, mixed one-part sugar to four parts water; NO red food color, NO honey, NO sugar substitutes or other additives, just straight sugar water. Don’t mix the syrup stronger than that as hummingbirds get most of their water from the syrup they drink. They are attracted to the color red, so it may be helpful if the feeder is red, but avoid yellow on the feeder as yellow attracts bees and wasps. Put the feeders up in mid-April for the hummers’ arrival and take them down in early June. If you continue seeing a couple birds after that, they are possibly nesting nearby and leaving a feeder up will benefit them. Otherwise, put feeders back up around July 20, and leave them up till the little guys leave in early October. Otte says while there is obviously no guarantee the same hummers will visit you next year, Ruby-throated hummingbirds do remember where they feed in the fall. He also debunked the theory that leaving feeders up longer in the fall will coerce hummingbirds to stay too late, putting their migration in peril. Otte says their instinct and drive to migrate and to leave when they need to leave is stronger than anything we humans can do to keep them here.

Natural attracters can also help draw and possibly keep hummingbirds near your garden. Plants with red or bright orange cone-shaped flowers that produce lots of nectar are especially noticed by hummingbirds. Salvia, red Cannas, Hollyhocks and Trumpet vine are all good. Another fact new to me is that hummers’ need to eat small insects for protein, so as they flit amongst your flowers, they are also looking for snacks besides just nectar.

I won’t get into hummingbird trivia here, like how fast their little hearts beat or how fast their tiny delicate wings move, but I challenge you to watch one for any length of time without finding yourself completely in awe of God’s handiwork the day He Created hummingbirds.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>Each year here in Inman, we see one or two hummingbirds in the spring or in the fall, then we’ll hustle to get a feeder up but never see them again. Three weeks ago, the scenario repeated itself, we put up a couple feeders, and three of the little buggers have been regularly slurping sugar water every day since. In researching hummingbird “gurus” here in KS, I was told to contact Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary County.Chuck told me both his mother and grandmother were avid bird watchers. He says “I was predisposed as early as four years old to be an avid “birder” like them, and now backyard “birding” is my passion.” He says that hummingbirds here in KS “leisurely” begin meandering south in late July; the adult males first, followed by the adult females then this-years young. Otte also says winds and weather fronts &amp; patterns help determine when they leave for their winter digs in southern Mexico or northern Central America. I just assumed they would all go together in one large group, especially so the youngsters could safely follow, but he says that’s not the case. &nbsp;Here in the Hutchinson area, we are in a transition zone that runs north clear to North Dakota, putting us on the very western edge of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds range, but they are still the most likely species we’ll see. West of us, the Rufous, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned and Calliope species are more prevalent, and being this close to the edge of their boundaries, it’s possible to see some of those species around our area too.&nbsp;When talking hummingbirds, feeding them always enters the discussion, and Otte had lots of advice. He advises feeding hummingbirds straight sugar water, mixed one-part sugar to four parts water; NO red food color, NO honey, NO sugar substitutes or other additives, just straight sugar water. Don’t mix the syrup stronger than that as hummingbirds get most of their water from the syrup they drink. They are attracted to the color red, so it may be helpful if the feeder is red, but avoid yellow on the feeder as yellow attracts bees and wasps. Put the feeders up in mid-April for the hummers’ arrival and take them down in early June. If you continue seeing a couple birds after that, they are possibly nesting nearby and leaving a feeder up will benefit them. Otherwise, put feeders back up around July 20, and leave them up till the little guys leave in early October. Otte says while there is obviously no guarantee the same hummers will visit you next year, Ruby-throated hummingbirds do remember where they feed in the fall. He also debunked the theory that leaving feeders up longer in the fall will coerce hummingbirds to stay too late, putting their migration in peril. Otte says their instinct and drive to migrate and to leave when they need to leave is stronger than anything we humans can do to keep them here.Natural attracters can also help draw and possibly keep hummingbirds near your garden. Plants with red or bright orange cone-shaped flowers that produce lots of nectar are especially noticed by hummingbirds. Salvia, red Cannas, Hollyhocks and Trumpet vine are all good. Another fact new to me is that hummers’ need to eat small insects for protein, so as they flit amongst your flowers, they are also looking for snacks besides just nectar.I won’t get into hummingbird trivia here, like how fast their little hearts beat or how fast their tiny delicate wings move, but I challenge you to watch one for any length of time without finding yourself completely in awe of God’s handiwork the day He Created hummingbirds.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com. &nbsp;

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Hummingbirds in Kansas

By&nbsp;Fr. GNANASEKAR KULANDAI <a href="https://salinadiocese.org">Salina Diocese</a>

I grew up in a village in India. We lived about ten kilometers from 
the big city. I was the youngest of five children. It was nice being the
 baby of the family! My dad was a farmer. We grew rice, vegetables and 
flowers. We would have to get up early in the mornings and collect 
everything to take to market.&nbsp;

My family are all devout Catholics. I do not know for how many 
generations we are Catholic, but we are Catholic for as far back as I 
can remember. Most of India&nbsp;(80%)&nbsp;is Hindu, only about 2.3% of the 
country is Christian,&nbsp;in which 1.5% is&nbsp;Catholic. My Catholic faith made 
me distinct, but it didn’t harm my friendships or relationships with 
people. My best&nbsp;childhood&nbsp;friend was&nbsp;a&nbsp;Hindu. In our simple home, we 
didn’t worry about differences in faith. There was unity in the 
diversity.&nbsp;

My greatest role models were my parents. They cultivated my faith and
 conscience, but so did the priests and religious sisters at the 
Catholic school I attended. There was one teacher who made a tremendous 
impact on me. He was very quiet and never used corporal punishment. 
Corporal punishment was allowed back in those days. Just his stern look 
would calm us. It inspired me and taught me that we should do our jobs 
with love.&nbsp;

When I was in grade school, and people asked me what I wanted to be 
when I grew up, I said a priest! But then when I was older, sometime 
after the 5th&nbsp;grade, my answer would vary from police officer
 to engineer to doctor to farmer. I had many different desires. There 
were other parts of the world I wanted to explore. I was always 
comfortable with those dreams, but I wasn’t fully satisfied. I was 
aiming for everything, but I felt like I was neglecting the most 
important call.&nbsp;One of my sisters is a religious sister for 
the&nbsp;Sisters&nbsp;of Good News. When I was in 10th&nbsp;grade, she came 
home for a visit. We talked for about 30 minutes and she expressed to me
 her vocation and the way God calls. We talked about the mission of 
priests.&nbsp;I knew then that I was hiding from the priesthood. So, when I 
was 16, I decided to enter the seminary. It was kind of funny, but my 
cousin, who I am very close with, entered seminary at the same time that
 I did. We went through everything together. It was very comforting.&nbsp;

When I told my family about my decision, my mom and siblings&nbsp;were 
extremely happy. My dad was sad. He wanted me to be close to him. He 
knew that I would not be home very often, and that was hard for him. He 
died before I was ordained a priest, but I know that he was proud of 
me.&nbsp;The first four years of seminary were not easy. I was not yet sure 
that the priesthood is where I was being called. I could foresee the 
challenges, like being far from home. I also knew that I would have to 
give up my desires for a family.&nbsp;

At one point, I was upset with one of my formators. I was so 
frustrated and wanted to leave. I remember talking to a friend and she 
said, “Sekar, did you enter the seminary for that priest? Or did you 
enter the seminary for Jesus?” It was a simple thing that motivated me 
to return.&nbsp;

There were always questions, but less with each year. Around year 
five, I knew without any doubt that God wanted me to be a priest. I came
 to realize that God’s will for me is better than my desires. God wants 
what is best for me. Something I like to reflect on that one of my 
formators shared with me is, “The&nbsp;Will&nbsp;of God will not lead you where 
the grace of God cannot keep you.”&nbsp;

I was ordained as a priest for the Heralds of Good News (HGN) on 
February 3, 2009. The HGNs are a clerical missionary society that seek 
to train saintly, hardworking, dedicated missionaries and supply them 
wherever there is a need. I chose them mainly because my sister’s order 
was founded by the same priest. I did not know very much about the 
mission congregation when I joined, but I knew I would be sent out.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After I was ordained, my first assignment was to teach philosophy at 
the seminary. I did that for four years. Near the end of my term, Bishop
 Weisenburger contacted my superiors in need of two priests. My 
superiors came to me and all I could say is, “Yes, I will go.”&nbsp;

I strongly believe that God speaks through the superiors. God sends 
us to the right place. So, he sent me and Father&nbsp;Soosai&nbsp;Rathinam, HGN to
 Salina. We did not know where Kansas was.&nbsp;

I remember flying into Kansas City, and Father Leo Blasi picked us up
 at the airport. He was a seminarian at the time. He drove us to Salina.
 I looked out the car window the whole time and couldn’t believe it. 
There were no people and no honking! India is the second most densely 
populated country in the world, so the space out here was hard to 
believe. We stopped for lunch, and I had no idea what to order! The food
 is very different here.&nbsp;

My first assignment was in Hays. Father Kevin Weber was my mentor. He
 was great and did not grow tired of me. While I had already been a 
priest for four years, I had never served at a parish. Serving at 
Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hays was my first time ministering to the 
people.&nbsp;

One of the hardest things for me when I got here was cooking! In 
India, the women do most of the cooking. It’s the way of the culture. 
So, the only thing I knew how to do was boil water.&nbsp;On my first day in 
Hays,&nbsp;Father Kevin gave me some cash and&nbsp;went to his farm for his day 
off.&nbsp; I went&nbsp;to buy groceries&nbsp;at Dillons. I did not know what to buy! I
 walked up and down the aisles for a long time. Thankfully, a very nice 
woman from the parish saw me and helped me out.&nbsp;

I have loved being in the Salina Diocese. And I love being a priest –
 it is a special call. The best part of being a priest is bringing God’s
 love to people and watching them come alive. Recently, I visited a man 
who had strayed from the faith for most of his life. After hearing his 
Confession, seeing the joy in him was priceless. What else is there?&nbsp;

I am happy here, but I do miss my home and my family. It’s strange, 
but I’ve never&nbsp;been assigned to a place where I could speak and 
celebrate Mass in my mother tongue, Tamil.&nbsp;

I know that God wanted me to be a priest. I remember one time when I 
was young, I was walking&nbsp;in the&nbsp;field, and I heard my name being called.
 I looked all around and ran home, wondering who had called me. No one 
had. Sometimes I wonder if it was God – similar to the&nbsp;way he called 
Samuel. I think everything circles back to how God calls. Once I knew I 
was being called to the priesthood, I never regretted it. God continues 
to keep me safe, happy and joyful.&nbsp;

I am greatly indebted to the&nbsp;Bishop, priests and people 
of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Salina&nbsp;Diocese for&nbsp;the love, friendship&nbsp;and support&nbsp;I receive, 
and&nbsp;to&nbsp;Heralds of Good News&nbsp;for&nbsp;the formation and mission I cherish.&nbsp;

From the <a href="https://salinadiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WEB-Register-032221.pdf">March 26, 2021</a> issue of The Register

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631559499802.png" alt="Fr. Gnanasekar Kulandai" />
 <figcaption>Fr. Gnanasekar Kulandai</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;Fr. GNANASEKAR KULANDAI <a href="https://salinadiocese.org">Salina Diocese</a>I grew up in a village in India. We lived about ten kilometers from 
the big city. I was the youngest of five children. It was nice being the
 baby of the family! My dad was a farmer. We grew rice, vegetables and 
flowers. We would have to get up early in the mornings and collect 
everything to take to market.&nbsp;My family are all devout Catholics. I do not know for how many 
generations we are Catholic, but we are Catholic for as far back as I 
can remember. Most of India&nbsp;(80%)&nbsp;is Hindu, only about 2.3% of the 
country is Christian,&nbsp;in which 1.5% is&nbsp;Catholic. My Catholic faith made 
me distinct, but it didn’t harm my friendships or relationships with 
people. My best&nbsp;childhood&nbsp;friend was&nbsp;a&nbsp;Hindu. In our simple home, we 
didn’t worry about differences in faith. There was unity in the 
diversity.&nbsp;My greatest role models were my parents. They cultivated my faith and
 conscience, but so did the priests and religious sisters at the 
Catholic school I attended. There was one teacher who made a tremendous 
impact on me. He was very quiet and never used corporal punishment. 
Corporal punishment was allowed back in those days. Just his stern look 
would calm us. It inspired me and taught me that we should do our jobs 
with love.&nbsp;When I was in grade school, and people asked me what I wanted to be 
when I grew up, I said a priest! But then when I was older, sometime 
after the 5th&nbsp;grade, my answer would vary from police officer
 to engineer to doctor to farmer. I had many different desires. There 
were other parts of the world I wanted to explore. I was always 
comfortable with those dreams, but I wasn’t fully satisfied. I was 
aiming for everything, but I felt like I was neglecting the most 
important call.&nbsp;One of my sisters is a religious sister for 
the&nbsp;Sisters&nbsp;of Good News. When I was in 10th&nbsp;grade, she came 
home for a visit. We talked for about 30 minutes and she expressed to me
 her vocation and the way God calls. We talked about the mission of 
priests.&nbsp;I knew then that I was hiding from the priesthood. So, when I 
was 16, I decided to enter the seminary. It was kind of funny, but my 
cousin, who I am very close with, entered seminary at the same time that
 I did. We went through everything together. It was very comforting.&nbsp;When I told my family about my decision, my mom and siblings&nbsp;were 
extremely happy. My dad was sad. He wanted me to be close to him. He 
knew that I would not be home very often, and that was hard for him. He 
died before I was ordained a priest, but I know that he was proud of 
me.&nbsp;The first four years of seminary were not easy. I was not yet sure 
that the priesthood is where I was being called. I could foresee the 
challenges, like being far from home. I also knew that I would have to 
give up my desires for a family.&nbsp;At one point, I was upset with one of my formators. I was so 
frustrated and wanted to leave. I remember talking to a friend and she 
said, “Sekar, did you enter the seminary for that priest? Or did you 
enter the seminary for Jesus?” It was a simple thing that motivated me 
to return.&nbsp;There were always questions, but less with each year. Around year 
five, I knew without any doubt that God wanted me to be a priest. I came
 to realize that God’s will for me is better than my desires. God wants 
what is best for me. Something I like to reflect on that one of my 
formators shared with me is, “The&nbsp;Will&nbsp;of God will not lead you where 
the grace of God cannot keep you.”&nbsp;I was ordained as a priest for the Heralds of Good News (HGN) on 
February 3, 2009. The HGNs are a clerical missionary society that seek 
to train saintly, hardworking, dedicated missionaries and supply them 
wherever there is a need. I chose them mainly because my sister’s order 
was founded by the same priest. I did not know very much about the 
mission congregation when I joined, but I knew I would be sent out.&nbsp;&nbsp;After I was ordained, my first assignment was to teach philosophy at 
the seminary. I did that for four years. Near the end of my term, Bishop
 Weisenburger contacted my superiors in need of two priests. My 
superiors came to me and all I could say is, “Yes, I will go.”&nbsp;I strongly believe that God speaks through the superiors. God sends 
us to the right place. So, he sent me and Father&nbsp;Soosai&nbsp;Rathinam, HGN to
 Salina. We did not know where Kansas was.&nbsp;I remember flying into Kansas City, and Father Leo Blasi picked us up
 at the airport. He was a seminarian at the time. He drove us to Salina.
 I looked out the car window the whole time and couldn’t believe it. 
There were no people and no honking! India is the second most densely 
populated country in the world, so the space out here was hard to 
believe. We stopped for lunch, and I had no idea what to order! The food
 is very different here.&nbsp;My first assignment was in Hays. Father Kevin Weber was my mentor. He
 was great and did not grow tired of me. While I had already been a 
priest for four years, I had never served at a parish. Serving at 
Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hays was my first time ministering to the 
people.&nbsp;One of the hardest things for me when I got here was cooking! In 
India, the women do most of the cooking. It’s the way of the culture. 
So, the only thing I knew how to do was boil water.&nbsp;On my first day in 
Hays,&nbsp;Father Kevin gave me some cash and&nbsp;went to his farm for his day 
off.&nbsp; I went&nbsp;to buy groceries&nbsp;at Dillons. I did not know what to buy! I
 walked up and down the aisles for a long time. Thankfully, a very nice 
woman from the parish saw me and helped me out.&nbsp;I have loved being in the Salina Diocese. And I love being a priest –
 it is a special call. The best part of being a priest is bringing God’s
 love to people and watching them come alive. Recently, I visited a man 
who had strayed from the faith for most of his life. After hearing his 
Confession, seeing the joy in him was priceless. What else is there?&nbsp;I am happy here, but I do miss my home and my family. It’s strange, 
but I’ve never&nbsp;been assigned to a place where I could speak and 
celebrate Mass in my mother tongue, Tamil.&nbsp;I know that God wanted me to be a priest. I remember one time when I 
was young, I was walking&nbsp;in the&nbsp;field, and I heard my name being called.
 I looked all around and ran home, wondering who had called me. No one 
had. Sometimes I wonder if it was God – similar to the&nbsp;way he called 
Samuel. I think everything circles back to how God calls. Once I knew I 
was being called to the priesthood, I never regretted it. God continues 
to keep me safe, happy and joyful.&nbsp;I am greatly indebted to the&nbsp;Bishop, priests and people 
of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Salina&nbsp;Diocese for&nbsp;the love, friendship&nbsp;and support&nbsp;I receive, 
and&nbsp;to&nbsp;Heralds of Good News&nbsp;for&nbsp;the formation and mission I cherish.&nbsp;From the <a href="https://salinadiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WEB-Register-032221.pdf">March 26, 2021</a> issue of The Register

Fr. Kulandai: A change in country, but not in my religion

Most large businesses have a CEO – chief executive officer. Some have a COO – chief operating officer – or a CFO – chief financial officer.&nbsp;

Today we’ll meet a person who describes herself as a CRO. That stands for Chief Remover of Obstacles. Her work has successfully removed obstacles for businesses in her rural county of Kansas.&nbsp;

Lea Ann Seiler is Hodgeman County economic development director. She describes herself as CRO – Chief Remover of Obstacles.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lea Ann grew up near Manhattan, attended Riley County High School and then K-State where she met and married her husband Gary. Gary became the ag teacher in Hodgeman County and she became economic development director in 2008.&nbsp;

Why does she use the term Chief Remover of Obstacles? “At a meeting, someone complained that they ran into a fresh obstacle for every business idea they had suggested in their community,” she said. “First it was zoning and then it was permitting and then it was financing.”&nbsp;

Lea Ann realized that a key part of her role as economic development director was removing obstacles so that her businesses and ruralpreneurs could move forward.&nbsp;

Some obstacles were simple. One person was looking for a building to rent for their business and had been asking around for a year. “We just walked upstairs to the appraiser’s office and requested public records,” Lea Ann said.&nbsp;

In another case, someone wanted to be a vendor at farmer’s market but didn’t know how to get a sales tax id. “We opened up my computer, completed the application, and printed their number out right then,” Lea Ann said.&nbsp;

Other things take longer to address, such as developing a business plan, pricing a product correctly, or mastering technology. “I remember when two of our restaurants didn’t accept credit cards and were losing business because of it,” Lea Ann said. “We held meetings with card machine vendors and helped them connect. Now I provide free square card readers to small businesses and farmers market vendors.”&nbsp;

Hodgeman County has strategically targeted particular development opportunities.&nbsp;These include natural resource tourism, agricultural diversification, area spending capture, retiring boomers, outbound commuters or those working from home, growth-oriented entrepreneurs, and economic diversification through new resident attraction.&nbsp;

“Lots of good things are happening in Hodgeman County,” Lea Ann said. “A new rural communications company has opened in Jetmore.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hanston now has fiber to the premise. The city of Jetmore is passing a Main Street RHID for upper-level housing development. We’re embarking on an infill housing project. The Hanston library just received a wonderful grant for outside amenities and the Jetmore downtown farmers market is a new KDHE farmers market senior voucher location. A new truck stop at (highways) 156 and 283 is under construction and highway 156 will be getting much-needed shoulders.”&nbsp;

Local furniture artisan Zach Schaffer is building a new shop, and another business will be opening in his former building. “We’re partnering with Blue Cross Blue Shield and NXSTG in a super cool new technology for health and vitality project,” Lea Ann said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

There are two towns in Hodgeman County, Jetmore and Hanston. Lea Ann’s office is at the county seat in Jetmore. “I live in the smaller one which is Hanston, but spend most of my waking hours at the larger one, which is Jetmore,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jetmore has a population of 867. Hanston is a rural community of 206 people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

Sixteen new kids have moved to Hanston since May. “We are seeing a renewed interest in rural, and additional people moving, or wanting to move, to our community,” Lea Ann said. “There is a renewed sense of urgency in making sure we act on this opportunity,” she said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631106343664.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;Most large businesses have a CEO – chief executive officer. Some have a COO – chief operating officer – or a CFO – chief financial officer.&nbsp;Today we’ll meet a person who describes herself as a CRO. That stands for Chief Remover of Obstacles. Her work has successfully removed obstacles for businesses in her rural county of Kansas.&nbsp;Lea Ann Seiler is Hodgeman County economic development director. She describes herself as CRO – Chief Remover of Obstacles.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lea Ann grew up near Manhattan, attended Riley County High School and then K-State where she met and married her husband Gary. Gary became the ag teacher in Hodgeman County and she became economic development director in 2008.&nbsp;Why does she use the term Chief Remover of Obstacles? “At a meeting, someone complained that they ran into a fresh obstacle for every business idea they had suggested in their community,” she said. “First it was zoning and then it was permitting and then it was financing.”&nbsp;Lea Ann realized that a key part of her role as economic development director was removing obstacles so that her businesses and ruralpreneurs could move forward.&nbsp;Some obstacles were simple. One person was looking for a building to rent for their business and had been asking around for a year. “We just walked upstairs to the appraiser’s office and requested public records,” Lea Ann said.&nbsp;In another case, someone wanted to be a vendor at farmer’s market but didn’t know how to get a sales tax id. “We opened up my computer, completed the application, and printed their number out right then,” Lea Ann said.&nbsp;Other things take longer to address, such as developing a business plan, pricing a product correctly, or mastering technology. “I remember when two of our restaurants didn’t accept credit cards and were losing business because of it,” Lea Ann said. “We held meetings with card machine vendors and helped them connect. Now I provide free square card readers to small businesses and farmers market vendors.”&nbsp;Hodgeman County has strategically targeted particular development opportunities.&nbsp;These include natural resource tourism, agricultural diversification, area spending capture, retiring boomers, outbound commuters or those working from home, growth-oriented entrepreneurs, and economic diversification through new resident attraction.&nbsp;“Lots of good things are happening in Hodgeman County,” Lea Ann said. “A new rural communications company has opened in Jetmore.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hanston now has fiber to the premise. The city of Jetmore is passing a Main Street RHID for upper-level housing development. We’re embarking on an infill housing project. The Hanston library just received a wonderful grant for outside amenities and the Jetmore downtown farmers market is a new KDHE farmers market senior voucher location. A new truck stop at (highways) 156 and 283 is under construction and highway 156 will be getting much-needed shoulders.”&nbsp;Local furniture artisan Zach Schaffer is building a new shop, and another business will be opening in his former building. “We’re partnering with Blue Cross Blue Shield and NXSTG in a super cool new technology for health and vitality project,” Lea Ann said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There are two towns in Hodgeman County, Jetmore and Hanston. Lea Ann’s office is at the county seat in Jetmore. “I live in the smaller one which is Hanston, but spend most of my waking hours at the larger one, which is Jetmore,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jetmore has a population of 867. Hanston is a rural community of 206 people.&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;Sixteen new kids have moved to Hanston since May. “We are seeing a renewed interest in rural, and additional people moving, or wanting to move, to our community,” Lea Ann said. “There is a renewed sense of urgency in making sure we act on this opportunity,” she said.&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hodgemancountyks.com/">www.hodgemancountyks.com</a>.&nbsp;Some organizations have a CEO, CFO, or COO. Hodgeman County is fortunate to have a CRO who serves as a chief remover of obstacles for businesses. We commend Lea Ann Seiler for making a difference with her work, which helps local entrepreneurs move their enterprises forward through the obstacle course of operating a business.&nbsp;

Opinion