By COOPER SLOUGH
Hays Post

The fourth annual Blaine Billinger Poker Run is scheduled for next Saturday, Oct. 15.

Single hands are $25, or $40 for two. Participants throw darts to get their hand. The best hand wins the cash prize, but door prizes will also be given away. Registration for the event begins at 10:30 a.m.

Both cars and motorcycles are encouraged to participate.

The ride begins at 11 a.m. at Frontier Park, and goes to the Outer Limits Bar and Grill in Munjor, then continues on to The Library Bar and Grill in Victoria. From there, the ride will head east to the Old 40 Bar and Grill in Dorrance, back west to Waudby’s in Russell, and finally concluding at the Horseshoe Bar and Grill, 1002 E. Eighth, Hays.

“Last year was our best year. We had about 75 participants,” said Ken Billinger, president of the Blaine Billinger Excellence in Scouting Fund.

All proceeds for the event benefit the Blaine Billinger Excellence in Scouting Fund, helping aid scouts with scholarships for education and assisting youth needing financial assistance to participate in various scouting activities.

Blaine was a decorated Eagle Scout who tragically lost his life in 2011 after suffering a sudden cardiac death while riding his mountain bike.

Ken Billinger pointed to the overwhelming support of friends and family as one of the driving forces behind the scouting fund’s success.

“Probably the most overwhelming thing for us was the outstanding support of our family and friends,” he said. “They’re just there to help all the time, and we never take that for granted.”

This year’s poker run is dedicated to Marty Sander and Adam Pfannenstiel.

Marty was Blaine’s uncle and a scout leader who passed away last November.

Adam was a fellow scout and cousin to Blaine who passed away in an ATV accident earlier this year.

Several years ago, Adam and his family won the Volunteer Family of the Year Award through the Billinger Scouting Fund.

Troop 101, Adam’s troop, will be the color guard for the national anthem prior to the event.

“Blaine loved scouts, and we wanted to keep that memory alive,” Billinger said, “and we thought if we could help scouts and help kids that would just be great.”

For more information about the poker run, click here. To learn more about the organization or get involved, visit their website here.

RUSSELL – The Russell Community Theater 2016 Season closes with the riotous comedy, “Election Day,” written by Josh Tobiessen and directed by RCT volunteer Mitch Hunsley.

Veteran actor, Charissa Roe, is joined by Kristin Venters and Demetrius T. Johnson Jr., who are returning to the RCT stage after several appearances. Chris Venters is back after his debut last season, and Marc Hertel is making his RCT debut.

It’s Election Day and Adam knows his overzealous girlfriend will never forgive him if he fails to vote. What starts out as a quick trip to the polls ends up derailed thanks to Adam’s sex-starved sister, an eco-terrorist and a mayoral candidate willing to do anything for a vote. This hilarious adult comedy exposes the sometimes ugly truths about political and personal campaigns.

Performances run Tuesday through Saturday, Oct. 18 to 22 at the RCT Playhouse (Fifth and Kansas, Russell). Show time is 8 p.m. Admission is $10 or by season ticket. Election Day is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French Inc. For more information, contact RCT at 785-483-4057.

Russell Community Theater is a nonprofit theater company in Russell, Kansas. The sole purpose of RCT is to produce theater for the community and the surrounding area. Completely volunteer-driven, RCT is supported financially solely through ticket admissions and gifts and grants from those supportive of community theater. Since its inception in 1986, RCT has presented 88 full-scale theatrical productions.

The Hays Police Department responded to 30 traffic stops and 7 animal calls Wed., Oct. 5, 2016, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Suspicious Person–200 block E 22nd St, Hays; 12:58 AM
Drug Offenses–400 block W 8th St, Hays; 2:30 AM; 2:33 AM
Bicycle – Lost,Found,Stolen–200 block E 12th St, Hays; 10/4 9:56 PM; 10/5 7 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–300 block W 6th St, Hays; 9:56 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–200 block W 17th St, Hays; 10/4 6:30 PM; 10/5 10:45 PM
Driving While Suspended/Revoked–1300 block Vine St, Hays; 11:21 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 11:28 AM
Domestic Disturbance–1700 block Pine St, Hays; 11:30 AM; 11:40 AM
Domestic Disturbance–1600 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 11:42 AM; 12:47 PM
Animal At Large–2200 block Drum Ave, Hays; 12:08 PM
Found/Lost Property–100 block Main St, Hays; 1:27 PM
Juvenile Complaint–200 block W 29th St, Hays; 10/4 3 PM; 10/5 11:18 AM
Found/Lost Property–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 2:59 PM
Disturbance – Noise–3200 block Tam O’Shanter Dr, Hays; 7:15 PM
Animal At Large–500 block W 20th St, Hays; 7:45 PM
Criminal Trespass–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 8:12 PM
Driving Under the Influence–200 block E 32nd St, Hays; 10:40 PM

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Let’s go to south Texas, where new irrigation technology is being installed in a cotton field. The owners are excited, because it is estimated that this technology can save up to half their water use. The source of this technology is an innovative business in rural Kansas.

Last week we met Tracy and Lynn Teeter. Lynn’s cousin Monty Teeter is president of Teeter Irrigation in Ulysses.

The Teeter grandparents homesteaded in southwest Kansas in 1906. Monty went to a rural school in nearby Moscow, population 243 people. Now, that’s rural.

When he was 16, he met a girl named Becky and their relationship grew. His career began with an irrigation pipe company in Ulysses. He married Becky. Later, they moved to the nearby town of Johnson as he advanced within the company, but he didn’t want to relocate out of state.

Instead, from his garage in 1977, he began his own business called Teeter Irrigation Sales. “There was a shortage of people who could work on irrigation systems,” Monty said. “People would wait several days to get a service call completed.”

So, Monty responded to this need. He would haul equipment, fix gearboxes, or do whatever it took to make the customer’s irrigation system work. As his business grew, Teeter Irrigation became a dealer to sell irrigation pivots, pumps and equipment.

Today, Teeter Irrigation employs some 100 people in seven locations across Kansas and Colorado, selling Valley brand irrigation equipment and more.

Over time, crop watering methods have changed from flood irrigation to center pivot systems to drip irrigation, with accompanying gains in water conservation. However, the cost and hassle of using drip irrigation systems has been a deterrent.

Monty imagined a way of adding tubing to pivot irrigation systems so that the tubes could be dragged at ground level, dispensing the water directly at the base of the plant near the roots. He encouraged some of his customers to try it, but no one did.

“I bought 320 acres of farm ground with a low 200 gallon-per-minute well, went out and tried it myself,” Monty said. As he perfected the system, he found it could save 20 to 50 percent of the water which had previously been used, at a fraction of the cost of installing traditional drip irrigation. He knows first-hand that it works.

The product is called Dragon-Line, offered by Teeter Irrigation with the slogan “Transforming Pivot Irrigation with Drip Technology.” The company’s overall statement of purpose is: “Making every drop of water count.” Teeter Irrigation is selling its products coast to coast, from Washington to Georgia. Monty Teeter has been recognized as an innovative leader in the industry.

Becky had been at his side through the whole journey, but then her health started to deteriorate. Ultimately she was diagnosed with prion disease, an incurable, non-contagious, one-in-a-million brain condition. Even with her own health challenges, she would support others. “When she heard somebody was having a bad day or tough time, she would send them a card of encouragement,” Monty said. “She would send six or eight cards a day.” After she passed in 2015, more than 1,000 people came to her celebration of life.

Monty is also a man of faith. Perceiving a need for men’s ministry, he was one of two who founded the southwest Kansas chapter of Sons of Thunder which calls men to gather for praise and worship on the first Thursday of each month. “My dream is that 20 million men would gather for fellowship each month across the nation to break down the walls that separate men from Christ,” Monty said.

His faith has also encouraged him to seek better ways to use and conserve water. “We bring precision watering to precision agriculture,” Monty said. “Dragon-Line is the most precise way of watering that has been delivered to date.” For more information, see www.teeterirrigation.com or www.dragonline.net.

It’s time to leave south Texas where an innovative system from rural Kansas is helping grow crops while conserving water. We commend Monty Teeter and Teeter Irrigation for making a difference with innovation – and conservation.

Today Widespread dense fog, mainly before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 72. Windy, with a southeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northwest 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph.

 Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 17 to 22 mph decreasing to 8 to 13 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.

Friday Sunny, with a high near 65. North northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.

Friday NightClear, with a low around 39. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming south southwest after midnight.

SaturdaySunny, with a high near 74.

Saturday NightMostly clear, with a low around 47.

SundayPartly sunny, with a high near 76.

ROOKS COUNTY – Two people were injured in an accident just before 9p.m. on Wednesday in Rooks County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Yamaha motorcycle driven by William Davis, 59, Belle Fourche, SD., was eastbound on Kansas 18 nine miles east of the U.S. 183 Junction.

The motorcycle struck a deer.

Davis and a passenger were ejected from the motorcycle. He was transported to the hospital in Plainville and then flown to Salina Regional Health Center.

The passenger Deborah Shumaker 61, Sturgis, SD., was transported to the hospital in Plainville.

Both were wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

GRAHAM COUNTY – On Wednesday night, the Graham County Sheriff’s office reported Amber was located and is safe. No additional details were release.

 

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GRAHAM COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Graham County are asking the public for help to find a runaway girl, according to a social media report.

Amber Martell, 17, is 5′ 8″ tall and weighs 100 pounds.

She has blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen at her residence in Morland, Kansas at 9p.m. on Sunday October 2.

She is reported as a runaway and possibly heading to the Goodland, Kansas area.

Authorities asked if you see her, please notify your local law enforcement agency or dial 911.