Following a record-setting season, the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team will have a new coach in 2017. Head coach Craig Shaw has accepted the head coaching position at Division I Texas A&M-Corpus Christi where he will start January 2nd.
Shaw, who is the program’s first and only head coach, guided the Tigers to a 66-44-11 overall record in his six seasons including a 15-5-3 mark this season which included a trip to the NCAA II quarterfinals.
Under Shaw, the Tigers made two NCAA II tournament appearances, four trips to the MIAA Tournament and won their only MIAA regular season title this past fall.
Shaw will take assistant coach Hunter Nail with him to Corpus Christi.
LENEXA – – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing its scientific report on the impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities on drinking water resources, which provides states and others the scientific foundation to better protect drinking water resources in areas where hydraulic fracturing is occurring or being considered.
The report, done at the request of Congress, provides scientific evidence that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources in the United States under some circumstances. As part of the report, EPA identified conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe. The report also identifies uncertainties and data gaps. These uncertainties and data gaps limited EPA’s ability to fully assess impacts to drinking water resources both locally and nationally. These final conclusions are based upon review of over 1,200 cited scientific sources; feedback from an independent peer review conducted by EPA’s Science Advisory Board; input from engaged stakeholders; and new research conducted as part of the study.
“The value of high quality science has never been more important in helping to guide decisions around our nation’s fragile water resources. EPA’s assessment provides the scientific foundation for local decision makers, industry, and communities that are looking to protect public health and drinking water resources and make more informed decisions about hydraulic fracturing activities,” said Dr. Thomas A. Burke, EPA’s Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This assessment is the most complete compilation to date of national scientific data on the relationship of drinking water resources and hydraulic fracturing.”
The report is organized around activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle and their potential to impact drinking water resources. The stages include: (1) acquiring water to be used for hydraulic fracturing (Water Acquisition), (2) mixing the water with chemical additives to make hydraulic fracturing fluids (Chemical Mixing), (3) injecting hydraulic fracturing fluids into the production well to create and grow fractures in the targeted production zone (Well Injection), (4) collecting the wastewater that returns through the well after injection (Produced Water Handling), and (5) managing the wastewater through disposal or reuse methods (Wastewater Disposal and Reuse).
EPA identified cases of impacts on drinking water at each stage in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle. Impacts cited in the report generally occurred near hydraulically fractured oil and gas production wells and ranged in severity, from temporary changes in water quality, to contamination that made private drinking water wells unusable.
As part of the report, EPA identified certain conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe, including:
Water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing in times or areas of low water availability, particularly in areas with limited or declining groundwater resources
Spills during the management of hydraulic fracturing fluids and chemicals or produced water that result in large volumes or high concentrations of chemicals reaching groundwater resources
Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into wells with inadequate mechanical integrity, allowing gases or liquids to move to groundwater resources
Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources
Discharge of inadequately treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater to surface water resources
Disposal or storage of hydraulic fracturing wastewater in unlined pits, resulting in contamination of groundwater resources
The report provides valuable information about potential vulnerabilities to drinking water resources, but was not designed to be a list of documented impacts.
Data gaps and uncertainties limited EPA’s ability to fully assess the potential impacts on drinking water resources both locally and nationally. Generally, comprehensive information on the location of activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle is lacking, either because it is not collected, not publicly available, or prohibitively difficult to aggregate. In places where we know activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle have occurred, data that could be used to characterize hydraulic fracturing-related chemicals in the environment before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing were scarce. Because of these data gaps and uncertainties, as well as others described in the assessment, it was not possible to fully characterize the severity of impacts, nor was it possible to calculate or estimate the national frequency of impacts on drinking water resources from activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle.
EPA’s final assessment benefited from extensive stakeholder engagement with states, tribes, industry, non-governmental organizations, the scientific community, and the public. This broad engagement helped to ensure that the final assessment report reflects current practices in hydraulic fracturing and uses all data and information available to the agency. This report advances the science. The understanding of the potential impacts from hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources will continue to improve over time as new information becomes available.
The United Way of Ellis County 2016 “Heroes for Change” Campaign is coming to an end. The current campaign is at 74% of their $450,000 goal. We need to give the 15 partner agencies a Christmas present as the past two years have seen a decline in donations.
The United Way has a new and fun giving opportunity for the remainder of this campaign!
Sherry Dryden. Executive Director of the United Way of Ellis County
From now until January 8, 2017, every donation during this time will give opportunity for the donor to suggest a hair color UWEC Executive Director Sherry Dryden must wear for at least a week in January.
The final amount raised will be announced on January 12, 2017 during a Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours for the United Way hosted by Hays Academy of Hair Design. If the $450,000 goal is reached, Sherry’s hair will be colored during the event. In addition to Hays Academy of Hair Design hosting the location and hair coloring, Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill will be providing the refreshments.
A donation can be given by the following ways:
• www.livenited.us and select the “Donate” button
• Through Paypal select “Donate to Your Cause” then “Find Your Cause”
• Through Facebook page United Way of Ellis County and select “donate”
• Mail to the offices at 205 E. 7th Street, Suite 106, Hays, KS 67601
The 2016 fundraising campaign is at 74% of its $450,000 goal.
Once a donation has been made, please go to the Facebook page of United Way of Ellis County and post a color you would like to see Sherry wear for at least a week! Please vote for every donation you give!
Phillips County, KS resident John L. Wheaton passed away, Monday, December 12, 2016 at the Smith County Long Term Care in Smith Center, KS at the age of 83.
He was born February 25, 1933 in Phillips County, KS the son of Lavern “Casey” & Frances M. (Johnson) Wheaton. He was a farmer.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanie Wheaton of the home; son, Johnny Wheaton of Wisconsin; daughter, Judy Kruse of Kearney, NE; stepson, Robert Dugan of Kansas City, MO; stepdaughter, Marlene Dugan of Phillipsburg; 5 grandchildren; great grandchildren; and 2 sisters, Karen Dunning of Phillipsburg & Carolyn Jones of Glade.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 17, 2016 in the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with Pastor Joel Hiesterman officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Phillipsburg.
Friends may sign the book from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday & Friday at the funeral home. The casket will remain closed.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Services, Inc. or the Phillipsburg City Library.
Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd Street, Phillipsburg, KS 67661 is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.olliffboeve.com.
Lester Dwane Henrickson, age 62, of Hays, Passed away Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at Trego Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, KS.
Funeral services will be 10 AM Saturday, December 17, 2016 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ellis with inurnment to follow in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Ellis.
Visitation will be Friday 6 PM – 8 PM with a combined Ellis Knights of Columbus rosary and parish vigil service at 7 PM all at St. Mary’s Church in Ellis.
A complete obituary is pending with Keithley Funeral Chapel of Ellis.
Hays, Kansas – Amelia T. Jacobs, age 92 died Wednesday, December 14, 2016, at Via Christi Village Care Center in Hays. Services are pending at Clines-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, KS 67601.
TOPEKA — The selection of an interim president of Fort Hays State University is on the agenda for the next meeting of the Kansas Board of Regents.
The meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Since the Nov. 23 resignation of President Mirta M. Martin, Mike Barnett, vice president for administration and finance, has served as acting president at FHSU.
Audio from the Regents’ meeting is streamed live HERE.
Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association (WKHRMA) will hold their January meeting on Wednesday, January 11th at Thirsty’s Banquet Room, 2704 Vine St., Hays.
Registration is between 11:15am – 11:30am with a short business meeting starting at 11:30am. The program for the January meeting will be “Connecting New Employees to the Community” presented by Tammy Wellbrock, Hays Area of Chamber of Commerce.
If you are interested in attending the January meeting as a guest, please RSVP to [email protected] no later than Friday, January 6th by noon.
WKHRMA is an affiliate chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), a local professional organization for persons engaged in personnel or human resource management. For more information on WKHRMA, check out the website at www.wkhrma.org.
Fort Hays State University graduate students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department were recently awarded first place in the National Student Speech-Language -Hearing Association Knowledge Bowl in Philadelphia. Mike Cooper visits with Dr. C. Frederick Britten about the bowl.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A convicted sex offender has been ordered to spend a year and three months in prison in the theft of a nearly life-sized carved clown that was the mascot of a closed Kansas amusement park.
Forty-one-year-old Damian Mayes was sentenced Tuesday in Sedgwick County, where he pleaded no contest in October to felony theft.
Louie the Clown and other items missing from the one-time Joyland Amusement Park in Wichita were found in February 2015 at Mayes’ home. Mayes was an employee of the park who helped build and repair organs. He also helped restore the clown that played an automated organ near Joyland’s entrance for decades before the park closed in 2006.
The clown statue disappeared from Joyland sometime in 2005 or 2006 and was officially reported stolen in 2010.
Representatives of the Hays Recreation Commission will be at Thursday’s Hays City Commission work session. Roger Bixenman, HRC Superintendent, along with Jeff Boyle, Director of Parks, will present a year-end performance and revenue review of the city’s swimming pools–the Hays Aquatic Park and the neighborhood Wilson Pool. A similar assessment of the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex will also be provided.
The city owns the pools and park, which are all managed by HRC. The city’s contract with the Hays Recreation Commission for operations at the sports complex is up for renewal in 2018.
According to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood, most of the Dec. 15 work session involves “year-end cleanup items that we do on an annual basis.”
Other items on the Dec. 15 agenda include information about a proposed new internet fiber network build for the wastewater treatment plant. According to IT Director Chad Ruder, it will be necessary to run fiber to the wastewater facility in order to fully handle the data provided by the new SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition)system which is part of the plant’s rebuild.
An update of the airport capital improvement plan will also be reviewed as part of the city’s five-year-plan with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
December 7th is a solemn reminder of the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. While most of us were not yet born in 1941, stories have passed down from our parents and grandparents about the events of that day, as well as the subsequent changes in the world.
My grandmother, Thelma, had three brothers. One, Billy Tom Wafer, was a new pilot excited about taking to the skies. Just prior to December 7th, he arrived in the Philippine Islands as part of the 24th Pursuit Squadron. On December 8th, the Philippine Islands were attacked by the Japanese (10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor), and many of the airplanes were destroyed. As a consequence, Billy Tom was never able to fly as a pilot during World War II.
While I had learned some of the story of my great uncle, Billy Tom, it was not until about a year ago that I learned much more.
I learned that on December 8th, 1941, Billy Tom, converted from a pilot to a foot soldier, fighting against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. In a book that covers the events in the Philippines from December 1941 until April of 1942, I learned of the many hardships soldiers endured while trying to defend the Philippines. I learned of their starvation. I learned of their eventual capture and their experiences on the Bataan March.
The book ends there. From that point forward, the story is recounted by my grandmother. I was also able to find some history by following military records.
After the Bataan Death March, Billy Tom spent time in various prison camps. His family thought he was deceased (they thought that for over three years). On two different occasions (and two different ships), Billy Tom was shipped from the Philippines to Japan. On one ship, there were approximately 1,600 prisoners. When that ship was sunk, the U.S. prisoners were put on another ship. It too was sunk. By the time they arrived in Japan in January, 1945, out of the 1,600 prisoners, less than 400 had survived. Billy Tom eventually ended up in a prison camp in Korea.
It was only after being placed in Korea, and near the very end of the war, did my grandmother learn that her brother was still alive. His pre-war fiancé, Betty, had already given him up as dead, and had married. Upon learning that he was still alive, Betty, who had only been married a short time, promptly divorced her husband and waited for Billy Tom’s arrival back home.
I share this story with you because I hear many stories like it in my office. Sometimes I see people suffer such “bad luck” and never turn their lives around. Other times, I see people who face some major obstacles in life, but do not let those obstacles stop them from making the most of each day.
Recently, I was talking with a relative as he neared the end of his life. He was lamenting about the things that had gone wrong and mistakes that he had made. I knew enough about the events of his life to know many of the wonderful things he had done, and the many people he had touched along the way. I reminded him.
I am hoping that what you take from this article is this. Your past is your past. I hope that when we are in the second half of life, we will look forward and not backwards. While our history is important and does make us who we are, it should not stop us from enjoying our second half of life. It should not stop us from being who we want to be.
In September, 1945, Billy Tom was eventually freed. Because of his emaciated state, he was shipped to Cuba, along with many other freed prisoners of war. He spent time there on the beach recuperating and as he said, “fattening himself up”.
He was finally united with my grandmother, his mother, and his brothers.
After about six months, the relationship with Betty was rekindled and Billy Tom and Betty were married. Billy Tom remained in the military and they moved to Langley, Virginia. Billy Tom died about a year and a half after being freed, doing what he always wanted to do – flying an airplane. While testing a new “jet”, it exploded in midair during an airshow.
When December 8th comes around each year, I will always think of Billy Tom, and the tribulations he endured during the war. Yet, he never gave up. He married his childhood sweetheart and he flew again. He did not let his past stop him from enjoying life.
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
UWEC
By BECKY KISER
