FHSU University Relations and Marketing

Winners of this year’s Leora B. Stroup Awards for outstanding nursing graduates will be announced, and all 96 of this year’s nursing graduates will be honored beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center at Fort Hays State University.

This year, 22 Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates will be pinned; 29 Master of Science in Nursing graduates will be recognized; and 45 outreach graduates — registered nurses working in the field who completed BSN degrees at a distance — will also be recognized.

The three Stroup Awards recognize an outstanding student from each of the three categories: B.S., M.S. and the outreach program.

Today Sunny, with a high near 78. Southwest wind 7 to 12 mph becoming west southwest 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.

Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. Breezy, with a northeast wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 8 to 13 mph after midnight.

SaturdayPartly sunny, with a high near 59. Northeast wind around 9 mph.

Saturday NightA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. East wind 5 to 9 mph.
SundayA 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. South southeast wind 6 to 13 mph.

Sunday NightShowers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a low around 44. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

MondayShowers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 56. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

FORD COUNTY – The Kansas Fire Marshal’s office continues to investigate a fatal fire in Dodge City.

Just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, fire crews responded to a report of a grass fire at residence in the 1100 Block of Avenue H, according to the Dodge City Fire Department.

They found a backyard shed was on fire.

After the blaze was extinguished, fire crews found the body of 71-year-old Xung Huynh. His body was sent to Kansas City for an autopsy, according to a media release from Dodge City Police.

ROOKS COUNTY – One person was injured in an accident just before 6:30p.m. on Thursday in Rooks County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Dodge Dakota driven by Joshua J. Swaney, 26, Loveland, CO., was east bound on Road H two miles north of U.S. 24 and failed to stop at the stop sign.

The pickup entered the highway and a 1999 Mercury Sable driven by Sandra Kay Beck, 45, Macon, IA., that was south bound on U.S. 183 struck the driver’s side of the pickup.

The pickup overturned in the east ditch.

Beck was transported to the hospital in Plainville. Swaney was not injured and not wearing a seat belt, according to the KH

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Heartland Community Foundation (HCF) has $300,000 in grant money to award thanks to the generosity of the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in Logan.  HCF Executive Director Sandy Jacobs wants it all gone.

“We’ve been very, very lucky over the past couple of years with the contributions from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation Community Grant Fund to the Heartland Community Foundation and the three counties we serve–Ellis, Rooks and Trego,” said Jacobs.

“In previous years, we’ve had $50,000 in each of those counties to be able to put into grants for all kinds of needs in the communities, whether it’s beautification, education, healthcare, whatever the need might be.

“This year, we have the opportunity for another $50,000.  So this grant period–March 15 through May 15–we’re actually awarding $100,000 in Ellis, $100,000 in Rooks, and $100,000 in Trego counties.”

The deadline is tight–midnight Sunday, May 15, but it is all done online. Applications are available at www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org.

Ten applications have already been submitted; 14 more are in the draft phase.  Jacobs said HCF expected another dozen or so, and is encouraging residents in the three counties to still apply.

She isn’t sure why there have been fewer applications this cycle.  “I don’t know whether people think their projects aren’t interesting, they’re waiting until the last minute, or maybe they haven’t applied before,” she pondered. But with recent reminders, the pace has picked up.

“I’ve had a number of people tell me this week that have made the determination that they’re going to do it now and have done it in one day.”

With the Hansen gift doubled from previous years, it allows HCF the ability to greater influence community needs and award grants relating to the following areas for communities within the Hansen Foundation network:

• Arts
• Community Beautification
• Education
• Environmental Programs or Projects
• Health & Human Service Needs
• Inter-generational Programs or Projects

According to Jacobs, the Hansen Community Grant Fund serves 26 counties in western Kansas.

“The commitment of Dane G. Hansen himself to rural America was just outstanding,” Jacobs said.

“They are about quality-of-life issues, making sure the needs of these small rural America are met in whatever way possible. Their generosity is almost beyond belief.

“We thank them every day for thinking of rural America the way they do,” she added.

For more information or help with filling out a grant application, call Sandy Jacobs at (785) 621-4090.