Kansas Association of Broadcasters

Mike Hammett of KSAL, Salina, has been recognized by KSHSAA for the second time in five years with the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster Award. It honors a Kansas sportscaster who excels in high school play-by-play. He will receive his award during halftime of a state basketball tournament game.

Hammett is the Sports Director for KSAL and Alpha Media Salina. He graduated from Fort Hays State University and began his broadcast career in his hometown of Marysville at KNDY radio, doing high school football games during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Hammett also broadcast play-by-play action for the Marysville American Legion Post 163 baseball team in zone and state tournaments.

Hammett joined Eagle Radio in Hays in 2008 as the Assistant News and Sports Director and was the play-by-play voice of Thomas More Prep-Marian High School games and Hays High School baseball and softball contests. Hammett also served as the sideline reporter for Fort Hays State University football broadcasts and provided play-by-play broadcasts for the Hays Larks summer college baseball team. He previously won the Oscar Stauffer Award in 2011.

In July 2011, he became the sports director for Alpha Media Salina, which includes KSAL. Hammett is the play-by-play voice for Salina Central and Salina South High Schools, as well as for Kansas Wesleyan University.  In addition, he hosts “In the Zone”, a nightly sports talk show on KSAL. Hammett lives in Salina with his wife, Desi, and two children.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Contracts with landowners are forcing a small number of companies to drill for oil and natural gas regardless of unfavorable market conditions.

The Wichita Eagle reports that producers are required by contract to drill in a newly acquired lease within a few years in order to maintain the land lease.

Kansas Independent Oil & Gas Association President Ed Cross says forcing producers to be picky about their leases keeps them thinking about the long-term success of their companies.

But other producers are taking advantage of lows costs in hopes for future profit. Some, like Rod Andersen of Kansas Petroleum Resources of Wichita, are testing wells at discounted prices and leaving the good ones uncompleted until oil and gas prices turn up.

Hays Medical Center


Get a jump on summer and enroll your child in HaysMed’s Center for Health Improvement indoor swimming lessons. Offered year round all lessons are based on the Red Cross curriculum and include Parent and Child Aquatics, Preschool Aquatics and Learn to Swim Levels 1-4.

The Center offers both group classes and private lessons.

“Group classes are kept small for greater individual attention.” Said Kelly Flaska, Aquatic/Fitness Supervisor.

A maximum of 5 students is allowed for the Parent and Child/Learn to Swim and a maximum of 3 students is allowed for the Preschool Aquatics.

“We also have private lessons that offer one on one instruction” noted Flaska. “The lessons are designed for all ages and abilities.”

The lessons are 30 minutes and can be scheduled at your convenience.

For more information on Red Cross Swimming lessons call 785-623-5900 or go to https://www.haysmed.com/the-center/swimming-lessons/ to enroll.

FHSU University Relations and Marketing

Dr. Mirta M. Martin, president of Fort Hays State University, recently won an award in Oklahoma City as University Partner of the Year for the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity for her work to ensure a safe living and learning environment for students.

A key factor in the award was a themed housing initiative that is planned at Fort Hays State. Because of its commitment to affordable, on-campus housing options for sororities, fraternities and other student organizations, Fort Hays State is creating a new housing facility for various student organizations. When completed, the facility will offer a safe, clean, well-kept living and learning environment with family-style living at comparable rates to those in its newest residential life facilities. Groundbreaking for the project is set for April 2, and the new facility is scheduled to open in August 2017.

“I am so very honored to have been selected University Partner of the Year and proudly accept on behalf of my colleagues at Fort Hays State, the administrators, faculty and the brothers of Sig Ep,” President Martin said. “We talk a lot about the power of choice, and the young men who selected this fraternity and have chosen this lifelong path of personal growth and excellence will become extraordinary leaders.”

She also congratulated all the members of Sig Ep nationwide for their commitment to meaningful engagement on college campuses and in their communities. “I encourage you to reach out to university leaders of all stripes,” she said. “Share with them the goals and aspirations of Sig Ep. We know student success is closely correlated with student engagement. The more you share information, the more willing partners you will attract.”

Martin also noted that the FHSU Alumni Association would launch an ambitious mentoring program this fall for all incoming freshmen. She called upon Sig Ep alumni to help lead that initiative.

Dr. Jill Arensdorf, chair of the FHSU Department of Leadership Studies, also won an award at the weekend academy. She was named Volunteer of the Year for her work with undergraduate students as a mentor and a member of the Alumni Volunteer Corporation of Sigma Phi Epsilon for the FHSU Chapter.

Both were recognized during ceremonies at Sig Ep’s Carlson Leadership Academy, which is an annual training event of the fraternity. This year’s academy attracted 450 undergrads and 150 volunteers from the southwest region.

Out of more than a dozen awards presented, Martin and Arensdorf were the only female winners.

Fraternity leaders encourage members to find a mentor, not just for their fraternity activities but for their overall college experience, said Jason Williby, director of development for the FHSU Foundation and chapter counselor for the FHSU Chapter of Sig . Williby, who attended to Academy, said Arensdorf serves as a mentor, which was a major factor in why she won the award. He said fraternity leaders understand it is difficult in this busy world for individuals to carve out enough time to be a mentor, and they wanted to recognize Arensdorf for her willingness as a woman, in the male-dominated fraternity world, to serve in that capacity.

About the Carlson Leadership Academy
The Carlson Leadership Academy of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity provides interactive officer training to more than 2,600 undergraduates and volunteers annually. Many undergraduates run for executive board positions because they have great goals and visions for their chapter. Attending an academy ensures an officer will have the skills to manage a committee and follow through on those goals. The program also helps executive boards work together to ensure they all have goals consistent with a unified vision for the chapter. The academies are held in February, soon after most officer elections, and chapters are encouraged to bring all new officers, rising chapter leaders and engaged volunteers.

By REBECCA RICHARDSON
ESGR

RUSSELL–Staff Sgt. Loren Schroeder will be leaving Kansas soon for another deployment. He is attached to the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command of the U.S. Army Reserves based in Wichita.

Recently Schroeder nominated Manny Soliz for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award. Soliz is the plant manager of Purina Animal Nutrition in Russell.

The Patriot Award is a Department of Defense award. Mick Allen, Kansas U.S. Army Ambassador and former state chairman for Kansas Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve presented the Patriot Award to Manny Soliz Feb. 16. Also present at the ceremony were Shannon Schroeder and Colleen Allen, ESGR volunteers.

In his nomination Schroeder stated “I am leaving for deployment soon. Because of this, I have had to miss a lot of work to get the correct training to make the mission a successful one. Whenever I have told my employer I needed this time off he never once complained or acted like it would be a burden; to go along with that, none of my fellow employees have ever acted indifferent to me because of my being gone. Everyone at my job has always been supportive and actually threw me a going away party. This really made me feel good about carrying out my mission without the extra stress of worrying about my civilian job. I enjoy working at Purina and feel they should be recognized for their great support for not only myself but of all our troops.

The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support Citizen Warriors through a wide-range of measure including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence of needed.

In order to be considered for the award, one must be in a supervisor position and be nominated by an employee who is a Reservist or Guardsmen in the armed forces. The employees may nominate any number of supervisors and each will receive a Patriot Award certificate and a lapel pin. Spouses of service members are also eligible to nominate their supportive supervisor and/or service member’s civilian supervisor.

If a service member or their spouse would like to nominate a supervisor (s), see the ESGR website at esgr.mil.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense office. It was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 4,600 volunteers in 54 committees located in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Volunteers, hailing from small business and industry, government, education, and prior military service, bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, service members, and their families. Together with headquarter ESGR staff and a small cadre of support staff for each State Committee, volunteers work to promote and enhance employer support for military service in the Guard and Reserve.