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Month: February 2018

Sunny, windy Monday and snow overnight

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Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Wind chill values as low as -1 early. South wind 13 to 18 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Tonight A 50 percent chance of snow after midnight. Increasing clouds, with a low around 15. East northeast wind 9 to 14 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday Snow, mainly before noon. High near 22. Wind chill values as low as 4. East southeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Tuesday Night Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 9. Wind chill values as low as -1. East wind around 6 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Wednesday NightMostly clear, with a low around 19.

US starts Iraq troop drawdown after declaration of victory over IS

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AL-ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq (AP) — American troops have started to draw down from Iraq following Baghdad’s declaration of victory over the Islamic State group last year, according to Western contractors at a U.S.-led coalition base in Iraq.

In Baghdad, an Iraqi government spokesman on Monday confirmed to The Associated Press that the drawdown has begun, though he stressed it was still in its early stages and doesn’t mark the beginning of a complete pullout of U.S. forces.

Dozens of American soldiers have been transported from Iraq to Afghanistan on daily flights over the past week, along with weapons and equipment, the contractors said.

An AP reporter at the Al-Asad base in western Iraq saw troop movements reflecting the contractors’ account. The contractors spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations and declined to reveal the exact size of the drawdown.

“Continued coalition presence in Iraq will be conditions-based, proportional to the need and in coordination with the government of Iraq,” coalition spokesman Army Col. Ryan Dillon told the AP when asked for comment.

Government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said “the battle against Daesh has ended, and so the level of the American presence will be reduced.” Daesh is the Arabic language acronym for IS.

Al-Hadithi spoke just hours after AP reported the American drawdown — the first since the war against IS was launched over three years ago.

One senior Iraqi official close to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said 60 percent of all American troops currently in country will be withdrawn, according to the initial agreement reached with the United States. The plan would leave a force of about 4,000 U.S. troops to continue training the Iraqi military.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

A Pentagon report released in November said there were 8,892 U.S. troops in Iraq as of late September.

The U.S. first launched airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq in August 2014. At the time the military intervention was described as “limited,” but as Iraq’s military struggled to roll back the extremists, the U.S.-led coalition’s footprint in the country steadily grew.

“We’ve had a recent change of mission and soon we’ll be supporting a different theater of operations in the coming month,” U.S. Army 1st Lt. William John Raymond told the AP at Al-Asad.

He spoke as he and a handful of soldiers from his unit conducted equipment inventory checks required before leaving Iraq. Raymond declined to specify where his unit was being redeployed, in line with regulations as the information has not yet been made public.

The drawdown of U.S. forces comes just three months ahead of national elections in Iraq, where the indefinite presence of American troops continues to be a divisive issue.

Al-Abadi, who is looking to remain in office for another term, has long struggled to balance the often competing interests of Iraq’s two key allies: Iran and the United States.

While the U.S. has closely backed key Iraqi military victories over IS such as the retaking of the city of Mosul, Iraq’s Shiite-led paramilitary forces with close ties to Iran have called for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The prime minister has previously stated that Iraq’s military will need American training for years to come.

The Iraq drawdown also follows the release of the Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy that cited China’s rapidly expanding military and an increasingly aggressive Russia as the U.S. military’s top national security priorities.

“Great power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of U.S. national security,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last month in remarks outlining the strategy.

Iraq declared victory over IS in December after more than three years of grueling combat against the extremists in a war Iraqi forces fought with close U.S. support. In 2014, at the height of the Sunni militant group’s power, IS controlled nearly a third of Iraqi territory.

While IS’ self-styled caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria has crumbled and the militants no longer hold a contiguous stretch of territory, in Iraq, the group continues to pose a security risk, according to Iraqi and American officials.

IS maintains a “cellular structure” of fighters who carry out attacks in Iraq aimed at disrupting local security, U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. James Glynn told reporters during a Pentagon briefing last month.

Glynn pledged continued support for Iraq’s security forces, but acknowledged U.S.-led coalition “capabilities” in Iraq would likely shift now that conventional combat operations against the group have largely ceased.

There were some 170,000 American troops in Iraq in 2007 at the height of the surge of U.S. forces to combat sectarian violence unleashed by the U.S.-led invasion of the country to oust dictator Saddam Hussein. U.S. troop numbers eventually wound down to 40,000 before the complete withdrawal in 2011.

KU report: Supports SB 316 for tobacco cessation coverage to KanCare recipients

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NAMI 

TOPEKA –  A report released Monday by NAMI Kansas, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, highlights the substantial return on investment of supporting comprehensive and proactive smoking cessation for KanCare beneficiaries with behavioral health disorders in the Medicaid population.  

The report, co-authored by Professor Tami Gurley-Calvez at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, estimates the economic impact of providing smoking cessation treatment through Kansas Medicaid for a population of adults with particularly high smoking rates and expected healthcare expenditures—those with severe mental illness and/or a substance use disorder.

Due to the high health care costs that result from smoking-related illness, reducing smoking is projected to help the state economy with a net direct economic benefit of $15 million if all Kansas Medicaid participants with severe mental illness and/or a substance use disorder were able to successfully quit using tobacco. An additional $14 million in indirect economic activity results in a total economic gain of $29 million or $1.57 for every $1.00 spent.

“This study supports the legislative objectives represented by Senate Bill 316 to establish comprehensive tobacco cessation coverage for all KanCare beneficiaries,” said Rick Cagan, Executive Director of NAMI Kansas.  “We believe that the return on investment for all people in KanCare who smoke will be even greater than for the behavioral health population,” Cagan added.

The study concludes that increasing access to smoking cessation programs improves patient health and improves the state economy.  “It is more cost-effective to proactively pay for smoking cessation than to pay the cost of treating Kansans for the illnesses caused by smoking,” said Cagan.

With funding from the Kansas Health Foundation, a coalition of health care advocates have been working to develop resources, including the Tobacco Guideline for Behavioral Health, to reduce the impact of tobacco-related illnesses among the behavioral health population.

NAMI Kansas is the state organization of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, providing programs of peer support, education and advocacy in 15 communities in Kansas on behalf of individuals living with mental illness and their family members.

ICE arrests Kansas teacher as he walks daughter to school

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Jamal-photo courtesy the online petition

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Supporters of a Kansas chemistry instructor hope immigration officials will be lenient because he has lived in the United States for 30 years without problems and has a family.

Syed Ahmed Jamal was arrested in his front yard in Lawrence on Jan. 24 as he walked his seventh-grade daughter to school.

The 55-year-old Jamal arrived in the United States in 1987 to study at the University of Kansas. Most recently, he was teaching at Park University.

Jamal’s lawyer, Jeffrey Bennett, says an immigration judge allowed Jamal to remain in the country on a supervised basis provided he checked in regularly.

President Donald Trump has toughened immigration enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say Jamal lost an appeal of a removal order four years ago.

Students from Ellis, area counties named to KU honor roll

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KU OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

LAWRENCE — More than 5,700 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the fall 2017 semester.

The students, from KU’s Lawrence and Edwards campuses and the schools of Health Professions and Nursing in Kansas City, Kansas, represent 94 of 105 Kansas counties, 43 other states and territories, and 42 other countries.

The honor roll comprises undergraduates who meet requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in the schools of Architecture, Design & Planning; Business; Education; Engineering; Health Professions; Journalism; Music; Nursing; Pharmacy; and Social Welfare. Honor roll criteria vary among the university’s academic units. Some schools honor the top 10 percent of students enrolled, some establish a minimum grade-point average, and others raise the minimum GPA for each year students are in school. Students must complete a minimum number of credit hours to be considered for the honor roll.

Honorees are listed below. Not all counties in your region may be represented this term.

Ellis

Brandon Christopher Bollig, Ellis, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Scott J Ring, Ellis, School of Engineering

Christen Anne Spinelli, Ellis, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Brianna K Brin, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Sana Gulraiz Cheema, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Ashley Lauren Cossaart, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Madison Elizabeth Crees, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Kirsten C Ellard, Hays, School of Social Welfare

Zachary M Hopp, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Kelly Cathleen Koenigsman, Hays, School of Education

Mikayla Jo Linn, Hays, School of Pharmacy

Jordyn Manhart, Hays, School of the Arts

Payton Avery Markley, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Morgan James Mathews, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Emily Rose McPherson, Hays, School of Education

Matthew T Moeder, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Tanner B Moore, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Landon Joseph Munsch, Hays, School of Journalism

Graydon D Olson, Hays, School of Engineering

Hanna R Pfannenstiel, Hays, School of Health Professions

Jessalyn M Pfannenstiel, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Trenton R Potter, Hays, School of Engineering

Ajay Pradhan, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Cassandra N Quinby, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Nathan E Romme, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Sarah E Rooney, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Roy William Schmeidler, Hays, School of Music

Jodi A Veach, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Nikki Thuy Vuong, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Ethan J Waddell, Hays, School of Business

Ryan J Wooldridge, Hays, School of Pharmacy

Fengxue Zhang, Hays, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Raegan L Billinger, Victoria, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Graham

Tara Louise Brachtenbach, Hill City, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Norton

Phillip Tyler Becker, Lenora, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Trei Mickale Burns, Norton, School of the Arts

Weston A Erbert, Norton, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Kirstin K Georgeson, Norton, School of Music

Layton N Miller, Norton, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Osborne

Baylee N Wolters, Portis, School of Business

Phillips

Alex B Atchison, Agra, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Faith M Hofaker, Logan, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Kayla R Hofaker, Logan, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Brant N Cox, Long Island, School of Education

Mark L Coomes, Phillipsburg, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Brittni D Groothoff, Phillipsburg, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Stephen S Sage, Phillipsburg, School of Pharmacy

Macye N Witmer, Phillipsburg, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Rooks

Hannah M Berland, Damar, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Jacob C Brull, Plainville, School of Music

Andrea S Buss, Stockton, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Alexis G Winklepleck, Stockton, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Russell

Taelyr Ann Blehm, Russell, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Alyssa Shaine Evans, Russell, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Smith

Aleah M Seemann, Kensington, School of Health Professions

Trevor Overmiller, Lebanon, School of Education

Jordan Ann Baxter, Smith Center, School of Education

Taylor Arthur Zabel, Smith Center, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Tiger wrestling falls to No. 20 Lions

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ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team wrapped up their conference road trip on Sunday (Feb. 4) as the Tigers fell to No. 20 Lindenwood 23-16. The Tigers dipped to 5-5 overall and 1-3 in MIAA duals this season. The Lions improved to 6-5 on the season and 2-3 in conference duals.

The Tigers fell behind early after Conrad Cole suffered a 13-3 major decision loss to the fourth-ranked wrestler in Division II, Carlos Jacquez, in the 125-pound bout. Dy’Juan Carney battled No. 8 Hunter Haralson in the 133-pound weight class before Haralson earned an 8-0 major decision over Carney. The Lions led 8-0 in the dual after the first two matches.

Eighth-ranked Brandon Ball looked to turn around the scoring, taking on Danny Swan in the 141-pound bout. Ball fell behind early in the match after Swan earned a takedown 15 seconds into the first period. Ball clawed his way back with a couple escapes, a takedown and was awarded a ride-time point to defeat Swan with a 5-3 decision. The sophomore earned his team-leading 27 victory of the season.

Nate Trepanier turned Efe Osaghae on his back late in the third period of the 149-pound weight class to increase their lead in the dual to 14-3 over the Tigers. Ryne Cokeley started the 157-pound match against Tim Bogar, before defeating Bogar via medical forfeit in the second period.

After closing within five points, Lion freshman Austin Stofer rode out Marty Verhaeghe until the end of the third period in the 165-pound match to separate themselves even further, halting a Tiger run. However, senior Dylan Wiesner was able to gain some more momentum for the Tigers with a strong 8-0 major decision over Sam Pennington in the 174-pound bout, closing the gap to four (17-13).

FHSU was not able to take any sort of advantage of a possible lead change in the dual after Patrick Kristin defeated Jordan Davis with a 6-0 decision in the 184-pound weight class, pushing the score to 20-13.

Senior Rakim Dean earned a 3-1 decision in the 197-pound match over Jared McKindley after a takedown late in the third period. The Lions held the Tigers in check in the 285-pound bout and the dual as 12th-ranked Jake Borgmeyer muscled a 9-3 decision over Dakota Gulley in the final match of the afternoon giving Lindenwood the match by a score of 23-16.

The Tigers are back in action Wednesday evening (Feb. 7) as the Tigers host Newman inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Senior Night for the Tigers is set to commence at 7 p.m.

FHSU softball falls to UCCS in weather-shortened series finale

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fort Hays State fell to UC-Colorado Springs 11-5 on Sunday (Feb. 4) in the finale of the three-game series. The game was shortened when umpires determined weather conditions were unsafe to continue play following the top of the fifth inning. An 11-run third inning for UCCS was the difference after FHSU took an early 3-0 lead.

The Tigers took a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Candace Bollig laced a two-RBI double to the right center gap to plate Tess Gray and Veronica Knittig. Later in the inning, Bollig scored on a Terran Caldwell RBI single.

Tiger starter Sierra Rodriguez got out of a jam in the second inning, stranding runners at second and third when she fielded a comebacker for the first out and then struck out two in a row to keep the 3-0 lead intact. However, she ran into trouble in the third in the same situation with runners at second and third and one out. The Mountain Lions put together a two-RBI single, walk, single, and then a bases clearing double to take a 5-3 lead. That marked the end of Rodriguez’s day in the circle.

Megan Jamison entered and the Tigers committed an error on a ball batted by the first hitter she faced, allowing another run to score. Three more runs came into score in a sequence of a single and two doubles, making it 9-3 in favor of UCCS. Jamison did not record an out before handing the ball to Hailey Chapman. Chapman eventually stopped the rally, but not before a two-RBI double plated another pair of runs.

Temperatures were plummeting rapidly and the Tigers were able to get a pair of runs back in the top of the fifth on an error and a Bailey Kennedy RBI single, but the umpires deemed conditions too unsafe to continue before the bottom of the fifth began. With the game past the amount of innings needed to make it official, UCCS grabbed an 11-5 win.

Rodriguez took the loss for FHSU, allowing six runs on seven hits. Cami Duffy picked up the win for UCCS, allowing five runs (two earned) over her five innings of work.

The Tigers, now 1-2 overall, head south next week to San Antonio, Texas for the Rattler Invitational, where they will play five games over three days (Feb. 9-11).

Tiger baseball uses long ball to finish off sweep of UTPB

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ODESSA, Texas – The bats came alive for the Fort Hays State baseball team on Sunday, propelling the Tigers to a 13-7 victory over Texas-Permian Basin. The win completes the series sweep for the Tigers, who move to 3-0 on the year. UTPB dips to 0-3 after the opening weekend of the season.

All nine Tiger starters recorded at least one hit in the victory, and eight different players scored at least one run. FHSU collected 15 hits on the day while making zero errors in the field. The Falcons combined for nine hits and made seven errors on defense.

It is the first time the Tigers have started a season 3-0 since 2010 when FHSU won its first eight games.

Jordan Wilkerson opened the scoring in the second inning with a first-pitch home run to left field, the first long ball of the season for FHSU. Ryan Grasser came around to score on an error later in the inning, giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.

Fort Hays State added three more runs in the third inning after Dayton Pomeroy got things started with a single to left. Later, with the bases loaded, Bryce Whitchurch and Grasser were hit by a pitch in back-to-back plate appearances, driving in a run each time. Marcus Altman added another RBI in the following at-bat when he reached on a fielding error, scoring Wilkerson.

After the Falcons finally got on the board with one run in the fourth inning, Whitchurch helped the Tigers get the run right back in the fifth when he sent a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left center.

The Tigers pushed three more across the plate in the sixth when Alex Weiss led off with a solid single to center. Pomeroy followed with an RBI-double inside the line in left field. Walks to Addison Kaasch and Whitchurch loaded the bases before another Falcon error allowed two runs to score.

Texas-Permian Basin got two runs back in the bottom half of the sixth, but LHP Alex Ruxlow came in to limit the damage, giving up a double before striking out three in a row to get out of the inning with a 9-3 lead.

Clayton Basgall opened the seventh inning with a single to right and quickly moved to third after a groundout and a stolen base. The infielder scampered home on a wild pitch two batters later. Wilkerson lifted a sacrifice fly to left later in the inning, scoring Pomeroy to build the lead back to eight, 11-3.

The Falcons made it a game again in the home half of the seventh, cutting the deficit in half with four runs on three hits. But Fort Hays State answered right back, scoring a pair in the eighth inning to build the lead to 13-7. Basgall came through with a two-out single to right field, scoring Altman from second. After Basgall swiped second, Weiss followed with a drive to center, doubling in Basgall.

Easton Palmer came out of the pen to make quick work of the Falcons in the final two innings, retiring all six batters he faced to secure the victory.

Starting pitcher Ben Ramberg (1-0) had a solid outing, striking out eight batters over five-plus innings of work while giving up just five hits and two walks. Jake Vieira also made his first appearance as a Tiger, allowing one unearned run on one hit and one walk in one inning pitched.

Weiss collected three hits on the day, scoring one run and driving in another. Pomeroy led the team with three runs scored, going 2-for-5 with a double. Basgall finished 2-for-6 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases, while Wilkerson and Kaasch also scored two runs each.

The Tigers are scheduled to return to action on Tuesday (Feb. 6) when they will to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. in Alva, Okla. Weather could alter the midweek schedule, so be sure to stay tuned in to fhsuathletics.com and @fhsuathletics on Twitter for any schedule changes.

Family wants Kansas veteran’s stolen medals returned

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Sankey-photo courtesy Elliot Mortuary

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Relatives of a Vietnam War veteran want back a piece of the man’s legacy stolen from a storage unit in Kansas.

The family of Charles “Chuck” David Sankey is offering a $12,000 reward to anyone with information that leads them to the Silver Star, Purple Heart and four Bronze Stars stolen from Hutchinson Self Storage.

Sankey, 73, died Jan. 25 in Wichita of complications caused by a wartime chemical called Agent Orange. Sankey knew he was dying and wanted to put most of his belongings in the storage unit in November, said Bruce Sankey, the veteran’s brother.

But when the family went to clean out the unit, all they found was a lamp and a photo. Bruce said the unit showed no signed of a break-in.

The facility has cameras and officers are “following up on different leads,” said Travis Lahann, detective with the Hutchinson Police Department.

Sen. Pat Roberts’ office called the U.S. Department of Defense to get the family a new Silver Star, said Bruce. But that’s not the same as the one 1st Lt. Chuck Sankey received for holding the line April 1, 1969, despite being shot multiple times by the Viet Cong in the Gia Dinh Province.

“In spite of his wounds, Lieutenant Sankey remained in an exposed position and directed light fire team fire, medevacs and ammunition resupply until contact was broken,” said the official report of the attack. “Lieutenant Sankey’s valiant actions inspired the Vietnamese soldiers whom he accompanied and encouraged them to fight against overwhelming odds.”

Bruce said his brother came back with nearly 30 holes in his body from that day.

“He was a natural-born leader,” he said.

Sankey is survived by his wife, brother, children and grandson.

Regional Ag Emergency Response training workshop to be held in Colby

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KDA

MANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Agriculture will host seven regional emergency response training workshops for individuals who have an active role in the Kansas agriculture industry, are interested in learning more about agricultural emergency response, or are interested in participating in the Kansas Agriculture Emergency Response Corps.

The workshops will cover a variety of topics, including:

  • Foreign animal disease response general overview
  • Kansas’ agriculture response model, including lessons learned from previous ag emergency exercises
  • Newly launched Kansas Agriculture Emergency Response Corps and volunteer integration
  • FEMA incident command system

There is no cost for the workshops, and they are open to anyone interested in learning more about responding to agricultural incidents; you do not have to be signed up for the volunteer corps, but participants will receive more detailed information about the program.

Dates and locations for the emergency response training workshops are as follows:

  • Feb. 23 ­— Clay Center
  • March 5 — Lawrence
  • March 9 — Wichita
  • March 16 — Chanute
  • April 6 — Garden City
  • April 20 — Colby
  • May 4 — Manhattan

All workshops will be from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP at least a week in advance. Space is limited to the first 30 registrants. To register, contact David Hogg, KDA assistant emergency management coordinator, at 785-564-7468 or [email protected].

The new agriculture emergency response corps began in 2017 as a comprehensive volunteer corps to address agriculture emergency response. It is made up of volunteers representing a broad range of skills who will be trained and prepared to respond rapidly and efficiently to an agricultural emergency. For more information about the Kansas Agriculture Emergency Response Corps, go to agriculture.ks.gov/KAERC.

Options: Wear orange to promote awareness of teen dating violence

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Options

Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services is encouraging people to wear orange on Friday, Feb. 9 to promote awareness about teen dating violence.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Each year, one in 10 teenagers reports being the victim of teen dating violence. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 23 percent of males and 14 percent of females surveyed indicated they had been part of a relationship that was violent or abusive.

At Options Inc., we encourage you to celebrate healthy relationships and join us in taking action to help spread awareness and prevent dating violence.

Some ideas include wearing something orange to commemorate Teen Dating Month for Wear Orange Day on Feb. 9 and promote healthy relationships. Invite friends to join in and share your orange photos across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat and more using #Orange4Love.

If you or someone you know is a victim of teen dating violence, call Options’ 24-hour Helpline at 1-800-794-4624.

2018 Tallgrass Artist Residency opens

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KDC

TOPEKA — The Tallgrass Artist Residency, a partnership between The Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (KCAIC) and the Center for Living Education, a non-profit organization that manages the Bank Art Space in Matfield Green, is now accepting applications. Artists currently living within the ecological boundaries of the North American prairie are eligible to participate in the 2018 residency program.

The Tallgrass Artist Residency will invite eight artists to participate in two-week residency periods between May and September 2018. During individual residency periods, each artist will have a public program at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Artists will also participate in a group exhibition at the Bank Art Space and the Tallgrass Artist Symposium at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, Kansas. The opening of the exhibition and the symposium is scheduled to take place on October 13, 2018.

“This residency seeks to create connection and conversation across the Great Plains by requesting that applicants currently live in a place that is ecologically considered prairie,” said Peter Jasso, Director of the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission. “Ideal applicants will have a strong body of work with a voice that reflects the artist’s own community, a dedication to place, and an interest in participating in a contemporary dialogue. Applicants from all backgrounds and career levels, media and practice are welcome.”

The Tallgrass Residency is headquartered at The Bank Art Space in the community of Matfield Green, Kansas. Additional regional partners in the 2018 program include Matfield Station, The Volland Store, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, and The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City.

 Applications are due by February 28, with notification by the end of March.

Artists will be selected based on review of applications by a jury:
-Larry Meeker (Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission)
-Matt Regier (The Bank Art Space
-Amy Kleigman (Charlotte Street Foundation)
-Casey Whittier (Kansas City Art Institute, Tallgrass Artist Residency 2016)

Requirements

  • Residency periods must occur in ten night blocks between May and September 2018
  • Artists will stay at one of the partner lodging sites in Kansas, which include Matfield Station and The Volland Store
  • During the residency period, each artist will give an “open studio” public program at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
  • Artists will be asked to contribute some kind of documentation during their residency for promotional purposes – snapshots, a blog post, etc.
  • Artists will be required to participate in a group exhibition in the Fall of 2018 at the Bank Art Space in Matfield Green.
  • Artists are also required to participate in the Tallgrass Symposium at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on October 13, 2018. (View artist talks from 2016, online)

Awards

  • Artists will be provided ten nights of free lodging at one of three partner sites.
  • Artists may be granted special access at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
  • Each artist will receive a stipend of $300-400 for travel and material reimbursement.
  • Artists will be provided lodging for up to two nights in Matfield Green during closing events on October 13, 2018.
  • Reimbursements will be available for shipping artwork to and from group exhibition.

Online application: kansascaic.submittable.com

Tallgrass Artist Residency program website: tallgrassart.wordpress.com

To contact the program directly:

POLL: Respondents oppose expanding gas and oil operations on public lands

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COLORADO SPRINGS – A new poll from Colorado College’s Conservation in the West shows that 52 percent of those surveyed disapprove of President Trump’s handling of issues related to public land, including water and wildlife. 38 percent of respondents approved of the Administration’s handling of public land.

This poll was taken after the Trump Administration announced that it would be reducing the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument by 85 percent and reducing the 1.3 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument by nearly 50 percent.

The poll was based on the results of a questionnaire that was sent to 3,200 registered voters through the eight Intermountain states, including residents of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The survey also pressed voters on their opinions on the Trump Administration’s policies regarding the Department of Interior.

Some of these policies as laid out by Interior Department Ryan Zinke include increasing entrance fees at some of the region’s national parks, privatizing park services, easing restrictions on methane emissions from oil and gas operations, and opening the Grand Canyon National Park for uranium mining, and encouraging more oil and gas development on public land. While most respondents approved of many of these initiatives, most disapproved of the initiative to raise national park admission fees, as these are one of the region’s main attractions. The only state that showed approval for raising admission fees was Nevada.

Additionally, 60 percent of respondents opposed expanding the gas and oil operations on public lands, showing that there’s still strong support for keeping public lands in the hands of the federal government.

The 2018 Colorado College Conservation in the West Poll is a bipartisan survey conducted by Republican pollster Lori Weigel of Public Opinion Strategies and Democratic pollster Dave Metz of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates. The survey was conducted in late December 2017 and early January 2018 and has a margin of error of ±2.65 percent nationwide and ±4.9 percent statewide. Individual state surveys as well as complete survey results are available on the State of the Rockies website.

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