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Month: March 2018

Esther Kathryn Beard

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Longtime Goodland, Kansas, resident Esther Kathryn Beard, 99, passed away on Friday, March 2, 2018 at the Goodland Regional Medical Center in Goodland.
Esther was born on February 24, 1919 in Beaver City, Nebraska, to John William and Mary Ellen (Cameron) Garey. She was an only child. She grew up in Beaver City and graduated from Beaver City High School in 1937.

On April 18, 1942, Esther married Almo Lee Beard in Beaver City. To this union, three children; Margaret, John and David were born. The family lived in Beaver City and Bertrand until 1957, when they then moved to Benkelman, Nebraska. In 1998, Esther moved from Benkelman, to Goodland.

Esther enjoyed traveling, quilting, card games, jigsaw puzzles, and most of all spending time with all her grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her parents, and her husband Almo.

She is survived by her three children; Margaret Kaufman of Goodland, KS, John (Sandy) Beard of Apache Junction, AZ, and David (Jaci) Beard of Aurora, CO. She is also survived by ten grandchildren, seventeen great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild as well as a host of friends.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 2:00 PM MT at the Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland, with Pastor Zach Anderson officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date at the Beaver City Cemetery in Beaver City, Nebraska.

Memorial contributions are designated to the Esther Beard Memorial Fund and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

Online condolences may be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.

Service arrangements are entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

GMD 4 approves plan for water conservation in northwest Kansas

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KDA

MANHATTAN – This spring will see the first district-wide Local Enhanced Management Area, or LEMA, in place in Kansas, as Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District 4’s LEMA plan has been approved and will be effective for the period 2018-2022. On Thursday, March 1, the board of directors for GMD 4 in northwest Kansas voted unanimously to approve the chief engineer’s proposed modifications to their LEMA proposal. GMD 4 includes all or parts of 10 counties and covers just over 3 million acres in northwest Kansas.

A LEMA is a tool that allows GMDs to set goals and control measures to aid in water conservation, at the approval of the chief engineer. One of the guiding principles of the state’s Water Vision is that locally driven solutions have the highest opportunity for long-term success, and LEMAs were created to give local stakeholders a tool to act on their shared commitment to ensuring a reliable water supply. This region’s priority goal within the Water Vision was to develop and adopt a water conservation plan that provides maximum flexibility while reducing overall actual use in declining areas, in concert with GMD 4, to extend the aquifer life and long-term economic well-being of the region.

GMD 4, headquartered in Colby, submitted its LEMA proposal to the chief engineer of the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Water Resources in June 2017, with the goal of reducing decline rates and extending the life of the Ogallala Aquifer in northwest Kansas. The LEMA sets water right allocations in townships of the district based on the rate of decline, and establishes enhanced compliance guidelines. Areas with the greatest rate of decline in the aquifer have the most significant restrictions; townships showing little to no decline will not be affected. GMD 4 will host educational meetings over the next few weeks to help clarify how the LEMA’s restrictions will affect water users.

After an extended public hearing process, the chief engineer returned the proposal to the GMD 4 board with modifications in late February, and the modified proposal was accepted by the board. The final step in the process is for the chief engineer to issue an order of designation, which is anticipated by mid-April.

The GMD 4 LEMA will be the second LEMA in Kansas, and was motivated by the notable successes achieved by the first LEMA.

(Click to enlarge)

The Sheridan 6 LEMA within GMD 4 was established in 2013 with the goal of reducing water use by 20 percent. In 2017, new data collected showed that indeed the 99-square-mile area included in the LEMA has seen notable reductions in the rate of water-level decline. In fact, in the decade prior to the establishment of the LEMA, the rate of decline in the area was about 23 inches per year; in the first three years of the LEMA, the rate of decline was reduced to a little under 5 inches per year. The Sheridan 6 LEMA has been extended for an additional five years.

For more information about the LEMA approval process, go to agriculture.ks.gov/LEMA. For specific questions about the GMD 4 LEMA, call the GMD office at 785-462-3915.

2018 “Wild Goose Chase” coming to KWEC at Cheyenne Bottoms 

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The Kansas Wetlands Education Center will host the “Wild Goose Chase” 5k and 3k fun run at Cheyenne Bottoms on Saturday, April 7, with registration starting at 7:30 a.m.and the race at 9 a.m.

The KWEC, 592 NE K-156 Highway, is at the southeast side of Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, northeast of Great Bend.

The chase, coordinated by the KWEC, Eagle Communications, the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau, is held on even-numbered years. The race route will be on a mowed grass surface and will go around the marsh behind the KWEC building.

Participants will receive a race T-shirt, chip-timing and snacks. Medals will be awarded by age division for men and women.

Registration for people 18 and older is $25 ($35 after March 27). For all ages under 18, registration is $15 ($25 after March 27).  To register online or to view registration forms, visit wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu/wild-goose-chase-3k5k-fun-run/.

Ellis County 4-H Day winners announced

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4-H Day 2018, Ellis (Photos courtesy Susan Schlichting)

COTTONWOOD EXTENSION

ELLIS – 4-H members from across Ellis County met in Ellis Sunday, March 4, to showcase their performing talents and communication skills during 4-H Day. The 4-H Day event focuses on building the life skills of communication, decision making and team work.

Results from the event are as follows:

Junior / Intermediate Demonstrations / Illustrated Talks
Top Blues – Isabelle & Johanna Jones; Karli Neher
Regional Alternates – Aydan Church; Callie Lane

Senior Demonstrations / Illustrated Talks
Top Blues – Dustin Rajewski; Katie Weisenborn
Regional Alternates – Alexia Oxenford; Cyrus Vajnar

Project Talks
Top Blues – Cadence Dickey; Keeli Kimzey
Regional Alternates – Callie Lane; Marisa Wasinger

Public Speaking
Top Blue – Kaleb Neher

Extemporaneous Speaking
Top Blue – Jacob Schmeidler

Senior Readings
Top Blues – Anna Kuhn; Dustin Rajewski

Junior Readings
Top Blues – Kaden Haas; Devlyn Jochum
Regional Alternates – Keeli Kimzey; Lizzy Vajnar

Other Talent
Regional Blue – Lindyn Jochum

Instrumental Music Solo
Top Blues – Devlyn Jochum; Katy Walters
Regional Alternates – Cadence Dickey; Dustin Rajewski

Vocal Solo
Top Blues – Devlyn Jochum; Katy Walters
Regional Alternates – Cadence Dickey; Elizabeth Dickman

Club Skit
Top Blue – Buckeye Jr. Farmers

For a complete results listing, visit www.cottonwood.ksu.edu and click on the Ellis County 4-H link.

Regional Blue presentations will compete at the Regional 4-H Day in Stockton on Friday, April 6. The public is welcome to attend.

Glenn Leon Hackerott

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Glenn Leon Hackerott, 85, of Wichita, Kansas passed away Monday, February 26, 2018 at his home.

Glenn was born December 3, 1932 on the family farm near Alton, Kansas, the son of Herman and Emma (Ziegler) Hackerott. He grew up in the Alton area and graduated from Natoma High School. He also graduated from Ft. Hays State University with a degree in Accounting.

Glenn served his country in the US Marines. After his service, he returned to the Hays, Kansas area. He was an accountant for Standard Oil Company and lived in Hays, Kansas, Casper, Wyoming and Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the owner and operator of Hackerott Dirt Moving. He attended Lutheran churches.

Glenn’s surviving family include two daughters, Cyndi Fairbank (Kim) of Wichita, Kansas and Janelle Strobel (Chris) of Avon, Indiana; three sons, Brian Hackerott of Ulysses, Kansas, Gregg Hackerott (Tamie) of Council Grove, Kansas and Kevin Hackerott (Kendall) of Wichita, Kansas; sister Lila Schroeder of Rising City, Nebraska; nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Vernon Hackerott.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at the North Lutheran Cemetery north of Natoma, Kansas. Cremation has preceded the services. Condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

Donald Vistuba

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Donald Vistuba, 79, of Gorham, Kansas, died on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at his some surrounded by his loving family.

Services are pending at this time. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Kan. man jailed on $20K bond for alleged child sex crimes

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MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on child sex charges.

Just after 5p.m. Sunday, police arrested Joshua Schmeal, 20, of Junction City, on a Riley County District Court warrant for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and indecent liberties with a child, according to the Riley County Police activity report.

Schmeal is being held on a $20,000.00 bond.

Boys State of Kansas Leadership Academy taking applications for 2018 session

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The American Legion Boys State of Kansas Leadership Academy is now taking applications for its 2018 session. The event, which will be in its 81st year, will be held Sunday, June 3, through Friday, June 8, at Kansas State University in Manhattan.

The ALBSKLA is for young men who will enter their senior year of high school in the fall of 2018. It provides a relevant, interactive, problem-solving experience in leadership and teamwork that develops self-identity, promotes mutual respect and instills civic responsibility. Boys State is a “learning by doing” political exercise that simulates elections, political parties and government at the state, county and local levels, providing opportunities to lead under pressure, showcasing character and working effectively within a team. It’s also an opportunity to gain pride and respect for government and the price paid by members of the military to preserve democracy.

At a minimum, applicants should be in the top half of their high school class and be involved in extracurricular activities in their school and community. Potential delegates can also be nominated to attend by their high school counselor or other influential people in their lives.

The cost to attend the Boys State of Kansas program is $325; however, in many instances, sponsors pay for the majority of the fees, with the delegate or his family paying a $50 applicant fee.

Those wishing to apply to the program should visit https://kansasboysstate.com/ to fill out an application, which are due by Monday, April 30, along with the fees to guarantee a spot in the program.

Potential sponsors, such as American Legion posts, civic organizations, businesses, clubs and interested individuals, or those with questions, should contact Troy Fowler, ALBSKLA director of operations, at [email protected].

Award-winning crooner, Salina native brings swing show to Great Bend

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Les Lankhorst has made a career of performing the music of the great crooners. He is returning to Great Bend to headline the 24th annual Jazz Festival.

The festival organizers are thrilled to have Mr. Lankhorst and his onstage small big band return as headliners. The band members include: Alto Saxophone, Bill Clausing, St. John, Kansas; Tenor Saxophone, Craig Treinen, Washburn University; and Trombone, Paul Hunt, Kansas State University. From Great Bend: Marc Webster, Trumpet; Curtis Oberle, Guitar; Greg Pohl, String Bass; Steve Lueth, Piano; and Kurtis Koch, Drums. The event will also feature the Great Bend High School Panther Jazz Band as the opening act.

Lankhorst is originally from Salina, Kansas and is a graduate of Kansas State University.

Lankhorst began his professional career in Kansas City theatre after being in the popular K-State Singers show choir. He has since toured the country and the world performing his solo show ‘Les Lankhorst is THE CROONER.’ Some of his favorite performance venues include the Las Brisas Resort on the cliffs of Acapulco, all the major cruise lines, and the renowned Blumenthal Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina where his show was nominated for 7 local Tony Awards and it also won the Best Musical Direction award. In addition to his work as a Headliner, he has gained critical acclaim performing as Frank Sinatra all over the music world in various Rat Pack Tribute shows; including ‘The Rat Pack Live & Swinging’ in Branson, Missouri and the longest running Rat Pack Show in Las Vegas, ‘The Rat Pack is Back.’

He is also on the production team for the popular ‘America’s Got Talent’ award winning “Texas Tenors.” (They performed in Great Bend, February 23 to a crowd of over 1,300.)

The 24th Great Bend Jazz Festival will be on March 17, 2018 at the Barton County Community College Fine Arts Auditorium. The festival music will start at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are: Adults, $15 students, $5 and will be sold at the door.

For more information, visit www.greatbendjazzfestival.com or call the law firm of Robert Feldt at 620-792-3595.

 

RAHJES REPORT: March 5

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Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra) 110th House Dist.

Hello from Topeka! We are underway with the “second half” of the 2018 session.  As committee meetings start back up, there have been several hearings and just a few bills to report on. One of the bigger topics this year has been cybersecurity.

Last session, the Government, Technology, and Security Committee was created to study issues like Cybersecurity, making sure there is a system to protect citizens and state government from dangerous attacks and breaches on personal and critical data.  The Committee heard extensive testimony on the risk that Kansans and government agencies face from cyberattacks. The Legislature is tasked with balancing the probability of cyberattacks and fiscal costs to the state to protect personal information and defense against potential attacks.

Kansas has not been immune from cyberattacks (Department of Commerce) and release of personal information (KDADS incident reported just this week. Last Thursday, the House debated two cybersecurity measures.  HB 2332 and HB 2359.  HB 2332 amends the membership and frequency of required meeting for the Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC).  The proposed language was provided by the Office of Information Technology Services (OITS), to increase the effectiveness and attendance of the ITEC meetings.

HB 2359 creates the Kansas Cybersecurity Act.  The bill contains the contents of HB 2560, which was introduced at the request of OITS.  The bill establishes the position of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and delineates the duties for the position.  The bill also creates the Kansas Information Security Office (KISO), which for budgeting purposes, will operate separately from the Department of Administration.  The CISO and KISO were created by Executive Order.  The bill also spells out the Information Technology and Cybersecurity duties of Executive Branch agency heads.  The bill was supported in the Government, Technology, and Security Committee by representatives of OITS, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

The cost of defending and protecting sensitive data was provided for the in the legislation. The bill creates the Cybersecurity State Fund, which is financed with the imposition of an annual basic cybersecurity rate per employee for all governmental and nongovernmental entities connecting to state network services.  The rate could not exceed $700 per employee per year.  Collections begin on July 1, 2020. The bill allows governmental entities to pay for cybersecurity services from existing budgets, grants, or other revenues to offset costs associated with the rates.  The fiscal note for HB 2560, which was amended into the HB 2359 shell, contains estimates from the agencies and branches of government provides the fiscal estimate to the state. Both measures were advanced to Final Action on Monday, March 5.

The other issue which has had much attention is transparency. Last week the House session was video streamed live with the new camera system.  Video can be viewed on the You Tube Channel, just search for KS Legislature.

Also last Thursday,  Governor Colyer issued Executive Order 18-09 which established the Task Force to Address Substance Abuse Disorders.  The purpose of this task force is to gather information concerning substance abuse disorders, but also to develop solutions that will have lasting impacts in Kansas.

Rep. Ken Rahjes and Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann at Norton Valley Hope.

Specifically, the task force will be evaluating and leveraging existing resources, investigating additional options, and examining the best practices for prevention, treatment, and recovery of at-risk individuals through early detection and education for parents.  Chief Medical Officer of KDHE, Greg Lakin, will chair the task force to find measurable outcomes for those who are suffering from substance use disorders. On Friday, Lt. Governor Tracey Mann was in Norton to discuss the Talks Force and tour Valley Hope’s flagship treatment center.  I was pleased to accompany him for his brief stop in the 110th District.

And more good news, on Friday it was revealed that total State General Fund (SGF) receipts from taxes only are up $275 million from the November estimate.  Individual income tax receipts are $269 million above the estimate.  KLRD cautions that “as with the previous two months, a large portion of the growth in individual income tax receipts above the forecast appears to have been driven by the recently enacted change in federal tax law.” If you want to follow along each month, KLRD posts revenue reports and the Consensus Revenue Estimates on its website: https://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Appropriations&Revenue.html .

Please feel free to reach out with concerns and questions, I will do my best to respond it a timely manner. My phone number is (785) 296-7463 and email is: [email protected], my cell number is (785) 302-8416.   You can also check out kenforkansas.com.  Good luck to the area teams competing in state basketball this week.

It is my honor to be your representative.

Verda O. Delaney

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Verda O. Delaney was born November 15, 1938 on a farm south of Ness City, Kansas. She was the second of two children born to Lorin E. (Bub) and Ruby (Goss) Delaney. Verda attended rural Ness County schools and later graduated from Ness City High School in 1956.

Verda grew up helping her parents on the farm. She recalled many times how she helped her mom clean and dress chickens every year. She helped her dad with other farm chores and often talked about the old Ford Model A she drove down deeply rutted country roads on her way to school. Verda and her parents moved into Ness City during her senior year of high school.

Verda and Rex recalled how they formally met. One of Rex’s friends, Walt Rohr was dating Verda’s cousin Dillie Turley. According to Rex, Walt insisted he go with him to Ness City one Saturday night because he and Dillie thought Rex and Verda should meet. Verda Delaney and Rex Albin were married July 15, 1956 at the United Methodist Church in Ness City and celebrated 60 years of marriage in July 2016.

Verda and Rex’s family grew to include their children: Nancy, Diana, Terri, Bill and Chris. They were also the parents of two stillborn daughters: Connie Sue and Debra Alice.

Sewing, gardening, cooking and baking were all ways Verda spent lots of her time. Her daughters all remember their little school dresses made for them by their mother. Verda sewed due to necessity early on, and later as a cherished pastime. No one who visited her home at or near mealtime ever left hungry, even though she liked to tell people, “Well we don’t have much, so it won’t take you long to eat it.” Verda was a passionate, staunch supporter of her kids and grandkids. One of her granddaughters recalled receiving more than one stern Grandma Albin lecture about things that concerned her. Those lectures were usually followed by a hug and a reminder of how much she loved her. Verda was a member of the United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women in Quinter.

She is survived by her daughters Nancy Hargitt of Quinter, Diana (Lorne) Middleton of Gove, Terri (Bryan) Evans of Gove, and sons Bill Albin of Quinter and Chris McCullough of Russell, along with 19 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren who include: Grandchildren, Lauren (Garret) Press, Michael (Tayler Wellbrock) Hargitt, Alison (Dustin Little) Hargitt, Lindsey Middleton, Curtis Middleton, Dylan (Sarah) Shoemaker , Elizabeth Quenzer, Brittany (Drew Pilger) Middleton, Joshua Middleton, Logan (Kelsey Voss) Middleton, Lacey (Wes) Heddlesten Ashley Evans, Jayme (Thomas) Zimmerman, Stephanie Albin, Daniel (Missy) Albin, Kaylee (Daniel) Martin,  Alex (Marissa Haffner) Albin, Cierra Albin, Brady Albin. Great Grandchildren, Ryleigh Hargitt, Delaney Hargitt, Brigham Press, Nelly Press, Brody Burns, Kyla Burns, Chance Hargitt, Kassy Marable, Serenity Middleton, Claire Middleton, Caroline Middleton, Jordan Shoemaker, Carter Quenzer, Miah Quenzer, Collin Pilger, Kinlee Middleton, Rody Heddlesten, Emery Heddlesten, Keiston Evans, Hendrix Evans, Lyla Zimmerman, Remy Zimmerman, Eli Zimmerman, Owen Zimmerman, Olivia Albin, Payten Albin, Braxten Albin, Aubree Martin, Brendon Martin.

Verda was preceded in death by her husband Rex, by her parents Lorin and Ruby Delaney, her brother Donald Delaney, and two daughters: Connie Sue Albin and Debra Alice Albin.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at United Methodist Church, Quinter. Burial will be in the Baker Township Cemetery following the service.

Visitation will be Monday evening, from 5 to 7 at Schmitt Funeral Home, Quinter.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Quinter United Methodist Women and Quinter Volunteer Ambulance Service. Donations to the memorials may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 South Main, Quinter, KS  67752.

Condolences may be left for the family by signing the guest book at www.schmittfuneral.com

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