April 2019 – Page 8 – Hays Post Archive

KZ Country Cheesy Joke of the Day 4/29/19

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

One Peach Of A Tree

Unexpected cold snaps had destroyed the buds on a man’s peach tree for two years in a row. This spring, he was ready. He replanted the sapling in a large box, mounted it on wheels, and put the tree in the garage whenever the temperature dropped.

One warm April day, the man was wheeling the tree out into the yard, and
he stopped to give his dog a drink from the garden hose. A neighbor
watched the scene with amusement. “Frank,” he finally commented, “you’re
the only man I know who walks his tree and waters his dog!”

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3rd teen arrested for social media threat against SW Kan. middle school

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

FINNEY COUNTY — For the third time this month, law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 457 are investigating an alleged school threat and have made an arrest.

Just before 12:30 p.m. Sunday police received a report of a possible threat on social media towards Horace Good Middle School, 1412 N Main in Garden City, according to a media release.

Investigators say Nick Trung Hang, 14, Garden City made a statement on his social media account and created the message to scare students and staff at Horace Good Middle School. He is a former student at the school, according to the release. Police arrested Hang and he is being held in the Southwest Kansas Juvenile Detention Center for alleged criminal threat.

There will be an increased police presence at the school on Monday, according to the release.

On April 23, Garden City Police identified and arrested a 15-year-old who made a social media threat in attempt to get out of school for the day.

On April 18, police identified a 14-year-old Garden City student who made a social media threat that depicted the general use of firearms to harm students at the school.

Police and USD 457 officials encouraged parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts and to report any information about any school safety incidents to administration.

🎥 Eagle TV Forum: Aaron Dreher

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

Eagle’s Gary Shorman interviews Aaron Dreher about Creekside Resort.

FHSU TEECA earns two championships, two awards at national conference

Posted on April 29, 2019April 25, 2019

FHSU University Relations

Fort Hays State University’s chapter of the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association won two national championships and a runner up finish in nine competitive events against 14 other universities at the 81st annual International Technology and Engineering Educators Association conference in Kansas City, Mo.

The FHSU chapter had 14 students and five sponsors representing the university.

For the second consecutive year, FHSU’s TEECA won the Live Manufacturing Competition, which required students to design and create a rustic shadow box lamp while developing and managing a complete manufacturing assembly run producing a final product on site.

The team dedicated more than 150 hours of extracurricular activity to their final product. Team members are Danea Buschkoetter, team captain and documentation specialist; Eric Prockish, jig engineer; Jerome Hoffman, drafting and design specialist; and Michael Dick, part specialist and inspector.

“I could not be more proud of the way that this team came together, committing the necessary time and energy into this competition in order to produce a successful outcome,” said Eric Deneault, assistant professor of applied technology. Deneault and Randy Jordan, assistant professor of applied technology, are the team sponsors.

FHSU also won the Problem Solving Competition for the second time in three years. The team was tasked with building a parking garage at 1/32 scale. They then had to program and code the garage to have specific requirements, such as autonomous gates that would open and close, a vehicle counter that would count the cars entering and leaving, and a billboard for advertisements.

Team members are Blake Hinson, Vincent Evans, Dalton Enfield, Dalton Kraus, and Zach Peach.

“The effort from this team was unbelievable,” said Deneault. “There was no denying them a first-place finish this year.”

After a runner up finish, the FHSU robotics team will advance to compete at the VEX Worlds competition in Louiville, Ky. Team members are Tage Rothchild, team captain and engineer, programmer and driver; Jordan Sargent, engineer and mechanic; and Micah Nuss, engineer and mechanic.

In addition to the national championships and runner-up finish, one FHSU team member and the FHSU chapter won awards for their outstanding performance and dedication to TEECA and the FHSU Department of Applied Technology.

Buschkoetter was awarded the 2019 ITEEA/Foundation for Technology and Engineering Educators Don Maley Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award. Buschkoetter has supported and promoted FHSU TEECA by becoming a student officer, holding positions as treasurer and president. She has participated on the live manufacturing team, where she became a two-time national champion and regional runner-up, and the live communications and problem solving teams, where she earned national runner-up finishes. She has also been the regional photography champion three years in a row.

FHSU’s chapter won the TEECA Outstanding Chapter Award, the most coveted award designated to the most outstanding TEECA organization in the nation. The chapter, founded in 1986, has amassed 233 podium finishes, 26 national titles and 87 regional titles. In addition to this, students within the TEECA organization provide community service events throughout the year.

Students, with hometowns and classifications, are listed below.

ALMA, NEB.: Jesus Felix is a sophomore.
ATWOOD: Dalton Enfield is a sophomore.
GALVA: Vincent Evans is a senior.
GREAT BEND: Blake Hinson is a senior.
HALSTEAD: Dalton Kraus is a sophomore.
HAYS: Michael Dick is a sophomore.
Jerome Hoffman is a senior.
HOLDREGE, NEB.: Danea Buschkoetter is a senior.
LA CROSSE: Zach Peach is a freshman.
MANHATTAN: Eric Prockish is a sophomore.
MINNEAPOLIS: Dason Sweat is a sophomore.
RANSOM: Jordan Sargent is a junior.
RUSSELL: Micah Nuss is a freshman.
SUPERIOR, NEB.: Tage Rothchild is a sophomore.

First Five: Sri Lanka blocks social media — public safety or censorship?

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

On Easter, a series of coordinated bombings in Sri Lanka killed more than 350 people. The attacks took place at three churches and three hotels in three separate cities. Sri Lankan officials have stated that the attacks were carried out by a local radical Islamist group, with help from international militants, and that they were intended as retribution for attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March.

In the wake of this act of terrorism, the Sri Lankan government temporarily blocked citizens’ access to several major social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Snapchat to stop the spread of false news reports. Government officials cited fears that misinformation about the attacks could incite further ethnic and religious violence.

Is this an example of a government taking a dramatic and necessary step to ensure the safety of its people? Or is it a misguided act of censorship on the part of a government that doesn’t have the best track record on press freedom in the first place?

As a free speech advocate, my first inclination is to say that shutting down ways for people to communicate with each other is never the right way to respond to a crisis and that the citizens of Sri Lanka are better off with more information, even if some of it is false, than they are with none at all (or to be more precise, only the information provided by state-sponsored media outlets). That’s a knee-jerk reaction in me. But then, I run an organization called the First Amendment Center, so that’s not all that surprising.

But reading arguments from people who support Sri Lanka’s decision has caused me to consider my initial response more carefully. Don’t get me wrong: I still think that the Sri Lankan government shouldn’t have blocked access to social media in the aftermath of the attacks. For one thing, social media is often an invaluable tool for people to get in touch with each other in the wake of a disaster. As The Washington Post pointed out, the platform WhatsApp is “a chat app that more than 1.5 billion people around the world use monthly to text or make voice or video calls. Shutting off access to a primary means of communication during an emergency situation may leave those searching for friends and loved ones particularly vulnerable.” And of course, there’s the overarching concern that cutting off access to information in the name of national security is a step away from democracy towards authoritarianism.

But I was also struck by a comparison that tech journalist Noam Cohen made when he likened social media to gun ownership — something inherently dangerous that needs comprehensive regulation. “To fail to rein in social networks because of appeals to ‘freedom’ would be like allowing vague words written 250 years ago to get in the way of controlling guns.” This does not seem to be a knee-jerk reaction on Cohen’s part. As he puts it, “I’ve come slowly and in fits and starts to this view. Until recently, I’ve preferred to focus on the bad actors who misuse social networks — not only the hate peddlers but the Silicon Valley CEOs who profit from the networks’ misuse…But by focusing on those individuals’ shortcomings, wasn’t I buying into the argument that there was a good way for these social networks to operate, even during a time of crisis or during divisive elections? …In essence, I was replicating the tired defense of unrestrained gun ownership — social networks don’t kill people, people kill people. In point of fact, guns magnify the violence of their users, as do social networks.”

I see Cohen’s point. When you strongly believe in a principle, there’s a tendency to downplay its true cost. Those who advocate for unrestrained gun ownership often argue that stricter gun control laws wouldn’t actually deter crime. But that avoids a much more uncomfortable question: if stricter gun control laws did reduce crime, would you still believe that the right to bear arms is worth the lives put at risk by it?

Those of us who advocate for free speech often argue that censoring hateful speech doesn’t get rid of those ideas or make us any safer. But what if it did? Do the benefits of free speech and unfettered communication outweigh their very real human cost?

My answer is still yes, but there’s nothing knee jerk about it.

Lata Nott is executive director of the First Amendment Center of the Freedom Forum Institute. Contact her via email at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @LataNott.

Chefs share, recipes, tips on cooking with herbs at HPL Herb Fest

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Hays Public Library invited the public in for its second-annual Herb Festival Saturday.

Event-goers could attend lectures on cooking and baking with herbs as well as cultivation and botany of herbs.

Morford Lavender Farm gave a presentation on growing lavender and Jensen Farms’ Mike Jensen spoke on honey and mushrooms. Vendors also offered plants, honey, herb breads and lavender bath products for sale.

Linda Beech, retired extension agent, prepares an herb bread at the HPL Herb Festival on Saturday.

Linda Beech, retired extension agent, started her talk by explaining the difference between herbs and spices. Herbs come form the leafy part of a plant. Spices can come from products of the plant, such as roots or seeds.

Beech recommended using the mindset “less is more” when using herbs in baking.

Although fresh herbs are great for any dish, if you only have dried, use about half the amount of dried herb compared to a fresh herb in a recipe.

Some herbs pair nicely together in baking, such as rosemary and citrus.

The long-time 4-H judge also shared some general baking tips with the Herb Festival guests.

Baking tips

Uses a stand mixer for kneading
Spray your hands and your cutting board with cooking spray instead of using flour
If you are making a braided bread, start the braid from the center and braid to the ends. This will keep the dough from stretching.
Bread will proof faster in the summer than in the winter due to the temperature differences.
Bread can be frozen. Let cool completely to cut down on moisture, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. You can reduce the air exposure to the bread by sealing it in a plastic bag or an air tight container after it is wrapped. Keep the bread wrapped while it thaws.
Use margarine instead of butter. The margarine should have 100 calories per 1 T. The higher fat content means your bread will spread less.
Air-cushioned baking sheets work well to reduce problems with over-browning.
Lemon, lime or orange zest can be frozen.

Cherry Rosemary Muffins

3/4 cup dried tart cherries
2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 C. butter or margarine melted
1 egg
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. orange juice
1 T. grated lemon zest
Course sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease or line muffin tins with paper liners. Lightly chop dried cherries and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and rosemary. In a medium bowl, combine butter, egg, milk, orange juice and orange zest. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in cherries. Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes about 12 medium muffins to 36 mini muffins.

Recipe courtesy of Linda Beech

Cooking with herbs

John Fitzthum of HaysMed makes a chimichurri at the HPL Herb Festival on Saturday.

John Fitzthum of HaysMed made a chimichurri. He noted using herbs is a way to reduce salt in your diet.

Fitzthum has an herb garden at the hospital and sources his greens and beef from Kansas producers.

He offered the audience samples of the chimichurri both as a marinade baked with chicken and raw over cooked chicken.

He said the dressing can also be used over a salad. For a vinaigrette, double the oil and vinegar.

The chimichurri will last about three days in the refrigerator.

Fitzthum and Herb Study leader Pam Herl noted fresh herbs can be frozen. Wash and let the herbs dry and then place them in a plastic bag with as much of the air removed as possible. You can also combine fresh herbs with oil or broth and freeze them in ice cube tray.

The Hays Public Library Herb Club meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. The next Herb Club meeting will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 7. The meeting will be an herb potluck. Bring your favorite dished that contains herbs. The meetings are free and open to the public.

Chimichurri

1-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped cilantro
2 cups red onion (minced)
4 jalapenos (seeded and minced)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup basil (chopped)
1/2 cup parsley (chopped)
12 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tsp thyme (chopped)
4 tsp red pepper flake
1/2 tsp cayenne
several pinched of salt and pepper

Recipe courtesy of John Fitzthum and the Rock Garden Cafe

Gladys H. Fischer

Posted on April 29, 2019

Gladys H. Fischer, born Nov. 13, 1937, died Sun., April 28, 2019 in Colby, Kansas.

Arrangements are pending with Baalmann Mortuary, 190 S. Franklin Ave., Colby, Kansas. 67701.

Cloudy, windy Monday

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

Monday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Windy, with a north wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 14 to 19 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph.

Monday Night Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 42. Northeast wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

TuesdayShowers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms between 1pm and 4pm, then scattered showers after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 57. Northeast wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday NightIsolated showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. North northeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

WednesdayIsolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday NightScattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

ThursdayMostly sunny, with a high near 65.

Driver dies from injuries after Kansas pickup rollover crash

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 5p.m. Sunday in Chautauqua County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Ranger driven by Terence EugeneLeiker, 57, Eureka Springs, AR., was southbound on Kansas 99 seven miles north of Sedan.

The pickup traveled off the roadway to the right, slid across the road to the left and rolled into the east ditch.

EMS transported Leiker to the hospital in Sedan where he died. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Update: Washburn player killed, Giants draftee wounded in Kan. shooting

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue the investigation of a fatal shooting that took the life of a Washburn University football player and injured a teammate.

Corey Ballentine photo Washburn Athletics

Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police responded to 1400 SW 13th Street in Topeka in reference to a disturbance with gunshots in the area, according to Lt. Andrew Beightel. Upon arrival, officers discovered a victim identified as 23-year-old Dwane Simmons. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another victim from the same incident identified as 23-year-old Corey Ballentine arrived at an area hospital by private vehicle with a non- life-threatening gunshot wound.
Simmons was a junior mass media major from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, according to his Washburn University bio.

A preliminary investigation has determined that this incident occurred during a social gathering outside of a residence, according to a media release.

There were dozens present at the social gathering and police are currently working to gather evidence and statements from witnesses. Police need those who were present to let them know what they saw.

They encourage anyone who saw suspicious activity to report it to police or Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007.

In a media relase from Washburn, head football coach Crag Schurig said,” Heartbreaking news about Dwane Simmons. He was one of the most energetic and well-liked players I have ever coached at Washburn. Dwane’s infectious smile and love for football and his teammates was truly inspirational. Our prayers of healing go out to his family, his parents Navarro and Yasmine Simmons and Chaquilla Williams.”

On Saturday, the New York Giants selected Ballentine in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Stacking the secondary! Here’s five things to know about CB Corey Ballentine.

— New York Giants (@Giants) April 27, 2019

The New York Giants issued a statement Sunday afternoon, “We are aware of the tragic situation and continue to gather information. We have spoken to Corey, and he is recovering in the hospital. Our thoughts are with Dwane Simmons’ family, friends and teammates and the rest of the Washburn community.”

Police have not reported an arrest in the case.

—————

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that took the life of a Washburn University football player and injured a teammate.

On Saturday, the New York Giants selected Ballentine in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Stacking the secondary! Here’s five things to know about CB Corey Ballentine.

— New York Giants (@Giants) April 27, 2019

Police have not reported an arrest in the case.

Kansas game warden, biologist rescue injured bald eagle

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

WILSON COUNTY —Kansas Game Warden Ross Uhrmacher received a call Friday from a county road worker in southeast Kansas concerning a Bald Eagle that was out in a field with its wing out, according to a social media report from the Kansas Deparment of Wildlife and Parks Game Wardens.

Game Warden Ross Uhrmacher with the injured eagle -photo courtesy KDWP&T Game Wardens

Uhrmacher and Wildlife Biologist Kelly Newman responded to the reported location. The eagle was not able to fly, but it could run and swim.

Uhrmacher and Newman worked together and were able to catch the wounded eagle. The eagle was relayed to Game Warden McGinnis who then transported it to Operation Wildlife in Linwood.

Uhrmaher has a long history of assisting wild birds. In April 2015, he was called to rescue a barn Owl in Wilson County. In January 2017 Uhrmacher rescued a Bald Eagle that was struck by a vehicle on a Kansas highway.

Fire hydrant testing, inspections resume Monday

Posted on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

HFD

The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Mon., April 29, 2019 in the area of Vine St. to Thunderbird between 27th St. and 41st St. and Enersys. This is part of a coordinated effort by the city of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.

Tiger softball falls twice to Lopers to close out season

Posted on April 28, 2019

KEARNEY, Neb. – A day after Fort Hays State swept Nebraska-Kearney in a crucial MIAA doubleheader in Hays, Nebraska-Kearney got revenge in a pair of non-conference wins Sunday to close out the 2019 season. The Lopers won by scores of 2-1 and 12-4, closing their season at 20-24 overall. Fort Hays State wrapped up its season at 24-25 overall.

Game 1: Nebraska-Kearney 2, Fort Hays State 1
Michaelanne Nelson continued a string of strong performances in the pitching circle by limiting Nebraska-Kearney to just one earned run. Unfortunately, an unearned run Nebraska-Kearney collected was the deciding run in a tight 2-1 pitcher’s duel in game one.

Nelson worked around 10 Loper hits and a walk, escaping jams in several innings to limit the Lopers in the run column. However, a Tiger throwing error with two outs in the fifth led to a run-scoring single by Jasmyn Broussard that pushed the Lopers in front 2-1. The one earned run surrendered by Nelson was in the first inning, when the Lopers tied the game 1-1. She tossed her fourth consecutive complete game as a starter, striking out three batters. Nelson finished the year at 10-12 in the circle. She held opponents to no more than one earned run in seven of her last nine starts of the season.

The one run for the Tigers came on a Sara Breckbill ground out RBI in the first inning. Katie Adler led off the game with a walk and Terran Caldwell singled. Both moved up on an Allison Jurgensen sacrifice bunt before Adler came in on Breckbill’s grounder. From that point, the Tigers struggled to find hits, finishing with just four in the game. UNK starter Erin Hallman retired nine straight Tigers from the second inning to fifth inning before allowing a walk.

Hallman picked up the win in the circle for UNK, allowing just two hits and three walks in 5.0 innings of work. She struck out two. Mo Vornhagen came in to pick up a two-inning save, allowing just two hits with a strikeout.

Game 2: Nebraska-Kearney 12, Fort Hays State 4
Three of four games on the weekend between Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney ended by run rule, this time UNK coming out victorious after FHSU reached the run rule twice on Saturday in Hays. The Tigers enjoyed two leads in the game before seeing the Lopers score 10 runs over the third, fourth, and fifth innings.

Fort Hays State took an initial 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-RBI single by Sara Breckbill. The Lopers responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game. FHSU pushed back ahead in the third 4-2 when Grace Philop delivered a two-RBI single. By that point, the Tigers had done the majority of their damage to UNK starter Sarah Handrahan, who allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks over just 2.0 innings of work.

The Tiger bats went silent when UNK turned the ball to reliever Mo Vornhagen, who tossed the final three innings. She allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out three to pick up her second win of the season.

The Tigers could not hold on to their second lead of the game as the Lopers jumped into the lead for the first time, 6-4, on a two-out grand slam by Karlee Arnold. The Lopers continued their offensive outburst in the fourth inning with an RBI single and two-run home run, making the score 9-4. They ended the game in the fifth with a two-RBI single and an RBI double.

Hailey Chapman allowed nine runs on 11 hits and a walk, moving to 12-13 for the season. She struck out four batters. Megan Jamison relieved Chapman for an inning, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk. Jamison struck out one batter.

Tiger Notes
-The 24 wins this season are the most since the 2015 season when the Tigers won 26.
-The 3.47 ERA by the Tiger pitching staff this year was its lowest since the 2016 season when the team posted a 3.10 ERA.
-Fort Hays State went 17-2 this year in games where it scored 5 or more runs. The Tigers were held to just one run or scoreless in 16 of their 25 losses on the year.
-The Tigers spread leadership in offensive stat categories throughout the team for the season. Grace Philop led in batting average (.331), Bailey Boxberger led in RBIs (37), Terran Caldwell led in hits (54), runs (34), and stolen bases (10), Sara Breckbill led in doubles (13), Lily Sale led in triples (2), Elise Capra led in home runs (6), Katie Adler led in walks (24), and Allison Jurgensen led in on-base percentage (.436).