Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course 1450 Golf Course Rd., Hays – May 6
A follow-up inspection found no violations.
Sonic Drive In 1708 Vine, Hays – May 6
A follow-up inspection found one violation.
On the cooking line, the temperature of the sliced tomatoes and sliced lettuce was found at a temperature of 60 F. The ambient temperature of the make table was 62 F.
In Africa, some of the native tribes have a custom of beating the ground with clubs and uttering spine-chilling cries. Anthropologists call this a form of primitive self-expression. In America, they call it golf.
Dezerae Kinderknecht
Graduating college before graduating high school is most unusual, but that is exactly what took place this past weekend for 17-year-old Dezerae Kinderknecht. On Saturday, Dezerae received a certificate from NCK Tech in the Pharmacy Technician program. Then, on Sunday, she walked across the stage with fellow Hays High graduates to receive her high school diploma.
“It has been a lot of work juggling high school and taking a full-time college program but well worth it,” Kinderknecht said. “I struggled at first but, once I got myself organized, it was a normal routine.”
Taking several college courses in high school started the process for Kinderknecht.
“I took psychology my junior year and then calculus. Both of those courses were concurrent through Fort Hays,” she said. “I finished my general education courses online through NCK Tech while taking the Pharmacy Technician program my senior year.”
Kinderknecht, a member of Hays High School National Honor Society, plans to continue her education at Fort Hays State University in the fall.
“I plan to major in biology, pre-med or pre-vet. I have not decided yet. I know I want to remain in the medical field,” she said. “Taking the Pharmacy Technician program at NCK Tech is a way for me to have a good-paying job while continuing my education. I recently passed the national certification test for pharmacy technicians, so I am ready to go.”
When asked which graduation ceremony was the most rewarding, Kinderknecht responded, “High school was much more emotional with all my friends, but attending NCK Tech commencement ceremony and knowing what I had accomplished this past year was very rewarding. College was a real challenge while still going to high school. I am excited about this accomplishment.”
BUNKER HILL – The Dane G. Hansen Foundation has awarded Smoky Hills Public Television with a grant for $115,000 to support the station’s general programming and station operations.
“The support we receive from Dane G. Hansen is vital to the operations of SHPTV,” said Kelli King, Smoky Hills Public Television Director of Finance and Administration. “The funds from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation will be educating thousands of people across central and western Kansas through our SHPTV local productions, educational programming, and our book distribution to Head Start programs. A big thank you to the Dane G. Hansen Foundation for their continued support year after year!”
The Dane G. Hansen Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for the people of northwest Kansas to enjoy the highest possible quality of life. The foundation advances its mission by investing in the areas of education, health care, economic development, community social services and security, conservation and environment, arts and culture and community beautification.
Smoky Hills Public Television serves 71 counties in central and western Kansas and has been named the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Non-Metro Station of the Year.
Stacy Campbell is Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District.
While grain prices are dismal and our wheat crop has considerable variation in its’ stage of development throughout the county and state. With the above average precipitation and cooler weather some wheat fields are looking good.
Weather conditions have been very favorable for continued development of stripe rust and leaf rust over the past 2 weeks. There are now reports of stripe rust moving to the upper canopy in South Central Kansas. This is significant because these leaves contribute much of the resources used to develop grain. The risk of severe yield loss increases when the disease becomes established on these leaves prior to flowering, reports Erick DeWolf, Extension Plant Pathologist.
“There are also multiple reports now of stripe rust occurring on the upper leaves of wheat varieties that were previously considered resistant to the disease. The infection types appear susceptible to moderately susceptible and are supporting ample spore production”, reports DeWolf.
Varieties previously thought resistant now showing stripe rust include: Larry, SY Monument, LCS Chrome, AG Icon. WB Grainfield is also showing signs of more disease than normal. “The stripe rust reaction for WB Grainfield has been down graded to intermediate in recent years, but now appears to be moderately susceptible to susceptible”, says DeWolf.
All these varieties have the resistance gene Yr17 but are also believed to have additional resistance genes that help hold the stripe rust in check. Some rust resistance genes become more active as the plants mature and temperatures increase. At this point, it is not clear if the resistance will become more active or not. With the disease already becoming established on the upper leaves, it seems unwise to count on this type of resistance to prevent damage.
Some growers in this area are taking action to suppress the disease with fungicides, but this activity is being slowed by rainy weather”, DeWolf said.
On Monday in the Cottonwood District – Barton County Wheat demonstration plot I was able to find very low levels of stripe rust in the lower canopy on 4 different varieties, 2 of which have had resistance to stripe rust in the past. In the Cottonwood District – Ellis County Wheat demonstration plot I was not able to find any leaf or stripe rust on Monday, but I suspect by late this week or next week that may change.
On Thursday morning I went South of Hays and randomly looked at some fields and was only able to find a few leaf rust pustules in the lower canopy in a few fields. I have received a picture of a leaf from a field in southern Ellis County that had stripe rust on it as well.
Now is the time to be out scouting your wheat fields for foliar rust diseases. Those fields that have good yield potential may be top priorities for consideration of a fungicide application, if any rust diseases are found. Remember that the flag leaf can account for as much as 40 to 50% percent of the yield due to its’ function of carbohydrate production—for grain fill, so protecting it from rust diseases is important.
Research conducted by K-State indicates that a single fungicide application made to susceptible wheat varieties when the risk of disease is high will often result in a 4 to 13 percent yield increase, with an average increase of approximately 10 percent relative to untreated wheat. Important considerations when making fungicide application decisions include application timing, timely disease scouting, and knowledge of a variety’s genetic resistance to disease.
In general, growers have access to many products that can provide very good to excellent control of stripe rust, leaf rust, and other common leaf diseases. There are also significant differences in product price. With low wheat prices, it could be important for growers to do their homework before pulling the trigger on any possible fungicide application this year. Historically, the cost of fungicide products range from about $2 to $15 per acre, with generic tebuconazole, and propiconazole products being the lowest-cost options.
I realize that with the current price of wheat it may be hard to justify another expense. This information is intended to keep farmers informed which can assist them to make the best decision possible for their operation.
Stacy Campbell is Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District [email protected]
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A jury on Monday ordered agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. to pay a combined $2.055 billion to a couple claiming that the company’s popular weed killer Roundup Ready caused their cancers.
Roundup, the Monsanto brand name pesticide built on the chemical glyphosate, is used on farm fields and on lawns and gardens. FILE: by GRANT GERLOCK / courtesy HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA
The jury’s verdict is the third such courtroom loss for Monsanto in California since August, but a San Francisco law professor said it’s likely a trial judge or appellate court will significantly reduce the punitive damage award.
The state court jury in Oakland concluded that Monsanto’s weed killer caused the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Alva Pilliod and Alberta Pilliod each contracted. Jurors awarded them each $1 billion in punitive damages in addition to a combined $55 million in compensatory damages.
A federal jury in San Francisco ordered the weed killer maker in March to pay a Sonoma County man $80 million. A San Francisco jury last August awarded $289 million to a former golf course greens keeper who blamed his cancer on Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide. A judge later reduced the award by $200 million.
The three California trials were the first of an estimated 13,000 plaintiffs with pending lawsuits against Monsanto across the country to go to trial. St. Louis-based Monsanto is owned by the German chemical giant Bayer A.G.
Bayer said Monday that it would appeal the verdict.
“The verdict in this trial has no impact on future cases and trials, as each one has its own factual and legal circumstances,” the company said.
The company noted that none of the California verdicts has been considered by an appeals court and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers the weed killer safe.
The EPA reaffirmed its position in April, saying that the active ingredient glyphosate found in the weed killer posed “no risks of concern” for people exposed to it by any means — on farms, in yards and along roadsides, or as residue left on food crops.
“There is zero chance it will stand,” said University of California, Hastings School of Law professor David Levine. He said the ratio between the $2 billion in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages is too high. He said judges rarely allow punitive damages to exceed four times actual damages awarded.
The California Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that any punitive damages exceeding 10 times the compensatory damages are likely unconstitutionally high. The court didn’t propose a ratio it felt correct, but said punitive damages should almost never exceed nine times actual damages, it said.
The punitive damages awarded Monday are 36 times the actual damages.
The lawsuits have battered Bayer’s stock since it purchased Monsanto for $63 billion last year and Bayer’s top managers are facing shareholder discontent.
Chairman Werner Wenning told shareholders at Bayer’s annual general meeting in Bonn last month that company leaders “very much regret” falls in its share price. At the same time, CEO Werner Baumann insisted that “the acquisition of Monsanto was and remains the right move for Bayer.”
Bayer’s stock price closed Monday at $15.91 a share, down 45 cents or 2.76 percent per share, in trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The verdict was announced after the trading session closed.
Bayer’s share price has lost half its value since it reached s 52-week high of $32.80 a share.
The Kansas Masonic Foundation, the charitable arm of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, its 205 Masonic Lodges statewide, and the Kansas Masons, announced the award of 250 scholarships to Kansas Students. The awards total nearly $200,000.
The scholarships, which range from $500 to $2,500, are awarded to graduating high school seniors and students already attending four and two-year universities and colleges, including junior colleges and vocational and technical colleges, throughout the state.
This year, the Hays Masonic Lodge was able to provide three scholarships totaling $2,000 to local students. During a banquet held Wednesday, members of the Lodge awarded Alyson Claiborn with a $1,000 check, and Marissa Lindberg with one for $500. A third student, Dylan Brown, was also awarded $500, but was unable to attend.
“It is with great pride that we, as Masons, are able to provide this type of financial support to our future leaders,” said Rick Reichert, President of the Kansas Masonic Foundation. “Our commitment to the scholarship program – and to the numerous other programs that benefit Kansans and Kansas communities through the foundation and the Masonic Lodges throughout the state – is at the core of our belief that charity beyond ourselves strengthens our community.”
SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Latest on a series of arrests connected to a South Florida hip-hop festival.
Josh Jackson photo Miami Dade Police Dept.
Authorities say Phoenix Suns forward and former University of Kansas basketball player Josh Jackson was arrested after refusing to leave a VIP area at a South Florida hip-hop festival.
A Miami-Dade police report says Jackson was arrested Friday night and charged with resisting arrest and escape at the Rolling Loud Festival, which was held Friday through Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Police are investigating connections between the festival and a series of shooting that killed a Chicago rapper, wounded another rapper’s girlfriend, left a bystander dead and injured a little boy.
An officer says Jackson was told to leave a VIP because he didn’t have a pass. The report says Jackson left, returned and then refused to leave, prompting the officer to handcuff Jackson and remove him from the area.
The report says Jackson was told to sit on a golf cart but ran away when the officer wasn’t looking. Jackson was located a short time later and taken to jail.
Jackson was released Saturday on $1,000 bail. His next hearing in June 10.
Jackson played the 2016-17 season for the Kansas Jayhawks before he was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
Brock Robinson was sentenced Monday for second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree assault. He is the second of three men from Columbus, Kansas, sentenced in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Taven Williams and the wounding of another man.
A sentencing hearing for 21-year-old Azaiah Forester is scheduled for June 10. The third defendant, 23-year-old Erik Jones, was sentenced in November to 15 years in prison.
Police say Williams was killed in January 2017 when he tried to stop the three men from robbing another man of a large amount of marijuana. The target of the robbery was wounded.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have passed a bill that could give parents and guardians greater rights in end-of-life decisions involving children.
Sheryl Crosier photo courtesy Kansans for Life
The House gave final approval Monday to “Simon’s Law” — named for a St. Louis boy with a rare genetic disorder who died at 3 months old in 2010. His parents said they discovered later that hospital employees did not try to save their son’s life because a doctor had issued a do-not-resuscitate order without their knowledge.
The legislation prohibits medical personnel from instituting do-not-resuscitate orders for those younger than 18 without the consent of at least one parent or legal guardian.
Simon’s mother, Sheryl Crosier, emotionally thanked Missouri lawmakers Monday as she watched them vote on the bill.
Kansas became the first state to enact a similar law in 2017.
The TMP baseball teams scored at least one run in all five innings, all nine starters collected at least one hit and seven of the nine drove in a run as they earned a 13-3 win over Beloit in five innings Monday. With the win the Monarchs advance to the regional semifinals on Wednesday.
Aaron Breit postgame interview
The Monarchs wasted no time jumping out to a 4-0 lead as they batted around in the first inning.
Carson Jacobs got the scoring started with an RBI single and a second run scored on an error by the centerfielder. Eston Brown followed that with an RBI double and then Ethan Atherton added an RBI single to give TMP a 4-0 lead.
In the second inning TMP added a run on back-to-back wild pitches by Beloit’s Walker Shafer. Brady Kreutzer singled in a run and Colby Dreiling added an RBI ground out giving TMP a 7-0 lead through two innings.
The Monarchs added two more runs in the third after Jace Wentling was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and a Kreutzer ground out added the Monarchs ninth run of the game.
Beloit scored a pair of run in the top of the fourth to cut the Monarchs lead to 9-2 but Noah Gibson helped the Monarchs get a run back in their half of the fourth on an RBI double giving TMP a 10-2 lead.
The Trojans got a run back in the fifth to make it 10-3 TMP.
In the fifth inning Jace Wentling reached on an error to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice fly, he scored on a wild pitch giving TMP an 11-3 lead.
Following a dropped their strike that allowed Colby Dreiling to reach with two outs Ethan Atherton singled in a pair of runs to give TMP the 13-3 run-rule win in five innings.
Dreiling earned the win, his ninth straight, to improve to 9-1 on the season. He allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and a strike out.
Atherton was two-for-four and three RBI’s and Brady Kreutzer added two RBI’s.
Kreutzer ran his hit streak to 15 straight games. He has also driven in a run in 15 of the last 17 games.
Game hightlights
TMP will face Concordia in the second semifinals of the 3A Beloit regional Wednesday in Concordia.
Concordia defeated Larned 6-1 Monday.
The top-seed Minneapolis shutout Lincoln/Sylvan-Lucas 10-0 in five innings and they will take on Hoisington/Central Plains after they earned a 10-0 win in five innings over Ellsworth/Wilson.
