By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher
This week is Kansas Farm Bureau’s Centennial Tour. This event will celebrate Kansas agriculture across the state and highlight its diversity and ingenuity. There will be lots of good food, celebration and, most importantly, great fellowship. Kansas Farm Bureau has a lot to celebrate, and it will be a party from one end of this great state to the other.
While we should reflect on our accomplishments and what we have achieved over the last 100 years, this is also the time to look toward the next 100. What will this organization look like in 2119? Who will our members be? What will agriculture look like, and how will we grow our food in the next century? All are questions we should ask but also all are questions I guarantee we do not have the answers to.
In the next couple of months, we will get a report from our Strategic Planning Committee, which was convened to take a stab at what KFB will look like in the future. Committee members represent a cross section of Kansas Farm Bureau and the diversity of agriculture it represents.
In true grassroots, Farm Bureau style, each individual Farm Bureau member had the opportunity to provide input about the future of our organization and what it should look like. Everything was scrutinized, and every path was explored. No rocks were left unturned. What are we doing right and what could be improved? The committee worked tirelessly, and many hours, much energy and thoughtful contemplation went into the final document.
I cannot wait to see this road map we will be given to start our journey into the next 100 years. More importantly, I am so proud to be part of an organization that has the foresight to plan while celebrating the past. That kind of forward thinking is what has made Farm Bureau the voice of agriculture and a place for everyone involved in the production of food and fiber.
I am sure the next 100 years will bring even more innovation to our industry. I am sure we cannot even begin to imagine what changes will happen. I am also equally sure that Kansas Farm Bureau will be able to adapt, change and continue to be a resource for Kansas farmers and ranchers.
So, this week, lets renew old friendships, celebrate our accomplishments and enjoy the journey of the past 100 years. While we are doing that, we will be looking at the road into the future knowing Kansas Farm Bureau will continue to lead the way and continue to be the most inclusive, general farm organization in Kansas with a place for all producers. Here is to 100 years of accomplishments and to the next 100 years of growth and success.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on drug charges after a Tuesday arrest.
Detectives on the scene of Tuesday’s drug investigation photo Barton Co. SheriffRodriguez photo Barton Co.
Just after 10.m., the Barton County Sheriff’s office executed a search warrant at 1429 9th Street in Great Bend, according to Sheriff Bellendir.
Detectives had obtained a warrant to search for suspected controlled substances. Upon entry detectives located suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia. There were two juveniles in the residence at the time of the search warrant.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested 45-year-old Misael Rodriguez of Great Bend.
Rodriguez was transported to the Barton County Jail where he was booked on requested charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia and endangerment of a child. Rodriguez is being held in lieu of a $300,000 bond. This is the second time in two days the Sheriff’s Officers have executed search warrants that resulted in finding drugs within 1000 feet of a school.
A man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to, and park somewhere quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep.
As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city’s major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when there came a knocking on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place.
“Yes?”
“Excuse me, sir,” the jogger said, “do you have the time?”
The man looked at the car clock and answered, “8:15”.
The jogger said thanks and left. The man settled back again, and was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window and another jogger.
“Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?”
“8:25!”
The jogger said thanks and left. Now the man could see other joggers passing by and he knew it was only a matter of time before another one disturbed him. To avoid the problem, he got out a pen and paper and put a sign in his window saying, “I do not know the time!”
Once again he settled back to sleep. He was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The annual MIAA Football Media Day presented by Seigfreid Bingham will be available live on The MIAA Network and Midco Sports Network, Wednesday, July 31. The MIAA will utilize multiple platforms to provide FREE live coverage of 2019 Football Media Day, taking place at the Kauffman Foundation Center in Kansas City.
All 12 MIAA football head coaches and two student-athletes from each school will be in attendance along with media from Kansas City and throughout the conference footprint.
Live coverage of press conferences begin online on The MIAA Network at 9:30 am with opening comments from MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy, including the release of the preseason coaches and media polls. The MIAA Network app is also available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku. The MIAA Network is available via your computer or mobile device. The complete schedule of appearances and times for each school are listed below. No subscription is required to watch the press conferences with free viewing throughout the entire day.
MidcoSN will carry the entire broadcast from The MIAA Network to fans in northeast Kansas. Fans who receive the network as part of their cable subscription can watch it channels 622 (HD) or 32.
Fans are encouraged to submit their questions for head coaches and student-athletes on Twitter with #AskMIAA. A question using the hashtag that is asked during a press conference will receive a prize from the MIAA office.
Student-athletes will also participate in Twitter Live interviews on the MIAA’s twitter page with MIAA Correspondent Bethany Bowman. Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City will have a live show from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Kauffman Foundation Center. The show will have interviews with select coaches and student-athletes.
2019 Football Media Day Schedule
9:30 a.m. MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy
9:45 a.m. Supervisor of Officials Phil Laurie
Session I
10 a.m. Missouri Southern – Jeff Sims, Levi Marlay, Shemar Coleman
10:15 a.m. Nebraska-Kearney – Josh Lynn, Hinwa Allieu, Luke Quinn
10:30 a.m. Pittsburg State – Tim Beck, Simanu’a Thomas, Ryan Dodd
10:45 a.m. Break
11 a.m. Central Missouri – Jim Svoboda, Brook Bolles, John Embrey 11:15 a.m. Fort Hays State – Chris Brown, Layne Bieberle, Kolt Trachsel
11:30 a.m. Central Oklahoma – Nick Bobeck, Tyler Stilwell, O’Shay Harris
Session II
12 p.m. Lincoln – Malik Hoskins, Chavon Gross, Cyril Spells
12:15 p.m. Northwest Missouri State – Rich Wright, Student-Athletes TBA
12:30 p.m. Northeastern State – J.J. Eckert, Ukoh Essang, Jason Staggs
12:45 p.m. Break
1 p.m. Emporia State – Garin Higgins, Kai Callins, Jace McDown
1:15 p.m. Missouri Western – Matt Williamson, Hayden Eatinger, Devan Burrell
1:30 p.m. Washburn – Craig Schurig, Kyle Hinton, Josh Wright
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Global Big Latch On.
Thousands of breastfeeding people and their babies/children across the world will gather in their own communities to take part in the Global Big Latch On, a synchronized breastfeeding event in multiple locations.
The Ellis County Global Big Latch On will take place at Massey Park in Hays on Saturday, August 3 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Ellis County Breastfeeding Coalition invites all breastfeeding mothers and supporters to take part in this worldwide event.
This year’s goal is to break the current Global Big Latch On record of almost 21,500 children breastfeeding at 778 locations, across 28 countries.
The Global Big Latch On is informed by the principles of community development, providing the opportunity for breastfeeding women to get together in their local communities, host their own events, and identify opportunities for on-going support.
Go to www.biglatchon.org to learn more.Breastfeeding contributes to the normal growth and development of babies/children, and babies/children who are not breastfed are at increased risk of infant morbidity and mortality, adult obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer (both mom and baby).
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby’s life to optimize these benefits, continuing to breastfeed for 2 years and as long thereafter as is mutually desired by a woman and her child.
For more information contact Cathleen Kroeger, Ellis County Breastfeeding Coalition chair at 785-477-1277 or [email protected].
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Family and friends of a Kansas restaurant owner who was shot and killed during a robbery have established a GoFundMe page in an effort to raise money to help find the killer.
Charles ‘Chuck’ Giles was gun downed, robbed and murdered in his drive way photo GoFundMe
Just before 10:30p.m. July 19, police responded to a shooting in the 2100 Block of West Columbine in Wichita, according to Captain Brent Allred. At the residence, police found Charles Giles, 55, the owner of Neighbors Bar and Grill in Wichita, with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at the scene, according to Allred.
According to the GoFundMe page, family and friends are begging for answers to the senseless crime and asking for donations to go towards the person who successfully reports information to Sedgwick Country Crime Stoppers @ 316-267-2111 and leads to the arrest and conviction of the persons guilty of this heinous crime. Any donations that exceed the original amount will go towards Chuck’s surviving beloved granddaughters ‘College for America’ fund.
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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and robbery and asking the public for help with information.
Police on the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH
Just before 10:30p.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting in the 2100 Block of West Columbine in Wichita, according to Captain Brent Allred. At the residence, police found 55-year-old Charles Giles of Wichita, with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at the scene, according to Allred.
Investigators determined Mr. Giles left his place of business, Neighbors Bar and Grill, arrived at the residence when the suspect or suspects approached him, fired several rounds from a handgun and took money from him, according to Allred.
Police do not believe the shooting was random. They believe that robbery was the motive, according to Allred.
Anyone with information on the crime that could help investigators is asked to contact police.
With everything from “Kitch to Classic” – it’s time for Artful Resale.
Join the Hays Arts Council for a fundraising art sale at the Hays Arts Center Annex, 1010 Main St.
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9 and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10.
The HAC’s funding allocation from Ellis County was eliminated. To offset that loss and capitalize on recent and previous “artful” donations the HAC has received, it’s the perfect time to clear out the HACs storage and share it with the public … paintings, reproduction and decorative art, photographs, ceramics, sculpture, fiber art, hand-crafted jewelry, art glass, pottery, etc. Art recycling at its best!
While the HAC has a nice assortment of things from previous donations, it would be awesome to collect some new items. If you have any artful treasures of your own that are just too good to toss, but have been relegated to the hall closet, basement or are simply hiding out under a bed, The HAC will find them a new home. Your gift to The HAC could be tax deductible. Remember, the HAC is collecting art and decorative items only – no other “garage sale” type items for this sale.
If you have any artful goodies you’d like to send our way, the HAC would love to have them.
Donated items can be dropped off at the Hays Arts Center, 112 E. 11th St. — and, please give the HAC a call if you need to drop off items outside our regular weekday hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 785-625-7522.
Macie Price, a Cervs employee, rings up Snoballs and beverages for a family at the Vine Street Cervs. Cervs will celebrate its 25th anniversary Aug. 16 to 18.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
The first Cervs at 27 and Vine streets in Hays when it opened in 1994. Photo courtesy of Russ Pfannenstiel.
From a single gas station to an independently owned chain of convenience stores that is beloved for its Popt Popcorn and Snoballs, Cervs has been a Hays staple for 25 years.
The business began in 1994 when Verlin and Elaine Pfannenstiel opened their first location at 27th and Vine in Hays. They bought what was then a gas and service station from the Brown family.
The family developed the name Cervs by combining a letter from each member in the family.
That first store had a single Snoball machine with two flavors. The Snoball did not originate at Cervs. They started at the Stop and Shops, which was another area convenience store chain.
During the school year, you can go into Cervs after school gets out, and there is a line at the Snoball machines. But it’s not just kids, adults seem to love the syrupy, icy drinks too.
Owner Russ Pfannenstiel, 50, said it seems to be a phenomenon unique to this part of the state.
Verlin and Elaine sold the business to their son, Russ, in 1999. Russ graduated from Fort Hays State University in 1991 with a business degree. He worked at a lumberyard in Russell for eight years before moving back to Hays to run the family business.
Russ expanded the business to three locations in Hays, including Hall Street in 2002 and Main Street in 2007.
At left, you can see the original Cervs Snowball machine. Photo courtesy of Russ Pfannenstiel.
In 2008, two more stores were added to the Cervs family, including a store in Hoisington in June 2008 and a store in Great Bend in July 2008.
The company started making flavored Popt! popcorn out its Main Street store in 2014. That business, run by Russ’ wife, Bonnie, eventually moved to a stand-alone location on 27th Street. The Popt! retail store also sells candy, homemade fudge and assorted bottled sodas.
Cervs is also known for its handmade bierocks. You can get the traditional beef in the afternoon along with taco or ham and cheese and breakfast bierocks in the morning, including bacon, egg and cheese or sausage, egg and cheese.
Russ Pfannenstiel is self-admittedly a guy who does not like to be in the limelight. He seldom does interviews and he would prefer someone else to cut his commercials for the stores.
In an industry that used to be dominated by independently owned gas and service stations, Cervs is today a rare example of an independently owned and operated business in a chain-dominated industry.
“I think the single mom-and-pops are becoming harder to operate — keeping up with the fuel and keeping up with the investment in it,” Russ said.
He said he thought the support of the community has been important in the success of the business.
The Snowball machines at the Cervs at Vine and 27 streets in Hays.
“I have been surrounded by some great people,” he said. “I have had some fantastic employees, and we’ve had the support of community in western Kansas.”
Cervs employs 50 to 55 employees across all five locations.
Pfannenstiel, as do most employers in Hays’ tight market, sometimes struggles to find employees. However, he said he has employees who have been with him for some time. He often hires students and said he finds it rewarding to see those young men and women graduate and move on to jobs in their fields.
Why do people like working at Cervs? Pfannenstiel jokes, “You get free Snoballs.”
“It is clean. It is well lit,” he said. “We try to make it a fun place to work.”
Three employees at the Great Bend store came to work for Pfannestiel when he purchased those operations 11 years ago, and they are still with the business. Pfannenstiel said having dependable, long-term employees has made branching out into Great Bend and Hoisington easier.
Pfannenstiel continues to update and look for new product lines that will bring customers into the store. Five years ago, the Cervs at 27th and Vine was renovated and yogurt machines were added. Two years ago, the Hall and Main Street stores were renovated, the Great Bend store was renovated this spring.
“It is fun going through the remodel process and seeing the finished process,” he said, “and getting customers’ feedback and seeing what they would like to see different and incorporating it into the store and the layout.”
The beverage area a the original Cervs. Photo courtesy of Russ Pfannenstiel.
The business also recently made the transition from Conoco branding to Phillips 66. Both brands are owned by the same company, and the parent company preferred to brand its gas stations as Phillips 66 from Kansas City to Denver, Russ said.
Russ said he continues to enjoy the challenge of running Cervs despite its demands.
“Every day is different,” he said. “There is not the same thing. You have a different challenge every day. The people are fun to work with, not only the employees, but the customers and the vendors you work with. It is never the same thing from day to day.”
Russ said Cervs is a fun business, but it is a constant learning process. His hopes for the future …
“To keep it going, keep it a fun place, always coming up with the next new and unique item to bring into the store and be open to any additional possibilities that are out there and being in a position to act upon them,” he said.
His advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out is this, “You live and breathe it. It is on your mind 24 hours, seven days a week. It is not an 8 to 5 job. It is an extension of you and your family.”
Cervs will have a 25th anniversary celebration Friday, Aug. 16, through Sunday, Aug. 18. During the event, Cervs will be collecting food for the Community Assistance Center in Hays and the Community Food Bank of Barton County. Bring in two or more canned goods and you can be entered to win Royals tickets with a parking pass and a year’s supply of Snoballs. Additional giveaways will include concert tickets, bicycles, coolers and other items.
The anniversary event will also include 10 cent 16 ounce coffee Aug. 16 and Aug. 18, a Snoball drinking contest at the Vine and Great Bend locations on Aug. 16 and 25 cent 20 ounce Snoballs on Aug. 17.
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly made 28 appointments to the Kansas Complete Count Committee created through Executive Order #19-07.
The committee’s duty is to coordinate efforts to promote and advertise the 2020 Census. Committee members will coordinate responses to questions about the Census, provide available resources on hard-to-count populations and help ensure the highest participation rate possible.
“It is a priority that my administration provides the Kansas Complete Count Committee the tools they need to ensure an accurate count,” Kelly said. “Every voice is important and every Kansan must be counted. In addition to the amount of federal funding that is on the line, we need an accurate picture of our communities so that we can properly plan for the future. These individuals are highly passionate professionals willing to step up to the challenge.”
Appointed members:
Scott F. Anglemyer, Shawnee, executive director for the Kansas Association of Community Action Programs
Sydney Anselmi, Pittsburg, community leader
Irene Caudillo, Kansas City, president of El Centro Kansas City
Robert Cooper, Topeka, executive director of the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Kasey Featherston, Kansas City, director of Refugee and Immigration Services at Kansas Catholic Charities
Tiara Marie Floyd, Lawrence, student body president at the University of Kansas
Martha Gabehart, Auburn, executive director of the Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns
Robert F. Gilligan, Emporia, governmental relations specialist at the Kansas Association of School Boards
Douglas Graham, Girard, public relations manager at Greenbush Southeast Kansas Education Service Center
Janee Hanzlick, Overland Park, Johnson County commissioner
Marieta Hauswer, Johnson, Kansas Farm Bureau Women’s Committee chair
Chris Howell, Topeka, executive director of the Office of Native American Affairs
Amber Jackson, Silver Lake, advertising director for the Kansas Press Association
Brandon Johnson, Wichita, Wichita city councilman
David Jordan, Hutchinson, president of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
Leslie Kaufman, Topeka, director of Government Relations and Legal Counsel at Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.
Lucille King, Lawrence, co-president of the Kansas League of Women Voters
Clayton Taylor McCarty, Colby, owner of McCarty Family Farms
Janet McRae, Spring Hill, economic development director for Miami County
Robin Newell, Emporia, library director for the Emporia Public Library
Jansen Penny, Manhattan, student body president at Kansas State University
Trudy Rice, Lawrence, program leader coordinator for Extension Community Vitality at Kansas State University
Henry Schwaller, Hays, mayor of Hays
Blanca Soto, Dodge City, campaign director for Kansas Appleseed
Wendi Stark, Manhattan, Census outreach manager at the League of Kansas Municipalities
Becky Tuttle, Wichita, Wichita city councilwomen
Elizabeth Wearing, Salina, coordinator of Programs, Communications and New Initiatives for the Dane G. Hansen Foundation
John Wilson, Lawrence, vice president of Advocacy for Kansas Association for Children
The U.S. Constitution requires a Census every 10 years. The next one starts April 1, 2020. The Census will determine how the federal government distributes over $6 billion in federal funds to Kansas every year.
The Ellis County Public Works Road & Bridge Division has announced that Union Pacific will be performing railroad crossing maintenance on the crossing located at Walker Avenue and Highway 40, reference DOT #814307L, MM 275.46.
The maintenance will begin at 7 a.m. Thursday and will last through Saturday.
Motorists traveling in the affected area should use alternate routes of travel until the project is completed.
Please direct any questions to Union Pacific at 303-405-5031
KANSAS CITY (AP) — Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday seeking to stop a Missouri law that bans abortions beyond the eighth week of pregnancy from taking effect Aug. 28.
Lawyers for the ACLU and Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services of St. Louis argued in the lawsuit that the bill signed by Gov. Mike Parson in May is unconstitutional. They want the federal court to issue a preliminary injunction and/or a temporary restraining order to stop enforcement of the law until the lawsuit is decided.
The new law is considered one of the most restrictive in the country because it doesn’t include exceptions for rape or incest, and would allow the state to charge any provider who performs abortions at or after eight weeks with a felony that could bring a sentence of up to 15 years.
The organizations argue that if the court doesn’t stop the law from taking effect their patients will be severely restricted from accessing pre-viability abortions “preventing the vast majority of patients from obtaining the constitutionally protected medical care they seek.”
Parson’s spokeswoman, Kelli Jones, said the office had no immediate comment. Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s spokesman, Chris Nuelle, office didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment. Parson and Schmidt are among the defendants named in the lawsuit.
If courts don’t uphold the eight-week ban, the bill includes a series of less-restrictive bans ranging from 14 weeks up to 20 weeks. The bill also bans abortions based solely on race, sex or a diagnosis indicating the potential for Down syndrome.
Federal law allows states to prohibit abortions after fetuses are viable outside the womb, which can be from 24 to 28 weeks.
Missouri’s bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies, but that would take effect only if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
“We are in the fight of our lives to protect abortion for 1.1 million Missouri women of reproductive age in our state,” Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, said in a statement. “The attacks are relentless, but our commitment to our patients’ rights and freedoms is unwavering.”
Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services of St. Louis currently is the only abortion provider in Missouri. The clinic sued state health officials in May, accusing them of using facility licensing rules to close the clinic.
The ACLU also is seeking to collect signatures to put the eight-week ban to a statewide vote in 2020 but Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has not yet approved the petition. With only a month left until the law takes effect, the organization is running out of time to collect the 100,000 signatures needed to force a referendum.
