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Month: September 2019

News From the Oil Patch, Sept. 16

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By JOHN P. TRETBAR

It’s being labeled the single worst-ever sudden disruption to the international oil market ever, triggering a big spike in both oil prices and Middle East tensions. Coordinated attacks on facilities in Saudi Arabia knocked out roughly five percent of global crude-oil supply. Saudi Aramco lost half of its production in the attacks on two facilities. According to Bloomberg, Saudi Aramco is supplying its customers with stockpiles and is activating idle offshore fields, but it’s not clear how quickly they can make up the difference.

Crude futures prices skyrocketed on Monday, gaining more than ten percent by mid-morning. The Nymex benchmark contract was up $5.53 to $60.38 per barrel. London Brent gained more than six dollars to $66.49.

Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $45 per barrel. That price was posted before news broke from the Middle East.

EIA forecasts U.S. crude oil production will average 12.2 million barrels per day this year, an increase of 1.2 million barrels per day from last year’s average. The government now forecasts an increase of another million barrels next year to a predicted annual average of 13.2 million barrels per day in 2020. The agency notes national production growth is slowing down in the oil patch, which the government said was caused by flat crude prices and a slowdown in productivity growth at the well head.

In it’s monthly Short Term Energy Outlook, EIA forecasts West Texas Intermediate prices will lag behind the international benchmark by $5.50 per barrel next year to average about $56.50 a barrel. EIA predicts Brent spot prices will average $62 a barrel next year.

U.S. crude oil production increased slightly last week, to 12.398 million barrels per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That’s the second-highest weekly tally ever from EIA and slightly more than 100-thousand barrels per day short of the record set last month.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 6.7 million barrels per day last week, down by 180,000 barrels per day from the previous week. The four-week average is nearly 12% less than the same four-week period last year.

The government reported a drop in domestic crude oil inventories of nearly seven million barrels. In its weekly summary, EIA said U.S. stockpiles dropped to 416.1 million barrels, or about two percent below the five-year seasonal average.

Total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 0.7 million barrels last week and are about 3% above the five year average for this time of year.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reported a 21% increase in its weekly rig count, with eight active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up four, and 27 west of Wichita, which is up two for the week. Operators were about to spud one new well in Stafford County and another in Barton County. Drilling was underway on leases in Barton and Russell counties.

Operators received 27 permits for drilling at new locations last week, 11 in eastern Kansas and 16 in the western half of the state. Barton, Ellis and Stafford counties each report one new permit. There are 691 new drilling permits filed so far this year.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reports 14 new well completions across Kansas for the week, 993 so far this year. There were two newly-completed wells east of Wichita, and 12 in Western Kansas, including dry holes in Barton and Stafford counties.

Texas regulators report a continuing decline in that state’s oil and gas production, the second monthly drop in a row. The Railroad Commission of Texas reports total crude oil production in the Lone Star State dipped to 97.5 million barrels or 3.25 million barrels per day. That’s down nearly 300,000 barrels per day from May’s total, and more than half a million barrels per day below last year’s June production. The state’s production of natural gas and condensate were also lower for the month and year-over-year.

The flaring of natural gas in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico dropped during the first quarter of this year, but will reach an all-time high in the second quarter. The research firm Rystad Energy reports January through March saw the first decline in the natural gas burned off at the well head in the Permian since 2017. Adjusted first-quarter totals show oil producers flared an average of 613 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. But preliminary numbers show another dramatic increase in flaring during the second quarter to about 663 million cubic feet per day.

The top oil producer in New Mexico is selling off nearly one billion dollars worth of non-core assets. Reuters reports Concho Resources plans to use the money to lower its debt and buyback shares. The company said in a statement that the narrow strip of about 100,000 acres lies on the border of Concho’s operations in the Delaware area of the Permian Basin. Spur Energy Partners will shell out $925 million for the package, which officials say produces about 25,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The North Dakota Supreme Court will soon decide a dispute between the state and its largest oil producer in a fight over emissions. Continental Resources is fighting what it calls an overly strict interpretation of regulations by the Department of Environmental Quality. Lawyers for the Oklahoma-based shale producer argue that some “fugitive emissions” are unavoidable. They assert that compliance would require “leakless technology” which does not exist. According to reporting by the Bismarck Tribune, the dispute began a few years ago, when regulators started using optical gas imaging cameras to inspect production facilities. Continental filed the lawsuit in district court a year ago. But a judge rejected the lawsuit saying it belonged in federal court. The company is seeking to reverse the lower court decision and remand the case back for further proceedings.

BP’s decision to divest upstream and midstream assets in Alaska completes the UK super-major’s exit from the region after several divestitures there in recent years. The research firm Rystad Energy calls that part of BP’s strategic shift to tight-oil assets in the U.S. Prior to the sale, BP was the largest operator in Alaska. But, Hilcorp, currently the number-three Alaska operator, will pay $5.6 billion to acquire BP’s stake. The transaction includes BP Exploration’s oil and gas interests in Alaska, and BP Pipelines, which owns part of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. The deal will make Hilcorp the state’s largest operator, with about sixty percent of the state’s total production. Rystad Energy’s head of upstream research reported significant potential for increased output from Prudhoe Bay, a massive but maturing play that was once once the world’s largest oil field by production.

Boil order issued for Smith County community

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TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a boil water advisory for Smith County Rural Water District No.1 for all services South of 140 Rd between M Rd and X Rd including the unincorporated city of Bellaire, located east of Smith Center.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

  • If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
  • Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
  • Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
  • Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
  • Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.

The advisory took effect on Sept.16 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure due to a line break. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

Regardless of whether the public water supplier or KDHE announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

For consumer questions, please contact the water system or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: https://www.kdheks.gov/pws/emergencyresponse/water_disruption.htm

Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at  [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.

Janice Lynn Chase

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November 2, 1946 – September 14, 2019

An obituary is pending with Pauls Funeral Home.

Private family services will be held at a later date.

Farmer charged in case of missing brothers near KC waives right to hearing

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Garland Nelson photo Caldwell Co.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man charged with tampering with a vehicle used by two Wisconsin brothers who are missing and presumed dead in northwest Missouri has waived his right to a hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

Court records show that 25-year-old Garland Nelson was ordered to be arraigned Oct. 7 after foregoing his right to a preliminary hearing during a court appearance Monday.

Brothers Nick and Justin Diemel, from Shawano County, Wisconsin, were on a trip related to their cattle business when they disappeared in July after visiting Nelson.

Human remains found on a Missouri farm owned by Nelson have not been identified. The tampering charge stems from allegations that Nelson drove a truck the brothers rented from his farm to a commuter parking lot, where it was found abandoned.

Nelson is also charged in Bourbon County, Kansas, with endangering the food supply. Prosecutors say Nelson didn’t have proper health papers when he took 35 calves from his family’s farm in Missouri to a farm in Fort Scott, Kansas, in May.

Lila Mae (Sander) Klein

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Lila Mae (Sander) Klein, age 85, from Wichita, Kansas, died Sunday, September 15, 2019, at Via Christi Village Care Center in Wichita, Kansas.

She was born February 11, 1934, in Pfeifer, Kansas, to John P. and Eva (Braun) Sander. She married Elmer J. Klein on April 18, 1953, at Victoria, Kansas.

Lila was a homemaker and was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Wichita, Kansas. She grew up in Pfeifer, Kansas, attended the Pfeifer Grade School and was a 1952 graduate of Victoria High School. She enjoyed gardening, crafts, baking and cooking, and spending time with family and all of her grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband, Elmer J. Klein, of the home; two sons, Ronald Klein and Randall Klein, both of Wichita, KS; four daughters, Joan Green, Cindy Reyes, Roseanne Klein, Gaylee Aipperspach and husband Alan, all of Wichita, KS; one brother, Father Reginald Sander O.S.B., Tarkio, MO; one sister, Velma Batchelder, Reno, NV; 12 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; eight brothers, Eugene, Msgr. Edward J. Sander, Adolph, Edgar, Elmer, Virgil, Ralph, and Arthur Sander; five sisters, Sister Evelyn Sander, Sophia Meier, Florina Dome, Leona Klein, and Angela Basgall.

Services are 10:00 A.M. Thursday, September 19, 2019, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Pfeifer, Kansas. Burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, Pfeifer, Kansas.

A vigil service and rosary will be at 7:30 P. M. Wednesday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays.

Visitation is from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M. Wednesday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Thursday, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Pfeifer, Kansas.

The family suggests memorials to Holy Cross Charities, INC. Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601. Condolences can be sent via e-mail to [email protected] or can be left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com

The Post Podcast: K-State Agricultural Research Center develops three new wheat varieties

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Ellis Co. restaurant and lodging inspections, 9/9 – 9/15

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Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:

Jalisco’s Mexican Restaurant 2514 Vine #1, Hays – Sept. 11

A routine inspection found five violations.

  • In the walk-in cooler, there was a container of raw pork egg rolls that was being stored on a wire shelf directly above an opened container of raw cut onions. No evidence of leaking was observed.
  • In the walk-in cooler, there was a covered container of raw shrimp that was being stored on a wire rack directly above an uncovered container of cooked rice. No evidence of leaking was observed. In the walk-in cooler, there was a covered container of raw ground pork that was being stored on a wire shelf directly above a covered container of a white cheese sauce. No evidence of leaking was observed. In the Turbo Air refrigerated prep table, there was an uncovered container of raw bacon that was being stored on a wire rack directly above an uncovered container of cooked assorted vegetables.
  • An employee on the cooking line had single-use gloves on his hands and he proceeded to handle raw chicken with his gloved hands. After handling the raw chicken he then grabbed the cutting board on the refrigerated prep table and a plate that was going to be used for ready to eat food.
  • On the storage shelf in the kitchen, there were several food-grade containers that were being stacked with sticker residue present along sides of the containers.
  • In the side storage shelving area, there was a half-full case of liquid hand soap that was being stored on a solid wooden shelf directly next to several assorted canned food products. No evidence of leaking was observed.

Lindyspring of Hays 1519 Canterbury, Hays – Sept. 11

A routine inspection found no violations.

Roosevelt Elementary 2000 Macarthur, Hays – Sept. 11

A routine inspection found one violation.

  • In the southwest corner of the kitchen, there is a floor mixer that has dried food residue present along the underside of the arm with the mixing bowl stored directly under.

H E Hutchinson & Sons 801 11th St., Hays – Sept. 10

A routine inspection found no violations.

Lomatos Pizza 130 W. Ninth St., Hays – Sept. 10

A routine inspection found three violations.

  • In the walk-in cooler, there were two large containers of pizza sauce that were mixed the previous night and placed into the walk-in fridge at 8 p.m. The internal temperature of the pizza sauce was 45 F at 12:00 pm.
  • In the two-door glass reach-in cooler, there was an open container of cream cheese with a date of 9-3-18, held past 7 days.
  • In the back storage closet, there were two large plastic baskets with various chemicals on a wire shelf being stored on directly over the top of single-use cups.

Chartwells – FHSU McMindes Hall, 600 Park, Hays – Sept. 9

A follow-up inspection found four violations.

  • In the self-service waffle area, there was waffle batter that was at the temperature of 80 F.
  • On the salad buffet line, there was a cabbage salad that was at 45 F.  On the noodle line there was a container of fully cooked rice that was at the temperature of 47 F. On the self-service line next to the waffle station there was strawberry cream cheese at the temperature of 52 F and regular cream cheese at 55 F.
  • In the vegetable walk-in cooler, there was a container of opened yogurt with the date of 8/21/19. Product was held for over 7 days.
  • In the equipment storage area, there were three of five food-grade plastic tubs that had sticker residue present along the outside of the containers. These containers were being stacked inside one another.

 

Farm to Fork dinner tickets on sale now

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Sara Bloom, DHDC director, at last year’s Farm to Fork dinner. Courtesy photo

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Tickets went on sale at 8 a.m. Monday for the annual Downtown Hays Market Farm to Fork dinner.

The dinner will be at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at the Downtown Pavilion. Tickets are $60 each or a table of eight for $450. They can be purchased online or at the Downtown Hays Development Corp. office, 1200 Main. Only 104 tickets will be available.

Farm to Fork supports the Downtown Hays Market. The market has about 80 vendors who annually sign up to sell items. The market does not charge a vendor fee, so the proceeds from the dinner are used in promoting the market, Sara Bloom, DHDC director, said.

The event begins with an hors d’oeuvres and cocktail hour. Musical entertainment will be provided, but the group has yet to be named.

Chef Manuel Hernandez, Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing executive chef, is preparing the meal again this year.

The menu is as follows:

Appetizers

  • Corn-roasted salsa with guacamole, tortillas and pita bread
  • Honeycomb with brie
  • Roasted veggies
  • Meatballs

Soup

  • Black bean soup

Salad

  • Mercado shredded salad with jicama (Mexican turnip), carrots, cucumber and mango

Entree 

  • Tricolored beef enchiladas

Dessert

  • Petite Mexican assortment of desserts with churros, tres leche cake and conchas (sweet bread)
  • Mexican hot chocolate
Centerpieces from last year’s Farm to Fork with materials provided by Bethesda Place and arranged by Norman Keller of Regeena’s. Courtesy photo

Once the chef has the menu, he provides DHDC with the list of needed ingredients, which he tries to source from local market vendors.

“That covers everything from the dairy products to the egg products to produce and meats,” Bloom said.

Vendors who do not sell food have the opportunities to donate merchandise that is given away during the event.

Resurrection Vineyard will again provide a selection of wines, and Lb. Brewing will offer a new dessert beer.

“We try to keep this event very small and intimate,” Bloom said. “We want the people to be able to meet people they haven’t met before and create a real intimate evening for those who attend.”

What truly makes the event unique, is Chef Manuel’s discussion of the ingredients that he uses and the dishes that he has prepared.

“He is the highlight of the evening,” Bloom said. “Listening to him talk about the ingredients and the difference between the eggs you find in a grocery store compared to ones you can get from a farm and just hearing him talk about his passion for food and his passion for local sources is just wonderful. He really does make the event.”

Lb. Brewing will provide a new dessert beer for the event and Resurrection will provide a selection of wines. Courtesy photo

The Downtown Hays Market will be wrapping up on Oct. 18. It is 7:30 to 11 a.m. through the summer and early fall every Saturday at the Downtown Hays Pavilion at 10th and Main streets.

“We have wonderful vendors who participate in that event,” Bloom said, “and it has truly become a gathering place for our community – free coffee and just good conversation and wonderful products and services that are down there. I always want to encourage people to check out the Downtown Hays Market, and if you are able to support that event by purchasing tickets to the Farm to Fork dinner, by all means, I hope that you do that.”

Crude oil prices spike following attacks on Saudi oil facilities

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Kansas motorists can expect pump price jumps coming to stations as soon as this week

AAA
On the week, the national gas price average held steady at $2.56, with the Kansas average rising two cents to $2.35 per gallon, but motorists can expect volatility at the pump in the coming days and weeks. Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia experienced drone attacks on two major oil facilities – including theworld’s largest, Abqaiq. The attacks have taken 5.7 million barrels of crude oil per day off the market, accounting for about 6% of the global supply.
Prior to the attacks, global crude oil supply was very healthy, in fact sitting on a global glut of stocks. Regardless, initial market reaction to the attacks spiked crude oil prices.  At the start of the work week, crude oil (West Texas Intermediate, WTI) is trading for $5/bbl more than on Friday’s closing, up to $61/bbl – a price point for crude not seen since May.
“Kansans and motorists across America can expect local pump prices to start to increase this week. The jump could end up being as much as a quarter per gallon throughout this month,” said Shawn Steward, AAA Kansas spokesperson. “Whether this is a short or long term trend will be determined by the price of crude oil prices and how quickly the facilities in Saudi Arabia can recover and get back online.”
Damage to the facilities is still being assessed, but there is no word if it will be days, weeks or even months before infrastructure is repaired. To ease concerns, President Trump said he has authorized the release of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Other Saudi-oil-consuming countries also have emergency reserves to help back-fill the global loss, if needed.
Notably, the U.S. currently depends less on crude imports from Saudi Arabia. The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) report showed that the U.S. imported the least amount of crude oil from Saudi this decade. In the first half of this year, on average the U.S. imported about 18,000 bbl compared to 35,600 bbl in the first half of 2017.
While U.S. gasoline stock levels have been decreasing the past few weeks, total domestic stocks sit at 228 million bbl, which is ahead of the five-year average for this time of year by several million bbl. Today’s national gas price average is 7 cents cheaper than last month and 28 cents cheaper than this time last year. But these gaps are likely to shrink as the market adjusts to the news and crude oil prices increase.
AAA has a variety of resources to help motorists save on fuel:
“There are actions drivers can take to get better gas mileage and save money at the pumps,” added AAA Kansas’ Steward. “First, accelerate gradually, avoid jackrabbit starts, and stick to the speed limit. You should also make sure your tires are properly inflated. Check the sticker inside the driver’s door or the vehicle owner’s manual for recommended tire air pressure. Finally, replace the vehicle’s air filter and have your engine tuned up regularly to make sure it operates as efficiently as possible.”
This week’s gas price quick stats
  • The nation’s top 10 largest weekly changes are: Ohio (+13 cents), Michigan (-9 cents), Delaware (+9 cents), Illinois (+6 cents), New Mexico (+5 cents), Georgia (+4 cents), Colorado (+4 cents), Utah (-3 cents), Oklahoma (+3 cents) and Louisiana (+3 cents).
  • The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets are: Mississippi ($2.18), Louisiana ($2.20), Alabama ($2.22), South Carolina ($2.22), Arkansas ($2.24), Texas ($2.26), Tennessee ($2.27), Oklahoma ($2.28), Virginia ($2.28) and Missouri ($2.29).
Great Lakes and Central States
Pump prices range from as much as 13 cents more expensive to nine cents cheaper in the region on the week. Ohio (+13 cents) and Michigan (-9 cents) saw the biggest weekly changes in the region and the country. Gas prices are noticeably more expensive in Illinois (+6 cents), while Kansas (+2 cents), Missouri (+1 cent), Indiana (+1 cent), Kentucky (+1 cent) and Nebraska are more expensive but just by a couple of pennies.
Gasoline stocks built by a significant 1.6 million bbl in EIA’s latest report. That increases total stocks for the Great Lakes and Central States to 53 million bbl, which is on par with levels this time last year. Regional refinery utilization remains strong at 100%, which should ultimately lead to cheaper gas prices for the region. However, any major jumps in crude oil prices may reverse this trend and lead to more expensive gas prices nationally and in the region.
Oil market dynamics
At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, WTI decreased by 24 cents to settle at $54.85, but on Monday, the price was up to $61/bbl.
Overall, oil prices were mixed. Early in the week, oil prices fell after reports emerged that the Trump Administration is considering relaxing sanctions on Iran, which would put more oil into an already oversupplied market. However, the losses were tempered by EIA’s weekly report showing that total domestic crude inventories fell by 6.9 million bbl last week. They now sit at 416.1 million bbl, which is nearly 20 million bbl higher than were they were at this same time last year. For this week, crude prices will see increases due to increased tension in the Middle East – specifically stemming from the attacks in Saudi Arabia –  and could be bolstered by increased optimism that China and the U.S., the world’s two largest crude consumers, may be nearing a resolution to the trade war.
Motorists can find current gas prices along their route with the free AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. The app can also be used to map a route, find discounts, book a hotel and access AAA roadside assistance. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile
AAA provides automotive, travel, and insurance services to 59 million members nationwide and nearly 347,000 members in Kansas. AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years. AAA is a non-stock, non-profit corporation working on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel, and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app (AAA.com/mobile) for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit www.AAA.com.

Hyperloop on I-70 could be reality in just seven years

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KANSAS CITY (AP) — It sounds like science fiction hype, but supporters believe ultrafast Hyperloop transportation could become reality within a decade, propelling passengers from Kansas City to St. Louis in a 30-minute trip.

photo courtesy Virgin Hyperloop 1

“We’ve already completed a feasibility study, and now we’re on to the next steps with this. It’s happening quicker than even I would have guessed,” said KC Tech Council President Ryan Weber, who is working with numerous other Missouri officials on a project that he predicted could be implemented in about seven years.

Hyperloop is a cutting-edge technology that transports passengers in a vehicle floating above a track via magnetic levitation. It moves by electric power through a depressurized, low-friction tube at airline speeds. A test pod exceeded 240 mph in 2017, and the vehicles are envisioned to reach speeds of up to nearly 700 mph.

More testing is needed to get the technology past the experimental stage.

Late last year, Black & Veatch found that a route along Interstate 70 in Missouri was realistically feasible to construct.

Officials are eager for Missouri to be an early adapter of the technology. One advantage is that the state owns most of the right-of-way along I-70, although some land acquisition challenges remain and the overall costs are projected to be $7 billion to $10 billion, Harvest Public Media reported.

Yes, Weber conceded, the project would be enormously expensive, and numerous questions must still be answered. But he said the relatively flat I-70 route from Kansas City to Columbia and St. Louis is ideal. It makes more sense, he said, to invest in a futuristic, energy-efficient transportation mode that moves people quickly and efficiently than to spend billions on new lanes of traditional highway traffic.

“This won’t be impacted by weather. This won’t be impacted by fuel prices,” he said. “And this will be a fully autonomous electric system that will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Kansas City lawyer Greg Kratofil, chair of Polsinelli’s technology transactions group, said motorists are all too familiar with the terrible road conditions currently on I-70, as they drive from Kansas City to the University of Missouri and eastward to St. Louis.

Hyperloop, he said, would be a “fundamental change in transportation,” providing a 15-minute trip to Columbia or about 30 minutes to St. Louis, which would help rural residents along the route as well.

While the project costs appear astronomical, a “Blue Ribbon” panel of Missouri civic and business leaders and elected officials formed earlier this year to explore the specifics of funding and construction.

Weber said an update is expected from the panel later this month or early in October.

“I don’t think there’s an appetite for this to be taxpayer funded,” he said. “I think this has to be likely a public-private partnership where I do think there are a number of investors out there extremely interested in this system.”

Kristen Hammer, business development manager with Virgin Hyperloop One in Los Angeles, said two others U.S. routes are under consideration: Pittsburgh to Chicago and Dallas to Laredo, Texas. But she said she’s been impressed with Missouri’s commitment to the project and the pace of planning in the state.

Hammer said Virgin Hyperloop did a successful quarter-mile test in Nevada and is now scouting locations for a test of several miles, working with state and federal regulators.

“The next step,” she said, “is a longer test that we really are looking forward to using for certification of the technology.”

On Saturday, the public can see the Virgin Hyperloop One XP-1 pod that successfully accelerated to test speeds of over 240 mph on the Nevada test track. It will be on display at the Kansas Speedway during the American Royal Barbecue, and company executives will be present to answer questions.

Hammer said the system’s safety is paramount and will be fully vetted. She said it is also designed to provide a comfortable ride, without excessive G-forces.

“So you’ll actually feel less of that pushback than you do when taking off on an airplane,” she said.

Finally, the cost to passengers would be less than a tank of gas to drive from Kansas City to St. Louis. “That’s really our goal,” Hammer said. “If people can’t afford to take it, then we’re just building an amusement park ride, and that’s not our business.”

Anita June (Whitney) Wyatt

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Anita June (Whitney) Wyatt, beloved daughter of John and Frances (Gnagy) Whitney, was born in Norton, Kansas on February 22, 1943, and peacefully passed away at the Andbe Home in Norton on September 15, 2019, at the age of 76.

Anita grew up in Norton and graduated from the Norton Community High School. In 1962, Anita was united in marriage to Richard Wyatt and to this union three children were born.

Anita was a member of the Community Sunshine Club and also a member of the Norton Christian Church. She was baptized at the age of 11. When her health permitted, Anita enjoyed gardening. Her greatest love was spending time with her family, especially her children and grandchildren.

Survivors include: one daughter, Cindy, and husband, Bruce Wegener, Norton; one son, R. Shane, and wife, LeAnn Wyatt, Norton; two brothers, John Whitney, Norton; Evan, and wife, Barb Whitney, Norton; three sisters, Janet Meyers, Norton; Neva Jo, and husband, Garrett Beydler, Edmond, Ks; Patricia, and husband, Dr. Scott Smiley, Pueblo, Co.; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; several other relatives and friends.

Anita is now rejoicing in heaven with her parents, one daughter, Robin L. Wyatt, one grandson, Wyatt Wegener, one sister, Kay Lene Hahn, two brothers-in-law, Richard Meyers and Richard Hahn.

FUNERAL SERVICES – Thursday, September 19, 2019 – 2:00 PM
PLACE – Norton Christian Church – Norton, Kansas
VISITATION – Wednesday, September 18, 2019 from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Enfield Funeral Home in Norton.
INTERMENT – Norton Cemetery – Norton, Kansas
MEMORIALS – Northwest Kansas Hospice Services or Norton Cares

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