TOPEKA – Brown, Ness and Osborne Counties were added to the state disaster proclamation signed by Governor Laura Kelly May 9 which brings the total to 66.

Other counties currently named in the declaration are: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gray, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jefferson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Riley, Rush, Russell, Saline, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.

“Due to the severity of the weather damage, the path to recovery won’t happen overnight,” Kelly said. “We will continue to provide assistance as requested by jurisdictions to support response, and move swiftly in support of efforts to repair the damage.”

Thirty-three Kansas counties are now included a federal emergency disaster declaration from President Donald Trump. These counties are Allen, Anderson, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harvey, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marshall, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Reno, Riley, Saline, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Wilson, and Woodson.

An emergency declaration supplements state and local government efforts for required emergency measures to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe through direct federal assistance for emergency protective measures.

The State Emergency Operations Center remains at a partial activation to monitor flooding response.

The Kansas National Guard continues to conduct water hauling operations in support of Lakeside Village in Jefferson County. The Guard is currently delivering an average of 24,000 gallons of water daily to the community water tower.

Starting June 18, Small Business Administration representatives are on hand at two Disaster Loan Outreach Centers to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Both centers will be open from June 18 through June 27. No appointment is necessary.

In Douglas County, the Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be located at Peaslee Technical Training Center – Classroom B, 2920 Haskell Ave., Lawrence. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In Leavenworth County, the Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be a Linwood Community Center – Commons Area, 105 E. Third St., Linwood. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, Osage and Shawnee counties. Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters whose property was damaged or destroyed as a result of the severe storms and tornadoes on May 28.

– KANSAS ADJUTANT GENERAL –

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Portions of Wilson Lake will remain closed through July 31 due to heavy precipitation that has caused flood concerns across the state since May.

Due to the conditions around the lake, the Wilson Lake Area Association has postponed the Fourth of July firework display to 9 p.m. Aug. 31, the group announced on Facebook this week.

On Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers listed the lake as 10.83 feet above conservation levels and at an elevation of 1,526 feet.

At that time, the dam was listed as releasing water at a rate of 1,200 cubic feet per second.

While the park at Wilson Lake remains open, many facilities are closed due to the high lake elevation and will remain closed through the end of July, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

In Lucas Park, sites 1-42 and 51-96, Swim Beach Road, Group Camp and Boat Ramp Road are included in the list of sites closed through July.

In Minooka Park, the A-F loop is closed along with the east and west boat ramps and the swim beach.

The spillway ramp boat ramp and east end of the dam access are also closed.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism listed parts of the park as currently closed as well.

“All of Otoe is closed including the four cabins,” according to the KDWPT website.

In Hell Creek, the Lower Switchgrass primitive camping area, swim beach and kids pond, Little Bluestem primitive area, and sites 8-16 in Big Bluestem east and west were listed as closed as well.

They also listed Birdy loop of the Switchgrass Mountain bike trail as under water along with part of the marina loop.

The Indian Grass primitive, Lovegrass group camp, Big Bluestem sites 1-7 and 17-40, Buffalograss primitive, Hell Creek Boat ramp, Side Oats primitive, Wheatgrass east and west, Grama east, Switchgrass mountain bike trail, Marina, Dropseed east, seasonal camp and Marina Cove Toadstools were listed as open by the KDWPT.

In May, the dam received the highest amount recorded since recording keeping began in 1964, 10.83 inches of rain, according to the Corps.

During the drought of 2012, rainfall totaled 13.29 inches for the entire year.

By RANDY GONZALES
FHSU University Relations and Marketing

When he enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard in 1999, uppermost in Fred Mize’s mind was serving his country. Now a master sergeant, he is thinking about ways to better provide for his wife and six children when he retires from the military.

Fort Hays State University is offering a unique associate degree program that will give Mize and other military members like him the opportunity to do just that.

This fall, Fort Hays State will be the only university in the nation to offer the Associate of Applied Science in Technology and Leadership degree option for service members and veterans from all branches of the military. FHSU restructured existing technology and leadership programs into one and added a technology education requirement that utilized military training and experience.

FHSU already has a partnership with the Army that uses soldiers’ professional military education as part of this degree program, allowing degree completion in a shorter time span.

This particular associate program will award up to 36 credit hours (of 60 required) for military training and experience, including six hours of transfer credit using military leadership course substitutions. In addition to the associate degree, the program will award a certificate in leadership studies upon completion. Learning options include on campus, online or a mixture of both.

“Looking at the different degree programs online, that one piqued my interest because it’s leadership based,” Mize said. “In any profession, that’s important.”

With the credit for military experience, the AAS degree can be completed in one year, a bachelor’s degree in two more years and a master’s degree in an additional year. Dr. Seth Kastle, an Army veteran and assistant professor of leadership studies at FHSU, took the initiative to restructure the degree program.

“This degree is an accelerated first step for service members in attaining civilian credentials that will help them find meaningful employment after their time of service,” Kastle said. “They have been working in their fields for years. They have been practitioners of leadership since before they were old enough to purchase alcohol.”

The program caught the attention of Command Sgt. Maj. Bryant Potts, the top noncommissioned officer for the U.S. Army’s 95th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.

“I think it’s a great concept,” said Sgt. Maj. Potts. “There are a lot of folks who are continuing their education while they are still serving. Fort Hays State having this degree option is great.”

In addition to the opportunity to earn three degrees in four years, service members also receive an added benefit in continuing their education.

“In the military, as you get degrees, that fulfills a major requirement to advance your career,” Kastle said.

Mize, who plans to retire from the military in four years, said this new degree will positively impact him and his family.

“It’s something that’s been lacking for many years,” Mize said. “Soldiers like myself, with my experience, if I don’t have a degree to back that up when I retire, I wouldn’t be very marketable in the civilian world even though I have so many years of leadership experience. With a degree backing it up, we’re earning what we deserve.”

For more information, contact Kastle at [email protected].

City of Hays

M & D Excavating, Inc. continues to perform multiple sanitary sewer point repairs throughout the city of Hays. An updated location map is below showing the proposed repair locations.

All work is scheduled to be completed by July 12.

Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. The traveling public should use caution and if possible avoid areas of construction.

For more information, call the Office of Project Management at (785) 628-7350 or the contractor, M & D Excavating at (785) 628-3169 or (785) 650-3802.