UPDATE: At approximately 11 a.m. Friday Trego County Emergency Management said WaKeeney resident Russell Hearting had been found safe in northwest Trego County.

“We would like to send a huge thank you to everyone that was involved in the search party for Mr. Hearting,” the Facebook announcement said.

Original story

WAKEENEY — A Silver Alert has been issued in Trego County for Russell Adair Hearting, 72, WaKeeney, according to a post of the WaKeeney Police Department’s Facebook page.

The post describes Hearting as 5’10 and 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red, long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and high-top tennis shoes.

Hearting was last seen at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday on 190th and C Road when an individual stopped to speak with Hearting and offered to give him a ride and Hearting refused, according to the post.

Hearting is believed to be on foot and possibly suffering from dementia.

The department is asking for anyone with any information to please contact the Trego County Law Enforcement Center at 785-743-5711.

HPL

The Board of Directors and staff of the Hays Public Library will have two community stakeholder meetings June 10 at the Hays Public Library. Central Kansas Library System leaders will facilitate 90-minute public sessions at 1:30 and 6 p.m.

The purpose of the sessions is to solicit feedback and ideas about the role of the library in our community and to guide future priorities of the organization. Specifically, we are looking to establish goals and actions that will optimally benefit the community and uphold the mission and values of the Hays Public Library.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the discussion is invited. RSVP is appreciated, but not required. Advanced information will be provided. Questions or RSVP may be directed to [email protected].

“We know your time is valuable, but so is your voice. We can’t make community-informed improvements without your input. We will respect your time and ensure this is a fast-paced, engaging, and structured discussion. Please join us,” library staff said in a news release.

THOMAS COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Harley Davidson driven by Michael B. Cash, 70, Ridgecrest, Calif., was westbound on Interstate 70 one mile west of Brewster.

The motorcycle left the roadway to the left and entered the median. The driver lost control and the motorcycle rolled several times before coming to rest in the median.

EMS transported Cash to the hospital in Colby. He was wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

MANHATTAN — Norton FFA team members were recognized for placing first in the State Leadership Quiz Bowl at the 91st Kansas FFA Convention, May 29–31 on the Kansas State University campus.

The Leadership Quiz Bowl gives members an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of FFA and its foundation. The team answering the most questions correctly, in front of a live audience, is determined as the winner.

Norton FFA faced off against Ellis FFA in the final round on the opening day of the state convention. Norton FFA won, and Ellis FFA placed second. Uniontown FFA placed third and Anderson County FFA placed fourth.

Competing on the winning Norton FFA quiz bowl team were: Sarah David, Lexi Kats, Leah David, Jonah Ruder, Hadley Hauser and Mason Schultz.

The Kansas FFA Association is a statewide organization of 9,854 agricultural education students in 205 chapters in every corner of Kansas. It is part of the National FFA Organization, a national youth organization of 669,989 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 8,630 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ksffa.org for more information.

Kansas Corporation Commission

Two Kansas teams were among the winners at the national KidWind Challenge held in Houston, Texas last week. The Oxford Air Sharks from Oxford High School won three awards: National Champions, Power Output, and Wind Tracker Champion in the high school category. In the middle school category, The Electric Four from Lebo Homeschool Co-Op took home the Rookie Award. Eighteen states were represented in the competition.

Teams from Wheatland High School, Sterling High School, and Beloit Junior High School also earned a chance to compete in the national event. To qualify, each team had to first capture one of the top two spots in their age division at one of four regional competitions then place in the top three at the KidWind state finals held in Topeka.

“I can’t say enough about this middle school group and their enthusiasm and devotion to excel on this project” said Mike Tweedy, coach of the Electric Four team. “They represented Kansas well with their true fascination and conviction about renewable energy. They designed it, built it, competed with it and gained the knowledge to prove they were true competitors.”

The event is fun as well as educational providing lessons in physics, engineering and environmental science as students build a device that converts moving wind into energy. To prepare for competition, the teams study wind power then build a turbine using the design and materials of their choice. During the challenge, each team’s turbine is put to the test in a wind tunnel. Team are judged on their knowledge, design, and documentation as well as performance testing in the wind tunnel.

This year 159 students participated in Kansas KidWind competitions compared to 49 last year. Organizers attribute the growth to several factors.

“By offering regional competitions throughout the state, more schools were able to participate,” said Lynn Retz, KCC Energy Director. “In addition, interest in the science of wind energy is growing due to the volume of wind farm construction in Kansas communities.”

Plans are currently underway to add a fifth regional competition for 2020. More information about KidWind can be found at https://kansasenergyprogram.org/kidwindchallenge.

FHSU University Relations

The Management Development Center at Fort Hays State University is kicking off its summer workshop series with two popular workshops in June: “CliftonStrengths Essentials” and “Supervisor Bootcamp.”

Participants of “CliftonStrengths Essentials” will discover their natural talents and learn how to develop them into strengths to be used in everyday life. Strategies will be learned to leverage natural talents, explore how talents can contribute to team success with a team talent map, and more.

“Several community members are already utilizing their strengths. Join them and take advantage of the talent development program used by more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies,” said Hannah Hilker, MDC training development specialist.

“CliftonStrengths,” facilitated by Hilker and Sabrina William, Management Development Center director, will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, June 13, in the Memorial Union’s Stouffer Lounge. Registration closes on June 6.
“Supervisor Bootcamp” will provide participants with five fundamental supervisory skills: guiding the work, organizing the work, developing staff, managing performance, and managing relations. Taught by a retired Army senior NCO, participants will learn practical tools to lead, manage and develop their employees.

“This workshop is essential for new supervisors or those wishing to improve their supervisory skills to drive performance in their organization,” said Hilker.

This workshop, facilitated by William and Dr. Seth Kastle, assistant professor of leadership studies, will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday, June 19, in the first-floor meeting room in FHSU’s Hansen Hall. Registration closes on June 12.

A completion certificate and 7.0 continuing education units will be given to each workshop participant. The workshops will cost $219 each. A 15-percent discount applies for all Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Members for a single session.

Registration is available online through the Registration link in the sidebar on the page at www.fhsu.edu/mdc. To learn more about these workshops or additional upcoming trainings, contact Hilker by phone at 785-628-4121 or by email at [email protected].