Kansas State Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, represents the 110th District in the Kansas House.
Year: 2019
Apple co-founder charges his ride at Hays Tesla Supercharger
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak chronicled a stop in Hays via Twitter this weekend, swinging through to recharge his Tesla at the Supercharger site at Applebee’s.
When you have to charge you have to charge. Again we are hogging spots for 3 Tesla’s! (@ Tesla Supercharger in Hays, KS) https://t.co/sZKSafAJHB pic.twitter.com/1RdHxGGyca
— Steve Wozniak (@stevewoz) May 3, 2019
We charged ‘head in’ here. (@ Tesla Supercharger in Goodland, KS) https://t.co/OMLieeX9VV pic.twitter.com/beuWtBi6m5
— Steve Wozniak (@stevewoz) May 3, 2019
KZ Country Cheesy Joke of the Day 5/6/19
Battlefied Driveway
Early one evening a man went out to his garage and pulled the lawn furniture out onto the driveway. Shortly after followed the lawn mower, a few gardening tools and a bicycle.
A curious neighbor wandered over and asked if he was going to have a garage sale.
“No,” replied the gentleman, “my son just bought his first car and right
now he’s getting ready for a big date.”
“So what’s with all the stuff?” asked the neighbor.
“Well, after years of moving tricycles, toys and sports equipment out of
the way every time I came home from work I wanted to make sure the
driveway was ready for him.”
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🎥 Green & Growing 2019 Where to Plant
When planting your garden be aware of some of these insightful tips from Mary Lou, Extension Master Gardener.
Natoma student named Kansas FFA Beef Proficiency Winner and State Star candidate
NATOMA – Ethan Dickerson, Natoma FFA member, and Natoma High School senior was recently named the Kansas FFA Beef Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Winner.
Ethan Dickerson is the son of David and Stephanie Dickerson of Paradise, KS.
Ethan owns and operates a herd of Red Angus, Black Angus, and Charolais cattle, and he also works for his grandfather and parents at Bar S Ranch.
Proficiency awards are a competitive application process within the National FFA Organization in which members must provide detailed accounts of their programs, skills, challenges, and future goals. The applicant must also display accurate yearly financial records including profit/loss statements, balance sheets, inventories, and budgets. After winning at the Northwest district level in February, Ethan’s application was sent on to state judging, where it emerged as the top application. Dickerson’s application will now compete at the national level this fall.
Dickerson has also been named the Northwest District FFA Star Farmer and is competing for the title of State Star Farmer. He will participate in the Stars Over Kansas Pageant and receive his State Degree at the Kansas FFA State Convention in Manhattan, KS on May 31, 2019.
– SUBMITTED –
Hays Public Library’s Summer Challenge explores a ‘universe of stories’
HPL
A Universe of Stories is the theme for this year’s Hays Public Library Summer Challenge. Throughout the summer all ages are encouraged to participate in reading activities, hands-on events and a variety of programs based on the theme of space exploration.
The Children and Young Adult Departments will begin the adventure with blastoff parties. The Young Adult event will be on May 17 at 1:23 p.m. Children can enjoy a come-and-go space carnival on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For children and teens, the Summer Challenge is an exciting way to improve literacy during the summer months. Numerous studies show that kids who don’t read during summer vacation actually slip in reading ability by the time school begins in the fall. The kids will be encouraged to read and attend educational events throughout the summer to complete activity logs and earn prizes.
Children and teens must register either at the library or online at hayslibrary.org to be eligible to win prizes. Registration opened May 1, and prizes are awarded for registering. Completed logs will be accepted beginning May 20.
Adult patrons also are included in the fun! Anyone 18 and older can participate by completing a bookmark featuring ten challenges. Some of the challenges include reading a book from the summer reading list, visiting the Kansas Room, checking out something to watch and attending a library program. Each time a challenge is accomplished, the bookmark is stamped. Completed bookmarks can be turned in by August 1 to be entered into a drawing for one of three prize packages. The bookmarks will be available beginning May 20.
Special events for each age group are scheduled throughout the summer. For more information on the Summer Challenge and a complete schedule of events, go to hayslibrary.org or call 785-625-9014.
Residents encouraged to apply for KS Water Authority Regional Advisory Committee membership
KWO
TOPEKA – For more than 30 years, citizen advisors have been a vital voice for water resource issues in Kansas. The Kansas Water Office is currently accepting applications from those who would like to participate as a member of one of the 14 Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) which are established by the Kansas Water Authority (KWA).
Ellis County is part of the Smoky Hill-Saline RAC .
These committees play a key role in advising the KWA on implementation of each region’s water supply priorities as part of the Kansas Water Vision and the Kansas water planning process as a whole. Regional advisory members will have the opportunity to evaluate the past five years of the Vision implementation and provide input and advice to the KWA for previously identified regional water resource-related goals and associated action plans.
In addition, members help identify and provide input on other emerging water resource related issues and concerns.
They serve as important local links to the public in their regions through interactions with various groups and individuals as well as communicate information on concerns and issues to citizens in their respective regions. The KWA, through the committee selection process, works to establish RACs which represent diverse groups of water users and interests within regions are represented.
Kansans can have a definite lasting impact on the future of water resources through RAC membership. Interested persons can apply at www.kwo.ks.gov.
The application deadline is May 31, 2019.
SPONSORED: Eagle seeking customer service rep
Eagle Communications is looking for a Full-Time Customer Service Representative to join our team of Employee-Owners in Hays, KS! Qualified applicants will have the ability to work in a positive environment in which team members are focused on providing an excellent customer experience.
Experience:
A minimum of 2 years experience in customer service is preferred with a focus on sales. Team members will process payments, initiate conversation, answer calls, and schedule work orders and service calls.
Requirements:
Applicants must be able to learn and sell Eagle Broadband products and services, be self-motivated and goal-oriented, as well as support company goals and objectives to drive positive sales growth. Applicants must demonstrate excellent organizational skills and the ability to multitask. Strong verbal and written communication skills, moderate computer knowledge, along with effective leadership ability are desired.
Salary:
Compensation is commensurate with experience, along with a competitive benefits package including health insurance, 401(k), paid vacation and employee stock ownership plan.
Other information:
Applications will be accepted until the position is the position is filled. The selected candidate will be required to pass a criminal history background check and motor vehicle check. Eagle Communications is an Employee-Owned company and an EEO employer.
First Five: Lessons from Brooklyn
By KRISTEN FARRINGTON
Freedom Forum Institute
E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.
In 1782, this Latin phase was adopted by our leaders as part of the Great Seal of the United States. It is not the official motto of our country, but many have adopted it as our motto. Over time, out of many states, one nation has come to represent for many Americans, out of many peoples, one America.
I wonder if E Pluribus Unum reflected the feeling of the people at that moment in time? Or was it aspirational — acknowledging the legal reality and yet knowing that the disparate people who lived in the United States had a long way to go before they’d see themselves as one nation.
As we reflect on the challenges that have faced our nation over the last few centuries — several wars, the Great Depression, social movements calling for the end of institutional racism, sexism, homophobia and domestic and international terrorism — I have no doubt that ordinary citizens like me, of every generation, have wondered — is this even possible? Did our foremothers and forefathers set us up for failure? Are we as human beings capable of learning to live together despite our deepest differences?
When I spend time with adults, I feel much more pessimistic about the possibility. When I spend time with children and youth, I see that in many ways they have already figured it out. As adults, many of us don’t go out of our way to engage with people who are different from ourselves, but children don’t seem to have the same barriers.
Last week I was on a bus headed to Los Angeles International Airport to catch my flight back to Washington, D.C. The bus was full. Looking at the sea of faces, I was struck by how this group represented the rich diversity of America. Next to me sat Brooklyn, a 2½-year-old who insisted she was 3. In the 15 minutes that I talked with her and watched her engage with the people on the bus, she helped transform the bus from a group of strangers staring at their phones to a community of people laughing and engaging in conversation. With a big smile, Brooklyn talked with everyone, asked us questions, introduced her 8-year-old brother and stuffed Minion to us and told us all about her friends at pre-school. She giggled and smiled, talked and asked questions and waved goodbye to each person as they got off the bus — a perfect example of kindness and hospitality.
As executive director of the Religious Freedom Center, I do a great deal of traveling, speaking and educating about religious freedom and religious literacy, helping equip community leaders so they can protect the rights of people of all religious traditions and none. This is First Amendment work, but it is also integral is to the larger diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work that is happening in universities, schools, businesses and communities across the country.
Often when I talk about religious diversity and inclusion, religious freedom and religious literacy with adults, either I receive “Yes this is an issue, but we don’t have the time to deal with it,” or “We haven’t had any complaints — we don’t have those issues in our community.” These answers often come from people who haven’t had to think about these issues or are benefiting from systems of privilege that don’t force them to address the issues. When it comes to basic human and constitutional rights, pretending these issues don’t exist is probably not the best policy. The better way, although the harder way, is to dig in.
The first step is recognizing that diversity already exists in our schools, businesses and communities. I’m astonished when people tell me that their communities aren’t diverse — there is so much they aren’t seeing. Diversity encompasses many things — race, ethnicity, language, military status, marital status, economic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, learning differences, physical and mental ability, just to name a few.
The second step is to start asking the questions that Trudy Arriaga, Ed.D., asks in her book “Opening Doors” — “In what ways is the door slammed shut to certain groups? In what ways do we exclude and marginalize? In what ways do we send the message that our community, our school or business is not inclusive — not for everyone? In what ways do we ignore the systemic ways that prevent equal access?”
To have equity for people of all religions and none, we must guarantee fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all — not just for the people who look like us, think like us, and believe the same things we do. Dr. Arriaga reminds us that we need to take a hard look at our institutions and systems that create barriers and deny access. Once we put new equitable structures and systems in place, we still need to create environments where everyone feels welcomed, respected and fully valued.
We are making progress as more school districts, businesses and universities are putting an emphasis on DEI training and initiatives, but we still have a long way to go. The recent shooting at Chabad of Poway synagogue in San Diego County is another reminder of how we can’t ignore the growing anti-religious sentiment in this country. According to FBI hate crime statistics, hate crimes motivated by biases based on religion continue to rise. The increase in attacks on Jewish, Muslim and African-American communities over the last few years has raised alarm across America as communities continue to be devastated by shootings, arson and vandalism.
“Once we identify the barriers and start eliminating systems that systematically prevent people from access and opportunities, we can build new inclusive models and create an environment where all people feel welcomed, respected and valued” (University of Houston Center for Diversity and Inclusion). This is the long view — the work of years, decades and generations.
On days when fellow Americans tell me they don’t want to talk with anyone who doesn’t share their beliefs or roll their eyes and say things are just fine the way they are, I wonder whether or not E Pluribus Unum is even a remote possibility.
I was feeling that way when I left Los Angeles, but then met Brooklyn, who taught me a valuable lesson. She reminded me that there is an easy place to start this difficult work. She treated each person on the bus with kindness and in that very simple act made us feel valued, respected and welcomed. The nation’s founders placed the words E Pluribus Unum on the nation’s Great Seal. Brooklyn and others in future generations challenge us today to make them more than that.
Kristen Farrington is executive director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute. Contact her via email at [email protected].
Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Photo shoot
My quarries tonight were wild turkeys which I had seen here with some regularity, and I was prepared to shoot as many as possible. The flock I’d been seeing was perhaps a dozen birds, and I was pretty sure I could get them all with 2 shots at most! Three Blue Herons rose from the timber along the river, but were gone before I could shoot. A lone Red Tail Hawk perched high above the river was also giving me a nice shot if I hurried!
Now before you overload the switchboard at Operation Game Thief to turn me in to the authorities, allow me to explain. That night my weapon of choice hung by a strap around my neck; its barrel was a lense, and the trigger a small silver button. You guessed it! I was “shooting” photos with a camera
In the Kansas Hunter Education Manual, the chapter on Hunter Responsibility lists four stages of a sport hunter. This topic discusses how the standards by which a hunter defines success evolve and change as the hunter develops and matures. Stage 3 is called the “Trophy Stage,” and stage 4 is the “Method Stage.” During these 2 stages in a hunter’s life, he or she matures to the point where a trophy can just as easily be a photograph rather than a mount on the wall.
One frigid April morning years ago, I shared a blind with a young man and his guide during the youth turkey hunt. That was before cell phones had such fantastic cameras, so I had a digital camera around my wrist, hoping to record some of the hunt in pictures. Among the group of birds that came to our decoys were several hens, and among them was a white-speckled hen. My camera wouldn’t work in the icy morning air, so I didn’t get a photo of her, and now I’m relegated to remembering her only in my mind, (which is quickly fading.) I was more disgusted over the camera malfunction than if I had missed a shot at a long bearded tom!
I started deer hunting when I was just a kid, and I wish I had pictures of every awesome and unusual event I’ve seen in the woods since. Once as I sat quietly on a log, a mother fox and several cubs ran by me so closely I could have reached out and grabbed one. While fishing one evening at McPherson State fishing lake I watched a beaver swim clear across the lake with a huge leafy branch in its mouth. Another time during the early January antlerless-only deer season, a buck with a monstrous rack hanging full of long grass and weeds stood just yards away from me. He looked like a hanging garden on four legs.
I could go on, but my point is that all these things are in my mind’s eye only, and someday will probably be forgotten. If they were documented as photos, at least I could pass them on for others to enjoy as well. High dollar trail cameras are available that transmit photos directly to a computer, so why not a pair of glasses that does the same with images and action see through their lenses?
Not many years ago, if someone had suggested I could be as happy with a picture as with a mounted trophy on my wall, I would have bristled at the thought. Now, however, I feel like that transition will someday be an easy one… Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.
Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].
🎥 Hannah Norris & the Band set to open for nationally recognized act in K.C.
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Local music fans are sure to know Hannah Norris, and now her audience is about to get a bit larger as her band — Hannah Norris & the Band — is set to open for nationally recognized singer/songwriter Neko Case during her stop in Kansas City at 8 p.m. May 10 at the Uptown Theatre.
“We are really excited,” Norris said. “That has been our main thing for the moment.”
Norris, who grew up in Hays, currently resides in Lawrence after relocating to study psychology at the University of Kansas.
The gig took shape after a booking agent in Lawrence submitted Norris’ band for the spot earlier this year.
“It’s pretty wild,” she said.
While this will be her first outing in a setting this large, she has performed with other well-known bands locally.
“Previously in Hays, I had the opportunity to open for Jefferson Starship and Warrant through Wild West Fest, so it’s not my first interaction with bigger acts like that, but it’s definitely my first interaction with one at a venue of that scale,” she said.
Norris is currently taking a break from school to focus on music but is keeping active with two bands and a full-time job.
“I work at The Roost. Currently, I am a barista up there and just focus on trying to get out, play some shows and write some tunes. Between those two, I keep myself pretty busy,” she said.
Norris hopes this will kick off a summer filled with other opportunities.
“We just recently submitted for the NPR Tiny Desk contest…getting somewhere with that would be great,” she said.
Her entry into that contest can be found here.
“Now we are just looking forward to booking more shows.”
On Hays
While Norris no longer lives in Hays, she hopes her local fans will get the chance to see her perform nearby soon and recognizes the music scene in Hays remains strong, despite her absence.
“We are trying to get back to Rockalooa,” she said. “It’s a really great way to bring different bands into Hays and get everybody connected.
“I feel like we have made a lot of progress for a small town, and I think I’m very fortunate to be able to be a part of that scene and to have grown up in it,” she said. “Hays actually has a lot going for it for a small town … I think it’s really important that people understand we are very fortunate to have that.
“I definitely think I would not have gotten this far, even today if I didn’t have those types of connections.”
As established as the music scene is in Hays, Norris hopes to see it expand in the future.
“Absolutely there should be more bands getting involved in Hays, but for the size, I think we are doing great,” she said.
Along with the community, Norris credits her parents for helping her to come so far already in her music career, first learning to play the guitar around age 12, and taking some piano lessons with her grandmother soon after.
She said there are no musicians in her immediate family but they were instrumental in getting her to where she is today, noting that starting at the age of 14 they were helpful in getting her into some of the local venues that normally would not allow minors.
“I am very fortunate to have the family I do. They have been very supportive,” she said.
The Music
While Hannah Norris & the Band is getting ready for the Kansas City show, Norris is working on the lineup and sound of a second band.
“I’m working on getting that redirected right now,” she said, keeping focused on the music she wants to release. “For my band, my goal is to write music that I am happy with and that I feel like that I connect with … It represents me and it represents the people that I play with and I want to make sure that it fits us as people.”
While she describes Hannah Norris & the Band as rock, she said they have been “experimenting” lately.
“We’ve had a lot of different influences in the mix.”
The current lineup has released a single, but Norris says the hope to have a full album out this summer and is looking forward to more shows.
“Keep an eye out we’re trying to hit the road a bit more often,” she said.
Music from Hannah Norris can be found on the band’s website hannahnorrisandtheband.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/Hannahnorrisband, or through hannahnorris.bandcamp.com and Spotify.
Norris can also be found on Instagram.
Tickets for the concert on May 10 with Neko Case and Hannah Norris & the Band can be found at Ticketmaster.
Cover photo courtesy Hannah Norris
Chiefs Legends youth football camp set for June 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs Legends Community Youth Football Camp presented by Window World is set for June 5 at Arrowhead Stadium from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pro Football Hall of Famer Will Shields, Chiefs alumni and Kansas City Ambassadors will lead the camp throughout the day. Registration is now open at www.chiefs.com/fans/youthfootballcamp.
Children ages 8-14 will have the opportunity to become a part of Chiefs Kingdom and participate in an educational, energizing, and action-packed day on the field at Arrowhead Stadium. Campers will spend the day learning non-tackle fundamentals from Kansas City Chiefs alumni and Kansas City Ambassadors presented by Empower Retirement, as well as key life skills that will help them grow as athletes on and off the field.
The first 50 sign-ups are eligible for early-bird pricing at $100. After early-bird registration closes, registration will cost $125 for all sign-ups through Tuesday, May 28. Late registration sign-ups following Tuesday, May 28th are $150. Included in the cost of registration is a water bottle, drawstring backpack, T-shirt and VIP access to Arrowhead Stadium. A nutritional lunch will be provided for all campers. More information on registration and the camp can be found at www.chiefs.com/fans/youthfootballcamp.
With registration to the camp, children will have the option to opt-in to Chiefs Kingdom Kids. Chiefs Kingdom Kids is free for any child ages 6-12, and members will get year-round information about all the youth-related activities the Chiefs provide. Members will get a Chiefs Kingdom Kids youth football, an annual birthday card, invites to exclusive events, a chance to enter a preseason ticket giveaway and more. Information on Chiefs Kingdom Kids and a link to sign up for the program can be found at www.chiefs.com/kids.
All net proceeds from the camp benefit the Kansas City Ambassadors Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to be distributed to non-profits throughout the Kansas City Metro.
In the event of inclement weather, activities on the field at Arrowhead will be moved to the indoor practice facility at The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex located ¼ mile from the stadium (One Arrowhead Drive Kansas City, MO 64129).
Widespread severe weather rolls across Kansas
Sunday’s widespread severe weather saw flooding rains, large hail, high winds and 15 reports of tornadoes across Kansas.
The National Weather Service issued the first tornado warnings Sunday afternoon in Meade and Ford County. Barton, Rice, Reno and Sumner counties all were impacted by tornadoes and high winds.
Baseball and golf ball size hail also did significant damage in a number of areas. South Central Kansas also reported massive amounts of hail from Sunday evening’s storm.
Flooding rains have prompted emergency management officials to close some rural roads in portions of central Kansas.
There are no reports of injury from the severe weather. The National Weather Service will release additional details Monday on the strength of the tornadoes and or straight line winds.