2019 – Page 683 – Hays Post Archive

Mary Lucille (Dillard) Henzel

Posted on April 9, 2019

Mary Lucille (Dillard) Henzel was born December 16, 1934 in Merrill, Oregon, the first daughter of her parents Uel and Wilma (Dawson) Dillard. She passed away March 29, 2019 during a brief stay at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. She was 84.

Mary was a long-time resident of Southern Oregon. Born in Merrill, Oregon, she was raised on her parent’s farm, the Dillard Ranch, along with her two sisters, Dorothy (Dottie) and Mona. She attended first and second grade at Merrill Elementary, then Henley schools from third grade through 12th. Upon graduation from Henley High School in 1953, she moved to Corvallis, Oregon to study for her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education with a math, science and music minor at Oregon State College (Oregon State University).

While attending OSC, she met her husband, Stuart Lee Henzel, another Klamath County resident. They dated during college and married on June 24, 1956, at her family church, Mt. Laki Presbyterian, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Their first home was in Corvallis, Oregon, where they finished college.

Upon graduation in 1958 with their bachelor’s degrees, Mary and Stuart moved to the family cattle ranch in Klamath Falls, Oregon. There, they raised their four sons. On the ranch, she spent a lot of time in the office, on horseback and working cattle with her family.

Mary was a substitute teacher at Henley Elementary, and then a 5th grade teacher at Stearns Elementary. Although she resigned in 1961 to raise her boys, she later returned to Henley Elementary to teach classroom music for grades 1-6. She also began giving private piano lessons.

In 1981, they moved to their ranch in Holdenville, Oklahoma, and in 1998, they moved to their ranch in Oberlin, Kansas. Throughout this time, Mary continued to work with the American National CattleWomen, Inc. (ANCW), at schools and to teach piano.

Mary was named the Outstanding CattleWoman of the Year in 2002 by the ANCW. In 1998 Mary was National President of the ANCW serving a total of eight years on the Executive Committee. She served as state president of Oklahoma CattleWomen in 1991 and 1992 and was a local member of ANCW for over 60 years while holding memberships in local and state groups in Oregon, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Mary had a life-long love of music. She began to play piano at the age of five and learned to play the saxophone in fifth grade. She was an active band member in high school and college. She learned to play every band instrument while getting her degree in music education. She played piano, organ and guitar for many of the churches she attended, including Oberlin Covenant Church. She was also an accomplished piano teacher for many years in Oregon, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Mary was the current program chair of the Oberlin Arts and Humanities Commission, bringing arts and entertainment programming to Oberlin. Last October, she was honored by the City of Oberlin for serving more than 20 years with the organization.

Mary was a longtime member of the Oberlin Evangelical Covenant Church, worked at the Landmark Inn and was formerly on the Board of Trustees at the Decatur County Hospital.

She is survived by three sons, Jim Henzel (Connie), of Pahrump, NV, Barron Henzel (Tom Fitzpatrick), of San Diego, CA, and Richard Henzel (Pamela Newby), of St. Petersburg, FL; sister and brother-in-law, Mona and Gordon Zumwalt, of Minden, NV; grandson, Jacob Henzel (Ali), of Sapulpa, OK; in addition to many other family members and countless friends.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Stuart Henzel, son Clint Henzel, sister Dorothy (Dottie) Manz and her parents Uel and Wilma Dillard.

Donations can be made to the Oberlin Arts and Humanities Commission in her name:

Oberlin Arts and Humanities Commission
512 N. Penn Avenue
Oberlin, KS 67749

A celebration of life ceremony will be held at the Oberlin Evangelical Covenant Church on Saturday, May 4, at 11am. A luncheon reception will be held afterward in the church fellowship hall.

“I thank God for the life He has let me live and for the gifts of family and friends.” Mary Henzel

Feds break up $1.2B Medicare orthopedic brace scam

Posted on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities said Tuesday they’ve broken up a $1.2 billion Medicare scam that peddled unneeded orthopedic braces to hundreds of thousands of seniors via foreign call centers.

The Justice Department announced charges against 24 people across the U.S., including doctors accused of writing bogus prescriptions for unneeded back, shoulder, wrist and knee braces. Others charged included owners of call centers, telemedicine firms and medical equipment companies.

The Health and Human Services inspector general’s office said the fast-moving scam morphed into multiple related schemes, fueled by kickbacks among the parties involved. The FBI, the IRS, and 17 U.S. attorney’s offices took part in the crackdown. Arrests were made Tuesday morning.

Medicare’s anti-fraud unit said it’s taking action against 130 medical equipment companies implicated. They billed the program a total of $1.7 billion, of which more than $900 million was paid out.

Telemarketers would reach out to seniors offering “free” orthopedic braces, also touted through television and radio ads. Beneficiaries who expressed interest would be patched through to call centers involved in the scheme. Officials described an “international telemarketing network” with call centers in the Philippines and throughout Latin America.

The call centers would verify seniors’ Medicare coverage and transfer them to telemedicine companies for consultations with doctors.

“The telemedicine we are talking about is basically a tele-scam,” said Gary Cantrell, who oversees fraud investigations for the HHS inspector general’s office. “We are not talking about the use of advanced technology to provide better access to care.”

The doctors would write prescriptions for orthopedic braces, regardless of whether the patients needed them or not. In some cases several braces were prescribed for the same patient.

The call centers would collect prescriptions and sell them to medical equipment companies, which would ship the braces to beneficiaries and bill Medicare. Medical equipment companies would get $500 to $900 per brace from Medicare and would pay kickbacks of nearly $300 per brace.

The scam was detected last summer, officials said. Complaints from beneficiaries were pouring in to the Medicare fraud hotline, and some consumer news organizations warned seniors. As the investigation progressed, Cantrell said, federal agents gained cooperation from people familiar with the various schemes.

Officials said it’s one of the biggest frauds the inspector general’s office has seen. Charges were being brought against defendants in California, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.

“The breadth of this nationwide conspiracy should be frightening to all who rely on some form of health care,” IRS criminal investigations chief Don Fort said in a statement. “The conspiracy…details broad corruption, massive amounts of greed and systemic flaws in our health care system that were exploited by the defendants.”

Health care fraud is a pervasive problem that costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year. The true extent of it is unknown, and some cases involve gray areas of complex payment policies.

Experts say part of the problem is that Medicare is required to pay medical bills promptly, which means money often goes out before potential frauds get flagged. Investigators call that “pay and chase.”

In recent years, Medicare has tried to adapt techniques used by credit card companies to head off fraud. Law enforcement coordination has grown, with strike forces of federal prosecutors and agents, along with state counterparts, specializing in health care investigations.

The Medicare beneficiaries drawn into the orthopedic braces scam didn’t have to pay anything up front, but Cantrell said they have been harmed as well: A beneficiary’s private information, once in the hands of fraudsters, can be resold for many illegal purposes.

Additionally, if a beneficiary whose information was misused ever does need an orthopedic brace, he or she may encounter waiting periods from Medicare. The program limits how often it pays for certain supplies and equipment.

“It can be very attractive to receive equipment,” Cantrell said. “But after giving out your identifying information, it could be compromised to perpetuate additional fraud. There is no fraud without the ID number of a Medicare beneficiary.”

Sheriff: NW Kansas teen dies in farming accident

Posted on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

NORTON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a Kansas teen has been killed in a farming accident.

Norton County Sheriff Troy Thompson says his office received a call around 9:25 p.m. Monday from a concerned parent.

The parent said the teen went missing while doing chores. Deputies arrived and found that the teen had involved in an accident involving farming equipment.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name wasn’t immediately released.

Kansas Guard brigade captain resigns over suicide concerns

Posted on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A captain in a Kansas National Guard brigade has resigned over what she says is a lack of concern from guard leadership over recent suicides.

Tara Fields photo courtesy Atchison Community Health Center where she works as a clinical social worker

Capt. Tara Fields is a behavioral health officer. She has served 12 years in military, eight on active duty. She said her resignation will be final by the end of April.

Kansas Guard Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli said the guard has had nine suicides in the last five years, with three in the past 18 months.

Fields says suicides of a civilian worker and a man who had just been discharged weren’t included in the guard’s official number.

Tafanelli said the guard is concerned about every death and offers several programs to help struggling members.

TMP-M’s Karlin plays in all-star game, wins 3-point contest

Posted on April 9, 2019

TMP-M

PRATT — Ryan Karlin, Thomas More Prep-Marian senior, played in the Kansas All-Star Game in Pratt on Saturday.

The event took place at the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena on the campus of Pratt Community College.

Karlin was on the West team and had the opportunity to play with former TMP-Marian junior high classmate Myles Menges. Among the players on the East team was Kaleb Hammeke from Hutchinson-Trinity, a competitor during the regular season.

Karlin won the three-point contest, shooting 15 baskets in one minute in the final round.

🎥 Congressman Marshall has 3-pronged plan to lower health care costs

Posted on April 9, 2019

State Sen. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland) and Rep. Barb Wasinger (R-Hays) listen to 1st Dist. Congressman Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend) during the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce legislative forum Saturday.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“Government works kind of slow.”

As a former Ellis County and Hays city commissioner, Barb Wasinger already knew that before she was elected last fall as the 111th District state representative from Hays. Now she’s in Topeka, where the state legislative process is even slower.

During a Saturday morning forum in Hays, Wasinger and other local legislators – all Republicans – along with First District Congressman Roger Marshall talked about Medicaid expansion in Kansas as well as health care reform.

The rising cost of health care is one of the top concerns of Kansans, according to Marshall, a Republican from Great Bend.

“What we have in 2020, I think is a big choice, very much a binary choice,” said Marshall. “I think it’s very evident both Democrats and Republicans are ready to throw out the Affordable Care Act. It hasn’t worked.

“We want to address what it didn’t, and that’s the cost of health care.

“The Democrat plan would be universal health care, Medicare for all which is really Medicare for none. It’ll end up looking like Medicaid. If you’re getting health care through your employer, that’s going to be gone. If you’re in the VA (Veterans Administration) system, that’s going to be gone.”

Marshall says he wants to push choices back to the state level and “let the states run more of those types of solutions, whether it’s individual market or other things.”

The true issue, Marshall believes, is driving down the cost of health care.

“If I can drive the cost of health care down, then those people with pre-existing conditions can afford health care,” Marshall said.

“And it’ll help your state budget because it will drive Medicaid expenses (down). I can maybe someday balance the budget at the federal level.”

Currently, 28% of the federal budget is spent on health care, according to the Kansas congressman.

“I’ll never be able to balance the budget until I get the costs of health care down.”

Marshall says there are three basic principles to driving down the cost of health care – transparency, innovation and consumerism.

“When you go out for a meal, you get more information from the menu than when you have a hip procedure done, or when you walk into an emergency room and you then get a helicopter ride plus all the surprise billing.”

Pharmacies also lack transparency. He said there are four Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the United States controlling 90% of the market.

“When you go to your local pharmacist and spend $100 a month on your medication, that Pharmacy Benefit Manager is extracting a third of that. They don’t improve health care and they’re giving legal kickbacks to big pharma and insurance companies.

“That just first needs to be transparent. I think when America sees that, they’re going to scream and say this isn’t right.”

Innovation will do more to drive the cost of the health care down than any legislation, “if we just get the government out of the way,” Marshall stressed. He is a longtime obstetrician and gynecologist.

As an example, he said twice as many generic drugs are now being approved per year than were during the Obama administration. “We got the government out of the way and expedited the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) process.”

Marshall’s third principle for lowering health care costs is consumerism – making patients consumers once again.

He wants all patients to have access to an HSA – Health Savings Account – and use pre-tax dollars to pay health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses.

“Don’t let the press fool you. We (the Republicans) do have a plan. We have 20 bills, each to help guide the cost of health care down 1 or 2%. Most of it is common sense. Now the question is, can Congress execute some of those plans?”

Many major health care systems are no longer accepting any of the Affordable Health Care Act plans, also known as Obamacare, because “they look like Medicaid,” Marshall said.

“Many of the reimbursements are so horrible, the household factors are so bad, that most of the major institutions are no longer going to accept any of these individual market plans.”

Conservatives push Kris Kobach for Homeland Security head

Posted on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — Outside allies of President Donald Trump have launched a public campaign urging him to nominate former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach as his next secretary of Homeland Security.

That’s despite the uphill battle Kobach would likely face getting confirmed by the Senate.

NumbersUSA, a group that seeks to reduce immigration rates, released a statement Tuesday saying there is “no one more qualified” for the job and claiming Kobach has the support of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

They’re also rallying to defend Lee Francis Cissna, the director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, whose job is said to be in danger.

Kobach did not response to a request for comment Tuesday morning.

The White House declined to comment on the push.

FHSU provides campus visits for students early in their high school careers

Posted on April 9, 2019

Jon Armstrong, interim director of admissions at Fort Hays State University, addresses a record-breaking crowd at last week’s visitation day for high school sophomores and juniors.

By DIANE GASPER O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing

About three years ago, the Kansas State Board of Education adopted an Individual Plan of Study for every student, beginning in the middle grades, as an aid to plan for success after high school.

Fort Hays State University is taking an innovative approach in helping students begin career exploration early in high school, providing organized campus visits long before their senior years.

Last week’s Tiger Mania, a visitation day designed exclusively for sophomores and juniors to explore FHSU, broke the all-time attendance record with 249 students and about 200 guests, such as parents, teachers and other school staff. That number is up considerably from just two years ago, when 143 students attended. Attendance increased by 42 students last year, then ballooned by nearly 65 more this year.

Fort Hays State also sponsors similar events for juniors and seniors, and it started adding sophomores to that list a few years ago.

“I think a lot more students are taking the opportunity as juniors, and even sophomores, to prepare themselves for college,” said Hugo Perez, assistant director of Admissions. “Tiger Mania was a great opportunity for us to peak their interests.”

Students from all across the state, as well as some from Colorado and Nebraska, attended.

Phillipsburg High School brought its entire sophomore class of more than 40 students to take part in the event.

Suellyn Stenger, a guidance counselor at Hays High School, said that research shows it’s about their sophomore year in high school that students’ post-secondary education interests start jelling.

“I think it’s a very good thing that students are exploring their options early,” said Stenger, who has been in the education field for 30 years, including 11 as an HHS counselor. “Visiting colleges used to be more of a focus for their senior year. Then colleges started having junior days. Providing this for sophomores is great.”

“The best decision is an informed decision,” Stenger continued. “If students can be getting that information now – early in their high school years – to help them make decisions, I’m all for that.”

Jeanne Isbell, a parent of two Hays High School students, said she thinks “it’s really important to do college tours.”

“The sooner, the better,” Isbell said. “This is a fantastic idea.”

Isbell said she thinks the opportunities students gain while attending college are “endless.”

“And I don’t just mean getting a degree,” she said. “The experiences you get with the people you meet in college help with how you think about life. Some kids don’t think they can flourish in college, but they are so helpful here in pointing out they will help anyone who is interested in going to college.”

Isbell was accompanied by her daughter, Judith, a junior, and her son, Jesse, a sophomore.
Isbell’s older daughter, Cori, is a senior at Hays High and has her heart set on attending college in California.

“I took Judith with me to some of Cori’s college visits,” Isbell said. “It’s good to compare, and we’re really impressed with Fort Hays State.”

So, too, is Woodson Corbett, a junior at Ellinwood High School.

Corbett was all smiles as he left the table featuring the Department of Art and Design. What he learned confirmed what he had from others.

“I heard good things about Fort Hays State from friends who go here and people in the graphic design field,” he said. “This is what I want to do.”

The Admissions staff told the students it’s OK to change their minds even if they do have their mind set on a certain major.

“I had a plan, and it all changed the first semester,” said Katie Hindman, admissions counselor for the eastern part of the state. “You will find what you’re really good at.”

“Your life is going to change,” added Kyle Stacken, admissions counselor in charge of recruitment in Ellis County and central Kansas. “Embrace those changes, and Fort Hays State will help you succeed in whatever you choose in your life.”

Representatives from the Admissions Office pointed out advantages of attending Fort Hays State, such as the most affordable tuition among state universities, small class size, numerous scholarship opportunities and ways to get involved on campus.

A panel of three FHSU students answered questions from the audience. Several $1,000 scholarships were awarded throughout the morning – some for winning trivia contests about Fort Hays State and others for simply locating a Tiger logo under a chair. And every student got a tour of the campus, including a residence hall and one of the dining cafeterias.

Keith Sides, a business teacher at Phillipsburg High School, accompanied the large contingent from his school and said he thought “it was a really good thing for our kids.”

“We can talk about Fort Hays State, but until they get on the campus and see more of it, it doesn’t mean as much,” Sides said.

Stenger agreed.

“It’s as important to find out what you don’t like as it is to find out what you do like, and to actually see what you read about the colleges,” she said. “From my personal experience, when I did on-campus visits when I was in high school, it was the deal maker or the deal breaker. Seeing in person all the good things that Fort Hays State has to offer could be a deal maker for a lot of kids.”

Update: Norton woman killed; male suspect in jail

Posted on April 9, 2019

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY, Mo. – With the assistance of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Norton County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest connected to the murder of Lori Shields.

At approximately 4:20 p.m. on Monday, he was released from the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Damien L. Shields, 42, of Norton, was arrested for the first-degree murder of his wife, 38-year-old Lori Shields.

Shields was then booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail.

—————

NORTON COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Norton County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating a homicide that occurred in rural Norton, Kan. on Sunday.

According to a media release from the KBI, preliminary information indicates that the Norton County Sheriff’s Office received information Sunday afternoon that a female victim was deceased at 16353 U.S. Highway 36, in Norton. At approximately 3:40 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to the residence where they discovered 38-year-old Lori Shields, of Norton, deceased inside.

A suspect connected to the case was identified, and KBI agents and sheriff’s deputies worked to try to locate him. On Monday, at approximately 2:40 a.m., the Cape Girardeau, Mo., Police Department responded to a report of person calling out for help from a hotel room. Once police arrived, they learned the man in the hotel room was being sought by Kansas authorities connected to this homicide case.

The man was taken to a hospital in Cape Girardeau to be treated for injuries that were likely self-inflicted. He remains hospitalized at this time.

According to a social media post by the Norton Telegram, Shields was the Eisenhower Elementary School secretary. USD Norton School District has canceled Monday classes and all activities.

The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.

Judith L. ‘Judy’ Ratzlaff

Posted on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

Judith L. “Judy” Ratzlaff, 70, of Colby, KS, formerly of Ulysses, KS died Sunday April 7, 2019. She was born June 8, 1948, in Ulysses, to Richard and Barbara (Brown) Martin. On November 8, 1969, Judy married Donald Ratzlaff at the Methodist Church in Ulysses. Judy worked in healthcare in hospitals. She enjoyed ceramics, reading and word searches.

She was preceded in death by her parents; son Heath Richard Ratzlaff and brother Ned Martin.

She is survived by her husband Donald, of the home; son Scott (Beatrice) Ratzlaff; daughter Tina (Chris) Schritter; son Brock (Helena) Ratzlaff; sister Maryanne (Mike) Gepner; brothers, Richard (Gloria) Martin and Steven (Susan) Martin and grandchildren, Tyler, Braden and Matthew Schritter, Alec and Karalynn Ratzlaff and Fernando and Aljona Ratzlaff-Bauer.

Funeral Service will be at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2019, at the Methodist Church in Ulysses, KS, with visitation starting at 12:00 p.m. Interment will take place in the Grant County Cemetery, Ulysses. Memorials are suggested to the COPD Foundation, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

News From the Oil Patch, April 9

Posted on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

The Kansas Corporation Commission reports just 75 new intent-to-drill notices filed across the state during the month of March for a first-quarter total of 228. That compares to 422 at this time last year and 1,455 intents for the first quarter of 2013. Barton County saw just two new intents in March, for a total of nine in the first quarter, compared to 18 in the first quarter last year. Ellis County saw just one new intent filed in the first three months of the year, compared to 11 in the same period in 2018. Russell County, saw one last month and four for the first quarter. That’s an improvement over the one intent filed there during the first quarter of last year. Producers in Stafford County filed two last month and seven during the first quarter compared to ten during the first three months of 2018.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reports a nearly 18% increase in the Kansas rig count. There are 10 active rigs in the eastern half of the state, up six, and 23 west of Wichita, down one.

Baker Hughes reported 1,025 active drilling rigs across the U.S. Friday, an increase of 15 oil rigs and four seeking natural gas. The count in Texas was up eight. New Mexico gained three. Canada reports 68 active rigs, which is down 20 for the week.

Regulators approved 30 permits for drilling at new locations in Kansas over the last week. That’s 225 so far this year. There were 16 new permits in eastern Kansas, and 14 west of Wichita, including two in Barton County and two in in Ellis County.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reports 27 new well completions across the state, ten east of Wichita and 17 in Western Kansas, including one each in Ellis, Russell and Stafford counties. So far this year, operators have completed 447 wells across Kansas.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports domestic crude oil inventories increased for the second week in a row. For the week ending March 29 U.S. stockpiles rose 7.2 million barrels to 449.5 million barrels. That’s equal to the five-year seasonal average.

The government has reported new records for U.S. crude production for three weeks in a row. The latest report shows production of 12.182 million barrels per day for the week ending March 29. That’s up 93 thousand barrels per day over the week before, and more than 1.7 million more than last year at this time.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 6.8 million barrels per day for the week ending March 29, up by 223,000 barrels per day from the previous week. The four-week average is 12.1% less than the same period last year.

A non-profit Native American advocacy group on Friday filed yet another challenge to the permit allowing TransCanada to complete the Keystone pipeline. The latest permit suggests that the president’s authority to approve the pipeline is not subject to judicial review. But Bloomberg reports the new complaint filed in U.S. court in Montana argues that President Trump lacks authority to issue the permit, because the Constitution gives Congress the power to administer federal lands and regulate foreign commerce. According to the complaint, the project would pose “grave risks” to the climate, cultural resources, water resources, fish and wildlife, and human health and safety.

A federal judge says the President exceeded his authority by trying to overturn Obama-era restrictions on Arctic and offshore oil and gas drilling. In a ruling Friday, Judge Sharon Gleason reinstated the drilling ban, saying President Trump’s executive order last year exceeded his authority. Judge Gleason ruled that while sitting presidents have the power to ban development with an executive order, only Congress has the power to revoke such a ban instituted by other presidents. The bans involve about 98 percent of the Arctic coastal shelf in northern Alaska, and nearly six thousand square miles of underwater canyon complexes in the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from Virginia to the Canadian border.

North Dakota’s oil regulator plans to sue the state of Washington if it goes ahead with a proposal to reduce the volatility of Bakken crude oil transported by rail, saying it is not supported by science and would devalue the product. The Washington Senate voted last month to mandate a lower vapor pressure limit for Bakken crude shipped through the state by rail, aiming to limit fiery derailments. The Bismarck Tribune reports North Dakota regulators have requested state money to sue Washington if the legislation advances. About 200,000 barrels per day are carried by rail from North Dakota to refineries in Washington.

Continuing a nearly year-long string, the U.S. and Canada continue to increase reliance on railroads for delivery of petroleum and petroleum products. That’s according to the latest numbers from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending March 30, domestic oil-by-rail shipments increased by nearly 28 percent over a year ago, and the year-to-date cumulative total was up 22 percent. Canada’s totals were up 13 percent for the week and 19 percent year-to-date.

Pee Wee Track Meet in WaKeeney May 8

Posted on April 9, 2019

Pee Wee Track Meet in WaKeeney May 8 at 5 p.m. Registration ends April 26.

Pint-sized runners and field sport stars are gearing up to compete at the TCHS T-ball and Trego Recreation’s 2019 Pee Wee Track Meet!

Kids will compete in two group at the TCHS Goldsmith Track, preschoolers to 2nd grade and 3rd to 6th grade.

Traditional events will be featured, giving the kids a chance to sample various types of competitive events, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place ribbons awarded for each event and all the kids will come away with a participation ribbon to reward them for their great sportsmanship.

This is a free event for everyone, so come out and cheer on our young athletes!

Get your kids outside and into the fresh air for a great time running, dancing, and hopping into Spring!

Easter Egg hunt in WaKeeney April 20

Posted on April 9, 2019

WaKeeney’s annual Easter Egg Hunt is Saturday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m.

The Easter Bunny will be hopping into WaKeeney for the Trego Recreation Center’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt! Groups will be organized by age (6 months to 5th grade) so all our little bunnies will be able to find a few of the candy-filled Easter eggs.

Bring your children to the Trego County Courthouse lawn with their Easter baskets and their sweet tooth for this free fun family event, then stick around after the hunt for prize drawings for each age group.