The CNA refresher course will be October 19 and 26.This two-day course is for CNAs whose Kansas certification status has become inactive.The class will be 8 a.m.-2 p.m.Students must attend both days to receive credit.
The CMA update course, also scheduled for Oct. 19 and 26 will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m. This two-day course meets the biennial CMA continuing education requirement for CMAs. Students must attend both days to receive credit.
Both classes will be located in the Health Science Building on the NCK Tech campus.For additional information, application process and cost, contact the campus at 785-625-2437.
Twenty-four hour advanced noticed is required for both classes.
When coming home late from an every-other Wednesday night commitment in Hutchinson, we’ve frequently seen deer, rain or shine, summer and winter along a certain stretch of road north of town. The terrain along these few miles of highway is perfect deer habitat. Last night as we approached that area about 11 p.m., my wife uttered that four-letter word all drivers hate to hear this time of year, “Deer!”
I had enough time to ease into the other lane, and sure enough, standing there in the ditch as regal as can be, was a nice young buck. Thankfully he merely watched us go by without incident. … Welcome to fall in Midwestern deer country!
For the next two months, deer will be moving about more than usual, often seemingly without regard to traffic on roadways. The main reason is the breeding season known infamously as the “rut” — that time of the year where whitetail love is in the air, and bucks, just like all men, seem powerless to resist. Although more frequent deer movement has already begun. The peak of the rut here in Kansas will be sometime in mid-November. Other factors also cause deer to move now more than usual. Suddenly crops that offered them cover and food are now being harvested, forcing them to look for seclusion and for other food sources. Young bucks are also roaming about looking for their own territories and with it, females to breed.
Deer-vehicle collisions can’t always be avoided, but there are things to do to lessen the possibility of hitting one. When traveling at night, slow down, use your high beams when possible and be extra vigilant, staying especially alert along wooded areas where deer often travel. We see deer at the spot I mentioned above, well over 50 percent of the time year round. Have your passengers help you watch; our grandson loves to be on “deer alert.”Heed deer crossings signs and be especially watchful in those areas, as deer crossing signs are posted at those particular spots for a good reason. Also when you see one deer, there are often more. As hard as it will be, if a collision with a deer becomes imminent, DO NOT swerve to miss it, as that may very well put you in the other lane facing oncoming traffic or cause you to lose control of the vehicle and hit something far worse than the deer. If you hit a deer, pull off the road if possible and call 911. Stay in your vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers. Don’t attempt to remove a deer that’s lying on the roadway, let the law enforcement officer do that. Also, if you want to keep the carcass of a deer killed in an accident, you must get a “salvage tag” which any law enforcement officer or game warden can issue.
In West Virginia there is a 1 in 46 chance of hitting a deer, the most of any state in the U.S., followed by Montana, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Wisconsin. The average chance of hitting a deer nationwide is 1 in 167; in Kansas the chances of hitting a deer are 1 in 130, quite a bit better than the national average. In 2017 there were 10,226 deer-vehicle collisions reported here in Kansas, 17 percent of the total vehicle crashes. Butler County reported the most at 438 followed by Sedgwick County with 385.
Something I didn’t know that was verified by my insurance agent is that hitting a deer is covered by the comprehensive portion of our auto insurance policy. A collision with another vehicle or object resulting from trying to avoid hitting a deer is covered by the collision portion. Jennifer Haugh, public and government affairs manager for AAA Kansas, reports that in 2017 the average vehicle repair bill for a deer-vehicle collision averaged $4,500. I found this statistic listed on the website of numerous other auto insurance companies, and it was never less than $4,000.
I hope I’ve not scared you so badly that you’ll refuse to take your car out of the garage until January and be forced to take an Uber everywhere you go. I just want to remind you to drive with a little extra caution for the next couple months to avoid hitting a deer. If you want venison in your freezer, harvesting one during hunting season is a better route to go. It’s much cheaper than getting one with the car and the meat will probably be in better shape. … Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!
LA CROSSE — FFA members at La Crosse Middle/High School hosted the annual Day on the Farm event for La Crosse Elementary students on Oct. 1 at the Rush County Fairgrounds.
The event increased agricultural literacy and safety and was planned and executed by the FFA Chapter in partnership with the Rush County Farm Bureau. Students experienced many facets of agriculture with presentations that ranged from plant and soils to electrical safety and food science.
“It is important that our students gain a well-rounded education and being exposed to and understanding why agriculture is important is crucial for student future career options,” said Bill Keeley, La Crosse Elementary School principal and USD 395 superintendent. “Our students had a wonderful day, and everyone left with a greater appreciation for the many aspects of agriculture.”
Students in agricultural education classes led lessons on food science, plant and soil science and electrical circuits. Business and industry representatives presented on technology in agronomy and farming, indoor swine operations, livestock evaluation, the dairy industry, electrical safety, streams and the importance of streams and watersheds to the natural resources in the Rush County area.
Danika Vap, first-grader
“I loved getting my hands dirty by playing in the soil, learning about water streams, and I loved learning about electricity,” said kindergartner Dylan Schlegel.
The La Crosse FFA Chapter would like to thank the following business and industry partners for contributing to the success of the day: Southwest Dairy Farmers, John Georg, Rush County Conservation District, Wet Walnut Creek Watershed, Great Plains Precision Ag, LLC, and the Kansas State Research and Extension Walnut Creek District.
Agriculture programs prepare students for high-demand careers in cutting-edge industries like biotechnology, renewable energies, engineering and food production. They also teach students how to be leaders and prepare them to take on the challenges of the next generation.
Kaycie Combs, fourth-grader
The La Crosse Middle/High School Ag program has 55 students and 35 FFA members.The program offers a wide array of classes from welding to plant and animal science to agricultural research.The La Crosse Middle/High School FFA Chapter works in tandem with the ag program to develop premiere leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.The La Crosse Middle/High School agriculture teacher is Chelsey Smith.
Hays sent five 4-H shooting sports members to Wichita the weekend of Oct. 6 to participate in the State 4-H shotgun match.
After shooting 50 rounds each of trap, skeet and sporting clays over the two days, Jordan Hunsicker came home with the top shot award above 169 other competitors from across the state.
The award was not easily earned and came from many months of practices that started this spring when he was getting ready to compete at the National 4-H match in Grand Island, Nebraska, the last week of June.
BATON ROUGE, LA — Prof. Jason Harper, of Hays, Kansas, has been elected as an officer for the Fort Hays State University chapter of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Harper, Senior Lecturer and International Coordinator in the Department of English at Fort Hays State University, was elected to serve the university’s chapter as grants and awards officer for the 2018-2019 term.
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. The Society inducts 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually at more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines.
Membership into Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The Society’s mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”
The Moms Club of Hays recently donated $200 to help purchase carbon monoxide detectors for families in need at Early Childhood Connections.
The detectors will go to families who currently reside in housing that lack a detector.
Adams, Brown, Beran, & Ball donated $300 to the Hope Pantry.
The money will be used to help families in need with food and hygiene boxes throughout the year, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. To date, the Hope Pantry has given 576 boxes of food, hygiene supplies, and clothing since it began in 2015.
Two events that were supposed to take place this weekend have been cancelled due to impending inclement weather — the ART MADE / ART DISPLAYED event in Hays and the Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat in Ellis.
Out of respect for the artists who were offering to open their homes and personal studio spaces to guests, the HAC has decided to postpone the ART MADE / ART DISPLAYED event scheduled for this Sunday.
“The weather conditions forecast for this weekend (on top of all the rain already!) are pretty unpleasant (low temps, rain and SNOW!) and we didn’t want to compromise their wonderful spaces with what could be a pretty messy day,” the HAC posted on Facebook.
The HAC hopes to reschedule this event for the spring.
In addition, the HAC Annual Meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19 at the Hays Arts Center, immediately preceding the opening reception for its newest exhibition “Of the Earth” (Angela Muller and Barbara Jo Stevens) and book signing for “Pegasus Dan and the Little Owl” (author Nicole Thibodeau and illustrator Robert Joy).
The Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat in Ellis has been rescheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28.
Set your canned goods and non-perishables out on the porch by 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28 for pickup by local youth. The food will go to the Ellis food pantry and food boxes program.
For more information contact, Leonard Schoenberg at 785-726-1278 or follow the food bank on Facebook.
The new $78,000 Wilson playground was paid for priamrily through After School and Home and School funds.
Wilson Principal Anita Scheve and Home and School President Andrea Dinkel cut the ribbon on the new playground.
Wilson students wait for the ribbon cutting.
Wilson Principal Anita Scheve and Home and School President Andrea Dinkel.
The new playground has an accompanying physical education curriculum.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce officially cut the ribbon on a new playground at Wilson Elementary School on Friday.
However, the Wilson students have already had the chance to break in the equipment during recesses over the past week and a half.
The school children gathered on the playground for the ribbon cutting and cheered when they saw the chamber’s giant scissors. Sadly, because the new equipment was still wet from rain Friday morning, the children weren’t allowed to play on the equipment Friday for safety reasons.
The new playground, including installation, cost $78,000. The Dane G. Hansen Foundation contributed $5,000 for the project, the Home and School organization contributed about half of the funds — $38,000, and Wilson’s After School program contributed the other half. The district paid for the surfacing and concrete work out of its capital outlay budget.
Wilson’s Home and School organization has been raising money for years toward the goal of this new playground.
Andrea Dinkel, Wilson Home and School president, said, “I just want to say thank you to all of you for doing fundraising like Mrs. [Anita] Scheve said, and I want to thank the parents for helping us out and the community for opening up your wallets and helping us with fundraising and buying stuff from our kiddoes. That means a lot.”
Wilson Principal Anita Scheve also said she was thankful for the community for their support.
She said school’s old playground was past its warranty and had areas where the plastic was brittle and cracking. It was becoming a safety hazard for the children, she said.
The new playground has an accompanying physical education curriculum.
“We are excited to have a new playground,” Scheve said.
Just before 1:30 p.m. Friday, a minivan struck the Hays Public Library.
The van was in the parking lot on the south side of the library when it struck the side of the building.
The women driving the vehicle was taken by ambulance to the hospital. It was initially unclear what caused the accident. No one else was injured.
The library did not have to be evacuated.
Brandon Hines, library director, said he was unsure how much damage was done to the library building, but he did not think it was severe enough to warrant closing the library.
MIAMI COUNTY — —On Friday, first responders were dispatched to Hospital Drive south of 327th Street for a vehicle in the water, according to the Miami County Sheriff. The floodwaters had receded showing the roof of a silver passenger car.
The vehicle was a 2006 Chevy Malibu owned by Rachel Phillips. Authorities removed the car from the water and found her deceased inside. Her cause of death has not been determined, according to the sheriff’s department.
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At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Miami County Sheriff’s Office took a report for a missing person, Hazel L. Phillips, age 78.
Hazel was last contacted on Tuesday in the evening hours by her family. Hazel told her family that she would be going to Drexel, Missouri, in the morning hours of Wednesday. Hazel did not make it to her destination in Drexel, Missouri.
She is known to drive a silver 2008 Chevrolet Malibu with Kansas tag 450HLB, which is missing also. It is unknown what Hazel is wearing. Hazel is 5’06” 120 pounds, brown hair and green eyes. Hazel may be suffering from medical conditions, which could be a safety concern for her. Hazel may be in the Paola or Osawatomie location.
If you make contact with Hazel or see her, call the Investigations Division at the Miami County Sheriff’s Office at 913-294-3232.
Whether you want to cruise around the city with your doors off or take on the challenge of off-roading over 13,000 feet above sea level, the local 785 Jeep Club may have something for you.
Kyle Keezer is the president and founder of the club. He was the president of Kansas City Jeep Club, and when he took a job in Hays, he decided to create a new Jeep chapter in Hays. The group, which started in 2017, has about 40 active members.
The group participates in many different events. They do parades, will appear for business openings, off-road, do cross-country trips, and go to Jeep-sponsored events. They also participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program.
“We are a group trying to educate people about Jeeps, and we work with the community,” he said. “We try to be a family oriented community club, but our interest is Jeeps.”
Keezer particularly enjoys off-roading. Sometimes the group goes out into trees or other times into sand. They have visited Tuttle Creek Reservoir near Manhattan, Kansas; Oklahoma; Missouri, private land in Kansas; and mountainous areas of Colorado.
Keezer’s 15-year-old son goes on Jeep trips with his dad when he can.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Keezer
“In the beginning, he was one of those kids that didn’t want to do this. He was, ‘Dad, how long before we get to go home? I’m tired. There is no Internet out here.’ But now that he is getting a little older, he is getting to enjoy it more. He likes to go with me when I go to Colorado and go out on adventures. He likes getting up into the mountains.
“There are views up there that you don’t get to see from the road. You have to take back roads to take to get to them. The mine trails are pretty amazing. You can see for miles and miles.”
Last year, he and a group of Jeepers got up to 13,800 feet above sea level. The year before he got up to 13,900 feet. To give you perspective, Pikes Peak’s altitude is 14,114 feet.
“It is a really good way to get out and see the world,” he said, “and not be sitting behind car and driving. It is actually going out and doing something with the vehicle.”
Many modifications are available for Jeeps, some of which help vehicles like Keezer’s off-road to those amazing heights. Keezer said the joke in Jeep circles is that Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket. Keezer drives a 2013 two-door JK. He has lifted his jeep and installed larger tires. It has gearing, lockers, a suspension kit and modified exhaust system. He has installed CB and ham radios, as well as a camera to catch the action when he and his Jeep buddies are off-roading.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Keezer
Keezer has dreams of going higher into the mountains, and plans more modifications to his Jeep this year to get there, including adding bigger tires and a stronger spare-tire carrier to balance the rear weight.
Most of the work Keezer did himself, but some work he had to have done in shops. He served in the Army for six years and gained wrenching experience working on helicopters.
Off-roading can be dangerous. Keezer has never been in any serious crashes, but he has broken a fair amount of equipment.
“Accidents happen,” he said. “It’s an extreme sport. There are hazards in it.”
The club tries to educate members on how to operate their Jeeps safely on and off road.
The club sponsors a wrench-a-thon, during which the group teaches owners about the parts on their Jeeps and the maximum tolerances on their vehicles. It also conducts a safety course during which owners learn how to winch, go up hills, find lines in rocks and get unstuck from the mud.
Keezer has been fascinated with vehicles his whole life. He raced in the National Mustang Racing Association. He still has a Mustang, which is supercharged. When his local track closed and he couldn’t race his Mustang anymore, he started off-roading, first in a truck and then he bought his Jeep.
“It is kind of like a Harley or anything else,” he said. “It is just one of those things that you find an interest in, and it is pretty easy to get hooked to that kind of lifestyle … to going out in the country and being out in the woods and being off-roading and the camaraderie of going to an event and seeing other Jeeps.”
You don’t have to break the bank to be in the club. Plenty of members just have stock Jeeps. He said it is still fun to go out with the club and enjoy dirt trails for the first time.
“We are not out to tear up stuff and break stuff. We are out to have fun and an adventure,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had fun taking someone who has never been before and taking them off road and seeing that smile on their face.
“They know so much more about their Jeep. They got to experience what it is like. They get to take advantage of what they bought and they have their money involved in. And the next thing you usually hear is, ‘What do I need to do more? Because I want to be able to go over stuff.'”
Photo courtesy of Kyle Keezer
The club is always looking for new members. Keezer said he has met all sorts of people from all over the country and from as far away as Israel through his Jeep hobby.
The 785 Jeep Club meets from 1 to 3 p.m. on the last Saturday of the month. You must own a Jeep to join. The membership fee is $30 per year, which gets you a T-shirt, stickers and access to members-only events. Find out more at 785jeepclub.com.
Marilyn Lou (Sorensen) Lindemann, 85, peacefully moved to her heavenly home on Oct. 6, 2018, surrounded by family.
She was born on Dec. 22, 1932, in Arapahoe, Nebraska, to Soren and Lenore Sorensen.
Fond memories of her childhood with her sister, Janice Brazil, in Arapahoe and the Danish community of Dannebrog, brought her peace and happiness throughout her life. She also lived in Oberlin, Hays, and Andover, Kansas, where her backyards became her sanctuary.
The yards were full of flower beds, blooming trees, vines and whimsical yard art, which complemented her sense of humor. She created her secret gardens to share with the birds, squirrels and her beloved Boston bull terriers. Marilyn found love and serenity in God’s word, nature, time with family, adventures with her friends, picnics in the park and the loyal companionship of her dog, Sissy.
Marilyn is survived by three children and their spouses, two grandchildren and a niece; Rocke and Eddie Lindemann, Polly and John Charleston, Troy, Kimberly, Luke and Elise Lindemann; all of Wichita, and Rojean Landwehr of Claremore, Oklahoma.
Marilyn retired from High Plains Mental Health Center, Hays, in 1998, where she worked as a mental health therapist, but her favorite job was her first, working as a soda jerk in her dad’s pharmacy.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 at Central Baptist Church, 7421 S.W. Church Road, Augusta, Kansas.
Gifts in Marilyn’s name will go to the Alzheimer Association, 1820 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67214 and the Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS 67219. Arrangements entrusted to Heritage Funeral Home, Andover, and an online guest book may be signed at www.heritageofandover.com
