

By KIM BALDWIN
McPherson County farmer and rancher
The temperatures have dropped, and it’s truly beginning to feel like fall on the farm. The air feels crisper, the sky seems brighter and everything seems a bit fresher now that the summer heat has left. It’s as if the plants, animals and people have all perked up after they’ve had to conserve their energy, seek shade and retreat from August and September.
But it’s now October, where the true magic happens.
I may be a bit biased about my affection for October. After all, it’s my birthday month. It’s also the month where I brought both of my babies home to the farm. I will always have in my mind the feelings of anxious anticipation as my belly reached maximum capacity while wondering how many acres of soybeans would be harvested or how many fields of wheat would be sowed before having to make our way to the hospital.
I always will have in my mind the image of my tiny daughter, wearing a petite bow on her head, snuggled peacefully in her car seat while a combine roared past harvesting soybeans.
I always will have in my mind the image of my tiny son warmly snuggled in my arms while sitting in the bleachers at the sale barn listening to the auctioneer introduce our lot of good looking, healthy weaned calves as they entered the ring.
I always will have in my mind the image of my kids straddling their bikes on our dirt road waving goodbye to a trailer load of our cattle headed to another pasture where they’d spend the winter months away from our home.
Yes, some of my best memories are from October.
If I could, I’d gather October in a Mason jar. Just like canning the bounties from a summer garden, I’d place this season on my pantry shelves and enjoy servings throughout the year.
And while tasty, it’s not the pumpkin spice that I’d truly want. It’s the cool, crisp air in the mornings that sends shivers through one’s body that isn’t quite ready to wear a heavy coat yet. It’s the beautiful evenings with a pink and orange painted sky that you can enjoy while watching children ride their bikes around the farmyard. It’s the time in the combine sitting next to my husband harvesting rows of soybeans. It’s the consideration of turning on the heater or waiting a few more days. It’s the sound of honking birds above that are beginning to make their trek south. It’s the clear night sky, and a bright full moon, and the sounds of farmers toiling in nearby fields that carries just a bit more into one’s senses.
I tend to catch myself taking deep breaths when I walk outside as if I know this season is only here for a limited time before we begin seeking refuge from the cold. Try as I might, I can’t quite breathe in enough of this beautiful month.
Just as Anne reveled in the world of color about her in the children’s novel “Anne of Green Gables,” I, too, am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

FHSU University Relations
The Department of Music and Theatre at Fort Hays State University will present the “New Music Festival: An Evening of the Music of Daniel Bukvich” at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
Bukvich, professor of music theory at the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton School of Music, travels across the world as a guest composer, conductor and percussionist in concerts with professional, college, high school and grade school bands, orchestras, choirs, honor and all-state groups.
As part of the New Music Festival, Bukvich will give a lecture at 2:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1, in Malloy Hall Room 115.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
The evening concert will feature the world premiere of “Lost Chord Mysticanza,” commissioned by the Fort Hays State New Music Ensemble, an ensemble of FHSU faculty with a shared passion for the music of living composers.
Members slated to perform “Lost Chord Mysticanza” are Brian Buckstead, violin; Irena Ravitskaya, piano; Hilary Shepard, flute; Kristin Pisano, clarinet; James Pisano, alto saxophone/bass clarinet; Brandon Jones, percussion; and Terry Crull, narration and singing voice.
Other works in the program: “Four Phases from Psalm 91,” performed by the FHSU Smoky Hill Chorale with Kay Werth, English horn, under the direction of Crull; and “Five Fantasies on the Tones A and G” for brass quintet.
“One aim of the annual FHSU New Music Festival is to engage, educate and inform our community about new music,” Pisano said.
Admission is free. Tickets will be available in the Beach/Schmidt lobby 30 minutes prior to the concert or in advance at the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City area man has been charged with fatally shooting another man after fighting over a family dog.
Twenty-nine-year-old Ebe Nelson was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of 63-year-old Frankie Gilmore. No attorney is listed for Nelson in online court records.
Court records say Nelson was forbidden from entering his mother’s Raytown home because of a history of breaking things. Upon showing up there Sunday, Gilmore told Nelson to leave and not to take the family’s dog, whom he had a history of mistreating.
The records say that after Nelson departed, Gilmore prepared to leave with the dog to dissuade Nelson from returning. But Nelson came back, wounded Gilmore, retrieved a rifle from a truck and shot him several more times, killing him.
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON— A Hutchinson police officer who was fired for the handling of a traffic stop has lost his appeal for reinstatement. Attorneys representing the Fraternal Order of Police were before the Hutchinson City Council asking that former officer John Suda be allowed to return to the force.

The firings were said to be connected to an incident in which a female officer was spotted driving intoxicated with her child on board. That officer, Anna Ruzhanovska, resigned from the force. But the controversy surrounding the incident led to three officers getting fired. Others were either suspended or disciplined.
Video and audio played during the hearing showed two officers, Mike Rivers and Suda, turning off their dash and vest cameras once they discovered who was behind the wheel of the stopped SUV.
Audio of the 911 calls was also played and told the story of a motorist who was causing numerous traffic issues from K-96 Highway near Haven to where the stop was made at Lorraine and K-61 Highway:
Another video played during the hearing showed Suda asking a fellow officer what he should do in this situation saying he didn’t “want to throw anybody under the bus.” The conversation was recorded by a camera in one of the interrogation rooms. Transcripts from the arbitrator showed Suda and others tried to hide the facts into Ruzhanovska’s traffic stop by shutting off the cameras and then driving her to the police station in her own vehicle. Suda maintained during the arbitration hearing that he was not trying to hide the facts, but was trying to protect Ruzhanovska when he and Rivers shut off their cameras.
In April of this year, an arbitration hearing was held for Suda. During that hearing, an arbitrator issued a statement that Suda should be reinstated without back pay or benefits. He stated that, while Suda’s actions during the traffic stop were wrong, they did not warrant termination. He also stressed that Suda never tried to withhold the truth during follow-up interviews. In September, City Manager John Deardoff rejected that recommendation and upheld Suda’s termination.
The council agreed. After more than an hour of testimony and discussion, the council voted 5-0 to uphold Suda’s termination.

WICHITA, KAN. – A man who was stopped in Kansas with 50 pounds of methamphetamine in his car was sentenced Tuesday to six years in federal prison, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
Jesus Antonio Garcia-Maldonado, 36, Panorama City, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted he was stopped for speeding on US 54 near Minneola in Clark County, Kan.
Law enforcement officers found approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine in wrapped packages under seats and behind a rear quarter panel. The defendant said he was driving the drugs from San Diego, Calif., to Minnesota.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a woman and asking the public for help with information.
Just after 7:p.m. Monday, police responded to report of a shooting at Schweiter Park in the 900 Block of South Chautauqua in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. When officers arrived, they found a number of shell casings in the parking lot.
A short time later, a 22-year-old woman arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. She was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators have learned the woman and a suspect were involved in physical altercation when multiple shots were fired that wounded the victim, according to Davidson.
Police have encountered a lack of cooperation during their investigation and are asking the public for help with information to help them make an arrest, according to Davidson.
Fort Hays State Tiger coach Chris Brown held his weekly press conference Tuesday after the Tigers earned a 19-3 win over Emporia State Saturday in Hays.
The Tigers have won four in-a-row and are 4-2 heading into Saturday’s meeting with the 5-1 Pittsburg State Gorillas.
Sophomore wide receiver and sophomore quarterback Chance Fuller also addressed the media Tuesday. You can hear their comments below.
Chris Brown
Manny Ramsey
Kiel Simas
WABAUNSEE COUNTY (AP) — Federal prosecutors want to keep $180,000 in suspected drug money that was found during a Kansas traffic stop.

Court records say the money was uncovered in July when a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a pickup truck on Interstate 70 in Wabaunsee County for a traffic violation. The driver said he was traveling from Chicago to Denver to visit his sick mother, but a vehicle search turned up seven bundles of cash wrapped in duct tape.
Documents say the driver then told law enforcement that he was being paid to take the money to a Denver hotel. A drug dog detected the odor of controlled substances coming from the currency.
Prosecutors filed last week for the cash to be forfeited to the government.

GEARY COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Geary County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Silverado driven by Savannah R. Laudemann, 22, Woodbine, was eastbound on State Lake Road six miles south of Junction City. The Silverado entered the roadway and was struck by a 2016 Peterbilt Semi that was southbound on U.S. 77.
Savannah Laudemann and a passenger Dawnette M. Laudemann, 44, Woodbine, were transported to Geary County Hospital where Savannah died.
The semi driver Bryan K. Lewis, 46, Crosby, Texas, was not injured. The occupants of the Silverado were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.
Candidates for the Hays USD 489 Board of Eduction will take part in a candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday from Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center at Fort Hays State University.
The event will be streamed live online by Tiger Media Network below:
The live broadcast also can be seen on Eagle Cable Channel 17 and Nex-Tech Cable Channel 102.
Lyndell E. Fox, 82, died October 14, 2019 at Diversicare of Larned.
He was born February 5, 1937 in Larned, the son of Emmett and Nevin Bates Fox.
A lifetime area resident he worked for Tabler Furniture, Larned. He was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Optimist Club, both of Larned. Lyndell was an avid sports fan. He had a vital part in reviving the American Legion Baseball Program and was an announcer for American Legion baseball games for fifteen years.
He married Deanne Hanken; and later, on Aug 15, 1965 he married Connie Fox at Ellsworth, she survives.
Other survivors include; two daughters, Allison Fox, Woodbury, Minnesota, Whitney Fox, Kansas City, Missouri; son, Kevin (Jane) Fox, Larned; two grandchildren, Tyler (Sarah) Fox, Richardson, TX, Katie (Clayton) Havelka, Springfield, Missouri; four great grandchildren, Jackson and Will Fox, Richardson, Texas, Gideon and Noelle Havelka, Springfield, Missouri; sister, Judy (Fred) Jennings, Larned.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Galen Fox.
Funeral will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday at Beckwith Mortuary Chapel, Larned, with Pastor Tricia North presiding. Burial will be at a later date in Larned Cemetery, Larned. Visitation 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned.
Memorials may be given to the American Legion Baseball Program or United Methodist Church, in care of Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, KS 67550.
Houston Gerald Price Jr., 83, died on Friday, October 11, 2019 in Garden City. He was born on September 6, 1936 at Wichita the son of Houston Gerald & Juanita Velvet (Roby) Price, Sr. He married Donna Jean Armstrong on April 27, 1958 at Sharon Springs.
Gerald moved with his family to Tribune when he was 5. The family moved to Poteau, Oklahoma for a couple of years before returning to Tribune where he attended Tribune Grade School and graduated from Sharon Springs High School. He attended Garden City Community College and then joined his Father on the family farm where they raised crops along with cattle and sheep. While continuing to work on the farm he worked for 19 years with the Greeley County National Resource Conservation Service. He was a Charter Member of the Tribune Baptist Church. He enjoyed playing cards of any kind, especially pinocle, poker and black jack. He was a member of Pitch Team that competed in Kansas and Oklahoma tournaments. He also enjoyed listening to Willie Nelson and watching Westerns but especially his family activities. He was preceded in death by his Parents, Sister- Billie Jean Williams, Son-In-Law- Brent Kinlund, 3 Grandchildren- Joey Cagle, Spencer Cundiff and Noah Cundiff and 1 Great-Grandson- Elijah Cundiff.
He is survived by his Wife- Donna Price, 4 Daughters- Judy Kinlund of Raton, New Mexico, Susan & Brad Sisk of Holcomb, Peggy & Abby Munoz of Garden City and Stacy & Randy Cundiff of Garden City, 9 Grandchildren- Jesse Cagle, Miles Cagle, Kris Sisk, Amber Sonnenberg, Brandi Sisk, Kelsi Johnston, Kayla Munoz, Cody Cundiff & Cayden Cundiff and 9 Great-Grandchildren- Katelynne Sisk, Gerald Sisk, Isaac Sonnenberg, Ronan Sonnenberg, Karter Johnston, Mace Johnston, Judah Cundiff, Demi Jo Cundiff & Ava Cundiff.
Funeral Service will be on Saturday, November 2 at 11:00 AM at Garden Valley Church in Garden City with Rev Steve Ensz officiating. Memorials are suggested to Greeley County Senior Center or Garden Valley Church Youth Center in care of Garnand Funeral Home. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com