Jacob Ternes, assistant director of Fort Hays State University’s Memorial Union, and Bailey Talkington, graduate assistant for the University Activities Board, both received awards from the National Association of Campus Activities Central Region.
Ternes received the Markley Award, which is considered the highest honor a professional can receive from the Central Region.
This award is given to an individual who shows contributions to growth and development of on-campus student activities and who is seen as a positive role model for students and associates.
Talkington received the NACA Central Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award, given to a graduate assistant who shows great service to the institution and has great promise for a future in a campus activities profession.
Ternes and Talkington were presented with their awards at the recent NACA Central Conference held in Arlington, Texas.
Grow Hays has partnered with NCK Tech and KansasWorks to offer a short-term welding training class. Deadline for applications is Friday.
This is an introductory course requiring no experience and is funded by a generous grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Classes will be held in the evenings and Saturdays so trainees can still work while taking the class.
The ideal candidate would be in northwest Kansas and want to apply for welding positions with local companies upon completion, but all are encouraged to apply.
Facts about the course:
Free for qualified applicants – space is limited
Eligible students who successfully complete the course will earn 2 credit hours from NCK Tech
This is an introductory course – no experience required
Courses will be held at Fort Hays State University – Department of Allied Technology
Call the KANSASWORKS office at 785.625.5654 or stop by 332 E. Eighth in Hays for information on the application process.
More than a foot of rain fell on the Ted Guetterman farm in Johnson County during a three-day stretch from Oct. 5-7. At roughly the same time, nearly four inches of rain fell on the Roger Glenn family farm in Finney County, approximately 365 miles west.
The Guetterman family walked around in water standing atop their no-till fields and the Glenns were slip-sliding away on their no-till land. Combines chomping at the bit to harvest the bountiful corn, bean and milo crops sat dead still.
It would be two weeks before the machines would move and that depended on no additional moisture. Kansas grain farmers waited on pins and needles from the eastern border of Kansas to the Colorado border hoping for sunshine and dry weather.
Glenn, who’s farmed with his father-in-law for 32 years can’t remember a fall so wet. Fortunately, he’d harvested some of his corn crop and sowed his winter wheat crop. Only one bin full of milo came out of his fields before the deluge during the first week of October.
Rainfall on the family farm in Finney and Kearny counties sprawls 25 miles from one end to the other. Moisture ranged from 2.6-3.8 inches during this rain event.
“We try to keep a rain gauge on every quarter of land,” Glenn says. “This allows us to check actual rainfalls and remains the most accurate method of charting rainfall so we can determine what crop to plant on every field.”
An October rainfall of this magnitude results in excellent crops for the winter wheat and next year’s corn and milo planted in the spring of 2019. Water stands in some of the low spots throughout their land. Some grader ditches stood nearly full and while others were at least half full.
While checking his fields after the three-day rain, Glenn probed several of the family quarter sections and punched his six-foot probe within four inches of the end of the steel rod.
“Every once in a while, we’re blessed with a full profile of moisture in our fields during the spring, but not like this in the fall,” Glenn says. “We finished drilling our wheat two days before the rain came and the new crop has emerged and looks really good – thick, green and lush. This new crop will really pop once the sun comes out and we have some more fall-like days.”
The early October rains made sure Glenn could drill his winter wheat within an inch from the top of the soil and residue. He says this newly-planted crop has the potential to be one of their best stands in a long while.
While the milo crop itself is dry and ready to cut, the leaf canopy will shade the ground and push harvest several days into the future. Glenn can’t wait to begin milo harvest.
“Two years ago, we cut one of our best milo crops ever,” the southwestern Kansas farmer says. “This year our milo looks like the best we’ve ever grown. The heads are big and full and while we don’t like to predict what a crop will make, we’re hoping for better than 100 bushels to the acre and some may make 130 bushels.”
Once the fall harvest begins again, it will no doubt take more time. Fields are saturated with water and trucks and grain carts will be kept out of the fields to prevent compaction and tearing up the soil.
“Anytime we receive rain in October, we’re happy for it,” Glenn says. “It may be Thanksgiving before we finish, or even later if it keeps raining. We’ve been faced with harvest delays before and we’ll finish up when we’re finished.”
John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.
Applicant must be at least 21 years of age, no felony convictions, no convictions for domestic violence, and must maintain a valid Kansas driver’s license.
KANSAS CITY (AP) – A man whose excessive flatulence forced a police detective to cut shot an interrogation has pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug charges.
Sykes -photo Mo. Dept. of Corrections
Sean Sykes Jr., 25, entered the plea Monday. The charges stem from a police traffic stop in September in Kansas City, Missouri, in which officers found a backpack with drugs and guns. Sykes was a passenger in the vehicle.
A detective reported that when asked for his address, Sykes “leaned to one side of his chair and released a loud fart before answering.” Court documents say Sykes “continued to be flatulent” and the detective was forced to quickly end the interview.
Sykes will be sentenced at later date, after a pre-sentence report is completed.
GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas man avoided injury in a small plane mishap just after 6:30p.m. Monday in Geary County.
Location of Monday’s airplane mishap-google map
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Zenith 601XL airplane piloted by Mark A. Gorman, 67, Junction City took off from the Junction City Airport.
At approximately 2500 feet elevation the aircraft’s bubble canopy came open. The pilot was not able to maintain flight elevation and landed in the corn stubble just south of the intersection at Crider Road and Old U.S. 40.
Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. East wind 7 to 13 mph.
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. East southeast wind 8 to 10 mph.
Wednesday A 50 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 59. South southeast wind 8 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night Rain. Low around 44. South southeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Thursday A 30 percent chance of rain before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. South wind 6 to 8 mph.
Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A Northern California judge has upheld a jury’s verdict finding Monsanto’s weed killer caused a groundskeeper’s cancer, but she slashed his $289 million award to $78 million.
Roundup, the Monsanto brand name pesticide built on the chemical glyphosate, is used on farm fields and on lawns and gardens. FILE: by GRANT GERLOCK / courtesy HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bolanos ruled Monday
A San Francisco jury’s August verdict included $250 million in punitive damages, which the judge said was too high. She reduced the punitive damages to $39 million, matching the jury’s underlying damage award.
Jurors found Monsanto purposely ignored warnings and evidence that its popular Roundup product caused DeWayne Johnson’s lymphoma.
In a tentative ruling on Oct. 11, Bolanos said she was considering wiping out the punitive damage award because there appeared to be no evidence presented at trial that Monsanto employees ignored evidence that the weed killer caused cancer.
SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.
Pardue-photo Sedgwick County
Just after 9:30 p.m. Sunday, police responded to an unknown call for EMS at the Relax Inn, 2232 S. Broadway in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Upon arrival, Officers located a 25-year-old female with a laceration to her neck. Officers also found 26-year old Teka Pardue armed with a knife. She dropped the knife and was taken into custody without incident.
The investigation revealed Pardue and the victim got into a verbal argument, and Pardue stabbed the victim one time. EMS transported the victim to an area hospital in critical, according to Davidson.
Police arrested Pardue on charges of attempted 1st degree murder, aggravated weapons violation and possession of drug paraphernalia. The case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office.
Perdue has a previous drug conviction in Harvey County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for shoplifting and vehicle theft.
Vaughan -photo Saline Co.
On October 19, Police were called to Walmart, 2900 S. Ninth in Salina for the report of a man who went through the self-checkout, paid for four packages of Kool-Aid, but concealed approximately $80 worth of other items that he took with him when he left the store, according Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.
The items taken included charcoal, four arrows, a phone case, a Nerf toy and a blanket. Walmart loss-prevention personnel witnessed the incident, according to Forrester.
Store personnel told police that the man and a woman were seen getting into a gray PT Cruiser type of vehicle that traveled from the store and north on Interstate I35.
Shortly thereafter, a Salina police officer pulled over a gray Chevrolet HHR at I-135 and Magnolia. The vehicle was confirmed as stolen from Lyon County on Wednesday, according to Forrester.
The suspect identified as Jacob Vaughan, 20, Salina, from the Walmart shoplifting case and the woman seen with him earlier were in the HHR.
Police arrested Vaughan and charged him with one count of felony possession of stolen property, one count of misdemeanor attempted theft, and one count of driving while suspended, according to Forrester. Vaughan also had a probation violation warrant out of Lyon County.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man and woman have been charged in a road-rage shooting that wounded a 4-year-old boy in Wichita.
Smith -photo Sedgwick CountyTylin Deshone Atkinson-photo Sedgwick County
Nineteen-year-old Tylin Atkinson, and 21-year-old Ramonyka Smith, both of Wichita, were charged Monday with criminal discharge of a firearm. Atkinson also faces a charge of aggravated assault and is jailed on $250,000 bond. Smith is jailed on $100,000 bond. Their attorneys didn’t immediately return phone messages seeking comment.
Police say Atkinson got out of a car last week and fired two shots at a sport utility vehicle in which six children were riding, striking the 4-year-old once in the abdomen. Police say Smith was driving the car.
The child was in stable condition shortly after the shooting. Police didn’t immediately return phone calls Monday seeking an update on the boy’s condition.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities have made an arrest in connection with a stolen vehicle.
Kevin Jones -photo Shawnee County
Just after 4pm Sunday a citizen noticed their vehicle was missing from the lot of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections (DOC) in Topeka, according to police Lt. Aaron Jones.
Review of the camera system a suspect was identified as 33 years-old Kevin E. Jones. He had just been released from the jail at approximately 9a.m., just prior to the theft of the vehicle.
Officers were then called to the 500 block of NE Grattan in Topeka for a report of a man attempting to break into a vehicle. The owner of the vehicle and neighbors kept the suspect on scene until the arrival of officers.
The responding officers recognized the suspect in this incident was Kevin Jones from the earlier reviewed surveillance footage.
The original stolen vehicle was then located by officers in the 700 Block of SW Taylor around 7:15 pm.
Jones was arrested under suspicion of motor vehicle theft and criminal damage. The damage to the vehicle on Grattan was estimated to be about $700, according to police.
