A woman, who later admitted she was drunk, was arrested for jumping into the fountains at Kauffman Stadium on Monday. The Royals say it’s only happened a few times.

From the Kansas Room, By: Lucia Bain, Kansas Room Librarian, Hays Public Library 

On August 9th, I celebrate the first anniversary of my move to Kansas. A year ago, I was just getting ready to make the move from Missouri to Kansas. I was not yet engaged, had not started working in the library and had not met anyone around town. One year later, all that has changed. I am now a veteran of Kansas winters and Kansas summers. I know more about Kansas history than I ever imagined I would and I am ever more acquainted with the local people. Best of all, I’m now married and settled in Ellis County. Don’t get me wrong, there are still days I wake up and think, “Whoa, this is really my life.” Just this morning as I was driving to work in the fog and rainy-mist, I forgot for a second that I was in Kansas. The scene was so familiar, a pang of homesickness shot through me and I thought for just a second that I was back in Missouri.

One thing that always makes me think of my friends and family back home is trivia. I used to play team trivia with some of my coworkers and my favorite game to play with my brother is Trivial Pursuit. So to commemorate my first anniversary in Kansas, there will be a Trivia Night at the library on Friday, Aug. 9^th at 6 PM in the Schmidt Gallery. Bring some friends along and work together to answer trivia from categories such as U.S. History, Pop Culture and Famous Art Works. Some refreshments will be provided, but feel free to bring your own food and (non-alcoholic) drinks along! Adults and teens are encouraged to attend.

Later in August, the Kansas Room will host a line dancing class. This program will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 20^th at 6 PM in the Schmidt Gallery. Vanessa North from the children’s department will teach participants the steps to classic country western dances from the Cotton-Eyed Joe to the Boot Scootin’ Boogey. If you’ve always wanted to line dance but never had the opportunity to learn, now’s your chance!

Finally, on Thursday, Aug. 29^th, the Kansas Room will be hosting a very special program in honor of Labor Day. Wayne Purinton, now a resident of Wakeeney, is aVietnam veteran. A few years ago he published a book based on his experience titled Journey Back from Vietnam, but he has also developed a poignant presentation called “Once Enemies, Now Friends.” Mr. Purinton was just nineteen when he volunteered for the draft in 1966. When he returned home in 1968, he had lost his innocence and gained a new worldview. In the years since the war, Mr. Purinton has returned to Vietnam four times for healing and reconciliation. Mr. Purinton will deliver his presentation in the Schmidt Gallery at 6 PM on the 29th. Please don’t miss this thought-provoking presentation.

Thanks to all those who participated in the Hays Scavenger Hunt. We had quite a few people enter the contest, having had their pictures taken at all ten locations. Judy Zerr-Schamburger was our lucky winner of the $25 Chamber Cheque. She completed the hunt with her grandchildren and they snapped some great pictures together. Congratulations!

The Kansas Room is open from 9 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday and by request. If you wish to contact me, you may do so by calling 625-9014 or by emailing [email protected].

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of the Post News Network and/or any/all contributors to this site.

This spring when signing up my oldest two daughters for softball,

I stumbled across the informa- tion about T-ball on the Hays Rec website My youngest daughter is 5 years old and autistic, and I had never even considered signing her up for a sport.

But, I thought, why not? She is high functioning and can communicate why not?

So I signed her up. That act on its own was emotional, because every milestone met with a special needs child, regardless of how delayed, is an unbelievably emotional experience.

When I signed her up, I put in the memo that Morgan is autistic.

Because I know though it shouldn’t matter, it can.

But it didn’t this time.

Hays Rec never blinked an eye. Morgan was assigned a T-ball team. And her coaches, Dustin Armbruster and his wife, Wendy, Clint Albers and other parents who helped, were absolutely wonderful and patient.

Morgan needed a little extra help, and they happily obliged. Sometimes she needed reminded which way first base was, and they were there to direct her. She once spun in a circle halfway between first and second, but that was OK. I’m sure they chuckled like I did when Morgan rode her bat like a horse and skipped up to the tee to bat.

Morgan’s autism allows her to be a little different and during a few T-ball games this summer that did not matter.

Thank you Hays Rec, Dustin, Wendy, Clint and everyone else who helped Morgan fit right in and have a wonderful season.

Teresa Greenwood Hays

By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau

The issue of safe, healthy food is in the news once again. While the majority of this nation’s food is healthy and safe to eat, food remains deeply entrenched in family values.

Without question, emotions are also tied with what we’re eating for lunch or dinner. Emotional connections to our food sometimes make potential risks within our food supply appear frightening.

Consumers react strongly to food safety issues. Because they can’t control the outcomes, their exposure is involuntary, the effects are irreversible and they’re caused by human actions or failures.

Approximately 5 million illnesses and 4,000 deaths can be attributed each year to meat and poultry products, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About 9,000 people die and at least 6 million become sick each year from food-borne infections.

Like the food industry and our government, consumers have an obligation to keep food safe. The way we handle, store and cook food can mean the difference between a satisfying meal or a bout with E. coli or salmonella.

Purchasing, storing and preparing food, presents many challenges to consumers. As wise and safety-conscious shoppers, it is our responsibility to keep food safe once it leaves our local grocery store or meat market.

Always buy food from a reputable dealer, with a known record for safe handling. If you don’t know if the meat is fresh ask a neighbor or friend who’s shopped there before.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises consumers to buy dated products only if the “sell by” or “use by” date has not expired. While these dates are helpful, they are reliable only if the food has been kept at the proper temperature during storage and handling. Although many products bear “sell by” and “use by” dates, product dating is not a federal requirement.

When we purchase products labeled “keep refrigerated,” we should do so only if they are stored in a refrigerated case and cold to the touch. Buy frozen products only if they are frozen solid. Never buy something that feels mushy.

Buy packaged precooked foods only if the package is sound – not damaged or torn.

Avoid cross contamination. To prevent raw meat and poultry from contaminating foods that will be eaten without further cooking, enclose individual packages of raw meat or poultry in plastic bags. Position packages of raw meat or poultry in your shopping cart so their juices cannot drip on other food.

Always shop for perishables last. Keep refrigerated and frozen items together so they will remain cold. Place perishables in the coolest part of your car during the trip home. Pack them in an ice chest if the time from store to home refrigerator will be more than one hour.

Restaurant salad bars are one of the most common causes of bad stomachs. Improperly washed raw vegetables are another classic source of food poisoning.

Unless they’ve been washed scrupulously and handled expertly, vegetables are every bit as likely as meats to have come into contact with pathogens or toxins. If you fail to be as careful with your veggies as you should be with meat it can be unpleasant.

Whatever you do, wash your own hands before handling food and before switching to another food group. And don’t forget to wash your hands each and every time you handle and eat food.

While most of these tips sound simple, a common-sense approach the next time you shop, snack or prepare a meal for your family will ensure mealtimes are healthy and nourishing.

John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.

Book Review: Here is Where ( Author Andrew Carroll)

“Here Is Where chronicles Andrew Carroll’s eye-opening – and at times hilarious — journey across America to find and explore unmarked historic sites where extraordinary moments occurred and remarkable individuals once lived. Sparking the idea for this book was Carroll’s visit to the spot where Abraham Lincoln’s son was saved by the brother of Lincoln’s assassin. Carroll wondered, How many otherunmarked places are there where intriguing events have unfolded and that we walk past every day, not realizing their significance? To answer that question, Carroll ultimately trekked to every region of the country — by car, train, plane, helicopter, bus, bike, and kayak and on foot.” – from Goodreads

Don’t be put off by the length of this book; each story (even though they are historical events, they truly read like entertaining stories) is just a few pages long. Carroll adds a personal touch, outlining what guided him to that particular piece of history and his experience learning about it. I didn’t realize a book about little-known history could be a page-turner, but this one fit the bill. Sublette, KS makes a notable appearance, as does Fort Riley. The only thing I fault Carroll is that he talks much about the photos he takes of each location, but none of the photos are featured in the book.

5 out of 5 stars.

Marleah Augustine is the Adult Department Librarian at the Hays Public Library

You can see more of her blog here https://hayspubliclibrary.wordpress.com

The Mars Science Laboratory landed on the Red Planet in August 2012. The imagery from August 2012 to July 2013, from the rover’s Hazard-Avoidance camera, has been compiled to make this time-lapse.

Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of the Post News Network and/or any/all contributors to this site.

After a night of hours of rain in Hays last weekend, we hopped in the car to check out local flooding. Driving south down Main Street, we noticed something spouting out of the ground and continued driving to check it out. Shockingly, the spouting water was the sprinkler system at the Hays Aquatic Park. After reading article upon article about water conservation and the city sending out letters to the people who fall into the category of the top 10% water users, we found this a bit ridiculous. It seems very hypocritical of a city affiliated company to be running water after receiving over 2.5″ of rain with rain still in the forecast. If the Aquatic Parks sprinkler system was not shut off, then how many other city parks (nice grass at the park on Allen Street) and buildings were running water that could have easily been conserved?

[email protected]

 

This week at the Hays Public Library

Monday, August 5
· Computer Class 11:00 AM  (adult)

· Sardines: This is “Hide and Seek” backwards. As each hunter finds the hiding place, the hunter joins the hunted. 4:00 PM  (children)

 

Tuesday, August 6

· Author of the Month: Eric Carle 4:00 PM  (children)

·  Herb Study Group 5:00 PM  (adult)

 

Wednesday, August 7

· Computer Class 11:00 AM  (adult)

· Feed and Film 12:00 PM  (adult)

· *NEW* Scratch Club House- Learn beginning computer programming skills. Create stories, games, and animations. Ages 8-16  (children/teen)

 

Thursday, August 8

· Happy 50th Birthday Party for Amelia Bedelia 4:00 PM  (children)

· Budgeting Workshop 6:00 PM  (adult)

· Computer Class 6:00 PM  (adult)

· ESL Discussion Group

 

Friday, August 9

· Computer Class 11:00 AM  (adult)

· Charades 4:00 PM  (children)

· Trivia Night 6:30 PM  (ages 14+)

 

Deadline Wednesday Gazette
Welcome to this week’s edition of Deadline Wednesday Gazette.
Here you will find information about deadlines and other exciting things going on at the Hays Recreation Commission!
Please feel free to e-mail us with comments, questions or concerns.
We love to hear from you!

 

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS!
BACK TO SCHOOL LUAU DANCE
Come and celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of another school year at the Hays Recreation Commission. Enjoy a Hawaiian luau while hanging out with your friends. The night’s activities will include a live DJ, snacks, and prizes. Appropriate clothing is required. Girls no low cut shirts, short shorts or skirts or swim tops. Boys must wear a shirt.
Entry Fee: $5.00
Held on: Friday, August 16
Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm
Grades: 6th – 8th

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH OUTDOOR FESTIVAL
Area conservation groups and businesses have teamed together to offer a FREE day of target shooting for youth ages 17 and under. All target shooting materials and equipment are supplied for the event which offers trap shooting, skeet shooting, archery, air rifle / BB gun, muzzleloader, small bore rifle, computerized target shooting, paintball target shooting, BASS Casting Kids, and fur harvesting demonstrations. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce youth to the world of shooting sports, hunting, fishing and fur harvesting. Hunter Education Certification is not required, but participants must be accompanied by an adult. Persons specializing in their field of shooting will closely supervise youth at each station. Registration for the event will be completed on site and participants can enjoy a free lunch.
In addition to the free shooting opportunities, several door prizes and gifts will also be given away. Mark this day on your calendar and join us for a great day of target shooting and outdoor sports.
For more information contact, or Kent Hensley (785) 726-3212, Troy Mattheyer (785) 726-4212.
Entry Fee: FREE
Held on: Saturday, August 17
Times: 9:00am – 3:00pm – come and go Lunch provided
Ages: 17 & under w/an adult

K-9 SWIM AND PLAY
Bring your dog for some fun in the water. We are opening up the Hays Aquatic Park’s zero depth entry pool for all dogs to come and play before we drain the pool. The pool chemicals are adjusted for a different breed of swimmer. For human safety, only guests 16 years of age and older can get in the water and only up to their thighs. We will not allow children in the water. All dogs must have current vaccinations including rabies. Owners must be in control of their pet(s) at all times, two pets per guest max. Please note that this is open to all dogs so come with the equipment needed to keep your dog under control. You will be responsible for cleaning up after your dog. All participants will be entered into our Doggy Prize Drawing at 12:00pm.
Held on: Saturday, August 17
Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm
Entry Fee: $5.00 per dog

Blue Splash.jpgGNARLY NEON 5K
Hays’ funnest 5k is a run for all speeds and ages. Runners rock out to a live DJ and then get their awesome-on being showered in neon colors throughout the course, finishing up at the Gnarly Neon after party where the colorful chaos erupts.
The color starts flying at 9am. Gnarly Neon sunglasses will be handed out prior to the fun, along with a gnarly tattoo and gnarly head-band. Additional color packets will also be available for purchase at packet-pickup. Early registration guarantees a t-shirt!
REGISTRATION MUST BE DONE ONLINE AT WWW.GNARLYNEON5K.COM
Entry Deadline: August 17
Entry Fee: $45.00
Held on: Saturday, August 17
Time: 9:00am
Ages: All Ages
Location: Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex

DEADLINES FOR JULY 31ST
If a class is full PLEASE put your name on the waiting list. We always do our best to accommodate everyone so if you are not on the waiting list and we add an additional class you will miss out!

BABY TAS (0-2 YEAR OLDS)
LITTLE SPARK
Toddlers and their adult will love this fun, social small group. Class size is limited so each child can receive individual attention. We will sing, move and play in fun ways that support developmental needs. It is a great place for children and adults to make friends.
Entry Deadline: Session 3: August 7
Entry Fee: Session 3: $38.00 (Scholarship fee $15)
Held on: Session: 3 Wed. August 14 – Sept. 18
Time: 9:15 – 9:45am
Ages: 8 months – 24 months w/an adult
Location: Hays Recreation
Limitations: Min. 3 Max. 5
Instructor: JoAnn Jordan, Board Certified Music Therapist

MUSIC SPARKS SHARING_- MACHINES THAT GO
Cars, trucks and tractors in an array of colors will be the topics of our songs, chants, and instrument play. This two-week sampler gives children and adults a chance to experience the fun of intergenerational groups.
Entry Deadline: August 7
Entry Fee: $13.00
Held on: Monday’s – August 19 & 26
Time: 10:30 – 11:10am
Ages: 18 months – 5 yrs. w/an adult
Location: Cedar View
Limitations: Min. 4 Max. 8
Instructor: JoAnn Jordan, Board Certified Music Therapist

TINY TAS (2-5 YEAR OLDS)
MUSIC SPARKS SHARING_- MACHINES THAT GO
Cars, trucks and tractors in an array of colors will be the topics of our songs, chants, and instrument play. This two-week sampler gives children and adults a chance to experience the fun of intergenerational groups.
Entry Deadline: August 7
Entry Fee: $13.00
Held on: Monday’s – August 19 & 26
Time: 10:30 – 11:10am
Ages: 18 months – 5 yrs. w/an adult
Location: Cedar View
Limitations: Min. 4 Max. 8
Instructor: JoAnn Jordan, Board Certified Music Therapist

FIRE STATION TOUR
Come and join me on Tuesday, to prepare for the fire station by reading a story, talking about what happens at the fire station, making an art project and building a snack. On Thursday we will meet at Hays Fire Station and learn basic fire safety, talk to real fireman, tour the fire station and talk about an escape route.
Entry Deadline: August 7
Entry Fee: $3.00 per family
Held on: Tuesday & Thursday – August 13 & 15
Times: 10:00 – 11:00am
Ages: 3 – 5 w/ an adult
Location: Tuesday – Recreation Center
Thursday – Hays Fire Station – 1507 Main
Limitations: Min. 5 Max. 20

WELLNESS
HELL CREEK ON HEELS TRAIL RACE SERIES
Join Hays Recreation in conjunction with Sara Kay Carrell of Wild Within You for the Third annual trail running series, Hell Creek on Heels! Once again, the full series of 10, 15, 25, and 30k+ trail runs will be offered. The 5k’s were such a success in 2012 that we will offer them again! Want to see what trail running is all about? Come out and test your skills with a 5k! Seasoned trail runner? Join us and test your will power and endurance! The Switchgrass Trail at Wilson State Park will NOT leave you disappointed! All trail runs will begin at the trail head for Switchgrass Trail, which is located in the Switchgrass Campground of Wilson State Park. All events are fully supported with aid stations. Come on out and give your Wild a try! There is great camping at the park! Camping located right near the trail head! Make it a weekend adventure! Run distances are approximate due to the nature of trail running. Be prepared for the event to be a tad bit longer! Check for most current trail conditions at Facebook Switchgrass Trail!
Entry Deadline: Session 5: August 7 – Trail 10k & 5k
Session 6: Sept 18 – Trail 30K & 5k
Entry Fee: $20 for each event, $5.00 late fee after the deadline
Held on: Trail 10k and 5k – Sunday, August 11
Trail 30k and 5k – Sunday, Sept 22
Time: Races register at 7:00am, with a 8:00am start
Location: Wilson State Park, 5 mi. N. of I-70 – Exit 206 on K232

ACTIVELY 55
CHICKEN FOOT
Chicken foot also known as Chicken Dominoes, a game of the “trains” family, similar to Mexican Train. The object of the game is to have the lowest score at the end of the last round. For each round, the object is for the player to empty their hand of dominoes by playing them on the board.
Entry Deadline: August 7
Entry Fee: Free
Held on: Wednesday, August 14
Time: 1:00 – 2:30pm
Ages: 55 & older
Location: Recreation Center
Limitations: Min. 2 Max. 8

UPCOMING DEADLINES
August 14th
Breakfast Bingo
Coed USSSA Softball
Love Your Pet Photo Contest
SP Pottery Works
Youth Volleyball Clinic

If you are a member of the Fitness Center you will get half price punch cards

By Gene Policinski

Inside the First Amendment –

News is swirling these days around a complex mix of national security issues, leaks of classified information, and First Amendment protections for a free press amid the new world of digital journalism. Let’s use some terminology from a heavyweight boxing bout to track this “match” pitting the needs of national security against the public’s “right to know: “

Round One: Score it for the Obama administration, which came out of the corner fighting against leaks early in the first term –by this year, bringing more prosecutions under the Espionage Act than ever before. Just that fact alone alarms those who see whistleblowers and an independent press as the ultimate watchdog on government actions, particularly those done in secret.

Round Two: Government takes this one, on a mixed card. Just as a shield law long-sought by many journalists to protect the reporter-source relationship was nearing a final vote in the U.S. Senate in 2009, a haymaker gets thrown: Wikileaks released hundreds of thousands of memos and battlefield briefs to the public. Officials cried “treason,” while others saw it as a plus for public knowledge – but down goes the proposed “Free Flow of Information Act.”

Round Three: In Spring 2010, U.S. Army Pvt. Bradley Manning is arrested on charges of giving more than 700,000 State Department cables, terrorism detainee assessments, combat logs and videos to WikiLeaks – the largest such leak in U.S. history. Manning will go to trial in three years later, facing more than 130 charges ranging from theft to “aiding the enemy,” which could mean life in prison. Government round, clearly.

Round Four: in May 2013, The Associated Press threw some serious punches when it’s revealed that the Justice Department secretly obtained months of AP phone records for as many as 20 reporters and at multiple AP offices while investigating leaks. AP chief Gary Pruitt called the seizures “unconstitutional” and said already some sources are backing away from his reporters. DOJ takes it on the chin.

Later “rounds” are harder to score.

Round Five: The bout is fully joined in late May and into June with a series of major disclosures by former low-level NSA analyst Edward Snowden of a massive National Security Agency program that provides access to the “meta-data” of millions on American phone calls and e-mail – but, the government said, not to the content of the calls or messages. Snowden begins a global trek to avoid U.S. authorities, eventually leading to Moscow.

Round Six: In punches to the journalistic gut, it’s revealed that as part of an investigation of a 2009 leak, a search warrant request named Fox News’s James Rosen as “an aider and abettor and/or co-conspirator” for receiving the information. A quick series of jabs by free press advocates and media officials lead White House officials to back-pedal. President Obama declares first that he supports the First Amendment, and later decries any attempt to “criminalize” news reporting. Obama also announces White House support for a revived federal shield law, despite its opposition to the near-identical 2009 proposal.

Round Seven: Jabs and roundhouse swings at the government over the AP records seizure and the Rosen affair produce an invitation in mid-June from Attorney General Eric Holder to major news outlets to discuss long-standing rules within the Justice Department governing attempts to get journalists’ files or other records. The meeting is off-the-record, so some journalists will not attend. Still, updated guidelines revising Watergate-era rules are set out in early July, offering more protection to news media.

Round Eight: One for the government. On July 19, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that New York Times reporter James Risen must give take the stand at the trial of a former CIA agent being prosecuted for leaking of state secrets. The court said “there is no first amendment testimonial privilege, absolute or qualified, that protects a reporter from being compelled to testify … in criminal proceedings.”

Round Nine: As July ends, there is a series of developments that is tough to score. Manning is convicted July 30 of violating the Espionage Act, and could be sentenced to as long as 36 years in prison. But he’s acquitted on the charge of aiding the enemy. Still, a flurry of news reports raised the idea that the conviction – combined with continuing zealous efforts elsewhere by the Department of Justice – will “chill” whistleblowers and scare them away from talking with journalists.

Round Ten: In the U.S. House, the NSA data surveillance program survived a surprisingly tight vote, 217-205, on July 24, At the same time, more documents and allegations surface from Snowden, supporting the claim that even low-level NSA analysts can gain access to the content – not just data surrounding – individual phone conversations and e-mails.

And the bell will ring soon for even more action: Manning’s sentencing. More threatened disclosures by Snowden of secret programs. Congressional debate over the new shield law. And a larger, longer debate over national safety vs. individual freedom and privacy.

The fight analogy has its limits, but clearly we’re only in the early rounds of balancing legitimate national security concerns against over-classification and with the need of the public for accurate information on what its government is doing.

First Amendment concerns include not only threats to a free press’ ability to report the news, but also to the potential for a narrowly drawn shield law which may exclude new-media users like bloggers, or which provides for a kind of “licensing” of journalists as a special legal class that later could be withdrawn.

Even with all that’s come to light, we’re just getting though the early sparring in this ongoing Constitutional rumble.

Gene Policinski is chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and senior vice president of its First Amendment Center. Email him at [email protected].

Bob Schmidt – Eagle Communications – Part 1

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

“We have songs old and new, bright and blue. Here’s a song just for you.” Does that sound like something an old-time disc jockey would say on the radio? Today we’ll meet a man who began as a disc jockey but who had the vision and hard work to develop a successful communications enterprise.

Bob Schmidt is chairman and retired president and CEO of Eagle Communications in Hays, Kan. Bob has small-town roots, having grown up at the rural community of La Crosse, population 1,346 people. Now, that’s rural.

Bob went to college at Fort Hays State. While a student, he got a job on a new local radio station, KAYS, as a play-by-play announcer in 1949.

“I didn’t want to be a manager or a salesman,” Bob said. “I wanted to be a disc jockey, to spin the records and call the ballgames.” Yes, on-air broadcasting is fun. Bob worked at perfecting his craft.

After graduation, he did become a manager for KAYS. He partnered with visionary entrepreneur Ross Beach to expand the business. In 1958, Bob was promoted to CEO of what is now known as Eagle Communications.

During the next 40 years, Eagle Communications of Hays would become a leader in the broadcast and telecommunications industry. “We built or purchased 20 radio stations, four television stations, and twelve cable systems in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Texas,” Bob said. He eventually acquired the business from Ross Beach.

Bob Schmidt gave lots of leadership and expanded this communications business in a time of remarkable change. He saw a time when radio was declared dead, and then he saw its resurgence. He saw changes in the regulatory environment with less government interference from the FCC. He saw the growth of television and then the Internet.

“I’d like to say I envisioned all this, but I can’t,” Bob said. “When you were in radio, you didn’t want to embrace television. It was a competitor, and the same for TV versus cable. But I had a partner who encouraged me. Perhaps I had a knack for looking for the opportunities that were just around the corner.”

Today, Eagle owns and operates 28 radio stations in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska and 30 cable systems in Kansas and Colorado.

In 1998, Bob Schmidt retired as president and CEO and began transferring ownership of the company to his faithful employees through an employee stock ownership plan. He remains chairman of Eagle Communications.
“That means I work for the employees,” he said. Bob also provides management of his 6,000 acre ranch northeast of Hays.

This remarkable individual is 86 years young. “I’ve been married for 64 years and in broadcasting for 65 years,” he said. “It’s been a very rewarding life.” His personal foundation supports many worthy causes in Hays and other communities, including scholarships and support for students.

One year while chairman of the CBS TV affiliate group, Bob was at a meeting in California and went to the set of hit TV show WKRP in Cincinnati. “You’re Bob Schmidt, aren’t you?” someone said. “I heard you give a talk at K-State.” It was none other than the star of the show, Gordon Jump, who had heard him speak back in Kansas.

“Communication is the bond that holds communities together, something that Bob Schmidt has always keenly understood,” said Steve Smethers, associate director of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications at K-State. “Through his pioneering leadership in developing radio, television, cable TV, telephone and internet services, Bob has provided communication channels that have kept information and interpersonal communications flowing for thousands of people in the rural Midwestern states.”

“We have songs old and new, bright and blue. Here’s a song just for you.” Yes, that’s a phrase like Bob Schmidt might have used when he was a disc jockey playing vinyl records on an old turntable. That personal touch to his customers has helped build this remarkable communications business. We commend Bob Schmidt for making a difference with visionary communication.

Stacy Campbell

K-State Research & Extension

July 25, 2013

Ellis County Extension – Wheat Plot Results

With the 2013 wheat harvest a memory now, it is already time for farmers to plan for sowing the next crop. Wheat seed can be kept back for planting of the next crop, but new seed is also purchased periodically in an effort to reduce seed borne diseases and to improve genetics for yield and disease prevention.

To state the obvious–the drought is still hovering over a good bit of Kansas and the wheat yields reflected that to some extent this year.  For instance continuous crop wheat (wheat after wheat) or wheat after another crop only yielded from 10 to 20 bushels per acre in Ellis County. The summer fallow wheat meaning the ground has laid idle for a year or more with no crop grown on it did much better. Those yields ranged anywhere from 35 to 55 bushels/ac, probably a majority of it yielding between 40 to 50 bushels/ac in Ellis County. Overall considering the lack of precipitation and some hot and windy days at grain fill time, test weights were respectable with the county average hovering just under 60 lb. test weight. When wheat is moisture stressed it actually will be of higher protein which is also what the elevators reported this year with the average being about 12.8% protein.

Each year I get questions from farmers wanting to know what wheat varieties are performing (yielding) well. So I like to refer to the K-State Research & Extension western Kansas experiment stations results and to the local test plot, as well as other plots that might be in the area.

In looking at the 2012 & 13 KSU Western Kansas experiment station results and the county plot there are several Hard Red varieties that are not being grown in this area that growers may want to keep an eye on in the future for replacement seed. Byrd & Brawl CL Plus (CSU), Iba (OSU), Denali (CSU & KSU), LCS Mint (Limagrain), WB-Cedar (WestBred), WB4458, and WB-Grainfield. A new Hard White variety Antero from CSU yielded quite well this year and Clara CL (KSU) also had good yields in western Kansas.

Some of the more familiar varieties that are being grown in the area that are still yielding well are Winterhawk (WestBred), T 158 (Limagrain). TAM 111 (AgriPro) and TAM 112 (Whatley Seed) are consistently at or above average as well as PostRock (AgriPro). Note that several of these varieties do not have a very good foliar disease package and may warrant spraying a fungicide if foliar diseases are present during the growing season.

Below are the results of the 2013 No-till Wheat Variety test plot in Ellis County located about 2.5 miles north of I-70 and Victoria exit.  I would encourage growers to also look at the K-State Experiment Station wheat performance results at www.ellis.ksu.edu and the printed results will soon be in the High Plains Journal. Also look at other county agent, and Coop plots.

A special thank you goes out to Leon & Norbert Kuhn and family (L & N Farming) for once again putting out the test plot!

Previous Crop: Oats 2012, Feed 2011, Wheat 2010, Wheat 2009

Planted:  October 3, 2012

Planter:  Crust Buster 4030 All plant 7.5” spacing

Seeding Rate:  80 lbs/Acre

Fertility:  Total of 70 lb/ac. Nitrogen & 25 lb/ac. Phosphorus pre-plant

Herbicide:  Amber .4 oz/Acre

Soil Moisture:  surface dry & only 6” subsoil moisture at planting

Harvested:  June 28, 2013