Another possible problem with no fruit-set is the lack of pollination of the tomato flowers. Tomatoes are typically wind pollinated, therefore are not dependent on pollinators. Having said that though, tomatoes normally won’t set fruit if the night temperature is below 50o F due to sparse production of pollen. Temperatures that reach up to and remain above 750 F at night and day temperatures above 950 F coupled with dry, hot winds will cause poor fruit set on tomatoes, (cherry tomatoes, however, seem to be much more heat tolerant than slicers).  It is these high temperatures that interfere with pollen viability and/or cause excessive style growth leading to the lack of pollination, ergo low to no fruit set during the extreme summer heat.

If the temperatures are ideal, and a tomato flower becomes pollinated, it usually takes about 3 weeks for it to develop into fruit about the size of golf balls.  Growth then becomes more rapid with the mature size being reached in an additional three to six weeks. 

A few more days are then needed to change color.
Although there are “heat-set” slicing tomato varieties, such as Florida 91, Sun Leaper and Sun Master that will set fruit at “higher temperatures”, the difference is normally only 2 to 3 degrees…which is not really that much. It is the cooler temperatures that will allow flowers to resume fruit-set.

Furthermore, the extremely hot weather we have here in this area of Kansas not only interferes with flower pollination, it can also affect how quickly fruit matures. The best temperature for tomato growth and fruit development is 850 to 900 F. When temperatures exceed 1000 F, the plant goes into survival mode and concentrates on moving water to the leaves. Fruit development slows to a crawl. When temperatures moderate, even to the low to mid 90s, the fruit will then continue to ripen more quickly.

Tomato color can also be affected by heat. When temperatures rise above 950 F, red pigments don’t form properly though the orange and yellow pigments do. This results in orange fruit. This doesn’t affect the edibility of the tomato at all, just it’s presentation. 

   

So, can we do anything to help our tomatoes ripen and have good color during extreme heat? You bet there is. One can pick tomatoes when they are in the “breaker” stage. Breaker stage tomatoes are those that have started to turn color. At this point, the tomato has cut itself off from the vine and nothing will be gained by keeping it on the plant. If tomatoes are picked at this stage and brought into an air-conditioned house, they will ripen more quickly and develop a good, red color. Indoor temperatures ranging around 750 to 850 F will work best.

Rip Winkel is the Horticulture agent in the Cottonwood District (Barton and Ellis Counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected] or calling either 785-682-9430, or 620-793-1910.

Kansans should expect candidates seeking state office this year to address state laws and practices that discriminate against LGBT persons. Governor Jeff Colyer recently signed a bill that allows faith-based adoption agencies that receive state funds to refuse service to gay and lesbian couples based on religious beliefs. This law creates a license to discriminate, and LGBT Kansans should rightly wonder what laws the state will pass next that target their rights.

Defenders of the bill have contended that the new adoption law does not change existing practices. True, to an extent, but that argument misses the point.

Private adoption organizations previously have been able to exclude LGBT couples over religious beliefs, and the state made an administrative choice to work with them without any law directly addressing the situation. The new law formally recognizes that exclusion as “religious freedom” and codifies that state dollars can support groups that discriminate against LGBT Kansans.

If you are a LGBT Kansan, the state has essentially singled you out and placed you in a formal “separate but equal” system. If you want to adopt, there are some services that you can access, and others that you cannot even though the state is using your tax dollars to pay for them. And because states are increasingly moving toward adoption systems that rely on private organizations, in the long run this new law risks creating a system where LGBT Kansans in theory have a right to adopt but in practice do not.

What other groups does our state treat in this way?

The deeper issue here is that sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected under state non-discrimination laws in the same way that race or religion are, for example. That is precisely why overt discrimination against LGBT people, whether based on religious belief or not, is legal in Kansas.

Let’s take a different issue. Technically under Kansas law right now since sexual orientation is not protected under non-discrimination laws, an employer can refuse to hire gays or lesbians, and legally fire employees solely for coming out as gay or lesbian. That is legal from the state’s perspective given the absence of any formal protection for LGBT Kansans under state law. But, because religion is protected under non-discrimination laws, an employer cannot fire someone solely because they discover, for example, that their employee is Evangelical Christian or Catholic.

“Religious freedom” bills in others states have had provisions protecting the right of employers to not hire or to fire people strictly because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Imagine that Kansas passed a religious freedom law that formally recognized that practice, actually writing into law a license to discriminate against LGBT Kansans in employment. Should LGBT people feel okay that no practices actually changed even though Kansas now formally singled them out for legal discrimination? Likely not.

Yes, some people see not associating with LGBT individuals as their religious right and want that perceived right protected by the state, but others understandably see that as discrimination. So, does the state choose equality for all, or does it choose a system where one citizen has the license to limit another citizen’s rights? Further, where does the state draw the line? If we protect discrimination in adoption, is employment or housing next? Our political candidates should have the backbone to let voters clearly know where they stand on these questions.

Patrick. R. Miller is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.

We hate false information on social media even more than “hate speech” or personal attacks, says the 2018 State of the First Amendment survey released Thursday by the First Amendment Center of the Freedom Forum Institute.

The same survey also found that a majority of us want the social media companies like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to do the false news takedown, not some government authority or official truth czar.

Overall, 83 percent of Americans agree that social media companies should remove false information, compared to 72 percent who agree such companies should remove “hate speech” and 68 percent who would have personal attacks taken down.

Those with a high school education or less were significantly more likely (87%) than those with a college education (77%) to agree that false information should be removed. There were no statistically significant differences among income groups.

The survey was conducted by Fors Marsh Group, an applied research company based in Arlington, Va., which speculates that those less educated may rely more heavily on social media as a source of news and therefore worry more than others about whether they are getting truthful information.

We strongly believe that social media companies should on their own initiative be monitoring and removing such objectionable content. But hold off on those free expression celebrations: When asked directly, respondents were about evenly split on whether to go a step further and empower the government to require those companies to “monitor and remove.”

In total, the survey sample included 1,009 adult respondents, with a margin of error of 3.7 percent — meaning it’s likely that if you asked another 1,009 adults the same questions, the results might go up or down by 3.7 percent.

When it comes to speech on campus, the survey showed that the public leans toward hearing from controversial speakers over cancelling invitations to speak — though support drops significantly when the speech is likely to cause violence.

Solid majorities favored going ahead with such speakers at colleges and universities even when the remarks were likely to offend some groups or individuals (55%).The nation was closely divided (51%-45%) on withdrawing an invitation if the speaker was likely to provoke “large-scale protests from students” or when the speech was supported by public funds (47%-46%). Small percentages in both cases declined to response or “didn’t know.”

Only when violence was likely to occur did 70 percent favor withdrawing an invitation to speak.

The survey found that the more we know about our First Amendment freedoms, the less likely we are to agree with placing limits on those freedoms.

But again, the warning buzzer sounds: As found consistently over the last 21 years of survey results, many of us know very little about those basic rights. According to this year’s survey, 40 percent of us cannot even name one First Amendment freedom. For the respondents who could, unprompted, name a First Amendment freedom, freedom of speech (56%) was the most commonly recalled, followed by religion (15%), press (13%), assembly (12%) and petition (2%). Two percent mistakenly guessed the right to vote, while the right to bear arms (9%) was the most common mistake.

Anything less than overwhelming support for freedom of religion and free expression brings cold comfort to those who see democracy’s base as resting on both. Even finding that about three-quarters of respondents (74%) see a role for the news media in holding government accountable, a slight uptick from last year’s 68 percent, means that around one in four of us does not see the news media as such a needed “watchdog.”

We can take heart that this year’s survey findings bend toward free expression and freedom for the press. But, we ought to be more than just concerned that a sizeable number of us seem willing to disavow those core freedoms for one reason or another — or can’t even be bothered to remember them.

Gene Policinski is president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter at @genefac.

By LARRY DREILING
Senior Field Editor
High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal

It is the link between “town and gown” that made Hays my hometown. Mom and Dad attended FHSU, so why not move from the suburbs of Denver, to where I had spent with spring and summer vacations working on my uncle’s farm.

It was on a campus visit my junior year of high school, I saw it—and got it.

Picken Hall, the old main of the FHSU campus in the setting sun. Even looking east, from the Quad, this limestone lovely is always a draw.

Somehow, I just knew. This was home.

Hays is a great home town. As we celebrate Independence Day, the Wild West Festival is always in full swing, with fireworks, a huge carnival and great concerts.

As a FHSU alumnus, Oktoberfest-Homecoming weekend is my favorite time of year. Not only do we think our football team will win, but there’s great food and drink celebrating the heritage of Unsere Leute, or Our People. This year, Oktoberfest is the weekend of Sept. 28. It’s a wonderful time for a reunion, whether by ancestry or by school loyalty.

If it weren’t for FHSU, the growth of the city would likely have never taken place. When my folks were students in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Hays had a population of about 6,300. Now, over 20,000 residents enjoy the lifestyle of a place big enough to accommodate but small enough to appreciate.

The university has boomed through new technology, but still remains, as emeritus President Edward Hammond once said, a high-tech, high-touch environment.

The human touch is felt through the arts in Hays, the first city in Kansas with an arts council. Between the schools and the council, the visual arts, drama, and music programs abound. Even civic beautification is given recognition. Hays is without apology an artsy town.

Hays is a town of science. HaysMed brings advanced medical help, including stroke care and heart surgery, close to home. It’s also home to the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center-Hays, the largest dryland agricultural experiment station in the world.

Hays has pluck. In 1983, a report surfaced that the city’s domestic water supply was running out.

“We knew we had to find ways to get people to conserve water, plain and simple,” former City Commissioner Errol Wuertz said. “The problem wasn’t from lawn watering. It was from taking a shower, using the toilet, washing clothes. The habits of daily life.”

City officials came up with a plan to have residents turn in their current showerheads for low-flow products. Cash rebates were given for purchases of high efficiency toilets and washing machines. These programs remain in place today.

A few years later, faced with a landfill about to overfill, commissioners came up with a curbside recycling program.

“It was these proactive ways to conserve and save that earned us an All America City designation from the National Civic League,” said State Rep. Eber Phelps, D-Hays, a former city commissioner. “We have problems and we work to solve them. That’s what great communities are made of. We have incredible volunteers, from civic groups like Rotary and Kiwanis, to church groups, and the university students. It makes you proud to live here.”

Larry Dreiling can be reached at 785-628-1117 or [email protected]. Republished with permission.

As a state comprehensive university, FHSU has a responsibility to be a “steward of place,” a term coined by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in 2002 to describe the role of our public comprehensive colleges and universities. From AASCU:

“We are ‘stewards of place.’ We engage faculty, staff and students with the communities and regions we serve – helping to advance public education, economic development and the quality of life for all with whom we live and who support our work. We affirm that America’s promise extends not only to those who come to the campus but to all our neighbors.”

Serving as a steward of place is a responsibility Fort Hays State University has always fully embraced and at which it has excelled. Serving the needs of our community, broadly defined, is ingrained in our DNA. In fact, as I started out writing this column, I quickly realized that we are so good at stewarding our community that I had enough information to fill an entire newspaper!

But, in the spirit of brevity, let me highlight some of our key efforts in civic service and leadership, starting with an institution dedicated to the idea of citizenship.

FHSU’s Center for Civic Leadership endorses the view that higher education has a responsibility to prepare students to be active and engaged citizens, and that colleges and universities have a responsibility to make a positive and direct impact in their communities.

The Center’s four programs – the American Democracy Project; the Global Leadership Project; Tigers in Service; and the Women’s Leadership Project – are all designed to develop civic leadership skills. Two I want to focus on here are Tigers in Service and the Women’s Leadership Project.

Tigers in Service is a student-operated program that acts as a clearinghouse for college students who want to volunteer and participate in community service activities. Over the last several years, student volunteers have impacted the Hays community in numerous ways: organizing food drives for local pantries; providing assistance to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the area; tutoring at local elementary schools; and working directly with residents of local retirement homes.

The Women’s Leadership Project creates events and opportunities that are designed to empower, inspire and educate women to overcome barriers they face in today’s society.

Whether it’s standing against victim-blaming, raising awareness about the gender pay gap, talking about the importance of consent or encouraging women to register to vote, students and community members have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and stand up against the misconceptions and labels that are often seen before their voices are heard.

Through this, the Women’s Leadership Project helps build on the talents and skills that women naturally possess and empower them to seek leadership positions and opportunities, then go out into the world – fearless – and speak with the confidence they need to make a difference in this world.

Another agency, the Docking Institute of Public Affairs, began in the mid-1980s as the Institute of Public Affairs. In the beginning it was involved in the birth of the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development (now Grow Hays). It was also involved, in its early stages, in the effort to find a replacement industry for Baxter-Travenol, a major manufacturer of medical supplies that closed its Hays production plant. That threw hundreds of people out of work in Hays and the surrounding area and left empty the large facility currently occupied by Enersys.

A $115,000 state legislative grant was key in enabling the Institute to fully develop its strategic planning expertise to assist cities, counties and banks in planning for the future. The Institute still provides those services to communities and non-profits in the region. Docking also provides social science research services to many communities in the state and region. Institute staff provides moderators for Smoky Hill Public Television’s “The Kansas Legislature” show each year.

A major public service provided by the Docking Institute is the Kansas Speaks survey conducted each year, which employs professional survey research methods to gather and assess the opinions of Kansans from across the state. No other entity in the state provides this service.

This is just a small sampling, in just one area, of the impact Fort Hays State has had on our students, community and state. I look forward to sharing additional information on our stewardship efforts around art and culture; business and entrepreneurship; community, health and social services, special programs in teacher preparation along with other wonderful examples in future columns.

I am so proud of FHSU and the multitude of ways in which we focus our energies to “advance public education, economic development, and the quality of life” for our neighbors. Our desire to care for others extends beyond the campus and Western Kansas – it is how we do our best to empower the world to greater success.

Dear Constituent,

As always, summer has been off to a very busy start and I have had the opportunity to attend a number of events in our community and throughout the state representing you and our community. I love meeting with constituents, colleagues, friends and family during the summer at all of these events and activities and look forward to the many more to come this season.

I highlight events that I have attended as well as events I plan on attending in the coming months below:

Attended or participated in: 03/23          Appointed to Governor’s Education Council. 04/09          Legislative Update presentation to Hays Lions Club. (Hays) 04/09          Kansas Supreme Court Hearings. (Colby) 04/16          First meeting of the Education Council. Assigned to the Workforce Inventory Sub-Committee. (Topeka) 04/21          Presentation to Options Inc.on legislation pertaining to domestic violence. (Hays) 05/04          Adjournment of the 2018 Legislative Session. (Topeka) 05/11          Fort Hays State University Spring Commencement (Friday Ceremony) (Hays) 05/12          Fort Hays State University Spring Commencement (Saturday Ceremony) (Hays) 06/07          Legislative Update presentation at Hays Senior Center. (Hays) 06/11          Workforce Inventory sub-committee meeting (Topeka) 06/21          Kansas Water Office Meeting re:R-9 Ranch change of use permit. (Greensburg) 06/22          Hays Arts Council Summer Gallery Walk.(Downtown Hays) Upcoming: 06/26          Governor’s Education Council Meeting. (Topeka) 06/28          Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. (Rose Garden) 07/07          Wild West Festival Parade. (Downtown Hays) 07/14-21     Ellis County Fair. (Ellis County Fairgrounds) 07/26          Hays Senior Companion recognition program. (Hays) 08/03/4       Herzogfest (Victoria) Over the past couple of weeks, the Kansas Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court have ruled on a number of significant cases that will, or have the potential to, greatly impact our communities and state’s budget. The Kansas Supreme Court committed to rule on the Gannon v. Kansas school funding case before the end of this fiscal year (June 30). The new ruling was released on Monday, June 25. South Dakota v. Wayfair deals with how online retailers handle sales tax, and Murphy v. NCAA could allow sports betting in states who so choose. SCHOOL FINANCE – GANNON V. KANSAS I have provided a brief overview of the points made by both sides of the case, those in favor (State) and those opposed to (Plaintiff Districts/Gannon) the most recent school finance formula passed by the Legislature during the 2018 legislative session. Reading those briefs will help provide context to the court’s ruling, which I have summed up below: Though the court did not find the school funding formula to be constitutional, schools will open on July 1, but that the Legislature has until April 15, 2019 to resolve issues identified by the court. The equity components of the 2018 bill were found to be ok, but the funding levels need to be adjusted in order to comply with the legislature’s metrics for measuring educational standards. Below I have highlighted specific funding concerns addressed by the court: The legislature utilizes the Rose Capacities to measure the educational outcomes of Kansas students, which provides a specific amount required to meet that level of attainment, which was not reached in the 2018 bill. Inflation was a key issue that wasn’t properly addressed in the 2018 bill, which states that inflation would be accounted for beginning in 2023. The legislature is tasked with adjusting the funding to account for inflation for the years 2018-2023 as well. “Excess costs” refer to the cost difference between educating a “general education” student and a “special education” student, which is supposed to be funded to 92%. In the 2018 bill, the legislature only funds 83.2% of those “excess costs”. The court has requested that the funding be adjusted to meet the 92% requirement. The following initiatives the court mentioned included funding this year, but noted there is no funding included after that. It’s worth noting the funding formula is written to include those things year after year, but since those future budgets are not yet written, they are not specifically mentioned. Teacher Mentoring: $1.3 million Paying for student ACT/WorkKeys test assessments: $2.8 million Community mental health partnership pilot program: $10 million Industry experts are working to provide us with anticipated costs, which we expect to receive in a few days. The court’s ruling was data-driven and represents a fair and balanced expectation to be met by the legislature. I believe the legislature will make quick work to address these issues early on in the 2019 session. INTERNET SALES TAX – SOUTH DAKOTA V. WAYFAIR The much-anticipated ruling of South Dakota v. Wayfair was released by the Supreme Court on June 21st. This case challenged the ruling of Quill v. North Dakota, in which states could not require internet retailers to charge sales tax if they had no physical presence in the state. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled in South Dakota’s favor, leaving the decision to require internet retailers to charge sales tax up to the individual state, honoring state sovereignty. This ruling is perceived as a victory for states and localities, who have been losing billions in tax revenue from antiquated laws. Not only will this decision transform how state’s will format and structure internet sales tax laws, but also will have tremendous effects on e-commerce. The Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD) does not have any set-in-stone data regarding how many Kansans are purchasing products online from retailers not charging sales tax. That being said, I have a strong feeling that most Kansans have made an online purchase from a store without a physical presence in the state, leading to the connotation that this will have a significant impact on our state’s ability to restore key programs, re-invest in T-Works projects and other ways to improve our state and the lives of Kansans. The legislature must make calculated decisions, utilizing reliable data that will allow us to balance the tax code and provide for these other key programs. SPORTS BETTING – MURPHY V. NCAA The Supreme Court ruled in favor of sports gambling, striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a federal law enacted in 1992. Not wanting to infringe on state sovereignty, the court ruled to allow the decision to allow sports betting up to the individual states. In anticipation of a favorable ruling, more than 15 states have either passed or introduced sports betting laws. Rep. Jan Kessinger of Overland Park, a former member of the Kansas Gaming and Racing Commission, introduced HB 2792, Xwhich would have created the Kansas Sports Wagering Act, authorizing the Kansas Lottery to allow sports betting to take place in the state of Kansas, pending the outcome of Murphy, but it did not come out of committee. The bill will have to be reintroduced in the 2019 legislative session in order for the state to take advantage of this ruling. Those in opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision believe the impact of the legalization of sports gambling will cause match-fixing and lead to corruption of games. Proponents of the ruling argue that countries with legalized sports betting, such as Britain, have yet to face these challenges. They go on further to suggest that the legalization of sports betting will lead to organizations being able to better monitor “betting irregularities that could suggest corruption.” Director of the Sports Law Program at Tulane Law School, Gabriel Feldman, states that the legalization of sports gambling will transform how we watch sports games and matches, with fans following multiple teams rather than being a die-hard fan of just one athletic program: “It will make every second of every game of every week interesting to fans as it will give everyone something to root for.”

This must be the year that Kansas Supreme Court justices are looking over their shoulders as they visit the grocery store or idle in the drive-up lane to pick up coffee on their way to work.

The court decided last week that the Kansas Legislature has come up with an equitable way to disperse state aid to public elementary and secondary schools. All school districts from border to border are being treated equally. But…the court also decided that the Kansas Legislature’s five-year plan for boosting state aid to K-12 schools by about $525 million falls short of the amount needed so that every child has access to the best possible education—which is what Kansans want for their children and grandchildren—and the future workers of the state.

Practically, that decision on the longtime school finance case said that lawmakers have done a good job with the most technically complicated issue of that equity in financing of the state’s 286 public school districts. The technically hard part is done. That’s good.

But…while equity is actually the toughest issue, it’s the money…and where the Legislature gets that money…that has exploded among conservative lawmakers who this year and in the next two years are going to run for reelection and don’t want to raise anyone’s taxes.

It all comes down to taxes, this school finance scrap, and conservatives are already campaigning on proposals to prevent the Kansas Supreme Court from deciding whether the funding for schools is adequate.

The conservative solutions all are based on putting the court on a leash held by whomever has a majority in the Legislature. Good idea? Probably not long-term, but for the upcoming few years, as long as money is distributed equitably, it would allow the Legislature to decide how much money to spend—and whether it will or won’t either raise taxes or divert state money from anything else to education.

Chances are slim, very slim, that the Legislature can gather the 27 Senate votes and 84 House votes needed to pass a constitutional amendment resolution to put the issue on a statewide ballot.

But the talk is powerful. The “courts taking over state government,” or the court “overruling the decisions of lawmakers elected by the voters of Kansas,” or maybe simply: “the court is raising your taxes” (or forcing legislators to raise your taxes).

What’s better than blaming the court for what could be a state spending—and maybe taxing—increase so that conservative legislators can assert they raised taxes under court order and can’t be blamed for it at the next election?

That increase in spending that the court demands be made by next year’s Legislature? The court doesn’t say how much new money the state needs to spend to meet statewide adequacy, but the computations to meet the court’s decision appear to be somewhere between $80 million and $120 million more a year. That’ atop the $525 million approved last session, and while it is quite a bit of money, the state can probably come up with it. Won’t be pretty, but the money is, or can be, there.

So, what’s it look like for those Kansas Supreme Court justices?

They are going to come under continued fire from lawmakers who want to strip the court’s power to determine what the word “adequate” is as it relates to public education. Chances of voters getting to decide that issue are slim, but it makes a great campaign slogan for conservatives.

Maybe the best deal for those justices is that none of them stand for retention election this year.

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

I am from the Hays community and am passionate about our community’s strength and success. In order for any community to be healthy, it must support its children. I’d like to share how we at KVC Wheatland Hospital are working to provide a safe place for children and teens from Hays and our surrounding communities. We are a children’s psychiatric hospital that, for nearly a decade now, has provided inpatient treatment for thousands of kids with thoughts of suicide or in crisis. We help stabilize them and then find them further treatment options to continue to get healthy. We also offer residential psychiatric treatment for youth. These are children and teens who need help finding their way through depression, anxiety, traumatic stress or other mental and behavioral challenges and need longer stays for treatment. While each child is in our care, we offer 24-hour support with round-the-clock supervised care.

In 2017, we also opened a separate short-term children’s shelter for children who need a place to stay until a permanent home can be found. These are children who have experienced abuse, neglect or other family challenges and need a safe place to heal. This facility is the least restrictive of all of our services and the children are able to experience the community through different activities while under the supervision of our KVC staff. By opening this shelter, we’re hoping to ensure all children have a safe and comfortable place to lay their heads and simply be kids.

I’d like to thank the people of Hays for welcoming us into the community, contributing your donations and volunteer time, helping us to fight the stigma around mental health and believing that all children deserve the chance to reach their full potential. The children we are caring for are not bad kids; they are our neighbors who need all of our compassion and help. It’s important to understand that children with significant emotional or behavior challenges have often experienced childhood trauma. It is estimated that 2 out of 3 youth will be exposed to childhood trauma before the age of 16 which includes abuse, neglect, loss of a loved one, domestic violence, parental substance abuse, natural disasters and other life-altering events. Science tells us that trauma impacts the brain, making it difficult to problem-solve, manage stress and build relationships. That is why we provide trauma-informed care that helps you heal from their experience and build resilience. We’re working with these kids to be healthy, happy and positively contribute to their communities.

We are thankful for the amazing men and women of the Hays Police Department, community organizations and every member of the Hays community that help us ensure that the children in our care and other members of the Hays community are safe. If you have any questions about our services, please contact Audrey Lindenmeyer, Program Director at (785) 624-6000. We’re planning a community event in August and will invite those who would like to learn more about KVC Wheatland Hospital and our services. We’ll share updates on our website www.kvchospitals.org/wheatland and Facebook page www.facebook.com/kvcwheatland

Ryan Speier, President
KVC Hospitals

Going into the first week of July, most Kansans are experiencing the dog-days of summer – blistering heat, strong southerly winds and a few scattered showers. In most fields across our state, the corn crop is holding its own and the beans and milo are in “decent” shape as well.

Wheat harvest turned out better than most farmers expected but they know with the continued summer heat their Kansas row crops will need additional moisture during the next few months. Same for the pastures and ponds.

Still, for those Kansans lucky enough to toil in their own gardens, it’s time to taste, enjoy and appreciate the fruits of their labor. Some are already picking tomatoes and cucumbers by the armfuls. Lettuce and radishes remain in the mix as well.

Just a few short weeks ago, many folks walked out to their machine sheds or garage and plucked a spade out of one of the dark corners or cranked up the turf tiller and headed for the garden. Springtime on the farm or in town always means preparing the soil, planting seeds and growing food.

Growing up in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, fresh produce wasn’t as abundant in the grocery store as it is today. Knox Market, located on old Highway 24 on the west edge of Hoxie, did boast cantaloupes and watermelons trucked in from western Colorado and New Mexico.

This amounted to some fine, delicious summer eating. Juicy and cold, a big slice of watermelon – you couldn’t beat it for a summer treat.

During this period, most families grew their own. Many couldn’t afford to go to the store and buy their fresh fruits and vegetables.

Today, while most people can afford to buy their produce from the local grocery, some still prefer to grow their own.

Few things are better in life than fresh sweet corn picked, steamed and served slathered with butter a few minutes before lunch or dinner. The kernels taste as sweet as candy. Yep, tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupes and watermelons all taste better when they’re “fresh picked.”

Also, there is nothing more satisfying than to walk out to your own garden, pick a couple of tomatoes and head for the kitchen. Once inside, wash and cut the red delight, sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Umm, they’re so good.

People are discovering once again, or in most cases for the first time, how good foods taste fresh right out of the soil.

If you don’t believe me, just bite into a fresh carrot, radish or slice up a cool, refreshing cucumber and slip it into your mouth. The proof is in the tasting.

Some of us were born with a sweet tooth. I’m one of them. Fresh fruit, ice cream and chocolates are my favorites. If you’ve ever picked fresh strawberries and sprinkled them on a heaping bowl of vanilla ice cream, you know you’ve just experienced a little bit of heaven right here on earth. Sometimes popping a few fresh ones right from the vine and into your mouth is even better.

So, the next time you’re working in your garden this summer and the sweat begins to drip down your face and into your eyes, think about all those wonderful fresh strawberries, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers you’ll soon eat on your own dinner table. When you harvest the fruits of your labor, you’ll know it is worth it.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

US crude prices are on a tear, gaining more than seven dollars a barrel last week, and ending the first half of the year up more than 20% from January.

Prices were over $74 Monday afternoon, after dropping below that mark earlier in the day. The Nymex benchmark contract was up a dime to $74.25/bbl. London Brent was down $1.29 to $77.94. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $64.50/bbl, after gaining 75 cents on Friday.

Baker Hughes reported 1,047 active drilling rigs across the U.S. Friday, a drop of four oil rigs and one seeking natural gas. The count in Texas was down three, and in North Dakota was down two rigs from the active list last week. Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 16 active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, down two, and 31 west of Wichita, up one. Operators are moving in completion tools to five leases in Barton County and six in Ellis County.

Operators filed 37 new drilling permits for the week ending June 28, 806 so far this year, with 21 east of Wichita, 16 in western Kansas, including two permits for new locations in Stafford County. We’re nearly 90 permits ahead of last year at the end of June.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 33 newly-completed wells across the state last week, 15 in eastern Kansas and 18 west of Wichita. Operators completed one well in Barton County producing pay dirt, and one dry hole in Ellis County. So far this year, the state has completed 735 wells, up more than 70 wells from last year’s second quarter totals.

The U.S. is holding steady at record production levels. For the third week in a row, the government said we produced 10.9 million barrels per day for the week ending June 22. That’s the highest weekly figure ever. The four-week average is more than 1.5 million barrels per day higher than it was a year ago at this time.

Energy regulators in Texas report big increases in that state’s oil and gas production during the month of April. Preliminary figures from the Railroad Commission of Texas showed average production of more than 2.7 million barrels per day, up from 2.6 million a year earlier.

The election of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as the next President of Mexico could impact the oil and gas industry here and around the world. Obrador hopes to increase the country’s refining capacity instead of importing from US refiners. Mexico is their biggest foreign market, up to an average of 808,000 barrels per day last year. Mexico’s leftist president-elect has vowed to review the outgoing president’s energy overhaul, which included opening the country to foreign energy operators. He said some foreign investment could continue but threatened to cancel the reforms if he found corruption in the awarding of contracts.

The US exported more crude last week than was pumped by all but three OPEC countries. According to the Energy Information Administration, we exported a record three million barrels per day. Analysts say those totals typically fluctuate from week to week; last week’s numbers are up nearly 300,000 barrels a day from the week before. U.S. oil exports reached a record 3 million barrels a day last week— a greater amount than is pumped each day by all but three OPEC countries, and only Saudi Arabia and Iraq are exporting more oil than the U.S. did last week.

The Canadian government would like to see construction accelerate on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, but has no control over decisions to resume or start new work until it takes ownership of the project, which would move crude from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coast. Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr told Reuters he expects the deal to close in “mid to late summer.”

The United States is pushing foreign countries to cut oil imports from Iran to zero by November, as the Trump administration escalates its bid to pressure after pulling out of the nuclear deal. The price of U.S. crude topped $70 per barrel for the first time since May on the news that countries were now expected to completely eliminate their imports, rather than the earlier demands that they make “significant” reductions. A senior State Department official says the administration does not intend to give out waivers allowing close allies to keep importing. Among those allies are India, South Korea, Japan and Turkey. China remains the biggest importer of crude from Iran, which remains a party to the nuclear deal despite our withdrawal.

A Texas oil and gas businessman who called himself the “Frack Master” has been charged with securities fraud in connection with a scheme that defrauded investors out of $62.6 million. Federal prosecutors accused Christopher Faulkner and his company Breitling Energy, of selling working interests to investors in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and North Dakota, but defrauded them by, among other things, inflating the estimated costs of drilling and testing wells.

A federal judge on Monday threw out lawsuits filed to hold big oil companies responsible for global warming. U.S. District Judge William Alsup said questions about how to balance the “worldwide positives” of energy against its role in global warming “demand the expertise of our environmental agencies, our diplomats, our Executive, and at least the Senate.”

Between my nieces and other high school kids at church, I’m familiar with the term “Going to Nationals,” and it usually means national livestock judging, national scholars bowl etc. But to a group of 7 Nickerson High schooler’s, “going to nationals” carries a slightly different meaning, as they are going to compete in the first ever USA Clay Target League National Championship tournament at Mason, Michigan, where they will shoot against nearly 2000 other high school trap shooters.

Trap shooting is the fastest growing sport in the US, with an average of 3 states adding high school teams each year. Two years ago 13 Kansas high schools had trap shooting teams, last year there were 36 high school teams here in the state and this year there are 59 Kansas high school trap shooting teams with over 1250 shooters. Thirteen Kansas colleges now offer trap shooting scholarships, some of them “full rides,” and about 21,000 colleges nationwide have trap shooting teams.

Clay target shooting comes in 3 forms; sporting clays, skeet and trap. Sporting clays is shot on a course set up in a woodland setting where shooters move from station-to-station and is the nearest to actual hunting conditions. Skeet shooting is done on a dedicated range where clay targets are thrown high or low across in front of the shooters. Trap shooting is done on a range where clay targets come from a “trap house” (thrower) at various angles in front of the shooters and are always going away from them.

The USA High School Clay Target league allows team members to be 12 years old through 12th grade.

Currently in its third year, the Nickerson Trap Club has 21 members, 19 boys and 2 girls, and the 7 that qualified for the national tournament are high school boys. Chris Oden, David Graham, Joe Tuxhorn, Mathew Meadows and Eric Maleckie are the 5 primary shooters and Clayton Edwards and Jordan Schmidt are the alternates. The 3 coaches are Travis Oden, Jeff Harbert and Larry Meadows. All 7 guys and all 3 coaches are also hunters, and it sounds as though that’s a common denominator among most team members.

I asked the guys why they got into trap shooting and got responses like “I like shooting guns,” “Because it doesn’t interfere with other team sports during school,” and “It’s safer than most team sports.” But the response overwhelmingly echoed by all shooters was “Because anyone can do it; it’s a co-ed sport and it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. You don’t have to be a jock and it’s a sport you can enjoy for the rest of your life.” That sounds like my kind of fun!

Coach Larry meadows told me “Trap shooting is all about hand / eye coordination. He said “you can’t teach that, but you can coach people how to get better at it.” New or inexperienced shooters are started by positioning them mush closer to the trap house where the targets come from. The coaches watch over their shoulder as they shoot and tell them which way to adjust when they miss targets. Coaches suggest how they stand, how they hold their shotgun and position themselves and how to line up on targets, but in the end, Meadows says each shooter has to find what works best for them. As new shooters get better, they are moved back to the normal shooting line.

At the Michigan tournament, there will be both team and individual competitions. 288 teams of 5 will participate in the team event and 1200 in the individual competition. The course is massive and made up of 44 trap houses stretching for ¾ of a mile. Team shooters will begin by shooting 2 rounds of 25 targets each, take a break then shoot 2 more rounds, 100 targets total. After all teams have completed the first go-around, the top scoring teams will advance. That will repeat, eliminating teams each time until the championship is decided.

During my evening spent with the Nickerson shooters, it was mentioned numerous times just how safe the sport of trap shooting is. At each practice 1 coach assumes the role of range safety officer and strict safety rules are enforced. It’s estimated that this year alone nationwide in the USA High School Clay Target League there have been 28 million trigger pulls without injury! Also noteworthy is that although Nickerson High is financially helping the team get to the tournament, until now the team has been totally self-supported. Getting to participate in this national tournament required the guys to qualify, and they did so by qualifying among the top 5% of teams in the nation; if that doesn’t sufficiently impress you, maybe you should take up knitting!

Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

“Gramma, wuuuhms (worms), pops!” giggled my three-year-old granddaughter, calling from western Kansas. It’s July 3, so I realize her parents had taken her to buy childhood firecrackers such as black snakes and those little poppers that I, our daughters, and now our grand love to throw on hard ground. Sure enough, my little caller’s mother confirms that’s what’d happened. That was G’s first year to enjoy these holiday favorites, and she wanted to share her excitement.

This sweet, unexpected phone call sent me down memory lane to my own first visits to firecracker dealers. It’s been long enough since those shopping trips that the recollections count as antiques. I still remember the feel of silver coins, probably dimes and a nickel, in my hand and the sense of importance as my parents took my brother and me to select patriotic noisemakers.

Back then, folks didn’t have air conditioning the way they do now, so we were hot before we started shopping. It seems the stands were always under some kind of awning, perhaps old military tarps left over either from Korea or WW II. I recall stepping into the shade and appreciating cooler temperatures in the dim, gunpowder scented interior. The bad part was it made it harder to see kid- friendly fireworks displayed on homemade plywood and saw horse tables.

While I was older than our granddaughter when I picked out my first 4th stash, I still needed to stand on my tippy toes to peer at the dazzling merchandise with pictures of black cats and Chinese letters and wrapped in crinkly cellophane. Our parents guided us to sparklers, snakes, poppers, and a string of tiny ladyfingers they would help us light. Miracle of miracles, when we handed the clerk our sweaty change, she gave us each a free punk.

Once we bought our treasures, our father selected some surprises of his own. He was partial to Roman candles and cherry bombs, which were legal then. As we climbed into the furnace-like car to go home, he made it clear that we were not to touch his fireworks. After I met a boy who had a Roman candle burn scar his chest, I understood Dad’s emphatic warnings.

Back home, the oven-hot sidewalk became our launch pad. Our parents sat on the porch step, watching us arrange little black kernels that would become long, spiraling, snakes. We oohed and aahed watching them writhe and stain the cement black and grey. After those were ash, it was time for a popsicle and pockets full of poppers that we threw from distances and close up. We even stepped on them to make them explode.

After our stash was shredded tissue, our dad helped us use our spicy smelling punks to light one ladyfinger at a time and throw it safely away from our bodies. He had us save one string so we could hear a bunch pop at one time. When we’d had our fun, he would light a cherry bomb or two far enough away from us that we were safe, but close enough the explosion vibrated our eardrums for a spell.

After dark, we slurped bowls of mom’s homemade ice cream and watched dad launch his Roman candle display. While these don’t compare to modern pyrotechnic displays, they were magical to late 50s and early 60s youngsters. To end the evening, my brother and I waved lit sparklers and danced wildly about the yard.

We must have fallen asleep before our parents carried us inside. I was so surprised to wake up on July 5th to a yard full up burned up snakes, exploded popper tissue, shredded firecracker paper, and scorched sparkler skeletons. Cleaning up wasn’t nearly as much fun as waving lit ones.

I’m so glad Little Miss G called Gramma about her wuuuuhms and poppers. I enjoyed her excitement and my memory.

Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.