For some, spring heralds the arrival of green leaves and flowers. For others, it is a time to plant the garden in anticipation of summer’s bounty. For many spring signals the opportunity to fall asleep each night to nature’s orchestra and to awaken to her symphony in the morning.

After a long winter, nature lovers look forward to the first warm days when they can throw open windows and feel and smell spring’s promised renewal. Fresh breezes clear long-harbored winter scents. A day of air circulating through the house freshens cooking and pet odors. Hanging bedding and curtains on the outside line multiplies the whole experience. No aerosol purchased from a store matches the sweetness of breezes floating across miles of open prairie.

Toasty rays of sunshine enhance that effect. For those who have them, lilacs and blooming fruit trees boost the ambience as their perfumes waft by on invisible airstreams.

However, scent is simply an accompaniment to the music of spring. It sets the stage for upcoming concerts. As soon as it is warm enough, crank open or raise those windows to capture seasonal sounds. Those living near water will hear the rhythms of courting peepers. Little frogs make big noise when it comes to attracting mates. Different species imitate the shaking of a bag full of marbles or the sound of a finger running across a comb. To add more variety, owls and night hawks swoop through nearby trees searching for late suppers, announcing success with a series of screeches and squawks–like a string section warming up.
When things settle down, listen for crickets to join the recital.

How amazing to think the simple rubbing of two bristly legs together can create lively tunes and clue listeners in to the temperature at the same time. As nights warm, listen for the deep bass of bull frogs calling from nearby pools. You can almost feel their deep baritone vibrate through your bones. Add the rising hum of cicadas building to a rousing crescendo and you have a complete symphony. After enjoying an evening of original music, temperatures drop, ending nature’s nightly lullaby.

The best of part of sleeping with an open window this time of year is knowledge that another concert begins at dawn with entirely new orchestration. Before you detect the sun’s first rays, wakening birds begin vocal exercises punctuated by a few isolated sharps. It is impossible to ignore the good cheer enlivening the day, so crawl out of bed and stand at the window to watch a private concerto of performing robins, finches, jays, and larks. While they act as though they’re unaware of an audience, they sense its presence and sing more loudly. This recital beats using an alarm clock to start the day.

Life is full of simple pleasures for those who seek them. Discovering nature’s perfume and music is as simple as opening windows on spring’s warm evenings. So, go ahead, pop the latch, pull up the shade, and kick back for some of the easiest listening around.

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.

I have to come clean about something; I am an addict! I’m addicted to Fox News on my phone and check it several times each day, often first thing in the morning for starters.

The story that caught my eye one morning this week concerned the California Fish and Wildlife’s (CFW) discovery of more than 100 dead hawks and other protected birds on an 80 acre property in Northern California. A neighbor called authorities that someone was shooting at birds and he thought they were hawks. One captain with the CFW told Fox news he had been with the department for 21 years and had never seen anything like that in a poaching case in his career.

Hawks and owls are federally protected right along with eagles, and fines in the thousands of dollars will be levied against someone convicted of killing them. That California landowner better have a golden goose! I remember one old guy who lived at the nursing / retirement home where I worked that once told me “All hawks need shootin’.” It seems he thought all hawks and owls were nothing but chicken thieves. While I suppose over the years a fair number of domestic fowl have met an untimely demise at the claws of hawks and owls, MOST have been snagged by coyotes, bobcats, skunks, coon’s, possums and even feral cats. Hawks and owls are deadly rodent hunters and I’d hate to be around to see the spike in the field mouse and rat populations if there were suddenly no hawks or owls.

I remember one fall day several years ago watching combines harvest a field of soybeans and trying to count the number of hawks of various descriptions feasting on field mice and rats stirred up amidst the litter of dead soybean leaves on the ground under the plants. I lost count at thirty birds. Red tail hawks, Kansas’ most common hawks are partial-migrants. That means that many, but not all red tails from northern climates migrate into southern states to find milder winters which mean easier hunting for them. That’s why we see so many more hawks in Kansas from mid-October through spring.

Another partial migrant that comes to Kansas is the northern harrier. Again, many but not all of them from northern states come south seeking milder winters and easier hunting. Northern harriers are the large dark hawks seen in large numbers here over the winter that hunt by gliding and slowly rocking back-and-forth low over CRP fields and pastures. They have falcon-shaped wings and broad wedge-shaped tails highlighted with white stripes across their tail. I love to sit in our deer blind in early December and watch them hunt the long grass waterway that stretches for several hundred yards in front of our blind. This year there were two there every morning; sometimes they were both in the air at once, sometimes one sat on a fence post while the other harassed it by making strafing flights past it so close it nearly knocked it from its perch.

Finally one afternoon I was privileged to watch one of the harriers make a catch. It had been slowly and methodically working that grass waterway when it suddenly went to the ground. A few seconds later it was in the air again, slowly weaving back-and-forth mere feet in the air over that same small patch of grass and brush where it had gone to the ground. Suddenly it darted out into the bean stubble beside the waterway and pounced on something too small for me to see from where I sat a couple hundred yards away. Evidently the big hawk’s presence had unnerved a mouse, rat or a small rabbit enough to make a run for it in the open, and the big guy was rewarded with a snack, which it sat and ate there for ten or fifteen minutes.

Owls are my favorite birds. You’ve probably heard me gush about my brother’s cabin in the wooded hills of southeastern Ohio. It has a beautiful porch running the length of it on the front, and sitting there after dark or just before sunrise during the spring and summer rewards a patient and quiet listener with an indescribable symphony of wildlife sounds. The main musicians are coyotes, great horned owls, barred owls, screech owls and whippoorwills, often heard together in the same sitting. A couple great horned owls often perch near our deer blind in the predawn darkness, sometimes sounding as though one of them is perched atop the blind. Their soft, raspy “coos” in the darkness are at the same time eerie and soothing, as they seem completely unconcerned by the problems of the coming day.

I struggle to understand why anyone would want these raptors dead. If they are losing poultry and have actually witnessed a bird of prey carry one away, they have a case, but still cannot kill them, in which case they need to find a way to pen-up the poultry. If they are losing poultry and blaming that on hawks and owls without proof, they need to look elsewhere at some of the other critters mentioned above. If you don’t live in the country, park on a deserted side road near a woodlot with your windows down some calm night about dusk and listen to the symphony; I think you’ll become a fan! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

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

Sponsored by Glassman, Bird, Powell LLP — a full-service law firm serving Hays and Northwest Kansas.

You can also watch the weekly reports from Topeka on Eagle TV Channels 14 and 614.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“This Reuben sandwich,” said the New Yorker, “is better than we get back in New York.”  That is high praise, for this sandwich comes from a store in the middle of the country.  Not only does this place provide great sandwiches, it provides the experience of entering an old-time general store with lots of classic products.

Dan Hohman is founder and owner of Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys, Kansas.  In 1992, Dan and his wife Jen relocated their family from Pennsylvania to St. Marys because of the school system. They were seeking the traditional Catholic education that is offered at the St. Marys Academy.

Dan’s background was in the industrial hydraulics business. After coming to Kansas, he eventually launched his own company which specializes in recruiting engineers and technical sales people for the fluid power industry. For more information, see www.fluidpowerjobs.com.

One year when Dan and Jen went to visit their oldest daughter in Minnesota, they came across something remarkable. It was like an old time country store furnished with Amish goods and located out in the middle of nowhere. Dan thought that a store with those types of goods would be a wonderful addition to his hometown of St. Marys.

When he got back to Kansas, Dan connected with a local businessman and investor named Ken Moats and explained his vision to Ken. Ken ended up buying and renovating a historic downtown building. This became the location of Dan’s store.

“We wanted to create a design like a general store in the early 1900s,” Dan said. He had learned that the original St. Marys Mission to the Native Americans was located at Sugar Creek, Kansas, near the Missouri border. After facing a number of challenges there, the priests had prayed for guidance and come north to relocate the mission along the Kansas River in 1848. Eventually the town of St. Marys grew at this new location.

Using the historic name Sugar Creek, Dan set out to create the new store. He connected with Amish vendors and consulted with the Kansas Small Business Development Center. Ken Moats worked on renovating the old historic building.

“Ken was wonderful,” Dan said. “We found this beautiful, native stone wall on the west side of the building. I suggested we put a window in the inside wall so people could see it. ‘Ken said, no let’s not cover it up at all.’” The stone wall was painstakingly restored and now is attractively lit for display. Several original columns and the original wood floor are beautifully restored and in place.

Sugar Creek Country Store opened in July 2016. It specializes in bulk foods, classic food items, a deli and specialty groceries. “We want to offer great quality products at a reasonable price,” Dan said. “We get many products from the Amish, because they have lots of simple, good-tasting foods without a bunch of preservatives.”

This includes Amish deli meats, cheeses, and sauerkraut. Together with select marble rye bread, this creates the Reuben sandwich which was proclaimed by one New Yorker to be better than those from the Big Apple. The deli offers various kinds of ham, beef, turkey, bologna and specialty meats. Cheeses include traditional Swiss, smoked, cheddar, hot cheeses, and more.

Bulk foods include lots of goods and spices. The store offers party trays, gift boxes, and specialty items like Rada knives.

“Every one of our 10 children, either directly or indirectly, has had a hand in this store,” Dan said. His four youngest children are now working in the business. The goal is excellent customer service. “We go above and beyond to make sure our customers feel like they are part of the family,” Dan said. It’s added a new attraction to the rural community of St. Marys, population 2,627 people. Now, that’s rural.

For more information, go to www.sugarcreekcountrystore.com.

For a New York-style Reuben that tops New York, one can visit the Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys. We commend Dan Hohman and family for making a difference by blending modern entrepreneurship with great sandwiches and a trip back in time.

If you are like me, many of you might have recently attended a no-till/soil health conference where you have heard numerous speakers from various parts of the country talking about what they are doing and accomplishing in the soil health arena.

Most of the time the focus of these conferences is on integrating cover crops and livestock into cropping systems to improve the health of the soil, which, if implemented correctly, no doubt can.

My concern is that focusing on just of couple of these practices, which seem to be the current hot items, we may not be paying attention to, or thinking about other ways to improve soil health. We need to remember that they are just tools in our soil health toolbox and when used for the right job work great. But there is also a wide array of other tools in that box that may work better to accomplish what we want to accomplish.

Other things you can do to maintain and improve soil health is to have a balanced fertility program using the 4Rs concept (right product, right rate, right time and right place).

Soil pH needs to be maintained at optimum levels. Aggressive tillage should be avoided. Soil compaction layers should be removed and managed. An appropriate crop rotation that provides adequate groundcover should be used. On marginal soils the best thing is to maybe plant those areas back to grass. These are all practices that are good for yield and the soil.

But one of the most important and underlying themes is that no matter what we implement it needs to make economic sense for you the farmer. Sometimes I think we do not not work through all of the associated expenses and potential income and tend overlook this part of the equation, which in my mind is the most important. You need to make a profit or eventually you won’t be around to take of the soil.

We also need to remember that implementing soil health practices can be very site and producer specific. There is not a one size fits all. I know that on our own farm we have struggled to find a fit for cover crops. They could potentially provide a lot of soil health benefits but without a livestock enterprise to be able to gain some economic value from grazing them, my crop budgets currently do not favor using them.

Which brings me to my next point. Figure out if it will work for you before implementing any of these practices on a large scale. Start small, experiment and adjust the practices to fit what you are wanting to accomplish with them.

We haven’t totally discounted the use of cover crops in our rotation. But we will proceed with caution, adjust things as we go and only do them on a few acres until we can really determine if they are a fit for us or not.

For more information about soil health practices you can contact me at [email protected] or any local NRCS office.

Dale Younker is a Soil Health Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Jetmore.

March is one of my favorite months for a couple of reasons. I love Springs’ warmer temperatures and the chance to get out and enjoy a walk or bike ride. I also look forward to sharing my passion about healthy eating during March because it is noted as National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is “Go Further with Food” and what better way is there to fuel the fun than with fresh fruits and vegetables?

National Nutrition Month, created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, puts valuable and credible nutrition information at our fingertips. The focus is always to encourage people to make informed choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits.

Sometimes it can be tough to know exactly where to start; there are so many messages in the news and some messages contradict what was reported by a different source on a different day. One thing I have always appreciated with my connection to K-State Research and Extension is that I have access to up-to-date research based information at the click of a mouse.

The past month I have shared the Fact Sheet I wrote titled, “Healthy Cooking Styles” several different places. The good news is there are a couple more opportunities to catch this free educational program.

Tuesday, April 3rd, at noon, join me at the Cottonwood Extension Office in Hays for “Healthy Cooking Styles.” The following week, Monday, April 9th, I will be presenting the same information in Wilson at 5:30 p.m. I will also be making a recording of this program which will be aired as an Extension Ed Talk next month. All of the Extension Ed Talks can be found as links on our Cottonwood Extension District web site.

The fact sheet highlights five different cooking styles that focus on creating tasty and healthy grain and vegetable dishes. I love showing class participants how easy it is to accomplish these different cooking styles. Too often I hear speakers say how hard it is to eat healthy. In my mind it’s not hard at all. And the health benefits you will notice by incorporating more whole grains and vegetables into your daily menus will keep you motivated. Many people with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and various autoimmune diseases have been able to alleviate their symptoms by eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and consuming fewer solid and added fats, added sugars and refined grains.

If you would like a copy of the fact sheet “Healthy Cooking Styles” simply drop by either the Extension offices in Great Bend or Hays or look for it on the KSRE web site, following the link to the bookstore. The publication number is: MF3350.

Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent and District Director for the Cottonwood Extension District – Great Bend Office. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Tuesday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that they would place an additional 90-day delay on their Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule for agricultural haulers.

First District Congressman Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend) supports the FMCSA’s decision to postpone the ELD mandate for this industry.

Livestock haulers have expressed a great deal of concern over the electronic logging system. The agency’s ELD regulation would limit a trucker’s flexibility when transporting livestock.

“Today’s announcement is a step in the right direction and shows that the FMCSA understands that this rule is impractical in cattle country,” Rep. Marshall said. “I am encouraged by the agency’s effort to engage and have continued discussions with industry partners to find long-term solutions. In the meantime, Congress needs to act.”

Many in the industry are concerned that the FMCSA’s rules would require a hauler to leave cattle in the trailer for too long, or force drivers to unload cattle in roadside pens, which currently do not exist. Both of those scenarios create grave concerns for animal welfare and biosecurity.

“Our livestock haulers have a tremendous safety record and are responsible not just for motorist safety, but for the safety and well-being of the livestock in their trailers,” Rep Marshall said. “That’s why I led a bipartisan letter, with almost 70 signatures, to House Leadership. Our letter encourages a full year delay of the ELD mandate for the agriculture industry to be included in the upcoming omnibus bill. A year will give our industry and FMCSA the time they need to come to a long-term solution that is safe for motorists and animals.”

The ELD rule was supposed to take effect on December 18, 2017 but was delayed until March 18, 2018. Tuesday’s announcement will again extend that enforcement until June 18, 2018.

Kansans should applaud the House Taxation Committee and its chair, Representative Steven Johnson of Assaria, for their political backbone in making property taxes an option in addressing the legislature’s school finance dilemma.

The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled the current structure of school finance unconstitutional and ordered state lawmakers to fix it by early April. Some estimate that will cost as much as $600 million in new revenue.

State lawmakers enacted a uniform, statewide 32-mill levy for schools in 1992 that cut property taxes statewide by $260 million. That mill levy was reduced to its present level of 20 mills in 1997, further shrinking state-mandated property taxes for schools. A 10-mill increase would now generate roughly $320 million in new revenue, which represents a 7 percent increase in total property tax revenues statewide.

Sales or income tax options are nonstarters.

State and local sales tax rates are approaching thresholds that threaten competitiveness, particularly for the border counties of Kansas. Combined tax rates exceeding 10 percent and more are becoming common. State lawmakers have gone to the sales tax twice in the last five years, six times since 1986; and local officials are enacting and raising local sales taxes even more frequently.

Kansans are fatigued from seven years of income tax debate and want to give further discussion here a rest. Last year Johnson helped assemble a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers that ended the disastrous Brownback experiment and partially restored rates to earlier levels. As a result of that, plus the boost occurring due to federal tax reform in December, individual income tax revenues are up by $270 million over estimates for the first eight months of the fiscal year. These likely revenues could become part of the answer on school finance as well.

On property taxes business representatives lined up before the House Taxation Committee last week to denounce a bill that would raise the state mill levy for schools. Owners of business and commercial properties do bear a substantial portion of the property tax burden, currently 27 percent, but their share has declined over earlier highs. They benefited from state property tax cuts in 1992, 1997, and 1998, and voters granted them a special constitutional reduction in 1992.

Further, the Tax Foundation’s 2018 assessment of “business tax climate” ranks Kansas 19th lowest on property taxes among the 50 states, a significant improvement over Kansas’ ranking of 27th just three years ago.

Local officials cautiously but regularly tap into property taxes often with voter endorsement for a variety of local purposes–which suggests they view the property tax as well administered and fair. Apart from constitutional exemptions granted by voters, property taxes are levied based on property value, so the more one owns, the more one pays. Ninety-nine percent of all property tax revenues go to local governments and schools.

Except for the Brownback relapse, Kansas tax policy has sought balance and diversity in taxes in order to assure lower tax rates overall, reduce competition with other states, and promote tax fairness. Economic growth, bolstered by recent upticks in income and sales tax revenues, will likely maintain this balance—even with an increase in the state mill-levy for schools.

Property taxes in Kansas are fair and not out of line with other states; and a state levy has not been raised for over 20 years. If new revenue is required for school finance, property taxes should be part of the solution.

H. Edward Flentje is professor emeritus at Wichita State University and formerly served with Kansas Governors Bennett and Hayden.

One of the many things I love about Fort Hays State University is that our focus is not only on students. We focus on all learners. Fort Hays State is about each of us – students, administrative assistants, service workers, staff, professors and president – becoming better versions of ourselves while contributing to a better FHSU every day.

An organization that has learners at its center focuses on a culture that respects inquiry, risk-taking, and experimentation while embracing the notion that the best thinking happens in community. I love Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.”

Learner-centered organizations are also focused on the creation of knowledge and on innovation – core values at FHSU. Because we expand our capacity to learn, new fields emerge and new majors are created to respond to emerging new careers. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor indicates that 65 percent of today’s school children will eventually be employed in jobs that have not even been imagined! To prepare future students for a career that has not even been conceived is a daunting task that will require nimble, experimental universities like FHSU.

I learn every day by paying attention and listening to students, staff, and faculty. Learning is not necessarily one-directional. I know faculty will tell you that they learn from their students constantly and that students learn much from their peers, not just from professors.

Here are a couple of other examples of learning in action at FHSU:

Our Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies unit provides the FHSU teaching community with a range of programs and services centered on effective teaching and new ways of learning. Our goal is to enhance student success and professional development by providing workshops, individual consultation, course development support and special programs.

Dr. Andreas Maheras, track and field coach, published an article in the February 2018 issue of “Techniques,” the official publication of the U.S. Track and Field Association. The article, “Biomechanical Observations in Hammer Throwing: Distinguishing the Static and the Dynamic,” analyzes the biomechanical aspects of the hammer throw event. The article challenges existing coaching practices and presents little-known characteristics of the basic phases of the hammer throw.

Undergraduate research takes many forms within departments at FHSU, but the unifying concept is collaborative faculty-student work on scholarly projects with the goal of developing generalizable, peer-reviewed work as a final product. Undergraduate research can be one of the most meaningful experiences at Fort Hays State. Students can learn through hands-on work outside the classroom, develop research skills, identify their academic and career interests, develop working relationships with faculty mentors and get a glimpse into graduate or professional school life.

As I write this, several members of our student affairs staff are learning alongside colleagues who share the responsibility for a campus-wide focus on the student experience. I know they will return to campus with expanded knowledge and the inspiration to continue to advance student success.

Our students often engage in community service projects. When those experiences are learner-centered, students enter the project with a deeper understanding of the issue the service project is designed to address. Then they follow up the activity with more profound conversations on what they learned. This process develops “engaged global citizen-leaders” – FHSU’s mission.

Fort Hays State is a magnet for learning opportunities outside of the classroom. We create makerspaces and host numerous lectures, workshops, concerts, and wellness events. We even have our very own Center for Entrepreneurship to promote interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives.

As for me, I have been busy learning more about the Kansas Legislature as well as the current state of excellence at Fort Hays State. I have thoroughly enjoyed my visits to academic departments and am gaining a strong sense of our cutting-edge distinction as well as challenges and opportunities in our midst.

I have also spent a lot of time thinking about how we make decisions at the university. I have enjoyed in-depth conversations with our vice presidents, deans, presidents of the faculty and staff senates, as well as student government leaders and a myriad of others. I look forward to more conversations about how we lead together – what we do well and how we can improve both individually and collectively. Those conversations require courage and authentic communication – and through them I always learn a lot about myself and about our leadership team. Those discussions help me think differently and more deeply about leading FHSU.

John F. Kennedy once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another.” I agree, and I’m excited to rediscover that learners are the heart of Fort Hays State University.

Dr. Tisa Mason is president of Fort Hays State University.

Raising kids, eating right, spending smart, living well—that’s the theme of national Living Well Month being promoted in March by the Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS), both at the national level and here in Kansas. The goal of Living Well Month is to help people understand the education and information provided by Extension FCS agents to help them “live well.”

The Kansas Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences works through K-State Research and Extension to offer all kinds of information that will help families achieve a positive, healthy lifestyle. Whether you are trying to manage your diabetes through meal planning and exercise, make decisions about health care and insurance, or get tips on effective parenting techniques, Extension probably has a research-based answer.

To make every month a “Living Well Month,” consider these tips from the Cottonwood Extension District FCS agents in Hays and Great Bend:

1. Engage children in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Adults need at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days. Besides participating in sporting activities, turn on some music and dance. Be creative by assembling an obstacle course or using hula-hoops. Start planning a garden. Take a walk or bike ride in your neighborhood. Registration is still open for Walk Kansas which begins March 18 through May 12, so form a team of six people to take advantage of this signature health and fitness program from K-State Research and Extension.

2. Eat a variety of healthful foods. Be sure to have plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables every day. Most people need at least 4 ½ cups to meet the daily recommendation. Have a glass of 100 percent juice or sliced banana on cereal for breakfast, enjoy raw vegetables with dip to accompany a sandwich at lunch and have a sliced apple for dessert. At dinner, steam some vegetables and prepare a fruit parfait with yogurt for dessert. Join us in Hays at noon on April 3 for a free demonstration of “Healthy Cooking Styles” for new ideas to enhance healthy meals.

3. Read, read, read. Go to the library and check out books. Keep the mental stimulation flowing regardless of your age for optimum brain health. Extension agents across Kansas are providing research-based programming from “Better Brains for Babies” through “Keys to Embracing Aging” which focus on aspects of brain health and intellectual development. Join us on April 18th at the Hays Public Library, 1:30-2:30 pm, for the free program “Emergent Literacy: Helping Children’s Development Through Reading” presented by Dr Bradford Wiles, Extension child development specialist.

4. Maintain a healthy home. Be sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working correctly and test your home for the presence of radon (Extension offices offer a do-it-yourself radon test kit at a low cost.) Help manage allergies and/or asthma by cleaning and vacuuming regularly to reduce allergy triggers in the home. Fix leaks and moisture problems to prevent mold growth. Avoid accidental poisonings by keeping medications locked up, and cleaning agents and other poisons out of reach of children.

5. Keep your family finances in check. Track your expenses and update your budget regularly. Extension FCS agents can help with programs on basic budgeting, saving, estate planning, discovering your money personality, smart food shopping and tips for healthful low-cost meals at home. Save the date for another “Healthy Meals Under Pressure” demonstration of cooking with electric pressure cookers on April 26th in Hays.

6. Use safe food handling practices to avoid foodborne illness and keep your family and guests healthy. Extension FCS agents offer programs for youth and adults on food safety, proper hand washing and safe home food preservation. We also offer food safety training for restaurant, non-commercial and volunteer food handlers so you can be safe when eating away from home. Extension FCS agents will host a regional Servsafe Manager Certification course in Russell on April 11 and a basic food handler class for food service employees and volunteers on May 17th in Hays.

7. Check out all the information and classes provided by your local Extension office. Cottonwood Extension FCS agents Linda Beech and Donna Krug are a wealth of information and training for living well. Get information emailed directly to you in the quarterly Cottonwood District newsletter– contact the Extension Offices in Hays or Great Bend to join the mail list. Also see our website at www.cottonwood.ksu.edu, follow us on Facebook at “K-State Research and Extension- Cottonwood District,” read our columns, listen to us on the radio and call when you have individual questions. Extension FCS agents are here to help you learn more about “living well.”

Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

In early March, I wrote an article about changes in the State of Kansas that increased the complexity of obtaining Medicaid benefits.  My article was prompted by several investigative articles appearing in The Kansas City Star, finding multiple problems with the Kansas system.  (The Kansas City Star, “KanCare Changes Leave Seniors Struggling to Keep Medicaid Coverage,” by Andy Marso, February 22, 2018.  That article was a follow-up to another article by Mr. Marso, “What’s the Matter with KanCare? Challenges on Four Fronts,” The Kansas City Star, February 22, 2017.)

The Director of Communications (Angela de Rocha) of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services responded to my article by way of a letter to the Editor.  She stated that my article was “wrong, inaccurate and misleading.”  The truth is, her response was “wrong, inaccurate and misleading.” 

Before I get into some of the specifics, it is important to point out that though the system is flawed, it has many good people within it trying to make it work and trying to help consumers.  On the legal side, Brian Vazquez and Loren Snell are bright, reasonable, and “see the big picture.”  Breanna Dorman is a go-to person to get things done through the KanCare system.  Frankly, I do not know what we would do without these individuals.

Now, to Ms. de Rocha’s letter.

1. “Medicaid… has nothing to do with federal deficit reduction legislation.”  This is a most surprising statement.  In February of 2006, the Deficit Reduction Act was passed (known as the DRA of 2005; Senate Bill 1932 of the 109^th Congress).  It is considered by those working with the elderly and Medicaid as one of the most landmark changes to Medicaid law and state programs.  States were required to adopt its provisions.  It changed Medicaid eligibility rules, including the look-back period (from 36 months to 60 months) and the “uncompensated transfer” definition.  It changed the start date of Medicaid eligibility, restricted home exemption rules, changed Home and Community-Based Services Medicaid rules, restricted the use of annuities and promissory notes, and so on.  Frankly, there is no way to understand Medicaid without understanding the rules modified or created by the DRA.  Clearly, Medicaid has and always will have a lot to do with federal deficit reduction legislation.

2. “Kansas has never provided health care in ‘local Medicaid offices’.”  First, that was not the statement in my article.  The article did say that Medicaid offices were closed and replaced with a system centralized in Topeka.  That is absolutely correct.  Previously, there were local offices staffed with local experts who determined Medicaid eligibility. 

These offices were operated by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS), which was the predecessor to the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF).

3. “Kansas has not ‘turned over management of Medicaid’ to a company called Maximus.”   Medicaid applications used to be handled in local communities.  Now, through the KanCare Clearinghouse, Medicaid application processing is mostly staffed by a private contractor, Maximus.  Under Maximus’ agreement with the State, it oversees most aspects of Medicaid, including application determinations and redeterminations, though the final determination is supposed to be made by a State employee.  (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Policy Clarification 2017-07-01).  Maximus is not doing its job.  In fact, the State has now threatened to fine Maximus $250,000 a day for its failure to properly operate the Clearinghouse (The Kansas City Star, “Kansas tells Medicaid contractor: Shape up, or face millions in fines,” by Jonathan Shorman, February 16, 2018).

4. “Health outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries…are significantly better under KanCare than they were under the old system.”  I am speechless about this comment by de Rocha.  It is just so incorrect.  Last year, the federal government, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), investigated the KanCare program.  It found the KanCare program in “non-compliance…with federal Medicaid statutes and regulations.  This non-compliance… places the health, welfare, and safety of KanCare beneficiaries at risk and requires immediate action.” (Letter to Susan Mosier, Secretary and State health Officer, from James G. Scott, Associate Regional Administrator for Medicaid and Children’s Health Operations, dated January 13, 2017.)

The fiasco of the KanCare system has been discussed in news articles across the State.  The problems persist.  It grows tiresome when State officials say the system is delivering better services when the opposite is true.  Someone needs to speak out.

My original article suggested that as a starting point to fix the system we return the processing of applications to local offices where consumers could meet face to face with real people.  A worker would be assigned to a case to help the applicant through the process.  House Minority Leader Jim Ward said it well.  “This idea that we can consolidate all this out into a building (in Topeka) when we had an infrastructure of local agencies, local groups, local persons that was working fine.  We created the most inefficient system.”  (See The Kansas City Star article, “Kansas tells Medicaid contractor: Shape up, or face millions in fines,” by Jonathan Shorman, February 16, 2018.)

It is going to take all of us to raise Cain with our elected officials.  The KanCare system must be fixed or replaced.

Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

Over the past week, a malicious virus has been discovered on point-of-sale machines at more than 160 Applebee’s locations.

This virus has exposed credit card information from unknowing diners. In Kansas, three of the restaurants have been identified to have been infected — Topeka, Emporia and Manhattan.

The dates on which the stores were hit vary, but the majority were found to have occurred from November to January. All things considered, RMH, which owns the restaurants, responded quickly and contained the malware by early February. RMH was able to enlist the help of several cybersecurity forensic firms and reported the issue right away.

POS malware is becoming more and more prevalent for all retailers and medical industry businesses. Already in January, Forever 21 revealed their POS machines had been infected for almost eight months before being discovered.

RMH and the other companies strongly urge customers to monitor their bank accounts at this point. RMH acknowledges the ultimate safeguard against this kind of malware must come from the retailers themselves.

All in all, you really need to monitor your credit cards and bank accounts closely if you use debit/credit cards on the regular. RMH responded promptly and extremely well to this issue, but you never know what business is currently infected and no one has any clue.

Be wary and be cautious as malicious entities are springing up everywhere now. If you have any questions or concerns on possible malware or scams, give us at ETS a call at 785.628.1330 and we will help you out!

Hello from Topeka!

Congratulations to the Northern Valley Huskies on their state basketball championship over the weekend.

We are anticipating the arrival of the cost study report on K-12 education as the legislature forms the response to the Kansas Supreme Court on the school funding formula which was ruled unconstitutional last year.  Once the numbers are analyzed, it is the hope the response is delivered back to the court by the March 30 deadline.

Speaking of schools, last week, House Republicans unveiled the Kansas Safe and Secure Schools Act, a comprehensive approach to make schools safer for our kids by ensuring coordination with schools and local law enforcement to improve school security infrastructure.  Principally, HB 2773 would do the following:

1. Coordinate with the Kansas State Board of Education and other agencies to develop statewide standards for safe and secure school buildings.
2. Empower local school districts to coordinate with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies to review and evaluate current building infrastructure policies and procedures.
3. Establish the Safe and Secure Schools Grant Program with funds that can be used for improvements to any facet of the school safety and security plan including infrastructure and training.
4. Provide standardized firearm safety education programs that may be offered by school districts.
5. Appropriate funds to the Department of Education, which will be used for two FTE positions to review and evaluate school safety and security plans.

The provisions of this bill would encourage schools to make improvements, such as reinforced doors, additional security cameras, and training opportunities to enhance the overall security of school grounds.  The Safe and Secure Schools Act will advance communication between local school districts and law enforcement.  A safe and secure learning environment is one of the highest priorities in our state, and this establishes an opportunity for all Kansas school districts.  Additionally, for the purposes of promoting the safety and protection of students via education, the State Board of Education would be required to establish curriculum guidelines for a standardized firearm safety education program.

I serve on the House Taxation Committee and we worked HB 2572, which concerns making economic incentives data more centralized and transparent.  House Sub. for HB 2572 requires that the Department of Commerce collect data from economic development incentive programs that provide more than $50,000 in annual incentives.  This data from multiple years would be stored in a database and would be searchable on the Department’s website.  Specific information would be provided, including names or counties and recipients who receive benefits from various programs, including STAR bonds.  Descriptions and histories of the programs, along with purpose, goals, and qualifications would also be included.  Another component is the program cost and return on investment.  The Committee adopted the Substitute bill amendment and advanced it favorably to the House for its consideration.  On Thursday, the House Committee of the Whole debated the measure.  On Friday, the bill passed the House with a vote of 114-7.

Over the past week, fires have burned across the state, fueled by dangerously dry conditions and strong winds.  Governor Jeff Colyer issued disaster declarations for the following counties: Barber, Clark, Ellis, Greenwood, Harper, Kingman, Logan, Reno, Smith, and Stevens.

The National Guard reported approximately 50 fires were reported to the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka since Monday, burning more than 25,000 acres. Aerial and ground firefighting resources were coordinated by the SEOC through the Kansas Forest Service and Kansas Army National Guard to augment fire suppression efforts by local responders. Soldiers of the Kansas National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation, along with troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol and personnel from the Kansas Forest Service provided aerial and ground support to local crews battling fires.

The State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka is providing support and coordination of state and federal resources as requested by the counties. County emergency managers may continue to report incidents and request state assistance to augment local response and recovery actions through the state’s 24-hour emergency notification line.

A big thank you to the volunteer firefighters and first responders! Please continue to pray for rain.

Oh by the way, I have moved offices in the statehouse.  I am now on the 5^th floor at 512-N.  The phone number stays the same. Please feel free to reach out with concerns and questions, I will do my best to respond it a timely manner. My phone number is (785) 296-7463 and email is: [email protected], my cell number is (785) 302-8416.   You can also check out kenforkansas.com.

It is my honor to be your representative.