FlaxTOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court appointed District Magistrate Judge Richard Flax, District Judge Michael Hoelscher, and District Magistrate Judge Dale Snyder to the Judges Assistance Committee.
The Judges Assistance Committee provides help to any Kansas judge in need due to mental or physical disability, or addiction.
Flax and Hoelscher will serve four-year terms from July 1 through June 30, 2023.
Flax serves in Trego County of the 23rd Judicial District and succeeds District Magistrate Judge Keith Whitney, who serves in Meade County of the 16th Judicial District.
Hoelscher serves in Sedgwick County of the 18th Judicial District and succeeds Retired District Judge Steve Becker of Buhler, who served in Reno County of the 27th Judicial District.
Snyder will complete a vacated term on the committee that expires June 30, 2022. He serves in Rush County of the 24th Judicial District. He succeeds Moundridge Municipal Judge Amie Bauer.
Other members of the Judges Assistance Committee are:
District Judge Ben Burgess, who serves in Sedgwick County of the 18th Judicial District.
District Magistrate Judge Marty Clark, who serves in Russell County of the 20th Judicial District.
District Judge Sally Pokorny, who serves in Douglas County of the 7th Judicial District.
District Judge Mark Ward, who serves in Bourbon County of the 6th Judicial District.
Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association will hold its monthly meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Robbins Center on the campus of Fort Hays State University.
Registration is from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m., with a short business meeting starting at 11:30 a.m.
The program for the August meeting will be “How Tos of Internships,” presented by Karen McCullough and Lisa Karlin with FHSU Career Services. The program will be submitted for SHRM continuing education credits.
WKHRMA members can RSVP at wkhrma.shrm.org. The deadline to RSVP is noon on August 9. WKHRMA is an affiliate chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), a local professional organization for persons engaged in personal or human resource management.
For more information on WKHRMA, visit wkhrma.shrm.org.
Nothing has touched my soul and spoken to aging with grace quite like the ancient Indian medicine wheel and the traditions that have evolved from it. From the National Library of Medicine, I learned that in the Americas, Indian tribes have multiple interpretations of the four directions, but the following prayer is my own, geriatrician’s interpretation of a version from the book Black Elk Speaks and Oyate (Nakota, Dakota, Lakota) tradition.
First, we get down on our knees and feel the soil, the sacred Mother Earth, bringing the world around us, the animals, plants, prairies, lakes, mountains, the environment of our planet from where all food and sustenance comes. Earth is foundation. Then we stand up on our tiptoes, and raise our arms to sacred Father Sky, the sun, stars, clouds, rain, wind, air and breath of life, light and dark; from where all energy flows and ebbs. Sky is infinity. Earth and sky, the beginning and the end.
Around the central campfire and within the circle, first we bow east, symbolized by red, rising sun, springtime, birth, blood, the very young; a sense of innocence, youth. May we have hope for a future with an open mind to all things new and true.
We bow south, symbolized by yellow, full sun, summer, sexuality, the anticipating young woman and young man; a sense of unconquerable power and invulnerability, early adulthood. May we have the courage and strength to fight for justice.
We bow west, symbolized by black, setting sun, an approaching dark thunderstorm, oncoming night, autumn, resignation, the reality filled community leader and medicine woman/midwife; a sense of the horrors of war and reality of loss, mature adulthood. May we have the gravity to protect freedom of choice and face vulnerability with honest eyes.
Finally, we bow north, symbolized by white, starry night, winter, old age, wisdom, the sagacious elder and teacher; a sense of beauty, grandchildren and the circle of life, an experienced body and mind, release from the fear of change and death. May we have insight to savor family and friendship, and the good sense to walk in another’s moccasins.
Inside the circle is the tree of life, where we become aware of our self, our consciousness, tribe, community, country, world, and our connection to all direction.
Dear Mother/Father of Earth and Sky, thank you for your blessings, the sacred hoop of life, and especially the wisdom to find release from fear of death. May our sisters and brothers of all Clans and Nations realize our sacred connection and, in harmony, savor the joy and even the sorrow of our circle of life and aging.
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USD 489 was hosted its second-annual EdCamp Kansas in Hays on June 4 at Hays High School.
Area educators were given the ability to choose a variety of topics that piqued their interest throughout the course of the day.
Sessions included topics such as: flexible seating, elementary writer’s workshop, early childhood Seasaw, Google applications, PLC breakout groups, kindergarten readiness skills, student motivation, teacher organization, teacher self-care, various subject-based sessions, and several others.
Marie Henderson, instructional technology specialist, coordinated the event.
Grow Hays invites the public to attend TriSpective on Monday BriefSpace, 219 W. 10th.
Similar to TED Talks, the speakers will each focus on a topic. Dallas Haselhorst, owner of Treetop Security, will address entrepreneurship. Kieran Windholz, Equity Bank Lender will discuss moving home and Gina Riedel, owner of Gina Riedel Results, will talk on succession planning.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the event starting at 6 p.m.
TriSpective is a part of the Robert E. Schmidt Entrepreneurship Series sponsored by Robert E. and Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation.
For questions or more information contact Grow Hays at 785.628.3102 or [email protected].
Hays teen Sophia Linenberger was visited by multiple stars during a recent stay at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Sophia is undergoing treatment for a rare form of cancer. Courtesy photo
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
A Hays teen got a break last week from the rigors of cancer treatment when a group of celebrities visited her at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
Sophia Linenberger’s visit included an interview with Al Roker that appeared on the “Today” show on June 10. She was also visited by Selena Gomez, Adam Scott, Paul Rudd and Zachary Levi among others.
Levi, who voiced the character Flynn Rider in the movie “Tangled,” serenaded Sophia and the stars with a song from the movie. Levi’s serenade featuring Sophia also appeared on “Entertainment Tonight.”
Hays teen Sophia Linenberger with Selena Gomez during the Big Slick at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Courtesy photo
The star treatment was all a part of a fundraising effort by Children’s Mercy called the Big Slick. This year was the 10th anniversary of the Big Slick. Children Mercy set a goal to conclude the event with $10 million raised over the 10 years of the event. The hospital was able to raise $2.5 million just this year, pushing it past the $10 million goal.
Jenny Linenberger, Sophia’s mother, spoke for her daughter and said the visit was a break from all Sophia has been through during her recent cancer treatment.
“It took her mind off of the cancer. … It took her mind off of the chemotherapy. It took her mind off of the radiation. It took her mind off of the whole Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer and the whole thing for just a little bit, and that meant a lot to her,” Jenny said.
Sophia, 15, a soon-to-be sophomore at Thomas More Prep-Marian, has a rare form of cancer — Ewing’s Sarcoma. Less than 1,000 people per year are diagnosed with this type. The cancer grows in bones or in soft tissue around bones. Sophia’s cancer started in her spine and her mother said it spread like “bind weed.”
Sophia has had two surgeries, just completed six weeks of radiation and is well into an eight-and-a-half-month course of chemotherapy.
Sophia Linenberger, her sister Holly and actor Paul Rudd at the Big Slick at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Courtesy photo
The family drives back and forth to Kansas City for treatments that take between one to six days. Although she was home Wednesday, Sophia’s last trip to K.C. this week was via ambulance.
Jenny said seeing the stars rally around her daughter also meant much to her personally.
“There are times where Sophia will say, ‘I wish I could be normal. I wish I could do stuff with my friends. I wish I could go swimming … do summer things,’ ” Jenny said.
“She gets kind of frustrated at that because she can’t do the things that kids do because she is on a walker and needs a wheelchair for distance. For them to do what they did meant a lot to me — to just let my kid to be a kid again — just to see her smile, the face beam up.
“She said she felt normal again, and that was gratifying to me. It was wonderful. She always has a smile on her face, but to actually see her be a kid again, a teenager, it meant a lot.”
Children’s Mercy has been integral in Sophia’s care, her mother said, but not just in the treatment of her cancer. The staff care for her as a whole person. The hospital has child life specialists who organizes activities for the children while they are in the hospital. The hospital also has a therapy dog named Hunter. When Sophia can’t leave her room, someone comes to her sometimes just to talk.
“Children’s Mercy has been like a dream to me, because without them, I don’t know where we would be,” Jenny said.
Zachary Levi, who voiced the character Flynn Rider in the movie “Tangled” serenaded Sophia and other stars with a song from the movie. Courtesy photo
Unfortunately, Sophia’s illness is not all the family is dealing with. Jenny’s husband ended up in the ER five weeks ago and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
“My life is pretty full,” Jenny said.
However, Jenny said she and the whole family have been very thankful for the community’s support during Sophia’s illness.
Anthony and the Animals had a benefit concert in Hays for Sophia, and TMP and Holy Family have also spearheaded fundraisers for the family.
“We have had a lot of prayer from the community, and we are grateful, believe me,” she said.
Hays teen Sophia Linenberger and her sister Holly with Selena Gomez and Eric Stonestreet during the Big Slick at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Courtesy photo
BUNKER HILL – The Finnup Foundation has awarded Smoky Hills Public Television with a grant for $25,000.
This grant will provide educational resources to the children of the following counties: Finney, Hamilton, Hodgeman, Lane, Gray, Kearny and Scott counties.
“We are extremely grateful for the Finnup Foundation’s generous support of Smoky Hills Public Television’s educational mission,” said Kelli King, Smoky Hills Public Television Director of Finance and Administration. “We are extremely happy to be able to provide the children of southwest Kansas with valuable educational resources.”
The Finnup Foundation Trust was established in 1977 by siblings Frederick Finnup and Isabel Finnup, who carried on the legacy of generosity that was modeled by their father, George Finnup, and their grandfather, Frederick Finnup. The Finnup family’s interest in families, youth, education and conservation is expressed through the gifts to many organizations in the community.
Smoky Hills Public Television serves 71 counties in central and western Kansas and has been named the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Non-Metro Station of the Year, broadcasting 64 commercial-free hours per week of educational programming.
Doug Williams, Grow Hays executive director, requests city funding Thursday as Karen Dreiling, board chair looks on from the audience.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Four outside agencies each requesting funding from the city of Hays in 2020 presented their requests to city commissioners Thursday night. Following each presentation, the representatives of the four groups – Grow Hays, Fort Hays State University (FHSU), CARE Council, Downtown Hays Development Corporation (DHDC) – were thanked by the commission for their community support and involvement.
“It’s light years ahead of where we’ve been and your board and staff has worked very hard these past 18 months,” Mayor Henry Schwaller said to Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays. The group has operated the past two years without any funding from the city.
For many years it was known as the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development. The coalition was criticized by city and Ellis county commissioners for not being responsive to the governing bodies’ directives for some time.
Since January 2018, the organization has changed dramatically. The number of board members has shrunk from 24 to 18, has a new executive director, and has relocated to BriefSpace in downtown Hays.
What hasn’t changed is its mission – business creation, business retention and expansion, and business recruitment.
“I’m proud to report to you I believe we’re hitting on all cylinders at this time,” Williams told the city commission.
He said the city of Hays is an “integral partner” of Grow Hays for funding and projects. “They’re not going to happen without the city.”
A 2020 operational plan for Grow Hays included information about economic development funding by peer Kansas communities, including Dodge City, Garden City, Salina, and Phillipsburg. “They are significantly funded in greater amounts than we are,” Williams pointed out. …”Partly because they have to. We operate with some advantages that they don’t have.”
Grow Hays does receive funding from the private sector. “I believe that’s important because they need to invest in the process, as we all do,” he added.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs appreciates the basics of economic development that are underway. She also wants to see more succession planning in the business community.
“A lot of people may be sitting around waiting for something grand to happen – the new manufacturing company bringing 300 jobs. … I think there’s so many things you can do for that.”
Jacobs gave an example of a local electrician working at her home recently who told her he’s unable to plan his retirement because he has no one in his company or outside of it wanting to take it over.
“I think that’s a way to bring people back to this [our] communities,” suggested Jacobs. “Maybe that’s a way to match up people who want to come back or haven’t even thought about their succession planning yet but need to think about it.”
Grow Hays is requesting $100,000 from Hays. “Without you, we are not sustainable.” A request for funding from Ellis County of $50,000 was reduced to $27,500. “Given their budgetary challenges, I consider that a very generous funding amount from them,” said Williams. “We had asked for $50,000 because that’s what we need.”
Also making a funding pitch was FHSU for renewal of the $100,000 City of Hays Scholarship Program for Scholastic Achievement.
Sherry Dryden, United Way of Ellis County exec. dir., reported the CARE Council is now assisting two new agencies, the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center and the Center for Life Experiences.
CARE Council is requesting $168,000 for social services funding, an increase of $4,000 from last year. The CARE Council is also asking the city to budget $60,000 in Special Alcohol Tax Funds for 2020. The monies for drug and alcohol prevention programs come from a portion of the local alcoholic liquor tax. That money is divided equally each year between the CARE Council, the special parks fund, and the general fund.
The $50,973 request by DHDC is down five percent from 2019.
A discussion of the renewal of property/casualty/liability insurance coverage was also presented. Midwest Public Risk (MPR) offered the lowest cost option for the renewal of the city’s package, with a two percent increase.
A 30-minute executive session was requested by Mayor Henry Schwaller for discussion of attorney/client information by the commission, City Manager Toby Dougherty and Assistant City Attorney Todd Powell, who was substituting for City Attorney John Bird.
No action was taken following the executive session.
Commissioner Ron Mellick was absent from the work session.
Patchy fog between 7am and 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Breezy, with a north wind 10 to 20 mph.
Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 11pm and 4am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 55. North wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. North wind around 11 mph.
Sunday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 83. West wind 6 to 9 mph.
Monday Night
Clear, with a low around 62.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 91.
Tuesday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Today