ELLIS COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30a.m. Saturday in Ellis County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Freightliner semi driven by Roger Raney, 56, Lynchburg, OH., was eastbound on Interstate 70 thirteen miles east of Hays.
The duals of the trailer struck a 2015 Nissan Rogue driven by Kenneth Ward, 36, Greeley, Co., that was stopped on the shoulder of the driving lane.
Ward was transported to the hospital in Hays. Raney was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
GREAT BEND – Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chtd. (ABBB) is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized as a Midwest Regional Leader by Accounting Today.
ABBB is one of three firms headquartered in Kansas named as a Regional Leader. The Midwest Region is comprised of firms in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This region accounted for $1,650.38 million in total revenue. Firms in the Midwest averaged 8.30% growth.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized among this group of leading accounting firms,” said Brian Staats, CPA, CGMA, managing partner of ABBB. “This recognition is made possible by our incredible team and clients!”
Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chartered provides a wide range of traditional and non-traditional CPA and consulting services to clients throughout Kansas, including agriculture organizations, construction companies, feed yards, financial institutions, governmental and not-for-profit organizations, manufacturers, medical practices, oil and gas companies, professional service firms, real estate companies and small businesses. Founded in 1945, today the firm maintains 13 office locations throughout the state.
For more information about Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, please visit www.abbb.com.
Findings validate voluntary conservation efforts in northwest Kansas
MANHATTAN – When a group of farmers in northwest Kansas decided to voluntarily reduce their use of groundwater, no one really knew how that might affect their profitability.
Five years later, they have an answer.
In what can be considered a win for agriculture, Kansas State University agricultural economist Bill Golden is reporting that when farmers in the Sheridan County No. 6 Local Enhanced Management Area reduced water use by 20 percent, they actually made more money on their crops.
“There’s no two ways about it: What this has shown is that producers can reduce water use; they can slow the decline of the aquifer; and they can do this while making healthy profits,” Golden said.
A LEMA is a producer-driven conservation program in which farmers form a contract with the Kansas Division of Water Resources to voluntarily reduce their use of water. The agreement can be for any amount of time and include whatever goals the farmers want.
In the case of the Sheridan No. 6 LEMA, the farmers decided to reduce water use by 20 percent for five years. That agreement meant that the farmers were agreeing to an allocation of 55 inches of water per acre over a five-year period. In dry years, they might use a little more, or perhaps a little less in years when it rains more.
“What we saw is that they reduced corn acres, and when they did that, they also reduced the amount of water they were using on those corn acres,” said Golden, adding that many farmers instead increased irrigated wheat and grain sorghum acres.
Overall, the LEMA reported a decrease in groundwater use of 23.1 percent. Golden noted that a hydrology study done through the Kansas Geological Survey indicated that the decline rate of the Ogallala Aquifer in the area of the LEMA went from two feet per year to less than a half foot per year.
At the same time, producers reported greater profits due to less inputs and increased management.
“What we are seeing is that producers reduced fertilizer and seeding rates, and they have increased what I will call management,” Golden said. “Increasing management is hard to get a handle on, but when I talk to these guys, what they tell me is, ‘Bill, where we used to water, if we thought the crop needed water, today we look ahead four or five days and we ask is it going to rain or is it not going to rain. If we think it’s going to rain, we don’t water.’”
Producers inside the LEMA reported 4.3 percent more cash flow than their higher-yielding counterparts just outside the LEMA. Complete data is not available for crops other than corn, but Golden suspects that the trend will be very similar.
Another surprise finding – and one that may encourage producers to consider this approach in the future – is that the water that producers save remains available to them later on.
A related hydrology study “has shown that the water that the producers are saving is staying under their property,” Golden said. “And that’s important for producers to realize that whatever they save today, they get to use that water at some point in the future.”
Golden said the study relied on self-reported data from producers. The LEMA was monitored from 2012 through 2017, and the arrangement worked so well that the farmers applied to the Kansas Division of Water Resources to extend the project an additional year.
“That tells you something about how effective the LEMA has been for irrigation conservation and its effects on producer’s economic returns,” Golden said.
Golden’s full report is available online through the K-State Department of Agricultural Economics, located at AgManager.info. The work was completed with assistance of the Kansas Geological Survey and the Kansas Division of Water Resources, in addition to other local partners.
TOPEKA – Lewis VanMeter and Payton Breese of Concordia served as pages for 36th Dist. Senator Elaine Bowers (R-Concordia) in the Kansas Senate on March 21, 2019.
Pictured here with Governor Laura Kelly, Senator Bowers, and Quentin Breese, they spent the day taking a Dome Tour, attending committee meetings and running errands for the Kansas Senate.
Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Dist. state senator and serves as the Senate Majority Whip. The 36th Senate District includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties and portions of Marshall and Phillips counties.
OAKLEY — Switchback is the award-winning duo of Brian FitzGerald and Martin McCormack. Switchback draws on traditional Celtic music and original Americana songs that reflect their Irish heritage and Midwestern roots. Western Plains Arts Association will present Switchback, Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m. at the Oakley High School Auditorium. Admission is by WPAA season ticket or is $10 adults, $5 students at the door.
Playing an exciting mix of mandolin, guitar, and bass, their harmonies have won them comparisons to famous duos, such as the Louvin Brothers, Everly Brothers, & Simon and Garfunkel. Music Connection Magazine said: “The words ‘American Roots & Celtic Soul’ only begin to describe this unusual act, whose vocal prowess is as pure as it is unique. There is no denying the stunning vocal blends that are achieved by this duo.”
Their Celtic music is authentically Irish, drawing praise from such traditional players as Matt Molloy of the group the Chieftains. Ireland has taken Switchback to her heart, with performances at art centers throughout the country and appearances on RTE (Raidió Teilifís Éireann). At the same time, their music is modern Celtic, with songs capturing the Irish of today as accurately as the Pogues and singer-songwriters like Christy Moore.
But to pay attention only to the Celtic side of Switchback would be a disservice to the unique American roots music crafted by FitzGerald and McCormack. None other than the Grammy Award-winning producer Lloyd Maines chose to work with Switchback in producing three of their albums and considers the duo one of the most important acts playing Americana music today.
Switchback tours throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Netherlands playing over 200 engagements a year. Their television specials “The Americana Sessions”, “The Celtic Sessions” and “Music on the Mayne Stage” have aired on PBS stations throughout the U.S. The band has also been working with Paul Mertens (who arranged the music for “Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin”) on orchestral scores for some of their original music.
On top of their usual tour schedule, Switchback regularly presents outreach programs for schools, community events, senior citizen groups, and special needs audiences. They offer outreach programs on Celtic music, songwriting, and music appreciation as well as music residencies.
Unusual, honest, heartfelt, humorous, personable, talented, spiritual, and spirited – these all describe the band Switchback.
Visit Switchback’s website at waygoodmusic.com for information about their music and photos. Switchback has created over 15 albums to date, as well as three PBS specials and concert DVDs.
FHSU Science Café Presents: “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity”
Monday, April 1; 7:00 p.m.
The Venue @ Thirsty’s, 2704 Vine Street, Hays, KS 67601
Presenter: Dr. Nicholas Caporusso, Assistant Professor, Informatics, FHSU
Sponsored by Science and Mathematics Education Institute
Free and Open to public
Today A chance of snow or flurries before noon, then a chance of flurries between noon and 2pm. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 42. Windy, with a north wind 23 to 25 mph.
Tonight
Clear, with a low around 20. North wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 52. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 30. South wind 5 to 7 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 61. South southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
Jetta Smith, Fort Hays State University senior, spoke during “The Power of She” on bystander intervention in gender violence.
Jetta Smith, Fort Hays State University senior, organized an event Thursday on the FHSU campus, “The Power of She,” in which lecturers spoke on preventing gender violence, finding equality in the work world and encouraging women to be their best selves.
Smith, a communications major, is the reigning Miss Butler County and has logged more than 1,000 community service hours in the last year.
Her platform is to raise awareness of gender violence, especially through empowering bystanders to intervene.
Smith said the idea for the “Power of She” came to life after a very heated discussion over who was the best super hero. Smith insisted that it was the modern-day woman.
“The modern-day women has the ability to empower, encourage and enlighten millions of people around her,” she said. “So why do we as women silence ourselves and not use our ability to our full potential? I hope today when you leave this presentation you are enlightened, encouraged and empowered to speak up, to speak out and to know that your voice has power.”
A bystander can step in and prevent an act of gender violence from happening, can prevent an outcome as well as deal with an outcome, said Smith, who herself is a survivor of sexual assault.
Sixty-six percent of all violent crimes happen in front of a bystander, and bystanders are present during 29 percent of all acts of sexual violence.
“It can be something as simple as body language and you see something happening and you make eye contact from across the room, crossing your arms, changing your body language,” she said. “As a communication major, that was something that I took on instantly.”
A bystander can distract or interrupt, such as spilling a drink if you see someone in an uncomfortable situation with a person of the opposite sex.
“Choosing not to laugh at a joke … Intervention is not always about confrontation,” she said. “It can be the simplest things such as movement or body language or just saying, ‘Hey, that wasn’t funny.”
There are four stages of intervention: notice the event, interpret it as a problem, feel responsible for dealing with it and possessing the necessary skills to act.
Smith explained our personal biases may affect our choice to intervene. She described a recent video she watched on Facebook.
A man dressed in rags was lying in the street. No one stopped to help him. When the same man dressed in a suit re-enacted the scene, people rushed to his aid.
“Why are we afraid to step in when we know we can?” she wondered.
Smith said there are a variety of reasons people choose not to intervene. These can include social influence, audience, diffusion of responsibility, fear of retaliation, or ignorance. Some examples of this could be a fear you might not be thought of as cool; shyness or fear of bringing attention to yourself; and the rationalization that someone else will intervene.
Smith related an instance she wished had intervened during her first year at FHSU. She was at a bar and she noticed a young women who was being pressured by a man. She said she could tell by the woman’s body language she was definitely not interested, but he was overly interested.
“All I had to do was sit at that bar and turn, and say, ‘Girl, I haven’t seen you forever!’ I have never seen this girl in my life. All I have to do is that simple thing, give her hug, the guy gets the hint and he walks away,” Smith said.
All you need is your voice and your body to intervene.
“The Golden Rule is to only intervene when it is safe for you to do so,” she said. “If it is not safe and an emergency, dial 911, call campus security, call another friend over. That way it is not just you in a one-on-one intervention.”
When Smith was a freshman and a sophomore, she was a student athlete. She used her influence to promote parties or trips with her friends.
“When the situation flipped and I became a victim of sexual assault, I didn’t think my voice mattered any more,” she said. “I did know I had a voice. But in reality that same voice I was using to promote those parties and whether we were going to Hays or not was that same voice that could have been promoting that one in three women will be victims of sexual assault.”
Power of she in the workplace
Dr. April Park, associate professor, spoke on disparities between the genders in her field of psychology. Behind her is a picture of her with her mom.
Dr. April Park, associate professor, spoke on disparities between the genders in her field of psychology.
When Park came to the United States to study psychology, more than half of her classmates were women. However, that has not always been the case.
In 1970, only 20 percent of the PhD recipients were women. Now it is more than 70 percent. The trend has been a increase in white women, and, to a degree, minority women receiving doctorates in psychology.
Despite these increases, the profession has not seen a correlating increase in the number of women in tenure positions on college campuses or in leadership positions in the field.
At the lecturer level, there are more women, but those numbers decrease as you move up in the academic ranks. Less than 30 percent of full professors in psychology are women.
Among the American Psychological Association’ more than 130 presidents, there are only 11 women. Of those 11, eight of them have been elected in the past 10 years.
Pay gaps are also found in the field of psychology. At a two-year university as of 2010, female employees made 80 percent of what male employees earned.
“What was a little bit more disturbing to me was that trend wasn’t really reducing, but it was actually widening in the past years,” Park said.
She said the culture and tradition in the tenure process plays a role. The makeup of the tenure committees and the leaders in the departments tend to be men.
“Also if you think about the high demands of the job to reach a full professor rank and you think about the work that has to be done in the house, and if women can’t find a good and work life balance, that is going to put them at a disadvantage,” she said.
APA is recommending women advocate for gender wage equity, encourage policies for salary transparency and promote leadership skills in women.
One factor research has determined that contributes to lower pay for women was a lack of salary negotiation skills.
“When you first get a job, the base salary is going to be very important because all of the additional bonuses you get and incentives you get will be proportionate to the base salary,” Park said. “If you are not making an equitable base salary compared to a man, then you are going to have a hard time reducing that gap.”
Park said she also thinks having a mentoring system for women is important.
With her own students, she tries to encourage them, but also urges them to readily accept encouragement.
“The female students I work with are very, very strong, they are so extremely talented, but when I encourage them, ‘Hey you are doing a good job, just keep on doing that,’ a lot of times they will say, ‘I don’t think I did it enough or I don’t think I did it good enough.”
She also encourages students to get involved in organizations and take responsibility for their actions.
“But as you do so be very gracious to yourself and other people,” she said.
‘It’s your deal’
Dr. Teresa Clounch, FHSU assistant vice president of student affairs and compliance, spoke to a group Thursday on how she dealt with the death of her father.
Dr. Teresa Clounch, FHSU assistant vice president of student affairs and compliance, spoke to the group on the theme, “It may not be ideal, but it’s your deal.”
Clounch first gave this advice to a student who was asking for guidance about taking a job after graduation. The student was unsure if the job would be right for her.
Clounch found a few years later she was saying this to herself.
Only about a month after Clounch moved to Hays to take her position at FHSU in 2017, her father died.
“Understand while I was stricken with grief and thought someone who was such an integral part of my life, from whom I get my good looks and great sense of humor, has now left this world. Now I am in a new place, where people just barely know who Dr. TLC is. I go back into my mind when I think about that spring of 2013 when I told that student who was ready to graduate and step into a new chapter of her life, ‘This may not be ideal, but it is your deal.'”
She had to look at a world without her father in it.
“I looked for support from my family, my siblings, neighbors, my new colleagues her at Fort Hays State, my sorority sisters and everyone who was willing to provide me support,” she said.
Clounch said it was difficult for her to take support because she is a proud person.
“Yet, I knew at this point in time, at a new place and being four and half hours away from my family, while this was not ideal, it was my deal to work with,” she said.
She created a new support system.
“I also realized I needed to encourage others in this process,” she said. “I did that for my family; I did that for the friends who were near by. I did that for my colleagues because someone else had gone through what I was getting ready to go through.”
HAYS – A 24 year-old Hays woman has been charged for her alleged role in a homicide in Hays last month.
According to Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees, Kylie Jo Waldschmidt was charged Friday afternoon in Ellis County District Court with aiding and abetting felony first degree murder with the alternative charge of aggravated assault or aggravated battery.
Drees said the charges are off-grid felonies and carry a mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted.
The charges stem from Waldschmidt’s alleged involvement in the shooting death of 26 year-old Diego Gallaway on Feb. 27 in the 2700 block of Indian Trail.
Waldschmidt was also charged with felony interference with law enforcement.
She is currently in the Ellis County jail in lieu of bond.
Thirty-four-year-old Ryan Paul Thompson was charged earlier this month with premeditated first-degree murder in Gallaway’s death.
Eagle Communications is collecting monetary donations at its Kansas radio stations for victims of the recent catastrophic flooding in Nebraska.
A GoFundMe account is now available for online donations.
Hays-area residents wishing to make a contribution may bring cash or checks to the Eagle Media Center, 2300 Hall Street, Hays. Checks should be made out to the Nebraska Red Cross.
Donations will be collected through Thu., April 4.
The Hays contributions will be combined with those collected by our Eagle Radio stations in Great Bend, Salina, Hutchinson, Manhattan and Junction City. The final amount will then be matched by the Schmidt Family Foundation and will be distributed to the Nebraska Red Cross.
For more information, contact the Hays Eagle Media Center at 785-301-2211.
Disclosure: Eagle Communications is the parent company of Hays Post.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.
Friends,
It has certainly been a busy week! The Mueller report has finally put to bed this costly 2-year witch hunt, confirming what we all already knew, no collusion by our president or his team. This week we also passed legislation in the House honoring Senator Bob Dole, and we now have health care back in the headlines.
Our team has been working around the clock for years meeting with Republicans and Democrats to discuss and try to find solutions to fix our health care system, I am glad its back in the press, pushing more and more people to the table to make sure that we can solve this problem- that is, the cost of health care. Fixing our health care system is long overdue, and we need to focus in on a solution that allows patients and families to make their own choices!
Senator Bob Dole Legislation Passes!
Senator Roberts, Senator Moran and I have been working hard alongside the U.S. Army to push through legislation that would give Senator Dole an honorary military promotion. I am happy to announce that this week, the House unanimously passed this legislation!
I was so proud to see the House quickly recognize and pass this bill honoring our legendary Kansas Senator, Bob Dole. There is absolutely no one I can think of more deserving of this honorary promotion than our true Kansas hero, Senator Dole.
I was also thankful to have the opportunity to meet with Senator Dole and deliver the great news. Now with the legislation through both the House and the Senate, it will head to the president’s desk for final signage..
‘Nothing Burger’ Mueller Report
The witch hunt is finally over my friends. After two years and a price tag of $50,000 per day to the U.S. taxpayer, the Mueller Special Counsel has adjourned, reporting what we have been saying for years- no collusion! I am glad that we can now move past this embarrassing chapter of American politics.
This week I addressed the House Floor with one question for my fellow members, the national media, and nation- Can we please move on and work with our President rather than against him and focus on policy rather than fantasy?
Patient Choice V. Medicare For All
Behind the scenes, we are taking steps to address things that Obamacare did not—the cost of health care. I recently sat down with the President to discuss this very issue.
The narrative that health care has been forgotten up here is just not true.
Addressing the Needs of Our Vets
This week the Doctor’s Caucus met with the Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to discuss ongoing improvements being made within the VA.
Secretary Wilkie explained to us the changes in protocol that they’ve made at their VA facilities across the country to improve customer satisfaction. I’m proud of the work being done in the VA under this Administration, they truly are trying to make the complicated, simple for our nation’s veterans.
We also chatted at length about some of the ongoing problems many of our veterans are facing. While this Administration, with support from Congress, has made great strides towards improving VA care, I am fully aware that there is still a lot of work to be done. We discussed the horrible reality of suicide rates among our veterans and how, along with homelessness and opioid addiction, it is one of the biggest continuing concerns. Regarding these top concerns, the Secretary discussed some solutions they are focused on like expanding the VA’s mental health staff so that anyone that walks into their clinics will have same-day access, and a 24 hour follow up call after discharging those at high risk.
I was glad to see the Secretary listening to our concerns and outlining their response to the top issues facing our nation’s veterans. I will continue to monitor and work with the VA to make sure that we are finding solutions to our service men and women’s concerns, and will continue to focus our efforts on working with the VA to find solutions.
Kansas Stands with Israel, Joining AIPAC Convention
This week, President Trump and Secretary Pompeo took the bold step to affirm Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights region. I support this Administration and our longtime friend and ally, Israel in this fight to protect their homeland.
I had a great time meeting with all of the delegates who were in DC for the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee Convention this week! The AIPAC convention was an excellent opportunity to meet with Kansans who share these beliefs and to discuss ways to strengthen the already great bond between our two nations. We discussed Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights, the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and around the world, Iranian aggression in the Middle East, and our shared opposition to the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement.
Israel is a vital strategic partner of the United States; for centuries they have been America’s eyes and ears in the Middle East. I thank the President and Secretary Pompeo for their bold action and will continue to assure them that Kansans stand with them.
Update on the ‘Green New Mess’
I know a bad deal when I see one, and from the beginning, I knew that the Green New Deal would be an absolute disaster. It was clear this week that Senate Democrats know how awful this deal would be for our country, considering they voted ‘present’ on the measure earlier this week rather than casting a yes or no vote.
As an avid outdoors man, I know the importance of leaving this world better than we found it, but this just is not the solution. It would hurt our farms, ranchers, and crush our economy completely.
Internet of Things Cybersecurity Act
Earlier this month, I joined a handful of colleagues in introducing H.R. 1668, the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019. As we dive deeper into the digital age, we are increasingly using devices such as fitness trackers, smartwatches and thermostats that connect to various networks, however many of these devices lack adequate cybersecurity protections. The number of cyber attacks is increasing, and with that comes the need to create more secure and resilient products and services, particularly when it comes to the use of “internet of things” devices by the federal government. This bill aims to address risks posed by these devices by establishing light-touch, minimum security requirements for procurement of internet-connected devices by the government.
Economic Development in Western Kansas
On Monday, our office hosted delegations from Garden City, Liberal, Great Bend, and Dodge City as part of their annual fly-in to Washington. I really enjoy when folks from back home come visit our team in D.C., and these communities in particular represent such a unique part of my district.
We had great conversations about economic development in Western Kansas, and how things like access to an affordable broadband connection as well as improving infrastructure in rural America can help these communities not only to grow, but thrive!
Looking forward to getting back out west today, because there really is no place like home!
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the Kansas First District Congressman.
David Kwiatkowski, a traveling medical technician accused of causing a hepatitis C outbreak at over 18 hospitals across the country including Hays
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire prosecutors say a traveling medical technician convicted of infecting patients with hepatitis C waited too long to ask a judge to vacate his sentence.
David Kwiatkowski, who worked at the Hays Medical Center catheterization lab between May and September 2010, was sentenced in 2013 to 39 years in prison for stealing painkillers and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood.
In January, he asked to be released, saying his lawyer was ineffective. But the U.S. attorney’s office said Friday such claims must be made within a year of conviction.
Despite being fired numerous times over drug allegations, Kwiatkowski worked in 18 hospitals in seven states before being hired by Exeter Hospital in 2011. After his arrest, 46 people in four states were diagnosed with the same strain of the hepatitis C virus he carries, including one who died in Kansas.
Today
