Average Kansas gas price rises 6 cents to $2.25/gallon in the past week; up 30 cents in past month
AAA
WICHITA – Kansas motorists continue to see more expensive prices at the gas pumps. The Sunflower State’s 6-cent increase in the past week was the fifth largest jump in the nation, and Kansas gas prices have risen 30 cents in the past month.
Whereas Kansas usually enjoys gas prices among the top 10 cheapest in the nation, this week’s average price registers 13th cheapest, still 18 cents less than the national average of $2.43.
“Pump prices rose steadily in Kansas and across the country in February, a month that saw a number of refineries undergoing planned and unplanned maintenance, and an increase in crude oil prices,” said AAA Kansas spokesman Shawn Steward. ““Gas prices have been pushed higher this week due to reduced gasoline stock levels and increased demand. Motorists can expect gas prices to continue to increase as refineries gear up for spring gasoline production and maintenance season.”
Of the 10 Kansas cities regularly highlighted by AAA Kansas (see chart below), eight experienced price increases at the pump. The largest price jumps were seen in Pittsburg (+12 cents), Kansas City, Kan. (+10) and Wichita (+10). Hays (-3) and Salina (-4) gas prices fell from one week ago.
According to AAA Kansas, this week’s Kansas gas price extremes are:
HIGH: Kensington (Smith County) – $2.51
LOW: Mullinville (Kiowa County) – $2.10
National Perspective
The national gas price average has increased nearly 20-cents since the beginning of the year, which is the largest jump during the January-February timeframe since 2015.
Today’s national average is $2.42, which is three-cents more expensive than last week, is 17-cents more expensive than a month ago, but 10-cents cheaper than a year ago.
Quick Stats
The nation’s top 10 largest weekly increases are: Florida (+13 cents), Alabama (+11 cents), Mississippi (+8 cents), Louisiana (+8 cents), Kansas (+6 cents), South Dakota (+6 cents), Texas (+5 cents), North Dakota (+5 cents), Colorado (+5 cents) and Michigan (+5 cents).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets are: Missouri ($2.17), Arkansas ($2.17), Utah ($2.18), Mississippi ($2.19), South Carolina ($2.19), Texas ($2.19), Virginia ($2.20), Colorado ($2.20), Louisiana ($2.21) and Tennessee ($2.22). (Kansas is 13thcheapest this week.)
Laura Gaughan, reading specialist at O’Loughlin Elementary School, has been honored as a 2019 Kansas Master Teacher.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Laura Gaughan, reading specialist at O’Loughlin Elementary School, said she thinks being a teacher and shaping young lives is the most important thing a person can do with his or her life.
Gaughan has been honored as one of only seven Kansas Master Teachers for 2019.
To earn this honor, an educator must be first selected by fellow NEA members in their school. She was then selected as a district Master Teacher. Finally Gaughan, a teacher for 27 years, submitted an application to the state level. The honorees were announced last week.
“I am so honored and humbled to have that,” Gaughan said of her award. “I work with such great, great people. I don’t think people know how hard teachers work.”
Gaughan, 52, is a reading specialist, which is a federally funded position. She spends part of her day as a reading recovery teacher. In this program, she works one on one with first graders to help them develop their reading skills. She also works with groups of students in grades kindergarten to second grade on early reading intervention.
Yet another portion of Gaughan’s day is consumed with English language arts support for other teachers.
Teaching is a family affair for Gaughan.
Gaughan’s mom and dad were both teachers in St. John. Her father taught middle school and high school math, and her mom taught middle school social studies, second grade and was also a reading teacher. Her brother, sister and sister-in-law are all also teachers. Her parents were role models and inspired her to go into the profession.
“It is the most important thing you can do with your life — to make an impact on kids and be able to shape the future,” she said. “If one child grows up and remembers you, that is pretty special. If they grow up and say, ‘That teacher made a difference in my life,’ that’s pretty special.
“It is a wonderful way to live your life — kids running up to you and hugging you. It is a great way to live your life to feel like you are impacting kids.”
Having a foundation in reading is especially important to student confidence and success, Gaughan said.
“Kids are forming ideas about their own self-esteem and what they think about themselves — ‘Do I think I am a good reader? Am I a good writer? Am I good at math?’ They are forming those opinions of themselves, and we never want them to have any negative thoughts about themselves about being a reader and a writer. We want to boost that in first grade before they start to struggle. …
“We are all about making a difference in kids’ lives, not only as readers and writers, but just as kids and as people. We want them to be the best they can be. To make them a good reader and a good writer, that is going to enhance the rest of their lives. It is going to make the whole rest of their lives easier, because they will be reading and writing for the rest of their lives.”
Enjoying books and literature enhances your life and makes you a better person, Gaughan said.
“Reading shows all of us about emotions and love and hate and judgment,” she said. “It gives us a window to all of those emotions and just makes our lives better.”
Gaughan’s favorite books when she was a child included the “Clifford the Big Red Dog” series, “Corduroy,” and “Pretzel.”
She read books such as “Poppy,” “Where the Red Fern Grows,” and “Stone Fox” to her children.
Once upon reading “Stone Fox” to a group of second graders, she was so moved by the book, she started to cry.
“It happens to teachers. It’s OK,” she said. “I think it shows your personal side, and I think kids love to see that — that their teacher is a person and they love books too and that is how books can touch us.”
Gaughan taught middle school in Green, Kansas, before she and her family moved to Hays. She taught second and third grade, but then the district opened training for reading teachers in 1997.
“That changed my career,” she said of the reading training. “I absolutely loved teaching reading. I fell in love with that and love what I do.”
Gaughan’s love of books was also inspired by her mother who always had a large library. She read to her and her siblings when they were young and Gaughan’s children when they were little.
Gaughan’s son is now in medical school and continues to be an avid reader and suggests books to his mom.
“He’ll sometimes write notes in the margins and give me his books,” she said, “and that just makes me emotional to read books he has read and he has his notes in the margins. That really touches me.”
The best reading learning is in the context of a story, Gaughan said. She has boxes upon boxes of books in her small office at all levels and on all topics. She tries to get to know her students and find books on topics they are interested in.
“We are always promoting a love of reading and a love of books,” she said.
After 27 years, Gaughan said the children continue to surprise her.
“I have laughed with kids. I have cried with kids. I have celebrated with kids,” she said. “There have been so many kids through the years. What is so amazing to me is that after 27 years when I have kids walk in here and I work with them, it is like every single one of them is unique.
“You would think after 27 years, ‘I would have had a student like this,’ or ‘I’ve had a student do that.’ You would think it would fall into a routine of repeating the past, but it doesn’t. Each single child who walks in here is unique and different and their needs are different, everyone one of them.”
She said being a teacher is a great responsibility.
“You have to love kids. You have to care about them deeply for them to try,” Gaughan said. “They need that. They need to see you as someone they trust and absolutely it makes them a better person overall. This is just a short piece of the long road they are going to be on in life, but we want to make a difference for them if we can.”
Gaughan is also working on her national boards, which she hopes to have completed in the next few years.
Gaughan and the other master teachers will be honored at the state capitol in March. She will also travel to Emporia State University where she will be honored at a luncheon, participate in an educator panel discussion and receive a check for $1,000 from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 24. Wind chill values as low as -14. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 7. Wind chill values as low as -4. South southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.
Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 39. Wind chill values as low as -1. South southeast wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Wednesday NightMostly cloudy, with a low around 20. East wind around 10 mph.
ThursdayPartly sunny, with a high near 33.
Thursday NightA slight chance of snow and freezing rain before 7pm, then a slight chance of snow between 7pm and midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Acting Secretary Laura Howard announced today she has appointed Lesia Dipman to serve as Acting Superintendent of Larned State Hospital.
Dipman has served the State of Kansas for 34 years, starting her career at LSH in 1984 where she has worked in various positions, from food services to the nursing department, and multiple departments, from the State Security Hospital to the adolescent unit to the youth center. She attended Fort Hays State University and Kansas State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from KSU in 1994. By 2004, she was promoted to Director of Social Services at the hospital, and a year later earned a master’s degree in social work from Newman University in Wichita.
In 2006, Dipman transferred to the State Security Program at LSH as the Administrative Program Director, her most recent position before being named acting superintendent by KDADS Acting Secretary Howard. Dipman replaces Bill Rein, who served as superintendent at the hospital from June 2016 until January this year.
“In naming Lesia Dipman Acting Superintendent at LSH, we have found someone with more than three decades of distinguished service to the people of Kansas, to this hospital and to the surrounding community,” Acting Secretary Howard said. “I have every confidence she will bring the continuity we need to keep moving KDADS forward on the hospital’s important mission to provide a safety net of mental health services for Kansans.”
Acting Secretary Howard said the agency will begin the process of identifying candidates to serve as permanent superintendent for LSH immediately.
Oil prices rose Monday, boosted by reports of a possible agreement as early as this month to end the U.S.-China trade war. Supply cuts from OPEC and its non-member allies continued to support oil futures as well. A tanker was seen Friday off-loading U.S. Eagle Ford crude oil into a port in China, which Reuters said what would be the first Chinese import of American crude oil in months. The Russian energy minister told Reuters they are increasing the pace of oil production cuts under the “OPEC-plus” agreements, and should post a higher compliance rate in March.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reports a dip in its active rig count for the week, with just two rigs working in eastern Kansas, down one, and 23 west of Wichita, down six. Drilling is underway on one lease in Russell County. Operators are about to spud a new well in Barton County and one in Stafford County.
Baker Hughes reports 1,038 active oil and gas drilling rigs across the U.S. on Friday, a decline of ten oil rigs. Canada checks in with 211 active rigs, down one. The count in Texas was down five. The total in Oklahoma was down two.
Regulators approved 18 drilling permits for new locations across the state last week, just one east of Wichita and 17 in Western Kansas. That’s 133 new permits year-to-date, about half the total last year by the end of February.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reports 48 new well-completions for the week, 24 east of Wichita and 24 out west., including one completion in Barton County, three in Ellis County, and three in Russell County.
The government last week said U.S. crude oil production last week reached an all-time high of just under 12.1 million barrels per day. That’s up 104 thousand barrels per day over the week before, and an increase of 1.8 million barrels per day over last year at this time. The Energy Information Administration said commercial crude oil inventories dropped by 8.6 million barrels from the previous week to about 3% above the five year seasonal average. Imports averaged 5.9 million barrels per day, down by 1.6 million barrels per day from the previous week.
A coalition of environmental groups is fighting a tight oil project near the Utah-Colorado border by a company with ties to Estonia in eastern Europe. The company has invested $60 million to date in the Utah project, which would produce an estimated 50,000 barrels a day if the site is fully built out. Opponents say the plan would drain billions of gallons of water from the Green River, threaten endangered species and generate enormous amounts of greenhouse gas pollution.
Operators in New Mexico could soon be required to chip in a little more to help the government’s efforts to regulate that state’s booming oil and gas industry. A new bill would allow regulators to collect application fees, administrative filing fees, and permit fees to cover the costs regulating the patch. Supporters say regulators’ workload has quadrupled, while top employees are leaving for bigger paychecks in the private sector. According to the Web site “New Mexico In Depth,” lawmakers in Santa Fe are exploring just how much to charge. Some are questioning why fees should be used instead of a regular budget line-item, calling the bill a “license to steal,” and a “self-licking ice cream cone.”
An effort to ban hydraulic fracturing in New Mexico was met with scorn from the oil and gas industry and local boom towns. Such a move could cost the state about $3.5 billion in lost revenue, and could set back local governments more than $300 million, according to a committee report. That report prompted lawmakers to pull the bill off the legislative calendar.
Canada’s energy regulator has endorsed the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion that would almost triple the flow of oil from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast. The National Energy Board said the expansion is in the country’s national interest, but set out 16 new conditions after a court found it had not properly determined how killer whales would be affected by additional tanker traffic. The court also said there had been insufficient consultation with indigenous communities. As oil flow increases from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day, tanker traffic will balloon from about 60 vessels to more than 400 vessels annually.
S&P Global Platts reports the Saudis continue their efforts to increase oil and gas acquisitions and upgrades in the U.S., despite strained political relations. Through a subsidiary, Aramco already owns the US’ largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, and is in the early stages of an ambitious $6.6 billion petrochemicals expansion there. Aramco is on the lookout for natural gas assets, having previously been linked to potential stakes in two large producers. But the kingdom is also pivoting to Asia, with several refinery and petrochemical deals announced recently. Those projects are seen as key to gaining outlets for Saudi crude in Asia, at a time when booming shale oil output here has reduced the U.S. reliance on supplies from the Middle East. Platts reports Saudi Aramco aims to nearly double its global refining footprint to nearly 10 million barrels per day.
The family friendly and heartwarming production of “Cheaper By The Dozen” will take the 12th Street Auditorium stage at 7 p.m. on March 7 to 9.
Presented by Hays High, the play is based on the 1948 book by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, which was made into a classic movie in 1950. A newer version was made in 2003 starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, but the story for that version is entirely different.
“Cheaper by the Dozen” takes place in the 1920s in Montclair, New Jersey, and is based on the family of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, both of whom contributed to society in many ways.
Frank was known for his development of motion studies and for introducing more efficient work methods in factories throughout the world. He tries to run his family “just like a factory,” and although his methods may be a bit overboard at times, he is a loving, caring man who loves his children.
Lillian, meanwhile, has been described as the original superwoman. Long before women’s lib, she was a distinguished psychologist, engineer, inventor and mother of 12.
Seventeen students will take the stage to present “Cheaper By The Dozen.” The play will take place at 7 p.m. on March 7-9 at 12th Street Auditorium. General admission tickets are available at the Hays High office or at the door.
“After considering many plays, I decided on this one for several reasons: it fit the students in our cast, it had instant name recognition, and it is truly historical as it is based on a real-life family growing up in the 1920s,” director Bill Gasper said. “Because of our cast make-up, we had to change the gender of a couple of our characters and we changed/added a few lines. However, the vast majority of the play closely follows events from the book.”
Gasper said the play is told from the point of view of two of Frank’s children reflecting on the last few months before his death. He was preparing the family for his imminent departure, even though most of his children were unaware of the fact.
At first glance, Gasper said the story may appear to be old-fashioned. After all, references to “silk stockings” and “painted women” certainly seem out-of-date. However, on closer examination, Gasper said the audience will discover it’s not about silk stockings at all.
“It’s about children growing up and parents letting go and the two coming together in compromise,” Gasper said. “It is recognizing that parents and kids sometimes never truly understand each other, but they manage to find common ground because they love each other.”
Gasper said these themes are prevalent today in households with parents and children. It may not be silk stockings, but parents and children continue to battle each other over a variety of issues.
“The play will never be old fashioned or out of date because the issues it deals with are timeless,” Gasper said.
General admission tickets to the play can be purchased from cast member or from the Hays High office. Tickets are good for any of the three nights. Admission for adults is $6 advance, $7 at door. Students are $4 advance, $5 at the door.
“I am very proud of the cast and am grateful for all the time they spent on and off the stage,” Gasper said. “I invite everyone to come enjoy our rendition of this funny, heart-warming and family friend tale.”
The Monarchs season continued Saturday with a convincing 60-35 win over Smoky Valley to claim the 3A sub-state championship. TMP had three players in double-figures as Jared Mayers recored 17 points and 10 rebounds, Ryan Karlin finished with 14 and Carson Jacobs had 12 points.
The Monarchs improved to 13-11 with the win and are headed back to the 3A state tournament in Hutchinson this week as the #8 seed. They will take on #1 Maur Hill – Mount Academy out of Atchison.
Plainville Cardinals Wichita Co. Sub-State Champions
You can listen to the game on 99.5 KHAZ, the home of Monarch athletics, starting at 6:10pm. with the pregame show.
Plainville & Ness City boys, Trego girls advance to state tournament in Hays
The Plainville Cardinal boys held off Ellis on Saturday in Leoti 69-56 to win the Wichita County 2A sub-state and advance to the state tournament in Hays this week. Plainville defeated Smith Center 76-64 in the first round and Hoxie 76-73 in the semi-final. Senior Tanner Copeland lead Plainville in scoring with 26 (8 in the fourth quarter). Sophomore Clay Pelton made five three-pointers in the contest to finished with 15.
Plainville will be the #8 seed in Hays and will take on #1 Inman on Wednesday at 6:30pm. You can listen to the game on 101.9 The Bull KKQY.
Trego Golden Eagles Wichita Co. sub-state champs
The Trego Golden Eagle girls advanced to the 2A state tournament after defeating Plainville 42-26 in Leoti on Saturday. Plainville lead Trego 19-18 at half but the Golden Eagles held Plainville to just seven points to outscore them 24-7 in the second half. Sophomore Emma Day scored 13 points for Trego, junior Libby Frost finished with 12 points. The Golden Eagles as a team grabbed 35 rebounds. The Golden Eagles are the #2 seed at the state tournament in Hays.
They will take on #7 Stanton County Thursday at 6:30pm. You can listen to the game on 101.9 The Bull KKQY.
The Ness City boys won the Meade sub-state on Saturday with a 66-58 win over Lakin to advance to Hays. Senior Andres Rios lead the way with 22 points and nine rebounds. Senior John Pfannenstiel nearly had a triple-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and nine assists. The Eagles forced Lakin into 17 turnovers and shot 48% from the field.
Ness City comes into Hays as the #4 seed and will play Bishop Seabury Academy on Wednesday at 8:15pm. You can listen to the game on 101.9 The Bull KKQY.
Osborne boys, Thunder Ridge girls advance to 1A state tournament in Dodge City
Ness City Meade sub-state champions
Thunder Ridge will be the #5 seed and take on #4 South Central Wednesday at 8:15 pm. Osborne is the #2 seed and will play #7 Lebo Thursday at 3:00 pm. Both games can be heard on 96.9 KFIX.
OVERTIME
The Fort Hays State men and women basketball teams will play in the MIAA tournament in Kansas City this week. The Tiger men will be the #4 seed and take on #5 Lincoln at 12 pm. on Friday. The Tiger women will be the #1 seed and take on the winner of Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western on Thursday at 6 pm. You can listen to both games on Tiger Radio Mix 103. Full brackets/schedules for the MIAA tournament can be found here.
Have highlights you want to share for next week’s Hoops Highlights? Email them to C.D. DeSalvo. Photos are encouraged!
At Monday’s meeting, the Hays USD 489 school board will hear an update on the renovation project at the former Oak Park Medical Complex.
The complex is being renovated for use by the Early Child Connections program. The school district purchased the property for $2 million.
The district received a $1.47 million federal grant for renovation of the complex, as well as a $500,000 donation from HaysMed, which was a primary complex property owner before it was sold. A developer has signed a $500,000 contract on Washington school building, where ECC is currently housed. The developer intends to renovate the school into low-income apartments.
In addition, the ECC program has applied for grants to pay for moving playground equipment and renovating space at the Oak Park Complex into a storm shelter. If the district receives that money, it could mean another couple hundred thousand dollars for the project. This money would be used for contingency for the project if it is received.
The renovation project is behind its initial timetable. The district is under a tight schedule to complete the project and has until June 30 to spend the federal grant money.
The district had hoped to have at least three buildings in the complex open when school starts in August.
In other business, the board is set to:
• Vote on the school calendar for 2019-20.
• Hear a report on Roosevelt Elementary School and Hays Middle School roof bids
• Hear an update on board goals
• Hear a review of board policies
• Hear an update on assessments and Kansas Education Systems Accreditation
A team, front row: Brett Schumacher, Charlie Roe, Jack Weimer, Brantlee Staab, Cooper Sanders; back row: Coach Cade Scott, Colin Clark, Ethan Marshall, Braxton Banker, Malik Bah, Ben Zimmerman and Jaiden Desaire.
The Hays Middle School seventh-grade basketball A and B teams won their first WAC championships this season, with a combined record of 26-4.
Cade Scott coached the A team, and Ben Oberle coached the B team.
B team, front row: Tanner Boxberger, Derek Quach, Kyler Riggs, Jaxon Zimmerman, Dylan Stahl and Lex Lummus; back row, Kelby Hammerschmidt, Rhett Shelton, Nate Henderson, Bryan Camera, Henry Fitzthum, Corbin Werth and Coach Ben Oberle.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism recently announced that 37 of more than 360 deer have tested positive for the fatal disease since the beginning of the fiscal year.
Chronic wasting disease causes brain lesions in deer, elk and moose.
The agency’s wildlife disease coordinator, Shane Hesting, says that most of the CWD-infected deer were killed by hunters in southwest Kansas. He says there’s also been an increase in prevalence of the disease in the northwest over the past several years.
Hesting says the department hasn’t detected the disease in eastern Kansas, but it doesn’t mean CWD is absent from the area.
Former Hays High School star and Kansas State University quarterback Alex Delton is in the hunt for playing time as the next signal-caller for the TCU Horned Frogs.
