Mike interviews the Winter sports seniors from Russell High School
Category: Local
Hoffman joins staff of Fort Hays State Foundation
FHSU University Relations
Jessica Hoffman was recently welcomed to the staff of the Fort Hays State University Foundation as an administrative assistant.
Hoffman will be responsible for supporting the Foundation staff in raising endowment, capital, and other financial support to meet the funding needs of the university. Fort Hays State is in the midst of the largest fundraising campaign in school history – the Journey campaign – with a goal of raising $100 million in support of scholarships, academics, student life and athletics.
Hoffman is a native of Ellinwood but has called Hays her home for 10 years. She graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership and a certificate in marketing.
Hoffman was previously employed by Eye Specialists Associated P.A. of Hays.
“I am happily married with a toddler that brings daily excitement to my life,” said Hoffman.
“We enjoy the outdoors, whether that be a family BBQ, playing with our dog, or tailgating at an FHSU football game. I am proud to say that family plays a pivotal role in my life. With that being said, I am excited to be the newest family member of the FHSU Foundation.”
Established in 1945, the FHSU Foundation is committed to cultivating lasting relationships with alumni, friends, corporations and other organizations who have a passion for Fort Hays State and who want to continue its legacy of excellence. As an independent, non-profit organization, the Foundation’s donors have an impact on all facets of university life, and their support continues to translate into success for students and the FHSU learning environment.
Now That’s Rural: Lona Duvall, Finney County
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
Where is the largest transloading facility in North America? Not New York, Chicago, Dallas or Atlanta. It is located in Garden City, Kansas. This project, along with a new dairy processing plant and more, are contributing to the growth and vitality of this part of rural Kansas.
Last week we learned about Lona Duvall, who worked to help bring the new milk processing plant to Garden City in September, 2017. Lona is president and CEO of Finney County Economic Development in Garden City. She grew up in the nearby rural community of Leoti, population 1,450 people. Now, that’s rural.
After college, Lona came to Garden City where she worked in banking. In 2010, she joined the Finney County Economic Development organization as its business retention director and was promoted to president in 2011.
Garden City has long been known as a center of the beef packing industry, but in 2000, the town’s big ConAgra beef packing plant was devastated in a fire. It never reopened, and one of Lona’s goals was to redevelop the area.
One day Lona was contacted by a couple of men from Wyoming. They informed her that they were working on a project and wanted to lease 10 acres along the railroad tracks in Garden City. She went to work to help them. They quickly learned they needed more space. In three days, they said to her, “Well, we need 50 acres and a railroad spur.” The project continued to grow.
The company was named Transportation Partners & Logistics, which specialized in intermodal port, truck, rail and distribution processes. The company’s first project in Garden City was to handle incoming wind turbine equipment. It was on a hard deadline.
“They had a unit train coming with this equipment in 19 days,” Lona said. It appeared impossible at first, but the city and county mobilized to make it happen. “I participated in four special meetings of the city council in five days.” With support from the city and county and KDOT, and with workers on the job day and night, 8,000 feet of railroad got built and the first train came on time in 19 days. The company was off and running, so to speak. TP&L’s transload facility is now 700 acres, the largest on the continent. It’s located at the site of the former ConAgra plant.
“It was a Godsend to get it redeveloped,” Lona said. The rapid success on this project also created positive momentum and a “can do” attitude in the community. “We showed what could happen when we work together,” she added.
Lona chairs the dairy committee for the western Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance. She is also attuned to the concerns about future water supply for the region. Lona noted that the new, large dairies have closed loop systems so that waste water and nutrients are saved and reutilized.
“These dairymen care every bit as much about the environment as anyone,” Lona said. “There is no better steward than the man who works the land for his livelihood.”
The new dairy processing plant is remarkable in that it converts fluid milk to powdered milk, thus generating water for the community. It is a net gain for the community’s water supply. The powdered milk is being trucked to Kansas City and ultimately to the export market. This created an opportunity in the transportation sector. Mies and Sons Trucking Company was recruited to Garden City and located next to the dairy plant so as to provide the hauling service for powdered milk.
Such projects are beneficial to the community and the entire region, according to Lona.
“We take seriously that our success directly impacts all the rural communities around us,” Lona said. “When we discuss projects as Finney County Economic Development, we ask how this can benefit outlying counties,” she said.
For more information, see www.ficoedc.com.
Where is the biggest transloading facility in North America? Garden City, Kansas. We commend Lona Duvall and all those involved with Finney County Economic Development for making a difference with regional economic development. They are carrying a big load.
Sunny, mild Sunday
Today
Sunny, with a high near 43. North northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 19. Northwest wind around 7 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 45. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 26. South southwest wind 7 to 9 mph.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 49. South wind 8 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 26.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 49.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Thursday
A slight chance of rain and snow before 10am, then a slight chance of rain between 10am and noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Rush County teen hospitalized after pickup overturns
RUSH COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 9p.m. Saturday in Rush County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Chevy S-10 driven by Benjamin M. Welsh, 18, Bison, was eastbound on Ave M one mile south of Otis when a deer crossed the road ahead of the pickup.
The driver swerved to avoid the deer. The pickup crossed the center line, left the roadway to the left, overturned at least one time and came to rest on its top facing north.
Welsh was transported to the hospital in La Crosse. A passenger in the pickup was not injured. Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
UPDATE: Kansas man hospitalized after pickup rolls into ditch has died
EDWARDS COUNTY — A man injured in an accident just before 2a.m. Saturday in Edwards County has died.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1990 Chevy Pickup driven by Kenneth D. Wilder, 51, Lewis, was east bound on U.S. 50 at Lewis.
The pickup left the roadway to the south into the ditch. It returned to the road, skidded across into the north ditch and rolled.
Wilder was transported to Edwards County Medical Center and later died.
He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
———-
EDWARDS COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 2a.m. Saturday in Edwards County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1990 Chevy Pickup driven by Kenneth D. Wilder, 51, Lewis, was east bound on U.S. 50 at Lewis.
The pickup left the roadway to the south into the ditch. It returned to the road, skidded across into the north ditch and rolled.
Wilder was transported to Edwards County Medical Center. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
Hays Tuba Christmas presented Sunday
FHSU
The Fort Hays State University Low Brass studio is hosting a HAYS TUBA CHRISTMAS this Sunday, Dec. 9
Tuba Christmas is held in cities throughout the world. More info can be found at www.tubachristmas.com.
All tuba, sousaphone, baritone, and euphonium players are invited to play. Registration and rehearsal are at 10 a.m. at FHSU Malloy Hall (510 S. Campus Dr.).
Everyone is invited to the FREE concert at 2:30 p.m. at the Big Creek Crossing Mall, 2918 Vine.
For more information, please contact Peter Lillpopp, Assistant Director of Bands, at [email protected] or 785-628-5353.
MARSHALL: Doctor’s Note Dec. 8
Friends,
This week our country lost a patriot and dedicated civil servant. President George H.W. Bush, from his service as a Navy pilot in 1941 to his time in the oval office, was a statesman through and through.
He was a gracious man, and his service to his country will never be forgotten. It has been a somber week on the Hill, but Laina and I were humbled to have the opportunity to pay our respects to President George H.W. Bush and attend his service in D.C. on Wednesday.
One thing this week reminded me is that when we pass, it is not where we stood on a particular issue that will be remembered. Rather, we will be remembered for how we treated others and how we made them feel. It is evident to any student of history that President Bush will be named among an exceptional class of statesmen who will be remembered for their character rather than their title.
Fighting for Farmers
China has long not played by the rules, and it’s about time that they start. They reject loads of sorghum and wheat for arbitrary reasons. For 14 years they’ve kept US beef out of their market for no reason, while they exceed their legal level of subsidies by $100 billion in support to their farmers.
I am hopeful that this 90 day period will allow us to restructure the way we trade with China and level the playing field.
But the real test will be what comes from these negotiations in the next 90 days, and if we can hold China accountable to an agreement. My track coach always used to say, “don’t tell me, show me,” and so far, we’ve gotten a lot of talk from China, but very little actual change.
I think the White House has heard our farmers loud and clear that, while they support holding China accountable, we need to be moving towards an agreement. Farm bankruptcies in Kansas are up a multiple of six just in the last three years. Farm country needs stability and certainty out of this trade agreement
Pentagon Community Partnership Program
This week Fort Riley and the City of Manhattan were honored at the 2018 Army Community Partnership Awards. Fort Riley’s partnership with the City of Manhattan was one of seven U.S. Army installations and neighboring communities that were awarded for their partnership that enhanced Army readiness, modernized Army processes, and improved business reform while building strong community relationships.
Fort Riley and the City of Manhattan received the award for their Intergovernmental Support Agreement for the bulk purchasing of road salt utilized during severe weather. Not only will this arrangement benefit the Flint Hills region, but will also save Fort Riley roughly $90,000 annually.
I was proud to attend the award ceremony at the Pentagon.
Meeting with Army Leaders
On Thursday, I addressed a group of Army Senior Sergeants Major who were visiting Capitol Hill as part of their professional military education. They traveled to D.C. to further understand the relationship between Congress and the Army and how that relationship translates into their current position.
It was my honor to discuss the role our office has in working with the military, and the way Congress works with military leadership to ensure they have the tools necessary for the US to remain strong and our citizens safe here at home and abroad. It’s important to also recognize these fine men and women and their decades of service. These are some of the best and brightest men and women when it comes to national security, generally taking 20 years of service to attain this rank.
The men and women I met with have been proven great leaders, and it was such a privilege to sit down with them and thank them for their service and discuss the significant opportunity they have in helping shape policy.
Honoring the Apollo 8 Mission
I also had the unique opportunity to meet and learn from some of my childhood heroes this week. The Cosmosphere, in Hutchinson, hosted NASA astronauts and mission control staff as part of its EarthRising Celebration, honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 8 Mission to the Moon. I had the distinct pleasure of helping to welcome NASA officials to Kansas and hear from them on the success and challenges of the Apollo 8 mission as well as celebrate the continued success of The Cosmosphere.
The Cosmosphere not only preserves NASA and space exploration history but works to spread the love of space and science to students across the state. The center recently received a federal grant to take its mission control consoles to Smithsonian affiliate museums, schools and Challenger centers through 2019 to allow students a hands-on learning opportunity and insight in the world of space exploration.
TUNE IN: Army v. Navy
Saturday, Army and Navy will face off in their 119th annual football game. The longstanding rivalry will start at 2:00 PM CT on CBS, and this year Army will be sporting the Big Red One patch. Army will be playing in uniforms that pay tribute to the WWI soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, and I couldn’t be prouder to see the Big Red One displayed on the field.
Go Army, Beat Navy!
A Day That Shall Live In Infamy
As you know, Friday is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On that day, 21 U.S. ships were sunk/severely damaged, over 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed, and most importantly we lost more than 2,400 American lives. Seventy-seven years later, we come together to honor those service members and civilians that lost their lives in the horrific attack on our nation.
To many, this devastating attack feels like yesterday.
Hunting season is in full swing
I was able to get a full day of hunting in with my son-in-law and a couple of my friends last weekend. Many of you know how much I love to hunt and fish, and it was great to be back in Kansas doing what I love best, enjoying the beautiful outdoors and putting down a record number of mallards.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the 1st District Kansas congressman.
EyeSmile Vision and Dental to open in historic Hays building
Courtesy photo
Hays Post
Stacy and Jarrod Jones are leaving their respective practices to start a new practice, EyeSmile Vision and Dental at 1300 Main.
The building, which is in the Chestnut Street Historic District, was built in 1932 and for many years was used as a service station. The station was known as Nep’s Super Service and then Jep’s. The Joneses are remodeling it back to its 1950s footprint.
The building was constructed by the father of the two brothers who ran the service station. The father also built Thomas More Prep-Marian school and the Lamar Hotel.
“When we were deciding we wanted to go together, we were looking for different potential locations,” Stacey Jones said. “Driving around town, we looked at two or three other locations and came across that one and just kept going back to it, thinking it was really going to be a fun place. We liked the idea of being downtown. It had good parking options, which we really like. We just a had a vision for how it could be separated into two different spaces fairly easily.”
Renovating a building in a historic district had its challenges. The Joneses were all set to begin construction in May, when work on the project was halted by the state. Preservationists insisted the footprint of the building more closely follow the 1950s building.
The Joneses had to go back to plans on file with the Hays Fire Department from the 1940s. They scrapped their plans and started over. This pushed the construction start back to August.
“The interesting thing about the building was allowing it to reveal itself to us,” Stacey Jones said. “That has been a really fun adventure for us.”
The Joneses were also required to keep the exterior looking like a filling station, which Stacey Jones said she thinks it does. There is history inside the building as well. You will see a terrazzo floor, brick walls, a plaster ceiling and a fireplace that were original to the building.
Both the Joneses said they look forward to relocating downtown.
“It feels like a sense of community we’ve noticed,” Stacey Jones said. “We both grew up in small towns and had that sense of community, and downtown certainly gives us that feel of small town community with the businesses and the activities that happen on Main Street with the parades and the art walks and the functions that have happened. The Downtown (Hays) Development Corp. has really been supportive as well.”
The building will have more than 6,000 square feet of usable space once the renovation is complete.
The original garage bay will be the guest lounge, and the service desk area will be the reception area in the clinic. The front-office staff will be shared. On the optometry side, there will be two exam rooms, and there will be eight exam rooms on the dental side.
Jarrod Jones, a Hays dentist for 15 years, is now located in Cedar Lodge on Vine Street and was a partner with his brother Dr. Paul Jones. Jarrod Jones is a graduate of the University of Texas-Houston. He practices general dentistry and does everything from filings to implants.
Jarrod Jones started to operate as EyeSmile on Oct. 1. His brother and Dr. Ross Kee will remain at Cedar Lodge when Jarrod Jones starts seeing patients at the new location on Jan. 7. He will see his last patients at Cedar Lodge on Dec. 20 to facilitate the move to the new building.
Stacey Jones also graduated from the University of Texas-Houston and has been an optometrist for 15 years. She is an associate of Dr. Kendall Krug, 2203 Canterbury. She will be leaving that practice to partner with her husband on Dec. 31. Stacey Jones works with general eye health for people of all ages. She hopes the optical side of the building will be ready for her by the end of January.
Dr. Krug will continue to see patients as a solo practitioner after Jones’ departure.
The Joneses have considered combining their practices since they were newlyweds.
“It was something that was always in the back of our minds as a possibility and a good melding of having the two practices together under one roof,” Stacey Jones said.
The Joneses said they think their patients will benefit from having both services under one roof.
Some patients might be able to book a dental cleaning and an eye exam on the same day. However, this will depend on the doctors’ schedules. One member of a family might be able to have their glasses adjusted while they wait on another family member who is having an eye exam or dental exam.
Stacey Jones will have an eyewear boutique at the practice. She is bring in frames from Spain, New York, L.A., Chicago, Seattle and Kansas City that can’t be ordered online.
You can learn more about the practice on Facebook. You can make appointments at 785-621-4242. A new website for the practices will available soon. Both practitioners will be accepting new patients.
FHSU basketball autograph day is Sunday at Big Creek Crossing
The Fort Hays State men’s and women’s basketball teams will be holding their annual autograph day at Big Creek Crossing from 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday.
All members of the men’s and women’s teams will be present. FHSU Athletics will provide free team posters and markers for the autograph session. It is a great chance to meet all members of the teams one-on-one. The Tiger Cheer Squad and Victor E. Tiger will also be at the event.
Enter the drawing on site for a chance to win two upper-level general admission season tickets.
— FHSU Athletics
Wheat Scoop: Planted wheat acres down in Kansas
 Wheat acres in Kansas will likely be lower than last year, possibly reaching 100-year lows in the state. Last year’s 7.7 million planted acres were the third lowest in a century.Abnormal weather patterns in October and November contributed to the decrease in acres planted. According to the Kansas Mesonet, there was record precipitation throughout the state in October and below average temperatures in November.
This has led to the state being essentially drought-free for the first time in years, but it also kept farmers out of the fields during fall harvest and wheat drilling time.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that for the week ending December 2, 2018, topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 4 short, 76 adequate, and 20 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 6 short, 83 adequate, and 11 surplus. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows drought conditions in Kansas on November 27, 2018 of only 6.2% abnormally dry and 0.5% in moderate drought. None of the state is in severe drought or worse.
USDA/NASS also reports that fall harvest is mostly complete, with corn harvest at 96%, soybean harvest at 95% and grain sorghum harvest at 89%.
But, wheat should’ve been planted by the end of October in most areas of the state, and at that time, soybean harvest was only 63% complete and grain sorghum harvest was only 49% complete. This kept farmers from planting wheat behind soybeans in a common double-crop situation.
At the November 29 board meeting of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and Kansas Wheat Commission, farmer board members reported on wheat planted acreage in their areas this fall.
In West Central/Southwest Kansas, Rick Horton, who farms in Wichita and Kearney Counties, reported that the moisture profile in the area is good. While wheat acreage overall might be up a little in the area, traditional fallow acres are still down about the same as last year.
Ron Suppes, who farms in Lane County, reported that acres are down a little in his area, but some farmers were still trying to drill wheat at the end of November. He said that there is still some grain sorghum left to cut and that most of the wheat is emerged.
In Northwest Kansas, Brian Linin, who farms in Sherman County, reported that acres are similar to the past, and the wheat looks really good. He shared that there is uncharacteristic moisture in the area and the snow is just a boost to that moisture. He did share a concern about the likelihood of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus in the area.
Chris Tanner, who farms in Norton County, estimates that fall harvest is only 60% complete in the county. He said wheat acres are down, but early planted wheat looks nice. He said farmers were still drilling wheat in the area as of the end of November.
In North Central Kansas, Mike McClellan, who farms in Rooks County, estimates that wheat acres are down 1/3 from last year. He said that farmers weren’t able to get many wheat acres in behind soybeans.
Mike Jordan, who farms in Mitchell County, agreed. He said most people would have had to stop harvesting fall crops to plant wheat, so he estimates acres will be down 25% in Mitchell County.
In Central Kansas, David Radenberg from Barton County reported that acres are also down in his area, and that grain sorghum harvest is not complete.
Doug Keesling, who farms in Rice County, agreed that acres are down in central Kansas, estimating a decrease of 5-15% from last year. He reported that most of the decrease came from acres that were to be planted behind soybeans, because farmers weren’t able to get their beans harvested and wheat planted.
Justin Knopf, who farms in Saline County, estimates acres planted will be only 60-70% of last year, mostly because they didn’t get planted behind soybeans.
Ken Wood, who farms in Dickenson County, estimates that acres are down 25-30%, stating that farmers gave up on planting wheat because of the poor weather conditions. All four central Kansas farmers reported that they are still finishing up soybean and grain sorghum harvest in the area.
In South Central Kansas, John Hildebrand, who farms in Stafford County, reported that the early planted wheat in the area doesn’t look very good, and that late planted wheat is not yet emerged. He said wheat acres are down, and there is still grain sorghum left to cut.
Scott Van Allen, who farms in Sedgwick and Summer Counties, reported that early planted wheat in his area looks nice, and the late planted is only 1/2″ tall. He said that there was no double crop wheat planted behind soybeans in his area, estimating that acres are down 5-10%. There are still soybeans and grain sorghum left to cut.
In Northeast Kansas, Jay Armstrong, who farms in Atchison County, reported that wheat looks good in his area and that acres are up a little over last year.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that for the week ending December 2, 2018, winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 13 poor, 39 fair, 35 good, and 10 excellent. Winter wheat emerged was 89 percent.
K-State Research and Extension reports that leaf rust is causing problems for some wheat producers in Kansas this fall with reports of wide spread infections in volunteer wheat and the early planted fields in western and central regions of the state. They also report that the sudden, sharp drop in temperatures across Kansas observed in the early part of November 2018 could have different consequences to the wheat crop, varying from no impact to some injury in particular fields. This injury could depend on the amount of snow on the surface and the amount of moisture in the soil, which serves as a buffer against cold temperatures.
With all the wheat crop has already endured, we are still a couple weeks away from the beginning of winter, and the condition of the 2019 wheat crop will continue to evolve until harvest next summer. While planted acres are down overall, at least the crop has the opportunity to begin its fragile life with adequate moisture.
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DHDC announces new board member
DHDC
Downtown Hays Development Corp. has announced the addition of Megan Ball to its board of directors.
After graduating high school in Dodge City, Ball attended and graduated from FHSU in accounting.
She then accepted full-time employment at Sunflower Electric Power Corp. as the human resources and benefits administrator.
She continued her education at Fort Hays, receiving her M.B.A.
Ball is married to Hays native Jason Ball.
Ball is an active member of the Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association, where she has served for three years on the board of directors.
She has received professional HR certification (SHRM-SCP) and continues to support Fort Hays’ HR educational programs and speaking to the Total Compensation class each semester.
🎥 Eagle TV Forum: Jacob Ternes
Today’s Forum guest is Jacob Ternes, assistant director of FHSU’s Memorial Union.