Today
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Patchy fog between 8am and 11am. High near 50. East northeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Temperature falling to near 48 by 9pm, then rising to around 54 during the remainder of the night. East wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Columbus Day
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10am, then showers between 10am and 1pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 66. South wind 9 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Monday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Low around 47. South southeast wind around 11 mph becoming north northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 54. North northwest wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 36.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – With the Larimer County, Colorado Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office have mad three arrests in connection to the murder of Bayron O. Diaz-Bautista, according to a media release from the KBI.
Diaz-Bautista was found dead in a field in Hodgeman County on Oct. 1. The preliminary autopsy report revealed Diaz-Bautista died from gunshot wounds.
Emilio Nunez-Bahena, 26, Veronica Nunez, 24, and Emilio Nunez-Torres, 45, were arrested Oct. 6 at approximately 12:30 a.m. in Larimer County, Colorado.
Emilio Nunez-Torres -photo Larimer County
The suspects are from Fort Collins, and were each arrested for first-degree murder. They were booked into the Larimer County Jail without bond. Extradition proceedings are expected.
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office will prosecute this case. No further information will be released at this time.
EMPORIA, Kan. – Fort Hays State couldn’t overcome four turnovers and lost 28-24 to Emporia State on a chilly afternoon at Welch Stadium.
After the Tigers (4-2) drove 76 yards in nine plays and scored on a three-yard touchdown run from D.J. Hickman to take a 24-21 lead, the Hornets (3-3) answered with a 15 play 69 yard drive to take the lead for good. Braxton Marstall, who completed 32 of 54 passes for 289 yards, hit Jordan Reed on a 13-yard strike after a scramble with 51 seconds to play.
FHSU would advance the ball to the Hornet 33 yard line but Jacob Mezera was sacked on the game’s final play.
Chris Brown Postgame Press Conference
Colt Trachsel Postgame Interview
Matt Wendelberger Postgame Interview
Game Highlights
Mezera completed 27 of 44 passes for 343 yards. He hit Harley Hazlett on a 41 yard touchdown on the Tigers fourth play of the game but also threw an interception at the Hornet six yard line in the second quarter.
The Tigers drove the Hornet one on their second possession but fumbled on third and goal. They would have another second quarter fumble inside Hornet territory and one at near their own 38 midway through the fourth quarter which led to an ESU touchdown.
The home team has won 11 of the last 13 games in the series. FHSU has lost eight of their last nine at Welch Stadium.
TOPEKA– The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is planning a spillway repair project at Clark State Fishing Lake – a popular and scenic fishing spot in southwest Kansas. The lake is nestled in a rugged canyon along Bluff Creek in northwestern Clark County about 9 miles south of Kingsdown.
The $1.6 million project is set to begin in December 2018 and will take about six months to complete – depending on weather conditions and any unforeseen issues.
The project is necessary to repair parts of the spillway that have deteriorated or been damaged. There is some surface spalling and loose concrete, seepage through the side spillway walls and rebar and wire mesh is exposed. The concrete crib wall is failing – a lower section is missing, and there is bulging and settling. The project also includes maintenance work on the lower tower outlet gates, erosion repair at the outlet structure, cleaning sediment and brush out of the outlet channel, stabilizing banks on the west lake road and at the east abutment and replacing the low water crossing downstream of the spillway.
The intent is to maintain the lake’s prized fishery throughout the construction. However, the project will require lowering the lake level by 20-25 feet to relieve the hydraulic pressure of water in the soil pushing against the underside of the spillway floor and the side walls. The lake covers about 300 acres with a maximum depth of 36 feet deep when full. There will be about 160 surface acres and a maximum depth of about 15 feet after the drawdown, which should be adequate to maintain the fishery. If everything goes as planned, biologists don’t anticipate a significant impact to the fishery; however, staff will monitor the lake and modify management practices according to the duration of the drawdown, water depth and the runoff entering the lake after the repairs are complete.
Angler access will be impacted, as boat ramps will be unusable during the drawdown. Shoreline access will be available, but caution will be necessary at first because the bottom sediment may be too soft to walk on until it dries. Once the project is complete, the lake will refill naturally, which will depend on runoff from the watershed and to a lesser extent, rainfall directly on the lake.
Once complete, the project will result in a repaired spillway as well as improved fishing opportunities in the future. Growth rates of larger sport fish should increase as fish are crowded during the drawdown, and vegetation that will grow on the exposed lakebed will provide optimal conditions for spawning, fish growth and improved water quality when the lake refills. Additional habitat enhancements include the addition of 130 “Georgia Cubes” – PVC pipe structures that provide cover for a variety of fish – as well as brush and rock piles. Boat ramps will be repaired and some of the rip-rapped fishing jetties will be enhanced, as well.
KDWPT expects this project to ensure the future of this treasured lake and fishery, while providing needed repairs and enhancements.
New this year to the 46th annual Hays Volga German Oktoberfest was the new German Market which operated from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the grass lot just south of North Central Technical College (NCK Tech) on Main Street, across the street from Municipal Park, where the main Oktoberfest event was held.
The German Market sold items such as baked goods, noodles, jams, crafts, and other traditional food and crafts.
Lee Dobratz, director of the Ellis County Historical Society, talked to Eagle Communications’ Mike Koerner about why the German Market was added in 2018.
The OB Unit, Sleep Center, Orthopedic Clinic and Human Resources were recently named the patient satisfaction award winners for the second quarter of 2018 at HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System.
Each quarter HaysMed recognizes the patient satisfaction award winners based on results from CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) surveys administrated by HealthStream. Health Stream is the research firm HaysMed contracts with to conduct the government required Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) hospital surveys on patient experience. The CAHPS survey is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care. The CAHPS Hospital Survey is a survey instrument and data collection methodology for measuring patients’ perceptions of their hospital experience. Four areas are recognized every quarter including an inpatient department, an outpatient department, a clinic and a non-clinical area.
The OB Unit was recognized for having the highest improvement in overall satisfaction from the first quarter to the 4th quarter of FY2018. Last year they had 572 deliveries, 684 lactation consultations and triaged 638 lactation triage phone calls.
The Sleep Center, an outpatient department, had the highest improvement in overall satisfaction for FY2018. In 2017 the department did 439 sleep studies and 120 EEGs. They have 4 full times associates. The EEG studies, which began in December of 2017, are a direct result of a joint effort with The University of Kansas Health System Neurology department. The Sleep Center serves patients in Kansas, southern Nebraska and eastern Colorado.
The Center is accredited through the Academy of Sleep medicine. They also are involved in mobile testing which brings sleep testing to many of the area communities.
Garnering the clinic award was the Orthopedic Clinic. They had a 16% increase in overall satisfaction for FY2018 and are at the 99th percentile. The clinic averages 1100 patients a month and they provider outreach clinics in Great Bend, Larned, Colby, Scott City and Hill City.
They are a certified hip and knee center of excellence and are the official orthopedic physicians for Fort Hays State University Athletics.
Human Resources received the Customer Service Award for their significant contributions to the mission, vision and values of HaysMed. The department has 7 full time Associates who provide services to a total of 1723 Associates. This includes all Associates at Hays, Larned and Great Bend. They process approximately 3000 application per year and last year hired 241 new Associates.
Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.
By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development
“Young cooperator.” That is a nice combination of positive terms. In this case, it literally refers to a young adult who is active in his or her dairy cooperative. Those young cooperators tend to continue to be involved in their cooperative’s leadership. Today we’ll meet a dairy farm family which began as young cooperators and are continuing that legacy into another generation.
Last week we learned about dairyman Steve Strickler, a member of the board of directors of the dairy cooperative known as Dairy Farmers of America. Byron Lehman from Newton also serves on that board.
Byron’s family came from a dairy farm in upstate New York and moved to Kansas in 1953. His family farmed and Byron’s dad started dairying with Byron and his brother. “I think he dairied to keep his boys out of trouble,” Byron said with a smile.
Lehman / Dairy Farmers of America
Byron went to Hesston College and then finished a degree in dairy science from K-State. He joined the family farming partnership that continues to this day. Byron’s wife DeDee is from Denver. They have a daughter named MeLissa who is married to Steven. Steven is a police officer and also helps them farm.
The dairy farm is named Le-Dr Dairy. The Lehmans milk approximately 250 cows and farm 1,000 acres of wheat, corn, alfalfa, milo and soybeans. Their farm is in a rural setting outside of the town of North Newton, population 1,759 people. Now, that’s rural.
Member-owned dairy cooperatives are the primary collectors and aggregators of fluid milk in the U.S. These co-ops also offer various other programs and services to benefit their members such as educational programs for their young farmer-members, who are also known as young cooperators.
Byron and DeDee were selected as young cooperators in the 1980s. In fact, Byron served as chair of the young cooperators committee. He was involved with a dairy cooperative called Associated Milk Producers Inc. or AMPI. In 1987, Byron was elected to the Board of AMPI. When AMPI merged with other cooperatives to form Dairy Farmers of America, Byron Lehman was elected to that board of directors also.
“The staff and the other directors of DFA are fantastic,” Byron said. He explained that the cooperative is organized into seven different councils and then the corporate board makes the overall business decisions.
What are the key trends that he sees in the dairy industry? “When we started, there were 60 dairies in the county,” Byron said. “Today there are three left.” Dairies have gotten much bigger, with new dairies milking thousands of cows.
How does a 250-cow dairy sustain itself? “We watch our input costs and hire the best people we can,” Byron said. “We rely on our co-op and our nutritionist to help.”
Byron and all the leaders of DFA watch dairy consumption trends very carefully. “Fluid milk consumption is down but whole milk has made a resurgence,” he said. “Butter has been great for us, and cheese is a shining star.”
He recognizes it is important to promote the nutritional benefits of milk products. “We work with dietitians all the time on the health benefits of dairy,” he said. He recalls a breakthrough of a few years ago when the cover of Time magazine proclaimed “Butter is good for you.” Another positive step was when the promotion groups got together and encouraged more cheese to be put on pizza.
One concern Byron has is false labeling. “We see things called soybean milk or coconut milk that aren’t truly milk,” Byron said. “Milk comes from a lactating female and is the only food with nine essential vitamins and minerals.”
These trends are important to the future of dairy farming. Byron is especially pleased that his daughter and son-in-law were selected by their cooperative as, you guessed it, young cooperators.
We commend Byron and DeDee Lehman and MeLissa and Steven for making a difference with their hard work in dairy farming. They demonstrate the benefits of cooperation.
And there’s more. The dairy industry has especially grown in western Kansas, and we’ll learn about that next week.
Rip WinkelThe cold nights will be increasing in frequency now that we are into October. If you had planted tomatoes in your garden last spring, you may still have some fruits that are approaching maturity.
The best thing to do is to leave them on the vine until red-ripe, or until that first freeze has been forecasted. Tomatoes will ripen off the vine but must have reached a certain phase of maturity called the “mature green stage.” Look for full-sized tomatoes with a white, star-shaped zone on the bottom end of the green fruit.
Now, if you are harvesting your tomatoes before a frost, here is an idea you may want to try. Separate those tomatoes into three groups for storage: those that are mostly red, those that are just starting to turn, and those that are still green. Go ahead and get rid of those tomatoes with defects such as rots or breaks in the skin. Then place the tomatoes on cardboard trays or cartons, using layers of newspaper to separate fruit if you are going to stack them. It is common that a tomato may start to rot, leaking its juice everywhere. The newspaper will help keep the juice from contacting the surrounding fruit. Finally, store these groups of tomatoes at, or as close to 55 degrees F as possible until you are ready to eat them.
And as the temperatures begin to fall toward the first freeze this fall, the pepper plants you planted in your garden continue to produce fruit. It is not uncommon for them to still have a slew of green fruits dangling on the branches when that first freeze kills the plants. When you know a freeze is in the forecast, you might want to harvest all of the peppers. The larger ones will be good for eating, but very immature peppers often taste bitter. Ergo, you might want to compost them instead of serving them for dinner.
As opposed to tomatoes, peppers can be stored fresh for a much longer period of time. They can usually keep in the crisper drawer of a refrigerator for several weeks if kept moist (not wet). For longer storage, freezing them is a great option.
Though mushy when thawed, the flavor still comes through when cooked in foods. Try dicing them into small pieces and then freezing on a cookie sheet. The frozen pieces can then be poured into plastic bags, and placed back into the freezer to be used later. Measuring is much easier as the pieces are not frozen together in a clump. This method works just as well for hot peppers, but be sure to wear gloves when handling.
Rip Winkel is the Horticulture agent in the Cottonwood District (Barton and Ellis Counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected] or calling either 785-682-9430, or 620-793-1910.
Alan LaPolice talks to a voter at an event at the Ellis County Democratic headquarters Thursday night.
Democrat Alan LaPolice said he his focusing his campaign for Congress on the four former pillars of the Republican Party — fair trade, fiscal responsibility, family values and defense.
LaPolice, who is a farmer, educator and veteran, made a campaign stop in Hays Thursday night at the Ellis County Democratic headquarters.
He has run previously for office as a Republican, but said he is unhappy with the direction the party is going. LaPolice is from Clyde and faces Republican incumbent Roger Marshall, Great Bend, in the Nov. 6 general election for the First Congressional District.
LaPolice expressed frustration at the Congress’ failure to pass a Farm Bill. The former Farm Bill expired on Oct. 1.
“We are in right now what could arguably be defined as the biggest ag crisis in three decades,” he said. “My district is an ag-producing district. Everyone wants to know about these tariffs and this trade war, about the collapse of the Farm Bill and how farmers are going to be able to survive.”
The Senate and House have both passed versions of the Farm Bill, but the legislation is hung up on cuts to nutrition programs and lack of conservation measures in the House version.
“Is it a family value to starve women and children in the nutrition program?” LaPolice asked. “Is it family values to take away the lunch program from school kids or homeless veterans? Is that a family values?”
He said Congress should pass the Senate Bill and “stop playing with farmers’ lives.”
LaPolice was also critical of the Republican tax cut as being fiscally irresponsible.
“In a boom economy, we have $1.2 trillion in new deficit, new debt,” he said. “In the past two years, they have laid on almost $2 trillion in new debt.”
He compared the national plan to the Brownback tax plan, which was eventually reversed by the Kansas Legislature after significant revenue shortfalls
“I applaud the Republicans’ efforts to cut taxes,” he said, “because Americans need some incentive to consuming. You can consume more if you have more money in your pockets. I agree with my Republican colleagues 100 percent.”
However, he said stipulations should have been placed on the tax breaks that required corporations to reinvest at least a portion of their savings in their employees, their benefits and/or their educations.
He also has heard much concern from voters about health care. Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott announced this week it will close by the end of the year.
Of about 80 Critical Care Hospitals in the state, 60 of those are in the First District.
“When you see communities that have this one urgent care, critical care center, people are scared that if their hospital closes, that community dies,” he said.
LaPolice said Congress needs to address the rising cost of health care by allowing Medicaid and Medicare to negotiate service and prescription prices. This would be similar to what the government already does for the Department of Defense under Tricare.
The issue of immigration has touched LaPolice’s family personally. Had the current immigration policy been in place during the 1980s, his family would not exist today. His mother-in-law brought his wife to the U.S. when she was 2 shortly after civil war broke out in El Salvador. The family sought and was granted asylum.
“To not address the human rights crisis like the one we faced on the border, like the one with Syrian refuges, like the one from any of these nations that we have intervened in and sometimes destabilized — to not address that is inhumane,” he said. …
“When you see Ronald Reagan talk about immigration, he is a kind president. He is a real president. Today to see the Republicans talk about immigration as if all these people crossing the border are MS-13, they’re impostors, they’re gang members, they’re terrorists … The incumbent calls them terrorists. That is not very Christian. That is not what I consider family values to look at a woman with a 2-year-old daughter and say, ‘Oh yeah, you’re terrorists.'”
In addition to reforms to the system for those seeking asylum, LaPolice said immigration reform needs to take into account the need for immigrant workers in agriculture.
“We have produce rotting in the field right now because we don’t have the workers,” he said, “and the reason we don’t is because politicians use immigration as a political football. They use it against their opponents, and both sides do it.”
Finally on defense, LaPolice who served as an infantry gunner during the First Gulf War, said it is time to pull troops from Afghanistan.
“Seventeen years in the Middle East and no resolution and no way out,” he said. “I fought over there, but when I fought, we had an objective. When we achieved it, we left. Now Republicans want to stay there forever. That is not defense.”
Today
A slight chance of showers before 7am, then a slight chance of rain after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. North wind 9 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight
A slight chance of rain before 9pm, then a chance of showers between 9pm and 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 45. East northeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday
Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 54. East wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night
Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 50. East wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Columbus Day
Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 66. South wind 8 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Monday Night
Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 64. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Tuesday Night
A 30 percent chance of rain before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Today
Today