The K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District office in Hays will be closed Tuesday, due to no electricity in the building because of ongoing renovations and construction.

The office, located at 601 Main, Ste. A, will reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

An informational evening filled with horticulture topics and displays is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 11 at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center in Hays. The outdoor event will feature production and water conservation techniques around the lawn and garden. The event is free and the public is welcome.

Presentations by the Ellis County Extension Master Gardeners will highlight production of 10 tomato, 23 pepper, and 6 zucchini/squash varieties. Attendees will be able to taste varietal variations at sampling tables.

The Master Gardeners will share their experiences with a backyard garden demonstration plot and a composting station adjacent to the garden will be available to view. The garden is in its second year of production.

Holly Dickman, water conservation specialist with the city of Hays, will discuss water conservation and warm season grass demonstration plots. The plots are part of a Turf Conversion Program promoted by the City of Hays, which encourages homeowners to convert full-sun-exposure lawns planted with a cool-season turf to a low-water-use turfgrass or landscaping. The advantages, according to Dickman, are water conservation and less maintenance.

Dickman will speak about a plot of xeric flower varieties being established this year which can thrive in dry conditions will little or minimal care in the Hays area. More varieties will be planted this fall and next spring.

Homeowners are encouraged to bring neighbors and friends, ask questions and share gardening experiences. The event will be in the Horticulture Gardens of the K-State Agricultural Research Center at 1214 240^th Ave. The center is directly south of Hays across from the parks along the 183 By-Pass.

Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 6 p.m. It ends at twilight. More information is available by calling 785-625-3425.

– SUBMITTED –

Today A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South southeast wind 6 to 9 mph.

Showers and thunderstorms will be possible today and tonight. These storms may to produce periods of moderate to heavy rainfall. #kswx pic.twitter.com/9w7MbyMC5P

— NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) September 4, 2018

TonightShowers and thunderstorms, mainly after 9pm. Low around 65. South southeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 7am. Cloudy, with a high near 75. North northeast wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 62. North northeast wind 9 to 11 mph.
ThursdayA 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 72.

Thursday NightA 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 62.

FridayA 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73.

Beginning Wednesday, the intersection of 16th and Allen streets will be opened and the intersection of 14th and Allen will be closed. Allen Street will be closed from north of 13th Street to south of 16th Street. The intersection of 15th and Allen remains closed. This work is part of the Allen Street Reconstruction Project.

Signs will be in place to direct the traveling public. Motorists should use caution in these areas.

FHSU University Relations

The Management Development Center at Fort Hays State University will kick off its fall 2018 Workshop Series with a new workshop, “Your Website: The Foundation of a First-Rate Marketing Strategy.”

This workshop will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the university’s Hansen Entrepreneurship Hall.

Dr. Mary Martin, professor of applied business studies at FHSU, will facilitate. Participants will learn how to effectively utilize their website as part of an overall marketing strategy. Topics will include the must-have components for an ideal website, designing a conversion path, and making website content more shareable. Participants will also learn how to optimize social media to improve search rank and drive traffic.

Each person who completes a workshop will receive a completion certificate and will earn 4.0 continuing education units.

The cost for registration is $119. A 15-percent discount applies for all Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Members on single session cost.

Registration is available online through the Registration link in the sidebar on the center’s home page at www.fhsu.edu/mdc. To learn more about this workshop or additional upcoming trainings, contact Hannah Hilker by phone at 785-628-4121 or by email at [email protected].

FHSU University Relations

Three candidates for the position of Fort Hays State University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs search will visit FHSU and the Hays community in September.

Dr. C. David Moon, professor of political science and special assistant to the provost at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, will visit from Tuesday, Sept. 4, to Thursday, Sept. 6.

Dr. Neal Schnoor, senior advisor to the chancellor for executive affairs at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, will visit from Monday, Sept. 10, to Wednesday, Sept. 12.

Dr. Jeff Briggs, currently serving as FHSU’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, will conduct his candidate visits on campus from Sunday, Sept. 23, to Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Moon earned a B.A. in political science in 1979 from Austin College, Sherman, Texas. His M.A. in government, 1983, and his Ph.D. in government, 1986, were both earned at the University of Texas, Austin.

Schnoor earned his B.F.A. in education in 1990 from Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb. His Master of Music, 1996, and his Ph.D., 1999, were both earned at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His Ph.D. is in education administration, curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in music education.

Briggs earned both his B.S. in physical education, 1983, and his M.S. in health, physical education and recreation, 1984, from Fort Hays State. He earned his Ed.D. in kinesiology in 1992 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

More information on the candidates and the search process is available at www.fhsu.edu/president/provost-search/candidate-information-campus-visits.

Each candidate will meet with various constituent groups over the course of three days and will include meetings with the Search Committee, faculty, students, staff, administration and more, as well as campus and community tours. The search committee will notify the various groups by email of their times with the candidates.

The provost and vice president for academic affairs, the chief academic officer of the university, reports directly to the president and is a member of her Executive Leadership Team.

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, yet suicide is preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2014 (the most recent year for which full data are available), 42,773 suicides were reported, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. In that year, someone in the country died by suicide every 12.9 minutes.

Dozens of people from throughout northwest Kansas are expected to participate in the Out of the Darkness Hays Walk hosted by the Greater Kansas Chapter of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention at 1 p.m., September 15, 2018 at Municipal Park in Hays. This fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s local and national education and advocacy programs and its bold goal to reduce the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025.

“We walk to help others seek help when they need to and to help community members respond to loved ones who may need help. Suicide affects so many and can have a big impact on rural communities. We hope that by walking we save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” said Kyle Carlin, Greater Kansas AFSP volunteer.

The Out of the Darkness Hays Walk is one of more than 375 Out of the Darkness Community Walks being held nationwide this year. The walks are expected to unite more than 250,000 walkers and raise millions for suicide prevention efforts. Last year’s Hays Walk included over 80 people from northwest Kansas.

Check-in and same-day registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Municipal Park, and the walk will begin at 2:00 p.m. Anyone who would like to form a team, join a team, or walk as an individual, and/or donate is encouraged to register at www.afsp.org/hays.  There is no cost to participate in the walk or remembrance activities.

“These walks are about turning hope into action,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “Suicide is a serious problem, but it’s a problem we can solve. The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight the science is only going to get better, our culture will get smarter about mental health, and we’ll be able to save more people from dying from depression and other mental health conditions.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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WKHRMA

The annual WKHRMA (Western Kansas Human Resources Managers Association) seminar will be held on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Robbins Center located on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Doors open and registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

See event details here: https://wkhrma.shrm.org/events/2018/10/annual-wkhrma-seminar

Speaker: Melody L. Rayl, Attorney, and Lauren Sobaski, Associate, of Fisher Phillips

Registration: $65 Members; $80 Non-Members; Lunch is included; Registration and Payment due October 9, 2018.
*This event will be SHRM (5 hours) & HRCI Certified

We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support:

-Hays Area Chamber of Commerce
-Werth Wealth Management
-Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball
-Management Development Center (MDC) at Fort Hays State University
-Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
-Freedom Claims Management, Inc.

LOGAN — The Dane G. Hanen Foundation has introduced a new enrichment initiative for public schools in Northwest Kansas.

The Hansen Foundation has long supported education through scholarships and individual grants. This initiative takes a more proactive approach. The NWKansasLEARNS initiative brings educational enrichment activities to schools in the Foundation’s 26-county service area, reducing the burden of arranging and paying for field trips and expanding enrichment activities to include more teachers and students.

The Hansen Foundation reached out to four educational organizations and worked with them to make the activities they offer more accessible to NW Kansas students. Programs are offered through the Kansas Cosmosphere; the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home; the Kansas Historical Society; and the Rolling Hills Zoo. All activities support Kansas curriculum standards, include hands-on learning opportunities, and are offered at no charge to the schools.

This new program is the latest initiative from the Hansen Foundation to support educational enrichment. This fall, the foundation is offering the Creede Repertory Theatre Young Audience Outreach Tour to NW Kansas elementary schools. A part of the Foundation’s NWKansasARTS initiative, this original children’s theatre production is interactive, and includes a book for children to take home. Like the other opportunities, the Foundation is covering the full cost of the tour.

The Foundation’s NWKansasREADS initiative expanded last year to offer summer reading grants. Schools and libraries can utilize grant funds for summer reading programs specifically designed to reduce the summer slide students experience between school years. The reading initiative also covers pre-school age children through support of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Any child birth to 5 in the Hansen service area is eligible to receive a free age-appropriate book in the mail every month. The program encourages reading and improves kindergarten readiness.

Each of these outreach initiatives are designed to offer educators and families tools to help provide the children of NW Kansas the best possible educational experience.

More information is available at danehansenfoundation.org.

— Submitted

Veteran Service Representative Schedule for September 2018

 

1^st Tuesdays   9/4/18              Stockton Courthouse                         9:30 – 11:30 AM

 

2^nd Tuesdays 9/10 & 11/18  STATE FAIR in Hutchinson             ALL DAY

                                                Resume normal rotation in October

                                                Odd months – LaCrosse

                                                Even months – Ness City

 

3^rd Tuesdays   9/18/18            Osborne Veterans Building                           9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

                                                  Russell City Hall                                              1:30 PM – 3:30 PM                                        

4^th Tuesdays   9/25/18            Phillipsburg EMS Building                            9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

                                                  Smith Center Courthouse                              1:00 PM – 3:00 PM     

The Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs assists veterans and authorized family members, free of charge, in matters pertaining to their VA claims and benefits.

All itinerants are on a first come first served basis. No appointment needed.

For more information contact:

Douglas Storie, VSR
Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs
Veteran Service Representative
205 E. 7^th  Suite 107
Hays, KS 67601
Phone: 785-259-0364
FAX: 785-650-0392
E-mail: [email protected]