No private information was obtained in the alleged computer hacking threat last year of the Ellis Co. EMS administrative phone lines.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
No confidential information was obtained during last year’s alleged denial-of-service attack against computers hosting the Ellis County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) administrative voice lines, according to county health administrator Kerry McCue.
“There were no administrative phone calls overheard and no patient information was obtained or lost from our possession,” McCue said Wednesday afternoon. “There were no HIPAA concerns or violations.”
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is U.S. legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
McCue wants to assure the public that “no confidential information” was accessed by the alleged computer hacker.
A Larned man, Michael D. Golightley, 34, is charged with seven counts of damaging a protected computer and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in March 2017 in Ellis County.
According to a July 17 news release from U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister, District of Kansas, the indictment alleges Golightley hired an entity known as DDosCity to carry out a series of denial-of-service attacks against computers served by the local internet service provider Nex-Tech.
Nex-Tech provided backup and monitoring service for Ellis County’s EMS administrative voice lines, Russell County’s hospital voice lines, the Quinter hospital’s voice lines, the Grove County Sheriff’s administrative voice lines, the Russell County Sheriff’s administrative voice lines and the administrative voice lines for the police and fire departments of Russell County.
Rhonda Meyerhoff of Eagle Communications, left, presents a check to the ARC for its accessible recreation complex. The ARC is represented, from left, by Brent Kaiser, ARC activities director, Abe Meitner, Sarah Meitner and Kathy McAdoo, ARC executive director.
Eagle Communications made the first donation to a planned accessible park project that is being backed by the ARC of the Central Plains.
The $1.6 million complex would include a playground, splash pad and baseball diamond. ARC announced the project at Hays Area Chamber of Commerce event Friday.
If you have questions on the recreation complex or wish to donate, email [email protected]. You can also follow the Hays Accessible Recreation Complex on Facebook.
The $125 Eagle donation was the unclaimed prize money from a second egg hunt that Eagle sponsored during the Wild West Festival.
The Victoria VFW Post 1751 is raising funds to build an accessible restroom.
The VFW’s building was constructed in the late 1960s or early 1970s and the bathrooms have not been upgraded sine then.
Harland Rupp, VFW quartermaster, said the renovation is important to the community, as the VFW is the only building in Victoria that is large enough to accommodate many community events.
The building is not only used by the VFW and veterans, but for wedding showers, funeral dinners, anniversary parties, Knights of Columbus fish fries and other events. Some patrons of the establishment who used walkers and wheelchairs said they were having trouble maneuvering in the current restroom’s tight space.
A new expanded unisex restroom will be created with a wider door, grab bars and lowered sink for use by people who use wheelchairs.
The VFW estimates it will need $10,000 to do the renovations and hopes to have enough money raised within the next six months to fund the project.
The group is applying for a Home Depot grant and is conducting a burger and brat fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the VFW, 204 E. Main St., Victoria. The fundraiser also will honor the community’s veterans.
Brats, burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chips and coleslaw and beverages will be served. A full meal will cost $7.
Individual items can be purchased for the prices below.
Hamburger $3, brat $3, hot dog $2, bag of chips 50 cents, pop $1, beer $2
For more information on the fundraiser or on how to donate to the renovation project, contact Rupp at 785-623-1368.
Hays could soon be home to a new Tractor Supply Company retail store north of Interstate 70.
A public hearing for rezoning property in the Crawford Addition, located on the northwest corner of 48th and Roth, and the final plat of Crawford Addition were approved unanimously June 18 by the Hays Area Planning Commission.
(Click to enlarge)
Property owner Crawford Supply Co. has requested annexation into the city limits and connection to city services, along with a zoning change from agriculture (A-L) to commercial general district (C-2).
The property abuts existing property zoned C-2.
According to information from Curtis Deines, Hays PIE Superintendent, the property has been used for agriculture production for many years. In May, the property owner began the process for developing the property.
“The property is currently being planned for development by Tractor Supply Company. City staff has been working with the developer for several months,” according to the city administrator’s memo to the Hays City Commission. “The annexation, rezoning, and plat have all gone through the Planning Commission with no issues.”
The annexation, zoning and platting will be reviewed by the Hays City Commission during its July 19 work session.
Other agenda items another review of the 2019 draft budget with specific discussion of funding to outside agencies.
During their first budget review, commissioners Sandy Jacobs, Ron Mellick and Mayor James Meier supported full funding – $100,000 – of the Fort Hays State University city scholarship program request. The draft 2019 budget calls for $90,000 which was the amount funded in 2018.
Commissioners will also review a proposed bid award for a tower at the new fire/rescue training facility under construction in south Hays.
They will also discuss maintenance procedures of the city’s stormwater drainage system at the request of Vice Mayor Henry Schwaller.
The Boyington family: son John Charles, John, Donna, and daughter Brooke pose at a pro rodeo event in 2015, when John was recognized as the 2015 PRCA Veterinarian of the Year. Donna is facing her second battle with cancer and has received donations from the Hope in the Heartland fund. The Phillipsburg rodeo raises money for Hope in the Heartland.
PHILLIPSBURG – Special funds gave two Phillipsburg women hope and help for the future.
When cancer struck Donna Boyington and Joanne Niemczyk Ceman, monies from the Hope in the Heartland fund helped them with extra expenses.
Boyington, the wife of John and co-owner of Crossroads Veterinary Clinic in Phillipsburg, was first diagnosed with endometrial cancer in late 2014. She had a hysterectomy to remove the tumors. After radiation and chemotherapy treatment in 2015, doctors told her there was a very good chance the cancer would not return. She was diagnosed with her second bout in July of last year. Doctors repaired organs damaged by the cancer and removed more tumors, which had spread to her abdomen.
Ceman was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2016. She did chemotherapy once a week for eight weeks, then radiation treatment every day for nearly a month, driving to Hays for treatment.
Both women received funding from Hope in the Heartland, an organization which provides funding for cancer patients in the Phillips County and surrounding area. Hope in the Heartland’s main fundraiser is Kansas Biggest Rodeo, which raises money through its Tough Enough to Wear Pink night, held on the first Thursday of the rodeo each year. Fans at pink night (this year, August 2, 2018), are asked to wear pink to bring awareness to cancer. For every fan wearing pink to the rodeo that night, the Phillipsburg Rodeo Association donates one dollar to Hope in the Heartland funds. Voluntary donations are picked up through the grandstands that night, and local businesses also donate.
Ceman used the donation mostly for travel expenses. “It helped a lot,” she said. “We used it for traveling to Hays.” She is employed at Witmer Drug Store and Crossroads Vet Clinic, and her bosses were understanding. “The people I work for were really good,” she said. “I worked as much as I could. If I needed to sit for a few minutes and catch my breath, they were good about it.”
On days of treatment, Ceman worked half-days, scheduling treatments for the morning so she could be back to work in the afternoon.
Joanne Ceman has battled cancer and received funding from Hope in the Heartland. Her husband Chris and sons (from left) Tony, Chris, and Zach stand with her.
Ceman had her last radiation treatment in May of 2017, and her cancer is in remission. Her husband, Chris, is facing his own battle. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 and because of complications, has kidney failure. He is on home kidney dialysis.
Boyington worked at Crossroads Veterinary Clinic full time but during treatment did a lot of the paperwork from home. She and John’s daughter Brooke, the 2014 Phillipsburg Rodeo Queen, returned home to help her parents after graduating from Kansas State University last spring. “She has been a true blessing,” Donna said. “We’re so thankful, because she’s so helpful. She’s helped (John) as much if not more than me.”
Ceman and her husband Chris moved to Phillipsburg from Minnesota in 2001 with their three boys, Tony, Zach and Chris, and have gone to the rodeo several times. Before she had cancer, it wasn’t on her radar like it is now. “It’s amazing how many people are affected by it or have had some kind of it,” she said. The Hope in the Heartland money was appreciated. “It was wonderful. We were really grateful for it.”
Boyington was appreciative of the funds, too. She and John traveled to Kansas City frequently for treatment, as well as to Hays every three weeks, so the funds went towards travel expenses. Her final chemo treatment was in February.
Boyington has a unique tie to the Phillipsburg rodeo. She competed in college rodeo in the barrel racing, breakaway roping and goat tying and did some professional barrel racing as well. Her husband steer wrestled at the Phillipsburg Rodeo and serves as the official veterinarian for the rodeo. He won the 2015 PRCA Veterinarian of the Year award. They rarely miss a night of rodeo.
Both women are thankful for the friends, family and community that have supported them through their ordeal. Even though her husband’s health isn’t the best, Ceman looks on the bright side of it. “There’s always somebody who is worse off than we are.” Boyington appreciates the community. “It’s wonderful to live in a town like Phillipsburg. People are so thoughtful and we really appreciate it.”
“It’s nice to live in a place where people care.”
The Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign started at the Phillipsburg rodeo in 2006; since then, more than $83,000 has been raised. Several Phillipsburg businesses match the rodeo’s donation: Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, McClain Seed Sales, Rodgers and Associates Insurance Co., and Farmers State Bank.
The Phillipsburg rodeo is August 2-4. Performances begin at 8 pm each night, and tickets range in price from $11 to $18. Tickets can be purchased at Heritage Insurance in Phillipsburg (785.543.2448) and at the gate. For more information, visit the rodeo’s website at www.KansasBiggestRodeo.com.
Matt TurnerDODGE CITY — Dodge City Public Schools announce this week that Matt Turner has been selected as the Director of Secondary Education for Dodge City Public Schools, beginning with the 2018-19 school year. For the past nine years, Turner has been the principal at Alternative Education and will maintain this position as well.
Turner was born and raised in Dodge City, and was a 1994 graduate of Dodge City High School. Turner lives here with his wife Diana and step-daughter Savannah. He received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Fort Hays State University. His previous experience includes six years as a business teacher at USD 443, one year as Dean of Students and currently the Principal of Alternative Education for USD 443.
According to Turner, “I would like to thank Dr. Dierksen for giving me this opportunity to serve the community that means so much to me. Dodge City has always been my home and I look forward to spending many more years here. I am truly excited for the opportunity to work with so many talented staff members and students throughout USD443.”
“Mr. Turner is an outstanding selection for Director of Secondary Education. He not only understands the district and the positions he will be in charge of but, he also knows Dodge City. This allows him to continue the relationships he has built and the understanding that comes with it. He also has the tools necessary to lead. I feel very fortunate to have him as a part of our administrative team.” said Dr. Fred Dierksen, Superintendent of Schools.
As Director of Secondary Education/Alternative Education Principal, Turner will work in conjunction with Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Scott Springston and Superintendent Dr. Fred Dierksen to provide instructional leadership for the staff and over 3,200 sixth through twelfth grade students at Comanche Middle School, Dodge City Middle School and Dodge City High School.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A proposal for a high-voltage power line carrying wind energy across the Midwest has received a jolt of new life after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that regulators wrongly rejected it.
The overview map on this page depicts the route of the Grain Belt Express Clean Line in Kansas- Image Clean Line Energy Partners.- click to expand
The court ruling Tuesday means that Missouri must re-evaluate whether Clean Line Energy Partners deserve approval for a $2.3 billion project that would build one of the longest electric transmission lines in the U.S.
Plans call for the line to run from wind farms in western Kansas across Missouri and Illinois before hooking into a power grid in Indiana that serves the eastern U.S.
Clean Line has been working on the so-called Grain Belt Express power line since 2010 but hasn’t been able to start construction because of regulatory hurdles.
Pictured, Front Row: Russell County Economic Development and CVB Executive Director Janae Talbott, US Representative Roger Marshall’s Congressional District Director Katie Sawyer, Klema’s Manager Rick Webb, SHPTV Interim General Manager Larry Calvery and Kansas Department of Commerce North Central Region Manager Dan Steffen. Back Row: State Representative Troy Waymaster, Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary Co-Owner Don Varner, and Russell County Commissioners Aaron Steinert, Don Boxberger and Alan Kuntzsch.
SHPTV
BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills Public Television received an award from the Kansas Department of Commerce at the Russell County Commission meeting on July 16, 2018. The award is part of the Commerce Department’s Business Appreciation Month.
Smoky Hills Public Television received the Northwest Kansas Regional Award in the category of Non-Profit. The station was nominated for the award by Russell County Economic Development and CVB.
A news release from Russell County Economic Development and CVB Executive Director Janae Talbott stated:
“Congratulations to Larry Calvery, interim General Manager, and the entire team at Smoky Hill Public TV that provide a variety of public service(s) to our community and state. Smoky Hills Public TV offers services from children’s programming, local state news and sports, do it yourself shows, medical and legislative call in programs, and much more. Smoky Hills Public TV is housed in the heart of central Kansas and has always been committed to rural communities and families. Congratulations to the entire team at Smoky Hills Public TV and thank you for providing a unique and quality service to our community and state.”
“The staff at Smoky Hills Public Television is grateful to Janae Talbott at Russell County Economic Development for nominating us for this award and we are thankful to the Kansas Department of Commerce for recognizing Smoky Hills Public Television’s contribution to the State of Kansas,” said Larry Calvery, interim General Manager.
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
The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and two U.S. senators enter the room. That sounds like a description of a Washington, D.C. hearing room, but in this case, it refers to what happened recently in the stone barn of a leading farm family in rural Kansas.
Last week we learned about longtime agricultural leaders Jeanne and Harold Mertz of River Creek Farms near Manhattan. Today, River Creek Farms is owned by two of their sons, Joe and Bob, and their wives Kim and Mary, respectively. The Mertz farm recently hosted the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for a meeting with Kansas farm leaders.
As the name River Creek Farm suggests, their farm ground is situated near a river. That means it is good fertile bottomland with water nearby, but it also can be risky during flooding. During the 1951 flood, floodwaters devastated downtown Manhattan and struck the Mertz farm and others. Jeanne and her one-month-old baby son Joe were evacuated from the farm by boat.
After the floodwaters receded, the Mertzes returned to the farm. They built a diversified crop and livestock operation, situated between the rural communities of Zeandale and Wabaunsee, population 517 people. Now, that’s rural.
Harold and Jeanne raised five children: Joe, Tom, Bob, Jon, and sister Jane. Tom is CEO and owner of a company in Gardner. Jon works at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, and Jane Mertz Garcia is a faculty member at K-State.
Joe came back to the farm after graduating from K-State in agriculture and serving on the livestock judging team. His judging experience and studies in the animal sciences department at K-State led him to suggest to his father that they try something new: He suggested that he would artificially inseminate their Polled Hereford cows with semen from Simmental bulls. His parents agreed and the resulting hybrid vigor was excellent.
Meanwhile, Joe met and married Kim Newell. His parents moved to a neighboring house, so Joe and Kim began their married life in the same house that Joe’s father and grandfather had begun their married lives. Joe and Kim went on to raise four kids on the farm: Asher, Lincoln, Malia and Abram.
In 1985, the Mertzs began offering purebred Simmental bulls for sale by private treaty. They later branched into Simmental-Angus cross bulls and offer a bull sale annually.
Joe’s younger brother Bob also went to K-State and competed on the livestock judging team. After graduation, Bob went to work for the National Livestock and Meat Board in Chicago for six years. Here he met a young lady named Mary. They married and also returned to the farm. Bob and Mary had two children, Lisa and David. Harold and Jeanne were proud that all six of their grandchildren got undergrad and/or post-graduate degrees from K-State.
Today, Joe manages the livestock while Bob has responsibility for the crops. River Creek Farms includes 3,600 acres of crop production which Bob has advanced technologically and sustainably. The Mertzs also have what has been described as one of the premier Simmental and SimAngus herds in the country. As the farm website says: “Our guiding principles throughout have remained the same: calving ease and disposition, a sincere focus on end-product value and harnessing the benefits of hybrid vigor. These cornerstones remain in place to this day and characterize every bull we sell, even if much has changed over the past 125 years.”
In 2018, Senator Pat Roberts, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, was looking for a farm to host the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for a meeting with Kansas farm leaders. The location they chose was River Creek Farms, owned by the Mertz family.
It’s time to leave this meeting of the USDA Secretary and the senators, held on a family farm in a rural valley near Manhattan, Kansas. We commend Joe and Kim and Bob and Mary Mertz and their families for making a difference in Kansas agriculture.
And there’s more. Another generation of the Mertz family is making its mark in the livestock industry in another innovative way. We’ll learn about that next week.
Returning from the summer meeting for presidents of state colleges and universities, I am renewed and reaffirmed in my faith in the mission and effectiveness of Fort Hays State University. We provide accessible, quality education to Kansas, the nation and the world through an innovative community of teacher-scholars and professionals who develop engaged global citizen-leaders.
I am particularly proud of our accessibility; our 17 consecutive years of growth; and the numerous awards, rankings, accreditations and recognitions driven by dedicated and talented faculty – indicative of a high quality education.
FHSU is not, and has never been, about being average. Our grit, innovation, and caring nature have served us well. These characteristics form the essence of our institutional DNA. We aim higher and work harder – especially when it comes to our students. Most importantly, we recognize that behind every enrollment, retention, and graduation statistic is a student, a real person to whom we have an obligation to guide and encourage.
This is why we continue to invest in award-winning programs such as the Hispanic College Institute; work hard to be a vibrant, forward-thinking partner with our community and technical colleges through proactive and creative articulation agreements; “meet students where they are” by providing educational opportunities in multiple formats such as engaging distance learning and community-based education whereby we send faculty to several sites throughout Western Kansas and the world; offer high-achieving high school students the unique opportunity to live on campus, engage in research with Ph.D. faculty, and enroll in 60 credit hours of college study all while completing their junior and senior year of high school; and provide multiple pathways for student engagement from living and learning communities to internships to study abroad opportunities.
We also recognize that we still have work to do in taking more students all the way to the finish line. Not every student who leaves FHSU early is a stop out, however. Some may be enrolled in our pre-engineering program specifically designed for transfer to engineering schools around the country. Others may enroll with a specific goal to complete general education requirements and then transfer to a higher cost college with different majors as a cost saving strategy. But there are students who are not graduating and for whom we need to find more effective ways of helping. That is why we continue to adopt new strategies and evaluate and refine current practices. Our faculty and staff devote an enormous amount of time and energy to getting better at supporting our students.
At FHSU, we have the courage to be introspective and innovative. Universities are called to think deeply and to differentiate between where students fail and where the university fails students – to adopt an “it’s on us” posture rather than simply blame students for not putting forth the effort to succeed. Researcher Robert Pace has long demonstrated that what the institution does can profoundly shape student effort and positively impact success. Even newer research by Robert Putnam indicates that students who are not as well prepared for college often do not lack in intelligence but in savvy. Our outreach and support of students is more critical than we sometimes realize. This is why our new Center for Student Success, which will become a reality in 2021 thanks in part to the generosity of Richard and the late Delores Fischli, will be a particularly exciting addition to our campus.
New research from Gallup indicates that hope is critical to college student success. This makes sense when you think about it. Ever tried to lose weight and got negative feedback from the scale? Motivated to eat more fruits and vegetables? Feel like weighing in the next day? Discouragement steals hope. Encouragement fuels hope, which results in success. I know that when my personal trainer gives me information, shows me what to do, monitors my progress, and continues to encourage me, I am hopeful, focused, excited, and successful. Each week I get stronger and can do more. My trainer reminds me not of what I cannot yet do but of the progress I have made and how much closer I am to accomplishing my fitness goals.
The conference reminded me of how important it is to tell our students every day how great they are, to encourage their hopes and dreams, to instill in them the importance of perseverance, to refuse to accept failure, and to love them to success. After all, this is how we create world class athletes, and it is how we should be creating world class students.
And the best news – this relentless focus on hope and student support – is a virtue alive and well at FHSU. I am renewed and brimming with optimism as August quickly approaches and brings with it the excitement of a new academic year.
RUSSELL – The Ad Astra Music Festival colors central Kansas with classical music during the month of July.
Bringing over 60 artists from all around the country, Ad Astra is a unique music festival, spanning three weekends in July and integrating emerging young artists, community members, and professional musicians.
The second weekend of performances includes The Elementson July 20, Cannonballs Fly on July 21, and Semiconsciousness and Bach Cantata 70on July 22.
2018 Young Artists Victoria Lawal, Alexandra Galla, Logan Barat and Cooper McGuire, who is a Kansas State University senior.
The Elements features the 2018 Young Artists and captures the essence of Franz Schubert’s music with selections about wind, earth, fire, and water. The recital will also feature local Kansans’ art to accompany the music of Schubert.
Cannonballs Fly explores pieces about war and peace, featuring the 2018 String Quartet. Notably, “Black Angels,” by George Crumb, is one of the most terrifying string quartets of all time, depicting the brutal violence and political unrest at the height of the Vietnam War.
Semiconsciousness, a concert comprised of only music composed in the last decade, wrestles with dreams, memory, and inner monologue. Brilliant New York-based soprano Madeline Healey will join Yale voice teacher Gene Stenger and San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellow in collaborative piano César Cañón in this daring and thrilling concert.
To close the weekend, the Sunday Evening Series presents Bach Cantata 70, bringing the music of the Lutheran home to St. John Lutheran Church in Russell. To learn more about our performances, please visit adastramusicfestival.org/calendar.
