Dr. Brett Zollinger, Kiley Heine and Dr. Amanda Buday
FHSU University Relations
Kiley Heine, Great Bend senior majoring in sociology and a research assistant at Fort Hays State University, was the lead presenter of a research talk at the recent 24th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management in Snowbird, Utah.
“Assessing Attitudes About Municipal Water Conservation and Participation in City-Sponsored Conservation Initiatives” describes the attitudes about municipal water conservation and participation in conservation behaviors using data from a spring 2018 survey of Hays households.
“Our research examines factors associated with participation in city-sponsored water conservation initiatives and attitudes about the importance of water conservation among Hays residents,” said Dr. Amanda Buday, assistant professor of sociology.
“Since its inception in 1986, the ISSRM conference has always had a broad focus that encompasses a wide variety of international resource management issues, environmental justice, collaborative stakeholder processes and the social impacts of natural resource management,” according to the ISSRM website.
“Our work on water conservation is closely tied to community development as constraints on water resources in Hays pose a challenge for growth,” said Buday. “Water conservation is therefore important for protecting our local water resources for future generations and enabling Hays to continue to serve as a regional economic and cultural hub for western Kansas.”
FHSU faculty members Dr. Brett Zollinger, chair of the Department of Sociology, and Buday were co-authors of the presentation.
“I appreciate the support we received from the Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Projects, the city of Hays Department of Water Resources, Kansas State University Watershed Specialist, Stacie Minson, the FHSU Motor Pool, the FHSU print shop and the FHSU Student Employment Office, whose support enabled us to carry out our research and provide our students with valuable educational experiences,” said Buday.
“Presenting at a professional meeting and the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research taking place at other institutions is icing on the cake!”
WAKEENEY — The annual Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital Project Help golf tournament is set for Saturday in WaKeeney.
Project Help is a nonprofit committee that aims to help people in Trego County who need a hand.
Committee member Neva Flax said it was initially created to help with patient care.
“We saw that there were a lot of needs that we felt like we could meet pretty easily or that people were meeting through the hospital, but they were just paying for things out of their own pocket,” Flax said.
She said they have helped people who have dietary needs with buying certain kinds of groceries.
Project Help has also provided clothes, shoes and even transportation for people transported to the hospital after an incident on Interstate 70.
Because of the success in the number of people helped, the committee has expanded to offer help to people throughout Trego County.
“We’ve done different things around WaKeeney too,” Flax said. “People that have needed help to doctors appointments, or transportation or needing help paying for gas, lodging and food trying to get to a specialty clinic in Kansas City or Topeka.”
People wanting to receive help must submit a formal request to the committee, which will then determine the best way to help.
“It might not necessarily at that point be a patient for us but just to help that person in our community to get where they’re needing to go,” said Flax.
Last year, then the severe storm caused significant damage to the WaKeeney area, and Project Help hosted a bake sale to raise funds to help employees of the hospital.
All of the money is raised through fundraisers and does not come from the hospital. The golf tournament is the group’s biggest fundraiser.
Saturday’s golf tournament is a three-person scramble at the Big Creek Golf Court. The cost is $120 a team and lunch is provided. Registration is from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. with tee off at 9:00 a.m.
For more information, contact Flax at 785-743-2182, Ext. 101.
It’s not often that Hays hosts a musical group whose concerts – by law – must be free and open to the public.
That is the case with the 35th Infantry Division Army Band, based out of Olathe.
Sergeant First Class Nathan Fabrizius, a Fort Hays State University graduate, schedules performances for the group. “I’ve been trying to get them out to Hays for a while,” said Fabrizius, who plays piano for the group’s jazz combo and trombone for its concert band.
The 35th Infantry Division Army Band, established in 1922, is a unit of the Kansas Army National Guard and is made up of 37 citizen soldiers. Members from Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska meet one weekend a month to practice and 2 weeks in the summer.
While the band performs at community events and military ceremonies throughout the year, summer is their primary touring season.
The unit divides into smaller groups including a rock band, two brass quintets, a woodwind quintet, a small brass band, and a jazz combo. The band’s main group is its concert band which plays concert music, pop, classical, and big band selections.
The band will perform multiple free concerts in Hays, with the largest being the concert band performance at 7 p.m. Monday, July 16, at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the FHSU campus.
The full schedule is as follows:
Bullseye Brass Quintet
July 16, Noon
Hays Public Library, Schmidt Gallery
Concert Band
July 16, 7 p.m.
Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center
Jazz Combo
July 17, Noon
Hays Public Library, Schmidt Gallery
Heartland Brass Quintet & Prairie Winds Quintet
July 18, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Historic Fort Hays Site
Hard to Handle: Military Rock Concert
July 19, Noon
Hays Public Library, Schmidt Gallery
Events at the Hays Public Library will include free lunch for the first 30 guests.
Born Learning Trail in Sunrise Park just east of Roosevelt School
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Within the first six months of forming, the new Wonder Women League (WWL) of the United Way of Ellis County (UWEC) had 35 members, hosted one fundraiser and completed their first Community Impact Project.
The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for the Born Learning Trail in Sunrise Park, 19th and Lawrence Drive, was held Tuesday morning.
“We’re very proud of our venture,” said WWL co-chair Nancy Jeter.
The trail was installed by the Hays staff of Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball (ABBB) as a community volunteer project.
The 50 or so employees split up the work over two sessions in June to first install the signposts and then paint the accompanying letters, numbers, colors and even hopscotch on the concrete walking trail. “We had about 25 people each time,” said Brenda Bickle, ABBB financial services coordinator.
Nancy Jeter and Rhonda Meyerhoff, co-chairs of the Wonder Women League with Brenda Bickle of ABBB talk about the new Born Learning Trail
“It’s so fun to have Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball as our partner in our first project,” Jeter added. The ABBB employees will also maintain the trail, repainting it as needed.
The city of Hays Parks Department, with the help of the volunteer Hays Beautification Committee, has installed a pollinators garden along the trail filled with plants to attract pollinating insects and other animals.
The Born Learning Trail is a series of 10 interactive signs describing fun learning activities to be done along the trail by children along with their families and caregivers. The adventures help with pre-literacy, gross motor skills and problem-solving skills.
“It’s fun and also a great learning experience. Studies have shown that children that have that advantage before they even hit preschool, they have an advantage by learning their numbers, their colors, their shapes, and everything,” Jeter reported. “They have a head start on everyone else. And when they don’t, they’re at a greater disadvantage of learning all the way through their education.”
The Wonder Women League is an affinity group of the United Way and operates independently.
“Please know we have no intention of taking away from the United Way of Ellis County,” emphasized Rhonda Meyerhoff, WWL co-chair. “Half of the proceeds from all of our fundraisers will go to the United Way of Ellis County. We want to support them and help that organization to grow and do even more of the really good things that they do.”
Sherry Dryden, executive director of the United Way of Ellis County, live streamed the ribbon cutting event on Facebook.
Sherry Dryden, executive director of the UWEC, who live streamed the event on Facebook, was full of praise for the Wonder Women League.
“They are a phenomenal group and we are totally blessed to have them in our community,” declared Dryden told the crowd about recently attending a regional conference in Gatlinburg, Tenn., where that women’s United Way group took two years to get 35 members and do their first project, “and they were in a county of 300,000 people,” she pointed out.
“These women in our community are amazing. I tell everyone when you see them, don’t run. They will catch you,” Dryden continued as the crowd laughed. “And when they do catch you, you just say yes.”
“When we started this, we talked to a few businesses and they didn’t know who we were. They didn’t know what we were going to do,” Jeter recalled. “We said just give us a chance and we’ll prove ourselves.” WWL now has several year-round sponsors including Werth Wealth Management, Golden Plains Credit Union, Eagle Communications, Bank of Hays and First Kansas Bank.
The next WWL project is a self-defense workshop for women to be held Sat., Sept. 8 at Fort Hays State University. Meyerhoff and Jeter encouraged Ellis County residents to contact the group with ideas for other community projects.
The group is still accepting new members, Jeter said, and hopes to have 50 by December.
“One woman can do a little, but a whole group… We’re going to change things in this community and make it such a better place,” Jeter said with a huge smile on her face. “Just give us the time. We’re going to get a lot of things done.”
My journey into helping families with chronic illness took an unusual path. My grandmother was widowed in 1984. She was about 70 at the time. Soon after, we built an apartment onto her home where my mom could oversee her care. My grandmother was actually doing fairly well. My mom was still working, and their relationship, in addition to being daughter and mother, was really a companionship. They had their evening meals together. They did their shopping together.
In December of 2000, my grandmother had a heart attack. She was given three to six months to live. But, we had a plan: my mom was going to take care of her. Then, two months later, my mother passed away. I became a caregiver to my grandmother.
That began my journey into elder law, and my journey in dealing with families with chronic illnesses.
There are so many lessons from my journey with my grandmother, but one that really sticks out to me at this moment is this: she really did not understand why she would survive her husband, her three brothers, her parents, and all three of her children. I think of all the battles that she and I fought together over the next year paled in comparison to her trying to get her mind around that fact. Why did she have to live to see all of that?
I thought of this story recently, but on a different level. A month or two ago, I had a family come see me, John and Betty. Though they were both still working and a very vigorous couple in their late 60’s, John had been diagnosed with dementia-like symptoms. Even finishing a sentence was difficult. Betty would spend her day working, only to come home and need to address the issues with John. She was exhausted.
We began working with the family. We had one of our care coordinators (in this case a social worker) assigned to John and Betty to help guide them through the process of dealing with a chronic illness, as well as aging issues.
We had a second meeting scheduled with the family, and the care coordinator gave me a heads up: John and Betty were really in distress. The care coordinator was afraid they were angry about something, but she could not put her fingers on it.
When John and Betty came in to see me, I made a special effort to set aside some time to visit with them. In the beginning of the conversation, they related that they felt as if they just did not need help. (Remember that John, many times, could not even finish a sentence.) Betty said, “I am still working, John is still strong as a bull and he gets a lot of work done around the farm.”
I kept visiting with them. Finally, and in tears, Betty said to me, “We are just not supposed to be here now in this condition.”
During the rest of the conversation, it became so evident to me how much she loved John and hated to see him go through what he was going through. But, even more evident, was John’s heart pouring out his love for Betty. He had always been the strong one. He was still the strong one, and he was afraid he was losing that ability. He was afraid that instead of Betty leaning on him, he would have to lean on Betty.
Once all of us realized what was going on, my law partner and I, as well as John and Betty, felt the tension lift from the room. I think just recognizing our fears helped us talk about them and share with each other. Though I left the room and let the care coordinator finish up, I heard laughter coming from the room later on. I knew that some bridge had been crossed.
It does not matter if you are 27 or 87, bad things can happen. You can wake up and find yourself in a position that you never thought you would be in. Many of us are going through that type of journey now. It can make us question so many things that we take for granted in our lives.
My grandmother was never a complainer, but on a handful of occasions she did ask me why she survived all of her family. I wish that I could tell you that I said something profound. I did point out to her that because she was still around, our family, from all sides, got together once or twice a year just to be in her presence. I moved my grandmother to live in the same town with me. We were together the last four years of her life. That experience taught me that many little things are just as important as big things.
Though I have been practicing law for 38 years, though I have been working with people with chronic illnesses and aging issues for almost 15 years, I learned something from John and Betty. I know that their days ahead will be difficult, but I know that they will love each other to the fullest extent that they can, and they will appreciate every moment they have together.
My hope for all of you is that when you do face a situation like this, as is John and Betty and as did my grandmother, you be willing to let people help you. Many times a guide is important.
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
Barb Wasinger, Republican candidate for Kansas state representative in the 111th District, announced the formation of her campaign steering committee.
The members are former state Reps. Sue Boldra and Travis Couture-Lovelady, Nikki Pfannenstiel, Dustin Roths, Sara Bloom and Errol Wuertz. It also includes the previously appointed co-chairs of her campaign Sandy Jacobs, Hays city commissioner, and Dean Haselhorst, Ellis County commissioner.
GREAT BEND, Kan. – The Hays Eagles Junior American Legion is headed to the A State Tournament following an 18-8 rout of the Salina Hawks in the Great Bend Zone Tournament finals Wednesday afternoon at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
The Eagles overcame an early 8-0 deficit, scoring eight runs in the third inning then five in the fifth and sixth. Isaac Smith’s single on a 3-2 pitch in the fifth broke the 8-8 tie. Dalyn Schwarz followed with a two-run triple.
Schwarz finished with three hits and five RBIs. Blake Herman had four of the Eagles 18 hits and drove in three runs while Remington Cox had three hits and four RBIs.
Chance Murphy allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk in 5 2/3 innings relief for the win.
The single-A state tournament begins Wednesday in Leavenworth.
Fort Hays State University and the American Red Cross are hosting an upcoming blood drive Thu., July 12, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Comeau Campus Center, 506 W. 6th.
Right now, the American Red Cross has a critical need for blood donations to ensure blood types don’t go missing. Blood donations are being distributed to hospitals as fast as donations are coming in.
The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.
Thank you for supporting the American Red Cross blood program!
Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App on the App Store, Google Play or text BLOODAPP to 90999. Schedule appointments, get rewards and invite friends to join you on a lifesaving team.
Please see attached information regarding the availability of free and reduced-price meals for the upcoming school year.
If you think your children may be eligible, you can apply online at www.EZMealApp.com.
In addition, don’t forget to complete the Consent for Disclosure for the district to waive your child’s fees at enrollment if you qualify for free meals. Paper applications and consent forms are available upon request.
Also attached to this email is USD 489’s Unpaid Meal Charge policy for all students, adopted by the Board of Education last year.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Cingulate Therapeutics LLC, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new and innovative products utilizing its precision timed release drug delivery platform technology incorporating the OralogiKTM erosion barrier, today announced a $7.5M equity investment from Werth Family Investment Associates. The company has now raised over $16M as it positions itself for continued growth.
Proceeds will be used to advance Cingulate’s two (2) proprietary, first-line medications for the treatment of ADHD, CTx-1301 (dexmethylphenidate) and CTx-1302 (dextroamphetamine), through investigational new drug applications and Phase I/II clinical trials. Cingulate also announced today that Peter J. Werth, Founder and CEO of ChemWerth Inc., a privately held Connecticut-based corporation will join Cingulate’s Board of Directors.
Shane J. Schaffer, Chairman and CEO of Cingulate Therapeutics, said, “This event marks a significant achievement for our company in multiple ways. The first and most obvious is that the capital will advance our lead products into Phase I/II clinical trials. Furthermore, Peter’s extensive knowledge, experience and tremendous reputation in the pharmaceutical industry will make his contributions as a board member invaluable. His presence in Connecticut as head of ChemWerth extends well beyond the ‘medicine chest’ of pharmaceutical companies in the Northeast to the world-wide business he has built.”
“We are excited about Cingulate’s work as reflected in its co-lead products for ADHD and its innovative drug delivery platform technology,” stated Peter J. Werth, President of Werth Family Investment Associates. “The $14B ADHD market represents a large commercial opportunity. In the wider picture, Cingulate’s technology has the potential to make a real difference in patient care where its once-daily tablets of multi-dose therapies can support patients, physicians and the healthcare system. We are pleased and excited to be able to help accelerate Cingulate’s wonderful work.”
ChemWerth Inc. is a full-service generic drug development and supply company providing high quality Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients to regulated markets worldwide. Through exclusive development and partnerships with API manufacturers, ChemWerth Inc. provides expertise in product selection and development, analytical and regulatory services, and strong project management to ensure the highest standards of quality.
Mr. Werth, a Hays native, earned a BS degree in Chemistry and Math from Fort Hays State University and a MS degree in Organic Chemistry from Stanford University. He serves as a director on the boards of the following companies: VM Pharma LLC, VM Therapeutics LLC, VM Oncology LLC, Likarda LLC, Altos Therapeutic, Alzeca, Nuance, Perseus and Cingulate Therapeutics LLC. Mr. Werth has formed LLCs to develop commercial projects using specific technologies which reflect his strong entrepreneurial interests and contributions toward start-ups.
Along with his family, he has established the Werth Family Foundation to support various philanthropic causes, specifically in educational, cultural, and medical-related causes globally. Mr. Werth financed the formation of The Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Connecticut, the Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics at Fort Hays State University and the Werth Center for Coastal & Marine Studies at Southern Connecticut State University.
— Submitted
TOPEKA — The Kansas Insurance Department is currently making the annual funds distribution to state and local firefighter relief organizations.
More than $13.3 million will be distributed among 564 local Firefighters Relief Associations (FRAs) across the state.
Ellis County will receive a total of $141,343.11.
FRA#532 ELLIS CO RURAL FIRE DEPT F R A: $44,277.66
FRA#190 ELLIS F R A: $7,316.87
FRA#237 HAYS F R A: $84,222.00
FRA#431 VICTORIA F R A: $5,526.58
“This fund assists firefighters and their families when an accident or death occurs in the line of duty,” said Ken Selzer, CPA, Commissioner of Insurance. “We are honored to assist in its distribution.”
The money is generated by a 2 percent tax paid by insurance companies on fire and lightning insurance premiums written in Kansas for the previous calendar year. It is collected by the department, on behalf of the Kansas Firefighter Relief Act, and passed on to the FRAs, as required by Kansas law. The funds are disbursed electronically.
“The local association funds are used for purchasing accident and health, disability, and life insurance premiums to assist firefighters and their families,” said John Boyd, FRA administrator for the department.
Also, the Kansas State Firefighters Association will receive $502,863 for education and research purposes and for funding the state association’s death benefit fund. These funds also come from the generated premium tax.
Of the state association total, $402,863 is earmarked for educational purposes and research into fire prevention and firefighting, and $100,000 is used to replenish the death benefit fund.
