The United Way of Ellis County will be hosting their first Dine-Out Day this year with The Press on Tuesday, Sept. 24th from 11a.m. to 8 p.m. at 230 E. Eight S. in Hays. Come join us for lunch or dinner at The Press. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the United Way and their 17 partner agencies. Watch for upcoming Dine-Out Days with participating restaurants online at www.liveunited.us or Facebook at United Way of Ellis County. Call 785-628-8281 for more information.
By JOHN P. TRETBAR
Authorities approved 34 new drilling permits across Kansas last week, 725 so far this year. There are 15 permits for drilling at new locations east of Wichita, and 19 in Western Kansas, including two in Butler County, and one each in Ellis, Russell and Stafford counties.
Independent Oil & Gas Service reports just five new well-completions across Kansas, one of those was in Ellis County. Operators have completed 998 wells across the state so far this year.
Baker Hughes reported a big drop in its weekly Rotary Rig Count Friday. Across the U.S. there are just 868 active drilling rigs, down 14 oil rigs and down five seeking natural gas. The count in Oklahoma was down ten rigs, and Texas was down seven.
There was a slight increase in the drilling rig count in Kansas. Independent Oil & Gas Service reports nine active rigs in the eastern half of the state, up one, and 28 west of Wichita, also up one.
New numbers from the Kansas Geological Survey confirm federal reports of an ongoing decline in crude-oil production in Kansas, despite a spike in national production totals. The latest state numbers show Kansas operators pumped a total of 13.77 million barrels of crude oil statewide through May of this year, down about a million barrels from a year ago. An earlier, federal report placed the total slightly higher at 13.9 million barrels through May. KGS said Barton County production was down 5% from the same figure last year, at just over 4,500 barrels per day. May production in Ellis County increased over the month before, but total production through May was down 4.7% from a year ago, at 1.04 million barrels. In Russell County operators produced more than 4,100 barrels per day, and Stafford County production topped 2,800 barrels per day through the first five months of the year.
Nationally, crude production continues at record pace. EIA reported the second-largest weekly U.S. crude-production total ever, just 77,000 barrels per day less than the record 12.5 million barrels per day produced three weeks earlier.
The government said commercial crude-oil inventories were up more than a million barrels for the week, but remained about two percent below the five-year seasonal average at 417.1 million barrels.
For the first time in over a year, U.S. oil-by-rail traffic declined last week, amid a five percent drop in all freight train traffic. The Association of American Railroads reported 11,692 train cars hauling petroleum and petroleum products during the week ended September 14. That’s a drop of more than twelve percent compared to the same week a year ago. The year-to-date cumulative total remains nearly eighteen percent over the total by this time last year. Oil-by-rail has shown growth in AAR’s weekly reports for about two years, when the spike in U.S. production outpaced our pipeline capacity.
North Dakota regulators reported record-high production of crude oil and natural gas in July. The Department of Mineral Resources reported total crude production of 44.7 million barrels, or more than 1.44 million barrels per day. DMR reported 15,943 active wells across North Dakota, which is also an all-time high.
The Academy of General Dentistry is pleased to announce Jeffrey Lowe, D.D.S. of Hays, Kansas, received the prestigious Fellowship Award during the AGD’s convocation ceremony, a commencement celebration that recognizes AGD member’s commitment to excellence in dental education.
During the event, which was at the AGD’s scientific session on Saturday, July 20 at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Dr. Lowe accepted this award along with about 240 other recipients.
The Fellowship Award is presented to dentists looking to provide the highest quality of dental care by remaining current in their profession. In order to receive this award, Dr. Lowe completed 500 hours of continuing dental education, passed a comprehensive written exam and fulfilled three years of continuing membership with the AGD.
As a recipient of this award, Dr. Lowe has joined an elite group of more than 17,080 members of the dental community who understand that great smiles and good oral health for their patients are the result of going above and beyond basic requirements. The Fellowship Award symbolizes excellence in the dental profession and a commitment to providing exceptional patient care.
“The AGD is designed to influence professional growth and development through continuing education, and we are proud to honor Dr. Lowe for his commitment and dedication to provide his patients with advanced and exceptional oral health care,” says AGD President Neil J. Gajjar, DDS, MAGD. “Dr. Lowe is exceeding industry requirements and paving a path of success distinguishing himself professionally amongst his peers and exemplifying his allegiance to the dental community.”
Dr. Lowe graduated from The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry in 1997 and currently practices dentistry at Lifetime Dental Care in Hays.
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board will continue discussion Monday on a new wage schedule for classified staff.
The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Rockwell Administration Center.
The school board was first presented a classified wage study on June 16. It found several classes of USD 489 employees are not making as much as their peers. These included building secretaries, office assistants and clerical workers, and information technology assistants. The wages for information technology assistants have already been adjusted.
District officials hope to develop wage schedules for all classified staff, but Hall said the district can’t afford to make all the adjustments in one year. They hope to start with the secretarial staff.
The board will again discuss the naming of the new home for the Early Childhood Connections program. The former Oak Park Medical Complex on 13th Street was renovated with the help of a federal grant for the program. The board has a list of names that were submitted by the community.
The complex opened to students at the start of the fall semester.
In other business, the board will:
MCCRACKEN – The McCracken Public Library in McCracken will host “The Harvey Girls,” a presentation and discussion by Michaeline Chance-Reay on Sunday, September 29 at 3 p.m. at McCracken City Building, 402 1st Street.
Everyone is invited to attend the free program. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas.
A delicious soup supper will follow the program with a free will donation.
The Harvey House chain of restaurants got its start in Topeka when Fred Harvey opened a café for people traveling the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. Preferring the term “Harvey Girl” to waitress, he recruited single women to work at his restaurants that gradually sprang up all the way to California and Texas. This presentation explores the job duties and working conditions of Harvey Girls from 1876 to the early 1950s.
Michaeline Chance-Reay teaches women’s studies and education at Kansas State University. Her current research focuses on the Harvey Girls and historic sites on the K-State campus, especially those related to women.
“Women in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who wanted jobs or careers outside of the home had few choices,” said Chance-Reay. “But the Harvey Company offered unique opportunities. It was demanding work but it provided a decent salary in a protected environment, in addition to travel and adventure.”
“The Harvey Girls” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Movement of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.
For more information about “The Harvey Girls” in McCracken contact the McCracken Public Library at 785-394-2444.
About Humanities Kansas
Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, our pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with our partners and supporters, we inspire all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.
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Ellis County Joint Planning Commission
The Ellis County Joint Planning Commission will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at 718 Main Street in the Commission Chambers in Hays.
Please contact the Ellis County Zoning Office at 785-628-9449 for more information.
Union Pacific
Union Pacific will share life-saving messages reminding drivers and pedestrians to use caution every time they cross the tracks during national Rail Safety Week events scheduled across Union Pacific’s 23-state system, Sept. 22-28.
“Railroad crossing incidents involving drivers and pedestrians are preventable if people remain vigilant near the tracks and avoid risky behavior,” said Erin Batt, Union Pacific’s chief safety officer. “Rail Safety Week is a great opportunity for communities to raise awareness about how people can keep themselves and their families safe near rail lines.”
Trains hit a person or vehicle at railroad crossings every four hours in America, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration. Union Pacific hopes to reverse the trend by discouraging unsafe behavior such as ignoring railroad warnings and walking on tracks in areas that are not designated crossings. Designated crossings can be marked with x-shaped railroad signage or equipped with red flashing lights, bells and gates.
Union Pacific will share rail safety tips on social media during Rail Safety Week and collaborate with other organizations participating in the nationwide education effort. Events include supporting law enforcement observing motorist behavior in Superior, Wisconsin, Sept. 24. On Sept. 27, Union Pacific and Metra, Chicago’s commuter railroad, will host a rail safety education outreach effort with National Transportation Safety Board Member Jennifer Homendy, Safe Kids Worldwide, Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Village of Elmhurst.
It’s important to remember trains do not operate on set schedules and to expect a train at all times. Practicing the following rail safety tips throughout the year will help drivers and pedestrians stay safe near railroad tracks:
Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP). One of America’s most recognized companies, Union Pacific Railroad connects 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail, providing a critical link in the global supply chain. The railroad’s diversified business mix is classified into its Agricultural Products, Energy, Industrial and Premium business groups. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers, operates from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada’s rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways. Union Pacific provides value to its roughly 10,000 customers by delivering products in a safe, reliable, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible manner.
Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:
Hays Middle School 29th and Fort, Hays – Sept. 20
A routine inspection found four violations.
Housman Distributing 2005 General Custer Rd., Unit 46, Hays – Sept. 17
A routine inspection found no violations.
Wheatland Foods 2270 East Eighth, Hays – Sept. 17
An FDA contract inspection found no violations.
Whiskey Creek 3203 Vine, Hays – Sept. 17
A routine inspection found seven violations.
HAYS POST
Saturday evening’s thunderstorms in Hays yielded an official 1.12 inches of rain as measured at the K-State Agricultural Center south of town.
So far in September, Hays has received 1.49 inches of rain.
Year-to-date moisture is 26.67 inches, nearly 7 inches above the average total of 19.91 inches by the end of September.
Mike interviews Phillip Kuhn about the 2 day Oktoberfest
