The Kansas Department of Commerce has announced that the Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZ) program will expand during Fiscal Year 2014. The expanded program will include 23 additional counties approved to participate in ROZ by the Kansas Legislature during the 2013 session.

In 2011, Gov. Sam Brownback and the Legislature established the ROZ program in 50 counties as a means of countering the rural flight that has caused many Kansas counties to lose population over the past several decades. The ROZ program allows qualifying individuals who move to a ROZ county to have their state income taxes waived for up to five years. In addition, counties that opt to partner with the state may offer student loan repayments of up to $15,000.

Grant and Gray counties, two of the newly designated ROZ counties, have already voted to partner with the state in the student loan repayment program.

Since July 2011, the Department has received 864 applications for participation in the student loan repayment program from residents of 39 states. Applicants represent a wide variety of industries, with education and healthcare as the two largest professions.

The following counties have been certified by the Legislature as ROZ counties (italicized counties are 2013 additions):

Allen, Anderson, Barber, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Decatur, Doniphan, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jewell, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Meade, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Rawlins, Republic, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Trego, Thomas, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Wilson and Woodson.

 

Russell County is celebrating its Area Community Foundation.

Officials gathered Wednesday afternoon for a proclamation signing with Russell Mayor Curt Mader, who declared it “Russell County Area Community Foundation Day.”

Since its inception 12 years ago, the Community Foundation and donors have returned more than $1 million to local charitable causes.

To mark that milestone, RCACF Executive Director Angie Muller say two $500 mini-grants will be awarded to projects demonstrating a love for Russell County.

Winners will be based on a popular vote on the RCACF Facebook page.

Any non-profit organization, business, group or individual is eligible to apply.  Grant applications are due Wednesday, July 24.

The Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

1. City of WaKeeney   408 Russell Ave.,    WaKeeney KS 67672

   Agenda for Regular Meeting 7/16/13 at 7:00 PM

   I. Roll Call
   II. Approval of minutes of last meeting

   III. Petitions, requests, complaints, guests, etc.

   IV. Report of City Officers / Department Heads

   1. Chief of Police

   a. Monthly departmental report

   2. City Administrator

   a. Ordinance vacating the 100 Block of South 9th Street

   b. Draft 2014 city budget

   3. Mayor

   a. Update on city and community events

   V. Old / New Business

   VI. Executive Session for non-elected personnel

   VII. Adjournment

    

Although the 2013 Kansas winter wheat crop may be bigger than originally forecasted, this year’s harvest is still anticipated to be down 14 percent from last year, according to National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Western Kansas fared only slightly better than half of last year’s crop.

In WaKeeney, the grain was moving out by train Wednesday from the Cargill elevator  :

Elevator employee Caleb Favrycky says although Trego County farmers abandoned some acres due to drought, freeze and hailstorms, the Cargill elevators in WaKeeney and Collyer took in just a little less than two million bushes of wheat.

Just like many Kansas farmers, Favrycky is ever-optimistic.

“We’ll see what fall brings.  Maybe more milo and corn, that kind of thing, ” he hopes.

 

The Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland Board of Directors, which covers all of western Kansas, has announced that Liz Workman has been named the new CEO for the council. She officially assumed her CEO position on July 1.

Workman most recently served as Executive Director of the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation.

Prior to joining the foundation, she was an independent fine arts consultant.  She also has significant experience in the banking and investment banking sectors as the Managing Director of Analytics at Cohane Rafferty Securities in New York from 1988-1999.

Workman is a sixth generation Kansan, growing up in Wichita.

 

 

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced Wednesday his appointments to the Governor’s Mental Health Task Force, established to re-evaluate the state’s mental health system and determine ways to make it stronger and more effective.

The Governor has asked the appointees to look for ways to enhance collaboration among state agencies that administer mental health programs and to better utilize the resources Kansas devotes to mental health services. Task force members will examine key factors necessary for enhancing community support structures and increasing the capacity of Kansas communities to help those with mental illness.

The state’s multi-faceted mental health care system includes the two state mental hospitals and Kansas’ 27 Community Mental Health Centers which, along with private contractors, residential facilities and providers, make up the mental health safety net that Kansas has created over many years.

The Mental Health Task Force goals set by Governor Brownback are to:

• Determine what State Agencies and communities can do to better identify, treat, and support individuals with mental illness to live meaningful and productive lives in their community. This includes individuals who:
  • Currently use the mental health system
  • Are not  reached by appropriate mental health services
  • Are at risk of serious life disruption due to exacerbation of mental health symptoms.

• Identify and recommend specific community solutions that have the potential to minimize and prevent the exacerbation of chronic mental health conditions and support individuals to live meaningful and productive lives in their community.

Appointed to the task for by the Governor are: Dr. Rick Goscha, Lawrence; Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm, Wichita; Captain Bill Cochran, Topeka; Judge Tom Webb, Sublette; Dr. Steven Davies, Horton; Dr. Rick Gaskill, Wichita; Amanda Adkins, Kansas City; Ric Dalke, LSCSW, Garden City; Dr. Charlie Griffin, Manhattan; Dr. Michael Leeson, Lawrence; Becky Gray, Pittsburg; Cathy Ramshaw, Topeka; Pastor David Redmond, Concordia; Les Sperling, Lindsborg and Mark Potter, Cheney; Father Richard L. Daise, Salina.

A newly formed citizens group in WaKeeney is hosting a public meeting Thursday evening to talk about financial issues affecting the county-owned hospital and nursing home.

The meeting, organized by  “Community Coalition,” will start at 7:30p.m. at Western Electric Cooperative.

Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital has struggled with a financial deficit, although representatives reported a return to profitability during Monday’s county commission meeting.

Trego County has issued nearly $1.8 million in no-fund warrants and voters approved a one-percent sales tax to help reduce the hospital’s budget deficit.

The county also contributes $50,000 a year to the Trego Manor nursing home. 

Kansas has obtained national accreditation for the agency that oversees the state’s preparations for emergencies and its responses to disasters.

Gov. Sam Brownback had a news conference Monday to celebrate the Division of Emergency Management’s five-year accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.

The program is a Kentucky-based nonprofit group that sets standards for emergency preparedness and allows emergency managers to assess state and local government programs. Kansas is the 28th state to gain accreditation.

The program’s standards address more than 100 issues, such as whether emergency communications systems are adequately tested and whether plans spell out which agency is responsible for individual services.
Brownback said the accreditation shows that Kansas has a strong emergency management program.

The U.S. National Research Council has ranked Kansas State University’s department of plant pathology as the No. 1 plant pathology department in the nation.

The council’s most recent Ranking of Plant Sciences Graduate Schools lists the university’s plant pathology department at No. 10 nationally among 162 plant sciences departments. Kansas State University’s department is the top plant pathology department on the list. As such, it ranks ahead of plant pathology departments at Cornell University, the University of Wisconsin, the University of California-Davis and Texas A&M University.

“This prestigious ranking reflects the enormous global impact of the basic and applied research being done by an extraordinarily diverse group of talented faculty, staff and students during a period of years to increase the quantity, quality and safety of domestic and international food supplies,” said John Leslie, university distinguished professor of plant pathology and head of the department.

“As a department, we bring in three to four times as much outside grant money every year as we receive from the state in support of our operations,” Leslie said. “Certainly our success and its recognition by the National Research Council is a critical step in achieving the university’s goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025.”

The rankings are based on department’s doctoral programs.

The State Library of Kansas has announced its 2013 Kansas Notable Books list.

The 15 books feature quality titles with wide public appeal, either written by Kansans or about a Kansas-related topic.

“The Kansas Notable Books Committee considered the universe of eligible books published in 2012. As always, I was delighted to receive the recommended list and make the final decision,” said State Librarian Jo Budler. “Our list is intended to showcase Kansas’ unique talent and history while encouraging residents to visit their library and check out the celebrated titles.”

2013 Kansas Notable Books

 The Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children)

Tucker MacBean would love to be a superhero. Unfortunately, he wasn’t born with anything resembling a superpower. What he has instead is a talent for drawing comic book heroes. This middle-grade novel is about looking past conventional ideas of strength and finding your own superpower.

Beyond Cold Blood: The KBI from Ma Barker to BTK by Larry Welch (University Press of Kansas)

Ma Barker and Pretty Boy Floyd once shot their way across the state, and Bonnie and Clyde were known to travel within its borders. From bank robbers to cattle rustlers to serial killers, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation has played a key role in the pursuit of some Kansas’ most infamous criminals.

Blackbear Bosin: Keeper of the Indian Spirit by David Simmonds (Carriage Factory Art Gallery)

Blackbear Bosin was the self-taught Kiowa-Comanche artist best known for his majestic sculpture in Wichita, Keeper of the Plains. This book, written by his stepson, explores his life as well as his award winning paintings and murals.

 

The Chaperone: A Novel by Laura Moriarty (Riverhead Books)

A captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922. Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and icon of her generation,  fifteen-year-old Louise and her thirty-six year old chaperone, Cora, spend five weeks together that will change their lives forever.

The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns (Chronicle Books)

In this riveting chronicle, which accompanies the documentary, the authors capture the profound drama of the American Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Terrifying photographs, along with firsthand accounts, bring to life this heart-wrenching catastrophe of the Great Plains.

Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith (Random House)

Drawing on a wealth of untapped primary resources, author Jean Edward Smith begins in Abilene with Eisenhower as a young man and proceeds to his appointment to West Point, World War II, and provides the inside story of the 1952 Republican convention, ending with Ike’s years in the Whitehouse.

Frontier Manhattan: Yankee Settlement to Kansas Town, 1854-1894 by Kevin G. W. Olson (University Press of Kansas)

When six New Englanders arrived at the junction of the Kansas and Big Blue rivers in March of 1855, they pitched a tent and launched a town. Kevin Olson’s lively history of Manhattan’s founding draws on town records and personal papers to illuminate the challenges settlers faced and the drama of building a town from scratch on the Great Plains Frontier.

A Kansas Bestiary by Jake Vail, Doug Hitt, and illustrated by Lisa Grossman (Self pub)

In the Middle Ages, a bestiary was  a guide to the animals that populated the land. Published in collaboration with the Kansas Land Trust, this charming book presents 15 portraits of animals native to Kansas. Each entry, accompanied by exquisite watercolor illustrations, is equally informative and amusing.

May B.: A Novel by Caroline Starr Rose (Schwartz & Wade Books)

May is helping out on a neighbor’s homestead—just until Christmas. But when a terrible turn of events leaves her all alone, she must try to find food and fuel—and courage—to make it through the approaching winter.  This Young Adult novel in verse will transport you to the endless Kansas prairie, and to the suffocating closeness of the sod house where May is stranded.

This Ecstasy They Call Damnation: Poems by Israel Wasserstein (Woodley Press)

In this wide-ranging collection, Israel Wasserstein tells and retells the stories of myths, legends, the Bible, and his own personal journey down Highway 54. Both the physiological and psychological effects of the prairie are in evidence here. This book of poetry asks for reading after reading to uncover what is there.

Time’s Shadow: Remembering a Family Farm in Kansas by Arnold J. Bauer (University Press of Kansas)

Arnold Bauer grew up on his family’s farm in Clay County. This coming-of-age memoir set in the 1930s and ‘50s, blends local history with personal reflection to paint a realistic picture of farm life from a now-lost world. He shares the trials of the Depression and drought, experiences the coming of electricity, and finds wonder in the commonplace of going to town on a Saturday night for a walnut ice cream cone.

To the Stars Through Difficulties: A Kansas Renga in 150 Voices edited by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg (Mammoth Publications)

A “renga” is a collaborative poem based on the Japanese haiku form. In this book of poetry, each poet begins with the seed of an idea from the poem before, writes, and leads the way for the next poet, resulting in a poetic conversation. The words of each poet, gathered from the center and edges of Kansas, show us not just the parts, but an expansive skyscape of language.

A Voice for Kanzas by Debra McArthur (Kane Miller Books)

Kansas Territory in 1855 is a difficult place to settle, particularly for a thirteen-year-old poet like Lucy Thompkins.  Along with her trusted friends, Lucy helps a runaway slave girl to freedom and fights swollen rivers and the Border Ruffians. In a dangerous situation, Lucy makes a choice that proves to herself (and others) that poems are meaningless without action behind them.

Wide Open by Larry Bjornson (Berkley Publishing Group)

Based on actual events, Wide Open is a novel of family and coming of age set in 1871 Abilene, a place where good and evil are so evenly matched that no one knows which will triumph. Will Merritt finds himself torn between the Texas cowboys he and his friends idolize and the migrant settlers whose farms threaten to crowd out the cattle.  Recently hired marshal, Wild Bill Hickok, struggles to control the streets of Abilene.

The Yard by Alex Grecian (G. P. Putnam & Sons)

Victorian London is a cesspool of crime and Scotland Yard has only twelve detectives, known as the Murder Squad, to investigate countless murders every month. No one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own … one of the twelve. With masterful storytelling and meticulous attention to period detail, Grecian weaves multiple narratives that converge in a heart stopping climax.

An awards ceremony will be held at the First Lady’s Kansas Book Festival, September 7, 2013, to recognize the Notable Book authors.

 

The Kansas Historical Society announced Monday that a Mitchell County farmstead and a former high school in Belleville are among the newest Kansas properties added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Other new listings include three Wichita apartment buildings, private residences in Wamego and Douglass, and two barns in Chase County.  This brings the total Kansas listings in the National Register to 1,317.

The National Register of Historic Places is the country’s official list of historically significant properties.   Below are summaries of the listings:

Click, Abram, Farmstead – 2030 Independence Avenue, Beloit, Mitchell County

The Abram Click Farmstead is a collection of six historic farm resources located at the southeast corner of Kansas Highway 14 and US Highway 24 on the northwest edge of Beloit. Click, a Kentucky native, was living in the Beloit area as early as 1873, and his arrival was part of an influx of new residents into Mitchell County that occurred between 1870 and 1880. He received his patent for 40 acres in 1880, but he sold the improved land in 1883. The property continued to function as a farmstead through the 1980s. Today, the farmstead is owned by the Mitchell County Historical Society and includes 6.8 acres with a limestone house, barn ruins, water tower, washhouse, granary, and outhouse ruins. The Gothic Revival house was constructed circa 1880 and features ornate window hoods, dressed sills and quoins that is likely the work of Joseph Hill, a locally well-known 19th century stone mason. The house is an excellent representation of early construction in Mitchell County. The later wood frame washhouse, granary, and outhouse demonstrate the evolution of the farmstead into the early 20th century. The property was nominated as part of the Historic Agriculture-Related Resources of Kansas multiple property nomination for its local significance in the areas of agriculture and architecture.

 

Belleville High School – 915 W 18th Street, Belleville, Republic County

The residents of Belleville voted in favor of $115,000 in local bonds to finance the construction of a new high school in 1931. Wichita architect Samuel S. Voigt designed the Collegiate Gothic-style building, and Hoisington contractor Alex Helwig oversaw its construction. The school served as the public high school for 31 years and then as a junior high and later middle school for another 51 years. The building embodies the traditional characteristics of the Collegiate Gothic style with its red brick exterior and stone detailing, multiple gable roofs, and pointed arches. At the time of its opening, the school’s design reflected the latest trends in school planning with separate auditorium and gymnasium spaces and specialized classrooms for the manual training and domestic science departments. It was nominated as part of the Historic Public Schools of Kansas multiple property nomination for its local significance in the areas of education and architecture.

McNee Barns – Highway 50, three miles South of Elmdale, Chase County

The McNee Barns are located in the Kansas Flint Hills in the west-central portion of Chase County. The nominated property, which has been owned by the McNee family since 1916,   includes four historic resources: a circa 1920 horse barn, a 1948 boxcar barn, a dry-laid stone fence, and an Aermotor windmill. The horse barn is characterized by its roof shape. It has a gable roof with one-story shed bays on the east and west sides forming a broken gable roofline. In addition to the original horse stalls, the interior of the barn features a loafing shed, two granaries, and a few cattle stalls and milking stanchions. The upper floor of the barn is a full height haymow with a hay hood and hinged hay door at the north gable end. A second smaller barn is made of two parallel railroad boxcars with a gable roof enclosing a center bay between the cars. The boxcars were obtained from the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway likely following World War II and placed on stone footings to serve as space for hay storage. The property was nominated as part of the Historic Agriculture-Related Resources of Kansas multiple property nomination for its local significance in the areas of agriculture and architecture.

Naomi & Leona Apartment Buildings – 509 & 507 S Market Street, Wichita, Sedgwick County

The Naomi and Leona Apartment Buildings were built in 1926 and 1927, respectively, by property developer and contractor Oliver J. Mourning. The buildings feature the same design and appearance. Mourning named the Leona apartments after his daughter and the Naomi apartments after his mother, but by 1939, the buildings had different owners and were known by different names. The identical brick buildings are two-stories each with a flat roof, full-width one-story front porch, and a second-story balcony. Each building reflects the Neoclassical style, which is evident in the symmetrical facade and dentiled cornice. Located just five blocks south of Douglas Avenue, a main thoroughfare through Wichita’s central business district, the buildings featured 24 units, each with a fireplace and private bath and kitchen amenities. Tenants were mostly single women, with some single men and married couples. The buildings were nominated as part of the Residential Resources of Wichita multiple property nomination for their local significance in the areas of architecture and community planning and development.

Ellington Apartment Building – 514 S Main Street, Wichita, Sedgwick County

Wichita developer and contractor John Wenzel built the Ellington Apartment Building at the height of an apartment construction boom in 1927. Architect Walter V. Street designed this two-story brick building, which exhibits restrained elements of the Neoclassical style. Located just five blocks south of Douglas Avenue, a main thoroughfare through Wichita’s central business district, the building featured 20 units each with private bath and kitchen amenities. Tenants generally included a mix of couples and singles, with single women generally outnumbering single men. It was nominated as part of the Residential Resources of Wichita multiple property nomination for its local significance in the areas of architecture and its association with community planning and development.

Baker, Cassius and Adelia, House – 609 Elm Street, Wamego, Pottawatomie County    

Built in 1910, this Craftsman-style house was first home to Cassius and Adelia Baker, who had moved to Wamego in 1869. He was a prominent member of the local business community and was a founding member and president of the Commercial Club, a predecessor of the Chamber of Commerce. He also was active in civic affairs, serving as mayor of the city, Township clerk, trustee, and treasurer. The couple had witnessed the development of Wamego from a small river town of a few hundred people to a thriving railroad center with nearly 2,000 residents. The Baker House is located one block west of the downtown and is an excellent example of a Craftsman-style residence. It was nominated for its local significance in the area of architecture.

Creed-Mills House – 219 N Maple Street, Douglass, Butler County

Melissa and Henry Creed purchased 80 acres and began construction on this house in 1894. Henry and his son Oscar farmed the land, and in later years Oscar subdivided and sold most of the acreage. Today the property is less than two acres. Thomas and Charlene Mills purchased the property from the Creed family in 1970. The house is an excellent example of the Folk Victorian style, which was popular in Kansas during the period between 1870 and 1900. The arrival of the railroads in the area made the availability of standardized dimensionally-cut lumber and mass-produced ornamental detailing available to the rural areas. For the Creed-Mills House, the National Folk form is expressed in its massing and the presence of multiple exterior doors, which occurs frequently on the Folk forms in certain regions. It was nominated for its local significance in the area of architecture.

 

RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNING BODY 18 JUNE 2013

                The Governing Body of the City of WaKeeney, Kansas met in a regular session at City Hall 408 Russell Ave at 7:00 PM with the Mayor presiding and the following members present:

Mayor Kenneth Roy and Council Members Irene Dirks, Troy Leiker, Lynelle Shubert, and Allen Weigel

BEING ABSENT: Mary Jo Clevenger

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as written, printed and distributed.

                GUESTS:  Don Tilton, Cathy Albert, Terry Eberle, Charlie Knoll and Janelle Miller

Don Tilton, Mapes & Miller, CPA’s was present before the Governing Body to present the city’s 2012 audit report.  Don reviewed the audit report at length and answered questions from the City Council.  Don was thanked by City Council and took his leave.

Cathy Albert, Director of the WaKeeney Travel & Tourism was present before the City Council to present Travel & Tourism’s 2014 budget request.  Cathy also reviewed tourism statistics for Trego County as recently complied by the State of Kansas.

Floyd Schneider, 28032 U Road was present before the City Council to request permission to move a double wide mobile home onto a vacant lot at N. Main and Hazel.  The house will be placed on a permanent foundation with a garage added on.  After answering several questions from the Governing Body, Irene Dirks motioned to approve the building / moving permit.  Lynelle Shubert seconded.  Motion carried.

CHIEF OF POLICE:  Terry Eberle provided his monthly departmental report.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR:  City Administrator Hardy Howard discussed with the Governing Body submitting a CDBG demolition only grant request.  If funded the grant would allow demolition work of both residential and commercial properties anywhere within the city.  The city will work with Northwest Kansas Planning and Development of Hill City to submit the required application.  Communities selected for funding will be announced in late January 2014.

MAYOR:   Kenneth Roy discussed the upcoming Independence Day holiday and the discharge of fireworks within the city.  It was the consensus of the City Council to allow fireworks to be discharge according to ordinance on July 3-5^th from the hours of 9 AM to 11 PM.

In old business, an ordinance drafted by the City Attorney allowing chickens to be kept within the city was reviewed by the City Council.  A motion was made by Lynelle Shubert to NOT approve the ordinance.  Troy Leiker seconded.  Motion carried.

A motion was made by Troy Leiker and seconded by Lynelle Shubert to adjourn into executive session for a period of 20 minutes for the discussion of non-elected personnel.  Those remaining in the executive session included Mayor Roy, City Council, City Administrator Howard, and Chief of Police Eberle.

The session ended within the allotted time period

No further business appearing, the meeting was adjourned.