The Scott County Record

Page 1

A view of Monument Rocks looking to the south

Home of El Cuartelejo

32 Pages • Four Sections

Volume 24 • Number 29

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Published in Scott City, Ks.

More housing on drawing board in Eastridge

Look Inside

Sports Beavers sending four grapplers to 4A state tournament Page 17

State 16 senators give Brownback’s tax plan a reprieve Page 2

getting lean A ‘soft’ year doesn’t prevent record-setting revenue for SCH

Community Scott City hosts one of state’s largest Masonic gatherings Page 12

Index Opinions...................4-7 Calendar...................... 7 Deaths..................12-13 Church services......... 13 Health care...........14-15 Sports...................17-24 Farm section.........26-27 Classified ads.......29-31

Despite having what the Scott County Hospital administration describes as a “soft year,” things are still looking very good for the local health care center. For the first time in more than a decade, the hospital did not see a growth in gross revenue from the previous year. The decline? It was only $69,000, which is barely noticeable for an operation with gross

revenue in excess of $26 million. What makes the previous fiscal year even more impressive is that net revenue - total income after expenses - climbed to a record-setting $18.9 million. “Today, we are a much more efficient organization,” says hospital CEO Mark Burnett. He attributes that efficiency to hospital staff which responded to the call to reduce operating costs in anticipation that

revenue would decline during the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2016. “We recognized that we were having a soft year so we scrutinized all our expenses,” Burnett says. The hospital has also reduced costs by their ability to fill openings with locally hired full-time staff rather than relying on traveling doctors and support staff to fill vacancies.

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com

Agriculture Trade wars, tariffs would be bad news for agriculture Page 26

sign Dr. Nichols I will encourage the board to light the fuse on this expansion.” Burnett says the hospital was designed so that an addition would be constructed on the east side in a way that would blend in with the original architecture. He has preliminary plans for the addition on his desk. Those plans include another entrance at the southeast corner of the hospital which would make it more convenient for patients to access physical ther-

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com

In addition, Burnett has been in contact with Dr. Whitney Nichols, a family practitioner/ obstetrician who could also begin as early as September. Even though Dr. Nichols only plans to work part-time, Burnett says she would require about the same amount of staff and office needs as a full-time physician. “It’s always been my goal to have five physicians and that would happen if we can get things worked out with Dr. Nichols,” says Burnett. “If I

(See EXPANSION on page eight)

USD 466 purchases activity bus The USD 466 (Scott County) board of education has approved the purchase of one activity bus and is negotiating for the possible purchase of another. A bid of $132,500 has been accepted for a 2004 Van Hool with 472,000 miles. The current motor has bout 270,000 miles. The 56-passenger bus will include 2 USB ports and outlets at every seat and will be completely renovated, including new seat coverings. In addition, an area district is selling a bus and the board has given the okay for Rumford to negotiate.

US83 change will be up to council If the Scott City Council wants to change the south entrance of US83 from three lanes to four, the ball - and the cost - is in the city’s court. The council had a chance to review a Kansas Department of Transportation study of south US83 with area engineer Gary Bennet during Tuesday’s meeting. The report noted that the city’s traffic safety concerns weren’t significant enough to warrant a change. It also included an analysis of the pros and cons of the new and former highway configu-

ration which favored the threelane concept. However, Bennet said he would submit a request to KDOT for restriping of the highway which would identify it as a four-lane. If the city decides to pursue that action he said it would be done at the city’s expense since KDOT lacks the funding. That cost would include removal of current striping, new striping and traffic control while those two procedures were being done. “I put in the request on Wednesday, but I don’t know if, or when, they’ll be able to do it,” said Bennet. “It depends on how

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com

Health KanCare supporters muscle expansion bill through House Page 14

Growing pains have been an ongoing problem almost from the day that the move was made into the current Scott County Hospital in April of 2012. Hospital CEO Mark Burnett and his board of directors may soon be taking a serious look at expansion plans that would include the clinic and physical therapy areas. A driving force behind that expansion will be the arrival of Dr. Brett Hoffecker who will begin his practice at the clinic in September.

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com

Sports Lady Beavers gain No. 1 regional seed with win over Cowgirls Page 17

Hospital board considering renovation, expansion plans

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com

Dr. David Amstutz Dorothy Brandfas Max Hasz Mary Lamon

More housing is on the way in the Eastridge subdivision. Scott County Development Director Katie Eisenhour informed the Scott City Council on Tuesday there are tentative plans to build eight additional homes on South Maple Street. Sam Brookover, who is one of the two owners of property in the subdivision, has indicated interest in extending the current Maple Street housing development for another block with four homes to be built on each side of the street. Four homes on the east side of Maple Street that are being financed through Northwest Housing, Inc., are scheduled to be completed by Grand Choice Renovations in April. Eisenhour said she will be conducting public meetings in the next couple of months to explain to potential buyers the qualifications to purchase those homes. Eisenhour is also hoping to see future development on Chestnut Avenue, a block east of Maple, as part of the recently approved Moderate Income Housing grant program.

(See SOFT on page eight)

First baby winner....... 32

Deaths

$1 single copy

Whether to change the south entrance of US83 back to four lanes is now in Scott City’s hands according to KDOT.

it fits in (KDOT’s) priority list. Hopefully, it will be acted upon if a request is made by the city.” According to the study pre-

sented by Bennet, “if the city decides they would prefer going back to a four-lane section, the (See US83 on page two)


The Scott County Record • Page 2 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

16 senators give Brownback a tax reprieve Veto override passes House, 3 votes shy in Senate The five-year fight over Gov. Sam Brownback’s efforts to remake Kansas income tax code came to a head Wednesday, and 16 senators voted to let it continue. With the governor’s signature fiscal accomplishment hanging by a thread, the Kansas Senate fell three votes short in an effort to override a Brownback veto hours after the House did so. The legislation Brownback vetoed, House Bill 2178, seeks to end persistent budget shortfalls by undoing many of the income tax cuts he signed in

US83 Traffic Engineering Unit will not oppose.” At this time, Bennet couldn’t offer a cost estimate for the project which would include that stretch of highway from the city limits to Clara Street. While the council will wait for KDOT’s response and cost figures, changing the entrance to four lanes has the support of Police Chief Chris Jurgens who cited how hazardous the current highway configuration is for northbound and southbound traffic that’s turning into Love’s convenience store or onto Albert Avenue to Shopko or the hospital. Councilman Josh Gooden noted that while local residents have adapted to the highway configuration over the past few months, he feels it is still confusing for drivers who are passing through town. A major concern for local law enforcement, and which Bennet acknowledged, is the speed of vehicles entering and leaving town. Because northbound vehicles aren’t slowing down quickly enough, Jurgens feels it increases the risk of turning traffic being

2012. The tax bill passed 22-18 last week in the Senate, but it needed five more votes to reach the veto override threshold and only gained two. Senate President Susan Wagle and Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, both Republicans who opposed the tax bill, said they preferred to hold out for another budget solution. “This isn’t the last train out of the station,” Denning said before he voted to sustain the governor’s veto. The Legislature faces a deficit of more than $300 million in the current fiscal year that ends June 30. Many legislators have said they won’t entertain Brownback’s proposed one-time fix for that - liqui-

Initiation of Study A study was conducted by KDOT in response to complaints from the city after the highway striping had been completed in May of 2016. Chief Jurgens and other local citizens weren’t pleased with modififying the south entrance from four lanes to a three lane configuration with a center two-way left turn lane from the south city limits to Clara Avenue. Concerns included: •Bottlenecking due to a reduction from four through lanes to two through lanes. •Vehicles are using the shared left-turnlane as a passing lane to go around right-turning vehicles. •The painted stripped island between Clara and Glenn Avenue has cre-

“The plan that passed (in 2012) was not what anybody really wanted,” Sawyer said. “We’ve been talking about correcting that for years.” The 2012 plan was more drastic than what Brownback wanted then, but he chose to sign it anyway and has been steadfast in his defense of it. Whirlwind 24 Hours The Senate action came at the end of a whirlwind 24 hours in which Brownback vetoed HB 2178 and the House voted to override his veto. Brownback announced his decision to veto the bill Tuesday night at the Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner, sandwiching it between speeches by U.S. Reps. Kevin Yoder

and Lynn Jenkins and business leaders. “I won’t sign it; I will veto this bill,” Brownback said, as those sitting near the front of the crowd of hundreds at the dinner stood and cheered. “This is bad policy.” The Chamber opposes the bill, as do the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the fiscal conservatism advocacy group Americans for Prosperity. “I won’t sign it; I will veto this bill.” Brownback said the tax cuts are spurring growth, as evidenced by increased filings of new businesses. But that has not closed structural budget deficits that have led to cuts in social services (See REPRIEVE on page 16)

Kansas Department of Transportation engineering report of pros and cons for three- and four-lane traffic

(continued from page one)

rear-ended since there isn’t a passing lane. In order to address concerns about traffic speed, a report by KDOT recommends extending the 55 mph transition zone another one/quarter mile south of the city limits. The 40 mph reduced speed limits would also be relocated farther to the south.

dating a long-term investment fund - until they get a tax bill that addresses projected future deficits. That includes a gap of about $550 million next fiscal year. Brownback’s 2012 bill exempted more than 300,000 business owners from paying any income tax on “non-wage” revenue. It also sliced individual income tax rates and eliminated one bracket. At the time, Senate Republican leaders said Brownback told them it was just a negotiating point and they felt duped by his administration when the more conservative House unexpectedly passed it. Rep. Tom Sawyer, a Democrat from Wichita, noted that history Wednesday.

3-Lane Section With Center Turn Lane Pros Cons

Provides left turn lane, removing left turners from thru lane Reduces rear end potential

Reduce thru lane capacity Vehicler behind right turner has no lane to avoid

Left turns will turn across one lane of opposing traffic

Awkward transition from four-lane to three-lane section

Provides separation between opposing thru lanes of traffic

Trapped left turn lane created at Glenn Avenue

Can carry capacity of up to 12,000 and higher average daily traffic

Driver confusion at between Clara and Glenn

Closer to satisfying traffic signal warrant criteria at Albert Avenue

Left turn lane could be mistaken or used as a passing lane

entrances

Slow moving vehicles (i.e., heavy trucks) might fail to benefit

Pros

4-Lane Section Without Turn Lane Cons

Provides more capacity for thru lane traffic

Left turn lane will block thru traffic Rear end potential is increased

Vehicle behind the turner may have opportunity to move into an open lane and avoid slowing down or possible collision

Left turns will turn across two lanes of opposing traffic Not close to satisfying signal warrant criteria at Albert Avenue.

ated confusion for drivers wanting to turn into Scott County Lumber or Western Tire. Some drivers are reluctant to drive over the painted island, though KDOT says it is legal to do so. •At the south city limit

near the Love’s access where the speed zone is reduced from 55 mph to 40 mph, drivers are slamming on their brakes and/ or using the left-turn lane as a passing lane to bypass traffic. •The community sup-

ports installing a traffic signal at the intersection of US83 and Albert Avenue due to safety concerns and the number of elderly drivers in that vicinity who are going to the hospital, pharmacy or Shopko.

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Community Living

The Scott County Record

Page 3 - Thursday, February 23, 2017

Don’t feel guilty about finding time to exercise Guilt is a major obstacle working mothers face for staying active, according to Emily Mailey. She is a Kansas State University assistant professor of kinesiology who researches and develops interventions to promote physical activity among working mothers. “The level of physical activity among working moms is quite low compared to a lot of other populations because there are so many barriers that the moms are trying to overcome,”

Mailey said. “They have very limited free time because of work, family and household responsibilities, and on top of all that, they feel guilty for taking time away from their children to do something for themselves.” As a full-time working mother herself, Mailey understands the guilt factor and other challenges many mothers face while balancing work, children and an exercise regimen. She reminds herself that spending 20-30 minutes is better than

no exercise and she is a better mom because of it. “Exercise is not selfish,” Mailey said. “If you view exercise in the context of being less stressed, having more energy and setting a good example for your kids, you realize that you’re actually benefiting your family by doing something good for your mind and body.” If the guilt is too strong to separate mother from child, she recommends incorporating children into the workout. For infants or toddlers, she

said mothers can try a “baby circuit”: doing push-ups over the baby and kissing his or her nose when going down; holding the baby while doing lunges; or sitting the baby on your lap for situps. With school-age kids, have a dance party to lively music. With teenagers, start a pedometer challenge to see who can complete more steps. “You eliminate the guilt factor because you are spending time with them, and you feel good that you are setting a

The art of ‘puttering’ is study club program

Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Fenster

Tomek-Fenster exchange wedding vows in Manhattan

Sarah Tomek and Kurt Fenster were married on Sat., October 1, 2016, at the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan. The bride is the daughter of Tom and Barb Tomek, Greenville, S.C. The groom is the son of Steve and Lois Fenster, Healy. He is the grandson of Yvonne Jennison, Healy. The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Patricia Cassinelli. Music for the ceremony was provided by Matt McCann, a friend of the groom, who played acoustic guitar. The ceremony reading, “Love” by Roy Croft, was performed by Danielle Demuth, sister of the groom. Escorted down the aisle by her father, the bride wore an ivory gown from BHLDN Anthropologie, featuring a soft illusion neckline, floral-covered bodice, flowing tulle skirt, and a sweeping train, and was complemented by a fingertip veil and rhinestone sash. The bride carried a bouquet of ivory, blush, and gold flowers, and included sahara roses in memory of her late maternal grandmother. The bouquet was tied with long trailing ribbons of ivory and gold, on which was pinned a cameo that belonged to her late paternal grandmother. The bride was attended by bridesmaids Mrs. Danielle Demuth, sister of the groom, Pratt; Miss Kiley Farrell, cousin of the bride, Lincoln, Nebr.; and Miss Schyler Ek, cousin of the bride, Sun Prairie, Wisc. The flower girl was Miss Cloey Featherston Enterprise, Ala., cousin of the bride.

The bridesmaids wore floor-length infinity gowns in golden taupe. Each carried a bouquet of ivory, blush, and burgundy, tied with trailing ribbons of the same colors. Groomsmen included Matt McCann, friend of the groom, Mission; Sean Matthews, friend of the groom, Manhattan; and George Matthews, friend of the groom, Manhattan. The ring bearer was Kaleb Demuth, Pratt, nephew of the groom. Guests were welcomed to the ceremony by ushers, Landon and Ethan Demuth, nephews of the groom. The ceremony was followed by a buffet dinner and dancing, also held at the Sunset Zoo. Pam Jennison, Healy, and Marilyn Lindquist, Richfield, Minn., aunts of the groom and bride, assisted in the serving of the wedding cake. During the reception, zookeepers introduced the wedding guests to some of the zoo’s inhabitants, including an armadillo and a giant hare. The bride, originally from Rochester Hills, Mich., holds a Master of Arts degree from Kansas State University in drama therapy and now works at Unified Theater in Hartford, Conn. The groom is a graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and works at Hartford Stage, Hartford, Conn. Following their honeymoon on the big island of Hawaii, the couple returned to South Windsor, Conn., where they have resided for the past three years.

The High Plains Study Club met on Feb. 16 at the home of Sydney Janzen. Dorothy Hutchins, cohostess, served a cherry cheesecake dessert. The meeting was called to order by President Gwen Huck. Club collect and flag salute were recited by the 18 members present. The scheduled program and devotions were not given due to illness. A conservation report was given by Susie Gooden entitled, “The Conservation of Puttering - A Lost Art.” She defined puttering as a solitary activity that is always unhurried, yet very beneficial, if only to the putterer. To putter you must abandon your “to-do” list and engage in such stress relieving activities as music, watching candles burn and rearranging things in your house. Members were given a survey on leisure-time activities. Relaxing and thinking were the activities most closely related to puttering. Roll call was answered to, “Who was your first sweetheart?” Lucky Dip was won by Marilyn Dryer. Joy Cole will bring it to the next meeting on March 2 at the home of Anita Hoeme. Co-hostess will be Susie Gooden. A program will be presented by Jonathan LeBeau on “Internet Security.” The art and music report will be given by Dorothy Hutchins.

good example for them while still getting in the exercise that you want,” Mailey said. Time is another large barrier for many moms, Mailey said. She recommends starting with small measurable goals and scheduling exercise on the calendar so it’s treated as a priority. Being flexible and creative are the keys to achieving exercise goals when unexpected events interfere with exercise plans - as they invariably do (See EXERCISE on page 12)

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Saturday - Ham and two eggs

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The Scott County Record

Editorial/Opinion

Page 4 - Thursday, February 23, 2017

editorially speaking

Override fails:

Governor, some lawmakers still cling to a failed policy

This week the Kansas Legislature had an opportunity to begin looking to the future. Instead, it chose to cling to the past when the state senate failed to override Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto of a bill that would increase taxes by about $1 billion. The bill would have repealed the LLC “loophole” that exempts about 330,000 farmers and business owners from paying taxes on their nonwage income. It would have also reinstated a third income tax bracket for individuals earning more than $50,000 a year or married couples making more than $100,000. In effect, it would have tossed Brownback’s “march to zero” on the trash heap of bad ideas and prevented - or at least reduced - the need for even more significant cuts to social programs and infrastructure needs in our state. There were enough votes in the Kansas House to override the governor’s veto. The Senate fell three votes shy. The 16 senators who decided not to override the veto include some familiar names such as Sen. Ty Masterson (R-Andover), Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning (R-Leawood) and Senate President Susan Wagle (R-Wichita). They have been supporters of the tax cuts and the steady diet of budget cuts that have since followed. Wagle seemed to be waivering in her support of the tax policy. A year ago, she commented that she was “growing weary” of the continuing budget deficits and was waiting for “real solutions . . . from the governor’s office.” Well, those solutions have never been forthcoming and when given the opportunity to be part of a solution, Wagle declined. Rolling back the 2012 tax cuts won’t fix all of our fiscal problems, but it’s an important start. Republicans in the Senate had it within their power to begin putting Kansas back on the road to fiscal sanity. It’s still possible that the legislature can come up with a budget plan that won’t further gut institutions important to our state and won’t consist of one-time fixes offered by the governor. In the meantime, Kansans who are served by those 16 senators who refused to support the veto override would do well to remember that when these lawmakers are up for re-election. The last election obviously didn’t go far enough in cleaning our legislature of weak leadership and bad ideas.

Groundwater:

Greater efficiency is an attainable irrigation goal

According to research from Kansas State University, irrigators can learn to do with less - at least 20 percent less - and still maintain profitibility. In fact, they could be even more profitable given a combination of reduced irrigation and its associated costs, along with different choices in crop production. That should be welcome news to Western Kansas producers who are wrestling with the reality of a dwindling aquifer and the need to maintain the financial viability of their operations. According to Kansas State University ag economist Bill Golden, separate studies with the Walnut Creek IGUCA and the Sheridan 6 LEMA have established the financial benefits of reduced irrigation that go beyond theory. In fact, Golden admits that he was skeptical when first asked to research the impact of reduced water use in the Walnut Creek IGUCA. K-State economic models showed that less water would lead to less production and less profitability. It only made sense . . . until Golden had the chance to visit with producers and see the actual data from their operations. He ran the data three different ways before he was convinced that producers had adapted - making their operations more efficient and more profitable. The findings have been similar in the Sheridan 6 LEMA. So, why was K-State’s economic model flawed? Because it was based on irrigators being 90-95 percent efficient in their irrigation usage. And that led to perhaps one of the most telling moments during a Kansas Department of Agriculture water series meeting held recently in Garden City. When Golden asked his audience of some 100 producers how many thought they were 90-95 percent efficient, no one raised their hand. When asked how efficient they thought they were, one farmer responded 60 percent. And that, says Golden, is part of the problem. No one knows because it’s never been an issue. When the aquifer seemed to be a never-ending resource no one was concerned about efficiency. While producers may be reluctant to form LEMAs and Water Conservation Areas, perhaps programs that encourage greater efficiency are more realistic in the short-term. Perhaps then, when producers are asked how efficient they are with their irrigation, someone will have an answer.

No friend of working Kansans

When it comes to alternative facts, the Brownback Administration has no intention of taking a backseat to Donald Trump. Whether it’s boasting about job growth, business creation, education funding or the condition of our highways, the Administration has created its own alternate reality. Grabbing top billing on the alternative facts marquee this week are taxes. You know . . . the ones so low that new business and industry will come pouring into Kansas . . . only they haven’t. The state’s budget has tanked. Our credit rating has been downgraded. We’re beyond broke. We need $1 billion to close the projected shortfall over the next 18 months. And yet Brownback and a few fiscal Neanderthals who remain in the legislature still don’t see a problem. Well, that’s not entirely true either. State Sen. Dennis Pyle (R-Hiawatha), an ultraconservative Republican, says we shouldn’t blame

Rod Haxton, editor

the 2012 tax cuts for our fiscal catastrophe. Pyle says the state has a “spending problem” and it’s become an “addiction.” Pyle isn’t alone. He was among ultraconservatives who supported the original tax cut and have stood on the sideline while education, our social safety net and our state’s infrastructure have been sacrificed at the altar of supply side economics. Pyle doesn’t want to be seen as enabling those who are addicted to a quality public education system or good highways in our state. So, when the governor vetoed a bill this week to hike taxes just enough to cover the estimated deficit, we were reminded by Brownback’s communications director Melika Willoughby that it was for our own benefit. She emerged from her rab-

bit hole to explain that the governor was simply protecting working Kansans from the largest tax increase in our state’s history. Brownback called the legislation an “assault on the pocketbooks of the middle class.” What Brownback, Willoughby and other tin foil hat economists in the Administration refuse to acknowledge is that their 2012 tax cuts have been an assault on the very people they claim to be protecting. When the governor’s tax plan was originally passed, the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Research Department estimated it would cost the state $5 billion in lost revenue by 2019. In order to cover the massive amount of lost revenue to date, the state has nearly exhausted its reserves, sold off assets such as the Bioscience Authority and enacted a wide array of budget cuts. With this latest attempt to do away with the governor’s signature tax plan, his Administration

has chosen to engage in alternative facts by claiming to be a friend of the middle class while moderate Republicans and Democrats are only concerned with reckless spending. Perhaps that allows tax cut supporters to sleep better at night, but it’s a lie. In reality, it’s middle class Kansans who have suffered most under the 2012 tax cuts. Those tax cuts are costing the state about eight percent of the revenue it uses to fund schools, health care and other public services. In response, services and programs are being cut that directly affect the lives of middle class families. Last year, Brownback cut higher education spending by four percent. Universities responded by increasing tuition fees by 3.6 to six percent. This hits the pocketbooks of middle class families. Two years ago the legislature raised the sales tax from 6.15 percent to (See FRIEND on page six)

Religion as cover for dark money

The proposed repeal of the so-called Johnson Amendment is being sold by Republicans - from Donald Trump on down - as a matter of religious freedom, but that’s a mischaracterization bordering on deceit. In reality, outright repeal of that 1954 tax code change would complete the process, begun with the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, of ensuring that America’s richest people and corporations can buy, in total secrecy, whatever form of government they prefer. And, in the process, churches would lose much more than they could gain. If you thought the 2010 Citizens United decision legitimizing dark money political funding and birthing super PACs and billion-dollar campaigns was bad for democracy, wait until you see what

Where to Write

another view by Davis Merritt

happens when the George Soroses and Charles Kochs can deduct their political contributions on their tax returns, which full repeal would allow. The background: In 1954, then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson offered a tax law change saying that 501(c)3 groups - non-profit charities and churches - could not be involved directly in partisan politics, including endorsing candidates or groups of candidates. If they did, they would lose tax exempt status, meaning donors could no longer deduct contributions to them. It passed without controversy or debate. Then, as now, charitable groups and most churches were primarily

Gov. Sam Brownback 2nd Floor - State Capitol Topeka, Ks. 66612-1501 (785) 296-3232

focused on their specific, defined missions and not involved in politics. Many, if not most, deliberately avoided partisanship in order not to offend potential contributors or members. In the 1980s, as social issues such as abortion became political hot buttons, some religious groups complained that the law abridged their free speech rights, and the GOP took up the cause. Outright repeal of the Johnson-inspired restrictions on 501(c)3 political spending would have an even broader negative effect than Citizens United on all non-profits and tax-exempt organizations, including churches, and on American democracy. The nation’s nearly $400 billion charity effort succeeds because of three advantages: the nonprof-

Sen. Pat Roberts 109 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-4774 roberts.senate.gov/email.htm

its are exempt from most taxes; contributors can write off their contributions; the groups can keep the names of contributors confidential. Imagine how quickly charities and churches of all sorts would be converted into de facto political parties - or even created out of whole cloth - if the nation’s biggest political spenders could launder their millions in a way that was, unlike many political action committee contributions, both secret and tax deductible. Imagine how much pressure legitimate charities, from museums to support groups to foundations, would feel from politicians seeking their endorsements and their money. That’s trouble most of them can neither afford nor want. (See RELIGION on page six)

Sen. Jerry Moran 141 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-6521 www.moran.senate.gov/public/


The Scott County Record • Page 5 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Wall Street is counting on your short memory by Chuck Collins

Remember October 2008 the bank bailouts, the spiking unemployment rate, the stock market free fall? Maybe you lost a job, got a pay cut, or saw your retirement savings or home value evaporate. Maybe you even lost your home altogether, or saw your small business wither and die. It’s a hard thing to let go. But Wall Street is hoping you’ve already forgotten it. That’s because their allies in Congress and the Trump administration are poised to scrap the reforms that lawmakers put in place to prevent another meltdown. For starters, they’re trying to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the first independent agency with the

sole mandate of protecting consumers against scam artists, predatory lenders, and bad actors in the financial sector. The agency proved its mettle last year, when it caught Wells Fargo - the second biggest bank in the country - creating millions of bogus accounts without their customers’ permission. The bureau exposed that cheating and put an end to it. Dodd-Frank, the law that created the bureau, also made rules to keep banks from making risky bets with your money. For instance, it requires banks to keep some skin in the game by maintaining a five percent stake in loans they originate, so they have a stake in the success of the borrower and the loan. It also encourages banks to keep some cash on hand in

case of emergencies, just like the rest of us try to do at home. Yet lately, bankers have been complaining that financial regulation is hurting the economy. Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs president - and now a Trump economic adviser - whined recently that banks are being forced to “hoard capital.” If maintaining a prudent reserve is hoarding, then yes. And that’s a good thing. Bankers like Cohn say abolishing these rules will help ordinary consumers. When you hear things like that, hold tight to your wallets and purses. The truth is, cheap credit is abundant. The commercial and industrial business industries are booming. Credit card and auto lending are at record highs, and mortgage loans are (See MEMORY on page six)

almost back to their pre-2008 crisis high. If that’s not enough for Wall Street lenders who want to gamble, they should go to the casino. And if venture capitalists want to take great risks in search of great rewards, blessings upon them. But they shouldn’t expect the rest of us to bail them out

after their next binge. What about Donald Trump? Will he protect us? Trump campaigned as a champion for the “little guy,” beholden to no one because of his independent wealth. He smeared opponents like Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton for

Why Trump loves to hate the media by Robert Samuelson

lighting. The Swedish firm Saab Aerostructures makes the cargo access doors. The Japanese company Jamco makes parts for the lavatories, flight deck interiors and galleys. The French firm Thales makes its electrical power conversion system. Thales selected GS Yuasa, a Japanese firm, in 2005 to supply it with the system’s lithium-ion batteries. The British company Rolls Royce makes many of the engines. A Canadian firm makes the moveable trailing edge of the wings. Notably, these companies don’t pay their workers low wages. In fact, when you add in the value of health and pension benefits - either directly from these companies to their workers, or in the form of public benefits to which the companies contribute - most of these foreign workers get a better deal than do Boeing’s workers. (The average wage for Boeing production and maintenance work-

There was a brief moment after Donald Trump’s election when it was conceivable to ask whether he would strive to be a “uniter” or a “divider.” The moment passed quickly as Trump made it clear that he does not intend to abandon the style of politics - insulting and divisive - that got him elected. His declaration last week that the news media are “the enemy of the American People” is but the latest reminder. Trump’s theory of poliTrump is cortics is that it’s okay to rect when he offend five voters if seven asserts that the voters approve. Dividing media have an agenda. One the country is the name of part is simply to the game. The object is to expose what the create a coalition of the Trump administration is - or resentful. Polarization is not only isn’t - doing. Someone has to the consequence. It also is protect sensible the underlying purpose and policies as well as democratic philosophy. In this strategy, the news and constitutional norms, all media are tempting targets. of which, many There are so few of them - believe, are actually, I mean so few of assaulted by “us” - that we are easily cast Trump. as scapegoats for assorted disappointments. Even in good times, we can be hard to like. No one elected us; our political and cultural values are skewed liberal; and we are often arrogant in our assumed role as guardians of American democracy, holding elected officials accountable and defending free speech. It’s also well-known that our popularity has plummeted. The latest Gallup poll finds that only 32 percent of adults “trust the mass media,” down from 55 percent in 1999. In another Gallup poll, which asks slightly different questions, the media’s standing seems even lower. Only 20 percent expressed strong confidence in newspapers, 21 percent in TV news and 19 percent in Internet news. Just why confidence has collapsed isn’t clear. In part, it may reflect a general loss of trust in institutions. In 2016, strong confidence in Congress was at nine percent; in 1998, it was at 28 percent. The explosion of news sources on cable and the Internet has probably contributed. Many sources (MSNBC, Fox News) are openly ideological. The more choices people have, the more they may think poorly of the ones they don’t make. Regardless of cause, the present mediaWhite House brawls are hardly without precedent. As Sanford Ungar - an ex-Washington Post reporter and expert on free speech - has reminded us, the confrontations over the war in Vietnam in the 1960s and Watergate in the early 1970s seem every bit as bitter and contentious as today’s media wars. This history suggests that the slugfests won’t soon abate. For the press, it’s a matter of honor and self-interest. If we don’t exist to bring truth to power, why do we exist? Trump is correct when he asserts that the media have an agenda. One part is simply to expose what the Trump administration is - or isn’t - doing. Someone has to protect sensible policies as well as democratic and constitu-

(See ECONOMY on page six)

(See MEDIA on page six)

Stopping the Wall Street sodbusters

by Jim Hightower

I love the names: Bobcat Farm, Golden Eagle Ranch, Long Prairie, Ten Mile Farm. They conjure up Americana, the old homestead, and our rich rural culture. Less bucolic, however, is the fact that all those farms are part of a massive Wall Street investment scheme called Farmland Partners, Inc. It’s run by a couple of slicks trained in mergers and acquisitions as executives at the investment powerhouse Merrill Lynch. Rather than sodbusters, Farmland Partners are taxbusters. They’re using a legalistic plow called the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) to get enormous tax breaks to subsi-

dize their scheme. With this special subsidy, the partners have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars from investors to buy up farms and ranches. They now own 295 farm properties covering 144,000 acres in 16 states. Of course, the Wall Street plowboys don’t soil their own soft hands by actually farming. No, no - the syndicate hires tenant farmers to do the sweaty work of plowing, planting and nurturing the crops. This tenant system produces a double-line cash flow for the faraway owners. Farmland Partners charges the tenants rent for tilling the corporate soil, then they harvest a sweet share of any profits from the sale of crops the tenants produce.

Meanwhile, the young farmers America desperately needs - those who actually want to, you know, farm - are having a hard time finding affordable land to get started. This new generation of farmers can easily be out-bid for good land by Wall Street speculators who have the cash flow from tenants and the subsidy from taxpayers to underwrite their financial contrivance. To prevent the money schemers from literally walling off young farmers, and to fight this insidious Wall Street takeover of agriculture, connect with www.YoungFarmers. org.

Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker and author

A lesson on global economy Rhetoric offers no grasp of economic reality

When Donald Trump gave a speech last Friday at Boeing’s factory in North Charleston, S.C. - unveiling Boeing’s new 787 “Dreamliner” - he congratulated Boeing for building the plane “right here” in South Carolina. It’s pure fantasy. I’ll let you know why in a moment. Trump also used the occasion to tout his “America First” economics, stating “our goal as a nation must be to rely less on imports and more on products made here in the U.S.A.” and “we want products made by our workers in our factories stamped by those four magnificent words, ‘Made in the U.S.A.’” To achieve this goal Trump would impose “a very substantial penalty” on companies that fired their workers and moved to another country to make a product, and then tried to

behind the headlines by Robert Reich

sell it back to America. The carrot would be lower taxes and fewer regulations “that send our jobs to those other countries.” Trump seems utterly ignorant about global competition - and about what’s really holding back American workers. Start with Boeing’s Dreamliner itself. It’s not “made in the U.S.A..” It’s assembled in the United States. But most of it parts come from overseas. Those foreign parts total almost a third of the cost of the entire plane. For example: The Italian firm Alenia Aeronautica makes the center fuselage and horizontal stabilizers. The French firm Messier-Dowty makes the aircraft’s landing gears and doors. The German firm Diehl Luftfahrt Elektronik supplies the main cabin


The Scott County Record • Page 6 • February 23, 2017

Health change would be catastrophic for patient care Christopher Landrigan and Charles Czeisler

While a handful of high-profile policy questions have preoccupied Americans since the election, one potentially catastrophic health-care change has quietly been taking shape without much media attention. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education - the professional body charged

with overseeing the nation’s physician training programs is poised to eliminate the 16-hour limit on work shifts for first-year resident physicians (referred to as interns) that it implemented in 2011. It proposes allowing interns to return to working extreme shifts of 28 hours - twice each week. Sleep-deprived doctors cannot safely care for patients or themselves. An

Friend 6.5 percent in order to fill a growing budget deficit. According to the Tax Foundation, the Kansas sales tax was the eighth highest in the nation and, of course, it has a big impact on middle- and low-income families. The state’s continued refusal to adequately fund public education saw lawmakers instead adopt a

enormous body of science demonstrates that sleep deprivation impairs resident physicians’ performance as much as being legally drunk. Shifts of 24 or more consecutive hours lead to: ●A 36 percent increase in serious medical errors and 5.6 times as many diagnostic errors. ●An increase in fatigue-related errors resulting in eight times as many patient injuries and

four times as many patient deaths. ●A 72 percent increase in resident doctors’ risk of accidentally sticking themselves with needles. ●And a 168 percent increase in the rate of young doctors being involved in car accidents while driving home from work. After completing an intensive, year-long review of this issue in 2008, the Institute of

Medicine concluded that it was unsafe for resident physicians to work for 16 consecutive hours without sleep. In response, the ACGME implemented a 16-hour consecutive limit only for first-year resident physicians. This action fell far short of the IOM’s recommendation that sleepless extreme shifts be eliminated for all resident physicians (residency programs last three to seven

years), but it was a first small step in the right direction, substantiated by decades of evidence. Now, the ACGME is set to reverse itself. With what apparent justification? Last year, a large - but seriously flawed - multicenter study reported no difference in mortality and major surgical complications between hospitals randomized to have

through additional fees or higher property taxes. And who’s hit hardest by these costs? For the past four years, Kansas has been the poster child for a disastrous tax policy. We have served as a reminder that Reaganomics was a failure when it was first conceived and remains a failure today.

Brownback and ultraconservatives aren’t concerned with protecting working Kansas taxpayers. They’re only concerned with protecting their fragile egos and patching the state budget together until they can get out of Topeka. But even for the wealthiest Kansans, the shortterm gain comes at a high cost. When our schools,

our highways, our elderly, our young people and the institutions important to our future are sacrificed then we all suffer. This Administration has failed not just working class Kansans, but all Kansans. That’s a truth Brownback, Willoughby and their fellow ultracons can’t alter.

(continued from page four)

grant program that froze the amount of money for local school districts at the 2014-15 level for two years. School districts have had to maximize their local option budgets (property tax levies) or increase student fees to offset the funding shortfall. That cost impacts middle class Kansans. A year ago, the legisla-

ture approved an increase in vehicle title fees so the state could hire more highway patrol troopers. It’s yet another hidden tax that hits the pockets of middle- and low-income Kansans. When the legislature cuts Medicaid reimbursements for hospitals and nursing homes, that loss of funding has to be made up somewhere - either

Lives are getting better without Kellyanne by Andy Borowitz

Conway is gone, I greet every day with a smile, I feel my energy coming back, and I want to have sex again.” Across the nation, medical professionals have reported striking improvements in patients’ mental health since the White House counsellor vanished, a phenomenon some doctors are calling the Conway Effect. “Over the last few months, we had incorrectly diagnosed a number of patients with a host of psychiatric disorders,” Dr. Davis Logsdon, the head of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota

Medical Center, said. “It turns out it was just Kellyanne.” Conway’s disappearance, however, has not been an unalloyed boon, because in some patients it has stirred “severe anxiety” that she might someday return “without warning,” Logsdon said. “For patients who are worried about Kellyanne Conway coming back, I prescribe mindfulness,” Logsdon said. “Regard every day without Kellyanne Conway as a gift. Savor it. Cherish it.”

Economy

Media tional norms, all of which, many believe, are assaulted by Trump. But beyond this lies a silent goal: the search for some impeachable offense. If found, this would clearly justify the media’s obsessive attention to the president’s every move and policy. If not found, the press risks losing more of its credibility by conducting a political witchhunt. Meanwhile, Trump

Rod Haxton can be reached at editor@screcord.com

Memory

almost back to their pre2008 crisis high. If that’s not enough for Wall Street lenders who want to gamble, they should go to the casino. And if venture capitalists want to take great risks in search of great rewards, blessings upon them. But they shouldn’t expect the rest of us to bail them out after their next binge. What about Donald Andy Borowitz is a comedian and Trump? Will he protect author us? Trump campaigned as a champion for the “little guy,” beholden to no one because of his indepen(continued from page five) dent wealth. He smeared opponents like Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton for But if Trump succeeds being “puppets” of big coming from these high- investing in the productive wage, high-tax, high-cost capacities of Americans - in putting an economic banks like Goldman and rewarding them with wall around America, Sachs. places? these other nation’s airBecause the parts made high wages. It’s the exact opposite lines may have second by workers in these countries are better, last longer, of what Trump is propos- thoughts about buying from Boeing. They might and are more reliable than ing. By the way, the first choose an airplane from parts made anywhere else. There’s a lesson here. delivery of the Dreamliner a country more open to Imagine how many The way to make the is scheduled to take place their own exports - say, Europe’s Airbus. donors to, say, art museAmerican workforce more next year - to Singapore Trump’s “America ums would decide instead competitive isn’t to put Airlines. Current orders First” economics is to give to more politically economic walls around for it include Air France, pure demagoguery. oriented nonprofits if they America. It’s to invest British Airways, and Xenophobic grandstand- could get the same tax more and invest better in Mexico’s flag carrier, ing doesn’t boost the com- write-offs plus political the education and skills of Aeromexico. petitiveness of American clout. Americans, in on-the-job Boeing is also looking workers. Nor does it boost So why not simply training, in a healthcare to China to buy as much American-based compaexclude churches and keep system that reaches more as $1 trillion worth of nies. the rest of the restrictions? of us and makes sure we its commercial airplanes At most, it boosts To do that, Congress or stay healthy. And to give over the next two decades, Trump. the IRS would have to workers a say in their including wide-body jets define what constitutes a companies through strong like the 787 Dreamliner. Robert Reich is a former sec- church, and no thinking retary of labor, is currently a unions. China already accounts professor at the University of person, religious or not, In other words, we get for one-fifth of Boeing’s California at Berkeley, and is should want that violaan author a first-class workforce by sales. tion of the separation of church and state. Churches inclined toward political ideol-

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - An overwhelming majority of Americans say that their lives have improved since Kellyanne Conway went away, a new poll finds. According to the poll, Americans have been sleeping more, eating better, and enjoying a markedly greater sense of well-being following Conway’s sudden departure. “I had lost my zest for life,” Carol Foyler, a poll respondent, said. “Now that Kellyanne

ers in South Carolina is $20.59 per hour, or $42,827 a year.) They also get more paid vacation days. These nations also provide most young people with excellent educations and technical training. They continuously upgrade the skills of their workers. And they offer universally-available health care. To pay for all this, these countries also impose higher tax rates on their corporations and wealthy individuals than does the United States. And their health, safety, environmental, and labor regulations are stricter. Not incidentally, they have stronger unions. So why is so much of Boeing’s Dreamliner

(See PATIENT on page 7)

My advice? Watch what Trump does, not what he says. After all, Trump just installed the most pro-Wall Street team our nation has ever seen. Three of his senior advisers - including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin - have a combined 40 years at Goldman Sachs. Now they’d like to remove the sheriff from the financial sector. If they get their way, I’ll give you better odds than Vegas that they’ll crash the economy again - and stick you and me with the bill. Chuck Collins is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies where he directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good (www.inequality.org)

Religion

(continued from page five)

is good for business. He increases readership, page views and cash flow. Ironically, Trump is fortifying financially prominent adversaries. This is unlikely to change the president’s behavior. He seems to have three reasons for attacking the press. One is an effort to discredit media criticism, especially of Trump’s own falsehoods, exaggerations and misleading statements. After Trump’s

recent news press conference, The Post’s fact checkers - Glenn Kessler and Michelle Ye Hee Lee - found 15 examples of falsehoods or dubious claims. If people don’t believe the press, findings such as these will matter less, if at all. The second reason is an effort to associate all opposition to him with despised media “elites” so that their unpopularity

rubs off on his other critics. But Trump’s final reason for attacking the press may be the most powerful. He seems to enjoy it. He likes denouncing journalists as dishonest scum of the Earth. It’s invigorating. Trump can’t be a unifying figure when he’s having so much fun being divider in chief. Robert Samuelson is a contributing editor of Newsweek, writing about business and economic issues

(continued from page five)

(continued from page four)

ogy have been ignoring the law since the 1990s while the IRS and local tax authorities have looked the other way. It’s a small step from what some churches have been doing to outright political activity, but legalizing it through repeal carries far too high a price for everyone. The repeal effort is another cynical abuse of religion, not a benefit to it. Davis Merritt is a Wichita journalist and author. He can be reached at dmerritt9@ cox.net


The Scott County Record • Page 7 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Patient 28-hour work shifts twice per week and hospitals with capped shifts at 16 hours. Interns, however, have little influence over death and surgery. Detailed studies of surgical interns’ daily activities have shown that they spend only a small minority of their time in the operating room. When they do go in the OR, their roles are typically limited and tightly controlled. In reality, the performance of senior doctors is the main factor behind mortality and complication rates, and senior doctors’ work schedules were no different in the two arms of the trial. There were no internspecific measures of patient safety (e.g., intern medication ordering errors). There was also no objective evaluation of the safety of the interns themselves. Despite these flaws, those within the medical community opposing work-hour limits have latched onto this study and have pressured the ACGME to again allow

(continued from page six)

the 28-hour shifts. They argue that handoffs of care between doctors at change of shift are unsafe and that shortening shifts - which results in more handoffs - could counterbalance any benefit of reducing fatigue. However, studies looking directly at this issue have found the 16-hour shift system to be much safer overall. While botched handoffs are an important source of medical error, the solution to poor handoffs is not to avoid them, but to improve them. The scientific literature is clear that doctors’ sleep deprivation is dangerous. But this is also common sense: One survey found that 86 percent of Americans - across all regions, demographic groups and political affiliations - disapprove of the ACGME’s proposal to eliminate the 16-hour limit for interns. In fact, the public doesn’t believe senior resident physician should work for more than 16 hours either. Just as none of us would want our

pilots to be flying for 28 hours straight, we don’t want our doctors to be impaired while writing medication orders, interpreting diagnostic tests or performing surgery on us or our loved ones. Medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States, and sleep deprivation among doctors is an important contributor to the problem. We are at the beginning of a long journey to improve the safety of health care in America. For the sake of our patients and our doctors in training, we should not revert to the dangerous work schedules of the past. Christopher Landrigan is the research director of the Inpatient Pediatrics Service at Boston Children’s Hospital, director of the Sleep and Patient Safety Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Charles Czeisler is director of the Sleep Health Institute and chief of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School

Scott City can be proud of a first-rate hospital As the physician serving the allergy outreach program at Scott County Hospital, I would like to take this opportunity to relate a recent experience and express my gratitude to the Scott Community. This past week, the nursing staff, head pharmacist and I met with a pharmaceutical sales representative who visited us from Kansas City. We will be introducing a new medicine to the hospital formulary to help in the treatment of allergic asthma and chronic hives. At this meeting I was struck by how impressed the sales representative was with Scott County Hospital. It turns out she grew up in Dighton, but has not been in Southwest Kansas for six years.

editor’s mail Her obvious enthusiasm about our hospital reminded me of how the good people of Scott County have such an exceptional medical resource. On a personal note, working at the Scott County Hospital has been an amazing and rewarding opportunity for me. My highest expectations have been surpassed. It is a pleasure to work with and serve the allergy patient community in Scott County. The hospital continues to impress me as a first-rate, state-ofthe-art facility. I offer my thanks and appreciation to the entire staff at Scott County Hospital. It is a pleasure

to work with everyone and be a part of the entire staff’s dedication to compassionate, professional patient care under the leadership of CEO Mark Burnett. Mark’s commitment to the hospital and to the community is only matched by his astute grasp of all the challenges in medical care today, as he continues to look towards future growth of the Scott County medical community. As the allergy outreach program grows, and we pursue newer diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, I look forward to my continued work at Scott County Hospital. I am happy to have this opportunity to express my appreciation and support. John P. Faraci, M.D.

Legislative hotline is available

Kansas residents can access information on state government, legislation, public policy issues and more by calling 1-800-432-3924. Calls are answered by experienced reference/ research librarians at the State Library of Kansas and kept confidential. Callers can also leave brief messages to be delivered to legislators.

Scott Community Foundation estate planning info meeting • Mon., March 6 • 6:00 p.m.

February - March

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Attend the Church of Your Choice

SCMS Quiz Bowl GWAC, Ulysses, 4:00 p.m.

KSDE Food Service Board Meeting, 12:30 p.m.

HS Spring Sports Practice Begins

Girl Scout Troop Meeting (4-12 grade), First United Methodist Church, 4:30 p.m.

USD #466 BOE Special Board Mtg., Administration Office, 5:00 p.m.

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27

TOPS Meeting, First Christian Church, 5:30 p.m.

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1

Thursday

2

Boys Class 4A D-II Bball Sub-State Semi-finals, SCHS, 6:00 p.m.

Friday

3

Girls Class 4A D-II Bball Sub-State Semi-finals, SCHS, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday

4

Class 4A State Powerlifting Championship, Clay Center, 9:00 a.m. Boys/Girls Class 4A D-II Bball Sub-State Finals, SCHS, 6:00 p.m.

Boy Scout Troop 149 and Cub Scout Pack 66 Mtg., Scout Building, 6:30 p.m. Levi Strauss, the inventor of denim jeans, was born on this day in 1829.

5

Strawberry Day Strawberries were introduced in North America from Chile in the 1750s.

Mardi Gras Literally, “Fat Tuesday”, Mardi Gras is the last feast before Lent begins.

BOE Meeting City Council Meeting

7-12 Festival Concert County Comm. Mtg.

6

7

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Only 40 weekdays and six Sundays remain until Easter Sunday.

Theodor Seuss Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, was born on this day in 1904.

8

9

Employee Appreciation Day is today. Bosses are encouraged to show their staff how much they are appreciated.

10

Grammar Day Take a few minutes to refresh your understanding of their, there and they’re. Spring Break Starts

11


The Scott County Record • Page 8 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Soft

(continued from page one)

In addition, a full-time surgeon who resigned from the hospital in midyear has been replaced by two surgeons from Hays Medical Center who visit SCH three days each month. “We are seeing the same number of patients as when we had a fulltime surgeon on staff, but there’s no expense to us,” Burnett explains. Outpatient Services A big part of Scott County Hospital’s success over the last dozen years has been the continued growth of outpatient services. In fact, outpatient care accounted for 72 percent of total revenue during the last fiscal year. It reached an all-time high of $18.9 million - an increase of $400,000 from the previous year. “We want to continue growing the use of out-

patient doctors,” Burnett says. “That’s been the lifeblood of this hospital in more recent years. The mission of a modern hospital is value-based care, which means taking those preventative steps which keep people from becoming hospital patients. It’s where the government wants us to go and I agree with that.” Throughout the last half of the 1900s, acute care - patient care that required an overnight stay in the hospital - was the staple of every hospital. As population has migrated from rural areas, those hospitals, in particular, have seen a decline in acute care revenue. The need for acute care also fluctuates depending on the impact of flu and related ailments that can contribute to a spike in clinic visits and hospital stays during certain times of the year.

Expansion apy and specialty clinic doctors. The preliminary cost would be $3.5 million to $4 million. But, Burnett emphasizes that Scott County taxpayers will not be asked to support a bond issue. “I’ve said all along that if and when we expand we will support the entire cost. We will be doing this on our own, which is why I’ve waited this long,” says Burnett. “I’ve wanted to be sure that the timing was right and we were in the right position financially to take this on.” During a recent presentation to the county commission, it was noted that the hospital will see a reduction in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements from the federal government because much of the hospital’s depreciation expense will be going off the books this year.

“We didn’t see the big increase in hospital stays that are typical,” says Burnett, referring to the 2015-16 fiscal year. “I can’t say whether that’s because more people are trying to avoid the expense of medical care so they’re staying at home or whether the flu and other things didn’t hit us as hard this past year, but that revenue was down.” Chief Financial Officer Joe Meyer says acute care revenue dropped $800,000 during the past fiscal year - from $4.9 million in 2015 to $4.1 million in 2016. It may not make a recovery this year. Meyer says revenue from hospital rooms is down about $250,000 through the first seven months of this fiscal year when compared to the same time a year earlier. However, there has been a recent increase

in acute care demand. In February, for example, Meyer says the hospital has been averaging about 12-13 patients each day. Accounts Receivable Down

When a new computer system was put into operation at the hospital in 2015 as part of a federal mandate, it led to immediate problems in billing for Medicare and Medicaid services, as well as insurance plans through private carriers. The process of learning the new system led to a “bottleneck” in billing and collection of accounts. Meyer says that at its peak, it was taking the hospital up to 100 days to collect on billed accounts. Today, that’s been reduced to about 70 days. Consequently, Meyer says the accounts receivable have been slashed by more than $1 million during the past year. It

had climbed to $7.7 million during 2015, but was reduced to $6.4 million in 2016 - nearly identical to what it was in 2014. “We’ve turned accounts receivable into cash,” he says. “If we can get it to 60 days that would put another $600,000 into the bank.” However, Burnett says 60 days may be “pretty optimistic.” Hospital Depreciation A little known, but very significant factor in the hospital’s continued fiscal growth is a bookkeeping entry known as “depreciation.” As anyone who has constructed a new building or made major equipment purchases knows, deprecation is an item that can reduce the amount of taxes owed over a period of time. The same is true with SCH, but since the hospital pays no income or

property taxes, the deprecation allowance is applied when figuring reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid patients. With Medicare reimbursements already operating on a razor-thin markup of just one percent over cost, the added cushion provided by depreciation can be very significant. That became particularly true for SCH when the move was made into its current facility in April of 2012. Meyer says a significant amount of the hospital’s new equipment is on a five-year depreciation schedule, which will be ending this year. That means the hospital will have to reduce what it charges - and in return receives - when billing Medicare and Medicaid. “That’s why this would be a good time to look at new construction,” says Meyer.

(continued from page one)

Depreciation has been a significant cost element for the hospital following it’s move into the $24 million hospital five years ago. Losing the depreciation means the hospital will receive a lower reimbursement for patient services. “Depreciation, by itself, is not a reason to go ahead with the expansion, but it could accelerate our decision to do so,” Burnett says. “At this time, we don’t know how much it will change our reimbursements, but it will have an impact.” Another Entrance Another renovation project that may be addressed before expansion would provide another entrance on the northwest corner of the hospital. The main entrance to the south is adequate dur-

ing regular business hours, but when it is closed in the evening it forces hospital visitors to enter through the emergency room area. “If we have something going on in the ER, that’s really not an area where we want people walking through,” says Burnett. Another issue with the south entrance is that people who are visiting patients must walk quite some distance to get to the patient rooms, which also takes them through parts of the hospital where visitors don’t need to be. “It was a design flaw and it’s something we feel needs to be addressed,” Burnett says. By adding an entrance to the northwest side, with nearby parking, it will be more convenient and visitors will be directed to the nurse’s station. From a security standpoint, it will be a much better situation, Burnett notes.

Before the planting storm arrives ... Let’s discuss the weather

Happy Birthday

Sunday, February 26

Precision Ag & Seed Services invites you to an informative Crop Shop presentation on weather data as it relates to corn yields. Do you know what hybrids you will plant first on your farm? Can cool planting temps make that much difference on yield? How do solar radiation units affect yield after brown silk?

Mike Kriegshauser, Field Agronomist with DuPont Pioneer, will be our featured speaker on weather data as it relates to corn yields.

Tuesday, February 28

Spencer Flight and Education Center 300 S. Mesquite Road • Scott City

Meeting at 10:30 a.m. Lunch to follow

Precision Ag & Seed Services has a new member on the team! Kevin Davis has joined PASS and is excited to meet you and get to know your operation. Please come have lunch with Kevin ... we know he will add value to your farm.

Need an update on crop insurance?

We Love You!

Cards may be sent to: Boots Haxton PO Box 377 Scott City, Ks 67871

Luc Valentin will be on hand to give an update on crop insurance and crop insurance concerns. Bring your questions!

1550 W. Road 70 • Scott City (620) 874-0478 M | (620) 872-5242 O


Scott Coop Association

The Scott County Record • Page 9 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

60th Anniversary Open House 4 Day Truckload Tire Sale Mon.-Thurs., March 6-9 Marienthal - Monday, March 6 • Scott City - Tuesday, March 7 Shallow Water - Wednesday, March 8 • Pence - Thursday, March 9

Come in for

FREE “Door Prizes”

welcome

Come eat lunch at Coop!

Coffee Pop

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Donuts

FREE Hamburgers and Hot Dogs!

Popcorn

FARM HARD REWARDS

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For the Record Budget for closing costs when buying a home The Scott County Record

by Nathaniel Sillin

Imagine the frustration that would follow if you spent hours planning and narrowing in on a dream home only to find out that you can’t afford it when push comes to shove. Starting with a price range can help you make the most of your search, but

The Scott County Record Page 10 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

you’ll need to account for closing costs to create a realistic budget. A catch-all for the fees and services that result from the sale of a home, closing costs are generally about 2-5 percent of the home’s value when you’re making a purchase. In other words, you could pay about $4,000

USD 466 Board of Education Agenda Special Meeting Wed., March 1 • 5:00 p.m. Administration Building • 704 College •Discussion with Gibson, Mancini, Carmichael and Nelson, architects •Adjournment

Scott Co. LEC Report Scott City Police Department Nov. 22: John Kropp reported criminal damage to property. Jan. 10: Warren Kropp reported criminal damage to property and criminal trespass. Feb. 16: Terri Hutton reported a burglary and theft of property that occurred on Feb. 15. Feb. 20: Reydesel Armendariz reported the theft of property that occurred on Feb. 18. Scott County Sheriff’s Department Feb. 16: Bradley Hernandez was served a warrant while in jail.

Veteran designation on driver’s licenses, state photo ID cards

The Kansas Department of Revenue offers honorably discharged veterans the opportunity to include a veteran’s designation on their driver’s license or photo identification card. The word “VETERAN” will appear in red capital letters beneath the license holder’s photo. If the applicant is asking for the designation to be put on when renewing or getting a new driver’s license, there is no additional fee for the designation. If they are reissuing a driver’s license that has not expired there is an $8 fee to reissue the license but no additional fee for the veteran designation. To qualify for driver’s license with the veteran designation, applicants must bring in a DD-214 that indicates a discharge of “honorable,” “general” or “general under honorable conditions” or a letter from the Kansas Veteran’s Commission.

Have questions about the Scott Community Foundation? call 872-3790 or e-mail: julie@scottcf.org

to $10,000 on a $200,000 home. Estimating your closing costs. Your closing costs and fees vary depending on where you’re buying, how much you put down, who helps you with the home-buying process, the type of home you’re buying and the type of loan you’re taking out.

You can estimate the closing costs of homes you’re interested in by using one of the many closing cost calculators online. Also, ask your real estate agent to help you estimate the closing costs of homes in different neighborhoods. A few of the fees you could encounter when

closing on a home. While costs can vary and state laws dictate differences in the closing process, here are a few typical services or fees: Inspections. You likely want to hire an inspector to make sure the home doesn’t need any major repairs and there aren’t any wood-eating pest (such

as termite) infestations. Many lenders require you get these inspections, but even when they don’t it’s usually a good idea. Attorney fees. You could have to pay attorneys to help prepare and review documents for the closing. (See HOME on page 11)

Pizza Hut franchise king tax case heads back to appeals board A $42 million tax residency dispute between Kansas and the nation’s one-time top Pizza Hut franchisee has been bounced back to the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals by the state’s highest court. The Kansas Supreme Court denied a petition for review filed by the state and a cross petition for review filed by Gene Bicknell. At issue is a $42 million tax assessment levied by the Kansas Department of Revenue against Bicknell and his wife for 200506, a period when the Bicknells claimed they

were living in Florida. The assessment was upheld by the Kansas Court of Tax Appeals, now known as the Board of Tax Appeals, but was set aside in September 2015 by the Kansas Court of Appeals, which held that COTA had ignored or disregarded almost all DOR regulations regarding tax residency status. The court of appeals remanded the case to COTA with instructions to redetermine the Bicknells’ residency status under the regulations, but that was put on hold during the pendency of the state’s petition for review with

the Kansas Supreme Court, a period of more than 12 months. Now that the high court has denied the petition, the case is headed back to the Board of Tax Appeals. Resolution Still Far Off Stephen Jones, general counsel for the Board of Tax Appeals, told Bloomberg BNA that it will take several weeks for the board to review the record and begin discussions with the attorneys aimed at determining how to proceed. “It would be great if everyone decided that the record was complete and

that we could proceed directly to the board’s decision, but the most important thing is to let the attorneys decide for themselves if the record is complete,” he said. Once the record is complete, the board will have 90 days by statute to render a decision. Last year, the Kansas Legislature overwhelmingly voted to override Gov. Brownback’s veto of a property tax bill that will grant additional rights to taxpayers like the Bicknells seeking to appeal administrative rulings by the state Board of Tax Appeals.


Kansas House shoots down campaign donation increase Kansas House members on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would have increased the amount they could get from campaign donors. House Bill 2011 would have doubled the amount that individuals, political parties and political action committees could donate to candidates in races for everything from the House and Senate to the governor. But the House voted it down 22-101. Rep. Brandon Whipple (D-Wichita) said he voted against the measure because it would make it harder for candidates who don’t have wealthy friends to get elected. “We should be opening up the field as a citizen legislature, so that people

Home Survey. Some states require you to hire a surveyor to verify the size of the lot. Homeowners insurance. You may need to pay several months’ worth of homeowners insurance premiums up front. Origination fee. Mortgage lenders, banks or brokers often charge about 1 percent of your loan’s value. Property taxes. Several months’ worth of property tax payments could be due at the closing. You might see advertisements for “no-closingcost” mortgages. While these offers can be enticing, you’ll generally pay a higher interest rate on the loan or the closing costs will be wrapped into the mortgage. It might be a good option if you’re planning on moving within the next few years. Otherwise, you’ll likely wind up paying more in interest over the lifetime of the loan than you would have on the closing costs. Try to do your own calculations to determine if a no-cost closing makes sense based on your estimated closing costs, increase in monthly payments and how long you plan on staying in the home. You’ll know approximately how much you have to pay before the closing. Mortgage lenders have three business days from when you submit a loan application to give you a loan estimate. The standardized document shows your estimated interest rate, monthly payments, taxes, insurance and closing costs. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has an interactive example of a standard loan estimate form with explanations and definitions of terms. On the second page, there’ll be a list of closing costs, including a breakdown of which services you may be able to negotiate. You shop mortgage lenders, compare the loan estimate you receive and then continue the process with the lender that gives you the best estimated terms. Three business days

don’t have to have a whole Rolodex full of millionaires that they can call to max out just to compete,” Whipple said. Supporters of the bill said the contribution limits haven’t kept up with inflation and it’s better to encourage people to donate to candidates who have to declare their contributors publicly rather than “dark money” groups that don’t. Rep. Keith Esau (ROlathe) introduced the bill. “I think this actually helps people who want to run against us because they can raise more money,” Esau said. David Kensinger, a lobbyist and Gov. Sam Brownback’s former chief

of staff, said that he favors no limits on individual donations, because that would allow incumbent candidates to spend less time fundraising. Clay Barker, the executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, testified for the bill, which also would have doubled the contributions the state party can accept. But Rep. Jeff Pittman (D-Leavenworth) said the legislature risked seeming tone-deaf if it devotes time to increased campaign contributions just months after an election when the state is facing big budget deficits. “The timing of this bill might not be the best,” Pittman said.

(continued from page 10)

before your scheduled closing, the lender you choose must give you a five-page closing disclosure form with the finalized terms. Carefully look over the closing disclosure and ask your real estate agent, loan officer or attorney questions. If you don’t agree with the new terms of the deal, it’s not too late to back out. If you’re happy with the terms and the closing goes smoothly you’ll be a homeowner soon.

Bottom line: Estimating your closing costs, and budgeting accordingly, can help ensure you’re looking for homes within your price range. That’s important because you want to be able to move quickly when you find a home you love. However, don’t move so fast that you miss out on savings opportunities. Shopping mortgage lenders and service providers could help you minimize your closing costs.

The Scott County Record • Page 11 • Thursday, February 23, 2017


The Scott County Record • Page 12 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Sixty-one candidates were conferred into the Masonic fraternity following a one-day class offered by the Grand Lodge of Kansas that was held in Scott City last Saturday.

Scott City hosts event that adds 61 new Masons Nearly 200 men were in Scott City on Feb. 18 for the one-day class that was open to all prospective Masonic candidates and their mentors. Most Worshipful Grand Master Lyn Beyer opened the Grand Lodge

of Kansas ceremony in the Scott Community High School auditorium. The event was the largest event of its type for the Grand Lodge of Kansas in many years. There were 61 candidates conferred

into the Masonic fraternity. Each candidate received instruction and training into the history and purpose of the Masonic tradition. The candidates petitioned their local lodges for admission,

were subjected to inspections, and then advanced to this school for complete advancement to the degree of Master Masons. Anthem Lodge No. 284 of Scott City served as the host and provided breakfast and lunch to the near-

ly 200 men in attendance. “The Anthem Lodge would like to thank the school district for its cooperation, along with their staff and employees for their assistance,” says local lodge treasurer Terry Phillips.

Pastime at Park Lane Church services at Park Lane were led by the Scott Mennonite Church. Park Lane residents with February birthdays Monday afternoon were honored guests during a party on Wednesday pitch and dominoes afternoon. game helpers were Gary The Christian Women’s Fellowship hosted the Goodman, Bert Lucas, party for James Still, Edwin Allen, Nella Funk, Wanda Kirk, Madeline Hugh McDaniel, Verene Dearden, Arlene Cauthon, Murphy, Lela Bishop, Nella Funk, Boots Haxton and Mike Leach. Dorothy King and Mandy The program featured Garee Smith playing the Barnett. piano while Jane Ann McClellan led the singing. Bob Artz led Bible Patsi Graham made Valentines for everyone. study on Tuesday mornOthers helping were Karen Compton, Marvel ing. Madeline Murphy Hopkins-Keyes, Barbara Dickhut, Connie Kessler, played the piano and Elsie Nola Thornton, Madeline Murphy and JoAnn Nagle led the singing. Dirks. There was a Valentine’s party on Tuesday afternoon. Residents did a cupStudents in the first through eighth grades from cake walk, a shoot the Sunny Plains Mennonite School sang a variety of arrow at the heart game songs for Park Lane residents on Thursday afterand Valentine’s toss. noon. Wanda Wright furnished cookies. Rev. Warren Prochnow Friday morning’s Russel and Mary Webster led Bible study led Lutheran Bible study Catholic Mass was led by on Wednesday morning. Fr. Felix Bernard, on Tuesday evening.

9 celebrate February birthdays

Sunny Plains students perform

Deaths Mary Avis Lamon Mary Avis Lamon, 100, died Feb. 21, 2017, at Reeds Cove Nursing Home, Wichita. S h e was born July 16, 1916, in Petrol, N.D., the daughter of Thom- Mary Lamon as and Mamie E. (Wyant) Parsons. A resident of Scott City from 1970 until moving to Wichita in 2012, she was a homemaker, seamstress and chef. She was a member of the United Methodist Church. On Aug. 20, 1941, she married J. James Eberhardt in Mott, N.D. He died on Feb. 11, 1947. On Nov. 20, 1948, she married Emery L. “Jack” Booth in Mott, N.D. He died on June 15, 1998, in Wichita. On Nov. 17, 1961, she married George A. Lamon in Syracuse. He died Feb. 9, 1977, in Meade. Survivors include: two sons, Thomas Booth and wife, Maureen, Brighton, Mich., and Emery L. Booth, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.; four daughters; Edith

Brown and husband, Bill, Scott City, Suzy Carpenter, Merriam Woods, Mo., Mary Jane King, Rose Hill, and Jearlene Tanner and husband, Bob, Midland, Mich.; 27 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands; three sons, James Eberhardt, Earl Booth and Darrel Lamon; three daughters, Eva Marie Eberhardt, Barbara Jean Wolf and Saron Kay Kerbo; one granddaughter, Ellen Leverett; and 10 brothers and sisters. Funeral service will be held Sat., Feb. 25, 10:30 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church, Scott City, with Pastor John Lewis presiding. Interment will be in the Lakin Cemetery on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 South Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871. Visitation will be at Price and Sons Funeral Home on Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

by Jason Storm

Chocolate ice cream was served Friday afternoon. Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran services Friday afternoon. Saturday afternoon’s entertainment was provided by the Blue Steele Band. Members include Daniel Dunn, Mike Steele and Keith Steele. Thanks to the Alpha Omega Sorority for making Valentine cupcakes, the Future Business Leaders of America at Scott Community High School for delivering Valentine cards, and to the Healy Methodist Church for Valentine goodies. Vivian Kreiser was visited by Sharon Lock. Yvonne Spangler was visited by Yvette Mills.

Exercise

The Grand Lodge of Kansas in conjunction with the Kansas Masonic Foundation and Masonic Lodges across the state are active in promoting health care, education of youth, and the betterment of the local communities.

LaVera King was visited by Velda Riddiough, Shelby Carter, Carol Latham and Gloria Gough. Hugh McDaniel’s visitors were Mark McDaniel, Berniece McDaniel, Tava See and Karen Roberts. Jake Leatherman was visited Larry and Rachel Unruh and Verla and Starla Unruh. Lorena Turley was visited by Rex Turley, Bob and Neta Wheeler, Mike and Tracy Hess, Mary Lou Oeser and Karen Harms. Lowell Rudolph was visited by Tom and Kathleen Moore and Rev. Don Martin. Doris Riner was visited by Ron and Sue Riner, Karen Harms and Mary Lou Oeser.

(continued from page three)

from time to time, she vators for starting an exercise regimen, Mailey said. tells mothers to focus Don’t Need a Gym on benefits that can be “You don’t have to enjoyed immediately, like go to a gym and exer- improved self-confidence cise for an hour,” Mailey and feelings of personal said. “You can break it up accomplishment. throughout the day and do “I try to emphasize 10 minutes here or there. goals that are focused on Always be thinking about what you are doing as opportunities to keep opposed to an outcome,” moving. We need to be Mailey said. “It’s OK for able to redefine exercise weight loss to be a motiand think about it more vator for exercise, but if broadly.” that is your only motive Mailey recommends it is really easy to get dissimple changes throughout couraged early on if you the day, such as a 10-min- are not getting the results ute video in the morning, you want.” a 10-minute power walk Different people use over lunch and an active different strategies for game with the kids in the meeting their goals, evening. Mailey said. “That way you can still Some people use the get the recommended 30 buddy system while othminutes each day without ers use pedometers to feeling like it is cutting track their progress. Some into your life or schedule,” women also find a set Mailey said. “Find some- exercise program helps thing you really enjoy and them stay on track. create goals to stick with “A lot of the moms I’ve it.” worked with have had Although weight loss is success with the ‘Couch one of the largest moti- to 5K’ program because

it provides a set plan and you’re working toward an end goal, but it is also flexible so you can progress at your own pace,” Mailey said. The program offers a way for people to eventually work up to running three miles on a regular basis. If personal benefits are not enough, benefits in the workplace can also be a motivator. Recent studies have shown the benefits many people experience from an exercise regimen - such as clarity of mind, confidence, increased memory and decreased afternoon fatigue - can help improve job performance. “One of common responses I hear from people is they usually have more energy throughout the day on the days they exercise,” Mailey said. “As a new mother myself, I’m not going to promise that you aren’t going to still be exhausted by the end of the day, but I do see an advantage of being more focused at work.”

Support your hometown merchants!

Louise Crist was visited by Don and Tara Williams, Jean Burgess, Jim and Eileen Minnix, Patsi Graham, Tava See and Sue and Tara Rose. Boots Haxton traveled to Oakley on Sunday with her son, Rod, to attend a 90th birthday reception for her sister, Della Lamb. Cecile Billings was visited by Ann Beaton. Mike Leach and James Still were visited by Rev. Don Martin and Linda Dunagan. Loretta Gorman was visited by Velda Riddiough, Fritzi Rauch, Charlene Becht and Tava See. Clifford Dearden was visited by Kirk and Janet Ottoway from Hays. Jim Jeffries was visited by Libbie Joles.


The Scott County Record • Page 13 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Create account to view Social Security benefits

Deaths Dorothy F. Brandfas Dorothy F. Brandfas, 92, died Feb. 17, 2017, at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Ark., surrounded by her loving family. S h e was born Aug. 6, 1924, in Arapah o e , Colo., the daughter Dorothy Brandfas of Bryan and Toy Hunter. At the age of 21, Dorothy moved to Scott City where she and a friend became the first nurse aides at the Scott County Hospital. Memberships included the V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary and First Christian Church, both of Scott City. On March 7, 1945, she married Ernest L. Brandfas in Garden City. He passed away on June 15, 2008, in Bentonville, Ark. Survivors include: a

by Randy Ayers Social Security Brandfas, district manager

son, Richard and wife, Regina, Rogers, Ark.; a daughter, Judy and Donnie Morris, Rogers, Ark.; two brothers, Lawrence Hunter and Charles Hunter, both of Montrose, Colo.; one sister, Hazel Pool, Lamar, Colo.; seven grandchildren, 12 greatgrandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; two brothers, Herold Hunter and Leo Hunter; and one sister, Mary Matusic. Funeral service will be held Fri., Feb. 24, at the First Christian Church, Scott City, with Steve Payne presiding. Interment will be in the Scott County Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the First Christian Church in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 South Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871.

Dr. David LeRoy Amstutz Dr. David LeRoy Amstutz, 79, died Feb. 12, 2017, in Omaha, Nebr. He was born Sept. 23, 1937, in Ransom, Ks., the son of Fred and Helen (Hamit) Amstutz. David served in the United Stated Air Force for seven years. He was a professor of physics at the University of NebraskaKearney for 40 years. On May 28, 1965, he married Polly Banks in Nebraska. She survives. Other survivors include: a son, David Lee Amstutz, Lincoln, Nebr.; two brothers, Mike Amstutz, and wife, Elaine,

Beatrice, Nebr., and Paul Younger, Dighton; and two sisters, Fritzie Rauch, Scott City, and Deborah Younger, Lincoln, Nebr. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather and brother-in-law, Donald Rauch. Memorial service was Feb. 15 at the First United Methodist Church, Kearney, Nebr. Interment was in the Kearney Cemetary with military Honors provided by VFW Post No. 759 and American Legion Post No. 52 in conjunction with the Offutt Air Force Base Honor Guard.

Max Eugene Hasz Max Eugene Hasz, 78, died Feb. 19, 2017. He was a self-employed carpenter. Survivors include his wife, Lynette; a son, KelMax Hasz ly Hasz, and wife, Jennifer; a daughter, Page Pietro, and husband, Jeremy; and grandchildren Kobe, Connor, Taylee, Conrad, Carter and Savanna.

Funeral service was Feb. 23 at Ascension Lutheran Church. A graveside service will be held Fri., Feb. 24, 1:30 p.m., at the Scott County Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established with Ascension Lutheran Church, 842 N. Tyler, Wichita, Ks. 67212. On-line tributes to the family can be offered through the Downing and Lahey Mortuary West website at www.dlwichita. com.

Social Security has been a cornerstone of financial security for over 80 years. Social Security is part of the retirement plan of almost every American worker. If you’re among the 96 percent of workers in the United States covered under Social Security, it is helpful to know what benefits you are entitled to. Social Security bases your benefit payment on how much you earned during your

working career. Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits. If there were some years you didn’t work or had low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you worked steadily. How do you know what your retirement benefits might be so you can plan? Create a safe and secure my Social Security account to view estimates of your future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and

Week of February 27-March 3 Monday: Apple ginger pork loin, braised cabbage, baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter, whole wheat roll, rosy applesauce. Tuesday: Beef chili with beans, carrots and zucchini, cinnamon roll, pineapple tidbits. Wednesday: Fish and chips, tartar sauce, green beans almondine, whole wheat roll, glazed strawberries, bananas. Thursday: Baked thyme chicken, cornbread dressing, broccoli and cauliflower, whole wheat roll, peach fruit and yogurt parfait. Friday: Potato encrusted fish, au gratin potatoes, green peas, whole wheat roll, pears and apricots. meals are $3.50 • call 872-3501

and, once you are receiving benefits, use your account to manage them. For example, you can start or change your direct deposit, change your address and phone number, get proof of benefits, and much more - online and at your convenience. Learn about all the advantages of having your own my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov regularly to access the ever-evolving tools and information we provide.

Attend the Church of Your Choice

The Old Clunker . . . Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 A number of years ago I enjoyed the hobby of restoring old cars. I would purchase them for a cheap price and take them home to restore. When I brought a car home I would look at it and remember what that old clunker must have looked like in her prime, when she was new, when there was value attached to it. Now the headlights are scratched, faded and broken, the paint is dull and worn with a bit of rust coating the body, the seats are torn, displaying some holes and they have lost their comfort and durability. The tires are bald from years on the road, the chrome has peeled and the engine has seen better days. As I look the old clunker over it reminds me of some of us before the restorer works on us. Has your luster for the Lord faded, have you gone so many miles that you have given up on the Lord, have you lost that shinny new feeling you had when you were new in the Lord, the excitement of adventures to come and to watch Jesus grow in you? Do you feel like you have lost your value and does anyone desire to hear you anymore?

Jesus can make you over brand new again. He can take the hard bumps from many a rough road and heal you, and Jesus sees you as something of great worth since He died for you. Has the world acted like a junkyard in your life, feeling abandoned at times, feeling left alone to rust away and eventually just pass on and disappear? Jesus is the best restorer ever and He loves you so much that He wants to make you over as new, He wants to give you a new paint job, fix your insides, and give you a new engine which is your heart. You were not bought for a cheap price, as I used to buy cars, but you were purchased with the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. Let Jesus restore you today, make you new. Let Him show you off and your reward, your prize, the place where you will forever remain will not be some junkyard lost and forgotten, but in Heaven itself to spend all eternity with the one who loves you so much. Are you a clunker? Will you remain that way forever or will you let the master restorer restore you? The choice is yours. Don’t be deceived by Satan, don’t be lied to by the devil, Jesus does forgive and there is no sin so bad that it can’t be removed and to have your life restored as new. The choice really is yours.

Pastor Brian Thompson Community Christian Church, Scott City

Scott City Assembly of God

Prairie View Church of the Brethren

1615 South Main - Scott City - 872-2200 Ed Sanderson, Senior Pastor 9:00 a.m. - Pre-Service Prayer 10:00 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service and Children’s Church Wednesday: 7:00 p.m. - Bible Study and Prayer

4855 Finney-Scott Rd. - Scott City - 276-6481 Pastor Jon Tuttle Sunday School: 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship: 11:00 a.m. Men’s Fellowship • Tuesday breakfast at 6:30 a.m. will be held at the church Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 p.m., at the church

St. Joseph Catholic Church

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

A Catholic Christian Community 1002 S. Main Street - Scott City Fr. Bernard Felix, pastor • 872-7388 Secretary • 872-3644 Masses: 1st Sunday of month - 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Other weekends: Sat., 6:00 p.m.; Sun., 11:00 a.m. Spanish Mass - 2nd and 4th Sundays, 1:30 p.m.

Pence Community Church

1102 Court • Box 283 • Scott City 620-872-2294 • 620-872-3796 Pastor Warren Prochnow holycross-scott@sbcglobal.net Sunday School/Bible Class, 9:00 a.m. Worship every Sunday, 10:15 a.m. Wed.: Mid-Week School, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Community Christian Church

8911 W. Road 270 10 miles north on US83; 2 miles north on K95; 9 miles west on Rd. 270 Don Williams, pastor • 874-2031 Wednesdays: supper (6:30 p.m.) • Kid’s Group and Adult Bible Study (7:00 p.m.) • Youth Group (8:00 p.m.) Sunday School: 9:30 • Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

12th & Jackson • Scott City • 872-3219 Brian Thompson, pastor Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship, 10:45 a.m. Wednesday Night Bible Study, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: God’s High School Cru, 7:30 p.m.

First Baptist Church

Immanuel Southern Baptist Church

803 College - Scott City - 872-2339

1398 S. US83 - Scott City - 872-2264

Kyle Evans, Senior Pastor

Sr. Citizen Lunch Menu

create your account today. Social Security benefits help secure your tomorrow, but many people will need more retirement income. Saving for retirement is critical. You might also have a pension or 401k. Combining as many savings resources will mean more income once you retire. Your personal “my Social Security” account continues to benefit you once you file for benefits and beyond. Use your account to check the status of your application

Bob Artz, Associate Pastor

Robert Nuckolls, pastor - 872-5041

Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. • Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Sunday morning worship: 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.

Gospel Fellowship Church

1st United Methodist Church

Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

5th Street and College - Scott City - 872-2401 John Lewis, pastor 1st Sunday: Communion and Fellowship Sunday Services, 9:00 a.m. • Fellowship, 10:15 a.m. • Sun. School, 11:00 a.m. All Other Sundays • Worship: 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. • MYF (youth groups) on Wednesdays Jr. High: 6:30 p.m. • Sr. High: 7:00 p.m.

First Christian Church

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

120 S. Lovers Lane - Shallow Water Bill Geurin, pastor • 874-8395 Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

701 Main - Scott City - 872-2937 Scotty Wagner, pastor Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.; Worship, 10:45 a.m. Wednesday is Family Night Meal: 5:45 p.m. • Study: 6:15 p.m. Website: www.fccscottcity.org

Elizabeth/Epperson Drives • Scott City • 872-3666

Scott Mennonite Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

12021 N. Eagle Rd. • Scott City Franklin Koehn: 872-2048 Charles Nightengale: 872-3056 Sunday School Worship Service: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Evening Service: 7:00 p.m.

Holy Eucharist - 11:45 a.m. St. Luke’s - 872-3666 (recorded message) Senior Warden Cody Brittan • (913) 232-6127 or Father Don Martin • (785) 462-3041

9th and Crescent - Scott City - 872-2334 James Yager • 620-214-3040 Sacrament, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 10:50 a.m. Relief Society and Priesthood, 11:20 a.m. YMYW Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.


KanCare expansion supporters muscle measure through House Jim McLean Kansas News Service

Supporters of expanding Medicaid eligibility to more low-income Kansans succeeded Wednesday in a last-gasp effort to advance a measure, overpowering opponents who thought they had blocked it earlier in the week. The Kansas House voted 85-40 to amend the contents of the expansion bill - House Bill 2064 into a measure that would allow some communitybased mental health programs to bill Medicaid for

their services. The amendment was necessary because opponents on the House Health and Human Services Committee blocked an effort Monday to move the expansion bill onto the House floor on its own, prevailing by a single vote. Wednesday’s vote was the first on Medicaid expansion in the House or Senate since the U.S. Supreme Court made it an option for states in a 2012 ruling. Rep. Susan Concannon (R-Beloit) spearheaded

the rescue effort, reminding House members that the state’s rejection of expansion has cost Kansas an estimated $1.7 billion in additional federal funds over the last three years. “We have left that (money) on the table” Concannon said. Expansion supporters hailed the vote. “Today, the majority of the House of Representatives voted to bring our money back to Kansas to create jobs, to protect our hospitals and providers and, most importantly, to improve

The Scott County Record • Page 14 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Violence shouldn’t be part of the teen dating scene

the health of 150,000 Kansans,” said David Jordan, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, a nonprofit advocacy group created to lobby for expansion. Expansion would broaden eligibility for the state’s privatized Medicaid program to approximately 300,000 low-income Kansans with annual incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $16,000 for an individual,

February is the month we talk about love. Love for your mom and dad. Love for your siblings. Love for your grumpy neighbor. Love for the person preparing your taxes. Love for your significant other. Choosing to love can be hard Scott Community Foundation and exciting and Healthcare Committee overwhelming all at the same time, but one thing love should never be is abusive or violent. According to the National Youth Risk Behavior survey, one-in-three high school students experience either physical or sexual violence or both at the hands of the person they are dating, with young women between the ages of 18-24 experiencing (See VIOLENCE on page 15)

(See KANCARE on page 15)

Kansas Lawmakers considering ‘KanCare fix’ Jim McLean Kansas News Servie

Kansas was out in front of just about every other state in 2013 when it fully privatized its Medicaid program and renamed it KanCare. The switch to managed care was one of the first big policy changes made

by Gov. Sam Brownback, who promised it would both improve health care and lower costs. KanCare was immediately controversial. Some beneficiaries complained to lawmakers about having to fight efforts by the for-profit managed care organizations to reduce their ser-

vices. Legislators also started hearing complaints from hospitals, doctors and other health care providers, who said they were having trouble getting paid on time and getting the MCOs to authorize certain tests and treatments. Despite the complaints, Brownback touted

KanCare as a success in his 2017 State of the State address to the Legislature. “We’ve seen more Kansans served than ever before, steady or improving health outcomes for beneficiaries, and dramatic cost savings to taxpayers in the amount of nearly $1.4 billion,” Brownback said.

KanCare hasn’t reduced Medicaid costs, but it has slowed their rate of growth. But providers say a study done late last year shows that those savings have come at a cost to them and their patients. “If you would make that statement to a health care provider: ‘KanCare

5 leading causes of death are greater in rural than urban America A recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that rural Americans are at a higher risk of dying from five major causes than those living in urban areas. The potentially preventable causes were: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke. The top five causes of death across the state of Kansas are the same, but in a slightly different order: cancer, heart disease, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke and unintentional injuries. “We have seen increasing rural-urban dispari-

Top 5 causes of death in Kansas: 1) Cancer 2) Heart disease 3) Chronic lower respiratory disease 4) Stroke 5) Unintentional injury

ties in life expectancy and mortality emerge in the past few years,” said Jim Macrae, acting administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration in an announcement when the study was released. “CDC’s focus on these critical rural health issues comes at an important time.” This latest study adds to considerable evidence that links poor health to low

has met its cost cutting goals, hasn’t it?’ the provider would say, ‘They might have, but I can tell you how they did it and that is by not paying me on time or not paying me at all,’” said Tom Bell, president of the Kansas Hospital Association. (See FIX on page 15)

Have tummy aches (See KANCARE on page 15) got your little one feeling down?

Programs offered through K-State Extension:

Walk Kansas is a team-based program with a goal of getting participants more active. The program also encourages participants to manage stress better and eat healthier. In 2016 more than 14,000 people participated in Walk Kansas. Ninety percent of participants were confident they would continue walking six months after the program. (http:// www.walkkansas.org/) SNAP-Ed Nutrition is a program for those who are eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance. More than 37,000 people have participated in the program, which provides nutrition education to Kansans who receive food assistance. The program has saved an estimated $27 million in future health costs. (https://www.he.k-state.edu/fnp/) Stay Strong Stay Healthy is a relatively new strengthtraining program for older adults. One of its main goals is to prevent falls. More than 400 people have benefited from the program. (https://www.k-state.edu/staystrong/)

income, low educational attainment and poverty, which is higher in rural areas, according to Gayle Price, K-State Extension family and consumer specialist.

“The poverty rate in rural Kansas is 15.1 percent compared to 13.1 percent in urban areas of the state,” she said, citing the Rural Health Information

Scott County Hospital Outreach Clinic now welcomes Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, board certified pediatric gastroenterologist. Dr. Rosensweig can treat a variety of conditions including:

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• Infant feeding difficulties or irritability • Poor weight gain • Abdominal pain • Nausea or vomiting • Diarrhea/constipation • Swallowing difficulties • Lower intestinal bleeding or pain • Crohn’s Disease • Celiac Disease ... and much more!

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Specialty Care, Hometown Service

The Outreach Services Clinic at Scott County Hospital If you need a medical specialist, Scott County Hospital offers a variety of options for your care. Talk with your physician about a referral to meet with one of our visiting specialty doctors.

Dr. Mohammed Janif Cardiology

Dr. Rashmi Thapa Cardiology

Dr. John Ferrell Cardiology

Dr. William Freund Cardiology

Dr. Julie Munson Ear, Nose and Throat

Dr. Jerod Grove General Surgery

Dr. Charles Schultz General Surgery

Dr. John Faraci Immunology/Allergy

Dr. Rafael Baracaldo Nephrology

Dr. Matthew Henry Neurosurgeon

Faith Ediger, ARNP Neurosurgery

Dr. Restituto Tibayan Oncology/Hematology

Dr. Alex DeCarvalho Orthopedics

Dr. James Gluck Orthopedics

Cameron Snell, PA Orthopedics

Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig Pediatric Gastroenterology

Dr. Marcel Junqueira Pulmonology/Sleep

Dr. Craig Shapiro Pulmonology/Sleep

Call (620) 874-4854 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Ernesto Lopez Urology

Dr. Kevin McDonald Urology

Scott County Hospital 201 Albert Avenue, Scott City, Ks. • (620) 872-5811 www.scotthospital.net


The Scott County Record • Page 15 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Violence this violence at the highest rate. However, abuse typically starts at a much earlier age. Among women, 69.5 percent report report their first incident of being stalked by a dating partner between the ages of 11-24; among men it’s 53.6 percent. The consequences of experiencing dating violence are severe. Of the high school students who reported physical or sexual abuse by a dating partner, nine out of ten seriously contemplated suicide. The time to talk to your teen is now, but three out of four parents reported

having never talked to their teen about this sensitive subject. So how do you start that conversation? First prepare yourself to be open and honest. Young people can tell when you are guarding yourself, and if you are not opening yourself up they probably won’t either. Talk about your own first dating experience, and what you think love in a relationship looks like. Part of helping them be open and honest is not being judgmental. They should know that the conversation will be kept private and that any-

KanCare

Fix

(continued from page 14)

thing they say will be met with love and understanding. During this conversation, you should be on the lookout for signs your teen is experiencing dating violence. These warning signs can include: constant put downs, a relationship becoming very serious very quickly, big mood swings, extreme jealousy, constant false accusations, extreme possessiveness, and isolation from friends and family. Ask A LOT of questions. This is the best way to ensure you know what is happening in your teen’s life and relationships.

All young people deserve to live in an environment where they can thrive, and their hopes and dreams for the future can be realized. Break the Cycle is movement that works to inspire and support young people to build healthy relationships and to create a culture free of abuse. Check out their website: www.breakthecycle. org for more tips on talking to your teen, and to join the movement of creating an abuse and violence-free community. This article is submitted by Scott Community Foundation Healthcare Committee

(continued from page 14)

according to the Kansas Health Institute. However, for a variety of reasons, only between 150,000 and 180,000 would initially enroll, according to estimates by KHI and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the state agency that oversees Medicaid, which in Kansas is a privatized program known as KanCare. In a debate that lasted more than three hours, supporters and opponents traded arguments for and against expansion. Rep. Jim Kelly, a Republican from Independence, said the state’s rejection of expansion contributed to the closing of the only hospital in the southeast Kansas community. “Think if your town was Independence, Kansas, and you were living not the dream but the nightmare of a hospital closing,” Kelly said. “I would urge you to support this amendment for expan-

sion because the next time it happens it could be in your district.” Rep. John Eplee, a Republican from Atchison and a family physician, said he wanted to “put a real live face” on the issue by talking about three of his patients, two of whom died because they waited too long to seek care. All, he said, were non-disabled adults who worked but could not afford private health insurance. “They are indeed ablebodied, hard-working people that we have turned our backs on,” Eplee said. “This is our opportunity to change that.” Rep. John Whitmer, a Wichita Republican, argued that expansion would worsen the state’s persistent budget problems. He pointed to the fact that enrollment greatly exceeded expectations in many of the 31 states that have expanded Medicaid. “Unless y’all want to vote for another tax

Death

(continued from page 14)

Hub. “Over 12 percent of the rural population has not completed high school compared to 8 percent of the population in urban Kansas. The average income per capita in rural Kansas was around $4,400 less than the state average.” More than 900,000 Kansans call 89 rural counties home. That is more than 30 percent of the state’s population. Many factors, including demographic, environmental, economic and social factors put rural residents at risk. Residents in rural areas are often older and sicker. They also have higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure and obesity. They report having less leisure time, higher rates of poverty, less access to health care services and are less likely to have health insurance. Price said, however, that there are more health inequalities experienced by rural residents than just poverty. They include getting an education, access to safe housing, foods that are both healthy and

affordable and affordable transportation. The lack of affordable transportation could contribute to other issues such as access to employment and health services. But help is available in every Kansas county: K-State Research and Extension has a network of trained professionals across the state whose job is to help residents connect to services and education that can help improve their lives. “Local extension offices provide extension agents who are available to support individuals, families and communities as they address challenging issues around health,” Price said. “These examples may include workshops, training, educational sessions on a variety of health topics, working within a community to increase access to healthy foods, helping to promote and create healthier environments, community or school gardens or improve access to safe spaces so people are encouraged to be more physically active.”

Support Your Hometown Merchants!

increase, that’s relevant information you should consider,” Whitmer said. Rep. Eric Smith, a Republican from Burlington, said it would be financially risky for the state to proceed with expansion with President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress poised to repeal the Affordable Care Act. If that happens, he said, the billions of federal dollars that expansion supporters are counting on could disappear. “I’m not asking you what you’re going to go home and tell your constituents today, I’m asking you what you’re going to tell them in two years, three years or four years down the road when this fails,” Smith said. Responding to the cost arguments, Rep. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat, noted that governors in many of the states cited by Whitmer are lobbying to keep expansion because “they’re not over budget,

they’re over enrollment.” “That’s a key difference,” she said, noting that states have so far used mostly federal funds to cover the additional costs. Holscher also noted a new argument for expansion, claiming that it would help prevent “medical divorces.” “Yes, that’s a thing now,” she said, explaining that a recent University of Kansas study indicated that fewer couples are getting divorced in expansion states because they no longer have to spend down their assets to qualify for Medicaid when one spouse suffers a debilitating illness. “People: Couples are getting divorces in order to obtain health care,” she said. “I would suggest to you that Medicaid expansion is pro-family.” A recent poll conducted by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network indicated that 82 percent of Kansas voters support expansion.

(continued from page 14)

Quality Of Care Affected KanCare provides health insurance to about 425,000 children and low-income, disabled and elderly adults. More than a third of the kids that pediatrician Dennis Cooley sees in his Topeka office are covered by KanCare. He said dealing with three managed care organizations, each with its own set of rules, has made caring for those patients harder than it used to be under the old system. “It’s a struggle certainly for our staff,” Cooley said. “Some of the problems include things like prior authorizations. I’ve had nurses who have sat on hold for two hours waiting to just get somebody to respond to them.” “We’re providing over 100,000 patient encounters for KanCare recipients each year, and for that we’re subsidizing the program to the tune of $60 million to $65 million annually.” That affects patients, Cooley said.


The Scott County Record • Page 16 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Reprieve and higher education, as well as repeated sweeps of one-time money from a highway construction fund. The bill Brownback vetoed would have closed most of the gap starting next year by adding business owners back to the tax rolls, restoring the third income tax bracket and raising rates, although they would remain below pre-2012 levels. Show of Force Hours after Brownback vetoed the bill, House members who supported the bill scraped together enough votes to overrule him. It was a show of force by moderate Republicans who made gains in November by vowing to end the annual budget crises - even if it meant raising income tax rates and working with Democrats. But it wasn’t easy. Representatives sat one vote short for several minutes, listening to colleagues explain their votes. Then Rep. Clay Aurand, a Republican farmer from Belleville, switched to “aye” and the chamber erupted in cheers until House Speaker Pro Tem Scott Schwab gaveled it to silence. Aurand said there was “a lot wrong” with the bill and he had hoped for a better alternative. But

(continued from page two)

he said he saw no other opportunities to pass a bill that would narrow the budget deficit and create a more equitable tax code. “I’m a supply-sider,” Aurand said. “But the most important thing about supply-side (economics) is getting the tax rate right. It’s not about raising or lowering taxes, it’s about getting it right. And in no case is zero the right amount for a certain segment when others are paying.” After Aurand flipped, Rep. Blaine Finch also changed his vote, making the final tally 85-40, with 45 Republicans and 40 Democrats voting to override the veto.

a legal judgment against cigarette manufacturers in exchange for a lump sum. Trading the annuity for quick cash wouldn’t provide a long-term budget fix, and Rep. Steven Johnson, a Republican from Assaria, said it would be a particularly bad idea in the long-term. Johnson, who was praised Wednesday on the House floor for his work on HB 2178 as chairman of the House Taxation Committee, said he didn’t see the votes for that or for cuts to public education. In short, he didn’t see the votes for any budget fix at the moment. “Think of the path forward,” Johnson said. What’s next? “What do we do next? After the Senate’s vote to sustain the veto, the How do we get this sespath ahead for a budget is sion wrapped up in a good way for Kansans?” murky. Brownback said he will work with House and Senate Republican leaders who voted against overriding the veto to tweak his budget plan into something more palatable for lawmakers. But Denning called the governor’s plan “insulting” and said he didn’t even want to waste time on it. The governor’s plan includes big increases in tobacco and alcohol taxes. It also suggests cashing in an annuity from

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Sports The Scott County Record

Eagle blitz Tough regular season finale for DHS boys against state-ranked Ness City Page 22

www.scottcountyrecord.com

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Section C • Page 17

4 grapplers statebound McDaniel, Jurgens are regional champions Justus McDaniel didn’t look like a freshman during Saturday’s Class 4A regional wrestling at Buhler. A takedown and near-fall in the final 13 seconds saw Scott City’s 113-pounder win an exciting 8-5 decision over top-seeded Adam Whitson in the championship finals. McDaniel is one of four Scott Community High School grapplers who will be competing in the state tournament this weekend in Salina. He will be joined by regional champion Jarret Jurgens (152), silver medalist Wyatt Hayes (160) and third place finisher Kaden Wren (120). As a team, the Beavers (111) finished fifth behind Abilene (215), Clay Center (137.5), (See REGIONAL on page 24)

Buhler’s Adam Whitson bridges to avoid a pin after being thrown to his back by Scott City’s Justus McDaniel early in the third period of Saturday’s regional championship match. McDaniel won the 113-pound division with an 8-5 decision. (Record Photo)

SC girls hold off Cowgirls to earn No. 1 seed During the first 24 minutes of their game on Tuesday night, the Scott Community High School girls were nearly unstoppable while building an 18 point lead against Goodland.

The Lady Beavers (11-9) nearly let that advantage slip away before holding on for a 47-38 win that assured them of their first winning season since 2009-10.

The win also assured SCHS of a No. 1 seed in the upcoming Class 4A-Division II regional tournament to be hosted by Scott City. It dropped Goodland into the No. 2 seed.

“Before the game I talked to the girls about what was at stake, that we could really carve out the path we wanted to take through sub-state with a win,” says head coach Sarah

no pressure

SC over Eagles with last second FT

When Bo Hess missed the first of his two free throws with only one second remaining and the score tied 60-60 in overtime on Friday, the Scott City senior didn’t feel any added pressure. “I wasn’t too nervous because I knew the worst thing that would Scott City 61 Hugoton 60 happen was another overtime and we were playing pretty good,” said Hess following the league game at Hugoton. “I felt confident that I’d be able to knock it down.” A second overtime wasn’t necessary. Hess, who finished with 17 points, drained the second charity toss and following a desperation shot by Hugoton, the Beavers escaped with a 61-60 road win in Great West Activities Conference action. It was the second consecutive year that the Beavers (118) beat the state-ranked Eagles (13-5) on their floor to salvage a split of the season series. However, it didn’t appear that Scott City would snap its two game losing streak when they fell behind 44-34 late in the third period. (See PRESSURE on page 20)

McCormick. “We were in control of that and a year ago we weren’t.” Likewise, the Lady Beavers were in control for a good share (See SC GIRLS on page 19)

SC boys face Goodland in sub-state opener The Scott Community High School boys (12-8) will face Goodland in the opening round of Class 4A-Division II substate basketball action that gets underway next week on the home court. Scott City is hosting substate play from March 2-4. Thursday’s opening game will feature top-seeded Holcomb (18-1) against Colby (3-15) at 6:00 p.m. SCHS vs Goodland (9-11) will follow at 7:30 p.m. The girl’s games will be held on Friday with number-two seeded Goodland (9-11) facing Holcomb (7-12) at 6:00 p.m. Top-seeded Scott City (11-9) will tipoff at 7:30 p.m. against Colby (4-15). All four winners will advance to the title game on Saturday.

Lady Hornets are No. 1 seed in sub-state

Scott City junior Jordan Horn hits a floater in the lane during Friday’s league win at Hugoton. (Record Photo)

The Dighton High School girls will be seeking their second consecutive state title when they begin Class 1A-Division I sub-state action at Montezuma on Thurs., March 2. Dighton (18-2) won the Division II title a year ago. They will open sub-state action against the winner of Minneola (8-12) and Satanta (4-15). The No. 2 seed is South Gray (16-4). The DHS boys (14-6) will face Minneola (10-9) in the semi-finals on March 3. South Gray (19-1) is the top seed.


The Scott County Record • Page 18 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Beavers sprint past Cowboys in season finale To say that Scott City ran away from Goodland in their final regular season game is more than a figure of speech. At times, Tuesday’s contest looked more like a track meet Goodland 31 Scott City 66 than a basket

ball game as the SCHS boys put on a clinic in their 66-31 rout of the Cowboys. “That’s how these guys want to play and allowing them to be in attack mode is probably when they’re most effective,” says head coach Brian Gentry. The Beavers (12-8) held only a 12-9 lead late in the first quar-

ter before scoring eight unanswered points to begin taking control of the game, 20-9, with 5:49 left in the first half. The margin could have been even more comfortable if not for Scott City’s own miscues. They left at least 10 points hanging on the rim in the first 1-1/2 quarters.

“Early in the game we struggled to finish. We got the steals and we got the looks we needed, but we couldn’t make a layup,” Gentry says. “The officials were letting the boys play, which is okay. We just need to finish stronger.” Any hopes the Cowboys had of hanging around with the

Beavers faded away when Scott City put together a 12-2 scoring run over the final 2-1/2 minutes of the half. The big basket during that stretch was a breakaway jam by senior Bo Hess that brought a roar from the fans and the student section. An already rowdy (See SPRINT on page 20)

JV boys close out season with win over Cowboys When you’re b e i n g greeted by a Goodland 42 Scott City 54 6-foot-9 player in the paint, that can create a major obstacle for the offense. Goodland junior Peyton Sieck was just such an obstacle for the Scott Community High School junior varsity boys on Tuesday. With Sieck in the game, the Beavers trailed 23-21 at halftime. With Sieck out of the game in the second half, the Beavers rolled to a 54-42 win. While he says Sieck was a factor in the first half, coach Alex Hutchins says a bigger key to their success in the second half was making shots. “In the first half we got a lot of the looks we wanted, whether the big guy was in the low post or not,” says Hutchins. “We missed five or six layups and you can’t give away points like that.” The second half was a stark contrast to the first. “The second half was one of the best halves of basketball we’ve played

this season as far as making the other team earn their shots and our ability to move the ball. That’s one thing our younger guys do particularly well,” says Hutchins. Scott City (12-5) wasted no time taking control of the game after the intermission when they scored 12 unanswered points from five different players. They did most of their damage from long range during that stretch with three-point baskets from Hunter Yager, Dexter Gooden and Jackson Lewis. That was followed by a nearly four minute drought which allowed Goodland to climb back into the game. Following a pair of Scott City turnovers, Goodland was able to cut the deficit to 36-33. With 5:01 left in the game, Scott City was protecting a 38-36 advantage. During the next 1-1/2 minutes, the Beavers scored 11 unanswered points that included a pair of three-point baskets from Reid Brunswig and a three-pointer by Parker Gooden that pushed the

Scott City’s Parker Vulgamore (right) and Hugoton’s Damian Lewis chase down a loose ball during action in Hugoton last Friday. (Record Photo)

lead back to 11 points, 4938, with 3:37 remaining. Brunswig led a balanced scoring attack with nine points, Yager added eight and Evyan Smith finished with seven. Mixing the Lineup Once again, Hutchins juggled the starting lineup “One of the reasons I do this is because I want guys to learn how to be leaders whether or not they’re

starting,” says Hutchins. “That’s something all the boys need to learn moving forward. “Next year they may find themselves in the same situation where they feel they should be starting but aren’t. My challenge to them is, are you going to feel sorry for yourself or will you be a productive member of this team coming off the bench?,” says the coach.

“I emphasize that it’s not about the individual, but about what makes us a better team.” Hutchins says another point of emphasis during the junior varsity season has been for players, such as Brunswig and Zach Carson, to accept a leadership role and “understand the game at a higher level. “A lot of the development we need to see from these (junior varsity) boys

stepping up to the varsity level will be how they adapt to the mental aspect of the game. A lot of that comes from playing, but also being a student of the game during March Madness and the NBA playoffs. That means a lot of off-court preparation.” Hutchins says his decision to change the starting lineup over the past three games was with a purpose. (See JV BOYS on page 21)

Honor among outdoorsmen, most of the time As the old quote goes, “There is no honor among thieves.” I have never understood thievery, that blatant act of taking something that does not belong to you. Now I suppose the case can be made that we’ve all stolen at one time or another by taking home a handful of paper clips from the office or snag-

Outdoors in Kansas by Steve Gilliland

ging a bottle of water from the break room fridge’ that we didn’t actually put there ourselves. But I’m referring to purposely and knowingly making-off with an object or objects belonging to someone

else. When I was a kid I can remember an early morning phone call from the neighbor telling me he had caught someone taking firewood from his woods and telling him that I had given them permission to cut firewood in my woods which was next door. The property line went right through the very

middle of the woods, so I guess the guy could have mistakenly been on the wrong side. But the neighbor found him loading his truck from a stack of firewood cut and neatly stacked there on his side of the woods; something he should have known better than to do even if he had been on the right property. Neighbor Dave was a

big guy and a cop in the local town. He later told me he stood and watched as the guy stacked his firewood back on the pile. I’ve been trapping beavers on the McPherson Valley Wetlands outside of town, as they have a main drainage ditch there blocked with a ginormous dam that’s flooding nearby farmland. To gather a little intel’

before I set any traps, I had two trail cameras fastened to a tree overlooking the dam and the main drainage ditch. It’s fun to use trail cameras all year long at spots like that just to see what comes out at night, and my cameras were getting numerous pictures of swimming beavers and marauding raccoons. (See HONOR on page 21)


The Scott County Record • Page 19 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Pressure defense takes a toll in loss to Hugoton The inability to effectively handle full-court pressure, and to score when they did beat the press, was more than the Scott City girls could overcome in a 78-33 road loss against Hugoton on Friday. The Lady Eagles are the No. 1 ranked team in Class 3A and did nothing on Friday to prove otherwise. SCHS (10-9) was able to stay with Hugoton through the

SC Girls of the game, scoring 12 unanswered points after Goodland had tied the game, 10-10. Junior center Emily Smith sparked the scoring run with three baskets to open the second period and Kiana Yager’s field goal with 4:41 left in the half put her team on top, 22-10. However, SCHS had to deal with foul problems for most of the night. During the final 3-1/2 minutes of the half, starters Emily Weathers and Macie Price were on the bench with three fouls and each picked up their fourth within the first two minutes of the second half. When Price exited the game at the 5:56 mark, SCHS was protecting a 27-18 lead. Just 2-1/2 minutes later they held their largest lead of the night, 36-18. During that 9-0 scoring run, junior guard Bailey Latta scored four points, including a trey, while senior Paige Winderlin’s three-point play at the 3:21 mark gave the Lady Beavers an 18 point cushion. “We don’t have any superstars on this team, so every win has to be a team effort,” says McCormick. “That’s what we saw when Emily and Macie weren’t in the game. It was great to see different girls step

first three minutes when a basket by Emily Weathers cut the deficit to 6-4, but after that it was all Hugoton who closed out the first quarter on a 19-2 blitz. While their full-court pressure was effective, Hugoton was just as devastating from beyond the arc where they knocked down four treys in the period. Head coach Sarah McCormick felt her team

missed an opportunity to stay in the game early by failing to capitalize when they did beat Hugoton’s full-court press. “Everyone’s going to want to play us aggressively. They want to attack us, and that’s fine,” says McCormick. “It wasn’t that we didn’t beat their fullcourt pressure, but we failed to take advantage on those opportunities. We couldn’t finish off opportunities two feet away

from the basket. “We were out of sorts at times against their press and we couldn’t get into the flow of our offense.” Freshman center Emily Weathers was one of the only bright spots of the night for Scott City as she finished with a team high 11 points. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Lady Beavers put together four consecutive

points. “It’s still a matter of doing the little things - knowing what play we’re running, knowing what defense we’re in. Those are the mistakes we can’t be making this time of the season,” says the head coach. “If we don’t take care of the ball, or we don’t know who we’re guarding, or understand what the game plan is, there’s no way we can win.”

(continued from page 17)

up and make big contributions.” Goodland Rallies Just when it appeared the Lady Beavers had a stranglehold on the game, they went through a seven minute stretch without a field goal which allowed Goodland to climb back. SCHS did score four free throws during that spell which was just enough for them to cling to a 40-36 advantage with only 2:26 remaining in the game. Weathers, who was limited to just six points, was huge in the clutch with back-to-back field goals in the span of 50 seconds. Her second basket, with an assist from freshman guard Madison Shapland, extended Scott City’s lead to 44-36 with 1:18 to play. Smith followed with a free throw and a field goal that gave the Lady Beavers a comfortable 47-36 edge with only :46 left on the clock. “The girls didn’t panic. Whether we like it or not, it’s a situation we find ourselves in a lot and the girls are confident they’ll find a way to win,” says the head coach. Smith anchored the Lady Beavers with a career high 14 points and some key rebounds down the stretch. “Emily did it all. She de-

Scott City senior Paige Winderlin shoots a basket over pressure from a pair of Hugoton defenders during league action last Friday. (Record Photo)

fended, she rebounded and she scored with strong post moves to the basket,” says McCormick. She was also proud of how Latta responded, not only with

10 points, but with her defense. “Bailey was guarding their best player the whole night, so she was dealing with double and triple screens. Other people had to come off their man and help

and sometimes that can create chaos, but everyone communicated really well on defense,” says McCormick. “The girls took a huge step in the right direction.”

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Pressure SCHS led 31-29 at halftime and opened up their biggest lead of the night following a threepoint play by Hess to start the second half. Scott City’s defense kept the Eagles off the scoreboard for nearly 3-1/2 minutes before Hugoton put together a 15-0 scoring run to seemingly take control of the game, 34-24. Junior guard Jordan Horn, who had been limited to just six points through the first three quarters, hit a pair of free throws and a trey early in the fourth quarter that cut the deficit to 46-40. Horn, who finished with 17 points, added another trey at the 4:25 mark that brought Scott City within one, 48-47. Both teams exchanged baskets over the next 2-1/2 minutes until senior center Kyle Cure knocked down a 12-foot baseline jumper with 1:39 remaining to give the Beavers a brief 54-53 lead. It took just 11 seconds for Hugoton’s Zack Leininger to answer with a three-point play. A reverse layin by Horn with :41 to play tied the game at 57-57 and Hugoton pulled the ball

The Scott County Record • Page 20 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

(continued from page 17)

Key stats . . . Marshall Faurot: 12 first half points Jess Drohman: seven points during the span of 45 seconds late in the first half Jordan Horn: scored 11 of his game high 17 points in the fourth quarter and overtime Rebounds: despite Hugoton’s huge height advantage, both teams finished with 25 rebounds

out on their next possession to set up the final shot. The long-range attempt caromed off the rim and the Beavers quickly raced to the other end of the floor and were about to attempt a shot from the far corner when head coach Brian Gentry finally caught up with the official only about six feet from the baseline to get a timeout that he’d been trying to call for about three seconds. That left Scott City with 1.7 seconds in which to run a play and score the game-winner. Horn came off a screen and had a shot from the corner that glanced off the top of the rim to force overtime. “That shot looked good and (Jordan) thought it was in,” says Gentry. “We got a pretty good look considering we had such little time to work with.”

start the extra period, but Hess quickly erased that advantage when he stole the ball near midcourt and scored a layup. Hugoton tied the game with a basket and following a Scott City turnover, Leininger was put on the line where he made one free throw to give the Eagles a 60-59 lead with 2:07 to play. Horn tied the game with a charity toss a few moments later, after which each team missed a field goal. Perhaps the biggest defensive play of the night was turned in by senior Drew Duff as Hugoton was once again playing for a final shot. This time they drove to the basket and Duff drew the charging call with 6.1 seconds remaining. “That was a huge play. He’s been doing a good job of sacrificing his SC Takes Lead body, but for him to take a Hugoton had the ball to charge at that point in the

game was tremendous,” Gentry said. During a timeout that followed, the plan was to get the ball into Hess’s hands, with Horn as a backup. Hugoton gambled for a steal on the inbounds pass which gave Hess a clear path along the sideline. Leininger back-tapped the ball near midcourt, but Hess was able to regain control of the ball and continue driving into the paint where he split two defenders under the basket and was fouled with just :01 remaining. Gentry wasn’t surprised that the game was decided at the free throw line. “Once Bo got a step on the defender, you knew there was going to be a foul called at some point,” he says. “I wanted him to be aggressive and go to the basket knowing that, even if they called a charge, (Hugoton) was going to have the ball under our basket with only a second left.” Two Key Stretches Sophomore guard Marshall Faurot carried the Beavers through the first half when he scored 12 of his 13 points. Faurot’s final points of

the first half came on a trey with 6:16 remaining that cut the Hugoton lead to 20-18. That was followed by the first of two critical periods in the game for Scott City. Early foul trouble for Hess, Justin Faurot and Cure saw the three of them spending time on the bench in the second period which could have been a golden opportunity for Hugoton to stretch their 23-19 advantage. Instead, Horn hit a basket while junior center Zach Carson and senior guard Jess Drohman came off the bench to score the team’s final eight points of the half. Drohman accounted for seven points during a 45 second stretch. “Jess and Marshall were huge in the first half. Jess was attacking and he even got to the rim a couple of times,” notes Gentry. “Over the last few games, Jess has become a different player. He’s more aggressive, he’s looking for his open shots and he’s taking them.” Gentry also liked the way that Faurot was attacking the rim against 6-foot-9 Tony Kinser in the low post.

Sprint

Runnin’ Beavers provide an offensive show on Parents’ Night For most of the season, the SCHS boys have been a team trying to figure out just how good they can be. They may be finding the answer to that at the right time of the season following impressive wins over Hugoton and Goodland to close out the regular season. That success is driven by two factors - defense and their ability to get out and run, as we saw against the Cowboys. “In the second half when we got long rebounds or steals we had guys flying down the sideline and that’s what leads to guys penetrating and kicking (the ball) back out,” says head coach Brian Gentry. “When the ball’s popping around like that and the guys have energy you’re going to shoot better. “That’s how these guys want to play and that’s probably what’s most effective is when they’re in attack mode,” he says. And he thinks that when they can pick up the tempo it keeps them from overthinking - especially when it comes to shooting. “These guys know what to do, but when you pull back the reins and say run this or run that it takes away from their aggressive mindset. Tonight we turned them loose and gave them some freedom to run, probably more than we have in the past. They showed they could do it.” But, as with all things, there’s a time and a place. “When things aren’t going well, we still have to be able to slow down and execute in the half-court,” Gentry emphasizes. Scott City’s full-court pressure was probably the most effective it’s been all season. Not only were the Beavers pinning Goodland players along the baseline after getting the inbounds pass, but they were able to continue trapping as the Cowboys progressed up the floor. “When you can trap not just once, but two times, and you’re coming in from different angles, that makes it a lot tougher for the offense. And when we

got the traps we did a pretty good job of avoiding fouls,” Gentry says. “That forces them to throw over the top and we got deflections which led to steals on the back side. It was our best trapping defense all year which allowed us to get out and run.” Back-to-Back-to-Back Performances The head coach has also been pleased with his team’s ability to hold their emotions in check. Following a tough loss to Holcomb, there was no letdown in a huge win at Hugoton. Likewise, there was no loss of intensity or focus against Goodland. The overtime win at Hugoton featured a number of big-time individual performances, including 12 first half points by sophomore guard Marshall Faurot. Gentry cautioned against reading too much into Faurot’s limited minutes in the second half. That decision was a result of Hugoton switching to a 1-3-1 defense. “When they were in the 1-3-1 we were stagnant and not moving the ball,” says Gentry. “Jess (Drohman) did a pretty good job of attacking. We felt we needed more ball handlers on the court that way we could penetrate the zone a little better. “It had nothing to do with the way Marshall was playing in the second half.” What makes the 1-3-1 zone so effective is Hugoton’s length which makes it difficult for players to dribble-drive to the basket. “You get trapped by their long arms and it’s hard to get out,” Gentry says. “The boys were reluctant to attack it aggressively because they don’t want to get put in a bad position.”

“Marshall wasn’t afraid to take the ball right at Kinser. The kid can elevate,” said Gentry. It appeared that Hugoton had seized control of the game when they scored 15 unanswered points in the third period to open a 34-24 lead. Gentry says that because of Hugoton’s length, they had trouble penetrating and scoring when the Eagles switched to a 1-3-1 defense. The Beavers made some adjustments offensively and at the same time switched how they were guarding the post. “Late in the second half we changed our defensive positioning in the post and forced them to throw lob passes when we had backside help. We were able to get a couple of steals and gained an extra possession or two. When we get stops we are able to get out and run and that allows us to attack the basket,” says Gentry. The win gave Scott City quality back-to-back games during the week, following a 51-44 loss to state-ranked Holcomb. “A win against a quality opponent gives us some momentum going into sub-state,” noted Gentry.

(continued from page 18)

Horn is Huge in Clutch Junior guard Jordan Horn had one of his best game of the season when the Beavers were needing some big-time baskets in the second half “When we had our backs against the wall he started attacking. He was splitting defenders, even in the 1-3-1. He also got the kickout and knocks down the big three early in the fourth quarter,” says Gentry. “When he sees the ball going through the net his confidence soars. The last shot he took in regulation to win it looked good and he thought it was in. “Earlier this year, he would have let a missed shot like that affect him for awhile, but he was excited about the chance to play overtime.” As for the coast-to-coast drive to the basket by Hess that led to a foul and a game-winning free throw, Gentry says that the final play probably wouldn’t have gone down that way if 6-foot-9 senior Tony Kinser hadn’t fouled out. “If he’s in the game, we have to design the play a little differently because we don’t want to be going right at a 6-foot-9 shot-blocker,” Gentry says. Seeing the Big Picture When standing at the free throw line preparing to shoot a game winning shot, Bo Hess finds time to get philosophical. The senior said he wasn’t nervous after missing the first free throw and needing to make the second to give SCHS a 61-60 lead with :01 left in the game. “With the second shot I was thinking, ‘This is a high pressure situation and it will prepare me for more things in life,” he said with a grin.

student section amped up the excitement level another notch when senior guard Drew Duff added a three-point basket with just :02 remaining in the half to give the Beavers a 36-15 cushion. Hess had 13 of his game high 22 points in the first half. At that point the only question was the final winning margin. The Beavers continued to feed off that energy in the second half when they opened with a 13-3 scoring blitz that included a three-point play by Hess and three-point baskets from Duff and sophomore guard Marshall Faurot. For Duff, it was his third trey of the night as he finished with nine points. Faurot, who scored all seven of his points in the third quarter, put the Beavers on top, 49-18, with his trey. Gentry was particularly pleased with his team’s fullcourt pressure defense. “It was the best we’ve rotated through our press all year. We weren’t just getting the initial trap. We were also getting to the second level and even trapping across half-court which we haven’t been able to do,” Gentry says. “Our rotations were sharp and the boys got to where they were supposed to be.”


The Scott County Record • Page 21 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

A Big 12 tourney loss might be best for the Jayhawks Kansas all but assured their 13th consecutive Big 12 championship with their 67-65 win at Baylor last Saturday. That will tie the Jayhawks with UCLA for the all-time consecutive championship record. KU has a three-game lead with four games left. “Well, we put ourselves in a great by position, but we’re not going to take Mac it for granted. I’m really proud of our Stevenson guys and how hard they compete,” said head coach Bill Self. It’s unfortunate that KU has to play in the postseason Big 12 Tournament just prior to the NCAA Tournament. If the Jayhawks had more depth, it would be no problem. Coach Bill Self can’t afford to lose any players to injury just before the Big Dance and he will take a tired team to the national showdown. It would serve the money-grubbers right if Self played his walk-ons in the first Big 12 tourney game and lost it, leaving a week to rest his team. Money is the only justification for having a conference tournament right after a season-long league race to determine the true champion. Kansas has proven one thing this season - they know how to win close games. The Jayhawks have been in one thriller after another. But the Big 12 is in for a rude awakening in the NCAA Tournament; the league is lacking in highly talented pivot players and most of the tournament teams have a surplus of big men. Shockers Peaking at the Right Time Wichita State’s deep and talented basketball team is swiftly becoming a ballclub no one is going to want to play in the NCAA Tournament. Don’t be misled by the Shockers’ weak schedule. Head coach Gregg Marshall has 10 solid players and he plays them all, which creates a united locker room. Wichita’s coach has seemingly settled on Conner Frankamp and Landry Shamet as his starting guards. Both have been playing superb basketball. Centers Shaquille Morris (6-8, 265) and Rauno Nurger (6-10, 238) have improved steadily and they’re playing the best basketball of their careers. Markis McDuffie (6-8, 212) is living up to high expectations at small forward. In addition, Coach Marshall has five other players who supply effective depth. This year’s NCAA Tournament is wide open. At least 20 teams have a chance to win it all and Wichita State is one of them. Marshall is one of the best young coaches in college basketball and he has the Shockers peaking at just the right time. 3 Key Players Must Have Big Years Kansas City’s baseball team has begun spring training in Surprise, Ariz., and, as always, hopes are high for the upcoming season. KC is coming off a disappointing season (81-81) and there’s plenty of room for improvement. The Royals had several glaring weaknesses last year, but the most obvious was their hitters’ penchant to swing at bad pitches and take strikes right down the middle. That should be a main focus for manager Ned Yost, but it’s been an ongoing and uncorrected flaw for some time. KC has three players that must produce resurgent seasons if the Royals are going to be contenders for the AL Central championship: left fielder Alex Gordon, center fielder Lorenzo Cain, and third baseman Mike Moustakas. Alex Gordon is 33 with 10 years of major league experience. Last season Gordon hit an abysmal .220 in 128 games and 445 at bats. He had 16 doubles, two triples, and 17 homers. Gordon walked 52 times and had an unacceptable 148 strikeouts. In addition, Gordon’s defensive play in left field slipped badly. He’s had a number of injuries over the years and Gordon’s lost a step in quickness and his aggressiveness has regressed. Lorenzo Cain is 30 and has seven years of major league experience. Cain played in just 103 games in 2016, hitting .287 in 397 at bats, with 19 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 56 RBIs, 31 walks, and 84 strikeouts. Cain has a history of injuries and the Royals can’t afford to have him spending much of the season on the bench. Mike Moustakas is 28 with six years in the majors. He missed almost all of the 2016 season because of knee surgery. Moustakas played in just 27 games and hit .240, including 7 homers. These three players hold the key to how competitive the Kansas City Royals will be. Gordon appears to be past his prime and how Moustakas will play after missing a full season is anyone’s guess. And Cain is injury prone. The objective view for the future of these three is not encouraging.

SCMS eighth grader Harrison King (left) tries to force a jump ball during Monday’s action against Hugoton on the home floor. (Record Photo)

8th grade Bluejays fall to Hugoton The Scott City Middle recover. eight. School eighth graders had King poured in a game Scott City’s “B” team no answer for Hugoton’s high 21 points while ripped Goodland, 45-27. Roberto Apodaca led athleticism or ability to hit Easton Lorg finished with the outside shot in a 45-26 loss on the home floor Monday. The Bluejays were able to keep pace with Hugoton through the first four minutes, taking a 7-5 lead on a pair of free throws by Blaine Culp. After that, it was all Hugoton who closed out the final 1:47 with a 10-0 scoring blitz. Scott City added just one second quarter free throw to trail at halftime, 23-8. Hugoton finished the game with six treys. Harrison King led SCMS with 10 points and Culp added six. In “B” team action, Scott City outscored Hugoton 13-8 in the final period to pull away for a 36-30 win. Kevin Serrano led the Bluejays with 13 points while Gabe Bowers and Josh Rosin each added six. Nudged by Goodland The eighth grade “A” team dropped a 36-35 game at Goodland on Feb. 16. SCMS led 9-6 after the opening period, but were outscored 11-5 in the second quarter and couldn’t

JV Boys (continued from page 18)

“My priority as a JV coach isn’t to win games, though I want to. Of course, I want to win games. My job is prepare you for Coach Gentry and whatever comes after basketball and high school,” Hutchins says. “If that means making you uncomfortable, that’s part of the process of growing up.” A message he hopes his players learned during the season was to continue developing their skills. “Let’s don’t become stagnant and let’s not become satisfied with where we are now. There’s always room to grow in terms of our skill set and with our mental approach,” he adds.

the team with 10 points, followed by Bowers and Rosin with nine and eight points, respectively.


DHS falls in season finale; looks to sub-state There was a lot of anticipation for Tuesday’s rivalry game between stateranked opponents Dighton and Ness City. T h e g a m e didn’t live up to expectations with Ness City 63 the Ness Dighton 43 City boys pulling away for a 63-43 win over the Hornets in a non-league game. “The glaring weakness was our inability to stop their transition. They’re a quick team and they run the floor well,” says DHS head coach Ben Wilkens. When the Eagles weren’t scoring in transition they were knocking down seven treys - four of those in the first half while building a 30-20 lead. Senior Lake Lewis, who finished with 11 points (5-of-11 FG), hit his second basket of the night to cut an early Ness City lead to 7-6, but that was as close as the Hornets would get the remainder of the night. Dighton added just one more field goal over the next 6-1/2 minutes while Ness City was extending its lead to 20-9. Lewis added a threepoint basket late in the half that sparked a 7-0 scoring run. Kaden Bradstreet and

The Scott County Record • Page 22 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Dylan Foos each followed with baskets that cut the deficit to 26-18. Senior Tyler Lingg led the Hornets with 16 points (8-of-14) and five rebounds. Twelve of those points came in the second half. “We ran our offense well and we got some good shots, but they weren’t falling,” says Wilkens. DHS was 19-of-40 from two-point range, but just 2-of-10 from outside the three-point arc. “It was one of those games when things aren’t going your way so you just try to grind it out and find a way to get a win. Unfortunately, Ness City’s a pretty good ball club and if you’re not on top of your game they’re going to take advantage of it,” Wilkens says. Ness City’s quickness and length was also a factor defensively, forcing a season high 16 turnovers by the Hornets. Prepare for Sub-State The Hornets (14-6) are the number two seed in the Class 1A-Division I sub-state tournament that gets underway on Fri., March 3. “I still find a lot of positives to take away from the (Ness City) game,” says the head coach. “We

Dighton senior Lake Lewis soars to the basket for a field goal during first half action against Ness City on Tuesday. (Record Photo)

good-sized starting lineup executed pretty well on sub-state.” offense and we’re healthy. Dighton’s first round that includes players who We’ll put this game be- opponent will be Minneo- are 6-3, 6-3 and 6-2. hind us and prepare for la (10-10) which brings a “They’re a better team

than their record indicates,” says Wilkens. “They play in a tough league.”

Cramer, Speer scorch Eagles for 44 points

DHS senior Jordan Speer scores two of her 22 points during second half action against Ness City on Tuesday night. (Record Photo)

With sub-state tournament action ready to begin next week it would only seem natural that the Dighton duo of Sara Cramer and Jordan Speer are fine-tuning their game in their quest for another state championship. The two seniors showed why they are two of the top Ness City 27 players Dighton 59 in Class 1A when they combined for 44 points in a 59-27 romp over Ness City to close out their regular season. Cramer shredded the Eagles for 14 first quarter points and finished off another workmanlike performance with seven assists and seven steals. “We got her into some good positions on offense and she had some nice looks at the basket. And she played tremendous defense at the other end of the floor,” says Felker. “It’s not just what shows up in Sara’s stats night after night. She does such a great job of getting her teammates involved and making them better.” Speer was dominating in the paint (10-of-17 FG) and completed her double-double with 10 rebounds.

The only thing that kept it from being a perfect evening for the two leaders who were playing their final game on the home floor was a persistent ankle injury that sent Speer briefly to the sideline. “Jordan can use the rest,” said head coach Amy Felker as her girls enjoy an eightday layoff before they play their first round sub-state game on March 2. It’s not just Speer who could use the time off. Dighton (18-2) was playing shorthanded against the Lady Eagles. Kenadee O’Brien missed the game due to a concussion that occurred in the previous Friday’s win over Atwood. She is typically the team’s sixth man. Marissa Villarreal didn’t play because of illness. So that meant two juniors Trenedy Beaton and Mallory Dowell were the first girls coming off the bench. “This game made me so proud because of how well the girls played together,” says Felker. “We had our ups and downs for a couple of weeks, but this past week we’ve put it back together again and we’re playing good team ball. This is a good time of the year to see that happen.”


The Scott County Record • Page 23 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Takedown Kids Wrestling Leoti Takedown Open February 18, 2017 6-Years and Under 43: Caleb Harkness dec. Micah Venosdel (Leoti) 11-4; pinned by Braydenn Lucero (Greater Gold) 1:39; dec. by Isaac Pattangall (Oberlin) 13-6 43: Michael Hermosillo pinned Isaac Pattangall (Oberlin) 0:43; dec. by Dominic Sanchez (Ulysses) 8-4; maj. dec. Micah Venosdel (Leoti) 14-3; tech. fall Isaac Pattengall (Oberlin) 17-1. Third Place 52: Jaxon Fisher dec. by Josiah Guebara (Greater Gold) 9-6; pinned Brayden Molina (Southwest Grapplers) 0:16; pinned by Marshall Wise (Ulysses) 2:39); maj. dec. Jersey Gonzalez (Lakin) 14-0. Third Place 55: Kirbey Rohrbough pinned Jacob Romo (Southwest Grapplers) 0:30; pinned Raegan Seifried (Gray Co.) 0:57; dec. Adriel Gomez (Liberal) 13-6; pinned Remey Perez (Lakin) 0:15. First Place 61-64: Brody Rios tech. fall by Beau Porter (Leoti) 150; pinned Braden Lacy (Gray Co.) 1:38; dec. by Christian Guzman (Southwest Grapplers) 11-4; pinned Zaethyn Nole (Lakin) 1:45. Third Palce 70-73: Keller Turner pinned by Jett Wolfe (Oakley) 2:35; pinned by Briant Berning (Leoti) 0:26. Third Place 52B: Carson Gabel pinned Alex Lauber (Oakley) 2:20; pinned Julian Quezada (Ulysses) 2:36; pinned by Jerrik Williams (Oakley) 2:40; pinned Elijah Cuaraque (Greater Gold) 1:41. Second Place 55-58: Kasey Rogrbough pinned Jarett Adelman (Colby) 1:20; pinned Quentin Koehn (Leoti) 1:55; pinned Zach Vogel (Gray Co.) 1:11. First Place 8-Years and Under 55: Konner Rohrbough dec. by Javonte Andrade (Liberal) 6-0; dec. Jarret Scott (Lakin) 11-10; pinned Ethan Wallace (Greater Gold) 0:51; dec. Isreal Ortiz (Southwest Grapplers) 9-7; pinned by Alex Robles (Ulysses) 1:24. Third Place. 58: Trenton Frank maj. dec. Dalton Jacob (Colby) 12-0; dec. Jayden Maldonado (Lakin) 3-2; dec. Adan Vazquez (Lakin) 2-0. First Place 61: Rylan Wilkinson pinned Vance Dempewolf (Colby) 0:42; pinned Kelby Buehler (Gray Co.) 2:32; pinned Jace Seba (Greater Gold) 0:28; dec. Tayson Guerra (Leoti) 8-1. First Place 64: Cayden Couchman dec. Josiah Pattangall (Oberlin) 8-5; dec. Trenton Raile (Oberlin) 6-0; pinned by Theron Davis (Ulysses) 2:56. Second Place 70: Blaze Gossman pinned Ethan Taylor (Southwest Grapplers) 2:46; dec. Conner Holladay (Colby) 4-2;

pinned Zim Clark (Leoti) 0:31; pinned Ryker Schmidtberger (Colby) 0:58. First Place 73-80: Brodey Rohrbough maj. dec. Cylis Saldana (Southwest Grapplers) 16-8; maj. dec. Brode Bachman (Lakin) 12-2; dec. by Keagan Glassman (Oakley) 4-2 OT; pinned by Talon wark (Colby) 0:10. Third Place 88: Kain Unger forfeit to Emilio Guzman (Southwest Grapplers); pinned by Giovanni Beritez (Greater Gold) 0:17; pinned by Brandon Moreno (Southwest Grapplers) 2:31; pinned by Cass Smith (Atwood) 0:22; pinned Tucker Matzek (Oakley) 0:45. Sixth Place 10-Years and Under 70: Ryland Price pinned Alec Miller (Colby) 0:34; dec. by Logan Seifried (Gray Co.) 3-2; pinned Braydn Bloedorn (Leoti) 0:20; pinned by Braysen Salinas (Ulysses) 0:56. Second Place 73: Kade John pinned Timmy Jonson (Sublette) 0:47; maj. dec. Jaiden Olvedo (Greater Gold) 10-1; dec. by Waylon Ricker (Scott City) 13-10. Second Place 73: Waylon Ricker dec. Jaiden Olvedo (Greater Gold) 6-2; maj. dec. Timmy Johnson (Sublette) 10-0; dec. Kade John (Scott City) 1310. First Place 90-95: Case Armendariz pinned Grant Mendenhall (Lakin) 1:11; pinned by Houston Frank (Scott City) 0:20; pinned by Ethen Allen (Greater Gold) 1:50; won by injury default over Valentin Alvardo (Leoti). Third Place 90-95: Houston Frank pinned Valentin Alvarado (Leoti) 0:02; pinned Case Armendariz (Scott City) 0:20; pinned Grant Mendenhall (Lakin) 0:19; pinned Ethen Allen (Greater Gold) 2:22. First Place 12-Years and Under 80-84: Kooper Wright dec. by Khai Cosner (Greater Gold) 15-12; pinned by Daniel Vines (Con-Kids) 0:21; pinned by Adam Phillips (Oakley) 0:57. Fourth Place 88-92: Harli Roberts tech. fall by Hunter Young (Betterman-Florance) 15-0; pinned by Javion Ornelas (Greater Gold) 2:52; tech. fall by Zach Rohrbough (Scott City) 19-3; pinned by Matthew Montoya (Greater gold) 0:58. Fifth Place 88-92: Zach Rohrbough pinned Hunter Young (Betterman-Florence) 0:52; tech. fall Harli Roberts (Scott City) 19-3; pinned Matthew Montoya (Greater Gold) 2:47; tech. fall Javion Ornelas (Greater Gold) 15-0. First Place Rumble at the Rock February 19, 2017 10-Years and Under 90A: Houston Frank dec. Jaime Jude Villanueva (Junction City) 6-5; maj. dec. Ace Wilson (Council Grove) 8-0; dec. Dylan Sliter (MOKWC) 5-0. First Place

SCHS Wrestling Class 4A Regional Feb. 17-18, 2017 • in Buhler Team scores: Abilene 215, Clay Center 137.5, Colby 136.5, Goodland 115.5, Scott City 111, Buhler 106.5, McPherson 105, LindsborgSmoky Valley 68, Hays 58.5, Chapman 57, Wamego 53, Concordia 40, Nickerson 30, Larned 21, Rock Creek 13 106: Brandon Roberts pinned by William Stroda (Abilene), 0:39; pinned Devon VanFosson (Smoky Valley), 1:49; decisioned byi Nichole Moore (Nickerson), 3-1. 113: Justus McDaniel pinned Colby Mohr (Abilene), 0:38; tech. fall Dacotah Lee (Wamego), 16-0; dec. Adam Whitson (Buhler), 8-5. First place 120: Theron Tucker pinned by Kris Nolde (Larned), 1:42; dec. Corey Hale (Hays), 3-2; maj. dec. Braden McMillen (Wamego), 12-0; pinned by Tye Paluso (Chapman), 1:55. 126: Kaden Wren pinned Kayla Thomas (Rock Creek), 0:27; pinned Hunter Fitzpatrick (Larned), 1:13; dec. by Trevor Casteel (Abilene), 4-3; pinned Nick Elliott (Buhler), 1:36; pinned Tanner Reed (Colby), 2:23. Third place 132: Alex Depperschmidt pinned Hunter Nold (Rock Creek), 3:20; pinned by Cody

Wuthnow (Abilene), 3:43; pinned Ethan Jensen (Hays), 1:38; pinned by Drake Siebert (Wamego), 2:37. 138: Justin Hundertmark pinned by Dawson Ensign (Goodland), 1:38; pinned Tim Stoner (Chapman), 1:26; pinned by Jayden Raigoza (Nickerson), 3:48. 145: Kevin Duong pinned by Tyler Whitson (Buhler), 0:35; pinned by Nick Brooks (Abilene), 4:36. 152: Jarret Jurgens pinned Matthew Adams (Smoky Valley), 3:01; tech. fall Keaton Rudolph (Goodland), 16-0; pinned Kory Finley (Colby), 2:30; maj. dec. Conrad Vajnar (Hays), 12-0. First place 160: Wyatt Hayes pinned Rope Dorman (Concordia), 0:43; maj. dec. Erik Lemon (Chapman), 11-0; pinned Clayton Peterson (Buhler), 2:17; dec. by Hunter Mullin (Clay Center), 8-3. Second place 170: Cale Goodman pinned by Jake Wynn (Clay Center), 3:54; dec. by Tyler Dowell (Buhler), 5-3. 195: Kyle Sherwood dec. Dalton Harvey (Chapman), 7-1; pinned by Gavin Ware (Clay Center), 2:58; dec. Kyler Britt (Colby), 6-0; dec. by Cameron Gray (Goodland), 5-0.

Scott City 61 - Hugoton 60 OT Player

Pts.

Kyle Cure Justin Faurot Drew Duff Jess Drohman Bo Hess Jordan Horn Marshall Faurot Zach Carson Reid Brunswig Totals

2 5 1 7 13 17 13 3 0 61

Honor Last week, however when I went to change the camera chips a second time, both cameras were gone. Now I like to cover all the bases before accusing someone of anything, so I went through all the possible scenarios to explain the cameras disappearance. One was held to the tree with a tiny bungee cord, which, had it broken would have dumped the camera into water below that is quite possibly 5-6 feet deep. The tree is a couple feet off the bank, and while holding onto it I stepped into the water below with my chest waders. I was over waist deep and hadn’t hit yet bottom, so that camera could be there somewhere on the bottom of the ditch. The other camera, however, was buckled to the tree with a hefty nylon belt that was quite a chore to unbuckle once it was tightened, and the only way to take that camera off the tree was to loosen the belt or cut it with a knife. So, if that camera is at the bottom of the ditch, its disappearance is the same as thievery to me. I’ve had traps there now for a week and when I checked them Friday morning, I discovered a trap missing also. Once again, I ran all possible scenarios through my mind, and determined there was absolutely no other explanation for that traps disappearance other

FG 1-3 1-5 0-2 3-6 4-11 6-14 4-7 1-1 0-1 20-50

3-Pt. 0-0 1-1 0-1 1-2 0-0 2-4 2-4 0-0 0-0 6-12

FT 0-0 2-2 1-2 0-0 5-7 3-5 3-7 1-2 0-0 15-25

(continued from page 18)

than thievery. This wetlands area is owned by the state and is public land, so the argument could be made that I was simply putting out “dirt bag bait” and asking for my stuff to disappear. Sorry but I don’t buy that! Using my stuff there doesn’t make it any more someone else’s and any less mine. I try to give my fellow hunters (and I use that term loosely in this case) the benefit of the doubt and think the best of them, but when things like this happen it erodes my faith in mankind and in my fellow outdoorsmen! Don’t get me wrong. I know the vast majority of outdoorsmen are honest, and treat each other and each other’s gear with respect, but just like all other facets of live, the minority can ruin things for the majority. I’m not a vengeful man and don’t wish anyone ill, so bring back my stuff, (yes you know my name and address are on the trap) apologize and convince me you need it more than me and I’ll probably give it to you. I got pictures from the cameras before they were stolen so the game warden and I will be looking for you. Bring it all back and we’ll talk. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors! Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@ gmail.com

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1 2 3 2 7 7 3 0 0 25

0 0 4 0 6 2 1 0 0 13

0 1 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 6


The Scott County Record • Page 24 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Regional (continued from page 17)

Colby (136.5) and Goodland (115.5). Head coach Jon Lippelmann knew coming into the weekend that he had four strong prospects to advance to state, but he was hoping for one or two more. “It’s been two years since we’ve been in 4A, so we don’t get the respect that I feel some of our kids earned,” says Lippelmann. “At the same time, seeds aren’t what win matches. You win medals on the mat.” McDaniel (15-1), who spent part of the season sidelined due to knee surgery, could only manage a No. 3 seed despite his record. He had no trouble advancing into the finals with a first period pin over Colby Mohr (Abilene) and a 16-0 technical fall against Dacotah Lee (Wamego) in the semifinals. The championship match didn’t start out well for McDaniel, who gave up a first period takedown and a reversal in the second period to trail 4-0. Rather than try to score from the bottom in the third period, McDaniel chose to start from his feet. “I felt I could take him down and hopefully turn him from there,” he explained. “I felt I had a better chance of doing that than being able to turn him a couple of times.” The strategy paid off as McDaniel not only scored a quick takedown, but was able to take Whitson to his back for a near-fall that tied the match, 4-4. Whitson got an escape with :42 remaining to retake the lead, 5-4. After falling behind again, McDaniel said he had to remain aggressive. “I knew I had to go hard and keep pursuing. I felt he was wearing down, so I had to be stronger and keep going,” McDaniel says. Once again, the freshman was able to set up a takedown and with :13 on the clock not only took Whitson to the mat, but also had a cradle locked up. That gave McDaniel a brief 6-5 lead, but there was doubt for a moment or two whether he could keep the cradle or whether Whitson might come out on top. “He didn’t panic,” says Lippelmann. “Even though he was laying on our chest and we were backside down we powered through after a secondand-a-half or two and we were able to put him to his back.” He was successful in doing just that and collecting two near-fall points at the end of the match for the final three point margin. McDaniel felt he had the cradle locked tight enough to avoid giving up the reversal. “I just needed to slide my hips out of the way so I could roll him through. I was finally able to get it done,” he said. Lippelmann said there was no hesitation on his part about having McDaniel on his feet to start the final period. “His footwork is really strong. I think I have more confidence when he’s on his feet than what he does,” says the head coach. “It’s not that he doesn’t have the power to turn kids, but when you’re wrestling the elites you can’t expect to turn them all to their backs, so

SCHS 152-pounder Jarret Jurgens rocks Conrad Vajnar (Hays) to his shoulders for near-fall points during first period action in the Class 4A regional finals on Saturday in Buhler. Jurgens won a gold medal with a 10-0 decision. (Record Photo)

we’re going to take them on their feet.” Jurgens Dominates The 152-pound championship finals didn’t offer near the excitement as Jurgens dominated in a very routine 10-0 major decision over Conrad Vajnar (Hays). It was the second time this season the two grapplers had faced each other with Jurgens winning by a 10-3 decision in the quarter-finals of the Rocky Welton Invitational. “I was confident on my feet because I’d taken him down about five times in the Welton, but I didn’t want him to escape like he did last time,” says the SCHS junior. It didn’t seem that Vajnar was also aware that Jurgens could score at will on their feet, so he wasn’t too aggressive about trying to escape when on bottom. Jurgens (29-1) built an early 5-0 lead with a takedown and three-point near-fall in the opening period while nearly getting a fall. “I thought I had the pin, but (the officials) weren’t calling it very fast this weekend,” he says. The junior added a reversal and another near-fall in the final period for the easy win. “I wasn’t going to be satisfied with a two or four point win. I wanted to keep the pressure on him and turn him to his back,” Jurgens says. “I was just waiting for one little mistake that would allow me to get his arm and turn him.” Jurgens had rolled into the finals with a fall and technical fall in his first two matches, followed by a second period pin over Kory Finley (Colby) in the semi-finals. Hayes is Stymied Hayes knew going into the championship finals at 160-pounds that he would have to find some way to score against a very defensive minded Hunter Mullin (35-2, Clay Center). The SCHS sophomore was unable to score on his feet, instead giving up four takedowns, in an 8-3 loss to the No. 1 ranked wrestler in state. Hayes (29-2) took a 1-0 lead with a second period escape,

SCHS sophomore Theron Tucker locks up a cradle on Wamego’s Braden McMillen during consolation action. Tucker won by a 12-0 major decision in the regional tournament. (Record Photo)

but gave up a pair of takedowns in the period to fall behind 4-2. “He took advantage of my mistakes and used my aggressiveness against me. That’s something I will learn from,” says Hayes. “This was a chance to scout things out and it gives me some things I can work on this week before state.” If the two grapplers should meet again, it will be in the state finals and Lippelmann likes his grappler’s chances. “I learned that (Mullin) is scared to take shots and he’s not brave enough to be on bottom against us. That makes me feel really confident in those two positions,” says Lippelmann. “Give him credit, he’s very good at what he does. He’s very defensive and he stopped our attacks, even those we were just about to complete,” says Lippelmann. “But, he has nothing to make me worry that we can’t take him the next time we see him.” Despite his outstanding record, Hayes had to settle for a No. 3 seed, but had little trouble earning a berth in the finals. He opened with a pin and won his second match by a major decision. In the semi-finals, Hayes pinned number-two seeded

Clayton Peterson (Buhler) in way,” says the SCHS freshman. just 2:17. “I need to ride a little tougher and roll through with the granWren Stumbles in Semis by if it happens again.” A last second reversal was Lippelmann says he underall that prevented Wren from stands Wren’s hesitation when being the fourth Beaver in the dealing with an injury, but he regional finals. felt that had Wren continued to Wren (22-4) was seeded third be aggressive, he had the ability in the 126-pound division, but to score another takedown in was in control of his semi-final the second period. match against Trevor Casteel “Two things that make me (Abilene). Wren had a 3-0 lead lose sleep at night and scream when he took an injury time- at small children are backing up out after it felt like his injured and giving up points with less shoulder had popped out in the than five seconds left on the second period. While he was clock and he did both of those,” able to continue, he didn’t have says the head coach. “That’s a freshman, but I’ll full motion in his shoulder and it affected his ability to attack take him in a match any time over the kid who beat us this on his feet. That led to Casteel getting a week.” takedown in the final two secFollowing the semi-final loss, Wren had a strong finish to onds of the second period. Wren, however, was able to the weekend with a consolation ride Casteel for nearly the entire semi-final fall over Nick Elliott third period before giving up a (Buhler) and a pin in just 2:23 granby roll and a reversal just over Tanner Reed (Colby) in the bronze medal match. ahead of the buzzer. Theron Tucker (120) finished “That was quite a disappointment,” says Wren, who had one win shy of earning a second lost to Casteel by an identical trip to the state tournament. move in the Kansas Kids State After losing in the championWrestling Tournament two ship quarter-finals, he advanced to the consolation semi-finals years ago. “I was leading 1-0 with 10 where he was eliminated in seconds left and he granby a second period fall by Tye rolled me in exactly the same Paluso (Chapman).


The Scott County Record • Page 25 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Good luck, Beavers!

Members of the SCHS wrestling team during the 2016-17 season are (front row, from left) Justus McDaniel, Brandon Roberts, Izaac Miller, Alan Yeager, Caleb VanDegrift, Kevin Duong and Cale Goodman. (Back row) Alex Depperschmidt, Kyle Sherwood, Wyatt Hayes, Jarret Jurgens, Theron Tucker, Luke Wright, Justin Hundertmark and Kaden Wren.

Congratulations SCHS wrestlers in qualifying for the Class 4A State Tournament and on another successful season

Justus McDaniel 113 lbs. • Freshman 1st at Regional Record: 15-1

Kaden Wren 126 lbs. • Freshman 3rd at Regional Record: 22-4

Jarret Jurgens 152 lbs. • Junior 1st at Regional Record: 29-1

Wyatt Hayes 160 lbs. • Sophomore 2nd at Regional Record: 29-2

2016-17 Season

1st • Hoxie Tournament 2nd • Ulysses Tournament 5th • J.R. Durham Invitational, Norton 5th • John Higgins Tournament, Lexington, Nebr. 2nd • Great West Activities Conference Dual Tournament 5th • Class 4A Regional Tournament, Buhler Dual Record: 7-1

Thank you Scott City fans for your support throughout the wrestling season.

Stomper Booster Club


The Scott County Record

ag briefs

Kansas loses 800 small farms; no change in big operations A government report shows Kansas had fewer farms and ranches last year and fewer acres used for agriculture. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Friday that the 59,600 farms counted in the state in 2016 was down 800 farms from the previous year. All of those losses came in operations that had less than $100,000 in agricultural sales. The number of farming operations with sales of more than $100,000 remained unchanged in Kansas. Land used in farms and ranches in the state totaled 45.9 million acres. That is down 100,000 acres from the prior year. Farms size averaged 770 acres, up eight acres from the year earlier.

KDA seeks participants for trade mission The Kansas Department of Agriculture is seeking individuals to participate in a beef genetics trade mission to Costa Rica on April 23-27. In an effort to increase market opportunities for U.S. and Kansas beef genetics, this program provides an opportunity for Kansas purebred beef cattle producers and allied industry to continue developing relationships with livestock producers in Costa Rica. KDA strives to encourage and enhance economic growth of the agriculture industry and the Kansas economy by exploring and expanding both domestic and international marketing opportunities. Attendees will participate in a field day showcasing calves sired by U.S. Red Angus and Charolais bulls crossed with local Costa Rican Brahman dams in an effort to demonstrate the advantages of heterosis in a tropical climate. Attendees will also visit a local research university implementing projects utilizing U.S. beef genetics. Additional opportunities to engage with potential buyers of beef semen and embryos and visit Costa Rican ranches will be arranged as part of the mission. Kansas ranchers and related agribusinesses specializing in producing germplasm qualified for export are invited to participate. Selected participants will be eligible for travel stipends for airfare depending upon number of applicants and fund availability. Individuals interested in participating should complete the application form available on the KDA website at www.agriculture. ks.gov/international. The deadline is Monday, March 6. For more information, contact KDA agribusiness development coordinator Billy Brown at billy. brown@ks.gov or 785-5646752.

Farm

Page 26 - Thursday, February 23, 2017

Trade plans could lead to recession China, Mexico would retaliate against tariffs If the Trump Administration follows through on international trade plans, the United States would see increased unemployment and a recession, according to an agricultural economist at Ohio State University. Ian Sheldon, who is on the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics (AEDE), said if Trump were

to implement a 45 percent tariff against China and a 35 percent tariff against Mexico, “He’s going to put the economy into a recession, if the Chinese and Mexicans retaliate, as I expect them to do.” Citing the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Sheldon anticipates that within three years of the launch of a trade war, U.S. inflation would increase due to rising import prices and to a Federal Reserve response of raising interest rates on top of the expected increases this year. As a result of the increased cost of borrowing, investment

would decline, pushing the economy into recession within three years, leading to the loss of 4.8 million to five million jobs. “A trade war would be selfdefeating, in my opinion and in the opinion of most economists,” Sheldon said. Low-income Americans, who already spend a higher percentage of their income on necessities like food, would be hardest hit. “It will lower the purchasing power of the poorest in society,” Sheldon said. With increased interest rates and a stronger dollar, the trade deficit would only worsen,

leading to a repeating cycle. Global Supply Chains Sheldon said people have misconceptions that the move of manufacturing jobs to Mexico, China and other countries caused the loss of 5.8 million jobs in the late 1990s. But most of those losses were due to technological advances that replaced people. He estimates that 13-17 percent of those job losses could be attributed to international trade, but that 60-80 percent were due to technology that brought increased productivity. (See TRADE on page 27)

When is unmanned vehicle right for your farm operation? Cheryl Wachenheim No. Dakota State Extension

Along with my agribusiness class, I watched, in considerable awe, the beautiful video images of the fields and facilities of a local seed company as they were projected on the classroom screen. The soundless video showed crystal-clear footage taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), also called a drone and, by the Federal Aviation Administration, an unmanned aerial system (UAS). Two decades previously, my family received a knock on the door of our farmhouse in central Illinois. Our visitor had,

for our purchase, an aerial view of our farmstead. That photo proudly hung center stage in the kitchen during our decade tenure on this farm. Reflecting back on that static, almost-in-focus shot of our home while watching the video of farmland and facilities using today’s technology was like listening to the chirp of multiple auto-start remotes at the end of the work day while remembering our traditional method of sending one of the kids out to start the truck on a cold winter day. That UAV technology is here is not news. Nor is the potential of this technology for businesses, farms and ranches. It can improve monitoring

are being applied or undergoing empirical research. It is said that most agricultural applications for UAVs will fall under the realm of precision agriculture or safety. Throughout the popular literature, we find references to the role of UAVs in achieving tasks that best fall under one or more Examples of the use of UAV of the four D’s: dirty, dangerdirect visuals in precision ous, difficult or dull. agriculture include evaluatOne might more specifically ing planting success, crop define many of the direct appliscouting, and locating and cations to agriculture as falling counting livestock. under the categories of improvand sampling capabilities for ing the efficiency of tasks that researchers, public entities and ordinarily place high demands others. on time and making possible In agriculture, a multitude of those that improve the efficienuses have been identified and (See UNMANNED on page 27)

Rally hints packers are in need of cattle Cash fed cattle traded at $124$125 per cwt. on Wednesday the highest price so far in 2017. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service called the trade “active on very good demand.” Stronger futures prices, higher boxed beef prices and smaller ready-cattle supplies fueled the rally. Compared with last week, prices traded $4 to $5 higher, and a few dressed sales in Eastern Nebraska occurred at $196 per cwt. The mid-week cash rally suggests improving beef demand and seasonally tighter fed cattle supplies. Wednesday’s Fed Cattle Exchange

online auction saw average prices $3.33 higher than the previous week, yet top dollar on the Exchange was 50 cents under some of the day’s direct trade. Prices on the Fed Cattle Exchange ranged from $120 to $124.50, with an average of $122.10. The Fed Cattle Exchange activity suggests packers need cattle. Of the 3,350 cattle offered in Wednesday morning’s auction, 3,065 (91%) sold. That’s significantly higher than in recent auctions. For instance, last week saw just 32% of the 4,822 cattle offered actually change hands, while the Feb. 8 auction sold 58% of 6,220 offered.

check us out at scottcountyrecord.com

Weather

Market Report Closing prices on February 22, 2017 Bartlett Grain Red Wheat............ $ 3.53 White Wheat ....... $ 3.53 Milo .................... $ 2.66 Corn ................... $ 3.18 Soybeans (new crop) $ 8.93 Scott City Cooperative Wheat.................. $ 3.53 White Wheat ....... $ 3.53 Milo (bu.)............. $ 2.66 Corn.................... $ 3.18 Soybeans ........... $ 9.08 Sunflowers.......... $ ADM Grain Wheat.................. Milo (bu.)............. Corn.................... Soybeans............ Sunflowers..........

$ 3.48 $ 2.69 $ 3.20 $ 9.08 $ 12.30

H

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P

February 14 52 27 February 15 63 23 February 16 76 22 February 17 71 22 February 18 71 28 February 19 74 38 February 20 64 33 Moisture Totals

February 0.12 2017 Total

0.12

Food Facts Americans eat about 30 pounds of lettuce every year. That’s about five times more than what we ate in the early 1900s.


The Scott County Record • Page 27 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Sorghum investment program names advisory board The Collaborative Sorghum Investment Program, a partnership of the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, United Sorghum Checkoff Program and Kansas State University, has named its first advisory board. The CSIP was formed in early 2016 to increase demand, yield and value

for the domestic sorghum industry. The advisory board includes Larry Lambright, Chromatin consultant; Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff executive director; Stephen Bigge, Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission chairman; Gary Kilgore, K-State agronomy profes-

Unmanned cy of the use of our resources, thereby also reducing costs. Examples of the use of UAV direct visuals in precision agriculture include evaluating planting success, crop scouting, and locating and counting livestock. The use of thermal imaging and other technologies also can help producers predict yield, follow crop growth, identify weeds, and provide early warning of animal illness, heat detection and timing of calving. In addition, UAVs have been used to support and promote value-added services for such ventures as agricultural tourism. The list of applications will only grow. While the evolution of this technology and its application is fascinating to follow, the question facing many farmers and ranchers is whether they

Trade A trade war would hurt the U.S. economy in other ways, Sheldon said, and would be unlikely to bring many jobs back. About 80 percent of world trade now occurs through global supply chains, where higher skill work is completed in one country, and lower skill work is done elsewhere. Cars assembled in Mexico, for example, start out in the U.S., with about 40 percent of their value first completed here. Taxing the cars coming back to the U.S. would hurt our own export market, Sheldon said. If the U.S. targets China, assembly work could easily be moved to Vietnam and nothing would be gained. Impact on Ag Prices China is expected to import nearly 3.2 billion bushels of soybeans during this marketing year (2016-2017), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, accounting for about two-thirds of the

sor emeritus and Kansas Grain Sorghum commissioner; Gary Pierzynski, professor and head of the K-State Department of Agronomy; Cassie Jones, assistant professor and coordinator of undergraduate research of the K-State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, and Sarah Sexton-Bowser, managing

director of the Center for Sorghum Improvement. The expertise of this board represents decades of successful sorghum breeding, animal nutrition, research and extension, market development and farming, the CSIP said in announcing the board members. “The career knowledge brought by this group

of individuals is second to none in the sorghum industry. I am excited to bring the diverse expertise of this team together to focus on the important work of CSIP.” SextonBowser said. Additional advisory members can be appointed with approval from the Advisory Board and con-

tributions of $500,000 to the program. The CSIP will work to increase national sorghum yield average to 100 bushels per acre, build an annual 1.25-billionbushel market demand and decrease the trade discount to no greater than a two percent discount relative to corn.

Coming up with examples of need is not difficult: Does the emergence rate justify replanting the field? Am I applying too much herbicide or applying the right amount of nitrogen throughout the field? Can I do without my retiring cowboy if I can find a means to otherwise track and manage my cattle?

can compare that to leased systems, with or without full-service, in-flight data analysis. For those who want to solve problems that do not require longer-term monitoring, such as identifying drainage structural issues or determining locations for crop scouting, renting a UAV service may be the right option. This option avoids the cost associated with obtaining the UAS pilot certification required under the FAA’s new Small UAS Rule (Part 107). Visithttps://www. faa.gov/uas/ for details on the rule and certification requirements. Renting a UAV service also allows you to see what features and support you need for a potential future purchase. Many UAS models are available, and more are being introduced commercially, including

fixed-wing, helicopter, and multi-copter, and battery- and fuel-operated. The key features are price, coverage range, flight time, weight capacity and multi-use ability. Other features that may be important, depending on your intended use, including auto-drive and the ability to override it in favor of manual operation, crash avoidance and return-to-home features, the ability to view imagery during flight, thermal imaging, hyperspectral and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) capability, camera zoom and software capability. Some potential UAS purchasers will be comfortable relying on a trusted sales professional, while others will prefer to conduct research or rely on other traditional information sources for vendor and capability comparisons.

(continued from page 26)

should use the technology in the technology because and, if so, how to begin. its value in increasing revenues per dollar spent is Return on Investment diminished by low comAs an economist, the modity prices. The more easy answer is that the common argument is that adoption decision should now is a good time to be made based on the consider the technology expected return on invest- because low commodity ment. prices require that producWhat is important is ers find more operation that the estimated return efficiencies, such as those on investment be based on this technology can help its value, not in generat- provide. ing data, but in facilitating Assuming the second management decisions argument is correct, or to that improve the efficien- test whether it is correct, cy and profitability of the we advise approaching operation or otherwise the decision like any other help producers meet their farm investment decision, goals. from hiring a crop scoutWhile those goals are ing service to purchasing not all cost and revenue new equipment. oriented, certainly these The first step is to idenare top-of-mind consider- tify the need, that is, the ations for the farmers and problem. If the UAV is ranchers of today. to provide additional or When talking to pro- more detailed informaducers about the decision, tion, that information is of two general arguments value to you (fills a need) arise. The first is that now if it improves your ability is not a good time to invest to make decisions.

(continued from page 26)

world’s imports. Some 59 percent of U.S. shipments go to China, so American soybean growers would be hit hard in a trade war. Mexico represents a large market for corn as well. Representing the third largest agricultural export market for the U.S., Mexico imports $2.3 billion worth of our corn. The U.S. imports about $4.8 billion worth of vegetables and $4.3 billion worth of fresh fruits from Mexico. Losing those imports would hurt U.S. consumers, especially lower-income consumers, as fruit and vegetable prices would rise with a trade war, Sheldon said. Other Trade Agreements Failing to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would likely cost the United States in terms of potential growth. The Peterson Institute projected a $130 billion increase in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030

from that agreement. GDP is one of the primary indicators to gauge the health of a country’s economy. The United States would also miss the chance to open up the Japanese agricultural market, which USDA projected would account for 68 percent of the increase in agricultural imports among TPP countries. Overall, the agreement was expected to increase U.S. agricultural exports to the TPP by $2.8 billion. The TPP would also have reduced more than 18,000 tariffs, including many on agricultural products, Sheldon said. “The TPP was the template of how modern free trade agreements should be written. We’re throwing away the opportunity to write the rules,” he said. “A trade war is unambiguously a bad idea,” Sheldon said. “Hopefully we will see some legal and political checks on trade plans.”

Increased Efficiency The second step is to identify alternative solutions and compare their ability to help you make your operation more efficient. You also will need to decide whether to purchase or lease a UAV. The choice will depend on the net purchase cost, operation and maintenance costs, the kit of tools you need to meet your goals, and data analysis.. Once you know what owning a system will cost, you


$

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The Scott County Record • Page 28 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

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The Scott County Record • Page 29 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

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Your RadioShack Dealer Two-way Radio Sales & Service Locally owned and operated since 1990

1104 Main • Scott City • 872-2625

GREAT PLAINS Trucking of Salina is looking for experienced OTR tractor-trailer flatbed drivers or recent driving school graduates. Our drivers travel 48 U.S. states as well as the lower Canadian provinces. We offer excellent compensation, benefits, home time and equipment. Please contact Brett or Judy at 785-823-2261 or brettw@ gptrucking.com, judym@ gptrucking.com. ––––––––––––––––––––– CONVOY SYSTEMS is hiring Class A drivers to run from Kansas City to the west coast. Home weekly. Great benefits. www.convoysystems.com. Call Tina, ext. 301, or Lori, ext. 303, at 1-800926-6869.

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your mortgage? Denied a loan modification?Is the bank threatening foreclosure? Call Homeowner’s Relief Line now for help! 855-401-4513. ––––––––––––––––––––– LENDERS OFFERING special government programs for mobile homes and $0 down for landowners. Promo homes with reduced down payments. Use tax refund for additional incentives. Singles from $39,900. Doubles from $59,900. 866-8586862.

Is your subscription paid?

A garbologist company.

Revcom Electronics

LIVING WITH KNEE or back pain? Medicare recipients may qualify to receive a pain relieving brace at little or no cost. Call now. 855-796-7301. ––––––––––––––––––––– LUNG CANCER? And 60+ years old? If so, you and your family may be entitled to a significant cash award. Call 866-3272721 to learn more. No risk. No money out of pocket. ––––––––––––––––––––– DIGITAL HEARING aids. Now offering a 45-day risk free offer. Free batteries for life. Call to start your free trial. 877687-4650. ––––––––––––––––––––– OXYGEN. Anytime. Anywhere. No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The all new Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds. FAA approved! Free info kit: 844-359-3973. ––––––––––––––––––––– VIAGRA/CIALIS users. There’s a cheaper alternative than high drugstore prices. 50 pills. Special $99. Free shipping. 100% guaranteed. Call now. 855-850-3904.

DONATE YOUR CAR to charity. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not. All conditions accepted. Free pick-up. Call for details. 844-268-9386.

Networktronic, Inc.

All Under One Roof

Truck Driving

Misc.

Largest Frigidaire appliance dealer in Western Ks.

412 N. Main • Garden City • 620-275-5142

Medical

Homes

110 W. 4th St. • Scott City • 872-2310 Toll Free: 800-203-9606

Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 402 S. Main, Scott City • 872-1300

Kansas Classifieds Ad Network

The classified ads below are appearing in 147 Kansas newspapers with a total circulation of 500,000 the classified display ads appear in 142 Kansas newspapers with a total circulation of 457,000. KCAN line ad is $300 for up to 25 words and $12 each additional word. A 2x2 display ad is $800 per insertion and a 2x4 display ad is $1,650 per insertion. To find out more, contact The Scott County Record at 872-2090.

Dining

For Sale 40-FOOT GRADE A steel cargo containers. $1,500 in KC. $2,200 in Solomon, Ks. 20s, 45s, 48s and 53s also available. Call (785) 655-9430 or go on-line to Chuckhenry. com for pricing, availability and freight estimates. ––––––––––––––––––––– HAPPY JACK SKIN BALM. Stops scratching and gnawing. Promotes healing and hair growth on dogs and cats suffering from grass and flea allergies without steroids. Orscheln Farm and Home. www.happyjackinc.com.

Sports/Outdoors RV/OUTDOOR SHOW. Kansas Convention Center, Overland Park. Feb. 24-26. Friday, 1:007:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00-7:00; Sunday, 11:00-4:00. $750,000 Class A Pushers to Tiny Teardrops. www. OPRVshow.com. 1-800756-4788.

Education ENTRY LEVEL heavy equipment operator career. Get trained. Get certified. Get hired. Bulldozers, backhoes and excavators. Immediate lifetime job placement. VA benefits. 1-866-362-6497.


Classifieds

The Scott County Record • Page 30 • Thursday, February 23, 2017

Buy, sell, trade, one call does it all 872-2090 ot fax 872-0009

Berry Realty • 872-5700

Classified Ad Deadline: Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Classified Ad Rate: 20¢ per word. Minimum charge, $5. Blind ad: $2.50 per week extra. Card of thanks: 10¢ per word. Minimum charge, $3. Classified Display Ad rate: $6.00 per column inch.

1102 S. Main, Scott City, Ks 67871 www.berryrealtyonline.com

Charles Berry, Broker • 874-0738 Brett Berry, Sales Assoc. • 316-258-3387 Tracy Chambless, Sales Assoc. • 874-2124

Classified advertising must be paid in advance unless business account is established. If not paid in advance, there will be a $1 billing charge. Tear sheet for classified ad will be $1 extra.

Notice

Help Wanted

ACCEPTING BIDS on a 2007 Caterpillar 140H VHP Motor Grader with 6000 hours. If interested contact Scott County Public Works, 620-8722202 for information and bid instructions. 2917t2

FA R M W O R K E R , 3/20/17-12/31/17. Triple B Trucking, Bradley, Okla. 6 temp. jobs. Operate harvesting machines to harvest crops in OK/TX/ KS/MT/SD. Drive truck to transport produce and haul harvesting machines between work sites. Service machinery and make in-field repairs. 3 mo. exp., employment ref., driver’s license, clean MVR req’d. $11.59/hr.-$2,200/mo. plus R&B, depending on location. 3/4 work guarantee, tools/equip/housing provided at no cost. Trans. and subsistence exp. reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620-227-2149. Job #OK1288976. 2917t1 ––––––––––––––––––––– FA R M W O R K E R , 3/15/17-11/30/17. Wilson Harvesting, Boise City, Okla. 10 temp. jobs. Operate harvesting machines to harvest crops in OK/ KS/CO/MT. Drive truck to transport produce and haul harvesting machines between work sites. Service machinery and make in-field repairs. 3 mo. exp., employment ref., driver’s license, clean MVR, English req’d. $11/ hr.-$2,000/mo. plus R&B, depending on location. 3/4 work guarantee, tools/ equip/housing provided at no cost. Trans. and subsistence exp. reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620-227-2149. 2917t1 Job #1284216. ––––––––––––––––––––– FA R M W O R K E R , 3/18/17-12/1/17. Rockin R Harvesting, Fairview, Okla. 10 temp. jobs. Operate harvesting machines to harvest crops in OK/ TX/KS/CO/SD. Drive truck to transport produce and haul harvesting machines between work sites. Service machinery and make in-field repairs. 3 mo. exp., employment ref., driver’s license, clean MVR, English req’d. $11/ hr.-$2,200/mo. plus R&B, depending on location. 3/4 work guarantee, tools/ equip/housing provided at no cost. Trans. and subsistence exp. reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620-227-2149. 2917t1 Job #1288963. ––––––––––––––––––––– FA R M W O R K E R , 3/21/17-11/30/17. Cody Wilson, Boise City, Okla. 2 temp. jobs. General farm labor. Clean, maintain, repair, field ready equip. Clean bins. Drive trucks, tractors to perform crop duties. Plant, harvest, cultivate crops using tractor drawn machinery. Monitor irrigation system. 3 mo. exp., clean MVR, employment ref., driver’s license, English req’d. Pay DOE, $11.59/ hr. min, 3/4 work guarantee, tools/equip/housing provided at no cost. Trans. and subsistence exp. reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620-227-2149. 2917t1 Job #1288980.

Agriculture WANT TO BUY. Stored corn. Call for basis and contract information. 1-800-579-3645. Lane County Feeders, Inc. 32tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– WANT TO BUY. Wheat straw delivered. Call for contracting information. Lane County Feeders, 397-5341. 44tfc

For Sale FRIGIDAIRE STAINLESS STEEL REFRIGERATOR for sale. Tradition top freezer, bottom fridge. Purchased in Fall of 2013. Has been in storage for two years. Works perfectly. $500. Call 316259-4150. 1716tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– BY OWNER. 1996 International dump truck. Only 33,302 miles, DT 4700 Allison, 5 sp automatic, pull down side beds. Dump bed works great and runs great. $12,000. Call 620-3973513. Located in Dighton. 28t2c ––––––––––––––––––––– SNORKIE PUPPIES ready to go. Registered and have first shots. 3 female and 2 male. Call Donna 620-214-1025 28t2p

Services WANTED: Yards to mow and clean up, etc. Trim smaller trees and bushes too. Call Dean Riedl, (620) 872-5112 or 8744135. 34tfc –––––––––––––––––––– FURNITURE REPAIR and refinishing. Lawn mower tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Vern Soodsma, 872-2277 or 874-1412. 4015tfc –––––––––––––––––––– MOWER REPAIR, tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Rob Vsetecka at 620-214-1730. 4515tfc

Rentals NICE, 2-BEDROOM home for rent. Central air. All new appliances. Call 28t2p (620) 872-5844. ––––––––––––––––––––– HIDE AND SEEK STORAGE SYSTEMS. Various sizes available. Virgil and LeAnn Kuntz, 620-874-2120. 41tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– PLAINJAN’S RENTAL houses and duplexes. Stop by the office or call 620872-5777. 05tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– CUTE, 3-BEDROOM, 1-BATH with separate 2 car garage in Scott City. Call 808-372-8955 in afternoons only. 29t1p

Edge of Town!

And it sits on over 1/2 acre! Cozy 2 bedroom home has double detached garage and HUGE private tree-lined back lot! Only $64,500

Location, Location, Location!

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, that’s ours. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church basement (use west door). 412 College, Scott City. Al-Anon at same time and location. Contact: 874-0472 or 872-3137. 25tfc

The three most important words in real estate! This 4 bedroom brick beauty has that and so much more! Large family room in full basement, 3 bathrooms, covered patio and DA garage! PRICE REDUCED!

Lawrence and

Associates

Deb Lawrence, GRI Broker Shorty Lawrence, Sales Assoc. 513 Main • Scott City 872-5267 ofc. 872-7184 hm. lawrenceandassocrealty.com Sheila Ellis, Broker Assoc. 872-2056 Kerry Gough, Sales Assoc. 872-7337 Russell Berning, 874-4405 www.berningauction.com Maranda Cersovsky, 874-8332 Serving Dighton and Healy District 11 AA Meetings

Scott City

Unity and Hope Mon., Wed. and Fri. 8:00 p.m. 807 Kingsley Last Saturday of the month Birthday Night • 6:30 p.m. All open meetings 214-4188 • 214-2877

Dighton Thursday • 8:30 p.m. 535 Wichita St. All open meetings 620-397-2647

We have room for you!

District 11 AA Meetings

Scott City

Unity and Hope Mon., Wed. and Fri. 8:00 p.m. 807 Kingsley Last Saturday of the month Birthday Night • 6:30 p.m. All open meetings 214-4188 • 214-2877

Dighton Thursday • 8:30 p.m. 535 Wichita St. All open meetings 620-397-2647

We have room for you!


The Scott County Record • Page 31• Thursday, February 23, 2017

Employment Opportunities County Plat Maps Scott

Logan

Ness

Wichita

Gove

Wallace

Lane

Greeley

Finney

Kearney

406 Main • Scott City 620 872-2090

Best Western El Quartelejo Inn and Suites

is accepting applications for: Front Desk Agent 3:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. 4 days a week Must be able to work weekends and holidays. Please pick up application at: 1610 S. Main St. Scott City

2917t2

POOL MANAGER AND ASSISTANT MANAGER The City of Scott City is accepting applications for Assistant Manager for the 2017 season. Applications may be picked up at: City Hall, 221 W. 5th St., Scott City. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 1, 2017.

Office Manager

Must have leadership skills, QuickBook knowledge, highly organized, good computer skills, self-starter and like to work with people. Office located in Scott City, KS, salary based upon experience and education. 2817t2

Scott Pro Now Hiring: Night Shift Production Worker Monday - Thursday 4:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. $12.50/hour starting wage PLUS 50¢ shift differential • Great benefits • 6 paid holidays • Paid disability insurance • Profit sharing • Partially paid health insurance • Personal and sick leave • 2 weeks’ vacation Must be able to pass a background check and a pre-employment drug screen. Stop by in person at 810 E. 1st, Scott City or Call 620-872-2189 and ask for Tammy or Adrian

PARTS COUNTER SALES REP. American Implement, Inc., in Scott City, currently has a full-time position open for Parts Counter Sales Representative. Responsibilities of this position are to perform a variety of customer service duties related to the sale, delivery and inventory of agricultural equipment and irrigation parts and acessories. Qualified candidates must have excellent customer service skills and good communication and problem-solving skills. Computer knowledge and good interpersonal skills are important. Interested indivduals may complete an application or send a cover letter and resume to: Fred Kuntzsch, Parts Manager, American Implement, Inc., 807 N. Main St., Scott City, Ks. 67871 Call 620-872-7244 or 800-779-7244.

2917t1

Scott County Hospital Has Openings for the Following Positions PATIENT CARE Acute Care RNs Physical Therapist - FT PACU/Circulating RN - FT Clinic Medical Assistant - FT Operating Room Supervisor RN - FT Full Time CNA Applicants for these positions are required to be able to read, speak and understand English. Pre-employment physical, drug/alcohol screening, immunization titer, physical assessment and TB skin test required. We are a tobacco free campus. We offer competitive pay and great benefits. Applications are available on our website at www.scotthospital.net or call 620-872-7772 for more information.

2817tfc

2917tfc

Wheatland Electric

Is accepting applications for a: Consumer Service Representative Scott City Office Wheatland Electric is looking for a person who has a positive customer-centric attitude. Knowledge of the electric cooperative programs and activities is preferred. This position ensures the accurate and timely processing of the member’s accounts, answering the phone, and greets members and visitors. Must have a high school degree or equivalent, knowledge of office equipment, good typing skills, and have advanced computer skills. We offer competitive wages and excellent benefits. Please send cover letter and resume to resumes@weci.net by 5:00 p.m. Monday, February 27 To view full job description log onto http://www.weci.net/content/careers

E.O.E.

Has openings for the following positions: RN/LPN - PT/PRN CNA/CMA - PT/PRN Shift differential pay offered for evening and night shifts! Great opportunity to serve the elderly of our community!!! Willing to work with student schedules! Great benefits package! Please apply in person at: Park Lane Nursing Home 210 E. Parklane Scott City, KS 67871 Or visit us at our website: www.parklanenursinghome.org “Quality Care Because We Care”

29t1c

“Take Charge” kind of person needed to run a small office and keep the books for a non-profit that provides services for children and families.

Contact Kelly at 620-874-2272 or email resume to wkcac@wkcac.com

Park Lane Nursing Home

2817t2

2917t1


The Scott County Record • Page 32• Thursday, February 23, 2017

SNAG ALL THE BEST DEALS

C

ommunities with a local newspaper are smarter, stronger and closer. Their citizens are connected to one another, and invested in what happens around them — whether it’s voting for area leaders, shopping locally, supporting kids in the community, or building careers in town. The local paper is also one of the only places you can find timely news on what’s happening right where you live. That’s why 152 million Americans read local newspapers each week.

Keep reading your local newspaper… and keep your community going strong.

kspress.com


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