The Scott County Record by The Scott County Record

32 Pages • Four Sections

Volume 23 • Number 32

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Published in Scott City, Ks.

$1 single copy

Health dept. under fire for refusing home care Director worries of liability risk facing her staff The extent to which the Scott County Health Department can, or should, provide home assistance for senior citizens produced a heated exchange during a meeting with county commissioners on Tuesday. At the heart of the dispute was a decision by health direc-

tor Dana Shapland to discontinue providing services for individuals who she feels are at-risk by living at home and should instead be living in a nursing home. Lila Sager met with commissioners to complain about the health department’s lack of assistance after her mother fell at home and had to be transferred to the Scott County Hospital. “Dana never looked in on my mother. They are supposed

to check in on her when she falls,” said Sager. “(Shapland) says they won’t take care of her as long as she lives by herself.” Sager threatened to file a discrimination lawsuit against Shapland “if she refuses to go there again.” “On what grounds?” asked Commission Chairman Jim Minnix. “She’s a senior citizen,” replied Sager. Minnix asked if families are being asked to assume more

High bid puts taxiway on hold at city airport

Taxiway work at the Scott City Airport has been put on hold after the only bid submitted to the city council came in higher than expected. The only firm to submit a bid for dirt and cement work on the airport taxiway was Bryant and Bryant Construction, Halstead. The base bid of $183,000 was higher than the engineer’s estimate. Darin Neufeld, an engineer with EBH of Great Bend, said the bid may have escalated because the dirt work needed to be subcontracted. He also noted that the cost of concrete was higher than had been quoted by another contractor in October 2015. Neufeld speculated the city might get a better bid if it split the dirt and concrete work. City Clerk Brenda Davis reminded the council the Kansas Department of Transportation will not provide cost-share assistance with the project. She said it will require about eight mills of property tax dollars to cover the base bid alone. The airport sinking fund, which is used for improvement projects, receives approximately two mills each year. The council took no action on the bid. The council has taxiway construction planned in two phases, starting in 2020. Cost of the first phase is estimated at $96,900. The second phase, scheduled for 2021, has been estimated at $1.5 million. Still on the council’s list of improvements for the upcoming year is the construction of additional T-hangars at an estimated cost of $330,000.

Easter egg hunt in SC Saturday The popular Easter egg hunt will be held on Sat., March 19, 1:00 p.m., at Patton Park in Scott City. There will be separate hunt areas designated for youngsters who are three-years and under, ages 4-5, 6-7 and 8-10. The Easter bunny will also be available for photos. In the event of bad weather, the hunt will be postponed until Sat., March 26.

06 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com County recycling center is back in operation Page 25

responsibility. “Maybe Mom shouldn’t live by herself, but that’s no reason for them not to do the housekeeping,” said Sager. “They’ve done it before.” Sager said she and two other family members have plans to provide 24-hour care once her mother returns from the hospital. “My mother qualifies for housekeeping through the health department,” insisted Sager, who said she wasn’t ask-

ing the department to provide personal care. “Isn’t it better to be living by yourself and getting home care for only a couple of hours each week?” Minnix said this was the first time they had heard of the situation so they contacted Shapland and shortly afterwards she appeared at the meeting. When asked to explain the reason behind her department’s policy, Shapland told the council that it’s not safe for Sager’s (See HOME CARE on page two)

rolling into spring

Ron Hess, Scott City, took advantage of spring-like weather on Monday afternoon to cycle on the walking/biking trail that loops through Palmer Park. (Record Photo)

USD 466 plans stadium upgrade Will seek bids to build new concession facility After being put on hold temporarily, upgrades are once again being considered for the Scott Community High School football complex. Plans would include improvements to the stadium along with the prospect of constructing a new concession/restroom facility in the southwest corner of the complex. Cost for improvements to the stadium are estimated at $26,000. These would include: •Stucco of the exterior: $12,000. •Handicap access to stadium: $10,500.

•Changing access area at the main landing on the stadium: $2,000. •Concrete work: $3,000 to $4,000. The district had considered stucco work on the stadium last fall, but it couldn’t be put out for bids and completed in time for football season. Supt. Jamie Rumford says that improvements are needed “to protect our investment.” “If we don’t do something then we’ll be looking at a cost of about $400,000 for a new stadium,” said Rumford. One concern is moisture seeping into the concrete which will not only creating structural concerns over the long term, but has a concern for storage areas, concessions and restrooms that are below the stadium seating area. Rumford said the district could either remove

the bleachers and treat the concrete at a cost of about $30,000, or it could seal the stadium with caulking “which will buy us a few years.” Preliminary plans are for the handicap ramp to be installed on the south side of the stadium, cutting into the “bunker” area by about 10 feet. Before he could vote for the project, board member Eric Ervin said he wanted to see drawings of the handicap access area and changes to the stadium. Board member Lynnette Robinson said she wanted to see the current handicap viewing area south of the stadium remain intact. “Some people would rather watch the game from there than in the stadium,” she said. Rumford said the improvements can be paid for out of the capital outlay budget.

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com Opinion • Pages 4-6 Calendar • Page 7 Youth/education • Page 9 LEC report • Page 10 Deaths • Page 12-13

Church services • Page 13 Health care • Pages 14-15 Sports • Pages 17-24 Farm section • Pages 26-27 Classified ads • Pages 29-31

Concession Building More than a year ago a committee of local residents had put together preliminary plans for a new building that would include a concession stand, restrooms and area for the Booster Club to sell apparel. However, the project was put on hold because of the high cost. According to Rumford, there are some individuals interested in donating to the concession building project, “but not at the original price tag.” He will bid the project and see how it compares with cost estimates from a year ago. Rumford indicated the project would need to be paid for with private donations. “I don’t want to pay for a concession stand with capital outlay money when there are other needs in the district,” he told the board.

Dighton girls make history with first state hoops championship Page 17

The Scott County Record • Page 2 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Business groups lobby to keep tax reductions Conservative lobbyists told lawmakers anxious about state revenue shortfalls Wednesday not to give up on potential of the 2012 repeal of state income tax on Kansas business owners without taking action on spending cuts to match diminished revenue. The House Taxation Committee completed a second day of testimony on House Bill 2444, which would put back on the books the controversial tax break handed to business owners in a sweeping overhaul that also reduced individual income

tax rates. The bill dictates $260 million raised annually by renewal of the business tax on 330,000 business owners would be devoted to reducing Kansas’ sales tax on food from 6.5 percent to 2.6 percent. Debate on the legislation occurred as the GOP-controlled Legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback struggle to close a deficit despite a record tax hike adopted in 2015. Such organizations as Americans for ProsperityKansas and Kansas Policy

Home Care mother to be living at home alone. “We can’t provide 24-hour care and that’s what she needs,” emphasized Shapland. “If we show up and find her on the floor, we can’t be held liable. This is neglect when they are left alone.” “Don’t you say that,” Sager shouted back at Shapland. “We have found her on the floor twice. Once she had a broken arm,” replied Shapland. “She needs 24-hour care. It’s neglect when you’re not there 24 hours.”

Institute praised the four-yearold business tax policy and denounced Kansas politicians for failure to slash spending. “Changes to Kansas small business tax policy contained in House Bill 2444 would not only set the Kansas economy back, but miss the underlying problem in state finances,” said Alan Cobb, lobbyist with Americans for Prosperity. “The Kansas Legislature used the bulk of the 2015 session to consider additional sources of revenue to fix a perceived ‘budget shortfall,’ without first passing a budget

to significantly reduce overall state spending.” “Revenues were cut. Spending was increased,” said Dave Trabert, of Kansas Policy Institute. “Kansas actually set a spending record last year in the state general fund.” On Tuesday, supporters of his tax reform bill addressed the tax committee. Several owners of Kansas companies who experienced financial benefit from the tax repeal told lawmakers they would welcome adoption of the business tax. Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore

(D-Kansas City) asked officials of the state Department of Revenue for evidence of their assertion that eliminating taxation on certain business owners produced positive economic results. “You talk about the doom and gloom if we would pass this bill,” she said. “You said the economic trajectory would be falling personal income, dwindling jobs, downward pressure on revenue and people moving out. Honestly, that sounds like a description of what’s happening now.”

(continued from page one)

Sager was both angry and emotional in reaction to the allegations and insisted that her mother was not a victim of neglect. Commissioner Gary Skibbe stepped in as a mediator and said that since Sager and her family were planning to provide round-the-clock care that perhaps the health department would be willing to resume its services. Shapland said if that happens, her department will once again provide housekeeping. “Will you contact the

10 winners of Easter hams

Ten Scott City businesses sponsored drawings for Easter hams to be given away for the holiday. Winners and their sponsor are: Marilyn Cauthon: Richards Financial Services Kari Youvon: State Farm Insurance Charlotte Latta: Chambless Roofing Verle Huff: Turner Sheet Metal Fritzie Rauch: First National Bank Genelle Krehbiel: Heartland Foods Marilee Cramer: Percival Packing Veta Gossman: Gene’s Appliance Irene Snow: Spencer Pest Control Rob Vsetecka: Wheatland Broadband Deadline for ham coupons to be picked up at participating businesses is Fri., April 1.

health department and ask them to resume their services?” Skibbe asked Sager. “I don’t know now,” answered Sager. “I won’t have someone accuse me of neglect.” “That’s up to you, but the service will be available if you have someone with your mother 24 hours,” Skibbe said. After Sager left the meeting, Shapland explained to the commission that her department is being confronted with a growing number of situations where senior

citizens need 24 hour care but are still living at home. Often times, she says, it’s because families can’t afford private care in their home and having Medicaid cover the cost of living in a nursing home often times means losing their home. “People think we’re a daycare and we’re not,” said Shapland. “To protect ourselves legally, there’s a limit to what we can do. It’s tough for families to deal with, but something needs to be done. It’s neglect.” “It’s almost like a child-

in-need-of-care situation, only we’re talking about adults,” noted Minnix. Shapland says there have been times when she’s called adult protective services, but hasn’t been satisfied with the result. “They come in like a bolt of lightning and when they leave nothing changes,” she said. “It hasn’t been the answer. “You’re going to see a lot more of this. There are a lot more elderly people in the community who need help,” Shapland added.

The Scott County Record

Community Living

Page 3 - Thursday, March 17, 2016

Food labeling, marketing claims can be misleading Terms such as ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’ are still unregulated With the amount of food that is currently processed in the United States, many consumers believe it is important to know the ingredients in the foods they eat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the USDA, working with relevant state and local agencies, are responsible for holding food producers accountable for food products sold in stores. However, regulating farmers’ market vendors and individual sellers can be difficult, which makes

it important for consumers to ask for information. “It’s definitely important that consumers are informed about the food they are buying,” said Londa Nwadike, consumer food safety specialist for K-State Extension. “We want to make sure that consumers are buying their food based on actual facts.” The FDA and USDA have standards in place for certain marketing claims that food companies make. If the product meets these standards, it can legally use those claims on its label and in marketing materials. “If something is certified organic, and it has the USDA organic seal on

it, then we know that it has met certain criteria,” Nwadike said. “If something just says ‘grown organically’ at a farmers market, for example, you’ll have to ask the famer what that means and what sort of practices he or she was using.” Knowing the terms that are regulated can prove beneficial to eat a healthy diet. Marketing terms that are nutrition claims, such as “low fat” or “high in calcium,” are regulated closely, according to Nwadike. However, there are many misleading or non-regulated terms. “It’s the more general terms such as ‘local,’ ‘sustainable’ and ‘artisan’ that do not have a regulated

Reception to Recipe favorites . . . honor Unruhs Irish Beef Stew Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 6 hours for 65th Ingredients anniversary Ike and Deloris Unruh, Jr., will celebrate their upcoming 65th wedding anniversary with a comeand-go reception on Fri., March 25, 2:00-4:00 p.m., at Area 96, West K96 Highway, Scott City. The couple was married on May 6, 1951, in Greensburg. They have farmed and lived their entire married lives in Scott County. Their four children include a son, Tom and Lisa Unruh, Spearman, Tex., and three daughters, Ervin and Barbara Koehn, Scott City, Rick and Karen Penner, Swan River, Manitoba, Canada, and Leland and Joyce Koehn, Scott City. Those unable to attend the reception can send cards to the couple at Box 15, Scott City, Ks. 67871. The couple requests no gifts.

2 tablespoons 3 tablespoons 2 pounds 1 pound 6 large 1 white 2 cloves 2 cups 1 (6 ounce) can 1 (12 oz.) can/bottle 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon

olive oil all-purpose flour beef chuck, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks onion, cut into large chunks garlic, minced beef broth tomato paste Irish stout beer (e.g. Guinness) cold water cornstarch

Directions Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss beef cubes with flour to coat, then fry in the hot oil until browned. Place the carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic in a large slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. Mix together the beef broth and tomato paste and pour into the slow cooker along with the beer. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. During the last hour before serving, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and then stir into the broth. Simmer on the high setting for a few minutes to thicken. Yield: 8 servings

definition,” Nwadike said. “The FDA also does not have any definition for the term ‘natural.’” The word “natural” has been controversial, as it is difficult to define when referring to food. What exactly constitutes a natural food? “Currently, the FDA has an open comment period, which goes until May, to allow consumers and food businesses to make comments on if there should be a definition for ‘natural’ and what that definition should be,” Nwadike said. “Those are going to be difficult discussions I think, because there’s such a wide range of ideas about what ‘natural’ is.

In fact, there are some consumers who have filed complaints against the FDA saying the term ‘natural’ should be banned, because how can we really say if a food is ‘natural’ or not?” Understanding Labels Currently, there are four items that must be on a label. They include: •Name of the product; •Statement of responsibility, stating who made the product or who is taking responsibility for it; •Quantity statement so consumers know exactly how much they are buying; and •Statement of ingredients. This includes clearly stating any of the eight

major food allergens, if used. It’s also important to note that nutrition facts aren’t always included with certain products. “The nutrition facts might be included if (producers) meet certain requirements,” Nwadike said. “If it’s a larger producer or if they’re making a nutrition claim, then they must have nutrition facts.” She cautions food buyers that any terms that don’t have official, regulated definitions are mainly used for marketing. So when buying, it’s important to know the distinction between what has to be on the label and what is there to make the product look good.

Forensics students perform for study club

Twenty-one members of the High Plains Study Club answered roll call at the March 3 meeting hosted by Jan Winter. Two forensics students from Scott Community High School, Megan Smith and Abbigale Ford, amused the group with prose and poetry readings in addition to a serious solo act. Coach Summer Ford told about tournaments

the students would compete in with hopes of qualifying for nationals in California. They have participated in three tournaments already and received awards at each. Lucky Dip was won by Cozette Buckner and will be brought to the next meeting by Dorothy Hutchins. The home life report was given by Dorothy Spitzer. Members were encouraged to get our

homes tested for radon gas. Radon is a colorless, ordorless, radioactive gas that is given off by soil and rock. Kits are available at the county Extension office for testing. The devotion was given by Patsi Graham entitled, “Any Production Can be a Metaphor for Life. We are all given a script and someday we will meet the Producer.”

The Scott County Record

Editorial/Opinion

Page 4 - Thursday, March 17, 2016

editorially speaking

Our good fortune:

Scott County Hospital continues to defy the odds

One doesn’t have to look very far to realize how uncertain the health care environment is for rural hospitals. The Hamilton County Hospital was recently denied a $3 million bailout by its county commissioners. Faced with a $1.7 million shortfall for 2016, the hospital board of trustees has decided to temporarily suspend operations of its long-term care unit. This means displacing 19 residents and about 45 employees as of April 1. It’s hard to think of this as a “temporary” move considering that lack of operating revenue has been an ongoing problem for the hospital. This can’t help but have a significant economic impact on the community, in addition to the impact on those with family members in the long-term care facility. Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses decided to move in another direction by entering into a partnership with Centura Health. They aren’t alone. There were 16 other hospitals who did so before them. Both entities claim that Centura Health hasn’t actually acquired the Grant County hospital, but this is merely a long-term relationship - one in which Centura operates the hospital, employs the staff and appoints the board. Sounds like Grant County has maintained ownership of its hospital in name only. Why do we bring this up? Because it makes what’s happening at the Scott County Hospital all the more remarkable. While other rural hospitals - Grant County and Hamilton County are just two examples - are struggling to keep their doors open with either a huge investment of local tax dollars or by giving up local control of their facilities, Scott County Hospital continues to report record levels of growth year after year. The hospital’s gross revenue (before expenses) has grown by at least $1 million every year but one since 2006. Gross revenue in the 2015 budget year (which ended June 30, 2015) was at an all-time high of $26.19 million - more than double what it was in 2006 ($11.5 million). Putting those numbers in yet another context, the hospital’s total payroll of $10 million in 2015 (not including benefits) is nearly equal to total revenue 10 years ago. That’s money which benefits everyone. Based on conservative estimates that each dollar circulates through a community 2-1/2 times, looking at salaries alone, the hospital injects some $25 million into our local economy. There isn’t a rural hospital in Kansas - particularly Western Kansas - that wouldn’t give anything to have similar numbers. If those numbers aren’t staggering enough, here’s something else that sets SCH apart from nearly all of its peers. The hospital is able to show such a strong balance sheet without a significant influx of local tax dollars. The hospital currently receives $331,962 in local tax money. However, by the time one deducts what the hospital returns to the county in terms of annual bond payments, etc., the level of taxpayer subsidy for annual operation of the hospital - not including bond payments for the new facility - amounts to just $20,000. These are dollar figures most hospital boards - and county commissioners - can only dream about. It’s why Centura would love nothing more than to make Scott County Hospital the 18th member of its “partnership.” “I hate to say never, but it will never happen while I’m CEO,” insists SCH CEO Mark Burnett. “Doing so would make the bottom line look even better for a year, maybe two, but in the long run it would mean a loss of jobs and a loss of local control.” The strong financial outlook for the Scott County Hospital puts us in an enviable position. It assures our community that it will have the health care services and staff which are essential for continued growth and economic development. It means that local residents won’t be burdened by ever-increasing property taxes just to maintain our current level of care and to keep our hospital doors open. It provides the stability that critical in the recruitment of physicians and other vital support staff. And it means we won’t have to sacrifice local control of our health care services. The health care environment is constantly changing. Undoubtedly, there are huge challenges facing rural and urban hospitals. And no one can say with certainty what will happen as the Affordable Care Act becomes even more integrated into our health care system. But Burnett, the hospital board of directors and a dedicated staff deserve recognition for setting a standard of financial achievement that very few other hospitals seem to have accomplished.

It’s time to get off the sideline As Kansans, we are much more tolerant of bad government than we are of a bad football team. Charlie Weis posted a 6-22 record at the University of Kansas and was fired before the end of his third season. It was evident to everyone involved that things weren’t going to get any better in a fourth or fifth or eighth season. What didn’t enter into the discussion was, “Charlie’s a Republican. This is Kansas. Let’s keep him around awhile longer.” And nobody bothered to ask, “What do the Koch brothers think?” Football coaches are held to a higher standard than the people who directly impact the most important aspects of our lives - our public education, programs that affect the poor and the elderly, the infrastructure we all rely on that is essential to maintaining our state’s commerce. The playbook being used by the Brownback Administration and ultraconservative Republican leaders in the legislature

has been a disaster, yet Kansas voters keep telling themselves “next season will be better.” It won’t be. The problem isn’t with the loyal fans who continue to hold pep rallies for Brownback and GOP leaders. It’s with the people who simply quit showing up for games and somehow expect a bad situation to get better. This lack of involvement when it matters most is destroying our state. Quite honestly, it’s putting the well-being of our people at risk. For example, a survey of Kansans by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University produced some interesting, but not surprising, results: •77 percent said funding for public schools in Kansas should increase. •66 percent oppose the Legislature’s decision to

allow concealed carry of handguns without a permit or training requirements. •61 percent said taxes should be raised on the nation’s top income earners, and 57 percent said large corporations should pay more in taxes. •Over 60 percent feel that Gov. Brownback’s tax policy has been “a failure” or a “tremendous failure.” In a representative government, one would expect these numbers to be reflected in the decisions being made by our lawmakers in Topeka. Instead, we see lawmakers actually thumbing their collective noses at the will of the people. Fifty-eight percent of Kansans are opposed to allowing firearms on college campuses (other than for security personnel), but that didn’t stop the legislature from passing a law to the contrary. Neither should it be a surprise that when it comes to social issues, our conservative legislature is out of touch with most Kansans.

According to the Docking survey, 48 percent of Kansans want to maintain funding for Planned Parenthood; only 35 percent want to defund it. But you’d never know that by the rhetoric that comes out of Topeka or from our own Congressmen in Washington, D.C. Fifty-one percent of Kansans feel a private business owner should have to provide the same services to same-sex couples as they provide to heterosexual couples. What you don’t hear is an outcry that this is somehow a matter of religious freedom. And . . . you just might want to sit down for this one . . . 62 percent “strongly” or “somewhat” support expansion of Medicaid in Kansas under Obamacare. Republican leadership in Topeka won’t even consider discussing the issue. Last November, House Speaker Ray Merrick (R-Stilwell) made headlines when he removed three state legislators (See SIDELINE on page six)

Gov’s aides lie about children’s fund An attempt to undermine the credibility of a Kansas children’s advocacy group and mislead the public has backfired on top aides to Gov. Sam Brownback. The recent actions of Budget Director Shawn Sullivan and Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley have instead damaged the credibility of the governor and his administration during an increasingly bitter legislative session. Just Monday, GOP lawmakers argued among themselves about how to respond to recent Brownback vetoes of bills approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature. And some GOP members are openly calling for an end to Brownback’s income tax cuts of 2012, which have bled the state treasury dry. The incident involv-

Where to Write

another view by Yael Abouhalkah

ing Kansas Action for Children began on March 8. Shannon Cotsoradis, president of the organization that supports early childhood development programs, said in a legislative meeting that the state might try to shift some of the state’s share of tobacco lawsuit settlement funds over to the state’s general fund. “At the end of the day, children could end up with nothing,” Cotsoradis said. This is how Hawley responded on Twitter later that day. “Despite rumors, there is no deal or pending legislation to sell tobacco settlement money.” Nine minutes later,

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

Sullivan made his own comment. “Why are there black helicopters circling my office? Are they here to drop off this secret deal?” These were unusual near-attacks on the children’s group, prompting my own reading of the situation. “Fun tweets. Strong tweets. Then again, if a deal DOES emerge, @ SSullivan66610 & @ EileenMHawley will look foolish.” As events have unfolded in recent days, both Brownback aides do look foolish today. Cotsoradis later in the week unveiled that the Brownback administration had indeed discussed this issue last year. In an even more disturbing revelation, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported over the weekend that Brownback and

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

some legislative leaders had talked about the tobacco bonding issue on March 2 — right after officials reported that the state’s February revenues had come in far below expectations. Cotsoradis understandably was upset when she found out about the March 2 meeting, which occurred a week before she appeared at the Topeka legislative gathering. She told the newspaper: “The things that have been said by the administration in the last few days have been blatantly deceptive. Let’s remember we’re talking about the most vulnerable babies and toddlers in Kansas. Gov. Brownback is pushing a plan that will bankrupt our state’s children to avoid admitting that his tax experiment has failed.” (See FUND 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, March 17, 2016

The Humpty Dumpty Party GOP’s odds of winning White House slim with, without Trump Is Donald Trump’s presidential bid terrifying you? Try to relax. The bullying billionaire probably can’t make it to the White House. He needs to win a majority of all voters, not just Republicans. That will be tough when nearly two out of three of Americans already abhor him. And his bid could fracture or destroy the GOP. Barring credible reports that he’s an al-Qaeda operative or widely streamed footage of the guy having sex with multiple members of the Clinton family, Trump’s bound to keep winning primaries. He might even arrive at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland with 1,237 delegates, the

behind the headlines by Emily Schwartz Greco

usual threshold for automatically becoming the party’s nominee. Thanks to number-crunching by services like PredictWise, we know that people who bet on these things were giving Trump an 80 percent chance of winning the nomination following the high-stakes Florida and Ohio primaries. The website, which calculates political odds, was only giving him a 20 percent shot at winning the whole presidential race at that point. That’s less than the 28 percent chance the same website says the Republican Party has of claiming victory in November. In other words - if you ask pollsters and bookies - far more voters would support a Republican who isn’t Trump than would support Trump in all his publicity-mongering glory. Which is why this year’s Republican National Convention promises to be the most unruly gathering of its kind in decades. Someone may become the party’s nominee without winning the

most delegates. John Kasich, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz are eager to volunteer. When rightwing radio host Hugh Hewitt asked about this prospect in a recent debate, they all said “coronate me” in the most selfless tone they could muster. “If we nominate Donald Trump, Hillary wins,” Cruz predicted. “Math doesn’t tell the whole story in politics,” Kasich said. “I believe that at the end of this process this nation will make the right choice,” Rubio declared. Since GOP voters aren’t coalescing around any of those three “anybody but Trump” stooges, and Rubio has exited the race, who else is there? The leading “white horse” candidates are 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and House Speaker Paul Ryan, his running mate. But Romney’s ill-suited for this electoral cycle’s anti-establishment vibe. And Ryan says he doesn’t want the job, without ruling it out. “I haven’t given any thought to this stuff,” Ryan told CNBC’s John Harwood. “We’ll see. Who knows.”

A recent article about Barack Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership opened with this sunny headline: “Trade Pact Would Lift US Incomes, Study Says.” But wait, a study by whom? It comes from the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. What’s that? We’re not told, even though that information is key to understanding PIIE’s upbeat take on the TPP trade scheme. Indeed, the Institute is largely funded by major global corporations that would gain enormous new power over consumers, workers and the very sovereignty of America if

Congress rubber stamps this raw deal. In fact, many of the multinational giants financing the Institute were among the 500 corporate powers that were literally allowed to help write the 2,000page agreement - including Caterpillar, Chevron, IBM, GE and General Motors. And get this: The Peterson Institute itself helped write this scam it’s now hyping. Is this Peterson guy some sort of unbiased scholar? Hardly. Pete Peterson, a Wall Street billionaire, is one of the 400 richest people in the US, and the founding chairman of his eponymous Institute. He’s also a reactionary, anti-publicspending ideologue who was Nixon’s commerce secretary.

erage. That’s more than twice as much as former secretary of state Hillary Clinton (121 minutes), Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (21 minutes), and Sanders (20 minutes) combined. Indeed, while lavishing obscene coverage on Trump, many journalists and talking heads have consistently marginalized or written off Sanders, who, aspiring to lead a “political revolution,” has attracted similar levels of support and enthusiasm. Last summer, as the mainstream media obsessed over Trump’s every move, they paid little attention to Sanders’s rallies even though they regularly drew massive crowds. And much of the coverage Sanders does receive is negative: The Washington Post, for instance, recently published 16 negative articles and opinion pieces about Sanders online in the space of 16 hours. Last week’s Michigan primary reinforced how Sanders is underrated by (See MEDIA on page six)

(See TRUMP on page six)

(See PARTY on page six)

Hailed by the establishment as one of “the most influential billionaires in US politics,” he uses that influence (and his fortune) to demonize such people’s programs as Social Security and to push policies to enthrone the billionaire class over the rest of us. TPP would be his ultimate political coup against us commoners. We don’t need an academicky institute to tell us who would benefit from TPP. All we need to know is that it was negotiated in strict secrecy with global corporate elites, while we consumers, workers, and all others were locked out. Remember, if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker and author

Blame the media for malpractice The focus has been on political spectacle rather than the issues “I believe that in a democracy what elections are about are serious debates over serious issues,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said upon announcing his presidential campaign in April 2015. He concluded with a plea to the press: “I would hope, and I ask the media’s help on this, allow us to discuss the important issues facing the American people and let’s not get hung up on political gossip or all the other soap opera aspects of modern campaigns.” Less than two months later, Donald Trump rode his escalator into the race and promptly obliterated any possibility of the media heeding Sanders’s call. Almost immediately, the election came to resemble, if not a soap opera, a real-

other voices by Katrina vanden Heuvel

ity TV show with the incendiary former star of “The Apprentice” at its center. This has resulted not only in ridiculously lopsided coverage of Trump, at the expense of his rivals in both parties, but also a lack of sustained and serious attention to the important issues of our time. The problem was evident as early as last summer, when political scientist John Sides argued that Trump was rising in the polls in part because “people are being bombarded with news stories” about him. But that was only the beginning. On the three major network evening newscasts, media analyst Andrew Tyndall found that Trump’s campaign was the second most heavily covered story of 2015, trailing only the weather. For the year, Trump received 327 minutes of evening network news cov-

by Fred Hiatt

Now that he’s begun to consolidate his frontrunner status following Tuesday’s primary wins, you can expect more and more Republicans to begin trying to persuade you, and themselves, that there is nothing to fear from the real Donald Trump. Trump is showing A man who that he can appear gains power reasonable, concil- by showing iatory, even tolerant contempt when he wants. Red- for democfaced and strutting, racy and civil he fantasizes aloud discourse is not going about punching a to develop a protester in the face. finer sensibilLater, he can calm- ity as he gains ly deplore (while still more power. sympathizing with) The reverse his supporters’ vio- is far more likely. lence. Some Republicans have been fine with either version from the start. Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, is emblematic of the amoral functionary for whom Trump’s bigotry and demagoguery are irrelevant. “Winning is the antidote to a lot of things,” Priebus has observed. But others have had misgivings. Given the anti-Muslim bigotry that helped fuel his own presidential candidacy, it’s no surprise that Ben Carson could find his way to endorsing his former rival. But even Carson had to reassure himself by purporting to have discovered the “two Donald Trumps.” “There’s the Donald Trump that you see on television and who gets out in front of big audiences, and there’s the Donald Trump behind the scenes,” Carson explained. “They’re not the same person. One’s very much an entertainer, and one is actually a thinking individual.” Of course, there is only one Donald Trump, and if he continues to win you will hear several theories to explain why that singular personality is essentially benign. Some politicians will cite Trump’s all-too-evident ignorance as a blessing: He is an empty vessel who will take guidance, or unwittingly be molded, by more experienced hands. Others will take comfort in Trump’s identity as a dealmaker who is simply staking out opening positions that he knows must eventually be moderated. Maybe the wall won’t be quite so high. Maybe we’ll split the check with Mexico. Maybe we’ll deport only 5 million people, not 11 million. Still others will assure us, and themselves, that he can’t possibly mean the things he says. They know someone who knows someone who’s been to his parties; he’s a nice guy; he’s not really a hater. In truth, bigotry and demagoguery got Trump this far, and he cannot abandon his roots. He vaulted into politics by playing cynically on voter suspicions that America’s first black president must be foreign-born. He catapulted to the top of the Republican field by calling Mexicans rapists. Whenever his campaign needs a jolt, Trump finds an ugly way to deliver it - mocking women, threatening critics, endorsing torture. A man who gains power by showing contempt for democracy and civil discourse is not going to develop a finer sensibility as he gains more power. The reverse is far more likely. Even last week, as we were celebrating the supposedly new and improved civility of the campaign, Trump was again slandering an entire religion. “I think Islam hates us,” he told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. In the debate that night, he was asked whether he meant all 1.6 billion Muslims. “I mean a lot of them. I mean a lot of them,” Trump said, and then added in his usual conspiratorial way: “There’s something going on that maybe you don’t know about, maybe

Who is behind the push for TPP? by Jim Hightower

Only Trump can save America from himself

The Scott County Record • Page 6 • March 17, 2016

How much should parents control school content? John Schrock

Aside from blatantly attempting to shut down sex education through “opt-in,” Kansas HB2199 poses an interesting question: “To what extent should parents control the content taught in public schools?” This bill requires school districts to “. . . provide all instructional materials on human sexuality, including any teaching plans and syllabi to any

parent or legal guardian who requests such materials before such parent or legal guardian makes a decision of whether or not to allow such student to be provided such instruction.” So why shouldn’t ALL school materials require parent approval before they are taught in the classroom? I taught for my first five years in Kentucky where the local dialect used “Hit hain’t got no

Sideline from the House Health and Human Services Committee. The three were considered the most knowledgeable people on health care issues serving on the committee. Their crime? All three expressed support for expanding Medicaid coverage in Kansas.

Fund

(continued from page four)

Hawley and Sullivan should have known better and treated her group and especially Kansans with more respect. Instead, they basically appeared to be trying to deceive people on purpose. The governor’s spokeswoman put out a statement that was misleading and didn’t come close to hinting at the real story. And the budget director tried to make fun of the situation — while knowing far more about the situation than he was willing to share with Kansans. The meetings by Brownback officials of last year and, certainly, of earlier this month regarding the tobacco-related funds should have been made public. Hawley, Sullivan and Kansas legislators who knew anything about the discussions ought to have have been more transparent about what was going on. Yael Abouhalkah is a columnist for the Kansas City Star. He can be reached at abouhalkah@kcstar.com

Trump a lot of other people don’t know about, but there’s tremendous hatred.” The musings revealed Trump’s unreformed willingness to smear and stereotype. But the reaction to them showed how he has dragged the campaign down to his level, creating a dangerous new normal. When last fall he vowed to prevent all Muslims from entering the United States, it was shocking, and Republican leaders united to condemn him. This time, the pushback was mild. Marco Rubio’s first complaint was that Trump’s comment was making life hard for

dents’ abilities in reading, science, art, music, social studies and math beyond the level of their parents. If you think that only backwoods Kentucky might have low expectations for academics, consider the statement in the Hugoton USD application for hiring unqualified

teachers under the CISD system: “The subject of math is an excellent example of how a teacher in Kansas virtually has to have a Ph.D. in math to earn highly qualified status at the high school level.” Kansas standards for math teachers do require more math than the average parent understands, but it is hardly Ph.D. level. The failure of that school’s leadership to understand the academ-

ic level in modern math reflects how 1800’s thinking survives today. Of course, HB2199 is narrowly targeted at sex education, assuming that a parent’s knowledge in this field is “gud enuff.” But unless a child’s parent is a medical doctor specializing in neuro-hormonal pathology, that is no longer the case. Our 21st Century understanding of basic

tunately, is no surprise. According to the Docking Institute it’s because “average” Kansans don’t vote in primary elections where ultraconservative Republican candidates are selected. Only the most passionate and partisan voters do.

Loyalty doesn’t equal reason. Passion doesn’t equal intelligence. You can see evidence of that at any Donald Trump rally. Until more people are willing to get off the sideline and get involved, we’ll continue to have a poor head coach with a terrible game plan leading

Kansas to one losing season after another. Maybe if we think of our dilemma in terms of football metaphors we’ll actually care enough to do something about it. Until now, nothing else has worked.

. . . HB2199 is narrowly targeted at sex education, assuming that a parent’s knowledge in this field is “gud enuff.” But unless a child’s parent is a medical doctor specializing in neuro-hormonal pathology, that is no longer the case.

. . . .” for “it doesn’t have any . . . .” As teachers, one of our important roles was to help our students rise above the local grammar or they would not have much chance to succeed in society. We likewise are professionally responsible for increasing our stu-

(See CONTENT on page 7)

(continued from page four)

Merrick didn’t even want the issue discussed, let alone hear intelligent discussion. Meanwhile, the Kansas Hospital Association reminds us that the state’s refusal to consider anything Obama, has cost us over $1 billion in

Medicaid payments . . . and counting. How intelligent is that? So how can the will of the people be ignored with no consequences? How can minority rule continue to override the majority opinion? The answer, unfor-

U.S. a laughingstock for something other than gun laws by Andy Borowitz

MINNEAPOLIS (The Borowitz Report) - In an indication of shifting global attitudes toward the United States, the nation has become the laughingstock of the world for something other than its gun laws, a new survey of foreigners indicates. According to the survey, which was conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Opinion Research Institute, America’s gun laws, which used to inspire the most derision toward the country from people around the world, now place a distant second. In another startling result, the U.S. Congress’s position on climate change, which in the past had been a leading candidate for making the U.S. the world’s favorite punch line, also finished far out of the money. Davis Logsdon, who supervised the poll for the University of Minnesota, said he was struck by the unanimity of foreign respondents when they were asked to name what, in their opinion, currently made the United States the laughingstock of the world. “In all the years we’ve done this survey, we have never had 94 percent of respondents give an identical answer,” he said. When asked to explain why they chose the answer they did, a wide majority of those surveyed were unable to stop laughing long enough to give a coherent response, Logsdon said. Andy Borowitz is a comedian and author

(continued from page five)

Christian missionaries in Bangladesh; Ted Cruz’s objection was that Trump isn’t tough enough on Iran’s ayatollahs. It was easy to imagine both of them making peace with nominee Trump, as they have pledged to do, and easy to imagine other party leaders joining in. Given the nature of our attention spans, anyone harking back to ugly Trump moments from last fall, or even last month, will be dismissed as a naysayer dredging up old news. Which may leave, as the only hope to save the country from Trump

. . . Trump himself. Over the coming weeks and months, he may just find it too difficult to maintain an image of being “actually a thinking individual,” in Carson’s dubious praise. Too difficult to keep his narcissism in check; too difficult to conceal his ignorance; too difficult to block his prejudices from erupting into view. Hopefully then not everyone will find it quite so easy to embrace the myth of “the two Donald Trumps.” Fred Hiatt is the editorial page editor of The Washington Post

Party

Rod Haxton can be reached at editor@screcord.com

(continued from page five)

PredictWise gives Ryan a one percent chance at this point of becoming the 2016 GOP nominee. That’s versus 11 percent for Cruz, eight percent for Kasich, and zip for Romney or Rubio. The website - which mashes together polling data, primary results, and online betting trends also sees Trump as likely to run as an independent as not if someone else gets the nod.

Media the media. Before his upset victory, much of the media had prematurely written political obituaries for the Sanders campaign. Yet the stunning upset didn’t seem to have a chastening effect. Heading into Tuesday’s primaries, too much of the coverage has once again emphasized Clinton’s lead over Sanders in the polls, and some have even suggested that the expected results could “increase pressure on him to consider dropping out of the race.” Meanwhile, as the Trump spectacle overshadows the other candidates, it also drowns out a much-needed conversation about issues of vital importance, including those that help explain why Trump and Sanders have generated so much passionate support. As John Nichols writes in the Nation, “The saturation coverage of Trump has obscured the real story of 2016: Americans are strikingly agitated not just about politics and governance, but about an economic ‘recovery’ that never seems to reach them.” One of the central causes of this media mal-

Denying the real estate developer the nomination despite an outright win or a clear first place finish would make his raucous base rebel. The Republican party can’t count on Trump’s supporters, even if he refrains from entering the race under his own brand. And with prominent GOP leaders still rejecting their front-runner, it’s looking like this no-win

situation won’t just leave Trump what he’d call a huge loser. It could ultimately shatter the party. Will the Republican Party become the Humpty Dumpty of political institutions? If it has a great fall, all its operatives and all its handlers may not be able to put the GOP together again. Emily Schwartz Greco is a former foreign correspondent and financial reporter

(continued from page five)

practice is not a mystery. For the corporate media, clicks and ratings amount to profits, and Trump undoubtedly attracts more eyeballs than deep reporting on, say, trade policy. Last month, CBS President and Chief Executive Les Moonves bluntly acknowledged the motives behind the media’s election coverage. “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS,” he said of Trump’s rise, adding, “The money’s rolling in and this is fun.” This is not to say that Trump should be ignored. It is certainly newsworthy that the Republican Party is on the verge of nominating a demagogue for president. The aborted rally in Chicago on Friday evening, which was canceled amid clashes between Trump supporters and protesters, was just the latest evidence that the Republican front-runner is putting people in real danger. It demands media attention that Trump’s campaign events have inspired racial violence, which he refuses to condemn and that he con-

tinues to encourage antiMuslim hate. Trump’s undisguised bigotry, however, only underscores how irresponsible the fawning coverage of his campaign has been, while making a more serious discussion of the alternatives even more urgently needed. The good news is that, while the damage cannot be undone, it’s not too late for the media to change course. To that end, the Democratic primary represents an opportunity. Despite the prevailing narrative, the race is far from over. Clinton and Sanders are engaged in a serious debate over serious solutions to this country’s problems. And with a likely Trump nomination in sight, it’s absolutely critical for voters to have as much substantive information as possible before making their decision. Nearly one year later, it’s time for the media to finally answer Sanders’s plea and stop favoring the spectacle over “the important issues facing the American people.” Katrina vanden Heuvel is editor and publisher of The Nation magazine

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

The Scott County Record • Page 7 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Content human reproductive biology has gone way beyond lessons in “simple plumbing.” With one-couple-outof-seven infertile, far more detailed reproductive knowledge is critical in this modern era of infertility treatments and obstetric procedures. Sometimes there is ambiguity in anatomy and the doctor cannot say “It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl.” Usually XY chromosomes result in a male and XX chromosomes cause a female; but there are variations from XO to XXY, XXYY, etc. Sometimes an XY person has female anatomy while another XX person appears male. This is

(continued from page six)

science that few parents know. I remember my parents marveling at the new things I was learning in middle school in the 1950s that they had never been taught. That was an age when door-todoor surveys revealed that everyone thought tomorrow would be better than today, because today was better than yesterday. And we expected that our children would have a better life than us. That drive forward was propelled by ever-advancing education. But today, surveys show that we believe tomorrow will not be better for us or our children. And the HB2199 fig leaf

bill is an endorsement of an earlier century of ignorance. In all public school classes, teachers require student “understanding,” not “belief.” It is important for our next generation to understand concepts even if they do not accept them. For parents who want their child to remain ignorant about human sexuality, they already have several mechanisms to remove their student without denying the subject to other students. Local school districts are already required to offer parents either opt-out or opt-in for sex education in health. It is a local school board decision.

HB2199 takes away that local control and mandates opt-in at the state level. For those parents who have an objection to their child taking ANY course work that contradicts their religious beliefs, they can always exercise their religious “opt-out” provided by K.S.A. 72-1111(f). House Bill 2199 is a bad bill. “Opt-in” shuts down coursework for all students, not just opt-out students. Not only is it not necessary, it is a step back in time reinforcing the ignorance of a prior century. John Schrock trains biology teachers and lives in Emporia

872-2090

March We’re here for you

872-5328 Sunday

Monday

20 Attend the Church of Your , Choice. 1st Day of Spring

Turner Sheet Metal 1851 S. Hwy 83 Scott City, Ks 67871 (620) 872-2954 • 800-201-2954

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

23 Jr. Class Etiquette Day, 8:30 a.m.

Music Cruise Trip

No charge for community events

Scott City Council meeting @ City Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Friday

Saturday

Easter Weekend

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

SCMS Site Council Meeting, 5:00 p.m.

No School

Palm Sunday Music Cruise Trip 1760 - The great fire of Boston destroyed 349 buildings.

Easter

1903 - The Wright 1975 - Walt Disney World Shopping Village brothers obtained an airplane patent. opened.

1982 - The movie “Annie” premiered.

No School

SCHS Bsb vs. TMP

1955 - The first oil drill seagoing rig was put into service.

1965 - Martin Luther King Jr. led a group of 25,000 to the state capital in Montgomery, Al.

1804 - The U.S. Congress ordered the removal of Indians east of the Mississippi to Louisiana.

1 31 SCHS Bsb vs. Goodland SCHS Track @ Ulysses

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The Scott County Record • Page 8 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Monsanto donation to Hope’s Closet

Hope’s Closet in Scott City and the Scott County Ministerial Alliance are the recipients of a $2,500 donation through Monsanto and John and Colleen Beaton, Scott City. The Beatons were winners in America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, which is sponsored by Monsanto. Winners designate a favorite nonprofit organization to receive the cash award and they selected the Hope’s Closet thrift store and community Breadbasket. “This is a very worthy cause in the community and the food assistance they provide helps people throughout the year,” said John Beaton. America’s Farmers Grow Communities is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund to support rural farming communities. The program,

County Plat Maps By

Western Cartographers Available:

Scott Ness Gove Lane Logan Finney Wichita Wallace Greeley Kearney

John and Colleen Beaton (center) present a check for $2,500 to representatives of the Scott County Ministerial Alliance and Hope’s Closet in Scott City. Pictured with the Beatons are SCMA representatives John Lewis (far left) and Jared Young, Hope’s Closet director Kris Fetty and SCMA secretary/ treasurer Terri Hutton. (Record Photo)

which launched in 2010, gives farmers the chance to win a $2,500 donation for their favorite community nonprofit organization, such as 4-H, FFA,

schools, fire departments and other civic groups. One winner is selected in each of 1,326 eligible counties in 40 states. More than 20,000 farm-

ers participated in the program which is designed to benefit non-profit groups such as ag youth, schools and other civic organizations.

Pick them up today at:

For more information, or to enter the contest, eligible farmers can visit the web at www.growcommunities.com or by calling 1-877-267-3332.

406 Main • Scott City 620 872-2090

C-Mor-Butz BBQ Team and Catering proudly presents

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... allergies, hay fever, sinusitis, asthma, hives, and more

The “opening soon” sign came down on Wednesday as Love’s Travel Stop prepared for its official opening on Thursday morning. It is a 24hour, 4,000-square-foot facility. Sonic restaurant also held a soft opening on Wednesday before its official opening Thursday. A ribbon cutting for both businesses will be held on Friday morning. (Record Photo)

Dr. John P. Faraci, board certified Allergist and Immunologist, can help. • Specializing in allergy, asthma and sinus care • Adult & pediatric patients • Self-referrals welcome Call (620) 874-4854 to schedule an appointment

SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL Leading You To A Healthy Future

201 Albert Avenue Scott City, KS 67871 • (620) 872-5811 www.scotthospital.net

Help Us Find a Doctor and Scott County Hospital is searching for additional family practice with OB doctors to join our medical team. If you know a doctor or someone about to complete medical residency, here’s your chance to earn $10,0001. • Refer a doctor to SCH (they must indicate that you referred them on their application) • If the doctor you referred signs a contract with SCH, you will earn

$10,000

Any person who refers a qualified physician (medical doctor) to Scott County Hospital who then agrees to a contract of employment will receive a referral bonus of $10,000. All persons, including current employees of Scott County Hospital, are eligible for the referral bonus. I. Receivership of the $10,000 bonus will be contingent on: 1) The qualified physician signing a contract of employment with Scott County Hospital, 2) The qualified physician serving a minimum of one-year in his/her role with Scott County Hospital, and 3) The qualified physician making reference to the person who referred them to Scott County Hospital on his/her application for employment. II. For any employee or non-employee of Scott County Hospital who makes a referral of a qualified physician which meets the aforementioned qualifications; a referral bonus of $10,000 will be paid as follows: 1) A $2,500 referral bonus will be paid following the initial signing of a contract by a referred qualified physician. 2) An additional $2,500 referral bonus will be paid after the physician has worked at Scott County Hospital for six months in good standing. 3) A final $5,000 referral bonus will be paid after the referred physician has completed one year of service in good standing with Scott County Hospital. III. All referral bonuses awarded to current employees will be included in their monthly paycheck and are subject to taxation. Referral bonuses awarded to non-employees will be paid in full via check from Scott County Hospital. It will be the responsibility of the receiver of the bonus to claim taxes. IV. Only one person per doctor referred is eligible for the referral bonus. V. Scott County Hospital Employees only: Any physician who has already been recruited, contacted, or made a visit to SCH during the past 12 months is not eligible. 1

Youth/Education

The Scott County Record

Page 9 - Thursday, March 17, 2016

Senator wants quick action on school finance vote

enjoying spring break

The chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee said Wednesday he wants legislation addressing a Kansas Supreme Court ruling on school financing voted on by the Senate within the next two weeks. Senators heard arguments over the school financing legislation, which would cost less money than a separate proposal in the House. Both chambers held hearings this week on bills claiming to provide equitable funding among districts. The state’s high court ruled earlier this year the current formula isn’t equitable. The Senate and House proposals both restore the old equity funding formula, which lawmakers repealed last year when they installed a block grant funding system for education. But the Senate legislation, Senate Bill 512, wouldn’t inject additional dollars, unlike the House bill, which would add upwards of $20 million.

Despite the difference, the bill failed to draw much support or opposition. Instead, most individuals who testified during a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee remained neutral - mirroring a hearing Tuesday on the House bill. “Honestly, I thought we’d have a packed committee room,” said Sen. Ty Masterson, the committee chairman. Masterson said he wants to move the bill quickly. The regular session is scheduled to end by the end of next week. Mark Tallman, associate director of the Kansas Association of School Boards, and Dave Trabert, president of the Kansas Policy Institute, gave neutral testimony, though they differed in their neutrality. The two divided over whether the Senate legislation, as with the House legislation, threatens the state’s adequacy case. Although the Supreme Court ruled on the equity (See VOTE on page 16)

3 SCES teachers resign; 2 positions filled for ‘16-17 The USD 466 (Scott County) board of education has accepted the resignations of three elementary school teachers that will take effect at the end of the 2015-16 school year. They include Teresa Goebel, first grade; Lisa Jacobus, second grade; and Jessica Dearden, third grade. In addition, Megan Gentry has resigned as Student Council sponsor at Scott City Middle School. Contracts have been offered to the following: •Jim Turner: SCHS head football coach. •Sara Green: SCES teacher for 2016-17. •Leslie Wagner: SCES teacher for 2016-17. In addition, Sunni Smyth has been hired as a parttime cook/server.

Spring break and great weather were a perfect combination for Justice Long, 12, and Grace Whitmer, 5, to roller skate in Maddux Park on Monday afternoon. The two Harper girls were in Scott City visiting their grandmother, Bonnie Christensen. (Record Photo)

Crouch awarded rodeo scholarship at FHSU MariKate Crouch, Scott City, has been awarded a rodeo scholarship at Fort Hays State University by the Phillipsburg Rodeo Association.

Crouch is a sophomore who graduated from Dodge City Community College last December and transferred to FHSU in January. She is study-

ing accounting and will graduate in May of 2018. She is a member of the Rodeo team, competing as a breakaway roper and team roper.

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After graduation, Crouch hopes to work for a CPA practice. She is the daughter of Lance and Carol Ann Crouch, Shallow Water.

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Saturday, April 2 6:00 p.m. - Cocktails 6:30 p.m. - Dinner Majestic Theatre 420 S. Main, Scott City

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Limited seating, call now! 620-872-3706 for tickets or email wkcac@pld.com for more information

Fundraiser for Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center

For the Record DCF disputes claims of father on hunger strike The Scott County Record

The Kansas Department for Children and Families has countered a man’s allegations that his children haven’t been returned to his care because he has used medical marijuana by stating his accusations are false. Raymond Schwab began a hunger strike Monday in response to news that his son, who is under DCF care, is being

The Scott County Record Page 10 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

sent to a psychiatric residential treatment facility. “Although we are bound by confidentiality requirements and prohibited from discussing the specifics of the case, to protect the privacy of his children, we can say Mr. Schwab’s accusations are false,” the statement released by DCF said. “He is providing the public with an incomplete

Scott City Council Agenda Mon., March 21 • 7:30 p.m. City Hall • 221 W. 5th •Call to Order •Approve minutes of March 7 regular meeting •Approve natural gas sales agreement with Secure Energy Consulting •Approve updated aerial applicator requirements •Rodenbeek and Green Agency 1) City insurance renewal •Chamber of Commerce June Jaunt requests: 1) Use airport on June 4 2) Mud volleyball east of swimming pool June 5 •Request to attend Municipal Court Clerks Conference from March 31-April 1 •Open agenda: audience is invited to voice ideas or concerns. A time limit may be requested Pool Department 1) Lifeguard training location, cost and dates 2) Approve dates for use of pool: May 17: SCES boat races May 17: SCES Accelerated Reader party May 18: SCMS grades 5-7 field trip June 11: Scott City Stars swim meet Police Department 1) Misc. business Parks Department 1) Misc. business Public Works Department 1) Kan Work! training on April 6 in Scott City 2) Spring clean-up week begins April 25 3) Request to bid CMA sand Clerk’s Department 1) Misc. business •Financial and investment reports •Mayor’s comments

and inaccurate account of the events that have transpired.” In April 2015, five of Schwab’s children were removed from his care. DCF concluded in July that abuse allegations against Schwab and his wife, Amelia, were unsubstantiated, but the children haven’t been returned. Determining whether an allegation is true is

separate from a recommendation to remove children from the home, said Theresa Freed, communications director for DCF. Though an unsubstantiated finding that doesn’t lead to a parent getting their child back may be confusing, Freed said, substantiated findings account for only four percent of the removals the agency handles.

Kansas business fined $140,000 for improper disposal of personal info A Topeka business that dumped more than 900 files containing personal information of its customers and others in the trash will pay $140,000 after settling a case with the Office of the Kansas Attorney General. Central Regional Dental Testing Service will pay a $70,000 fine and $70,000 in administrative costs relating to a consumer protection case that claimed it violated Kansas consumer privacy laws, according to Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office. CRDTS handles clinical tests required by many state agencies for a dentist or dental hygienist

“Our priority is getting children back in their homes as quickly and safely as possible,” Freed said. Raymond Schwab, a veteran, says his children haven’t been returned because he has used medical marijuana to treat chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. Schwab moved to Colorado, where his use

of marijuana - for medicinal or recreational purposes - is legal. Its use remains prohibited under Kansas law. “DCF does not remove children from their homes because of marijuana use,” DCF said in its statement. Freed said, however, that instances in which drug use presents a safe(See STRIKE on page 13)

Public Notice (Published in The Scott County Record Thurs., March 17, 2016) 1t

SCOTT COUNTY COMMISSIONER’S PROCEEDINGS FEBRUARY 2016 GENERAL FUND SALARIES ............................................ $ 97,675.78 to attain licensure in the COMMODITIES .................................... 17,707.96 state. CONTRACTUAL SERVICES ................. 64,815.40 In March 2014, files CAPITAL OUTLAY.................................. 128.20 were found in an unse- OTHER................................................... 0.00

cured dumpster outside of CRDTS’ business, according to the AG’s office. The files contained personal information of CRDTS customers, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, as well as health information, such as patients’ medical history and X-rays. The attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division secured the files but pursued action against the company because personal information could have been obtained for criminal activity, such as identity theft.

Scott Co. LEC Report Scott City Police Department March 6: Sharon Schwab reported criminal damage to property. March 9: Corbin Burhoop was arrested on an outof-county warrant and transported to the LEC. Scott County Sheriff’s Department March 10: Heather Price was northbound on US83 Highway when she struck a deer.

COUNTY HEALTH FUND SALARIES ............................................. COMMODITIES ..................................... CONTRACTUAL SERVICES ................. CAPITAL OUTLAY ................................. OTHER...................................................

19,743.34 15,814.76 1,326.83 152.00 0.00

NOXIOUS WEED FUND SALARIES............................................... COMMODITIES ...................................... CONTRACTUAL SERVICES................... OTHER ...................................................

4,703.16 186.57 0.00 0.00

ROAD AND BRIDGE FUND SALARIES .............................................. COMMODITIES....................................... CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.................... CAPITAL OUTLAY....................................

29,596.19 11,396.18 9,718.36 974.00

FIRE DISTRICT FUND SALARIES .............................................. COMMODITIES ...................................... CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.................... CAPITAL OUTLAY ..................................

389.28 383.75 772.42 0.00

TREASURER’S SPECIAL FUND SALARIES ............................................... COMMODITIES ....................................... CONTRACTUAL SERVICES .................... CAPITAL OUTLAY..................................... OTHER ..................................................... JAMES M. MINNIX Chairman

Recent arrivals at the

Scott County Library Find Her by Lisa Gardner – When a college student reappears after surviving a kidnapping, Boston detective D.D. Warren must decide if the young woman is a victim of a vigilante. Could she hold the key to rescuing the missing college student whose abduction has rocked the city?

While the City Slept by Eli Sanders On a summer night in 2009, three lives intersected in one American neighborhood. Two people newly in love and a young man on a dangerous psychological descent. All three paths forever altered by a violent crime, all three stories a wake-up call for the system that failed to see the signs. Earnest - Kristin von Kreisler captures the emotional intelligence of Earnest, a dog who provides much needed guidance to a human couple spiraling into catastrophe. When Anna and Jeff both feel the depth of betrayal, only the steady loyalty and unwavering love of Earnest can save them. Where My Heart Used To Beat by Sebastian Faulks – London, 1980. Robert Hendicks, an established psychiatrist and author, has bottled up his memories of World War II that he is nearly sunk into a life of aloneness and depression. Out of the blue, a baffling letter arrives from neurologist and a World War I veteran who claims to be an admirer of Robert’s published work. Before the nightmare began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreams - invasive images of blood and brutality torture her. The Vegetarian by Han Kang is a dark tale of power, obsession, and one woman’s

2,312.88 0.00 583.67 0.00 1,811.66

ALICE BROKOFSKY Scott County Clerk

110 W. 8th Street, Scott City http://scottcounty.mykansaslibrary.org struggle to break free from the violence both outside and within her. The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth - Anna Foster, in the early stages of Alzheimer’s at only thirty-eight years old, knows that her family is doing what they believe to be best when they take her to Rosalind House, and assisted living facility. NYPD Red4 by James Patterson – It’s another glamorous night in Manhattan: at a glitzy movie premiere with millions of dollars worth of jewelry on loan. When a sudden loud noise, scream, and a vicious crime with millions of witnesses but no suspect NYPD Red has a new case to solve. How to Pass Exams by Dominic O’Brien – This practical and accessible book will teach you everything you need to know to increase your memory and your chances of passing any exam with flying colors. He Will Be My Ruin by K.A.Tucker – On the surface, Celine Gonzalez had everything a twenty-eight year old woman could want, so why would she kill herself. When scandalous photos of the man Celine believed would change her life were found questions started to be asked. One Man’s Flag by David Downing – Spring 1915 as the Great War burns its way across Europe, Jack McColl a spy for His Majesty’s Navy, is stationed in India, charged with defending the Empire against Bengali terrorists and their German allies. Meanwhile journalist Caitlin Hanley begins the business of rebuilding her life. What will the future have in store for Jack and Caitlin?

Hugh Binns, agent 815 W. 5th St., Scott City • Office: 872-2900 Toll Free: 888-872-4070 • Fax: 872-2902 Cell:874-0041

The Scott County Record • Page 11 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Local Masons join in 150-year celebration Scott County Masons are joining in the observance of Kansas Masons Day on Fri., March 18. As part of the observance, national, state and local dignitaries are joining the Grand Lodge of Kansas to rededicate the cornerstone of the State Capitol Building in Topeka. Chartered in 1856 - five years before Kansas became a state, Freemasonry in Kansas is a brotherhood fraternity representing fellowship, integrity, leadership and philanthropy. On Oct. 17, 1866, Masons placed the original cornerstone for the state capitol. Anthem Lodge No. 284 in Scott County met for the first time on Sept. 24, 1886. At the time, Scott City had a population of about 425. At the annual meeting

y Apachi AS

Members of Anthem Lodge No. 284 in Scott County.

of the Grand Lodge of Kansas held in Topeka on Feb. 16, 1887, a charter was granted to Anthem Lodge No. 284. Edward Hubbel was the first Master, serving from 1887-89. In 1897, the Lodge bought the building they were meeting in located on Main Street. This building was later known as the Greenlee Bakery building. In 1928, the Lodge

constructed a building at Third and Main. The first 50-year pin was presented in 1940 to William Ritterhouse. The members moved to their current location at 600 Cedar Drive in 1964. 225 Lodges in Kansas Today, there are nearly 19,000 Kansas Masons representing 225 Lodges across the state. A huge proponent of cancer research, the

Machinery Auction Tuesday, April 5 • 11:30 a.m. Location: 20395 N. Rd. 33, Garden City Cook Farms Inc. - Owners

Kansas Masons have donated more than $25 million to the University of Kansas Cancer Research Center. The organization is perhaps best known for its East-West Shrine Bowl football game that raises money for the Shriner’s Hospitals. Young people from Scott County and the surrounding area have benefitted from free medical care provided by Shriner hospitals.

Tractors and Sprayer 9120 JD 2005 TRACTOR; (275 hp) 4WD, 5 hyd. Flat Back; (3,893 hrs.) 1989 JD 4955 TRACTOR, (200 hp) 4WD. mech, 3 hyd. (8,500 hrs) 2014 Apachi AS 720 self-propelled Sprayer, 80’ Booms, 15” spacing (420 hrs.) with auto steer Pickups and Truck 2005 Ford Ranger 4 x 4, Pickup, auto trans. (159,382 mi.) 1997 Chevy 350 Pickup, 4 x 4, auto., trans., (189,671 mi.) 1955 Chevy Truck, 280 bushel with rolling tarp Machinery 2014 Sunflower Mod. 3372, Undercutter, 7 - 6’ Blades with pickers and liquid NH3 and Phosphorus att. JD 750 no Till Drill, 30’, (1,000 acres since complete refurbish) with mech. hitch and 10” sp. JD 27’ Disc, mod. 331, hyd. fold, 21” disc front, 22” back Flex King Undercutter, 7x5’ blades with pickers 27’ Blue Jet Landwalker Strip Tool, 12 row, (new pts. - field ready) with

500 gal. poly tank, mounted 1972 LZ Drill, 24’, 12” sp. 548 White 6 Bottom Plow, 3 pt. hitch JD 8 row Max-Emerge Planter, mod. 1700 with Vacuum fan Miscellaneous Hutchinson 55’ x 10” Grain Auger with swing auger, PTO (exc) 6,000 Gal. Liquid Fertilizer Wagon Simpson 1,100 gal. Nurse Tank and Trailer 1,500 Gal. Poly Tank 1,100 gal. Pull Behind Poly Tank with John Blue pump Transit 3 PT. 4’ Oneway 18’ Double 2x2 Tool Carrier, pull type 2 Chemical Pumps 1/3 Yd. Ele. Cement Mixer Hyd. and Hi Boy Jacks Space Heater - Small Tools 4708 Krause 3 pt. Cultivator/ Strip Till Machine with 30” sp. JD 9400 DRILL, 50’, 12” sp. J&M Gravity Wagon, 375 bu. with seed treater (shedded)

ty risk - such as a child having access to drugs or a parent behaving incoherently - would result in removal of the child. Other potential reasons for removal include physical, emotional or sexual abuse, or the presence of other serious safety issues. “If Mr. Schwab’s interest is in the truth, he is welcome to sign a release to anyone in the public who wishes to gain more information,” the statement read. In response, Schwab said in a statement that he wasn’t sure to what information DCF was referring, because he hasn’t had access to records pertaining to his case and, because he is representing himself, he should have access to court discovery documents. Schwab said he and his wife plan to sign power of attorney to former gubernatorial candidate Jennifer Winn to access court records, reports and DCF evidence. Schwab said if Winn determined after reviewing the documents that Schwab was dishonest, he would end his hunger strike.

Real Estate, Shop Equipment, Inventory

Wednesday, March 23 • 10:00 a.m. Location: 239 E. Long St., Dighton Farmers Oil and Tire, Inc. - Owners

(Jay Cook cell 620-271-2890 • Larry Johnston cell 620-271-4392)

Machinery (there are very few small items, will start at 1:00 p.m., be on time) Location: From Dighton - 17 miles South on Highway 23, 3 miles West on Potter Rd., ¾ miles North on Rd. 33. From Garden City - 11 miles East on Highway 156 to Mennonite Rd., 14 miles North to Huschka Rd., East 8 mile to Rd. 33. Auctioneer’s note: Most of this equipment has been shedded and is field ready. Lunch will be served.

Strike

(continued from page 10)

Real Estate (Sells at noon). Tract 1: Lots 18,19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Block 14 Walkers First Addition (Main Building). This tract contains a 10,558 sq. ft. building with 1,040 sq. ft. office area with a built-in safe, 1,774 sq. ft. display area with two restrooms. Balance being shop area. All area is heated. This tract also contains 3-10,000 gal. underground fuel tanks with 7 pumps. Sunday, February Tract #2: Lots 16 and 17 Block 14, Walkers First Addition (Appliance Store). tract contains 2This • 11:00 a.m.a 6,000 sq. ft. stucco building with front area being finished and back area being shop area. Tract #3: Lots 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Block 14, Walkers First Addition. Tract This tract contains 2,616 sq. ft. storage building and a 2,400 sq. ft. storage barn. This area is enclosed with chain link #3:Lots 4, 5, 6, fence. day of sale, with balance due in certified funds at closing. Closing to be on or before April 29. 7,Terms: 8, 9,10% 10,down 11, 12 Announcements day of the auction take precedence over printed material. Block 14, Walkers Possession: At closing. First Taxes:Addition Tracts 1 & 2 = $4,091.82. Tract 3: $658.70. 2016 taxes prorated to day of closing. Evidence of Title: Seller will provide to the buyer, title insurance in the amount of purchase price, with buyer and seller This tract splitting premium 50%-50%. contains 2,616 sq. Agency: Lawrence and Associates Realty are exclusive agents of the seller. ft.Broker: storage buildLawrence and Associates Realty • 513 Main, Scott City, Ks. 67871 • 620-872-5267

ing and a 2,400 sq.Shop ft. storage Equipment CoatsThis tire spreader barn. area floor jacks is Several enclosed Lots of heavywith duty chain linkairfenced. bottle jacks, and

hydraulic Milwaukee overhead chain hoist, electric Corghi A9824TI tire machine Hoffman tire machine Coats 1055 tire computer balancer Coats 40-40 tire machine Tire cage Coleman 6250 portable generator Tool boxes Hand tools, wrenches, socket sets, screw drivers, ect. Rigid shop vac Tap and die sets Air Impacts 1/2” and 1” Electric hand tools Porta power Gear pullers OTC oil filter crusherhydraulic Parts washer (4) Flammables storage cabinets Work bench with vise Battery chargers Bench grinder on stand Miller Thunderbolt 225 amp welder

AC gauges and pumps Penzoil oil burning heater, 400 gal. 500 gal. bulk oil tank with air meter and nozzles (3) Wringer washers Hydraulic transmission jack Coats hand operated tire machine Grey air bumper jack Pipe wrenches Pit Pro 200 amp battery charger Multi Power gas powered power washer, hot water Several air hose reels Lots of air hose Pro Lift 4-post electric vehicle lift, 12,000 lb. Stune large 25,000 lb., 4-post, electric vehicle lift Jack stands Small porta-cool water cooler Tire bars, hammers and tire tools 2003 Ingra Sol Rand air compressor, 125 gal. Curtis air compressor, 125 gal. (2) Bulk oil banks, 12-tanks each, 75 gal. with pumps and meters Hydraulic press

Model H140 Lanair waste overhead oil heater (5) 1,000 gal. fuel tanks Many other tools Trucks, Forklift, and Bobcat 1992 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup, 68,000 mi., auto., utility box with air compressor 1996 IHC 4700 truck, DT 466 motor, auto., 31,000 mi., Knaphide 12ft. dump bed 1990 Ford F-350 truck, tire service box, 5-spd. trans., V-8 motor 1996 Ford F-350 Super Duty truck, 7.3 power stroke motor, 5-spd. trans., tire service box, hydraulic crane, Tommy lift 1992 Ford F-350 truck, 7.3 turbo motor, 5-spd. trans., tire service box, hydraulic crane Hyster 50 forklift, propane, 5,000 lb., side shift Trailer with 1,000 gal. poly tank and pump 6x10 utility trailer with pump PJ gooseneck 24 ft. flat deck trailer, steel floor Bobcat 500 skid steer, gas Inventory

Fence insulators, new Batteries, new New car and pickup tires Bolt bins with new bolts Speedrite fence chargers Molyplex grease Oil Wix oil and air filters Lots of new Gates belts Tire patches and weights Gloves, new Wire ends Huge lot of used car, pickup, truck and tractor tires Many other new items Office and Other Items Office desk and chairs Computers and printers Telephone system Lots of parts assortments Nut and bolt assortments Double door upright display cooler Single door upright display cooler File cabinets Fax machine Sharp copy machine Antique oil drums from service station

Everything to be removed by April 5. Terms: Must show valid ID to register. Cash or approved check day of sale. Everything sold as is. No warranties expressed or implied. Not responsible for theft or accident. Announcements day of sale take precedence over printed material. Lunch served. • Check us out: www.berningauction.com and facebook

Pastime at Park Lane We offer our sympathy to the family of Maxine Binns who passed away on March 9. Maxine had lived at Park Lane for three years. Thanks to her family for the flowers brought to Park Lane in her memory. The Immanuel Southern Baptist Church led Sunday afternoon services. Residents played pitch and dominoes on Monday afternoon. Game helpers were Dorothy King, Wanda Kirk, Lynda Burnett, Madeline Murphy, Jay Barnett, Gary Goodman, Hugh McDaniel and Mandy Barnett. Residents played Wii bowling on Monday evening. Pastor Bob Artz led Bible study on Tuesday morning. Doris Riner and Elsie Nagel led the hymns. Russel and Mary Webster led Bible study on Tuesday evening.

Night lights are craft project

Volunteers from the Immanuel Southern Baptist Church hosted craft day on Tuesday afternoon. Residents made night lights. Helpers were Joy Barnett, Jennifer Murphy and Mandy Barnett. Kendra Kendrick furnished cookies.

‘Over 50 Chorus’ entertains

The Over 50 Chorus performed on Thursday afternoon. Singers were Dorothy Milburn, Madeline Murphy, Irma McDaniel, Neva Jacobus and Melva Knight. Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran Bible study on Wednesday morning. Madeline Murphy and Barbara Dickhut were the bingo helpers on Wednesday afternoon. Residents played cards on Wednesday evening. D’Ann Markel gave manicures on Thursday morning. Fr. Bernard Felix led Catholic Mass on Friday morning.

Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran services on Friday afternoon. Residents enjoyed vanilla soft-serve ice cream cones on Friday afternoon. Darlene Richman was visited by Tina Turley. Boots Haxton was visited by Rod and Kathy Haxton. Edith Donecker was visited by Phyllis Ruiz, Nancy Holt and Sue Rogers.

The Scott County Record • Page 12 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Doris Riner was visited by Mary Lou Oeser, Karen Harms, Trudy Eikenberry and Arlene Taylor. Jake Leatherman was visited by Todd Crist. Albert Dean was visited by Nancy Holt. Harold and Ruth White were visited by Sharon Strecker. Lorena Turley was visited by Tracy, Emily and Bo Hess and Neta Wheeler. Vivian Kreiser was visited by Larry and Sharon Lock. Bonnie Pickett was visited by Gloria Wright, Larry and Philene Pickett, and Jon Tuttle. Clifford Dearden was visited by Kirk and Janet Ottaway from Hays. Yvonne Spangler was visited by Greg and Yvette Mills. Arlene Beaton was visited by Margie Stevens, Nancy Holt and Colleen Beaton.

Deaths

Dixie Lee Keksi Dixie Lee Keksi, 64, died March 13, 2016, at Park Lane Nursing Home in Scott City. She was born Nov. 28, 1951, in Eads, Colo., the daughter of William Thomas and Marjorie Vee (Root) Osborn. Dixie was a resident of Scott City since 2007. She was a custodian at USD No. 466 in Scott City. Dixie grew up in Towner, Colo., and was a graduate of Plainview JuniorSenior High School. Survivors include: two sons, William Chad Elam, Reno, Nev., and Greg Alan Keksi, Scott City; one brother, Robert Osborn, Cape Canaveral, Fla.; three sisters, Mary

Elmer Erskin was visited by Rick and Sandy Kahl, Shirley Rogers from Valley Center, Sharon Powers, Jamie Binns from Manhattan, Mitch Binns; Matt and Becca Brummett, Kansas City, Mo.; Velda Riddiough, Marsha Holloway, Nancy Holt, David Powers and Leasha Fox. Louise Crist was visited by Don and Tara Williams; Emerson, Kami, Gavin, Camden, Jacob and Rachel; and Nancy Holt. Lowell Rudolph was visited by LuAnn Buehler, Tom and Kathy Moore, and Rev. Don Martin. Delores Brooks was visited by Charles Brooks, Nancy Holt, Betty Ann Baker; Shandon, Tina, Raegen and Sage Walak; and Cheryl Perry. Ardis Rose was visited by Terry and Sue Rose, Karen Harms and Mary Lou Oeser.

LaVera King was visited by Shirley Rogers from Valley Center, Carol Latham, Gloria Gough, Velda Riddiough, Marsha Holloway, Toni Wessel, and Randy and Harrison King. Dottie Fouquet was visited by Mark Fouquet, Jon and Anne Crane; and Monica, Tim and Claire Fouquet. Corrine Dean was visited by Dianna Howard, Ron Hess, Nancy Holt, Warren Kropp and Wyatt Kropp. Lawana Rothers was visited by Gene and Von Dyne Williamson. Dona Dee Carpenter was visited by Gloria O’Bleness and Larry LaPlant. Mike Leach and James Still were visited by Rev. Don Martin and Linda Dunagan. Cecile Billings was visited by Ann Beaton and Delinda Dunagan.

Sr. Citizen Lunch Menu

Randy Allen Stine Randy Allen Stine, 69, died March 14, 2016, at his home in Vancouver, Wash. H e was born May 1, 1946, in Garden City, the son of Randy Stine R.L. and Lorrayne (Sharp) Stine. He was a 1964 graduate of Scott Community High School and graduated in 1967 from the Northwest Kansas Vocational-Technical School in Goodland. He was a retired project manager for structural steel companies. On Aug. 19, 1967, he married Darla Kear in Goodland. Survivors include his

by Jason Storm

Mary A. Iseminger

Mary A. Iseminger, 86, died March 13, 2016, at St. Luke’s South Hospital, Overland Park. She was born June 18, 1929, in Logan County, the daughter of Rassie and Addie (Harper) Strickler. Mary had been a resident of Scott City since the early 1940s, moving from Sharon Springs. Mary was a phone operator, secretary and a school board clerk. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women, Beta Sigma Phi, Study Club, and past member of the Club 100. Mary married Levirl A. Iseminger on Aug. 17, 1947, in Scott City. He died on July 15, 2009. Survivors include: one son, Steve Iseminger, and wife, Marcia, Olathe; one Gutherie, Pritchett, Colo., daughter, Gayle Herrman, Leslie McCue, Holcomb, and Kathy Mathes, Goodland; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Doris Bennett. There will be no calling times. Funeral service will be Fri., March 18, 2:00 p.m., at the First Christian Church, Scott City, with Steve Payne officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Dixie Keksi Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871.

wife, of the home; two sons, Marcus Stine, Vancouver, Wash., and Matthew Stine, Camas, Wash.; a sister, Robin Spencer, and husband, Richard, Manhattan; an aunt, Lois Bryant and husband, Clarence, Scott City; two grandsons, Zac and Royce Stine, Vancouver; a granddaughter, Teryn Stine, Vancouver; and one stepdaughter, Chenoa Faulhaber, Vancouver; and many cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and one nephew and family, Dylan, Amy, Chase and Ansley Spencer. Cremation has taken place. There will be a celebration of Randy’s life at a later date.

and husband, Jerry, Garden City; one grandson, Christopher Jerome Herrman, Scott City; three granddaughters, nine great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; two brothers, Rassie Strickler and Joseph Strickler; and one sister, Addie Mae Hillery. Funeral service will be Fri., March 18, 10:00 a.m., at the United Methodist Church, Scott City, with Pastor Neil Burum and Pastor John Lewis officiating. Interment will be at the Scott County Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to United Methodist Church in care of Price and Son Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871.

Week of March 21-25 Monday: Chicken enchiladas, refried beans, tossed salad, tortilla chips, mixed fruit. Tuesday: Chili, beef stew, savory carrots, cinnamon roll, citrus fruit cup. Wednesday: Roast turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, winter mix vegetables, whole wheat roll, fresh orange slices. Thursday: Baked ham slice, sweet potato casserole, capri vegetables, whole wheat roll, tropical fruit salad. Friday: Breaded fish fillet or salisbury steak, potato wedges, green beans, whole wheat roll, strawberries and bananas. meals are $3.25 • call 872-3501

The Scott County Record • Page 13 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Deaths Merlin Leland Peter Merlin Leland Peter, 69, died Feb. 29 2016, at Marquis Regency Care Center, Las Vegas, Nev. H e was born Sept. 22, 1946, in Goodland, the son of E r n e s t Merlin Peter Leland and Ruby Lucille (Kliewer) Peter. Merlin was a resident of Scott City from 1970 until December 2012 when he moved to Las Vegas, Nev., to be near his son. He was a custodian and maintenance employee for USD No. 466, Scott City, until his retirement. Merlin was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus, both of Scott City; Knights of Columbus Colombian Squires, Boy Scouts of America, and VFW of Grinnell. He was a Desert Storm veteran, serving in the Army National Guard for 32 years before retiring. Merlin married Jeanne Elizabeth Schwarz on

May 29, 1970, in Angelus, Ks. She survives. Other survivors include: one son, Troy Peter, Las Vegas, Nev.; three brothers, Vernon Peter, and wife, Marilyn, Castle Rock, Colo., Toby Peter, and wife, Debbie, Casper, Wyo., and Dennis Peter, and wife Julie, Arvada, Colo.; two sisters, Donna Schmidtberger, and husband, Loren, Colby, and Linda French, Arvada, Colo.; and numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. Visitation will be Sat., March 19, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Scott City, from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Memorial service will be Saturday, at the church, starting at 10:30 a.m. with Fr. Bernard Felix officiating. Inurnment will be at the Scott County Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to the Merlin Peter Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871.

Attend the Church of Your Choice

What has your Lent journey looked like? Lent is a journey toward the cross. In a way, it recreates Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. 17: “Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18: “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19: and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” - Matthew 20:17-19 NIV The disciples did not track His meaning when Jesus first talked about dying. They still expected a mighty military man to return their country to David and Solomon’s greatness. As they realized what Jesus meant, they tried to talk him out of the crazy idea of death being the right thing. However, Jesus walked on to Jerusalem. And the disciples walked with him. It is hard to give up our ideas of what should be when God’s idea is different. And the disciples did. Perhaps that is their greatest testimony. They expected a Messiah someday. And they followed Jesus even when he was not the Messiah they expected.

Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem was an intentional walk of selflessness. Lent is a similar time to intentionally give up some of life being lived for ourselves and live it for others. Live that sacrificed part of life for more life with God. Live that newly created time of life for more life with others. The point of giving up something for Lent is to have more something for someone else - recreating Jesus’ selfless walk to Jerusalem. Palm Sunday is this Sunday. The Lent journey is nearly completed. What has your Lent journey looked like this year? Has it resembled Jesus’ footsteps? Perhaps that is unfair to ask the question at the end of Lent. Yet, Lent was intended to be a training ground for the rest of life to carry on the selflessness of Jesus. It is not too late to get in some extra practice at denying self and giving yourself away to God and others. And it is never too late to live the life God expects of us. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.” - Romans 12:1

Pastor John Lewis, First United Methodist Church, Scott City

Fruit of the Loam

The Green Haus Spring Lawn Care and Watering

Tim McGonagle

We have our Fertilome Spring Lawn Care Program on a special price for the month of March only. You can stop stickers from germinating and fertilize your turf a couple of times and control grubs in your lawn all summer long. The Fertilome Spring Lawn Care Program first step needs to be applied in March or April and the second step applied around June 1. Then you are done until fall! Isn’t it about time you took control of your own lawn care and saved some money? Do you want to save even more money? You can on your city water bill! Don’t just turn your sprinkler system on to run every other day here in March or April. We want to encourage our turfgrass to develop a deep root system so it can withstand the long hot dry days of summer. We develop a deep root system on turfgrass by watering infrequently and deeply in the spring time of the year. That means water a bunch one day, like an inch or so, and then don’t water again until it looks like the grass is suffering for a lack of water. That might be a couple of weeks here in the spring! You can mow short during March and April but once May gets here start mowing a little taller! If you are having your lawn mowed by someone ask them to move the mower deck up. You want to mow at 2 1/2 inches to 3 inches tall and fescue can even be mowed at 3 1/2 inches tall. Yes, it looks a little long and looks like it needs mowed more often but the turf will use less water. If your mower person won’t move the deck up, look for someone who will. The Green Haus is your local solution for local problems.

Stop Stickers Today!

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. Held at Precision Ag Bldg. west of Shallow Water 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.

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.

Pence Community Church

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 Shelby Crawford, 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 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

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

9th and Crescent - Scott City - 872-2334 Bishop Irvin Yeager • 620-397-2732 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.

120 S. Lovers Lane - Shallow Water Larry Taylor, pastor Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

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

Moving? Contact The Scott County Record to update your address, so you don’t miss your paper. P.O. Box 377, Scott City, Ks. 67871 • 620-872-2090 • www.scottcountyrecord.com

The Kansas Senate is working toward a compromise on a bill that would require licenses for acupuncturists. Senators are trying to find a path to passage that mollifies licensed physical therapists and chiropractors who use a procedure called “dry needling” to treat pain and muscle stiffness and acupuncturists who specialize in Eastern-style medicine. Groups that represent osteopathic medicine providers and the Kansas Association of Oriental Medicine support Senate Bill 363 as a way to bring uniform standards to the Kansas acupuncture industry. They noted that Kansas is one of only five states that does not require a license to practice acupuncture. Their call for more regulations of their own industry echoes that of massage therapy providers who made the same arguments last year on a bill that has not passed. But SB 363 would require an acupuncture license for “dry needling” as well as traditional Eastern-style acupuncture. That drew opposition from physical therapists, some of whom already have been doing dry needling because they believed the practice fell under the part of their license that allows for “manual therapy.” Dry needling and acupuncture use similar needles, but acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese ideas about the flow of energy in the body and dry needling is based on Western ideas about nerves and trigger points within muscles. While acupuncture can be used to treat everything from depression to weight loss to pain, dry needling is only used to treat pain and restore muscle movement, said Susie Harms, president of the Kansas Physical Therapy Association.

40,000 Kansans added to ACA health coverage Health Insurance Marketplaces nationwide signed up nearly 4.9 million new customers for 2016 coverage during the third open enrollment period. In total, about 12.7 million people signed up or automatically renewed their plans for 2016 coverage, of which about 40 percent were new customers. In Kansas, approximately 40,000 were new customers to the marketplace. “About 20 million uninsured Americans have gained coverage because of the Affordable Care Act,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell. People in Kansas who switched issuers as well as plans saved $57 per month, or nearly $690 annually for the same level of coverage. As with past years, the vast majority of marketplace customers who signed up for coverage and received tax credits. More than 8-in-10 individuals (10.5 million) who selected or were automatically enrolled in a 2016 plan nationwide qualify for a tax credit. In Kansas, the average tax credit was $246 per month and the average premium after tax credits was $106 per month. In Kansas, 62 percent of customers had the option of selecting a 2016 Marketplace plan with a premium of $75 or less per month after tax credits. This year, 3.5 million people ages 18 to 34 signed up for coverage nationwide. Among new enrollees, 33 percent (1.3 million) were ages 18 to 34.

CMS pressures state to provide plan to relieve Medicaid backlog Andy Marso Kansas Health Institute

Federal officials are concerned about a growing backlog of Kansas Medicaid applications and have asked state leaders to provide regular updates about what they’re doing to fix the problem. James Scott, associate regional administrator for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a letter to Kansas Department of Health and Environment officials Feb 17, citing concerns about “recent reports of the Medicaid application backlog

in the state of Kansas.” Scott asked KDHE to submit within 14 days a plan to correct the backlog. He also asked the agency to address issues at the customer service call center, or Clearinghouse, for KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program. “Based on recent articles it can take hours for a beneficiary to get through to a KanCare representative,” Scott wrote. “Please provide call center response times and dropped call rates as well as an action plan on how the KanCare Clearinghouse plans

. . . the number of unprocessed applications ballooned from about 10,000 at the end of January to 18,216 by mid-February. Precisely 7,745 of those had been pending for more than 45 days, which is the most allowed under CMS rules unless the applicant needs a disability determination.

to decrease the call times for beneficiaries.” In a response dated March 4, KDHE secretary Susan Mosier said the agency has added 20 full-time staff members to process applications and 19 more for the call center, in addition to implementing other reforms. The state’s response also shows that the number of unprocessed applications bal-

looned from about 10,000 at the end of January to 18,216 by mid-February. Precisely 7,745 of those had been pending for more than 45 days, which is the most allowed under CMS rules unless the applicant needs a disability determination. The call center is being run by a state contractor, Maximus, which reported (See BACKLOG on page 15)

Sheltered workshops: a path to employment for the disabled? Bryan Thompson KHI News Service

For people with developmental disabilities, finding a job can be especially difficult. Sheltered workshops were created to provide work for them in a setting protected from competition in the marketplace. But some advocates say this system too often exploits them as a source of low-wage labor for employers. One of the first jobs Nick

Whitehair did when he got out of high school was janitorial work at the Eisenhower Center in Abilene. He was part of a crew employed by the Occupational Center of Central Kansas (OCCK), a Salina-based organization that provides a range of employment services for people with developmental disabilities. “I enjoyed it a lot, for what I was doing,” he said. For on-site jobs like that, OCCK often sends a non-dis-

abled employee to supervise several workers with disabilities. The agency also operates a sheltered workshop, which is a large, open room where clients whose disabilities may be more extensive can learn basic skills. Dave Scanlan manages day, residential and employment services for OCCK in Salina and Abilene. He said pay rates vary in the sheltered workshop. “Well, it ranges anything

Union: bill would lay groundwork for state hospital privatization A bill changing how state hospital superintendents can be appointed would open a back door to quietly privatizing state hospitals, according to the head of the state employees’ labor union. Language approved by both the House and the Senate earlier in a budget bill passed earlier in the session prohibited the state agency that operates the hospitals from entering into privatization agreements without the approval of the legislature. However, Rebecca Proctor, executive director of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, said a bill now under consideration could essentially provide that authorization. If the administration wants to privatize the state hospitals, it should hold Legislative

from a piece-rated wage to wages above minimum wage. It just depends on the contract, and the job, and what they’re doing,” Scanlan said. A 2012 report by the National Disability Rights Network said 400,000 Americans with disabilities are working in sheltered workshops and earning an average of $175 a month typically without benefits like health care. (See DISABLED on page 16)

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

hearings and public meetings first, she said. “This bill allows any privatization to happen very quietly, with only a few people involved and no public hearings,” she said. Tim Keck, interim secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, said the measure in question - Senate Bill 460 - would allow the agency to explore privatization by issuing a request for proposals. The bill ensures legislative oversight, Keck said, by requiring the agency to get the approval of the State Finance Council before issuing the RFP. The agency needs “flexibility” in order to receive serious offers from private groups to run Osawatomie State Hospital, Keck said, and needs (See UNION on page 15)

Give Dr. Rosin a warm pioneer welcome. Robert Rosin, MD, brings over 25 years of experience to Siena Medical of St. Catherine Hospital and is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Rosin graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. He specializes in preventative care and health maintenance, the diagnosis and care of acute and chronic medical conditions and the management of adult patients with multiple, complex medical issues. Make an appointment by calling 620-275-3710.

StCatherineHosp.org Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For future information about this policy contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 303 804-8165. Copyright © Centura Health, 2015

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Groups seek compromise on acupuncture license in Ks.

The Scott County Record • Page 14 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

The Scott County Record • Page 15 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Groups make case to cut sales tax on food Non-profit groups told legislators earlier this week that rolling back a business tax exemption in order to lower the food sales tax would allow low-income Kansans to eat healthier. Kansans pay 6.5 percent state sales tax on groceries - the second highest percentage in the nation. Karen Siebert, advocacy advisor for Harvesters, told the House Taxation

Committee that the high tax drives low-income consumers to “cheaper, calorie-dense,” foods that are not healthy. “Lowering the cost of food would help the most vulnerable among us meet their basic needs,” said Siebert, whose organization represents 300 food assistance facilities in the state. Siebert’s comments came during a multi-

Backlog average hold times of about 20 minutes for the month of February. However, some callers were kept on hold for almost an hour and a half. Mosier’s letter says the backlog resulted from a rush of 13,000 Medicaid applications during the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment which ran from November through January. The letter does not mention a computer system switch last summer that state officials have previously said contributed to the backlog. Gov. Sam Brownback, in his budgets for the current fiscal year and the next, has banked a total of $10 million in Medicaid savings because of lagging enrollment since implementation of the Kansas Eligibility Enforcement System (KEES). Scott’s letter asks state officials to set a date for eliminating the backlog but Mosier didn’t specify one in her response. Homes Unsatisfied In Kansas, Medicaid serves about 450,000 lowincome children, pregnant women, people with disabilities and the elderly. Scott’s letter requests that the state submit information on the backlog on a bi-weekly basis. He also asks state officials to describe how they plan to address unreimbursed care provided to people whose Medicaid applications are pending. That request is of particular interest to nursing homes, which rely heavily on Medicaid and are carrying, in some cases,

Union

(continued from page 14)

to have all options on the table to improve care. Osawatomie is the state’s largest mental health hospital. It lost its Medicare payments in December after federal inspectors found the environment wasn’t safe for patients. The bill would appear to at least take a step toward allowing privatization of the two state psychiatric hospitals and the two hospitals serving people with severe developmental disabilities. It states that if a hospital superintendent, physician or other staff member were appointed by a person or organization contracting with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, he or she wouldn’t be under the state’s civil service system.

hour hearing on House Bill 2444, a hot-button issue politically because it would end the income tax exemption on “passthrough” business income that is a signature of Gov. Sam Brownback’s 2012 tax changes. Brownback threatened to veto any attempt to roll back the exemption last year when Rep. Mark Hutton (R-Wichita) floated a bill to do so as part of a state budget fix.

Hutton changed the bill this session to make it a trade for lower grocery taxes. If it passes, the state sales tax on food would drop to 2.6 percent on July 1. Kansas business owners and lawmakers from both parties lined up to testify for the bill, saying the tax exemption was unfair, budget-busting and ineffective in creating jobs.

(continued from page 14)

more than $1 million in unpaid bills. The state’s response, which was to tell Scott that providers would be reimbursed retroactively once Medicaid applications have been processed, did not satisfy representatives of nursing home associations. Rachel Monger, director of government affairs for LeadingAge Kansas, said the state is already required to retroactively reimburse nursing facilities and it doesn’t solve their current cash flow issues. “The entire issue we are having is that providers are being forced to provide uncompensated care, and elders are being turned away from care, until their application is processed,” Monger said. “Our providers need payment now.” Monger’s group,

which represents nonprofit nursing homes, and the Kansas Health Care Association, which represents for-profit homes, have asked the administration to give presumptive Medicaid eligibility to their residents. Cindy Luxem, executive director of the KHCA, said her organization has heard little about the state’s response to CMS, but some of the state’s previous efforts to help have not lived up to expectations. She said KHCA and LeadingAge met with KDHE officials recently and were told that while the backlog persists, no one waiting on a Medicaid review will be dropped. “As soon as we send that (message) out (to members) we get an email from a member who had three folks drop off the Medicaid rolls since the

first of March,” Luxem said. Luxem said she welcomes the involvement of the federal government, which funds about 60 percent of Medicaid in Kansas. Mitzi McFatrich, who runs an advocacy group for nursing home residents called Kansas Advocates for Better Care, said something needs to happen soon. Her group has documented instances of frail and elderly Kansans unable to find nursing facilities that will take them while their Medicaid applications are pending for months. “It is inexcusable that the state hasn’t followed its own rules and federal law,” McFatrich said. “We remain hopeful but skeptical until we see the State take action and clear the backlog.”

The Kansas Chamber, National Federation for Independent Business, Kansas Policy Institute and Americans for Prosperity lined up on the other side, urging legislators to keep the exemption. They said staying the course would improve the state economy. Kansas Department of Revenue secretary Nick Jordan also testified against the bill.

Health, anti-poverty and small farming groups joined Siebert in supporting the bill, saying that the state would save money on health care costs by lowering the tax on groceries. “Food is not a luxury item,” said Ashley Wisner-Jones, state policy manager of KC Healthy Kids. “Kansas food tax is an unfair burden on the poor, particularly on the poor in rural areas.”

The Scott County Record • Page 16 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Disabled Former special education teacher Judith Gross, now a child research specialist at the University of Kansas, said sheltered workshops keep people with disabilities in poverty and are morally indefensible. James Quillen, a regional manager for OCCK in Concordia, rejects that argument. Quillen said OCCK uses sheltered workshops as a transitional service, where people can learn the skills they need to get competitive employment. “We believe that once you have employment real, competitive employment - that opens up so many opportunities for your life,” he said. “It helps you become more

Vote of school funding, a ruling on the adequacy of school funding will come later. That ruling could potentially order hundreds of millions in new funds into schools. Reducing the general operating aid of districts will affect the state’s case, Tallman argued. “Not only will this have a negative impact on school operations, we believe it will make it more likely the Court will rule against the state in the adequacy portion of the case,” Tallman testified. Trabert rejected the argument, telling lawmakers the legislation would still provide more than adequate funding and noting the court in the past has found education outcomes matter more than money.

(continued from page 14)

and more independent, which is our goal for people, is that they can become as independent as they want to be.” Gross said while she doesn’t know about OCCK specifically, in general sheltered workshops are not a stepping stone to competitive employment. “ O v e r w h e l m i n g l y, research has borne out that that’s not typically what happens - that typically people who go into a sheltered workshop don’t transition out into competitive, integrated, community employment; that they aren’t learning transferable skills,” she said. But Gross said when the right supports are in place, people with disabilities are not only

able to have integrated, competitive employment, they tend to increase their skills beyond what friends and family thought possible. “Other states have begun, or plan, to shut down their sheltered workshops, and they’ve found that has increased their rates of employment,” she said. “For example, Vermont shut down their sheltered workshops in 2002, and now the employment rate for people with developmental disabilities there is twice the national average.” Kansas was the first state to pass an “employment first” law, which Gross said requires that any person of working age who requests services

(continued from page nine)

“Since school districts admit that they can neither define nor measure the Rose capacities, they have no legal basis for claiming to lack adequate funding to achieve the Rose capacities. This fact alone could be sufficient grounds for dismissal of schools’ claims,” Trabert testified, adding other reasons also exist. Meanwhile, Sen. Steve Fitzgerald (R-Leavenworth) suggested that Kansas move to consolidate public school districts as it works to make education funding more fair. Fitzgerald said the situation would be less volatile with fewer large school districts. The state now has 286 districts.

Court order, which concerns school districts with relatively weak local tax bases. The House and Senate bills would each attempt to comply with the order by undoing last year’s tweaks to equity funding. This would increase aid to poorer districts by about $40 million, according to latest estimates from the Kansas State Department of Education. The Senate bill proposes paying for the $40 million by cutting a separate source of funding to school districts, called general state aid. The House bill leaves general state aid intact and pays for $17 million of the $40 million by reallocating money from The Race is On The Legislature is fac- another school funding ing a summer deadline to pool known as extraordicomply with the Supreme nary needs aid.

first be offered integrated and competitive employment services. “So if you have an organization that’s placing someone in a sheltered workshop to learn skills while they plan to transition to a supported, integrated, competitive employment job, they’re actually in violation of this employment first legislation,” she said. “There’s a lot of service providers in Kansas that still aren’t aware of that.” Michael Donnelly, who oversees vocational rehabilitation programs for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, concedes that there is a segment of the population whose disabilities are so severe that the state hasn’t yet figured out how to

successfully support them in jobs. Donnelly agrees, however, that the number of Kansans in sheltered workshops is too high. “People that we thought 20 years ago would not be able to work in a competitive, integrated environment today are. Technology has made a huge difference. The types of supports we’re able to provide folks today are different than what they were 20 years ago,” he said. “The largest majority of those people working in sheltered workshops could be working in the community in a real job.” Donnelly said state funding streams for these programs need to be redirected.

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Sports

end of an era O’Neil reflects on final season, career as SCHS boy’s basketball coach • Page 24

state champs! The Scott County Record

www.scottcountyrecord.com

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Page 17

Dighton High School head coach Amy Felker and her team celebrate as the final second ticks off the clock in their 64-56 Class 1A-Division II state championship win over Axtell on Saturday. (Record Photo)

Lady Hornets take control late for first-ever state basketball title For 8-1/2 minutes, Jordan Speer sat on the bench during the Class 1A-Division II state championship game against Axtell. It had to seem like the longest 8-1/2 minutes in the Dighton Axtell 56 High School Dighton 64 junior’s life while watching her teammates compete for their first-ever girl’s basketball title. “I did everything I could to encourage them from the bench and to give advice in the huddle,” says the 5-foot-10 center. “But with two fouls, I knew Coach wasn’t going to put me back in until she absolutely had to.” Speer made up for her long absence by scoring eight of her team’s 12 points during a key stretch in the second half that saw Dighton turn a one point deficit into a five point lead. Dighton never trailed again in a 64-56 win at the United Wireless Arena in Dodge City on Saturday evening. After both teams rode scoring streaks to a 28-28 halftime deadlock, the second half became a game of nerves and a test of who would be the first to crack. There were five lead changes in the first 4-1/2 minutes before junior guard Sara Cramer hit a baseline jumper as part of her game high 25 point performance. That put the Lady Hornets on top, 36-35, with just over three minutes remaining in

the third period and they never trailed again. Dighton followed with a defensive stop that marked a momentum shift which saw the Lady Hornets outscoring Axtell 16-7 during a stretch of just over five minutes. It’s no surprise that the junior tandem of Cramer and Speer accounted for 22 of Dighton’s first 24 points of the second half. Neither was it a surprise that Axtell had no answer for stopping Speer. No one else has this season. Starting with a pair of free throws at the 2:33 mark, Speer accounted for eight of Dighton’s next 10 points. She followed with a six-footer, opened the fourth quarter with a turnaround jumper and then added a shot off the glass with 6:33 remaining which put the Lady Hornets on top, 46-41. “I didn’t think about where the shots were coming from during that stretch. I found my rhythm and was hitting them,” says Speer, who finished with 18 points (5-of-7 FG) and six rebounds. Staying Aggressive In spite of Speer’s success in the low post, head coach Amy Felker said the emphasis in the second half wasn’t on pounding the ball inside. “Our discussion was on attacking wherever the openings were,” she says. “We were getting drives to the basket. (See HORNETS on page 22)

Dighton High School junior Jordan Speer puts up a shot during the state championship game against Axtell on Saturday. (Record Photo)

The Scott County Record • Page 18 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Takedown kids wrestling

Outdoors in Kansas by Steve Gilliland

A purpose behind the blazing prairie The last five years of my National Guard career were spent at a guard unit in Salina. There I had a friend who was from England and lived on the outskirts of Manhattan. Farm ground was located across the street from his home and he returned one day to find the wheat stubble engulfed in flames. It was a controlled burn, but this was a foreign concept to my friend who thought it was a wildfire and called 911. He watched from his house as the fire truck roared past, turned around at the end of the street and headed back, having seen that the fire was indeed a controlled burn. My friend walked out to the end of his driveway to meet the truck and see what was going on. He said the fire truck rolled to a stop in front of him and the fireman leaned out the window and said, “You’re not from around here, are you?” I really couldn’t laugh too hard at my friend because not having grown up around here, the midsummer Kansas activity of burning wheat stubble was new to me, too. There is another practice known as “prescribed burning” which often happens in the spring. We are smack dab in the middle of that season now. Prescribed burning of prairie grasses, pastures and road ditches is done now to catch woody invasive plants and brush while still dormant, making them easy to burn, and yet is still far enough in advance so it won’t destroy nests and eggs for ground-nesting birds like pheasants and quail. As always, there are two sides to the science of prescribed (See PRAIRIE on page 20)

Scott City Takedown Wrestling Club members who were a top four medalist at sub-district and qualified for the Kansas Kids Wrestling district tournament this weekend in Goodland are (front row, from left) Waylon Ricker, Trenton Frank, Matthew Wheeler, Collin McDaniel, Alex Rodriguez, Houston Frank and Zach Rohrbough. (Back row) Kaden Wren, Jarron Gregory, Caleb VanDegrift, Damian Ortiz, Kale Wheeler, Lance Miller and Justus McDaniel. (Record Photo)

The Takedown Kids Wrestling Club has qualified six wrestlers for the elementary school and middle school nationals. Kansas is taking six teams, so the top six at the Kansas Elementary Duals qualified. (Above) Elementary school qualifiers are (from left to right) Leightyn Heim, Ronnie Weathers, Kale Wheeler and Lance Miller. (Left) Middle school qualifiers are Justus McDaniel, first place (left), and Kaden Wren, second place. Nationals for both groups will be in Council Bluffs, Ia., from April 15-17. (Record Photos)

Aerial surveys monitors prairie chicken trend

PRATT - According to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAWFA), aerial surveys for lesser prairie chickens will begin March 17. The surveys, which will continue through mid-May, will be conducted by helicopter throughout the five-state lesser prairie chicken range. The surveys are conducted annually by WAFWA to ascertain population trends and how the bird is responding to management strategies identified in the Lesser Prairie Chicken Rangewide Conservation Plan. The range-wide plan is a collaborative effort of WAFWA and the state wildlife agencies of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. It

was developed to ensure conservation of the lesser prairie chicken with voluntary cooperation from landowners and industry. This plan allows agriculture producers and industry to continue operations while reducing impacts to the species and its grassland habitat. “Working with the wildlife agencies of each of these five states, we’ve established a consistent methodology to conduct these aerial surveys,” explained Bill Van Pelt, WAFWA’s grassland coordinator. “This allows us to get the most accurate information possible so we can see how various management strategies for the birds are working on the ground.” In previous years, some

Prairie chicken numbers will be surveyed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies starting on March 17.

of the fly paths prompted calls, which is why WAFWA is getting the word out about the start of aerial survey work. Last year’s aerial surveys brought good news: an abundance of spring rainfall in 2015, along with ongoing efforts associated with the range-

wide plan and other conservation initiatives, helped increase the lesser prairie chicken population by approximately 25 percent from 2014 to 2015. Results from this year’s surveys will be available on July 1. Despite last year’s encouraging news, the

population is still low compared to historical numbers, and concern for the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat still exist. WAFWA is committed to continued successful implementation of the range-wide plan and the long-term recovery of this iconic grassland bird.

Don’t miss the Easter egg hunt in Scott City • Sat., March 19 • 1:00 p.m.

owning the paint

The Scott County Record • Page 19 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Duo of Speer, Hoffman too much for Eagles in state semis Even though Sara Cramer didn’t score her first points until nearly 23 minutes into Dighton’s state semi-final game against Wetmore, make no mistake about it, the junior guard was a huge part of her team’s offense. Despite shooting 0-of5 from the field in the first half, Cramer was doWetmore 36 ing what good Dighton 47 point guards are supposed to do - set up the offense and get the ball into the hands of those who can score. That meant feeding the inside combination of center Jordan Speer and forward Dakota Hoffman who combined for 20 first half points while building a 23-15 lead. That was all the cushion the Lady Hornets would need in a 47-36 win that advanced them to the championship game of the Class 1A-Division II state tournament in Dodge City. “It was important for us to get off to a good start and we were able to get our inside game established with Jordan and Dakota,” says Cramer. “I really didn’t have to think much about scoring because Jordan and Dakota did a great job of attacking the basket and (Wetmore) couldn’t stop them.” Wetmore’s only lead came on the game’s first basket. The game was tied briefly at 4-4 and after that it was a steady diet of Speer and Hoffman who were a combined 9-of-15 from the field in the first half. “We wanted to attack inside and get the ball to Dakota and Jordan. Both girls are strong and they were able to get to the basket,” says head coach Amy Felker. All of the first half scoring by the duo came in the low post with the exception of a Speer basket from the free throw line that put her team on top, 10-4.

Dighton junior Sara Cramer steals the ball from Wetmore’s Dakota McQueen during Friday’s state semi-final round action in Dodge City. (Record Photo)

good share of the game. A key stretch for Dighton came with 6:31 left in the first half when Cramer left the game with her second foul and the Lady Hornets protecting a 1510 lead. A basket by Hoffman and a three-pointer from senior guard Kiara Budd extended Dighton’s lead to 20-10 with 4:59 on the clock. When Cramer returned to the floor after a three minute break, Dighton still owned a 20-13 cushion. “That was huge for us not to lose the lead during that stretch,” noted Felker. “But these girls have gained a lot of confidence during the season. They believe Early Foul Trouble The Lady Hornets had to in themselves. Even when Sara battle foul trouble throughout a or Jordan aren’t in the game be-

cause of fouls, these girls aren’t going to fold up.” Defensive Shutdown Another key to Dighton’s ability to take control in the first half was Wetmore’s ineffectiveness on offense. The Lady Cardinals were just 4-of-20 from the field in the first half. For the game, they were only 2-of-25 from three-point range. “We had to make sure we stopped the dribble-drive. We got beat a couple of times, but we adjusted,” says Speer. “We believe in our defense and that’s what gets us going offensively. It’s pretty amazing how much we can shut down teams who are usually high scoring. “We had to win the battle of

Head coach Amy Felker emphasizes what she wants from her team during a timeout. (Record Photo)

Key Stat: Wetmore shot just 20% from the field in the first half (4-of20) and for the game were only 2-of-25 from three-point range. Turning Point: The Lady Hornets were holding a 30-23 lead late in the third period when Sara Cramer drove coast-to-coast for a layin with only :03 left in the period. That triggered a stretch when Cramer scored all eight Dighton points while they opened up a 38-26 lead. She Said It: “We weren’t even thinking about playing Norwich. We were focused on Golden Plains completely,” said Jordan Speer. “When Norwich got upset we adjusted. “We didn’t know much about Wetmore. We don’t even know where they are.”

the boards and make sure we had a hand in the shooters’ faces most of the time.” Dighton accomplished both goals, including a 23-14 rebounding edge in the first half. A Slow Start Even with a 23-15 lead at the half, the Lady Hornets were cautious. In their first round upset of No. 1 seeded Norwich, Wetmore trailed 24-12 at halftime, but opened the second half with 13 unanswered points and built a 33-28 lead by the end of the third quarter. “We’d seen what they did to Norwich and we knew we couldn’t relax,” Felker said. “We had to stay aggressive.” Despite a quick basket by Budd to open the second half, the Lady Hornets couldn’t find any rhythm offensively. “We didn’t handle their press very well in the third quarter and that affected us,” Speer said. “They were trying to pick up the tempo and we like to slow the game down a little and work the ball around. They got us out of our game a little.” “It’s a game of runs. They’re going to make a run, we’re going to make a run and we have to make the best runs,” added Felker. “When Wetmore looked like they might make a run in the third quarter we were able to get a couple of baskets, critical baskets, that kept them from building any momentum.” Dighton was still protecting an eight point, 29-21, lead when Cramer scored her first point of the night at the charity stripe with 1:09 left in the third period. Cramer would score her team’s next eight points and 14 of Dighton’s final 18 points.

“Some of Sara’s early shots weren’t falling, but you know that eventually she’s going to find a way to score,” Felker says. “In the second half, you could see in her eyes she was going to find a way to make sure we got the win.” Cramer closed out the third period with a coast-to-coast layin and opened the fourth quarter with a basket that put the Lady Hornets on top, 34-23. The big concern for Dighton over the final seven minutes was keeping Cramer, Speer and Hoffman on the floor despite foul trouble. Just 1:01 into the fourth quarter, Cramer and Hoffman had their fourth fouls and Speer picked up her fourth with 4:27 to play. “We had to stay aggressive. Even when we started having foul trouble we had to keep attacking offensively,” says Cramer. “Defensively, we wanted to be smart, but we also had to be aggressive.” Dighton owned its biggest lead of the night, 44-30, following a steal and layup by Cramer with 2:42 remaining. Wetmore put together a brief 6-0 scoring run during a two minute stretch in which Hoffman and Speer exited the game with their fifth fouls. Wetmore was unable to get closer than 44-36 in the final 30 seconds. Despite her slow start, Cramer finished with a game high 14 points to go along with five assists. Speer put together a doubledouble - 13 points and 13 rebounds - while Hoffman added 13 points and five boards. As a team, Dighton shot 20of-48 from the field compared to Wetmore’s 11-of-49.

The Scott County Record • Page 20 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

There’s nothing in sports like the Big Dance The late, great actress, Mae West, had a favorite expression that best describes the NCAA basketball tournament: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” by Without Mac a doubt the Stevenson NCAA Tournament is the most exciting and entertaining sporting event in the nation. The college football playoffs, World Series and the NFL playoffs are close in fan support, but none of them equal the Big Dance. College football may be more popular for some fans, but there’s one noteworthy difference in football and college basketball. In football, just a handful of big-time programs are at or near the top every season. Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and about eight others have the best teams every year. Basketball is different. Teams can become competitive at the highest level with just one or two exceptional recruiting classes. And it doesn’t take 44 talented players, just seven or eight. Another noteworthy difference between the NCAA Tournament and other sports is the number of teams involved. The Big Dance has 64 teams at the beginning of the tournament, far more than any other sport. And often, including this year, as many as 20 teams have a legitimate chance to win it all. Upsets are frequent and the pressure and excitement are like nothing else in the sporting world. The University of Kansas (30-4) won the Big 12 regular season title and the conference tournament in Kansas City. The Jayhawks were rewarded with the number one seed in this year’s tourney. KU’s rating as the best team in the nation means nothing. The Jayhawks have the experience to realize that it takes just one bad outing to turn a great season into a good season. KU will play the winner of Colorado/Connecticut on Saturday. If they win, KU will advance to the Sweet 16 in Louisville, Ky., for the second week of play. (See DANCE on page 21)

Prairie burns, but it seems most public land managers, ranchers and farmers believe prescribed burning to be the best tool for controlling invasive plant growth on large tracts of prairie pastures. Unlike mowing, burning prairie pastures kills and destroys invasive grasses, brush and woody vegetation which all have shallow roots, and allows the native grasses which have very deep roots to thrive again. In mere days after a controlled burn, these native grasses will already be green and lush, and this new green growth is much more nutritious than before. The ash left

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after the burn is rich in potassium and calcium and becomes rich fertilizer for the surviving grasses, plus the blackened soil absorbs sunlight quickly to warm the ground and encourage new growth. The new, succulent green growth also becomes much better cover for the aforementioned nesting birds. Native Americans were used to prairie fires, usually started by lightning, and noticed that bison and deer flocked to graze on the new rich green patches that resulted. It is believed they learned to purposely set fire to portions of the prairie to help them stock up on meat

and hides as the deer and bison became much easier to find and kill when they came to graze. Native Americans also learned to use these first recorded prescribed burns to clear tall grass and brush from around their villages for easier visibility and to keep wildfires from destroying the villages. They also noticed that burned areas produced more blackberries and blueberries once the tall grass and brush were gone. In a couple weeks, all of Maxwell Game Preserve will be burned. Usually a large portion of prairie that size will

be burned in smaller sections over 2-3 years, but it’s been long enough since its been burned that lots of woody brush and tall invasive weed species have gotten a foothold in many of the valleys and draws. The buffalo and elk will be in no danger at all and will simply head for the trees until the burning is done. The young bison and elk born this year will greatly benefit from the lush new grass that results. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors! Steve can be contacted by email at stevegilliland@idkcom.net

Recognize KDWPT for fish habitat PRATT - The Kansas BASS Nation (KBN) has been working with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) to place artificial fish attractors in local waters in an effort to improve fish habitat and increase angler success. KBN Conservation Director Jesse Jordan and KDWPT Fisheries program specialist David Breth, who oversee the program, set a goal to assemble and place 300 PVC and tubing structures called “Georgia Cubes” in 2015. They not only met that goal, but are currently working towards tripling that number. Three-hundred additional cubes are already on the ground and will be placed in the coming months.

“Local B.A.S.S. clubs have been instrumental in this project, assembling the cubes from kits onsite, and then placing them using their own boats and GPS units,” Breth said. In addition to the KBN, KDWPT has also received assistance from The Bass Federation and several local organizations throughout the state. Not only have their efforts caught the attention of anglers, some of whom have already reported catching largemouth bass near the structures, but they’ve also garnered national recognition from the Berkley Conservation Institute (BCI), of Berkley Fishing. On March 5, Jordan accepted an award from BCI on behalf of KBN

and their partnership with KDWPT. Modeled after a design originally implemented by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the cube-like structures are comprised of a four-foot-by-four-foot-bythree-foot PVC frame. This is woven with more than 50 feet of corrugated pipe, maximizing surface area for the growth of periphyton, a mix of algae, fungi and bacteria, which attracts invertebrates and small fish, which then draw bass and other predator species. Not only are the cubes costeffective, but they last more than three times longer than natural brush piles. Based on their use in other states they attract as many fish as natural

cover without affecting water quality. Kansas licenses fees and federal funds from the Sport Fish Restoration Program have financed the components used to assemble the cubes. To date, cubes have been added to Milford, Wilson, Melvern, Perry, El Dorado, Tuttle Creek, and Horsethief reservoirs; as well as Butler, Clark, Pottawatomie No. 1, Pottawatomie No. 2, and Meade state fishing lakes. They have also been placed in Yates Center’s South Owl and Eureka City lakes. Fisheries field staff will collect sonar and video images on how fish populations and species are using the cubes in relation to natural structures.

The Scott County Record • Page 21 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Dance 7 Big 12 Teams in Field Seven Big 12 teams gained invites to the Big Dance: KU, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech. After all the media build-up throughout the season, it will be embarrassing if the Big 12 performs as poorly as it did last season. West Virginia will be a stiff challenge for all comers with their relentless full-court press. Oklahoma is the No. 2 seed and Texas is a No. 6

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seed in the West Regional; in the Midwest Regional, Iowa State is No. 4 and Texas Tech is No. 8; while Baylor is a No. 5 seed in the South Regional. Big 12 teams escaped serious injuries in the conference tournament and that’s a small miracle because the play was physical indeed. That’s a big change for KU because the Jayhawks have been plagued by injuries for the past two years. KU freshman Cheick Diallo was ignored by Coach Self in the conference tournament. Di-

Takedown Kids Wrestling Kansas Middle School State Championships March 14, 2016 80: Zach Rohrbough maj. dec. by Charlie Black (Rose Hill) 12-2; pinned by Derek Duffett (Bonner Springs) 2:46. 117: Justus Mcdaniel tech fall Brennan Lowe (Eureka) 160; pinned Jonathan Ortiz (Lakin) 1:00; maj. dec. George Weber (Great Bend) 13-0; dec. Nolan Craine (Ks Young Guns) 2-0; pinned Brady Mcdonald (Chanute) 1:46. First Place 125: Kaden Wren pinned Zachary Jeanneret (Trailhands) 0:44; pinned Caemen Blake (Ogden) 0:49; dec. Malachi Karibo (Team of Hard Knox) 7-0; pinned Gavin Brown (East Ks Elite) 1:30; dec. by Devin Gomez (Maize) 11-4. Second Place USAWKS District 4 North SubDistrict March 13, 2016 • at Phillipsburg 8-Years and Under 52: Trenton Frank maj. dec. Tage Sullivan (Colby) 13-0; maj. dec. Cooper Gower (Phillipsburg) 10-1; pinned Jacob Driggs (Phillipsburg) 1:46; dec. Damien Gregory (Phillipsburg) 6-2. First Place 55: Eli Lisenby maj. dec. by Josiah Pattangall (Oberlin) 13-0; dec. by Koen Oien (Oberlin) 5-0. 61: Brodey Rohrbough maj. dec. by Shane Todd (St. Francis) 13-4; dec. Kai Kirchhoff (Smith County) 7-3; pinned by Teigan Thummel (Colby) 0:58. 61: Matthew Wheeler pinned Teigan Thummel (Colby) 0:28; pinned Talon Andreasen (Colby) 2:31; maj. dec. Aaron Samson (WaKeeney) 8-0. First Place 67: Waylon Ricker pinned by Alexander Hamel (Hill City) 1:46; pinned Vincent Zohner (Hill City) 0:12; pinned Talan Sauvage (Oberling) 2:46; dec. Alexander Rodriguez (Scott City) 6-4. Second Place 67: Alexander Rodriguez pinned Vincent Zohner (Hill City) 1:26; dec. by Alexander Hamel (Hill City) 4-0; maj. dec. Talan Sauvage (Oberlin) 8-0; dec. by Waylon Ricker (Scott City) 6-4. Third Place 10-Years and Under 73: Collin McDaniel tech fall Wyatt Galvan (Norton) 16-0; pinned Peyton Gower (Phillipsburg) 0:18; maj. dec. Dayton Bell (Hoxie) 13-0. First Place 82: Case Armendariz tech fall by Jacob Taliaferro (Hays) 16-0; pinned by Seth Keeten (Phillipsburg) 2:49. 85: Houston Frank pinned Mason Urban (Oberlin) 3:00; dec. by Zane Betz (Colby) 3-2. Second Place 12-Years and Under 76: Zach Rohrbough pinned Braydon (Shellito (Phillipsburg) 0:10; dec. Easton Burton (Ellis) 9-5; dec. by Dj Knox (Goodland) 4-3. Second Place 105: Kale Wheeler pinned Gabe Kerns (Plainville) 2:13; pinned Rojelio Loya (Colby) 0:38. First Place 130: Ronnie Weather pinned dayton Laduke (Plainville) 2:50; pinned by Joaquin Castillo (Leoti) 1:44; pinned Tyler Rohr (Plainville) 1:58; maj. dec. by Nathan Casper (Hays) 100. 165: Damien Ortiz pinned Bryson Werth (Hays) 0:54; maj. dec. by Brock Buresh (Phillipsburg) 9-0; pinned by Hagan Booi (Colby) 1:17; pinned by Colter Conger (Hays) 1:20. Fourth Place 190: Jarron Gregory pinned Declan Ryan (Colby) 4:15; pinned Declan Ryan (Colby) 2:49. First Place 14-Years and Under 115: Justus McDaniel pinned Konnor Griffin (Colby) 1:03; injury default Jacob Sisson (Phillipsburg). First Place 120: Kaden Wren tech fall Trenton Howell (Stockton) 150; maj. dec. Creighton Newell (Hays) 12-3. First Place 150: Caleb VanDegrift dec. by Aaron Moss (Smith County) 3-1; tech fall by Kreighton Meyers (Hays) 18-2. Third Place

allo must have committed quite the transgression to get pushed clear to the back of the doghouse. It’s unfortunate because the Jayhawks will need him before it’s all said and done. This year’s tournament is evenly matched; there is no team that’s a heavy favorite to win it all. Close games will be frequent and three-point shooting will be a major factor. Defeats are shattering and sudden and come without warning for all but one winner.

Slow Start for KC The Kansas City Royals have, so far, gotten off to a less-than-sensational start (5-7 through March 11) in the Cactus League in Arizona. That, however, is no cause for concern. Optimism abounds for the 2016 season. KC hasn’t suffered any devastating injuries, which can be a season killer before the first pitch is thrown. Right fielder Jarrod Dyson pulled a muscle in his chest and might miss the beginning of the season. That’s the only serious injury, so far.

The Scott County Record • Page 22 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

The Dighton High School team raises their state championship trophy and acknowledges the crowd support on Saturday night.

Hornets They were double-teaming, so I told the girls they had to be ready on the back side to get our shots.” By constantly attacking and getting the ball inside to Speer, the Lady Hornets accomplished two goals. First of all, they were able to get Axtell center Megan Buessing (6-1, sr.) into foul trouble. She picked up her fourth foul in the final seconds of the third period. “By getting the ball to me I felt we could get No. 44 (Buessing) in foul trouble. We needed to get her out of there to open up the inside,” says Speer. Buessing was limited to just six points and two rebounds. Free Throw Clinic Dighton’s aggressiveness eventually paid off by allowing them to purchase time-shares at the free throw line where they were 26-of-34 in the second half. With 6:17 remaining in the game,

Dighton High School team members winning the Class 1A-Division II state championship are (front row, from left) Balinda Conine, Emily Sheppard, Kenadee O’Brien and Marissa Villarreal. (Back row) head coach Amy Felker, Gentry Shapland, Mallory Dowell, Kiara Budd, Morgan Tucker, Jordan Speer, Dakota Hoffman, Payden Shapland, Sara Cramer and assistant coach Kelsi Hubin. (Record Photo)

(Record Photo)

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Dighton scored their final 18 points at the charity stripe. “If we kept attacking they were going to start fouling because they were slow on their feet,” noted Speer. “Our free throw shooting hasn’t been that great this year, but it’s a state championship game. Anything can happen.” “All year we have a goal chart and (free throw shooting) is one goal we struggle with all the time . . . all the time,” added Felker. “Today, we knew had to have them. We found a way to get it done. It’s so mental. You have to believe that the shot is yours.” Even with outstanding free throw shooting, the Lady Hornets still couldn’t put Axtell away. Dighton opened up a brief eight point lead, 55-47, following two free throws by Speer and three from Dakota Hoffman. Axtell was able to slice the deficit to a single basket, 56-54, with 1:50 to (See AXTELL on page 23)

DHS senior Payden Shapland connects on a first half basket over Axtell’s Taylor Feldkamp. (Record Photo)

The Scott County Record • Page 23 • Thursday, March 17, 2016 Key Stat: Dighton shot 29-of-38 at the free throw line for the game, including 26-of-34 in the second half. Axtell was 7-of-8 at the charity stripe for the game. Turning Point: With less than three minutes left in the third quarter, Dighton trailed 35-34. They outscored the Lady Eagles 10-2 during the next 3-1/2 minutes. Jordan Speer scored six points during that stretch. She Said It: “Playing (in the state championship) really became our focus after the Ingalls game,” said head coach Amy Felker. “We wanted a rematch with them. “Last night, when we found out Ingalls lost, I told the girls I’m taking that statement back. I do not want a rematch with Ingalls.” Dighton avoided a rematch with their 47-36 win over Wetmore in the semi-finals.

Axtell play following a Dighton turnover. Axtell quickly went into foul mode and put senior guard Kiara Budd on the line where she calmly hit both free throws with 1:43 remaining. Speer was 1-of-4 in two trips to the free throw line during the next 43 seconds to extend the lead to 59-54. Following a missed field goal by Axtell, the Dighton fans could sense that a state title was within their grasp. The Lady Eagles added one more field goal, but that was offset by five Cramer free throws during the final 46.9 seconds for the 64-56 final score. For the game, the Lady Hornets shot 52 percent (16-of-31) from the field which wasn’t overlooked by Axtell head coach Fred Feldkamp. “When a team can shoot 52 percent against you, on any given night that’s huge,” he noted. “We shot 45 percent and, on most nights, that’s good enough, but against a team like this it ain’t.” “We came out soft on defense and they came out hot. They hit their early shots and got their confidence up and we lost our momentum.” A Quick Start Dighton’s quick start was huge, especially given the early foul trouble for Speer. Budd’s three-point basket at the 6:36 mark gave the Lady Hornets a quick 7-0 lead. Two minutes later, Cramer drilled a three-pointer for their biggest lead of the first half, 12-4. “The adrenaline was pumping and they were playing me tight which means taking it to the hoop,” says Cramer, who scored seven of her team’s first 12 points. Axtell slowly climbed back into the game, cutting the deficit to one point, 13-12, moments after Speer left the game with her second foul at the 3:08 mark. Shortly after Cramer put Dighton back on top, 24-20, with a rebound and

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putback, she picked up her second foul and went to the bench. Axtell followed with five consecutive points to regain the lead before senior guard Payden Shapland hit a jumper that stopped the scoring run and put her team back on top, 26-25. Speer and Cramer reentered the game with 2:34 remaining in the half and Speer quickly responded with a basket. During the final 11 minutes there were eight lead changes before Axtell tied the game, 28-28, on a three-pointer with :04 left in the half. Felker was relieved to keep Speer from picking up her third foul and to be tied at halftime. “As long as we could keep the game close I was going to keep Jordan on the bench. We wanted to keep her out of foul trouble because she’s so critical,” said Felker. “As long as they had 44 (Buessing) on the bench I felt a little safer.” Even with Speer and Cramer each having two fouls at halftime, the message was to stay aggressive. “We discussed how important it was to play hard defense, but also play smart defense,” says the head coach. “If they’re attacking we have to go straight up. Sometimes we have to know when to back off. The girls played smart.” Budd had her best tournament game with 10 points, including 2-of-5 from the three-point line, while Hoffman provided another steady performance with nine points and eight rebounds. “Jordan and Sara put so much into this game and they get so much attention, but the girls around them also play such an important role in our success,” Felker emphasizes. “They set the big screens so Sara can get open and they get Jordan the ball. “Without Kiara and Dakota and everyone else this championship doesn’t happen. This year, we had every piece of the puzzle and we made it work.”

DHS senior Kiara Budd drives past Axtell’s Taylor Feldkamp during second half action in the state tournament championship game. (Record Photo)

Junior guard Sara Cramer takes the ball into the paint against Axtell’s Bradie Schmitz. (Record Photo)

Lady Hornets coast in opener with 68-39 romp Dighton had no trouble getting past Golden Plains in the opening round of Class 1A-Division II state tournament action, 68-39, last Thursday. After jumping out to a 13-6 first quarter lead, the Lady Hornets seized control of the game with a 22-5 scoring blitz in the second period. Dighton’s largest lead was 59-25 in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Sara Cramer led a trio of Lady Hornets in double figures with 21 points (3-of-5 3-pt. FG). Junior center Jordan Speer had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She was unstoppable in the paint where Speer was 8-of-11. Dakota Hoffman, a senior forward, was just as effective in the low post where she was 6-of-9 to finish with 16 points and five rebounds. Senior guard Kiara Budd added five points.

Dighton senior Dakota Hoffman tries to get control of a rebound during second half action on Saturday. (Record Photo)

Dighton Player Stats vs Axtell Dighton

Kiara Budd 2-5 Sara Cramer 6-12 Payden Shapland 1-3 Emily Sheppard 0-0 Kenadee O’Brien 0-0 Jordan Speer 5-7 Dakota Hoffman 2-4

3 pt. 2-5 1-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

FT 4-4 12-14 0-0 0-0 0-0 8-12 5-8

PTS

ORB

DRB

AST

Min

10 25 2 0 0 18 9

0 1 0 0 0 0 3

1 2 3 0 0 6 5

1 3 3 0 0 6 8

2 6 0 1 0 1 1

2 2 1 2 0 0 1

31:57 29:20 21:34 20:14 2:37 22:06 31:57

The Scott County Record • Page 24 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

O’Neil era comes to an end Glenn O’Neil allows himself a smile while being honored by Scott Community High School and fans during a tribute that was held at the conclusion of a first round sub-state playoff game on Feb. 29. (Record Photo)

Work ethic a huge factor in SC’s success Glenn O’Neil’s basketball coaching career at Scott Community High School ended just as it began - with a trip to the state tournament. And like the 1996-97 season, the Beavers were eliminated in the opening round. In between those bookend appearances was the most prolific stretch of success and state tournament appearances in Scott Community High School history. SCHS appeared in 12 state tournaments, advanced to seven championship games and won five state titles. The Beavers were 370-112 during that stretch, a .767 winning percentage. It seemed only fitting that the Beavers would find a way to return to the state tournament in O’Neil’s final season, despite returning only one starter from last year’s state championship team. O’Neil felt that an 18-6 season and state berth was a very successful season given the lack of varsity experience to start the year and the team’s overall lack of height. The Beavers won ugly in a lot of games, but they found a way to win. “To be honest, when we graded out our games we didn’t play pretty basketball. If the kids hadn’t played as hard as they did we wouldn’t have won 18 games,” says O’Neil. The season may have been just as tough on Scott City fans as it was for the players. They watched the Beavers play in 10 games that were decided by eight or fewer points. Three games went into overtime. “As a team, our grade out was as low as it had been for a long, long time. What it doesn’t grade out is how hard the kids competed,” O’Neil says. “These boys probably exceeded my expectations a little in terms of total wins. I knew that in our sub-state we had an opportunity to go to state, but it wasn’t easy going through Lakin and Sterling. “This was a team that had to battle for everything and it caught up with us at the end,” said O’Neil, referring to the overtime loss to eventual runner-up Sabetha in the opening round of state play.

O’Neil did offer his observation on what he sees as the team’s big challenges. At the top of the list will be the need to create more offense - consistently. The Beavers averaged just 54.3 points per game and will return only one player who averaged more than five points per game (Drew Duff, 8.1 ppg). And Scott City will once again be undersized, particularly against Great West Activities Association rivals Hugoton - a state runner-up this year in Class 4A-Division II - and Holcomb, a state champion from 2015. That rivalry will take on added significance if the Beavers make the move up to Class 4ADivision II, as expected. “Between now and next year these boys need to put more weight and muscle on their frames,” says O’Neil. “Hugoton and Holcomb each have big, key performers coming back from very successful teams. Holcomb will be a little hungrier next year than what they were this year.” That lack of size was also evident against a Sabetha team which was bigger and stronger in the paint. “Right now, Scott City fits into the number-three spot in league, which is where we finished this year. That doesn’t mean we can’t beat one of those two teams on any given night, but it means that we’ll be considered a third place team until we can prove otherwise,” O’Neil says.

A Memorable Career During his 20-year career at SCHS, O’Neil says he can’t identify one moment that stands out above the others. “No matter what year, I’ve got a memory of every single team, whether it’s been in substate or the regular season. There are a lot of positive memories with respect to what they accomplished,” he says. “I’ve got memories of every sub-state championship and runner-up since I’ve been here. It’s those memories that make coaching rewarding. “For every coach and for every player there will be the what-ifs. For us there were a lot more situations where we got it done rather than looking back and wondering what-if.” Two Big Challenges While he won’t be around to Reflecting on a basketball coach the Beavers next season, coaching career that spanned 30

years, O’Neil noted he coached teams in 22 sub-state championship games “which is more than anyone could hope for. With those 22 opportunities come 22 special memories.” If there was one word that could describe O’Neil’s success at SCHS it would have to be consistency. Over the past 20 years, Scott City averaged 18 wins per season. “That’s a level of consistency that no one in the state can match with the exception of McPherson,” O’Neil points out. And he did it without the Division I athletes that can be found on the rosters of top programs. “When you look back over the years, McPherson has had six ‘Gatorade Players of the Year’ and we’ve never had one,” says O’Neil. Even Ron Baker, who established himself as one of the premier guards in the nation at Wichita State University, wasn’t recruited by Division I programs when he came out of SCHS. “What we have had are good players who meshed well with their teammates,” says O’Neil. “I’ve had the opportunity to coach all-star teams and I’ve coached kids who were very good players, but I don’t know that I’d want to coach them for a year. “It’s been a lot more enjoyable to coach the kids we have

here, who will give you everything they have and who buy in to what you’re doing.” Which can prompt the question, “Did Coach O’Neil add to the tradition of SCHS basketball or did he build what has become a tradition of success?” “Tradition,” offers O’Neil, “is the ability to compile successful seasons one after another. Each particular season has to be special. If you’re lucky you can string a bunch of those together and that helps to create tradition. “I don’t know whether we were at the right place at the right time with specific teams, but when it comes to (Class) 3A, we’ve been in a state championship game about as much as anyone.” The Farewell Tour O’Neil acknowledges the “farewell tour” that followed his decision to accept the Topeka Seaman football coaching position was, at times, both awkward and humbling. “At times, it seemed as though it was a memorial. I had to make sure I hadn’t died,” he says with a laugh. On a serious note, he says he did appreciate the show of support from individuals around the league, coaches he had competed against over the years, as well as the local fans. “It was special to be recognized by the community at

sub-state, at Colby (Orange and Black Classic) and what Yancy (Walker) did in the sub-state video was pretty cool. And it was pretty neat coming from a former player who’s done a very good job as a junior college coach.” The toughest part was the timing of the announcement he would be resigning. Because Seaman wanted to make it known that O’Neil was their new coach, he was forced to declare he would be leaving in late December with two-thirds of the basketball season still remaining to be played. “You wonder if the players will question whether they will be getting the coach’s best effort since he’s on his way out the door. I think we answered that concern throughout the season with respect to our team being ready to play and the improvement we saw,” O’Neil says. “As a coach, you wonder if you’ll continue to get a total buy-in from the players since they know they’ll be getting a new coach next year. I don’t think that every took place. “I don’t think we ever gave them the chance to exercise those thoughts,” he said with a grin. “We coached them just like we did every other team who went through here.” And the result was something that Scott City fans came to expect during the O’Neil era . . . they just kept on winning.

Coach O’Neil and the bench observe action during substate tournament action. (Record Photo)

The Scott County Record

Page 25 - Thursday, March 17, 2016

back in business

Recycling center just got easier, faster The transition is complete and the Scott County Recycling Center is back in business again after being shut down for nearly two months. And loyal recyclers couldn’t be happier. “We were swamped as soon as we reopened last Thursday,” says Monica Beeson, manager of the recycling center. “It seems that half of our people kept all they could and were glad to finally be able to get rid of it. The other half kept what they could,” says Beeson. Instead of taking recycled material to the Northwest Kansas Regional Recycling Organization in Colby, the county is now working with Stutzman Refuse Disposal, based in Hutchinson. For local residents who use the recycling center the only change they will notice is that the process is much simpler than before. Sorting of the material so it can be placed into separate bins has been almost completely eliminated. The only exceptions are cardboard (which must be flattened) and shredded paper (which must be bagged). Everything else is handled by a process referred to as “single stream” which means people who recycle won’t have to worry about separating the different plastics or paper products as they are put into bins. Everything can be mixed together and it will be separated once the material arrives at the recycling center in Hutchinson. One reason for the long shutdown of the center was so the county could install a new compactor and baler. As material arrives at the center it is dumped into a chute by Beeson. It is compacted and transferred into an adjoining trailer. Under normal circumstances, it is expected to take 4-6 weeks to fill the trailer. Because so many people had been saving their material over the last couple of months, Beeson says

it appears the first load will be going out in just a couple of weeks. If the initial response is any indication, Beeson says use of the recycling center may be on the rise. “People who haven’t been recycling, or who have been recycling very little, have told me they plan to do more since it’s going to be single-stream. It will be much simpler,” Beeson says. Bins will still be available outside the center for those who bring material after regular business hours. “We ask that people keep everything bagged, especially the glass,” Beeson emphasizes. The new baler owned by the county is used to wrap cardboard and shredded paper into 1,000 pound bales. Shredded paper must be bagged when brought to the center. A Second Chance The obvious purpose behind a recycling center is to give products a “second life.” However, that doesn’t always happen in the way people might imagine. For example, many books that arrive at the center don’t find their way into the compactor. “A lot of people like the old western authors so we save those books,” said Beeson. The most popular books are those authored by Zane Grey and Louis L’ Amour. There are always people who will take any discarded Bibles. In addition, books that are in good condition are redistributed by a former Scott City resident now living in Texas. “There are a lot of older people who take glass bottles so they can use them in their garden. Some even use broken glass to create artwork,” Beeson noted. Before some food containers are put through the compactor, Beeson will often cut off box tops and Campbell’s labels.

Recycling center manager Monica Beeson dumps a load of material into the compactor while Darrell Fouser looks on. (Record Photo)

They are given to Scott City Elementary School where they can be used to purchase school supplies. “I think we’ve probably taken about $300 in box tops to the school,” Beeson says. “There are some people who know we take labels to the school so they bring their’s to us since they don’t have a reason to go to the school. “We try to make use of everything we can,” Beeson adds. Located on south US83 Highway, the center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (including the noon hour).

Recycling Center Guidelines The recycling center now accepts a wider range of material, including all plastic, along with books, glass jars and bottles, aluminum/tin/ steel cans, food boxes, junk mail, office paper, magazines and catalogs, newspapers and inserts, office paper and paper bags. The center now accepts a wider range of plastics. Of particular interest is No. 5 plastics which include dairy products (yogurt containers, etc.), five-gallon water jugs and medicine bottles. The center will also accept ag chemical jugs, but only if they’ve been triple rinsed and punctured. The center WILL NOT accept plastic grocery bags, black plastic, motor oil containers, aerosol cans, styrofoam, electronics, ceramics/dishes, household hazardous waste, yard waste, light bulbs, window glass or mirrors. Cardboard must be flattened and shredded paper must be bagged. The center, located on south US83 Highway, is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (including the noon hour). Bins will continue to be available outside for deposits during nonbusiness hours.

MMT begins transport service from Scott City

Scott County emergency medical personnel can start expecting some relief with the arrival of Midwest Medical Transport. The Omaha-based ambulance transport firm is located on south US83 Highway (immediately north of the recycling center). The building, which was purchased by Terry Berning and is being renovated, has three ambulance bays in addition to living quarters for staff who will be based here. Two ambulance staff members will be based in Scott City full-time, though different personnel will rotate through here. The arrival of MMT is a relief to Scott County EMS Director Brenda Birney who often finds her volunteers stretched to the limit as emergency responders and transport personnel in addition to their full-time jobs. “This is great for the community,” she says. “So many times we get called out in the middle of the night after my people have worked all day.

That won’t happen anymore.” Craig Sowards, a paramedic with MMT, says that’s a common concern with the many rural communities they serve. “This allows the local people to concentrate on responding to 911 emergency calls and we can do the hospital transfers,” says Sowards, who will be among staff members at the Scott City site. “It’s a chance for everyone to concentrate on what they’re best at.” Sean DeLancey, business development director with MMT, sees the opportunity for cooperation between his company and the county EMS, especially when it comes to training staff. Each ambulance will be staffed with a paramedic and an EMT. MMT will provide transport services primarily within a 60-70 mile radius of Scott City, “but we’ll respond to anyone who needs us,” says DeLancey. “There is a need in most rural areas in the Midwest for a service like ours. We see a lot of

Sean DeLancey (far right) is the business development director with Midwest Medical Transport. Among the local staff members will be Craig Sowards, paramedic, and Rachel Finney, Advanced EMT. (Record Photo)

potential for growth given the healthcare system in Scott City and the great hospital facility you have,” says DeLancey. Sowards says that if the staff should start making 3-4 transports a day they will need another ambulance and additional staff. Given MMT’s network of sites throughout Nebraska, DeLancey says they can immediately respond to growth as needed. The demand on Scott County EMS to provide transport services has increased significantly

over the past couple of years. In 2013, there were 34 transfers from the Scott County Hospital and that nearly doubled to 61 transfers in 2015. Scott County has three ambulances, but EMS is required to have two of those in the county at all times and at least one of those within Scott City. When that hasn’t been possible, the EMS has had to contact a private service out of Ulysses, but that can mean a 1-1/2 to two hour delay in getting an ambulance to Scott City.

MMT started in Columbus, Nebr., in 1987 and since then has expanded across Nebraska and into Iowa and Kansas. The company currently has about 450 employees. It’s only other Kansas location is in Norton. While MMT does operate air transfer services across Nebraska, DeLancey says there are no immediate plans to do the same in Kansas. “We haven’t identified this as a need, but it’s not out of the question,” he said.

The Scott County Record

Farm

Page 26 - Thursday, March 17, 2016

History may be on our side in breaking the drought cycle With the wettest year in 41 years of farming just behind us, is it safe to start thinking that maybe the drought is over? No doubt we’ve gone through some dry weather in the past few years. There’s a strong consensus that the drought which started in 2010 and 2011 in Southwest Kansas was just as severe as the droughts of the ‘30s and ‘50s. In fact, in four of those years we averaged just 12.3 inches of annual precip on our farm. This past year, however, we got right at 28 inches of rain and snowmelt. So, again we must ask,

Wheat and more . . . or less by Vance Ehmke

“Is the drought over?” On the other hand, it sure seems kind of dry. And really mild. That was one of the characteristics of previous droughts. The ‘50s, for instance, were very dry - and very hot. While the drought of ’52 to ’57 was shorter than the drought of the ’30s, it was much sharper. It is also widely accepted that the blizzard of 1957 was the severe weather event needed to bust the

drought wide open. The blizzard started in Western Kansas with rain on March 22 and then turned to heavy, wet snow driven by winds up to 60 mph. Over the next several days, many areas received over 25 inches of snow with drifts up to 15 and 30 feet. In Plains, Ks., precip from that single storm amounted to 4.14 inches - half of what had been received in the entire year before in 1956. In talking recently with Dennis Kuhlman, who still has ties to the family farm near Lakin, he makes a pretty convincing case that the drought really is over. After spending a good

KSU seeking participants for feedyard research

Beef cattle research faculty from Kansas State University’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry and the College of Veterinary Medicine with faculty from the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University will embark on a feedlot cattle production and health research program to provide beef industry outreach. This group will focus on two areas of cattle feeding: starting cattle on feed and associated risks with bovine respiratory disease and the end of the feeding period focused on performance, carcass quality, fatigued cattle syndrome, heat stress, acute interstitial pneumonia, liver abscesses, cattle transport and others.

share of his professional life as a member of K-State’s ag engineering faculty, he just recently retired as dean of K-State’s Polytechnic Campus at Salina. Dennis explains that for years his father and grandfather before him kept detailed daily weather records that span well back into the ‘30s - records that Dennis maintains to this day. When he inherited these records, he converted them to spreadsheets. While the early records were often done with pencil and paper, the more recent daily records with monthly summaries done by his

(See RESEARCH on page 27)

(See DROUGHT on page 27)

Times are changin’ for U.S. wheat exports When farmers spot wheat prices at their local coop, it’s hard not to have bleak outlook for the rest of the day. While you’re producing the wheat that feeds the world, it’s easy to forget that international markets are constantly changing. Take Nigeria for example. It’s Africa’s largest economy and an important U.S. wheat customer, purchasing upwards of 90

Wheat Scoop Jordan Hildebrand Program Assistant

Ks. Wheat Commission

million bushels annually in the past several years. Peter Lloyd, Regional Technical Director at U.S. Wheat Associates said, “Nigeria, as we know, is one of our most loyal customers, and has been routinely for the last 15 years.

But, times are changing. It’s not through any dissatisfaction with what they get from Kansas or the quality of the wheat, it’s just simply that the market is in a price constraint where the majority of millers are not being rewarded for quality.” While the American economy is gaining strength, so is the U.S. dollar, but across the world currencies, like the

Russian ruble, are very weak. This allows Russia to sell wheat much, much cheaper as returns to their growers, in their currencies, still look good. While this news may sound dismal, there is some hope to reclaim some market share in countries like Nigeria. “How do we recover some of this market? Some of it, I’m sorry to say, we won’t be able to

Downward price slide expected to ease as producers rebuild herds Greg Henderson Beef Today

U.S. cattle producers are in the midst of aggressive expansion. Just as severe drought from 2010 to 2012 reduced numbers to 60-year lows, recordhigh prices in 2014 and abundant moisture are encouraging ranchers to rebuild herds at an unprecedented pace. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports U.S. cattle inventory stood at 92 million head on Jan. 1, a 3.5 million head

increase in two years and the largest total herd since the 92.9 million reported in 2011. Increases in the 2015 and 2016 inventories followed seven consecutive years of decline. “Cattlemen have aggressively held back heifers for a few years,” says John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore. “Higher prices and cow-calf profits provided encouragement to do so at a fast pace.” Nalivka’s analysis of NASS data and his own balance sheet comparing slaughter numbers

with herd counts suggest expansion is happening at a record pace. “Beef cow slaughter totaled 2.3 million head in 2015. That represents 7.7% of the beef cow herd - the smallest percentage slaughtered since at least 1965,” he says. Reductions in cow slaughter and increases in heifer retention helped push the beef cow herd to 30.3 million head, an increase of 3.4%. This means producers should expect lower prices in 2016, even after a downturn in 2015.

“We are coming off historic highs in the cattle market, created by unique conditions in both the global and domestic protein markets,” said Randy Blach, CattleFax CEO. “Dynamics, specifically larger protein supplies, led to a significant correction in price in 2015. A large portion of the market downtrend is over now. However, the cycle shows prices continuing to trend lower in 2016, 2017 and 2018.” After a turbulent 2015, CattleFax analysts predict (See HERDS on page 27)

recover, unless we have white wheat,” said Lloyd. “All of the large Nigerian flouring milling companies would like to double or triple or quadruple the amount of hard white wheat that they are able to buy. We are at a disadvantage because of logistics. We have growers who are happy to grow white wheat, and we have customers in Nigeria and all other parts of the world

who would love to buy it, but getting it from the farm to the customer is the issue. “We must leverage all of the many years of varietal development, grading and inspection and good farming practices for our growers to make the best profit that we can in the international marketplace. I believe the best route for that is hard white.”

Market Report

Weather

Closing prices on March 15, 2016 Bartlett Grain Red Wheat............ $ 4.14 White Wheat ....... $ 4.14 Milo .................... $ 2.88 Corn ................... $ 3.48 Soybeans (new crop) $ 7.97 Scott City Cooperative Wheat.................. $ 4.11 White Wheat ....... $ 4.16 Milo (bu.)............. $ 2.89 Corn.................... $ 3.49 Soybeans ........... $ 7.97 Sunflowers.......... $ 14.15 ADM Grain Wheat.................. Milo (bu.)............. Corn.................... Soybeans............ Sunflowers..........

$ 4.24 $ 2.94 $ 3.49 $ 7.97 $ 14.65

(See EXPORTS on page 27)

March 8

March 9

March 10

March 11

March 12

65 27

March 13

74 45

March 14

Moisture Totals March

0.00

2016 Total

1.14

Food Facts Internationally, potatoes outrank all other crops harvested. In the U.S., the crop is second to wheat in total production.

Farm and Shop Equipment

Saturday, March 26 • 10:00 a.m.

Location: From Leoti 9 miles west on Highway 96, 15 miles north, 1 mile west Lloyd and Jeanne Brown - owners

Double tool bars Trucks and Pickups 18 ft. 1974 Dodge D-600 Ferguson 20 ft. tandem truck, 20 ft. bed rotovator and hoist, 5 spd. trans., 300 gal. poly tank on V-8 motor two wheel sprayer 1973 Ford LN700 (3) Hoeme chisel tandem truck, 20 ft. bed plows and hoist, 5 spd. trans., Eversman land plane 361 motor February 2 • 11:00 Sunday, a.m. JD rear blade, 3 pt. 1972 IHC tandem Ford small square truck chassis, nonbaler running 4-bottom plow, 2 pt. 1985 Ford F150 IHC 843 corn head, pickup, 302 motor, 4-row automatic (2) Irrigation ditchers 1988 Ford F150 pick(2) Small 16 ft. disks up, 4x4, non-running Lots of older 1975 Chevy pickup farm equipment for chassis salvage, such as MF 1970 Ford pickup 90 combine, IHC 151 chassis combines 1971 Ford pickup Shop Equipment chassis Drill press, 16 spd. (2) 1994 Chrysler mini Miller Thunderbolt vans welder, 220 amp Farm Equipment Air compressors Krause 18 ft. disk Hand tools, screw Richardson 5 x 5 drivers, wrenches, file, sweep plow with pickers chisels, punches, etc. IHC 500 planter, 3 pt.

Air tools, impact guns, chisels, grinders Electric hand tools Bench grinder Parts assortments Metal work benches ¾” drive socket set Socket sets Tap and die sets (2) Trickle battery chargers Extension cords Lots of parts and repairs Lots of motors Lincoln 150-amp portable welder Bottle jacks Heavy duty cherry picker International power washer Tool boxes Clamps Lots of other shop items Other Farm Items High Flow 25 gal. portable spot sprayer Tank heaters

3 hp. roto tiller Yamaha Endero 360 motorcycle Several irrigation motors for parts Radiators Palmer 1,000 gal. fuel tank 500 gal. fuel tank (2) 300 gal. fuel tanks on stands Markers 8” irrigation pipe fittings Cattle working chute Shanks, shovels, sweeps JD 116 riding mower, 36” cut Other mowers Lots of salvage Household Items Larry Lambert painting Pots and pans Book shelves Antique school desk Oil lamps Lots of Avon jewelry Avon decanters, nativity sets, and other items Other household items

Terms: Must have ID to register, no exceptions. Cash or approved check day of sale. Everything sold as is. No warranties expressed or implied. Not responsible for theft or accident. Announcements day of sale take precedence over printed material. No lunch. Check us out: www.berningauction.com and facebook

The Scott County Record • Page 27 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Drought father had been converted to an Apple II computer. After examining years of data, Dennis started noticing some similarities. “Specifically, the years of 1952 through 1957 looked almost identical to the years of 2010 through 2015,” he says. So, if that’s true, maybe the drought is over. But we obviously didn’t have any major blizzard in March of 2015. Still, we did have the month of May. And here on our place, we got 11 inches of rain, almost four times

normal. Maybe that was the major weather event needed to break the back of the drought. If we had pulled May back into March, it would have been one heck of a snow storm! Anyway, Dennis, like me, is sick and tired of dry weather, so he’s at least hoping that his analog is right and that the drought is over. Also, one of the things I like about the idea of the drought being over is that when the droughts of the ‘30s and ‘50s concluded, they

Exports Kansas farmers aren’t the only suppliers that see value in Nigeria. Argentina, Canada, Australia, the EU, as well as the emergence of nontraditional suppliers like Russia, Brazil and more, all have their eyes set on the Sub-Saharan region. We have lost the hard white wheat business because we do not produce it in sufficient quantities. We specifically lost that business to Australia, who produces only white wheat. They not only displaced

Research

(continued from page 26)

were followed by a series of at least normal to wetter-than-normal years. Coincidentally, I talked recently with Jeff Hutton from the National Weather Service in Dodge City and asked what he thought. He feels that later this spring it will turn back towards a wetter forecast, but when summer rolls around, we’ll go back dry. However, he also says that with one good wet year under our belt, we’ve got good subsoil moisture supplies which will help soften a summer drought

if it occurs. In summary, you can make all the predictions you want, but honestly, we’ll only know where we’re going when we get there. One thing for sure, though, is that if we’re going to be stuck with today’s below-cost-of-production commodity prices, the drought had better be over because we’re going to need all the yield we can produce just to break even. Vance Ehmke farms and lives in Lane County

(continued from page 26)

our small hard white wheat sales, but also a much bigger piece of our hard red winter sales. “Bottom line to the U.S. growers here in Kansas: that was 480,000 tons of wheat that has gone to Australian farmers and not U.S. farmers,” said Lloyd. “I think that we must have the facilities inside the U.S. system to address this problem, to make white wheat available to more customers overseas, because that is what they want.” Looking for new ways

Herds

to make Kansas wheat an irreplaceable item on international shelves is no small task, but Lloyd and the rest of the U.S. Wheat Associates team are more than up for the job. “In Kansas you have some of the best farmers in the world producing some of the best wheat in the world. The secret is to develop niche markets for end products that are fitting exactly the bill for what is required,” said Lloyd. “Niche markets are the king. I think the more we

can make wheat coming out of Kansas, be it red wheat or white wheat, irreplaceable in a particular end product, the more profit for the grower and the more profit there is for the manufacturer in the other part of the world that is buying the wheat.” Niche markets don’t necessarily mean “small.” In terms of a 160 million metric ton world trade environment, if we can sell one million metric tons into a ‘niche’ market, that is a big deal for Kansas farmers.

(continued from page 26)

Starting in May, this collaborative beef group would like feedlots to participate in a survey study to better understand risks associated with acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) and liver abscesses. A parallel study will involve interested feedlots to participate in advanced necropsy training for their feedlot employees in coordination with their consulting veterinarian better understanding AIP lesions by sending samples from necropsied cattle to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University. Dr. Guy Loneragan, Professor at Texas Tech University, a collaborator on team, said “AIP needs a solution and we hope to provide that for the industry and this survey is an important part of that process.” The AIP/Liver abscess survey consists of 64 questions. Feedlots that participate will be anonymous. Kansas State graduate students from this beef research collaboration will set up an appointment and come to the feedlot to visit directly to help facilitate or clarify the point of the questions. “We have conducted studies of this style in the past for lameness, veterinary recommendations for BRD management and feedlot facility design,” says Dr. Dan Thomson at K-State. “Past surveys were conducted over the internet. However, to make sure we get everybody on the same page pertaining to animal health descriptive questions, we would like to have a person on the ground working with the general, cattle or office manager.” The KSU beef group plans to begin conducting these surveys starting in May and report the findings next fall. To participate, contact Dr. Dan Thomson at dthomson@vet.k-state.edu or call 785-532-4254.

(continued from page 26)

lower, but profitable balance sheets for all segments. “Cow/calf producers will still be profitable but at substantially lower levels than the past two years,” says Kevin Good, senior analyst and fed cattle market specialist, CattleFax. “We predict the cattle feeder will have tight margins for the year with potential for profitability by midyear.” Market factors and Mother Nature aligned

for fast pace expansion for U.S. cattle producers the past two years. Total cattle inventory increased 3% from Jan. 1, 2015 to Jan. 1, 2016. Ranchers have been primed to expand for the past decade, but a widespread drought crippled many operations. Nationally, the inventory report shows beef replacement heifers totaled 6.285 million head, a 3% increase from 2015.

It’s also the fifth consecutive year of increasing heifer replacements and an 18% increase from the 5.138 million head of replacements in 2011. Additionally, NASS says the number of beef replacement heifers expected to calve in 2016 is 3.92 million head, a 5.7% increase from 2015. “This suggests the 2016 calf crop should increase by approximately 3.8% this year as compared to a 2.3% increase in 2015,”

says Brenda Boetel, professor of agricultural economics, University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Greg Henderson is editorial director of Beef Today. He writes from Mission, Ks. He can be reached at ghenderson@farmjournal.com

Pre-plant sorghum school March 23 A Pre-Plant Grain Sorghum School will be held on Wed., March 23, 8:30 a.m., in the meeting room at the Community Bank in Ness City. There is no cost to attend. Participants are asked to RSVP by March

21 by calling (877) 7983921. Ten must be preregistered for the meeting to be held. Lucas Haag, K-State Extension Northwest area agronomist, will discuss production practices. Doug Jardine, plant

pathology specialist, will talk about sorghum disease issues and other topics. Sarah Zukoff, Southwest Area entomology specialist, will discuss the Sugarcane Aphid and other insect issues.

152 Acres Lane County, KS

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Meet-n-greet Thursday, March 31 • 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. • aircraft on display

• drawing for 3 free Stearman rides Auction

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inim

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Call to Bid! 620-356-5808 120 S Main Street, Ulysses, KS

www.FaulknerRealEstate.com

e e r Fot dogs s h drink soft

• fungicide • foliar fertilizer • herbicides • insecticides • cover crops

Call 620-872-3000 Ben McNary 970-402-6799 John Holzmeister 785-672-0147

The Scott County Record • Page 28 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

The Scott County Record Professional Directory

There’s no better way to reach your potential customers in Scott County and the surrounding areas.

Agriculture

Preconditioning and Growing

• 45 Years Experience • Managed and owned by full-time DVM • 2,000 Head capacity Oﬃce - 872-5150 • Scott City Stuart Doornbos Home - 872-2775 Cell - 874-0951

Pro Ex II

Sager’s Pump Service

Over 20 Years Experience

Professional Extermination Commercial & Residential

• Irrigation • Domestic • Windmills • Submersibles

Cell: 874-4486 • Oﬃce 872-2101

• Termites • Rodents • Soil Sterilization • Pre Treats • Lawn Care • Fly Parasites

John Kropp, Owner • Scott City 874-2023 (cell) • 872-3400 (office) • prox2@live.com

Construction/Home Repair

Walker Plumbing, Inc. Backhoe & Trenching services • Irrigation & gas leak repairs • Full-line irrigation parts T-L center pivot dealer Floor heat systems Pump & install septic systems Boring equipment

423 S. Mesquite Rd. • Scott City • 872-2130

ELLIS AG SERVICES • Custom Manure Conditioning • Hauling and Spreading • Custom Swathing and Baling • Rounds-Net or Twine • Gyp and Sand Sales • Custom Harvesting Call Brittan Ellis • 620-874-5160

CHAMBLESS ROOFING Residential

RT Plumbing All Types of Roofing

Commercial

Cedar Shake and Shingle Specialists Return to Craftsmanship Attention to Detail and Quality Guaranteed

Rex Turley, Master Plumber

Residental and Commercial Plumbing Water Systems, water lines, sewer cleaning faucets and fixtures, garbage diposals and more

Marienthal, Ks.

620-909-5014 (H) • 620-874-4128 (C)

620-872-2679 • 1-800-401-2683

SPENCER PEST CONTROL

Automotive

RESIDENTIAL – COMMERCIAL Termite Baiting Systems • Rodents Weed Control • Structural Insects Termite Control Box 258, Scott City • (620) 872-2870

Landscaping • Lawn/Trees

Berning Tree Service David Berning • Marienthal

620-379-4430

Tree Trimming and Removal Hedge and Evergreen Trimming Stump Removal

Fully Insured

Contact:

SCOT AYTES • 874-1646 t Paint i

Red

Specializing in all coatings

or any other color Paint inside and out residential, commercial, and industrial. Free estimates and 16 plus years of experience.

PC Painting, Inc. Paul Cramer 620-290-2410 620-872-8910 www.pcpaintinginc.com

Medical

Charles Purma II D.D.S. P.A. General Dentistry, Cosmetics, and Insurance Accepted

We welcome new patients. 324 N. Main • Scott City • 872-2389 Residence 872-5933

The Scott County Record • Page 29 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

Professional Directory Continued

Brent Rogers

Sales Consultant b.rogers@officesolutionsinc.biz

Office (620) 276-3131 Toll Free 1-800-794-9052 Cell (620) 874-0014 Fax (620) 276-8876 1007 N. 8th, Garden City, KS 67846 www.officesolutionsinc.biz

Horizon Health For your home medical supply and equipment needs! We service and repair all that we sell. 1602 S. Main • Scott City • 872-2232 Toll Free : 1-866-672-2232

Pro Health Chiropractic Wellness Center

Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

www.reganjewelers.com

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

Services

(Scott City Chiropractic) “TLC”... Technology Lead Chiropractic

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

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.

For Sale

Truck Driving

BABY GRAND PIANO, $1,988. Decorative oak spinet, $1,288. Loaded Yamaha Clavinova, $2,288. Steinway grand, $9,988. Over 140 more great deals at Mid-America Piano, Manhattan, 1-800-9503774. www.piano4u.com. ––––––––––––––––––––– S T O R A G E CONTAINERS. 20 ft., 40 ft., 45 ft., 48 ft. and 53 ft. centralcontainer.net or 785-655-9430.

OTR LEASE and company driver employment opportunities available. Class A CDL + 2 years experience required. Benefits start date of hire. Exceptional pay, benefits, new equipment. 1-800709-8997. ––––––––––––––––––––– 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. ––––––––––––––––––––– T R A N S F E R VEHICLES. Drivers with CDL A or B to transfer vehicles from local body plants to locations throughout U.S. No forced dispatch. Run as much as you want. Safety incentives. Apply online at www.mamotransportation. com under Careers or call (918) 519-4852 and speak with Zena.

Auctions - B R A N S O N COLLECTOR car auction. Celebrating 38 years. April 15-16. Featuring Corvettes, Mustangs, Mopar, Jaguar, MG, Triumph. Consign your car today. 800-335-3063. www.bransonauction.com.

Education

Berning Auction “Don’t Trust Your Auction to Just Anyone”

For all your auction needs call:

(620) 375-4130

Dr. Jeffrey A. Heyd Optometrist

Russell Berning Box Q • Leoti All Under One Roof

Revcom Electronics

20/20 Optometry

Treatment of Ocular Disease • Glaucoma Detection Children’s Vision • Glasses • Contact Lenses

Complete family eye center! 106 W. 4th • Scott City • 872-2020 • Emergencies: 214-1462

SCOTT CITY CLINIC

CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy equipment operator career. We offer training and certifications running bulldozers, backhoes and excavators. Lifetime job placement. VA benefits available. 1-866-3626497.

Sports/Outdoors OUR HUNTERS will pay top $$$ to hunt your land. Call for a free base camp leasing info packet and quote. 1-866-309-1507. www.BaseCampLeasing. com.

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

1104 Main • Scott City • 872-2625

201 Albert Avenue (620) 872-2187 • www.scotthospital.net

Christian Cupp, MD

Thea Beckman, APRN

Elizabeth Hineman, MD

Megan Dirks, APRN

Matthew Lightner, MD

Joie Tedder, APRN

William Slater, MD FACS

Ryan Michels, PA-C

Melissa Batterton, APRN

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Scott City Myofascial Release Sandy Cauthon RN

Bolen Enterprises Prairie Dog Control

1101 S. Main, Scott City 620-874-1813

Call me to schedule your Myofascial Release

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Retail

Gene’s Appliance Over 200 appliances in stock! COMPARE OUR PRICES!

We have Reverse Osmosis units in stock. Remember us for parts in stock for all brands of all appliances. Sales and Service Days • Mon. - Sat. Deliveries • Mon.-Sat.

Largest Frigidaire appliance dealer in Western Ks. 508 Madison • Scott City • 872-3686

Networktronic, Inc.

Computer Sales, Service and Repair Custom computers! Networking solutions!

Northend Disposal A garbologist company.

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

Scott City • 872-1223 • 1-800-303-3371

Support your hometown merchants who back your school and community activities throughout the year!

Dining

Classifieds

The Scott County Record • Page 30 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

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

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. 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.

Thank You...

For Sale

County Plat Maps

STORAGE UNIT 13 contents at Squeaky Rentals located at 5th and Jackson, in Scott City, Ks, will take place at 10:00 a.m. on March 26. Terms: Cash only on day of sale. 3216t1

FA R M W O R K E R , 4/10/16-12/31/16, Franke Harvesting, Covington, OK. 10 temp jobs. Operate harvesting machines to harvest crops in OK/TX/ KS/CO/SD/MT. Adjust speed of cutters, blowers, conveyors, and weight of cutting head. Change cutting head. Drive truck to transport produce and haul harvesting machines between work sites. Service machinery/make in-field repairs. Post hire drug test, 3 mo exp, employment ref, clean MVR, English required. $11.15/hr-$2200/mo plus R and B, depending on location, ¾ work guarantee, tools/equip/housing provided, trans & subsistence exp reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620.227.2149. Job #OK1 3216t1 074314. ––––––––––––––––––––– EXPERIENCED AUT0 MECHANIC WANTED! Must have own tools, reliable transportation and valid drivers license. Salary commensurate with job experience. Benefits included. Apply in person at Bretz Inc., 640 West Long, Dighton, Ks, or call Russell at 620-397-5329.

WANT TO BUY. Stored corn. Call for basis and contract information. 1-800-579-3645. Lane County Feeders, Inc. 32tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– WANT TO BUY. Wheat Rentals straw delivered. Call for 1 BEDROOM AP- contracting information. PARTMENTS for rent. Lane County Feeders. Call 620-874-8353. 44tfc 397-5341.

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Services C O M P U T E R SERVICES for PC and Mac computers. Computer repair and virus removal. Call or email Josh at OsComp to schedule an appointment. 24-hour help line 620-376-8660 or email josh_4974@hotmail.com. ––––––––––––––––––––– WANTED: Yards to mow and clean up, etc. Trim smaller trees and bushes too. Call Dean Riedl, (620) 872-5112 or 8744135. 34tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– METAL ROOFING, SIDING and TRIMS at direct-to-the-public prices. Call Metal King Mfg., 620-872-5464. Our prices will not be beat! 37tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– FURNITURE REPAIR and refinishing. Lawn mower tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Vern Soodsma, 872-2277 or 874-1412. 4015tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– MOWER REPAIR, tuneup and blade sharpening. Call Rob Vsetecka at 620214-1730. 4515tfc

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HIDE AND SEEK STORAGE SYSTEMS. Various sizes available. Virgil and LeAnn Kuntz, 620-874-2120. 41tfc

Farm Services

CUSTOM HARVESTING WANTED! Wheat, corn, milo, etc. Book acres for 2016. Referenc________________________________ es available. Call Dave PLAINJAN’S RENTAL Duffek at 402-641-0503. 3216t houses and duplexes. Stop ________________________________ by the office or call 620FULL-TIME FARM 872-5777. 05tfc ________________________________ AND SEASONAL HARVEST HELP wanted! PLAINJAN’S RENT-ATruck driving experience SHOP IS OPEN! 2 sizes: required. Call 620-87435’x30’ with 2 overhead 5160 for more informadoors and walk-in. 24’x30’ tion. 3216t2 with one overhead door and one walk-in. Each insulated shop includes: over head and outdoor lighting, multiple 110 outlets and 220, nicely finished concrete floors, and all doors insulated. Great to store/ work on vehicles or run a business. Plenty of room to park cars and pickups inside. These are going fast! Call today! 8725777 or 800-235-6140. 3016tfc

3 BEDROOM HOUSE for rent in Scott City. Split level, nice brick, custom home Two baths, large kitchen, two living rooms, basement. For information, call 785-6711240. 3216t1P ––––––––––––––––––––– 3 BEDROOM HOUSE for rent in Oakley. Two baths and FULL basement. For information, call 785-671-1240. 3216t1P ––––––––––––––––––––– BUY HERE, PAY HERE SPECIALS! ‘99 GMC, 1/2 ton, ext. cab, 4x4. Book $6,200.00. Cash $3,999.00, or finance with 1/2 down. ‘08 Chevy, 1/2 ton, ext. cab, 4x4, LTZ. Book $17,000.00. Cash $11,999, or finance with 1/2 down. For more information, call 785-671-1240 or visit www.A1AffordableAu3216t1P tos.com.

House for Sale 1-3 BEDROOM, 1 bath, FH/A, basement, new roof, large yard. Call Mike 23tfc 620-874-2425.

Real Estate COMMERCIAL BUILDING for sale. 133x45 ft. (approx.) round top building. Serious inquiries only. Seller is a real estate agent selling own property. 874-5109 26tfc or 874-2124. Support Your Schools

Logan

Ness

Wichita

Gove

Wallace

Lane

Greeley

Finney

Kearney

Agriculture

Thank you, First National Bank, for putting on such a wonderful bake sale. We would also like to thank the community for the generous contributions and donations. Your generosity means so much to our family. Jerry Buxton and Family

Help Wanted

Scott

406 Main • Scott City 620 872-2090 Pine Village Apartments 300 E. Nonnamaker

Apartments available for qualifying tenants 62+ or disabled with rental assistance available. Hours: Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. by appointment Call Steve 872-2535 or (620) 255-4824. 19tfc

Completely Remodeled!

New siding, new windows, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, family room, F-H-A! Margie Berry, Broker • 872-5700 Brett Berry, Sales Assoc. • 316-258-3387 Tracy Chamberless, Sales Assoc. • 874-2124

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 Nothing to do but...MOVE IN!!!

All remodeled 3 bedroom home!!! New kitchen, bathroom, windows, siding, metal roof, and much more! Priced at only $69,900.00!!!

Why are you renting, when you can own this affordable 2 or 3 bedroom home on a corner lot??? Wood fence, newer roof, and central heat and air! $45,500.00

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

District 11 AA Meetings

Scott City

Unity and Hope Mon., Wed. and Fri. • 8:00 p.m. 807 Kingsley Last Sat., 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, 397-2647

The Scott County Record • Page 31 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Employment Opportunities Logan County Manor, Oakley, Ks needing RN, LPN, CMA and CNA shifts. We are a 45-bed long-term care facility. We offer competitive wages, KPERS, health insurance, excellent PTO and paid membership to our Wellness Center. Contact Diana Dible at: 785-672-8109

SPECIAL EDUCATION PARA-PROFESSIONAL Do you enjoy working with kids in an educational setting? Would you like the working hours of a school day? Unified School District No. 466 is seeking HPEC Special Education Para-Professional in the high school. This position works with students. For more information and applications please contact: Susan Carter Board of Education Building 17tfc 704 College, Scott City, KS 67871

PARK LANE NURSING HOME Has openings for the following positions: Full-time RN/LPN Full-time Dietary aide/Cook Full-time CNA/CMA Full-Time Housekeeping 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Shift differential pay offered for evening and night shifts! Please apply in person at:

Park Lane Nursing Home 210 E. Parklane Scott City, KS 67871 Or visit us at our website:

SUMMER HELP

Lake Scott State Park is needing summer help at the Beach House. This is a seasonal job. Startes May 26 and ends Sept. 5. Work 10 hour days, Thursday - Sunday. Holiday work also needed. Holidays are Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day. Background check required. Contact Larry Eberle for application and more information 785-672-7000

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www.parklanenursinghome.org “Quality Care Because We Care”

EOE

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SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT Scott County Sheriff’s Department is accepting applications for: Jailer Applicants must be 21 years of age with a valid driver’s license and clean driving record. Must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Looking for someone who is a team player. Must be willing to do shift work including days, nights, holidays and weekends. Background checks and UA’s completed on all prospective applicants. Applicants must not have any felony or misdemeanor charges or convictions. Scott County offers an excellent benefit package that includes BCBS health, KPERS, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays and furnished uniforms and equipment. Starting wage $12 per hour. Will train the right applicant. Applications may be obtained at and returned to: Sheriff Office 602 W. 5th, Scott City • (620) 872-5805

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SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL HAS OPENINGS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS PATIENT CARE Acute Care RNs Float RN C.N.A.s - FT and PT Outreach/Specialty Clinic RN Physical Therapist Respiratory Therapist Clinic Medical Assistants Clinic RN and LPN - FT Circulating/Pre-Op/Post-Op/PACU RN Information Technician - FT Radiology Supervisor - FT 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

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The Scott County Record • Page 32 • Thursday, March 17, 2016

Be prepared when severe weather arrives TOPEKA - Old Man Winter may be heading for the door - although he may decide to hang around for a while longer; after all, this is Kansas. But even when he is gone, Kansans will still have to contend with Mother Nature and the arrival of severe weather season, bringing with it the potential for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, high winds, hail and flooding. March 14-18 is Severe

Weather Awareness Week in Kansas. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management will urge Kansans to check their emergency kit supplies for their home, office and vehicle, and review their emergency plans to make sure they are prepared for whatever severe weather is thrown our way. “It doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of money to ensure you and your family are prepared,” said

Storm spotter classes to be held in area counties In 2015, storm spotters, law enforcement, emergency managers, storm chasers and the public called in a total of 175 severe hail reports, nearly three dozen tornadoes, 75 high wind reports and over 20 flash flood events to the Northwest Kansas regional weather office. “Reports like these, in real-time as the event unfolds, are invaluable and help our forecasters and radar operators stay on top of the situation,” says meteorologist David Floyd of the National Weather Service in Goodland. For many decades, storm spotters have been trained annually and continue to provide vital information about storm severity. “Doppler radar is a great remote-sensing tool allowing our meteorologists to interrogate thunderstorms and assess their strength, but accurate storm reports from spotters also play a key role in determining whether or not a storm is severe,” says Floyd. The National Weather Service in Goodland is once again offering storm spotter classes in all 19 counties in the Tri-State area. Classes are open to the

Storm Spotter/ Identification Classes in the Area Mon., April 4: Tribune, Greeley County 4-H Building, fairgrounds Thurs., April 7: Leoti Wed., April 20: Scott County EMS Bldg., Scott City, 7:00 p.m.

public of all ages and are offered free of charge. “If you would like to assist your local community by becoming a volunteer storm spotter, or if you simply want to learn more about severe weather on the High Plains, consider attending one of our classes,” Floyd says. “Becoming a storm spotter is not mandatory if you attend a class. Many folks simply want to learn more about weather on the High Plains.” The NWS classes will begin at 6:30 p.m. and last about two hours. Topics will include severe weather climatology, storm structure and evolution, important cloud types, weather safety and how to report severe weather events. Anyone with questions about the spotter classes can call (785) 899-7119. The Scott City class is sponsored by the NWS in Dodge City and will last about 1-1/2 hours.

Kansas tornado facts . . .

•Kansas is third in the nation for the largest amount of tornados in a year. •Every month of the year has had a tornado in it. •The worst tornado in Kansas history, in terms of casualties, occurred in 1955. A tornado hit the town of Udall at night, killing 80 people and injuring another 273. •Fatalities from tornados have occurred as early as March 13 to as late as Halloween. •Edwards County has the highest risk for a tornado. •On average, there are 61 tornadoes annually. •Since 1950, there has been only seven years that Kansas did not record an EF3 or greater tornado. Those years were: 1963, 1979, 1987, 1988, 1994, 1997 and 2006. •Mid- to late-April through mid-June has historically been when tornadoes occur at their highest frequency in Kansas. The peak is around May 22-23 with over 160 tornadoes occurring over that two day period since 1950. •Activity will drop off by mid- to late-June due to the jet stream. This effectively shuts down the Kansas “tornado machine” as the hot, “dog days” of summer set in. •A secondary, minor peak in tornado activity takes place during October and November when the onset of winter battles with the relatively mild fall air mass still in place across the region.

Angee Morgan, KDEM deputy director. “If you don’t already have an emergency kit, start now by buying a few extra batteries and highenergy snacks during your weekly shopping. Throw a change of clothes, an old pair of glasses and a pair of shoes in your kit. “Check your first aid kit and make sure it’s complete and up-to-date,” said Morgan. “Doing a little bit each week makes it easier to prepare for unex-

pected events, particularly when you get the entire family involved in gathering the supplies and making an emergency plan.” If you don’t have a specially-constructed storm shelter or a basement, do you know where the safest place in your home is? Do you know how to safely shut off the gas or electricity? If you become separated, do you have a meeting area? How will you commu-

nicate with family members who may not be at home when a disaster hits or your loved ones who will be wondering about your safety? These are the things you will need to think about when making your plan. Morgan said more information on emergency preparedness and building an emergency kit can be found online at www.ksready.gov. According to the

National Weather Service, the first tornado of 2015 occurred April 2 in Labette County and the last tornado was on Nov. 16. Last year, there were 33 days with more than one tornado reported. The most tornadoes reported on one day was 22. In all, there were 126 confirmed tornadoes in the state last year - 85 more than hit the state in 2014. On average, Kansas experiences 96 tornadoes a year.