The Scott County Record

SCHS thinclads watch the action during the Scott City Relays on Tuesday

34 Pages • Four Sections

Volume 22 • Number 37

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Published in Scott City, Ks.

$1 single copy

Potential move to Alco site is on hold

The vacancy sign in front of the former Alco store in Scott City may soon be coming down.

Scott County Hardware is in the process of negotiating to purchase the building and make the short move south of their current location on south US83 Highway.

“We have a handshake deal, but nothing on paper,” said owner Kent Carmichael, Ulyss-

es, who was waiting for a phone call from Alco officials on Wednesday afternoon.

With the company in bankruptcy, it’s added to the difficulty of finalizing a deal which Carmichael says has been in discussion since Oct. 22.

“We were hoping to relocate in time for gardening season, but that obviously isn’t going to happen,” Carmichael says.

The 27,000 square foot building would provide almost three times as much space for the hardware store - space that is needed to display more merchandise.

This would make the Scott City location the largest of the four stores owned by Carmichael.

“We have product that people don’t know about in our back

rooms and we’d like to introduce more product if we had the space,” says Carmichael.

If they can relocate, Scott County Hardware would introduce a line of basic work clothing and carry more feed.

It would also allow for existing merchandise to be better displayed.

“Scott City has been an excellent location for us. This is

Scott Community High School senior Daniel Varela (in front) heads into one of the turns during Tuesday’s ElectroRally state race held at the Scott City Airport.

(Record Photo)

SC keeps solar title hopes alive her two laps behind Dighton and set up a showdown between the two teams for the state championship at Hays on May 1.

Campus was a distant third with 79 laps on the .27 mile course.

Dighton finished second to Logan at the Beloit race. Whichever team finishes ahead of the other in the final leg of the series next week will claim the solar division crown.

Team coach Chuck Ellis faulted himself for not giving Logan the green light to pick up the pace a little earlier.

“I should have turned her loose about 10 minutes earlier than I did,” says Ellis. “She made up a lot of ground during the last 15 or 20 minutes and she still had plenty of (battery) power at the end of the race.

“That just adds to the drama next week,” he added with a grin.

Logan says the number one rule is to be aware of what the cars around you are doing.

“There are times when a car in front of you will turn inside and cut you off.

(See SOLAR on page 10)

Scott City was destination for Florida ElectroRally racer ElectroRally racing isn’t just a hobby for Rodney Schreck. It’s a passion.

Not everyone would travel more than 1,800 miles from Hialeah, Fla., to Scott City in order to compete in a state race.

“This is my vacation,” said Schreck in between races at the Scott City Airport on Wednesday morning.

An avid racer in the south Florida area, Schreck will compete in 1-2 races per month from November to May. Racing shuts down in May because of hurricane season, he explains.

“I remembered some years back hearing about races in Kansas so I did some checking and saw that some were

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

Lack of wind no problem for kiters at Leoti event Page 26

scheduled,” Schreck said, referring to the three high school state races.

Organizers had no problem allowing another entry into the field. Schreck had originally registered for all three races, but could only fit the Scott City races into his schedule.

The Florida native completed 98 laps, finishing one lap behind Great Bend High School in the first race. Tire problems in the second race forced him to slow down and finish a little farther back in the pack.

Schreck’s interest in electric cars began in 1991 after reading about an electrathon in MotorWeek magazine.

“I said that’s what I want to do,”

(See ALCO on page two)

5 more staff resignations in USD 466

state ElectroRally racing

With one race already in the books, the strategy for Scott City drivers in the second leg of the ElectroRally series was pretty simple - be aggressive.

“I was more aggressive today than I was at Beloit,” said freshman Karlee Logan, referring to her first-ever race five days earlier. “I started out too slow (at Beloit) and I wasn’t going to do that again.”

The 16-year-old was at the front of the pack throughout the morning session and finished in second place in the solar division with 94 laps. That left

a community on the move,” says Carmichael. “That’s why relocating to a larger building makes sense for us.”

“When this will happen depends on what (Alco) tells me.

Hopefully, we’ll have a better idea in the next day or two.”

Carmichael says he has had a couple of parties interested in purchasing his current building.

Three teachers with more than 40 years in USD 466 (Scott County) are on the list of staff members who have submitted their resignations effective at the end of the 2014-15 school year.

Scott Community High School will be hit hardest by staff turnover with the loss of vocal music instructor Amy Norris, English teacher Shairlyn Wasinger and strength/conditioning instructor Neil Baker.

That’s in addition to math instructor Nichole Delzeit and the previously announced resignation of SCHS Principal Shelly Turner.

Rashawna Colbary, a first grade teacher at Scott City Elementary School will also resign at the end of the school year.

“I’ve enjoyed teaching in this building, the people I work with and my students,” noted Norris, who is completing her 14th year with the district. “I’d actually made the decision to resign a few months ago.”

That doesn’t mean she may not return to teaching again in the future.

“This may be for only a short time, and it could be for quite awhile,” says Norris, who adds that she and her husband will remain in Scott City.

In addition to English, Wasinger has also been a debate/speech coach in the district along with directing high school musical productions since arriving in 1996.

(See RESIGNATIONS on page two)

Council puts hold on street work

recalls Schreck.

Without the internet, Schreck mailed about 300 letters to companies in hopes of learning more about electric vehicles and two of them responded. He also contacted Australian Electrathon champion Clark Beasley who introduced electrathon racing to California in 1990 which eventually led to the idea spreading nationwide.

“I still have the video tape he made for me about the car,” Schreck says.

With that information in hand he began building his first car. He still drives the same vehicle which has been rebuilt about a half dozen times.

Street work that would have cost an estimated $12,500 - or slightly more than one-half mill in property taxes has been delayed for another year by the Scott City Council.

Public Works Director Mike Todd recommended the city consider replacing crumbling asphalt on front street west of Scott County Lumber and at the main entrance leading to the Sports Complex. Todd said the city could continue to make repairs using asphalt at a cost of $2,000 to $3,000 per year or install 3-6 inches of concrete at a cost of about $12,500.

Todd said he didn’t have the money in his street department budget so it would have to come out of special city projects. City Clerk Brenda Davis

(See VACATION on page 10)

(See STREET on page two)

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com Opinion • Pages 4-6 Calendar • Page 7 Lawn/Garden • Pages 8-9 Youth/education • Page 11 LEC report • Page 12 Health care • Pages 14-15

Deaths • Page 16 Church services • Page 17 Sports • Pages 19-25 Farm section • Pages 28-29 Classified ads • Pages 31-33

Foreign exchange student building lots of memories while in SC Page 11

The Scott County Record • Page 2 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Legislature must fill even deeper budget hole $400M in spending cuts or tax hikes needed for budget The downward revision earlier this week of revenue forecasts for state government in Kansas are pointing to the need for more than $400 million in spending reductions or tax increases to balance a new budget.

The release of new pessimistic projections pose a challenge for members of the Republicandominated House and Senate especially dozens of lawmakers

who signed no-tax-hike pledges.

Rep. Marvin Kleeb (ROverland Park), chairman of the House Taxation Committee, said the job for legislators upon their return to Topeka on April 29 would be to address the budget hole without slicing into K-12 education, the state pension system or social service programs.

“We are going to look at all revenue options and pursue the fairest and least harmful route that will accomplish the goals and meet the needs of the citizens of our state,” Kleeb said.

Alco

behind the national recovery.

“Just as we anticipated it would be, the consensus revenue estimate report is grim,” Hensley said. “All because of Sam Brownback’s failed economic experiment.”

Hensley said the administration’s recommendation in January to fix the problem by raising about $210 million annually with higher cigarette and tobacco taxes as well as other adjustments had proven inadequate.

The latest revenue analysis suggested the scope of adjustments would need to be twice that size.

The Legislature should strive

to advance a budget offering a $100 million balance at close of the next fiscal year in June 2016, Hensley said.

Kansas lobbying organizations, including Americans for Prosperity, are expected to turn up the heat on lawmakers.

“Raising taxes is not the answer,” said Jeff Glendening, AFP’s director in Kansas. “After decades of reckless speeding through years and years of over-spending, it’s time Kansas puts the speeding spending car in reverse.”

(See BUDGET on page seven)

(continued from page one)

“I’d be interested,” says Gil Lewis, owner of Bruce’s Carpet and Tile that was one of the businesses which had to relocate because of a fire last September. “I’ve talked with Kent, but everything’s on hold while we wait to hear from Alco.”

He was looking at moving into the building occupied by Ladies Fit and Trim on south US83 Highway, but when the wellness center vote

Street

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-Topeka) said the Brownback administration’s quest since 2012 to eradicate the state income tax continued to inflict damage. The GOP’s supply-side approach was to stimulate business growth by repealing the income tax on 330,000 business owners and slashing individual income tax rates.

University economists, legislative fiscal analysts and administration officials who met in Topeka to develop the fresh revenue picture concluded Kansas’ economy continued to lag

failed that meant Fit and Trim wouldn’t be closing its doors in the immediate future.

Lewis says that constructing a new building is also an option.

“The hardware store would serve my purpose, but it depends on the timing,” notes Lewis. “I’m doing fine where I’m at.

There are times when extra space would be nice, even though Ace Hardware is more than I need,

(continued from page one)

informed the council they have been drawing down reserves in that fund in an attempt to hold down the mill levy in recent years.

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m hearing from people who feel their taxes are high enough already,” noted Mayor Dan Goodman. “It’s something we need to be thinking about as a council.”

The council agreed to make repairs to the asphalt roads and discuss during upcoming budget sessions whether to include money for concrete roads in the 2016 budget.

Street Damage It was suggested that one way to eliminate the damage caused by semi-trucks turning off US83 Highway and onto the front street in front of the lumber yard is to eliminate the highway entrance south of the lumber yard. That would encourage more trucks to exit the highway at Road 140 if they want to pull into Wendy’s which is located north of the lumber yard.

There was also discussion about extending the frontage road across private property located south of the lumber yard to Road 140. However, the council was in agreement it was not interested in purchasing property in order to put in a street.

“It would add value to the property if a street were there,” noted Councilman Fred Kuntzsch.

He felt that might encourage the owner to donate the property to the city that would be converted into a street.

but it’s an option worth the three buildings inlooking at if everything volved in the fire, has falls into place.” since purchased the other two.

A Prolonged Process “All the buildings are During a meeting with under one ownership, the Scott City Council on which is a positive,” says Monday, Scott County Eisenhour.

At the same time, she Development Committee Director Katie Eisenhour says having everything in said the process of re- private hands also limits building the fire-damaged the amount of outside help downtown area has “not available to help with rebeen as successful as we building the area.

“There are opportuniwould like.”

Terry Berning, who ties that would be availoriginally owned one of able if the buildings

Resignations “This is the only teaching position I’ve had and it has certainly been everything I thought it would be and more,” says Wasinger. “The community support of our theatrical endeavors is always overwhelming and appreciated.”

That community support was highlighted by construction of a new fine arts wing at SCHS which included an auditorium.

“When I am in our beautiful auditorium it is surreal to me how far we have come since the first show Shari Ratzlaff and I directed in the old space,” says Wasinger.

Her immediate plans are to focus on her family.

“It’s time to plan my days around their schedules instead of their days

weren’t under private ownership,” she said.

Nonetheless, she says it is Berning’s goal to rebuild the area that was destroyed by fire and to “have tenants in those properties.”

“Eco-devo is ready to help if he needs us,” Eisenhour said.

“I was hoping that something could be done with those sites by the All-School Reunion, but I don’t see that as a possibility,” she added.

(continued from page one)

around mine,” she adds.

“As much as I enjoy being a teacher and a coach, it was time for a change,” says Baker who will become an area sales representative with Kansas Farm Bureau.

Baker has been with the district for 11 years.

But he said the family has no intentions of moving from Scott City where his wife, Ranae, is a kindergarten teacher at the elementary school.

“We love it here and this will continue to be our home,” he emphasized.

Hire 2 Teachers Two teaching vacancies have also been filled in the district.

Stacy Davis has resigned as the Parents

as Teachers representative and will become a full-time home economics instructor at Scott City Middle School. She replaces Linda Helmers who had previously resigned.

Former SCHS graduate Alex Hutchins will be teaching science at SCMS. This past year he was a teacher and coach at Minneapolis High School.

Hutchins replaces Terri Berning who had resigned.

Other resignations include: •Deena Eaton: co-sponsor of National Honor Society.

•Valarie Whipple: junior class sponsor.

•Jan Tucker: bus driver.

•Suzette Price: SCHS Student Council sponsor.

Friendship ‘Meals to Go’ available from the VIP Center Individual frozen/sealed trays • Good for special diets only $3.25/meal • Call 872-3501

What’s for Lunch in Scott City?

Sun. - Sat., April 26-May 2

Majestic Theatre 420 Main • 872-3840

Hours

Lunch • Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Evenings • Thurs., Fri., Sat. 5:30 -10:00 p.m.

Tues. • Open faced prime rib sandwich with french fries.

Wed. • French dip sandwich with chips.

Thurs. • Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Fri. • Chicken enchilada dinner.

1211 Main • 872-3215

5Buck Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

• Chili Cheese Dog • Bacon Cheeseburger • 3 Piece Chicken Strips

Includes Fries, 21 oz. Drink and Small Sundae

324 Main 1304 S. Main • 872-5301

6

$

49

Buffet

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

Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Lunch Buffet

$695

Dinner Buffet

$795

The Scott County Record

Community Living

Page 3 - Thursday, April 23, 2015

Food safety faces a long overdue overhaul Our food system is very safe compared to many other countries, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement.

The 48 million Americans who get sick each year from what they eat would likely agree.

More than 100,000 of them go to the hospital and 3,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Now some political fixes are being considered to overhaul the food safety system, which, according to some of those expe-

rienced with its workings, is unwieldy and inefficient. Food safety is now divided among 15 federal agencies, with the FDA and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) the major players.

A recent article in the New Yorker called “Why Did the Chicken Make You Sick?” sums up the current arrangement this way: “The FSIS inspects meat and poultry; the FDA covers everything else. But on the grocery store shelves, it’s more

complicated than that.

Fish are the province of the FDA - except catfish, which falls under the FSIS. Frozen cheese pizza is regulated by the FDA, but frozen pizza with slices of pepperoni is monitored by the FSIS. Bagel dogs are FDA; corn dogs, FSIS. The skin of a link sausage is FDA, but the meat inside is FSIS.” In President Obama’s 2016 federal budget, a section on food safety calls for the creation of a new single food-safety agency, removing those

responsibilities from the FDA and the USDA. This independent agency would be located in the Department of Health and Human Services and become responsible for inspections, enforcement and responses to foodpoisoning outbreaks.

According to the budget text, “A single federal food safety agency would provide focused, centralized leadership, a primary voice on food safety standards and compliance with those standards, and clear lines of responsibil-

Alumni meeting Monday

Alumni reports and planning updates will be on the agenda for an All-School Reunion meeting on Mon., April 27, 7:00-8:30 p.m., at the Bryan Conference Center.

Class representatives and other interested alumni are encouraged to attend.

The reunion will be held the weekend of July 4.

Seek sports-related photos

The SCHS Alumni Committee is seeking sportsrelated photos prior to the early 1990s that will be used in creating history panels.

Photos can include individuals, teams and coaches.

Anyone who has photos, or would be interested in helping to research/compile sports history is asked to contact Trudi Kuntzsch (872-6012).

Gretchen Frost and Garrett Lampe

Frost-Lampe to wed on May 30 Cimeron and Rachel Frost, Tallula, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Gretchen Elizabeth, to Garrett Lampe, Tremont, Ill. Garrett is the son of Mark and Anne Lampe, Scott City.

The bride-to-be will receive her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in May 2015 from Oklahoma State University.

Upon graduation she will be employed by Greenhaven Animal Clinic, San Jose, Ill. The perspective groom attended Kansas State University and is currently the general manager of Top Line Farm, Tremont, Ill. The couple is planning a May 30 wedding in Springfield, Ill.

Card shower to honor King on 90th Howard King will celebrate his 90th birthday with a card shower on Sun., April 26.

He was born on April 26, 1925, in Nashville, Mo. On May 12, 1946, he married Dorothy Sarchet in Phillipsburg.

He has four sons, Kenneth, Bend, Ore., James, Scott City, Ronald, Youngsville La., and Jeffrey, Angleton, Tex.; and three daughters, Carmen Howard King Veal, Gage, Okla., Karen Andrews, Lawton, Okla., and Carla Curtis, Liberal.

Cards may be sent to: 907 Myrtle, Scott City, Ks. 67871.

City on a Hill fundraiser

City on a Hill treatment center will have a fundraising auction on Sat., May 2, 7:00 p.m., at the First Christian Church, Scott City.

The evening will feature music by the Trinity Trio consisting of Alan Graham, Ron Hopkins and Chris Lund.

There will also be an auction featuring quilts donated by Barbara Dickhut and a flat screen TV.

April 30 is tag deadline

Persons whose last name begins with the letters C or D are reminded that license tags must be purchased by Thurs., April 30, to avoid a penalty.

Tags are due for autos, light trucks, motorcycles and motorized bikes.

License tags can be purchased at the county treasurer’s office.

Tags must be renewed during May for persons whose last name begins with E, F or G.

ity and accountability that will enhance both prevention of and responses to outbreaks of food borne illnesses.”

This is the kind of plan food safety advocates have been seeking for decades.

Congress will now consider this proposal, as well as some new pieces of legislation that also address the food-safety system.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has proposed the Meat and Poultry Recall Notification Act, which would give FSIS manda-

tory recall authority for meat, poultry and some egg products.

One problem this would address is the current law’s fuzziness regarding the meaning of “adulterated”; under the new law, the Secretary of Agriculture could issue a mandatory recall of a tainted food whether or not the relevant pathogen was considered an adulterant (not all pathogens are labeled adulterants; for example, Salmonella is not, but E.Coli is).

(See SAFETY on page seven)

The Scott County Record

Editorial/Opinion

Page 4 - Thursday, April 23, 2015

editorially speaking

Who wins?

Picking winners, losers is part of legislative process

Conservative lawmakers in Kansas claim they don’t like picking winners and losers when it comes to tax policy and the school finance formula.

Unfortunately, these same state legislators have done an outstanding job of doing just that with a series of missteps that are creating a fiscal nightmare at the state level which is trickling down to local units of government. For example: •Eliminating corporate taxes created more than 333,000 tax-exempt “winners” while the state was the “loser” of $207 million in tax revenue in 2013.

And the loss of tax revenue continues to mount.

The Kansas Legislative Research Department reports that the total revenue shortfall will be approximately $3.7 billion through fiscal year 2018.

•A new block grant funding program for K-12 education includes the ability of school districts to apply for additional “extraordinary need” funding.

Four districts have already applied for $627,000 out of a $4 million pool available this year.

A panel of legislators and the governor will have to determine whether these extraordinary needs warrant funding beyond what these districts are already set to receive. There’s little doubt more districts will be looking to this added revenue source to fill the gap in state funding.

In other words, this new provision in the school finance law will force legislators to pick winners and losers.

•The governor and conservative lawmakers have refused to consider Medicaid expansion for individuals who do not receive health care from their employer and do not earn enough money to afford it on the private insurance market.

According to the Urban Institute, the legislature has created about 103,000 “losers.”

Despite their objections, Kansas lawmakers pick winners and losers every time they levy another tax, grant another tax exemption or decide whether or not to fund a particular program.

Depending on what happens with sin taxes, a possible increase in the sales tax, the prospect of eliminating the sales tax exemption from farm machinery or changing the appraisal method for ag land we can expect to see a lot more winners and losers in the upcoming months and years.

The difference, depending on who holds the reins of power, is who the winners and losers are.

Thanks to tax policies put into effect by Gov. Brownback and conservative lawmakers, the 20% of the state’s population who have the lowest income are paying 11.1 percent of what they earn in state and local taxes, according to a recent report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

For the wealthiest one percent the average tax bill is 3.6% of annual income.

The poorest Kansans, and those in the middle class, are shouldering a bigger burden thanks to conservative tax policies.

These policies favor the Koch brothers and the organizations who serve as their mouthpieces such as the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity.

When it came to picking “winners” and “losers” a majority of the Kansas Legislature know exactly what they were doing. They know who stands to gain the most and who doesn’t.

Don’t let them tell you otherwise.

Resignations:

Losing quality teachers a concern for everyone

The growing list of resignations from the Scott County school district should concern local patrons and cause everyone to take a look at what’s happening in public education.

What’s notable is that most of those resigning are remaining in Scott City. This is their home and they love being here. That’s the good news.

However, while the reasons vary, they’ve also felt it was time for a change.

As one staff members recently said, “This is only the beginning.” Maybe. We hope it isn’t.

But who can blame teachers for looking elsewhere? Salary increases have been difficult to come by, even in good years. The likelihood of a salary increase is remote this year - and this is following last year’s voluntary 2% salary reduction to help the district out of its financial dilemma.

When you compound that with state legislators who attack due process, want to slash school funding and have a general disrespect for the teaching profession, is it any wonder that educators are disgruntled?

As community members who value the quality of our schools, we must do all we can to encourage our teachers and find ways to properly compensate them. Conservative lawmakers may not hold education in high regard, but we shouldn’t follow their lead.

Why the war on education?

Is there anyone who can’t look back on their childhood and think of a teacher or a coach who was a great influence on their life?

With rare exception, it’s difficult to think of anyone in education who wasn’t committed to doing what was best - willing to go the extra mile for their students.

So why has education now become the enemy?

Why are so many Kansas lawmakers determined to diminish the people who have chosen this profession, suck the funding out of education and make these professionals feel they are the root source of our fiscal woes?

Of course, it all comes down to money . . . and egos.

Education isn’t cheap.

Most things worthwhile never are.

We claim that we want to create the best opportunity for our young people, but when we see the price tag we get squeamish and start searching for a Walmart solution. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cheap answer for a pub-

lic education system that allows everyone to walk through the doors - whether or not they can speak English, have special needs or are there because they have to be and don’t really want to be.

A one-size-fits-all solution is not possible with public education.

The “activist” court that we hear so much about from conservative lawmakers understands this. And there was a time when most legislators did as well, which is why we had a state funding formula that recognized differences in socio-economic factors across the state, transportation challenges for some districts and even a shifting demographic in some regions which have experienced a growing Hispanic population.

Change, however, is something that conservatives have a difficult time coping with. They are

angry with the courts for telling them to spend more money for education. And they have anxiety attacks over a school finance plan they apparently can’t understand.

It would seem that conservatives won’t be happy until public education returns to the little red school house with a lone teacher who stokes the stove in the morning and rings the bell when it’s time for classes to begin.

We may be getting there a little quicker than people think.

The state’s self-inflicted fiscal disaster and the anti-education rhetoric are having consequences.

Scott Community High School has an opening for a math position which, under the best of circumstances, is always difficult to fill. The district received zero applications. Supt. Jamie Rumford was in contact with two other superintendents with a similar need - one in Western Kansas and the other in central Kansas - and they got the same number of applications.

It’s not just math. Currently, there is less than one new secondary science teacher graduating in Kansas for every 10 vacancies. If this doesn’t cause alarm for school administrators and boards of education, then it should.

Another Kansas superintendent attended a job fair in Missouri and as soon as prospective teachers saw his name tag and where he was from it was as though he had the plague. Candidates were walking away because they had no interest in coming to Kansas with its current fiscal mess and its attitude toward education.

At a recent job fair in southeast Kansas, Oklahoma was grabbing Kansas graduates.

Rumford says he’s hearing reports of out-ofstate schools attending these job fairs and offering upcoming Kansas graduates thousands of dollars more in starting salary. This is commonly called a “brain drain” in which we stand the cost of educating our best and brightest only to see them (See EDUCATION on page six)

Why don’t we abolish the VA? The men and women who serve in the military protect both the United States’ security and its values, including political liberty, free enterprise and individual choice.

How strange, then, that when their time in uniform ends, we thank them for their service and turn them over to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which epitomizes centralized bureaucracy.

The latest VA scandal involves a still-unfinished 182-bed hospital in Aurora, Colo., that has already cost $1.7 billion and may require another $830 million from Congress. Similar cost overruns plague VA projects in Las Vegas, Orlando and New Orleans.

Meanwhile, an investigation by VA’s inspector general has found that its Philadelphia office imposed inappropri-

Where to Write

another view by Charles Lane

ately long waits for pension claims and doctored records to cover them up, among other alleged abuses.

This comes on the heels of last year’s sensational revelation of long wait times and data falsification at the VA hospital in Phoenix - which cost Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and several top lieutenants their jobs.

Until that crisis, ironically, VA had been perceived as a good-news story, based on a successful modernization begun under President Bill Clinton. However, recent events suggest that the agency’s dysfunction is more deeply rooted than it appeared and that maybe it’s time to consider more

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

radical surgery - if not abolishing VA, then at least abolishing VA as we know it.

Yes, there has been misconduct, dishonesty and incompetence, and the guilty must be held accountable.

Fundamentally, though, VA staff and officials were responding to perverse incentives and impossible demands presented by a health-care organization that - unlike almost any other in American society - is not only single-payer but single-provider.

Without market signals to help allocate resources, long waits and other patient frustrations are inevitable, no matter how sincerely, or how threateningly, Washington orders their elimination.

It’s a Soviet-style structure, minus the coherence of the oneparty state. Instead, VA

Sen. Pat Roberts 109 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-4774 roberts.senate.gov/email.htm

answers to 535 members of Congress, their episodically disgruntled constituents and a plethora of veterans’ lobbies, whose reason for being is linked to the existence of a large VA bureaucracy and whose political power is “impossible to overstate,” as former George W. Bush administration domestic policy aide Yuval Levin noted at the height of last year’s scandal.

Small wonder that VA staff feel like “prisoners of a system they couldn’t change,” as the new secretary, Robert McDonald, said at a congressional hearing in March.

As for VA construction, undoubtedly its woes reflect a lack of institutional competency, compared with other federal agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers, which some reformers believe (See ABOLISH on page six)

Sen. Jerry Moran 141 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-6521 www.house.gov/moranks01/

Try taking the welfare challenge

by Susan Fowler

On a cold January morning, with wind chills of 9 below, Sandy, a single mother and her nine-year-old daughter, Ann (fictitious names), walked two miles to pick up a box of food that had been donated for them through the Angel Food Ministry.

When the church volunteers discovered the two had no car, one woman insisted on driving them back home after they’d had cups of hot chocolate and a chance to warm up.

That event occurred several years ago in Emporia. It was not an isolated incident then, and although the Angel Food Ministry no longer exists, food pantries do, and too often they have to send out emergency pleas for restocking.

Lyon County is one of the poorest counties in the state in terms of earned income, so it’s no wonder that we see the faces of hunger and poverty everywhere: at work, at church, and at school.

Recently the Kansas Legislature passed a billed hailed as “Welfare Reform” but perhaps is more aptly described as “Shaming the Poor.” It makes the current standards of eligibility for TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) more stringent, from limiting the daily amount of cash withdrawals to $25, to prohibiting use of assistance money for luxuries such as cruises, manicures, or tattoos.

One has to wonder how much fraud has occurred to inspire such a severe bill.

It turns out that no one quite knows for sure. Statistics from the Department for Children and Families (DCF) listed “questionable” financial activities from August to October 2012 totaling $43,000, or 3% of the total expenditures for that period.

Questionable means that while these transactions appear illegal, there was no proof that they were.

One such questionable transaction would be a cash withdrawal at a casino. One explanation would be that an employee withdrew cash after work to pick up diapers, which are not covered by SNAP (food stamps).

Let’s compare the questionable 3% TANF expenditures of 2012 to the current budget gap created by the income tax cuts of 2012-13 given to top wage earners, corporations, and self-employed individuals like myself. The Kansas Senate passed a budget bill this month that totals $6.478 billion.

It’s not a lavish bill; it includes lots of cuts to the one thing Kansans hold dear, public schools and universities. The problem lies in the gap between its total and the FY 2016 official revenue estimate of $5.811 billion. That’s a gap of $667 million.

Why is it that the poor are seen as undeserving while the wealthy are seen as better? Why are we not scrutinizing recipients of government subsidies in the form of corporate tax breaks to the extent that we do those who receive meager, barely subsistence help?

One explanation may be that too many of us are happily ignorant of what it means to be on assistance. So I offer this challenge to every legislator who voted for S Sub for HB2258, and everyone who agrees with them: live as though you were on TANF and SNAP for one week.

You get $6.67 per day for your meals. That’s for one person, so if there are several in your family, multiply accordingly.

(See WELFARE on page six)

The Scott County Record • Page 5 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

$50,000 traffic tickets Let’s make our penalties amount to penalties for everyone

by Sam Pizzigati

All of us would like to live in a world where people always do the right thing - without anybody looking over their shoulder. But that world doesn’t exist and never will. So every society on our planet has penalties. You break the rules, you pay a price.

But penalties only work if the wrongdoer feels that price. A ridiculously tiny penalty amounts to no penalty at all.

Take traffic fines, for instance.

Most of us obey our traffic laws. We know these laws help keep our roads and communities - safe. We also know that if we slip up and speed, we could end up staring at a $150 ticket. If we slip up again, we could be talking really serious pain.

But not really serious pain for everyone. In today’s deeply unequal United States, some people - extremely rich people - have no reason to worry about traffic citations. If you’re pulling down $1 million a month, a couple hundred dollars for a traffic ticket won’t even register.

Billionaire Apple CEO Steve Jobs, his biographer Walter Isaacson relates, used to brazenly park in handicapped spaces and motor around without license plates.

He “acted as if he were not subject” to the rules the rest of us face.

And why should any of our billionaires think different? If they break the rules, they face no real penalty. The rest of us can only hope they choose to do the right thing.

But what if traffic fines varied by income? In Finland - and a host of other nations, from Denmark to Switzerland - they actually do. “Sliding fee” fines in these nations give people with deep

pockets reason to think twice before they speed or otherwise trample on community safety norms.

One Finnish businessman recently had to pay a 54,000-euro fine - the equivalent of over $58,000 - after police caught him going 65 in a 50 zone. That speeder’s income? Just over $7 million a year. Tickets in Finland have, on occasion, even topped $100,000.

Might the time be ripe for similar sliding-scale fees in the United States?

Some of our localities have actually experimented along that line, and one person involved in those experiments back in the 1980s - Judith Greene of the nonprofit Justice Strategies - thinks we should try again.

Why? Greene points to the protests that followed last year’s deadly police shooting in Ferguson, Mo. In addition to police violence, those protests have helped to spotlight how local governments all across the United States are routinely gouging poor people for minor offenses. In jurisdictions like Ferguson, municipal officials have been squeezing the poor to fill their city coffers.

This squeezing, a U.S. Justice Depart-

ment report earlier this year revealed, can become incredibly oppressive. The authorities in Ferguson hit one local woman with a $151 fine for two parking tickets.

She couldn’t afford to pay the fine immediately. That triggered more penalties.

The woman eventually paid $550 in fines and still owed - seven years later - another $541.

For cities, that’s easy - and irresistible - money. In 2011, Ferguson officials collected $1.38 million of the city’s $11.07 million in general revenue from fines and additional penalty fees. By last year, the city was budgeting to collect nearly twice that amount, $2.63 million, from municipal court fines and fees.

Ambitious revenue targets have local officials going after drivers and pedestrians alike. In Ferguson, U.S. Justice Department investigators found, a “manner of walking” violation can bring a $302 fine.

This constant preying on the poor breeds an intense and understandable community frustration. At some point, as we saw last summer in Ferguson, the frustration combusts into tragedy.

So what can we do?

(See PENALTIES on page seven)

Secret TPP negotiations un-American

by Jim Hightower

So, someone hands you a beer, but instead of it being a recognizable brand, it’s in a totally blacked-out can with nothing but the letters “TPP” printed on it.

“You’re really gonna like this,” says the smiling stranger who handed it to you. But you naturally hesitate and ask: “Well, who made it? What’s in it?”

Now the guy’s smile seems forced as he says: “Sorry, pal, but those are trade secrets. Trust me though - there’s nothing bad in it. Just drink up . . . and (See SECRET on page six)

Blessed are the poor . . . not quite Everyone has their hand out for some form of assistance Whether the government gives out money directly, offers a credit, or simply relieves one of their tax liability, it is all government assistance. A redistribution of wealth, if you will. And no matter what it’s called, there is a decrease in the resources needed to fund and operate all the responsibilities government has.

We would venture to guess every single Kansan and every business and organization located here is on some sort of government assistance.

Seem far-fetched? Who built or maintains the road that leads to your house or business? The sewer and water lines?

Who provides the education system that benefits your own children or the workers you plan to hire? Who ensures there is public safety so you can go about your day without fear?

We could go on and on, but let’s get a little more personal.

The Kansas Policy Institute has identified billions of dollars annually that never get considered by the Legislature.

behind the headlines by Patrick Lowry

Whether it is the $5.6 billion companies and groups do not have to pay in sales taxes, $1 billion in tax deductions, $600 million in tax credits, or $100 million in income modifications, these dollars specifically are excluded from budget discussions. It’s the law.

Not in the same category, but worth noting, are the federal farm subsidies coming into Kansas. These are approaching $1 billion per year.

There are enormous redistributions of tax dollars and/or liabilities that ultimately end up on the backs of those who can least afford them. Somebody has to pay them.

The Kansas Center for Economic Growth has detailed the shifts. A study by the group released earlier this year “find that the lowest income Kansans pay 11.1 percent - or greater than two times - more in taxes as a percent of their income compared to the state’s wealthiest residents.”

How can this be? Didn’t the governor’s income tax reductions affect everybody?

Affect, yes. But the net effect was far

from equal. After all the cuts are considered along with the disappearance of certain tax credits, the lowest 20 percent on average are paying $166 more in taxes.

The next 20 percent is paying $32 more.

It isn’t until you get to the top 60 percent of Kansans before you can see an actual reduction in taxes. And even there it is wildly disproportionate.

The middle 20 percent is averaging $49 in savings. The fourth 20 percent group is receiving an extra $233. The next 15 percent: $805. The next four percent: $2,821. And the top one percent: $19,786 in savings every year.

So, who is the welfare queen? Who is living on the dole? Virtually everybody.

And the more you earn, the more you get from the government.

Now, who gets demonized? Go ahead and say what first popped into your mind.

It wasn’t Boeing, was it? Nor Charles Koch.

No, it was that one person who you might know but more likely have just heard about. The able-bodied, ne’er do well who finds having babies and staying at home is a lot more fun and profitable than getting out and finding a job. They make your skin crawl, don’t they?

(See POOR on page six)

The Scott County Record • Page 6 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Time to break lawmakers’ ‘cycle of dependency’ food, health care, safety and transportation. And, as a bonus, he’s allowed to spend his paycheck anyway he wants, a freedom that the state’s welfare recipients can only envy.

Brownback’s long ride on the public dime is supposed to come to an end in 2019, when term limits force him to finally find a private-sector job. It will be interesting to see where he lands.

Except . . . a prominent Republican tells me Brownback is thinking about running again for

Lawmakers in Kansas and Missouri this month escalated their war on poverty, passing legislation to limit access to state services for residents who are struggling to make ends meet.

Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill that further limits lifetime welfare benefits in Kansas and redefines what recipients can buy. Welfare programs, he said, perpetuate “cycles of dependency.”

Wait. You could make the case that if anyone in Kansas is caught in a cycle of dependency, it’s Sam Brownback. He’s earned his living from taxpayers almost all his life. He’s worked in state government, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and now as governor, where he earns around $100,000 a year.

That’s quite a resume for someone who thinks government is the enemy.

Taxpayers long have provided Brownback money to buy shelter,

Poor

Education

The legislature, which through other actions is increasing the number of poor people and those in poverty, doesn’t trust that these particular individuals are managing their assistance correctly.

And so they’ve made it a law that anybody receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families money cannot use that money “to purchase alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco products, lottery tickets, concert tickets, professional or collegiate sporting event tickets, tickets for other entertainment events intended for the general public, or sexually oriented adult materials.

“No TANF cash assistance would be allowed for use in a liquor store, casino, gaming establishment, jewelry store, tattoo or body piercing parlor, spa, massage parlor, nail salon, lingerie shop, tobacco paraphernalia store, vapor cigarette store, psychic or fortune telling business, bail bond company, video arcade, movie theater, swimming pool, cruise ship, theme park, dog or horse racing facility, parimutuel facility, or an adult sexually oriented retail business or entertainment establishment.”

These rules apparently are required for the Kansans who received the $270 million worth of TANF funds each year.

They also will only be allowed to get them for 36 months, or about half of what the federal program allows.

The law is mean-spirited - hateful, actually.

How do lawmakers justify giving away billions to companies and wealthier people every year with no end in sight, yet feel compelled to restrict how poor people spend their pittance?

The double standards have no justification, but are easy to understand.

Poor people do not contribute to campaigns, and they certainly have no lobbying presence in Topeka.

Shame on each and every legislator who voted for House Bill 2258 - and Gov. Sam Brownback for signing it. Kansas voters likely will let you off the hook, but that god you all claim to follow will have something waiting for you when you meet.

leave for better opportunities elsewhere.

Can anyone blame them?

Rather than recognize the problem and work for a solution, conservative lawmakers are hell-bent on making it even worse.

One bill under discussion in the legislature would prevent teachers from double-dipping.

As it currently stands, a teacher who is eligible for retirement under the KPERS system can retire and be re-hired by their former school district.

by Dave Helling

(continued from page five)

Patrick Lowry is editor and publisher of The Hays Daily News

Have questions about the Scott Commnity Foundation?

Call 872-3790

stamps, imposed regressive sales taxes and now have narrowed welfare eligibility. They’re sending an unmistakable message to the state’s poor: Leave or run for office.

Missouri lawmakers, long envious of Kansas’ march to a governmentless society, have passed their own welfare restrictions. They want to cap welfare eligibility at 45 months in the state.

Every lawmaker who voted on the plan is eligible for a check from taxpayers, but their idea

of limiting the time someone can get a government check is too good to pass up.

So let’s try this: In Missouri, welfare payments should be linked with legislators’ terms.

If 45 months on the dole sounds right for a single mom, it sounds even better for state legislators.

Perhaps they, too, should experience the thrill of looking for a real job.

It’s the legislature’s way of saying teaching is no longer a profession.

Look around your community and surely you can find someone who knows enough to step into a classroom. After all, it’s only teaching.

Conservatives seem intent on taking the same approach to education as they do government.

Squeeze enough money out of it and eventually you can claim, “See, it’s not working.”

Throughout its history, Kansas has been able to

boast of its quality public education. Now we have conservative lawmakers determined to paint education as a scapegoat for bad fiscal policy and cover up for their mistakes with equally disastrous legislative policy.

It’s shameful that lawmakers have put education on the front line of their ideological war. And, as with any war, the biggest losers are the innocent bystanders - our communities and our students.

Dave Helling is a columnist for the Kansas City Star. He can be reached at dhelling@ kcstar.com

(continued from page four)

The teacher pays a significant penalty to KPERS to continue at their job, which proponents say negates the overall financial impact on the retirement system.

While there seems to be no accurate count on the number of people in education double-dipping, it’s been estimated at 1,200 on the low end, but probably higher. Eliminate doubledipping and suddenly you have more than 1,200 teaching positions to fill in Kansas.

“It’s all about the mon-

Heinous waste of money officially starts

by Andy Borowitz

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - The two major political parties’ unconscionable waste of money officially commences this weekend, as Democrats and Republicans will soon begin spending an estimated $5 billion of their corporate puppet masters’ assets in an unquenchable pursuit of power.

The billions, which could be spent rebuilding the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, improving schools, or reducing the scourge of malaria in Africa, will instead be squandered in a heinous free-for-all of slander and personal destruction, alienating voters as never before.

The media will inevitably focus on the personalities of the bloated roster of narcissists lusting after the White House, but scant attention will be paid to the Wall Street bankers, industrial polluters, and casino magnates whose grip on American democracy will remain vise-like.

While attention this weekend turns to the Democrats, the Republicans remain quietly confident about their chances of purchasing the nation’s highest office. In the words of one top operative, “Our billionaires can beat their billionaires.”

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and author

Welfare

the U.S. Senate in 2020, when Sen. Pat Roberts also no slouch in the dependency department - is expected to step aside.

If he runs, the governor would have a record for voters to examine. Brownback has said he’s remaking Kansas to stop outmigration - his tax cuts are meant to entice people to move to the state. By 2020, we’ll know whether his ideas worked.

But he and the Legislature have sliced eligibility for Medicaid and food

(continued from page five)

Try not to get sick; since you have to work at least 20 hours a week to earn your food stamps, you make too much to qualify for Medicaid. And, I hope you have plenty of toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, and bath soap in the house, because SNAP doesn’t cover those.

As a sixth-generation Kansan, I find the values for the common good expressed in our State Constitution representative of the best qualities of our people. The establishment of benevolent institutions “as the public good may require” in Article Seven is one such example. Perhaps that is why this bill caused me so much heartache.

I feel our legislature let us down, and they certainly did not uphold our state’s Constitution when they voted to harm the “least of these.” I am sad that our state seems to be drifting away from the moral guidance our founders gave us, to provide for the public good.

When I visit the Capitol these days, I can almost hear them asking, “What have we become?”

Susan Fowler is an information management consultant living in Emporia

ey,” says Rumford. “They want us to hire a younger teacher at a lower salary which will reduce our budget.”

Which ignores the fact that school districts can’t find teachers for some positions at any price.

Acknowledging the difficulty in filling some staff positions, lawmakers are considering another gem that will allow districts to hire non-licensed individuals to teach. The district only has to determine that a person qualifies because of practical experience.

Secret enjoy the buzz that it’s gonna give you.”

Would you swallow that? Neither would I, but here comes Barack Obama, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Speaker John Boehner, and every corporate lobbyist in Washington insisting that We the People should quickly chug-a-lug their strange brew called TPP (the Trans-Pacific Partnership) - without knowing what’s in it.

“It’s just a free trade agreement,” they say, with lying eyes and forced smiles.

But TPP is not free,

Abolish should take over the job.

Yet the root cause would seem to be the insistence on a dedicated system of state-run hospitals in the first place.

Even to suggest that veterans’ health care should be partially spun off to the private sector - such as former service members being provided a generous subsidy to purchase health insurance - is to invite a charge of callousness toward those who have sacrificed so much, or to risk being labeled a right-wing ideologue.

The strongest argument for preserving VA as-is is that we need a system geared toward ailments and injuries, such as brain trauma, that disproportionately affect vets. Yet it’s worth noting that 59

Rod Haxton can be reached at editor@screcord.com

(continued from page five)

not about trade, and not anything that we normal Americans would ever agree to. Rather, it’s a raw deal enthroning global corporations over our democratic right to be a self-governing people!

It creates a whole new privatized government, subjecting us and our laws to an overriding supreme authority of corporate tribunals set up by the World Bank and the UN. TPP literally is an unAmerican sneak attack on us by our own “leaders.”

Negotiated in strict secrecy by a handful of cor-

porate elites and government officials, they produced a secret “deal” that is to be kept secret from the people for four years after it is approved, even though it transfers much of our people’s sovereignty to secretive international tribunals made up of global corporate lawyers with no accountability to The People.

Holy Thomas Paine!

To fight this establishment of secret government, go to www.stoptpp. org.

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

(continued from page four)

percent of VA’s current patient population do not have a service-connected disability, suggesting that their demands for care are diverting resources that might otherwise be used to help those who need VA the most.

In truth, no one is calling for ending the government’s role in veterans’ health care, just rationalizing it. Even the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, passed to deal with the scandal in Phoenix, implicitly acknowledges this need: It authorized $10 billion to help some vets bypass the cloggedup VA system and get medical care from private providers.

It’s a step in the right direction, but the measure sunsets after three years.

A new market-oriented policy group, Concerned Veterans for America, recently proposed splitting the VA’s health program into two new entities - a subsidized health insurer for all vets and a nonprofit corporation that would run a streamlined hospital system focused on vets with service-related medical needs.

The idea would be to provide a baseline of federal support, while giving individual vets a greater choice in how to allocate those resources.

Caring for our veterans is a vital national goal far too important to be left exclusively in the hands of politicians, lobbyists and bureaucrats.

Charles Lane was a Pulitzer Prize finalist who specializes in economic policy, financial issues and trade

The Scott County Record • Page 7 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Budget

(continued from page two)

He said Brownback and Republican legislative leaders had slowed state government growth, but the updated revenue projections demonstrated “a serious need for responsible spending cuts.”

Shawn Sullivan, the administration’s budget director, said the governor was developing a proposal for delivery to legislators this week that would reduce spending approximately $80 million in the next fiscal year.

In addition to sin tax hikes, the governor has expressed interest in raising the 6.15 percent statewide sales tax. He has rejected suggestions to backtrack on income tax reforms.

Penalties

Safety

(continued from page three)

Under this law, stores would have to improve their customer notification practices when a food recall did occur.

Meanwhile, another piece of proposed legislation would consolidate authority into the independent Food Safety Administration and provide it with mandatory recall authority, require risk assessments, authorize enforcement actions, improve foreign-food import inspections and require better food traceability.

As these proposals will be making their way through the wheels of the government, it seems certain that the food-safety system will be in the headlines in the coming months.

(continued from page five)

One small step: Instead of gouging the poor, let’s make like the Finns. Let’s make our penalties proportionate to economic circumstance.

Let’s make sure our penalties amount to penalties for everyone, even if they’re rich.

Sam Pizzigati is an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow and a co-author of the report ‘Fix the Debt’ CEOs Enjoy Taxpayer-Subsidized Pay”

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The Scott County Record

Lawn and Garden

Page 8 - Thursday, April 23, 2015

Determine mulch that fits your needs To mulch or not to mulch?

This question is probably not keeping you awake at night, but it is certainly worth considering if you have a garden.

Reasons to use mulch in the summer include: •Keeps the soil cooler (and the roots) and helps plants get through the summer.

•Conserves moisture.

•Provides habitat and food source for earthworms (to stir the soil) and spiders (which help with pest control).

•Keeps weeds under control.

•Reduces/eliminates

soil erosion if there is a hard rain and keeps soil from crusting when it dries out.

•As mulch breaks down, it releases nutrients into the soil.

•The year following a mulch crop, soil tilth will be improved because the carbon will become organic matter.

There are certain situations where mulch is NOT helpful. In general, I rec-

ommend mulch except for the following: •In early spring mulching can keep the soil too cool and slow plant growth. Wait until midApril to start applying mulch to let soil warm up first.

•Mulch around small seedlings can encourage sow bugs. Generally these are beneficial or neutral because they mainly eat residues. But they also eat small seedlings. Let plants get at least 4-6 leaves before mulching.

•For most crops, including perennials like trees, don’t apply mulch next to the plant stem.

Make a ring around the

base of the plant and allow the stem to get as much air as possible. This will reduce disease possibilities.

Types of Mulches The best mulch is “whatever is readily available.” There are pros and cons to each, so consider your situation. Here’s a quick summary.

Lawn clippings: Pros: most people have these unless they have a mulching mower, or mower without a bag. They are generally weed free, fine, easy to apply, and high in nitrogen.

Cons: apply fresh and

not too thick or they will heat up and smell (because of the high moisture content). Don’t apply to vegetables or flowers if you’ve used a lawn herbicide because they may be toxic to your plants.

They also break down quickly and don’t give long season weed control.

Leaves: Pros: most people have access to these from their own or neighbors’ trees.

These will be high in carbon, so they won’t break down quickly, and may tie up nitrogen if soil is marginal. In most gardens, this isn’t a problem.

Cons: need a place to

store over the winter, and some leaves may have tree seeds in them so be prepared to weed them out once in awhile.

Old hay: Pros: many farmers have old hay when they clean out the barn or stacks of hay in the spring, and may give it to you for free. Alfalfa hay, even when moldy, will have a lot of nitrogen in it, and so you are getting free fertilizer.

Cons: Some hay will have weed seeds, especially wheat straw, but that is usually next year’s problem, which you can control with more mulch.

Water wisely for a beautiful yard, landscape Too much or not enough water and never when you need it. That seems to be the long time plight of gardeners.

What is a gardener to do? Become a waterwise gardener.

Waterwise is not just about growing drought tolerant plants or eliminating plantings. It is a holistic approach to managing water to avoid flooding that overwhelms sewer systems, improper watering that wastes water, and poor landscape designs that generate too much work and require too many resources.

Make this the season that you incorporate a few

waterwise habits into your gardening. You’ll find it is good for your garden, the environment and your pocketbook.

Start with one or more of these strategies this year.

•Select the right plant for the growing conditions.

Plants that thrive in normal growing conditions for your area will be healthier, require less care and need less water.

Look for drought tolerant plants that require less water once established.

•Keep water out of the storm sewers and in the garden instead.

Prevent flooding while

improving your garden.

Adding several inches of compost to the top 8-12 inches of soil increases the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water. This means less runoff into the storm sewers and less frequent watering.

•Use plants to prevent runoff and conserve water. Plant trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to slow the flow of rainwater, increase the amount of water that stays in your landscape for your plants, and to filter water before it enters the groundwater.

•Provide plants with a healthy diet. Use a slow release non-leaching organic nitrogen fertil-

izer like Milorganite (milorganite.com). You’ll encourage slow steady growth, so your plants will require less water and be less prone to insect and disease problems.

Plus, the slow release nitrogen encourages healthy growth and does not prevent flowering and fruiting.

•Water wisely.

Water plants thoroughly and only when needed.

Water the soil, not the plant, using a watering wand, drip irrigation or a soaker hose so less water is lost to evaporation.

Water early in the morning whenever possible to reduce water loss

Remove dead pines to reduce spread of wilt disease The Kansas Department of Agriculture is encouraging Kansans with dead pine trees to properly remove the trees during April.

This month marks an important time to prevent the spread of pine wilt.

Pine trees that are killed by the pine wilt disease could be a host for the pine sawyer beetle that moves the disease from tree to tree.

Pine sawyers are a fast moving parasite that burrows into pine trees feeding on resin canals. Pine sawyers generally emerge from dead pine trees in May and continue through July.

Emergence of these pests likely will be earlier this spring if warm conditions persist.

“It is important to destroy dead pine trees in order to slow the spread of Pine Wilt in Kansas,”

said Kansas Department of Agriculture Plant Pathologist Jon Appel.

“Removal and cleanup of all branches more than an inch in diameter has proven effective in stopping or at least slowing the disease.”

Homeowners should take the dead pine trees to a nearby landfill where the trees will be burned.

The wood may also be chipped or buried to stop the cycle. However, these chips should not be used as mulch on pines.

Wood from a removed pine tree also should not be used for firewood. Any movement of the wood or delay in burning it may allow the pine sawyers to emerge and start a disease outbreak.

Pine wilt is a disease specific to pines. Pines affected in Kansas include Scotch, Austrian, Mugo (shrub pine) and a few

others.

The disease is generally not found in native North American pines such as the Ponderosa and Eastern White.

Pine wilt disease is established in the eastern half of Kansas but can still be controlled. The disease has been successfully eradicated in several communities of Western Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas State University and Extension Service, landowners and horticulture groups are working to limit, delay and mitigate the spread of pine wilt disease into the western half of Kansas through the Pine Wilt Initiative.

Testing of suspect trees is a critical step in keeping the disease out of those communities where pines represent a large percent-

age of the forest.

In addition to removing dead trees, Kansans with pines displaying pine wilt symptoms should notify their local extension agent or the Kansas Department of Agriculture Plant Protection Program at 785-862-2180.

Symptoms include wilting and needles turning a dull green. If conditions are hot and dry, the tree rapidly dies, with needles turning brown and resin stopping to flow.

For more information about pine wilt visit http:// www.ksda.gov/plant_protection/content/350/ cid/1276.

during the heat of the day.

•Manage your lawns to reduce water use. Select drought tolerant grass varieties to reduce watering needs.

Prepare the soil before seeding or sodding or aerate and spread a thin layer of compost over existing lawns to increase water absorption and reduce runoff.

Mow high to encourage deep roots that are more drought tolerant and pest resistant. Allow lawns to go dormant during hot dry weather.

•Conserve water and reduce time and money spent on plant care. Mulch the soil around trees,

shrubs and other plants.

Mulching reduces watering frequency, prevents soil compaction from heavy rainfall thus increasing water absorption. It also adds organic matter as it decomposes.

•Repair leaking faucets, fittings and garden hoses. A slow leak of one drip per second can waste up to nine gallons of water per day.

•Look for and use wasted water. Collect the “warming water” typically wasted when preparing baths and showers. Use a five-gallon bucket to collect this fresh water and use it for your containers and gardens.

The Scott County Record

Lawn and Garden

Grass selection, care are key to showcase lawn A lush, green lawn is the goal of every homeowner.

Achieving that goal isn’t as impossible as it might seem, but it will take work throughout the year to make it happen.

The first step is to decide whether you want a cool-season or warmseason lawn and manage it appropriately. Both have their benefits, according to Scott County Extension Agent John Beckman.

Warm season grasses are native to the High Plains because they can handle the hot weather and dry conditions. While they are easier to care for, they also lack the lush, green look throughout most of the summer that many people want to see in their lawn.

Cool season grasses, on the other hand, will green up earlier and for a longer period of time, which also adds to their maintenance needs, including water.

Beckman recommends the Rebel fescue variety for this area since it’s available from Sharp Brothers Seed Company, Healy.

“Even with a fescue lawn you don’t want to spend a lot of money on water,” noted Beckman during a Knowledge at Noon lawn care program.

“In fact, you can get by with a minimal amount of water during the summer months if you choose.”

Cutting back significantly on the water may even force the grass to turn brown, but that doesn’t mean it has died - only entered a dormant stage - and it can recover again in the fall when temperatures begin to cool.

Of course, homeowners can also keep watering their cool season lawn throughout the summer so it doesn’t appear neglected.

In order to prepare a lawn for the hot days still to come, water at a minimum this time of year in order to “toughen your grass.” K-State horticulturists recommended watering a lawn at least one inch deep and then allow it to dry before the

next application.

“An inch of water this time of year, and in the fall, will go a long way,” Beckman says. “In the summer, you want to put on enough water to keep your lawn alive.”

Warm season grasses popular in this region are buffalo, bermuda and zoysia. A popular tall fescue variety is Rebel Sport which is a 90/10 fescue/ bluegrass mix.

“Fescue, on its own, will not fill in the bare spots in your lawn,” Beckman says. “That’s where the bluegrass mix comes in. This is the bestadapted cool season grass in Kansas.”

Other lawn tips offered

by Beckman include: Mowing •Don’t remove more than one-third of the grass in a single mowing.

•Clippings don’t contribute much thatch, though zoysia may be the exception. Mulching mowers are often capable of limiting thatch problems, provided the grass isn’t too tall at the time it’s mowed.

•If you remove grass

clippings, then you will need to supplement your lawn with additional nitrogen.

•A higher mowing height will reduce weed competition.

•Cut grass to a height of 2-1/2 to three inches.

•Keep mower blades sharp. White tips on the grass and jagged edges are evidence that you’re cutting with dull blades.

This also makes the grass more susceptible to disease.

Fertilizer •Most fertilizer comes with varying amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

“We don’t need potassium in Western Kansas and most lawns may not need phosphorus,” says Beckman. “That’s why it’s a good idea to get a soil test.”

Nitrogen is the number one ingredient that most lawns can use.

Individuals who apply fertilizer now will get instant results with a beautiful, green lawn. But it will also mean a lot more mowing and maintenance.

Effectiveness fading of garden starter solutions

Using a starter solution or “root stimulator” to help new transplants for the garden settle in has been standard practice for decades.

“Research has found, however, these products are only useful for a while. In Kansas, for example, I’d be hesitant to apply them after Mother’s Day,” said Ward Upham, K-State Extension horticulturist.

“Stimulator” solutions are typically a weak fertil-

izer that contains nitrogen and phosphate. Some gardeners actually make their own. Given the internet, recipes are easy to find.

Good formulas can be a real boost for transplants moving into the garden while the soil is still cool.

“Early in the growing season, soil nutrients aren’t readily available to help plants develop roots and become established,” he explained. “So, applying a starter solution near a plant’s roots is like pro-

viding a substitute meal.”

As the weather warms, though, plants can access underground nutrients more and more easily.

“Unless your soil is nutrient-poor, you’re wasting time and solution if you apply a starter product after that,” Upham said. “In fact, if your soil is fertile and the weather gets pretty warm, your applying a starter solution might actually cause some plant damage by burning roots.”

September is the best time to apply fertilizer and the best time for a second application is November “in order to build the root system.” A third, optional application can be made in May when a lawn can benefit from a dose of nitrogen.

“This will provide a little extra green color for that show lawn,” Beckman says.

Aerating This can be particularly useful with heavy soils, which are evident in Scott County.

Core aeration will allow more air and water into the soil. In addition, it provides excellent conditions for overseeding a lawn.

Often times, when looking at the condition of their lawn, people may decide they need to remove the thatch.

Beckman says thatch is only a concern if it’s over one-half inch thick.

“I think most people are power raking when they don’t need to. They end up causing more damage than good,” Beckman says.

Seeding Fall is the best time for planting a cool season lawn, though it can also be done in the spring.

“But if you plant now, you’ll also have weeds emerging with your grass,” notes Beckman.

“That’s a problem you won’t have in the fall.”

One of the most common mistakes people

Page 9 - Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Scott County Record • Page 10 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Solar (continued from page one)

They’re not supposed to do that, but you can’t do anything but keep on driving,” she said.

Logan has enjoyed the ElectroRally experience.

“I like building the cars and driving them,” she says. “I like it all.”

3rd in Standard Class Senior Peter Nguyen finished third in the standard class with 97 laps (26.19 miles) completed within the hour time limit.

He was two laps behind Great Bend and on the same lap as runner-up Clearwater.

There were 18 cars competing in the standard class.

“I didn’t race as smart as I should have,” said Nguyen afterwards. “I wanted to be aggressive to start and I was eager to pass everyone. In the middle of the race I could feel that I was losing a little power.

“I was still able to finish pretty good, but I could feel the car dying towards the end.”

Overall, Nguyen felt it was a better race than he had at Beloit where he finished in seventh place with 26.9 miles. Daniel Varela, another SCHS senior, finished in eighth place with 24.1 miles.

Ellis wasn’t surprised to see his crew finish higher on Tuesday.

“The experience helps.

They were a little tentative at Beloit,” he says. “I was real happy with the way the kids raced today.

They’re having a good time and they listen to my advice. They’ve been fun to work with.”

Except for about five minutes when Varela had to pull his car into the infield, the race day was trouble-free for Scott City.

“I was driving too fast and the breaker overheated,” explained Varela.

Like the other drivers, Varela took a more aggressive approach to Tuesday’s race.

“If Daniel hadn’t lost about five minutes waiting for the breaker to cool down he would have finished more than 90 laps,” said Ellis.

Varela is optimistic about his chances to do well in the final race at Hays.

“We saw the course last fall so we know what to expect,” he says. “I think I’ll do pretty well.”

Karlee Logan removes the batteries from her car so they can be replaced with a fresh set before the car competes in a second race on Tuesday with Nancy Wiebe behind the wheel.

(Record Photo)

Rodney Schreck made the trip from Hialeah, Fla., to participate in Tuesday’s ElectroRally race in Scott City.

(Record Photo)

Vacation

SCHS senior Peter Nguyen and team instructor Chuck Ellis make final adjustments to his vehicle prior to the afternoon session. Nguyen finished in third place overall with 26.19 miles during the hour long race.

(Record Photo)

J&R Car and Truck Center

“The biggest changes have been with the battery configurations. I’ve had the batteries behind me, then I switched them to the front and next I split them, one in the front and one in the back,” he says.

His most recent vehicle still has split batteries, one on each side of the driver which operate on a continuous circuit.

Advancements in battery power, from the old lead-acid type that had to be filled with water to the completely self-contained batteries in use today have been among the biggest changes in electric vehicles.

With everyone having access to a near identical source of power, one has to pay attention to other details in order to gain a winning edge, emphasizes Schreck.

“You need to have everything working at 100 percent. That’s the only way to win a race. We’re

208 W. 5th St., Scott City 620-872-2103 800-886-2103

(continued from page one)

talking about the wheels, the bearings, having the battery properly charged, the right gear ratio, the right chain tension, air pressure and it also comes down to how you drive.

There are so many variables in electrathon racing,” he says.

Schreck participates in a south Florida circuit that is wrapping up its spring season in May in advance of hurricane season. It will resume in November. He competed in a race last Saturday in Tampa and will return in time to race this Saturday in Pensacola.

They compete in a variety of road courses and oval tracks, some of them more than 2-1/2 miles long.

“It was a long trip but it was a chance to see a part of the country I hadn’t been in before. And I had a great time racing against the kids here,” added Schreck.

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The Scott County Record

Youth/Education

3 local youth are FB state poster winners In an effort to reduce accidents by developing safety-minded youth, Kansas Farm Bureau has sponsored safety poster programs for nearly 65 years.

Every year, several thousand youth in the first through sixth grades participate.

Posters are judged on the county level and the top poster from each division is submitted for judging at the state level. Those posters were narrowed down to the top 10 in each division then judged by a team of volunteers to determine the winning posters.

All three posters submitted by the Scott County Farm Bureau placed at the state level. They include: Grades 1-2: Tayler Koehn, 1st Grades 3-4: Ross Dirks, honorable mention Grades 5-6: Aamyiah Unger, 2nd According to Scott County Farm Bureau, preventable injury is the leading cause of death for Kansas children. More children die annually from preventable, unintentional injuries than from all childhood diseases combined.

This year, one child in four will suffer a preventable injury serious enough to require medical attention.

Rodriguez named HCC ambassador Diana Rodriguez, a sophomore from Scott City, has been named a student ambassador for the 201516 academic year at Hutchinson Community College.

The Ambassador group, comprised of HCC students, assists the admissions office with recruiting and conduct campus visits and tours throughout the year. The group also contacts current and prospective students to address questions about HCC.

Wheatland awards scholarships to Hutchins, Hembree

Wheatland Electric announced the winners of its inaugural scholarship program at its annual meeting on April 15.

Area seniors awarded $1,000 scholarships are Marshal Hutchins of Scott Community High School and Skyler Hembree of Wichita County High School.

Blood results a concern for SCHS students, staff Blood work that was conducted during the “Survivor Health Fair” at Scott Community High School offered some interesting results, according to health nurse Annie Emberton.

Following area results of the 40 SCHS students who paid to have blood tests: •Elevated cholesterol in 15 students, or 38%.

High cholesterol can mean higherthan-normal fatty deposits in blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through the arteries.

•Elevated ALT/AST (liver enzymes) in five students, or 13%.

Elevated liver enzymes may indicate inflammation or damage to cells in the liver.

•Elevated creatinine (kidney function) in five students.

Elevated creatinine level can signal impaired kidney function or disease.

Of the 19 staff members who had blood tests: •Elevated cholesterol in nine, or 47%.

•HGA1C in five staff, or 26%.

This can mean the increased risk, or the onset of diabetes.

Page 11 - Thursday, April 23, 2015

a memorable year Sports, new family among highlights for local exchange student Exchange student Pierre Portes said he had no idea what to expect when advised last year that he would be spending the school year in Scott City.

“I knew nothing about Kansas,” says the 16-year-old from Lautrec (pop.

1,673), in southern France. “I looked it up and I saw something about tornadoes, so I was a little scared.”

Those fears didn’t last long and as he nears the end of his stay, Portes can’t imagine being in a better place or having a better experience.

“This was much better than I ever imagined,” says Portes. “I love being in an American school.”

A rugby player at home, Portes had no trouble adapting to American sports, participating in football, wrestling and now tennis.

“Football was my favorite,” says Portes, who was surprised when he had the opportunity to become a varsity kicker late in the season.

His other two highlights were playing in the state championship football game and watching the Beavers win the state basketball tournament.

“Those will be some of my greatest memories,” he says with a huge smile.

Of course, that wasn’t the primary reason Portes took part in the exchange program.

“I wanted to improve my English and learn the culture,” he says, “and to meet as many people as I can.”

Portes has been living with Dr. Robert and Kami Rosin and their family. This is the Rosins second opportunity to host an exchange student through Education, Travel and Culture (ETC), a non-profit organization that provides international exchange opportunities for high school students.

“From the moment he arrived, the town just adopted him as our own,” said Kami Rosin. “It’s been a perfect match.”

“Hosting exchange students has been a great experience for our family,” says Mrs. Rosin. “In a small town, you may not get the diversity of a big city and this is a great way to teach our children about other cultures.”

Portes was quickly adopted by his host brothers Dylan, 16, and Joshua, 11.

He has even documented his experiences with several entertaining YouTube videos. Portes will be departing from Scott City on May 23.

ETC staff members have maintained regular contact with the Rosins and Pierre to ensure that the experience is positive. The organization also orga-

Pierre Portes in front of the Statue of Liberty during his trip to New York City.

ETC info meeting is Saturday Education, Travel and Culture (ETC) and the Dr. Robert Rosin family will be hosting an informational meeting on Sat., April 25, 3:00 p.m., in the Scott Community High School commons area.

Persons interested in learning more about the program and how they can become a host family are encouraged to attend.

For more general information call Carrie Billbe at (785) 845-1309 or email cbillbe@edutrav.org. Or visit www.edutrav.org. nized trips for Portes and other exchange students to San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City.

“We are beyond pleased,” said Mrs. Rosin. “This has been a tremendously

rewarding experience.”

Portes and the Rosins plan to stay in touch as hosting typically is just the first step in a life-long international relationship.

4 school districts file for emergency funds Four Kansas school districts have applied for special funding from the legislature for the current fiscal year, arguing they have extraordinary needs after lawmakers recently cut K-12 operating and maintenance aid for most schools statewide.

Concordia, Skyline, Louisburg and Lebo-Waverly have submitted requests under a new program created by the legislature when it cut more than $50 million from operating and maintenance budgets for this fiscal year.

The cuts were part of a bill which replaces the state’s K-12 funding system with block grants. The bill simultaneously set aside $4 million that could go

to school districts that can make a case they have extraordinary needs.

The applications will be considered by a bipartisan panel of legislative leaders and the governor. A decision from that panel is expected in the third week of next month. The application window will remain open, meaning it is possible more districts could apply.

The four that have submitted requests for about $630,000. Concordia is seeking about half of that.

Supt. Bev Mortimer says her district had already struggled this year with an unexpected, significant drop in its atrisk funding - related to a decrease in the number of children who qualify for free lunch. This necessitated changes

to spending after the fiscal year had already begun, which was difficult because staff contracts were already in place at that point, she said.

The district shed some positions through attrition, she said, and parent groups agreed to take over the cost of this year’s field trips.

Tallies from the Kansas State Department of Education indicate the district then lost about $120,000 more in maintenance and operating aid under the block grant legislation.

Senate Bill 7 includes extraordinary needs funds for the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, too - $12.3 million and $17.5 million, respectively.

For the Record What to know about your credit score updates The Scott County Record

Jason Alderman

Credit scoring has evolved over the last three decades and this fall, FICO made one more important change.

Borrowers who have struggled with medical debt and those with a limited credit history might see better FICO numbers in the future. Even if these situations don’t apply to you, understanding how credit scoring is changing can help you better manage your credit over time.

The Scott County Record Page 12 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

FICO Score 9, rolled out last fall, is described as a more “nuanced” version of the original FICO Score that the leading credit scoring company introduced in 1989.

It is offered by three major credit bureaus Equifax (www.equifax. com), Experian (http:// www.experian.com) and TransUnion. (http://www. transunion.com).

It now bypasses collection agency accounts and weighs medical debt differently than non-medical

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., April 23, 2015; last published Thurs., April 30, 2015)2t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS LONNIE HOLMES and SHERRI HOLMES, plaintiffs vs.

FRANK REBARCHEK and PAM REBARCHEK, defendants Case No. 14-CV-23 AMENDED NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY Notice is amended from April 9 and 16 publications to read as follows: Notice is hereby given that under and by virtue of an execution issued by the Clerk of the District Court in and for said County of Scott, in a certain action in said case No. 2014-CV-23, wherein the parties above named were respectively Petitioner and Respondent, and to me the undersigned Sheriff of said county directed, I will offer cash in hand, at the front door of the court house in the City of Scott City, in Scott County on the 12th day of May, 2015, at 10:00 o’clock a.m. of said day, the following described personal property, to wit: MAKE 2011 GMC

MODEL Pickup

What doesn’t FICO 9 address?

At this point, the latest credit-scoring model really doesn’t loosen or change requirements for mortgage and refinancing opportunities. Even so, there are many things ordinary borrowers can do to improve their credit scores and overall financial health over time.

The first step is for borrowers to review each of their credit reports once a year. Credit reports and credit scores are two dif-

Special Meetings USD 466 Board of Education Agenda Administration Building • 704 College Mon., April 27 • 12:30 p.m.

1) Meet and greet with SCHS principal candidate No business to be conducted 2) Recess or adjourn Thurs., April 30 • 12:30 p.m.

1) Meet and greet with SCHS principal candidate 2) Adjourn Fri., May 1 • 10:00 a.m.

1) Executive session - non-elected personnel 2) Possible action on non-elected personnel 3) Adjourn

SERIAL NUMBER Vin#1GT121CG7BF237517

Glenn Anderson, Scott County Sheriff WALLACE, BRANTLEY & SHIRLEY 325 Main Street - P.O. Box 605 Scott City, Kansas, 67871 Attorneys for Petitioner

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., April 23, 2015; last published Thurs., May 7, 2015)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ETTA FERN ASHCRAFT, deceased Case No. 2015-PR-06 NOTICE OF HEARING AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS You are hereby notified that on the 15th day of April, 2015, a Petition was filed in this Court by Diana Jennison, an heir, devisee and legatee, and Executor named in the First Codicil to the Last Will and Testament of Etta Fern Ashcraft, deceased, dated August 13, 2009 praying that the Will filed with the Petition be admitted to probate and record; that she be appointed as Executor without bond; that she be granted Letters Testamentary.

You are required to file

debt on a person’s credit record.

Borrowers with a median score of 711 whose only negative credit data comes from medical collections will see their credit score go up 25 points under the new system.

As for consumers with limited credit histories what the industry calls “thin files” - FICO says the new system will better determine the ability of someone in that situation to repay a debt.

your written defenses thereto on or before the 20th day of May, 2015, at 9:00 o’clock a.m., in said Court, in the City of Scott City, in Scott County, Kansas, at which time and place said cause will be heard. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition.

All creditors are notified to exhibit their demands against the Estate within four months from the date of the first publication of this Notice, as provided by law, and if their demands are not thus exhibited, they shall be forever barred.

Diana Jennison, Petitioner WALLACE, BRANTLEY & SHIRLEY 325 Main Street P.O. Box 605 Scott City, Kansas 67871 (620) 872-2161 Attorneys for Petitioner

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ferent things.

Consider credit scores as a three-digit summary of creditworthiness; credit reports are the detailed record of a borrower’s credit history.

Consumers can view each of their credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion once a year for free (www. annualcreditreport.com).

Stagger receipt of each agency’s credit reports throughout the year to weed out any inconsistencies, inaccuracies,

or worse, indications of fraudulent credit applications or identity theft.

Borrowers are seeing something else that’s new - some lenders are making the credit scores they apply to existing borrowers available for free. A few major lenders have taken part in the industryonly FICO Score Open Access Program, which lets current customers see the exact credit scoring data applied to them at no charge.

(See CREDIT on page 13)

Scott Co. LEC Report Scott City Police Department April 15: Irma McDaniel, driving a 2004 Buick, was pulling out of a parking lot at 102 Main and turning southbound at the same time a 2012 Chrysler, driven

by Elsa Villarreal, was merging to the southbound lane.

Both vehicles collided.

April 16: Ronald Shearer, 26, was arrested for driving on a suspended license and transported to the LEC. Scott County Sheriff’s Department April 15: A report was taken of a runaway.

April 16: A lost property report was taken at 5500 East Road 210.

April 20: Dylan Rosin, driving a 2000 Chevrolet, was southbound on Kansas Road and had stopped at the intersection with K96 Highway. Rosin began turning east onto K96 when he struck the trailer of a westbound semi-truck driven by Sergio Trevizo-Varela.

(Published in The Scott County Record on Thurs., April 23, 2015)1t

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING FOR AMENDING THE 2014-15 BUDGET The governing body of Unified School District No. 466 will meet on May 11, 2015, at 6:45 p.m., at 704 S. College, Scott City, Kansas, for the purpose of hearing and answering objections of taxpayers relating to the proposed amended use of funds.

Detailed budget information is available at the USD No. 466 District Office and will be available at this hearing.

SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS

2014-15 Adopted Budget

Fund General

Susan Carter Board Clerk

Actual Tax Rate

Amount Expenditures and of Tax to be Levied Transfers

20.00 1,974,653

6,067,670

Proposed Amendment 2014-15 Budget Expenditures and Transfers 6,121,984

The Scott County Record • Page 13 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Credit (continued from page 12)

FICO’s site doesn’t offer the names of participating lenders, but a customer should ask their lender if they are offering free scores through that program.

Consumers should know how credit scores are compiled. FICO uses five key ingredients: •Payment history (35 percent) •Amounts owed (30 percent) •Length of credit history (15 percent) •New credit (10 percent) •Types of credit used (10 percent).

Visit www.myfico.com for a list of tips for borrowers to improve their scores. Base FICO scores have a 300 to 850 score range, and although FICO doesn’t release what it considers good or bad scores, borrowers with excellent credit typically have scores in the mid700s and up.

There are ways to preserve and raise existing credit scores. It might be wise for borrowers to ask if they can increase the credit limit on individual accounts while paying down existing balances on those accounts. Smart borrowers generally keep their outstanding balances at 30 percent or less of their available credit limit.

Bottom line: Smart credit management starts with an understanding of one’s credit reports and credit scores.

Public Notice (Published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., April 23, 2015)1t BEFORE THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF KANSAS NOTICE OF FILING APPLICATION RE: Landmark Resources, Inc- Application for Commingling of Production in the Janzen 2-1 in Scott County, Kansas.

TO: All Oil and Gas Producers, unleased Mineral Interest Owners, Landowners, and all persons whosoever concerned.

You, and each of you, are hereby notified that Landmark Resources, Inc. has filed an application to commingle the Altamont and Cherokee producing formations at the Janzen 2-1, located 663’ from the south line and 2185’ from the west line of SW/4 Sec. 1-T17S-

34W in Scott County, Kansas.

Any persons who object to or protest this application shall be required to file their objections or protests with the Conservation Division of the State Corporation Commission of the State of Kansas within fifteen (15) days from the date of publication.

These protests shall be filled pursuant to Commission regulations and must state specific reasons why the grant of the application may cause waste, violate correlative rights, or pollute the natural resources of the State of Kansas.

All persons interested or concerned shall take notice of the foregoing and shall govern themselves accordingly.

Landmark Resources, Inc. 1616 S. Voss Road, #600 Houston, TX. 77057

Public Notice (Published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., April 23, 2015)1t BEFORE THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF KANSAS NOTICE OF FILING APPLICATION RE: Landmark Resources, Inc- Application for Commingling of Production in the Krebs 2-6 in Scott County, Kansas.

TO: All Oil and Gas Producers, unleased Mineral Interest Owners, Landowners, and all persons whosoever concerned.

You, and each of you, are hereby notified that Landmark Resources, Inc. has filed an application to commingle the Marmaton and Cherokee producing formations at the Krebs 2-6, located 1125’ from the north line and 335’ from the east line

of NE/4 Sec. 6-T17S-33W in Scott County, Kansas.

Any persons who object to or protest this application shall be required to file their objections or protests with the Conservation Division of the State Corporation Commission of the State of Kansas within fifteen (15) days from the date of publication.

These protests shall be filled pursuant to Commission regulations and must state specific reasons why the grant of the application may cause waste, violate correlative rights, or pollute the natural resources of the State of Kansas.

All persons interested or concerned shall take notice of the foregoing and shall govern themselves accordingly.

Landmark Resources, Inc. 1616 S. Voss Road, #600 Houston, TX. 77057

Antique and Collectible

Saturday, May 2 • 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, February 2 • 11:00 a.m. Location: 4-H Building, at the fairgrounds, south edge of Garden City

Shirley Mitchell and Lora Tackett - Owners

Antique Furniture Oak library table Round oak dining table with 4-oak chairs Oak ice box, 3-door 2-round entry tables Sofa table Entry table Oak chiffarobe with mirror Wash stand 2-early American chairs Singer treadle sewing machine in oak cabinet Oak rocking chair Kitchen cabinet bottom 2-iron single beds Antique and Collectibles Black amethyst glass, some signed Camel back trunk Jewelry Bull dog collection Metal Santa ice cream mold and other molds Aunt Jemima collection: bank, note pad, spice jar, S and P, cookie jar, etc.

Crock mixing bowls Old Roseville bowl Mantle clocks Wooden commode Old iron collection Cast iron door stops

Shaving mug, brush, straight edge razor Hats Sewing chest Spinning wheel, wooden Yarn winder, wooden Doll houses Brass angel weather vane Santa Claus collection Vintage Easter decorations Plastic Walt Disney characters Lots of Occupied Japan pieces Several child’s tea set collections Child’s tin rocker Copper bucket #40 Dazy butter churn Milk bottles Collection of old kitchen utensils Little Golden books Cast Iron: waffle irons, skillets, corn bread pans, sausage stuffer, child’s stove and other items Mickey Mouse collection Antique slot machine Miniature slot machine Gumball machine Mr. Peanut bank Dr. Pepper wooden box Stackable trunks

Wash board Old jars 5 ft. aluminum Christmas tree Vintage Christmas decorations Brass spittoon Large Victorian pewter ink well, 1837-1900 Coal shovel Crocheted bedspread, made by Mrs. Pryor Parking meter on stand Old chewing gum dispenser from filling station Cups and saucers Pyrex bowls Lots of blue glass Egg crate Electric train set Sheet music Remote control airplane Enamelware Hesston belt buckles Tinware Indian motorcycle model Picture frames Blue Willow dishes Brass brothel tokens Toys: Marx tin CocaCola truck, Tonka toys, JD tractor and implements, metal doll kitchen, wicker doll stroller, doll furniture, Disney and other pinball games, tin train station and garage, wooden child’s

kitchen cabinet, oak child’s roll top desk Dolls: Kelvinator doll, life size dolls, Marx doll, black memorabilia dolls, Barbie dolls, many other dolls Tin child’s dishes English baby buggy Child’s wooden table and chairs Guns Savage 22 cal. and .410, over and under shot gun Colt 22 cal. derringer pistol, in box Household Items Sewing items and patterns Craft items Treadmill Tupperware Decorating items Cutlery Princess House dishes Water glass sets Filter Queen vacuum sweeper Kitchen utensils Canning supplies Nativity set Baskets Oak entertainment center (nice) Table cloths Lots of other items

Terms: Lunch Served. 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. Check us out: www.berningauction.com and facebook

The Scott County Record • Page 14 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Feds give Kansas ultimatum to expand Medicaid or lose funding $45 million in annual revenue at risk for state Phil Galewitz Kaiser Health News

Add Kansas and Tennessee to the list of states that have been warned by the Obama administration that failing to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act could jeopardize special funding to pay hospitals and doctors for treating the poor.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services confirmed Tuesday that it gave officials in those states the

same message that had been delivered to Texas and Florida about the risk to funding for so-called “uncompensated care pools” - Medicaid money that helps pay the cost of care for the uninsured.

CMS officials said they reached out to all nine states that get such funds.

Florida’s funding is set to expire June 30.

Funding for Texas will end in September 2016.

Kansas Medicaid officials say they received about $45 million this year in federal funding for their state uncompensated care program, which began in 2013 and is slated to continue through 2017.

Vikki Wachino, acting director of the Center For Medicaid and CHIP Services, said that expanding Medicaid coverage is a better way to help residents get access to health care than an “overreliance on supplemental payments” to providers through a program called the Low Income Pool (LIP).

“Medicaid expansion would reduce uncompensated care in the state,” she said.

Each state has negotiated its own program with the federal government to pay providers for treating the uninsured. But the programs differ in scope, funding and length of

time remaining.

Judy Solomon of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said the special federal funding that some states negotiated for uncompensated care was never supposed to last indefinitely. The need for the funding changed dramatically as millions of people gained health coverage under the health law.

Some experts were surprised the Obama administration linked Medicaid expansion to the special funding because of the potential legal issues.

“No one would be shocked to hear that states don’t need the money (See MEDICAID on page 15)

Rural hospitals are struggling financially with Medicare cuts There are a lot of small, rural hospitals in Kansas. Without them, many Kansans would have to travel long distances for care. What’s more, in many small towns, the hospital is one of the largest employers - making it vital to the local economy.

But declining populations, combined with changes in the way hospitals are paid for their services, are making it more difficult for many small hospitals to survive.

There is at least one hospital in 96 of the state’s 105 counties, according to Melissa Hungerford, senior vice president for health care leadership at the Kansas Hospital Association.

With 84 critical access hospitals, Kansas has the most in the country, she said.

Medicare introduced the critical access hospital designation in 1997 to help preserve access to health care in rural areas.

By federal law, critical access hospitals can’t have more than 25 beds, must offer around-theclock emergency room services and must keep (See RURAL on page 15)

Quality, price not a factor in most health decisions Jordan Rau Kaiser Health News

Despite the government’s push to make health information more available, few people use concrete information about doctors or hospitals to obtain better care at lower prices, according to a poll released Tuesday.

Prices for the health

care industry historically have been concealed and convoluted, unlike those for most other businesses.

The 2010 health reform law aimed to make such information more transparent. People shopping for insurance can now compare the prices of competing plans through online marketplaces, including premiums,

Avoid the stress with youth sports during the summer by the American Counseling Association

As spring days grow warmer and longer, outdoor activity increases for our children. This usually means it’s also time for more organized sports programs through city recreation commissions.

Baseball, softball, soccer or swim team are but some of the opportunities for kids to be active and have a good time.

One unfortunate side effect is that organized athletic activities can sometimes lose their focus on teaching children a sport and letting them enjoy the experience. Instead, kids can find themselves facing pressure and more stress as winning becomes over-emphasized.

Professional sports clearly have an excessive emphasis on winning.

The problem arises when that same emphasis is passed on to kids who really should be out developing or honing their skills and having lots of fun.

Parents, often without realizing it, can also add pressure on their child to perform well and to be a “winner.” It’s not only out-of-control parents fighting or abusing coaches and officials. Some parents, with the best of intentions, may be placing such a high value on athletic achievement that their child may feel like a failure unless he or she is winning and making Mom and Dad proud.

If you find that your family’s life revolves around your children’s sports activities, and that winning or losing plays a major role in how you react to your child, you may be contributing to your child’s stress.

When you’re getting upset or angry because your child’s team loses, or tease your child for not winning, or find yourself pushing your child to train harder and not be “lazy,” you may very well be causing problems without even realizing it.

We all want our children to do well but that doesn’t mean, especially in terms of sports, that they have to win all the time. When you communicate that to your children, even subtly or unintentionally, you’re putting them under pressure that no young person needs.

If you suspect that an over-emphasis on sports, or on winning, might be affecting your family, talk to an outside professional counselor who can offer suggestions for getting sports into their proper perspective.

Athletics should be a positive, enjoyable activity for our children.

“Counseling Corner” is provided by the American Counseling Association. Comments and questions to ACAcorner@counseling.org or visit the ACA website at counseling.org

Friendship ‘Meals to Go’ available from the VIP Center Individual frozen/sealed trays • Good for special diets only $3.25/meal • Call 872-3501

deductibles and their share of any medical expenses.

The federal government also publishes more than 100 quality ratings about hospitals, as do some large private insurers.

A poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that about 2-of-3 people say it is still difficult to know how much specific

doctors or hospitals charge for medical treatments or procedures. Only about 1-in-5 people said they had seen specific cost or quality information about a hospital, insurer or doctor.

The poll found that this information rarely makes a difference. About six percent of people ever used quality informa-

tion in making a decision regarding an insurer, hospital or doctor. And fewer than nine percent used information about prices, most commonly in relation to health plans.

Only three percent said they used price information about physicians.

This lack of practical information may be related to another major find-

ing from the poll: People are overconfident about their ability to pay medical bills without financial strain.

A majority of people told pollsters they had enough insurance coverage or money to pay for their usual medical costs or for an unplanned hospitalization.

(See QUALITY on page 15)

Lower revenue renews tobacco tax hike debate Bryan Thompson KHI News Service

More pessimistic state revenue estimates released this week could breathe new life into tobacco and alcohol tax increases that lawmakers thus far had ignored.

The state’s Consensus Revenue Estimating Group said Monday that Kansas should expect to collect about $5.71 billion in taxes in the fiscal year that begins July 1. That’s almost $100 million less than the group of economic experts estimated in November, making a difficult budget puzzle even more vexing for legislators.

The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network quickly seized on the new projections as evidence legislators should increase the tobac-

co tax.

“Making tobacco significantly more expensive is a powerful economic tool that will save lives and cut health care costs while also addressing Kansas’ budget shortfall,” said Reagan Cussimanio, the group’s government relations director in Kansas.

Before the Legislature went on break April 5, the Senate passed a budget that requires $6.48 billion from the state general fund. If that holds, the state will be planning to spend about $770 million more from the state general fund than it takes in.

That level of spending would entail transferring money from other funds to backfill the state general fund or imposing new taxes.

That already was the

If there’s any type of alcohol and cigarette tax, I’m sure it will be less than what the governor’s asking for and it will probably be a mix of consumption taxes too.

Rep. Jerry Henry (D-Atchison)

case, though to a lesser degree, before the new estimates came out. Gov. Sam Brownback had proposed a combination of transfers and tax increases to make up the difference.

After transferring money from sources including the state highway fund, Brownback proposed to fill the rest of the budget hole by slowing scheduled income tax cuts and adding significant alcohol and tobacco taxes expected to bring in about $210 million a year.

But industry groups pushed back on the “sin taxes,” and Brownback was lukewarm in encouraging legislators to look past the opposition.

Last week Sen. Jim Denning, vice chairman of the Senate budget committee, said the tobacco and alcohol tax increases were “dead, dead, dead.”

He proposed his own package of budget fixes, including a tax on electronic cigarettes.

Monday’s revenue adjustments mean that the state budget would be short even if all Denning’s ideas were enacted.

Rep. Jerry Henry, the top Democrat on the House budget committee, believes tobacco and alcohol taxes will be on the table when the legislature reconvenes April 29, but as part of a larger tax package.

(See DEBATE on page 15)

The Scott County Record • Page 15 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Survey: Big Drug payments to KC physicians

There’s nothing illegal choice of treatments, prewere paid an average of Centers for Medicare 1,360 teaching hospitals.

Dan Margolies about doctors taking pay- scribing patterns or clini$2,945 by drugmakers and Medicaid Services ProPublica, an online Heartland Health Monitor Doctors in Kansas City rake in more money from pharmaceutical companies than physicians in any other U.S. city, according to a survey by BetterDoctor.com.

The San Franciscobased company, a web and mobile-based physician search service, found that Kansas City doctors

the most in the nation.

Tyler, Texas, physicians were just behind, at $2,679, while Dallas doctors took in the next biggest amount - although, at $1,574, they were paid little more than half the Kansas City average.

The survey draws on a public database known as Open Payments, which is administered by the

Quality Rural (continued from page 14)

A majority also said paying insurance premiums, deductibles and their share of medical costs was relatively easy.

However, when asked how they would handle an unanticipated $500 medical bill, only 47 percent of insured adults under 65 said they would pay the bill in full immediately. The others said they would put it on a credit card and pay it out over time, borrow money or not be able to pay the bill at all.

Not surprisingly, those bills would be a bigger problem for those who lacked insurance.

If the medical bill were $1,500 - a sum that is less than the deductible in many insurance plans 25 percent of people with insurance thought they could pay it off immediately.

Another 29 percent said they would add it to their credit card debt, and 25 percent said they could not pay it at all.

Medicaid (continued from page 14)

because uncompensated care has dropped, but saying you are taking away this money because you are not expanding is trickier,” said Charlene Frizzera, a senior advisor at consulting firm Leavitt Partners.

But Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University’s Center For Children and Families, said the administration was simply acting as a steward of taxpayer money.

“I wouldn’t call it hardball, but rather responsible policy and fiscal oversight to ensure that federal tax dollars are spent in the most effective way,” she said. “When coverage is available to reduce the number of uninsured people . . . and states refuse those funds, why should the federal government provide them with unauthorized funding to put a band-aid on it?”

patients an average of no more than four days. To help these hospitals survive, Medicare reimburses them based on their actual costs.

“They used to receive from Medicare 101 percent of their Medicare-allowable costs,” said Hungerford.

“Sequestration took two percent, so critical access hospitals are receiving 99 percent of their allowable costs, and what’s allowable and not allowable is changing.”

Those changes are making life tougher on small hospitals, said Jodi Schmidt, president of the National Rural Health Assocation.

Debate “I believe those will still be in the mix,” said Henry, of Atchison. “If there’s any type of alcohol and cigarette tax, it will be less than what the governor’s asking for and it will probably be a mix of consumption taxes too.”

Public health advocates rallied around

(CMS), and covers the period from Aug. 1, 2013, to Dec. 31, 2013. The massive database was unveiled last fall and is part of the transparency initiative contained in the Affordable Care Act. CMS officials said that drug companies spent $3.5 billion during that period on 546,000 physicians nationwide and

investigative news organization whose “Dollars for Docs” database includes 3.4 million payments totaling more than $4 billion since 2009, said surveys conducted in 2004 and 2009 showed that more than three-quarters of doctors had at least one type of financial relationship with a drug or medical device company.

(continued from page 14)

“There are some basic things you would expect to have in a hospital, like television sets and telephones, that Medicare does not consider allowable costs,” Schmidt said.

“And then there are a number of physician costs outside of the emergency room and other sorts of operational overhead expense that the government doesn’t consider allowable.”

But even with the changes, she said, Medicare pays generously compared to what hospitals are able to collect from patients - largely the working poor - who have no insurance at all.

“Quite frankly, for patients who are respon-

sible for their own bills, it may be seven cents on the dollar that a hospital receives for the care of that patient,” Schmidt said. “So, when you have a growing number of uninsured like we do here in Kansas, those are patients for whom the critical access hospitals do not receive that costbased reimbursement.”

Schmidt said it would help if Kansas would expand Medicaid eligibility, as envisioned in the Affordable Care Act. Despite an aggressive lobbying campaign by hospitals, Gov. Sam Brownback and legislative leaders have refused to take that step.

(continued from page 14)

Brownback’s proposal to raise the state tax on a pack of cigarettes from 79 cents to $2.29, saying it would save 15,000 lives by causing some Kansans to quit smoking and others to never take up the habit. That also would save the state $1 billion in long-term health care

costs, they said.

A prominent researcher said data on past tobacco tax increases suggests that even as people quit smoking, Kansas still would gain tax revenue from the proposed increase.

ments from drug and medical device companies.

Indeed, doctors defend the practice, saying it helps them keep abreast of new medical and technological developments in their fields.

But the practice raises questions about potential conflicts of interest and whether the payments influence doctors in their

cal research findings.

The payments listed in the CMS database include consulting fees, royalties, research grants, travel reimbursements, free lunches and other items worth more than $10.

One reason Kansas City tops the list is because one of those physicians received $1.76 million (See PAYMENTS on page 17)

Pastime at Park Lane Doris Riner and Kim Smith led Sunday afternoon services.

Residents played pitch and dominoes on Monday afternoon. Game helpers were Dorothy King, Jary and Janet Goodman, Joy and Mandy Barnett, and Madeline Murphy.

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 a Bible study on Tuesday evening.

Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran Bible study on Wednesday morning.

Residents played bingo on Wednesday afternoon.

Madeline Murphy, Barbara Dickhut and Mandy Barnett were the helpers.

Elsie Nagel gave manicures on Thursday morning.

5 honored at April birthday party

The April birthday party was held on Thursday afternoon. Guests of honor were Darlene Richman, Bonnie Simon, Emogene Harp, Robin Day and Elsie Coleman.

Everyone enjoyed ice cream bars.

Baptist Church hosts craft day

The Immanuel Southern Baptist Church hosted crafts on Tuesday afternoon with the residents decorating a cross.

Volunteers from the Church included Joy Barnett, Jennifer Murphy, Bev Nuckolls and Mandy Barnett. Bev Nuckolls furnished cookies.

Residents played trivia on Thursday evening.

Fr. Bernard Felix led Catholic Mass on Friday morning. Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran services on Friday afternoon.

The Wright family performed on Friday evening.

Harold and Gary Wright played guitars and sang.

Wanda Wright furnished the refreshments.

Deaths

Dottie Fouquet was visited by Jon and Anne Crane, Ethan McDaniel, Mary Stormont, Sandy Higgins and Mark Fouquet.

Margie Harper was visited by Kathy Koehn and Elmer and Darlene Snyder.

Thelma Branine was visited by Alisa Moore and Bob and Linda Wilson.

LaVera King was visited by Velda Riddiough, Gloria Gough, Carol Latham, Luella Erskin; Harrison, Kay, and Randy King; Bob Jenkins and Shellie Carter.

Yvonne Spangler was visited by Les Spangler.

Cecile Billings was visited by Ann Beaton.

Nella Funk was visited

by Pastor Dennis Carter, Dianna Howard, Aaron and Mandy Kropp, Poodle Ortiz, Kim Smith and Margie Stevens.

Sr. Citizen Lunch Menu

Kurt A. Norman Kurt A. Norman, 54, died April 20, 2015, at the family farm in Scott County.

H e was born on Nov. 6, 1960, in Scott City, the son of E v e r e t t Kurt Norman Eugene and Edith Rose (Brooks) Norman.

He was a lifetime resident of Scott City. A graduate of Scott Community High School, he was an electrician.

Kurt was a member of the First Christian Church, Scott City.

Survivors include: two daughters, Megan Katt, and husband, Kale, Junction City, and Kaitlin Norman and Colter Wright, Scott City; four brothers, Jan Norman, and wife, JoAnn, Scott City, Reid

The Blue Steele Band performed on Saturday afternoon. Band members were Keith Steele, Mike Steele, and Daniel Dunn.

Keely Yeager was a special guest performer and played songs on her violin.

Dona Dee Carpenter was visited by Pastor Dennis Carter, Ann Hawkins, Fritzie Rauch and Gloria O’Bleness.

The Scott County Record • Page 16 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Norman, and wife, Cindy, Lubbock, Tex., Neil Norman, and wife, Bev, Manhattan, and Bret Norman, and wife, Janet, Adel, Ia.; three sisters, Sue Riner, and husband, Ron, Scott City, Sally Whitson, and husband, Don, Salina, and Sara Shane, and husband, Tom, Garden City; and one granddaughter.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one great nephew, Tanner Wood.

Memorial service will be held Sat., April 25, 10:30 a.m., at the First Christian Church, Scott City, with pastor Steve Payne officiating.

Memorials may be given to the First Christian Church in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871.

There will be no calling times.

Week of April 27 - May 1 Monday: Turkey tetrazzine, green beans, whole wheat roll, fruit cocktail with strawberries.

Tuesday: Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrot raisin salad, whole wheat bread, cinnamon apple slices.

Wednesday: Chef salad, whole wheat roll, pineapple.

Thursday: Salmon patty or beef fingers, creamed peas, tomatoes, whole wheat roll, apricots.

Friday: Chicken enchilada, rice pilaf, spinach salad, apple cobbler. meals are $3.25 • call 872-3501

by Jason Storm

Corine Dean was visited by Pastor Dennis Carter, Ron Hess, Linda Martindale, Dianna Howard, Aaron and Mandy Kropp, Poodle Ortiz, Kim Smith and Margie Stevens.

Emogene Harp was visited by Reed Harp, Ryan Harp, Alicia Harp, Rick Harp and Kim Smith.

Ann Tedford was visited by Peggy Mukai.

Bonnie Pickett was visited by Gloria Wright, Kim Smith and Margie Stevens.

Boots Haxton had as her visitors Donna Eitel, Tava See; Celina Chavez and her nieces; and Rod and Kathy Haxton.

Lorena Turley was visited by Neta Wheeler, Rex Turley, LuElma Cramer and Tracy Hess.

Delores Brooks was visited by Fay Hoover, Beth Tuck, Charles Brooks and Cheryl Perry.

Vivian Kreiser was visited by Larry and Sharon Lock.

Lucille Dirks was visited by Dale and Vicki Dirks.

Jake Leatherman was visited by Don and Jewell Unruh, Tava See and Otto Harp.

Lowell Rudolph was visited by Tom and Kathleen Moore, LuAnn Buehler and Caleb Carter.

Arlene Beaton was visited by Aaron, Holly, and Landry Beaton and Margie Stevens.

James Still and Mike Leach were visited by Linda Dunagan and Rev. Martin from St. Luke’s Church.

Darlene Richman was visited by Tina Turley and Phebe Unruh.

Jim Jeffery was visited

by Pastor Dennis Carter and Brady, Veronica and Carson.

The Scott County Record • Page 17 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Survey: majority of Kansans believe in climate change A majority of Kansans believe Earth’s climate is changing, but far fewer are sure humans are to blame - or that scientists are in agreement about what is causing the change.

Yale University recently released a map of how Americans answered questions about their opinions on climate change, with responses broken down by state, Congressional district and county.

Majorities of residents in all four Kansas districts said they agreed climate change is happening, though the number that

agreed with that statement ranged from 52 percent in the western First District to 65 percent in the Third District, which only covers the Kansas City metropolitan area.

In the Second District, which covers Topeka, 62 percent of residents said they thought climate change was happening.

The Yale data was based on its own national survey and third-party surveys, said spokeswoman Bessie Schwarz.

Kansas already has warmed, with average winter temperatures rising two degrees from 1895

Payments

(continued from page 15)

during the period in question - far and away the most of any Kansas City physician in the database.

That physician is Roger Jackson, an orthopedic surgeon who invented a widely used operating table for spinal surgeries and receives royalties for the invention. All but $30,254 of the $1.76 million Jackson received consisted of royalty or licensure payments.

Royalty and licensure payments account for more payments to doctors than any other category.

And as the New York Times reported last year in an article detailing the financial links between doctors and drugmakers, that’s not surprising: Drug and device makers regularly consult with doctors on developing products, and many doctors conduct clinical trials to help get products approved.

In other words, not all financial relationships are alike.

Divya Raghavan, the BetterDoctor analyst who compiled the survey, said there are any number of reasons why doctors in certain cities receive more money from pharmaceutical companies than those in others.

“One thing that goes into it is, are there a lot of doctors in the area who work closely with pharmaceutical companies? A lot of doctors will get lunches, maybe consulting fees, but the doctors who work directly with pharmaceutical companies get a ton of money,” she said. “They get royalties from all the drugs sold that they’ve helped develop. They’re getting flown out to London to do a speaking engagement about the drug.”

Raghavan also noted that many cities represented on the list tend to have high incidences of health problems like obesity and diabetes rates.

“Pharmaceutical companies are marketing to where they think doctors are prescribing the most,” she said.

“And so, if you’re a pharmaceutical company, you’re going to go to a place where there are a lot of people in the population who have high blood pressure, who have diabetes, who could conceivably be prescribed the drugs you’re making.”

District 11 AA Meetings

to 2009, according to the High Plains Regional Climate Center. Spring and summer temperatures rose more gradually, and autumn temperatures actually declined by 0.2 degrees.

Human Activity Kansans were less sure climate change is caused “mostly” by human activities, according to the Yale maps. About 46 percent of residents in the Second District thought so, and the other districts had similar results, ranging from 42 to 48 percent.

Only one-third of the

people in the Second District thought “most scientists think global warming is happening,” despite the fact that a larger percentage said they believe it themselves.

About 97 percent of climate scientists believe that climate change is likely due to human activities, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

Most Kansans also didn’t appear very worried about climate change, according to the Yale maps. In the Third District, 52 percent of people said they were worried, but that dropped to 49 per-

cent in the Second District and 44 percent in the First District.

Across the state, fewer than one-third of people thought climate change would affect them personally, and 50 percent or fewer thought people in the United States would be harmed in the near future.

Concerns increased, however, when it came to future generations. About 60 percent of people in the Second District thought future generations would be harmed, as did 52 percent of people in the First.

Despite some skepti-

cism about climate science, more than 70 percent of people in all four districts said they support funding research on renewable energy, twothirds or more said they supported regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant and more than half said they supported “strict” limits on carbon emissions from existing coalfired plants.

More than half also said they support requiring utilities to produce at least 20 percent of power from renewable sources - which Kansas already does.

Attend the Church of Your Choice

Be Inspiring Have you ever been inspired? You know, like watching a movie or reading a book and the character does something amazing that leaves you wanting to go and do something great. Has that ever happened to you?

It has me.

I read about a guy named Dean Karnazes. He is an ultramarathoner. An ultramarathon is any race longer than 26.2 miles. These races are usually 50-100 miles long. This guy is amazing. He does these things for fun and to push the limits of the human body.

He once ran a marathon on the South pole in -40 degree temperature. He ran a 135 mile race in Death Valley, Calif., in 120 degree temperature. That is amazing to me. But what really amazes me about this guy is that he wants to be inspiring.

In 1995, he noticed a problem in the world. He noticed that people (especially kids) are being lazy. They don’t want to do anything except sit on the couch and watch TV. So he decided to do something spectacular in hopes of inspiring other people to do something (like get off the couch).

So he decided to run 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days. WOW! He wanted to inspire people to do anything, that he pushed his own body to its human limits.

Why am I talking to you about running? I’m not. I have little desire to run. I can’t ever recall seeing any-

one running who is happy. (Most runners look like they’re trying to do complex math in their head while running). I’m writing this because anyone who considers themselves a follower of Christ (Christian), should in turn be inspiring to others.

Why? Because Jesus was inspiring. If you read His story, wherever He went, that’s where people wanted to be. Whatever He said, people were wanting more hanging on every word. Wherever He was going, that is where people wanted to go.

This wasn’t just the religious people. Quite the opposite. Jesus was accused by religious people of being a ‘drunk and a glutton’ because these were some of the people inspired by Him and His message. They wanted to be around Him. They wanted to be like Him. Jesus and His message were as attractive to those outside the church to those within.

So my thought for this week is to be like Jesus. Be like Dean Karnazes. Be someone who is inspiring. We have been given this extraordinary gift, yet most of us neglect to use it. We have been called to do extraordinary things, yet many of us settle for the ordinary.

If we were like Jesus, people outside the church as well as those within the church would be inspired by what they hear and see. That is our mission as Christ followers, right? Do something great for Jesus this week!

Pastor Shelby Crawford Community Christian Church, Scott City

Scott City Assembly of God

Prairie View Church of the Brethren

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

4855 Finney-Scott Rd. - Scott City - 276-6481 Pastor Jon Tuttle Sunday School: 10:00 a.m.

Morning Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Men’s Fellowship • Tuesday breakfast at 6:30 a.m.

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

Unity and Hope Mon., Wed. and Fri. • 8:00 p.m.

807 Kingsley Last Sat., Birthday Night, 6:30 p.m.

All open meetings, 874-8207 • 874-8118

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.

Dighton

First Baptist Church

Immanuel Southern Baptist Church

803 College - Scott City - 872-2339

1398 S. US83 - Scott City - 872-2264

Scott City

Thursday • 8:30 p.m.

535 Wichita St. All open meetings, 397-2647

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

Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

1st United Methodist Church 5th Street and College - Scott City - 872-2401 Dennis Carter, pastor 1st Sunday: Communion and Fellowship Sunday Services at 9:00 a.m. • Sunday School, 10:30 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 Father Don Martin Holy Eucharist - 11:45 a.m.

St. Luke’s - 872-5734 (recorded message) Senior Warden Bill Lewis • 872-3347 or Father Don Martin - (785) 462-3041

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.

Franklin Koehn: 872-2048 Charles Nightengale: 872-3056 Sunday School Worship Service: 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Evening Service: 7:00 p.m.

The Scott County Record • Page 18 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Youngsters who have reached 100 to 1,500 book milestones in the Scott County Library’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” reading program are:

Grant Young 100

Ammah Rye Haverfield • 100

Drew Birney 100

Aarren Radke 900

Shalyn Radke 300

Kirbey Rohrbough Kasey Rohrbough 1,400 1,400

Ava Hughes 1,500

taking the oath of office Newly elected and re-elected members of the Scott City Council took the oath of office to start a new year on Monday. Taking the oath are (back row, from left) Councilman Perry Nowak, Councilwoman Barbara Wilkinson, Mayor Dan Goodman, Councilman Bo Parkinson, Treasurer Dan Weides and Councilman Fred Kuntzsch.

Council members seated are (from left) Josh Gooden, Gary Eitel, Brad Venters and Everett Green.

(Record Photo)

Archeology training program celebrates 40 years Forty years ago, at the ancient site of El Quartelejo in Scott County, a group of about 90 people began a tradition that would involve generations of Kansans.

They started a program devoted to exploring Kansas’ archeological past.

The annual Kansas Archeology Training Program, a project of the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological

Association, began at the site in Kansas where refugees from the pueblos of the southwest fled in the 1600s.

These programs continued with a Quiviran site in Rice County from 1541, a Pomona in Coffey County from 1500, and an Upper Republican site in Mitchell County from 1500.

Over the 40 years the annual program has explored earlier civilizations through a range of

time periods from the earliest settlements to the territorial period.

Each year the Kansas Historical Society offers a field school, giving participants the opportunity to work alongside professional archeologists.

Individuals and families are invited to participate in a unique adventure to learn basic archeology principles in a fun, relaxed outdoor setting.

The success of this 40-year program was

recognized this year by the Society for American Archaeology (SAA).

The SAA’s Excellence in Public Education Award was presented at the annual meeting in San Francisco on April 17.

Participants will again have the opportunity to join in the training program when it is held June 5-20 at a High Plains prehistory village site near Hays.

Volunteers can participate for a couple of days

or the entire 16 days of the project. Participants may assist archeologists in strategic test excavation of the site and cleaning/ cataloging artifacts in the lab. Archeology technique courses are offered and may be taken for college credit or simply for personal enrichment.

Participation fee for the KATP field school is $20 for members of the Kansas Anthropological Association or Kansas Historical Foundation.

Nonmember fee is $80.

After May 5 the participation fee increases to $30 for members and $90 for nonmembers.

Children must be at least 10 years old and accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

For more information call Virginia Wulfkuhle at 785-272-8681, ext. 266.

The registration packet and further details are available on the KSHS website at www.kshs. org/14622.

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Sports The Scott County Record

On the warpath Indians run away with team title at Scott City Relays • Page 22

www.scottcountyrecord.com

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Scott City Relays

Page 19

Scott City sophomore Mikennon Donovan had a career best of 115-5 in the discus during Tuesday’s home invitational.

(Photo by Larry Caldwell)

Distance relays, Meyer strike gold in home meet The Scott Community High School boys weren’t about to let near-perfect conditions go to waste on Tuesday.

Conditions were right for some season bests and the Beavers responded on the track and in the field events with their best outing of the young season.

“We finally started seeing some kids compete the way we’d been expecting,” said head coach Jim Turner. “I feel

better now than I did after the Elkhart meet.”

The 4x800m relay took a huge step forward with a gold medal time of 8:30.81 - improving on their previous season best by nine seconds.

Each of the relay members turned in their fastest splits of the season, starting with leadoff runner Irvin Lozano (2:06.38), followed by Jess Drohman (2:08.94), Aaron Ruelas (2:15.2)

and Brett Meyer (2:00.49) in the anchor.

“We’re starting to run well as a team,” said Lozano who ran his fastest 800m since the state meet a year ago. “We’re starting to get into better shape.

Our time will keep improving.”

Drohman said that under Tuesday’s conditions he had set a goal of 2:08 and was pleased that he hit that mark.

Even though Ruelas, a fresh-

man, trailed the other three members of the relay, he got high praise from distance coach Kevin Reese.

“You want to see kids who will push themselves beyond what they think they’re capable of doing. Aaron got outside his comfort zone and may have even surprised himself at how well he could run,” said Reese.

Ruelas needed that kind of effort to stay within contact of

Ulysses after completing the third leg. When he passed the baton to Meyer the Beavers trailed by about 10 yards, but Meyer wasted no time making up that ground. The senior was running by himself on the final lap and crossed the finish line 11 seconds ahead of Ulysses.

Scott City added another win in the 4x400m relay with a season best of 3:30.91 - more than (See RELAYS on page 24)

Pain-free Stevens collects 800m silver at Relays The Scott City coaching staff has been waiting for a healthy Makaela Stevens to get on the track this spring.

The wait finally ended on Tuesday in the Scott City Relays when the freshman finally showed a glimpse of her potential with season-best performances in the 4x800m relay and the open 800m.

“I’m finally able to run without pain,” says Stevens who couldn’t workout on the track for the first three weeks of the season due to a hip injury.

“Now I have to get in shape so I can bring my times down,” she noted.

Stevens ran a very good 2:37 opening split in the relay which gave the SCHS girls an early lead and they coasted to an easy win in 10:51.82 - 18 seconds ahead of Colby.

Kylee Trout also had a season best (2:42.63) in the 4x800 relay while the team shaved more than six seconds off their previous best time of the season. Other relay members were Paige Winderlin (2:49.18) and Cami Patton (2:41.87).

Stevens followed with a 2:34.48 in the 800m which was good enough for a silver medal in the Class 3-4A division. She was (See STEVENS on page 20)

SCHS freshman Emily Smith clears the bar at seven-foot during the pole vault at the Scott City Relays on Tuesday.

(Record Photo)

Big comeback ends in frustration for SC Scott City softball coach Erin Myers and her team were upset with themselves for letting a 12-6 lead slip away from them in Friday’s nightcap against Holcomb.

They were more upset with how it Scott City 4 12 happened.

Holcomb 14 13 It began with two plays in which SCHS players appeared to easily slide

under tag attempts - one of those involving Krystal Appel at home plate - only to be called out.

The frustration was capped by a call at home plate in which it appeared that Scott City had tagged the runner out, only to have the umpire rule catcher interference and allow the game-tying run in the bottom of the sixth.

Holcomb (5-1) would go

on to win the game in extra innings, 13-12, to go along with 14-4 win in the opener.

“As a coach and for the players it’s very frustrating,” says Myers. “Our girls are putting themselves in position to win games and to lose like this is tough.”

Trailing 6-0 after two innings, it appeared SCHS might be mercy-ruled again in the second half of the double-

header. However, they were able to get back into the game playing small ball - 16 singles on 17 hits.

“We’ve been working on our hitting and convincing the girls not to swing for the fence. That was leading to too many pop outs,” says Myers. “We want the girls to make solid contact, put the ball in play and force the defense to do something.”

As a result, the first two bat-

ters in the top of the third inning reached base on errors, followed by a pair of singles and a walk before Amanda Kough’s three-run over-the-fence home run cut the lead to 6-5.

Scott City (3-5) carried that momentum into the fourth inning when five more singles contributed to seven runs and a 12-6 lead.

(See SOFTBALL on page 24)

The Scott County Record • Page 20 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Outdoors in Kansas by Steve Gilliland

Smelling double skunks

I wonder how many of you realize there are two different skunk species living in Kansas; the Striped Skunk with which we are very familiar, and the Eastern Spotted Skunk, often referred to by old-timers as civet cats.

I regularly peruse the legislative updates given on the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism website, and one specifically caught my eye today.

Senate Bill 269 (SB 269) would remove the Eastern Spotted Skunk from the Kansas list of threatened species. I knew there were spotted skunks in Kansas, but have never seen one myself, nor did I know anything about them, so off to Mr. Google I ran.

As Kansas became populated at the beginning of the 20th century, eastern spotted skunks moved northward and westward into the state.

The small diversified family farms that existed back then with numerous hay stacks, tree rows, woodlots and myriads of small farm buildings favored the spotted skunk, and they thrived.

Over the decades as farming has become bigger, cleaner and more efficient, the spotted skunk population has shrunken to where there are now only pockets of them in a few southeastern and west-central counties; they just couldn’t adapt like the striped skunk and in 1982 they were added to the Kansas list of threatened species.

Eastern Spotted Skunks are smaller than a common house cat and are built long and low to the ground with bodies that more resemble a weasel.

They have a white triangular nose patch, a mostly black tail and four to six white stripes arranged in (See SKUNKS on page 22)

Late innings are rough on Beavers Getting off to a good start hasn’t been the biggest problem for the Scott Community High School baseball team.

I t ’ s the finish that’s been the 5 Beavers’ Scott City Great Bend 9 downfall as they Scott City 1 d r o p p e d Hays-TMP 12 games to Hays-TMP and Great Bend in a triangular on Tuesday.

SCHS dropped the opener to Class 5A Great Bend, 9-5, and were then

shellacked in the nightcap

by TMP, 12-1.

The Beavers, however, had their chances in the opener against the Panthers, leading 2-1 in the top of the third.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Scott City battled back with two runs in the third.

Hunter Braun singled and scored on a RBI single by Kyle Cure to tie the game. Cure would later score on an infield error.

SCHS fell behind again, 3-2, but scored three more runs in the top of the fifth inning.

A RBI single by Chase Rumford tied the game at 3-3. Scott City was able to fill the bases and Aaron Hoopes scored on an infield error to give the Beavers a one run lead.

They extended that advantage to 5-3 when Rumford scored on another error.

However, the Beavers faltered in the late innings once again, allowing four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

“I had to pull (starting pitcher Baker) Sloan because of a sore arm and Great Bend was able to

start putting a bat on the ball,” says head coach Neil Baker. “We didn’t give Justin (Faurot) much help defensively.”

“I don’t know if it’s a mental thing with so many young kids or physical, but we haven’t been able to finish games. We give ourselves a chance until the fifth or sixth inning and then it gets away from us,” says Coach Baker.

After a 2-1/2 hour game against the Panthers, Baker says the team was never in the second game mentally. TMP scored four runs in each of the

second and third innings and the game ended on the mercy rule after five innings.

SCHS was limited to just four hits in the nightcap.

“Sloan and Gustavo (Gonzales) are pitching well. They’re developing three or four pitches and they’re throwing them for strikes,” says Baker.

“We just need to find a little more consistency at the plate and take care of things in the field so we can start getting some wins.”

Stevens (continued from page 19)

Haley Allen passes the baton to Olivia Prieto in the 4x100m relay on Tuesday.

(Record Photo)

only 1.5 seconds behind Goodland’s Lacie Siruta.

The Lady Beavers enjoyed a number of season best times, including Patton (2:37.41) who picked up a bronze medal in the 800m.

Cayleigh Ramsey cleared eight-foot in the pole vault for a career best and a third place finish.

Winderlin’s 63.25 in the open 400m was her fastest of the season.

The 4x400m relay sliced more than 10 seconds off their previous best time this season with a 4:21.32 that was good enough for fifth place in the 3A-4A division. Three of the four runners had their fastest relay splits, including Shantice Lara (63.1), Emily Smith (64.76) and Macy Berning (66.72).

Lizzy Eikenberry’s toss of 87-3 was good for fifth place and a season best in the discus. Olivia Prieto’s 14:18 was a season best and earned her fifth place in the 3200m.

The Scott County Record • Page 21 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

SC doubles Beavers are runner-up at Elkhart; wins gold long layoff takes edge off thinclads A second place finish and a number of season bests offered a bright spot for the Scott Community High School boys in only their second meet of the season.

But those bright spots weren’t enough for head coach Jim Turner following his team’s performance at the Elkhart Invitational on Friday.

“The improvements that we saw were maybe a few inches in the throwing events or a second or two in the runs. It wasn’t anything to get excited about,” said Turner.

The Elkhart track meet was a last second change in the SCHS schedule amid concerns the Smoky Valley Invitational would be rained out - which it was.

The Beavers captured just four gold medals while finishing behind Hugoton in the team standings.

All four members of the 4x400m relay team had their fastest splits of the season and the relay claimed a gold medal in a season best of 3:31.77.

Team members were Trey O’Neil (53.91), Drake McRae (52.47), Irvin Lozano (54.11) and Brett Meyer (51.12).

The relay normally includes Wyatt Kropp, but he didn’t compete at Elkhart in order for Turner to see what O’Neil could do with this combination of runners.

“Right now, Irvin’s the odd man out,” Turner noted.

“But there’s still some season left. We’ll see how the guys improve.”

O’Neil (54.01) also ran a season best in the open 400m for a bronze medal while Irvin (54.17) finished fourth. In addition, O’Neil finished fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 39-1 1/2).

The 4x800m (8:42.19) was nearly 2.5 seconds behind their season best with only Miguel Chavez (2:15.52) running his fastest time of the season. That was still fast enough for the Beavers to claim a first place finish.

Other relay members included I. Lozano (2:13.31), Jess

at Ulysses

Scott City claimed a gold medal in No. 1 doubles and the Beavers tied for second place in the team standings at the Ulysses Invitational on Tuesday.

Dylan Hutchins and Bo Hess rolled through pool play with an unblemished record and faced Garden City in the championship match, winning the title, 6-5.

Pierre Portes was runnerup in No. 1 singles, falling to Meade in the championship round, 6-4.

Hugo Martinez added a fourth place finish in No. 2 singles.

Garden City and Meade shared the team title with 18 points while SCHS was a point behind in third place in the eight-team field.

Scott City senior Miguel Chavez competes in the 3200m during the Scott City Relays on Tuesday.

(Record Photo)

Drohman (2:11.44) and Meyer (2:02.63).

Cooper Griffith improved on his season best in the discus by more than 18 feet with a toss of 128-9.5 to pick up a gold medal. Wyatt Eitel added a bronze medal with a toss of 124-9.

However, Griffith’s toss was still well below the 140-plus feet he’s been throwing in practice, says Turner.

Chantz Yager cleared 10-foot in the pole vault for another first place medal.

seconds off his previous best in the 300m int. hurdles to post a time of 43.4 and earn a silver medal. Meyer also ran a season best of 2:01.7 in the 800m for a second place finish.

Scott City’s 4x100m relay added a silver medal in 45.46.

Team members were Kropp, O’Neil, I. Lozano and McRae.

Looking for Answers Given the overall lack of improvement from their season opening meet on April 2, Turner says he and the other coaches are wondering if it might benThree Silvers Drake McRae’s shaved 1.32 efit the team to have another

Spring FREE

Runnerup at Trego Hutchins and Hess finished second in No. 1 doubles at the Trego County varsity meet on April 14.

They defeated Colby (8-5) and Russell (8-1) with their only loss by an 11-9 tie-breaker to Trego.

The No. 1 doubles team of Christian Wolfe/Hayden Nevills also claimed a silver medal with wins over Russell (8-1) and Trego (8-5). Their only loss was to Colby (8-6).

The Beavers will be hosting their varsity invitational on Fri., April 24, starting at 3:00 p.m.

SCMS track invite Tuesday

varsity meet during the 13 day gap.

“We had good practices during that time, but we’re still Scott City Middle School wondering if something is misswill host it’s annual track inviing,” says Turner.

He said if they add another tational on Tues., April 28, with meet between Ulysses and what field events starting at 9:30 a.m. has been the Smoky Valley meet, it would mean dropping out of either the Holcomb (April 17) or Russell (May 8) track meets. Turner would prefer keeping the Russell meet since it’s a chance to see Class 3A and 4A competition from central Kansas and it’s a week before the league track meet.

(See ELKHART on page 23)

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The Scott County Record • Page 22 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

WCHS wins SC Relays

QB is top priority Schumacher for Hawks, claims 3 Wildcats gold medals Kansas and Kansas State will play their intersquad football games on Saturday to wind up spring practice.

The focus of both teams is finding a quarterback.

The Wildby cats will play Mac at Kansas City Stevenson Sporting Park because of construction going on at Snyder Family Stadium.

Coach Bill Snyder has indicated that the main QB competition is between junior Joe Hubener (6-4, 205) and sophomore Jesse Ertz (6-4. 210). Both will play substantial minutes.

Kansas will have their intersquad game at Memorial Stadium with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. This will be the Jayhawks’ first public performance under new coach David Beaty and his staff.

Competing for the starting quarterback role are Michael Cummings (5-10, 210) and junior Montell Cozart (6-2, 195) . So far Cummings has been the better competitor during their careers.

Offensive coordinator Rob Lyles knows he has to find out whether or not Cozart has matured enough to handle the pressure and hitting in college football. Unless Cozart has matured it appears that Cummings will start the season.

Ellis Will Return Last week the Kansas basketball team received their most important player commitment for the 201516 season and it wasn’t from a high school player.

Perry Ellis decided to come back for his senior year.

With Ellis back, Coach Bill Self has two factors that haven’t been simultaneously present on his team for some time - talent and experience.

At point guard, shooting guard and small forward, Self will have junior Frank Mason, sophomore Devanteʹ Graham, junior Wayne Selden, junior Brannen Greene, and sophomore Svi Mykhailiuk.

The prediction here is that the six-foot-eight Mykhailiuk - with added strength and maturity - will become one of the best perimeter players in the nation.

(See PRIORITY on page 25)

Once the Wichita County High School boys hit the track they have been a force to reckon with this season.

The Indians captured gold medals in two relays, Jacob Schumacher picked up a pair of individual golds and the team claimed two more silvers on their way to a team title at the Scott City Relays on Tuesday.

WCHS (115) easily outdistanced Stanton County (82) and Sublette (70) in a tough 12-team field in the 1A-2A division.

Schumacher continues to impress, winning both the 200m (23.38) and the 400m (52.47) - hardly being tested in either.

“This meet gave me a good indication of where I am against some good competition. The coaches are preparing me well,” he says.

Schumacher didn’t compete in the 100m, but that remains a possibility as his coaches study the regional competition.

Skunks

Leoti’s John Biermann (left) claimed a third place finish in the 3200m at the Scott City Relays on Tuesday.

(Record Photo)

“The coaches plan to give me one more opportunity to see what I can do before regional,” he said.

He also was quick to acknowledge the hard work by his teammates in winning the 4x400 (3:40.09).

The 4x400m was able to squeeze out a win against Stanton County, finishing 55/100 of

(continued from page 20)

seemingly infinite, random patterns around their body, making them appear more like spots than stripes.

They eat mostly insects but are opportunistic feeders and will eat most anything if necessary. They are much more agile than striped skunks and readily climb up trees or into barn lofts.

I’ve heard the old guys at the nursing home where I work talk about trapping civet cats when they were young, and they all say how much worse it was to get sprayed by them than by a striped skunk. Sure enough, spotted skunk musk is known to be stronger than that of a normal striped skunk.

A unique quirk a spotted skunk often exhibits is the inclination to do an actual handstand on its front legs with its tail arched over its back when threatened.

There is currently no open season allowing Eastern Spotted Skunks to be harvested in Kansas, and I don’t know whether taking them off the threatened species list is a wise move yet. But I think I’ll add to my personal bucket list “See an Eastern Spotted Skunk in the wild” here in Kansas.

Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at stevegilliland@idkcom.net

a second against their league rival.

Other members of the 4x400m include Juan Alvarado, Layton Tankersley and Edgar Chavez.

The 4x800 (9:08.11) won by a nine second spread against Oakley. Members included Elian Dorantes, Aaron Ridder, Edgar Chavez and Tankersley.

Tankersley was a silver

medalist in the 800m (2:13.03).

The Indians rolled up three top finishes in the 1600m, including Dylon Niswonger (3rd, 5:15.51), Evan Ridder (5th, 5:37.39) and Hayden Goudy (6th, 5:38.44).

In the field events it was Juan Alvarado clearing 5-8 for a gold in the high jump and adding a silver medal in the long jump (18-11 1/4).

The Scott County Record • Page 23 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Free park entrance at state parks April 25 If you’re looking for a quality family activity that doesn’t cost money and doesn’t come with strings attached, take advantage of the Kansas State Parks Free Park Entrance events April 25.

On this day, families can visit any Kansas State Park without the purchase of a daily vehicle permit, and a variety of parks will be hosting open houses, allowing visitors to also tour cabins and other facilities.

If that’s not incentive enough, select parks will be providing additional

Elkhart (continued from page 21)

The head coach will also be looking at how many events he can put Meyer in without it impacting his times. In addition to the 4x800m and 4x400m relays and the 800m, Meyer will also be competing in the 400m. While there’s no doubt that Meyer could be among the top 400m runners in Class 3A, the only event separating the 400m and the 800m is the 300m int. hurdles.

“That’s not going to give him much recovery time between the 400 and the 800,” Turner noted.

“We’ll have to see how he can handle that.”

That’s a bigger issue during regular season track meets and regional than it is at state where there are additional classifications competing which create a longer break between events.

KDWP Report family-friendly activities on-site such as guided hikes, animal displays, prize drawings, fishing and archery tournaments, 5k races, and more.

To plan your April 25 state park visit, visit ksoutdoors.com and click on the “Event Calendar” for a list of state park locations, contact information, and details on activities offered.

All park offices will be open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but schedules are subject to change without notice.

Visitors can purchase annual camping permits and make cabin or campsite reservations during the open houses, as well.

For pricing information and to purchase permits online at ksoutdoors.com.

For online permit purchases, click “License/ Permits.” For campsite and cabin reservations, click “Reservations.”

Dead Fish at Wilson Staff from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and

the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are investigating dead and dying fish near the spillway at Wilson Reservoir in Russell County. In late March, KDWPT district fisheries biologist Scott Waters investigated reports of dead fish in Spillway Cove near the lake’s dam and found approximately 50 dead fish.

“Probably half of the fish were adult smallmouth bass,” Waters said.

“The rest of the mix was made up of walleye, drum and one striped bass.

They appeared healthy, and some were still alive, swimming lethargically.”

Dead fish and water samples have been sent to labs for testing, and results are expected in early May. Investigators have identified no obvious reason for the die-off, which may number several hundred fish. The number of dead fish showing up each day appears to be slowing down.

The 9,000-acre reservoir, known for its crystal clear water and rugged prairie surroundings,

has suffered through the long-term drought. The water level is more than eight feet below what is considered normal; however, at this time, it does not appear connected to the dead fish. There is no evidence that any threat is posed to anglers or lake users.

“Our staff will continue to monitor the situation,” said KDWPT Fisheries Section chief Doug Nygren. “And we’ll inform the public as soon as test results are received and evaluated or we learn anything new.”

The Scott County Record • Page 24 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Hutchins is medalist in SC invite

It wasn’t the kind of score that Marshall Hutchins was hoping to shoot on his home course, but an 82 was still good enough for medalist honors in the Scott City Invitational on Tuesday.

The Scott Community High School senior led his team to an easy 23 stroke win for the team title. The Beavers finished with a 357 total, followed by Oakley (380), Garden City JV (386) and Leoti (400).

Nick Storm fired an 86 for third place individual honors, followed

by Trace Mulligan (90, 5th).

“Marshall was on the range before the tournament trying to find his swing. He’s been struggling, especially with his long irons,” noted head coach Brian Gentry.

“He still didn’t feel that comfortable when he came off the range, but he played well enough.

“I just think the boys need to relax a little, not try to over-think their swing and just play the game,” he added.

Playing in his first varsity tournament, Zach Tucker fired a 99.

Leoti’s Spencer Thurman also fired an 82 in the 18-hole tournament, but settled for second place.

Relays

(continued from page 19)

four seconds ahead of Hugoton.

Drake McRae (52.38) and Trey O’Neil (52.95) each has their fastest relay splits of the season. They were joined by Wyatt Kropp (53.26) and Meyer (52.06).

Meyer Doubles Up This was the first opportunity for Meyer to double up in the 400m (51.82) and the 800m (2:05.61), where he finished first and second, respectively.

“I was pleased with his times. He wasn’t going to come back with a two-minute half (mile) after running a 51 second quarter,” noted Turner. “For him to come back and run two minutes in the relay showed what he’s capable of doing. As he gets in better shape he shouldn’t have any problem competing in both.”

Marshall Hutchins eyes his putt as it heads toward the hole on the eighth green at the Scott City Invitational on Tuesday.

(Record Photo)

Donovan a Career Best In the field events it was Mikennon Donovan who had the standout performance of the day with a career best of 115-05 in the discus - improving on his previous est by nearly 19 feet.

“It wasn’t a fluke. He had a couple of warm-up throws in that same range,” says coach Aaron Dirks.

“Once we can correct a couple of things with his footwork I think he can improve on that even more.

Senior Wyatt Eitel claimed a silver with a toss of 122-8 while Cooper Griffith (121-5) added a bronze medal.

“We’ve broken down Coop’s form and are making some pretty big changes. I look for him to be throwing in the 140-foot range before too long,” says Dirks.

McRae added a bronze medal in the 300m int. hurdles (43.36) and Kropp was sixth in the 100m (11.89).

The 4x100m finished fourth in 46.06. Relay members were Kropp, O’Neil, I. Lozano and McRae.

Speer sets school record in javelin

Dighton sophomore Sara Cramer crosses the finish line for a 400m gold medal in the 1A-2A division at the Scott City Relays on Tuesday.

(Record Photo)

Softball Holcomb made a pitching change in the fourth inning, putting Taylor Deniston on the mound.

She faced 16 batters and allowed just one hit.

“We seemed to lose our focus. Even though we had the lead the girls were playing like they were behind,” says Myers. “We lost our confidence at the plate and we started making errors in the field.”

It still looked like Scott City might pull out a double-header split when they were protecting a 12-11 lead and had one

Jordan Speer is gradually rewriting the record books at Dighton High School.

The sophomore broke the shot put record a year ago. Now she owns the javelin mark after a gold medal throw of 120-11 during the Scott City Relays on Tuesday.

She shattered the old record of 112-11 set by Amy James in 1993.

Speer easily claimed another gold medal in the shot put (35-10 1/4), nearly five feet ahead of runner-up Bailey Bixenman (Wheatland-Grinnell).

She picked up a silver medal in the discus with a toss of 93-3.

Sophomore Sara Cramer continues to look strong in the 400m. Her gold medal time of 63.71 was two seconds ahead of Kaelyn VanEaton (Oakley). She followed with a bronze medal in the 800m (2:38.86).

“The 400 (meter) is my favorite event.

I’m pretty happy with the way I’ve done so far,” says Cramer.

While she has yet to come back and claim a win in the 800m, Cramer is confident that it will eventually happen.

“It’s more a mental thing,” she says.

“And I’m still getting into shape. By the end of the season I think it will happen.”

“I’d like to see what Sara could do in the 800 if she had a little more recovery time,” says head coach Ken Simon. “I think she could also be a great 200 runner, but we run into the same problem. There’s not much recovery time after the 800.”

Madison O’Brien ran a personal best in the 100m (14.01), but had to settle for the ninth fastest time in the prelims.

O’Brien’s toss of 86-5 in the javelin was also a career best.

Against a very tough field of long distance runners, Payden Shapland was third in the 1600m (6:02.22) and fourth in the 3200m (13:23.38).

The Lady Hornets (60.5) finished third in the team standings behind Wheatland (120) and Atwood (73).

(continued from page 19)

out in the sixth. Deniston reached base on a single and after advancing to third base broke for home on a passed ball. Catcher April Miller was able to retrieve the ball quickly Deniston was caught in a rundown between third and home.

Third baseman Kristi Faurot’s throw home was to the inside of the baseline and Miller made a nice catch before swinging around to her right and tagging Deniston as she ran by and before she got to home plate.

Instead of the second out of the inning, however, the umpire ruled catcher interference, saying that Miller was partially blocking the base path.

“April made a nice catch and was able to react quick enough to tag the runner. She wasn’t trying to block the plate to keep someone from scoring. She was just trying to make a play,” says Myers.

The SCHS coach had a conference with the umpire, but the ruling stood and the game was tied, 12-12. Holcomb

scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.

The controversial loss overshadowed a strong pitching performance by freshman Kaitlyn Roberts.

“It was her best game of the year. She was getting them to hit into grounders and pop flies, which is what we want.

We aren’t expecting a lot of strikeouts,” says Myers. “We didn’t make some plays behind her like we should have. We dropped a couple of pop flies which could have gotten us out of innings a

little quicker.”

Scott City finished the game with 14 hits, including a 4-for-4 performance

by Appel.

Drop Opener Scott City held a brief 1-0 lead in the first game, but couldn’t slow down the Lady Longhorn offense in a 14-4 loss to open the double-header.

Nicole Latta’s one-out single was followed by Kristi Faurot’s RBI single to put Scott City on the scoreboard in the first inning.

SCHS put together consecutive singles by Bre Smull, Appel and Kaely Zilla in the second inning to score another run and cut the Holcomb lead to 4-2.

Holcomb followed with three runs in the third inning and put the mercy rule into effect with seven runs in the fifth.

Smull limited the Lady Longhorns to 10 hits, but that was offset by eight walks.

The Lady Beavers had seven hits, including two

by Roberts.

The Scott County Record • Page 25 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

SCHS Track Elkhart Invitational • April 17, 2015 Girl’s Division Discus: Lizzy Eikenberry, 4th, 82-9.5.

Javelin: Kiana Yager, 3rd, 92-11.5; Madison Braun, 4th, 92-8; Eikenberry, 6th, 91-10.

Pole vault: Cayleigh Ramsey, 2nd, 7; Eikenberry, 3rd, 7.

400m: Paige Winderlin, 2nd, 1:05.43.

800m: Cami Patton, 3rd, 2:43.80; Kylee Trout, 5th, 2:44.43.

3200m: Makaela Stevens, 3rd, 13:08.70.

4x800m relay: Stevens, Trout, Winderlin, Patton, 2nd, 10:57.59.

Boy’s Division Triple jump: Trey O’Neil, 5th, 39-1.5.

Shot put: Wyatt Eitel, 4th, 40-8; Tre Stewart, 6th, 40-4.5.

Discus: Cooper Griffith, 1st, 128-9.5; Eitel, 3rd, 124-9; Stewart, 6th, 115.

Pole vault: Chantz Yager, 1st, 10.

400m: O’Neil, 3rd, 54.01; Irvin Lozano, 4th, 54.17.

800m: Brett Meyer, 2nd, 2:01.70.

300m int. hurdles: Drake McRae, 2nd, 43.40.

4x100m: Kropp, O’Neil, I. Lozano, McRae, 2nd, 45.46.

4x400m: O’Neil, McRae, I. Lozano, Meyer, 1st, 3:31.77.

4x800m relay: I. Lozano, Jess Drohman, Miguel Chavez, Meyer, 1st, 8:42.19.

Priority

At forward, a steadily improving Ellis has become an established bigtime player and senior Jamari Traylor could still develop into a special talent.

Junior Landen Lucas gained valuable experience at center last season and he improved as the season progressed. Hunter Mickelson will be a senior and he’s also experienced.

Mickelson is a sleeper and might earn substantial playing time.

KU received a letter-ofintent from Carlton Bragg (6-9, 225), who is ranked Scott City Relays • April 21, 2015 as the 15th best player 3A-4A Girl’s Division Team scores: Colby 105, Hoisington 99, Phillipsburg 71, coming out of high school Lakin 68.5, Goodland 67.5, Ulysses 60, Scott City 56, Hu- by Rivals.com. goton 28 Self was elated and Long jump: Haley Allen, 6th, 13-5.2. said, “Carlton is a legitiDiscus: Lizzy Eikenberry, 5th, 87-3.

Javelin: Madison Braun, 4th, 102-1; Kiana Yager, 6th, 945.

Pole vault: Cayleigh Ramsey, 3rd, 8; Emily Smith, 6th, 7-6.

200m: Shantice Lara, 6th, 27.92.

400m: Paige Winderlin, 4th, 1:03.25.

800m: Makaela Stevens, 2nd, 2:34.48; Cami Patton, 3rd, 2:37.41.

1600m: Trella Davis, 5th, 6:08.37.

3200m: Davis, 4th, 14:14.91; Olivia Prieto, 5th, 14:18.90.

300m low hurdles: Smith, 5th, 52.96.

4x400m relay: Lara, Smith, Macy Berning, Winderlin, 5th, 4:21.32.

4x800m: Stevens, Kylee Trout, Winderlin, Patton, 1st, 10:51.52.

3A-4A Boy’s Division Team scores: Ulysses 149, Hugoton 111, Scott City 69.5, Colby 65.5, Lakin 54.5, Hoisington 50.5, Phillipsburg 37, Goodland 17 Triple jump: Trey O’Neil, 6th, 39-4.5.

Discus: Wyatt Eitel, 2nd, 122-8.

Pole vault: Chantz Yager, 5th, 10-6.

100m: Wyatt Kropp, 6th, 11:87.

400m: Brett Meyer, 1st, 51.82.

800m: Meyer, 2nd, 2:05.61.

1600m: Austin Rios, 5th, 5:23.57.

3200m: Eddie Balderrama, 6th, 11:34.12.

300m int. hurdles: Drake McRae, 3rd, 43.36.

4x100m: Kropp, O’Neil, Irvin Lozano, McRae, 4th, 46.06.

4x400m: Kropp, McRae, O’Neil, Meyer, 1st, 3:30.91.

4x800m: I. Lozano, Jess Drohman, Adrian Ruelas, Meyer, 1st, 8:30.81.

Have questions about the Scott Community Foundation? call 872-3790

(continued from page 22)

mate 6-foot-9 inch scoring and shooting type of power forward . . . he’s certainly one of the more skilled big guys that we’ve signed since we’ve been here.”

Bragg averaged 21.3 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for his statechampion team (23-4) in Cleveland and earned Ohio Div. III Player of the Year honors. Bragg also made the McDonalds’ team and will give KU inside-outside scoring ability, much like Ellis.

Self is still trying to recruit another big center and a shooting guard. The 10 aforementioned players will be ready to go this fall; one or two more talented recruits will put

Kansas among the top five tura were all smacked around in their last starts. teams in the nation.

And Ventura has been showing he still has some Potential Problems After an encouraging growing up to do.

Ventura and Danny 7-0 start, the Kansas City Royals’ baseball team has Duffy are the No. 1 and been firmly reestablished No. 2 starters and they on planet earth. They’re both have maturity issues. still playing well, but KC might miss James problems are emerging.

Shields’ leadership more Right fielder Alex Rios than anticipated. (fractured finger) and closAnyone who thinks er Greg Holland (strained Brandon Finnegan is chest muscle) are on the ready to come up from disabled list and that’s Omaha as a starter is first not a good omen. Alcides in line for another think.

Escobar has a slightly Finnegan was slapped strained knee that doesn’t around unmercifully in his first start at Omaha. seem to be serious.

However, what’s really Kansas City is still off troubling is the starting to a favorable beginning, pitching. but the early injuries and Jason Vargas, Jeremy starting pitching are cause Guthrie and Yordano Ven- for concern.

no wind, no problem

The Scott County Record • Page 26 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Still lots of fun for all at Leoti festival

Don’t believe it when someone says the wind always blows in Western Kansas.

Near-perfect weather on Saturday was perfect for just about anything but kite flying at least for the super-sized kites that are a feature attraction at the annual Wind and Wheels event in Leoti.

Alan Sparling and Robin McCracken repeatedly tried to get the huge 90-foot trilobite and 88-foot octopus kites to remain airborne, but with limited success.

“It keeps teasing us,” observed Sparling, a Chicago resident who travels to kiting events throughout the world.

The two would send up a pilot kite to check the wind. If it could remain airborne for 5-10 minutes then they would try to do the same with the huge kites.

A Friday night rain had created cool and unusually calm conditions on Saturday morning, which kept the kites grounded until about 11:30 a.m.

McCracken said the forecast for the evening was what he called a “Dorothy alert” which meant the possibility of strong winds. He was hopeful the wind would gradually increase during the day leading up to the predicted storm.

A slight increase in wind speed did allow Sparling to send up the giant kites and they were able to remain airborne for short periods of time by early afternoon.

Activities for Everyone Not that there wasn’t plenty to keep youth and adults entertained.

Young and old could be seen flying smaller kites on the football field.

The high school parking lot had numerous classic cars as part of the annual show.

Food vendors lined the south end of the football field and there were also games for the kids. A new addition was parachute races in which youngsters and adults would race 40 yards while pulling a small parachute.

“You catch a strong gust of wind and it can stop you dead in your tracks,” noted Curt Giebler, who provided the parachutes and prizes for the winners.

Starting the Summer Tour Wind was not an issue for Giebler, a kite enthusiast who follows events throughout the central U.S. with his business “My Wind Stuff.”

Giebler, originally from Russell, says he needs only a five mile per hour breeze to operate his dual and quad line kites. He backed that up by expertly controlling his quad line kite, freezing it in place just four feet above the ground or causing it to dart quickly one direction and then another with little effort.

“Kites have come a long way from the day when we grew up and we’d be running with the kite over our shoulder and then look back only to see it plowing into the ground,” recalls Giebler with a laugh.

(Above) Eleven-year-old Tristan Porter, Leoti, competes in the parachute races on Saturday afternoon. (Below) Trying to keep her kite airborne is nine-year-old Randi Reed of Spearman, Tex. (Bottom) Kendrix Loy, 13, Leoti, tries to master a dual line kite.

(Record Photos)

Despite that all-too-familiar scene that many can relate to in their childhood, Giebler never lost his enthusiasm for kiting.

“This beats working,” says Giebler, who has been devoted to full-time kiting for the past 16 years.

Giebler was making his way north after spending the winter in South Padre Island, Tex. “There’s a lot of kite flying in the area because of the great weather,” he says.

During the summer he’ll travel to events throughout the Midwest - some of which he organizes. He’ll be near Salina in June in addition to other shows in Kansas and Nebraska.

While lots of practice is the key to successful kiting - just like anything in life - Giebler also emphasizes the value of having the right equipment.

“Too many people will go to Walmart and buy something cheap only to be discouraged with the result. So they quit kiting before they’ve actually given it a chance,” says Giebler.

“We sell quality kites because we want to encourage the next generation of young people who can enjoy the experience,” he adds.

And it’s a chance for an older generation to perhaps revisit a time when flying a kite was a relaxing way to spend part of an afternoon.

Business

Page 27 - Thursday, April 23, 2015

making the transition

Sourk will continue as feedlot consultant

Charles Sourk says he was fascinated when he saw his first huge, commercial feedlot operation near Dodge City in 1969.

The concept of feeding cattle on such a large scale in Western Kansas was still in its infancy.

Little did Sourk realize that a decade later he would be involved in that same industry and watch it become such a huge economic engine for the region.

For nearly 34 years, Dr. Sourk has been on the front line of major cattle feeding operations as a veterinarian and feedlot consultant in Scott and Wichita counties. And while retirement isn’t happening in the foreseeable future, Dr. Sourk is making a “transition” to the next phase in his career.

As of May 1, Calista Miller will assume ownership of the building that has been Sourk Veterinary Clinic since 1981.

Dr. Sourk will work independently, providing feedlot consultation services.

“I won’t have to worry about the day-to-day operations of owning a clinic,” says Dr. Sourk. “I’ll be operating out of my pickup.”

The time was right for a change.

“Calista wanted to buy a building and I had one to sell,” said Dr. Sourk with a grin.

“This seemed like a good time to make a change so Pam and I can spend more time with our three granddaughters.”

Dr. Charles Sourk has sold his veterinary clinic, but will continue working with feedlot operators in the area. (Record Photo)

Began in Education Dr. Sourk, 68, originally earned an education degree from Emporia State University and was a teacher/coach at Burlingame where he met his future wife.

However, his first passion was to be a veterinarian. That meant returning to KSU for two more years of pre-vet classes before making application for KSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

“I didn’t get in the first time.

It was very difficult to get accepted,” recalls Dr. Sourk.

The following year he was accepted into the program and

immediately upon graduation in 1979 he and Pam moved to Scott City to join the SpencerRandall practice.

Randall had died two years earlier and Dr. Spencer was in the process of retiring. The clinic also included veterinarians Larry Hawkins, Shelby Jones and Dale Holterman.

Two years later, Dr. Sourk left the clinic to begin his own practice.

“There was a huge demand for vets in the area. The feedlot industry was still fairly new and I felt it was a great opportunity for me,” recalls Dr. Sourk.

He located in a small building on the site of his current

practice 6/10 of a mile south of Scott City on US83 Highway.

In 1989, he more than doubled the size of the clinic by having a metal building erected over and around the original structure.

Pointing to a crossbeam that’s visible from his desk, Dr. Sourk notes “that was part of the original building.”

Dr. Sourk says that working with large animals - horses and cattle - have been his primary interest, but he quickly adds, “it’s always been the people that I’ve enjoyed the most.”

Those relationships were aided by having so many feedlot operations in the county that were locally owned.

“I’ve always felt that was one of the things that made Scott County unique,” says Dr. Sourk. “And that’s still true to a large degree today. Plus, the local feedlot operators have been very progressive.”

The Sourks also feel fortunate that their three children were able to benefit from a quality education system and “the best 4-H program in Kansas.”

As for the prospect of retirement, Dr. Sourk says that wasn’t an option.

“What else would I do?” he asks with a grin. “This is what I enjoy and I’ve still got my health. Retirement doesn’t even appeal to me right now.”

Miller ready for next challenge as clinic owner Ownership change will become official May 1 Calista Miller is living the best of all worlds.

She enjoys helping her husband, Joel, with his cow-calf operation.

She is a practicing veterinarian in Scott City.

And she is a mother to two children, Jace, 7, and Jocelyn, 3 And, as of May 1, she’ll be the owner of Miller Veterinary Clinic.

“When I first came here this wasn’t something I thought would happen,” says Dr. Miller, who began working for Sourk Veterinary Clinic in 2006.

“But as I gained more confidence and learned about the business side of things, I started thinking more about having my own practice.

“It’s something that Dr. Sourk and I had been talking about for the last four or five years and this seemed like the right time for both of us.”

Dr. Miller, 33, has already hired Dr. Janey Powe, Garden City, who will be in Scott City from Monday through Thursday each week and every other weekend. Both will be working with large and small animals.

Moving to Western Ks. A native of Long Island, Ks., and Northern Valley High School, Dr. Miller earned her degree in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University, where she met her husband.

Both were animal science majors.

It was Joel’s dream to return to Scott County and take over the family’s ranching operation and Dr. Miller

looked forward to the opportunity to assist her husband and also become a veterinarian for the Sourk clinic.

“This is a mixed animal practice, which is what I wanted to do,” says Dr. Miller.

“I really enjoy the variety of working on both large and small animals.

Whether it’s working with cow-calf producers, feedlots, or peoples’ furry family members, I love it all!”

The biggest change, says Dr. Miller, will be handling the business side of the operation.

While the growth of the feedlot industry has provided great opportunity for veterinarians in Scott County, Dr. Miller feels there is still opportunity for growth outside the area. She points out there isn’t a veterinarian between Scott County and the Colorado state line.

“Janey and I see a lot of potential.

We’re excited about this opportunity,” says Dr. Miller.

She also feels fortunate to be part of a practice that has established a strong reputation with its clients over the years.

“I’ve been able to add to those relationships over the past nine years.

People know that we have a lot of compassion for all animals and their owners,” adds Dr. Miller.

She says one of the new additions to the practice in the near future will be the ability to send digital x-rays by e-mail to customers.

An open house is planned at the clinic in late May or early June.

Veterinarian Calista Miller with one of her patients.

(Record Photo)

Farm

The Scott County Record

Page 28 - Thursday, April 23, 2015

Ag practices must adapt to declining water John Maday, editor Drovers CattleNetwork

Water has been near the top of the headlines lately, and will continue to generate debate as the drought in California and much of the West reaches unprecedented proportions. And as water sources turn dry and municipalities claim a larger share of the resource, agriculture will

need to adjust.

The recent National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) conference focused on the theme of “Water and the Future of Animal Agriculture. The program kicked off with a presentation from hydrologist Jay Famiglietti, PhD, a professor of earth-systems science and civil and environmental engi-

ag briefs

Conservation compliance deadline June 1 The USDA reminds farmers they are required to file a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification form (AD-1026) with their USDA service center by June 1 in order to become or remain eligible for crop insurance premium support.

Most farmers already have a certification form on file since it’s required for participation in most USDA programs such as marketing assistance loans, farm storage facility loans and disaster assistance.

However farmers, such as specialty crop growers who receive federal crop insurance premium support, but may not participate in other USDA programs, must now file a certification form.

Producers who file by the deadline will be eligible for crop insurance premium support during the 2016 reinsurance year, which begins July 1.

The form is available at USDA service centers or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/ AD1026form.

More entries for Showdown this weekend

The Scott City Showdown spring livestock show will be returning this weekend with an increase in prize money and entries from last year’s inaugural event.

The event has already attracted entries from throughout Kansas as well as Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Last year’s show attracted nearly 300 head of livestock.

Activity will begin with the hog show on Friday starting at 6:00 p.m.

The sheep show will kickoff the show at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, followed by goats and cattle.

More info as well as the complete schedule of events can be found on www.westernksweekend.com

neering at the University of California, Irvine, and the senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.

Famiglietti and NASA scientists have spent 30 years developing satellites, monitoring systems and computer models for tracking and pre-

dicting water trends. In 2002, NASA launched a pair of satellites known as the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE. The two GRACE satellites, orbiting 310 miles above the earth, act as a kind of scale, measuring changes in the volume of water in a region by measuring subtle changes in gravitational pull.

Through these studies and others, Famiglietti estimates total water storage in California has declined by eight trillion gallons per year over the past three years. High Plains aquifers have lost a volume of water nearly equal to that in Lake Tahoe over the past decade.

Overall U.S. water supplies have declined since 2002 in much of the

West, Southern Plains and Southeast. In California, with the ongoing drought persisting and surface water mostly depleted, the state is shifting toward nearly 100 percent reliance on groundwater, Famiglietti says, which in some cases is not renewable or takes many years to recover.

(See WATER on page 29)

Drought to impact corn planting Corn planting in Kansas will soon be in full swing, but dry soils are making for a less than ideal start to the season.

Kansas received just 19 percent of the amount of moisture it normally receives during March, said Mary Knapp, assistant climatologist with the Kansas Weather Data Library, based at Kansas State University.

From January through March, the state received 42 percent of normal moisture.

As of April 12, topsoil moisture statewide was rated 56 percent short to very short, 42 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus, according to a weekly report by the USDA. Subsoil was rated 65 per-

cent short to very short, 35 percent adequate and no surplus.

The lack of moisture in southern Kansas particularly, boosted soil temperatures dramatically in late March and early April, close to 55 degrees at a four-inch depth, which is near optimal for planting corn, said Ignacio Ciampitti, crop specialist with K-State Extension. Optimal soil temperature is critical for uniform emergence and makes a difference for potential yields.

Conversely, northeast Kansas soils have been slower to warm, partly because they are not as dry.

The USDA reported that 14 percent of the corn was

planted in Kansas, ahead of 10 percent last year, and 8 percent average. As of April 12, one percent was emerged, compared with two percent a year ago.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl. edu/Home.aspx) described much of Kansas’ conditions as abnormally dry to moderate drought as of April 14, while extreme western and southern counties were in severe to extreme drought.

Soil temperatures and other information for specific areas in Kansas are available on the Kansas Mesonet (http:// mesonet.k-state.edu/).

The network of weather stations are maintained by the Kansas

State University Weather Data Library.

“March lived up to its reputation as a transitional month,” Knapp said. “Overall, the temperatures averaged 45.7 degrees, which was 2.4 degrees warmer than normal. That was the 33rd warmest since 1895.”

That told only part of the story, she said, as temperatures went from lows in the single digits at the beginning of the month to highs above 90 degrees in the middle of the month.

“With the warmer-thanaverage temperatures, it is not surprising that 79 new record daily highs were set,” Knapp said.

(See CORN on page 29)

Cattle gains increase in DDGS study

A recent Kansas State University study found that providing growing cattle with dried distillers grains (DDGS) plus salt on a self-feeding basis while the animals grazed native pastures helped boost average daily weight gain without the indirect expenses linked to daily delivery such as fuel and labor.

During the two growing seasons prior to the 2013 study, the Flint Hills area of Kansas, like much of the state, experienced drought which stressed pastures.

Looking for ways to optimize cattle performance and maintain pasture health, a

Market Report Closing prices on April 21, 2015 Bartlett Grain Wheat.................. $ 4.74 White Wheat ....... $ 4.89 Milo .................... $ 4.28 Corn ................... $ 3.81 Soybeans (new crop) $ 8.95 Scott City Cooperative Wheat.................. $ 4.74 White Wheat ....... $ 4.89 Milo (bu.)............. $ 4.33 Corn.................... $ 3.81 Soybeans ........... $ 8.95 Sunflowers.......... $ 17.30 ADM Grain Wheat..................

Milo (bu.).............

Corn....................

Soybeans............

Sunflowers..........

$ 4.77 $ 4.28 $ 3.88 $ 8.95 $ 17.85

were fed no DDGS with salt, while heifers in the “low” paddocks (94 head) had access to DDGS with 10 percent salt.

Heifers in the “high” paddocks (100 head) had access to DDGS with 16 percent salt.

The cattle in the control paddocks had an average daily weight gain of 1.91 pounds over the 78-day grazing period.

Those in the “low” paddocks that consumed DDGS with 10 percent salt had an average daily gain of 2.62 pounds and those in the “high” paddocks with access to DDGS with 16 percent salt gained an average 2.41 pounds.

team of K-State researchers conducted a study with beef heifers over a 78-day period at K-State’s Beef Stocker Unit in the northern Flint Hills. While grazing, some of the heifers had access to DDGS mixed with salt at two different levels.

DDGS are a byproduct of ethanol production and are commonly fed to beef cattle, particularly in areas where ethanol is made. Most ethanol is derived from corn, but can also be made from other feedstocks such as sorghum or wheat.

“We have known for several years that DDGS is a good

source of protein and energy when fed as a supplement for cattle,” said Dale Blasi, extension beef specialist with K-State Extension. “In this study we wanted to determine the consumption and resulting growth from supplemental DDGS when provided at two levels of salt addition.”

“Salt limits the intake of DDGS,” said Blasi, who led the research team. “The more salt that is included, the less DDGS is consumed.”

The cattle were split into three grazing “treatments,” each consisting of four pasture paddocks. Heifers in the control paddocks (85 head total)

Weather

JONES CLUB LAMBS

H

L

P

April 14

69

35

April 15

73

41

April 16

67

44

April 17

72

48

April 18

71

42

April 19

56

38

April 20

63 32

.55

2015 Total

Now offering excellent quality show lambs at a great price.

Call for an appointment to take a look.

.11

Moisture Totals April

(See DDGS on page 29)

.70 1.81

Ag Facts In 1970, consumption of broccoli was only a half a pound per person. Today, the average person in the United States eats 4-1/2 pounds a year.

County Plat Maps

By Western Cartographers Scott • Lane • Wichita • Ness • Logan Gove • Greeley • Finney • Wallace • Kearny Pick them up today at:

406 Main • Scott City • 620 872-2090

Jeremy • 620-397-1638 Stefanie • 620-397-8075 113 W. Hwy 4, Healy, Ks bustn2kick@st-tel.net

The Scott County Record • Page 29 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Kansas farmers testifies for open trade with Cuba A Kansas farmer was called upon by the United States Senate Ag Committee to testify on the opportunities for trade with Cuba.

Kansas Wheat Commissioner Doug Keesling, Chase, was part of a delegation organized by the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) that visited the Caribbean country in order to explore re-establishing agricultural trade.

Water Globally, groundwater accounts for about onethird of all water withdrawals.

Scientists have developed models for sorting out data from the GRACE satellites to subtract out surface water, allowing them to monitor changes in groundwater supplies, Famiglietti says.

In California, they have noted a trend in which

Corn

Keesling discussed the potential that he and the nearly 100 other members of the USACC delegation saw in Cuban trade.

“We had the opportunity to hear from Cuban government officials and speak with Cuban farmers,” said Keesling. “We are certainly interested in selling our products to Cuba, but we were also there to learn and to help break down the wall that has separated the people

in our two countries for so long.”

Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean by area and population.

Wheat and rice are both staples of the Cuban diet, though only rice is produced domestically.

There are 11 million people on the island, but its population is growing very slowly. The opportunities for increased wheat consumption are limited, unless population growth

accelerates or the tourism sector takes off.

It has been estimated that wheat imports from the United States have an upward potential of the entire 30 million bushels currently imported by Cuba. Today Cubans buy no wheat from the United States. The state-owned grain buyer, Alimport, buys almost all their wheat from Canada and Europe.

(continued from page 28)

groundwater recovers somewhat in years when surface water is available and declines when surface water is depleted.

Over the long-term though, the declines are greater than the recovery in wet years.

Changes in climate patterns, and water cycles generally have resulted in wet regions around

the world getting wetter and dry regions getting dryer, Famiglietti says.

He believes that for agriculture to remain productive, “we need to change the dialog on water, and shift away from the ‘us versus them’ conflict between agriculture and other users that tends to emerge when water supplies become scarce. We need better-defined pro-

(continued from page 28)

“What’s more surprising is that we still had four record low daily maximums.”

The Kansas winter wheat crop, already beset by dry conditions, also was hit with a hard freeze when temperatures dipped

into the low- to mid-20s in some areas April 3-4.

On April 13, the USDA rated Kansas wheat 28 percent poor to very poor, 44 percent fair, 26 percent good and two percent excellent.

DDGS

(continued from page 28)

Cattle in the “low” treatment paddocks consumed approximately three pounds per day more DDGS than their counterparts in the “high” group consumed.

“This supports the idea that providing DDGS with salt in a self-fed fashion can be used to improve cattle performance without the indirect expenses associated with daily delivery, such as fuel expenses, labor, and others,” Blasi said.

“Providing DDGS to cattle on native grass at about 0.3 percent of body weight will significantly improve performance.”

Forty-two percent of wheat had jointed, ahead of 29 last year, but equal to the five-year average.

The crop was two percent headed, compared with none last year and near the three percent average.

cesses for deciding how to allocate water for various uses and need to learn to produce food with less water.”

In some cases, he says, it will be necessary to shift some types of agricultural production away from areas experiencing long-term water shortages into areas with more sustainable supplies.

Ask about an on-line subscription to The Record

That’s a $200 million opportunity that is missed by the U.S. wheat industry every year. Based on USDA Economic Research Service models, those additional exports could put nearly 2,000 people to work, and that’s just for wheat.

“Now that Cuba is allowing increased investment by the private sector, we can expect the sophistication of the Cuban flour milling, processing,

and retail segments to improve, which could lead to even more imports in the future,” Keesling said.

“But if current policies continue, those imports will not be products raised

by American farmers.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me that if somebody wants to buy the wheat I grow, they have to jump through all sorts of hoops imposed by our government,” said Keesling.

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The Scott County Record • Page 30 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Call 872-2090 today!

The Scott County Record Professional Directory

Per Week

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

Walker Plumbing, Inc.

Agriculture

Preconditioning and Growing

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

• 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

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

Construction/Home Repair

Sager’s Pump Service • Irrigation • Domestic • Windmills • Submersibles

Cell: 874-4486 • Office 872-2101

ELLIS AG SERVICES • Custom Manure Conditioning • Hauling and Spreading • Custom Swathing and Baling • Rounds-Net or Twine • Gyp and Sand Sales • Custom Harvesting

Custom Steel Buildings, LLC All steel and metal building system 26 GA R-Panel and 4" R 14 insulation standard

We can build your building to meet whatever specs you may have. Call today for your free quote.

Brandon Dirks • 620-874-5083 Justin Koehn • 620-214-3550

RTRex Turley, Plumbing 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)

SPENCER PEST CONTROL

CHAMBLESS ROOFING Residential

All Types of Roofing

Commercial

Call Brittan Ellis • 620-874-5160

Cedar Shake and Shingle Specialists Return to Craftsmanship Attention to Detail and Quality Guaranteed 620-872-2679 • 1-800-401-2683

Automotive

Dirks Earthmoving Co.

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

Precision Land Forming of terraces and waterways; feed lot pens and ponds; building site preparation; lazer equipped

Richard Dirks • Scott City, Ks. (Home) 872-3057 • 877-872-3057 (Cell) 872-1793

Gary Miller

Millrod’s

Rental Equipment Pre-owned Cars and Trucks Windshield Repair/Replacement

201 Main, Scott City millrods@wbsnet.org

Phone: 620-872-5655 Cell: 620-874-1057 Fax: 620-872-7210

Medical

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

Red

Specializing in

all coatings t Paint i 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

Pro Ex II

Over 20 Years Experience

Professional Extermination Commercial & Residential

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

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

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

Pro Health Chiropractic Wellness Center (Scott City Chiropractic) “TLC”...

Technology Lead Chiropractic

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

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The Scott County Record • Page 31 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

Professional Directory Continued

Horizon Health For your home medical supply and equipment needs!

Services

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

We service and repair all that we sell.

1602 S. Main • Scott City • 872-2232 Toll Free : 1-866-672-2232

For all your auction needs call:

(620) 375-4130

Russell Berning Box Q • Leoti

Optometrist 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

Bolen Enterprises Prairie Dog Control •34 years experience •Bonded/Licensed

Sandy Cauthon RN

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

Call me to schedule your Myofascial Release

Help Wanted

Truck Driving

LIFE AGENTS. Earn $500 a day. Great agent benefits. Commissions paid daily. Liberal underwriting. Leads, leads, leads. Life insurance.

License required. Call 1-888-713-6020.

––––––––––––––––––––– C O N T R A C T SALESPERSONS to sell aerial photography of farms. Commission basis, $5,000-$8,000/mo. Proven product and earnings.

Travel required. More info at msphotosd.com or call 877-882-3566.

BUTLER TRANSPORT. Your partner in excellence. Drivers needed.

Great hometime. $650 sign-on bonus. All miles paid. 1-800-528-7825. www.butlertransport.com.

––––––––––––––––––––– NO EXPERIENCE? Some or lots of experience? Let’s talk. No matter what stage in your career, its time. Call Central Refrigerated Home (888) 670-0392. www.

CentralTruckDrivingJobs. com.

––––––––––––––––––––– GREAT PLAINS Trucking of Salina is looking for experienced OTR tractor-trailer flatbed drivers or recent driving school graduates. Our drivers travel 48 U.S. states as well as the lower Canadian provinces. We offer excellent compensation, benefits, home time and equipment. Please contact Brett or Randy at 785-823-2261 or brettw@ gptrucking.com, randyl@ gptrucking.com.

Education

Dr. Jeffrey A. Heyd

Scott City Myofascial Release

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.

Bob Bolen 785-821-0042 • Fax 785-852-4275

ES N JO UB S CL B Driving M A L

for the PURPLE!

Jeremy • 620-397-1638 Stefanie • 620-397-8075

Retail

MEDICAL BILLING trainees needed. Become a medical office assistant.

No experience needed.

Online training can get you job ready. HS diploma/GED and PC/Internet needed. 1-888-589-9683.

––––––––––––––––––––– CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy equipment operator training. 3-week program.

Bulldozers, backhoes, excavators. Lifetime job placement assistance with Sports/Outdoors national certifications. VA benefits eligible. (866) KANSAS HUNTING 740-7697. land wanted. Earn thousands on your land by leasing the hunting rights.

Auctions Free evaluation and info MAJOR ENTERTAIN- packet. Liability coverage MENT center assets. No included. The experts at reserve. 200 coin-oper- Base Camp Leasing have ated arcade machines. been bringing landownRedemption, skee balls, ers and hunters togethair hockeys, etc. Sat., April er since 1999. Email: 25, 10:00 a.m. Live a live info@basecampleasing. on-line “Game Zone” at com. Call 866-309-1507.

Olathe Mall, Olathe, Ks. BaseCampLeasing.com.

For info: 844-Fun-2Bid. OnlineInternetAuctions. com.

––––––––––––––––––––– ART AUCTION. Sat., April 25, 1:30 p.m. 17 Raymers, Sandzens’ and other area artists’ works.

224 S. Main, Lindsborg.

785 227-2217. www.lesterraymer.org.

Have questions about the Scott Commnity Foundation?

Networktronic, Inc.

Call 872-3790

Computer Sales, Service and Repair Custom computers!

Networking solutions!

Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

402 S. Main, Scott City • 872-1300

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

Northend Disposal A garbologist company.

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

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, 874-8207 • 874-8118

Dighton Thursday • 8:30 p.m.

535 Wichita St. All open meetings, 397-2647

All Under One Roof

Revcom Electronics

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

www.reganjewelers.com

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

Unique gifts for the entire family!

323 South Main St. Scott City 620-872-5667

•Hunting and Country home decor •High Powered Air-Guns •Knives •Personalized embroidery •Novelty gift items •Laser art •Jewelry •Baby items •Candles and more!

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

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

1104 Main • Scott City • 872-2625

Dining

Classifieds

The Scott County Record • Page 32 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

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.

Card of Thanks We are so blessed beyond words to live in a community that is so warm and giving. During the time following Marc’s death, dear friends, neighbors, acquaintances’ and church members showered us with acts of kindness and caring.

Cards, calls, visits, food, flowers, memorials and most of all the prayers, came at the exact times they were needed. Thank you all for being a part of our lives and showing us you care through your acts of love. God Bless you all.

The Family of Marc Kessler Hilary and Connie Kessler Kris and Elaine Kessler and family Jason Kessler and Jill Kessler and families Jana and Kenton Harkness and families Lori and Jerry Montgomery and families Pam and Lewis Brown and family Tami Turley Travess and Mary Funk and family Trevor Funk and family Words cannot begin to express our gratitude for the wonderful benefit fish fry that was held for Emily and I at St. Joseph’s Church. It was a huge success, thanks to all those who helped with it.

Thank you to St. Joseph’s Church, the Pence Community Church, Alpha Omega Sorority, Knights of Columbus, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, the churches who advertised it in their bulletins and announced it from their pulpits, those who helped in the kitchen, and all those who provided cakes for the event. Without such wonderful participation it wouldn’t have been the success it was.

We are indeed blessed to be part of such a caring and generous community. Thank God for small-town kindness and generosity.

Darrell and Marilee Cramer.

Yard SALE Saturday, April 25 Community Yard Sale 104 Washington, Scott City Sat., April 25, 8:00 a.m.-noon The Scott County Fitness Center will be holding a community yard sale. There will be spaces available on the club side and across the street. There is no charge and you have to bring your own table. This will be for community members to sell their items and socialize. Contact Chris 620-214-1502.

LOVELY BRICK HOME Two large bedrooms, one average bedroom, plus 1 3/4 baths up with full

basement and 3/4 bath, 2

PRICE REDUCED

Lost

Notice

Help Wanted

Agriculture

PRESCRIPTION GLASSES. Last seen Saturday, March 25 at City Park. Thick black frame with red and blue around eye piece. Please call 874-8527 if you have found 34tfc them.

NEW COUPLE MOVING to town. Looking for a house in the country to buy or rent.

Call or text 785-569-1127.

USD 466 NEEDS substitute route bus drivers. For applications and additional information contact Lance Carter at 620-872-7655.

Real Estate

WANTED: Yards to mow and clean up, etc. Trim smaller trees and bushes too. Call Dean Riedl, (620) 872-5112 or 8744135.

34tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– FURNITURE REPAIR and refinishing. Lawn mower tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Vern Soodsma, 872-2277 or 874-1412.

36tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– MOWER REPAIR, tuneup and blade sharpening.

Call Rob Vsetecka at 620214-1730.

36tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––– “JEN’S GROOMING” also offering boarding.

By Jennifer Milner, hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. call 620-214-0097. Located in Shallow Water.

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WANTED TO BUY. Stored corn. Call for basis and contract information.

1-800-579-3645.

Lane County Feeders, Inc. 32tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– WANTED TO BUY. Wheat straw delivered.

Call for contracting information. Lane County Feeders. 397-5341. 44tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– FOR SALE BLACK ANGUS BULLS, registered, tested, 2 year olds, yearlings, heifer bulls, delivery, conformation, performance. Contact: Black Velvet Ranch, Aaron Plunkett, Syracuse, Ks., 620384-1101.

33t19c ––––––––––––––––––––– REGISTERED ANGUS bulls, Crooked Creek Angus, St. Francis, Ks. 785332-6206.

35t12c ––––––––––––––––––––– ANGUS OPEN Replacement heifers, Crooked Creek Angus, St. Francis, Ks. 785-332-6206.

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COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS for sale 40’x60’ metal shop building and a 133’x45’ (approx.) round top building.

Serious inquiry’s only seller is a real estate agent selling own property 87426tfc 5109 or 874-2124.

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

––––––––––––––––––––– MULTIPLE HOUSES FOR RENT. 1 bedroom homes available. Also 8x10 storage units available. Stop by PlainJans to fill out an application or 01tfc call 872-5777.

––––––––––––––––––––– STORAGE UNITS in various sizes available at The Storehouse, Don and Trudy Eikenberry 62007tfc 872-2914.

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.

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Services

Pheasant Cove Apartments • Apartments available.

• Rental assistance available.

Open to general public, singles and couples.

Housing project is now taking applications for apartments.

Equal opportunity housing project.

1411 1/2 Myrtle Scott City Call 872-5458

backyard with SD only $69,900.

Well kept 1 1/2 story

home with 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, large family room

www.thomasreal-estate.com

914 W. 12th Scott City, Ks. 67871 (620)-872-7396 Cell: (620)-874-1753 or Cell: (620)-874-5002

Wichita

Gove

Wallace

Lane

Greeley

Finney

Kearney

406 Main • Scott City 620 872-2090

PRICE REDUCED

3-bedroom, 1 bath, double car garage, sprinkler system, $61,000.

Eggleston Real Estate PO Box 316 • Scott City

Broker: Gary V. Eggleston 620-872-2123 36tfc

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NEAT AND TIDY

Thomas Real Estate

Ness

air, lots of other

garage. Affordable at

throughout. $72,500

Logan

Newer central heat and

NEW LISTING

exterior with new windows

Scott

room in full basement.

upgrades. Fenced in

large corner lot. Stucco

County Plat Maps

2+2 Bedroom with family

car garage, on corner lot.

and detached garage on a

––––––––––––––––––––– POSITION AVAILABLE in swine finish facility in Scott County. Good schedule and benefits. Call 620-874-1017 or 620-21428tfc 1864.

––––––––––––––––––––– CHILD CARE NEEDED after SCORE each day 5:15-6:00 p.m., and when there is no school. Also needing summer care for one 7-year-old and one 9-year-old. Responsible teenagers accepted. Call or text 620-521-1567. 33tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– DRIVERS NEEDED, combine and truck. Starts May 10. Call Gerald Baker 620-874-2060 or 620-37936t2c 4693 evenings.

––––––––––––––––––––– LANE COUNTY TREASURER OFFICE, Dighton, has a position opening up. For more information on the position, hours, benefits and general knowledge please contact Pat Sharp, Lane County Treasurer at 620-397-2802 during business hours of 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00-5:00 p.m., or 620-397-3737 after hours. Lane County is an EOE. Drug testing will be required before employ36t2c ment.

2-bedroom with central heat and air, steel siing, sprinkler system and

appliances! $69,900.

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

New on the Market-Built 2014 Corner lot, 3-bedroom, 2-bath, full unfinished basement, large family room, 2 car garage.

Call for your private showing today!

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 8:30 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. 30t52

The Scott County Record • Page 33 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

Employment Opportunities TELLER/RECEPTIONIST

STAFF CLERK The City of Scott City is accepting applications for Staff Clerk.

Benefits include BC/BS, vacation, and sick leave.

Applications may be obtained at: City Hall, 221 W. 5th, Scott City Applications accepted until position is filled.

EOE Employer 35tfc

SEASONAL POSITION The City of Scott City is accepting applications for a Seasonal employee in the street department.

Applicants must be 18 years of age.

Applications can be picked up and returned to: City Hall, 221 W. 5th, Scott City Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

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ACCEPTING BIDS The City of Scott City is selling a 2003 Ford pickup.

Pickup can be seen outside the city shop.

Sealed bids labeled “2003 Ford Pickup” will be accepted at City Hall, 221 W. 5th, Scott City, until 5:00 p.m., May 4, 2015.

The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

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County Plat Maps

By Western Cartographers Scott • Lane • Wichita • Ness Logan • Gove • Greeley Finney • Wallace • Kearny

SPECIAL EDUCATION PARA-PROFESSIONAL For High Plains Educational Cooperative Unified School District No. 466 is seeking a special education Para-Professional in each school building to work with students.

The positions are available as soon as possible.

For more information and applications please contact: Susan Carter Board of Education Building 704 College, Scott City, KS 67871 24tfc

PARK LANE NURSING HOME

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: www.parklanenursinghome.org 37tfc

406 Main • Scott City • 620 872-2090

CITY CLERK

Serving Southwest Kansas Since 1961 EOE – Drug Free Workplace

Need a summer job?

Are you looking to make a difference in a child’s life?

If so, we are looking for a few great people to make that difference during our 2015 Summer Program in June, July and the first part of August. $8.25/hr., hours will vary Monday through Friday.

Applicants must have the following: an interest in working with children who experience a mental illness and their families, High School Diploma or GED, good driving record, and a valid driver’s license.

Applications are available at: www.compassbh.org Forward application and references to: Human Resources PO Box 853 Garden City, KS 67846 Fax number: 620.272.0171 E-mail: hr@compassbh.org 37t4c

PARTS COUNTER SALES REP. American Implement, Inc., in Leoti, currently has a full-time position open for Parts Counter Sales Representative.

Responsibilities of this position are to perform a variety of customer service duties related to the sale, delivery and inventory of agricultural equipment and irrigation parts and acessories.

Qualified candidates must have excellent customer service skills and good communication and problem-solving skills. Computer knowledge and good interpersonal skills are important.

Interested indivduals may complete an application or send a cover letter and resume to: Tom McDaniel, Parts Manager, American Implement, Inc., 232 East Hwy. 96, Leoti, Ks. 67861.

Call 620-375-2621 or 844-484-3375.

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Pick them up today at:

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Has openings for the following positions: Full-time CNA (evening shift) Part-time CNA (night shift) Full-time/part-time CNA/CMA Full-time/part-time RN/LPN

“Quality Care Because We Care”

The City of Leoti, is accepting applications for the position of City Clerk.

The position requires knowledge of public finance, human resources, and supervisory experience. A high school diploma or equivalent is required. Some experience in accounting and human resources is preferred.

Please visit www.leotikansas.org or call 620-375-2341 for an application and job description.

First review of applications will begin Monday, May 18, 2015.

First State Bank of Healy is taking applications for the position of Teller/Receptionist.

Looking for a friendly, customer-oriented person who can be skilled in financial matters, with attention to detail. This is an entry level position. Wages are subject to experience.

Send resume to: First State Bank, PO Box 200 Healy, Ks. 67850.

Attention of Walter Johnson, President Accepting applications until Thursday, April 30.

RCDC is accepting applications for the following positions: · Early Intervention Speech Language Pathologist · Early Intervention Occupational Therapist · Early Interention Social Worker Work full or part-time, year-round with topnotch team providing early intervention services to infants and toddlers in home and community settings.

Competitive pay, great benefits based upon qualifications and experience. Flexible scheduling, travel required.

To apply contact Deanna Berry, Executive Director, 620-275-0291 or go online to greenbush.schoolrecruiter.net Complete job description is available at: www.rcdc4kids.org.

Positions open until filled. EOE. 36t3c

SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL HAS OPENINGS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS

SERVICE TECHNICIAN American Implement, Inc., a progressive John Deere agricultural dealership in Southwest Kansas, is experiencing significant growth and is currently seeking qualified individuals to fill the position of Service Technician in the Scott City location.

Responsibilities are to analyze, troubleshoot and perform electrical and mechanical repairs on agricultural equipment. Experience in maintenance and repair of automotive, diesel or heavy equipment required.

Qualified applicants must own a set of tools to perform the functions of the job.

American Implement offers competitive wages and an excellent benefits package, which includes life, health and supplemental insurance, 401(k) plan and a quarterly incentive bonus program.

Interested applicants may send a cover letter and resume to: Tyler Kough Location Manager PO Box 20, Scott City, KS, 67871 or Call: (800) 779-7244 or (620)872-7244.

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PATIENT CARE Acute Care RNs Physical Therapist Respiratory Therapist Operating Room RN C.N.A.s Home Health Aide Home Helath LPN CLERICAL Ward Clerk Materials Management Assistant HR Temporary Records Scanner Clinical Informatics Coordinator Admissions Clerk SERVICE PRN Nutritional Service Aide Evening Cook Full-time Housekeeping Aide Part-time Housekeeping Aide-No Benefits 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.

Due to our recent expansion of services and rapid growth, we are in need of Acute Care RNs and are offering financial incentives.

Applications are available on our website at www.scotthospital.net or call 620-872-7772 for more information.

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The Scott County Record • Page 34 • Thursday, April 23, 2015

bicycle winners

Scott County Shriners Terry Phillips (left) and Steve Schmitt present bicycles to drawing winnes Aaron Ruelas and Johnna Sowers of Scott City. The Shriners gave away bicycles to a fourth grade boy and girl from Scott City, Leoti and Tribune who took part in the annual trip to the Shrine circus in Salina last Saturday.

(Record Photo)

4-H Club News

Jayhawkers give project talks

April meeting of the Manning Jayhawkers 4-H Club started with roll call answered to the question, “What is your middle name?”

Jacob Fisher lead the club in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Treasurer Asher Huck gave his report. The community leader gave her report and announced that there is a small animal weigh in for the livestock show and there will be shooting sports training for anyone interested.

The club will form a committee to make by-laws with the committee being the senior officers. Jacob Fisher gave a project talk and demonstrated how to make the Lego Annoy-a-matic. Rachel Fisher talked about Citizenship in Action.

Gabby Martinez talked about showmanship. Brynna Burnett talked about Kanakuk Kamps.

The club then played a favorite game of Four Corners. This game is played by one person stands outside the room and picks a number of 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Club member pick a corner, if your corner is called you are out. The last member left wins.

The meeting was adjourned with the 4-H Pledge.

We then had a snack of root beer floats provided by the Martinez and Burnett families.

The next meeting is scheduled for May 11, but it may be changed due to school activities.

Aden Frederick, reporter

USD 466 Lunch Menu Week of April 27-May 1 Breakfast Monday: Whole grain cereal, sausage patty, rosy applesauce, fruit juice.

Tuesday: Biscuit and gravy, fresh banana, fruit juice.

Wednesday: Granola bar, sliced peaches, fruit juice.

Thursday: Chicken biscuit, fresh orange, fruit juice.

Lunch Monday: Super nachos, *chicken nuggets, tortilla chips, choice of hot veggies, bread stick, pineapple tidbits.

Tuesday: Baked BBQ chicken, *meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green beans, break-a-way bread, pears.

Wednesday: Sloppy joe on a bun, *pork tenderloin, mozzarella cheese stick. tri-tater, peaches.

Thursday: Mini corndogs, *ravioli, tater tots, baked beans, mandarin oranges. *second choice at SCMS and SCHS

Vote on hiring non-licensed teachers has been delayed A group of school districts seeking to hire nonlicensed teaching staff wasn’t expecting to receive permission from the Kansas State Board of Education this week.

Randy Watson, who also chairs the Coalition of Innovative Districts, an alliance of six school districts, said the state board would discuss the matter at its meeting on Thursday and vote at a future meeting.

Marcus Baltzell, communications director for the Kansas National Education Association, said his organization is encouraging its members to contact the state board with their concerns ahead of the potential vote.

The Innovative Districts are part of a program created by the legislature in 2013. The program allows waivers of state laws and regulations for participating school districts. Proponents say it has the potential to free schools of obstacles to improving student performance.

Critics, including the KNEA, argue this deregulation erodes accountability.

Baltzell rejected that assessment, saying there are troubling ramifications. He called it an effort to “deprofessionalize teaching.”

The innovative districts are McPherson, Concordia, Kansas City USD 500, Blue Valley, Hugoton and Marysville.