The Scott County Record by The Scott County Record

Local residents paid tribute to fallen heroes on Memorial Day Page 10

Home of El Cuartelejo

38 Pages • Four Sections Look Inside

Education Scott City elementary teacher planning ‘detours’ after 20 years in classroom Page 11 Health State’s health care providers are fighting governor’s proposed cuts to KanCare Page 16

Volume 23 • Number 43

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Published in Scott City, Ks.

$1 single copy

County agrees to sell one hospital lot Scott County Commissioners have decided to proceed with the sale of one lot on the site of the former hospital in order to help the buyer move ahead with plans to build a home and move his family to Scott City. The commission had planned not to sell any lots on the block

until after the property could be surveyed and platted, but they have found that getting an engineer could take at least another 2-3 weeks. Robert Mangold, who is currently working at the Scott County Hospital, said he has been given some time to make the move from

Tribune to Scott City, but that his job requires his response time to be 20 minutes when called. When he first approached the commission about the prospect of purchasing a lot he was hoping to get the process moving quickly enough that he could have a home available by the start of school

this fall. Commissioners said that if they wait for an engineer to survey the block that would push Mangold’s timetable back at least another month. They were agreeable to selling a lot in the southeast corner for $5,000. (See LOTS on page 10)

teaching numbers don’t add up

Sports Crazy day at state track still ends with a Class 3A title for SCHS boys Page 19

Index Opinions ..................4-7 Calendar ..................... 7 Lawn/garden .............. 8 Youth/education ....... 11 Public notices ......12-13 LEC report ................ 13 Obituaries ................... 15 Church services ........ 15 Health care ..........16-17 Sports ..................19-26 Farm section........28-33 Classified ads ......35-37

SCES still trying to fill staff positions Kansas schools have grown accustomed to the difficulty in hiring teachers for certain subject areas - particularly math and science. But, elementary school teachers have always been readily available. At least until now.

“I can’t recall a time when it’s been this difficult to hire teachers,” says Scott City Elementary School Principal Shawn Roberts. Between transfers within the district, resignations, retirements and the need for additional staff due to increasing enroll-

ment, Roberts had seven staff openings within her building at the end of the school year. She still has two positions first and second grade - that need to be filled, which makes the administration a little nervous. “By this time of year we like to have all our positions filled

so we can be ready for the new year,” said Supt. Jamie Rumford. He has visited with superintendents for other school districts and they’re also reporting fewer applicants than in years past. (See POSITIONS on page two)

Deaths Cynthia Davis Edith Donecker

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

Farm White wheat quality is making gains in Western Kansas Page 28

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

Kickoff to summer It was a recordsetting weekend at Lake Scott park Page 27

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

Local Large turnout for Memorial Day service in Scott City Page 10

Air show, June Jaunt this weekend

honoring the flag

Laura Wilson

Jacob Fisher (left), 9, and Bennett Frederick, 8, both of Scott City, watch as the color guard passes by during Monday’s Memorial Day service at the Scott County Cemetery. (Record Photo)

Aerial acrobatics and exotic cars will make an exciting and entertaining combination at the Scott City Airport this weekend. One of the weekend’s big events in connection with the annual June Jaunt will be Family Day at the airport which will include free airplane rides, flying of the flight simulator at the Spencer Flight and Education Center and education programs throughout the morning. (See JAUNT on page nine)

Only 1 contest on local ballot

Only one Scott County incumbent will be facing a challenger in the fall elections. Brittan Ellis has filed on the Republican ticket against Scott County Commissioner Jerry Buxton in District 2. All other incumbents did file again for the major county offices. At the state level, Rep. Don Hineman (R-Dighton) will be unopposed in his re-election bid from the 118th District. That includes Scott, Lane and Wichita counties. One of the major last-minute surprises was the decision by Sen. Mitch (See ELECTION on page 10)

Positions “They’re still getting a pretty good number of applicants at schools in the Wichita area - maybe not as many as in the past, but at least they have some people to choose from. Our location is a factor, especially for young teachers who want to live near a large city.” If salaries are comparable, Western Kansas probably isn’t going to be their first choice, says Rumford. Whatever the reason, Roberts says the number of applicants is well short of the approximately 15 per opening she’s typically had in the past. “When I do get an interview, I’m finding they are also considering three or four other job offers,” says Roberts. “I’ve had some interviews set up and then I’ll get a call that they’ve already accepted another job. We can’t even get them in the door to hear what we have to say.” If she just has a chance to see them face-to-face, Roberts feels she can make a strong case for candidates to come to Scott City. “We have a lot of good things happening in Scott City. This is a great place to raise a family,” she says. “If we can get candidates to visit here and see our schools I think that can be a very strong selling point.” Salaries a Factor Of course, the local district didn’t help it’s situation when it had to cut salaries by two percent prior for the 2014-15 school year in an effort to dig itself out of a $1.1 million hole. While teachers were reimbursed for the lost salary the following spring, the two percent cut

City on a Hill fundraiser is Sat.

A benefit auction and concert will be held for City on a Heal treatment center on Sat., June 4, 7:00 p.m., at the First Christian Church, Scott City. Items to be auctioned include quilts, crafts and a flat screen TV. Music will be provided by the Trinity Trio, consisting of Chris Lund, Alan Graham and Ron Hopkins.

The Scott County Record • Page 2 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

(continued from page one)

Staff Changes at SCES Renee Baker: transferred to SCMS Kristin Crawford: kindergarten, resigned (family moving) Jessica Dearden: 3rd grade, resigned Teresa Goebel: 1st grade, resigned (moving) Lisa Jacobus: 2nd grade, resigned Glenn O’Neil: PE, resigned (moving) Lauren Robinson: 4th grade, transferred to SCMS

Extraordinary Needs The district did gain some help earlier in the 2015-16 school year when it qualified for $86,000 in “extraordinary needs” funding from the state. The district used this money to hire Suzanne Sherwood as an additional fourth grade teacher at the elementary school and purchase classroom computers because of increased enrollment. “Some districts didn’t spend their extraordinary needs money in the same budget year, we did,” says Rumford. “We didn’t want to wait another year to address our large fourth grade class.” The challenge will be in meeting that budget growth in 2016-17 without any assurance of getting more extraordinary needs money. Rumford says that for the 2016-17 school year, the district has added two teaching positions, a counselor for SCES/SCMS and it’s split the transportation director/maintenance manager into two full-time positions. Those positions represent an increase in salaries of about $200,000. “Hopefully the department of education will see the importance of what we’re doing when we ask them for extraordinary needs money in August,” says Rumford. Regardless of the outcome of that meeting, Rumford says the staffing decisions have been made. “We’re committed to this. We feel it’s in the best interests of our students,” Rumford emphasizes.

Rumford says the current “anti-education climate” in the legislature is making it harder to recruit and retain teachers. “Teachers are uncertain about what’s going to happen next. They’re seeing more opportunity - and better pay - in Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa,” he says. Generally speaking, he also feels that many in the profession are getting “burned out by highstakes (assessment) testing.” “We’re finding out that pouring all of this effort into earning a Standard of Excellence may make us feel good on the one hand, but it’s not a guarantee that our kids will get the job they want in the workforce,” he says. “There’s more to preparing our graduates for col-

lege or whatever they plan thing else,” says Roberts. to do next.” One of the big factors is school funding and Looking for Solutions whether the state will proRoberts is serving on a vide enough money, not Blue Ribbon Committee just for normal operations, appointed by the Kansas but for the staff to get pay Department of Educa- raises. The state legislation to study the teacher ture’s decision to elimishortage and make recom- nate tenure protections mendations on ways that and other efforts to diminwould help districts fill ish the value of educators teaching vacancies. haven’t gone unnoticed. “Teachers don’t feel She says that universities in Kansas are gradu- like they’re being treated ating enough students to as professionals,” Roberts cover the number of retir- says. “It’s unfortunate, ing teachers from year to because we have a lot of year. That’s not enough great teachers who are doto address the number of ing good things that don’t teachers who are leaving make the news. We need the profession for other to find ways to focus more reasons. attention on the positive in “There’s a lot of nega- education so that people tive perceptions about who are outside the proeducation and it’s caus- fession will gain a greater ing teachers to evaluate appreciation for what’s whether or not they want happening in our schools to stay or look for some- and in our classrooms.”

remained in effect on the salary schedule. One percent of the salary cut was restored for the 2015-16 school year. But that still means local teachers are being paid less than they were during the 2013-14 school year. “We have to make up that difference,” emphasized Rumford. “We owe it to our staff and we need to remain competitive with other school districts.” Roberts feels that the Scott County district does offer competitive salaries when compared with districts across the state, “but, we aren’t competitive with the states around us.” While Rumford says the district is “above average” in comparison with many Western Kansas districts, “we aren’t making gains.” Making up that lost ground will be even more difficult for the district under the existing block grant funding formula that was put into effect by the Kansas Legislature last fall. Even though the district is experiencing en420 Main • 872-3840 rollment growth, it’s not Lunch receiving additional state Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri.-11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Evenings aid. Not Just Salaries Thurs., Fri., Sat.- 5:30-10:00 p.m. “We hope to increase Salary isn’t the only salaries, but our hands are factor making it difficult tied,” Rumford says. to fill teaching positions. Tues. • Open faced prime rib

Dinning Out in Scott City June 6-10

VIP Center

302 Church St. • 872-3501

$5 ($3 - 60 yrs. up) Monday • Spaghetti with meat sauce, Toss salad, Green beans, Fruit cocktail. Tuesday • Lemon baked fish, Marinated pork roast, Parslied potatoes, Carrots and peas, WW roll, Strawberries short cake. Wednesday • Roast turkey with cranberry sauce, Sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, Bun, Mandarin oranges. Thursday • BBQ pulled pork, Potato wedges, Creamy coleslaw, Bun, Peaches. Friday • Hot chicken casserole, Rice, Spinach salad, WW roll, Rosy applesauce.

Grill House

Majestic Theatre

sandwich with french fires $11.95 Wed. • Smothered steak, mashed potatoes and gravy $7.95 Thurs. • Club sandwich, chips $7.95 Fri. • Beef enchilada, rice and beans $6.95

5Buck Lunch

611 East 5th • 872-5656

8 oz. Sirloin Steak

2 for

Fish Sandwich

$ 50

1211 Main • 872-3215

• Chili Cheese Dog • Deluxe Cheeseburger • 3 Piece Chicken Strips Includes Fries, 21 oz. Drink and Small Sundae

1304 S. Main • 872-5301

49 Full Buffet

1718 S. Main • 872-3706 1502 S. Main • 872-7288

4 for $4 Jr. Bacon or BLT Chicken Sandwich 4-pc. Chicken Nuggets Small Fry Small Drink

Community Living

The Scott County Record

Page 3 - Thursday, June 2, 2016

Food label changes provide better information Many Americans, now more than ever, are concerned about the ingredients in their food. New changes to the food label by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aim to lessen their concerns, as the changes highlight calories per serving as well as the amount of sugar added by the manufacturer. Sandy Procter, Kansas State University assistant professor of food, nutrition, dietetics and health, said she is looking forward to the changes. “This change in the Nutrition Facts label is a long

time coming,” Procter said. “We’re looking forward to having an improved source of information on food so consumers can make a more intelligent choice.” Procter, a nutrition specialist, said that the new label will be easier to read, as the print will be larger. Now the number of calories per serving will jump out at consumers to make them more aware of how many calories a serving, or a full package, actually contains. Added sugar is another item on the new food label.

Kendra Austin and Steven Fyler, Jr.

Couple plans July 16 wedding Steven and Loretta Fyler, Scott City, announce the engagement of their son, Steven Fyler, Jr., to Kendra Austin, daughter of Tara Murphy and Dale Austin, Denver, Colo. Kendra is a 2010 graduate of Wheat Ridge High School and Bethany College, Lindsborg, where she majored in secondary math education with a minor in coaching. She is a math teacher at Garden City High School and an assistant coach for volleyball and girl’s basketball.

The prospective groom is a 2010 graduate of Scott Community High School and Bethany College where he earned a double major in business finance and business management. He is employed at First National Bank, Garden City, as an assistant vice president. He is a commercial and agricultural loan officer. The couple plans a July 16 wedding at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Garden City.

Shania Dirks and Connor Wilson

Dirks-Wilson to wed August 27 Curt and Jolene Dirks, Monument, and Wayne and Jeanne Wilson, Mingo, announce the engagement of their children, Shania Dirks and Connor Wilson. The bride-to-be is a 2014 graduate of Wheatland High School and a 2016 graduate of Colby Community College with an associate of arts degree. The prospective groom is a 2012 high school graduate. He currently farms. Shania is the granddaughter of Richard and Dianne Kvasnicka, Wino-

na, and Oren Dirks, Russell Springs, and the late Kathy Dirks. She is the great-granddaughter of Nadine Kvasnicka, Oakley, and the late Ross Kvasnicka; the late Richard Elliott; Geraldine Lorg, Scott City; Virgil Lorg, Pretty Prairie, and the late Abe and Ruby Dirks. Connor is the grandson of Duane and Carol Luebke, Denver, Colo., and the late Lloyd and Bertilla Wilson. The couple plans an August 27 wedding at the Cooper Barn in Colby.

Currently, the label only shows how much sugar is in the food, but this can be misleading. “A lot of foods have natural sugar in them; case in point is milk,” Procter said. “The sugar in milk, lactose, is considered part of the total sugar, but it certainly isn’t added sugar. We don’t consider it something that is going to be damaging to the diet.” Another example, Procter said, is orange juice. The new added sugar line under “Total Sugars” will help consumers easily see the difference

between 100 percent fruit juice and sugary alternatives. Along with changes in the way calories and sugar are listed on the label, the way vitamins are presented will change. “Vitamin A and vitamin C are still important nutrients, but in the U.S., we get ample amounts of those in our diets for the most part,” Procter said. “So, those two nutrients are coming off the Nutrition Facts label and being replaced by two that are identified in the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans 2015-2020 as nutrients of concern, those being potassium and vitamin D.” The changes aim to make it easier for consumers to decide what is healthy for them. Putting more relevant information on the label and making it easier to read gives consumers a better idea of what is actually in the food, the expert said. “We know that obesity, diabetes and weight-related health problems are some of the most threatening that the world has to tackle,” Procter said. (See LABELS on page nine)

The Scott County Record

Editorial/Opinion

Page 4 - Thursday, June 2, 2016

editorially speaking

Shortage of lots:

County’s action highlights another housing concern

Scott City is not only facing an obvious housing shortage, but a shortage of lots where new housing can be built. Kudos to the Scott County Commission for its quick action in helping to address the problem by agreeing to sell off residential lots on the site of the former hospital. It makes perfect sense. It will further enhance the neighborhood around the former hospital, the lots are considerably cheaper than those being sold in the two housing subdivisions and, more importantly, the building requirements are far less restrictive. In other words, prospective buyers should be able to build their new homes at a cost that’s far more affordable, which seems to be the key word with the local housing market. We also feel the county acted properly with its decision to sell a lot immediately. The commission was understanding of this individual’s job requirements and this also recognizes that the lot being sold has unique characteristics that shouldn’t act as a benchmark for the price of other lots to be sold on the same block. But, there’s one other fact that has also emerged. The number of inquiries the commission has received since the availability of these lots became known is confirmation that the two housing subdivisions while helpful in meeting the local demand - aren’t the total answer either. It’s a message that shouldn’t be ignored. Thanks to the commission for helping to address the housing situation in Scott City. It’s a reminder that we must continue to explore different options in an effort to solve our housing dilemma.

Shifting burden:

Budget cuts come at a huge cost for taxpayers

When so-called budget cuts start costing the state - and various entities within the state - tens of millions of dollars then one has to wonder about the fiscal sanity being used by our top elected officials. Most recently, Gov. Sam Brownback has sliced about $56.3 million from Medicaid in an effort to balance the budget. Most of that ($38.2 million) comes from reducing Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers who treat patients through the state’s KanCare program. That means less money for medical clinics, hospitals and nursing homes. You can imagine who will have to pick up the tab for this budget maneuver. But, that’s only part of the story. Brownback’s decision will trigger the loss of about $72.3 million in federal funds which are tied to the state’s participation. It’s been estimated that the overall loss of more than $128 million will include about $87 million in reimbursement rates that benefit local health providers. While there are some exemptions to the cuts, all 127 of the state’s community hospitals will be affected. “When Governor Brownback began the KanCare program, he emphasized that his Medicaid reform program would allow the state to avoid Medicaid rate cuts,” reminded Cindy Samuelson, a spokesperson for the Kansas Hospital Association. “The governor’s proposal to now cut Medicaid rates is a broken promise.” A broken promise? Is anyone surprised? This is in addition to the nearly $1.2 billion in federal funds that Kansas has lost over the last few years by not expanding Medicaid. What the Brownback Administration is doing, with approval from a compliant Republican legislature, is not fiscal conservatism or fiscal responsibility. It is fiscal insanity. Who, in their right mind, would “cut” spending, knowing that by doing so they will actually cost the state’s taxpayers even more money? This is what passes for balancing the budget. That balancing act isn’t just being done on the backs of our poorest citizens. It’s also being done at the expense of all taxpayers who must pay the cost for supporting our local hospitals and nursing homes. It doesn’t end there. For years - decades it seems - Republicans have argued against many social programs championed by Democrats by saying the money to support those programs must come from somewhere. In other words, nothing is free. While we certainly don’t argue with that, the inverse is also true. When funds are cut for education, health care or any number of other programs that benefit our citizens the tab is picked up by someone. It occurs through higher college tuition, higher property taxes or a greater burden on local food baskets and organizations that assist the needy. Just because the governor cuts spending it doesn’t mean the needs disappear. Brownback and the Kansas Legislature aren’t cutting the budget - merely shifting the burden.

GOP has sights on bigger prize No one should have been surprised when the Kansas Supreme Court ruled (again) that the current finance formula for public education is unconstitutional. Even Sen. Mitch Holmes, when he’s not measuring the hemlines of female lobbyists, could have guessed as much. The Court - by unanimous decision - determined that the state legislature was playing a shell game with school funding. These hucksters were simply shifting money around while giving the illusion they were actually doing something. Rather than acting in the best interests of our young people, the legislature has chosen to act like a spoiled child that, when told what to do, insists on cooperating as little as possible in order to test the patience of his parents. The Court has reached the limit of its patience. It has given the legislature an ultimatum in what has become a high-stakes standoff. The Court has done its job and stood firmly

by its interpretation of the Kansas Constitution. Consistent with its other school finance rulings over the years, the Court reaffirmed that the legislature has continued to fall short of its constitutional requirement to provide an “equitable” system of school funding. In an effort to seemingly insult the intelligence of the court, lawmakers tossed out one funding system and replaced it with another that the court determined “increases . . . the disparity among districts.” The Republican leadership not only failed to make a half-hearted effort to satisfy the Court, it made no effort whatsoever. Ultraconservative Republicans in the legislature have demonstrated for the past two decades they could care less about public education. If that weren’t true, legislators

would have abided by the Court’s decision long ago rather than forcing Kansas schools to keep filing lawsuits to determine what’s already been decided time and again. Oddly enough, with this latest rejection of a school finance plan the Court responded as lawmakers had hoped. Why would Republicans want the Court to overrule their school funding plan and threaten to close schools on July 1? It’s because this battle isn’t over a paltry $40 million, give or take a couple of million. Gov. Brownback and ultraconservatives could scrape that up with more cuts to earlychildhood programs, tossing a few more people off welfare rolls, further cuts to Medicaid reimbursements or reducing highway repairs to only 100 miles a year. This is about something which means much more to ultraconservatives in Kansas. What has the governor and the Republican leadership giddy with excitement is that maybe

. . . just maybe . . . they can convince enough illinformed, semi-conscious voters that the problem is, and always has been, a Supreme Court that simply doesn’t know its place. Forget anything you learned in government class while in high school. Our Founding Fathers never really intended to have three separate, but equal, branches of government. Their intent was for the courts to exist only to confirm decisions made by the executive and legislative branches. It must be true because the governor, the legislative leadership and Atty. Gen. Derek Schmidt have been complaining for years about “judicial activism,” especially when it comes to matters involving school funding. The latest court ruling represents a “disregard for the proper role of the Kansas Legislature,” according to Gov. Brownback. Apparently, that proper role is to ignore the constitution. According to Senate President Susan Wagle, (See PRIZE on page six)

A constitutional game of chicken Last Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court issued a ruling in the ongoing lawsuit regarding funding for Kansas public schools. The justices unanimously declared that the current funding law passed by the legislature only months ago and signed into law by Gov. Brownback is unconstitutional. They logically concluded that an unconstitutional law cannot be enforced, and therefore ceases to exist. As a result, there currently is no legal mechanism by which the state can fund K-12 education. The court gave the Legislature “yet another opportunity to treat Kansas students fairly” and to “craft a constitutionally suitable solution and minimize the threat of disruptions in funding for education.” The court has made it quite plain

Where to Write

Legislative Update Rep. Don Hineman 118th District

it is serious about this, and if the governor and legislature do not respond quickly, then the schools will be closed July 1. The court would accomplish this by enjoining anyone within the administration from making any payments for funding of K-12 education. Though they may not like it, I strongly suspect that those individuals will not wish to defy a direct order of the court and face the consequences of that action. The question is whether the Supreme Court has the authority to take such a drastic step. Those who oppose the ruling point out that the legislature has

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

sole constitutional responsibility to appropriate funds, so they conclude that the court has no role in second-guessing the legislature’s actions. But, the ruling reached the conclusion that the legislature’s plan was unconstitutional because it did not distribute funds equitably to all school districts. It also ruled that a clause which attempted to hold harmless certain school districts actually amplified the inequity by allowing them to raise more money via property taxes. Doing so increases inequity because other school districts lack the resources to do the same. Although the legislature has a constitutional duty to appropriate funds, the court has a constitutional duty to determine whether any law enacted by the legislature is constitutional. If the court

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

lacked this authority and responsibility, then resource-poor schools would be short-changed and many Kansas school children would be denied equal educational opportunity. This is a reminder that one of the primary reasons for the existence of the judiciary is to protect the rights of the minority from the tyranny of the majority. Those who do not value that constitutional protection are making the very foolhardy assumption that their own rights will always be among the majority. And by treating the rights of the minority with such little regard, they are tearing at the very fabric of the social contract under which we have all consented to live. So, the next move is up to the legislature. (See CHICKEN on page seven)

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

The Scott County Record • Page 5 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Ignorant Americans shouldn’t have right to vote by David Harsanyi

Never have so many people with so little knowledge made so many consequential decisions for the rest of us. A person need only survey the inanity of the ongoing presidential race to comprehend that the most pressing problem facing the nation isn’t Big Business, Big Labor, Big Media or even Big Money in politics. It’s you, the American voter. And by weeding out millions of irresponsible voters who can’t be bothered to learn the rudimentary workings of the Constitution, or their preferred

candidate’s proposals or even their history, we may be able to mitigate the recklessness of the electorate. No, we shouldn’t erect physical barriers to ballot access. Let’s purchase more voting machines, hire additional poll workers, streamline the registration process, mail out more ballots for seniors and produce more “Rock the Vote” ads imploring apathetic millennials to embrace their civic duty. At the same time, let’s also remember that checking a box for the candidate whose campaign ads you like best is one of the most overrated obliga-

. . . checking a box for the candidate whose campaign ads you like best is one of the most overrated obligations of the selfgoverned. If you have no clue what the hell is going on, you also have a civic duty to avoid subjecting the rest of us to your ignorance.

tions of the self-governed. If you have no clue what the hell is going on, you also have a civic duty to avoid subjecting the rest of us to your ignorance. Unfortunately, we can’t trust you. Now, if voting is a consecrated rite of democracy, as liberals often argue, surely soci-

ety can have certain minimal expectations for those participating. And if citizenship itself is as hallowed as Republicans argue, then surely the prospective voter can be asked to know just as much as the prospective citizen. Let’s give voters a test. The citizenship civics test will do just fine. How many screeching proponents of the two major candidates would pass this quiz? Here are some of the questions, which run from easy to preposterously easy: “If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?”

by Fareed Zakaria

(See DECLINE on page six)

(See IGNORANT on page six)

Clinton says what GOP should have

Why business start-ups are on the decline Silicon Valley has more than 23,000 start-ups, at least according to the networking site AngelList. It certainly feels that way when you’re in Palo Alto. But, it turns out that this place is the exception to a worrying trend. It is by now well documented that start-up activity has been slowing down in the United States for about three decades, dropping sharply over the past 10 years. Even as American culture has turned entrepreneurs into rock stars, the U.S. economy is producing fewer and fewer of them. Start-ups have been central to America’s economic health. A study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research points out that during the 1980s and 1990s, when entrepreneurial activity was high, new companies played an outsize role in boosting innovation, productivity and job creation. There are many different ways to measure the growth and success of start-ups, but they all point to a similar conclusion. The Kauffman Foundation reports that the percentage of adults owning a business has been declining since the 1990s, when the foundation first began to track that number. At the Brookings Institution, Ian Hathaway and Robert Litan found that the start-up rate (the number of new companies as a percentage of all firms) has fallen by nearly half since 1978. Why is this happening? No one is quite sure. Some are quick to blame big government. There is something to this critique, but the story is complicated. If high taxes discourage would-be entrepreneurs, then how to explain the burst of start-ups in the 1970s and early 1980s, when tax rates were skyhigh? The United States in that period had a host of highly regulated industries, economic stagflation, social and political turmoil, and geopolitical anxieties. And yet it produced Silicon Valley. Even today, California ranks toward the top of the country in terms of taxes and regulation, yet it is also home to some of the most vibrant entrepreneurial activity in the world, in sectors as diverse as high tech, entertainment and energy. But, ever-multiplying regulation does hamper business activity. The Economist magazine argues that the U.S. economy has grown less competitive in the past 20 years. After a wave of deregulation in the 1980s, red tape has proliferated, licensing requirements have expanded and legal costs have risen dramatically. Large, entrenched firms armed with lawyers and lobby-

“There were 13 original states. Name three.” “What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?” “What is freedom of religion?” I have tempered confidence that at least a majority of the voting public could pass such a test - though I couldn’t say the same for a majority of presidential candidates. Certainly, this should be a breeze for citizens so intensely involved in the process that they feel compelled to plaster bumper stickers on their cars and attend the rallies of their favorite candidates.

by Jennifer Rubin

cotts by businesses and entertainers, and a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Justice Department. Two bills filed in the Kansas Legislature this year proposed even harsher measures than what North Carolina enacted. They would have allowed a citizen who spotted a transgender person using an outlawed bathroom to sue a public school or university for $2,500. Witt calls that a bounty invitation: Students could manufacture situations in order to have a chance at winning $2,500. Meanwhile, the bills sent a message that the very presence of a transgender student is the stuff of fear. One of the few upsides to Kansas’ perpetual fiscal crisis is that it crowds other matters off the agenda. The bathroom bills didn’t get far during the session. That might have been the end of the matter, at least until next year, had the Obama administration not issued its “guidance” memo to school districts.

Asked if Donald Trump was qualified to be president, his opponent answered bluntly, “I have concluded he’s not qualified to be president of the United States,” and then continued: “When you run for president of the United States, the entire world is listening and watching. “So when you say you’re going to bar all Muslims, you’re sending evidence to the Muslim world, and you’re also sending a message to terrorists. . . . Donald Trump is essentially being used as a recruiter for more people to join the cause of terrorism.” Trump’s opponent continued, “Based on the way he has behaved and how he has spoken and the policies he has . . . thrown out there, I think it adds up to a very troubling picture.” If only Sen. Marco Rubio or one of Trump’s other viable Republican opponents had said that in January or February. Instead, it was left up to Hillary Clinton to say it in a CNN interview. She’s right, of course, and by refusing to say it directly and provide ample examples of abject ignorance, temperamental unfitness and authoritarian aspirations (e.g,. ordering the military to commit war crimes), Trump’s Republican rivals dropped the ball. Someone with no governing experience, unaware of basic policy issues, dismissive of fundamental constitutional principles, demonstrating no interest in learning about the world, and preferring to rely on gossip and urban myth rather than facts is qualified to lead the free world in the eyes of Republicans? They surely don’t believe it, yet their endorsements tell the American people otherwise. Rather than dispute Clinton’s conclusion - which would be hard - Republicans respond with inanities. The highest-ranking woman in the GOP House leadership, Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), in endorsing Trump proclaimed, “A record-breaking number of Republican Party voters - including many millions new to our party - have cast their ballots for him. “In our uniquely American electoral system, it’s essential we respect the will of the people; they should never be neglected or dismissed. In fact, their will should be revered.” This is nonsense. The American people voted for President Obama twice, yet McMorris Rodgers did not endorse or support him. (Apparently she is not on autopilot when the entire country speaks, just when Republicans do.) If the people nominated David Duke, one hopes she would not revere the result. There is a difference between respecting the will of the people and fol-

(See CRUSADE on page six)

(See CLINTON on page six)

Long words baffle Trump supporters by Andy Borowitz

STEPHEN HAWKING ANLONDON (The Borowitz Report) - The theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking angered supporters of Donald J. Trump on Monday by responding to a question about the billionaire with a baffling array of long words. Speaking to a television interviewer in London, Hawking called Trump “a demagogue

who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator,” a statement that many Trump supporters believed was intentionally designed to confuse them. Moments after Hawking made the remark, Google reported a sharp increase in searches for the terms “demagogue,” “denominator” and “Stephen Hawking.” “For a so-called genius, this was an epic fail,” Trump’s

campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said. “If Professor Hawking wants to do some damage, maybe he should try talking in English next time.” Later in the day, Hawking attempted to clarify his remark about the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, telling a reporter, “Trump bad man. Real bad man.” Andy Borowitz is a comedian and author

Transgender-bathroom crusade flushes out Kansas conservatives Kansans don’t know whether their public schools will remain open beyond July 1. The state’s fiscal foundations are collapsing. And tornados are terrorizing its towns. State legislative leaders are really, really worried. About bathrooms. Conservatives in charge of the House and the Senate couldn’t wrap up the 2016 legislative session without making it clear that they - and not President Barack Obama - will decide who uses which bathroom in Kansas public schools. Senate President Susan Wagle drafted a resolution rebuking the Obama administration for issuing a memo advising schools to allow transgender students to use the restroom of their choice. House Speaker Ray Merrick wants lawmakers to sign a letter opposing Obama’s memo. It’s actually surprising that bathroom politics haven’t played more of a role in this year’s Kansas legislative session.

behind the headlines by Barbara Shelly

“It was just weeks after the marriage ruling that I started hearing rumblings about this,” says Thomas Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, which advocates on behalf of LGBT citizens. “They couldn’t stop us from getting married, so they’ll pick on our kids.” Transgender students have been using bathrooms conforming with the gender they identify with for years, Witt says. Equality Kansas has quietly worked with a number of families and school districts to make acceptable arrangements. But conservative lawmakers in states around the country have suddenly become very concerned about where children pee. A high-profile North Carolina law limiting students to bathrooms consistent with their biological sex has resulted in boy-

The Scott County Record • Page 6 • June 2, 2016

Medicaid cuts threaten hospitals in Kansas by Tom Bell

Last week, Gov. Sam Brownback announced his solution to the state’s budget problem, which includes significant cuts in KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program. There has been a flurry of inaccurate or incomplete information, and we need to set the record straight. Despite comments to the contrary, there simply is no “rural” exemption from the proposed cuts.

Prize

(continued from page four)

the Supreme Court ruling “tramples the checks and balances enshrined in the state constitution.” We’d like to think that Wagle’s glaring ignorance was the exception in the legislature, but it’s not. The Court is interpreting the constitution - as it should - and fulfilling its role in a checks-and-balances system that protects the interests of the people - not the narrow interests or sensitive egos of lawmakers. Ultraconservatives in the legislature now feel the perfect storm is finally in place in order to gain control of the judiciary. Wagle made that clear when she said the court ruling “should weigh heavily on the minds of all Kansas voters when many of these Justices are up for retention in November.” Ultraconservatives see no value in having an independent judiciary. They want to replace it with a hand-picked court whose only purpose is to rubber stamp legislative policies - or be removed from office. Should schools close on July 1 that’s of little concern to the Republican leadership. This is the same governing body which has repeatedly, over the last 20 years, refused to adequately fund public education in Kansas. These are the same Republicans who would rather put more tax dollars into private schools and into home schools. These are the same right-wing politicians who have stripped tenure protection from teachers and reduced what little power teacher unions still have in Kansas. They’re betting that Kansas voters aren’t smart enough to understand their ultimate goal or . . . worse yet . . . even care. Whether or not schools actually close on July 1, the governor and ultraconservatives in state government are seizing on this opportunity to reshape the Kansas Supreme Court to their liking. That makes this a battle over more than school funding. We are fighting for the separate-but-equal principle on which our democratic form of government depends.

Every part of the state will feel the effect of the cuts through reductions in payments to physicians, nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospitals or other caregivers. And, the effect is obvious. In fact, almost every comment made about this new proposed policy warns that KanCare reimbursement cuts will seriously jeopardize access to care. We’ve now seen concrete examples of hospi-

Every part of the state will feel the effect of the cuts through reductions in payments to physicians, nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospitals or other caregivers. Tom Bell, CEO Kansas Hospital Association

tals in different parts of the state struggling under the current system, and these cuts will only exacerbate those struggles for all providers. When KanCare was announced, the Administration repeatedly stated that the program would

improve access to health care and allow the state to avoid cutting provider rates. And encouraged by these promises, health care providers have been good partners regarding KanCare. This, despite the fact that the program pays

them less than the cost of providing care; despite the growing financial pressure facing those providers; and despite increasing evidence that KanCare isn’t working as promised. Since they can no longer rely on the original assurances, some providers will undoubtedly question whether they can continue to participate under such circumstances. Ultimately, and most importantly, that will threaten access to care in Kansas.

Kansas shouldn’t engage in bathroom war by Kansas City Star

They have been tremendous failures as leaders in the Kansas Legislature. So it’s no surprise that House Speaker Ray Merrick and Senate President Susan Wagle want to discriminate against transgender Kansans when it comes to the simple task of going to the bathroom. The lawmakers have decided to push a cause receiving national attention for no discernible reason except it’s a red-meat issue for ultra-conservatives. News alert: There are no widespread - or even isolated - examples of girls and women being preyed upon by the transgender

Decline ists - are able to navigate this regulatory landscape better than new ones. “The game may indeed be rigged,” it concludes. The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to solve our biggest global challenges and bring people everywhere a better quality of life. But, a less-noted factor that might be crucial is generational. Baby boomers have proven to be great entrepreneurs, launching companies when they were young and keeping at it as they aged. Succeeding generations have been much less likely to have found their own firms. The percentage of start-ups launched by people in their 20s and

gender students to use bathrooms as well as locker rooms that correspond to their current gender identities - not their birth gender. This is only common sense. To act differently is to discriminate against some children who are bullied at school because of their transgender status. Wagle upped the ante, vowing that the Senate would vote next week on what would be a meaningless resolution trying to force transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their birth sex. The mean-spirited attitudes of Merrick and Wagle are sad commentaries on the lack of stand-up leadership in Topeka.

(continued from page five)

30s fell from 35 percent in 1996 to 18 percent in 2014. Meanwhile, the share founded by people in their 50s and 60s has actually increased over the past decade. Young people today dress like Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, consume technology voraciously and talk about disruptive innovation. But, they want to work at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and Google. They are earnest, intelligent, accomplished - and risk-averse. Is this caution born out of years of stagnant incomes, the financial crisis and a sluggish economy? Maybe, but I think there is something broader at work.

Ignorant

Or am I being too optimistic? When Newsweek asked a thousand voters to take the official citizenship test a few years back, nearly 30 percent couldn’t name the vice president. More than 60 percent did not know the length of U.S. senators’ terms in office. And 43 percent couldn’t say that the first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. Only 30 percent knew that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. In another study, by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, we learned that only 36 percent could name all three branches Rod Haxton can be reached of the U.S. government. Only 62 percent knew that at editor@screcord.com

community in restrooms. Kansas should join some other states that are refusing to take part in the anti-trans bathroom war because they don’t want to hold themselves up to national ridicule and do want to look like welcoming states for new jobs and residents. Yet Merrick is asking fellow legislators to sign on to a letter he wrote to the U.S. Justice and Education departments. Responding to the bigots pushing “bathroom laws” in North Carolina and other states, the administration issued a federal guidance letter last week. It tells schools across the nation they should allow trans-

Baby boomers were shaped by the 1960s and its counterculture. They were told to “tune in” to their passions and “drop out” of the old establishment. They were rebellious about everything - politics, parental authority, old-fashioned morality and big institutions. Their willingness to strike out on their own was not a pose to get venture capital funding. It was an expression of their passion. Steve Jobs once explained that using LSD was “one of the two or three most important things” he ever did. When describing his intellectual influences, he pointed to the beatnik bible, “The

Whole Earth Catalog.” Its founder, Stewart Brand, argued in an essay that we owe to the hippies the leaderless, individualistic and decentralizing revolution of personal computers and the internet. Of course, the counterculture’s assault on the establishment and traditional values caused enormous political and social upheavals. There was an erosion of law and order, trust in government, family structure and deference to authority. So, the question is, can we get disruption, but of a kind that is not, well, too disruptive? Fareed Zakaria is a journalist, author and editor-at-large for Time magazine

(continued from page five)

the U.S. Supreme Court was tasked with determining the constitutionality of legislation. Fewer than half of Americans knew that split decisions in the Supreme Court have the same effect as 9 to 0 decisions. These are the people who pick the people who define the basic fabric of the legal system - and often our lives. To be fair, the contemporary electorate is probably no less ignorant today than it was 50 or 100 years ago. The difference is that now we have unlimited access to information. As James Madison wrote, “A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a

Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both.” And it literally takes seconds to learn about the fundamentals of our republic and the positions of candidates. If you forsake the power of information, you have no standing to tell the rest of us how to live our lives. Don’t vote. Now, some of you will accuse me of peddling crass elitism. But, I say the opposite is true. Unlike the many who depend on ignorant voters to wield and secure their power, I refuse to believe that working-class or underprivileged citizens are any less capable of understanding the meaning of the Constitution or the contours of governance than the supercilious one-percenters.

I believe this despite the widespread failure of public schools to teach children basic civics. It’s still our responsibility as voters. Of course, we also must remember the ugly history of poll taxes and other prejudicial methods that Americans used to deny black citizens their equal right to vote. Any effort to improve the quality of the voting public should ensure that all races, creeds, genders and sexual orientations and people of every socioeconomic background are similarly inhibited from voting when ignorant. For the good of our democratic institutions.

The Governor’s decision not only reneges on contractual commitments made to Kansas providers, but is simply bad public policy. In Kansas, the health care sector is the fourth largest employer statewide and generates approximately $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenue annually. The Kansas Industry and Occupational Outlook created by the Kansas Department (See MEDICAID on page 7)

Clinton

(continued from page five)

lowing it blindly regardless of the results. The worst possible reason for a leader to add his or her personal stamp of approval, to vouch for a defective candidate, is to say the voters decided the matter. Why be in “leadership” if you automatically follow a plurality of Republicans? Unfortunately, McMorris Rodgers’s statements are emblematic of the turn-off-the-brain-andget-in-line mentality that has overtaken too many Republicans. Had they from the get-go told the voters precisely what they thought of Trump, it might not have made a difference, but the GOP “leaders” would have fulfilled their obligation. As for what they might do now, McMorris Rodgers ironically nearly stumbled onto a sensible position: GOP voters have spoken, and I respect their judgment. She does not have to lend her own credibility and support to Trump’s crazy talk. Now, however, it’s left to Clinton to talk truth about Trump. That’s the way the next six months will go - Clinton sounding mature and sane and Republicans tying themselves in knots to defend and excuse Trump. Republicans will sound foolish, if not divorced from reality. It’s one of many reasons that having an alternative, actual conservative in the race would do the party and country a world of good. Without such a person, Clinton becomes the only voice of sanity in the race. Jennifer Rubin is a conservative columnist for The Washington Post

Crusade

(continued from page five)

For the right, the timing couldn’t be better. Legislative elections are coming up in August and November, and the Kansas GOP badly needs to distract the public from its failed tax and budget policies and the state’s deepening morass. So, it’s ready to take a stand at the bathroom door - pretending to defend David Harsanyi is a nation- schoolchildren from a ally syndicated columnist threat that has never existand senior editor at The Fed- ed. eralist Even in the arsenal of distraction politics, this is a weak ploy. But, it’s about all Kansas conservatives have right now. Barbara Shelly is a columnist for the Kansas City Star

The Scott County Record • Page 7 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Chicken The ceremonial final day of the regular legislative session was to be June 1. Many legislators were to be in Topeka to deal with a possible override of Gov. Brownback’s veto of a bill which deals with multiple issues regarding property taxes. It would be possible to merely extend the session to deal with this constitutional crisis, but legislative leaders have indicated they prefer not to do that. They have said they need time to digest the ruling and plan a response. But, no one should have been surprised by the court’s ruling. Many impartial observers certainly expected this outcome. Education in Limbo Instead, it appears legislators will be called back later for an emergency session to deal with this constitutional game of chicken. In the meantime, everyone associated with K-12 education will be in total limbo. School administrators don’t know if they will have schools to manage July 1. Educators

Medicaid

(continued from page four)

are wondering whether they will have jobs and whether they will receive a paycheck after July 1. The same is true for custodians, school cooks and bus drivers. And working parents will be faced with the difficult prospect of lining up childcare for their family if the schools remain closed. It is estimated that it would take $38 million to $43 million to correct the constitutional defect identified by the court. That isn’t an insignificant sum, and yet not insurmountable compared to the roughly $4 billion spent annually on Kansas schools by the state. So one is left to wonder why there is so much resistance by the legislature and the governor to fixing the problem. Is it really about the $38 to $43 million or possibly about clarification of constitutional responsibilities? Although that is possibly the objective for some, I strongly suspect something else is at play here. Consider statements made by Gov. Brownback

and legislative leaders following release of the ruling. Gov. Brownback: “The court is engaging in political brinksmanship with this ruling.” House Speaker Ray Merrick: “The court has yet again demonstrated it is the most political body in the state of Kansas. Frankly, I find their actions disgraceful and hope Kansas voters will remember this in November when deciding whether these justices should be retained.” Senate President Susan Wagle: “Certainly this unconstitutional overreach, and making students the collateral damage of judicial activism, should weigh heavily on the minds of all Kansas voters when many of these justices are up for retention in November.” These statements appear to confirm what I have long suspected. The constitutional crisis has been purposely crafted by Gov. Brownback and legislative leadership in an attempt to discredit the judiciary. They hope to turn the Kansas voting public against the judicia-

ry prior to the November election when five of the justices must stand for retention vote. The future of Kansas school children and everyone associated with K-12 education has been placed at risk as a result of the crass political scheming of these individuals and not through actions of the court. Certainly it took a great amount of courage for the justices to ignore the reality that their decision might lead to their removal from office and instead to perform what they perceived as their constitutional duty. It is high time that we in the legislature set aside all the political rhetoric and get about our constitutional responsibility to equitably provide funding for all Kansas public schools. Reasonable solutions exist and it shouldn’t be difficult to reach resolution of the matter. I stand ready to work with my colleagues toward that end, and the sooner the better.

of Labor puts health care among the top 10 job creators, showing more job growth than any other industry in the state with over 33,000 new jobs added over the next decade. Putting health care pro-

(continued from page six)

viders and their patients in jeopardy with these cuts endangers not only providers, but the future of the state as a whole. Tom Bell is president and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association

Rep. Don Hineman’s 118th District includes Scott, Lane and Wichita counties.

See the exotic cars and air show at the Scott City Airport • Sat., June 4

872-2090

June We’re here for you

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Monday

5 Attend the Church of Your , Choice LaCoy Brownbag Benefit, SCHS Parking Lot, 11:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m.

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

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

SCHS Cheer Camp

SCHS Boys Bball Camp, Evening

Scott City Council Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

Scott County Commission Meeting, 3:00 p.m.

Summer Reading Puppet Show, SC Library, 10:30 a.m. - Noon

Wheatland Broadband “Survivor” Reception, Wheatland Broadband, 6:00 p.m.

Summer Reading Puppet Show, SC Library, 10:30 a.m.-Noon

Coed Rec. Mud Volleyball, 2:00 p.m. Tammy Reed Retirement Reception, SCES, 2:00-4:00 p.m. 12

No charge for community events

‘50s Fun, SC Library, 1:30-3:15 p.m.

10 SCHS Boys Bball Camp, Evening

11 SCHS ACT, 8:00 a.m. 19th Annual MASH Golf Tournament, 9:00 a.m. OK Kid’s Day, Lake Scott State Park, 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Scott City Stars Home Swim Meet

Community “Vision” Meeting, Bryan Conference Center, 6:00 p.m.

‘50s Fun, SC Library, 1:30-3:15 p.m. 13

Saturday

Bluegrass and BBQ, Patton Park, 6:30 p.m.

Carp Derby

Billy Allen Products, Inc. The complete

HORSE FEED

207 E. Bellevue Scott City 872-2111

with quality ingredients and consistency guaranteed with every sack.

Box 460 • Scott City

872-2778

The Scott County Record

Lawn and Garden

Page 8 - Thursday, June 2, 2016

Create an outdoor room for all to enjoy by Melinda Myers

No matter your budget, space or gardening experience, you can design an outdoor entertainment area for you, your family and friends to enjoy. Start by gathering ideas from magazines, the internet and websites like Gardener’s Supply Company for examples of outdoor garden spaces. Next, select an area that is convenient and suitable for your outdoor entertaining. Define the space using outdoor rugs and furniture or tall planters (gardeners.com) to serve as the walls for your garden room. A bistro set and a couple of chairs makes for an intimate space on a balcony. Those with more room may want to include an outdoor wicker and teak dining set. Fill the planters with ornamental grasses, papyrus, cannas and other flowering plants to create a living screen.

Add a splash of color and flavor to the space by growing herbs and vegetables combined with flowers in these and additional planters in your garden space. Include ingredients for your favorite drinks, appetizers and meals. Your guests will enjoy plucking a few mint leaves for their iced tea or mojito, harvesting fresh greens from a Salad Garden Bar and dressing up the meal with a few pesticide-free edible flowers like nasturtiums, calendula and daylilies. Busy gardeners and those that travel may want to try self-watering pots. These containers have built-in water reservoirs Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook. She is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds and Blooms magazine

to provide a constant flow of water to the plants. This means you need to water less often, while still enjoying healthy and productive plants. Add some height and focal points with topiaries. Purchase a sculpted evergreen or train vines up a twist topiary frame to create a bit of living art. And don’t forget to add some garden art and statuary. Extend your enjoyment with outdoor lighting. A few votive candles in old punch cups are perfect for intimate gatherings in small spaces. Add a bit more illumination with the help of solar illuminated planters, solar deck lights, post caps, and solar cubes and spheres. No buried electric lines or extension cords needCreating an outdoor garden room can be accomplished even with limited ed. Use these lights to space and budget. lead you down the path to your garden space or So get busy creating started, you will be look- outdoor kitchen and more brighten the space for an the garden room of your ing for more opportuni- ways to enjoy your garevening of fun. dreams. Once you get ties for that quiet getaway, den.

Consider pros, cons of summer mulching Whether or not you should mulch is probably not keeping you awake at night, but it is certainly worth considering if you have a garden. There are many good reasons to use mulch in the summer in Kansas, including: •Keeps the soil cooler (and the roots) and helps plants get through the summer. •Conserves moisture. •Provides habitat and food source for beneficials in the garden such as 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 the mulch breaks down, it releases nutrients into the soil. •The year following a mulch crop, soil tilth will be improved because the carbon added to the soil

ing 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 will become organic mat- disease possibilities. ter. Types of Mulches Which mulch is best? When Not to Mulch There are certain situa- The answer is “whatevtions where mulch is NOT er is readily available.” helpful, so in general, I There are pros and cons recommend mulch except to each, so consider your situation, what you like to for the following: •In early spring mulch- grow, and what you can ing can keep the soil get for mulch. Here’s a quick sumtoo cool and slow plant growth. Wait until mid mary. Lawn clippings: Pros April to start applying most people have these mulch to let soil warm unless they have a mulchup first. •Mulch around small ing mower, or mower seedlings can encourage without a bag. They are sow bugs. Generally these generally weed free, fine, are beneficial or neutral easy to apply, and high because they mainly eat in nitrogen. They break residues and are part of down quickly and don’t the soil digestion process. give long season weed But, they also eat small control. Cons - apply fresh seedlings. Let plants get at least 4-6 leaves before and not too thick or they will heat up and smell mulching. •For most crops, includ- (because of the high mois-

ture content). Don’t apply to vegetables or flowers if you’ve used a lawn herbicide because they may be toxic to your plants. Leaves: Pros - most people have access to these from their own or neighbors’ trees. Can be hand raked or bagged with a lawnmower. 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. If leaves are dry, they can blow away when fresh. Best system is to create a pile or bag in the fall, let them rot and then apply. Then they will be moist enough. 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 a while. 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 or for pick up. Alfalfa hay, even when moldy, will have a lot of nitrogen in it, and so you are getting free fertilizer. Cons - old hay has a musty smell, and it takes some effort to get it fluffed up and spread evenly. Some hay will have weed seeds, especially wheat straw, but that is usually next year’s problem, which you can control with more mulch.

The Scott County Record • Page 9 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Jaunt

(continued from page one)

“The goal is to make this event as fun and interactive as possible for all members of the family,” says SFEC board member Brian Vulgamore. The simulator will be available for flights from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Youngsters and adults can also sign up for free airplane rides from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Those wanting to guarantee a free flight are advised to show up early. There will also be educational programs throughout the morning with local pilot Ben McNary who will tell about the life of being an agricultural aerial applicator. A Blackhawk helicopter will arrive from Fort Riley Army Base and be available for tours from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aerobatics Show Members of the Shetterly Squadron will give educational programs throughout the morning, followed by an air show from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Jeff Shetterly, who performs in a 1945 T-6 Texas (WWII flight trainer) also entertained spectators during the 2014 air show in Scott City. He will be joined by his younger brother, Joe, father, Greg, and his mother,

Labels

also an accomplished pilot, will be the announcer. Exotic Cars Ever wonder what it would be like to get behind the wheel of a Lamborghini or a Ferrari? Better yet, have you wondered what it would be like to drive either high-performance car at speeds in excess of 150 mph? You can enjoy that once-in-a-lifetime driving experience during the upcoming Family Day at the Scott City Airport on Sat., June 4. Eric Nelson, owner of Precision Exotics, and his crew will have a 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and a 2007 Ferrari F430 on site for everyone to see and for photo opportunities. But, those seeking a little more excitement in their lives can either ride in the passenger seat of one, or both vehicles or they can actually drive one while reaching a speed of close to 160 mph. The “extreme drive” will put the individual behind the wheel (or in the passenger seat) of the vehicle for a straight line run down the airport runway. The driver will have a chance to reach about 160 mph in 4,000 feet before

The Shetterly Squadron will be one of the featured attractions at the Scott City Airport on Saturday.

the vehicle must be shut down. The cost of an autocross experience is $99 for the first car; $75 for the second car. The costs for an extreme drive are $149 and $119. Or a person can do the autocross and extreme for $199.

sites, concluding with a visit to the Duff buffalo ranch. It may still be possible to get a seat on the bus by contacting Dennie Seigrist (874-1559) or by calling 872-5912.

Museum Program The Scott County Historical Society will sponsor a program on the historic buildings of Scott City on Sat., June 4, 2:00 p.m., at the El Quartelejo Museum. Featured speaker Deb Lawrence, Scott City, will tell of the old opera house and other buildings that have been a part of Scott City’s past. The historical society will sponsor a guided bus tour on Sunday. The bus will depart the museum at 1:00 p.m and travel to Battle Canyon, the El Cuartelejo ruins and other

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“Those public health problems need public health solutions, and this is a great step in helping the consumer to easily be able to make those decisions at the point of sale.” These changes don’t go into effect immediately, however. Manufacturers are allowed a short time to make the necessary changes to their product labels. “There are about two years until (the new labels) are enforced,” she said. “If a company has less than $10 million in revenue, it may have a year longer than that. The change is not intended to be a burden on a company, so the changes are not mandated to happen overnight. I expect to see some companies move to these guidelines relatively soon though, because they’ve been proposed for quite a while now.” It’s important to note that these changes do not apply to meat, poultry and processed egg products, Procter said, as the USDA regulates those products.

• Do you snore? • Are you tired during the day? • Have you ever been told you stop breathing during sleep? • Do you have high blood pressure? • Is your neck greater than 16 in. (females) or 17 in. (males)?

If you answered YES to two or more of these questions, you may be suffering from sleep apnea SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL Leading You To A Healthy Future

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

The Sleep Disorder Center at Scott County Hospital can help. Schedule an appointment today by calling 874-4856. Flexible scheduling is available and many insurance companies cover sleep treatment. Don’t lose another night’s sleep when help is just a phone call away!

The Scott County Record • Page 10 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Former U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Skip Numrich stands at attention as the color guard passes by during Monday’s Memorial Day service. (Record Photo)

Putting value on ‘timeless qualities’ Emphasizing the importance of “timeless qualities,” former U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Skip Numrich paid tribute to fallen soldiers - from Scott County and elsewhere - during a Memorial Day service at the Scott County Cemetery. More than 100 people were on hand to pay their respects to America’s

fallen heroes during the morning service. “We are led to question whether anything is timeless,” noted Numrich. “I believe there are timeless qualities such as good vs evil, right vs wrong, concert vs apathy and selfsacrifice vs self-interest.” He emphasized that if people are concerned only about their own self-sat-

Election Holmes to drop out of the race on Tuesday, shortly after former State Sn. Larry Salmans (R-Hanston) filed to run. Longtime State Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer (R-Grinnell) also announced earlier this week he will not seek re-election. That sets up a Republican primary between Salmans and political newcomer Mary Jo Taylor (R-Stafford). Board of education and city council elections won’t be held until the fall of 2017. The state’s continuing budget mess, compounded by Wednesday’s news that May tax receipts were nearly $74 million short of revised estimates, has created opportunities for Democrats and moder-

Lots County Attorney Becky Faurot said the commission has the authority to make the sale, but she questioned whether they were making an offer to one individual that it wouldn’t be making to other potential buyers of property on the block. Commissioner Jerry Buxton said this was a unique situation because of the unusual configuration of the lot in question. He made reference to the slope of the land and that it shares an entrance behind the proposed home with the nearby clinic building. Faurot was also hesitant about agreeing to a sale without having a legal description of the land. Until the property is surveyed, commissionHave questions about the Scott Commnity Foundation? Call 872-3790

isfaction or glorification, then the sacrifice made by those being honored on Memorial Day was “to no purpose.” Instead, he emphasized the need for people to make a commitment to make the world around them better. “We should not let the good we cannot do keep or prevent us from doing

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ate Republicans to regain ground lost to conservative Republicans who seized control of the Legislature in 2012 and solidified it in 2014, Miller said. “Whether that happens will be determined on a race-by-race basis,” he said. A total of 354 candidates are running for House and Senate seats, down from 399 in 2012. Of the 100 candidates competing for Senate seats, 47 are Democrats and 53 are Republicans. In the House, 151 Republicans and 103 Democrats are vying for seats. The 150 Democrats running for the Legislature exceeds the 140 fielded by the party in 2012, while the number of Republican

candidates has fallen from 259 to 204. The retirements of several veteran GOP lawmakers are a contributing factor. Conservative Republican senators Les Donovan, Mitch Holmes, Ralph Ostmeyer, Steve Abrams, Michael O’Donnell and Garrett Love are not seeking reelection. Neither are the top two GOP leaders in the House: Speaker Ray Merrick and Speaker Pro Tem Peggy Mast. They head a list of more than a dozen House Republicans who are stepping down. Most of the Republicans who are not running were reliable supporters of Brownback. Many held leadership positions or chaired important committees.

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ers felt they could reach agreement with Mangold using a “layman’s description” of the site. “We’re committing to the specifics of the sale, not the specifics of the lot description,” Buxton said of the lot that measures about 150x75 feet. Commissioners said the lot may be priced below average, “but this has

special considerations,” noted Commissioner Gary Skibbe. “When you look at what he’s getting, I’m very comfortable with the price,” added Buxton. Skibbe said their goal was to get the process moving more quickly so Mangold could begin the process of building his home.

all the good we can do,” he said. “Let today be a day of celebration, thanks and remembrance for the values of liberty and justice for all,” he added. The military honor guard also took part in the ceremony along with members of the National Honor Society from Scott Community High School.

Youth/Education

Section B Page 11 Thurs., June 2, 2016

Reed ready to enjoy some detours Third grade teacher retires after 20 years Looking through a scrapbook of her former students, Tammy Reed can’t help but get a little emotional. “I knew this was going to happen,” said Reed as she wiped a tear from her eye. “It’s tough to think about all my years in teaching and knowing that it’s over.” Reed spent her entire 20-year career as part of the USD 466 staff. For the past 17 years she has been a third grade teacher at Scott City Elementary School. “It was always my dream to return to Scott City and teach. I couldn’t have spent my career in a better school and working with a better group of people,” says Reed who moved here with her family in 1973 when she was a seventh grader. Reed originally attended Kansas State University where she earned a degree in early education, followed by 1-1/2 years at Fort Hays State University where she completed elementary education and student teaching requirements. She would also add a Master’s degree from FHSU. After 1-1/2 years as a substitute teacher, Reed joined the Scott County district full-time in 1986. Her first three years were as a fifth grade teacher at Scott City Middle School. When the district reduced the number of fifth grade teachers to three, Reed made the move to third grade at SCES. The transition to third grade nearly didn’t happen while the district

Tammy Reed looks through her scrapbook at this year’s senior class when she taught them as third graders. (Record Photo) Retirement Reception Sun., June 5 • 2:00-4:00 p.m. Scott City Elementary School Library

weighed whether or not it would have enough enrollment to keep the Beaver Flats School open. Reed was going to be assigned to teach grades 1-4 at the rural school. Reed was hesitant about the prospect of being the only teacher in the

Summer activities at library

Summer activities for youngsters and teens have begun at the Scott County Library. The family night kickoff is Fri., June 3, 6:00-8:30 p.m., along the Happy Trails story walk at Palmer Park. Events next week include: Tues., June 7: •Hare and tortoise puppet show from 10:30-11:00 a.m. (3-years and under); and 11:15 a.m. to noon (ages 3-6). •1950s Fun to include jump rope, hopscotch, hula hoops, frisbees, etc., from 1:30-2:15 p.m. (ages 7-9) and 2:30-3:15 p.m. (ages 10-12). Wed., June 8: •Life-sized games for teenagers from 3:30-4:15 p.m.

school and having at least 12 students in four grade levels. “As a fairly new teacher it seemed like that would be a little stressful,” she said. For that move to take place, the district said at least 12 students would need to be enrolled. That minimum wasn’t met and the school was closed that year. Reed was thrilled to spend the rest of her career as a third grade

Birney is NCKTC graduate

Zach Birney, Dighton, was a spring graduate of the North-Central Kansas Technical College, Hays, with a degree in electrical technology.

KSU scholarship to Price Addison Price, a spring graduate of Scott Community High School, was among 16 area students awarded scholarships from Kansas State University during the Finney County Alumni/ Student/Catbacker Golf Tournament and Banquet on May 17 in Garden City. She is the daughter of Chris and Suzette Price, Scott City. KSU awarded $8,000 in scholarships.

teacher. “I loved my third graders. This has been the perfect grade level for me,” she says. “The kids are still eager to learn and this is where you start to see their sense of humor emerge.” Support for Education What has always impressed Reed over the years has been the commu(See REED on page 18)

Braun, Mason are awarded Wheatland Electric scholarships Madison Braun, Scott City, and Shyla Mason, Leoti, are among 12 area high school graduates awarded $1,000 scholarships from Wheatland Electric. The $1,000 awards are going to students who plan to attend a two or four-year college, technical or vocational school. Recipients were determined on their academic performance, extracurricular activities and academic and career goals. Applicants were also evaluated on an essay in which they were asked to write “on any subject about which you are passionate.” There were nearly 40 seniors applying for the grants.

*Qualification Information: Qualifications vary by account. Account transactions and activities may take one or more days to post and settle to the account and all must do so during the Monthly Qualification Cycle in order to qualify for the account’s rewards. ATM-processed transactions and transfers between accounts do not count toward earning rewards. “Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a period beginning one (1) business day prior to the first day of the current statement cycle through one (1) business day prior to the close of the current statement cycle. Rewards vary by account. Reward Information: Rewards vary by account. Depending on what Kasasa account you open, you will receive one of the following rewards when you meet your account’s qualifications during a Monthly Qualification Cycle: (1) Interest on your checking balances (Kasasa Cash) or (2) Cash back on debit card purchases (Kasasa Cash Back). When your Kasasa account qualifications are not met, only non-qualifying interest is earned in the interest bearing account and all other reward distributions are not made. Rewards will be credited to your Kasasa account on the last day of the current statement cycle. Rates and rewards are variable and may change after account is opened. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional Information: Account approval, conditions, qualifications, limits, timeframes, enrollments, log-ons and other requirements apply. $100 minimum deposit is required to open the account. Enrollment in online banking, receipt of electronic statements, and 12 debit card swipes are conditions of these accounts. Enrollment in electronic services (e.g. online banking, electronic statements) and log-ons will be required to meet some of the account’s qualifications. Limit one (1) account per individual taxpayer identification number. There are no recurring monthly service charges or fees to open or close this account. Contact one of our bank representatives for additional information, details, restrictions, processing limitations and enrollment instructions.

For the Record Build a financial emergency kit for your family The Scott County Record

by Nathaniel Sillin

What would a sudden financial emergency be in your life? It could be a storm causing massive property damage to your home. It could also be something more personal, like an accident that would cut off your ability to make a living. Whatever it is, if someone else had to step in to

The Scott County Record Page 12 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

help you in an emergency situation, it’s important to have a plan in place so they know what to do. A financial emergency kit is a crucial component in financial planning. In short, a financial emergency kit involves identifying and planning for potential financial emergencies that could affect you and your loved ones. Building a successful

Scott City Council Agenda Mon., June 6 • 7:30 p.m. City Hall • 221 W. 5th

one goes beyond sorting paperwork - it involves looking at a variety of potential situations in your life and then asking, “What’s the worst that could happen?” You will want to create a kit - a set of physical or digital documents and instructions - that can help you or someone else you trust manage in a crisis. Here are some

items you’ll likely want to include: 1) Estate documents. Estate planning is really the highest form of financial emergency planning, because it addresses the ultimate personal financial emergencies medical incapacitation or death. Would your family have easy access to this material if something hap-

Scott County Commission Agenda Tues., June 7 County Courthouse

•Call to Order

3:00 p.m.

County business Approve accounts payable

•Approve minutes of May 10 special meeting and May 16 regular meeting

3:30 p.m.

Scott County District Court 2017 budget request

•Scott Recreation Commission 1) Update by Director Jordan Carter

4:00 p.m.

Western Ks. Child Advocacy Center 2017 budget request

4:15 p.m.

Great Plains Development, Inc. Annual report

4:30 p.m.

Larry Turpin Emergency management update

5:00 p.m.

Public Works Director Richard Cramer

•Requested dates to use Patton Park June 12: Movie in the Park Aug. 28: Back-to-School Bash (First Baptist Church) •Open agenda: audience is invited to voice ideas or concerns. A time limit may be requested Pool Department 1) Pool closed June 11 for swim meet

Agenda may change before the meeting. Contact County Clerk Alice Brokofsky for an updated agenda (872-2420) or visit www.scott.kansasgov.com

Police Department 1) Misc. business

Public Notice

Parks Department 1) Misc. business Public Works Department 1) Request to sell two pickups and two motors Clerk’s Department 1) Budget workshop on June 13, 6:00 p.m. •Mayor’s comments

Special Meeting

Wed., June 8, 6:00 p.m. USD 466 Board of Education Scott County Commission Scott City Council Bryan Conference Center “Visioning” discussion to include local elected officials and any members of the community who are interested. No official action will be taken by elected boards

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., May 26, 2016; last published Thurs., June 9, 2016)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the matter of the estate of R. Ward Clinton, deceased Case No. 2016-PR-08 NOTICE OF HEARING AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS You are hereby notified that on the 19 day of May, 2016, a Petition was filed in this Court by Cheryl Rilinger, an heir, devisee and legatee, of R. Ward Clinton, deceased, praying that the Will filed with the Petition be admitted to probate and record; that an executor be appointed to serve without bond; and be granted Letters Testamentary. You are required to file your written defenses thereto on or before the 17 day

of June, 2016, at 10 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, judgement and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition. All creditors are notified to exhibit their demands agains 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. Cheryl Rilinger Petitioner Wallace, Brantley and Shirley 325 Main Street P.O. Box 605 Scott City, Ks 67871 (620) 872-2161 Attorneys for Petitioner

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

(First published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., June 2, 2016; last published Thurs., June 16, 2016)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the matter of the Estate of Joan MacDonnell, Deceased Case No. 2016-PR-09 NOTICE OF HEARING AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS You are hereby notified that on the 31st day of May, 2016, a Petition was filed in the Court by Connie MacDonnell, an heir, devisee and legatee, and Executor named in the Last Will and Testament of Joan MacDonnell, deceased, dated July 14, 2000, praying that the WIll filed with the Petition be admitted to probate and record; that she is appointed as Executor without bond; that she is granted Letters Testamentary. You are required to file your written defenses there-

to on or before the 24th day of June, 2016, at 11:00 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, judgement 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. Connie MacDonnell Petitioner WALLACE, BRANTLEY AND SHIRLEY 325 Main Street P.O. Box 605 Scott City, Ks 67871 (620) 872-2161 Attorneys for Petitioner

pened to you? In your family financial emergency kit, estate documents would include copies of current wills (for you and your spouse or partner), your advanced directives (which instruct doctors on end-of-life or other stages in medical care), health/financial powers of attorney (which designate specific individuals to step in to

manage your money or healthcare if you cannot do so) as well as other documents that provide additional guidance for operating businesses and managing and distributing other assets you have. Make sure these documents are always current and that contact information is included for all the qualified experts you used (See FAMILY on page 13)

The Scott County Record • Page 13 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Public Notice (Published in The Scott County Record on Thurs. June 2, 2016)1t RESOLUTION NO. 2016-8 RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SCOTT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION IN STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS, Section 1. Pursuant to K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 74-50,223, the Board of County Commissioners expressed its intent to participate in the Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ) student loan repayment program. Section 2. Scott County has been designated a Rural Opportunity Zone pursuant to K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 74-50,222. Section 3. Scott County Commissioners here by obligate Scott County to participate in the ROZ student loan repayment program as provided by K.S.A. Supp. 74-50,223 for a period of five years, which shall be irrevocable. Section 4. Scott County agrees to pay in equal shares with the State of Kansa the outstanding student loan balance of any resident individual for five years, if the resident individual meets the term of qualification provided by the State of Kansas in K.S.A. Supp. 74-223, and the appropriate rules and regulations. The number of qualified resident individuals receiving such payments will be subject to the availability of funds. Section 5. Scott County intends to enter into partnerships with Employers for the direct sponsorship of Rural Opportunity Zone Applicants. Sponsored Applicants must meet all qualifications of the ROZ program. All sponsorships will be subject to ROZ student loan repayment rules and regulations. Section 6. The maximum student loan balance for each qualified resident individual to be repaid jointly by Scott County and the State of Kansas shall be $15,000 over a term of five years. Section 7. Scott County shall allocate $18,000 for the purpose of matching payments from the State of Kansas to qualified resident individuals. Scott County shall revise its ROZ budget on an annual basis and shall inform the State of Kansas of any changes to the annual allocation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall be published once in the official county newspaper and shall be in effect from and after its date of publication. Adopted this 17th day of May, 2016, by the Board of Scott County Commissioners, Scott County, Kansas. Board of County Commissioners of Scott County, Kansas James M. Minnix, chairman Jerry Buxton, member Gary Skibbe, member Attest: Alice Brokofsky, County Clerk

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., May 26, 2016; last published Thurs. June 2, 2016)2t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of: Name: C.D. (a male) Year of Birth: 2013 To: Chad Somers and Parents of Chad Somers and all other persons who are or may be concerned Case No. 16-JC-01 NOTICE OF HEARING Pursuant to K.S.A. 38-2237 You are hereby notified that a petition has been filed in this court alleging that the child named above is a Child in Need of Care. The Court may find that the parents are unfit by reason or conduct or condition which renders the parents unable to care properly for a child, the conduct or condition is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, the parental rights of the parent should be terminated, and a permanent custodian should be appointed for the child. A hearing on the petition is scheduled for the 20th day of July, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. At the hearing the Court may issue orders relating to the care, custody and control of the child. The hearing will determine if the parents should be deprived of their parental rights and the right to custody of the child. The parent(s), and any other person having legal

custody are required to appear before this Court on the date and time shown, or to file your written response to the petition with the Clerk of the District Court prior to that time. Failure to respond or to appear before the Court at the time shown will not prevent the Court from entering judgment as requested in the petition, finding that the child is a Child in Need of Care, removing the child from the custody of parent, parents or any other present legal custodian until further order of the Court, or finding the parents unfit, and entering an order permanently terminating the parents’ parental rights. An attorney has been appointed as guardian ad litem for the child is Doug Spencer, P.O. Box 248, Oakley, Ks. 67748. You have the right to appear before the Court and be heard personally, either with or without an attorney. The Court will appoint an attorney for any parent who desires an attorney but is financially unable to hire one. The Court may order one or both parents to pay child support. Date and time of hearing: July 20, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. Place of hearing: Scott County Court House, 303 Court St., Scott City, KS 67871. Judge James Collins Judge of the District Court

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record, Thurs., June 2, 2016; last published Thurs., June 16, 2016)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the matter of the Estate of Glenda I. Rupp, Deceased Case No. 14-PR-19 NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR FINAL SETTLEMENT THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED You are notified that a petition has been filed in this Court by Jayne Augerot duly appointed, qualified adn acting Executrix of the Estate of Glenda I. Rupp, deceased, requesting that Petitioners acts be approved; account be settled and allowed; the heirs be determined; the Will be construed and the Estate be assigned to the persons entitled thereto; the Court find the allowances requested for attorneys’ fees and expenses are reason-

able and should be allowed; the costs be determined and ordered paid; the administration of the Estate be closed; upon the filing of receipts the Petitioner be finally discharged as the Executrix of the Estate of Glenda I. Rupp, deceased, and the Petitioner be released from further liability. You are required to file your written defenses to the petition on or before the 24th day of June, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., in the District Court of Scott County, Kasas, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail to file your written defense, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the petition. JAYNE AUGEROT Executor Jake W. Brooks P.O. Box 664 101 E. 6th Scott City, Ks 67871 Attorney for Petitioner

Support Your Hometown Merchants!

Family to prepare them - estate or business attorneys, tax professionals and financial planners. 2) Insurance policies. Being able to find home and auto policies in a natural disaster is a no-brainer, but it’s important to think a little more broadly. File as much policy and contact detail as you can for any health, disability, business, life and accident coverage you have - and remember that it’s particularly important to note or file documentation on this coverage at work, too. Sometimes we sign up rather blindly for workbased benefits only to realize how important they may be in a financial emergency. 3) Tax materials. If a family member dies or becomes incapacitated, tax matters still need to be attended to. If you work with a tax professional, make sure their contact information is in the digital or physical kit (see indexes, contacts and guides, below), but it’s also important to keep past returns and relevant supporting data based on your individual tax situation. 4) Investment, savings and retirement documents.

(continued from page 12)

If you work with a qualified financial planner or tax expert, you may have access to a particular system that lists and tracks this information in an organized way that many of us don’t have at home. However you plan and track your investments, it should be included in your kit. 5) Indexes, contact sheets and guides. Some people need a little guidance, others need a lot. A family financial emergency kit needs to be usable by all designated family members. Put yourself in the role of a friend or family member who’s been called in to help you in a crisis. If you had to step in to settle an estate, healthcare or disaster emergency for a friend or family member and they weren’t around to advise you, what information would you need to get started? In any category of information you include in a financial emergency kit, include a separate file or digital instruction that details people to call, account numbers if necessary, relevant online and physical addresses and other key data to advise that person about what’s in front of them and what they should do. If you

work with qualified financial experts, make sure their contact information is included. 6) Easy access to essentials under lock and key. If you’re away from home when damage occurs or if family members need to access vehicles or other spaces, make sure you have keys and access codes locked safely in your emergency kit. You will also want to ensure that your emergency contacts have the necessary access to your emergency kit in order to retrieve these materials. You or loved ones might also need access to funds, particularly cash, in an emergency. If you don’t have a bank account established strictly for emergencies that allows specific family members to write checks or make cash withdrawals, you should consider it. Bottom line: Building a financial emergency kit requires some thinking, but it can help you avoid major losses and speed up decision making in a crisis. Work with people you trust to make it accessible and useful to your family and trusted individuals. Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs

Scott Co. LEC Report Scott City Police Department May 18: Matthew Clinton reported a theft. May 24: Lloyd Surprise was backing out of a parking stall in the 1300 block of Main Street when he struck a trailer owned by New Bern Transportation. May 24: A domestic battery was reported. May 28: Steven Compton reported criminal damage to property at 1101 Elizabeth St. May 31: Justin Meireis reported criminal damage to property at Heartland Foods.

Pastime at Park Lane We offer our sympathy to the family of Edith Donecker who passed away on May 28. Edith had lived at Park Lane for 3 months. The Immanuel Southern Baptist Church led Sunday afternoon services. Several residents played Wii bowling on Monday evening. Pastor Bob Artz led Bible study on Tuesday morning. Doris Riner accompanied the hymns on the piano. Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran Bible study on Wednesday morning. Residents enjoyed bingo on Wednesday afternoon. Helpers were Madeline Murphy and Barbara Dickhut. Several residents played pitch on Wednesday evening. Ladies received manicures on Thursday morning.

Play pitch, celebrate birthday

Residents played pitch and dominoes on Monday afternoon. Game helpers were Madeline Murphy, Joy Barnett, Gary and Janet Goodman, Wanda Kirk and Mandy Barnett. In honor of Mandy’s birthday her mother, Joy, furnished birthday cake.

Provide musical entertainment

Naomi Tuebner entertained residents with a musical program. She played the violin piano, and recorder. Chet Quance sang a variety of show tunes, folk songs, and hymns on Friday afternoon.

Residents enjoyed trivia games on Thursday evening. Fr. Bernard Felix led Catholic Mass on Friday morning. Thanks to the families of Todd Steele and Bob McDaniel for the flowers brought to Park Lane in their memory. Lowell Rudolph was visited by LuAnn Buehler, Rev Don Martin, Tom and Kathy Moore, and Chuck Kirk.

Dottie Fouquet was visited by Mark Fouquet, Jon and Anne Crane, Mary Stormont, Ethan McDaniel, and Sandy, Ellie and Bodie Higgins. Delores Brooks was visited by Cheryl Perry, Charles Brooks, and Shandon, Tina, Rayan and Sage Walaks. Nella Funk was visited by Aaron and Mandy Kropp, Larry Ortiz, Caleb Powers and Elvis and Jessie Ivey.

Yvonne Spangler was visited by Jillian VanCampen. LaVera King was visited by Carol Latham, Gloria Gough, Velda Riddiough, Marsha Holloway, and Chad, Danea, Audie and Tinley Wasinger. Cecile Billings was visited by Delinda Dunagan. Louise Crist was visited by Sue Rose, Don and Tara Williams, Linda Durham, Patsi Graham and Tava See. Cloide Boyd was visited by Junior and Sharon Strecker. Loretta Gorman was visited by Tia Heinrich, Charlene Becht, Tava See, Jane McBroom, Nancy Urban, and Chuck and Barb Brobst. Doris Riner was visited by Trudy Eikenberry. Doris enjoyed going to Trudy’s for lunch one day last week. Pat Rudolph was visited by LuAnn Buehler.

State revenue shortfall spurs fear of more Medicaid cuts

Kansas tax collections for May fell short of projections by about $74 million, and legislators said Wednesday they fear that will mean more cuts to Medicaid. The May shortfall comes despite the state’s revenue estimating group revising projections downward for the third consecutive time about six weeks ago. It wipes out the meager savings Gov. Sam Brownback created when he made cuts two weeks ago after the Legislature sent him a budget that didn’t balance. Brownback now must find millions more to get the state through the current fiscal year that ends June 30 - and his options are limited. “It’s higher education and Medicaid, realistically,” said Rep. Steven Johnson, a Republican from Assaria. “We’ve got very few places to go.” The governor’s spokes-

woman, Eileen Hawley, said his office does not expect any further allotments, or unilateral spending cuts, this year. She did not respond to a request for more information on how the budget will be balanced. The Topeka CapitalJournal reported that a $50 million package of fee sweeps, topped by $16 million from the Children’s Initiatives Fund, is being floated as a possible solution. The May revenue numbers cast a pall over Wednesday’s ceremonial “sine die” one-day legislative meeting, the last official gathering of the 2016 session. A Kansas Supreme Court decision released Friday ordering the Legislature to appropriate more money to equalize school funding among districts also loomed large over the proceedings. It would take about $40 million to comply with

Sr. Citizen Lunch Menu Week of June 6-10 Monday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad, green beans, garlic bread, fruit cocktail. Tuesday: Lemon baked fish or marinated pork roast, parslied potatoes, carrots and peas, whole wheat roll, strawberry shortcake. Wednesday: Roast turkey with cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, bun, mandarin oranges. Thursday: Barbeque pulled pork, potato wedges, creamy cole slaw, peaches. Friday: Hot chicken casserole, rice, spinach salad, whole wheat roll, rosy applesauce. meals are $3.25 • call 872-3501

the order. Legislators opted not to address that Wednesday, increasing the possibility of a special session before July 1, when the court said it might close schools. Sen. Jim Denning, vice chairman of the Senate budget committee, alluded to the revenue shortfall Wednesday during a caucus of Senate Republicans. He said a special session would serve little purpose if the Legislature is unable to comply with the court order because it has to “scrape any money up” to pay for other items, including Medicaid. “I just don’t see anything good about trying to come back and appropriate money where we need to leave it in the checking account to pay for our core services,” Denning said. “That may not be constitutional, but it’s real life.”

The Scott County Record • Page 14 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

far the largest expense in the state’s general fund budget of almost $6 billion. But, K-12 education is exempt from more spending cuts under the budget the Legislature passed. Brownback and the Legislature already have agreed to delay the state’s remaining payment into the state employee pension plan for the current fiscal year. The state highway fund is largely tapped out. Other special funds also have been depleted. Johnson is one of a group of Republicans who have tried the last two sessions to help balance the budget by rolling back a business income tax exemption Brownback signed in 2012. Johnson said the May numbers are more evidence that the state needs to increase its income tax revenue stream, but he also acknowledged it’s Few Options Left too late for that to solve Public schools are by the current crisis.

by Jason Storm

Boots Haxton was visited by Tava See and Rod and Kathy Haxton. Bonnie Pickett was visited by Gloria Wright and Larry and Philene Pickett. Jeannie Rowton was visited by Phil and Susan Escareno, Becky Rowton, Brett and Darci Berry, Charlene Berry, Peyton Berry, Carter Gooden, Austin Thon and Beau Harkness. Albert Dean was visited by Margie Stevens, Mary Lou Oeser and Karen Harms. Harold and Ruth White were visited by Sharon Strecker. Jim Jeffery was visited by Libbie Joles. Lorena Turley was visited by Tina Turley, Neta Wheeler; Gary Turley, Greeley, Colo.; Tava See, D’Ann Markel, Mary Lou Oeser and Karen Harms. Vivian Kreiser was visited by Sharon Lock and Lorena Turley.

Clifford Dearden was visited by Aaron, Jill, MaLaney and MaKinley Brantley from Hays and Krik and Janet Ottaway from Hays. Arlene Beaton was visited by Margie Stevens, Linda Sabolt, Thelma Miller, Nancy Holt, John and Colleen Beaton, and William Beaton. Mike Leach and James Still were visited by Rev. Don Martin and Linda Dunagan. Corrine Dean was visited by Lisa Emick, Jeanette Taylor, Lexi Short, Brenda Short, Dianna Howard, Aaron and Mandy Kropp, Caleb Powers and Larry Ortiz. Melva Rose was visited by Tina Turley and Bill Rose from Trophy Club, Tex. Dona Dee Carpenter was visited by Marvel Keyse, Dorothy Spitzer, Gloria O’Bleness and Larry LaPlant.

The Scott County Record • Page 15 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Deaths Edith L. Donecker Edith L. Donecker 89, died May 28, 2016, at the Scott County Hospital, Scott City. S h e was born May 29, 1 9 2 6 , in Gove County, the daughter of Thom- Edith Donecker as G. and Mary E. (Coe) Russell. Edith was a homemaker and a school cook for over 20 years. She was a member of the United Methodist Church of Healy and Scott City and a past member of the EHU and a 4-H leader. On Dec. 24, 1943, she married Dale A. Donecker in Scott City. He died Jan. 27, 2002. Survivors include: three sons, Terry Donecker, and wife Bonnie, Healy, Jim Donecker and wife, Cheryl, Wichita, and

David Donecker and wife Grace, Garden City; three daughters, Sue Rogers, and husband Brent, Scott City, Jana Bailey, and husband, Paul, Arkansas City, and Tammy Kniffin and husband, Mike, Wichita; 21 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; one grandson; two brothers; and six sisters. Funeral service was held May 31 at the Healy United Methodist Church with Rev. Bud Tuxhorn officiating. Interment was at the Healy Cemetery. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, are suggested to the Scott County Library, Healy United Methodist Church or Park Lane Nursing Home in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington Street, Scott City, Ks. 67871.

Cynthia Ann Davis Cynthia Ann Davis, 50, died May 26, 2016, at Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus, Wichita. S h e was born Oct. 25, 1965, at Ponca C i t y , Okla., the daughter Cynthia Davis of Larry and Joyce (Smith) Tedrow. Cynthia grew up in several different places in Oklahoma. She graduated from Liberal High School in 1983 and attended Garden City Community College. She worked as the receptionist at Healy schools and then became a parents support specialist for Area Mental Health Center, Scott City. She later did home health and foster care. Survivors include: six children, Tiffany Ming, and husband, Jesse, Digh-

ton, Tyler Andrews, Ponca City, Ashley Gearhart and husband, Cody, Liberal, Jeremy Davis and wife, Jenna, Dighton, Claire Davis, Dighton, and Kacee Davis, Dighton; mother, Joyce Tedrow, Ponca City; a brother, Doug Tedrow, Ponca City; two sisters, Tammy Anderson, and husband Terry, Ponca City, and Sheela Rogers and husband, Lance, Tyrone, Okla.; and seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father and a brother, Jack. Funeral service was held May 31 at the United Methodist Church, Dighton, with Rev. Berniece Ludlum officiating. Interment was at the Liberal City Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Cynthia Davis Memorial Fund in care of Boomhower Funeral Home, 145 N. Wichita, Box 891, Dighton, Ks. 67839.

Laura Wilson Laura Wilson, 81, died May 31, 2016, at the Lane County Hospital, Dighton. She was born Oct. 7, 1934, in Grigston, the daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Mildred Mae (Payton) Stewart. She was a homemaker and a resident of Dighton since 1953, moving from Scott City. Laura was a member of the Bible Fellowship Church and EHU, both of Dighton. On Feb. 20, 1953, she married Keith Eugene Wilson in Scott City. He died May 16, 2007. Survivors include: one son, Eugene Wilson, and wife, Annette, Dighton; three daughters, Renita Mesa, and husband, Albert, Garden City, Sonia Boyd and husband, Thomas, Garden City, and Asalea Boone and husband, Steve, Dighton; four brothers, Jimmy Stewart, Garden City,

Guy Stewart, Scott City, Preston Stewart, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Dean Stewart, Elkhart; one sister, Faye Ghan, Ulysses; nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; one daughter, Keitha M. Shwartz, and son-inlaw, Darrel Shwartz; one grandson, Ryon Sturgeon; three brothers, T.J. Stewart, Darrel Stewart and Robert Stewart; and two sisters, Hazel Reinhart and Anna Hopkins. Funeral service will be Sat., June 4, 2:00 p.m., at Bible Fellowship Church, Dighton, with Darrin Hammond officiating. Interment will be at the Dighton Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Laura Wilson Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington Street, Scott City, Ks. 67871.

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

Attend the Church of Your Choice

Have Confidence in God At the end of what might be the last game of the basketball season, a Scott City player steps to the free throw line. She was fouled with no time left in the fourth quarter with her team two points behind. She has two shots to tie, two shots to determine whether the season is over, or whether overtime will give her team a chance to keep playing. She looks at the basket, and then turns her back to it, and confidently walks to the three point arc. Once there, she turns once again toward the basket and prepares to shoot. Her coach calls a time out, of course, to ask her what in the world she was doing. She smiles, assures the coach that all is well, and returns to her position. From a distance well beyond the line marked for free throws, she calmly and confidently makes both shots. The other team, deflated, overwhelmed, disbelieving, has no response, and Scott City triumphs easily.

The action of the player, choosing to shoot from long distance, had defeated the opponent before the overtime period began. Who would do such a reckless, foolish thing? I suspect that there are many answers. One, certainly, is a person secure and confident in God and in His power, a person like Elijah. The contest with the prophets of Baal was simple. Which God could light a fire? Would it be Ball, or the Lord of all? The prophets of Baal tried and failed. Elijah placed the meat of the sacrifice on the wood, and then ordered his followers to do a very strange thing. Pour on water, he said. Do it a second time. Do it a third time. Make it hard. The true God has an answer. And He did. Stand back farther. Say no to the world when it works to drag you off course. Trust in the Lord. Seek to follow the one who died for us all.

Rev. Don Martin St. Luke’s Episcopal 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

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

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

First Baptist Church

Immanuel Southern Baptist Church

803 College - Scott City - 872-2339

1398 S. US83 - Scott City - 872-2264

Kyle Evans, Senior Pastor Bob Artz, Associate Pastor

Robert Nuckolls, pastor - 872-5041

Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.

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

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

Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.

Gospel Fellowship Church

1st United Methodist Church

Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

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

First Christian Church

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

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

Elizabeth/Epperson Drives • Scott City • 872-3666

Scott Mennonite Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

12021 N. Eagle Rd. • Scott City

9th and Crescent - Scott City - 872-2334 Bishop Irvin Yeager • 620-397-2732 Sacrament, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 10:50 a.m. Relief Society and Priesthood, 11:20 a.m. YMYW Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.

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

Franklin Koehn: 872-2048 Charles Nightengale: 872-3056 Sunday School Worship Service: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Evening Service: 7:00 p.m.

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

The Scott County Record • Page 16 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Health care providers to fight KanCare cuts posed Medicaid cuts and

State providers will may challenge them in urge federal officials to court. The recently announced reject Medicaid cuts Jim McLean Kansas Health Institute

Kansas health care providers will urge federal officials to reject Gov. Sam Brownback’s pro-

cuts would reduce state expenditures for KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program, by $56.3 million and trigger a loss of approximately $72.3 million in federal

We depend on our ‘village’ of people. We work really hard to build relationships with everyone involved. Stephanie Sharp, Kansas foster parent

funds. Combined, the managed care organizations that administer the $3 billion KanCare program and the health care and service providers they have contracts with would

be forced to absorb more than $128 million in cuts. Of particular concern to providers is the proposed 4 percent reduction in reimbursement rates, which would amount to

Disability service providers worry about details in payment changes Andy Marso Kansas Health Institute

Organizations that provide support services to Kansans with disabilities are anxious to see how the state will implement payment changes they fear will hamstring their operations. The changes are part of cuts Gov. Sam Brownback announced last week after the Legislature approved a budget that didn’t balance. Brownback’s administration projected about $2.6 million in savings from Medicaid reimburse-

said in a recent letter to Brownback. “It would also be inconsistent with and not permitted by provider contracts in place with all Kansas hospitals. As such, we will challenge these proposed cuts in any appropriate way.” (See KANCARE on page 17)

Grief support group to meet June 14 in GC

“My HOPE,” a support group for adults who are grieving the death of a loved one will be held on Tues., June 14. The gathering will be co-facilitated by hospice chaplains Lynn White and Gerry Dupuis from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the High Plains Public Radio station, 210 N. 7th St., Garden City. The group meets the second Tuesday of each month Sessions are open to the public and each participant is welcome to come and go as they like. If participants choose they may bring a lunch. These sessions are not therapy. They are opportunities to share your story and learn from the stories of others.

KDADS spokeswoman, said the first is a federal regulation that prohibits reimbursement for support services when a person with a disability lives those savings. “Until they tell us with a non-disabled perwhat they’re really talk- son who can perform the ing about, we don’t really same task. For instance, de Rocha know how to even figure said, if non-disabled peoan impact,” Sperry said. The money in ques- ple are making themselves tion comes from chang- dinner they also can make es to how the Kansas it for the people with disDepartment for Aging abilities who live with and Disability Services them, rather than the state enforces two policies: one paying them or someone governing “capable per- else to do so. A state judge has ordered a physician assistant in De Rocha said the state Garden City to stop doing business with consumers son” reimbursements and the other residential pay. expects to save $1.32 pending the outcome of a lawsuit that accuses him of Angela de Rocha, a (See DISABILITY on page 17) failing to tell customers he used Botox purchased from overseas suppliers that was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. Attorney General Derek Schmidt has filed a consumer protection lawsuit in Finney County District Court against Joel Erskin who is part owner and operator of Renovo Medical and University Medical. Judge Michael Quint has entered a temporary restraining order prohibiting the defendant from operating in Kansas pending the outcome of the case. The We have a low-income population with great health attorney general is seeking civil penalties. needs. The lawsuit resulted from a lengthy investigation Alan Morgan, CEO, of the defendants’ business practices conducted by National Rural Health Association federal authorities and the attorney general’s office. It to have more health prob- under the Affordable Care also accuses Erskin of misrepresenting that he was a lems than people who live Act and a shift toward medical doctor and of operating without the appropriin urban areas, Morgan outpatient care, Morgan ate physician supervision required by Kansas law. said, and rural communi- said. ties have been hit espeUntil that time, most cially hard by increases rural hospitals operated in opioid abuse and other with from roughly a two behavioral health issues. percent profit to a two That translates into a dis- percent loss, he said. proportionate number of Now, the average is closer patients who can’t afford to running in the red by preventive care and use six percent. the emergency room for Rural hospitals also treatment, he said. disproportionately suffer “We have a low-income population with great from difficulty recruiting health care providers, health needs,” he said. Since 2010, hospitals and many are burdened also have been hit with a by debts or old facilities series of financial blows, that aren’t well-suited to including federal bud- providing the outpatient get cuts associated with care that people use more sequestration, reduced often now, Morgan said. (See RURAL on page 17) Medicare reimbursements

It seems as though Kansas is creating a roadmap for seniors that leads only to nursing homes. Michelle Morgan, director, Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging, Hays

ment changes that affect providers of home and community-based services, or HCBS, which are intended to allow people with disabilities an alternative to institutional settings. Cliff Sperry, vice president for CLASS Ltd., an organization in southeast Kansas for people with developmental disabilities, said he needs more information about how the state is going to achieve

about $87 million of the $128 million total. “In addition to being bad policy, the administration’s proposal to cut provider reimbursement would be inconsistent with state and federal law,” Tom Bell, chief executive of the Kansas Hospital Association,

Garden City medical provider banned from operating in Kansas

Working group hears challenges of rural health care in Kansas Megan Hart Kansas Health Institute

Rural hospitals nationwide are facing a host of financial challenges, but states can still take action to keep them open, the head of a rural health group told the Governor’s Rural Health Working Group on Wednesday in Topeka. Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, said that people in urban areas have a few explanations for why rural hospitals are struggling: irreversible population decline in rural areas, low-quality care and bad management practices. In fact, he said, rural population across the nation appears to be stabilizing, rural hospitals do as well as or better than urban hospitals on quality

measures, and insurance companies have struggled with the economics of serving rural populations. However, he said, that doesn’t mean the problems of rural hospitals are an urban exaggeration. If hospitals continue to close at the current rate, about one in four rural hospitals will close in the next 10 years, Morgan said. A study released earlier this year by the NRHA and iVantage found that 673 U.S. hospitals, including 29 in Kansas, were at risk of closing in the next decade. Gov. Sam Brownback announced formation of the working group in January to address the challenges of health care delivery in rural Kansas. Part of the challenge is that rural residents tend

LaCoy

Brownbag Open to all children and teens 1-18 No registration or identiication is required

Dates: May 23 - July 15 Time: 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (No lunch served May 30, July 1 or July 4)

Location: Scott City Elementary School Lunchroom

No charge to ages 1 - 18 Adults may eat for $3.70

Contact: Kathy Eaton • 620-872-7605 keaton@usd466.org.

Benefit

Sunday, June 5 11:00 am -1:30 pm Scott Community High School Parking Lot In 2015 Scott Community Foundation established a Good Neighbor Fund that works in coordination with the Scott County Ministerial Alliance to help provide funds to families who need food, clothes, and services due to medical, financial, unforseen economic hardship or catastrophic events. Funds donated to the Scott Community Foundation Good Neighbor Fund will be given to the Scott County Ministerial Alliance who allocates funds to applicants of the Good Neighbor Program.

All donations to benefit the LaCoy Family will go through the Scott Community Foundation

Good Neighbor Fund

Please make checks payable to: Scott Community Foundation, 303 Court St, Scott City, KS 67871 Memo: Good Neighbor Fund-LaCoy Family ALL donations are tax deductible ALL proceeds for the brown bag lunch will benefit the LaCoy Family You will be sent a letter/receipt for your Tax-Deductible donation!

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

Health advocates warn against sharing bed with infants

bed with their parents, a to them,” says Christy hol use, or misinformation rejected by the American Pediatrics. Alex Smith Health experts recomAcademy of Pediatrics, Heartland Health Monitor practice that can lead to Schunn, executive direc- about infant safety. Health advocates have a simple message for parents: Don’t share a bed with your baby. Unfortunately, it’s a message some Kansas parents aren’t taking to heart. This year, seven infants in Sedgwick County have died while sleeping in a

suffocation. That’s equal to the bed-sharing deaths in Wichita for all of 2015. Three infants in Leavenworth County also have died this year while sharing a bed with their parents. “What I’ve learned from the parents I’ve talked to is they just never thought it could happen

KanCare Reductions of the magnitude being proposed will make it harder for the approximately 425,000 low-income children and families, elderly adults and people with disabilities covered by KanCare to access services, Bell said in an interview. “The effect of these cuts will be to make providers less likely to participate (in KanCare) and ultimately make it even more difficult for vulnerable people to get the health care they need,” he said. “And why in the world would we want to do that?” State officials must obtain approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to fully implement the cuts. But, Brownback administra-

million through stricter enforcement of the policy, but she emphasized it would apply only to routine daily tasks for Kansans with disabilities. “It has nothing to do with their personal care, like their medical treatment,” or nighttime sleep support, de Rocha said. Sperry said he wants to know more about how KDADS enforcement of the policy will change, including how the agency will define “capable person.” “You’ve got family members that need some assistance,” Sperry said. Residential Change While the capable person change is stricter enforcement of an existing policy, de Rocha said the residential pay change is an alteration of the policy itself. KDADS will give providers a per diem reimbursement only when they’re rendering services and not when they’re on call to assist if needed. De Rocha said the agency currently pays for

“The majority of the deaths that we’re seeing are when people have just decided that I’m going to go ahead and co-bed with my baby,” Schunn says. “Often there’s a crib in the room, but it’s not being utilized.” Co-bedding has been championed by some infant care groups but

which released a study in 2014 showing bed sharing to be the greatest risk factor for sleep-related infant deaths. Co-bedding shouldn’t be confused with “cosleeping,” the practice of sleeping in the same room with an infant, which is recommended by the American Academy of

mend that infants should sleep alone in a crib without blankets. Schunn says the State Child Death Review Board of Kansas is examining the co-bedding deaths to better understand how they occurred, and whether they might provide lessons to guide prevention strategies.

ing as a potentially critical issue. Hospital association lawyers are assessing the chances of obtaining a court order to delay the cuts. “We’re absolutely taking a look at that,” Bell said. The extent to which the planned reductions in provider reimbursements affect KanCare patients’ access to care will be among the issues that CMS considers. Federal law requires that reimbursement rates be “sufficient to enlist enough providers” to ensure that Medicaid recipients get roughly the same level of services as the general population, Brookhart said. In defending the cuts, Randol pointed to the 10 percent reduction in

Medicaid reimbursement rates ordered in 2010 by former Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson during the Great Recession. He said Brownback administration officials reviewed those cuts when crafting their plan. “We tried to maintain some semblance of consistency,” he said. The current situation doesn’t compare to 2010, said Kyle Kessler, executive director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas “The cuts under Parkinson were the result of a recession and were temporary,” Kessler said. “That’s not what this is.” The Brownback Medicaid cuts are the latest in a series of actions taken by the governor and lawmakers to cover chron-

ic budget shortfalls that many believe have been caused by Brownback’s tax policies, specifically the income tax cuts and exemptions he pushed through the Legislature in 2012. Because the budget problems appear likely to continue, Kessler said providers are concerned the proposed cuts may be permanent. “Without a plan for restoration, the assumption has to be that they’re indefinite,” Kessler said. Kansas hospital administrators share that concern. “I’m very concerned about that,” said Randy Peterson, chief executive of Stormont Vail Health in Topeka. “It’s hard to accept that this could go indefinitely.”

(continued from page 16)

tion officials have said the reductions will take effect July 1 regardless of whether CMS has approved them. “From our perspective, that’s fairly presumptuous,” Bell said. “I think the assumption on the part of the state is that CMS will just rubber stamp this. But our hope is that because so many people are concerned about the effect on access that CMS will take a very serious look at this. This is not your typical state plan amendment.” Michael Randol, director of the Division of Health Care Finance in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said regardless of when CMS approves the cuts they will be retroactive to July 1. If there is significant lag time between the

Disability

tor of the Kansas Infant Death and SIDS Network. Sharing a bed, or what Schunn calls “co-bedding,” doesn’t typically happen because the parents don’t have an extra bed. Instead, it’s more likely to result from parents’ exhaustion, drug or alco-

effective date of the cuts and when CMS approves them, it could increase their impact by requiring providers to absorb a year’s worth of reductions in a matter of months. Randol said he believes the state can legally impose the cuts pending CMS approval. “I am confident in what we’re doing,” he said. Julie Brookhart, a CMS spokesperson, said states can implement Medicaid changes while the agency is reviewing them. “For a July 1, 2016, effective date, the state Medicaid agency would need to submit a state plan amendment by September 30, 2016, as the amendments can be retroactive,” Brookhart said in an email. Still, those attempting to stop the cuts see tim-

(continued from page 16)

someone to be on call at all times. Spratt’s organization serves Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Douglas and Jefferson counties. She said the residential pay change could mean her organization won’t be able to continue having staff available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help clients when they get in a jam. “They’re at greater risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation,” Spratt said, “to be taken advantage of in different ways, to not have assistance when there’s an emergency, not have assistance if they happen to get involved with the law.” Spratt and Sperry both said their organizations felt misled by Brownback administration statements that the recent budget cuts had “protected” HCBS services by not subjecting them to a four percent reimbursement rate cut imposed on other Medicaid providers.

vide in-home services to elderly Kansas said they were similarly surprised by a $2.1 million cut to the Senior Care Act program. Janis DeBoer, executive director of the Kansas Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities, said that represents about 30 percent of the program’s budget, forcing the leaders of her agencies to start a waiting list for services. DeBoer and Michelle Morgan, director of the Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging in Hays, both said the cuts are short-sighted because they will force older Kansans out of their homes earlier. “It seems as though Kansas is creating a roadmap for seniors that leads only to nursing homes,” Morgan said. Sperry said seeking cost savings in the HCBS program also was likely to lead to more expensive care in institutional settings. “It’s going to happen,” he said. “We’re talking Senior Care Cuts about people with disOther groups that pro- abilities.”

Rural “These hospitals are still structured like they were in the 1940s,” he said. States and communities are exploring ideas to stabilize rural hospitals, Morgan said. No one has found a silver bullet to solve the problem, but he said some show promise. These include efforts to: Set up programs to encourage rural teens to pursue health care as a career. Providers who

(continued from page 16)

grew up in rural areas and do a residency there are more likely to stay. Expand the roles of people without a medical degree, such as paramedics, patient navigators and community workers who provide health information. Allow nurse practitioners, physician assistants and dental therapists to practice more independently, with a physician or dentist on call.

Evaluate what services a community needs from its hospital. Increase the use of telemedicine to support rural providers. Offer grants to help hospitals cross the “shaky bridge” between payment models. The one thing states shouldn’t do is wait for the federal government to come up with a model based on what works in urban areas, Morgan said.

The Scott County Record • Page 18 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Reed nity’s support for its students and schools. “And I like that the coaches bring their kids into our school. They are great role models and our kids get to see the athletes as real people and not just someone on the football field or basketball court,” says Reed. “They emphasize to the kids the importance of getting good grades so the younger kids can compete in sports someday.” Reed has been just as impressed at the community’s generosity for others. “It was so neat a few years ago to see how people donated money so the Bakers could watch Ron play (in the NCAA Tournament) and it’s so amazing the fundraisers that this community has

(continued from page 11)

when people need help the fun out of teaching and with medical expenses or learning.” something. That’s pretty The increased emphaspecial.” sis on testing and test scores prevents teachers from taking what Reed Changes in Classroom At the same time, Reed describes as “detours.” doesn’t like some of the “There are teachable changes that have taken moments that can occur place in education over unexpectedly in a classthe last two decades - par- room. You’d like to take ticularly the continued a detour and teach kids emphasis on testing. something that isn’t in the “I don’t have a problem book, but things are so with being held account- structured today. It’s hard able and with measuring to take the extra time, or the academic progress of to take a field trip, because our students,” she says. there’s so much that they “I do have a problem are required to learn in with the constant testing the limited time that we and the stress that it puts have,” she emphasizes. on the teachers and the “It’s too bad because there students. I don’t see how is a lot to be learned that that’s creating a good en- doesn’t show up on a state vironment for learning. assessment test. “I think we’re missing “The state keeps adding more and more man- out on the opportunity dates. It’s taken some of to reach kids in different

KSDE exceeds goals for summer lunch program The good news? Thousands of students will be able to eat healthy, nutritious snacks this summer thanks to the Kansas State Department of Education’s Summer Food Service Program. The even better news? The program will feed even more children thanks to the hard work and dedication of KSDE’s Child Nutrition and Wellness team and partners. The program has added 28 new sponsors, 10 new counties in which food will be served and dozens of new sites across the state. New counties are Rawlins, Norton, Morris, Kingman, Barber, Hamilton, Jackson, Lane, Lincoln and Chase, said

Kelly Chanay, assistant director of Child Nutrition and Wellness. “We’re also seeing an increase in nonschool sponsors,” Chanay said. “We’ve been really hitting the ground hard these past few years.” And the work is paying off. The January 2015 Summer Food Service Summit in Wichita drew a lot of attention to the need for more sites, Chanay said. Moscow, in southwest Kansas, was one of the first sites to offer food this year. It started May 13. Catholic Charities began serving meals at sites on May 23. In 2011, more than 846,000 meals were served, compared to

USD 466 Summer Lunches Week of June 6-10 Monday: Gorditas, salad blend, diced peaches. Tuesday: Chicken fried steak, potatoes, gravy, green beans, dinner roll, fruit. Wednesday: Enchiladas, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries. Thursday: Baked cheesey fish, macaroni and cheese, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit. Friday: Walking tacos, refried beans, bread stick, fruit. Meals are served at Scott City Elementary School All youth ages 18-years and under can eat free

2015’s 1.3 million. The number of sponsors in 2011 was 91, and last year there were 138. The number of sites has grown from 278 in 2011 to 484 in 2015. Sites have the option of serving breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks or a combination. During last year’s Summer Food Service Program, 890,000 lunches were served, 321,000 breakfasts were served and 15,000 dinners were served. There were 72,000 snacks served. Any youth 18-years and under are invited to eat free of charge. Each sponsor is reimbursed for the meals from the USDA. Last year, Kansas sponsors were reimbursed $4.05 million.

ways. Instead, we’re testing them to death.” Reed says the time was right for her to retire. She had enough points to qualify for KPERS and there are things she wants to enjoy in life while she’s in good health. However, at just 55-years of age, Reed does admit to being a little surprised at making the final decision. “I figured I’d be one of those little old ladies who people would keep asking, ‘When will you retire?’” she says with a laugh. She and her husband, Arlan, who still farms, plan to travel and enjoy things in life they haven’t had the time to do before. Or, as Reed might say, they’re going to take some detours.

Cramer is Bethany grad Katren Cramer, Dighton, was among 115 spring graduates at Bethany College, Lindsborg, during ceremonies held on May 15. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education (grades K-6).

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Sports The Scott County Record

Triple threat Dighton’s Speer wins two golds, bronze at 1A state track meet • Page 26

www.scottcountyrecord.com

Thursday, June 2, 2016

state co-champs

Section C • Page 19

Beavers survive ‘crazy’ day to tie for team title

On a day in which the Scott Community High School boys experienced the thrill of an individual gold - and the agony of bitter disappointment - perhaps it was only fitting that the Class 3A state track meet should conclude on a bizarre note. Drake McRae, who had clipped the final hurdle in the 300m intermediates only a couple of hours earlier which cost him a silver medal, appeared ready for redemption as the anchor leg in the 4x400m relay. The stakes were already known to the SCHS boys as they prepared for the final event. They were third in the team standings, but with a third place finish in the 4x400m relay, the Beavers would win their first team title since 2008. A fourth place finish and they come away from state as cochampions with Norton. Competing in the second heat, Scott City appeared to have a third place finish - and a team title - locked down as McRae made the turn down the front straightaway. He was only a stride, maybe two, behind Chaparral and Norton who had the inside lanes. Coming up on the outside in lane four was St. Mary’s senior Louis Johnson who was closing ground on McRae. In the final 15 meters the situation changed dramatically as the Beloit anchor leg stumbled into lane three while falling across the finish line. As this was happening in front of McRae, Johnson slipped by on

Scott City’s Jack Thomas glances to his right to see that he finishes just 2/100 of a second ahead of Hays-TMP’s Andrew Hess for a gold medal in the 3200m at Wichita’s Cessna Stadium on Saturday. (Record Photo)

Thomas holds on for 3200m state championship Tough losses seemed to haunt Scott City’s Jack Thomas in both the 1600m and 3200m events this past season. That was to be expected. Even though Thomas had been an outstanding runner in junior high, the freshman was competing against athletes who were bigger and stronger this season. Through those tough losses, Thomas

kept getting a little faster and a little stronger - and just maybe a little more determined. All of those elements came together on Saturday morning under ideal conditions at Wichita’s Cessna Stadium for the Kansas Track and Field Championships. Only this time, instead of feeling the disappointment of another close second place finish, Thomas

turned the tables. Running the race of his lifetime, the freshman and Hays-TMP’s Andrew Hess were sprinting shoulder-to-shoulder down the home stretch and at the finish line it was Thomas who leaned forward just enough to win the state title in a career best of 10:10.50 - just 2/100 of a second ahead of Hess. (See THOMAS on page 20)

(See CRAZY on page 21)

Winderlin, 4x800m claim bronze medals

SCHS junior Paige Winderlin anchors the 4x800m relay which finished third in the Class 3A state track championships on Saturday in Wichita. (Record Photo)

She didn’t break the 60 second mark like she hoped, but Scott City’s Paige Winderlin’s career best in the 400m was good enough for a bronze medal in the Class 3A state track meet on Saturday. In an extremely tight finish for third place, Winderlin posted a 60.43 - nearly 9/10 of a second faster than her previous best. The next six finishers were just 1.5 seconds behind. “This was the first time I’ve ever competed in an individual event at state, so it was a little more stressful,” said Winderlin, who also qualified for state on three relays. Competing in the faster heat, Winderlin appeared to slip back into fourth place, or possibly fifth, on the back stretch. “I had to find another gear,” Winderlin says. “I was kind of scared coming into the final curve because I had no idea where I stood.” Entering the home stretch in front of a packed stadium on the west side, Winderlin was solidly in third place. “I knew the two girls ahead

of me were probably going to break 60 (seconds) and I was just trying to stay with them and see what happened,” said Winderlin. She was right about the two race leaders with Emerson Tice (Garden Plain, 58.62) claiming a photo finish win over Alaina Gfeller (Russell, 58.63). Winderlin was pleased to get her fastest time of the season, but adds that breaking the 60-second mark “will definitely happen” next year. Relay is Third Scott City’s 4x800m relay figured to easily make the award podium and they had no trouble meeting that expectation with a third place finish in their fastest time of the season - 10:15.97. Atchison-Maur Hill (10:01.58) was in a class by itself while Sabetha (10:08.64) claimed the silver medal. SCHS finished just ahead of Atchison County (10:17.75). The Lady Beavers were consistent in their splits which included Makaela Stevens (See WINDERLIN on page 20)

The Scott County Record • Page 20 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Outdoors in Kansas by Steve Gilliland

McPherson Outdoor Life Center Pheasants Forever concentrates on saving and creating wildlife habitat. As a member of the McPherson Area Pheasants Forever executive committee, Brett Reber envisioned a plot of land on which habitat enhancement techniques could be showcased for area farmers and ranchers to see. Reber approached the committee with his vision and a deal was struck with the former NCRA Refinery to lease a plot of land west of McPherson for the project. When the man farming the land heard about the agreement, he insisted they had been given some of his best and most accessible ground. He suggested they use a parcel further up the road that was poorer farm ground. Reber said it was disheartening at the time because that 46 acres of land contained an old dilapidated farmstead and needed lots of work and cleanup. Several committee, members including Reber, had read the book by Kansas native and KU graduate Richard Louv called “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from NatureDeficit Disorder,” a narrative about the broken relationship between today’s youth and nature. As they surveyed that gnarly but more nature-rich plot of land and considered its potential for true outdoor nature interaction, they sensed their mission should focus more on educating youth. In 2008, the McPherson Uplands Outdoor Life Center was born with the mission “To create a place for McPherson County and Kansas youth to learn and develop outdoor skills and an appreciation for wildlife and natural conservation.” (See CENTER on page 22)

Winderlin (2:33.5), Cami Patton (2:34.95), Dulce Ayala (2:32.27) and Winderlin (2:34.94). Ayala, a freshman, ran her fastest 800m split of the season. Each of the four relay members will return next year. “There was a lot of pressure on the 4x8s because they expected a lot of themselves,” said distance coach Kevin Reese, referring to both the SCHS boys and girls. “Given the way the events stacked up on Friday, it took a toll on several kids.” The Lady Beavers also made the podium in the 4x400m relay with their fastest time of the season. They finished seventh in 4:15.53 - an improvement of 3.3 seconds on their previous fastest time. Winderlin (63.69) ran the leadoff leg, followed by Olivia Prieto (64.63), Ayala (63.48) and Emily Smith (63.12). Prieto and Ayala each had their fastest splits of the season. The 4x100m relay finished 11th (52.36). Members were Prieto, Macy Berning, Haley Allen and Winderlin. Their chances at claiming a state medal disappeared with a poor handoff. “Haley has been dealing with an upper hamstring injury and it affected her,” noted head coach Jim Turner. Just missing out on a trip to the awards stand was Smith in the 300m low hurdles (9th, 48.85). Trella Davis (11th,

12:58.37) competed in the 3200m. Stevens 5th in 3200m The only other individual state medalist for the Lady Beavers was Stevens in the 3200m (5th, 12:08.04). She was just one second shy of adding another medal in the 1600m (9th, 5:39.39). The sophomore joined distance runners who were perhaps the biggest victims of Friday’s lightning and downpour that prevented nearly all of the 3-2-1A events from being held. Original plans were for the 3200m races to be held on Friday evening. The 3200m was instead moved to Saturday morning where they were to be followed by the 4x800m relay and 1600m. Stevens jumped out to the front of the pack on the first lap, but soon settled into fourth place and ran a steady pace for the remainder of the race. “I think I went out a little too hard,” she admitted afterwards. “By the third lap I started to feel it. But, I was able to settle in and run my race after that.” The sophomore finished nearly eight seconds ahead of fifth place. “I’m glad there wasn’t anyone to challenge me at the end because I don’t know what I’d have had left,” she said. The three races, with little recovery time, took a toll on Stevens and teammate Jack Thomas who also competed in the same three events.

Thomas The two runners were familiar with each other, having seen each other at the Russell Invitational in early May. In that race, Thomas led for 7-1/2 laps before Hess took the lead with about 75 meters left to get the win. “I knew I’d have to sprint my tail off at the end or the Hays kid was going to pass me like he did at Russell,” said Thomas. “I’ve worked hard and gotten faster all year. It paid off today.” By his standards, Thomas ran fairly conservative to start the race, sitting in fifth place after one lap and dropping back to seventh after three laps. That’s when the freshman made his move, sliding into the number two position at the midway point

(continued from page 19)

SCHS sophomore Emily Smith was a ninth place finisher in the 300m low hurdles at the Class 3A state track meet. (Record Photo)

“With the 3200 being the first event of the day that’s a shock to your system since we don’t do that,” said Turner. He felt that the 4x800 splits for both runners suffered and it was more evident in the 1600m. “Both ran really tough 1600s and I’m real proud of how they competed, but that’s a tough triple,” said the head coach. “I think the state could have done a better job of helping all the kids who doubled up on distance events

Saturday.” Stevens was never a factor in the 1600m, slipping into eighth place on

the first lap and remaining there until dropping back another spot on the final lap.

Scott City’s Cami Patton competes in the 4x800m relay which finished third at state. (Record Photo)

(continued from page 19)

and holding onto that spot for the next three laps. “I was pretty comfortable with the pace to start the race. I knew some of those guys who jumped out in front of me would probably die and that would give me a chance at the end,” said Thomas. “My plan was to join the leaders for the final mile and see what I could do see if I could stick it out at the end.” Thomas entered state with the sixth fastest regional time (10:33.3). He blew that mark away and improved on his career best by more than 12 seconds. Distance coach Kevin Reese wasn’t surprised at the performance. Jack is one of those kids you want good things

to happen for because he works so hard. He does everything you ask of him in practice. He’s a smart runner and very coachable,” says Reese. But he also noted that the distance runners were in a tough situation since the weather had pushed all their events to Saturday. “That’s something juniors and seniors have a hard time dealing with. Not only did our freshmen and sophomores deal with it, but we didn’t hear one complaint. They did exactly what we asked,” said Reese. Thomas followed with a 2:06.5 split in the 4x800m relay that finished second and then added a fourth place medal in the 1600m (4:46.1).

Both times were well off what Thomas had hoped for. “Jack’s 3200m was pretty impressive,” said head coach Jim Turner. “Unfortunately, it came at a heavy price. It affected him the rest of the day since there wasn’t much recovery time between his events.” “Jack’s times in the relay and the 1600 weren’t what you’d normally see from him, but he gave every ounce of effort in both and that’s all you can ask,” added Reese. Thomas had the third fastest regional qualifying time coming into state less than a second behind the leader - but he wasn’t a factor in Saturday’s race. He slipped to the outside and was in ninth place af-

ter one lap and eventually moved up to fourth on the final lap. “I knew that having enough gas after the 3200 and relay might become an issue but, I didn’t think about it,” noted Thomas. “I just went out and ran as hard as I could. I felt the pace was about where I wanted it to be even though I didn’t have my best time.” Considering it was his first trip to state, Thomas was very pleased with the results. “I’m grateful to my coaches and my teammates for pushing me hard all year. I’m happy with how well I did, but I’m not satisfied,” he added. “I’m looking forward to coming back next year and doing even better.”

The Scott County Record • Page 21 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Crazy (continued from page 19)

the outside and passed the Scott City senior. Amidst the confusion at the finish line, Johnson had nipped McRae by 28/100 of a second. SCHS finished fourth, despite McRae’s season-best anchor split of 50.96 and the relay’s best time of the season (3:29.68). “There were so many crazy things that happened today. We had some tough breaks with kids getting tripped up, a dropped baton and the hurdles,” said head coach Jim Turner. “I’m sure the boys will be thinking awhile about how close they were to winning (a state title) on their own. “We’re not really happy right now. We’re not satisfied with a tie, but it is better than second place.” SCHS and Norton each finished with 48 points while Seneca-Nemeha Central was third with 44.5. In addition to McRae’s tumble at the end of the 300m hurdles, Scott City’s crazy day saw Adrian Ruelas get tripped up and hit the track in the 800m while running in about third place at the 200m mark. “A Norton kid slipped in front of him and Adrian didn’t have anywhere to go,” says Turner. “To his credit, he got back up and finished the race, but you can’t recover from something like that.” In addition, the baton was dropped in the final exchange of the 4x100m relay. It was an event in which the Beavers hoped they could pick up a point or two. Griffith Wins Silver From an individual and team standpoint, Cooper Griffith was trying to shake off the disappointment in the aftermath of the state meet. He was a silver medalist in the discus with a toss of 151feet. “It sucks not to be a state champion when that’s something I’ve been working so hard for. I’ve been close several times,” noted Griffith, who was twice a third place medalist in state wrestling and a starter on the 2014 football team that finished a state runner-up. The senior had hopes of earning his first state title in the discus, but when Silver Lake’s Logan Wolfley posted a mark of 161-5 on his third throw, Griffith knew he would have to answer with his best throw of the season. “What’s disappointing is that I’d been throwing 20 feet better than that during practice,” said Griffith. “I’d been throwing

Scott City senior Cooper Griffith had a toss of 151-feet to claim a silver medal in the discus on Saturday. (Record Photo)

in the mid- to upper-50 pretty much with ease and I even had some throws in the 170 range. “I think I was probably a little tense out there and you can’t have that with the disc. Some days they fly well and some days they don’t. Today, they weren’t flying well for me,” added Griffith. “But I got eight points for the team. I can take satisfaction in that.” McRae Denied Gold McRae was looking for a chance to gain redemption from a year ago when he false started in the 300m prelims after entering state as the No. 1 ranked 300m hurdler. This year, he was the number two hurdler and many were looking for a showdown in the finals between the SCHS senior and Norton sophomore Jace Ruder who had the fastest time in Class 3A this season. The showdown never materialized. Ruder struck a hurdle and hit the track midway into the race, which seemingly gave McRae the opportunity he was looking for. “Once Ruder fell I really kicked it in because I felt that was my chance to win it all,” said McRae. “But coming down the front stretch I felt my knee giving out a little more and a little more and then it got worse.” McRae had been dealing with a torn patella tendon over the last month which is why he didn’t compete in the 110m hurdles - an event in which he earned a state medal last year. The senior faltered a little after clearing the next to last hurdle, but was able to regain his bal-

Passing Beloit on the home stretch in the 4x800m relay is SCHS freshman Wyatt Hayes. (Record Photo)

ance and appeared to have a lock on second place. That dream ended when he caught the final hurdle with his right foot and fell to the track less than 20 meters from the finish line. He was able to pick himself up and cross the line for a seventh place medal. “I could feel my knee giving out on me. It kept getting worse as I got closer to the final hurdle,” he said. “I guess it just wasn’t to be.” McRae (50.96) was able to bounce back with a season best split in the 4x400m relay. “I was definitely going to run. I didn’t want to let my team

down,” he said. Other members of the 4x400m were Jess Drohman (52.88), Jarrett Jurgens (52.7) and Wyatt Hayes (52.53). The Beavers added a silver medal in the 4x800m relay in a time of 8:18.94 - just 1.1 seconds off their season best. Relay members were Jack Thomas (2:06.5), Ruelas (2:04.12), Hayes (2:05.2) and Drohman (2:02.71). Drohman added a sixth place finish in the 800m (2:03.9).

ing weekend in Wichita. The freshman earned a spot on the awards podium in the high jump (6th, 6-foot), 300m IH (6th, 41.65) and 110m high hurdles (8th, 16.25). Faurot, however, said he wasn’t surprised at his success. “I was sure hoping to be on the award stand three times,” he noted. “It ended up pretty much like I hoped it would.” “But give credit to great coaches. I’ve knocked a lot of time off (in the hurdles) and that’s from Coach (Jenny) Rose Faurot Wins 3 Medals working with me every day,” Marshall Faurot was another he says. “And it wouldn’t have of the group of young SCHS happened if I didn’t have Drake thinclads who had an outstand- pushing me every day.”

SCHS athletes and coaches claiming a co-championship in Class 3A were (front row, from left) head coach Jim Turner, Jarrett Jurgens, Jess Drohman, Wyatt Hayes, Marshall Faurot and Connor LeBeau. (Back row) assistant coach Kevin Reese, Jack Thomas, Nick Nowak, Cooper Griffith, Wyatt Kropp, Drake McRae, Adrian Ruelas, assistant coach Aaron Dirks and assistant coach Jenny Rose. (Record Photo)

The Scott County Record • Page 22 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Rookies stepping up big for KC Someone is to blame for the devastating collision between third baseman Mike Moustakas and left fielder Alex Gordon that sidelined both players - Moustakas for the season. by Gordon Mac and MoustaStevenson kas aren’t wild-eyed rookies who lose their composure going after a foul ball. However, that’s how they played this one. The manager and coaching staff should, and probably have, made it abundantly clear which player is to make the call in that situation. Since Moustakas was going out and Gordon was coming in, it should have been Gordon’s call. Either Gordon yelled and Moustakas didn’t pay attention or Gordon didn’t make the call. In any event, the injuries shouldn’t have happened and what a costly mental mistake it was. How much is the absence of Gordon and Moustakas going to hurt the Royals’ chances to win the AL Central? Not as much as you first think. In 42 games, Gordon was hitting a substandard .211 and leading the team in strikeouts with 50. Another factor - which has gone unnoticed - is that he’s lost a step on defense. Gordon has never fully recovered from his severe groin injury last season. Moustakas had been mediocre while playing 27 games. He was hitting .240 with seven homers. But he has been nothing great. DH Kendrys Morales is also off to an awful start, hitting .187 after 45 games with 38 strikeouts. Morales missed several games in late May because of a strained thumb. The rookie replacements are another matter entirely. They have been performing well-above expectations. After two games of subbing for Morales, Brett Eibner was hitting .375, including the game-winning hit in the miraculous comeback against Chicago last Saturday. Morales might be on thin ice. Cheslor Cuthbert is now the regular third baseman and he was hitting .254 in 17 games through the Saturday (May 28) White Sox game. (See ROOKIES on page 23)

Center The front part of the property was a big open field, and the rest of the parcel lay on the other side of a tree row and was surrounded on one end by a wooded area and a creek. That portion contained the tumble-down, old farmstead and was a drainage nightmare. The first order of business was to tear down the house, the huge barn and the buildings. Next, two ponds were built at different levels to solve the drainage dilemma. Nature trails were developed that meander through the

(continued from page 20)

woods and along the creek, and the open fields were seeded to native grasses. A metal round top building was erected at the parking area for equipment storage and as a shelter from inclement weather. The McPherson Area Pheasants Forever Chapter remains the principal financial supporter of the center. The building, mowing and maintenance equipment, and labor to build the ponds, the trails and the shooting range were all donated. Benches along the trails,

wood duck and floating goose nesting boxes, native grass and wildflower plantings and a geo-caching course were Eagle Scout projects. Check out their website at www.mcphersonvalleyuplands.org for a list of upcoming summer events. Of special interest is a summer program called “Third Thursday” when there are free youth shooting clinics during June, July and August, coached by Kansas Wildlife and Parks and Pheasants Forever members. What once was 46 acres

that knew nothing but endless years of poor wheat crops, erosion and was nearly devoid of wildlife, has been transformed into a wonderful, primitive, outdoor classroom teeming with songbirds, pheasants, quail and deer. Reber told me, “It is truly a testament to the statement, if you build it, they will come. If you create habitat, you’ll get wildlife.” Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors! Steve can be contacted by email at stevegilliland@idkcom.net

Rookies And rookie Whit Merrifield has performed admirably at second base, third base, and left field. Merrifield was hitting .375 after eight games. Gordon and Morales have been hitting so poorly that they won’t be missed if the rookies keep playing well. And Moustakas is out for the rest of the season, so he’s a non-factor. Kansas City has regained momentum with their recent play and have moved into the lead in the AL Central. It’s going to be an entertaining and exciting pennant race. KC, Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit all have talented ball clubs and any of the four could come out on top. A Different View The high-ranking administrators of TV networks that televise major league baseball games who make the final decisions on how to focus the cameras - are stereotyped, almost beyond saving. During active play, most of the TV cameras are aimed at the pitcher’s

The Scott County Record • Page 23 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

(continued from page 22)

back with the hitter facing the pitcher. When the batter hits a pitch, it’s often difficult to see what happens for a second or two. This wouldn’t be so bad, but it’s done with every plate appearance by every hitter. TV could show the entire field with their cameras if they would do so. It looks like a seat in the upper deck, but you can see all of the action on the field, including the flight of the ball. Using this method would increase the excitement for the viewers in many crucial moments of a ball game. That’s not to say this coverage should be used all the time; it would, however, assuage the boring mood caused by having the camera focus on the pitcher and hitter for every at-bat. If you agree with this assessment, drop Fox Sports Kansas City an e-mail and tell them we would like to see more variation of TV coverage, often with the entire field in the picture.

a different animal compared to the regular season. The contact allowed by the referees is amazing. It doesn’t even look like basketball. Defense is secondary during the regular season, but that changes significantly when the playoffs begin. In the fourth quarter of the fifth game of the Golden State-Oklahoma City series, Marreese Akeem Speights (6-10, 285) drove to the basket and crashed into the OKC defender, Kevin Durant (69, 235). Speights mashed him. It’s a wonder Durant was able to get to his feet. Durant was set on defense and took the charge, but the call was a foul on Durant, which was both an amazing and terrible decision by the ref. NBA basketball in the playoffs is more like football without pads than the game it was intended to be. It’s amazing the players are able to get off shots because the play is so physical. If you like ferocious, Getting Physical physical play, be sure and The NBA playoffs are tune in for the finals.

Free fishing at Kansas state parks on June 4-5 There’s not much today you can get for free, especially a weekend’s worth of entertainment for the whole family, but thanks to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, there’s an exception. A free fishing weekend will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5. It’s a great opportunity to introduce others to the joys of angling. Typically held the first full weekend in June in association with National Fishing Week, free fishing weekends are two-day periods when fishing licenses are not required at Kansas lakes and reservoirs. While license requirements are waived for the weekend, anglers must still abide by all other regulations such as length and creel limits, equipment requirements, etc.

The Scott County Record • Page 24 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Wichita County’s Jacob Schumacher (center) sprints for the finish line in the 200m finals at the Class 2A state meet on Saturday. (Record Photo)

Schumacher wins 100m gold, 2 silvers A year ago, Jacob Schumacher wasn’t even competing in the 100m. “I didn’t feel like I was fast enough,” says the Wichita County High School senior. That’s no longer an issue. Schumacher proved to be the fastest man in Class 2A, winning the 100m gold medal in a photo finish time of 11.255. He narrowly defeated Micah Webb (Maranatha, 11.260). “The difference between this year and last year is that I’m more explosive coming out of the blocks,” says Schumacher. “I’ve spent a lot of time working on my starts and it’s paid off.” Even when the season began, Schumacher didn’t see himself as a 100m athlete. But, he had some early success and decided to continue working on the event. Even though he emerged as one of the top sprinters in Class 2A, Schumacher was cautious. “I knew my time was good enough to win a championship, but I also know that you can be beat by someone on any given day in that short of distance.” Schumacher added silver medals in the 200m (22.84) and the 400m (51.20). The runner-up finish in the 200m was perhaps his biggest disappointment from an otherwise outstanding weekend. It was an instance where the cancellation of Friday’s competition - which meant no

preliminaries - may have played a factor in the outcome. Plainville’s Samuel Kaup was in the first heat - or the slower heat) - but posted a winning time of 22.8. Schumacher was in the fast heat. “I think I could have pushed a little harder had I known what won the earlier heat. I was just focusing on my race,” says Schumacher. “I thought that since I’d won my heat I would be okay. “That’s the problem with not having prelims.” What may have hurt more is that Schumacher has always considered the 200m his best event. “It was my strongest event as a sophomore and junior. I had a good time coming in here and expected to win a gold. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get it done,” he said. “Getting a silver is still something to feel good about. “It’s been a good high school career,” added Schumacher, who will continue his track career next year at Fort Hays State University. Binns Wins Bronze Brett Binns wrapped up his final high school track meet as a bronze medalist in the pole vault by clearing 13-feet. He was able to overcome a near disastrous start when he missed his first two attempts at 12 feet, which was his starting height. “The wind was messing me up a little,” said the WCHS senior. “And I had

2nd Annual

Brett Binns gets ready to clear his attempt at 12-foot-6 during Saturday’s pole vault competition at the Class 2A state track meet. (Record Photo)

to get used to the crowd. I was able to zone them out and things got better. It just took a couple of jumps for me to adjust.” It’s been a very good season for Binns whose best prior to this year was

12-feet. His season best was 13-feet-8. “I learned a lot at pole vault camp. I improved my strength and technique,” he says. “My form isn’t near as sloppy as it looked a year ago.”

Saturday-Sunday, June 18-19 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Beach House

at Lake Scott State Park

Carp Derby $40

per team (6 lines)

$25

per Individual (3 lines)

Must have a valid fishing license, pay park entrance fee and sign derby waiver See rules and regulations at www.scottcityks.org Preregister or for more information Scott City Area Chamber of Commerce • 620-872-3525, ext. 1 • SCCC@wbsnet.org

He will compete in behind Olpe (8:01.18). track at Pratt Community Relay members were College next season. Jorge Gallegos, Elian Dorantes, Layton TankerRelay is Runner-up sley and Kyler Long. The 4x800m relay colIn the 2A team standlected a silver medal in a ings, WCHS finished in time of 8:11.52, finishing fourth place.

The Scott County Record • Page 25 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

SCHS Track Class 3A State Meet May 27-28, 2016 • in Wichita Girl’s Division Team scores: Beloit 71.5, Russell 45, Seneca-Nemeha Central 44, Southeast of Saline 44, Garden Plain 39, Silver Lake 31, Conway Springs 30, Sterling 29, Minneapolis 29, Hays-TMP-Marian 27.5, Marysville 21, Marion 21, Belle Plaine 20, Cheney 20, Hutchinson-Trinity 19, Lakin 19, Scott City 18, Hiawatha 17, Atchison-Maur Hill 15, Hesston 14, Atchison County 14, Halstead 13, Chaparral 12, Wellsville 9, Norton 9, Sabetha 8 Javelin: Lizzy Eikenberry, 16th, 93-10. 300m Low Hurdles: Emily Smith, 9th, 48.85. 400m: Paige Winderlin, 3rd, 60.43. 800m: Cami Patton, 10th, 2:33.34. 1600m: Makaela Stevens, 9th, 5:39.39. 3200m: Stevens, 5th, 12:28.04; Trella Davis, 11th, 12:58.37. 4x100m: Olivia Prieto, Macy Berning, Haley Allen, Winderlin, 11th, 52:36. 4x400m: Winderlin, Prieto, Dulce Ayala, Smith, 7th, 4:15.53. 4x800m: Stevens, Patton, Ayala, Winderlin, 3rd, 10:15.97. Boy’s Division Team scores: Scott City 48, Norton 48, Seneca-Nemeha Central 44.5, Beloit 37, Silver Lake 31, Ellsworth 31, Hoisington 26, Rossville 24, Chaparral 24, Marion 23, Garden Plain 21, Wellsville 20.5, Hesston 20, Conway Springs 19, Humboldt 18, Wathena-Riverside 18, Minneapolis 17, Osage City 16, Lakin 16, Hoyt-Royal Valley 15, Whitewater-Remington 15, Russell 13, Halstead 13, Oskaloosa 11, Cimarron 11, Cheney 10, Hays-TMP 10, Wichita Independent 10 Discus: Cooper Griffith, 2nd, 151-0. High Jump: Marshall Faurot, 6th, 6-0. 110 High Hurdles: Faurot, 8th, 16.25. 300m Int. Hurdles: Faurot, 6th, 41.65; Drake McRae, 7th, 42.11. 800m: Jess Drohman, 6th, 2:03.9; Adrian Ruelas, 16th, 2:20.95. 1600m: Jack Thomas, 4th, 4:46.1. 3200m: Thomas, 1st, 10:10.5. 4x100m: Griffith, Jarret Jurgens, Wyatt Hayes, Wyatt Kropp, 15th, 65.88. 4x400m: Drohman, Jurgens, Hayes, McRae, 4th, 3:29.68. 4x800m: Thomas, Ruelas, Hayes, Drohman, 2nd, 8:18.94.

Fishing Report Scott State Lake Updated May 24 Channel cats: good; most in the 13 to 18 inch range. Fishing prepared baits lake-wide has been good recently. Crappie: fair/good; most up to 10 inches. Spawning fish can be caught fishing minnows along rip-rapped shorelines. Largemouth bass: good; up to 5.5 lbs. Bass should be spawning soon so this is a good time to catch some real nice-sized fish. Fishing soft plastics around shoreline structure is usually best. Sunfish: good; up to 8 inches. Fishing worms or small jigs under a bobber around shallower shoreline structure has been good. Saugeye/walleye: good; up to 7 lbs. Post-spawn fish can be caught feeding over points and flats where jigs tipped with night crawlers or minnows, and fish imitations like crankbaits can be effective. General comments: Release all walleye/saugeye and largemouth bass less than 15 inches. Please discard all leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water.

The Scott County Record • Page 26 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

triple threat Speer claims 2 golds, bronze at state Jordan Speer proved that she is in a class by herself at this year’s Class 1A Kansas Track and Field Championships. The Dighton High School junior claimed two state titles and a third place medal to help lead her Lady Hornets to a third place team finish. No one threatened to dethrone the defending Class 1A shot put champion. She broke her own school record in the event while adding another gold medal in the javelin. Her only frustration was that she didn’t make it a clean sweep by adding another gold in the discus. She settled for a bronze, but Friday’s weather which interrupted the event may have also been a factor. Speer had completed just two throws in the event before the track action was stopped because of a threatening storm - and later cancelled. All events were moved to Saturday and there would be no prelims - just four throws for everyone. “I don’t know why, but I never really got comfortable in the discus. Even though I had a fairly good throw and finished third, it wasn’t what I was hoping for,” said Speer. Her best toss was 114-1 which came on Friday - and that was well below her season best of 120-9. However, the best was still to come. In Saturday’s javelin, Speer was sitting in second place at 126-9 - four feet behind leader Zarin Goodrich (Melvern). On her final throw of the competition, the DHS junior responded with a career best of 133-1 that held up for the gold medal. Coming into state with the sixth best javelin throw at regional “took a lot of pressure off me. I just went out there and threw my best,” she says. While she admits the javelin hasn’t been a major focus, that’s likely to change now that she has earned a state title. “I’ve been working harder on it this season, and especially coming into state,” she says. “I definitely plan to pay more attention to the javelin next season.” Consistency has been an issue during the season. Led by Speer’s outstanding

day, the Dighton girls finished third in the team standings with 38 points, behind Centralia (56.66) and Axtell (54). It was the first time the DHS girls had placed as a team at the state meet since 1988 when they were state champions. Repeat in Shot Put Speer’s repeat title in the shot put was almost a foregone conclusion. No one was within four feet of her regional mark entering the state meet and that didn’t change on Saturday as the state meet was drawing to a close. Speer had three throws of more than 40 feet - the last one measuring 42-11 - which was almost five feet better than the state runner-up. “I’m pretty comfortable with the shot put. There really hasn’t been anyone to push me at any meet this season so I felt pretty relaxed today,” she says. As she looks ahead to next season, Speer will be eyeing the possibility of winning three individual golds at state. But for that to happen she says it will take more consistency, especially in the discus and javelin. “I’m not so much trying to compete against other people as I am trying to do better against myself,” she notes. By the time next season rolls around, the toughest competition that Speer may see is the one staring back at her in the mirror. Shapland Wins 2 Medals Prior to this season, distance runner Payden Shapland had never made it onto the state awards stand. That’s no longer true. The Dighton senior began Saturday with a fifth place finish in the 3200m (12:19.69) and added a seventh place medal in the 1600m (5:46.64). She improved on her season best in the 3200m by 36 seconds. “The pace was faster than normal, but it felt good. That’s the first time I’ve been fresh coming into the two mile,” says Shapland. “I wanted to keep pace with the Sharon Springs and Ingalls girls. I saw their times coming in and felt that would be about where I wanted to be. “This is the first time I’ve ever been on the podium at

(Top photo) Jordan speer competes in the shot put at the state meet. Dighton senior Payden Shapland puts some distance between herself and the rest of the field in the 3200m run on Saturday morning. (Record Photo)

Dighton’s Isaac Torson (left) sprints toward the finish line in the 4x400m relay on Saturday at the Class 1A state track meet. (Record Photo)

state,” she added. “It’s a great After a slow start to the seafeeling.” son, the junior emerged as one of the state’s top middle disCramer 3rd in 800m tance runners. She admits that Sara Cramer posted a sea- the 800m has become her stronson best of 2:28.46 in the 800m ger event. to collect a bronze medal. She “I like the 800 more because added an 11th place finish in the you have two laps to make 400m (62.43). something happen,” she ex-

plains. She ran 72 seconds in the opening lap which put her in fifth place at the midway point. “I had a good break between the 400 and the 800, so I was wanting to push the pace a little more and see what I could do,” she says.

Record Xtra

The Scott County Record Page 27 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Buffalo roam at Lake Scott Campers have surprise guests on Sunday Kansas has long been known as a home where the buffalo roam. But, that took on a whole new meaning for campers at Lake Scott State Park over the Memorial Day weekend. Those who were in the Elm Grove campground were greeted on Sunday morning with actual buffalo roaming between their tents and trailers. A gate to the preserve located east of the campground had been left unlocked and 11 buffalo used their newfound freedom to venture across K95 Highway. “It’s pretty scary when you think about it,” says Park Manager Greg Mills. “One of the mommas had just dropped a calf the night before and they are super protective if they feel their baby is threatened.” Park visitors emerged from their tents early in the morning to see the buffalo and for many it became a photo opportunity. “It makes you cringe knowing that people were walking near them and taking photos,” Mills says. “Fortunately, (Sheriff) Glenn Anderson was among the campers and he immediately told people to keep their distance.” Richard Duff, who owns the herd, was contacted about herding the buffalo back to their refuge. Mills says they had already crossed the highway again and were returning to the pasture on their own by the time Duff arrived. He says they were loose for approximately 45 minutes. “It gave everyone a great story to share for Memorial Day and it had a good ending,” Mills says with a laugh. Record-Setting Weekend Even without the excitement provided by the buffalo, it was an exceptional kickoff to the summer season at Lake Scott. Mills said attendance had reached 6,500 by mid-afternoon on Monday and with late arrivals the weekend’s visitation was

Madrie Ramsey, 3-1/2-years-old, Scott City, jumps off the dock in the swimming area at Lake Scott while her grandfather, Mark Christopher, Dickeyville, Wisc., gets ready to assist. They were among more than 6,500 visitors at the state park over the Memorial Day weekend. (Record Photo)

probably closer to 6,750. Revenue from park entrance and camping fees was about $8,200 for the three days, making it one of the biggest ever for a holiday weekend. “This was the busiest weekend I’ve had in my 16 years,” says Mills. “We had people camping at places where they normally don’t because there wasn’t room anywhere else. If we’d have had another 25 utility sites I’ll bet we could have filled them.” “We had visitors from Oklahoma and Colorado. We even had people reserve camp sites from the Kansas City area. They saw (Lake Scott) on the map and wanted to go someplace different,” Mills says. Even the threat of bad weather wasn’t enough to keep people away. In fact, as storm clouds were building on Sunday afternoon and rain was headed for the lake, people were still purchasing camping permits from the gate house. A lot of credit for the weekend’s success also goes to the seasonal staff who were kept busy cleaning restrooms and hauling away trash from the dumpsters that were overflowing by Sunday afternoon. That includes Alan Stewart, Neal George, Bob Kenemmer, Bob Murphy, Devyn Eggleston, Kim

Manuel Lopez, 9, casts a fishing line into the water while his brother, Andy, 11, of Garden City, looks on during a visit to Lake Scott on Monday afternoon. (Record Photo)

Hall and Stephanie Thomas along with full-time office assistant Patsy Lisenby. “And thanks to Larry (Eberlee) we didn’t have one blown breaker at the Lakeview utility site,” says Mills. “That was one of our biggest issues last year.” Eberlee, who is the Beach House manager, said that Monday’s turnout at the beach “was one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.”

He said business was brisk at the Beach House, although canoe and paddle boat rentals were limited because of windy conditions over the weekend. Mills says he has asked his superiors within the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to visit Lake Scott, especially on a holiday weekend. “I don’t think they grasp the kind of crowds we have out

here,” he says. “I think they’d be shocked.” The park manager feels there will be other opportunities for KDWPT staff to see how busy Lake Scott can be. “I think what we saw last weekend is an indication of what we can expect this summer,” Mills adds. “Barring a drought that would put a ban on fires, I look for us to blow away last year’s (attendance) totals.”

Rick Robles, Garden City, uses a float tube to fish near the shoreline in the northwest cove at Lake Scott on Monday morning.

(Record Photo)

Farm

The Scott County Record

Seek participants for beef genetics mission The Kansas Department of Agriculture is seeking individuals to participate on agricultural trade missions to Argentina and Uruguay. Tentatively, the Argentina mission will take place July 25-31, and the Uruguay mission Sept. 12-18. The goal of these missions is to provide an opportunity for Kansas purebred beef cattle producers and allied industry to continue developing relationships with livestock producers in Argentina and Uruguay in an effort to increase market opportunities for U.S. and Kansas beef genetics. The primary activity during each mission will be to interact with breeders and promote the use of U.S. beef genetics while attending major livestock shows including the Expocisión Rural (Palermo) in Argentina or ExpoPrado in Uruguay. Kansas ranchers and related agribusinesses specializing in export of Angus and Hereford genetics are invited to participate. This trade mission is funded in part by the United States Livestock Genetic Export, Inc. Selected participants will be eligible for travel stipends for airfare depending upon number of applicants and fund availability. Participants will be responsible for the cost of hotels, meals and other incidental expenses. KDA strives to encourage and enhance economic growth of the agriculture industry and the Kansas economy by exploring and expanding both domestic and international marketing opportunities. (See MISSION on page 29)

Page 28 - Thursday, June 2, 2016

Real world concerns with old world bluestem

HAYS - Old world bluestem is a plant that is becoming increasingly prevalent in native grasslands commonly used for cattle grazing, particularly in drier regions. The grass that was brought to the United States as a soilstabilizing plant has come under fire due to how it affects the surrounding ecosystem. Because old world bluestem can become invasive and reduce the growth and

vigor of other grasses that are more nutritious and palatable for livestock, the plant can negatively affect plant biodiversity, insects and wildlife. “As temperatures warm up we will start to see more old world bluestem,” said Keith Harmoney, range scientist at the Kansas State Agricultural Research Center - Hays, one of four units in the Western

Kansas Agricultural Research Centers. “In Western Kansas, old world bluestem will begin to grow later than native grasses; they are not as cold tolerant,” he said. The plant is easily distinguishable, because its color is typically pale with a yellowish-green tint. The seed heads can be seen from a distance due to their pinkish or purplish tint. These grasses

grow quicker than native grasses and also produce a seed head quicker, Harmoney said. There are two types of old world bluestem, yellow and Caucasian. They are similar in their effects on pastures and how they grow. Where the two types differ is in their appearance. This is visible by examining the seed heads. (See BLUESTEM on page 30)

Feedlot inventories are climbing back John Nalivka Drovers CattleNetwork

USDA’s May 1 cattle on feed report indicated a one percent increase in the inventory from a year ago with cattle placed on feed during April posting a seven percent increase while fed cattle marketed

during the month were up one percent from a year earlier. My thinking on feedlot activity since the beginning of the year is consistent with this report. This is the third consecutive month of year-overyear increases in on feed inventories.

At the same time, breakeven prices have fallen into much more manageable territory and feedlots have finally found the light at the end of tunnel and black ink (unhedged)! The challenge now is to maintain positive margins on current and future

placements, whether through hedging opportunities or aggressively placing cattle at continually lower break-even prices. I would opt for the latter as it offers greater assurance. It simply means feeder cattle prices (See FEEDLDOT on page 30)

Give elevator notice of hard white wheat delivery As Kansas wheat harvest approaches, farmers are making all necessary preparations. One of the most important is knowing where to market harvested grain. Kansas Wheat strongly encourages farmers planning to deliver hard white wheat to an elevator at harvest to communicate

wheat scoop Jordan Hildebrand Kansas Wheat

with their elevator now. While a number of elevators will be accepting hard white wheat, others have indicated that they will help find a market for your grain, but that

Dryland Ag Day at Tribune June 15 Kansas State University will host its Dryland Ag Day at the Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune on Wed., June 15. Field tours will start at 9:00 a.m., followed by indoor seminars and a complimentary lunch. An optional tour of irrigated weed management trials will be available after lunch. The topics for field tours include: Wheat varieties; In-furrow nitrogen on wheat; Update on solid stem wheat; Wheat seeding rates; Tillage in dryland systems; Dryland crop rotations (wheat, corn and grain sorghum); and Rainfall simulator. Indoor presentations include: Soil test trends in Western Kansas; and Weed management update.

they need to have some advanced notice that you will be delivering to their location. Companies accepting hard white wheat include, but are not limited to, ADM in eight locations, Bartlett Grain in seven locations, Skyland Grain at all locations, Alliance Ag in two loca-

tions, Midland Marketing in three locations, the Scoular Company in two locations and Scott Co-op in five locations. A list of participating locations can be found at kswheat.com/hardwhite. Western Kansas is wellsuited for white wheat production due to ideal environmental growing

Farm credit system under examination in U.S. Senate WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, recently held a hearing on the Farm Credit System. The hearing, titled “The Farm Credit System: Oversight and Outlook of the Current Economic Climate,” had two panels. “Farmers and ranchers are experiencing difficult economic conditions as farm sector profitability is forecast to decline for the third straight year,” said Roberts. “Over the past three years alone, net farm income is expected to decline by 56

percent.” “For farmers, every year is a high stakes bet as they put their confidence in their crops, livestock, and the business decisions they make throughout the year. While farmers continue to manage their risk through a period of low commodity prices and stubborn high input prices, it is important we begin discussions regarding next year’s borrowing decisions.” “To date, the Farm Service Agency has seen a 21 percent increase in farm loans as compared to last year - a further troubling indication of a struggling agricultural economy.”

conditions. There are a number of hard white wheat varieties that are performing very well this year. Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University and Colorado State University all have recent new releases of hard white wheat varieties with good milling and baking character-

istics. In addition, test plots look very promising for some new hard white wheat varieties as they continue to be options for farmers. KSU’s most recent white wheat variety, Joe, is a medium-late maturity, medium height white wheat with strong

Market Report

Weather

Closing prices on May 31, 2016 Bartlett Grain Red Wheat............ $ 3.63 White Wheat ....... $ 3.63 Milo .................... $ 3.07 Corn ................... $ 3.67 Soybeans (new crop) $ 9.56 Scott City Cooperative Wheat.................. $ 3.62 White Wheat ....... $ 3.67 Milo (bu.)............. $ 3.07 Corn.................... $ 3.67 Soybeans ........... $ 9.74 Sunflowers.......... $ 14.65 ADM Grain Wheat.................. Milo (bu.)............. Corn.................... Soybeans............ Sunflowers..........

$ 3.72 $ 3.25 $ 3.75 $ 9.79 $ 15.15

(See WHITE on page 29)

May 24

81 61

May 25

May 26

May 27

71 49 .76

May 28

80 51

May 29

May 30

85 52 .12

Moisture Totals May

2.31

2016 Total

8.52

Food Facts Kansas ranks third in fed cattle placements with 4.4 million in 2015. That represents 22.1% of all cattle placed in a feedlot in the U.S.

The Scott County Record • Page 29 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Ag’s financial outlook to ‘tighten’

A new joint study by the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics and the University of Georgia shows lenders from across the nation are expecting the financial outlook for farmers to tighten in the upcoming seasons. The 2016 Spring Ag Lender Survey shows the current financial conditions are taking a downturn due to an expected increase in nonperforming loans and land devaluations that are causing land leasing issues.

Lower commodity prices have had an immediate effect on producers, but there may be more trouble ahead as leveraged farmers are feeling the pressure from lower grain and livestock prices. Christine Wilson, K-State agricultural economics professor said, “The survey shows lenders are observing the tightening fiscal conditions, and expected falls in land values as a key indicator in an expected increase in nonperforming loans.” “With these crop pric-

es, expect a significant gut check by the producers,” said a survey participant, adding that farmers are facing a significant challenge. The survey points to lenders seeing a need for increasing risk premiums for agricultural lending. From the fall season of 2015 to the spring of 2016, lenders noted that the number of non-performing loans rose for total farm loans. Lenders are expecting the number of non-performing loans to continue to rise, particularly for the

corn and soybeans, wheat, and beef sub-sectors. Demand for farm operating loans remains high as liquidity and cash flows are problematic for many producers, according to the study. Lenders report elevated cash rental rates and a slow adjustment to the lower commodity prices seen in today’s market. K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics conducts the Ag Lender Survey semi-annually to capture short- and longterm assessments for the future of the agricultural credit environment.

The caring, concerned carnivore

There’s a fine line between laughing with someone, and laughing at them. A video clip titled, “What If Meat Eaters Acted Like Vegans” definitely crossed that line more than once. Which is why it’s deadon accurate, and hilariously funny. The segment appears on the DnaIndia.com website - which I’ve never

Meat of the Matter Dan Murphy contributing columnist Drovers CattleNetwork

heard of - and features a comic talent, stage name J.P. Sears, whom I’ve also never heard of, but whose “concerned, caring carnivore” act will have you laughing out loud. No matter which side of meat-vs-not-meat fence

White resistance to stripe rust, good resistance to leaf rust and good resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus. Hard white wheat accounts for about three percent of the wheat grown by Kansas farmers, but the number of acres of hard white wheat is increasing every year. The majority of the white wheat is planted in the southwestern portion of the state. Hard white wheat isn’t just turning farmers’ heads. Companies, like Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), have invested in the future of hard white wheat. Three years ago, ADM partnered with the Kansas Wheat Commission Research Foundation and the Kansas State University

(continued from page 28)

wheat breeding program at Hays to strengthen hard white wheat variety development. The investment has allowed wheat breeder Guorong Zhang and his colleagues to use molecular marker and doubled haploid technologies to develop new white wheat experimental varieties suited for the baking industry, while also offering farmers improved yield and agronomic traits. Overseas customers are also seeing value in hard white wheat. According to Peter Lloyd, regional technical director at U.S. Wheat Associates, the large Nigerian flouring milling companies are interested in increasing the amount of hard white wheat they are able to purchase.

Mission Those individuals interested in participating in the trade mission should complete the application forms available online on

you’re on. The running gag throughout the 3-minute clip is the absurdity of listening to the “wisdom” of a true believer, only one who believes as passionately in eating meat as any soy-saturated veggievegan who ever lived. Of course, writing about a video rarely does it justice, but consider just a few teasers from the script:

“All of the large Nigerian flouring milling companies would like to double or triple or quadruple the amount of hard white wheat that they are able to buy,” said Lloyd. “We are at a disadvantage because of logistics. We have growers who are happy to grow white wheat, and we have customers in Nigeria and all other parts of the world who would love to buy it, but getting it from the farm to the customer is the issue. “We must leverage all of the many years of varietal development, grading and inspection and good farming practices for our growers to make the best profit that we can in the international marketplace. I believe the best route for that is hard white.”

(continued from page 28)

the KDA website. The deadline for submitting applications for consideration is Wed., June 15. For more information on the trade mis-

sions, please contact Billy Brown, KDA agribusiness development coordinator, at billy.brown@kda. ks.gov or 785-431-5049.

(Scene opens in a restaurant as J.P. and his girlfriend order lunch) “Um, I’d like the tofu spring rolls, but I don’t eat tofu, so do you have, like, a tofu-flavored chicken you could substitute for me?” (Lecturing his girlfriend as she’s holding some broccoli) “Eating plants makes your body way too alkaline - which will definitely kill you. (See CARNIVORE on page 32)

The Scott County Record

Harvest 2016

Bluestem “Yellow old world bluestem, or King Ranch bluestem, will have from three to six branches on the seed head,” Harmoney said. Yellow bluestem seed heads can often look similar to silver and native big bluestem. “Caucasian old world bluestem has a more branched seed head, with branches throughout,” he said. The silhouette of the seed head resembles an evergreen tree, with the branches of seeds getting shorter toward the top. Harmoney noted that it is an extremely persistent plant that does well under dry and arid conditions. Old world bluestem has actually performed better than some native grasses under arid conditions. These plants also are prolific seed producers. They have seed banks beneath them that can result in plants years after herbicide control treatment. Treatment is Possible While old world bluestem is notoriously hard to treat, there are a few methods to control it. “Some of the most suc-

Feedlot (750-800 lbs.) have to fall toward the $130 range which in turn will generally leave break-evens in the $110 to $115 range assuming cost of gain in the low $70s. Taking a quick look at the math, current breakeven prices for cattle purchased or retained at a market value in the $150 area and placed on feed with corn at $4.40/bu. (basis and freight into the feedlot on $3.95/bu.) renders a break-even price of $117/cwt. in October. The October futures is hovering around $113/

(continued from page 28)

cessful treatments to control old world bluestem are with either glyphosate treatments at different rates and times or with imazapyr, another herbicide,” Harmoney said. Most of the research he has done to control old world bluestem in western Kansas is with glyphosate, while most of the research using imazapyr has been done in eastern Kansas. According to Harmoney, a proven way to treat old world bluestem is by treating with 1-2 pounds per acre of glyphosate early in the plant’s life when it has around four or five leaves. That should be followed by an application of 1-2 pounds per acre of glyphosate eight weeks later or once the plant begins early heading. Another way to manage old world bluestem using glyphosate is by doing a one-time application of 2-3 pounds per acre once the plant begins early heading. Imazapyr can be used in a similar way, Harmoney said. Apply a quarterpound to a half-pound per acre early when the plant

has four to five leaves. Repeat eight weeks later using a quarter-pound application. “If you already have old world bluestem, I would recommend to manage the area as its own field,” Harmoney said, “especially if you have an area that you are able to segregate from other pastures.” The plant is not toxic to livestock, so it can be grazed, even though it is not the most nutritious forage when mature, compared to other grasses, he said. By segregating an area of old world bluestem from non-infected areas, landowners can use different pasture-management techniques such as burning, mowing and intensive grazing. This leads to the plant having new leaf growth to aide in herbicide treatment at a later time. Removing old world bluestem can allow other plants and seedlings to grow in the ecosystem, Harmoney said. However, because old world bluestem often has a seed bank underneath, there is a possibility that the plant will reemerge from seed

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cwt. at this writing. If the feeder value is reduced to $137/cwt. with the same cost of gain, the breakeven price falls to $110/ cwt. That is quite a difference. Feedlot placement activity will continue at a pace that will maintain feedlot inventories increasing on a year-overyear basis throughout the remainder of 2016. Carcass weights have declined seasonally since the beginning of the year and positive feeding margins will support continuation of that trend in the

short term. So, while fed cattle numbers will increase into the summer, there will be some offset from lighter weights. However, weights will increase seasonally from August into the fourth quarter as will available cattle supplies as I have already indicated. The beef industry is transitioning into increased cyclical supplies as the result of herd building. In addition, total per capita meat supplies will be six percent higher than the 2014 low.

two to three years after being treated. This means there is a need to reapply herbicide over time to control possible new seed growth. Preventive Care “To mitigate the likelihood of getting old world bluestem, if reseeding an area to grass, you should ensure the seed company you use is a dealer that keeps track of the plant,” Harmoney said. It is important that companies are free of these old world bluestem seeds in their production systems; seed contamination is a form of spreading the grass when reseeding the ground. Another possible point of contamination is feeding hay. Harmoney warned against feeding hay with old world bluestem in pastures without the grass. Hay produced from grasses that grow along the ditches often contains old world bluestem. Hay from some states have a higher likelihood of having old world bluestem as well. Southern states such as Texas and Oklahoma are more likely to have traces of the plant.

Page 30 - Thursday, June 2, 2016

The Scott County Record

Harvest 2016

Tornadoes, hail Kansas elevators sweep through bracing for huge wheat harvest area counties Period of May 22-27 Severe weather broke out both Saturday and Sunday across localized areas of Western Kansas. Supercell activity containing very large hail and tornadoes occurred. WKWMP Tranquil, warm conUpdate ditions prevailed during Walt Geiger daylight hours Monday meteorologist while severe storms developed overnight in northwest Kansas. Severe weather occurred again Tuesday afternoon as widespread severe storms containing large hail and several tornadoes pummeled portions of Western Kansas. Wednesday and Thursday ended up being an intermission between strong weather episodes with the area under mostly sunny skies and seasonal temperatures. The severe weather streak ramped up again on Friday with another round of high end severe storms containing large hail and tornadoes. Operations: There were no operational days this week. May 22: Program Operations Day No.3 Two planes were launched at 5:26 p.m. to check storms developing over Scott and Finney counties. Seeding for hail suppression began at 6:10 near Deerfield on a large severe storm traveling northnortheast. Seeding continued off and on over portions of western Finney and near Deerfield on several storms which were all merging into one storm. Intense seeding continued through 8:20 over northeastern Kearny/northwestern Finney and southwestern Scott on a huge supercell producing giant hail and frequent tornadoes. Seeding stopped at 9:08 over extreme southern Scott County. Although this storm was still extremely severe with tornadoes and large hail, the cell presented problems regarding safe flight conditions due to low cloud bases and visibility. All planes returned to base at 9:15. May 24: Program Operations Day No. 4 One plane was launched at 3:24 p.m. to investigate incipient storms over western Scott. Seeding for hail suppression began at 3:55 over western Scott County. A tornado was spotted at 4:04 just west of Scott City. Seeding continued through 5:00 over northeastern Scott/northwestern Lane on this tornado producing supercell storm. A brief period of seeding occurred near Dighton at 5:15 as a line of storms began to develop from the parent storm near Manning southeast into southern Lane County. Seeding was terminated at 5:29 over eastern Lane. The majority of storm inflow had either become elevated or shifted to the eastern side of the storm line. Several tornadoes continued over eastern Lane, Ford, Seward, and Hodgeman through 6:15. May 27: Program Operations Day No. 5 Two planes were launched at 4:55 p.m. to seed small storms developing along a weak cold front and within a localized area of strong mid level wind shear. Although each storm could only last for around 30 minutes due to limited organization, some hail would occur within each storm very early in the precipitation phase. A brief period of hail suppression began 5:23 near Scott City. Seeding transitioned into Lane County by 5:35. Seeding remained confined to an area clustered small storms near Dighton at 6:20. Seeding was finally terminated over eastern Lane by 7:00 p.m. as the bulk of the storms had either fallen behind of the gust front or the main area of enhanced dynamics had pushed into central Kansas.

Grain elevators are bracing for a bountiful winter wheat crop in Kansas at a time many facilities are already brimming with last year’s crops due to lackluster global exports and low commodity prices. The Kansas Grain and Feed Association, the trade group for the state’s elevators, noted the industry has built “a whole bunch” of new grain storage space in recent years. Plus, a tremendous amount of grain from last year’s crops has been moving out on unit trains, long ones that carry the same commodity to a single destination. “Everybody is confident they are going to be able to handle wheat harvest,” said Tom Tunnell, the group’s executive director. “It’s just what happens next, where are we going to go with the fall crops? That is the real consternation out there.” Some of the storage issues stem from the fact that farmers and grain elevators haven’t sold much of last year’s crops given the low prices and weak export demand. In Kansas, stored wheat stocks were up 40 percent in March from a year ago, 53 percent for sorghum and 21 percent for corn, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The Kansas wheat harvest typically gears up in June, and growers have some 8.2 million acres of it to cut this year. While that number is down by 500,000 acres from a year ago, timely rains have raised expectations of a larger crop. The USDA in May estimated the crop to come in at 353 million bushels with yields of 43 bushels per acre. But that’s lower than the industry’s own forecast from farmers and other agriculture leaders who went on the annual three-day hard wheat tour of the state, which projected 387.4 million bushels with an average yield of 48.6 bushels an acre. Tunnell believes those wheat forecasts are still too low given the recent rains in the state, and expects as much as 400 million bushels with average yields possibly as high

as 50 bushels an acre. To make room for it all, elevator managers have been scrambling to move last year’s crops out. The Pawnee County Co-op elevators have added two million bushels of storage in the past two years, bringing its capacity at its three elevator locations to 8.2 million bushels of storage, said grain merchandiser Kim Barnes. But, the company still had to put 1.3 million bushels of milo on the ground during the fall harvest, most of which was shipped out this past February and March. “Our biggest hurdle will be this upcoming fall harvest and how we will get the space necessary to handle the fall crop,” Barnes said. Some of the older crops in the tall upright silos that dot the Kansas landscape are going into nontraditional storage such as bunkers, storage facilities that often are as long as two football fields with short concrete walls and tarps covering the grain. “Big crop, lots of new storage, moving grain out - that all equals the capacity to handle the wheat crop,” Tunnell said. “But it leaves the big question with fall harvest.”

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The Scott County Record

Harvest 2016

Page 32 - Thursday, June 2, 2016

Managing the sugarcane aphid in sorghum The sugarcane aphid, first discovered in grain sorghum late in the 2013 growing season, is capable of causing substantial damage to the crop if left unmanaged. However, with timely management, its effects can be minimized. To protect sorghum from potential early season infestations, Brent Bean, Sorghum Checkoff agronomist, advises growers to consider planting seeds treated with an insecticide seed treatment. “Any of the commonly used insecticide treatments such as Poncho, Cruiser and Gaucho are effective and should give

up to 40 days of sugarcane aphid control,” Bean said. “In addition, there are several commercial hybrids available that have some degree of tolerance to the sugarcane aphid that growers may want to consider.” Once sorghum has emerged, it is recommended to scout sorghum fields at least once a week for signs of the aphid. Once aphids are found, fields should be scouted 2-3 times a week. Sugarcane aphids excrete honeydew, a sticky, shiny substance on the lower leaves, which is often the first sign of a

Carnivore Do you really want that?” (Rapping with a fellow carnivore-believer) “Orcas are even more spiritually evolved than humans, and they only eat seal meat. So that means humans should only eat meat, because it’s the most spiritually evolved diet.” (Lecturing (again) to his girlfriend) “Plants give off live-giving oxygen. Why would you want to eat them? What is wrong with you?” (Again, with the lecturing his girlfriend bit) “That coconut was going to grow up to become a palm tree. How dare you eat that?” Gray area? What gray area? Yes, it’s sometimes goes beyond humor and begins to border on cruelty to actually laugh at someone else’s, shall we say, ideological quirks? But the ability to step back and see ourselves as others do, with all the attendant irony and hypocrisy we

sugarcane aphid infestation. Loss of plant sap, caused by the sugarcane aphids feeding on sorghum leaves, takes away nutrients from the plant that would otherwise be utilized for plant health and grain yield. Losses up to 100% Sugarcane aphid feeding, along with black sooty mold and other secondary diseases, eventually cause the leaves to turn yellow and die. The result is often uneven or lack of head emergence, poor grain set, and possibly an increase in lodging. A yield loss of up to

100 percent is possible if high aphid infestation levels occur prior to heading and are left untreated. Depending on the growing region and the growth stage, growers are encouraged to treat for aphids as soon as the action threshold is reached. A general guideline is to apply an insecticide when 25 percent of the plants have been infested with 50 aphids per leaf, but there are specific threshold levels suggested for different growing stages and geographical regions, so local experts should be consulted. For example, in the Texas High Plains, grow-

(continued from page 29)

often unwittingly exhibit, is the very essence of the humor gene. If you can’t laugh at yourself and your very human foibles, something’s wrong with your worldview. None of us are perfect, and none of us are really in a position to be preaching to others about how they should live their lives. Not until we achieve perfection, and that hasn’t happened yet. Which is why it’s extremely difficult to engage in even the most light-hearted of conversations with confirmed

vegans. They see nothing funny about the subject of one’s diet, yours or their own. It’s a life-and-death matter - literally - as far as they’re concerned, and there is no gray area to be found in the subject of meat-eating. It’s all black and white. Make that all black, you heartless, demonspawn carnivore. To close his “Ultra Spiritual Channel” video segment, Sears gets in one last comic take on the vegetarian message, and it’s spot-on: (Earnestly explaining “the facts” to a neophyte meat-eater) “Man, I could

never eat plants raised on crowded farms in inhumane living conditions, with less than one square inch of space per stalk . . . stuck in the soil against their will.” Like so many vegan “truisms,” there is just enough of a kernel of truth in such statements to make it believable. If you’re already a true believer, that is. And therein lies the difficulty in trying to dialogue about anything with pretty much every vegan I’ve ever met. But if we can’t talk with them, we can still laugh . . . well, about them.

ers are advised to take action when 20 percent of the plants are infested with localized areas of heavy honeydew and established aphid colonies at the pre-boot and boot stages. At the heading, soft dough and dough stages, the advised threshold is when 30 percent of plants are infested with heavy honeydew and aphid colonies. When the grain black layer growth stage is reached, it is suggested to spray when honeydew presence is heavy and there are established aphid colonies in the head. At this point, treat only to

prevent harvest problems. However, regardless of the threshold level used, it is critical that insecticide application occurs as soon as possible to avoid a severe loss. Applications targeting lower infestation levels are likely to be more effective and prevent an escalating population of aphids that will be much more difficult to control. Two products proved to be very effective during the 2015 growing season - Sivanto Prime by Bayer CropScience and Transform WG by Dow AgroSciences. (See SORGHUM on page 33)

Harvest 2016 Watchdog to review cattle pricing, high-speed trading The Scott County Record

A U.S. watchdog agency will launch a review of cattle pricing, including the impact of high-frequency trading on futures, after ranchers complained about a sharp price drop last year. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted a request from the Senate

Page 33 - Thursday, June 2, 2016

Judiciary Committee to study the reasons for the decline, an agency spokesman said. The GAO will review “what is known about the extent to which high-frequency trading in cattle futures contracts has contributed to price fluctuations,” he said. It also will assess how

Sorghum Sivanto Prime is available for use in 2016 under a federal 2ee label. Transform was recently approved for use in 2016 under a Section 18 label in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. One of the benefits of both Transform and Sivanto Prime is they are not harmful to beneficial insects, which is important for the control of sugarcane aphids. Care should be taken in adding

changes in cattle trading over the past decade may have affected price swings in recent years. The agency has no time frame yet for completing its review, the spokesman said. Futures and cash markets for cattle have come under scrutiny over pricing following a setback

(continued from page 32)

other insecticides to the mix that could be harmful to beneficial insects. Additionally, movement of Sivanto Prime and Transform in the plant is minimal, making coverage essential for adequate control. If sugarcane aphid presence is significant in the sorghum head or on the upper leaves, harvesting can be impeded due to honeydew. Many producers have opted to spray an insecticide to eliminate the risk of harvest issues. In Texas, both Sivanto and Transform have a pre-har-

vest interval of 14 days. If desired, both insecticides can be mixed with preharvest desiccants. “It is extremely important to have multiple products available to treat the sugarcane aphid,” Bean said. “By rotating chemistries, we can avoid insecticide resistance and maintain control of the pest.” For those sorghum growers who experienced the sugarcane aphid for the first time in 2015, and maybe had to spray 2-3 times, it may be easy to get discouraged. However,

KDA photo contest accepting entries From sunrise to sundown, from the heat of the summer to the cold of the winter, Kansas farmers and ranchers know there is great beauty in agriculture. Photographers are encouraged to capture that beauty and share it with others through the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s annual photo contest. This year, KDA is adding new categories to promote different aspects of Kansas agriculture. Farmers and ranchers

work year-round to produce food, fiber and energy. Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall categories will showcase agriculture during all times of the year. Water, a major component of Kansas agriculture, will also have its own category in the photo contest. Irrigation systems, ponds, rivers and other water sources create beauty in our Kansas infrastructure. In addition, there will be a separate Youth division, for young photog-

raphers age 19 and under. KDA serves to advocate for the agriculture industry, the state’s largest industry. Photos capturing the moments of bliss, struggle and joy in Kansas agriculture will be used to promote the state’s largest economic driver. Prizes will be awarded to the top two winners in each of the six categories: Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall and Water as well as the Youth division. Guidelines for the contest can be found at: agriculture.ks.gov/photocontest.

Judge orders USDA loan be repaid A federal judge in South Dakota has ordered a rancher to pay back the USDA $65,000 for a loan he misused. The order against 36-year-old Timothy Sherwood came after he pleaded guilty to conversion of mortgaged property. He was also ordered to spend five years on unsu-

in the second half of last year from record levels reached in 2014. In January, R-CALF USA, a meat producers’ group, asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the decline and alleged that packers had colluded to manipulate markets. Last month, committee mem-

pervised probation. Sherwood was charged for an incident that authorities say happened between December 2011 and September 2012. Authorities say Sherwood received a $76,000 USDA loan administered by the Farm Service Agency to buy sheep and cover

expenses for their care. But Sherwood sold the sheep without the FSA approval and deposited the proceeds of the sale into his personal bank account instead of an FSA account. Authorities accuse Sherwood of spending large sums on personal, non-ranch expenses.

Bean said growers everywhere should be encouraged by the experiences of those in South Texas and in Louisiana who have had the most experience with this pest and continue to successfully grow grain sorghum. “This is a strong indication that growers are learning to effectively and economically manage the sugarcane aphid,” Bean said. “As with all other crop pest crises, the sugarcane aphid will be effectively dealt with by using sound integrated pest management practices.” Have questions about the Scott Commnity Foundation? Call 872-3790

bers requested the GAO review the reasons for the drop, instead of taking it up themselves. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, another producers’ group, has attributed price swings to highfrequency traders. CME Group Inc, which operates U.S. cattle

futures markets, has taken steps to reduce volatility, including cutting trading hours. The exchange operator has said high-frequency trading accounts for 10 percent of the volume in CME’s cattle markets and 50 percent of its overall average daily volume.

The Scott County Record • Page 34 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

The Scott County Record Professional Directory

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

Agriculture

Preconditioning and Growing

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

Pro Ex II

Sager’s Pump Service

Over 20 Years Experience

Professional Extermination Commercial & Residential

• Irrigation • Domestic • Windmills • Submersibles

Cell: 874-4486 • Oﬃce 872-2101

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

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

Construction/Home Repair

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

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

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

CHAMBLESS ROOFING Residential

RT Plumbing All Types of Roofing

Commercial

Cedar Shake and Shingle Specialists Return to Craftsmanship Attention to Detail and Quality Guaranteed 620-872-2679 • 1-800-401-2683

Rex Turley, Master Plumber

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

Marienthal, Ks.

620-909-5014 (H) • 620-874-4128 (C)

SPENCER PEST CONTROL

Automotive

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

Faurot Electric, Inc. Office • 620-872-5344 Jeromy Lisenby • 620-214-3247

P.O. Box 14 • Scott City

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

Medical

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

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

The Scott County Record • Page 35 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

Professional Directory Continued

Brent Rogers

Sales Consultant b.rogers@officesolutionsinc.biz

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

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

Pro Health Chiropractic Wellness Center

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

www.reganjewelers.com

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

Services

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

Kansas Classifieds Ad Network

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

For Sale

Truck Driving

LATE-MODEL KAWAI studio piano, polished ebony cabinet with practice pedal, like-new condition. On sale for just $3,288 this week only at Mid-America Piano, Manhattan. 800-950-3774, piano4u.com.

CONVOY SYSTEMS is hiring Class A drivers to run from Kansas City to the west coast. Home weekly. Great benefits. www.convoysystems.com. Call Tina, ext. 301, or Lori, ext. 303, at 1-800926-6869. ––––––––––––––––––––– OTR/CDL Class A driver. Two years min. experience. Good pay, vacation pay and bonuses. Good home time for a flatbed company. Caudy Trucking, Inc., 402-7686134.

Education ENTRY LEVEL heavy equipment operator career. Get trained. Get certified. Get hired. Bulldozers, backhoes and excavators. Immediate lifetime job placement. VA benefits. National average, $18$22/hr. 1-866-362-6497.

Sports/Outdoors

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

Berning Auction

OUR HUNTERS will Pay Top $$$ To hunt your land. Call for a free base camp leasing info packet and quote. 1-866-309-1507. www. BaseCampLeasing.com.

“Don’t Trust Your Auction to Just Anyone”

For all your auction needs call:

(620) 375-4130

Dr. Jeffrey A. Heyd Optometrist

Russell Berning Box Q • Leoti All Under One Roof

Revcom Electronics

20/20 Optometry

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

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

SCOTT CITY CLINIC

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

1104 Main • Scott City • 872-2625

S E N JOLUB S B C Driving M LA

for the PURPLE!

Jeremy • 620-397-1638 Stefanie • 620-397-8075

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

Christian Cupp, MD

Thea Beckman, APRN

Elizabeth Hineman, MD

Megan Dirks, APRN

Matthew Lightner, MD

Joie Tedder, APRN

William Slater, MD FACS

Ryan Michels, PA-C

Melissa Batterton, APRN

Caley Roberts, PA-C

Scott City Myofascial Release Sandy Cauthon RN

Bolen Enterprises Prairie Dog Control

105 1/2 W. 11th, Scott City 620-874-1813 scottcitymfr@gmail.com

Call me to schedule your Myofascial Release

•34 years experience •Bonded/Licensed

Bob Bolen 785-821-0042 • Fax 785-852-4275

Retail

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

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

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

Networktronic, Inc.

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

Northend Disposal A garbologist company.

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

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

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

Dining

Classifieds

The Scott County Record • Page 36 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

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

Classified Ad Deadline: Monday at 5:00 p.m. Classified Ad Rate: 20¢ per word. Minimum charge, $5. Blind ad: $2.50 per week extra. Card of thanks: 10¢ per word. Minimum charge, $3. Classified Display Ad rate: $6.00 per column inch. Classified advertising must be paid in advance unless business account is established. If not paid in advance, there will be a $1 billing charge. Tear sheet for classified ad will be $1 extra.

Thank You . . . I want to express my deep appreciation to the people of Scott City for sharing a genuine wonderful man, Todd Steele, with me for eight years. Your love, hugs and words of encouragement have been so uplifting. Thank you for the outpouring of love in his memory with cards, flowers, food, visits and also the generous donations for Scout Troop No. 149 and Gideons. To the First Christian Church, Scottie, Steve, elders and the FCC women (or babes as Todd would call them), you gave above and beyond. Thank you for your support. He is missed. In Christ’s Love, Dorothy Milburn

Help Wanted

Services

SUBSTITUTE ROUTE bus drivers for USD 466 (Scott County). For applications and additional information contact Lance Carter at 620-8727655. 0215tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– DRIVERS NEEDED, combine and truck. Call Gerald Baker 620-8742060 or 620-379-4693, evenings. 3416t10 ––––––––––––––––––––– FA R M W O R K E R , 6/12/16-10/15/16, A&T Farms, Valley, NE. 12 temp jobs. Hand pick, wash, sort, load, transport produce. Clean work areas, store materials. Operate tractor to cultivate fields. Nonsmoking, tobacco, drug environment. 3 moths experience, employment references, driver’s license, clean MVR, post hire drug test required. Minimum $1.50/crate piece rate, no less than if paid $13.80/ hr, 3/4 work guarantee, tools/equipment/housing provided, transportation and subsistence exp reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620.227.2149. Job #346401. 4316t1

C O M P U T E R SERVICES for PC and Mac computers. Computer repair and virus removal. Call or email Josh at OsComp to schedule an appointment. 24-hour help line 620-376-8660 or email josh_4974@hotmail.com. –––––––––––––––––––– WANTED: Yards to mow and clean up, etc. Trim smaller trees and bushes too. Call Dean Riedl, (620) 872-5112 or 87434tfc 4135. –––––––––––––––––––– METAL ROOFING, SIDING and TRIMS at direct-to-the-public prices. Call Metal King Mfg., 620-872-5464. Our prices 37tfc will not be beat! –––––––––––––––––––– FURNITURE REPAIR and refinishing. Lawn mower tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Vern Soodsma, 872-2277 or 4015tfc 874-1412. –––––––––––––––––––– MOWER REPAIR, tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Rob Vsetecka 4515tfc at 620-214-1730.

Rentals

–––––––––––––––––––––

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

________________________________

PLAINJAN’S RENT-ASHOP New Introductory Pricing! We can build an office to suit your needs. This includes AC and heat if wanted. Each Rent-AShop comes with 110 and a 220 electric, overhead lighting, full concrete floor, exterior dawn-dusk lighting, insulated roof and exterior walls. Call today at 620-872-5777. 33tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– 1 AND 2 BEDROOM APPARTMENTS for rent. Call 620-874-8353. 3516tfc

Have questions about the Scott Commnity Foundation? Call 872-3790

Margie Berry, Broker • 874-5488 Brett Berry, Sales Assoc. • 316-258-3387 Tracy Chambless, Sales Assoc. • 874-2124

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

WANT TO BUY. Wheat straw delivered. Call for contracting information. Lane County Feeders. 44tfc 397-5341.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING for sale. 133x45 ft. (approx.) round top building. Serious inquiries only. Seller is a real estate agent selling own property. 874-5109 26tfc or 874-2124. ––––––––––––––––––––– 1-3 BEDROOM, 1 bath, FH/A, basement, new roof, large yard. Call Mike 23tfc 620-874-2425. ––––––––––––––––––––– HOUSE FOR SALE: 704 Ada Street, Scott City. Call 620-214-0774 or 4316t2 316-640-7507.

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

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

WANT TO BUY. Stored corn. Call for basis and contract information. 1-800-579-3645. Lane County Feeders, Inc. 32tfc

Real Estate

FOR RENT: 3 bedroom trailer house with two car garage. $600 plus utilities. 706 Kingsley, Scott City. Call 620-384-4360. 4316t2 ––––––––––––––––––––– PLAINJAN’S RENTAL houses and duplexes. Stop by the office or call 620872-5777. 05tfc

BLACK, ANGUS, REGISTERED BULLS for sale. Tested, 2 year old yearlings. Heifer bulls. Delivery. Conformation and Performance. Contact Black Velvet Ranch, Aaron Plunkett, Syracuse, Ks. 620-384-1101. 3716t15 –––––––––––––––––––– REGISTERED, ANGUS BULLS for sale. Yearling and 2-year old bulls. Crooked Creek Angus, St. Francis, Kansas. Call 785-332-6206 or www.crookedcreekangus.com. 3716t19

Agriculture

________________________________

Berry Realty • 872-5700

Livestock

Panache Many Dad’s Day gift ideas!

Coffee tables and lamps

Open Friday, June 3 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, June 4 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

OFF 112 Main Street, Scott City

GARAGE SALES 712 Era Street Scott City Multi-Family Fri., June 3 • 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. White crib, Western purses, 2T boys clothes, Ladies clothing, Misc. 1700 Block of South Main South Hwy 83 - Unit No. 14 Scott City Storage Shed Garage Sale Fri., June 3 • 8:30 - ?? Sat., June 4 • 8:30 - ?? Make your own - $5/Box or $3/Flat Tons and tons of stuff! Garden, sewing, crafts, vintage, canning jars. You name it, we probably have it!

District 11 AA Meetings

Scott City

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

Dighton

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

The Scott County Record • Page 37 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

Employment Opportunities

The Scott County Record • Page 38 • Thursday, June 2, 2016

A scene from a Scott County rabbit drive during the Dirty ‘30s.

(Photo courtesy of the Scott County Historical Society)

Remembering the state’s largest rabbit drive Wayne Engelhardt was barely eight-years-old back in 1935 during the height of the Depression and the Dust Bowl. But he and an estimated 6,000 other men, women and children made history on Feb. 10 of that year when they assembled in Lane County and took part in the largest jack rabbit drive in the history of the state. Today, Wayne and his wife Barbara live in a retirement village in Manhattan after a life’s work as an architect in Abilene. But back in the ‘30s, Lane County and many other Western Kansas counties were ravaged by a relentless drought. Crop yields plummeted while feed supplies dried up, threatening the area’s livestock herds. To make matters worse, the population of jackrabbits exploded, making huge inroads into already short feed supplies. “They were eating ev-

Wheat and more . . . or less by Vance Ehmke

erything,” Wayne says, “including the bark off trees.” Other reports document the rabbits were even digging up alfalfa roots. Indeed, many considered the jackrabbits to be a Biblical plague. To remedy the problem, a rabbit drive was staged. The Lane County drive covered more than 64 sections or a block of land eight miles square, roughly 40,000 acres. Within this area, local farmers estimated there were over 150,000 jackrabbits. The objective of the drive was simple - surround the area with thousands of people and at high noon, the circle would slowly start to tighten. People came from all over Kansas to take part in the drive. They came from Kansas City, Wichita,

Topeka, Hutchinson and Hoisington. The Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific railroads were running excursions from eastern points to Lane County. Wayne and his parents were living in Kingman where his father was a superintendent of schools. “We had a lot of relatives in Lane County so we were there and decided to take part in the drive, my father and I.” Another report about the rabbit problem said there were 269 such rabbit drives in many of the High Plains counties of Western Kansas. Each drive averaged killing just short of 1,000 rabbits. The objective of the Lane County drive was to kill 50,000. The gigantic circle in Lane County looped roughly from Amy to Dighton and up to Shields, then out to Healy. Trucks and cars at these four points carried the people around the 64 sections. They were here for many

reasons - for fun and sport - but mainly they saw themselves providing a service to humanity. Wayne says a lot of people were needed for the drive because as the circle tightened, the number of jack rabbits became more and more concentrated and the rabbits would frequently try to run back through the line. A number of people described the concentrated rabbits as behaving like swarms of bees. “The rabbits were driven into a large perimeter fence made out of tall snow fence. Once in the fence, a lot of them tried to jump out, but they couldn’t jump that high,” recalls Wayne. After the fence gates were closed and secured, it was up to the crowd to finish off the rabbits. Wayne, who was then an eight-year old eyewitness to history, explains that you could not use guns, for obvious reasons, to kill the rabbits.

“You simply got in there with a club and went to work. And boy did the fur fly! That’s the thing I remember most to this day about the drive - the rabbit hair was in and on everything. There were several concession stands at the event and there was no way to keep the hair out of the food. One man there had a hot dog stand and, of course, the hair was on the hot dogs, too.” Wayne says when the rabbits had all been killed, they were heaped into gigantic piles. To a young eight-year-old, the mountains of dead rabbits stretched 20 to 30 feet into the sky. So what happened to all the dead rabbits? Many were used for human food while others were skinned

and ground into tankage. Many local farmers said the dead rabbits were excellent feed for both hogs and chickens. One newspaper report of the Lane County drive quoted a 90-year-old Western Kansas resident who, in the early days of Kansas, had seen hundreds of buffalo killed in similar large recreational hunts. In comparison, though, he said, “the rabbit drives of Western Kansas this year were the most exciting event of my life.” And they will be remembered forever by eyewitnesses like Wayne Engelhardt, who over 80 years later, says, “Every time I eat a hot dog, I think of Lane County!”

Specialty Care, Hometown Service

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

Cardiology Dr. Janif

Cardiology Dr. Thapa

Cardiology Dr. Ferrell

Cardiology Dr. Freund

Ear, Nose, & Throat Dr. Munson

Immunology/Allergy Dr. Faraci

Nephrology Dr. Baracaldo

Neurosurgeon Dr. Henry

Oncology/Hematology

Orthopedics Dr. DeCarvalho

Pulmonology/Sleep Dr. Ballard

Urology Dr. Lopez

Urology Dr. McDonald

Registered Dietitian & Diabetic Educator Courtney McCarty

Dr. Tibayan

SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL Leading You To A Healthy Future

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

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