The Scott County Record

Beauty of the holiday season captured on Christmas home tour.

Page 27

34 Pages • Four Sections

Volume 22 • Number 18

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Published in Scott City, Ks.

$1 single copy

Water study to evaluate city’s future needs

As both water quantity and quality continue to decline across the region, communities are being confronted with the need to address their long-term needs.

The City of Scott City has taken initial steps by promoting water conservation, but council members are hoping to initiate a long range plan that addresses a variety of issues, from the acquisition of additional water

rights to analyzing the current water distribution system.

A Water Committee has begun looking at these issues and had representatives with Burns and McDonnell, Wichita, meet briefly with the council recently.

The engineering firm presented an overview of services it can provide, along with preliminary costs.

The council made no decision whether to pursue an

agreement with the firm, though members of the Water Committee are hopeful that will be the end result.

“There’s a broad range of services that (Burns and McDonnell) can provide. Right now, I think our main interest is in getting a rate study so that our rate structure is based on what it actually costs to pump and deliver water to our customers,” says Councilman Everett Green.

While the city’s water rates are among the lowest in the state - even with recent increases Green feels they are inadequate in terms of building reserves for “maintaining and improving, as necessary, our water system and a quality water supply.”

He emphasizes that most people assume the water system is supported by property taxes collected through the general fund. In fact, that isn’t

allowed by the state. Whether it’s for general operations or to finance a bond issue for major water projects, the water department has to be self-sustaining.

In other words, the department can only operate with revenue that’s generated by its customers through usage fees.

With that in mind, Green says the city needs to make sure rates are at a level which can support (See STUDY on page two)

City’s health insurance costs to hit $500K

and don’t forget this one

Health care doesn’t come cheap for City of Scott City employees - or local taxpayers.

The cost of providing health insurance is expected to reach nearly $500,000 in the upcoming policy year, which begins Feb. 1. That would be an increase of about $30,000 from what this year’s costs will be when the coverage year ends on January 31.

While expensive, it could be much worse if not for the city’s decision three years ago to have a partially selffunded insurance plan in which the city absorbs a higher share of the risk. The (See HEALTH on page 10)

K of C bingo is coming to an end, maybe

Five-year-old Clayton Smith, Scott City, carefully goes over his wish list during Santa’s visit to Scott City last Saturday evening. More than 150 youngsters met with Santa during the afternoon. Santa’s Saturday shopping bargains and a light parade in the evening provided additional downtown activity. (Record Photo)

Bingo has been a popular Thursday evening event at St. Joseph Parish Hall in Scott City for decades, but those days may be drawing to an end.

The local Knights of Columbus have announced plans to “suspend” bingo indefinitely. As it now stands, the final night for bingo will be Thurs., Dec. 18.

“All the jackpot money will be given out,” says long-time bingo supervisor Melvin Lickteig.

“I’ve been doing this since 1974,” says Lickteig. “I figure it’s time for me to step down.”

Because no one else with the Knights has expressed interest in operating the weekly games, it was decided to suspend them until, or if, volunteers do decide to resume bingo night.

Lickteig says that if the games do continue in the future it would still have to be operated through the Knights.

“I’m sure it will be missed. A lot of people look forward to playing every week,” says Lickteig.

Weather mod hanging on for one more year

Almost since its inception, the Western Kansas Weather Modification Program has been under intense scrutiny and criticism.

If weather patterns take an abnormal turn or during periods of prolonged drought, critics have been quick to blame the weather mod program.

Those critics have been loud enough over the years to force a number of counties in the north-

west and southwest regions of Kansas to withdraw from the WKWMP. A prolonged drought that gripped Western Kansas over the past five years, along with tight county budgets, have forced additional counties to end their participation.

Even the state withdrew its financial support in 2013.

With county commissioners under pressure to withdraw funding, the program’s target

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

Butcher Block is back after downtown fire Page 18

area has been reduced to just three counties - Scott, Lane and Kearny.

A steady diet of rain that began in early June and continued through much of the summer provided a break from the drought. Did that mean weather mod should get . . . or deserve . . . any of the credit?

WKWMP meteorologist Walt Geiger isn’t waiting for any pats on the back. Neither

does he expect any.

“We’ll take credit if people want to give it to us,” he says with a laugh.

Geiger, however, prefers to take a much more cautious approach when accepting credit or assigning blame for weather mod’s success.

“It would appear the drought has broken to some degree - in some areas more than others,” notes Geiger. “In some areas,

precipitation is looking better than I’ve seen since coming here in 2002.”

Scott City has reported 19.58 inches of rainfall through the end of November. That’s slightly behind last year’s total of 20.41 inches, but well ahead of the 10.87 inches recorded in 2012.

Criticism of weather mod can vary from month to month

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com Opinion • Pages 4-6 Calendar • Page 7 Holiday hours • Page 8 LEC report • Page 12 Health/wellness • Pages 14-15

Church services • Pages 16-17 Deaths • Pages 17 Sports • Pages 19-26 Farm section • Pages 28-29 Classified ads • Pages 31-33

Beavers claim a pair of golds at Hoxie tournament Page 19

(See WEATHER on page 10)

The Scott County Record • Page 2 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Study

(continued from page one)

major projects that the committee and council members see on the horizon.

While he is also interested in a rate study, Councilman Perry Nowak isn’t quite so quick to concede that rates are too low.

“We raised prices last year. I feel we’re paying plenty,” says Nowak, who is also a committee member. “But it’s also in the best interests of taxpayers to know whether we’re overcharging or undercharging for water. We need to know where that line is.”

Long-Term Needs Green and Nowak are in agreement that Burns and McDonnell, who have been involved with the City of Hays in developing long-range water plans for a number of years can be valuable in providing another set of eyes.

“What will the demand for water be in another 10 or 15 years and can we meet it?” wondered Nowak. “If we’re willing to spend $3 million on (water) treatment facilities, then we must also be willing to spend $20,000 to $30,000 on a study to know where we are and what we need to do next, if anything.”

“We’ve been fortunate over the years to have council members with an interest in our water resources and who have had experience in water - but that experience has been primarily from an agricultural standpoint,” Green says. “I think the committee is in unanimous agreement that we need someone who can look at our water issues from a municipal standpoint.”

“Our water supply is our most important resource, and a depleting

Sugar Plum Sale is Sunday

Scott County Historical Society will host its annual Holiday Sugar Plum Sale on Sun., Dec. 14, 1:30-3:30 p.m., at the El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection, West K96 Highway, Scott City.

Cookies and punch will be served while shoppers select from a wide variety of homemade treats being sold by the pound.

There will be a drawing for prizes at 3:30 p.m.

resource. The decisions we make have long-term ramifications.

Things have changed dramatically over the last 10 years from well capacity to water quality.”

Green feels that the council has put a lot of added responsibility upon Public Works Director Mike Todd to come up with the answers they are looking for.

“Mike has done a great job of trying to do everything we’ve asked of him,” Green says. “But the job description for heading the water department has developed into something much greater than when Mike started this job some 15 years ago.”

The first step in the process is for the committee to recommend that the council ask Burns and McDonnell to submit a firm proposal for a rate study which the company

had previously said would cost between $15,000 and $30,000.

The rate study, says Green, would be a starting point.

Acquiring additional rights and/or making sure the city has good quality drinking water will be high priorities for this and future councils.

“Whatever we decide to do isn’t going to be cheap. These aren’t issues on which we can afford to make mistakes,” emphasizes Green.

“We don’t know where we will be in the future in terms of water quality and how to sustain our water supply,” Green says.

“Whatever happens with our water supply over the next 20 years, I hope that people will look back at what this council did on our watch and feel that we did our due diligence.”

That means being pre-

pared for unforeseen contingencies.

“We need to know that we have plenty of infrastructure in place and that we have long-range plans that will address the city’s needs,” adds Nowak. “We don’t have that right now.

Hopefully, this study will tell us if we’re doing the right things now, particularly in terms of providing a good quality water supply, and what we need to plan for in the future.”

Deadline for Santa letters

Youngsters who want to make sure that Santa gets their letters in time for Christmas are reminded that the deadline is Mon., Dec. 15.

Letters received by the deadline will be printed in next week’s Record before they are forward to Santa.

Letters can be mailed to The Record, Box 377, Scott City, Ks. 67871; e-mailed to editor@screcord.com; or dropped by The Record office.

Friendship ‘Meals to Go’ Scott Co. VIP Center • only $3.25/meal • Call 872-3501

‘Moonshiners’ at Park Lane

“The Moonshiners” will be performing at Park Lane Nursing Home, Scott City, on Thurs., Dec. 18, 6:00 p.m., in the old dining room.

Everyone is invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.

Tag deadline is Dec. 31

Persons whose last name begins with the letters U, X, Y or Z are reminded that license tags must be purchased by Wed.., Dec. 31, to avoid a penalty.

What’s for Lunch in Scott City?

Sun. - Sat., Dec. 14-20

Majestic Theatre 420 Main • 872-3840

Hours

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

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

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

Wed. • Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Thurs. • Chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes and corn.

Fri. • Beef enchilada dinner.

What’s for Supper?

The Broiler

102 Main St. • 872-5055

1211 Main • 872-3215

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

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

Includes Fries, 21 oz. Drink and Small Sundae

1304 S. Main • 872-5301

6

$

49

Buffet

Mon. - Sat. • 5:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Sun. • 5:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Mon. • Chicken fry Tues. • Hamburger steak with mushrooms and onions Wed. • Fried chicken Thurs. • Mountain oysters Fri. • Seafood specials

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

Sat. • Prime rib

Breakfast specials every night.

The Scott County Record

Community Living

Page 3 - Thursday, December 11, 2014

Avoid adding to the mental and physical clutter With Christmas around the corner and New Year’s Eve on the horizon many of us begin to feel compressed and stressed. We do so because of all the demands of this time of the year.

We often overburden ourselves with all the little things we feel need to be done. In order to de-stress our lives, we need to declutter them both mentally and physically.

The best way to unload our burdens mentally is to

learn how to say no.

If you typically host a holiday party, plan yours for after the New Year.

Wouldn’t you probably enjoy that more? I’ll bet many of your guests would.

Decline some of the

invitations you receive and instead spend quiet time at home with your family.

Only volunteer for the organizations that really mean something to you and your family. Don’t feel obligated to volunteer for every little effort (unless it’s 4-H of course).

Physically, free yourself from the clutter of your home. I know that the holidays are busy and who has time to clean out one more cabinet or clos-

In 1954 . . .

et, but to do one a day goes a long way. Here are a few year-end tips to get the clutter out of your home and get started on an organized New Year.

Start with the holiday that brings the most into our homes. Try the “Gift Rule”: Get one, toss two.

This does work. I do it all the time in my kids’ rooms. Donate to charity or take items to a consignment shop. This process doesn’t allow for you to store items in tubs or

Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Schinnerer

boxes for a garage sale.

For this to work you must actually remove the unwanted items from your property.

When we have too many items, it’s almost impossible to enjoy the new items that we receive.

Ask yourself if you have ever purchased or received a piece of clothing that was never worn because you “forgot” about it hanging in your closet. If you are forgetting about a brand new item, you have

. . . and in 2014

Schinnerers to celebrate 60 years Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Schinnerer will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Monday, Dec. 29.

Clyde Schinnerer and Glenda Thomas were married Dec. 31, 1954, in Scott Andrea Scheuerman and Bronson Baber City.

The couple has six children: Tonda Couple plans March 21 wedding Stafford, Edmond, Okla., Mark SchinThe prospective groom nerer, Carlsbad, N.M., Leah Ries, Randy and Cindy Scheuerman, Scott City, is a 2006 graduate of Mankato, Minn., Donna Fore, Houston, announce the engagement Greeley County High Tex., Lisa Reed, Bear, Del., and Steven of their daughter, An- School, Tribune, a 2010 drea, Chesterfield, Mo., graduate of Kansas State Birth to Bronson Baber, D.C., University with a bachelor Kansas City, son of Brock of science degree in kine- PARENTS OF SON Ryan and Sarah and Christina Baber, Tri- siology, and a 2013 graduate of Logan Chiropractic Scheopner, Goodland, anbune.

College with a doctorate nounce the birth of their The bride-to-be is a of chiropractic. son, Clark Richard, born 2007 graduate of Scott He is currently working Nov. 23, 2014, at Citizens Community High School as a chiropractic physician and a 2011 graduate of at Kansas City Chiroprac- Medical Center, Colby.

He weighed 8 lbs., 2 oz.

Kansas State University tic. and was 20 inches long. with a bachelor of science The couple is planClark was welcomed degree in kinesiology. She ning a March 21 wedding home by big sisters, Claire will graduate from Lo- at Holy Cross Lutheran and Shelby, and by big gan Chiropractic College, Church, Scott City. brother, Rhett.

Chesterfield, Mo., in DeThey plan to open a Grandparents are Gary cember 2014 with a doc- chiropractic clinic in Scott and Julie Williams, Scott City in January. torate of chiropractic.

City, Diane Scheopner, Goodland, and the late Support Your Hometown Merchants!

Richard Scheopner.

s

Schinnerer, Cave Springs, Ark. Clyde and Glenda lived in Scott County for more than 70 years before moving to Oklahoma just a few years ago.

A reception honoring the couple will be held on Dec. 29 at the Deer Creek Church of Christ, Edmond, Okla.

Friends and family can send cards to 1712 Garcia Ave., Edmond, Okla.

73003.

too many to pick from.

Share the love and pass unused, unworn clothing on. Besides, if you keep items in your closets too long, you won’t even be able to give them away!

If you have ever tried to sell your dated clothing at a yard sale, you know what I am talking about.

I love to recycle but not items from the ‘80s!

Once the New Year arrives, most families take down holiday decorations (See CLUTTER on page 9)

The Scott County Record

Editorial/Opinion

Page 4 - Thursday, December 11, 2014

editorially speaking

Coming clean:

Releasing torture report is the moral thing to do

A lot is said about “American exceptionalism.”

Many of those who toss about that phrase do so with the misguided thinking that America can do no wrong.

Part of what makes America exceptional is our ability to acknowledge our mistakes. This is exemplified in the recently released torture report that identifies CIA techniques in dealing with possible terrorists.

It’s not as though we didn’t know that the CIA or its intermediaries were involved in torture.

That’s been common knowledge for years. This report offers a more detailed, and disturbing, picture of what techniques were being used.

Six thousand pages of documents also point out there was not unanimous agreement regarding torture. Some of those witnessing the activity questioned the legality of the methods and asked to be transferred from facilities where torture was being used.

The CIA is bearing the brunt of the criticism, but there is plenty of blame to go around. The Bush Administration and its Department of Justice gave the green light to torture activities. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is an admitted proponent of waterboarding.

Administration officials can try to claim that the torture techniques were worse than they imagined, but that’s like saying, “I got you just a little bit pregnant.” Once the door has been opened you can’t feign ignorance by saying you didn’t know how far those involved would take their torture activities.

And Senators, even those on the Intelligence Committee, don’t deserve a free pass. If they didn’t have an idea as to what was happening it was because they chose to be left in the dark rather than pursue the truth.

Just as cowardly is the way we contort ourselves into a linguistic pretzel by calling torture “enhanced interrogation” rather than what it really is. Is that supposed to make it less immoral? Less criminal?

Those who scream the loudest in defense of torture are the most ignorant. Sen. John McCain, no stranger to torture techniques and certainly no bleeding heart liberal, supports the release of the torture report.

“Our enemies act without conscience. We must not,” emphasized McCain.

Like every nation and every government, mistakes are sometimes made. What makes America exceptional isn’t our ability to deny when we have strayed from our Constitutional principles, but to acknowledge when mistakes are made in an effort not to repeat them.

That is true exceptionalism.

No more denial:

Budget cuts acknowledge truth about state finances

Gov. Sam Brownback has finally acknowledged what economists and a general election campaign couldn’t force him to admit.

Kansas is facing a huge debt. Big time.

The “everyone else is wrong and I’m right” outlook on the Kansas budget was finally dealt a major blow when Brownback announced this week his plan to fill in a $280 million shortfall just to get the state through until the end of the current fiscal year on June 30.

That’s the same budget deficit that critics were accused of fabricating or exaggerating in the months leading up to the general election. It’s the same budget deficit that Brownback had no idea even existed until official figures were released days following his re-election.

Despite his deceit - or ignorance - voters decided that this was the man they trusted to remain in the governor’s office for the next four years.

Kansas voters need to think about that as the governor enacts a four percent across-the-board budget cut that will take funding away from the state’s transportation plan ($95 million), reduce funding for the Kansas Bioscience Authority project in Manhattan ($5 million) and the Department of Children and Family Services ($3.9 million).

Brownback also plans to steal a $40 million contribution to KPERS. So there you have it. We can get by just fine if we don’t mind sacrificing the well-being of children, public safety, retirees and economic development.

Not to worry, however, there are no planned cuts for public education . . . so far.

Just one question, Sam. Exactly when is your plan for economic prosperity supposed to begin?

It’s beginning to look like a growing number of Kansans can’t wait much longer.

SEE NO TORTURE . . .

North Pole is reeling from report The long awaited “Determining Who’s Been Good and Bad Report” was released earlier this week by the Select Committee on Santa Activities and it has become a public relations nightmare for the North Pole.

“I think people have suspected for some time that perhaps there were questionable activities being used to coerce children into admitting whether they’ve been bad or good, but not to the extent revealed in this report,” said Santa who was clearly stressed after reading the report for the previous 12 hours before it was made public.

The most damning part of the report were the methods used by elves to make the final determination about who made the “good and bad” lists provided to Santa on Christmas Eve. “It’s shocking,” said Santa. “I want to make clear that most of the elves who work for me are good elves with good intentions. Clearly, there are rogue elves operating outside the rules.”

Not everyone was in agreement.

“There can be no rules if you want to protect the integrity of the Good or Bad Lists,” said one former elf who asked to remain anonymous. “If we don’t have some latitude in separating the kids who are really good from the kids who have been bad, then Christmas becomes nothing more than an excuse for everyone and anyone to give and receive presents. I think we’ll all regret the day that we allow that to happen.”

Other former elves also defended their actions.

“The elves who were working for me were doing the right thing to protect Christmas for those who truly are good,” said a former president of the Elves Union who also asked to remain anonymous. “I’d like to remind those who are critical of our methods that during

my watch not a single bad kid got a present . . . well, there was one, but I don’t think that should be held against us. We need to look at all those who didn’t get presents and consider what we did for all these years a huge success.”

Apparently, no one ever questioned the reliability of the “bad list.”

“We were only asked to provide a list,” said another elf. “Whether a child ended up on the list who didn’t belong there because our interrogation methods were a little extreme was never an issue.”

Fox News host Andrea Tantaros didn’t waste any time jumping into the controversy.

“Santa is awesome.

Christmas is awesome,” she said. “The reason some people want to have this discussion isn’t to show how awesome Santa is, but to attack Santa and our free enterprise system which depends so much on the Christmas season.

The people behind this report are against the awesomeness of Santa and obviously feel that every

child - good or bad - is deserving of presents on Christmas Day and we all know that simply isn’t American.”

Many others were far less forgiving.

“This has nothing to do with whether or not Santa is an awesome guy,” said one analyst. “I think anyone who ever had the joy of opening presents under their tree on Christmas morning will agree that Santa is one of the most awesome guys around . . . unless you were hoping for a horse and all you got was a cowboy hat.

That incident when I was seven-years-old aside, this report does not condemn the commercialization of Christmas. That may come out in another report at another time.”

The sole purpose of this report was on the tactics used by elves to get children to confess to their behavior.

“Without fail, in the three weeks leading up to Christmas, every time we asked a kid whether or not they’d been good every one of them replied (See REPORT on page six)

Moral issue of climate change The politics of selfishness was embraced enthusiastically recently by Sen. Mitch McConnell.

In dismissing President Obama’s deal with China to reduce carbon emissions, the incoming Senate majority leader said “carbon emission regulations are creating havoc in my state and other states around the country” by undermining economic interests.

For McConnell (R-Ky.) and other GOP critics, regulation of carbon emissions is a pocketbook issue where constituents’ short-term interests must prevail.

They reject or minimize the arguments of leading scientists that such emissions are directly linked to global warming and climate change and could have catastrophic longterm consequences.

The doubters question

Where to Write

another view by David Ignatius

the data, to be sure. But their basic argument is political: Action to protect the environment will hurt “my state.”

But what if the climate change problem were instead treated as a moral issue - a matter like civil rights where the usual horse-trading logic of politics has been replaced by a debate about what’s right and wrong?

The case for treating climate change as an ethical problem is made subtly in “The Bone Clocks,” a new novel by David Mitchell. It portrays a dystopian future in which normal life has been shattered by environmental decay, rampant disease and global disorder. Mitchell’s book is long and complex,

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

but it might just become the “1984” of the climate change movement. It dramatizes the consequences of our improvident modern economy in the way George Orwell’s novel awakened people to the “Big Brother” mentality of Soviet communism.

Mitchell imagines in the book’s concluding section an economic crash in 2039 that brings on an era he describes as the “Endarkenment.” Order breaks down as low-lying cities around the globe are flooded, communications networks collapse and transportation slows.

The global economy declines as quickly as it rose during the past halfcentury. Chinese troops maintain control in a foreign outpost on the Irish coast, aided by a local government known simply as “Stability.” Ebola and “ratflu” ravage popu-

Sen. Pat Roberts 109 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

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

lations that are scavenging for food.

This is a novel, mind you, and it paints an extreme and unscientific picture. But in exaggerating the implications of current trends, it’s in the honorable tradition of similar works from Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” to Orwell’s masterpiece.

Mitchell’s principal character, Holly Sykes, feels grief for what the world has become by 2043: “It’s grief for the regions we deadlanded, the ice caps we melted, the Gulf Stream we redirected, the rivers we drained, the coasts we flooded, the lakes we choked with crap, the seas we killed, the species we drove to extinction . . . the comforting liars we voted into office - all so we didn’t (See CLIMATE on page six)

Sen. Jerry Moran 141 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

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

The Scott County Record • Page 5 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Delay, denial the standard treatment for vets

by Emily Schwartz Greco and William A. Collins

Heads are finally rolling because of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ assorted waitlist scandals.

Some 1,000 or more workers may lose their jobs over chronic bottlenecks and fake waitlists, VA chief Robert McDonald disclosed shortly before Veterans Day. Then, nearly seven months after her name landed at the heart of this scandal, Phoenix VA Director Sharon Helman finally got the ax (though not before collecting $90,000 more in salary).

It’s hard to sympathize with this woman. Under her watch, VA hospital bureaucrats in Phoenix directed their staff to compile fake waiting lists to pretend that vets were getting the medical treatment they

needed before it was too late.

Often they didn’t.

When some vets died awaiting care, whistleblowers like scheduling clerk Pauline DeWenter say, staff members were ordered to manipulate records to hide the truth. The VA’s inspector general has confirmed that outrage.

But the problem runs deeper than the VA’s chronically bad care delivery, bumbling mismanagement, and a gaggle of malicious bureaucrats.

War is expensive to wage, and it takes a lot of money to heal physical and psychological wounds. Unwilling to face up to the true costs of modern warfare, the government has systematically tried to weasel out of covering the full costs of care for injured and ill veterans for decades.

Consider the years of delay

. . . there’s the suffering of the people who took part in our nation’s first military foray into Iraq - a condition often called Gulf War Syndrome. More than 20 years later, the government is only gradually accepting that their plight is real.

veterans endured before the government finally started to address its Agent Orange problem. More than a third of the 7.4 million Americans who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 were exposed to that defoliant.

Many of them got sick and had to fight hard to get any help at all. A few legal battles continue over which military units qualify for coverage and which don’t.

Over time, the government has reluctantly conceded that using the herbicide as a weapon poisoned many U.S. troops.

But don’t expect Uncle Sam to just admit that outright. Not only could it make the government liable for more damages, but it could also lend credence to war crimes charges from the Vietnamese, for whom the toll was far greater.

In addition to Agent Orange exposure, many Vietnam vets came home with PTSD and

wound up being ousted from the service under less than honorable conditions because of it. Prior to being shown the Obama administration’s door, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel successfully established a rule mandating “liberal consideration” for the correction of old military records.

All told, some 80,000 Vietnam vets who suffered from PTSD before the military formally recognized the condition in 1980 may finally qualify for multiple benefits they were previously denied. It’s wonderful that Hagel, a Vietnam vet himself, accomplished this feat during his troubled tenure.

Meanwhile, veterans from more recent conflicts are waging other battles on the home front.

(See VETS on page six)

Gap between rich, poor too big to ignore Emily Schwartz Greco and William Collins

Is Obama wavering on torture ban?

by Jim Hightower

An old bumper sticker offered a stinging response to the BushCheney regime’s enthusiasm for waterboarding: “Impeach Bush,” it urged. “Torture Cheney.”

Bush and Cheney escaped unscathed. The Senate has just released an astonishing report detailing the depths of their depravity, but neither is likely to end up before a judge.

Yet stunningly, there’s a new debate - this time within the Obama administration - about whether antitorture treaties apply to U.S. troops and intelligence agents overseas.

Once upon a time, Barack Obama himself took a firm stand against torture. As a U.S. senator in 2005,

he strongly supported a bill by his Republican colleague John McCain to prohibit American officials from engaging in cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of detainees not just on U.S. soil, but anywhere in the world.

Then, on his second day as president in 2009, Obama proudly signed an executive order banning torture.

Well done.

But now, military and spy agency lawyers are pushing the administration to embrace a loophole that Bush created after Congress passed the McCain bill.

Goaded by his snarling, autocratic vice president, George W. claimed that as commander in chief, he could override the torture ban if the cruelty took place in detention

camps and other “black site” facilities on foreign soil.

Even though Obama’s 2009 executive order directly refuted the Bush “overseas” loophole, hawkish forces now want the White House to refute its own refutation, leaving wiggle room for torture in U.S. foreign policy.

Unfortunately, the Obamacans are wobbling, with some aides calling this change a “technical” issue.

Hardly! A ban is a ban - not a matter of fleeting policy, but of settled moral principle. It’s a statement to the world of who we Americans are.

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

In politics, do the facts matter?

One of the lovely formulations in John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address expressed his hope that “a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion.” Kennedy was talking about the Cold War, but we could use a little of this in the partisan and ideological warfare that engulfs our nation’s capital.

And so let us pause at the beachhead established after the midterm elections by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.). They have co-sponsored a bill that’s unlikely to get a lot of attention but deserves some - not because it will revolutionize politics but because it could, and should, encourage both sides to begin their arguments by asking the right questions.

The Murray-Ryan bill would create a 15-member commission to study, as they put it in a joint announcement, “how best to expand the use of data to evaluate the effectiveness of federal programs and tax expenditures.”

The commission would also look into “how best to protect the privacy

behind the headlines

by E.J. Dionne, Jr.

rights of people who interact with federal agencies and ensure confidentiality.”

Before you sigh, dismiss this as “just another commission,” and turn or click elsewhere, consider what Murray and Ryan are trying to do.

Whatever your views, they’re saying, you should want government programs to achieve what they set out to do.

And in this age of Big Data, there are more metrics than ever to allow you to have a clear sense of how well they are working.

Also, credit Murray and Ryan for this: They are looking not only at whether programs live up to their billing but also at whether the various tax breaks Congress has enacted - they are worth about $1 trillion a year - bring about the results their sponsors claim they will. If we are ever to reform the tax system, it

would be useful to know which deductions, exemptions and credits are worth keeping.

The bipartisan duo - they worked together amicably on budget issues despite large disagreements - are not asking the commission to invent something out of whole cloth. On the contrary, evidence-based social policy is a hot idea at the moment.

Ron Haskins, my Brookings Institution colleague, has just coauthored a new book with Greg Margolis, “Show Me the Evidence.”

It’s about what Haskins sees as the “terrific work” of the Obama administration in subjecting some 700 programs to careful testing based on the idea, “If you want the money, show me the evidence.”

Haskins, by the way, is a Republican with whom I’ve engaged in a long-standing (though friendly) argument over welfare reform. His interest here is not partisan but in having both sides pay more attention to what it takes to create “highquality programs.”

(See FACTS on page six)

Three years after the Occupy movement first directed long-overdue attention to the scourge of inequality in America, the gulf between rich and poor has gotten too big for even the Federal Reserve to ignore.

As Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen recently pointed out, half of us now own a mere one percent of America’s household wealth.

On average, the lower half of all U.S. households command merely $11,000 in net worth that’s what’s left when you subtract all forms of debt from your home equity, savings, and other investments (if you’ve got any).

Put another way, half of us possess next to nothing.

How about at the top? Families in the top five percent on average have $6.8 million to their name - nearly twice what they possessed a quarter of a century ago.

With a contrast that stark, it’s hard not to agree with Yellen’s suggestion that the nation’s inequality could be downright un-American.

“I think it is appropriate to ask,” she said at a recent conference on economic opportunity and inequality at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, “whether this trend is compatible with values rooted in our nation’s history, among them the high value Americans have traditionally placed on equality of opportunity.”

Income, while not quite as concentrated in the pockets of the few as wealth, is also getting more skewed.

After correcting for inflation, the Fed found that the income of the wealthiest five percent of households soared by 38 percent between 1989 and 2013, while the income of the other 95 percent inched up by less than 10 percent.

You might expect that communities of color are suffering from more inequality than whites.

You’d be right.

Demographers have documented a gaping racial wealth divide. According to the Pew Research Center, for example, black Americans are three times more likely than whites to live in poverty, and Latinos are 2.6 times more likely.

Typical white and Asian-American households, meanwhile, have more than 11 times the net worth of median black and Latino households.

The numbers get even more ludicrous at the very top. The top 0.1 percent of Americans now controls 22 percent of the nation’s wealth, economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman found. That’s just about the same share as the bottom 90 percent.

Why should policymakers focus on inequality? One answer is that by crimping consumption, inequality is a key factor behind the failure of the U.S. economy to fully recover from the Great Recession.

That could explain why despite sunny forecasts and sinking gas prices, the shopping frenzy at brick and mortar stores that now starts on Thanksgiving turned out to be a bit of a dud this year.

Lackluster holiday spending by the masses should surprise no one. As Brendan V. Duke and Ike Lee lamented in a recent Center for American Progress report: “When households do not have money, retailers do not have customers.”

William Collins is a former Connecticut state representative; Emily Schwartz Greco is a former foreign correspondent and financial reporter

The Scott County Record • Page 6 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

‘Lake Wobegone Effect’ devalues education

by John Schrock

Lake Wobegone is the fictitious place where “all children are above average” in Garrison Keillor’s radio narratives.

Educators now speak of the “Lake Wobegone Effect” as a combination of grade inflation and content deflation that drives down the value of a high school diploma or a college degree.

However, that academic erosion is picking up fast. I am fortunate in having a network of K-12 teachers who regularly feed me information on

their classroom situation.

Many were my student teachers - there are over 250 now - and they rely on me not divulging their identities.

While some still can practice as professionals, the news from others is alarming.

One solid science teacher (with a track record of teaching students who succeed in college and often enter science fields) described her situation. She assigns homework and expects students to come prepared for classwork and labs.

But one student never

Report they had been,” said one elf who was originally recruited for the deep undercover project known as “They Can’t All be Good.” “Statistically, for 100 percent of kids to be good just wasn’t possible.

We were told by elves in the chain of command above us that we were to use whatever means necessary to get to the truth.”

“Some of the tactics were pretty disturbing,” said one elf who asked to be removed from the program. “After watching some of the methods used to get kids to confess that they weren’t as good as they claimed to be, I have to confess that we have

Facts “In politics, evidence is typically used as a weapon - mangled and used selectively in order to claim that it supports a politician’s predetermined position,” Haskins and Margolis write. “That is policy-based evidence, not evidence-based policy.”

The Haskins-Margolis effort comes in the wake of “Moneyball for Government,” a book whose title is a play on Billy Beane’s approach to baseball. Edited by Jim Nussle and Peter Orszag, a pair of former budget

have been happening in a variety of ways across Kansas.

There are some schools where administrators can be found overriding teachers’ grades. And such practices appear to be growing.

Now switch to our higher education institutions where you would expect that no one would dare lean on faculty to inflate grades or deflate requirements. Unfortunately, public universities across the country now operate under pressure to increase enrollment, retention and graduation. Their budgets

(continued from page four)

some elves with serious psychological issues.”

It only got worse when the interrogation methods were outsourced.

“To have companies like Blackwater interrogating six- and sevenyear-old kids to determine whether they’ve been bad, and just how bad they’ve been, made me wish I wasn’t an elf,” said one former member of the interrogation team. “I never thought I’d ever say that.

I always felt I had the best job in the world until asked to do this.”

As word of the “They Can’t All be Good” program began to leak, there was a massive coverup which has also been dis-

Climate have to change our cozy lifestyles.

“My generation were diners stuffing ourselves senseless at the Restaurant of the Earth’s Riches knowing - while denying - that we’d be . . . leaving our grandchildren a tab that can never be repaid.”

Is this terrifying future really ahead of us? The honest answer is that nobody knows.

Prominent scientists have become increasingly convinced that the connection between carbon emissions and rising temperatures is real, but skeptics have whole truckloads of studies to demonstrate the

did his homework. Her school uses an online grade report system accessible to administrators. When it was evident this student was failing, this student was pulled from class the last week of the semester, put on a programmed learning computer and progressed through the question sets over and over until he had a high score.

Thus, an F-student who might not graduate high school became a “good” student ready to go to college!

How widespread is this? Such “end runs”

cussed in the report. However, the report never clearly answers the question on everyone’s mind regarding how high up the chain of command the orders came to start this program and to keep it going.

“There’s a certain amount of ignorance at every level,” said one elf who helped author the report. “In our hearts, we all know that every kid can’t be good all of the time.

But we also know that no kid is going to admit to being bad just before Christmas. Even Santa knows this as kids are sitting on his lap and telling him they’ve been good right before they rattle off every toy they hope to get.

“The problem is,” said the elf, “no one wanted to know how the ‘bad list’ came into being. It was easier not to ask how kids got on the list than it was to ask how we learned this information. It really is a sad chapter in North Pole history.”

“Knowing what’s in this report will make me a better Santa,” said the jolly fellow. “We’re a better North Pole when we’re as honest as we expect kids to be. That is what makes us awesome. And those who don’t understand that may be in for a disappointing Christmas.”

Rod Haxton can be reached at editor@screcord.com

(continued from page four)

opposite.

One simple way to make your way through the thicket is to ask yourself: What is the price of being wrong? If the doubters are wrong and the climate-change thesis is correct, the price is potentially catastrophic. The safe (and conservative) course is to assume the worst.

Take a stroll through the news archives of the past several months to get a sense of the possible consequences of what climate scientists say is a likely increase of at least two degrees Celsius through the end of this century.

A Science magazine study recently forecast a 50 percent increase in lightning strikes in America. A U.N. report argued that recent progress against global hunger and poverty could be halted or reversed.

An October Pentagon report warned of an immediate threat to national security due to increased risks from terrorism, infectious disease, poverty and food shortages.

Piers J. Sellers, a former astronaut and now the acting director of earth sciences at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, wrote in the New York Times

(continued from page four)

directors of opposing parties, the book is part of a campaign by the group Results for America that is also looking to evaluate programs by their results.

The basic idea is that government is better off focusing on “outcomes and lives changed, rather than simply compliance and numbers served.”

No one, of course, should pretend that in marinating ourselves in data, we’ll render our philosophical and partisan differences obsolete. The major divide over how much government should do and which problems

it should take on will persist. So will disagreements over the extent to which government should push back against rising inequality and the degree of regulation a capitalist economy requires.

But conservatives who care about more than just scoring points against government inefficiencies (both real and invented) should want taxpayer money spent in a sensible way. And progressives have more of an interest than anyone in proving that government can work effectively to solve

what rapid temperature increase could mean by 2100: “The impacts over such a short period would be huge. The longer we put off corrective action, the more disruptive the outcome is likely to be.”

Is this a moral issue?

After reading Mitchell’s stark novel, and imagining the world of 2043, I am beginning to think the answer is yes.

If the future quality of life around the world is at stake, people who resist action are not just misguided, they’re wrong.

are now tuition-driven.

Similar to the K-12 system, every college student is expected to succeed. If this does not happen, it is the professor’s fault. In other words, NCLB has finally arrived at college.

The directive to increase retention and graduation rates comes straight from state capitols across America. A university president’s job depends on growth at all costs. At more than one campus, chairpersons are directed to target courses with higher rates of D-W-F grades - and “do something about it.”

To prevent any appearance of violating academic freedom, the caveat is added: “but don’t let standards drop.” For the growing number of adjunct faculty hires, there is no need to mention this. They know that if they give many D/F grades, they will not be hired back.

Adding more tutoring is perhaps a legitimate way to try to improve retention. But universities are now reducing the credit hours required to graduate. Some advise (See DEVALUE on page 7)

Cheney calls for ban on torture reports

by Andy Borowitz

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) Former Vice-President Dick Cheney on Tuesday called upon the nations of the world to “once and for all ban the despicable and heinous practice of publishing torture reports.”

“Like many Americans, I was shocked and disgusted by the Senate Intelligence Committee’s publication of a torture report,” Cheney said in a prepared statement. “The transparency and honesty found in this report represent a gross violation of our nation’s values.”

“The publication of torture reports is a crime against all of us,” he added. “Not just those of us who have tortured in the past, but every one of us who might want to torture in the future.”

Saying that the Senate’s “horrifying publication” had inspired him to act, he vowed, “As long as I have air to breathe, I will do everything in my power to wipe out the scourge of torture reports from the face of the Earth.”

Cheney concluded his statement by calling for an international conference on the issue of torture reports.

“I ask all the great nations of the world to stand up, expose the horrible practice of publishing torture reports, and say, ‘This is not who we are,’” Cheney said.

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and author

Vets

(continued from page five)

For example, there’s the suffering of the people who took part in our nation’s first military foray into Iraq - a condition often called Gulf War Syndrome.

More than 20 years later, the government is only gradually accepting that their plight is real.

The latest battle centers around the various lung disorders suffered by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Those illnesses are probably linked to the military’s general reliance on massive and toxic burn pits to do away with all kinds of trash, including wrecked Humvees.

The VA finally responded this past summer to the David Ignatius is an associate editor and columnist for thousands of concerns and complaints by launching a The Washington Post registry to log them all.

These fights are bound to continue for years. Why? Because as long as we delude ourselves about the true cost of war, delay and denial will be the government’s standard operating procedures when it comes to caring for vets. the problems it sets out William Collins is a former state representative and a former to deal with. It’s on those mayor of Norwalk, Conn.; Emily Schwartz Greco is a former two propositions that foreign correspondent and financial reporter Murray and Ryan have found common ground.

Argument is at the heart of democracy, so we shouldn’t fear that we’ll be having a lot of disagreements over the next few years. But dumb arguments are not good for anyone. Insisting that politicians base their claims on facts and evidence ought to be the least we expect of them.

E.J. Dionne, Jr., is a political commentator and longtime op-ed columnist for the Washington Post

The Scott County Record • Page 7 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Devalue students into easy courses first, holding off rigorous courses until later - a tactic that can cost students another year of school.

Others reduce their general education by reducing the more rigorous subjects (usually math and sciences).

Why do administrators feel empowered to coerce teachers into grade inflation and feel that having a school where everyone graduates is now a legitimate goal?

Look at our political scene. Our President is

(continued from page six)

calling for a dramatic increase in college graduation rates (tech credentials included). Our governor raises this goal to 85 percent (military included).

That has given legitimacy for some K-18 system administrators to place student “success”at-any-cost ahead of actual academic performance.

But ACT and SAT scores show that less than one-third of high school seniors are college-ready.

That is half the number

that our colleges are being ordered to turn out.

When people say that today’s college degree does what yesterday’s high school diploma used to do, they formerly meant access to a good job. That may soon come to mean the amount being learned.

And with erosion of K-12 grading, that high school diploma will mean even less tomorrow.

K-12 teachers and college faculty have a responsibility to our good students to resist pressure

to water down the curriculum and drop our grading scales. Good students want a degree that means something. Faculty must fight to preserve the value of diplomas and degrees.

A student who excelled in genuine course work should walk across the stage at commencement without being followed by students who receive the same degree but did little to earn it.

John Schrock trains biology teachers and lives in Emporia

HUK

872-2090

December We’re here for you

872-5328 Sunday

Monday

14 Sugar Plum Sale @ El Quartelejo , Museum, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Attend the church of your choice.

21

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

Tuesday

15

Wednesday

16

Boys BB practice begins

SCES Kindergarten Spirit of Christmas

BOE Meeting, 5:30 p.m.

SCHS Concert band/choir, 7:30 p.m.

City Council mtg., 7:30 p.m.

Pack 66/Troop 149, 5:00 p.m.

Thursday

17

22

Friday

18

Parenting for Purity @ SCHS Commons Area, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Moonshiners @ Park Lane Nursing Home, 6:00 p.m.

Love or Lust @ SCHS Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

Seeds of Hope cancer support group mtg. @ Scott Co. Library, 6:30 p.m.

Al-Anon meeting @ Community Christian Church, 6:30 p.m.

Winter Vacation

No charge for community events

Saturday

19 SCES Christmas sing-a-long

20 SCHS Wrestling tournament @ Abilene, 10:00 a.m.

SCHS Boys/Girls BB @ Hugoton, 4:45 p.m. Pioneer Christmas @ Steele Home, Lake Scott, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

BINGO

Winter Vacation

23

Christmas Eve

24

St. Joseph Parish Center 7:00 p.m. (last one) Merry Christmas

25

Winter Vacation

26

Winter Vacation

27

Billy Allen Products, Inc. The complete

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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

Christmas

Page 8 - Thursday, December 11, 2014

SCES Christmas program

Singing “We Three Kings” during the Scott City Elementary School Christmas program, “Super Gift from Heaven” are fourth graders (from left) Haileigh Hickert, Callie Hutton and Katie Smith.

The third and fourth graders presented a matinee and evening performance last Thursday at the elementary school.

(Record Photo)

FBLA food drive Dec. 17

The Scott Community High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is currently conducting a food drive through Wed., Dec. 17.

They are accepting donations of nonperishable food items at Heartland Foods, the Scott County Library, First Baptist Church, Salon 83 and the high school, all in Scott City.

All donations will go to the Community Breadbasket.

Pioneer Christmas at Lake Scott

The Friends of Lake Scott State Park will be sponsoring a “Pioneer Christmas” at the Steele homestead on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20-21, from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Families can step back in time to the 1800s and experience a pioneer Christmas.

The homestead will be decorated with lanterns and other old-fashioned decorations. After stopping at the Steele home, visitors are encouraged to drop by the shelter house, just north of the El Quartelejo ruins, for hot chocolate, hot cider and cookies.

Holiday favorites . . .

Pecan Pumpkin Pie Ingredients 1 (9 inch) 1/2 cup 1/4 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon mon 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup 2 1 1 1/2 cup

pie shell white sugar salt ground nutmeg ground cinnaground cloves ground ginger solid pack milk eggs egg yolk egg white chopped pecans

Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

Add pumpkin, then blend in milk.

In a separate bowl, beat the 2 whole eggs and separated egg yolk until light.

Stir into pumpkin mixture. Beat the remaining egg white until soft peaks form, then fold into pumpkin mixture.

Sprinkle 1/2 of the pecans onto the unbaked pie shell. Pour pumpkin mixture over these, then sprinkle remaining pecans on top. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees. Bake 20 more minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

The filling will be slightly puffed, but will fall evenly upon cooling.

Banana Crumb Muffins The crumb topping is what makes these banana muffins stand apart from the ordinary.

Prep time: 15 min. Cook: 20 min.

Ingredients 1-1/2 cups 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon 3 3/4 cup 1 1/3 cup 1/3 cup 2 tablespoons 1/8 teaspoon 1 tablespoon

all-purpose flour baking soda baking powder salt bananas, mashed white sugar egg, lightly beaten butter, melted packed brown sugar all-purpose flour ground cinnamon butter

Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1-1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter.

Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Yield: 10 muffins

The Scott County Record • Page 9 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Brownback to cut state spending by 4% Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration slashed spending to state agencies by four percent and called on the Legislature to authorize more than $200 million in fund transfers to balance the state budget in anticipation of a large revenue shortfall.

The governor’s plan drew critical reaction from Senate President Susan Wagle (R-Wichita) and Democrats.

The Republican administration has been focused on finding inefficiencies in spending, but Shawn Sullivan, the budget director, acknowledged the cuts may affect services.

“I can’t come out and say there won’t be any

impact to the people these agencies serve by this reduction,” Sullivan said.

The administration is also scaling back the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) employer contribution rate to 9.5 percent, which is expected to save about $40.7 million.

The rate had been 12.5 percent.

Higher education and funding for K-12 public schools were spared, according to Sullivan, but cuts will be made to the Department of Education’s operating budget as well as the operating budget for the Board of Regents.

What do you think?

The Scott City council is weighing options for using the site of the former Scott County Hospital. It would like to use some of the land for a park/playground and possibly use some of the land for a community garden.

Do you support converting the site to a playground/ community garden?

Yes

31 ______

No

20 ______

Would you be interested in helping with a community garden?

Yes

6 ______

No

5 ______

Submit this form and your comments to The Record office, or log onto the website: scottcountyrecord.com Keep comments brief so they can be published in the newspaper. The numbers represent totals as of noon Thursday. For updated totals visit The Record website.

Additional comments: __________________________

____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________

The Department of Education’s cut comes in at $229,872. Dale Dennis, deputy commissioner of the department, said the cut won’t affect any flow-through money to school districts. He said the department will likely leave positions vacant.

Among the cuts announced Tuesday: $3.9 million from the Department for Children and Families, $599,235 from the Department for Aging and Disability Services, and $290,582 from the Department of Revenue.

Department for Children and Families spokeswoman Theresa Freed said no cuts would

Clutter and store them for the following year.

Too often, however, there’s a sense of “sling it in there and worry about it later” when it comes to putting away Christmas ornaments, holiday linens and outdoor lighting.

This year, get ahead of the task. Sort and declutter holiday decorations, linens and specialty cooking items as you put them out and then as you begin to store them.

Cut the non-working, the tattered, and the tired from the herd as you put away holiday decorations.

Has-been decor items can be recycled or donated; stained linens can be repurposed as cleaning cloths. Streamline holiday decorating next year: sort before you stow!

be made to programs or services, however.

The announcement of allotments for the last half of the fiscal year, which runs January to July, comes after Sullivan announced in November an expected $279 million revenue shortfall.

The Kansas Department of Transportation said in a statement that despite the transfer, projects under the T-WORKS program will continue as planned.

Key, however, to Brownback’s allotment plan is legislative cooperation. While Brownback can unilaterally cut spending at state agencies, fund transfers will require legislative approval.

Sullivan said the administration has had “a number” of conversations with legislative leadership over the past two weeks, and he expects the bill to pass.

Senate President Susan Wagle said Brownback’s announcement puts the Legislature in a “difficult position.”

“I would have preferred to see the burden spread evenly throughout the state. That would certainly be a more fair approach than picking winners or losers and asking the Legislature to fill the gap,” Wagle said.

House Speaker Ray Merrick released a cautious statement, neither

praising nor criticizing Brownback’s announcement.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-Topeka) slammed the cuts. He called the reduction in KPERS contribution level “unprecedented.” He also said that while T-WORKS programs may not be affected in the short term, their long-term prospects remain unknown.

Kansas Action for Children criticized a planned $14.5 million transfer out of the Kansas Endowment for Youth (KEY) fund. Sullivan said the sweep wouldn’t affect current programs.

(continued from page three)

thought that counts. But what about when those thoughts leave you scratching your head?

Come up with a plan to wrangle the year’s white elephant gifts: those “really, you shouldn’t have!” gift items that have entered your home during the season.

Before they can become clutter in your New Year’s home, try these strategies to sort out white elephant gifts: •Consign “regifting” candidates to the gift closet. Did the big, bountiful gift basket include a lovely cheese board, spreaders and dipping bowl - just like the other three now living in your cabinets?

If there are any snacks with the basket, eat those, but set the unneeded items Part With White Elephants aside in the gift closet.

When it comes to Next year, they’ll be the holiday giving, it’s the start of a lovely gift bas-

ket when packed together with some good cheese and a box of specialty crackers.

•To prevent regifting faux pas, scribble a short note outlining who gave what. Hint: make a note on the original gift tag.

It’ll prevent you from regifting unneeded items in the wrong circle.

But hey, what goes around comes around. If you regift something back to the original giver, it will teach them to only give gifts that they themselves would like to have and not some meaningless item that they grabbed at the local store.

•Take the Holiday Box Challenge. As boxes from holiday gifts pile up, be sure to recycle or reuse them, but for maximum end-of-year cluttercutting, fill them with unwanted items from your home!

Your goal is to fill every box with items suitable for donation to Goodwill or a similar recycler for used household items, and deliver them to charity before year’s end. Better yet, donate boxes filled with no-longer-needed household linens, books, VHS tapes, craft supplies or toys to those in need.

But the best reason for making that yearend deadline is that an end-ofyear tax receipt provides extra motivation.

Take the challenge for a clean and organized new year and just remember get one, toss two. It really works.

I recycled this column from a few years back because I didn’t have time to rewrite one. I bet most of you didn’t even know that I regifted this one to you a second time.

Merry Christmas!

Weather depending on the weather.

“When it does rain we don’t hear complaints about the program. It’s raining so everyone’s happy,” says Geiger. “In May, there was a lot of complaining.”

He says this past May was the fourth driest on record in Kansas. It was followed by the sixth wettest June on record.

Seeking More Support Kyle Spencer, interim manager of Groundwater Management District No. 1 which oversees the weather mod program, has met with county commissioners who pulled out of the program because they, or their constituents, felt it was detrimental to rainfall in their area.

Grant County, for example, pulled out of the program in 2007 and since then has experienced some of the worst drought conditions in its history.

“I politely asked them if pulling out of the pro-

Health change has meant a huge savings for city taxpayers.

The basic cost of insurance coverage for the city’s employees will increase by 7.4 percent in 2015, based on renewal numbers accepted by the Scott City Council for the new policy year that begins on Feb. 1.

This follows rate reductions of up to 6.5 percent a year ago. The slower increase in rates over the last two years has been attributed to the impact of the Affordable Care Act and the city’s participation in a self-funded program.

Even with this year’s single-digit rate hike, it’s a huge break from premium increases the city was

The Scott County Record • Page 10 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

(continued from page one)

gram made a difference in their rainfall,” says Spencer, referring to a meeting with commissioners. “Obviously, we weren’t part of the problem.”

That still hasn’t been enough to convince counties to return to the weather mod program. While Spencer and his board members found some county commissions willing to visit about weather mod prior to preparing their 2015 budgets earlier this summer, none were willing to make the commitment to participate.

The board was hopeful that Wichita, Greeley and Gove counties might join the program again, but none did.

“We had reasonable hopes that one or two might come back. We had some county commissioners who spent quite a bit of time talking with us,” says Spencer. “I think more counties are willing to acknowledge that,

when it comes to drought, we’re looking at a super we aren’t the cause.” cell, then it can still be a problem.”

Funding the Program As the program area The smaller target area has been reduced, it’s also has its pros and cons. reduced the need for airThe most obvious prob- craft. The GWMD sold a lem is lack of funding. Baron this summer to proWhether there are three vide additional money to counties or 10, the fixed support the weather mod costs are fairly constant. program. They are cur“If you have a real ac- rently in the process of tive (storm) season, you selling another airplane. may have to dump anThat still leaves the other $25,000 for flares GWMD with six aircraft, and fuel,” notes Geiger, “though we’ll only fly two referring to hail suppres- most of the time and a sion efforts. “But the big third airplane on more secosts are insurance on the vere weather days,” says aircraft, maintenance and Spencer, who is also one employees which don’t of the pilots. change much from year to The GWMD can only year.” sell off its assets for so On the positive side, long before it can no lonthe aircraft available are ger continue the program. able to focus their efforts What the GWMD reon a smaller area. ceives in assessments “With three planes, we from each of the three parcan address a storm cell ticipating counties isn’t situation quickly,” Gei- enough to support weathger says. “With average er mod. The GWMD must hail storms we are well- also reach into its bank acequipped to attack them count to help subsidize the in a three-county area. If program.

“We’re definitely continuing the program for one more year and then we’ll have to see where we are financially and if there’s a chance other counties will come back in,” Spencer says. “The board still believes in the program and we feel it provides a benefit, but we still need to find the resources to keep it operating.

“I won’t say this is a make-or-break year, but it’s getting close,” Spencer says.

Spencer and his board are also awaiting the release of a major study of weather modification efforts in Wyoming that have not only provided benefit to that state, but other states which rely on snow melt from the Rocky Mountains.

“Early indications are that the report will be positive,” Spencer says.

“Maybe that will help convince some counties in

our area that there is scientific evidence to support the program.

“If counties were more receptive to visiting with us this year, maybe they’ll take the next step and join the program again next year,” Spencer says.

Meanwhile, Geiger feels the weather mod’s impact needs to be kept in perspective.

“What breaks a drought is precise, long-term, high frequency rainfall,” he points out. “We can change things in a small way, but we can’t change major weather patterns over a huge area.

“We aren’t God and we aren’t the devil. We aren’t 100 percent to blame when it doesn’t rain or when it hails and we can’t take 100 percent of the credit when things are going well,” he adds. “But we do feel we are providing a benefit - particularly with hail suppression - that is well worth the cost that goes into the program.”

a “traditional” insurance plan.

“Not only were the rates higher, but the coverage wasn’t as good,” noted Davis. “We were also told that we couldn’t have one rate for every family in our plan, or every individual, like we do now,” says Davis. “Everybody would have their own rate based on family size, ages and other factors.”

And the city was told if they did make the switch to the ACA marketplace they would have to remain with the plan for three years.

“Without knowing more about it we decided to stay with what we have,” Davis said.

She said that with the current plan, a BC/BS representative will meet with city employees at least once a year to provide ideas on how they can reduce their health care costs, discuss how they can save money through the prescription drug program, etc.

“If people have heart problems or other health conditions, they will reach out and work with them on an individual basis,” Davis adds.

“Health insurance is expensive and it’s a big part of our budget. The council is doing all it can to continue providing this as a benefit to employees while holding down the cost.”

(continued from page one)

experiencing just a few years ago.

“This has been a good deal for the city,” says City Clerk Brenda Davis.

“Before we changed to the self-funded plan three years ago our premiums were increasing by 20 to 30 percent a year.”

In 2008 and 2009, for instance, the city had to absorb rate hikes of 27.7 and 20.7 percent, respectively. When the city was hit with a 30.7 percent rate increase in 2011, the council decided it needed to move in another direction and try the partially self-insured plan.

The change also allowed the city to continue paying 100 percent of the health care premium cost

for its employees. Employees are responsible, however, for major medical deductibles of $1,000 (individual) and $2,000 (family), in addition to copays for clinic visits and prescription medications.

The city is guaranteed to spend $230,352 to BC/BS for administrative costs and for $20,000 stop-loss coverage, which means the city’s maximum exposure for any individual’s medical costs is $20,000. That’s almost $16,000 higher than this year’s basic insurance fee of $214,434.

The city picks up the cost of all claims submitted by its employees that don’t meet the maximum exposure.

Those health care costs through the first nine months of the current policy year (February through November) have amounted to $402,000.

That’s slightly higher than Blue Cross/Blue Shield had projected for that same time frame when the policy year began.

City employees are expected to file actual claims of $255,410 by the time the policy year draws to an end on January 31.

That is projected to increase to almost $269,000 for the upcoming year.

No Cost Comparisons The benefits of the selffunded plan were also evident when the council was presented with rates for

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The Scott County Record

Christmas 2014

Page 11 - Thursday, December 11, 2014

Five-year-old Zeddy Yeadon

Five-year-old Brice Koehn

cht

kylar Rufena

S 10-month-old

Two-year-old Bryson Rios

Vada Turley with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus

Five-year-old Karina Tuttle

Five-year-old Renee Beeson

Five-month-old David Parkinson

For the Record IRS pension update: new limits for 2015 The Scott County Record

Jason Alderman

Is it ever too late to plan for retirement? No, as long as you’re willing to be thrifty and extend your working years and be mindful of your individual and employerbased retirement savings options. Building a successful, comfortable retirement depends on a variety of individual factors, including where you live, how long you plan to work, your health and your other investments

and assets.

The IRS recently announced an update for your options, including cost-of-living adjustments that will give many taxpayers the advantage of putting more away during 2015. Here’s a summary: Regular contribution limits for 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal employee Thrift Savings Plan. Increased from $17,500 (for tax year 2014) to $18,000 (for tax year 2015). The catchup contribution limit for

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 11, 2014; last published Thurs., Dec. 25, 2014)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of the Estate of Luis Rodriguez, deceased No. 14PR29 NOTICE OF HEARING THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are notified that a Petition has been filed in this Court by Roque Rodriguez, son and one of the heirs of Luis Rodriguez, deceased, requesting: Descent be determined of the following described real estate situated in Scott County, Kansas: Lot 1 & East thirty-three (33) feet Lot 2 Block 1 Eggleston Addition and all personal property and other Kansas real estate owned by decedent at the time of death. And that such property and all personal property

and other Kansas real estate owned by the decedent at the time of death be assigned pursuant to the terms of the “Valid Settlement Agreement” dated March 1, 2010.

You are required to file your written defenses to the Petition on or before January 5, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. in the District Court of Scott County, Kansas, Scott City, Kansas, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail to file your written defenses, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition.

Roque Rodriguez Petitioner Rebecca J. Faurot Attorney at Law, LLC 211 S. Main St., Suite 118 Scott City, KS 67871 (620)872-3600 Fax: (620)872-5666 rjflaw@att.net Attorney for Petitioner

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 11, 2014; last published Thurs., Dec. 18, 2014)2t RESOLUTION NO. 2014-1 WHEREAS, the Scott Recreation Commission has adopted a resolution declaring it necessary to increase the annual property tax levy for the use of such Commission to operate a public recreation system and has requested the Unified School District No. 466 to authorize an maximum mill levy of not to exceed 4 mills; and WHEREAS, the provisions of K.S.A. 12-1927, and amendments thereto, provide for such an increase, subject to a petition of the voters for a referendum thereon; BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Education of Unified School District No. 466 that the Scott Recreation Commission be authorized to levy ad valorem property tax of not to exceed 4 mills in the tax year 2015 and thereafter, subject to the aforementioned petition and referendum.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official school district newspaper and that an amount not exceeding said maximum mill levy may be made for the Recreation Commission in the ensuing budget year and each successive budget year unless a petition requesting an election upon the proposition, signed by at least five percent of the qualified voters of the school district, shall be filed with county election officer within 30 days following the date of the last publication of this resolution.

PASSED, by the Board of Education of Unified School District No. 466 on this 17 day of November, 2014.

Board of Education Members Mark Davis President Board of Education

Marci Patton Chairperson Scott Recreation Commission

Susan Carter Board Clerk

Troy Lewis Secretary

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record on Thurs., Dec. 11, 2014; last published Thurs., Dec. 25, 2014)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of the Estate of LULA M. DIRKS, Deceased Real Estate Involved Case No. 14-PR-21 NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR DETERMINATION OF DESCENT THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Petition has been filed in this Court by Darla A. Luebbers, as a person interested in the estate of Lula M. Dirks, deceased, praying for determination of descent;

and you are hereby required to file your written defenses thereto on or before Monday, January 5, 2014 at 9:45 a.m. of said day, in said Court, in the City of Scott City, Scott County, Kansas, at which time and place said cause will be heard. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon said petition.

DARLA A. LUEBBERS, Petitioner JENNIFER D. WALTERS Supreme Court #10705 2604 General Hays Road, P.O. Box 722 Hays, Kansas 67601 Ph: (785) 625-8040 Fax: (785) 625-9113 Attorney for Petitioner

The Scott County Record Page 12 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

employees aged 50 in these plans is increased from $5,500 to $6,000.

Contribution deadline: Dec. 31.

Annual contribution limits, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA). For both traditional and Roth IRAs, the annual contribution limit is not subject to a cost-of-living adjustment and remains at $5,500. The over-50 catch-up contribution amount is $1,000. There are particular restrictions (http://www.irs.gov/publi-

cations/p590/index.html) based on income levels, workplace retirement plan coverage among other issues. Contribution deadline: April 15.

Higher 2015 income phase-out levels for traditional IRA contributions. For singles covered by a workplace retirement plan, the 2015 cutoff is now increased to a modified adjusted gross income (AGI) between $61,000 and $71,000. The IRS website details other significant increases and

Scott City Council Agenda Mon., December 15 • 7:30 p.m.

City Hall • 221 W. 5th •Call to Order •Approve minutes of Dec. 1 regular meeting •Discuss changes in eligibility requirements to apply for city sales tax grants •Scott County Development Committee update •Approve cereal malt beverage licenses for: Casey’s General Store Heartland Foods La Fiesta Pizza Hut Shopko The Pantry •Open agenda: audience is invited to voice ideas or concerns. A time limit may be requested Police Department 1) Request to attend “Crime Scene Management Fingerprinting and Lift Training” in Cimarron Parks Department 1) Misc. business Public Works Department 1) Transfer from public works department to municipal equipment fund 2) Request to write specifications for pickup, mower and street signs Clerk’s Department 1) Misc. business •Financial and investments report •Mayor’s comments

Scott County Commission Agenda Monday, December 15 County Courthouse 3:00 p.m.

County business Approve minutes, accounts payable and payroll Approve 2015 dues/subscriptions

3:30 p.m.

Ralph Derstine Noise generated from Co-op elevator located at Grigston

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

updates in phase-out levels for married couples and singles.

Higher 2015 income phase-out levels for Roth IRA contributions. The IRS website also updates higher phase-out levels for married and single taxpayers on its website.

For married couples filing jointly, the 2015 level is now $183,000 to $193,000.

Here’s what you can do if you’re in your 50s and you haven’t yet saved much for retirement:

Get qualified financial advice. Organizations such as the Association for Financial Counseling Planning and Education (http://members.afcpe. org/search), Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards list qualified financial advisors, and your state CPA society can suggest tax professionals in your area.

Budget and downsize.

Want to retire? Start living like a retiree while you’re still working. Most (See PENSION on page 13)

Scott Co. LEC Report Scott City Police Department Dec. 3: Bailey Nickel, 18, was arrested on an out-ofcounty warrant and transported to the LEC. Dec. 5: Matthew Scheferkort, 32, was arrested on a Rush County warrant and transported to the LEC. Dec. 5: Steven Turley II, 38, was arrested for disorderly conduct and transported to the LEC. Dec. 6: Dean Riedl was backing out of a driveway in the 1100 block of South College when he struck a parked vehicle.

Dec. 7: Criminal damage to property was reported in the 200 block of East 2nd Street.

Dec. 7: Intimidation of a witness was reported in the 600 block of West 5th Street.

Scott County Sheriff’s Department Dec. 5: Hector Renteria bonded out on a Rice County warrant.

Dec. 6: A theft was reported by 4D Land and Cattle Company.

Dec. 10: 12:45 a.m. Peifer Keller, 40, was arrested on probation violation.

The Scott County Record • Page 13 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

State budget cuts to impact KPERS funding plan Kansas State Treasurer Ron Estes has expressed his concern with Gov. Sam Brownback’s plan to transfer $40.7 million from the state’s pension plan as part of his budget reform.

The changes in the state budget are in response to the state’s $280 million budget shortfall for the

current fiscal year.

“While I understand the need to re-balance the budget in light of unexpected shortfalls, the decision to delay state contributions to our underfunded pension system is disappointing,” said Estes.

Assets in KPERS are currently $7.35 billion short for state and K-12

County Commission November 18, 2014 Scott County Commissioners met in a regular meeting with the following present: Chairman James Minnix, Commissioners Jerry Buxton and Gary Skibbe; and County Clerk Alice Brokofsky were present.

•County Attorney Rebecca Faurot discussed the county attorney’s position becoming full-time to meet job requirements.

•Commissioners approved and signed the following road permits: Midwest Energy: bore under Road 200. S30, T17, R32 and S20, T17, R32.

Ritchie Exploration: bore under Taos Rd. NE/4, S20, T16S, R31W and NW/4 S21, T16S, R31W. Midwest Energy: bore under Road 180. S6, T18, R32, S31, T17, R32.

Dannie Bahm: bore for water line. S16, T16, R34, S21, T16, R34.

Faurot rejoined the meeting. The commission and the county attorney went into executive session to discuss litigation.

school employees (overall $9.77 billion short) of the amount needed to pay promised benefits to all current employees and retirees.

In response to this shortfall, the legislature adopted a pension reform plan in 2012.

“By delaying action now, we run the risk of

Pension

KPERS consuming an even larger amount of our state’s budget at the expense of other vital state services to Kansans in the future,” explained Estes.

Rather than completely cancelling the increase in state contributions as outlined in the 2012 pension reform plan, Estes encour-

ages the governor and legislature to consider alternative courses of action that wouldn’t completely halt progress toward a fully funded state pension system.

Alternatives could include pension bonding and revising the amortization period. These may not be able to be imple-

mented this year and may take two to three years to implement.

KPERS is a resource for more than 289,000 members and retirees.

“Our state government has a fiduciary responsibility to preserve and protect what so many Kansans rely on for their retirement,” says Estes.

(continued from page 12)

Most experts believe late starters (50 and over) need to put away at least 10 percent of gross income to start making headway. Create a realistic budget, trim debt and consider cheaper housing, transportation and lifestyle options.

Take advantage of “catch-up” contribution limits.

Retirement savers over the age of 50 have the option to put more away not only in traditional and Roth IRAs but also 401(k) plans – not including SIMPLE 401(k) s, 403(b) plans, SARSEP and 457(b) plans (see Annual contribution limits, IRAs above).

Keep working…strategically. If you’re lucky, you love your work or are in a position to change careers to one with better retirement savings options. If so, consult an expert on ways to keep earning and investing effectively.

Bottom line: The government’s cost-of-living adjustments will allow you to save more for retirement in 2015, but don’t wait until then to evaluate your goals to set – or reset – your retirement planning going forward.

Public Notice (Published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 11, 2014)1t EXAMPLE OF SWINE PRODUCER NOTIFICATION Pursuant to K.S.A. 651,179(c) and (d) and K.A.R. 28-18a-7, Kevin Deniston of Grain Sorghum Hogs; 440 N. Eagle Road, Scott City, KS 67871; has submitted an application for permit modification to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for review.

The facility is located in the Southwest 1/4 of 15-18S33W, in Scott County. Modifications to the permit include the repopulation of two existing farrowing buildings, and the inclusion of an existing earthen retention control structure to the current waste management system. KDHE intends to issue a

draft permit contingent upon a satisfactory review of the application. KDHE has 180 days from the day a complete application is received, to make a final determination. Application documents are available for inspection on the Internet at www.kdheks.gov/feedlots and at the KDHE District Office, 302 W. McArtor Road, Dodge City, KS 67801-6014. Copies of documents can be reviewed at the County Clerk’s Office in Scott City, KS. For more information contact Jeannine Riddle, KDHE, 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 420, Topeka, KS 66612; 785-296-6432.

Any person wanting to comment during the public notice may do so by submitting comments, in writing, to the KDHE address listed above, within 30 days of publication.

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Legislator to promote gun background checks as health issue A former physician now in the Kansas Legislature says she will promote a bill expanding background checks for gun sales because she believes gunshot wounds are a public health issue.

Rep. Barbara Bollier, a moderate Republican from Mission Hills, this week attended the first conference of a newly formed group of state lawmakers committed to curbing gun violence.

Bollier joined almost 200 representatives from both parties and all 50 states at the Washington, D.C., meeting of American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention.

“This upcoming session I will support state legislation for background checks,” Bollier said in a statement distributed during the conference. “It is imperative that this public health issue be addressed in Kansas.”

Bollier was a practicing anesthesiologist in the Kansas City area for more than a decade, but said via phone that she first recognized the public health implications of gunshot wounds during her residency at Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston.

She said Ben Taub had one of the busiest emergency rooms in the country at that time and treatment of gunshot wounds was “routine.”

A study published in 1997 found that the cost of medical expenses, public services and work-loss hours due to gunshot wounds was about $40 billion annually in the United States, or about $154,000 per gunshot survivor.

Federal law currently requires background checks for people purchasing from licensed gun dealers to determine whether buyers have a felony conviction that could disqualify them from gun ownership. The FBI has conducted more than 100 million such checks in the last decade, resulting in more than 700,000 denials.

Flu vaccinations advised for the holiday season

With flu activity increasing and family and friends gathering for the holidays, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) urges all Kansans to receive an annual flu vaccination.

Kansas has identified two different types of influenza viruses currently circulating. Based on data from the Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), flu activity is currently minimal within the state. However, flu activity usually increases at this time of year, peaks in January or February, and can last as late as May. On average, five to 20 percent of the U.S. population contracts the flu yearly, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with complications of flu.

During the peak of the influenza season in Kansas, approximately six percent of all health care visits in ILINet clinics are due to influenza-like illness.

Influenza or pneumonia contributed to or was the direct cause of 1,135 deaths among Kansas residents during the 2013-14 influenza season.

The Scott County Record • Page 14 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Consumers urged to search for ACA marketplace deals in ‘15 Mary Agnes Carey Kaiser Health News

WASHINGTON, D.C. More than 70 percent of people who currently have insurance through the health law’s federal online marketplace could pay less for comparable coverage if they are willing to switch plans, officials say.

With a Dec. 15 deadline looming for coverage that would begin Jan. 1, current policy holders should come back to healthcare.gov to see if they can get a better deal, the officials said. They’ll find

more plans available and nearly eight in 10 current enrollees can find coverage for $100 or less a month, with subsidies covering the rest of the cost.

Data for 35 of the states participating in the federal marketplace, or exchange, found that premiums for the lowest-cost silver plans will increase on average by five percent, while prices will increase on average by two percent for the second-lowest-cost silver plans, which is called the benchmark plan because subsidy levels are pegged to its cost.

“The plans offering the lowest prices have sometimes changed from 2014 to 2015, so consumers should shop around to find the plan that best meets their needs and budget,” the report advises.

If they stay in their current plan, consumers may discover that their subsidy may not go as far if the price of the benchmark plan increased for 2015.

Federal marketplace enrollees who do not switch plans by Dec. 15 will be automatically re-enrolled in their current coverage.

Those who don’t switch

plans might see higher prices.

“For the vast majority of people, if they stay in the same plan, I think they’ll see rate increases in the single digits to high single digits,” said Andy Slavitt, CMS principal deputy administrator.

“That’s not going to be true for every individual. Some will go down, some will go up a little bit higher.”

The number of companies offering policies for next year has increased by 25 percent.

Consumers can choose from an average of 40 plans for (See DEALS on page 15)

Vaccination push continues in state As flu cases rise officials advise immunizations

by Andy Morso KHI News Service

As flu cases begin to appear in Kansas, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist urged providers to continue distributing the flu vaccine while also preparing antivi-

ral medications for high-risk patients.

William Atkinson, a doctor who spent 25 years at the CDC and is now associate director for immunization at the Immunization Action Coalition, said there’s still time to inoculate more of the population before the flu season peaks.

“Don’t stop just because Thanksgiving has passed,” Atkinson advises. “Keep going as long as you’ve got

it.”

People six months of age and older are recommended to get a flu shot in the United States, where Atkinson said flu still kills more children than all other vaccine-preventable diseases.

About 100 children died of flu last year, Atkinson said, and that number may be low because it represents only the confirmed cases.

The illness is even more fatal in people 65 and older,

Adult care facilities to join malpractice fund TOPEKA - Hundreds of nursing homes and other assisted living facilities in Kansas will be required to participate in a fund meant to spread the risk of malpractice lawsuits starting next month.

Advocates for those facilities say the change is a positive, but it has insurance agents scrambling to find liability coverage for their assisted living clients in a limited market.

For more than two decades, health care facilities in Kansas have been required to participate in the Health Care Stabilization Fund, a pot of money derived from a surcharge on their private malpractice insurance that provides additional coverage for malpractice claims. The fund makes it less likely that a few expensive claims could sink a facility financially.

Until this year, nursing homes and other adult care facilities were not considered health care providers under the law. Cindy Luxem, president and CEO of the Kansas Center for Assisted Living, said that wasn’t good for the facilities or consumers who might file a claim.

“We had a lot of providers in Kansas that weren’t really able to provide anything (in compen-

sation),” Luxem said. “And that doesn’t set up a good situation for the consumer.”

Luxem said she and other assisted living advocates wanted to be included in the stabilization fund for years. The opportunity presented itself this year when legislators reopened the statutes governing the fund in response to Kansas Supreme Court concerns over a long-static $250,000 cap on non-economic “pain and suffering” damages in malpractice suits.

Legislators voted to gradually raise the cap and to include nursing homes and other assisted living facilities in the stabilization fund.

Fred Benjamin, president of Coffeyville’s Medicalodges and chairman of the Kansas Health Care Association’s board of directors, called it a “positive change” that was overdue given the evolving ways that health care is delivered.

“People that were in hospital intensive care units 10 years ago are in skilled nursing facilities today,” Benjamin said.

Hundreds of Kansas adult care facilities are now slated to come under the Health Care Stabilization Fund at the beginning of 2015. But some are still scrambling to find the necessary private liability coverage to do so.

Sugar Plum Sale at El Quartelejo Museum • Sun., Dec. 14

who make up the bulk of the thousands of flu deaths each year.

Need for Antiviral Use Atkinson emphasized that a recent CDC alert about possible compromised effectiveness of this year’s flu vaccine was not intended to discourage its use, but rather to inform providers about the urgency of dispensing antiviral medications to high-risk (See VACCINATION on page 15)

The Scott County Record • Page 15 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

State’s drop in health rankings raises concerns Slide from 8th in 1991 to 27th TOPEKA - Kansas continued to rank as the 27th healthiest state in the nation in 2014, according to the latest America’s Health Rankings from the United Health Foundation.

That’s the same position Kansas held last year, but it’s down sharply from its eighth place slot in 1991, a decline that authors said is largely due to the state’s high rate of obesity and smoking and

its low rate of childhood and adolescent immunizations.

Tony Sun, an Overland Park physician and one of the authors of the report, said the trends are the result of Kansas getting less healthy in some areas and improving more slowly than other states in other areas.

“It’s probably a combination of all, but what some of Kansas’ strengths are, we have a very low rate of drug deaths,” Sun said. “On the environmental side, we have a high rate of high school gradu-

ations.”

But the report said Kansas has failed to keep pace with improvements that other states have made over the last 25 years.

Since the first ranking was made in 1990, infant mortality in Kansas has fallen 32 percent, to 6.3 deaths per 1,000 births.

But it has fallen 41 percent nationally.

Also, deaths by violent crime have gone down only 2 percent in Kansas, compared with a 37 percent decline nationally.

“These aren’t just

numbers. The decline in rankings represents real Kansans - children, parents and grandparents who are sick and dying prematurely from preventable diseases,” said Dr. Jeff Willett, vice president for programs at the Kansas Health Foundation, a partner in the annual study.

“We can and we must reverse this downward trend, because all Kansans deserve the opportunity to live a full, healthy life.”

The report also noted that Kansas has made little progress in the last 25 years to reduce the rate

of adult smoking. Kansas had only the eighth lowest rate of adult smoking in 1991. But other states have done considerably more than Kansas to reduce smoking, and Kansas now ranks 31st in that category.

Willett said that corresponds to similar declines in Kansas’ rankings for cancer deaths, cardiovascular disease deaths and other premature deaths.

“The best thing we can do to improve the health of the state in the short term is to significantly

reduce smoking,” Willett said.

In addition to reducing smoking rates, Willett also said the state of Kansas should invest more in public health, particularly programs targeting the well-being of children.

“Children’s poverty has increased (since 1990),” Willett said. “We’re middle-of-the-pack or worse with children’s immunizations.”

Kansas also has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation, especially for AfricanAmerican infants.

Average premium for ‘benchmark’ ACA plan lower in Kansas for 2015 TOPEKA - Premiums in the federal health insurance marketplace are slightly higher, on average, for 2015 than last year - but not for the “benchmark” plan in Kansas.

A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says the cost of the so-called “benchmark” silver plan is up an average of two percent in 35 states across the nation. But in Kansas, the benchmark plan cost is

actually an average of five percent lower for 2015.

Kansas Insurance Department spokesman Bob Hanson said that’s because Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas has added a HMO marketplace plan with premiums lower than last year’s benchmark plan.

“Last year’s lowest benchmark silver plan is now the second lowest in premium for this year,” he said. “Coverages are the same, however.”

Vaccination patients with flu-like symptoms.

The CDC alert warned that early cases of the flu this year have predominately been of the influenza A (H3N2) type, which the annual vaccine has traditionally been less effective in preventing.

But Atkinson said there are many types of flu that the shot will still be effective against and, because influenza seasons are unpredictable, it’s impossible to know yet just how comprehensive the shot will be this year.

“The vaccine is still

Deals (continued from page 14)

2015, up from 30 in 2014, based on the HHS analysis, which examined plan rates at the county level.

Consumers have until Feb. 15 to enroll for coverage in 2015, the marketplace’s second year.

The HHS analysis, mirroring other reviews of 2015 premiums, shows that what consumers pay for coverage depends on where they live.

In Juneau, Alaska, for example, a 27-yearold enrolled in the second-lowest-cost silver plan would pay $449 per month for coverage in 2015 before tax credits, a 34 percent increase from 2014. In Jackson, Miss., that same level of coverage would cost $253, or 24 percent less than $332 charged in 2014.

These figures don’t include tax credits that almost eight in 10 Kansas customers qualified for last year. HHS officials said that with those tax credits, most customers can find coverage for $100 a month or less, outof-pocket, if they shop around.

Five companies are selling plans in Kansas this year, compared to four last year. With 25 percent more issuers participating in the market-

place in 2015, based on analysis of 35 states, more than 90 percent of consumers nationwide will be able to choose from three or more issuers - up from 74 percent in 2014.

Open enrollment in the marketplace continues through Feb. 15, 2015.

But consumers, including those who currently have coverage through the marketplace, need to enroll or re-enroll by Dec. 15 in order to have coverage effective on Jan. 1.

(continued from page 14)

effective and will work most of the time,” Atkinson said. “It may work almost all the time.”

The CDC alert advises that patients with flu-like symptoms who are at high risk of complications should be administered antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu or Relenza before laboratory tests have confirmed influenza. Such drugs shorten the duration of influenza and can prevent complications, especially when administered within 48 hours of first symptoms.

Those at risk of com-

plications include patients who are older or have underlying health conditions.

“Those are the people you need to pull the trigger on your antiviral drugs sooner rather than later,” Atkinson said.

‘High Dose’ for Seniors Atkinson said some versions of the flu vaccine have been shown to be more effective for different demographics.

He now recommends a “high dose” version for seniors.

“There now is data that

is clear, that this vaccine when given to people 65 and older, the high dose vaccine compared to the regular vaccine, it works better,” Atkinson said. “It reduces influenza disease and complications in people 65 and older.”

Atkinson also said the “data are quite convincing” that a live vaccine administered by nasal spray is more effective in children, though studies have yet to show any added benefit for adults.

The nasal spray, or flu mist, is approved for ages two through 49.

Specialty Clinics at Scott County Hospital Oncology/Hematology Dr. Tibayan, MD 4th Tuesday of the month

Pulmonologist Dr. Ballard, MD Monthly on mondays

Obstetrics/Gynecology Dr. Heskett, MD 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month

Dermatology Dr. Theo Alkousakis, MD 3rd Wednesday of the month

Orthopedics Dr. Titus Plomaritis, MD 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month Dr. Alex DeCaralho, MD 1st, 2nd and 3rd Tuesday of the month

Urology Dr. Darrell Werth, MD 2nd Wednesday of the month Dr. Kevin McDonald, MD 4th Wednesday of the month

Neurology Dr. Christopher Fanale, MD Monthly on Mondays Dr. Jeffrey Wagner, MD Every other month on Mondays

Cardiology Dr. Janif, MD 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month Dr. Dimen, MD 1st Wednesday of the month Dr. John Ferrell, MD 3rd Wednesday of the month

Vascular Disease Dr. Stephen Annest, MD 2nd Monday of every month

Dietitian Courtney McCarty, RD, LD 2nd Wednesday of the month Specialty clinics are scheduled monthly. Most of the clinics are conducted one time per month, however, some are scheduled two to three times per month.

To obtain a referral: Contact your physician at Scott City Clinic to discuss your concern and interest in a referral to a particular specialty clinic.

The Scott County Record • Page 16 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

KCC, gas companies working on plan to replace old pipes

The Kansas Corporation Commission and natural gas companies are trying to come up with a new process to replace old pipes before they become dangerous, with the least possible cost to ratepayers.

Natural gas companies in Kansas currently have something called the gas service reliability surchage (GSRS) that they add to customers’ bills to cover projects that are required by safety regulations or related to public works projects, said KCC Commissioner Pat Apple.

The legislature approved GSRS with the

idea that it would reduce expenses to ratepayers because gas companies wouldn’t have to come before KCC for a full rate case, which involves the expenses associated with more legal work, as frequently, Apple said.

“Those costs are borne by the ratepayers,” he said.

GSRS has some limitations, however. It can’t be raised by more than 40 cents per year, though gas companies have the option of rolling any costs not covered by GSRS into its next rate case, said Leo Haynos, chief of energy operations and pipeline

safety at the KCC. It also doesn’t allow for preventative work.

The idea is to develop a mechanism that would allow the KCC to preapprove spending to replace old pipes over time, before they become a hazard.

“We have this national issue of aging infrastructure that’s coming to the forefront,” he said.

Gas companies are open to the idea because it removes the uncertainty for them of whether the commission will choose to approve any of the costs the companies seek reimbursement for during a rate case, Haynos said.

Replacing cast iron and bare steel pipes before they break is cheaper and causes less disruption than if the utility has to do an emergency repair, Apple said. Amending the GSRS to pay for that kind of work would require legislative approval, but the commissioners believe the KCC can set up a separate process without sending it through the statehouse, he said.

Though older pipes are at a higher risk of failure, gas companies check them for leaks more frequently and do repairs or replacements if necessary, Haynos said.

Estimator offers glimpse of benefits

Q) I’m not sure when I’m going to retire so I want to estimate my retirement benefit at several different ages. What’s the easiest way to do that?

A) Using our Retirement Estimator is easy at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator, and it’s the best way for you to get a good idea of what your monthly benefit payment may be after you retire.

The Estimator gives estimates based on your actual Social Security earnings record. Keep in mind, these are estimates and we can’t provide your

Social Security

Rich Fowler operations supervisor Dodge City

actual benefit amount until you apply for benefits.

You can use the Estimator if you have enough work to qualify for benefits and aren’t currently receiving benefits. If you are currently receiving only Medicare benefits, you can still get an estimate.

You can learn about this subject by reading our publication, Retirement Information For Medicare

Sr. Citizen Lunch Menu Week of December 15-19 Monday: Baked cod, scalloped potatoes, steamed cabbage, whole wheat bread, blueberries in sauce.

Tuesday: Roast beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, three bean salad, whole wheat roll, citrus fruit cup.

Wednesday: Chicken griller, winter mix, savory carrots, whole wheat bread, apricots.

Thursday: Baked ham, sweet potatoes, California blend vegetables, whole wheat roll, peach crisp.

Friday: Turkey casserole, green beans, beets, whole wheat roll, mandarin oranges. meals are $3.25 • call 872-3501

Beneficiaries, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/ pubs. * * * Q) My spouse and I have been married for over 30 years and we are about to retire. Will there be any reduction in benefits because we are married?

A) None at all. We calculate lifetime earnings independently to determine each spouse’s Social Security benefit amount, and couples aren’t penalized because they are married.

When both spouses

meet all other eligibility requirements to receive Social Security retirement benefits, each spouse receives a monthly benefit amount based on his or her own earnings.

If one member of the couple earned low wages or failed to earn enough Social Security credits to be insured for retirement benefits, he or she may be eligible to receive benefits as a spouse.

Learn more about earning Social Security credits by reading our publication, How You Earn Credits, available at www. socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

Christmas Church Services Prairie View Church of the Bretheren

First Baptist Church

4855 Finney-Scott Road • 276-6481 December 21 • 11:00 a.m. - Children’s Christmas Program - Christmas Open House (following program) December 24 • 6:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

803 S. College • 872-2339 December 14 • 8:30 a.m. - Worship Service 10:45 a.m. - Worship Service 6:30 p.m. - Children’s Christmas Program December 21 • 8:30 a.m. - Worship Service 10:45 a.m. - Worship Service December 24 • 5:00 p.m. - Contemporary Christmas Eve Service 7:00 p.m. - Traditional Christmas Eve Service December 25 • Merry Christmas

Holy Cross Lutheran Church 1102 Court • 872-2294 December 17 • 6:15 p.m. - Supper 7:00 p.m. - Advent Service December 24 • 6:15 p.m. - Children’s Christmas Program 11:00 p.m. - Candlelight Service December 25 • 10:15 a.m. - Christmas Service

Pence Community Church 8911 W. Rd 270 • 872-2854 December 21 • 7:00 p.m. - Children’s Christmas Program December 24 • 5:30 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service

First United Methodist Church 5th and College • 872-2401 Dec. 14 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship Service 10:45 a.m. Blended Worship Service Dec. 21 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship Service 10:45 a.m. Blended Worship Service Dec. 24 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Dec. 28 3:30 p.m. Nursing Home Remembrance and Worship Service at Park Lane Dec. 31 7:00 p.m.

Family Movie Night First Christian Church 7:00 p.m.

Midnight - Open Communion 701 S. Main • 872-2937 (come and go) December 17 • -”The Summit” Christmas Movie December 24 • 6:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Assembly of God Church December 25 • - Merry Christmas!

1615 S. Main • 872-6200 December 21 • 9:00 a.m. Breakfast Drink and Rolls!

Pre-Service Prayer Immanuel Southern Baptist Church 10:00 a.m.

Worship In the True 1398 S. Hwy. • 872-2264 Spirit of Christmas December 14 • 11:00 a.m. - Children’s Christmas Special Music by Youth Program and Adults December 24 • 7:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service Message: “Desire, Expectation and Joy!” 6:00 p.m. Christmas Candlelight Service Community Christian Church “Christmas In Scripture, 1201 Jackson • 872- 3977 Heart and Song!”

December 14 • 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School Fireside Fellowship following 10:45 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship service. Refreshments, Snack 4:00 -6:00 p.m. - Pastor’s Open House Foods, Gifts and Togetherness December 21• 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School 10:45 a.m. Morning Worship featuring St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Kid’s Christmas program December 24 • 6:00 p.m. - Candlelight Service with Elizabeth and Epperson Drive • 872-3666 Kid’s Christmas program December 24 • 8:00 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service

A special thanks to the sponsors who made this promotion possible!

Heartland Foods Store 1314 S Main, Scott City 620-872-5854 www.heartlandfoodsstores.com

Kirk Grain P.O. Box 36, Scott City 620-872-2855

Faurot Heating & Cooling 910 W. 5th St., Scott City 620-872-3508 800-720-5997

AgMax Crop Insurance 815 W. 5th St., Scott City 620-872-2900 www.HughBinns.com

The Scott County Record 406 Main St., Scott City 620-872-2090

Price and Sons Monument Co. and Funeral Homes 620-872-2116

Richards Financial Services 411 S Main, Scott City 620-872-5949

Rodenbeek & Green Agency 601 Main, Scott City 620-872-5803 www.rgagency.com

MTM Siding and Glass 1103 W. K96 Hwy., Scott City 620-872-2315

The Scott County Record • Page 17 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Deaths Bob Jack Clark Bob Jack Clark, 85, died Dec. 6, 2014, at Logan County Manor, Oakley.

He was born June 5, 1929, in Lincoln County to Chester D. and Anna M. (Lewis) Clark.

Bob married Edith L. Suter on May 25, 1952, in Manhattan. He was a farmer and elevator owner/operator in Logan and Thomas counties.

Survivors include his wife, of Oakley; two sons: Drake Clark, Wallace, and Ron Clark and wife, Pat, Oakley; two daughters, Susan Brabec and husband, Dan, Manhattan, and Mary Ochs and husband, Jay, Oakley; daughter-in-law, Ruth Clark, Oakley; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Stan;, and brother, Cliff.

Cremation was chosen.

A memorial service will be held Sat., Dec. 13, 1:30 p.m., at the Oakley Christian Church with Pastor Ja Whyte officiating. Inurnment will be private at a later date.

Visitation will be Saturday, following the memorial service and until 4:30 p.m., at the church.

Memorials may be given to the Oakley Christian Church, The Cave (heating and AC), and NWKS Hospice Services in care of Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, Box 221, Oakley, Ks. 67748.

Condolences can be sent to www.kennedykosterfh.com.

Kristina Ann Kuhn Kristina Ann Kuhn, 42, died Dec. 7, 2014, after a four-year battle with cancer at the Greeley County Hospital, Tribune.

S h e w a s born on June 15, 1972, in D e n v e r, Colo., the daughter Kristina Kuhn of John Joseph Kuhn and Rita Kay Baker.

A resident of Tribune since July of 2014, moving from Denver, Colo., she was an office secretary for a roofing company.

Survivors include: one daughter, Megan Milke, Erie, Colo.; mother, Rita K. Kuhn, Tribune; two sisters, Jessica Arnold, Tribune, and Sarah Kuhn, Peru, South America;

one brother, Troy Kuhn, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan; grandmother, Emily Kuhn, Denver, Colo.; two aunts, Nikkie Kuhn, Denver, Colo., and Mary Ellen Baker, Norman, Okla.

She was preceded in death by her father, two grandfathers, one grandmother, one uncle, and one brother-in-law.

Memorial service will be held January 17, 2:004:00 p.m. (MT), at the Barrel Springs Hunt Club in Horace.

Memorials may be given to the Kristina A. Kuhn Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Homes, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871.

There will be no visitation times.

Terald Dean ‘Butch’ Collins Terald Dean “Butch” Collins, 64, died on Nov. 26, 2014, at Hays Medical Center.

He was born on May 16, 1950, the son of Lee A. and Luetta Lucille Collins in Colby. He attended school in Page City until the eighth grade, attended school in Monument until his sophomore year and graduated in 1968 from Oakley High School.

In 1971, he married Janet Gibson, a classmate and high school sweetheart. The couple moved to Hays where he attended Ft. Hays State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. They lived in Hays for two years before returning to Oakley.

In Oakley, Butch worked at Pioneer Feedlot for about three years.

In 1975, he purchased the Texaco gas station and owned it for three years. He also worked at Schmitt-Allen Vet Supply for several years. In 1980, he began working at C.D. Clark and Sons in the parts department where he remained for the next 12 years before purchasing the dealership.

He was in partnership for about nine years before selling the dealership.

He remained in the parts department until 2007.

Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Jodi Moellering, Oakley, Jack Willems and husband, Brad, Oakley, and Traci Hazelton and husband, Ron, McPherson; a son, Tate and wife, Leslie, Oakley; mother, Luetta Scott; and nine grandchildren, Chase and Kaci Moellering; Katelyn, Jake and Claire Willems; Sarah and Elle Hazelton; and Trey and Laif Collins.

He was preceded in death by his father; stepfather, Glenn Scott; and sister, Judy Dible.

Funeral service was held on Dec. 2 at the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center, Oakley, with Pastor Bob Kelly officiating. Burial was in the Monument Township Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the Logan County EMS in care of KennedyKoster Funeral Home, Box 221, Oakley 67748.

Condolences can be sent to www.kennedykosterfh. com.

Attend the Church of Your Choice

In the Savior’s Words A young man began his life as a pastor in a place in which he had never lived, a considerable distance from his home and from the seminary which he had attended. He began with the resolve of all pastors, to stand faithful to the Gospel, to preach, to teach, to help others grow in their lives in Christ.

One of the leaders of the congregation was an older woman, a widow. For reasons which no one understood and no one could begin to explain, she developed, almost immediately, an intense and consistent opposition to the pastor and his family.

None of his initiatives was acceptable. Nothing that he did or said met with her approval. She spoke critically of the pastor to anyone who would listen, and, over time, she had an effect on the support of the congregation.

Eventually, no longer able to minister effectively, the young pastor and his family moved away. Shortly thereafter, deeply hurt by his experience, the young man left the full-time pastoral ministry.

As the years passed, the woman came to understand what she had done. Heartbroken, she knew that she had been the primary cause of the coming to a close of a pastor’s calling. Distraught, she began to inquire in the community and located persons who were still in touch with the former pastor and knew his address. She wrote a letter to him and to his family, expressing her repentance and asking for forgiveness.

In an age before computers, before cell phones, before instant communication in but a day or two she received a telegram. The pastor had written three words: Forgiven. Forgotten. Forever.

The work of the Savior, the words of the Savior, are ours as well.

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

Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

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

All Other Sundays • Worship: 8:30 and 10:45 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. • MYF (youth groups) on Wednesdays Jr. High: 6:30 p.m. • Sr. High: 7:00 p.m.

First Christian Church

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

701 Main - Scott City - 872-2937 Scotty Wagner, pastor Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.; Worship, 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday is Family Night Meal: 5:45 p.m. • Study: 6:15 p.m.

Website: www.fccscottcity.org

Elizabeth/Epperson Drives • Scott City • 872-3666 Father Don Martin Holy Eucharist - 11:45 a.m.

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

Scott Mennonite Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

12021 N. Eagle Rd. • Scott City

9th and Crescent - Scott City - 872-2334 Bishop Irvin Yeager • 620-397-2732 Sacrament, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School, 10:50 a.m.

Relief Society and Priesthood, 11:20 a.m.

YMYW Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.

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

Sunday Evening Service: 7:00 p.m.

Moving? Contact The Scott County Record to update your address, so you don’t miss your paper.

P.O. Box 377, Scott City, Ks. 67871 • 620-872-2090 • www.scottcountyrecord.com

The Scott County Record

Business

Beaton recognized for 40 years by state CPAs Working with numbers has always come pretty easy to Bill Beaton.

Now he can calculate one more number . . . 40.

Beaton was among 24 certified public accountants elected as Life Members of the Kansas Society of CPAs. Life membership is designated for those individuals who have been members of the KSCPA for 40 years and who have contributed to the success and advancement of the Society and the profession.

A 1968 graduate of Shallow Water High School, Beaton originally planned to pursue a career in agriculture when he enrolled at Kansas State University. By his sophomore year he had switched to accounting and his life career had been set in motion.

Beaton, 64, would add a master’s degree from KSU in 1973.

Beaton returned to Western Kansas and worked for an accounting firm in Garden City for six years (1973-79) before

Bill Beaton

starting his own practice in Scott City in May of 1979.

Beaton has been joined by his niece, Holly Beaton, who is a CPA, along with his daughters Leann and Lindsey. Leann is working full-time while Lindsey is employed parttime while completing her doctorate in psychology.

Beaton says he has no immediate plans for retirement, but is hoping to turn more of the day-today responsibilities over to his niece and daughter so he can spend more time on the golf course.

“This has been a good career and I’m glad I was able to return to Scott City,” adds Beaton.

Page 18 - Thursday, December 11, 2014

Butcher Block is back

Three months to the day after a fire destroyed the Main Street landmark where he was located, Craig Braun is back in business with the reopening of Braun’s Butcher Block in Scott City.

Located at 212 Main (east of the Post Office), Braun’s is ready to meet any custom butchering needs or customers can purchase cuts from the meat case.

“There were some tough decisions to make after the fire,” notes Braun. “We weren’t sure whether to try this again or do something else, but this is all I’ve ever done.

I don’t know what else I’d do.”

Braun says they were also encouraged to reopen the business with support from the community.

The biggest hurdle was finding a location. He knew the building he is now located in had been used as storage by St. Joseph Catholic Church during their construction/renovation, so he asked the owner, Santos Prieto, if he might consider renting.

Craig Braun, owner of Braun’s Butcher Block, is back in business again at 212 Main in Scott City.

(Record Photo)

“Santos said he’d be willing to give it a try,” Braun says. “This keeps me in the downtown area and I’ve got more room than I had before.”

That’s allowed Braun to install a larger meat and freezer case.

He also plans to bring back the noon specials, but not until after the holi-

days.

Business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Sports The Scott County Record

Tough start Dighton comeback falls short in opening round of Quinter tourney • Page 21

www.scottcountyrecord.com

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Page 19

Late start to mat season no problem for Hayes

Scott City heavyweight Lane Hayes puts the shoulders of Oakley wrestler Leo Jirak to the mat for a fall during the semi-finals of the Hoxie Invitational on Saturday.

(Record Photo)

Lane Hayes didn’t just open the wrestling season with a tournament title. The Scott Community High School senior dominated the heavyweight division at the Hoxie Invitational on Saturday, claiming one of Scott City’s two gold medals.

Hayes pinned all three opponents, including the championship match when he needed just 33 seconds to finish off Cimarron’s Nick Powell.

“I was especially pleased with his aggressiveness on offense,” says head coach Jon Lippelmann. “You never know what to expect when these boys come out of the football season and you only have them in the practice room for a few days. Even though our lack of conditioning really hurts us early in the season, Lane didn’t let that affect him.

“He looked like a senior who has put in his time and expected to win. He took care of business, which is what I like to see.”

Lippelmann felt that senior James Jurgens (138) showed signs that he plans to be a factor at the state level once again. After advancing to the Class 3-2-1A state finals as a freshman and sophomore, winning gold his freshman year, Jurgens was dealing with a shoulder injury through most of last year and made an early exit from the Class 4A state tournament.

“I saw a different style from James than what he finished with last year,” Lippelmann says. “He went out with the (See HAYES on page 20)

Southwest Classic

Beavers rally against Trinity in SW opener

Trailing by nine points late in the third quarter and with Sloan Baker drawing his fourth foul, it was beginning to look like the Scott City boys were going to suffer a rare home loss in their season opener against Wichita Trinity.

Instead, like they have done so often, the 62 short-handed Trinity Scott City 66 Beavers simply willed themselves to a win against Class 4A-Division II state-ranked Trinity, 66-62, in the first round of the Southwest Classic on Thursday night.

“In the first game (of the season) you don’t expect a game like this,” said head coach Glenn O’Neil after the Beavers had staged a big second half comeback.

With senior guard Brett Meyer out of the lineup until after Christmas due to an injury, and with Baker in foul trouble most of the night, it was “Trey with a lot of rookies for most of the game,” noted Coach O’Neil.

T. O’Neil made big play after big play down the stretch, starting with an inbounds play under the SCHS basket in which the senior guard played the ball off the back of a defender, stepped onto the court and gathered the ball in for a basket that cut the deficit to 53-51.

After making that assist to himself, O’Neil then dished off an assist to sophomore guard Bo Hess whose basket with 4:43 left in the game tied the score at 53-53.

(See TRINITY on page 23)

Trinity rolls over Lady Beavers, 54-25

The Scott City girls looked every bit the young and inexperienced team they are in a 54-25 season opening loss to Wichita Trinity in the opening round of the Southwest Classic on Thursday evening.

SCHS knew they would struggle finding offense - especially early in the season - and that was evident as they fell behind 16-1 to the state-ranked Lady Knights.

One of the few bright spots offensively for Scott City was the play of freshman guard Bailey Latta who finished with nine points.

Five of those came during a brief 7-0 scoring run in the second period. A basket

by Mariah Campbell followed by consecutive buckets from Latta - including a three-pointer - cut the lead to 22-12.

The remainder of the game was dominated by more experienced Wichita Trinity who led 29-12 at the half and stretched that margin to 48-17 at the end of three quarters.

Campbell led Lady Beavers with a career high 10 points.

From the field, Scott City shot just 26 percent.

Dighton sophomore Jordan Speer has two defenders hanging on her as she goes up for a basket during the season opener against Trego County.

(Record Photo)

Budd’s 20 leaves Eagles grounded in season opener Kiara Budd poured in a game high 20 points in leading Dighton High School Trego Co. 23 to a season- Dighton 48 opening 48-23 win over Trego County (WaKeeney) on Friday.

The junior guard provided

her team an early offensive spark with eight points coming in the first quarter as the Lady Hornets jumped out to a 13-4 lead.

“Kiara’s capable of playing like that on any night. Even though her outside shooting is very good, she can also run the floor well when we have fastbreak opportunities,” says head

coach Amy Felker. “She’s going to find different ways to get her points.”

Dighton set the early tone with their defensive pressure that allowed the Lady Hornets to open up a 21-7 lead on Sara Cramer’s steal and layup midway into the second period.

Dighton owned a comfortable (See BUDD on page 21)

Beavers aim for return to the top in Class 3A Four consecutive appearances in the state title game. Three state championships.

What do the Scott Community High School boys do for an encore?

How about five straight?

The Beavers will be among the favorites contending for an-

other state championship as they return to the Class 3A ranks this season where they won championships from 2011-13.

They return a strong nucleus of three starters from last year’s team that finished 21-4 and lost in the Class 4A-Division II title game to Eudora (71-58).

All-State senior guard Trey O’Neil (21 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.3 apg) will be joined by senior guard Brett Meyer (14.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and senior pivot Sloan Baker (8 ppg, 6.7 rpg).

“It’s going to be tough for Trey to improve on the numbers he put up last year,” says head

coach Glenn O’Neil. “But I expect Brett to average between 17 and 20 (points per game) and Sloan should contribute in the 12 to 15 point range consistently.

“If we can get the three seniors on any given night to contribute 45 to 55 points, that’s

about what we’d expect.”

Rounding out the starting roster are senior guard Chantz Yager (3 ppg) and junior guard Dylan Hutchins (4.2 ppg). Both are three-point shooters who are expected to see their offensive numbers increase significantly.

(See BEAVERS on page 26)

The Scott County Record • Page 20 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Outdoors in Kansas by Steve Gilliland

Don’t wake a sleeping skunk

Every kid who’s ever set a trap has caught a skunk at one time or another, or in my case, often.

Trapping without ever catching a skunk would be like a dog never peeing on a tire; it ain’t gonna’ happen!

I work in maintenance at a large retirement/nursing home and have lost count of the stories I’ve heard the old guys tell of getting sprayed by skunks as they checked their traps on the way to school, then getting sent home because they reeked. I used to wonder if they let it happen on purpose just to get sent home, but I’ve since come to my senses.

Pure skunk essence is a valuable ingredient in many lures and scents used by trappers and can be sold to large trapping supply houses, and skunk fur is actually very nice and silky. Thus many diehard trappers use a hypodermic needle to extract the essence from the skunks they catch, then skin and stretch the pelts.

I guess I’m not a very serious trapper, cause’ mine just find their way into the closest fencerow, luxurious coat, expensive pee and all, to spend eternity there beside the possums I catch.

I once met a taxidermist at an outdoor show who had a stuffed skunk as the centerpiece of his display. He had it rigged so he could press a switch of some sort under the table and the skunk’s tail would suddenly rise. He’d wait until a crowd of people were gathered around the skunk, (which happened often,) then he’d press the switch and watch the crowd gasp and run, clutching the seats of their britches as they headed for the nearest johns.

I know another taxidermist who has a stuffed skunk mounted on top of a radio (See SKUNK on page 25)

Playoffs have begun for the Chiefs

The playoffs have begun for Kansas City. At least they just as well have.

There are three games remaining on the schedule and if the Chiefs win all three they’re guaranteed a playoff spot. If they only win two of the three, then there’s still a chance they can get into the postseason, but then a whole lot of other things come into play like how Orion is lined up with the North Star, if the moon is in the seventh house and . . . well, you know how the

Inside the Huddle

with the X-Factor

rest of it goes.

In other words, if we take care of business the next three games then it doesn’t matter what else happens.

That said, this team remains a mystery.

How can any team in the NFL go an entire year without throwing a touchdown pass to a wide re-

ceiver?

The last time someone claiming to be a Kansas City wide receiver caught a pass that resulted in a touchdown was on Dec. 8, 2013, against the Redskins. Dwayne Bowe was on the receiving end of the 21 yard pass from Alex Smith.

It hasn’t happened since.

There hasn’t been a streak like this since the forward pass was invented.

The inability of Smith and his wide receivers to

make a connection are a major reason why the Chiefs are ranked 31st in the league in passing yards per game (189.2).

It’s not as though Smith hasn’t taken an occasional shot down the field. There have been a few. Many would argue there haven’t been near enough, which has made it more difficult for our offense because opposing defenses don’t feel threatened by KC extending the field.

In Smith’s defense, the offensive line hasn’t always given him much

time in passing situations.

On the other hand, Smith isn’t the kind of quarterback who will take risks, which is why he has just six interceptions on 389 passing attempts.

Kansas City’s receivers haven’t helped their cause. The Chiefs have 24 dropped passes, which trails only Indianapolis (35) and the Giants (25). KC receivers have dropped 6.3 percent of the passes thrown to them, which is second highest in the NFL. (See CHIEFS on page 22)

Rebel defense steals win from Leoti in tourney

Leoti junior Jacob Schumacher passes to a teammate after diving for a loose ball during Monday’s tournament action against South Gray.

(Record Photo)

Hayes idea of wrestling his game and dominating from the start. It was pretty encouraging.”

Jurgens opened the day with a second period technical fall over Derek Rowh (Norton) and in the championship match cruised to a 12-2 major decision over Gunner Kerns (Plainville).

Also advancing into the finals were freshman Jarret Jurgens (145) and sophomore Trey Loftis (160).

Jurgens won his first two matches over Luis McPherson (Lakin, 17-2)

Wichita County and South Gray each wanted to play an up-tempo style in Tuesday’s opening round of the Bluejay Invitational.

It was the South Gray boys who had the upperhand, capitalizing on a number of Leoti turnovers in building a 26-8 first quarter lead and coasting to an 84-20 win.

“I can’t fault our effort,” says head coach Haydon Parks. “Maybe we were nervous playing a good team in our first game. We had way too many turnovers that led to a lot of easy baskets for them.”

WCHS was able to keep the game close in the early moments when baskets by Trevon Burch and Matt Huber cut the South Gray lead to 6-4.

After that, the Rebels and their pressure defense began to take its toll with a 20-2 scoring run that put the game beyond reach of WCHS. By halftime, South Gray was resting on a 44-13 cushion.

“We have to get to where we see the floor better and make quicker decisions,” says Parks. “We see someone open for a pass and then we think about it for a second.

Playing a team like South Gray you can’t hesitate.

Jacob Schumacher led the Indians with nine points and five rebounds.

(continued from page 19)

and Wyatt Murphy (Oakley, 11-8) before dropping a 5-2 decision to Trever Houser (Plainville) in the finals. Jurgens scored the initial takedown in the finals for an early 2-0 lead, but Houser accounted for the rest of the scoring in the match.

“Jarret has a quick shot and he’s aggressive. He does a lot of good things on his feet,” noted Lippelmann. “Even though he’s wrestling a weight class higher than we expect him to be in a couple of weeks, he wasn’t overwhelmed.”

Loftis needed a third

period reversal and threepoint near fall for a comefrom-behind 9-7 win over Layton Miller (Norton) in the opening round and followed with a pin against Lakin’s Jeff Gilliland before losing by a fall in the finals to Tabor Erickson (Oberlin). Erickson is the No. 4 ranked wrestler in Class 3-2-1A. “Last year, Trey was total defense. He showed a lot more offense (at Hoxie,” Lippelmann says. “He still has some bad habits to break, but that’s something we can work on.”

Claiming bronze med-

als were junior Zach Tucker (106) and senior Wyatt Eitel (195) while Kevin Aguilera (152) was fourth.

“Considering that Wyatt hasn’t been with us for a full season since his freshman year, he looked pretty good on his feet,” says the head coach. “He showed that he still remembered quite a bit by setting up his takedowns.

This was a pretty good starting point for his season.”

Lippelmann was a little surprised at Aguilera’s aggressiveness on the mat.

“He does a lot of things well. And when he gets a kid turned to his back he doesn’t let him up,” said Lippelmann.

Aguilera’s first period fall over Cade Wurm (Oberlin) “was a quality win,” the coach added.

It’s possible that junior Wyatt Kropp (knee injury) may see his first action of the season at the Ulysses tournament this weekend.

Juniors Abe Wiebe (shoulder) and Cooper Griffith (knee) aren’t expected to compete until the Abilene tournament on Dec. 20.

The Scott County Record • Page 21 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Hornets rally in 2nd half, falter down the stretch

Patience is something that Dighton High School head coach Dean Cramer preaches a lot to his boy’s squad.

A patient Hornet squad was able to erase a 13 point halftime deficit against Wheatland-Grinnell in the opening round of the Castle Rock Classic on Tuesday evening. However, DHS was unable to hold onto a late lead as the Thunderhawks closed out the game with an 8-0 scoring run during the final 3:14 for a 37-32 win, sending Dighton into the consolation bracket.

“We’re a young team and the kids are starting to buy into what we’re telling them,” says Cramer. “They began to see that being patient on offense paid off in the second half, which is something we weren’t seeing from them against Trego (in the season opener). You have to take small steps and we took some steps in the right direction.”

In a very low scoring game, the Hornets trailed 26-13 at halftime, but put together a 15-2 scoring run after the break.

The comeback was complete early in the fourth quarter when an inbounds pass to sophomore Tyler Lingg under his own basket resulted in a short jumper. A minute later his freshman brother, Logan, connected on a jumper in the lane that tied the game at 28-28 with 5:58 remaining.

Dighton’s momentum took a hit shortly afterwards when the older Lingg, who finished with a game high 12 points and seven rebounds, had to exit the game after a hard collision near midcourt while going for a steal. Fortunately for the Hornets, Lingg was able to return to the game a minute later with the score tied at 29-29. Freshman guard Jordan Horn gave DHS their largest lead of the night with his three-point basket at the 3:14 mark.

The Thunderhawks regained the lead, 33-32, with a fastbreak layup with 1:44 remaining and

Budd 30-14 lead at the intermission.

“We stress defense and rebounding,” says Felker, whose team finished with 19 steals and 41 boards. Cramer was the defensive leader with eight steals while Dakota Hoffman and Jordan Speer collected 14 and 11 rebounds, respectively.

“For the first 1-1/2 quarters we played really good defense.

Castle Rock Classic Tuesday’s Boy’s Results Hoxie 52 - Atwood 21 Wheatland/Grinnell 37 - Dighton 32 Ellis 69 - Cheylin 27 Quinter 60 - Golden Plains 30 Championship Semi-Finals Hoxie vs Wheatland/Grinnell Ellis vs Quinter Consolation Semi-Finals Dighton vs Atwood Cheylin vs Golden Plains

senior pivot Thomas Heier put the game out of reach with another basket and two free throws in the final 49 seconds.

“It was a disappointing loss after the way we fought back in the second half, but we came away from the game with a lot of positives,” says Cramer. “In the second half we worked the ball much better. We controlled the tempo of the game. I feel that our patience on offense took away their legs on defense and that opened up some scoring opportunities.”

At the same time, the Hornets will have to get more production on the perimeter when a team plays a sagging man-toman. They were just 12-of-38 from the field, including 5-of18 from beyond the three-point line.

“They forced us to take more shots from the outside than we wanted,” Cramer says. “Even though we were getting good looks at the basket, we need to get the ball inside more.”

Cramer says they also need to keep six-foot-four T. Lingg in the low post more where he can provide more rebounding to go along with scoring opportunities. DHS had just five offensive rebounds.

Horn came off the bench to contribute eight points, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, while sophomore guard Dylan Foos added six points.

DHS sophomore guard Dylan Foos drives the lane for a basket during Friday’s season opening game against Trego County on the home floor.

(Record Photo)

Fall to Trego After a close first half, the Dighton High School boys were unable to keep pace with Trego County High School, losing their season opener on the home court, 56-35, on Friday.

Too many turnovers and too few rebounds were too much for the Hornets to overcome.

“It was a poor game in terms

of things that we did wrong,” says head coach Dean Cramer.

“It was a good game in terms of teaching us what we need to do better. We need patience on the offense end of the court and we need to rely on pressure defense. We did neither.”

After trailing throughout most of the first quarter, Dighton was able to pull even with the Golden Eagles following a three-point play by sophomore Tyler Lingg and a basket by freshman Logan Lingg which made it a 17-17 game with 5:14 left in the half. Trego closed out the half with a 6-0 scoring burst for a 23-17 lead and kept the momentum with a 13-3 run

to open the second half that extended their lead to 36-20.

“You could see the kids were questioning us and themselves in the second quarter when they came to the sideline. We have a lot of young boys and they’re still trying to understand what we expect of them,” says Cramer. “You can talk to them and show them things in practice, but it’s not the same as a game situation.”

T. Lingg led all scorers with 19 points (8-of-12 FG) and nine rebounds. Senior guard Wyatt Habiger added seven points.

As a team, the Hornets had only three offensive rebounds and committed 17 turnovers.

“Our offensive execution was pretty good, but we didn’t shoot very well, particularly from five feet and closer which is where we had a lot of misses. We made up for it by hitting the offensive boards hard and getting a lot of second and third chance scoring opportunities.

“We also need to learn how

to play more physical and to take being pushed around while we’re shooting. That’s something we’ll be working on more in practice. We need to learn how to go up strong to the basket,” adds Felker.

Speer also finished the night in double figures with 14 points (6-of-19 FG) while Cramer and Hoffman each had six

points.

“On different nights we expect to see different girls have better scoring nights,” Felker said. “A lot will depend on how teams play us and who they try to take away offensively. Some of these girls have played very little varsity, but they will get more confidence and their shots will start falling.”

The Hornets will return to action on Friday at 4:30 p.m. when they face Atwood, a 52-21 loser to top-seeded Hoxie.

“Our goal now is to get two wins in the consolation bracket and start building some confidence,” adds Cramer.

(continued from page 19)

We were in people’s faces and we were anticipating,” she says. “In the second quarter we got a little tired and hung back a little more. We need to maintain that kind of defensive play which creates scoring opportunities for the offense.”

Felker was disappointed in the team’s 26 percent (18-of69) shooting from the field.

KU coach a top notch recriter Kansas AD Sheahon Zenger moved quickly and hired David Beaty as the Jayhawks’ new football coach. Beaty was an assistant at KU under Mark Mangino and has been Texas A&M’s receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

Z e n g e r ’s by decision had Mac to be a major Stevenson disappointment to interim head coach Clint Bowen, who most KU fans expected Zenger to hire; however, the letdown for Bowen was short-lived.

Coach Beaty immediately announced that Bowen would be his assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, which was a masterful move on Beaty’s part.

Beaty said, “I am very excited to be back at Kansas . . . I am especially excited that Clint Bowen has agreed to stay on as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Clint will be a huge part of our success going forward and I am fortunate to have him on my staff.”

Beaty’s reputation as a superb recruiter in Texas undoubtedly played an important role in Zenger’s decision to make him the new head coach.

After the hiring, Zenger said, “David Beaty is wellrespected in the football community and brings to KU great vision, passion and energy. He has a bright football mind and is known as one of the best recruiters in the nation.”

Beaty and his new staff will have to hit the ground running in order to bring in a respectable 2015 recruiting class. That’s difficult to do when a school gets a late start in the process.

Best and Worst “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times;” Charles Dickens had it turned around. The first half was the “worst of times” for KU’s basketball team against Florida and the second half - if not “best” was certainly a remarkable comeback following an awful beginning.

After trailing by 18 points early in the second half, Kansas came storming back to defeat the Gators from the SEC, 71-65.

(See COACH on page 25)

The Scott County Record • Page 22 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

WCHS girls in search of offense in tourney loss

The offense was a no-show in the season opener for the Wichita County High School girls in their season opener against South Gray.

The Lady Indians were held scoreless for more than 11-1/2 minutes to start the opening game of the Bluejay Invitational at Cimarron, trailing 35-0 before freshman Erica Hermosillo ended the scoring drought.

When the Lady Rebels weren’t turning WCHS turnovers into baskets they were drilling long-range treys four of them in the opening period while building a 30-0 lead at the end of the period.

WCHS trailed 39-7 at halftime.

AnnaLeigh Whitham led the Lady Indians with four points and four other players finished with two points each.

WCHS sophomore Abbey Fisher drives the baseline during tournament action against South Gray on Monday in Cimarron.

(Record Photo)

Get a head start on licenses, permits

It’s a new year, you’ve got your tackle bag in order, your reels all have new line, and your buddy just called saying he found a school of fish and he’s catching them faster than he can reel them in.

You hightail it to the lake and begin to unload your gear only to realize you forgot to buy your 2015 fishing license.

So much for hitting that honey hole.

Most annual licenses and permits expire Dec. 31, but you can avoid missing out on

Chiefs The team also lacks a serious threat at the No. 2 receiver position to take double-team pressure away from Dwayne Bowe. The loss of Donnie Avery to an early season injury hasn’t helped and hopes that A.J. Jenkins would have a breakout season haven’t materialized. And we didn’t add to our receiver options during the draft earlier this year.

The addition of Jason Avant to our receiver corps a couple of weeks ago should help. He had five catches for 64 yards against Arizona last week. In addition, rookie Albert Wilson

KDWP Report another fishing hot spot by buying early.

Licenses and permits for the 2015 hunting, fishing seasons, as well as park permits, go on sale Dec. 15, 2014 and are valid through end of 2014 and all of 2015.

Licenses and permits can be purchased online at ksoutdoors.com, at any Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) state

park or regional office, and at any license vendor.

Still have a few people on your Christmas list to buy for, but are stumped on what to get them? Consider giving the gift of a permit or license. It’s a gift that will last all year long, and make memories that will last even longer.

Licenses and permits that will go on sale Dec. 15 include: •Hunting licenses and annual permits •Fishing licenses and annual permits

•Furharvesting licenses •State park vehicle, camping, and trail permits For more gift ideas, including magazine subscriptions to Kansas Wildlife and Parks magazine, visit the KDWPT Outdoor Store online at ksoutdoors.com/outdoor-store. And, the state’s premier travel magazine, Kansas!, is available at www.travelks.com/ks-mag To purchase a license or permit online, visit ksoutdoors. com and click “Licenses/Permits.”

ing, including a 63 yard touchdown, in his first three carries against Arizona. He was given the ball just seven more times the rest of the game and finished with only 91 yards.

Our success begins with the running game, yet we seem too eager to abandon the run.

It’s something that has Chiefs’ fans very frustrated.

Kansas City’s playoff run begins this week at Arrowhead against Oakland. If we want to end our three game losing streak and keep our playoff hopes alive we need to stop the Oakland running game and force turnovers.

If we can accomplish both of those goals - and get back to running the ball - we will get a win before we head to Pittsburgh.

The good news is that we’re pretty healthy this late in the season and that we still have something to play for.

On the other hand, we’ve squandered what little cushion we had left. We have no more room for error if we want to make it back into the playoffs.

(continued from page 20)

had 53 yards on four catches.

So there is some hope.

Just as encouraging is the fact that Smith seemed to be targeting tight end Travis Kelce a little more, which is what more of us fans have been wanting to see. Kelce had 110 yards on seven catches his first career 100-yard game.

Charles Disappears Again What continues to be a head-scratcher for KC fans is how head coach Andy Reid uses - or doesn’t use - runningbacks Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis.

Charles had 75 yards rush-

The X Factor (Ty Rowton) is a former Scott City resident who has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame as a Chiefs Superfan

The Scott County Record • Page 23 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Trinity

(continued from page 19)

O’Neil, who finished with 30 points, collected clutch back-to-back three-pointers down the stretch.

The first one, at the 3:46 mark, gave SCHS a 56-55 lead and the second one answered a Trinity threepointer that gave the Knights their final lead of the game, 58-56. When O’Neil hit a three-pointer with 3:07 remaining, Beaver fans could sense that the comeback was nearly complete.

When Scott City regained possession following a Trinity missed basket, they were able to pull the ball out and wait for backdoor cuts. Scott City didn’t have to wait long as Baker’s layin at the 2:08 mark put them on top 61-58. On their next trip down the floor, Trinity was called for goal tending on Baker’s layin, extending the lead to 63-58 with 1:02 to play.

Baker added another free throw with 18.4 seconds remaining.

Junior guard Dylan Hutchins, who scored a career high 19 points, finished off an outstanding offensive night with a pair of free throws with only 8.7 seconds to play that sealed the win.

After giving up 40 first half points to the Knights, and limiting them to just 22 in the second half, Coach O’Neil said it came down to defense and “doing what you’ve been coached to do.”

“You can’t leave someone open who’s hitting threepointers like they were,” said O’Neil. “We cut the rotation down at halftime and we did a better job of taking away their three-point shooting.”

At the same time, the Beavers began to find their offense in the second half.

“It helps when we can make some shots and when we have Sloan out there the whole time,” he added.

Hess was the only other Beavers in double figures with 10 points and Baker added seven.

SCHS junior guard Dylan Hutchins drives past a Wichita Trinity defender during Thursday’s season opening, 66-62, win on the home court.

(Record Photo)

The Scott County Record • Page 24 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Beavers keep on rollin’

Seniors finish careers 49-4, 2 state title appearances

When this year’s Scott Community High School seniors walked off the football field for the last time at the conclusion of the Class 3A state title game, they did it with more wins than any other class in school history.

During their four years as part of the SCHS program they were in two state title games winning the Class 3A crown in 2012 - and compiled a record of 49-4.

The only other four year span in which the Beavers had comparable success was 1988-91 when they won two state titles (1989, 1991) and finished with a 44-4 record.

This year’s seniors fell just shy of matching the undefeated season of the 2012 champions with their 13-1 record and state runner-up finish.

“This group achieved so much because they bought into what we were telling them game by game and week by week,” says head coach Glenn O’Neil.

Just how much success a team is capable of achieving or whether they are capable of advancing to the state finals - is something which O’Neil says he doesn’t try to speculate about early in a season.

“I’ve never approached a season with the thinking that any team could make it to the state championship game. There are too many variables,” he emphasizes. “You have to be lucky with injuries. It takes occasional luck on the field. I never think of a state championship until the week when we’re preparing for it.

“There were maybe a couple of times when I heard seniors getting onto the other players, telling them ‘If you want to get to a state championship than you can’t practice like this.’

That’s probably the only time there was any talk about a state championship other than during the week (of state).”

Big Offensive Numbers In compiling a 13-1 record, the Beavers amassed 6,025 yards of total offense - 2,317 passing and 3,708 rushing.

That compares with the state championship season of 2012 when SCHS had 2,236 passing yards and another 4,026 rushing - a total of 6,262 yards.

Senior quarterback Trey O’Neil had an outstanding season with 2,063 passing yards, including 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes (139-of-201).

For the first time in Coach O’Neil’s tenure, there were also a pair of 1,000 yard runningbacks in junior fullback Cooper Griffith (141 for 1,206 yards) and junior runningback Wyatt Kropp (139 for 1,089 yards).

Senior tight end Sloan Baker (42 for 665 yards) was the leading receiver followed by senior wideout Brett Meyer (39 for 633 yards).

While the Beavers have been able to reload rather than rebuild while making nine consecutive playoff appearances, there will be some huge holes to be filled during the upcoming season. A major point of emphasis will be the offensive and defensive lines.

While the Beavers have several big linemen in the freshmen and sophomore classes, O’Neil says they will have to make a lot of progress in three areas during the off-season.

SCHS senior tight end Sloan Baker pumps his fist in the air as he scores the go-ahead touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Class 3A state title game against Rossville.

(Record Photo)

Great West Activities Conference All-League Football First Team Offense Quarterback: Trey O’Neil, sr., Scott City.

Wide receivers: Brett Meyer, sr., Scott City; Luke Avila, jr., Goodland.

Runningbacks: Wyatt Kropp, jr., Scott City; Ben Matchell, jr., Colby; Ian Rudzik, jr., Ulysses.

Tight end: Sloan Baker, sr., Scott City.

Line: Wyatt Eitel, sr., Scott City; Andrew Perez, sr., Ulysses; Austin Hart, jr., Colby; Aaron Hernandez, jr., Holcomb; Hector Torres, sr., Ulysses.

All purpose: Kolt Trachsel, sr., Goodland.

Honorable Mention Offense Quarterback: Trey Teeter, jr., Holcomb.

Wide receivers: Christian Merz, jr., Holcomb; Freddy Romero, sr., Ulysses.

Runningbacks: Cooper Griffith, jr., Scott City; Blake Richmeier, sr., Holcomb; Zach Romero, sr., Ulysses.

Tight end: Conner VanCleave, soph., Holcomb; Zach Leininger, soph., Hugoton.

Line: Lane Hayes, sr., Scott City; Brandon Verlinder, sr., Goodland; Mark Persinger, jr., Hugoton.

All purpose: Brandon Stegman, soph., Holcomb; Ulises Armendariz, sr., Hugoton.

First Team Defense End: Garrett Janda, sr., Holcomb; Drego Mravilla, jr., Ulysses.

Line: Chantz Yager, sr., Scott City; Brandon Verlinden, sr., Goodland; Ethan Jay, soph., Colby.

Linebackers: Cooper Griffith, jr., Scott City; Blake Richmeier, sr., Holcomb; Dillon Williams, soph., Holcomb; Ian Rudzik, jr., Ulysses.

Backs: Trey O’Neil, sr., Scott City; Brett Meyer, sr., Scott City; Calen Rupp, sr., Holcomb; Bryce Rodriguez, sr., Ulysses.

Honorable Mention Defense End: Wyatt Eitel, sr., Scott City.

Line: Austin Hart, jr., Colby; Austin Ochoa, soph., Ulysses.

Linebackers: Sloan Baker, sr., Scott City; Ben Matchell, jr., Colby; Zach Romero, sr., Ulysses.

Backs: Brady Holzmeister, jr., Colby; Freddy Romero, sr., Ulysses; Ulises Armendariz, sr., Hugoton; Kolt Trachsel, sr., Goodland.

First Team Special Teams Punter: Braden Showalter, jr., Holcomb.

Kicker: Trey Teeter, jr., Holcomb.

Punt returner: Wyatt Kropp, jr., Scott City.

Kickoff returner: Ben Matchell, jr., Colby.

Honorable Mention Special Teams Punter: Gerrell Miller, sr., Goodland.

Kicker: Tre Stewart, soph., Scott City.

Punt returner: Christian Merz, jr., Holcomb; Manny Mendez, jr., Hugoton.

Kickoff returner: Brandon Stegman, soph., Holcomb.

•They have to get stronger.

They’re young, so that will happen.

•They have to get quicker with their feet.

•They have to be more dedicated to improving their football knowledge - what to do and when to do it.

“The offensive line, for example, has to realize there’s a purpose for every step they take on the field as a blocker,” O’Neil says.

And they need to bring an attitude - a toughness - that’s often been lacking in practice and

during games.

“We have big boys who are just too nice on the field,” O’Neil says. “There have been a lot of times during practice when Coach (Jim) Turner has said that so-and-so got after it during a line drill and dominated the guy in front of them. But they couldn’t keep that same intensity when we were scrimmaging or in a game. They have to improve their toughness.”

He also wants to see more physical blocking.

“Quite honestly, we didn’t have very many pancake blocks

Scott City Season Stats Player Trey O’Neil

Comp.

139

Player Sloan Baker Brett Meyer Chantz Yager Wyatt Kropp Drake McRae

Player Cooper Griffith Wyatt Kropp Marshal Hutchins Chantz Yager Trey O’Neil

Player Cooper Griffith Sloan Baker Marshall Hutchins Chantz Yager Trey O’Neil

Quarterback Att TD 201 22

Int. 3

Yds. 2,063

Receivers Rec. Yards 42 665 39 633 31 24 7

442 371 102

Runningbacks Car. Yds. 141 1,206 139 1,089 54 377 65 61

YPG 158.7

YPC 15.8 16.2

TD 8 7

14.3 15.5 14.6

6 2 2

YPC 8.6 7.8 7.0

YPG 86.1 77.8 34.3

TD 18 17 3

6.1 4.4

28.1 20.8

5 5

394 271

Defensive Leaders Solo Asst.

TFL 67 97 17 54 54 11 23 74 3 22 51 8 35 25 1

Sacks 1 0 0 5 0

FR 3 1 3 1 1

Int 1 4 1 0 8

Inside the Numbers 29: Total punt return yards by SCHS opponents.

102: total kickoffs by SCHS. .870: winning percentage by head coach Glenn O’Neil since becoming head coach in 2007. He has compiled an 87-13 record.

7: consecutive seasons in which the Beavers have won at least 10 games.

- even on double-teams,” he ing what he does well when we notes. were preparing for Norton and he wasn’t the (scout team) quarHoles to be Filled terback when we were preparLeading the list of returning ing for Halstead and Rossville.” skill players are Griffith and Among the runningback Kropp, who will provide an- prospects who can provide other tough 1-2 punch out of added depth and see a lot of the backfield. However, several playing time are sophomores other players are ready to as- Jess Drohman, Kevin Aguilera, sume bigger roles in place of Kevin Lozano and Tre Stewart. seniors at several key positions.

Wide receiver prospects inSophomore Kyle Cure saw clude junior Drake McRae, who a lot of playing time as a back saw a lot of varsity experience side tight end. He needs another this season, along with sopho10 or 15 pounds to become a mores Justin Faurot and Drew better blocker, says O’Neil.

Duff.

Sophomore quarterback Bo “Our biggest issue at wide Hess had a good junior varsity receiver is that we don’t have season. Unfortunately, the fi- someone with blazing speed nal four weeks of practice dur- who can demand a double team. ing the post-season didn’t ben- Drake has improved during the efit him as much as it did other past year. He’s as fast as anyplayers. body, but he’s not faster, which “With the different offenses allows people to crowd the line we saw during the post-season, more and take away the fade there wasn’t an opportunity for routes,” O’Neil says. him to spend much time work“We’re missing that home ing on our style of offense and run threat and unless someone get more reps that will help him surprises me, we don’t have a next year,” O’Neil explained. home run hitter coming up ei“He didn’t get a ton of reps do- ther.”

The Scott County Record • Page 25 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Coach

Pigskin Payoff Week 14 Winners Player Tie-B Total Aaron Kropp 65 11 Gary Tucker 64 11 Nic Cheney 62 11 M. Lippelmann 62 11 Walter Johnson 60 11 Keith Shapland 54 11 Kerry Von Schriltz 11 Brent Rogers 11 Julia Cheney 10 Mandy Kropp 10 Jon Lippelmann 10 Barry Switzer 10 Jan Tucker 10 Theron Tucker 10 Brad Venters 10 Final Standings Adam Kadavy Walter Johnson Barry Switzer Keith Shapland Jon Lippelmann Ryan Roberts Tim McGonagle Sue Rogers Jon Berning Gary Tucker Jan Tucker Brent Rogers Rick Wright Steve Fenster Mandy Kropp Marilyn Lippelmann Clint Shapland

149 147 147 146 144 144 143 143 142 142 141 141 141 140 140 140 140

SCHS Wrestling Varsity Wrestling Hoxie Invitational Dec. 6, 2014 Team scores: Norton JV 189.5, Oakley 122.5, Oberlin 114.5, Plainville 85.5, Cimarron 70, Scott City 63, Hoxie 56, Lakin 22 106: Zach Tucker dec. Kel Grafel (Oberlin), 9-3; pinned

by Estin Slack (Oakley), 3:40; tech. fall Braiden Lynn (Cimarron), 15-0, 2:31; pinned Kel Grafel (Oberlin), 4:33.

Third place 138: James Jurgens tech. fall Derek Rowh (Norton), 150, 3:38; maj. dec. Gunner Kerns (Plainville), 12-2. First place 145: Jarret Jurgens tech. fall Luis McPherson (Lakin), 17-2, 4:39; dec. Wyatt Murphy (Oakley), 11-8; dec. by Trever Houser (Plainville), 5-2. Second place 152: Kevin Aguilera pinned Weston Harting (Norton), 0:30; pinned by Taylor Murphy (Oakley), 1:36; pinned Cade Wurm (Oberlin), 0:56; pinned by Chase Werner (Plainville), 2:27. Fourth place 160: Trey Loftis dec.

Layton Miller (Norton), 9-7; pinned Jeff Gilliland (Lakin), 5:51; pinned by Tabor Erickson (Oberlin), 2:26. Second place 195: Wyatt Eitel pinned

by Chris Cox (Oakley), 4:50; pinned by Rex Diederich (Oberlin), 1:08; pinned Charlie Coleman (Cimarron), 0:46.

Third place 285: Lane Hayes pinned Matt Vacura (Norton), 2:40; pinned Leo Jirak (Oakley), 3:22; pinned Nick Powell (Cimarron), 0:33. First place SCHS Jr. Varsity Hays-TMP Invitational Dec. 6, 2014 145: Rafael Estrella pinned by Justice Harris (Oberlin), 0:16; pinned

by Mark Loftis (TMP), 3:35; dec. by Andreas Verecke (Larned), 11-8. Fifth place 160: Ethan Ford pinned Austin Meyer (Russell), 1:36; dec. by Konner Buxton (TMP), 10-6. Second place 170B: Pierre Portes pinned by Jordan Taylor (Larned), 2:14; pinned by Kelton Barrett (Larned), 3:01; pinned Nate Tedford (Phillipsburg), 0:57. Third place 220: Garrett Osborn pinned by Connor Boxler (Phillipsburg), 1:47. Second place

(continued from page 22)

Coach Bill Self’s halftime visit with the young Jayhawks must have been something because they were a different team in the second half.

Sophomore guard Wayne Selden led the comeback with 21 points and a display of leadership. Selden has been in an offensive slump and his 9-15 shooting from the field was the biggest factor in the Jayhawks’ win.

Kansas has a team that will be ranked anywhere from the top ten to close to 25th in the polls during an up and down season. Recruiting in college basketball has become a damned if you do and damned if you don’t scenario.

When players like Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins come for just one year and then leave for the NBA, it leaves a gaping hole in the roster. With the present state of college basketball, it’s close to impossible to stay on top year after year.

KU is hurting for size in the pivot and they will lose some games because of that. Kansas plays at Georgetown Wednesday and that will be a daunting challenge.

College basketball needs one major rule change: Timeouts should be limited during the last three minutes of play. As it is now, the timeouts in close games are momentum killers because of their frequency.

The play stoppages in the closing minutes of tight games take away the rhythm and flow and thinking from the players and excitement and enthusiasm from the fans.

If the time-outs were limited to two per team during the last three minutes, coaches would have to spend more time in practice preparing their players to think on their feet and play under pressure.

Coaches currently try to plan every move for their players near the end of close games. These excessive timeouts are a liability for the game and the rules should be changed.

Best and Worst Kansas State’s football team finished their regular season with a 9-3 record after losing 38-27 to Baylor.

Coach Bill Snyder’s Wildcats battled the Bears all the way, but Baylor had too much offensive power.

K-State was rewarded for a superb season with an invitation to the Alamo Bowl where they will play UCLA. Postseason games for a program like Kansas State are invaluable for a number of reasons: the most important is almost a month of extra practice time that is used to develop young players.

In addition, being on national TV during the holidays is a great recruiting aid.

For K-State fans, the unanswered question that becomes more perplexing with every passing season is how long Bill Snyder is going to coach.

If Snyder knows that his son, Sean, isn’t going to be hired to succeed him, he may decide to coach for several more seasons. It’s a complex situation.

One thing is certain: Coach Snyder still has his fastball - the 2014 team was superbly coached.

Skunk controlled car body so he can “drive” it around the room at will. When he goes to shows he keeps it hidden under the table, then suddenly runs it out through the crowd. Talk about an attention getter! I honestly think a fire alarm would get less attention.

I’ve had some interesting adventures involving skunks in traps. Looking back, I can call them interesting now, but at the time my descriptions were slightly different.

Skunks are fairly laid back critters and if caught in an enclosed or covered cage trap can usually be carted away in the trap and unceremoniously dumped somewhere without incident.

Some years ago, as a new trapper, I caught one in a large cage trap set for bobcats, possibly a first for both me and the skunk.

As I slowly approached the cage, the silly thing ran to the back and began an acrobatics display fit for a circus.

First up one side, across the back by its front claws then down the other side it went, twirling like a little black and white ballerina. With great effort and a long stick I got the cage door propped open, then turned and ran cause’ I knew Pepe’ would be charging the open door for his freedom.

(continued from page 20)

At a safe distance I turned to watch, and there it still hung like Spiderman on the inside of the cage. My next plan involved rushing the cage, arms flailing and shouting at the top of my lungs, hoping to scare the critter out the open front door.

It didn’t take me long to see how this would turn disastrous and the maneuver was called off in midcharge.

I had other traps to check, so I opted to leave for awhile, then just stop on my way back through and reset the trap after Pepe’ had vamoosed. A half hour later I found it still in the trap, curled up in a fuzzy little black and white ball in the back corner of the cage. I finally just left and the thing vanished sometime over night.

My latest encounter was just last season. A short distance from town I had a large skunk caught in a foothold coyote trap.

Despite most people’s thinking, foothold traps usually cause a critter no more than a sore foot for awhile, but this skunk appeared to be stone cold dead.

I stood and marveled at its beautiful silky fur as it rippled in the wind, and tried to figure what had caused its demise. It had the trap completely cov-

ered so I needed to push it aside to remove it and prepare it for the fencerow.

Like I said before, both the skunk and the trap were going to stink already, and not anxious to drive home again in my stocking feet, I found a nice sturdy stick to roll it out of the way.

I don’t know who was most surprised, the sleeping skunk when I poked it with the stick or me when it suddenly jumped to its feet! This encounter did not end in disaster (for me) but it gave new meaning to the old cliché, “Things are not always as they seem.”

I’ve never understood how the term “skunked” came to mean basically getting nothing, as in getting “skunked” on a fishing trip. They are amazing little creatures that are very good at doing what God created them to do.

Their fur is soft and silky, their essence is prized by trappers and they’re actually fun to watch as they waddle along.

But if you ever get “skunked” by messing with one, I guarantee you’ll get way more than nothing.

Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at stevegilliland@idkcom.net

The Scott County Record • Page 26 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Hoffman no longer in the shadows after 20 points in tourney Dakota Hoffman began the season expecting to play in the shadow of Jordan Speer.

Then again, when you’re 5-6 and playing in the low post, you’re going to be in most evGolden Pl. 30 eryone’s shad- Dighton 54 ow.

However, the Dighton High School junior stepped out of the shadows to score a career 20 points and pull down 14 rebounds as the Lady Hornets defeated Golden Plains, 54-30, in the opening round of the Castle Rock Classic in Quinter on Tuesday.

“With teams putting a lot of their attention on Jordan, we need Dakota to show that she can score,” says head coach Amy Felker. “What impressed me most was her aggressiveness. She wasn’t afraid to go to the basket early and she gave us an offensive boost early in the game.”

The Lady Bulldogs started the game with a box-and-one on Speer to keep Dighton from getting the ball to the 5-10 sophomore. The strategy was successful to some degree as Speer was limited to just one first half field goal and the Lady Hornets struggling from the field, hitting just one-of-eight to start the game.

With her team leading 3-0, Hoffman scored seven of her team’s next nine points as Dighton opened up a 14-0 lead.

Despite building the early lead, the Lady Hornets had to overcome early foul trouble which forced Felker to use her bench earlier and longer than she hoped. Speer went to the bench early in the second quarter with her second foul and late in the first half sophomore point guard Sara Cramer picked up her third foul.

Beavers

The only other returning starter from a year ago, junior guard Kiara Budd, was whistled for her third foul midway into the third period.

“We had girls who stepped up and played well in a situation when we needed them to,” says Felker.

Senior guard Madison O’Brien hit back-to-back baskets in the second quarter after a Golden Plains scoring run had cut the lead to 14-7. In addition, senior guard Regan Foos added four points late in the quarter that gave Dighton a 27-14 halftime lead.

“These girls have shown they aren’t afraid to shoot from the outside. The more they play the more confidence they’ll gain,” says Felker. “If teams are going to leave them open then I expect them to shoot. The more they hit those shots the more it will open up the inside for Jordan and Dakota.”

The contribution from Dighton’s supporting cast didn’t go unnoticed by Golden Plains head coach Parker Christensen who noted that “it wasn’t the big three who beat us,” referring to Speer, Cramer and Budd. That trio accounted for 18 points.

“It was the rest of their team who beat us,” he said.

Felker acknowledges there is a perception that the Lady Hornets are limited to the “big three,” but feels that the Golden Plains game showed they have more girls who can contribute.

Speer, who was just 3-of-11 from the field, finished with seven points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots. Speer will have to adjust her game to the junk defenses and double-teams that she can expect to see throughout the season.

“She needs to use her size and strength and power her way to the basket,” says Felker. “She’s either going to get the basket or get to the free throw line. And

Dighton’s Dakota Hoffman pulls down a rebound against Golden Plains during first round action of the Castle Rock Classic on Tuesday.

(Record Photo)

the better we can shoot from the finished with six points while outside the more it will open Cramer added five. Budd and things up for Jordan under the Cramer added five assists each. basket.”

Budd, Foos and O’Brien each As a team, the Lady Hornets

hit 33 percent from the field (22-of-66) and dominated the boards with 41 rebounds.

The Lady Hornets will face Atwood in Friday’s semi-finals.

experience. The quicker that ence at the JV level or during Drake can step up and help us practice,” he says.

“We have five boys who have the more athletic we’ll be on the the endurance to play for most floor” of the game. If the other guys earn a chance to step on the Deeper Bench With respect to contributions floor than we’re going to play from Cure and Hess, O’Neil them. If they don’t show that says he’s looking for them to they’re ready to be varsity playprovide “hustle points and re- ers yet, then they aren’t going to bounds.” play.

“They’re athletic enough and “It’s what they show us in long enough to give us the ex- practice, and it has to be consistra rebounding,” says the head tent. It can’t be one day they’re coach. “There are guys who hot and the next day they’re have a knack for following cold. I’m not talking about the the flight of the ball and know shooting. I’m talking about the where it’s going to go, but re- effort, the execution and the bounding is as much about heart knowledge of the game,” says as it is anything else.”

O’Neil. “We have a lot of quesWhile O’Neil feels the bench tion marks, but we also have will be deeper than last year, pieces to build around also.” how much he uses that depth rePutting those pieces together mains to be seen. will be a little more challenging “I don’t want to take out all- with the absence of Meyer until league guys to put in somebody after Christmas due to a foot inelse. They can get their experi- jury. That may force O’Neil to

rely on his bench a little more than expected.

“Brett’s injury could be an opportunity for some of the other guys to show what they can do. It’s definitely not a blessing in disguise because we’d much rather have Brett on the floor with his senior classmates.”

The possibility of injuries and the lack of conditioning for early season basketball games - has come to be expected with Scott City’s football playoff success.

“We’ve been very fortunate over the last seven years to go as far as we have in football. At the same time we’ve also been very fortunate that we haven’t lost any basketball players to football injuries,” O’Neil adds.

“This year is the exception, but when you play 14 games you almost expect it to happen to someone. You just hope it’s for a short time period.”

(continued from page 19)

“Dylan has the ability to score 15 to 20 points the way he can shoot the ball when he gets on a streak,” says O’Neil. “What we want to avoid are those nights when he scores four or five points. He needs to have confidence in his shot and be willing to take the open shot.”

O’Neil is hoping to see Yager consistently shooting 33-40 percent from beyond the arc.

“Defense will also be a big part of his game,” O’Neil says.

The head coach notes that O’Neil, Meyer and Baker will be the go-to players.

“Everyone else is a role player until they can prove otherwise,” he says. “The other guys will need to establish what their roles are on any given night.”

Others who are expected to earn varsity roles include juniors Drake McRae and Justin Faurot, along with sophomores Kyle Cure and Bo Hess.

“Drake had an up and down summer. We hope to see him playing at a higher level and with more consistency this winter,” O’Neil said of the junior guard who sat out last season because of a knee injury.

Hess and Cure, who will provide added help in the post, along with Faurot were able to gain a lot of experience this summer against varsity level competition.

“Those three are probably ahead of the other guys because of how much they’ve played together,” O’Neil says. “Drake, from an athleticism standpoint, had some very good games last summer. But there were also times you could tell he missed an entire season. He just needs court time.

“He’s a year ahead of the sophomores in terms of athleticism and maturity, but he’s a year behind them in terms of

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The Scott County Record

Page 27 - Thursday, December 11, 2014

The home of Don and Trudi Eikenberry, 501 Russell, in Scott City was one of six stops on the holiday home tour sponsored by the Scott Community High School junior class on Sunday afternoon.

(Record Photos)

The Scott County Record

Farm

Page 28 - Thursday, December 11, 2014

Keep politics out of the producer’s checkoff Over my past year as President of the NCBA, I have had a rare opportunity to look at all sides of the beef industry. And I have come to realize, that much like our country, the cattle industry has individuals and organizations that differ on their views of government involvement.

By and large, the members of the NCBA, the members who I have rep-

ag briefs

Wildlife habitat to get boost The Kansas Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced that 64,400 acres in Kansas are now available for wildlife habitat improvement incentives.

FSA can accept more applications to enroll acres in Kansas for farmers and ranchers interested in protecting local prairiechickens. In exchange for creating more grasslands and wetlands for these rural species, USDA will provide participating landowners with rental payments and help with expenses.

This opportunity comes from the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program, which is part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Landowners can enroll acres in a designated wildlife project at any time.

The participants and the offered land must meet eligibility requirements.

For more details, contact the Scott County FSA office at (620) 872-3230.

Key dates for FSA farm bill programs

USDA is announcing key dates for farm owners and producers to keep in mind regarding the new 2014 Farm Bill established programs, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).

•Nov. 17 to March 31: Producers make a one-time election of either ARC or PLC for the 2014-18 crop years.

•Mid-April through summer 2015: Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop years.

•October 2015: Payments for 2014 crop year, if needed.

ag commentary Bob McCan NCBA President

resented this year, want less government involvement. They don’t want the government to pick winners and losers. They don’t want the government to tell them how to market their cattle, they don’t want the government to market their beef,

and they sure don’t want the government to run their research, education and promotion.

The government is distant and ineffective when it comes to doing the work of private industry.

But there are also those who do want the government to do all these things and more. They aren’t all of one mind, but they sometimes feel at a disadvantage, they are a minor-

ity and the easiest way to tip the scales toward the minority, is if the government steps in and throws off the balance.

This is nothing new; the government has been picking winners and losers since the very beginning. One of the very first cases ever to come before the Supreme Court was McCulloch v. Maryland, where the fourth Supreme Court Chief Justice,

Justice Marshall wrote that “the power to tax was the power to destroy.”

The government power to tax, regulate and legislate is unparalleled in our economy. And now there are some that are looking to that authority to again tip the scales in their favor to fix what they perceive as an inequity.

Their policy positions have fallen out of favor with the majority, they

have been dealt one loss after another, and they cling to a system of production that no longer exists or is no longer practical. And like a wounded snake, they lash out at everything that moves, in the hopes they can latch on to something with their remaining venom.

The problem is, that never solves the issue, it only hurts the industry.

(See CHECKOFF on page 29)

Keep an eye on disease potential Scout for leaf rust for possible action in spring

Down on the Farm

To go along with beautiful weather we’re getting right now, there has also been concern as to the possibility of diseases in our growing, or hopefully dormant, wheat, this fall.

There are rumors that leaf rust has been spotted across the area, suggesting that an infection could be more abundant than what we realize this year.

Producers probably aren’t surprised as leaf rust infection is common in Kansas this time

Chris Long Walnut Creek Extension Agent

of year, but the disease rarely reaches damaging levels.

For those who have noticed the disease showing up, or wondering what to do, there is no need for fungicide applications this fall, as leaf rust only survives the winter in 30-40 percent of the years, here in Kansas anyway.

Winter survival of leaf rust is favored by above normal

temperatures and snow cover.

Snow cover is important because it insulates the wheat from those cold temperatures we were getting a couple of weeks ago, as well as drying winds that cause tip dieback and desiccation of wheat leaves.

This loss of leaf area is not critical to the plant because it will produce a lot of new growth in the spring. However, the loss of leaf area is important for the survival of the leaf rust, because the rust fungus needs a living host to survive.

The loss of leaf area during the winter months often results in mortality of the leaf rust fungus.

Keep in mind, it is helpful to know that leaf rust is present in the fall because this information can help us establish scouting priorities next spring. The risk of severe disease increases significantly when leaf rust survives the winter locally and becomes established on the new growth next March.

The risk and concern of a major infestation next spring, often means that the wheat has the right conditions to have promising yields in the end.

Along with the leaf rust issues, there have also been reports of wheat streak mosaic. In nearly all the reports, my (See DISEASE on page 29)

Consistency is key to top wheat market Japan’s status as the largest consistent buyer for U.S. wheat helps underpin global demand and cash price for Kansas hard red winter (HRW) wheat.

Overall, Japan purchases roughly 10 percent of all U.S. wheat exports each year. That includes imports of three

Thompson in KLA Academy regional tour

The third installment of the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) Young Stockmen’s Academy (YSA) spent three days touring various segments of the beef and dairy industries in southern and western Kansas.

Chase Thompson, Scott City, is among the group of 20 young men and women.

Stops included Bechtel Ranch near Eureka; McCurry Angus Ranch near Burrton; and CB Farms of Preston.

In Western Kansas the group toured the milking parlor at Royal Farms Dairy near Garden City; and Finney County Feeders of Garden City.

The group also toured the Cargill packing plant in Dodge City.

The fourth YSA session was held during the KLA Convention in early December.

Wheat Scoop Julia Debes communications director

Kansas Wheat

wheat classes - HRW, soft white and hard red spring. In turn, U.S. wheat constitutes 57 percent of Japan’s total annual wheat imports.

For HRW wheat, Japan is the fourth largest buyer

on average. In 2013/14, Japan imported 3.3 million bushels of HRW, representing 7 percent of all HRW exports and 4 percent of all HRW production that year.

The Japanese market is highly quality conscious and values the reliability and choices provided by the U.S. wheat supply chain from farm to port.

Market Report Closing prices on December 9, 2014 Scoular, of Pence Bartlett Grain Wheat..................

$ 5.84

Wheat..................

$ 5.80

White Wheat .......

$ 5.99

White Wheat .......

$ 5.90

Milo ....................

$ 4.05

Milo (bu.).............

$ 4.00

Corn ...................

$ 4.05

Corn....................

$ 4.00

Soybeans (new crop) $ 9.71 Scott City Cooperative

Weather H

L

December 2

58

14

$ 4.05

December 3

43

30

$ 4.05

December 4

48

27

Soybeans ...........

$ 9.71

December 5 64 33

Sunflowers..........

$ 17.05

December 6 47 24

Wheat..................

$ 5.84

White Wheat .......

$ 5.99

Milo (bu.).............

Corn....................

P

December 7 63 35

ADM Grain Wheat..................

$ 5.87

Milo (bu.).............

$ 4.05

Corn....................

$ 4.05

December 8 59 26 Moisture Totals

Soybeans............

$ 9.59

December

Sunflowers..........

$ 17.60

2014 Total

.00 19.58

As a result, Japan issues large tenders for U.S. wheat on a consistent basis through its import statetrading enterprise. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFF) purchases nearly all of Japanese wheat imports and then sells it to Japanese flour mills.

Japanese millers are highly sophisticated and

efficient, with the ability to produce up to 500 different products daily.

Shawn Campbell, assistant director of the U.S. Wheat Associates West Coast Office in Portland, explained that Japanese millers primarily use HRW for noodle production.

(See MARKET on page 29)

The Scott County Record • Page 29 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Farm Bureau’s ‘Farm Family of the Year’ from Wichita County Clint and Amy France, Wichita County, have been recognized as the Kansas Farm Bureau “Farm Family of the Year” in the 9th District.

The Frances received the award during KFB’s annual meeting in Manhattan on Dec. 1.

One family in each of the KFB’s 10 geographic districts is selected each year for the award which recognizes families for their service and leadership in agriculture, Farm Bureau and their communities.

The Frances run a 280head Angus cow/calf herd on 3,000 acres of pasture land. One quarter of their land irrigated with the majority dryland. They follow a wheat, milo, corn, summer fallow rota-

tion.

Their goal as a farming family is to demonstrate to their children how important it is to be better farmers, not bigger farmers. This year, the family added chickens, bees and a greenhouse to their operation so the children could have a better firsthand experience.

The Frances have five children, Caleb, 20; Madison, 17; Delaney, 9; Calli, 8; and Jury, 2.

Clint has been an active Farm Bureau board member for the past 10 years, serving as vice president for the last three.

The Frances have been very active in the YF&R conference for five years and are looking forward to more. Clint is currently a representative on the

Checkoff The National Farmers Union and other groups oppose NCBA’s member passed policy. That is fine; there is always room for dissent in organized debate and our government system works on adversarial positions, where in the end the right outcome is found.

But to bring your losses from the adversarial arena of policy and politics to the public arena of education is foul. Just because you lose, doesn’t mean the

Market Blending HRW with Australian noodle specific varieties helps lower costs.

Some HRW imported by Japan is used as feed wheat. Campbell explained this provides a market for lower protein HRW as Japan has a minimum protein specification of 11.5 percent protein, compared to the 12.0 percent protein minimum specifications of most international HRW buyers.

Today, Japan sources the majority of wheat pur-

Disease (continued from page 28)

Clint and Amy France with three of their children, Jury, Calli and Delaney.

Beef Ag Advisory committee.

In addition to their farming, the France family is active in their church with Clint heading up the annual Biker Sunday service and Amy heading the Shower Committee for new babies and couples

as well as home-schooling their children.

They have also attended the Kansas Wheat Tours for the last four years.

The Frances believe Farm Bureau’s role needs to be focused on continued education on every

level so “we can be confident those in office know what we do and sacrifice to support our nation.

“Farm Bureau’s role is also vital in staying involved in the legislative process and being quick to take protective action on our behalf,” they add.

discuss with their respective boards on enhancing the Beef Checkoff, National Farmers Union pulled out.

That doesn’t sound to me like they ever intended to reach a compromise.

Fact is, the rhetoric from the National Farmers Union has been so inconsistent on this issue it’s impossible to determine what they want.

One thing is clear; they want to get rid of the cur-

rent Beef Checkoff that is supported by 78 percent of beef producers, because they mistakenly think it will humiliate the NCBA. You can disagree with our positions, you can deny our success, or you can join and craft policy engage in debate, but do not use a program that benefits everyone in the cattle industry as a political battering ram for your personal or professional gain.

(continued from page 28)

system is flawed, sometimes you’re just wrong.

Cattlemen and women nationwide, benefit from a Beef Checkoff that is nonpartisan and non-political.

A Beef Checkoff that is administered by boards of producers at the national and state levels and overseen by the USDA. A Beef Checkoff where national organizations that meet the most basic of requirements have a chance to submit their proposals for national funding.

So next time you hear someone throw stones, ask them if they have submitted a contract, if they have had an opportunity to submit a name for the Beef Board, if they have sat in on these meetings and given input.

The National Farmers Union was an active participant in meetings of several national organizations working to enhance the Beef Checkoff Program and when the groups had agreed on a concept to

(continued from page 28)

chases from ports in the Pacific Northwest. While a significant portion of the HRW Japan purchases is grown north and west of Kansas, the volume of its imports raises demand, and price, for all HRW farmers.

“Without the Japanese, farmers in states like Montana would be forced to sell HRW at a much discounted price in order to compete in the domestic market,” Campbell said.

It is important to note that this successful rela-

tionship would not have been possible without the efforts of U.S. wheat farmers. In 1949, farmers from Oregon traveled to Japan to discover how to expand wheat sales.

The resulting educational and marketing activities included a rural school lunch program called “Kitchen on Wheels.” U.S. Wheat Associates, the industry’s export market development organization, continues that work today on behalf of all U.S. wheat farmers.

my guess is the infection of this disease can be traced back to volunteer wheat or early planting dates.

The volunteer wheat serves as a type of green bridge for the virus and wheat curl mites that spread the disease. As you know, it’s always the neighbors fault for not destroying their volunteer at least two weeks prior to planting.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that can stop the development of the disease or activity of the curl mites once the problem has begun. The best option, along with controlling volunteer, is to use a variety that is more resistant to the disease.

Now, it has been asked in the past about the possibility of destroying a wheat stand and replanting later in the fall, which is too late by now. The replant option seems risky. If you tried this, you would need time for the current wheat stand and mite population to die before you could replant.

This delay could result in late planted wheat with poor yield potential. It is hard to do, but is probably best to wait and evaluate the yield potential next spring.

7

$

The Scott County Record • Page 30 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

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

Clifton Smith Construction

Preconditioning and Growing

• 45 Years Experience • Managed and owned by full-time DVM • 2,000 Head capacity Office - 872-5150 • Scott City

Call:

620-214-2674

Stuart Doornbos Home - 872-2775 Cell - 874-0951

Painting • Remodeling • Handicap Bath Remodels

Licensed and Bonded

Construction/Home Repair

Sager’s Pump Service CHAMBLESS • Irrigation • Domestic • Windmills • Submersibles

ROOFING Residential

All Types of Roofing

Commercial

Cedar Shake and Shingle Specialists Return to Craftsmanship

Cell: 874-4486 • Office 872-2101

Attention to Detail and Quality Guaranteed 620-872-2679 • 1-800-401-2683

ELLIS AG SERVICES

Dirks Earthmoving Co.

• 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

20 years experience See us for any type of work!

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

Precision Land Forming of terraces and waterways; feed lot pens and ponds; building site preparation; lazer equipped

Richard Dirks • Scott City, Ks. (Home) 872-3057 • 877-872-3057 (Cell) 872-1793

Automotive Willie’s Auto A/C Repair Willie Augerot Complete A/C Service Mechanic Work and Diagnostics Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Walker Plumbing, Inc.

404 Kingsley • Scott City • 874-1379

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

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

Contact:

Landscaping • Lawn/Trees

Berning Tree Service David Berning • Marienthal

620-379-4430

Tree Trimming and Removal Hedge and Evergreen Trimming Stump Removal

Fully Insured

SCOT AYTES • 874-1646

Red

Specializing in

all coatings t Paint i or any other color

Horizon Health For your home medical supply and equipment needs!

Paint inside and out residential, commercial, and industrial.

Free estimates and 16 plus years of experience.

PC Painting, Inc.

We service and repair all that we sell.

Paul Cramer 620-290-2410 620-872-8910 www.pcpaintinginc.com

1602 S. Main • Scott City • 872-2232 Toll Free : 1-866-672-2232

Pro Ex II

Over 20 Years Experience

Professional Extermination Commercial & Residential

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

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

Call today for a Greener Healthier Lawn

RT Plumbing Rex Turley, Master Plumber

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

Marienthal, Ks.

Owner, Chris Lebbin • 620-214-4469

620-909-5014 (H) • 620-874-4128 (C)

Dr. Jeffrey A. Heyd Optometrist 20/20 Optometry

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

Complete family eye center!

106 W. 4th • Scott City • 872-2020 • Emergencies: 872-2736

$

7

The Scott County Record • Page 31 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

Professional Directory Continued

Services

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

For all your auction needs call:

(620) 375-4130

Scott City Clinic

872-2187

Christian E. Cupp, MD

William Slater, MD

Libby Hineman, MD

Megan Dirks, AP, RN-BC

Josiah Brinkley, MD

Ryan Michels, PA

Family Practice Family Practice Family Practice

Matthew Lightner, MD Family Practice

Russell Berning Box Q • Leoti

General Surgeon

Joie Tedder, APNP

Sandy Cauthon RN

For Sale

Truck Driving

PIANO SALE. Final week. Pianos as low as $488. Grands, verticals, digitals and player pianos. Hurry, sale ends Dec. 13. Mid-America Piano, Manhattan. 800-950-3774, www.piano4u.com.

––––––––––––––––––––– VIAGRA AND CIALIS users. A cheaper alternative to high drug store prices. 50 pill special, $99.

Free shipping. 100% guaranteed. Call now, 1-800906-4338.

NO EXPERIENCE? Some or lots of experience? Let’s talk. No matter what stage in your career, its time. Call Central Refrigerated Home (888) 670-0392. www.

CentralTruckDrivingJobs. com.

––––––––––––––––––––– BUTLER TRANSPORT. Your partner in excellence. Drivers needed.

Great hometime. $650 sign-on bonus. All miles paid. 1-800-528-7825. www.butlertransport.com.

––––––––––––––––––––– GREAT PLAINS Trucking of Salina is looking for experienced OTR tractor-trailer flatbed drivers or recent driving school graduates. Our drivers travel 48 U.S. states as well as the lower Canadian provinces. We offer excellent compensation, benefits, home time and equipment. Please contact Brett or Randy at 785-823-2261 or brettw@ gptrucking.com, randyl@ gptrucking.com.

––––––––––––––––––––– START WITH OUR training or continue your solid career. You have options. Company drivers, lease/purchase or owner/operators needed.

(888) 670-0392. www.

CentralTruckDrivingJobs. com.

Sporting Goods

Melissa Batterton, APRN

Scott City Myofascial Release

Kansas Classifieds Ad Network

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

Fur-Fection

105 1/2 W. 11th St., Scott City 620-874-1813 scottcitymfr@gmail.com FB: Scott City Myofascial Release

GUN SHOW. Dec. 13-14. Sat. 9:00-5:00; Sunday 9:00-3:00. Kansas Expocentre (19th and Topeka Blvd.) in Topeka.

Buy-Sell-Trade. For info call (563) 927-8176.

Legal Aid

Call me to schedule your Myofascial Release

SOCIAL SECURITY disability benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We can help! Win or pay nothing. Contact Bill Gordon and Associates at 1-800-737-4275 to start your application today.

Sports/Outdoors Retail

LEASE THE HUNTING rights to your land and earn top $$$. Call for free quote and info packet. Hunting leases.

Done right since 1999.

1-866-309-1507. www.

BaseCampLeasing.com.

––––––––––––––––––––– A T T E N T I O N HUNTERS/Fur harvesters. Petska Fur is running routes in your area. Will buy (or trade gloves) for deer/elk hides, antlers or fur. www.petskafur.net, 308-750-0700.

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!

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

LENDERS OFFERING special government programs for manufactured homes. $0 down for land owners. FHA for firsttime buyers. VA: $0 down for veterans. Section 184 for federal tribe members.

Lenders accepting less than perfect credit. 866858-6862.

Opportunities

Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

402 S. Main, Scott City • 872-1300

Brent Rogers

Homes

Northend Disposal A garbologist company.

SAWMILLS from only $4,397. Make and save money with your own bandmill. Cut lumber. Any dimension. In stock ready to ship. Free info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills. com. 1-800-578-1363, ext.

300N.

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

PC Cleaning Services, Inc. Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

www.reganjewelers.com

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

We'll clean your home, business or do remodeling clean-up Available seven days a week!

Paul Cramer, Owner

620-290-2410

All Under One Roof

Revcom Electronics

Dining

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

1104 Main • Scott City • 872-2625

C-Mor-Butz BBQ

Barbecue, the only sport where a fat bald man is a GOD...

& Catering

Kyle Lausch 620-872-4209

Bryan Mulligan & Chris Price 620-874-8301 & 620-874-1285

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

www.cmorbutzbbq.com • cmorbutzbbq@gmail.com

Classifieds

The Scott County Record • Page 32 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

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: $5.50 per column inch.

Classified advertising must be paid in advance unless business account is established.

If not paid in advance, there will be a $1 billing charge.

Tear sheet for classified ad will be $1 extra.

Card of Thanks We would like to thank Park Lane Nursing Home, residents and the Scott City community for all the cards, support and donations while my husband Norman was at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Tex., undergoing kidney surgery.

A special thanks to the Park Lane Nursing Home employee committee, Napene Ellis, and the dietary staff for all the acts of kindness. Also a very special thank you to Gloria Fulton and MaryAnn Knowlton for caring for our mother while we were away.

Norman and Cynthia Medina

GARAGE SALES Saturday, Dec. 13 Craft Sale 711 Church St., Scott City in back Saturday: 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Sports team clocks, tissue boxes, coasters, can holders.

Great for Christmas gifts.

Wall hangings and other items.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS If you want to drink, that’s your business.

If you want to stop, that’s ours.

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Tuesday nights at 8:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church basement (use west door).

412 College, Scott City.

Al-Anon at same time and location.

Contact: 874-0472 or 872-3137. 30t52

NEW LISTING

Beautiful immaculate 2,000 sq. ft./full basement home in a friendly rural community. Near Scott City, Oakley and Garden City. On 1 acre and mature landscape with sprinkler and drip line watering system. Will make a great place to work a sells territory from or a wonderful, beautiful, quiet home to retire in. $232,000.

Brick home 1,430 sq. ft., 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 car garage and sprinkler in yard.

Buy lots in the Eastridge addition for your new home location.

Thomas Real Estate

www.thomasreal-estate.com

914 W. 12th Scott City, Ks. 67871 (620)-872-7396 Cell: (620)-874-1753 or Cell: (620)-874-5002 14tfc

Pine Village Apartments 300 E. Nonnamaker

Apartments available for qualifying tenants 62+ or disabled with rental assistance available.

Hours: Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. by appointment Call Steve 872-2535 or (620) 255-4824.

19tfc

REDUCED

Large brick home, 4-bedrooms, 3-baths, Cool great room with cathedral ceiling, cherry wood cabinets, 2-fireplaces, family room down stairs,windows up replaced, central vac and wet bar. Plus, office, fenced yard, sprinkler, DA garage in great area!

Call for details!

REDUCED

NICE starter home, approx. 1386 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, newer windows, FA-CA 2010, fresh paint, family room, all on a corner lot with off-street parking.

NOW $69,900.

Lawrence and Associates

Deb Lawrence, GRI Broker Shorty Lawrence, Sales Assoc.

513 Main • Scott City 872-5267 ofc. 872-7184 hm. lawrenceandassocrealty.com Sheila Ellis, Broker Assoc.

872-2056 Kerry Gough, Sales Assoc.

872-7337 Russell Berning, 874-4405 www.berningauction.com

Services

Rentals

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

41tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– MULTIPLE HOUSES FOR RENT. 1 bedroom homes available. Also 8x10 storage units available. Stop by PlainJans to fill out an application or call 872-5777.

01tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– COMMERCIAL/RETAIL SPACE available Sept. 1. 306 W. 5th Scott City. Contact Jeff 8741659.

50tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– STORAGE UNITS in various sizes available at The Storehouse, Don and Trudy Eikenberry 620872-2914.

07tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– 1 AND 2 BEDROOM apartments for rent. Please call 620-874-8353. 10tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– 3-BEDROOM, 2-BATH, single level country home, 12 miles from town, no inVehicles door pets, $750. Call 6202003 PONTIAC MON- 872-2930 between 8:00 TANA van, 86,000 miles, a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Refer$4,300. Call 620-872- ences required.

17t4c 2190.

18t2c WANTED: Yards to mow and clean up, etc. Trim smaller trees and bushes too. Call Dean Riedl, (620) 872-5112 or 87434tfc 4135.

––––––––––––––––––––– FURNITURE REPAIR and refinishing. Lawn mower tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Vern Soodsma, 872-2277 or 36tfc 874-1412.

––––––––––––––––––––– MOWER REPAIR, tuneup and blade sharpening.

Call Rob Vsetecka at 62036tfc 214-1730.

––––––––––––––––––––– METAL ROOFING, SIDING and TRIMS at direct-to-the-public prices. Call Metal King Mfg., 620-872-5464. Our prices will not be beat!

37tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– “JEN’S GROOMING”

By Jennifer Milner, hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. call 620-214-0097. Located in Shallow Water.

09tfc

Notice NOTICE OF DISPOSITION of property located at 110 W. 2nd St., Scott City, Ks. 67871. Dwelling rented to Sheryllyne E. Cannon. Property includes furnishings, household goods, clothes, boxes and misc. items. Property will be disposed of on December 26, 2014.

18t1p

Agriculture

WANTED TO BUY. Stored corn. Call for basis and contract information.

1-800-579-3645.

Lane County Feeders, Inc. 32tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– WANTED TO BUY. Wheat straw delivered.

Call for contracting information. Lane County Feeders. 397-5341. 44tfc

3+1 bedrooms, 1 3/4 baths, full basement, family room down, enclosed back porch, storage shed, wood fenced in yard on a large lot.

Help Wanted USD 466 NEEDS substitute route bus drivers. For applications and additional information contact Lance Carter at 620-872-7655.

02tfc

––––––––––––––––––––– FA R M W O R K E R , 1/15/15-5/30/15, Bonnie Plant Farm, Kiowa, Okla., 9 temp jobs. Plant, cultivate seasonal vegetable plants. Prepare soil, growing media. Cultivate, plant, transplant, pot, tag in environmentally controlled conditions. Select, pull plants for market by moving containers and wrapping. Load, unload plants from trucks. Perform routine maintenance on structures and equipment.

Perform farm, field, greenhouse sanitation duties.

Ability to lift and load 80 lbs., must have full use of both hands and ability to stand for long periods of time. Employment reference, 3 months experience required. $10.86/hr., ¾ work guarantee, tools/ equipment/housing provided, trans and subsistence expense reimbursed.

Apply at KS Works, 620-227-2149.

Job #OK1003377.

18t1p ––––––––––––––––––––– FA R M W O R K E R , 2/1/15-11/21/15, Acadian Family Farm, Fort Cobb, Okla., 5 temp jobs.

Prepare growth medium, fill flats. Plant plants in greenhouse and field, ride/ work on vegetable transplanter. Cultivate with tractor, use appropriate tillage hand tools, hoes, wheel-hoes, scuffle hoes.

Haul potting soil, fertilizer. Recognize appropriate grades of produce, wash and pack produce.

Load vegetables on frontend loader and pallets in shed truck. Haul to retail outlets. Clean work areas and store materials. Non smoking/tobacco/drug environment. Employment reference, lift/load 80 lbs., 3 months experience required. $10.86/ hr., ¾ work guarantee, tools/equipment/housing provided, trans and subsistence expense reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620-227-2149. Job #1005136.

18t1c ––––––––––––––––––––– FA R M W O R K E R , 2/1/15-11/15/15, Southwood Landscape and Nursery, Tulsa, Okla., 5 temp jobs. Plant, cultivate, harvest plants. Prepare soil, growing media.

Cultivate, plant, transplant, pot, tag in environmentally controlled conditions and outside. Select, pull plants for market by moving containers and wrapping. Load, unload plants from trucks. Perform routine maintenance on structures/equipment. Perform farm, field, greenhouse sanitation duties. Wash produce. Operate farm equipment. Non smoking/tobacco/drug environment. Employment reference, 3 months experience required. $10.86/hr., ¾ work guarantee, tools/ equipment/housing provided, transportation and subsistence expense reimbursed. Apply at Kansas Works, 620-227-2149. Job 18t1c #OK1004928.

Support Your Hometown Merchants

The Scott County Record • Page 33 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

Employment Opportunities SPECIAL EDUCATION PARA-PROFESSIONAL

FRONT DESK CLERK

For High Plains Educational Cooperative Scott City Middle School is seeking a special education Para-Professional to work with students.

The position is available for the beginning of the 2014-15 school year. Start date is August 21, 2014.

For more information and application please contact.

Susan Carter Board of Education Building 704 College, Scott City, Ks. 67871 (620) 872-7600

02tfc

Interested in a career with the hospitality industry?

Scott City Best Western El Quartelejo Inn and Suites is now looking for a front desk clerk to work the 3:00-11:00 p.m. shift approximately 32-40 hours/week.

Must be over 21 years of age and responsible.

Come see us and learn more about this challenging and exciting field!

Applications are available 24/7 at the hotel 1610 S. Main St. Scott City, Ks. 67871 620-872-7373 17t2c

RECEPTIONIST/SCALE OPERATOR/ BOOKKEEPER The Scoular Company, Pence, is hiring an individual for the postion of receptionist/scale operator/bookkeeper. We are seeking an individual that will assist and interact with customers in a courteous manner as well as basic bookkeeping and data entry.

Experience would be helpful but not a requirement.

We offer competitive wages, paid vacation, health insurance, paid holidays and employer matching 401K retirement plan. We are an equal opportunity employer.

If you are interested in applying for this position please send resume to:

PO Box 173, Winona, Ks. 67764 attention Art Koster or call Art at: 1-800-203-8148 or 1-785-846-8657.

PARK LANE NURSING HOME Has openings for the following positions: Full-time/Part-time CNA (evening or night shifts) Full-time Housekeeping Aide Part-time Restorative Therapy Nurses Aide (CNA required) Shift differential pay offered for evening and night shifts!

Please apply in person at:

Park Lane Nursing Home

210 E. Parklane Scott City, KS 67871 Or visit us at our website: www.parklanenursinghome.org “Quality Care Because We Care”

14tfc

CLASSIFIED ADS

DEADLINE

FOR CHRISTMAS WEEK

Friday, Dec. 19 at 5:00 p.m.

ED IFI S S AS CL AD

18tfc

LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGE? WE WILL CHALLENGE YOU TO DO THE BEST WORK OF YOUR LIFE. Compass Behavioral Health is currently looking to fill the following position at our Scott City location.

Mental Health Assistant /C.N.A. self motivated individual will provide children and youth assistance in the form of support, supervision, and/or cuing that enables children and youth to accomplish tasks and engage in activities in their homes, schools, or communities. Also, must have completed the C.N.A program and be on the Kansas State Registry. Completion of a CMA is preferred by not required. Applicants must be 21 years of age. Base pay starting at $10.50/hr., also additional compensation is given for experience.

All candidates must pass KBI, SRS, motor vehicle screens, and have a valid driver’s license and be willing to work flexible hours to meet the needs of the consumer and family.

Benefits include: retirement fully vested at time of employment, health/dental insurance-portion of premium paid by agency, life insurance and long-term disability-premium paid by agency, holiday, bereavement and vacation/sick days.

Applications are available at: 210 West 4th, Scott City, KS 67871 or www.compassbh.org Applications/Resumes can be sent to: E-mail hr@compassbh.org or faxed to 620-272-0171 Compass Behavioral Health Attn: HR PO Box 853, Garden City, KS 67846.

16t3c

SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL HAS OPENINGS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS PATIENT CARE Acute Care RNs Physical Therapist Respiratory Therapist Operating Room RN Clinic RN/LPN C.N.A.s CLERICAL Admissions Clerk SERVICE Day Cook PRN Dietary Aide/Cook Applicants for these positions are required to be able to read, speak and understand English.

Pre-employment physical, drug/alcohol screening, immunization titer, physical assessment and TB skin test required. We are a tobacco free campus.

We offer competitive pay and great benefits.

Due to our recent expansion of services and rapid growth, we are in need of Acute Care RNs and are offering financial incentives.

Applications are available through Human Resources at Scott County Hospital 201 Albert Ave. Scott City, Ks. 67871 620-872-7772 or online at www.scotthospital.net

18tfc

The Scott County Record • Page 34 • Thursday, December 11, 2014

USD 466 policy for exclusion of students due to illness, disease •Chickenpox: student shall be excluded from school until all lesions have formed scabs or crusts (usually 5 days after rash onset).

•Pink eye: student shall be excluded from school until 24 hours after treatment is initiated.

•Measles: student shall be excluded from school for at least 4 days after the onset of rash.

•Mono (mononucleosis): student’s exclusion time varies in each individual case. Guidance will be given by the diagnosing medical professional.

•Mumps: student shall be excluded from school for 9 days after the onset of parotitis (inflammation of parotid glands in neck).

•Whooping cough (pertussis) - student shall be excluded from school until they have received 5 days of appropriate antibiotic treatment.

•Ringworm: student shall be excluded from school until treatment is started and affected area is covered.

•Scabies: student shall be excluded from school until appropriate treatment has begun.

•Shingles: routine exclusion from school is not indicated, however if lesions cannot be covered, students should be excluded until lesions are dried and crusted.

•Staph infections, MRSA and Impetigo - students shall be excluded from school until treatment is initiated by a medical professional. Open wounds must be covered.

•Strep infections: students shall be excluded from school until student has received treatment for at least 24 hours and the student is afebrile.

•Lice: Pediculosis (headlice). Each student infested with lice shall be excluded from the school, until treatment with an antiparasitic drug is initiated. Nits must be combed out thoroughly.

Student dismissal for nits will be based on the School Nurses discretion.

If a student is sent home or stays home from school with a fever, the student shall be excluded until he/she has been fever free without the use of fever reducing medication for 24 hours.

If a student is sent home or stays home from school with diarrhea and/or vomiting, the student shall be excluded until he/she has been diarrhea or vomit free for 24 hours.

When a student visits a doctor, please bring a doctor’s note excusing him or her from school or releasing the student back to school/athletics.

Early childhood free screenings

USD 466 (Scott County) and High Plains Educational Cooperative are offering free early childhood screenings for preschool children, ages 3-5.

Areas screened include: •Vision/hearing •Speech/language development •Cognitive/educational skills •Social development •Adaptive/self-help skills •Fine and gross motor skills For more information or to schedule a screening contact Dana Pfanenstiel, early childhood specialist, at 872-7660, ext. 26.

4-H Club News 4-Hers make plans for movie, bowling New officers conducted the November meeting of Manning Jayhawkers 4-H Club on Nov. 10. Roll call was answered with, “What is you favorite Thanksgiving food?” by Secretary Trella Davis.

Twenty-two members answered roll call. Jace Miller was introduced as a guest by Cally Cramer. Minutes from the October meeting were read and approved.

Linda Tilton, community leader, gave her report on 4-H enrollment now available online.

Stockings for Soldiers is a community service project. We are to bring items for the stockings with a goal of 60 stockings.

December 7 is the multi-county movie and bowling in Oakley. Setup for the Govenor’s Ringneck Classic was November 12 at the Wm. Carpenter 4-H Building.

Next meeting was Dec. 8. It was a Christmas Party hosted by the Fisher and Frederick families.

For the program we assembled our 4-H books with the year’s meetings and other club information. The meeting was closed with the 4-H Pledge.

Aden Frederick, reporter

USD 466 Lunch Menu Week of December 15-19 Breakfast Monday: Whole grain cereal, string cheese, fresh oranges, fruit juice.

Tuesday: Pancake on a stick, fruit cocktail, fruit juice.

Wednesday: Biscuits and gravy, fresh banana, fruit juice.

Thursday: Sausage breakfast sandwich, pineapple chunks, fruit juice.

Friday: Whole grain muffin, Tropical fruit, fruit juice.

Lunch Monday: Fiesta pizza, *cheesy fish, seasoned potato wedges, mixed vegetables, rosy applesauce.

Tuesday: Tator tot casserole, *mini corndogs, corn, whole grain dinner roll, pears.

Wednesday: Egg rolls, *burrito, fried rice, Monaco blend veggies, pineapple rings.

Thursday: Turkey pot roast, *pork tenderloin, potatoes and gravy, cooked carrots, whole grain dinner roll, Christmas cake, fruit.

Friday: Chicken chunks, *spicy chicken, tri-tator, pork and beans, whole grain dinner roll, fresh fruit. *second choice at SCMS and SCHS

Friendship ‘Meals to Go’ Good for special diets • only $3.00/meal • Call 872-3501