The Scott County Record

Home of El Cuartelejo

Home of El Cuartelejo

72 Pages • Five Sections

Volume 24 • Number 20

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Published in Scott City, Ks.

$1 single copy Look Inside

Sports Beavers pounce on Eagles early for win heading into break Page 19 Youth SCES students show their creativity in the annual essay contest Special Section

giving hope

Education Star search adds to lunch time fun for SCES students Page 11

Amanda Collins with her two children, Amiah Shreve and Taizmond Yarbough

Index Opinions...................4-7 Calendar...................... 7 Youth/education........ 11 LEC report................. 12

Trying to break the cycle of drug addiction, abuse While Stepping Up is just now getting its official start with the Scott City Council’s recent approval to transition the motel into a halfway house, Collins and her family have benefitted from the program since mid-July when they moved into a room at the motel.

That marked the first time that Collins felt there was a real chance she could successfully escape a lifestyle that was destroying her life and affecting her two children.

“I feel fortunate to get this second chance,” says Collins. “I’ve found people who have been very supportive of me without being judgmental.”

(See HOPE on page nine)

Bioscience sale falls short of goal; state pulls $150,000 from USD budget The Scott County school district (USD 466) will only get a lump of coal in its Christmas stocking from the State of Kansas.

The state won’t be following through on its promise of $150,000 in “extraordinary needs” money for the district.

That money was contingent on proceeds from the sale of the Bioscience Authority. Any revenue in excess of $25 million was to be distributed among 31 school districts that had been granted extraordinary needs money in August.

Sale of the Bioscience Authority only raised about $14 million.

“It’s not just the $150,000,” noted USD 466 Supt. Jamie Rumford. “That’s in addition to money that we’ve lost because block grant funding doesn’t give us credit for increased enrollment.”

This year, the district gained about 50 students. Based on a conservative figure of about $4,000 each (which doesn’t include weighting factors in the old formula), the district received

about $200,000 less in state aid than it would have received under the old school funding formula.

In addition, the state deducts 4/10 of one percent in state aid from each school district in order to pay for an “extraordinary needs” funding plan that doesn’t exist this year. That amounted to an additional loss of about $24,000 for the Scott County district.

Rumford estimates that over the last three years, the district has lost about $750,000 in state funding.

Deaths....................... 15 Health care...........16-17 Letters to Santa... 25, 32 Sports...................19-24 Farm.....................26-27

Deaths Robert Mumma Robert Strong

Health Medicare, Medicaid are likely overhaul targets by GOP Page 16

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

ations all-too-similar to Collins’ who feel they have no hope of ever making a better life for themselves. Evans, pastor of the First Baptist Church, and others in the community are trying to help people get a new start to their lives by initiating a program called “Stepping Up.” Stepping Up is a halfway house environment that will be located in the Plains Inn Motel that has been acquired by the organization. Individuals are given a secure environment in which to live, for only a modest rent, while getting assistance in their daily lives with social skills, job skills and personal financial management.

A “Christ-centered environment” is also central to the program’s success.

Church services....14-15

Youth Kindergarten youth get in the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ Page 32

Even though the district knew the $150,000 in extraordinary needs money was in doubt, Rumford said still hired four additional staff positions in order to reduce class sizes and to meet the needs of students.

“The board has made a commitment to remain progressive when it comes to addressing the needs of our students,” says Rumford. “It would have been easy to do nothing and wait another year to see if the money was available, but that doesn’t (See BUDGET on page two)

Agriculture Getting a glimpse of the future in farm technology Page 26 If you wish to subscribe to

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

For the past 25 years, drug and alcohol dependency has been a way of life for Amanda Collins.

That eventually led to being the victim of an abusive relationship.

Even when Collins wanted to break the cycle of dependency it never lasted for long. There was no escaping the environment in which drugs were an everyday part of life.

The same was true of the physical abuse.

“I didn’t have the money to start a new life, not with my two kids,” she says.

“Even when you want to change, you can’t. You’re trapped.”

It’s a story that Pastor Kyle Evans has heard countless times from people in situ-

Public notices.......12-13

The Record visit scottcountyrecord.com or call (620) 872-2090

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

Reversing Medicaid cuts a priority for legislators At 59 years old, Bill Miller is starting to have neck and back problems. Thirty-two years of bending over to check patients’ teeth and gums will do that, he said.

Miller is the only dentist in Hill City, a community of about 1,500 people northwest of Hays. He has treated Medicaid patients his entire career, even as reimbursements increasingly have lagged the cost of providing care.

Earlier this year the state cut those reimbursements another 4 percent as part of a host of emergency budget-balancing measures. Miller said that has him seriously considering dropping out of the Medicaid program.

“I realize the state’s in a world of hurt right now as far as their budget, but it’s a big problem,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s going to be solved.”

As the Legislature prepares to reconvene Jan. 9, Gov. Sam Brownback and lawmakers have a few ideas for restoring the 4 percent cut but have yet to agree on any specific plan amid

larger budget problems.

Meanwhile, medical providers are weighing whether to continue seeing Medicaid patients - decisions that have the greatest impact in specialties like dentistry, and in rural places like western Kansas where many patients already drive hours to find care.

“It certainly is something that I am seriously considering not participating in in the future,” Miller said. “Just the economics of it - there’s no way to make it work and be profitable at all.”

Restoring Cuts It’s not the first time Medicaid reimbursements have been cut in recent years.

Gov. Mark Parkinson, a Democrat, slashed them by 10 percent in 2009, when the state was trying to weather the Great Recession. But he and the Legislature restored the cut within months by passing a sales tax increase.

Brownback said in August that the four percent cut could be reversed if the Legislature

agreed to increase a hospital tax, which would pull down more federal Medicaid money.

Last month he reaffirmed that remains his preference.

“We still would like to do something like that,” Brownback said.

Legislators have been cool to that idea so far. Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Republican from Wichita who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee, said that wasn’t the right way to find the $40 million needed to restore the cuts.

“Basically you’re going to tax the hospitals to give back to the hospitals,” Hawkins said.

“Yeah, you’re going to pull down some federal dollars with that, but really we’re taxing them to give back to them. And why would we do that? I’m not sure that makes much sense.”

Instead, Hawkins suggested increasing a fee levied on the three managed care organizations (MCOs) that administer Kansas Medicaid, or KanCare.

That fee increase also draws down federal money - in this case, Hawkins said, enough to

both pay back the MCOs and restore the $40 million cut.

“I think that’s a place we could look at that would not really affect anybody,” Hawkins said.

MCO Tax has Consequences That particular fee, though, also applies to private-sector insurance companies that run managed care plans, including health maintenance organizations, or HMOs. The Legislature passed a bill last year that gave those companies the ability to sell HMOlike plans without paying the fee, but Hawkins said a couple of them - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Aetna still sell the traditional HMO plans that would be subject to the fee increase.

Brownback said that should be taken into account, but he didn’t rule out including Hawkins’ idea as part of a plan to restore the four percent cuts.

“We’d have to see what kind of mix to do and its impact on the MCOs, but there is a way to do this and that’s what we pro-

posed even at the end of the last legislative session,” Brownback said. “I think we ought to do something like that, and we’ll see if the Legislature is open to it or not.”

Hawkins said another option is to repeal a provision of Brownback’s signature 2012 tax plan that exempted about 330,000 business owners from paying any tax on “passthrough” business income.

That idea was part of a budget-balancing bundle promoted last week by a coalition of advocacy groups at the Statehouse.

Hawkins said repealing the business tax exemption would bring in about $260 million, of which $40 million could be diverted to restore the Medicaid cuts.

But, the state faces a budget gap of about $350 million in the current fiscal year and about $600 million in the next fiscal year, which begins July 1 - and that could swallow new tax revenue.

Brownback has opposed proposals to roll back the 2012 cuts in the past.

Leoti dentist drops Medicaid coverage The four percent Medicaid cut has hit a variety of providers: hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatrists and others.

But, opposition has been particularly strong from dentists, who have not seen an increase in their Medicaid reimbursement rates since 2001.

Even before the 4 percent reduction, Medicaid paid about 40 cents on the dollar compared to private dental insurance.

Nick Rogers, an Arkansas City dentist and president-elect of the Kansas Dental Association, said the cut was likely to be a “final straw” for dentists who were leaning toward getting out of Medicaid.

He said access to dental care was already an issue for people on Medicaid in his part of the state - especially for Kansans with disabilities.

“These patients have the most complex needs, consume a disproportionate amount of our time - clinically and administratively - and have the lowest reimbursement,” Rogers said. “At some point in the near future, regardless of my

social responsibility, we will be forced to discontinue our involvement (in Medicaid).”

Rogers said his practice was getting referrals for patients with special needs who live more than two hours away.

Melinda Miner, a dentist from Hays, says the dental provider network in Western Kansas is close to collapsing in many communities.

After contacting dentists throughout the region, Miner compiled a map showing more than 20 western counties without a single dentist who accepts Medicaid.

Miner said she is among two dentists in Hays who have decided to stop taking it. She provided the names of two other dentists, one in Leoti and one in Great Bend, who she said have also dropped out of the program and eight more western Kansas dentists who she said are considering dropping out.

Miller, the dentist from Hill City, is one of them.

“I think everybody is,” he said. “And it’s not just the four percent cut. It’s been drastic underpay-

Budget

(continued from page one)

help the students this year.”

He said there are some purchases which the district has been considering which will likely be delayed. One of those was another activity bus.

“We could use money out of capital outlay to buy a bus, but we’re already using capital outlay money for general operating costs,” he pointed out. “There’s a limit to how much money we can pull out of that fund.

“When you’re looking at a $6 million budget, another $150,000 may not sound like much, but over the course of two or three years the loss of funding begins to add up.”

The State Finance Council approved the sale of a KBA investment portfolio expected to raise about $14 million to a

Chicago-based company.

The state is also working to the sell the KBA land and building in Johnson County, and has already transferred cash from the KBA into the state general fund.

However, the total is not expected to exceed the $25 million threshold required before funding would be available for school districts. Under a bill approved in the 2016 special session, any revenue from the KBA sale above $25 million would go to fund extraordinary needs applications, up to a total of $13 million.

In August, the State Board approved $7.5 million in awards, but cautioned districts that the money was contingent upon revenues higher than $25 million.

he has all the patient load ment for a long time.”

Craig Sandlin is the he needs and, at 57, is “no office manager for his spring chicken.”

He said he treats wife, Joanne Brown, the Leoti dentist. He confirmed that they stopped taking Medicaid patients as of the end of November.

Sandlin said the move affected more than 2,500 people and he’s not sure how far they will have to travel to find a dentist who takes new Medicaid patients.

“The problem is there’s nobody in Western Kansas anymore,” Sandlin said.

“Everybody has gotten out.”

Michael Jones, a dentist in Russell, said he’s limiting his intake of new Medicaid patients to “very, very few” and is strongly considering not taking any more.

As the only dentist in a county of more than 6,000 people, Jones said

Medicaid patients at a financial loss, but does it as a service to the community.

Community Living

The Scott County Record

Page 3 - Thursday, December 22, 2016

Break from tradition and try a holiday pear Did you know that December is National Pear Month? If anything I would have guessed it was National Pie Month.

Pears are a great source of nutrients as well as tasty. One medium sized Carol Ann pear can give Crouch you as much Family and as 25% of your Consumer daily fiber, 10% Sciences of your vitamin Agent for Scott County C and 5% of

your potassium.

And they are absolutely fat and sodium free. A pear only contains 100 calories.

There are over 3,000 known pear varieties in the world, but only 10 varieties of the Northwest-grown pears in the U.S. These all have a different color, taste and texture.

Because they have various growing seasons, pears are available all year round. Most familiar is the Bartlett pear.

It is very sweet and soft and juicy.

The Red Bartlett, Comice and Starkrimson are the same as the Green Bartlett in tenderness and flavor. The Green and Red Anjou are also both soft and juicy with a less sweet taste than the Bartlett.

A Bosc, Forelle and Seckel are more crisp and sweet. The Concorde is very sweet and crispy. Depending upon the variety, they will be either yellow, green or red or a combination of two or more colors.

How do you tell if a pear is ripe? A ripe pear is a sweet

pear.

A pear does not ripen on the tree. It is picked when mature, but not yet ripe. To ripen, leave it on the counter at room temperature. It will ripen from the inside out, which makes it hard to tell if it’s ready to eat.

To see if it is ripe apply gentle pressure to the neck with your thumb. If it yields to pressure, it’s ripe. You should check your pears daily to eat them at their best. Most of them change very little in color when they ripen.

USDA revises guidelines on labeling to reduce food waste The USDA has issued updated information on food product labeling, including new guidance aimed at reducing food waste.

The department is encouraging food manufacturers and retailers that apply product dating to use a “Best if Used By” date label.

“These changes will give consumers clear and consistent information when it comes to date labeling,” said Al Almanza, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. “This new guidance can help consumers save money and curb the amount of wholesome food going in the trash.”

Except for infant formula, product dating is

not required by Federal regulations. Food manufacturers frequently use a variety of phrases, such as “Sell-by” and “Useby” on product labels to describe quality dates on a voluntary basis.

The use of different phrases to describe quality dates has caused consumer confusion and has led to the disposal of food that is otherwise wholesome and safe because it is past the date printed on the package.

Research shows that the phrase “best if used by” is easily understood by consumers as an indicator of quality, rather than safety.

USDA estimates that 30 percent of food is lost or wasted at the retail and consumer level. This new

guidance builds on other recent changes FSIS has made to facilitate food donation and reduce food waste.

In January 2016, FSIS made it easier for companies to donate products that have minor labeling errors, such as an incorrect net weight. FSIS has also begun recognizing food banks as “retailtype” establishments, which allows food banks (under certain circumstances) to break down bulk shipments of federally-inspected meat or poultry products, wrap or rewrap those products, and label the products for distribution to consumers.

In 2016, FSIS enabled 2.6 million pounds of manufacturer donations.

OPENING JULY 5 !

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in Scott City Majestic Theatre 420 Main • 872-3840

Lunch Tuesday-Friday • 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Evenings Thursday-Saturday • 5:30-10:00 p.m.

Tuesday Open-faced prime rib sandwich with french fries $11.95 Wednesday Chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes and corn $6.95 Thursday French dip sandwich with chips Friday Tijuana tostada

$7.95

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

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Monday • CLOSED FOR HOLIDAY Tuesday • Chili or Potato soup, Carrots, Mixed fruit, Cinnamon roll, Mandarin oranges Wednesday • Oven-fried chicken, Mashed potatoes with gravy, Brussel sprouts, WW roll, Strawberries and bananas Thursday • Breaded pollock fillet, Macaroni and cheese, Green beans, WW roll, Plums Friday • BBQ riblette, Sweet potato fries, Tossed salad, WW bread or bun, Pears

The Broiler 102 Main Street • 872-5055

Monday - Steak and Velveeta on a hoagie bun $6.00

• Rashes • Sprains and strains • Strep/sore throats • Mild allergic reactions • Urinary tract infections • Bronchitis or sinus infections • Plus much more

Tuesday - Tacos Funny Tacos

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Wednesday - 2 pc. chicken dinner, includes potato and vegetables $6.25

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Thursday - 4 oz. chicken fry dinner, includes potato and vegetables $6.25

If you have a serious illness or injury, please go to the Emergency Department

Friday - Fish and chips

$6.25

Saturday - Ham and two eggs

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Sunday Buffet 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

CHOOSE -TWOENTREES

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VIP Center

2051 E. Mary Street, Garden City, KS 67846 Monday - Friday 8:00am-7:30pm Saturday 9:00am-4:30pm | Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm Closed on Holidays

(See PEAR on page 14)

Monday-Friday December 26-30

CONVENIENT CARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Once the pear is ripe, it can be refrigerated to slow the process, but should be eaten within five days. You should not refrigerate an unripe pear.

If you need to speed up the ripening process, place pears with other fruits like a banana that gives off ethylene and it will help make the process go faster.

Once you cut a pear, it will start to brown. This discoloration will not affect the taste or quality but it doesn’t look

or one of each

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*Fruit, candy or multiple flavor add-ins are additional costs

1720 S. Main Scott City 872-5767

The Scott County Record

Editorial/Opinion

Page 4 - Thursday, December 22, 2016

editorially speaking

Alternate reality:

Brownback Administration shifting blame for failures

One will never accuse Gov. Sam Brownback of being a wellspring of original thought.

The tax cut plan of 2012 is merely Reaganomics 4.0. It’s failure was as predictable as each failed attempt to reincarnate the same, tired tax cut philosophy over the past three decades.

Likewise, the governor is now borrowing a page from Donald Trump’s playbook in which the crooked, biased, untrustworthy, liberal press is a scapegoat for whatever goes wrong.

Six years into his Administration, Brownback has launched his strongest criticism yet of the media and communications director Melika Willoughby, as usual, is leading the charge. To say that Willoughby is disconnected from reality is restating what has been obvious over the years.

But, her latest tirade is bizarre, even by Willoughby’s standards.

Where to begin?

Let’s start with the claim that Brownback has limited the increase in state spending to “just 1.5 percent (the lowest in decades).”

That was accomplished by a tax cut that budget experts warned would rob the state of hundreds of millions of dollars. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, personal income tax collections in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2016, were $700 million lower than those received in FY 2013.

In addition, the state had a $709 million cash balance in 2013 that had shrunk to $40 million in 2016.

We’ve only been able to keep our heads above water by borrowing about $1.2 billion from the Bank of KDOT while cutting millions of dollars to state universities, cutting Medicaid reimbursements, not fulfilling the state’s obligation to public education, etc.

Limiting state spending to an increase of 1.5 percent isn’t a sign of fiscal genius, but of fiscal malpractice by Brownback and ultraconservative lawmakers.

Oh, but it gets even better.

Willoughby is now accusing the liberal media of “blasting the Governor for NOT cutting K-12 education, for NOT cutting public safety and for NOT cutting social services.” At this point, it becomes obvious that Willoughby has lost touch with reality. Or, she has decided to follow the Trump team’s example of creating their own reality.

We won’t speak for every publisher in Kansas, but we can say with confidence that the vast majority of editorial writers in the state have not been critical of Brownback and the legislature for cutting too little from public education and social services.

The consistent theme of editors - and the majority of Kansans - is that the tax cut plan has taken this state in the wrong direction. Our ability to care for those most in need in our state, to care for our elderly and to care for our youngest citizens, has suffered.

The lack of state funding is harming public education.

Stealing money from KDOT is detrimental to the longterm economic growth of our state. And diverting tens of millions of dollars from our universities has resulted in tuition increases that affect college students and their families.

We don’t hear anyone outside of the most extreme political fringe (i.e., Koch funded Kansas Policy Institute, etc.) who feel that the Brownback tax cuts have not only been good for the state but, if anything, haven’t gone far enough.

That’s a fringe element that’s occupied by a small, but vocal and apparently influential, segment of the Kansas population.

Of course, after we’ve traveled so far down this destructive path in Kansas, Brownback and Willoughby have come to realize there’s only one way out.

They have to alter reality by declaring, “If you think things are tough now, imagine how bad they would be if it wasn’t for Governor Brownback standing between you and the liberal editorial boards who keep chanting ‘Let them eat less cake.’ They want to keep cutting more and more from the budget and it’s the Governor who has stood up to them and said, ‘No.’” This is the alternate universe that Brownback and Willoughby are living in as lawmakers prepare for the upcoming legislative session. While those two are skipping through the sunflowers whistling a happy tune, the rest of us must roll up our sleeves and deal with reality.

The dramatic shift in the balance of power within the state legislature - from Brownback’s ultraconservatives to moderate Republicans and Democrats - shows that Kansans are not only aware of our fiscal mess, but they know who was responsible.

They didn’t cancel their newspaper subscriptions and write letters to the editor condemning the media for demanding even more drastic budget cuts. They voted out a majority of the lawmakers who created this dilemma.

Kansans have clearly said they want a change of direction in Topeka. They want to get this state back on a firm fiscal footing. A quality education system, social services, maintaining our infrastructure and the general welfare of all our citizens represent our core values.

Brownback and Willoughby can live in their own fantasy world. Most Kansans want no part of it.

‘Twas the night before Christmas ‘Twas the night before Christmas, in Topeka town, The budget wiped out, our government shut down.

A sign at the Capitol said this building for rent, Yet another result of our “live experiment.”

Melika with her laptop, lying back in her bed With wild-eyed fantasies dancing in her head.

And Kobach at home, still grasping the dream, Of getting a job with the Donald Trump team.

“Your old, your children and even your schools Are losing big time under your tax cut rules.

Despite your promises, nothing is better.

Do you hear what I’m saying? Must I write you a letter?”

“It’s not my fault,” Sam tried to explain.

I want to spend more, it’s the media that’s to blame.

Just ask Melika when she comes back from Cloud 9, We’ll sell a few assets. Everything will be fine.”

Sam was at Cedar Crest drinking eggnog (no rum) Wondering why being governor had lost all its fun.

Many ultracon friends had been sent packing, Kansans deciding their ideas had been lacking.

Deep in remorse, without a friend to be found, Sam heard a ruckus on the north mansion grounds.

He sprang to his feet, out the window he peered, Crashed on the lawn was a sleigh and reindeer.

Santa, in his red suit, was under the rubble, Sam knew right away he was facing big trouble.

As he strode out the door, he was wearing a smile “Welcome to Kansas. Hope you can stay for awhile.”

Santa’s twinkle was gone as he looked over his sleigh, The State of Kansas had clearly lost its way.

What St. Nick saw brought a tear to his eyes.

Yet another Administration resorting to more lies.

“My job is to bring joy to believers young and old It’s what I’m about, as I’m sure you’ve been told.

The spirit of the season is helping those in need, It’s not about wealth, but doing a good deed.”

Rudolph and his crew had cleaned up the site, Ready once again to soar into the night.

Santa pulled down his cap, making sure it was tight Before finishing off his annual flight.

Santa, a bit wobbly, began surveying the mess, “Things are worse than I thought, I must confess.

Your roads are a mess, that last pothole a doozy,” said St. Nick, who was still feeling woozy.

Sam looked at Santa, then to his home and tree, “I was wondering,” he paused. “Got something for me?”

Santa peered over his glasses, his glare so intense, He wanted his message for Sam to make sense.

“We’ve had to pinch pennies, it’s what we must do, If we’re to give out tax breaks to the wealthiest few.

We’re creating jobs, over a dozen I’ve been told, You’re welcome to join us, if I may be so bold.”

“The Supreme Court. Obamacare. And voter fraud.

The battles you’ve chosen sure seem a bit odd.

You’ve put ideology over people, I’m sorry to say.

You’ll find nothing from me on this Christmas Day.”

Santa wasn’t buying the Brownback sales pitch, Or legislative policies that favor the rich.

But, Santa wasn’t done, his anger still brewing At what he had seen the Brownback team doing.

With those final words, Santa disappeared in the sky While bewildered Sam was left wondering why.

But, he heard Santa exclaim as he went out of sight, “Let this be a lesson to those who fail to do right.”

Post-truth is the new reality

“Post-Truth” has been named the word of the year for 2016 by the Oxford English Dictionary.

This was a year when campaign lies - most, though not all, coming out of the Donald’s mouth - were so numerous that fact checking became nearly impossible.

Yes, each individual statement could be fact checked. But, there were so many rapid-fire falsehoods that it was impossible to debunk them one by one on TV without devoting entire shows to just that.

And, far too often, nobody even cared if their preferred candidate was untruthful. The internet was awash with fake news that was more popular than the real news.

Where to Write

another view by Jill Richardson

One fake news story told Trump supporters that the pope had endorsed Trump, while another one told Clinton supporters that he’d denounced Trump. In reality, he did neither.

Things have hardly gotten better since the election, with Trump making false claims about “millions” of “illegal voters” and denying intelligence assessments that Russia intervened on his behalf.

This is a difficult time to teach social sciences, because students often cannot distinguish between fact and opinion.

A sociology professor I know posted on Facebook

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

a line from a student’s final paper: “If colored people would just follow the law, they wouldn’t get shot by the police.” A real student actually wrote that and turned it in.

As a professor, you have to grade students with political views different from your own fairly. But, in addition to the offensive racial term, this student’s statement makes a claim that can be proven true or false with evidence.

As the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

Research can determine whether police shootings of people of color are due to law breaking by people of color or not. In this case, the evidence doesn’t

Sen. Pat Roberts 109 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

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

support the student’s conclusion.

The professor failed the student - not for his or her opinions, but for failing to do the assignment well.

What do you want to bet the student will respond by calling the professor “biased”?

I’m only a lowly teaching assistant, but I grapple with the current environment in my classroom too.

This semester, I led students in a discussion of same-sex marriage.

We wrote each argument for and against legalizing same-sex marriage on the board. I asked students to determine which ones were opinions, and which made empirical claims that could be proven true or false with evidence.

(See TRUTH on page six)

Sen. Jerry Moran 141 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-6521 www.moran.senate.gov/public/

the repeal con

Calling Paul Ryan’s bluff on plans to repeal Obamacare

You do not have to think Obamacare is perfect or even the best health-care system we can devise to think its repeal would be problematic, to say the least.

It is one thing to vote to repeal it when the president was sure to veto it.

It’s another to repeal it, knowing the president will sign it, and then have to accept the consequences.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) predicted yesterday, “I don’t think they’re going to repeal the Affordable Care Act.” She pointed out that just keeping the parts Republicans favor, such as protection for Americans with preexisting conditions, would be prohibitively expen-

behind the headlines

by Jennifer Rubin

sive. (“The one thing that I think the Republicans are more interested in . . . are costs. What is the cost going to be to their constituents in the changes they want to make?”)

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) insists that Republicans have to “stop the damage” being done now. But, by cutting revenue to support the exchange subsidies, Republicans risk eliminating coverage for tens of millions.

Ryan has yet to convince all Republicans that it is politically smart to yank the plug on Obamacare with no alternative ready to go. “We took your health care away, but trust us” isn’t a persuasive campaign message in 2018.

Moreover, news reports have brought to the fore a series of practical prob-

The Scott County Record • Page 5 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

lems, as John C. Goodman points out.

Republicans, he reminds us, “have had seven years to propose an alternative; and if they don’t have one by now, why would anyone expect they would have one in three years? No one does expect that, least of all the insurance companies.

Insurance industry consultant Robert Laszewski predicts that a ‘repeal and delay’ bill would create enormous uncertainly and could by itself throw the exchanges into a death spiral.”

Republicans may have to bail out insurance companies to keep them in the exchanges - something they swore they’d never do - until they can agree on something new.

A “repeal, chaos, something new” approach will, as I suspect, lose support as the moment of truth arrives. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was already sounding cautious (See REPEAL on page six)

The Obama legacy that can’t be repealed

by Robert Samuelson

Crony capitalism rewards Perry

by Jim Hightower

Rick Perry has taken quite a tumble since being governor of Texas. He was a twice-failed GOP presidential wannabe and then ended up being a rejected contestant on Dancing with the Stars, the television show for has-been celebrities.

But now, having kissed the ring of Donald Trump, Perry is being lifted from the lowly role of twinkle-toed TV hoofer to - get this - taking charge of our government’s nuclear arsenal.

That’s a position that usually requires some scientific knowledge and experience. But, as we’re learning from Trump’s other cabinet picks, the key qualification that Trump wants his pub-

lic servants to have is a commitment to serve the private interests of corporate power.

That’s why Perry - a devoted practitioner of crony capitalism and a champion of oligarchy - has been rewarded with this position.

As governor, Perry went to extraordinary lengths to let the fossil fuel giant Energy Transfer Partners run a pipeline through the ecologically fragile, natural wonders of Texas’ pristine Big Bend region. In fact, he rammed it right down the throats of local people, who were almost unanimously opposed.

Perry then accepted a $6 million campaign donation (i.e., a payoff) from the company’s corporate boss, who later made Perry a paid member of the

corporation’s board of directors.

Perry also privatized a state-run, low-level nuclear waste facility, turning it over to Waste Control Specialists, a firm owned by a major campaign contributor. Then he let the corporation double the amount of waste dumped there, while reducing its legal liability for damages.

Finally, after taking even more cash from the owner, Perry pushed to let him put high-level nuclear waste in the dump.

Rick Perry has zero expertise or experience for the job of energy secretary, but he has plenty at stiffing the American people and our environment.

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

a new direction

Republicans at risk of becoming the pro-Putin party

Beneath the surface of the controversy over Russia’s efforts to help Donald Trump become president is a dramatic reconfiguration of opinion on foreign policy.

Many Republicans who had long been critical of Vladimir Putin’s despotic rule are adjusting their positions to accord with Trump’s more sympathetic views. Others are hanging back, fearful of picking a fight with their party’s incoming president or undermining the legitimacy of his election.

At the same time, Putin’s fiercest Republican critics, including leading neoconservatives, find themselves allied with Hillary Clinton’s supporters. They are calling out the Kremlin’s interference with the election and demanding a full accounting of what happened.

other voices

by E.J. Dionne, Jr.

Sens. John McCain and Lindsey O. Graham have been among the most outspoken.

While some on the left worry about starting a new Cold War, there has been a broad toughening of liberal and Democratic opinion toward Russia.

This shift owes, in part, to outrage over Putin’s efforts to sabotage Clinton, but the roots of the mistrust of Putin can be traced back several years.

Putin’s hostility toward Clinton is widely seen as a response to her criticism of the 2011 Russian elections, a point she underscored herself last week. Mass protests broke out against what the opposition saw as Putin’s vote rigging. At the time, he blamed Clinton and the American government for the uprising.

Putin fumed that Clinton had said the elections “were dishonest and unfair” and that she had given “a sig-

nal” to demonstrators who, he claimed, enjoyed “the support of the U.S. State Department.”

In words that now carry an ironic ring, Putin added: “We need to safeguard ourselves from this interference in our internal affairs.”

According to the CIA, Russia struck back hard at Clinton through the hacks and was determined to help elect Trump who, for his part, has issued one encomium after another to Putin.

More embarrassing for Republicans, Russia also seemed determined to help GOP candidates for the House of Representatives and to defeat Democrats. According to the New York Times, Russian hacking sought to tilt House races in states that included Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Ohio, Illinois, New Mexico and North Carolina.

Republicans will not be eager to explore why Putin might have wanted to help their party as a whole. This only deepens their problems in dealing with the hacking story.

(See DIRECTION on page six)

There is no mystery about Barack Obama’s greatest presidential achievement: He stopped the Great Recession from becoming the second Great Depression.

True, he had plenty of help from top officials at the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve. But, if Obama had made one wrong step, what was a crushing economic slump could have become something much worse.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be swamped with analyses of Obama’s legacy. His foreign policy will be critiqued, as it is already. Once in the White House, Donald Trump may trash some of Obama’s favorite policies: the Affordable Care Act, the program on climate change, the Dodd-Frank law on financial regulation. All this may wrongly foster the notion that Obama accomplished almost nothing.

Put this down to partisanship, selective memories or both. It is Obama’s unfortunate fate that the high-water mark of his presidency occurred in the first months, when the world flirted with financial calamity. The prospect of another Great Depression - a long period of worsening economic decline - was not far-fetched.

In its just-released annual report, the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) explains why. Recall the dreadful numbers.

In the first quarter of 2009, as Obama was moving into the White House, monthly job losses averaged 772,000. The ultimate decline in employment was 8.7 million jobs, or 6.3 percent. Housing prices and stock values were collapsing.

From their peak in February 2007 to their low point, housing prices dropped 26 percent. Millions of homeowners were “underwater” their houses were worth less than the mortgages on them. Stock prices fell roughly by half from August 2007 to March 2009.

There was no guarantee that the economy’s downward spiral wouldn’t continue, as frightened businesses and consumers curbed spending and, in the process, increased unemployment.

The CEA presents a series of charts comparing the 2008-09 slump with the Great Depression. In every instance, the 2008-09 downturn was as bad as - or worse than - the first year of the Great Depression: employment loss, drop in global trade and change in households’ net worth.

The starkest of these was the fall in households’ net worth (people’s assets, such as homes and stock, minus their debts, such as mortgages and credit-card balances). It dropped by $13 trillion, about a fifth, from its high point in 2007 to its trough in 2009.

This decline, the CEA notes, “was far larger than the reduction (adjusted for inflation) . . . at the onset of the Great Depression.”

What separates then from now is that, after 18 months or so, spending turned up in 2009 while it continued declining in the 1930s. This difference reflected, at least in part, the aggressive policies adopted to blunt the downturn.

(See LEGACY on page six)

The Scott County Record • Page 6 • December 22, 2016

ACT’s don’t give accurate picture of education

by John Schrock

The December meeting of the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) featured a presentation

by University of Kansas Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation (CETE). The CETE linked their State assessment test scores with the equivalent scores on the national ACT tests that many Kansas students take for college admission.

The very close correla-

tion in scores on the state assessments and ACT was enthusiastically received

by KSBE members. State assessment tests are currently required of all Kansas students and it can be difficult to get students to take the test seriously since it is used to rate schools but does not otherwise affect the student.

Now that schools can show a close correlation between the state assessments and the ACT used for college entrance, that

may provide some incentive for college-bound students to use state assessments as a practice for the ACT. But, an obvious question was never asked: If the state assessment scores and the ACT scores are so highly correlated, why give redundant tests?

The revised testing regulations in the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that replaces No Child Left Behind includes the option for

states to choose a nationally recognized high school test instead of a unique state assessment test. And there are many advantages to Kansas switching to use the ACT in place of state assessments.

The state pays for the assessment tests and the students’ parents pay for the ACT test for students wanting to go to college.

Currently, 74 percent of Kansas students take the ACT. Kansas could join the

18 states that currently underwrite the ACT for all students. It would save Kansas parents a lot of money.

And switching state funding from CETE tests to the ACT would likely save state funding as well since the ACT operation costs are supported by the majority of states nationwide.

Some Kansas students who do not currently take the ACT - especially those from economically poor

families - may not realize that they are college-able.

Taking the ACT, when it is underwritten by Kansas as the state assessment test for all, will alert these students that they indeed are “college material.”

Since customized state assessments are variable, it is difficult to make state-by-state comparisons using the CETE tests. But, with a majority of states using the ACT, (See ACT on page seven)

Kansans have history of being resilient people Senator-elect John Doll

Thank you for electing me as Senator for the 39th District.

Myself and our office staff believe that communication with our constituents is paramount, thus we will write a monthly

newsletter giving you a briefing of what we see happening in the State House that will affect you. We encourage you to sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter and check out our website for events and for the latest happenings in Topeka.

Putin to sing at Trump inauguration

by Andy Borowitz

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) After having difficulty persuading prominent entertainers to participate at the event, the Trump transition team announced on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would sing at Donald J. Trump’s Inauguration next month.

In a brief statement from the Kremlin, Putin said, “I will be most delighted to perform for my comrade.”

The choice of Putin raised eyebrows in Washington, since the Russian, while famous for invading neighboring countries and imprisoning political opponents, is not particularly well known as a singer.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway pushed back against such criticism during an appearance on CNN. “If we limited ourselves to people who had talent and experience, that would disqualify half of our Cabinet,” she said.

Putin’s choice of musical material also stirred controversy, as politicians on both sides of the aisle questioned his plan to perform the Russian national anthem.

According to those critics, the spectacle of Putin praising the glory and majesty of Russia in song would be inappropriate for the inauguration of an American President.

In an attempt to quell that controversy, Putin said late on Sunday that he would instead serenade Trump by singing the Bette Midler classic, “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and author

Truth Sociology can’t really evaluate opinions, like the claim gay marriage is “unnatural,” or the competing one that same-sex couples deserve the dignity of marriage.

It can, on the other hand, scientifically evaluate whether children of same-sex couples turn out okay (they do) or whether humans use marriage only for heterosexual procreation (they don’t).

By the end of class, I had a list of claims made by the anti-same sex marriage camp listed on the board, all of which were demonstrably false. Not one was true.

Was I biased?

I must say, even though I personally support marriage equality - as do the majority of Americans nowadays - I felt uneasy teaching this lesson. I do my best to keep my personal political views out of the classroom, even on subjects I care strongly

(continued from page four)

about.

Instead, I wanted my students to distinguish between facts and opinions, and apply their knowledge from the semester to evaluate the accuracy of empirical claims. But, I knew it’d be easy to accuse me of “bias.”

A disgruntled student could even submit me to the “Professor Watchlist” - a right-wing website taking aim at professors conservatives disagree with.

In this post-truth world, it no longer matters whether a statement is factual. If you don’t like someone’s facts, you can accuse them of “bias” and counter their truth with a story you got from a fake news site.

Especially when you’ve got the presidentelect cheering you on.

Jill Richardson is the author of “Recipe for America: Why Our Food System Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It”

Kansan’s are resilient people. Our history is filled with our great state fighting hard and winning when adversity has challenged us. When Kansas was being brought into the Union, Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act which brought violence

immediately into our state as to whether or not we were going to be a free state or a slave state.

The Act was a major contributor to the southern states seceding from the Union, thus Kansas played a factor in the starting of the Civil War.

Repeal at his Monday news conference when responding to complaints from medical groups about a repealand-delay strategy: “Well, none of those people that you mentioned are happy with the status quo. They want changes too. And we’re going to work with them to come up with a better system than this monstrosity that was left behind by the Obama administration.”

Pestered for an answer, he said, “Yeah, I don’t know how many times I have to say the same thing, but we’re - we’re going to be working on the phase-in period and

what it looks like once we get to step two. Step one is the Obamacare replacement resolution which we’ll turn to after the first of the year.”

But, once they take step one (depending if that includes a funding cutoff), the chaos, uncertainty and insurance stampede begins.

We confess to being surprised that Ryan doesn’t introduce the replacement plan first, using the ideas outlined in his “A Better Way” health-care plan. Does he not have the votes to pass it? Does it require taxes his members will not sup-

(See DOLL on page 7)

port? Does it not cover all the current Obamacare recipients?

If there are serious problems like this, then a promise of repealing and replacing Obamacare is a phony one. In sum, if there is a viable replacement plan, introduce and pass it soon; if there isn’t one that can garner a GOP majority and get past a Democratic filibuster, they need to admit it.

Then go about the business of trying to fix flaws in the existing system.

This is what “owning” the consequences of your actions means. This is not a white paper or an op-ed on a conservative

ideal. This is about real people who have coverage already and have the expectation of continued coverage. The time to put the alternative out - one that Republicans promise would work better and save money - is now.

Pelosi is betting there is no such plan that can get “buy-in” from all Republicans and sufficient Democrats to pass both houses. If she is right, repealing Obamacare in January is the ultimate con and a recipe for political disappointment.

Jennifer Rubin is a conservative columnist for The Washington Post

(continued from page five)

$787 billion, it was actually $2.6 trillion over four years when the initial program was combined with later proposals and so-called “automatic stabilizers” are included, the CEA says.

More generally, Obama projected reason and calm when much of the nation was fearful and frazzled.

Of course, he didn’t single-handedly restore confidence, but he made a big contribution. So did the underlying flexibility and resilience of the U.S. economy.

In its report, the CEA contends that the recovery from the Great Recession is mostly complete. This seems plausible. Since the

Direction While McCain and Graham were vociferous in denouncing Russia, other Republicans are clearly frustrated that a story with great potential for blowback against the party is getting so much attention. Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY) charged that “certain elements of the media, certain elements of the intelligence community and certain politicians are really doing the work of the Russians” by creating uncertainty over

of slavery the Whigs joined up with what were called the Nebraska Democrats, thus forming the Republican Party. The GOP was anti-slavery and in 1856 nominated their first candidate, John C. Fremont. He was sound-

(continued from page five)

Legacy The Fed cut short-term interest rates to zero and provided other avenues of cheap credit; the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), enacted in the final months of the Bush administration, poured money into major banks to reassure the public of their solvency.

Still, Obama’s role was crucial. Against opposition, he decided to rescue General Motors and Chrysler. Throwing them onto the tender mercies of the market would have been a huge blow to the industrial Midwest and to national psychology. He also championed a sizable budget “stimulus.”

Advertised originally as

Kansas also played a major role in the birth of the Republican Party.

At the time the KansasNebraska Act was passed the two major political parties were the Democrats and the Whigs.

The Whig party was extremely weak. Because

low point, employment is up 15.6 million jobs.

Rising home and stock prices have boosted inflation-adjusted household net worth by 16 percent.

Gross domestic product the economy - is nearly 12 percent higher than before the financial crisis.

Many Americans still seem disappointed. They feel insecure and shortchanged. The financial crisis and Great Recession left deep scars that haven’t yet been fully healed by a recovery that often seemed halting and unreliable.

They also don’t give Obama much credit because they disagree with him on other issues

or disapprove of the general contentiousness of his presidency. Any semblance of bipartisanship broke down.

As a result, his impact is underestimated.

Suppose we had had a second Great Depression with, say, peak unemployment of 15 percent.

Almost all our problems - from poverty to political polarization - would have worsened.

Obama’s influence must be considered in this context. When historians do, they may be more impressed.

Robert Samuelson is a contributing editor of Newsweek, writing about business and economic issues

(continued from page five)

the election.

Republicans are also split over how to grapple with the issue going forward. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was slow to respond to The Post’s report of CIA conclusions about Russian interference.

McCain, on the other hand, called for a select committee that would raise the investigation’s profile.

One political leader who has noticed the

GOP’s newfound camaraderie with Putin is President Obama. In a pointed comment during an NPR interview, Obama noted that “a big chunk of the Republican Party, which prided itself during the Reagan era and for decades that followed as being the bulwark against Russian influence, now suddenly is embracing him.”

During the Republican primaries, Jeb Bush referred to Trump as the

“chaos candidate,” and Trump is already sowing chaos in his party. Many Republicans are horrified by the idea that the GOP will come to be seen as the pro-Putin party.

Trump seems to have no such qualms, and he is forcing Republicans to take sides on a Russian autocrat who is no friend of the United States.

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 22, 2016

Doll

(continued from page six)

ly defeated by James Buchanan, but in 1860 the Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln and the rest is history.

Again in the 1930s Kansas was in peril with the drought conditions.

We were able to get through these times.

Now in our current decade we have been hit with declines in oil and gas revenues, agribusiness is in a slump and the aircraft manufacturing industry has been suffering. With these conditions and a change in tax policy we find ourselves in historic economic woes.

ACT

But, as in the past, with a change in the makeup of our legislature we can and will come through the economic times a stronger and smarter State.

I’m pragmatic in the way I vote for legislation.

One of my greatest pleasures is sitting down and reading a good book. My interest in reading is nonfiction books dealing with history or government.

As I read and reflect, I found myself searching my soul for who I really am. The founder of the Whig party was our second President John Adams. Adams was an

absolute believer in public education. He insisted that our new country would have a strong public school system.

Dwight Eisenhower, a former President from Abilene, was called “the father of our interstate highway system”.

Bob Dole and Nancy Kassebaum were senators from Kansas who were not afraid of compromising with anyone if the policy was for the betterment of our country.

These are people who I identify with politically. These are some of the people in history who I

felt were strong in making our country great.

As many of you know, I was a former Democrat as far as political affiliations go. But, as I became better informed and did much soul searching I came to the realization that I belong with traditional Republicans.

So I left the Democratic party in 2006, long before I had any inkling that I would run for a state office. My first run for a partisan office was six years later.

Please contact our office if we can be of any service to you.

2-3 percent. With ACT the only state assessment, Kansas teachers could get back to being professionals who use their own internal tests to educate unique students.

The extra class time freed up from our current double testing, along with restoring the teachers’ role in determining in-class testing for unique students, would go a long way toward restoring teacher professionalism.

Kansas administrators, teachers and parents statewide will applaud any reduction in our continued over-testing.

And every Kansas farmer knows that the more time you spend weighing them, the less time you have to feed them. It is time to get back more “feeding time” in school.

(continued from page six)

across the state comparisons could easily be made.

While all students participate in the ACT in 18 other states, Kansas is leaving out over onefourth of its students and this makes current ACT comparisons difficult.

The major damage of No Child Left Behind was the de-professionalization of teachers. High stakes testing forced many teachers to stop treating students as unique indi-

viduals and turned them into drill-and-kill testprep workers. While the ACT is a standardized test of the accumulation of reading and mathematics skills, it is primarily an aptitude test, not an achievement test. It does not provide a consistent target that leads to teaching-to-the-test.

ACT-prep mainly provides familiarity with the test format and rarely boosts scores more than

John Schrock trains biology teachers and lives in Emporia

872-2090

December - January We’re here for you

872-5328 Sunday

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

Monday

25

Tuesday

26

Wednesday

27

Attend the Church of Your Choice

No School

No School

Christmas Day

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

Story Time, SC Library: 3-years and under, 10:05 a.m.; 3-6 years, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

1917 - During World War I, the U.S. government took over operation of the nation's railroads.

1947 - The children's television program "Howdy Doody," hosted

by Bob Smith, made its debut on NBC.

,

1868 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all persons involved in the Southern rebellion that resulted in the Civil War.

19 1

No School

No charge for community events

2

SCHS BBall @ SWHts

Thursday

28 No School

3

Friday

29

Saturday

30

31

No School

No School

New Years Eve Kansas Kids Wrestling Tournament, Scott City (H), SCHS Gym, 9:00 a.m.

1832 - John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down over differences with President Jackson.

Teacher Work Day

4

School Resumes

1999 - Sarah Knauss died at the age of 119 years. She was the world's oldest person. She was born September 24, 1880.

1953 - The first color TV sets went on sale for about $1,175.

1848 - U.S. President James Polk turned on the first gas light at the White House.

5

SCHS BBall vs. Ulysses

6

7 SCHS Wrestling @ Norton

Billy Allen Products, Inc. The complete

HORSE FEED

with quality ingredients and consistency guaranteed with every sack.

Box 460 • Scott City

872-2778

The Scott County Record • Page 8 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Sunday is final day for light show

season for giving

This is the final week for the annual Christmas light show offered by Chad and Danea Wasinger, along with their children, Audie and Tinley, at 1204 Hillside Drive in Scott City.

The last night for the display is Sun., Dec. 25.

Light Show Schedule Friday and Saturday: 6:00-11:00 p.m.

Sunday: 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Show Specifications •80 Channels of Light-O-Rama Controllers •10,000 watts (with all lights on) •14,000 lights •3,500 feet of extension cord •Music is transmitting at 88.1 FM

Buy of the Week Wednesday, Dec. 28 - Tuesday, Jan. 3 21-30 count size 12 oz.

Jana Brittan (above) and Arian Martin (right) were among volunteers who wrapped Christmas presents at the First Christian Church last week so they could be delivered to area families.

Each year the gift-giving project is made possible by several thousand dollars in donations.

(Photos

by Beau Harkness)

Shrimp

5

$ 48

John Morrell Cocktail Smokies 12 oz.

1

$ 88

Pace Picante or Salsa 16 oz. jars

1

$ 68

Keebler Townhouse or Club Crackers

1

$ 98

1314 S. Main, Scott City

872-5854 www.heartlandfoodsstores.com

2016 Scott City Area Chamber of Commerce Members

2016 Board of Directors

Trudi Kuntzsch, President (Scott Co-Op) Tom Shirley, Vice-President (Scott Co. Abstract & Tile) Tyler Kough (American Implement) Pam McDaniel (Security State Bank)

Accountants and Tax Preparers Eisenhour & Graff, LLC H&R Block KD Accounting & Tax Services, LLC William L. Beaton, CPA Agricultural Services Ag Management Services American Implement Berning Farms Fairleigh Corporation J. Unruh Trucking, Inc. Jack Schmitt - DeKalb Seed Co. Precision Ag & Seed Services, LLC Roto-Mix, LLC Aeronautics Frontier Ag, Inc. Spencer Flight & Education Center Auto and Truck Sales or Repair BK Auto Bumper to Bumper Cesar’s Repair Shop Curtis Repair, Inc. Fulton Mufflers Performance Exhaust Great Western Tire J & R Auto Group, LLC Millrods Auto, LLC NAPA Automotive, Inc. R Brothers Auto Body Associate Members (Individuals) Brett and Katie Eisenhour Clayton Lee Dale and Vicki Dirks Dan and Lynn Weides Joy Cole Lindsay Singley Willis Hartman Banks and Financial Services Farm Credit of SW Kansas First National Bank Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc. Richards Financial Services, Inc. Security State Bank Western State Bank

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Scott Rec Pool Hall Trophy Wine and Spirits Churches First Baptist Church First Christian Church First United Methodist Church Holy Cross Lutheran Church St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Commercial Feed Yards Cutler Cattle Duff ’s Buffalo Ranch Fairleigh Feed Yard Highlands Livestock Service HRC Feed Yards, LLC McCarty Dairy - Scott City, LLC Royal Beef Wiechman Feed Yard, LP Computer Sales or Repair Networktronic, Inc. Construction Related Businesses B&H Paving Chambless Roofing, Inc. Dirks Earthmoving Company Faurot Heating & Cooling Gary Speer Services Grand Choice Renovations, LLC MTM Siding & Glass Quality Structures, Inc. Scott County Lumber Turner Sheet Metal, Inc. Custom and Promotional Items 3 Phase Laser/Spud’s Fishing & Hunting Supplies Hillery Haverfield & Associates J.F. Beaver Advertising Engineering Firms KLA Environmental Services Furniture and Home Décor Dec-Mart Furniture, Inc.

Scott City Area Chamber of Commerce Staff and Board would like to say thank you to all the 2016 Chamber Members for your support and dedication throughout the year! We look forward to serving your needs in the coming year as well. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Avie Barmann (El Quartelejo Inn & Suites) Shawn Powelson (Wheatland Electric/Broadband) Justin Meireis (Heartland Foods) Mike See (Spud’s Fishing & Hunting Supplies)

Gifts and Home Décor Gifts Etc, Inc. Giftologists Suzy B’s Flowers & More Grain Storage and Marketing Bartlett Grain Company Nu Life Market, LLC Scott Cooperative Association Healthcare Providers and Affiliates Compass Behavioral Health Family Crisis Services Park Lane Nursing Home ProHealth Chiropractic Wellness Center Scott City Eye Center Scott City HealthMart Pharmacy Scott County Hospital Western Kansas Chiropractic, LLC Winter Family Dentistry Grocers and Convenience Stores Casey’s General Stores, Inc. Heartland Foods Love’s Travel Shops U Pump It

Jordan Duff (First National Bank) Joe Meyer (Scott County Hospital) Thad Dearden (Networktronics) Grant Huck (Western State Bank)

State Farm Insurance Co. Western Kansas Insurance Service

Photography Studio and Boutique Dandelion & Lace, LLC

Landscaping and Greenhouse Kel’s Tender Lawn Care The Green Haus

Realtors Lawrence & Associates Thomas Real Estate Agency

Local Government and Schools City of Scott City Scott County Commissioners USD #466

Restaurants Dairy Queen Brazier High Plains Pizza Hut Majestic Theatre Tate’s Wendy’s

Local Organizations Alpha Omega Sorority Lake Scott State Park Friends Group Scott Community Foundation Scott County Arts Council Scott County Development Committee Scott County Historical Society Scott County Library Scott County Ministerial Alliance Scott County VIP’s Scott Recreation Commission William Carpenter 4-H Foundation

Home-based Businesses Arch Way Recycling Central Vacs of Southwest KS C.F. Ellis Sign & Design O’Brien Shredding Tava’s Country Cakes The Brain Changer

Lodging, Storage and Rentals Artistic Homes El Quartelejo Inn & Suites Hide & Seek Storage Systems Lazy R Motel Pine Tree RV Park Pine Village Apartments Plain Jan Rentals, LLC Scott City Inn Motel

Insurance Agents AgMax Crop Insurance American Family Insurance Farm Bureau Financial Services Platinum H Insurance Rodenbeek & Green Agency

Newspaper, Phone, Radio, and TV Pioneer Communications, Inc. Robert Sweat - County Wide Directories Scott County Record Western Kansas Broadcast Center

By supporting the Chamber of Commerce you are helping us work to build a strong local economy for the community. If you feel you should be on this list and I missed you, please contact me regarding your membership by phone 620.872.3525 or email sccc@wbsnet.org.

- Lindsay Singley, Executive Director

Retail Stores Bling Office Solutions Percival Packing Revcom Electronics/Radio Shack Scott City Antiques Scott County Hardware Shopko Hometown Z Bottling Corp Specialized Service Providers Jackson Legal Group, LLC Price & Sons Funeral Home Russell Child Development Wallace, Brantley & Shirley Western KS Child Advocacy Center Utility Companies Midwest Energy Northend Disposal Services Wheatland Electric & Broadband Veterinarians Holterman Veterinary Clinic Miller Veterinary Clinic Stevens Veterinary Services

www.scottcityks.org Phone 620-872-3525 • Fax 620-872-2242

Hope

The Scott County Record • Page 9 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

(continued from page one)

agreed that the couple could remain together, but only if they started attending church and going to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Because their children were already participating in a youth group with the First Baptist Church, that’s where they decided to attend.

“I wasn’t a church person, but I felt comfortable going there. Even when I got beat up and it was pretty visible, no one made me feel as if I didn’t belong,” she says.

Rather than improving, the situation at home became more frightening.

“I was able to quit meth and stay clean, but I still had a drinking problem,” she acknowledges. “Alan got a new job, but he continued to do meth.”

Adding to the drug and alcohol abuse, Collins says she also had to live in fear for her life. Her husband would frequently say that she was going to die “and he’d give me details about how I was going to die.”

In a final attempt to seek help for both of them, Collins talked her husband into attending a Celebrate Recovery meeting. The weekly sessions, sponsored by the First Baptist Church, offer support and spiritual help for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.

Collins stopped drinking on April 28 and attended her first CR class the following Monday.

“Alan attended twice and he didn’t like it,” she says.

That’s when Collins was convinced there was no hope of the relationship changing and she had to find another alternative A Victim of Abuse for herself and her chilOne reason for return- dren. ing to meth use was to avoid the physical abuse Sharing her Situation from her husband.

“Pastor Kyle kind of “He was manipulative. knew what was going It was easier to do meth on. You couldn’t hide it,” so we wouldn’t fight and I says Collins. “It was in wouldn’t get beat up,” she late May when I sat down says. with him and said I can’t Collins remembers live like this. I fear for my when she first reached a safety and my son’s safety. breaking point. It was on “That was my first opNov. 1, 2015, after she portunity to open up about had been beaten again that the whole situation to anyshe said it had to end. one.”

The couple split up . . .

At the time, Collins sort of. wasn’t looking to the “We were separated, church for help, but just but we were still in the wanted to make sure that same house. Where was I someone was aware of her going to go?” she asked. situation.

“And there were eight “I was looking for a kids that needed to be tak- way of getting it out to en care of. I couldn’t just someone. I didn’t want walk away from that.” something to happen to A month later, Collins me and people not know Starting Young Drug dependency has been a part of Collins’ life for almost as long as she can remember. It began with inhalants when she was only nine-years-old and it progressed from there.

She had a child at a very young age and that daughter has also experienced a life of drug addiction which has included oxycontin that led to heroin. The 22-year-old, who lives in the eastern U.S., is entering drug rehab for the sixth time.

Collins is determined to avoid a similar fate for her two youngest children, Amiah Shreve, 12, and Taizmond Yarbough, 6.

It’s not as though Collins hasn’t tried to break away from her life of drug and alcohol abuse.

“I wanted to come to Scott City to get away from the drugs in Pratt. I saw it as a new start,” says Collins, who moved here on Nov. 27, 2014, with her husband and their combined family of eight children.

Amanda’s desire to change wasn’t shared by her husband who was employed on an oil rig near Scott City. Making the move from Pratt at the same time was a fellow worker who was also a meth dealer.

“At first, it was okay.

We were able to get away from things for a little while,” says Collins. “But we slowly crept back into that way of life again.”

While she says the couple was able to stay clean of meth for about four months, “I still had an alcohol problem.”

why,” she says. “At that CR meetings is part of point in my life, I was ac- the Stepping Up program, tually prepared to die.”

Collins says that “going to CR is my choice. I need it.

Timing Must be Right And I’ve told that to my Collins says people employer.” will often ask why she Without assistance didn’t leave the relation- from Stepping Up, Collins ship much sooner, but she says the options for her emphasizes it’s never a and her children would be simple matter of picking very limited. up your belongings and “There’s no place you leaving with your chil- can afford to rent and even dren. if I could there wasn’t any “I told Pastor Kyle place available to me bewhat was happening with cause Alan hadn’t paid the death threats and they the bills. We owed money were ready to take me all over town,” she says. right then,” Collins says. “I’ve been trying to pay “It’s not as easy as just down all the bills so I leaving. It takes timing.” can put bills in my name The situation had final- again.” ly deteriorated to a point where putting off the de- A New Family cision was no longer an While Collins and her alternative. children might have found Collins can recall when a temporary shelter in she made the decision that Garden City or elsewhere, would change her life. she’s happy they made It was June 10 when she the decision to remain in told her husband he had Scott City. to leave the home. She “I thought about movhad also informed Pastor ing, but if we would have Evans and other friends at I worry that I would have the church of her decision. gone back to my old hab“I told people I was its,” she says. “My CR going back (home) and group is like family. The if they didn’t hear from people at church are like me by a certain time they family. should call the police,” re“These people know calls Collins. where I came from. They Upon returning home aren’t looking over my and telling her husband shoulder waiting for me to he had to leave he turned mess up. They don’t judge violent. me by saying ‘You’re an “I told him he had to go ex-drug addict.’ They acand if he was going to kill cept me for who I am.” me, then go ahead. Things Collins emphasizes got physical and he threw that her story isn’t unique, things around,” she says. even for a rural commu“I told him that he had un- nity like Scott City. She’s til a certain time (to leave) had co-workers who are and if people didn’t hear also dealing with meth adfrom me the police would diction. be over.”

As someone who has She says he sat out- experienced that neverside the house for the next 5-1/2 hours.

Her husband has since moved from Scott City and on July 12 Collins moved into a room at the Plains Inn with assistance from the church.

“That was the first time I had a good night’s sleep.

In the house there were too many windows and doors. Too many ways for someone to get in. When you have someone telling you for three years that they intend to kill you, you are living in constant fear.”

Collins says that Pastor Evans and her other friends with the church didn’t impose any conditions upon her for moving into the motel.

“It was an opportunity to improve myself. They gave me a safe environment and I wanted to make the best of it,” she says.

And while attending

ending battle, Collins knows how important it is for help to be available at the moment a person is seeking a way out of their lifestyle.

“When you are a meth addict, there’s a window of clarity. If you don’t reach them during that window, or if there’s no one for them to turn to, that opportunity is lost,” she says. “Usually, the only ones who want to help you are the ones who are like you, so it’s hard to get out of that environment.”

All too often, says Collins, drug addicts don’t decide they want to change their lives until they’ve hit rock bottom.

And she adds that people “would be shocked” at

the number of people using ocycontin, methadone and morphine in rural communities.

“These are people you wouldn’t suspect. I’ve seen it a lot,” she warns.

“And I’ve seen it with too many young people.”

Collins feels fortunate that the people behind Stepping Up were available to help her when the window of opportunity presented itself.

“It’s especially tough when you’re a woman who is an addict, and you’re in an abusive relationship. You don’t know who to trust. You don’t know where to turn,” she adds.

“I feel lucky. I’ve been given a chance at a new life.”

The Scott County Record • Page 10 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Youth/Education

Section B Page 11 Thursday, December 22, 2016

Hess earns degree at KU Tyler Hess, Scott City, is among 1,300 mid-term graduates completing degree requirements at the University of Kansas.

Hess earned a bachelor’s degree in business accounting.

Degrees are officially awarded in January and graduates can participate in commencement exercises this spring.

star search

FHSU to combine ceremonies for grads, undergrads Commencement 2017 at Fort Hays State University has been revised. Master’s and education specialist graduates will be recognized in the same commencement ceremonies as undergraduate students from the same colleges.

For a third year, FHSU Commencement will be two events. Students earning graduate and undergraduate degrees from the Peter and Pamela Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will be May 12 in Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Recognized on May 13 will be graduates of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the College of Education, and the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.

SCES first grader Spencer Roberts carefully looks around the lunch room for the hidden star at noon on Wednesday.

(Record Photo)

Activity makes lunch more fun at SCES Lunch time has been a little more interesting and fun - for Scott City Elementary School students.

Each Wednesday in December, while going through the lunch line, students in grades K-12, are paying a lot less attention to the food that’s going on their plate and a lot more attention to their surroundings.

Somewhere in the serv-

ing area is a three-inch star. Those who discover it get an additional treat at the end of lunch time.

The activity was started by food service employee Diana McDaniel last year and it was so popular she brought it back again.

The replica of the Star of Bethlehem generates a lot of excitement.

“It’s become a pretty big deal,” says McDaniel.

“If someone didn’t know

what was going on they’d wonder what’s the matter with these kids. They’re looking all over the place while they’re getting their food trey. It creates a lot of excitement.”

Students who don’t see the star the first time will pay a second visit to the serving area.

“I’ve found (the star) every time,” says Keller Turner, a first grader.

At the conclusion of

Committee hears budget challenges The Legislative Budget Committee received a quick series of briefings on issues, but made no recommendations to deal with the state’s current financial problems.

A major downward revision in tax revenue projections this year means that state general fund spending will have to be reduced by an estimated $350 million to avoid a deficit - a reduction of more than 5.5 percent for a year that will be more than half over when the Legislature convenes

in January.

The alternative appears to be finding “one time” savings or revenues to bridge the gap until next year.

Even that reduced budget for the current year will rely on nearly $300 million in transfers from other state programs, primarily the state highway fund. If those transfers are continued, the state is still expected to need to add more than $100 million next year and $200 million the following year beyond available rev-

enues for human service caseloads and pension system contributions.

Those assumptions do not include any funding to increase school district operating aid in response to a possible court order or to simply cover increased enrollment and operating costs, or funding for any other state programs.

Gov. Sam Brownback says he will submit a budget when the Legislature convenes in January to address the current year shortfall and a balanced budget for the next two

years. He has suggested it will include both revenue increases and spending cuts. The governor also says he will propose a new school finance plan to replace the two-year block grant system that expires June 30.

Meanwhile, a coalition of state employee and teacher unions, early childhood advocates and highway contractors called Rise Up Kansas recently proposed a package of tax changes to raise $820 million beginning next year.

lunch, the cook staff will ask the students who found the star and they hold up their hands as staff members walk around to each table. Each student then quietly tells the cook staff where the star was found.

Those who find the star get a candy cane or a book mark.

Once the star is located, that’s information that’s not shared until a cook

comes around.

“I keep it a secret,” says first grader Ayva Hinrichs, who adds, “It’s a lot of fun. I look forward to lunch.”

It’s just as much fun for McDaniel who, the day before, enjoyed the reaction after making a Santa face in pizza.

“Kids are a blessing from God. Being around them is so much fun,” she adds.

The Scott County Record

For the Record

The Scott County Record Page 12 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

On-line holiday sales are impacting Kansas jobs The November jobs report in Kansas was full of dismaying news, but one piece of bad jobs news came with a twist: The state is missing some of the retail jobs that traditionally are created at Christmas.

The number of general retail jobs added in Kansas in November was

down a couple hundred from November 2015, according to the Kansas Department of Labor, a surprise because the economy overall is slightly better and people are spending more.

“Employers in the retail trade industry continued to add jobs in

Scott Co. LEC Report Scott City Police Department Dec. 2: Remington Wright, 16, was arrested for aggravated assault and disorderly conduct resulting from an incident that occurred on Nov. 18. He was transported to the LEC. Dec. 2: Abraham Liberto was served a municipal court warrant for driving on a suspended license and speeding.

Dec. 15: Noah Farr was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon and parole violation. He was transported to the LEC. Dec. 16: Ashley Moore, 20, was arrested for endangering a child and transported to the LEC. Scott County Sheriff’s Department Nov. 21: David Friessen was southbound on US83 Highway when he struck a deer.

Nov. 23: Tyrus Price was served an out-of-county warrant for battery and criminal deprivation of property.

November, but at a slower rate than expected,” said Emilie Doerksen, a labor economist at the Kansas Department of Labor.

Over the last 10 years, Kansas retailers added an average of 3,300 jobs between October and November. This year, it was less than half that, 1,400, she said.

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 15, 2016; last published Thurs., Dec. 29, 2016)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of the Estate of RONALD E. BERLAND, deceased, Case No. 2016-PR-28 NOTICE OF HEARING AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS You are hereby notified that on the 8th day of December, 2016, a Petition was filed in this Court by Valerie Katich, a devisee and legatee, and Executor named in the Last Will and Testament of Ronald E. Berland, deceased, dated November 16, 2010, praying that the Will filed with the Petition be admitted to probate and record; that she be appointed as Executor without bond; that she be granted Letters Testamentary.

You are required to file

your written defenses thereto on or before the 10th day of January, 2017, at 2:30 o’clock p.m., in said Court, in the City of Scott City, in Scott County, Kansas, at which time and place said cause will be heard. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition.

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

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

Support Your Hometown Merchants!

over-year. Electronics store sales were down 2.5 percent from a year ago.

The number of retail jobs nationally also fell in November, although the number remains well up for the year.

The decline in retail jobs in Kansas could reflect the overall sluggish Kansas labor market. The

total number of jobs in Kansas was down 2,800 from October and 3,900 from November 2015.

The two-year-old recession in the rural areas caused by low crop, livestock, oil and gas prices continues to spread beyond the producers to the rest of the economy.

Kansas Lottery runs a deficit for the sixth consecutive year

The Kansas Lottery ran a deficit for the sixth year in a row this year, because the state’s pension fund and the Legislature take more out of the game than it brings in, according to an audit of the agency.

The legislative post audit shows that the lottery brought in a record $170.6 million in net profit during the fiscal year that ended in June.

But, it transferred out $171.8 million to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System and Public Notice the state budget.

(First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 22, With that $1.2 million 2016; last published Thurs., Dec. 29, 2016)2t deficit, the lottery continAPPLICATION FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS ued to fall further behind AND PLANNING/ZONING ANNUAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Scott City Planning Com- and ended fiscal 2016 at mission will hold a special meeting on January 12, 2017, at a negative $5.9 million 7:00 p.m., at the Scott City Council Meeting Room at City Hall, 221 West 5th Street, Scott City, Kansas, to consider the following agenda items: 1) Application for conditional use permit by Armando Armendariz to erect a building to be used for equipment and machinery storage on the following described property: Lots Nine (9) and Twelve (12), Block Two (2), Websters Third Addition to the City of Scott City.

2) Application for conditional use permit by Great Western Tire of Scott City, LLC to install above ground storage tanks for fuel storage on the following described property: Lots One (1) thru Twelve (12), Block Four (4), Nonnamaker Addition to the City of Scott City.

3) Annual Planning and Zoning meeting All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at such hearing.

Dated: December 20, 2016 Rodney Hogg, chairman Scott City Planning Commission

One possibility is the rapid increase in online shopping.

Online retail sales in November nationally were up 15 percent year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation, while general merchandise, clothing and sporting goods stores were up just 1-2 percent year-

position, the audit said.

KPERS costs were responsible for $1 million of the $1.2 million shortfall.

The other $200,000 is the result of transfers to the state exceeding the amount of revenue the Lottery received.

The situation was worse last year. The lottery had to put $6.3 million more toward its pension obligations to comply with new federal accounting standards, and the Legislature took out another $2 million in excess of the lottery’s income. That turned a $3.6 million starting surplus into a $4.7 million year-end deficit, the audit showed.

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 15, 2016; last published Thurs., Dec. 29, 2016)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of the Marriage of YAMEL GARCIA, PETITIONER, and LUIS SERVANDO PENA BAYLON, RESPONDENT Case No. 2016-DM-46 NOTICE OF SUIT The State of Kansas to the defendant above named designated and all other persons who are or may be concerned: You are hereby notified that a Petition has been filed in the District Court of Scott County, Kansas, by Yamel Garcia, Petitioner, praying for a decree of absolute divorce from Respondent, Luis

Servando Pena Baylon. That the address of Luis Servando Pena Baylon is unknown to this Petitioner and he is a resident of the country of Mexico.

You are hereby required to plead to said Petition on or before January 27, 2017, in said Court at the Courthouse at the City of Scott City in the County of Scott, Kansas. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon said petition.

John Shirley #8117 Attorney for Petitioner WALLACE, BRANTLEY & SHIRLEY 325 Main Street - P.O. Box 605 Scott City, Kansas, 67871 (620) 872-2161 Attorneys for Petitioner

Matt Schwartz, finance director for the lottery, said there’s no cause for worry.

He said the fundamental purpose of the lottery is to provide money for the state budget and the agency has worked hard to tighten its retailers’ rules, with the goal of collecting money from the sale of lottery tickets faster.

“Our ultimate goal is to keep as little carryover equity (as possible) trapped within the system,” he said.

He said over a 10- to 20-year time frame, operating gains and losses should roughly even out.

And, he said, the lottery did carry over a positive

balance from when it started in 1987 until 2014.

It did that, in part, by spending down reserves.

Now those reserves are gone, and the lottery is running a $5.9 million deficit.

Fiscal 2016 marked the sixth year in a row that the lottery ended with an annual operating deficit, although it did get some boosts in overall revenue along the way from capital contributions related to the development of stateowned casinos, according to this year’s report and previous audits.

After the meeting, it was unclear what the overall impact will be for (See LOTTERY on page 13)

The Scott County Record • Page 13 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Lottery the future of the lottery.

With the makeup of the Legislature and its committee structure in flux following the November election, it was also not clear whether the state will take action to cut back on the money it withdraws each year.

But, the committee chairman, Sen. Michael O’Donnell (R-Wichita) said it’s an indicator of the state’s financial problems that it keeps taking more money from the lottery than the games make.

“To me it sounds like the state of Kansas is just receiving too much,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the transfers, they (the lottery) would be more than fine.”

Of the annual deficits at the lottery, “It’s been happening throughout the (Gov. Sam) Brownback administration,” O’Donnell said.

(continued from page 12)

“It’s something that’s going to continue to happen until the lottery director stops it,” he added.

He doesn’t see that as likely.

“Terry Presta, an appointee of the governor, is not going to say anything negative about it,” O’Donnell said. Presta, the lottery director, was not available for comment.

O’Donnell said he sees the lottery situation as a symptom of deeper problems in state budgeting.

He said it’s similar to other “sweeps” of funding from state agencies that get their money from user fees, license charges and other outside sources.

“I don’t think it’s a good situation (for the lottery), but I don’t think it’s unique,” O’Donnell said.

“We have been sweeping funds from those agencies

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 15, 2016; last published Thurs., Dec. 29, 2016)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS CIVIL DEPARTMENT JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, successor by merger to Chase Home Finance LLC, successor by merger to Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation Plaintiff, vs.

Kristan R. Smyth and Sunni R. Smyth, et al.

Defendants Case No. 16CV5 Pursuant to K.S.A. Chapter 60 NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of an Order of Sale issued to me by the Clerk of the District Court of Scott County, Kansas, the undersigned Sheriff of Scott County, Kansas, will offer for sale at public auction and sell to the highest bidder for cash in hand, at the Front Door of the Courthouse at Scott City, Scott County, Kansas, on January 10, 2017, at 10:00 AM, the following real estate: LOT SIX (6) AND THE SOUTH SEVENTEEN FEET (S17’) OF LOT FOUR (4) AND

THE NORTH SEVEN FEET (N7’) OF LOT EIGHT (8) IN BLOCK TWO (2) IN THOMAS ADDITION TO SCOTT CITY, KANSAS ALSO DESCRIBED AS: LOT SIX (6) AND THE SOUTH SEVENTEEN FEET (17’) OF LOT FOUR (4) AND THE NORTH SEVEN FEET (N7’) OF LOT EIGHT (8) IN BLOCK TWO (2) IN THOMAS ADDITION TO SCOTT CITY, SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS, commonly known as 804 Madison, Scott City, KS 67871 (the “Property”) to satisfy the judgment in the above-entitled case. The sale is to be made without appraisement and subject to the redemption period as provided by law, and further subject to the approval of the Court. For more information, visit www.Southlaw.com Glenn Anderson, Sheriff Scott County, Kansas Prepared By: SouthLaw, P.C. Blair T. Gisi (KS #24096) 245 N. Waco, Suite 410 Wichita, KS 67202 (316) 684-7733 (316) 684-7766 (Fax) Attorneys for Plaintiff (189620)

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 22, 2016; last published Thurs., Jan. 5, 2017)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LARRY GLENN VULGAMORE, DECEASED No. 16PR30 NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are hereby notified that on December 19, 2016, a Petition for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary under the Kansas Simplified Estates Act was filed in this Court

by Judith Ann Vulgamore, an heir, devisee, or legatee, and Executor named in the Last Will and Testament of Larry Glenn Vulgamore, deceased, the will of Larry Glenn Vulga-

more, deceased, was admitted to probate, and Judith Ann Vulgamore was appointed Executor.

All creditors are notified to exhibit their demands against the estate within the latter of four months from the date of the first publication of this notice under K.S.A. 59-2236 and amendments thereto, or if the identity of the creditor is known or reasonably ascertainable, thirty days after actual notice was given as provided by law, and if their demands are not thus exhibited, they shall be forever barred.

Judith Ann Vulgamore, Executor Kyler Knobbe Box 937 Cimarron, Kansas 67835 Phone: 620-855-3100 Lawyer for Executor

year after year to fill holes in the budget.”

O’Donnell won’t be in the Legislature to address that. He didn’t run for reelection and in January, he’ll step down from the Senate to take his new position as a Sedgwick County commissioner.

The good news for the lottery in the audit report is that its overall income continues to rise.

The $170.6 million profit the lottery brought in during fiscal 2016 set a record and was up $10.5 million from the previous year.

Traditional lottery games such as scratchoff tickets and Lotto were big winners, with sales increasing from $250 million in 2015 to $272 million this year.

The three state-owned and privately operated gambling casinos brought

in $364.4 million, down Casino income is split slightly from their 2015 73 percent to the managepeak of $365 million, the ment company, 22 percent report said. to the state, three percent to the cities and counties Where the Money Goes that host casinos and two Lottery funds are dis- percent to the problem bursed by formulas in gambling fund. state law.

The traditional lottery The first $50 million was originally designed to of traditional lottery profit pay the state 30 percent of goes into a state gaming the money bet by the playfund. ers, said Sherriene JonesEighty-five percent Sontag, deputy executive of that goes to economic director of the Kansas development programs to Lottery and a former press attract and expand busisecretary for Brownback. ness in the state. Fifteen About 10 years ago, the percent goes to adult and juvenile prison construc- Legislature began waiving that percentage and tion.

A fund to help people building a proviso into with gambling addictions each annual budget bill gets an automatic $80,000 telling the lottery how many dollars would need grant each year.

Anything more than to be transferred to the $50 million is transferred state.

Jones-Sontag said that’s to the state General Fund, been a positive developwhere it can be spent for any governmental pur- ment for traditional lottery sales. It allows for pose.

Kansans may be eligible in pharmaceutical settlement

Public Notice

Kansans who bought the wakefulness drug Provigil may be eligible for part of a $35 million settlement. Consumers who purchased generic versions may also be eligible.

Kansas was part of a settlement in August with Cephalon, Inc., and its affiliated companies.

The settlement included Kansas and 47 other states that filed a lawsuit asserting the manufacturer violated antitrust laws.

Affected consumers can submit claims beginning this month.

Those who purchased Provigil and/or generic versions of Provigil (modafinil) between June 24, 2006, and March 31, 2012, may be entitled to a payment.

To learn more about the settlement, consumers may visit www.

InYourCornerKansas.org or call (800) 432-2310.

To be eligible to receive a payment, consumers must complete and submit a valid claim form by April 13, 2017.

(Published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Dec. 22, 2016)1t NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING AND REGULAR FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING IN THE MATTER OF THE 2017 ANNUAL MEETING AND THE REGULAR FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING FOR THE WESTERN KANSAS GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT NO. 1 OF LANE, SCOTT, WICHITA, GREELEY AND WALLACE COUNTIES, KANSAS. TO ALL PERSONS: Notice is hereby given pursuant of K.S.A. 82a1026 (b) and K.S.A. 82a1029 that: WHEREAS, an annual meeting of the district shall be held by the Board of Directors. NOW THEREFORE, an annual meeting shall be held on the 2nd day of February 2017 at 2:00 p.m. (CT) at the Event Center, 450 W. Ramon, Sharon Springs, Kansas, for the purpose of reporting on the financial condition of the district, district activities, presentation of a proposed budget and proposed assessment rates, and the election of the Wichita and Lane County board members.

Letters of intent to run for these positions should be submitted to the office by January 13, 2017. Also take notice that the Board of Directors of the Western Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 1 will hold their regular February Board Meeting at 10:00 a.m. (CT) on February 2, 2017, at the Event Center, 450 W. Ramon, Sharon Springs, Kansas, prior to the annual meeting.

The regular February Board meeting will be recessed/adjourned for lunch at noon and recessed/adjourned for the annual meeting at 2:00 p.m. CT. Greg Graff President, Board of Directors Western Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 1 906 W 5th Scott City, KS. 67871 (620) 872-5563

more flexibility to offer expensive multi-play tickets and give more generous payouts to those who bet more money, she said.

For example, $1 tickets return 58 to 62 cents to player prizes, while $20 tickets can pay off as much as 70 cents for each dollar wagered, JonesSontag said.

If the lottery had to give the state a flat 30 percent, it wouldn’t be able to offer games that pay players 70 percent, JonesSontag said.

There wouldn’t be money available to cover retailers’ commissions, printing and delivery of tickets, and other costs associated with running the games, she said.

“When you factor all of those associated costs, it would prohibit us from offering a $10 or $20 price point,” Jones-Sontag said.

Pastime at Park Lane Residents played pitch and dominoes on Monday afternoon. Game helpers were Joy Barnett, Dorothy King, Wanda Kirk, Bert Lucas, Gary Goodman, Mandy Barnett, and Madeline Murphy.

Residents played Wii bowling on Monday evening.

SCHS band director Suzette Price and her guitar students visited and played Christmas songs on Tuesday morning.

Pastor Bob Artz led Bible study on Tuesday morning. Doris Riner played the piano for the hymns.

Russel and Mary Webster led Bible study on Tuesday evening.

Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran Bible study

Pear

Make wreaths on craft day

The Immanuel Southern Baptist church hosted crafts on Tuesday afternoon. Residents made Christmas wreaths.

Helpers were Joy Barnett, Jennifer Murphy and Mandy Barnett. Bev Nuckolls furnished the cookies.

Each residents was also given a Christmas ornament. on Wednesday morning.

The Scott Community High School jazz band, Encore, Left Overs, and Sugar and Spice performed on Wednesday morning.

Bingo was played on Wednesday afternoon.

Madeline Murphy and Mary Lou Oeser were the helpers.

Residents played cards on Wednesday evening.

(continued from page three)

Ladies received manicures on Thursday morning.

Residents baked Christmas cookies and enjoyed Christmas trivia games on Thursday afternoon.

Fr. Bernard Felix led Catholic Mass on Friday morning.

Everyone enjoyed vanilla ice cream cones on Friday afternoon.

The Scott County Record • Page 14 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran services on Friday afternoon.

Several residents played Wii bowling on Friday evening.

We thank the many groups of carolers that have visited. The residents really appreciate it.

Darlene Richman was visited by Phebe Unruh.

Yvonne Spangler was visited by Ashley Mongeau, and Les and Mary Ann Spangler.

Louise Crist was visited by Bill Beaton, Prairie View Church carolers, Barbara Hutchins, Don and Tara Williams and grandchildren; Tava See and Patsi Graham.

Doris Riner was visited

by Bill and Sue Riner and Trudy Eikenberry.

Sr. Citizen Lunch Menu

Week of December 26-30 Monday: Closed for the holiday. as appetizing.

Tuesday: Chili or potato soup, carrots, mixed fruit, To prevent this, just dip the pear slices in a solution cinnamon roll, mandarin oranges. of 50 percent water and 50 percent lemon juice.

Wednesday: Oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, Prior to eating a pear, you should gently wash it in gravy, brussels sprouts, whole wheat roll, strawberries cold water.

Pears are great to eat by themselves, but they are and bananas. awesome tossed in a salad and baked into a pie.

Thursday: Breaded pollock fillet, macaroni and Pear Fruit Compote cheese, green beans, whole wheat roll, plums.

Ingredients Friday: Barbeque ribette, sweet potato fries, tossed 6 medium Bosc pears salad, whole wheat bread or bun, pears.

2 medium navel oranges, peeled and sectioned meals are $3.25 • call 872-3501

1/3 cup raisins 1 cup water 3/4 cup packed brown sugar Dash salt 3 tablespoons butter Directions Place pears on their sides in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish; arrange oranges and raisins around pears.

In a small bowl, combine the water, brown sugar and salt. Pour over fruit; dot with butter.

Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until pears are tender, basting occasionally. Halve and core pears; top with fruit mixture.

Yield: 6 servings.

by Jason Storm

Lowell Rudolph was visited by Kathleen Moore, LuAnn Buehler; Jeff, Brenda and Elizabeth Buehler; and Tom Moore.

Bonnie Pickett was visited by Gloria Wright, Larry Pickett, and the Prairie View Church carolers.

Boots Haxton was visited by Rod and Kathy Haxton.

Lorena Turley was visited by Barbara Dickhut, Neta Wheeler, Nola Thornton, Linda Armstrong, Kaely Zilla and Makayla Amerine.

Vivian Kreiser was visited by Sharon Lock and Duston Juleson.

Mike Leach and James Still were visited by Linda Dunagan.

Arlene Beaton was visited by John Beaton.

Kathy Roberts was visited by Kathy Moore.

Loretta Gorman was visited by Tina Turley.

Cecile Billings was visited by Ann Beaton, Delinda Dunagan and Larry Billings.

LaVera King was visited by Randy, Kay and Harrison King; Carol Latham, Gloria Gough, Patsi Graham and Shanna Wells.

Dona Dee Carpenter was visited by Ashlynn Long, Grant Long, Ryan and Lisa Long, Roger and Jackie John, Liz O’Bleness, and Eric Tanner.

Jim Jeffery was visited

by Nathella Humburg.

The Scott County Record • Page 15 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Deaths Robert A. ‘Bob’ Strong

Robert B. ‘Bob’ Mumma

Robert A. (Bob) Strong, 86, died Dec. 14, 2016, losing his battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was born Oct. 16, 1930, in Hill City, the son of Arthur and Folsom Strong.

He lived in Moreland and then Hill City where he graduated from high school in 1948.

He spent several years working on oil rigs for Shell Oil Company throughout Kansas and Colorado before he signed up for a two-year tour in Korea with the U.S. Marine Corps. He was honored with the Purple Heart, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Upon returning to the U.S., he attended Wichita State University where he earned a BA degree in graphic arts. After graduation he started the first of a long series of companies.

His career included stints as an ad man, book illustrator, political consultant, graphic artist and ultimately he became a publisher. He and his son

Robert B. (Bob) Mumma, 61, died Dec. 2, 2016, as a result of an auto accident.

He was born Jan. 31, 1955, to Roland and Jackie Mumma in Scott City.

He moved to Texas to continue his truck driving career for over 35 years.

Survivors include: a sister, Shelby Jones, and

partnered for 21 years, publishing Feedlot Magazine which turned into a thriving business still operating in Dighton.

In 1955, he married Donna Gloege. Their marriage ended in 1992.

In 2001, he married Virginia Stramel. She survives.

Other survivors include: one son, Greg Strong, and wife, Andrea, Dighton, and one daughter, Brenda Jones, and husband, Brian, Chicago, Ill. He was preceded in death by one sister, Betty Johnson, and two brothers, Layton Strong and Don Strong.

A celebration of life was held Dec. 21 at the Dighton United Methodist Church with Rev. Bernice Ludlum officiating.

Interment will be at a later date in Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Hill City.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Foundation in care of Boomhower Funeral Home, 145 N. Wichita Ave., Dighton, Ks. 67839.

Robert James ‘Bob’ Vondracek Robert James “Bob” Vondracek, 91, died Dec. 13, 2016, at the Harper Hospital, Harper (Ks.).

H e was born March 1, 1925, in Anthony, the son of James and Glad- Robert Vondracek ys Marie (Sullivan) Vondracek.

He grew up in the Kiowa vicinity, graduating from Kiowa High School.

Bob entered into the United States Army during World War II. Due to his ability to type, the Army used him as a typist.

He farmed and owned Bob’s TV Repair in Corwin, later moving the business to Anthony. After selling the farm and TV repair business, Bob became a rural mail carrier.

He was a member of the St. Patrick Catholic Church, Harper, the St. Joan of Arc Parish Community.

On March 7, 1945, he married Ruth Williams.

On Dec. 26, 1963, he married Shirley LaPlant Osborn.

Survivors include: one daughter, Sue Raberding, and husband Dan; one son, Casey Vondracek, and wife Ashley; one step-daughter, Dana Young; one step-son, Rex Osborn, and wife Marvalee; one brother, Paul Vondracek; one sister, Margaret Ann Holcomb; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; four step-grandchildren; and several step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by parents; wife, Shirley; infant daughter, Betty Lou; one brother, Bill; one granddaughter, Traci Misak; and one sonin-law, Ray Young.

Funeral mass was Dec. 16, at St. Patrick Catholic Church of the St. Joan of Arc Parish Community, Harper, with Fr. Michael Peltzer officiating.

Burial was in Harper Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the St. Patrick Catholic Church of teh St. Joan of Arc Parish Community in care of Prairie Rose Funeral Homes, 613 West 14th Street, Harper, Ks. 67058.

husband, Travis; and three grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Jamie Mumma; and a sister, Tracey Obeso.

Memorial service was held Dec. 19 at Erman Smith Funeral Home, 315 Rusk Street, Pittsburg, Tex.

Attend the Church of Your Choice

The Birth of Jesus 1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

13 “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Enough said. Merry Christmas!!

Pastor Jon Tuttle Prairie View Church of the Brethren, Friend

Scott City Assembly of God

Prairie View Church of the Brethren

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

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

Morning Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Men’s Fellowship • Tuesday breakfast at 6:30 a.m. will be held at the church Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 p.m., at the church

St. Joseph Catholic Church

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

A Catholic Christian Community 1002 S. Main Street - Scott City Fr. Bernard Felix, pastor • 872-7388 Secretary • 872-3644 Masses: 1st Sunday of month - 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Other weekends: Sat., 6:00 p.m.; Sun., 11:00 a.m.

Spanish Mass - 2nd and 4th Sundays, 1:30 p.m.

Pence Community Church

1102 Court • Box 283 • Scott City 620-872-2294 • 620-872-3796 Pastor Warren Prochnow holycross-scott@sbcglobal.net Sunday School/Bible Class, 9:00 a.m.

Worship every Sunday, 10:15 a.m.

Wed.: Mid-Week School, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Community Christian Church

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

Sunday School: 9:30 • Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

12th & Jackson • Scott City • 872-3219 Brian Thompson, pastor Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship, 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday: God’s High School Cru, 7:30 p.m.

First Baptist Church

Immanuel Southern Baptist Church

803 College - Scott City - 872-2339

1398 S. US83 - Scott City - 872-2264

Kyle Evans, Senior Pastor Bob Artz, Associate Pastor

Robert Nuckolls, pastor - 872-5041

Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.

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

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

Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.

Gospel Fellowship Church

1st United Methodist Church

Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

5th Street and College - Scott City - 872-2401 John Lewis, pastor 1st Sunday: Communion and Fellowship Sunday Services, 9:00 a.m. • Fellowship, 10:15 a.m. • Sun. School, 11:00 a.m.

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

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

First Christian Church

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

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

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

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

Website: www.fccscottcity.org

Elizabeth/Epperson Drives • Scott City • 872-3666

Scott Mennonite Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

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

Sunday Evening Service: 7:00 p.m.

Holy Eucharist - 11:45 a.m.

St. Luke’s - 872-3666 (recorded message) Senior Warden Cody Brittan • (913) 232-6127 or Father Don Martin • (785) 462-3041

9th and Crescent - Scott City - 872-2334 James Yager • 620-214-3040 Sacrament, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School, 10:50 a.m.

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

YMYW Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.

The Scott County Record • Page 16 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Committee will debate Medicaid expansion Chairman will hold hearings in Kansas House Meg Wingerter KHI News Service

Medicaid expansion will get hearings in the Kansas House during the upcoming legislative session, the chairman of its health committee said, and leadership assign-

ments suggest the issue may have a more receptive audience than in the past.

Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who also headed the House Health and Human Services Committee in 2016, said he remains opposed to expanding Medicaid to some lowincome non-disabled adults, but his committee will debate the issue.

House Speakerelect Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, has said the House will tackle the issue this year, Hawkins said, although Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer has said expansion will be “dead” under Presidentelect Donald Trump.

Committee assignments also indicate opposition to Medicaid expansion may be softening. Ryckman, an Olathe

Republican, appointed Rep. Susan Concannon, a Beloit Republican who has supported expansion, to the committee as its vice chairwoman.

Hawkins said he expects Concannon to take a leading role in the expansion debate.

“My vice chairman will probably be very instrumental in how that’s handled in the committee,” he said.

Concannon, who had served in that position in 2015, was one of three members removed from the committee before the 2016 session because they supported Medicaid expansion.

Hawkins also noted the Kansas Hospital Association and other health organizations have mounted a campaign encouraging legislators to come up with a Kansas-

Kansas stuck in the middle on health even as obesity rate rises Andy Marso KHI News Service

Kansas was the only state where the obesity rate went up significantly in 2015, according to an annual report, and state officials are trying to figure out why and how to reverse the trend.

The state also lagged on vaccination rates and remained stuck in the middle on overall health, according to the America’s Health Rankings Report, which was released Thursday by the United Health Foundation.

Kansas ranked 27th in the report, which rates the 50 states on a broad range of measures, including health behaviors, access to care, state policies

and residents’ health outcomes. The state has hovered at 26th or 27th since 2013.

About 34 percent of Kansans, or one in three, were obese, according to the report. That echoes another annual report issued earlier this year by the Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which noted that Kansas also was one of only two states whose obesity rate increased significantly between 2014 and 2015.

It wasn’t immediately clear why one report found significant increases in two states, and the other singled out Kansas.

Missouri didn’t fare much better, with 32 percent of residents classified

Comparing 2 Neighbors Overall health ranking Kansas: 27th Missouri: 37th Obesity rate Kansas: 44th

Missouri: 40th

34.2% of adults 32.4% of adults

Female teens vaccinated against HPV Kansas 44th 31.7% Missouri 45th 31.5% Male teens vaccinated against HPV Kansas 47th 18.5% Missouri 32nd 25.1% Teens vaccinated against meningococcal disease Kansas 46th 63.7% Missouri 41st 69.7%

as obese. Its obesity rate also appeared to go up, though the change was not

statistically significant.

Increased Health Risks Jennifer Church, section director for community health promotion at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said state epidemiologists are analyzing why the obesity rate increased in Kansas when most states were holding steady and a few had decreases.

“We can’t say with any certainty why Kansas is continuing to go up,” she said. “A lot of their strategies (in states where the rate decreased) look the same as what we’re doing.”

Not all people who are obese develop other health problems, but extra (See OBESITY on page 17)

State’s Medicaid backlog returns; providers to see payment delays Meg Wingerter KHI News Service

The Medicaid application backlog in Kansas is on its way back up, threatening months of progress on a coverage problem that has vexed health care providers across the state.

For more than a year, providers that rely on Kansas Medicaid, or KanCare, have been stung by delayed payments as they wait months for eligibility determinations that by federal rule are supposed to take no more than 45 days.

Nursing homes have been particularly hard hit, because about half of Kansans in nursing homes rely on Medicaid to pay for long-term care after their savings run out, and the long-term care applications are the most complex type within

Medicaid.

Rodney Whittington, CEO of Villa St. Francis in Olathe, said news that the backlog is increasing again is frustrating given how much time he has spent chasing Medicaid reimbursements this year for the assisted living facility.

“It’s taking a lot of my efforts and energy away from things that really could make a difference when this (Medicaid eligibility) system used to be automatic,” Whittington said. “We could count on payment and we could worry (instead) about the operations of the facility to improve the lives of our residents.”

The backlog began in the summer of 2015 with the rocky rollout of a new computer system for processing applications called the Kansas

Eligibility Enforcement System, or KEES. It grew at the end of 2015 when Gov. Sam Brownback made an administrative change that funneled all Medicaid applications through a single KanCare Clearinghouse run by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The Kansas Department for Children and Families, which had been processing complex longterm care applications for elderly and disabled Kansans, handed off thousands of those applications to Clearinghouse workers who had little experience processing them.

Within months the backlog burgeoned to almost 11,000, in part due to a rush of new applications that were referred to the state during the open enrollment period for the

federal Affordable Care Act. The state hired new workers and brought over some from DCF to help process applications and gradually reduced the backlog during the summer of 2016. State officials estimated it would be eliminated by the end of September.

That didn’t happen.

The state trimmed the backlog to 1,486 applications - most of them for long-term care - in September, but since then the numbers have been climbing.

The most recent data available shows 2,247 applications pending 45 days or more. The number of new applications - those pending 15 days or less - also has grown substantially since open enrollment period for

specific expansion plan.

Some states, including Indiana, have approved modified plans.

“They’re not slowing down,” he said.

Hawkins said he also expects 2017 could be the year when Kansas legalizes hemp oil for certain medical conditions.

A bill last session would have legalized cannabidiol, or CBD oil, (See DEBATE on page 17)

Season of giving is year round for the hospital staff Scott County Hospital (SCH) not only specializes in giving medical care 365 days a year, but also is blessed with having staff who work to give back to the community it serves.

Christmas is the time of year that we, as a

by Jeri Grove • member of the culture, reflect Scott Community Foundation on the blessHealthcare Committee ings of the year and find ways to help others along life’s path. Scott County Hospital has long participated in this tradition. If some are unaware of these activities, it is my pleasure to bring them to light.

Each year, every department gets together to make a Christmas tree, wreath or decoration. They select a local charity to donate the proceeds of the silent auction for each of these items.

Last year, the recipients included: Child Advocacy; Caring Hearts/Caring Hands; Scott County Animal Rescue; Garden City Dialysis (in memory of Carol Schmidt); Scott County Shriners; Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation; Community Breadbasket; Silent Angels; Cerebral Palsy Foundation; Pearl Sue Cans Fund; Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts; Angel Tree; and a mammography machine fund. (Please come and enjoy these decorations in the hospital lobby and feel free to bid.)

But the giving is not limited to Christmas only.

Every year, the hospital chooses a charity to “sponsor.” Last year it was Breast Cancer Awareness.

This year, the Alzheimer’s project spearheaded by the hospital committee raised $12,376.

So when you see people in jeans on Fridays or serving popcorn in the lobby, please understand the monies raised from these efforts support the chosen fund.

In addition, SCH has also participated in many community projects such as Beefiesta, the MASH golf tournament, etc.

The hospital is in need of a new digital mammography machine. The staff is aware that these are quite expensive ($225,000-250,000) and have done bake sales, etc. as well as worked with the Healthcare Foundation to start raising money towards that goal.

Another staff project is to add to the Caring Hearts Fund. This fund is utilized to assist Scott County residents/patients of the clinic, who need assistance in travel costs when they must go to another facility for care.

The Middle Management group voted to organize another fundraiser over Valentine’s Day (Caring Hearts ☺) to help replenish that fund.

The point of the story is, we are a team of healthcare professionals who are also community members. We appreciate your support and enjoy participating in your care needs.

We want you to know that we not only care for you, but also care about you, and our community.

(See DELAYS on page 17)

We’ve Got the Floor Covered •Commercial/Residential •Concentrate •Ready-to-use Direct Delivery to Scott City

620-874-0014 • b.rogers@officesolutionsinc.biz

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

First mumps case reported in Kansas The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has reported a case of mumps in an adult who is a Johnson County resident. The case is associated with an ongoing outbreak of mumps at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus.

After the introduction of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, mumps became less common in the United States.

From year to year, mumps cases can range from roughly a couple hundred to a couple thousand. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 4,258 cases have been reported in the U.S. as of Dec. 3 and seven states have reported more than

100 cases each.

Mumps outbreaks are occurring in the nearby states of Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Mumps typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands. Mumps can occasionally cause complications, including inflammation of the testicles or ovaries, meningitis or encephalitis. Most people with mumps recover in a few weeks.

Mumps spreads through saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat. An infected person can spread the virus through the following: •Coughing, sneezing or talking.

•Sharing items, such as cups or eating utensils, with others.

Obesity weight does increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and cancers in the uterus, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder and liver.

The report estimated the United States spends about $190.2 billion annually on health issues related to obesity, and about 200,000 people die from related causes each year.

KDHE has provided programs to encourage better nutrition for about 20 years and offers grants for communities that want to include pedestrians and bicyclists in their mas-

Debate which is made from the hemp plant but doesn’t produce the euphoria that recreational marijuana users seek.

Some research suggests that the oil could help people who have seizures that resist other

Delays ACA insurance began Nov. 1.

Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Republican from Wichita, warned months ago that if the state had not cleared the backlog by the time open enrollment started this year, it might never get caught up.

“So now exactly what I said back in August and then again in early November has come to pass,” said Hawkins, who chairs Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight.

Meanwhile, the financial strain of coverage delays is starting to radiate from nursing homes to other state services, local governments and even the Catholic Church.

Growing Reluctance Leavitt Partners, a health policy consulting shop, released a report on KanCare last month that touched briefly on the application backlog.

The report - commis-

•Touching objects or surfaces with unwashed hands that are then touched by others.

Mumps likely spreads before the salivary glands begin to swell and up to five days after the swelling begins.

“If you have symptoms of mumps, stay home for five days after you become sick, except to see a healthcare provider,” said Lougene Marsh, Johnson County Department of Health and Environment Director.

In addition to staying away from others when you have mumps, you can help prevent the virus from spreading by taking the following precautions: •Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and put your used tissue in the trash can. If you don’t

have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.

•Wash hands often with soap and water.

•Avoid sharing drinks or eating utensils.

•Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys, doorknobs, tables and counters.

The MMR vaccine prevents most, but not all, cases of mumps and complications caused by the disease. People who have received two doses of the MMR vaccine are about nine times less likely to get mumps than unvaccinated people.

However, some people who receive two doses of MMR can still get mumps, especially if they have prolonged, close contact with someone who has the disease.

(continued from page 16)

ter transportation plans, Church said.

This coming year, however, KDHE plans to put more emphasis on underserved communities, such as lower-income neighborhoods that can be overlooked when city officials discuss adding bike trails, she said.

“It’s really clear who is disproportionately affected by obesity and tobacco,” she said.

Work Remains on Vaccines Kansas also ranked in the bottom 10 states on the percentage of adolescents vaccinated against

meningococcal disease and human papillomavirus, or HPV. Jennifer VandeVelde, director of KDHE’s Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, cautioned that the report doesn’t reflect progress in 2015, however. For example, the HPV vaccination rate in Kansas for teen girls increased from about 38 percent in 2014 to about 51 percent last year, which wasn’t captured in the rankings, she said.

KDHE and the Immunize Kansas Coalition are focusing on raising awareness that

(continued from page 16)

treatments, but advocates said the formulation in the bill was too weak to reduce seizures.The bill died in conference committee.

This year could be different, because the Food and Drug Administration may soon approve a CBD

product to treat epilepsy, Hawkins said.

The House health committee also will work bills related to palliative care, licensing of emergency medical responders and telemedicine across state lines.

(continued from page 16)

sioned by the Kansas Hospital Association, Kansas Medical Society and Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved - stated that interviews with medical providers found the cost burden for the backlog shifting to areas like Adult Protective Services (APS).

APS is a Kansas Department for Children and Families program that seeks to remove vulnerable adults from situations in which they are being physically or emotionally harmed or financially exploited and refer them to a safe place - sometimes a nursing home.

Theresa Freed, a spokeswoman for DCF, said there’s no evidence of cost-shifting from Medicaid to APS. “We have no reason to believe, nor is there any reliable data showing, that last summer’s eligibility delays were causing increased costs to the Adult Protective Services (APS) program,” Freed

said.

But, some nursing home administrators say bad experiences with Medicaid applications have their facilities more reluctant to take in elderly Kansans referred by APS if they don’t have a secure payment source.

Crystal Peterson, owner of Peterson Nursing Home in Osage City, said her facility took in an elderly man referred

by APS who applied for Medicaid in May and was not approved until last month.

She said the backlog was only part of the problem. The man’s application also required financial documentation, but APS closed his case and ignored her requests for help.

“We had no power to get to any of these documents he needed,” Peterson said. “APS was the only one who had the power. I’ve just never had two systems fail so poorly for one gentleman.”

Denise Hoback, the

Support your hometown merchants throughout the year!

teens need the HPV and meningococcal vaccinations, as well as a booster to protect them against tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria, VandeVelde said. That includes talking with health providers about using the opportunity when they treat teens to offer vaccines, she said.

“While these rates are still not as high as we would like them to be, there is marked improvement noted in just one year, and we are confident that we will continue to see marked increases under our current strategies,” she said.

The Scott County Record • Page 18 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

501 Main, Scott City (620) 872-2143 www.fnbscott.com Everyone is doing the Christmas Hustle. Can you find all 27 employees?

Skip • Sharon • Andrea • Jerry • Yanet • Norma • Ann • Sue • Becca Sarah • Sara • Brittney • Stacy • Tammy • Baylee • Amanda • Jacque • Edna Morgan • Jordan • Landon • Les • Krystal • Pat • Brittany • ShaeLee • Christine

Merry Christ mas

from our family to yours

Sports Eagles grounded

ice rink Snow removal takes on a whole new meaning at Lake Scott State Park • Page 24

The Scott County Record

www.scottcountyrecord.com

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Section C • Page 19

18-0 scoring run to open game sets stage for easy win While their 4-1 record reflects a fast start for the Scott City boys, their play on the court hasn’t been quite that way.

The Beavers have typically been slow coming out of the gate and then clawing their way to a win.

Colby saw a different Scott City 56 Colby 28 SCHS team in Great West Activities Conference action on Tuesday.

Not only did the Beavers bring their usual defensive intensity, but this time they were able to complement that with an equally effective offense. They pounced on the Eagles for an 18-0 first quarter lead and rolled to a 56-28 win heading into the Christmas break.

“One of the things we’ve talked about was getting off to the fast start,” says head coach Brian Gentry. “I wasn’t necessarily expecting 18-0, but I was certainly glad to see us execute the way we did and take control of the game right away.”

The first eight minutes may have been the best quarter that Scott City has put together this season. Scott City’s ability to move the ball quickly and with precision passing set up some easy baskets at the rim and also led to some wide open threepointers.

“I was even a bit surprised at how well we moved the ball and attacked their 1-31 zone. We hadn’t prepared for it because it was a defense (Colby) hadn’t played all year,” says Gentry. “To adjust as quickly as we did was nice to see.”

Junior guard Jordan Horn’s first start of the season reaped immediate benefits for the offense - and senior Bo Hess in particu(See SC BOYS on page 21)

Scott City senior Kyle Cure (right) battles for a rebound during first half action against Colby on Tuesday night.

(Record Photo)

Lady Beavers snap 3 game skid SCHS takes control in third quarter Being in close games is nothing new for the Scott City girls.

Winning those games has been the problem.

So, when head coach Sarah McCormick looked at the halftime Scott City 54 Colby 43 scoreboard on Tuesday and saw her girls locked in a 22-22 battle, she was determined not to lose yet another close game.

“It was a close game because we let it be a close game. That shouldn’t have been happening,” said McCormick. “I know that it’s a tough environment in Colby and I told the girls they were going to have to fight for the win.”

The Lady Beavers (2-3) answered the challenge with a strong second half effort and a 54-43 win.

The key for Scott City was their ability to take control of the game after halftime. In their previous three games - all losses - SCHS had scored a total of just 12 points in the third quarter.

“I told the girls the third quarter has been our Achilles heel,” said McCormick. “I challenged the girls at halftime to take their game to another level.”

SCHS broke the game open with four different players contributing to a 7-0 scoring burst.

(See SC GIRLS on page 22)

SCHS junior Bailey Latta reaches around and tries to get the steal during Tuesday’s action at Colby.

(Record Photo)

Indians fade in late against Buffaloes For three quarters the Wichita County boys played well enough defensively to steal a win at Meade last Friday night.

The Buffaloes, however, were able to pull away with an 18-4 scoring surge in the final period to hand the Indians a 5937 loss in Hi Plains League action.

“For as badly as we played in the first half, we gave ourselves a chance to win,” says head coach Hayden Parks.

WCHS only trailed 31-22 at halftime and were down 41-33 entering the final period.

When you’re struggling to put points on the board you have to take care of the ball and that’s been a problem for the Indians who finished the night with 22 turnovers - 18 coming in the first half.

“We were doing pretty good to still be in the game after that many first half turnovers,” Parks noted.

And while the Indians have been able to compensate with their defensive play through the first five games of the season, it was lack of hustle on defense that eventually allowed the Buffaloes to pull away for the easy win.

“As disappointed as I was in the turnovers, the bigger issue to me was our defense late in the game. They were beating (See INDIANS on page 21)

The Scott County Record • Page 20 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

It’s a very rough existence for mangy critters I trapped until deer rifle season, figuring to set out more traps this week, weather permitting. I had one spot I was very anxious to trap, but couldn’t get into earlier because the farmers milo was not yet cut.

What makes this spot special is a brushy draw about 30 yards wide and over 300 yards long that’s situated in the middle of a quarter section with milo stalks on one side and new wheat on the other.

A drainage runs

Outdoors in Kansas by Steve Gilliland

through the middle of the field and through the middle of the draw, making it low in the middle and much higher on each end.

There is always lots of coyote sign on this property no matter what crops are there or how they are situated, and this year is no exception.

A month ago I was get-

ting antsy to get back there and was able to drive in as far as the top of the draw, as some of the milo was cut. I parked there and decided to go for a stroll to look things over and get an idea of how to work it this year.

As I strolled slowly along I caught a coyote slipping out just ahead of me and disappearing into the standing milo.

Sunday afternoon I finally got out there and set five traps, one at each end of the draw, two along

one side where the drainage enters the draw and one on the far side of the property.

Monday morning I had a coyote at the far end where milo stalks, new wheat and the brushy draw come together. As I approached the coyote, its fur and especially its head were an odd dirty color. When I examined it, I found a few small bare spots and notice its tail was partially bare.It had mange and its pelt was of no value.

Tuesday morning I had a coyote at the near end where milo stalks, wheat and brush all came together. At first glance the fur on that coyote looked good, but a closer look showed me the fur on one hip was very thin. It also had the beginning stages of mange.

Wednesday morning I had a coyote in the trap at the very back of the property. Its fur was the same strange color as the first and it had bald spots all over its body and its

Rose blooms in clutch at Colby Jacy Rose scored nine of her team’s final 11 points in regulation and overtime to give the Scott City junior varsity girls a 45-41 come-from-behind win at Colby on Tuesday.

The freshman guard didn’t score her first points of the night until hitting back-to-back baskets in the span of 24 seconds in the final minute of regulation.

Rose’s field goal with 48.6 seconds remaining pulled the Lady Beavers to within a point, 37-36. Following a steal by freshman guard Madison Shapland, Rose grabbed a rebound and scored on the putback that gave Scott City a brief, 38-37 lead with :24 to play.

Colby added a free throw to send the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Rose tied the game, 39-39, with a free throw and Shapland put the Lady Beavers (2-0) on top to stay when she drove the lane for a basket with :56 on the clock.

Rose was 4-of-4 at the charity stripe in the final 34 seconds to put the game away..

Freshman center Emily Weathers, who was limited to just two quarters of action, finished with a game high 13 points while freshman Lyndi Rumford added 13 points.

Katie McGonagle finished with five points.

While Rose was clutch at the free throw line in overtime, the Lady Beavers were just 16-of33 for the game.

tail was nearly bare. All three coyotes had different stages of mange and I’m surprised any of them had survived the recent cold weather.

I spoke with Matt Peak, furbearer biologist with KDWPT about mange in Kansas coyotes. The simple explanation is that tiny mites burrow into the coyotes skin, making it scratch fiercely trying to relieve the itch, and causing bare spots to appear all over its body where (See CRITTERS on page 23)

‘17 licenses now on sale Hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts carrying 2016 licenses in their wallets and purses are reminded that current year licenses will expire on Dec. 31.

Licenses for 2017 can now be purchased and are good through the remainder of 2016 and all of 2017.

Still in need of some stocking stuffers?

Consider purchasing your family hunting and fishing licenses so they can enjoy another year of their favorite outdoor activities.

Multi-year youth licenses are available for those 16-21 years old and five-year hunting and fishing licenses can also be purchased at a savings.

Lifetime fishing and hunting licenses are available with payment option.

Visit a local license vendor (Scott County Clerk’s office), regional Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism office, or go online to ksoutdoors. com.

SCHS freshman Jacy Rose is fouled by a Colby defender as she brings the ball up the floor during Tuesday’s overtime win.

(Record Photo)

The Scott County Record • Page 21 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Intriguing matchups between Big 12-SEC If you look objectively at the upcoming bowl season, it leads to the assessment that the scheduled games are less than scintillating.

Alabama is partly responsible because it looks like the Crimson Tide is going to role through the playoffs to another national championship. by Another Mac shortcomStevenson ing is the absence of bowl games on New Year’s Day. Since the holiday falls on a Sunday, the colleges have given way to the NFL and scheduled their prestigious games on January 2. It’s going to seem strange to have no college bowl games on New Year’s Day. Despite the drop-off in interest, the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference will compete in three games that will captivate fans on the Central Plains.

Kansas State is first up against Texas A&M on December 28 in the Texas Bowl at Houston and that should be an entertaining game. Next is TCU playing Georgia in the Liberty Bowl on December 30 followed by Oklahoma against Auburn on January 2 at the Sugar Bowl.

Texas A&M finished the regular season with an 8-4 record (4-4 in the SEC).

The Aggies were fourth in the SEC West Division.

The Aggies averaged 213 rushing yards per game and 231 passing for a total of 444 yards. That’s a balanced attack led by quarterback Trevor Knight.

Those numbers are offset somewhat by their defensive stats: Texas A&M allowed an average of 225 rushing yards per game 10th in SEC games. They also gave up 281 yards passing per game.

Defense is the Achilles’ heel of this team.

From here this looks like a favorable matchup for KState. Coach Bill Snyder is always a formidable foe when he has time to prepare for a particular opponent.

As the Wildcats began practice for their bowl game, Snyder said, “I’m proud of the young people in our program and their coaches for embellishing and making a commitment (See BIG 12 on page 23)

SC Boys lar - who was on the receiving end of several passes into the low post. Hess scored 11 of his game high 19 points in the first quarter with all of those coming in the paint.

In addition to his 14 points (5-of-9 FG), Horn added a team high six assists and three steals.

“Jordan has earned his chance to be in the starting lineup,” says Gentry. “Jordan is a player who is able to get us off to a quick start because he does a lot of things for us, whether it’s a pass, taking the ball to the basket, shooting from the perimeter or his defense.

“I don’t know whether or not the starting rotation will change, but these seven boys are going to play a lot.”

Horn hit an early trey that put the Beavers on top, 8-0, while senior guard Drew Duff later added the first of his two treys in the opening half.

“We’re showing more calm-

Indians

(continued from page 19)

ness on offense. We’re not just taking a pass and right away putting the ball on the floor and dribble-driving to the basket.

We’re catching the ball and squaring up to the rim to see what’s there.

“We were able to find the backside post or the backside guard who was flashing inside.

If they didn’t rotate their guard down we were able to take it to the rim right away for some easy layins,” notes Gentry.

He was also pleased with their patience in running the zone offense.

“That puts a lot of pressure on the defense to rotate quick.

If they don’t, they give up dribble-drives and corner threes,” he said. “That’s the nature of the 1-3-1. You’re going to give up some outside shots.

That’s what they were willing to give up and we knocked some (three-point) shots down early.”

The Beavers continued to pull away through the first

(continued from page 19)

back for easy layups. They were getting rebounds and moving quickly up the floor and we didn’t get back and stop them,” said Parks.

“We can’t afford to give up easy points like that and expect to win very many games.”

WCHS is still struggling to find more consistency and balance on offense. Senior guard Juan Alvarado again led the team with 11 points, but he was the only Indian in double figures.

John Bierman (3-of-5 FG) and Sonnie Altman (3-of-4 FG) each finished with seven points.

“John and Sonnie have to look to shoot more.

You have to want to be a scorer to be a scorer,” says the head coach. “Juan looks to score which is why he puts up the numbers that he does.”

Parks is also hoping to see Bradley Huber find his shooting touch after a rough 0-of-6 outing against Meade. In the junior varsity game he scored 16 points in the second period, including four treys.

“He just needs to carry that over to the next level,” Parks says.

Parks is confident the team can score enough points to be competitive in most games, as long as they limit the turnovers.

“We’re getting the shots we want, but we need more patience on offense at times,” he adds. “We don’t always wait for the best option.”

Time running out for deer hunters

PRATT – Time is running out for Kansas deer hunters.

Unfilled 2016 deer permits can still be used to put venison in the freezer this January. On Jan. 1, all 2016 unfilled deer permits convert to Whitetail Antlerless-Only (WAO) permits.

However, unit restrictions listed on the permits are still in effect.

Additional WAO permits can still be purchased, and after Dec. 30, hunters are no longer required to possess a permit that allows the taking of an antlered deer to purchase antlerless permits.

In addition to an either-sex permit, hunters may purchase up to five additional WAO permits with unit and public land restrictions. The first WAO permit a hunter purchases is valid statewide (except Unit 18) on private land with landowner permission and on public lands.

A hunter can purchase up to four additional WAO permits valid in Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10A, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 19 on private land with landowner permission.

2-1/2 quarters, building a 4013 lead following a basket by sophomore center Joe Evans midway into the third period.

However, Colby closed out the quarter with eight unanswered points.

While the outcome was never in doubt, the Beavers finished strong by scoring 14 of the game’s final 16 points.

Finding Some Balance Gentry was hoping to see the Beavers create more offensive balance in the early part of their schedule and they showed signs of doing that on Tuesday with six boys making the scoring column - three in double figures. Joining Hess and Horn was sophomore Marshall Faurot with 11 points (4-of-8 FG).

“So far, Bo and Jordan have been our most consistent boys scoring in double figures, but we’re seeing Justin (Faurot) contribute in other ways with his ability to deliver assists

and Drew is always an outside scoring threat,” Gentry says.

Jess Drohman and J. Faurot handed out four and three assists, respectively, while Duff was 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.

The head coach was particularly pleased to see Kyle Cure’s more aggressive play in the paint.

“When we got the ball to Kyle we saw him make post moves. He caught it, he saw what the defense was doing and he made a move. That got him to the free throw line twice,” Gentry notes. “That doesn’t only help him, but it helps the whole team because those fouls start adding up and it puts our boys at the line earlier for one-and-one opportunities.

“As soon as the defense realizes (Kyle’s) going to make a move to the basket, they have to start playing him tighter which is going to open up the outside game.”

The Scott County Record • Page 22 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

JV boys pull away late in win at Colby After a sluggish start to the game, the Scott City junior varsity boys were able to pull away late in the second and fourth quarters for a 43-32 win at Colby on Tuesday.

The Beavers trailed 16-14 with 3-1/2 minutes remaining Scott City 43 Colby 32 in the first half before putting together a 14-0 scoring blitz that included four three-pointers.

Brothers Dexter Gooden and Parker Gooden hit back-to-back treys and Jackson Lewis added another trey to close out the first half with a 9-0 run and a 2316 lead. Zach Carson knocked down a short jumper and D. Gooden followed with a three early in the third period for a 28-16 advantage.

“Dexter is capable of hitting threes, which he has to do for us.

He has to stretch the defense,” noted coach Alex Hutchins.

SCHS (2-0) was still protecting a 30-26 lead early in the fourth quarter when Lewis hit a three-pointer which sparked a 9-0 scoring run.

Evyan Smith hit a pair of free throws and followed with a drive to the basket to give Scott City a 39-26 cushion with 4:29 left in the game.

“The biggest issue for us in the first half is that the boys weren’t running their offense,”

says Hutchins. “Colby was scrappy and they made us work for it and, for awhile, we didn’t act like we wanted to work for it.

“Just about every time that we ran the offense for more than one or two passes we scored. It didn’t happen enough early on.”

A balanced scoring attack was led by Carson and Evans with eight points each. Smith added seven points while D. Gooden, P. Gooden and Lewis each scored six points.

“I was pretty pleased to see us executing our offense later in the game. We saw Evyan (Smith) and Zach (Carson) working the high-low with the passes into the low post. We saw our post players starting to find their footing in the offense,” says Hutchins.

Despite giving up only 32 points, Hutchins says the defense was “definitely disappointing at times.”

“We came out in the halfcourt trap, which was successful against Leoti, and our rotations were bad. We didn’t communicate very well and we gave up some easy looks at the basket.

“Our posts are kind of the Scott City sophomore Joe Evans is fouled as he drives inside for a shot attempt during point guards in our defense.

Tuesday’s junior varsity action at Colby.

(Record Photo) They can see the whole floor and right now they aren’t doing Playing only two games beWe play a game, take a cou- Christmas break will be to make a very good job of communicat- fore the Christmas break makes ple of weeks off. Play a game it not appear that we’re playing ing. A lot of the time we aren’t it difficult to establish any con- and take three weeks off. Our our third first game of the year,” on the same page,” he says. sistency. challenge coming out of the he adds.

SC Girls

(continued from page 19)

The Lady Beavers limited Colby to one field goal through the first nine minutes of the half while building a 36-26 cushion.

Senior forward Kiana Yager scored the first basket of the second half and Scott City never trailed again. Scott City’s next seven points came at the charity stripe before junior guard Macy Price closed out the period with a fastbreak layup to give Scott City a 34-24 advantage.

“Our success begins with our defense. We pressure their guards. We need to prevent drives to the basket and we have to create turnovers that lead to baskets,” says the head coach.

The closest that Colby could get the rest of the night was 3628 with 6:52 to play.

Kaitlyn Roberts, who hit three treys in the first five minutes of the game, finished with 12 points while freshman piv-

ot Emily Weathers added 11 points. “(Kaitlyn) is really rested at the beginning and then she gets tired which is why her scoring drops off later. We need that kind of scoring for the entire game,” says McCormick.

“Of course, I love getting three treys in a row, but I’d like to see more consistency throughout the game and see her hitting big shots at the end just like she

does at the beginning.”

Weather continues to come off the bench and give the Lady Beavers a strong performance in the paint.

“She has to learn the tempo of playing at the varsity level when to foul, when not to; when to take the shot, when not to.

You expect that from a freshman,” says McCormick. “She was a big-time player tonight.”

Bailey Latta, Nancy Wiebe

and Price each added seven points.

“We did a lot of work this past week, a lot of work. We watched a lot of film and we had a lot of reflection. We pinpointed what each individual needs to do,” McCormick noted.

“I don’t want to go to all that work for nothing and I don’t think they do either. It’s time that their hard work is starting to pay off.”

Holiday Events Friday, December 23 Karaoke/Ugly Sweater Contest Starting at 8:00 p.m.

1st Place gets CA$H

Saturday, December 31

New Year’s Eve Party

10

NOW ONLY

$

featuring

The Valentones with special guest

Purchase your

Easy to Read Phone Book at the

SCOTT CITY

Heather (Shelley) Davis ONLY

$15.00 EACH

Chamber office

TODAY!

Starting at 9:00 p.m. $ 5 Cover Charge

The Rec (Pool Hall) 318 Main Street • Scott City

PUBLISHED BY

LIMITED TIME OFFER

For events and specials “Scott City Pool Hall”

Takedown Kids Wrestling Hoisington Jr. Cardinal Classic December 18, 2016 6-Years and Under 46: Noah Wheeler tech fall by Simon Watkins (Hoxie Kids) 15-0; maj. dec. by Duell Kizzar (Renegades Wrestling Club) 9-0; pinned Giovanni Gonzales (Hoisington Jr. Cardinals) 0:30; maj. dec. by Cooper Johnson (Lincoln County Kids) 15-2.

Fourth Place 8-Years and Under 64A: Matthew Wheeler pinned Zaden Dawson (Ellsworth County Kids) 2:07; dec. over Hayden Kelly (Hoisington Jr. Cardinals) 6-0. First Place 10-Years and Under 70: Waylon Ricker maj. dec. by Josiah Ball (Hoisington Jr. Cardinals)14-0; pinned Timmy Johnson (Sublette) 0:45; dec. by Jarret Riedel (Hays) 8-1; dec. over Wyatt Lovell (Pratt) 5-4.

Third Place 73B: Alexander Rodriguez dec. by Preston Roat (Hoisington Jr. Cardinals) 8-4; pinned Darian Sherwood (Great Bend) 1:00.

Second Place 95: Houston Frank pinned Ian Kinsey (Jr. Panther) 1:47; dec. over Damien Quint (Pratt) 6-0; pinned Trent Neuman (Ellsworth County Kids) 0:58. First Place 14-Years and Under 110-120: Kale Wheeler pinned Riley Slater (Great Bend) 0:25; pinned by Ben Hansen (Plainville) 4:03; pinned Zeke Haag (Ellis) 0:29. Second Place

FIshing Report Scott State Lake Updated December 18 Channel cats: fair; most in the 13 to 18 inch range.

No recent reports Crappie: fair to good; up to 13 inches. Vertically fishing jigs around the fish attractors.

Largemouth bass: fair to good; up to 5.5 lbs. Vertically fishing jigs around the fish attractors.

Sunfish: fair to good; up to 8 inches. Vertically fishing jigs around the fish attractors.

Saugeye/walleye: fair to good; up to 7 lbs. No recent reports.

Rainbow trout: excellent; 1/2 lb. average. We stocked approximately 1,240 trout in Barrel Springs Pond on Nov. 28. A valid trout permit must be possessed by anglers 16 years and older to fish for and harvest trout.

Anglers are catching limits using powerbait and corn.

Worms, marshmallows, and artificial lures such as in-line spinners can be effective, too.

Critters fur has been rubbed off.

That resulting condition is known as mange.

Coyotes with mange in the spring will pass it on to their pups. Adult coyotes can survive the spring and summer with mange, but pups contracting it from the adults will die.

Matt said some coyotes seem to have a natural immunity to contracting the mites, so not all coyotes, even in the same area will get mange. I caught three beautiful coyotes

The Scott County Record • Page 23 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

(continued from page 18)

this year not more than 1-1/2 miles from this spot.

Adult coyotes with mange in the winter will almost certainly die from the cold, having rubbed off the thick fur necessary for survival. Mange also stresses a coyote, making it difficult for them to hunt and thus prone to starvation.

The cold will not kill the mites as they are burrowed under the skin and will die only if the coyote dies. Matt told me no conclusive studies have

been done as to whether a higher coyote population aid in the spread of mange, nor has any particular weather trend been proven to facilitate mange.

Three coyotes caught on the same property in as many days is pretty respectable and I was feeling pretty good about my trapping ability, until Matt and I discussed the fact that coyotes stressed with mange are also seriously looking for an easy meal and will throw cau-

tion to the wind. They put themselves into situations they normally might avoid or at least be more wary about.

So catching mangy coyotes is probably not worthy of bragging rights.

Sadly, the pelts from mangy coyotes are worthless. I hate that, but my killing them is actually way more humane than allowing them to suffer and die from the cold and from starvation.

I have this to say to folks who are against hunting and trapping. If

hunting and trapping were to cease, nature would control populations of all wildlife, but it would be through very ugly means like disease and starvation. Plus as populations soar, many animals would be indiscriminately shot by farmers and ranchers and simply allowed to lay where they fell.

I’ll take my way thank you!

Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at stevegilliland@idkcom.net

The Scott County Record • Page 24 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

deep freeze fun

Snow removal took on a new dimension for Bryan, Reuben, Jared and Wilson Koehn of the Pence community on Sunday when they used shovels to clear an area in the northwest cove at Lake Scott.

By Monday, they had cleared a hockey rink. They enlisted the help of Alex Decker and, with the help of a four-wheeler, they cleared a larger area that served as an ice skating rink.

(Above) Reuben Koehn pushes a shovel from one end of the cove to the other.

(Bottom) Chad Unruh and his eight-year-old daughter, Laura, enjoy ice skating at the lake on Tuesday morning.

(Record Photos)

The Scott County Record

Christmas

Letters submitted by Busy Beavers Pre-School * * * Dear Santa, I would like a toy kitty that has batteries for Christmas.

Baylee and Daddy don’t know what they want yet, but Kaitlyn wants a rainbow lion with rainbow batteries. Mom wants an elephant because she is allergic to cats. Santa, we have baby kitties that you can see when you come to our house.

Love, Clara Wolkensdorfer, 3 * * * Dear Santa, Can you bring me a Buzz, a Woody, and a Rex from Toy Story? I really like that movie.

Jazelle just wants a doll house.

Mom wants Toy Story toys to play with me. My dad wants a Steelers blanket. Where do your reindeer stay at?

Love, Brody Rios, 4 * * * Dear Santa, I really want some dress-up jewelry and a music box to put my jewelry in. Sully would like a remote control lion.

Mommy needs a make-up box and Daddy wants a motorcycle with stripes. I will leave you milk, cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies.

Love, Odessa Cline, 4 * * * Dear Santa, Can I please have a play gun with bullets for Christmas? My sisters would like dolls and Dre wants a TV. Mom wants a vacuum because she likes cleaning the house.

My dad needs a wooden clock so he knows what time it is.

Everyone has been good at our house this year.

Love, Dominic Allen, 4 * * * Dear Santa, Please bring me super hero and fairy stuff, like maybe Tinker Bell. Conner wants video games for when he is older. Santa, I have a new puppy at my house. Could you also bring my mommy fairy stuff and me some more fairy stuff too?

Love, June Gardner, 4 * * * Dear Santa, I really, really want a dirt bike to go racing. Dalton just wants to race me on his blue 4-wheeler. You can bring my sister a slow Barbie car. Dad wants the biggest, brown pickup there is. Mom might want a big pickup too, just not as big as Dad’s. Santa, does your sleigh go really fast?

Love, Chaysston Rose, 4 * * * Dear Santa, I would like a dinosaur with a circle head, a rectangle neck, little baby hands, and feet that stomp when I push the button.

Kristina wants a doggie. Betty needs her own toys so she stops taking mine. Mom and Dad don’t want anything this year. Thank you for the surprises you leave us!

Love, Sebastian Selfridge, 5

Page 25 - Thursday, December 22, 2016

Giving Santa full details of what she wants for Christmas is Claire Heberlee, four-year-old daughter of Doug and Kym Heberlee, Scott City.

(Record Photo)

Letters delivered to Santa’s mailbox at The Scott County Record Dear Santa, I have been very good this year. For Christmas, I would like a big Nerf Gun. I would also like a set of Pokemon cards, a new pair of tennis shoes, a rodeo/farm set of animals would be cool and a Dr. Suess book to read. I would really like a new trampoline that you can play basketball on.

Merry Christmas, Briant Berning * * * Dear Santa, I have been very good this year. I’ve been helping around the house a lot. There are only a few things I want for Christmas.

I really want a camper lego set and a semi/trailer lego set. I would also like a new red semi and trailer with orange, purple and blue four-wheelers.

I will leave cookies and milk for you by the tree. Your magic key is hanging on the front door.

Stay Warm, Jaden Dirks

* * * Dear Santa, I’ve been nice this year!

This is my wish list: Barbie that flies; Cotton candy maker; Chocolate pen; Deluxe cooking set; Minnie Mouse vanity.

Love, Kynleigh Hickey * * * Dear Santa, I’ve been nice this year!

This is my wish list: walkietalkies; offroad 1970 Dodge Charger RT; Hyper Charger big time remote controlled vehicles; Chip robot dog; and a Tablet.

Love, Treyton Eitel * * * Dear Santa, I’ve been nice this year!

This is my wish list: Remote control race car; Tonka front loader; Icee Ice Cream maker; artist easel; and puzzles and coloring books.

Love, Marshall Hickey

* * * Dear Santa, My name is Avery Radke. I am eight years old.

I have tried hard to be good all year.

I would like Tom Brady’s football uniform and some football cards.

We will leave cookies and milk.

Love, Avery Radke

* * * Dear Santa, I want a turbo sword, a Halo costume, and a Spiderman toy this year. Hudson loves footballs and trucks. Dad needs a blue bicycle because he doesn’t have a bicycle at all.

My mom says she wants new, clean coasters, not dirty ones.

Kringle, the elf, keeps an eye on me, so I HAVE to be good.

Love, Easton Eisenhour, 5 * * * Dear Santa, I would like a playhouse that you can play in inside.

Libbie likes science, so science stuff would be good for her. My daddy would like tools for fixing things and maybe some new movies for Mommy, like Superman. Does Rudolph shine his nose to find the North Pole?

Love, Caraline Beaton, 5 * * * Dear Santa, Can you please bring me a motorcycle and a remote control airplane? Crissa might want a Barbie doll and Jaisa always plays with babies. Dad

wants a BIG garage. You can bring Mom a pretty necklace.

Everyone is good at our house on Sundays, Mondays, and Saturdays. We are all good enough for presents.

Love, Cooper Irvin, 4 * * * Dear Santa, I have been waiting for a REAL unicorn my entire life.

So, could you PLEASE bring me one? Jack wants a fire truck and my little sister just plays with baby toys. Mom and Dad just want me to sleep in my own bed, but the dark is soooo scary. Everyone has been good at our house, except when Jack bites me.

Love, Grayce Morgan, 4 * * * Dear Santa, I would like a kitty cat hat this year for Christmas. Brody really likes Buzz from Toy Story. Mommy wants a warm, fuzzy, green coat. I think Daddy wants another Steelers hat.

Everyone is good at our house all the time.

Love, Jazelle Rios, 5 * * *

Dear Santa, I want a green Power Ranger costume, a red Power Ranger, and a Power Ranger cup.

Maile and Mom want new outfits, but Mom wants some crayons too. Dad needs a new gun for shooting birds high up in the sky. My house is brick and we don’t have a chimney, so I can just let you in the door when you get there.

Love, Max Depperschmidt, 4 * * * Dear Santa, Can you please bring me a Buzz Lightyear and a Potato Head? John John wants Woody from Toy Story.

Mommy wants a toy wind-up mouse and Daddy likes stuff to work in his workshop with.

Are there any baby reindeer at the North Pole?

Love, Aiden Ford, 4 * * * Dear Santa, I would like a toy gun to shoot big deer, but not Santa’s reindeer! Dad needs a new, hard puzzle. Mommy likes camera stuff for pictures.

Sprinkles, the elf, is at my house, and he is magic! I will

* * * Dear Santa, I have been a pretty good boy this year. I am four years old.

I would like an Auger.

Please bring my little brother, Drylan, a toy as well.

Love, Landry Beaton * * * Dear Santa, My name is Shalyn Radke.

I am almost three years old.

I have tried to be good, but with two big brothers it is sometimes hard.

I want something with Elsa on it.

Will you bring my brothers something as well?

We will leave cookies and milk for you and carrots for Rudolph.

Love, Shalyn Radke More letters to Santa on page 32

leave you some Christmas tree cookies, milk and carrots for the reindeer.

Love, Bretton Thomas, 4 * * * Dear Santa, I want a green airplane and a bacon clock with numbers on it for Christmas. Could you bring my sisters some pillows to go with their blankets? My brother wants a knife, but it should probably just be a play one. Mom wants a monkey sweater and all Dad wants is a jacket with green squares on it. Do you help the elves make the toys?

Love, Evan Heili, 5 * * * Dear Santa, Can you bring me my own Christmas tree? Jaxson wants a Thomas the Train, that’s what he likes to play with. Mommy wants some coconuts. Daddy can have coconuts too because he doesn’t like Christmas trees as much as me. Could you also bring Jaxson a little Santa toy too?

Love, Bentley Thurston, 3

The Scott County Record

Farm

Page 26 - Thursday, December 22, 2016

New technology to provide producers with even more data Unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous tractors and other technologies will continue to emerge as producers meet world food needs in the near and distant future, according to experts.

Those experts believe technology will continue to emerge and make possible giant leaps throughout the next decade as agriculture industries and producers work to meet world food needs in 2050.

Presentations at the 2016 Texas Plant Protection Association addressed the theme of this year’s conference: Advanced Technologies for Texas Agriculture. From smart-

phone apps to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), speakers said there are big changes in how food and fiber is going to be produced.

Bob Avant, program director for Texas A&M AgriLife Research corporate relations, provided an overview of farming in the next 10 years. He said the “10,000-pound gorilla” agriculture faces is feeding nine billion people by 2050.

“It’s going to affect agriculture greatly in terms of food supply,” he said.

“We are going to have to increase protein production plus protect how much we waste in terms of spoilage

and portions on the table.”

He said farmers in the future will continue to rely on data to make decisions.

He said larger farms will be more efficient “because the equipment is getting more expensive. We will likely see more sharing or partnering on equipment use and systems.”

That’s because the price tags on autonomous tractors and related equipment will continue to be more expensive to own, though farmers will utilize the ability to push a button and have an autonomous tractor with a grain buggy pull right up beside a harvester when needed.

Precision applications such as planters, sprayers and strip-till cropping systems will play an even bigger role in the next 10 years. He predicts farmers will go from big iron to small iron, in other words using less horsepower tractors as farmers continue to switch to strip till methods rather than conventional disking that requires large equipment.

Technology and new information will help producers increase per-acre yields while reducing the use of natural resources like water, Avant said.

Land values, loan demand on collision course

According to a recent study of lenders, financial stress on farmers is expected to continue for some time.

“Our research indicates a continued deterioration in agricultural credit conditions,” said Allen Featherstone, head of the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics.

The 2016 Fall Agricultural Lender Survey by the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics and the University of Georgia studies the expectations of lenders in regard to interest rates, spread over cost of funds, farm-loan volume, nonperforming loans and land values as indicators of the overall health of the farm finance sector.

(See DATA on page 27)

(See LAND on page 27)

USWA supports ruling against China tariffs Marsha Boswell Kansas Wheat

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) welcome two trade dispute actions by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) challenging Chinese government policies that distort the wheat market and harm wheat growers throughout the rest of the

world.

USW and NAWG are encouraged to see the U.S. government take such a strong position on trade enforcement, which is crucial for building confidence in existing and new trade agreements.

The USTR filed a request on Dec. 15, for consultations with the World Trade Organization (WTO), alleging that China is not fairly admin-

istering its annual tariff rate quotas (TRQ) for corn, rice and 9.64 million metric tons (MMT) of imported wheat. This request states that China’s TRQ administration unfairly impedes wheat export opportunities.

The USTR announced the TRQ action simultaneously with a request that the WTO form a dispute panel in the case it filed in September against

China’s excessive market price support for domestic wheat, corn and rice production.

“As with its price support case, the USTR is shining a light on other policies that pre-empt market driven wheat trade, stifle our export opportunities and force private sector buyers and Chinese consumers to pay far more for milling wheat and wheat-based foods,”

Project will expand use of drones in wheat breeding The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded $975,000 to Kansas State University for work that incorporates unmanned aerial vehicles in the process of breeding better wheat varieties.

The university’s work is designed to give scientists deeper understanding of in-field conditions so they can improve breeding programs.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, are quickly becoming recognized as a valuable tool for mapping agricultural crops. Kansas State University has been developing uses of UAVs to collect data on thousands of plots, including work in Kansas.

“Perhaps the greatest bottleneck currently in plant breeding and genetics is effectively generating precision measurements of plant characteristics in the field,” said project director Jesse Poland, assistant professor of plant pathology and agronomy at Kansas State University.

“The goal of this proj-

ect is to deliver in-season yield predictions by building models that combine genetic information from DNA sequencing and crop physiology that we will gather from UAV measurements on tens of thousands of breeding lines.”

For this grant, Poland said the university will use information from UAVs to evaluate large populations of candidate varieties under field conditions in wheat-breeding nurseries, then build

a database that breeders can use when developing future varieties.

He said UAVs will provide “millions of collected images” that researchers will match with field values to develop a phenotype of wheat varieties.

A phenotype is a complex map of an organism’s observable characteristics - such as its biochemical or physiological properties - and the influence of the environment on those characteristics.

County Plat Maps

By Western Cartographers Scott • Lane • Wichita • Ness • Logan Gove • Greeley • Finney • Wallace • Kearny Pick them up today at:

406 Main • Scott City • 620 872-2090

Scientists will use the phenotype to evaluate desired agronomic traits of wheat based on the UAV images at a speed and scale much faster and larger than what can be done by manual measurements, according to Poland.

Plot-level data will give wheat breeders real-time insight on crop performance that they can use to more precisely - and more quickly - improve future varieties.

said USW President Alan Tracy.

“The facts in these two cases go hand-inhand, demonstrating how Chinese government policies create an unfair advantage for domestic wheat production,” said Gordon Stoner, president of NAWG and a wheat farmer from Outlook, Montana.

“Both actions call attention to the fact that

when all countries follow the rules, a pro-trade agenda and trade agreements work for U.S. wheat farmers and their customers.”

China’s wheat TRQ was established in its WTO membership agreement in 2001. Under that agreement, China is allowed to initially allocate 90 percent of the TRQ to be imported

Market Report

Weather

Closing prices on December 20, 2016 Bartlett Grain Red Wheat............ $ 2.79 White Wheat ....... $ 2.78 Milo .................... $ 2.45 Corn ................... $ 2.97 Soybeans (new crop) $ 9.01 Scott City Cooperative Wheat.................. $ 2.78 White Wheat ....... $ 2.78 Milo (bu.)............. $ 2.45 Corn.................... $ 2.97 Soybeans ........... $ 9.00 Sunflowers.......... $ ADM Grain Wheat..................

Milo (bu.).............

Corn....................

Soybeans............

Sunflowers..........

$ 2.78 $ 2.48 $ 2.97 $ 8.90 $ 12.60

(See TARIFFS on page 27)

H

L

P

Dec. 13

30 18

Dec. 14

28 10

Dec. 15

32

Dec. 16

30 16

Dec. 17

16 -11 .11

Dec. 18

24 -19

Dec. 19

36

7

-8

Moisture Totals

Snowfall on Dec. 17 1.25” December 0.12 2016 Total

19.22

Food Facts The Big First Congressional district averages 1.9 million acres of planted sorghum worth $536 million, according to the USDA.

The Scott County Record • Page 27 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Grant to boost effort to edit wheat’s genetic code

Kansas State University has received $300,000 from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to conduct a geneediting project on wheat varieties.

Novel gene-editing technology - developed just in the past few years - allows researchers to selectively modify parts of the wheat’s genome so it can perform better in farmers’ fields.

The funded project is part of the International Wheat Yield Partnership, aimed at unlocking genetic yield potential of wheat

Data “Ten years ago we were dealing with sorghum lodging, two-bale cotton to the acre and yield variance on corn,” Avant said.

“Nowadays corn is much more drought tolerant, we’re seeing 100 bushels to the acre, and three to four bales of cotton to the acre is expected. And it’s not just the equipment, crop genetics are going to be another exciting thing 10 years from now.”

He said soil health and cover crops will be two important areas to watch over the next 10 years.

“There will be a total

Tariffs through government buyers, or state trading enterprises (STEs), with only 10 percent reserved for private sector importers.

The private sector portion of the TRQ is functioning well enough to be filled in recent years, in part because Chinese millers are trying to meet growing demand for products that require flour from different wheat classes with better milling and baking characteristics than domestically produced wheat provides.

However, China’s notifications to the WTO on TRQ usage show an average fill rate of only 23 percent.

The WTO does not require that TRQs fill every year, but it has established rules regarding transparency and administration that are intended to facilitate the use of TRQs. “When you consider that China’s domestic wheat prices are more than 40 percent higher than the landed cost of U.S. wheat imported from the Pacific Northwest, it would be logical to assume the TRQ would be fully used if the system were operating fairly, transparently and predictably as the rules intend.

and increasing the world’s wheat production by as much as 50 percent in the next two decades. NIFA’s award is for the first year of work, and will total $1 million over three years.

“We are in a good position to start editing genes that have a potential to improve wheat yield,” said Eduard Akhunov, associate professor of plant pathology and the principal investigator on this project.

Akhunov and Harold Trick, a professor of plant pathology, will work with Oklahoma State

University wheat geneticist and breeder Liuling Yan to create wheat lines with edited, yield-related genes. Kansas State University wheat breeders will evaluate edited genes in locally adapted wheat lines.

Gene editing is a process of selectively modifying parts of wheat’s genetic code to improve its performance. The technology uses a short gene sequence called a guide RNA to direct an enzyme to specific genes in the huge wheat genome.

The enzyme acts like a pair of molecular scissors

to cut wheat DNA and introduce desired changes into the genetic code.

“The speed and precision of editing offered by this technology will allow researchers to quickly analyze multiple genes,” said Akhunov, adding that Kansas State University researchers have worked with gene editing for wheat since 2014.

“We have already selected a set of genes that have been (identified) in wheat or other crops,” Akhunov said. “We will be modifying those genes in wheat and will study

Land

(continued from page 26)

systems approach to how we farm,” he said.

Texas A&M AgriLife currently has more than 40 scientists involved in a UAV project that is evaluating soils, plant stress, insects, and weeds as well as developing decision support aids for farmers and ranchers. Avant said the program is the largest in the U.S. “We can take data collected from a UAV and measure plant height, other aspects of plant health and other characteristics far more than just measuring predictive production yields,” he said.

These experiments are taking place at the Texas A&M Farm near College Station as well as Corpus Christi and Weslaco.

Avant said the average farmer might not go out and spend thousands of dollars on UAV equipment, but they they may see value in the information the technology would make available to them.

“I don’t think a farmer will want to become a GIS expert,” he said.

“Will there be a farmer that wants to know what’s going on in the field and how to remedy it? Yes, there will be some that

(continued from page 26)

It is clearly not operating that way,” said Tracy.

“This troublesome administration of China’s wheat TRQ is restraining export opportunities for U.S. wheat farmers and farmers from Canada, Australia and other wheat exporting countries to the detriment of Chinese consumers.”

The facts also argue against potential claims that enforcing the TRQ agreement would threaten China’s food security. China produces more wheat each year than any other single country and currently holds an estimated 45 percent of the world’s abundant wheat supplies.

If China met its 9.64 MMT wheat TRQ, it would move up from number 14 to number two on the list of the world’s largest wheat importers, and its farmers would still produce 90 percent of domestically consumed wheat.

Opening the wheat TRQ would also allow private sector millers and food producers to import the types of wheat they

say they need, but cannot now obtain, and the benefits would be passed on to China’s consumers.

USW and NAWG also applaud the USTR’s request for a dispute panel in its WTO challenge to China’s tradedistorting market price support programs for wheat, corn and rice. It is a crucial step toward reining in a policy that costs U.S. wheat farmers between $650 and $700 million annually in lost income by pre-empting export opportunities and suppressing global prices, according to a 2016 Iowa State University study sponsored by USW. USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance the profitability of U.S. wheat producers and their customers.”

USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 19 state wheat commissions and cost-share funding provided by USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service.

the effect of gene editing on wheat yield.”

Once a wheat variety’s genes have been edited, it can be crossed with regular wheat lines, resulting in a gene-edited wheat with native genes.

“These wheat lines are considered non-transgenic,” Akhunov said. “In gene editing, we make a small correction in the genetic code of a native wheat gene; we don’t put a foreign gene in there.”

He added that Kansas State University researchers have developed the needed molecular biology and other biological data

will go out and spend the money on a simple UAV system.

“But. the remedies will be beyond the scope of farmers because of the sophistication of information. Farmers will likely rely more on crop consultants to translate that information.”

The big data collected from UAVs and other sophisticated machinery will lead to dashboard systems, hubs of information that will integrate all facets of crop production concurrently going on in the field, Avant said.

that will be deposited into public repositories for others to use in research and breeding programs.

“One of the big goals of this project is to assess the value of this new gene editing technology for breeding improved wheat varieties,” Akhunov said.

“You have a new tool, and everybody talks about how great it is, but it’s not part of the regular breeding pipeline. So what we hope to do is to make it one of the new tools in the breeder’s toolbox for developing improved wheat varieties.”

(continued from page 26)

According to the twicea-year study, more than 50 percent of land values are decreasing within the areas covered by participating lenders. These values are set to continue to decrease over the shortand long term and are affecting credit limits for landowners and producers.

Non-performing loans are also on the rise for all loan types, and expectations show the number of these loans will continue to increase in this stressed financial market.

The survey indicates the decreased liquidity

in production operations has increased demand for farm loans and, in particular, operating loans in attempts to bridge the gap of the current fiscal downturn. Making matters worse, interest rates on those loans are expected to increase and continue to rise over time.

These problems aren’t isolated to just one crop.

They are spreading into every aspect of farming.

“Both the livestock sectors and the crop sectors are struggling meeting cash-flow issues,” said Featherstone.

Scott Co. Real Estate Monday, January 16 • 10:00 a.m.

Wilmer G. and Beth Krug - Owners Auction Location: William Carpenter 4-H building at the fairgrounds, north edge of Scott City Land Location: From Modoc, 4 miles north on North Cherokee Road Legal: Tract 1: SW 1/4 of 28-17-34 west of the 6th PM in Kansas, containing approximately 155.40 acres of dryland crop land.

Tract 2: SE 1/4 of 28-17-34 west of the 6th PM in Kansas, containing approximately 155.40 acres of dryland crop land.

Tract 3: Combination of Tracts 1 and 2 Base Yield FSA Information: Crop Wheat 204.7 41 Corn 32.9 40 Milo 185.4 62 Program Information: Wheat is enrolled in ARC Co., Corn and Milo are enrolled in PLC. Minerals: Seller to retain all mineral rights.

Taxes: $2,304.66 Terms: 10% down day of sale, with balance due in certified funds at closing. Closing to be on or before February 16, 2017. Announcements day of the auction take precedence over printed material or previously made oral statements.

Possession: Possession on open ground at closing. Possession on land planted to wheat after the 2017 wheat harvest. Buyer to receive seller’s 1/3 share of the growing wheat crop. Buyer to get 2017 FSA payments.

Evidence of Title: Seller will provide to the buyer title insurance in the purchase price amount, with buyer and seller splitting premium 50%-50%.

Easements: This sale is subject to all right of ways and easements, whether recorded or not. Also subject to any oil, gas and wind energy leases of record.

Acreages: Acreage figures are based on USDA/FSA figures and are considered approximate. FSA acres and deeded acres may not be the same.

Inspections: Each individual bidder is responsible for conducting their own independent inspection and due diligence concerning pertinent facts about this property. Neither Lawrence and Associates Realty, its agents, or the seller make any warranties expressed or implied.

Agency: Lawrence and Associates Realty is an exclusive agent of the seller.

Broker: Lawrence and Associates Realty, 513 Main St., Scott City • (620) 872-5267 Auctioneer/Listing Agent: Russell Berning, 812 W. M St., Leoti • 1-800-466-5202

$

7

The Scott County Record • Page 28 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

The Scott County Record Professional Directory

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

Pro Ex II

Agriculture

Preconditioning and Growing

Over 20 Years Experience

• 45 Years Experience • Managed and owned by full-time DVM • 2,000 Head capacity Office - 872-5150 • Scott City

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

Stuart Doornbos Home - 872-2775 Cell - 874-0951

Walker Plumbing, Inc.

Sager’s Pump Service

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

• Irrigation • Domestic • Windmills • Submersibles

Cell: 874-4486 • Office 872-2101

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

Construction/Home Repair

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.

620-909-5014 (H) • 620-874-4128 (C)

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

CHAMBLESS ROOFING Residential

SPENCER PEST CONTROL All Types of Roofing

Commercial

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

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

620-872-2679 • 1-800-401-2683

Automotive

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

P.O. Box 14 • Scott City

Landscaping • Lawn/Trees

Red

Specializing in

all coatings t Paint i or any other color

Paint inside and out residential, commercial, and industrial.

Free estimates and 16 plus years of experience.

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

ES N JO UB S CL B Driving M LA

for the PURPLE!

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

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

$

7

The Scott County Record • Page 29 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

Professional Directory Continued

Medical

Horizon Health For your home medical supply and equipment needs!

We service and repair all that we sell.

Brent Rogers

Sales Consultant b.rogers@officesolutionsinc.biz

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

1602 S. Main • Scott City • 872-2232 Toll Free : 1-866-672-2232

Pro Health Chiropractic Wellness Center (Scott City Chiropractic) “TLC”...

Technology Lead Chiropractic

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

All Under One Roof

Revcom Electronics

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

1104 Main • Scott City • 872-2625

Dr. Jeffrey A. Heyd

Services

Optometrist 20/20 Optometry

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

Complete family eye center!

106 W. 4th • Scott City • 872-2020 • Emergencies: 214-1462

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

Christian Cupp, MD

Thea Beckman, APRN

Elizabeth Hineman, MD

Megan Dirks, APRN

Matthew Lightner, MD

Joie Tedder, APRN

William Slater, MD FACS

Ryan Michels, PA-C

Melissa Batterton, APRN

Caley Roberts, PA-C

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

For all your auction needs call:

(620) 375-4130

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.

Sports/Outdoors

For Sale

GUN SHOW. Dec. 31-Jan. 1. Saturday, 9:005:00; Sunday 9:00-3:00.

Kansas Coliseum (1279 E. 85th St. N), Wichita. BuySell-Trade. For info: (563) 927-8176. This is our final show here as the Coliseum is closing.

––––––––––––––––––––– OUR HUNTERS will pay top $$$ to hunt your land.

Call for a free base camp leasing info packet and quote. 1-866-309-1507. www.BaseCampLeasing. com.

40-FOOT GRADE A steel cargo containers. $1,500 in KC. $2,200 in Solomon, Ks. 20s, 45s, 48s and 53s also available.

Call (785) 655-9430 or go on-line to Chuckhenry. com for pricing, availability and freight estimates.

––––––––––––––––––––– ENJOY 100% guaranteed, delivered to-thedoor Omaha Steaks.

Save 77%, plus get 4 free Kielbasa sausages. Order The Family Gourmet Feast, only $49.99. 1-800-762-3909.

Mention offer tender98 or www.OmahaSteaks. com/44240JYZ. ––––––––––––––––––––– DISH TV. Best deal ever. Only $39.99/mo.

Plus $14.99/mo. internet (where available). Free streaming. Free install (up to 6 rooms). Free HD/ DVR. 1-800-676-6809.

Education ENTRY LEVEL heavy equipment operator career.

Get trained. Get certified.

Get hired. Bulldozers, backhoes and excavators.

Immediate lifetime job placement. VA benefits.

1-866-362-6497.

Homes LENDERS OFFERING $0 down for landowners.

Roll your new home and land improvements into one package. Discount national pricing on Breeze II doublewide and our 60th anniversary singlewide. Trade-ins welcome.

866-858-6862.

County Plat Maps Scott

Logan

Ness

Wichita

Gove

Wallace

Lane

Greeley

Finney

Kearney

Russell Berning Box Q • Leoti

406 Main • Scott City 620 872-2090

Retail

Gene’s Appliance Over 200 appliances in stock!

COMPARE OUR PRICES!

We have Reverse Osmosis units in stock.

Remember us for parts in stock for all brands of all appliances.

Sales and Service Days • Mon. - Sat. Deliveries • Mon.-Sat.

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

Networktronic, Inc.

Computer Sales, Service and Repair Custom computers!

Networking solutions!

Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

402 S. Main, Scott City • 872-1300

Northend Disposal A garbologist company.

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

Dining

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

www.reganjewelers.com

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

Classifieds

The Scott County Record • Page 30 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

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

Berry Realty • 872-5700

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

Classified Ad Rate: 20¢ per word. Minimum charge, $5.

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

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

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

Classified advertising must be paid in advance unless business account is established.

If not paid in advance, there will be a $1 billing charge.

Tear sheet for classified ad will be $1 extra.

For Sale

FRIGIDAIRE STAINLESS STEEL REFRIGERATOR for sale. Tradition top freezer, bottom fridge. Purchansed Fall of 2013. Has been in storage for two years. Works perfectly. $500. Call 316259-4150.

1716tfc ____________________ LG TROMM BLANK FRONT LOAD WASHER AND ELECTRIC DRYER for sale. Comes with pedestals and stacking kit. Purchased in 2006. Main water pump in washer replaced this year. Sold as set for $600.

Call 316-259-4150. 1716tfc

Rentals

HIDE AND SEEK STORAGE SYSTEMS. Various sizes available.

Virgil and LeAnn Kuntz, 620-874-2120.

41tfc

________________________________

Services

COMPUTER SERVICES for PC and Mac computers. Computer repair and virus removal. Call or email Josh at OsComp to schedule an appointment. 24-hour help line 620-376-8660 or email josh_4974@hotmail.com.

––––––––––––––––––– WANTED: Yards to mow and clean up, etc.

Trim smaller trees and bushes too. Call Dean Riedl, (620) 872-5112 or 874-4135.

34tfc –––––––––––––––––––– FURNITURE REPAIR and refinishing. Lawn mower tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Vern Soodsma, 872-2277 or 874-1412.

4015tfc –––––––––––––––––––– MOWER REPAIR, tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Rob Vsetecka at 620-214-1730.

4515tfc

PLAINJAN’S RENTAL Help Wanted houses and duplexes. Stop CDL-A: by the office or call 620- DRIVERS Dedicated Round Trip to 872-5777.

05tfc CA! Avg. $1,400/wk!! ________________________________ Home Weekly! Great benFOR RENT IN SCOTT efits, 401K! 1 year T/T CITY. Newly remodeled exp. www.4TSL.com.

3-bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car 1-866-HOME-TSL. 2016t1 attached garage and extra storage shed. NO PETS Agriculture and NO SMOKING. Call 620-397-8075.

1916t4 WANT TO BUY. Stored ________________________________ corn. Call for basis and 1, 2 AND 3 BEDROOM contract information.

APPARTMENTS for 1-800-579-3645.

Lane rent. Call 620-874-8353. County Feeders, Inc. 32tfc 2016tfc ____________________ WANT TO BUY. Wheat Livestock straw delivered. Call for contracting information.

REGISTERED ANGUS Lane County Feeders, BULLS. Crooked Creek 397-5341.

44tfc Angus, St. Francis, Ks. Call 785-332-6206. www.

Finish up your shopping with your crookedcreekangus.com. local merchants!

0916t13

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS If you want to drink, that’s your business.

If you want to stop, that’s ours.

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church basement (use west door).

412 College, Scott City.

Al-Anon at same time and location.

Contact: 874-0472 or 872-3137. 25tfc

District 11 AA Meetings

Scott City

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

807 Kingsley Last Saturday of the month Birthday Night • 6:30 p.m.

All open meetings 214-4188 • 214-2877

Dighton Thursday • 8:30 p.m.

535 Wichita St. All open meetings 620-397-2647

We have room for you!

The Scott County Record • Page 31 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

Employment Opportunities

The Scott County Record • Page 32 • Thursday, December 22, 2016

SCES kindergarten Spirit of Christmas

Dear Santa, My name is Aaren Radke. I am six years old.

I have tried really hard to be good all year.

I would like Cam Newton’s uniform and a Beaver football.

I will leave cookies and milk.

Love, Aaren Radke * * * Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year. Please bring me candy and lunchables.

Please bring a chew toy for my little sister, Micah.

Merry Christmas, Santa!

Love, Devon Dreiling * * * Dear Santa, I wish you could come every day and I wish you could come and bring me presents, please. I would like a magic watch, please!

Love, Carson * * * Dear Santa, I want a Doc McStuffins Toy Hospital Push Cart with a puppy.

Love, Sydney Heim * * * Dear Santa, Please bring me a Baby Alive doll for Christmas and anything else you want me to have.

I can’t wait for Christmas Eve. I will leave you milk and your favorite cookies.

Love, Eva Armendariz * * * Dear Santa, Ive been good this year.

Please bring xbox one, a big jar of pickles, radio, dinosaors, clothes and treehouse.

Love, Joseph Valdez, 5 * * * Dear Santa, Please bring me a basketball goal, drone and a 4-wheeler. I think my sister would like a pink guitar.

Santa, how old are you?

Love, Brogan Dirks, 5 * * * Dear Santa, I am scared of you. And I want one of those Freddy Blind Boxes, 12 of those.

I want you to bring Brynlee an elf so she can play with it.

I have been very good this year. And can you bring a new ipad for when Brynlee gets big enough to play with it?

Love, Dre

Scott City Elementary School kindergarten students prepared for the holiday break with their annual Spirit of Christmas celebration.

(Left) Jade Jo Henning makes a ruler that she hopes will be needed to measure the snowfall over Christmas.

(Record Photo)

(Above) Taizmond Yarbough shows his “Selfie with an Elfie” that can be hung on his Christmas tree.

(Below) Noah Rodriguez carefully threads plastic buttons to make his wreath.

(Right) Pablo Castaneda and his mother, Lizbeth, create a hand-painted reindeer on a t-shirt.

(Record Photos)

(Above left) Payton Hall carefully adds glitter to her Christmas stocking while Isadora Labra (above right) adds the finishing touches to her Santa sack.

(Record Photo)