Kindergarteners at Jefferson Elementary School left a few modern conveniences behind as they traveled back 100 years to celebrate the 100th day of school on Friday, Jan. 25.

Abigail Jonas, kindergarten teacher, spent extra time at the school transforming her classroom into a one-room schoolhouse with brown paper walls, a prop word burning stove, chalk board details, and a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the school’s namesake, for a finishing touch.

The day was made possible with the help of Denise Morrison, Renee Owen and many other enthusiastic parents who helped with clothes to complete the experience for the kids.

“Beyond the fun and games, the 100 th day of school gives my students a chance to reflect on what they’ve learned so far,” said Jonas. “This year’s 1919 theme also gave them an appreciation for the technology, and classroom tools we use every day to learn. And an added bonus is the memories they made!”

 

Barton County Commissioners Monday approved the construction of a 40′ x 50′ pole barn at the Ellinwood sand pit. The board approved the low bid of $18,728 from Lyle Bryant Construction from Ellinwood, one of four bids that were received for the project.

County Works Director Darren Williams explained the need for the structure.

Darren Williams Audio

Commissioner Jennifer Schartz was in agreement with Williams that the county needed to protect its investment of expensive equipment at the location.

Jennifer Schartz Audio

The contract calls for construction to be complete no later that March 31 of this year. The money for the project will come out of the capital improvement and fixed equipment budget.

1/25

BOOKED: Sterling Mills on Barton County District Court case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Annalise Moore on Barton County District Court case for driving while suspended with a bond of $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Jerimia Thatcher on Barton County District Court warrant for probation violation, taken to court.

BOOKED: Brianna Feist on a GBMC warrant for failure to appear with a bond set at $500 C/S. BTDC warrant for failure to appear with no bond.

BOOKED: Dalton Staudinger of Great Bend on served sentence.

BOOKED: Eric Morrell on GBMC case for domestic battery, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Sean Flagg for BTDC case of probation violation, no bond.

BOOKED: Jerry Hampton of Great Bend on GBMC case for DUI with a bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Sabrina Carr on BTDC case for failure to appear, no bond.

BOOKED: Jennifer Bowman on GBMC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Dontae Adams of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Ouray Gray of Great Bend for BTDC serve sentence.

RELEASED: Horacio Carrasco-Olivas of Great Bend on BTDC case for burglary, OR bond given.

RELEASED: Jerima Thatcher on probation violation, released to KDOC.

RELEASED: Benjamin C. Bruce on GBMC warrants by order of the court. Bruce is going to Kiowa County for their warrant.

RELEASED: Evan Markely of Abilene on BCDC case. Was granted a $10,000 OR bond with the conditions of A&D, stay in the state of Kansas, obey all state, federal, and local laws, comply with all PSI directions, stay in contact with attorney, go straight to Corrections after posting $1,000 bond through Around the Clock Bail Bonds.

RELEASED: Eric Morrell after posting a $1,000 bond with Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Eric Hellerud after time served.

RELEASED: Jerry Hampton of Great Bend on GBMC case for DUI with a bond of $1,000 posted through Ace Bail Bonding.

1/26

BOOKED: Shaina Kuester of Great Bend on Barton County District Court warrant for probation violation with a bond set at $5,000 C/S. BCDC case for possession of methamphetamine with a bond set at $10,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Caleb Robinson of Great Bend on an Ellis County warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $250 cash.

BOOKED: Mark Stanley of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for failure to appear with a bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Zachary R. Smith on Rush County District Court warrant for FTA with a bond in the amount of $5,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Caleb Robinson of Great Bend on an Ellis County warrant after posting a cash bond of $250.

RELEASED: Mark Stanley of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for failure to appear with a $1,000 bond posted.

RELEASED: Gary Waller of Great Bend on BTDC warrant with time served.

RELEASED: Zachary Smith on Rush County District Court warrant for FTA after posting a $5,000 surety bond.

1/27

BOOKED: Jesse Julian on Pawnee County District Court warrant for contempt of court with no bond.

RELEASED: Sterling Mills on BCDC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Richard Buess of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Stacey Henderson of Great Bend on Central Kansas Community Corrections case for serve sentence in full.

RELEASED: Ouray Gray of Great Bend for BTDC case for partial sentence served.

RELEASED: Dontae Adams of Great Bend for BTDC case for serve sentence in full.

RELEASED: Jennifer Bowman of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence in full.

We have spent the first few weeks of the new year discussing water in Kansas.  With this background, today let’s discuss the problem.  A dilemma affecting all of us whether we are involved in agriculture or not.  First, how did the state find itself in this situation?

·         Agriculture has diversified greatly over the last forty years in Kansas, especially since the 1990s.  Previously, common dryland crops in Western Kansas were primarily wheat and grain sorghum with fallow periods.  This diversification has occurred for a variety of reasons including GMO crops, the development of crop varieties, herbicide development, and hybrids better adapted to the climate here, especially in the western half of the state.  The eastern portion of the state was always produced a greater variety of crops due to its climate – on average more rainfall, higher humidity, and lower summer temperatures which allowed for more crop diversification and greater income opportunity.  Another factor was the passage of Freedom to Farm in 1995, which allowed the expansion of cropping options without any penalty.  Finally, as conservation tillage practices were developed, especially no-tillage, to prevent erosion and conserve soil water diversified crop rotations were beneficial and necessary to aid in pest control.

·         The cattle industry, particularly the feedlot sector, plays a key role in a chicken and egg sort of way.  With the development of center pivot irrigation, consistent high-yielding corn production became possible.  This in turn led to the development of the feedlot industry in Southwest Kansas.  Even though Kansas is normally one of the top ten corn producing states, we are often a corn deficit area and have to bring in corn to support feedlot production.  And the feedlot industry allows for the meatpacking industry.  Without corn production, especially irrigated production, the industries corn production supplies are in jeopardy.

·         Irrigation is probably the major factor of the problem agriculture is facing, even though it is practiced on only three million acres across the state.  While a small portion of the total production acreage for the state, it is concentrated in Western Kansas.  This production relies on groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer.  The problem is twofold.  We are withdrawing more water than is being added and depleting the supply.  This is being exacerbated by the fact the state over-allocated water resources.  This needs to the last point.

·         Finally, climate is adding to the dilemma.  Even without the changes the state is experiencing in climate, especially the extremes and deviations from normal patterns, we have allocated the most water resources where we receive the least rainfall on average.  This is logical as this is where cropping would benefit the most but where crops need more water to produce the same crop yield as in the eastern half of the state.

Next week:  what can be done.

BUSINESS NEWS

Story by Brandon Steinert

Barton Community College will host a blood drive from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1 in the Technical Building in room T-186, the Case New Holland Training area.

Donors are encouraged to set an appointment using the “RapidPass” system. RapidPass allows donors to complete their pre-reading and donation questions online from the comfort and privacy of their home or office; reducing the time they spend at the blood drive by up to 15 minutes. Visit redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to sign up. If donors choose to use the RapidPass system, they must complete the form the day of their donation. This can be done at as early as midnight of that day. Walk-ins will still be accepted, but the new system is designed to make the process more streamlined.

Information about blood donation from the American Red Cross:

• On any given day, an average of 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed in the United States.
• An individual suffering from massive blood loss may require transfusions of up to 100 pints of red blood cells.
• A unit of blood once obtained has to be transfused in 42 days. If not, it has to be discarded.
• The average adult body contains 10-12 pints (units) of blood.
• There is no substitute for human blood. It cannot be manufactured.
• According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.7 million people will be diagnosed with cancer annually. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.

How to prepare for giving blood:

• The day prior begin drinking extra fluids especially water with electrolyte supplements.  Good hydration will make the process of giving blood easy.
• Eat a good breakfast or lunch prior to giving blood.  Good hydration and good nutrition will help prevent lightheadedness and weakness associated with giving blood.
• Eat iron-rich foods to help provide good hemoglobin.  Red meat, oysters, clams, soybeans, dried beans, peas, lentils, whole grain cereals and breads, prunes, dried fruit and liver are excellent sources of iron.
• Vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron, so eat foods rich in vitamin C such as: citrus fruits or juices, kiwi, cantaloupe, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cabbage, spinach and leafy greens like turnips and collard greens.

A few of the reasons you may not be able to give blood:

• Low blood pressure.
•  High blood pressure.
• Fever, cough or other acute cold symptoms.
• On antibiotics for an infection.
• Body piercing: eligible if under sterile conditions.  If questionable, required to wait 12 months.
• Pregnancy.
• Tattoo if applied at state regulated facility.  (If not, must wait 12 months.)
• Travel outside the US in countries having high risk of malaria.

Harper Camperland has been selling RVs for more than 30 years in Great Bend and Harper, and now it is time to expand. Harper Camperland recently announced that the company will be opening a dealership in Park City this summer.

Harper General Manager Dan Lear says the new location will be located just north of Hartman Arena, north of Wichita.

Dan Lear Audio

The dealership will be on 10 acres of land on the southwest corner of I-135 and 85^th Street. Lear hopes to break ground on the plot in the next couple of weeks and weather permitting wants to be open for business in June.

Lear says Harper looked at other areas around Kansas to expand, but singled out the Wichita market and studied the area for the past three years before finding a spot.

Dan Lear Audio

Harper expects to begin with an inventory of 200 RVs at the Park City location with hopes of growing the lot to 300 or 400. Lear says the addition will mean the hiring of roughly 20 new employees. The lot will also add a few brands of RVs, outside of Jayco.

UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 428
Special Board of Education Meeting
Location of meeting: Fort Hays State University Memorial Union, Prairie Room
700 College Drive, Hays, Kansas 67601

AGENDA OF SPECIAL MEETING
January 30, 2019 6:00 p.m.
(

1. Call to Order / Roll Call …………………………………………………………….. Mr. Umphres

2. Adoption of Agenda ………………………………………………………………….. Mr. Umphres

3. Recognition of Visitors ………………………………………………………………………….. Mr. Umphres

4. Work Session: Long-Range Planning for District ………………………… Mr. Umphres

5. Adjournment ……………………………………………………………………………. Mr. Umphres

GREAT BEND, Kan. – Golden Belt Community Foundation provides local college students with a free scholarship search and application process. The goal is simple, to connect students with donors providing financial assistance for education. Last year the Foundation awarded over $75,000 to students in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties.

GBCF has dozens of scholarship funds, meeting a variety of educational needs that do not always fit a traditional timeframe, so deadlines vary. Some funds are designated for students that are not receiving substantial financial aid, which cannot be determined until after colleges, high schools, or merit-based scholarships have been awarded.

The Foundation also has scholarship funds available to students attending vocational schools or colleges with other types of educational delivery methods.

The online search tool makes it easy for students to find funding that aligns with their educational goals. Whether a student is in high school, enrolled in college or a returning student, they will be matched with scholarships that fit their educational career. Students throughout Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford County are invited to apply online.

Search and apply for scholarships at www.goldenbeltcf.org/scholarships. Please note varying deadlines. For questions, please contact Christy Tustin, Executive Director, at 620-792-3000 or email gbcf@goldenbeltcf.org.

Golden Belt Community Foundation
At $22 million in total assets and more than 180 funds under management, Golden Belt Community Foundation has been connecting people who care to causes that matter since 1996. Golden Belt Community Foundation exists to provide non-profit organizations in central Kansas with a permanent source of support and to serve as a vehicle for charitable giving for donors. GBCF serves the counties of Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford. For more information about Golden Belt Community Foundation, call (620) 792-3000 or visit their website at www.goldenbeltcf.org.

It had become a tradition in Great Bend. Each summer the city would announce a list of residential streets that would receive an overlay and residents would look to see if it was their street that would receive needed repairs. But that didn’t happen this year, not because the city has forgotten about the importance of maintaining their existing streets, but because the way those streets are identified has changed.

Here’s City Administrator Kendal Francis.

Kendal Francis Audio

Great Bend lured former City Engineer Carl Otter out of retirement to head the project that will use the GIS technology to rate every street in Great Bend to formulate a 5 – 7 year street improvement plan.

Kendal Francis Audio

Francis expects Otter to complete the work in the next couple of months. In the meantime, the city plans to begin a street improvement project in the downtown corridor from Williams to Kansas and from 10th to 16th streets that Francis expects to go to bid in the near future.

Funds for the project come from a quarter cent sales tax that is specifically tied to street replacement, maintenance, and repairs throughout the City. That sales tax was renewed by voters for 10-years and the collection began in July of 2018.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – this week joined 21 of his Senate colleagues from both sides of the aisle in demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding a recent change in the national liver distribution policy made by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Under the new policy, transplant hospitals in areas with rural and low-income populations could have reduced access to locally donated livers, exacerbating already long wait times for patients whose lives depend on receiving a donated liver transplant.

“The changes made on December 3, 2018, by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) to the national liver distribution policy could adversely impact many Americans seeking liver transplants,” the senators wrote. “…the Department only asked the OPTN to address the concerns specifically laid out in the suit – the justification for OPTN geographic regions. We are concerned that this intervention tipped the scales toward one outcome, and did not set up a process to address all the issues and factors that should be considered for fair liver distribution.”

The senators note that, by failing to account for regional variations in liver donation rates and disparities in the performance of organ procurement organizations (OPOs), the OPTN’s policy change appears to reward locations that underutilize existing organ resources and have historically had troubled OPOs.

The senators also challenge the process by which the OPTN decision was made, writing, “The December 3rd policy change both conflicts with the 2017 OPTN decision and ignores the recommendation of the Liver and Intestine Transplantation Committee, whose members include some of the nation’s leading transplant experts.”

The senators seek answers on the issues raised above, as well as specific information on the impact OPTN’s policy change will have on Midwestern and Southern states, and low-income patients, and the effects the new policy will have on transplant costs and the viability of livers in transport.

The letter, led by Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), was also signed by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Items to note:

• Last October, Sen. Moran and Sen. Blunt met with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Dr. George Sigounas to discuss proposed policy changes to the national liver distribution policy, and to raise their concerns.
• Last December, Sen. Moran and Sen. Blunt led an inquiry with HHS Secretary Alex Azar regarding this policy change.
• On December 19, Sen. Moran spoke on the floor regarding this policy change.
• On January 9, Sen. Moran spoke with HHS Secretary Alex Azar to further discuss this issue and its impact on Kansas City-area hospitals.