The Golden Belt Community Foundation just completed its fifth Giving Tuesday campaign, wrapping up and announcing the results during a Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee last week.

GBCF issued a challenge to local donors to “Take the Giving Challenge” by supporting one or more charitable organizations that is meaningful to them. And with over 650 gifts made this year, the challenge was accepted by many people raising a total of $204,375.48.

“This year marked GBCF’s 5th year to be a Giving Tuesday partner,” stated Christy Tustin, Executive Director, “and this year we invited all charitable organizations in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties to participate.”

Tustin further explained that there were 23 new organizations participating, and that each organization chose whether to get any gifts received as a grant back to their organization – or to use the gifts to build their endowment fund at GBCF. About half of the organizations will be receiving the gifts as grants to be put to immediate use supporting a wide variety of missions and causes.

“Today GBCF will be awarding over $71,000 in grants,” Tustin explained.

In addition, $10,000 in matching funds and $5,000 in giving incentives and drawings were awarded. Twelve area elementary schools also participated in Giving Tuesday by having a classroom contest to raise funds. The classroom at each school raising the most will receive a $500 grant.

This year’s campaign also included special incentive drawings, such as selecting a name from all donors who gave online during the lunch hour, for example. Nikki Omenski, Development Director, presented the winners of the incentive drawings. Each winner was then asked to select a charitable organization to receive an additional grant. There were twenty organizations selected to receive these special grants.

“This year there were several new names appearing in the Top 10 list of organizations that raised the most funds,” Omenski stated.

The 2018 Top Ten Giving Tuesday organizations and funds raised are:
1) Prairie Godmother Funds $51,214.77
2) Barton County Emergency Aid Association $18,590.20
3) Holy Family School $13,225.96
4) Almost Home, Inc. $12,851.83
5) FOREVER Rozel & Burdett Endowment $7,961.44
6) Golden Belt Humane Society $6,720.15
7) United Way of Central Kansas $6,197.35
8) Community Food Bank of Barton County $5,748.10
9) Meals on Wheels of Barton County $5,237.00
10) Sunflower Diversified Services Foundation $5,231.20

“GBCF’s Giving Tuesday campaign is only possible because of everyone who supported a cause they care about,” said Tustin, “thank you for your support, participation, and spreading the word about Giving Tuesday.”

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

In 2019 Giving Tuesday will be celebrated on December 3rd.

During the summer of discontent in 2017, Great Bend City Administrator Howard Partington resigned from his position on August 16 after holding the job for 36 years. Partington was a casualty of the Cliff Couch controversy that pitted community members against one another after the former police chief alleged possible misconduct by city administration.

Great Bend City Attorney Bob Suelter hated to see a 36-year career end like it did but says that should not take away from all the things that Partington did for the city over almost four decades of service.

Bob Suelter Audio

Suelter began his career with the city in the late 70’s and worked side-by-side with Partington during the years. He hopes the healing that has taken place in the city the past year and a half will carry over into how Partington is remembered.

Bob Suelter Audio

While Partington resigned during the controversy, Couch later did the same, leaving Great Bend to become the Police Chief in Athens, Tennessee.

The National Weather Service will be hosting a big event in January that will bring all weather reporting agencies together in one place to hopefully build relationships and communications between the large number of entities who are involved in times of severe weather. The “Kansas Integrated Weather Team” event is scheduled for Tuesday, January 22nd at the Great Bend Convention Center. Chance Hayes, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service, says he is looking forward to the event that he says will be beneficial for everyone.

Chance Hayes Audio

Hayes says with the large number of different entities who are involved with severe weather or other natural disasters, it is imperative that everyone is on the same page.

Chance Hayes Audio

The meeting that begins at 9:30 a.m. on the 22nd will include an update on Severe Weather Awareness Week, information on the statewide tornado drill, and a tabletop exercise that will deal with wildfires. There will also be a presentation on the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System by representatives from Region 7 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

When Jodi Henrikson, MD, explains the services at what is now this region’s only obstetrics and gynecology clinic, he sums it up pretty quickly.

“We take care of women who are pregnant and women who are not pregnant,” he summarized. “This includes comprehensive care before, during and after pregnancy, as well as annual exams and routine care for women of all ages.”

As part of The University of Kansas Health System, all OB/GYN services have been consolidated under one roof at the Great Bend Campus Medical Pavilion, 514 Cleveland St.

Dr. Henrikson’s colleagues are Veerayyagari Annapurna, MD, and Sheila Hein, advanced practice registered nurse.

“All of us work together to offer the highest-quality healthcare for women,” Dr. Henrikson said. “We do all we can to ensure we are providing the most appropriate care for each individual patient.”

Both physicians are trained to treat women with high-risk pregnancies, such as those that involve diabetes and high blood pressure.

In addition, the clinic cares for patients with incontinence and prolapse, which entails “bulging where it doesn’t belong, such as in the bladder, rectum and uterus,” Dr. Henrikson explained. “We also take care of inflammation of the bladder. There are not a lot of providers in this area that do this.

“In regard to gynecological surgeries, we do everything except operate in situations that involve cancer. However,” he noted, “we offer follow-up care and monitoring after cancer surgeries. And in obstetrics, there is not much that we don’t take care of.”

Both physicians also offer pre-conception counseling and infertility treatments.

Being part of The University of Kansas Health System allows the clinic to enhance its services for patients and their families.

“In a large healthcare organization such as this we have the resources to offer many services locally, along with access to specialists if a referral is necessary,” Dr. Henrikson said. “And since our office is on the second floor of the hospital, we are quickly available for any situation that needs our attention.

“There is a general surgeon right down the hall and The University of Kansas Health System Family Medicine is nearby,” he continued. “All of this means we can be even more efficient and patients can enjoy more convenience.”

Dr. Henrikson has 14 years of experience in practice, while Dr. Annapurna has seven. Hein has 42 years of experience caring for women.

With one year ending and a new one beginning, it’s a good time to reflect on where we stand – both personally and professionally. K-State Research and Extension specialist in financial management, Elizabeth Kiss, says it’s also a good time to assess where we stand financially and to set some short and long-term financial goals. She says the CFPB – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – has made that easier by developing a quiz that allows consumers to score their financial well-being by answering a series of questions.

Elizabeth Kiss Audio

Once you have a picture of your financial health, Kiss says the next step is doing some daydreaming or “blue sky thinking” about what you’d want your life to look like if resources weren’t an issue, and how you’d want your relationship with money to be.

Elizabeth Kiss Audio

By the way, the average well-being score for Americans on that quiz is in the mid-50s – which isn’t as bad as it sounds. The highest score people usually get is in the 60s. Kiss says it’s more important to use the results as an opportunity to reflect and to think about how it makes you feel.

SHPTV

BUNKER HILL – The Arthur E. and Cornelia C. Scroggins Fund through the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas has awarded Smoky Hills Public Television a grant for $3,500.

The Foundation’s grant will provide two books (one English/Spanish bilingual and one English only) to each of the 417 children enrolled in Head Start in Ford County during the 2018-2019 school year. As well as, support for children’s television programming.

“With this fund we are able to put books in children’s hands, therefore encouraging them to read and learn,” said Larry Calvery, Smoky Hills Public Television General Manager. “That’s what we do here at Smoky Hills Public Television, help educate our young viewers. With the fund from the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas we expect that the children of Ford County will develop a greater love of learning with the new books they receive.”

The Arthur E. and Cornelia C. Scroggins Fund was established to support quality of life issues and provide education opportunities for youth in Ford and Gray Counties.

Smoky Hills Public Television serves 71 counties in central and western Kansas and has been named the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Non-Metro Station of the Year, broadcasting 64 commercial-free hours per week of educational programming. Of the 25 different children’s programs SHPTV airs each week, 17 are targeted toward preschool children with five focusing on literacy, eight on science and math, and four on social skills. SHPTV also broadcasts these programs on their 24-hour PBS Kids channel (Channel 21.2 in Ford County).

By Diane Gasper-O’Brien – University Relations and Marketing

HAYS, Kan. – After landing a campus job in his area of study, Dalton Kraus already considered himself lucky. That word took on a whole new meaning for the Fort Hays State University freshman this fall.

As part of his campus job, Kraus cut out 243 wooden pigs on a computer numerical control (CNC) machine for an annual toy building event on campus.

A freshman majoring in construction management, Kraus had only heard about the Dr. Fred P. Ruda Teaming Up for Tots Day, earlier this month, which was in its 29th year. The toys, built by university and community volunteers, go to children in Ellis County – along with other items from TUFT – who otherwise might not receive Christmas gifts.

Excitement around the Department of Applied Technology grew as the toy-building day drew near. Kraus said he looked forward to the event as he cut more wooden pigs day after day.

He was even interviewed by an area television station in the week leading up to the day. Eric Deneault, assistant professor of applied technology, designed the toy, and Dr. Duane Renfrow, associate professor, made the jig for Kraus to follow while cutting out the pigs.

“My high school even shared the news, so a lot of people heard about it,” said Kraus, a 2018 graduate of Halstead High School.

Kraus soon learned that it’s hard to explain the impact of the event until a person witnesses it firsthand.

More than 100 volunteers, including entire families, gathered in the Social Cafe of the Center for Applied Technology for donuts, orange juice and coffee before everyone made their way to one of 14 stations in the wood technology room.

Once inside their workroom, the elves began sanding, putting on wheels, attaching other parts and some machine operations  as the piggy banks on wheels began to take shape.

For some, like 81-year-old Don Barton, this was old hat. It was easy to find his spot at a drill press.

Barton, who retired from FHSU in 1999 after 30 years teaching in the automotive department, could think of only one time when he missed the toy building, which has grown from about 20 volunteers the first year to 110 this year.

Barton reminisced about several of the other toys he helped build over the years as well as some of his former students.

“I taught both Fred Ruda and Kim Stewart,” Barton said.

Ruda, an FHSU alum, taught at his alma mater for nearly 40 years, the last 33 as chair of the department, before dying in an automobile accident in 2012. Stewart, current chair, graduated from FHSU in 1981 and returned to teach here in 1997.

With most of his responsibilities done, Kraus walked around the room the day of the toy building, watching in awe at the progress of the assembly lines and helping out wherever he was needed.

He said he had worked on some service projects in high school as a member of the Kansas Association for Youth – a leadership-training, service program.

“But those weren’t necessarily for kids,” he said. “This was even more meaningful, especially seeing the families that have been here multiple times.”

One such family was that of Carla Schmeidler, the younger sister of Rachel Harman, senior administrative assistant for the Applied Technology Department.

Schmeidler brought all four of her children, ages 5 to 15, from their home in Victoria to help for a second straight year.

“Every year we always do a calendar of things to do during the Advent season, and this was one event,” Schmeidler said. “The kids all enjoyed doing it, so we decided to come back this year.”

Even 5-year-old Brady Schmeidler was kept busy as he ran parts from station to station.

It was a family affair for several.

Coincidentally, Barton’s daughter, Shauna Zweifel, is the chairperson for TUFT, which delivered the toys to the Community Assistance Center for pick up.

After the toy building, Zweifel and other volunteers prepared them for delivery, along with other gifts from Angel Trees at four locations in Hays.

She was first introduced to the event as a youngster when her dad taught at FHSU.

“This is such a neat community event,” Zweifel said. “The volunteers are amazing.”

Throughout the week after the toy building, Kraus lined up the pigs on one large table and dropped eight nickels into each one.

He said it’s a Christmas he won’t soon forget.

“This was pretty awesome,” Kraus said. “You can tell it means something to the volunteers, coming back each year.”

To end the year, it is safe to say what a difference a day makes.  Except for a tiny sliver of Southwest Kansas on the Kansas Oklahoma border, no part of the state is even abnormally dry.  Needless to say, the weather of this past year has taken all of us on a roller coaster ride regarding precipitation.  In fact a roller coaster ride may be the best way to describe many aspects regarding agriculture over the last year.  Tis the season of lists and this week the list reviews some, not all, of the top agriculture stories of the past twelve months for Kansas and the nation.  These are in no particular order and hardly all-inclusive.

• Precision agriculture and technology – Precision agriculture is playing an ever-increasing role in production agriculture. Great strides are occurring allowing for increased efficiency with inputs and labor, better environmental protections, and in optimizing production.  Advances in agricultural technology encompasses much more, focusing on items such as genetic engineering of crops for herbicide tolerance, insect and disease resistance and specific quality traits.
• Weed control – Most are familiar with the problems of herbicide resistance that have developed concerning glyphosate. However, resistance to herbicides involves many modes of action.  Newer herbicide programs can help address these issues but are expensive and involve both new herbicides and crops genetically modified to be tolerant.  Another issue here is the return to more aggressive tillage for weed control and problems with soil erosion and compaction.  A final issue is the development of dicamba tolerant soybeans and cotton and the offsite crop damage issues of the last two years.  While the greatest damage has occurred on states like Arkansas and Missouri, yield loss has also been significant in Kansas.
• Trade wars and tariffs – This should likely fall under economics but the trade disputes between the U.S. and Mexico, Canada, China, the E.U., and other countries has taken a toll on farm exports which are vital to the overall ag economy generally, and to Kansas producers specifically. The impact has been severely felt in commodity prices.
• Pollution and the environment – This is a continuing issue regarding ground and surface waters and nonpoint source pollution from farmer fields and CAFOs (animal manure). The culprits are fertilizers, manures, and pesticides.  Also of concern is pest control while maintaining pollinator populations so vital for our food supply.
• Economics – Cost are up while prices are down for most commodities. Land values have retreated a bit.  Farm bankruptcies have increased dramatically and consolidation seems to be increasing.
• The Farm Bill – In one sentence, we have a Farm Bill sitting at the White House as this is being written, needing only the President’s signature. One passed with large bipartisan support.
• Weather – As always, weather is a major story in Kansas, across the country, and around the globe. Here we have gone from extreme drought to extreme precipitation and flooding.  Wheat fared poorly.  Many summer crops fared much better until harvest.

Again, your top stories may vary.  Merry Christmas to all and thanks for reading.

Story by Brandon Steinert-Barton Public Relations

Local thespians are invited to audition for the Barton Community College Theatre Department’s production of Neil Simon’s “Rumors”. Open auditions are set for 4-6 p.m. January 7 and 8 in the Fine Arts Auditorium on campus. No proparation is necessary.

Performances will be held March 1-3, 2019.

For more information, contact Theatre Director Dr. Rick Abel at (620) 792-9333 or abelr@bartonccc.edu.

ELLSWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore has been making holiday visits to Kansas inmates.

Moore stopped Wednesday at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility. Moore talked about his Christian faith, his family and took questions from an audience of about 200 for more than an hour. During his visit, Moore put his hand on one inmate’s shoulder and prayed with him.

Moore said God “is not impressed with the general manager of a baseball team.” He says, “It’s our job, it’s our responsibility, to use that gift as a platform to help others.”

He also made a stop Tuesday at the prison in Larned with Matt Fulks, director of Moore’s “C” You In The Major Leagues Foundation, which seeks to promote character and community.