RUSSELL COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Sunday in Russell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 GMC pickup driven by Steven C. Greenwood, 21, Burneyville, OK., was  eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Gorham exit.

The pickup entered the south ditch and collided with and flipped over the guard rail and rolled.

Greenwood was transported to Hays Medical Center where he died of his injuries.

Three passengers Jesse D. Dominguez, 23 and Joseph A. Boatner, 22, both of Marietta, OK., and Tyler A. Bates, 22, Ardmore, OK., were also transported to Hays Medical Center.

Greenwood and Boatner were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

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RUSSELL COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 3p.m. Sunday in Russell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 GMC pickup driven by Steven C. Greenwood, 21, Burneyville, OK., was  eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Gorham exit.

The pickup entered the south ditch and collided with and flipped over the guard rail and rolled.

Greenwood was transported to Hays Medical Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

written by: Donna Krug, Family & Consumer Science Agent and District Director – K-State Research & Extension – Cottonwood District

School has started just about everywhere, so kids from pre-school to graduate school are getting used to a new routine. But what about you? Are you a life-long learner?

Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas are never too old to learn something new. I don’t mean you have to enroll in a formal class, complete with a syllabus and a final exam. I’m talking about the many classes offered in our community through our Extension offices, 4-H and Youth programs, or recreation centers.

I am getting ready to participate in our annual Family and Consumer Science Agent update on campus next week. I know when I return to the office I will have some great new resources at my fingertips to share. My goal is to provide programs that meet the needs of our county residents. Realizing we live in a diverse community means we need to be cognizant of learning styles and barriers that may be present.

Programs for the upcoming months focus on topics like: Nutrition, Health and Wellness. I will be joining my colleague who helped write a new Fact Sheet titled, “Everyday Mindfulness” and we will present one of the break-out sessions. I’m planning to present the information in Great Bend in early October and will be sharing the fact sheet in Ellis County in a program early next year. My husband, John, who is a retired Chiropractor, helps with the presentation by leading a short meditation with the participants.

Mindfulness is a popular topic these days and studies show effective uses in many settings. I will be offering the Stay Strong, Stay Healthy workshop again in Great Bend beginning October 23.

The Program Development Committee that I work closely with has jumped in to help carry out a couple of events in the Hays community in September. Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 20 and bring your young children to the Armory on south Main Street in Hays from 5-7 for the Go Truck Go event. We will have a StoryWalk activity set up in the grassy area across the street from the Armory for children to enjoy the book, “If I Built a Car.”

The following week, on Monday, September 24, the Cottonwood Extension District, along with the Hays Kiwanis, and Papa Murphy’s Pizza, will be sponsoring the Family Day Make and Take Pizza Event. In its 11th year, a core of dedicated volunteers will be providing 80 pizzas for families for a small cost. You will need to call the Hays office at (785)628-9430 for more details.

I will share reminders about the events listed above as the dates draw closer. So take some time for yourself in the weeks ahead. Sign up for a class related to something you have always wanted to so. You will be glad you did!

While families compile their to-do lists for the beginning of the school year, they might want to include vision screening for their children.

August is Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month, which is a good time to raise awareness about vision screens at Sunflower’s Early Education Center (EEC) or its community partners, said Heather Quillin, children’s services coordinator at Sunflower Diversified Services.

“We have been able to identify a number of issues with our vision screenings,” Quillin said. “Many children have obtained glasses or received more intensive vision care because parents took advantage of early screenings. “We do not interpret the readings from the screens. Instead, we refer children to their optometrist or ophthalmologist.”

The EEC uses a Spot vision screener for children as early as 6 months old. The free screens can detect astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness and differences between the two eyes. A “gaze analysis” helps determine eye misalignment, lazy eye and pupil size abnormalities.

“The screen can tell us if a child’s eyes are not working equally together or if one eye is stronger than the other,” Quillin commented.

From January 2015 to June of this year, Sunflower screened 411 children; 53 have been referred for follow-ups with optometrists and ophthalmologists.

These numbers do not include the many screens by Sunflower’s community partners such as school districts, Lions Clubs and Head Start. The 10th Street Eyecare Center also has used the equipment.

“Sunflower tries to offer community screenings throughout our five-county service area at least twice a year for children birth to age 3,” Quillin said. “We strongly encourage families to take advantage of this free opportunity. “We can also visit families’ homes at any time to complete a developmental screening or evaluation.”

The local Lions Clubs purchased the first Spot screener for the EEC; the Damon Foundation bought the second. Then, because of the high demand, the Damon Foundation purchased a third screener and USD 428 bought another. The Golden Belt Community Foundation and Farmers Bank & Trust also made donations to help with the costs.

“Our community is fortunate to have four screeners available,” Quillin said. “We are so grateful for the community’s support in helping us obtain this state-of-the-art equipment. It allows us to better identify vision problems early and helps so many children get the support they need.”

Two screeners are housed at the EEC. One is for internal use only, while a second one may be checked out for use elsewhere.

“Those who want to check out a device must be trained,” Quillin noted. “However, the training takes only about 10 minutes.”

For more information and/or to schedule a brief training session, contact the EEC by calling 620-792-4087.

Quillin offered a couple of statistics that illustrate the importance of vision screening: approximately one in 20 children under the age of 5 have vision problems; and 80 percent of a children’s learning is through their eyes.

“In addition, children rarely complain of vision problems,” Quillin added. “They think everyone sees the world in the same way they do. This just adds to the importance of why early vision screenings are so critical.”

Sunflower’s EEC, which is part of the tiny-k network in Kansas, serves children from birth to age 3 in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties. Its services are free to families.

Story by Micah Oelze-gobarton.com

The Barton Planetarium will host nine free evening programs this fall, Barton including an all-new line-up of movies never shown at the Barton Planetarium before.

The following programs will run from 7-8 p.m. on Monday evenings:

Aug. 20 – A Tour of the Universe: To kick off this year’s planetarium event, learn about the night sky with the film “From Earth to the Universe.” A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. Conclude the evening with a live tour of the universe, starting from the familiar world around us, zooming up through the solar system and out to the farthest reaches of the universe!

Aug. 27 – Mayan Double-Header: First, attendees will dive into a Mayan world of knowledge about the importance of the orientations of the temples in relation to the movement of some stars like the Sun, the Moon and Venus. Then, explore the Prophecies of the Mayan astronomers with “Fate of the Maya.” Visit the Classic Mayan cities of Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Tikal and Palenque to discover how the Maya aligned their temples to watch their sky gods and used interlocking calendars to record the past and predict the future.

Sept. 10 – Fall Stars: Attendees will construct their very own star chart and take a tour of the fall night sky.

Sept. 17 – Four Planets!: For the first time in Kansas, see the film “The Planets!” This movie takes viewers on an exciting tour of the Solar System that looks at each planet as well as Solar System formation and extra-solar planets. The evening will also include a time to learn about the planets visible this fall and stargazing, weather permitted.

Sept. 24 – Science Magic: Enjoy a night of various “magic tricks” based on physics and chemistry. Audience members will get a chance to spin, catch, mix, pour and otherwise participate in various demonstrations. Fun for science enthusiasts of all ages!

Oct. 1 – TBA

Oct. 8 – Biology Double-Header: Explore the human body’s cells on a nanoscale with “Microcosm.” Then discover Earth has intelligent life with “Lucy’s Cradle.” What are the required conditions to foster life? What combination of environmental variation and stability is required for life to begin and to become intelligent? All these questions and more will be answered!

Oct. 10 – Solar System Double-Header: First, travel back to the beginning of time and experience the birth of the Sun. Discover how it came to support life, how it threatens life as we know it and how its energy will one day fade away with “Sunstruck.” Next, discover the evolution of humankind’s understanding of the universe with “The Making of a Star and Her Entourage.”

Oct. 17 – Light!: Begin the evening with “Seeing! A photon’s journey across space, time and mind” as viewers will follow the journey of a single photon as it is produced in a distant star, before traveling across the vast expanse of space to land on someone’s retina. This full-dome planetarium show explores some of the fascinating processes of the cosmos, from astrophysics to the biology of the eye and brain. Funded through a generous grant from ZEISS, the show is narrated by astronomer and science communicator, Neil deGrasse Tyson.

For more information, please contact Planetarium Director Dr. Tim Folkerts at folkertst@bartonccc.edu or (620) 792-9320.

The kick-off was a success and now the first actual meeting of the Caregivers Count support group has been scheduled. Any parent, guardian, grandparent or foster parent of a special-needs child is encouraged to attend the gathering from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5 at the Great Bend Public Library, 1409 Williams.

Sunflower Diversified Services, the non-profit agency that sponsors the group, serves infants, toddlers and adults with developmental delays and disabilities.

“The launch of our new group attracted almost 50 people,” said Debbie McCormick, steering committee member. “We were able to put some faces with the names of people we knew were interested in this new support group.

We didn’t really know what to expect but we were very pleased with the turnout.

“Those who attended are strongly encouraged to plan on coming to the Sept. 5 meeting and suggest it to other families. We hope families will be in contact with one another outside of regular meetings too.”

McCormick noted that the steering committee was a bit surprised that three generations of a Reno County family attended the kickoff.

“They are concerned about a 1-year-old child who has cerebral palsy and other issues. They need support from their peers but don’t know about a group closer to home,” McCormick explained.

Although Sunflower’s service territory includes Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties, Caregivers Count is open to any family with a special-needs child from birth to age 21.

“We don’t want distance to be a barrier,” McCormick commented. “Even though we encourage people to be there in person, we might be able to tele-conference with them if they cannot attend.”

Feedback from families at the kickoff indicated they are relieved to be able to talk with others who share their concerns.

They also learned about the steering committee’s “passion for this group and developing relationships with more families,” McCormick noted. “Since we don’t have all the answers, we will be listening to the group.”

Contributions to the Aug. 5 kickoff included: the use of the Hoisington Activity Center; hamburgers and hot dogs donated and grilled by Tim and Christi Herber; donation for other food items from Straub International; a bounce house from Chris and Vicki Batchman; cookies from Dillons; backpacks from Children with Special Health Care Needs; and games from Ellinwood Baptist Church.

“We appreciate this strong community support,” McCormick said. “And we trust it will grow in the months to come.”

At this point, regular meetings are scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month. A separate fun activity will be planned quarterly.

For more information, contact McCormick by calling 620-792-1325.

Story and photos by Micah Oelze-gobarton.com
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Barton County Upward Bound (BCUB) harvested 3,267 vegetables through the first season of its community garden. The project began with BCUB’s student-run leadership committee which allows students to generate ideas for activities and events for the year.

The students decided a community garden could create something that would have a positive long-term effect. BCUB Academic Coordinator Kelsey Hall overheard her co-workers Patrick Bush and Nolan Esfeld discussing the campus food pantry, and the lack of fresh produce. Hall then heard them mention the idea of starting a garden.

“When I heard Patrick and Nolan talking about it, I said ‘Hey, my kids want to do that, can I be in on this?’ And they said ‘Yes, it’s yours. We know nothing about gardens,’” she said. “We planted the last day in April. The kids got to do all of the planning, planting, and harvesting.”

When the vegetables began to flourish, many students were on summer vacation, so they offered the fresh produce to the staff and used the fresh pickings for their Sunday night cooking class.

“They have taken the zucchini out of the garden and made fried zucchini and zucchini boats. We had a huge lettuce harvest, so we did lettuce wraps and a wilted lettuce salad,” Hall said. “They took something they planted, grew and harvested, and then cooked it.”

Jakob Breit, a Senior at Hoisington High School, is one of the students on the Barton County Upward Bound Leadership Committee who fell in love with the community garden idea.

“It was cool to be a part of,” he said.

Hall said it’s important to note the idea came from the students.

“Our kids asked for this; our kids wanted it, this was their brainchild,” she said. “It was not so much ‘here, go do this.’”

Allowing the student leadership committee to generate ideas is something Breit has enjoyed about his time on the leadership committee.

“It is fun,” he said. “They come to us, and we get to help plan and give them ideas for the year.”

Breit plans to attend Barton once he graduates then continue his career in farming, in which he already has a head start.

Hall and her co-workers have a similar goal for the garden in the fall semester.

“We just recently overhauled the garden for the fall. The only crop left from the summer is the cucumbers,” Hall said. “We removed everything else and have planted ornamental corn, gourds and pumpkins.”

written by: Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice

I am writing this article as I am waiting to get a rim fixed on my car.  I tried to get away for a short weekend to do some hiking in Colorado.  Along the way, I hit a pothole, bent my rim, and I am now grounded and am being forced to stay an extra day in Colorado.

It would not be so bad except that I am grounded because I am driving around with no spare and one of those crappy little emergency tires. But, as I sit here, it reminds me of something that happened to me years ago.

My wife and I have three sons.  As many young families, the early days were really a struggle. Our vacations were of two kinds: going to see family for a holiday, or camping.

Camping was a cheap alternative.  We would load up tents, tarps, water bottles, and the like. We had old sleeping bags that weighed way too much.  We would venture out as if we know what we were doing (and we didn’t). One particular year, we decided to go to a part of the state that the kids had never been to: the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  We found a camping spot somewhere in the mountains, set up our tent and then decided to go exploring.

The road got very rough. There were a lot of sharp rocks. As we were trying to maneuver over a particular bad area, I got out of the car only to hear a hissing sound.  We had a tire going flat. Needless to say, I did not want to try to change a tire on a mountain road. We bailed down the mountain as quickly as we could, arriving at a gas station. The gas station attendant changed the tire. We got the tire on and headed to the campsite.

As we got there, one of the kids pointed out that they heard a hissing sound. Another flat. Let me be honest. Our tires were way overdue to be replaced.  But, like so many young struggling families, we were trying to make due as long as we could.

We went back to the gas station and got the tire fixed. The person at the gas station said, “Mister, I really would not be driving on these tires with three kids.”

My wife and I talked and headed to some town (probably Pueblo) and purchased a set of tires. I remember going to a movie, sitting there trying to figure out whether we should just go home or keep plugging along on our camping trip.

Our adventures did not end there. A day or two later, we broke camp. We then moved toward the Salida, Colorado area. Suddenly, our car started making a weird knocking sound (I really do not remember now what all was going on). We spent a day in a shop in either Salida or Canon City.  The result was a temporary repair, and we had to drive 40 miles per hour back all the way from Colorado to Hays.

I always enjoy my vacations, but I will tell you that this one stretched me to the max. It is not unusual for clients to come in to see me when bad things are happening. They can range from health issues, financial issues, or even family issues.  Life was great, or at least fine until bad things started to happen. Sometimes I can tell they are just ready to give up.

One of the things that we try to do with our families is to help them step back, put the crisis in its proper place, find solutions, and then make a plan to go forward. Sometimes it takes a third party, such as an elder care attorney, to help them step back and get a better perspective on life. It is truly not the end; they just need a plan.

So, it was with us. Though our first trip to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains turned out to be a challenge, we still tell stories about it.  We still talk about the flats, but also the beautiful mountains.  And, the funny part is that it has really become one of our favorite places in Colorado.

Don’t let “flat tires” stop you from enjoying life. Sometimes you just have to fix the flats and go on.

Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to randy@clinkscaleslaw.com. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

Karen Baldyga says the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce is wrapping up parade entries and vendor registrations for the downtown street market, but other than that, the 122^nd Annual Hoisington Labor Day Celebration is ready to go this weekend.

Baldyga is organizing her first Labor Day Celebration after taking over as Chamber Director this past January.

Karen Baldyga Audio

Starting with a community barbeque and the Hoisington High School football game against Pratt Friday night, the celebration continues through Monday with events filling up all the days.

Karen Baldyga Audio

The largest Labor Day parade in Kansas will start at 10:30 a.m. on Monday. The schedule of the events can be found at hoisingtonkansas.com, by calling the Chamber office at 620-653-4311, or on brochures at local businesses.

The seasonal help of more than 30 lifeguards have retired their life preservers and whistles as another pool season closed on August 12 at the Great Bend Wetlands Aquatic Park. From Memorial Day weekend to the middle of August, pool goers came and go to the facility at Brit Spaugh Park.

Megan Hammeke, Aquatics Director for the Great Bend Recreation Commission, says it was a rather smooth summer.

Megan Hammeke Audio

Hammeke added the lifeguards had to train under a few new guidelines following the death of a boy at the Schlitterbahn waterpark in Kansas City two years ago. Lifeguards wore fanny packs that contained first aid materials including CPR masks.

The pool offseason will include annual maintenance and touchup.

Megan Hammeke Audio

Although the pool closed August 12, the staff held the annual Bark in the Park event last weekend. The staff turned down the chlorine levels in the pool so dogs could enjoy the water.