A legislative audit says Kansas’ wildfire suppression system is underfunded and understaffed and operates with a fragmented leadership.

Barton County Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller read through the audit and felt that most of the audit’s issues came from the State of Kansas’ response to emergencies with the Kansas Department of Emergency Management, Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Kansas Forest Service. Auditors recommended the legislature choose one agency to lead the state’s wildfire response and appropriate the money to ensure enough resources are deployed to fight fires.

Miller says the agencies have been heavily tested over the past few years with wildfires.

Amy Miller Audio

Wildfires in 2016 and 2017 burned more than 800,000 acres in Kansas, causing $80 million in damage, and killing one person.

The audit stated the state does not have adequate resources to meet the demand for services, but Miller thought Barton County is in better shape than many other counties to fight wildfires.

Amy Miller Audio

Miller would like to see more public education distributed to keep residents informed and safe in case of a severe wildfire. She reminds property owners in rural areas to avoid planting or having red cedar trees, referring to the vegetation as “fire bombs.”

Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer was in Barton County this weekend and visited with Venture Corporation Saturday afternoon. Colyer wanted to hear from the road construction company in Great Bend about the impact from the reduced highway fund from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Billions of dollars have been swept from the highway fund by Kansas Legislatures to help balance the state’s budget.

Venture’s Kip Spray was happy to have Colyer in town.

Kip Spray Audio

Spray was selected by Kansas Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman to join the 31-member Transportation Task Force. The Task Force will evaluate the current condition of the state’s transportation system and make recommendations regarding the future needs.

Kip Spray Audio

The Task Force members will meet at least eight times to receive local input on unfinished highway projects and future projects. The members will meet once in each of the six KDOT districts and once in Wichita and Kansas City.

As the 4^th of July approaches, so do the celebrations and the constant barrage of fireworks. Although the periodic boom of a firework can be heard days leading up until the holiday, the discharge is only legally allowed on July 4^th in the City of Great Bend and Barton County.

Great Bend Fire Department Inspector Mark Orth reminds everyone to be smart and stay safe this Wednesday.

Mark Orth Audio

Other tips from Orth include never attempt to relight malfunctioning fireworks, do not experiment with homemade fireworks, and it is illegal to shoot fireworks within 50 feet of gas stations or any place liquid gas – including propane – is stored.

Recent rains in the Golden Belt have assisted with making the grounds less dry, but Orth reminds everyone the string of extremely hot days can dry things up in a hurry.

Mark Orth Audio

Extra staff from the Great Bend Fire Department will be on duty for the 4^th of July.

Local times for discharge of fireworks:

Barton County area: 8 a.m. to midnight on July 4th only
Great Bend: 10 a.m. – midnight on July 4th only
Hoisington: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4^th only
Ellinwood: 8 a.m. to midnight on July 4^th only
Larned: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. July 1-3, 8 a.m. – midnight on July 4^th

BUSINESS NEWS

Credit Union of America (CUA) announces participation in VISA’s Magic Minute Sweepstakes 2018.  Magic Minute is a program that randomly selects winners from across the country from members of participating financial institutions (FI) that use the FI’s credit card at  least three times weekly.  The more weeks you meet the minimum eligible purchases, the more  times you are entered in the Sweepstakes.

CUA member, Miriam Vasquez, was one of seven winners nationwide in 2017. Vasquez and her guest were treated to an all expenses paid trip to Chicago and were also accompanied  by a staff member of CUA.  Each winner was awarded a minute to run the VISA merchandise  warehouse with their guest. During this Magic Minute winners grab merchandise off the  shelves and pile it into a large stock cart.  Vasquez gathered over $6,000 in merchandise retail value and brought home items such as a iRobot Roomba, a Coach handbag, DVD and BlueRay  players, MacBook, TV, and much more. Magic Minute winners also receive a $2,000 cash award to assist with taxes on the gifts, and free merchandise shipping back to their home. The  total prize package averages $9,000 per winner.

After her Magic Minute in November 2017, Ms. Vasquez shared, “It was really easy. I always use my CUA credit card and perhaps I used it a bit more during the contest. When I got online  to register for the contest I watched the video of past winners. It looked fun and it was! It was  great to represent my Credit Union and it made Christmas shopping fun and easy!

To enter this year’s sweepstakes, follow these easy instructions:

1. Register your Credit Union of America VISA credit card one time at  https://www.cuofamerica.com/Blog/CUA‐Insider/June‐2018/Magic‐Minute or sign in to  CUA’s online banking to access the link.
2. Receive one entry for making a minimum of three (3) qualified purchases each week for  any or all entry periods between June 20 and September 25, 2018.
3. Each week you complete three purchases, your name will be entered in up to seven  drawings to pick the winners from credit unions participating in the Magic Minute  Sweepstakes.

Magic Minute is a program that randomly selects winners from across the country from  members of participating financial institutions that use their credit card.  Full sweepstakes and  alternate entry rules can be found at www.cumagicminute.com/rulespage.

CUA serves over 66,000 members online and at thirteen (13) full service locations in Wichita, Derby, Goddard, Great Bend, and Salina, and a corporate office located in Wichita. Central  Kansas Credit Union, of Hutchinson and Pratt, Kansas will merge into CUA on July 1, 2018, expanding locations to 15 and over 72,000 members.

Barton Community College will be closed Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day. Classes will resume and offices will reopen Thursday, July 5.

Kevin Rabas, Poet Laureate of Kansas, will present “Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary, at Hoisington Public Library, 169 S. Walnut, at 2 p.m. July 21. The program is free and made possible by Humanities Kansas.

Rabas is a poet, jazz musician, and professor who teaches poetry and playwriting at Emporia State University. He also chairs of the Department of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism. His collection of poems, Lisa’s Flying Electric Piano, was a Kansas Notable Book in 2010 and a winner of the Nelson Poetry Book Award. He is the winner of the Langston Hughes Award for Poetry, the Victor Contoski Poetry Award, and the Jerome Johanning Playwriting Award, among others.

His most recent poetry collection, Songs for My Father: Poems & Stories, was published by Meadowlark in 2016.

Rabas will present “Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary.” Through poetry, he will explore the beauty and value in everything around us.

“Poetry shows us that every little bit of our lives is meaningful,” Rabas said. “Part of the poet’s job is to remind us to observe and cherish the world and our lives in it.”

As Poet Laureate of Kansas, Rabas promotes the humanities as a public resource for all Kansans through public readings, presentations, and discussions about poetry in communities across the state.

About Humanities Kansas

Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, our pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with partners and supporters, they inspire all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.

BOARD OF BARTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Agenda Meeting ~ Monday, July 2, 2018 ~ 9:00 a.m. Until Close

I. OPENING BUSINESS:
A. Call Meeting to Order.
B. Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
C. Consider Approval of the Agenda.
D. Consider Minutes of the June 25, 2018, Regular Meeting.
E. Any citizen wishing to make statements during the discussion of any item must first be recognized by the Commission Chair. After being recognized, that person should state their name and the name of any organization represented. Statements should be limited to five minutes.
F. Cell phones and other electronic devices, other than those used by the media and law enforcement, should be shut off.

II. OLD BUSINESS – Items tabled, or scheduled, from previous Commission Meetings, will be heard at this time.
-There is no Old Business at this time.

III. NEW BUSINESS – All new business to be considered by the Commission will be heard at this time.

A. 2017 AUDIT REPORT:
-Melissa Ille of Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball will present the 2017 Audit Report to the Commission. The report will cover the financial condition of Barton County from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017.

B. HEALTH DEPARTMENT: Grant Awards:
-Barton County applies for annual state and federal grants. Shelly Schneider, Health Director, will present information on the following grant awards:
Child Care Licensing Program $120,000.00
Chronic Disease Risk Reduction $070,000.00
Family Planning $041,061.00
Maternal & Child Health $097,153.00
Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative $010,000.00
State Formula $018,161.00
TOTAL: $356,375.00

C. KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES: Voting Delegates:
-The Kansas Association of Counties (KAC) begins its Annual Conference in Overland Park on October 15, 2018. Each year, the Commission designates a voting delegate and first and second voting alternates for the meeting.

D. COUNTY SERVICES: Informational Update:
-Phil Hathcock, County Administrator, will provide the informational report of work completed during the last period. The report, which will be made available to the media, will serve as a public reminder of the services provided by the County on a regular basis.

IV. ENDING BUSINESS – After new items are heard by the Commission, the following items, including announcements, will be heard.

A. ANNOUNCEMENTS: -Following the close of the Agenda Meeting, the Commission will consider the authorization of personnel changes for classified positions, sign any documentation approved during the agenda meeting or sign any other documentation required for regular County business. Similar action may take place throughout the day.
-County business offices, the Health Department, Sheriff’s Office Records Division and the Landfill will be closed for the Independence Day Holiday on Wednesday, July 4, 2018. Emergency services will be in normal operation.

B. APPOINTMENTS:
9:45 a.m. – Regular Business Discussion – Phil Hathcock, County Administrator, and Donna Zimmerman, County Clerk
10:00 a.m. – Community Developmental Disability Organization Discussion – Mark Hinde, SDSI; Jon Prescott, Sunflower Diversified Services, Inc.; Tammy Hammond, Rosewood Services, Inc. and Jennifer Maddox, Pathways – Rescare
10:45 a.m. – Talent retention and reverse scholarships – Christy Tustin, Golden Belt Community Foundation
11:15 a.m. – Program Update and reduced speed zones on SE 10 Road – Barry McManaman, County Engineer
11:30 a.m. – Program Update – Shelly Schneider, Health Director
THE COUNTY EDITION, KVGB-AM – Thursdays at 11:05 a.m. Sheriff Brian Bellendir is scheduled for July 5, 2018.

V. OTHER BUSINESS:
A. Discussion Items.
B. Citizens or organizations may present requests or proposals for initial consideration.
C. The Commissioners are available to the Public on Mondays during regular business hours.
D. The Commissioners may, individually, schedule personal appointments related to County business at their discretion.
E. The next Regular Meeting will be at 9:00 a.m., Monday, July 9, 2018.

VI. ADJOURN.

PAWNEE COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Friday in Pawnee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford SUV driven by Kenlee A. West, 23, Liberal was northbound on U.S. 183 behind a pickup and a semi four miles north of Larned.

The driver changed lanes in an attempt to pass the semi. The SUV rear-ended the semi’s trailer as it was turning left onto S Road.

A passenger in the SUV Jacqueline Ravera, 21, Liberal, was transported to the hospital in Larned. Another passenger in the SUV Benito Ravera, 49, Liberal, was transported to a hospital in Wichita.

The semi driver   Dallas D. Hiebert, 63, Rozel, and two children in the SUV were not injured.  The occupants in the SUV were properly restrained at the time of the accident. The KHP did not have information on Hiebert’s seat belt usage.

BUSINESS NEWS

Story by Brandon Steinert, Photo by Micah Oelze

Barton Community College graduates can now enjoy seamless transfer of credits to Fort Hays State University (FHSU) toward a bachelor’s degree for almost 20 majors, thanks to a new Memorandum of Understanding signed by the presidents of each institution Thursday morning on Barton’s campus.

Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman said Barton has always worked well with FHSU, but the agreement represents a new level of clarity for students as they move from Barton to the university level.

“These transfer and articulation agreements represent tremendous progress,” he said. “I think more of our students will be experiencing Fort Hays State University.”

FHSU President Dr. Tisa Mason said Barton graduates are historically well adjusted to college and ready for the four-year experience.

“Send them our way,” she said. “We know they are prepared for our institution because of the care and the attention that your faculty and staff give them.”

Mason said the agreement is a tremendous asset for the economy of western Kansas and its residents.

“This increases opportunities for those who are filling key workforce needs in important areas,” she said. “By clearly mapping the courses, our students can more swiftly move through the curriculum and get into a fantastic career.”

One of the 19 programs mentioned specifically at the ceremony is the bachelor’s degree in elementary education, which can be completed in only three years after high school. Barton and FHSU are calling it “degree in three,” a concept the administrators hope to duplicate for other programs.

Barton has numerous transfer agreements with universities throughout the state and beyond. The most recent besides FHSU is Columbia College in Missouri, which will accept up to 81 credit hours toward a bachelor’s degree in business or nursing.

Barton’s only partner institution that rivals the new agreement with FHSU is Kansas State University, with 23 transfer programs called “2+2” agreements, many of which are online.

Visit GoBarton.com/Transfer to see all of Barton’s transfer agreements.

The new agreement creates seamless transfer opportunities for the following programs:

• Accounting (BBA)
• Agricultural Business (BS)
• Biology & Secondary Education (BS)
• Computer Science (BS)
• Criminal Justice (BS)
• Early Childhood Unified (BS)
• Elementary Education (BS)
• Elementary Education “degree in three” (BS)
• Finance (BBA)
• Finance with Banking Concentration (BBA)
• Health Studies (BS)
• International Business & Economics (BBA)
• Management (BBA)
• Marketing (BBA)
• Mathematics & Secondary Education (BS)
• Nursing (RN to BSN)
• Psychology (BS)
• Social Work (BSW)
• Technology Leadership (BS)