The Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) will host its annual Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party on Aug. 11. KWEC, located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend at 592 NE K-156 Highway, welcomes the public to enjoy free, family-friendly activities beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Each year, as the Earth passes through the dust and debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, the KWEC celebrates the end of summer by watching the meteors or shower activity. Stargazers may spot from 60-100 meteors per hour during this time.

Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets for comfortable sky-watching. The center will offer various space-themed crafts, science experiments, planetarium shows, and games. In addition, special black light chemistry experiments will be set up in the auditorium.

Highlighting the evening, s’mores, a time-honored summer tradition, will be roasted at the center’s fire pit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690468850453.jpeg" alt="The annual Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center will be on Aug. 11 at 8:30 p.m." />
 <figcaption>The annual Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center will be on Aug. 11 at 8:30 p.m.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) will host its annual Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party on Aug. 11. KWEC, located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend at 592 NE K-156 Highway, welcomes the public to enjoy free, family-friendly activities beginning at 8:30 p.m.Each year, as the Earth passes through the dust and debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, the KWEC celebrates the end of summer by watching the meteors or shower activity. Stargazers may spot from 60-100 meteors per hour during this time.Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets for comfortable sky-watching. The center will offer various space-themed crafts, science experiments, planetarium shows, and games. In addition, special black light chemistry experiments will be set up in the auditorium.Highlighting the evening, s’mores, a time-honored summer tradition, will be roasted at the center’s fire pit.

Kansas Wetlands Education Center annual meteor shower watch party

The
drought monitor report as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 25 is essentially unchanged
since last week for our area.&nbsp; The
western third of the state improved, especially near the Colorado border where
a substantial chunk of the southwest corner is out of even abnormally dry
conditions.&nbsp; Northeast Kansas is still backsliding
a bit into moderate drought.&nbsp; This heat
wave will likely intensify our drought conditions.&nbsp; The six to ten-day outlook (August 1 to 5) indicates
a 50 to 80% chance of leaning above normal for temperatures and a 33 to 40%
chance of leaning to above normal precipitation.&nbsp; The eight to fourteen-day outlook (August 3
to 9) indicates normal to a 33 to 40% chance of leaning to above normal temperatures
and continued 33 to 40% chance of leaning to above normal for precipitation.&nbsp; We can use the precipitation but by this time
of the summer, it tends to be much spottier and less general.

Today, how do we accomplish the
goals of regenerative agriculture discussed the previous two weeks.&nbsp; Keep in mind the goals are to improve the
whole ecosystem, make production more resilient, be economically sustainable,
improve the overall quality of life, be flexible, and must be tailored to the region
and each individual farm.&nbsp; To remember
soil conditions degraded over many years and decades so it will take time,
patience, and management skills to produce a resilient, productive soil.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As
was stated last week, implement as diverse a crop rotation as practical for the
area.&nbsp; Minimize soil disturbance while
controlling weeds.&nbsp; We need to develop
good soil structure and porosity, especially macropores, to decrease all types of
erosion and improve infiltration and water holding capacity.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In
addition to the first bullet point, the key is increasing soil organic matter
levels as this will improve soil structure, water holding capacity, soil
nutrient levels, and the microbial community.&nbsp;
Minimizing/eliminating tillage helps build organic matter levels but it
will take time to increase stable organic matter, humus.&nbsp; So how can we increase organic matter levels
as quickly as possible?

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cover
crops left to decompose on the soil surface helps dramatically.&nbsp; However, the success of cover crops and the
ability to produce crops for harvest is rainfall/temperature dependent.&nbsp; A diverse cover crop with legumes such as
peas, vetches, and clover are valuable but they are very expensive and the
benefits are greater the longer the crop is allowed to grow which can be a challenge
during dry conditions.&nbsp; Even a fall cover
crop like spring oats or even rye can help though.&nbsp; As cover crops are implemented, over time
they will aid in reducing soil water loss from surface evaporation and improve
infiltration and water holding capacity.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Animal
manure is also a benefit to building organic matter when available.&nbsp; Surface applied is fine but where slurry
manure is available, injection is even better.&nbsp;
Composted manure is fine but not as good a food source for microbes.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All
of this not only increases organic matter but also help promote a healthy, more
resilient microbial community key for good soil health.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In
certain ways this is a return to agriculture from over a century ago minus the
animals for pulling implements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682025352095.jpeg" alt="Barton Community College Agriculture Instructor Dr. Vic Martin" />
 <figcaption>Barton Community College Agriculture Instructor Dr. Vic Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>The
drought monitor report as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 25 is essentially unchanged
since last week for our area.&nbsp; The
western third of the state improved, especially near the Colorado border where
a substantial chunk of the southwest corner is out of even abnormally dry
conditions.&nbsp; Northeast Kansas is still backsliding
a bit into moderate drought.&nbsp; This heat
wave will likely intensify our drought conditions.&nbsp; The six to ten-day outlook (August 1 to 5) indicates
a 50 to 80% chance of leaning above normal for temperatures and a 33 to 40%
chance of leaning to above normal precipitation.&nbsp; The eight to fourteen-day outlook (August 3
to 9) indicates normal to a 33 to 40% chance of leaning to above normal temperatures
and continued 33 to 40% chance of leaning to above normal for precipitation.&nbsp; We can use the precipitation but by this time
of the summer, it tends to be much spottier and less general.Today, how do we accomplish the
goals of regenerative agriculture discussed the previous two weeks.&nbsp; Keep in mind the goals are to improve the
whole ecosystem, make production more resilient, be economically sustainable,
improve the overall quality of life, be flexible, and must be tailored to the region
and each individual farm.&nbsp; To remember
soil conditions degraded over many years and decades so it will take time,
patience, and management skills to produce a resilient, productive soil.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As
was stated last week, implement as diverse a crop rotation as practical for the
area.&nbsp; Minimize soil disturbance while
controlling weeds.&nbsp; We need to develop
good soil structure and porosity, especially macropores, to decrease all types of
erosion and improve infiltration and water holding capacity.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In
addition to the first bullet point, the key is increasing soil organic matter
levels as this will improve soil structure, water holding capacity, soil
nutrient levels, and the microbial community.&nbsp;
Minimizing/eliminating tillage helps build organic matter levels but it
will take time to increase stable organic matter, humus.&nbsp; So how can we increase organic matter levels
as quickly as possible?·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cover
crops left to decompose on the soil surface helps dramatically.&nbsp; However, the success of cover crops and the
ability to produce crops for harvest is rainfall/temperature dependent.&nbsp; A diverse cover crop with legumes such as
peas, vetches, and clover are valuable but they are very expensive and the
benefits are greater the longer the crop is allowed to grow which can be a challenge
during dry conditions.&nbsp; Even a fall cover
crop like spring oats or even rye can help though.&nbsp; As cover crops are implemented, over time
they will aid in reducing soil water loss from surface evaporation and improve
infiltration and water holding capacity.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Animal
manure is also a benefit to building organic matter when available.&nbsp; Surface applied is fine but where slurry
manure is available, injection is even better.&nbsp;
Composted manure is fine but not as good a food source for microbes.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All
of this not only increases organic matter but also help promote a healthy, more
resilient microbial community key for good soil health.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In
certain ways this is a return to agriculture from over a century ago minus the
animals for pulling implements.

Barton Ag Instructor Dr. Vic Martin - Regenerative Agriculture Part III

Want to increase economic opportunities in Barton County? On Aug. 1, the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas will address how KanCare expansion increases economic development in Barton County and the state, among other related topics, during a public community meeting. All are invited. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church, 2123 Forest Ave., Great Bend.

Dinner will be provided, and a presentation will follow. To help us determine how many meals to plan for, please RSVP by using the QR code on the event registration site at AHK’s website, https://expandkancare.com/event/great-bend-2023/.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690551845341.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Want to increase economic opportunities in Barton County? On Aug. 1, the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas will address how KanCare expansion increases economic development in Barton County and the state, among other related topics, during a public community meeting. All are invited. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church, 2123 Forest Ave., Great Bend.Dinner will be provided, and a presentation will follow. To help us determine how many meals to plan for, please RSVP by using the QR code on the event registration site at AHK’s website, https://expandkancare.com/event/great-bend-2023/.

Public meeting in Great Bend to address KanCare expansion

Eating out at a favorite restaurant or community event is always a treat, and as consumers, we expect the food to be safe. In most food environments, food safety training is required because we must rely on food handlers to provide fresh, safe meals.

K-State Research and Extension in partnership with the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association provides training for all food handlers. The ServSafe program is a national certification program designed to teach safe handling practices to those who serve food to the public.

ServSafe Food Handlers class is scheduled for Tuesday, August 15, from 1-4 pm at the Cottonwood Extension Office at 3007 10th St. in Great Bend. The class covers basic food safety, personal hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, time and temperature abuse, cleaning, and sanitation. The course is for both commercial food safety employees and non-profit volunteers. Food Handler's certificates are valid for 3 years. The course is $15 and covers the cost of the ServSafe® Food Handlers manual, training materials, and refreshments. Registration is due by August 11. For more information or to sign up, please contact me via email at krwinkel@ksu.edu or phone at 620-793-1910.

Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu. K-State Research &amp; Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687379815245.png" alt="written by: Karissa Winkel - Cottonwood Extension District" />
 <figcaption>written by: Karissa Winkel - Cottonwood Extension District</figcaption>
 </figure>Eating out at a favorite restaurant or community event is always a treat, and as consumers, we expect the food to be safe. In most food environments, food safety training is required because we must rely on food handlers to provide fresh, safe meals.K-State Research and Extension in partnership with the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association provides training for all food handlers. The ServSafe program is a national certification program designed to teach safe handling practices to those who serve food to the public.ServSafe Food Handlers class is scheduled for Tuesday, August 15, from 1-4 pm at the Cottonwood Extension Office at 3007 10th St. in Great Bend. The class covers basic food safety, personal hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, time and temperature abuse, cleaning, and sanitation. The course is for both commercial food safety employees and non-profit volunteers. Food Handler's certificates are valid for 3 years. The course is $15 and covers the cost of the ServSafe® Food Handlers manual, training materials, and refreshments. Registration is due by August 11. For more information or to sign up, please contact me via email at krwinkel@ksu.edu or phone at 620-793-1910.Karissa Winkel is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu. K-State Research &amp; Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

WINKEL: ServSafe food handlers training

Touch A Truck is fast approaching for the Hoisington Labor Day Celebration. If you or someone you know has a unique/fun piece of equipment (truck, tractor or car) or something ag, oil, construction or emergency related, please contact the City of Hoisington.  The event is being held on Saturday, Sept. 2 from 9 a.m. to noon. 

 This free event usually features incredible equipment and opportunities to learn all about it.  Many vendors use the event as an opportunity to teach young people about the equipment and to interact with the young people and their parents. 

 Contact the city if you want to be a part of Hoisington's Labor Day Touch A Truck.  You can call 620-653-4125.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690553002735.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Touch A Truck is fast approaching for the Hoisington Labor Day Celebration. If you or someone you know has a unique/fun piece of equipment (truck, tractor or car) or something ag, oil, construction or emergency related, please contact the City of Hoisington. The event is being held on Saturday, Sept. 2 from 9 a.m. to noon. This free event usually features incredible equipment and opportunities to learn all about it. Many vendors use the event as an opportunity to teach young people about the equipment and to interact with the young people and their parents. Contact the city if you want to be a part of Hoisington's Labor Day Touch A Truck. You can call 620-653-4125.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Looking for entries for Hoisington's touch-a-truck event

Disorganization could lead to closure of all school buildings in Barton County’s USD 112

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

CLAFLIN — Barton County residents will decide whether to break up with their school district and “start fresh” following heartbreak and anger over the closure of a rural community’s high school.

The change could result in hundreds of students displaced and three more schools shut down.

The Aug. 1 disorganization vote is a test case for rural communities that increasingly have to make decisions to shut down or consolidate as populations dwindle&nbsp;and schools face financial strain.

“This is brand new territory for the Department of Education, for the State Board of Education and basically every district in the state of Kansas,” said KSDE general counsel Scott Gordon during a June 27 meeting in Claflin.

Dissolving the district is likely to have widespread consequences for all district schools and likely will increase residents’ taxes, according to opponents of disorganization.

Wilson parent Kayla Cullens said the split needs to happen because the Claflin-based Unified School District 112 school board voted to shut down Wilson High School.

The district covers portions of five counties, including the Holyrood, Bushton, Claflin, Dorrance, Lorraine, Wilson, Beaver and Odin communities, along with other rural areas. Claflin and Wilson are a little less than a half hour apart, and the other communities mostly fall within a 10-30 minute range of each other.

Cullens, part of a disorganization campaign, said the district’s school board had long treated the Wilson community unfairly. She said the “hostility” in the decision to close the high school was the latest evidence of other schools being prioritized over Wilson.

“It’s been growing animosity between both ends of the district since consolidation, and it’s now a good time just to part ways,” Cullens said. “They weren’t willing to work with us. They weren’t willing to look at the bigger picture.”

Michael Kratky, a lifelong Wilson resident and fellow disorganization advocate, said the Wilson shutdown was a bad decision by the board. Kratky said part of his frustration stemmed from Claflin’s consolidation with Wilson, Holyrood, Bushton and Lorraine in 2010, when the Claflin school district needed financial help.

Kratky said the district didn’t extend the same help these past two years to Wilson.&nbsp;

“They’re shooting for everything to be centrally located eventually in Claflin. … (The district) helped them survive. They didn’t help us survive,” Kratky said.

The district now has three schools left: Central Plains Elementary, Central Plains Junior-Senior High School and Wilson Elementary School.

Cullens said she is aware that disorganization isn’t likely to re-open the high school, but she said the Wilson community will fare better under a different district school board.

“I do not think it will get re-opened,” Cullens said. “I hope it will, and it’s really the only chance we have of reopening it. But I don’t see a yes vote opening our high school.”

Other members of communities in the district call the move misguided.

Denise Schmidt, a Claflin resident, educator and member of the opposing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.unitedusd112.com/">“United USD 112” campaign</a>, said the disorganization effort is driven by anger and fear.

“They will lose their elementary school, we will lose our elementary school, Central Plains Elementary, and we’ll also lose Central Plains Junior Senior High School,” Schmidt said. “We will lose everything in a yes vote.”

Some have said the disorganization campaign has been misleading, with Wilson residents encouraged to believe signing the disorganization petition would bring back the high school or allow them to create their own district. Schmidt said a sign at the local post office asked residents to go in and sign the petition to “save our schools.”&nbsp;

“Obviously it’s for the postal officials to decide, but putting it out there to patrons, ‘save our school’ or ‘we need a high school’ and then encouraging them to sign the petition is misleading, because by signing the petition, it doesn’t open the high school,” Schmidt said.

Cullens said signs about saving the school were the work of one person, and not the official campaign effort, which has put up signs asking for a “fresh start.”

If the measure doesn’t pass in the Aug. 1 vote, the USD 112 school district will stay the same, keeping the tax rate and schools intact.

If the measure passes, the Kansas State Board of Education takes over, deciding how to divide up the USD 112 territory into 10 neighboring school districts. The district’s schools will either be absorbed into the surrounding districts or shut down.

Officials from the Kansas State Department of Education held two informational meetings on June 27 to explain the repercussions of disorganization. During one of the informational meetings, Gordon, the agency attorney, said he wanted to clear up rumors that people in the school district would have some say over which school district they became a part of.

“I don’t know who came up with that,” Gordon said. “And that’s probably not going to happen.”

Gordon said Wilson High School wouldn’t be reopened unless the incorporating school district decided it was a good choice. Gordon said reassignment wouldn’t assure the future safety of any of the district’s schools, or the school staffs’ jobs.

“Do we get to guarantee that they’re going to stay open? I don’t believe so,” Gordon said. “If you vote to disorganize a school district and you disorganize the locally elected school board, it is the same as if an employer suddenly goes out of business or a business owner suddenly goes out of business. The business is gone. It is entirely up to the receiving school districts.”

According to Gordon, former USD 112 residents likely would lose any say in school district functions for a few months. After the state Board of Education makes the reassignment decision, people from the former district wouldn’t be eligible to vote in elections for about 120 days.

Gordon estimated it would take 18 months after reassignment before anyone from the former USD 112 could run for local school board.

Taxpayers will pay the rate of their new district. Because nine of the 10 neighboring districts have higher mill levy rates, it’s likely many reassigned residents would see a tax increase.

Cullens said she understood there could be negative implications for the district but that Wilson needed better representation.

“We don’t know if a school will close,” Cullens said. “That’s totally up to the receiving district. We don’t know what that looks like. … They can choose to leave as open as is. They can choose to reopen the high school here in Wilson. They could choose to shut everybody down.”

She added: “We’re putting faith in the effort that they will be looking out for what’s in the best interest of our students, which we feel they’re not getting today.”

In April 2022, the USD 112 Central Plains Board of Education voted to reassign Wilson junior and high school students to the Central Plains Junior-Senior High School because of low enrollment and financial issues.

Members of the Wilson community began to explore options of keeping the school open, such as a land transfer, which would place the building into a neighboring district.

After those unsuccessful efforts, the BOE voted in January to close Wilson High School at the end of the 2022-23 school year. The plan was that Wilson junior high and high school students would be bused to Central Plains High School in Claflin. Kindergarten through sixth grade students would continue to attend school in Wilson.

According to KSDE data, the Wilson high school had 73 students at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, a 50% decline over 10 years. The Claflin high school had 140 students for the same school year.

Members of the community asked the board to grant an one-year extension to give the school time to find alternate solutions, such as opening a Catholic school in the space, or continuing efforts to have other school districts accept the high school.

After the extension was refused, a group of community residents successfully filed a petition in May to dissolve the school district entirely. Under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch72/072_006_0035.html">Kansas statute</a>, a disorganization petition with enough signatures is put on a ballot for all voters in the district.

Cullens, who has lived in Wilson for about 20 years, has said the months since the closure have been difficult. Her son graduated from the high school after attending the school since preschool, and her daughter, a rising senior, was set on the same track before the closure announcement. Now, she will shift schools, splitting her up from friends she has known since kindergarten.

“It’s very sad,” Cullens said. “And it’s hard on her.”

She blames a “lopsided” school board for the decision. Two out of the seven board members represent Wilson, and she said the school board wasn’t advocating for her community.

Cullens cited differences in janitor pay and being passed over for collaborative opportunities with other schools for athletic programs as examples of unequal treatment

She said she’s already seen some families move away as a result.

“There’s a house on the market,” Cullens said. “There’s no more local spending. … I just foresee it getting worse.”

In reaction to anger from the Wilson community, and support from other rural communities, the Legislature this year voted into law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/summary_hb_2138_2023">House Bill 2138</a>.

The law allows citizens to request the state BOE to conduct an administrative review of a resolution to close a school building if 5% or more of registered voters in the school district request the review.

Kratky went to Topeka multiple times to testify in support of the proposal.

“Through all of this in our district, this discussion was never about education,” Kratky said in testimony submitted for a&nbsp; March 22 hearing. “It was always about one school surviving at the cost of another closing. … The current structure allows lopsided boards to overpower smaller schools in a district, and the smaller schools don’t have the ability to do what’s best for our communities. We need your help.”

Following the review, the state BOE will give its opinion on closure to the local board, which will make the final decision.

Schmidt said rural communities needed to find ways to cope with shrinking populations, pointing to Bushton as an example. When the district voted to shut down the Bushton middle school in 2019, her daughter was one of the students transferred to the Claflin school.

Schmidt said Wilson could learn from Bushton, which has turned the former middle school building into a multi-purpose facility for community spaces. She pointed out the Bushton community didn’t “take their anger and hurt” and use the statute to disorganize the school district.

“There’s always a loss,” Schmidt said. “Kind of like a death. You have to mourn the death of what was. You’re not the same community you’ve always been. But that doesn’t mean your community can’t go on, that your students can’t prosper, and that there’s good things to come.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689420928876.png" alt=" Barton County residents will vote August 1, 2023, on whether to disorganize or keep the USD 112 school district intact. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Barton County residents will vote August 1, 2023, on whether to disorganize or keep the USD 112 school district intact. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Disorganization could lead to closure of all school buildings in Barton County’s USD 112</h2>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>CLAFLIN — Barton County residents will decide whether to break up with their school district and “start fresh” following heartbreak and anger over the closure of a rural community’s high school.The change could result in hundreds of students displaced and three more schools shut down.The Aug. 1 disorganization vote is a test case for rural communities that increasingly have to make decisions to shut down or consolidate as populations dwindle&nbsp;and schools face financial strain.“This is brand new territory for the Department of Education, for the State Board of Education and basically every district in the state of Kansas,” said KSDE general counsel Scott Gordon during a June 27 meeting in Claflin.Dissolving the district is likely to have widespread consequences for all district schools and likely will increase residents’ taxes, according to opponents of disorganization.Wilson parent Kayla Cullens said the split needs to happen because the Claflin-based Unified School District 112 school board voted to shut down Wilson High School.The district covers portions of five counties, including the Holyrood, Bushton, Claflin, Dorrance, Lorraine, Wilson, Beaver and Odin communities, along with other rural areas. Claflin and Wilson are a little less than a half hour apart, and the other communities mostly fall within a 10-30 minute range of each other.Cullens, part of a disorganization campaign, said the district’s school board had long treated the Wilson community unfairly. She said the “hostility” in the decision to close the high school was the latest evidence of other schools being prioritized over Wilson.“It’s been growing animosity between both ends of the district since consolidation, and it’s now a good time just to part ways,” Cullens said. “They weren’t willing to work with us. They weren’t willing to look at the bigger picture.”Michael Kratky, a lifelong Wilson resident and fellow disorganization advocate, said the Wilson shutdown was a bad decision by the board. Kratky said part of his frustration stemmed from Claflin’s consolidation with Wilson, Holyrood, Bushton and Lorraine in 2010, when the Claflin school district needed financial help.Kratky said the district didn’t extend the same help these past two years to Wilson.&nbsp;“They’re shooting for everything to be centrally located eventually in Claflin. … (The district) helped them survive. They didn’t help us survive,” Kratky said.The district now has three schools left: Central Plains Elementary, Central Plains Junior-Senior High School and Wilson Elementary School.Cullens said she is aware that disorganization isn’t likely to re-open the high school, but she said the Wilson community will fare better under a different district school board.“I do not think it will get re-opened,” Cullens said. “I hope it will, and it’s really the only chance we have of reopening it. But I don’t see a yes vote opening our high school.”Other members of communities in the district call the move misguided.Denise Schmidt, a Claflin resident, educator and member of the opposing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.unitedusd112.com/">“United USD 112” campaign</a>, said the disorganization effort is driven by anger and fear.“They will lose their elementary school, we will lose our elementary school, Central Plains Elementary, and we’ll also lose Central Plains Junior Senior High School,” Schmidt said. “We will lose everything in a yes vote.”Some have said the disorganization campaign has been misleading, with Wilson residents encouraged to believe signing the disorganization petition would bring back the high school or allow them to create their own district. Schmidt said a sign at the local post office asked residents to go in and sign the petition to “save our schools.”&nbsp;“Obviously it’s for the postal officials to decide, but putting it out there to patrons, ‘save our school’ or ‘we need a high school’ and then encouraging them to sign the petition is misleading, because by signing the petition, it doesn’t open the high school,” Schmidt said.Cullens said signs about saving the school were the work of one person, and not the official campaign effort, which has put up signs asking for a “fresh start.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689420894228.png" alt=" A sign placed in a Wilson gas station tells residents to “vote yes” on the Aug. 1, 2023, petition to disorganize. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> A sign placed in a Wilson gas station tells residents to “vote yes” on the Aug. 1, 2023, petition to disorganize. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>What will happen?&nbsp;</h2>If the measure doesn’t pass in the Aug. 1 vote, the USD 112 school district will stay the same, keeping the tax rate and schools intact.If the measure passes, the Kansas State Board of Education takes over, deciding how to divide up the USD 112 territory into 10 neighboring school districts. The district’s schools will either be absorbed into the surrounding districts or shut down.Officials from the Kansas State Department of Education held two informational meetings on June 27 to explain the repercussions of disorganization. During one of the informational meetings, Gordon, the agency attorney, said he wanted to clear up rumors that people in the school district would have some say over which school district they became a part of.“I don’t know who came up with that,” Gordon said. “And that’s probably not going to happen.”Gordon said Wilson High School wouldn’t be reopened unless the incorporating school district decided it was a good choice. Gordon said reassignment wouldn’t assure the future safety of any of the district’s schools, or the school staffs’ jobs.“Do we get to guarantee that they’re going to stay open? I don’t believe so,” Gordon said. “If you vote to disorganize a school district and you disorganize the locally elected school board, it is the same as if an employer suddenly goes out of business or a business owner suddenly goes out of business. The business is gone. It is entirely up to the receiving school districts.”According to Gordon, former USD 112 residents likely would lose any say in school district functions for a few months. After the state Board of Education makes the reassignment decision, people from the former district wouldn’t be eligible to vote in elections for about 120 days.Gordon estimated it would take 18 months after reassignment before anyone from the former USD 112 could run for local school board.Taxpayers will pay the rate of their new district. Because nine of the 10 neighboring districts have higher mill levy rates, it’s likely many reassigned residents would see a tax increase.Cullens said she understood there could be negative implications for the district but that Wilson needed better representation.“We don’t know if a school will close,” Cullens said. “That’s totally up to the receiving district. We don’t know what that looks like. … They can choose to leave as open as is. They can choose to reopen the high school here in Wilson. They could choose to shut everybody down.”She added: “We’re putting faith in the effort that they will be looking out for what’s in the best interest of our students, which we feel they’re not getting today.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689420749268.png" alt=" The high school side of the Wilson school building closed at the end of the school year. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The high school side of the Wilson school building closed at the end of the school year. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Timeline of the vote&nbsp;</h2>In April 2022, the USD 112 Central Plains Board of Education voted to reassign Wilson junior and high school students to the Central Plains Junior-Senior High School because of low enrollment and financial issues.Members of the Wilson community began to explore options of keeping the school open, such as a land transfer, which would place the building into a neighboring district.After those unsuccessful efforts, the BOE voted in January to close Wilson High School at the end of the 2022-23 school year. The plan was that Wilson junior high and high school students would be bused to Central Plains High School in Claflin. Kindergarten through sixth grade students would continue to attend school in Wilson.According to KSDE data, the Wilson high school had 73 students at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, a 50% decline over 10 years. The Claflin high school had 140 students for the same school year.Members of the community asked the board to grant an one-year extension to give the school time to find alternate solutions, such as opening a Catholic school in the space, or continuing efforts to have other school districts accept the high school.After the extension was refused, a group of community residents successfully filed a petition in May to dissolve the school district entirely. Under&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch72/072_006_0035.html">Kansas statute</a>, a disorganization petition with enough signatures is put on a ballot for all voters in the district.Cullens, who has lived in Wilson for about 20 years, has said the months since the closure have been difficult. Her son graduated from the high school after attending the school since preschool, and her daughter, a rising senior, was set on the same track before the closure announcement. Now, she will shift schools, splitting her up from friends she has known since kindergarten.“It’s very sad,” Cullens said. “And it’s hard on her.”She blames a “lopsided” school board for the decision. Two out of the seven board members represent Wilson, and she said the school board wasn’t advocating for her community.Cullens cited differences in janitor pay and being passed over for collaborative opportunities with other schools for athletic programs as examples of unequal treatmentShe said she’s already seen some families move away as a result.“There’s a house on the market,” Cullens said. “There’s no more local spending. … I just foresee it getting worse.”<h2>Rural communities across Kansas&nbsp;</h2>In reaction to anger from the Wilson community, and support from other rural communities, the Legislature this year voted into law&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/summary_hb_2138_2023">House Bill 2138</a>.The law allows citizens to request the state BOE to conduct an administrative review of a resolution to close a school building if 5% or more of registered voters in the school district request the review.Kratky went to Topeka multiple times to testify in support of the proposal.“Through all of this in our district, this discussion was never about education,” Kratky said in testimony submitted for a&nbsp; March 22 hearing. “It was always about one school surviving at the cost of another closing. … The current structure allows lopsided boards to overpower smaller schools in a district, and the smaller schools don’t have the ability to do what’s best for our communities. We need your help.”Following the review, the state BOE will give its opinion on closure to the local board, which will make the final decision.Schmidt said rural communities needed to find ways to cope with shrinking populations, pointing to Bushton as an example. When the district voted to shut down the Bushton middle school in 2019, her daughter was one of the students transferred to the Claflin school.Schmidt said Wilson could learn from Bushton, which has turned the former middle school building into a multi-purpose facility for community spaces. She pointed out the Bushton community didn’t “take their anger and hurt” and use the statute to disorganize the school district.“There’s always a loss,” Schmidt said. “Kind of like a death. You have to mourn the death of what was. You’re not the same community you’ve always been. But that doesn’t mean your community can’t go on, that your students can’t prosper, and that there’s good things to come.”

After school shutdown, voters will decide future of school district

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Many of the greatest runners in history have run at Hayward Field in Oregon, but perhaps it was Steve Prefontaine in the early 1970s that brought the most fame to the track. The University of Oregon has put the historic track to great use since its renovation in 2020, hosting the NCAA Championships, U.S. Championships and Olympic trials, and for the first time ever on American soil, the World Track and Field Championships in 2022. The National Junior Olympic Track and Field wrap up there this weekend, and Ellinwood eighth-grader Eleanor Joiner was among the many in competition.

"It was really cool," Joiner said. "It was really fun to run on the same track that a whole bunch of really good runners ran on. It was really surreal. It's just a big thing, especially in 'TrackTown USA.'"

Joiner joined the Ellinwood Middle School track team because she enjoys running. She enjoyed the 400m dash in elementary school, but the doors opened on a whim one day at practice.

We ran all-out 800s one day just to see who would run the 800 at meets," Joiner said. "I ran the fastest time out of seventh and eighth grade. The 400, I just did in sixth grade for fun. I just decided I was going to do it for middle school. My grandpa said he thought I would be good at the mile. I decided to try it and I really liked it."

The move paid off. Joiner won most of her seventh-grade races and finished second in the ones she did not win. She claimed Central Prairie League championships in the 800m and 1600m runs. 

It was at one of those meets that Robert Smith contacted Eleanor's parents, Derek and Stephanie Joiner, and invited her to run on his Kansas Flyers team in the summer. The team includes mostly kids from western Kansas. Smith has nearly four decades of coaching experience, and has coached some of the best to come out of the state, including Stanton County's Chesney Peterson, who holds many state meet records and heads to the University of Tennessee next fall.

With a home in Delphos, Smith usually holds his practices twice a week in nearby Minneapolis. With that track under construction, the Flyers have moved to locations like Tescott and Abilene. As a distance kid, Joiner said those practices usually include 3-4 mile runs, then interval work at 300 and 600 meters. 

To get to Oregon, Joiner first had to finish in the top eight at a competition in Kansas City. That qualified her for the regional meet in Jonesboro, Ark., where she again finished in the top eight to qualify for the National Junior Olympics in Eugene.

Joiner had been running on the Flyers' 4x800m relay "A" team. That squad ran a 9:55.50 to win the 13-14 national title by nearly a second. Joiner was a late switch to the "B" team that finished 16th in 10:35.54. By comparison, Ellis won the Class 2A state championship in May with a time of 10:07.

"When I was doing basketball, it shocked my legs so I couldn't workout as much because my legs were all tight," Joiner said. "And I started getting asthma." 

High school championships are run at 1600m, and the state championship time in Class 1A last spring was 5:25. Joiner has a personal best of 5:28 in the 1500m run. Thursday morning, she placed 57th in the field of 69 runners in the 1500m prelims in 5:31. Eleven girls ran under 4:51. "I'm not allowed to take my inhaler with me into the track, so it was a bit difficult," she said.

Eleanor traveled to Oregon with her mother, and the visit was more than just track and field. The duo saw the Pacific Ocean and the 1,000-foot-tall Heceta Head Lighthouse which is one of the most photographed along the Pacific coach.

Eleanor has even bigger plans for her eighth-grade year at Ellinwood Middle School, planning to double on the volleyball and cross-country teams this fall. She plans to run track in the spring and has already been invited back to the Flyer team by Coach Smith.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690488015544.jpeg" alt="Eleanor Joiner with her mother, Stephanie, at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field." />
 <figcaption>Eleanor Joiner with her mother, Stephanie, at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostMany of the greatest runners in history have run at Hayward Field in Oregon, but perhaps it was Steve Prefontaine in the early 1970s that brought the most fame to the track. The University of Oregon has put the historic track to great use since its renovation in 2020, hosting the NCAA Championships, U.S. Championships and Olympic trials, and for the first time ever on American soil, the World Track and Field Championships in 2022. The National Junior Olympic Track and Field wrap up there this weekend, and Ellinwood eighth-grader Eleanor Joiner was among the many in competition."It was really cool," Joiner said. "It was really fun to run on the same track that a whole bunch of really good runners ran on. It was really surreal. It's just a big thing, especially in 'TrackTown USA.'"Joiner joined the Ellinwood Middle School track team because she enjoys running. She enjoyed the 400m dash in elementary school, but the doors opened on a whim one day at practice.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690488635487.jpeg" alt="Joiner, far left, with the Kansas Flyers team." />
 <figcaption>Joiner, far left, with the Kansas Flyers team.</figcaption>
 </figure>We ran all-out 800s one day just to see who would run the 800 at meets," Joiner said. "I ran the fastest time out of seventh and eighth grade. The 400, I just did in sixth grade for fun. I just decided I was going to do it for middle school. My grandpa said he thought I would be good at the mile. I decided to try it and I really liked it."The move paid off. Joiner won most of her seventh-grade races and finished second in the ones she did not win. She claimed Central Prairie League championships in the 800m and 1600m runs. It was at one of those meets that Robert Smith contacted Eleanor's parents, Derek and Stephanie Joiner, and invited her to run on his Kansas Flyers team in the summer. The team includes mostly kids from western Kansas. Smith has nearly four decades of coaching experience, and has coached some of the best to come out of the state, including Stanton County's Chesney Peterson, who holds many state meet records and heads to the University of Tennessee next fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690488716752.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>With a home in Delphos, Smith usually holds his practices twice a week in nearby Minneapolis. With that track under construction, the Flyers have moved to locations like Tescott and Abilene. As a distance kid, Joiner said those practices usually include 3-4 mile runs, then interval work at 300 and 600 meters. To get to Oregon, Joiner first had to finish in the top eight at a competition in Kansas City. That qualified her for the regional meet in Jonesboro, Ark., where she again finished in the top eight to qualify for the National Junior Olympics in Eugene.Joiner had been running on the Flyers' 4x800m relay "A" team. That squad ran a 9:55.50 to win the 13-14 national title by nearly a second. Joiner was a late switch to the "B" team that finished 16th in 10:35.54. By comparison, Ellis won the Class 2A state championship in May with a time of 10:07."When I was doing basketball, it shocked my legs so I couldn't workout as much because my legs were all tight," Joiner said. "And I started getting asthma." High school championships are run at 1600m, and the state championship time in Class 1A last spring was 5:25. Joiner has a personal best of 5:28 in the 1500m run. Thursday morning, she placed 57th in the field of 69 runners in the 1500m prelims in 5:31. Eleven girls ran under 4:51. "I'm not allowed to take my inhaler with me into the track, so it was a bit difficult," she said.Eleanor traveled to Oregon with her mother, and the visit was more than just track and field. The duo saw the Pacific Ocean and the 1,000-foot-tall Heceta Head Lighthouse which is one of the most photographed along the Pacific coach.Eleanor has even bigger plans for her eighth-grade year at Ellinwood Middle School, planning to double on the volleyball and cross-country teams this fall. She plans to run track in the spring and has already been invited back to the Flyer team by Coach Smith.

Ellinwood eighth grader experiences 'TrackTown USA' in Oregon

Justin Mawhirter, Great Bend resident and owner of Just In Time Remodeling, announced the startup of a new company called Fresh Start Woodworks. This small manufacturing company will produce and deliver semi-custom cabinetry and other carpentry products, and is expected to begin production by the fall of 2023. Based in Great Bend and sharing space with Mawhirter’s construction and remodeling company, Fresh Start Woodworks will primarily serve contractors, lumber yards, and home improvement stores providing cabinets at wholesale prices to retailers and dealers across the state of Kansas.

“This vision has been in the making for a little over a year now. We started by rearranging and improving our shop by building a large ventilated spray room, installing new electrical and lighting infrastructure, and purchasing equipment, so it’s exciting to be within arm’s reach of starting production,” said Mawhirter. “Options for quality cabinetry in the Midwest are fairly limited, and there isn’t enough supply for the demand in this industry. There’s a huge market for this, and an opportunity to grow over time.”&nbsp;

“Most of the initial employees in leadership positions will be hired based on their skills and experience, with an emphasis on quality,” Mawhirter explained. “But as we ramp up production, we will create a safe space where people who want to rebuild their life and learn a new occupation can come under our leadership staff to be trained and mentored in a faith-based environment.”

Some employers may not consider an individual eligible for employment if they’ve struggled with addiction or have a prior criminal record. But research has shown that a supportive peer environment at home and at work has a significant impact on a person’s ability to see success in sobriety. Fresh Start Woodworks hopes to mentor and train these individuals as they learn valuable and in-demand skills such as operating CNC machinery, driving a forklift, carpentry, finish work, distribution, and more.

“Our primary focus will be on wholesale relationships with other businesses who need a reliable and responsive vendor for high-quality cabinetry – real estate developers, contractors, property managers, lumber yards, home improvement stores, etc.,” Mawhirter said. “But homeowners within 60 miles can also place orders with us by working through our sister company, Just in Time Remodeling. Or they can ask their contractor to set up a wholesale relationship with Fresh Start Woodworks.”

Several cabinet styles will be offered including shaker style, raised panel, mission, and others. All the cabinets will be available to be stained or finished with a catalyzed varnish, which looks like paint but is much more durable.

Fresh Start Woodworks is one of the new businesses competing in the Ignite Rural Business Competition facilitated by Great Bend Economic Development. Fresh Start will be competing for grant money to help purchase more equipment and allows the operation to scale quicker, serve more customers, and open up more job opportunities to our local community.

“It would be a huge blessing to receive one of the grants to kickstart our company and scale faster than we would be able to otherwise,” Mawhirter said. “We could provide more job opportunities and purchase the equipment we need to make a bigger economic impact.”

Starting out, Mawhirter anticipates starting with a team of 4-6 employees within the first year and scaling to 10+ jobs within a few years. 

“There is so much potential for this type of business, so we’ll see where God takes us in the future,” Mawhirter said.

Fresh Start Woodworks is based out of central Kansas and will serve contractors and wholesale vendors throughout the State of Kansas. Anyone interested in following the growth of the new business can find Fresh Start Woodworks on social media. The public can also plan to participate in the Ignite Rural Business Competition live event on October 5, 2023 to help vote for their favorite startups to receive a special business grant. For information about becoming a wholesale vendor to sell cabinetry from Fresh Start Woodworks, visit www.freshstartwoodworks.com or call 620-617-8114 for a free estimate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690493301614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BUSINESS NEWSJustin Mawhirter, Great Bend resident and owner of Just In Time Remodeling, announced the startup of a new company called Fresh Start Woodworks. This small manufacturing company will produce and deliver semi-custom cabinetry and other carpentry products, and is expected to begin production by the fall of 2023. Based in Great Bend and sharing space with Mawhirter’s construction and remodeling company, Fresh Start Woodworks will primarily serve contractors, lumber yards, and home improvement stores providing cabinets at wholesale prices to retailers and dealers across the state of Kansas.“This vision has been in the making for a little over a year now. We started by rearranging and improving our shop by building a large ventilated spray room, installing new electrical and lighting infrastructure, and purchasing equipment, so it’s exciting to be within arm’s reach of starting production,” said Mawhirter. “Options for quality cabinetry in the Midwest are fairly limited, and there isn’t enough supply for the demand in this industry. There’s a huge market for this, and an opportunity to grow over time.”&nbsp;“Most of the initial employees in leadership positions will be hired based on their skills and experience, with an emphasis on quality,” Mawhirter explained. “But as we ramp up production, we will create a safe space where people who want to rebuild their life and learn a new occupation can come under our leadership staff to be trained and mentored in a faith-based environment.”Some employers may not consider an individual eligible for employment if they’ve struggled with addiction or have a prior criminal record. But research has shown that a supportive peer environment at home and at work has a significant impact on a person’s ability to see success in sobriety. Fresh Start Woodworks hopes to mentor and train these individuals as they learn valuable and in-demand skills such as operating CNC machinery, driving a forklift, carpentry, finish work, distribution, and more.“Our primary focus will be on wholesale relationships with other businesses who need a reliable and responsive vendor for high-quality cabinetry – real estate developers, contractors, property managers, lumber yards, home improvement stores, etc.,” Mawhirter said. “But homeowners within 60 miles can also place orders with us by working through our sister company, Just in Time Remodeling. Or they can ask their contractor to set up a wholesale relationship with Fresh Start Woodworks.”Several cabinet styles will be offered including shaker style, raised panel, mission, and others. All the cabinets will be available to be stained or finished with a catalyzed varnish, which looks like paint but is much more durable.Fresh Start Woodworks is one of the new businesses competing in the Ignite Rural Business Competition facilitated by Great Bend Economic Development. Fresh Start will be competing for grant money to help purchase more equipment and allows the operation to scale quicker, serve more customers, and open up more job opportunities to our local community.“It would be a huge blessing to receive one of the grants to kickstart our company and scale faster than we would be able to otherwise,” Mawhirter said. “We could provide more job opportunities and purchase the equipment we need to make a bigger economic impact.”Starting out, Mawhirter anticipates starting with a team of 4-6 employees within the first year and scaling to 10+ jobs within a few years. “There is so much potential for this type of business, so we’ll see where God takes us in the future,” Mawhirter said.Fresh Start Woodworks is based out of central Kansas and will serve contractors and wholesale vendors throughout the State of Kansas. Anyone interested in following the growth of the new business can find Fresh Start Woodworks on social media. The public can also plan to participate in the Ignite Rural Business Competition live event on October 5, 2023 to help vote for their favorite startups to receive a special business grant. For information about becoming a wholesale vendor to sell cabinetry from Fresh Start Woodworks, visit www.freshstartwoodworks.com or call 620-617-8114 for a free estimate.

Fresh Start Woodworks launching new business in Great Bend

Hear this week's County Edition show with Eagle Radio's Steve Webster and members from Juvenile Services of the 20th Judicial District and Youth Crew that aired July 27, 2023.

The County Edition program airs every Thursday at 11:05 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687372980932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hear this week's County Edition show with Eagle Radio's Steve Webster and members from Juvenile Services of the 20th Judicial District and Youth Crew that aired July 27, 2023.<div><iframe title="County Edition: Juvenile Services & Youth Crew" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ayxkb-14676cf-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=60a0c8" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>The County Edition program airs every Thursday at 11:05 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.&nbsp;

🎙Post Podcast: County Edition with Juvenile Services

In Wichita, Topeka, and elsewhere across Kansas, the municipal election cycle is underway. 

Candidates for city council and school board seats and mayor will be selected in the primary elections which will conclude on Tuesday, August 1. For those few Kansans involved in these races, whether as candidates or supporters or observers, here’s a primer on how they are (and aren’t) changing.

The most important basic electoral reality in local elections is the word I just used: “few.” Even as voter turnout has trended upwards nationwide, participation in municipal elections seems likely to remain very low. 

When mayoral candidates, who compete for city-wide pool of potential voters, are on the ballot, the primary elections may see only 10% of registered voters bothering to cast ballots; when you only have city council and school board members running in their distinct districts, overall turnout is almost always even less.

This means that candidates looking to advance to their respective general elections in November are trying to find ways to motivate a relatively tiny number of likely voters.

The decline in the social role which political parties once played has made this more difficult. Partisanship is, of course, widely condemned as interfering with the ability of elected representatives to compromise with one another—and looking at our national government, the evidence in support to that condemnation is plentiful.

But at the same time, parties are the greatest political tool yet invented for helping busy citizens, especially during times of social unrest and confusion, to identify with other voters, interest groups, and ultimately candidates who share and represent best their own considered opinions. As much as people dislike the political polarization in America, that same fierce attachment to one’s chosen political tribe is part of what has been getting more citizens to vote nationwide.

Municipal elections in Kansas are, by state law, non-partisan. However, this has never stopped party-aligned organizations from promoting their preferred candidates for city council or school board—lately, more and more explicitly. 

In recent election cycles in Kansas, we’ve seen country, state, and even national Republican party and affiliated socially conservative or libertarian groups support—through donations, but also through mailers, phone banks, and more—local candidates (different Democratic groups have done the same, but not nearly so often or as well).

But whether this will result in any increase in turnout remains to be seen. There may simply be a hard ceiling on how many people can be engaged by arguments over classroom curricula, land development, and other city and school issues (especially during the summer). If that is the case, the unapologetic partisanship in how some candidates fund and develop their campaigns—however much they may avoid partisan language in favor of emphasizing broad, presumably unifying generalities—may merely result in a fair amount of partisan cannibalization.

The better funded Republican and Democratic municipal candidates, even if they don’t personally campaign as such, may split voters, attracting some that might have voted differently, looking at questions of civic experience and competence rather than party allegiance. 

For some local candidates, who may be committed members of their parties but also operating on the increasingly-dated assumption that local races needn’t have any connection to ideologically-affiliated money, interests, or causes, the potential eclipse of their detail-oriented arguments by well-connected candidates is frustrating.

Still, politics is always changing, and candidates must adapt. Ultimately, I have respect for every candidate who wades into these murky waters. Late into the night on August 1, I’ll be watching.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690389122282.jpeg" alt="An expert on local and urban democracy,&nbsp;Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>An expert on local and urban democracy,&nbsp;Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>In Wichita, Topeka, and elsewhere across Kansas, the municipal election cycle is underway. Candidates for city council and school board seats and mayor will be selected in the primary elections which will conclude on Tuesday, August 1. For those few Kansans involved in these races, whether as candidates or supporters or observers, here’s a primer on how they are (and aren’t) changing.The most important basic electoral reality in local elections is the word I just used: “few.” Even as voter turnout has trended upwards nationwide, participation in municipal elections seems likely to remain very low. When mayoral candidates, who compete for city-wide pool of potential voters, are on the ballot, the primary elections may see only 10% of registered voters bothering to cast ballots; when you only have city council and school board members running in their distinct districts, overall turnout is almost always even less.This means that candidates looking to advance to their respective general elections in November are trying to find ways to motivate a relatively tiny number of likely voters.The decline in the social role which political parties once played has made this more difficult. Partisanship is, of course, widely condemned as interfering with the ability of elected representatives to compromise with one another—and looking at our national government, the evidence in support to that condemnation is plentiful.But at the same time, parties are the greatest political tool yet invented for helping busy citizens, especially during times of social unrest and confusion, to identify with other voters, interest groups, and ultimately candidates who share and represent best their own considered opinions. As much as people dislike the political polarization in America, that same fierce attachment to one’s chosen political tribe is part of what has been getting more citizens to vote nationwide.Municipal elections in Kansas are, by state law, non-partisan. However, this has never stopped party-aligned organizations from promoting their preferred candidates for city council or school board—lately, more and more explicitly. In recent election cycles in Kansas, we’ve seen country, state, and even national Republican party and affiliated socially conservative or libertarian groups support—through donations, but also through mailers, phone banks, and more—local candidates (different Democratic groups have done the same, but not nearly so often or as well).But whether this will result in any increase in turnout remains to be seen. There may simply be a hard ceiling on how many people can be engaged by arguments over classroom curricula, land development, and other city and school issues (especially during the summer). If that is the case, the unapologetic partisanship in how some candidates fund and develop their campaigns—however much they may avoid partisan language in favor of emphasizing broad, presumably unifying generalities—may merely result in a fair amount of partisan cannibalization.The better funded Republican and Democratic municipal candidates, even if they don’t personally campaign as such, may split voters, attracting some that might have voted differently, looking at questions of civic experience and competence rather than party allegiance. For some local candidates, who may be committed members of their parties but also operating on the increasingly-dated assumption that local races needn’t have any connection to ideologically-affiliated money, interests, or causes, the potential eclipse of their detail-oriented arguments by well-connected candidates is frustrating.Still, politics is always changing, and candidates must adapt. Ultimately, I have respect for every candidate who wades into these murky waters. Late into the night on August 1, I’ll be watching.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

INSIGHT KANSAS: How municipal primaries are changing

The Barton Community College Theatre Department will hold auditions for its fall production of the wizard-inspired play “Puffs” Aug. 21-22 from 7-9 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building, room F-164. All roles and technical positions will be cast.

Most roles are for actors 13 to 21 both male and female and a limited number of adult actors are needed as well. Those auditioning need to have five minutes of stand-up comedy prepared.

Director of Theatrical Activities Dan Williams said the whimsical tale is inspired by and might poke fun at other popular stories in the realm of sorcery and magic.

“For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain wizard school and conquered evil,” he said. “This is not his story.”

For more information, contact Williams at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:williamsd@bartonccc.edu">williamsd@bartonccc.edu</a>.

There will be multiple showings Oct. 26-28. Tickets will go on sale later in the fall and can be purchased at&nbsp;<a href="https://shows.bartonccc.edu/">shows.bartonccc.edu</a>. The production is suitable for all ages.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690483817363.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Story by Joe VinduskaThe Barton Community College Theatre Department will hold auditions for its fall production of the wizard-inspired play “Puffs” Aug. 21-22 from 7-9 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building, room F-164. All roles and technical positions will be cast.Most roles are for actors 13 to 21 both male and female and a limited number of adult actors are needed as well. Those auditioning need to have five minutes of stand-up comedy prepared.Director of Theatrical Activities Dan Williams said the whimsical tale is inspired by and might poke fun at other popular stories in the realm of sorcery and magic.“For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain wizard school and conquered evil,” he said. “This is not his story.”For more information, contact Williams at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:williamsd@bartonccc.edu">williamsd@bartonccc.edu</a>.There will be multiple showings Oct. 26-28. Tickets will go on sale later in the fall and can be purchased at&nbsp;<a href="https://shows.bartonccc.edu/">shows.bartonccc.edu</a>. The production is suitable for all ages.

Barton Theatre holding auditions for fall play 'Puffs'

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) have issued a public health advisory update due to blue-green algae.&nbsp;

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) may look like foam, scum or paint floating on the water and be colored blue, bright green, brown or red. Blooms can develop rapidly; if the water appears suspicious or there is decaying algae on the shore, avoid contact and keep dogs away. These toxins can be absorbed by ingestion, inhalation of aerosols and even skin contact. Symptoms vary depending upon the type of exposure (e.g. direct contact, ingestion, inhalation) but can include rash, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, and headache. If you, or your dog, come into contact with algae rinse the area with clean, fresh water. Suspected HAB-related health incidents, whether human or animal, regardless of season, should be reported at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmtkaGUua3MuZ292LzExNjMvUmVwb3J0LWFuLUlsbG5lc3Mtb3ItSGVhbHRoLUluY2lkZW50P3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA3MjguODAzNDkwNDEifQ.8hwpsQmrQGil4SfkfvaRHk3hj5NEmJMcabBo__oOW0A/s/1305943097/br/223385704786-l" target="_blank">kdhe.ks.gov/1163</a>.

The state of Kansas recognizes three advisory levels:&nbsp;

A&nbsp;Hazard status&nbsp;indicates that a harmful algal bloom is present, and extreme conditions exist. &nbsp;

A&nbsp;Warning status&nbsp;indicates that conditions are unsafe for human and pet exposure. &nbsp;Contact with the waterbody should be avoided.&nbsp;

When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:&nbsp;

A&nbsp;Watch status&nbsp;means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.&nbsp;

During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:&nbsp;

Advisories are&nbsp;Lifted&nbsp;when cell densities and toxin concentrations dissipate to levels&nbsp;below&nbsp;the Watch thresholds.

KDHE investigates publicly accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions. &nbsp;

If you observe a scum or paint-like surface on the water, small floating blue-green clumps or filaments in the water, or if the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.&nbsp;

For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmtkaGUua3MuZ292Lzc3Ny9IYXJtZnVsLUFsZ2FsLUJsb29tcz91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNzI4LjgwMzQ5MDQxIn0.A1WK0Hxy9CopFQfaBesS7pEnh450EFUlZdrgGfWqW10/s/1305943097/br/223385704786-l" target="_blank">kdhe.ks.gov/HAB</a>&nbsp;and check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc3RvcnltYXBzLmFyY2dpcy5jb20vc3Rvcmllcy9jMDcwYzgwNTkyOTM0NzMwODM0YzE5NDI4MDMwMGVjYj91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNzI4LjgwMzQ5MDQxIn0.PtGR3ygaLzjk-sAN271Kf2jqM-Gn9Jfb19zMg4GedBQ/s/1305943097/br/223385704786-l" target="_blank">interactive story</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593727789226.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) have issued a public health advisory update due to blue-green algae.&nbsp;A harmful algal bloom (HAB) may look like foam, scum or paint floating on the water and be colored blue, bright green, brown or red. Blooms can develop rapidly; if the water appears suspicious or there is decaying algae on the shore, avoid contact and keep dogs away. These toxins can be absorbed by ingestion, inhalation of aerosols and even skin contact. Symptoms vary depending upon the type of exposure (e.g. direct contact, ingestion, inhalation) but can include rash, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, and headache. If you, or your dog, come into contact with algae rinse the area with clean, fresh water. Suspected HAB-related health incidents, whether human or animal, regardless of season, should be reported at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmtkaGUua3MuZ292LzExNjMvUmVwb3J0LWFuLUlsbG5lc3Mtb3ItSGVhbHRoLUluY2lkZW50P3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA3MjguODAzNDkwNDEifQ.8hwpsQmrQGil4SfkfvaRHk3hj5NEmJMcabBo__oOW0A/s/1305943097/br/223385704786-l" target="_blank">kdhe.ks.gov/1163</a>.Active Advisories&nbsp;Warning&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Augusta Santa Fe Lake, Butler County (Elevated July 28)</li><li>Harvey County East Lake, Harvey County</li><li>Lake Afton, Sedgwick County&nbsp;</li><li>Lovewell Lake (Reservoir), Jewell County&nbsp;</li><li>Melvern Outlet River Pond, Osage County&nbsp;</li><li>South Lake (Overland Park), Johnson County&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Watch<ul>
 <li>School Street Pond (Rose Hill), Butler County&nbsp;</li><li>Lake Parsons, Neosho County (Added July 28)</li><li>Louisburg City Lake, Miami County (Added July 28)&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Lifted<ul>
 <li>Strowbridge Reservoir (Carbondale East Lake), Osage County (Lifted July 28)</li>
 </ul>The state of Kansas recognizes three advisory levels:&nbsp;A&nbsp;Hazard status&nbsp;indicates that a harmful algal bloom is present, and extreme conditions exist. &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Signage should be posted at all public access locations.</li><li>It is recommended that either a portion of the lake or the entire lake or zone, be closed to the public.</li><li>In some cases, the adjacent land should be closed as well. Actual setback distances will be determined on a site-specific basis, if necessary.</li><li>When partial closures (i.e., beach or cove) are issued, the remaining lake or zone area will carry a warning status.</li>
 </ul>A&nbsp;Warning status&nbsp;indicates that conditions are unsafe for human and pet exposure. &nbsp;Contact with the waterbody should be avoided.&nbsp;When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Signage should be posted at all public access locations.</li><li>Inhalation of spray or aerosols may be harmful.</li><li>Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock. &nbsp;</li><li>Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans. &nbsp;</li><li>Water contact should be avoided. &nbsp;</li><li>Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded. &nbsp;</li><li>Do not allow pets to eat dried algae. &nbsp;</li><li>If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible. &nbsp;</li><li>Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation. &nbsp;</li>
 </ul>A&nbsp;Watch status&nbsp;means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water.&nbsp;During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Signage should be posted at all public access locations.</li><li>Water may be unsafe for humans/animals.&nbsp;</li><li>Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.&nbsp;</li><li>Swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms.&nbsp;</li><li>Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals. Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact.&nbsp;</li><li>Clean fish well with potable water and eat fillet portion only.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Advisories are&nbsp;Lifted&nbsp;when cell densities and toxin concentrations dissipate to levels&nbsp;below&nbsp;the Watch thresholds.KDHE investigates publicly accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions. &nbsp;If you observe a scum or paint-like surface on the water, small floating blue-green clumps or filaments in the water, or if the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.&nbsp;For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmtkaGUua3MuZ292Lzc3Ny9IYXJtZnVsLUFsZ2FsLUJsb29tcz91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNzI4LjgwMzQ5MDQxIn0.A1WK0Hxy9CopFQfaBesS7pEnh450EFUlZdrgGfWqW10/s/1305943097/br/223385704786-l" target="_blank">kdhe.ks.gov/HAB</a>&nbsp;and check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc3RvcnltYXBzLmFyY2dpcy5jb20vc3Rvcmllcy9jMDcwYzgwNTkyOTM0NzMwODM0YzE5NDI4MDMwMGVjYj91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjMwNzI4LjgwMzQ5MDQxIn0.PtGR3ygaLzjk-sAN271Kf2jqM-Gn9Jfb19zMg4GedBQ/s/1305943097/br/223385704786-l" target="_blank">interactive story</a>.

Public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae

It may seem ironic to be selecting varieties for the next wheat growing season when some in Kansas are still working to harvest the current year’s crop, but the time to plant is just around the corner. Kansas State University recently released the Kansas Wheat Variety Guide 2023 to aid producers in making the critical selection of which varieties will best match the needs of their operations.&nbsp;

This annual publication provides detailed ratings for agronomic characteristics like maturity, height, drought tolerance and straw strength as well as resistance to different diseases. The ratings are compiled based on the results of field and greenhouse tests by both public and private wheat researchers.&nbsp;

Individual variety analysis includes these ratings as well as pedigree, geographic adaption, strengths and weaknesses. The publication also includes suggestions for how producers can use these ratings to minimize production problems and yield losses. This information includes differences in how each variety varies in potential performance across different geographic regions and soil types.&nbsp;

To use the variety ratings, wheat producers should consider the following factors.&nbsp;

First, growers should evaluate how well varieties are adapted for their geographic area, especially in a state with as much climatic diversity as Kansas. While some varieties could perform well across the state, other varieties are specifically adapted for certain regions and may not perform well in other regions.&nbsp;

For example, the guide details “varieties successful in western Kansas tend to have a medium or medium-late maturity and medium height or taller as well as good drought tolerance. In contrast, wheat varieties with early or medium-early maturity, medium or shorter height, and good acid soil tolerance are most successful in central Kansas.”&nbsp;

Next, producers should determine which diseases are the most important to address through built-in resistance. According to the guide, “In western Kansas, wheat streak mosaic, leaf rust and stripe rust are among the most damaging and common diseases…In eastern and central Kansas, the environment is often more conducive for disease development…”

Genetic resistance to insects and/or diseases is a powerful control tool for producers that can reduce the risk of severe disease problems, but not many varieties have resistance to every disease. Producers should know the resistance and susceptibility of the varieties they select to make more informed decisions on other production management decisions like sowing date, volunteer wheat management and fungicide applications to minimize losses.&nbsp;

Finally, growers should determine whether a herbicide-resistant variety is necessary. The guide details wheat varieties with tolerance to grass-controlling herbicides that are part of the Clearfield or CoAXium production systems as well as special considerations for these systems.&nbsp;

Learn more about how to put this guide to work in selecting wheat varieties&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001kaY73Ec739YxcDPGTOq71KDUT8jzCj2eUfFR8krqw93gO5C9U82mOwSXCVoAC3N6FmuL_iTrDO26ANjTr6N0EY3CQj8RW2Ym2LYPcJc598a7hhBufXGIIKSmLUvoNiWM4XwItnaI5vfLMHX_O7RVFbK9v87bgiMOeIWcF37uaMFFpLLL8G_zG6Rw9i0yXmJH28Wf2mETDs-h90TfwiBthQ==&amp;c=IkuzCQdsKLJPabqEBoTRcvaCtT8rrmrqArCyxFmA8kf5B0u0YO6A4A==&amp;ch=UegTFrRq75npqXYbNo6mCLJrGbqt4cPNwyXjoCxTR98PG0W8TZBWCA==" target="_blank">here</a>.

Find the full wheat variety guide and other resources at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001kaY73Ec739YxcDPGTOq71KDUT8jzCj2eUfFR8krqw93gO5C9U82mO_9VCPlQ-BIcrZGzyUzVvQBgewjitijo4VHjcLKno5BWPT7YhZdlvdeAIXfUB9Va-yGhs1R80WaAzAFRQMVDeDKgxUTjF84ym1-ebA7f8YzPt7SGa6iMyqm5Q_5AfMnAiYvLOBBdbDT1&amp;c=IkuzCQdsKLJPabqEBoTRcvaCtT8rrmrqArCyxFmA8kf5B0u0YO6A4A==&amp;ch=UegTFrRq75npqXYbNo6mCLJrGbqt4cPNwyXjoCxTR98PG0W8TZBWCA==" target="_blank">kswheat.com/wheatrx</a>. Wheat Rx is a partnership between Kansas Wheat and K-State Research and Extension to disseminate the latest research recommendations for high-yielding and high-quality wheat to Kansas wheat farmers. These publications — like the wheat variety selection guide detailed above — are funded in part by wheat farmers through the Kansas Wheat check-off and are designed to address key management areas of hard winter wheat.&nbsp;

Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684379707210.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>It may seem ironic to be selecting varieties for the next wheat growing season when some in Kansas are still working to harvest the current year’s crop, but the time to plant is just around the corner. Kansas State University recently released the Kansas Wheat Variety Guide 2023 to aid producers in making the critical selection of which varieties will best match the needs of their operations.&nbsp;This annual publication provides detailed ratings for agronomic characteristics like maturity, height, drought tolerance and straw strength as well as resistance to different diseases. The ratings are compiled based on the results of field and greenhouse tests by both public and private wheat researchers.&nbsp;Individual variety analysis includes these ratings as well as pedigree, geographic adaption, strengths and weaknesses. The publication also includes suggestions for how producers can use these ratings to minimize production problems and yield losses. This information includes differences in how each variety varies in potential performance across different geographic regions and soil types.&nbsp;To use the variety ratings, wheat producers should consider the following factors.&nbsp;First, growers should evaluate how well varieties are adapted for their geographic area, especially in a state with as much climatic diversity as Kansas. While some varieties could perform well across the state, other varieties are specifically adapted for certain regions and may not perform well in other regions.&nbsp;For example, the guide details “varieties successful in western Kansas tend to have a medium or medium-late maturity and medium height or taller as well as good drought tolerance. In contrast, wheat varieties with early or medium-early maturity, medium or shorter height, and good acid soil tolerance are most successful in central Kansas.”&nbsp;Next, producers should determine which diseases are the most important to address through built-in resistance. According to the guide, “In western Kansas, wheat streak mosaic, leaf rust and stripe rust are among the most damaging and common diseases…In eastern and central Kansas, the environment is often more conducive for disease development…”Genetic resistance to insects and/or diseases is a powerful control tool for producers that can reduce the risk of severe disease problems, but not many varieties have resistance to every disease. Producers should know the resistance and susceptibility of the varieties they select to make more informed decisions on other production management decisions like sowing date, volunteer wheat management and fungicide applications to minimize losses.&nbsp;Finally, growers should determine whether a herbicide-resistant variety is necessary. The guide details wheat varieties with tolerance to grass-controlling herbicides that are part of the Clearfield or CoAXium production systems as well as special considerations for these systems.&nbsp;Learn more about how to put this guide to work in selecting wheat varieties&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001kaY73Ec739YxcDPGTOq71KDUT8jzCj2eUfFR8krqw93gO5C9U82mOwSXCVoAC3N6FmuL_iTrDO26ANjTr6N0EY3CQj8RW2Ym2LYPcJc598a7hhBufXGIIKSmLUvoNiWM4XwItnaI5vfLMHX_O7RVFbK9v87bgiMOeIWcF37uaMFFpLLL8G_zG6Rw9i0yXmJH28Wf2mETDs-h90TfwiBthQ==&amp;c=IkuzCQdsKLJPabqEBoTRcvaCtT8rrmrqArCyxFmA8kf5B0u0YO6A4A==&amp;ch=UegTFrRq75npqXYbNo6mCLJrGbqt4cPNwyXjoCxTR98PG0W8TZBWCA==" target="_blank">here</a>.Find the full wheat variety guide and other resources at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001kaY73Ec739YxcDPGTOq71KDUT8jzCj2eUfFR8krqw93gO5C9U82mO_9VCPlQ-BIcrZGzyUzVvQBgewjitijo4VHjcLKno5BWPT7YhZdlvdeAIXfUB9Va-yGhs1R80WaAzAFRQMVDeDKgxUTjF84ym1-ebA7f8YzPt7SGa6iMyqm5Q_5AfMnAiYvLOBBdbDT1&amp;c=IkuzCQdsKLJPabqEBoTRcvaCtT8rrmrqArCyxFmA8kf5B0u0YO6A4A==&amp;ch=UegTFrRq75npqXYbNo6mCLJrGbqt4cPNwyXjoCxTR98PG0W8TZBWCA==" target="_blank">kswheat.com/wheatrx</a>. Wheat Rx is a partnership between Kansas Wheat and K-State Research and Extension to disseminate the latest research recommendations for high-yielding and high-quality wheat to Kansas wheat farmers. These publications — like the wheat variety selection guide detailed above — are funded in part by wheat farmers through the Kansas Wheat check-off and are designed to address key management areas of hard winter wheat.&nbsp;Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat

Wheat Scoop: K-State releases 2023 wheat variety selection guide

It’s a two-minute recap of the headlines that broke this past week in the Golden Belt. For the full stories, click the links below.

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/101b9c8a-d8d5-4d14-98ec-551673ac3d52">Barton Co. employee escapes serious injury after dump truck rollover</a>

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/670630a8-261f-4517-be1c-bcdf6bec9a2c">City of Great Bend notes uncertainty with SRCA Dragstrip</a>

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/67dc3d43-8218-4918-b341-fd1a55446ec5">Barton Co. Health Dept: Use caution during upcoming heat wave</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676068951874.jpeg" alt="The City of Great Bend is uncertain how the SRCA Dragstrip will get repaired or replaced." />
 <figcaption>The City of Great Bend is uncertain how the SRCA Dragstrip will get repaired or replaced.</figcaption>
 </figure>It’s a two-minute recap of the headlines that broke this past week in the Golden Belt. For the full stories, click the links below.<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/pmofml5n/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/101b9c8a-d8d5-4d14-98ec-551673ac3d52">Barton Co. employee escapes serious injury after dump truck rollover</a><a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/670630a8-261f-4517-be1c-bcdf6bec9a2c">City of Great Bend notes uncertainty with SRCA Dragstrip</a><a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/67dc3d43-8218-4918-b341-fd1a55446ec5">Barton Co. Health Dept: Use caution during upcoming heat wave</a>

Eagle Radio's news week in review

Great Bend and Barton County have had their fair share of state-bound athletes and state champions. But not everyone has the chance to compete at the national level. Great Bend graduate Blake Streck qualified for the 2023 Bassmaster High School National Championship in South Carolina. Needing a teammate, he invited classmate Noah Jerke for the 18-hour trip. Streck explained the high school sport.

"Normally it's a five-fish limit, and you get about eight hours," he said. "You just get your five biggest. If you get some small fish at the beginning of the day, and you catch bigger ones later in the day, you can take the small ones out for the bigger ones."

Kansas broke up its qualifying tournaments into eastern and western counties with four meets in the fall and four more in the spring. Fall competition was split at Wilson and Milford lakes, and Streck placed in the top-10 percent at Wilson to qualify for state. State was held at La Cygne Lake in early June, and with 28 boats in action, Streck again made the top three to qualify for nationals.

Bassmaster competitors use their own equipment, including a boat. An individual from Springfield, Mo. made the trip to Lake Hartwell, about an hour northeast of Atlanta, to lend the Great Bend pair his boat as captain.

"You can two fisherman and you have to have a boat captain because it's high school and you're not legal," Streck said. "They are kind of the regulator. They make sure you're doing everything right and being safe."

Competitors can only count largemouth or spotted bass, and they must be a minimum of 12 inches. Streck said the minimum has been tough in South Carolina. All teams kept three bass on day one of nationals, and the Panther team sat 293rd out of 481 boats in action after day one. Their fish totaled three pounds, nine ounces. Two teams from Virginia and Alabama have catches weighing in at more than 12 pounds. Fifty-two teams recorded no catches. All teams have two days of guaranteed fishing, but only the top-12 teams advanced to the finals on Saturday.

"Everything is backward compared to Kansas," said Streck. "The bait fish are different. The fish have different feeding patterns. Normally, when it gets hot outside in Kansas, the fish go deeper. Here in South Carolina, it's called a herring lake, so the fish go really shallow when it gets super hot."

Streck estimates Lake Hartwell is six times as large as Lake Wilson. The 56,000-acre lake hosted the Junior Nationals the week before, and that impacted the high school event.

"It's a big lake and there are a lot of fish," Streck said. "There have been tournaments this past week so they are highly pressured. They've got a lot of stress so they are super picky."

The Great Bend team is coached by Kevin Hoff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690551526157.jpeg" alt="Great Bend High School graduated Blake Streck (left) finished in the top three at state competition to qualify for the 2023 Bassmaster National High School Championship in South Carolina. He invited Noah Jerke to be his teammate." />
 <figcaption>Great Bend High School graduated Blake Streck (left) finished in the top three at state competition to qualify for the 2023 Bassmaster National High School Championship in South Carolina. He invited Noah Jerke to be his teammate.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostGreat Bend and Barton County have had their fair share of state-bound athletes and state champions. But not everyone has the chance to compete at the national level. Great Bend graduate Blake Streck qualified for the 2023 Bassmaster High School National Championship in South Carolina. Needing a teammate, he invited classmate Noah Jerke for the 18-hour trip. Streck explained the high school sport."Normally it's a five-fish limit, and you get about eight hours," he said. "You just get your five biggest. If you get some small fish at the beginning of the day, and you catch bigger ones later in the day, you can take the small ones out for the bigger ones."Kansas broke up its qualifying tournaments into eastern and western counties with four meets in the fall and four more in the spring. Fall competition was split at Wilson and Milford lakes, and Streck placed in the top-10 percent at Wilson to qualify for state. State was held at La Cygne Lake in early June, and with 28 boats in action, Streck again made the top three to qualify for nationals.Bassmaster competitors use their own equipment, including a boat. An individual from Springfield, Mo. made the trip to Lake Hartwell, about an hour northeast of Atlanta, to lend the Great Bend pair his boat as captain."You can two fisherman and you have to have a boat captain because it's high school and you're not legal," Streck said. "They are kind of the regulator. They make sure you're doing everything right and being safe."Competitors can only count largemouth or spotted bass, and they must be a minimum of 12 inches. Streck said the minimum has been tough in South Carolina. All teams kept three bass on day one of nationals, and the Panther team sat 293rd out of 481 boats in action after day one. Their fish totaled three pounds, nine ounces. Two teams from Virginia and Alabama have catches weighing in at more than 12 pounds. Fifty-two teams recorded no catches. All teams have two days of guaranteed fishing, but only the top-12 teams advanced to the finals on Saturday."Everything is backward compared to Kansas," said Streck. "The bait fish are different. The fish have different feeding patterns. Normally, when it gets hot outside in Kansas, the fish go deeper. Here in South Carolina, it's called a herring lake, so the fish go really shallow when it gets super hot."Streck estimates Lake Hartwell is six times as large as Lake Wilson. The 56,000-acre lake hosted the Junior Nationals the week before, and that impacted the high school event."It's a big lake and there are a lot of fish," Streck said. "There have been tournaments this past week so they are highly pressured. They've got a lot of stress so they are super picky."The Great Bend team is coached by Kevin Hoff.

Two Great Bend graduates compete at national bassmaster tourney

By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

Barton Community College Foundation Executive Director Lindsey Bogner
gave an update on the foundation to the Barton Board of Trustees at Tuesday’s
meeting. The foundation exists to raise private funds by providing gifts to
benefit educational opportunities and initiatives at the college. 

Bogner announced
the foundation awarded $302,254 in scholarship funds to Barton students in the
2023 fiscal year. The foundation also awarded $522,687 in project and program
enhancement grants across all Barton campuses in 2023. 

Bogner started training to become the college's foundation director in the fall of 2021. Trustees Chair Mike
Johnson was pleased with how efficient the foundation operates. "I think it has really worked out well to get a new set of eyes on the foundation," said Johnson. "There wasn't anything wrong before, but the number of new policies, procedures and checks and balances that Lindsey has installed have suited the foundation very well. Things that I never thought of, and things the foundation board never thought of, have been implemented." 
Outside of donations, the foundation raises private funds with their employee
giving campaign, sporting clay shoot and their Big Benefit Auction. The 44th
Annual Big Benefit Auction will take place August 26th at the Great
Bend Events Center.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690486543415.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostBarton Community College Foundation Executive Director Lindsey Bogner
gave an update on the foundation to the Barton Board of Trustees at Tuesday’s
meeting. The foundation exists to raise private funds by providing gifts to
benefit educational opportunities and initiatives at the college. Bogner announced
the foundation awarded $302,254 in scholarship funds to Barton students in the
2023 fiscal year. The foundation also awarded $522,687 in project and program
enhancement grants across all Barton campuses in 2023. Bogner started training to become the college's foundation director in the fall of 2021. Trustees Chair Mike
Johnson was pleased with how efficient the foundation operates. "I think it has really worked out well to get a new set of eyes on the foundation," said Johnson. "There wasn't anything wrong before, but the number of new policies, procedures and checks and balances that Lindsey has installed have suited the foundation very well. Things that I never thought of, and things the foundation board never thought of, have been implemented." 
Outside of donations, the foundation raises private funds with their employee
giving campaign, sporting clay shoot and their Big Benefit Auction. The 44th
Annual Big Benefit Auction will take place August 26th at the Great
Bend Events Center.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Barton CC Foundation awards $824K+ in scholarships & grants

A good camper knows the ins and outs of a campfire. An even better camper knows how to cook a hot dog three ways in the wild. On Aug. 19, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center will teach young campers how to up their cooking game as part of the WILD program. Educator Mandy Kern said Leonore Enfield will present the class from 5-7 p.m.

"I'll be facilitating it, but the actual leader of the activity will be the State WILD coordinator," Kern said. "She's from the Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education, so she's going to be bringing all the equipment but I'm pretty sure it's going to be as hands-on as possible."

Campers can learn how to properly use a campfire, Dutch oven, and a camp stove. The event is free but pre-registration is required so staff can have the correct amount of supplies on hand. 

WILD is a monthly program geared toward school-aged kids and their families. The goal is to get kids off of screens and into nature. Call (877)-243-9268 or email amkern2@fhsu.edu with questions or to pre-register.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690400661048.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostA good camper knows the ins and outs of a campfire. An even better camper knows how to cook a hot dog three ways in the wild. On Aug. 19, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center will teach young campers how to up their cooking game as part of the WILD program. Educator Mandy Kern said Leonore Enfield will present the class from 5-7 p.m."I'll be facilitating it, but the actual leader of the activity will be the State WILD coordinator," Kern said. "She's from the Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education, so she's going to be bringing all the equipment but I'm pretty sure it's going to be as hands-on as possible."Campers can learn how to properly use a campfire, Dutch oven, and a camp stove. The event is free but pre-registration is required so staff can have the correct amount of supplies on hand. WILD is a monthly program geared toward school-aged kids and their families. The goal is to get kids off of screens and into nature. Call (877)-243-9268 or email amkern2@fhsu.edu with questions or to pre-register.

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