By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Beer, Biking, barbecue, and now live music. Bike Brew Q continues to grow in its quest to support cystic fibrosis research. After raising more than $10,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation last year, the event has now raised more than $70,000 in its first six years. 

After a slow down due to COVID in year five of the event, Bike Brew Q Event Chair Ryan Fairchild said the festival returns to full swing on July 30 with a series of bike rides, the Craft Brew Expo, and the addition of live music.

"Our fifth annual we had the bike rides still, but with COVID we didn't have a big celebration," he said. "We figured this year we're going to have live music. We're going to try and step things up this year. Hopefully, everyone comes out and has a great time and helps us support cystic fibrosis research."

Gone are the longer bike ride options, but 20 and 40-mile road rides are still part of the festivities, and gravel rides have also been added.

"We took away our long routes because the popularity had gone down on those a little bit," Fairchild said. "We've reintroduced two gravel routes. We have a 20 and a 40-mile gravel route. As gravel has grown over the years, we've been asked to include a gravel route again. People asked and we listened."

So far, the Craft Beer Expo has 12 breweries and counting lined up. Increasing COVID numbers around the state may again play a role at this year's fest.

"We're down a little bit this year," Fairchild said. "A lot of breweries have reevaluated which festivals they're going to do. Also, with the spring back of a little bit of COVID, some are staying away from these bigger festivals."

For a full list of events, to buy tickets, or to donate, visit <a href="http://bikebrewq.com.">bikebrewq.com.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657028314649.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostBeer, Biking, barbecue, and now live music. Bike Brew Q continues to grow in its quest to support cystic fibrosis research. After raising more than $10,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation last year, the event has now raised more than $70,000 in its first six years. After a slow down due to COVID in year five of the event, Bike Brew Q Event Chair Ryan Fairchild said the festival returns to full swing on July 30 with a series of bike rides, the Craft Brew Expo, and the addition of live music."Our fifth annual we had the bike rides still, but with COVID we didn't have a big celebration," he said. "We figured this year we're going to have live music. We're going to try and step things up this year. Hopefully, everyone comes out and has a great time and helps us support cystic fibrosis research."Gone are the longer bike ride options, but 20 and 40-mile road rides are still part of the festivities, and gravel rides have also been added."We took away our long routes because the popularity had gone down on those a little bit," Fairchild said. "We've reintroduced two gravel routes. We have a 20 and a 40-mile gravel route. As gravel has grown over the years, we've been asked to include a gravel route again. People asked and we listened."So far, the Craft Beer Expo has 12 breweries and counting lined up. Increasing COVID numbers around the state may again play a role at this year's fest."We're down a little bit this year," Fairchild said. "A lot of breweries have reevaluated which festivals they're going to do. Also, with the spring back of a little bit of COVID, some are staying away from these bigger festivals."For a full list of events, to buy tickets, or to donate, visit <a href="http://bikebrewq.com.">bikebrewq.com.</a>

Bike Brew Q returns to Expo II for 7th annual event

By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

A comparison ratio (compa-ratio) compares a salary to the midpoint of the salary range
for a specific position at other businesses. A compa-ratio of 100%, would be
considered at market value. 

Just before the school year started last fall, all regular
staff at Barton Community College received a 7% pay increase. Barton then had a
95% compa-ratio. Following the job hiring woes from the COVID-19 pandemic
aftermath, Barton expects their compa-ratio to slip into the 80s. 
Barton Vice President of Administration Mark Dean said keeping starting salaries
competitive is a must to attract and retain employees. 
"I think we would have been able to save some of those that are leaving if we had higher salary," said Dean. "Those individuals that are leaving, they're taking training and knowledge. Somebody that walks in off the street...how long is it going to be until they are up to speed?" 
Last week, Barton revealed the college has 65 open positions, some of which
have been vacant for more than three years. 
Barton Board of Trustees member John Moshier said the new normal might be a
decreased workforce and encouraged the college to research ways to adjust. 
"This workforce crisis was predicted to occur 10 years ago," said Moshier. "That's when the big grocery chains started putting in the self-checkout lanes. At McDonald's, you can order from a computer...you don't even talk to a person. There's more to it than throwing money at it. We also need to focus on things we can do to perform human tasks more efficiently." 
Dean is expected to present three options for wage increases for employees at
this month’s Board of Trustees study session.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657046433117.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostA comparison ratio (compa-ratio) compares a salary to the midpoint of the salary range
for a specific position at other businesses. A compa-ratio of 100%, would be
considered at market value. Just before the school year started last fall, all regular
staff at Barton Community College received a 7% pay increase. Barton then had a
95% compa-ratio. Following the job hiring woes from the COVID-19 pandemic
aftermath, Barton expects their compa-ratio to slip into the 80s. 
Barton Vice President of Administration Mark Dean said keeping starting salaries
competitive is a must to attract and retain employees. 
"I think we would have been able to save some of those that are leaving if we had higher salary," said Dean. "Those individuals that are leaving, they're taking training and knowledge. Somebody that walks in off the street...how long is it going to be until they are up to speed?" 
Last week, Barton revealed the college has 65 open positions, some of which
have been vacant for more than three years. 
Barton Board of Trustees member John Moshier said the new normal might be a
decreased workforce and encouraged the college to research ways to adjust. 
"This workforce crisis was predicted to occur 10 years ago," said Moshier. "That's when the big grocery chains started putting in the self-checkout lanes. At McDonald's, you can order from a computer...you don't even talk to a person. There's more to it than throwing money at it. We also need to focus on things we can do to perform human tasks more efficiently." 
Dean is expected to present three options for wage increases for employees at
this month’s Board of Trustees study session.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Barton Community College trying to combat reduced workforce

The United Way of Central Kansas is looking for volunteers to help Stuff
the Bus on July 20. 
Volunteers can sign up for an hour shift where they will hand out flyers to
patrons at Walmart or Dillons in Great Bend and ask them to pick up an extra item or two
while they are in the store. 
United Way Executive Director Charell Owings said all the items collected
during the drive support United Way’s 22 community partners. 
"Volunteers will ask people as they're walking in the store if they wouldn't mind picking up a few extra items while they're doing their own shopping," said Owings. "It encourages people to donate. Volunteers help people know we're there and what we're there for." 
Items collected are given to the non-food pantry at Catholic Charities of
Southwest Kansas, the backpack program through the Salvation Army and Central
Kansas CASA. 
"All these items are vitally important," said Owings. "It helps groups save money on their expense end. It also provides those backpacks for people in need. It provides diapers for families that can't afford them. It helps people throughout the community in a variety of ways." 
Find out how to sign up to volunteer for “Stuff the Bus” by clicking <a href="https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d4da5af2ea6f58-stuff">HERE</a>&nbsp;or call 620-792-2403.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593707233925.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe United Way of Central Kansas is looking for volunteers to help Stuff
the Bus on July 20. 
Volunteers can sign up for an hour shift where they will hand out flyers to
patrons at Walmart or Dillons in Great Bend and ask them to pick up an extra item or two
while they are in the store. 
United Way Executive Director Charell Owings said all the items collected
during the drive support United Way’s 22 community partners. 
"Volunteers will ask people as they're walking in the store if they wouldn't mind picking up a few extra items while they're doing their own shopping," said Owings. "It encourages people to donate. Volunteers help people know we're there and what we're there for." 
Items collected are given to the non-food pantry at Catholic Charities of
Southwest Kansas, the backpack program through the Salvation Army and Central
Kansas CASA. 
"All these items are vitally important," said Owings. "It helps groups save money on their expense end. It also provides those backpacks for people in need. It provides diapers for families that can't afford them. It helps people throughout the community in a variety of ways." 
Find out how to sign up to volunteer for “Stuff the Bus” by clicking <a href="https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d4da5af2ea6f58-stuff">HERE</a>&nbsp;or call 620-792-2403.

Volunteers needed for United Way’s ‘Stuff the Bus’ in Great Bend

Hot and windy conditions made for a busy day for firefighters and other first responders around Barton County on July 4. Dena Popp, the county's 9-1-1 director, shared some of her agency's figures with commissioners at Wednesday's meeting.

Barton County Communications handled 43 fire calls in the county on July 4 alone, and three more on Sunday, July 3. Popp estimated most of those were in rural areas. Communications received 171 9-1-1 calls on July 4, and 367 more calls on administrative lines. Those 538 calls were a marked increase from the 481 calls received a year earlier.

"Great Bend got overwhelmed," Popp said. "They had mutual aid from Ellinwood and, I believe Albert took a couple of their calls. I know Hoisington took, I believe, 12 of Great Bend's calls because they were so overwhelmed."

Popp said it was a joint effort and thanked the many from various departments for getting the job done.

"We thank all those fire departments for assisting Great Bend," she said. "I thank my staff for the massive call load they had. It was busy but to be expected for the Fourth of July."

Sheriff Brian Bellendir was also in attendance at Wednesday's meeting. He fielded a question from Commissioner Barb Esfeld about agencies working together.

"We prioritize what comes out," he said. "That comes with experience with my people. You have to figure out which one is the most dangerous and respond to that."

Bellendir reported that is always the standard with the sheriff's office, which routinely works with other law enforcement agencies inside and outside of the county.

"They get some major incident in Pawnee County, we just go," he said. "Same way if we have something serious here, all of a sudden there are Pawnee County deputies showing up. We have a very good working relationship with all the law enforcement agencies in the county, plus the surrounding counties."

Both Popp and Bellendir praised the county for the purchase of the 800 megahertz radio system that now gives most agencies in Barton County state-wide range by using various county and state-owned towers around Kansas.

"The 800 system is a phenomenal system," Bellendir said. "It used to be, if you're lucky, you could talk to the northern part of Barton County on low-band when I first started. Now, I get guys who transport prisoners. They'll go to Leavenworth and they'll call on the radio and it sounds like they're a block away."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657137828932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostHot and windy conditions made for a busy day for firefighters and other first responders around Barton County on July 4. Dena Popp, the county's 9-1-1 director, shared some of her agency's figures with commissioners at Wednesday's meeting.Barton County Communications handled 43 fire calls in the county on July 4 alone, and three more on Sunday, July 3. Popp estimated most of those were in rural areas. Communications received 171 9-1-1 calls on July 4, and 367 more calls on administrative lines. Those 538 calls were a marked increase from the 481 calls received a year earlier."Great Bend got overwhelmed," Popp said. "They had mutual aid from Ellinwood and, I believe Albert took a couple of their calls. I know Hoisington took, I believe, 12 of Great Bend's calls because they were so overwhelmed."Popp said it was a joint effort and thanked the many from various departments for getting the job done."We thank all those fire departments for assisting Great Bend," she said. "I thank my staff for the massive call load they had. It was busy but to be expected for the Fourth of July."Sheriff Brian Bellendir was also in attendance at Wednesday's meeting. He fielded a question from Commissioner Barb Esfeld about agencies working together."We prioritize what comes out," he said. "That comes with experience with my people. You have to figure out which one is the most dangerous and respond to that."Bellendir reported that is always the standard with the sheriff's office, which routinely works with other law enforcement agencies inside and outside of the county."They get some major incident in Pawnee County, we just go," he said. "Same way if we have something serious here, all of a sudden there are Pawnee County deputies showing up. We have a very good working relationship with all the law enforcement agencies in the county, plus the surrounding counties."Both Popp and Bellendir praised the county for the purchase of the 800 megahertz radio system that now gives most agencies in Barton County state-wide range by using various county and state-owned towers around Kansas."The 800 system is a phenomenal system," Bellendir said. "It used to be, if you're lucky, you could talk to the northern part of Barton County on low-band when I first started. Now, I get guys who transport prisoners. They'll go to Leavenworth and they'll call on the radio and it sounds like they're a block away."

First responders discuss July 4, teamwork at Barton Commission meeting

KIOWA COUNTY–The Kansas Bureau of Investigation arrested Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Davis in Greensburg, Kansas on Friday, according to a media release from the agency.

On August 30, the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office requested the KBI investigate allegations of domestic violence and child abuse. Davis is a part-time deputy for the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office and full-time deputy for the Ford County Sheriff’s Office.

Just before 2p.m. Friday., KBI agents arrested Davis of Grand Island, Nebraska. He voluntarily surrendered himself at the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on requested charges of aggravated endangering a child and two counts of domestic battery. Davis is being held in Kiowa County Jail, according to the KBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657312093841.png" alt="Davis-photo Kiowa County" />
 <figcaption>Davis-photo Kiowa County</figcaption>
 </figure>KIOWA COUNTY–The Kansas Bureau of Investigation arrested Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Davis in Greensburg, Kansas on Friday, according to a media release from the agency.On August 30, the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office requested the KBI investigate allegations of domestic violence and child abuse. Davis is a part-time deputy for the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office and full-time deputy for the Ford County Sheriff’s Office.Just before 2p.m. Friday., KBI agents arrested Davis of Grand Island, Nebraska. He voluntarily surrendered himself at the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on requested charges of aggravated endangering a child and two counts of domestic battery. Davis is being held in Kiowa County Jail, according to the KBI.

KBI: Sheriff's deputy accused of domestic violence, child abuse

Listen to this month's Chamber Connect show with Eagle Radio's Steve Webster and Great Bend Chamber of Commerce President Megan Barfield that aired July 7, 2022.

The Chamber Connect show airs the first Thursday of every month at 11:30 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596658271505.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Listen to this month's Chamber Connect show with Eagle Radio's Steve Webster and Great Bend Chamber of Commerce President Megan Barfield that aired July 7, 2022.<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/w15bw5j2/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>The Chamber Connect show airs the first Thursday of every month at 11:30 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.

🎙Chamber Connect show: President Megan Barfield

The Kansas Department of Transportation announces approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects. The letting took place June 15, 2022, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.

Jefferson ‑&nbsp;44 C‑5057‑01 ‑ RS‑328 (Ferguson Road) and Slough Creek Road intersection, intersection improvement, 0.2 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $522,922.90.

Pottawatomie ‑&nbsp;24‑75 KA‑6202‑01 – U.S. 24, from the Riley/Pottawatomie county line east 3.9 miles to the start of the concrete pavement, overlay, widen paved shoulder width, 3.9 miles, Shilling Construction Co. Inc., Manhattan, Kansas, $2,609,280.74.

Riley ‑&nbsp;70‑81 KA‑6403‑01 ‑ I‑70, beginning at the Geary/Riley county line to the Riley/Wabaunsee county line, concrete pavement, 6.0 miles, Emery Sapp &amp; Sons Inc. And Subsidiaries, Columbia, Missouri, $1,004,809.50.

Wabaunsee ‑&nbsp;70‑99 KA‑6405‑01 ‑ I‑70, beginning at the Riley/Wabaunsee county line to 0.38 mile east of the I‑70/K‑30 junction, concrete pavement, 19.4 miles, Emery Sapp &amp; Sons Inc. and Subsidiaries, Columbia, Missouri, $1,465,808.50.

Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;32‑105 KA‑3079‑01 – K-32, bridges #104 &amp; #105 located at the K‑32/Turner Diagonal/Kaw Drive intersection (K‑32 eastbound and westbound lanes), bridge replacement, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $22,730,595.18.

Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;32‑105 KA‑6533‑01 ‑ K‑32, beginning at Bridges #104 and #105 located at the K‑32/Turner Diagonal/Kaw Drive intersection east to S. 55th Street, pavement patching, 0.9 mile, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $932,281.47.

Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;73‑105 KA‑5241‑01 – U.S. 73 and Parallel Parkway intersection in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties, intersection improvement, 0.7 mile, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $11,091,658.38.

Statewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6094‑01 – U.S. 50, K‑89, K‑15 and K‑196 in Harvey, Butler, Marion and Reno counties, signing, Martin Outdoor Enterprises Inc., Pittsburg, Kansas, $772,476.50.

Norton ‑&nbsp;383‑69 KA‑2371‑02 ‑ K‑383, from the east U.S. 36/K‑383 junction northeast to the south edge of wearing surface of bridge #062 over Prairie Dog Creek, grading and surfacing, 5.6 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $15,238,784.53.

Smith ‑&nbsp;92 C‑5072‑01 – Bridge over Cedar Creek located 2.5 miles north and 1.6 miles east of Claudell, bridge replacement, 0.2 mile, L &amp; M Contractors Inc., Great Bend, Kansas, $529,128.00.

&nbsp;Statewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6495‑01 ‑ City of Gridley in Coffey County and City of Madison in Greenwood County, special, Burlington Construction, Inc., Burlington, Kansas, $93,616.00.

&nbsp;Statewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6496‑01 ‑ City of Baxter Springs in Cherokee County, cities of Chetopa and Oswego in Labette County, special, Heck &amp; Wicker Inc., Parsons, Kansas, $137,303.00.

Barber ‑&nbsp;4 KA‑6548‑01 ‑ Selected bridges in Barber County on U.S. 160 and K‑2, mud jacking, Raising Solutions LLC, Owensville, Missouri, $46,125.00.

Kingman ‑&nbsp;42‑48 KA‑3879‑01 ‑ K‑42, bridge #044 over the Chikaskia River Drainage located 7.62 miles west of K‑14, bridge replacement, King Construction Company Inc &amp; Subsidiaries, Hesston, Kansas, $1,511,325.65.

Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;87 KA‑6546‑01 ‑ Selected bridges in Sedgwick County on I‑135, U.S. 54, K‑96 and K‑15, mud jacking, Raising Solutions LLC, Owensville, Missouri, $276,100.00.

The following projects were approved from the May 18, 2022, letting.

Morris ‑&nbsp;04‑64 KA‑5984‑01 ‑ K‑4, from 5th Street to Grand Street in White City, pavement reconstruction, 0.2 mile, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, $999,107.14.

Pottawatomie ‑&nbsp;75 TE‑0501‑01 ‑ Green Valley Road, from U.S. 24 to Eagles Landing Drive; pedestrian bridge North of Elk Creek Road; crossing at Hunter's Drive, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.5 mile, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, 999,015.91.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592777344559.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Transportation announces approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects. The letting took place June 15, 2022, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.District One — NortheastJefferson ‑&nbsp;44 C‑5057‑01 ‑ RS‑328 (Ferguson Road) and Slough Creek Road intersection, intersection improvement, 0.2 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $522,922.90.Pottawatomie ‑&nbsp;24‑75 KA‑6202‑01 – U.S. 24, from the Riley/Pottawatomie county line east 3.9 miles to the start of the concrete pavement, overlay, widen paved shoulder width, 3.9 miles, Shilling Construction Co. Inc., Manhattan, Kansas, $2,609,280.74.Riley ‑&nbsp;70‑81 KA‑6403‑01 ‑ I‑70, beginning at the Geary/Riley county line to the Riley/Wabaunsee county line, concrete pavement, 6.0 miles, Emery Sapp &amp; Sons Inc. And Subsidiaries, Columbia, Missouri, $1,004,809.50.Wabaunsee ‑&nbsp;70‑99 KA‑6405‑01 ‑ I‑70, beginning at the Riley/Wabaunsee county line to 0.38 mile east of the I‑70/K‑30 junction, concrete pavement, 19.4 miles, Emery Sapp &amp; Sons Inc. and Subsidiaries, Columbia, Missouri, $1,465,808.50.Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;32‑105 KA‑3079‑01 – K-32, bridges #104 &amp; #105 located at the K‑32/Turner Diagonal/Kaw Drive intersection (K‑32 eastbound and westbound lanes), bridge replacement, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $22,730,595.18.Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;32‑105 KA‑6533‑01 ‑ K‑32, beginning at Bridges #104 and #105 located at the K‑32/Turner Diagonal/Kaw Drive intersection east to S. 55th Street, pavement patching, 0.9 mile, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $932,281.47.Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;73‑105 KA‑5241‑01 – U.S. 73 and Parallel Parkway intersection in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties, intersection improvement, 0.7 mile, Miles Excavating, Inc., Basehor, Kansas, $11,091,658.38.District Two — North CentralStatewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6094‑01 – U.S. 50, K‑89, K‑15 and K‑196 in Harvey, Butler, Marion and Reno counties, signing, Martin Outdoor Enterprises Inc., Pittsburg, Kansas, $772,476.50.District Three — NorthwestNorton ‑&nbsp;383‑69 KA‑2371‑02 ‑ K‑383, from the east U.S. 36/K‑383 junction northeast to the south edge of wearing surface of bridge #062 over Prairie Dog Creek, grading and surfacing, 5.6 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $15,238,784.53.Smith ‑&nbsp;92 C‑5072‑01 – Bridge over Cedar Creek located 2.5 miles north and 1.6 miles east of Claudell, bridge replacement, 0.2 mile, L &amp; M Contractors Inc., Great Bend, Kansas, $529,128.00.District Four — Southeast&nbsp;Statewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6495‑01 ‑ City of Gridley in Coffey County and City of Madison in Greenwood County, special, Burlington Construction, Inc., Burlington, Kansas, $93,616.00.&nbsp;Statewide ‑&nbsp;106 KA‑6496‑01 ‑ City of Baxter Springs in Cherokee County, cities of Chetopa and Oswego in Labette County, special, Heck &amp; Wicker Inc., Parsons, Kansas, $137,303.00.District Five — South CentralBarber ‑&nbsp;4 KA‑6548‑01 ‑ Selected bridges in Barber County on U.S. 160 and K‑2, mud jacking, Raising Solutions LLC, Owensville, Missouri, $46,125.00.Kingman ‑&nbsp;42‑48 KA‑3879‑01 ‑ K‑42, bridge #044 over the Chikaskia River Drainage located 7.62 miles west of K‑14, bridge replacement, King Construction Company Inc &amp; Subsidiaries, Hesston, Kansas, $1,511,325.65.Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;87 KA‑6546‑01 ‑ Selected bridges in Sedgwick County on I‑135, U.S. 54, K‑96 and K‑15, mud jacking, Raising Solutions LLC, Owensville, Missouri, $276,100.00.The following projects were approved from the May 18, 2022, letting.Morris ‑&nbsp;04‑64 KA‑5984‑01 ‑ K‑4, from 5th Street to Grand Street in White City, pavement reconstruction, 0.2 mile, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, $999,107.14.Pottawatomie ‑&nbsp;75 TE‑0501‑01 ‑ Green Valley Road, from U.S. 24 to Eagles Landing Drive; pedestrian bridge North of Elk Creek Road; crossing at Hunter's Drive, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.5 mile, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, 999,015.91.

KDOT announces approved June bids

This is day 17 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association.

Northwest and portions of north central Kansas are still fighting moisture levels on their journey to wrap up wheat harvest, while most of the rest of the state is nearly finished.

Dani Zweygardt with ADM Grain in Goodland, reports that harvest is about half way done. Some of their farmers are finishing up, while others are waiting to get in the field due to high moisture levels. Wednesday night they received one-half to one inch of rain throughout Sherman County.

Harvest near Oakley flew by due to very dry wheat, while Goodland stayed on track with the previous year, taking in their first load on June 28. A majority of the dry land wheat has been harvested, while they’re waiting on the irrigated wheat.

Zweygardt said Brewster has been very slow this year, with a steady flow but no super busy days at the elevator. There has been fluctuation on the load intake of surrounding elevators.

ADM Goodland has been averaging 12.9 protein and seeing yields between five and 50 bushels per acre, with a average of 30 bushels per acre. If there is one thing their farmers are happy with, it’s their test weights. The average has been 62.6 pounds per bushel for local farmers. Overall, farmers are happier with their crop than they thought they would be. Zweygerdt anticipates they still have a couple weeks of harvest left.

Brian Linin of Goodland started four combines up and running in the field last Thursday. Some overcast weather and high moisture have kept them out of the field at times, but they have still been making progress. He estimates they have a week to 10 days left.

While weather hasn’t been in their favor, overall he is still happy with this year’s crop. He said they didn’t have to tear up any wheat, but the crop is not as good as last year. Varieties that have done well for Linin are WestBred’s WB Grainfield, Kansas Wheat Alliance’s KS Western Star and PlainsGold’s Langin.

Linin reports his average yield is 40 bushels per acre. Proteins are 13 to 14 percent, and test weights range from 59 to 63 pounds per bushel. Erik Lange, Executive Vice President and chief operating officer of MKC, says their more than 50 locations across Kansas are about 95 percent complete with this year’s harvest.

He said, overall harvest has gone really well.

Yields are highly variable throughout their entire trade territory, ranging from zeroed out to 80 bushels per acre on hard winter wheat, with an average of about 35 bushels per acre. On soft red winter, yields were less variable, ranging from 45 to 120 bushels per acre, with an average of 60 bushels per acre.

Harvest began on June 9 and the main area that is still incomplete is near Salina at the northern end of their territory, where they are currently on rain delay for the third or fourth day.

Overall, acres of both hard red winter and soft red winter were up about five to seven percent across the trade territory. With increased acres and decent yields, soft red winter bushels taken in will be similar to last year, maybe even a bit more, but hard red winter bushels are only about 75 to 80 percent of last year.

“Probably some of the biggest challenges were just the variability in crop and trying to figure out what was coming at us on a day to day basis,” said Lange.

He reported the hard red wheat quality was fantastic, with an average test weight of 61 pounds per bushel and a little over 12 percent protein across the trade territory. Soft red winter wheat quality is slightly above average as well.

“There was some disease pressure, not as high as previous years, but those that applied fungicide did see a benefit from it,” he said.

With so many varieties across the territory, Lange said they try to promote finding the right variety for the right acre. They are offering the MKC Grain Exchange Program, which provides an opportunity for farmers to transfer bushels of their 2022 wheat crop to MKC in exchange for Certified seed wheat for 2023.

“We do know that Certified seeds do make a difference in yield, long term,” said Lange.

With an excellent quality crop, Lange said, “We really saw early on there wasn’t a lot of export demand in the early part of harvest, but we have seen that demand picking up.”

He said so far MKC has already bought about half of the crop from their customers, which is about 10 percent more than normal for this time of year.

“Thankfully farmers were taking advantage of the good prices early and getting crops sold,” he said.

The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nsKFk4jxuC8eF9HQpYV7IejijepODiHJumJ3gWn9SYiXB0rOuy-lL7JbJDXANdINzXgMznrjYh87qz3FMtmK-LRL5aI5XuFsMSOchs-tpTdYnGaDEg-ZiB2HEsmnXIV11Q41swx_7DZwM5lBc2Bonnad74RRxwhX&amp;c=8R9ZH4WOhWXhnJMTaGxKaX3P2qvdIxQpA5oXwzx9Vu1CGC3pSdB-7w==&amp;ch=fkFfGAPsSLXkh0LQUwa2Uk8EHYy66WWU-NOkVwEJe517XdzdV3f0mQ==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nsKFk4jxuC8eF9HQpYV7IejijepODiHJumJ3gWn9SYiXB0rOuy-lL1-vCtC7cXSBzpjKQ6-lVynenZEeSvY4SwaxjH0fvP6WzCAw4iUpi__wPcAuU95Rix5zJdx4ZMD2XiMtbS62EXVzWsewRHsTK-BYzzAksq47&amp;c=8R9ZH4WOhWXhnJMTaGxKaX3P2qvdIxQpA5oXwzx9Vu1CGC3pSdB-7w==&amp;ch=fkFfGAPsSLXkh0LQUwa2Uk8EHYy66WWU-NOkVwEJe517XdzdV3f0mQ==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nsKFk4jxuC8eF9HQpYV7IejijepODiHJumJ3gWn9SYiXB0rOuy-lL7tim7KgAk6s7nqLHl70FNChgt5whcj1g76rNHkahjdjDl40ZxVPEpwB4NTlbUXvNVYCUIDrShY3_ncf8O56_YJiEcJrzswOSdv3shvypzQ0&amp;c=8R9ZH4WOhWXhnJMTaGxKaX3P2qvdIxQpA5oXwzx9Vu1CGC3pSdB-7w==&amp;ch=fkFfGAPsSLXkh0LQUwa2Uk8EHYy66WWU-NOkVwEJe517XdzdV3f0mQ==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos. Written by&nbsp;Marsha Boswell, Vice President of Communications&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657245500724.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This is day 17 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. Northwest and portions of north central Kansas are still fighting moisture levels on their journey to wrap up wheat harvest, while most of the rest of the state is nearly finished. Dani Zweygardt with ADM Grain in Goodland, reports that harvest is about half way done. Some of their farmers are finishing up, while others are waiting to get in the field due to high moisture levels. Wednesday night they received one-half to one inch of rain throughout Sherman County. Harvest near Oakley flew by due to very dry wheat, while Goodland stayed on track with the previous year, taking in their first load on June 28. A majority of the dry land wheat has been harvested, while they’re waiting on the irrigated wheat. Zweygardt said Brewster has been very slow this year, with a steady flow but no super busy days at the elevator. There has been fluctuation on the load intake of surrounding elevators. ADM Goodland has been averaging 12.9 protein and seeing yields between five and 50 bushels per acre, with a average of 30 bushels per acre. If there is one thing their farmers are happy with, it’s their test weights. The average has been 62.6 pounds per bushel for local farmers. Overall, farmers are happier with their crop than they thought they would be. Zweygerdt anticipates they still have a couple weeks of harvest left. Brian Linin of Goodland started four combines up and running in the field last Thursday. Some overcast weather and high moisture have kept them out of the field at times, but they have still been making progress. He estimates they have a week to 10 days left. While weather hasn’t been in their favor, overall he is still happy with this year’s crop. He said they didn’t have to tear up any wheat, but the crop is not as good as last year. Varieties that have done well for Linin are WestBred’s WB Grainfield, Kansas Wheat Alliance’s KS Western Star and PlainsGold’s Langin. Linin reports his average yield is 40 bushels per acre. Proteins are 13 to 14 percent, and test weights range from 59 to 63 pounds per bushel. Erik Lange, Executive Vice President and chief operating officer of MKC, says their more than 50 locations across Kansas are about 95 percent complete with this year’s harvest. He said, overall harvest has gone really well. Yields are highly variable throughout their entire trade territory, ranging from zeroed out to 80 bushels per acre on hard winter wheat, with an average of about 35 bushels per acre. On soft red winter, yields were less variable, ranging from 45 to 120 bushels per acre, with an average of 60 bushels per acre. Harvest began on June 9 and the main area that is still incomplete is near Salina at the northern end of their territory, where they are currently on rain delay for the third or fourth day. Overall, acres of both hard red winter and soft red winter were up about five to seven percent across the trade territory. With increased acres and decent yields, soft red winter bushels taken in will be similar to last year, maybe even a bit more, but hard red winter bushels are only about 75 to 80 percent of last year. “Probably some of the biggest challenges were just the variability in crop and trying to figure out what was coming at us on a day to day basis,” said Lange. He reported the hard red wheat quality was fantastic, with an average test weight of 61 pounds per bushel and a little over 12 percent protein across the trade territory. Soft red winter wheat quality is slightly above average as well. “There was some disease pressure, not as high as previous years, but those that applied fungicide did see a benefit from it,” he said. With so many varieties across the territory, Lange said they try to promote finding the right variety for the right acre. They are offering the MKC Grain Exchange Program, which provides an opportunity for farmers to transfer bushels of their 2022 wheat crop to MKC in exchange for Certified seed wheat for 2023. “We do know that Certified seeds do make a difference in yield, long term,” said Lange. With an excellent quality crop, Lange said, “We really saw early on there wasn’t a lot of export demand in the early part of harvest, but we have seen that demand picking up.” He said so far MKC has already bought about half of the crop from their customers, which is about 10 percent more than normal for this time of year. “Thankfully farmers were taking advantage of the good prices early and getting crops sold,” he said.The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nsKFk4jxuC8eF9HQpYV7IejijepODiHJumJ3gWn9SYiXB0rOuy-lL7JbJDXANdINzXgMznrjYh87qz3FMtmK-LRL5aI5XuFsMSOchs-tpTdYnGaDEg-ZiB2HEsmnXIV11Q41swx_7DZwM5lBc2Bonnad74RRxwhX&amp;c=8R9ZH4WOhWXhnJMTaGxKaX3P2qvdIxQpA5oXwzx9Vu1CGC3pSdB-7w==&amp;ch=fkFfGAPsSLXkh0LQUwa2Uk8EHYy66WWU-NOkVwEJe517XdzdV3f0mQ==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nsKFk4jxuC8eF9HQpYV7IejijepODiHJumJ3gWn9SYiXB0rOuy-lL1-vCtC7cXSBzpjKQ6-lVynenZEeSvY4SwaxjH0fvP6WzCAw4iUpi__wPcAuU95Rix5zJdx4ZMD2XiMtbS62EXVzWsewRHsTK-BYzzAksq47&amp;c=8R9ZH4WOhWXhnJMTaGxKaX3P2qvdIxQpA5oXwzx9Vu1CGC3pSdB-7w==&amp;ch=fkFfGAPsSLXkh0LQUwa2Uk8EHYy66WWU-NOkVwEJe517XdzdV3f0mQ==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nsKFk4jxuC8eF9HQpYV7IejijepODiHJumJ3gWn9SYiXB0rOuy-lL7tim7KgAk6s7nqLHl70FNChgt5whcj1g76rNHkahjdjDl40ZxVPEpwB4NTlbUXvNVYCUIDrShY3_ncf8O56_YJiEcJrzswOSdv3shvypzQ0&amp;c=8R9ZH4WOhWXhnJMTaGxKaX3P2qvdIxQpA5oXwzx9Vu1CGC3pSdB-7w==&amp;ch=fkFfGAPsSLXkh0LQUwa2Uk8EHYy66WWU-NOkVwEJe517XdzdV3f0mQ==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos. Written by&nbsp;Marsha Boswell, Vice President of Communications&nbsp;&nbsp;

Day 17, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Former Fort Hays State University President Ed Hammond.

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: Former FHSU President Ed Hammond" allowtransparency="true" height="450" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=abau7-126b859-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=450" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Former Fort Hays State University President Ed Hammond.

🎤Forward Ever: Former FHSU President Ed Hammond

Venture Corporation continues work on the resurfacing of Broadway Avenue
and the reconstruction of the 19th and Harrison intersection in
Great Bend. 
The $1.1 million project is part of a Community Development Block Grant program
with 50% of the project reimbursed up to $600,000. 
The project started June 20, and Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis
said this week the work is expected to be finished this month. 
"The contractor has started paving a little bit on Broadway," said Francis. "Work progresses and we're still targeting that end of July timeframe to have it all completed." 
The project is repaving Broadway from Polk to Morton, causing one side of Broadway
to be closed at a time. 
The reconstructed intersection at 19th and Harrison will give Great
Bend Middle School students extra safety this fall. The project will shorten
the distance the children have to walk across the street. The street will be
narrowed with bump-out sidewalks near the crosswalk.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655745210953.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostVenture Corporation continues work on the resurfacing of Broadway Avenue
and the reconstruction of the 19th and Harrison intersection in
Great Bend. 
The $1.1 million project is part of a Community Development Block Grant program
with 50% of the project reimbursed up to $600,000. 
The project started June 20, and Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis
said this week the work is expected to be finished this month. 
"The contractor has started paving a little bit on Broadway," said Francis. "Work progresses and we're still targeting that end of July timeframe to have it all completed." 
The project is repaving Broadway from Polk to Morton, causing one side of Broadway
to be closed at a time. 
The reconstructed intersection at 19th and Harrison will give Great
Bend Middle School students extra safety this fall. The project will shorten
the distance the children have to walk across the street. The street will be
narrowed with bump-out sidewalks near the crosswalk.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Broadway and 19th & Harrison road work completion expected this month

The bridge over the Arkansas River on Southeast 60 Avenue in Barton
County has reopened. Repairs were finished Friday morning by L&amp;M
Contractors. 
The section on Southeast 60 Avenue was closed just over three days for the
contractor to replace a deteriorated expansion joint. 
L&amp;M was awarded the contract by Barton County for $39,487.50.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655822661791.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The bridge over the Arkansas River on Southeast 60 Avenue in Barton
County has reopened. Repairs were finished Friday morning by L&amp;M
Contractors. 
The section on Southeast 60 Avenue was closed just over three days for the
contractor to replace a deteriorated expansion joint. 
L&amp;M was awarded the contract by Barton County for $39,487.50.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Barton Co. bridge reopened after repairs on SE 60 Ave.

Barton County Sheriff’s
Office Incident Log (7/7) 
 
Utility Problems 
 
At 8:21 a.m. utility problems were reported at 384 N. Washington Avenue. 
 
Cattle Out 
 
At 8:56 a.m. a report of cattle out was made at SW 50 Avenue &amp; SW 30 Road. 
 
Controlled Burn 
 
AT 10:23 a.m. a controlled burn was reported at 1232 NW 60 Avenue in Olmitz. 
 
Great Bend Police Department Incident Log (7/7)

At 12:24 a.m. ambulance assistance was needed at 809 Coolidge Street.

At 12:05 p.m. a report of backing into a pole at 2520 10th Street was made.

At 1:53 p.m. a hit-and-run accident was reported at 701 10th Street.

At 2:49 p.m. Robert Williams was arrested for driving while suspended at Lakin &amp; Morphy.

At 4 p.m. an accident was reported at Forest &amp; Morton.

At 5 p.m. a report of a semi dropping items on the road was made at 24th &amp; 281 Bypass.

At 10:58 p.m. a report of a bat in her residence was made at 5101 Timber Creek Road.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592405093656.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton County Sheriff’s
Office Incident Log (7/7) 
 
Utility Problems 
 
At 8:21 a.m. utility problems were reported at 384 N. Washington Avenue. 
 
Cattle Out 
 
At 8:56 a.m. a report of cattle out was made at SW 50 Avenue &amp; SW 30 Road. 
 
Controlled Burn 
 
AT 10:23 a.m. a controlled burn was reported at 1232 NW 60 Avenue in Olmitz. 
 
Great Bend Police Department Incident Log (7/7)FallsAt 12:24 a.m. ambulance assistance was needed at 809 Coolidge Street.Non-Injury AccidentAt 12:05 p.m. a report of backing into a pole at 2520 10th Street was made.At 1:53 p.m. a hit-and-run accident was reported at 701 10th Street.Traffic ArrestAt 2:49 p.m. Robert Williams was arrested for driving while suspended at Lakin &amp; Morphy.Non-Injury AccidentAt 4 p.m. an accident was reported at Forest &amp; Morton.Driving / Drive ComplaintAt 5 p.m. a report of a semi dropping items on the road was made at 24th &amp; 281 Bypass.Animal ComplaintAt 10:58 p.m. a report of a bat in her residence was made at 5101 Timber Creek Road.

Cop Shop (7/7)

7/7 BOOKED: McKinley Payne on Barton County District Court case for Aggravated Intimidation, bond set at $40,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Robert Williams on Great Bend Police Department case for Driving While Suspended, No Proof of Insurance, and Illegal Tag, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Geoffrey Dearmore on Barton County District Court warrant, being held for court.

RELEASED: Shelly Dill on Reno County District Court warrant for Probation Violation, after posting a $20,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds; and on Stafford County District Court warrant for Distributing Certain Stimulant &lt;3.5g within 1,000 feet of a school, Use/Possess with Intent to Use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body, Aggravated Endangerment of a Child by Exposing to Meth, Endangerment of a Child, No Drug Tax Stamp, Unlawfully Obtain a Prescription Drug, Aggravated Weapons Violation by a Felon, Fleeing or Eluding an LEO, Transporting an Open Container, and Driving Without Headlights when Needed, after posting a $25,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds.

RELEASED: Rakel Ryan on Barton County District Court warrant for Distribute or Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, after receiving a $100,000 OR bond.

RELEASED: Alexis Branard on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for Failure to Appear, after posting a $2,000 surety bond through Around the Clock Bail Bonds.

RELEASED: Jonathon Chappell on Barton County District Court case for Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, after receiving probation.

RELEASED: Freddy Miller on Great Bend Municipal case for Criminal Trespass DV, after a 48-hour OR bond.

RELEASED: Cassandra Maupin on Barton County District Court case for Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance, after receiving $100,000 OR bond.

RELEASED: Tyler Tomlinson on Barton County District Court warrant for Contempt of Court, after posting $100,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds.

RELEASED: Robert Williams on Great Bend Police Department case for Driving While Suspended, No Proof of Insurance, and Illegal Tag, after posting $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623272376285.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>7/7 BOOKED: McKinley Payne on Barton County District Court case for Aggravated Intimidation, bond set at $40,000 C/S.BOOKED: Robert Williams on Great Bend Police Department case for Driving While Suspended, No Proof of Insurance, and Illegal Tag, bond set at $1,000 C/S.BOOKED: Geoffrey Dearmore on Barton County District Court warrant, being held for court.RELEASED: Shelly Dill on Reno County District Court warrant for Probation Violation, after posting a $20,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds; and on Stafford County District Court warrant for Distributing Certain Stimulant &lt;3.5g within 1,000 feet of a school, Use/Possess with Intent to Use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body, Aggravated Endangerment of a Child by Exposing to Meth, Endangerment of a Child, No Drug Tax Stamp, Unlawfully Obtain a Prescription Drug, Aggravated Weapons Violation by a Felon, Fleeing or Eluding an LEO, Transporting an Open Container, and Driving Without Headlights when Needed, after posting a $25,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds.RELEASED: Rakel Ryan on Barton County District Court warrant for Distribute or Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, after receiving a $100,000 OR bond.RELEASED: Alexis Branard on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for Failure to Appear, after posting a $2,000 surety bond through Around the Clock Bail Bonds.RELEASED: Jonathon Chappell on Barton County District Court case for Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, after receiving probation.RELEASED: Freddy Miller on Great Bend Municipal case for Criminal Trespass DV, after a 48-hour OR bond.RELEASED: Cassandra Maupin on Barton County District Court case for Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance, after receiving $100,000 OR bond.RELEASED: Tyler Tomlinson on Barton County District Court warrant for Contempt of Court, after posting $100,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds.RELEASED: Robert Williams on Great Bend Police Department case for Driving While Suspended, No Proof of Insurance, and Illegal Tag, after posting $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonds.

Barton County Sheriff's Booking Activity (7/7)

The 2022 wheat harvest is winding down in central Kansas, and Great Bend
Co-op Chief Operations Officer Jeff Mauler said five of their elevator
locations are still taking wheat. A few recent showers have stretched the
harvest a couple more days for parts of the area. 
As the wheat harvest arrives to the elevators, the Great Bend Co-op stores the
crop until the farmer or producer sells it to the co-op. Mauler said once the
farmer does sell the crop, it becomes a race for the co-op to re-sell the wheat
to make room for the fall crops. 
"We buy it and then re-sell it," said Mauler. "If it's corn, it might go to a feedlot or ethanol plant. We have to maintain whatever bushels that our customers own. Once they sell it to us, then we can sell it. It's a race on time right now. We got this wheat in and now we're trying to make space." 
The co-op works with several partners to sell the wheat so storage is freed
up for corn, soybeans and milo in the fall. 
As of Wednesday, Mauler said the co-op has received approximately 4.5 million
bushels of wheat and expects a couple hundred thousand bushels more as harvest
concludes.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655819924734.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe 2022 wheat harvest is winding down in central Kansas, and Great Bend
Co-op Chief Operations Officer Jeff Mauler said five of their elevator
locations are still taking wheat. A few recent showers have stretched the
harvest a couple more days for parts of the area. 
As the wheat harvest arrives to the elevators, the Great Bend Co-op stores the
crop until the farmer or producer sells it to the co-op. Mauler said once the
farmer does sell the crop, it becomes a race for the co-op to re-sell the wheat
to make room for the fall crops. 
"We buy it and then re-sell it," said Mauler. "If it's corn, it might go to a feedlot or ethanol plant. We have to maintain whatever bushels that our customers own. Once they sell it to us, then we can sell it. It's a race on time right now. We got this wheat in and now we're trying to make space." 
The co-op works with several partners to sell the wheat so storage is freed
up for corn, soybeans and milo in the fall. 
As of Wednesday, Mauler said the co-op has received approximately 4.5 million
bushels of wheat and expects a couple hundred thousand bushels more as harvest
concludes.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Great Bend Co-op: 4.5 million bushels from wheat harvest

Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. North wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph.

Saturday Sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 9 mph in the morning.

Saturday Night Clear, with a low around 68. East southeast wind 8 to 11 mph.

Sunday Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. South wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 73.

Monday Sunny and hot, with a high near 101.

Monday Night A 40-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.

Tuesday A 40-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.

Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 91.

Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 69.

Thursday Sunny, with a high near 96.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. North wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph.Saturday Sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 9 mph in the morning.Saturday Night Clear, with a low around 68. East southeast wind 8 to 11 mph.Sunday Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. South wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 73.Monday Sunny and hot, with a high near 101.Monday Night A 40-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.Tuesday A 40-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 91.Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 69.Thursday Sunny, with a high near 96.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Friday's Weather

RUSSELL COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 7p.m. Thursday in Russell County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy SUV driven by Delmer J. Williams, 54,&nbsp; Los Angeles, Calif. was eastbound on Interstate 70 near Bunker Hill Road.

The driver lost control of the vehicle.&nbsp; The SUV traveled through the&nbsp; ditch, the KDOT fence, continued across Old Highway 40 and entered a milo field.

EMS transported Williams to the hospital in Russell.&nbsp; He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

RUSSELL COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 7p.m. Thursday in Russell County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Chevy SUV driven by Delmer J. Williams, 54,&nbsp; Los Angeles, Calif. was eastbound on Interstate 70 near Bunker Hill Road.The driver lost control of the vehicle.&nbsp; The SUV traveled through the&nbsp; ditch, the KDOT fence, continued across Old Highway 40 and entered a milo field.EMS transported Williams to the hospital in Russell.&nbsp; He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Man hospitalized after SUV lands in milo field off I-70

The Great Bend Recreation Commission is sponsoring its 27th&nbsp;annual youth summer theatre production, “Happily Ever Before” by Tracy Wells. &nbsp;The performance will be held on Friday, July 8, at 7 p.m. at the Great Bend High School Auditorium.&nbsp; The production is open to the public and admission is free.&nbsp; The doors to the Auditorium open at 6:30 p.m. for the public.&nbsp; 

The cast of 16 children, ages 8 – 16, has been practicing for five weeks under the direction of Holly Johnson and assistants Pat Doll and Tammy Bell.&nbsp; This year’s cast of performers are:&nbsp; Ella Buzard, Brecklynn Carper, Kaitlyn Froetschner, Brooks Hogan, Sheridan Johnson, Jeslyn Klepper, Vivian Klepper, Caitlyn Kuhn, Anderson Luttrell, Callahan Luttrell, Holly Ann Luttrell, Ivy Peterson, Kimmie Peterson, Brooklyn Reynolds, Madilyn Scheuerman and Janey Weber.&nbsp; A special thank you goes out to all the parents for all your cooperation and efforts, USD #428 and Portraits By Shane.

Please contact the Recreation Commission office at 793-3755, ext 110, or stop by the office located at 1214 Stone Street for more information or with any questions you may have.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657214168944.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Great Bend Recreation Commission is sponsoring its 27th&nbsp;annual youth summer theatre production, “Happily Ever Before” by Tracy Wells. &nbsp;The performance will be held on Friday, July 8, at 7 p.m. at the Great Bend High School Auditorium.&nbsp; The production is open to the public and admission is free.&nbsp; The doors to the Auditorium open at 6:30 p.m. for the public.&nbsp; The cast of 16 children, ages 8 – 16, has been practicing for five weeks under the direction of Holly Johnson and assistants Pat Doll and Tammy Bell.&nbsp; This year’s cast of performers are:&nbsp; Ella Buzard, Brecklynn Carper, Kaitlyn Froetschner, Brooks Hogan, Sheridan Johnson, Jeslyn Klepper, Vivian Klepper, Caitlyn Kuhn, Anderson Luttrell, Callahan Luttrell, Holly Ann Luttrell, Ivy Peterson, Kimmie Peterson, Brooklyn Reynolds, Madilyn Scheuerman and Janey Weber.&nbsp; A special thank you goes out to all the parents for all your cooperation and efforts, USD #428 and Portraits By Shane.Please contact the Recreation Commission office at 793-3755, ext 110, or stop by the office located at 1214 Stone Street for more information or with any questions you may have.

GBRC youth summer theatre production is Friday

Summer temperatures have arrived, if you are planning herbicide applications, here are some things to consider when applying herbicides during hot weather; provided by Sarah Lancaster, Extension Weed Specialist.

Heat or drought stress slows plant growth processes. This is especially important for systemic herbicides such as glyphosate and grass-killing herbicides like clethodim (Select) or quizalofop (Assure). As temperatures increase above 85°F, many plants begin to slow or stop metabolic processes that move herbicides throughout the plant. Notable exceptions to this rule are HPPD-inhibiting herbicides like Callisto or Balance Flexx. Palmer amaranth plants are able to overcome applications of these herbicides when applied at high temperatures (90°F and greater).

Management: In general, applying systemic herbicides early in the morning, after plants have had a chance to recover from heat stress, will give the best chance for the herbicide to reach the active site and effectively kill weeds.

Leaves change in response to heat. In order to prevent water loss, plant cuticles become waxier in response to heat or drought stress. The greater wax content makes it more difficult for water-based spray solutions to penetrate the plant. In addition, the leaf angle of many plants changes in response to heat or drought stress. Often, this results in less herbicide contacting the leaf surface to enter the plant.

Management: Using maximum labeled rates of herbicides and surfactants can help get more spray solution into the plant, increasing effectiveness. Spraying during the cooler parts of the day will reduce the impact of altered leaf angle.

Crop response to foliar applied, non-translocated herbicides is greater in hot temperatures. When applied in hot, humid conditions, contact herbicides, such as Cobra, Liberty, or Reflex will likely result in greater foliar injury to crops, but also greater weed control.

Management: If possible, postpone application of these herbicides if temperatures are over 90°F. If weed size requires immediate herbicide application, reduce the rate of herbicide and adjuvant, and apply later in the day, when the air temperature will decrease after application.

Herbicide volatility increases with high temperatures and low humidity. Herbicides in group four, such as dicamba and 2,4-D are prone to volatility, which means the herbicide becomes a vapor and can move long distances with slight breezes. Volatility of these herbicides increases as temperature rise above 60°F and is greatest at temperatures above 90°F.

Management: Avoid applying these herbicides when temperatures are over 90°F. This may occur during morning or late afternoon hours, when temperature inversions are likely to occur. Herbicides should not be sprayed during inversions, when small spray droplets can become trapped in a layer of cooler air near the earth’s surface.Use larger spray droplets to reduce evaporation, which can be accomplished by reducing spray pressure or increasing nozzle orifice size.

Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or calling 785-628-9430.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657034182219.jpeg" alt="written by: Stacy Campbell - Cottonwood Extension District" />
 <figcaption>written by: Stacy Campbell - Cottonwood Extension District</figcaption>
 </figure>Summer temperatures have arrived, if you are planning herbicide applications, here are some things to consider when applying herbicides during hot weather; provided by Sarah Lancaster, Extension Weed Specialist.Heat or drought stress slows plant growth processes. This is especially important for systemic herbicides such as glyphosate and grass-killing herbicides like clethodim (Select) or quizalofop (Assure). As temperatures increase above 85°F, many plants begin to slow or stop metabolic processes that move herbicides throughout the plant. Notable exceptions to this rule are HPPD-inhibiting herbicides like Callisto or Balance Flexx. Palmer amaranth plants are able to overcome applications of these herbicides when applied at high temperatures (90°F and greater).Management: In general, applying systemic herbicides early in the morning, after plants have had a chance to recover from heat stress, will give the best chance for the herbicide to reach the active site and effectively kill weeds.Leaves change in response to heat. In order to prevent water loss, plant cuticles become waxier in response to heat or drought stress. The greater wax content makes it more difficult for water-based spray solutions to penetrate the plant. In addition, the leaf angle of many plants changes in response to heat or drought stress. Often, this results in less herbicide contacting the leaf surface to enter the plant.Management: Using maximum labeled rates of herbicides and surfactants can help get more spray solution into the plant, increasing effectiveness. Spraying during the cooler parts of the day will reduce the impact of altered leaf angle.Crop response to foliar applied, non-translocated herbicides is greater in hot temperatures. When applied in hot, humid conditions, contact herbicides, such as Cobra, Liberty, or Reflex will likely result in greater foliar injury to crops, but also greater weed control.Management: If possible, postpone application of these herbicides if temperatures are over 90°F. If weed size requires immediate herbicide application, reduce the rate of herbicide and adjuvant, and apply later in the day, when the air temperature will decrease after application.Herbicide volatility increases with high temperatures and low humidity. Herbicides in group four, such as dicamba and 2,4-D are prone to volatility, which means the herbicide becomes a vapor and can move long distances with slight breezes. Volatility of these herbicides increases as temperature rise above 60°F and is greatest at temperatures above 90°F.Management: Avoid applying these herbicides when temperatures are over 90°F. This may occur during morning or late afternoon hours, when temperature inversions are likely to occur. Herbicides should not be sprayed during inversions, when small spray droplets can become trapped in a layer of cooler air near the earth’s surface.Use larger spray droplets to reduce evaporation, which can be accomplished by reducing spray pressure or increasing nozzle orifice size.Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or calling 785-628-9430.

CAMPBELL: Herbicide applications and high temperatures

This is day 16 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association.

Kansas producers are wrapping up their harvest in far western counties, while farmers wait out humidity to continue cutting in the north-central region.

Adrian Polansky has been harvesting since June 28 in Republic County near Cuba, a few days later than normal. Polansky Seed, Inc. has about half their wheat out of the field, and he estimates at least another week left of cutting, depending on rain.

He is happy with this year’s crop, averaging 75 bushels per acre. Polansky is happy with the decision he made in the 1980s to spray fungicide. He notes the practice is paying off with beautiful, picturesque wheat fields.

Varieties planted included Polansky Seed’s Rockstar and Paradise as well as AgriPro/Syngenta’s AP Bigfoot and SY Wolverine. Rockstar is the most popular and is having the best performance this year.

Only two producers have a few more truckloads to deliver and then harvest will be complete around Hill City in Graham County, according to Daryl Popp with Frontier Ag Inc. While harvest went well, acres in the area were down quite a bit, so total bushels taken in were also down substantially.

Popp reported harvest had a wide range between pretty good and pretty poor. Yields ranged from 89 bushels per acre to basically nothing, with most farmers averaging 35 to 45 bushels per acre. Proteins also saw a wide range from eight percent to 15 percent. While the average is sitting around 11 to 11.5 percent, Popp noted the elevator saw a lot more low protein wheat than high protein.

Test weights stayed excellent at 60 to 62 pounds per bushel, with a few loads coming in up to 64 pounds per bushel. Popp said that the main factor influencing the crop’s success or disappointment was rainfall, but crop rotations also played a major role in the crop’s development.

The Kansas wheat harvest is also finishing across the draw area of Skyland Grain, according to Matt Overturf, the executive vice president for grain marketing. Overturf is based in the Johnson location in Stanton County, but Skyland Grain covers a wide swath of the western portion of the state.

With a pretty big draw area, wheat harvest was truly a mixed bag. Overturf noted the southwest corner of Kansas was the worst — only cutting 25 to 30 percent of the crop. Dryland wheat, when not insured out before harvest, only yielded around 15 bushels per acre. It was not a good year for irrigated wheat either in this area with yields averaging between 50 and 60 bushels per acre.

In the northern part of the region, up toward Hamilton and north, dryland yields improved to 30 to 40 bushels per acre. The eastern portion of the draw area near Cunningham only took in two-thirds of a crop, but Overturf said it had excellent quality.

Overall test weights held on throughout rain showers that knocked down the average to 58 pounds per bushel. Before the storms, test weights were averaging 62 to 63 pounds per bushel.

“We can’t complain about the quality across the area,” he said.

Overturf reported the western part of the state normally has some protein and this year’s levels are higher than normal. The wheat didn’t get a lot of help from Mother Nature and some areas west of Stanton County went more than 300 days without a rain event over a quarter of an inch.

Despite the impact of drought, he noted this year’s wheat should be a product that will find an end market from both domestic milling and export destinations.

“The Kansas crop is certainly a smaller crop than normal, but we’re going to have good domestic demand,” he said. “We just need some export demand to go with it.”

The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0014EDTTJVEFe1FivtHFXlRe9zkmOfZVUfvU3xRuddJDzx0fink-byZile7R2QXKDaZ1cQvEmAcWMihOF6KzdvUtki9fGL0_wT43xZZg0NwuUqESLCSQ7sB87eYRlSlEV3ZIyi9aFYRROzViVLOu7XTA6jYcC8BTVan&amp;c=BozVPkIAtDqMWAU0qr19haJHL0cqf79NlFV1CmvY4lD-G_UTb3nrBA==&amp;ch=pPXtqtBFjKqu__MkflKQDBhwhFd8ngIzman2xEvFfLMyn1G_yoY3sQ==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0014EDTTJVEFe1FivtHFXlRe9zkmOfZVUfvU3xRuddJDzx0fink-byZioZt-_-_lkNE6wytm2zXgg4eijGnzEDcfePccZG8G6V2yAWRfpAErdue1HjosJ2s1CWsLAKSYqTg9f0jc7KSljNgpKCJpth0c9X5IZJNnP-d&amp;c=BozVPkIAtDqMWAU0qr19haJHL0cqf79NlFV1CmvY4lD-G_UTb3nrBA==&amp;ch=pPXtqtBFjKqu__MkflKQDBhwhFd8ngIzman2xEvFfLMyn1G_yoY3sQ==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0014EDTTJVEFe1FivtHFXlRe9zkmOfZVUfvU3xRuddJDzx0fink-byZihPPigb2vc5xozC282EXRf_UM2Hkxl6ERecxhI58R1m_bKXo_0oQb5VGp0xl92qHUHr3VYJi7LXtIoSGTHewmj31RLaXItJEwB5OognlpCh6&amp;c=BozVPkIAtDqMWAU0qr19haJHL0cqf79NlFV1CmvY4lD-G_UTb3nrBA==&amp;ch=pPXtqtBFjKqu__MkflKQDBhwhFd8ngIzman2xEvFfLMyn1G_yoY3sQ==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos.

Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657199876090.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This is day 16 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. Kansas producers are wrapping up their harvest in far western counties, while farmers wait out humidity to continue cutting in the north-central region. Adrian Polansky has been harvesting since June 28 in Republic County near Cuba, a few days later than normal. Polansky Seed, Inc. has about half their wheat out of the field, and he estimates at least another week left of cutting, depending on rain. He is happy with this year’s crop, averaging 75 bushels per acre. Polansky is happy with the decision he made in the 1980s to spray fungicide. He notes the practice is paying off with beautiful, picturesque wheat fields. Varieties planted included Polansky Seed’s Rockstar and Paradise as well as AgriPro/Syngenta’s AP Bigfoot and SY Wolverine. Rockstar is the most popular and is having the best performance this year. Only two producers have a few more truckloads to deliver and then harvest will be complete around Hill City in Graham County, according to Daryl Popp with Frontier Ag Inc. While harvest went well, acres in the area were down quite a bit, so total bushels taken in were also down substantially. Popp reported harvest had a wide range between pretty good and pretty poor. Yields ranged from 89 bushels per acre to basically nothing, with most farmers averaging 35 to 45 bushels per acre. Proteins also saw a wide range from eight percent to 15 percent. While the average is sitting around 11 to 11.5 percent, Popp noted the elevator saw a lot more low protein wheat than high protein. Test weights stayed excellent at 60 to 62 pounds per bushel, with a few loads coming in up to 64 pounds per bushel. Popp said that the main factor influencing the crop’s success or disappointment was rainfall, but crop rotations also played a major role in the crop’s development. The Kansas wheat harvest is also finishing across the draw area of Skyland Grain, according to Matt Overturf, the executive vice president for grain marketing. Overturf is based in the Johnson location in Stanton County, but Skyland Grain covers a wide swath of the western portion of the state. With a pretty big draw area, wheat harvest was truly a mixed bag. Overturf noted the southwest corner of Kansas was the worst — only cutting 25 to 30 percent of the crop. Dryland wheat, when not insured out before harvest, only yielded around 15 bushels per acre. It was not a good year for irrigated wheat either in this area with yields averaging between 50 and 60 bushels per acre. In the northern part of the region, up toward Hamilton and north, dryland yields improved to 30 to 40 bushels per acre. The eastern portion of the draw area near Cunningham only took in two-thirds of a crop, but Overturf said it had excellent quality. Overall test weights held on throughout rain showers that knocked down the average to 58 pounds per bushel. Before the storms, test weights were averaging 62 to 63 pounds per bushel. “We can’t complain about the quality across the area,” he said. Overturf reported the western part of the state normally has some protein and this year’s levels are higher than normal. The wheat didn’t get a lot of help from Mother Nature and some areas west of Stanton County went more than 300 days without a rain event over a quarter of an inch. Despite the impact of drought, he noted this year’s wheat should be a product that will find an end market from both domestic milling and export destinations. “The Kansas crop is certainly a smaller crop than normal, but we’re going to have good domestic demand,” he said. “We just need some export demand to go with it.”The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0014EDTTJVEFe1FivtHFXlRe9zkmOfZVUfvU3xRuddJDzx0fink-byZile7R2QXKDaZ1cQvEmAcWMihOF6KzdvUtki9fGL0_wT43xZZg0NwuUqESLCSQ7sB87eYRlSlEV3ZIyi9aFYRROzViVLOu7XTA6jYcC8BTVan&amp;c=BozVPkIAtDqMWAU0qr19haJHL0cqf79NlFV1CmvY4lD-G_UTb3nrBA==&amp;ch=pPXtqtBFjKqu__MkflKQDBhwhFd8ngIzman2xEvFfLMyn1G_yoY3sQ==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0014EDTTJVEFe1FivtHFXlRe9zkmOfZVUfvU3xRuddJDzx0fink-byZioZt-_-_lkNE6wytm2zXgg4eijGnzEDcfePccZG8G6V2yAWRfpAErdue1HjosJ2s1CWsLAKSYqTg9f0jc7KSljNgpKCJpth0c9X5IZJNnP-d&amp;c=BozVPkIAtDqMWAU0qr19haJHL0cqf79NlFV1CmvY4lD-G_UTb3nrBA==&amp;ch=pPXtqtBFjKqu__MkflKQDBhwhFd8ngIzman2xEvFfLMyn1G_yoY3sQ==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0014EDTTJVEFe1FivtHFXlRe9zkmOfZVUfvU3xRuddJDzx0fink-byZihPPigb2vc5xozC282EXRf_UM2Hkxl6ERecxhI58R1m_bKXo_0oQb5VGp0xl92qHUHr3VYJi7LXtIoSGTHewmj31RLaXItJEwB5OognlpCh6&amp;c=BozVPkIAtDqMWAU0qr19haJHL0cqf79NlFV1CmvY4lD-G_UTb3nrBA==&amp;ch=pPXtqtBFjKqu__MkflKQDBhwhFd8ngIzman2xEvFfLMyn1G_yoY3sQ==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos. Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat&nbsp;&nbsp;

Day 16, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

So far there have been few breaks for area first responders in July. After a busy Fourth of July weekend, the Barton County Sheriff's Office spent the early evening hours of Wednesday scoping out severe weather as it moved across the county. 

"We were talking about that last week that we had not been out on a severe weather watch this year," said Sheriff Brian Bellendir. "Sure as heck, it pops up last night. Fortunately, I don't think we have any really serious damage. We have the typical power poles down, trees limbs down, some wind damage to carports and stuff like that. But we did have quite a few power poles down in rural areas by Ellinwood. It was blowing down whole sections of them."

Forecasts for Wednesday indicated only a slight chance of thunderstorms after 4 p.m., though given the high heat and humidity, powerful storms were a possibility. Albert was the first town to report significant weather with rain and hail.

'It was a pretty strange storm," Bellendir said. "We didn't really expect a lot of this to be coming in like it did. It was about 4:30 or 5 when we started seeing things pop up on the radar. It started getting dark out to the west. Myself and the command staff, and just about eveyrbody at the sheriff's office, we started heading out to look at things and keep an eye on it."

Just after 5:30, a storm that had been tracking northwest of Great Bend suddenly veered back over the city. It passed, only for an even scarier storm to pass through at approximately 6:30.

"Those storms moved in all different directions," said Bellendir. "I don't know if they were back building last night, or if it was just a confused state of weather. Typically, when they come in from the southwest they keep going to the northeast."

Just before 6:30, strong winds moved through Ellinwood, prompting local law enforcement to sound the tornado sirens. The storm uprooted trees, took down branches, and knocked down several power poles on the outskirts of town. 

"I believe that was just the front of a storm coming in and they had straight winds," Bellendir said. "It got pretty wild over there for a while."

Bellendir also said the public can listen to severe weather-related traffic on scanners. Several free scanner apps are also available on most phones.

"We do still broadcast our car-to-car traffic and our emergency weather traffic on unencrypted channels so people in the community can listen to us," he said. "If you're listening to us, you'll know as soon as the Weather Service does."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657216676044.jpeg" alt="Ellinwood was hit hardest by Wednesday's round of storms." />
 <figcaption>Ellinwood was hit hardest by Wednesday's round of storms.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostSo far there have been few breaks for area first responders in July. After a busy Fourth of July weekend, the Barton County Sheriff's Office spent the early evening hours of Wednesday scoping out severe weather as it moved across the county. "We were talking about that last week that we had not been out on a severe weather watch this year," said Sheriff Brian Bellendir. "Sure as heck, it pops up last night. Fortunately, I don't think we have any really serious damage. We have the typical power poles down, trees limbs down, some wind damage to carports and stuff like that. But we did have quite a few power poles down in rural areas by Ellinwood. It was blowing down whole sections of them."Forecasts for Wednesday indicated only a slight chance of thunderstorms after 4 p.m., though given the high heat and humidity, powerful storms were a possibility. Albert was the first town to report significant weather with rain and hail.'It was a pretty strange storm," Bellendir said. "We didn't really expect a lot of this to be coming in like it did. It was about 4:30 or 5 when we started seeing things pop up on the radar. It started getting dark out to the west. Myself and the command staff, and just about eveyrbody at the sheriff's office, we started heading out to look at things and keep an eye on it."Just after 5:30, a storm that had been tracking northwest of Great Bend suddenly veered back over the city. It passed, only for an even scarier storm to pass through at approximately 6:30."Those storms moved in all different directions," said Bellendir. "I don't know if they were back building last night, or if it was just a confused state of weather. Typically, when they come in from the southwest they keep going to the northeast."Just before 6:30, strong winds moved through Ellinwood, prompting local law enforcement to sound the tornado sirens. The storm uprooted trees, took down branches, and knocked down several power poles on the outskirts of town. "I believe that was just the front of a storm coming in and they had straight winds," Bellendir said. "It got pretty wild over there for a while."Bellendir also said the public can listen to severe weather-related traffic on scanners. Several free scanner apps are also available on most phones."We do still broadcast our car-to-car traffic and our emergency weather traffic on unencrypted channels so people in the community can listen to us," he said. "If you're listening to us, you'll know as soon as the Weather Service does."

Barton Co. stays busy with first severe weather of the year

United Way of Central Kansas (UWCK) is gearing up for their annual Stuff the Bus initiative, to be held this year on July 20 in Great Bend and Hoisington.

UWCK Community Partners and volunteers will be in Hoisington and Great Bend collecting items for the organization's 22 Community Partners.

What is requested: · School supplies to fill backpacks and stock classrooms · Cleaning supplies · Personal Hygiene products · Infant/Child care basics · Non-perishable snacks/drinks · Senior products · Hoisington Food Bank pantry items

The items requested are used to stock backpacks for students in need, items for the non-food pantry at Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas, toiletry supplies for Family Crisis Center, pantry staples for the Hoisington Food Bank, as well as supplies for the individual agencies to use throughout the year to help keep expenses down. 

School supplies donated will not only support local backpack programs, but also be distributed to the school districts to have additional supplies on hand throughout the year.

If you would like to help Stuff the Bus, come out and see the volunteers on July 20.

· In Great Bend-Wal Mart and both Dillons locations from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

· In Hoisington-Town &amp; Country Supermarket and Dollar General from 8 a.m. -5:30 p.m.

UWCK also encourages businesses to collect items beforehand and deliver them the day of the event for a photo op with the amazing volunteers. 

For more information, follow United Way of Central Kansas on Facebook, check out their website, www.uwck.org, or give them a call at 620-792-2403.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657116331957.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>United Way of Central Kansas (UWCK) is gearing up for their annual Stuff the Bus initiative, to be held this year on July 20 in Great Bend and Hoisington.UWCK Community Partners and volunteers will be in Hoisington and Great Bend collecting items for the organization's 22 Community Partners.What is requested: · School supplies to fill backpacks and stock classrooms · Cleaning supplies · Personal Hygiene products · Infant/Child care basics · Non-perishable snacks/drinks · Senior products · Hoisington Food Bank pantry itemsThe items requested are used to stock backpacks for students in need, items for the non-food pantry at Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas, toiletry supplies for Family Crisis Center, pantry staples for the Hoisington Food Bank, as well as supplies for the individual agencies to use throughout the year to help keep expenses down. School supplies donated will not only support local backpack programs, but also be distributed to the school districts to have additional supplies on hand throughout the year.If you would like to help Stuff the Bus, come out and see the volunteers on July 20.· In Great Bend-Wal Mart and both Dillons locations from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.· In Hoisington-Town &amp; Country Supermarket and Dollar General from 8 a.m. -5:30 p.m.UWCK also encourages businesses to collect items beforehand and deliver them the day of the event for a photo op with the amazing volunteers. For more information, follow United Way of Central Kansas on Facebook, check out their website, www.uwck.org, or give them a call at 620-792-2403.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657116357651.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

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