February 18, 2016

The

Hugoton

Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016 Volume 129, Number 7 22 Pages, 69 Cents Plus Tax Per Copy

Jeff and Diane named 2016 Sweethearts

Hopefully your Valentine's Day was full of hearts and flowers. For a few select couples, their Valentine's Day was made even better Monday after the Sweetheart Sweepstakes drawing. None were more surprised than Sweetheart Sweepstakes winners Jeff and Diane

2016 Conservation Edition Inside

Moscow High School student Vance Thompson places first in Extemporaneous Speaking and fifth in Poetry at the recent Forensics event. He qualified for State in both.

Crawford, who won the drawing at White’s Foodliner and then the big drawing for a $50 Chamber gift certificate. Jeff and Diane will have been married for 36 years this coming June. They have three children: Curtis, married to Toni; Mark, married to Tiffany; and Abby. They also have three granddaughters: Lexi, Chelsea and Jenna.

Other winners included Norman and Doris Weaver at Bultman Tire Center for a $25 gift certificate. Mike and Kathy Willis were drawn for the $20 gift certificate at Bultman, Inc., Wilbur and Julie Kinser won $20 Gas Capital Dollars at Citizens State Bank, and Ronnie and Karen Rich won $25 at First National Bank. Re-

lentless Salon is happy to announce the winner of a free pedicure is Denise Mann.

Thrifty King gave their winners Ezekiel and Yesica Rojas a $25 gift certificate. Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Oguntoye will definitely find something great to spend their $25 Flatlanders gift card on in the store, and Cheryl Cox won't have any trouble finding the perfect item for her $25 gift certificate from Janet's Bridal & Boutique.

Yardmaster's unique Sweetheart gift basket will surely please Arlan and Donna Hanquist, while Country Garden's gift basket will please Duane and Chrissy Topliss. Ryan and Continued to page 3

Walt Beesley will speak at Conservation Banquet Walt Beesley will be the guest speaker at the Stevens County Conservation District’s Sixty-sixth Annual Appreciation Banquet Saturday, February 20 at the Memorial Hall in Hugoton. Join them for dinner, accomplishments, awards, meeting and elections. Hunny’s BBQ will be catering the dinner, courtesy of Citizens State Bank. The banquet is free of charge, but RSVPs are required. Place your reservation today by calling 544-2991 extension 3.

Door prizes will be given away!

Mr. Beesley hails from Hugoton where he is based as a Cargill Ag Mar-

Walt Beesley keting Service (CAMS) personal marketing manager.

Through CAMS, Walt helps producers plan and execute custom - tailored grain - marketing programs. The programs are designed to satisfy specific market information needs,

Eco Devo presents MIH grant check

The Stevens County Economic Development Board met Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at the Senior Center craft room at noon for their regular monthly meeting. Attending the meeting were Stevens County Commissioner Pat Hall, EcoDevo Director Neal Gillespie, EcoDevo board members Joshua Morris, Jack Rowden, Doug Martin, Ray Hoggatt and Curtis Crawford and Hugoton Hermes reporter Ruthie Winget.

Board members Adrian Howie, Jan Leonard, Judy Parsons and Dan Corpening were absent.

Chairman of the Board Curtis Crawford presided.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.

Treasurer Jack Rowden reported, as of January 31, 2016, the checking account balance to be $1,766.93 and the Special Projects balance to be $49,015.48. The board voted to transfer $2,000 from the Special Projects

account to the checking account to pay bills.

After some discussion, the board voted to place a deadline for when the Minnow Tank funds could be distributed. The deadline will be March 31, 2016.

Director Gillespie informed the board Secretary Kay Shurtleff had resigned. The Chamber of Commerce Board has five applications for the job opening that they will go over during their next meeting.

Neal reported the Tourism Board met last week. They recommended to give $1,000 to the Kansas Police Dog Association and to pay $50 for dues to the Wild West Organization. The Hugoton City Council approved these expenditures at their meeting.

Gillespie informed the board the Legislative Updates are planned for February 27, March 19, April 16 and May 21. All will be scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Continued to page 3

taking into account each producer’s risk-tolerance levels and farm business priorities.

Walt is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and he is a member of the National Futures Association. He joined Cargill, an international agricultural and food company, in 1994. Over the years he has held a number of positions including operations and management positions in the company’s flour mills located in California, Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Texas. He moved back to Hugoton in 2004.

A graduate of Hugoton High School, Walt is also a graduate of Kansas State University. His better half is Jennifer, also a native of Hugoton. They have three active daughters: Britta, Jenna and Ella.

Two more file for public office New filings for county positions have been announced.

Vanessa Willis has registered for County Treasurer and Carol Lee Burrows for Commissioner District 3. Remember papers can be picked up and filed at the County Clerk’s office. For more information please call 620-544-2541.

Positions to be voted on include County Clerk, County Treasurer, Register of Deeds, Sheriff, County Attorney, County Commissioner - District 2 and County Commissioner District 3.

Filing deadline is June 1, 2016 at 12:00 noon.

Diane and Jeff Crawford - the 2016 Sweetheart Couple of the year - beam proudly as Brennan White, manager of White’s Foodliner, congratulates the couple as their name was

originally drawn from White’s. After almost 36 years of married bliss - who could be more deserving? Congratulations Diane and Jeff!

Rolla claims State championship Twenty four of the last 25 years, Rolla has taken a Scholars’ Bowl team to State to compete in Class 1A Division II. Rolla’s teams have won State in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2012 and now 2016. The teams have always been winners, just not always taking first place. This year, the Rolla

Pirates were declared the Class 1A-Division II State Scholars’ Bowl Champions at the State tournament at Wilson High School Saturday, February 13. Rolla had a 5-0 record in pool play, decisively defeating teams from Logan, Hutchinson - Central Christian, Axtell, Wallace County (Sharon Springs), and Cunningham.

Posing proudly with their trophy are the 2016 State Champion Rolla High School Scholar’s Bowl team members, Preston Burrows, Henry

The Pirates took first in their pool and advanced to the finals round. Other teams competing in the finals round included Cunningham, Logan, Western Plains (Ransom), Blue Valley (Randolph), and Wilson. Rolla's team had a 4-1 record in the finals round, thus taking the State title. The State runContinued to page 2B

Wiebe, Chandler Burrows, Garry Norton, Allyson Norton and Paige Claassen. Photo courtesy of Becky Sohm

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’ AL-ANON Family Group meets at 1405 Cemetery Road Mondays and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. Call 620544-2610 or 620-544-2854 for more information.

HUGOTON LIONS CLUB meets every Second and Fourth Thursday of the month at Memorial Hall at 7:00 p.m.

HUGOTON MASONIC LODGE #406 AF&AM meets every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. ***Change in Location*** MY HOPE Support Group for any adult grieving the death of a loved one meets the second Tuesday of each month from noon to 1:00 p.m. at High Plains Public Radio, 210 N. Seventh in Garden. Call 620272-2519 for more information.

BREAST FRIENDS CANCER SUPPORT GROUP for breast cancer patients meets the second Wednesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Legacy House, at 309 E. Walnut in Garden City. For more information call 620-272-2360.

Every Sunday - Pioneer Manor Coffee Shop Social Time 3:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to come for Social Time and coffee with residents.

Every Friday - Pioneer Manor Men’s Group 10:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to come for the Men’s Group and drink coffee with residents.

Every fourth Tuesday - Stevens County Health Department is at the Senior Center every fourth Tuesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon to do free blood pressure checks.

Wednesday nights - Inside Out Kids at the Hugoton Assembly of God, 138 S. Main, beginning with dinner at 6:45 p.m. Program will be from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Rides are available by calling Pastor Ben Coats at 620-428-1487 before 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday evenings.

Until March 1 - Dog taxes due and payable at City Office without penalty.

Contact the City at 620-5448531.

February 20 - Stevens County Conservation District’s annual Ranch, Farm and Producers’ banquet and meeting. Make your reservations by calling 620-5442991, extension 3.

February 22 - Meeting for Hugoton Blues, girls’ fastpitch softball team at 6:00 p.m. at the Hugoton Recreation Center. Possible teams include 10U, 12U, 14U and 18U. Contact Coach Mc-

Clure at 785-230-0921 for more information.

February 24 - Early release for USD 210 students at 11:30 a.m.

February 25-26 - No school for USD 210 students due to Parent/ Teacher Conferences.

February 27 - Legislative Update with Senator Larry Powell and Representative Stephen Alford at 3:30 p.m. at the Stevens County Library Meeting Room.

February 28 - Benefit chicken and noodle dinner for Melissa and Earl Dean Peterson from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Memorial Hall in Hugoton. If you are unable to attend but would still like to donate, simply mail a check payable to Pheasant Heaven Charities, Inc. %Yvonne Jackson, Box 372, Hugoton, Ks. 67951.

March 7 - Stevens County Commissioners will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Courthouse.

- Hugoton City Council will meet at 5:15 p.m.

- Stevens County Hospital Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Hospital’s Community Room.

March 8 - Stevens County Economic Development Board will meet at 12:00 noon in the Activity Room at the Senior Center.

- Hugoton Airport Board will meet at 7:00 p.m. at the airport.

- Hugoton Sports Boosters will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the HMS/HHS Link Cafeteria.

March 9 - Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce Board will meet at 12:00 noon.

March 16 - The Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce will host their monthly luncheon.

March 19 - Legislative Update with Senator Larry Powell and Representative Stephen Alford at 3:30 p.m. at the Stevens County Library Meeting Room.

March 21 - Stevens County Commissioners will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Courthouse.

- USD 210 Board of Education will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the HMS Library.

April 4 - Stevens County Commissioners will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Courthouse.

- Stevens County Hospital Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Pioneer Manor Conference Room.

Insight Advocate for agriculture Today, almost half of the state’s 2.9 million people live in five counties. Four are located in eastern Kansas and one in south-central Kansas.

More than 1.4 million Kansans reside in the counties of Douglas (111,000), Johnson (544,000), Leavenworth (76,000), Sedgwick (498,000) and Shawnee (178,000).

This demographic snapshot illustrates how important it is for farmers and ranchers to speak on behalf of agriculture and their rural communities. Urban and suburban residents who are one, two and three generations removed from the farm, continue to become less knowledgeable about agriculture and rural Kansas.

At the same time, they have the numbers and voting clout to impact issues and legislation near and dear to this state’s number one industry.

Every day and every way, more and more of what agriculture is able to accomplish is controlled by those making decisions in Topeka.

Farmers and ranchers must carry the agricultural story to our state’s lawmakers. This dwindling population must talk about the jobs and industries this vital industry provides, the mouths we feed and the natural resources we care for.

Agriculture is essential and farmers and ranchers will strive to keep this legacy alive. Without question, our state’s agriculture faces unique challenges, concerns and experiences that remain difficult to relate to unless we actually discuss and champion them.

The best way for our Topeka lawmakers to understand the concerns of rural Kansans is to tell them our story ourselves. This will help them understand agriculture’s unique view of our great

Page 2

Obituaries Steven “Pink” Pinkham Former Hugoton resident Steven Dean Pinkham passed from this life Monday evening, February 8, 2016 at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver, Co. He was 66.

The son of Robert Pinkham and the former Juanita Boyles, he was born March 4, 1949 at Lyons.

Steven and Jean Ann Beltch were married July 4, 1970 and later divorced.

In 1984 Steven and Judith “BJ” Pinkham were married

at Hugoton. She preceded him in death April 16, 2015.

Steven was also preceded in death by his parents; son Troy Dean Pinkham; and daughter Valerie Nicole Lantzy.

Survivors include three sons, Ryan Pinkham of Goodland, Randy Rhoads of Greensburg, Pa. and Anthony Gemelli of Edmond, Ok.; his four grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were attended Tuesday, February 16 at the First Christian Church in Hugoton with Pastor Heath Kelley presiding.

Burial followed in Hugoton Cemetery. Paul’s – Robson Funeral Home of Hugoton was in charge of the arrangements.

A memorial has been established for Special Olympics. Memorials may be mailed to Paul’s – Robson Funeral Home, PO Box 236, Hugoton, Ks. 67951.

Virginia Jackson Friends and family gathered over the weekend to remember Virginia Dell Jackson, age 91, who passed away Monday, February 8, 2016 at her residence in Liberal.

Born September 30, 1924 in Rose, Ok., she was the daughter of Mark Hanna and the former Nora Lee Marshall.

Virginia graduated from Locust Grove, Ok. High School in 1942. She was a longtime resident of Liberal and a homemaker.

November 6, 1943 she married Johnny A. Jackson at Dalhart, Tx. He preceded her in death June 24, 1996.

Virginia loved her church, family and friends. She was a member of New Beginnings Church, formerly the first Assembly of God Church.

By John Schlageck, Senior Editor/Writer, Kansas Farm Bureau

state.

Organizations like Farm Bureau help farmer rancher members advocate in the legislature by providing tools to tell this story. This list includes action alerts, spokesperson training and assistance in writing testimony to share individual farm stories.

Kansas farmers and ranchers must also cultivate a first-name relationship with their legislators. Making such connections can make a difference.

With the internet and the many forms of social media, ag producers can advocate in their shops, tractors, kitchen table over a cup of coffee – almost anywhere they have internet access. It’s important to respond when your commodity group or general farm organization sends out an action request.

Never underestimate the importance of a short note, phone call or a personal visit. Find out how your legislators like to communicate and follow up.

In addition to urging lawmakers to oppose or support a bill, remember to write or e-mail thank you notes when they do a good job for agriculture.

This state’s farmers and ranchers know others in the ag industry from all corners of Kansas. All of them share a passion for agriculture that most outside this industry can only imagine. They truly care about the sustainability of their vocation and rural communities and want to see them thrive.

John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.

Survivors include her two sons, Gary Wayne Jackson and wife Linda of Amarillo, Tx. and Stacey Alan Jackson of Liberal; her brother Frank Hanna and wife Shirley of Liberal; sister Mary J. Weaver and husband Henry of Rose, Ok.; her six grandchildren, Shane Jackson, Anthony Jackson, Chad Jackson, Tye Jackson, Devan Higgins and Andrea Ferguson; and ten great grandchildren, Zane Jackson, Shelby Jackson, Presley Jackson, Blakeley Jackson, Chandler Jackson, Braydon Jackson, Gavin Jackson, Cora Jackson, Charleigh Holloway and Tristen Loeffler.

Mrs. Jackson was preceded in death by her parents; son Ronald Lee Jackson; two sisters; and two brothers.

Funeral services were attended Friday morning, February 12 at the New Beginnings Church with Pastor Richard Martin presiding.

Burial followed in the Liberal Cemetery under the direction of Brenneman Funeral Home of Liberal. contributions Memorial may be sent to New Beginnings Church in care of the Brenneman Funeral Home, 1212 West Second, Liberal, Ks 67901.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.brenne manfuneralhome.com.

Cecil Simpson, Jr. The death of Cecil R. Simpson, Jr. of Ulysses is being mourned. Mr. Simpson passed from this life Saturday, February 13, 2016 at Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses at the age of 65.

Born August 10, 1950 in Garden City, he was the son of Cecil R. Simpson Sr. and the former Lorraine B. Lozar.

Cecil was a lifetime resident of Ulysses, graduating from Grant County Rural High School.

April 20, 1990 Cecil married Sharon Peverley in Breckenridge, Co. The owner of Simpson Construction, Cecil enjoyed

Betty Giles Death has claimed the life of Betty Jo Giles. Mrs. Giles, 83, passed from this life Monday evening, February 8, 2016 at Satanta Long Term Care Unit.

The daughter of Joseph Littlejohn and the former Piney Jones, she was born November 26, 1932 at Stilwell, Ok. December 30, 1949, Betty and Clyde Giles were married in Ulysses.

Survivors include her husband Clyde Giles of Satanta; three daughters, Leah Galbraith, Susan Grant and Stephanie Giles-Nimz all of Satanta; stepson Clyde David Giles of Breckenridge, Tx; her four grandchildren;

13 great grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

Mrs. Giles was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Bill, Doc and Jack Littlejohn; and sister Mary Ann Simmons.

Graveside services were attended Friday afternoon, February 12 at Dudley Township Cemetery of Satanta.

Paul's-Robson Funeral Home of Satanta was in charge of arrangements.

A memorial has been established for The Family.

Memorials may be mailed to Paul's-Robson Funeral Home, PO Box 747, Satanta, Ks 67870.

Allen Duncan The death of Allen B. Duncan, Jr. of Liberal has been learned. Mr. Duncan passed away Thursday, February 11, 2016 at his residence in Liberal. He was 58.

Nga Nyugen Word has been received of the death of Nga Nguyen, 47, of Liberal. Nga passed from this life Friday, February 12, 2016 at St. Francis Via Christ Hospital at Wichita.

She was born July 18, 1968 to Binh and Men Nguyen at Vietnam.

March 8, 2015 she married Tuan Duc Hoang in Vietnam, moving to Liberal November 16, 2015.

Nga enjoyed sewing and gardening, She was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church of Liberal.

Survivors include her loving husband Tuan Hoang of Liberal; her parents Binh and Men Nguyen of Vietnam; two sons, Phi Nguyen and Luan Nguyen of Vietnam; two stepsons, Triet Hoang and Linh Hoang of Liberal; and stepdaughter Cindy Hoang of Liberal.

Funeral Mass took place Wednesday, February 17 at Miller Mortuary Chapel with Fr. James Dieker officiating.

Cremation will follow the service.

Friends may send condolences to the family at www.millermortuary.net.

deer and elk hunting, fishing, and was an Oklahoma University fan. He served with the Grant County Cemetery Board, City of Ulysses Planning and Zoning Board, and ran chains at the high school football games. Cecil enjoyed taking his grandkids on vacation trips to Colorado.

Survivors include his wife Sharon of their home; son Andy Simpson and wife Cesha of Ulysses; daughters, Misty Andres and husband Brian of Smyrna, Tn. and Amy Jasnoski and husband Jason of Wichita; his brother Harold “Dude” Simpson of Meade; and eight grandchildren.

Cecil is preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral service took place Tuesday, February 16 at Shelton Memorial Christian Church in Ulysses with Reverend Kelly Gindlesberger officiating.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Historic Adobe Museum in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave, Ulysses, Ks. 67880.

Born October 24, 1957 in Dixon, Ca., Allen was the son of Allen Duncan and the former Patty Ella Gentry. He graduated from Princeton Community High School in Princeton, In. Allen worked for Cargill for many years while living in, Kansas City from 1980 to 1984; in Houston, Tx. from 1984 to 1989; in Plainview, Tx. from 1989 to 1991; and in Liberal from 1991. He had been currently working as a sales rep for Southern Office Supply in Liberal.

Mr. Duncan was a member of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Liberal.

Allen had a love for the outdoors and enjoyed fishing, hunting, golfing and gardening. He also liked

watching sports and was an avid San Francisco Giants fan. He had been an umpire and referee for many years in Liberal, officiating many kids sports.

June 28, 1981 Allen married Nancy Lamey in Haubstadt, In. She survives.

Other survivors include daughter Erin Baehler and husband Peter Aberdeen of South Dakota; son Jared Duncan of Seattle, Wa.; and two sisters, K. Sue Duncan of Concord, Ca. and Cindy Duncan of Dixon, Ca. Allen is preceded in death by his parents.

Memorial Mass took place Tuesday, February 16 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church with Fr. Jim Dieker presiding. Vigil and rosary were Monday, February 15 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. A celebration of life and a time of fellowship took place Tuesday, February 16 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Other celebrations of his life are planned in California and Indiana at a later date.

In lieu of flowers and plants, memorial contributions may be sent to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church or St. Catherine Hospice in care of Brenneman Funeral Home, 1212 W. Second, Liberal, Ks. 67901.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.brenne manfuneralhome.com.

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 3

Airport Board discusses self-serve dispenser

Stevens County Economic Development Director Neal Gillespie hands a check to Richard Rome in payment of the Moderate Income Housing grant. Left to right are Caleb Gifford,

Cody Frederick, Director Neal Gillespie, Richard Rome and EcoDevo board member Judy Parsons. Rome Construction has completed the first unit of the new triplex.

EcoDevo Continued from page 1 The EcoDevo Board voted to co-sponsor these Updates with Stevens County Farm Bureau.

Neal reported 19 tags were brought in for the Rooster Roundup. EcoDevo paid $10 for each tag. Then the drawing winner was Doyle Adams of Hugoton who was awarded $500 in Chamber Bucks.

The board will soon be receiving information concerning the Strategic Planning from Liz Sosa, according to Neal.

Director Gillespie stated he has received the grant money for the Moderate Income Housing for Richard Rome’s first unit that he completed. The check will be delivered to Rome Construc-

Sweethearts Continued from page 1 Vanessa Heger will easily come up with something great to buy with their $25 Creative Specialties gift certificate. Rusty and Nicole Crites will certainly enjoy the ambiance in their home from the inspirational light box they won at Hugoton Drug.

Jet Drive In will host Paul and Shannon Nordyke for two free dinners and drinks, and Nieto's Cafe will give David and Brenda Eckert two combination plates and drinks. Dinner is on Pizza Hut for their winners of a large pizza, Pat and LaDonna Hall. Steve and Tammie Peterson can enjoy a relaxing evening at home with their "movie night" courtesy of Showplace Video, complete with two rentals, two drinks and a large buttered popcorn to share.

Congratulations to all the happy couples, and happy Valentine's Day!

tion this week.

The meeting adjourned.

The next EcoDevo meeting

Weight loss support group announces meetings A weight loss surgery support group will meet monthly in Hugoton, beginning Tuesday, February 23, 2016.

Meetings will be the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. They will take place at the Hugoton Recreation Commission Bob Sosa building at Third and Madison in the ceramics room. The group is open to anyone conweight loss templating surgery, already enrolled in a weight loss surgery program, or post-op from any type of weight loss surgery.

Ranelle Carter will be the facilitator of the group and will present specific topics of discussion each session. This group will serve as a means of support, accountability, motivation, encouragement,

healthy meal ideas, cooking tips, and much more throughout your journey.

Eating healthy, exercise and lifestyle changes will be the focus of the discussion to improve overall health and well-being. The group is not affiliated with any advertised weight-loss program or exercise regimen. It is about creating healthy habits, structured nutrition and losing weight through eating right and exercise.

Todd Gayer and the Hugoton Recreation Commission are appreciated for allowing these meetings at Hugoton’s nice facility.

If there are any questions or further information is needed, please contact Ranelle at 620-544-1853.

Grant County Republican Chairman Stephen Alford announced the March 5, 2016 Republican Presidential Caucus for Grant County will take place in conjuction with the Stevens County caucus.

Stevens and Grant Counties Chairmen Erick Nordling and Stephen Alford report this year’s Kansas’ Caucus will play a major role in the presidential selection process. By all accounts the race will stay competitive for some time, and Kansas’ Caucus is the first event after the first “Super Tuesday” March 1, and before the second “Super Tuesday” March 15.

The Caucus gives all registered Republicans the opportunity to cast their ballot for the Republican Presidental nominee of their choice and help detemine which candidate receives the votes of

Kansas’ 40 delegates at the Republican National Convention.

The Caucus is free, fast and open to all registered Republican voters in Kansas.

The Grant and Stevens Counties Caucus will be at the Grant County Library, 215 E. Grant Avenue, Ulysses. The doors will open for check-in at 9:00 a.m., the voting process will begin at 10:00 a.m. and close by 2:00 p.m.

In order to participate in the caucus, participants must be registered as a Republican by February 4, 2016 and must provide a photo ID at the caucus location. The caucus process is free, fast and simple. After checking in, voters may hear short presentations by representatives of each candidate and then receive a ballot to vote.

Additional information such as frequently asked questions and all caucus locations can be found at www.kansas.gop.

Stevens County Republican Caucus is at Ulysses March 5

HUGOTON POLICE REPORT Business Hours, Call 544-4959 After Hours, Call 544-2020 Monday, February 8, 2016 • Fire Alarm, 1000 Block of South Jackson, False Alarm, Officer Fedelin • Dog at Large, 1000 Block of Monroe, Dog Impounded, Officer Fedelin • Vehicle Unlock, 900 Block of Jefferson, Citizen Assist, Officer Fedelin • Vehicle Unlock, 1600 Block of South Monroe, Citizen Assist, Officer Hagman • Loud Music, 1400 Block of South Monroe, Advised Them to Turn It Down, Officer Hagman Tuesday, February 9, 2016 • Vehicle Unlock, 900 Block of South Coulter, Citizen Assist, Officer Fedelin • Child in Traffic, 900 Block of South Main, Mother Picked Him Up, Officer Fedelin Wednesday, February 10, 2016 • Suspicious Subject, 500 Block of South Jackson, Extra Patrol, Officer Lamatsch Thursday, February 11, 2016 • Medical Assist, 700 Block of South Jackson, Public Service, Officer Lamatsch Saturday, February 13, 2016 * Vehicle Unlock, 900 Block of South

will be March 8, 2016 at 12:00 noon in the craft room of the Senior Center.

Coulter, Citizen Assist, Officer Fedelin • RP of Lost Purse, 400 Block of East Fourth, Purse Found, Officer Fedelin • Vehicle Unlock, 200 Block of North Jackson, Officer Fedelin • Vehicle Unlock, 1700 Block of South Main, Citizen Assist, Officer Fedelin • Vehicle Unlock, 200 Block of South Washington, Citizen Assist, Officer Hagman • Vehicle Unlock, 1000 Block of East Eleventh, Citizen Assist, Officer Hagman Sunday, February 14, 2016 • Vehicle Unlock, Gone on Arrival, Officer Crane • Loud Music, 700 Block of East Third, Advised to Turn It Down, Officer Crane • Damage to Property, 500 Block of South Jackson, Took Report, Officer Fedelin • Theft, 400 Block of East Fourth, Took Report, Officer Fedelin • Public Service Message, 1100 Block of South Washington, Public Service, Officer Fedelin

Get a subscription to

Only $30.00 local (Hugoton, Moscow, Rolla, Ulysses, Johnson, Liberal, Elkhart, Richfield)

$35.00 all other addresses

The Hugoton Airport Board met at the airport meeting room for their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, February 9, 2016. Present at the meeting were board members Jeff Crawford, Robert Davis, Dell Cullison, Josh Jorde and Dax Gaskill. Also attending the meeting were Manager Gary Porter, Secretary Risa Meyer and Hugoton Hermes reporter Ruthie Winget.

Robert Davis presided.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The board reviewed the financial report and voted to pay the bills.

The board members visited with Kirkham Michael engineer Eric Johnson by way of a conference call.

Johnson reported Manager Porter recently contacted Kirkham Michael because the airport wants to upgrade the JetA fuel by installing a self-serve dispenser. Eric stated he knew of a company that sells and installs this type of equipment. He will be working closely with this company to make this happen as efficiently as possible. Eric will get a bid for this equipment from the company.

Johnson stated he has been working with FAA concerning the land aquisition project. They are mainly waiting for the title search.

Eric reported the contractor is about ready to repair the spalled concrete from the taxiway project.

The engineer reported the next project will be replacing select panels on the main runway. This will be paid using the remaining grant funds from KDOT. Manager Porter began his report. Hancock Electric came out and disconnected the electricity to the REIL’s (Runway End Identifier Lights). Porter removed them from the property and put them in storage. FAA was notified and they will update the master record for Hugoton Airport showing the removal.

An electrician from Hooker, Ok. came out to

Rentals go FAST in

The Hermes Classifieds

troubleshoot the taxiway lights. He replaced one of the main fuses located in the control box.

Gary reported the airport still has not received signed contracts from some of the hangar leases.

Porter informed the boardmembers he is still seeking

bids to have the area around the new hangar door painted.

After going into an Executive Session, the meeting adjourned.

The Airport board’s next meeting will be March 8, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the airport meeting room.

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Legislative Update With Senator Larry Powell and Representative Stephen Alford

Saturday, February 27, at 3:30 p.m. at the Stevens County Library Meeting Room Co-Sponsored by

Stevens County Economic Development Board

Stevens County Farm Bureau Association

Call 544- 4321 or email hermesma@pld.com to place your

and the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce and their Gold Members

ad today!

This is the first of four legislative updates scheduled this session.

Future dates: March 19, April 16 & May 21 - same time and location.

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 4

Look who’s new Christina and Nathan Williams welcome their fourth son Keaton Jack Williams joined the Williams family January 22, 2016 at 9:15 a.m. He weighed in at seven pounds 13 ounces and was 20 inches long.

To welcome Keaton home were his brothers Hunter, Cecil and Lucas.

Parents Christina and Nathan are going to have their hands full.

The happy grandparents are Phillip and Vanessa Willis, Max and Jackie Williams and Gale and Nadine Overbay.

Great grandparents are Lillie Willis, Kathryn Barber and Norma Overbay.

Carol Swinney presides at “Hollywood comes to Hugoton”, sponsored Saturday by the Preceptor Delta Lambda Chapter of Hugoton’s Beta Sigma Phi. Lolli & Dauts, Janet’s Bridal & Bou-

School Board discusses Teacher of the Year and “Call A Doc” Keaton Jack Williams

Time...Keeps On Ticking But Our Deadline Is Always The Same!

12

Monday 5:00 p.m.

3

9

The Hugoton Hermes 620-544-4321

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The Hugoton USD 210 Board of Education met Monday, February 15. Members present were Matt Mills, Todd Gayer, Stephanie Heger, Mike Persinger, Dettra Crawford and Paula Rowden.

Barry Hittle was absent. Also present were Adrian Howie, Traci Shields, Davonna Daharsh, Tiffany Boxum, Elise Heger, Stuart Scott, Lance Custer, Jan Kilbourne, Larry Lyder, John Girodat, Chelle Leininger, Chrissy Lacey, Alexa Beltz, Daniel Don Juan, Abby Tinoco and Kay McDaniels.

Elise Heger spoke to the board about the USD 210 Kansas Teacher of the Year program. Former Teachers of the Year Chelle Leininger 2010, Chrissy Lacey 2011 and Alexa Beltz 2015 talked to the board about what it meant to be chosen as Teacher of the Year.

To nominate a teacher, write an email explaining why

Citizens State Bank 601 S. Main - Hugoton

PAUL'S FUNERAL HOME David & Brandy Robson

314 S. Van Buren 544-4122

Pyramid Agency, Inc.

You are invited to join the residents and staff for Sunday afternoon worship beginning at 3 p.m. at Pioneer Manor.

521 S. Main - Hugoton

Faith Publishing LLC 522 S. Main 620-544-4321

AGAPE CHURCH OF HUGOTON 409 East Ninth, Hugoton Sunday – 10:30 a.m.

428-1135

ASSEMBLY OF GOD Main and Second Street 544-2773 Ben Coats, Pastor Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship - 10:45 a.m.

Life Groups Sunday Nights - 6:00 p.m.

Inside Out Kids Wed. - 6:30 p.m.

Student Ministry @ The Turnaround Wed. 7:00 p.m.

BETHEL FRIENDS CHURCH 11th & Jefferson - 544-8517 Roy Bogan, Pastor Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Morning Service - 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday Evening Ministries - 6:30 p.m.

(Children, Youth, & Adult)

CHURCH OF CHRIST 1045 S. Van Buren Church: 544-2825 Home: 453-0965 Lee Rottman 1041 S. Van Buren Wednesday - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Evening Service - 6:00 p.m.

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS 520 E. First 544-2125 Sacrament - 9:00 a.m.

Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Priesthood - 11:00 a.m.

CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 500 S. Van Buren 544-2493 Pastor Dave Piper Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.

Morning Worship - 10:45 a.m.

Evening Services - 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Study - 7:00 p.m.

FAITH CHAPEL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST Tenth and Jefferson Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Bible Band (Tuesday) - 6:00 p.m.

Home and Forn. Miss. (Friday) - 6:00 p.m.

Youth - 6:00 p.m.

Bible Study - 7:00 p.m.

FAITH LUTHERAN Tenth and Adams 544-2092 Kurt Hering, Pastor Morning Worship - 9:00 a.m.

tique, Importaciones Valles and Elegant Exchange by LCL, all of Hugoton, featured these lovely outfits adourning the beautiful - and handsome - models.

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 600 S. Van Buren - 544-2715 Pastor Heath Kelley Sunday School - 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Fellowship - 10:15 - 10:30 a.m.

Worship Hour - 10:30 - 12:00 Children's Church, 10:30 a.m.

Jr. High Youth Group, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group, 7:45-9:00 p.m.

Information on small groups call 544-2715

FIRST CHURCH OF GOD 801 W. City Limits 544-2652 Israel Franco, Pastor Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship - 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday Evening Service - 6:30 p.m.

Call 544-2652 for Church Bus

TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH 544-2355 516 N.E. Avenue Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service - 10:45 a.m.

Rev. Larry Bradford, Interim Pastor 544-9492 or 598-2400 YOU ARE WELCOME!

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 828 S. Main Hugoton 544-8715 Reverend Rebecca Davison, Pastor Wednesday Praise! Kids - 3:45 p.m.

Wednesday Jr. High Youth Fellowship - 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday Sr. High Youth Fellowship - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.

Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m.

HugotonUMC.com

HUGOTON BAPTIST CHURCH Eighth and Main 544-2210 506 East Eighth - 544-2295 Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship - 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study - 6:30 p.m.

LONE STAR FRIENDS CHURCH 14 Miles East of Hugoton on Highway 51 Church 624-3784 Home 624-3104 Pastor Gary Damron Sunday School - 9:45 a.m.

Contemporary Worship Celebration - 10:45 a.m.

Jr. High & Sr. High Youth Group - Sunday 6:30 p.m.

Sunday Evening Fellowship - 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Evening Adult Study - 6:30 p.m.

Prayer Meeting Wednesday - 8:00 p.m.

Christian Life Club (age 2 - 18) - 6:30 p.m.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE A Full Gospel Church 207 East 6th - Hugoton Pam Peachey, Pastor 544-2436 Services Sundays 10:30 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

PRIMERO BAUTISTA IGLESIA HISPANO Congregación 618 Main sur - Hugoton 620-370-1003 Pastor Marcelino Auila Servicio de la Iglesia 11:00 a.m. - Domingo 7:00 p.m. - Miércoles

RIVER OF LIFE CHURCH (formerly Lighthouse Fellowship) 424 S. Jackson 544-4828 Don Quattlebum, Pastor Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Church - 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday - 7:00 p.m.

SOVEREIGN REDEEMER CHURCH Pastor - Eric Mason Sunday School - 9:00 a.m.

Coffee/Fellowship - 10:00 a.m.

Morning Worship - 10:30 a.m.

620-544-6386 www.sovereignredeemerchurch.org

ST. HELEN CATHOLIC CHURCH

MOSCOW MOSCOW BAPTIST CHURCH 598-2455 Church 1 mile S. of Moscow, 1/2 mile E. of Moscow/Hooker Rd. Morning Worship - 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study - 7:00 p.m.

Team Kids (Wed.) - 3:30-5:00p.m. Sept.-May Pastor Sean Schraeder

MOSCOW UNITED METHODIST 598-2426 Tim McCrary, Pastor 598-2421 Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Kid’s Club - Wednesday 3:30 p.m.

UMYF Jr. High - 6:00 p.m.

UMYF Sr. High - 5:00 p.m.

ROLLA EMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH 202 Monroe St. - Rolla, Ks. 67954 Henry McGuire, Pastor 593-4693 Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Sunday Evening Service - 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Evening, AWANA’s - 6:45 p.m.

ROLLA PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH Corner of Third and Adams, Rolla Marcus Light, Pastor Church - 593-4626, Parsonage - 593-4796 Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday night meal - 6:00 p.m.

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ROLLA - RICHFIELD 593-4596 or 593-4781 Buzz Lambrecht, Pastor Rolla Morning Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School - 10:00 a.m.

Youth Groups - 5:00 p.m.

Richfield Morning Worship - 9:15 a.m.

Sunday School - 10:30 a.m.

you feel the teacher should be nominated by February 22, 2016 to arlet.estrada @usd210.org. Criteria for nominating a teacher for Teacher of the Year: they must be a licensed teacher with three years teaching experience and have the respect and admiration of the students and colleagues.

USD 210 has had one state teacher of the year in 1993, and she was Carol Swinney.

A Teacher of the Year can be invited to join Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) which is comprised of individuals from the Kansas Teacher of the Year program, Milken Foundation Educators Awards Program, Presidential Awards in Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, Kansas Horizon Award Program and Nationally Board Certified Teachers.

The HHS Digital Media Class presented some of the work the class has been doing so far this year. Students Daniel DonJuan, Abby Tinoco, Luis Contreras and teacher Mrs. Susan Carey each talked about the process they used to develop the presentation they gave to the board.

Superintendent Adrian Howie updated the board on the Health Insurance Fund.

The number of claims processed so far this year has been significantly higher than the last two years. Currently 156 employees take advantage of the health insurance through the school district.

Mr. Howie also talked about the possibility of using “Call a Doc”. It provides health care by calling a number and talking to a doctor.

The company says 70% of all doctor’s visits are unnecessary and can be treated with a phone consultation. Mr.

Howie is trying to find a way to reduce medical costs and increase employee productivity. Through this company you would telephone a doctor who is available for consultation 24 hours a day seven days per week. This could be the perfect plan when a traditional doctor is not available to handle non-emergency medical needs. This is a membership piece and is a supplement to insurance.

Members call the toll free number, and within 15 minutes to an hour a doctor would call back. The doctor can even call in a prescription to your pharmacy.

Superintendent Howie also updated the board about how the Food Service is doing. The district is serving more breakfasts this year compared to last year and is staying about the same for lunches.

High Plains Educational Cooperative Report was given

by Paula Rowden. She said the board will meet this Thursday.

The KASB Recommended Policy Updates were reviewed.

Superintendent Howie talked about using Online Enrollment and Online Payment and what the options

could be. Some of the benefits would be no long lines during enrollment, parents could go online to update their personal information, go online to pay fees, and with no long enrollment day it could save the districts money. He discussed with the board about setting a one time convenience fee for use of the online payments.

Mr. Howie informed the board of the meeting February 24 at Marysville for the Coalition Innovation School district he would be attending.

Mr. Howie talked about the bills in the Senate and the impact to the district.

Senate bills discussed were Bill 7, Bill 2504, Bill 2457, and Bill 2468. See bills at kslegislature.org.

The motion to set online payment convenience fee at $2.50 was approved.

The board voted to extend the contracts for Technology Director and Curriculum Director for the 2016-2017 school year.

The motion to extend the contract of the Superintendent through the 2017-2018 school year was approved.

The meeting adjourned.

Jeanine Powelson is displaying some of her oil paintings at the Stevens County Library. The one above is titled Wine and Roses.

The Hugoton Hermes (USPS 253-820) 522 S. Main Hugoton, KS 67951 - 620-544-4321 Owner/Operator Faith Publishing LLC RoGlenda Coulter, Kay McDaniels and Ruthie Winget RoGlenda Coulter, Bookkeeper/ Classifieds/Obituaries Kay McDaniels, Advertising/ Circulation/Layout Ruthie Winget, Composition/Layout/Advertising

Marie Austin, Asst. Composition Gregg Tanner, Sports Toni Hamlin, Asst. Mailing Louressa Gill, Asst. Mailing Phoebe Brummett, Rolla Correspondent Judy Hickert, Moscow Correspondent Ads email: hermes10@pld.com Obituaries email: hermesro@pld.com Subscriptions $30.00 (including Kansas State Sales Tax) for Stevens and adjoining Kansas Counties, $35.00 elsewhere in state (including Kansas State Sales Tax), and for all out of state subscriptions. Online subscriptions are $25.00 a year. Online and printed subscriptions combined are $10.00 plus the cost of the subscription. Foreign Subscription Rate $40.00. School Subscriptions and Military Personnel $25.00 (including Kansas State Sales Tax) payable in advance. Advertising Rates Noncommissionable $5.00 per column inch, Commissionable Rates $6.25 per column inch, Classified $5.00 per column inch.

Frequency is weekly every Thursday. Periodicals Postage paid at Hugoton, Ks. 67951. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Hugoton Hermes at 522 S. Main, Hugoton, Kansas 67951.

Nancy Levings is displaying her colored pen - Cat with Red Collar - at the Stevens County Library.

Opinion Page Our opinion page is open to the public. We encourage comments from readers in the form of letters to the editor or guest columns. All letters must be signed and must include the address and telephone number of the sender. (names will be published but not address & phone#) Letters should be no more than 300 words. No libelous or offensive letter will be published. The guest column or letter to the editor does not reflect the opinion of this newspaper or its representatives.

1011 South Jefferson Street 544-2551 Sunday - 11:00 a.m. English Mass - 1:00 p.m. - Spanish Mass

Member 2016

LouAnn Cavner shows her talent at the SCL with this mixed media display titled Double Take.

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 5

Hugoton CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Lisa Fehr is Heritage Christian Academy's Student of the Month. Lisa is a sixth grader and is the daughter of Jacob and Eva Fehr.

The Chamber has just scheduled the dates for this year’s Legislative Coffees. This year’s dates are February 27, March 19, April 16 and May 21.

All of these coffees will be at 3:30 p.m. at the Stevens County Library Meeting Room.

Senator Larry Powell and Representative Stephen Alford are scheduled to attend. The public is invited to attend to find out what is happening this year in the Kansas Legislature. These events are co-sponsored by Stevens County Economic Development, Stevens County Farm Bureau Association and the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce and our Gold Mem-

bers.

Time is running out! It is again time to think about the accomplishments and selfless acts of many individuals in Stevens County. In an effort to acknowledge these individuals, the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce would like to invite the citizens of Stevens County to make nominations for Citizen of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards for 2015.

These awards will be presented to the honored recipients at the Chamber’s Annual Banquet in April 2016. Anyone who is a resident of Stevens County can make a nomination for either of these two awards. Nomination

forms are available at the Chamber office or you can download the form from the Economic Development/Chamber Web site at stevenscounty ks.com. Return your nomination forms to the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce. You can bring them in to the office, mail them to 630 S. Main St., Hugoton, Ks. 67951 or email them to hugoton chamber@gmail.com.

There are so many people in our community who think of others before themselves. If you know someone like this, be sure to nominate them for one of these awards! Nominations must be received in the Chamber office

500 Monroe Hugoton, Ks. 67951-2639 Phone: 620.544.2301 • Fax: 620.544.2322 Email: svcolib@pld.com I LOVE THE LIBRARY BECAUSE… This month the library is asking our patrons why they love the library. We invite you to fill out one of our paper hearts with what the library means to you. You needn’t sign your name.

We’ll hang it up and you’ll receive a library button! You can read why our patrons love the library in the front hallway.

HOW MUCH DO YOU SAVE? How much do you save when you use your library card for books, videos, computer, and WiFi instead of purchasing it? There is an app for that! Well, a link, anyway. Go to https://en gagedpatrons.org/samples/ LibraryUseValueCalculator.cf m and fill out the online form to see how much YOU saved.

You might be surprised.

(Then you can email it to us so we know how much you saved.)

Send it to library@stevenscounty library.com.

LIBRARY HOURS CHANGE Stevens County Library hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00

p.m. Monday through Saturday. We will remain open during the lunch hour for the convenience of our patrons.

The book drop at the front of the building is available 24 hours a day for returns of any type of material.

LOCAL ARTISTS’ EXHIBITION The Local Artists’ Exhibition is now open. You may view the exhibit during library hours until February 26 when the meeting room is not in use. Come in and see some of our talented local artists’ work.

ADULT WINTER READING PROGRAM The adult winter reading program “Fire It Up” will be over in a month. The program will run through Saturday, March 19. It’s so simple to participate - register today and begin reading. Turn in what you have read for prizes! Prizes will be awarded weekly. Winners’ names and the prizes they selected will be posted on the library’s Facebook page. Check it out at www.facebook.com/ StevensCountyLibrary!

“Paisley Cat” by Stacey Strickland Ceramic Glaze; “Untitled” Ty Austin Mixed Media; “Untitled” Leslie Avila, Mixed Media; and “Un-

titled” by Karina Rodriguez, Mixed Media. See these great sculptures and more locally-created art at the Stevens County Library this month!

by Tuesday, March 1, 2016, to be considered. No anonymous nominations will be accepted.

Shop STEVENS COUNTY First! The Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce is here for YOU!

Local sorority offers scholarship The Beta Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, a professional women's educational group, is offering a scholarship to a current college junior or senior woman majoring in the field of education.

The recipient must be a resident of Morton or Stevens County, Kansas. The application must be returned to a Delta Kappa Gamma member on or before March 1, 2016.

Application information is available from Teresa Smith at Elkhart High School, Susan Carey at Hugoton High School, and Winnie Hagenah at Hugoton High School.

The scholarship recipient will be asked to attend the April meeting to receive the scholarship.

we make it easy to Use Your Time Wisely Whether you’re catching up on events, sports and local news or planning your weekend, the time you spend reading the newspaper is quality time that enriches your life with knowledge, news, humor, value, insights, fresh perspectives and much, much more.

Break Time

Morning Time

Commute Time

Me Time Quintin and Benjamin have experienced 600 books in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge at the Stevens County Library. Great job, Quintin and Benjamin!

…And Right Now Is the Perfect Time to Subscribe!

SUBSCRIPTION FORM DATE________________ NAME__________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS_______________________________________________________________ CITY, STATE, & ZIP CODE __________________________________________________ Check One and Enclose Proper Amount for One Year to Three Years

In-County and Adjoining Counties 1 yr. $30 o 2 yr. $57 o 3 yr. $85 o Non-Local KS, Adjoining States and Other States 1 yr. $35 o 2 yr. $65 o 3 yr. $97 o Sales Tax is Included In All of the Above

o

o

Also Indicate Whether New Renewal Adding To Current Picks up in Hermes office

Kasen has experienced 800 books in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge at the Stevens County Library. Way to go, Kasen!

522 S. Main • Hugoton, KS 67951

o

Ph: 620-544-4321

o

FAX: 620-544-7321

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

1026 S. Main Hugoton 620-544-8011

Seventh grade “A” Eagles soar over Longhorns 113 W. 6TH HUGOTON, KANSAS

620.544.4388 1012 S. Main St. Hugoton, KS 67951

Member FDIC

www.csbks.com

Hi-Plains Lumber 507 S. Main 544-4304

600 E. 11th

Page 6

544-8686

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR WINTER SPORTS

The seventh grade "A" team hosted the Holcomb Longhorns Thursday, February 11. The Eagles used their skilled offense and defense to defeat the Longhorns.

The first quarter had the Eagles only allowing Holcomb to score four points. Meanwhile, Hugoton was able to put up 17 points against the visiting Longhorns.

Next, the Eagles and Holcomb traded baskets during the second quarter. The lead for the seventh graders increased by one point during this time.

In the third quarter, the Eagles' defense was even stingier than at the beginning of the game. They held Holcomb to a measly three points, while the Eagles poured in ten more points.

The seventh grade "A" team finished their final home game of the season defeating the Holcomb Longhorns 45-21. They had a complete game for all four quarters.

Up next, the Eagles will travel to Ulysses Middle School, 111 S. Baughman, for a game Thursday, February 18 at 4:00 p.m.

Their game will be followed by the seventh grade "B" team Eagles contest, at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Seventh grade basketball player Wyatt Angell watches his jump shot fly toward the basket.

Sawyer Harper attempts a layup for the Eagles.

Hugoton’s team was victorious, leading Holcomb by 24 points at the final buzzer.

The Eagles go over strategy during a timeout with Coach Scott Schechter during the home game against Holcomb last week.

Boys lasso Goodland Cowboys in 51-33 win

Haden Daharsh gets ready for his free throw attempt while his teammates catch their breath after an active first quarter against Holcomb Thursday, February 11.

Sports Schedule Thursday, February 18 - MS Boys’ Basketball at Ulysses, 7A/8A at 4:00 p.m., 7B/8B at 5:00 p.m.

Friday, February 19 - HS Basketball at Colby Boys’/Girls’ JV at 4:45 p.m., Boys’ C/Girls’ V at 6:30 p.m., Boys’ V/Girls’ C at 8:00 p.m.

Monday, February 22 - MS Boys’ Basketball at Scott City, 7A/8A at 4:00 p.m., 7B/8B at 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 23 - HS Basketball vs Holcomb - Boys’/Girls’ JV at 4:45 p.m., Boys’ C/Girls’ V at 6:30 p.m., Boys’ V/Girls’ C at 8:00 p.m.

Friday, February 26 - HS 4A State Wrestling at Salina - HS Basketball at Lakin Boys’/Girls’ JV at 4:45 p.m., Boys’ C/Girls’ V at 6:30 p.m., Boys’ V/Girls’ C at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 27 - HS 4A State Wrestling at Salina Thursday, March 3 - HS Basketball - 4A, Division II Girls’ Sub-State Friday, March 4 - HS Basketball - 4A Division II Boys’ Sub-State

HUGOTON UPTOWN First National Bank AUTOBODY Hugoton/Liberal

620-544-8908 • www.fnbhugoton.com • Member FDIC

Phone (620) 544-4920 Hugoton, Kansas 67951 Commodity Hauling

624 S. Monroe 544-4683

Jeff Ramsey 613 S. Main • 544-4303 • Hugoton

Jordan Air Inc Call Terry at 620-544-4361

509 West 11th Street - Hugoton, KS 620-544-8500

Hwy 51 East Hugoton, KS

M-C Oil LLC & Main Street Laundry 218 S. Main St. • 544-4660 BROWN-DUPREE OIL CO INC.

A Nursing/Ancillary Resource Company 620-417-5679 Office • 620-544-7629 Fax Ed Stevenson RN • Alicia Stevenson 404 Jayhawk Ct. • Hugoton, KS 67951 www.nurselinkstaffing.com • nursels@pld.com

1400 S Washington St. 356-3926 or 1-800-682-4143

Parker Titus looks to pass the basketball during a recent home game against Scott City. The Eagles lost to the Beavers in a 5159 contest Friday, February 5 but redeemed themselves at the very next game Friday, February 12 at Goodland, winning 5133. The HHS boys are currently ranked third in 4A Division II, under Holcomb and Girard. Hugoton will face Holcomb for the second time this season Tuesday, February 23 for Senior Night at home. The last time the Eagles met the Longhorns, it was a bitter battle until the final buzzer, ending with a 61-55 win for Hugoton in overtime.

Fishing Forecast for 2016 is ready for anglers Anglers like to keep their best fishing holes secret, but that’s hard to do now that the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) produces the annual fishing forecast. The forecast is a compilation of data gathered by KDWPT district fisheries biologists throughout the year. The data comes from sampling efforts, including test netting, electroshocking and creel surveys. The forecast presents this data in a format that lets anglers find waters that contain their favorite species in both good numbers and the size they prefer.

For example, if you like to catch crappie, you can use the forecast to find a reservoir, lake or pond where the biologist found lots of crappie during sampling efforts last fall. A quick look at the reservoir category for white crappie shows John Redmond Reservoir is ranked number one for Density Rating, which is the number of crappie longer than eight inches caught per unit of sampling effort. If you’re more interested in quality-sized crappie, then look at the Preferred rating, which is the number of fish caught during sampling that were ten inches long or longer. Again, John Redmond is number one, by a large margin. Two-thirds of the fish sampled in John Redmond last fall were longer than ten inches. The Lunker Rating (crappie longer than 12 inches) for this lake is also number one among Kansas reservoirs. So, John Redmond

will be a great place to catch crappie this year, both in terms of numbers and size.

Theoretically, a reservoir with a Density Rating of 32 will have twice as many crappie eight inches long or longer than a lake with a Density Rating of 16. However, there are often other factors that may influence sampling results, and some lakes may not be sampled every year, so the forecast includes other ratings such as the Biologist’s Rating. A biologist may feel the numbers don’t accurately reflect the fish population, so they enter a rating of Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor. The Three-year Average is there because a lake may not have been sampled this past year.

It shows an average of the past three years of Density Ratings. And finally, there is a Biggest Fish rating, which simply lists the biggest fish caught during sampling.

Anglers can view the forecast at www.ksoutdoors.com, and in printed brochures that will soon be available at KDWPT offices. Use the 2016 Fishing Forecast to find your own fishing hot spots this spring.

Sports by

Gregg Tanner

The Hugoton Eagles traveled to Goodland last Friday and defeated the Cowboys 51-33. This allowed the top ranked team in Kansas Class 4A Division II to get back on the winning track and continue their outstanding season.

A shutout by the Eagle's defense in the first quarter held Goodland to zero points for the entire opening period.

The Eagles dominated Goodland and showed the fans that great teams win with defense. The score at the end of the first quarter was 9-0.

Hugoton increased their scoring output before the break at half by adding 17 more points to the scoreboard. Goodland was able to finally erase the zero on their side and scored a whole seven points by the end of two quarters.

After the break, Hugoton led over Goodland by the score of 26-7. The third quarter had the Eagles and the Cowboys trading baskets on an even basis. Hugoton was able to increase the point differential by one additional point during the third frame.

The Eagles went to Goodland on a mission to reclaim

their winning ways. Hugoton had a great defensive effort and they did that! The final score was Hugoton over Goodland by the score of 5133.

Parker Titus led the Eagles with 14 points.

Zack Leininger scored ten points and had nine rebounds.

Wade Heger scored seven points for the team. Alex Gonzales and Tony Kinser each added six points for the Eagles. Manuel Mendez and Colby Korf each scored three points for Hugoton. Garrett Hamlin contributed two points for the Eagles.

Coach Korf said, "It was good to get back on the court after having a week off and to get another win under our belt. We came out with a lot of intensity on the defensive end and really made things tough on them in the first half. I thought our intensity level dropped off a bit in the second half, and we have to get better at playing four strong quarters."

Hugoton will play their next game Friday, February 19 at 8:00 p.m. The game will take place at Colby High School.

Kash Larrabee is surrounded by his proud grandparents Dick and Peggy Hoskinson of Hugoton to the right and grandfather Bill Larrabee, formerly of Hugoton, to the left.

Larrabee heads to Kansas Shrine Bowl

The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced Kash Larrabee of Meade High School has been chosen to play in the 2016 Kansas Shrine Bowl in Emporia July 30 in Welch Stadium at Emporia State University.

Kash is the son of Andra and Kevin Larrabee of Meade.

He is the grandson of Dick and Peggy Hoskinson of Hugoton, Bill and Annette Larrabee of Liberal and the late Marylin Larrabee.

Only 68 young men are in-

vited to play each year from the entire state of Kansas.

Larrabee ended his final season at school with 634 yards rushing on 86 carries.

He also tallied 55 yards receiving on four receptions and had 44 solo tackles, 32 assists for a total of 76 tackles with 12 and a half tackles for loss. He posted 78 points to the scoreboard on 13 scores.

Kash was named All-State defensive player of the year in 2A.

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 7

HMS Eagles’ “B” team squares off against tough Holcomb team

Johnny Villa takes it to the basket for a layup during the home game against Holcomb Thursday, February 11.

The seventh grade "B" team hosted Holcomb Thursday, February 11 in the east gymnasium. The Eagles were able to defeat the Longhorns by ten points.

The first half of play was very close as both teams traded buckets. The visiting Longhorns went up over the Eagles early with a four point advantage. However, the Eagles were able to fight back and go ahead of the Longhorns in the second quarter.

The score going into the break at half was tied at 11 points.

The second half had the "B" team pulling away from Holcomb. They distanced themselves from the Long-

horns by four points during this pivotal period.

The Eagles' defense held Holcomb to only four points during the fourth quarter.

The Hugoton Eagles won over Holcomb by the score of 2919.

The "B" team will play their next game Thursday, February 18 at 5:00 p.m. The game will be at Ulysses Middle School.

The Eagles' defense stymies the Holcomb guard at Thursday’s game. The “B” team is a force to be reckoned with, keeping Holcomb’s team under 20 points for the whole game.

The HMS Eagles show off their aggressiveness, reaching over several Holcomb players for a rebound Thursday afternoon. The boys of HMS ended up with the win, 29-19.

Lady Eagles defeat Goodland Cowgirls 62-41

The Hugoton Lady Eagles were successful last Friday when they traveled to Goodland to compete against the Cowgirls. The game started off with both teams playing close, however as the game progressed the Lady Eagles pulled away from their competitor.

The first quarter was even on the scoreboard as the Cowgirls were able to stay with the Lady Eagles. At the halfway mark of the opening period, the game was tied at seven-all. By the time the first period ended, the Lady Eagles had a two point lead over Goodland.

The Lady Eagles almost doubled the Cowgirls in scoring during the next quarter of

play. Hugoton started pulling away from Goodland before the beginning of halftime. The Lady Eagles had stretched their lead over the Goodland Cowgirls to 28-18.

The second half of play had Hugoton running out the clock and maintaining a safe lead over Goodland. A 20 point lead was about average for the top ranked Lady Eagles. They finished out the game by defeating Goodland by the score of 62-41.

Laney Hoskinson and Dallie Hoskinson had 13 points and 12 points for the team, respectively. JoHanna Rawlins scored 11 points for the Lady Eagles. Katy Heger and Brooklynn Harper each scored nine points for Hugo-

ton. Amy Scott scored five points, while Sarah Johnson added three points to the scoreboard.

Coach Gillen said, "At this point in the season, especially on the road, you're just looking to find ways to win.

We had a poor shooting night, but still beat the second place team in the GWAC at their place by 20 points.

Our bench did a very good job tonight of coming in and giving us a scoring punch."

The Lady Eagles will play their next game at Colby High School Friday, February 19.

This is a great team to follow and a trip to Colby will show your support for this group.

The game will start at 6:30 p.m.

Eagles get ready to play after a timeout during the game against Holcomb Thursday, February

Lady Eagles high five each other during a recent basketball game. The girls team defeated the Goodland Cowgirls 62 to 41.

Brooklyn Harper goes in for a layup during a recent game.

Photo courtesy of USD 210.

Always wear proper safety equipment during spring sports season The spring sports season is a popular time for school-aged children. After a few months of being cooped up indoors, many kids are ready to spend time in the fresh air. Organized team sports are one way they can burn energy and learn lessons in camaraderie and problemsolving.

Spring sports season presents a host of opportunities for athletic youngsters. But the secret to a successful season has little to do with wins and losses and a lot to do with making sure children have fun and take the necessary precautions to reduce their risk of injury on the playing field.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, nearly 40 million children and adolescents participate in organized sports across North America each year. Although sports are an ideal way to socialize and get much-needed exercise, they also can increase participants' risk of suffering a sports-related injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that millions of children age 15 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries every year. Some of the more common injuries include sprains and strains, growth plate injuries, repetitive motion injuries, and heat-related illness.

Certain sports go hand-inhand with the spring season.

Here is a look at some popular spring sports and how to reduce a child's risk of suffering some of the more common injuries associated with those sports.

Baseball/Softball The start of the spring season coincides with the commencement of the professional baseball season. Therefore, many schools and towns have baseball and softball leagues that also begin once the weather warms up. Baseball and softball are popular sports. However, each sport involves sliding, running, fast-moving balls, and long hours out in the elements.

Each of these activities can cause injury, and some of the more common injuries associated with baseball and softball include soft tissue strains, fractures after being hit by a ball, sunburn and heat fatigue.

Children who are playing baseball or softball should always wear the recommended safety equipment. This includes a batting helmet, shin guards, athletic supporters, sunscreen, mouth guards, and eye protection. Proper stretching and warm-ups can make muscles and tendons limber before play.

Soccer Soccer has long been a popular sport around the world, and interest in the sport has grown considerably in the United States. Soccer is ideal for developing hand-eye coordination. The constant running involved also makes it one of the best spring sports for kids in terms of overall exercise.

Due to the constant movement involved with soccer, players should regularly rehydrate.

Shin guards can prevent injuries and bruising to the legs, while wearing sunscreen will protect kids from sun exposure.

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a game that marries elements of basketball, football and hockey. Players throw and catch a small, hard, rubber ball with a netted stick, called a crosse.

Lacrosse is a contact sport; therefore, protective gear is essential to prevent injury. Players must wear helmets, typically with a safety grill over the face for boys. A mouthpiece, gloves and padding can be worn to further prevent injuries.

Track and Field Some athletes excel in track and field. Although less combat-

ive than other sports discussed and with little or no risk of contact-related injury, there are still some dangers inherent to track and field. Strains and sprains from falls or rolling ankles are common.

Safety precautions for track and field competitors revolve heavily around the athlete's conditioning. Allow for ample warm-up periods and make sure athletes always wear supportive footwear. Players should always consume a good deal of water or other fluids to remain hydrated, and take sufficient breaks when the weather is warm.

Spring sports are popular for children of all ages. When the weather warms, the desire to get out on the field and engage in play increases. Adults can safeguard their children by ensuring the rules of the game are met and that the proper safety equipment is always used.

Submitted by Metro Editorial Services.

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WANTS YOU! Girls Fastpitch Softball Possible teams 10U, 12U, 14U, 18U

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Hugoton Recreation Center Contact: Coach McClure 785-230-0921

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Are There Plastic Beads In Your Toothpaste?

In the interest of helping you find dental information and dental products that are beneficial to you, we have a tidbit to share about toothpaste.

Tiny plastic beads can be found in many popular brands of toothpastes. Some toothpaste companies report they use the microbeads to add color to the paste. Other companies suggest the microbeads are exfoliating. The Food and Drug Administration says these polyethylene plastic beads are safe, but dentists and hygienists are finding them embedded in the crevices between the teeth and gums. In our office, we have been finding them embedded in gums at a concerning rate. The beads do not disintegrate and they are not biodegradable and are not sifted out of the water supply. Toothpaste companies are being pressured to remove the beads, so we understand the addition of beads to toothpaste will decrease in 2016. However, please consider reviewing the ingredients of your toothpaste because polyethylene beads are not beneficial to your health.

To your good health, Dr. Effie & Team

Sports by

Gregg Tanner

11. The boys delivered for HMS, and won Thursday’s game by ten points.

“Like” us on Facebook

Parents can help prevent sports-related injuries by insisting kids stay hydrated when exercising and always wear the proper safety equipment when playing.

Effie N. Gaskill D.D.S., P.A. 114 W 6th Street, Hugoton, KS

620-544-8800

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 8

Cloverleaf Cowboys meet to discuss County Club days The January meeting of the Cloverleaf Cowboys was called to order by president Sarah Johnson. Lainey Cox and Allison Goode led flag salute and 4-H pledge. Roll call was answered by “Did you have a New Years Resolution?” and there was a quorum present.

Kynna Crawford read devotionals, Lacey Brecheisen gave the

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treasurer’s report, Ashlyn Schechter gave the historians report, Audrey Gilmore gave the council report, and Linda Gilmore gave the leader’s report. She reminded us of County Club days being February 13.

There was no old business but under new business Megan Newlon moved the club pay for flowers for Mrs.

Pate Agency, LP The Crop Insurance Specialists

Don Beesley, Agent

Office: 620-544-8068 Cell: 620-544-6888 Equal Opportunity Provider

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Drip Irrigation Systems and Parts Available for Your Next Planting The Stevens County Conservation District (SCCD) has Drip Irrigation Systems and Parts available year round for windbreak or shelterbelts plantings, gardens and landscaping. SCCD carries commercial poly-tubing in 100, 500 and 1000 foot rolls. Poly tubing sizes range from 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" and 1" diameter.

SCCD handles a variety of drip irrigation emitters ranging from 1/2 GPM up to 4 GPM. Manifold systems which include battery timers, pressure regulators and filter screens in different sizes.

Slip compression fittings are available such as connectors, tees, elbows, 4-ways and reducers.

Marking flags are also available in color code for marking underground utility lines such as electric (red), gas-oil-steam (yellow), communication (orange), water (blue), sewer (green), temporary survey marking (pink), proposed excavation (white). Remember to call two working days before you dig in Kansas. "It's the law" KS: 1-800-344-7233.

For pricing and estimates on your next planting project contact our office at 544-2991 Ext.3 or email: stevenscountycd@gmail.com

Russell’s funeral and Carson Gilmore seconded it. The motion was passed by a voice vote.

Sydney Beesley and Sarah Johnson had a project talk and they talked about the different events club members can do at Club Days. Sarah Johnson and Sydney Beesley led recreation and members played musical chairs.

Puzzling cattle carcasses have been

discovered in Stevens County Hugoton was just named as one of the safest cities to live in Kansas by Consumer Affairs, regarding the crime rate. However, a bizarre and disturbing possible crime has been committed within Stevens County's borders.

A few weeks ago, in early January, while preparing to dispose of the bodies of three cows, a local farmer noticed something strange.

The conditions of the cows' bodies were a bit puzzling.

One of the cows had a wound to its rear flank, consistent with what a hungry coyote might create. According to the farmer - and laymen's knowledge - a coyote won't stop eating his kill until he's satisfied, but the amount of flesh gone wouldn't have sated a normal coyote's appetite. Now, that might make a person scratch his head and move along, but the following report is quite a bit

more disturbing. Another of the deceased cows had been particularly mutilated to remove its tongue. The incision was almost surgically precise, and it is highly unlikely any natural predator of cattle carries an instrument required to inflict such damage. Another observation by the farmer? No tracks and a surprising lack of blood at the scene.

Stevens County Sheriff's Department was notified; they informed the local game warden and investigated as much of the scene as they could. A similar case was reported in Newton a few months ago, and the Harvey County Sheriff there was also notified.

Further developments will be noted and reported as The Hugoton Hermes receives them. Until then, stay safe Stevens County - and keep a careful eye on your cattle!

Stevens County 4-H Club Day was Saturday, February 13, 2016 at the Hugoton Middle School. Results of the Club Day events are as follows: *Model Meeting - Top Blue Heartland 4-H Club. *Project Talks - Junior Division: Top Blue - Channing Dillinger; Top Blue - Kayleigh Flores; Intermediate Division: Top Blue - Jacob Bell; Top Blue - Catie Gooch; Top Blue - Lakota Persing; Blue - Tala Eckert; Blue - Victoria Bryan; Red - Nicholas Bryan. *Public Speaking: Top Blue Emma McClure; Top Blue Ady Gooch. *Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks - Junior Division: Top Blue - Faith Beesley; Top Blue - Aneta Morris; Top Blue - Stanton Custer; Intermediate Division: Top Blue - Jacob Bell; Top Blue - Lakota Persing;

Senior Division: Top Blue Sydney Beesley; Top Blue Lacey Brecheisen; Top Blue Vallery Persing. *Readings - Junior Division: Top Blue - Madison Kurt; Blue - Farrah Gaskill; Intermediate Division: Top Blue Amya Johnson; Blue - Jewels Kraisinger; Blue - Claudia Clark; Blue - Frances Gaskill, Blue - Lakota Persing; Blue Rylee Fann; Red - Isabella Hall; Senior Division: Top Blue - Claire Clark; Blue - Rebecca Johnson; Red - Madison Hall. *Instrumental Music Solos Junior Division: Top Blue Farrah Gaskill; Top Blue Channing Dillinger; Blue Grant Niehues; Blue - Aneta Morris; Intermediate Division: Top Blue - Jewels Kraisinger; Top Blue Frances Gaskill; Blue - Catie Gooch; Blue - Jayce Heger; Blue - Heidi Bogan; Blue Grace Dillinger; Blue - Catie Gooch; Blue - Claudia Clark; Blue - Lakota Persing; Red Grace Dillinger Trumpet; Red - Carson Gilmore; Senior Division: Top Blue - Casle Heger; Top Blue - Ethan Bogan; Blue - Lynnelle Bogan; Blue - Megan Newlon; Blue - Sarah Johnson; Blue Rebecca Johnson; Red - Audrey Gilmore. *Vocal Solo - Intermediate Division: Top Blue - Catie Gooch; Senior Division: Top Blue - Rebecca Johnson. *Vocal Talent - Junior Division: Top Blue - Faith Beesley; Senior Division: Top Blue - Sydney Beesley. *Skit - Intermediate Division: Top Blue - Cloverleaf Cowboys 4-H Club; Senior Division: Top Blue - Cloverleaf Cowboys 4-H Club; Blue Wranglers 4-H Club. *Chorus - Intermediate Division: Top Blue - Cloverleaf Cowboys 4-H Club.

Congratulations to everyone. Top Blue ribbon winners are eligible to perform their presentations at Regional 4H Club Day February 27 in Liberal.

Anyone interested in learning more about 4-H may contact the Stevens County Extension Office at 5444359, or stop by the Office at 114 E. Fifth in Hugoton.

County 4-H Club Day releases results of the day’s events

Attention Farmers Cash Flows are tight!

Green Crop has Crop Insurance policies that will cover up to 95% of your proven Yield with All-Risk Coverage.

Example Proven Yield Irrigated Corn 210 Bushel X 95% = 200 Bushel X $3.85 (EST Price) = $770 $770 of All-Risk Coverage.

Cost of this starts at approx. $5.00 per $100, or around $38 an acre depending on County.

This is All-Risk Coverage you can take to the bank. Many upgrades are available!

Give us a call or stop by our office.

Green Crop Inc. (Candee Archuleta Office Manager) 120 W. 6th Street Hugoton KS. 67951 Office 620-544-2800

Call Shay Robinson 308-440-5104 (Crop Insurance agent)

Sydney Beesley, the Vice President, read next months agenda. The 4-H motto was led by Laramie Brecheisen and Jeffery Cutter. The host and clean up families were Faith and Sydney Beesley, and Kynna Crawford.

Submitted by Claire Clark, Cloverleaf Cowboys Reporter.

Sarah Johnson, club president starts the meeting of the Cloverleaf Cowboys. Photo courtesy of Claire Clark.

The Clover Leaf Cowboys 4-H club plays musical chairs for recreation during their January meeting. Photo courtesy of Claire Clark.

Kansas Weekly Gas Prices Average retail gasoline prices in Kansas have fallen 7.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.39 per gallon Sunday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 1,329 gas outlets in Kansas.

This compares with the national average that has fallen 3.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $1.69 per gallon, according to gasoline price Web site GasBuddy.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Kansas during the past week, prices Sunday were 73.7 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 29.9 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 23.0 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 55.5 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices February 15 in Kansas have ranged widely over the last five years: $2.13 per gallon in 2015, $3.19 per gallon in 2014, $3.56 per gallon in 2013, $3.35 per gallon in 2012 and $3.07 per gallon in 2011.

Areas nearby Kansas and their current gas price climate: Wichita - $1.38 per gallon, down 4.2 cents per gallon from last week's $1.42 per gallon; Lincoln - $1.71 per gallon, down 9.1 cents per gallon from last week's $1.80 per gallon; Topeka $1.39 per gallon, down 6.2 cents per gallon from last week's $1.45 per gallon.

“We are mid-February and 45 out of 50 states have a state gas average below $2 and the national average is at a multi-year low. Sadly, these incredibly low gas prices won’t be here forever, as refineries talk of production cuts with crude oil at 13 year low.

Additionally, their Spring turnarounds and the changeover to summer spec gasoline also loom ominously on the horizon. The sooner the refineries can complete their maintenance and start producing gasoline again the better for drivers everywhere,” said Jeff Pelton, a GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst.

For LIVE fuel price averages, visit http://media.gasbuddy.com.

Scholarships are made available to area universities and vocational technical schools Western Kansas Manufacturers Association, sponsor of the annual 3i Show, has once again announced the availability of scholarships to area universities and vocational technical colleges for the 2016-2017 school year.

Scholarships are available at Barton Community College, Colby Community College, Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, NCK Tech (North Central Kansas Technical College), Northwest Kansas Technical College, Seward County Community College/Area Tech School, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University and the University of Kansas.

Qualifying students are U.S. Citizens residing in Western Kansas who have graduated from a Western Kansas high school. The scholarships are for freshman students with preference given to those enrolling in Agri-Business, Industrial Engineering, Pre-Engineering or Business Administration.

Scholarship applications should be made directly through the individual school’s financial aid or scholarship department.

One scholarships remains

available for the 2015-2016 school year at NCK Tech (North Central Kansas Technical College) in Beloit.

WKMA scholarships are partially funded each year by the sale of three hundred limited-edition belt buckles commemorating the upcoming 3i Show. Buckle order forms are available online at www.3ishow.com/3ishow/m erchandise. Buckles will also be available for sale October 13-15 at the Sixty-second Annual 3i Show in Dodge City at the Western State Bank Expo Center.

For more information regarding scholarships, buckles or the sixty-second Annual 3i Show, visit www.3ishow.com, or contact the WKMA office directly tollfree at 877-405-2883 or locally at 620-227-8082. To receive continued updates and information about the 3i SHOW and upcoming events, follow the 3i Show on Twitter and Google+ and like the 3i Show Facebook Page. The WKMA office is located at 1700 East Wyatt Earp Blvd., PO Box 1382, Dodge City, Ks. 67801.

Submitted by Western Kansas Manufacturers Association.

The

MUSEUM UPDATE

Hugoton

Hermes

from The Stevens County Gas & Historical Museum Beulah Carter, Curator Heather McCrary and Billy Woodworth

The traveling suit at the Stevens County Gas and Historical Museum was worn in about 1890 while traveling on the dusty stagecoach. It was to keep a lady’s dress clean. The useful garment was donated to the Stevens County Gas and Historical Museum by Maryruth Greenwood.

Many exhibits are currently displayed at the museum. Come out to see all the things you are interested in.

The Stevens County Gas and Historical Museum is located at 905 S. Adams. You are invited to visit Mondays through Fridays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

March 15 at First Christian

This handy traveling suit was worn over the lady’s dress to protect her garment while riding in a dusty stagecoach.

STEVENS COUNTY SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER Shila Moore, Director 544-2283 - Activities 544-8041 - Meals 624 S. Main, Hugoton attended! Our next dance is March 12 with Cottonwood providing the live country music.

Saturday, February 20 I’ll be teaching the Life Story Workshop at 10:00 a.m.

You’ll learn how to write the story of your life. Call the Senior Center for more information. We meet once a month and there is no fee.

We deliver lunch Monday through Friday to homebound people. If you are in need of our services or you

Linda and Calvin May are crowned the Senior Center Valentine Queen and King Friday. They also won a big bag of candy as their prize.

know someone who is, please call the Senior Center. We will give you information on cost, menus, etc.

Senator Pat Roberts’ office is available to assist you with problems you may be having with federal agencies like Social Security, Veterans’/VA issues, military cases, Medicare, passports, and IRS. If you need help, please call his Dodge City office at 620-227-2244.

If you have questions concerning caregiving, legal matdisability, health ters, insurance, housing, etc., please call Michael Johnston at Southwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging at 620-2258240.

Menu Feb. 18 ..............Polish Sausage Feb. 19.........................Goulash Feb. 22 ...............................Chili Feb. 23......Chicken Fried Steak Feb. 24........Chicken & Noodles Feb. 25......BBQ Beef Sandwich Activities Thursday, February 18 Exercise ...................10:30 a.m.

Friday, February 19 Exercise ...................10:30 a.m.

Bingo .......................12:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 20 Cards & Games .........6:00 p.m.

Monday, February 22 Exercise....................10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing..............7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 23 Exercise....................10:30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 24 Exercise....................10:30 a.m.

Paint...........................1:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 25 Exercise ...................10:30 a.m.

During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood. Red Cross will be in Hugoton March 15, 2016 from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the First Christian Church at 600 South Van Buren.

Since 1943, every U.S. president has designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the Red Cross helps people down the street, across the country and around the world.

Red Cross Month is a celebration of the everyday heroes, like Karla Essmiller, who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities. Essmiller began donating blood and even coordinated a few blood drives when she was in college. “Donating blood is a simple gift that I can make that may help up to three people live another day,” she said. “That makes me feel like a hero!”

The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Donors of all blood types are needed to help accident and burn victims, patients undergoing organ transplants, those receiving cancer treatments and others who rely on blood products.

Make an appointment to become a hero to patients in need by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting red crossblood.org or calling 1800-RED CROSS (1-800733-2767).

Submitted by the American Red Cross.

passage of the HANGUP Act to protect consumers from unwanted debt-collection robocalls. Despite consumers’ concerns regarding these types of calls, Congress recently amended the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to permit robocalls to consumers for debt collection purposes if the debt is

owed to or guaranteed by the federal government. The HANGUP Act would restore the TCPA to its former language and return telephone privacy rights to consumers.

Each year the attorney general’s office receives thousands of complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls, with robocalls and debt

Kansas Press Association “It Can Wait®” Editorial Contest

FINAL CALL for entries

Middle and High School students are encouraged to write an editorial or opinion column about the dangers of Smartphone Driving Distractions.

The contest is open to all students enrolled in any Kansas public or private middle/high

Win ! $ 50 0

school. Entries may be emailed, mailed or hand delivered.

Send YOUR entry to danstaett@kspress.com or

Can this really be February? The temperature was summerlike last Wednesday here in Hugoton. However, we are not complaining, we are bragging!

2019 Road 26 Moscow, Ks 67952 Louie (620) 353-3452 (620) 353-9025 Sam Lance (620) 544-9513 Backhoe and Trenching Irrigation

YOUR PHARMACY OF CHOICE Find the right remedy for your symptoms. From vitamins and supplements to over-the-counter and prescription medications, we have a variety of options to take care of your needs, your way.

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Attorney General Schmidt seeks to protect consumers from robocalls Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt February 10 asked U.S. senators to protect consumers from unwanted and intrusive robocalls.

Schmidt and attorneys general from 24 other states sent a letter to members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation asking for

Page 1B

Donate blood

NEWS FROM

Calvin and Linda May were crowned the Senior Center Valentine King and Queen last Friday, February 12. Usually the king kisses the queen after they’ve been crowned, but Calvin didn’t follow protocol even after the crowd kept coaxing him. He did accept the gift bag full of candy though.

We had a big turnout for our dance last Saturday. We appreciate Gas Capital Car Club for sponsoring it.

Thanks also to all those who

Thursday, February 18, 2016

collection calls reported in the largest group of those complaints.

“Either a debt-collection practice is legitimate or it is not,” Schmidt said. “The federal government should not have special permission to collect its debts through abusive robocalls that federal law prohibits private lenders from using.”

A copy of the letter can be found at http://1.usa.gov/1Q7L75l .

For more information about state and federal telemarketing laws, or to file a complaint, please visit www.InYourCornerKansas.org .

Submitted by the office of the Kansas State Attorney General.

Come see us at

Bar & Grill

615 S. Monroe - Hugoton

Bar Hours Tues./ Wed./ Thurs. ~ 5:00 - 10:00 pm Fri./ Sat. ~ 5:00 pm - 2:00 am

Weeknight Food Specials Tuesday - Tacos Wednesday - Wings Thursday - Nachos

Fre $4 peitPool and every W chers ed

We also serve bar-style snacks to enjoy with our

Nightly Drink Specials!

n night esday

Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/LBsforfun/?fref=ts

mail to the KPA Office, 5423 SW 7th, Topeka, Ks. 66606.

Deadline The February 25, 2016

Hugoton

Winners will be announced February 29, 2016 © 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.

Hermes

Northridge 8

Southgate 6

Sequoyah 8

Guymon, Okla www.northridge8.com

Liberal, Kansas www.southgate6.com

Garden City, Kansas www.sequoyah8.com

580-338-3281

620-624-5573

620-275-2760

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 2B

State Champs

Rolla News

Continued from page 1 ner-up was Western Plains (Ransom), with third place going to Blue Valley (Randolph) and fourth place to Wilson.

Rolla’s championship team was coached by Becky Sohm, a former Rolla State Scholars’ Bowl champ herself, and her own former coach, Randy Bane. The Pi-

By Phoebe Brummett

Rentals go FAST in

The Hermes Classifieds Call today!

544 - 4321

Sales and Service *Irrigation Turbine Pumps *Irrigation Submersible Pumps *Engines *Electric Motors *Electric Soft Start/VFD Panels *Water Meters *Gear Drives *Water Well Inspection Camera

East Hwy 160 - Johnson, Ks 620-492-6264

February 19 -High School Basketball vs Walsh - Parent's Night and American Heart Association Night in honor of Kaylee Norton at 4:30 p.m. School in Session February 20 -4-H Cty Club Days at Rolla -High School Speech at Liberal February 22 -Junior High Scholars' Bowl at Hugoton at 4:00 p.m.

-Washington's Birthday February 23 -High School Basketball at Syracuse at 4:45 p.m.

February 25 -Morton County Spelling Bee at Elkhart at 7:00 p.m.

February 26 -High School Basketball at Deerfield at 4:30 p.m.  -ARGH February 27 -High School Speech at Satanta February 29 -High School Basketball Substate at Deerfield

40 Years Serving Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma

Wear red to honor Kaylee Norton Friday The Rolla Junior High cheerleaders invite everyone to "Wear Your Best Red" Friday, February 19, in honor of Kaylee Norton. The cheerleaders will be accepting donations for the American Heart Association in memory of Kaylee, who was the junior high cheer sponsor and elementary school teacher. This event will take place at the same time as the high school basketball games. It is also Parents' Night and due to the generosity of First National Bank, there will be no charge.

Come out and support the Pirates by wearing red in honor and memory of Kaylee Norton.

Rolla Junior High Scholars Bowl team places second at Satanta. Pictured are eighth grader Alex Hernandez, and seventh graders Ethan Garcia, Gavin Larue, Lena Martens and Aspen

APPLICATIONS OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS, SEEDING AND FERTILIZING

Agricultural Sales and Service, Local and Direct Moscow location (formerly Kubin Aerial)

598-2356

Hugoton location 1114 Road A

428-6086

met with a law enforcement escort and a caravan of wellwishers for a celebratory parade when they returned home late Saturday night.

Congratulations, Pirates, on a great season and your well deserved State Champion status! We are proud of you!

Sohm. Not pictured is the "B" team: seventh graders Monte Fosdick, Ethan Hernandez and Alec Langley, and sixth graders Santana Key and Owen Shores.

Junior High scholars triumph over tough teams The Rolla Junior High Scholars Bowl team has started off their season well by placing at a couple of tournaments against tough competition.

Monday, February 8, two teams traveled to Satanta, where the "A" team placed second out of 11 teams.

At the Ulysses tournament Tuesday, February 9, the Pirates took two teams and the "A" team placed third out of 24 teams. Playing for the Pirates "A" team were eighth grader Alex Hernandez, and seventh graders Ethan Garcia, Gavin Larue, Lena Martens and Aspen Sohm.

Rolla’s Junior High Scholars Bowl team proudly wear the third place medals they won

Facts about cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. Though often mistaken as the same thing as a heart attack, cardiac arrest is not the same. Heart attacks can cause cardiac arrest and even lead to death, but the cause of heart attack and cardiac arrest are different. According to the American Heart Association, heart attacks are caused by a blockage that stops blood from flowing to the heart. Though heart muscle tissue dies because of this lack of blood supply, heart attacks do not always result

rates were led to victory by senior co-captains Chandler Burrows and Garry Norton.

Also playing for the Pirates were sophomores Paige Claassen, Allyson Norton and Henry Wiebe and freshman Preston Burrows.

The Rolla team had a sizable crowd of supporters at the tournament and was

in death. Cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical malfunction of the heart, which suddenly stops working properly. This can be arrhythmia, a condition that occurs when the heart beats irregularly or abnormally. Once the heart has stopped during cardiac arrest, death can occur within minutes. However, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, can reverse cardiac arrest. A defibrillator will be used to shock the heart, which can restore the it to a normal rhythm in just a few minutes. Because cardiac arrest is so sudden and strikes without warning, it's imperative that men and women who are with someone they believe is in cardiac arrest take action immediately.

Submitted by Metro Editorial Services.

The "B" team consisted of seventh graders Monte Fosdick, Ethan Hernandez and Alec Langley, and sixth graders Santana Key and Owen Shores. The Pirates are coached by Kris Hall and Cody Ratliff.

at Ulysses. There were 24 teams competing at Ulysses, so this accomplishment is impressive!

Look who’s new Evelyn arrives January 26 Evelyn Nicole Maravilla was born to Ruben Zuniga Jr (Panches) Maravilla and Maria Olvera at Memorial Hospital of Texas County at 5:20 p.m Tuesday, January 26, 2016. She weighed six pounds ten and a half ounces and was 19 inches long. Grandparents are Josh and Shawn Schwindt of Rolla, Maria and Ismael Olvera of Guymon, Ok., Chad Salazar and Ada Guerrero of Rolla, Frances Morales and Pedro Morales of Ulysses. Great grandmother is Lynette Salazar of Rolla.

Evelyn also has one very proud great-great grandmother, Hester Millemon of Rolla, as well as a host of

Evelyn Nicole Maravilla Photo courtesy of Maria Olvera. aunts, uncles and cousins to help spoil her. Congratulations to all!

Subscribe to our e-Edition at hugotonhermesnews.com!

The Hugoton Hermes

History From The Hermes Compiled by Ruthie Winget

ing Accept ations Applic

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 3B

No w H

HELP WANTED

iring

Is your desk job too stifling?

Construction not your “thing”?

Use The Hugoton Hermes’ Classifieds’

H. E. McCue of Moscow was interested in the early day cars as everyone else. He is shown in the back seat of an early Jackson, estimated a 1912 or 1913 model. The little girl beside him is his daughter, Mrs. Donna Anderson of Hugoton. Jake Kilbourne was agent for the car in 1916 in Hugoton. Taken from the February 2, 1956 Hugoton Hermes newspaper.

Thursday, February 24, 2011 Nine Hugoton High School wrestlers have qualified for State competition. The skilled athletes are Patrick Weaver, Lawson Fiss, Ty Haller, Colten Lissolo, Russell Guerrero, Logan Livengood, Bill

Holcomb, Cody Hill and Tyler McBride.

Thursday, March 1, 2001 The City of Hugoton purchased a home for the price of $1.00 at a special meeting February 23, 2001. The action was taken as the result of an offering through a new

federal program called “$1 Home Sales to Local Governments Program.” The home, located at 405 E. Fourth Street, is valued at $52,000.

Thursday, March 2, 2006 Ken Kramer, Hugoton, will reunite with the popular 60’s rock band, ‘Eric and the Norsemen.’ The band will be inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame at Liberty Hall in Lawrence.

Thursday, February 28, 1991 Air Force Sergeant Barry M. Crane has deployed to the Middle East with American military forces participating in Operation Desert Storm.

The sergeant is a 1981 graduate of Hugoton High School.

Thursday, February 27, 1986 Lisa Banker, competing in the twelve year old girls’ division, won the Knights of Columbus regional free throw contest in Scott City Sunday.

SOCIAL SECURITY NEWS

By Richard Fowler Social Security Operations Supervisor in Dodge City KS YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT STATEMENT It’s that time of year again: time to start preparing to file your taxes. If you receive Social Security benefits, one of the documents you will need when filing your federal income tax return is your Social Security Benefit Statement (Form SSA-1099).

Your Social Security benefits may be taxable. This includes monthly retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. About one-third of people receiving Social Security benefits must pay taxes on some of these benefits, depending on the amount of their taxable income. This usually happens only if you have other substantial income — such as wages, self-employment, interest, dividends, and other taxable income that must be reported on your tax return — in addition to your Social Security benefits. You will never have to pay taxes on more than 85 percent of your Social Security benefits, based on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules.

To find out if you must pay taxes on your benefits, you will need your Social Security Benefit Statement (Form SSA-1099). You should automatically receive your 1099 form each January. It shows the total amount of benefits you received from Social Security in the previous year so you know how much Social

Security income to report to the IRS on your tax return.

The 1099 form is not available for people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), as SSI payments are not taxable.

Whether you file your taxes early or wait until the deadline, Social Security makes it easy to obtain a replacement 1099 form if you didn’t receive one or misplaced yours. You can get an instant replacement quickly and easily by using your secure online my Social Security account. If you don’t already have an account, you can create one in minutes.

Follow the link to the my Social Security page, and go to “Sign In” or “Create an Account.” Once you are logged in, select the “Replacement Documents” tab to obtain your replacement 1099 form.

If you create a my Social Security account, you can also use it to keep track of your earnings each year, manage your benefits, and more.

You can also obtain a replacement 1099 form by calling us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or by contacting your local Social Security office. If you live outside of the United States, please contact your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

With a my Social Security account, gathering your So-

cial Security information for tax season has never been easier. Open your own personal my Social Security account today at www.social security.gov/myaccount.

The win qualifies Banker to compete in the State meet in Salina.

Thursday, February 26, 1976 Everett Barber’s cow delivered triplet calves last Sunday. Hugoton’s Dr. Bill Brown says he has never seen a set of triplets before although twins are more common. The calves are all healthy, weighing 40 to 50 pounds each.

Thursday, February 23, 1956 A city building permit was issued to C.P. Brecheisen for a frame dwelling to be built at 924 Main Street. The estimated cost for the house is $5,000.

Thursday, February 22, 1951 Sheriff Carter Prine and City Marshall Leo Betsworth attended a peace officers meeting.

Friday, February 26, 1926 The whistle has been blowing in Hugoton every day for a week now. It blows at 8:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The whistle is not a very strong one but if it proves to be a good thing, the city may be induced to get a stronger one.

If any readers have pictures or memories for the history page of the Hermes, please bring them in to Ruthie Winget at the Hugoton Hermes Newspaper.

When making floral arrangements for special events, such as weddings, anniversary celebrations or company galas, party planners can save substantial amounts of money sticking with native and in-season flowers. While exotic flowers flown in from afar may make stunning dining table centerpieces, the cost of importing those flowers can be considerable, possibly even more than the cost of the flowers themselves. In addition, conditions to keep non-native flowers looking their best must be ideal, which can be difficult for party planners to ensure.

In-season plants are budget-friendly, as prices can skyrocket when party planners choose out-of-season blooms for their get-togethers. While it’s possible get many flowers out-of-season, others are available only in-season, saving planners the trouble of finding ways to

pay the often exorbitant costs associated with finding and securing such blooms during their off-seasons.

Planners who have their hearts set on particular blooms that are temporarily unavailable should discuss their options with local florists, who may suggest look-alike flowers that are similar in appearance and inseason.

Submitted by Metro Editorial Services.

PUBLIC NOTICE (First published in The Hugoton Hermes on Thursday, February 18, 2016.)

3t IN THE Twenty-sixth JUDICIAL DISTRICT DISTRICT COURT, STEVENS COUNTY, KANSAS PROBATE DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ALLAN P. GRAGE a/k/a ALLAN PARKER GRAGE, Deceased.

Case No. 2016-PR-10 Title to Real Estate Involved Pursuant to Chapter 59, Kansas Statutes Annotated

Allan P. Grage, deceased, be admitted to probate and record in this Court; that no administration of this estate is necessary; that the Will be construed; and that the property described in that Petition be assigned in accordance with the terms of the Will. You are required to file your written defenses thereto on or before March 14, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. of such day, in such Court, in the City of Hugoton, in Stevens County, Kansas, at which time and place such cause will be heard. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon said Petition.

Constance K. Grage, Petitioner

NOTICE OF HEARING THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are hereby notified that a Petition has been filed in this Court by Constance K. Grage, an heir of Allan P. Grage a/k/a Allan Parker Grage, deceased, praying that the foreign Will of

Rachael K. Pirner, #14288 TRIPLETT, WOOLF & GARRETSON, LLP 2959 N. ROCK ROAD, SUITE 300 WICHITA, KS 67226 (316) 630-8100 ATTORNEYS FOR PETITIONER

Steaks were evaluated for tenderness using the WarnerBratzler Shear Force test, which measures the force needed to shear muscles. “So the question we had was why did these two cuts improve, while the other four did not,” said John Unruh, professor of animal sciences and industry. Part of the answer, he noted, is moisture loss. These two muscles, for some reason, did not lose as much moisture during freezing as the other four. Unruh and a team of graduate students also evaluated 125 paired strip loin steaks available in a retail setting. The steaks were frozen, thawed and evaluated for tenderness.

The strip loin steaks showed a six percent improvement in the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force test, indicating a more tender steak. Moisture loss did occur, but it was low, about two percent.

Freezing does, indeed, improve the tenderness of beef

PUBLIC NOTICE (First Published in The Hugoton Hermes, Thursday, February 18, 2016) 2t RESOLUTION NO. 2016-1 A RESOLUTION FOR THE CONDEMNATION FOR THE STRUCTURE LOCATED AT 305 S. MAIN, HUGOTON, KANSAS, MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS LOT TWO (2), BLOCK TWENTY-SIX (26), CITY OF HUGOTON, STEVENS COUNTY, KANSAS, ACCORDING TO THE DULY FILED AND RECORDED PLAT THEREOF; AND SETTING A HEARING DATE FOR THE OWNER, DANA SWAN, OR HER AGENT AND ANY LIENHOLDER OF RECORD AND ANY OCCUPANT OF SUCH STRUCTURE, TO APPEAR AND SHOW CAUSE WHY SUCH STRUCTURE SHOULD NOT BE CONDEMNED AND ORDERED REPAIRED OR DEMOLISHED.

by Stevens County FACS Agent Nancy Honig

learn the warning signs and the best course of action to combat this disease. Everyone is welcome to attend at no cost. The program will begin at noon and last through the lunch hour.

Freezing steak improves tenderness of some cuts I also wanted to share an interesting article from Kansas State University.

Meat lovers may find it appealing to take a fresh steak from the store right to their home grill, but research continues to show that freezing a steak and cooking it later actually improves the tenderness of certain cuts.

KSU meat scientists say they’ve confirmed previous findings about the impact of frozen storage on strip loin and inside round steaks. In a recent study, they tested six major muscles from the beef hind quarter, and found that those two cuts were as much as ten percent more tender after freezing.

Your dream job is out there - let us help you find it!

did you know?

“Notes From Nancy” Mark Your Calendar Here are a couple of upcoming programs you might want to put on your calendar and attend. Thursday, February 25 I will be presenting a program on Irish Cooking.

This is a great way to get motivated for St. Patrick´s Day! I will share some history of the country and will prepare some common Irish Dishes for sampling. The Knowledge at Noon programs are at the Stevens County Extension Office during the noon hour.

There is no cost to attend and you are welcome to bring your own lunch, coffee and tea are provided.

Leap Day, Monday, February 29, I will be presenting a program at the Extension Office at noon about the 12 Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Currently there are over 51,000 Kansans with this disease. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the third leading cause of the elderly. Come

Help Wanted section to find your new career!

strip loin steaks. In a related study, the scientists tested the tenderness of strip loin steaks being sold in retail grocery stores. They monitored the differences in these steaks at different times of the year, and in different quality grades, including Premium Choice, Choice and Select. A higher percentage of the steaks in the higher quality category, Premium Choice, met Warner-Bratzler shear thresholds for tender or very tender. Lower quality cuts were more likely to fluctuate in tenderness throughout the year, he said.

Unruh and his students will present their findings at the Kansas State University one-hundred and third Annual Cattleman’s Day Conference, which will take place Friday, March 4 in Manhattan. For more information on this event, visit asi.kstate.edu/species/beef/cat tlemens-day; click on 2016 Cattlemen’s Day Brochure.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 8801 of the governing body of the City of Hugoton has determined that there exists within the corporate limits of the City, certain structures which are dangerous, unsafe and unfit for human use or habitation due to dilapidation, defects increasing the hazard of fire accidents or other calamities, lack of ventilation, light or sanitary facilities or other conditions which render such structures unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise inimical to the welfare of the residents of the City.

It is thereby deemed necessary by the governing body to condemn and require or cause the repair, closing, demolition or removal of such structures in the manner provided by the Hugoton City Code.

WHEREAS, the Hugoton City Inspector has carefully and fully examined the structure located at 305 S. Main, Hugoton, Kansas; and based upon his examination, he has determined that the structure located at 305 S. Main, Hugoton, Kansas, is dangerous, unsafe and unfit for human use or habitation due dilapidation and lack of repair and maintenance, that said structure contains defects which increase the hazard of fire accidents; that said structure lacks sanitary facilities and other conditions which renders such structure unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise inimical to the welfare of the residents of the City; and it is the recommendation of the Hugoton City Inspector that the governing body of the City of Hugoton condemn the structure located at 305 S. Main, Hugoton, Kansas, and require or cause the repair, demolition and/or removal of such structure, in the manner proved by the Hugoton City Code NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GOVERNING BODY

OF THE KANSAS:

CITY

OF

HUGOTON,

Section 1. Based upon the recommendation of the Hugoton City Inspector, the governing body of the City of Hugoton, Kansas, should determine if the structure located at 305 S. Main, Hugoton, Kansas, is dangerous, unsafe and unfit for human use or habitation due dilapidation and lack of repair and maintenance; and if said structure contains defects which increase the hazard of fire accidents; and if said structure lacks sanitary facilities and other conditions which render the structure to be unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise inimical to the welfare of the residents of the City; and if based upon the recommendation of the Hugoton City Inspector, that the governing body of the City of Hugoton should condemn the structure and require or cause the repair, demolition and/or removal of such structure, in the manner provided by the Hugoton City Code.

Section 2. On April 11, 2016, at 5:30 p.m., the governing body of the City of Hugoton, shall conduct a hearing to determine if the structure located at 305 S. Main, Hugoton, Kansas, is dangerous, unsafe and unfit for human use or habitation due dilapidation and lack of repair and maintenance; and if said structure contains defects which increase the hazard of fire accidents; and if said structure lacks sanitary facilities and other conditions which render the structure to be unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise inimical to the welfare of the residents of the City; and if the governing body of the City of Hugoton should condemn such structure and require or cause the repair, demolition and/or removal of such structure, in the manner proved by the Hugoton City Code.

Section 3. This Resolution shall be published in the Hugoton Hermes for two consecutive weeks, commencing February 18, 2016; and a copy of this Resolution shall be personally served upon the owner, Dana Swan.

Section 4. This Resolution shall be effective upon its approval, adoption and publication.

PASSED, ADOPTED and APPROVED this 8th day of February, 2016.

ATTEST: /s/ Jack E. Rowden Jack E. Rowden, Mayor /s/ Thomas G. Hicks Thomas G. Hicks, City Clerk

The Hugoton Hermes 12

Page 4B

Time...Keeps On Ticking But Our Deadline Is Always The Same!

3

9

Thursday, February 18, 2016

By Jill Reagle, tiny-k Program Coordnator with adaptation from the American Dental Association

Monday 5:00 p.m.

The Hugoton Hermes 620-544-4321

6

PUBLIC NOTICE (First Published in The Hugoton Hermes, Thursday, February 18, 2016) 2t Results of the Market Study Analysis for Stevens County for the Assessment Year 2016

Values on specific properties may not follow the general trend because of changes in the property, correction of descriptive information or adjustment of values based on sales of similar properties.

Pursuant to L. 1991, CH279, SS2.

A study of the Residential real estate market indicated that there is an overall inflationary trend of 2.48% per year A study of the Commercial and Vacant Lot real estate market indicated that the market is stable with no general upward or downward trend.

In accordance with the provisions in KSA 79-1476, the Division of Property Valuation is required to annually furnish each county the results of its study relating to changes, if any, of the Use Value of agricultural land.

Changes can and do occur as a result of several factors including cropping practices, commodity prices and production costs.

PUBLIC NOTICE (First Published in The Hugoton Hermes, Thursday, February 11, 2016) 3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF STEVENS COUNTY, KANSAS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BARBARA B. SHELTON, DECEASED Case No. 14PR8 NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR FINAL SETTLEMENT THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are hereby notified a petition has been filed in this Court by Mike Shelton and Richard Shelton, the CoExecutors of the Estate of Barbara B. Shelton, deceased, praying for final settlement of the estate, approval of their acts, proceedings and accounts as Co-Executors, allowance for their

attorneys' fees and expenses, and the Court determine the heirs of the said decedent and assign to them the real estate and personal property remaining in said estate.

You are hereby required to file your written defenses thereto on or before the 8th day of March, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., in said Court in the City of Hugoton, Kansas, at which time and place said cause will be heard.

Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon said petition.

MIKE SHELTON RICHARD SHELTON Co-Executors and Petitioners TATE & KITZKE L.L.C. 1024 S. Trindle, P. O. Box 909 Hugoton, KS 67951-0909 Telephone: (620) 544-2103 Attorneys for Co-Executors and Petitioners

Solution to February 11, 2016, puzzle

714 Ballinger • Garden City • 620-275-0291 • www.rcdc4kids.org February is National Children’s Dental Health Month – Let’s Talk Thumbsucking & Pacifier Use Thumb sucking is a natural reflex for children. Sucking on thumbs, fingers, pacifiers or other objects may make babies feel secure and happy and help them learn about their world.

Young children may also suck to soothe themselves and help them fall asleep.

How Can Thumb sucking Affect My Child's Teeth?

After permanent teeth come in, sucking may cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and alignment of the teeth. It can also cause changes in the roof of the mouth.

Pacifiers can affect the teeth essentially the same ways as sucking fingers and thumbs, but it is often an easier habit to break.

The intensity of the sucking is a factor that determines whether or not dental problems may result. If children

rest their thumbs passively in their mouths, they are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs. Some aggressive thumb suckers may develop problems with their baby (primary) teeth.

When Do Children Stop Sucking Their Thumbs?

Children usually stop sucking between the ages of two and four years old, or by the time the permanent front teeth are ready to erupt. If you notice changes in your child’s primary teeth, or are concerned about your child’s thumb sucking consult your dentist.

How Can I Help My Child Stop Thumb sucking?

• Praise your child for not sucking.

• Children often suck their thumbs when feeling insecure or needing comfort. Focus on correcting the cause of the anxiety and provide comfort to your child.

• For an older child, involve him or her in choosing the method of stopping.

Your dentist can offer encouragement to your child and explain what could happen to their teeth if they do not stop sucking.

If these tips don’t work, remind the child of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night. Your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe a bitter medication to coat the thumb

or the use of a mouth appliance.

If these tips don’t work, remind the child of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night. Your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe a bitter medication to coat the thumb or the use of a mouth appliance.

P lease Adopt Me! Shawn is a funny young man who likes playing video games and watching sports on TV. He likes building things and working with wood. Shawn is a polite and caring young man. He is shy at first but really opens up once trust is established.

Shawn needs a supportive family that offers stability and reassurance that they will love him and accept him for who he is. To learn more about adoption visit www.adoptkskids.org or call

Shawn, age 16 877-457-5430. Shawn’s case number is CH-5707.

HERMES CLASSIFIEDS Deadline for all classified advertising is MONDAY at 5:00 p.m.

All Garage, Yard and/or Moving Sale Ads MUST Be Pre-Paid.

1) Classified ad rate is $ .20 per word per insertion. The weekly minimum is $3.35. 2) Classified display advertising rate is $5.00 per column inch.

3) All cards of thanks are charged at the display rate. 4) All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, children, or national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

HELP WANTED Need a qualified local employee?

Can you provide Mobile Home Inspections?

(2p6)

Applicant requirements include reliable internet, digital camera, GPS/Smartphone, knowledge of lock change and full winterization.

Email your name, phone number, city & state to katelyn@fieldservices.com

Advertise in

The Hugoton Hermes

Classifieds!

Call 544-4321 or email

hermesma@pld.com

Truck Driver Wanted Must have CDL and clean MVR. You are home every night, health insurance provided and 401K available.

You must fill out application at office 1 mile south of Cimarron at Tim Dewey Trucking.

Office: 620-855-3188 or Darren 620-357-1710. (tfc26)

CURRENT OPENINGS at Stevens County Healthcare

JBS Five Rivers, Grant County Feeders in Ulysses, KS

Mill Maintenance Position Do you enjoy working with machinery-maintaining and repairing?

JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding/Grant County Feeders is hiring a full time mill maintenance person. Grain handling, welding skills and electrical knowledge is a plus. Applicant must have a valid driver’s license, satisfactory verbal and written communication skills.

We are looking for an individual who wants to be part of a positive, productive workforce and values Safety First. We offer competitive wages and full benefits.

Contact Pedro Mendoza @ 620-805-1421 or email pedro.mendoza@jbssa.com.

You can apply in person at 7597 W. Road 17, Ulysses, KS between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., or may apply online at:

www.fiveriverscattle.com/careers EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled

(2c6)

The Hugoton Hermes

FOR SALE FOR SALE: 2 beautiful size 16 prom dresses. 1 Navy, 1 Purple. Call 620-598-2232. (tfc) ---------------

REAL ESTATE REDUC

FOR SALE: Gayle’s Farm Fresh Eggs

Please Call 544-1755

Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS AND KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

112 S. Main • 620-356-5808 • Ulysses www.faulknerrealestate.com Se Habla Espanol-356-5808

(8p4)

FOR RENT

2232.

(tfc)

--------------FOR RENT: 2 bedroom, partially furnished uptown trailer.

Newly remodeled interior.

Available after January 15. Call 620-544-8202 or 620-428-5933.

MOSCOW HOUSE FOR RENT: 3br/1ba ground level, with den and living room.

Wood floors throughout.

1br/1ba with living room in full basement. Washer/Dryer included. 2 car garage. Nice yard.

Must See! $950/month plus utilities. 620-544-9004 or 620-5449002.

(4c6)

(4c6)

ROLLA PLAZA APARTMENTS Two 1-bedroom apts (Rental Assistance Available)

415 S. Main - Ranch 2 bed/2bath, cen H/A, fenced yard, carport. Call today to see this nice home!!

1012 S Lincoln - Reduced Price! Investment property! Call today for details!

810 East 6th Street - Residential lot for sale! 3.7 acres +/-. Call for details!!

620-492-6608 Office 620-351-1305 Mgr (tfc16)

Beautiful 3 bedroom/ 2 bath apartment homes, all appliances, washer/dryer connection, private patio or balcony, kids’ playground, pets welcome.

1103 S. Jefferson St. - $70,000 - This nice home is ready to move into. New paint on the exterior and interior. New laminate and vinyl floor coverings. Remodeled bathroom with tile floor, granite countertop, modern sink and new tub/shower unit. Immediately available.

307 N. Kansas, Suite 101 Liberal, KS 67901

(620) 624-1212

821 S Polk - Cute bungalow! 3 bed/1 b, updated kitchen and bath, det carport & garage. Call today to see this property.

108 West 11th - Ranch style, brick, 3 bed/5 bath, basement, 2 kitchens, att & det garage, "Man Cave". Call today to see this nice property!!

SOLD

202 S. Jackson - Nice Ranch style, 2 bed/2 bath, 2 living areas, kitchen w/ island, workshop (2), att. carport. Call today!!!

510 West 8th Street - Nice and Neat!!

Move in ready! Ranch style, 3 bed/2 b, cen H/A, att garage, fpl, appliances, fence, workshop. Call Karen today!!

ED REDUC

SOLD 910 S. Coulter, Hugoton, KS. 620-544-7605 (tfc35)

1201 S Adams - Great location! Ranch Style, 3 bd/2 b, new kitchen and bath remodels, appliances, cen H/A, fence, corner lot. Call today to see this nice home!!

SUPPORT GROUPS PREGNANT? NEED HELP? Call Birthright of Garden City, 620-276-3605 or Birthline of Liberal, 1404 N. Western, 620-626-6763. (tfc3) -------------ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS will help you if you sincerely want to stop drinking. Call 544-9047. (tfc1) ---------------

NEW LISTING - 625 Road N - $125,000Minimize your utility bills with this energy efficient passive solar home. Supplemental heat, if needed, supplied by a pellet stove.

Central H/A is ducted if needed. The domestic water well is shared with adjacent property. There is a bonus room above the garage with a small motel heat/cooling unit. All bathrooms have been updated recently.

ED

---------------

Equal Housing Opportunity

Carmen Bontrager

Page 5B

FOR SALE: 16 ft. Donahue Gooseneck enclosed horse trailer. Call 620-544-2838. (tfc6)

HOUSE FOR SALE: 209 W .

Second Street in Hugoton. Call 620-544-7562.

(2c6)

FOR RENT: 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments. Furnished or unfurnished. Bills included, washer & dryer and cable. One apartment has become available and one house is available. Call 544-

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Project Hope Open Tues & Thurs 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Please Bring Your Own Food Containers

SOLD 905 S Jefferson St- 4 bed/3 b, bsmt, att garage, cen H/A, fence, fpl (2). Call today to see this home!

1042 S. Jackson Suite C (tfc37)

AL-Anon Family Group

Support for family & friends of problem drinkers meet Mondays & Thursdays at 8 p.m.

1405 Cemetery Road 544-2610 or 544-2854 kansas-al-anon.org (tfc)

SERVICES OFFERED KIRBY SUPPLIES: Kirby Vacuum Owners - for factory authorized sales, service and supplies, please call Jeff at 800-821-5050.

(6p7) ---------------

Underground Sprinkler System DESIGN & INSTALLATION Call Lawn Pro TODAY for your FREE estimate and a more beautiful lawn! (tfc11)

The Hugoton Hermes http://hugotonhermes.com

SOLD

807 S Jefferson- Investors!!! 2 bed/2 bath, detached garage. Call today for details!!

Chance Yoder - Salesperson Karen Yoder

Take us everywhere.

Get your subscription today!

Stevens County and surrounding counties just $30.00 a year or online for $24.96 a year!

Non local and out of state is just $35.00 a year or online for $24.96 a year!

Student Subscription is $25.00 for 9 mos.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY 522 S. Main Hugoton, KS 620-544-4321 http://hugotonhermes.com

Call to schedule your showing today

“Call Us For All Your Real Estate Needs”

Chance Yoder

Julie West 620-453-1234

(tfc40)

WANTED WANT TO PURCHASE: Minerals and other oil / gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557, Denver, Co. 80201.

TAKING CONSIGNMENTS K IWA N IS A U C TION March 25 & 26, 2016

(150p45-15)

Turn in your consignments to: Walter McClure 544-4202, Ron Brewer 544-8985 or any other Hugoton Kiwanis Club Member

---------------

PUBLIC NOTICE (First Published in The Hugoton Hermes, Thursday, February 11, 2016) 3t

praying that the Court determine the legatees and devisees entitled to the estate pursuant to the terms of the Will and the Family Settlement Agreement, and to distribute and assign the same to such persons, in accordance with the terms of the decedent's Will and the Family Settlement Agreement, and for further relief. You are hereby required to file your written defenses thereto on or before the 8th day of March, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. of said day, in said Court, in the district courtroom at the county courthouse in Hugoton, Stevens County, Kansas, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the petition.

Donald Burrows, Administrator C.T.A. Kramer, Nordling & Nordling, LLC 209 East Sixth Street Hugoton, Kansas 67951 Attorneys for Petitioner Telephone: (620) 544-4333

PUBLIC NOTICE (First Published in The Hugoton Hermes, Thursday, February 4, 2016) 3t

There’s a lot inside – and online.

3 bedroom/2 bath, newer kitchen, granite countertops, large family room, large 2 car detached garage, and much more. $98,000

Chance Yoder- Cellphone 544-1907

THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are hereby notified that a petition has been filed in the above Court by Donald Burrows, Administrator C.T.A. of the will and estate of Everett Eugene Burrows, deceased, praying for final settlement of the estate and approval of a family settlement agreement, for approval of his acts and proceedings as Administrator C.T.A., for payment of court costs, attorney's fees and expenses, and also

Valuable advertising

1024 S. Harrison

Karen Yoder- 544-4161 or Cellphone 544-3730

NOTICE OF HEARING (Chapter 59)

Special sections

HOUSE FOR SALE

Mark Faulkner-Broker Karen Yoder - Associate/Broker Residential & Commercial Specialist

Case No. 2015PR000011

Sports

705 E Fourth Avenue - Nice & Neat!

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IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF EVERETT EUGENE BURROWS, DECEASED

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IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF STEVENS COUNTY, KANSAS

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IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF STEVENS COUNTY, KANSAS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LURLINE A. GERBER, DECEASED No.2016PR7 NOTICE OF HEARING (Chapter 59) You are hereby notified that Lonnie L. Gerber, as personal representative of the estate of Lurline A. Gerber, deceased, and as an heir of Lurline A. Gerber, deceased, has filed a petition in the above Court alleging, among other things, that Decedent was the owner at the time of her death of certain real estate situate in Stevens County, Kansas, and other counties, as more fully described in the Petition filed in this proceeding.

Petitioner prays the Court for an order admitting the authenticated copy of Decedent's will and the proceedings had in the District Court of El Paso County, Colorado, to probate and record in the District Court of Stevens County, Kansas, and for an order determining and adjudging that

administration of the estate within the State of Kansas is unnecessary and should not be required; that the real estate referred to in the Petition and all other real estate or interests therein, including mineral interests, and all personal property, or interests therein, owned by Decedent, Lurline A. Gerber, within the State of Kansas at the time of her death, be assigned to the persons entitled thereof, pursuant to the terms of Decedent's will, and for further relief.

You are hereby required to file your written defenses to the petition on or before the 29th day of February, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. of said day, in said Court, in the district courtroom at the county courthouse, in Hugoton, Stevens County, Kansas, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the petition.

Lonnie L. Gerber, Petitioner KRAMER, NORDLING & NORDLING, LLC 209 East Sixth Hugoton, Kansas 67951 Telephone: 620-544-4333 Attorneys for Petitioner

Consignments are due by March 10 to be included on the sale bill

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The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 6B

Track season

MOSCOW NEWS

has arrived!

BY JUDY HICKERT

The Moscow Junior High track students started practice this week. This has been a great week weather-wise to be outdoors practicing.

Bridge Club invites new players

Pictured are students in the middle assisted Reading group studying in the Moscow High School library during their second hour class time. There are students from sixth grade to freshmen in high school in the class taught by Jodi Staggers. Tina White and Sherry May are also teachers as there are three different groups. This is a very important class concentrating on reading and comprehension of the material.

Bridge Club group met last Thursday at the Hugoton Senior Center with hostess Dorothy Hagman. Donita Graham and Judy Hickert tied for high score, Barbara Maertz and Vera Stoops tied for the low score.

The bridge players would really welcome anyone wanting to learn to play bridge, or if you play they always need more players. Just call the Center for more information at 544-2283.

Moscow Junior High students line up for a photo during the combination dance/food collection event sponsored by the MJHS cheer-

leaders for Valentine’s Day. Food collected was donated to the local food bank.

MJH students show off their moves

unty ns Co y Steve l Auxiliar ita p s o H

The Moscow Junior High School students enjoyed a Valentine's Day Dance Saturday evening, February 13 at the High School Commons area. The Junior High cheerleaders sponsored the dance, and food was collected

The Little

In The Corner

Unique gifts for Any Occasion, Anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Graduation, Weddings, Baby Showers, etc.

for the food bank. DJ Quinton Mirabel played the music. The kids had lots of fun dancing and even danced the polka to the Mexican music. They also had lots of good snacks, including the popular s'mores.

Hours are 9 to 12 and 1 to 4 Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.

Sponsored by First National Bank Member FDIC

Reed Brazeal shows off his roping skills at a recent event. He currently stands in first place in team roping.

Benefit Dinner for

Melissa and Earl Dean Peterson (Melissa recently had a liver transplant)

Sunday, February 28

Reed Brazeal will compete in the Heartland Youth Rodeo Association Finals February 20-21 in Kingman in the in-

Memorial Hall - Hugoton 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Homemade chicken and noodles Mashed potatoes green beans/rolls Assorted sheet cake/drink

S 7 14 21 28

M 1 8 15 22 29

There will also be a silent auction for baskets filled with a variety of goodies.

Camera Club will

If you are unable to attend the dinner but would like to donate please mail a check payable to: PHCI (Pheasant Heaven Charities, Inc.) c/o Yvonne Jackson Box 372 Hugoton, Ks. 67951

T 2 9 16 23

W 3 10 17 24

T 4 11 18 25

Reed to compete in Rodeo Finals February 20-21

F 5 12 19 26

meet Thursday, February 18 The Hugoton Area Camera Club plans to have their monthly meeting Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Hugoton Senior Center.

Anyone interested in photography in invited to attend.

The theme for pictures this month is "Red".

door arena at the fairgrounds. The series started in November and Reed has competed in eight rodeos and qualified for the finals. He is sitting third in the All Around Standings. He is in first place in the team ropping, second in steer riding, ribbon roping, goat tying and third place in steer stopping and breakaway roping.

Reed is sponsored by Mane Hair Company and is in the fifth through eighth grade age group. There are over 65 kids that compete in the rodeo. The awards banquet will follow the Sunday, February 21 performance.

Brazeal’s skill continues throughout the arena, as he not only team ropes, but also competes in steer riding, ribbon roping, goat tying, steer stopping and breakaway roping.

S 6 13 20 27

(620) 492-4244 Feb 6th: Garry & Jan Metcalf

JC Blakeley and Kelsi Mueller place fifth in Improvised Duet Acting, or “I.D.A.” at Syracuse Saturday, February 13. Photo courtesy of Tina White.

Living Moving Estate Auction 1102 Stubbs Rd., Ulysses, KS 10:00AMCT Motorcycle-Trailer-Tools-Furniture-Antiques

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Feb 11th: Real Estate Public Auction 60 N. Sid, Elkhart, KS 730PMCT

Feb 20: antiques, antiques, antiques Estate Auction: Willard Link Trust 4-H Bldg, Hugoton, KS 10:00AMCT

Feb 27: Moving Living Estate Auction 5257 S. Rd X, Ulysses, KS 10AMCT Storm Date: March 5, 2016 Livestock Equip-Antiques-Art-Tools-Outdoor Squash Blossom Neck-Arrowheads & Much More

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Michelle Canny Auctioneer & REALTOR (620) 333-8344

Maggie White and Rachel Pierson place third in IDA at the Forensics event in Syracuse Saturday. Congratulations! Photo courtesy of Tina White.

did you know?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research has shown that strengthening exercises are safe and effective for men and women of all ages, including seniors. The CDC also notes that men and women with heart disease or arthritis may benefit the most from exercise regimens that include lifting weights several

times per week. A strengthtraining program at Tufts University enlisted older men and women with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis.

The program lasted 16 weeks, and by the end of those 16 weeks, participants reported that their pain had decreased by an average of 43 percent while also decreasing the disability caused by their conditions. In addition to the benefits uncovered in the Tufts program, strength training can benefit older men and women by improving balance and flexibility, which can decrease their likelihood of falling and the severity of those falls if they do slip.

Submitted by Metro Editorial Services.

Forensics team members Freddy Gonzalez and Maggie White earn a fifth place finish with their Duet performance at Syracuse this past Saturday. Photo courtesy of Tina White.

It’s a JUNGLE out there, so don’t MONKEY around.

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544-4321

The

Hugoton

Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016 Page 1B

Skinners win Soil Conservation Three generations of Harpers proudly display their award-winning windbreak: Alfred, Steve

and Chris Harper. Man’s best friend, Stryker, couldn’t resist the photo op!

Harpers claim second windbreak award in nearly 30 years The 2015 Soil Conservation windbreak award goes to Steve and Donna Harper. This is nothing new to them as their same windbreak won the Soil Conservation Windbreak award in 1986.

The Harpers planted 532 red cedar trees in 1981, using a post hole digger to make the hole.

Stevens County Conservationist Roy Huhn set up

the plan for the windbreak. They used drip irrigation for the trees the first few years after they were planted. They only lost eight trees. However, eventually wild animals chewed the drip irrigation hoses making it necessary to replace the lines.

After the cedars were grown, during the drought, the Harpers decided to clean out between

This view shows the inside of the Harper windbreak. They cleaned out the branches in the center of the windbreak. The Harpers then put

the three rows of trees.

They raked out the tumbleweeds and then removed the dead branches that were inside the windbreak. Cedar branches die where the sun does not reach them. Now it was possible to lay new water lines.

They put in two inch PVC water lines to bring in the volume of water to the Continued to page 2C

in two inch PVC water lines to provide enough water to keep all the trees watered.

Wildlife winners are Bryne and Tina Sullins

The Soil Conservation winner for 2015 is the Skinner Family. Darrell and Virginia Skinner were the senior partners, becoming partners with Darrell’s dad Elliott in 1948. The family of Randy and Linda Skinner became a partner in 1973 and the family of C.J. and Marcala became successors five years ago.

One of the main jobs the Skinners have been trying to do is make sure their farm has good cover to keep the soil from blowing during the drought of the past five years. They have increased their usage of chemical tillage. They rotate their crops continuously. The Skinners work to keep moisture in the ground to get the crops to grow.

C.J. commented, in the last five years they have implemented strip-till on their irrigated ground in order to conserve the residue on the ground as much as possible.

Even on dry land, they have had to plant some cover crops, not shooting for actual crops. They planted wheat around the stalks to provide cover.

They even planted oats to get fast cover. On the dry land, the Skinners sometimes utilized the no-till method to keep the soil in place.

Randy remarked that

The Skinner family pause during their busy schedule for a photo. In the back row, left to right are Marcala, C.J., Linda and Randy. Seated on the sofa is Virginia and Darrell. In front are Ava age nine and Eli age seven.

The corn stubble shows good stubble cover on sandy land with a 25 foot elevation difference in the field. sometimes they plant a “general mix,” which is using whatever seed is in the shed. Then they hope for the best.

Randy is still farming.

He works every day to make the farm a great

The dryland milo stubble show a good coverage for the field. The Skinners use the stubble to This sandhill plum thicket located on the Tina and Bryne Sullins stand in front of their Sullins’ farm shows sandhill plums from last sandhill plums they planted to attract quail. summer.

The 2015 Soil Conserva- The expert informed Bryne their patio in the evening. tion winner for Wildlife is that to attract quail, the Because of the rainfall reBryne and Tina Sullins. In best thing is a sandhill ceived this past summer, the year of 2010, the plum thicket. That is why the pheasant population Sullins’ work crew planted Bryne put in the sandhill has increased. Bryne stated 392 red cedar trees and 164 plums. the quail population has resandhill plum bushes, for a The Sullins planted the ally exploded, due to the total of 556 trees. They re- trees to create a natural extra moisture in the fields. ceived the trees from the habitat to attract both quail Bryne and Tina have two forestry service of K-State. and pheasant. The trees children, Derek and They put a lot of water on also attracted deer and Deneigh. Derek is a police the trees to keep them alive other animals. A lot of birds officer in Tulsa, Ok. and using drip irrigation. roost in the trees. Even Deneigh is in Wichita When Bryne was in the woodpeckers come by to studying to be a paramedic. planning stages of this take a taste of the Sullins’ Congratulations Bryne habitat, he told an expert house at times. and Tina for winning the conservationist that he was Bryne and Tina enjoy 2015 Soil Conservation mostly interested in quail. watching the wildlife from Wildlife Award.

Bryne and Tina Sullins show their home located east of Hugoton. They see a lot of

wildlife around their farm because of the cedars and sandhill plums they planted.

success.

Now automation has come to the farm. Randy admits he did not like change, but everyone knows automation is a beneficial tool in farming.

Continued to page 2C

keep the field from blowing away during dry times.

The start of the Skinner family in Stevens County

by Darrell and Virginia Skinner Elliott Skinner was born in Witt, Il. As a young man in 1904, he and a friend came to Pratt to work in harvest. He liked the country so well, he came back to Pratt to work in the harvest the next year.

When he went home, he decided this was what he wanted to do.

He worked for two years to be able to have a wagon, some work tools, and a good team of horses. In 1907 he got on a box car with his horses and wagon and all his tools in a large box to become a farmer.

Little did he know this large box was to be passed down to his grandson, Randy Skinner, to use in 4-H. Now Randy has three grandchildren in 4-H using the same box for their show tools in Abilene.

In Pratt, he began to farm and there he met his wife-to-be and was married to Bessie. In 1910 they came to Liberal to farm and finally settled down in the Hugoton area

near the Prairiola community.

In 1948 Elliott and his son Darrell became partners. Elliott retired at age 83. Darrell and his wife Virginia continued to farm with their children Sheryl and Randy.

In 1973 Randy became a partner. The farm grew, and they had farming and cattle. This was always the dream Darrell had, “The Family Farm”. His dream of the family farm is still there. Randy and Linda are still making the farm a success.

Randy and Linda’s children C.J. and Shawna were always on hand to help with whatever needed done as they were growing up.

Darrell’s grandson C.J. Skinner and his wife Marcala became the farm’s successors in 2010.

This is the fourth generation of Darrell’s family farm and perhaps it will continue on another generation.

Farmers are wonderful caretakers. The family

stays together with soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh and then sigh and reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does.

Such a wonderful life to have shared, being a caretaker for God! Virginia always felt when they married, Darrell, she and the farm became one. She made sure their business had a clear conscience; for treating disappointments with doses of chocolate cake; for helping to outsmart a system that won’t allow farmers to raise prices; for treating their son like a man; for helping make sure safety was a habit, not a worry; for forgiving those who asked, “Do you stay at home or do you work?” Such a grand way to enjoy life, to be with family every day.

For one of God’s greatest gifts is the love of family.

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 2C

Skinner Farm

SOIL CONSERVATION We care about the well-being and continued success of our local farmers.

509 West 11th St. Hugoton, Ks 620-544-8500

Congratulations to Stevens County’s past and present

Conservation winners!

ROME FARMS 544-8991 Keith, Dave & Steve Rome

We’re proud of this community’s farming tradition and conservation.

PE ARCY IRRIGATION LLC 510 W. Fifth Hugoton

Contact Jonathan 620-541-1049 or Will Cullum 620-453-0079 Office 620-428-6333

66th Annual Stevens County Conservation District AWARDS BANQUET Guest Speaker

Walt Beesley

Saturday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Memorial Hall Citizens State Bank Congratulates Stevens County Farmers & Ranchers for Your Continued Good Stewardship of Our Natural Resources.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Call 544-2991 Catered by Hunny’s BBQ Banquet Courtesy of

Continued from page 1C There have been some adjustments to using the automation. It is too easy to push the wrong button on the farm equipment.

The Skinners do yield mapping with the automated combine some years. They also do soil samples every year.

C.J. stated this community is blessed with many good farmers. Anyone who is still in the farming business after these years of drought have to know what they are doing.

This isn’t the first award the Skinner Farm has won.

In 1959 Darrell won the Bankers Award for Conservation. Darrell had put in terraces in several fields that year to prevent soil erosion and to conserve water. Now most of the terraces are gone.

The Skinners all agree farming is a series of changes. Elliott Skinner had to adjust to changes back in 1910. Darrell had to adjust

evenly harvested at 12" height. They also have irrigated farmland.

to changes when he was farming beginning when he was young until he retired at 85 years old. Randy has adapted to the changes and

in the future C.J. will have to adapt to more changes in technology and automation.

Congratulations to the Skinner family.

Harper windbreak Continued from page 1C

end of the tree row. They then attached one inch PVC water lines to the larger lines to water the trees. They drilled holes in the plastic lines instead of emitters for the water to run through. It is now Alfred’s job to keep the water turned on in different parts of the windbreak. The lines are connected to an irrigation well so the trees are only watered when the irrigation well is in operation.

Inside the windbreak is a perfect place for a picnic during the summer. No wind or sun can penetrate inside the rows of trees, just lots and lots of cool shade.

The Harpers also planted a single row of Rocky Mountain Junipers on the south side of their farmstead.

Occasionally, they have had trouble with spider mites and bagworms in the windbreak. Usually, they have no bug problems.

This wonderful windbreak stops the Kansas wind at the Harper farmstead. When anyone lives in rural southwest Kansas, a windbreak is essential for comfort and well being.

Congratulations, Steve, Donna and Chris Harper for having a great windbreak!

Kansas Department of Agriculture hires Executive Director of Division of Conservation Robert Reschke has been hired by the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the State Conservation Commission as the Executive Director for the Division of Conservation.

Mr. Reschke brings nearly 15 years of experience managing and coordinating the implementation of conservation programs and projects.

Most recently, Mr. Reschke served as a water resource planner for the Kansas Water Office, coordinating with federal, state and local water-related agencies to develop and implement strategic plans and projects to address priority issues in the Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas and Kansas Water Plan. Mr. Reschke received a degree in Biology from Emporia State University and is a graduate of the Kansas Certified Public Manager Program.

The Division of Conservation (DOC) works with the 105 local conservation districts, the 88 organized watershed districts, other special purpose districts, and state and federal entities administer programs to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, conserve water, reduce flood potential and provide local water supply.

As director, Mr. Reschke will lead the efforts of the DOC, including the administration of the Conservation Districts Law and other laws designed to assist local entities and individuals in conserving our natural resources. His leadership will direct the efforts of the DOC staff in the management and implementation of water conservation, water quality, land reclamation, watershed and conservation district programs.

To learn more about the DOC or about the Vision for the Future of Water Supply in

DEADLINE 601 S. Main St., Hugoton, KS 67951 (620) 544-4331 www.csbks.com MEMBER FDIC

This is one of the many fields from the Skinner Farm that shows good dryland wheat stubble

Mondays

5:00 p.m.

Kansas, visit the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Web site, www.agriculture. ks.gov/.

Robert Reschke is the new Executive Director of Division Conservation.

The Harper family enjoy being in the calm center of their awardwinning windbreak. Left to right are Alfred Harper, Steve Harper and Chris Harper. The windbreak not only stops the Kansas wind but also provides shade and protection for wildlife.

The Hugoton Hermes

Harney Silt Loam-Kansas State Soil

By A. Tyler Labenz, Resource Soil Scientist, Hutchinson, Kansas Kansas, along with all the states, has adopted official state symbols that represent its unique natural history, heritage, and culture. Most people are familiar with the Kansas symbols including the buffalo, cottonwood tree, western meadow lark, and sunflower. However, few people know that Kansas also recognizes an official state soil, the Harney Silt Loam.

A state soil is a soil that has special significance to a particular state.

Soil is Kansas' most valuable resource. Combined with the state's climate and water supply, soil supports the state’s top industry, agriculture. Agriculture accounts for nearly $6 billion each year to the Kansas economy. Harney silt loam was adopted as the Kansas State Soil on April 12, 1990, when Governor Mike Hayden signed Senate Bill 96 into law. Each state in the United States has selected a state soil, but only twenty have been legislatively established.

Harney Silt Loam is a very deep, nearly level to moderately sloping, well-drained soil on flat ridgetops and side slopes. This soil typically has

a dark grayish brown silt loam surface layer about 12 inches deep. Below this lies the subsoil which is about 23 inches deep. The upper part of this layer is grayish brown silty clay loam and the lower part is brown calcareous silty clay loam. The parent material layer goes from a depth of 35 to 70 inches and is calcareous silt loam.

Harney silt loam formed under prairie grasslands and over thousands of years developed a deep organic topsoil. Harney silt loam covers almost four million acres covering 26 west central Kansas counties. A variety of cash crops, irrigated and dryland, are raised on Harney Silt Loam. Livestock including cattle, sheep, and hogs get their food directly from this soil.

The name "Harney," meaning people, is adopted from "harahey," an ancient Wichita Indian term for "Pawnee Indian" stemming from when Coronado journeyed across Kansas. 1 Kansas has over 300 different soil types across its 52 million-acre surface area.

Crop acres account for 56 percent, or just over 29 million acres, while range and pasture lands account for over 19 million acres, or 37

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 3C

From conservation to innovation, we recognize the challenges and changes facing today’s farmers, and gratefully acknowledge the important impact of their continued successes on our lives and our futures.

1012 S. Main St., P.O. Box 308, Hugoton, KS 67951

“Helping You Put The Pieces Together.”

620.544.4388

Congratulations Past Grassland Merit Award Winners The Kansas State Soil is Harney Silt Loam. It covers almost four million acres covering 26 west central Kansas counties. percent. Nearly 25 million of the 52 million total acres (48 percent) are considered prime farmland. Prime farmland has the best combination of physical and chemical soil characteristics for producing food and fiber.

For more information about Kansas soils or soils in your county, please contact your Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office or conservation district office located at your local county U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service

Center (listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the internet at offices.usda.gov) for assistance. More information is also available on the Kansas Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

1 Dr. Patricia J. O'Brien, professor of social anthropology and social work, Kansas State University, Manhattan

1995 Gerald Schmidt Family 2003 Sid & Sheila Burrows 2005 Jim Persinger 2006 Richard Claggett 2007 Dennis & Beth Moser

2008 Steve & Brenda Kinser 2010 Ervin & Galen Hancock 2013 Ron DeGarmo 2014 Sally Mann Adee

and Wildlife Habitat Award Winners 1989 Rome Farms (Steven, Keith & David) 2010 Jerry and Laura Hull

Conservation Compliance is still an important issue Alan R. Boerger, Resource Conservationist, Manhattan, Kansas Calendar year 2015 marked the 30th anniversary of the Food Security Act of 1985 (also known as the 1985 U.S. Farm Bill) being signed into law. Since 1985, millions of acres of agricultural lands have had conservation plans developed on them with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Furthermore, millions of tons of soil have been saved due to the planning efforts made by NRCS and the producers who implemented the practices outlined in those conservation plans. Even though conservation compliance is not foremost in everyone’s mind in recent years, the regulations of the Food Security Act are still something producers must adhere to if they wish to continue to be eligible for U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and benefits.

A few of the USDA benefits and programs that can be affected due to non-compliance issues include: • Environmental Qual-

We Salute The Dedicated Farmers Of Stevens County. ity Incentives Program (EQIP) eligibility • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) eligibility • Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) eligibility • Agriculture Easement Conservation Program (ACEP) eligibility • Other Farm Service Agency (FSA) benefits • Federal Crop Insurance benefits Each year, NRCS field staff is provided a list of randomly selected tracts of land to review to ensure producers are implementing or using conservation systems that meet conservation compliance criteria.

During the review process, the current conservation system is evaluated in the field to ensure the system being implemented is properly maintaining or reducing the tolerable soil loss limits for the highly erodible field.

In addition to reviewing soil

loss limits, NRCS staff also reviews whether or not the protection of wetland areas is being observed by producers.

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the amount of trees being cleared along riparian areas or issues of stream channels being either filled or straightened. Many of these actions can carry consequences to USDA benefit eligibility, but could involve other issues or violations to regulations to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Producers who are thinking of removing trees or manipulating possible wetland areas, need to consult with their local FSA or NRCS office to ensure their proposed actions do not affect wetlands or cause violations which may carry heavy fines and costs for mitigating affected wetland areas.

Since the Food Security Act of 1985 was signed into law, many changes in farming practices and farm pro-

grams have taken place, but one remaining fact still endures, compliance with the Act is still the law. Producers can protect their program eligibility and benefits by practicing good conservation methods and understanding the laws that were designed to protect our natural resources.

Contacting and working with your local FSA and NRCS office can help you protect your land and your USDA benefits.

For more information visit the Kansas NRCS Web site (www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov) or your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center. To find a service center near you, check your telephone book under “United States Government” or on the Internet at offices.usda.gov.

Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Cost-Share Assistance Programs are funded by State Conservation Commission Funding provided by the State Conservation Commission through appropriation from the Kansas Water Plan Fund is allocated to local Conservation Districts each year in July. The Stevens County Conservation District uses these Water Resources Conservation Funds to address the following practices in Stevens County.

• Field, Farm and/or Livestock Windbreaks Includes Drip Irrigation and Fabric Weed Barrier.

• Irrigation pipelines when converting flood to center pivot sprinkler • Livestock Practices includes: Water Wells Pumping Source Pipelines Stock Tanks/ Waterers Cross-Fencing • Seeding included for: Pasture / Hayland Range Seeding Critical Area Planting The cost-share assistance program pays 70% of the County-Average-Cost (CAC).

The CAC is used as a basis for determining the amount of cost-share assistance earned, not to exceed $5,000.

607 East Eleventh, Hugoton, Kansas 67951, Phone: 620544-2991 Ext.3, E-mail: stevenscountycd@gmail.com.

Conserving the soil makes for a better farming future!

Insurance Agency Karen Yoder, Agency Manager 600 S. Main • Hugoton • 620-544-4314

FARMERS March 15 is the deadline for insuring your spring planted crops with multi-peril and revenue insurance. See us for your insurance needs. Don’t forget, hail season is approaching!

Call Yvonne, Kim, Kirk, Dennis, Linda, Mari or Teri to set up an appointment.

1026 S. Main

Windbreaks along with drip irrigation and fabric weed barrier can be funded by cost-share assistance programs if you are a Stevens County landowner.

Non-Point Source funds assist water quality funds will be used to plug abandoned water wells and upgrading failing septic systems and/or closing out abandoned septic systems. Funding for plugging water wells will be 70% of the county average cost up to $1,000 while the septic systems will be limited to $4,000.

To ensure structures are built to the program guidelines, technical assistance will be provided. No practice can be started until the application and design has been

approved.

How do you qualify? If you are a Stevens County landowner you can apply for cost-share funds.

How do you apply?

Check with our office for costshare assistance in conservation protection and the eligible practices to improve your operation. Technical assistance will be provided to help complete the application forms and to answer any questions regarding the programs.

Contact: Stevens County Conservation District Office,

620-544-8011

EXPERT ADVICE • CUSTOMIZED SERVICE • INDUSTRY-LEADING SEED PRODUCTS As Channel® Seedsmen, we get to know you and your farm first. From walking your fields to recommending the best product placement, they’re all signs of our commitment to you.

It allows us to provide you with the best in-season advice and industry-leading seed products all season long. Make Seedsmanship your sign for success, this year, and the next.

Contact your Channel Seedsman:

Warren Willis Seed Sales Hugoton, KS

620-428-1063

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 4C

Soil Conservation is an Old Time Religion

By Kelly J. Klausmeyer, NRCS Engineer, Hays, Kansas Reprinted from Our American Land: 1987 Yearbook of Agriculture. Washington, D.C. United States Department of Agriculture, 1987. Pp. 175- 180.

By Douglas Helms, National Historian, Soil Conservation Service

The idea that Americans should conserve soil to maintain the Nation’s capacity to produce food is neither new nor outdated. Some colonial Americans knew the dangers of exhausting the land and undertook conservation measures even then. Some of the earliest conservationists in-

We salute our area farmers and agriculture industry for their contributions to our local and national communities

DILLCO FLUID SERVICE INC. 513 W. 4th St.

544-2929

715 E. 11th St. Hugoton 544-7323

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Farmers who practice soil conservation have a vision for the future for both themselves and America.

Our thanks

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Water and Soil Conservation are the major focus of Stevens County farmers.

For all of your contributions and for all the fruits of your labor, we thank you for bringing so much to the table.

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creased fertility and lessened erosion by maintaining ground cover, improving soil tilth, and instituting pasture, legume, and crop rotation systems.

Though he invented neither, Thomas Mann Randolph, Thomas Jefferson’s son-in-law, quickly perceived the advantages of the hillside plow and horizontal, or contour, plowing.

As a convert to the idea, Jefferson believed that “In point of beauty nothing can exceed that of the waving lines and rows winding along the face of the hills and valleys.”

Nicholas Sorsby combined horizontal farming with the early progenitor of the terrace the hillside ditch-and greatly popularized “level culture” throughout the South.

The most outstanding of the pre-Civil War agricultural reformers, Edmund Ruffin, experimented to learn the effects of green manures and liming on soil conservation and soil fertility. After the Civil War, Priestly Mangum of Wake Forest, North Carolina, perfected the broadbased Mangum terrace for managing surface runoff.

Hugh Hammond Bennett, who led the soil conservation movement in the 20th century, first called for research.

Largely at his prodding, the

USDA appropriation act for 1929 included provisions for soil erosion and moisture conservation research stations.

Bennett’s first assistant at the Soil Erosion Service, Walter Lowdermilk, made seminal discoveries in the relationship of forest litter to runoff.

Education When Hugh Hammond Bennett began his crusade for soil conservation as a soil scientist in the USDA, he proposed to use demonstration methods so that farmers would observe proven methods of soil conservation, then go forth and do likewise. He located the earliest demonstration projects near the erosion and moisture conservation experiment stations, where the results of the research could be put to use.

Sharing the Costs Sharing the cost of conservation became a major part of agricultural programs with the passage of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act in 1936. Spending public money on soil conservation is premised on society’s having an interest in preventing erosion. It is viewed not only as a matter of equity, but also as an inducement for farmers to practice conservation.

Stewardship According to some sources,

Patrick Henry proclaimed shortly after the American Revolution, “since the achievement of our independence, he is the greatest patriot who stops the most gullies.” The sentiment that conservation should be viewed not only as a matter of self-interest, but as an obligation, had, and continues to have many forms of expression. Certainly, a dispassionate case can be made for soil conservation, but like many another movement that came to be enacted into a national program by Congress, it involved emotions.

Soil conservation as a religious duty found expression in ‘Soil Stewardship Week.” Farm and Ranch magazine sponsored a “Soil and Soul Sunday” from 1946 until 1954. The National Association of Conservation Districts assumed responsibility in 1955 and elicits support from many denominations.

An Enduring Agriculture When a national soil conservation program began in the 1930s, the young group of conservationists attacked their job with enthusiasm. Being optimists, and no better seers than we are today, they perhaps were unmindful of how a dynamic agriculture could undermine some of their good

Hugh Hammond Bennett works.

But they did establish an objective by which to judge various conservation methods an enduring agriculture. Enduring did not imply a static agriculture, but it held that the means to sustain agriculture, the physical integrity of the soil resource, must be maintained.

Please contact your local NRCS office or conservation district office located at your local county U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center (listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the internet at offices.usda.gov) for assistance.

More information is also available on the Kansas Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The year that was: The International Year of Soils Jeffrey A. Hellerich, Resource Soil Scientist, Manhattan, Kansas Many rural Kansans recognize the value and importance of our soil resource, but the same may not be true for those living near urban centers. Although Kansas is a heavily agricultural state, it should be noted that in 2009 over 80 percent of the United States population lived in urban areas, and that number is expected to increase to over 90 percent by 2050. As our civilization becomes more urbanized, we will continue to lose the connection with the agricultural backbone that is responsible for feeding more than seven billion people.

Our soil is one of the most significant, and most overlooked, of our natural resources. Nearly everyone is aware of our need for clean air and clean water, but maintaining healthy soils is just as imRecognizing this portant. information gap, the United Nations adopted a resolution declaring 2015 as the International Year of Soils with the goal to “raise awareness and to promote sustainability of the limited soil resources, using the best available scientific information.”

Key messages of the campaign are to educate the public on: • Healthy soils are the basis for healthy food production • Soils are the foundation for vegetation which is cultivated or managed for feed, fiber, fuel, and medicines • Soils support biodiversity and they host onefourth of the planet’s biodiversity • Soils play a key role in the carbon cycle • Soils store and filter water, improving our resilience to floods and droughts • Soil is a non-renewable resource; its preservation is essential for food security and a sustainable future

Congratulations Stevens County Windbreak, Soil Conservation and Wildlife Habitat Award Winners

Thanks for all your hard work and effort

(620) 428-6086 Agricultural Sales and Services, Direct and Local

http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/pub lications/pdf/urbaniza tion/urbanizationwallchart2009.pdf 2 http://www.un.org/en/ ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/68/232&Lang=E Although proclamations like these have the potential to be lost in the shuffle of everyday life, what is impressive about this resolution is the international nature of this effort.

Last summer my parents were on a vacation in Europe and during a stop in Rome just a few blocks from the Colosseum, they saw a giant banner hanging from a multi-story building proclaiming 2015 as the International Year of Soils (see photo).

Even halfway across the world, people are starting to take notice of the importance of soils to all terrestrial life. Here in Kansas we are incredibly fortunate to be blessed with large areas of abundant and productive soils, but that doesn’t mean we can take this resource for granted. Looking

This building in Rome declares the year 2015 as the International Year of Soils. back on 2015 as the International Year of Soils provides a great opportunity to pause and reflect on just how valuable our soils are, and to put effort into management practices that conserve and enhance this vital resource.

For more information visit the Kansas NRCS Web site (www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov) or

your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center. To find a service center near you, check your telephone book under “United States Government” or on the Internet at offices.usda.gov.

Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Soil sampling is one way to check soil health across Kansas

By Karri Honaker, NRCS, Resource Conservationist, Hays, Kansas The 68th session of the United Nations announced 2015 to be the “International Year of Soils.” The topic of soil importance has been gaining momentum for several years now and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. So why all the fuss?

Everyone eats don’t they? Take a moment to contemplate how agriculture touches your life.

Without the soil, there would be no agriculture and that means, no you! It doesn’t take long to figure out that soil is the basis of everything we do, especially here in Kansas with agriculture being one of the top industries in the state. Now that everyone is becoming more familiar with soils and why they are so important, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) would like to focus more specifically on soil health.

The Kansas NRCS has launched a soil health campaign to bring this message home. In order to fully support the soil health campaign, NRCS employees throughout Kansas have jumped on board and have carried out several soil health strategies to enhance the soil health message. One of those strategies is looking at soil health indicators in soil tests. The four soil health tests include aggregate stability, ac-

NRCS employees thoughout Kansas have carried out several strategies to enhance the soil health message. One of these strategies is looking at soil health indicators in soil tests. tive carbon, CO2 burst method, and the solvita SLAN (Soil Labile Amino Nitrogen) tests. The aggregate stability test runs the soil through a series of tests that will determine the extent to which soil aggregates resist falling apart when moistened.

Active carbon tests determine what fraction of the soil organic matter is readily available as an energy source. Microbial activity in the soil gives off carbon dioxide which is measured after drying and rewetting the soil in the CO2 burst method test.

The SLAN test measures the available organic nitrogen.

Sample depths range from 0-2 inches and 2-6 inches and are a composite of 5-15 sub samples per acre. In order to completely interpret the tests, information such as cropping history for the previous two years is needed, along with soil

maps of the property and global positioning system (GPS) points of where the samples were taken. These specific tests will allow us to gain knowledge on just how healthy the soils in Kansas are and what we can do to continue to improve soil health throughout the state.

Please contact your local NRCS office or conservation district office located at your local county U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center (listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the internet at www.offices.usda.gov for assistance. More information is also available on the Kansas Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

The Hugoton Hermes

Are you ready for rain?

By Toni M. Flax, NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist, Hill City, Kansas During a recent conversation with a colleague, he told me the story about two farmers from a recent soil health field day.

One neighbor asked the other “Are you ready for spring?” The guy thought about it, looked at his neighbor and said, “You know, I’m not sure if I am or not?”

The neighbor had asked a small talk question, but he unknowingly got my colleague and me to thinking—spring means rain and are we REALLY ready for rain?

Kansas has faced several years of continual drought and most conversations start with someone asking “Are you ready for rain?” How are we sure if we are ready for rain? Is our ground ready to take up and effectively use the next rain Mother Nature gives us or will it just run off and do no good?

This topic not only pertains to cropland, but also greatly impacts rangeland.

Here are three concepts to for you to think over the next time you are asked “are you ready for the rain?”

First, what does the above ground plant cover look like?

A single rain drop falls to the earth with great force and can cause an erosion event to occur on bare ground. Using the old rule of thumb “take half, leave half,” we can slow down the velocity of the rain drops when they hit the plants’ leaves and make their way to the ground below and soak in. Also, leaves and other biomass provide insulation for the ground, causing

less water evaporation and keeping the soils at a temperature that allows for healthy soil microbial activity to take place.

Second, when it comes to a plant’s biomass, two-thirds is below ground. Having leafy material above ground leads to having a healthy root system and a healthy root system is what keeps the plants going and in place during an erosion event. Think of it like this, the roots are a factory, they take up the water and nutrients to grow more leaves and root material, and the leaves are the solar panels that, in turn, soak up the sunlight and carbon dioxide needed to drive the growth.

When the animal grazes off the leaves the plant has to put its resources to growing more leaves. If the leaves keep getting grazed off, then the plant replaces them making no effort to grow roots which stores the carbohydrates for the winter. This causes the roots to “die off” and makes the plant weak and not able to take up the moisture and use it the next spring. Some root “die off” is to be expected, this helps form “water highways” to help the water infiltration further down into the soil profile.

Third is the concept of plant diversity. Many people believe that grass is the only type of plant to have on rangeland and that any forbs or legumes are bad. This is not the case. Even if livestock do not eat forbs or legumes, they provide a great benefit to the system. They provide differing types of root structures. Grass roots are

Congratulations All Conservation and Windbreak Award Winners

fibrous with many off shoots and are shallow in comparison to the forbs, which have long tuberous roots that can reach water and minerals further down in the soil profile. Legumes also provide needed nitrogen for plants and other microbial activity.

This microbial activity breaks down the organic matter then provides mineral back to the plant.

These concepts are important for a healthy rangeland system which is a never ending ecological cycle. If you are interested in learning more about getting your rangeland “Ready for Rain,” contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office or conservation district office located at your local county U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the internet at offices.usda.gov for assistance. More information is also available on the Kansas Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Grazing management helps to not lose focus in grassland management. over one that was left in the car overnight that is melted and warm. A cow readily grazes big bluestem when its growth is new and leafy, but as the season progresses or the plant has reproductive stems present, she’ll look for something with more nutrition. Our goal as managers is to recognize this and manage for it. Utilizing grazing systems with variations in stock density, prescribed burning with variations in timing, or a combination of both are options for producers. A little ranch dressing goes a long way to get my son to eat broccoli. What management strategy can you implement to get a few more nutritious bites out of a lesser preferred plant?

Will that same strategy also allow fewer bites of a highly preferred plant so it remains healthy?

The third and final point is that grasses respond to rest.

I’ve heard some producers who state that they graze the pasture for six months and they rest the pasture six months. That sounds great until you realize the rest is only during the dormant season. That’d be comparable to a boss crediting an employee with more time off when the employee was already off work. Designing a grazing system that allows rest for the selectively grazed plants can greatly improve their vigor.

Rest allows plants to regain leaf material that was removed by grazing. The increased energy capture from the increased leaf area will in turn

Page 5C

to

Managing the “Green” when markets are down

By Doug Spencer, Rangeland Management Specialist, Marion, Kansas Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t starve a profit out of a cow?” The same phrase rings true for the forage base those livestock are grazing. Stated a little different, “You can’t overgraze and expect more forage.” When margins are tight, it’s often easy for producers to begin burdening the forage base by increasing livestock demand above sustainable levels. Remembering some key points regarding grazing management will help us not lose focus in our grassland management.

The first point is that it takes leaves to grow leaves.

Green, growing leaves are the solar panels of plants. In order for energy to enter the system and produce more green leaves, leaf material must remain after grazing.

Perennial grasses are amazing in their ability to persist with long-term variations in weather, grazing, and fire.

However, I’ve yet to find one that can consistently have all the leaves removed and keep producing larger and healthier leaves. Remaining leaf material that’s required will vary with regard to the forage type.

A general rule of thumb is that cool-season forages such as smooth brome and tall fescue should maintain a leaf height of 3” to 4” or more. Warm-season forages such as the dominant grasses found in the tallgrass prairie should maintain a leaf height of 5” to 6” or more. How much leaf are you leaving as part of your grazing plan?

You are probably thinking, “But my cows eat some grass down to the ground and don’t graze others at all.” That leads to the second point that cows are selective grazers or picky eaters. Just like my nineyear-old son will pick an ice cream shake over a head of broccoli any day of the week, a cow will selectively graze forage types. At the same time, my son will also choose an ice cream shake freshly made

Thursday, February 18, 2016

increase carbohydrate storage for new leaf and root growth.

The amount of rest needed for a grazed plant can vary. Factors such as severity of leaf removal, length of growing season left, and available soil moisture will dictate the amount of rest needed. Rest periods can range from weeks to months to over a year depending on these factors listed. Where are opportunities for you to integrate growing season rest into your grazing management?

While the “green” that’s used to pay the bills is important, don’t forget that it takes the healthy, green leaves in the pasture to make that happen. Focusing management on solar energy capture is key in this business. If you don’t capture it there, the only other means of bringing it in is by purchasing it. If you need management ideas on growing forages, improving utilization of forages, or designing grazing systems that allow rest and recovery periods, contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office.

For more information visit the Kansas NRCS Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov or your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center.

To find a service center near you, check your telephone book under “United States Government” or on the Internet at offices.usda.gov. Follow us on Twitter @NRCS_Kansas.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Conservation Awards 1951-Art Lahey 1952-Ben Davis & Gillespie Brothers 1953-Dale Trahern, Marion & Warren Spikes 1954-Sam Bozone 1955-B.W. Brubaker 1956-R. W. Packer 1957-Letter of Appreciation to J. Saunders...and E. Reardon 1958-Carl White & Sons 1959-Darrell Skinner 1960-Lyle Powers 1961-Val Barnes & Frank Thomas 1962-George Cavner Family 1963-Sid Thomas...Harry Morris 1964-Clarence & Lewis Wheeler...Garlend & Ralph Persinger 1965-Murel Curtis...Everett Wilson 1966-Wilbur DeCamp....Larry Randle 1967-Fred & Roy Walkemeyer 1968-A.E. Kramer & Harry Leonard 1969-Gerald Schmidt & Jim Chandley 1970-Ted Gooch & Sons, Richard Claggett & Gen Bunger Hodges 1971-Warren Moon, Paul & R.C.Nix 1972-Robert Walker & Dean Roehr 1973-Laurence Brower & Thomas F. Harper 1974-Eldon Dale 1975-Morton, Clovis & Ronald Brewer 1976-Gary & Marlin Heger 1977-Roy & Ray Miller...Bertha Ward Estate 1978-Ralph, Richard & Norman Grubbs 1979-John Ertz 1980-Walter McClure & Douglas Mills 1981-Clayton Gerrond, Robert Fox and Elmer Lowen 1982-Rod and Greg Gaskill...Earl Peachey 1983-Vance, David & Tom Lahey, Howard & Bryne Sullins 1984-H.A. Lewis, Larry & John R. Slemp 1985-Paul Grewell, Roger & Glen Gillespie 1986-(Richard) Harlow Farms, (Tony) Stegman Farms 1987-Kenneth Lester, Bill Dale 1988-Mike & Kathy Willis, Floyd & Milton Gillespie 1989-Mark & Sherry Randle, Metcalf Brothers (Jerry & Ramona, Ted & Florence) 1990-Carl & Nancy Cox and Roy & Gloria Cox Frank & LaVern Thomas and Robert & Marigail Thomas 1991-Jim & Dale Cullison, Murray Farms 1992-No Conservation Award 1993-Jim Kuharic

1994-Cox Farms-Jim, Jerry & Jeff Cox Bros.

1995-Jerry Stuckey 1996-Richard James & mother Josphine James 1997-Richard Farrar & mother Helen Farrar 1998-Rick & Chad (son) Hamlin 1999-Steve & Brenda Kinser 2000-Edward White 2001-Joel McClure 2002-David & Shirley Bozone 2003-Jeff Newlon 2004-Shannon & Diane Crawford 2005-Rome Farms (Steve, Keith, David) 2006-John and Donna Brower 2007-Donnie Knier Sr. & Donnie Knier Jr. 2008-Roger & Gail Gillespie & Seth Gillespie 2009-Tom & Patty Lahey 2010-Robert & Paula Fox 2012-Wheeler Farm Inc (Lewis & Lee) 2013-No award given due to drought conditions 2014-Lance & (son) Nathan Snyder Windbreak Awards 1985-Dewayne Hull 1986-Steve Harper 1987-Marvin Shelite 1988-Roy Walkemeyer 1989-Lee Wheeler 1990-Donald Kinser 1991-Jerry Stuckey 1992-Rome Farms (Steve, Keith & David) 1993-Mike Willis 1994-Frank Thomas 1995-Carl and Shirley Brollier 1996-Jeff and Brenda Mills 1997-Jeff and Vickie Newlon 1998-Jamie Mills 1999-Larry and Connie Slemp 2000-Wayne Johnson 2001-Robert (Red) L. Davis 2002-Lance Snyder 2003-Davis May 2004-Steve and Glenda Davis 2005-Dean Roehr 2006-Gary Porter 2007-Paul Grewell 2008-David and Nola Walker 2009-Richard & Peggy Hoskinson 2010-Glen & Vicki Gaskill 2011-No award given due to drought conditions 2012-No award given due to drought conditions 2013-Lewis & Grace Wheeler 2014-Craig White

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The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

IMPORTANT NOTICE All of the Stevens County Conservation District’s programs, sign-ups, meeting notices/invitations, updates and newsletters will be sent through email. We will no longer send notices through U.S. Postal Service.

If you would like to be added to our mailing list or to ensure we have your most current information you can send it to: stevenscountycd@gmail.com or if you would like your e-mail address to be removed from our list.

Feel free to call our office at 620-544-2991 Ext 3 if you have any questions.

With the many challenges facing today’s farmers we recognize those challenges and appreciate their dedication to the land.

B & T Farms Bryne and Tina Sullins

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Page 6C

Quail are making a strong recovery in western Kansas

By Jason Wagner, KDWPT Wildlife Biologist, Hays, Kansas Bobwhite quail have been making a very strong recovery in western Kansas following a prolonged drought.

Quail populations in western Kansas are boom or bust because they are closely tied to the timing and amount of precipitation. The timing of precipitation the last three years have allowed for prime habitat conditions for quail during nesting and brood rearing times. Quail hatch peaks in late June and early July. Quail also have a tenacious renesting behavior, which allows them to continue to attempt to raise broods until they are successful.

Bobwhite quail are known as an edge species. They thrive in areas that have abrupt changes in habitat.

These areas are generally where woody vegetation, like shrubs, meets native grasslands, cropland, or weedy areas. One key component of quail is woody escape cover, preferably shrubs that are three to six feet tall.

Quail need residual cover of native warm season grasses to nest in. In order to raise a brood, bobwhites need bare ground with good overhead

canopy cover and lots of insects for the broods to forage on. Areas of brood rearing habitat have abundant forbs.

During the winter months, quail need areas of woody or weedy cover to get out of the extreme weather of western Kansas.

Managing for quail is not difficult. They need three basic habitat elements to thrive: native warm season grasses, forbs, and woody escape cover. There are numerous habitat practices that can help improve quail populations in western Kansas.

Good quail habitat begins with properly managed native warm season grasses. Proper grazing management will allow for both good nesting and brood rearing habitat for quail. Quail can benefit from common grassland practices like prescribed burning.

Trees like honey locust, elms, and cedars should be removed from grasslands that are being managed for quail.

Shrubs like sandhill plum, American plum, and fragrant sumac should be left for escape cover. Shrub thickets should be spaced apart about as far as a softball can be thrown.

If there are no shrubs present, planting a variety of shrubs in rows or thickets along the edges of

We congratulate past winners of the Distinguished Community Service Award* 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

T.A. Dudley Wayne Guyer Wilbur White Chester Kinser Frank Ellsaesser Jay Saunders Faith Greenway Langdon L. Morgan Earl Peachey Paul Bach Warren Moon Ross Teeter Robert Fox

1992 Paul Nix 1993 Leslie Kinser 1994 Laurence W. Brower 1995 Mabel Harmon 1996 Walter Young 1997 Melvin Webb 1998 Don Kinser 1999 Ruby Rowden 2000 Walter McClure 2001 Marlin Heger 2002 Florence Metcalf 2003 Roy Walkemeyer 2004 Steve Morris

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*Presented by the Stevens County Conservation District and Extension Service to an extraordinary individual who has made significant difference and contributions to the community for efforts in business, civic, government and agriculture purposes.

Bobwhite Quail are making a strong recovery in western Kansas following a prolonged drought. crop fields or rangeland can also improve quail habitat.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has helped boost quail populations in Kansas since it began in 1985. There are numerous conservation practices available through CRP that can benefit quail.

Continuous CRP practices like CP33, Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds, are an excellent way to improve quail habitat. CP33 buffers can be planted around the edges of crop fields or on pivot corners. Mid-contract management in CRP really helps revitalize the quail habitat in any CRP. Strip disking and prescribed burning provide the most benefit to quail because of the flush of annual weeds that follow these CRP management practices. Interseeding forbs into CRP will also improve the quality of habitat for bobwhites.

Grassed terraces or native warm season grassed waterways are also excellent ways to improve quail habitat on crop fields. Any native grass strips should be at least 30’ in width.

An easy way to create escape cover for quail is cutting unwanted trees like locust, cedar, and elm and then loosely stacking them in brush piles that are about 1,500 ft long. Old windrows and hedgerows can be renovated to further help the local quail population. Trees in windrows can be cut and left where they fall. Osage orange trees can be cut off at ground level and the stump left un-

sprayed. The tree will resprout at the stump and create the woody escape cover quail require. The edges of riparian areas can be feathered by cutting trees along the edge and leaving the cut trees where they fall. Odd areas or strips in crop land can be left unsprayed and untilled to allow for weed growth that would benefit quail. Any odd areas or weedy areas should be left along the edge of crop fields and positioned close to permanent native grasses or woody vegetation. Leaving a strip of ground along fencerows or roads undisturbed will create areas of edge for bobwhites. Cover crops may also benefit quail by providing brood rearing habitat, a food source, and escape cover.

To learn more about managing for quail in western Kansas, contact a local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office or conservation district located at your local county U.S. Deof Agriculture partment (USDA) Service Center (listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the internet at offices.usda.gov). Or contact a Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism district biologist. More information is also available on the Kansas Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov. Folus on Twitter low @NRCS_Kansas. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Programs are administered by the Stevens County Conservation District through the administration and funding from Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Conservation (DOC).

The Water Resources CostShare Programs include: • Irrigation Incentives • Range and Pasture - Grazing Land Health • Erosion Soil Control And the NPS (Non-Point Source Pollution Control Programs) address: • Abandoned Water Well Plugging • Failing On-Site Wastewater System Stevens County Conservation District receives and provides incentive programs funds to Stevens County landowners each fiscal year.

All programs are voluntary.

The eligible programs can be cost-shared financial assistance.

USDA-NRCS handles the technical assistance and conservation planning for the Conservation Districts and USDA-Farm Service Agency programs. This technical service is available to you with any conservation planning or information at no cost.

Programs administered directly by the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Conservation include: • *Water Rights Purchase Program • *Water Rights Transition Assistance • *Water Supply Restoration Program If you are interested in conservation program to assist you in your operation stop our office or contact us for more information at 607 E Eleventh St., Hugoton. Phone 620-5442991 Ext.3. or e-mail: stevens countycd@gmail.com. Equal Opportunity Employers and Providers.

Programs available from the Stevens County Conservation District

We Salute Stevens County Farmers and Ranchers for their dedication to agriculture.

“Supplying all your custom farming needs”

Clifford & Paula Shuck 620.428.6400 cpsoperating@gmail.com

Kansas Leopold Conservation Award® Program seeks nominees Sand County Foundation, the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD) and the Ranchland Trust of Kansas are accepting applications for the Leopold Conservation Award in Kansas. The $10,000 award honors Kansas farmers, ranchers and other private landowners who voluntarily demonstrate outstanding stewardship and management of natural resources.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the Leopold Conservation Award inspires other landowners and provides a visible forum where farmers, ranchers and other private landowners are recognized as conservation leaders.

In his influential 1949 book, “A Sand County Almanac,” Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage, which he called “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.”

“The Leopold Conservation Award Program provides a valuable opportunity to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Kansas agricultural landowners who are committed to strong conservation practices and effective stewardship,” said Jim Krueger, Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts.

“We are proud to be a partner in the Leopold Conservation Award Program in Kansas,” said Bill Eastman, Chair of the Board at Ranchland Trust of Kansas. “The private landowners we honor play a critical role in caring for the natural resources we all depend on."

The award will be presented November 21, 2016 at the KACD Annual Convention in Wichita.

Applications for the award must be postmarked by May 29, 2015 and mailed to KACD c/o Jim Krueger, 1008 2500 Avenue, Abilene Ks. 67410.

Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves.

The Leopold Conservation Award Program in Kansas is

made possible thanks to the generous support of Clean Line Energy Partners, Ducks Unlimited, ITC Great Plains, NextEra Energy Resources, Westar Energy, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, USDA NRCS, DuPont Pioneer and The Mosaic Company.

For application information, please visit www.leopold conservationaward.org/theaward/application-info/ ABOUT THE LEOPOLD CONSERVATION AWARD PROGRAM The Leopold Conservation Award is a competitive award recognizing landowner achievement in voluntary conservation. Sand County Foundation presents Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

ABOUT SAND COUNTY FOUNDATION Sand County Foundation (www.sandcounty.net) is a non-profit conservation organization dedicated to working with private landowners across North America to advance ethical and scientifically sound land management practices that benefit the environment.

ABOUT THE KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (www.kacdnet.org) is a voluntary, non-governmental, nonprofit, incorporated organization composed of members from the conservation districts located throughout Kansas’ 105 counties.

Through partnerships with federal, state, and local entities, the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts has brought together groups that share the common goal of wise and efficient conservation practices that protect Kansas’ natural resources. The Kansas Association of Conservation Districts promotes and supports the establishment of programs dedicated to

We congratulate our farmers on a job well done!

Conservation is Very Important to Farmers in Stevens County.

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601 S. Jackson • Hugoton • 620-544-2975

Stevens County Conservation District’s Sixty-sixth Annual Appreciation Banquet Saturday, February 20 Memorial Hall in Hugoton.

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Page 7C

conservation and the organized development of Kansas land, water and related resources.

ABOUT THE RANCHLAND TRUST OF KANSAS The Ranchland Trust of Kansas (www.ranchlandtrustofkansas.org) is a private, non-profit organization founded by members of the Kansas Livestock Association in 2003. The organization was created to provide assistance to ranchers and landowners who are conservation easements. Guided by their mission to preserve Kansas’ ranching heritage and open spaces for future generations through the conservation of working landscapes, the Ranchland Trust of Kansas values a commitment to conservation, respect for private landownership, integrity, organizational excellence and collaboration with those who share their values. The Ranchland Trust of Kansas remains an affiliate of the Kansas Livestock Association.

Contact: Chris Schellpfeffer, Sand County Foundation, 608-663-4605, extension 31.

Cimarron Region and Water Conservation Tools

Over the past couple of years Kansas has developed a 50 year Vision for Water. A guiding principle of the Vision is that locally driven solutions have the highest opportunity for long-term success. With that in mind, the Vision outlines a process for water supply goals to be established by regions by stakeholders as a means for measuring success and implementing the Vision.

Regional Goal Leadership Teams consisting of nine to 11 individuals in each of the 14 regions completed their work to developed water supply goals for their region and were approved by the Kansas Water Authority in August 2015.

As one of the four regions that rely heavily on the Ogallala, the Cimarron Region Advisory Committee (RAC) is now taking up the task of developing action plans to meet these approved goals. The Cimarron region includes all of Morton, Stevens, Seward and Meade counties and the southern half of Stanton, Grant and Haskell counties.

Within the Cimarron region, the goals to achieve this focus on agriculture since irrigation accounts for 97 percent of water use in the region. The voluntary participation of agricultural producers in adoption of technologies and cropping to conserve water is the primary mechanism to encourage changes in order to save water while maintaining profits. Programs and tools are available to allow water users increased flexibility in exchange for reducing their withdrawals from the aquifer.

Educational components are seen as the means to change water management through the adoption of improved irrigation efficiency, crop choice and rotation as well as water use flexibility suited to the local area. A major component of implementing and achieving the region’s goals’ is the dissemination of accurate information to educate producers of the tools and benefits of conserving water in their operation, without economic losses.

One such program available to most in the region is the Water Conservation Area (WCA), a simple, streamlined and flexible tool allowing any water right owner or group of owners the opportunity to develop a management plan to reduce withdrawals in an effort to extend the usable life of the Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer. There are many benefits to forming a WCA. Conserving water resources extends the usable lifetime of the water supply for contin-

ued beneficial use of the water for a greater length of time into the future. Participation within a WCA may also afford flexibilities not available to water right owners outside of a WCA. These flexibilities can be outlined in the WCA management plan and may include creating multiyear allocations, allowing the movement of allocations between enrolled water rights, or allowing the use of water for new uses. The water right holder is encouraged to propose changes they want for their specific operation subject to approval by the Chief Engineer.

WCAs do not make any permanent change in enrolling water rights and can be limited in duration to allow water right owners to try out the tool.

A Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA) is a similar tool. A LEMA is a conservation area developed by a groundwater management district (GMD). In the Cimarron region this would be GMD#3 initiating a specific plan to meet the goals of that local area. Both WCAs and LEMAs are effective conservation tools available to water right owners. While similar in some concepts, a WCA is formed when a water right owner or group of water right owners mutually agree to form a WCA and submit a management plan directly to the Chief Engineer. A LEMA must be initiated by a Groundwater Management District and is formed after a public hearing process before the Chief Engineer can consider approval of it.

An incentive for considering a WCA, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and Kansas Water Office can identify existing cost-share programs that may meet the producer’s needs. Availability of cost-share programs often depends on the local conservation district.

Also planned are local Water Technology Farms to provide local demonstrations, at field scale, of water saving technologies and related technical assistance while monitoring and evaluating the technology or practice. The participating landowner/ operator must allow information and data to be shared as well as access for evaluation and tours.

Cimarron Goals • If individuals elect to conserve then they would be afforded flexibility (e.g. allowing quantities to be moved, water bank movement, water conservation areas, etc.) Individuals may choose to remain with current

water use but not be afforded the flexibilities.

• Reduce the rate of decline of the Ogallala Aquifer in the region through voluntary, incentive based conservation as assessed every five years.

• Extend the usable lifetime of the Ogallala Aquifer in the region through technology adoption (irrigation, industrial, municipal, etc.), new crop varieties and conservation for all uses and for many generations.

• As measured through increase in adoption by 50% as assessed each five years, promote the adoption of irrigation efficient technology and invest in university research to evaluate the effectiveness of such technology and crop

varieties to develop voluntary incentives and tools to economically reduce water usage. Recommended strategy to achieve Goal - Increase adoption through education by those who are currently using the technology.

A map of the region, committee membership and regional goals are available at: http://www.kwo.org/Re gional-Advisory-Commit tees.html.

Water Conservation Areas: http://agriculture.ks.gov/di visions-programs/dwr/man aging-kansas-water-re sources/wca.

The 50 year Vision for Water: http://www.kwo. org/The-Vision.html.

We salute

Stevens County Farmers for all their hard work and dedication to the land.

Dell Cullison

FARMS 620-428-2472

We salute our Farmers for their hard work and dedication in conserving the soil for future generations.

Farming is about more than just planting seeds.

Their commitment to producing a thriving variety of crops and livestock requires long hours, risk and hard work.

Hugoton 509 NW Ave. 620-544-2017 West Road 11 620-544-8898

Moscow 300 N. Road 20 620-598-2214 East Hwy 56 620-598-2101

The Hugoton Hermes

Thursday, February 18, 2016

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NRCS-Soil Technician Nola Walker, Stevens County District Manager Sherri Martin, and NRCS-Supervisor District Conservationist Keri Morris.

Stevens County Board, left to right: Supervisor Luke Grubbs, Treasurer Seth Gillespie, Chairman Tron Stegman, Supervisor Tom Lahey and Vice-Chairman Loren Seaman. The Stevens County Conservation District Board would like to invite you to be our guest at

the 66th Annual Appreciation Banquet and Annual Meeting. A detailed accounting of what we do and who we serve will be provided at the meeting. In addition, we will also be presenting awards to those who have gone above and beyond in their conservation efforts.

CONSERVE the LAND in STEVENS COUNTY

It’s The Heart Of Your Future!

The Stevens County Conservation Stewards Are...

Chairman of the Board - TRON STEGMAN • Vice Chairman - LOREN SEAMAN Treasurer - SETH GILLESPIE • Supervisor - LUKE GRUBBS • Supervisor - TOM LAHEY District Manager - SHERRI MARTIN NRCS-Supervisory District Conservationist - KERI MORRIS Soil Technician - NOLA WALKER

HISTORY OF THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT Your Conservation District, an organization of the people by the people and for the people, was formed in 1949 from legislation passed by the 74th Congress in 1935. This law enabled people interested in their natural resources to form Conservation Districts and seek assistance in applying the proper conservation practices.

Your District has five men who form a Board of Supervisors.

All are elected at annual meetings. This Board of Supervisors is required to prepare an annual work plan and an annual report to the State Conservation Commission and the Secretary of Agriculture. The work plan recognizes the depletion of our natural resources of soil, water, plants and animals. The plan points out what the Board hopes to do about the depletion.

Through the Memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), available technicians are assigned to the District to assist in carrying out the plan of operations. Farmers or ranchers in the District apply to the District for assistance in solving their conservation problems. With the technician’s assistance a plan is prepared containing an inventory of their resources, the conservation problems involved with recommended solutions or alternative solutions.

With the technician’s assistance the land owner then proceeds in an orderly manner in applying their conservation practices on their farms.

The Board does not have any taxing powers, so they must

rely on other sources for money to carry on their activities.

They may levy assessments on their members, sell conservation materials or services or may receive money from the County Commissioners. They carry on an education program for all people of the county, assist in demonstrations and tours and attend meetings on an area and state basis as well as their monthly meeting. They do not receive any pay for their time but do receive expenses when attending area and state meetings. They furnish secretarial assistance to the technicians assigned to the district thus giving them more time for planning and applying conservation plans with their members.

Stevens County Stewards - Past and Present A.E. Lahey Merle Peachey Earl Peachey Lester Bunyon Robert Packer Paul Sundgren Sam Bozone Milton Porter Ross Teeter Carl Brollier Frank Thomas Laurence Brower Tom Bentley James R. Kapp Dean Roehr Wilbur White Gerald Schmidt

1949-1951 1949-1957 1949-1959 1949-1955 1949-1967 1951-1957 1956-1962 1958-1962 1958-1969 1960-1962 1963-1968 1961-1966 1963-1969 1967-1968 1968-1970 1969-1994 1969-1977

John Ertz Robert Hamilton Darrell Skinner Clovis Brewer Everett Burrows Robert Parsons Richard Claggett Lewis Wheeler Warren Moon Richard James Jack Hamlin Doug Flummerfelt Keith Rome Edward White Milton Gillespie Dell Cullison Gary Norton

1970-1975 1970-1976 1971-1979 1977-1981 1976-1978 1978-1989 1979-1988 1980-1985 1981-1989 1986-1994 1988-1993 1990-1995 1990-1995 1994-2000 1994-1997 1995-1996 1995-1998

Mike Willis Kay Murray Joe D. Thompson Jeff Newlon Wilbur Kinser Rick Hamlin James Murray Joel McClure Tron Stegman Ryan Hamlin Loren Seaman Alan Stoddard Seth Gillespie Luke Grubbs Tom Lahey

1996-1999 1996-1999 1997-2006 1998-2001 1999-2008 1999-2002 2000-2004 2001-2009 2002-Present 2004-2013 2006-Present 2008-2011 2010-Present 2011-Present 2013-Present

We Salute The Stevens County Conservation District and NRCS For Their Conservation Work!

Loren Seaman Gerry Deckman Ron Honig Travis Cermak Scott Schechter

Hugoton/Liberal

502 S. Jackson, Hugoton, Ks 67951 620-544-8908 www.fnbhugoton.com MEMBER FDIC

CONGRATULATIONS! Soil Conservation Award Winners Thank You For Saving Our Soil

Seaman

CROP CONSULTING LLC 627 S. Main Hugoton, KS 67951 630-544-2949

SWKS Coop Services Co. LLC Jeff C. Ramsey, Agent 613 S. Main, P.O. Box 610, Hugoton, KS 67951 (620) 544-4303 / Fax: (620) 544-4925

Willis Insurance Jordan Air Inc. Complete Aerial Applications Agency, LLC SPRAYING - SEEDING - FERTILIZING

10% discount on 30 day accounts

620-544-4351

Warren and Amanda Willis and Hugoton 620-544-4732

Hugoton - 544-4361 • Elkhart - 697-2657

Terry Jordan, Manager

1-800-264-4361 We appreciate our local farmers

and their new convenience store

Eagles Landing 509 NW Avenue Hugoton

544-2277

Bartlett Grain Company, L.P. Thank You For The Business

Moscow 620-598-2144