January 2022

THOUSANDS OF white-bodied birds called snow geese have been flocking to Pratt County lakes, ponds and fields the past few days, and wildlife experts are taking note. “We do have more than usual as the populations are increasing due to better habitats,” said Education Supervisor Mike Rader at Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt.

It’s a girl! The Family Birth Suites team at Pratt Regional Medical Center is delighted to welcome the first baby of 2022. Whitley Faye Vierthaler was born at 2:50 p.m. on January 3, 2022, weighing 7 lbs. 10oz, and 19 ¾ inches long. She was delivered by Dr. Eric Clarkson. Whitley is the daughter of Mark and Lydia Vierthaler of Nashville, Kansas.

TOPEKA – Governor Kelly proclaims January as Kansas Radon Action Month. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) encourages Kansans to protect their families by testing their homes for radon, an odorless and invisible gas. Unchecked radon in the home can lead to dangerous health effects like lung cancer. More than 200 lung cancer deaths per year in Kansas may be linked to indoor radon. EPA estimates that indoor radon contributes to 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. Exposure causes no immediate symptoms and often goes unrecognized until serious health complications arise.

IN A RARE statewide address last week, more than a dozen hospital leaders from across Kansas appealed to the public amid a historic spike of COVID-19 cases, warning they were already rationing care at their facilities and that “dire” triaging would become necessary if trends don’t change.

GANNETT KANSAS recognized six individuals as Distinguished Kansans for 2021. Jason Sudeikis was chosen Kansan of the Year. Other individuals honored included: Bill Farmer, entertainment; Donna McClish, community; Sheinelle Jones, journalism; Hutchinson Community College football team, sports; Lois Smith, theater; Ximena Garcia, government.

IT’S NOT ONLY in visual images that one remembers. Sometimes it’s the smell of freshcut wheat, the sound of a well-tuned tractor or the feeling of calmness as you walk across your newly-planted soybean field.

A SPECIAL shipment has arrived in Australia, direct from the United States. It is a working chute for cattle – but not just for any cattle: This is a chute designed for Texas longhorns. Now, customers are discovering the chute is excellent for handling other types of animals as well.

The hemp industry is new in Kansas, and if you have concerns and questions, you’re not alone. Even crop scientist Melissa Nelson-Baldwin had reservations about it when her husband, Aaron, approached her about growing it on their farm south of Great Bend.