Lightning strikes spark prairie fires
1
75¢ plus tax 10 Pages Plus Supplements wHEAT: $6.97 MiLo: $6.33 CoRn: $6.73 Monday Markets Courtesy of Beardsley Equity Co-op email: [email protected] SquARE DEAL RAwLinS CounTy “A Voice for New Frontiers” VOL. 20, NO. 43 ATWOOD, KS 67730 THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012 Photo by Nicholas Bowles Thirty minutes before the Rally for Religious Freedom began, a large crowd begins to gather in the area south of the State Capitol building in Topeka. Rawlins County attendees gathered under the two shade trees on the left. Rawlins County faithful join thousands at Topeka rally Commissioners ban fireworks, burning By Rosalie Ross Rawlins County Commis- sioners had a full slate of ap- pearances on their agenda June 29. The high danger of prairie fires across the county was addressed by signing a ban of fireworks and open burning, while not- ing the tremendous effort being put forth by the volun- teer firemen. “We feel like it is too dry to keeping mowing, but grass in the ditches is dan- gerous, too,” Road and Bridge Supervisor Marlin Wahrman said. Commissioner Charles Walker told Wahrman to use the county shop to get the fire trucks ready to run if they need help. “We give you permission to use the county graders to fight fires at your discre- ation,” Commissioner Wilbur Henry said. Wahrman said they had filled their crew vacancy by hiring Joe Kopriva. JoEllyn Gilliland, assisted by Megan Horinek with Kansas Small Business De- velopment, presented the commissioners with a pro- posal for a shuttle service within the county. The vehi- cle would be owned by the county and manned by part- time county employees. Funding for the service would come from federal, state and local governments. “I think its a very worth- while idea,” Henry said. No action was taken on the proposal. Vicki Hubin, representing the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center, reported to the commissioners on her agency’s service to abused children. She said they had worked with about 200 area kids al- ready this year who were victims of sexual, physical and emotional abuse. “We are trained to inter- view and treat children in a friendly environment and find that about 99 percent of the perpetrators are known by the child with 47 percent of them being related to the child,” Hubin said. Hubin’s request for agency funding in 2013 will be deliberated in the budget- ing process. “That’s the agency you want to pay and never have the need to see,” County At- torney Jared Holste said. County Health Nurse Karla Heble told the commis- sioners that she didn’t know how the new KanCare pro- gram that will replace Medi- caid and the new federal See, Commissioners,’ Page 5 Photo by Mary Holle A bolt of lightning streaks across the smoky sky Thursday night as a blaze consumes a pasture just across the Rawlins County line in Decatur County near the Rexford road. Lightning strikes spark prairie fires By Mary Holle Bleached buffalo grass crunches un- derfoot as temperatures of 100-plus de- grees for eight days straight have baked the high plains. Isolated thunderstorms packed with cloud-to-ground lightning bolts have swept across Northwest Kansas. Rain has been spotty at best, absent in areas at worst, creating a combustible formula for multiple wild- fires in the area. County fire fighters have been an- swering call after call since about June 11. According to Rawlins County Dis- patcher Sharlene Nelson, county fire- men responded to 27 fires between June 11 and June 29. “Approximately 22 fires were re- ported June 30,” she reported. “We started getting calls at approximately 6 p.m.” Four fires, two new ones and two flare ups of Saturday’s fires, were re- ported July 1. “On Monday, another pasture fire was reported along the state line,” she said. Rural Fire Department #2 Fire Chief Allen Castens said Saturday night’s ex- plosion of fires, due to thunderstorms in the area, had volunteers crossing the county from northwest to southeast. “We started with a fire in the St. John [church] area and zig zagged across the county fighting fires clear to Decatur County,” he said. “We got the first call at 6 p.m., and worked to right at midnight. “We got called back about 12:30 [a.m.] and stayed out until 3 [a.m.],” Castens said. Ryan Murray, Rawlins, Cheyenne See ‘Fire sparks,’ Page 5 By Mary Holle Thousands of Christians withstood high humidity and triple-digit temperatures Friday afternoon on the lawn of the State Capitol building in Topeka to stand up for religious freedom. Among those at- tending the Rally for Reli- gious Freedom w e r e faithful f r o m Rawlins, Decatur, Thomas and other North- west Kansas counties. The event was organized and hosted by the Catholic bish- ops of Kansas. First to arrive at the rally was the bus chartered by the Rawlins County Tri-Parish Catholic Churches. They were greeted by Fr. Nick Parker, pastor of St. John Nepomucene in rural Beard- sley, Sacred Heart in Atwood and St. Mary’s Assumption in Herndon. Several other parishioners arrived by pri- vate vehicle. Fr. Nick esti- mated about 70 people from the Rawlins County area participated in the freedom rally. Those who attended in- cluded children, young adults, parents, grandpar- ents, businessmen and women and others who took time out of their busy sched- ule. Fr. Parker said he be- lieved an equal number of men and women were pres- ent. The Rawlins County bus was the only chartered bus west of Hays, Fr. Nick said. By 2 p.m., over 3,000 peo- ple had assembled for the peaceful demonstration. The rally was held to protest a ruling stemming from the federal government’s health care mandate that would re- quire free health care insur- ance coverage of sterilizations, contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs. The mandate exempts churches from providing the insurance coverage. Catholic entities, including universities, hospitals and other institutions, regard- less of religious objections, will be mandated by the fed- eral government to provide the insurance. The opening procession of the rally was presented by the Kansas State Council 4th degree honor guard, includ- ing Matt Micek, Roger Snod- grass, Kirk Easterday, Mark Vrbas and David Studer, all Sacred Heart Knights of Columbus members. Gov. Sam Brownback ad- dressed the large crowd, commenting that the gather- ing was “the largest rally ever on the lawn of the State Capitol.” The Salina Journal noted that “political rallies at the Statehouse typically Photos by Mary Holle Above photo — Vicky Mumm, left, and Luke Schroeder show their sol- idarity at the rally. Left photo — Kristi Hawkins, left, and Susan Easter- day at the steps of the State Capitol building with their rally sign. Don Antholz See ‘Freedom,’ Page 8
-
Upload
mary-holle -
Category
Documents
-
view
220 -
download
0
description
News story that details multiple wild fires
Transcript of Lightning strikes spark prairie fires
75¢ plus tax10 Pages Plus Supplements
wHEAT: $6.97 MiLo: $6.33 CoRn: $6.73Monday MarketsCourtesy of Beardsley Equity Co-op
email: [email protected]
SquARE DEALRAwLinS CounTy
“A Voice for New Frontiers”
VOL. 20, NO. 43 ATWOOD, KS 67730 THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
Photo by Nicholas Bowles
Thirty minutes before the Rally for Religious Freedom began, a large crowd begins to gather in the area south of the State Capitol building in Topeka. Rawlins County attendeesgathered under the two shade trees on the left.
Rawlins County faithful join thousands at Topeka rally
Commissioners banfireworks, burning
By Rosalie Ross
Rawlins County Commis-sioners had a full slate of ap-pearances on their agendaJune 29. The high danger of
prairie fires across thecounty was addressed bysigning a ban of fireworksand open burning, while not-ing the tremendous effortbeing put forth by the volun-teer firemen.“We feel like it is too dry
to keeping mowing, butgrass in the ditches is dan-gerous, too,” Road andBridge Supervisor MarlinWahrman said. Commissioner Charles
Walker told Wahrman to usethe county shop to get thefire trucks ready to run ifthey need help.“We give you permission
to use the county graders tofight fires at your discre-ation,” CommissionerWilbur Henry said. Wahrman said they had
filled their crew vacancy byhiring Joe Kopriva.JoEllyn Gilliland, assisted
by Megan Horinek withKansas Small Business De-velopment, presented thecommissioners with a pro-posal for a shuttle servicewithin the county. The vehi-cle would be owned by thecounty and manned by part-
time county employees.Funding for the servicewould come from federal,state and local governments.“I think its a very worth-
while idea,” Henry said. No action was taken on
the proposal.Vicki Hubin, representing
the Western Kansas ChildAdvocacy Center, reportedto the commissioners on heragency’s service to abusedchildren.She said they had worked
with about 200 area kids al-ready this year who werevictims of sexual, physicaland emotional abuse.“We are trained to inter-
view and treat children in afriendly environment andfind that about 99 percent ofthe perpetrators are knownby the child with 47 percentof them being related to thechild,” Hubin said.Hubin’s request for
agency funding in 2013 willbe deliberated in the budget-ing process.“That’s the agency you
want to pay and never havethe need to see,” County At-torney Jared Holste said.County Health Nurse
Karla Heble told the commis-sioners that she didn’t knowhow the new KanCare pro-gram that will replace Medi-caid and the new federalSee, Commissioners,’ Page 5
Photo by Mary Holle
A bolt of lightning streaks across the smoky sky Thursday night as a blaze consumes a pasture just across the RawlinsCounty line in Decatur County near the Rexford road.
Lightning strikes spark prairie firesBy Mary Holle
Bleached buffalo grass crunches un-derfoot as temperatures of 100-plus de-grees for eight days straight have bakedthe high plains. Isolated thunderstormspacked with cloud-to-ground lightningbolts have swept across NorthwestKansas. Rain has been spotty at best,absent in areas at worst, creating acombustible formula for multiple wild-fires in the area.County fire fighters have been an-
swering call after call since about June11.
According to Rawlins County Dis-patcher Sharlene Nelson, county fire-men responded to 27 fires between June11 and June 29.“Approximately 22 fires were re-
ported June 30,” she reported. “Westarted getting calls at approximately 6p.m.”Four fires, two new ones and two
flare ups of Saturday’s fires, were re-ported July 1.“On Monday, another pasture fire
was reported along the state line,” shesaid.Rural Fire Department #2 Fire Chief
Allen Castens said Saturday night’s ex-plosion of fires, due to thunderstormsin the area, had volunteers crossing thecounty from northwest to southeast.“We started with a fire in the St.
John [church] area and zig zaggedacross the county fighting fires clear toDecatur County,” he said. “We got thefirst call at 6 p.m., and worked to rightat midnight.“We got called back about 12:30
[a.m.] and stayed out until 3 [a.m.],”Castens said.Ryan Murray, Rawlins, Cheyenne
See ‘Fire sparks,’ Page 5
By Mary Holle
Thousands of Christianswithstood high humidity andtriple-digit temperaturesFriday afternoon on thelawn of the State Capitolbuilding in Topeka to standup for religious freedom.Am o n gthose at-tendingthe Rallyfor Reli-g i o u sFreedomw e r efaithfulf r o mRawlins,Decatur,Thomas and other North-west Kansas counties. Theevent was organized andhosted by the Catholic bish-ops of Kansas.First to arrive at the rally
was the bus chartered by theRawlins County Tri-ParishCatholic Churches. Theywere greeted by Fr. NickParker, pastor of St. JohnNepomucene in rural Beard-sley, Sacred Heart in Atwoodand St. Mary’s Assumptionin Herndon. Several otherparishioners arrived by pri-vate vehicle. Fr. Nick esti-
mated about 70 people fromthe Rawlins County areaparticipated in the freedomrally. Those who attended in-
cluded children, youngadults, parents, grandpar-ents, businessmen andwomen and others who tooktime out of their busy sched-ule. Fr. Parker said he be-
lieved an equal number ofmen and women were pres-ent. The Rawlins County buswas the only chartered buswest of Hays, Fr. Nick said.By 2 p.m., over 3,000 peo-
ple had assembled for thepeaceful demonstration. Therally was held to protest aruling stemming from thefederal government’s health
care mandate that would re-quire free health care insur-ance coverage ofsterilizations, contraceptivesand abortion-inducingdrugs. The mandate exemptschurches from providing theinsurance coverage.Catholic entities, includinguniversities, hospitals andother institutions, regard-
less of religious objections,will be mandated by the fed-eral government to providethe insurance.The opening procession
of the rally was presented bythe Kansas State Council 4thdegree honor guard, includ-ing Matt Micek, Roger Snod-grass, Kirk Easterday, MarkVrbas and David Studer, all
Sacred Heart Knights ofColumbus members.Gov. Sam Brownback ad-
dressed the large crowd,commenting that the gather-ing was “the largest rallyever on the lawn of the StateCapitol.” The Salina Journalnoted that “political ralliesat the Statehouse typically
Photos by Mary Holle
Above photo — Vicky Mumm, left, and Luke Schroeder show their sol-idarity at the rally. Left photo — Kristi Hawkins, left, and Susan Easter-day at the steps of the State Capitol building with their rally sign.
Don Antholz
See ‘Freedom,’ Page 8
