The Stevens County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session Monday, May 21, 2018 with all members, Pat Hall, Joe D. Thompson and Tron Stegman present. County Clerk Amy Jo Tharp, County Counselor Paul Kitzke and RoGlenda Coulter from The Hugoton Hermes were also present.

The agenda for the morning was a short one and included Robert Lucero at 8:45; Shed Bid Opening – 9:00; Tony Martin – 9:30; Darin Heger/Vernon Anderson – 10:00; Extension Board – 10:30. The following includes highlights from the morning; official minutes can be seen at the Clerk’s office.

When this reporter arrived the Commissioners were talking with Robert Lucero about issues around the courthouse. They talked about reseeding the accidentally killed grass in front of the Memorial Hall and Law Enforcement Center. Concrete was talked about – it could save a lot of money down the line – water, fertilizer etc. More checking will be done.

Next on the agenda was the opening of bids for the sheds at the Fitness Center. Around 30 bids were sent in. Kenny Burrows turned in the highest bid for the gray 12’x12’ double door shed for $900 and the brown 10’x12’ single door shed for $700. Jeremy Hogg had the high bid for the white carport / shed combo with the bid of $2,276. Bid winners are to move the sheds within 30 days and pay before moving.

Rodney Kelling checked in for Fire/EMS. He reports Stevens County is still in extreme drought and the burn ban is still on. Both Hugoton and Moscow banned fireworks in their city limits. It was requested The Hermes run the CodeRed system address to sign up for notifications of emergency events. Find instructions for how to enroll in CodeRed by clicking here.

To read the rest of this story,
check out this week’s issue of The Hermes –
available at the following stores:
Thrifty King, Dollar General, Daylight Donuts,
Hugoton Drug, Stevens County Retail Pharmacy
and Eagles Landing in Hugoton
The Store in Moscow and the Corner Stop in Rolla
or subscribe online now by clicking here!

Laura Holcomb has been selected as Super Mom 2018! Laura has two beautiful daughters, and was excited to take home a $25 gift certificate from Creative Specialties, as well as 50 Chamber Bucks from the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce. Congraulations Laura!

Other winners included Kristen Howie at Acosta’s & Nieto’s Cafe and Elizabeth Cruz at Pizza Hut. Buffy Schooley at NAPA Auto Parts, while Karie Gaskill took the prize at Flatlanders.

Janet’s Bridal awarded Stephanie Heger with a $25 gift certificate, and Tarcy Betsworth was drawn at Hugoton Drug. Linda Noyes won $25 cash at Equity Bank, and Toni Crawford got 20 Gas Capital Dollars from Citizens State Bank. Ruth Goodrum was awarded a $25 gift certificate from China, while Britany Harper won at Jet Drive-In. Rebeka Acuña got to pick her prize at the Little Gift Shop in the Corner.

Yardmaster’s winner was Jodi Staggers, and Shawna Strecker won at Elegant Exchange. Edith Maravilla won at Stevens County Retail Pharmacy, and Taylor Haar was the lucky winner at Los Agaves! Kates Pet Grooming picked Corrine Lines as their winner, and Pam Hagman won at Tan’alon.
Congratulations to all of these local Super Moms – you deserve it!

Mothers and grandmothers of Hugoton rejoice! Mother’s Day is upon you, and the best gifts to be had can be found right here in Stevens County! While your loved ones do all the errands for you while you rest and relax, remind them to sign you up for the 2018 Super Mom Sweepstakes!

Sons and daughters – if you haven’t picked up gifts for your beloved mother or grandmother, help is right around the corner – literally! Stop into one of the following Hugoton businesses for any number of great prizes and sign her up for Super Mom!

Janet’s Bridal and Boutique is offering a $25 gift certificate to their winner, as is Finishing Touches. Citizens State Bank will give their winning mom 20 Gas Capital Dollars, and Equity Bank will be giving $25 cash to their winner.

While you’re picking up the perfect present at Yardmaster or Creative Specialties, register her for a $25 gift certificate. Or, if you’d rather let the professionals handle it, stop by to sign up at Stevens County Retail Pharmacy for a $30 Gift Card.  Hugoton Drug will award their winner a Gift Basket and a chance to be Super Mom.

Give Mom a night off from cooking dinner by registering at China, where she could receive a $25 gift certificate, or at Acosta’s & Nieto’s Cafe, where the prize is a $25 gift certificate. Cruise on down to the Jet Drive-In where they’ll award two free dinners and drinks. If your special Mom is partial to Italian, stop by Pizza Hut to sign her up for a chance at a free large pizza!

If Mom’s pretty handy around a car, sign her up at NAPA auto and Truck parts where she could win a a Car Care Basket. Kates Pet Grooming is giving their winner a $35 Gift Card and The Gift Shop at the Stevens County Hospital will award their winner a choice of jewelry.

Elegant Exchange by Darla will award their winner a $20 gift certificate. Tan’alon will offer their winner a Gift Basket. Flatlanders winner will receive a $25 Gift Card and a chance to be picked as Super Mom.

While you are shopping for something sweet and delicious be sure to sign up your mom at Daylight Donuts for a chance at a $25 gift certificate. Or if you have a taste for something spicy stop in at Los Agaves for a chance at a $25 gift certificate.

Be sure to enter your mom or grandma before Monday, May 14 at all of these Hugoton businesses. Selection of Super Mom 2018 will take place Monday, May 14. Winners at each business will be notified by the merchant. Super Mom will appear in The Hugoton Hermes, after claiming her prize of $50 Chamber Bucks!

So there you have it – several gift ideas, along with fabulous prizes! Who could ask for more – and all right here in Stevens County!

April 28, 2018, Erick E. Nordling, Executive Secretary of the Southwest Kansas Royalty Owners Association (SWKROA) presided over the Association’s Seventieth Annual Meeting in Hugoton. The SWKROA membership and guests heard presentations on several topics.

Scott Soptick, a certified public accountant with the Lewis, Hooper & Dick, Certified Public Accounting firm in Garden City, opened the meeting with practical tips about what documents members should keep, as well as what and when documents should be discarded.

Dr. David Newell, Associate Scientist of petroleum geology and stratigraphy with the Kansas Geological Survey in Lawrence, gave an informative presentation entitled “Southwestern Kansas Oil and Gas Production: where we’ve been, where we are… uh, where are we going?” Dr. Newell’s overview of Kansas production of gas and oil by county and historical contributions of gas and oil produced from southwest Kansas also highlighted the characteristics of the gas found in the vast Hugoton and Panoma Council Grove gas fields, including the BTU content (heating value) of produced gases and concentration of helium throughout the fields. He also provided insight about how prices for gas and oil influence new exploration and drilling of wells. During the question and answer session, Dr. Newell explored the prospect of discovering new gas and oil reserves in and under the ‘basement’ granite formations.

Finishing off the morning session, Charlie Wagner, a natural gas consultant from Hugoton, provided a historical overview of the development of the Hugoton Natural Gas Field following the drilling of the 1927 Crawford No. 1 discovery well four miles southwest of Hugoton. Mr. Wagner related how his career with Republic Natural Gas Company in 1953 in the Hugoton Field area conducting gas well back pressure testing and proration, which progressed with numerous assignments with Republic and later with Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company including maintaining pressure and production data, determining reserves and preparation of KCC and FERC reports and rate case exhibits.

To read the rest of this story,
check out this week’s issue of The Hermes –
available at the following stores:
Thrifty King, Dollar General, Daylight Donuts,
Hugoton Drug, Stevens County Retail Pharmacy
and Eagles Landing in Hugoton
The Store in Moscow and the Corner Stop in Rolla
or subscribe online now by clicking here!

If you’re any kind of Hermes reader, you know – Hugotonites love history. Depending on who you’re talking to, you’ll be treated to any number of stories from “way back when” or “back in my day. . .” To show off local history, Stevens County Economic Development Director Jan Leonard has been digging – at times literally – into the history of Hugoton and Stevens County in order to entice history buffs to visit.

Recently, he’s been researching the story of the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, as they are rumored to have lived in Hugoton in the early days of their life of crime.

During the course of Jan’s investigations, he discovered the story of Dr. William Elwood Bundy, a physician who practiced in Hugoton for several years.

Dr. Bundy and his wife Elmira  moved to Hugoton in 1911. He was most noted as a cancer doctor. Bundy had developed a formula designed to be applied topically to areas of skin cancer. Within a month or two of applications, the cancer would rise to the surface, then be peeled painfully out. Using this process, he could remove all the cancer runners without surgery.

To read the rest of this story, check out this week’s issue of The Hermes –
available at the following stores:
Thrifty King, Dollar General, Daylight Donuts,
Hugoton Drug, Stevens County Retail Pharmacy
and Eagles Landing in Hugoton
The Store in Moscow and the Corner Stop in Rolla
or subscribe online now by clicking here!

Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 2 pm at Pioneer Manor in Hugoton: The Quilts of Valor will have a presentation of quilts to twelve Veterans in the community of Hugoton. Please join them as they honor these Veterans with a quilt in appreciation of their military service. This got a little mixed up in this week’s Hermes. The Hermes apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Due to the high potential for wildland fires, Governor Jeff Colyer M.D. has declared a State of Disaster Emergency for the state. This declaration allows state agencies to preposition firefighting assets and personnel in case wildland fires develop.

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka to an enhanced steady-state level 3. The SEOC is staffed by personnel from KDEM and the Kansas National Guard. They are in contact with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and Kansas Forest Service; no additional support has been requested at this time. The Kansas National Guard has UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and crews on standby.

Very high and extreme grassland fire danger is forecast across much of the state through Friday and perhaps into Saturday due to warmer temperatures, low relative humidity, and strong winds. A Red Flag warning has been issued by the National Weather service for numerous areas of the state. Any fires that start will have extreme fire behavior and the potential to spread rapidly.

KDEM officials are reminding Kansans to avoid any activity that could create a spark and start a new fire.

• Avoid open burning.
• Check with the local authorities in each county for information regarding county burn bans.
(Stevens County is currently under a burn ban)
• Do not drive on or stop your car on dry or tall grass because your exhaust can spark a fire
• Do not throw cigarettes on the ground.
• Check and re-check any recent fires for rekindling.

For more information regarding the weather and a map of the red flag warning, click here.

The Hugoton City Council met for their regular session April 9, 2018 at the council meeting room. Attending the meeting were Mayor Jack E. Rowden and Councilmen Frankie Thomas, Dan Corpening, Shannon Crawford and Jason Teeter. Also present were City Clerk Carrie Baeza, Outside Utilities Supervisor Paul Nordyke, Electric and Park Systems Supervisor Gary Rowden, City Inspector Josh Grubbs, City Attorney Wayne Tate, Police Chief Courtney Leslie, Brad Musgrove, Jeff Sarchet and Hugoton Hermes reporter Ruthie Winget. Councilman Dean Banker was absent.

The council approved the city council minutes from March 8 and March 19.

Each member of the council was provided a copy of Municipal Judge Paula Sosa’s report for the month of March. They reviewed and approved the report showing $3,310.00 remitted to the city during March.

City Inspector Grubbs gave his monthly activities report. The council reviewed and approved the quarterly charge-offs.

Brad Musgrove from Musgrove Insurance stopped by to review the City of Hugoton’s insurance package. The council voted to approve the insurance package.

To read the rest of this story, check out this week’s issue of The Hermes –
available at the following stores:
Thrifty King, Dollar General, Hugoton Drug,
Stevens County Retail Pharmacy and Eagles Landing in Hugoton
The Store in Moscow and the Corner Stop in Rolla
or subscribe online now by clicking here!

A member of United States Senator Jerry Moran’s staff will be in Hugoton at the Stevens County Library at 500 S. Monroe Street from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. to hold open office hours Thursday, April 19. Individuals who are experiencing difficulties with Social Security, Medicare, Veterans’ affairs or have other concerns regarding federal issues are encouraged to attend.

Questions about the event may be directed to Jordan_Langdon@moran.senate.gov.