Signs of change?

I heard some interesting news today while talking to an area resident about our wish that more of our local high school graduates would move back to the area after going off to college or vo-tech.
She said there was a good chance that her son and daughter-in-law might be moving back to the county soon. They’re both from the area.
This news isn’t that unusual, but the fact that her daughter-in-law wants to move back, in my opinion, makes the situation unique. You see, her daughter-in-law is probably one of the smartest students to graduate from one of our local high schools in the last decade at least. She received all sorts of acclaim both while in high school and also on the university level for original research in a scientific field (stuff I couldn’t even begin to understand.)
Honestly, when I received their engagement notice for the Washington County News a while ago, I remember thinking, “they’ll never be back.” I guess I became accustomed to our best and brightest students, especially those who went to college in the field of science, to leave after high school and never return. This was a typical case of “brain drain” from rural Kansas. With this particular couple, both looked like they had very bright futures ahead of them in some amazing career… somewhere else.
But now, the fact that they’re even considering returning is just blowing me away. Could I be wrong that the current trend of depopulation will likely continue?
Whether this couple actually returns to the area or not is not as important to this trend as the fact that these sorts of people are even thinking about it and wanting to return. And the kicker is that she would like to have a family and be a stay-at-home mom. Again, not a stereotypical (and I know I’m stereotyping) life choice by someone with her academic prowess.
As I continue to sit here in disbelief about this news, a part of me still holds out hope that there will be a time in my lifetime, and possibly soon, when young folks do start moving back to Washington County after college or vo-tech. And not just someone here and there – I’m talking a significant portion of our local graduates starting a new trend of returning to their small town roots. And as they start new businesses, or help existing businesses grow, other folks who have no connection to the area will move here for the jobs that were created as a result of the graduates returning.
Honestly, we do have a pretty good situation here (as compared to many rural counties in Western Kansas.) Washington County is within an hour and a half drive from the cities of Manhattan, Salina and Lincoln, Neb., and all of the leisure, recreation and entertainment options those cities provide (things that appeal to young folks).
When you add that to the safety of small town life, the fantastic educational opportunities in both public and parochial setting, the fact that you know everyone and everyone can help watch over your kids, the lack of traffic jams, the calm pace of life, the stars at night and wide open vistas… and there is something to be said for having some history in an area (my kids are eighth generation Washington Countian through my wife’s family line) and a sense of place… you just can’t beat life here.
What do you think? Are we going to see a trend of local grads return to Washington County? Is there something we’re still missing that we have to achieve before we can see a trend of population increase? Or are the stories of returning grads just a blip in a declining trend that will continue? I want to hear what you think.

Kansas farmers will not be affected by grain shipping rules

Just received this today via e-mail and knew farmers have been following this topic.
KCC Releases New Policy for Interstate Commerce
TOPEKA – Congressman Jerry Moran today announced the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has released a new policy regarding its interpretation of interstate commerce. Last week, Moran met with KCC to discuss regulations that affect farmers hauling grain to local elevators. Yesterday, KCC released its interpretation that commodity shipments within the borders of Kansas will not be considered interstate commerce unless there is clear evidence the shipper intends for the commodity to leave the state. This change means that many farmers and ranchers who deliver agricultural commodities to local grain elevators and sale barns will not be subject to federal regulations.
“I am pleased the KCC acted quickly to change its interpretation of this regulation,” Moran said. “Had KCC not made this change, it would have placed burdensome regulations on most of our Kansas farmers and ranchers. I thank them for their prompt attention to this matter and decision to do the right thing.”
KCC was proposing to consider the transportation of grain from a Kansas farm to a local elevator as interstate commerce since the grain may ultimately be sold to an out-of-state buyer. KCC informed Moran that putting forth the rule was for compliance with federal rules, rather than safety concerns. In the KCC docket dated February 19, 2008, it states: “Upon a review of the available facts and circumstances surrounding a farm to market commodity shipment, if there is no clear evidence that the farmer-shipper’s intent as respects the movement of the items in commerce is one of interstate transport, that intent shall not be inferred. For the purpose of this policy, intrastate carrier is defined as a carrier who operates solely in intrastate commerce and does not transport placardable quantities of hazardous materials. If the operation is solely within the state of Kansas and the commerce engaged in is solely within the state of Kansas, the shipment is considered intrastate commerce.”
Moran worked with KCC and state legislators to develop a rule that is compliant with federal law while limiting the impact on Kansas agriculture. Moran is a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Beating a dead horse?

Another consolidation column? Get over it!
I will, but not yet.
I printed an opinion piece on consolidation in the Feb. 21 issue of the Washington County News that was originally posted on this blog on Feb. 14.
Though commentary on the topic has been slim at best in both the newspaper and on this blog (unlike the good ‘ol days when the mere mention of the “c-word” would start the letters to the editor flowing), I still think it is a topic worthy of discussion, especially since learning of the continued talks between the Republic County and Pike Valley districts on consolidation.
To me, leaving potentially millions of incentive dollars from the state on the table along with heavy tax savings potential for the USD 223 patrons, when we wouldn’t even have to close a school to do it, is ridiculous and wasteful. Plain and simple.
Maybe folks don’t understand. A district consolidation does not mean we have to close any grade schools, high schools or anything in the existing districts. A consolidation does not force all the kids to have to go to Washington County High School – Linn and Hanover High would still exist in the most basic form of a consolidation. At its simplest, we would get a new school district number and centralize the district office. That’s it.
My biggest fear is that we pass up this limited opportunity of benefits from the state now by not acting on the consolidation effort, but then when Linn runs out of enough students in five years to keep its high school, the patrons will decide to do something then and receive no tax benefit for their action. We would have missed the tax incentives by three and a half years because patrons decided, as one school board member said, they wouldn’t want to do anything until they were forced.
So let’s hear it. What do you think? If you register for free and sign in on this blog with a name like “Catfan” or “Cooldude”, nobody will know who you are. So take this opportunity to say what you really think about consolidation while staying totally anonymous. You have to sign your name for letters printed in the newspaper, but not on this blog.
And remember, we’re all adults here, there is no reason to get personal. “Keep it pithy” as Bill O’Reilly would say. I want to hear what you think.

News is news, good or bad

I occasionally have readers ask me why I put crime stories on the front page. This week will likely be no different after putting a story on the front page about a former Washington man charged with the rape of a minor.
While these types of stories are my least favorite to include on my front page (or anywhere in the paper), I feel like it is the job of a proper newspaper to include these stories in the newspaper as both a historic record and also as an awareness story for individuals who may have had contact with these accused individuals. And beyond that, any person who may have intentions of participating in such actions need to know local law enforcement will go after them, and the local newspaper will stick them on the front page.
If I chose to only print the good news in the community, it would be like we are censoring history and I’m not comfortable with that. And honestly, I feel like any newspaper that does not fulfill its commitment to report the local news, no matter how uncomfortable, isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Don’t think for a minute, though, that it isn’t awkward to write these stories. The information-gathering phase of these kinds of stories can get downright explicit and trying to figure out what to include in the story and how to word it is easily the hardest part of my job. The “minutes per paragraph” stats on these sorts of stories would blow away any feature I’ve ever done. I literally comb through these stories word by word several times to make sure they are accurate, succinct and relevant.
These stories are not taken lightly by any means and they are absolutely not written to have a flashy headline to increase my rack sales.
So while I would agree with some of the nay-sayers that I would much rather read about good news in the community – local human interest stories, new business ventures, positive stories about our youth… anything like that – be assured that this newspaper will be an accurate historic record of everything that happens in this county.
We have not done a perfect job in this task at all times in the past, but as I start my eighth year in this career, it is my intent to let no news go by the wayside in Washington County.