Area News

Scheibe Elected to National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative

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Mark Scheibe. Submitted photo.

Heartland CEO appointed to National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative Board of Directors

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Scheibe will advocate for the technology needs of cooperatives in Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming following his election to the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) Board of Directors representing District 7.

 

NRTC is a national cooperative that helps rural electric and telephone providers deploy advanced technology solutions in rural communities. Scheibe said he is particularly interested in helping cooperatives leverage smart grid technologies to improve reliability, security, and efficiency of the electric grid.

 

“NRTC has always been there for major technology decisions at every co-op I’ve been at,” Scheibe said. “Whether it’s advanced metering infrastructure, solar, battery technologies, or electric vehicles, they’re always there to provide support and help solve problems.”

 

Scheibe said his background in data analytics and engineering lends him a unique perspective. He sees many opportunities for cooperatives to make better use of the data and streamline operations through automation of repetitive tasks.

 

“I want to ensure people are able to do the hard work once to get things automated and then reap the rewards in the future,” Scheibe said.

 

Scheibe was elected to the District 7 seat, which became open in 2021 upon the retirement of Dale Short as CEO of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative in El Dorado, by vote of the other NRTC board members, who considered several impressive cooperative leaders and conducted interviews prior to their vote. His election was effective January 13, 2023, and his term continues until March 2025.

 

“Mark’s track record of deploying technology to improve reliability, security, and efficiency of the electric grid is impressive,” said NRTC Board Chairman Tim Mergen, CEO and General Manager, Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association in Minnesota. “We look forward to his contributions to the Board as NRTC continues to drive technology innovation on behalf of its members.”

 

Scheibe is a licensed professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Iowa State University. Prior to coming to Heartland, Scheibe worked his way up from Distribution Engineer to Director of Engineering for Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative in Anamosa, Iowa.

 

Prior service on local, state, and national boards and committees includes:

  • Board member for Learning Tree Institute at Greenbush
  • Trustee and Executive Committee Member for Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.
  • Chairman of Loss Control, Safety, and Compliance Committee for Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.
  • Member of Strategic Technology Advisory Council for the Business and Technology Strategies area of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

 

Scheibe is also an avid long-distance cyclist. He lives with his wife and two children in rural Crawford County, Kansas.

 

About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

 

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in southeast and eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties.

 

Heartland REC is a non-profit, member-owned cooperative that traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland.

Obituary

Obituary of James Golden, Sr.

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J

James Erwin Golden, Sr., age 69, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Saturday, January 21, 2023, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas.  He was born April 9, 1953, in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Royal S. Golden and Elsie L. Foote Golden.

James grew up and attended school in Denver, Colorado.  He served with the United States Army from 1975 to 1979 where he was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri.  While with the Army, James served with the Military Police and also did photography work.

Following his time with the Army, Jim moved to Ft. Scott, Kansas to pursue a career in truck driving.  He married Connie Hayes and they had two sons, James Jr. and Daniel.  For the majority of his life, James worked in the trucking industry where he was able to travel throughout the country.  For a time while his sons were in high school, James worked for the Water Treatment Plant in Ft. Scott, but later returned to trucking.  Following his retirement, James loved to drink coffee and spend time with his grandchildren.

 

Survivors include his two sons, James E. Golden, Jr. and Daniel Golden (Joyce) all of Ft. Scott; twelve grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.  Also surviving are three brothers, John, Dean and Dale Golden and a sister, Colleen Schmersal.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two grandchildren and his former wife, Connie.

 

Following cremation, a celebration of life service will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to the James Golden Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Obituary

Obituary of Wade Young

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Wade Douglas Young, age 69, resident of Fort Scott, KS, gained his Heavenly wings surrounded by the love of his family on Friday, January 20, 2023, at Medicalodges Fort Scott.  He was born October 10, 1953, in Fort Scott, the son of Marion and Lena (Kerr) Young.  He was united in marriage to Mary Lou Johnson on August 26, 1982, in Fort Scott on the steps of the church.  They cherished each other for 40 years and from their union came beloved daughter, Kimberly Young.

 

Never knowing a stranger, you would usually encounter Wade with a smile on his face or offering a helping hand to someone in need.  He could be found at the dirt track rooting for Bolin, donning his blue and orange for the Denver Broncos, cheering on the Fort Scott High School football team, singing to some Motown oldies, or waving as he cruised around town with Mary by his side.  He was also a very adoring father, grandfather, and friend.

 

Those left to treasure his memory are his wife, Mary; his children, Kimberly Young (Brett), Cyress Alexander (Todd), Wade W. Young (Rusty); step-sons, Shawn Judson (Becky), Larry Judson (Tasha); bonus daughters, Chelsea Zandler, and Danielle Wisely (Shawn); twelve grandchildren, Keegan, Nicholas, Wade, Bekah, Elisha, Mary, Benjamin, Jonathan, Donathan, Darian, Gabrielle, and Alessandra; five great-grandchildren, Savannah, Whitney, Melissa, Moses, Rhysland Wade, and another on the way; siblings, Nellie Satterfield (Terry), sister-in-law Eloise Young, Wayman Young (Linda), Floyd Young, brother-in-law Frank Davis, Rodney Young, and Rhonda Warren (Ike).

He was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Loretta Young, Mary Anne Young, Janice Ray, Goldie Young, Junior Young, and Teresa Davis.

 

There was cremation.  No public services are planned.

The guestbook is available to sign at the Cheney Witt Chapel.  Memorials are suggested to the Wade Young Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Fort Scott Community College, Sports

FSCC Cheer Teams Heads to Nationals

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The FSCC Cheer Team: Front row: Seth Thomas, Angie Martinez, Allie Brewer, Karlie Knechtel, Emily Noll. Second row: Addey Froggatte, Madison Warner, Haven Conner, Mackenzie Heuszel, Lamyjah Lewis- Kent, Denise Barnard, Brooke Snell, Lillie Easterby. Boys: Brayden Moore, Xavier Kasper,Josh Martin, Gage Pugh, Malachi Kucza, Ethan Bittle, Donovan Law and Javonte Garrett
Top row of girls: Julia Lopez, Hannah Merando, Savanna Fisher, Haily Sheat, Stephanie Matul, Macy Michalski, Claire Holt Not pictured: Andrea Matul and Ally Gomez Gonzales. Submitted photo.
The Fort Scott Community  College Cheer Team  is heading a second time to Florida for the National Cheer Association contest. There are over 400 teams competing in the contest on April 5-9 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“We compete small coed advanced against other junior colleges all over the nation,” FSCC Head Cheer Coach Chelsea Yount, said.

The cheer teams cheer all FSCC men’s and women’s basketball games, home flag football games, and “We are super fans home volleyball games,”  Yount said.

“We also compete in four competitions this year,” she said. “National virtual college championship-we are reigning national champions,
Innovative choreography College open competition, and NCA nationals Region 6 regional games.”
The team practices Monday – Friday  from 8-10 a.m. plus three hours a week of weights, and has a two-hour study hall in addition to the FSCC games.
Head coach Yount,  from Shawnee, is assisted by coach Allee Morillo, Olathe.
From left Allee Morillo, FSCC Assistant Cheer Coach and  Head Coach Chelsea Yount. Submitted photo.
The team is comprised of the following athletes and where they are from:
Addey Froggatte – Princeton, KS
Allie Brewer – Ottawa, KS
Ally Gonzales Gomez- Carthage, Mo
Andrea Matul- Carthage, Mo
Angie Martinez- Houston, TX
Brayden Moore- Fort Scott, KS
Brooke Snell- Wichita, KS
Claire Holt- Fort Scott, KS
Denise Barnard- Nevada, MO
Donovan Law- La Cynge, KS
Emily Noll- Spring Hill, KS
Ethan Bittle- Prattville, AL
Gage Pugh La Cynge, KS
Haily Sheat- Lamar, MO
Hannah Merando- Walnut, KS
Haven Conner- Mound City, KS
Javontte Garrett Memphis, TN
Josh Martin La Cynge, KS
Julia Lopez- Arma, KS
Karlie Knechtel- Boulder, CO
Lamyjah Lewis-Kent- Omaha, NE
Lillian Easterby- Wichita, KS
Mackenzie Heuszel
Macy Michalski- La Cynge, KS
Madison Warner
Malachi Kucza- Lawrence, KS
Mason O’Brien- Uniontown, KS
Savanna Fisher- Carthage, Mo
Seth Thomas- Lawrence, KS
Stephanie Matul- Carthage, Mo
Xavier Kasper La Cynge, KS
The FSCC Cheer Team. Submitted photo.
To help get the team to nationals, they have several fundraisers.
“We currently have a raffle for a Visa 500$ gift card,” Yount said. “You can reach out to us on social media or email me at [email protected] .”
“We will have several other fundraisers coming up, and are always looking for business sponsors to help fund the trip,” she said. “All funds raised will go to competition fees, hotel stay, food, flight/travel expenses, team gear and more.”
Government

Legislative Update By State Senator Caryn Tyson

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January 20, 2023

 

Property Tax Relief  Just a reminder from my update last week about tax relief programs passed by the legislature last year that the applications are now available.  The link for the application for property tax relief for low income seniors and disabled veterans is posted at https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/k-40svr.pdf and the application for some property tax relief for businesses shut-down or negatively impacted by the Governor’s shutdown during COVID is at https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/Misc/PropTaxAssistance/StoreFront You may also call KDOR at 785-368-8222 or e-mail [email protected] with questions about the programs and applications.

Kansas Department of Revenue || COVID Property Tax Assistance

www.kdor.ks.gov

Official Website of the Kansas Department of Revenue

 

Sales Tax Holiday on School Supplies  The Senate Tax Committee held hearings to establish one weekend in the year that “school supply” purchases could be exempt from state sales tax.  Years ago, myself and others worked on this legislation.  As a result, Fort Scott created a local sales tax holiday and have been doing so for over 10 years.  Many Kansans go to Missouri and Oklahoma to make these purchases.  It would not only help families with students, all persons purchasing the supplies on the defined weekend would qualify for the exemption if the bill becomes law as written.

 

Income Tax Savings , We passed a law last year allowing a workaround from a federal tax law that capped State and Local Tax (SALT) itemized deductions at $10,000, and our law provided a path for Kansans to take these deductions on approximately $130 million dollars.  Basically, it saved Kansans on their federal tax returns while not impacting the amount of state or local taxes collected. It was reported to the Senate Tax Committee that some members of the U.S. Congress are trying to remove the $10,000 cap, but until it is removed there is still a workaround in Kansas.

 

Government Picking Winners and Losers  In Senate Commerce Committee and the Joint Post Audit Committee there were presentations on big business tax incentive programs.  Twenty-eight companies were selected to respond to questions, such as “would you have proceeded with their project as planned, even without the incentive?”  Of the respondents, 11 (37%) said they would have preceded with the project – the incentives did not affect their business decision.  Instead of government picking ‘winners and losers’, we should try to level the playing field and lower taxes for all, making Kansas a competitive market for business and individuals to be successful.  The full report can be found at:

https://www.kslpa.org/audit-report-library/evaluating-the-department-of-commerces-major-economic-development-incentive-programs/

The information will be presented to the Senate Tax Committee Tuesday, January 24.

 

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.

Caryn

 

Opinion

No Smoke in the Smokehouse by Carolyn Tucker

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Keys to the Kingdom

 

 

Some friends and I put our heads together and made a list of all the different “houses” we could think of. We came up with 40, but I’m sure there’s a bunch more. My top picks were: jailhouse, big house, doghouse, tree house, bunkhouse, well house, smokehouse, outhouse, slaughterhouse, dollhouse, and beach house. My folks’ place had several outbuildings and one of them was a tiny two-room structure nestled behind the lower garage. The right side was the well house and the left side was the smokehouse. The room on the left could’ve been called the storehouse because we didn’t smoke meat in it, we just used it to store stuff.

 

The Bible states that God has storehouses. “How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world” (Psalm 31:19 NLT). God delights in storing up good things for His children. This makes perfect sense, because I do the same thing for my three little granddaughters. I have a drawer where I stash items I buy in advance to give to them at the appropriate time. God says, “I have been saving this, and I have it locked in My storehouses” (Deuteronomy 32:34 NCV).

 

The New Testament tells us that God has a house that’s beyond comprehension. John the Revelator tried to describe it, but we still can’t begin to imagine this glorious house. John Chapter 14 is a beloved text that’s often read at funerals, and rightly so. It encourages those who live in an earthly house now, and also gives hope for a beautiful heavenly home in the future. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-4 NKJV).

 

Several vocalists have recorded the spiritual, “Come and Go With Me.” My favorite rendition is performed by Christian artist Alicia Williamson. She communicates these lyrics with a big smile — like she knows what she’s singing about: “Come and go with me to my Father’s house…there is joy, joy, joy. Peace and happiness there in my Father’s house…there is joy, joy, joy. No more dyin‘ there in my Father‘s house…there is joy, joy, joy.” The invitation to go to God’s house was sent out 2,000 years ago in the form of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Because of the Father’s unfailing mercy, there’s no expiration on the RSVP as long as the individual can think and breathe.

 

In 1963, when my Grandpa Hayward was dying in the arms of his grandson Dwain, he said he saw angels. Although I wasn’t there and didn‘t see these heavenly beings, I believe they were there just like he said. I have no problem believing that Grandpa was carried by angels to his Father’s house. According to the following scripture, Jesus tells us that when believers die the angels bring them into God’s presence. “One day poor Lazarus died, and the angels of God came and escorted his spirit into paradise” (Luke 16:22 TPT).

 

The Key: When life’s timer goes off, believers are escorted by angels straight to the Father’s House.

Bourbon County, Government

Bourbon County Commission Agenda for Jan. 24

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Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Date: January 24, 2023
1st District–Nelson Blythe Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District–Jim Harris Corrected: _______________________
3rd District–Clifton Beth Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk–Ashley Shelton
MEETING HELD IN THE COMMISSION ROOM BEGINNING AT 9:00AM
Call to Order
• Flag Salute
• Approval of Minutes
• Approval for Accounts Payable
• Eric Bailey – Road & Bridge Report
• Susan Bancroft – Chief Financial Officer
• Shane Walker – Chief Operating Officer
• Justin Meeks – County Counselor
• Bill Martin – Discussion of Investigation by County Attorney
• Public Comment
• Commission Comment
Justifications for Executive Session:
KSA 75–4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
KSA 75–4319(b)(2) For consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney–client relationship
KSA 75–4319(b)(3) To discuss matters relating to employer–employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
KSA 75–4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships
KSA 75–4319(b)(6) For the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property
KSA 75–4319(b)(12) To discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.

Fort Scott, Government

City of Fort Scott Meetings For Next Week

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MEETINGS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK:

 

LAND BANK BOARD MEETING: The Land Bank Board will meeting Monday, January 23rd at 4:00 PM at City Hall.

 

CITY COMMISSION MEETING: The City Commission will meet on Tuesday, January 24th at 6:00 PM at City Hall.

 

PARKS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING: The Parks Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, January 26th at 4:00 PM at City Hall.

 

LAKE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING: The Lake Advisory Board will meet on Saturday, January 28th at 9:00 AM at City Hall.

 

All the meetings listed are open to the public and can be viewed on The City of Fort Scott YouTube Channel.

 

Fort Scott Community College, Government

FSCC Board of Trustees Minutes of Dec. 12

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FORT SCOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Minutes of the Board of Trustees Meeting
December 12, 2022
PRESENT: John Bartelsmeyer, Dave Elliott, Jim Fewins, Kirk Hart, Bryan Holt, and Robert Nelson
ALSO PRESENT: Alysia Johnston, President, Juley McDaniel, Board Clerk, faculty, staff
Chairman Bartelsmeyer called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall meeting rooms. The
meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR: Chairman Bartelsmeyer shared wishes for a safe break, and thanked all employees. He said he is proud of them and what they do for the college.
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: None.
CONSENT AGENDA: A motion was made by Elliott, seconded by Fewins, and approved by unanimous vote to add two items for Action/Discussion:

1) Consideration of Sublease Agreement between SEK-CTEC and FSCC and
2) Consideration of Donation of Items to the Legacy Group.


A motion was made by Nelson, seconded by Hart, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the consent agenda.


ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS:
A. A motion was made by Hart, seconded by Fewins, and carried by unanimous vote to appoint Tom Havron as the Title IX Coordinator.
B. A motion was made by Elliott, seconded by Nelson, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the Sublease Agreement between SEK-CTEC and FSCC.
C. A motion was made by Fewins, seconded by Holt, and carried by unanimous vote to approve the donation to the Legacy Group of items that will be identified by John Bartelsmeyer and Luke Demko. Any other Board member who wishes to participate shall contact Bartelsmeyer. No more than 3 members can
participate in order to maintain compliance with KOMA statutes.


REPORTS:
ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: The Board reviewed and heard updates from Workforce Development, Instruction, Student Services, Finance and Operations, Student Affairs, Athletics, and the President.
Brian saw a graphic on facebook about FSCC’s economic impact on the community. The graphic came from last year’s annual report, and more info like that will continue to be shared.
Alysia addressed ERP challenges. FSCC is one of 12 schools in the nation that uses our current system.
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Trustees, a motion to adjourn was made at
6:28 p.m. by Fewins, seconded by Holt, and carried by unanimous vote.

Fort Scott Community College, Government

FSCC Board of Trustees Agenda For Jan. 23

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January 23, 2023
Board of Trustees
Fort Scott Community College
2108 S. Horton
Fort Scott, KS 66701
The Board of Trustees of Fort Scott Community College will meet in regular session on Monday,
January 23, 2023. The meeting will be held in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall at Fort Scott
Community College.
5:00 p.m. Dinner in Cleaver-Burris-Boileau Hall, followed by regular board meeting at
approximately 5:30 p.m.
THE AGENDA
5:00 DINNER
5:30 ROLL CALL, 3
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CALL TO ORDER, 4
A. Comments from the Chair, 4
B. Comments from the Public, 4
CONSENT AGENDA, 5
A. Approval of Agenda, 5
B. Approval of Minutes of previous Regular Board Meeting conducted on December 12,
2022, 6
C. Approval of Treasurer’s Report, Bills, and Claims, 7
D. Approval of Personnel Actions, 5
ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS, 52
A. Approval of 2023-24 Academic Calendars, 52
B. Consideration of Heavy Equipment Simulators Purchase, 55
ITEMS FOR REVIEW, 58
A. Correspondence for Review, 58
REPORTS, 60
A. Administrative Updates, 60
EXECUTIVE SESSION, 73
ADJOURNMENT, 741

UPCOMING CALENDAR DATES:
• January 23, 2023: Board Meeting
• February 20, 2023: Board Meeting
• March 13 – 17, 2023: Spring Break, Campus Closed
• March 20, 2023: Board Meeting
• March 24, 2023: Aggie Day
• April 7, 2023: Good Friday, Campus Closed
• April 17, 2023: Board Meeting
• May 13, 2023: Graduation
• May 15, 2023: Board Meeting
• June 19, 2023: Board Meeting
Sincerely,
John Bartelsmeyer, Chair
Alysia Johnston, President
FSCC’s vision for the future is to support “Students First, Community Always” through a
central focus on teaching and learning; advancing strong, innovative programs and
departments; maximizing and leveraging opportunities; initiating efficient and effective
processes; and developing the region’s workforce.2

ROLL CALL
_____ John Bartelsmeyer
_____ Jim Fewins
_____ Dave Elliott
_____ Kirk Hart
_____ Bryan Holt
_____ Robert Nelson3

CALL TO ORDER
A. COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR
B. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

CONSENT AGENDA
A. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Attached are the minutes of the Regular Board Meeting conducted on December 12, 2022.
C. APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT, BILLS and CLAIMS
Attached are the Treasurer’s Report and the Bills and Claims Report.
D. APPROVAL OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS

1) Separations
a) Abbey Schwab, Admissions Representative, effective January 13, 2023
b) Chelsea Goff, Assistant Cheer/Dance Coach, effective January 15, 2023
c) Tommy Myers, CTEC Director, effective January 20, 2023

E. APPROVAL OF GORDON PARKS BOARD MEMBER ACTIONS
1) Additions
a) Destry Brown, effective January 9, 2023
2) Separations
a) Elouise Young, effective December 31, 2022

F. APPROVAL OF INSTITUTE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT
(IDEA) BOARD MEMBERS
1) Additions
a) Alysia Johnston
b) Dave Elliott
c) Juley McDaniel
d) Cindy Bartelsmeyer
e) John Farrell

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Consent Agenda items be approved as
presented.


BOARD ACTION: MOTION _____ SECOND _____ VOTE _____
DISCUSSION:
VOTE: Bartelsmeyer Elliott Fewins
Hart Holt Nelson5

To view the full packet:

 

K-State Extension

Cold Weather and Wind Chill – Does It Hurt Plants?

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Krista Harding
District Extension Agent, Horticulture
Southwind Extension District
111 S. Butler
Erie, KS 66733
Office: 620-244-3826
Cell: 620-496-8786

We have just barely dipped into winter and so far it’s not been too bad. Living in southeast Kansas, we all know that can change in the blink of an eye! We continue to be in a drought situation with the counties being classified in the severe to extreme drought categories. The extent of the drought on our landscape ornamentals will show up this spring. Unfortunately, the drought has already taken out some green giant arborvitae in the area.

 

More than likely, we still have the potential for extremely cold weather in the next month. How will it affect our landscape ornamentals? Of course low temperatures can directly damage plants, especially those that produce fruit. For example, fruit buds of peaches and nectarines are likely to be damaged at 5° to –5° F. Blackberries are generally damaged at temperatures near 5°F though some of the newer varieties can withstand temperatures to -10°F. Some fruit buds of apple cultivars, however, can survive temperatures as low as –20° to -25° F.

 

What about wind chills? Are wind chills harmful to plants? Not really. Wind chills have a huge effect on warm-blooded animals and their ability to keep warm. But plants do not respond to wind chills indexes because they do not need to maintain a temperature above that of the outside temperature. For example, a -40°F wind chill at 0 degrees F will not cause any more cold injury to plant tissue than a wind chill of -20°F at 0 degrees F.

 

However, the wind alone can dry out plant tissues. A high wind velocity can cause moisture loss from plant tissues and even cause enough loss to injure or even kill tissues, especially in smaller size wood that is found in peach tree twigs, apple spurs and blackberry canes.

 

Because we haven’t had moisture on a regular basis this fall and winter, landscape plants will need some additional water to survive. Any newly transplanted woody plants and evergreens should be high on your priority list for watering. Water all of the area from the trunk to the edge of the outermost branches and not just near the trunk. In order for the water to soak in, wait until the temperature is above freezing and the soil is unfrozen.

 

Landscapes have a tendency to be dark and rather drab this time of year. But certain kinds of plants can add color and interest to the winter landscape. If you’re looking to brighten your landscape in the winter, consider planting a red or yellow twig Dogwood shrub this spring. The Red Osier Dogwood has bright red young stems during the winter months that become even more intense closer to spring. The Yellow Twig Dogwood is much like the red except the twigs are bright yellow instead of red.

 

Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District.  She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.

 

K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County Local News