Grain prices down for the week

Prices paid for grain at the Ellsworth Co-op at the end of the business day, Monday, Jan. 27, were:

Wheat, bu. — $4.49, down 7 cents from Jan. 17.

Milo, bu. — $3.11, down 8 cents.

Soybeans, bu. — $7.84, down 33 cents.

Corn, bu. — $3.46, down 8 cents.

The co-op has locations in Ellsworth, Black Wolf, Farhman, Hitschmann, Holyrood and Kanopolis.

Schultz celebrates 30 years

Delvin Schultz, highway maintenance supervisor in Ellsworth, is celebrating 30 years of service to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Schultz began his service with KDOT in Ellsworth in 1990 as an equipment operator. Through a series of promotions, he became the highway maintenance supervisor. As the supervisor, Schultz coordinates highway maintenance tasks for his crew.

“KDOT is a great place to work and has been a good fit for me,” Schultz said. “I enjoy my KDOT family and working here allows me to stay close to my home.”

Schultz lives in Ellsworth. He has a wife, Debbie, and two daughters, Amanda and Deanna.

Soukup attends leadership session

Two Ellsworth County area residents attended the Kansas Livestock Association Leadership Conference Jan. 20-21 in Topeka.

Mary Soukup of Ellsworth and Katy Ivey, of Dorrance were among 19 industry stakeholders to participate in the event, which is designed to expose attendees to services provided by KLA, advocacy training and the legislative process.

At the Capitol, the group attended a meeting of the House Committee on Rural Revitalization and heard from KLA lobbyists on how they protect member interests during the legislative process. Attendees also had a chance to meet with their respective legislators to discuss important livestock industry issues.

As a part of the conference, members took part in an interactive advocacy training session led by KLA staff and WIBW-Topeka farm broadcaster Greg Akagi. Participants were given an overview of the importance of being an industry advocate and the various social media outlets available to help them reach consumers who want to know more about how and where their food is produced. Jamie Lindamood, a rancher from Eureka, shared with the group how she has implemented advocacy in her daily routine through social media and by inviting consumers to visit her ranch to better understand agriculture.

Tax reform group releases report

The Governor’s Council on Tax Reform has released its interim report for consideration by the Kansas Legislature, following months of meetings by the Council.

The council submitted its recommendations in December and has now released the full interim report, which includes details on those proposals.

Among notable recommendations are a food sales tax rebate targeted toward Kansans who need it most, and a return to implementation of the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund (LAVTRF) as a way to help local governments keep their property taxes low.

The council will continue working throughout 2020 and submit its final report prior to the start of the 2021 legislative session.

To access the full report, visit: https://governor.kansas.gov/governors-council-on-tax-reform-report/