KWIBS - From
December 2, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I wanted to do this after
the holiday. There was no reason to bring up this topic and start a
fight during a Thanksgiving meal, especially over my column.
I waited for emotions to calm down, to let things sink in after what was
a surprise to many of us. We needed a break.
It was an epic showdown, a battle if you will. It was the tall blondish-redhaired
man against the darker-skinned foe. It was perhaps a battle between
generations. Some would even say good vs. evil. This battle was a toss
up. Millions, if not billions of dollars were spent promoting each
person. Nobody knew who would win, but everyone would be surprised by
the outcome. Most of America found out early the next morning who the
champion would be.
Ronda and I waited patiently in front of the TV that night waiting for
the outcome. Yes, we were one of millions of people who tuned in to see
the winner, knowing that half of America would not be happy. At one
point, we went to bed only to get back up to see who won.
November 15, 2024 Jake Paul brought Mike Tyson out of retirement to
fight for the title of “Heavy Weight Champion.”
You silly... You thought I was writing about politics. You don’t think I
have learned anything from over 30 years in the publisher’s chair?
Like most of America (65 million views), I was frustrated by the
streaming services of Netflix. We were actually more interested in the
Lightweight Fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. Sadly,
Netflix could not handle all of the users hitting the site at once to
watch, and it crashed.
We got drawn in (suckered) by all the hype of this fight. My wife even
watched every episode of “Countdown,” a Netflix special on the two prize
fighters. She was totally hooked on boxing.
I had even drawn my Son Joey and Daughter Bree into the viewing of the
prize fight, only to frustrate them as well. They finally went to bed
too, angry they had wasted an entire evening trying to watch it!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 18, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
You think aliens could just be billionairs from other planets who are
just too stuck up to make contact with us?
Love him or hate him; you can’t deny he’s had an impact! Twitter
becoming X, SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, The Boring Company, and now
Politics - Elon Musk is a man who wears many hats. He’s well-known for
speaking his thoughts and having a futuristic, creative, and bold
outlook. Musk’s smart and entertaining remarks have generated news for
various reasons.
I find him awkwardly fascinating - the things he says and does. Let’s
take a look together at some of his quotes:
“If something is important enough, even if the odds are stacked against
you, you should still do it.”
“You shouldn’t do things differently just because they’re different.
They need to be…better.”
“Some people don’t like change, but you need to embrace change if the
alternative is a disaster.”
“It’s OK to have your eggs in one basket as long as you control what
happens to that basket.”
“If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be
better, it is a bright day. Otherwise, it’s not.”
“People should pursue what they’re passionate about. That will make them
happier than pretty much anything else.”
“Pay attention to negative feedback, and solicit it, particularly from
friends.”
“Life is too short for long-term grudges.”
“The thing that drives me is that I want to be able to think about the
future and feel good about that.”
“The future will be weird.”
“I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact.”
“It’s very important to like the people you work with; otherwise, life
and your job is gonna be quite miserable.”
“I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.”
“I’d rather be optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right.”
Long before placing himself alongside any politician, Musk is a
visionary who has made a big difference in the business and tech worlds.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 11, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Years ago I had a writer who was pretty funny. We used to play constant
practical jokes on each other. Usually the joke was on me.
“Oh how the turns have tabled,” or something Michael Scott from “The
Office” would famously be quoted as saying.
One of his last jokes was showing up 4 hours for work late, dressed in a
suit and tie, holding a brief case and holding a glass of wine.
Understand, we had a strict dress code of shorts and concert tees.
Dave Fasgold, former Editor of the Premiere, left my employment under
good terms surprisingly. He has been at his current job for about 15
years. He works as a Remote Pilot for SAIC at the FAA Academy in OKC.
He basically gets paid for playing a video game. He works in simulated
air traffic situations. I used to joke: He flies fake airplanes and
makes fake scenarios for the FAA.
On more than one occasion, Justin Rugg and I would call down to OKC’s
FAA offices and prank Dave. We even drove to OKC to see his new band
play and we dressed in wrestling gear with masks and stormed the stage
to Dave’s surprise while he was singing. We all were in the band
DorfusCrackTractor together from 2004-2011 and we played some pretty
good jokes on each other over the years. We were typically known for our
parody music. We even did a bit where we were rappers. One show was done
wearing bath robes, another wearing Scottish Kilts, and even one dressed
as Star Wars characters. We may or may not have been any good, but we
were funny!
Recently, Dave posted a job opening at the OKC location and a link to
apply for a position with the SAIC and naturally, I applied..... I
applied under the name “Tom O’Leary,” a fictional name for fists made by
Anchorman Ron Burgandy in the movie “Anchorman.”
I don’t think he gets the paper, but I sure hope he gets the
application. Justin is also applying.
I clicked the box that I wanted $250,000 or more for an annual starting
salary and the highest level of security clearance available. My wife
says if I get the job, I will be starting immediately and moving to OKC.
You stay classy Barber County!
KWIBS - From
November 4, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
This dates me.
I love vinyl records. I grew up in the 1970s, so when I first joined
Columbia House and got my first 13 vinyl records for one cent, I was
hooked.
To this day, I spare no expense on my turntable(s). Ya, I have more than
one. One of them, I actually paid more for than my first car. I’m a
geek.
I’ve passed on that love to my two sons. Joey and Nick are both
collecting their favorite music on vinyl, only their music is terrible.
Bands like “Baretooth, A Day To Remember, I Prevail,” vs. “The Eagles,
Pink Floyd, The Carpenters, KISS, etc.” Sorry boys, there’s just no
comparison. When your music is first released on vinyl and not digital,
it’s just no contest.
Now I sound like a typical parent! Teenagers these days. Wait! One of my
boys is in his 30s and the other one just had his first child. That
dates me as well.
Ronda and I went to Hays, KS Monday. We needed to get that brand new
grand baby fix. While in Hays, Nick and I went and got hair cuts and
then off to the antique mall to check out some newly acquired vinyl. NOS
(new old stock) comes in about monthly at this place and I drag Nick
there when I’m in town.
I didn’t find anything for me, but I did find a “Best of Linda Ronstadt”
album for Ronda. She digs vinyl too and sometimes I find her with albums
spread on the floor, with one on the rosewood TEAC, rocking out to her
favorites.
It is crazy to me that I spend more on an old record (vinyl) than I do
for my Apple Music collection for an entire month. Many of these old
records have names written on the cover and have some blemishes, but I
still dig them. It just sounds better and I can’t explain it. Actually,
with the help of Google, I can explain it!
Some say that vinyl records sound better than digital music because they
capture the original audio without compression or translation, and the
grooves on the record follow the shape of the original sound waves.
Personally, I think it just reminds me of when music was great.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
October 28, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Joey’s birthday is today! My first born son (second child of three!) is
celebrating his 32nd birthday and I hope he has a root’n toot’n good
time!
I’ll never forget this photo. It was taken during Peace Treaty of 1994.
We had dressed him up for the occasion and cropped out of the photo was,
a slice of pizza and a coke. He had a pretty bad tummy ache that day.
We had saved up our money to buy him some Roper’s (cowboy boots) and a
hat to go with his overalls. Bev McCollom was in the office signing
copies of “Meandering” and suggested we give him a Coke for his tummy
ache. His “binky” was nearby. It’s incredible how that was 30 years ago.
He and his wife, Haley, have one of their own who experienced his first
Peace Treaty this year!
We’ve been to Hays a couple of times this past week. Our third child,
Nick and his wife Natalie, gave birth to their first child: Nevaeh Skye
Noland. Nevaeh was right at 7 lbs and was a few weeks early! Nick and I
got to go shopping for baby clothes this last weekend. We were a couple
of odd looking, lost fellows in Walmart with no clue what we were doing.
As election season approaches, neighborhoods across America are
transforming in more ways than just the changing colors of fall. Yards
are blossoming with red, blue, and everything in between, as homeowners
proudly display campaign signs, turning their lawns into political
statements. This colorful display, however, isn’t just a form of
expression - it’s sparking debates and, in some cases, irritation among
neighbors...
Medicine Lodge has not escaped the political yard sign season. My
morning drive is shaken into reality when I hit the city limits and am
struck with the displays of who I should vote for.
I’m so ready for this particular election cycle to be over. I hope
everyone can just get along and get back to life and find some common
ground when it’s all over. Kids and grandkids have been a great
distraction.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
October 21, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Only a few things can derail a newspaper week. Being in a coma earlier
this summer was one. That didn’t stop the paper from coming out as we
have good people surrounding us.
Early Tuesday morning we got the call that our daughter-in-law was going
into labor! Nick and Natalie Noland have a healthy baby girl! They live
in Hays, KS, so we had to make a trip up there to see that brand new
grand-baby in person!
Nevaeh Skye Noland was born at 11:32 a.m. She was rounded up to 7 lbs.
and 18” long.
We scrambled to get our bags packed because “Noodle”, as we call her,
came early! She was due in early November, but God had different timing
and she’s here!
We came into the office briefly to get some important stuff done before
we left. The distractions were many, so if I didn’t take your call, it’s
because I was putting my tee shirt on backwards..... Ya, I did that
while watching my wife do a happy dance all over the house.
Congratulations to Nick and Natalie! They are going to be amazing
parents! We are blessed to have “Noodle” as number 8 in our tribe!!
KWIBS - From
October 14, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
My wife’s love-hate relationship with nature should be made into a
television reality show.
This struggle is real.
Several months ago, she decided to buy a bag of corn to feed the deer
that were hanging around our home. This turned into feeding them produce
as well. This only emoldened them, as the deer told all of their
friends.
Soon two deer became ten and eventually they had relayed the food news
to the area turkey.
I woke one morning to about thirty turkey and a dozen deer.
That same morning the deer had contacted their raccoon friends and soon
enough, all the wildlife in northern Barber County had discovered her
flowers on the front porch that they dug up or devoured.
Wow, I’ve never seen her so mad.
She demanded I do something about this situation. She had even suggested
I take extreme measures. I had to remind her that I didn’t believe there
was exception to deer and turkey season.
The raccoons got so thirsty from all the food, they opened bottles of
water that we had placed out for Peace Treaty!
I decide to put some live traps out after the second night of carnage.
While I was setting traps, Ronda was tossing out apples into the field
in front of our house!
Most of you “town” folk don’t understand the raccoon mentality. Once
they discover your trash cans, you have to guard against their night
time raids. Once they discover you have food in them, the battle begins.
You don’t never them!
Tell that to this woman from Washington State.
Sheriff’s deputies in Washington’s Kitsap County frequently get calls
about animals — loose livestock, problem dogs. But the 911 call they
received recently from a woman being hounded by dozens of raccoons
swarming her home near Poulsbo stood out.
The woman reported having had to flee her property after 50 to 100
raccoons descended upon it and were acting aggressively, said Kevin
McCarty, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. She told deputies she
started feeding a family of raccoons decades ago and it was fine until
about six weeks earlier, when the number showing up went from a handful
to around 100!
See what we have to look forward to Sweety?
KWIBS - From
October 7, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
“The Peace Treaty Hangover” for the entire area began late Sunday night
after the powwow was concluded.
If you are new to the area, that’s what we call the week or two weeks
after a pageant year.
Kudos to The City of Medicine Lodge for their behind the scenes work
during Peace Treaty. You guys are amazing and we couldn’t do it without
you. There are also so many people that are essential to this event and
we appreciate every person that helps this celebration to continue.
As we approach the 100th celebration of pageants, we continue to evolve
as an association. I’m proud of every board member past and present. You
guys all did an awesome job. Ronda and I began our week with company
coming in on Wednesday, September 25th. By Sunday, we had two houses
full of people here to enjoy the weekend, as well as work the weekend!
Thank you Nix White from San Diego, CA for jumping into Thursday’s home
football game in Medicine Lodge and again at the beginning of Saturday’s
parade, then performing in the pageant. Although he had seen it several
times, it was his first time to be a part of the pageant and I so
enjoyed having him stand beside me in the John Brown Scene, the 34 Stars
scene and the Signing Scene I also want to thank my dear friend Jamie
Chism from Winfield, KS. Jamie also performed in the John Brown Scene
This was his second year. He’s a gunslinger involved with the Chism
Trail Shooting club and I’m grateful for his willingness to be a part of
our team. Jamie and his Wife Michele (Delano) Chism, come all the way
from Winfield for 5 minutes in the pageant!
National Newspaper week is October 6-12. We are proud to be a part of
this industry.
We shared our story September 23, 2024 in our Peace Treaty Special
Edition. Through that story, a reader discovered she is a cousin of
ours! Lindsay Azure contacted her friend Bree Hernandez (our daughter)
and told her she saw the story in our paper and that she was also a
Copeland descendent from the Mulinville, KS area. We had to be related.
Upon a little investigating on her part, she did discover that her
father and my father were cousins! It’s a small world! It’s always good
to find new family! Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 30, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Sometimes my sense of humor even cracks me up. Sometimes I do things
just to see if anyone is paying attention.
Last week, I thought I’d do a funny cutline heading under a photo. It
read “Worsham Windows.” It’s a little play on words as Pastor Rodney
Worsham had some kids around a few weeks ago getting windows washed for
Peace Treaty.
Abbi Smith noticed.... she took a picture of the cutline and photo and
put it on Facebook....
I had originally put “Washing Windows For Peace Treaty.” How boring is
that? When I told my wife I wished it had said, “Worsham Windows,” she
laughed, so I changed it just before going to press.
Speaking of Peace Treaty....
I am writing this before the weekend has even happened. I have to do
this almost ever year before Peace Treaty in anticipation of getting the
paper done.
As a friend of mine would say, “I’m the best unpaid help I’ve ever had.”
I know, it’s dumb, but it’s an inside joke.
Peace Treaty, for most everyone I know, is a really busy time. The
unpaid, unselfish people who volunteer their time are just awesome.
Speaking of one, I think there needs to be a camera crew that follows
Cathy Colborn around. She starts to be quite amusing a few weeks before
a pageant. I was at what was supposed to be a full dress rehearsal the
23rd and 24th, only the 24th never happened. Storms rolled in right
after practice the first day, shutting down Sunday’s rehearsal.
Surprisingly, Cathy kept it together! (herself and the pageant). That
meant that we were going to wing it! That’s not unusual for most scenes
in the pageant. Cathy keeps us in line as do our awesome scene
directors.
We’ll obviously give you more of the details next week on how things
went. Hopefully, we had excellent weather and a good amount of people
who enjoyed themselves. I’m sure we had our share of hiccups, but that’s
also normal!
Be sure to check out next week’s Premiere and our Facebook page for
photos of the Peace Treaty Weekend!
KWIBS - From
September 23, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Peace Treaty. It’s here!
Inside this edition is our Peace Treaty Special Section. I agonize over
this for nearly 6 months in advance. My wife can tell you that I had a
few sleepless nights. It’s very hard to cover everything that happens in
our small town over three days and squeeze it into the edition, a short
few days before the event.
One of the most important things I do is choose a cover photo. This year
Cathy Colborn graciously let me use the photo of Flint Rucker on the
front. I have kept it a secret from Flint because I know he’d not want
to be recognized as more important than anyone else, but it tells a
story.
You can see that Flint holds the highest regard and reverence for the
pageant and his job as scene director of “Flags of the Empire.” This
group of riders has one of the hardest jobs leading up to and including
the pageant. When I remembered the photo, I knew I had to use it. Thank
you Flint for all you do.
I know how hard this board has worked to bring you this awesome
production.
I also know how hard Joscelyn Nittler has worked as the current
president of The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Association. As a past
president, two terms as 1st Vice President and two terms as 2nd Vice
President, I can tell you that it’s not a glamorous or easy job! The
last few months before a pageant are stressful. The phone never stops
ringing. Emails never stop coming. Text strings continue to flow!
“Do the best you can!” Nittler said at Monday night’s board meeting.
This board does and it brought back a lot of memories for me. I have
served with many of the chairman and board members for years, even
decades. It’s a huge sacrifice of time and service. We are the guardians
of tradition, proud members of a county that holds so much history.
Joscelyn and her team of rag-tag board members have been putting the
final brush strokes of an anticipated picture perfect weekend. Now if we
could just convince the Good Lord above for a nice rain a day or so
before the event to settle the dust!
It’s a small town tradition that is nearing it’s 100th anniversary. It
seems like yesterday (in the 1990s) that I was one of the young ones on
the board. Now I’m a grandpa with more than 30 years of Peace Treaty
weekends behind me.
I’m most excited to see friends. That’s a huge part of the weekend,
reconnecting with those who come back.
My childhood buddy, Nix White, will be here this week and plans two
amazing demonstration jumps; one at the home football game just before 7
p.m. Thursday and another on Saturday just minutes before the parade at
10 a.m. It will be amazing and I appreciate his willingness to do these
jumps for the event!
Have an amazing Peace Treaty weekend and be sure to visit
www.peacetreaty.org for up-to-date info on our ever evolving schedule of
events!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 16, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Bill Musgrove was one of the greats. Since my early years in Medicine
Lodge Bill Musgrove was always “Daddy Bill” to me and my family.
I really got to know Bill during my days in the band “Undercover.” I was
16 years old when started playing at “Bill’s Barn” in the Grove back in
the 80s. Bill, and his soon to be Wife Helen, provided a safe place for
the kids to have fun Friday and sometimes Saturday dances at his barn.
Sometimes we had a cover charge and sometimes Daddy Bill just handed us
cash and said, “clean up after you’re done having fun!”
We did have fun and he and Helen were so good to us kids growing up. His
barn parties grew and eventually got shut down because, “It was too
loud,” according to a neighbor.
Decades after those legendary parties, Daddy Bill would see me around
town and bring up those days along with a request that we reunite for
one more show. It never happened, but we always dreamed it would.
We always tried to pay Bill tribute around Veteran’s Day. His picture
pops up in my searches of past issues. Back in 2019, I had the privilege
to be at the Kansas Honor Flight welcome home ceremony at Wichita’s
Dwight D. Eisenehower National Airport. It was an amzing and emotional
experience for everyone who came to welcome Bill home.
Bill Musgrove was one of the guys who took the last flight of 2019 and
was honored to attend with Amy Axline at his side.
Ronda and I attended several birthdays over the years that honored Bill,
who seemed to never get any older with the passing of time. Billy died
Sunday, September 8, 2024 at Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital,
surrounded by loved ones. He was 92 years old. Due to some health issues
I experienced over the summer, I wasn’t even aware that he was in the
hospital. It came as such a shock. I just always assumed he would
outlive us all.
KWIBS - From
September 9, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
A plume of invisible aromas rising from wet grass after a rain shower,
the smell of a freshly baked cake, or the hint of a perfume wafting in
the air can all evoke strong feelings and memories.
So can the smell of burned cookies as I found out over Labor Day
weekend.
All I was really trying to do was make a stale cookie soft again.
Instead, I nearly created a three alarm call after sticking one in our
microwave for 1 minute.
It wasn’t smelling until I opened the door after the beep. The smell and
smoke billowing out was so strong and thick, Ronda woke up from her
slumber on in a panic.
“What is that smell?” she rose with concern.
It smelled like burned popcorn smothered in syrup. Our smoke detector
didn’t go off. Probably because we had taken the battery out of it after
Ronda burned some bacon a few weeks ago so she did not judge me.
We were ready for bed, so I just left the charred remains of the cookie
on the burned paper plate on the counter. I should have taken it
outside, but it would have alerted every beast of the kingdom to come
and dig through our trash, or it would have repelled them. It’s too late
to find out now.
We went to bed, but the smell was so strong neither of us slept. I even
dreamt that Ronda was up cleaning all night to rid our home of the
smell.
I rolled over at 4:40 a.m. and looked at the weather on my phone app. It
was 60 degrees outside. I wanted to get up, open the door and some
windows to air out the smell, but it was just too cold outside and I’m
not ready to do the A/C vs. heater match up yet.
I finally felt Ronda get up at around 6:30 a.m. I was refreshed knowing
the aroma of freshly brewed coffee would overtake our bedroom and guide
me into the living room for the news.
No such luck. I got up shortly to find that she had made it, but it was
just no match for the burned cookie smell that is now engraved in my
sensory neurons forever.
Smell ya later cookies...
KWIBS - From
September 2, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Blackfoot Willie.
That’s what we called him. He was a part of our staff for almost 20
years.
He passed away August 24 unexpectedly.
“What the hey,” he’d say enthusiastically each day that he rolled in to
work on his amazing art work and cartoon for the paper.
“Willie” as we called him was a talented artist who used to joke that he
wouldn’t be famous until he was gone from this life. I disagree, his art
work has been all over the place for decades, including our banner on
the front page.
I met Willie in 1992 when Ronda and I started the newspaper. He was a
former carnie and we would get him to do his carnie voice for our kids
while they were growing up at the newspaper. They got a kick out of him.
He came up with an idea one day and hit me up about doing a cartoon
called “Yep-N-Howdy. It was about a couple of opinionated characters who
were always hanging out at the truck stop drinking coffee and cussing
and discussing current events. They were a hit. We used to spend hours
trying to come up with a caption for them each week while he doodled
them out on my desk.
One Peace Treaty he actually made Yep-N-Howdy rubber masks that his son
and my daughter wore. I used an old boat from the ranch and retrofitted
it on a go-kart for the parade. It was a complete hit and we even won a
prize for best float. The kids drove around waiving at the crowd and
acted like they were fishing from it. Willie was full of ideas, amongst
other things rhyming with “hit!”
To know him was to love him. You could not win an argument with him
because he would just extend the argument to a point at which you would
become exhausted trying to win and quit!
“Willie” was a good father, grandfather, born again Christian and
friend. He last lived in Kingman and twice this year I ran into him at
White’s in Kingman. We always picked up right where we left off. God
speed Blackfoot.
KWIBS - From
August 26, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Politics, whether on a local or national level, have
become so well scripted I’m surprised they don’t charge for it like a
Netflix docu-series.
Both presidential candidates have turned to mini-Hollywood like
productions to get their messages out.
Since they are so scripted, they are able to edit out much of the meat
and potatoes and give you the candidate they want you to see. Sadly,
what you see, might not be what you get.
From Trump’s “I’m a better looking person than Kamala,” statement - to
Kamala’s economic plan of price fixing and taxation, this is going to be
a wild ride to November.
I have had a past tendency to vote independent simply out of protest,
but RFK’s obsession with road kill meat and dumping a dead bear in
Central Park has me pinching my nose about voting for him. (I did vote
for Gary Johnson in 2016 after he pretended to have a heart attack at a
forum.) It’s still funny to this day.
How are we to take anyone running for president seriously these days?
Kamala is bringing back the pant suit as part of her redesign. That’s a
felony fashion statement right there. If we’ve learned anything from
Hillary, you don’t wear pant suits and if you go for a walk in the
forest, just keep walking.
I did watch some of the DNC. Each party’s convention show cased exactly
what they wanted you to hear. I think it’s up to America to make the
right decision. It may not be the decision you or I would agree upon,
but we have to remember (as my Government Teacher Mr. Hubka would say)
it’s just one branch of our government that is a balance of three.
The other thing that I’d like to write about, but have limited space
available, is the running mate Vice Presidential candidate for each
party.
We didn’t used to put as much emphasis on the running mate as we do now.
Now each party attacks the other’s VP nominee as though on day one, the
VP might be the president. Bring on the debates!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
August 19, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
When you think things are going badly, you can always
find worse things going on in the world.
Take for example the Boeing Starliner Crew Mission. It’s kind of like
“Lost in Space” meets “Gilligan’s Island” at this point.
I now compare everything to this.
Burned dinner? “Well, at least it’s not as bad as the Boeing Starliner
Crew Mission.”
Got a cold? “Well, at least it’s not as bad as the Boeing Starliner Crew
Mission.”
Missed your flight? “Well....” Wait. That’s way better than being a part
of Boeing’s Starliner Crew Mission.
The mission launched on June 5th with some problems. They announced on
June 22nd, over a week after their arrival to the International Space
Station that they, “weren’t stranded,” but did not have a return date.
The Starliner is broken....
Officials said they had several return scenarios they are considering if
Starliner is deemed unsafe to bring Williams and Wilmore home.
One option is to launch a planned SpaceX Crew Dragon mission, Crew-9,
with two astronauts on board instead of four. That would leave two seats
empty for Williams and Wilmore to occupy on the Crew-9 flight home, but
that would also make the astronauts part of the overall Crew-9 rotation
on the International Space Station. That means Williams and Wilmore
would remain on the station for an additional six months — the length of
a routine mission to the ISS — pushing their return to at least February
2025. Talk about flying “standby.”
In the meantime Williams and Wilmore are integrating with the ISS’s
current crew and picking up duties that both are highly trained for.
They’ll be doing routine space walks, fixing everything (except the
Boeing Starliner), doing some scientific experiments (like figuring out
how to make Suni’s hair look more natural in space) and I imagine
drinking Tang. Lots of Tang.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
August 12, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
The elections are over for now, so I take a pause to
revisit the modern-day, great philosopher Steven Wright.
This comedian has been around for as long as I can remember and always
brings me a smile when I read his quotes. I thought I’d give the
elections and politics a break this week. Be it known, this is not a
simple search, copy and paste. This is more of a hunt, cut and insert
below....
Steven Wright Quotes
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've
forgotten this before.
The other night I was lying in bed, looking up at the stars, and I
wondered, "Where the heck is my roof?"
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
I have an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one.
I think it's wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.
I'm addicted to placebos. I could quit, but it wouldn't matter.
There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like
an idiot.
Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.
I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. So
I said, "Got any shoes you're not using?"
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.
A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
I went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time'. So I ordered
French Toast during the Renaissance.
And one of my favorites: It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to have
to paint it.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
August 5, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
A simple Google search can give you the answer you’re
looking for, as long as you ask the question the way you want the
answer.
And if you are a mega tech company like Google or Facebook, you can
simply filter out the questions that you don’t want to give an answer
to.
Take for consideration the recent attempt on Donald J. Trump’s life. If
you try to Google search that, don’t expect the normal auto completion
to take over your keyboard.
According to the Associated Press, Google attributed the situation to
existing protections against autocomplete predictions associated with
political violence, noting that “no manual action was taken” to suppress
information about Trump.
That’s a mouthful of ca-ca....
As an old school newspaper publisher, I can tell you with all confidence
that we do our best to present both sides of an issue. I will also admit
that I don’t want to make my neighbors mad by printing something they
may disagree with.
Every 4 years, during local elections, I nearly bite my tongue off when
I read what candidates say about issues that might have relevance to the
office they are seeking. Most of the time, they are just wrong! (That’s
my opinion) or they actually contradict what they are saying within
sentences of each other. We have candidate one doing that on a regular
basis on Facebook (where you can report your own news) and it’s all I
can do not to comment on their posts.
We are all human and we all have our opinions on matters. More times
than not, I don’t express enough of my own opinion on local matters
(Maybe you disagree!) just to avoid the conflict, but I do have my
opinions as my wife will tell you. She’s like my personal editor. I
think over the course of 32 years, she’s pulled a half a dozen of my
columns before the paper is printed, and rightly so.
My dad always said, “Put your thoughts on paper, wait 12 hours or sleep
on it, and read what you wrote again.” You’d be surprised how much
you’ve changed your mind in that short amount of time.
Have a great week! Don’t forget to vote and be educated about who you
vote for. Even if I disagree with you, I thank you for running for
office. It’s not easy being a public servant.
KWIBS - From
July 29, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I called it.
Ronda asked me the Thursday before last, “Do you think Biden will drop
out?”
I said, “Definitely, and he will before the end of the weekend.”
It was Sunday and then the unproven, untested and unacceptable Kamala
Harris stepped in. She’s not won a single caucus, primary or gotten one
single vote by a delegate on her own. In fact, she was the first to
suspend her campaign in 2019.
It was a crazy news cycle last week. Secret Service Director Kimberly
Cheatle was grilled before Congress last Monday about her incompetence.
Tuesday morning she finally resigned, 9 days too late in my opinion.
And what about that failed attempt to assassinate Donald Trump? Some on
the left at the hearings turned the inquiry into a gun control talking
point. The gunman was referred to as a “Gun Nut.” It was ridiculous.
So many questions were left after Cheatle testified, but why did the
failed Trump-killer use an AR as opposed to a precision rifle, like a
.308 or 7.62? The left media told him the AR is the weapon of choice for
everything. I stated during the initial investigation that it couldn’t
be an AR, but according to the FBI, it was. A precision rifle is a more
appropriate tool for the given task. The choice of rifle alone tells you
he wasn't a ‘gun nut’.
Josh Brueggen elaborated on this last point - “The great downfall of the
American Left is that they live in a bubble of their own making, and
truly believe their own BS with little or no attempt at critical
thought. The American left has been told the AR15 is a mighty weapon of
war, the most powerful, accurate, deadly weapon of war ever conceived by
the mind of man. This, of course, is not the truth but they believe
unquestionably and so the AR15 is chosen for the attempt when many other
weapons would have been far superior. The stupidity of the American Left
is why Trump exists, and why he remains alive to this day.
That all said, from 130 yards an AR15 would be an acceptable weapon for
the attack. The real question here is how the Secret Service managed to
have a rooftop barely more than 100 yards from their protectee left wide
open and not even surveilled. This performance by the security detail
was so bad one could wonder if it wasn’t actually purposeful.”
KWIBS - From
July 22, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
“Let me get my shoes. Let me get my shoes.”
I get it. I shop for shoes once a year and I buy the same pair, usually
two pair, at a time. I wear Skechers because I’m flat footed and my back
hurts when I wear any other pair. I’ve even found Skechers with steel
toes. I also wear Skechers’ sandals for the heal support.
So, when Former President Trump took a bullet to the ear and his first
remarks were, “Let me get my shoes,” I got him. I instantly knew he was
going to be ok. Secret Service hit him so hard he was knocked out of his
shoes, which he probably paid more for than I paid for my Skechers.
It was one of the craziest days I can remember for quite sometime. I had
just gotten home and was starting dinner Saturday when Ronda called and
said, “Turn on the news, Trump just got shot.”
I was in shock like most of America. How could this happen? I don’t care
what your party affiliation is, this was just the truest attack on
Democracy that I can remember in my lifetime.
Instantly the left’s media said it was time to, “tone it down,” this
just a day after President Biden said, "I have one job, and that’s to
beat Donald Trump. I’m absolutely certain I’m the best person to be able
to do that. So, we’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put
Trump in a bullseye."
It’s just disgusting and it’s too little too late. It highlights the
division in our country. The party that so desperately wants to remain
in power has shown their hand.
If this had been a Democratic Presidential candidate who’s life was
nearly taken, there would have been rioting in the streets on Sunday,
but instead Republicans went back to their homes, mowed their lawns,
BBQ’d and continued to lead quiet lives, although worrying about
inflation, the boarder, wars that we should not be in and how to pay for
basic essentials that President Biden’s policies have made nearly
impossible for the working class to afford.
I know I am pandering to the people who live in the rural areas of
America and read their local paper, but I am tired of seeing this
behavior from our politicians on both sides of the isle. Let’s truly
tone it down and quietly be the voice of reason at the November
election. God bless America.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
July 22, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I love photography. I’ve been shooting for decades. I’ve
also had the amazing experience of black and white darkroom days, C41
color developing, on into the digital era.
I’ve shot sports, weddings and even one funeral (by request). That’s
probably the weirdest request I’ve ever had.
Some of my friends in the hobby have turned photography into a business
and actually made money at it. For me, it’s just been part of my job and
goes hand in hand with the newspaper.
Back in the late 80s and early 90s I would spend 8-10 hours a week in
the dark room. Ronda would help me wind film into canisters and develop
film and paper prints.
One Saturday we spent a long time in the darkroom. It’s called a
darkroom because, well, it’s almost completely dark – apart from a red
light called a “safe light”. This is really important because it allows
you to handle the light-sensitive materials necessary to make
traditional darkroom prints.
Anyway....
After several hours we came out and our employees starting clapping and
cheering. We didn’t get it. There’s really nothing that exciting going
on in the .... wait..... now I get it.
That wasn’t what was going on in there. We were developing film. That’s
not even what the kids are calling it now.
So my job in the family has been to photograph all the important events
and holidays. At least it had been until I completely dropped the ball.
Over the 4th of July weekend, I sort of forgot to take pictures of my
grandkids and kids enjoying fireworks. Instead of taking photos, I
actually watched them.
That was new.
It was the first time in years that I missed an important holiday.
Unlike the old days of paper prints, everything is now digital. On my
phone and in the “could” are 18,973 photos and 1,990 videos. I probably
have enough. I catch myself going through them and getting a few hundred
photos in, deleting about half before I get tired of looking at them!
KWIBS - From
July 8, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I’m a little behind commenting on the presidential
debate. 8
Somehow — contrary to expectations, our current President was able to
physically walk onstage, unassisted, and find his place at one of the
podiums, for a debate with his challenger, former President Donald
Trump.
It’s not clear that it was a smart idea on President Biden’s part,
however. But it provided many comedians some priceless comedy material.
The President had reportedly sequestered himself at Camp David for a
full week, to prepare for Thursday’s debate, rehearsing his answers, and
participating in mock debates, with his personal lawyer, Bob Bauer,
playing the part of Trump. Oh, and some 16 debate experts.
Every topic he was asked about Thursday, he had prepared answers for.
Apparently, a week, wasted, although it prepared him to stand for 90
minutes.
To be completely honest, I didn’t have time to watch the entire
Presidential debate on Thursday. I had some important things to do. For
example, my toenails needed trimming. I had a broken one.
Now that I think about it, I think I actually wanted a reason to miss
the debate, because I imagined how I would feel afterwards.
But the next day, I felt bad about missing it. I view myself as a good
citizen, and I normally take my civic responsibilities seriously… one of
which is voting for President every four years. You’d think something
that happened only every four years would be less agonizing than a
similarly painful occurrence that happens, say, every day, or every
week. But for some reason, civic responsibility is especially painful
this year.
Anyway, on Friday morning, with my toenail freshly trimmed — I did a
search on YouTube for “after the debate” commentaries. Preferably by
comedians.
You have to laugh about politics, in 2024, to keep from crying, or
breaking something over your own head.
KWIBS - From
July 1, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
So much to do, so little
energy to do it!
The heat has been insane and for those of you who work out in it full
time, I salute you and caution you to keep drinking water.
Normally, I am working part time outdoors and part time indoors, but due
to recent circumstances, I am relying on the good will of others to help
me get my work done.
There are still too many people to thank for helping me get things done
at the ranch and office, but know I appreciate you all!
About all I was up for was bringing our help some water. I ventured out
on Saturday with a thermos of ice water and two Dixie Cups. Ronda drove
and we parked in the shade. My sunburned friend Jamie and Son-in-law
Miguel were both excited to see us. It’s amazing how good water tastes
when it’s 100+ degrees outside. I was shot after about 10 minutes.
I must be feeling better because the guilt is setting in. I know I have
been slow to respond to my emails and phone calls, but it has been
overwhelming.
My attention has shifted to my daughter and her family. She had
scheduled surgery for Tuesday, June 25th (well before I had my two
hospital stays). She will be down a few weeks. My super human wife has
stepped up to take care of two of the grand kids and is still caring for
me as well. She is at home resting under the care of her amazing
husband, Miguel, who has also been stepping up and doing some of my work
at the lake and ranch.
I have to admit that I am going a little stir crazy. I realize my
limitations, but my world revolves around 1,800 sq/ft of my home and my
office for a few hours a day while I play catch up.
I am considering free-lancing as a critic/reviewer for Netflix. I’ve
seen about every new series that interests me. I might start small with
reviews on my Facebook page.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
June 24, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
OK, there’s something to be
said about being in a coma. It isn’t great.
After being in a drug induced coma for almost ten straight days, I read
in the news that Graceland had filed an emergency injunction because it
had a lien against it. It’s a true story.
I’d like to just shout out to everyone who took the time to send out
prayers for me and Ronda Noland during our my episode, that I have
little memory of. Although, I remember some of you coming to visit me in
the hospital, those memories are very scattered. I had hundreds of
emails, voicemails, texts, Facebook posts and instant messenger requests
that I simply could not keep up with.
I have a long recovery and have not met with my neurologist to see how
we move foreword. I’m sorry that I haven’t reached back out to everyone
who reached out to me, but it has been overwhelming to keep up.
I am just grateful for the opportunity to still be around for right now!
Please continue to pray so we receive answer as to what’s going on
inside my head. I want to thank the good Lord above for my wife, who has
taken a lot of time to care for me. I’m not the best patient, nor do I
have much patience!
Thank You Ronda, Doris Sorg, Tammy Lonker and Tim for publishing the
last three issues in my absence! Tammy did an exception job of figuring
out PageMaker (the program we use to build pages). It’s not an easy
program, but she is so intelligent and always up for a challenge.
When life throws you a curve ball... BUNT! That’s about all we could do
the last few weeks. Fortunately, there are people surrounding me that
care about community journalism. I’m trying to slow down and show people
why it is that I do things the way I do them. I am a horrible teacher. I
like to just take charge and get things done.
Ecclesiastes 4:9: Two are better than one, because they have a good
return for their labor:
Ecclesiastes 4:10:10 If either of them falls down, one can help the
other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up! Have
a great week!
KWIBS - From
May 27, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I’d like to make a bold,
assumption about the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi.
Early Monday morning, last week, I read the news about the “hard
landing” that the President of Iran, also known as “The Butcher of
Tehran” and some of his cabinet were involved in.
I told my wife Monday afternoon, when he was confirmed dead, “The
[Supreme Leader] Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had him killed.”
What? I’ll explain.
Raisi, who died in that helicopter crash Sunday, was seen as a prime
candidate to succeed the 85-year-old supreme leader, and his death makes
it more likely that the job could eventually go to Khamenei’s son.
The supreme leader appoints half of the 12-member Guardian Council, a
clerical body that vets candidates for president, parliament and the
Assembly of Experts, an elected body of jurists in charge of choosing
the supreme leader.
After Raisi’s death, in accordance with Iran’s constitution, Vice
President Mohammad Mokhber, a relative unknown, became acting president,
with elections mandated within 50 days. That vote will likely be
carefully managed to produce a president who maintains the status quo.
On April 1, an Israeli air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus
killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, including two
generals. Two weeks later, Iran retaliated with a barrage of drones and
missiles, almost all of which were intercepted. Israel swiftly responded
with its own drone and missile attack on an airbase in Iran that
destroyed part of an S-300 long-range air defense system.
It was an embarrassment to the Iranian leadership and I believe, they
had Raisi killed for it. Call me a “tin foil hat” conspiracy nut, but it
makes perfect sense, at least to me.
Israel made a surgical strike against an attack on its soil by a country
who has supported a proxy war by Hamas and other bad characters in the
Middle East for decades. It was a clear message to her enemies, don’t
mess with Israel. I believe Iran just did a “house keeping” mission.
KWIBS - From
May 20, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
RIP ducks.
Yep, the day after my column came out, our last two ducks lost their
lives to the raccoon Mafia.
I was sitting on the couch watching the news when I decided to go feed
them and put them up for the night.
Feathers everywhere.
Like I said, they weren’t very smart, in fact, ducks might be the
dumbest creatures on the planet.
But I loved them.
I felt like John Wick after the Russian gangsters killed his puppy.
I was ready to take my revenge. The current score was ducks - 0 Raccoons
- 5. I had managed to catch one raccoon, a possum and a skunk.
The skunk surprised me. I gently euthanized it in the cage using an M&P
AR15. I grabbed the cage to dump it right before a weekend trip we were
taking to go see friends in Winfield.
The skunk wasn’t dead. I had not euthanized it. I had made it really,
really mad. He sprayed me.
We were all packed and ready to go. I peeled off my clothes and shoes on
the front porch and ran in to change. Then I called our friends and told
them we were going to be about an hour later than we expected. I had to
“freshen up a bit.”
All the way there Ronda kept looking at me and pinching her nose. By
this time, I could not smell myself. When we pulled into the driveway of
our friends’ house, Ronda convinced me to “air out a little” in my
buddy’s garage.
Now, if you are thinking that I am some crazy animal person, well I
might be, but my friend Jamie is crazier. He’s had pet possums in his
house and recently rescued a baby soft-shell turtle that is now a full
sized turtle in a 100 gallon fish tank in his living room. He also found
a smashed turtle in the road, bought fiber glass and repaired his shell.
He nursed it back to health and after a few weeks, released it back into
the wild.
I should get a pet turtle....
KWIBS - From
May 13, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Several weeks ago, my
grandsons walked to Tractor Supply and bought ducks and chicken hens.
They carefully raised them (and overfed them). They grew into beautiful
pooping machines that drove my daughter crazy.
I had joked, mind you, joked, that they could raise the ducks and when
they were tired of them, they could bring them to our pond and release
them into nature.
Little did I know they would be loading them in the back of my
son-in-laws trucks a couple of weeks ago and dumping them off with a bag
of duck food. We were now duck farmers.
They were funny, curious and really, really dumb. They couldn’t swim
either. We tried throwing them in the pond, but they nearly drowned,
freaked out and ran back up on the shore. I picked out the leader. He
was a big white aggressive duck who wanted fed constantly. He was a fat
bird.
He was also the first to die. We started with 5 ducks and after the
first night, the duck club was without its leader. Thankfully, another
big fat white duck stepped up to the plate and took over as leader.
We knew we had to provide them shelter from the raccoons. The kids
brought out their pen the next day and we herded our remaining ducks
inside before dark. The “coons” are crafty little jerks and unlike
ducks, are very smart. The coons kept coming at us, night after night
with their fence hammers, wire cutters and torches to dismantle the
ducks’ pen. Each evening, they were getting more and more aggressive and
were beginning to tear away at the cage.
Finally Monday morning, we went out to feed the ducks and walked up to
what was an obvious crime scene. There were feathers and some blood
everywhere. All the remaining ducks were gone. Or where they?
We went to get in the truck to head to work and we found two hiding in
front of our car and up against the garage. The coons had taken one
black duck and the other white (former) leader. They saw us and started
honking at us. I had translated this into their story about how the
trash pandas had returned and killed their friends and they no longer
felt safe over there, evident by them not wanting to go back to the pen
and their persistent honking.
I got out the staple gun and repaired the pen that looked like it was
built by a preschool shop class. We were expecting big storms and I was
really worried that if the coons didn’t get them, the storm might. I
devised a plan to fix all the holes and put an aluminum boat on top of
the pen and parked my tractor with the bucket on top of that to keep it
from blowing off in the event of inclement weather.
That night we managed to dodge the storms, but the raccoons were back
and they brought reinforcements. I had a little surprise for them
though! I had my gun by the door and grabbed it and picked off the
biggest one standing on top of the wood pile. Everyone else fled. The
ducks cheered with joy, or it sounded that way to me.
The coons came back the next night and the next. I put live traps out,
but they were too big to get caught in them. I sat on the porch with my
gun for half the night only firing 4 warning shots.
As of this writing, we still have two ducks. I don’t know for how long,
but I’m doing all I can to protect them. I don’t know why! Ronda says
that I’m their leader now.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
May 6, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
It’s been over 35 years
since I walked across the stage at MLHS to receive my diploma from
Principal Bud Moore.
Since that time, I’ve reported on at least two generations of graduates
from Barber County Schools. What an honor it is to graduate from high
school.
Seniors, there will be times when the road seems bumpy, but never give
up. Stay the course and the destination will be even sweeter. I know you
can do it!
Congratulations to all of our graduates for accomplishing one of many
great things to come in your lives!
Take a read on the front page story about “Chris” Goering. What an
amazing success story from one of our local grads. I’d like to take
partial credit for his success, but that’s me being silly. Chris earned
it. He used to work for us at the newspaper back in the 1990s. He’s a
prodigy, a true success story and I still consider him a great friend.
KWIBS - From
April 29, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Fun Fact....
The Constitution is very clear on Impeachment. To impeach someone
requires both houses of Congress to act independently of the other. The
House of Representatives, based upon the number of people living within
each state, is the people’s representative; the Senate, limited to only
two representatives regardless of population, represents the state. The
House alone—therefore the people—formulates the impeachable offenses.
When the House delivers the impeachable offenses the accused is
impeached. In the case against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas two articles of impeachable were delivered: one Mayorkas’s
“Willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law,” and two his,
“breach of public trust.” Mayorkas perjured himself with many false
statements under oath to Congress.
The Senate must then try the accused on only these two offenses either
convicting or acquitting him. President Trump was impeached twice by the
House and acquitted twice by the Senate. But Senate Democrats
unanimously in each article voted not to follow the Constitution. They
voted not to try Mayorkas. This is not an acquittal. Nowhere in the
Constitution is a trial optional. The people spoke when the articles
were delivered to the Senate. The Senate’s only option is to try the
accused. Both houses are conjoined in this function: one accuses, one
tries.
The border is not secure.
Undocumented (illegals) are being turned loose into our country. Many
have court dates that are years away and most likely won’t show up.
Many of the people coming across the border are smuggling Carfentanil
that are killing our citizens and is being manufactured by cartel with
China’s help. They are also sex trafficing women and children. Some are
tied to terrorism.
We impeach over a phone call, but not when we are being invaded by
foreign countries.
KWIBS - From
April 22, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
In this world nothing can
be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
I’m not sure who was the first person to say it, but it was true this
week.
On Monday, we paid our taxes. On Tuesday, we lost a friend and
classmate. MLHS 1988 graduate Terry Bryan passed away after a short
battle with cancer. He was the son of Jerry and Nora Bryan.
Our class is a close group of people that have stuck together through
thick and thin. When we heard Terry was sick, I reached out to his Aunt
and Uncle Steve and Suellen Bryan. They confirmed what we were all
fearing. That Terry had a very short time left. Cancer treatments had
stopped and he was dying.
I went up to the hospice center in Wichita on April 1st. It was the
longest walk of my life. Seriously, it was on the other side of St.
Francis and on the 8th floor. I took the wrong elevator.
I found Terry and his girlfriend and her family, and I was welcomed in
to say my good-byes. I was really praying to see a miracle, but the news
was not good and Terry had accepted that. We laughed, cried and prayed
together.
We were just kids not long ago. I spent 13 years in our public school
system with him. When I look at my classmates, I still see them as silly
kids still trying to grow up.
One of my fondest and funniest memories of Terry was from our junior
year in high school. Terry, Nix White, me and my future wife Ronda
(Vick) were all a part of the high school play “Bye Bye Birdie”. Nix and
Ronda had the leads and a duet together. I was working the stage crew
and I don’t even remember what Terry was doing there, other than
distracting my girlfriend at the time.
Off of the stage was a small room where Terry and Ronda decided to try
their luck at throwing and catching crackers in their mouths from across
the room. They got pretty good at it. So good, Ronda missed her cue and
ended up leaving Nix on stage with no singing partner. We’ve laughed
about that for years. Rest easy my friend. No more pain. No more
suffering. Our prayers go out for his family during this time of loss.
KWIBS - From
April 15, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
As a professed nerd, I did
pause last Monday, April 8th for the eclipse.
This was a solar eclipse, not a lunar.
While solar eclipses happen during new Moon, lunar eclipses occur when
the Moon is full, so it aligns opposite the Sun in our sky. The Moon
passes through Earth's shadow. In a total eclipse, the entire lunar disk
turns orange or red. In a partial eclipse, Earth's inner shadow covers
only a portion of the Moon. When the sun moves between the Earth and our
Moon, well, we would all die.
While an average of two solar eclipses happen every year, a particular
spot on Earth is only in the path of totality every 375 years on
average, some astronomer reported. I did not fact check him or her.
“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin blamed Monday's solar eclipse, the
previous Friday's earthquake in New York and the expected cicada
breeding season on “climate change.” “All those things together would
maybe lead one to believe that either climate change exists or something
is really going on,” she said Monday. Shortly after that, she
spontaneously combusted on national TV as a result of her pants catching
on fire; most likely due to climate change, but more likely her being a
big fat liar.
If it were 200 years ago, an earthquake followed by an eclipse would
have been the perfect time to accuse her of being a witch.
I ordered my glasses back in January, in anticipation of a run on them
towards the date. I learned later that there were many pair available
around town, but in 2017, I was in line to buy the last pair and the
person in front of me bought them. I wasn’t going to be caught off guard
7 years later when I couldn’t find the ones I finally got in 2017.
2017 turned into a really fun event when our UPS guy, Cory, showed up to
deliver a package. We kidnapped him for a bit and gave him a pair of
glasses to watch. I happened to see him the Thursday before this year’s
eclipse and invited him out. He shot me a text about 20 minutes before
the start of it and couldn’t come because of obligatory deliveries. I’m
betting a bunch of solar eclipse glasses were on his truck.
My Cousin Michelle (Noland) Houpt lives in Fort Worth, TX. I had texted
her over the weekend asking if she was going to watch it. She had little
idea of what she was about to see. During the eclipse she texted, “That
was so awesome! It got so dark here!”
A fun part of experiencing an eclipse can be watching the people around
you. They may yell, they scream, they cry, they hug each other, and
that’s because it’s such an amazingly beautiful event. Everyone should
see at least one in their life, because they’re just so spectacular.
They are emotion-evoking natural events.
Some people even planned their weddings around it! Towns in Ohio and
Arkansas located within the path of totality hosted mass wedding
ceremonies for couples who wanted to seize the moment and wed during the
eclipse.
Nobody else in my family really cares about the eclipse. It happened
that my sister-in-law was still in town from Albuquerque, NM and she
seemed somewhat interested. My daughter and my wife were moderately
impressed. I was a cosmic kid in a space candy store. If only I had
bought Moon Pies.....
I had already prepared my Apple Music playlist. It was mostly Pink
Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” From 12:35 p.m. - 2 p.m. I wrestled my
wife and daughter over the volume level at which I wanted to listen to,
all the while hearing, “It’s too loud. We can’t talk.” - Which was the
entire reason for the music being so loud!
“Play Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler,” one family begged.
NO!
I had to remind them that it was not a total eclipse and I didn’t like
Bonnie Tyler, and it was MY eclipse party. I got to choose the music.
Then, before it was finished, everyone wanted to leave “MY” eclipse
party! The nerve!
My boy called me and asked, “Dad, can you explain the eclipse to me?” I
said, “no sun.”
It was a spectacular event to see, although we were not in the path of
totality (closer to 85%) and won’t see another event like this until
2044, I’m already planning for the event and will probably go somewhere,
alone, to see it!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 8, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
After over 100 calls,
texts, messengers, Facebook comments and phone calls, I survived April
1, 2024.
No lynch mob (probably thought up by Doris Sorg) came to string me up. I
only had one or two angry people that didn’t find my April Fools joke
funny.
If you missed it, I had a story on last week’s front page that Donald
Trump was coming to Medicine Lodge to do a 30 minute rally at the
Lincoln Library.
People actually fell for it, even though in my column on the next page
explained it was an April Fools joke. When I say people fell for it, I
mean really fell for it.
My apologies to Yvonne Miller of the Alva Newsgram who wanted to be a
part of the “press pool” for the event. She called Doris at my
suggestion, to see if there would be room for her. Doris had not seen
the newspaper yet and had no idea what she was talking about.
“You got me. Happy April Fools day,” was her reply after she figured it
out.
I had written another story originally. This story was to inform
everyone in Medicine Lodge to flush their toilets during the noon
whistle to assist in helping flush the city’s sewer system out.
I pulled it when I thought about what kind of damage that might cause
the city’s sewer system!
I love a good prank on April Fools, but I certainly don’t want to hurt
anyone or damage anything. So here’s a list of those I wish to apologize
to:
Obviously, Doris Sorg. My wife said I should send her flowers. She
worked for us for 17 1/2 years, so I’m sure after she calms down we’ll
have a good laugh about this and all the other pranks I played on her
for years.
Emergency Management and local law enforcement. “We have to get ahead of
this. I don’t know why the secret service did not call us. We need to
prepare for civil unrest and possible riots,” stated one individual who
called me and texted me multiple times before I finally told him to get
more information on page 2 (my column explaining it was all just a
joke).
To the Sharon Coop coffee crew. I’m glad you all didn’t come early and
stand in line for hours to see “45”.
To an old friend who drove almost two hours before he figured out it was
a joke, but later texted me and said, “You owe me a tank of gas.”
To my Dear friend Leroy. I’m sorry I got you excited and you drove all
the way in to town only to find out, I was pranking everyone. He
reminded me about “paybacks”.
And to all the “48 Hour” online subscriptions I got last week at $2.99.
I hope you enjoyed your short time with us! I made enough money to take
my wife out for dinner!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 1, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
As President Abraham
Lincoln stated, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet or in
our newspaper.”
April 1st may come around every year, but it only falls on a Monday a
few times in the past 32 years we’ve been in business.
I love a good April fools joke. Pete Meador and I lived for this day.
God rest his soul. Knowing Pete, he would have prearranged a joke for me
before his passing last year.
It’s been a long time since my last major “fake news” story on the front
page. In fact Xie Gallagher was still living and working at the
Treasurer’s office during my last major joke.
I had written a story of a time capsule that was discovered when they
tore out the parking lot at the courthouse and were preparing to repave
it.
I had photo shopped some neat items including the original name of the
county seat, “Medicine Log”, named after wood found along the Medicine
River that was believed to have healing properties, first discovered by
Native Americans.
I had written that the time capsule was on display in the courthouse and
several people actually went to see the spectacle. Xie was furiously
running all over the courthouse putting up signs that the capsule at
been moved to our office, but we had a sign on the door that said it was
moved to the county road and bridge office.
I had one sweet older lady come in and slap my hand after she realized
she had been driving all over town looking for the fake time capsule,
when I finally got the feeling back in my hand, I explained it was an
“April Fools” joke.
I’ve done others, like print a page upside down, fake ads for things for
sale, dirt cheap, at Pete Meador’s house, but today, I decided to Make
Medicine Lodge Great Again!
As a precaution, I will remain hidden for a few days because Doris Sorg
is going to kill me.
I hope by now, you’ve figured out that I’m pranking everyone with a
front page article.
Happy April Fools
KWIBS - From
March 25, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Through the years, I have
written about 1,700 columns. I find that people are curious about the
writing process. So, this week be a regular KWIBS columns; it will be a
column about humor. Here are some of the most common questions I get.
Do you write about things that really happened, or do you make all this
stuff up?
You know how sometimes a movie begins with this phrase, inspired by a
true story? That’s pretty much like my column. The idea is always based
on something real. Last week I read that Richard Simmons wrote he was
dying. One day after concerning fans with a startling social media post
in which he said he was "dying," Richard Simmons revealed he's been
diagnosed with skin cancer. He’s probably not dying of that, in fact he
said, ‘actually, we’re all dying’, but the irony was, I had the same
type of skin cancer removed from my hand last week. Well, that was just
disturbing. I went home, dug out an old VCR and sweat to the oldies
while I waited for my lab results.
Have people ever been angry at you for a column you wrote? Yes. Here’s
an example:
Several years ago, I wrote about why my wife never mows the lawn. She
has twice over the years and both times she caught the yard on fire, and
once, even my Mustang. I wrote about it and she got angry and made me
delete it. Once upon a time.
I also made the postman mad once because I used the phrase in my column,
“..... and I about went postal on him.”
You make fun of your wife, Ronda. Is she OK with that?
The truth is that in most of my columns, I make fun of myself, not her.
She does edit my columns.
Do you ever run out of funny ideas?
I did this week. That’s why you are reading this column.
KWIBS - From
March 18, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
You can’t make this up...
Male workers at a Japanese telecommunication firm have been given the
rare opportunity to experience simulated menstrual pain.
The pain was generated through a “perionoid” device that sent electric
signals via pads placed in the lower abdominal region, to induce the
cramping sensation experienced by women during their period.
“It hurts. Oh my goodness!” 26-year-old Exeo employee Masaya Shibasaki
exclaims in a video of the experiment, as he winces in pain.
The device was jointly developed by researchers at Nara Women’s
University and start-up Osaka Heat Cool.
Well of course it was made by women. Men make dumb stuff too though, but
not to purposely cause pain. For example: The Snuggie, antenna balls,
fuzzy dice, the Pocket Fisherman and My Pillow, My Slippers, MY ANYTHING
- those are painful commercials to watch. I could go on, but back to
male period pain.
“I couldn’t move. It hurt to the point where I couldn’t stand,” Mr
Shibasaki said afterwards. “I now understand women have to work while
fighting this pain every month. It’s actually amazing how women can do
that. I really respect them.”
You know that guy’s wife was within earshot.
"We hope those who experienced [menstrual pain] today go back to their
workplace and speak about how they felt, and spread their
understanding," said Exeo public relations officer Maki Ogura.
Listen ladies, we know you’re in pain and speaking for all men, I don’t
want to know what your period feels like. If men actually had them, we’d
call them exclamation points, not periods because we are week creatures
and have to make a bigger statement when in pain.
Woman are strong and that’s whey they have periods, babies, giant purses
with stuff in them and long, razor-sharp fingernails to inflict great
pain on men!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
March 11, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
You’ve heard it said that
things these days cost an arm and a leg?
Prices of goods and services have just gotten ridiculous in the past
four years (not saying who’s policies have caused this so as to not
offend any of my readers.)
I don’t think I’d want to pay with an arm or a leg. I’m sort of using
those. Maybe a baby toe or my appendix would be something I’d pay with,
but it would have to be something really important that I could not
afford to pay cash for.
I need my arms and legs. If I sold an arm and a leg, I wouldn’t be able
to sell pictures of my feet on the internet. Now, you might be
wondering, how great are my feet that people are willing to pay for
pictures of them? They’re not — they’re actually pretty gross. But some
people are into that and I have to keep that option open in case I get
desperate someday and have to resort to it.
Have you ever stopped and noticed the product you bought a while ago
being smaller now than it was before? Well, perhaps you weren’t dreaming
when you thought that. It’s obvious with recent inflation that has
touched nearly everything you buy.
Shrinkflation is a new term being floated around different media sources
created by the guy who said to “get off my lawn.” I know this is true
and is happening. The other day I opened a packet of lime salt and there
was nothing in it. I’m not kidding.
I actually read complaints from consumers about things being smaller.
One even showed his Big Mac that had a thicker pickle on it than the
beef, or whatever is in there.
So, things are costing about an “arm and a leg” these days.
I recently did a bond (if you didn’t know, I have been a bondsman for 20
years) and this guy asked me, “Is this going to cost me an arm and a
leg?”
I told him probably not. He said, “That’s good, because I only have one
leg.”
He was telling me the truth about that. So I took a kidney instead and
it’s still in my freezer. (I’m kidding. I got $40k for it on the
internet....)
KWIBS - From
March 4, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Maybe I’m no rocket
scientist, but I am fascinated at watching rocket launches.
As you can imagine I watched SpaceX launch the Houston-based Intuitive
Machines' lander. It is now the first commercial spacecraft to ever land
on the surface of the moon, and the first American craft to do so since
NASA's final Apollo mission in 1972.
For the first time in more than five decades, Americans have returned to
the moon.
Well, American robots, at least.
There’s only one problem. It didn’t land like it was supposed to. In
fact, like a scared goat, it tipped over on its side.
The lunar landing is the first by an American-built spacecraft since
NASA's final Apollo mission in 1972.
The Odysseus luner lander has six legs. One tripped over a rock and fell
over. In January, Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic sent its
Peregrine lander on a doomed mission to the moon that ended with the
spacecraft burning up in Earth's atmosphere days later.
Let’s go back to the Apollo mission. The Apollo 17, U.S. crewed
spaceflight to the moon, launched on December 7, 1972, and successfully
concluded on December 19, 1972. It was the final flight of the Apollo
program, and Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt
were the last humans to walk on the moon.
Or so we are supposed to believe! Now, I’ve never been a conspiracy nut,
but how the heck can humans pull this off, but robots can’t?
The moon landings were faked. Apollo 11 didn't happen. Humans never set
foot on the moon. Heard all this before?
The moon landings were not a hoax. Apollo 11 did happen. Humans really
did set foot on the moon. We have countless images, videos, lunar
samples and scientific data to prove it.
In fact, if I were a resident of the moon, I’d be mad about all the
trash we’ve left up there. Nobody is picking up after us and, a few
other countries that shot crap to the moon. Let’s be good stewards of
the moon and send a garbage truck up there.
KWIBS - From
February 26, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I don’t really care if you
like him, or hate him, Trump seems to be a brilliant mind.
Last week 45 released his own sneaker line.
Nobody actually knows who manufactures his shoes, but the first 1,000
pair of the shoes, called "The Never Surrender High-Top Sneaker," sold
out for $399 a pair. They were released last week at “Sneaker Con”. It’s
like Comic Con, but funnier.
I’m sure Trump isn’t back in the shed sewing these himself, but I don’t
own any shoes that cost me more than $100.
I’m not knocking his ideas. He’s iconically known for his branding
abilities. I’m sure he could sell Trump igloos to Eskimos. At least 10
of the gold sneakers were "randomly autographed by Trump," according to
the website. Due to global warming Trump’s igloo line will not have
autographs, less they melt away.
For clarification, Trump Sneakers are not designed, manufactured,
distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of
their respective affiliates or principals," it notes.
So the simple math is, the shoes grossed about $400,000. It’s still
nothing to pinch your nose over, unless he jogged in every pair
barefoot.
These shoes are already being sold on the secondary market and places
like ebay fetching up to $7,500 a pair. Folks, that’s a used car price!
Let’s face it, if you’ve seen these, they are hideous. Gold sides,
laces, red soles and red, white and blue high tops are not a good look
unless you’ll also be wearing your underwear on the outside of your
pants and sporting a cape.
If you’re wondering, no, I did not buy a pair. I would have though! It
sounds like people want them and will pay a high price for them. I once
went into a thrift shop in Hays, KS and found an AR-15, 30 Round “Trump”
magazine that was perfect for $15. I’ve already had a $100 offer on it.
Seems like for many it was a golden opportunity of a purchase!
KWIBS - From
February 19, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
My dad has been gone for
ten years now, but I learned so much from him. It’s only later in life
that things pop into my head.
I can take apart a carburetor, clean it and put it back on just about
anything I’ve tried to take a carburetor off of. I’ve passed that on to
at least one of my sons.
One of my dad’s favorite sayings was, “There is only one thing in life
worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” It’s
a quote by Oscar Wilde.
That happened recently and was reported back to me. I’ve had many
opportunities to respond, lash out, correct the misinformation, turn it
around and point out that they are wrong in so many aspects.
I had the opportunity to do that in a story in our own newspaper, but I
did not. My dad also said, “you don’t (explosive) where you eat.” If you
can’t figure that out, give me a shout.
At the gentle nudge of my lovely wife, I haven’t responded. I consider
some of these people my friends and colleagues, but it’s probably better
left unsaid, unless they want to hear it. lol...
Another quote I love is from Thomas Jefferson, “Were it left to me to
decide if we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers
without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the
latter.”
I’m in no way of advocating getting rid of government, but I do feel
that government is getting too big and too intrusive into our lives.
I believe the first ten amendments to our constitution were carefully
crafted by the founders. In recent years the 1st (freedom of religion,
speech and the press, right to protest and assemble PEACEFULLY) and 2nd
(the right of the people to keep and bear arms) have been viciously
challenged. Without those first two, the rest go to the wayside.
I’m a registered Republican, but consider myself a Libertarian, meaning
basically the idea of individual liberties,
responsibility/self-ownership, and free choice. The government should
have less control over me and you and should let us be responsible for
ourselves without the involvement of the government.
KWIBS - From
February 12, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I always joke that
Valentine’s Day is a made up holiday by the greeting card and chocolate
companies.
Valentine’s Day which is an Honoring of Saint Valentine actually dates
back to 3rd century Rome. He is also a patron saint of Terni, epilepsy
and beekeepers. He was executed and considered a martyr.... That doesn’t
sound romantic, but whatever....
So there’s nothing wrong with honoring the one you love on Valentine’s
Day. I would not recommend getting that special someone bees or wishing
epilepsy on them, but chocolates and greeting cards are very acceptable.
There are some very famous quotes and sayings revolving around
Valentine’s Day.
Grouch Marx said, “I was married by a judge. I should’ve asked for a
jury.”
Roseanne Barr was quoted saying, "You may marry the man of your dreams,
ladies, but fourteen years later you’re married to a couch that burps."
Concerning love in general, Ralphie May said, "As a man in a
relationship, you have two choices: You can be right, or you can be
happy." I would add, “You have the right to remain silent,” but that
never worked for me.
It’s rumored that Socrates said, "By all means marry. If you get a good
wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a
philosopher."
I didn’t do enough research to tell you why we often give the symbol of
a heart for love at Valentines. I mean, here's an idea: Let's make
pictures of our internal organs and give them to other people we love on
Valentine's Day. That's not weird at all!
Though all of this is just for fun, I do have a special Valentine. She’s
been mine for 37 years and given me three amazing children and in turn,
seven beautiful grandchildren and hopefully, many more. I love you
Ronda. Happy Valentine’s Day or as we refer to it as, “steak and......”
Ya, no way, I’m going there....
KWIBS - From
February 5, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
In our 35 yeras of
publication, this issue was the most difficult to produce.
I was without a computer for the better part of the week while my IT guy
got me something up and running to get me by for this issue. A new
computer should be up and running sometime this week, but it will be
like starting over, again.
The worst part is, I have no spell check installed. Believe it or not,
I’m not a good speller! So, if you find a bunch of mistakes in this
paper, please just laugh to yourself and move on!
The death of my last computer also meant that our last online post at
www.gyphillpremiere.com vanished and if you sent me an email between
January 25 - February 1, there’s a chance it got overlooked, lost or
simply deleted by the gremlins in the machine.
Computers are a necessary evil in my business, but I’m probably going to
use my old machine as target practice after my new one comes in! In the
meantime, I’m doing my best at being careful what I spell!
KWIBS - From
January 29, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
I’ve done a decent job over
the years staying up with technology.
That’s about to end, I fear.
I’m finding that even in my early 50s, I’m having to have help learning
new things and keeping up with the ever changing technology like smart
phones and TVs.
Twenty years ago, TVs were giant and heavy. You had to either have
several friends help you move your console TV or be a body builder. For
those of you who don’t know what a console TV was, use your smart phone
and look them up. Some were so big they were considered furniture with
built in 8 track, turn tables and AM/FM radio. Again, those who don’t
know what those are, look them up on your smart phone. Now TVs as large
as 80” can be easily carried by two people, or one guy with a wing span
of a Pterodactyl.
Technology has got thinner, lighter, more portable and more accessible.
The problem is it's also made us lazier and in most cases fatter too.
Technology shrinks as we increase in belt sizes.
Speaking of smart phones, my first cellular phone was a bag phone that
weighed about 14 pounds and had a long cable with a giant magnetic
antenna that you stuck out your window and smacked it to the top of the
roof of your car. If you were lucky, you could make a phone call at
about a buck a minute.
Now you can buy a new cell phone that cost more than my first car and it
will do everything you never wanted it to do and sometimes you can
actually make a phone call with it!
We recently ditched Satellite TV for streaming. It’s been a couple of
months now and when we get home from work, it usually takes us as long
to find the news as it does to fix dinner.
Don’t even get me started on computers. I used to sell and service them
before I stopped keeping up with all the new software. Every time I get
a new computer (usually every 5 years), I find out my software won’t
work on it and I have to “trick” the computer to operate it. Yes, I’m
still trying to figure out Office 2000.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 22, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
One of my best friends in
the whole world has been a California resident since he left Medicine
Lodge in 1988.
That’s about to change, thanks to the ridiculously high tax rates,
crime, immigration policies and governmental interference in his
family’s life and his business.
Where’s he going? Texas. Business and all.
California is a beautiful state full of crazy laws. They are even
considering banning tackle football for kids under 12 years old, but
will allow them to have gender reassignment without consent of their
parents. That’s just one crazy thing.
Here’s some crazy laws that are on the books:
If you’re a lady planning on running some early-morning errands in
California, make sure you’re fully dressed before you leave the house.
Throughout the state of California, it’s illegal for women to drive
while wearing housecoats. Men remain free to venture out in whatever
attire best suits them. Also, if you’re a prostitute, you can just
“hang” out near schools now freely without fear of being arrested.
The people of Blythe, California, take the concept of cowboy boots very
seriously. It’s illegal to wear cowboy boots unless you own at least two
cows. After all, they’re not called “cute with a sundress boots,”
people! One work around would be to keep two full cows in your freezer(s)
I guess.
Homeowners who have Christmas lights on their houses past February 2 may
be subject to a fine of up to $250. I think it should also be illegal
for Hobby Lobby to have Christmas decorations out before November 1st
and no Christmas music can be played until after Thanksgiving.
In Los Angeles, it is not legal to wash your neighbor’s car if you have
not gotten their permission. Who does this and why would anyone want to
stop them? I think I would support anyone breaking this law by washing
my truck.
In Glendale, it is against the law to jump into or out of a moving
vehicle. It is also illegal to drive in reverse in Glendale. “That law
was drawn up by a woman,” said a sexist.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 15, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Winter is my least favorite
month(s). Every time I hear someone say they love snow, I want to tell them
to put on their coveralls, grab your hat, gloves and boots and join me
for a day of snow removal.
A little over a week ago, our 2nd snow hit. One actually hit back in
November before Winter even started. Although we need the rain, living
in the country has it’s advantages, and then there’s just snow....
Last week we got hit three times with snow. The first one had me out
most of the day with the backhoe digging everyone out. A day or two
later, we got hit again with blizzard winds. Before I was even out of
bed and it had stopped snowing, I was getting calls of vehicles stuck,
blocking people in.
Fortunately, the office could wait. A lot of places in town were closed,
so I put on all my snow gear, fired up the hoe and headed up to where
the vehicles were stuck. Man, they were really stuck and abandoned at
this point. I made a few calls to the owners with no luck and decided
they were going to be dragged out of my way so I could clear the area.
After about 4 hours of digging and climbing under vehicles, I almost had
them safely out of my way when I heard a “pop” and felt the backhoe
sink. I had popped a tire off the rim and was about a mile from home. I
called my wife. Several times. She didn’t answer. I grabbed my coffee
and started walking. The blowing snow had finally stopped and I could at
least see where I was walking. She finally called and I gave her
directions to a safe spot where I was getting close to and she arrived
minutes later to pick me up.
I want to give a shout out to Earl’s Mobile Truck Service or “Earl
VanRanken,” as we all know him. He slipped on his warm clothes and met
me in town. We ventured back out to the backhoe and he had me back on
the road in short order.
Several people were stranded north of Sawyer and west of Pratt during
this snow storm. The best advice I can give is to stay home and wait
until it’s safe to get out in that stuff. You put yourself and others in
danger when you try to travel in blizzard conditions.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 8, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
United Airlines is eating
crow from frustrated passengers who were promised a flight that would
send them back in time so they could celebrate the new year twice.
The flight experienced a significant delay from Guam to Honolulu and
caused the dreams of time travel to crumble.
I read this headline several times and United’s promise on X: "You only
live once, but you can celebrate New Year's Eve twice!"
The flight was supposed to leave at 7:35 a.m. on January 1, 2024 and
land in Honolulu at 6:50 p.m. on December 31, 2023. Well, they didn’t
make it until 1:10 a.m. on January 1, 2024.
Confusing? To say the least.....
"I booked this flight specifically so I could do this," another person
wrote. "I got a delay notification and we aren't scheduled to get in
until 1/1. This Tweet is aging poorly now and I'm dissatisfied with how
this was promoted but not being delivered."
They’ll just have to try again next year... or this year?
KWIBS - From
January 1, 2024 - By Kevin Noland
Sometimes families get
together during the holidays and argue about politics.
Our family gets together and argues about Christmas music.
I must be getting old because my play list and my youngest son Nick’s
playlist are miles apart. I like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como,
Nat King Cole, the classics....
Nick’s selection was something like, “This is terrible”, “I don’t like
this,” Who is strangling the cat?” And the list goes on and on.... We
don’t like each other’s music. I can tolerate most of his, but not much.
I always liked my parent’s selection in music. In fact, I’m an old soul
who still listens to Jim Croce, Mac Davis, The Eagles, The Who, Pink
Floyd, Steve Miller, Peter Frampton, etc...
So I was trying to get things cleaned up at the ranch for Christmas
traffic. It was somewhat futile with the intermittent rains and even
some snow and I was jamming out to the classics and my phone rang. It
was my granddaughter Baylee. She wanted to ride on the road grader with
me.
Now this old 1969 grader has no heat, sometimes the doors wont’ stay
shut, has no brakes at all and takes about 3 hands to operate. Baylee is
destined to be a heavy machine operator someday. Grandma brought her to
where I was and she climbed aboard. I put my headphones on her to
protect her hearing. Mine is already shot and I only had about another
hour of operating, so her ears were more important than mine.
The first thing out of her mouth was, “Grandpa, your music sux!”
Let me hook my phone up to it,” she begged.
I had to explain that wasn’t going to happen because I won’t know when
my phone rings. So I heard, “Grandpa, you got a text.” “Grandpa someone
is snapping you.” Grandpa, your phone is ringing.
It was a deluxe album of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits. I said, “Hey
now, give it a chance.”
I ended up taking the headphones back. I think I’ll buy her her very own
pair. Have a great week!
December 25, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
2023 is almost gone! This
is officially the last edition of the year and keeping with over 30
years of tradition, here is your “year in review”.
We did a little getaway with Nix and Wendy White from San Diego last
week for Christmas. We went back to New Orleans so I could pack on a few
pounds before the holidays. Unless my scale is a big fat liar and Ronda
shrunk my pants, then eating crawfish etoufee 2-3 times a day is a
guaranteed way to put on some weight!
I saw my first (and last) ballet! Well, maybe not last, but I did the
good husband thing and took my wife to the Nutcracker since I always
drag her to football games. I found out that, unlike sports, when a
dancer at a ballet falls down and gets back up, it is not ok to clap....
I thought I was being polite.
The highlight of the year has to be the birth of our most recent
grandson, Lennox! Every year our family grows and God continues to bless
us with more little people!
Happy New Year! Cheers!
December 18, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Our next issue actually
falls on Christmas Day. It will be available in stores and mailed on
Tuesday, December 26, 2023, marking our last edition of 2023!
The last two papers of the year are my favorite. This week, we print the
letters to Santa Claus from the Barber County schools. Next week, we
take a look back at the entire year of what made the news.
I love the letters to Santa and we’ve been printing them now for 32
years! They never fail to make us laugh and remember that we were once
kids, anxiously waiting to see what Santa brought us on Christmas Day.
I’m still a big kid at heart. I’d like to include my letter to Santa:
Dear Santa, I keep dropping the hint that I want the Kimber Micro 9, 9mm
pistol. My old Smith and Wesson is showing some wear. Since my wife
isn’t getting you this message, I’ll just drop it right here!
I tried to be good, but you know... things happen!
Kevin
Christmas is about Christ! I don’t really need another pistol, but we
all need Jesus and whether or not you believe he was born this time of
the year, He was born, He lived and died for our sins. The story of
Christmas is a beautiful love story. Remember to make Christmas about
Christ in your home this special time of year.
Luke 1:30-32
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a
Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the
throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Have a Blessed Christmas!
KWIBS - From
December 11, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
My wife found a storage
container filled with old VCR tapes from the early 1990s recently.
We even found a brand new VCR/DVD player in the basement that had never
been used. It worked perfectly.
On one of the VCRs was the birth of my son Joey. Also on that tape was
one of our favorite videos. It was of my daughter Breeann and her Barbie
Jeep.
Since Joey was a new born and needed the extra attention, I became super
dad by buying her a Barbie Jeep. She took to it quite naturally, driving
her baby around (in a carrier even), and taking her favorite cat for a
ride.
Yes, a cat.
Remember, we live in the country and about every can we’ve ever owned,
actually just owned us. Most of them, we can’t even touch. They only
come to the porch and cry when they want fed. Lazy, unsocial cats....
For some reason this cat was pretty chill, or maybe it was drugged, but
she was able to grab this thing anywhere, including the tail, and not be
shredded to pieces. Mind you she was 3--years-old, but the cat didn’t
know that. This was a pretty big Tom and probably weighed half of what
she weighed.
The “chill” part ended after about 30 minutes of me videoing and
laughing quietly at what I was seeing. Sometimes Breeann had her hands
on the wheel. Sometimes she had one on the wheel and the other choke
holding the cat. Sometimes the cat was trying desperately to get out of
the Jeep, but Bree had it by the tail, which allowed the cat to jump in
the back, on the hood and generally race around trying to escape her
clutches.
Finally the tape ends when Breeann goes full speed, the cat climbs over
the windshield while she has it by the tail. The cat inches its way over
the hood and then.... the cat ends up under the front tire for a few
feet and then is run over by both the front and rear tires before
Breeann let it loose.
The cat then licks it’s pause and the tape ends.
I can’t wait to see what else is on these tapes!
KWIBS - From
December 4, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Can someone let Winter know
it’s still Fall?
We managed to get a 5 day weekend during the Thanksgiving holiday. It
was a time of celebration and shoveling snow....
My wife started with the leaf blower and then went with the traditional
snow shovel.
Now, you’re thinking, “You made your wife shovel snow?”
No. She did that on her own. My snow shovel is a Case Backhoe. Both our
backs are sore. I just had a heater and it took me six hours to dig out.
It looks like we got around 8” Saturday. That’s about 7.5” more than I
like, but I know it was a great thing for those who have just planted
their wheat.
I would rather have had 1” of rain, but I do enjoy when the kids get to
go sledding and build snowmen. I even made one. Well, it was just a huge
pile of snow that I shoved into a pile, stuck three balls of mud for
eyes and a mouth and inserted two tree branches for arms and called him,
“Winter Jabba The Hut.” (See The Gyp Hill Premiere’s Facebook page).
When I got home the house was all decorated for Christmas, less the
Christmas tree. I reread last year’s KWIBS at this time and I had just
written that I bought a new one this time last year.
Where did it go?
Last Monday Ronda had a body bag in the kitchen and said it needed
loaded up in her car. I wondered who was in there as I put it in the
back seat, but knew better than to ask. I imagined a few people as heavy
as it was.
So I came in from clearing off roads and asked where the tree was.
“You loaded up the tree in the back of my car and I took it to our
daughter’s house,” she said.
What?!? I just bought that tree. She reminded me that we bought two
trees last year and we didn’t need two trees. I was relieved there was
nobody in that bag.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 27, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
If you plan on writing a
weekly column, let me give you some advice.
It’s not always as easy as it looks.
First, if you plan to write a column, you will need to know what the
subject of your column is going to be. As a seasoned journalist, I have
discovered that ideas for columns are everywhere. The problem is that
not all of these ideas are suitable for column subjectsor even turn into
one.
But I thought of something that I remember as a young parent. Flying
with children. I remember going through Atlanta’s airport with a baby, a
six year old and a 9 year old. I kept my head down and held on to the
two oldest children to not lose them on the conveyor walk ways to our
next flight. A woman fell in front of me and I was forced to lift both
kids off the ground and hurdle her. Ronda was able to jump over her with
a carry on and a baby.
This week, our youngest grandson took his first airplane flight. He just
turned 8 months old. It was only from Wichita to Denver, so it wasn’t a
long flight, but I imagine it might have been long for his parents and
maybe even other passengers. Actually, he’s a good baby, but when you’re
8 months, traveling at 400 mph at 35,000 feet, sometimes you just don’t
like it. Sometimes you can be 54 years old and not like it.
We’ve all been there. You’re on a plane. You’ve secured your things in
the overhead compartment. You’ve found a nice 3 seat row with a window.
You and your spouse hold hands and get ready for your gettaway and then
you both gasp.
A woman and a baby are coming down the isle, staring down your empty
seat. I did learn you are allowed to change seats if you are sitting
next to a crying baby, unless it’s your baby.....
Behind her is the dad and two other small children in tow and you
realize that the entire row behind you is also empty.
Now you are faced with the possibilities of a crying child next to you
and two toddlers kicking your seat from behind.
Fortunately, I remember being those parents and have great compassion.
If you ever want to know what it feels like to wear the scarlet ‘A’,
board a plane with 3 kids. On the bright side, you are giving all the
people on that plane a hard lesson in birth control! I can’t wait to
hear how it went!
KWIBS - From
November 20, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Just a question, where do
they put all the Presidential-Pardoned-Turkeys?
Is there some sort of turkey retirement community that nobody but the
federal government knows about?
Enter the Internet....
After 1981, the practice of sending the presentation turkey to a farm
became the norm under President Ronald Reagan. The turkey ceremony also
became a source of satire and humor for reporters. The formalities of
pardoning a turkey gelled by 1989, when President George H. W. Bush,
with animal rights activists picketing nearby, quipped, "But let me
assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on
anyone's dinner table, not this guy -- he's granted a Presidential
pardon as of right now -- and allow him to live out his days on a
children's farm not far from here.”
A children’s farm. I had to look that one up too. Why didn’t I think
about that? You mean I could have put all my kids out to pasture when
they were little?
Or is it a farm where turkey’s take care of and raise the children?
Turns out a children’s farm is like a petting zoo.
So the pardoned turkeys are actually commuted to a life sentence of
having kids trying to pet them all day long.
They probably wish for death.
Haha! It’s all just in good fun! I wish you and your family a truly
blessed Thanksgiving! Enjoy “How to Cook a Turkey” by our county’s
finest young chef’s in this week’s paper!
KWIBS - From
November 13, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Did you know that the
Pilgrims failed at “share the wealth” or socialism?
William Bradford, Plymouth colony’s governor its first 30 years, wrote
of the agreement between the 102 Pilgrim Mayflower passengers and the
financial “Adventurers” in his book Of Plymouth Plantation. He noted
that the seven-year contract signed July 1, 1620, before leaving
England, stipulated that the Pilgrims were to pool, for common benefit,
“all profits and benefits that are got by trade, traffic, trucking,
working, fishing, or any other means of any person or persons…” It
further noted “that at the end of the seven years, the capital and
profits, viz. the houses, lands, goods and chattels, be equally divided
betwixt the Adventurers and Planters...”
It doesn’t get more socialistic than this because the government divided
out the goods and freeloaders received the same as those who worked. The
result: in the first two years they experienced shortages and
starvation. Half the colonists died. In other words, socialism made
people lazy.
After two years of failure, the Pilgrims abandoned the incentive killing
socialist contract in favor of the free market.
The effects were almost immediate. A delighted Governor Bradford wrote:
“This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so
as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any
means the Governor … could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble,
and gave far better content....”
In other words, the free market (capitalism) is a much greater stimulus
than governmental force. The Pilgrims now wished to work because they
got to keep the benefits of their labor.
I fear that we are, again, trying the social experiment and we see the
fruits in our colleges and lack of a strong labor force in America. I
hope we change our ways before we have nothing left to be thankful for.
KWIBS - From
November 6, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
We were friends.
If you are a GenX-er, you were exposed at some point to the show
“Friends” that aired from 1994-2004.
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc,
Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, the show revolved around six friends
in their 20s and 30s who lived in Manhattan.
Rachel, Monica, Pheobe, Joey, Ross and Chandler came into our house once
a week and we couldn’t wait.
Saturday, October 28, 2023, we lost one of our friends. Matthew Perry
who played Chandler, a sarcastic, self-depreciating data processor on
“Friends” passed away at age 54.
Perry was 40 days older than me and was born about 50 miles away from
where I was hatched. I was born in Providence, RI and Perry in
Williamstown, MA in 1969.
Reading about Perry’s death really made me feel like I’d lost a friend.
He made us laugh over the years, but I read further that Perry suffered
from addiction and had several serious health issues that most likely
contributed to his early death.
As of right now, it’s been ruled an accidental drowning after he was
found in his hot tub.
His real friends had nothing but praise and compassion to say about
their departed friend.
From the cast of Friends: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss
of Matthew. We were more than just castmates. We are a family. There is
so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and
process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we
are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family,
his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”
Have a great week friends.
KWIBS - From
October 30, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
If you see my beautiful
wife this week, be sure and wish her a very happy birthday on Friday,
November 3, 2023.
I won’t tell you her age, but it used to be the speed limit on most
highways! Oh, Sammy Hagar says happy birthday!
I love you sweety! Hope you have a great birthday!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
October 23, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
What in the world?
The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee issued a letter
on October 7, co-signed by 33 other Harvard student organizations,
stating: 'We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli
regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.'
A letter from more than 30 Harvard student groups was sent on the day of
the attacks, which saw Hamas terrorists stage a dawn raid from Gaza on a
music festival near the border and villages nearby. Women and children
were murdered in their beds, and an estimated 200 people have been taken
hostage.
Since the raid, 1,500 Israelis have been killed. Who knows how many more
will be by the time my column is in print.
In response, many community leaders and professionals are calling them
out for supporting terrorism and threatening not to hire them.
Harvard's Arab Alumni Association has appealed for donations to help
students' mental health after they were subjected to 'relentless
bullying and intimidation' for blaming Israel for the Hamas terror
attacks.
They claim Israel’s response was not proportionate and it’s all their
fault.
Proportionate? World leaders, including our own, are telling Israel to
be proportionate in retaliation to Hamas terror attacks. Since when do
you wage war to have a draw? You wage war to win. Innocent lives are at
stake on both sides. Many terrorist groups want to see Israel defeated.
So why protest Israel’s response? If you are, you’ve chosen your side
and should be there, in those tunnels with those kidnapped, raped,
tortured and killed.
Is that the proportionate response they should take?
God’s Word contains a clear and absolute, timeless promise relative to
the Abrahamic promise of Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless those who bless
you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” May the USA bless Israel.
KWIBS - From
October 16, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Being a bondsman, having
blonde cousin and loving a good joke, I had to share this one.
The Blonde Prison Break
Three women escaped from prison. One was a redhead, one was a brunette,
and one was a blonde. They ran for miles until they came upon an old
barn where they decided to hide in the hayloft and rest. When they
climbed up, they found three large gunnysacks and decided to climb into
them for camouflage.
About an hour later the sheriff and his deputy came into the barn. The
sheriff told his deputy to go up and check out the hayloft. When he got
up there the sheriff asked him what he saw and the deputy yelled back,
"Just three gunnysacks." The sheriff told him to find out what was in
them, so the deputy kicked the first sack, which had the redhead in it.
She went, "Bow-wow," so the deputy told the sheriff there was a dog in
it.
Then he kicked the sack with the brunette in it. She went, "Meow," so
the deputy told the sheriff there was a cat in it.
Then he kicked the one with the blonde in it, and there was no sound at
all. So he kicked it again, and finally the blonde said, "Potatoes."
I had a similar instance happen several years ago when a young man ran
and hid from me after I attempted to arrest him and bring him back to
jail.
I entered the home of his, then, girlfriend, and identified myself and
asked if she had seen him.
She said, “No, she had not seen or heard from him.”
All the while I was interviewing the girlfriend, a lump of sheets was
moving behind her on the bed.
I called out his name, but nobody answered. I poked the sheets with my
taser, but no response.
Not knowing if he had a weapon and knowing it was him by the look on her
face, I kicked the lump of sheets and he said, “OUCH.” Long story short,
he surrendered with bruised ribs.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
October 9, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Last week was National
Newspaper Week. I didn’t purposely forget, but we felt the daycare
closure in Medicine Lodge was the lead.
I do want to share this great column that was shared in our Kansas Press
Zoom conference on Friday. We appreciate being in this business for as
long as we have been and look forward to having the opportunity to
continue to serve our county.
Americans depend on newspapers to stay informed about their communities
By Benjy Hamm
Director, Institute for Rural Journalism, University of Kentucky
Nearly 220 million American adults turn to their local newspapers
regularly for news and information they need to stay informed, feel more
connected to their neighbors and improve their lives and communities.
That readership number is based on a recent national study by
independent research firm Coda Ventures for the America’s Newspapers
organization.
Most likely, the number of readers is higher. Many people who say they
receive news on their phone or from social media instead of newspapers
fail to understand that the sources for those stories are often
journalists at U.S. newspapers.
We sometimes take the work of journalists for granted, but those who
work at newspapers are filling an important role in the health of our
communities and country.
Everyone, even nonreaders, benefits from the work of journalists. News
coverage has led to improvements in food safety, decreases in traffic
and plane fatalities, better care for veterans and nursing home
patients, support for victims of natural disasters, and exposure of all
sorts of wrongdoing.
I have long loved this quotation by Frank Batten Sr., a media visionary
and former chairman of Landmark Communications, who said about
journalists and newspapers: “Our calling was never more important. We
have the capacity to inform, to enlighten, to awaken and to inspire. We
have the opportunity to enrich the lives of thousands of people every
day.”
Across the United States, journalists and other newspaper employees are
serving their communities and democracy every day by informing,
enlightening, awakening and inspiring millions of readers.
The news they provide is accessed in many forms. Many people still use
the word newspaper as the all-encompassing term for those various forms,
but now news is delivered news through websites, social media,
electronic editions, email alerts and newsletters, in addition to the
traditional printed paper.
Those delivery methods have changed significantly in recent years. But
one thing remains constant: Americans depend on the trusted news
coverage provided by newspapers.
The study by Coda Ventures, based on surveys of 5,000 people, revealed
that respondents ranked local newspapers and their websites as the most
accurate sources of original news reporting. The results also listed the
top five reasons Americans seek out local news – to stay informed, feel
connected in the community, decide where they stand on local issues,
find places and things to do, and talk to other people about community
news.
Survey respondents consistently said they prefer newspapers in print and
digital formats over TV, radio and social media as their main source for
news and information important to them.
They like the fact that newspapers use different ways to deliver their
news stories to various audiences. The survey showed that people who are
39 and younger listed social media as the No. 1 way they prefer to
access news, though they also like news websites and email alerts.
People in the 40 to 74 age group ranked news websites as their top
choice, followed by email alerts and the printed newspaper. Those 75 and
older prefer the print edition but also like news websites and email
alerts.
Based on the frequent reports of struggles within the news business,
many people might be surprised to learn that newspapers and their
digital offerings reach so many readers. Those struggles, primarily
financial, are real and affect many media companies, not just
newspapers. But the new ways of delivering news allow newspapers to
reach even larger audiences.
Frank Batten might not have anticipated the widespread use of the
internet and social media when he first made his comments in the 1980s,
but his words remain true today.
Newspapers and their dedicated employees continue to inform, enlighten,
awaken and inspire – enriching their communities and the lives of
millions of people who benefit from their work every day.
Thank you! Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
October 2, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Last week two big news
stories caught my attention.
The first story was about an alligator that ate a homeless woman in
Florida. The second was about Taylor Swift being invited by Travis Kelce
to Kansas City to watch the Chief’s play the Bears. The entire world has
gone bananas over their new “relationship.” Sounds like another break up
story is in the making.
Those two stories would have been more interesting if the woman eaten by
the alligator had been dining at a Cajun place eating alligator and a
bear and an alligator had eaten both Kelce and Swift, swiftly... or if
Kelce had broken up with Swift at the game to date the alligator or
ANYTHING OTHER THAN TAYLOR SWIFT DATING SOMEONE.
Could this just be the NFL promoting an elaborate fake relationship to
try and grow their brand among women?
Taylor Swift was reached for comment by The Gyp Hill Premiere. She
stated, “Oh my God, football is awesome! One guy lines up behind another
guy and puts his hands against his butt while bent over and then you
hear him grunt audibly until the ball goes back and everyone runs around
and guys hit each other.”
Travis Kelce also reached out to The Gyp Hill Premiere and stated, “I
begged my guys to let me score one in front of Taylor Swift.....” He
continued, “We’re working on mashing our names. Ones we are considering
are Tayvis, Travlor or Traylor?”
I just can’t get over the situation Kelce has gotten himself into. He’s
faced with getting destroyed lyrically; getting called a distraction for
the team, millions of women turning on him or absolute glory, if it all
works out...
The part about the alligator story that kept me interested is, in every
article, they stated, “The alligator was humanely killed.” So was the
woman alligatorly killed? I don’t know. And yes, I read several
articles. Both stories were sad.
KWIBS - From
September 25, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I have a love-hate
relationship with Fall. It’s leaning more towards the hate side lately.
My favorite part about Fall is being able to watch NFL games, some live,
but mostly on TV. For some reason, starting last year, the NFL’s channel
choice is anyone’s guess and some of it even revolves around streaming
platforms.
Not a fan.
I’ve watched a few games and no matter what, the quality just isn’t the
same and if you are lucky, you’ll only have a few glitches that usually
occur in the best parts of the game and not the commercials.
40 years ago, you just adjusted your rabbit ears on your TV and you had
the game. If you didn’t have a TV, you grabbed your AM/FM Radio Shack
radio, put on your headphones and listened to the game.
I can remember my Grandpa Joe sitting in his chair watching a baseball
game on TV and listening to another on his radio. Now, if I wanted to, I
could put it on TV, stream on another smart TV and watch feeds on my
iPad.
But I don’t want to pay for all of that anymore. I may just have to
stick to my grandson’s middle school football games.
I play fantasy football, so all of these changes have me a “little left
out of the game,” so to speak.
Many of us watched the mega media debut of Rodgers as a New York Jets
quarterback. His move from Green Bay after 18 seasons, gave new life to
the Jets. In his first football game on the fourth play, Rodger’s
Achilles heel tendon was torn during the play. The injury requires
surgery and the rest of the season to rehabilitate.
It’s heartbreaking for any NFL fan and Unfortunately, Rodger’s injury
goes along with the game of football and can happen in most any sport.
People can and do get hurt. I hope he recovers and returns to the game.
Get well Aaron and have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 11, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
September 11, 2001, Ronda
and I watched in horror as terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans in
New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
An overwhelming amount of Americans who are old enough to remember the
day, remember exactly what they were doing when they heard the news or
actually watched it live.
Yet a growing number of Americans have no personal memory of the day
because they were either too young or not even born yet.
9/11 brought our country together, although briefly, in that spirit of
sadness and patriotism. We rallied behind going after those responsible
for such a horrific attack on our soil. We took the combat to them and
many paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Today we see the massive fumble that was our exit from Afghanistan. I
have many friends who served our country on that soil. It breaks their
hearts and mine to know that the freedoms we help bring to so many are
now gone as the Taliban have retaken control of the country. Many of
those extremists who planned the attacks of 9/11 are still out there,
planning their next move against our country.
Do we remember? Are we still honoring those to died that day, 22 years
ago? What about all the military people who were injured and killed in
the global war on terrorism? Do we tell our children in our schools
about what extremists did and attempted to do to our country or is it
not important anymore?
In a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons, Winston Churchill
said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Today is “Patriot Day.” It is observed as the National Day of Service
and Remembrance on September 11th every year in memory of the 2,996
people killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. It’s never become a
national holiday, but it should be.
Our country needs to come together again, but I pray that it is not over
another event like September 11, 2001.
KWIBS - From
September 4, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Think twice before anyone
starts telling you to mask up again.
A recent study revealed that disposable face masks, including
medical-grade N95 masks, released eight times the recommended U.S. limit
of toxic volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). Inhaling TVOCs has been
linked to health issues like headaches and nausea, while prolonged and
repeated exposure has been linked to organ damage and even cancer.
“Measuring the Quantity of Harmful Volatile Organic Compounds Inhaled
Through Masks” was published in April and shared by the National
Institutes of Health. Researchers from Jeonbuk National University in
South Korea looked at two types of disposable medical-grade KF94 masks
made of polypropylene and polyurethane nylon as well as several reusable
cotton masks. KF94 are the South Korean equivalent of the KN95 masks
used in the United States.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping TVOC levels below
0.5 parts per million in indoor air. The mask sample with the highest
amount of TVOCs had 4,808 cubic meters per microgram, which is about 4.8
parts per million. That means more than eight times the recommended
limit.
According to the American Lung Association, TVOCs have been shown to
irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, cause difficulty breathing and
nausea, and damage the central nervous system and organs like the liver.
Other types of products that release TVOCs are paint, caulks,
cleaners/disinfectants, pesticides, and even tobacco smoke.
Another new study by German researchers has concluded that wearing face
masks can cause carbon dioxide poisoning when worn even for short
periods and may have contributed significantly to stillbirths,
testicular dysfunction, cognitive decline in children, among other
destructive health issues.
The research, published in the journal Heliyon, comprises a review of 43
previously published studies and notes that even short-term exposure to
concentrations of carbon dioxide as low as 0.3 percent caused brain
damage, increased anxiety, and impaired memory in both pregnant rats and
young mice in one study. In another, when male mice were exposed to 2.5
percent carbon dioxide for four hours, testicular cells and sperm were
destroyed. The equivalent amount for humans would be 0.5 percent of
carbon dioxide over the same time period.
Another study discovered that stillbirth and birth defects occurred in
pregnant rats that were exposed to just three percent carbon dioxide,
which would be equal to 0.8 percent for humans. The study also points to
research that found just five minutes of mask wearing resulted in carbon
dioxide levels increasing to between 1.4 percent and 3.2 percent.
In addition, there are hundreds of scientific studies and medical
articles that confirm that wearing face masks are not effective at
reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and are harmful to people’s health
in at least 68 ways.
KWIBS - From
August 28, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I love summer, but not when
it’s this hot. You know it’s hot for our family when we decide it’s too
hot to go to the lake and ski. And it was that hot for several days.
The scorching heat is no joke anymore, but my collective anguish has
driven me to cling to a key life asset: humor. Although I may be
suffering on the inside, we all know that humor can help to soothe those
burns and it seems everything I touch outside burns me!
All summer long, we’ve been searching for an affordable pontoon boat. We
just wanted something we could put out into the middle of the lake,
anchor it and jump off to stay cool. We’ve travelled hundreds of miles
to look at boats only to be disappointed in the shape they are in or the
price they were asking.
At last we found a deal and we struck out to get our new boat last
Friday. They say the two best days of a boat owner’s life are: the day
they buy a boat and the day they sell the same boat.
My first day of buying a boat was neither. In fact, when we arrived, at
first look we loved the boat! The interior was good, it had an aluminum
vs. wood floor, a ladder and a decent motor size.
I asked the owner to put on the water muffs and “let’s hear that engine
roar!” (Boat stands for: Bust Out Another Thousand.)
Nothing and again, more nothing. The boat wouldn’t start.
We’d met at my buddy’s house in Winfield that day. Long story short, he
left with my money, only about $2,000 less than he was hoping for. I had
now bought a broken boat.
No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t get it started or once we did,
keep it running, so instead of working anymore on the boat in the heat,
we grabbed some adult fluids and hit his pool and cooled off while the
girls went shopping.
I did get her going on Saturday and made it about 1/4 way around the
lake before it had to be towed back in.....
Monday, we took the boat to an actual boat mechanic who at least
confirmed what I thought was wrong with it and assured me I got a good
deal on the boat. Hopefully, we’ll be able to use it yet this summer!
Stay cool and have a great week!
KWIBS - From
August 21, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Well, just when you thought
it couldn’t happen in Kansas, but only places like Washington, our first
amendment and civil rights got trampled on in a raid of a local Kansas
newspaper office.
Police stage ‘chilling’ raid on Marion County newspaper, seizing
computers, records and cellphones
By: Sherman Smith, Sam Bailey, Rachel Mipro and Tim Carpenter -
MARION, KS — In an unprecedented raid Friday (8-11-23), local law
enforcement seized computers, cellphones and reporting materials from
the Marion County Record office, the newspaper’s reporters, and the
publisher’s home.
Eric Meyer, owner and publisher of the newspaper, said police were
motivated by a confidential source who leaked sensitive documents to the
newspaper, and the message was clear: “Mind your own business or we’re
going to step on you.”
The city’s entire five-officer police force and two sheriff’s deputies
took “everything we have,” Meyer said, and it wasn’t clear how the
newspaper staff would take the weekly publication to press Tuesday
night.
The raid followed news stories about a restaurant owner who kicked
reporters out of a meeting last week with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, and
revelations about the restaurant owner’s lack of a driver’s license and
conviction for drunken driving.
Meyer said he had never heard of police raiding a newspaper office
during his 20 years at the Milwaukee Journal or 26 years teaching
journalism at the University of Illinois.
“It’s going to have a chilling effect on us even tackling issues,” Meyer
said, as well as “a chilling effect on people giving us information.”
The search warrant, signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate
Judge Laura Viar, appears to violate federal law that provides
protections against searching and seizing materials from journalists.
The law requires law enforcement to subpoena materials instead. Viar
didn’t respond to a request to comment for this story or explain why she
would authorize a potentially illegal raid.
Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said
the police raid is unprecedented in Kansas.
“An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just
an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very
foundation of democracy and the public’s right to know,” Bradbury said.
“This cannot be allowed to stand.”
Meyer reported last week that Marion restaurant owner Kari Newell had
kicked newspaper staff out of a public forum with LaTurner, whose staff
was apologetic. Newell responded to Meyer’s reporting with hostile
comments on her personal Facebook page.
A confidential source contacted the newspaper, Meyer said, and provided
evidence that Newell had been convicted of drunken driving and continued
to use her vehicle without a driver’s license. The criminal record could
jeopardize her efforts to obtain a liquor license for her catering
business.
A reporter with the Marion Record used a state website to verify the
information provided by the source. But Meyer suspected the source was
relaying information from Newell’s husband, who had filed for divorce.
Meyer decided not to publish a story about the information, and he
alerted police to the situation.
“We thought we were being set up,” Meyer said.
Police notified Newell, who then complained at a city council meeting
that the newspaper had illegally obtained and disseminated sensitive
documents, which isn’t true. Her public comments prompted the newspaper
to set the record straight in a story published Thursday.
Sometime before 11 a.m. Friday, officers showed up simultaneously at
Meyer’s home and the newspaper office. They presented a search warrant
that alleges identity theft and unlawful use of a computer.
The search warrant identifies two pages worth of items that law
enforcement officers were allowed to seize, including computer software
and hardware, digital communications, cellular networks, servers and
hard drives, items with passwords, utility records, and all documents
and records pertaining to Newell. The warrant specifically targeted
ownership of computers capable of being used to “participate in the
identity theft of Kari Newell.”
Officers injured a reporter’s finger by grabbing her cellphone out of
her hand, Meyer said. Officers at his home took photos of his bank
account information.
He said officers told him the computers, cellphones and other devices
would be sent to a lab.
“I don’t know when they’ll get it back to us,” Meyer said. “They won’t
tell us.”
The seized computers, server and backup hard drive include
advertisements and legal notices that were supposed to appear in the
next edition of the newspaper.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” he said. “We will publish
something.”
Newell, writing Friday under a changed name on her personal Facebook
account, said she “foolishly” received a DUI in 2008 and “knowingly
operated a vehicle without a license out of necessity.”
“Journalists have become the dirty politicians of today, twisting
narrative for bias agendas, full of muddied half-truths,” Newell wrote.
“We rarely get facts that aren’t baited with misleading insinuations.”
She said the “entire debacle was brought forth in an attempt to smear my
name, jeopardize my licensing through ABC (state Alcoholic Beverage
Control Division), harm my business, seek retaliation, and for personal
leverage in an ongoing domestic court battle.”
At the law enforcement center in Marion, a staff member said only Police
Chief Gideon Cody could answer questions for this story, and that Cody
had gone home for the day and could not be reached by phone. The office
of Attorney General Kris Kobach wasn’t available to comment on the legal
controversy in Marion, which is north of Wichita in central Kansas.
Melissa Underwood, communications director of the Kansas Bureau of
Investigation, replied by email to a question about whether the KBI was
involved in the case.
“At the request of the Marion Police Department, on Tuesday, Aug. 8, we
began an investigation into allegations of criminal wrongdoing in
Marion, Kansas. The investigation is ongoing,” Underwood said.
Meyer, whose father worked at the newspaper from 1948 until he retired,
bought the Marion County Record in 1998, preventing a sale to a
corporate newspaper chain.
As a journalism professor in Illinois, Meyer said, he had graduate
students from Egypt who talked about how people would come into the
newspaper office and seize everything so they couldn’t publish. Those
students presented a scholarly paper at a conference in Toronto about
what it has done to journalism there.
“That’s basically what they’re trying to do here,” Meyer said. “The
intervention is just like that repressive government of Egypt. I didn’t
think it could happen in America.”
UPDATE: Sadly, one day after the raid Joan Meyer, Eric Meyer’s mother,
died suddenly at the home that was raided the day before. Her son stated
that she had not been able to eat or sleep. Eric Meyer stated that he
believed the traumatic experience resulted in his mother’s death.
UPDATE in Marion County Investigation
MARION COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) released an
update on the criminal investigation occurring in Marion County related
to the Marion County Record.
At present time this investigation remains open, however, we have
determined in collaboration with the Marion County Attorney, that the
investigation will proceed independently, and without review or
examination of any of the evidence seized on Friday, Aug. 11.
We will work with the Marion County Record, or their representative, to
coordinate the prompt return of all seized items.
Once our investigation concludes we will present findings to the Marion
County Attorney for review.
The Marion County Attorney withdrew the warrant that served as the basis
for the raidof the Marion County Record by the Marion Police Department
last Friday. As part of withdrawing the warrant, Bernie Rhodes, the
attorney representing the newspaper, says all items that were seized as
part of the raid have been released back to the attorney representing
the newspaper.
KWIBS - From
August 14, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I’ve solved the transgender
and women’s sports problem. That’s right. Your local newspaper publisher
has done it without passing any laws.
Take for example the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association.) I
don’t know of really anyone that watches this unless you are forced to
while eating dinner at a sports bar, but let’s help them out!
It will take the entire country to get behind a “go-fund-me” site to
take care of the athletes’ pay and legal fees for a period of time, but
it can work and it goes along with capitalism by creating a new entity.
Once that’s in place, everyone quit. I mean the athletes and the fans.
Just stop them in their tracks and give the sport to every guy who wants
to be a woman. It’s their league now and we’ll see how their
sponsorships go and how the fans like it. It would basically become a
drag league.
Then we create a new league that specifically denies transgenders to
compete in that league by commission rules. Let them sue the new league,
we’ll keep pouring money into the “go-fund-me” page to keep them at bay.
If they (transgenders) sued for a right to play in this new league, they
would really just be admitting they want to beat on girls and we won’t
stand for that anymore. You’re a biological male and have greater
physical advantages over women, but want to be one... Then just play
each other. That seems logical and fair to me.
My wife wants to leave it alone and start placing bets on people like
Lia Thomas because “he” always wins. The New York Post states that Riley
Gaines ( a real woman athlete) quoted, “Lia Thomas is so ‘well-endowed’
I had to ‘refrain from looking.’”
This is just ridiculous and we have to stop sports insanity. What’s
next, men competing in women’s football leagues, wrestling, boxing, etc?
Stop the madness and stop supporting this.
KWIBS - From
August 7, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Whoever said, “all good
things must come to an end,” must have been referring to area cellular
coverage.
Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean.
Ronda and I were loyal Pioneer Cellular customers for 20 years and
Kansas Cellular and then Verizon before that. Once we made the switch
from Verizon to Pioneer, we were very pleased with the coverage.
We were recently referred back to Verizon when Pioneer stopped services.
I remember why we switched.
Ya, so we have nice phones and pay three times as much for them, but we
have terrible service. It reminds me of the days when I had to drive up
on a hill, get out my Radio Shack bag phone and mount the antenna on the
roof with a magnet.
Some of the equipment we use requires a cellular connection. That’s
fine, if you can get signal.
Everyone has experienced the “Elm Mills drop off.” That’s when you were
on a call, went down the hill going north or south on 281 and your
service just drops off. Well, you didn’t if you had Pioneer.
Reaching someone at Verizon is like trying to make a phone call to the
moon and it be transferred to Mars. They probably speak better English
on Mars too.
After getting cut off 7 times Tuesday trying to press “5” for customer
service, I finally took a different route and pressed the “1” button to
activate new service. That worked. I got a live person.
After explaining the problem to 7 different people (on 7 different
planets), I was told a technician would contact me and come do signal
tests.
Oh goody. I’m taking this tech on a joy ride around the ranch and near
99 Springs to show him how terrible our service is.
If you are one of these people having issues with Verizon, I encourage
you to call and complain. We pay a lot for this service and it’s crap.
We deserve better and we won’t get it unless we speak up.
KWIBS - From
July 31, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
One way to get some fame in
your life is to pretend you were kidnapped after seeing a toddler in a
diaper on the side of the road late at night.
Carlee Russell revealed she made the up kidnapping and seeing a toddler
on the side of an Alabama interstate after over a week of lies. Several
news agencies picked up the story and desperate pleas from her family
for her safe return hit the air waves and internet.
Carlee was found to be lying after traffic-camera footage of the night
when Carlethia "Carlee" Russell went missing for days last week before
returning home shows her car pulling off the I-459. The 25-year-old had
called 911 about a toddler walking alone on the side of the interstate.
The video comes from Traffic Cam Archive, an online company that
captures, catalogs, archives, and sells high-quality traffic camera
footage, according to its website.
It shows the Alabama woman's car, a red Mercedes, driving slowly on the
shoulder lane of I-459 in Hoover on Thursday night with her flashers on
before coming to a stop. The car can be seen remaining at the same spot
for several minutes in the video, still with her lights flashing. Police
confirmed the vehicle to be Russell's.
The story gets wilder from Russell’s account, but the cameras don’t lie.
Nobody saw a diaper-wearing-toddler and her story just didn’t add up, so
she confessed she made the whole thing up.
Cameras are everywhere these days, with exception of the west wing of
the Whitehouse where a bag of cocaine was recently found and a quick
investigation revealed there was no way to know who put it there.
Seriously?
We use cameras at our office, I know they have assisted local law
enforcement on two occassions with solving crimminal activity.
Apparently, good ol’ Barber County has better technology than the
federal government and the most “secure” house in the country.
KWIBS - From
July 24, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
This was a pretty good
opportunity to share how conniving I was as a child.
Around the 4th of July, I would hustle people, by selling them things
they didn’t want, but felt sorry for me and bought them anyway, I mowed
lawns, delivered papers and swept the floor at The Index and over at
Raymond Eaton’s gas station - all so I could buy more bottle rockets
than the rest of the kids in our neighborhood.
We never claimed to be the smartest kids, but we had fun. Many of us
would form teams to fire bottle rockets at each other until one team
gave up and ran home.
Obviously, besides this being dangerous, the person or team with the
most ammunition would be victorious. That was always my goal; to
overwhelm the opponents, sort of a past “shock and awe” technique.
Well, one year in the early 80s, bottle rockets got outlawed in Kansas.
Our competition had gone into Oklahoma to get some. Oklahoma became an
arms dealer for Kansas back in the day.
I was sweeping Raymond’s floor and moping about the situation when he
asked what was wrong. I told him my dilemma and he said, “I can fly you
down to one of the biggest fireworks places north of Oklahoma City, if
it’s OK with your parents.”
I was all in! I ran across the street and said, “Dad, is it OK that I go
down to Oklahoma and buy some bottle rockets with Raymond?”
I totally left off the “flying” part. He gave me the nod and I went back
across the street and proudly said, “let’s go!”
Raymond flew me down to Oklahoma and I spent every dime I had on bottle
rockets and again was the winner of the neighborhood battle. We were
gone and back in a couple of hours.
It was some years later that my story slipped in front of my mom and dad
that I had flown down there with Raymond. I was too old to ground, but I
am pretty sure my dad had a visit with Raymond because he gave me a good
scolding!
KWIBS - From
July 17, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Local columnist and
historian Roger Ringer passed away last Sunday.
His brother called us that evening to let Ronda and I know that he had
died after having a stroke.
Roger and the Ringer family were our neighbors for many years. They were
the former owners of the Bunkhouse at Wildfire Ranch, an outstanding bed
and breakfast that the family ran for many years. We sent a ton of our
friends to stay there and they all commented on the “view,” the
accommodations and especially the food.
You either loved “View From The Hills” or you hated it. Either way,
Roger was entertaining and he would make up words like “Demoncrat or
“Confuser” (computer). He left no ambiguous thoughts that he was
anything other than a very conservative Republican.
Roger believed he stood for what was right and spoke out against what
was wrong. He did it unashamed.
I wrote him a few weeks ago because I didn’t have his column and had
left a space for him. He wrote back after a week and attached a column
that was titled “Not A Good-bye, Yet.” In his column he detailed his
decline health and his attempt at rehabilitation. He made no qualms
about him being “... a big boy...”
In his second to last column, he thanked so many people who helped him
after he fell ill and needed special care. His care was so good at one
hospital that he asked if he could stay another day or two. I chuckled
over that. He also bragged about how good the food was. I can’t imagine
it being better than Charlotte Ringer’s cooking, but Roger was satisfied
enough.
“Be ready for a full blast in coming columns,” he stated, admitting he
was behind on getting his next book submitted to his editor. Sadly, that
won’t happen now.
One of his final comments in the newspaper was, “To wrap this up, I want
to say thank you to the Lord and to all of the people that have been so
kind to me the last two weeks and all of you, my readers.”
Rest in Peace Roger. Hope your view is even better.
KWIBS - From
July 10, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Just when you thought you’d
seen it all from Washington, last Sunday the White House was evacuated
after a white powdery substance was found in the West Wing.
Turns out it was just cocaine....
For reference, the West Wing is reserved for the president, vice
president, White House chief of staff, the counselor to the president,
the senior advisor to the president, the White House press secretary,
and their support staffs. Adjoining the press secretary's office, in the
colonnade between the West Wing and the Executive Residence, is the
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, along with workspace for the White
House press corps. The West Wing also contains the Oval Office, the
Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, and the Roosevelt Room (the powder
room.... kidding!).
The media has been giving us a “blow by blow probe of this situation.”
According to a report from the Secret Service, the substance was
initially found in the West Wing of the White House by a member of the
Secret Service, which sparked an evacuation of the building and
emergency response. A test was then conducted on the substance, which
came back positive for cocaine.
President Biden was at Camp David at the time of the discovery of the
substance. The president's son, Hunter, who is a recovered crack cocaine
addict, was also at Camp David at the time of discovery.
But hey, it could have been anyone’s cocaine, so don’t jump to judgment
that it’s Hunter’s. It’s too on the nose, or in the nose...
Change the occupant of the white house and this is the only story that
would be talked about. They wouldn't makes jokes about it either. It
would be the "worst assault on democracy in the history of assaulting
democracy." Impeachment would be the next thing....
This “blows” me away....
KWIBS - From
July 10, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Happy Independence Day
friends! Also, Happy Birthday to Aubry Bolton and my friend, and son’s
father-in-law, Robert Bare!
I hope your weekend and the next few days bring you a sense of how
precious our freedoms are and what great sacrifices have been made
throughout our history to keep them secure.
Everyone loves a parade!
As a kid, I didn’t give it much thought, but as an adult, I find it cool
that I have seen our nation’s longest annual 4th of July parade. It’s in
Bristol, RI.
My mom’s side of the family are all New-Englanders, so we spent a lot of
time in Rhode Island growing up. We’d make our annual pilgrimage there
and go to places like that and even Plymouth Rock.
Bristol’s Annual Fourth of July Celebration, established in 1785, is the
oldest continuous celebration of its kind in the United States. It’s
celebrated every year in Bristol since that date, although the parade
itself was canceled several times. On years when July 4 falls on a
Sunday, the parade is held on Monday the 5th.
I remember going one year. It was hot, there were a lot of people and it
was long! I recently watched some YouTube videos and was very impressed
with the history of the event.
The festivities officially start on June 14, Flag Day, beginning a
period of outdoor concerts, soap-box races and a firefighters' muster at
Independence Park. The celebration climaxes on July 4 with the oldest
annual parade in the United States, "The Military, Civic and Firemen's
Parade", an event that draws over 200,000 people from Rhode Island and
around the world. These elaborate celebrations give Bristol its
nickname, "America's most patriotic town".
It’s only fitting that our smallest state in the union has the longest
running and best 4th of July parade. Good job, Bristol.
Happy 4th of July!
KWIBS - From
June 26, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Slowly “butt” surely, we
are losing our ever loving minds.
Climate change protesters dropped their pants at the Massachusetts
Statehouse during a debate on a proposed tax relief package Thursday to
bring attention to what they say is the need for swifter action against
the use of fossil fuels.
About 1 p.m., protesters stood, turned their backs to the Senate chamber
and lowered their pants to reveal letters that spelled out STOP PASSING
GAS! on their bare backsides.
The protesters were all wearing pink thongs.
The eight protesters were chanting and disrupting the Senate session,
according to state police investigators. Just before 2 p.m., the
protesters were told that the public gallery was closed.
After being warned that they were subject to arrest, the protesters
refused to leave and were placed under arrest and escorted out of the
chamber, investigators said. They were charged with trespassing on state
property, disorderly conduct and indecent exposure.
I’d bet money, they were transported to jail in a good ole fossil fuel
powered patrol car or multiples thereof.
Now for some serious stuff....
As almost everyone knows, Dr. R.W. “Pete” Meador passed away on May 13,
2023.
Pete was one of my closest friends and was our family’s doctor for over
40 years. He could always find humor in everything and never failed to
bring out a laugh. One of my favorite things he used to do on vacation
was play “where am I?” He would take a photo of some place he was and
text it to his friends and family and we’d all try to guess, with some
off the wall responses. We recently played that game with his family and
friends on our trip to Colorado last week celebrating our 35th wedding
anniversary. The answers were a complete hoot!
A Celebration of Life for Pete (come and go) will be held at the First
Christian Church of Medicine Lodge, Family Life Center on Friday, June
30, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Medicine
Lodge Golf Course or the First Christian Church of Medicine Lodge, in
care of Larrison Funeral Home, 120 E. Lincoln, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104.
Show some love.
KWIBS - From
June 19, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
A recent survey shows
Americans are more unhappy with the customer service they're getting
than ever.
I’m not kidding. Last week Ronda and I together tallied over 4 hours of
being on hold with different companies. Nothing frustrates a person more
than to have to push a thousand buttons to finally speak to a live
person.
Then that person’s first language is not English....
Some blame the customer service problems on the pandemic, but it already
was terrible before COVID.
74% of Americans say they've had product or service problems in the past
year, according to the 10th edition of the National Customer Rage
Survey, which tracks satisfaction and incivility. The incidence of
problems has more than doubled since 1976.
Yes, there is a “Customer Rage Survey Study,” probably paid for by, you
guessed it, your tax dollars. If you are not outraged by that, then
continue on with your wine or scotch.
I’ve been on both ends of this. Sometimes we get it wrong and I am the
fall guy. I can take a good tongue lashing, but I can give one too when
it is merited.
Being on hold is the worst, but you can multi-task by leaving it on
speaker. Enjoy listening to the elevator music classics while being
interrupted by, “Please stay on the line. Your call is very important to
us.” I bet that lady made a fortune to record that line. Cut your nails,
pull annoying ear hairs or pick your teeth while you wait.
With AI (artificial intelligence) being so fearfully discussed, I want
to think we could use it to speed up costumer service. Make AI great
again! Teach that computer how to fix a simple problem that takes being
transferred 5 times to 3 different continents.
It would probably just teach itself to speak with an Indian accent.
Wait, AI is probably bad and will end up like “Terminator,” so I take
that all back and issue an apology to computers everywhere. To have a
great week, please press 1 now....
KWIBS - From
June 12, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I will be celebrating June
as "Pride in Traditional Family Values".
"The moral and ethical principles traditionally upheld and passed on
within a family, as fidelity, honesty, truth, and faith. Values
especially of a traditional or conservative kind which are held to
promote the sound functioning of the family and to strengthen the fabric
of society."
I won’t be marching in the streets. I won’t protest Bud Light or Target.
I don’t care for beer and I rarely shop at Target. I’m just as proud to
be a heterosexual as some are to be LGBTQ-LMNOP (threw that last one in
there to see if you were paying attention.
News flash: I have gay and lesbian friends and family. Say it ain’t so!
It’s so.... That’s their business.
The reason that I also pick June to celebrate my PRIDE is because this
June (17th) marks our 35th wedding anniversary! That’s right. Ronda gets
some kind of medal for loving and caring for me for 35 years!
Congratulations baby. I love you.
From those years together, we can say we have three amazing children;
all married to amazing spouses of their own. We also have 7 grandkids
now; one in particular is our very first “Noland” baby boy! We love our
family dearly and thank God for them.
Traditionally, the 35th wedding anniversary is marked with a gift of
coral, however as this is now endangered, and usually poisonous to the
touch, often the colour coral is substituted instead. It’s also illegal
to sneak it back through customs.
Coral is the symbol chosen for the 35th wedding anniversary. This unique
marine species plays a vital role in maintaining the delicate
equilibrium of the ocean's ecosystem, making it a fitting tribute to the
balance required in a successful marriage. Much like a 35-year-long
union, coral takes time to form and needs protection in order to thrive.
Ronda and I were avid SCUBA divers years ago and have seen it’s beauty
up close.
I love you Ronda. Thank you for 35 years!
KWIBS - From
June 5, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Summer is almost here. That
season and I have a love-hate relationship.
First off, I love warm weather, sunshine, the lake and just hanging out
with friends and family.
Then there’s this whole, keep up with the mowing. It’s maddening and I
can never get enough help. God bless my son-in-law for all his hard
work. Thank you Miguel!
It’s not like we just have to mow the backyard. We have nearly 30-50
acres of recreation area, roadways, spillways, dams and other areas we
have to mow. When we finish, it literally starts over again and ends
sometime in September.
I once heard it said, “A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining,
the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is
broken.
That’s not the case with me. We have 3 commercial mowers that we keep
running round the clock. The last one we just traded off had over 1,800
hours of mowing on it and it was still ready for more.
I hate winter, but there's one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn
look as nice as your neighbors'.
I saw a funny Facebook post from Marsha Hoagland Reddick. A sign in a
cemetery on Memorial Day had a “For Sale” sign on one plot. That makes
you wonder if someone changed their mind about dying or being buried
next to whoever bought the other plot!
KWIBS - From
May 29, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
A lady walked up to me
while in Tulsa at LIV Golf and saw my credentials, “Frog-X Parachute
Team.”
“Oh! What do you do,” she asked?
I told her I catch the Parachute Team if their chutes don’t open....
Nix White had called and asked if we wanted to come watch him and his
team jump into LIV Golf. I said sure, “What’s LIV Golf?”
Well, it’s like Caddy Shack meets, Happy Gilmore, meets Disney World,
meets the PGA. That’s really how I can describe it. All I knew was, if
Nix was involved, it would be pretty cool.
We’re not big into golf. I play a little, but am horrible at it, so the
most interesting part was watching Nix’s skydiving team jump in all
three days. They are an amazing crew!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
May 22, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
“Just cut my cast off so I
can hold my baby girl,” I said to my friend Dr. Pete Meador.
It was 1989. I fell off a roof and three weeks later, my wife gave birth
to our first child.
He said it wasn’t healed and I would have issues for life, maybe even
surgery. He was right, as he most always was.
The years went by and we became more than just patient and doctor, we
were friends, buddies and even family. There were daily lunches, dinners
Christmas gatherings, Thanksgivings, Halloween parties, birthday
parties, the 4th of July, vacations, trips to casinos and pool parties.
I spent the last 4 weeks of Pete’s life going from hospital to hospital
and I watched this once powerful, strong man start to fail and grow
weaker by the day. It broke my heart.
I could not write the feature story about Pete. I asked Tammy to and she
did it perfectly. I still have not come to terms with losing my friend.
I talked to him nearly every day.
Pete made the decision to stop all treatments. He joked that he had more
specialists than anyone in the world for every ailment. He said, “I’m
tired. I’m ready to go.”
He came home and entered Hospice care. I saw my friend every day until I
had to leave for Tulsa Thursday. I got the text from his family shortly
after 4 a.m. on Saturday that he had passed away. I had lost one of my
dearest, closest friends.
Pete ended every conversation with, “I love you.” He told Ronda and I he
loved us before we left Thursday afternoon.
I love you Pete. I will miss you Old Snicklebaum.
Me, Bree and Pete, October 3, 1989 at 11:37 p.m. We
were much younger!
KWIBS - From
May 15, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I love a glass of iced tea
when it’s hot out. Last Monday was 90 degrees! I had a stay at home
(trophy husband) sort of day.
It started with me working on our prehistoric road grader. I’m not
kidding. This thing probably came with square stone tires when it came
out. I always joke that I use more in hydraulic oil than it takes in
diesel, but when I do get it to move, it’s a great help after a rain.
I also did some updates to a data base, hauled off some tree limbs,
visited with a gopher trapper we hired and met with some engineers out
at the lake.
Ronda got to just be grandma for the day and stayed at Joey and Haley’s
to watch Lennox.
I was thirsty. A glass of tea sounded awesome!
Since I wasn’t in town, I was going to have to make tea. Believe it or
not, I had no clue how to accomplish this, so I texted my wife, “How do
I brew iced tea like yours?”
I waited and typed “Hey!” “Ding!”
Finally I got a response, “On stove. Water in big stew pot. 3/4 big yea
(tea) bags.”
I looked and found the “yea” bags. There were 4 left.
I took a picture and said, “Hey, go to White’s and buy more yea!”
She was like, “Yea?” I had to point out her auto correct.
So I filled up the pan and put the tea bags in and set it on the stove
like I’d seen her do it. It was about 4 p.m.
I really didn’t know what to do then, so I decided to heat it up. I’m
pretty sure that’s how she does it.
Tada! The water boiled, it smelled good and I turned off the burner.
I also fired up the electric oven (also known as our indoor smoker and
smoke detector tester after stuff drips all over our burner) and I stuck
a pork loin in there.
Man, was I domesticated or what!?
I did have to call her to ask how to do that. I found out it was pretty
easy, all but the math part of 350 degrees, 20-30 minutes per pound. It
was 2.3 lbs. I ended up splitting the difference and just said, “meh, an
hour.”
Ronda rolled in about 6:30 p.m. She had stopped by the grocery store and
brought me more tea and a couple of side dishes that were microwavable.
We had agreed on that and some grilled onions for our pork loin.
The microwave beeped. The oven beeped. Ronda got up and said, “Hey, how
long has your tea been brewing?”
“I dunno... since like 4 p.m.?”
“You just bring it to a boil and take it off and put it in a pitcher and
stick it in the fridge,” she sort of snapped at me.
So I reread her text. Nope, that was not in there. Not even the boil
part. I did that.
It was still hot, so I scooped out the tea bags and took a sip. WOW!
That was some powerful tea. I mixed it with water, like you would 2
stroke oil in gasoline. It was perfect!
I reminded her of the onions. She had already sat down for a rest before
dinner and she asked, “Would you make those?”
“I made the pork loin,” I said, and quietly giggled.
She got up to grab a pan, either to cook the onions or hit me with. I
had already gone to the pantry for the onions and a knife. When I came
out she also had a knife. She pointed it at me and I pointed mine at
her. It was a stand off. She asked, “Did you just say you MADE the pork
loin?”
“I worked as hard on that pork loin as you did warming up those mashed
potatoes and broccoli in the microwave!” I put my knife behind my back
and she did the same.
I cut the onion, she sauteed the onion (in the pan she was about to hit
me with) and we both laughed, drank tea and had great evening. Nobody
got hurt.
My tea was just as amazing as her tea. All was right with the world.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
May 8, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I laughed when I heard
there was a writer’s strike for several late-night talk show hosts.
The best part is, I don’t watch any of them. I was surprised to find
out, they can’t write their own material and rely on writers to make
their show’s jokes.
So what I have seen makes me ask, “They actually have writers?” I
thought they had a room full of monkeys with typewriters and that’s how
they put these shows on.
The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show, and The Late Late
Show will all take a hiatus until the industry comes to an agreement
with the Writers Guild of America. Until they reach that agreement,
viewers will continue to tune in else where and not care.
Remember when late night was funny? I always loved Johnny Carson and Jay
Leno. My favorite was Jay Leno’s headlines. I used to let me kids stay
up late on Monday to watch “Headlines”.
I wish they’d bring that back. I’m always hunting for funny headlines.
Here’s a few. Yes, they are real!
- A nuclear explosion would be a disaster
- Rooms with broken air conditions are hot
- Zoo separates 5 Parrots after birds were caught encouraging each other
to swear at guests
- Murderer says detective ruined his reputation
- Campus students playing hide and seek not found by police
- Surgical castration still waits for first inmate volunteer
- Death is nation’s top killer
- Pork found in moose lasagna
- Breathing oxygen linked to staying alive
- Kayaking is hard when the water is frozen
- Survey finds fewer deer after hunting season
- Children invited to eat pizza with Pooh
- Cash is the key to ending financial woes
Don’t you feel smarter for reading?
KWIBS - From
May 1, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Robots.
They are taking over. You may just not realize it yet.
A couple of weeks ago we stayed at a really nice hotel in downtown
Wichita and met up with some friends for a concert. I had a cup that I
needed to throw away, so I looked around and spotted a really nice
looking trash can. (It was a really nice hotel). I walked over to it and
it had a display on top that instantly displayed “Welcome” when I walked
up to it.
I looked for the lid and couldn’t find one. I looked for the fancy foot
pedal and couldn’t find one. Then the trash can spoke to me, “Please
place your orders at the counter.”
What?
I won’t lie and say I had not had an adult beverage. I mean, we were
going to a concert, with friends, but I was sure that this trash can was
talking to me.
I went and sat down with my wife and friends and told them. They all
laughed until the trash can started moving and then went to the
elevator.
Everyone was in shock. The elevator opened and in drove the “trash can.”
We’ll call it R2Trash2 or C3GarbageO.
I walked to the guest check in and asked, “What the heck just happened
to that trash can? Did it just go up the elevator?” The concierge (yes,
I had to look that spelling up) said, “Sir, that’s a butler robot.”
I should have recognized it was a butler. The trash can had a bow tie
and vest painted on the front of it.
So this robot actually is “room service” for the fancy hotel. You place
an order in your room, and an actual person has to make your food and
load it into the butler robot, for now, until the robots learn to cook.
Give them time. They will learn. Then the actual people load it in the
robot and send it to your room.
Now I had all sorts of questions and concerns.
First off, nobody told me this was a robot hotel. What if I am allergic
to robots, like I am pets? I don’t want a robot near me. Then, what if
someone inputs the wrong room and the robot shows up at my door? I
assume it knocks. If I had not been told that there were robots running
around and one mistakenly knocked on my door, I would have probably
kicked it across the hall way and screamed like a little girl. Or I
would have screamed like a little girl and then kicked it across the
hallway.
We ate dinner at the hotel that night. They had one guy who waited on
us, cooked the food and then delivered it late and incorrectly to our
table.
It dawned on me that this hotel needed more wait staff, not more robots.
Because the hotel had a robot, they must have thought they needed less
humans.
So while butler robots keep banging into walls and tripping over curbs,
if a guest wanted to sleep in late, too bad.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 24, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
It’s nearing the end of
April and I’ve already given up on my yard.
This drought is terrible. I’m seeing the County’s Wheat Tour is coming
up. That’s sort of ironic since there’s not much wheat out there. We
should just have a County Weed Tour instead.
If it wasn’t for weeds, I wouldn’t have anything green in my yard. I
jokingly told my wife I was going to spray vegetation killer on the
entire place and go to Brad Forsyth and order indoor/outdoor green
carpet and cover the entire front and back yard.
We need rain. It will come eventually. My friend Flint Rucker says,
“Every drought ends with a good rain.”
God’s word promises us:
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry
ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on
your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like
poplar trees by flowing streams.” Isaiah 44:3-4 (NIV).
We can only trust and wait.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 17, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I’m totally ripping off a
story from the babylonbee, but it’s so appropriate.
As you know, we became grandparents again about a month ago. The little
guy is growing fast, putting on weight and getting all bright eyed on
us. He changes a little every day and he’s such a blessing to our
growing family.
Momma Haley seems to have a great handle on parenthood. Joey is doing
just fine too and sending hilarious SnapChats using google eyes filters
on little “Nox”.
A few weeks ago he got pretty frustrated about installing a car seat and
I came across this hilarious story, so I am “borrowing” it and replacing
the names.
A local father has run into a problem familiar to other dads across the
country, as by the time he had finished installing a new car seat for
his young child, the child had already outgrown it.
"It's the darndest thing," Joey Noland said, shaking his head. "We got a
new car seat for our son, Lennox, but it turns out he had a growth spurt
right during the three and a half hours I was installing it in the car.
Unreal. I guess it's back to square one!"
Child car seat manufacturers, looking to capitalize on this common
trend, are now specially designing car seat straps to allow no room for
a child's growth whatsoever. "It's a genius new design," said car seat
designer Graham Walker. "As soon as the child eats a large meal, the
parents are forced to buy a new car seat. Really innovative stuff!"
At publishing time, as his wife Haley prepared to order a new car seat
on Amazon, Joey Noland was brainstorming new methods, including just
tying his son to the roof rack.
Oh, to be new parents! Love you guys!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 10, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I got canceled.
I was quite surprised when I had asked Tammy to do an interview with a
local Barber County native that has done really well for herself. I
won’t mention any names, but she declined stating, “ I did some
research, and decided this isn’t something I’m interested in doing. Any
publication that compares January 6 to MLK’s March on Washington isn’t
journalism.”
I scratched my head for a bit, did my own research and then found my
column from January 17, 2022. It was a stretch to assume I was comparing
the two.
However, life moves on, no hard feelings. I love her family and she’s
made Barber County proud.
A personal opinion doesn’t define a business. I have that right under
the constitution and I believe strongly in the right to free speech, so
much I have allowed criticism of my own column to be printed freely in
this very newspaper.
Others who have written here have also come under attack for their
religious beliefs and their political party affiliations. Sometimes I
agree with them, sometimes I don’t. I can respond or I can bite my
tongue.
Years ago, a western Barber County native canceled her subscription
because she hated one of our columnists. She was so complimentary of
several of our stories, The Days of Yore and news of record. I was sort
of confused. We had a pretty good discussion with her and asked her what
satellite service she watched. When we found out we asked her if there
were any channels she refused to watch. Of course she listed a lot of
channels, so we asked, “Did you cancel your TV?”
Well, no.... she didn’t. She ended up not canceling her subscription
either.
I don’t know what’s happening to the world. People are much less
understanding or even rude. “Polarized” seems to be the catch phrase
these days when it comes to talking about our country.
I sincerely believe that social media platforms are hurting
relationships. I hate communicating that way. I prefer face to face.
Interestingly, I had stopped by my son and daughter in law’s house last
week and a neighbor stopped by to give their new baby a gift. This guy
has been a friend of mine for many years. We’re pretty close to the same
age and we started talking about how much life has changed since we were
kids.
Ya, we had Atari, but we didn’t have XBox, the internet, email, texting,
TicTok, Facebook, etc... We spent our time entertaining each other. We
played outside and had large circles of friends that we ran the streets
with.
Today’s world seems to have forgotten that connection to people from
their past. Sometimes they leave Barber County, make new friends, adopt
new beliefs and then assume new identities, so to speak. I still care
about those folks and I suppose I can appreciate that they don’t want to
be “from here” anymore, but they still are whether they like it or not.
Or whether or not they like me! :)
KWIBS - From
April 3, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Well, I just found out that
April is National Stress Awareness Month, but I missed National Stress
Awareness Day on November 1st.
Man, that stresses me out. I didn’t even send myself flowers.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, unless you have a hernia.
Humor apparently is the number one stress relief.
Well, then I’m healed.
A friend of mine has recently had some issues with his diabetes. That’s
a sad deal and I am sure it’s stressful. Recently, it has been affecting
his vision and his wife has had to drive him to work for a while until
his vision clears up.
I asked her, “You want to do something funny to your husband?”
She listened as I said, “Drop him off somewhere other than work!”
We both got a good laugh, but then realized he could lose his job, so we
scrapped that idea.
This time of year stresses me out. I love Spring, but with it comes all
of the craziness that starts another year of taking care of the resort.
It starts with a dam inspection (I left out the “n” on purpose). The
state this time only gave me a 45 day heads up for an inspection.
Finding an engineer qualified to do that is stressful enough, but when
you do and he gives you a time table that’s less than what the state
gives you, that’s really stressful.
It’s a long dam story, but many generations ago Ronda’s grandma and
grandpa built Lake Arrowhead. Years later a bunch of retired engineers
from the water office got together and thought it would be a good idea
to force property owners with certain types of “potentially hazardous
dams” to have them inspected..... at the owner’s expense.
You basically pay thousands of dollars to get a few pages of the report
switched out from the previous report.
Ok, they do walk around and look at the dam and take pictures and they
have to drive here from timbuktu, but it’s a silly (stressful) amount of
money.
So I also have to do some maintenance before the inspection. Mostly
clearing up the area so the engineer can inspect. My tree guy only had
one weekend open and it was last weekend. That cut my time table to
about two weeks less. I’m probably either even more stressed when you
read this, or I died. Hopefully, KWIBS will return next week and I’ll
just be really sore.
I forgot to mention that I only had the previous weekend to work on
getting ready for the tree guy. Thank you Miguel for helping me get that
going. I was also trying to burn 4 of 7 brush piles and bring in some
dirt for the spillway area when I blew a tire on my backhoe. The work on
the dam came to a screeching halt. Thank you Earl for getting me some
new front tires in a hurry, but I ran out of time to get anything done
because Ronda and I had to go to our annual continuing education classes
for bonding and bail enforcement. These classes aren’t stressful. They
are boring. Which is stressful to me. I sat through those classes
thinking, “I could be moving dirt, clearing brush, mowing sideboards,
etc....” No.... I’m sitting in class that’s reminding me how stressful
my job can be.
Thanks a lot April. You kind of stink as a month. I kept hoping when I
got home Saturday, someone would yell, “APRIL FOOLS!” No, they did not.
Have a stress-free week!
KWIBS - From
March 27, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
There are several things
that send me into a panic. Perhaps the biggest is getting a new cell
phone.
Being a creature of habbit, I get a new cell phone when the one I’m
using is no longer supported! My wife’s phone was an iPhone 6S. I think
it still had a rotary dial on it. Mine was an iPhone XR10, which was
pretty modern and came out about 3 years ago.
We received a letter last week that Pioneer Cellular was discontinuing
cellular services sometime in June and encouraged us to find another
carrier.
Since we’ve been with Pioneer for about 19 years and usually when
Ronda’s phone dies, I give her mine and I get the new phone. Sounds
selfish, but she usually forgets where her’s is. Now that she has a
10XR, she’s in the modern world and is actually using the features that
I love about iPhones, like bluetooth, airdrop and all the apps it will
store.
But back to panicing....
My phone has about 17,000 photos, videos and contacts. Ronda and I share
a cloud so that in the event my phone and business contacts are lost,
they are also on her phone and in the cloud, wherever that is.
I’m not a super patient person. Monday I left to go to Verizon and get
new phones. I made it about 100 yards and “DING” my dash alerted me that
I had a low tire. So I went down to our shed to discover that my air
chuck was missing. I’m pretty sure it’s in the pocket of another jacket.
I had a good 27 pounds of air in the tire and just drove in to The
Sawyer Coop to fill it up. That’s when I noticed a large chunk of steal
in my tire and I could hear the air coming out.
So I rushed into Pratt, told the lady what I needed and before I knew
it, I had already been there for two hours. Remember, I’m not patient
and my truck tire was losing air.
Then I got the bombshell. No wonder why Pioneer was going out of
business with cellular. We were paying about $85 a month for two phones
of unlimited talk, text and data. For the same service with Verizon, it
was going to be $205 a month. That was a kick to the wallet!
So I left both of our cell phones there and went to the tire store,
where they were pretty backed up. After an hour of waiting on that, I
still had about an hour to kill, so I stopped by Verizon’s and told the
lady I was going to get a snack at the Club D’Est while waiting.
I was there for about an hour and Verizon called the Club D’Est and
asked for me. My phones were ready! I got there to find out, they were
ready, but we were still downloading apps, data, contacts, photos and
videos. That took another hour. Remember, I’m not patient. Finally, it
was done and I paid. She asked me to log into my apps..... I could not
remember any of my passwords. She’s like, “There’s an app on your phone
that will store your passwords.”
I did not realize that. However, that app also requires a password to
store your passwords. That seems dumb.
If there had been room on her counter, I would have started banging my
head against it. In a few short minutes, we had figured out my passwords
and I left, frazzled and tired.
The fun started all over again when I had to show my wife how to use her
new (my old) cell phone. I was trying to figure out mine at the same
time, so I’m pretty sure I was not patient then either.
Sometime around 1 a.m., I was satisfied that I had gotten my phone back
to where I wanted it and could find and log into everything. I went to
bed.
At 6 a.m. both our phones’ alarms went off at a volume I did not realize
a phone could reach. We both jumped up and shut them off. I’ve fixed
Ronda’s volume level and turned off her alarm. Mine is still loud, but
at least I can say that ordeal is over, for now.
KWIBS - From
March 20, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Behold, children are a
heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in
the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the
man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he
speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5).
One more filled our quiver last week. The first “Baby Noland” since
1998. Lennox Joseph is the brand new baby boy of Joey and Haley Noland.
They kept his sex and name a secret until we got the call at 5:45 a.m.
on Tuesday.
We stayed up all night getting updates on momma and baby and the news of
“it’s a boy” filled our hearts with joy. Congratulations Joey and Haley!
Welcome to the family “Nox.”
KWIBS - From
March 13, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
This past week I felt like
I was at a four-way-stop sign and I was driving all four vehicles.
It started last weekend. My mom turned 80! My sister put on a surprise
party for her, and talk about a surprise!
We arrived at my sister’s at noon on Saturday. There were about 25-30
people there. I knew about everyone I could see. People were scattered
all through the house. My brother-in-law said, “Hey, I want to show you
something.”
So I took off my coat and followed him. A man got up from his seat. He
was wearing sunglasses, a cowboy hat and a bandanna. I was like, “either
they got mom a stripper or a rodeo clown!”
Then he took off his mask.
I was visibly and physically shaken by who was standing in front of me.
It was my Uncle Mike Amaral, my mom’s only living sibling from New
Hampshire! I had not seen him in 13 years, but he looked exactly the
same and I probably squeezed all of the air out of him hugging him. Then
I saw my Aunt Laurie standing in the corner and I grabbed her for a hug
too!
They had been in Alaska seeing their son, old neighbors and doing some
skiing. Then they went to Washington to see my recently discovered
cousin Jessica (that’s another story!)
On their way back across their long trek home, they secretly planned a
visit to see mom for her birthday.
A few minutes later my mom walked in and the stage had already been
reset.
The look of surprise was probably the same one I had, but I loved the
expression on her face!
Nice job, sis! That was one for the books.
Happy Birthday Mom! Now we’re on “Noland Baby Watch!” By the time this
is printed, we’ll hopefully be grandparents again! Good luck Joey and
Haley and “Baby Noland!”
KWIBS - From
March 6, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
We had good intentions.
For the past couple of weeks, Ronda and I have been a little under the
weather with head and chest colds. We finally felt better by Sunday.
By Monday, we had some serious cabin fever and decided that we were
going in to Wichita to see “The Jesus Revolution.”
Well, timing is everything. Apparently I read the time wrong and by the
time we got there, they were 30 minutes into the movie.
So I looked around and saw “Cocain Bear” was starting and bought two
tickets.
We hadn’t been to the movies since before COVID, so we weren’t surprised
that there were only 4 of us in the entire movie theater, but what did
surprise me was how terrible this movie was. I had simply read it was
based on a true story.
Upon reading closer, it was “loosely based on a true story.”
The true story behind “Cocaine Bear” started in September 1985, when
convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton died after a parachuting
accident. The working theory is that Thornton was traveling in a plane
with 880 pounds of cocaine and thought the Feds were trailing him, so he
decided to throw some of the stash out of the plane and take some more
with him when he parachuted out. His plan went awry.
A bear did not enter the picture until four months later. The New York
Times reported in December 1985 that a 175-pound black bear “died of an
overdose of cocaine after discovering a batch of the drug.” The bear was
found dead in Chattahoochee National Forest.
“The cocaine was apparently dropped from a plane piloted by Andrew
Thornton, a convicted drug smuggler who died Sept. 11 in Knoxville,
Tenn., because he was carrying too heavy a load while parachuting,” read
the United Press International report in The Times. “The bureau said the
bear was found Friday in northern Georgia among 40 opened plastic
containers with traces of cocaine.”
An autopsy on the bear found that it had three or four grams of cocaine
in its blood stream, although the bear could have consumed even more. It
had an overdose and died. It never killed anyone. Don’t go see it. It’s
two hours and $25 I’ll never get back.
The bear is currently on display at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall
in Lexington, Kentucky,which named the creature "Cocaine Bear" in 2015.
A far cry from “The Jesus Revolution” that I wished I had seen.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
February 27, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I have temporarily
cancelled all newspaper delivery by balloon or trains indefinitely....
Two of the strangest forms (at least for me) of transportation, balloons
and trains, have had some bad press recently.
After China’s “weather monitoring” balloon shoot down, we were also
watching the aftermath of East Palestine’s railroad disaster and another
derailment happened at Gothenburg, Nebraska on Monday night.
But nobody is mentioning the disaster that occurred a few months ago in
central Oklahoma. On September 16, 2022, semitrailer hauling sex toys
and lubricant overturned on an Oklahoma highway, spilling its load all
over the place ... leaving reporters' and anchors' mouths agape.
The indecent exposure happened on I-40 on the outskirts of Oklahoma
City, where the 18-wheeler got into an accident with another truck ...
leaving boxes of “stuff” scattered all over the road. Thankfully, the
accident resulted in no injuries. Several lanes of the highway were
closed while authorities worked to clean the mess up.
The jokes just write themselves. Can you imagine using that as an excuse
for being late for work?
“Ya, uh, hey boss. Well, I’m going to be late for work because there’s
been a sex toy disaster on I-40!”
Ok. You’re now fired.
But this is a supply chain issue! Just ask Pete Buttigieg. He couldn’t
make it to Ohio for almost three weeks, but took an F35 to Oklahoma
within the hour....
Several women were seen renting U-Hauls and racing to the area to assist
in clean up! My wife is just going to kill me, but it’s news. It really
happened.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
February 20, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Humans having been having
human babies for as far back as recorded in the Old Testament. Adam and
Eve probably had the same struggles that new parents these days have.
What do you name your baby?
Some people have interesting traditional names that carry on through
generations. We have lot’s of “Joe’s, Joseph’s and Joey’s,” on our side
of the family.
Joey and Haley Noland are about to become parents in the next few weeks
or sooner! We’re all getting excited because nobody knows whether it’s a
boy or a girl. This will be so much fun!
Joey was in the office last week and they’ve come up with some ideas for
a girl’s name, but have yet to settle on a name if they have a boy.
They have a few simple rules. 1) It can’t end in the letter “N.” Joey’s
example was using my name, “Kevin Noland.” When said fast, Joey
explained, “was that Kevi Noland or Kevin Oland?”
Rule number 2) It can’t rhyme. So “Roland Noland” is out.
Rule number 3) It can’t be a boy’s name and a girl’s name, like “Pat.”
That’s an old Saturday Night Live reference for those of you who are old
enough to remember when Saturday Night Live was actually funny.
Whatever this baby is, he, or she, will be amazing because that little
baby has amazing parents. I’ll also add a sling of cousins, aunts,
uncles and of course grandparents.
Be on the lookout for “Baby” Noland, a first of it’s kind since 1998.
The last one was Nick Noland. Nick turns 25 on the 25th! Happy Birthday
and Happy Birthday to the newest Noland!
KWIBS - From
February 13, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Well, give credit where credit is due.
I watched the State of the Union Address Tuesday evening. My bet was
that I would stay awake longer than our president, but he actually won.
I was not surprised that Biden opened his speech with a gaffe,
incorrectly calling Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer the "minority
leader." Then he praised Nancy Pelosi and her hammer-head husband. Pun
intended.
I must have been dreaming and imagined the President said, "Two years
ago, our economy was reeling," the president said. "As I stand here
tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs, more jobs created
in two years than any president has ever created in four years."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), however, the economy
under Biden has only added 2.7 million overall jobs.
Biden renewed his call to ban so-called "assault weapons" during his
address, obviously getting a standing ovation from his party and a
thumbs down from the other side.
"Ban assault weapons now. Ban them now, once and for all," he said.
Someone should read him the second amendment.
The president made the declaration after talking about the gunman who
allegedly used a handgun to kill 11 people celebrating the Lunar New
Year at a ballroom near Los Angeles.
The gun was reportedly a semiautomatic pistol with a magazine larger
than 10 rounds.
Biden did not elaborate on what type of firearm classified as an
"assault weapon."
Someone should also tell him about assault stoves, HAMMERS, cars,
knives, etc....
He got this sort of right, but mostly wrong when saying, “In the last
two years, my administration has cut the deficit by more than $1.7
trillion – the largest deficit reduction in American history.”
Well.... it is highly questionable how much credit Biden deserves for
this reduction. Biden did not mention that the primary reason the
deficit fell so substantially was that it had skyrocketed to a record
high under then-President Donald Trump in 2020 because of bipartisan
emergency pandemic relief spending, then fell as expected when the
spending expired as planned.
He also took credit for lowering gas prices by $1.50 since their peak,
but he didn’t mention, however, that gas prices are still significantly
higher today than they were when he took office.
“Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans,
some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. … You know
it means – if Congress doesn’t keep the programs the way they are, they
would go away.”
That got some jeers and boos from Republicans. Biden was referring to
Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott, who last year issued “An 11 Point Plan to
Rescue America.” It got little to no support and was quickly dismissed
by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who said that the GOP will not
include in its agenda a bill that sunsets Social Security and Medicare
within five years.
"Liar!" Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., shouted.
Biden backtracked saying, "I'm not saying it's a majority of you. I
don't even think it's even a significant.....”
So keep scaring our elderly Mr. Elderly. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
also reiterated in remarks on Monday before the SOTU that “cuts to
Medicare and Social Security are off the table” in the debt ceiling
discussions.
President Biden bragged on his decision to shoot down a suspected
Chinese spy balloon as evidence that his administration will “act to
protect our country” against threats from Beijing during his State of
the Union address on Tuesday evening. He failed to mention that it
floated around our country for 5 days.... Spying.....
Let’s just be honest. The second that balloon entered our sovereign air
space, we should have shot it down. No excuses. Crashing somewhere in
Alaska or Montana would have done no harm as nobody lives there...
Besides, the Chinese don’t need balloons to spy on us. They have
satellites that can count the freckles on your face, just like we do.
Some, not me, still have TicTok on their phones after being warned time
and time again of its risks and have no idea what data it’s harvesting
to the Chinese. The “balloongate” was a test by China to see our
reaction and we failed the test. Shooting it down on it’s way out is
like flipping somebody the bird after they’ve already left. Oh, and
China is demanding the balloon back. I say fill it with candy and launch
it.
Then finally, Biden addressed America's fentanyl problem, which prompted
some lawmakers to yell "border!" in the House chamber to indicate he
should close the southern border, and one Republican to shout, "It's
your fault."
When Republicans indicated Biden needs to close the border, Biden
replied, "You got it," but didn't follow up with any details.
All in all, it was a typical speech given by any other president, making
promises to work together, bring unity and prosperity. In other words,
boring... I recorded it and watched the parts I missed over a glass of
wine, pausing occasionally to ask the TV about the Biden laptop cover-up
and all the money Biden’s have made off of foreign deals. I got no
answers....
So in closing, the weirdest thing I saw all night was First Lady Jill
Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff sharing a kiss on the lips ahead
of Biden’s speech. What the????
Have a great week America
KWIBS - From
February 6, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
What a great championship
game in Kansas City, sending the Chiefs back to the superbowl!!!
So they will face the Eagles in Phoenix February 12, 2023! Monday
morning I was reading my facebook newsfeed and one friend commented
something like, “The Chiefs got this wrapped up since the Eagles lost
Glenn Frey...”
If you’re old enough to get that joke, thank you for reading.
Ronda and I were excited to spend some time in Kansas City during the
first divisional game; the Chiefs played vs. the Jacksonville, Jaguars.
Thanks to my buddy Jim for helping us get together with our friends Nix
and Wendy White. Nix and Wendy flew out from San Diego on Friday, we ate
dinner, went to bed, got up and drove to Arrowhead to watch the win!
When it was over, we went back to the hotel, ate a late dinner and said
out good-byes, as they left shortly after 4 a.m. the next day to catch a
flight home.
Those have been some of our greatest moments. We’ve seen a bunch of NFL
games together and maybe someday we’ll get the master bucket list: THE
SUPERBOWL!!
In the meantime, we’ll keep playing mean tricks on eachother. Shorty
before the divisionals in KC, the Cowboys got beaten by the Bengals,
bringing “my team” to a season’s end. I had bragged about hoping that
Dak Prescott would get a superbowl ring. Nix thought that was funny and
just a day before we left for KC, I got a facetime phone call from him
while sitting at my desk. I answered and looked at the screen. It was a
superbowl ring sitting on a picnic table. I looked closely and it was a
Saint’s ring. The phone flipped around and it was former Saint’s Quarter
Back Drew Brees! He said, “Dak can’t have this. He’ll have to earn his
own.” Then Nix came barking in with laughter. Nix and Drew have been
friends for many years and we’ve gotten to meet him. He’s a really cool,
normal guy, unlike Nix or me.
Joke was on Drew though.... I said, “Hey Drew, check this out,” and I
backed away from the camera a bit. I was wearing Drew’s jersey that day.
It was by coincidence, but Drew questioned Nix after the phone call. He
thought we set him up! Way too funny.
Let’s go Chiefs!
Our dear friends Nix and Wendy White with me and my
lovely cheerleader-worthy wife Ronda at Arrowhead!
KWIBS - From
January 30, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Why so serious? Let’s have
a couple of laughs....
A blonde walked into an electronics store and said to the salesmen: "I
want that tv."
The salesperson shook his head and said, "No, we don't sell to blondes."
So the blonde left and came back with her hair dyed brown and said:
"I'll take that tv."
Again the salesman said: "No, we don't sell to blondes."
So she left again and came back with her hair dyed black and said: "I
want that tv."
But the salesman still said: "No, we don't sell to blondes."
Finally the blonde got fed up and said, "That's it! How'd you know I was
a blonde?!" she asked.
The salesman answered: "Cause that's a microwave."
and....
One evening an old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't
been there for a while.
He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.
As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.
As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny dipping
in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went
to the deep end.
One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"
The old man frowned, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim
naked or make you get out of the pond naked.” Holding the bucket up he
said, "I'm here to feed the alligator!'
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 23, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
I had run out of space last
week and had written about assault gas stoves now being a threat to
Americans, but then got this week’s Tom Purcell column and he sort of
covered it.
I don’t want to look like a copy-cat, but Ronda can attest to my desire
to put in a gas stove in our home. Ironically, the one that I really
want was almost twice as expensive as the brand new electric one we
settled for. I will say that they have made leaps and bounds since the
last electric stove we bought in 1999.
We love our beef, pork and poultry and I’d prefer cooking over a flame,
but I’ve also discovered the magic of pellet grills. It’s a slower
process to smoke and slow cook, but the food tastes amazing. I’m sure
we’ll never have a pellet grill inside, but ours sits right by our front
door and we cook on it year-round.
I ditched the propane gas grill for a pellet grill over ten years ago,
but there are times I wish I still had one. The instant heat of gas
out-does the slow warming up of pellets any day of the week, but you
still don’t quite get the flavor you get when cooking with cherry or
apple pellets. The pros outweighed the cons.
When the environmentalists start seeing the billowing clouds of smoke
rising from my front porch, there’s sure to be trouble. There’s nothing
Vegan about it either.
Are they going to come after my “wood burning” grill next? They will
have to pry it out of my greasy, BBQ covered hands, chin and fingers.
Besides, I can’t take a young, dumb, drunk senator seriously when she
defends her actions and concerns about gas stoves and their health
dangers.
Have a “Grate” week! Cookin’ with gas!
KWIBS - From
January 16, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
Well, sometimes I get
enough space to make a comment, sometimes I don’t. I have much to say
about a lot of issues, but, you’ll have to wait another week to hear
from me! I do want to wish my Grandson Kycen a belated Happy 13th
Birthday (1-11-23)! I love you kiddo and hope you get a chance to read
the paper!
KWIBS - From
January 9, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
It’s officially a new year
and this column is actually the first column I wrote in 2023, so I
officially haven’t made anyone mad by my opinions this year. You have to
count last week as a 2022 column because I wrote it on the 29th of
December....
I have a few predictions for 2023. I’m going to try as hard as possible
to be a “glass half full” kind of guy, but in reality, the world is a
mess. So is my sense of humor.
1) My first prediction, that many happen to agree with, is President
Biden will visit the border and see the crisis himself. Sadly, he has to
find it first and we hope it’s not near Niagra Falls. Someone get Joe a
map or an Uber.
2) Elon Musk will not run for president. He can’t. He’s South African.
Tesla will rebound, Twitter will be just fine and SpaceX will eventually
make it to Mars where Elon will drop off Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters
on their home planet.
3) Donald Trump will abandon his idea to run for president and take my
advice and endorse Mike Pompeo for President and Tulsi Gabbard as his
running mate. Ok, it’s not a prediction, but I think this would be a
smart move.
4) People will finally understand that it’s ok to wear shorts to work.
They will be accepted as formal work attire. UPS, FedX and the USPS are
way ahead of the curve on this. Socks and underwear will become optional
and sandals and flip flops are ok. One tragedy will stem from the Great
Shorts Awakening. As the masses are more consistently exposed to my
chicken-leg calves, hundreds of American men and women will die of
laughter. I will mourn them, but not apologize. These legs were not my
choice. They were a gift/curse from God.
5) Along with TicTok, Soccer will be banned in the United States or at
least on ESPN. Thousands of grown a__ed adults will have to actually
work and kids will be forced outside to play. Oh the humanity!
6) With the help of the world, the Ukrainian military will knock the
Borscht out of the Russians so badly that President Vladimir Putin will
be tossed out of office. Russian oligarchs will briefly consider
installing their new resident, Hunter Biden, as a puppet president, but
will change their minds when they realize how embarrassing it would be
to do that, considering it was actually Biden, not Trump, that was
influenced by Russia, China and Ukrain. The dirt will come out, but
nobody will care because CNN goes out of business after the last 10
viewers stop watching at the airport.
7) Elon Musk and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) will fall in love and
marry. The pretend fights they have on Twitter will be turned into a
made for TV reality show.
8) 87,000 new IRS agents will require bids for chairs that will be
bought on Etsy or Amazon, all made in China by small children. The
reviews from these purchases will temporarily crash the internet. These
new IRS hires will cost almost $80 Billion and they will audit everyone,
increasing revenues by $10,000 a year, proving that it was a great idea
as part of the “Inflation Reduction Act.”
9) Car dealerships will take eggs on trade for new cars.
10) Pipelines once used for transporting petroleum, will be turned into
transportation tubes for Washington Bureaucrats.
11) The NYSE will be renamed the YOYO. Everyone will pull their Crypto
currency stock causing mass panic and a run on thin air....
So, those are a few of my predictions. Here’s some predictions from 100
years ago in 1923 about the year 2023:
“By 2023 there'll be no mail between New York and San Francisco.
Pittsburgh and London concerns will record, on talking films, orders
from merchants in Peking, and 1,000-mile-an-hour freighters will make
deliveries of goods before sunset. Watch-size radio telephones will keep
everybody in communication with the ends of the earth.
No More Hard Work by 2023!
DR. CHARLES P. STEIN- METZ, the electrical expert, believes that the
time is coming when there will be no long drudgery and that people will
toil not more than four hours a day, owing to the work of electricity.
He visualizes an amazing transformation in life in 2023. Every city will
be a ‘spotless town.’ That is to be the work of electricity, also. (So
their is hope for Detroit and San Fransisco).
Everyone will be disease-free and beautiful, and we might all live until
we’re 300. Cancer would also be a thing of the past.”
One prediction that was eerily accurate was that the United States would
have a population of 300 million. As it stands currently, there are
nearly 332 million people living in the US.
However, the person who thought that there would be 100 million
Canadians in a hundred years was wrong: right now, there are just over
38 million people living in Canada.
If Trump gets reelected, that number could rise!
“It is now predicted that by the year 2023 - only a mere little stretch
of a century ahead - women will probably be shaving their heads! And the
men will be wearing curls. Also the maidens may pronounce it the height
of style in personal primping to blacken their teeth. Won't we be
pretty?” - Savannah News.
From the 1923 Minneapolis Journal: “It is an attractive prophecy that
Glenn Curtiss, the airplane authority, gives of airflight. He predicts
that by the year 2023 gasoline as a motive power will have been replaced
by radio, and that the skies will be filled with myriad craft sailing
over well-defined routes.”
You mean like flying cars? Hey 1923, we were supposed to have those in
2015.
Maybe we can put that on a list for 2123.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 2, 2023 - By Kevin Noland
And just like that... It’s
2023. I’m betting you mess up a few checks and documents over the next
month. I know I will.
The best thing about a new year, is getting my new Farm Bureau Calendar.
Tuesday, I ran a couple doors north and grabbed my calendar. I didn’t
submit anything this year and hadn’t for about 3 years, but was in awe
of the awesome scenes! Bruce Montgomery shot one of my favorite scenes
for my birthday month in October! It’s a goose about to land on the
Barber County State Lake. It is fantastic!
It got me all excited to look through my SD card on my Canon camera. I
keep it in my truck with me, ever handy for those “in the moment” shots.
I also carry a drone with me most days. You’d think it was just a toy,
but it is quite amazing with 4K video as well. It did have a little
learning curve to it. You are doing a lot of multi-tasking while flying
it and you definitely want to make sure you’re over the height of your
tallest obstructions!
I’m also the guy who never deletes anything. That’s probably why I’m on
the “no fly list.” Kidding, but I am probably on a list of some-sorts. I
had taken over 3,000 photos in 2022. It took me a good 2 hours Tuesday
to just relive the year, and I’m glad I did.
I want to thank Zel at Farm Bureau for working on this calendar project
for so many years. It truly is the highlight of the new year to get this
calendar.
My New Year’s Resolution will be to participate again! I just built me a
new folder of “the best of 2023!”
Have a Happy 2023!
KWIBS - From
December 26, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
2022. You can probably
relate that you’re ready for a new year, hopefully, a better one.
The world has been a crazy place this year and it’s a blessing to live
in Barber County’s bubble.
Our year started off like any other normal year, but on March 9th, 2022,
our year took an awful turn. Ronda’s Dad, Don Vick, was in a horrible
car accident. He nearly died, but thankfully God wasn’t done with him
and He healed Don with amazing surgeons in Wichita and then recovered at
MLMH. We can’t say enough good things about the care he received here.
Without the special attention and physical therapy, he would probably be
in a wheelchair, but he was determined to get well and he has. We
celebrated his 80th birthday just a few days ago!
We rolled on for a few more months of healing and then we got more sad
news. Our daughter-in-law, Haley Noland, lost her daddy to dementia. A
couple of days after his death, Joey and Haley found out they were going
to be parents! They are due in March and we couldn’t be more excited to
add baby “who” to the family.
Our other kids, Nick and Natalie, took new positions in Hays, KS. Nick
is a warehouse manager for Sherwin Williams and Natalie is a Pharmacy
Tech and so is Joey! Joey recently passed his national boards.
My son-in-law Miguel got a big promotion and raise recently. He’s now an
operator for Sterling Drilling. He’s got his own rig now! Bree juggles
life with 6 kids and is an amazing mom!
Sadly, I’m ending the year with the flu. I hope to be fully recovered by
the turn of the calendar, but it seems like I’ve had my fair share of
illness in 2022. I’ve had Covid, a head and chest cold and now the flu.
Oh well, 2023 has to start better than 2022 ended!
KWIBS - From
December 19, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Keep learning. You might
find that something that used to be objective to you, now has a
different meaning than you thought.
Did you ever get your Christmas Stocking all in a twist during the
season just the way someone says “Happy Holidays” or simply writes,
“Merry Xmas?” I have, until I read about these traditions.
Assuming most Americans celebrate and observe Christmas, you’re right; a
2019 Gallup poll showed that 93 percent of Americans observe Christmas.
However, did you know that “Happy Holidays” has Christian origins?
I used to think that the “holidays” in “Happy Holidays” referred to
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. While the modern meaning
does align with this thinking, “Happy Holidays” originally referred to
the Advent season, which was comprised of four Sundays that range from
late November to late December.
So, I’m slightly less offended. Let’s hear some more.....
Many churches also celebrate the Christian feast day of Epiphany, which
is in early January each year. You can see how the original Christian
holiday season fits right in with our modern time period between
Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Originally, when someone wished you “Happy Holidays,” they most likely
meant “Happy Advent season, which will culminate in the celebration of
Christmas and subsequently the Epiphany of Christ.” It just so happens
that Hanukkah and Kwanzaa align with this time period as well.
As Christmas has become more commercialized and less religious (in
general), “Happy Holidays” has come to mean a catch-all term for the
time period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Of course, the term “holiday” comes from an Old English word that
literally meant “holy day.” The term only applied to special days on the
Christian calendar.
On top of “Happy Holidays” rubbing some the wrong way, writing or saying
“Xmas” bothers many people. However, this term is rooted in church
traditions as well.
“Xmas” shows up in writing as early as the 1500s. The “X” stands for the
Greek letter “chi,” which is the first letter in “Christ” in Greek. “X”
was used as an abbreviation for “Christ” because the word was so widely
used at the time. I used it once and I had an angry subscriber call me.
You won’t be surprised to learn that the “-mas” in “Xmas” means “mass.”
The “mass of Christ.” Therefore, “Xmas” does not belittle or remove the
“Christ” from “Christmas.”
I’ve found the more I learn, the less I’m offended. Both “Happy
Holidays” and “Xmas” have deep theological roots. Instead of berating
people who use them, allow the terms to enrich your devotion to your
faith tradition.
If either are said to me, I respond happily with “and Merry Christmas to
you and yours.”
Anyway you say it, it’s still about the birth of Jesus, Our Lord and
Saviour.
Luke 1:30-32
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a
Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the
throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Have a Blessed
Christmas!
KWIBS - From
December 12, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I have a Twitter account.
One of my kids set it up for me like 5-10 years ago.
I might have made one post, but I really didn’t understand its
usefulness. Now that Elon Musk owns it, I might have to jump back on
that abandoned ban(d)-wagon.
I guess maybe I don’t have the free time others have to read tweets. I
just looked at my app and I have like 2,014 unopened posts. I don’t even
know what that means. I don’t even know my password or how to use it,
but I started researching it on the internet and discovered I can waste
time there as well!
Here’s what I learned: People are nuts. Here’s some of the tweets that I
did find interesting or funny!
- Email was a mistake. We shouldn’t be able to communicate this quickly.
If my husband died at Gettysburg, that's not my business until next
spring.
- You don't see a lot of brown cars anymore. When I was a kid it was
just doodoo brown Oldsmobiles all over.
- Guy on Jeopardy was just introduced as a “stay at home uncle.”
- For the past 20 years I’ve received a Valentines card from the same
secret admirer. So I was pretty upset when I didn’t get one this year.
First my granny dies and now this.
- I wonder if the planet Earth teases other planets for having no life.
- I asked my girlfriend what she wanted for her birthday, and she
replied "Nothing would make me happier than diamonds." So I got her
nothing.
- In a thousand years archeologists will dig up tanning beds and think
we fried people as punishment.
- To the guy who stole my antidepressants, I hope you’re happy now!
Have a great tweet or week.
KWIBS - From
December 5, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
For 34 years Ronda and I
keep saying, “Hey, when Christmas is over, we really need to buy a new,
nicer, Christmas Tree.”
That statement has come and gone over 3 decades. We do end up buying a
tree, but it’s usually a cheap tree from China that barely makes it
through the Christmas season.
The pre-lit trees are pretty cool, but when one bulb goes out, it seems
like half the tree’s lights go with it and it takes a Ph.D. from MIT to
find that bulb and get your tree going again.
This year was no different. First I couldn’t even find our tree. Ronda
was already in bed when I decided to hunt it down. I couldn’t find it.
I got up the next morning and the tree was up! It was like some
Christmas Fairy came in and set up our tree in the middle of the night,
only it was actually my wife who gets up almost two hours before I do.
The tree was half lit, or half unlit whether your an optimist or a
pessimist.
No worries though. We’d just patch that spot up with a short string of
lights and get through until after Christmas and buy a new, nicer,
Christmas Tree after the holidays.
Let’s be honest. That’s not going to happen. Besides, the short 10’
light string I put on was like 10,000x brighter than the prelit lights
on the tree, so it looked really stupid. Stupid Christmas Tree.
So, I whipped out my iPhone and typed in “Christmas Trees, Fiber, LED,
Best.”
I had over 50 matches, so I got overwhelmed and picked the first one.
I flashed the screen at Ronda, she shrugged and said “order it” and I
did. Now as of this writing, the tree should be here for the weekend.
Let it begin with Christmas! Notice, I did not define what “it” was!
KWIBS - From
November 28, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
We are officially into the holiday season!
Last week, as I was building this week’s paper, (it’s very confusing
living in the future), I stumbled across an article written by Harold
Pease, Ph.D. Dr. Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution.
He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding
Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history
and political science from this perspective for over 30 years.
I frequently read his columns and asked for permission to share this one
because I thought it so perfectly explained our country.
I’m certainly not trying to start an argument, but I have said for
years, “We’re not a Democracy. We are a Republic.” That confuses so many
people, but our Founding Fathers thought this process through. It’s not
something that only applies in 1776, but it is a timeless application
for us to this day. I hope you enjoy this article and please send your
hate mail to him.
Sorry Dems, Founders
Actually Rejected Democracy
By Harold Pease, Ph.D.
Democrats never use the word republic to describe our political system
and Republicans rarely use it, both preferring to use the word
democracy. Consequently most people ignorantly refer to our political
system as a democracy and have to be reminded that this word is not in
the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, or
any other document given to us by our Founding Fathers. Our Pledge of
Allegiance to the flag identifies our form of government as a republic.
In the 2022 midterms the Democrat’s principle campaign slogan was saving
democracy which is the antithesis of our republic. Why would we save
that which our Founders clearly rejected?
Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1759, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb
voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb
contesting the vote.” A republic has seven major components necessary
for liberty listed below. Necessary to democracy is majority rules.
First, the importance of majority rules is recognized but limited. Is
the majority always right? No! Mother made this point when her teenager
asked to smoke marijuana on the basis that everyone was doing it. She
asked, “If everyone jumped off a bridge would you?” The Electoral
College and Bill of Rights are based upon the recognition that the
majority is not always right.
Second, minority rights (less than 50%) are protected FROM the majority
in a republic. In Franklin’s analogy the lamb had the right to exist
even if the majority, the wolves, disagreed. A lynch mob is a democracy,
everyone votes but the one being hanged. Even if caught in the act of a
crime the accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence:
protection of law, a judge, jury, witnesses for his defense, and a
lawyer to argue his innocence; all necessary in a republic, even
expensive. Then, if found guilty, hanged. Because democracy only
considers majority rules it is much less expensive and decidedly faster.
A rope tossed over a tree limb will do.
Third, a republic is based upon natural inalienable rights from God;
first acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence. This document
asserted to the world that we acknowledge that humans have rights from a
source higher than mere man. A reference to deity is mentioned five
times. If there is no God there can be no inalienable rights coming from
Him and we are left with man as God. What man is good enough?
Fourth, a republic emphasizes individual differences, democracy absolute
equality. We are not equal, even from the womb, and never will be if
equality means sameness. An infant with a cleft pallet may need three
operations to look normal. Some come out of the womb with a laptop,
others with a basketball, and the real tough deliveries are from those
bringing their golf clubs. One of my first great insights in life was
that everyone was better at everything than I. A second, was that life
is not fair and never will be. A third, free men are not equal and equal
men are not free. Genetics makes one fat, another bald, and gives yet
another terminal cancer in his youth.
Nor is monetary equality possible. Should I bestow my students each with
a million dollars in exchange for everything they now own, shave their
heads, and give them identical uniforms, to approximate sameness as much
as possible, with the only requirement that they return in five years
with some ledger of net worth. Would they be the same in what was left
of the million? No! Work ethic and talent differ. Why does government
try so hard to do that which is impossible? A republic looks upon our
differences as assets ultimately benefiting everyone as was the
invention of the automobile or computer. This is decidedly not the base
of democracy.
Fifth, limited government is also a major aspect of a republic.
Centralized government is good so long as it remembers that when it
oversteps its bounds it becomes the greatest threat to liberty as it
pulls decision-making power away from the individual. Excessive
government, as the cause of the American Revolution, must never be
forgotten. The Constitution as created, handcuffed the government from
dominating our lives, thus the powers of the federal government were
listed (Article I, Section 8). The Founders understood that the more
government at the top the less at the bottom and that was the essence of
freedom.
Sixth, a republic has frequent elections with options. Frequent
elections happen in some socialist countries, so this alone does not
ensure liberty. In fact, it may be somewhat deceiving as it fosters the
notion that we choose, thus deserve, our elected officers. It also
assumes that the people are correctly informed, which assumes a free
press and equal access to ALL information. The part of the phrase “with
options” is the part that ensures liberty. Elections under socialism
provided choices but often no options as all participants are from the
same party or ideology.
Seventh, in a republic exists a healthy fear of the emotion of the
masses and of its potential to destabilize natural law upon which real
freedom is based, as for example the notion that another’s wealth
belongs to them through excessive taxation. Such destroys freedom as it
had in Athens and Rome. We need a caring, sensitive, compassionate
government but emotion must not be allowed to overwhelm reason and
time-tested natural law constants. Aristotle taught that the poor will
always envy the rich and that the rich will always have contempt for the
poor. A republic will not allow the poor to destroy the rich in their
quest for the wealth of the rich, but does incentivize the poor to
increase their wealth thus becoming the middle class, which, in time,
become the largest body.
As explained, democracy does not protect liberty and in time could
become its enemy. In Ben Franklin’s analogy it would have allowed the
wolves to have eaten the lamb simply because the lamb had been outvoted.
No wonder our Founders rejected democracy in favor of a republic,
something we too are obliged to do today to protect our liberty.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 21, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I love this time of year
and appreciate, so much, the efforts that our area school teachers put
into getting us letters from students on “How to Cook a Turkey.”
This year was probably the funniest list I’ve ever read.
WARNING: The Gyp Hill Premiere and its owners are not responsible if
you follow any of these recipes. For those that do, your wait time at
the ER may be longer than expected!
This was one of my favorites:
“Preheat the oven to 20 degrees. Stuff the turkey with ham, syrup, and
mashed potatoes. Dress the turkey with potatoes. Cook the turkey for 3
minutes. For best results, serve the turkey with a plate, legs, and
hands to hold it.
- Kimber”
Well, Kimber, since we are sharing recipes, here’s mine:
Set the alarm for 6 a.m. and make sure your wife gets up. Have her put
the turkey in the roaster pan and put seasoning on it.
Have her wake you up no later than 11 a.m. to carve it up. Invite people
over to your house who are good at making stuffing, pies, mashed
potatoes and anything else you might like. Have them bring it by noon!
Turn on the football game and wait for the rest of the food, I mean
people, to get here and then stuff yourself with it. Be done first, so
you don’t lose your recliner chair in front of the TV. Send home all
those who are not watching the football game, or if the weather is nice,
send them outside.
By this time, you should be feeling sleepy and you need a nap. When you
wake up, it’s time to eat again and watch more football!
Happy Thanksgiving, Kimber, and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
KWIBS - From
November 14, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Back to our regularly
scheduled programming. Raise your hand if you are glad to have your TV,
newspaper and internet feeds free of political advertisements!
So, it’s not every day that someone comes into your office and asks if
they can look around, take pictures and ask a few questions about your
newspaper.
That’s what happened to me Wednesday. I was working on the paper and
Jeremiah Ariaz stopped by. Ariaz is originally from Great Bend, KS. He’s
now an Associate Professor at the Louisana State University.
Ariaz is traveling Kansas photo-documenting newspapers for a future
project. Since I was all dressed up in a suit and tie, I let him take my
photo in front of the office. Wait, that didn’t happen. I was wearing a
concert T-shirt and my camo work pants. He instead really wanted photos
of some of our old type set and our archives room. He also took some
photos of the front of the building and was making his way towards
Harper County. He’s been zigzagging around the state for about 2 years
and showed me some of his photos. It was really cool!
My apologies for not having more election coverage and Veterans’ Day
photos. Ronda and I were both out of town on Friday in different states
and had to wrap things up quickly to get to our different destinations.
It’s one of only a few times in our lives we’ve been apart. She probably
needed a break from me!
Thank you to all of our veterans! I still think fondly of all of our
area vets, past and present. My son Nick served his country from
2016-2020 in Okinawa attached to the Marine Air Wing 172 (MWSS-172). He
was Green Side Navy working as an RP3 (Religious Program Specialist
Petty Officer 3rd Class).
He took the entire week off since it was the Marine Corps birthday and
Veterans Day! Well deserved!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 7, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
President Biden (Grandpa Joe), had some interesting
gaffes these past few weeks as his handlers seem to be losing control
over him. You don’t believe me?
We’ve all seen the videos of him wandering around shaking hands with
people who aren’t there. We watched him crash a bicycle. We watched him
call out for Representative Jackie Walorski, several times at an event.
She had passed away in a car accident almost two months ago.
This past week must have been rapid fire gaffe mode for President Biden
as he claims inflation is high due to Iraq war and said his son died in
Iraq. In fact, Beau Biden, a military lawyer in the Delaware Army
National Guard, served for a year in Iraq. He returned home in 2009 and
died of brain cancer in the United States in 2015.
Biden, as he wished a happy birthday to Vice President Kamala Harris
last Monday, called her a "great president." He later called Harris the
"highest ranking black Indian, with Indian background, woman, in
American history to be Vice President." That same day, Biden botched
United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's name. One day prior,
“NowThis” posted an interview with the president where he falsely
described his executive order on college debt forgiveness as a bill that
"passed by a vote or two."
And if you like an incoherent president, how about we throw in a Senator
who just had a serious stroke.
Folks, I’m not making fun of signs of dementia and/or stroke. I’ve
watched family members suffer through these diseases. The difference
was, they weren’t trying to run the country and create policy for us as
citizens. Our family didn’t encourage them to either.
We are in serious trouble when we sweep these problems under the rug
just to maintain power.
Happy Voting!
KWIBS - From
October 24, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
The on again, off again,
and back on again purchase of Twitter by Billionaire Elon Musk has been
quite entertaining.
This week employees at Twitter started circulating an open letter
protesting Elon Musk’s plan to fire as much as 75% of the company’s
workforce, as the deadline for him to complete his $44 billion
acquisition of the company looms.
That’s not that many people. Twitter only has about 7,500 employees and
from the sounds of things, most of them work in sweat pants from their
living room couches.
This is such a “I don’t care” story, that I just have to bring it up. If
Elon has $44 billion to buy Twitter, then he can do whatever he wants
with the company. Will several thousands be looking for work? Yep.
That’s how restructuring works.
In their letter, employees “demand” things like:
“Respect: We demand leadership to respect the platform and the workers
who maintain it by committing to preserving the current headcount.”
I guess that means, even if there’s too many people doing nothing for
the company in Elon’s evaluation.
Safety: We demand that leadership does not discriminate against workers
on the basis of their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or
political beliefs. We also demand safety for workers on visas, who will
be forced to leave the country they work in if they are laid off.
Protection: We demand Elon Musk explicitly commit to preserve our
benefits, those both listed in the merger agreement and not (e.g. remote
work). We demand leadership to establish and ensure fair severance
policies for all workers before and after any change in ownership.
Dignity: We demand transparent, prompt and thoughtful communication
around our working conditions. We demand to be treated with dignity, and
to not be treated as mere pawns in a game played by billionaires.
Sincerely,
Twitter workers”
Ronda and I are no where near billionaires, but we are business owners
who have had many employees who have made “demands.” As you can imagine,
there are other jobs you may be able to find that fit your “demands.”
As a “Tweep” (what workers at Twitter refer to themselves), you may find
out Elon is a great guy to work for and weeding out bad employees and
replacing them with good ones will make for a great working environment.
If not, then quit (or get off your couch and put on some pants).
I’m going to start referring to us here at the paper as “Premies” and I
demand you keep reading KWIBS!
Please....
KWIBS - From
October 31, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I have a lot of friends who
consider themselves “Democrats.” These friends actually share many of
the same values that I share, so was it a big shock to them to hear that
Tulsi Gabbard said farewell to the Democratic Party?
“Well, she was always a Republican,” one friend said.
For 20 years?
In her own words:
"I can no longer remain in today's Democratic party," she said on an
episode of her podcast. "It's now under the complete control of an
elitist cabal of warmongers, driven by cowardly wokeness..."
Gabbard additionally accused the party of "stoking anti-white racism,"
being contemptuous toward religion and police and driving the country
closer to nuclear war.
I’ve always liked Gabbard and I had a dream team for 2020 by putting her
and Trump on a ticket together. That’s right, a republican and a
democrat! God forgive me!
I wouldn’t have that same vision today. She has declared herself an
independent, which is really what I consider myself, but I have a new
dream team for 2024: Mike Pompeo and Tulsi Gabbard. I’ve met Pompeo on
two occassions in my office.
How cool does that sound?
Pompeo: A master of foreign policy as Secretary of State, a law degree
from Harvard, a graduate from the United States Military Academy, CIA
Director, a U.S. House of Representatives member and a Kansan on top of
that!
Gabbard: A member of Congress, Samoan-American, a 2020 presidential
candidate, an Army Military Police Platoon Leader and veteran who was
stationed in Kuwait (still serving her country).
I could go on and on, or you can vote Biden-Harris. Biden: doesn’t have
a clue where he is and Harris is a cackling wind bag of do-nothing. Send
hate mail to: myvote@2024.com.
KWIBS - From
October 17, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Spontaneous.
That’s what we are. Ronda and I either do months of planning before
leaving home, or we are spontaneous to the point we don’t know exactly
where we are going or what we are doing, but we always manage to do this
with Nix and Wendy White from San Diego, CA.
You all know Nix: FrogX Jump Team Owner, former MLHS Class of 1988
turned Special Operator/ Navy SEAL (retired). Well, we’ve been
pencilling off every weekend in October to go see them in San Diego.
Last week, it looked like we were flying out on Friday and then I
finally got a response from Nix, “Hey, won’t be in California. I’m
jumping into an event in Fort Worth, TX. CALL ME!”
So I did. It was 11:27 p.m. on Wednesday. He apologized. You have to
remember, he really has no idea when these last minute jobs will pop up
and he has to jump a flight to... jump out of a flight.
I was like, “Hey, no worries, we’ll just drive to Fort Worth!” So, we
locked up early, loaded up and headed south not knowing what or where we
were going.
On the way down, I got us a hotel and Nix sent us a map of the landing
zone and it was in the middle of the Stockyards. I thought it was odd,
but rolled with it. We got there and found Wendy in a parking lot. They
were driving longhorns down the street and there was a big PBR event.
Nix was jumping in for the Texas Rattlers with their flag. They ended up
winning.
Right on time, he landed 25 feet from us, walked over and gave us a hug
and our weekend of spontaneity began!
Saturday evening, I was wearing my “Texas Rattler’s” team shirt and a
cowboy limped over to the bar and said I needed a new shirt. Turns out,
his team, sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers, came in second. His manager
joined us for drinks and in Nix’s weird way, he discovered they knew
some of the same people out in California that own a resturaunt. The
limping cowboy texted us after he got to his room and said he was not
coming back down with my new shirt, but the manager swears he’s sending
them to Nix and I’m sure Nix will send them to me!
To say we had a “large time” in Texas was an understatement. These trips
are always the funnest and make the best memories. I was even fortunate
enough to have a late lunch with my cousins and see my Aunt Millie on
the way home.
Be spontaneous every once in a while. You’ll thank me.
Have a great week!
At the Stockyards, Ft. Worth, TX with with the Whites!
KWIBS - From
October 10, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Thanks to cell phones and
the internet, you can’t have a productive day on your birthday!
Seriously though, it was great getting all the birthday wishes last
week. Bree and I have birthdays one day apart; her’s on the 3rd and mine
on the 4th.
My first “happy birthday” came at 6:50 a.m. Obviously, this isn’t
someone who knows me very well. I’m not a morning person and he did not
start my day out happy, especially since I got called out on two bonds
the night before and got home late. Just another 30 minutes of sleep
would have been a great gift, but NO.... lol
It’s all good. No matter how under the radar I tried to stay, I got many
special birthday wishes and I am so thankful to everyone who reached
out.
Thank the good Lord I’m not a big cake eater. Those candles would have
had to be lit outside with a fire extinguisher on hand. Besides, we’re
in a burn ban.
I’m guilty of the same thing. The first thing I do every morning is
check to see who’s birthday I’m about to miss.... Kidding... I usually
try and send my friends birthday greetings too. Here are some funny ones
if you need something other than “Happy Birthday _______!”
I believe you forgot my birthday present last year, so now I'm returning
the favor. Happy Birthday!
A wise man once said, "Forget about your past - you cannot change it."
I'd like to add: "Forget about your present - I didn't get you one."
You might be prehistoric, but at least you're not extinct!
Congratulations, you've finally reached the wonder years... wonder where
your car is parked? Wonder where you left your phone? Wonder where your
glasses are? Wonder what day it is?
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 26, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
While checking pastures
last week, I really paid attention to the grass in the pasture where my
friend Flint winters his cattle on our north east side. It looks
terrible, but on my way to town I passed his home and there were nearly
100 round bales all ready and neatly in a row.
It reminded me of the story of the Aesop Fable, “The Ant and the
Grasshopper.” Flint is definately the Ant, but more humble, if I might
say. I looked the fable up and found a modern version that made me
chuckle from the “Daily News” in Greensburg, IN.
“This one is a little different; two different versions, two different
morals. Here’s the old version: The ant works hard in the withering heat
and rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for
the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and
dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well
fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
The moral of the old story: Be responsible for yourself! Modern version:
The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long,
building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The
grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the
summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press
conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm
and well fed while he is cold and starving. CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC
show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video
of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. The
insect kingdom is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that
in an ant community of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to
suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and
everybody cries when they sing, ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green ...’
“A group called ‘Occupy the Anthill’ stages a demonstration in front of
the ant’s house where the news stations film the Reverend Al Sharpton
and a group of grasshoppers kneeling down to pray for the grasshopper
while he damns the ants. He later appears on MSNBC to complain that rich
ants do not care about those insects less fortunate. Former President
Obama condemns the ants and blames Donald Trump, President Bush 43,
President Bush 41, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope
for the grasshopper’s plight. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer exclaim in
an interview on The View that the ants had gotten rich off the backs of
the poor grasshoppers, and both call for an immediate tax hike on ants
to make them pay their fair share. Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic
Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the
summer. The ant is fined and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive
taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Grasshopper Czar and
given to the grasshopper. The story ends as we see the grasshopper and
his free-loading grasshopper friends finishing up the last bits of the
ant’s food while the government-owned ant house he is in, which, as
you’ll recall, just happens to be the ant’s old home, the house crumbles
around them because the grasshoppers don’t maintain it. The ant has
disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again. The grasshopper is
found dead from starvation, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over
by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once prosperous and peaceful ant
neighborhood. The moral of the modern version of the story: Be careful
how you vote in 2022.”
Actually, I think this is a pretty clever adaptation of the classic ant
and grasshopper story.
Interestingly enough, the original story is from Aesop’s Fables and it’s
really quite an ancient tale, at least the first version. Aesop lived
from approximately 620 to 564 BC. He is described as a storyteller who
lived around the same time as Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. Not
much is known about his life, but his fables remain popular even today,
some 2,500 years after they were written.
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the fable: “The story has been
used to teach the virtues of hard work and the perils of improvidence.
Some versions state a moral at the end along the lines of ‘Idleness
brings want,’ ‘To work today is to eat tomorrow,’ ‘Beware of winter
before it comes.’”
Although there have been some interpretations of the fable that suggest
that the ant is being selfish, however, “…the point of view in most
retellings of the fable is supportive of the ant.” But since the 18th
century the grasshopper “has been seen as [a] type of artist and the
question of [his] place…in society has also been included” in various
interpretations of the fable. Now, we’re on our way to something
approaching the second version of the fable!
Is the ant just being greedy and selfish? That’s a spin that has been
put on this ancient fable about the role of the arts in society.
Remember, the grasshopper “dances and plays the summer away.” And if the
arts have a place in society, shouldn’t society provide the basic
necessities to the artist so he can continue to dance and play, (play,
in this fable has to do with playing music on a fiddle, not just playing
as a child would.) This is an even closer interpretation to the second
version of the fable written above.
Needless to say, the more liberal interpretation of the ancient fable
probably isn’t what Aesop intended. I can’t imagine Aesop suggesting a
tax on the ants for redistribution to indolent grasshoppers.
KWIBS - From
September 19, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Let the fury of hate mail
against gun owners begin. Oh, for the irony though....
Progressive Congresswoman Karen Bass, who is also running for mayor of
Los Angeles, announced that her home was burglarized during the evening
hours on Friday, September 9th.
“Cash, electronics and other valuables were not. It’s unnerving and,
unfortunately, it’s something that far too many Angelenos have faced.”
According to other reports, based off the statement Bass made, it sounds
like the thief new Bass and/or Bass knew the thief since only her two
firearms were stolen, which she claims were “safely and securely
stored.” (As reported by Law Enforcement Today).
In addition to that, another odd thing about the announcement of her
house being burglarized is that the Democrat politician is a supporter
of Fidel Castro and is a gun owner.
History shows that Bass has voted against every major legislation
supporting gun rights and gun ownership. Below is a rundown of Bass’
voting record on Second Amendment rights:
Bass supports restricting gun purchase and possession;
She supported the Project Vote Smart (PVS) survey question on gun
restrictions, which summarizes candidates stances on gun issues and
whether or not they support restrictions on purchases and possession of
guns;
Bass supports banning large-capacity ammunition and she co-sponsored the
Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act;
She was a proponent of amending the Brandy Handgun Violence Prevention
Act, which included details like prohibiting the transfer or possession
of a large capacity ammunition feeding device; and
She wanted to repeal the “stand-your-ground-laws and she co-sponsored a
Resolution on Gun Violence, which in a congressional summary indicated
that the bill urged Congress to enact legislation based on the
President’s recommendations to reduce gun violence as well as push
states to repeal enacted stand-your-ground-laws and condemn gun
violence.
So she thinks the rules should only apply to us common folk, not the
elite and people often say dumb things in the heated passion of
political debate.
And in the new era of gun control regulations, inflaming emotions rather
than engaging in a rational discussion has become all too common.
Have a great week and keep those guns locked away.
KWIBS - From
September 12, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
So, you’ve probably noticed
one of the most entertaining sections of the newspaper is the dispatch
news. All credit to Kristine Landwehr. She works hard and gives you a
chance to catch up on the latest happenings in Barber County. These
dispatch calls remind me of the days that Charles DeGeer used to do the
news.
I’ve been in law enforcement with bonding and bounty hunting since 2004.
I love some of the excuses I get for either not showing up for court, or
why I should just take their word for it, that it was a
misunderstanding. Some are just overly honest and some lie through their
teeth. Which made me laugh when I read this story:
One night four college students were out partying late at night and
didn’t study for the test which was scheduled for the next day. In the
morning, they thought of a plan.
They made themselves look dirty with grease and dirt.
Then they went to the Dean and said they had gone out to a wedding last
night and on their way back the tire of their car burst and they had to
push the car all the way back. So they were in no condition to take the
test.
The Dean thought for a minute and said they can have the re-test after 3
days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time.
On the third day, they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as
this was a Special Condition Test, all four were required to sit in
separate classrooms for the test. They all agreed as they had prepared
well in the last 3 days.
The Test consisted of only 2 questions with the total of 100 Points:
1) Your Name? __________ (1 Point)
2) Which tire burst? __________ (99 Points)
Options – (a) Front Left (b) Front Right (c) Back Left (d) Back Right.
KWIBS - From
September 5, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Folks, the threat from
China is real. They have waged a war against the U.S. in trade in
infiltration of our businesses, transportation of goods, interference in
our government and now this....
Man solves three Rubik's cubes while juggling in under 3 1/2 minutes.
Aug. 29 (UPI) -- A Chinese puzzle enthusiast broke a Guinness World
Record by solving three Rubik's cubes in 3 minutes and 29.29 seconds
while juggling the puzzles.
Guinness World Records announced Li Zhihao broke the record for fastest
time to solve three rotating puzzle cubes while juggling during an
attempt in Xiamen, Fujian.
Li solved the three puzzles while juggling in 3 minutes and 29.29
seconds.
Li previously earned Guinness World Records titles for most rotating
puzzle cubes solved whilst suspended upside down, 195; most rotating
puzzle cubes solved using one hand while suspended upside down, 104;
fastest time to solve a rotating puzzle cube by a team of two, 12.59
seconds; and fastest time to solve a rotating puzzle cube by a team of
two under water, 18.93 seconds.
I’m not usually an alarmistist.
This is all pretty frightening since I can sometimes get two sides done
in about 30 minutes and most Americans can’t get one side for as long as
you allow them to play with it.
Really what I’m getting at is this; the Chinese are smart and they have
a long term plan to win whatever game they want to play with America.
While we sit back and allow our children to be gender confused, have men
competing in women’s sports, have crime running rampant, China is
secretly buying up land, industry, our media, food and medical supplies
- such as penicillin. 97 percent of all antibiotics and 80 percent of
all active ingredients in American pharmaceuticals come from China. In
2017 alone, the United States imported a whopping $4.6 billion in
foodstuffs from the People’s Republic of China.
Oh, and get rid of TicTok.
KWIBS - From
August 22, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
My morning ritual begins
with me convincing myself to roll out of bed..... at some point.
Between newspaper, bonding, bail enforcement and the ranch, I can have
some pretty long days, as was the case last week.
When I do finally get up, I go for the caffeine machine and then read
the news on-line. I could sit blankly in front of the TV, but I still
enjoy reading the news from several perspectives. Then I visit Faceplant
where people go to vent.
One of the best and worst ideas from several news sources is having a
place at the bottom to make comments and give opinions. This is where
the real trolls come out of the woodwork.
An internet troll is a person who posts inflammatory, insincere,
digressive, snarky, condescending, extraneous, or off-topic messages in
an online community (such as social media Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,
etc.).
The newspaper can find itself being trolled on Faceplant over the
simplest things like an incorrect headline, but the fact of the matter
is, if you don’t have the courage to just pick up the phone and call and
inform us of the error and ask for a correction, but choose to put on
your keyboard armor, you can expect for me to respond in kind, right
here.
We don’t claim to be perfect, we don’t always hear everything that’s
said, barely above a whisper at a meeting, but we are human beings who
care about our communities and want to present information to the public
in the most accurate manner possible.
Any entity funded by tax payer dollars should be able to provide clear
information about what’s being shared. Never assume that we all know
everything. That’s being transparent. We’ll always do our best to cover
these meetings accurately, but we will make a mistake every now and
then.
Speak up. Clearly explain and treat us online like you’d treat us face
to face. Be an adult. And we’ll do the same.
KWIBS - From
August 15, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
My wife is pretty.
Only she gets that little inside joke before I begin.
Acronyms can be hilarious, especially if you don’t use them correctly.
My wife had a hilarious slip this past weekend. As most of you know, we
manage a lake resort north of Medicine Lodge. We’re watercraft and boat
people and have been for the better part of 30 years. We’ve seen it all.
Our cousins are also watercraft and boat people. They have unusually bad
luck. They just replaced two engines in their boat this past year. I
thought we were doing so much better, but two months after my warranty
expired, an engine blew in one of our jetskis. Replacing it cost almost
half of buying a new one.
They say the two greatest days of a boat owner’s life is the day they
buy a boat and the day they sell it.
As our cousin was limping his boat back to the dock this weekend Ronda
declares, “Well, you know what ‘BOAT’ stands for? ‘Bust Out More Money.”
We all just looked at her and then started laughing.
“Babe,” I said, “It’s Bust Out Another Thousand.”
We all had a good laugh and even asked her if she wanted to go on
another BOMM ride?
Here’s some other funny acronyms that I like:
BOOK - Brainy Object Of Knowledge
MAID - Mother Actually In Disguise
STRESS - Stuff To Remember Every Single Second
BEACH - Best Escape Anyone Can Have
MALL - Money Accepted, Long Lines
FORD - Fix Or Repair Daily (or Found On Road Dead)
DODGE - Drains Or Drops Grease Everywhere (or Dead On Day Guarantee
Expires)
PORSCHE - Proof Of Rich Spoiled Children Having Everything
Just laugh. You know you want to.
KWIBS - From
August 1, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
John and Martina McBride
and her brother Marty gave the ulitimate gift to their father Daryl
Schiff by having a “Schiffter’s” reunion a little over a week ago.
The smiles on Daryl’s face said it all. He’s very proud of his kids and
they are very proud of him. It was a great act of love to do that and it
was a really fun evening, despite the 106 degree heat we sat in! I was
moved to tears several times watching Daryl up there still being the
awesome entertainer that he’s always been with his family beside him.
That Saturday night, he felt the love of several generations and he gave
it right back to them!
But the love didn’t stop there. Our entire family came to the show and
for the entire evening my son and daughter-in-law (Joey and Haley) had
kept a secret to tell Ronda and I. They are expecting their first child!
I was distracted and was hanging out with some friends when Joey was
trying to get my attention. Then I saw my wife running up to me with a
white object in her hand and she said, “We’ve been trying to get you
over here for the past 30 minutes and you’re not answering your phone!”
Well, my phone was dead and I did blow off Joey when he came to the
fenced in area behind the stage and yelled for me.
When Ronda handed me the white cloth I said, “What are you guys so
excited about? Did you catch Daryl’s sweat rag or something?” I thought
that was pretty funny, until I unrolled the white cloth and read the
tiny baby shirt that said, “You can stop asking now!”
My jaw dropped and I stared at this shirt for what seemed like an
eternity and my heart was racing.
“We’re going to have a baby,” I said to Flint Rucker!
Flint said, “Yep, I knew before you did because your wife was running
around the fair showing everyone!”
We both just laughed.
After the show, we went to say our thanks to Daryl, Marty and Martina
and they signed the little tiny baby shirt and we tried to give it back
to Joey and Haley, but they wanted us to keep it.
What’s so very special to us all is that Haley got to tell her mom and
family in person in California. She found out they were pregnant just
three days after her dad passed away. While at Haley’s dad’s celebration
of life ceremony, they made their announcement and now celebrate a new
life - and we are so happy for them!
Like I said, I was in shock and my hands were trembling, so this photo
is a little blurry. Haley can attest that when I get excited my photos
turn out terrible!
KWIBS - From
July 25, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Sometimes if it’s bad luck,
it’s at least some kind of luck!
These blistering temperatures are rapidly moving us into a fire danger
situation again. Not that many are burning, but I believe a burn ban is
in order again.
Last weekend I started my day looking for my septic tank. Keep in mind,
I was there when it was installed in 1999, but hadn’t seen it since. I
was pretty sure I knew the location and that it was pretty deep. The
ground is basically concrete, so I called my local septic guy and we
assessed the situation.
Both of us decided that hand digging was out of the question, but I just
happened to have a backhoe in my front yard. We dug several holes over a
couple of hours with no luck. I finally called a service with a camera
and locator and discovered I was about 15’ off.
Unfortunately, I had turned my front yard and drive way into a war zone,
so after I fixed all the holes, we planted some quick cover grass and
began watering and watering and now it looks like I have buried bodies
in my front yard! Maybe a few are? Maybe this is just a cover story!
Anyway, the toilets are flushing and all was right with the world by
Saturday afternoon.
We had the grandkids out, so we had plenty of distractions and didn’t
notice that it was getting hotter and hotter in our house.
I woke up Sunday morning and checked the thermostat and it read 80. It
was set on 73. I slipped on my sandals and went out to the unit which
wasn’t running. I’m not an a/c repairman, but I know when a capacitor
goes bad. Those cheap little devices can stop your cooling without
warning and mine did.
Now it’s Sunday and we have no air. It was Tim Winter to the rescue. It
was no surprise that we were already his third call of the day. He had
us fixed up before breakfast!
Thanks to all those guys who work out in the heat to help those in need!
KWIBS - From
July 18, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
If you are a nerdy type person, like me, I’d like to
introduce you to www.quora.com
Quora is a place you can go ask a question and then some smarty pants
guy or girl answers you. But it gets even better. 100s of other smarty
pants people can then share their knowledge on the subject in questions.
Most of the time it’s military stuff that people have questions about. I
find those the most interesting, but this one caught my eye last week.
Steven Haddock had the answer to this question: If a single atom was
split, would a nuclear explosion occur?
Well, someone actually did that.
Some Germans who later won a Nobel Prize were trying to create a new
element by firing helium nuclei at a sample of uranium.
Instead they got a weird mix of lighter elements (always the same ones)
and a minor amount of energy off the sample.
One of them asked for help from a German physicist living in England.
She worked out what happened - they had split the uranium into lighter
elements and the energy was the result of the difference in mass between
the uranium going in and the other elements coming out.
Instead of building a new atom they had, quite by accident, done what
everyone had said couldn’t be done - they had split an atom.
And, luckily for the scientists, no nuclear explosion either. The energy
was measurable, but not significant. They got the Nobel Prize for
demonstrating atom splitting, except for the lady who did the actual
math to prove they did it.
Einstein was kind of pleased because it proved his theory E=mc^2. He
already had a Nobel Prize.
But the whole nuclear explosion thing had to wait for a Hungarian Jew
waiting for a traffic light in London realizing that if you had a lot of
Uranium-235 that the neutrons thrown off by some of the atoms undergoing
radioactive decay would cause other atoms to split and give off neutrons
and it would be self sustaining. No Nobel Prize for him either. Also,
everyone who knew him said the story was a lie - he never waited for
traffic lights at any time in his entire life.
Which an Italian in Chicago first demonstrated by making a “nuclear
pile”. He won a Nobel Prize for that.
And a young bongo playing grad student with a talent for safecracking
later worked out how much Uranium-235 or Plutonium you needed in a place
called Los Alamos. He won a Nobel Prize for something else.
I discovered that a lawnmower seat placed strategically in the sun on a
110 degree day will melt your rear end in a few seconds if you just hop
on it without thinking. No atoms to split, no dangerous uranium to
handle, just good old sun. I was working on putting new belts on one
machine and every tool, every cover, every screw was like 2,500 degrees.
Nobody gave me a Nobel Prize for that little discovery!
So, if you’re bored with the mainstream media, check out the Quora
website to have all your questions answered that you’ve never thought of
asking. You might find it as interesting as I do, but remember to read
the comments. Those are the best.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
July 11, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I get frequently asked to
download “TikTok” by a law enforcement friend of mine and I keep telling
him how bad it is.
TikTok collects information from your messages. So you may want to
consider that when using the app to chat with friends. Further, the
platform doesn't have end-to-end encryption for messages. That means it
isn't as secure as some other messaging apps which do have that extra
layer of security built in.
TikTok knows the device you are using, your location, IP address, search
history, the content of your messages, what you're viewing and for how
long. It also collects device identifiers to track your interactions
with advertisers.
Over the past few years, security researchers found multiple security
vulnerabilities within the app. And since TikTok has access to a lot of
personal information, it became the favorite route for many hackers.
Apple developers testing its next operating system, iOS 14, recently
found that the TikTok app could access clipboard data on its iPhones.
iPhone users sometimes use the clipboard feature to copy sensitive
information like passwords. That means TikTok could also access and
potentially collect the data.
It also requests access to your phone's model, screen resolution,
current OS, phone number, email address, location, keystroke patterns,
and even contact lists. None of that seems important if you just want to
watch 15-second clips.
It's no exaggeration to say that TikTok is a danger to your privacy.
Multiple studies have shown that too much TikTok can also be bad for the
brain. With more than 689 million active users worldwide, TikTok users
spend more than ten hours per week on the platform. Tiktok videos have
also been linked to decreased attention spans after being on the app for
more than ninety minutes.
KWIBS - From
July 4, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Saturday our family and
friends celebrated Independence Day. That was perfect considering that
the vote for actual independence by the 2nd Continental Congress
actually happened on July 2nd. It was ratified on July 4th 1776 and
called the Declaration of Independence.
After the revolutionary war we truly became free, united and independent
states.
For all that is going on in our world, The United States of America is
still the greatest nation in history. If that were not true, people
would not be caravaning through the most dangerous places to get here
and more citizens who claim they want to leave for another country would
have done so (insert Whoopi Goldberg’s name here).
In the Bill of Rights (The first 10 Amendments of our Constitution), in
the first amendment it states: Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or
abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a
redress of grievances.
The second amendment guarantees the first: The right to bear arms. “A
well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”
This amazing document protects your basic freedoms.
One of my favorite quotes on the 2nd amendment:
“The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own.
Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are
more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the
path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by
good men with rifles.” - Jeff Cooper, Art of the Rifle
Happy Independence Day!
KWIBS - From
June 27, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
What I wouldn’t give to
have a mean tweeting president right now.
You know it’s bad when CNN starts distancing themselves and calling a
spade a spade.
A CNN poll released last Wednesday shows that the President's repeated
efforts to highlight undeniably strong aspects of the economy's
post-pandemic rebound and to offset blame for its bad spots aren't
working.
I’m sorry if you disagree, but every one of my Democrat and Republican
friends agree. Biden is not up for the job.
House and Senate Dems are not helping by focusing on January 6 hearings,
The Supreme Court’s pending decision on Roe V. Wade and trying to
reinvent the wheel with more gun legislation. Americans appear to be
smart enough to ask questions, but the party seems stuck in a dangerous
political position of insisting the economy is doing well while voters
think it's in the tank.
The CNN poll, conducted by SSRS from April 28 to May 1, showed that a
majority of Americans think Biden's policies have hurt the economy,
while 8 in 10 say the government is not doing enough to combat
inflation. It was released on the same day the Federal Reserve made its
biggest swing against the rising cost of living in 22 years.
Are the days of 30 year mortgages under 3% in the past? In the 1980s,
mortgages were close to 15%, so it’s not unfathomable to think we
haven’t hit near the ceiling that we could.
And stop telling us that “we’re doing all that we can.” Just two years
ago we were a major energy and commodities exporter. What changed?
Policy changed and Biden owns it.
The good news is, Americans are resourceful and have bounced back a
number of times, even in my lifetime.
But it's hard to see how things get better quickly -- or anywhere near
in time to make a difference to Biden before the midterms. It’s about
the economy, stupid. - James Carville.
KWIBS - From
June 20, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I let out an audible gasp
last week as my tank received $100.29 of the cheapest gas in Goddard,
Kansas last week.
This was a “had to” trip. I needed a part for one of our mowers at the
lake and out of 4 dealerships, Goddard had the part I needed.
At the same time my wife, back home, filled up her car at $81.00. We had
to go back to Wichita on Tuesday to take our kids to the airport.
Things are getting tight with inflation. Many believe we are entering a
recession. As a business, that’s a frightening word. It means: a period
of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity
are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive
quarters.
Nobody wants to see a recession happen in our country, especially in our
county. You do have some control. Shop at home and support your local
businesses where you can. I realize nobody in Barber County has a
rectifier for a XL850 Kawasaki engine that I can just go in and buy, but
as an example, I needed twelve, 2 1/2” PVC end caps. I stopped in Home
Lumber and saw Chris and he scratched his head for a bit. We both knew
it was an odd size and he didn’t have them. Amazon did for $15-$21 a cap
vs. Chris’s $1.98 for a 2” cap. I appreciated that he looked and was
sorry it ended up being a no-sale, but he mentioned Jayhawk Oilfield
Supply.
I stopped in and, behold! They had them!
We all love to get out of town occasionally, but our local businesses
need your support through these difficult periods.
Our local grocery stores, might be higher than the big box stores, but
$5 a gallon gas should make you think twice about shopping with people
who support your community with their taxes and employment. Give Barber
County businesses a chance and you’ll be surprised at what you can find
and how hard our merchants will work to get you what you need.
We might have our ups and downs, but we can make a difference in our own
small economies. For example, I’m a big fan of a good steak and I won’t
lie, I often leave the county to get it served to me, but recently
decided to stop at the Plumb Thicket in Kiowa where Sue Becker cooked us
the most amazing steaks. It was so good, we went back a week later.
There is so much this county has to offer, so don’t drive 60 miles or
more to save yourself a fraction of what you spend in fuel and wear and
tear on your vehicles, but if you must leave town, buy your fuel, tires
and have your local mechanics do the work. It’s the very least you can
do.
Congratulations to Dr. David Chacko for the ground breaking of the
Medicine Lodge Meat Company! I was supposed to attend this event, but we
had a family emergency and had to fly our kids to Denver. This was a
near and dear project to me. There was a lot of behind the scenes action
taken to get this project off the ground. Mayor Anthony Farrar, City
Administrator Jeff Porter, Barber County Development’s Jim Rowland,
myself, Henry Hudson, Shon Fields and, of course, the tireless Marcine
Moldenhaur, were all partners in getting this new business off the
ground. There were many others including former Mayor Bob Stutler and
Tom Carr of the ML Planning Commission. Teamwork. Sorry if I left your
name out!
Finally, I am apologizing to Papa Vick. I missed wishing him a happy
Father’s Day in last week’s column. Don Vick is an amazing man who
recently had a life changing car accident on March 9th. He spent just
over two months in the hospital and was cleared last week to put weight
on his leg. It’s been a journey to see his determination to heal and get
back to life. You’re an inspiration to your family “Papa” and we love
you dearly and are thankful the Lord gave you more time to be with us.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
June 13, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Life is an adventure. I’m
blessed to have a wife of 34 years who loves me and deals with all my
quirks with such grace and beauty.
That goes both ways. Oh, the stories I could tell that would completely
ruin this column!
Ronda is not just my wife. She’s my best friend. We get to be together
every day. It’s a fairy tale (at least for me!) Of course, we too ride
the roller-coaster that is life, but we do it with our hands in the air
most of the time.
June 17, 1988, two 18-19 year old kids said “I do,” and it was off to
the races. To that union three amazing children, two daughter-in-laws, a
son-in-law and 6 grand kids have entered our world. 32 of those 34 years
have been spent building a home, raising a family and building a
business together.
I am a blessed man. I love you, Ronda. Happy Anniversary!
Our engagement photo from 1988
KWIBS - From
June 6, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
We finally got around to
recognizing our law enforcement community in Barber County.
Our original plan was to have a group photo, but the logistics were
impossible.
The story on the front page lists those on the front lines as well as
those who are behind the scenes. One person I would like to take a
moment to thank is Dispatch Manager Kristine Landwehr.
Kristine recently took over the dispatch news and it now, more closely
than ever, represents the hard work our LEO and EMS do each day. Read it
on pages 4 and 5.
I’ve worked with most all of those named in the article. This year marks
my 18th year as a bondsman and bail enforcement agent in Kansas and I
love working with these people.
There are others in court services and those who are part of the
judicial system that are really, really behind the scenes, but play
equally important roles in keeping our community safe.
Also on the front page is the progress of the mural at the corner of
Main and Kansas. This is going to be a great addition to the art that is
already present in both the north and south parts of the county. I am
enjoying watching the progress.
And finally.....
We just had another birthday! Today’s issue marks 31 years of
publication! It has been our honor to serve Barber County.
We can’t do it without you! Our readers and tipsters around the
community help bring you news of what’s happening. I encourage you to
reach out with your stories and share your happenings with us and all
who love our communities.
Ronda and I have spent 31 years of our 36+ years together, working side
by side and it’s easy when you love what you do and love who you do it
with.
So many years ago, we were the youngest publishers in the State of
Kansas. Now we’re a little older, maybe wiser, but we’re still here -
thanks to you!
KWIBS - From
May 30, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I love to brag on my buddy
Nix White. He and his Wife, Wendy, went to Trump International last week
and Nix’s FrogX team jumped into the event.
Nix also got to meet our 45th President, eat at the Trump’s table and
mingle with his kids and their spouses.
Trump made small talk with Nix and asked, “Do you get nervous before you
jump?”
Nix, in classic form said, “No. I get nervous about landing. I would
sure hate to eat it in front of a former president.”
The Whites and Trumps had a fun afternoon at the famous Golf Club in
West Palm Beach, FLA. Good thing too!
Ronda and I were planning a surprise trip to see them. I was about to
click “buy” for the tickets when I heard back from Wendy that they
weren’t home!
KWIBS - From
May 23, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I’m back, whether you like it or not! That’s a little
joke. I got pretty backed up last week and had to give up my space.
There’s a lost art when it comes to writing letters. Nothing means more
to me than to get a hand written letter or card in the mail. My wife
will tell you that I’m a hoarder when it comes to keeping cards and
letters. I have a stack of them next to my monitor. That sort of makes
it sound like I get a lot, but in actuality, it’s about a 30 year
collection.
The younger generation just send texts or instant messages. If you’re
lucky, you get a legible email. My kids send emojis after I carefully
hunt and peck out a text message.
I got a real nice letter in this past week and I wanted to give a shout
out to James W. Graves. The letter meant a lot to me because it’s not
every day that someone takes the time to hand write a compliment. So,
thank you Mr. Graves. You made my day.
The world seems to be short on supply of everything. Baby formula is the
newest toilet paper. You just can’t get it and people need it. You can’t
get it unless you cross our southern border illegally and then you can
get as much as you want.
That’s a pretty sad state of affairs if you ask me. I don’t know who to
blame, but it’s not just formula. I paid $7.49 for a bolt and drove 60
miles at $4/gal last week to get it.
While there (not naming names), I tried again to buy our resort a new
lawn mower. The ones we use just don’t exist anywhere. I was told, like
the 6th time, it will be November before I can get a new mower.
I don’t need a mower in November. I need it now. I started looking back
in October and couldn’t get one. Waiting until November of this year for
a lawn mower is like waiting to buy snow shoes in July.
Mayor Pete needs to spend less time trying to act like a mom and fix
supply chain issues. I wonder if he can get formula or if he’s breast
feeding?
KWIBS - From
May 9, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I believe we are truly
living in bizaro world.
President Biden’s administration is still talking about student loan
forgiveness.
I’ve got a few questions.
First, when will we stop the madness of student loan forgiveness and
focus on colleges who have billions of dollars in endowments and pay
some extremely high salaries to administrators?
Second, who will be paying off these debts and how?
Third, does anyone teach economics anymore or is it just AOC?
$10,000 or $50,000?
According to CNBC, Canceling $50,000 for all would cost around $900
billion, and leave 80% of current federal student loan holders with no
balance, according to a recent study by The Federal Reserve Bank of New
York.
At the moment, the main point of contention among student loan
forgiveness proponents is over how much debt should be scrapped.
I have the answer: NONE. You borrowed it. You pay it back just like we
did.
If Uncle Joe is opening this door, I want reparations for things like my
student loans, the items I bought to start my business, my vehicle loans
because without them, I can’t get to work! Let’s not forget mortgages.
Those are such a burden and unfair. While we’re at it, let’s stop paying
so much to the IRS! Forgive those debts, Joe.
Instead of teaching our children the importance of borrowing and paying,
we are teaching them to be dependent on the government for everything.
There’s no such thing as a free ride. Somebody has to pay back this
debt. This is a bribe for votes.
KWIBS - From
May 2, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Everyone on the left seemed
to have a meltdown last week when entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk
bought Twitter, except me, I guess. I lost interest in Twitter after
Trump got canned for “mean tweeting,” which basically is what Twitter is
all about.
Another lesser-billionaire and tech savvy guy, who just happens to own
the Washington Post, spoke out against Musk’s take over of Twitter,
agreeing with the pundits that it would crush free speech. That was Jeff
Bezo. That was his right to say under the 1st Amendment. Nobody censored
him.
So you’ve got two billionaires who like to fly rockets, arguing over
free speech. Both claim to be “protectors of the 1st Amendment,” which
protects five basic freedoms: speech, religion, press, assembly, and the
right to petition the government. Together, these five guaranteed
freedoms make the people of the United States of America the freest in
the world.
But only a handful of people at Twitter decide who gets to speak and who
doesn’t and which topics are acceptable and which are not. In most
cases, these censorships have just happened to lean in the favor of the
left.
Musk has been clear on his intentions to make Twitter an open source and
fair platform stating, “By “free speech”, I simply mean that which
matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.
If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws
to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will
of the people.”
In response, the White House announced Thursday that the Biden
administration will create a ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ to combat
disinformation in the 2022 midterms.
Wouldn’t that have been a handy board to have when all of Hunter’s
laptop stories were suppressed by Twitter in the 2020 elections? The
thought police are not finished here.
Have a great week (unless that’s disinformation).
KWIBS - From
April 25, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
“Let’s go see Foreigner,” I
said over five months ago.
Ronda was all in. It’s one of our favorite groups, even though Mick
Jones never comes to the smaller venues anymore.
So we bought a bunch of tickets and a couple of weeks ago we realized it
was on Easter weekend.... Oops.
We had to cancel our Easter weekend festivities with our family, so we
could spend it with our friends.
Jesus, forgive us.
We are now trying to reorganize and have Easter on May 1st.
The weekend with our classmates and spouses did not disappoint, but I am
still trying to catch up on sleep.
Nix and Wendy White flew in from San Diego Friday night. If you don’t
know Nix, you might have seen him sky dive into Main Street during Peace
Treaty for the past 4 events. Nix, Wendy, Ronda and I never miss a
chance to cram as much into a three-day-weekend as possible. We’ve been
doing mini-get-aways for 30 years now. We even flew home from San Diego
the day they gave birth to one of their daughters!
We picked up Jamie and Michelle (Delano) Chism, another classmate,
Saturday afternoon and we all headed down to Newkirk for the concert.
The MLHS Class of 1988 is a tight class. We all pretty much keep in
touch and we get together regularly to see each other.
This short trip didn’t allow enough time for us to organize a bigger get
together, but it will happen.
Many of you can relate, as you get older, you grow fonder of your
friends from your high school years. I’m no different. I believe those
bonds are strong and even though we hold dear to those memories, we are
always looking to make new ones.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 18, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
True Grit.
It’s the name of a couple of western power thrillers (one with John
Wayne), fitness and strength training equipment.
None of my younger readers will even understand this, but as a kid, I
sold “Grit” newspapers to about 60 customers in town. Grit displayed
news and features aimed at rural America.
A person with true grit has passion and perseverance. Goals are set and
followed through. A person who works really hard to follow through on
commitments has true grit. It is not a word you hear very often anymore.
But I know a guy..
My father-in-law, Don Vick, is the perfect example of someone who
demonstrates “True Grit.”
On March 9th, he nearly lost his life in a terrible car accident. He
remembers nothing of the accident, but he’s been in the hospital since
then. Thankfully, he and the other driver survived, but not without
life-changing injuries.
With the help of skilled surgeons, his left arm and right leg are now
plated and screwed back together. Just within the last few weeks, he’s
been able to slowly stand on his good leg with the help of nurses and
therapists.
Every day he gets a little stronger. I saw him stand for the first time
just under three weeks ago. He shook like a baby calf for about 10
seconds and then had to be helped back down.
Today, he can use a walker to “hop” about as far as they will let him go
and if we are lucky, he’s about to go home!
Our family would like to say a special thank you to our local hospital.
You think of hospitals as a place to go when you’re sick, but in Don’s
case, it was to recover. They have been so great in all areas from
getting him here, pain management, transportation to and from Wichita,
and their PT/OT is probably the best in the state. Without their help,
Don would not be where he is today. Look for him to be writing and
golfing very soon!
KWIBS - From
April 4, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I don’t think I’ve ever
watched the Oscar’s, but if Will Smith or anyone else is going to make
habit of punching Chris Rock in the face, I might consider watching…
During the ceremony on Sunday, Rock apparently made a joke at the
expense of Jada Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife. Smith strode onto the
stage, struck Rock across the face and returned to his front-row seat,
where he twice yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your f---ing mouth.”
Even though I am not a fan of the Oscars, Chris Rock or random acts of
violence, this story did interest me. It was made for TV “black on black
violence”. If a white actor would have gone up and slapped Chris Rock,
there would have been a SWAT team repel from the ceiling, grabbing the
offender and locking him up for a lifetime.
One of my buddies said, “Well, at least Chris Rock didn’t make a joke
about Alex Baldwin’s wife....”
According to new polling, 3 in 5 Americans disapprove of Will Smith’s
slapping of Chris Rock. The other two must have thought he should have
used a closed fist I guess.
The only polling I ever remember seeing on TV was the commercial for
Colgate where “4 out of 5 Dentists approve using Colgate toothpaste. I
never understood what the other guy was thinking. Maybe he had dentures.
In a world of hypersensitivity, comics and the ultra famous elite,
something like this was bound to happen. I feel bad for both Chris Rock
and for Will Smith. Smith has been one of my favorite actors and Rock,
well, he obviously has a strong chin.
Two things are for sure: Chris Rock made a bad joke and isn’t that
funny, and Will Smith should have waited in the parking lot for him
after the Oscars to slap him, like a real man.
It was Chris Rock’s job to be a comedian, presenter and host, not Will
Smith’s. Both of them are probably having regrets for the evening. The
rest of Americans continue to yawn.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
March 28, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
When you hear that
inflation is up 7.9% in the last 12 months, don’t believe it. It’s much
higher than they are reporting.
Pricing for gasoline is a major category used by U.S. Labor Department's
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in calculating inflation but their
volatility is also why they are excluded when the agency calculates core
inflation rates.
So, a 38% increase in fuel isn’t calculated? Well, yes, it is when it
comes to shipping, which translates into higher costs of goods and
services.
This 7.9% number still doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like common core
math for Department of Labor I guess. When a can of freon (R-410A) costs
me 3x as much as it did a year ago, that’s not 7.9%. When fuel is 38%
higher, that’s not 7.9%. When most food has seen a 20-30% increase,
that’s not 7.9%.
According to the Internet here’s how you calculate CPI: “You will
subtract the starting price (A) from the later price (B), and divide it
by the starting date (A). Then multiply the result by 100 to get the
inflation rate percentage.”
Well, that was simple now wasn’t it?
I believe our inflation is a direct result of bad policy on energy.
Pipelines don’t “produce” oil and gas, but they transport it cheaper
than truck and train. Nearly every pipeline application has been turned
down by the current administration and the average American is paying a
lot more than a 7.9% increase in the cost of living.
It’s a supply and demand issue when it comes to oil and since we are no
longer the world’s leading producer, we will bow down to those that are.
So instead of creating this commodity that puts people back to work and
drives down energy prices, we are now looking to Venezuela, Iran, Saudi
Arabia and Russia to help us with supply issues.
Somebody write a letter to the editor if you have a different view on
this, to help us all understand.
KWIBS - From
March 21, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Because we were gone last
week, I was out of the loop on a few things. A gentlemen came into my
office to tell me my friend and fellow Publisher of the Coldwater
Western Star was in the hospital at St. Francis and had a quadruple
bypass last week.
It dawned on me, we were all at St. Francis at the same time and I could
have visited him, but did not realize his situation, so I called him.
He answered the phone, “Western Star,” with a drawl that he’s famous
for.
I asked him if he was still in the hospital and he said, “Nope, I’m
behind my building, getting ready to jump in the car and go home for a
nap, but I’m back.”
I read his paper. His one staff member, the publisher of the Protection
Press and friends from Spearville, KS, all joined forces to put his
newspaper out in his absence.
I can tell you from similar experience, that is a publisher’s worst
nightmare: not being able to put the paper out. We are held to a minimum
of 50 newspapers a year to keep our postal permits and to publish and be
“official city, county, school and governing bodies,” newspapers in
Kansas.
The headline on his front page was, “It Ain’t Pretty, But It Reads
Well.”
Dennies Andersen has been a friend for more than 40 years and was one of
the people we turned to when we started our newspaper over 31 years ago.
We rib each other pretty hard, so I want to do it again in my column.
Dennies, you’re rag has never been pretty and has never read well, but
you’re the best Coldwater has, so I guess you’ll just have to do!
Seriously, he’s taught me a lot over the years and he’s a good guy who
likes to joke around. I’m glad he’s recovering well and that the “news”
continues in small town Kansas!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
March 14, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Two families’ lives changed
at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning.
My Father-in-Law Don Vick was in a really bad car accident this
Wednesday south west of Wichita on 42 and 135th. A young 19-year-old
girl didn’t stop at the stop sign and Don hit her passenger side with no
chance of braking. She underwent multiple surgeries and was in
critical/stable condition. We don’t know how that family is doing.
Don was admitted as serious and stable, although the Kansas Highway
Patrol said “critical” on their report. Both were taken to St. Francis.
He has broken ribs, his right leg is broken, his left arm is broken, he
has staples in his head and his right hand is stitched up. He received a
unit of blood and after CTs and stabilizing him, they scheduled him for
surgery at 7 a.m. the next morning. He’s full of metal now, but is
stable.
Because his blood pressure is low and they couldn’t give him much pain
medication, he was very uncomfortable.
When we got the call, we shut the office down, picked up his wife Linda
and left for Wichita, not really knowing much. The KHP was wonderful!
*47 on your phone. They directed me to where his car was towed and they
were able to give us some details about the accident.
Don was awake when we got there and was concerned about two things: the
food in the back seat and his golf balls. We knew he would be ok since
he was concerned about his golf balls!
We went to the salvage yard and got everything we could. The impact was
so hard that it broke his key off in the ignition. I’ve seen some pretty
terrible accidents, but I’ve never seen anyone live through an accident
like that.
Don was concerned about the three meetings he covered last Monday. He
wasn’t going to get them into us. I told him not to worry and that “he
was fired.” He squeezed out a painful laugh. Since he probably can’t get
us those stories, he made the front page this week. I expect he has
months of recovery ahead of him, but we are thanking the good Lord for
being with both of them.
KWIBS - From
March 7, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
If you don’t think the
Russian’s war against Ukraine isn’t important or worthy of American
intervention, you’re wrong. It is proof that freedom could be lost for
millions of people because good people did nothing.
“Captain Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former TV comedian,
in the past few days, has become a global symbol for democracy. He has
become the face of Ukrainian resilience. Zelensky is a leader that has
truly united people across the globe.
His courageous response to an offer of evacuation by America was exactly
what this nation was founded on. He said, “The fight is here; I need
ammunition, not a ride.”
As our government works so hard to take guns out of the hands of many
law abiding citizens, 70,000-100,000 rifles were distributed to
civilians in Ukraine in a single day last week.
We take our liberties for granted. America’s elite want to remove our
constitutional freedoms, like speech and our right to bear arms.
President Abraham Lincoln probably captured it best when he said,
“Freedom is the last, best hope of earth.” It is something we should
cherish rather than take for granted.
It’s easy to do, really, since most of us can’t ever recall a time in
our lives when we weren’t free. Ukraine understands this better than any
of us, since they are such a young “free” country. The freedom that
President Lincoln spoke so eloquently about is something we’ve grown
accustomed to, something that comes as naturally, and is as expected, as
having air to breathe and food to eat.
In the coming days, the air they breath and the food they eat will be
choked off as the Russian military squeezes their capitol. Imagine this
happening to America.
President Reagan (a WW2 Veteran) once said “no arsenal, or no weapon in
the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral
courage of free men and women.”
God Bless Ukraine
KWIBS - From
February 28, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
The class of 1988 was Bud
Moore’s first class he had when he became Principal of MLHS in 1984.
That’s my class.
As you know, Bud passed away last Tuesday after battling a number of
health issues for many years. He fought the good fight and is now at
rest. It was a very emotional event for our class, not to mention the
community and his wonderful family.
As sad as I am of his passing, memories of him have flooded my mind. My
last text message on my phone to him was from January 23rd. I had heard
he was taken to the KS Heart Hospital and I wanted him to know I and our
class had him in our thoughts and prayers.
Bud and I had a friendship that lasted from the moment I met him as a
Freshman. I had the unfortunate luck of landing myself in detention for
three days. It was one of the worst experiences of my life and after
graduation Bud and I talked about it and to this day, we were still
laughing about it.
I got placed in an advanced P.E. class due to scheduling. This class was
full of juniors and seniors and was labeled “Jock Class.” I was not a
jock. In fact, I was the exact opposite at 110 lbs dripping wet. I was
picked on and bullied something fierce.
One day ‘coach’ took us out to the football field. There was this one
upper classmate, who I won’t embarrass, who relentlessly picked on and
bullied me. On this day I had been shoved to the ground by this near 275
lb. gorilla several times. The last straw was a smack on the back of my
head with a football he threw from about 10 yards away.
I turned into the 110 lb. version of the Incredible Hulk. I was angry
and was ready to murder my classmate. I kicked an old beat up desk that
was used by the gate and ticket takers at the football field, grabbed
the biggest piece I could carry and went after the gorilla. I was going
to crush his skull, but ‘coach’ grabbed me first and took us both to
‘Mr. Moore’s’ office.
The gorilla went in first. He was in there a long time and when he came
out, he exited, through the front door after being suspended, out of
school, for 3 days for the assault. Then it was my turn. I was sweating
bullets.
“Come on back Mr. Noland,” said Bud. I was trembling.
I was also in there for a long time. I can’t remember a thing he said to
me except, “You’re getting three days of in-school suspension.”
I was super torked about that, since I never took a swing or did
anything to provoke the situation. Those three days in a room, by myself
with an octagon plate where a clock used to be, were horrible. I only
saw Bud about twice a day when he’d pop in with work assignments and my
lunch. I was in Bud prison and it sucked.
Fast forward to 1988. I graduated and often came back to socialize with
teachers and Bud. One day I finally worked up the courage to tell Bud
how mad I was for getting in-school suspension for fighting back in 1985
and he laughed and said, “Dude, I didn’t suspend you for fighting. I
suspended you for damaging school property!”
We both started busting out laughing.
Ten years later I was back in Bud’s office. He had called me and a new
teacher in after the new teacher, Dale McCurdy, and I had a disagreement
on some computer issues I was working on at the school. Basically, each
of us was about to damage school property and beat each other with the
pieces. Bud calmed us down and, ironically, Dale became one of my
dearest friends.
Fast forward to near-present day. After 30 some years of friendship, Bud
and I had a few beers together in his garage. We talked about the old
days and we schemed. During Peace Treaty, Bud played the part of the
Southern General Robert E. Lee. I played the Northern General Ulysses S.
Grant. For a long time we both held these parts and I always looked
forward to Bud surrendering his sword to me after a brief Civil War
portion of the pageant. On Friday’s performance in 2018 I put my hand
out and said, “Give me your sword.... loser.” We always trash talked
each other through that scene, but that’s when the teacher part of Bud
came out.
It’s an enduring myth of the Civil War: Robert E. Lee surrendered his
sword to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, and his Union counterpart
refused the traditional gesture of surrender.
“Lee never offered it, and Grant never asked for it,” said Patrick
Schroeder, historian at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park.
Bud being Bud said, “I did a little research and you don’t get my sword,
‘General,’” he said sarcastically.
There we stood in this awkward stand off; me with my hands out and Bud
defiantly refusing to give me his sword, and he chuckled all the way
through the narration.
Bud was also in the signing scene with us. I never understood why a
Confederate Soldier was at the signing of the peace treaty of 1867. The
war ended in 1865, but Bud somehow slipped in our scene and I didn’t
catch it until I became the President of the association in late 2018
and Cathy Colborn brought it up. Bud and I had a good laugh at that too.
I missed standing with him during the 2021 performance. Bud’s health was
declining.
There are so many memories of that guy, that I could fill this entire
newspaper with them.
He was so influential on so many kids’ lives. He even encouraged my son
going into the Navy. Bud served in the Navy and on more than one
occasion told me the story when he got caught smoking in boot camp, so
the drill instructor had him put a mop bucket over his head and finish
off the pack of cigarettes!
Bud was a respected teacher, coach, principal, veteran, community and
school board member. He was here for so long that 3 generations of my
family had him in their lives in one way or another through our school
district. I love and respect “Mr. Moore.” He was and always will be my
“Bud”.
God bless to his family for sharing him with us. I am a better person
because of him and I will miss him dearly.
Rest in Peace “Bud”
KWIBS - From
February 21, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Well, I might have missed a
Valentine’s Day card, but at least I remembered my wife’s birthday, with
an actual birthday card.
We went out to dinner with friends Monday to celebrate our love for our
spouses. Traditionally, Ronda doesn’t like me to buy cards or flowers,
so I didn’t, but my buddy bought his wife a card.
Only it was a birthday card. Her birthday is in September by the way.
I totally understand the dilemma. I recently got my eyes checked and got
new lenses. Now I start my day off feeling drunk and wobbly until my
eyeballs adjust.
I can’t see anything close up with my glasses on and absolutely nothing
far away with them off.
“Oh, heck no! I don’t need bifocals,” I said.
I need bifocals.
My doctor wasn’t pushy about it. He did remind me that I’m in my 50s and
lots of people have bifocals and get colonoscopies at my age.
I really don’t understand how a colonoscopy will help my vision. That
seems like the wrong and long way to my eyeballs, but he’s a doctor and
I’m not.
So when I’m dialing my phone my glasses come off. When I’m driving, they
are on, or should be, or you should avoid me.
When the Super Bowl half time show came on, I took off my glasses. It
didn’t help, so I turned down the volume, which is strange because I was
told I needed hearing aids. I don’t think that would have helped me
listen to the half time show. To each his own on entertainment.
My buddy needs bifocals too because he read several cards, put the ones
back he didn’t like and selected a lovely “Happy Birthday” card for his
Valentine.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
February 14, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
His obituary, written by
himself, says “Charlie would like to be remembered as a quiet guy; who
kept to himself a lot.”
Well, I’m going to tell you that’s just not true!
Charlie DeGeer (don’t misspell his name, or he’ll write you a long
letter to the editor), passed away last Thursday. He was “the Midnight
Voice of the Barber County Sheriff.”
I worked with Charlie for over a decade as a bondsman. I would go in
during the way night shift and there would be this awful Cajun music
playing at almost unbearable decibels coming from his station.
I was greeted with an insult and a joke several times a week and was a
huge fan of how he made dispatching interesting and almost entertaining.
After he retired a few years back, I tossed my scanner in the closet.
Every April 1st, Charlie would put an entry into the dispatch report of
something like “Barber County Sheriff responded to a UFO crash on River
Road.”
Years later, I attended several burns with Charlie and Vaughn and I took
a lot of abuse from Charlie for wearing shorts to burn pastures.
I remember one time back in about 1994. I had purchased a green Chevy
S10 pickup from Bowe’s and was proudly driving it up Main Street when I
apparently ran a light. I was in the back alley of my building and he
pulled up, honked and yelled, “Nice red truck!”
At first I didn’t get it, but then his dry humor set in and I realized
he was referring to me not knowing what my colors were. I had those stop
lights torn out about 20 years later just because of him (kidding....
but that’s what I told him).
To know Charlie, was to love him. I hated the day he retired from the
Sheriff’s Office. That day was a punch in the gut. I will miss that
voice even more now than when it was just on the scanner.
Rest in peace Charlie
KWIBS - From
February 7, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Got up Wednesday morning to
snow.
I hate snow.
I hate winter.
I hate being cold.
Enough of my frigid rage, I’m taking it out on Punxsatawney Phil. That
stupid rodent saw his shadow and declares 6 more weeks of winter.
Several years ago I put out a hit on Phil. I used this dude named Mayor
de Blasio and he totally messed up the hit. He was in Staten Island and
dropped “Staten Island Chuck,” who at the time, also predicted 6 more
weeks of winter in 2014.
He hit the wrong groundhog.
“I tried it, it didn’t end well, I won’t be back,” de Blasio said with a
hearty laugh, joking that the event is the “highlight” of his year.
De Blasio infamously dropped Staten Island Chuck – played by a
10-month-old female groundhog named Charlotte – several feet during the
2014 proceedings when she crawled up his glove-clad arm. She died of
“internal injuries” a week later.
How could he have messed it up so badly. Needless to say, I didn’t pay
him and cut off all ties when he pulled the push to ban large sugary
drinks in New York City.
Anyway, back to Phil. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Wednesday,
meaning that if you believe in a groundhog's ability to predict the
weather -- we're in for six more weeks of winter. I didn’t really need
to know because I ran into Jim Colborn at Red Dirt Jack’s on Tuesday we
were casually speaking about the weather. I asked him if it was going to
snow and he put it simply, “count on it.” He’s more accurate than the
National Weather Service.
Though Phil has no meteorology degree, every year on February 2, the
United States, except for me, tunes in for his prediction. I usually
don’t get up early enough for that event. It’s not even in my top 100
things I’d like to attend.
You’re probably (not) wondering, what is in your top 100 bucket list
events you’d attend Kevin?
So, Google, Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival. I know, drastic
switch in topics, but every October in Manitou Springs, CO, people dress
up like the dead or Emma herself and race coffins down nearby Red
Mountain.
Emma Crawford came to Manitou Springs in 1889 searching for a cure for
her tuberculosis in the area’s famed cold-water mineral springs. Her
dying wish was to be buried on top of Red Mountain. Unfortunately, Emma
succumbed to her illness in 1891. Her boyfriend, with the help of eleven
other townspeople, carried Emma’s coffin up the 7,200 foot slope and
buried her near the summit of Red Mountain.
In 1929, after years of harsh winters and spring rains, Emma and her
coffin came racing down the mountain side. The young children who
happened upon her remains found only the casket handles, a nameplate,
and a few bones.
We talked about going in 2021, but the COVID cancelled the event.
Maybe this year?
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 31, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Did I miss something?
Voter-ID laws continue to get a lot of attention, and proponents of the
law are being drowned out by opponents claiming the laws discriminate
against certain voters.
Rather than getting IDs to the people who are supposedly
disenfranchised, opponents spend their efforts trying to end the laws,
even though polls consistently show overwhelming majorities of voters
approve of the laws.
Below are just some of the examples of things you need to prove your
identity for:
1. Purchase alcohol
2 Purchase cigarettes and vapes
3. Opening a bank account
4. Apply for food stamps
5. Apply for welfare
6. Apply for Medicaid/Social Security
7. Apply for unemployment or a job
8. Rent a house or apply for a mortgage to buy one
9. Drive/buy/rent a car
10. Get on an airplane
11. Get married
12. Purchase a gun
13. Adopt a pet
14. Rent a hotel room
15. Apply for a hunting license
16. Apply for a fishing license
17. Buy a cell phone
18. Go to a casino
19. Pick up a prescription
20. Hold a rally or protest
21. Donate blood
22. Purchase a “Mature” rated video game
23. Purchase nail polish at CVS
24. Purchase certain cold medicines
So, so many more..... But not to vote???
KWIBS - From
January 17, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
Well, I called it and
exactly one year later, we’re still talking about it like it was
something so horrible that our country was nearly destroyed and
Democracy lost forever.
The great January 6th Insurrection. Or as I like to call it: just
another January 6th, but with Trump supporters.
But if you use the Google machine, you’ll read that it was an “armed
insurrection, an attempted Coup of our Government, worse than the civil
war, as bad as 9-11 and a day that will live in infamy, ”
Seriously, this was like Pearl Harbor, the Civil War and 9-11 the II?
One year ago, I wrote a column about how ridiculous this was and one
year later, we’re still watching and hearing about it. Shut up and move
on. There was a peaceful transfer of power and now we have a vegetable
in the White House.
When Trump won, people marched in the streets screaming, disrupting
business and the flow of traffic in major cities, some wearing hats that
looked like vaginas. Nobody called it an insurrection. Most called it
stupid, as was January 6, 2021.
Sorry to get political, but we often just need a dose of reality and I
have friends who are Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and simply
A-Political in nature, but I think Dr. James Veltmeyer said it best in a
column he wrote on January 12, 2022.
“The Democrats will not let go of Jan. 6 because it now appears to be
the High Holy Day of their secular religion which carries an obsession
with the 45th president of the United States that rivals praying to
Mecca multiple times during the day. It can be safely stated that if
“January 6” and “Donald Trump” were removed from the vocabulary of the
Democrat Party, they would have as little to say as senile Joe Biden at
a news conference.”
But, CNN reported (by the way, their viewership fell by 80% from one
year ago), “Violent attacks by Trump supporters,” and “A dangerous and
volatile situation caused by Trump radicals,” and “Insurrection.” One
person was arrested for carrying an unlicensed gun and six people were
charged with assault, including one for assaulting a police officer. No
one ever asked or reported what party affiliation they were from, but
even CNN’s footage of people inside the Capitol showed many people who
didn’t have any “Trump” attire on. Some wore masks and there was obvious
damage and at least one woman shot and died, why, we still don’t know.
Don’t forget her name - Ashli Babbitt.
It’s a fact that Federal prosecutors have charged more than 700 people
in more than 45 states with participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S.
Capitol, and arrests continue almost daily. Some have still not gotten a
day in court. The majority of those arrested have been charged with
assaulting police officers with flag poles and trespassing - things that
you’re released for without bail in NYC.
A man named Devlyn Thompson got 46 months in prison for his actions that
day.
Thompson took part in the rioting for nearly three hours on Jan. 6,
during which time he assaulted a police officer with a metal baton. He
also tried to throw a speaker at the police, but missed and ended up
injuring another rioter.
Thompson later pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. In
December, Federal District Court Judge Royce Lamberth sentenced the
28-year-old Thompson to 46 months in prison with credit for time served,
along with 36 months of supervised release and a required payment of
$2,000 in restitution.
Looking back, we certainly don’t see much evidence of any kind of an
armed revolt against the duly-constituted government and how does a good
revolt get off the ground without arms? There were no tanks or armored
personnel carriers on Capitol Hill that day. I don’t recall seeing F-16
fighters circling the sky or missiles being fired at the Capitol dome. I
certainly didn’t see an organized army storm the building, guns blazing.
If this was an insurrection along the lines of what we have seen in
other countries at various times, it was the weakest in world history.
Trump did not ask or direct anyone to crash Congress. He called on them
to march “peacefully and patriotically” to protest, which is every
American’s right under the Constitution. Martin Luther King also marched
on Washington in 1963 and anti-Vietnam War demonstrators marched
multiple times in the late 1960s and early 1970s, not to mention the
famous Million Man March of 1995.
You know what I did observe over the summer of 2020 in cities like
Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York? Violence and chaos, no
order, even deaths. Police largely let these things happen under the
orders of many liberal city mayors. CNN reported that those protests
were, “mostly peaceful,” as buildings were on fire in the background.
There was a lot of order in dispersing that crowd of supporters of the
protest against counting the electoral votes. Did you see that happen
over the summer 2020 during riots?
We’re also still talking about voter fraud and integrity. We want to
“federalize” that process now. Well, not all of us want that, but those
in power want to stay in power, so that just makes me shake my head.
From my column one year ago: “Many media outlets hold to their headlines
that there was no voter fraud, yet you’ll see evidence long after Trump
leaves office. We have seen that evidence and we keep seeing more. I
know someone personally who is registered in Kansas, but flew to Arizona
to vote as well. She voted absentee here. This person even bragged about
how easy it was.
Would there have been a different result? I doubt it. I said a year ago
that I don’t even really care. I do care - more than ever.
I said, “ I’m not excited about a Biden-Harris administration, I will
wait and see before I judge it.”
Well, I’ve judged it and it is terrible. More people have died of Covid
under Biden than Trump, inflation is off the charts, the border is a
serious crisis, our energy independence was destroyed over night, crime
is up and news conferences are down, oh and Afghanistan is in shambles.
I’m running out of space, but you get it, even if you voted for him.
Just be honest. I was. I did not vote for Trump in 2016, but I did in
2020.
Of course, no president is entirely responsible for what happens in
America, but for a team that touted unity from their basement bunkers, a
bolstered economy, a basic understanding of foreign policy, and
“building back” what’s been lost, Biden’s first year was as bad as I
thought — if not worse. But hey, we got rid of the mean tweeting orange
hair guy.
Don’t cancel your subscription. We can have an honest discussion. Your
letters to the paper are welcome if you can defend this administration
with a straight face.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 10, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
For a variety of reasons,
mainly the “C” word, we had to cancel our New Years plans with friends.
We opted instead, to sit on the couch and binge watch Netflix. The day
before it was 64 degrees and we played outside and then Saturday brought
a new year, wind and freezing cold temperatures.
I was deep into a movie (code for sleeping) when my phone rang. I looked
at the caller ID and it was Tom Walters. Tom never calls me and so I
thought, I wonder who is in jail that Tom knows or is TOM in jail?
No, Tom nor anyone else was in trouble, he just had a story to tell me.
He and Melody were flying home when the airlines had the holiday
meltdown and thousands of flights were cancelled. Tom and Melody had
split up on different flights and she had made it home earlier than Tom,
but while waiting for a flight to Wichita in Dallas, Tom ran into
someone I knew, Paul Rhodes, Publisher of the TSnews and longtime
colleague in the newspaper business.
As we all know Tom, he wasted no time making friends at the gate. He met
Paul and Kim and probably hundreds of others. He even gave up his seat
so that Paul and Wife Kim could sit together.
I need a Tom every time I fly because I either lose a bag, have a flight
delay, have flights cancelled and end up in a sleazy part of Houston or,
my favorite, get tossed into a tent with TSA agents. That’s another
column. Anyway, I usually have a bad experience when flying, like the
time my uvula swelled up after a food allergy and I could literally spit
it out into my hand. That’s also another column. Simply put, it’s always
good to have a Tom around when you’re away from home and there is
uncertainty in the world. Tom is a comforting person to talk or listen
to, unless he’s in the announcer’s box at the football field cheering
for the away team, but he’s just that polite!
Paul is a traveler. I know this because I read about all the places he
and Kim fly to and wonder how he puts out a newspaper in between
vacations (just kidding Paul, that’s just jealousy sneaking its way into
my column). He’s used to canceled flights and missing luggage, or in
Tom’s case: missing luggage and wife, but the story has a happy ending.
Melody was waiting for Tom at the airport in her van and Melody, Tom,
Paul and Kim all jumped in, only missing one checked bag.
Yep, Paul and Kim jumped in the car with perfect strangers (emphasis on
“perfect”). Since Paul and Kim had missed their original flight, they
also lost their ride back to Goddard.
So Tom was just excited to call me to tell me about meeting Paul and
living in such a small world. I told him, “You’ll make the TSnews this
week.”
I was right. The headline for Paul’s column was “A big world made small
by flight cancellations.”
In his column he describes his encounter with Tom and then with Tom and
Melody and then how this news would eventually reach me and then
Medicine Lodge. We shared a couple of emails and I told him I would wait
for his column to come out and hit my desk on Thursday and would follow
suit by writing about it too.
Yes, it’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.
- Steven Wright, Comedian
KWIBS - From
January 3, 2022 - By Kevin Noland
I hope you all enjoyed
Christmas and had a happy new year!
Our holiday got off to a little bit of a rough start. One of our kids
and his spouse picked up COVID right before they were to travel to
Denver.
Both of them were disappointed, but not seriously ill, thankfully.
Christmas day was just beautiful outside, so we had them come and sit
outside at our picnic table and we brought them presents and made them
Christmas lunch..... to go of course!
So, our family Christmas
photo is a little weird this year, but you should not expect the normal
from our family.
My poor Mom called a day later and had taken a COVID test and it came
back positive. A couple of days later, Ronda began feeling ill. Two
negative COVID tests later, she must have just had a bad cold or a mild
flu. Either way, she was pretty miserable and I did my best at being her
nurse, but I’m never as good as she is.
After everyone thinned out, my son-in-law and I grabbed our waders and
went to set beaver traps. The day before we had broken down one dam to
release some of the backed up water . It was pretty deep the day before,
but was about knee high Saturday. I got half way across a creek holding
a loaded trap and suddenly lost my balance in the mud and fell. I had
enough sense to not trust all the safety latches and squeezed the trap
in a way it couldn’t go off on my hand.
Miguel helped me up, very cold water had rushed in over my waders and
now my socks were soaked. It wasn’t such a nice day out afterwards. I
eventually warmed up and we finished up.
Some of our kids’, nieces’ and nephew’s gifts got mixed up in the bags.
Little do they know they got someone else’s gifts. We’re not saying
which ones. I just kept looking at Ronda and laughing through the
exchange.
My favorite line from the day before from her was, “I just hate wrapping
gifts.”
I looked at the tree and said, “You didn’t wrap any dear. They’re all in
sacks.”
She grabbed my arm and dragged me to the one gift under the tree that
she had wrapped. In all fairness, it used to be my job to wrap the gifts
and I’ve somehow passed that off to her.
KWIBS - From
December 27, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
This is it! The final
edition of 2021 Barber County news.
Despite COVID still lingering, our county has had a good year.
My person of the year is very unique. She’s one of the smartest people I
know and I could not have left the leadership of Peace Treaty in better
hands.
Joscelyn Nittler is my choice for “Premiere’s Person of the Year.”
Nittler is a life-long resident of Barber County, but for her years of
college and short stay in the Big Apple while her husband showed off his
wears, or lack there of (Sorry Joscelyn. I could not resist. You’ve made
plenty of jokes about me.)
She is a business woman in the community for more than 15 years, highly
respected, involved in her church and the community, the project manager
for Barber County Cares Recovery Fund, the representative of South
Central Kansas Leadership League. And she loves Peace Treaty!
She represents the next generation of leaders in our community. I’m
happy to call her my friend.
? ? ? ?
2021 was a special year for The Gyp Hill Premiere. What was started in
the kitchen of our farm house, has grown to be a product that Ronda and
I are proud to own and operate. The Gyp Hill Premiere turned 30 years
old in June. I’ve had many people help us along the way and our only
wish is to represent the county in the best way we can.
Thank you to my wife, Ronda, for keeping this office organized. Thank
you Aimee for bringing your talents to the editorial staff. Thank you to
my mom, Joyce, for being the eyes that see our mistakes. Thank you to my
father-in-law, Don, for covering meetings. Thank you to my sweet
daughter, Breeann, who juggles six children and still makes sure the
paper is mailed out each week. Finally, thank you to my oldest and
longest serving employee, Ellis Mayfield! Now in his 90s, he began
driving the newspaper for us when he was in his late 60s! Ellis is the
best and never lets us, or you, down when it comes to delivering the
paper each week. Thank you all and thank you, readers, for your support!
Have a great 2022!
KWIBS - From
December 20, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
We are nearing the end of
2021. It was a good year and a bad year. That sounded like a Charles
Dickens’ rip off, but it wasn’t.
I’m actually looking forward to the holidays, but are the holidays
looking forward to me? That’s deep.
Because I think Christ was actually born in the spring, I’m disappointed
that we have to celebrate in generally cold conditions. I think baby
Jesus would have loved to play in the lake and creeks, ride jetskis and
fish. I know he had a thing for fishermen.
I’m not trying to make light of birth of our Lord and Savior. I’m just
believing that He was a lot more like us than we give Him credit for.
Yes, He is God in man and he carried those attributes with Him to His
death on the cross.
He was born of a virgin. He was a baby. Jesus is both human and God at
the same time. I suppose that statement implies that he was also once a
child since, after all, all human beings once were. This means that
Jesus was once both a child and a powerful God-being. I don’t know about
you, but I doubt things would turn out well if any child in present
times were given the capacity to bend the rules of nature.
With that kind of power, why would they listen to anyone?
Tantrums would turn into ultimatums, and backyard scuffles could have
lethal consequences. Maybe this is why the Bible makes little to no
mention of Jesus’s childhood?
The most detailed story we get about young Jesus in the current Bible is
him ditching his parents to go to the temple. He’s later found
conversing with scholars about all things religious. It gave his parents
a little scare, but it wasn’t anything obnoxious for a boy his age.
So at Christmas time, think of how good God is to us. Be patient with
your children and grandchildren (that was mostly for me).
Most importantly, have a Merry Christmas and include Jesus because we
are celebrating Him, even if I think He was born in June. Merry
Christmas friends!
KWIBS - From
December 13, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Every year about this time
I say to my wife, “I need a hobby.”
Winter is not my friend. Cold weather is meant for penguins and polar
bears, not me.
Each year, I have heavily relied on my good buddy Jeff Clarke to come
and trap beavers on our ponds. It’s a ridiculously busy job (as in busy
as a beaver) to trap these amazing, yet destructive creatures.
This year has been the worst year for beaver damage in the 30+ years
we’ve lived out on the ranch. Fields and Sons just temporarily fixed a
dam for us last week and in years past, Roger Simpson has saved us from
dam-doom on many of our ponds. To say, “I’m dam tired of this,” is
putting it mildly.
I’ve used and abused my buddy Jeff and I owe him big time for all of his
hard work he has done in trapping. This year though, I decided that
maybe YouTube could teach me and my son-in-law Miguel how to trap.
What looks easy, is not.... I bought the right traps and Miguel and I
didn’t lose any digits setting the traps, but learned after a few tries
that there was a special tool for $30 that takes all the work out of
setting the traps. I also bought Miguel waders. I tried to buy myself
some, but they don’t make a size short and fat, so I ended up with leg
waders that leaves your bottom exposed. I learned not to squat down or
you get a cold, wet bum.
In 5 days, we caught three beavers weighing in at 32 lbs, 38 lbs and a
45 lb’er that I nicknamed chubs. He was so big, I don’t know how he got
in the trap.
So, I guess we have a new hobby. It’s one that I hope stops soon, but I
have a feeling it’s going to be a yearly event. I love wildlife and I
don’t hunt, but now I do trap and I’m finding it very therapeutic.
KWIBS - From
December 6, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Last Monday it was 80
degrees outside! I love global warming.
I grabbed Ronda, loaded her up in the Polaris and took her to the
outback to check some beaver traps. We didn’t find anything in our
traps, so after tromping around in the dirt and streams, we headed back
and sat on the dock of our pond. It was just a beautiful day.
At about 3 p.m. Ronda declared, “Road trip!”
I was all in. We loaded up in the truck and headed north. As soon as we
hit the Elm Mills road, I went about another 100 yards and turned
around. We had never been to Elm Mills. Yes, we manage one of the three
lake resorts in Barber County, but had only been to our own and to our
neighbors at 99 Springs.
Ronda reminded me Elm Mills was also gated and I told her I had a plan.
I picked up my phone and called my friend Mike. I know he likes a good
warm day too and chances are, he was out there at his cabin, and as I
suspected, he was.
Mike took us on the tour starting with his cabin. Of course Ronda was
interested in the homes and the surroundings. I was interested in the
engineering of this cool little slice of heaven. We can relate, because
we live on our own little slice.
The place was constructed in the late 1800s and was mostly a destination
from people in Pratt. Times have changed and there are about 20
cabins/homes there with owners all over the place. Each resort in Barber
County has its specialty. Lake Arrowhead is known for boating, skiing
and awesome crappie fishing. It’s one of the most remote resorts in the
county and requires private membership and home ownership. 99 Springs,
also a private membership organization, originally had a golf course in
the early 1900s. Now it has great fishing and recreation and lots of
room for large gatherings. Elm Mills has a small lake and a swimming
area. It even has a famous rope swing and water slide. It too had a
large area for public gatherings.
One thing almost all three of these places have in common, is there low
profile. None of them advertise, almost every house is occupied (I only
know of one house at all three resorts that is even for sale.) Another
thing we all have in common is that the appraiser’s office loves to
visit us! :)
Factually, Lake Arrowhead is the largest and costly resort at 83 acres
of surface water and 300+ total acres of recreation area it has the
highest price yearly membership of about $1,200. 99 Springs has the most
members and the cheapest memberships at around $600 a year. Elm Mills
was only around $750 a year. I would say it has true community spirit.
They have no care taker. They all just pitch in and help keep the place
nice. Both 99 Springs and Elm Mills are HOAs with boards. Our resort is
privately owned since 1966.
All display the beauty of Barber County.
KWIBS - From
November 29, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
It’s always been my
intention to do a Christmas card. We seem to talk about it, plan it and
then never execute.
In our defense, try working around 14 people’s schedules. The last time
we had an actual family photo was back in June of this year at Joey and
Haley’s wedding. That was almost 6 months ago and little Ensley was only
6 months old. She just turned a year old last week. A lot changes in 6
months, so we just haven’t scheduled a “family photo.”
Long gone are the times when you could buy a hundred of identical
Christmas cards from the bargain bin, scribble a quick generic message
inside and be satisfied that you have played your part in spreading the
Christmas spirit and seasons greetings to neighbors and friends.
These days the possibilities are endless, and the bar for personalized
Christmas cards has been set high. Nowadays, nobody enjoys anything
generic, so the popularity of family photos seems to have gone through
the roof.
Several years ago, we actually did try to do a family photo. I had set
up a shoot with a local photographer. She did an amazing job on our
outdoor shots. We decided one more shot by the Christmas Tree would do
it for a Christmas Card. As our photographer was helping adjust
everything, she got snagged in our Christmas Tree and it came crashing
to the ground, scattering ornaments all over the living room and forcing
laughter on everyone after a tiring day of photography.
We never mailed out a single Christmas card though. I do so appreciate
those who do and I hope they understand, we’re just not that family!
KWIBS - From
November 22, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
I don’t want to mislead
anyone, but it’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed Thanksgiving.
Let me explain. Owning a weekly newspaper is complicated. It’s further
complicated when a holiday falls on our deadline day. It doesn’t mean a
day off of work. It means shoving that work out an extra day.
My family will tell you, I’m sort of a grump at Thanksgiving.
I’m going to do better this year! After suffering from the two week flu,
I’m getting stronger, but I’m also behind on about everything I do. This
year is special though. This year, my son Joey and his wife Haley are
doing the heavy lifting. They’ll be hosting and we just have to bring a
side, a chair, an appetite and as Haley reminded me, “A grateful heart.”
I needed that reminder.
In a not so certain world, with so many problems, it’s incredibly hard
to see the blessings right in front of me. Haley’s text message reminded
me of that. All of our children now are married off and we have 6
grandkids. Both Ronda and I are blessed to each have a parent left
(Great-Grandparents!). Our kids are all working and healthy. Our family
is growing and we are blessed beyond belief.
Life might be complicated for a lot of us right now, but we have so much
as Americans. It’s too easy for us to lose sight of that.
Thanksgiving will be a time for us to reflect and give thanks for all
that God has given us.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
KWIBS - From
November 15, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
The greatest generation.
I was fortunate to know many of Barber County’s WWII veterans. Sadly,
most of them are gone now.
Approximately 240,329 of the 16 million Americans who served in World
War II are still alive, but we are losing them quickly. Many in their
late 90s will be gone in a few short years.
Ronda and I watched the movie Midway this past weekend. One of Japan’s
main goals during World War II was to remove the United States as a
Pacific power in order to gain territory in east Asia and the southwest
Pacific islands. Japan hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet and use
Midway as a base to attack Pearl Harbor, securing dominance in the
region and then eventually securing surrender from Japan.
June 4-5, 1942 US troops at sea and on Midway continued their attacks,
forcing the Japanese to abandon the battle and retreat. The Japanese
lost approximately 3,057 men, four carriers, one cruiser, and hundreds
of aircraft, while the United States lost approximately 362 men, one
carrier, one destroyer, and 144 aircraft. This critical US victory
stopped the growth of Japan in the Pacific and put the United States in
a position to begin shrinking the Japanese empire through a years-long
series of island-hopping invasions and several even larger naval
battles.
My son Nick has been home from Okinawa for 1 year now. He was able to
attend his first Veterans Day program put on by the schools. It’s
finally sinking in how significant his service was. We still have bases
in Japan and on Okinawa’s islands. Nick spent 3 1/2 years there. That
time passed very quickly and our family is so thankful that he’s home
now.
KWIBS - From
November 8, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
You can’t be serious...
Opossum Part III.
I was laying in bed Monday when my phone rang.
I’m pretty sure I had a conversation with Stephanie Marshall, but I was
on my 6th day of flu and fever, the kind of flu that rocks your world.
Four days of fever at 103, trembling, sweating, not eating and so many
trips to the bathroom that I hadn’t cracked a smile for fear I would
lose control of all orifices at once.
It’s the hardest way to lose 15 pounds and drop to your last notch on
your belt in one week. I don’t recommend this diet program at all. The
food is terrible: pudding, jello, Ensure, scrambled eggs and chicken
noodle soup.
Back to that phone call...
Stephanie was, well, sort of livid in a fun way? I don’t really know,
but it was about the opossum that had escaped my clutches the Friday
before in front of Daryl Schiff and Martina McBride. The little critter
climbed its own tail and bit me before I dropped it. I was wearing
leather gloves, so I wasn’t hurt, but startled. Then that little guy or
girl, I didn’t check, shot across the street towards Rick Swayden’s
office before it disappeared under Stephanie’s truck.
I walked over and looked and didn’t see it, so I assumed it had sprinted
up the sidewalk and went around the alley.
But I was wrong.
Daryl Schiff had offered to rehome the rascal out near Sharon before I
lost him.
Thankfully, it did get rehomed. Only, it got rehomed somewhere on the
undercarriage of Stephanie’s truck.
With my limited recollection of the conversation, I think this is a
pretty close account as to what happened.
Stephanie left work sometime Friday afternoon and unknowingly to her,
she had a stowaway. When she got home, she pulled her truck into the
garage and probably did woman stuff after that. I’d have to ask Tim for
sure.
Over the weekend she was tending to the yard and opened the garage to
find some sort of rake or shovel, that part I can’t remember, and she
saw the little opossum run across her floor. Being the farm woman she
is, I believe she screamed out in fear and went and found Tim, but I
don’t really remember.
Maybe a day went by? I can’t remember that either. I’m sure the entire
family was sleeping from suspended ceiling beds or hammocks in their
homes in fear that he would climb up and eat them, but probably not.
That’s probably not how it went. I think she saw it again the next day,
grabbed a piece of firewood and pinned it to the ground, grabbing it and
launching it out of her garage and out to freedom!
I’m thinking as she is ranting, “how did she know this was my opossum
and not another one?” Then it hit me. Oh ya, I wrote about that in my
column last week.
So, I owned it. “Yes, that was probably, inconclusively, our pest
problem.”
“Well,” she said, “You could have at least come over and told me that it
was under there!” There were some inaudible noise and perhaps cursing in
that part of the story, but we are a PG paper, so I won’t repeat. (It’s
all good. She was laughing and I was laughing.)
In all fairness, I did walk over, got down on my hands and knees and NO
OPOSSUM here, so I went back to my conversation with Daryl and Martina
and then went back to the office.
So, sorry about that Marshalls, but they are excellent for the ecosystem
and will eat up all the ticks around your house.
And....
If it comforts you to know. We now have the smell of something
decomposing in our office and we’ve torn the building apart looking for
the cause. This story could turn out to be a made for TV special before
it’s all over.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 1, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Opossum: Part Deux
As you read last week, we caught a baby opossum in our office.
Later in the week, we got a panicked phone call from my mom who had just
had another baby opossum run across her feet in the composing room.
So I came to the office and started the search. After moving an old copy
machine, there he was staring at me and hissing. I held him to the floor
with a broom and then grabbed him by the tail and decided to go release
him, but first I wanted to march him over to the bank where my
Daughter-In-Law Haley works. I didn’t let her see it until I got to the
window and said, “I need to make a deposit,” holding the little dude up.
Despite the fact that she was behind, what is most likely bullet proof
glass, she must have thought the opossum could scratch a hole through it
and attack her.
I said, “Haley, open the drawer or I will put him in the tube and shoot
him inside!”
Dale Lonker was watching, and like the bank Ninja she is, Haley reached
up and sucked the cartridge back inside before I could even get over
there. It was impressive. She should be commended for thinking on her
feet like that.
Little did I know, Daryl Schiff and Martina McBride were coming through
the drive through as I was teasing Haley with this critter. I got out to
Kansas Street and Martina yelled at me and said, “What is that?”
I calmly responded and asked, “Don’t newspaper publishers in Nashville
wander the streets with baby opossums where you live?”
Just about that time, the little dude climbed his own tail and bit me on
the palm of my hand, but I had gloves on. It startled me and I dropped
him. He promptly started heading over to Rick Swayden’s office when
Daryl said, “Oh, just grab him and put him in my truck and I will take
him towards Sharon.”
Despite my efforts, I was unsuccessful and now comes a confession.
Stephanie Marshall’s truck was in front of Rick’s office and it went
under the truck and scaled a front tire into the engine compartment.
Since I figured there was no way that thing was going to make it out as
far as she lives, I just didn’t say anything to her. There was no need
to cause panic!
When I got back to the office, we did a room to room sweep and then I
did some research on the internet. Did you know a momma opossum can have
up to 20 babies at one time? Gulp!
Would I be finding these critters all over the place over the next days,
weeks, months and maybe years? Did my office just become a habitat for
opossums?
I have a friend named Jamie Chism who caught two baby opossums and
raised them, so I took a photo and sent it to him. He begged me to keep
it and raise it, but we don’t do pets anymore, especially ugly, wild
ones!
Nope, this guy had to go and hopefully, Stephanie has given him a good
home, whether she knows it or not!
KWIBS - From
October 25, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Only a few critters give me
cause for alarm and make me want to jump on a chair and scream like a
little girl.
Spiders are one of those critters. I was grading roads at the ranch the
other day when one decided to drop out of the top of the cab and onto my
chest. I nearly beat myself to death and then I had to stop the tractor
quickly and exit it and remove my shirt and jump around shaking it in
the air. After careful examination, I found that little sucker’s remains
on the seat of the tractor. I found a stick and some toilet paper and
cleaned up and interred him in the dirt on the ground.
I’m also not a fan of being startled by bees, mud dobbers and yellow
jackets, mostly because of my memory reflexes telling me that those
actually hurt and they attack. I’ve never heard of attack spiders, but
that would be horrible.
Snakes don’t bother me, as long as I’m not surprised to see them. In
fact, I accidentally grabbed a good sized bull snake while trying to
find the light switch in our shed this summer. I ran my hand across a
2x4 that felt a little off, maybe too soft. When I got to the light
switch, I saw her relaxing, all stretched out, with her head pointing
the other direction. I’m sure I would have been more terrified if I had
brushed the other end.
This time of year, the critters are looking to get in. I caught the
biggest pack rat I think I’d ever seen on my porch a few nights ago and
he put up a fight even with his head stuck in the trap.
Apparently, we now had one in our office that both my wife and daughter
saw. They either just left to go buy some rat traps or gasoline - to
burn the place to the ground...
So it’s Wednesday and the girls are freaking out about this giant rat
when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I think the rat was
now in my office.
This rat looked pretty mangy and moved kind of slow for a rat, so I got
up and followed him down the hallway and into the kids’ play room.
That’s when I realized, he wasn’t a rat at all. He was a baby opossum!
KWIBS - From
October 18, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Great work President Biden!
Inflation was up 5.4% over last year in September – the highest rate in
13 years. Prices rose 0.4% in Sept, up from 0.3% in August. Gas, food
and goods continue to be key drivers of inflation. Used car prices fell
slightly but remain 24% higher than last year. But that’s probably
Trump’s fault, somehow.
Raise your hand if this is what you voted for when you filled in the
circle next to Biden-Harris names on the ballot.
Most troubling for me was during an interview this past week White House
reporters questioned the matter and our President turned his back and
walked away ending the press conference.
Good for Biden, things are about to get even worse. The world's delicate
supply chains are under extreme stress.
The "weakest link" may be the shortage of truck drivers — an issue that
has contributed to congestion at ports and caused gas stations to run
dry.
We’ve also become energy dependent again. We bow to OPEC instead of
using our natural resources. We close down our supply pipelines and give
our blessings to Russia to put in their own and we wonder why things are
gloomy?
I didn’t start out a Trump fan, but I would take him and his nasty
Tweets every day of the week over watching staged press conferences
where our president insists that we can’t control our own bodies, unless
it is for the purpose of aborting a child.
My rant is done, for now, but surely I’m not the only one that feels
this way. Darn, ran out of space to talk about the border crisis.....
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
October 11, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
So I tried desperately not
to draw attention to the fact that my birthday was last Monday.
I stopped posts from appearing (unless tagged) on my Facebook page and
took the day off to actually do some work around the house. We cleaned
out three garages over the weekend and we took our jetskis out of the
water and took them to Wichita for service.
Since my friends couldn’t post on Facebook, they called me instead. One
particular friend said, “Did you know you broke Facebook today?”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
Facebook experienced another outage. I love that!
The outage started just before noon ET and took nearly six hours before
it was resolved. This is the worst outage for Facebook since a 2019
incident took its site offline for more than 24 hours, as the downtime
hit hardest on the small businesses and creators who rely on these
services for their income.
You know what doesn’t experience an outage? Your newspaper. We work
tirelessly to print your news, sometimes to my frustration, everyone is
their own reporter now and wants to make sure it’s on facebook. Well,
you just can’t always rely on the digital world, but for 300 years,
newspapers keep you informed, but it takes a partnership with our
readers to stay alive. Small town newspapers have taken a beating since
the conception of social media, but we keep chugging along. Remember
that post from 2004 about your daughter’s game? Neither do we because
it’s gone......
KWIBS - From
October 4, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Another Peace Treaty is in
the books!
The past Monday I went to roll out of bed and realized every bone in my
body hurt.
After working the week before Peace Treaty and then being on my feet for
as long as 24 hours on one of those days, my body said, “Hey Kevin,
let’s just lay back down for a while!”
Who’s going to argue with that recommendation?
So that’s what I did, until about 11 a.m. and then I was loading up
trailers and working on mowers at the ranch. By 3:30 p.m. it was 100
degrees and even after a 32 oz. iced tea, I was ready for another nap.
So again, that’s what I did!
Tuesday started out better. I put most things away that I had dragged
out for Peace Treaty. For some reason, I decided to put about 500 lbs of
chain in my truck that all had to be hung back up in the shed, so by
noon I was a dripping, sweaty mess with a sore back and ribs and had a
window to go get my back worked on before I was to meet 4 semis with 100
tons of rock to spread with my grader.
My trip to get my back worked on was met with hitting something in the
highway near Kingman and poking a hole in my tire that was leaking at an
alarming rate. No one in Kingman could fix it, or had a tire to replace
it. I tried in Goddard to the same results and I finally hit a car parts
place that had one of those plug kits. That’s how I made it home, but
it’s by no means a professional patch job.
I made it back just as the semis were turning onto the ranch. I fired up
the grader and was done in about another 4 hours. So for now, life is
back to somewhat normal. I hope it is for many of you after such an
amazing weekend!
KWIBS - From
September 27, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Happy Birthday Bree!
My daughter turns another page on the calendar of life on Sunday.
She’s had a pretty amazing year and blessed us with #6 grandchild
Ensley!
Growing up out in the country, she spent her early years riding dirt
bikes and go karts, going jetskiing, swimming and boating at the lake.
She is our first child to bring another generation of kids to the ranch
and lake to play, which makes our hearts happy!
So, Happy Birthday to my first kid!
? ? ? ?
Peace Treaty is wrapped up by the time you’ve read this. We call this
week the “Peace Treaty Hangover.” Not that anyone actually drank too
much, the whole town is just exhausted. Now the work starts putting
everything away, finding out how things went financially, what events
did well and what events need work. I can tell you that after nearly 30
years involvement with Peace Treaty, no other board has worked so hard
to make such a successful event.
With that in mind, THANK YOU for coming, donating your time, energy and
talents, for forgiving us where we had short staff or maybe not the
answers you were looking for. We did our very best. The board handled
the event with so much professionalism. I have thanked each of them
personally, but in the coming weeks, I will be naming names! One great
team we had was The City of Medicine Lodge Crew. You guys rocked it!
Our hope is, that you enjoyed your time and that more and more people
will step up to help keep this event alive in our community. I can’t
tell you how many people volunteered, but it was well over 1,000 in one
way or another who did donate materials, machinery, money and time and
you are all appreciated!
KWIBS - From
September 20, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
This letter is one I wrote
for the program of the upcoming Peace Treaty. I didn’t even know I had
to write one until I was on my way home from Wichita last week, so I
read Rick Swayden’s letter from 2018. It was powerful and professional.
I had already started my column for this week and grabbed my notes off
of my phone. I’m not scooping the program, but since I’m both president
and publisher, naturally, this was on my mind this week.
I thought long and hard how to relay my thoughts and after many
back-space, replace and more deletes, I hope I did the president’s
letter justice.
This year’s pageant and commemoration of the signing of the treaty of
the 5 tribes of the plains and the U.S. government could not happen
without the hard work put in by so many people.
I’d like to thank our board and chair people who have dedicated their
talents, time and sometimes sanity, to continue this event.
I’d also like to thank our Native American friends who have blessed us
in so many ways and taught us the value of their history and customs.
They graciously come to Peace Treaty which, wasn’t really peace at all,
but a change to their way of life forever.
The treaty of 1867 represents promises made and promises broken.
Our board acknowledges that there was a great deal of misery during this
time in history.
“History is Written by Victors.” The quote gets attributed to Winston
Churchill, but its origins are unknown. It implies that history is not
grounded in facts, rather it's the winners' interpretation of them that
prevails. It’s narratives continued influencing many opinions, even
being reinforced by Hollywood Westerns.
As a kid, I still remember playing Cowboys and Indians, not Explorers,
Expansionists and Natives. It is a new era and we believe we have made
great strides over the past decades to honor the Native American
participants. We are so excited about the new Powwow Arena at Memorial
Peace Park. Credit for this amazing structure goes to the David Colborn
family, his committee, those who donated their labor and materials, our
fantastic sponsors and volunteers. We hope it will become a place for
families of the descendants of the five tribes of the plains to
fellowship, dance and to keep their traditions alive on the very grounds
their ancestors danced on more than 150 years ago.
You’ll look around and see many improvements that have been made around
town and at Memorial Peace Park. These improvements have all been the
fruits of money raised by our sponsors and the hard work of so many
people. Those names are scattered throughout the program and I’m sure we
may have missed a few, but please know how much we appreciate your
continued support.
To every board member, chair person, volunteer, the hundreds of
participants in the pageant, the powwow participants and head staff,
night show actors and dancers, our local museums, craft fair and food
vendors, the contestants in the Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo, its
staff and chair-people, the judges and assistants, and our Bulls and
Broncs riders, I want to personally thank you for being here and for all
you do.
I especially want to thank YOU for attending the 26th reenactment of the
signing of the Treaty Of Medicine Lodge and the more than 300 years of
history it represents.
We do this with humble hearts and thoughtful consideration to accurately
represent our community’s rich history. With that in mind, expect some
extra “bangs” and some corny moments during the weekend.
We are glad you are here. Whether it’s your first Peace Treaty or one of
many, welcome to Medicine Lodge and Barber County!
Kevin Noland, Publisher
MLPTA President
KWIBS - From
September 13, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Can you feel the excitement
building?
Medicine Lodge will once again commemorate the signing of the Treaty
with the 5 Tribes of the Plains in just under two weeks!
A LOT of work has gone into this year’s event, possibly more than any
other year. There are so many new things to experience, you will want to
bring your family for three days of food, rodeos, kids attractions,
street dances, the night show reencactments, a brand new Powwow Arena at
Memorial Peace Park, wagon rides, parades, a craftfair, muzzle loaders
encampments, the Stockade and Carry Nation Home will be packed with
events, alumni tent, helicopter rides, a sky diver into Saturday’s
parade (weather permitting) and all we need is you, your family and
friends!
I can’t even begin to tell you how much has gone into this year’s
pageant and festival. Everything at Memorial Peace Park has been
transformed into something amazing. If you haven’t been out to see the
improvements, go see for yourself.
To stop any rumors, things are still happening on Main Street. The only
differences are moving the Powwow to Memorial Peace Park and on Friday
night, when the street dance will be held at the rodeo grounds.
We’ve also made this a value added event. For adults - all three days of
as many events as you want to take in costs only $35 for a bracelet,
children 7-17 pay $15 for a bracelet and children 6 and younger are
free!
I just went to www.peacetreaty.org and got my tickets! You should do the
same!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 6, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
The greatest travesty about
our recent removal of troops in Afghanistan is giving a country 20 years
of freedom and then just taking it away.
According to our government, in the early days of the evacuation effort,
thousands of Afghans crowded Kabul’s airport seeking a way to flee the
country. Some made it through without paperwork, while American citizens
and visa applicants were unable to enter.
While hundreds of Americans are still trapped inside the Taliban ruled
nation, the majority of interpreters and other U.S. Visa applicants were
left behind.
In July - among other things the US military left were tens of thousands
of bottles of water and energy drinks, as well as meals ready-to-eat, or
MREs, the AP reported. There were also some personal items, like a
guitar. You wouldn’t want to be caught with that. Troops left thousands
of civilian vehicles, including many that no longer had keys, and
hundreds of armored military vehicles, such as Mine Resistant Ambush
Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, Over 200 winged and helicopter aircraft US
forces also left ammunition and weaponry, though most of the heavy
weapons were taken by the departing troops or destroyed, the AP has
reported, but I don’t believe that. The Pentagon acknowledged that some
vehicles were left, but denied that weapons had been left behind. We
know now that we did in fact leave enough equipment behind to make the
Taliban in the top 85% of an armed country. We’re being told that the
majority of the weapons will never function again, but I’m not so sure.
KWIBS - From
August 30, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
As September 11 grows
nearer, our thoughts should now be with the survivors, the victims’
families, our military and now, more than ever the Afghan people.
Over the past 20 years the mission has never been extremely clear, other
than we did not ever want to leave a safe haven for terrorists in
Afghanistan. We never wanted to see another 9/11.
I have several friends and family who have served in Afghanistan. I’ve
visited with almost all of them about how they feel about our exit and
all of them are feeling a sense of remorse, confusion about why we are
doing it the way we are and most importantly, they worry about those
they left behind.
One particular friend worked with translators. He first volunteered to
go there just months after our country was attacked. He was the first
person I called after seeing our withdraw going badly. Most of his
translators eventually ended up in the United States and have become
citizens. Sadly, most of them had family left behind that are now in
extreme danger from the Taliban. There was one translator that he was in
communication with up until last week. His fate is unknown.
Under our protection and leadership, Afghanistan moved forward 2,000
years. We spent billions of dollars, lost high tech equipment and lost
thousands of American lives, for what?
That’s the question that should haunt us. Yes, we needed to end that war
and occupation, but the humanitarian crisis we leave behind will endure.
Pray for Afghanistan and Americans who have been stranded there. Pray
for wisdom for our leaders to do what is necessary to secure their
safety and bring them home. Pray for those who now have to live under
the Taliban. God forgive us for not leaving in a way that secured the
freedoms that we brought their country.
KWIBS - From
August 23, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
I think almost half the
county got hair cuts last week.
Every kid around seemed so well groomed and then I remembered - school
was about to start.
I remember the days when the all important hair cut set the tone for the
new school year. Just before leaving for school, your parents drag you
out on the front porch so they can take your pictures for your first day
of school.
It always felt like a hostage situation for me, likewise for my kids.
They all hated the “first day of school” photo.
Several years ago, many of our friends were posting photos of their
kids’ first day photos. Ronda and I decided to take a picture of the two
of us holding a bottle of wine with a caption that read, “First day of
no more kids in school!”
It got both cheers and sneers.
All of the county’s parents let out a collective cheer this week when
their kids started school. I’m hoping it’s the best year of school for
all of them.
Many kids, including my neice, didn’t get that perfect prom or
graduation last year because of COVID restrictions. Although many
adjusted well, many fell behind and being back in the classroom is the
only real way they will learn.
If you are a teacher or staff member of our school districts, you are
heroes to hundreds of parents, and grandparents, I might add.
Thank you for caring for the little ones and for teaching them to be,
not just book smart, but kind, caring and good people.
Have a great school year!
KWIBS - From
August 16, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
So, I rarely ever cheer for
cooler weather, but this past week has had me rethinking.
Jumping into my truck Tuesday afternoon, my thermometer flashed 111
degrees. It eventually dropped to 103 as I was driving towards Pratt to
pick up parts for a mower.
I noticed I wasn’t getting cool even though I had the a/c down to 60
degrees and my air conditioned seats were on full blast.
I’d been hot all day. I got up early and was putting a new belt on one
of our mowers and at one point water began dripping from my forehead.
Then I could feel it running down my back, and before I knew it, I was
drenched in sweat.
It seemed to never let up and my lack of a/c in my truck left me in a
constant state of dampness.
Don’t pity me though. I drove past countless farmers, ranchers and oil
field guys doing their work in the heat of the day. These are the heroes
that keep our lights on and food on the table. I’m just a guy who was
trying to make sure we could cut the grass.
I thought about how hard they work and how easy most of us have it
inside in the a/c. I usually get to work inside Wednesday and Thursday
all day and Friday morning. The rest of the time, I’m working at the
ranch. Luckily, the tractors have a/c. It’s not great, but it’s better
than nothing.
One trick that I’ve found to work, is to take a dishcloth or hand cloth
and keep it in a cooler of ice water. Grab it and wrap it around your
neck or head. When it dries out, rinse and repeat. Sounds old fashioned,
but it works for me!
KWIBS - From
August 9, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
In our target market, there
are 19 full and part time jobs being offered. Many of these jobs have
been advertised for weeks on end.
Facebook is also flooded asking people to fill out applications. I would
guess if you are a living, breathing human being wanting work, it’s out
there for you. Many of these advertised positions are very good paying
jobs.
We don’t have a job shortage. We have a worker shortage. We are not
alone. Across the country you’ll see HELP WANTED signs everywhere.
It is true that a sliver of people would rather stay home for a few
months making as much, or more, from unemployment than they would
defrosting meat patties or answering phones.
It’s a concern shared by independent business owners worried that their
efforts to bump wages and increase benefits aren’t luring in the workers
they need as Covid-19 restrictions fall and consumer spending soars.
We’re seeing that same trend in Barber County as sales tax figures show
spending is up.
But we’re not filling jobs.
Good things are happening here on the economic front, but without
skilled workers, we may find ourselves in a pickle.
If we do attract workers we boost our own economy in so many ways:
Properties are purchased or rented; our schools’ enrollments increase;
sales tax is generated from local purchases and our local hospitals see
more patients.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, finds that roughly 10
million people who rely on jobless benefits will lose them on Sept. 6.
And another 10 million will see those benefits drop by $300 per week if
Congress allows the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program
to expire.
I say, let it expire. Get people back to work.
KWIBS - From
August 2, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda and I were spending
our last day in Denver after our son and daughter-in-law’s wedding when
we met an interesting young lady who works for the “Denverite” as a
free-lance columnist and writer.
I heard her ask the bar tender where the women’s bathroom was and I
said, “Follow me,” which is kind of a weird way to start a conversation,
but Ronda had just gone there and I was on my way to her after tabbing
out.
Since we were both in the business of journalism, we struck up a
conversation and I quickly learned she was very liberal in her thoughts
and writing. I had no problem with this and actually enjoyed the lively
conversations. She also seemed to enjoy meeting a conservative to ask
questions of.
“Rebecca” mostly worked on stories that involved gun violence. Even
though she is only 23, she has travelled the world and was quite
intellectual. She was quite surprised that I am a licensed Surety Agent
and Bail Enforcement Officer in Kansas. She had recently reported on
police reforms in Denver and the rising use of fire arms by both law
enforcement and criminals.
Bail reform was a high priority for her. I shared statistically how
catch and release programs are leading to higher crime rates in many
cities across the country. Even crimes involving felons with weapons
were being released on no bail situations.
At that point in our conversation she asked me how many guns I owned and
I was honest with her. My answer surprised her and she asked, “why so
many? You can’t possibly shoot all of those or need them to protect
yourself.”
I asked her, “how many pairs of shoes do you own?”
She smiled and knew exactly where the conversation was heading.
Her investigative reporting uncovered at least five fatal shootings
since May by Denver Police Officers. More than 25 officers were either
suspended or on desk duty while investigations continue. George Floyd
protests last summer stirred “mostly” peaceful protests in her city.
Although an oversight citizen driven committee was formed, it had no
leader and gun crime was still on the rise.
Our subject later turned to the legalization of recreational marijuana
in Colorado and how it had affected Denver’s homeless population. On
almost every street corner you find a dispensary and at least one person
holding a sign that reads, “Need money for weed.” Some were at least
trying to play a musical instrument and take tips, but most just wanted
free weed!
A friend of mine recently moved back from Colorado to Kansas because of
the liberal policies that are overwhelming the state’s resources and the
rise in crime.
Near an art district in downtown Denver also shares a location of a make
shift homeless city that was once a beautiful park. Tarps, tents and
trash littered the streets just within sight of nice restaurants and
bars. In speaking with a bellhop at our hotel, he warned us not to go
past the block to our east. He said just the day before there was a
shooting and he frequently sees people having sex in the park, out in
the open.
These things just blow my mind and make me so thankful that I live in a
place that is usually peaceful, but we have our problems too. It was a
pleasant conversation and I am a fan of her writing, even if I don’t
share her views.
She probably has too many shoes and I probably have too many guns, but
we did agree that we all have much work to do to unify us.
It was a step outside my comfort zone, but I’m glad I took it.
KWIBS - From
July 26, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda and I are big western
TV fans. We both grew up on Bonanza and in our early marriage, we grew
fond of the TV series “The Young Riders,” a show about the early years
of the Pony Express. The show, fictional in story, but fairly accurate
historically expresses the hardships of both the Native Americans and
the Settlers looking for a better way of life.
I’ve know for years that I have ancestry linking to the Cherokee and
Osage tribes.
I learned recently that my great-great-great-great grandmother Nancy
Beaver, Weddle, Lewellen was full blood Cherokee. She married Alexander
Weddle, “the half-breed” son of a white trader and an Osage Indian
mother. Alexander was killed in battle during the Civil War leaving
Nancy with three small children. (“half-breed” was how he referred to by
his family.)
Backing up, The “Removal Act” of 1830 empowered the United States to
forcibly relocate Indians from states wishing to do so, to the West of
the Mississippi River. This lead to the “Trail of Tears.” During
1838-1839 4,000 men, women and children from a group of 15,000 died and
were left on the trail as they were herded like live stock to Oklahoma
where many later starved because no food was provided for them.
Nancy Beaver’s family (and others) escaped the “Trail of Tears,” fleeing
into the wilderness where Nancy’s mother soon gave birth to Nancy
somewhere in Georgia in 1832. They made their way to Chillocothe, Ohio
area.
After Alexander’s death, Nancy remarried Alexander’s Army Commander; a
man named Felix Lewellen. Felix’s wife had also died recently and he had
children at home also. He moved Nancy and the girls to his home and they
eventually married.
The war was hard on Felix, a native Virginian. Slavery was coming to an
end in Virginia. So Felix picked up the family and his slaves and moved
to Missouri, but shortly after that, Felix had a meltdown and was
committed to the Asylum at Nevada, MO where he remained until his death.
Our family journals talk about Felix never getting over “losing” the
war.
A newspaper article confirmed, “Anticipating greater troubles, Jacob
Beaver (Nancy’s father) decided to move his family to Missouri to make a
new home away from the white settlers. This decision spared the family
the indignities and hardship of the force removal of the sourthern
tribes by the government in 1837 on the “Trail of Tears.”
It would be another 30 years and dozens more treaties before the 5
tribes of the plains Indians would sign the 1867 Treaty of Medicine
Lodge. Even this treaty did not end all wars and conflicts between the
Native Americans and the Settlers.
We call our event “Peace Treaty.” Most everyone knows the beginnings of
our “Peace Treaty.”
In 1926, the newly formed Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Council Treaty
Memorial Association invited Kiowa Chief
I-See-O to Medicine Lodge to locate the exact spot of the signing of the
1867 Peace Treaty. I-See-O was 18 years old at the time of the Medicine
Lodge Peace Council. He located the exact spot where the treaties were
signed, one-fourth to one-half mile south of Medicine Lodge just below
where the Medicine River and Elm Creek intersect. Thus began plans for
the first ever Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Treaty Pageant.
Index Editor and Owner J.C. Hinshaw described the town’s excitement by
saying, “As time nears, it is evident that everybody in Medicine Lodge
and surrounding country will be afire with enthusiasm concerning the
celebration.”
Presently, “celebration” isn’t a term we refer to when talking about our
communities event and rich history. We do speak of our Native American
friends, and in many cases, family, with the utmost respect for their
culture and participation.
I’m sure it wasn’t always that way, but the boards I have served on for
nearly 30 years have worked hard to repair relationships with those who
were here before we were.
On Sept. 29, 1927, Editor Hinshaw printed the first ever Peace Treaty
Special Edition. Though long before modern technology, Hinshaw managed
to publish a 32 page edition and had to turn some advertisers away.
There and then, he set a precedent that is still being followed today.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
July 19, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
So I did something out of
character a few weeks ago.
I got a haircut.
To the average person, that’s just something they do, but for the
majority of my life, I’ve had long hair, usually pulled back in a pony
tail.
It’s never really been about a statement - having long hair. It’s
actually because I was too lazy to go to the salon and get a hair cut.
Maybe lazy isn’t the right word. Busy sounds better to me.
I had cut it off in my 30s for a period of time out of necessity. I had
slid under a vehicle I was changing oil on and got my hair wrapped up in
the creeper wheel. I was alone and stuck to the floor and my option was
a pocket knife, so I sawed it off and then went and got it trimmed.
I grew it back.
A few years later it was long again and one summer I was riding the
jetski and it was wet and tangled up and I couldn’t even get a brush
through it, so I cut it off again, but this time I just used the hair
clippers I was cutting my kids’ hair with.
I kept it short for about 10 years and then for Peace Treaty 2018, I
grew it back out and put it back in a pony tail and that’s the way it
was until 3 weeks ago.
Joey and Haley were about to be married and I wanted to look like a
respectable grown up, so when Ronda slipped out of the office, so did
I.... to the hair salon.
Aubrey Bolton was like, “Are you absolutely sure Ronda wants you to do
this?”
I assured her it was fine and I left the office only telling Aimee that,
“I was running an errand.”
Ronda came back and must have had some women’s intuition because we had
ridden in together and my truck was here. She knew I hadn’t gone far
because I’ve had a persistent back injury. She looked up and down the
street until she saw Aubrey’s car and walked in and caught me.
Haley and Joey had already left for Colorado, so when I arrived, it was
a surprise. I have to admit, it feels really good not to have to mess
with it in the morning and I use a lot less shampoo!
KWIBS - From
July 12, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
A couple of weeks ago our
entire family attended Joey and Haley’s wedding in Denver.
The venue was actually in Golden, but Ronda and I chose to stay at the
Historic Brown Palace in downtown Denver at the suggestion of Steve and
Suellen Bryan.
I can’t tell you how amazing this old building was.
I can’t tell you how weird Denver is.....
Please understand, that if you live in Denver, I mean no offense towards
your city, but the traffic is horrible at about any time of day. Going
4.8 miles took us 45 minutes one evening.
Every time we got in the car, it was white knuckle driving. Ronda did
all of the driving, as I injured my lower back about a week before we
left. She was a trooper though. Between her and Siri, we found our way
around, but the night before we left, we decided to just ditch the car
in the parking garage and go on foot.
Within a block, we saw beautiful hotels and buildings, homeless people
with signs that said, “need money for pot,” marijuana dispensaries and
spas and oh, it was “Pride Week.”
Pride week is a celebration of the gay and LGBT community. I missed that
on my calendar and I guess Medicine Lodge didn’t celebrate, but I don’t
want to ramble about it and be seen as a bigot.
As we pulled out of Denver the next morning, we could smell the pot
growing farms from inside our car at 75 mph going on I-70. When traffic
thinned and the mountains were gone, it was just flat open roads. We
both took a deep breath and realized that there’s no place like home.
I like my fish bowl in Barber County. I like the fact that when I leave
work, I pass through 2 stop signs and I get to our ranch in about 10
minutes. Denver is weird, but I’m sure they think we are weird too!
KWIBS - From
July 5, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Back in the early 1990s, we
joined a cooperative to bring Internet to several rural communities
across Kansas. I knew nothing about the Internet, accept that Al Gore
had invented it and he must have known it was going to be big based on
his projections about global warming and such, so we jumped in.
One thing I did was register multiple domain names, thinking they would
be hot commodities one day. At one time I had like 20 “www” addresses
floating around. I still have like 7 of them left and 8 email addresses,
which is totally ridiculous, but trying to wean off of a couple, but I
occasionally find that people are still sending me importing emails to
them like, “Russian women want to meet you; Help is here for your ED
problem; Health and Horoscopes; and Can you really carry 40 languages in
your pocket?”
All these are mixed in with actual important things like legal
publications and actual news content. Then there things I’ve set up like
Amazon Prime, Netflix and Apple Music that are all on different
accounts, why, I have no idea, so I’m helplessly trapped with multiple
email accounts. I feel like Hillary Clinton, except, less sinister and I
don’t smash my Blackberry with a hammer or have my hard drives wiped
clean. I may want to consider that with the whole “Russian woman want to
meet you” emails I get.
The days of people walking in the door with news has dwindled since
email. That’s good and bad. I enjoy visiting with folks, but it’s also
nice to have things emailed to you so you don’t have to retype it!
Having 7 email accounts means that I usually don’t get any actual work
done until I filter through like 300 emails a day. I’ve gotten pretty
fast at deleting the garbage that my spam filter misses, but I
occasionally delete something I need, like my flight passes last Friday
for our son’s wedding! Glad I took a screen shot before I hit delete!
KWIBS - From
June 28, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Right about the time some
of you are reading this, Ronda and I are traveling home from Denver.
Our last son was married off to Mrs. Haley Nicole (Gomes) Noland on
Saturday, in what I can only imagine of this writing, to be the perfect
wedding in Golden, CO.
Since we had to get the paper done so early, I full court pressed Aimee
and her awesome writing skills. I rushed Ronda. I begged for things to
come in early. I even stayed late at the office and graded roads at the
ranch after dark with the headlights on.
Trying to predict how to do a newspaper in the future is no easy task.
Of course, Joey and Haley gave us an entire year’s notice, but still,
you just don’t know what will happen the week of a newspaper, and as my
wife will tell you. We don’t miss deadlines unless we are dead....
One time I was in the Kansas Heart Hospital and Ronda was nervously
waiting for me to recover from a stent surgery. She finally checked me
out early. My cardiologist was not impressed and we had to sign a bunch
of paperwork, but we made our deadline.
Rewinding from this planning stage, our original plan was to get the
paper done on Thursday evening, get it to the press, get the online
edition done, get the digital subscriptions done, postal reports, and
all the other stuff you don’t really care about - you just want your
paper!
So we sent our car out with Ronda’s dad to leave at the airport, Deb
Kolb acted as Uber for us and took us to the airport and if all went
well, we made our flight, got to Denver, checked into our hotel and
drove to Highland Ranch for the rehearsal dinner, just in time to meet
everyone before Saturday’s big day.
See how hard it is to write about something that hasn’t happened yet? It
could end up being an entirely different column next week. I could be
telling you we missed our flight, the dinner and drove a rental car all
the way to Denver all night long.
The good news is, we have a new daughter-in-law and a happy son. Life is
good.
Have a great week and a great 4th!
KWIBS - From
June 21, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Well, this is the BIG week for my son
Joey and his Fiance’ Haley. They are getting married in Golden, CO on
Saturday.
Because of this, our office will be closed Thursday-Tuesday as most of
our staff is family and we’ll all be making the Trek out there towards
the end of the week.
Joey and Haley share the cutest love story, as I would tell it.
Joey had completed round one or two of FHSU and had gone back to work
for the White’s family grocery stores. He came to Ronda and I after a
year off of school and said he wanted to go back.
Joey admitted to his mother and I that although he wasn’t the greatest
student in the world, he needed to go back and, in his words, “find a
wife.”
Secretly, he had already picked one out, he just hadn’t told her yet.
Joey and Haley had become friends after meeting in church.
They would “happen” to run into each other at the Church Coffee Shop on
a regular basis where Haley volunteered some of her time working and
Joey just loves a good cup of “Joe,” thus his name. (Yes, we named him
after coffee and in honor of Jo Meador and my Grandpa Joe).
There was only one flaw in this soon-to-be fairy tale: Neither of them
had the courage to tell the other one they liked each other in, “that
way.”
This went on for an unseemly long time. We even gathered some family and
friends and took Joey out to dinner to have pep talk to encourage him to
tell the girl!!!
He finally did, and she felt the same. As of the next writing of KWIBS,
we’ll have a new daughter, sister, aunt and Joey will have a wife and
student debt to prove it!
As, I joke, I also am so blessed to know how these two will be an
amazing couple who will bless Ronda and I with grandkids: 4 boys and 2
girls. Wait, that’s what I want, maybe not what they want!
Joey and Haley, I love you and I pray your marriage is as wonderful as
ours. Congratulations!
KWIBS - From
June 14, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
June 17, 2021 marks our 33rd anniversary!
Not many can say they’ve been married 32 years when they got married at
18 and 19. I was just one month out of high school. We’ve been blessed
with three children and, so far, 6 grandkids. Now in just two weeks, my
oldest son will take the hand of his bride to be.
So what’s the secret to a successful marriage?
I would say, keep your mouth from outrunning your brain. That’s a joke.
I would actually say, laugh a lot, love a lot more and remember Proverbs
5:18: May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of
your youth.
Ronda is not just my wife. She’s my best friend. We get to be together
every day. It’s a fairy tale (at least for me!)
I am a blessed man. I love you, Ronda. Happy Anniversary!
Our engagement photo from 1988
KWIBS - From
June 7, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
30 years ago Ronda and I
started The Gyp Hill Premiere in our living room and dining room of our
3 bedroom farm house.
Thank God we had two living rooms because one was set up as a print
shop. Our basement had a darkroom set up.
There wasn’t a plan. I had just resigned from the Index two weeks before
that to pursue our printing business, but a persuasive group of
businessmen convinced us to start a local newspaper to the community.
So between the bank and a loan from Ronda’s Grandma, we knocked out the
first actual edition in July of 1991. Through the years the original
volumes and issues system failed us and we got off on our numbering, but
who is counting? Well, we are. This is Volume 30, Issue 1 (probably
closer to Volume 29, Issue 48).
Not many people get to say they were the youngest newspaper publishers
in the State of Kansas’ history, but we were. I was 20 and Ronda was 21.
Over the years, I got my experience growing up in my grandpa’s, uncle’s
and dad’s print shops. I was not interested in the newspaper business,
instead I was a printing press operator.
I had actually had a lot of experience in all areas of newspaper and
commercial printing. It wasn’t until 1990 that after my dad had moved
away and sold the Index that I was thrust into the business
unexpectedly.
Some of the people who helped us over the years that were behind the
scenes were people like Coldwater Publisher Dennise Andersen; Kingman
Publisher Bob McQuin, Protection Publisher Bob Greer, Kiowa Publisher
Rex Zimmerman, Belle Plain News Publisher Sam Clester and camera and
darkroom guru Dave Gerstner of Dave’s Pizza Oven in Coldwater. Later on
Ellis Mayfield became our driver and still is to this day! He was 69
years old when he took the job!
Dave, Rex and Dennise are all that are left after 30 years. We’re
thankful for these folks who helped us get to where we are today.
No other newspaper cares more about Barber County than we do. We are
fully invested along side you and through medical conditions, births of
children and grandchildren, inclement weather, break downs and lack of
help. Not once did we not print a newspaper.
There were some really long days that faded into each other over the
years when we were still doing dark room work.
As Aimee interviewed us, we reminisced about all the amazing people
we’ve had working for us. My mom has been a typesetter and proofreader
(a darn good one) for our entire life of The Gyp Hill Premiere.
Our friend and now Library Director Doris Sorg stuck it out for 17.5
years without killing me.
I think of the antics of hiding in trash cans and jumping out to scare
her, or constantly blowing an air horn when she’d come into my office. I
think about my cattle sorting stick that sits next to my desk, just
waiting for people to miss deadlines and I go casually poke them and ask
them to speed it up!
After doing all of that to her, Doris still gave me like a 3 month
notice that she was moving on.
Then there was my friend Dave Fasgold who was almost always late and one
day decided to show up to work wearing a 3 piece suit and holding a
glass of wine in one hand and a brief case in the other at 11 a.m. on
deadline day.
He also quietly would sneak into my office and blow a trombone in to the
back of my head for kicks. Come to think of it. I should have fired that
guy!
Practical jokes are a part of being in this office. Eric Larrison lent
my father-in-law a life sized Trump cut out and he was famous for being
in the bathroom with the light off waiting to surprise the next user. It
was usually Ronda.
In 30 years of publishing the news in Barber County we’ve seen the good,
the bad and the ugly, but our goal is to always show and report the
good, cover the bad and report the ugly when it happens.
We look forward to many more years of service in Barber County and we
thank our readership for staying with us and growing with us!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
May 31, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
If you are reading this on
publication day, it’s Memorial Day.
This day of remembrance happens on the last Monday of May when we honor
the men and women who died while serving the United States military.
Interestingly, it was called Decoration Day as it originated following
the Civil War and only became a federal holiday in 1971.
Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials,
holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it
marks the beginning of the summer season, or in my case this past week:
monsoon season.
We have three important summer holidays at Lake Arrowhead: Memorial Day,
Independence Day and Labor Day. Every good day is a holiday at Lake
Arrowhead. These are just the ones that I can usually count on: rain,
equipment breaking down and me being exhausted the week of and after.
As predicted by the weather people, we had a 0-100% chance of me getting
behind because of lack of cooperation by mother nature. She let me have
it about 6 days in a row and, as anticipated, two of our three mowers
decided they were having a holiday. I’m thinking of having a memorial
service for at least one of them very soon.
The actual Memorial Day is a special day for us to remember our loved
ones, those who served and those who did not, but are no longer with us.
It’s holiday to honor the service of men and women who have passed away.
Thankfully, I have two veterans still in my life: My Son Nick and
Father-In-Law Don Vick. My dad has passed away, but was also a Navy
Veteran.
Nick recently completed 3.5 years of his 4 year service with the Navy on
one of the most important islands captured by the Americans in WWII.
12,500 men and women died in the Battle for Okinawa. The Okinawa
campaign lasted 82 days, ending on June 22, 1945 and witnessed some of
the highest casualty rates of the war, across both combatants and
civilians.
Never forget the sacrifice of so many throughout so much war.
KWIBS - From
May 24, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Doctors in India have urged
people not to smear themselves with cow poo in an effort to ward off
coronavirus. Medical officials said there is no scientific evidence
behind the practice and warned that it risks spreading other diseases.
In the western state of Gujarat, some people have turned to cow shelters
to cover their bodies in cow dung and urine once a week, in the hope
that it will boost their immunity or help them recover from the virus.
Cows are considered sacred in India, with the animal a symbol of life
and the earth in the Hindu faith. For centuries, Hindus have used cow
dung to clean their homes and for prayer rituals, believing it has
therapeutic and antiseptic properties.
As people wait for the poo and urine mixture on their bodies to dry,
they hug or honor the cows at the shelter, and practice yoga to boost
energy levels. The mixture is then washed off with milk or buttermilk.
This past week, I finally got around to teaching my granddaughter Baylee
how to ride her little gas powered Yamaha 4 Wheeler. This very same
motorbike was her mothers when she was about the same age. After sitting
for years, I had to replace the seat and the carburetor and battery to
get her to spin up. She runs like a finely tuned sewing machine and
coming in at 80cc, it will actually take my butt up the hill!
After begging for hours to take the little 4 wheeler out of our yard, I
gave in and we all took separate vehicles down to the shed. I worked on
a lawn mower and Ronda watched the kids playing where our children used
to play growing up near our farm house.
After a few minutes of racing through the pasture, Baylee came in to the
shed crying. She had gone through a pretty fresh pile of cow patty that
flicked up all over her green tennis shoes, legs and all over the
freshly cleaned up 4 wheeler.
I got her calmed down and rinsed off and I told her, she no longer has
to worry about coronavirus!
KWIBS - From
May 17, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
I love DIY projects and
hacks found on YouTube.
For almost two years I’ve had an issue with a Honda engine that shuts
itself off when it’s not perfectly level. It’s a silly thing to have
when it’s on a spray rig on the back of a UTV. I have to get off and
start it so many times after it stalls, that I had to replace the recoil
on the motor. Which is another DIY story... gone bad, but I will get
there.
So I look up how to bypass the low oil shut off on the GX160 and a nice
young man, who posted a 7 minute video, explained how to unplug it. I
seriously think he could have done it in about 30 seconds, but Honda had
to throw a commercial in there and he really wanted that air time on
simply unplugging or clipping the wire.
The recoil was a different story. Imagine breaking your rope to start
your lawnmower and ordering one to replace it. You get the box and the
pieces don’t look anything like what you just took off. What do you do?
Well, you go to YouTube and type it “Honda GX160 Recoil Replacement.”
This dude’s part looked just like the one I took off, but the new one
didn’t fit at all, even with a hammer. I fought it and fought it and
then finally realized, I only needed the rope. So I pulled the rope out
and put it on my old recoil. Then I realized I spent $40 for a piece of
rope.
Everything seemed fine until I went out to Jeff Clarke’s to burn the
next day and after my second stall, I pulled the rope, the engine
started, but the rope didn’t go back in. That’s ok. I had a 10 mm wrench
and popped it off to rewind it, but it was then that I discovered my
spring had broken.
A couple of us tried unsuccessfully to take it apart, but ended up
breaking 3 screwdrivers in the process.
So while in Wichita this week, I stopped where I bought it and asked for
another one. They didn’t have it, but they had a display model and I
convinced the guy to let me take it off. I even told him what wrench I
needed. I got to the front counter and was charged $96!!! They told me
that it was a Honda OEM price. By the way, it’s garbage and I will be
lucky if it lasts me the rest of the season!
KWIBS - From
May 3, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
The struggle is real!
After having bail bonds classes last week, we jumped into our billing
week. We also remembered it was the Graduating Senior Edition, which is
nearly the most difficult paper to make for the entire year.
If not for the preparation work by Cheri Dohrmann at MLHS and Meagan
Henry at SBHS, we’d never get this done! Thank you ladies for all your
hard work in helping us recognize and congratulate the 2021 graduating
classes in Barber County!
Since this is our 3rd year to cover South Barber, I’m getting to know
the names of these future leaders from both the north and south parts of
the county. I’m a firm believer that the old “line” does not exist for
my generation. I have so many friends from all over the county, that I
believe we are all friends and family.
Good things are happening all over the county. I hope this entices some
of these graduates to consider coming home once they complete their
secondary education choices. I read every single graduates’ profiles and
we have impressive kids in this county.
Congratulations to the classes of 2021 and best wishes for your futures!
You’ll also notice that the Medicine Lodge Planning and Zoning
Commission has approved Dr. Chacko’s micro-processing beef plant. This
is a big win for Barber County and there are so many people that worked
to see this to fruition. I attended the meeting and was surprised by the
support given for this project, considering the first hearing was a
disaster. I believe they have chosen the right spot and Dr. Chacko and
his consultant Marcine Moldenhauer are a welcome addition to our
community and we are very excited to see the plant being built, once the
Medicine Lodge City Council approves it.
So expect big things in Barber County. Things are happening in Kiowa and
in Medicine Lodge as well as all of the communities of our county that
we call home!
KWIBS - From
April 19, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
It was almost exactly one
year ago last week I attempted to run a chain saw through my left hand.
I was doing maintenance to all of our saws and weed eaters at the ranch
in preparation for spring and I had set a pole saw on my tail gate and
started it. As it was running (at full blast), I bent down to start
another chain saw on the ground. As soon as it started I looked up to
see that my pole saw was falling off the tail gate. It hit the ground
and came towards my face.
Instinctively, I put my left hand up catching the spinning chain blade
and swatting it to the side. I knew I was hurt almost instantly and made
a tight fist that didn’t feel right. I called my wife to tell her I had
an accident and was pretty sure I needed to go to the ER. I grabbed some
clean shop rags and opened my fist. It was pretty awful. I could see my
tendons and I was bleeding pretty badly, so I wrapped it up and started
walking back towards our house, a 1/4 mile away. Ronda met me at the top
of the hill from the shed and we called ahead to MLMH.
I ended up with 14 stitches and the nurses and the doctor on call did
all they could to try and get me into a hand surgeon. Nobody would see
me. The good news was - all my fingers were still attached. The bad news
was - I couldn’t feel half my hand and could barely move my index finger
and thumb.
Today, I still can’t feel the top side of my finger from the nail down.
That finger still throbs and my thumb is still numb and tingly. I get
shooting pain from nerves that were severed that go from the tip of my
finger down my elbow. Thankfully, I have found a medication that
decreases the effects of my accident.
Two weeks later, I took out my own stitches and did the best I could to
clean up the scar tissue. It really looks pretty amazing and I might
have missed my calling as a cosmetic hand surgeon. Nobody would want to
use me because I have three tools: a chainsaw, a cuticle trimmer and
tweezers. If you need anything beyond that, you’ll need to see a
professional. In fact, just go see a professional.
I did finally get in to see a hand surgeon almost 8 weeks later due to
COVID. The surgeon said, “I probably would have been able to do
something more if you had gotten here sooner.”
I did remind him that his office cancelled two appointments. The doctor
was impressed with me removing my own stitches.
His diagnosis was grim. He probably had a slim chance of fixing my
issues, but even with that surgery, I would have been in a cast for 8
weeks minimum and had a 20% chance of it being successful . Since I sort
of need to use that hand, I passed on the surgery.
Over the past year, I have had to learn to type again and make do with
the three fingers that still do work. I can’t play my guitar and bass
much anymore either becaues I can’t feel the strings and I push too hard
or too softly.
Things like grabbing cups and touching things that vibrate are very
uncomfortable. For example. I can’t put my left hand on top of the
steering wheel while driving because the road vibration is painful. The
mere sound of a chain saw or weed eater running sends me into a panic,
yet there are so many areas that I need to clean up.
My son Nick sent me photos of a bunch of new items that Home Lumber is
carrying. In the photo was a Milwaukee battery powered chain saw with an
anti-vibration handle. Ronda’s new rule as of April 11, 2020 was, “Kevin
is not allowed to use the chain saw anymore.”
So when I walked into Home Lumber on Tuesday, I asked to see the saw and
surprisingly, my wife bought it for me. My hope is I can use it without
much pain to clean up around the yard. I know I’m never going to go out
and cut a pickup bed full of firewood again, but this is at least a
start!
So I grabbed the manual when I got back to the office to learn about the
new tool I had. Lots of safety reminders were scattered throughout the
book and then this one photo caught my eye. In the picture below, it
appears as though one dude is cutting down a tree and another guy, who
obviously should not be there (I could tell by the circle with the slash
through it), appears to be running and missing part of his right arm!
So, duh... don’t run near a guy who’s cutting down a tree or you could
end up losing your right arm at the very least!
This safety tip brought to you by Captain Obvious, because I’m no one to
give safety advice when using chain saws.
KWIBS - From
April 12, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Most news media exists
online these days, which is a shame. There's something beautiful about
the experience of reading a print newspaper; the fresh ink on your
fingers, the smell of newsprint, and of course, the occasional bizarre
and (unintentionally) funny newspaper headlines.
Jay Leno used to do “Headlines” on Monday nights, back when late night
was funny.
I love these!
- Forecasters call for weather on Monday
The folks at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette make no promises about Tuesday.
Enjoy the weather on Monday while you have it because the rest of the
week could contain no atmosphere whatsoever.
- Cows lose their jobs as milk prices drop
- Miracle cure kills fifth patient
- Man accused of killing lawyer receives a new attorney
- State population to double by 2040, babies to blame
Is it too late to stop this nefarious plot by babies? They may be small,
but they're sneaky.
- Missippi's literacy program shows improvement
This supposed improvement doesn't include being able to correctly spell
the state where they live.
- Breathing oxygen linked to staying alive
And in other news, eating, drinking and sleeping helps too.
- Bridge closure date: Thursday or October
Is this like when the cable company says, “we’ll be there between 8 a.m.
- 4 p.m.?
- Most Earthquake Damage is Caused by Shaking
Well, that's weird, I thought most of the damage was caused by hurtful
sarcasm. You know how mean-spirited earthquakes can be.
- Federal Agents Raid Gun Shop, Find Weapons
- Safety meeting ends in accident
Next time maybe you should have an accident meeting. It's the only way
to keep people safe.
- Muddy Creek Problem: It's too muddy
Now if we could just harness the properties of the Medicine River....
- Murderer says detective ruined his reputation
He was a respected member of his community who occasionally murdered
people until that meddling lawyer came along.
- Utah Poison Control Center reminds everyone not to take poison
Hold on, let's hear them out. Give us one good reason not to take poison
and we'll consider it.
- Students Cook & Serve Grandparents
- Alton attorney accidentally sues himself
It almost renews your faith in our legal system, doesn't it?
- Museums full of history
That’s a great idea for a museum! We should put old stuff in there!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 5, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
“Biden dog poops on White
House floor”
That was the headline I saw when I logged on Thursday morning.
Where are the cries for impeachment?
Do you rub the dog’s nose in it and throw him out on the lawn or the
President’s?
It’s obvious he can’t handle the crap on the border, but now he can’t
control crap in the White House.
The Bidens have two dogs - Major and Champ. President Biden’s dog Major
on Monday afternoon bit another employee, who then required medical
attention. That’s right, “another employee.”
The incident was the second time Major, a three-year-old German
Shepherd, bit someone at the White House in less than a month. On March
8, Major sank his teeth into a Secret Service employee, who also
required attention from the White House medical unit. Psaki referred to
that incident as "minor."
I’m sure she’ll “circle back” to that.....
First Lady Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael de Rosa confirmed the
"nip" in a statement to Fox News. "Major is still adjusting to his new
surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk. Out of an abundance
of caution, the individual was seen by medics and then returned to work
without injury."
Major did his biting on the White House South Lawn Monday and one of the
two dogs did their business on the floor in the White House. CNN first
reported the bite, adding that the employee worked for the National Park
Service.
It’s unclear who did the pooping. It’s also unclear who had to clean up
the mess.
It really doesn’t matter. Lots of crap is coming out of Washington these
days. We just stepped in about $4 Trillion of new debt in less than
Biden’s first 100 days in office. Our grandchildren will be cleaning up
that mess. Get ready for a bunch of new taxes that will cause most of us
to yell “Sh__!”
KWIBS - From
March 29, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
This past week saw an
explosion of mass shootings across our country and is now creating a
rehashed dialogue about gun control, assault rifle bans and new (more)
laws.
I’m extremely pro 2nd amendment. So, if that upsets you, the number to
cancel your subscription is 620-886-5654..... I hope you're open enough
to have respect for differing opinions.
I began carrying as soon as Kansas allowed concealed carry. I’ve kept up
on my license and have even gone further with additional fire arm
training. It has been a strong “suggestion” by my parent company that as
a bondsman, I do carry for my protection. I also carry special insurance
to carry. My guns are registered and I hold a license from the Attorney
General’s Office as a practicing Bail Enforcement Agent in Kansas.
In 2016 my son Nick had a Navy Deployment meeting and I had to meet my
house arrest equipment supplier “Alex” in West Wichita. She and I met up
in a parking lot. We parked our vehicles along side each other so I
could move boxes from her car to my truck. Our doors were opened when I
heard the sound of squealing tires on pavement.
I looked up to see a silver Chevy Silverado racing across the parking
lot towards us. It stopped about 100 yards out and a young man jumped
out and started sprinting towards us. Alex was already in her car and I
told her to lock the doors. As the young man got closer, my hand went to
my hip as his hand went down the front of his baggy pants.
I pulled my weapon. I drew down on him with my 9 mm and placed my hand
on the trigger guard and yelled, “Stop! Put your hands where I can see
them!”
The young man did stop. He took his hand out from in front of his pants
and then turned and ran towards the silver truck, who was already
backing up as well. What I did that day, was actually a crime. It is not
legal to make a threat with a deadly weapon. However, I did not know
what his plans were and I was ready to fire if I saw his weapon. I never
did.
To this day, Alex and I do not know what his intentions were. I grabbed
the rest of the equipment and told Alex I would follow her part way to
her office to make sure she was ok.
Two things went through my mind that day. a) I could have shot and
killed someone that day. I thank God that did not happen. b) I or Alex
could have been shot or robbed that day. Thankfully that did not happen
either.
I believe criminals or deranged assailants look for soft targets. They
don’t want to be met with resistance. It has been my experience that
when being met with force, making the playing field level, is something
that can save lives and deters violence. Without a gun, my only option
that day would have been to reason with this person. I’ve received
“de-escalation training,” self defense and take down courses, taser
training and several other law enforcement type education. None of it
actually prepares you for what you will do. I was always taught that if
you point a weapon at someone, you’d better have a good reason not to
shoot, but if you do or don’t, be prepared to answer to the local law
enforcement jurisdiction.
Law enforcement, and our legal system, is entirely reactive, not
proactive. There is almost nothing law enforcement can do until a crime
has been committed. There is very little the government can do to
prevent gun crime because criminals don’t obey the laws already on the
books and won’t obey new ones. The one person ultimately responsible for
your safety is YOU. And if you’re an honest, law-abiding citizen and
want to personally do something to protect yourself and reduce gun crime
--- carry a gun.
Do I think everyone should carry a gun? Absolutely not. I have seen
several people, who I would not let carry a stick, take the Kansas
Concealed Carry Classes. That’s not my call though. That’s the class
instructor or local sheriff’s job to determine.
When people are armed, they are referred to as citizens. When the
government takes fire arms away, they become subjects. Our first and
second amendments have been under attack for a long time. Without either
of these rights, we do become subjects. I find it ironic that the
government wants to take away these rights to protect ourselves, while
busily writing legislation behind fencing and razor wire, all while
being protected by people with guns.
And don’t even get me started on the ,”well, we don’t need military
style weapons.” We don’t have military style weapons. It takes a
special, higher license to even own such a weapon. The same bullet fires
in a Remmington 223 deer rifle that is fired from an AR 15. Just because
they look different, they function nearly the same way. In fact, the
deer rifle is probably equipped with better optics and is more accurate
in most cases.
There’s one thing that gun crime is strongly related to: crime. This is
a fact that is true almost everywhere in the country, in a way that
appears to be unconnected with each area’s gun laws, and Chicago is a
prime example.
The city has some of the tightest gun-control laws in the country.
Illinois as a whole is one of seven states to require a license to buy
any gun, one of only five with mandatory waiting periods and was the
last state to allow concealed carry. In addition, Cook County has an
assault weapons ban and, until it was ruled unconstitutional, Chicago
banned all handguns in city limits.
These laws haven’t slowed down gun crime, though. A large part of the
reason why is because the laws traditionally associated with gun-control
have relatively little direct effect on the issue of crime itself.
In the instance of the grocery store shooting in Boulder, CO last week,
I wondered how many people inside that store were carrying a weapon?
Colorado has a concealed carry permit law, but cities like Denver have
banned conceal carry. The state of Colorado already has strict gun laws
including Universal Background checks; Red Flag gun seizure laws,
“Hi-Capacity” magazine bans and has received a passing gun-control grade
from Gifford’s Courage.
God bless our law enforcement and first responders. Prayers go out to
the victims’ families and friends and for the life that Officer Eric
Talley gave in the line of duty.
Pray for our country to get a handle on crime and to be reasonable about
gun laws.
KWIBS - From
March 22, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Like most Americans, I have
a pent up cabin fever that began about a year ago when COVID began
shutting things down.
We are social people. We have friends all over the country and we enjoy
getting time off to see them. We actually didn’t miss too many offers to
travel last year, but I can tell you that traveling with COVID
restrictions was not pleasant.
One such trip involved me and Ronda having to wear a mask for 9 hours
straight, unless eating or drinking. We ate a lot and drank a lot on
that flight.
I still get frustrated that you have to put a mask on to walk six feet
to a table and then you can take your mask off when ordering food and
drinks at the cigar bar in Wichita. Like the virus knows that you can
only be infected or infect others when you’re standing, but not sitting.
Who comes up with this science?
I got up to go to the bathroom, which was just a few feet from our table
and a waitress said, “Sir, help keep our business open by wearing your
mask.”
I told her my cigars and drinks orders, pointing at our full table, was
what was helping to keep their business open. So like a good sheeple I
put the mask on, opened the bathroom door, shut it and took it off.
There’s hope on the horizon! Many states are lifting restrictions now
that vaccinations are happening and better treatments for the virus are
coming out.
Cabin fever will do weird things to you, so will the time change
(Daylight Savings Time). Wednesday night, Ronda opened the garage door
to find me cleaning our old oven.
“It’s 11:30 p.m. What the heck are you doing out here,” she asked?
Well, I was cleaning it up and taking photos of it to put it on Facebook
to sell it. I wasn’t tired, so there I was, in the garage, cleaning an
oven. I had been in the garage almost all day, working on my kids’ and
grandkids’ 4-wheelers and motorcycles. With spring just around the
corner, they’ll all want to play on the “toys.”
With storms keeping me inside a lot this week, I just needed something
to keep me from parking my ever growing behind in front of the TV
watching garbage.
KWIBS - From
March 15, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
There are 26 bones in each
foot. That's 52 bones in both feet, out of 206 total bones in your whole
body, which is more than 25 percent. It may sound crazy at first, but
think about it: Your feet support your weight and allow you to jump,
run, and climb. Those bones and joints also allow your feet to absorb
and release energy efficiently.
It’s also a fact that when you stub the tiniest of these bones, you’ll
scream the loudest.
These days I wear a steel-toed work shoe. I am famous for dropping
things on my feet or stubbing a toe, so now my closet is fully stocked
with sneakers and boots that have steel toe protection. I hate being a
spokesperson, but Skechers makes the most comfortable steel-toed shoes
on the planet. Check them out.
Another random fact....
If you got into your car, turned on the ignition and drove up to the sky
at 60 mph, it would take just one hour to get to outer space, according
to astronomer Fred Hoyle. Of course, this is purely a theoretical, but
it sure is fun to think about!
I’m pretty sure a road to outer space was part of the recent COVID-19
Stimulus package. $1.9 Trillion in relief spending is in motion for us
to get a $1,400 stimulus check. The COVID-19 relief bill that has very
little to do with the pandemic, and we all know it. Congress should
admit as much.
This bill is a steaming pile of government handouts and special interest
giveaways.
About the only COVID-19 relief that most Americans might need right now
comes in a syringe. Once we hit a critical mass of immunity from
vaccinations, and state and local governments lift economic lockdowns,
the stimulus will happen without any help from Congress.
Using the pandemic as an excuse for a spending free-for-all when the
country is $28 trillion in debt is beyond irresponsible. And trying to
pass off this bloated list of politically motivated handouts as
essential to America's public health is dishonest and cowardly.
KWIBS - From
March 8, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
The cancel culture is the
new thing that makes me angry every time I turn on TV or read the news.
Over the last few weeks, there have been attempts to cancel Mr. and Mrs.
Potato Head and now even removing Dr. Suess books.
Did anyone consider what The Potato Heads wanted? We’ve been shoving
things in their butts for years and our concern is the Mr. and Mrs. in
their name? Clearly, no one asked the Potato family what made them feel
most uncomfortable.
If you think about it, The Potato Heads are the only toys you can change
the parts on and make into whatever you want.
You want to cancel something? Cancel Legos. Or at least make them less
painful when you step on them.
At the direction of President Biden, Read Across America totally left
out Dr. Suess’s (Theodor Geisel’s) work. Shortly after that, an
announcement came from the foundation of the Dr. Seuss Enterprise that 6
children’s books he wrote would be taken off the shelves because they
depict insensitive and racial imagery.
Explaining the decision to stop the publication of the six books, the
company said: 'These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and
wrong.'
Let me call you a “waaaambulance.” Big babies...
In 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,' an Asian person is
portrayed wearing a conical hat, holding chopsticks, and eating from a
bowl. 'If I Ran the Zoo' includes a drawing of two barefooted African
men wearing what appear to be grass skirts with their hair tied above
their heads. To think!?!
What the flip are we doing America? We’re tearing down monuments,
rewriting our history (even trying to change our constitution), taking
our kids’ toys away or trying to rearrange their anatomy and we are
going to forever ruin the fun and crush the imagination of children for
generations to come.
If you don’t like the book, don’t read it. If you don’t like the toy,
don’t play with it, but stop shoving this garbage down our throats. I
don’t like it and I hope you don’t either.
KWIBS - From
March 1, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Is there any genre of humor
more satisfying than a dad joke? I don’t think so. Because dad jokes
aren’t like regular jokes. They’re multifaceted and complex. They’re
funny because they’re so desperately uncool that you’re not even sure
whether to laugh or grimace. Yup, a dad joke is loosely defined as a
groaner so corny that you basically need to own a pair of white Sketcher
sneakers, a cellphone belt clip, fanny pack and a coffee mug emblazoned
with the phrase "World's Best Father" to actually find it funny.
My Grandson Kycen loves corny jokes and I love to print out pages for
him to read. Usually, they are thought provoking jokes, but some are
simple.
My Grandpa Joe was the king of Dad Jokes. He always had one. I’m pretty
sure I get my sense of humor from him. So in his honor and for my
grandson, I present to you these terrible Dad Jokes!
What rock group has four men that don’t sing? Mount Rushmore.
When I was a kid, my mother told me I could be anyone I wanted to be.
Turns out, identity theft is a crime.
A guy goes to his doctor because he can see into the future. The doctor
asks him, “How long have you suffered from that condition?” The guy
tells him, “Since next Monday.”
What do sprinters eat before a race? Nothing, they fast!
What concert costs just 45 cents? 50 Cent featuring Nickelback!
What do you call a mac 'n' cheese that gets all up in your face? Too
close for comfort food!
Why couldn't the bicycle stand up by itself? It was two tired!
Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? Great food, no
atmosphere!
Why do melons have weddings? Because they cantaloupe!
What happens when you go to the bathroom in France? European.
What's the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a
well-dressed man on a bicycle? Attire!
How many apples grow on a tree? All of them!
Did you hear the rumor about butter? Well, I'm not going to spread it!
Did you hear about the guy who invented Lifesavers? They say he made a
mint!
Last night I had a dream that I weighed less than a thousandth of a
gram. I was like, 0mg.
A cheese factory exploded in France. Da brie is everywhere!
Why did the old man fall in the well? Because he couldn't see that well!
What do you call a factory that sells passable products? A satisfactory!
Why did the invisible man turn down the job offer? He couldn't see
himself doing it!
Want to hear a joke about construction? I'm still working on it!
I was really angry at my friend Mark for stealing my dictionary. I told
him, “Mark, my words!”
How does Moses make his coffee? Hebrews it.
I’m starting a new dating service in Prague. It's called Czech-Mate.
I was just reminiscing about the beautiful herb garden I had when I was
growing up.
Good thymes.
Do you know the last thing my grandfather said to me before he kicked
the bucket?
“Grandson, watch how far I can kick this bucket.”
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
February 22, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Thank you Lord for warmer
weather! And thank you Southern Pioneer Electric for doing all that you
could to keep the lights on!
If you’re reading this, you survived one of the coldest snaps since
1971. I don’t think I remember that one, but I am sure I was double
diapered.
My cousin Michelle and husband Jeff live in Fort Worth. They went
several days without power and run Confederate Park Farms. Michelle is
my biological cousin. She’s been riding and training horses and teaching
equestrian riding for as long as I can remember.
This winter was especially hard on their operations, as they board many
of their customers’ horses. They lost power for several days, wells
froze and they had to haul in water and string up extension cords to
keep things going.
Here in Kansas, things weren’t much different, except for the fact that
we don’t have as many issues driving in snow and ice. Texans seem to
lose their ability to drive when the roads get slick.
Our State did a great job in preparing and clearing roads off. I didn’t
really have an excuse for not coming to town on Monday other than I
didn’t want to take off my warm pajamas and go outside.
Our city crews also deserve a big thank you for keeping water going even
when meters were freezing all over town. You all are awesome!
Those of you folks that do work out in this weather, my hat’s off to
you, but only for a second or my bald spot gets cold. Seriously, our oil
and gas people, delivery folks and our awesome power company deserve a
round of applause for keeping things going in the most miserable
conditions that I can remember in my life time.
Have a great and warmer week!
KWIBS - From
February 15, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Ok, somebody shut the front
door!
This has been an unprecedented week of cold weather we’ve had.
It’s been especially hard on farmers and ranchers trying to keep cattle
fed and water from freezing.
I looked out my window Tuesday morning as I was doing paperwork and had
a good view of my pond. At around 9:30 a.m. there were ducks on the
pond. At 11:30 a.m. the entire 2 1/2 acre spring fed pond, was frozen
over. The pond south of our house was also nearly frozen over.
This usually takes days to freeze over because of the volume of water
that runs through them, but at 12 degrees, it only took a partial day.
The weekend was scheduled to bring even more snow, ice and cold air. I
was not particularly pleased that I had to get out in it a couple of
times. This chart explains Wind Chill and how long it takes to get frost
bite in these temperatures.
Not only is it bitterly cold out, it’s also very dangerous. My wife fell
twice this week on icy patches around town as she was running errands. I
threatened to buy her a life alert button if she continued to fall. The
lumber yard had completely run out of salt Tuesday morning.
Speaking of dangerous, Hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and
frostbite are both dangerous conditions that can happen when a person is
exposed to extremely cold temperatures. If you have to be outside,
please consider:
What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposures to very cold temperatures.
When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster
than it’s produced. Lengthy exposures will eventually use up your body’s
stored energy, which leads to lower body temperature.
Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim
unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia especially
dangerous, because a person may not know that it’s happening and won’t
be able to do anything about it.
While hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, it can occur
even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from
rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.
What is frostbite?
Frostbite is a type of injury caused by freezing. It leads to a loss of
feeling and color in the areas it affects, usually extremities such as
the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes. Frostbite can
permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation
(removing the affected body part).
If you must be outside during the extreme cold, please bundle up and
keep bare skin from being exposed to the wind and elements.
I hated to turn my light hearted column into a public service
announcement, but this is really dangerous weather we are coming out of
and I know some people think they are invincible, but please take
precautions. Check on your family members and friends.
KWIBS - From
February 8, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
People are generally very
friendly when I meet them on the road either coming to or from work each
day.
The majority are the same people I see every day. Most of them have a
feed truck and are off to tend to some hungry cattle. They almost always
wave. I wave first many times too. It’s just a way of life in rural
Kansas.
Wednesday was a particularly beautiful day for being the day after
Groundhog Day. That stupid, giant rat says 6 more weeks of Winter, but
he’s been wrong and dropped before, so if Punxsutawney Phil knows what’s
good for him, he’ll stop leaning that direction.
But for a Wednesday in early February, people were REALLY friendly.
Everybody had a big wave. I never even had the chance to return the wave
in most cases. Then I stopped to talk to a buddy who was grabbing a bale
with his grandson. As I was standing at his truck and looking at mine, I
could see what the commotion was all about.
My work gloves were tossed on the dash in a way that it made it look
like I was permanently giving the peace sign! That’s why everyone was
waving.
I put it on facebook, where another friend jokingly suggested, “test
your theory by reconfiguring the fingers.”
I’ll take the high road on this one and either leave the glove as it is,
or just do a manual wave!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
February 1, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
Not many realize this, but
COVID struck again, shutting down an annual event that is extremely
important to our agriculture community.
The Bankers Award Winners’ Annual Banquet was cancelled due to the virus
and potential spread.
We struggled with ideas to replace our edition dedicated to the award
winners and decided an edition to honor agriculture would be
appropriate.
In our tight knit communities, we seldom think or appreciate the people
who put food on our tables. Only in recent years of observing and
friending farmers and ranchers have I learned how important they are to
our financial well being, not to mention what an incredibly hard job it
is.
It’s not easy in today’s climate to make a living in this industry, but
I admire those who stick it out and continue family traditions of taking
care of the land, raising our crops and growing our beef, sheep, pigs,
etc.
Every morning I wake up and hear cows mooing and it makes me happy. They
aren’t even our cattle, but I know how hard my friend works to keep them
fed and healthy. I also appreciate this same friend who takes care of
fences, cattle guards and burning pastures each year.
I’m no where near being a farmer or rancher, but I sure appreciate the
hard work it takes to be one.
That friend, by the way, is Flint Rucker. I could not ask for a better
person to take care of our ranch. He treats it like it was his own and
over the past several years has helped me and Ronda realize how much
more we appreciate it.
We love the land of Barber County. We pray God’s blessing over the
harvest and we honor those in the Agriculture Community.
Have a great week and thank a Farmer!
KWIBS - From
January 25, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
We’ve all lost someone we
love - maybe a brother, mother or father.
Every year on 01-11, my grandson Kycen turns another year older and on
that day when Kycen turned 3, my dad passed away in 2013 from a long
battle with dementia.
Many of you remember my dad. He was the life of the party in most
situations (if you know what I mean).
My dad, “Ronnie” grew up in Logan, KS and attended Phillips County
Schools, later graduating high school from Kinsley, KS in 1964. He went
on to college in Emporia, which he always told me he was not quite ready
to do. Instead, he left school and joined the Navy in 1965, serving as a
Sonar Technician. After he got out of the service, I was born in 1969.
Shortly after that, my mom and my dad moved us to Kinsley where he
helped my grandpa run the Mercury. My grandmother Ethelyn was very sick
with cancer and died in 1972. After she passed, my mom and dad moved to
Medicine Lodge to run the Index, one of several papers my Grandpa Bill
owned and my Uncle Gary had managed until my dad came in to run it. So
from 1972 to 1990, my dad was the local newspaperman.
That 18 years went by quickly. In 1990 he sold the Index. I worked there
for just another year before I left and Ronda and I started the Gyp Hill
Premiere in 1991.
To me, my dad’s long life as a publisher in Medicine Lodge seems like
yesterday until I realize that in June, it will be 30 years that Ronda
and I have been publishing the newspaper. Now we’re not just Medicine
Lodge, but of Barber County. It’s a proud feeling, but like my dad and
my uncle and my grandpa, it’s all I’ve really ever known how to do,
besides being a bail bondsman. That’s another story.
Dad’s birthday came and went. I remembered on the day, then my sister
sent me a picture of him and I and I relived some great days with him
before he became too ill and eventually died.
KWIBS - From
January 18, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
In 50 years, long after
COVID and whatever else the Chinese throw at us is gone, we’ll have some
pretty odd archived newspaper photos to look through.
Each day I place photos in the paper, many in the photo are wearing
masks. I don’t have a problem with wearing a mask (properly), but you
can barely tell who are in the photos!
? ? ? ?
This year will mark 30 years of The Gyp Hill Premiere being in
publication. I remember working on the first copy in our living room at
the farm house on our ranch. I had one thing that drove me more than
anything. I always wanted our newspaper to be a place where people’s
opinions were not censored. Now, we do have a letter policy, but in the
30 years we’ve been in business, I can only think of three letters we
refused to print. The reasons were all different: 1) didn’t want to put
their name to it. You can’t be a tough anonymous person. Own it or I
won’t print it. 2) The information was just not relevant to our
communities. 3) The information was liable and slanderous and they
provided no truth to the contrary.
Our policy is on our website if you care to read it.
Since the beginnings of social media, our letters to the editor have
fallen off. It’s so much easier to be a keyboard warrior online, that
is, if you follow the tech giants’ rules.
On Monday, the social platform “Parler” was taken down from Amazon
Servers and Apple Apps because they said it promoted and encouraged
violent content.
I had only been a member for about three months and not once did I read
something violent.
On Monday, I found more than 11 specific threats towards our government
and the president on Facebook, but that’s ok.
Our first amendment rights are under attack and I am sure that it won’t
be long before our second amendment rights are right behind them. I hope
I’m wrong.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 11, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
How do you know for weeks
that a massive amount of people are heading to Capital Hill and not be
prepared for it?
First you start by simply shutting down everything in the community to
anyone wanting to come in. No hotels or restaurants were open. Most
businesses closed on January 6th in anticipation for a rally of Trump
supporters during the counting of electoral votes.
Keep in mind the vast majority of people gathered peacefully. In fact,
many of the trouble makers have been proven to be Antifa radicals. Sure,
there were some bad apples there in the name of Trump, but I knew a lot
of people who were there only to protest and assemble peacefully. They
sent photos throughout the day. I heard singing in the background during
a phone call. It was our National Anthem. Throughout the day
CNN reported, “Violent attacks by Trump supporters,” and “A dangerous
and volatile situation caused by Trump radicals,” and “Insurrection.”
One person was arrested for carrying an unlicensed gun and six people
were charged with assault, including one for assaulting a police
officer. No one ever asked or reported what party affiliation they were
from, but even CNN’s footage of people inside the Capitol showed many
people who didn’t have any “Trump” attire on. Some wore masks and there
was obvious damage and at least one woman shot and died, why, we don’t
yet know.
I never saw police cars being tipped over. I never saw buildings and
vehicles set on fire. I never saw businesses being destroyed and looted.
I did see those things happening over the summer in Portland, Seattle,
Los Angeles and New York. Police largely let these things happen under
the orders of many city mayors. CNN reported that those protests were,
“mostly peaceful,” as buildings were on fire in the background.
There was a lot of order in dispersing this crowd of supporters of the
protest against counting the electoral votes. Did you see that happen
over the summer during riots?
Many media outlets hold to their headlines that there was no voter
fraud, yet you’ll see evidence long after Trump leaves office. I even
know someone personally who is registered in Kansas, but flew to Arizona
to vote. This person even bragged about how easy it was.
Would there have been a different result? I don’t know. I don’t even
really care. What I do care about is election integrity. I saw enough
and heard enough that I have my doubts about the fairness of this
election and many others.
Elections are the basis of our republic. No matter what your party
affiliation is, you should love the constitution and the process. A
peaceful transfer of power has happened in this country for over 200
years. With any luck, we’ll last another 200 years.
I’m a registered Republican, but feel as though I am a Libertarian in my
beliefs. The two party system is tearing apart our country, not to
mention friendships and even families.
Although I’m not excited about a Biden-Harris administration, I will
wait and see before I judge it. Some of the left’s ideas could break our
fragile republic. I pray level heads prevail.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 4, 2021 - By Kevin Noland
What a wonderful Christmas.
Thank you to all the family for all of the food that now requires me
using all of those gift cards for looser fitting pants!
All of the gifts were so appreciated. I always tell my kids, “don’t buy
me anything. Just take care of the kids. It’s about them and not about
an old fart that doesn’t need anything.”
My kids went above and beyond this year. Each of them giving from the
heart.
Friday we stood together and said grace. It was a time for us to honor
the birth of Jesus. God became man. It was an amazing day.
To top it off, all of my NFL teams gave me several wins! Chiefs, Saints
and Cowboys all won and are either easily in the playoffs or in the
hunt.
It was hard coming back to work after so much time off, but I’m glad I
did because my email was jammed up with a lot of things that needed to
make this newspaper!
I ran across my “clean” funnies list that I subscribe to when I got in
the office. It’s full of jokes sent in from pastors across the country.
This poem cracked me up and I thought I would share it with you. The
author is unknown (except for by Santa).
Twas the Night After Christmas
'Twas the night after Christmas and all through the trailer,
The beer had gone flat and the pizza was staler.
The tube socks hung empty, no candies or toys
And I was camped out on my old Lay-Z-Boy.
The kids they weren't talking to me or my wife,
The worst Christmas they said they'd had in their life.
My wife couldn't argue and neither could I,
So I watched TV and my wife, she just cried.
When out in the yard the dog started barkin',
I stood up and looked and I saw Sheriff Larkin.
He yelled, "Roy, I am sworn to uphold the laws
And I got a complaint here from a feller named Claus."
I said, "Claus, I don't know nobody named Claus,
And you ain't taking me in without probable cause."
Then the Sheriff, he said, "The man was shot at last night."
I said, "That might have been me, just what's he look like."
The Sheriff replied, "Well he's a jolly old feller, with a big beer gut
belly,
That shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly.
He sports a long beard, and a nose like a cherry."
I said, "Sheriff, that sounds like my wife's sister Sherri."
"It's no time for jokes, Roy" the Sheriff he said.
"The man I'm describing is dressed all in red.
I'm here for the truth now, it's time to come clean.
Tell me what you've done, tell me what you've seen."
Well I started to lie then I thought what the hell,
It wouldn't have been the first time I've spent New Years in jail.
I said, "Sheriff, it happened last night about ten,
And I thought that my wife had been drinking again."
When she walked in from work she was as white as a ghost.
I thought maybe she had seen one of them UFO's.
But she said that a bunch of deer had just flown over her head,
And stopped on the roof of our good neighbor Red.
Well, I ran outside to look and the sight made me shudder,
A freezer full of venison standing right on Red's gutter.
Well my hands were a shakin' as I grabbed up my gun,
When outta Red's chimney this feller did run.
And slung on his back was this bag overflowin'.
I thought he'd stolen Red's stuff while old Red was out bowling'.
So I yelled, "Drop, fat boy, hands in the air!"
But he went about his business like he hadn't a care.
So I popped a warning shot over his head.
Well he dropped that bag and jumped in that sled.
And as he flew off I heard him extort,
"That's assault with intent, Roy, I'll see ya in court."
So that gave me a chuckle and an idea. I thought I would share this
photo and share a little poem of my own. I’m not real good at it, but if
you know Miguel, then you know this might go right over his head.
The children gathered Christmas day to give from the heart.
A pair of socks for Miguel, sort of seemed kind of smart.
He slid them on with grace
With a smile on his face
The socks don’t lie, because to this day, no one has ever heard him
fart!
KWIBS - From
December 14, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
A classmate of mine, his
wife and my wife have made this strange tradition for the past few years
that we attend an NFL game together around Christmas.
Nix White, a 1988 MLHS graduate and retired Navy Seal and his wife Wendy
are our “travel buddies.”
Nix loves to see his name in The Gyp Hill Premiere!
In past trips, it started out in New Orleans. Then it moved to Kansas
City and last year it was from Kansas City to New Orleans in 3 days.
Usually, our trips occur in mid-November, but for some reason, it’s
falling right before Christmas this year, but I’m not complaining. Ronda
and I both realize that when we get home, we’ll have just a small amount
of time and a mountain of work to finish out the year and get things
ready for Christmas, but we get to hang out with Nix and Wendy and we
know there will be belly laughing, food and drinks involved.
This year, with COVID, we are just going to New Orleans, doing a little
shopping and sight-seeing and taking in the Chiefs vs. Saints game on
Sunday. This will be EPIC! Think about this: We will watch one of the
youngest Superbowl Champs, play against one of the oldest, most
respected Superbowl Champs. It is sports history in the making. Last
year, Drew Brees broke the all time passing record for touchdowns while
we were there.
And what did I say to him after the game?
“Hey, I was going to wear a sports coat and a tee shirt, but my wife
said I would look stupid.”
That is exactly what Drew was wearing. We didn’t even call and
coordinate that. My wife recovered quickly with, “Ya, but he can pull it
off!”
Ronda and I feel pretty safe since we’ve been over the virus for about a
month now. When you’re a retired Navy Seal, you just sneak up on the
virus and kill it quietly and move on.
When Nix called and asked if we were up to it again, I was like, “Sure!
Why not?!?”
The planning began and later this week, we’ll take another adventure
with the Whites. These adventures date back to 1999 when we took our
family to San Diego, traveled up the coast and took in Disney with our
children.
We are excited to continue our adventures with Nix and Wendy!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
December 7, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Many of you knew Mike
Shinkle. Let me tell you, he was a great man.
Mike had passion for Jesus and he was unashamed to share it. In fact, if
you met him even once, you were sure to get the Gospel!
I met Mike at the Christian Church when I was about 10 years old. He and
I shared a strange talent. We could both speak Donald Duck.... fluently.
We did a couple of skits together. When we did these discussions in
Donald’s voice, it was almost a competition to see who could keep it up
without cracking up first. I think Mike was the best at it. I’m pretty
good, but he was a Donald Duck Jedi Master.
Everything about him made you want to laugh and smile. Mike and his
family were a huge part of our early lives together. Mike and Kim
weren’t just friends, they were family. They took care of our children
and we took care of theirs.
We still talk about “Nanna Jana.” Jana was Mike and Kim’s first daughter
and at the moment she was ready and her parents said it was ok, we took
her everywhere. She was part big sister and part indentured servant! We
took her on all of our family vacations. I remember taking her to both
Disneys in Florida and in California within months of each other. During
the day, we’d all go to the parks. Jana would help with the kids. At
night, Ronda and I would leave Jana with the kids and go check out the
night life.
In Medicine Lodge, the Shinkles watched our kids during the summers.
They would beg to go to Mike and Kim’s house. There were board games,
singing, laughing and a home full of love.
The last time I saw Mike was at Bob Christensen’s funeral. We both made
the comment that it wasn’t the end and we would see Bob again one day. I
hugged Mike so many times that day. He had been such a blessing for the
40 years I have known him.
Mike died the Friday after Thanksgiving from complications of COVID. It
was a punch in the gut. All his friends are hurting, but also have hope,
knowing we’ll see him again and get the best hug a person can get.
A man of God, on his hotrod. RIP my brother.
KWIBS - From
November 30, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I’m never thankful about
Thanksgiving falling on a Thursday.
Thursday is our deadline day, which means we either hump it up and get
most of it done on Wednesday or we end up working a long Friday and
Saturday.
It never seems fair.
I propose we make all holidays fall on a Monday! Nobody likes Mondays
anyway. All of our holidays would then be three day weekends!
I’m a genius.
Moving on.....
? ? ? ?
All of those wonderful things that were going to happen to us have
happened! If you remember, I wrote in early October that Nick would be
coming home from Okinawa. He’s home and has a new job at Home Lumber!
It’s been fun to hear how surprised he is when he sees someone he hasn’t
seen in 4 years. I think he’s really enjoying it and enjoying being a
part of the community.
We had another grand baby! Right on time and as expected, Ensley made
her perfect little appearance and making her the #6 grandchild. I hate
bragging, but she is the most beautiful baby in the whole world.
Lastly, Joey became a home owner! The interesting part about this is
that the home belonged to one of my classmates and his sister after
their father passed away. The home has always been “The Fincher Home.”
The first house you come to in the Forsyth’s Addition to the west. Brett
and Joey made a deal this summer and with Joey becoming the new store
manager and his fiance’ recently joining Citizens Bank of Kansas, this
home will be the perfect home for them.
Thanks to Brett, I can once again get up in the morning with little to
no clothing on and get a cup of coffee! Sadly, Haley’s coffee is pretty
amazing. I’m sure she’s glad to have a place of their own!
Brett kindly wrote on Facebook, “Today was bittersweet. I finally sold
my dad’s home. After 2.5 years of driving 3 hours almost every weekend
to take care of it.. it was finally time. I’m beyond exhausted....
beyond words... but I also am proud of the owners that God brought
forward. I’m excited for Joey Noland and his fiance’ Haley Gomes. What a
great young couple moving into the Lodge. I hope this house gives you
many memories like it did for my family. My dad was always proud of the
“Fincher house “ at 101 Leslie for over 35 years . Good luck now to the
new Noland house!”
I called Brett right after the closing. It was an emotional time for
him. Brett and I went to school together from preschool to graduation.
His dad was my friend and was always being a prankster.
We were in high school when Brett lived there. We shot pool in the
basement and shared many good times with old ornery Ron Fincher.
I’m so happy for Joey and Haley and for Brett and Kim.
So even though I hate that Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday, I’m
thankful I get to stay late on Wednesday and write this column about my
kids all growing up and doing great things.
In these days and times, it’s hard to find the good in the world. For
me, I just look around me: Beautiful wife, children, grandchildren and
family all around us.
I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving too.
KWIBS - From
November 23, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I won’t mention the “C” word this week, but once again,
it got in the way of life.
That life entered the world Monday morning at Pratt Regional Medical
Center. Ensley Alaia Hernandez entered the world weighing 6 lbs. 9.5 oz.
We could not go in and see her, but that did not stop us from trying.
Ronda had to make an “emergency” run to Pratt to bring our daughter a
toothbrush and toothpaste. I was like eye rolling world champion that
day.
She got there and got her temp taken and the lady stuck a sticker on her
and pointed her towards the elevator. Ronda went to the 4th floor
expecting to meet a nurse, but my son-in-law, carrying Ensley met her at
the door and opened it.
Immediately alarms went off. Ronda handed him the bag of mouth products
and ran out the door. We later heard that the Pratt Police Department
and Sheriff’s Department responded to the alarm.
The best part was, I had to go to Pratt County following Ronda’s return,
to bond out a defendant from jail. While there, I heard the story of the
alarm going off at the hospital and said, “Oh, that was my wife. she’s
now a fugitive from justice. What’s her bond amount?” lol,.....
No charges were filed against the grandma and I got a chance to be the
weird grandpa. I showed up in the parking lot with binoculars and the
kids held Ensley up to the window so I could see her.
Yes, I carry around binoculars. I’m a bondsman and bail enforcement
agent. You wouldn’t believe the things I carry around in my truck.
Ensley and family came home Wednesday and I rushed over to stand in line
to hold her. I was third in line.
When it was my turn, I snatched Ensley up in my arms. She got really
rigid and then let out the biggest grunt and filled her diaper. She took
her first dookie on her grandpa at her own house within ten minutes of
coming home. Needless to say, the ladies worked on changing the diaper
and I went back to work all smiles.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 16, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Today, Ronda and I are
celebrating our 6th grandchild!
By the time you are reading this, we hope and pray that our daughter
Breeann had a successful C-Section and delivered a healthy baby girl!
Ensley Alaia Hernandez and her mommy will be welcomed home by their five
siblings Baylee, Ashley, Eric, Miguel and Kycen and daddy Miguel.
That reminds me: Christmas has just been cancelled. Just kidding, but I
may be that grandpa who slips a $5 bill in an envelope for birthdays and
Christmas if we keep reproducing!
The pressure is now on Nick and Natalie! Very soon the pressure will be
on Joey and Haley. We could have a small army of grandchildren very
soon. The first things this army will be equipped with are lawnmowers
and weedeaters! Just kidding, but wow, that would be awesome.
Babies are cool and all, but I like them better when you don’t have to
change their diapers anymore. I feel like I shouldn’t have to change
anymore diapers. In fact, I’m probably closer to having my own diaper
changed at this point in life.
I love the pre-talking, pre-walking stage. When they cry, give them back
to their parents. When they start walking, you have to practically put a
helmet on them, so it’s better they just roll around for a while.
Crawling starts the scary phase. It’s just a matter of time before they
are walking and then running. We used to call our youngest child
Nicholas “Baby Scar Face” when he was little. That kid could fall into a
pile of pillows and scratch his face all up.
Of course with COVID still lingering around, we can’t be there for the
birth. That’s a new first for us. I’ll be glad for the day that I no
longer have to write a column that includes the COVID word.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 9, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I sat out of the game on
the bench most of the last couple of weeks because of COVID.
Like many of you, Ronda and I came down with it within about 12 hours of
each other.
I spent most of that time catching up on TV shows and flipping through
pictures on my phone. Since we have iCloud, we have nearly 20,000 photos
of the past 10 years floating around in cyberspace.
Remember the days when we would drag out the photo albums and slip those
4x6” pictures into plastic sleeves. Then we’d look at those until the
binders wore off our photo albums? Those days seem to be gone now that
we all carry phones in our pockets that have more memory than the first
Apollo Mission Control had.
I stumbled across photos of concerts. Many, many concerts. Oh my God how
I miss live concerts! COVID wrecked me seeing several shows this year
including The Foo Fighters, Perfect Circle and Foreigner, amongst many
more, I am sure.
One thing almost all of these photos had in common was this one guy in a
shot with me. Steve Green has been a friend for over 20 years. We met
back when our band used to play clubs in Wichita. He was a sound
engineer and his crew did light and sound for several of our shows. Any
time Ronda and I go to a concert, we almost always run into Steve and
his wife Joni and take a photo.
I picked up the phone and called him. We chatted it up for almost an
hour and then he called back a few days later just to check up on our
recovery. It reminded me, no matter what our country may be going
through, we’re going through it together. It was good to hear his voice
and to talk about our favorite thing: music. Steve is still in a band
and chances are you’ve seen them or met him. “Lucky People” has played
Peace Treaty like three times now. Steve’s company “Eardrum
Entertainment” does the sound for Peace Treaty’s Pageant and night show.
He and his crew are good people and I was reminded of that just by
flipping through my phone last week.
Stay healthy and have a great week!
KWIBS - From
November 2, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
An alarming number of
Barber County residents learned they have contracted COVID-19 in the
past several weeks. It’s gotten to the point that our County
Commissioners and Public Health Officials have put a mask mandate into
effect.
If you read it, you might have noticed the same thing I did. There’s no
teeth to it. There are no fines or penalties for not wearing one. It’s
basically a strong suggestion.
I, like many, have been exposed, more than once now, to someone with
COVID-19.
A doctor explained it to me like this, “It’s not if you get COVID, it’s
when you get COVID.”
That resonates with me. Although, I’m not one who likes to be told what
to do, I am doing better at wearing a mask in the event I have been
exposed - doing so is an attempt at not spreading to someone at high
risk from the virus.
The same doctor told me, “80% of those who get COVID may never even have
a symptom.”
That sounds comforting.
However, someone I know who had it recently said, “I’ve had worse
hangovers than this.” Yet another good friend said, “I taught my
children how to unlock my phone and call 911 because I thought I was
going to die.”
His entire family came down with it. It was only their father did not
suffer the worst symptoms, yet was at the highest risk.
It’s all very confusing. Doctors will tell you, they still don’t
understand this disease, but they learn a little more every day. A
treatment is out there, but you either have to be the President of the
United States, or on your death bed, to get it. There is a man in Barber
County who is getting that treatment and I pray he is doing well.
Remember, people die of the flu too and we are also in that season.
I will say, when in doubt, wear a mask, especially if you are not
feeling well. Now that it’s cold, it’s not as hard to do. Mine sort of
helps keep my face warm.
I believe we will see a higher number of cases and that will happen
because of increased testing. It does make me wonder why we haven’t been
doing this for years with the flu. At some point, we’ll stop testing
because everyone will have had it.
Stay healthy friends
KWIBS - From
October 26, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
COVID has robbed a lot of
people of joy. I know of birthday parties cancelled, funerals that were
only held with limited mourners, sporting events postponed, schools,
graduations and classes cancelled. The list goes on and on.
My grandson is a straight A student. He was sent home after being in
close contact with another student who tested positive. As of this
writing, he and his buddy are both doing fine. With any luck, Kycen will
dodge COVID and return to school on Wednesday.
Ronda and Joey’s birthdays are this week. We haven’t planned much, but
I’m sure there will be the family dinner. In the past, we’ve all gone to
Wichita to a movie or out to see a concert. It seems those days are in
our past.
I love you two so much and wish you both a happy birthday.
I heard recently that the schools will be canceling the Veterans’ Day
Program. I understand why, but I am also so crushed that we won’t be
paying respect to our community’s heroes.
One of those heroes returned home Friday at 2 p.m. We gathered with our
masks and waited for him to walk into the airport from the terminals. It
didn’t feel like the welcome home I wished for him, but I am grateful
that my son, Nick, is back.
Nick will tell you that he
didn’t do anything that important in the four years that he served with
the Navy and Marines. I admire his modesty, but he did great things. A
three year overseas deployment is hard and the time did not go by
quickly for any of us. I’m happy that he got to spend the last 15 months
with his wife Natalie by his side.
My son Joey’s Fiance’, Haley Gomes, has moved to Medicine Lodge. They
will tie the knot in Colorado in June. Her early arrival is also due to
COVID. The business she worked for closed suddenly.
Lastly, this feels like an early Christmas letter, my daughter Breeann
and her husband Miguel will be celebrating the arrival of their newest
family member in just a few more weeks.
COVID may be stealing some joy, but if you look closely, you can find
joy all around you. Don’t be afraid, be encouraged and be thankful for
those around you. Isaiah 41:13
Stay healthy and have a great week!
KWIBS - From
October 19, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
What I hope to be the final
chapter of the horrific events of July 21, 2018 has been written.
I did not get to attend the sentencing hearing for Ora Munger on
Wednesday, but I did get to watch the proceedings via ZOOM.
I wished I could have been there in person. I commend our local Court
Clerk Ann McNett and Judge Meisenhiemer for setting up and giving the
community a chance to watch. The Judge was fair to Munger and I was
impressed with how the sentencing went.
Gary and Emmajo Rucker’s daughter Jody Cushenbery asked the question,
“Do you remember what you were doing on July 21, 2018?”
I gasped.
I remember exactly what I was doing. Ronda and I had finished up some
yard work and had sat down at the patio of our lake house and marveled
at how beautiful it was outside - not too warm, but just a great day to
be outside and to be relaxing.
Little did we know of the evil that was occurring to our friends just a
few miles south of us. Their granddaughter Leah called us that afternoon
as we were lounging and told us that her dad and grandparents had been
viciously attacked and beaten, but her dad had stopped by with a
watermelon and wrestled the gun away from Ora Munger. She had little
time to talk.
I called Flint’s phone, but got no answer. I called his wife Donna and
she picked up.
She gave me a short recap of what had happened and told me that EMS and
the hospital were checking everyone out and it looked like they would
all be ok.
I was furious that someone would do this to anyone, especially the
Rucker family. There couldn’t be nicer people in Barber County.
Flint came in my office the following Wednesday and carefully told me
what happened over that two hour period. Some of it was so horrific, I
never wrote about it.
For longer than two years, I covered this story. I’m glad that I may
never have to type Munger’s name again. That this monster is going away
for a long time and will never hurt another person or family.
My admiration for my friend Flint has never changed. He’s always been a
hero to me. Flint is by definition a Christian man. He gets this from
his loving parents who gave him and his brothers and sisters so much
love. They live by their example and are some of the best people you
could ever know.
God bless you all for what you went through and for the courage to
continue to live with such incredible grace and mercy for a man who
could have ended your lives.
I do absolutely remember what I was doing that day.
KWIBS - From
October 12, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
The following article comes
from Jim Rowland, Barber County Economic Development.
WHY SHOP LOCAL?
You’ve seen the phrase and the commercials, and we even have a day
dedicated to shop local but what does shop local really mean?
First and foremost, we keep sales tax dollars in OUR community. Sales
taxes collected from local sales go toward streets, sidewalks, police,
and all the things that make our community an appealing place to live
and raise our families. When we travel to Wichita, Pratt or Alva to
purchase products or services, we’re building that communities’
sidewalks and streets.
Next when we shop local, we invest in entrepreneurship. Creativity and
entrepreneurship are the foundation of our local economy. If we want a
sustainable economy, then we need to shop local. To shop local means
more money stays in our community.
By encouraging entrepreneurs, our community becomes a destination. The
more interesting and unique we become, the more we will attract
visitors, guests and new neighbors. We are already blessed with an
incredible natural landscape that draws many to the area.
Visitgyphills.com was born out of that desire to draw folks into the
best kept secret in Kansas.
Shop local means helping businesses that help the community. They’re the
ones we go to repeatedly throughout the year asking for donations for
every possible activity and group. They are our neighbors; they know us,
and we know them. Let’s create an environment where we can give them
honest feedback about products or services that we’d like to see,
honest, constructive feedback when they fall short or praise when they
exceed our expectations.
Lastly, to shop local means to create local jobs. Putting money in the
pocket of local businesses means they are able to employ people from our
community. Also remember that the sales taxes collected locally means
jobs for essential local workers, think city/county employees that
deliver services we desperately need to ensure a higher quality of life.
KWIBS - From
October 5, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Extortion has certainly
been used as a political tactic through out history, but never in
America, until now.
We have been witnessing a very ugly attack on American traditional
values and institutions in general, and Trump supporters in particular.
Conservatives are routinely threatened and openly harassed in public by
the radical left of the Democrat Party.
Joe Biden has said nothing to condemn this behavior until a few weeks
ago when the polls began showing that people are getting fed up with it.
He now claims that Donald Trump is the cause of all this unrest and that
he, if elected, can stop it. Nice try Joe.
First of all, I don’t think that Biden can control this anarchists mob,
that would take a strong law and order president. Second, I don’t think
it’s Trump’s fault that these America-hating socialists are trying to
stir-up racial strife as a way to overthrow our Constitutional form of
government. He simply brings out the true character of these people for
all to see, and it’s not pretty.
President Trump has done more to help blacks through criminal justice
reform and job growth than Obama and Biden ever thought about doing, and
more blacks are waking up to that fact.
Biden is telling people to vote for him if you want the violence to
stop. That’s nothing short of extortion. I don’t know about you, but I
don’t respond well to extortion and threats. I think I’ll vote for
Trump.
KWIBS - From
September 28, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Happy Birthday to my oldest
child October 3rd!
Breeann, as her given name on her birth certificate states, prefers to
be called “Bree.” So Bree is turning the calendar page on Saturday.
Many of you know, or maybe you don’t, Bree is expecting! A little girl
will be delivered in November!
Another daughter should be delivered by the time this newspaper is in
your hands. If all went as planned Natalie Noland left Japan Sunday
(Saturday our time), dropped her husband Nick off in Seattle and made
her way back to Kansas! Welcome home Natalie!
? ? ? ?
Let us all rejoice with prerecorded applause that the NFL is back on. At
the same time, let us all roll our eyes when one of the players or an
entire team protests our National Anthem.
It is so very weird to see little to no fans in the stadium. I read an
article that producers are using three levels of prerecorded crowd
response for effect at the games. We’ve turned the NFL into a sitcom.
(Insert laughter here). Oh well, as of this writing my fantacy football
team is 2-0. (Insert crowd roaring here).
Although some teams are permitting reduced capacity attendance at their
stadium when the season starts on 10th September, the pre-recorded crowd
noise is being made available to all NFL franchises to play on a
continuous loop via their PA systems.
The league has, however, laid out strict guidelines around the use of
the artificial crowd noise. In a memo issued to all teams, the NFL
stipulates that any club attempting to manipulate the crowd noise will
be subject to fines, suspensions or potential lost draft picks.
The audio must not be played at 70 decibels (dB), no higher or lower,
and start from kick off. Noise levels will be monitored by the NFL
throughout the game to ensure that crowd noise does not go above or
below that level.
Going above could break some records for loudest stadiums (like the
Browns’) in the NFL, but that would be cheating, like deflating a
football.
? ? ? ?
In last week’s Premiere’s Board of Education article, we inadvertantly
reported, with the pounding of the “0” key, that the cost of repairs and
enhancements to area school facilities is estimated to be $23 billion!
It should have read $23 million. I’m trying not to find this funny, but
it sort of is. My father-in-law reported the meeting and was late
turning it in. I take full credit for missing the extra “0s” causing
some to consider packing up and leaving the county. Please don’t, it was
just an error and we are extremely sorry!
? ? ? ?
while Joey is back in Medicine Lodge and the new manager of White’s
Foodliner, it’s been fun to observe the ways he entertains himself when
he’s not working. Mostly he sleeps! lol
The other night he was out in the front yard. My first thought was,
“he’s out hitting golf balls over our pond,” a favorite pastime at our
house.
I ran outside to grab a club only to find him digging around in my
garage.
“Where’s your handsaw,” he asked?
I don’t normally give out that information to anyone, especially a tired
family member, so I honestly told him that I didn’t have one. I really
don’t...
I instead handed him a Millwaukee sawsall, the mother of all saws!
“What are you building,” I asked?
“A bow and arrow,” he said with a straight face.
My son is a YouTube, do-it-yourself, but leave the garage door open and
tools left out for someone else to pick up, kind of guy.
Well, you know I couldn’t not help him, so we started sawing and
splitting cedar for his bow.
Part of Joey’s job is to make promotional videos for his store. I can
just see a customer now, with an apple on his head, Joey with his bow,
taking steady aim. Wait. No. Don’t do that Joey.
It didn’t take long and I was bored with the project and suggested he
just go online and buy a bow and arrow set. He was out until dark. I’m
not sure how this is going to turn out.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 21, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I read an article I wrote
about Peace Treaty in 2003. That was 5 Peace Treaties ago.
In the article, I wrote about my buddy Nix coming from San Diego with
his son. I remember we decked out a couple of Harley Davidsons to look
like horses and we took our sons Nick and Zane, who were roughly the
same age, through the three days of parades. It was a blast.
The kids would have been close to 4 or 5 at that time. They played
together. They had met once before, but were just little bitty buddies
on the beach of San Diego, CA.
Add 17 years and both our kids are now serving their country. Zane
joined the Marines and Nick went into the Navy, just like Nix had done.
Zane dreamed of being sent over seas and Nick dreamed of being state
side during his duty. Neither got what they wanted. Nick ended up in
Okinawa, 7,500 miles from home, and Zane ended up at Pendleton about 30
miles from his folks near San Diego. Nix and I have had a few laughs
over that one.
This is the final KWIBS in 4 years of talking about Nick being overseas
(Joscelyn Nittler has got to be thrilled)! Friday of this week (Thursday
their time), Nick and Natalie Noland begin their journey home. It’s not
as easy as just jumping on a plane and flying back. Nick has had endless
hours of separation classes and will have to quarantine in Seattle when
they arrive. Natalie will come on back to her family in Kansas and we
can’t wait to see her. Nick will have an additional two weeks of classes
and paper work to do before he can join his wife.
They both leave behind almost ALL of their belongings. Because Nick
didn’t get his orders in time, he could not schedule the movers until
three days after they will have left. Thank the Lord that they leave
many friends behind in Okinawa to meet the movers after Nick and Natalie
will already be home in the states. They will help the movers pack and
load all of their belongings to arrive sometime..... who knows when?
There’s some pretty excited people ready to welcome them home!
KWIBS - From
September 14, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I spent the better part of
three weeks trying to replace a columnist who’s been making appearances
in The Gyp Hill Premiere since 2006. Jason Offutt “Ended Transmission”
last week with his final syndication. We grew to be friends and we will
miss his whacky, practical sense of humor.
So I began searching and made calls to a few other syndications, but
before I did, I ordered three of the spiciest tacos I’ve ever consumed
from Cancun’s.
My daughter brought it back and I took bites between phone calls. It
became apparent that these were the type of tacos that burn twice. If I
have to explain it, you shouldn’t be reading my column.
After an urgent visit to the “little publisher’s room,” I discovered
that my roof is still leaking. It is relaxing to listen to a gentle
water fall while doing your business, but since it’s in the mechanic’s
room near all of the electrical, I got my business done and got out of
there. There’s a lot of ways a person checks out of this world and being
electrocuted on the toilet is not even on my top ten list.
I broke my promise to not watch the news anymore last week. It was easy
enough to keep that promise when I was getting up and going to work and
not getting home until dark. Then winter showed up on Tuesday out of no
where and what’s a person to do? When I did turn back on the TV, I
discovered there are still two old men arguing about the presidency. One
is funny and yet insulting, the other seems to be wandering around
looking for his car keys that his family took away from him several
years ago.
Oh, and there are riots over social injustices. Before I stopped
watching TV it was racial injustice, but they must have figured out it
was not just about one race. Good job TV people. Somebody tell the NBA.
Looks like COVID-19 will have a safe cure by early 2021, just after
pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on Tuesday put a hold on its
experimental coronavirus vaccine study in America, after a participant
in the United Kingdom faced an apparent serious adverse reaction.
I think I will go back to work outside and leave the TV off.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 7, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Well, it’s officially
September. Normally, I’m so excited about football, I can’t come up with
anything to write about in my column, but this is a special month. This
will be the last month you have to endure me talking about my Son Nick,
who is in Okinawa (In case Joscelyn Nittler didn’t know - inside joke
-). You know what to do Joscelyn....
I have to relive a few of my favorite conversations I had with Nick in
the past 3.5 years of his deployment.
“Good Lord Dad. It’s hot here. I mean, you really don’t understand. It’s
like you turn on the weather channel and the guy says, ‘looks like
another day of swamp butt here on the island’.”
“We slept outside last nighy as part of our jungle training. Oh, did I
mention it was during a typhoon? Me and Chap Jones moved to higher
ground to try and stay dry and the Marines all slept in the mud. When I
woke up, I was alone. Chaps was sleeping in his car.”
“Dad, I bought a soccer mom van for $500! It’s made of crushed beer cans
and goes about 45 mph, which is like 200 kph or something like that.”
Later...
“We’re selling the soccer mom van for scrap. The scrap yard guy said
he’d give us $500 for it. That saves me time crushing beer cans. Oh, and
I got my money back out of it.”
“Natalie and I bought birds and named them Soko and Monga. We named them
after our favorite bar.”
Later from Natalie...
“All I do all day long is clean up bird poop.”
Later from Nick...
“It’s been a rough day. We had to give the birds away before we come
home. I’m pretty sad.”
Later that same day from Natalie...
“I don’t know what to do with all of my free time. Thank God Nick
doesn’t fly around the house pooping on all the furniture.”
“Dad, I spent $30 on a Pokemon card that’s worth $1,200. I’m not sure if
that’s American or Japanese money....”
I said, “Probably Monopoly money.”
KWIBS - From
August 31, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
The community was
heartbroken to hear the news that Rex Bugbee had passed away Tuesday.
I had been following his accident and condition all week. It was just
such a shock that the accident occurred one week after we had done a
feature on the Pickup Man.
I struggled to remember the exact conversation I last had with him. It
was about a week after the last Peace Treaty and he said something like,
“So, are you ready to be the President of Peace Treaty?”
I answered him pretty honestly, “Well, not really. I have no idea what
I’m doing, but I love this event and all the people who are in it.”
He went on to tell me, that all I had to do was love it and I’d figure
it out.
Those were always the short types of conversations I would have when I’d
see Rex around town. Short, but good.
Over the years, I shot dozens of pictures of him in Peace Treaty. He was
in about half the Peace Treaty Pageant, riding, driving a team and
helping in any way he could.
“Now, there’s a real cowboy,” I’d always say to myself. It was true. It
wasn’t until recently that I realized Rex was in his early 60s and was
still a Pickup Man. I’m barely in my 50s and I have trouble climbing in
my truck, let alone getting on a horse, nearly daily, and doing the kind
of work Rex did, but he loved it. He was a real cowboy. I only
personally know a few like Rex that I could approach and visit with
without feeling completely intimidated. I know there are a ton of them
around Barber County. Guys like John Clarke and Flint Rucker come to
mind.
This community lost a legend and hero on Tuesday. Everyone was pulling
for him to recover and it appeared that he would for a while.
The Lord had other plans though and he went home Tuesday. I pray for
peace for Teri, Josh, Jay and their families. I also pray that there are
rodeos in Heaven and that the best Pickup Man just arrived on the scene.
Rest in Peace Rex.
KWIBS - From
August 24, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Speedy Morris
Speedy Morris was the basketball coach at LaSalle and they were having a
pretty good season. One morning he was shaving and the phone rang. His
wife answered it and called out to him that Sports Illustrated wanted to
talk to him. Coach Morris was excited that his team was apparently about
to receive national recognition in this famous sports magazine. As a
matter of fact, he was so excited that he cut himself with his razor.
Covered with blood and shaving lather and running downstairs to the
phone, he tripped and fell down the stairs. Finally, bleeding and
bruised, he crawled to the phone and breathlessly said, "Hello?"
The voice on the other end asked, "Is your name Speedy Morris?"
"Yes," he replied.
Then the voice continued, "Mr. Morris, for just seventy-five cents an
issue, we can give you a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated."
Which brings me to an actual story that happened last week. I got a call
from “Audrey,” who is a producer for the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars.”
Pawn Stars is set in Las Vegas, NV. Rick Harrison had taken an interest
in an item that I had sent to the producer’s email about exactly one
year ago.
“Hi Kevin, this is Audrey from Pawn Stars,” she said as I was driving
down the road. My first thought was, which one of my friends is pranking
me? She then reminded me of my 2019 email. “Rick Harrison would like you
to come on the show with your item.”
We had made plans to go to Vegas for my 50th birthday with Derrick and
Shanda Swinehart back in 2019. I thought it would be fun to visit the
pawn shop and maybe try and get on the show, but I got no response, so
we just went anyway.
So imagine my surprise when she called me and asked if I would be
interested in traveling to Vegas for two days of filming. After several
minutes on the phone, we negotiated a price for the item and then got
down to travel arrangements. Due to COVID, the show is not flying people
to Vegas, but instead reimbursing their mileage to drive there.
“That’s a 17 hour, 1,105 mile trip,” I told her. I did the math and I
could fly for about $195. If I had the trime to drive it, I would be
looking at $1,215.50. I don’t have time to drive it, so I politely told
her the math doesn’t work and I wouldn’t be able to take off that much
time.
“That not a problem,” Audrey said. “Rick said you could ship the item
and we’d find someone to play your part on the show!” My jaw about hit
the floor. Who would play me? I instantly thought Harrison Ford, Keanu
Reeves, William Shatner (he might be too old). Then I thought. Well,
what a load of crap that is. I thought this show was about people with
interesting items that the shop wanted to feature from interesting
people. I’m interesting! That’s what my wife says.
Plans are on hold for a moment while I decide if I am flying or driving.
I’m definitely not having someone else play me, unless it’s Vin
Diesel.....
KWIBS - From
August 17, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I’m just going to leave
this right here. Please don’t blow up my email with hate mail. I’m
simply pointing out something that I read, found interesting and decided
to pass it along for you to draw your own conclusion.
In the recent days, weeks and months, more advertising about wearing
masks and #alonetogether is being shoved down my throat at every turn.
"If masks don't work, then why do surgeons wear them?"
A response to people who use the classic fallacious argument, "Well, if
masks don't work, then why do surgeons wear them?"
By Jim Meehan, MD
I'm a surgeon that has performed over 10,000 surgical procedures wearing
a surgical mask. However, that fact alone doesn't really qualify me as
an expert on the matter. More importantly, I am a former editor of a
medical journal. I know how to read the medical literature, distinguish
good science from bad, and fact from fiction. Believe me, the medical
literature is filled with bad fiction masquerading as medical science.
It is very easy to be deceived by bad science.
Since the beginning of the pandemic I've read hundreds of studies on the
science of medical masks. Based on extensive review and analysis, there
is no question in my mind that healthy people should not be wearing
surgical or cloth masks. Nor should we be recommending universal masking
of all members of the population. That recommendation is not supported
by the highest level of scientific evidence.
First, let's be clear. The premise that surgeons wearing masks serves as
evidence that "masks must work to prevent viral transmission" is a
logical fallacy that I would classify as an argument of false
equivalence, or comparing "apples to oranges."
Although surgeons do wear masks to prevent their respiratory droplets
from contaminating the surgical field and the exposed internal tissues
of our surgical patients, that is about as far as the analogy extends.
Obviously, surgeons cannot "socially distance" from their surgical
patients (unless we use robotic surgical devices, in which case, I would
definitely not wear a mask).
The CoVID-19 pandemic is about viral transmission. Surgical and cloth
masks do nothing to prevent viral transmission. We should all realize by
now that face masks have never been shown to prevent or protect against
viral transmission. Which is exactly why they have never been
recommended for use during the seasonal flu outbreak, epidemics, or
previous pandemics.
The failure of the scientific literature to support medical masks for
influenza and all other viruses, is also why Fauci, the US Surgeon
General, the CDC, WHO, and pretty much every infectious disease expert
stated that wearing masks won't prevent transmission of SARS CoV-2.
Although the public health "authorities" flipped, flopped, and later
changed their recommendations, the science did not change, nor did new
science appear that supported the wearing of masks in public. In fact,
the most recent systemic analysis once again confirms that masks are
ineffective in preventing the transmission of viruses like CoVID-19:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article (I did read this
article and although, some see Jim Meehan, MD as radical and out of
touch, government data suggests that masks are not effective.)
If a surgeon were sick, especially with a viral infection, they would
not perform surgery as they know the virus would NOT be stopped by their
surgical mask.
Another area of "false equivalence" has to do with the environment in
which the masks are worn. The environments in which surgeons wear masks
minimize the adverse effects surgical masks have on their wearers.
Unlike the public wearing masks in the community, surgeons work in
sterile surgical suites equipped with heavy duty air exchange systems
that maintain positive pressures, exchange and filter the room air at a
very high level, and increase the oxygen content of the room air. These
conditions limit the negative effects of masks on the surgeon and
operating room staff. And yet despite these extreme climate control
conditions, clinical studies demonstrate the negative effects (lowering
arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide re-breathing) of surgical masks on
surgeon physiology and performance.
Surgeons and operating room personnel are well trained, experienced, and
meticulous about maintaining sterility. We only wear fresh sterile
masks. We don the mask in a sterile fashion. We wear the mask for short
periods of time and change it out at the first signs of the excessive
moisture build up that we know degrades mask effectiveness and increases
their negative effects. Surgeons NEVER re-use surgical masks, nor do we
ever wear cloth masks.
The public is being told to wear masks for which they have not been
trained in the proper techniques. As a result, they are mishandling,
frequently touching, and constantly reusing masks in a way that increase
contamination and are more likely than not to increase transmission of
disease.
Just go watch people at the grocery story or Walmart and tell me what
you think about the effectiveness of masks in the community.
If you can't help but believe and trust the weak retrospective
observational studies and confused public health "authorities" lying to
you about the benefits and completely ignoring the risks of medical
masks, then you should at least reject the illogical anti-science
recommendation to block only 2 of the 3 ports of entry for viral
diseases. Masks only cover the mouth and nose. They do not protect the
eyes.
Give it some thought. It at least made me think.
KWIBS - From
August 10, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
So people retire.
Sometimes they are admired and are enamored with gifts, such as a watch
or a cool plaque. Sometimes they get the heav-ho and cupcakes. Some get
to slip off quietly into the sunset and others go kicking and screaming.
Jason Offutt has been a columnist for The Premiere since 2004. We were
both a little younger then, lighter, better looking and probably had
more hair back then. One fun fact about Jason’s photo to the right: I am
pretty sure it’s the same one we’ve used since he started writing for us
16 years ago.
Jason told me before Christmast last year that he was retiring in August
of 2020. So, I’ve known it was coming.
I was like, “wait, you’re the same age as I am! You don’t get to
retire!” At least not on what I was paying him.
He told me his focus would now be on his novels, which by the way, are
great! If you’ve enjoyed his columns, you would really like his novels.
So before the beginning of our venture together, former Editor David
Fasgold, discovered Jason’s columns and we were instantly hooked on his
humor. One day I reached out to Jason and asked him if he would
syndicate with a small weekly paper. He agreed to do it for $10 a month.
Most columnists of his caliber are several thousands of dollars a year,
so I gladly wrote him a check.
The rest is history.... and so is Jason after 4 more weeks.
But wait, you say. His column wasn’t in last week’s paper, but is back
now.
Well, that was my bad and his. You see, I couldn’t remember if he was
retiring the first of August or the last of August and when I didn’t see
his columns, I just thought he was done! Well, he sent them late on
Friday and I was already out on the ranch working, so we get another 4
weeks of Jason!
Best of luck to my friend Jason on his new venture. We will miss “As I
Was Saying.”
KWIBS - From
August 3, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
As crazy as the world is
these days, you can only count on me to make fun of the headlines.
Ready?
Every player and coach on the Yankees & Nationals took a knee before the
national anthem the other night in D.C
But to be fair, maybe they were ducking in case Dr. Fauci threw out
another first ball!
Princess Beatrice got hitched in a private ceremony
Her dad, Prince Andrew, didn’t give away the bride… instead he traded
her for two bridesmaids and flower girl to be named later.
Trump claims people need more water pressure in their bathrooms
Welp, what do you expect after eating all those cans of Goya beans?
Mark Zuckerberg surfboards in Hawaii with way too much sunscreen
No, he actually is that white.
Taylor Swift drops new album, ‘Folklore,’ she did while in self
quarantine
I still haven’t decided whether to go with alphabetical or size to
organize my spice rack…
Happy 97th birthday, Bob Dole
Bob Dole says thank you to all who wished Bob Dole a ‘happy birthday’ on
Bob Dole’s birthday.
Seattle Kraken is new name for Seattle’s NHL franchise
No word if their new arena will be known as the Krackhouse.
White House touts coming executive order on healthcare, saying it will
“have teeth”
But, ironically, no dental.
House Republicans lash out at Liz Cheney over Trump criticism
Cheney is one step away from offering her fellow GOP Congress people
free hunting trips with her Dad.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became first human beings to land on
moon, 51 years ago.
And they still haven’t been able to get their luggage.
KWIBS - From
July 27, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I wrote the headline on the front page.
“Joey is the new ‘Norm’ at White’s.”
I couldn’t resist the play on words. I don’t know that anyone could
actually become the new “Norm,” but Joey will be as close as one could
strive to be. He’ll be “normal.” (He’ll be better than that)!
It’s been quite a whirlwind and emotional couple of weeks for us.
Originally the White’s family offered Joey a store in Phillipsburg, KS.
Joey had accepted that three weeks before Norm Clouse made his
announcement that he was leaving the store and buying a local business.
Joey and his fiance’ Haley had even gone house shopping in “P-Burg.”
It was a long way away from all of us, but we were excited for Joey.
That was where Joey was up until 2017, so he knew many of the employees
and people in the community. Everyone was excited for him to come back
to “P-Burg”.
But, things changed!
Joey started out, just like Norm, working for the Whites in high school.
Joey worked for Norm and helped set the new store in Medicine Lodge back
in 2011, way back when the store was on Main Street. It was in 2017 that
the Whites offered Joey an opportunity for his own store in St. John,
KS. Joey got to set his own store along with Jordan White.
Norm got to spend a lot of time in St. John helping Joey and was always
available to answer his questions. The two of them would often meet in
Pratt to exchange store items and have a quick lunch. I jumped in with
Norm one Tuesday and surprised Joey in the old Alco parking lot.
Although a shock to hear that Norm was leaving the store, we can be
excited about his family’s newest adventure and business opportunity.
Most of you already know, but we’ll wait for him to officially announce
it. In the meantime, he and his family are on a much needed vacation.
Congratulations Norm, Joey (welcome home) and thank you to the Whites
for always creating opportunities for others.
KWIBS - From
July 20, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Sorry about this column,
but my inner 13-year-old boy took over my keyboard this week.
This story is true and was posted on July 9th. I don’t know how I could
have missed it last week, but it squeaked by me until I caught it this
week.
Being a bondsman and a Bail Enforcement Agent, this story made me
giggle. I’ve had some really good “hiders” in my day, most recently a
guy hid under a pile of clothes in his baby daughter’s room. He blended
right in and I searched that room three times before I finally found
him.
Here’s the best story though:
Law enforcement officers in Missouri managed to capture a man wanted for
possession of a controlled substance after he gave away his position in
an unorthodox way.
He farted. Loudly. Or, at least, with enough volume to get the attention
of the police officers looking for him.
"If you’ve got a felony warrant for your arrest, the cops are looking
for you and you pass gas so loud it gives up your hiding spot, you’re
definitely having a [poop emoji] day," the Clay County Sheriff's Office
wrote in a Facebook post, which included the hashtag "#ItHappened."
A local TV station requested more information on the case and the
sheriff's office responded on Facebook with, "the person was arrested
over the weekend on a Clay County warrant for Possession of a Controlled
Substance. We’ve gotta give props to Liberty (Missouri) PD for using
their senses to sniff him out!"
The official Twitter account of the City of Liberty also had some fun
with the incident.
"The Liberty Police Department was surprised to see this incident slip
out, which stinks for the arrestee," the city wrote in a post on
Twitter. "Fortunately, no one was injured during his arrest."
The city also thanked the sheriff's department for "airing out a wanted
person's dirty laundry and fanning the flames."
KWIBS - From
July 13, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Our lives are full of
decisions. Some are big decisions and some are like what to order for
lunch.
Decisions shape our destiny. The wrong decisions can lead you down the
wrong path, whereas the right decisions can lead you down the right
path. Learn from your bad decisions and improve upon them, as your daily
decisions determine the life that you will live.
The hardest decisions in life are the ones you have no control over.
Maybe you have to choose what to do after you lose a job or career.
Maybe you preside over an organization that has to make a difficult
decision. Maybe you have to make a decision about your health. Maybe you
have to watch one of your children make a choice - and maybe you
disagree, but it’s their choice.
Sometimes you actually have no choice. You are in the passenger seat and
someone else is driving, but you still decided to get into that car!
My week has been through a roller-coaster of decisions. I don’t always
make the best decisions, but I always try to “sleep on things,” before
making them and “never rush them,” as my dad would say.
A friend told me, “Good decisions come from experience, and experience
comes from bad decisions.” There’s a whole lot of truth in that
statement.
I guess in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take and the
decisions we waited to make. It feels like the hardest thing and the
right thing are the same, but they are completely opposite. So, I leave
this column, written for someone who won’t probably even read it:
“Every decision brings with it some good, some bad, some lessons, and
some luck. The only thing that’s for sure is that indecision steals many
years from many people who wind up wishing they’d just had the courage
to leap.” Doe Zantamata
KWIBS - From
July 6, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I hope you had a wonderful
Independence Day!
I want to thank my son-in-law Miguel Hernandez for helping us get the
lake all spiffy for the celebration. He is one hard worker! Thank you
Miguel!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
June 29, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Have a
Happy 4th of July!!!
KWIBS - From
June 22, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
If you see a fire fighter
or dispatcher this week, thank them!
Several fires broke out across the county and area during harvest last
week.
It was our 32nd wedding anniversary and Ronda and I decided to take a
trip to tour a new company called “Restore.com”.
On our way there, we passed through a fire line that was about 10 miles
long between Kingman and Cheney. Several structures were in danger.
The fires must have just started because not many rescue and fire
vehicles were there yet. It was long after we had passed Cheney that we
saw a line of heroes heading that way.
I’ve done controlled burns, but never been a fire fighter. I’ve always
admired my friends who will drop everything to go and help a neighbor in
that way.
It’s also a good feeling to know that our local volunteers are well
trained and have pretty modern equipment to work with. You can sleep
well at night knowing that they will be there when you need them.
So back to restore.com. This is a wellness service started by our
cousins Amanda and Andy Roy and partners. Amanda is a former resident of
Medicine Lodge. The facility offers a variety of wellness treatments
like cryotherapy, compression, IV drip, vitamin injections and many
other services that I don’t quite understand.
Ronda tried the full cryotherapy. She got in this machine that looked
like the one that froze Han Solo in carbonite in Star Wars.
I watched as the temperature went to -159 and looked through the glass
as Ronda fought to stay in for the full time, which she did! She came
out with a roll of smoky liquid nitrogen and said it was like being
stabbed with a thousand needles. Soon after, she felt like a million
bucks! I did some local cryo treatments on my hand and shoulders. No, I
didn’t chicken out. I couldn’t pass the medical because I have heart
stents.
I did get the vitamin B12 and complex shot and felt amazing on Thursday
morning. If you want to learn more about this, visit their website!
KWIBS - From
June 15, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
June 17, 2020 marks our 32nd anniversary! I’m talking
about me and Ronda. Not many can say they’ve been married 32 years when
they got married at 18 and 19. I was just one month out of high school.
So what’s the secret to a successful marriage?
I would say, keep your mouth from outrunning your brain. That’s a joke.
I would actually say, laugh a lot, love a lot more and remember Proverbs
5:18: May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of
your youth.
I am a blessed man. I love you Ronda. Happy Anniversary!
Our engagement photo from 1988
KWIBS - From
June 8, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
When I hear someone say, “I
just enjoy mowing the grass,” it makes me want to throw a sucker punch.
I love summer. I love everything about summer, except one thing: mowing
the grass.
The weird thing is, I don’t mow my own grass, but every week I mow
around 20 acres of roadways, spillways and a dam that is 1/4 mile long
at up to a 29 degree angle. My son-in-law mows my grass and two other
houses at our ranch. He also mows about three days straight at the lake.
I only have to mow this dam grass a few times a year, but it pencils off
at least two days of my life each time it occurs. I wasn’t cursing there
by the way.
I will admit, most of the time, I’m sitting in an air conditioned cab of
a tractor, but when it is in the upper 90s, the air conditioner button
is just a knob that I touch with hopes to stop the continuous sweating
that the tiny 4x4 cab creates like a green house. The windows and doors
do not open (yes, the doors open so you can get in and out, but you
can’t leave them safely open while driving). The back window opens a
crack, but when open, it throws dirt and debris inside the cab defeating
the purpose of opening the window for a little bit of fresh air.
The best part about mowing the dam grass is my lovely wife will usually
bring me lunch and we have a picnic overlooking the water.
The worst part about my mowing job is that, one wrong move, one twitch
or turn of the wheel, I either end up falling 60’ to the ground to the
south or trapped under water if I tip over to the North. The steepest
angle I mow is around 30 degrees, which the manual reminds me, is over
the maximum.
Thank you Lord for NAPA in Medicine Lodge for carrying R-34a coolant!
I’m even more thankful that the owner lives nearby and I can usually
call him for parts and he will run them out after work! Hope you are
enjoying your summer!
KWIBS - From
June 1, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I was so excited last Christmas when my
“gift” to myself came in.
You see, I have a problem with shopping online. Yes, I admit, I’m drawn
in by social media advertising and I often buy things like fly catchers,
steel toe tennis shoes, the “useless box” (stop in and it’s on my desk),
playing cards, a Star Trek Communicator, mugs and cups and other items
that are completely unnecessary, but I just can’t help myself.
The Star Trek Communicator was just too cool and I had to have it. Aaron
Traffas eat your heart out.
I find myself trolling Facebook just before bed and I’m bombarded with
things that I just have to have! I didn’t even know I needed them until
I got online and saw them.
But this item was king of them all when it came to “I NEED THIS!”
I even called my buddy Derrick Swinehart and told him the news. Although
this item would only be used in the summer at the lake, he also agreed
that I needed it!!
So what was it? The suspense is killing you, isn’t it?
Before I tell you, I ordered this item right at the end of summer and
sort of forgot that I bought it. It just showed up from China like three
months later and I was like, “Oh ya, I bought that!”
The item was a giant magnet with about 30 feet of rope! This magnet was
to be thrown off your boat and dragged across the bottom of the lake.
In the advertising video, a man is seen dragging things in like
bicycles, chairs, rings and even a gun!
I couldn’t wait to try it!!!!
Finally, Memorial Day weekend we cast it out, over and over and over.
We never pulled in one thing.
I’m not giving up. If it is strong enough that Ronda can’t pull it off
of the fridge, then I will find something cool!
KWIBS - From
May 25, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Every day is a countdown to
a few special events in our lives.
In October our Son Nick and his Wife Natalie will return state side from
Okinawa. Nick has had a very long, three-year tour stationed on the tiny
tropical island. Although beautiful, it’s challenges include blistering
hot and humid days and typhoons. He’s currently just coming out of a
typhoon this week.
Also, in October, we are proud to announce the pending arrival of our
newest grandchild! Bree and Miguel Hernandez and their brothers Erick,
“lil’ Miguel, Erick, Ashley, Kycen and Baylee will wecome home a new
brother or sister.
I’m hoping for another grandson.
Last week, all the boys and Baylee picked up fence posts and dragged
them about 70 yards and put them in a pile for me. We paid them .30 each
for every log. When it was all over, we just paid them all whether or
not they worked that hard. They were great help and I couldn’t help but
ponder how much I could get done with this kind of work force! lol....
Over the soggy Memorial Day weekend, my Son Joey announced who he picked
for his best man and groomsman. Next July he plans to marry his love,
Ms. Haley Gomes, from just outside of Denver.
I’m so very proud of Joey. He’s been with the White’s Family Foodliner
now for almost 11 years. He manages the store in St. John, KS
So every day, I mark off a day representing something that’s going to
brighten our future on the calendar, anticipating a grand family reunion
like we’ve not had in almost 4 years!
I hope your Memorial Day was special. It certainly was a busy one for us
and it was a day to remember those that our family wished farewell. We
may honor them with flowers on graves, but they are forever in our
hearts.
KWIBS - From
May 18, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I’m an excellent planner.
I’m just a terrible weatherman.
I started putting in phone calls a couple of weeks ago to some folks out
at the lake. I had reached out to a company in South Dakota for some ski
slips. These things aren’t cheap, so the more you buy, the cheaper they
get and shipping and installing them goes way down when you have a big
order.
Well, it took me about two days and I had 7 slips ordered. The owner of
the company offered me a sales position and I laughed and reminded him
that this was probably a one time deal.
All the arrangements were made, they left South Dakota on Tuesday, made
it to Kansas City on Thursday for more material and then headed our way.
Well, we had about 1.5” of rain that week.
Anyway, it made for a sloppy mess, but we got it all done!
Also last week, I made arrangements to have someone come and quote us on
some new fences on the ranch. These fences are nearly 80 years old and
were in bad need of repair and replacement. I’ve been piecing them back
together for three decades and even burned right through one section
last year. We have cows everywhere, except for where they are supposed
to be at times.
Remember, we had 1.5” of rain.
When Nute and Flint Rucker arrived to talk fence, they were dressed
appropriately with coats and muck boots. I had just slipped on some
tennis shoes and jeans and we headed out for a little walk across the
muddiest earth on the planet.
Needless to say, the excursion cost me my tennis shoes, socks and jeans.
Somehow my wife will get them clean. I don’t know how she does it. I
think it’s some sort of black magic. Flint and Nute looked completely
clean when they got into their truck.
It also cost me another shower for the day, but I managed to get
presentable enough to make it to work by 1 p.m. Thank you for the rain
Lord. I’ll try to incorporate that into my next planning process.
KWIBS - From
May 11, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Governor Kelly continues
the needless agony
– Dane Hicks is publisher of The Anderson County Review in Garnett,
Kansas.
Governor Laura Kelly’s one-size-fits-all approach to the reopening of
Kansas after the Covid-19 shutdown further damages the
bureaucracy-hammered Kansas economy, and puts her in the running with
her friend and former Governor Kathleen Sebelius for the title of most
economically damaging governor in state history.
Last week Kelly laid out a three-phase blanket plan for the reopening of
Kansas that leaned fully on top-down administration and centralized
authorization. Its mandates were based on the assumption that every
county, city, neighborhood, nook and cranny of the state was at equal
risk from a resurgence of Covid-19. Every restaurant, car dealership,
hair salon, bank, livestock sales and auction company, insurance office,
and other potential commercial or recreational gathering place was
ladled with another helping of state-mandated restrictions, which in
reality varied only slightly from the rules in place prior to May 3 and
which will extend through at least May 18.
That, despite a continuing confirmation of the ratio between infections
and population which has chronicled the outbreak from the beginning:
heavier concentrations of population have shown themselves to be
consistently more at risk.
Case in point from Saturday’s Covid-10 report from Kansas Department of
Health and Environment: of Kansas’ 105 counties, 23 had recorded no
cases of people sick with the virus since public health officials began
counting, and 57 counties had fewer than 10 cases. Those case counts
began when the beginning of the “crisis” was broadly recognized in
mid-March and they don’t account for the individuals who have since
recovered from the bug.
Still, under both the initial shutdown mandate and even the reopening
order from the Governor’s office, the Cactus Club Restaurant in Ness
County where no cases were ever recorded was torpedoed with the same
executive fervor as was J. Gilberts in Johnson County, where nearly 600
residents tested positive.
Kelly’s carpet bombing order of the Kansas economy is evidenced by state
tax revenue figures for April which are less than half the $1.18 billion
Kansas took in during April 2019. March unemployment claims skyrocketed
as well in the state to more than 20 times the most recent weekly
average.
What’s worse, Kelly’s phasing in of a reopening plan that treats the
whole state with the same precautions needed where the virus is more
present – Johnson and Wyandotte counties for instance – ensures a
continuing erosion of the state’s economic might.
This level of damage wasn’t necessary.
Had Kelly the foresight to see past the need for government to seize the
roll as sole protector of the populace, she might have judged the
legitimate but measured health concerns in view of the more global
damage to be done by such all-encompassing orders. Governors of states
like South Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas and others made recommendations
and set guidelines for their populations and their commercial sectors,
then trusted in the logic and judgment of their citizenry. They were
never under shutdown orders, and their economies saw less damage and
have better prospects moving forward. By population, demographics and
geography, they are greatly similar to Kansas.
In Kansas the tally of the carnage is yet incomplete, but Kelly’s
debacle will most certainly approach that of her friend and cohort
Kathleen Sebelius in the latter’s derailing of a $3 billion private
investment to expand a coal-fired electric generating plant at Holcomb
some years back. Sebelius’ embrace of green principles was intended to
put her on President Obama’s political short list for bigger things.
Indeed, her appointment to the cabinet post of director of Health and
Human Services during the roll out of Obamacare left much to be desired.
For her floundering ambition, the Kansas economy paid a historic price.
Kelly’s reopening plan should have stair-stepped its phase restrictions
based on the documented impact to date of Covid-19 in individual
counties, instead of stamping all of Kansas’ communities like the same
bottle cap. Her over-governance has hurt Kansas through the days of
Covid-19, and will make a longer road back than need be.
KWIBS - From
May 4, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
You are the class of
perseverance. You were the class who didn’t get their senior prom,
senior breakfast, spring sports and missed out on all of the things that
make you a senior in high school. For that, I am sorry, but I know that
this experience will forever change you in a good way.
You have learned that in a blink of an eye, your lives can forever
change. Sadly, it is at the expense of all of those things that you
should have experienced.
Class of 2020, South Barber and Medicine Lodge. You are unique in so
many ways. Just to throw out that, “you are our future” is so cliche.
You are the first class in my lifetime that was robbed of all of the
joys that a senior should have in their final year of schooling.
I can tell you that your communities stand behind you. We are still just
as proud of you even when your year was abruptly cancelled because of a
pandemic like none we’ve ever experienced.
This newspaper is dedicated to you. Please know that Ronda and I, Aimee,
Bree, Ellis, Don and Joyce all congratulate you on the accomplishments
of graduating from High School in your respected communities. We also
are sad that our newspaper was not able to feature your track meets,
baseball games, afterproms and those important moments when your
graduation ceremonies were held. We miss your after graduation parties
and celebrations, your invites that we proudly display on our counter in
our front office and the stories of all of your accomplishments.
The good news is, life will go on through COVID-19 and you will do more
great things in your lives that will be as notable, if not more, than
graduating from high school. Most all of you will go out into the world
and make names for yourselves. You’ll be the pride and joy of our county
as we remember “that time” when things got weird in the world and all
was turned upside down.
Just know, we are proud of you and we’re going to have all the memories
of you from the time you began school, to the time it abruptly stopped
for you. Your caps and gowns are treasures that will one day tell a
story of when things changed. We all hope this is temporary, but until
we get a true “all clear,” we all understand that it has to be this way.
YOU ARE THE FUTURE! We hope many of you will return to our communities
and live, work and raise the next generation of Indians and Chieftains.
Congratulations classes of 2020 in Barber County! We are proud of you
all!
I’d also like to thank Rex Zimmerman for FINALLY allowing us to
recognize the 40 years of service he has given to Kiowa and Barber
County. Getting him to tell his story was harder than Chinese calculus,
but Aimee finally convinced him.. He’s been a long time friend and
colleague. His story is on page 5 of this week’s paper. I can’t believe
it’s already been a year. Time’s fun when you’re having flies. Rex
always said he was a dinosaur. Maybe so, but he’s mentored me, the next
generation of dinosaurs. I’m not far behind you old friend.
Have a great week. Stay well and Congratulations Classes of 2020!
KWIBS - From
April 27, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Raise your hand if you are
tired of COVID-19 and what it is doing to our country. Raise your other
hand if you are ready to be over it and ready to be back to normal.
Now reach down and pick up your newspaper.
I believe we are almost over the great toilet paper shortage of 2020. We
are very close to meeting the “curve” that the stay at home order was
designed to do. People have been slowly learning the 6’ rule and many
are doing their part by wearing masks and gloves.
Obviously, we don’t want to live this way forever. We have to overcome
fear and responsibly open up for business as usual. This comes with many
challenges. We can’t afford any mistakes. A mistake could cost a life.
We are looking at “soft” reopenings across the country, state by state,
county by county. I know many people who are working to get factual
information in front of those making the decisions to get back to work.
This is not an easy task. There is so much confusing data on COVID-19.
There is also so very little known about COVID-19. What is known is that
it spreads more rapidly than the common flu, but is generally no more
deadly.
As of Wednesday last week of 1,816 cases, 432 required hospitalization.
That’s nearly 1 out of every 4 cases. Moving too quickly could change
this number. More frightening is the damage being done to our local
economy. State income tax figures missed the mark by almost $1.5 million
this last quarter.
If we go back to work and life as we knew it, we could risk lives. If we
don’t go back to work and life as we knew it, we risk our livelihoods
and our American way of life. I pray for those having to make these
difficult decisions.
KWIBS - From
April 20, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
By the looks of things,
thirty days of staying at home is making almost everyone crazy!
I’ve been fortunate (?) enough to be in an essential service, so we’ve
continued working. Aimee and Bree are working from home. Ronda and I are
working the office and building the newspaper. Email and cell phones are
how we’ve done business. We’ve worked through those challenges to, what
I believe, resulted in the printing some of the best editions of our
newspaper in history.
That doesn’t excuse the fact that we are all suffering some mental
meltdowns during our social distancing because of COVID-19..
Your emails, calls, instant messages, tweets and remarks on Facebook
keep me from completely losing my sanity.
In the last month, I’ve laughed at funny COVID-19 jokes and memes, cried
from learning a friend and a family member who have contracted the virus
and are both fighting it hard with success so far.
It’s to find a channel on TV that doesn’t at some point mention the
pandemic. Sometimes I just want to shut my mind off and watch brainless
television.
We happened to run across a game show where people have to eat extremely
hot chicken wings and then answer questions to move on. The Game Show,
hosted by Sean Evans, is currently on truTV. On Hot Ones: The Game Show,
two teams of two go head-to-head through three rounds, answering
pop-culture trivia questions while eating chicken wings doused in
brutally hot sauce.
These people were sweating and running around like they were on fire. It
was pretty brainless and provided us a little entertainment. I suggest
you watch it if you are as bored as we are at times!
KWIBS - From
April 13, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I’m starting to miss
people; some people anyway.
Through this crisis, I’m still being reminded that my car warranty has
expired, at least 4 times a day.
I’ve read reports that pollution is down in the cities because people
are staying home. That’s great, but then the KDHE is telling farmers and
ranchers not to burn their pastures because of potential health risks
from inhaling smoke. I guess they are more afraid of inhaling smoke than
they are burning alive in an uncontrolled wildfire.
Not much in the world is making sense. We were told not to wear masks,
now we’re told it might be ok.
The internet erupted last week with the news that Barber County had its
first COVID-19 case. The responses were interesting. If you follow us on
Facebook, check out some of the conversations.
I do so want to thank our hospitals, health department and emergency
management people who have been placed into a situation like we’ve never
seen before. I am glad that officials are working around the clock to
make sure we are safe. I hate the stay at home order, but I get it. We
are all at risk of either getting the virus or being asymptomatic and
possibly spreading it to those who could get it and possibly die.
Our lifeline is our business community. Last week several eating
establishments closed their doors out of caution. This broke my heart. I
know how hard this is becoming on everyone, but we have to keep our
chins up (from six feet away).
A ray of sunshine broke last week. Both of our local banks and Barber
County Development started reaching out to businesses to offer SBA
assistance in the form of forgivable loans for the PPP (Paycheck
Protection Program).
We applied and got just a little help, but we’re grateful for that. Both
banks were very helpful and acted quickly to assist our local
businesses.
We intend on continuing to grow our county when this all gets resolved.
Keep praying for our communities, our country and the world. Wash your
hands often and don’t touch your face. Stay 6 feet away and make your
essential outings short and sweet and to the point. Let’s all work
together!
KWIBS - From
April 6, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
In this time of crisis, the
last thing I want to do is raise more alarm, but this release came into
our office last week. I can’t even believe it was considered:
“April 1, 2020 -- Today, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment
held a press conference announcing the use of a GPS program to track
residents’ locations through their cell phones. Department head of KDHE,
Dr. Lee Norman, announced at the press conference that such measures are
necessary to track the measures of social distancing in counties across
Kansas.
Kansas Justice Institute, a public-interest litigation firm specializing
in the protection of constitutional freedoms, sent a letter to Kansas
Governor Laura Kelly, expressing serious legal concerns with this
action.
The wholesale, warrantless collection of cellular data raises
significant privacy issues, even during a pandemic.”, warns general
counsel and litigation director of KJI, Samuel MacRoberts.
Kansas Justice Institute strongly urges Gov. Kelly to make public the
details of the tracking program as well as provide a thorough legal
justification for this program that impacts the privacy of Kansas cell
phone carriers.
“The COVID-19 pandemic does not justify warrantless data searches of
Kansas residents, and it certainly does not justify the lack of
transparency. Although the Kansas Legislature has provided broad
executive powers during emergencies, they are not absolute,” says Sam
MacRoberts.
This, on top of overlooking some KORA and KOMA requirements, has me
concerned we still have a consitution and we are forgetting to live by
it.
Hold our government officials accountable to uphold the constitution. We
need to make sure that short term measures do not become the norm when
we are “all clear.”
KWIBS - From
March 30, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
During this time of crisis,
I want to give some pats on the back to our local merchants who are
doing their absolute best, above and beyond, to keep our community
alive.
No doubt this will be a defistating impact on the businesses in Barber
County, but the acts of kindness I’ve witnessed and the extra time
people are taking to make their customers feel safe and secure is
amazing.
Thank you especially to White’s Foodliner for keeping the community’s
food supply in tact. What a blessing it is to have such a store in our
town. Norm and his crew are doing an amazing job. I know it might feel
thankless, but I am grateful that Pat and Tonya White chose Medicine
Lodge to have such a fine store with great selections. I’m obviously
partial. My son is the manager in St. John’s White’s Foodliner. I know
how tired he is, but I also know how committed he is to serving his
community.
Hometown Market is tryng to get their shelves filled as quickly as they
are emptied. They are super dedicated to serve Kiowa and the surrounding
area. Hibbards has been amazing at getting scripts filled. Marci is
doing all she can to provide to go orders at the coffee shop. Most of
our food services are happy to offer curb side, so please keep ordering
from them! Farm Bureau has been most helpful with things over the phone
and through email. Both banks are still taking care of business,
although not face to face for the most part. Every business is doing its
part. Thank you Barber County!
You all are amazing and I pray for our little piece of heaven on earth
that we call Barber County. It will take a village to keep us alive
after much of this is over. It will be over, but we are no where near
out of the woods. Everyone should follow a stay at home policy when
possible. It helps the most vulnerable people we have and those with
underlying conditions.
KWIBS - From
March 23, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Wow.
Things changed drastically this past week with a declaration of a
national emergency.
Our county was ahead of the curve when Dr. Pete Meador notified local
schools that they should close for a minimum of two weeks. This created
multiple reactions throughout the county. Some were positive, some were
negative, but I applaud him for being proactive. One day after his
announcement, Governor Laura Kelly followed shutting down all schools in
Kansas for the remainder of the school year to slow the spread of
COVID-19.
The saddest thing about cancelling school is knowing that our seniors in
Kiowa and Medicine Lodge will miss some important mile stones like prom,
baseball and softball, track, state events, music programs; all of which
would be their last as students in Barber County Schools. It breaks my
heart to know that we probably won’t be able to put together senior
pages to honor them at this time.
It’s important we stop the spread of COVID-19. Even if fewer people die
from this than the flu, it could quickly overwhelm our medical services
and put more lives at risk, especially the elderly and those with
underlying medical conditions.
Throughout the coming weeks, we will print the news and we will keep you
updated through our Facebook page. If you just don’t want to get out to
buy a paper, we understand and encourage you to subscribe to our PDF
viewer, which is the entire newspaper online. Visit
www.gyphillpremiere.com.
We are trying diligently to share vital information with you multiple
times a day through Facebook and as we are open for business, we are not
doing unscheduled appointments with the public. Please see page 3 for
all contact information for our offices during this “cooling down
period.”
Stay well friends.
KWIBS - From
March 16, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
It was the best of times,
it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of
incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct
to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period
was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest
authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the
superlative degree of comparison only. - Charles Dickens
Ya, I didn’t write that. Last week my column was about not freaking out
over the latest virus. I’m trying hard to follow that advice.
Dickens sounds like he wrote a story about Coronavirus (COVID-19).
In two short weeks, we’ve cracked jokes about this nasty virus that has
now shut down international travel, sporting events, college classes and
crushed thousands of points of gain on the stock market. Before the
virus, the economy was growing and stocks were continuing to climb.
Probably most alarming is the price of oil.
What may reflect as a great deal to fill up your gas tank at the pump
actually means that our local oil producers are suffering and many could
find themselves without work.
The now Pandemic has creeped into every aspect of our lives. Stores are
out of hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, even toilet paper. Many mass
gatherings have been cancelled.
There will be an end to this and some of the fear is unfounded, caused
by the necessary precautions to stop the spread of this virus.
Social distancing.... don’t shake hands, don’t hug, don’t touch your
face, wash your hands frequently, use hand sanitizer cough into your
arm.
Have a great week! (Hope I didn’t ruin it for you)
KWIBS - From
March 9, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Everything in the last 20+
years has pointed to the end of the world.
It all started with Y2K. Then in 2001 we had the attack on the Twin
Towers and an Anthrax scare. Al Qaeda was going to kill us too; Global
warming were going to kill us; In 2002 it was West Nile Virus that was
going to kill us; 2003 SARS was going to kill us; 2005 Bird Flu was
going to kill us; 2006 E. Coli was going to kill us.
Then the world about came to an end when the stock market went south in
2008. We managed to survive that somehow and it has more than rebounded.
But wait, now “Climate Change” was going to kill us.
Don’t forget in 2009 Swine Flu was going to kill us; 2010 BP Oil spills
were going to kill the ocean and all of us along with it; in 2011
Obamacare was going to kill us. It killed my insurance, but I’m still
typing.
2012 was the big one. The Mayan Calendar was certain to be the end of
the world. It wasn’t. Later in 2013 it was North Korea that was going to
kill us; 2014 Ebola was going to kill us; 2015 Measles and ISIS were
going to kill us (they may have been colluding, but I can’t prove that;
2016 Zika was going to kill us.
Starting in 2017 we were all going to die according to the “fake news”;
Migrant Caravans were coming to kill all of us in 2018; and the Measles
made another run at us in 2019.
Now it looks like we’re going to all die from Coronavirus. Seriously
though, we need to stop panicking about everything. Something has to
kill us eventually, but probably not Coronavirus.
Take a deep breath (not too deep and cover your face). We’re going to be
all right.
KWIBS - From
March 2, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Jack of all trades - master
of none.
That’s me.
I’m really decent at cooking, grilling and eating. I’m ok at some
musical instruments like guitar, bass and drums. I’m also a pretty good
singer. I can say that confidently as I get positive affirmation from my
wife and have been in several bands over the past 25 years.
You may not know this, but I actually went to school for carpentry,
woodworking and interior design. I spent a few years at that. I even
helped build three houses, including my own.
In addition to newspaper publishing, I’m also a decent heavy equipment
operator. I can run backhoes, graders, most tractors and skid steers
with a little instruction.
When it comes to mechanicing, I’m all over the map. I can do the old
change “service” on most of the farm equipment. I can almost always take
things apart. I just don’t always remember how they go back together.
I would say that I’m better with small engines than larger ones. I can
tear into a motorcycle and 90% of the time, I can fix what’s wrong or at
least diagnose it.
Boat and jetski motors are a mystery to me. I usually end up messing
those up. They end up needing more work when I’m done tinkering with
them than when I started.
So I took on a 1970 T500 Galion road grader water pump project last
week. Water pump - 1; Kevin - 0. I had to call in a favor from my friend
Rick F. Rick has helped me with my tractor repairs in the past. I
managed to break off two bolts and he only broke one, but with any luck,
this machine will be conquered and back in service. I have faith in
Rick.
At least I’m hoping it will be fixed because I need to grade some roads
after several days of rain and snow!
I’m ready for warm weather. How about you?
KWIBS - From
February 24, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
Although I did fall asleep
through part of it, I did attempt to watch the Democrat Debate in Nevada
last week.
My official party affiliation is Republican, but I lean Libertarian and
was once a Democrat myself. I did not vote for Trump in 2016 because I
never thought he could beat Hillary, but I will in 2020. It’s not that I
like the guy as a person, but he’s getting things done and the Democrats
seem to be completely off the rails, only looking to get him out of
office, anyway possible.
The debate was a disaster for Bloomberg.
MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” played a montage of Bloomberg’s “worst moment” and
Mika Brzezinski said he was “hard to watch," Lawrence O’Donnell said the
billionaire suffered "the worst blows" of the evening and an NBC News
article co-bylined by Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Melissa Holzberg said
"the biggest individual news from the debate was Michael Bloomberg
struggling to defend his stop-and-frisk record as New York City mayor,
as well as the non-disclosure agreements his company settled with
women."
“For a guy who is worth $55 billion and says he could run the world, he
couldn't even run his own microphone last night," Joe Scarborough said.
CNN’s Van Jones declared the debate a “disaster” for Bloomberg and the
liberal news organization published a roundup of opinions headlined
“It's unanimous: a horrible night for Bloomberg.”
I took to Twitter to see the comments and found my all time favorite.
Brian Fallon said, “This debate has been a NASCAR race and Bloomberg
wrecked on pretty much the first lap.
That made me laugh out loud.
KWIBS - From
February 17, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
There was a collective sadness last week
when we heard the news that Deven Leis lost his battle with cancer.
“No one fights alone,” was the motto as our community rallied to support
Deven through his cancer treatments. #52 was on everyone’s wrist.
It felt weird wearing that bracelet while standing next to a sidelined
football player that was about 6 inches taller than me. During his
treatments, Deven didn’t play football that season, but was still right
there with his tribe. We spent a lot of time walking up and down the
sidelines.
We’d chit chat about the game, do a little arm chair quarter backing
together and joked around. He was a pleasant kid trying to tackle life.
We didn’t win every game. In fact, it was a tough year for the Indians
with Deven not playing. Deven fought and played hard on the field, on
the court and in life, until the end.
We lose people, but when it’s someone so young, it leaves a great
sadness in our hearts. Deven was just a few years younger than my son
Nick. They played football in high school together. The news of his
passing came Monday while I was at work. I sent Nick a text to tell him,
but it was 12 hours difference in time, so he woke up to the news he had
lost a classmate and teammate.
It floors me how fast kids grow up, as I grow older. As far back as our
digital archives go, Deven was mentioned in the newspaper over 30 times.
Prayers for the Leis family, our schools and the community as we
remember a great kid.
#52
KWIBS - From
February 3, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I like stability, normalcy,
tradition, etc. That’s why I had a melt down last week when my wife
wanted to paint our kitchen a different color.
She’s quite the same when it comes to moving or rearranging furniture.
Nothing sparks a lively discussion in our house than painting or
rearranging furniture.
So after her kitchen project, I pointed out some not so contrasting
colors leading into our living room. That was a huge mistake. She came
home the next day with sample paints for the fireplace and wanted to
paint the oak mantle I had built and sanded and stained and labored over
for days, the color “white.” She also wanted to paint the angled wall
that the fireplace sits in. I love this woman, but did I mention I hate
painting?
After some discussion, that included me saying, “If you paint that wall,
you’ll be chasing colors all over the living room until you get to the
stairwell and I told you 12 years ago that it would be that color until
I died or we left the house.”
I nearly died the last time we painted that wall.
I also DID NOT under any circumstances, want to move the furniture, take
down the TV, stereo, Grandfather Clock, etc. My head was spinning at the
thought of my future back pain.
I left the house, as I had planned, to go work on the tractor. That
tractor got so much work done, it’s like a new tractor.
I expected to come home to drop cloths and the smells of more fresh
paint. Instead, I came home 3 hours later to the sad face and limited
conversation. I felt badly.
Karma..... For my reward, I caught some sort of Influenza A-Z, SARS,
Ebola or Coronavirus. Maybe it was just a cold. Whatever it was, it
kicked my rear end and kept me down for most of the week. It also kept
my wife from painting the living room because she caught it too. I do
have to admit, the kitchen looks great!
I wonder if you serve lime with Coronavirus?
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
January 27, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I’m at a loss for words
this week in expressing my grief and condolences for the death of Trey
Orr.
There are so many emotions, mostly sadness in our community, when they
speak Trey’s name. Four years ago his wife Sherrill passed away. She was
obviously the love of his life and he was never quite the same after she
died. Trey remained someone you could talk to, get good advice from, be
encouraged by, shoot a round of golf with and have a beer with. He was a
normal guy, but he had pain that he expressed with very few people
around him.
I choose to remember him as the coach, high school counselor and
all-around good guy in our community. His death reminds me to be keenly
aware of how, no matter how one looks on the outside, we never really
know what’s going on inside.
Tell your friends you care about them. I’m going to try and do better
about that. Life sometimes gets in the in the way of remembering to
care.
Friends are far,
friends are near.
Friends will be there to lend an ear.
They listen, laugh, and care,
But most of all, they're always there.
Through thick and thin, up and down,
Your true friends are always around.
For treats, hugs, and real big smiles,
They'll travel to you from several miles.
They'll always be there to hold you tight.
Anytime, no matter if it's day or night.
You really know when your friends are sincere
When they always show up to lend their ear.
God bless the family of Trey Orr “Three Paddles”
KWIBS - From
January 20, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
I’ve been printing
Conservation Editions for more than 30 years. It was in 2006 that I
actually started reading the articles. Frankly, before that, I had no
knowledge or desire to know what it was all about.
That changed when my wife and I took over her grandmother’s ranch. Over
the last 14 years, I can’t think of a year that I did not use the
services of NCRS. I’ve found the resources to be endless when it comes
to helping me find solutions to problems.
I’ve not signed us up for a single program, but they have been so
gracious in giving advice and providing services.
It was through their offices that I was introduced to The Gyp Hills Burn
Association and what they did. Through that introduction, I have met an
amazing group of men and women committed to controlled burning and
property improvement programs.
Instrumental in helping Ronda and I do our first major burn were the
Alexanders. Ted and his son Brian went beyond friendship and being
neighborly, to literally helping with every aspect of getting our
property prepared. They introduced us to a burn plan specialist, helped
write a burn plan, provided equipment and helped round up more than 50
other farmers, ranchers and friends and an army of equipment to ensure
we had a safe and productive burn of 600 acres, nearly half the ranch!
Although I’ve only been a member for 1 year, I have a history of about 5
years of participating in controlled burns. I am by no means an expert,
but have learned so much from folks like Tom Carr, the Alexanders,
Robert Larson, Keith and Eva Yearout, Jeff Clarke and countless others.
Taking care of your property transforms you into a lover of the land and
it all starts with conservation, especially when you have the help of
your local conservation district.
Congratulations to all the Bankers Award Winners and to all who have
helped me and Ronda over the years.
KWIBS - From
January 13, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
We live out in the country
and have since 1989. We’re used to critters.
When I was a kid, animals were featured in just about every cartoon I
watched. They were funny and cute! They are nothing like that in real
life.
Bugs Bunny? We’ve got him. He’s the reason we can’t have nice things
like flowers and gardens.
Tom and Jerry? We’ve got Jerry for sure. We can’t seem to make Tom stay
around. Jerry doesn’t grab 2x4s and hit me in the feet while I’m setting
traps. Contrary, he dies at the end of nearly every episode at my house.
Daffy Duck? We have two ponds very close to our house, so Daffy
sometimes comes around and does his business on my front porch. Not cool
Daffy, not cool.
Pepé Le Pew? He’s French, he stinks and if he gets too close to the
house, he gets dead. I don’t care how charming he was in the cartoons.
You don’t seduce me at all. Penelope was right to avoid relations with
you.
Bambi? Oh Bambi. You are cute until I’m traveling 60 mph and you run out
in front of me or my wife’s vehicle. Thousands of dollars that Bambi and
family have cost us over the years.
Charlotte’s Web? Charlotte has been teaching me how to be a drunk Ninja
for most of my adult life, setting up little traps for me to walk
through on the front porch at about mouth or forehead height.
Starting last week we thought we had someone knocking on the door that
never appeared to be there. We actually got alarmed. I went to the door
with a gun at one point in my underwear. The annoying knocking was
interrupting our sleep and intimate times. I was getting very frustrated
at our ghost knocker!
Introducing the newest cast member to our country living: Woody
Woodpecker. Woody showed up last week.
When he’s not knocking, his theme song is rolling around in my head.
When he is knocking I’ve been known to throw boxes of kleenex at the
window to scare him off. That laugh..... ugh.
KWIBS - From
January 6, 2020 - By Kevin Noland
The most noticeable thing
about the holidays are that my clothes keep shrinking.
I am pretty sure my wife is doing this to me, but I can’t prove it.
We normally eat pretty well in our house. By that I mean healthy
portions of food. Our refrigerator currently looks like we are feeding a
family of 10 instead of 2, but that’s the aftermath of the holidays.
Also a casualty of the holidays is my wallet.... We have 3 kids plus a
daughter-in-law, son-in-law, fiance’ and 5 grandkids now. No problems
fitting my wallet in my pocket the last week or so.
One thing that I believe is a right of passage, is to buy annoying gifts
for my grandkids. This year, I bought them all Nerf Guns. These aren’t
the Nerf Guns of my youth. These are near fully automatic, hard hitting,
bruise making weapons in the hands of children. Great minds must think
alike because their aunt and uncle also bought them, so now I have three
heavily armed grandsons.
I did announce at the opening of the gifts, “These gifts are for your
house and not to be opened or brought here.”
I did that with an evil smile on my face. My wife wasn’t pleased and
thought they should be able to open (fire) these presents and I reminded
her that the last time we had these in our house, the picture on our TV
never looked the same and we’re still finding darts 20 years later under
furniture.
Friday night was our last Christmas (we had three). It started out with
rain all day. We live on 4 miles of rough dirt roads that quickly became
chocolate pudding. First to get stuck was my son Joey. We got him pulled
out and turned around facing the highway. Second to get stuck were my
in-laws. After everyone was gone, I had created additional laundry for
my wife and gotten mud all over the inside of my truck. It was a regular
Christmas I guess. Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
December 30, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
So, this is not our normal
type of newspaper. It’s a look back. 2019 is soon to be a part of
history for all of us.
It was a year of challenges, joy and great sorrow.
We began our year with a trip to Oklahoma City where we picked up Nix
and Wendy White at the airport for a night of rock and roll with KISS!
Nix is friends with Gene Simmon’s manager and he finagled us back stage
passes where we got to take pictures with the band. This was Ronda’s
first KISS concert. I had gone with Nix back in 2016 and spent an
interesting afternoon behind the scenes of one of history’s greatest
rock bands and the legendary Gene Simmons.
Right after we finished up being rock stars we began planning a wedding
for our youngest son Nick who serves with The United States Navy and
Marines in Okinawa. His bride, Natalie Bare, waited patiently to get
married and eventually moved to Okinawa where they will be living until
the end of 2020. We got to spend about 14 days with Nick this year. Most
of that time was last minute preparations for their wedding, but I can’t
tell you how good it was to see him. It could be January of 2021 before
he’s out of the service and back in Kansas.
But right before that joyous occasion, tragedy struck our community and
we heard the news that we had lost Bob Christensen, a friend to so many.
Without intention, Bob’s death sparked a “Be Like Bob” movement. Bob was
kind to everyone he met and was an example of living like Christ. His
death has left a void for so many in our community. Nick was home for
his wedding and we attended Bob’s memorial service as a family. We’ll
always remember him.
Also in April, with the overwhelming help of many friends, we did a
large controlled burn of our families’ ranch north of Medicine Lodge,
better known as “Lake Arrowhead Resort.” It was very challenging and
stressful and incredibly successful! Thank you to my burn buddies;
especially Brian Alexander and Robert Larson for helping us blaze the
way to better land management. The Gyp Hills Burn Association is an
amazing organization to belong to. We have a lot yet to learn and a long
way to go, but we understand the passion for taking care of our property
and making it safe for the residents who are surrounded by prairie
grasses that were nearly 6’ tall.
In May The Gyp Hill Premiere and The Kiowa News combined to bring
coverage to Barber County. The Kiowa News was a staple in our area for
126 years. Rex Zimmerman and his wife Diann decided it was time for
retirement. We have loved getting to cover the entire county and we
still hear from Rex every now and then!
Our dear friend Doris Sorg got the nod from the Lincoln Library board to
become the new Director. She is so worthy of this position and we are so
happy for her. Doris was our rock at the Premiere for 17 1/2 years!
That’s commitment!
Not long after Nick’s wedding, my daughter announced that she too was
getting married! She and Miguel Hernandez tied the knot in August.
Miguel was a dear friend of Bob Christensen’s and we wished he could
have been there for the special occasion. We now have three more
grandkids: Ashley, Miguel and Eric! Welcome to our crazy family!
We had a retooling of our non-pageant year Peace Treaty Celebration in
September. We took a leap of faith after consulting with Jim Rowland of
Barber County Development. He helped us retool everything from
advertising and sponsorships to the way we marketed ourselves. Thank you
to my board and to Jim for helping us achieve a very successful Peace
Treaty Celebration in 2019.
As the year moved on, my 40s moved on with it. I turned half-a-century
old on October 4th, 2019. I always thought 50 was old, but then I proved
it was after a boating accident in September that left me limping to
this day, but I haven’t let it slow me down much! For the celebration,
Derrick and Shanda Swinehart joined us for a trip to Vegas that we’ll
never forget.
As summer slipped away and the trees turned, our attention turned to
football. We enjoyed watching the Indians play football, this time as an
8-man squad. They did quite well and we enjoyed watching the season. I
also got familiar with The Chieftains, who have amazing talent and went
into post season play this year.
What can I say about November? My wife had a birthday. She doesn’t want
me to write about that. Thanksgiving was about the high light of the
month - great food and festivities.
Now when December hit, that’s when things got crazy. Crazy in a good
way. We made a trip to Kansas City a couple of weeks ago and watched the
Chiefs play the Broncos. My Son Joey asked Haley Gnomes to be his wife
and she said yes! We met up with great friends Nix and Wendy White
again; and then the four of us joined some fellow classmates in New
Orleans the next day and watched Drew Brees break the touchdown pass
record. To top that off, we got to hang out with him and the team after
the game!
And just like that, it was Christmas! We enjoyed seeing Ronda’s brother
and sister-in-law over the holidays. They drove in from Albuquerque, NM
with our Niece Lily and Nephew Sam. Joey was able to take a little time
away from his grocery store in St. John, KS and join us and his sister
and family for a great holiday!
We don’t know yet what 2020 has in store for us, but I pray it’s
blessings, health and joy for you all.
From our family to yours, we wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
December 23, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda and I had the
pleasure of doing a marathon of NFL games last weekend. It started in
snowy Kansas City watching the Chiefs beat the Broncos and ended in New
Orleans watching Drew Brees and the Saints, beating the Colts. Drew
Brees made history Monday night at the Superdome, becoming the NFL’s
touchdown-pass king.
A bunch of 50 year old classmates from the MLHS Class of 1988 decided to
meet up in New Orleans and watch the record get set in person. Cheryl (Doman)
and Steve Ellis, Nix and Wendy White and Ronda and I went to the game in
New Orleans and spent a day laughing together. After the game, we got
another chance to hang out with Drew and Brittany Brees.
Ronda and I did this exact same trip last November with Nix and Wendy.
Nix and Drew are long time friends from when Drew was Quarter Back for
the Chargers. Since Nix is always doing these fun trips and including
us, Ronda and I invited him to join us on Sunday in Kansas City for the
game.
While at the game, I got to introduce Nix and Wendy to 6-time Pro Bowler
and retired free safety Deron Cherry.
Kansas City turned white while we were there. Fortunately, we had inside
seating, but we did end up leaving early to get to the airport in the
blizzard conditions. Sadly, we could have stayed at the game as our
flight was delayed almost 3 hours.
This story hops around a bunch, but we went to Kansas City on Saturday
with my Son Joey and his girlfriend Haley, who is from Denver. It was
her first ever NFL game watching her Broncos get destroyed by Kansas
City. Saturday night Joey popped the question at Union Station and now
Haley is no longer the girlfriend, but is now the fiance’!!! We were
glad she didn’t decide to break off the engagement after the horrific
loss. Those poor kids got stuck in the parking lot waiting on a cab for
over two hours as chaos erupted after the game. 5” of snow made
everyone’s cars look exactly the same and made for an even slower exit
from Arrowhead Stadium back to our car at the hotel, which Joey
graciously drove back to Wichita and left it at the airport for us.
We finally got in to New Orleans at about midnight and went to bed, but
Ronda and I didn’t hold to the “let’s sleep in” suggestion and woke up
early ready to eat some crawfish and meet up with Cheryl and Steve. We
messed around on Bourbon Street and by noon, Nix and Wendy joined us at
the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Then we all went to Manning’s for another
lunch and more laughs.
The journey to the Superdome is always a fun experience. Tail gaters
line up the French Quarter and it’s one big party. We were being pretty
responsible adults (for once) that evening, but somehow Cheryl managed
to trip and fall in the street, spilling her drink. She was ok, but we
made sure she felt the love of her classmates all the way there with
jokes about how she’s 50 now and balancing is a hard thing to do.
Before the game, Nix got us all field passes and we watched the team
warm up. When Drew tied the record we all were on our feet. When he
broke it, the stadium went absolutely nuts. Drew and the Saints easily
handled the Colts, 34-7. Drew Brees threw 4 touch down passes for the
night, completing 29/30 passes and 307 yards! To say this was an
incredible experience is an understatement. It’s now NFL history.
After the game, Drew was kind enough to speak to my Son Nick and his
Chaplain’s group in Okinawa. He also was kind enough to take us from the
hospitality room down on to the field for some pictures. I can’t thank
Nix and Wendy enough for always sharing in the adventures of life with
us. After 30+ years, all of us reforged our friendships (Cheryl’s in
some blood on her hand and knees from her fall)!
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. Normally my column would be about
that, but I could not hardly wait to thank our friends for such a fun
trip.
KWIBS - From
December 9, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
I’d like to offer an
apology and give a shout out to some hard working guys at the State HWY
Department. But first I want to rip a big box chain for their terrible
customer service.
Tuesday, I ran into Wichita to grab a TV we had found on Monday. To our
amazement, the TV would not fit in the back of my wife’s car, so I had
to drive back with my truck to get it.
The entire situation was a mess. On Monday we went to Best Buy and got
the last TV they had on sale. They just “held it” for me and expected me
on Tuesday. I showed up just before noon and they said that the TV was
out of stock. I walked the sales associate over to the box that was
scanned the day before and said, “here it is.”
“Well, this is for another customer who ordered online,” said the sales
associate.
That’s when I asked for the manager. Within a couple of minutes of me
explaining how far I drove and who helped me the night before, he had
someone loading up the TV in my truck in a flash.
When I got part way home, I was thinking about my total on the receipt
and thought that it was high, so I pulled it out and looked. I was
charged an extra $100 for the TV.
I didn’t have any internet service to search for the store information,
so I called my wife to get the number to the Maize Road store. I was
almost past Cheney by that point and wasn’t turning around. She texted
it to me and I called. My first call was 40 minutes on hold of the same
Christmas music over and over and then someone picked up and hung up. My
second call was near Cunningham. I was on hold until Isabel (almost 30
minutes) and finally got a live person on the phone.
This sales associate took my information and informed me that the price
had gone up. The sale was over at midnight on Monday night. The lady I
had dealt with on Monday assured me she would honor the price and hold
the TV, but this sales associate wasn’t budging. I asked for her
manager.
“Click.” She hung up on me.
I met my wife at the house and she helped me unload the TV. She could
tell I was not pleased. I headed back to town to the office to get some
work done and see if someone else with Best Buy could help me.
In our new technological day and age, you no longer get to speak with
real people. When you call, you go through a series of questions that
are supposed to help you with customer service issues. After about 20
minutes of that, I gave up and did live chat on the Internet.
The overly friendly representative took my information and my receipt
information and basically said, “So sorry, too bad, but is there
anything else I can do for you?”
“How about some customer service training,” I asked?
I got no response from that so I asked for in store credit. I shop there
a lot.
“Well, we just can’t do that in this situation sir,” he said.
I read from their policy that if I was not satisfied with my purchase
that it could be returned within 7 business days and that according to
their website, I could print out a shipping label at their expense and
they would have to pick the TV up. That seemed to surprise him.
“Surely it will cost you more than $100 to come get this giant TV,” I
said politely.
That sort of stumped him, but he agreed. It was a bluff. There was no
way I was going to try and pack that TV back in the box to ship back to
them.
I requested the transcript of our conversation. He said, “Sure, I will
send that right over!”
I never got it and I never got offered my $100 back. They’ll never get
$1 out of me ever again. Remember you read my horror experience with
Best Buy. That’s BEST BUY. I give them a “no star” rating at this point.
? ? ? ?
Tuesday night after we had the TV set up, I had to run back to town and
decided I would load up the trash and take it to the office. Even the
empty box weighed a ton and I struggled to get it into the back of my
truck. It was a very tight fit and I could barely get the tailgate shut.
I headed to town and pulled into the back of the office. The box was
gone.
Now keep in mind, this box was the size of a queen mattress and it was
heavy!
In a panic I called the Sheriff’s Office to let them know that there
could be a large box in the road north of Medicine Lodge somewhere
between town and mile marker 32.
“Oh yes,” said the dispatcher, “someone has already called that in.”
I was so embarrassed and told her that I would be heading north and
would pick up the mess.
I headed home, slowly, squinting in the dark for what I thought would be
easy to find. I never saw it. So when I got home I called the Sheriff’s
Office again to let them know I couldn’t find it in the dark and would
look again in the morning.
Wednesday morning, I rolled out and started my search for the giant TV
box. Dispatch had told me that it was just south of the Resort Road turn
off. Taking my time, I scanned the ditch until I came up on a State dump
truck. Suddenly a large plastic sack came flying out of the back of it,
narrowly missing me. I pulled over, jumped out and grabbed the sack. I
hopped back into my truck and followed the State’s truck back to the HWY
Department.
Two guys were getting out of the truck and I asked, “Hey, you guys
didn’t happen to find a large TV box on the HWY did you?”
“Sure did,” one answered.
I apologized and explained that I had lost it the night before.
“We’re just going to throw it away,” he said, “unless you want it back.”
I laughed and said I didn’t, but I was sorry to make them go get that.
The other guy said, “No worries Kevin. We call that job security!”
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
December 2, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
My wife is more awesome
than your wife.
You need proof?
For years, we have tried, usually ending in failure, to get our
‘Christmas on’ or nearest to, the weekend of Thanksgiving.
Last week (Friday before Thanksgiving) she was bound and determined to
get everything in order for Christmas decorating. This could have been
spurred by our frantic online shopping spree for our kids Nick and
Natalie Noland who are living in Okinawa. We needed their gifts to ship
out before Thanksgiving, so that they would have our Christmas gifts in
time.
Once the gifts arrived, were wrapped and shipped, she went into full
Christmas mode. I woke up on Saturday morning and it looked like
Christmas had thrown a frat party in our living room and kitchen. Boxes
were everywhere and I was a little freaked out when I saw the mess.
“You go to work and when you get home, I promise, everything will be
done,” she assured me.
I rolled in around 4 p.m. to promises kept. The house looked amazing and
I stopped being a “Karen” for the moment and went back into “Kevin”
mode, which is similar to “Karen,” but not as panicked.
Karen definition: A Karen is a kind of person who is unhappy when little
things don’t go their way. They are a, “Can I speak to your manager?”
kind of gal. The cranky soccer mom of her friend group that nobody
likes.
“Do you see her over there? She’s such a Karen.”
“Hi! You put meat on my son’s turkey sandwich, when he is STRICTLY
VEGETARIAN. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll direct your manager
over to me right away.”
“Hey, it’s not Christmas. It’s not even December and you’re putting up
Christmas decorations?”
Ok, that last one was me, but it really is nice having that part done.
Just note that she takes everything down, usually Christmas Day!
KWIBS - From
November 11, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
First, I missed his
birthday; then I forgot to mail my letter to him for “mail call”. I
wasn’t about to miss his homecoming.
Last week was Veterans Day. I skipped my column because, to be honest,
the day has a new meaning to me.
My dad passed away back in 2013. He served in the United States Navy
from 1965-1969. After he passed away, my youngest son, Nick, chose to
follow in his grandpa’s shoes and he too joined the Navy in 2016.
I get pretty emotional around this holiday. I was thinking about my dad
and my son last week as I stared blankly at my screen where my column
goes.
I couldn’t type a word.
Two days before that, I had the privilege to be at the Kansas Honor
Flight welcome home ceremony at Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisnehower National
Airport. It was the only thing I thought of all week.
Bill Musgrove was one of the guys who took the last flight of 2019 and
was honored to attend with Amy Axline at his side.
It was worth the quick trip up and back to see how Kansas honors its
veterans and my way of saying thanks to Bill. Thank you to all our
veterans.
Please donate to this great cause: kansashonorflight.org
KWIBS - From
November 11, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Thank you Veterans!
KWIBS - From
November 4, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Anger, frustration, wild
accusations, inflated claims, genuine needs and thoughtful
consideration.
All of these things are true when we are talking about tomorrow’s bond
election. We all love our school district, our faculty and our students.
Social media has brought out the best and worst in many of us over
discussion of a bond issue(s).
20-some years ago, I laid my neck out on a chopping block and joined a
steering committee to make improvements to our school district. I
watched at least two bonds fail. I stayed on the committee to watch the
last one pass, which I did not vote for because it did not really
address the needs of the district and forced us to pay for improvements
on a building we eventually, partially vacated.
It’s been long enough ago and I don’t have time to research it, but we
dumped a lot of money into the old middle school. We continued to pay on
a bond for those improvements long after we left it.
I’m not going to bore you with the facts, but I do have to admit my
reservations about this project. My obvious concern is the indebtedness
payment responsibility being asked of property owners. Obviously, if
your property has little value, you’ll see little increase in your
taxes. If you don’t own any property, you might even think you’re off
the hook.
If you are one of the lucky (sarcastically) small farm and ranch
operations like we are, grab ahold of something because you could be
strapped with the majority of the financial burden in paying off a 25
year bond committment - if you live that long and can keep your
operation afloat.
No one would ever say improving our schools is not necessary. That’s
just nonsense, but we have to be careful to balance those needs and not
break small property owners, farmers and ranchers in the process.
Whatever happens tomorrow, I still love my friends and neighbors who
support the bond(s) and I certainly love our teachers, faculty and
students. I’m a proud Indian alumni - Class of 1988!
Fail or pass. Our kids should always come first.
KWIBS - From October
28, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
My son serving in Okinawa,
Japan is reaching his 1 year exit from the military.
A lot can happen in a year, but when you’ve been away from home for the
past 3 years and in a foreign country, you start planning your exit
about now, which is completely normal.
We talk a few times a week. His plans change daily, but his dreams do
not. Now that he’s married, he’s thinking about his future. With no
question, he has his college paid for. He just doesn’t know what to
major in. His wife has a plan to become a part of a radiology program
and they both are looking at Fort Hays State University for their
education.
I remember being 21 years old and not know what I was going to do, so I
went to Pratt Community College until something just landed at my feet.
It was a chance to own a newspaper and printing company.
For Nick, he has so many interests he doesn’t know what he wants to do.
A friend of mine emailed him with some thoughts. In it he said, “Don’t
rush it. Let it happen naturally.” I think this is great advice.
I entertain everything he’s interested in. I think it’s good to be a
dreamer. All he’s known is structure and military for the past three
years. He’s ready to make a change back to “normal” or “civilian” life.
With any luck, he won’t be broke when he gets home, has an idea what he
wants, already knows that he has full support of both sets of parents
and will always have a place to call home.
We would love to see him stay in another 4 years, earn that degree on
the military’s dime, maybe have a couple of grandkids with his insurance
he has with the Navy. He would be state side for the next 4 years, but
Nick says he’s ready to have a change of pace. I can only be proud of
him for what he’s already done and encourage him to follow his dreams.
Today is a special day for my other son! Mr. Joey Noland is 27 today.
He’s working hard as the manager of White’s Foodliner in St. John, KS.
Happy Birthday Buddy!!!!
I’m proud of all of my kiddos! It’s a good feeling to know they are all
doing just fine as young adults!
KWIBS - From October
21, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
A malapropism (also called
a malaprop or Dogberryism) is the use of an incorrect word in place of a
word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, sometimes
humorous utterance.
So when my science teacher in high school said, “orgasmic” instead of
“organic,” you can only imagine that I laughed like I was a
seventeen-year-old kid; because I was a seventeen-year-old kid.
These days with all of our technology, Dogberryism happens much more
frequently in my life with my iPhone. I try to not use the voice to text
feature on my phone because either my phone doesn’t understand me, or I
am speaking part English / Part Dutch. When you send a text message, it
checks spelling mistakes and corrects your writing. Like Siri, iPhone
autocorrect has a good sense of humor and often replaces original phases
with funny, epic or even scandalous expressions.
These are a few real (funny) autocorrects logged by iPhone users:
* Wife: Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to
dead husband! Happy Birthday to you!
Husband: Thanks. I assume you meant “dear”.
Wife: Yes!!! I mean that is a crazy autocorrect! Sorry babe.
* Boy 1: How was the date? Did you? You know?
Boy 2: Not quite. First date we went to dinner and then I killed her in
the woods outside her house and left.
Boy 1: Killing her seems a bit harsh.
Boy 2: KISSED, OMG!
* Employee: Very Cool! Mind if I pump you later then?
Boss: Um, excuse me?!
Employee: Oh god, I’m so sorry. I meant, is it cool if I pimp you later?
*join (not pump or pimp). Are you going to fire me?
The iPhone autocorrect especially has gained a reputation for making
very poor guesses that have led text senders into some very awkward
places.
Autocorrect fails never fail to entertain.
Have a Greek Week! I mean Great....
KWIBS - From October
14, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Jo Meador passed away July
10, 1996. A very dear friend to us, Jo was a surrogate mom to my wife
Ronda. Ronda’s mom fought cancer for many years and had passed away in
1988. Those following years, Jo was there for Ronda. She even took my
oldest son in for his circumcision after he was born because we just
couldn’t do it.
Jo’s daughters Halee and Kelsey taught all of our children how to swim.
We spent countless days at their house watching movies, eating and
swimming.
Jo was an inspiration to everyone who knew her and knew her battle with
cancer. She was especially important to us and we still feel the pain of
her loss to this day.
20-some years later, Jo’s youngest daughter is battling breast cancer.
Halee had just watched her sister go through the same thing not many
years before. Both of these girls are family to us and it was
heartbreaking news to learn that Halee too had to go through this. Her
story is on the front page this week. I’m so thankful that she is
sharing her story.
Halee has been sharing her journey through her treatments on social
media. If you are a friend of hers, you know what is happening. She’s
been very open and very brave through this process.
We love Halee and her family very much. It’s been so hard to watch her
go through this, but I am so grateful that she is sharing her story with
us during the month of October. October is National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month. Halee is “fighting breast cancer like a boss.”
If you don’t know this young woman, find her on Facebook and follow her.
You won’t find a tougher girl out there. Halee and I have so many inside
jokes that we share. Those can’t be printed, but this is for her:
867-5309
You got this girl. God bless you Halee and thank you for sharing your
story.
KWIBS - From October
7, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
There’s a very special
place in my heart for the rich history of Barber County.
Just a short while back, Medicine Lodge held its annual Peace Treaty
Festival which included the Intertribal Powwow and Ranch Rodeo. Both of
these events capitalize on our area’s history, along with the Peace
Treaty Pageant held every three years. Kiowa also has such a rich
history and celebrates the Cherokee Strip and their now 80-year-old
Labor Day celebration.
Tourism in Kansas is growing and it’s not something we should take for
granted. People enjoy coming to our county to discover history. We have
to capture this audience. Get on your internet machine and look up
visitgyphills.com - that should help you understand why I’m pressuring
everyone to see things differently.
Obviously, I know a whole lot about Medicine Lodge’s history. I came
here with my family in 1972, so it’s sort of beat into me. But I am
learning about Kiowa.
I’ve been reading about “Old Kiowa” and W.E. Campbell who settled there
after the Civil War. Our very own Carry Nation went to Kiowa armed with
a brick and threw it through the window of a local bar, probably
starting that whole north vs south thing!
So Bob(s), Hays and Cox, this is sort of for you. Sorry to call you out,
but I hear nothing but amazing things about you and hope this invitation
(although a little pushy), finds you well and possibly excited about
this.
I’m looking for a Kiowa history buff. What I am really seeking is
something to add to our “Days of Yore” that represents your community.
Maybe it’s something simple like an old photo with the cutline or maybe
it’s a weekly column. Whatever it is, I really want it!
Our history is what unites us. We are all Barber County. Let’s embrace
and share with the next generation.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
September 30, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
We were on our way to Jed
and Erin Hill’s wedding when I got a call from my friend Brian
Alexander.
He was 5 minutes out of Sawyer, heading towards our ranch with a friend
he had met at a grass conference in California earlier this year.
We never made it to the wedding.
“Robert” is from Germany, living in Switzerland and is a chemical
engineer who worked at a chocolate factory.
What was so unusual about “Robert” was his height. He measured about
6’8”. To put that in perspective, I’m about 5’7”, Ronda is about 5’
even, I’m guessing Tonia Gerstner is about as tall as Ronda and Brian
Alexander is a good 5’10”.
Needless to say, “Robert” stood above the crowd.
“Robert” was shadowing Brian last week (pun intended), learning about
soil and grasses in Kansas. While they were out and around the county,
we got the opportunity to show “Robert” our little slice of heaven and
learn about his interest in farming in America.
We had a large time..... (pun intended).
During the tour some heads turned as people drove by all of us
relatively short people, standing next to this bearded giant.
I can’t help but think that all you need to be a good producer is a big
weird hat and a crazy beard. It seems to work for Brian and he seems to
attract others like him, only taller.
I learned a lot, we sampled local beef and talked about the future of
agriculture in our county, country and in “Robert’s” country.
On a side note: Congratulations to Jed and Erin. We are terribly sorry
we missed your wedding and hope you had a blessed event!
Have a great big week ya’ll!
KWIBS - From
September 23, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
So I went to the fair last
week. I was very proud of myself. For the first time in three years, I
spent less than $15,000 at the fair. No joke.
I normally go to the fair for one thing - equipment for the ranch and
lake. I wait until the fair rolls around because you can literally save
thousands on your purchases.
Well, this year we didn’t need any equipment, so I was reserved to not
go to the fair.
My wife had other plans.
Ronda arranged for her and I to go to the fair along with her dad and
stepmother. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go with them. I just didn’t
want to go to the fair, but I did because I’m an awesome husband and
favorite son-in-law (I’m the only son-in-law).
The ladies took us straight from one stop at the beer garden to the
infomercial buildings, as I call them. My father-in-law and I roamed
from chair to bench, back to chairs again. He begged a few times to go
back to the beer garden. I said nothing, but agreed even though a beer
was like $9.00 a can and I don’t even like beer.
At least I would get to go look at farm and ranch equipment. I have this
weird fetish for tractors, implements and lawn mowers that my wife does
not share with me.
Somehow, we wandered through booths of make up, purses, belts and bed
sheets and never ended up near a tractor or a lawn mower. My
father-in-law used his super powers to get us back to the beer garden
before we finally worked our way to the last stop - the grand stand.
There we would be cat called to buy everything from more make up to
roasted nuts.
I was about to get out unscathed when this Greek guy caught my wife’s
attention. This muscular, good-looking dude lured her in with the
promise to make her wrinkles disappear. Well, the sales pitch worked and
the product works too, but I’m pretty sure it was the accent that cost
me $100. At least it was less than $15,000.
KWIBS - From
September 16, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Taxation without
representation is the act of being taxed by an authority without the
benefit of having elected representatives or a vote. The term became
part of an anti-British slogan when the original 13 American colonies
aimed to revolt against the British Empire.
Would it seem reasonable or fair that a person from, let’s say Derby,
KS, who has ownership of land in Barber County, cannot vote on issues
that have a direct impact on what he pays in property taxes?
Would it also seem reasonable or fair that a person from Medicine Lodge
who owns no personal property, but rents a house, has a bigger voice on
issues that affect the individual I described above?
Would it surprise you that an average house is already costing over $800
a year in personal property taxes in our county, while a small ranch of
1,500 acres pays $6,000 or more?
It’s not new. It happens all of the time. We have interest in some
property in Texas that we don’t control the taxes on. In fact, we’ve
been taxed far more than we’ve ever earned on the property, but we hope
that one day that changes.
In the meantime, we have no say-so on their local issues.
Some say, that’s the cost of ownership. Others see it as taxation
without representation. It’s a little bit of both.
Would it be reasonable to say that if the guy above, from Derby, has his
taxes raised, say by $2,500 a year, that he would pass that cost on to
his renter? You bet he would. How would that affect the small farmer or
rancher who is trying to build a herd of cattle? That’s the price of at
least a couple of cows or calves. By the way, if you are the renter in
the second example I gave, would it be reasonable that your rent will
increase?
Fast forward a few years after taxes increase drastically. You know what
happens? Property values fall because it becomes a buyer’s market. Land
sells to more people from out of county who have no say-so on local
issues - Businesses fail - Jobs are lost - People move - Populations
decrease even further.
Want an example? Visit our property in the panhandle of Texas. Once a
thriving area, is now full of ghost towns and high taxes.
KWIBS - From
September 9, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Wednesday, September 11 is
called “Patriot Day.”
If you are like me, you remember it as the day that 19 terrorists
associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaida hijacked four
airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United
States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World
Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just
outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the
9/11 terrorist attacks.
I was drinking coffee and watching the news when it broke. I thought the
first plane was just a horrific accident. Ronda was in the shower and I
ran in to tell her as the second plane struck the towers.
We didn’t go to work right away as more news about more hijackings kept
coming in. I was 31 years old. Ronda was 32. We remember like it was
yesterday.
Two of my friends, Nate and Dale, stepped up to serve their country and
volunteered to fight the terrorists on their soil. Thankfully, they both
returned home to their families, certainly changed by their experiences,
but viewed by me as heroes who stood against terrorism.
So much of the world has changed since then. The way we fly, the way we
get our news and the way we view people who are of a different culture.
It changed us.
We can not ever forget the deaths of those Americans on that day and the
thousands who have died fighting, who were injured and who continue to
fight America’s longest war in history.
Take a moment Wednesday morning to remember that on September 11, 2001,
at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning we began our day in sorrow as we
watched in horror people jumping from windows of our burning Twin Towers
of the World Trade Center.
Never forget.
KWIBS - From
September 2, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
The Green New Deal is
already turning into the Old Brown Steamer in Georgetown, Texas –
population 75,000. It was to be the new poster child of the green
movement.
Last October, while the green dream was still in full flower, the city
applied for a $1 million grant from former New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg’s nonprofit, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and won it. The grant’s
only real requirement was that the city serve as a public relations
platform in Bloomberg’s push to convince Americas to abandon affordable
fossil fuels and switch to more costly renewable energy.
Georgetown’s electric bills went up as more wind and solar power
displaced cheaper natural gas in the power portfolio of the Georgetown’s
municipal utility. Politicians scrambled for cover. And the bloom came
off Georgetown’s renewable rose.
Now, largely embarrassed members of the City Council are trying to
figure out how to unwind the renewable mess they and their predecessors
voted themselves into.
With their municipal utility facing a $7 million shortfall – money that
has to be made up by the city residents through higher electricity costs
– the City Council voted 5-1 in July to instruct the staff to figure out
how to wriggle out of the Bloomberg PR deal.
On Aug. 13 the Council voted 5-0 to officially kill the deal. The city
is also raising property taxes.
In Georgetown’s case, for it to truly go 100 percent renewable energy
using today’s state-of-the-art mass-produced batteries from Tesla’s
Gigafactory, the city would need a $400 million battery farm weighing
some 20,000 tons to avoid a blackout on a quiet winter night. And, after
spending $15,600 for each household to build such a battery farm, its
backup power would be drained in 12 hours, with a second windless winter
night leaving residents shivering in the dark.
KWIBS - From
August 26, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Agree to disagree I guess.
We got a phone call right after lunch on Tuesday from a lady in Kiowa
who wanted to cancel her subscription because we were a “right leaning”
newspaper.
My wife was like, “what”?
Ronda asked for examples, but the lady on the phone could only site
“some pastor”. Mike Henry will be happy to know he is the reason we lost
a subscriber. Kidding Mike!
I grabbed the paper and tried to find other examples of “right leaning”
articles. Maybe Roger Ringer every once in a while and sometimes I have
a soapbox, but the front had stories like:
* Oldest Cattlemen’s Tour in Kansas
* Kiowa Police Department and City Council agree to take salary cuts to
make budget work
* USD# 254 approves 2019-20 budget
* New bleachers for South Barber High School
* Horns move Red Dirt Repair to new location
I didn’t see anything “right leaning” about any of those.
My column was about my daughter getting married; Jason Offutt wrote
about having the Summer flu; Days of Yore was about stuff that happened
as long as 110 years ago; The Lincoln Library News didn’t make any
comments politically; The Leisure Time Center surely didn’t offend
anyone; the news of record doesn’t care what party affiliation you are
if you’re speeding or breaking the law; there was no mention of whether
or not the people that died and were in our obituary section were
Democrats or Republicans; Roger Ringer was just Roger Ringer this week
and wrote about work ethic and attitude; my daughter’s upcoming wedding
didn’t mention anything political (in fact, it was probably the most
diversified article we had this week); the article about Jo Johnson
wasn’t right leaning or left leaning. It was just about an amazing lady;
the South Barber dancers and FFA kids didn’t make any political waves;
Kiowa’s schools being recognized with a civic award barely touched on
instruction in government, history, law and democracy.
Could that have been it? No, I doubt that could offend the staunchest of
Democrats.
Was it the Kiowa Senior Center news or Tim Marshall completing Ag
Lending School that set this lady and her son off?
I don’t know, but what I do know is there’s a lot of things on TV and in
magazines that I don’t like or don’t agree with. I just skip those
channels or articles and move on. I don’t cancel my DirecTV because of
the LOGO channel. I don’t stop reading CNN, but I skip their editorial
department.
I really thought the divisiveness over politics had skipped over our
tight communities, but I suppose I am too naive to think that my
neighbors could think differently about politics and I could still like
them.
So here’s where I will get political. Drop your subscription. You hadn’t
started paying for it yet anyway. Also, let me point out that you are a
part of the “tolerant party.” Yet you can’t tolerate one or two articles
out of 30-40. Your hatred for Trump, Republicans, Martians, Mike Henry,
or whatever trips you, tells me what kind of people you really are.
As long as a person agrees 100% with you, then you can accept them, but
disagree and you are the enemy.
I also liked the fact that this woman made the phone call while her
adult son was in the background telling her what to say. What a great
big man you are sir. Your mom actually sounded very polite when she
called. It was the noise in the background that changed her tone when
Ronda asked for examples of what you all were offended by.
Notice I didn’t use your name, share your address, telephone number and
encourage people in our county to bother you at the store or scream
obscenities at you in the street or stand outside your home in protest?
By the way, I am a registered Republican. I was a Democrat for a while
and then an Independent and then a Republican again. I have actually
considered the Libertarian Party. I think my views line up more with
that party than any. Regardless, I have many friends and family members
with different views about politics. I still love them. We try to just
agree to disagree and get along. I hope you’re reading. If not, that’s
ok, maybe someone will read it to you slowly. One last thing: My wife
was about to offer you a spot in our paper to express your political
views, but you hung up on her before she had the chance...
We don’t consider ourselves a “political publication” of any sort. I
would never silence someone’s local opinion as long as it was done in
decency and written respectfully.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
August 19, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
In a few days, we will be
celebrating the marriage of our Daughter Breeann to her fiance’ Miguel
Hernandez.
The announcement came, as no surprise, to us about a month ago.
Most of you in the area know who my daughter is. She’s the one you
usually meet first when you walk into our office. A lot of you also know
Miguel. Miguel has been a familiar face in Medicine Lodge for many
years.
Together they will be a blended family of 7 and we instantly became
grandparents to 5 kids ranging in age from 6-13.
I’m not going to lie. It’s been fun watching the chaos. That might sound
mean, but it’s not meant to be. These are two loving adults loving a lot
of kids at once. It won’t be easy on them, but it will be worth it for
the sake of love.
I’m happy for Bree and Miguel and I congratulate them and love them all.
They will be married on Saturday, August 24th with family and friends
present. A reception is planned afterwards. My only disappointment is
that my son, her brother Nick and his wife Natalie, won’t be able to
attend the wedding. They are in Okinawa, between typhoons, and with such
short notice, they can’t be in attendance. I’m hoping to facetime them
the ceremony as it will be 9 a.m. Sunday their time and 7 p.m. Saturday
our time.
One more congratulations goes out to Doris Sorg. She’s been appointed
the new director of the Lincoln Library. She’s the perfect choice! Doris
was with us for 17.5 years before she left us for greener pastures.
Ronda and I are so proud of her and cherish her friendship! Congrats
Doris!!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
August 12, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
I hope you’ve all been
keeping up on the articles concerning the upcoming Peace Treaty Festival
and our attempt to consolidate and brand the event “Peace Treaty”
forevermore.
I know it’s been confusing because since I was old enough to remember,
Peace Treaty means there’s a pageant. But we all know there are so many
aspects to Peace Treaty and that there has always been a “non-pageant”
event on the off years (I’m making air quotes for my board’s sake).
Since we’re trying to make this event grow and evolve, our board (who
somehow elected me as president) has really gotten excited about this
concept. We are rejoining forces with Ranch Rodeo and the Powwow to
bring an added value to an already great time. We just want it to be
yearly and not every three years that you think of coming home and
visiting Medicine Lodge and Barber County.
Some of the changes will barely be recognizable, but others will be and
as the articles evolve, you’ll understand the evolution of the festival.
You can’t even begin to understand the magnitude of what we’d like to
accomplish. It might be ambitious beyond our time frame, but we are
working towards a common goal
There have been some critical comments on Facebook, where everyone with
a computer becomes an expert on everything, even if they don’t have the
facts. I can tell you that there isn’t a harder working, more caring
group of people trying to preserve our heritage. There is no attempt to
do any harm and we understand that change is hard. Trust me, no one
understands that more than we do.
I remember a sign I saw one time that sort of fits us: “Please excuse
our mess as we progress.”
Keep reading and join us September 27-29, 2019.
KWIBS - From
July 29, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
One of my favorite artists
and guitarists of all times is Joe Walsh.
I’ve been a fan since I was very, very young. I think one of my very
first albums was James Gang Thirds, which featured “Walk Away.”
In my youth, I was a Columbia House Music member. I was big into vinyl
and 8-track tapes. These days, it’s just easier to subscribe to a
service such as Apple Music to store all of my favorite music; and you
can bet, there’s a lot of Joe Walsh by himself, the Eagles and James
Gang.
Many Ordinary Average Guys don’t realize that Walsh is a native of
Wichita, KS. I had always hoped I would meet him one day. In
conversation with Ginger Goering, she mentioned she had met him on an
elevator in Wichita years ago. That makes me very jealous!
But Seriously Folks, Joe Walsh is one of the greatest talents of my
generation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Joe is not a fan of today’s music. We share that in common. The digital
age has taken away raw musical talent and replaced it with computers,
voice, pitch and tone correction, processed drums and instruments that
are near perfectly recorded with little human emotion. I’m still a
purest at heart when it comes to music. Give me a live performance any
day of the week over a recorded version. Most bands today can’t pull off
sounding anywhere near their albums.
In an interview from 2012 Live From Daryl’s House, Joe says, “There’s no
mojo, there’s nobody testifying. There’s not the magic of human
performance, which is never perfect and the magic of human performance
is what we all know and love in the old records.”
Life’s Been Good To Me So Far..... Keep going Joe!
KWIBS - From
July 22, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Monday, July 15, 2019 was a
wild and crazy day for me. My first call came shortly after 5 a.m. I had
to be in Harper County, Barber County and then Pratt County and back in
time to make supper before our Peace Treaty Board meeting.
Ronda’s was no better. She made the mistake of saying, “I’ve got nothing
on my schedule today.”
With that statement, I attached our broke down jetski to the back of her
Tahoe and sent her to Wichita.
She was freaked out about pulling a trailer and possibly having to back
it up. I told her that she only had to turn corners and pull up in front
of Marine World and they would do the rest! And they did!
I had laid out some steaks that Mike cut down at White’s. These are just
fabulous ribeyes and I really want to compliment how well his meat
department does.
It’s easier for us to eat steak now that the kids are all grown and out
of the house. We couldn’t afford it when they lived with us. Feeding
three teenagers was like, well, feeding teenagers. You get it.
We usually just split a steak anymore. It used to be we would have left
overs and make steak tacos the next night.
As we were rushing to eat and make it to our meeting Ronda said, “Oh my
gosh. It was one year ago today that Hyde died.”
Hyde was our 15 year old German Shepherd.
It was an incredibly somber moment, as the “left overs” were always
diced up into small pieces that I would make him do tricks for. Hyde
could stand up, sit down, roll over, run in circles in both directions
and catch a ball, frisbee or a piece of food as far as 50’ away. I miss
my best friend, but have great memories of his long life with us.
We’ve said we’d never get another pet. There was none like Hyde. He
passed peacefully in our arms and is buried in our front yard under a
tree by the pond. He died almost one month after our youngest left home
again for Okinawa and I’m glad I made him say good-bye to his old
friend.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
July 15, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
My grand kids are in the
office a lot during the summer.
It’s cute. It’s distracting. It’s sometimes frustrating.
My granddaughter is an abstract artist. She’s constantly making slime
out of hand sanitizer and glue, using up all the white out, stealing all
of the colored pens and shredding paper, straws or whatever she can cut
with scissors.
But it’s cute, because she’s 6 and it’s hard to get mad at a 6-year-old.
Ronda was looking for the pitcher to water the plants in the window the
other day and finally found it in the “kids’ conference room.”
It was covered in strapping tape, trash bag ties, popsicle sticks and a
smaller vase was trapped inside of it.
It was an interesting piece.
Ronda stared at it for a
long time. I took a photo and then Ronda spent 30 minutes disassembling
it.
“That could have been worth hundreds of dollars,” I said.
Later that day, we found a second pitcher.
As I was taking Baylee’s picture with her latest piece of art, Norm
Clouse walked in. He thought it was fabulous!
I offered it to him for $300. He’s thinking about my offer.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
July 8, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
I’m doing a sneak peak of a
snippet from Days of Yore that is supposed to be printed next week, but
the article caught my attention and I thought I would share it with you.
I’ve spoken with local historian John Nixon who could not confirm this
information, but also found it interesting.
From The Barber County Index, July 21, 1909:
The Peoples State Bank of this city has on exhibition an old Indian
Sharp Carbine rifle. It was found by C. M. Johnson one day last week on
what investigation proves to be an old Indian burying ground. The gun
protruded out of the embankment which was gradually washed away by the
rains and storms of a half century and in the stock of the odd-shaped
gun were these notes: “Carried by Geronimo bodyguard. Killed in assault
on Medicine Lodge stockade Nov. 21, 1865.” Except for rust and some
defects in the wood, the gun is in a fair state of preservation. The
barrel is filled with sand and clay which is as impenetrable as the
metal itself and, of course, could not be put in working order. The
trigger work is rusted out entirely. The note which was found in the
stock was in an air-tight metallic box 1 1/2x2 inches and this box was
concealed in the stock by means of a metal clasp. It is believed that
the finding of this weapon has some connection with the Custer affair
that took place here before civilization and an effort is being made to
get some reliable data.
The gun will be photographed and the weapon itself is being preserved
for historical purposes. The gun is much shorter than rifles of today
and works on complexed principles.
Numerous small bones were unearthed in and around where the gun was
found and several were large enough to show clearly that an Indian was
buried there. The location corresponds exactly to notes made by the
first settlers of “The Medicine Lodge Indian Burying Ground.”
A few things that spiked my interest in this story was the note,
“Carried by Geronimo bodyguard. Killed in assault on Medicine Lodge
stockade Nov. 21, 1865.” The stockade around Medicine Lodge was built
after that date, but there could have been a settlement in the area.
Another interesting note was that the Peoples State Bank in 1909 is
today’s Taco Tico / Simple Simon’s. I was interested in what happened to
this gun. According to the Stockade Museum, they don’t have it. So where
did it go?
I’m hoping to have something to report back to on this in the near
future. I’ve reached out to the Kansas Historical Society for more
information, but for now, it’s a mystery. If you have any information on
this, please contact me at knoland@gyphillpremiere.com
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
July 1, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Whether I need it or not,
once every 7-10 years I break down and buy a new computer.
Remember, I come from a long line of newspaper people who never thought
we’d see the end of linotypes.
This was my week. My friend and best IT guy around, Tim Wortman, got me
my new gear and set me up. He knows what I do about as well as I know
what I do, so I always trust him to put all my programs and files back
on my new computer.
Surprisingly, we only had a few issues, but those issues were major when
considering I couldn’t send the newspaper file to the printing plant,
couldn’t edit photos and couldn’t see the icons because my screen
resolution was set for someone in their early 20s that doesn’t wear
bifocals.
With a little patience and some prescription medication for anxiety, Tim
was able to get me going again. Now I can either stress about the next
7-10 years of look for a retirement opportunity or stay up to date with
technology!
I really hate change. Most of us do. Changing operating systems for me
is like learning Russian in a matter of days. You’re going to think I’m
a cave man, but we were still running Windows XP. I think Microsoft
stopped supporting it a decade ago, but I was going to keep running it
until it wouldn’t run anymore and the end was near.
When it takes 45 minutes for your computer to boot up, you know it’s
time for a new one.
One thing we are still struggling with is our website updates. We are
working on that and should have that issue resolved, maybe by the time
this goes to press!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
June 24, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
I can be serious. I can be
sarcastic. I can be seriously sarcastic. You get that way in any line of
work.
Mondays are usually a day I get sarcastic. It’s usually slap-happiness
after an incredibly busy weekend and first part of the week. In my line
of work, my easy days are usually Tuesday. That’s a day I often take off
to get personal things in order, whether at home or at the ranch. I’m
usually not slammed at the office.
Monday is a different story. For years we’ve kept the office closed on
Monday. Don’t worry, we’re here working. We just limit the contact with
the public and the phones and focus on getting ready for the next week’s
news. On top of that, I’m a bondsman and it’s supposed to be the day
when my defendants check in and I do reports for the companies I
represent for bonding, house arrests and chemical and alcohol
monitoring.
Each week I have close to 75-90 people who call and check in with me to
let me know they haven’t forgotten about court, have stayed out of
trouble and that they know when their next hearing is. Some folks set
their phones to remind them. I know this because they call at the exact
same time every week. Others forget and after two weeks of no contact, I
contact them.
That’s usually not a good
thing.
I get all kinds of excuses for being
late on checkins. Generally, people have very ill grandparents. You
grandparents should take better care of yourselves. People also seem to
get very sick right before court sentencing hearings. I have one lady
who has been in ICU three times in the last three months. Some are just
honest and say they forgot to check in. Those
are the ones I usually just say, “Hey, no
problem. Try again next
week to be on time.”
I’ve heard it all. Every excuse in the book has been used on me, until
last Monday when “JS” to protect his identity texted me late after check
in. He writes: “Had a weird past couple of days since my girlfriend and
I rescued a kitten from Sonic here in ______, but I am so sorry I forgot
to check in with you today.”
I wrote back, “No problem.”
But I also shared it with some of my law enforcement friends and other
bondsmen for a good laugh and added some narration, “I bet you guys are
still recovering from the stress of rescuing that kitten. The PTS must
be awful. I personally can feel the tense situation concerning the
rescue. What a scary moment it must have
been when you finally got the kitten away from those .99 cent corn dogs.
I’m hearing that EMS and Fire are planning on awarding you a plaque for
your great deed. Also the local lumber store is donating a 16’ ladder to
you so that anytime a cat gets caught in a tree, you can quickly and
safely rescue it! I’m even hearing that the local courts are dropping
all felony charges against you and clearing your name. In other news,
the local Chinese restaurant just raised the price of their buffet by
$1.”
I’m bad. I know it....
? ? ? ?
Ronda and I were able to slip away
Monday afternoon and enjoy our 31st anniversary. Being the romantic that
I am, I got on my handy movie app on my iPhone and booked us two tickets
to see the new John Wick movie. Seriously, what could be more romantic
than watching, by my count 154 people die violently by knife, sword,
books, gun fire, car accidents, motorcycle crashes and explosions!?!?!
Right?
Ronda will never admit she likes this series, but she did it for me
because she knows I love it - and she loves me! I did return the favor
and took her to her favorite place to eat that evening. :)
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
June 17, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Today is our 31st wedding anniversary. I’m writing this
in advance of printing the paper, so I hope we’re out doing something
really cool!
If I had to guess, I’m probably working and if the
weather is nice, I will probably be mowing the grass later. Ronda will
be busy cleaning house and doing laundry because it’s Monday.
The good news is, we are still going strong at 31 years.
The grass gets mowed, the house gets cleaned, the laundry gets done and
so much more! We’ve been blessed with three children, grandchildren and
so many friends.
I recently looked at photos from my son’s wedding and
saw how much our family has changed since June 17, 1988. All of the kids
have significant others now and the third generationers are stacking up
nicely.
Ronda and I were 19 and 18 when we tied the knot. I had
only been out of high school for one month. I love you, Ronda. You’re
the best thing that’s ever happened to me. There’s nothing I would
change about our lives together. We truly are blessed in our lives.
Don’t think it’s all been easy, but we’ve managed to overcome many
difficult things through our marriage.
Now, thinking about my son and his new wife Natalie,
they are 21 and 20 and they will begin their new lives together in just
over a week as Natalie and her family, along with Ronda and I, are
preparing her to leave for Okinawa to be with Nick through the end of
his deployment in December of next year.
They are young and about to see the world rarely like
kids their age ever get to do. One of their bucket lists is to go to the
Tokyo Olympics in the spring of 2020. Nick has already planned several
trips to islands in the area to show Natalie the beauty of the South
Pacific.
? ? ? ?
"It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it."
This phrase is credited to one of my favorite comedians - Steve Wright.
It’s true though.
Early Wednesday morning at 4 a.m. my son Nick starts
messaging me from Okinawa. It was bout 7 p.m. his time.
"Dad! I bought a car!"
He was pretty excited and it only cost him $500. He sent
me some photos and I was actually impressed. It’s a standard
transmission 5 seat mini-van with captains chairs, only everything is
backwards and they drive on the wrong side of the road over there. I
don’t think it has power windows, locks, a/c, cruise, a radio or any
other modern creature-comforts, but he had a car! Nick had waited two
long years to achieve the rank of Petty Officer so he was allowed to get
his driver’s license, purchased insurance, registration and a $500 car.
Come to find out, these cars sell new for about $1,200. I’m guessing
they’re made from crushed aluminum cans, but it beats paying for a taxi
every day and when he’s done there, they have like a Craig’s List to
advertise these cars for sale and it’s almost always the same kind of
boxy car for $500. He claims our Polaris could beat this car in a drag
race.
So Nick decided to go driving around base in his new
"mom car," as he calls it. "Plenty of room for grandkids," he joked. He
stopped and asked several people if they needed a ride. That’s another
common courtesy to younger marines and sailors on the island. He dropped
off a couple of people and saw two Marines standing out in front of a
shopping center.
He tells the story: "So you know how I just got my car?
Well, today was the first day that after work I just drove around and
was giving people rides so they didn’t have to pay for a taxi or walk,
and I kid you not, I pulled up to one of the shoppers and I asked these
two guys if they needed a ride. One was like ‘no, we’re good. Thanks
man!’ and I looked closer and I’m like.... Sheldon?? And he was like,
Nick??" It was Sheldon Hart from Medicine Lodge, son of Becky and Justin
Hart!
Sheldon had just finished up on some training in
Florida, Georgia and California before he received his orders for
Okinawa. I had heard he was going there and reached out to his sister
Justine. We thought it would be cool if Nick and Sheldon were to run
into each other. It’s not likely given the number of Marines, Airforce
and Sailors on the island, but it’s a tiny island. Who would have
thought that Sheldon only being there for two days and Nick just getting
his first car there would cause this meeting to happen 7,500 miles away
from their home?
Sheldon had literally been there for two days and Nick
just happened to run into him. Hart was in JRC, which is a processing
department transitioning him into how life works on base. They spoke for
a few minutes and agreed to get together some time. Nick offered to show
him around the island and see some attractions after Hart is able to go
off base.
I found this to be one of those, one in a million,
encounters. It’s pretty cool that two MLHS grads from our county are
serving their country together in Okinawa. I’m not sure how long Sheldon
will be there, but Nick has been there for two years and exits in
December of 2020. Nick will have the opportunity to show a former
classmate around the historical island of Okinawa. I’m proud of all of
our local military kids for their sacrifice and my hearts go out to
their parents who miss them daily. I’m sure they will be able to see
each other from time to time and have some great stories to share with
us one day!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
June 10, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Years ago, many Medicine Lodge residents were up in arms
over increasing water rates to support new infrastructure and
improvements to existing water lines in our community.
It was not a pretty time in our history and there were
hard feelings and hateful things said about those who were trying to
make the improvements.
Kiowa is currently well into a project for a treatment
facility. It should come as no surprise that these things cost money and
is paid for by the users of the water systems.
Recently the city of Anthony announced a rate increase
after they discovered they were operating in the red in their water
department fund.
It’s only a matter of time before all communities our
size will face the inevitable decision to increase rates for one reason
or another. As we decline in size, we share the cost with fewer
customers. And if we ever want a shot at growth, water is one of the
most important factors to consider. Clean water.
I commend the past and present council members, city
administrator(s) and mayor of Medicine Lodge who had the foresight to
make the difficult decision to upgrade our water system. There were a
lot of folks that did not like the changes in the billing structure, but
if we had done nothing, we would be in the same position as many of our
neighboring communities are soon to be in. I commend Kiowa for thinking
about their future water needs as well. As the two largest cities in the
county, we have to lead the way.
Progress is not easy. Change is rarely welcomed. If we
do nothing, we get nothing in return. Sometimes by making the difficult
decisions, we are giving future generations a shot at growth. Maybe it
will happen in our lifetimes. Maybe it won’t.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
June 3, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
As you age, injuries become more significant. I could
fall down 10 years ago and rub some dirt in the wound and shake it off.
Now, at almost 50, injuries are a gamble. Over Memorial
Day weekend, I was working on a spillway and needed some metal pipe. I
went down to the shed and grabbed my sawzall and found exactly the pipe
I needed (almost, or I wouldn’t have needed the sawzall).
I climbed over a mound of rusty metal and found my pipe.
As I was climbing back out, I scraped my leg against a rusty piece of
metal. It didn’t hurt, but when I got to the other side, I was pretty
bloody and it looked fatal. I still went into the pond and fixed my
spillway.
I’ll call it a flesh wound, but my doctor buddy took a
look and asked, "When was your last tetanus shot?"
I thought for a minute and answered, "Oh, like 1981."
He didn’t make me get another one. I probably needed a
stitch or two, but a few strips of bandages and some rubbing alcohol and
I was good as new.
Then we had more storms on Saturday. One of my wife’s
glass vases blew over and shattered on the front porch. I was told it
was all cleaned up, but my foot discovered a nice sliver of glass that
lodged itself into my heal.
That wound resulted in a bloody shoe and a sore foot.
Thankfully, both cuts were on the same leg, so if I have to have it
amputated, at least I have one good leg left.
None of these wounds would be serious if I were in my
20s and I wasn’t taking blood thinners because I have had heart issues
in my recent past.
I can only be thankful that I am aging gracefully and am
still well enough to write this column I guess!
KWIBS - From
May 27, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
As promised, I have returned this week.
My last couple of weeks were spent on a tractor and road
grader trying to repair damage we received after the latest rounds of
rain and flooding.
It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. My ranch
foreman, Dave, and his wife, Mary, who also works for us, went to Hawaii
for two weeks. That left me and my trusted friend Leroy Weber to get
things mowed and roads repaired.
It was a long week of hauling rock, digging out
culverts, fixing deep washouts and getting the grass mowed. We have
about 150 acres of recreation area we maintain.
Friday evening of last week, we had everything done and
caught up for Dave’s return on Monday. It was perfect and I felt a real
sense of satisfaction until I was driving down my own driveway, fixing
the last of things and saw rain hitting the windshield.
Saturday, it poured. Pretty much everything I had fixed,
had washed away and more puddles formed. At first, I was really
distressed, but then I remembered 4 years ago when the ground was so
hard you couldn’t even dig a hole.
Well, those days seem to be behind us and more rain is
in the forecast, as I write this.
On Monday, Ronda and I were invited to the Barber County
Annex to meet with area FEMA representatives to discuss damages we
received.
We’re not a city, but we have 42 homes located in the
middle of our ranch on a resort known as Lake Arrowhead. It is our hope
that someone in Washington will recognize us as tax paying citizens who
could use a little help with funding for repairs to roads and culverts,
spillways and dams. It’s a long shot, but one we will pursue. I do know
that Barber County is in FEMA’s crosshairs and we should get some
relief.
Stay dry my friends!
KWIBS - From
May 13, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
About 4 years ago, my mens’ Bible Study group prayed for
months for it to rain and for the drought to end.
I wish someone would pray for my bank account that hard
- with as much success!
Up in the north part of the county, we are saturated. I
know the entire county has received a good amount of rain, so you can
relate..
It affects us in a unique way. When we receive too much
rain in a short amount of time, we become "hydrologically inadequate"
when it comes to moving water. With the current spring rains, higher
water table and complete saturation, we have a lot of water with nowhere
for it to go.
It seemed we got rain every day last week. So much at
one point, that we went over our emergency spillways at Lake Arrowhead.
Whenever this happens, we turn to our EAP (Emergency Action Plan). It’s
sort of silly, but the Kansas Water Office requires we have one, so when
the water comes rushing over, I make one call to the sheriff’s office or
to Rick Wesley to let him know basically, "here it comes!"
And within a couple of hours, the East side of Medicine
Lodge including all of the city park was underwater.
Rick came out and watched Elm Creek rise at Resort Road.
That night, I went out and measured 22" of water that had made a new
river across our main entrance to the lake. Several folks couldn’t get
home on Tuesday night. Several more couldn’t get out, but eventually, we
started to drain off. My phone rang several times that night with
concerned folks who had heard that our dam burst. That simply was
nowhere near true. Our dam is good and strong and will outlive everyone
reading this.
Wednesday morning, I went out and surveyed the damage.
We have some road issues that I’ll work on over the weekend, provided it
stays dry long enough for me to run a road grader. The funniest thing
was seeing about 40, 15-30 lb grass carp nearly 1/4 mile away from the
lake, flopping around in the middle of the road! Truly a fish out of
water experience. I even found one crappie still alive.
Ronda and I went down to meet folks in Kiowa last week.
We enjoyed running into people who we have known for years and meeting a
few new folks for the first time.
I will say this about Kiowa. You guys have a lot of
community and school pride. We have been overwhelmed with calls of
encouragement and support in covering your town.
We’ll be trying hard over the next few weeks at making
new connections and getting all your news and advertising in the paper.
Many of you have already reached out to us and we appreciate it. We are
short staffed, overworked, underpaid, but SUPER EXCITED to be a part of
covering you.
I’m still going to bug Rex Zimmerman about telling his
story to all of our readers. He has been so helpful the past week in
getting us information to help us build the paper.
We want your news! Send us everything you can to news@gyphillpremiere.com
!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
May 6, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
It seems weird to me, but I have to use my column this
week to introduce myself and my wife to some who might not know us.
As you can see by our reboot and reformat this week, we
and The Kiowa News have come together to make one paper. It’s sort of
strange how quickly it all happened, but it was. Rex and Diann were
ready to retire.
Rex Zimmerman and I have known each other for many
years. We share a long history of newspaper in our blood. He started in
the St. John area in his teens in the 1970s, maybe earlier, but I don’t
want to embarrass him. I worked as a third generation pressman and
newspaper man in Medicine Lodge since the early 1980s. Rex and I have
always respected each other’s areas and not stepped on each other’s
toes; to the point where we even shared the yearly appointment of
official county paper with no disputes or hard feelings. We and our
families have felt an obligation to our county to bring the news to the
citizens. I’ve written stories for them and they’ve written stories for
us. I have always had good feelings about Rex and his wife Diann. They
devoted 40 years to the Kiowa area and South Barber. When I say
"devoted", you can’t understand this commitment unless you’ve
experienced 52 deadlines a year for decades. We’ve both had that
dedication and feeling of responsibility to our respected communities
for most of our lives.
So when we began talking about a merger-acquisition, I
was at first hesitant, but interested. Ronda and I are still in the
business for the long haul. Rex and Diann were ready to retire. It was a
good fit. We just didn’t have a good game plan in place and I was hoping
for a few months to get one. As you’ve read, that didn’t’ transpire, but
we were able to start the process last week.
My biggest concern was giving Kiowa and the readers in
our county the same service as Rex did. Ronda and I have quite a few
strange commitments going on in our lives. Not only are we newspaper
owners, but we have a ranch we take care of north of Medicine Lodge
(with a lake resort, I might add); we are grandparents; we still handle
some operations for an internet company; I’m a bail bondsman and
enforcement agent; I do house arrest and monitoring for a company from
Wichita and we are both deeply involved and love The Medicine Lodge
Peace Treaty Association as well as Barber County Development.
So, ya, we’re a little invested in the county, to say
the least.
I have many friends in South Barber (I hate that term).
I believe we are one county and we share the common struggle of
surviving in rural America. We are unique in the respect that we adapt
and change when that need arises. We have to. "North and South" sounds
so territorial.
As I said, we want to serve the Kiowa and South Barber
area with the same passion as the Zimmermans. We can tell you that we
can only do this with the cooperation of those who live in our
communities. It was common practice 20 years ago for folks to submit
articles and news to the area papers. These days, people like instant
gratification of social media and often forget the importance of
community journalism and keeping a record of events. A perfect example
and proof that newspapers are still a viable industry is to, "Look at
Facebook and tell me what happened 75 years ago."
Newspapers are a way to preserve the history of our
community in a "hard copy" form of media. We’re in your schools and
libraries, at your city, and county meetings. We’re a part of your
anniversaries, birthdays and even deaths of your friends and family.
Facebook may be instant, but we’re in it for the long haul.
Ronda and I need your help. We’ll print just about any
news item you send us. We want to. We aren’t psychic and we can’t be
everywhere at once, so that’s where you come in and help us report your
news. We love to know what’s happening in our communities. I actually
read about 20 newspapers a week around our area. I enjoy seeing how we
stack up against other communities. We’re doing well, by the way. Even
though we are experiencing a slow down in our economics, I believe the
future is bright. It can be brighter with your help. Over the coming
weeks, we’ll be wanting to include more of your news, photos and
advertising into The Gyp Hill Premiere.
Ronda and I look further than just retail business
support and subscribers. We understand the delicate balance of
agriculture and the natural resources we rely upon in Barber County with
our oil industry. If you’ve been around long enough, you’re probably
like us, this is our third or fourth oil recession we’ve experienced.
Things are looking better, but these booms come and go and we can only
hope to take temporary advantage. The most important thing is that we
don’t lose hope or vision.
I will say something controversial about Barber County:
I don’t believe in the north and south division. I’ve always had dear
friends from all over the county: north, south, east or west. And I’ve
always been envious of the community pride that Kiowa has shown over the
years. It really is time to erase that line and become a united county.
Many of us have already done that.
We are overwhelmed with Kiowa’s response to us coming
in. I can’t tell you how excited and scared we are, all at the same
time. You all deserve a good newspaper. We can do that, with your
support, so please contact us with your news and thank you to all who
have already.
If you are new to our paper, you’ll see some things you
haven’t seen before. Some things that the Zimmermans did, are only what
they could do because of their long commitment to your community. I know
there are more like them out there. We just have to connect with them.
We have some obvious differences that I hope you’ll find valuable like
our features, comics, puzzles and columnists.
This week has been the hardest and longest week of our
lives. This transition will take months of fine tuning and building
relationships with you, but I know it will be worth it, so bear with us
as we work out the kinks. There will be many. Call us or email us
anytime. Everything you need to know about Ronda and I and The Gyp Hill
Premiere are available at www.gyphillpremiere.com.
This is a positive move forward in our communities.
Thank you Rex and Diann for being so gracious and entrusting us to carry
the torch forward. We wish you a fantastic retirement and we thank you
for your selfless commitment to our county. We hope to share the
Zimmerman’s story with you very soon.
Have a great week! We look forward to working with you.
KWIBS - From
April 29, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
This is a tough week for our family. We’ve been
celebrating since late March, when Nick finally came back stateside and
married Natalie.
This week, we said our good-byes. Friday, Nick began his
long journey back to Okinawa. He will be there only a few days before he
is deployed on two different operations in the Asian theater. By the
first of June, he should be settled back in at his new job at 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing Group 36. It’s a ton more responsibility and I believe
he’s up to the challenge. Nick has worked very hard on training other
RPs on protecting their Chaplains in combat situations. His procedures
will be incorporated into future A-Schooling for all Religious Program
Specialists.
His new bride should arrive in Okinawa sometime in June,
provided all the paperwork is done.
We might be seeing Natalie in the Spring of 2020 for her
sister’s graduation, but we may not see Nick again until December 2020
when his deployment ends.
It has been wonderful having him home. These past few
weeks have been a flood of emotions for our family. We’ve done some
really fun things as a family that we won’t get to experience again for
almost two years. That’s a bitter pill to swallow, but I stand as a
proud parent of a fine young man who is serving our country and making a
huge sacrifice by being so far away from home.
We don’t yet know exactly what Nick and Natalie’s future
plans will be. Nick says that he is out at the end of his contract, but
then ponders another 4 years - and then changes his mind again. It’s ok
with us, whatever his decision will be. He’s already proven to us that
he is capable of handling whatever life throws at him and he’ll either
breeze through the rest of his deployment and then college, or he’ll
re-up and serve stateside for another 4 years and then get out of the
military. Either option is just fine with us. One thing is for certain -
he will be back in the United States at the end of next year.
All I want is for him and his new wife to be happy,
healthy and safe as they make their way around the world together.
One exciting thing they plan to do is attend the 2020
Olympics in Tokyo!
While Nick was home, we took a lot of photos. We haven’t
even seen the wedding photos yet!
This photo was my favorite of Nick and Natalie. It was
taken by Natalie’s maid of honor outside of The Gyp Hills Guest Ranch
during the night of rehearsal.
Nick didn’t want to wear his uniform while on leave, but
I begged him to wear it for photos with Natalie. He thinks I take way
too many pictures, and I probably do, but it’s these moments that bring
fond memories to mind and tears to my eyes.
We’re so excited to have Natalie as a part of our
family. She’s the first new Noland since 1998! (Nick was the most
current Noland before that!)
We love you Nick and Nat!
Have a great week.
KWIBS - From
April 22, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
It’s like someone let the wind out of my sails; more
like the air out of my tires.
After 50 years Slinkard Oil is history. Bill made the
announcement nearly a month ago, signs went up to sell his building and
he eventually got a contract pending.
I’m dating myself here, but I used to sneak down the
alleys on my mini-bike behind our house on A-Way to go buy gas from
Bill. He would pump it or Bob Smith would. It usually cost me about 30
cents to fill up my 1/2 gallon gas tank on my Honda 50. Occasionally, it
cost me a stern speech from Chief Monte Rickard, when he could catch me.
Over the years, Bill stopped pumping gas, but kept the
business going. We used him to service Ronda’s car and grandma’s car
since we could start driving. He fixed half a million flats for me.
Bill was so detail oriented when it came to servicing a
vehicle and he wasn’t shy about telling you to take it somewhere else if
he wasn’t qualified to fix it.
I remember hanging out on his lot as a kid. We were safe
there and there was one of the last pay phones in town if we needed to
call home.
I’ll miss watching him put a fresh coat of paint on that
place before it ever needed it.
I’ll also miss the free air. I could always count on
that compressor to be on 24-7, 365 days a year.
Mostly, I’ll miss his friendly smile behind his
old-school desk at his classic gas station. I wish you the best, Bill,
in your well deserved retirement.
? ? ? ?
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs Nicholas Noland! We
welcomed Natalie to our family, officially, on Saturday, April 13, 2019.
Nick goes back to Okinawa later this week for about 2 more years. It
will be sad to see him go, but I know he will soon be joined by his new
bride.
KWIBS - From
April 15, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
For the past 4 years, just one year before the Anderson
Creek Fire, I started going on some controlled burns with some friends.
I was trying to learn the importance of prescribed burning.
This year, Ronda and I joined the Gyp Hills Prescribed
Burn Association. I knew most of the members and had burned and learned
from many of them. It seemed only right to offer my help and resources.
Those resources were less than outstanding. I have two UTVs with 50
gallon sprayers, one old F350 with a 350 gallon tank and pump and one
drip torch.
My first official burn with the association was on the
Cook Ranch north of Hardtner two weeks ago. We started at around 11 a.m.
and the 360+ acres were contained by 1:30 p.m. It was a great burn.
Everyone went home full and bored. I only used 10 gallons of water all
day.
I have limited knowledge on this topic, so forgive me if
I speak out of turn, but if you use just a little water and things go
good, that’s a good burn. Someone did their preparation work.
We set a pin on the date of Monday, April 8, 2019 to
burn just under 600 acres on our ranch. Wind direction was not critical
because we had professional management help us with a burn plan that
covered any direction (that’s another benefit of belonging to this
amazing organization). Ideally, we needed a north or west wind. God
provided us a mostly west and north west wind for the day.
That’s not all He provided.
My phone and email started blowing up with people I
didn’t even really know, offering to help. We welcomed it all. Our burn
was unique. They all are in their own way. We had two priorities.
Firstly - regain grassland and replenish. Unlike most ranches though,
our ranch has a resort with 42 homes in the middle of it. That created a
safety challenge and extra help was necessary to contain and fires that
broke out of our fire lines. And they did.
I hadn’t slept in about 24 hours by burn day. We had a
lot of last minute preparations removing cedar trees from the fire line
and the thought of lighting this fire kept me awake for several nights.
Cedars are like nature’s Roman Candles. When they go up, they throw fire
and create little tornadoes that can set off fires thousands of yards
away from the controlled burn. It was our intention to keep our
residents safe and our neighbors safe.
I was up early the morning of the burn. I went down and
put coolers of water, dish soap for water tanks, torch fuel, maps and
burn plans. I got a text around 9:30 a.m. that a caravan of people were
heading our way. I had no idea.....
At about 9:50 a.m. there were more than 50 people, 20
water trucks, a 6x6 forestry truck, 9,000+ gallons of tank water, 11
UTVs, a forestry fire expert, our county emergency management director,
and neighbors and friends with more than 1,000 combined years of burning
experience; all staged at our dam at Lake Arrowhead. I actually had to
slip out and regain my composure. I was overwhelmed with everyone who
came.
Their pay for the day: A successful burn, no injuries,
full bellies and some boredom and seeing half the ranch go up in smoke.
By 2:30 p.m., we had released several people. Some stayed a few more
hours; a couple of us stayed all night and throughout the next day and a
half.
I can’t name everyone to thank, but I will hit some
highlights. Flint Rucker, his sister Jodi and son Cory came to help.
Mark Dugan, Flint and I, did the preparation work. Brian Alexander was
my burn boss. Robert Larson was my team leader with David Colborn, Jeff
Clarke and Pat Bedwell on our back fire team. Jess Crockford (prescribed
burn expert) was there lighting things up. Keith and Eva Yearout from
Z-Bar brought a giant fire truck and Eva must have walked 8 miles with a
drip torch that day. Ted Alexander came with radio communication and his
wisdom; of course his son Brian Alexander and I have been friends for
quite a while and he is teaching us more about ranching than our minds
can contain. The local NCRS and Cheryl and Wyatt at the office hooked us
up with some storage tanks and pumps, several of our residents at Lake
Arrowhead volunteered to help.
My wife did some walking along with a drip torch. She
was tired and fried at the end of the day, but we were more than happy
with the results.
The people of GHPBA are amazing and I can’t thank them
enough. Tom Carr is the president of this great association and provided
organization and his personal assistance on the day of the burn.
The most important thing I learned that day was that we
have to take care of this land. There is an invasion of cedars and
grasses that put us in danger and reduce our profitability in raising
food to feed the world.
Ronda and I are excited to be a part of this group and
we look forward to helping our neighbors, just like they have helped us.
Next week, we will have an article that Jess Crockford
is writing to help educate the area on the importance of controlled and
prescribed burning. Have a great week!
KWIBS - From
April 8, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
He’s home and he’s marrying the girl this weekend!
Nick arrived safely on Saturday, March 30th in Wichita
after about 30 hours of traveling from Okinawa.
The girl, Natalie Bare, from Pratt, KS is already a part
of the family. They’ve dated for three years and kept a two year
engagement. Saturday, April 13th, 2019 is the big day and we couldn’t be
prouder and happier for them.
I want to share some wisdom and advice for a successful
marriage.
Nick, your big day is upon us all. You have chosen
wisely. Natalie is smart and beautiful and comes from a great family.
You are blessed to have found such a person. I’m blessed in the same way
and I’m so excited at the path you’re on.
Treat her well. Always open the door for her. Treat her
like the queen that she is. Keep the romance alive.
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the
wife of your youth.
Remember - it won’t always be easy, but it will always
be worth it. Never let the sun go down while angry with each other.
Forgive quickly. Tuck her in bed every night you can. Hug, kiss, hold
hands and grow old together as friends.
I’m proud of the man you have become. Your time in the
Navy has changed you in a good way. I see how mature you have become.
Stay the course.
A few scriptures I would share with you:
Ephesians 4:2-3: "With all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Colossians 3:14: "And over all these virtues put on
love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Ecclesiastes 4:9: "Two are better than one, because they
have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one
can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help
them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how
can one keep warm alone?"
God bless you and your new wife. I love you.
KWIBS - From
April 1, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a stress zit.
Now raise your hand if you’re a liar because you didn’t
raise your hand the first time.
I’ve been a little stressed lately. If you ask my wife,
she’d probably say more than a little.
I woke up on Wednesday morning and I had this giant zit
on my neck. I’m sure it was from stress, being filthy dirty for the
better part of a week working on equipment, and my stellar healthy
living. For about 6 weeks, I’ve been out mowing fence lines and helping
burn pastures.
Spring means, it’s time to get things done at the ranch
before the busy lake season starts.
I had forgotten about the zit until I went for a hair
cut. My stylist was like, "Oh my God. You have like a third nipple, only
on your neck!"
A third nipple. That always fascinated me. Supernumerary
nipples, in the case of multiple nipples is a condition in which you
have one or more extra nipples on your body.
I actually have three friends with third nipples. How
ironic is that? I won’t name them, but I always wondered what that would
be like. Apparently, I now know.
I’m just glad it’s temporary. At least I hope it is. I
have this wedding thing coming up and I don’t want to have to turn my
head for pictures.
So my stylist had fun with it. She actually tried to
squeeze it, but it only made it bigger and sore.
"Oh! Here’s another one," she exclaimed!
It was like she’d found a diamond mine.
It was a weird experience that turned into her
straightening my hair at 360 degrees with some flat iron contraption.
I don’t even know why this column is happening, but
happy April Fools! You know I am one....
KWIBS - From March 25, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
A normal pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks,
counting from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period, which is
about two weeks before conception actually occurs. Pregnancy is divided
into three trimesters. Each of these periods lasts between 12 and 13
weeks.
Aren’t you glad to know that?
So it takes about 9 months to get your baby.
In our situation, it’s taking about 10 months.
The baby of the family, Nicholas Noland, RP3, USN, will
make his voyage home from Okinawa starting Thursday and arriving
Saturday morning to a host of family, friends and most importantly, his
anxious bride-to-be, Natalie Bare.
This is the longest we’ve gone without seeing him. His
recent promotion has also complicated our communication, so we can’t
begin to explain how excited we are to have him home and to be a part of
their wedding on April 13, 2019. It will be his longest visit home -
nearly 30 days of leave.
In the middle of him coming home, we’re working
feverishly to prepare to burn about 700 acres of pasture and prepare for
our resort season. I apologize for not getting back with several people
last week. It took me about three days to catch up on emails.
As I do enjoy being outdoors and out of the office, I
find myself in a panic when I’ve been gone for three days. Things begin
to pile up on my desk and the second I walk in the door, the sticky
notes begin to get removed one by one as I catch up.
If I missed you last week, try me again. If it’s an
emergency, you are always welcome to call my cell at 620-886-0630. The
rest of March and most of April will be super hectic for Ronda and I and
the entire family as we welcome home our son and prepare for an awesome
wedding!
Have a great week!!
KWIBS - From March 18, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Last week, we rushed around to finish up our mock up of
the paper so that I could leave town early for some mandatory continuing
education classes for my bail bond and enforcement business. Keep in
mind, this legislation was passed back in 2016 by a small group of
big-city bonding companies after, what I feel, was a failed attempt at
convincing people like me to join their association.
The sales pitch was, "You should join, so that you’ll be
kept up on legislation in our industry."
The cost to join at that time was $500. I did not see
the value in it, but soon learned of legislation that affected my
industry. The Kansas Bail Agent Association lobbied our Kansas
legislatures to pass HB 2056.
In May of 2016, Governor Brownback signed HB 2056 into
law; laying the groundwork for Continuing Education requirements for
Kansas Bail Agents and Kansas Bail Enforcement Agents. A double-sided
bill, one side of HB 2056 explains the new regulations and requirements
for all Kansas Bail Agents in regards to Continuing
Education requirements for both Surety and Property Bonding Agents. I
dread it each year.
The catch: Only the Kansas Bail Agent Association could
teach the class at a cost of $250 a year per person; half of the
original membership I was quoted. Nice play KSBAA.
Imagine being a painter and being approached by an
association claiming to represent you and your industry and then telling
you that joining will help you fight against legislation that affects
your business, but you refuse to join and then suddenly, you can’t paint
anymore unless you take a class on how to do it. Imagine you’ve done it
for almost 15 years. Do you think that you should be forced to pay for a
class?
Well, if you’re like me, our state representatives don’t
think too much about passing bills and how they will affect those who
fall under the law. For me, the closest class each year is Park City or
Hays. I have to take off on a Thursday, get a hotel room, drive up and
sit through about 8 hours of watching paint dry. This was intended on
being a pun about the painter association doing something like that.
I belong to several organizations of my own free will.
Kansas Press Association is one of those groups. Can you imagine if they
lobbied to make a law that I could not publish a newspaper without
continuing education classes first?
For the past three years, I’ve grudgingly, missed work,
tossed them a check, sat through these boring classes, grumbled through
the speakers that have nothing to do with my work, stood in line and
received a worthless piece of paper that says I was there.
Topeka is full of BS like this and lobbyist have too
much power to force issues just like this.
The same Attorney and special prosecutor who took 6
months to attempt to charge our former Sheriff with domestic battery
(that could never be proven because the spouse/victim and witnesses said
it never happened) was the morning speaker. Remember, that cost Barber
County tens of thousands of dollars and man-time to investigate and in
my opinion, was a political hack job.
He used much of his time advertising his services to his
"captive" audience at a reduced rate if we only, "paid a little more for
a full blown membership."
Officers of the KSBAA used their time to also encourage
us to join, using the same sales pitch - that if we aren’t involved,
more legislation could come down the pipe affecting us. Maybe true...
The very definition of a crime I have bonded people out
of jail from reads: Extortion - the practice of obtaining something,
especially money, through force or threats.
The force: take the class and pay $250. It’s mandatory.
The threat: if you don’t, you can’t practice your trade anymore, no
matter how long or how well you’ve done it.
Most of the afternoon session with judges present from
Sedgwick County’s court system had nothing to do with how the 30th
district handles bonds that I work. So I was forced to sit through
almost two hours of complaints from local bondsmen about how poorly the
Sedgwick County Jail operates. I really don’t care. I was there to be
"taught" something useful to my business.
Now, I do see value in these classes for new agents
entering the bonding business. We were handed booklets at the beginning
of the day that were basically the same that we’ve received three years
in a row (sponsored by the Attorney who wants us to join and use his
services at 1/2 the rate), with the legislation on why we have to take
this class. I can read. I don’t need it read to me for $250.
I’m frustrated with Topeka on many levels. I spoke with
Representative Hoffman about this issue many times with no resolution.
He either sees value in the classes or simply doesn’t care. I even
invited him to take the class last year. He didn’t. I sent him a short
video of the attorney giving away drink coozies and T-Shirts like it was
a rock concert. How does that educate me to be a better bondsman?
At this point, I would rather just join the association
for $200 a year and do away with the training since my total expenses
for the classes were over $600, plus what I lost in a days worth of work
at my real job, but that’s not an option.
On the bright side, there was a break out session on
Kansas Gun Laws that was given by a gentleman who I have known for a
couple of years. The irony was, I ran into him at a gun show last year
and told him he would actually be an "interesting" speaker at a
continuing education class. Low and behold, he was the only speaker that
I had any interest in, but still, since I already use his product and
training, I had no real benefit of hearing it again.
Topeka should get back to fixing our state’s problems
and stay out of our businesses. There is absolutely no evidence that I
benefited from this class, taken three times now, except that I am
helping fund a lobbyist to look after "my industry’s interests."
It’s not all bad. I understand we need a voice in
Topeka, but convince me of that and earn my membership. Don’t force it
upon me and my industry. My time is valuable and I don’t like it wasted.
Are you listening Topeka?
Have a great week.
KWIBS - From March 11, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
After two weeks of firing my .45 pistol, a KISS concert
in OKC and a Metallica concert Monday, my ears have had it.
For the first time in my life, I had to wear ear plugs
to go listen to music.
Monday we drove to Wichita to see the metal band that
started it all: Metallica. They aren’t exactly what I put in my
playlist, but the concert was significant because it marked 34 years of
a shared love for concerts and music that Ronda and I have together.
Our first out of town date was in mid-December 1985 when
I took her to see Ozzy Ozborne with a brand new opening act called
"Metallica". Little did we know then that we were seeing history in the
making. They were weird, loud and in our opinion, terrible. The entire
Kansas Colosseum agreed and they got a "boo" from the crowd.
A Rolling Stone article reflected their experience. Lead
singer James Hetfield said he’d never perform there again. For their
25th anniversary tour, they decided to come back to Wichita to kick off
the tour to a different tune. Their strange speed-thrash metal caught on
and they became the staple of the metal music industry and on January
14, 2009, it was announced that Metallica would be inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
There’s about a dozen Metallica songs I really like and
about 100 I really hate, but for us, it’s about production and
entertainment. Everyone has their thing. Ours is music. I can listen to
just about everything except modern country and rap music. Some people
don’t see the talent in playing the type of music that Metallica plays,
but they have a unique talent for authentic speed with music.
I reached out to a friend on Valentine’s Day of last
year and using my Jedi mind control, convinced her to let me prepurchase
4 front row tickets. The tickets went on sale to the general public the
next day and sold out Intrust Bank Arena, making it the largest event in
the arena’s history. Metallica’s Monday-night crowd of 15,690 was the
biggest the downtown arena has seen in its nine year-history, and it
busted the previous record held by country legend George Strait, who
drew 14,680 fans in 2014.
The arena was somewhat prepared for the crowd, the
city’s parking was not. We took some friends with us, ate a quick dinner
and then spent the next 45 minutes trying to find parking. We ended up
parking under the 54/400 overpass off of Emporia, three blocks away. I’m
not even sure if we were legally parked, but we didn’t get towed away!
This concert was loud in a way I can’t describe, but my
sound techy friend "Steve" met up with us to explain it all. Steve is a
great sound man who works a lot of venues in and around Wichita. He is
also owns the sound company that Peace Treaty uses.
Steve explained, "Metallica owns subs (woofers) that
were designed by the military as sonic weapons. They used the subs for a
total of three minutes off and on because the sound waves can actually
cause people to become ill and disoriented."
He added, "This sound set up was such a harmful
frequency that they use a cancelling system that changes the frequency
of the bass on stage and cancels out that signal so the bass player (who
complained his feet would go numb) and most in the audience don’t become
ill because of the low frequency."
There was so much science and technology that went into
this concert, but all I can say is, it was loud. VERY LOUD!
A little heavy metal does me some good, now and then!
Remembering my friend Michael Walker
Back in late 2004 and early 2005, we were introduced to
a band named Aranda, made up of brothers Dameon and Gabe Aranda, Chad
Roper and Michael Walker. Mike was a music instructor in Oklahoma City
and one of the neatest guys we’ve ever met. Over the next 15 years, we
would go to more than a 100 shows in 4 states and we’ve become great
friends with everyone that has come in and out of Aranda’s band over
those years.
Tragically, Monday morning, March 4th, Mike and his wife
Rachael were both murdered in the early morning hours at their home in
Edmond, OK.
If this wasn’t sad enough, the crime was committed by
their eldest son "Eli". Eli, 19, had a long history of mental illness
and was having a difficult time in his life. Whatever drove him to kill
his parents is something I will never understand and it will haunt me
forever.
Please pray for the Walker’s children during these
difficult days.
This group of people are near and dear to us. When not
touring across the country, you would find members of Aranda at
LifeChurch in the Oklahoma City metro area doing worship services.
These guys are the real deal and they are all hurting
over the tragic loss of their drummer and friend. Here’s a photo of me
and Mike in Austin, TX in 2013.
Mike was a great man. He was an amazingly talented
musician and teacher. He was soft spoken - but hilarious at just the
right moment. He was sensitive to those around him. He was gracious in
nature. He had rhythm and soul to his core. He was blessed with
countless friends, fans and family and he knew God's mercy.
He could be sweaty at times, but worth hugging after
a show! We are trusting God to heal many hearts in the days, weeks,
months and years to come without Michael Walker and wife Rachael.
Heaven gained the greatest percussionist ever.
KWIBS - From March 4, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
You know how deep a friendship runs when your buddy and
his wife will hop on different planes from cities in California, meet up
in Las Vegas and fly into Oklahoma City to spend less than 24 hours with
you and your wife for a KISS concert.
Nix and Wendy made the trip our direction on Tuesday.
Ronda and I drove down and we picked them up at the airport and then
stopped by to say hi to a couple of classmates from the MLHS Class of
1988 that live in OKC.
Jim Tedrow and Tina (Littlechild) King both work north
of Will Roger’s Airport and when they heard we would be passing through
they started blowing up my cell phone.
In fact, they called so many times that it interrupted
our GPS directions and we missed our exit. Thanks Tina and Jim!
After a quick visit, we hit the hotel, which was
completely not prepared for the crowd of people who came to see KISS on
their "end of the road" tour.
I had gone and seen KISS with Nix a couple of years ago
and got to meet the band and see the behind the scenes action. I begged
Ronda to come this time and she said, "Yes, as long as Wendy is going."
Well, Wendy came!
Ronda and I are not really big KISS fans, but we are
huge Nix and Wendy fans, so when Nix begins a conversation with, "What
are you guys doing.....?" We usually perk up to see what he has in mind.
It was a blast and here’s our latest fun photo!
This marked 4 adventures in 10 calendar months that
we’ve seen them and we always have a great laugh or two!
And Happy Birthday Mom!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 25, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
When my kids each turned 21, we celebrated with a
cold one.
I remember when Joey turned 21. We drove all the way to
Hays so we could have a beer together. It’s like a right of passage and
an entrance to true adulthood. It’s second in importance only to hitting
retirement age.
Today is my youngest’s 21st birthday. We won’t be
celebrating with a beer because he’s 7,500 miles away on a tiny island
and a Marine base south of Japan.
Over there, he’s been able to buy himself a drink since
he was 20, so this is really no big deal to him, but it’s important to
me. It’s that whole, "now son, do these things in life and not these
things," kind of moment.
So, I’m a little sad that today (yesterday for him) we
won’t be having that special bonding experience.
The good news is, he’ll be home in 34 days and on leave
for 29 days. During that time, he’ll be busy preparing for his marriage
to Ms. Natalie Bare of Pratt!
It’s been 10 long months since we last saw him.
Actually, the longest we’ve gone without seeing our son. For Natalie,
it’s only been a couple of months. She got to go to Okinawa over
Christmas and New Years to visit Nick.
And speaking of birthdays, and Ms. Natalie, her birthday
is Thursday, February 28th. She’ll be the big 2-0! Happy birthday
Natalie!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 18, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
I found this article interesting on many levels:
Marijuana smokers find tiger in vacant Houston home
Police said a group of people broke into an abandoned
Houston home to smoke marijuana and quickly discovered they weren't
alone -- there was a tiger in the house.
The Houston Police Department said the people called the
311 non-emergency line Monday when they broke into the southeast Houston
home, which was believed to be unoccupied, and discovered a tiger in a
cage.
A BARC Animal Shelter crew responded to the home with
the Houston police's Major Offender Animal Cruelty Unit and tranquilized
the tiger, nicknamed "Tyson" by rescuers after the famous scene in The
Hangover featuring boxer Mike Tyson's tiger.
Police said the tiger, which appeared well fed and in
good health, is being taken to an undisclosed animal sanctuary.
Investigators said it is legal to own a tiger in Texas
with the proper wildlife permits, but it is not legal to keep such an
animal in the city of Houston.
What the article didn’t clarify is, what happened to the
mariuanna smokers? They broke into a house to smoke marijuanna and the
only mention of a crime was having a tiger in the city limits?
Can you imagine that buzz kill and conversation? I think
it would go like this.
"Hey, let’s smoke some pot and laugh and eat Cheez-its."
"Dude, is that a tiger?"
"No man, we have to be trippin’."
"Seriously man, that’s a tiger."
"Should we call 911?"
"I don’t know the number man."
"Well, we could call 411 and get the number."
"How about we just dial 311 and report it as a
‘non-emergency’ and finish smoking."
"You’re so brilliant. Let’s do that."
"Hey, hand me that box of Cheez-its."
"Sorry, I fed them to the tiger dude."
"Dang...."
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 11, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Valentine’s Day is coming in a few days and I wanted to
share with you a love story.
Sounds so mushy. You might be thinking, "oh Lord, coming
from Kevin this could be worse than "50 Shades of Gray."
Don’t worry, this is Rated G and family friendly.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I worked for several
people around town. Luke Chapin was one of my employers. I did a lot of
mowing for him at the motel and at his lake home north of Medicine
Lodge.
My favorite time working for him was out at Lake
Arrowhead. He had a pretty snazzy Snapper lawn mower and I felt pretty
important when mowing out there. When I’d finish mowing, he’d let me wax
his boat. That sounds awful, but it meant I could jump in the lake and I
got to spend a lot of time riding his three wheeler all over creation.
On one such adventure, I saw a cute little redhead
riding on a Honda trail bike. I smiled and waved, she waved back.
Several summers went by and I would see her.
One summer I was riding Luke’s three wheeler back on the
ranch and a big red Thunderbird came screaming up behind me with the
horn honking. I stopped and this lady jumped out and proceeded to give
me the butt chewing of a lifetime. I did not realize at that time that
she would one day become my grandmother-in-law.
Late in 1985, a beautiful girl moved to town. She was a
grade ahead of me in school, but I was smitten when I saw her. I had no
clue that she was the little redheaded girl that I waved at several
summers as a kid.
One day the entire school had an assembly. It was
sponsored by the Cosmosphere and was all about NASA. We all gathered in
the gym and sat on the floor. This beautiful new girl sat right beside
me and we started talking. I wasted no time in asking her if she’d like
to hang out. She said yes. A few weeks later she asked me to the
Christmas dance and I said yes!
Then there were more dates, meeting the parents, proms
and this week, I count 34 times that she’s been my Valentine.
This love story has so many chapters and so many
adventures, they are almost unbelievable at times.
Through good times and difficult times, the love of my
life has stood by my side. She has comforted and cared for me; given me
three beautiful children, was with me as we started businesses together;
we work side by side every day and seldom do we get angry with each
other. She’s patient and kind - everything that is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
She gets more beautiful as she grows older and accepts that I get balder
and fatter with every year. She is strong, honest and is the best help
mate that God could have ever provided me. I can type this column and it
could take up the entire newspaper to tell you all of our adventures.
We’ve traveled all over, have hundreds of friends. We love the same
music, movies.
Finally, we make each other laugh, even when we need to
cry. In my mind, there has never been a better love story than ours.
That beautiful redheaded girl is my soul mate. I say
that I don’t deserve her and I can’t figure out what she saw in me that
day that she said "yes". I love her and she is the best thing that has
ever happened to me.
Proverbs 30:18-19: "There are three things that amaze
me—no, four things that I don't understand: how an eagle glides through
the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman."
Happy Valentine’s Day Ronda. I love you and thank God
for you every day.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 4, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Forget about it!
That’s so easy for me. You see, I’m an amazing
multitasking human being, as long as I do one thing at a time, in order.
I operate off of two things: A piece of paper clipped to
my Farm Bureau desk calendar and my cell phone’s appointment calendar.
If it’s not on either of those, I might have emailed myself to remind
myself to do a certain task or put that certain task on one of my
calendar reminders! The only bad thing about that is that I have 7 email
accounts and the message has to go to the correct account for me to do
the task. If it’s a ranch task, I need it to go to my ranch email
account on my phone. If it’s a task for the newspaper, I need it to go
to my gyphillpremiere.com account at the office. If it’s bail bonds
related, it needs to go to my attica.net account. If it’s Lake Arrowhead
related, it needs to go to my Lake Arrowhead account. I keep a couple of
old email addresses to steer junk mail to and talk to old friends on. I
(they) hate when I get a message from a friend on my business account
and then I don’t respond.
My office can tell you that I get the job done, as long
as I have written out what I need to get done! And when I get it done, I
cross it off my list and forget about it.
Sticky notes are my friends too. If it gets late in the
day and I know I didn’t accomplish something, it turns into a sticky
note task that gets stuck to my monitor. I can’t possibly start the next
day without seeing it.
The two things that never (NEVER) work for me are:
handing me something and asking me to bring it to the office to give to
someone else, or messaging me on Facebook about work related issues. If
you message me on Facebook, it probably dies right there. If you hand me
something and ask me to take it to the office or give it to Ronda,
expect it to take as long or longer than if you had mailed it around the
world first.
Last summer a tenant gave me a check for several
thousands of dollars and said, "Hey, would you give this to your wife?"
I told him that I’m not real good at that, but he
insisted. Two months later...... Ronda said to me, "I never got that
rent check. I’m going to call him and find out why he hasn’t brought it
by."
I told her that was not necessary. It was up in my
visor.
Things go there to die as well.
Another example of my forgetfulness happened a few years
ago. My tag was about to expire. My sweet bride paid the bill and put my
new registration on my desk along with my new insurance cards. It had
been raining that day, or she would have stuck the sticker on and put
all of the documentation in my truck. The tags expired in August. After
about a week of her reminding me, I took the registration card to my
truck.
My buddy, who is a Sheriff’s Deputy, noticed in December
that my tag was expired and asked me about it. I showed him I had it up
in my visor and he said, "well, you really need to put that on and
display it properly or you could get cited for that."
The next year in March.... I was driving to church up in
Pratt one Sunday and got pulled over. I was wondering why in the world I
was getting stopped. The nice police lady (cough-cough) gave me a $427
ticket for improper registration (and no proof of insurance because the
one that Ronda gave me was still on my desk). Even though I showed her
that I had the registration in my visor, she still wrote me the ticket.
Fortunately, the municipal judge was kind and dropped the ticket when I
showed I had complied and did have insurance.
Over the years, dozens of ads and articles have probably
been left out of your local newspaper and checks have been cancelled and
rewritten because I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. I do
apologize. Every-once-in-a-while, I remember, but in most situations,
not so much!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 28, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Short week. I’ll be back. PS: Dear Santa, Christmas is over. Take
your house down or put up a Hobby Lobby.......
KWIBS - From January 21, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Here’s a creative idea: tax people when they leave
your country.
It’s a real deal.
Japan recently implemented such a "tax."
As of January 7, 2019, the Government of Japan (GOJ)
is implementing a 1,000 Yen "International Tourist Tax" when departing
Japan.
You read that correctly because I had to read it
twice. I would have never cared except we fly our son home a couple of
times a year, so unless it’s exempt by order of the military, we’ll be
paying the fee for him to "leave" Japan.
In The Eagles’ song "Hotel California," Don Henley
sings, "You can check out anytime you’d like, but you can never leave."
So you can’t leave Japan unless you pay the 1,000
Yen. At first I was like "YIKES!" Then I looked up how much that was in
American currency. It’s about $9.20, so I’m not getting too worked up
about it yet.
But I got to thinking that this could be a pretty
cool tool to raise money for tourism in Barber County.
What if we had a "Barber County Tourist Tax?" You
could come into our county free of charge, but we tax you to leave!
Maybe you’d just stay! It’s just like "Hotel California," but we’ll let
you leave for $10.00!
As my future daughter-in-law recently discovered, the
Japanese culture is full of funny things. They have a very difficult
time translating their squiggles into our English.
Natalie went to see Nick during Christmas and we had
dinner with her after picking her up from the airport. She showed us
photos of funny things she read there. I did some checking and the
Japanese are almost hilarious when trying to accommodate for Americans.
These are real signs in Japan:
"For Restrooms, go back towards your behind."
" Please keep chair on position and keep table
cleaned after dying. Thanks for your corporation!"
"Building asks a smoked visitor in the outside
smoking section that you cannot smoke in."
In a bathroom: "You lady will push this button before
leaving."
"Back to school special: Eat Kids FREE!"
"Toilet. One Place One Dream."
"Only for women. Capsule Room. (Keep Out, Man)."
"Please urinate with precision and elegance."
"Shoplifters will be prostituted!"
On Stairs: "Beware of Missing Foot!"
At a shopping mall: "We can help you with our
pleasure!"
At a park: "Beware, this plant wears very sharp
prickles."
In a hotel: "Please refrain from taking a bath when
you are dead drunk."
On a menu: "Meat muscle and stupid bean sprouts."
While in Okinawa, Natalie shot some photos of things that cracked her
up and shared them with us when she got home. Enjoy and have a great
week!
I forget a lot of things. Thanks car door!
Just in case you haven't used one before....
By the way, "Moking" is also bad for you.
KWIBS - From January 14, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
I know we’re already a couple of weeks into a new year,
but I wanted to reflect on 2018.
Years ago, I used to journal every day. I did it when my
dad became sick with dementia. I wanted to document a really difficult
time in my life. It was somewhat of a stress-relief, but turned into
something I enjoyed doing and intended on leaving it for my children to
read someday.
When my dad passed away, I stopped. It’s something I
have wanted to start doing again, but just don’t have the motivation.
I did sit down with my iPad the other night and
reflected on 2018. Our family had a lot of ups and downs, some very
personal, but I’m usually an open book and not afraid to share in our
triumphs and our disappointments. Those difficult times in life are
learning and teaching experiences.
In 2018....
All my children were here at the beginning of the year.
Nick was home from Okinawa on leave. Joey had a short time off from work
in Phillipsburg, KS and we all got to celebrate together before Nick
left again.
Ronda and I are huge music fans. We saw the Eagles,
Peter Frampton twice, STYX, REO Speedwagon, Don Felder, The Steve Miller
Band and a few other concerts during the year.
We discovered an amazing woman named Bat-Or Kalo from
Israel. She’s a blues guitarist and singer-song writer. We loved her and
her band so much, we hired her to play at our 30th wedding anniversary
over the summer in June. To top off that wonderful celebration, Nick
flew home from Japan and surprised us with a certificate from his
command. We were honored to pin him as an E3. He finished the year as a
Third Class Petty Officer.
Joey has been with the White’s Foodliner family for
almost 10 years now and he was given the opportunity to manage a new
store in St. John, KS. He’d been in Phillipsburg for a year working,
learning produce. We are so proud of him and wish the best for the
Whites for their endeavors. We also got to meet Joey’s girlfriend Haley!
We love her and are excited about her being a part of our family.
During the summer we enjoyed our time with our kids and
grandkids at the lake. It’s sometimes hard for us to unwind. Summer is
busy for us running a resort, a newspaper and being a bail bondsman, but
we made a lot of memories. It was an exceptionally wet year and things
were so green, which meant a lot of mowing, but we found time to relax
in the evenings and weekends. I did, however, take a fall and hurt my
shoulder and am still recovering.
Our class celebrated our 30th reunion. Brett Fincher
always organizes and does such a great job putting these on and he did
it just weeks after losing his dad, Ron Fincher, a staple in our
community.
I lost a friend. His name was Mike Pickens and we shared
a love of music together. He was my age and died suddenly. Many of you
heard his handy work, as he was part of the sound crew for Peace Treaty
events over the years.
Sadly, we too had to bury a family member. Our German
Shepherd, Hyde, was two weeks shy of his 15th birthday. He lived a long
life and we loved him dearly. It was one of the saddest days of my life
to lay him to rest on the ranch. The hardest part was telling my son who
was half a world away and spent the majority of his life with that dog.
We’ll probably never have another pet again because of how much it hurt
when he died.
As stressful as this event can be, we had a great Peace
Treaty. Ronda and I have been on the board for many years and you cannot
find a better group of people. The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty
Association is passionate about our area’s rich history and works
tirelessly to put on events for the community. We had almost decided it
was our time to step down, but I ended up being elected President and
Ronda went from Treasurer to Secretary. I learned so much from people
like Rick and Betty Jo Swayden, Sarah Whelan, Robert Larson, Steve
Bryan, Richard Raleigh, David Colborn, Joscelyn Nittler, Aaron Traffas,
Mike Roe, Cathy Colborn, Kaye Kuhn, Kyle Thomas, Deb Kolb and Danielle
Farr and so many other great folks. I want to thank them all for
trusting us to lead this exceptional group of people. I always say there
is not one person on that board that we can do without. They are amazing
and we are truly honored to continue to be a part of it.
Ronda and I both turned a year older. She hit the half
century mark, I’m not far behind her. For her birthday, our friends Nix
and Wendy White from California, took us on an amazing trip to New
Orleans where we got to tour the city, enjoy the culture and attend a
New Orleans Saints’ game vs. The Philadelphia Eagles. After the game,
Nix arranged an introduction to Quarterback Drew Brees and his family.
We got a real VIP experience that we’ll never forget.
Throughout the last part of the year, we had sorrow
again after my daughter and her husband divorced after 8 years. We also
lost a friend at Lake Arrowhead. Byron Hummon died. He was a part of our
lake family and we will miss him.
Christmas was different for us this year. It was hard
because we didn’t have our traditional family Christmas. Nick was unable
to come home due to leave time, money and his upcoming wedding in April,
so we all chipped in and sent his fiance’ to Okinawa. We missed them
both at our gatherings, but we enjoyed all the photos and facetimes with
them as they celebrated Christmas and the New Year!
I’m looking forward to 2019. I know there will be ups
and downs. That’s how life goes, but I am looking forward to Nick and
Natalie’s upcoming wedding in April; Joey is going on another mission’s
trip to Haiti; Breeann has a new friend in her life; we have another
spring and summer to look forward to (notice I left out fall and
winter!); there’s a lot to do on the ranch that we love; our grandkids
are growing up; our friends are getting older, as are we.
Life’s cycle continues and I hope 2019 is a great year
for us and for you. Thanks for reading, happy 2019 and may God bless you
all.
KWIBS - From January 7, 2019 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda and I were the victims of a home invasion last
Tuesday evening.
I had started home around 6 p.m., it was getting dark
and I was driving an unfamiliar vehicle to me and the owner was with me.
The unfamiliar truck ran out of gas about a mile from my house.
Fortunately, a nice young man passing by picked me up and brought me to
the shed, where Ronda was already waiting for me. I left the owner of
the vehicle standing on the side of the road while I found a gas can and
filled up.
Obviously, we were not home, but our door alarm went
off, so we hurried to the house. We were just a short distance away, on
the ranch, when the alarm went off.
As we were coming around the back side of our home, we
could see a white van leaving our house and heading south on Resort
Road. We had to make a decision; do we check on our home or do we chase
after the mystery van?
We chose to check on our home and call the Sheriff’s
Department if needed. I left Ronda in the truck and ran in the door and
looked around. Nothing was out of place. I decided they weren’t far
ahead of us and I could probably catch them. I turned around and saw the
evidence left behind and chuckled to myself.
One of our neighbors up at the lake had brought us a
plate of cookies and a Christmas card. Since we weren’t home, they just
placed the cookies on the table and left. It set off the silent alarm on
our door, but fortunately, the audible alarm was not armed. I passed
Ronda’s vehicle as I walked out the door and told her everything was all
right and to meet me at the gas tank. She pulled up. I gassed up my can
and jumped back in.
"Was everything ok in the house," she asked?
"Yes, I figured it out, but let’s get back to that truck
and get it off the side of the road," I said.
Ronda was left confused. I was developing a plan to keep
the cookies to myself. I just had to beat her back to the house and hide
them.
We got back to the truck on the side of the road and my
friend was standing there waiting on us. He was holding a plate of
cookies.....
My wife was like, "Hey, where did you get those
cookies?"
He was about to blow my cover.
"Some nice people in a white van just stopped to see if
I was ok and I told them I was with you guys and they handed me this
plate of cookies, they said ‘Happy New Year’ and drove off," he said.
Now my cover was seriously blown.
Ronda figured out quickly that it was Brendon and Rachel
Wray and their children who had set off our door alarm and now there was
no way I was hiding those cookies from her.
We raced home and gorged ourselves on the plate of
cookies in a friendly family feud.
Happy New Year!
KWIBS - From December 24, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
It’s Christmas Eve!
I have to be honest, Christmas is sometimes not my
favorite holiday. It’s not Christmas’s fault - it’s mine.
My heart and my head forget what a great day we are
celebrating; the birth of Jesus.
The world tells us that it’s about gifts, food, drinks
and ugly sweaters. The simplicity of God becoming man in the form of a
helpless baby actually becomes this complicated and confusing situation
where the meaning is lost.
The Bible is a love story. It’s God’s love for his
creation, no matter how horrible it chooses to be. If you celebrate
Christmas for the right reason, you know how difficult this season can
be on your spirit. The Devil loves to contort and cause us to fall off
the rails during this time of remembrance and celebration. I know I’m
sounding really preachy, but this column is as much for me as it is for
anyone reading it.
We have a good God and we have a willing Savior in
Jesus. Santa did not die on the cross and the elf on the shelf did not
rise as the first of all who believe in the scriptures. The book of
Isaiah was written nearly 700 years before the birth of Jesus. It goes
into great detail of the prophecy of his birth and his death. It’s
undeniably one of the most fascinating books of the Bible.
As a believer, I have to be ashamed of myself for not
being in the Christmas spirit EVERY DAY! What makes it so difficult for
me, or you, to not experience the joy of Christmas every day of our
lives?
We’re all born and we all die. The birth of Jesus is the
celebration of life. It’s a promise from our God that we too will live
forever in Him; a simple, yet so complicated thing to believe (or have
faith) in.
Despite every distraction in life, I choose this
Christmas to simply thank God for loving me. Historically, our dates are
probably off on the official "birthday" of Jesus, but we have that one
day to celebrate and remember that, even though I am a sinner, God loved
me enough to send his Son into this world to die for my sins.
With that truth, should come joy!
Remember when we were all just kids ready to open
presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas day? That simple excitement
should be how we feel about what we are really celebrating. We’ve
received the greatest gift that a person can get - life!
I’m thankful that I can write to you and tell you how I
feel about Christmas. I’m glad you are reading this.
Ronda and I and our families want to thank you for
supporting us all of these years. It is my honor to wish you and your
families a Merry Christmas!
Whatever is going on in your life, good or bad, stop for
a moment to think about what Christmas is about and I leave you with a
different Christmas scripture that maybe you’ve read a hundred times,
but consider the context during this season of celebration:
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We
have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from
the Father, full of grace and truth.
Merry Christmas
KWIBS - From December 17, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Plans change.
Sunday afternoon I was making plans to go and do a
fugitive recovery for Monday in Wichita. My hopes were to find my guy
quickly, get him booked back into Sedgwick County and then go see Byron
Hummon who had been sick and in the hospital. I also was wanting to
check on my neighbor John Nixon, who was also in the hospital in
Wichita.
Sunday night, my contact did not respond with an
address, so I postponed my trip. Sadly, Byron passed away early the next
day. I felt like I didn’t get to say good-bye.
Byron and Carolyn have a home at Lake Arrowhead and
they’ve been a part of the family out there for many years. We’ve spent
many a Friday in the summer, having a drink and discussing life at
"Party Cove" with our lake family. Byron was wise and I cherished our
friendship.
Byron was a generous man to many people with his time
and his money. He was humble and always cheerful around Ronda and I. We
will miss him at "Party Cove" this spring when the weather gets nicer
and we all meet again.
I missed John too. Thankfully, he is recovering and
getting better every day.
It seems like our neighborhood goes into hibernation
during the colder months. Living between two lake resorts makes us
appreciate the warmer days. Unlike living in town, there’s literally
nothing to do where we live when the weather turns. Days get shorter and
we hide in our warm homes, longing for the warm days, playing at the
lake, riding our cycles, shooting fireworks and fishing. I pray John
will be up for that really soon.
Tell your friends you love them while you can. It’s
really easy, but we forget that we live on borrowed time. Prayers for
Carolyn and family during this time of loss that we all feel.
KWIBS - From December 10, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
I remember registering to vote on my 18th birthday in
1988. A presidential race was heating up between George H.W. Bush and
Michael Dukakis.
It was my first time to vote and I voted for George H.W.
Bush. He won. I felt like I had won something too.
Although Bush was a one-term president, I learned a lot
about Government and history during his presidency. It was a scary time
as a young adult. The Gulf War was ramping up, Saddam was going to
launch us into WWIII. Bush was a capable leader, a veteran himself, that
would lead the way to remove the tyrant from Kuwait.
President Bush formed a true coalition of willing
nations that easily sent Saddam back from Kuwait to Iraq with his tail
between his legs. He made life safe for my generation. Many of my
friends fought in Desert Storm.
Again in 1992, I voted for President Bush. This time he
lost to Bill Clinton. I noted how graceful the peaceful transfer of
power happened from Bush to Clinton. We seemed friendlier to each other
in those days.
I loved seeing what life after president was for Bush.
He embraced life, loved his family and continued to serve his country,
even doing it along side Bill Clinton.
At the time of his wife Barbara’s death on April 17,
2018, George H. W. had been married to Barbara for 73 years; theirs was
the longest presidential marriage in American history.
41 passed away on Friday night, November 30th, 2018. My
iPhone "dinged" with the AP report of his passing. I watched his funeral
on Wednesday and Thursday. It was a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man
and a great statesman.
"Die young, as old as possible," - George H.W. Bush.
God Bless George H.W. Bush and his family.
KWIBS - From December 3, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Years ago former teacher Dale McCurdy taught me the
value of time management and scheduling.
We would go on trips together and he would actually send
me a spreadsheet that mapped out our vacation.
He would start every trip out with "backwards planning."
This backwards planning intrigued me. What was it? How
did it work?
Dale explained, "Take the time you wish to arrive,
subtract travel, subtract estimated fuel stops, bathroom breaks and then
leave 30 minutes earlier than that."
It’s a pretty clever way to get to things on time.
So two weeks ago when we traveled to New Orleans, our
trip home was carefully orchestrated using Dale’s "backwards planning"
method.
Ronda and I had a Peace Treaty Board meeting in Medicine
Lodge at 7 p.m. that we had to be at, so our story begins at 7 p.m.
Leaving from New Orleans at 10 a.m. would have put us
back in Oklahoma City at 1:20 p.m. Grabbing our bags and finding our car
(add 30 minutes), consider a bathroom and fuel break (add 30 minutes),
and road time (add 3:30 minutes), meant that we would arrive just before
5 p.m., leaving us plenty of time to clean up, eat and make it to our
meeting.
Everything started out smoothly. We arrived and boarded
our flight and that’s the last time that day that we stayed on
schedule....
"Hello and welcome to Southwest to Houston," the captain
said. "We’ve got some bumpy weather ahead and our approach would be
determined by Houston. We could be delayed by as much as an hour."
We had 1 hour and 20 minutes layover. That would be
tight, but we would be ok.
As expected, we landed an hour late in Houston and it
was pouring down rain. We entered at gate 45 and our connecting flight
was at gate 4 on the other side of the terminal.
We hauled butt, stopping to use the bathroom and
grabbing some to go food and literally made it to board the next flight.
We got our seats, got comfortable and prepared to take
off when the captain said, "Welcome aboard Southwest to Oklahoma City,
we will be delayed a few minutes while we wait on two passengers from a
connecting flight as well as waiting on their baggage. We should be
exiting and cleared for take off in a few minutes.
A few minutes turned into about an hour and then we took
off.
"We’ve got clear skies today and we’re going to bump
this up and get you folks to Oklahoma City as close to on time as
possible," the captain stated.
We did land only about 20 minutes late. Ronda and I got
off the plane and went to baggage claim.
Three flights landed at the same time and the carousel
was crammed with folks looking for baggage.
It seemed like a long time, but our baggage eventually
arrived. I grabbed it, noting how heavy it felt.
I must have lost muscle tone over the weekend of playing
football with Drew Brees and Nix White, or maybe not.
We hurried to our truck, which we had forgotten what
floor we had parked on. Once we found it, I heaved our bag in and Ronda
got us out on the interstate.
I noted the time.
"We’re going to be tight," I told Ronda. It was 3:15
p.m.
Ronda exceeded the recommended interstate travel speed
and we hit Blackwell, OK with enough time to fuel up, grab a snack and
take a bathroom break.
Then I got a bond call from an inmate in Barber
County....
The calling inmate’s employer lived in Kiowa, had the
money and would co-sign. We had to make a detour and we had a 20 minute
buffer.
Ronda took off towards Kiowa.
I decided since we were not going to make it home in
time to change, that I would grab my sports coat, a nice shirt and some
cleaner pants from the luggage.
I had flown from New Orleans in a concert shirt and
ripped up blue jeans. The only thing I had to change into was the nicer
clothes that I wore to dinner on Saturday night. They weren’t dirty, we
just ate dinner and went back to the hotel.
While trusting my wife’s driving, I took off my seatbelt
and unzipped the bag.
She instantly slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting
farm equipment that pulled out in front of us. I was tossed onto the
console and we laughed while I went back to trying to find clothes.
That’s when I discovered why our bag was so heavy.
Everything inside of it was soaking wet.
Our bags must have sat out on the tarmac in Houston
during the rain.
I carefully pulled out my coat, which was wet; my pants,
which were wet; my socks, which were really wet and my shirt, which was
wet and wrinkled.
I put everything on and turned my heated seats up full
blast. I also pointed all the vents at me and turned up the fan. By the
time we reached Kiowa, I was just moist, but exhausted.
We got our signatures and money and agreed to meet up
with our defendant after the Peace Treaty board meeting, which was in 30
minutes.
We left Kiowa and hit Medicine Lodge at 6:50 p.m. We
pulled into the office. Ronda touched up her makeup and we shared a road
taco that was now almost 3 hours old.
It was 7:01 p.m. when we walked into the meeting. We
were fashionably late and I was dryer than I was at Blackwell, or Kiowa,
but still a little damp.
The "backwards planning" had sort of worked. We made it
almost in time.
So thanks Dale, for the lesson on time management!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From November 26, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
"It’s not, what you know, it’s who you know."
I’m not sure who first said this, but I’ve repeated it
several times in my life. It’s really a true statement. I’ve met some
very educated people that don’t go far in life and I’ve met some
goofballs that dream big, reach for the stars and actually grab a few.
That’s Nix White, long-time buddy, 1988 graduate of MLHS,
retired Navy SEAL and owner of FrogX Parachute. You probably know this
guy if you’ve been to a Peace Treaty in the last decade. He jumps out of
a helicopter and lands in the middle of Main Street during the parade.
It’s pretty amazing.
Nix is a regular guy that’s had a
larger-than-life-real-life. He’s been all over the world as a SEAL. He’s
met presidents and all sorts of celebrities. He just knows a lot of
people. I should say, he knows a lot of important people.
When he called me three weeks ago and asked what my
November and December schedule looked like, I asked him what did he have
in mind?
Nix always has an adventure in mind.
Back in 1999 he invited us out to San Diego. Nix and his
wife Wendy took us to Tijuana, MX. That’s a column in itself.
In 2016 he called me up while I was in Amarillo, TX and
asked me to pick him up at the airport in Wichita the next day. He had a
surprise for me. He took me and a friend to see KISS. We didn’t just see
them, we met them and hung out with them for an afternoon because Nix
knew their tour manager.
So you can only imagine how peaked my interest was for
what he had in mind this time.
"Want to meet up and go to New Orleans," he asked?
So I had to know more specifics. First, a date would be
handy. He simply said, "I’ll get back with you."
The next thing I knew, it was two weeks later and he had
my flight and Ronda’s flight confirmed and hotel accommodations made.
The big news: We were going to the New Orleans Saints’ game vs. the
Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday!
Oh, it gets way better.
Through the years, Nix had become personal friends with
Drew Brees and his wife Brittany.
Using Google as my friend, since joining the Saints in
2006 as Quarterback, Brees has led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns,
passing yards, and 300-yard games. Brees holds the NFL records for
career pass completions, career completion percentage and career passing
yards and Nix asked him if he could bring a couple of friends to New
Orleans to go to the game and meet him afterwards.
So Ronda and I booked out of here on a Friday and made
it, just in time, for our flight out of Oklahoma City. We had a short
stop in Houston and made it to the hotel at 10 p.m.
The concierge met us at this very luxurious hotel called
"The Windsor Courts." The place was "swanky" as I like to say. He
informed us our bags would be up shortly and we were in for a real
surprise.
That was an understatement. Our suite on the 17th floor
was beyond description. It was adjoined to another suite. We hadn’t
noticed that until we walked in and saw that we had a welcome note from
Nix and Wendy, which included chocolates and my favorite bourbon (to be
sipped on Bourbon Street) later that night.
The next thing I knew was Nix burst through the door to
welcome us to New Orleans. Their rooms and our rooms were at the end of
the long hallway. We had a private balcony that overlooked the French
Quarter. We were completely blown away.
Of course this was another, "I know a guy," story from
Nix. He knew the general manager of the hotel.
So we went out, listened to jazz music, walked Bourbon
Street all night and slept until noon on Saturday before touring the
cemeteries and French Quarter. We ate everything we could and saw as
much as we could stand until we dropped from exhaustion.
Again, we slept in until noon on Sunday and then
ventured to the Mercedes Benz Superdome. Now keep in mind that Ronda and
I are Dallas Cowboys fans. We cheer for the Saints, as long as they
aren’t playing the Cowboys.
Before we left for the game, there was a knock at the
door. It was Nix carrying Saints’ jerseys for me and Ronda.
"You can’t go to the game without wearing Drew’s
number," he told me.
And just like that, we were at the game, but Nix had
more surprises. We walked in, showed them a special pass and bam! We
were on the field for pregame. Nix walked us over where we stood by a
tunnel and out came the Saints and out came Drew Brees.
After they warmed up, we went back up and took our seats
and watched the Saints whoop the 2018 Superbowl Champs.
After the game, Nix handed us new passes and said to
follow him. We went into a hospitality area and had some drinks and eats
and watched Drew do his post game interview. The Brees family greeted us
warmly. Just after seeing Drew leave the television screen, he walked in
to the room, hugged his family and came over to see us.
Meeting Drew Brees was going to be awesome, but I had
another plan. I had my son, Nick, in my pocket.... I had facetimed him
in Japan and he had a bunch of marines and sailors waiting to see Drew
Brees.
After a quick introduction, I told Drew about Nick and
Nix added that he was serving in Japan. Drew’s grandfather had stormed
the beaches in Okinawa in WWII.
I asked, "Would you say hi to my son?"
Drew grabbed my phone and started having a conversation
with Nick. It was priceless.
Nix had given Nick a signed Drew Brees jersey after he
had won the superbowl back in 2010, so Nick was pretty excited to talk
to this football legend.
After the conversation ended, Drew asked, "Hey, you guys
want to go and hang out on the field for a while?"
You know that there was no hesitation. We all crammed
into an elevator and walked out on to the field in the now empty
Superdome.
There is no way to describe how incredible this was, but
it keeps getting better.
Nix and I have always had this tradition where we stunt
some hilarious photo. At least we think we are hilarious. Nix asked Drew
if he would play along and he set the scene. Nix and I were on the line
and Drew was calling out the plays. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so
hard in my life. Ronda took the photo.
Imagine this: Here we were, on the Saint’s 10 yard line
(with horrible stance), with Drew Brees behind us calling out the plays.
It took a few shots, but we have a winner!
So it’s not what you know, it’s who you know and I know
Nix.
The best part of the weekend was just hanging out with
Nix and Wendy. They are cool people, both veterans and great friends.
Nix and I broke out cigars Sunday night before we left.
That’s another tradition. At least I remembered to bring cigars!
Thanks Whites, for the weekend of a lifetime that we’ll
never forget! We can’t wait for the next adventure!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From November 12, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
There’s a place for everything and everything in its
place.
This was something that Ronda’s mother taught her at a
very young age.
If it would have come out of my mouth, it would have
sounded more like everything goes on the kitchen table or on the floor
by the door.
Ronda’s mother was wise, neat and orderly. She got that
from her mother Mildred Meairs. Mildred, Barbara and Ronda all keep a
clean home. I would also say that in 30 years, Ronda has trained me
pretty well to keep my things put away. The consequences of not putting
my things away is that she’ll put them where she thinks they go. That’s
not necessarily a bad thing unless she forgets where she put whatever I
left out. For instance, I probably own 30 hammers. I know where 3 are.
The other 27 got "put away."
There are times where our philosophies on where things
go clash. She has her usual go-to places for things I leave laying
around if it’s missing because I left it out, I start with my bathroom
counter. From there I go to my closet. Finally, if I can’t find it, I
look in the garage.
At first glance, my garage looks pretty unorganized. I
know where about 90% of the things are that I need, but that other 10%;
that’s anyone’s guess.
To further complicate matters, as we both get older we
swear we know exactly where we put things, when we actually don’t.
I swore when I got home last Monday, I put my jacket on
a chair at the kitchen table. When I didn’t find it there, I went to my
bathroom. It wasn’t there, so I looked in my closet. I was pretty
baffled when I couldn’t find it, because I had just worn it like 30
minutes before I lost it and I knew it wasn’t in the garage. When Ronda
asked what I was looking for, I sheepishly told her I couldn’t find my
jacket. She lowered her head and said look on the chair in front of your
closet. She has a new go-to place.....
My closet is full.
KWIBS - From November 5, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
We will celebrate Veterans Day on Friday. This special
holiday has so much meaning to my family. The actual holiday falls on a
Sunday this year, but MLHS will honor veterans at a program at 1:45 p.m.
on November 9th.
I’m deeply moved by the service that people give to
their country in the armed forces. Although I did not serve, I have the
utmost respect for those who did and are serving. My dad was in the Navy
during Viet Nam. His service actually had him in and around Cuba during
a tense time with Russia. He later did joint missions with many
countries in South America. He was a radio technician on a mine sweeper.
His Navy career is the reason I am now here writing this
column. My dad was a Kansas native who met my mother in Rhode Island at
a YMCA dance. As a result of that meeting, and later a marriage, I was
born in 1969 in Providence, RI. When my dad’s time in the Navy was
finished, we moved back to Kansas and I’ve never lived anywhere else.
It came full circle two years later when my son
graduated from MLHS and went into the Navy, a decision that I am very
proud of. He is approaching his second year of service and is now
stationed with the Marines on a base in Okinawa as an RP (Religious
Program Specialist).
His duties as a Religious Program Specialist might seem
sort of unimportant, but after boot camp and his "A" schooling, Nick
went through 14 weeks of Marine Combat Training that he described as
"worst thing ever". Now he treasures the memories. He switched from
"Blue" side Navy to "Green" side Navy. He is considered by his fellow
Marines as one of their own. He trains, eats, sleeps and is in all
practical measures, a Marine. In just a few months he’ll have his FMF
pin.
The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined
general and special purpose forces within the United States Department
of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare
and defensive maritime employment. The Fleet Marine Forces provide the
National Command Authority (NCA) with a responsive force that can
conduct operations in any spectrum of conflict around the globe.
So, he’s not really just an assistant to a Chaplain.
He’s a combatant. Sometimes I joke with him that he’s an armed librarian
and secretary, but he does own the phrase, "We fight tonight." I pray
that he never does.
All kidding aside, Nick is an awesome shot. According to
Chaplain Jones, Nick earned the "expert marskmanship" ribbon with a
broken rifle in Okinawa.
During the past year, Nick has served with the Marine
Wing Support Squadron - 172 "Firebirds" at Camp Foster, Okinawa. They
are the "Tip of the Spear" in the event of a deployment in the South
Pacific. It’s taken me an entire year to study up and learn about what
they do and just when I thought I learned enough to understand what they
do, Nick is about to advance to the command building after his promotion
to Third Class Petty Officer (hopefully in December). So dad has a new
learning curve.
Thank God for the internet and Wikipedia! From what I’ve
seen from pictures Nick has sent me, he’s near a lot of carriers with
attack helicopters. There are a bunch of amphibious assault vehicles and
tanks and other attack ships. Nick doesn’t tell me much more than that.
The kid who graduated from MLHS in 2016 who talked nonstop and had never
seen the ocean, is now the kid who seems to be keeping a tight lip on
what he does and where he’s at, but he’s almost always at the beach,
surrounded by ocean!
I know he’s participated in several operations. One of
those operations was a U.S. - Philippine mission back in April or May.
He also made a quick trip into South Korea that I can’t even share what
I do know, which isn’t very much.
What I do know is that I am extremely proud of my son.
He takes his job very seriously - most of the time. Nick has seen and
done more in his 2 short years after high school than most of us get to
do in a lifetime. I’m glad he made the decision to serve our great
nation and to be a part of something bigger than just himself.
His immediate plans are to marry his sweetheart Natalie
Bare in April and move her over to Okinawa as soon as possible! He says
he wants to share the beauty of the island with her as he finishes his
tour which will be sometime after 2021. As for continuing his service,
Nick’s mind changes from day to day. No matter what his decision, I know
he will never regret his time of service in the Navy with the Marines.
Thank you to every veteran who has served our country.
From a combatant to support staff, each member of our military is
necessary to maintain peace in our crazy world. Thank you for your
service and for your sacrifice to keep us free. You all have my deepest
admiration.
Thank you to my son for serving. I know it’s hard being
so far away from home, but you are doing something incredible and we are
so proud of you!
Chaplain Marquis Jones’ uncle said about the photo below
with Nick, "You preach heaven in them and he shoots the hell out of
them."
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From October 29, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
My first experience of vertigo was in 1983 while being a
passenger in my dad’s Piper 210 airplane.
The instructor did a climb and stall and then rolled out
of it. I remember the sensation of just being lost and not in the right
place.
I wasn’t exactly a roller coaster rider as a kid. As a
grown up, I’ve ridden every roller coaster I can find. It’s a great
thrill, but I always experience vertigo. I haven’t been on a roller
coaster in about 5 years, so I had forgotten the sensation until
Wednesday of last week.
Ronda was driving me to a doctor’s appointment in
Wichita. We left the driveway and my attention was on paperwork in my
lap. We hadn’t gone very far down the road, when I had a sensation that
just being lost and not in the right place. When I looked up, the
terrain was wrong and my brain got more confused.
"Where are we," I asked?
Ronda said, "The township road. Why do you ask?"
That’s when I said, "Umm.... we are going the wrong
direction!"
Ronda had turned south like we do every morning to go to
town and go to work. Wichita was the other direction. We laughed and
then we turned around.
The vertigo stayed with us the rest of the day. We
decided to see George Palmer after his hip surgery. He sent me a text
and said he was on North Ridge Road. That was perfect, since my
appointment was also on North Ridge. We drove up and down Ridge, but
couldn’t find the recovery center where George said he was at.
As it turned out, George was on Webb Road, way out East.
We missed two exits on the way. When we finally found him, almost an
hour later, we all had a good laugh.
Happy Birthday to my bride of 30 years!!! She’s
celebrating a milestone on November 3rd!! I love you Ronda!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From October 22, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Do you ever have days that you feel like your
significant other (in this case, my wife) is angry with you? We’ve been
married for 30+ years now and we can read each other pretty well. I
could tell she was frustrated about something. I just didn’t know what
it was.
Several months ago I had an accident and injured my
shoulder. I’ve been in a significant amount of pain and discomfort and
haven’t been sleeping well. While I’m waiting to see a surgeon, I’m
slowly getting more mobility and for the first time in almost two
months, I had a great night’s sleep Wednesday night into Thursday
morning! In fact, I went to bed shortly before midnight and slept until
9:15 a.m. the next day. It was some kind of adult sleeping record for
me.
Unfortunately, my great night of sleep must have
translated into a terrible night’s sleep for my wife. From what she
tells me, I snored. Loudly. Like one of the seven trumpets blowing from
the book of Revelation.
So Thursday, I was all bubbly and bouncy and busy, but
Ronda was a zombie, and might I say, a slightly grumpy zombie. I could
tell something was wrong, but for the life of me, I could not remember
what I had or hadn’t done to make her mad. To top that off, I was
incredibly busy, running in several directions.
It wasn’t until the end of the day that I asked her what
was wrong and she told me it was the snoring that kept her up all night.
I feel really badly about that.
I probably feel worse about telling her that sometimes
she snores too and keeps me awake.
I probably just should have kept that to myself.
I was setting myself up to be Lucy and Desi Arnaz from
"I Love Lucy."
They were married in real life, but slept in separate
bedrooms on the series. Some claim that "The Musters’ Herman and Lily
were the first couple to be portrayed sleeping in the same bed on
television. The eligibility of this one as a valid claim to rights is
sometimes questioned because the Munsters weren’t exactly a "human"
couple.
Fred and Wilma bunked together on their rock bed in The
Flintstones from 1960-66 (but their eligibility is also questioned
because despite being human in character, they were cartoons and not
real actors). I remember several times Fred snored through episodes when
he and Wilma were sleeping. I think Wilma was just fine and obviously
humanity continued and evolved, at least in cartoon world.
Yes, this may have all taken place in the "early days,"
but even as late as 1969-74 series "The Brady Bunch", six children
shared a single bathroom that lacked even a toilet.
I’m sorry, I regress and I apologize to Ronda for
keeping her up all night with my snoring.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From October 15, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Joey Noland and Tonya White
Small town rural America can not survive without people
like Pat and Tonya White and their children: Jordan and Julia White,
Brennan White and Karly White. For more than 65 years this family has
invested in small towns in Kansas with grocery stores.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know this family over the years
after they purchased Parker’s IGA back in the early 1990s. It was nearly
the same time that Ronda and I started The Gyp Hill Premiere.
Since that time, two of my children worked in their
store in Medicine Lodge. Both Joey and Nicholas stocked shelves in high
school.
I want to brag and gush over this family. Joey Noland
has worked for the White’s Family Grocery store for almost ten years.
They have taught him so much and now given him the opportunity to be a
store manager. Although he’s still in training, I watched him from a
distance at the grand opening of the St. John White’s Foodliner last
Wednesday and thought about all the opportunities that he’s been given
by the Whites. I hope he makes them as proud of Joey as I am. He loves
the community of St John and he loves White’s family.
I’m so proud of his work ethic and enthusiasm. It was so
much fun to sit back and watch the community of St John get a new
grocery store on that day and listen to speeches given by their economic
development group and Pat White.
We were so happy to be a part of the celebration. The
Whites get little recognition for all they do for their communities.
Many people don’t realize that they were one of the largest sponsors for
the 2018 Peace Treaty. There were no giant checks or big stories about
them in the newspaper. Not because we didn’t appreciate their support,
but they were super busy getting ready for the wedding of their son
Jordan to his lovely wife Julia during that week.
They didn’t make those donations for the publicity. They
did it because they truly care about the communities they serve.
Pat and Tonya are good people and they’ve raised some
great kids. Ronda and I appreciate their friendship and for them giving
Joey a chance to do something big.
Seeing Joey grow and succeed is a blessing to his mother
and I. Thank you Pat and Tonya White, Jordan and Julia White, Brennan
White and Norm Clouse for mentoring him. I’m biased, but I think you’ve
got one great young man working for you.
Congratulations to the city of St. John and all of the
organizations that worked so hard to convince the Whites to come to
town. You will never regret asking them to put in that store.
I was very impressed with the warm reception they were
given. There was even a marching band present at the ribbon cutting.
Small towns like Medicine Lodge and St. John should be
thankful for families like the Whites who are willing to make huge
investments in the communities they serve.
In an age where box stores take over and run out the mom
and pop businesses that are the heart and soul of rural America, the
Whites take a chance and provide a service that’s very challenging.
Also deserving of some praise is Lance and Sloan
Freeman. They are young and motivated people who call our area home and
they are growing their business and have placed a pharmacy inside. It
was fun seeing them on Wednesday.
Congratulations to you all!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From October 8, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
We have a snapshot of how Peace Treaty 2018 went and
tonight The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Board will meet to discuss what
we already know to be true.
Attendance to our Pageant productions over the three day
weekends are on a steady decline, similar to preceding pageants up until
2012 when it nearly became the last pageant.
The hard truth is, every Peace Treaty could be the last.
It brings in a huge crowd to Medicine Lodge. The crowds just don’t
translate into numbers of tickets sold to the pageant and that is the
Association’s main bread and butter to continue the celebration.
I hear two main excuses of why people don’t attend and
none of them are legitimate.
"I’ve seen it already." - Well great. I watched it 5
times in 9 days this year between rehearsal and performances and
participated in many scenes. I love it each time I see it. It is
breathtaking to watch the skill of our community’s riders. I am in awe
of the history of our area and would personally not change much of how
it is presented. "It’s too expensive." - Seriously? $30? I could never
pull that excuse off. Going to a movie costs close to $10 a person
without ordering food. Going to dinner at a nice place is closer to $20
a person. Going to a concert is closer to $100. This event is 2 hours of
action and history packed into a beautiful amphitheater with over 400
actors. It’s cheap!!
Most who come to town only go to the free events. Those
free events can’t happen without good attendance to the pageants or we
come up with a new way to raise money. Help us keep History Alive in
Medicine Lodge. Support future Peace Treaties!
I want to thank my buddy Pete Meador for being such a
great supporter of Peace Treaty. We always try to get a photo together
after our signing scene. I’ll leave you with a smile, but consider what
I wrote above and have a great week!
KWIBS - From October 1, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Another Peace Treaty weekend is in the books. I can tell
you, as a board member, we don’t have numbers yet. That will take us a
little while to gather.
I’ve also had to write this before the event actually
even started. We’ve felt really good about all the work that’s gone into
this year’s celebration. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand
times, I love serving with the people on Peace Treaty board.
It was just 23 minutes from my 20th birthday and my wife
was delivering our first born child.
It was 1989. We’d been married just over a year and all
I could say was, "Hold it in!" The baby could be born on my birthday if
you can just hold it in!"
The fact that I referred to my daughter as "it" or the
request to stop being in labor for 27 more minutes didn’t stop us from
having two more children, but it resonates with my wife when we talk
about Breeann’s birth.
On October 3rd my baby girl will be 29 years old and the
very next day, you can add 20 years to that and figure out my age!
KWIBS - From September 24, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
We are at the finish line. It’s Peace Treaty 2018 week.
Are you ready?
Inside this issue is our Special Edition, all about the
history of our little town.
Let us take you back 150 years to a time when our town
was just a settlement with a stockade. Our community has grown into what
it is today and now we look back and acknowledge the historic events
that took place, shaping not only Medicine Lodge, but the expansion of
the west in the United States.
The weekend celebration takes so many volunteers that
they are impossible to list. We have a cast of character’s page on 4 and
5 and inside the Peace Treaty Edition, you can meet the Peace Treaty’s
board. This is only a tiny fraction of those who make this weekend
possible. We also rely heavily on The City of Medicine Lodge Crew and
are so thankful for all of the things they do to help us prepare for
this event.
You’ve probably seen all of the help around town from
our youth and from adults. We’ve seen them out painting and cleaning up
the community. We appreciate you!
Thank you to our Native American friends for coming and
being a part of this weekend.
Beginning today, you’ll start seeing streets closing,
guests arriving and horses and wagons going down the street. That’s what
Peace Treaty does!
Many of us are Peace Treaty Crazy at the moment. It’s a
ton of work to serve on the board and as 1st Vice President, I want to
thank everyone who has selflessly served on this board and volunteered
to help. We don’t always agree, but we have a common goal. We love this
community and the Peace Treaty and our mission is to keep it going for
generations.
Now it’s up to you to make it a success. With you, and
God’s blessing on the weekend, the 25th reenactment of the signing of
the 1867 Peace Treaty with the Five Tribes of the Plains will happen in
a few short days.
Have a great weekend!
KWIBS - From September 17, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
This is a pretty cool edition for us this week.
I have the pleasure of printing articles of three young
men who are doing outstanding things in our community.
Andrew Bell made a post last Sunday while Ronda and I
were attending the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. Andrew posted on
Facebook: "If you're at the Kansas State Fair, come say hi. I'll be here
all week! My booth is at 123 Cottonwood Avenue just north of the outdoor
arena."
I called him on his cell to make sure he was still there
and he was! I’ve known Andrew since he was just a little kid and have
always thought highly of him. He has created a fire fighting rig called
"The Minuteman" that easily fits into the back of a pickup quickly to
fight fires. This idea came after his family’s home was destroyed in the
Anderson Creek fire over two years ago.
We stopped to see this invention and I was very
impressed. He also had several fair-goers stop by to look at his product
and it seems like there is a lot of interest in it. The product is well
constructed and has some really cool features. Andrew and his product
are featured on today’s front page.
Pake McNally is one of the most creative artists and
people I have enjoyed meeting. He also has created a product: a
hand-welded workout mace called the "WarClub" under the name Become
Stronger, Industries. In addition to this invention, he is a brown belt
in Jiu Jitsu and creates works of art from metal. He has a brilliant
mind and I am excited to see his business evolve.
Finally, Aaron Traffas has released a new EP. I consider
Aaron a dear friend. We are on polar opposite ends of the political
spectrum, but we can talk and disagree without yelling and screaming.
For this, I have hope. Liberals and Conservatives can have conversations
and strive towards common goals.
Aaron is a talented song writer, musician and sound
technician. We have a lot of the same interests, we just disagree about
politics. Again, I think it’s cool that I consider him a friend even
though we have different beliefs.
I see great things in the future of Medicine Lodge and
Barber County with the creative minds in these three young men.
It is very humbling to be able to complement these young
men. There are many young men and women in our community who are the new
"movers and shakers." I first heard that phrase when Ronda and I started
our newspaper in 1991.
I remember how kind people like Bill Forsyth, Steve
Bryan, Ron Fincher, John Nixon, Pete Meador, Myrlen and Ann Bell, Alan
Goering and Dub Rickard (to name just a few) were to us when we ventured
out on our own.
You guys are making history. Keep up the good work. Keep
dreaming and congratulations!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From September 10, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
We are just a few weeks away from Peace Treaty 2018!
Every day from here until pageant time, there is some
important task to complete in preparation for Peace Treaty. As board
members, Ronda and I know first hand the work that goes into putting on
a pageant year production.
Thousands of man hours go into preparing for Peace
Treaty. It is all volunteer and each and every one of you who donate
your time and resources are so greatly appreciated. Serving with the
Peace Treaty Association is one of the most rewarding things I’ve had
the honor of doing.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will finish up our
Peace Treaty Special Edition. We will publish it with our Monday,
September 24 newspaper. This edition highlights just a fraction of the
people who make Peace Treaty happen.
I would like to encourage and challenge you to do
something very important to keeping our heritage alive and keeping Peace
Treaty solvent. Buy a ticket to the pageant.
I hear people say, "Oh, I already saw it back in 2000."
I also saw it and performed in 4 scenes.
It’s Peace Treaty’s life blood. Sales to the pageant and
generous donations from sponsors are what keeps this event alive.
Years ago, word got out that 2011’s pageant could be the
last one. The truth is, every pageant could be the last one without
ticket sales.
Help spread the word to your friends and family this
year and go see the 2018 Peace Treaty Pageant.
We have an amazing community with a rich history. Our
story will continue to be told in the future with your support. Let’s
never hear, "This may be the last pageant," ever again.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From September 3, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
A long time friend of mine passed away suddenly last
week. I had known him for 14 years.
If you had ever been to a concert at the Cotillion in
Wichita or any club that offered live music, you were probably hearing
his work. He wasn’t someone that craved the limelight, but he was a rock
star in his own way. My friend Mike even worked in Medicine Lodge during
Indian Summer Days and the last Peace Treaty as a sound technician.
Mike Pickens was pretty close to my age. I first met him
at a club called Loft 150 above River City Brewery in Wichita, KS. He
was the house sound technician and a very good one at that. I’m not a
great bass player, but he made me sound like one. That was always our
little joke.
Over the years Mike went on tour with several bands and
became one of the most in demand people for tour management and sound
engineering around. You could say Mike was a little odd, but it comes
with the territory. You don’t eat well, you don’t’ sleep much and you’re
under a lot of stress to please a whole lot of people, but Mike always
pulled it off and then blew off steam by playing 18 holes of golf
wherever he was on tour.
On at least 5 occasions in four different states, I had
run into Mike at music events. He was working and was always happy to
see a familiar face in the crowd. At one event in Oklahoma City, Mike
came up to me at the venue and asked if I could give him a ride home to
Wichita after the show. I had to explain to him that we didn’t go
through there to get to Medicine Lodge. He was cool with that. In fact,
he would have just come home with us and tried to catch a ride back to
Wichita! I finally drew him a map and convinced him that he was as close
to home in OKC as he would be at my house. Mike didn’t have a car at the
time. He owned a moped, some music gear and had a cat. He ended up
finding a ride home the next day.
At a show in Wichita at the Cotillion two years ago Mike
spotted me and came over to me and Ronda and yelled in my ear, "How’s it
sound?"
I yelled back, jokingly, "A little loud, distorted and
tinny!"
Mike looked like I had just parked my truck on the 18th
hole’s green or slammed his cat’s tail in the door. He ran over to his
console, threw on his headset and started listening to his mix. I walked
over and tapped him on the shoulder. He took off his headset and I
yelled back, "Hey man, I was just kidding. It sounds great!"
He threw a little awkward, fun punch at me and looked at
me with a silly grin through his thick round glasses. "You jerk," he
smirked.
He recently married the love of his life, Amy. They were
scheduled to marry late winter earlier this year and Ronda and I had
planned on making the trip to Kingman for the ceremony. Bad weather
rolled in and he sent out a Facebook message saying the wedding was off
for the moment. A week later, he posted they were married and one of the
photos had a mutual friend in it that he had as his best man. I was
bummed out that we didn’t get notified and fired him off a text. He
said, nobody came except our mutual friend Gabe and a couple of family
members. It was just a spur of the moment wedding at the courthouse
before the next round of bad weather rolled in.
Mike came off tour on the road two weeks ago and hadn’t
been feeling well. He was dehydrated and worn out from his last trip
across country. He went in for treatment and then went home. His wife
found him unresponsive the next day and he was revived and placed on a
ventilator.
Mike was taken off of life support on Tuesday of last
week after several doctors gave bad reports of his condition. He died at
2:49 p.m. Wednesday. Our mutual friend Gabe called me to tell me the sad
news.
I was out on the tractor mowing when the call came. We
shared some memories and I put on one of Mike’s favorite bands, "Aranda."
Our mutual friend Gabe is the lead singer. I’m glad I got the news from
Gabe and didn’t see it on Facebook until later in the day.
Mike was supposed to be here on Wednesday, September 26,
2018 to help with sound for Peace Treaty. There are many other sound
technicians coming, but I was most excited to see Mike. He will be
missed by so many people. Some that didn’t even know him or why he was
here. They didn’t even realize how important he was to what they were
hearing.
If you get a job when you go to Heaven, Mike would be in
charge of making the Angels sound more awesome than they already do.
KWIBS - From August 27, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Wednesday moring my wife sighed and said, "Our office
is a newspaper again."
I was like, "huh?"
"Well, we’ve been a daycare-slime factory for the
last three months," she explained.
Yes, school is back in session and our office manager is starting her
kindergarten year. All day Kindergarten. Thank you USD#254.
Our cute Grandkids Kycen and Baylee!
KWIBS - From August 20, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
A friend is someone who is there to catch you when you
fall or at least put your dislocated shoulder back in after you take a
stupid-stumble.
A stupid-stumble is similar to a regular stumble, but
involves you doing something stupid in the process of the stumble. I
don’t need to go into great detail, but my stumble was a classic
stupid-stumble.
My friend just happens to be very skilled in fixing this
type of injury. He also had a side kick that night who found my
predicament quite amusing. Apparently, she thinks I should look down
before stepping. I’ve done a lot of painful things in my lifetime, but
dislocating an arm/shoulder, is right up at the top of the list.
After a visit to our x-ray department at Medicine Lodge
Memorial Hospital, it looks like nothing is broken, but my left arm and
shoulder are reminding me daily that I am not as young as I used to be.
I will be sporting a sling for the unforseeable future, which is really
putting a kink in things like: trying to write this column, working on
anything requiring two hands, putting on clothes, driving, texting (not
texting and driving) and clapping.
I’m also convinced this is a career ending injury for me
as a quarter back for any NFL football team. It would also end it as a
concert pianist, brain surgeon or astronaut. Thank God I can’t play
piano.
I was fortunate enough to have my friends to help me and
a box full of slings from other stumbles, stupid or not. The one I’m
wearing is kind of special because it was my son’s. Nick tore his
shoulder in one of his last high school football games before joining
the Navy.
KWIBS - From August 13, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
If you know me well at all, you know I am crazy about
music. Ronda and I are always finding a concert we want to see and last
week we managed to break our own record. We scored 2 front row,
centerstage seats to Peter Frampton at the Kansas Star Casino.
What makes it a record breaker is that we’ve only made
it on the front row twice in 33 years of concerts. The really cool part
is that both times, it was Peter Frampton!
KWIBS - From July 30, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
The story about the Ruckers on the front page this week,
is the hardest story I have ever had to write in my 30+ years in the
newspaper business.
Fortunately, it had a happy ending.
The reason it was so hard to write, is because I care so
much for this family. Emma Jo and Gary Rucker are the sweetest couple
you could ever meet. We’ve featured them several times over the years
and I always love hearing Gary ask me, "How are things up the creek?" at
church.
To hear that they were terrorized in their own home
saddened and angered me. What you don’t know about this story, is that
Gary and Emma Jo prayed for the man who was hurting them and robbing
them. They witnessed about the love, grace and mercy of Jesus to this
man. That’s just the kind of people they are. Their son Flint said it
best when he told me that they were "the best parents in the world."
I was on FaceTime with my son in Okinawa when we saw the
helicopter fly over our ranch. The very ranch where Flint keeps a herd
of cattle. Little did we know, that helicopter was flown in to transport
the man who had just assaulted the Ruckers. I turned my phone around and
showed Nick. He wasn’t that impressed, reminding me that he lived on a
base full of helicopters. When I heard the news later that night, I
texted Nick back and we shared in the shock of what had happened.
I texted Flint the next morning, but wanted to give him
a few days before I spoke with him. I knew that he was being bombarded
with questions and I hated to be that one more reporter guy that called.
So finally on Wednesday, Flint stopped in and sat down for the better
part of an hour to tell me what had happened.
I was in complete shock.
For most of my life, I have idolized Flint Rucker. He’s
a man’s man. Tough as nails, with a heart of gold. I consider him one of
the greatest friends and men in my life. He has been encouraging to me,
shared in good times and bad and has always been there when I needed
him. We’ve laughed together and cried together. I want him to know that
he is special to me and my family and loved by this community.
Flint is so humble. He would not want the recognition or
mention, but he is a hero who gives credit where credit is due. This was
a God thing that he was able to overpower that would-be thief and
killer.
Things could have ended so differently for the Ruckers
that night. I’m thanking the Lord that it turned out the way it did.
Flint is a man who has always had strong faith in God. This can only
reinforce his beliefs.
I’m so thankful that he was right where he needed to be
that Saturday when Ora Munger decided to try and make victims of his
family.
I pray that Emma Jo and Gary and Flint and Donna and all
the huge Rucker family heal emotionally and physically from this event.
I know they are strong people and they love each other and their
community.
When I think of what Flint did and what could have
happened, I get goosebumps, but it reminds me of some scripture that I
believe is a perfect example of how Flint lives his life.
John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends (family in the case).
God bless the Ruckers!
KWIBS - From July 23, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
A young Nicholas and a young Hyde.
There’s a special bond we form with our pets. You don’t
even realize it’s happened until one day they are gone.
We lost our loyal friend of almost 15 years last
weekend. Hyde was a smart and kind German Shepherd that was just a
natural part of our family.
Ronda and I found an advertisement from a family selling
German Shepherd puppies over by Augusta back in 2004. We had just lost
our friend "Beau" who was hit while chasing a truck. We had said we
would never get another dog, but our hearts were so broken and empty.
We brought our new puppy home and named him "Hyde." He
wasted no time in becoming our new buddy.
As our kids all grew up and left the nest, it was just
me, Ronda and Hyde. For about the past two years, Hyde didn’t come out
and play with us much. We could get him to go on a walk on his good
days, when his hips weren’t bothering him. We slowly watched him grow
from a puppy to an old man.
In his younger years, Hyde could jump higher than your
head for a frisbie or ball, he could catch a treat in his mouth from
more than 25 yards away. He knew multiple commands and would do some of
the funniest tricks like spinning in circles until he got his treat.
Hyde loved to ride in my truck, in the back. With the "load up" command,
he would literally jump into anything that had wheels.
He went everywhere with me. If I had a town errand, he
came with me. He’d sit patiently in the truck when I ran into the
grocery store. He came to the office for the first few years of his life
until he just got too big and was too nervous of all the traffic. He
also got a little too protective when customers came in and we took him
home to be on the ranch. He was a farm boy. He liked the peace of the
country and being close to his pond in the front yard where you’d often
find him cooling off on a hot summer day. He would go on long walks with
Ronda and I and occasionally spot a deer and take off running. He would
be gone for hours and always returned tired.
As a member of the family, he joined us for our first
Christmas photo back in 2004. Looking back, he was in graduation photos,
birthday photos and about every holiday occasion we had.
We’ve known our time with him was getting shorter and
when Nick came home on leave from Okinawa last month, I told him that it
was close and Hyde was struggling. Nick needed to say his good-byes
because I was sure he wasn’t going to make it to April of 2019 - Nick’s
next leave. Hyde couldn’t see well anymore, had lost most of his hearing
and struggled to stand and walk. He never acted as though he were in
pain and would still come out occasionally and sit on the porch with us
for dinner. I knew he hurt though.
Last Sunday he just didn’t have the strength to pull
himself out of his dog house. I took it apart and tried to gently bring
him to his food and water. He drank, but soon laid down and seemed like
he’d had enough of it all. I could see it in his eyes.
I called Joey to let him know that Hyde was going to be
gone that day. He was in Denver and I hated to ruin his weekend, but he
understood. He wished he could have been there with us. I sent Nick a
message, knowing it was late in Japan, but wanted him to know that we
were about to lose his first dog. He wrote back and said, "don’t tell
me."
Moments later Nick flooded Facebook with photos and this
message: "There's so many hard things about being over seas. Constantly
missing friends and family. But the hardest part is losing someone and
not being able to say good-bye. Hyde was truly the best dog I could have
asked for. I remember sitting in the garage talking to him and
pretending that we had full conversations with each other without
needing to say a word. There's no love like a love for your dog. But it
makes my heart easy knowing he's not in pain anymore. God got the
goodest boy today."
He may be United States Navy stationed with Marines and
hardened by his training, but his heart is soft and I knew it was
broken.
Ronda and I sat quietly on the ground and brushed him
out and said our good-byes. We shed a lot of tears for our friend and
furry child of 15 years. We held his head in our lap as Dr. Lynch showed
such amazing compassion as she reassured us we were doing the right
thing.
We laid him to rest in our yard, overlooking the pond he
would swim in. I imagine Hyde being able to run and jump and play again,
like when he was a puppy.
Everyday we get up and look out the window where his
kennel is. We remember every bark, whether it was to warn us or just to
say "hey!" when we pulled in the drive way each day.
We say now we won’t replace our friend Hyde, it’s just
too hard to say good-bye.
You can only hope that one day our compassionate God
would allow us to see our pets again. The Bible isn’t clear on this, but
my heart would feel so much better if I knew I would get a big slobbery
kiss from him when my time comes.
You were a good dog, Hyde. Good boy!
Have a great week and love your dog!
KWIBS - From July 16, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
A Texas man who plead guilty to stealing more than $1.2
million in fajitas while acting as a public servant has been sentenced
to 50 years in prison.
Gilberto Escamilla, 53, was employed at the Darrel B.
Hester Juvenile Detention Center in San Benito, Texas, until August 2017
— when it was discovered that he had been placing orders for fajitas
using county funds and then selling them for his own profit since
December 2008, according to Cameron County Court filings.
When sentenced on Friday, Escamilla was also served with
the maximum fine of $10,000 on top of the $1,251,578.72 he was ordered
to pay back for the cost of the fajitas, officials said.
According to The Brownsville Herald, Escamilla's scheme
unraveled last August after a delivery driver with Labatt Food Service
phoned the detention center to give kitchen employees a heads up that an
800-pound delivery of fajitas had arrived.
Employees immediately thought the delivery to be
suspicious as minors at the detention center are not served fajitas,
however the delivery driver insisted that had been delivering fajitas to
the detention center's kitchen for the past nine years.
After being fired and arrested, Escamilla's house was
searched by police, who found packages of the fajitas in his
refrigerator.
"It was selfish. It started small and got bigger and out
of control," Escamilla said during court testimony, according to the
Herald. "It got to the point where I couldn't control it anymore."
Texas State District Judge J. Manuel Banales, who handed
down the sentence, dismissed an additional theft charge as part of an
earlier plea deal made by Escamilla. Because Escamilla stole more than
$200,000 worth of goods, Texas law considers the crime to be a first
degree felony and allows for a sentencing of up to 99 years in prison.
It also allows for a more severe punishment if the defendant commits a
crime while acting as a public servant.
And that’s the news!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From July 9, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
There are a lot of positive and negatives when a holiday
falls in the middle of a work week.
For us, it was mostly negative. Our scheduling got tight
with deadlines and it was harder for us to get things written and placed
in the paper.
On the positive side, nobody knew which weekend to do
fireworks shows, so we saw one on June 30th at 99 Springs, one on
Tuesday night at Dr. Meador’s house and then had a great show provided
by Derrick and Shanda Swinehart at Lake Arrowhead on Saturday night. I
appreciate all of those folks who light up the sky in honor or our
Independence Day.
Speaking of the holiday.... It’s always been a tradition
for me to find a funny 4th of July shirt to wear. Last year, I bought
Joey and I shirts. Mine had President Trump riding an American Eagle and
holding a machine gun on it. Joey’s was of President Bush standing on
two sharks shooting a machine gun. They both said "Freedom" on them.
They were hilarous. One year I had Chuck Norris holding a pair of
machine guns and it said, "Undefeated World War Champions."
This year, I found a shirt that said, "Happy Treason Day
- Ungreatful Colonists." It had a Brittish Flag in the middle of it. I
got some laughs from a few people. Many didn’t even notice what it said.
The 4th of July wasn’t quite the same for one of my
family members. Nick spent it on base in Okinawa in his room for the
most part as a Typhoon rolled over the island for a few days. It was the
first time he admitted to being home sick in a long time.
? ? ? ?
Our first Weird Beard contestent was named this week. It
goes out to my buddy Andrew Meador. Keep those photos coming! See
Andrew’s photo on the right, page three and see if you can top that!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From July 2, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
A friend came to visit me this week. We come from
opposite ends of the political spectrum, but we are most often in
agreement on topics.
Our discussion turned to the ongoing spotlight the media
has placed on immigration. It’s not a new topic for our country. As old
as I am, I can’t remember a time that immigration wasn’t a topic of
discussion, especially close to election time.
No one I know believes we don’t have some sort of
immigration problem in our country. Dealing with the issue generally
stirs up a lot of opinion.
The most recent discussion, rightly so, has been on the
subject of separating children from family at the border. It’s a
heartbreaking issue that is impossible not to be emotional about.
The images of children sleeping in cages and crying for
their parents does make you sick, but the zero tolerance policy is an
enforcement of laws that have been on the books for quite some time.
I applaud the president for reversing his decision to
separate children from family. At the same time, I am a firm believer in
secure borders. Those seeking asylum in our country are simply trying to
escape from the hardships they are experiencing in their own countries.
The dreams of freedom America has to offer would make anyone from a
third world nation want to come here. My personal feelings are that I
welcome all who want to come to our country and live productive and
fruitful lives.
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free."
Most all of us here today come from lineage of refugees
or immigrants. Our country was built on these principles, but before you
think I’ve become some bleeding liberal, I also believe that there is a
need to vet these people, now more than ever. Our country is a country
of law and order. People wanting to enter into this country, must do so
legally and orderly, not through porous holes in our southern border.
In today’s world, borders are sad, but needed to secure
our country. Thousands of people enter illegally and many commit heinous
crimes against citizens of The United States. We can sing the lyrics to
"Imagine" by John Lennon until we’re blue in the face, but the reality
is that if you cross the border illegally into Mexico, you’re going to
be separated from your child, if you brought one with you, and you’re
not going to be treated very well.
As many of you know, I also work as a surety agent.
That’s a fancy word for bail bondsman. I deal with a number of Hispanic
defendants, normally very good people simply trying to better themselves
by coming to our country. They work harder than most of us, but they so
often circumvent our system. When arrested, they become extremely
difficult to bond. Many have aliases, prior convictions and a large
percentage of them abscond from their responsibility to answer to our
courts for their crimes. It’s a real problem that I experience first
hand.
My highest rate of absconding comes from illegal
immigrants. One of my largest lost bonds was on a drug smuggler from
Poland who worked for the Mexican Cartel. She overstayed her visa,
committed several felonies and then fled the country. Thankfully, she
will never return. If she does, she will be sent to prison for a very
long time. Folks, these are scary people, doing scary things. People
associated with them, lost their lives. They were American citizens.
Last week the president addressed the media concerning
victims of illegal immigration. President Trump highlighted "American
victims of illegal immigration" on Friday, hosting families of people
killed by people who immigrated to the U.S. illegally to tell their
stories and hitting back at critics of his rescinded policy that
separated some children from their parents who crossed the border
illegally.
"These are the American citizens permanently separated
from their loved ones," Mr. Trump said at the White House. "These are
the families the media ignores. These are the stories that Democrats and
people that are weak on immigration don’t want to discuss."
I watched family member after family member holding
photos of their lost loved ones and listening to their stories. It was
heartbreaking.
We have to embrace the fact that we do have an
immigration problem and stop turning it into a talking point for
elections. The president ran on the issue of fixing our nation’s
immigration issues. I say we at least let him try or offer up a better
solution that still keeps Americans safe. We need to stop taking a side
and start thinking constructively, yet compassionately. I don’t want to
see photos of children in cages and I don’t want to see pictures of lost
loved ones.
Before you fix your leaking water line in your house,
you do one simple thing: you shut off the water. Before you change a
receptacle in your house, you shut off the breaker. You do this so you
don’t create a mess, or worse, cause injury. Our border should be
treated the same.
KWIBS - From June 25, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
A sixth branch of the military, in space no less, could
be in our near future. Unless congress launches that idea into the sun
(see older columns for reference to shooting things into the sun).
Last week President Trump announced "Space Force." Man,
if that doesn’t take your mind off of hookers, Russia and inappropriate
things he’s said, then nothing will.
I guess it’s all in the delivery.
"We must have American dominance in space. Very
importantly, I'm hereby directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon
to immediately begin the process necessary to establish the Space Force
as the sixth branch of the armed forces. That's a big step," he said in
the White House East Room during a meeting of his National Space Council
Monday.
"We are going to have the Air Force and we are going to
have the Space Force: separate but equal, it is going to be something so
important," he said.
I suppose that’s logical and probably important, but
what about the uniforms for the troops? I think it would be so cool to
have them modeled after Storm Troopers from Star Wars movies. Let’s face
it. Those guys are super intimidating.
Obviously, Space Force Generals would dress like Darth
Vader.
All joking aside, space is an important place to be
dominant. You must consider that our satellite technology is of the
utmost priority in the event of a war. If space is secure, then our
troops on the ground have a better chance of winning battles. All
communications and targeting systems come from space, so it’s not that
far fetched to dedicate a branch of our military to space.
Sorry to my lib friends. I think Trump is on to
something here. Space: The final frontier....
KWIBS - From June 18, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda and I have been empty-nesters for about two years
now.
Don’t let anyone tell you that it isn’t awesome.
Of course we were sad when our youngest son left for the
Navy, but we discovered quickly that it wasn’t all that bad. No offense
to my kids, but I am glad they are out of the house and on their own.
Of course, they’re never really on there own. They are
always your kids and always come home.
And they all did.
Last weekend we had all three of our kids home. This is
pretty tough to manage considering one of them lives 7,147 miles away.
They may all be adults now, but when they come home,
they pick up right where they left off. They make a mess!
When you are just two people, it’s easy to cook and keep
things in order. When you are 40 people, you are just crazy.
Yep, we had about 40 family members show up over the
weekend. It was our 30th wedding anniversary and aunts and uncles and
sisters and brothers and cousins and extended family all came to
celebrate with us. We had more than 40, but the 40 I’m speaking of
needed food, water and shelter. That’s a lot of work, but well worth
it!!
We did decided that our next big anniversary, we’re
probably taking a cruise, because it will be cheaper. *kidding*
I’m grateful for the time we got to spend with everyone.
It’s never enough time. It’s been so amazing having Nick home and
getting Joey home for a couple of days during that time.
The next time we all will be together will be in April
of 2019 when Nick and Natalie get married! It takes my breath away a
little bit to think it will be that long before we see him again.
Thanks to everyone who came. We are blessed.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From June 11, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
She is my better half.
Happy Anniversary Ronda!
This weekend, Father’s Day, is our 30th wedding
anniversary.
Two high school sweethearts tied the knot on June 17,
1988 just one month after I graduated from high school.
There were groans from family and friends when we
announced we were getting married. They said we were too young. We were,
but all we had was each other and we did it.
We have so many stories from 30 years. We’ve been places
and done things that a lot of people never get to experience. We’ve
experienced much joy and many sorrows. We’ve raised three amazing
children, one giving us two grandchildren. We’ve lost parents, a cousin,
friends, grandparents and aunts and uncles.
Father’s Day this year will be the most incredible day
for us. Not only does it mark our 30th, we will have all of our children
home. Bree never strayed far from home, but our son, Joey, lives in
Phillipsburg, KS and is working for the White’s family grocery stores.
He’ll soon be moving to St. John. Nicholas of course is in the Navy
based with the Marines in Okinawa. He’s made the 22 hour journey home to
spend this special day with us! He did it while being promoted! He’ll
actually have his pinning ceremony once he goes back.
There will be so much to celebrate. It will be the last
time we’ll all be together until at least April of 2019 when Nick and
his fiance’ Natalie get married. This will be a bittersweet gathering
for us.
I’m a blessed man and I know it. How Ronda has ever put
up with me, I will never know.
There has never been another love in my life as I have
found in you Ronda. You are my wife, my best friend, my business partner
and so much more.
I love you!
Happy 30th!
KWIBS - From June 4, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
This is a huge week for us!
Nick is coming home for 14 days of leave starting
Friday.
We were last together at Christmas, which just seems
like yesterday. This trip home comes after a short deployment to South
Korea and the Philippines. Nick is still in Okinawa with the Marine Wing
Support Squadron 172, but his job now has him traveling more of the
South Pacific.
When he came home in December, I warned him that it was
cold here in Kansas. He said, "Dad, it’s cold here too. It was like 65
degrees."
That’s considered cold in Okinawa.
When I talked to him last week, I warned him it was hot
and humid here. He said, "Dad, I live near the Equator. You don’t know
what hot and humid is."
One of my favorite things about Nick coming home is his
menu requests. His mother and I always love fixing him his favorite
meals - those meals that we fixed all the time when he was in high
school that we didn’t even know were his favorite. After eating MRE’s
(meals ready to eat) and what I call "poodles and noodles," he’s ready
for some "normal" food. I would imagine I could grill hamburgers every
night and he would be fine with that.
I realize that we have to share him with someone very
special to him, his fiance Natalie Bare. They will be making plans for
their April 2019 wedding. Natalie will be going with Ronda and I on
Friday to pick him up. She’ll get the first hugs and kisses and then
we’ll get ours. :)
Speaking of weddings...
Congratulations to my Nephew Ronnie Landwehr and my new
Niece-In-Law Morgan Landwehr on their marriage this last weekend! We’re
so happy for you guys!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From May 28, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Today is Memorial Day. It didn’t change much for us at
the paper, other than we have to mail the newspaper to subscribers on
Tuesday.
It’s always hard for me to slow down and really get to
appreciate Memorial Day. This year was particularly hard because I was
very short handed at Lake Arrowhead Resort. My go-to-guy (AKA: Mower
man) Dave Gilbert, took a much needed vacation to Alaska for two weeks.
He’d prepared me a month in advance, but I didn’t get
the dates until a week before he left, which just happened to be,
historically, our biggest and busiest weekend of the year.
I could handle it though and I had a great offer from my
former go-to-guy Leroy Weber to help out with some mowing. I took him up
on it and I am glad I did!
Friday before: Main mower had charging issues. I thought
I had this fixed before Dave left. Nope. I loaded it up and took it to
Stucky Repair in Kingman. I had burned up a wiring harness and rather
than keep replacing the wire, we just replaced the entire service
bulletin advisement for a kit that was to solve the problem once and for
all. I also discovered the seat bracket was broken.
Saturday before: Graded all the roads and one hour
later, we got 1" of rain....
I was beginning to see a trend.
Monday before: (less than one week to get it all done).
The road grader started leaking coolant. My solution? Carry two jugs of
water on the back of the grader. I regraded the roads and stopped
frequently to give her a drink.
Tuesday before: The main mower is not done, so I mowed
all day with a bush hog and the tractor. The tractor kept overheating
and then it wouldn’t shift into 2nd gear. I managed to mow in 1st gear.
As it was getting dark, I realized that I had missed a
dinner with friends in town.
Wednesday before: I finally had to actually go to my
real job, but I broke my glasses and am having issues seeing. The parts
won’t be in until Wednesday after Memorial Day. I’m so thankful that
Bree and Ronda kept the office organized.
The main mower is fixed, now I had to run to Kingman to
get it. I ran home and hooked up my trailer and noticed that my fender
was shoved into the tire. I thought that was strange. As soon as I moved
it, I realized it was more serious than that. I had broken a leaf spring
and the axle had slid back. The trailer was toast. So I had to use my
car trailer to haul the mower home. I joked that I could have pulled
home about 6 mowers.
I made it back safely and started mowing again. I
finished up at 6:30 p.m. before we got about an inch of rain later that
night. I’m out of time to blade the roads again, so I hope they dry out.
Thursday before: I came to realize that I am spread too
thin and am thanking the good Lord above that Leroy is still helping!
Josh Ybarra also came out and helped do some trimming before the big
weekend.
Ronda left to go help our son move out of his appartment
in Hays and helped his girlfriend move into her new appartment.
I finally had to stop mowing so I could go cheer on the
Lady Indians in Pratt!
Friday before: We finished up the majority of the
newspaper by noon and I went back out to mow the dam and spillways. This
should be the end of mowing for the week.
So, it was a memorable week getting ready for Memorial
Day weekend. I appreciate all the things that Dave does and I would have
been out there working whether he was here or not. Having Leroy and Josh
around was such a blessing. That’s just how weeks before holiday
weekends go in the summertime.
Although, I didn’t make it to the final resting places
of my loved ones, I will remember them and will make memories with my
family!
Happy Memorial Day to you all!
KWIBS - From May 21, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Just a couple of months ago, we lost a great friend. Ron
Fincher passed away at the Kansas Heart Hospital after complications
from open heart surgery.
A quote on my desk reads, "If we can’t find it, you
don’t need it." It’s a Ron Fincher quote.
His son, Brett Fincher, has been a life long friend. So,
when he called saying he had been having some pain in his chest and was
going in for a stress test, we all got pretty concerned about him. He
went to the same surgeon his dad had gone to.
Last week, Brett underwent a heart cath at the Kansas
Heart Hospital. Obviously scared of what this experience was going to be
like, I offered up my experience with it and assured him that he was
going to be just fine. I’ve had three caths, five stents. Brett insisted
that he was probably going to be all plugged up and needed several
stents because of his genetics. Keep in mind, Brett works out hard every
day and jokingly we call him a "thoroughbred."
Ronda and I drove up last Wednesday for Brett’s
procedure. When we got there we ran into an old friend and classmate who
was also there for support. Doug Hamm was a 1988 graduate of MLHS. I
hadn’t seen him since our 10 year reunion. We caught up in the lobby and
waited for news on Brett.
Doug had lived in the house I grew up in and later in
life, we did some horse trading on cars. It was really good to see him
and great to hear about his missions work in India.
The surgeon came out and asked for the Fincher family.
Well, that was Doug, Ronda and me. He announced, "Brett is just fine. We
didn’t find any blockage."
That was great news. We went to Brett’s room for a
couple of hours and he was released. God answered prayers for Brett and
now he has the peace of mind knowing that he’s going to be ok!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From May 14, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
I always feel bad when I make a mistake in the paper.
Last week I thought we had a phone number wrong in an ad, but it turns
out the phone was just messed up for a day.
It caused a little confusion, but former resident
Barb Keltner got it straightened out for me and we discovered we hadn’t
actually made a mistake at all!
To make me feel better Barb sent this gem of a poster
hanging on a restaurant window, I assume in the Kansas City area. It
gave me a good chuckle.
Thanks Barb! I just realized that it was one year ago
that you and Mike moved away. We miss you guys and we’re glad you’re
keeping us on our toes and made coffee run out my nose!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From May 7, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
All week long. I get in my truck and rev the engine up a
few times, put it in gear with my foot on the brake and gas and when I
take off, I go as fast as I can... until I hit the speed limit.
Before our busy season begins at the lake, Ronda and I
have been itching to experience new things and take mini road trips on
the weekends. When Derrick and Shanda Swinehart and their daughter
Aubrey invited us to watch them race their cars in Great Bend last
weekend, we took them up on it.
Keep in mind, I hadn’t been to the "drag races" since I
was a kid. Ronda used to go to Texas Speedway as a little girl with her
family and we both discovered, we weren’t that interested in it when we
were little, but this was a unique opportunity to watch a father and
daughter race alongside their Grandpa Gordy Myers. Three generations of
local people seemed like a historical event that we should go see.
So our tour started out with me doing some investigative
work on a bond skip I had last week in Pratt County. I didn’t find my
person, but we had left plenty early enough to drive around and take a
tour of St. John, KS. The White’s are opening a grocery store there.
It’s really a nice little community. We stopped and visited with a
couple of locals before moving on down the road. At this point, I had
not yet developed my "need for speed."
We rolled into Great Bend about 45 minutes before the
races began and found the Swineharts. Although I wanted to ask 40,000
questions, I knew they were all getting ready for their races. Shanda
was quite informative and gracious enough to explain what was going on
to me and Ronda.
First up to race was their daughter Aubrey. Aubrey has
been racing since she was old enough to drive a car. She was running low
12 second quarters in her 1963 Nova. We walked to the line as she drove
her car into position. I really didn’t know what to expect. Here’s a
girl who had not raced in almost three years, in a hotrod, racing
guys...... The lights lit up on the tree and when it hit green, Aubrey
had gunned it. The earth shook, my ears hurt and the next thing I knew
Aubrey was flying down the track. She won her race. I think she drove
across the line going about 112 mph.
We were instantly hooked! Our team had just won a race!
Like we had anything to do with this team. Haha.
I was given a sneak preview of the behind the scenes of
this sport by Derrick a week before. He had showed me two of his three
race cars. One was a dragster fueled by alcohol and nitrox. As a
complete novice, I just thought two cars pull up, the lights go to green
and you race down the track and the first one to cross the finish line
wins. Not so.... I can’t even explain all of the science and math behind
this sport, but it is not the redneck event I was planning on attending.
Those who take this sport seriously have a lot invested, including
computers and weather stations to help calculate their times. They sort
of compete with themselves and the other car in the lane next to them.
It made my brain hurt a little bit.
The races aren’t just for "race cars" we saw several
normal vehicles competing. One was a 2004 Jeep Cherokee. I’m pretty sure
my truck was faster, but that’s not what this sport is really about. We
saw Vetts, Camaros, Trucks and even motorcycles racing that day.
So, by this time we are pretty hooked after Aubrey’s
race and excited to watch Derrick in his dragster. Here’s a car that
does close to 190 mph! This is the real deal with the parachute that
pops out the back and everything. I was pretty excited when I saw
Derrick shoe horn himself inside the cockpit of this miniature rocket
and put his helmet on. We walked over and did the same routine with
following him to the line. Before the race, the drivers pull up to an
area that is wet so they can do a quick burnout to get the tires hot and
sticky for the launch at the starting line. When Derrick’s car started
spinning the tires, I capped both my ears. Dear God, there is a lot of
power in one of these cars! This was twice as loud and earth shattering
than Aubrey’s car.
Derrick’s race didn’t end like Aubrey’s, but Derrick
wasn’t finished. There was a buy back. During that intermission, we
watched Gordy Myers win one and lose one. We also ran into Troy Wells
from Medicine Lodge. Although I only got to see him race one time, it
wasn’t his day either.
During Aubrey’s last race of the evening, Ronda got a
chance to ride to the line with her in her car. That’s a grin I will
remember for a long time and I’m sure she will too!
At the end of the evening, all our Medicine Lodge people
had been eliminated, but this was a great experience and probably one of
our funnest mini-road trips we had taken in quite sometime.
As we were leaving, I power braked my truck and got the
tires to break lose on the pavement, doing what I thought was a pretty
impressive burn out. After being scolded for doing that, I still pulled
away with a huge grin on my face!
Thank you to the Myers and the Swineharts for letting us
hang out with you all and see an unusual and entertaining family bond!
Good luck on the rest of your season!
Aubrey and her race car!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From April 30, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Two years ago, I was filled with emotion as my last
child graduated from MLHS.
So I know too well how many of you parents are feeling
this week. The thought of your child, whether first one, or the last
one, or the middle one graduating just makes you about spin out of
control.
Their world is about to change in an amazing way. There
will be new freedom and the ability for them to choose their paths.
There will be some mistakes made and some will face struggles, but I’m
confident that they will find their way.
My confidence comes from knowing many of you parents and
knowing the faculty and staff of MLHS. We live in a blessed little
community with great people looking after our children.
For you seniors, take nothing for granted. Your
experiences at MLHS will be the launching point for life. Remember the
values that you were taught, not just algebra and science. Remember your
relationships with your classmates. Remember the successes and failures
of your sports teams, your coaches and teammates. Remember your time at
MLHS.
These will be some of the best memories of your life.
The new memories you are about to make will also be great experiences.
This is a very special class to me. My Nephew Riston
Landwehr is graduating, top of his class! Congratulations Riston and the
class of 2018. I’m proud to welcome you into the world of alumni! You’ll
always be an Indian no matter where you go. I wish you the best of luck
in all of your endeavors.
These things I leave with you as advice from an old MLHS
graduate: Don’t be afraid of good-byes; push yourself outside your
comfort zone; trust your gut; be crazy, but not too crazy; and it’s ok
to cry (That’s for mom and dad)!
Congratulations Class of 2018!
KWIBS - From April 23, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Barbara . Bush turned to her doctor in the last few days
of her life. "You want to know why George W. is the way he is?" she
asked.
The doctor looked a little surprised when she answered,
"Because I drank and smoked when I was pregnant with him."
I’ve always admired the class of this woman and her
family. She died at her home in Houston on Tuesday surrounded by the
ones she loved.
George W. Bush said on Wednesday that he spoke with Mrs.
Bush by telephone shortly before her death to tell her he loved her, and
she replied that she loved him too.
The Bushes had celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary
in January, making them the longest-married couple in presidential
history.
As the wife of the 41st president and the mother of the
43rd, George W. Bush, Mrs. Bush was only the second woman in American
history to have a son of hers follow his father to the White House.
(Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams, was
the first.)
She was born Barbara Pierce on June 8, 1925, at a
maternity hospital in New York City run by the Salvation Army
principally for unwed mothers. The family obstetrician practiced there
one month a year, and that month happened to be June. She was the third
child of the former Pauline Robinson and Marvin Pierce. Her father was
in the publishing business and eventually became president of the McCall
publishing company. Her mother, the daughter of an Ohio Supreme Court
justice, was active in civic affairs in Rye, N.Y., the New York City
suburb where the family lived.
One of Mrs. Bush’s distant relatives was Franklin
Pierce, the 14th president of the United States.
Can you imagine being the first lady and the mother of a
former president? Her life was so interesting and she carried herself so
well. God rest her soul.
KWIBS - From April 16, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Some days you’re hot, some days you’re not. I’m talking
about Spring.
In a short week we’ve seen temperatures ranging from a
low of 17 degrees to a high of 95 degrees!
I know that I am growing older when I get concerned
about my pear and peach trees. One day they had beautiful blooms on
them, the next day they were gone.
I sort of jumped the gun on spring and spring made sure
she told me who was boss. Saturday evening I noticed that we were
dropping below freezing. I ran around and unscrewed garden hoses and
attempted to drain out some pumps I had prepared for some controlled
burns I was helping with. Somehow in the late night hours, I missed one
drain plug.
On the day before we were going to burn some brush
piles, I went and fired up the pump. As soon as it started, I knew
something was terribly wrong. I was soaking wet and was getting wetter.
When I realized my pump casing was broken and spraying me with water, I
shut it down.
? ? ? ?
Thursday’s forecast was 94 degrees!!! I’m pretty sure it
got there and in preparation for it, I ditched my socks and put on my
lake shoes that morning.
Anyone that knows me well, knows that I can’t stand
shoes and wearing socks. I think I only own like three pairs of socks
and two pairs have holes in them. I don’t know why I hate wearing shoes,
but I always say, "my toes freak out." I also hate wearing pants. That
sounds strange, but I am more comfortable in a pair of shorts! Thursday
afternoon was my first official day back in shorts!
By Saturday, my disappointed toes were back in socks as
the weather plummeted into the 40s. I also had to put my pants back
on.....
KWIBS - From April 9, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
"What’s your password grandpa?"
My Granddaughter Baylee asked me that question on
Tuesday.
I was busy making an ad for a customer and I nearly
blurted it out.
I told her I couldn’t tell her what my password was.
That’s always a mistake because it leaves the conversation wide open.
She asked, "Well, why not?"
I explained that it was a secret and I could not tell
her. I didn’t even know what password she wanted. It could have been to
my Snapchat or Facebook account. Heck, it could have been nuclear codes.
It didn’t matter. I was in a full-blown conversation about security with
a five-year-old.
There are sticky notes all over my desk with log-ins and
passwords to different accounts. It’s probably good that she can’t read
or comprehend what I am doing or the entire newspaper could be
jeopardized.
Then it was, "What’s this gray box?"
Might as well make a column out of this.
It was my computer.... Now she is staring at the screen
as I write this column. It’s sort of entertaining for me to watch her
watch me do this. She seems really interested. Maybe she’ll be the
future editor.
Nope. Now she’s digging in my trash as I write.
She grabbed the trash and said, "I am going to work on
this in my office," and she darted out.
One thing is for darned sure. She’s very distracting. I
mean cute and entertaining. She wasn’t gone but a few seconds.
The next question was, "What time is it, grandpa?"
I almost answered, "Time to get out of my office," but
instead I told her it was 3:10 p.m.
"Oh! That’s when I have to go to work," she exclaimed!
And that’s when I said it.
"Then get your butt to work," I said firmly.
This conversation ended with her looking at me and
saying, "You’re not the boss. Grandma is the boss!"
KWIBS - From April 2, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Anyone that knows Ronda and I very well, know that we
love live music. Our first official date was at a concert in 1985. It
was Metallica and Ozzy Ozborne!
A guy I met recently posed a question to me and asked,
"Who is a band you haven’t seen yet that you would say would be a
bucket-list item?"
I had a really tough time answering that question. We’ve
seen so many concerts in the last 30 years that my bucket-list is full!
My favorite band of all time has to be the Eagles.
This band brings back memories of my childhood. You’ve
got that one band that you always turn up the radio when they come on.
This one is mine. It might sound silly, but if you love music like I do,
you know how it moves the soul. I love all kinds of music from bluegrass
to heavy metal. It’s all good except for rap music. I just can’t do it.
It’s painful to listen to. I must be getting old because I have caught
myself telling my kids their rap music is terrible, too loud and to turn
it off.
I always watch the upcoming concert alerts for anything
from Kansas City to Dallas to see if there’s a concert sneaking up that
I want to reserve seats for. Back in December of last year, I saw that
former Eagle Don Felder, REO Speedwagon, and STYX were performing at
Hartman arena. One of Ronda’s favorite bands is REO Speedwagon, so I
bought us tickets for the March 25th show in Park City. Keep in mind, we
buy tickets early to get the best seats possible.
A few weeks back some friends called and said they had
two extra tickets to the Eagles at Sprint Center in Kansas City for
Monday, March 19. Even though it was a week night, I could not pass up
seeing my favorite band and jumped at the chance, sort of forgetting I
had the March 25th show already booked.
If you grew up in the 60s-80s, you probably know the
words to most every famous Eagles’ song written. At least I do. My
parents listened to the Eagles and I fell in love with them from a very
early age. We’ve seen them 4 times in the last 24 years. A lot of people
don’t realize that the most recent line up is not the original band.
Only Don Henley and Glenn Frey were original members up until Frey’s
death in 2016. You still have the familiar Joe Walsh on guitar and
vocals and Timothy B. Schmidt on bass and vocals, but this line up only
performed together for two years before breaking up in 1980 for 14
years. It was then that they put differences aside and reformed that
line up. Earlier performers included Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and
Don Felder, who was famous for his song "Hotel California" along with
over 17 tracks he contributed during his time with the Eagles.
Glenn Frey and Don Felder had had enough of each other
in 1980. At a concert in Long Beach, California for Senator Alan
Cranston on July 31, 1980, known as the "Long Night at Wrong Beach",
things hit breaking point when the animosity between Felder and Frey
boiled over before the show even began. Felder recalls Frey telling him
during "Best of My Love," "I'm gonna kick your a** when we get off the
stage." After the concert, Felder smashed, according to Frey, "his
cheapest guitar". The Eagles disbanded shortly thereafter.
In 2016, the day after Frey's death, Felder told the
Associated Press that he felt an "unbelievable sorrow" when he learned
about Frey's death. "I had always hoped somewhere along the line, he and
I would have dinner together, talking about old times and letting it go
with a handshake and a hug."
Joining the Eagles in Kansas City was Glenn Frey’s son,
Deacon. This kid sounds just like his dad and is only 22 years old. Also
joining the Eagles was one of my all-time favorite guitarist and
vocalist Vince Gill.
If you were paying attention to my long and drawn out
Eagles’ history lesson, we went to see the Eagles on Monday and then saw
Don Felder the following Sunday with REO and Styx. We got a double dose
of the Eagles. I was in music heaven!!
I did not realize that Don Felder would basically do
most of The Hotel California album at this concert. I assumed I would be
subjected to music that I had never heard from his post Eagles career. I
was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong.
I believe we witnessed rock and roll history last week.
I didn’t even tell you how good REO Speedwagon and STYX were.
So, I really don’t have a bucket-list for concerts
anymore. I just have the same old desire to see the ones I love.
An interesting side note: the Eagles play in Tulsa on
June 17. That’s our 30th anniversary. We can’t make it though because we
have one of our new favorite bands playing for our anniversary! I also
bought us tickets to Metallica for March of 2019!
"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe,
wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to
life and to everything." - Plato
KWIBS - From March 26, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
It’s interesting to note that our newspaper has a few
famous "subscribers."
One such subscriber is Former Kansas Congressman Mike
Pompeo. Mr. Pompeo’s career has really blasted off in the past few
years. After President Trump was elected, Pompeo rose the ranks of
director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Recently, he’s President
Trump’s pick for replacing Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.
I met Mike Pompeo at the Grand Hotel several years ago
and then he stopped into our office shortly after that. I kind of wished
I had taken a photo with him now. A few weeks after that visit he
subscribed to the newspaper.
Now I doubt he probably has time to read this, but I did
note that Mr. Pompeo was a very interesting person. He graduated first
in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He
was also a Gulf War veteran with the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry in the
4th Infantry Division. That’s impressive. I found him polite and
intelligent. I also remember after meeting him that I forgot to ask his
party affiliation. It didn’t seem important to me at the time. I liked
him and I liked what he had to say about rural America and he had my
vote.
He’s obviously had the same impression on our president
and is being trusted as one of the top people in his administration.
If by some crazy chance Mr. Pompeo is reading my
newspaper, I want to congratulate him and thank him for serving his
country in this capacity. I would think Secretary of State would be the
hardest job you could ever have, next to President of the United States.
Somehow, I don’t quite picture him with his feet up on
his desk with The Gyp Hill Premiere spread open.
From my limited knowledge of him and first impressions,
I believe Mr. Pompeo will do the right thing for our country in these
perilous times. I trust him to make decisions to keep us safe and to
promote America’s interests throughout the world.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From March 19, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
The community woke Saturday morning to the sad news of
Ron Fincher’s passing.
I ran into the office and pulled my column off the page,
so that at the very least, we could share our condolences with Brett and
Kim and all the folks at Finchers Findings. We don’t yet know when his
services will be, but we will try to update everyone on Facebook.
Ron was a friend to all of us in town and he will be
greatly missed.
KWIBS - From March 12, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
While the kids were growing up, I did the typical dad
thing (relived my childhood through them). Ronda was the nurturer and
often nurse. I was the, "hey, let’s buy the kids gokarts, motorcycles
and BB-guns!" kind of dad.
Both Breeann and Joey had multiple motorcycle and gokart
injuries. By the time Nicholas was born, I was no longer able to play
with the children per mom-orders.
I watched once as Joey drove his first motorcycle
through a 2 railed, 2"x6" fence at 30 mph.
The most interesting part of that story is that he was
4-years-old. I had taught him how to balance on a bike, rolling down a
hill without training wheels just 1 week earlier. Any good dad knows
that that is enough experience to put an engine under him and let him
ride. Right?
You think I’m that irresponsible? Come on.
I put a helmet on him, gloves and a leather coat and
even some goggles over his eyes. There. Feel better about me now?
My mission was to do the same as I had with his older
sister: Tie a rope around the motorcycle and let him go slowly at first
until he got the hang of it.
I remember how mad my wife was at me when I came home
with this motorcycle. I had rolled through Mullinville, KS on my way
home from a job one day and some guy was selling these motorcycles on
the side of the road, so naturally I stopped.
After I threw my money at him and he helped me load it
up in my truck, I drove home with visions of my "father of the year
trophy" all shiny on my desk.
I got it home and unloaded it. I polished it up as my
wife stood there shaking her head and telling me how bad of an idea this
was.
What did she know about "fathering"?
Now here we were. Father and his son were about to make
history. It was like Evel Knievel’s first jump over 30 buses. I
explained the brakes, the gas, the inner-workings of compression and
torque to my 4-year-old and said, "When you’re ready, squeeze the gas
and I’ll be right behind you."
So I thought.
This kid took off like a pro-motocross racer from the
gate and ripped the rope right out of my hand. I busted after him at my
slightly-slower than Olympic running speed, screaming, "Let off the
gas!"
That’s 4-year-old language for "give it more gas"
apparently, as he went shooting towards a barbed wire fence at the end
of our yard. He was a good 20 yards in front of me. I was yelling,
"Stop! Brakes! Jump off! Jesus, this is a good time for the rapture!"
along with other explicits, when suddenly he took a sharp left hand turn
and plowed through the wooden fence along our driveway.
It was over in about 10 seconds and he was on the ground
with the motorcycle on top of him, still running, back wheel spinning.
He still had the throttle gunned.
I ran over, shut off the bike and lifted it off of him.
I could see his wide-eyed stare through his fogged up goggles. He was
breathing. I picked him up gently and asked him if he was ok and that’s
when the tears machine turned on. He started crying. I was like, "sssshhhh,
you’re ok, you’re fine. Don’t alert your mom..."
Too late. She was out the door and sprinting towards us.
It looked like she was investigating the crash scene, but I think she
was actually looking for broken parts of the motorcycle to pick up and
hit me with.
The motorcycle was broken. There was a fender a few
yards away, a couple of broken boards that Chuck Norris couldn’t have
Karate kicked through any better, and the front wheel was now smashed
into the engine of the new motorcycle that had less than 5 minutes of
run time on it.
I nervously said, "I bet the warranty doesn’t cover
that!"
My wife was not having it. She took Joey inside to clean
him up. He amazingly didn’t have a scratch on him.
I took the bike down to the shed and heated up the frame
and forks and got it bent back into riding condition.
Although I was told that I could not let him ride it
again until he was older and ready, Joey was ready to try again within a
few days. I had a better understanding of how tight to hold the rope and
he had a better understanding of the throttle control. In time, he
became an excellent rider and this first crash prepared him for many
more to come.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From March 5, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
I sat patiently with Bree on Saturday morning as she
learned how to do corrections and the final stages of the newspaper
before it went to press.
"Grandma finds all these mistakes?" she asked.
I explained that there has probably never been a more
thorough person as a "copy editor" for any small town newspaper the size
of ours.
My mom has always been a huge part of the newspaper
making process. Most people don’t even realize that before you get the
paper, she’s already read it from top to bottom.
Of course, with a crew like this one, she can’t possibly
catch every mistake. I bet she’s pretty darn close to perfection. Many
of the mistakes you might find happened after she had proofed the
newspaper. They were usually last minute changes.
Now it might seem weird to honor her for her birthday
with a story like that, but my mom has been a bigger part of my adult
business life, than my childhood - at this age and stage of the game.
And there is no way to hide a birthday greeting from my
mom (unless I don’t have it proofread)!
My mom is turning 75 years-young on Wednesday, March 7,
2018. That’s a cool accomplishment!
I could have used my space to tell funny stories about
her like the time she took my sister and I to Century II in Wichita to
an event. She got lost and ended up on the grounds sidewalks in our car.
We kept telling her she wasn’t on a road and we were sure she was
driving on the sidewalks, but she insisted she was until we ran over a
garden hose.
I love you mom. Thanks for always being here to help me.
Happy 75th Birthday!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 26, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Quietly and with little to no fanfare, my youngest
son left the age of teenager and turned 20 years old on Sunday, February
25.
For him, it’s kind of a big deal. He’s serving his
country in Okinawa with the Marine Wing Support Squadron 172. In
Okinawa, you only have to be 20 years old to buy an alcoholic drink,
unlike being 21 in the states. I haven’t talked to him about it, but I
bet he went out with some buddies and bought himself a drink because
that’s sort of what Navy and Marine guys do.
This is Nick’s first birthday overseas. He spent his
last birthday in training in South Carolina preparing to head to North
Carolina for 14 weeks of Marine Combat Training. Oh what a difference a
year makes.
As a dad, I wanted to be the one to buy him his first
drink, but we’ve known for sometime that this would not be possible. I
remember buying Joey his first beer on his birthday. We met in Great
Bend, KS. Joey was going to school in Hays at the time. Nick and I can’t
even meet half way for that first beer. Half way would be somewhere off
the coast of Alaska in the Pacific Ocean.
Now, I’m not naive either. I know that I didn’t buy
any of my kids their first drink, but I wish I could have ceremonially
at least.
Instead, I bought him a guitar and shipped it to him.
I expected it to take 4 weeks, but it took less than a week, so he got
it a little early!
The funny thing is, the next time I see Nick, he
still won’t be old enough for me to buy him a drink! That’s kind of
funny.
Happy Birthday Nick! It’s a day late in print and
probably three weeks before you’ll even read this, but know that I love
you, I’m proud of you and hope you have the best birthday ever!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 19, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
I’m not a real man. I’m just a big baby. That’s how I
felt while suffering through the latest plague to strike our area. It
was just the flu, but it felt like much worse than
H1NDeath-whatever-it-was....
I kept waiting for a cart to roll by my house with a
driver wrapped up in linens and a mask shouting, "Bring out your dead!"
Well, I didn’t die. I wanted to a couple of times. I
thought maybe Ronda was going to put a pillow over my head, but she
didn’t want to be anywhere near me.
For the record, I know she loves me and takes the entire
"in sickness and in health" to heart, but I’m a better caretaker than
she is.
When she’s sick, I take charge. I cook, attempt at
cleaning (no where near her standards), bring her drinks, soup,
medicine, take her temperature, place ice packs on her head, etc.
When I’m sick she’s like, "I’m going to Wichita today
shopping with my cousin and let you rest!"
No kidding, but sort of kidding.
She’d had about enough of me and my coughing and moaning
and she did go shopping and have a girls’ day so I could "rest" as she
put it. She did deserve to get away from me for a little while. This
stuff was on its 5th day by the time she needed to get out of the toxic
relationship. By toxic, I meant contagious.
I surprised her with a nice dinner though. I actually
got up, grilled some steak and made jalopeno poppers wrapped in bacon
and even roasted sweet potatoes.
By Sunday morning, I was feeling like I was over the
hump. I wasn’t really ready to go to church or back to work, but I could
at least bend over and pick up my own tissues off the floor.
We decided that a good way to pass the rest of that day
was to watch some movie on Netflix. I didn’t really care and started
flipping until she yelled, "Beauty and the Beast!"
I figured, meh, ok. I clicked it and expected to be
asleep within a few minutes. It was a 2 hour movie redone recently on
the basis of the Disney cartoon that from 1987-2008 I had watched more
than 100 times with my daughter Breeann. I had also cut my teeth on VHS
repair during those years when the machine had eaten the movie and my
daughter would break out into tears.
Well, I didn’t sleep because I knew the words to every
song, "Be our guest! Be our guest! Put our service to the test!"
"No one's slick as Gaston. No one's quick as Gaston. No
one's neck's as incredibly thick as Gaston's. For there's no man in town
half as manly. Perfect, a pure paragon! You can ask any Tom, Dick or
Stanley. And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on..." and
so-on.
This was ridiculous.
At one point Belle had to leave the Beast and rescue her
father. I was like, "Am I crying?"
Dear God, this is not a sensitive moment I’m having is
it? It had to be the Robitussin.
Maybe it was a combination of both, but I was choked up
and sobbing a few times. It wasn’t the movie. It was the thought that I
still had 1 hour and 45 minutes of this to go!
Seriously, I thought about how cute Breeann was as a
little girl always wanting to watch Beauty and the Beast or The Little
Mermaid. It brought back some great memories.
I’m such a baby....
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 12, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
It’s a dance that nobody likes to dance to, or likes the
song. It’s only interesting to watch others "dance".
It might be a terrible analogy, but that’s what happens
in our court systems. The back and forth of motions, responses,
petitions and the grueling slow grind of the legal wheel is often
maddening.... but entirely necessary.
Our society has one of the finest judicial systems in
the world, if not the best. If not understood, on the outside, it looks
like a cluster of unorganized chaos. All of it has purpose for fairness
and accountability for each side, whether it be for the plaintiff or the
defendant.
I’ve had the miserable honor of covering the events of
the Steven Myers’ death on October 6, 2017. With each court filing, I
try my best to put it into plain English so that you can process it.
Every motion, memorandum or rulings are just small
pieces of a complex process that our community must go through to get to
the end.
My heart breaks when I think about what everyone has
gone through in this difficult situation: The family and friends of
Steven Myers, The Sheriff’s Department and all of the deputies, the EMS
crews and the people of Sun City and Barber County - all wanting
answers.
I wear so many hats at times: newspaper, bondsman, lawn
mower, janitor.... Today my job is simply to present you with the most
current information, without inserting my opinion. I hope I do that,
while honoring this process of law.
My hope is that we soon heal as a county and community;
that we are safe and that there is justice - in what form, I do not
know.
KWIBS - From February 5, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
She’s been one of my kids over the past year and it is
sad to see her go, but I’m happy for her.
Jessica Wright is moving to greener pastures - or
hallways of chaos, either way you look at it.
Jess is going to the Grade School to work as a Para. It
goes along well with her decision to go back to school and get a degree
in teaching.
I’m super-proud of the work she did for us for almost a
year now. Next to me, she’s probably one of the fastest at assimilating
information for exportation (from her pen to your eyes).
What will I miss most about Jessica? My morning
greetings. I can’t write about them, but she totally understands what
I’m talking about.
When I say she’s like one of my own kids, I mean it and
she has been. I’ve had to give fatherly advice, which just like my real
kids is taken with a grain of salt; I’ve had to criticize her work,
getting the too often eye-roll; and I’ve had to call her occassionally
to ask, "Where are you?" She knew just how hard and how much to push my
buttons before I would either snap or laugh.
But seriously folks, Jess has been great to work with
and I wish her the best of luck!
? ? ? ?
Breeann (AKA Bree) comes to us as green as green can be.
She’s not written anything that I can remember since her, "I will be
home by my curfew" story, which was actually just a sentence written 30x
on a piece of notebook paper in high school.
So far, she’s picking things up and is figuring out the
routine. I don’t expect her to get a Pulitzer anytime soon, but with
some practice, she’s going to be a great addition to The Gyp Hill
Premiere. She will introduce herself next week.
Along with Bree, we get our Granddaughter Baylee for
half the day in the office. Baylee is currently finishing her degree in
pres-school, so she only goes half days. Her afternoon office is across
the hallway from mine, so every few minutes she brings me her "work." I
get yards of adding machine tape with random numbers on them. I usually
fantasize that it’s my bank account balance. I also get lots of drawings
of bunnies, sunshine and trees - refreshing for this time of year.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 29, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
One Tuesday afternoon back in early 1989, my dad took a
trip to Missouri and left a space-filler for his column that said, "Will
Return."
I was working as the pressman during those days and saw
an opportunity to test my writing skills. They were pretty terrible and
my dad was pretty mad when he came back and saw that I had written KWICK
KWIBS, Jr. as a guest writer.
He let me continue to write, but then eventually sold
the newspaper and moved to Missouri. I hope that wasn’t an indicator at
how badly my first columns were, but I was able to keep the column for
another six months or so, before it got axed by the new owners of the
Index. I continued working there for about another couple of months
before Ronda and I started The Gyp Hill Premiere.
I was always involved in the newspaper business. I had
my diapers changed there, I grew up and played there. I swept the floors
there and eventually ran a press there. I miss those days at the Index
and I miss those folks I worked with.
A fun little history lesson about this column.
One day several years ago Doris found a snippet my dad
wrote in February of 1976, "I have been toying with the idea of starting
a personal column for the Index for the past three years," he wrote.
Dad was also "toying around" with the title KWICK KWIBS,
Jr.
When we started our newspaper in 1991, my early columns
were terrible, even worse than today. I know, you can’t believe it. I
brought the name with me when Ronda and I started The Gyp Hill Premiere.
Many people over the years have asked me, where the name came from.
Now, the column name "KWICK KWIBS, Jr" by my dad, Ron
Noland, came from his father (my Grandpa Bill). In 1946 my Grandpa Bill
bought his first newspaper, the Logan Republican. He started a column
called "KWICK KWIBS".
Well, I’ve read some of my grandpa’s and dad’s early
columns and I am glad to say that I come from a long line of some
terrible writers! Seriously though, some of these columns were very well
done and made me smile to think how far back my heritage in the
newspaper business goes.
It dawned on me last week that my grandpa wrote KWICK
KWIBS for 24 years. My dad wrote KWICK KWIBS, Jr. for 12 years and I
have written KWIBS for over 27 years now. I’m the winner. Of what, I do
not know.....
KWIBS, of some form, has been a part of Kansas newspaper
history for close to 75 years now, with a few years of gaps in between.
Possibly, there are over 3,000 columns with the name "KWIBS" on them.
So over the course of the last week, Jessica Wright has
given Ronda and I notice that she’ll be leaving for a position at the
grade school. She’s been great help and I have agonized over what to do
to replace her. Jessica has a natural gift for writing and has really
evolved over the last year.
It’s a struggle every business has - keeping employees
for the long haul. Not everyone is a Doris Sorg who can put up with me
for 17.5 years and then give several months notice that she was leaving.
Only one other woman has chosen a longer path in life.... my wife! So
far, she has not given me notice she is leaving!
I’m rambling here, but I will eventually get to my
point.
We’re a small family owned newspaper. We’re a rarity by
today’s standards. Most small town newspapers have been gobbled up by
larger corporations and conglomerations of small chains. I’ve always
dreaded that happening to a community, but finding the right person in a
small town is really hard. Sometimes sharing those resources in a
centralized location in rural Kansas makes sense. Don’t worry, we’re not
heading there any time soon as far as I am aware. I have been actively
seeking an employee. I had some excellent applications. Two of which I
really wanted to hire, but for various reasons, I could not make a
decision.
It takes a person who loves their community to write
about it. It’s easy to write the controversial news. It’s a lot harder
to cover the good news. Human nature makes it that way. More people want
to read about crime and chaos than the successes and accomplishments of
a community. Let’s be honest, we all turn to the courthouse news first
and then go back and read the other parts of the newspaper.
It's been a mission statement for us to, "Report the
good news about our community."
I always dreamed of one of my boys running the newspaper
one day. That would make us 4 generations deep. I had floated that by
Joey one day last summer and he said, "You’re job looks boring. No
thanks." Personally, I think it’s a very interesting business, but I was
not offended.
I’ve read many things that Nicholas has written over the
years and he’s a very good writer, but the commute from Okinawa would be
a deal-killer. If I paid 50 cents per mile it would be something like
$7,500 a week in travel expenses, so he’s out. Maybe one day, like my
father, he’ll return home from his service in the Navy and decide he
wants to be in the business, but for now, he’s got a job near a beach,
also near a crazy dictator that we’re all keeping an eye on.
It never occurred to me that Breeann might be
interested. The thought of working with a family member who is so
opinionated and stubborn and hard headed and moody, probably prevented
her from ever asking me. Truthfully, we’re both very stubborn people who
can be difficult to be around. We can get pretty frustrated with each
other at times.
I mentioned, jokingly, to her that she should work her
way into the family business. She was actually interested. I think for a
split second, I was scared I had mentioned it, but then I thought back
to when my dad let me write that second column. He probably didn’t want
to at the time. Can she write? Well, probably as well as I did when I
first started. She might be even better. I had her write me a little
story about something she knew about and she did a pretty good job. It’s
writing about things you know nothing about that is harder.
We’re about to find out. I think it’s time. Her children
are older and in school. She’s been a stay-at-home mom with only brief
moments of employment, but a lifetime of being in the community. She’s
smart and, hopefully, trainable. If she’s not, I know several choke
holds. This will be a challenge for sure, but I think with a little
time, she can be a great addition to our family newspaper. I hope you’ll
encourage her in this endeavor. Please be patient with us while we work
through the process of getting her involved and please pray for patience
for me! Thank you to everyone who applied and expressed interest.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 22, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
Where do I begin?
As if adulting wasn’t hard enough, there’s also
parenting.
Parenting, you’d think, would be the toughest, but
Grandparenting is even more difficult.
Sunday morning I worked Pratt County for some bonding
business and then grabbed some lunch. While at lunch, I got two more
bonding calls out of Barber County. Then we got a phone call from our
daughter needing a sitter for the grandkids that night.
As it worked out, I dropped off Ronda at the house and
went in to assist some folks out of the Barber County Crossbar Hotel, as
one of the defendants called it. Ronda suggested I pick up the grandkids
on my way home.
Piece of cake.
The grandkids were excited to see grandpa. They grabbed
what I thought was warm clothing and we headed out to the truck. By the
time we got to grandma and grandpa’s I had discovered that one of my
grandkids only had on a sweatshirt and the other had on cowboy boots,
missing one sock.
Close enough.
By the time I had gotten home, I had answered about 178
questions ranging from, "why do turkeys make that sound" to what is
"DNA"? I had an easier time explaining DNA.
When I pulled into the drive way, my granddaughter was
asleep and missing one cowboy boot. I found the boot under the back
seat, slipped it back on her naked foot and after I got her awake and
stable, set her on the ground. I just wanted to get inside, get warm and
get fed. I was exhausted from the 7 mile trip home.
The grandkids won’t eat anything at our house that isn’t
either 100% sugar or simply chicken.
We were having steak, but I know to call it "chicken" no
matter what we’re eating. I can still trick them into eating about
anything if I just call it chicken.
"We’re having chicken tonight!" No, that’s chili, but
they don’t seem to know the difference yet.
I have been known to put a tub of ice cream on the floor
and two spoons and say, "get it" in place of actual food. I am told this
is alright if you are a grandparent. Parents are not allowed to do this.
So we ate and still had a couple of hours to burn. I
know what to do. Get balloons. Let’s of balloons!
Watching them blow them up and turn bright red in the
face is wonderful. I know they are getting plenty of oxygen and working
their lungs. It’s also a great cardio workout for them to run around and
bop balloons in the air.
I don’t know about those two, but grandpa slept pretty
good that night.
? ? ? ?
Monday both Ronda and Jess came down with a bug, leaving
me the only healthy person in the office.
I told Jess to stay home, Ronda insisted on working. She
lasted about two hours and left me in charge.
Alone. Sorry if you called and I didn’t answer. It was
hectic.
I was chugging along pretty well. We were busy since
Monday was a holiday and everyone seemed to not mind braving the cold
weather. It was an unusually busy Tuesday.
Before Ronda left at noon she asked me to make the
deposit. I thought that would be easy enough. She did all the work. All
I had to do was walk it over to the bank.
After 3 hours of customers and phones ringing, I finally
made it to the bank, but I think I missed the cut off. Thankfully, I
think I had enough in there to cover checks. If not, I’m probably going
to get fired.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 15, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
I don’t know who’s in charge, but I was promised
global warming which included polar ice caps melting and Manhattan
underwater by 2014. It’s cold and I don’t like it.
Congratulations to the Conservation District Bankers
Award Winners! We appreciate all you do!
KWIBS - From January 8, 2018 - By Kevin Noland
I made what seemed like the longest trip to town I’ve
made in decades Tuesday morning. It was the end of "Christmas Break" for
Ronda and I.
We still had a few days left with Nick before he left
for Japan on Friday morning.
We were pretty quiet driving in. We were not really
looking forward to going back to work, not even knowing where to begin
2018. We might have even been a little grumpy.
Ronda started laughing when we got to the Assembly of
God sign. It read, "Don’t be mean in 2018."
It made me laugh too and then I started in.
"I will also not be green or a bean. I hope to be lean,
but not have a lien. I keep my motor clean in my full steam space
machine. I’m trying to be less obscene since I’m not longer a preteen or
even sixteen. Speaking of, did I mention my home economics teacher in
high school was named Charlene? I’ll try to remember this summer to use
sunscreen unless they come out with some crazy anti-sunburn vaccine. I
was hoping to jump on a trampoline inside a submarine dressed as a
wolverine. I am also wanting to keep my spleen at least until Halloween
- all in 2018!"
Thanks Rodney for being our local sign comedian and
turning me into "Dr. Seuss" last Tuesday morning.
? ? ? ?
So I want to give a big shout out and a big thank you to
a couple of guys who have served this city well for several years. Norm
Clouse and Mike Roe take their city council seats for one last moment
tonight and then ride off into the sunset. Well, maybe not, but they are
leaving the council. These guys were original movers and shakers. They
took part in some unpopular, but necessary actions to improve the
functionality of our city government. I applaud them for sticking it out
and seeing things through. You guys are appreciated and we hope to be
interviewing them soon as civilians!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 1,
2018 - By Kevin Noland
KWIBS - From December 25, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Wow! Today is Christmas, but you probably are reading
this on Tuesday, December 26th or even later.
The holidays will sort of mess up our delivery
schedules, but we will publish our weekly newspapers through the
holidays.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas! It’s difficult to
write about something that hasn’t happened yet and that you’ll read
after the fact, but it is my wish that you had a joyful celebration with
family and friends. .
I know of so many in our community that have
experienced loss of family members around the holidays and it is my
prayer that the Lord gives you peace, hope and love during this time of
year. No one is immune to loss. In the last few years, our family has
lost several family members. Within the last year we lost two uncles. In
recent years we’ve lost Ronda’s grandma and my dad.
Ronda and I enjoyed looking through old family
Christmas decorations a few weeks ago. She used them to decorate for our
Christmas this year. It reflects over 30 years of Christmas together.
The memories are the gifts that those who have passed leave us.
If it all worked out, we had our entire family
together for Christmas this year. It would be the first time since 2015
since we were all home for the holidays.
I love getting Christmas cards with family photos.
I’m terrible at sending them, but know that I enjoy seeing your families
as they grow over the years. I’m planning on taking a good family
Christmas photo this year and with any luck, I’ll make Christmas cards
for next year!
Next week will be a recap of 2017. It will be an
issue about our community’s successes and struggles. I love to reflect
and find the positives in life during this time of year. I hope you will
take time to remember 2017. My prayer for our little town is that 2018
is the best year yet!
Have a blessed holiday and see you next year!
KWIBS - From December 18, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
In a few short days, my Christmas present to myself
and my family will be here.
Yes, it’s selfish to buy yourself a gift, but this
one is a doozy!
Our Son Nick is coming home from Okinawa, Japan for a
couple of weeks! Perfect timing and much luck has made this trip
possible. Nick is stationed with the Marine Air Wing 172 Firebirds there
and serves with the ministry team as a Religious Program Specialist.
As it turns out, Nick’s current Chaplain is retiring
and there will be a change in command that occurs over the holiday. The
gap in between offered Nick the opportunity to come home, if all goes as
planned. (Keep it down Rocketman).
If it all goes well, he’ll take the 20+ hour flight
home beginning Thursday our time and arriving sometime Friday afternoon.
He will actually leave on Friday morning, his time, and arrive Friday
afternoon, our time. It’s confusing.
For the past six months, we had believed we wouldn’t
see Nick until maybe Peace Treaty of 2018. So, needless to say, WE ARE
EXCITED!!
Nick spent his last Christmas in Great Lakes, IL in
bootcamp. It was not a special occasion for him or for us, but we are so
grateful to have our entire family back together for Christmas this
year.
Because of this special visit, our office hours will
be somewhat sporadic over the holidays and for the week in between. We
will be receiving our mail and checking our voice mail system and we
have a drop slot in our door for you to drop things by over the
holidays.
Thank you in advance for your patience!! We don’t
plan any deadline changes, however, we will be in stores on Tuesday,
December 26th and Tuesday, January 2nd due to the holidays falling on a
Monday this year.
And we are at my favorite edition of the year! This
is our Christmas newspaper and we always love sharing the kids’ letters
to Santa each year. The kids are just too funny. I hope you enjoy them
as much as we have.
And because of the season:
Matthew 1:20-23
Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you
Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you will call His name
Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, a
virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Emanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
From our family to your family, we wish you a blessed
Christmas. Love and cherish the time you spend with your family and
friends and remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Merry Christmas Friends!
KWIBS - From December 11, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I’m going to weigh in on the news in my own special way
this week.
John Conyers announced his retirement from Congress
after several women came forward with sexual harassment charges against
him. He’s 88 years old and the longest serving Representative in
Congress. He’s endorsed his son to replace him.
The younger, Conyers, 27, would be a first-time
political candidate. But he has already been connected to an ethics
issue, according to the Detroit Free Press. In 2010, the congressman had
to reimburse the Treasury Department $5,682 for his son’s misuse of a
taxpayer-funded Cadillac Escalade, the paper reports. It seems to me,
he’s perfect for the job, if he was able to use a Cadillac Escalade for
$5,682..... The younger Conyers’s wife, Monica Conyers, was sentenced to
more than three years in prison for taking cash in 2010, as a Detroit
council member, to support a Houston company’s sludge contract with the
city.
North Korea is still rattling a saber at us by launching
more ICBMs into the sea of Japan. Normally, it would just be another
day, but each time he does it, it makes me sick to my stomach because my
son is attached to the Marines there and they will be the first to
deploy in the event of a war.
Nick says, "I don’t care as long as I get to come home
for Christmas. We can’t go to war until January 5th, 2018."
Of course he’s kidding. No one wants war. I’m proposing
a simple solution to the issue.
The 2018 Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in
South Korea. I think we should have a competitive javelin toss between
North and South Korea. At each other....
Speaking of the Olympics.... The Russian Olympic
Committee was suspended on Tuesday from the 2018 Winter Games in
Pyeongchang, South Korea over the 2014 Sochi doping scandal. I propose
that we have a special competition just for the Russians. "Vodka Shots!"
And finally....
The Supreme Court wrestled with a clash between
religious freedom and LGBT rights on Tuesday as it heard arguments from
a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake to celebrate a same-sex
couple's marriage because he believes that God designed marriage to be
between a man and a woman..
While I agree with the baker, I also understand that you
can’t discriminate in the market place. However, you can make an awful
cake.....
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From November 27, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
People get pretty "bold" when it comes to Facebook and
comments. With the recent updates in information concerning the officer
involved shooting in Sun City on October 6, 2017, many folks have taken
to the internet to express their anger and opinions over the death of
Steven Myers - Mostly towards law enforcement, but even towards how we
reported last week’s court motions and responses.
The facts will come out. It’s a long process. We printed
the story on the motion and response in last Monday’s Gyp Hill Premiere.
I did not, however, pull quotes about statements that were heard on the
videos.
In my opinion, it’s far too early and irresponsible to
quote a civil attorney for the family on what he interprets after
watching the videos and then going on all the TV news stations to blast
our local law enforcement, but this is just not a good situation.
Someone died and it tarnishes the respect we need to have for law
enforcement. Don’t take this as being insensitive, but we’ve sort of
forgotten that this all started with a person who became drunk, went and
got a shotgun, and made threats.
Please don’t think in any way that I support use of
force as the only option in dealing with Mr. Myers, but be careful
believing 100% of what a lawyer wants you to know in the very early
stages of an investigation, especially when you know he’s preparing a
multi-million-dollar lawsuit against our county and that will line his
pockets. I wasn’t there. The attorney wasn’t there and as far as I know,
most of you were not there either.
What we need to remember is Myers leaves behind people
that cared about him. Appropriate care should be given to his family if
there is fault found. I express my condolences. It’s very sad and I wish
I didn’t even have to address it, but I hate seeing this play out on
Facebook news feeds. Myers’ death is already being commercialized in a
sickening way.
We also need to remember our actions from the past in
situations that involve investigating of the actions of law enforcement.
We’ve forgotten that within days of an accusation, a special prosecutor
was appointed by our county to investigate Sheriff Justin Rugg for
allegedly committing domestic battery against his wife in December of
last year.
The same has been done for this case and the Attorney
General’s Office is investigating this issue.
I’m very qualified and unafraid to bring this up because
I know Justin and his wife very well. The nearly 8 month long
investigation cost Sheriff Rugg the election and tarnished his wife’s
reputation at her job. It also cost our county a good deal of money
investigating it.
I believe it is important to investigate this incident
as rigorously as we did an alleged domestic battery - which resulted in
no charges being filed. In the end, hopefully, the truth will be known
and justice will be served. I also believe it is important to let
investigators and prosecutors do their jobs, unimpeded by public opinion
- including mine. We will do our very best to be fair in reporting on
this story, which has been forced into the spotlight by what appears to
be an inevitable lawsuit.
KWIBS - From November 13, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Wednesday morning we received notice of the winners of
the write-in campaign for city council.
By as much as a 5-1 margin, Matt Forsyth, Elisa Stone
and Ron James will take a seat at the City Council in January.
It was a particularly interesting election given that
voters had to write-in their names. With a 26% voter turn out, it was a
nail biting evening on Tuesday. No information was available until
mid-morning on Wednesday and my phone was blowing up.
I want to thank Amy Sill for keeping me up to speed on
the progress at the Clerk’s Office.
Now we can move on to something that hasn’t been
discussed much since the write-in campaign started. Mike Roe and Norm
Clouse have served the city of Medicine Lodge for 8 years on the
council. They will be leaving with little fanfare.
Their decision to serve in the first place came with
great sacrifice and whether or not you like what they’ve done during
their terms, they have both served the city honorably. If you see either
one of these guys, don’t forget to thank them for their many years of
service to our community. They’re not done!
If anything, the election sparked more interest in our
city government. Several who made last minute runs will hopefully keep
themselves informed on what is happening in Medicine Lodge. I got to
visit with at least one other write in who did not win and I believe
this person has a genuine interest. My hope is that instead of watching
Facebook for fake news and information about our town, they will, in
fact, educate themselves on issues concerning the operations of the
city.
I can be biased in this situation, because I do get
involved and I can provide factual information. Our city operates on the
up and up and we have good, honest people at the helm. Thank you all for
voting and doing your part to keep Medicine Lodge alive and well.
KWIBS - From November 6, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
In the 1970s, I grew up in a country that referred to
Viet Nam as a "conflict". It was taught in school and ingrained in our
studies. It was later in my life that Viet Nam was called what it
actually was, a "war". It was fought by brave men and women who were not
remembered like the veterans of WWI or WWII.
People had grown tired of war by the 1960s. Some were
simply cowards who did not love our country enough to fight for it,
whether there was a draft or not. They directed their hatred towards
those who served.
It breaks my heart to hear of accounts of disrespect
towards the men and women who served our country during this era. Some
were wounded more severely by their own countrymen upon their return
home than in the battle field.
We will celebrate Veterans Day on Friday. I’ve always
felt this was one of the most important times of the year. I’m deeply
moved by the service that people give to their country in the armed
forces. Although I did not serve, I have the utmost respect for those
who did and are serving. My dad was in the Navy during Viet Nam. His
service actually had him in and around Cuba during a tense time with
Russia. He later did joint missions with many countries in South
America. He was a radio technician on a mine sweeper.
His Navy career is the reason I am now here writing this
column. My dad was a Kansas native who met my mother in Rhode Island at
a YMCA dance. As a result of that meeting, and later a marriage, I was
born in 1969 in Providence, RI. When my dad’s time in the Navy was
finished, we moved back to Kansas and I’ve never lived anywhere else.
It came full circle last year when my son graduated from
MLHS and went into the Navy, a decision that I am very proud of. He is
approaching his first year of service and is now stationed with the
Marines on a base in Okinawa as an RP (Religious Program Specialist).
His duties as a Religious Program Specialist might seem sort of
unimportant, but after boot camp, Nick went through Marine Combat
Training. He switched from "Blue" side Navy to "Green" side Navy. He is
considered by his fellow Marines as one of their own. He trains, eats,
sleeps and is in all practical measures, a Marine. In about a year he’ll
have his FMF pin. The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are
combined general and special purpose forces within the United States
Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or
expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Fleet
Marine Forces provide the National Command Authority (NCA) with a
responsive force that can conduct operations in any spectrum of conflict
around the globe.
So, he’s not really just an assistant to a Chaplain.
He’s a combatant. He owns the phrase, "We fight tonight." I pray that he
never does.
On an average day when RPSA Nicholas T. Noland leaves
the confines of his base heading to another, he is faced with protesters
who spit, curse and throw things at his vehicle. When he first told me
this, I couldn’t hardly believe him. Then he slipped me a video one day
and I saw it for myself. The protesters are paid by China to harass our
troops in Japan. It’s a poor attempt to demoralize our soldiers serving
there. The irony of it to me is that if we weren’t there, the economy of
Okinawa would collapse. I didn’t even mention how unstable the region
is. Imagine if we left? The people of Okinawa rely on jobs on our bases
and money that flows from our soldiers to local businesses. Japan relies
on us to protect them from some of the craziest leaders in the world
like the one from North Korea.
My point is pretty simple. Men and women who serve this
great country deserve great respect, especially in their own country. I
really feel obligated give honor to those who served in an "unpopular
war" such as Viet Nam, but what war is popular?
Each Veterans Day our school district does a wonderful
job honoring veterans in our community. They usually focus on honoring
one era and this year is the Viet Nam war veterans.
We struggled this year to find a Viet Nam veteran who
wanted to talk about their experience with the newspaper. Two actually
cancelled and I totally understand. We’ve been honored in the past to
hear Gary Dyke’s accounts of the war. He’s a wonderful man and a friend.
So since we’ve done Gary and we were turned down a
couple of times, I turned to someone who I greatly respect, but I knew
he would decline. I believe him to be one of the most honorable people I
have had the privilege of meeting in my adult life. Major Bob Stutler
agreed to share some of his thoughts about Viet Nam. I will tell you
that he did turn me down at first. After he thought about it for a day,
he agreed to write his own accounts. I sat in my office last Thursday
and read his perspective on Viet Nam. Keep in mind, I’ve known Major
Stutler for 10 years. I’ve heard his story. What he’s shared with the
newspaper is just a glimpse of some of the things this man has seen and
done. He didn’t write about all of the medals he’s received, including
several Purple Hearts. I’ve seen his passion for our country. I’ve also
seen his wounds and heard how he got them.
Take a moment to read his perspective on the front page.
Thank you Bob for sharing your perspectives on Viet Nam.
Thank you to each and every veteran who made the choice to serve our
country during peaceful times and during times of conflict and war.
Thank you to my son, whom I miss every day with every fiber of my being.
Thank you to my dad, who I miss and think about every day since he’s
been gone; and especially on Veterans Day.
My hope is that there will never be another Viet
Nam-like homecoming for our soldiers. I know that my children and my
grandchildren will honor those who serve our country because of what
they learn at school in our community. I can never imagine a protest
against someone like my son, or like my dad, or like Bob.
I have many people who I consider friends that served in
Viet Nam. I hope they know now that we honor them and thank them today
and forever. We are not the America you came home to after the war and I
pray we never are again. I have many friends who served in Iraq,
Afghanistan and on bases in the United States and around the world. They
are heroes and worthy of our respect and thanks.
Please attend the Veterans program at MLHS on Friday.
Take a moment to thank these and all veterans for their service. We live
free because of their what they’ve done in service.
Happy Veterans Day
KWIBS - From October 30, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda ran into my office last Tuesday with a 20 year old
KWIBS column from November 3, 1997.
She had the evidence needed to close the case and
accusations that we did not carve pumpkins with our children when they
were young.
I probably lost you there, but last week our oldest son
Joey did some "pumpkin carving" with friends and stated to me that, "It
was my first time to carve pumpkins because we only painted pumpkins
when we were young."
I knew we had carved pumpkins and we had also painted
them. I remember making the switch to painting after we had an incident
with a family of raccoons (that’s another column).
We also had one other issue after carving or painting.
It has been resolved, but also verified. We had an issue with disposal
of the pumpkins after Halloween. It seemed like the pumpkins sat around
for a little too long after the holiday. Is Valentine’s Day too long to
continue to display a pumpkin?
I regress....
Joey claimed it was his first time. He was mistaken.
Here is the evidence.
From November 3, 1997’s edition of The Gyp Hill
Premiere:
It was the scariest thing we had ever seen...
Last Wednesday evening Ronda and I brought home pumpkins
for the kids to carve and decorate.
We started our project shortly after dinner. I carved
out the faces with the careful guidance of our children Joey and Breeann
(this was Pre-Nicholas. He was still in incubation and not born until
February of 1998...). I made them "gut" the pumpkins. Traditionally,
it’s the parent’s job to do the carving and clean up, not the actual
"gutting". This job is designated for tiny hands that aren’t grossed out
to have sticky stuff crammed up their fingernails.
It took the kids 20 minutes or so to completely get
their pumpkins cleaned out and ready for the title of "jack-lanterns",
but they just weren’t ready to be done with the traditional pumpkin
carving. That’s when I had a great idea (at the time it was a great
idea). Why not paint the pumpkins?!? This would add an artistic flair to
an ancient tradition. They could paint faces and mustaches, eyelashes,
lips or even beards on them. We got the paints down from the cupboards
and gave the kids brushes and water and they went after it.
It was time to relax. The kids were being entertained
and Ronda and I could enjoy some quality television. We had no
interruptions for nearly an hour. This was pure bliss. Never before had
I had such an innovative idea to keep the children busy with a fun
project.
Then the true horror of Halloween hit our home.....
Joey came out of the kitchen (15 feet from where we were
sitting) with paint from the tips of his fingers to his elbows and all
over his school clothes.
I said, "don’t touch a thing!" I picked him up and took
him straight to the bathroom. Whew! That was a close call. It wasn’t 30
seconds later that Breeann came out of the kitchen in the same
condition.
I said, "don’t touch a thing!" I guided her in the
direction of the bathroom. Children seem to need directions to the bath
tub when they are so filthy they risk completely destroying a home
environment.
After getting the children in a safe place we approached
the pumpkin projects in the kitchen.
"OH MY GOD," we both shouted in terror!
The kids not only painted their pumpkins (entirely from
bottom to top, including the stem), but they also got paint on the
table, the wall, the chairs, the pictures on the walls, the ceiling, the
refrigerator, the floor, the carpet, the dishwasher, the stove, a
stained glass window, all of the vitamins on the counter, the lamp, the
light, the back door, the sink (which is a good 15 feet away from where
they were painting), the cabinets and cereal boxes.
Apparently they went VanGough on us. Instead of painting
with brush strokes, they took a more modern splatter technique. They
mixed every color together, which you realize makes black....
Ronda and I spent an hour mopping the floors and the
ceilings (yes, we used the mop on the ceiling as well). It was quite
difficult to get off, even though it was water soluble.
The entire time we were cleaning up the horrible mess we
were laughing hysterically! How could we have been so stupid? That’s
when Ronda reminded me that it was my idea to get the paints out and let
the children be creative after carving pumpkins.
I put the painted/carved pumpkins out on the
front walk that evening. It rained overnight. The pumpkins ended up a
bright, shiny, clean orange the next morning....
Case closed Joey!
KWIBS - From October 23, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
It was "A Day to Remember," although it wasn’t. Well..
sort of..
Wednesday our oldest son Joey called and said he would
be in Wichita that evening if we wanted to hook up for dinner. We were
all about seeing him. Joey moved to Phillpsburg, KS a few months ago to
work at one of the White’s Foodliner stores.
That’s a pretty far and away place, so we haven’t seen
him much. Getting to meet up with him in Wichita was a great idea. It
turned out that Joey and a friend had tickets to a concert for a band
called "A Day to Remember."
Well, it was a day to remember, but not for the right
reasons. On the way up, I was called to stop and write a bond in
Kingman. It was a large bond and I spent a couple of hours writing it
only to have the whole deal fall apart after some confusion between
attorneys.
I called Joey to let him know we were running late
because of the fiasco with the bond I was writing. It wasn’t a problem
because he was about an hour behind too and would have to just meet us
at the concert. Ronda and I pulled into Wichita and had enough time to
grab a bite to eat and head to the Cotillion. We were just a few minutes
late and called Joey from the parking lot. He and his friend met us at
the box office.
When we walked in, an enormous sign read, "SOLD OUT." We
waited around outside the show hoping that someone would be selling a
pair of tickets, but finally left after an hour and a half. There was
one nice kid who had one ticket that he was willing to give us, but we
politely declined after not being able to figure out which one of us was
going in and which one was staying in the parking lot! We had driven
three hours to basically give our son a hug and then drive home.
It was worth it. It was a day to remember.
KWIBS - From October 16, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Well, it happened, most unexpectedly.
It started Monday and took me completely by surprise and
I broke on Tuesday.
I had to put on pants.
Fall has arrived and the temperatures fell Monday
afternoon. I’m just not a fan of cold weather. I want it to be 80-100
degrees all year long. That’s where I’m most comfortable, and in my
shorts. I will stay in them as long as possible, but at some point the
weather always wins.
Yes, I folded up my shorts and put them away...... for a
about three days. I can handle being in shorts at 60 degrees and up, but
any lower, and I break down.
If you see me in the summer wearing pants, it’s bad.
Someone has died and I’m going to their funeral. There is no other
reason for me to be wearing pants during that season.
Come to think of it, the Grim Reaper doesn’t wear pants
at any time of the year. He’s probably got shorts on under that black
robe, if anything at all.
Worse than having to put on pants, I had to put on socks
too. I have CCFS (Chronic Claustrophobic Foot Syndrome) and my toes like
to roam free inside my shoes or be barefoot, rather than be restricted
by a knitted boot on my foot. I don’t know if that really is a chronic
syndrome, but it should be and it sounds real.
My wife simply calls it being "crazy".
I can’t really explain in words why I freak out wearing
socks, but if you’ve ever put tape on cats’ feet, that’s sort of how I
feel for the first few days wearing socks. If you haven’t done the tape
on the cat’s feet experiment, do it now and report back to me. If your
cat has not been declawed, look it up on youtube.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From October 9, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
When I was a kid, all of my rock and roll idols were
immortal. My first experience with losing one was when Elvis died. in
1977. I think I was in second grade when Brett Fincher came to school
crying. When I heard the news, I think I cried too.
Since I’m a grown up now (jury is still out on this
statement), I’ve experienced the loss of several of my favorite rock and
roll artists. Half of the band of Lynyrd Skynyrd died in a plane
accident in the same year that Elvis died. Keith Moon of The Who died a
year later; Bon Scott of AC/DC in 1980; John Bonham of Led Zeppelin and
John Lennon of the Beatles also died in 1980; Bob Marley in 1981; Randy
Rhoads of Quiet Riot in 1982; Andy Gibb of the Bee Gees in 1988; Stevie
Ray Vaughan in 1990; Freddie Mercury of Queen in 1991; Jerry Garcia of
The Greatful Dead in 1995; another Bee Gee, Maurice Gibb in 2003; Johnny
Cash in 2003; Ray Charles in 2004; Richard Wright of Pink Floyd in 2008;
Michael Jackson in 2009; Lou Reed in 2013; David Bowie, Prince, and
Glenn Frey of the Eagles in 2016. There were many more when I searched
the internet. These just stood out to me.
Last week, we lost Tom Petty. I grew up on his music.
The very first song I learned to play on guitar and sing was a Tom Petty
song. For years I wanted to see him live. Before I could, my son Joey
stumbled upon a concert at Madison Square Garden where he and a friend
bought scalped tickets to Tom Petty. He ended up sitting very close to
the stage and I was so jealous. It was just a few years ago, Ronda and I
finally got to go see him play in Wichita. Sadly, he was in a sour mood
after having much of his valuable guitar collections stolen a few days
before his tour started.
Rest in Peace Tom and thank you for the music.
KWIBS - From October 2, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I f NFL players can’t come up with a better way to
promote attention to "injustice" other than taking a knee during the
National Anthem, then I can’t watch any more.
I won’t go on and on about being patriotic, but there is
a time and a place for everything. Surely there is a better way for
players to get their message out. Never before have I read so many
divisive comments on social media concerning the flag and National
Anthem.
Yes, America has its problems, but do you think this is
drawing attention to those problems or creating more division among
Americans? Have you been to another country with more freedoms?
Do I agree with President Trump’s statement concerning
the NFL? No, I do not.... and just when you thought I was a Trump
supporter....
At a political rally Friday in Alabama, Trump challenged
NFL owners to fire any player who takes a knee during the National
Anthem, saying owners should say, "Get that son of a … off the field
right now. Out! He’s fired!"
That’s not a statement a sitting president should make
about any subject. Teach by example. The NFL can whine about what the
president said, or they can take a closer look in the mirror and
remember a man named Tim Tebow.
His kneeling was considered a clash of faith vs.
football. It had no place on the field according to many in the media
and in Hollywood. That event caused a full blown national debate about
religion and its place in sports.
The League has also had no problems in the past giving
the thumbs down to activities that it feels are harmful to the NFL.
Back in August of 2016, Dallas police officers were shot
and killed execution-style. The Cowboys wanted to honor them with a
decal on their helmets. The NFL said no. They added that "there are so
many wonderful, wonderful causes, the league has to be careful," - a
statement by executive vice president Stephen Jones.
So, the NFL has no problem squashing someone’s freedom
of speech when it comes to supporting fallen police officers, but they
won’t stop a protest at their games during the National Anthem. I’m
surprised they just don’t stop doing the National Anthem all together.
It’s so divisive....
Justin Houston of the Kansas City Chiefs may have had
the only logical reason to kneel before the game (but still during the
National Anthem).
"People are complaining about kneeling and standing, but
I feel like it’s pointless because it’s not changing anything," Houston
said. "I feel like prayer changes everything, so I was praying before
the game that we come together as one.
"What are we kneeling for? What is that going to change?
It’s not going to solve anything. Prayer is power. So I believe if we
pray together, the more we come together as one and we can make a
change."
When I hear the National Anthem played, I think of
soldiers protecting our country around the world. I think of my son
serving with the marines. I think of the freedoms that I have because of
people who were willing to serve their country, some of them sacrificing
their very lives so that players can take a knee during the anthem at a
NFL game.
Is it too much for us to teach our kids respect for one
another? For the country? For our men and women in uniform? For the
flag?
I don’t want politics in sports. When I’m choosing
sides, it’s because of the teams playing. I’m not an insensitive
deplorable. I’m an American trying to watch a football game. There’s
nothing political about standing, taking off your hat and honoring our
country for two minutes.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From September 25, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
It was a breath of fresh air to read all the positive
comments on social media about the Community Improvement District
project on Main Street and 281/160.
It is really looking sharp and I commend everyone who
has had a part in this project. The new street lights, benches and
points of interest markers look really sharp and very much accent our
community’s rich history.
We’re fortunate to have so many things going on at once.
If you look around town, several businesses, including The Gyp Hill
Premiere, have taken advantage of Barber County Development’s Facade
Grant Program. There is still time to make improvements and receive up
to $1,000 in assistance to give your business a face lift.
Both the CID and the Facade Program came about from
Barber County Development. I’d like to thank Jim Rowland for his
leadership role in getting these projects off the ground.
The City of Medicine Lodge also deserves a big thank
you! The new lights on Main Street also include a new sound system that
will benefit the entire community for events like Peace Treaty and
Junefest.
Jeff Porter gave me the tour of the sound system Tuesday
afternoon before Indian Summer Days. I am impressed! For the past 26
years, the downtown sound system was located in my office and for each
and every parade, David Colborn and I would run all over town trying to
make things work. It was a patched up mess for years and without David’s
help, I could have never kept it going. It was bitter sweet to see it
come down (and leave my office!).
Finally, thank you Brett Edwards and crew for the
terrific job on the front of the Premiere building!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From September 18, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
A few weeks ago, I was forced to endure an 8 hour
continuing education class on being a bail bondsman.
Keep in mind, I’ve been doing this pretty successfully
for 13 years now, have written better than 4,000 bonds, made more than
40 arrests and surrenders, but recent changes to the law forces me to
take this education training.
The KBAA (Kansas Bail Agent Association) approached many
of us in the industry about joining several years ago. I, along with
many of my colleagues chose not to join.
Their sales pitch was, "You will be kept informed on
pending legislation in our industry."
Little did I understand at the time, that their lobbyist
would be introducing legislation that would require 8 hours of
continuing education to be taught by, none other than, the Kansas Bail
Agent Association.
So at $250 per class, they held approximately 9 classes
this year with about 40 in attendance at each class. That’s about
$90,000 in income generated annually.
Because I’m not a member, I can’t see where the money
goes, but my local State Representative Kyle Hoffman was notified of
this interesting situation. The KBAA represents less than 15% of
compensated surety agents across the state and these classes are a big
boost to their cause.
Hoffman was made aware of the changes to the law earlier
this summer. He said he honestly didn’t read it that closely. I
understand that a lot of things cross his desk, but this bill is
extortion at its finest. The state has effectively set up a membership
agency monopoly that profits solely from a law passed, that the KBAA
introduced.
The law requires that only they can teach this class at
a cost of $250 per person. If a bondsman or "compensated surety" does
not take the class annually, the KBAA will notify the chief judge of the
district and those not completing these hours will be removed from the
authorized list of bondsman for the jurisdiction they serve in, no
matter how long they have served.
I actually love to learn. I attended the education class
in Hays on September 1st. Here’s what I learned.
- I was read the law concerning bonding in Kansas. No
one there taught me to read. I’ve been doing it pretty well on my own
for about 43 years. I’ve also read the laws concerning being a bondsman.
- You can fight the courts on forfeitures and win. You
can especially count on winning if you use the KBAA’s attorney. And if
you are a member, you get 1/2 off the hourly rate for representation. I
have a problem with that. First, they are soliciting for a law firm and
their association at a mandatory class; and secondly, if the court has a
legitimate forfeiture, that’s my responsibility to either find the
person and return them to jail or pay the forfeiture as agreed. Anything
else is unethical and dishonest.
The attorney who spoke finished his speech with much
foul language, disrespect for judges and county attorneys and then
proceeded to throw T-Shirts and beer coozies into the audience. For a
minute, I thought I was at a terrible time share conference. I caught a
beer coozie though.
- In the second session, I learned how to trick police
officers if I want to commit a crime. I don’t even want to go there.
- In the third session I watched in horror as bondsman
after bondsman disrespected a 6 term sheriff of Ellis County by whining
and complaining about their phone systems and the way they allow
bondsman to write in their jails and commons areas. I felt sorry for
this guy. He was there to talk about ethics and instead answered
questions about 800 number calls and fights between competing bond
companies in his jurisdiction.
- In the final session a representative from the
National Bail Association told jokes about the male anatomy. He also
made fun of people who had been in trouble with the law and how he was
fighting to keep our industry alive and well. He might have said some
important things about our industry, but I was already so angry to have
been forced to be there, I was no longer interested.
This is what’s wrong with government. Money buys
lobbyists, who convince our legislating bodies to pass laws that force
people to fund these lobbyists who pass bills to keep their jobs. Our
representatives don’t even seem to read these laws or understand them
before passing them.
How horrifying would it be if Kansas Press Association
passed a law that said if I didn’t take an 8 hour journalism class, I
could no longer print a newspaper?
So, where was the education I was paying for? Since it
was at a country club, as soon as the class ended, I went up and got a
drink at the bar.
Drain the swamp from the bottom up....
KWIBS - From September 11, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Nick has been gone for a couple of months now. We talk
several times a week, but he’s so busy and with a 14 hour time
difference, we have a difficult time matching up our schedules.
He asked me, "Hey, you know... uhm... you could send me
a package or something. Other people are getting stuff from home...."
I didn’t really understand. I sent all the stuff he
asked for two months ago and then like a ton of bricks, it hit me. He
misses home and familiar things.
I am such a dope .... All through boot camp and "A"
school, I sent him packages and letters, but after he got to his job, I
just stopped.
So he needed some documents mailed to him and wanted a
couple of items from home. This was the perfect opportunity for me to
make his day. I scurried around to make him a "care package" Tuesday.
I discovered something. Dads really aren’t that good at
making care packages, but I did my best. I don’t bake cookies, but I
grill a lot. You can’t really send someone a steak that takes 10 days to
arrive. It would be cold by then. I drove all over town and stopped at
several businesses to buy him some little items. He got some beef jerky,
peppermints, a candle and my favorite set of headphones that he always
used when he was home. His mother included a cute card with a hand drawn
picture of Kansas and put "Mommy miss you" inside it. I wrote a note on
the card that said mom’s picture looked like "the bat signal..." She
might be a spy for North Korea. I wouldn’t trust her.
He also got some cute hand drawn messages from his niece
and nephew that were considerably better illustrations than his
mother’s. :)
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From September 4, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
There are times when I think we should scrap the English
language and just go with whatever my 4-year-old granddaughter makes up.
"I want to go to the restranaut!" I think this is a
place for astronauts to eat, but I can’t be for sure.
"I wanna go wiff you at grandma’s house." Assuming she
means that she wants to go where I also live, she either wants to go
there to see grandma or smell me.
"Grandpa, my teacher’s name is Mrs. Bologna!" I learned
it’s actually Mrs. Maloney. Her loss....
"My mom made sketti for supper." I think this is the
female version of the yetti. They are definitley meaner and better
cooks.
Baylee spent some time in our office after school on
Tuesday. Translation: I can’t get anything done because I’m being
bombarded with questions.
While I’m trying to register for a class and book a
hotel room she’s asking questions like, "What’s that screen do? Why do
you type so fast? Grandpa what’s in this cup (spills cup). Who is
bigger, you or grandma?
My brain can only respond with, "Go ask your grandma
questions!"
But she continues, "Grandpa, what are you doing? Why are
you doing that? How long are you doing that? Grandpa, why are you
putting headphones on and drinking bourbon for lunch?"
And why do we always lie to little kids? I always
thought of myself as a relatively honest person, until it comes to my
kids and grandkids. I’m honestly shocked at how much I lie to my
grandkids. Can you really even trust that statement?
"You can’t eat that popsicle in here because your brain
freezes faster inside. Go outside and eat it, but not on the concrete.
Go to the grass. The grass insulates your feet and keeps your brain from
freezing."
That’s a lie (see photo at end of my column). Your brain
freezes just as fast in the grass, but the ants don’t get on your
concrete when they inevitably drop said popsicle.
Maybe it’s not really lying so much as it is diversion
from the truth. We start these kids out with lies. We tell them about
Santa, the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy.
And they believe it all. We’re either sinister liars or
great actors. I’d like to think I am a golden-globe winner at parental
and grandparental acting.
The Tooth Fairy was just out of necessity. We lie about
where their old nasty teeth go and give them money with a made up story
about a fairy who leaves $1 for a tooth. When I was a kid, I think it
was just a quarter, but you have to figure for inflation.
If we were truthful with our kids, we’d say something
like, "Congratulations, you lost a tooth and look like a hillbilly.
Here’s a dollar to make you feel better."
You have to admit, they are pretty stinking cute at that
age and most of the stinking is gone because they can go to the bathroom
on their own. Of course, you have to take them in there and stand around
waiting for them to do their business.
This is an actual photo of my grandkids Kycen and Baylee
with painful brain freezes that both of them experienced while eating
popsicles. Notice how they are supposed to be in the grass, but have
crept up onto the concrete.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From August 28, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Moonday, August 21, 2017 - a day that eclipsed all
others.
Ok, sorry for the dumb intro to my column.
Like most people, I couldn’t wait to jump on the eclipse
bandwagon, only I was a little late. I searched all over for those "look
straight at the sun glasses" but they were sold out everywhere. I just
waited too long.
So, I heard from a friend that there was this beer
company that put a pair of the glasses in with their packaging and they
bought some in Pratt. Well, I’m not much of a beer drinker, but thought,
"Hey, we can get some glasses and give the beer away!"
So we hopped in my truck and drove up to Pratt. We
walked in just behind someone we knew, whose name I won’t mention, but
her initials are Donna Queal, oops. Sorry I am outing you Donna.
We all walked up to the counter together. She had her
purchase and we didn’t have anything because we were in a liquor store
looking for solar eclipse glasses.
I asked the clerk, "Do you have beer with solar eclipse
glasses?"
She pointed at Donna and said, "That’s it right there."
Only Donna had bought the last box.
So we went home empty handed.
Later in the day we learned that Ronda’s stepmother,
Linda Vick, had bought 8 pairs from Farmer’s Almanac and wanted us to
have a couple of pairs! So, our trip was just a waste of time. I’m still
outing Donna for buying the last box of that beer.
Monday rolled around and we not only had glasses, but I
had cut up two cereal boxes and made the proper viewers to safely watch
the eclipse without glasses.
We actually came to town, got our work done early so
that we could rush home and watch the eclipse together at the lake.
Ronda and I set up our lawn chairs and relaxed in the
sun as it began to cool off and get darker. Then my phone rang. It was
Cory with UPS needing in the gate at Lake Arrowhead. I always joke with
him when he comes through and he always jokes back like saying, "Pizza
delivery for Nolands" or something silly like that.
Before I let him in I said, "Stop by the viewing eclipse
party at our place."
I was kidding, there was no viewing party. It was just
me and Ronda, but in about 5 minutes, the UPS truck zipped over the hill
and out jumped Cory.
So, "What can brown do for you?" That was their old
slogan, but Brown can certainly join us and make an official viewing
party of the great eclipse of 2017.
Me and the UPS guy. No packages were delivered during
the shooting of this photo.
KWIBS - From August 21, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Words, language, tone of voice.... We’re so consumed by
it.
The President was too harsh and reckless with his words
recently towards Kim Jong-Un according to some media outlets and his
words were not harsh enough over the recent riots in Charlottesville by
the same media outlets.
I didn’t vote for Trump and was not a supporter of him
during the election (no, never a Hillary fan), but I found his words
most appropriote in both matters.
In a controversial, but intentionally strong, statement
of his own, President Trump declared any North Korean attack would "be
met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."
Wow, that is harsh in comparison to former President
Obama’s statement on a nuclear test North Korea carried out in 2012.
"The United States condemns North Korea's September 9
nuclear test in the strongest possible terms as a grave threat to
regional security and to international peace and stability."
Umm... ok. That wasn’t quite the fix it all statement
now was it?
Kim Jong-Un is a punk who only understands forceful
responses. He makes constant threats against America and its allies.
We’re not going to hug this guy into submission. Choosing careful words
hasn’t seemed to work in the past, so let’s try Trump’s approach. The
North Koreans have used rhetoric and saber rattling to cause anxiety in
their region since Kim Jong-Un took power and I believe he only
understands the same in response.
Haters on the right and the left predate Trump’s
political career. No matter what he says or does, he will be scrutinized
harder than any other president ever was.
Why is that?
Because he doesn’t do politics like politicians have
done for decades. He even takes on his own party like when he recently
called out his fellow Republicans for not putting a repeal and replace
bill on health care after they promised they would to the American
people.
But let’s blame Trump for that too. The Republicans only
had 7 years to come up with something better than Obamacare, but that’s
another column.
Charlottesville was a condemnable act of domestic
terrorism. I don’t care if it is Neo-Nazis, the KKK, women dressed in
vagina costumes or Black Lives Matter. If you can’t be civil about
political issues, you are about as un-American as you can be. When we
protest and use violence, we risk the very right to have a right to
protest.
Trump’s words and response to the violence were spot on.
"We ALL must be united and condemn all that hate stands
for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America," he said
about Charlottesville. Pick that apart all you want, but he’s absolutely
correct. We should never use our 1st amendment right to insight
violence, no matter what side of an issue you are on.
It’s too soon to say I’m warming up to Trump, but I am
seeing something that I never saw before in a president in my lifetime..
Trump is either someone who is not afraid to be bullied around by either
party, especially his own, or he’s crazy. That’s sort of gotten my
attention.
#haveagreatweek
KWIBS - From August 14, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I treasure every text, Facetime and Instant Message I
get from my kids.
Joey’s recent texts went something like, "Hey Dad, I
want this ridiculously powerful and expensive jetski. Check it out {link
included}."
I checked it out. The crazy thing is $10k and is like
1500cc of raw power. Guys in the video are doing flips and jumps so I
responded, "You’d need a helmet. In fact, you need a helmet for just
wanting one of these."
Breeann’s text go more like this, "Are you cooking
dinner at the lake tonight?"
I responded, "Yes, for me and mom. We’re having ribeyes."
Breeann (she hates that I call her Breeann. She says her
name is "Bree", but I constantly remind her that I named her at birth):
"Hey, if we bring meat, will you cook it? Oh, and is it ok if I bring
out (10 of my friends) to the lake?"
Me: "Grrrr..... fine... bring sides."
Now Nick is an entirely different type of texter. With
his strange sense of humor, schedule and the 14 hour time difference,
our messages go unanswered for hours, sometimes days.
Me: "Hey buddy, what’s up?"
Finally at like 2 a.m. my time I get a text, "Nothing,
killing terrorists." He also included a photo of himself with his newly
assigned M4 carbine.
Me: "Nice. Thanks for keeping us safe."
Nicholas: No problem. Been at the range all week. Sorry
for not texting much. What did you do today?"
Me: "Well, I’m sleeping because it’s like 2 a.m., but
yesterday I killed terrorists too."
Nicholas: "???"
Me: "I sprayed Round Up on the driveway and killed all
the weeds, but it’s similar to killing terrorists I suppose.
Nicholas: "Sort of...."
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From August 7, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I recently read the book "Fearless: The Undaunted
Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam
Brown."
Adam was killed in a fire fight in 2010.
I’m not trying to spoil this book, but it does end this
way.
Early in Adam’s life, he struggled with addiction and at
one point spent time in jail for crimes relating to his addiction and
theft. He later gave his life to Christ and became a husband and a
father.
Adam’s life was full of challenges, but he met each one
courageously. He lost his vision of his dominant eye in an accident and
later had all his fingers severed and reattached when his HUMVEE rolled
in Afghanistan.
Even though he had to retrain himself to shoot left
handed, he made the top of the SEALs.
Adam was a man of extremes, whose determination was
fueled by faith, family, and the love and support of his wife. He was a
man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to
reach the top tier of the U.S. military. Always the first to volunteer
for the most dangerous assignments, Adam’s final act of bravery led to
the ultimate sacrifice.
He was and is a hero to those who knew him and those
like me who would later read the story of his life.
His children saw him as a super hero. They even bought
him a pair of "Batman" underwear. He promised them he would wear them
while going into battle and he did.
When medics removed his clothes to tend to his many
bullet wounds that ultimately killed Adam, they found he was wearing the
underwear he promised his children he would wear.
When you remember to pray for our troops serving our
country, remember that they are super heroes, at least to someone.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From July 31, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
So, I am a bucket list kind of guy.
Some of the things I have gotten to check off my list
are: SCUBA diving and cave diving in Mexico, zip lining in the Riviara,
flying an airplane, driving a Porsche over 100 mph and a number of great
concerts - like The Eagles, Boston, Styx, Heart, Tom Petty, Ozzie
Ozborne, Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, Foo Fighters, Def Leppard,
Foreigner, Bon Jovi, KISS, Rush and so many others over the years.
Tuesday night, I got to check another concert off my
bucket list. Ronda and I, along with Pat and Tonya White, saw Peter
Frampton open for The Steve Miller Band. I’ve seen Steve Miller a number
of times and he’s awesome at 73-years-old, but always wanted to see
Peter Frampton live.
I had just missed going to see Paul McCartney at Intrust
Bank Arena the week before and really wanted to see that show, but I had
another obligation pop up at the last minute.
Several months ago, I got an email from The Steve Miller
Band fan club (yep, I’m a member) announcing his show at Hartman Arena
in Wichita. I was eligible for front row seats with a special code (and
a special price). I typed that code in and discovered I could buy 4
front row seats. So, when I saw Peter Frampton was the opening act, I
pulled out that magic plastic card and made it happen. I had Pat and
Tonya in mind for this show as we went to Steve Miller last year and had
a great time. Peter Frampton did not disappoint!!!
That was my first "front row" bucket list concert and I
was in heaven. I watched one of the greatest guitar players in history
from only 10 feet in front of me - and with good company!
It turns out that I wasn’t the only fan from Medicine
Lodge. We ran into several people that night and I received several text
messages from others in the crowd who saw us sitting on the front row
wondering how we got there! It’s easy, just sign up for the fan clubs
and pay attention to your emails and make sure your credit card isn’t
maxed out yet!
KWIBS - From July 24, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
While I’m not going to take up Ann Coulter’s cross to
bear with Delta, I will share a recent experience we had with them.
Ann was simply upset because she got moved from a
prebooked aisle seat to a window seat in the same row. Boo hoo.
My Son Nicholas had completed his training at Marine
Corps Expeditionary and Combat Skills Training, Class 17030 (that’s me
being a proud parent of a serviceman) in North Carolina mid-June. His
flight was also prebooked to leave at 2 p.m. - ish EST and arrive in
Chicago with plenty of layover time to catch his 7 p.m. flight.
Delta’s flight sat on the runway for more than 4 hours
before they disembarked the passengers and placed them on another
flight. That flight also sat for more than an hour before taking off for
Chicago, now nearly 5 hours behind schedule.
As he was landing in Chicago, his Delta flight to
Wichita was taking off, delayed 30 minutes, but still not in time for
him to catch it. It was the last flight of the day and he wasn’t sure
what to do. I told him to go to the Delta counter and ask for a voucher
for a hotel and a meal.
Delta refused and even went as far to say that, "they
were out of rooms for passengers from his flight."
Some nice gentlemen at the airport bought Nick a cup of
coffee and a meal and thanked him for his service to our country.
Delta didn’t do that. Delta told him that if there was
room, he could fly out on the first flight to Wichita on "stand by"
status the next day.
The USO gave Nick a cot and he slept in his uniform on
the floor near the terminal. This was acceptable to Delta.
It surprises me that no effort was made to do the right
thing in Nicholas’s case. He was obviously distressed over missing his
flight home. He wasn’t just an ordinary passenger. He was in uniform.
Delta didn’t care that he only had 9 days to spend with us before a 36
month duty station in Japan. They robbed him of one of those days and
didn’t even so much as offer an apology.
So for everyone taking Delta’s side as Ann Coulter
blasts them on Twitter, just remember how they treat ordinary
passengers, including those serving their country.
? ? ? ?
Since I’m on the subject of Nick, I’ll let you in on his
progress. He is in Japan. He has been assigned to a Chaplain and he is
in a one month mentorship program with another RP on his base to learn
his job duties.
Nick LOVES Japan. That makes me happy. He was a little
apprehensive about his first duty being so far from home, but I think
his weekends on the beach with his new Marine buddies and gourmet food
pictures have convinced his mother and I that he is genuinely happy with
his job.
Because of OPSEC, I’m not allowed to say much more than
that. So I’m just pretty green at all the acronyms that are thrown at me
as a military parent, but I was "scolded" on Facebook back in January
for violating an OPSEC rule. I disclosed my son’s mailing address
online. Oops, my bad.
OPSEC, short for Operations Security, works to keep
military and families safe from enemy intrusion or detection on social
media. The Navy defines it this way: "Operations Security (OPSEC) is a
systematic method used to identify, control, and protect critical
information and subsequently analyze friendly actions associated with
military operations and other activities. Ultimately, OPSEC is
protecting your information and activities from your adversaries."
So, we’ve done the whole crash course on OPSEC and I
have carefully crafted a special recognition for one special Chaplain.
We’ll call her "Chap Eagle 1" to protect her identity. She’s a huge
Philadelphia Eagles fan, which could prove to create a hostile working
environment for Nick one day soon, since he’s a Dallas Cowboy’s fan.
Chap Eagle 1 is the Chaplain that Nick is attached to,
at a undisclosed Marine Air Wing base, on an unidentified island south
of Japan. I’ve sent Chap Eagle 1 some messages through Nick thanking her
for taking care of my son. She found out that we owned a newspaper in
Kansas. Nick snapped a photo of himself and Chap Eagle 1. She wanted to,
"be in the paper and have a copy."
Thank you Chap Eagle 1! God bless our soldiers!
KWIBS - From July 17, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Several years ago, in an attempt to get healthy, I
bought an elliptical off of a Craigslist post.
It was a pretty nice Nordictrack model with more
features than I knew how to use, so I just left it unplugged and ran on
it for years.
Ronda was wanting a treadmill, but we didn’t have room
for both in the basement. She hated the elliptical and told me daily.
Recently she took an interest in it after about 5 years of mocking it.
Maybe I should rephrase that. Ronda became obsessed with my elliptical.
She started out going 30 minutes for the first few days and quickly
progressed to an hour a day of rigorous excersise.
She gets up about an hour and a half earlier than I do
and she spends most of that time on the elliptical. You can hear the
"squeak, squack, squeak, squack" all through the house.
One morning last week that "squeak, squack, squeak,
squack" turned into a "squeak, squack, click, click, squeak, squack,
click, click, THUMP" then some explicit language.
She ran upstairs and woke me up to tell me that she was
ANGRY!
Thinking on my feet (or on my back in this instance), I
recalled all of the possible things that I could have done to justify
her anger. I came up empty.
"I broke the elliptical and was only on it for ten
minutes! Get up and fix it," she said.
I got up, grabbed my tools and took it apart. It was
apparant as soon as I got the cover off that I wasn’t fixing this. Ronda
had sheared off a 3/4" drive pin that had two 20 lb weights on it.
She literally, ran the wheels off of the elliptical. I
stared at it for several minutes and imagined the mileage she and I have
put on this exercise machine, what it cost to buy it and figured up it’s
per mile cost. It was just pennies. It was less than the price of a
normal clothes hanger.
I got on Craigslist and found another one. I hope it
lasts us another 5 years.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From July 10, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
One of the greatest things about our country is the
diversity of people we have.
I’m speaking specifically of two classes of people: City
Folk and Country Folk.
I can’t claim this for a fact, but I think more Country
Folk have experienced City Folk living than the other way around. I’m
always entertained by people who come to this area and are amazed at the
wide open spaces.
Take for instance, my cousins from Fort Worth, TX. They
are no strangers to the country life, having grown up in remote areas of
Montana, my cousin Michelle, isn’t as impressed by the country as her
husband Jeff was on a recent visit. He’s a Fort Worth native.
"You guys have so very few stoplights," he said,
referring to Kansas in general. "I think we passed like 2 cars between
Harper and your house!"
I thought about that. Yes, we have just two
intersections of stoplights here in town, but what really caught my
imagination was thinking about when I leave my office to go home,
generally I only stop three times before I hit my driveway almost 8
miles away.
When Ronda and I went to my Uncle’s funeral in Fort
Worth in April, we stayed about 7 miles from my cousin’s ranch. It took
us 50 minutes to get there from our hotel. That’s normal for them, but
not for us!
I like visiting the city, but I don’t like traveling in
them. Fort Worth is probably one of the worst for traffic, so it may not
be fair to compare to a place like Wichita, which is relatively easy to
get around in.
I would not trade my pace of life for anything. Last
week the 281 resurfacing project began. It took me 50 minutes to get to
town on Wednesday. I’m thankful it is a temporary traffic issue!
KWIBS - From July 3, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Noland leaves for Okinawa
RPSR Nicholas Noland graduated the United States Marine
Corps’ Expeditionary and Combat Skills Training Class 17030 from Field
Medical Training Battalion-East, Camp Lejuene, North Carolina on June
14th, 2017. He is pictured with his brother Joey and sister Breeann
during his 9 days of liberty he spent at home before he reported to his
assignment in Okinawa on June 28th. RPSR Noland will be stationed on a
Marine base working for the Chaplain and support teams for the next
three years. K. Noland Photo
Almost every parent has had this conversation with their
child.
"When I’m done with school, I’m getting as far away from
here as possible."
Maybe your conversation didn’t go quite like that with
your kid. Mine didn’t either, but my kid is about as far away from home
as you can get right now.
7,145.859 miles to be exact (as the crow flies),
according to freemaptools.com. Nick left Sunday, June 25th at 6:15 a.m.
and arrived in Okinawa, Japan on Monday, June 26th at 4:15 a.m. Three
airplanes and about 18 hours of total flying time and he’s on the other
side of the globe.
RPSR Noland reported for duty with the Fleet Marines on
June 28th. The tiny sliver of an island will be his home where he’ll be
stationed for the next three years. It’s pretty hard to imagine our baby
on a Marine base that far away from little Medicine Lodge, KS and less
than a 1,000 miles from the craziest dictator on the planet in North
Korea.
Nick spent 9 days at home before leaving for his new
job. He’s spent the past 6 months in some of the hardest training that
the Navy and Marines have to offer. While home, he spent as much time
with his new fiancee Natalie Bare as possible. He also graced us with
his presence when he needed a home cooked meal! His brother and sister
and mother and I really enjoyed having all of our kiddos under one roof
again.
I can say with all honesty, that I have never laughed
and cried so much in one week. We dropped Nick off at the airport in
Wichita early Sunday morning, June 25th. Not knowing when you’ll see
your child next, is a sinking feeling, but I know he’s safe, well
trained and serving our country proudly.
Have a great week and Happy 4h of July!
KWIBS - From June 19, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
It was the greatest Father’s Day gift I’ve ever
gotten. All three of my kids were back together in front of me Thursday
morning.
It was a crazy week. Nick flew home from combat
training after his graduation on Wednesday. Ronda and I, along with
Nick’s girlfriend Natalie, drove up to pick him up in Wichita. We took
in a movie, ate dinner and did some shopping before we got some awful
news.
Nick’s American Airlines flight had broken down on
the runway (at least not in the air) and his flight was delayed.
Although we were hopeful at first, after 4 1/2 hours, we realized he was
not going to make his connecting flight in Chicago and not making it
home on time.
Irony can be so cruel. Nick commented after boot
camp, "I never want to come back to this God forsaken place," speaking
of Chicago.
Nick landed in Chicago 35 minutes after his
connecting flight left for Wichita. He would be staying in Chicago for
the night. To make matters worse, American Airlines informed him that
they would not give him a room for the night and no food voucher.
Nick went and sat down and gave us a call to inform
us of his unfortunate situation. While he was sitting there waiting, a
retired Marine bought him something to drink and talked with him about
his service. It made Nick feel better, but didn’t fix the problem.
We headed home. It was a quiet trip home.
The poor kid ended up at the USO and slept on a cot.
He’d later comment on how he was robbed of one night in his own bed
after 6 months of training.
But he made it home. We all drove back up the next
morning, bright and early, and had him back for a warm reception from
his siblings and a warm shower before noon Thursday..
He’ll be here only a little while before his
deployment to Okinawa, Japan. RPSR Noland will be stationed there for
three years as an assistant to the Chaplain. We’re clinging to every
moment with him before he goes.
I’m proud of Nick. I’m equally proud of Joey and
Breeann. My kids are amazing people with good hearts. I could not ask
for a better Father’s Day than to have them close to me. The only thing
missing on Father’s Day for me, was my dad. I know he would be proud of
all his grand kids. (my camera did weird things with this photo).
In other news, in all the chaos last week, I forgot
to wish my beautiful wife a happy anniversary. It was 29 years ago on
June 17, 1988, that I used my Jedi powers to convince her to love me. I
love you Ronda. :)
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From June 12, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I could not be more excited than I am this week.
Late Wednesday night, Ronda and I, along with Nick’s
girlfriend Natalie Bare, will travel to Wichita to pick up Nick from the
airport!
Nick completed his MCT-East combat training in North
Carolina last Friday and graduates from his training this Wednesday
morning. After graduation, he’ll grab his sea bags, put on his service
uniform and start the trek home to be with us for about ten days before
he leaves for Tokyo and then on to Okinawa, Japan for 3 years.
He hasn’t seen his home since December 11, 2016. He
hasn’t had a home cooked meal, seen his girlfriend, slept in his bed,
pet his dog, seen his niece and nephew, brother, sister and a host of
family and friends since he left for boot camp.
RPSR Noland will be given a well deserved rest from his
military training. He says he just wants to "hang out" and do nothing
for 10 days. We’ll do our best to make that happen.
His mother and I last saw him at RTC in Great Lakes, IL
in February. He’s been to his RP schooling in South Carolina and now
Marine Combat Training in North Carolina.
After completing his "A" schooling, Nick went "Green"
side and started training with the Marines. This was no easy task. Nick
has learned how to operate several weapons systems, throw grenades, be
gassed, go on hikes of up to 8 miles with 80+ pounds of gear, eat MREs
and live in the field and go into battle simulations during the day and
night. He’s been sleep deprived, driven to mental and physical
exhaustion, screamed at, but is with no doubt, in the best shape of his
life.
He has an incredibly interesting career ahead of him and
I can’t wait to hear more when he’s home.
KWIBS - From June 5, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I want to die peacefully in my sleep someday like my old
friend did, not like the 3 screaming passengers in his car.
Sometimes a good joke is all it takes to break the ice.
I used to call it "The Fat Penguin." I always tell my son Joey, when
he’s in a tough spot, be prepared to use the Fat Penguin.
My Pastor Dwain Richert always starts his sermons out
with a decent joke. Some times they are groaners, but usually they are
pretty funny. You wouldn’t think he could tell a good joke, but he can!
Then there’s Jerry X (to protect his identity). Jerry
runs me down at the grocery store a few times a week to tell me a joke
that’s usually not appropriate. Sometimes he is funny.
My father-in-law has a strange super power when it comes
to jokes. He never runs out of them.
My Grandpa Joe was one of the best joke tellers I ever
knew. I strive to be like him, but my wife says I always ruin the
punchlines.
So to prove her wrong, I’m going to close with a few
jokes.
First, do you want to hear a word I just made up?
Plagiarism...
Parallel lines have so much in common. Too bad they’ll
never meet....
Woman never find me attractive until they find out how
much money I make. Then they realize I am ugly and poor..
What’s green, fuzzy, and if it fell out of a tree it
would kill you? A pool table...
The other day, someone stole my mood ring. I’m not sure
how I feel about that...
Have a great week. Tell a joke and make somebody smile!
KWIBS - From May 29, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I wanted to take up some space to say a special THANK
YOU to Barb and Mike Keltner for the many years of service they have
given to our community.
We don’t know how lucky we have been to have them here.
They have shaped the lives of several generations of children in this
town and they have given their time and their money to help others for
as long as I can remember.
Barb actually changed the way I see trash. Before Barb’s
lecture, I did not recycle a thing. Today, I recycle almost everything.
Barb is a Mac fan. We’ve had some great banter over the
years on Mac vs. PC. She actually won me over to an iPad and an iPhone.
I probably couldn’t go back now if I wanted to.
Mike and I share a love for music and several years ago,
he and I went to Wichita to see Bela Fleck and the Flecktones featuring
Victor Wooten.
The best part about our trip was that it was Valentine’s
Day. We both left our wives for the evening, put on some ridiculous
flowered shirts and went to dinner in Old Town. We also walked into some
tatoo parlors and some other questionable establishments. Over
all, it was a great man-date and my wife makes fun of me every
Valentine’s Day by asking, "Are we going to do something or do you have
plans with Mike?"
Barb and Mike: You guys are the best of the best. This
town will never be the same without you. I hope that life brings you
many blessings and maybe some return trips to the Lodge!
KWIBS - From May 22, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I packed and unpacked my clothes twice last week.
Actually, my wife did the packing.
It all had to do with the weather.
Mother Nature may not be through with us for the spring
season. Make sure during the severe storm season you make an emergency
preparedness kit, or, ask my wife to do that for you. :)
Spring storms put her on edge, which naturally puts me
on edge. Our bags were packed early Thursday morning before I even got
out of bed. The weather channel told my wife to do it and she did it.
Turns out, it was a bust.... No real damage.
When the area got hit with hail a couple of weeks ago,
we stood outside of the newspaper’s front door and watched hail pounding
our vehicles and listened to it pummeling our roof.
Before the clouds moved past, we had contact from three
different roofing companies. They descended on our little town like
moths to a bright light.
And many people have had damage to their roofs.
Several comments have been made about who to use and who
not to use and I’ve even heard of near fist fights breaking out over
people stealing roofing companies’ signs around town. While leaving town
the other day, I thought I missed an election cycle with all of the
different signs popping up around town.
When possible and feasible, I would recommend using
local contractors. I make this recommendation for several reasons.
1. If they’ve been around a while, they’ll be here when
you need them. 2. Their money stays here and circulates here.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From May 15, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I just want to say, I miss Jay Leno and headlines on
Monday nights. For those of you who were fans of the Tonight Show, you
know what I’m talking about. It was my favorite weekly event and
something the entire family got a chuckle out of.
Being in the newspaper business, we see funny headlines
(sometimes intentional, sometimes accidental).
I sat and read some of those headlines this week and
thought I would share some of my favorites:
"Poverty meeting attracts poor turnout"
"Gas company behind bean supper"
"Miracle cure kills fifth patient"
"Total lunar eclipse will be braodcast live on
Northwoods Public Radio"
"Breathing oxygen linked to staying alive"
"Man tries armed robbery with knife in gun store"
"Neurosurgery department gets new head"
"Pigs die as houses are blown down"
"Man competent enough to be declared insane"
"Bugs flying around with wings are flying bugs"
"Man with nothing to declare had 55 tortoises in his
pants"
"Most Earthquake damage is caused by shaking"
"Northfield plans to plan strategic plan"
"Starvation can lead to health hazards"
"Feds say fish need water"
"Dead man found in graveyard"
"Woman missing since she got lost"
"Alton attorney accidentally sues himself"
"Utah Poison Control Center reminds everyone not to take
poison"
KWIBS - From May 8, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Congratulations to the Medicine Lodge High School Graduating Class of
2017!
You are about to join the long, proud list of alumni from our
community.
Many of you have big decisions to make in your future. Things are
about to change for you. For some, it will be a good change, for others,
not so good. Sometimes you find out what you are supposed to be doing by
doing the things you are not supposed to do.
You’re all adults now. How do you know when you’re doing right and
wrong? You know because you were taught by the best teachers in the
world at MLHS. You have a guide that is your GPS system for life’s
choices. I don’t normally tell you to do something that is led by your
emotions, but sometimes if it feels right, it is. What you’ve learned in
school the past 12-14 years should have given you the tools you need to
make good choices.
Check your ego at the door. This is only the beginning. I know how
good you feel walking out of those doors at MLHS, but I promise you,
you’ll want to return. And you must return and remember the halls, the
smells, the sights and sounds of your school. I still go there often and
I don’t even have children in the system anymore. I’m right at home when
I walk through those doors and see some of the original smiling faces
that were once my teachers!
George Saunders to Syracuse University in 2013 said it best: "Do all
the other things, the ambitious things—travel, get rich, get famous,
innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes...but as you do, to
the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness."
Again....Congratulations Seniors! We’re so proud of you!
KWIBS - From May 1, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I’ve done my best to keep you up on Nick’s journey in
the Navy.
A few weeks ago, I got my second "kid in a box"
delivered UPS.
It was full of all of his former Navy uniforms.
Upon graduation from Navy RP training in South
Carolina in early April, Nick shipped off to North Carolina to MCTB-E
(Marine Combat Training Battalion - East).
Are you as confused as I am? So, Nick is a Navy RP
(religious program specialist), who is now attached to the Marines. The
Marines came into existence on 10 November 1775. They conducted
ship-to-ship fighting, provide shipboard security and discipline
enforcement, and assist in landing forces. The Marine Corps has been a
component of the U.S. Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834.
Since Nick is a Navy Religious Program Specialist
attached to the Marines, he will now wear the Marine uniform. He also is
going through their combat training. So, I got all of Nick’s former Navy
uniforms from his 4-month-long career shipped back home.
Nick and all of his new uniforms will be home in June
for a couple of weeks before shipping off to Japan, where he’ll be
stationed for the next 36 months of his Navy/Marine career.
When I ask him what uniforms he’ll need shipped back
he answered, "I dunno..."
And because of OPSEC.... (Operations Security -
they identify critical information to determine if friendly actions can
be observed by enemy intelligence and determine if the information could
be useful to them).... I can’t tell you anymore about all the cool
stuff he’s doing!
Have a great week and God bless our troops!
KWIBS - From April 24, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
You can learn how to do just about anything these days
by simply watching a youtube video.
Just type in "how to_____" and you’ll get a video giving
you a step by step guide for things as simple as brain surgery to as
complicated as driving a car....
That’s what one 8-year-old boy did right before he
chauffeured his sister effortlessly to the McDonald’s half a mile from
his East Palestine home while his parents were sleeping last week.
Witnesses said the 8-year-old obeyed all traffic laws
like making sure to stop properly at red lights, waiting for traffic to
pass before taking a left turn, and staying within the speed limits.
When the two siblings pulled up to the drive-through
window with piggy bank money in tow, the McDonald’s workers were
convinced this was all a prank, but after an investigation, they
discovered it obviously wasn’t.
When confronted by the police, the boy realized he had
done something wrong and told Patrolman Jaco Koehler through tears that
he just really wanted a cheeseburger, according to the Weirton Daily
Times.
I usually cry after eating at McDonald’s.
The children did get to eat at McDonald’s while they
waited for their grandparents to pick them up. No charges are being
filed.
Meanwhile, my self performed lobotomy seems to have
worked well and I can now successfully tie a full Windsor knot while
correctly boiling pasta. The constant yodeling is annoying my wife, but
the ease at which I can solve a rubik’s cube is down to 15 seconds.
I still forget to use my turn signals though.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From April 17, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
My son Nick texted me last Monday from his Marine
Training Schooling in North Carolina to tell me that he had run 8 miles
that morning.
That’s a pretty amazing feat considering I used to have
trouble getting him to run downstairs and turn off the lights.
I do have the most interesting family.
Ronda and I travelled to Ft. Worth, TX last weekend to
attend my Uncle Gary’s funeral. While we were there, we took a tour of
The Stockyards. A guy I simply met as "Jack" was at my uncle’s funeral.
Jack was a member of the board of directors of The Stockyards and did a
spot-on imitation of John Wayne. He threatened to "belt me in the
mouth." I thought he was serious for a while. Turns out being a board
member really means you just hang out at a certain drinking
establishment once a week at a certain time. He was a hoot.
Just when I thought I had met the most interesting
person who was a friend to my uncle, I met "Lisa". I kid you not, she
was all of 95 pounds and a former ballet dancer from New York City who
turned bronc rider. She had worked for my uncle for many years and
around 2009 had fallen from a horse and broken her neck. Not only was
she not expected to live, if she did live (which obviously she did), she
was told she would be paralyzed for life. She walks, albeit with a limp,
but she still works at my uncle’s farm (now my Cousin Michelle’s farm).
Lisa was incredible and showed Ronda and I her little apartment behind
my uncle’s house at Confederate Park Farms.
I had a drink with Thaddius and Eleanore Roosevelt, her
pet raccoon of 13 years and a squirrel, who’s age I didn’t enquire.
I was most impressed to meet my uncle’s friends and see
the lives that he had touched in his 14 years in Ft. Worth. My favorite
memories will include this journey to celebrate his life with Ronda, my
Aunt Millie and Cousin Michelle and family.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From April 10, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Just over four years ago I sat in my kitchen with Ronda,
my Uncle Gary and Aunt Millie. We looked over photos, laughed, cried and
paused to remember my dad who had passed away on January 11, 2013.
They drove up from Fort Worth to pay their respects to
my dad and my uncle’s only living brother. Over the years, we’ve spent a
lot of time together. Fort Worth is an easy drive and any time we are
remotely in the area, we drive over to see them. They also came to visit
us on a couple of occasions.
Many of you have shared stories about my Uncle Gary with
me. He had lived here with his family in the late 1960s and early 1970s,
being a part of the Peace Treaty and local Chamber of Commerce. He
eventually worked his way up to Editor and pressman at the Index and
later in life started a 24 hour printing plant in California. Before his
last move to Texas, my aunt and uncle had a newspaper in Seeley Lake,
Montana. Over the last 14 years or so, they have raised, boarded and
trained horses, specifically for Equestrian.
Last Friday I worked my hardest to finish up everything
and hit the road by early Saturday afternoon. My Uncle Gary’s health was
failing rapidly. I wanted one last moment with him.
The last time we saw him was before Christmas and before
that, it was his 73rd birthday in May of 2016. I expected to leave
shortly after lunch and get there early evening. I spoke to my Aunt
Millie as I was packing and she said, "You probably won’t make it in
time."
We did not make it in time. Uncle Gary passed away later
that afternoon.
Thursday afternoon was the last time I spoke with him. I
told him I loved him and he was able to say it back. Ever since my dad
died, we always told each other we loved one another. We knew we only
had so much time to do that in this life. He was in a hospital near Fort
Worth and they were preparing to hand him over to Hospice and bring him
home to his ranch that day. He wanted to be home and he made it home.
Uncle Gary died surrounded by his family and friends.
He was one of the hardest working people I had ever met
in my life. A dreamer, he always had his next move planned. Most
recently he and my Aunt Millie were planning on building a new home on
their farm, near their daughter and family.
Back in 2011 when he and my Aunt Millie were here, I
recorded a 2 hour conversation with them while looking over the family
photos. I learned a lot about the Noland side of my family, but mostly I
just loved my time with them. I found that conversation and shared it
with my aunt and my cousin.
I learned my family had the first television set in
Logan, KS. My grandpa "Jock" Noland was probably never photographed
without a pipe sticking out of his mouth. My Grandpa Bill was the
spitting image of Abraham Lincoln and often portrayed him in
reenactments and parades. My Dad, Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Gary all
loved and had Boston Terriers throughout their lives.
My Uncle said to me a few months ago, "It’s up to you
now to carry on the bloodline." Uncle Gary’s boys, my cousins, don’t
have any children of their own and I have two sons.
He also made me promise to stay in touch with my aunt
and my cousins. Family was important to him. That should be an easy
promise to keep. I love my Aunt Millie and Cousin Michelle. Since she
spent so much time growing her business in Fort Worth, I’ve gotten to
spend a lot of time watching her ride and teach others.
Uncle Gary fought the good fight. He fought cancer to
the bitter end and never looked back with any regrets. He was a good
provider for his family and I saw him work so hard through good times
and bad to be a good husband and father.
He was my stand-in dad after dad passed away and I will
miss our sometimes daily texts and phone calls. We’d armchair
quarterback about every Dallas Cowboys’ game and then talk politics for
hours. I will also miss his intoxicating laughter, serious life advice
and every promise he kept to love and live.
Have a great week.
KWIBS - From April 3, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I love music.
I’ve been a musician for most of my life now. I’m a bass
player. As a bass player, you’re not viewed as a very important part of
the band. Play one wrong note and you certainly get recognition.
As of late, I play in church every now and then and
sometimes when I walk past one of the six basses in my house, I’ll pick
it up and punch out something from my Dorfus CrackTractor days.
You probably remember that crazy trio made of Justin
Rugg, David Fasgold and myself. We spent the majority of our time
picking on each other and making fun of each other.
One of our favorite past times (to this day) is the
belittle the importance of the instrument the other plays. Sometimes we
get pretty brutal, but it’s all just in fun.
I ran across this funny story the other day and thought
it was a good opportunity to poke a little fun at myself.
An anthropologist went to study a far-flung tropical
island. He found a guide with a canoe to take him upriver to the remote
site where he would make his observations. About noon on the second day
of travel up the river they began to hear drums. The anthropologist
asked his guide, "What are those drums?"
The guide turned to him and said, "Drums okay, but VERY
BAD when they stop."
As they traveled the drums grew louder and louder. The
anthropologist was nervous, but the guide merely repeated, "Drums okay.
Drums not bad. When drums stop, then very bad!"
Then the drums suddenly stopped. Terrified, the
anthropologist yelled to the guide: "The drums stopped! What now?"
The guide crouched down, covered his head with his hands
and said, "bass solo."
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From March 20, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Somebody slaughtered March’s lamb....
This bipolar month has my closet in shambles. I’m not
sure which coat, if any, I’m supposed to wear or if I wear shorts and a
sweat shirt. Some days, you don’t even know if you’ll end up in the same
clothes you started out with. My truck doesn’t know whether to have air
conditioner or heater on or if the windows should be up or down or
somewhere in between.
What we do know is, it’s very dry.
? ? ? ?
I am getting spring fever, or maybe it’s allergies. I
don’t know for sure. I just want to be outside.
I’m a lot like my dad in this respect. I love a project.
And just like my dad, I never seem to finish one.
Last year, I began working on a zip line for my kids and
grandkids. I got one platform finished and poles hauled up to the top
end. We began drilling 20" x 8’ holes in the ground when the Anderson
Creek Fire occurred last year and my drill truck guy had to go build
close to 20 miles of fence or more. I’ve not seen that truck since!
(hint-hint-Flint).
This year’s project is a pontoon picnic table. My wife
is less than thrilled.
Parts needed: Picnic table, check; plastic barrels,
check; outboard motor, check; lumber and screws, check; friends to ride
on it, check; redneck attitude, check...
So when this is finished, the idea is to have a floating
picnic table with a motor on it that we can putt around the lake on.
Since Ronda thought it was a dumb idea, I agreed to put an umbrella on
it so my fair lady won’t fry in the summer sun on the lake. She’s coming
around.
Now, if I can just focus and finish it...
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From March 13, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Driving home from Wichita Monday night, all we could
see and smell was smoke.
My phone had been blowing up since early in the
afternoon after fires sparked up all over the state, one south of our
ranch.
That very day, we had printed an article "Getting -
and staying - a step ahead of wildfire". Jessica and Brenda worked as a
team on this project. It was something I believed was relevant to the
conditions and ironically, it was prophetic in nature.
"Tinderbox dry". That’s a quote from the story.
For weeks now, I’ve been mowing fire lines in
preparation to do a little controlled burning on our ranch. We’ve been
patiently waiting for the conditions to be right: lower winds, higher
humidity and by the grace of God: some moisture to make the ground
green.
None of those conditions have occurred and we are now
in constant danger of fire in our area.
I’ll be the first to admit that articles on
prescribed burning were ones I printed, but didn’t take the time to
read. Now I get it and it took last year’s Anderson Creek Wildfire to
really get my attention.
Next to Divine intervention, our next best thing is
the courage of our local volunteer fire fighters. These folks wage war
against wildfire and deserve our thanks and constant prayers.
We could be in for a very critical event in our area.
After we receive some needed moisture, we need to evaluate what we can
do as a county and community to protect our citizens and property from
the dangers of quick spreading wildfires. There are some great people
out there with some proactive ideas that need to be heard.
Good luck and thank you to our fire fighters.
KWIBS - From March 6, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I’ve never been quite so devastated than when Doris Sorg
announced she was leaving us after 17 1/2 years.
Thankfully, it wasn’t because she hated us or anything.
It was just time for a change for her. It couldn’t possibly have been
all the times I blew an air horn at her or placed a Donald Trump cut out
where I knew it would scare the you-know-what out of her.
As fate would have it, I got a bomb dropped on me a
couple of weeks ago and I was again devastated. Brenda Head, who we had
hired to replace Doris, announced that she and her husband would be
moving back to Missouri where they came from before moving to Medicine
Lodge.
Again, it wasn’t anything I had done (I had learned not
to blow an air horn at her without some warning). This was just life
happening for Brenda and her husband. Brenda was just what we needed,
when we needed it.
Sometimes life does funny things.
Finding Brenda was just dumb luck (more like divine
intervention). During the search process, Ronda and I had approached
Jessica Wright for the job originally. We had heard she had given notice
at the bank and we knew she was a smart, articulate lady who would be a
good fit.
She turned us down. She had already made other plans for
life and as bummed out as we were, we understood.
Brenda’s resume was actually submitted several months
before Doris announced she was leaving us, but I had buried it on my
desk. After Jessica turned us down, we got out some old resumes looking
for a candidate. Little did I realize, I had left Brenda’s in a pile. I
had never even seen it, but when I did, I knew Brenda was the right
person for the job! A phone call was made, an interview was done and she
was hired!
Well, she wasn’t here 17 1/2 years, as required and is
now company policy, but she was a wonderful part of our family. She will
be missed and we wish her well.
? ? ? ?
Backing up....
I had shot Jessica Wright a series of text messages
after Brenda made her announcement. I wasn’t exactly begging, but I was
a little more pushy this time!
She turned me down again.
So, I put out some feelers on the old interweb and
started setting up interviews.
Out of the blue, Jessica texted me back and said she was
interested in the job.
Just like a woman, she couldn’t make up her mind.
*kidding Jessica*
Keep in mind, I’ve known Jess since she was a little
Jess. She’s about my son Joey’s age and I’ve always known she is a sharp
girl, had great people skills and was someone who I had a gut feeling
about.
Also keep in mind I hadn’t read a single story she’d
ever written excepting text messages and facebook posts!
But I think my gut is pretty smart most of the time. It
wasn’t smart on Wednesday when I tried to eat an entire meat lover’s
pizza by myself, but pretty smart nonetheless.
So the entire week was pretty busy and like a giant drum
roll. I was in and out and finally received Jessica’s first stories on
Thursday. It was her introduction and CID stories.
I nailed it. I mean, she nailed it. The girl can write!
So, with a week of training behind her, I’m excited to
welcome Jessica Wright to Team Premiere. She’s already aware of my
office antics, has gone through all the stages of grief for taking the
job and will probably turn in her notice in a week. *kidding again*....
I hope!
Watch for what Wright writes. Yeah, I am the one doing
the word fun at the moment.
I want to thank Brenda for putting up with me the past 7
1/2 months. She’s not getting a big party, but she’s getting a big thank
you from us. We love you sister and we thank you for your time with us!
Welcome aboard Jess!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From February 27, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
If you’re older (like me), you remember when air was
free. You probably also remember never getting out of your car when
pulling up to the gas station.
Things are different now. You pull up and get your own
gas and pay for it right at the pump. If you are like me, you also wash
your own windows, check your own oil and then, if you notice a tire is
low, you reach over for the free air pump. The only problem is, it’s not
there and it’s not free anymore at most places in the city.
So that’s another one of the little things I love about
Medicine Lodge. We still have free air. There’s at least two that I know
of that are on 24/7. One is at Black Diamond Express and the other is at
Slinkard Oil. There are probably others, but those are the two that I
know for sure are there and on when I need them.
And I always need one. I live in the country, on dirt
roads, and we are guaranteed at least a flat once a month. At last
count, I’ve had 9 nails already for 2017 and I still have one in my
front right tire as I write this.
Ever since I was a kid, Slinkard Oil has been my go to
place for air. It was always my go to place for gas until Bill stopped
providing that service (way, way back).
Bill has always been my main source for free air for 4
decades. I can always count on pulling up to his station any time day or
night and being able to top that tire off before I head north for home.
If I’m lucky enough, it’s during business hours and I
can say hi to someone who has been serving the community for longer than
I’ve been alive. Thanks Bill for always having air. If you charged for
it like the big cities do, I’d probably be your biggest customer.
(Please don’t start charging me for air though. That would just crush
me!)
KWIBS - From February 20, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
As parents, Ronda and I couldn't be prouder of E1-RP,
Nick Noland, one of the United States Navy's newest Sailors! Nick
graduated from RTC (Navy Boot Camp on Friday, February 10, 2017. Many of
you with military members in your family know the process. We had little
contact consisting of a couple of short phone calls and several letters
that were usually 10 days old by the time we got them.
Nothing made us happier than to run onto that ceremonial
floor and hug our son after 3.5 hours of waiting in the grand stands.
So I had to share this photo and a funny story about
Nick's Pass In Review from the Navy. As dumb luck would have it, Ronda
and I were invited to sit VIP with the Officers of Recruit Training
Command.
We had read that if you were dressed up and were lucky
enough, you could get selected if there was room. We were dressed up and
we were lucky enough to be selected!
A young man (Petty Officer) came and offered us seats
and we jumped up and followed him downstairs in front of thousands of
other anxious family and friends of sailors and we were seated in some
nice cushy chairs in the center of the ceremony hall directly behind the
RTC staff and big wigs.
The event is broadcast live each week. We ended up on
the live stream for most of the ceremony. Many of our family members
back at home took photos of the screen and send us the pictures via our
phones. At one point, Nick glanced up from the choir and looked at the
Officers and caught a glimpse of his mom. He was mortified! Nick had
purposely hidden from us before the ceremony. He was in the performance
division and that division can usually meet their families before the
graduation, but he did not want to become emotional before having to
perform.
After graduation he was like, "I thought you guys
wandered up there by mistake and would get thrown out and I would be in
huge trouble!"
A Pass In Review is an awesome military graduation full
of marching bands, singing, drill teams and speeches. The best part is
when they call out, "Now hear this. Now hear this. Liberty! Liberty!" We
all went running onto the floor looking for our sailor in their dress
blues. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack, but when you find
it, you hold it tight!
There's a news release from the Navy about Nick's Pass
In Review on page 12. I would note that Nick says "thank you" to so many
who wrote to him. That really does help them get through the training.
Nick said, "It was a lot like college accept you don't
get to sleep much, you do a lot of exercising and everyone is screaming
at you before and after classes!" That was explanation enough for his
mom and me.
We spent the day in the Great Lakes area catching up
from the past couple of months of separation. The second good-bye was
much easier than the first. Nick left early the next morning for Fort
Jackson in Columbus, SC. After a couple months of schooling, he may be
home for a few days before his next assignment. We are proud of our son
and so happy that he chose this career and education path. HOOYAH NAVY!!
CONGRATULATIONS NICK NOLAND!!
KWIBS - From February 13, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
I called my wife on a Thursday evening, "Did you see the
new water tower?"
She simply said, "No, what are you talking about?"
I don’t know how she missed it.
We drive about 8 miles to town every morning from our
home at M-Bar Ranch, south of Lake Arrowhead. The drive takes us right
past the Phye Development and the area where they have been building the
new water tower.
Somehow, she drove home that Thursday night and didn’t
even notice that the skyline had changed!
So we drove in together Friday morning and she was like,
"WOW!"
It was pretty incredible to see that tower go up in a
day. I realize they have worked on it on the ground for months now, but
to see it all up inside of a few short hours, was impressive to say the
least!
Over the 28 years of driving to town almost every day, I
have a great perspective on how things have changed. I now see wind
towers, cellular towers, a new SPEC building, transmission power lines
and now a new water tower!
There’s also going to be some road construction
happening in the near future, so be prepared. Be prepared for a stop and
a pilot car. I’m sure you’ve seen all the heavy trucks and equipment
that are being staged to the south of the SPEC building. The project
will pave 281 from the intersection of 160/281 clear to the Pratt County
line.
We’ll be prepared by going an extra 5 miles out of our
way on over towards Isabel and down that county road to town to avoid
having to stop and wait for a pilot car to guide us at 20 mph. I’m not
patient enough to stop and wait, and the change in scenery will be nice,
unless it rains and then that’s about 8 miles of dirt roads to drive
down instead of 2.5.
That’s the price we pay for progress I suppose.
By the way, Ronda and I are the proud parents of one of
the Navy’s newest Sailors - Nick Noland!
Congratulations and happy birthday, buddy!
KWIBS - From February 6, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
This is a very special week for Ronda and I. We’ll be
flying to Chicago on Thursday, renting a vehicle and driving to
Waukegan, IL early Friday morning, February 10, 2017 to watch our son
Nick graduate from Navy RTC.
We haven’t seen Nick since we dropped him off in Kansas
City on December 12, 2016. It seems like forever ago, that we watched
our youngest child board a shuttle for the airport.
Since then, we’ve gotten a dozen letters and two short
phone calls. One call was actually about 30 seconds long to tell us he
made it and he was sending us his personal belongings. The other phone
call was about 14 minutes long and was at the tone of a whisper because
we were still in church.
We are expecting one other important phone call this
week. It’s the "I’m a Sailor" call. Each recruit is given the
opportunity to call home after Battle Stations 21 (BST). BST is the
final test for the recruits and is a 12 hour evaluation program with 17
ship board scenarios from missile attacks that can cause fires to
flooding caused by exploding undersea mines. Recruits also stand watches
on the bridge and are tasked with engineering scenarios, lookout
scenarios, and mass casualty drills.
Battle Stations-21 is conducted several times a week, at
night, on board USS Trayer (BST 21), a 210-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class
destroyer simulator. It begins around 8:00 pm CST and ends the next
morning. Throughout the various scenarios, recruits are evaluated and
graded not only as individuals, but also as teams and as an entire
division. The morning that a recruit passes Battle Stations-21, they
attend a capping ceremony around 8:20 or so that lasts about 20-30
minutes where they remove their "RECRUIT" ball cap and replace it with a
"NAVY" ball cap, which signals to the world that they are a US Navy
Sailor! Then they can call home.
We can’t wait for this call and can’t wait to see Nick!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 30, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Cautiously optimistic.
That’s the answer I gave when asked what I thought about
President Trump’s first week.
I was a "never Trump, but never...er Clinton." I wasn’t
shy about it, but I have to say, I’m impressed so far with the composure
of President Donald Trump.
I can’t believe I just wrote that.
Everyone deserves a chance. Those who are protesting and
carrying signs that read "Not My President" are delusional.
I didn’t vote for Obama, but he was my president for 8
years. That’s how it works in America. We agree to disagree and we move
on down the road ..... or we dress up like women’s genitalia and march
in the streets...
I have many friends who are staunch Trump supporters and
many others who are totally freaking out. We all have to calm down and
not get thrown off the airplane for our emotional outbursts.
I think that, no matter your political view, we have to
agree that destruction of property, aggravated battery and violence
against authority are not part of the healing process for America. I
believe in a peaceful right to protest and the freedom of speech, but it
ends when you threaten to "blow up the White House." It ends when you
burn limousines. It ends when you forget to act like an adult, no matter
who your president is.
You would have thought the whole world went mad on
January 20th, 2017 after the inauguration of the 45th U.S. President.
I’m grateful to live in the middle of South Central
Kansas where we shrug off crazy and go to work every day no matter who
our president is. There’s something to be said about living in a
fishbowl when the ocean has so many sharks in it.
Let’s all be friends and hug it out.
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 23, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Many of you ask, and I’m always proud to answer, how is
Nicholas doing in boot camp?
Well, we haven’t heard much from him. We’ve gotten about
5 letters (all at once) and we’ve received one 15 minute phone call.
He is doing well though! Nicholas made the Triple Threat
Division also known as the Performance Division. These sailor recruits
are chosen based upon interview and past experience in flags, band,
choir and drill performances. Nicholas was chosen to sing in the Blue
Jacket Choir.
Beginning on Friday of this week 1-27-17 at 8:45 a.m.,
Nicholas will perform at Pass In Review (PIR), which is the Navy’s
version of Graduation. He will perform at three PIRs, including his own
on Friday, February 10, 2017.
He marches in separately from his division, so we’ll
have a great opportunity to see him before we actually see him!
How’s that? You can watch the ceremonies live on the
Navy’s website: http://navylive.dodlive.mil
I started watching these live streams a few weeks ago
and they are pretty amazing. You can only imagine how proud we are and
how excited we are to see him!
Tune in any time on Friday!
KWIBS - From January 16, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda and I were driving north on 119th Street in
Wichita a couple of weeks ago when a truck lost a bundle of newspapers
and hit and then went airborne all over the place. It was a really windy
day and there were newspapers everywhere, including windshields of
passing vehicles.
I said, "Man, that poor dude ...."
About a week later, I was perusing through the stacks of
newspapers I get each week in the mail and ran across Paul Rhodes’
column in the Conway Springs Star.
In his column, Publisher Rhodes confessed that he lost a
bundle of newspapers on 119th in Wichita.
"I was between stops, headed south on 119th Street, just
north of Central in west Wichita. An extra-unruly gust of wind actually
caused my truck to jump a little, and then I heard a thump."
Disaster struck....
Yep, that’s pretty much what I saw heading north on
119th Street, just north of Central in west Wichita.
So when I read that, I picked up the phone and called
Paul and told him that I was a material witness to his littering.
Paul told me, "It would have been professional courtesy
for you to stop and help pick those up!"
That’s true, but I was in a hurry to make an appointment
and to get lunch. Lunch came before being a good Samaritan that day. I
sort of feel bad now, knowing it was someone I have known for so many
years.
Some jogger ended up taking pity on Paul. You’ll be
happy to know he picked up almost every single edition he lost in all of
that heavy traffic and bad wind that day. It took him over an hour to
get it all cleaned up!
Have a great week!
KWIBS - From January 9, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
We simply take for granted what it takes to put food on
our tables.
Once a year, we do this special edition to honor our
area farmers and ranchers for their dedicated love of the land.
As I get older (this is my 26th Soil Conservation
Edition) I become more and more appreciative to those folks who work the
land.
So to those involved with the Barber County Conservation
District, thank you and congratulations!
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As of this writing, we still haven’t heard from Nicholas
directly. We are hoping that will change soon. Nick left for RTC (Navy
bootcamp) on December 12.
We' waited 21 days for news about Nick and Monday night
we got a call from Waukegan, IL at dinner. I was so excited and answered
"hello buddy!". It wasn't him.
It was a shipmate named Miller. Nick had watch that
night while his shipmates got to call home. He's the last division to
get that privilege, but couldn't. SR Miller used some of his time to
call us and let us know Nick was thinking about us. It was only about a
one minute call, but couldn't have been more appreciated.
We've camped out on our phones for three weeks. It felt
so good to know someone cares enough to have his back and make a call to
people he'd never met. He said, "I was there when you put your hand on
the window of the bus against your son's."
Wow. Miller, you're a great kid and great future sailor
for taking the time to call us. Hope we get to talk to Nick soon, but
feel so good to know he has friends like that. I'm going to hug that kid
at PIR on 10 FEB 2017. There are some great kids out there serving our
country and each other. Thank you SR Miller.
KWIBS - From January 2, 2017 - By Kevin Noland
Ronda and I were able to take a few days off to see
family and friends in Texas over the Christmas break.
It’s good to be home and back into a seemingly normal
routine again.
While in Texas, we got to spend a day with Dale and
Michele McCurdy. You might remember them. They were both teachers in our
district in the late 1990s. We’ve kept our friendship up with them and
they are a great couple. We try to see them a couple of times a year.
They flew in from Amarillo and we picked them up at Love
Field in Dallas. We didn’t really have a plan. We just wanted to spend a
day together around the holidays.
One of the highlights of our visit together was seeing
Star Wars Rogue One. Dale and I are both nerds and we abstained from
seeing the movie until we could do it together.
One week later, Carrie Fisher has died. Although she did
not actually have much of a role in Star Wars Rogue One, she did have a
computerized cameo appearance which will now be an immortal tribute to
her career as Princes Leia.
What boy in the 1970s and 1980s didn’t have a crush on
Carrie Fisher?
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Ronda and I also got to go to a Dallas Cowboys’ game at
AT&T Stadium. We’ve been life long fans and even went to games when they
weren’t winning.... They didn’t disappoint, beating Tampa Bay, 26-20.
The best part of the game was getting to see Caleb Alexander, Ronda’s
cousin. We had a great time.
The most important thing we did, was to see my Uncle
Gary Noland. Many of you might remember him from his days running the
Index. Uncle Gary has stage 4 lung cancer. I was blessed to see him and
his family this Christmas season.
KWIBS - From December 26, 2016 - By Kevin Noland
8 days, 4 states, 2150 miles later and we were back for
a few days - just in time for Christmas and this special edition!
2017 is only a few days away now. The new year brings
hope and excitement. You’re probably thinking I’m speaking of the
election again, but I’m not.
A new year is always a time to reflect on goals and
ambitions, while remembering the things of the past. This entire
newspaper is a snapshot of what our community achieved over the most
recent completion of a lap around the sun.
I usually do a column on a person of the year that
stands out in our community. There are several and on our way home from
Texas last week, Ronda and I discussed many of them. To summarize: It’s
all of you. It’s everyone who took the time to be involved, be informed
and kept faith in Medicine Lodge during a more challenging economic
time.
No one will argue that this was a tougher year. The
oilfield is a wee bit slower than most of us would like. We hope that
2017 brings prosperity to this industry. We also hope that cattle
markets come back up, and that wheat prices and other crops continue to
make a come back.
I look forward to 2017. I’m most excited to be able to
spend time with my family. We got a little scattered this year with Nick
leaving for Chicago, so we especially look forward to seeing him at his
graduation in February.
My prayer for you this new year is that you find peace
and happiness in whatever situation you find yourself in. Be good to one
another and give the gift of yourself to those who might need you.
That’s easier said than done, but it’s good advice. No one ever said in
their last moments, "I wish I had less time to give."
Have a happy new year friends!
KWIBS - From December 19, 2016 - By Kevin Noland
"To raise a child, who is comfortable enough to leave
you, means you've done your job. They are not ours to keep, but to teach
them to soar on their own."
I don’t know who said it, but it was the first of
several emails I got from navydads.com last week. It choked me up a
little bit. I’m also not really sure how comfortable any of us were when
Nick left for Chicago Monday, but he’s on his way to a new life and
we’re proud of his decision to be in the Navy.
Thank you to the American Legion Riders for a wonderful
send-off for Nick on Saturday. You guys are really special people.
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This is our last of two newspapers for 2016. They are
both my favorite issues to publish. I love this issue because the kids
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