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Two Honored with Lifetime Public Service Awards at NCRPC Fall Event

An evening of networking, dining, and a keynote address culminated in the presentation of the 2024 NCRPC Lifetime Public Service Awards to Darla Bebber of Miltonvale, Kansas, and Don Landoll of Marysville, Kansas. The event took place on October 24 in Salina, Kansas.

Darla Bebber from Miltonvale, Kansas, was awarded a 2024 NCRPC Lifetime Public Service Award. She is shown with NCRPC Executive Director John Shea (left) and NCRPC Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives Deb Ohlde (right).

The Lifetime Public Service Award was established in 2022 to honor individuals or organizations for their exceptional contributions to the well-being of North Central Kansas over an extended period. Darla Bebber was the Miltonvale City Clerk for 42 years. During that time, she demonstrated a tremendous commitment to public service through her position with the city, and also as a volunteer.

“City Clerks have a key position in a community as a source of information, a hub of connections and also to keep things running smoothly,” says Deb Ohlde, NCRPC Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives, who worked with Bebber on various community projects. “Darla embraced that role and went above and beyond the basics to do it well.”

Don Landoll, Marysville, received a NCRPC Lifetime Public Service Award. Presenting the award were NCRPC Executive Director John Shea (left) and Marysville Community Foundation President Jeff Crist (right).

Don Landoll, the founder, owner, and president of Landoll Company, LLC, has long been dedicated to community and public service both locally and regionally.

“Don is always willing to give his time, talent, leadership, and resources to promote the quality of life in rural areas,” says Jeff Crist, President of the Marysville Community Foundation. “Additionally, he is responsible for the creation of hundreds of local jobs and career opportunities in North Central Kansas and surrounding areas.”

Attendees were also entertained by keynote speaker Aaron Putze, who shared insights on fostering progress, connections, and growth in rural communities. Putze is an author and speaker who also serves as the Chief Officer of Brand Management and Engagement at the Iowa Soybean Association. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event!

This article appeared in the Quarters 3 & 4 2024 NCRPC Newsletter.

Housing Initiative Helps to Address Rural Housing Challenges

Second Year Program Results Show Benefit to Six Kansas Counties

Financial assistance provided through the second year of the NCRPC Housing Initiative enabled the completion of 87 housing rehabilitation projects and the demolition of 55 dilapidated residential structures across six Kansas counties: Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Graham, Republic, and Rooks.

The initiative was administered by the North Central Regional Planning Commission through a partnership with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation of Logan, Kansas.

Intended to strengthen housing in communities, the initiative included pilot programs focusing on moderate-income housing rehabilitation and the demolition of dilapidated residential properties.

The Demolition Pilot Program offered reimbursement grants of up to $5,000 per property for removal and cleanup of structures. The Moderate Income Housing Rehabilitation Pilot Program offered reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 to homeowners to complete minor housing upgrades. Households met moderate income guidelines to be eligible to apply.

“The moderate-income housing rehabilitation pilot program was designed to assist homeowners that are many times underserved by other funding programs,” said NCRPC Housing Director Keegan Bailey. “There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing housing challenges in rural communities. This initiative was one tool available to assist homeowners.”

The most common housing improvements completed with program assistance included upgrades to windows, siding, electrical systems, and HVAC systems.

“We were thrilled with results of year two of the initiative and appreciate the local partners who helped make the program a success in these locations,” Bailey said. “Anything we can do to help preserve housing stock or remove dilapidated structures is a win for communities,” Bailey said.

Similar pilot programs have also been completed in Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Russell, and Smith counties. A third year of the NCRPC Housing Initiative has also launched in six additional Kansas counties, including Logan, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Rawlins, and Sherman, and is currently ongoing. It is anticipated that the initiative will expand to more counties in the Dane G. Hansen Foundation service area in 2025, subject to the availability of funding.

Learn more about the NCRPC Housing Initiative.

This article appeared in the Quarters 3 & 4 2024 NCRPC Newsletter.

Project Spotlight: Washington County Industrial Park Near Linn

BASE Grant Helps Accelerate Plans for Expansion Project

The map shows the expansion location highlighted in yellow, directly across from the original industrial park along KS Highway 15 near Linn. (Courtesy Photo)

Around the same time that the current industrial park in Washington County was filled, the Department of Commerce announced a new funding program called Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) Grants.

The Washington County Economic Partnership (WCEP) originally intended to allocate a portion of their budget each year to save for an industrial park project. However, with no available vacancies, an expansion was needed sooner rather than later. WCEP proposed a project to purchase approximately 25 acres of land across the road (Kansas Highway 15) from the existing park and convert it into lots equipped with utilities.

Ultimately, in Spring 2022, the project was awarded a grant of $207,222, with another 25% in matching funds from the Washington County Economic Partnership. The BASE program, authorized by the SPARK Executive Committee, was designed to support infrastructure development that addresses economic development opportunities statewide, with the goal of expanding the state’s base of businesses and residents. It is no longer available.

The project scope included land acquisition, installation of utilities, surveying to subdivide for potential business lots, signage, and project administration. The NCRPC provided planning assistance, grant writing, and project administration.

Does your community have a project idea or need? The NCRPC will be releasing a new project interest form in early 2025. Watch for more details to be released soon.

This article appeared in the Quarters 3 & 4 2024 NCRPC Newsletter.

There are many great things happening in North Central Kansas. Project Spotlight shares stories from communities around the region and how they solved challenges. View more at www.ncrpc.org/tag/project-spotlight.

Two High School Seniors Selected to Receive Rural Voices Contest Awards

image of money and graduation cap Two recent high school graduates, Thaddeus Donley and Noah Goss, have been selected as this year’s recipients of the John R. Cyr Rural Voices Award in the 2023-2024 Rural Voices Youth Contest. The award is named in honor of John R. Cyr, who served as the Executive Director for the North Central Regional Planning Commission for 22 years. Thaddeus Donley graduated from Donley Ranch Schoolhouse in rural Ellsworth County. Noah Goss is a graduate of Ellsworth High School. Both students submitted winning entries in this year’s contest.

The NCRPC has sponsored the contest since 2006 and has awarded over $30,000 to graduates from the region. High school seniors from the 12-county NCRPC service area were asked to share their perspectives on the contest theme, “Rural Kansas…Success Through Innovation,” by submitting either an essay or video reflecting this theme.

Thad Donley

Noah Goss

“We were pleased to honor this year’s recipients of the John R. Cyr Rural Voices Award,” said NCRPC Executive Director John Shea. “It is inspiring to hear what participants say about the region and rural Kansas each year – and this year was no exception.”

Donley plans to attend Kansas State University, majoring in Animal Science and Industry. Additionally, he will continue to work towards obtaining a private pilot’s license. His entry discussed his real estate investing and lawn mowing businesses.

“The theme was important to me because it made me realize my own story of success through innovation in rural Kansas,” Donley said.

Goss will attend Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois, to pursue an associate degree in Agriculture while being a livestock judging team member.

“Living in rural Kansas has played a significant role in shaping me into the person I am today, and I would not trade living in a small community for anything,” Goss said. “By seeing innovation within my community and other communities in North Central Kansas, it is inspiring to see the effort put into preserving small towns and their ways of life.”

Details for the next Rural Voices Youth Contest will be announced in the Fall and entries will be due February 1, 2025.

View this year’s winning entries.

This article appeared in the Quarter 2 2024 NCRPC Newsletter.

Grant Provided Free Training to Develop Remote Work Skills

Washington County Resident One of Several to Complete Remote Work Certification Program

image of remote working concept Remote work presents both opportunities and challenges for individuals and organizations. NCRPC received a grant that, over the past year, has helped in developing the skills required to work remotely effectively.

The NetWorked for Change Community Solutions Grant aimed to enhance the ability of individuals to earn a higher level of income and businesses to utilize remote work as one solution to workforce issues. The project established a network for remote workers in the region by providing education to 20 individuals through the Utah State University Remote Online Initiative. A partnership with K-State Research and Extension and the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development leveraged other support materials to enhance capacity to support remote work in the future and build parts of the project that could carry on after the end of the grant.

image of remote work certification program scholarship participant

Washington County resident Annie Yungeberg completed the remote work certification program made possible through a NetWorked for Change Community Solutions Grant this past year. (Courtesy Photo)

The grant offered scholarships for month-long online classes that offered certification as a remote work professional or remote work leader.

One of the scholarship recipients was Annie Yungeberg, a resident of Washington, Kansas, who balances her busy life with a family of four with her professional life, which includes work in a physical location and remote work. Annie and her husband both took the course.

“I signed up for the remote work training as free education seemed like a no-brainer. The future is getting more digital and remote every day. While we are very happy with our current jobs, it never hurts to be a bit more prepared for an unpredictable future,” Yungeberg said.

Annie has been working part-time remotely for 10 years. She found some new things in the course and some were a review.

“It was beneficial, especially with networking and trying out different online tools and platforms,” Yungeberg said.

Annie is a full-time preschool teacher in Washington County. She also works one day per week with an afterschool program called Infinity for students in grades 7-12. In addition, she works about two hours per day with her remote job.

“Initially, working remote was a way to have a part-time income without having to leave my house. Now, I work hours that fit better with my schedule but still manage to bring in a part-time income,” Yungeberg said. “Remote work is an exciting world, and I was encouraged by the fact that the Community Solutions grant opened that world to more people.”

Deb Ohlde, NCRPC Assistant Director for Strategic Initiatives, administered the grant project on behalf of the North Central Regional Planning Commission. She has worked in a remote hybrid environment for many years.

“Remote work allows individuals and families to live in our rural area, maintaining a job that they love while being actively involved in our communities,” Ohlde said. “Sometimes it’s the only way a spouse can find work in their field or that fits the schedules of busy families who may farm or ranch. For others, working from home allows them to be most productive and creative due to a quiet home office and flexibility that allow them to work during their peak hours of productivity.”

While the scholarship opportunity has ended, K-State Research and Extension continues to host Remote Work Wednesdays. These webinars are on the first Wednesday of each month at noon. Telecommunications, business leaders, or other experts address key aspects of working remotely or in a hybrid context each month.

View past webinar recordings or learn more.

For more about Annie’s story, check out the Now That’s Rural profile released by K-State Research and Extension.

This article appeared in the Quarter 2 2024 NCRPC Newsletter.

Business Owners Join Forces to Co-Locate in Salina Building

The owners of two successful businesses, Emma Ward Therapy Services and Renewal Therapy, LLC, have joined forces to create 16:10 Ministries, LLC.

image of business owners at their new consolidated space for therapy service businesses

Emma Ward (left) and Lydia Lund (right) collaborated to purchase and renovate a building in downtown Salina, Kansas, located at 121 N. 7th Street to serve as a consolidated space for their therapy service businesses. (Courtesy Photo)

Together, they purchased and renovated a vacant commercial building at 121 N. 7th Street in downtown Salina. The improvements to the building included a new roof and making it handicap accessible. In April 2024, they officially opened their businesses in the new location, which is now owned and managed by 16:10 Ministries, LLC.

Ward is a Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist (LCMFT) with a Master of Science in Family Therapy (MSFT). She has been operating her business for the past six years and has additional experience in business and human resources. Lund is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW) with a Master’s in Clinical Social Work. She has seven years of experience operating her own business and over 20 years of experience in social work and clinical mental health.

Ward and Lund joined forces over a perceived need to offer intensive therapy for individuals couples and families for an accelerated approach to healing trauma and relationships.

Both tenants are grateful for the increased visibility and improved handicap accessibility resulting from the purchase and renovation of the downtown commercial building.

The project was made possible through investments by the owners and assistance from First Bank Kansas of Salina, Salina Project OPEN, and the NCK Business Down Payment Assistance Loan Program, which is offered through the NCRPC Business Finance Program.

Learn more about the NCRPC Business Finance program. To learn more about the businesses, you can find them online at emmawardtherapy.com or www.renewaltherapyservices.com.

This article appeared in the Quarter 2 2024 NCRPC Newsletter.

Program Training Youth Entrepreneurs

Dickinson County CEO Gives High School Students Real-Life Learning Experiences, Business Knowledge

A unique program is helping to cultivate and support the next generation of business owners and leaders in one North Central Kansas county. Dickinson County CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) is an intensive year-long course. It pairs high school students with entrepreneur mentors to give them real-world experience in starting a business.

Students presented their business concepts to Dickinson County CEO Board Members to share their visions and receive feedback. (Courtesy Photo)

The idea for the program came after Kyle Becker, a native of Abilene, Kansas, learned about it from a local entrepreneur. At the time, Becker served on the Board of Education of USD 435. He and others researched and talked to the local schools and the Economic Development Corporation to see if there was interest in starting the first chapter of the program in the state. Dickinson County CEO has now completed four years of the program.

The Dickinson County CEO 2023-2024 class hosted a Rural Roots Live Music Event in Abilene on January 6, 2024. (Courtesy Photo)

While it is not a school program, the course follows the school calendars, and students get credit for the class. The program meets five days a week for 90 minutes before school starts. It never meets in a school but moves to different host sites in various communities and businesses. The distance can create challenges with logistics and time management for students as significant travel time is involved. There are five school districts represented throughout the Dickinson County CEO program.

“It’s a big commitment for the students but very worthwhile,” Becker says. “We do an exit interview with kids at the end of the program. It has been really encouraging to hear the mind shift of some of our students who can recognize the local opportunities that exist after they have been immersed in the program and the communities.”

Partnerships are essential for program success—including local buy-in from businesses and schools, investors, mentors, students, and a program facilitator. The program needed 35 investors to pledge $1,000 annually for three years before it could launch. Fundraising efforts are continual. Many supporters are repeat investors who see the value. Some of these same investors also serve as mentors, a role that is key to student success.

“Mentoring helps the students start to build a network of people they can use in the future as they transition into adulthood, and most of these relationships continue after the class ends,” Becker says.

Prospective students apply in the spring. There were 12 students in the 2023-2024 class. Throughout the year, the students complete three businesses. The first is a badge business that teaches basic business concepts. The class decides as a group on the second business. The precedent so far each year has been a special event such as a 5K race or an evening of entertainment. The most recent class hosted a Rural Roots Live Music Event. Proceeds earned from the first two businesses fund the third, which is each student’s business. Students create a business plan, go through a loan process, operate their own business, and present at a trade show.

“They learn a lot about themselves and life in this class,” Becker says. “They come in as kids that are shy. Their soft skills are not good. By the end of the year, they are confident young adults.”

Project Spotlight: Clay County’s Drug-Free Communities Award Bolstering Impact

Clay County Efforts to Increase Healthy Youth Decision Making Receives Boost with Recent Grant Funding

A commitment to the mission of prevention of youth substance use is incredibly personal to a county that has seen tragedy. A community collaborative effort—Clay Counts Coalition—is working to effect long-term positive change for the good of the community.

“We are focused on kids, but not exclusively kids,” says Lori Martin, who serves as Community Mobilizer for the Clay Counts Coalition. “The kids today are going to become the adult leaders of tomorrow. This initiative is investing in the future of our communities.”

In November, nearly 300 adults attended the first Courageous Conversations Night at the Rex Theatre in Clay Center, Kansas. This is one of many activities supported, in part, through the CDC Drug-Free Communities project awarded in September 2023. (Courtesy Photo, KCLY Radio)

The Clay Counts Coalition has existed in Clay County, Kansas, since 2007. Many local partners and volunteers are involved in its work. Recent grant funding is helping to bolster community impact. The Coalition was awarded a $125,000 grant in September 2023 through the CDC Drug-Free Communities Support Program. It is renewable for up to five years. Clay County Health Department serves as the grant’s fiscal agent, and Martin as the program director. A grant coordinator, Matt Weller, was recently hired. He will help coordinate efforts with the school district. Deb Ohlde, NCRPC’s Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives, provided grant writing assistance.

“We had been told that the program was highly competitive and that we would likely not get funded on our first try,” Martin says. “We asked Deb not to write the grant completely but to serve as the captain of the team. She did a great job of keeping us on task and schedule. We could have continued to limp along as volunteers, but this funding solidified and amplified our impact in the community. This award has strengthened the structure of the Coalition.”

The Coalition is planning many activities for the next five years of the project. Supporting Clay County YLinK, or Youth Leaders in Kansas, is just one example. The Clay Center Community High School chapter of YLinK hosted a Community Commitment/Courageous Conversations Night in November at the Rex Theatre in Clay Center.

“About 300 adults came out that night,” says Martin, who also serves as YLinK sponsor. “This tells you the level of interest and involvement in the community. It was impactful.”

The evening started with a video—”What We Need You to Know”—created by YLinK members. A small group of students will continue their advocacy by speaking at special state-level events this spring.

More Courageous Conversations events are planned, building on the success of the first. These events will focus on alcohol and drug education, mental health, and more.

The Coalition received additional funding from the Kansas Suicide Prevention Coalition and Drug Endangered Children in Kansas, which only help to further momentum to address challenges.

“I recently read a quote in an email that I think really captures the essence of what we do—’Creating resiliency by addressing the social needs of our communities,’” says Martin.

This article appeared in the Quarter 1 2024 NCRPC Newsletter.

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