First Kansas UAS flight happens north of Gypsum

The first beyond the line of sight Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) flight in Kansas was flown on Monday north of the town of Gypsum in a joint effort by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and more than 30 university and corporate partners. This was also the second flight in the nation to take place under the U.S. DOT’s UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP).

The first flight was scheduled to take place today, however, with rain and storms predicted, it was conducted yesterday. Weather did allow today’s flight to also take place at the news conference, and Kansas State University Polytechnic took the lead on both flights. More flights will continue this week with AirMap, Pulse Aerospace and Iris Automation.

“We’re proud of what we’re doing in Kansas to create new jobs, improve flight safety and advance agriculture,” said Bob Brock, KDOT Director of Aviation and UAS. “Our flights mark the beginning of a new generation of Kansas innovation.” 

KDOT was selected in May as one of only 10 organizations in the nation to lead the UAS IPP, an initiative aimed at shaping the future of drones. The flights this week, and future flights, will test aircraft capability and reliability for continued beyond line of sight operations while collecting data to expand advanced UAS operations nationwide.

Over the next two years, various Kansas IPP team partners will conduct tests over transmission lines, farms, roads and other infrastructure well clear of Kansas citizens. This program will also assist the U.S. DOT and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in shaping new rules to expand safe UAS integration into the National Airspace System and create new opportunities for the state and UAS industry.

“Kansas has been a valuable aviation partner for decades and the launch of the IPP is another opportunity for us to work with all of the professionals here in Kansas as we take the next steps that will pave the way toward full integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace,” said Dennis King, FAA Program Manager for Kansas UAS IPP.

The Kansas IPP team’s partners will focus on integrating UAS operations into Kansas industries involved in infrastructure inspection and precision agriculture. Partnerships with the FAA and Kansas IPP team members will continue to foster expansion of UAS operations for the state and the nation. 

More information about the FAA UAS IPP can be found at: www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/uas_integration_pilot_program/

Bethany College celebrates renovation of Alma Swensson Hall

Bethany College celebrated the $2.5 million renovation of Alma Swensson Hall with a ribbon cutting ceremony, August 6, 2018. Crossland Construction, recognized as one of the top construction firms in the nation, provided project management. The residence hall remodel was made possible by a gift from the David J. Nutt Trust, the largest single gift in the history of college.

 “We took an initial tour of Alma Swensson Hall and saw it in its current disrepair,” said Matt Cortez, Vice President of GLMV Architecture and lead architect on the project.  “We envisioned what it could be in the future for Bethany College and the students who will live in the facility. Alma Swensson Hall has good bones. We just invigorated it and gave it new life.”

The current design is suite-style rooms with a bathroom for each suite. An ADA compliant elevator is available, making the building accessible for everyone on the campus community.  HVAC was added and all electrical wiring was replaced and new plumbing installed.

"It is great to be a Bethany Swede!” said President Will Jones. “Over the last academic year we have welcomed the largest freshman class in the history of the college, received the largest single gift in the history of the college, and closed on a loan from the USDA to purchase New Hall and refinance our existing debt. The Swedes to Sweden program was announced in December. In addition, a stronger annual operating budget allowed the college to improve classroom and athletic facilities and add additional laboratory equipment. Bethany secured funding to replace or repair more than a dozen roofs across campus. The renovation of Alma Swensson Hall is another win for Bethany students, faculty, staff, and alumni.”

Alma Swensson Hall opened in 1949 with a construction cost of $267,835.  The Women’s Missionary Society of the Augustana Lutheran Church gave the original seed money for the residence hall in honor of Alma Swensson, wife of Dr. Carl A. Swensson, the founder of Bethany College.  Alma established the first Messiah Chorus for the college and this year the Bethany Oratorio Society will celebrate the 137thpresentation of Messiah, the longest-running annual performance in North America. 

There will be an official open house at Homecoming Weekend, October 12-14, 2018.

Don't take your health for granted

I’ve always taken my health for granted.

I know my closest friends have grown weary of me boasting that I have missed only 2 days of work for illness during my time in McPherson, which began in 1979. There have been many days where I probably shouldn’t have been at work, but I always felt I had a job to do and I couldn’t leave it to somebody else.

And even with the crazy hours and less-than-normal diet that I maintain during 10 months of the year, I’ve been an ox in terms of health since I’ve lived here. My family’s health history also is stellar, as all my grandparents lived to be at least 88 and my Dad lived to 87. Only my mother, who left us far too soon at 68 because of cancer, didn’t live a long life.

I did have a one-day hospital procedure 9 years ago that everybody has at some point, but I’d never, ever had a hospital stay.

During the summer I play 18 holes of golf nearly every day, even when it’s 100 degrees. Just recently I walked two rounds of golf, one of them on the course where the 2020 Ryder Cup is going to be played. I was proud to say despite being 61 years old, I was able to match stride for stride walking the fairways with my younger playing partners.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary this past Monday. It was business as usual as I was beginning to design the Mid Kansas Fall Sports Magazine and I was excited because I was ahead of schedule. My coaches did a great job of getting me the information and I was able to write stories at a steady pace over the last month.

As I was designing, I began to feel ill. I told my co-workers I was heading home to lay down because I was dizzy and my stomach hurt. I rested for about an hour and then when I got up to come back to work, I knew something was wrong.

Fortunately I have amazing friends. I wound up at the hospital and sure enough, there was a problem.

When I told my sister, who is having her hip replaced today, that I was in the hospital, she thought I was joking. She contacted my aunt, who exclaimed, “What, he’s never sick!” It’s just taken for granted I’m always healthy.

On Tuesday, I had a procedure done that involved a scope going down my throat and I’ll leave it at that as I don’t want to bore you with the details as the problem was determined and corrected. All went well and being the stubborn person I am, I was wanting to go home because I knew the mountain of work I had waiting for me.

But the doctors informed me that I had to reign it in, that I needed a couple of days of recovery time. So I stayed in McPherson Hospital, which took incredible care of me.

Now that I’m out and on the mend, I think it was a sign I had better be more aware of taking care of myself. In my profession there is a lot of stress because there are deadlines to be met, but I will definitely be more aware that I don’t have to go at breakneck speed like I have in the past.

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes and already I’ve had people ask me how much longer I’m going to work. Even though I can retire soon, there are no plans in the works. I always said when what I do becomes a real job, then I’m in trouble. I’ve had 40-plus years of fun going to games and telling a story. Covering these young athletes has kept me young and I plan on doing it for many more years.