Reno County, Kansas – December 10, 2024 – Revised from September 9, 2024
Nitrate levels have continued to be above allowable limits in Rural Water District 101, which serves theYoder area. The last nitrate level test was collected on December 4, 2024. The level tested at 10.9 mg/L,which exceeds the Kansas and Federal (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L for public water supply systems. The nitrate levels in water resources have fluctuated in many areas which come from natural, industrial, or agricultural sources (including septic systems and run-off).

Reno County provides routine notices for acute nitrate violations from KDHE. These notices provide Yoder residents education about nitrates in drinking water. Subsequent notices were sent informing residents that bottled water will be provided, upon request, to any household with members at increased risk from the nitrates, such as infants under 6 months, nursing mothers, pregnant women, and other at-risk customers as identified by a health care provider.

The Rural Water District will continue the KDHE required quarterly samples and public notifications until this issue is resolved. We appreciate your patience.

Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz gave Hutch Post an update on the ways the Fair hopes to upgrade visitor experience in the coming years.

“We actually are working with Landmark Architects to see what a brand new stage area would look like inside of the racetrack,” Schulz said. “Every year, we have to bring in a portable stage and all the sound and lights that go with it. That bill is right close to $200,000 a year. If there’s a way that we could have a permanent stage, we’d probably cut that in half, if not more. Obviously, you still have to have them bring in their sound and lights, but the setup and teardown would take a lot less time and that way, we could put in other events there as well. We could bring in some other touring acts. We could do some other special events going on the grounds. It all comes down to money.”

Schulz met with the local legislative delegation on Monday as the legislature has appropriated money for the Bison Arena project and that work is underway.

“We are in the midst of phase one,” Schulz said. “Phase one is basically the new roof, new windows, new doors, working out all the brick work, tuck pointing. We are bringing up two of the sides. They were starting to sink a little bit. We leveled that all out and there’s some interior work. That is all scheduled to be done by August of 2025, and then we will be going out for phase two bidding here, I think within the next month, and that will be to do a portion of the inside that we could open that up.”

Also, there will be a change in the look of the People’s Bank and Trust Arena.

“The canopies are starting to fail a little bit,” Schulz said. “We just wanted a permanent structure because there are a lot of events that we could do on that stage, so we decided to look into putting a permanent structure there, and we just got everything finalized. So I don’t know if we’re going to get any of the footings done yet this fall, early winter, or if it’ll all take place next spring, but it’ll be a full covered grandstand over in that area now.”

The People’s Bank and Trust Arena is the second-largest venue on the grounds, second only to the Grandstand itself.

The vibrant red, green and white foliage and flowers of the poinsettia plant make it a favorite gift and decoration during the holiday season and beyond.

The festive plant also has a special connection to Arkansas history: the state’s Poinsett County and the poinsettia plant both derive their names from Joel Roberts Poinsett, a U.S. Congressman and botanist from South Carolina. Poinsett first brought clippings of the poinsettia plant to the United States from its native Mexico in the early 1800s.

Poinsett served as secretary of war under President Martin Van Buren, and though he never visited Arkansas, Poinsett was a friend of Arkansas Congressman Archibald Yell.

The poinsettia’s association with the holiday season is in part due to the plant’s geographical home. Native to southern Mexico, poinsettias are in bloom during this time of year.

“Poinsettia flower buds are initiated as our nights naturally get longer in the fall,” said Berni Kurz, extension consumer horticulture educator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “This is a phototropic response, and we call plants that respond to long nights ‘short day’ plants.”

The poinsettia, with its colorful leaves and bright flowers, has long been included in Mexican celebrations of Christmas. The plant’s popularity in the United States took hold in the 1960s, when the Ecke family—who owned poinsettia nurseries in California—successfully branded poinsettias as the Christmas flower by sending free plants to television studios for their holiday specials, including those of Bob Hope and “The Tonight Show.” With plenty of screen time during Christmas programming, poinsettias then became a holiday staple.

The poinsettia plant’s beauty can be maintained throughout the year with a bit of care and attention from growers—read on to learn how to care for the plant during and after the holidays:

When you first receive it:

• Avoid exposing the plant to extreme heat (above 80 degrees Fahrenheit) or extreme cold (below 50 degrees), as this can cause the plant to lose its leaves or even kill the plant. Cover and protect the plant when transporting it from the florist, greenhouse, or retailer, and once inside, avoid placing the plant near hot or cold drafts.

• Poinsettias are happiest when placed in bright environments, such as near a window, and kept at a moderate temperature (60 to 65 degrees).

• Poinsettias prefer moist soil. When the top of the soil feels dry to the touch, water thoroughly with warm tap water and allow excess water to drain from the bottom of the container. Poinsettias are susceptible to root and stem diseases, so draining the excess water is a key step. If the plant is wrapped with decorative foil, punch a hole in the foil beneath the pot to allow excess water to escape. The plant should be placed on a saucer to prevent damage to the furniture or carpet.

• Though most poinsettias do not require additional nutrients during the holiday season, you can use a standard houseplant fertilizer to maintain healthy foliage and blooms. Follow the fertilizer recommendations listed on the package.

Poinsettias are not very toxic to pets, though the plant has “received bad press in the past,” Kurz said.

Kurz said the poinsettias’ milky sap can be a mild irritant to the mouth of pets when the plant is chewed.

After the holidays, this plant can live on:

• Remove any decorative wraps from the planter and place a saucer underneath the plant. This creates better air circulation for the roots during the rest of the growing season.

• Water and fertilize at regular intervals.

• As the plant grows, move it to a larger container with new potting mix.

• If the poinsettia starts to become long and leggy, cut it back 5 to 6 inches. You can also periodically cut the tips of the branches to encourage more side branching and maintain a fuller appearance.

Throughout the year

In the summer, move your poinsettia outside to an area with indirect sunlight. This is also the time to increase fertilizer to at least twice the frequency.

In mid-summer, trim the plant as necessary to keep a manageable size and fullness, and then move to a location with full sunlight.

After Labor Day, move the plant inside to a location that gets at least six hours of sunlight, preferably more. This helps the plant start preparing for its flowers and colorful foliage. This is also when you should begin reducing the frequency of fertilizer.

Toward the end of September, your poinsettia needs long periods of darkness to achieve its bright colors. At this stage, it must have at least 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness and 11 hours of bright light each day. Try placing the plant in a basement, a closet, or beneath a box during the required hours of darkness. And during the periods of bright light, be sure to rotate your plant so it receives even light on all sides.

In the days just before Thanksgiving, you can stop the dark periods, reduce the amount of water and fertilizer used, and place your poinsettia in a sunny spot that receives at least six hours of direct light.

To learn more about poinsettias, visit its Plant of the Week entry on the Cooperative Extension website here: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/poinsettia.aspx.