Former Hays resident, Eunice Agnes Hamel, age 87, passed away Thursday, June 23, 2022, at her home in Russell, Kansas.

She was born May 29, 1935, in Damar, Kansas, to Armond Ernest and Ruby Amanda (Thibault) Newell. She married Robert Wilford Hamel on September 13, 1953, at Damar. He preceded her in death on January 29, 1978.

Wildfires have always been part of the Kansas landscape. While rural fire departments provide protection to rural life and property, recent years have increasingly seen fires that exceed the ability of even the best fire departments to control fires, quickly creating a situation where fire­fighters simply cannot defend every threatened structure. Additionally, these fires are threatening properties within cities as well, so it is no longer solely a rural concern.

These steps referred to as creating “defensible space” begin inside your home and move out from there.

Every year around this time, the world around me has the potential to quickly turn into a continuous swirl that would be perfect for a TV series.
In cinematic effect, I imagine my story would begin with a black and white tight shot of my eyes opening wide from slumber and darting back and forth in a semi-confused state.