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Nicole Hedges-Campos, Bling Glamour

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Nicole Hedges, Bling Glamour
Nicole Hedges, Bling Glamour

“Bling.” My daughters would say that this term refers to fun, shiny jewelry.

Today we’ll meet a remarkable young woman entrepreneur who has built a business around providing fashionable bling for women. She is not only overcoming the challenges of business, she has found that doing so is helping her overcome the challenges of health and life itself.

Nicole Hedges-Campos is the founder of Bling Glamour, a clothing and fashion accessory business. She grew up in the rural community of Scott City, population 4,113 people. Now, that’s rural.

Hedges-Campos attended Kansas State University and joined a sorority. After college, she moved to Las Vegas with two sorority sisters. She was working in a marketing position when an unknown health disorder popped up.

“I got really sick,” she said. On one occasion, she passed out on an airplane. No one could identify the cause. Ultimately she lost her driver’s license and moved back with her parents in Scott City.

“We were going to doctors all over the country, trying to figure out what was wrong,” Hedges-Campos said. Finally a physician at the Cleveland Clinic identified that she had a connective tissue disease, and prescribed treatment.

Continue reading “Nicole Hedges-Campos, Bling Glamour” →

Samuel Beachy, Beachy’s Flowers and Produce

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Man and woman standing in front of tomato plant
Samuel and Maryann Beachy

An eight foot tall tomato plant? It sounds like a gardener’s dream, but one innovative young rural Kansas couple is making it become reality using a gardening technique known as hydroponics.

Samuel and MaryAnn Beachy are the founders and owners of Beachy’s Flowers and Produce. They were living in Kentucky and then moved to Kansas to be closer to MaryAnn’s parents in Lyndon.

Samuel was operating a locker plant in Osage City until he sold that business. The Beachys’ church was looking to expand in the Wamego and Manhattan area, and Samuel wanted to pursue a new enterprise there.

“I’ve always been intrigued with growing things,” Samuel said. “I loved to grow things in the garden.”

As he and MaryAnn considered a move, they thought about the type of produce operation that could work best in northeast Kansas and decided to try an indoor, hydroponic system. “He did a lot of studying,” MaryAnn said.

Continue reading “Samuel Beachy, Beachy’s Flowers and Produce” →

Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Statue of Amelia Earhart in front of museum in Atchison
Amelia Earhart statue, Atchison (Kan.)

Amelia Earhart speaks. She smiles, looks up, and begins to talk about her life experiences.

Wait – didn’t Amelia Earhart disappear in the South Pacific 80 years ago?

Yes, but she is alive again – at least virtually – in an incredible museum that will open in her hometown of Atchison in spring, 2023.

Joe Brentano is director of the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum. Makinzie Burghart is director of development. Burghart grew up in Atchison as did Amelia Earhart 120 years earlier.

Earhart and her younger sister, Muriel, spent many of their early years at their grandparent’s home in Atchison. In 1908, she saw her first airplane at the Iowa State Fair, but it didn’t excite her at the time.

Years later, she and a friend were at a flying exposition when a stunt pilot dived at them.  “I believe that little red airplane spoke to me as it swished by,” Earhart later wrote.

After attending another air show, she was hooked on flying. She would go on to become the first president of the Ninety-Nines, a women’s aviation organization; the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic; first woman to fly solo coast-to-coast; and the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the mainland. Continue reading “Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum” →

Buffalo Soldiers — Fort Leavenworth

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Statue, Buffalo Soldier Monument, Fort Leavenworth
Buffalo Soldier Monument, Fort Leavenworth

“Buffalo soldiers” is a term to describe the African-American members of the Army who served with distinction in the 1800s. Their service eventually paved the way for an integrated military and society – and it all began in rural Kansas.

In 1827, U.S. Army Colonel (later Brigadier General) Henry Leavenworth received orders to survey sites along the Missouri River for a military post. After study, he recommended a site on the west bluffs above the Missouri River. This became Fort Leavenworth.

A civilian settlement grew around the fort. In 1854, the City of Leavenworth became the first city in Kansas territory to be officially organized. Today, Leavenworth proudly claims the title of First City of Kansas.

The first Town Association was formed on June 9, 1854. Town lots were sold on October 9.  By New Year’s Day, 1855, Leavenworth was a rural community of about 200 inhabitants. Now, that’s rural.

The population boomed. By autumn 1856, there were 1,200 citizens. By 1861, the population was 10,000. By 1870, it was the 82nd largest city in the nation.  Leavenworth’s current population is 37,176.

Continue reading “Buffalo Soldiers — Fort Leavenworth” →

Russell Graves, Rivers Eagle Bar & Grill, Cherokee Strip Land Run

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Statue of eagle in Arkansas City bar and grill
Rivers Eagle Bar and Grill (Arkansas City, Kan.)

One hundred thousand people are preparing to make a run – but they’re not in Spandex and Nikes. This isn’t some jumbo version of the Boston Marathon. More than a century ago, it was a race for pioneers to claim land.

This is the historic Cherokee Strip Land Run. Today, one citizen has opened the River’s Eagle Bar and Grill near the site of the land run. He is seeking to celebrate the land run while supporting his community.

Russell Graves is the owner of Rivers Eagle Bar and Grill and the Cherokee Strip Campground near Arkansas City. Graves is a sixth generation Ark City resident. His ancestors worked cattle and trained horses and mules.

“At a very young age, I was told by my mother that I should go to Kansas State University and become an engineer, so that’s what I did,” Graves said. He became an industrial engineer and worked at the oil refinery in Ark City, but he remembered his rural roots.

As a kid, Graves saw his community participate in the 100th anniversary of the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893. At noon on Sept. 16, 1893, an estimated 100,000 people dashed into the previously unassigned native lands that had been opened for settlement on a first-come, first-served basis. There were actually several land runs, but the one in 1893 was the largest.

Continue reading “Russell Graves, Rivers Eagle Bar & Grill, Cherokee Strip Land Run” →

Lucas Boss, Performance Sports

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Seven family members posing for camera, Boss Performance Sports
(l to r) Kate, Kendyl, Lexi, Kaelyn, Lakyn, Landon and Lucas Boss

“School for Sale.”

Well, maybe there wasn’t an ad that said exactly that, but when a former school building and gymnasium came for sale in his area, one young man saw the opportunity to create a sports training facility that would serve young people across the region.

Lucas and Kate Boss are the founders and owners of Performance Sports in Reading, Kansas. Both grew up in Osage City as outstanding athletes.

Lucas played football and earned his degree at Emporia State. Kate played basketball at Johnson County Community College, on the team that won the national women’s junior college championship in 2000. She went on to finish her education degree at Kansas State University.

Lucas and Kate got married and became teachers and coaches, earning their master’s degrees at Emporia State. When their first child was school age, they chose to return to the Osage City school district where they teach, coach and farm today. They especially enjoyed their involvement with youth sports and are active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

In 2019, a unique opportunity arose. After a series of school consolidations, the empty school building and gymnasium at nearby Reading was up for sale. The city of Reading had an option to buy but declined.

Continue reading “Lucas Boss, Performance Sports” →

Jacquelyne Leffler, Leffler Prime Performance

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Jacquelyne Leffler, kneeling in pasture with cows in background
Jacquelyne Leffler

The call came while she was sitting with her dad at a pizza place. Essentially, the message was: “Sorry, we’re canceling our entire order from your business.”

Since that was all the product that she had to sell, it seemed like disaster. But this was just a turning point in the development of what has become a remarkable business in rural Kansas.

Jacquelyne Leffler is the founder of Leffler Prime Performance, a direct-to-consumer beef marketing business that she operates in conjunction with her family’s farm. She lives on the place where she grew up, near the rural community of Americus, population 776 people. Now, that’s rural.

“We’re the fourth generation on the farm,” Leffler said. “Our family has been here since 1941.”

The Lefflers produce beef cattle, corn, soybeans and wheat.

“My sister and I grew up in 4-H,” Leffler said. “My grandfather would give us a steer for 4-H each year, but the proceeds from the steer’s sale had to go into a savings account for our college education.”

She noticed that some local people would buy those steers directly after the fair.

Continue reading “Jacquelyne Leffler, Leffler Prime Performance” →

Dixie Pachta, Rose Creek Suds

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Woman holding soap and other products
Dixie Pachta

“Mommy, it doesn’t sting!”

That statement from a young woman’s three-year old daughter helped launch a business of producing handmade soaps and other skin care products in rural Kansas.

Dixie Pachta is founder and owner of Rose Creek Suds. Her products not only avoid the allergic reactions suffered by her daughter, they provide the wonderful scents and luxurious lather that her customers enjoy. She also supports worthy local causes.

Pachta grew up in the Linn and Washington area. She met and married Andrew who is from Linn. They attended Kansas State University where Dixie studied accounting and Andrew studied animal sciences.

After graduation, they moved to Andrew’s grandparents’ farm near the rural community of Munden, population 96 people. Now, that’s rural. For 10 years, Dixie Pachta worked in tax preparation and now does internal audits for a bank in Belleville.

At Christmas time in 2020, Andrew bought a bar of soap that he thought sounded appealing. “We were disappointed in it,” Dixie said. She remembered her grandmother had made soap at home, so Dixie decided to see if she could make a better soap herself.

“Both of our grandmothers made lard soap for laundry purposes,” Dixie said. “We still have chunks of her laundry soap.” Dixie also knew that several members of her family had issues with sensitive skin. Continue reading “Dixie Pachta, Rose Creek Suds” →

Alex Parker, Circle P Processing

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Alex Parker, Circle P Processing, Waterville, Kansas
Alex Parker, Circle P Processing

“Full circle.” That’s one way of describing the creation of one Kansas rural business, which is located in what was once one of the first state-inspected meat plants and is again serving the processing needs of Kansans.

Alex Parker is owner and founder of Circle P Processing, a meat processing facility in Waterville. He grew up in nearby Washington, where he judged livestock, meats and horses in FFA. After high school, he joined the Marines.

While stationed in Okinawa, he volunteered at a local stable. A farrier came to trim hooves and shoe the horses, and Alex became fascinated by this work. After finishing his service, he came back to Kansas and graduated from professional farrier school to become a farrier himself.

Using the initial of his last name, he adopted the brand Circle P. He also married Karly. They now have two daughters with another child on the way.

As Parker visited his various farrier customers during 2020, a question came up consistently: “Do you know anywhere we can get in to get our beef processed?” All the local locker plants were booked up for a year or two ahead.

Continue reading “Alex Parker, Circle P Processing” →

Curtis and Lori Swenson, C&L Crafts

Posted on by Pat Melgares
Lori and Curtis Swenson
Lori and Curtis Swenson

The design cut into the wood is beautiful, detailed, intricate – and handmade. It was not produced with a laser cutter or computer-aided design, but rather, entirely by hand by a remarkably skilled craftsman in rural Kansas.

Curtis and Lori Swenson are founders and owners of C&L Crafts in Miltonvale. They grew up in the Randolph area, met in school and were married. They would ultimately have four children.

Those children, now grown, have also chosen to live in rural Kansas. They now live in Miltonvale, population 440; Mayetta, population 348; Olsburg, population 218; and Idana, population 54 people. Now, that’s rural.

Curtis took a job in Nebraska where he suffered a terrible accident in which his back was broken in two places. He would have 22 back surgeries, the first of which was 8 ½ hours long. He made a full recovery, but it was a long recuperation.

“I was going stir crazy,” Curtis said. He looked for something he could do with his hands.

Continue reading “Curtis and Lori Swenson, C&L Crafts” →