For the latest cancellations in the area, visit the link below.

https://www.hayspost.com/cancellationsdelays/

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2018

MoonPies and Starry Skies @ Ellis Public Library cancelled due to increased cloud cover

FHSU President Search
The Kansas Board of Regents announced Thursday the search committee that has been appointed to find candidates to replace Fort Hays State University President Ed Hammond, who is retiring in June 2014 after 27 years in the position. Denis Miller, chair of the FHSU Foundation Board of Directors, will chair the 20 member search committee.

The on campus committee members are:
Stephen Donnelly – Faculty Senate President, Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Regi Wieland – Associate Professor, Advanced Educational Programs
Chris Roberts – Student Government Professor
Emily Breit – Department Chair, Economic, Finance and Accounting
Jeff Briggs – Dean, College of Health and Life Sciences
David Storer – Classified Senate Vice President, Maintenance Supervisor of the Memorial Union

Joey Linn – Unclassified Senate President, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Registar

Cindy Elliott – Assistant Provost for Strategic Partnerships and Dean of Distance Learning
Dennis King – Director of the Virtual College and Learning Technologies

Alumni Association, Foundation Board and Community
Bill Robbins – President/Owner of Farmers Bank and Trust of Overland Park
Jeff Copper – Owner of Jeff Copper Agency, LLC of Hays
Marcy Aycock – President, FHSU Alumni Association, Director, Early College Health Sciences Academy, Butler Community College of Sedgwick

Diane Scott – Former Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Life, FHSU of Broomfield

Michael Schwanke – Co-anchor, KWCH Eyewitness News at Five of Wichita
Tammy Wellbrock – Executive Director, Hays Area Chamber of Commerce of Hays

Board of Regents
Robba Moran – Board of Regents Member of Manhattan
Janie Perkins – Former Board of Regents Member of Garden City
Andy Tompkins – President and CEO of Topeka

Staff Assistance
Francine Hestermann – Chief Financial Officer, FHSU Foundation, Hays

The search committee will select three to five candidates by April 22, 2014, for the board to consider.

The Hays Regional Airport recently completed reconstruction on its main runway.  Changes made to the runway will allow larger aircraft to land in Hays. As a result, the airport is anticipating future bids from the Essential Air Service (EAS) that include regional jet service, which would be new to Hays.  In order to allow for regularly scheduled jet service, the FAA requires airports to undergo an Environmental Assessment.

At Thursday evening’s City Commission meeting, Director of Public Works I.D. Creech presented bids that were received from airport consulting firms for completion of the Environmental Assessment. The bids were as follows:

Landrum & Brown, Inc. – Cincinnati, Ohio
Estimated time schedule: 6 months
Cost: $50,000 plus additional $10,000 if public hearing is held

Airport Development Group, Inc. (ADG) – Denver, Colorado
Estimated time schedule: 4 months, 5.5 months if public hearing required
Cost: $36,000, plus additional $3,860 if public hearing required

JVIATION – Denver, Colorado / Overland Park, Kansas
Estimated time Schedule: 4 months, possibly 5 depending on coordinating agencies and FAA review
Cost: $29,000

The assessment would necessitate coordination of the consulting firm with local, state and federal agencies, and is required of both new and existing airports prior to beginning jet operations.  The goal is to assess the potential impact jets will have on the environment and ensure the integration of jet service won’t adversely impact the region in any way across 19 environmental impact categories.

The next round of EAS bids for the airport will begin on December 2nd, 2013.  City Manager Toby Dougherty explained that the final part of the assessment is receiving an EAS bid that includes jet service.

“The last key of this is, it has to be specific per carrier, per plane.  So they’re going to do all the work, they’re going to get everything ready, and then assuming we get the bid for jet service, they plug that right in with the last and submit it to the FAA.”

Dougherty added that it’s important to begin the process of seeking bids for the assessment now rather than waiting. He said that the city may not know until a couple weeks into December that the airport received service bids that include jet service.  Workers will need to begin the assessment as soon as possible to minimize the delay in jet service should the EAS process result in a turbojet aircraft.

The City Commission will discuss this topic at their next meeting Tuesday, November 26, 2013 at 6:30pm at City Hall, 1507 Main Street.

(AP) — Kansas is reporting that its unemployment rate dropped slightly to 5.6 percent in October, and the state saw a gain in private sector jobs over the year. In Ellis County the rate fell from 3.4% in August to 2.6% in October.  Trego County was at 2.8% and Russell County was    3.8%

The state Department of Labor reported Thursday that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last month declined from the 5.7 percent recorded in September. The jobless rate also was 5.6 percent in October 2012.

But the department said in Kansas the number of people holding nonfarm jobs in the private sector was 18,400 higher in October than in October 2012, for a total of 1.12 million. The rate of growth was 1.7 percent.

The most robust sector in over-the-year job growth was in business and professional services, which saw employment rise 5.2 percent to nearly 167,000.

 

Federal regulators say rules against making cellphone calls during airline flights are “outdated,” and it’s time to change them. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement Thursday the commission is proposing greater in-flight access to mobile broadband. The proposal will be considered at the commission’s meeting next month.  Tell us what you think in the comment section below and participate in the poll. [polldaddy poll=7585160]

 

The Hays Police Department will be conducting Special Situation Response Team (SSRT) training Monday, November 25th, between the hours of 12:30p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of East 8th Street, Hays.

Police officers will be training with special tactical equipment.

Local residents may see law enforcement officers move through their area.

Chief Don Scheibler says there’s no need to be alarmed.   “The officers are merely conducting a realistic training exercise and there is no danger to the community, ” says Scheibler.

People with questions or concerns, may contact the on-site training supervisor, designated by a reflective green vest, or Chief Scheibler at 785-625-1030.