By BECKY KISER
Hays Post News

ELLIS— Ellis mayor Lyle Johnston plans to accept the resignation of council member John Leiker during tonight’s Ellis City Council meeting.

“John has expressed interest in the open street maintenance position we have within the Public Works Department,” Johnston explained this morning.

“After consulting with our city attorney Olavee Raub, he was advised it’s inappropriate for him to be on the council while applying to be a city employee.  So John has decided to resign his council position,” said Johnston.

There are only three Ellis City Council meetings remaining before the April 1 primary election.

“Six people are running for the three open seats,” Johnston said.  “My plan is to appoint the person with the fourth highest number of votes to the vacant seat.”

Candidates on the April Ellis city council election ballot are Ron Johnson, John LaShell, Gary Luea, David McDaniel, Brian Raub and John Walz (incumbent).

Terms are for two years; Leiker has one year remaining in his term.

The Hays Police Department conducted 55 traffic stops and received 21 animal calls from Feb. 14 to 16, according to the HPD activity log.

Feb. 14
Driving under the influence, Eighth and Walnut, 2:11 a.m.
Animal call, 1400 block West 42nd, 7:40 a.m.
Welfare check, 2200 block Canterbury, 9:03 a.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 600 block East Seventh, 9:56 a.m.
Drug offenses, 2000 block Eisenhower, 1:06 p.m.
Driving under the influence, 1800 block Holmes, 2:59 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 200 block East Eighth, 5:18 p.m.
Theft, 4300 block Vine, 2:50 p.m.
Search warrant, 1500 block East 17th, 8:22 p.m.
Drug offenses, 500 block Oak, 8:10 p.m.

Feb. 15
Obstruction of legal process, 100 block East Eighth, 1:24 a.m.
Lost animals, 400 block East 16th, 1:54 a.m.
Disturbance/fight, 200 block East 14th, 2:32 a.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 300 block West 12th, 10:24 a.m.
Animal at large, 300 block East 22nd, 1:52 p.m.
Welfare check, 200 block East 14th, 3:14 p.m.
Mental health call, 1400 block East 29th, 3:21 p.m.
Animal at large, 1900 block Whittier, 4:26 p.m.
Drug offenses, 4200 block Vine, 4:45 p.m.
Counterfeit currency/documents, 100 block East 27th, 5:37 p.m.
Animal call, 400 block West 15th, 5:47 p.m.
Civil transport, Larned, 6:30 p.m.
Dead animal call, 3400 block Fort, 8:49 p.m.
Parking complaint, 500 block West 39th, 9:11 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 3200 block Vine, 10:19 p.m.
Traffic/driving complaint, 2400 block Lincoln, 11:06 p.m.
Disperse crowd, 400 block West 10th, 11:26 p.m.

Feb. 16
Traffic stop, 600 block Park, 12:39 a.m.
Noise disturbance, 400 block West 12th, 1:01 a.m.
Driving under the influence, 200 block West 10th, 2:04 a.m.
Underage possession of alcohol, 700 block Park, 2:11 a.m.
Disorderly conduct, 500 block West Seventh, 2:14 a.m.
Aggravated battery, 500 block West 16th, 2:30 a.m.
Animal call, 1900 block Vine, 7:18 a.m.
Animal call, 1400 block West 42nd, 9:22 a.m.
Domestic disturbance, 500 block East 20th, 9:48 a.m.
Disturbance, 1400 block West 42nd, 10:21 a.m.
Criminal damage to property, 500 block East 20th, 12:04 p.m.
Domestic disturbance, 300 block run, 400 block East 12th, 1:30 p.m.
Found/lost property, 1700 block Vine, 2:05 p.m.
Theft, 1200 block Felten, 3 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/hit and run, 400 block West Fourth, 5:43 p.m.
Domestic disturbance, 700 block East Sixth, 7 p.m.
Suspicious activity, 2200 block Wheatland, 9:46 p.m.

BUNKER HILL--Smoky Hills Public Television again is partnering with PBS KIDS on its annual PBS KIDS Writers Contest, designed to promote the advancement of children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. The contest is open to children in kindergarten, first, second and third grades and encourages them to celebrate their creativity while building literacy skills by writing and illustrating their own stories.

“It’s important to engage children, showing them how fun and rewarding learning can be,” said Smoky Hills Public Television Education Director Leona Breeden in a news release. “We hope parents and teachers throughout central and western Kansas will encourage their children to participate.”

Smoky Hills Public Television and other PBS stations throughout the country are collaborating with schools, public libraries and other community-based organizations to present the PBS KIDS Writers Contest in local communities. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in each age group. Smoky Hills Public Television’s deadline to receive the stories is March 28, 2014.

The local winners will then be entered into the national contest, when a panel of esteemed judges will rank the top 12 entries. National winners will be announced during the summer of 2014, and the winning stories will be featured on pbskids.org/writerscontest.

The national winners will receive prizes courtesy of national prizing sponsor, LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. Winners will receive a prize package that will include LeapFrog’s award-winning LeapReader Reading and Writing System. The contest is also made possible through national promotional support from Highlights for Children. The PBS KIDS Writers Contest is produced by PBS and based on the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.

This year’s panel of national judges includes the following acclaimed writers, producers and children’s media creators:

· Billy Aronson, creator, PEG + CAT

· Jeff Kinney, author (Diary of a Wimpy Kid series), online game developer and designer

· Martin Kratt, creator and co-executive producer, WILD KRATTS

· Chris Kratt, creator and co-executive producer, WILD KRATTS

· Joseph Mazzarino, head writer, director and puppeteer, SESAME STREET

· Jennifer Oxley, creator, PEG + CAT

· Vince Vawter, author (PAPERBOY)

To enter the contest and for more information on entry rules and contest resources, visit pbskids.org/writerscontest or www.smokyhillstv.org.

From Hays City Hall:

The 2-20-14 Hays City Commission Work Session has been canceled due to a lack of a quorum.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission will hold two meetings Monday.

The first is a special meeting to hold a conference call with the architect on the 718 Main administrative building and also discuss proposed changes to the EMS/Rural Fire Building.

County Administrator Greg Sund, at the request of the commissioners, asked the architect to take a bottom-up approach, starting with the low bid and removing the recommended changes.

Sund also said, in his memo to commissioners, they should look into upgrading to water-saving devices throughout the building. He said because the county has identified water conservation as a priority, “It will send a message that the county commission believes in the priorities in they set.”

The commission also will discuss the EMS/Rural Fire project at the special meeting. According to Sund’s memo, the current estimate is a little less than $3 million and, when the 15 percent overhead allowance is added, the estimated cost is about $3.3 million.

The special meeting is at 2:30 p.m. Monday at the administrator’s office at the Ellis County Courthouse.

At the regularly scheduled meeting, the commission will discuss purchasing a new phone system. The commission will also get a report on the lesser prairie chicken, mortgage registration fee and a request for a Fort Hays State University program sponsorship.

The regular meeting will be at 5 p.m. Monday at the Ellis County Courthouse.

The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with a travel agency to offer a European vacation.

The chamber and Central Holidays, a group tour operator, will kick off the new offering with a trip to Tuscany, Italy, from Nov. 14 to 22.

The tour will include world-class cuisine and wine, visits to historical landmarks and gardens, and a private guided tour of the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum.

The chamber will have an informational session for those interested at 5:30 p.m. March 6 at the Welcome Center, 2700 Vine.

Hays Post

Water officials in Munjor have announced water will be turned off “around noon” for repairs to a broken water line.

No estimate released on how long the repairs may take.