By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

ELLIS — The city of Ellis had nearly 15 inches of rain during the first two weeks of June, and water was again flowing through Big Creek.

But, like much of western Kansas, Ellis is in the fourth year of drought, and the city is looking for a new long-term water source, according to mayor Lyle Johnston.

“We’re still in Stage 3 Water Status — no outdoor watering is allowed. There was some talk of downgrading to Stage 2 with the recent rains, but our city water well levels haven’t come up where they should be,” Johnston said.

“Ellis is now working with an engineer to look for a new source of water in Trego County,” he added.

The city gets its water from the Big Creek alluvium.

“The project cost is roughly estimated at $1.7 million,” Johnston said. City staff and council members have talked about the “possibility of a bond issue” to pay for it.

“We’re already socking away the monies Ellis gets from Ellis County half-cent sales tax,” he said. “That money is dedicated to a water exploration fund long-term.”

Fort Hays State University and Eagle Communications last fall began to provide TV service to on-campus students — and those services will be ramped up as students return for 2014-15.

This year, the FHSU Department of Residential Life will introduce Eagle2Go mobile streaming services, so students can enjoy free movies on the FHSU website through the FHSU wireless network.

Read Tiger Media Network’s report on the innovative new service HERE.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“That was far less painful than I anticipated.”

That was the reaction of Ellis County Commission Chairman Barb Wasinger after Wednesday night’s special meeting in which commissioners set Aug. 18 as the public hearing date for the 2015 budget.

Cuts of about $1.7 million were made. Commissioners were determined to close the budget gap without an increase in taxes or in the mill levy.

Wasinger thanked county staff and said “we were truly a team.”

“I’ve gotten a lot of negative reaction from constituents,” said Commissioner Dean Haselhorst, “but I feel we three commissioners, along with department heads, elected officials and County Administrator Greg Sund did an excellent job in making those cuts.”

“Nobody wins,” said commissioner Swede Holmgren.

“It’s not a win/win, it’s not a win/lose. I hope it’s neutral,” he clarified. “These budget cuts were painful, but logical, decisions.”

Addressing the handful of county employees sitting in the audience, Holmgren asked for their support:

The estimated mill levy for Ellis County in 2015 is 33.7, down from 34.232 in 2014. Total expenditures in the 2015 budget are $28,707,698.

Nathan Leiker, Ellis County Extension executive board member, was the only person to question commissioners during the special meeting.

Leiker thanked the commission for “adding a little more money back into the Extension Council budget,” and asked about the status of remodeling the building at 610 Main Street, which houses county Extension offices, the county health department and the county environmental office.

Commission chairwoman Barb Wasinger told Leiker those improvements are “still in the FY 2015 budget.”

The budget public hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 18 in the Ellis County Clerk’s office.

Detailed budget information is available in the county clerk’s office and on the Ellis County website.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Last week, Ellis County commissioners agreed to begin lease negotiations with the Hadley Center for temporary office space of courthouse and Law Enforcement Center employees while the building is remodeled.

Since then, they’ve been told Thomas More Prep-Marian High School, which will be using the Hadley Center third floor as its girls residency program dorm, has some objections.

“TMP officials, the Salina Diocese and some members of the public are concerned about the ‘character’ of people who will be in and out of the temporary courtrooms in that building,” County Administrator Greg Sund told commissioners during a special meeting Wednesday night.

Dave Van Doren, co-owner of the Hadley Center, said he will write a “questionable character” clause into the county’s lease barring people deemed as dangerous from the building.

Ellis County Sheriff and Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler told commissioners they “cannot guarantee who will come into the building.”

Tuesday morning, county officials toured the vacant NEW Corp. building on south Commerce Parkway, and the former Sears building, 2508 Vine.

According to Sund, the NEW Corp. building is “bigger than needed” and the Sears building “needs lots of cleanup.”

Van Doren offered the county the option of renting space for only administrative offices at half the cost of an earlier proposal and suggested “suspect booking, interrogation and the courtrooms be temporarily housed in the county’s future administrative building at 718 Main,” which is just west of the Hadley Center.

“TMP is OK with it,” Van Doren said.

Commission Chairwoman Barb Wasinger told Van Doren the county would have to hear directly from TMP and its representatives.

Kathy Taylor, TMP principal, said the “Salina diocese attorney will want to know exactly which county offices are going into the Hadley Center, what services will be offered and who will be be working in those offices and which members of the public would be likely to come into the offices.”

The commissioners and Sund agreed “we’re going to have public objections no matter where we place the jail pods (to temporarily house Ellis County inmates.)”

“One phone call I got today,” said commissioner Dean Haselhorst, “the guy objected to having a jail in the Sears building.”

“He said there are a lot of businesses in that area. I asked him if he realized the current jail is  at 13th and Main Street in downtown Hays. He still didn’t like it,” Haselhorst said.

Commissioners voted unanimously to begin lease negotiations for the NEW and Sears buildings.

 

While the most significant precipitation from Wednesday’s front fell far south of the area, Ellis County gauges were treated to a late-July rain.

Reports south and east of Hays ranged from 0.15 inches to 0.2 inches. The measurement at the Eagle Radio studio rested at 0.12 inches.

A Russell County report showed 0.22 inches, while a gauge in Rush County showed 0.35 inches.

The southern tier of counties in Kansas reported the most rain — with a Pratt County report of 1.99 inches and a Meade County report of 2.27 inches.

The skies are expected to clear into the weekend.

Click HERE for the extended forecast.

The Hays Police Department conducted 28 traffic stops and received 13 animal calls on Wednesday, July 30, according to the HPD activity log.

Domestic disturbance, 700 block East Sixth, 12:05:15 a.m.
Disturbance, 200 block West 10th, 1:05 a.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, 100 block East 15th, 12:52 a.m.
Animal at large, 2300 block Oak, 2:41 a.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 1300 block Eisenhower, 8:53 a.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 1300 block Marshall, 8:56 a.m.
Animal at large, 900 block Commerce, 9:44 a.m.
Animal at large, 1500 block Vine, 1:04 p.m.
Found/lost property, Hays, 2:25 p.m.
Drug offenses, 3300 block Elm, 3:14 p.m.
Telephone harassment, 2500 block Marjorie, 1:51 p.m.
Suspicious person, 3600 block Vine, 3:48 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 100 block West 12th, 4:59 p.m.
Domestic disturbance, 1600 block East 28th, 8:09 p.m.
Animal call, 400 block East 17th, 8:16 p.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 4600 block Van Buren, 10:10 p.m.