Get WaKeeney

Interested in biking or hiking the Smoky Valley Scenic Byway?

Representatives from RDG Planning & Design, a national planning and design firm, want to hear from the local community who are interested in improving biking and hiking options along the byway.

Everyone is invited to attend the community meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the WaKeeney City Library.

The Smoky Valley Scenic Byway takes the traveler through 60 miles of Trego and Ness counties through the Smoky Hill River Valley.  The route begins in WaKeeney and heads south on U.S. 283, east for a few miles on Kansas 4, then back north on Kansas 147 to Ogallah.

 

The Ellis County Commission is expected to award the bid for the new EMS/Rural Fire building at Monday’s regular meeting.

Commercial Builders of Hays submitted the recommended bid, with a base bid of just less than $3.4 million.

The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the courthouse and will follow an earlier special meeting to discuss budget issues.

The commission also will consider what to do with employees and services while construction is underway at a variety of building projects. The commission currently is considering leasing space at either the Hadley Center or the former PATH Lab on 13th Street.

In other business, the commission will consider renewing its maintenance contract with Motorola.

For a complete agenda, click HERE.

Monday promises to be a steamy one, but the heat wave will be short-lived.

Temperatures are expected to climb to 102 degrees as the day progresses, with the humidity making it feel up to 10 degrees warmer.

A slight chance of thunderstorms is projected tonight as a cooler front pushes into the area. The mercury is expected to drop dramatically this evening, with an overnight low all the way down to 67 degrees.

That drop will make Tuesday much more tolerable. The high temperature Tuesday is projected at 86 degrees, with mostly sunny skies.

The next chance for thunderstorms comes Wednesday night, as the National Weather Service is calling for a 40 percent chance of storms.

Click HERE for the extended forecast.

NCK Tech

North Central Kansas Technical College announced Monday that two students were awarded National Championship medals during the 50th annual Skills USA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held June 23 to 27 in Kansas City, Mo.

Curtis Anderson, Burr Oak, a 2014 graduate of the NCK Tech Beloit campus welding program, achieved first place in the welding competition, and Cris Hayes, Clay Center, a 2014 graduate of the Information Technology program, placed first in the Computer Maintenance competition.

The NCK Tech Welding Fabrication Team earned a Silver Medal in the Welding Fabrication team competition.

Nine students from NCK Tech attended conference, which provided an opportunity for career and technical education students to showcase their skills and connect with business and industry leaders and employers.

The conference attracted approximately 15,000 students, teachers, educational leaders, labor union and industry representatives from across the nation. More than 6,000 outstanding career and technical education students – all state contest winners – competed in 99 different trade, technical and leadership fields. In the competition, students work against the clock and each other, proving their expertise in occupations like electronics, computer-aided drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts. Contests are run with the help of industry, trade associations, and labor organizations, and test competencies are set by industry.

NCK Tech students competed in six competitive areas; five students earned a place within the top 10 in their respective competitions. Competitive areas, NCK Tech student (hometown) placement are as follows:

Welding
Curtis Anderson, Burr Oak, 1st place

Computer Maintenance
Cris Hayes, Clay Center, 1st place

Welding Fabrication
Team, 2nd place — Joseph Pfeifer, Hays; Jacob Arnold, Bennington; and Joel Hayes, Rose Hill

Electronics Technology
Matthew Gamble, Scott City, 12th place

Telecommunications and Cabling
John Haist, Miltonvale, 12th place

Industrial Motor Controls
Derek Legleiter, Hays, 16th place

Automotive Refinishing Technology
Chris Hadsall, Maple Hill, 20th place

ELLIS–Water issues will be discussed during tonight’s regular meeting of the Ellis City Council. Agenda items include a look at the Comparative Water Report, water levels of city wells and an update about the search for new water supplies.

The complete meeting agenda follows.

AGENDA July 7, 2014 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF ELLIS City Hall – Council Meeting Room

BILLS ORDINANCE REVIEW WORK SESSION BEGINS AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL AND MEETING CALL TO ORDER AT 7:30 P.M.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA (if needed)
1) CONSENT AGENDA
a) Minutes from Regular Meeting on June 16, 2014
b) Bills Ordinance #1952
(Council will review for approval under one motion under the consent agenda. By majority vote of the governing body, any item may be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately)
MOTION_______________________ SECOND__________________ VOTE___________
PUBLIC COMMENTS
(Each speaker will be limited to five minutes. If several people from the group wish to speak on same subject, the group must appoint a spokesperson. ALL comments from public on agenda items must be during Public Comment. Once council begins their business meeting, no more comments from public will be allowed.)
2) PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
3) SPECIAL ORDER
4) UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a) Consider Cost Sharing Provision of Infrastructure Policy
b) Consideration of Sale of Property at 9th and Washington Streets
c) Consider Amendments to Ordinance No. 1311
d) Review Water Conservation Plan
5) NEW BUSINESS
a) Consider Incentive Application from Big Creek Floral & Gifts, LLC
b) Consider Agreement for Use of City Property
c) Consider Event Request for Traffic Control – Ellis Jr. Free Fair
d) Consider Application for CMB License – Ellis Fire Department
e) Consider Ordinances Increasing Utility Rates
6) REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
a) Administrative
1) Public Works
(1) Comparative Water Report
(2) Well Levels
(3) Report from Bartlett & West
(4) Ratification of Carrico Invoice
(5) Ellis Jr. Free Fair Survey
(6) Department Update
2) Police
(1) July Officer Calendar
(2) Monthly Activity Report for June
(3) Update on Applicant Search
(4) Department Update
3) City Clerk
(1) Swimming Pool Update
(2) Update on Applicant Search
(3) Department Update
4) Attorney
5) Mayor/Council
(1) Girl Scout’s National S’Mores Day
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
7) ADJOURNMENT