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Month: July 2014

Animal deaths from Pilger, Neb., storm estimated at 1,000

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Tornado that hit Pilger in June
Tornado that hit Pilger in June

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities estimate that about 1,000 large animals were killed by the June 16 storms that roared through northeast Nebraska, destroying more than half of Pilger.

Marty Marks of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Wayne County says the toll could be 1,000 in a six-county region, plus hundreds of chickens and other poultry.

The Lincoln Journal Star says producers aren’t required to report livestock losses to the government, and businesses such as cattle feeding operations generally don’t insure individual animals.

The EF4 tornado that struck Pilger killed a 5-year-old girl in town and a motorist a few miles east of town.

All hands on deck — and rowing in the same direction

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Tammy Wellbrock, Hays Chamber of Commerce Executive Director
Tammy Wellbrock, Hays Chamber of Commerce Executive Director

In June, I completed a four-year training program focused on nonprofit instruction.

Offered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, this comprehensive course of study is known as the Institute for Organization Management. For the past four summers, I spent one entire week in Madison, Wis., attending classroom-style instruction all day while networking with professional peers each evening.

Simply put, it was an exhausting but profound experience. Instead of turning the tassel on my mortar board, I now can add “IOM” behind my name.

While in Madison, I loved watching the sailboats on the nearby lakes. I couldn’t help but reflect on how similar a ship’s crew is to our own work environments. At a quick glance, you will see a collective group of people working hard to keep the vessel on its proper course. On a row boat, for example, you will see rowers rowing the boat with the chief mate ensuring the boat is moving quickly while the captain navigates toward the destination.

Similarly, every workplace needs people who get the work done — they are the doers. Managers direct the team to
be better, faster, cheaper and more efficient. Of course, the boss determines the overall strategic direction.

In order to be successful, the entire operation must work together smoothly.

Community leaders do the same – they help determine the course for our city, county or region so we can continue to prosper and grow. The Leadership Hays Class of 2014 is a great example of such leaders. While I’m proud of my new professional designation, I’m even more pleased to help launch these mates on their own successful venture.

I could go way “overboard” and share with you how the class really “battened down” to learn leadership principles and theories. One thing is for certain, our community needs to “keep a sharp lookout” for these Leadership Hays graduates.

Congratulations to the Class of 2014, and thanks for investing in yourself, your business and your community.

Tammy Wellbrock is executive director of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.

Feds reject Kansas tribal casino land application

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Screen Shot 2014-07-07 at 9.34.49 AMWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The federal government has refused to accept a tract of suburban Wichita land into trust so an Indian tribe can build a casino there.

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office said Monday that the Interior Department rejected a request from the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma to take the land into trust. The Wyandotte Nation bought the tract in Park City in 1992.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allows tribes to conduct gambling only on Indian lands, which are defined as land within a reservation or held in trust by the United States.

But the Interior Department has found that the tribe did not have sufficient trust funds to have purchased both the Park City land and a Kansas City tract where it has already built a casino.

 

 

 

 

Foster parent training scheduled this month in Hays

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kvc

KVC-Kansas Foster Care will sponsor foster parent training — also known as TIPS-MAPP Training — on July 30 at KVC Wheatland Hospital, 205 E. Seventh. The training is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Anyone who has considered becoming a foster or adoptive parent is invited.

The training is offered at no cost and is open to couples and single-parent households. TIPS-MAPP must be completed before being considered for placement of children in state’s custody.

For more information or to register for the class, contact Stephanie Smith at (316) 618-5437 or [email protected].

Phillipsburg volunteer works rodeo, never sees the beginning of it

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Denis Miller
Denis Miller

PHILLIPSBURG – For the past 20-plus years, Denis Miller goes to his hometown rodeo. But he never sees the first half of it.

It’s not that the Phillipsburg resident is late getting there, it’s that his volunteer duties keep him away from the arena until the rodeo is nearly over.

The Phillips County native has volunteered with Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo for the last quarter-century, but he misses about 75 percent of it.

That’s because his job, to supervise ticket takers and count money, is busiest at the beginning of the rodeo, from more than an hour before gates open, till about the barrel racing begins.

Miller, part-owner of Mapes and Miller, CPAs in Phillipsburg, came to the rodeo when he was a child growing up in Agra. Back then, the rodeo still had Sunday afternoon performances, which “were really hot,” he said. After graduating from Ft. Hays State University, and jobs with a CPA firms and oil companies in Wichita and Smith Center, he came to Phillipsburg.

Multiple world champion Trevor Brazile competes at the 2013 Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo. Hundreds of volunteers work to make the rodeo successful. Photo by JJJ Photo.
Multiple world champion Trevor Brazile competes at the 2013 Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo. Hundreds of volunteers work to make the rodeo successful. Photo by JJJ Photo.

After a few years, Miller wanted to become more involved in the community. He bought a share of the Phillipsburg Rodeo Association and was active in the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development, as a “way to say I was vested in the community,” he said. It didn’t take long to get recruited for his rodeo job.

At first, it was to work as a ticket seller. As the rodeo grew, it morphed into counting cash, assisting ticket takers, and having the official attendance number for the rodeo each night.

For the last dozen years or so, as the rodeo has grown, his job has grown. He misses about three-quarters of the rodeo, as he takes care of his duties. “I get done about 10 (p.m.), so I get to see some of the barrel racing and the bull riding and that’s it.” His employees at Mapes and Miller help out as well.

The rodeo has changed since Miller was a spectator on those hot Sunday afternoons, as a kid. The facilities have improved. “They tore most of the old facilities down, added (seating) boxes, the south grandstand, and added an office, hospitality and bathroom building on the east side. Now they’re adding bathrooms on the west side,” he said. “Every two or three years, they upgrade facilities, and they’ve probably doubled the seating since I started helping.”

It’s also changed financially. The committee “has increased the dollars, putting more money into the purse,” for cowboys. And attendance has increased. “It’s gotten bigger. The biggest problem is, I don’t know how they can get much bigger.”

And when the 85th annual event rolls around in late July and early August, Miller once again won’t hear the national anthem or see the first five events. He’ll be busy counting tickets. But as soon as that job is done and he’s given an official attendance count, he’ll be in the stands, ready for the bull riding.

This year’s Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo is July 31 to Aug. 2 at the rodeo grounds, 2 miles north of town. Performances begin at 8 p.m. each night. Reserved tickets for adults are $15 and for children ages 3-12 are $11. General admission tickets for adults are $13 and for children ages 3 to 12 are $10. For more information, visit KansasBiggestRodeo.com or call (785) 543-2448.

HPD activity log, July 3 to 6

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AOBB-Logo-Main11

The Hays Police Department conducted 15 traffic stops on Thursday, 21 on Friday, 35 on Saturday, and 34 on Sunday, according to the HPD activity log. The department also received 36 animal calls over the four-day period.

July 3
Abandoned Vehicle, 300 block West 23rd, 2:57 a.m.
Water Use Violation 1200 block East 27th, 6:48 a.m.
Water Use Violation, 400 block West 23rd, 11:35 a.m.
Animal At Large, 1300 block East 27th, 1:38 p.m.
Temporary Deprivation of Property, 100 block Ash, 1:45 p.m.
Assist, 1000 block Fort, 2:09 p.m.
Lost Animals, 400 block West 18th, 2:46 p.m.
Civil Dispute, 1900 block Vine, 3:11 p.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident, 200 block East 27th, 3:39 p.m.
Welfare Check, 1000 block West 28th, 4:02 p.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/Private Property, 3300 block Vine, 4:07 p.m.
Animal At Large, 1700 block Henry, 4:57 p.m.
Disorderly Conduct, 39090 block Fairway, 10:03 p.m.
Noise Disturbance, Sixth and Pine, 10:49 p.m.
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay, 700 block Fort, 11:55 p.m.

July 4
Drug Offenses, 500 block Elm, 12:49 a.m.
Driving Under the Influence, 2700 block Hall, 1:02: a.m.
Driving Under the Influence, 100 block West 10th, 1:09 a.m.
Driving While Suspended/Revoked, 500 block Walnut, 1:25 a.m.
Found/Lost Property, Hays, 1:25 a.m.
Water Use Violation, 1000 West 27th, 2:37 a.m.
Driving Under the Influence, 200 block East Eighth, 3:09 a.m.
Criminal Damage to Property, 200 block East 25th, 3:57 a.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident, 200 block West Fourth, 7:49 a.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/Hit and Run, 100 block East Seventh, 10:30 a.m.
Found/Lost Property, 100 block Main, 11:36 a.m.
Lost Animals, 1700 block Golden Belt, 12:46 p.m.
Lost Animals, 2900 block Walnut, 2:41 p.m.
Animal Cruelty/Neglect, 200 block East Sixth, 4:26 p.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/DUI, 1500 block Old U.S. 40 Bypass, 4:33 p.m.
Disturbance, 1400 block East 29th, 5:35 p.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/DUI, 2700 block Thunderbird, 6:15 p.m.
Assist, 100 block East Seventh, 6:21 p.m.
Alcohol Violation/sell, furnish, transport, 2700 block Thunderbird, 8:14 p.m.
Animal At Large, 100 block Elm, 10:08 p.m.
Suspicious Activity, 600 block East 15th, 11:26 p.m.

July 5
Disturbance, 700 block East Sixth, 12:14:32 a.m.
Driving Under the Influence, 700 block Fort, 1 a.m.
Battery, 500 block West Seventh, 1:40 a.m.
Noise Disturbance, 300 block West 11th, 1:45:34 a.m.
Criminal Damage to Property, 1200 block Main, 2:36 a.m.
Civil Transport, Larned, 5:31 a.m.
Public Nuisance, 300 block East Sixth, 6:28 a.m.
Civil Dispute, 300 block West Sixth, 6:51 a.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/Private Property, 2700 block Vine, 9:03 a.m.
Drug Offenses, 700 block East Sixth, 10:54 a.m.
Found/Lost Property, 200 block West Fifth, 12:38 p.m.
Theft, 700 block Vine, 1:53 p.m.
Drug Offenses, 1600 block East 27th, 2:59 p.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/Hit and Run, 4300 block Vine, 5:18 p.m.
Animal At Large, 500 block West 15th, 5:29 p.m.
Animal Call, 400 block West 20th, 6:29 p.m.
Disturbance, 1300 block Anthony, 8:43 p.m.
Disturbance, Seventh and Walnut, 8:49 p.m.
Animal Call, 2700 block Vine, 9:27 p.m.
Civil Dispute, 100 block Main, 4:30 p.m.
Found/Lost Property, 200 block Main, 11:15 p.m.
Traffic Stop, 400 East 22nd, 11:35 p.m.

June 6
Motor Vehicle Accident, 13th and Main, midnight
Disturbance, 1300 block East 33rd, 12:29 a.m.
Driving Under the Influence, 300 block West Eighth, 12:47 a.m.
Domestic Battery, 100 block West Seventh, 2:26 a.m.
Curfew Violation, 400 block West 18th, 2:49 a.m.
Theft of Vehicle, 200 block West Fifth, 3:19 a.m.
Abandoned Vehicle, 700 block Main, 5:09 a.m.
Death by Natural Causes, 1800 block East 27th, 9:15 a.m.
Found/Lost Property, Hays area, 2:14 p.m.
Bicycle/Lost, Found, Stolen, 400 block Ash, 2:51 p.m.
Water Use Violation, 1100 block Amhurst, 3:50 p.m.
Drug Offenses, 4300 block Vine, 4 p.m.
Civil Dispute, 1900 block Main, 4:50 p.m.
Mental Health Call, 3300 block Vine, 6:49 p.m.
Unwanted Person, 600 block East 11th, 8:25 p.m.
Found/Lost Property, 500 block West Seventh, 8:44 p.m.
Civil Transport, Larned, 9:06 p.m.
Driving Under the Influence, 16th and Walnut, 11:06 p.m.
Child in Need of Care, 1900 block Whittier, 11:49 p.m.

Larks drop series finale in Liberal

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NCKTech-Summer14
The Liberal BeeJays used a three-run eighth inning on their way to a 3-0 win over the Hays Larks Sunday.

Hays starter Nick Goza held Liberal scoreless through seven but gave up a single and RBI double in the eighth inning and the BeeJays would tack on two more to pick up the win.

Goza gave up two runs; just one earned on four hits over seven and a third innings but suffered the loss.

Tyler Leffler had three of the Larks eight hits but they never threatened after the sixth inning and advanced just runner past second in the loss.

Liberal took both games of the series dropping the Larks to 16-11 overall and 12-11 in the Jayhawk League.

Hays has Monday off and returns home to host Liberal on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hays Eagles win Wild West Fest Tournament

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NCKTech-Summer14
Jake Sedbrook’s walk-off, two-run double in the seventh inning Sunday gave the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion a 7-6 win over Paola clinching the Wild West Fest tournament Championship.

Trailing 6-3 entering the bottom of the seventh, Lane Downing drove in two with an RBI triple and with one out in the inning Sedbrook brought home the winning run with the double.

Sedbrook was three-for-four with two RBIs in the game.

Reliever Brady Bieker earned the win in relief. He allowed one run over two innings.

With the win Hays moves to 23-6 on the season.

The Eagles are set to travel to Kansas City for a tournament later this week.

Health plans must cover help quitting tobacco

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smokingTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is urging Kansans who smoke or chew tobacco to check if their insurance plans cover programs to help them quit.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced in May that insurance companies and employer group health plans must cover counseling and other programs that help people quit smoking. The companies are not allowed to charge out-of-pocket costs or require prior approval for the programs.

The plans must cover at least two quitting attempts per year, which includes a 90-day supply of tobacco cessation medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration and at least four counseling sessions, whether by phone, in person or in groups.

Praeger says in a news release that some plans offer smoking cessation services and programs beyond those approved by the FDA.

 

Find a good seat to watch commission on student performance

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Ever been to one of those bars where there’s a two-drink minimum order? It usually means there’s a band or strippers for the entertainment, and it generally means that the show is a good one.

martin hawver line art

Well, they’re not talking about music or pole dancers, but the state’s new K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency Commission, which will meet this summer and fall, might be the most entertaining — and important — commission that we’ve seen in the Statehouse for a while.

The nine members are assigned to study how the state’s school districts operate, how well they educate our students, and how economically they can do that.

And, they’re supposed to come up with ideas that will make schools better and cheaper and at some point able to survive what are likely to be cuts in revenue from the state in the next few years.

That’s a big job, and it’s going to be difficult because the state’s nearly 300 unified school districts are insular; their members are elected by voters in those districts who realize that schools are important—but expensive.

While it’s easy for folks who don’t have children in public schools to look at the numbers and decide that there have to be economies possible to reduce the state contribution to education and maybe to reduce the local school district property tax, there are districts in sparsely populated western Kansas where the local school system is a major employer—which keeps the gas stations, the grocery stores and a raft of other businesses…well…in business.

There are some relatively obvious suggestions by that commission to save money. One, of course, is to put districts together, maybe reducing the 293 now to some smaller number.

That sounds logical, but figure for a minute, which nearby school district do you want to merge with, and how long do you want those kids to spend on a bus getting to their new combined school? By the time that your local school officials and teachers know your kids, do you want to start over?

And, do you want the administrative jobs and such moved out of your town?

There are heavily populated counties in the state with several school districts. Think they want to combine? In some metropolitan areas, melding school districts will probably mean three or four superintendents looking for work…or competing for their jobs all over again.

Rope-climb contest, anyone?

And, even simpler, do you think they want to combine at the administration/management level while retaining the old district sports and debate teams? Who has final say on mascots, colors and even cheerleader uniforms?

The melding of districts is like a shotgun marriage; we’re thinking if the study commission delves into that apparently simple way to save money…well, the premiums for fire insurance on their homes is likely to rise…

This might be interesting, with members of the panel diverse enough in geography that they’ll each bring their local interests to the discussion, played out before the K-12 education industry—and yes, it is an industry, with labor and management and big and generally tax-dollar produced budgets at stake.

The money side, while the most visible, is just a part of this project. Improving public education statewide is the other goal, to make sure that the money spent on K-12 produces the smartest kids possible, the kids who are the key to the state’s economy in the future.

Sound like a committee that could be the focus of a lot of Kansans this fall?

We’re thinking, if they just move the meetings out of the Statehouse, they could demand a two-drink minimum…

Syndicated by Hawver News Co. of Topeka, Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report. To learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit www.hawvernews.com.

Saturday is time for a summer ‘SOC HOP’ in Russell

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RUSSELL — Western Plains Animal Refuge joins Advantage Realty and Encore Antiques and Collectables to host a SOC HOP on Saturday. Spring and summer months herald the appearance of countless adoptable pets in shelters around the country.

Western Plains Refuge

During the SOC HOP (Shelter Over Crowed – Help Our Pets), WPAR will encourage Russell-area residents to adopt or foster a pet. The public is invited to stop by Encore Antiques and Collectables, 590 S. Fossil, between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to cuddle an adoptable pet and learn more about WPAR.

By hosting the SOC HOP, Advantage Realty and Encore Antiques and Collectables hope to raise awareness for WPAR, encourage adoptions and fosters, and collect donations. For each donation, individuals will have the opportunity to take home one of several gift baskets made possible through individual and business donations.

Chances for a custom creation by Twila’s Stained Glass will be available for a small monetary donation. Door prizes and refreshments will be available for all attendees.

Located in Ellis, Kansas, WPAR is a nonprofit, volunteer-run, no-kill shelter for domestic animals. It is the mission of WPAR to foster respect for all creatures, domestic and wild. WPAR is dedicated to helping animals and local communities by providing shelter, foster, rehabilitation, adoption and outreach services. Brendon McCampbell, WPAR Executive Director, will be at the SOC HOP, along with several WPAR volunteers.

For more information or to make a donation, contact Crystal or Sheryl at Encore Antiques and Collectables at (785) 445-8480 or [email protected].

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