Lynn Griffith, age 75, of Arnold, passed away, Monday, September 29, 2014, at Good Samaritan Society in Hays.
Services are pending with Schmitt Funeral Home of WaKeeney.
Month: September 2014
Month ends with another shower across western Kansas
An early morning rain gave Ellis County yet another dose of moisture Tuesday, with early reports showing as much as a quarter-inch in the gauges.
The heaviest rain in the county fell on and east of Hays, with reports ranging from 0.12 to 0.25 inches. In the western portion of the county, reports were much lower, in the 0.02- to 0.05-inch range.
The light rain fell across northwest Kansas, with nearly a half-inch in northeast Logan County the most significant report.
The skies are expected to again clear today after 9 a.m., although the chance of rain or thunderstorms returns this evening and will persist through Friday.
Click HERE for the extended forecast.
Community communication next step in proposed $100M bond issue
By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
Hays USD 489 school board members had their first discussion on the district’s Facility Needs Committee bond issue proposal to upgrade the district’s buildings at Monday’s board of education work session. All members agreed the biggest challenge now is figuring out if any of the $100 million in recommendations can be “pared down,” completed in phases and, most importantly, communicated to the public.
The FNC is a group of 10 community volunteers that has spent the last two years studying each building in the district. The group presented its final recommendations at the Sept. 15 school board meeting.
Superintendent Dean Katt said although a $100 million estimate had been discussed before the FNC was established, the price tag for the committee’s recommendations to fix problems deferred for years such as safety, security and space issues is leading to some sticker shock.
“When you look at it just on the surface and you see $100 million and anybody is going to have the same reaction,” Katt said. “We need to really do a good job of educating the community about what our needs are. Just like the committee — they spent two years doing this and, until they did that, they really didn’t have any idea either.
“It is going to be a long process to get that message out and see what happens.”
Katt said although the date could change, the bond issue will probably not be on the ballot until November 2015.
Board member Josh Waddell agreed the board still has a lot to figure out.
“Paring down (the FNC recommendations) is a realistic option, but if we pare down too much … it will be a tough triage process,” Waddell said, agreeing educating and surveying the community is important.
“There is a sector of the community that is automatically, ‘No, its $100 million,’ but then I think you have this large middle-of-the-road group that is just desperately wanting the school board, the administration and everyone to do the very best in showing the very best with the money coming into our district,” Waddell said.
Board President James Leiker agreed.
“I have yet to meet a person who has completely shot (the bond issue) down, most people just want to know what is for, how much it will cost per day and how it will benefit the district,” he said.
Board member Lance Bickle suggested community tours throughout the district so the public could see first-hand what improvements are needed and asked whether the proposed recommendations could be completed in phases so the community could see for themselves where the money is going.
Superintendent Dean Katt agreed community tours of building is important but will happen “down the road,” adding the next steps are more talks with architects, the bond committee and the community.
University of Kansas plans new residence hall
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is considering construction of $51 million residence hall to house an expected increase in international students.
The university says the 500-bed residence hall would be built next to Oliver Hall. It would include a new dining center for the existing and new residence halls.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the school currently has 2,238 international students. Earlier this year, it signed a contract with a firm to recruit international students.
The project will include creating an academic resource center in Oliver Hall. The project will be paid for with housing and dining funds and bonds sold through the Kansas Development Finance Authority.
School officials say construction should start in the spring of 2016 and the hall will be open in the summer of 2017.
Young professionals will pitch in to help prep for Oktoberfest
The Hays Area Young Professionals will be pitching in the help clean up the community.
The group will be contributing its time from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, cleaning up litter and debris at Hays Municipal Park.
With Oktoberfest just two weeks away, the group is attempting to help make the park grounds clean and secure for visitors, family, friends and Fort Hays State University alumni.
For more information on HAYP, visit HERE or call (785) 628-8201.
KFIX House Band For Tues 9/30: John Mellencamp
Today, enjoy at least one song an hour from John Mellencamp on 96.9
“Like” KFIX on Facebook.
Gov’t to reveal drug company payments to doctors
RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is planning to release data Tuesday on drug and medical device company payments to tens of thousands of individual doctors.
The goal is to shine a light on potential ethical conflicts in medicine. Consumer groups say it’s overdue, but doctors’ groups fear consumers will jump to the wrong conclusions.
President Barack Obama’s health care law calls for companies to report payments of $10 or more to physicians. It’s a provision that has bipartisan support.
The goal is to allow patients to look up their own doctors online. That functionality won’t be ready yet. But the preliminary data being released Tuesday is expected to be useful for researchers.
HPD activity log, Sept. 29
The Hays Police Department conducted 16 traffic stops and received 10 animal calls on Monday, Sept. 29, according to the HPD activity log.
Found/lost property, 4600 block Roth, 8:25 a.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 2200 block Felten, 10:13 a.m.
Theft, 4400 block Vine, Sept. 8
Animal call, 300 block West 32nd, 12:01 p.m.
Shoplifting, 4300 block Vine, 12:45 p.m.
False report, 400 block West Eighth, 12:59 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/hit and run, 700 block Walnut, 1:05 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 100 block East 43rd, 1:20 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/hit and run, 2700 block Vine, 8 a.m.
Bicycle/ lost, found, stolen, 400 block West Third, 2:38 p.m.
Shoplifting, 600 block East Sixth, 3:08 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 22nd and Centennial, 3:34:00 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 11th and Ash, 4:10 p.m.
Domestic battery, 3000 block Broadway, 4:25 p.m.
Battery, 100 block East 12th, 4:29 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 2500 block Vine, 4:48 p.m.
Animal call, 1300 block Felten, 5:01 p.m.
Forgery, 1900 block Vine, Sept. 13 to 20
Theft, 2200 block Virginia, 5:15 p.m.
Animal call, 500 block East Sixth, 5:54 p.m.
Lost animals, 3000 block East 14th, 6:54 p.m.
Forgery, four incidents, 1900 block Vine, various dates
Theft, 1900 block Vine, June 1 to Sept. 23
Warrant service/failure to appear, 1400 block East 29th, 8:46 p.m.
Bicycle/ lost, found, stolen, 20 block East 17th, 9:34 p.m.
Wichita’s Botanica raises funds for Chinese Garden
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Botanica in Wichita has raised more than $1.5 million to install a Chinese garden, which is now under construction.
Director Marty Miller says the garden, which was scheduled to open this fall, will be delayed until next spring.
The Wichita Eagle reports Botanica officials say the next project will be aimed at raising about $500,000 to refurbish a merry-go-round from the closed Joyland amusement park. Miiller says about $100,000 has already been raised.
The center plans to restore the merry-go-round and also build a structure to make it a year-round attraction.
Botanica also plans to use a federal grant to attach a safe room to the merry-go-round structure.
Ellis County Sheriff’s activity log, Sept. 26 to 28
Sept. 26
Motor vehicle accident/DUI, 1500 block Mount Pleasant Road, 12:30 a.m.
Theft, 2000 block Metro, 7:44 a.m.
Runaway juvenile, Antonino, 7:26 p.m.
Sept. 27
Criminal damage to property, 1400 block Grant’s Villa Road, 1 p.m.
Cattle out, 2300 block Feedlot Road, 8:28 a.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, three incidents, 100 block West 12th, 9:53 a.m.
Liquor offense, 1400 block Old U.S. 40, 11:54 p.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, 2500 block Indian Trail, 12:09 p.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, 1300 block Old U.S. 40, 12:05 p.m.
Criminal transport, Garden City, 9:03 p.m.
Sept. 28
Motor vehicle accident/personal injury/DUI, 200 block Butterfield Trail Road, 11:44 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/personal injury, Ellis, 9 a.m.
Juvenile complaint, 2300 block East Seventh, 9:27 p.m.
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Born Reading’ by Jason Boog
‘Born Reading’ by Jason Boog
Every parent wants to give his or her child a competitive advantage. In “Born Reading,” publishing insider (and new dad) Jason Boog explains how that can be as simple as opening a book. Studies have shown that interactive reading, a method that creates dialogue as you read together, can raise a child’s IQ by more than six points. In fact, interactive reading can have just as much of a determining factor on a child’s IQ as vitamins and a healthy diet. But there’s no book that takes the cutting-edge research on interactive reading and shows parents, teachers, and librarians how to apply it to their day-to-day lives with kids, until now.
Lots of parenting books claim that parents SHOULD do this and SHOULD do that. Jason Boog’s book presents recommendations from pediatricians, teachers, and librarians but also presents his own experiences raising his daughter, Olive, and makes no claims that this is the ONLY way to raise a child. He encourages parents to find a balance that works for them, especially in regards to books versus apps, and that no one format is better than another — instead, it is how parents use them.
Boog presents his 15 tips to help your child develop their reading right in his introduction. That “playbook” provides the framework for the rest of the book, which follows a timeline from before birth to kindergarten and beyond. Each chapter provides age-appropriate book and app recommendations, as well as feedback as to how Olive (and Boog himself) responded to those tools.
Like pretty much anyone raising a child in this highly-technological world, I question how much time my daughter should spend with a portable screen in her hands. I also question whether some apps are better than others, just as some books may be better than others. Boog has great suggestions and ideas, as well as encouragement that a balance can be reached.
For parents who are looking for new ideas to work with their children and improve (or create) good reading habits, this book gives many tips and tricks, experiences, and title recommendations of both books and apps. If parents are born readers themselves, there may be little new information, but there is plenty of reassurance to be found.
Many of the titles recommended by Boog can be found in the Hays Public Library‘s Children’s Department. Contact us at (785) 625-9014 to learn more.
Marleah Augustine is Adult Department Librarian at the Hays Public Library.
Kansas rescue group leader fined for poodle death
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The owner of a no-kill rescue organization has been found guilty of violating Topeka’s dangerous dogs ordinance after a German shepherd fatally mauled a teacup poodle at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Jan Price, leader of Saving Death Row Dogs, was fined $250 and ordered to pay $500 in restitution to the poodle’s owners.
Judge Vic Miller also ordered the release of a dog that has been kept in custody since the attack because the city couldn’t convince him it was the dog that killed the poodle. If he had been sure the dog was the attacker, it would have been put down.
Miller said he thought the dog was worth more than the $500 its owners had requested.
Partly sunny, warm Tuesday
Clouds decrease in coverage today with mostly clear skies tonight. A chance of thunderstorms is possible across the I-70 corridor, central Kansas, and south central Kansas tomorrow afternoon. A few storms may become severe across central and south central Kansas. Precipitation chances spread across the remainder of western Kansas Wednesday night with clearing skies expected Thursday.
Today A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. South wind 8 to 13 mph.
Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South southeast wind 6 to 11 mph.
Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. East northeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Wednesday Night A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. North northeast wind 8 to 17 mph.
Thursday A chance of showers, mainly before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 67. North northwest wind 15 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 67.