The Paradise UMW will hold their 64th annual Turkey Dinner & Bazaar on November 8th, the first day of Pheasant Hunting, at the Auditorium in Paradise. Bazaar opens at 10:30 and Dinner served at 10:45. Turkey & Dressing with all the trimmings, including homemade rolls and desserts. $10 – Adults. $6 for K-4th grade. HUNTERS WELCOME!
Month: October 2014
St. Mary’s CYO schedules Pan Fried Chicken Dinner
St. Mary’s CYO will be hosting its Pan Fried Chicken Dinner on Sunday, November 9. Buffet Style Dinner includes Pan Fried Chicken, Homemade mashed potatoes & Gravy, corn, green beans, coleslaw, dinner rolls and dessert. Will be serving from 10:00 until 1:00 or until food runs out but have ordered extra supplies. Dinner is held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Ellis. Price is $5.00 for kids 5 to 9 and 10 and above $10.00. Everyone Welcome!
Lowe’s introduces robots to help customers find and buy items
NEW YORK (AP) — Lowe’s is testing whether robots can improve customer service in its stores.
The machines look like white columns with two large screens on either side of them. They have wheels that allow them move and are equipped with 3D cameras to scan and identify items.
Customers can research items they are looking for on the screens, and the robot can lead them to the aisle where an item is located.
The robots also have a database of the store’s inventory, so they can let customers know whether something is in stock.
The head of Lowes’ Innovation lab, Kyle Nel, says people can come in “with a random screw and say Mr. Robot, I need more of these,” and find it.
Lowe’s is testing four robots at its Orchard Supply Hardware store in San Jose, California.
Lowe’s has been working on infusing more technology into its customer service. It has also developed a “holoroom” that lets users see what different pieces of furniture look like in different rooms in a virtual-reality environment.
Hays Med prepared for possible Ebola patients (VIDEO)
“If I had to wake up and worry about something, it’s probably not going to be about getting Ebola, especially in Hays, Kansas.”
Hays Med Chief Medical Officer Dr. Larry Watts
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Americans are much more likely to contract the flu virus than Ebola, according to officials at Hays Medical Center.
The flu virus is airborne, making it much easier to transmit. Ebola is transmitted only through contact with bodily fluids.
Hays Med Chief Medical Officer Dr. Larry Watts said the hospital is “prepared to provide safe patient care to individuals who have symptoms or diagnosed with Ebola.”
“As we get experience with it (in the U.S.), we’ll get better at treating it. The question is, will we even get it here to get experience? Right now, you basically have to go to Africa to get really get experience and training in treating Ebola,” he said. “The doctors and nurses who have gone over there to treat it aren’t dying. If (health care workers) follow good technique, the possibility of getting it is small.”
“If I had to wake up and worry about something, it’s probably not going to be about getting Ebola, especially in Hays, Kansas,” Watts added.
Just four Americans have been diagnosed with Ebola in the United States — none are in Kansas. One Dallas man died; the other three, all health care professionals, have recovered.
In contrast, the Centers for Disease Control estimates 6,309 Americans die of the flu each year.
Halloween week a busy one in Ellis
Good morning, everyone!
What a beautiful, crisp fall morning it is. A perfect morning would find each of us on a balcony with a fire in the chimney and a nice hot cup of (insert favorite beverage here) watching this awesome sunrise.
However, since we live in the real world, we are all at work trying to still get the sleep out of our eyes. I guess the good thing is that this week appears a little slower than last week, but really, does anything ever slow down? Here is what I have on my many calendars …
Today, you should see lots of EHS students roaming around our town making it a better place! Today is the EHS Community Service Day, and students will be out helping community members and organizations to spruce up and get ready for winter. If you have a chance, thank a group for their service. Thank Cory Burton for encouraging community service in our students! Thank Leonard Schoenberger for his work in coordinating the students and those in need!
Tomorrow (Wednesday) little ghosts, goblins and Cinderellas may be seen downtown. It’s the annual Story Hour Trick or Treat! If you would like the little ones to visit your business, please call Steve at the Ellis Public Library. The FFA members will be traveling to the National Conference at Louisville and will be there until the weekend. Safe travels to all involved! At 6:30pm, the resident of the Ellis Good Samaritan Center will be carving pumpkins. If you have an opportunity, stop by the Good Sam and take a look at their handiwork! There is a lot of wisdom and experience there and I bet their designs will be top-notch!
Thursday seems to be a bit of a slow day, but that is not a bad thing!
Friday will see a ton of activity First of all, it’s Halloween! Every kid or kid at heart will be waiting for the chance to dawn their costumes and head out for Trick or Treating. The school parties will kick off an afternoon and evening full of fun. Don’t forget to Trick or Treat these places after school!
• Ellis Good Samaritan Center will Meet the Spooks from 3-4:30pm
• Ellis Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to the Possessed Pond at the Alliance Office from 3-4:30pm
• Spook Villa (Spruce Villa) will be ready to greet the Trick or Treaters from 3:30 – 5:30pm
• Arthur’s Pizza and the Ellis Public Library will also welcome kids after school
As you head to the Ellis Football Game on Friday, remember it’s Senior Night! Also, bring the kids in their costumes and take them to the parking lot during half time for Trunk or Treat! It will be a frightfully good time!
One of the weirdest things on my calendar is a blank Saturday! I’ve got nothing listed. Maybe that’s a good thing, but I’m sure by the end of the day, something will pop up.
Please let me know if I’ve missed something, it seems like too calm of a week!
Make it a great day!
Cosmosphere planetarium to be renovated, upgraded
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The Justice Planetarium at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson will be renovated and upgraded next year, including installation of a new digital project system.
The $400,000 renovation will be funded by contributions from the Walter E. & Velma G. Justice Fund for Reno County and from Dave and Dee Dillon.
The Hutchinson News reports the upgrades will include the projections system, new seating, carpet, lighting, control system and sound system. And the two-decade-old optical starball will be replaced. The new projection system will allow the Cosmosphere to tailor programs for specific school field trip themes and grade levels.
The planetarium will close for renovation in February and reopen in March.
Nebraska day care employee pleads guilty in child porn case
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska day care employee has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child pornography.
Thirty-five-year-old James Klinkner took a deal with prosecutors on Monday. He pleaded guilty to two counts each of possession and distribution of child pornography. Twenty-nine other counts of possession were dismissed.
The former La Petite Academy worker was arrested after police in Bellevue received a tip from someone in Germany who said they received pornography from Klinkner.
Authorities say Klinkner had two child porn images on his computer and he had emailed them 31 times. They say the victims are not from Omaha.
Klinkner will be sentenced in January.
Tiger Talk with FHSU football coach Chris Brown (VIDEO)
Supermarket shenanigans
Why do you think your mom made a grocery list and stuck to it?
From the time you enter a supermarket parking lot until you reach the checkout counter, every part of a supermarket is designed to make you spend more money than you need to.
Look at your own shopping habits. How often do you dash to the store for milk and walk out with a box of donuts (they’ll taste so good for breakfast), a big bag of chips and salsa (for fun), ice cream (it was on sale), a fresh baguette (it smelled so good) and an entertainment magazine – what has The Donald done with his hair now?
In case you hadn’t noticed, you can buy happiness at your local supermarket. Prep yourself before you pull into the parking lot. Make a list before you leave home. Stick to it.
Warm colors attract shoppers to a supermarket. Cool colors create a pleasing environment once inside and encourage shoppers to linger longer and that means higher sales.
The first thing most of us do when we walk through the doors is reach for a shopping cart. You may not know, this 1938 invention was designed to let customers make larger purchases more easily. Heck, it’s got wheels and plenty of room.
Most supermarkets put high-margin departments like floral and fresh-baked goods near the front door. They’re located on your right and most people shop from right to left – just like driving your car. That way you’ll run into such items when your cart is empty and you’re still good spirits.
Another reason to start with flowers and baked goods is the smell. You can’t help but follow your nose as you begin salivating and increase your speed toward the apple fritters. In less than two minutes time you’ve purchased a dozen tasty treats. Yum.
It’s almost unfair and you’re well on your way to impulse buying – grocery list be damned. These siren departments make sure you’re in a good mood and make you more willing to spend
Where’s the milk? You know what you came here to buy in the first place?
Supermarkets stock dairy products and other essentials on the back wall so you must fight your way through, aisles of chips, candy, cookies and other snack food – the entire store – to find them.
Once many customers buy their first item, shopping becomes a quest. They walk up and down every aisle without deviating.
Supermarkets stack items they most want you to buy at eye level. For example, in the cereal aisle bulk items are placed at the bottom. Healthy cereal is stocked at the top while expensive, brand-name cereal is situated at eye level usually at the end of aisles.
Sweet, highly advertised kid’s cereal is placed a bit lower so youngsters can look these items straight in the eyes while begging parents to buy them.
Sample stations slow you down while exposing you to new products. If you’re shopping while you’re hungry, chances are good you may grab a couple of these new products to snack on while you head home after shopping.
Store size matters. People tend to spend less time shopping in crowded stores. They purchase fewer items, do less impulse buying, don’t visit as much and oftentimes are anxious to get out the door.
Music impacts supermarket shopping too. Consumer studies show slow music allows people to take their time and spend more money. Loud music moves shoppers through the store quickly without affecting sales. And believe it or not, classical music entices people to buy more expensive merchandise.
The checkout line remains the most profitable area of the supermarket. It’s here that after a few minutes of waiting in line, buyers treat themselves to their favorite chocolate bar in the candy rack or a magazine they’ve been thumbing through.
Hallelujah. You’re finished.
But wait, it’s time to present your “Valued Shopper Card.” Once in a while you receive a deal, but more importantly this card keeps you coming back so the store can collect valuable marketing data.
Finally, you pay the bill and leave.
“Come back again now,” the clerk smiles.
John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.
This November, Americans can fix the Senate
By Sen. JERRY MORAN
When high school civics classes visit Washington and observe the daily operation of the United States Senate, I suspect the students hardly recognize the legislative chamber their textbooks describe. Once considered the world’s “greatest deliberative body,” the Senate has decayed into a hive of partisan attacks and political protectionism. So little gets accomplished, and what does must occur in secret meetings behind closed doors. The normal process of legislating – known as “regular order” in Washington – is seldom seen.
Americans are witnessing one of the most ineffective, do-nothing Senates in history Budgets are not passed. Amendments are denied consideration. Concerns are dismissed. Debate is silenced. Rules are altered to restrict minority-party influence. We live in a society where the best ideas are expected to win the day, but that’s not the case today in the Senate. Despite the significant number of legislative proposals offered by both parties, this Senate has done next to nothing to pursue policies that can actually help the American people.
Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid drives gridlock and bitter partisanship in Washington by consistently refusing to allow amendments or substantive debate in the Senate. Sen. Reid has made a habit of putting his own partisan interests ahead of those of our country. Since 2007, he has used his position as Senate Majority Leader to attack others while doing – in my opinion – far too little to move the country in a positive direction. This development has not gone unnoticed by many of my Democratic colleagues, who quietly join in our chamber’s collective lament.
The costs of a dysfunctional Senate are enormous. When the appropriations process is discarded, control of government spending is ceded to the executive branch, where risk of waste, fraud and abuse are abundant. When pro-growth legislation is killed for political reasons, our economy remains stagnant. When Congress is broken, our students suffer, our troops are denied benefits, and job creators are stifled.
These costs are personal for many Americans Employment opportunities are still too difficult to come by.
Obamacare is driving up the cost of health care and limiting consumer choice. Overregulation is strangling the private sector, limiting the ability of businesses to hire new workers while driving up prices for consumers. Misguided, antiquated or just plain senseless federal policies are slowing economic growth.
The Senate should be working together to fix these pressing issues. In my many attempts to offer legislative fixes to our nation’s challenges, I have actively sought and secured Democratic cosponsors and supporters. Yet, our bipartisan efforts are denied the time of day. Even the most commonsense policy that enjoys broad support from both sides of the aisle is all but hopeless under the current Senate Majority Leader.
When the Senate fails, the country’s problems fester, leading Americans to increasingly believe our nation is headed in the wrong direction. As citizens, it is critical that we not accept this trend as inevitable. In fact, it is our civic responsibility to do just the opposite.
For change to occur, the Senate must stop putting political games ahead of legislating and serious policy debate. To this end, I became chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee last year with the goal of electing a new majority in the United States Senate.
A Republican Senate offers leadership that seeks results, not political cover. Under new leadership, the Senate would finally be allowed to vote on legislation that works to improve the life of every American, rather than focus on divisive show votes that attempt to divide and antagonize.
The challenges America faces are significant and the consequences of failing to address them are profound. A functioning Senate benefits Americans of every political stripe. I don’t expect to win every policy battle, but I do expect my ideas to be heard, debate to be had, and the best possible solutions to be reached. That should not be too much to ask from the world’s “greatest deliberative body.” On November 4, 2014, Americans have an opportunity to fix the Senate by electing a Republican majority and begin to forge a better path.
Salina gives initial approval to new fieldhouse
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A proposed $9 million downtown fieldhouse is one step closer to reality in Salina but the process is far from complete.
The Salina City Commission on Monday gave preliminary approval to the proposed fieldhouse, which supporters say would solve a longstanding lack of indoor recreational offerings in Salina.
The Salina Journal reports the resolution directs city staff to continue discussions about the fieldhouse and the process for final approval could take until 2017.
The vote came after private investors raised their financial commitment to the project to $4.5 million, with the city providing the rest of the funds.
Supporters say the fieldhouse would be for practices, league games, tournaments and other activities.
Haunted Boot Hill to showcase Wild West days of Hays
By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
Several icons from the Wild West days of Hays will “resurrect” themselves at Boot Hill on Friday evening, as the the Ellis County Historical Society hosts Haunted Boot Hill.
The staged performance features Hays historical characters such as Kate Coffey, owner of Kate Coffey’s Saloon; Sheriff Pete Lanahan; dance-hall girl Mary Kidd; and Elizabeth Custer.
Cheryl Glassman, Hays, director of the event said some characters will talk about life in Hays during the 1860s, some about dying with their boots on and being buried at Boot Hill, and some will stop by to express their disdain for the town.
“Elizabeth Custer was never fond of the people of Hays,” she laughed. “We were a wild community back then.
“There will be time afterwards to visit with the characters and get to them a little bit more,” Glassman said. “So it’s something I think is very entertaining and educational for all ages. We invite people to bring their lawn chairs, blankets … and just enjoy a huge part of the history of the old west of Hays.”
About 80 people were buried at Boot Hill between 1867 and 1864, until the bodies were moved and reburied at another cemetery to make room for housing. However, Don Westfall of the Ellis County Historical Society, said there is no telling if all the bodies were removed and reburied.
The free event starts at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments. The performance begins at 7 p.m. at the state’s original Boot Hill Cemetery on corner of Fort and West 18th.
Federal health official Fauci: States have options with Ebola
WASHINGTON (AP) —For Americans wondering why President Barack Obama hasn’t forced all states to follow a single, national rule for isolating potential Ebola patients, the White House has a quick retort: Talk to the Founding Fathers.
A hodgepodge of state policies, some of which directly contradict Obama’s recommendations, has sowed confusion about what’s really needed to stop Ebola from spreading in the United States. While public health advocates denounce state quarantines as draconian and scientifically baseless, anxious citizens in non-quarantine states are asking whether they’re at greater risk because their governors and the president have adopted a lesser level of caution.
If public health departments across the country aren’t singing the same tune, that may be by design.
Although the Constitution empowers the federal government to isolate sick people entering the U.S. or traveling between states, it’s the states themselves that have the bulk of the authority to regulate public health in America — including the decision to enforce quarantines within their borders.
“I guess you can take that up with James Madison,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, referring to the fourth president and key drafter of the Constitution, when asked why there was no binding federal policy. That’s ironic, perhaps, coming from an administration Republicans are constantly accusing of exceeding its legal authority on everything from immigration and health care to foreign policy.
With states and localities having broad authority to impose quarantines themselves, Earnest said the federal government’s role was to “marshal scientific evidence” for best practices to stop Ebola’s spread. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did just that.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health, defended the Washington policy Tuesday, but said that states have a right “to go the extra mile” if they wish.
In an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Fauci declined to criticize the more stringent quarantine policies implemented in New York and New Jersey by Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie. “I don’t want to use the word mistake,” he said. “They’re doing it in good faith.”
Christie said Tuesday he feels the CDC’s latest guidance is “incredibly confusing.”
“The CDC is behind on this,” he said on NBC’s “Today” show. “Governors ultimately have responsibility to protect the public health of people within their borders.”
Fauci, appearing on CNN, said the CDC guidelines are “based on the science, on what we know and how it’s transmitted. It’s a good matching, based on science, of the level of risk with the kind of monitoring the kind of restrictions. Based on scientific evidence as well as experience.”
“When you start getting the viral load that is enough to be able to be transmitted,” he said, “you’re feeling very, very poorly.”
For the first time, the CDC recommended 21 days of isolation and travel restrictions for people at highest risk for Ebola — a nurse stuck by a needle while treating an Ebola patient in Guinea, for example — even if they have no symptoms.
But the recommendations are just that: recommendations.
States are still free to go above and beyond the CDC guidelines. And if states were to opt to be more lenient, there’s next to nothing Obama could do to force their hand.
Case in point: An order issued Friday by New Jersey, like one in New York, requires three-week quarantines for anyone who treated Ebola patients in West Africa — not just those deemed high-risk because of a needle-stick or failure to use proper protective gear. But under the new federal guidelines, those lower-risk workers merely must have their temperatures monitored twice a day.
Legal experts say New York and New Jersey could be on shaky legal ground. To justify infringing on an individual’s civil liberties, like freedom of movement, states face a high bar to prove their orders are based on science and epidemiology. Courts also like to see that states are acting as narrowly as possible rather than in broad strokes, such as lumping together everyone who treated Ebola patients even if they’re healthy.
“We have not seen for decades and decades the state or federal government say a whole category is going to be subjected to quarantines,” said David Fidler, who teaches international and public health law at Indiana University.
In fact, such broad quarantines are almost unheard of in U.S. history. Almost always, they have been limited to diseases that are airborne and easy to catch. Public health experts say Ebola is neither.
When an influenza pandemic dubbed the “Spanish Flu” infected millions in 1918, major U.S. cities closed schools and imposed strict quarantines. New York considered quarantining tuberculosis patients in the 1990s, and isolated some who wouldn’t comply with treatment.
But as any school nurse can tell you, TB and the flu can be passed from person to person by sneezing or coughing, while Ebola requires direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
Obama and top federal officials have echoed aid groups like Doctors Without Borders in warning that mandatory quarantines will dissuade doctors and nurses from volunteering to fight Ebola in West Africa, therefore making it harder to stop the disease at its source.
But others warn of another risk to public confidence here at home: If Obama insists people without Ebola symptoms aren’t contagious while states are quarantining those same people, whom should people believe?
“What several of these governors are doing is giving very confusing and mixed messages to the public,” said Lawrence Gostin, who heads the national and global health law program at Georgetown University. “It’s an inherent problem in our federalist system. We are designed as 51-plus governments. They can speak with different voices.”