At Wednesday’s Fort Hays State University basketball games, Ann Leiker will be recognized as the first Covenant Builders Hometown Hero.

Leiker is executive director of the Center for Life Experiences in Hays. With this position, she focuses on a wide variety of advocacy and support programs such as Family Night Out, Healing After Loss, Healing After Loss of Suicide, Healing Hearts, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Community Connections.

Leiker was nominated for the award and will be presented a certificate by Mike Crain, director of sales and marketing at Covenant Builders, during this evening’s FHSU home opener.

The FHSU women’s team tips off at 5:30 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum against McPherson College. The men’s game against Central Christian College is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

With the Hays USD 489 Board of Education advancing a proposed $100 million bond issue to upgrade buildings district-wide, Superintendent Dean Katt told O’Loughlin staff at one of the first Talking Tours” of the year that security issues are especially important.

The board voted Monday to continue working on the proposed bond issue, tentatively scheduled for the November 2015 election.

“The big issue, I think, is that every school will have a safe room/tornado shelter and every building will have a secure entrance, so those are two of the big things,” Katt said, noting the architectural plans remain in the conceptional stages.

Katt told teachers at O’Loughlin Elementary School recently that outdated HVAC issues and other structural improvements are also near the top of the list of improvements. He expected artist renderings and plans for each school will be available for the public to view as soon as possible.

Katt  said he will also begin looking for committee members and volunteers to help with the education component of the bond election, adding HTK architects also will help provide guidance on raising awareness on why improvements are needed.

The plan is based upon a proposal offered by the district’s Facility Needs Committee, which delivered its recommendation to the board earlier this year.

With the holidays quickly approaching, many people will seek assistance — and others will look for ways to give.

In the latest episode of Community Connection, Eagle’s Mike Cooper talks with Laurie Mortinger, co-director of the Community Assistance Center about how local residents can help with donations.

Click HERE for the entire interview.

Nov. 13
Warrant service/failure to appear, Hays, 11:41 p.m.

Nov. 14
Criminal transport, Dodge City, 8:03 a.m.
Criminal transport, WaKeeney, 8:37 a.m.
Miscellaneous investigation, Hays, 11:05 a.m.
Criminal transport, WaKeeney, 12:34 p.m.
Theft, 1900 block Munjor Road, noon
911 hangup/disturbance, 400 block Canterbury, 9:04 p.m.

Nov. 15
Disorderly conduct, 700 block East 41st, 1:30 a.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, Ellis, 7:54 a.m.
Criminal transport, Dodge City, 9:05 a.m.
Criminal transport, 4300 block Vine, 2:48 p.m.
Civil dispute, 1900 block Leiker Road, 8:44 p.m.

Nov. 16
Suspicious activity, 1600 block Munjor Road, 11 a.m.
Drug offenses, Ellis County, 7:31 p.m.

Nov. 17
Vehicle burglary, 100 block 250th Avenue, 3:28 a.m.
Animal call, 900 block Munjor Road, 6:45 a.m.
Criminal transport, Wichita, 8:05 a.m.
Criminal transport, Marienthal, 8:09 a.m.
Theft, Victoria, 8 a.m.

Nov. 18
Transport, 110th Avenue and Victoria Road, 2:32 a.m.
Criminal transport, Stockton, 6:55 a.m.
Suspicious vehicle, 600 block 220th Avenue, 7:08 a.m.
Warrant service/probation violation, 100 block West 12th, 10:38 a.m.
Criminal damage to property, Munjor, 10:58 a.m.
Criminal transport, WaKeeney, 12:18 p.m.
Warrant service/failure to appear, 100 block West 12th, 3:28 p.m.

The Hays Police Department conducted 21 traffic stops and received seven animal calls on Tuesday, Nov. 18, according to the HPD activity log.

Mental Health Call, Hays, 12:51 a.m.
Abandoned Vehicle, 200 block West Eighth, 5:39 a.m.
Abandoned Vehicle, 300 block East 12th, 8:31 a.m.
Abandoned Vehicle, 400 block East 22nd, 8:38 a.m.
Animal At Large, 500 block Ash, 10:39 a.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/Private Property, 2200 block Canterbury, 10:55 a.m.
Animal At Large, 100 block East 14th, 12:05 p.m.
Animal At Large, 33rd and Hillcrest, 12:34 p.m.
Animal At Large 400 block West Third, 2:19 p.m.
Animal At Large, 400 block East 13th, 3:26 p.m.
Found/Lost Property, Hays, Nov. 18
Drug Offenses, 700 block West 12th, 3:52 p.m.
Burglary/residence, 300 block West 11th, 5:30 p.m.
Abandoned Vehicle, 4500 block Van Buren, 9:06 p.m.

Eagle Communications President and CEO Gary Shorman issued the following statement regarding President Barack Obama’s recent announcement calling on the FCC to move away from the longstanding, bipartisan policy of lightly regulating the Internet to a policy that applies highly regulatory Title II regulations to the Internet.

“President Obama’s call for the FCC to impose burdensome and complex Title II regulations on Internet service providers, including small, innovative companies like Eagle Communications, will hamper our ongoing efforts to deploy dynamic new broadband services to rural Kansan households and businesses.
We want to use our resources to expand and improve services and increase speeds for our customers. We would rather focus on expanding internet service to our rural customers instead of hiring legal teams to complete the complex and costly filings that Title II would require.

“Eagle is an employee-owned company that has always observed the principles of an open Internet. We will continue doing just that. Our concern now is that this ill-conceived effort to solve a problem that doesn’t exist will ultimately impose new costs on our customers and further delay Eagle’s ability to meet their call for the best that broadband has to offer.”

Eagle Communications Inc. is a Kansas-based Broadband Services and Media Company with over 290 employee-owners. The company operates 28 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, as well as cable TV systems in 60 Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado communities. The company also offers e-business solutions, web hosting, telephone service, high-speed Internet and wireless Internet in most service areas. For more information, visit https://www.eaglecom.net.

Dry weather can generally be expected through the weekend. There is a small chance of drizzle or freezing drizzle in south central Kansas late Thursday night and early Friday. Rain chances Saturday are very small and confined to south central Kansas.

Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 20. Light and variable wind becoming southeast around 6 mph after midnight.
Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. South southeast wind 6 to 13 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon.
Thursday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south southeast after midnight.
Friday Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. South wind 6 to 13 mph.
Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.