October 2015 – Page 12 – Hays Post Archive

Day 2 of annual Alley Cleanup is completed

Posted on October 28, 2015

alley cleanup day 2 map — (Click to enlarge)

City of Hays

The second day of the annual alley cleanup in Hays has been completed.

Tree limbs and branches are yet to be collected in quadrant 4, while collection of unwanted items is now underway in all areas of the city.

The 2015 Annual Alley Cleanup will consist of one and only one sweep through the City which started October 26th.

furniture in alley — Alley services will start after curbside collections are completed.

No set schedule has been established; however, residential curbside services will be first with residential regular alley services following. The city wide general schedule for alley services will start after curbside collections are completed. The number of employees committed to the task may vary from day to day; therefore, crews are unable to predict when they will be by a residence. City crews have a time limit per residence.

As in years past, the City WILL NOT pick up tires and hazardous waste. Tires should be disposed of at the Ellis County Landfill, and hazardous waste items should be disposed of at the Ellis County Hazardous Waste Facility. Please call 628-9460 or 628-9449 for detailed information.

The Annual Alley Cleanup Program is an opportunity for residents to discard items that would not be picked up in normal trash collection.

Waste should be placed in four separate piles in preparation of the Alley Cleanup. The piles should be organized in the following manner:

1. Tree limbs and brush (no longer than 12 feet in length or 6 inches in diameter), all yard and garden waste MUST be bagged

2. Construction and Demolition Debris, i.e., lumber, drywall, bricks, sinks, wires, etc. (please pull or bend over nails and place small quantities of concrete, bricks, and plaster in containers)

3. White Goods/Metals, i.e., guttering, siding, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, metal swing sets, etc.

4. Municipal Waste (all other items), i.e., furniture, carpet, tv’s, computers, etc.

**TO AVOID WRONGFUL PICK UP, “TREASURED ITEMS” SHOULD BE TAGGED OR REMOVED FROM THE COLLECTION AREA**

Help make the City of Hays alleys clean and safe for all.

Alley cleanup is for City of Hays residential customers paying for refuse services.

TREE LIMB DISPOSAL REMINDER
Free disposal of tree limbs is available for City of Hays residents at the Ellis County Transfer Station, 1515 W 55th, Monday to Saturday – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information contact the Hays Public Works Dept. at (785) 628-7350 or email [email protected].

HPD Activity Log Oct. 27

Posted on October 28, 2015October 28, 2015

The Hays Police Department responded to 8 animal calls and 5 traffic stops Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Civil Transport–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 12:38 AM
Water Use Violation–500 block W 17th St, Hays; 2:36 AM
Animal At Large–1300 block Lawrence Dr, Hays; 8:39 AM
Dead Animal Call–Ellis County; 9:19 AM
Drug Offenses–200 block W 6th St, Hays; 10 AM; 10:10 AM
Animal At Large–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 10:46 AM
Arson–500 block E 15th St, Hays; 11:18 AM
Theft (general)–400 block W 32nd St, Hays; 10/26 10 PM; 10/27 12:46 PM
Drug Offenses–400 block W 5th St, Hays; 1 PM; 1:05 PM
Stolen/Recovered Property–3000 block New Way, Hays; 2:04 PM
MV Accident-Personal Injury–200 block W 8th St, Hays; 2:26 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–500 block Mission Mt, Hays; 2:38 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–200 block W 6th St, Hays; 3:20 PM
MV Accident-City Street/Alley–300 block W 8th St, Hays; 6:12 PM
Suicidal Subject–2800 block Augusta Ln, Hays; 6:12 PM
Civil Transport–200 block E 7th St, Hays; 8:28 PM
Drug Offenses–1300 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 9:56 PM; 10:26 PM

Community Connection: Shokhrukh Sadikov Part 2

Posted on October 28, 2015October 28, 2015

Mike Cooper speaks with Shokhrukh Sadikov about some of the changes coming to the Hays Symphony.

Kan. legislators hope tax amnesty raised $30M

Posted on October 28, 2015

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials won’t learn for weeks whether a six-week tax amnesty program raised the $30 million that legislators anticipated.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Jeannine Koranda said Tuesday that the agency is still processing paper amnesty applications. She said the department is not likely to have a figure for collections from the amnesty program until mid-November.

A law enacted by legislators earlier this year allowed the department to waive interest and other penalties for anyone who paid back taxes from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15.

The amnesty program was part of a larger package of measures for balancing the state budget that included increases in sales and cigarette taxes in July. Some legislators thought the $30 million projection for the amnesty program included in the budget was too optimistic.

Roberts: Farmers Shouldn’t be Forced to Shoulder Nation’s Financial Burdens

Posted on October 28, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, on Tuesday announced he will vote against the budget deal negotiated behind closed doors between congressional leaders and President Obama because of its raid on crop insurance funding.

“I will vote against the budget deal because it will undermine the number one risk management tool for farmers in America – crop insurance.

“Agriculture producers are battling floods while others continue to face ongoing and severe drought. Crop insurance has kept them in business in a tough economy and eliminated the need for a costly emergency federal disaster package. These proposals to make further cuts to the crop insurance program were not included in the House- or Senate-passed budgets, in any appropriations bills, or in the president’s budget request. Once again, our leaders are attempting to govern by backroom deals where the devil is in the details.

“I will continue to oppose any attempts to cut crop insurance funding or to change crop insurance program policies. I will continue to protect this critical risk management tool and successful public-private partnership. I will vote against this deal.”

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the proposed cuts to crop insurance in the deal would be more than $3 billion over 10 years. The deal also lifts the debt limit through March of 2017.

The deal must be approved by the House and it will then be considered by the Senate with a debate and a vote as early as Thursday.

Freezing temperatures on the way as cold front bears down on NW Kan.

Posted on October 28, 2015

Get ready to bundle up.

The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning overnight Wednesday and into Thursday, as a cold front is bearing down upon western Kansas.

The freeze warning is in effect from 4 to 9 a.m. Thursday and includes all of northwest Kansas, including Hays and Ellis County.

The temperature is expected to plunge to lows of 29 to 32 degrees.

Click HERE for the extended forecast.

Enter to WIN free tickets to Encore Series presentation of ‘Sherlock Holmes’

Posted on October 28, 2015

Eagle Radio and Hays Post is offering FREE tickets to tonight’s Encore Series performance at Fort Hays State University.

“The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the FHSU campus.

To enter to WIN a set of two tickets, email a name and daytime telephone number to [email protected]. Enter “ENCORE” in the subject line to be considered. Tickets must be claimed by 3 p.m. Wednesday.

SCHROCK: Any external assessment is too much

Posted on October 28, 2015

John Richard Schrock is a professor at Emporia State University.

President Obama’s proposal to cap external assessments at two percent of student class time is seven years late and two percent too much. It does not end the educational disaster of 14 years of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) over-testing. It does not bring back the art and music classes that were lost because they were not tested and therefore did not count. Nor does it address the concerns of growing number of parents who are opting their child out of testing. And it does nothing to re-professionalize teaching.

Every rural Kansan knows that the more time you spend weighing them, the less time you have to feed them. But reducing testing to two percent does not mean that a teacher will have 98 percent of class time for teaching. While the last 14 years of assessments only consumed a week each spring, the months before the test were often filled with pre-tests, practicing for the tests, and every form of coercion imaginable to get students to score higher. With teachers and administrators still under-the-gun to raise test scores, this teaching-to-the-test will continue. Indeed, in most states the current mandated assessments only take up 2.7 percent of class time. But preparation for that test consumes the months beforehand. Reducing the actual testing to two percent of class time does nothing to eliminate the test-prep.

To weigh the effect of NCLB on the teaching profession, consider what it would do to the medical profession if this standardization was imposed on doctors. Previously, physicians treated each patient who came in with unique needs and left with individualized cures. And teachers taught students who came in unique and left unique.

But teachers are restricted to scores on language arts and math. That is like forcing doctors to only use temperature and blood pressure to rate a patient’s health. As a result, patients get no attention to lung and kidney and other problems. And students are shortchanged in art, music, science and social studies.

With temperature and blood pressure the only indicator of health, and heavy penalties on doctors and hospitals that don’t improve those measures, physicians would load their patients up on aspirin and blood pressure medicine. Similarly, teachers have to teach-to-the-past-tests and raise assessment scores. Of course, the overall effect is sicker patients. And despite increased assessment scores, the genuine measurements of student abilities on the NAEP, SAT and ACT go down.

The ACT and SAT have been around far longer than the NCLB testing mania. So why weren’t they just as bad as current assessments? The ACT and old SAT are aptitude tests, not achievement tests. They measured a students aptitude or general ability. Generally, a teacher cannot teach-to-the ACT or SAT tests, so it did not distort their classroom teaching. These tests do not promote memorization and drillwork.

But the government-mandated assessment tests are achievement tests that do respond to memorization and drillwork. State boards of education latch onto standards that profess fanciful creative-thinking goals. But teachers under pressure don’t teach-to-the-standards; they await the release of the first round of tests and they teach-to-that-test.

To treat patients as unique patients, physicians must have the total professional judgement call on what tests to use—period.

And to treat our students as the unique students they are, teachers must regain their professional right to be the sole testers of their students. There should be no external test that requires them to teach-to-that-test. Not two percent, Mr. President. Zero percent.

Ivory tower educationists rail that math and English are universal across the U.S. and therefore the tests must be universal. But teaching is about students as much as about the subject. City kids do not have the same experience base as rural students.

American teachers were unique in the world because we had the professional right and responsibility to teach different students differently. To restore our profession, we must regain that right. Our students come to us unique; they should leave our classrooms unique.

No more standardization means no more external testing.

HaysMed Emergency Department nurse recognized with Daisy Award

Posted on October 28, 2015

Hays Medical Center

Cammie Townley, RN and Trauma Coordinator, is HaysMed’s newest DAISY Award Winner.

Townley was selected from a group of blinded nominations voted on by the HaysMedPractice Committee. The Practice Committee consists of Staff and Supervisors from a variety of departments across HaysMed. Nominations are received from patients and family members, physicians, volunteers and Associates for nurses in inpatient, outpatient and clinic settings.

“Her nomination epitomizes teamwork, leadership and customer service,” said Terry Siek, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at HaysMed. “We are so fortunate to have nurses of her caliber and dedication working at HaysMed.”

The DAISY Award is a nationwide program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care given by nurses every day. HaysMed is proud to be a DAISY Award Hospital Partner, recognizing one of our nurses with this special honor every quarter.

For more information, call 785.623.2388.

Wayne Morrison Mann

Posted on October 28, 2015

Wayne Morrison Mann, age 83, of Quinter, passed away Sunday, October 25, 2015 at Gove County Medical Center, Long Term Care Unit, where he had been since October of 2014. He was born July 3, 1932, Southwest of Quinter, the third child of Merlyn and Velma (Wright) Mann.

Wayne was dedicated to the Lord in baptism as a baby. At the age of 13, he felt his need for a savior and asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins, and made a profession of his faith and united with the Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Wayne attended Quinter Schools and graduated with the class of 1950. He attended college for one year in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and received his B.S. in business administration from Fort Hays State College in 1956. He received his Master’s Degree from the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley in 1964. Wayne served his country from 1953 to 1955 in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps, in Ft. Holaburg, Maryland.

Wayne’s life vocation was teaching business classes in high school. He taught in Dighton, Almena, and Ellsworth. After his retirement, he operated the J & W Antique Store in Quinter, in partnership with James Bogert.

Wayne was very much interested in the history of Quinter and Gove County. He was instrumental in establishing the Quinter Museum to which he donated much of his memorabilia.

Wayne is survived by two sisters, Marlene (Laverne) Maxwell of Quinter, and Jean (John) Royalty of Loves Park, Illinois; special friends, James and Gladys Bogert and family of Quinter; and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Evelyn; infant brother; and nephew, Larry Maxwell.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 30, 2015 at Schmitt Funeral Home, Quinter. Burial will be in the Baker Township Cemetery, Quinter.

Visitation will be from 9:30 to service time, Friday, at the funeral home in Quinter.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Gove County Medical Center, Long Term Care Facility or Quinter Museum. Checks made to the organization may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home,901 South Main, Quinter, KS 67752.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.schmittfuneral.com.

Nearly 3,500 stuck at annual drive-through flu clinic at HaysMed

Posted on October 28, 2015October 28, 2015

Hays Medical Center

The Hays Medical Center Foundation drive-through flu shots were once again an overwhelming success. On Sunday, 3493 people were given free flu immunizations. This was the 16th year the foundation has sponsored this event and underwritten the costs of the vaccine.

“It is a privilege to be able to support this effort in the community,” Said Ruth Heffel, Hays Medical Center Foundation Director. “Getting a flu shot is one of the easiest things people can do to take good care of their health and we are pleased to be a part of this community program.”

The success of the event hinges on the volunteers who give their time to make it all possible. Fort Hays State University faculty and nursing students were there early drawing up doses and giving shots during the event. Along with them were over 50 HaysMed Associates who set up, gave shots, directed traffic, provided meals and generally did anything that needed to be done to make the flu drive run smoothly.

“Our volunteers are the best!” said Kim Koerner, RN, Associate Health nurse at HaysMed and event organizer. “We love working with FHSU and our own HaysMed Associates never fail to give generously of their time so we can provide this much needed free service.”

The food drive for the Community Assistance Center is also something that the community rallies around. This year the drive raised 2,140 pounds of food and $100.00 in cash. The food donation has been a part of the drive thru flu every year and is coordinated by the HaysMed Information Technology department.

According to Scott Rohleder, Director of Information Technology at HaysMed, “It’s a great opportunity for our department to give back to the community. Many of our Associates bring their family to spend the day and help out.”

After 16 years, the process has been honed and the event usually goes like clockwork. The only item that really changes is the cost of the vaccine. While the exact cost of this year’s vaccine is not available the figures from past years show that in 2000 the cost for 2300 doses was $4,823.10 and last year, 2014, the cost was $37,148.94 for 3,385 doses.

Contributions to the HaysMed Foundation for activities such as this and other hospital programs can be made by calling the Foundation Office at 785-623-2350, or visiting www.haysmedfoundation.org

Street work will close Hays intersection

Posted on October 28, 2015

Beginning Wednesday, the south side of the intersection at Cedar Street and 11th Street will be closed due to construction. The work is expected to be completed within one day.

The City appreciates the public’s patience and understanding during the course of this project. If there are any questions, please contact the Public Works Department at (785) 628-7350.

Kan. school district disables computer system amid hacking attempt

Posted on October 28, 2015October 28, 2015

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita school district has disabled a computer system while the district investigates a recent hacking attempt.

The school district disabled its Synergy computer system to investigate the hacking attempt discovered last week. The system was still down Tuesday afternoon.

The Wichita Eagle reports that the disabled computer system has caused some problems for high school students needing transcripts for college or scholarship applications.

The system authenticates student transcripts, which many high school seniors need to send to colleges by Sunday to meet early application deadlines. District officials heard Tuesday from a couple schools where students were concerned about being able to get those transcripts.

Officials say they’re working with Wichita police and a cyber-security consulting company to determine the extent of the hacking attempt.