photo by Steve Moody of an accident at the intersection in August of 2013.
Great Bend Post
ST. JOHN -Representatives from the Kansas Department of Transportation plan to be in St. John this week for a town hall meeting to discuss the intersection of U.S. 281 and U.S. 50 in Stafford County.
Despite efforts to make that location safer over the years, the number of accidents at the intersection continues to remain high and has led to the area being called “Hell’s Crossing” by many local residents.
The District KDOT engineer, the area engineer, and the bureau chief of transportation safety and technology will attend, begin a dialogue and solicit input from the community,” said K-DOT Public Affairs Manager Zach Oswald.
“In addition to listening to concerns, we’ll also be sharing the most recent traffic studies,” he said.
A petition with more than 100 signatures along with a letter of concern signed by Stafford County Commissioners and County Sheriff Jeff Parr got the attention of KDOT officials and led to Wednesday’s 7 p.m. meeting at the Goodman Memorial Library.
Oswald says the department is always happy to conduct these public meetings in order to get input.
Ellis County Commission Chair Marcy McClelland and Commissioner Dean Haselhorst cut the ribbon at Tuesday’s official opening of the new Emergency Services Building.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
“It’s a truly great day in our community. It’s been a long time coming and it really feels awesome.” That’s how Ellis County Commissioner Dean Haselhorst summed up Tuesday’s official opening of the new Ellis County Emergency Services Building, 1105 E. 22nd, Hays.
A ribbon-cutting was conducted by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce outside the building as a light rain fell. The crowd then went inside for opening remarks and tours of the $3.5 million facility.
For the first time in Ellis County history, county Emergency Medical Services, Rural Fire, and Emergency Management are all under one roof.
Ellis County Rural Fire Chief Darin Myers and EMS Director Kerry McCue lead tours of the new building.
“One and a half weeks ago, we received the keys to this beautiful facility. For me it was somewhat of a special day,” said Emergency Manager Bill Ring. “That same day seven years earlier, I had started working for Ellis County.”
Ring’s office had been in the basement of the Law Enforcement Center in the Ellis County courthouse. “Now as I start my eighth year, I have a beautiful above ground office–with a large window–to watch the weather, which is one of my jobs,” he said with a laugh.
Ring, Rural Fire Chief Darin Myers and EMS Director Kerry McCue, both in their dress uniforms, all spoke before leading 20-minute tours through each area of the building.
“It’s a great accomplishment and we have a great group of county volunteers for the fire department,” Myers said. He pointed out that the building houses just one of the rural fire companies. There are five more throughout Ellis County.
Former rural fire chief Dick Klaus, who recently retired after serving 36 years, was recognized as well as several former Ellis County commissioners, including Swede Holmgren, Perry Henman and Glenn Diehl. Ellis County Chairman Marcy McClelland explained the funding of the project.
Ellis County Commissioner Dean Haselhorst welcomes the crowd gathered in the fire truck bay on the east side of the building.
Work began on the building in July 2014, financed by a five-year, half-cent sales tax approved by county voters in May 2013. The tax is also being used to fund safety and security improvements underway at the Ellis County Law Enforcement Center and courthouse, 1204 Fort. Emergency dispatch remains in the LEC basement.
“For the past 21 months, collections have averaged $287,000 per month,” McClelland said. The tax will remain in effect for five years, or until both projects are paid off.
“We appreciate the votes in favor of the sales tax to do this,” said McCue. “We started looking at space needs for EMS in 1996, a journey of almost 20 years.”
Father Fred Gatschet of the FHSU Comeau Catholic Campus Center and First Presbyterian Church pastor and Ellis County Ministerial Alliance President Celeste Lasich led prayers of thanksgiving and protection for the Ellis County first responders.
Lasich told the audience her father Bill was “lifetime law enforcement, and that started in the fire department. So I am someone, as many of you who are family members, know what it is to have your loved one come home from successfully having fought a fire. I’m grateful for all of you,” she said with a sweep of her arm towards first responders gathered for the ceremony in the fire engine bay.
Haselhorst, who took over as construction manager of the building several months ago, also thanked the Ellis County Space Needs Committee, the architects and contractors.
Commissioner Barb Wasinger, who underwent surgery Tuesday, was unable to attend.
The opening ceremony video, by Hays Post’s James Bell, is below.
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — A federal lawsuit that’s part of a push by advocacy groups claims Dodge City imprisons people who can’t afford to pay bond fees.
The Hutchinson News reports the lawsuit was filed in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, by Washington-based Equal Justice Under Law on behalf of Lawrence J. Martinez. The lawsuit says Dodge City seeks to jail poor residents who “cannot pay an arbitrary amount of money.”
Similar lawsuits were filed last week in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Missouri. All accuse court systems of ignoring U.S. Supreme Court decisions that say courts must determine whether people have the ability to pay fines before jailing them for nonpayment.
City Attorney Brad Ralph said Monday he hadn’t finished reading the complaint. He didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.
A fire at a single family dwelling at 509 E. 15th St. Tuesday is being investigated as arson according to the Hays Police Department.
Hays firefighters at the scene of the late morning fire at 509 E. 15th.
The City of Hays Fire Department, assisted by the Hays Police Department and Ellis County EMS, responded to the fire at 11:20 a.m.. It was quickly put out by a single hose line.
According to Fire Chief Gary Brown, the home had “moderate damage” from a fire on the exterior of the building.
HPD Sgt. Jason Bonczynski gestures at the house after taking pictures during an arson investigation.
A news release, issued around 5:00 p.m. by the HPD, said “The cause of the fire is arson and is being investigated by the Hays Police Department and the State Fire Marshall’s Office.
“The perpetrator of the crime has been identified,” the release said. “We are not releasing the name of the suspect and we are not releasing anything further at this time.”
Four fire trucks and fifteen firefighters responded with the last firefighters leaving the scene at 12:32 p.m.
WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A south-central Kansas woman has been convicted of fatally beating and stabbing her 10-year-old son to death in his bedroom.
Lindsey Nicole Blansett of Wellington was found guilty Tuesday in Sumner County of first-degree murder in the December 2014 death of her son, Caleb Blansett.
Wellington police say the boy had gone to bed on Sunday when Lindsey Blansett entered his room with a rock and knife. She is accused of hitting him with a rock before stabbing him several times.
She told police she was concerned about her son’s future and wanted him to “go to heaven tonight.” She underwent mental exams and was deemed competent for trial.
Koskinen before a congressional committee earlier this year.
MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican chairman of a powerful House committee has moved to impeach the head of the Internal Revenue Service, saying he has violated the public trust and obstructed congressional investigations into the treatment of conservative groups.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen failed to comply with a congressional subpoena, allowed documents to be destroyed and misled the public. Chaffetz is chairman of the House Oversight Committee, which has been investigating the IRS for more than two years.
Chaffetz called impeachment an appropriate tool to restore public confidence in the IRS and said it will send a clear signal that the IRS is under repair.
Eighteen Republicans on the committee joined Chaffetz in co-sponsoring the impeachment resolution. The measure now goes to the House Judiciary Committee.
FHSU Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State men’s soccer moved up to No. 20 in the latest NSCAA Division II Poll, released on Tuesday (Oct. 27). The Tigers moved up four spots in the rankings after holding the No. 24 ranking for two consecutive weeks.
The Tigers moved up thanks to a pair of non-conference wins over Oklahoma Baptist and West Texas A&M. Upper Iowa joins FHSU as the two representatives from the MIAA in the top 25 as they nudge back in this week at No. 25. Fort Hays State sits at 10-3-1 overall, while Upper Iowa is 11-3-1 overall. Northeastern State was No. 15 in last week’s poll, but fell out after losses to Upper Iowa and Lindenwood.
Fort Hays State goes on the road this week for a pair of conference matches at Southwest Baptist and Northeastern State.
Below is the NSCAA Division II Poll for October 27, 2015.
Rank School Prev. W-L-T
1 Pfeiffer University 1 15-0-0
2 Midwestern State University 3 11-0-1
3 University Of Charleston 5 14-1-0
4 Southern New Hampshire University 2 13-1-0
5 California State University-Dominguez Hills 6 12-1-2
6 Palm Beach Atlantic University 4 13-1-1
7 Rockhurst University 12 12-1-2
8 Colorado School Of Mines 7 13-0-3
9 Seattle Pacific University 9 11-1-3
10 LIU Post 10 11-1-2
11 Saginaw Valley State University 18 14-2-0
12 Lee University 11 11-2-1
13 Lander University RV 11-2-0
14 St. Edward’s University 16 11-2-2
15 Millersville University 14 12-2-1
16 Fresno Pacific University RV 11-2-2
17 Northwood University (Mich.) 8 13-1-1
18 Merrimack College RV 10-2-2
19 Wingate University 19 12-2-2 20 Fort Hays State University 24 10-3-1
21 Carson-Newman University 13 12-2-1
22 Barry University RV 8-3-2
23 Urbana University 20 11-2-2
24 Fort Lewis College 25 11-3-2
25 Upper Iowa University NR 11-3-1
Also receiving votes: Cal Poly Pomona (15), Notre Dame College (11), Saint Leo University (7), Young Harris College (6), Bloomsburg University (2), California State University Stanislaus (1), Northeastern State University (1).
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A woman is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson in a fire that killed two Kansas City firefighters.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced the charges Tuesday against Thu Hong Nguyen, an employee of a nail salon and spa that was one of several businesses and apartments destroyed in the Oct. 12 fire.
Firefighters Larry Leggio and John Mesh died when a wall collapsed on them while they were fighting the blaze. Two other firefighters were injured.
An investigator with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says the fire was intentionally set in storage room of the salon.
Nguyen was arrested Monday night. She’s being held on $2 million bond.
HUTCHINSON– Law enforcement authorities in Reno County responded to an emergency call that prompted a brief school lockdown on the south side of Hutchinson on Tuesday.
Hutchinson Police Captain Troy Hoover said just after noon officers the report of an armed individual in the 300 Block of East Bigger Street.
The call prompted Lincoln Elementary School going into lock down.
Hoover said the woman called saying a man with a gun and knife at her home.
Police had trouble communicating with the woman because she spoke very little English, according to Hoover.
Police brought in an interpreter allowing them to get more information.
They determined the man was in the home and when they made contact with him, they discovered he had no weapons.
Apparently the two had an argument leading to her making that call.
No one was in any danger at the school or elsewhere as a result of the incident, which remains under investigation.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is now offering a free online training for health care providers on ways to help their patients quit tobacco.
The course, which can be found on www.kstobaccointervention.org, follows best practice guidelines for health care providers to help patients quit tobacco and can be used by a wide range of health care providers, including doctors, nurses, front office staff, dentists and dental hygienists. This training has been approved for continuing education credit from the American Academy of Family Physicians, Kansas Dental Board and the Kansas Board of Healing Arts for doctors of medicine, surgery, osteopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, naturopathic medicine, physician assistants, dentists and dental hygienists.
According to the most recent Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: Clinical Practice Guideline, which provides recommendations and best practices for tobacco treatment, clinicians should consistently identify and document tobacco use and treat every tobacco user seen in a health care setting. During a brief intervention for patients who smoke medical providers:
Ask (systematically identify all tobacco users at every visit)
Advise (strongly urge all tobacco users to quit)
Refer (refer patients to quitlines or other cessation programs and resources)
The training will teach providers to describe U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medications to help patients quit tobacco, describe the benefits of the Kansas Tobacco Quitline and describe other resources available to patients and other providers. The interactive training takes approximately 45 minutes and includes links to recognized tobacco treatment guidelines, cessation medication information, fact sheets and other resources.
KDHE’s Tobacco Use Prevention Program manages the Kansas Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) and provides resources and technical assistance to community coalitions for development, enhancement and evaluation of state and local tobacco prevention initiatives. For additional information on the Kansas Tobacco Use Prevention Program visit www.kdheks.gov/tobacco.
