By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The 3-mile zone surrounding the city of Hays, its regulation and enforcement of those regulations have caught the attention of the Ellis County Commission.

Earlier this month, the commission asked the county administrator and county counselor to evaluate a number of zoning issues. The commission reviewed the memo Monday.

The commission cited a reported lack of enforcement of the zoning regulations inside the 3-mile zone, which was created in 2007.

Commission Chair Dean Haselhorst said he would be in favor of a reduction in the boundary, calling for it to be 1-mile on Monday night. Haselhorst said he believes the city of Hays does not enforce the zoning regulations in the area surrounding the city and the county does not have an enforcement officer.

“I’m thinking 1-mile,” said Haselhorst.

Ellis County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said the two commissions would need to meet and discuss the jurisdiction, instead of having the county planning commission looking into the issue, as Haselhorst had requested.

“The issue of the city of Hays’ extraterritorial jurisdiction and what the proper limits of that would be is really more of a conversation between, ultimately, (the county) commission and the city of Hays,” said Smith-Hanes.

One of the options presented to the commission by Smith-Hanes was to hire a zoning enforcement officer at the cost of between $60,000 and $80,000 per year.

The county is also looking into making changes to the regulations for the minimum number of lots in a new subdivision, currently the limit is eight lots.

“If you are preserving a policy of preserving the rural character of unincorporated Ellis County then subdivisions of few lots might make more sense than those of more lots,” Smith-Hanes said.

Smith-Hanes said they also looking into whether new subdivisions should have private roads. The subdivision regulations were approved in 2006 and have not had a significant rewrite since the county adopted a comprehensive plan in 2012.

Staff believes, according to Smith-Hanes, there needs to be some updates to the regulations. The process would start with the Planning and Zoning Department.

“All those things need to just be looked at to reflect what Ellis County is doing now,” said Commissioner Barb Wasinger.

The commission directed Smith-Hanes to draft a letter instructing the Planning and Zoning department to look at the issue presented in the memo.

In other business:

• Ellis County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Ring presented the commission with a report of the severe weather that occurred on May 7.

• Health Administrator Butch Schlyer presented his monthly health report for the month of April.

• Commissioners met in three separate executive sessions to discuss non-elected personnel issues. No action was taken.

Funding aimed at increasing teacher pool for underserved districts, hard-to-fill subject areas

FHSU University Relations

A grant designed to increase the number of highly qualified elementary teachers in underserved Kansas regions was awarded to Fort Hays State University’s Department of Teacher Education.

The In PLACE Education Project — Innovative Pathways to Licensure and Competency in Elementary Education — will receive $104,033 from the Kansas Board of Regents through its competitive Kansas Teacher Education Grant Program.

The one-year grant, with opportunities to apply in subsequent years, includes $55,000 dedicated to scholarships for In PLACE elementary teacher candidates (students) who commit to teaching in underserved districts. The grant ties directly to efforts by FHSU’s Department of Teacher Education to meet the critical need for quality Kansas educators.

“This project directly addresses the elementary teacher shortage in Kansas by increasing accessibility and removing barriers so that high-quality, place-bound teacher candidates can earn certification,” said Dr. Teresa M. Woods, In PLACE project director and an assistant professor of teacher education at FHSU.

Four other teacher education professors are also on the team. Dr. Lorie Cook-Benjamin, associate professor and co-director; Dr. Sherri Brantley, assistant professor and co-director; Dr. Beth Walizer, professor; and Dr. Janet Stramel, assistant professor.

“I commend Dr. Woods and the rest of the In PLACE team as their efforts affirm our department’s continued commitment to providing quality, pre-service teacher education programs while also being mindful of the needs of our students and Kansas communities,” said Dr. Chris Jochum, newly appointed chair of the department.

Underserved geographic areas of Kansas are defined by the Kansas State Department of Education as districts that have difficulty filling teaching positions. These, said Woods, are certain urban districts (in Kansas City, Kan., Topeka and Wichita), and all districts in the State Board of Education District No. 5, which includes most of western Kansas.

“We have students in all these urban and rural areas, and we wanted to leverage our strengths in online education to reach more of them,” Woods said.

The program is designed for students who live, work and are invested in their local communities. The In PLACE team hopes to recruit 15 new elementary teacher candidates, all committed to teaching in underserved areas, for the first year, 2016-2017, and an additional 20 the following year.

“They are likely somewhat place-bound, usually non-traditional students, often needing to work full time to maintain their income,” said Woods.

She said the students include parents with school-age children, homeowners working in the community, spouses of farmers or ranchers, or para-professionals already employed by a local school district. One pathway, Woods said, is virtual. Students complete courses online and serve their internships in their local districts.

Another pathway is the Residency Program, which she described as a “grow-your-own program for districts with talented but unlicensed staff, usually para-professionals, who want to earn elementary teaching licenses.”

These school employees complete their coursework online in an “immersion” model fashioned after medical clinical residencies, leveraging their field experiences in schools.

“By virtue of FHSU’s strengths in delivering online coursework, we can especially recruit place-bound teacher candidates,” she said. “This is an exciting and, up to this point, small pilot project, our Residency Program, which will be scaled up and expanded.”

“So through the grant,” she said, “we are investing in our pathways for place-bound students, in our students themselves through scholarships and in our field partners — teachers and districts.”

“We are excited for this chance to expand our educational offerings to our students,” said Dr. Paul Adams, dean of the College of Education. “The In PLACE Education Project is a wonderful opportunity to meet the needs of place-bound students using an innovative model of the residency program.”

For more information, see the Teacher Education website, www.fhsu.edu/te, or contact Woods at [email protected], 785-628-5845.

Denise Garrison recently earned Clinical Breast Examination Certification from the National Consortium of Breast Centers.

This certification shows patients that a professional’s skills have been validated through advanced education and testing.

Level III CBE Certification is attained by a licensed medical professional who received a score of 85 percent or better on the core knowledge, performance and tactile tests.

The certification assures the public that their healthcare provider has completed the NCBC clinical breast exam program and has met minimum knowledge and performance standards.

Garrison works in the Breast Care Center at HaysMed and has been an associate since 2005.

Fort Hays State University is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Colorado Student Success and Articulation Coordinator.

Check out the job description below or click HERE for more information.

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Colorado Student Success and Articulation Coordinator (244)

Overview:
The Colorado Student Success and Articulation Coordinator will work from a home office in the Denver Metro Area, Colorado and be responsible for increased enrollments from, Colorado, the Denver metro area, southern Wyoming, and globally if the opportunity arises. This individual will report to the FHSU AVP for Enrollment Management. Activities of the Coordinator will include recruiting, marketing, and developing partnerships throughout the service area. Partnerships will include, but are not limited to, educational institutions, businesses, community organizations, and international opportunities. The Coordinator will keep current on community and industry needs, and develop strategic initiatives that will ultimately facilitate future enrollments.

Duties:
• Work as a leader and visionary for FHSU in the Denver Metro and Colorado Markets
• Establish enrollment goals with main campus:
– Online students
– On-camp students in partnership with Admissions Office
– Hispanic
– Honors College
– Current and future partners
-MBA
• Develop Partnerships:
– Education
– Corporate
– International
– Community
• Develop a Marketing Plan in conjunction with the Virtual College’s Assistant Director for Strategic Communication and the department of University Relations and Centralized Marketing
• Develop relationships at community colleges and the Colorado Board of Education to improve transfer and 2+2 offerings
• Coordinate Alumni Events with University’s Alumni Office
• Research, schedule, facilitate speakers and tours for FHSU students, faculty, and staff
• Actively pursue opportunities that involve FHSU in the community through sponsorships or presentations
• Work with FHSU’s Admissions Office to effectively promote and recruit students
• Communicate academic opportunities to students
• Communicate scholarship and financial opportunities to students
• Be available for face to face consultation and higher education counseling at the convenience of the perspective student and student’s family
• Attend and participate in scheduled on-campus meetings, programs and events
• Monitor national, regional, and local trends

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree

Knowledge, or ability to learn:
• FHSU mission and goals
• Current FHSU policies and procedures
• Current FHSU academic programs
• Current FHSU financial assistance opportunities.

Desirable skills and attitudes:
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Effective oral and written communication
• Ability to provide professional presentations
• Demonstrate high degree of organizational ability to handle multiple tasks in order to effectively handle all aspects of the position
• Capable of working in a team setting

Salary and Benefits: Salary is competitive based educational qualifications and experience. Benefits include medical, life, and contributory TIAA-CREF or similar retirement systems.

Application Process: Please submit a letter of application, current resume, and the names/addresses/telephone numbers for three (3) professional references. Applications should be submitted via email Tiffany Fox, [email protected], with a subject line of “Colorado Coordinator Application” or to:

Tiffany Fox
Hammond Hall 207
Fort Hays State University
600 Park Street
Hays, KS 67601

Priority deadline is Friday, May 27th. Screening of candidates will begin at that time and will continue until position is filled. All candidates will be expected to submit transcripts if they progress to the interview phase.

Notice of Non-discrimination – Fort Hays State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or veteran status.

Background Check: Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check.

Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Light and variable wind becoming south southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. South southeast wind 7 to 10 mph.

ThursdayA 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 63. South southeast wind 8 to 16 mph.

Thursday NightA slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 49. South southeast wind 9 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

FridayA slight chance of showers before 9am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70.

South southeast wind 9 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday NightA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

SaturdayPartly sunny, with a high near 77.

Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:

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Golden Q 809 Ash, Hays – May 12

A routine inspection found 10 violations.

• A stem thermometer was reading eight degrees off.
• There were no handwashing signs posted at any hand sink in the business.
• Dust and grease build up found on the vent hood filters and the side of the cheese melt oven next to the grill.
• Three quarts of milk found in the walk-in cooler with no date on the container. The person in charge did know when the container was opened.
• Five rubber scrapers, not in use, found with cracks, chips and imperfections in the food contact surface.
• A/C vents in the prep area found with a build up of dust on and around the vents.
• Several boxes of packaged foods stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler and the walk-in freezer.
• Chili in small soup pot found at 115. The product was in a soup pot for two and a half hours as said by the person in charge. Soup pot temp was 175.
• The pressure gauge on the dishwasher reading 0 during the dishwashing cycle.

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McDonalds 1201 Vine, Hays – May 12

An inspection following a complaint found no violations.

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Quality Inn 2810 Vine, Hays – May 12

A routine inspection found three violations.

• Toilet room, just off of the back prep area, found with no covered trash can for sanitary napkins.
• The waffle mix was 66 in the food dispenser.
• Small hand held equipment was stored with the handles in the down position.

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Super 8 3730 Vine, Hays – May 10

A follow-up inspection found no violations.

 

Hays – A woman from Hays was injured in an accident just before 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Chevy Cobalt driven by Sheila M. Plante, 49, Hays, was northbound in the Oakpark Medical Complex parking lot, rounding a corner.

A southbound 2016 Dodge Charger driven by Doug Schulte, 50, Hays, collided with the Chevy.

Plante was transported to Hays Medical Center.

Schulte was not injured.

Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.