Ellis County Sheriff’s Office

Adam Pfannenstiel, 15 years of age, has died from injuries he received as the result of an ATV accident. The accident occurred around 10:35 a.m. Thursday in the 1800 Block of Munjor Road.

Adam and his 12-year-old sister, Samantha Pfannenstiel, were riding on an ATV when he lost control and crashed into a fence. Both were transported to Hays Medical Center by Ellis County EMS, where Adam died from his injuries.

Units from Ellis County Fire, Kansas Highway Patrol and the Ellis County Sheriff also responded to the accident.

The accident is being investigated by the Ellis County Sheriff.

Ellis County Sheriff’s Office extends their condolences to the family of Adam Pfannenstiel.

RELATED: Funeral services scheduled for teen.

Ellis County Treasurer’s Office

The Ellis County Treasurer’s Office will conduct a real estate sale on Sept. 6, 2016. The County is the only bidder allowed per statute to perfect the lien on the property.

According to the treasurer’s office, “the total due does not reflect any partial payments that may have been made on these parcels. Some of the names listed below in this legal publication may have paid the real estate taxes or may be awaiting results of a tax protest hearing before paying second half taxes. The payment deadline was July 29, 2016. Unfortunately, it is impossible to delete these names from publication due to statutory requirements.”

Click here for a description of the parcels and details of the sale.

ELLIS–There was no public there Aug. 8 for the Ellis 2017 budget public hearing–not an unusual situation.

But the public was on the mind of city council members and city staff as they talked about the proposed 17 percent sewer rate increase included in the proposed budget.

Council Member Jolene Niernberger wondered if the hike would be enough to sustain the city’s utility fund while Assistant City Clerk Charlene Weber said most customers understood the need for the rate increase but were concerned about such a big increase all at once.

City Budget Consultant Galen Pfeifer said he still recommended a 20 percent increase for longevity.

In the end, the 2017 budget was approved as submitted by a 4-2 vote.

The complete August 8 special meeting minutes follow.

CALL TO ORDER
Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present were Council members Bret Andries, Holly Aschenbrenner, Gary Luea, Jolene Niernberger, Bob Redger, and John Walz. Also present were City Clerk Amy Burton, Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, and Police Chief Taft Yates.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC PRESENT
Galen Pfeifer, Charlene Weber
PURPOSE OF SPECIAL MEETING
Mayor David McDaniel stated the purpose of the special meeting is to hear public comments on the proposed 2017 budget and to consider approval of the budget document.
2017 BUDGET HEARING
General Government: Financial – 2017 City of Ellis Budget
Council member John Walz moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to enter into the City of Ellis 2017 Budget Hearing. The motion carried 6-0. The budget hearing began at 7:02 p.m. Mayor David McDaniel stated the proposed budget has been published the required amount of time and that tonight is an opportunity for the citizens of Ellis to comment on the proposed budget for 2017. Council member Jolene Niernberger inquired of City Budget Consultant Galen Pfeifer if the proposed 17% increase in the sewer rates would be sufficient to sustain that utility fund. Under State Statutes, utility funds have to be self-sufficient. Mr. Pfeifer stated that after looking at the projections, he still recommended a 20% rate increase for longevity; however, a 17% increase is certainly in the right direction. Assistant City Clerk Charlene Weber stated in talking to customers most understand the need for the rate increase, but are concerned about the big spikes in rate increases. Customers expressed they would rather see smaller more frequent increases rather than the big jumps. Mr. Pfeifer added that if the rate increase would end up being too much, that money can either go into the General Fund to help reduce the mill levy, or to the Sewer Depreciation Reserve fund to help pay for sewer infrastructure. There being no further public comments, Council member John Walz moved to adjourn the budget hearing. Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0. The budget hearing adjourned at 7:22 p.m.
General Government: Financial – 2017 City of Ellis Budget – Budget Approval
Council member John Walz moved to approve the 2017 budget document as presented. Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-2, with Council members Holly Aschenbrenner and Gary Luea opposed.
ADJOURNMENT
Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.

By JORDAN HILDEBRAND
Kansas Wheat

The 2016 Kansas Wheat Yield Contest was the most competitive in Kansas Wheat’s history with a record number of entries, as well as 11 entries that broke the 100 bushels an acre ceiling.

Kansas Wheat is proud to announce the winners of the 7th Annual Wheat Yield Contest. This year’s top wheat yields belong to Spencer West of LeRoy, Eastern Region winner; Doug Keas of Plainville, Central Region Winner and Alec Horton of Leoti, Western Region Winner.

Spencer West is this year’s Eastern Region winner. West’s winning plot was 16.83 acres planted with Redhawk (WestBred) and resulted in a yield of 87.46 bushels per acre. West is a newcomer to the yield contest, but made a splash with the highest eastern region yield for the Kansas Wheat Yield Contest.

Doug Keas is this year’s Central Region winner. His plot was 8.25 acres planted with SY Wolf (Syngenta). Keas’ prize-winning yield was 109.38 bushels an acre. Keas is no newcomer to the Kansas Wheat Yield Contest, as he was also the Central Region Winner and Quality Initiative Winner in 2014. His hefty 109.38 bushels an acre is now the highest Central Region yield in contest history.

Alec Horton is this year’s Western Region winner. He planted his 7.82 acre plot with Joe, a white wheat variety from the Kansas Wheat Alliance. Horton is another newcomer to the Kansas Wheat Yield Contest, but his plot smashed the record books with a yield of 121.48 bushels an acre, a Kansas Wheat Yield Contest record. The previous yield record was achieved last year by Darren Nelson, Hutchinson, who recorded a 108.48 bushels per acre entry.

Best management practices are key for winners of the Kansas Wheat Yield Contest. Disease took its toll on the Kansas wheat crop in 2015, so applied fungicide was a recurring theme for the regional winners. West and Keas both used treated certified seed, while Horton used treated foundation seed. For more agronomic information on this year’s winners, head to kansaswheat.org.

Justin Gilpin, CEO of Kansas Wheat, said, “Hosting the Kansas Wheat Yield Contest is an exciting part of what we do here. We’re proud to recognize farmers across the state for their dedication to good management practices and celebrate their successes”

The 2016 Kansas Wheat Yield Contest is sponsored by WestBred, Kansas Wheat Alliance, Limagrain, Plains Gold, AgriPro, ADM Milling and Kansas Wheat. Winners of the contest receive a $1,000 prize that will be awarded on September 15 by Governor Sam Brownback at the Kansas State Fair. Each winner will also receive a $500 prize, awarded by the company whose variety they planted.

In addition, the contest also has the optional Quality Initiative. Participants collect a sample of their wheat which will then be graded and analyzed for various quality components. The sample with the highest overall quality, mill and bake scores will receive $250. This winner will be announced by Gov. Sam Brownback at the State Fair.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

CLARIFICATION: Friday morning, Lt. Brandon Wright gave a clarification of the incident. Initially, damage to the vehicle indicated the pedestrian had impacted the side of the car, but after further review, it was found the vehicle had struck the pedestrian after he was walking in the roadway. The mistake in wording was due to the nature of the damage to the vehicle as listed in the police report.

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It’s a story that has repeated itself across the country in recent weeks — and now Hays can add itself to the list after a man was injured playing Pokemon Go.

At 10:51 p.m. Tuesday, a 38-year-old Hays man was struck by a vehicle while playing the popular mobile game in the 700 block of East Sixth.

The unidentified man was walking in the area and entered the street. While entering the roadway, he failed to see a Chevy crossover driven by another Hays resident and was hit by the vehicle as it was traveling east, according to Lt. Brandon Wright of the Hays Police Department.

The pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but suffered abrasions and an injured arm, with officers on scene believing it was broken, Wright said.

He was transported to Hays Medical Center.

Wright said the driver of the vehicle reported driving 20 mph at the time of the accident and was not cited, but was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license.

The vehicle suffered minor damage.

Prior to the accident, Wright said the HPD has not had a lot of problems with the game’s players, but now “it has happened here as well.”