By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
April kicks off seasonal spring events in Hays, starting with a the Hays Area Job Fair Wednesday, April 6, three to six p.m. at Big Creek Crossing, 2918 Vine.
Conventions and Visitors Bureau Director Rick Rekoske has highlights of other activities this month.
For an updated events calendar or to add your own activity information, check the Hays CVB website.
Ellis County Sheriff
The Ellis County Sheriff’s office has fielded multiple reports of a caller with a 785-202-xxxx or 785-205-XXXX phone number who fictitiously portrays himself as a Deputy with the Ellis County Sheriff’s office.
According to Detective Brad Ricke, the scammer leaves a message or tells the call recipient they either failed to appear in Ellis County District Court or a citation has been issued for them. The scammer refers to himself as a Deputy Mark Richardson with the callback phone number of 785-202-XXXX or 785-205-XXXX. “To our knowledge, the scammer has yet to request a money transfer from the call recipient; rather, he enjoys intentionally intimidating the call recipient by impersonating a law enforcement officer,” Ricke said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
“We do not have a Deputy Mark Richardson working for our office. Our main Ellis County Sheriff office telephone number remains (785) 625-1040. If you are contacted by any of our staff and are unsure whether the call is legitimate, request to call us back at our main office number, (785) 625-1040.
“If you receive a call from 785-202-xxxx, 785-205-xxxx, or a Deputy Richardson, do not respond, simply hang up on the scammer and report the incident to your local law enforcement agency,” Ricke advised.
“We are working towards resolving these unsolicited calls through normal investigative procedure no matter how long it takes.”
By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
HAYS – The Ellis County Commission continued to call on county employees to find ways to save money as they begin the 2017 budget process.
At Monday night’s commission meeting, County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes asked the commission for a direction for setting the budget. The message from the commission was similar to last year’s — the county cannot continue to take money from departments such as public works and the oil and gas depletion fund to fill a budget shortfall.
“We can’t use up all of our reserves, so we’re going to have to find ways to cut, pure and simple,” said Commissioner Barb Wasinger. “It does not make good fiscal sense to use every dime of saving you have when we don’t even know what the following year will bring.”
Last year, the commission transferred approximately $4.5 million from the oil and gas depletion fund to the general fund, using some of the money in the 2015 budget and saving the rest for the future.
For 2016, the county approved $22.5 million in general fund expenditures. It also approved a 0.16 mill levy increase.
Smith-Hanes estimated the county has an approximate cash balance of $3.6 million for 2016. But if the county is forced to use that money, it will not have any in 2018.
After approving the county’s 2015 budget last year, both Haselhorst and Wasinger said they were not pleased with the budget. Haselhorst called for county employees to cut 5 percent for 2017.
Smith-Hanes asked the commission to clarify where the 5 percent cut comes from — 5 percent of the current year’s total, of the projected total or the amount that the department has control.
In an example from Smith-Hanes, the county clerk’s office would have to reduce staff to reach the 5 percent cut in total spending levels. He said the percentage each department cuts may have to vary depending on departments. But he agreed that “some level of reductions is probably in order for next year’s budget.”
“We’ve had wonderful staff, and we’ve had wonderful services in Ellis County, and we want to maintain that,” said Wasinger. “However, we cannot maintain that with no funds.
“So we can’t maintain that level, we can maintain good services,” she added.
The decrease in oil and gas revenue continues to hit the county hard. Last year, the county based its budget off of oil at $38 per barrel and it was valued at $34. For this year, the county based the budget around $27. On Monday, Kansas Common was trading at $22 per barrel.
The commission pointed to potentially consolidating regional Extension services, not hiring new employees to fill open positions and finding potential savings within each department. County staff will meet next week to discuss the commission’s directives.
In other business:
• Rural Fire Director Darin Myers informed the commission he would present them with a burn ban resolution at next week’s meeting. Myers says he wanted to wait a week to give people notice before the actual ban goes into effect.
• The commission approved a letter of agreement with Adams Brown Beran and Ball to help consult with the budget process. They helped put together last year’s budget and will help Smith-Hanes with this year’s budget because this is his first year working the county budget.
• The commission agreed to release the escrow account for road maintenance with Buckeye Wind Energy.
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Construction is expected to begin next month on a new $4.2 million primary care facility in Pittsburg.
Officials from Via Christi Hospital and Joplin’s Mercy Medical Center announced plans Monday for the 13,500-square-foot facility. The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports that it is being built through a joint partnership.
Via Christi Senior Administrator in Pittsburg Randy Cason says the partnership includes a 51 percent share for Via Christi and 49 percent for Mercy.
The facility will be located at the Via Christi Pittsburg campus. Cason says it should initially house four primary care physicians and support staff, with the capacity to eventually house up to nine physicians.
HaysMed
HaysMed Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center physicians, leaders and clinicians recently celebrated the Center of Distinction Award, which was given them by Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for twelve consecutive months, including patient satisfaction higher than 92 percent, and a minimum wound healing rate of at least 91 percent within 30 median days to heal. There were 512 Centers eligible for the Center of Distinction award, but only 221 achieved the honor.
“It is an honor to receive these awards,” said Terry Siek, RN, Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer at HaysMed. “The award exemplifies our ongoing commitment to provide outstanding wound care services to our patients here and in Western Kansas.”
The HaysMed Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center is a member of the Healogics network of nearly 800 Centers, and provides access to benchmarking data and proven experience treating approximately 2.5 million chronic wounds. They offer highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds which have not healed in a reasonable amount of time. Advanced treatments include negative pressure wound therapy, bio-engineered skin substitutes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, biological and biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies.
For more information on wound care services please call (785) 623-5602 or visit www.haysmed.com/woundcenter.
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
Twelve women were honored at an annual awards ceremony recently as Fort Hays State University’s Phenomenal Women.
Nominees must demonstrate positive womanhood through breaking gender stereotypes, taking action and leading by example while making outstanding contributions to the community.
A committee reviews the nominations and selects the winners.
This year’s honorees are:
Lizette Avalos, Liberal senior majoring in organizational leadership.
Lydia Bender, Topeka junior majoring in physics.
Dr. Lorie Cook-Benjamin, associate professor of teacher education.
Stephany Gress, Topeka senior majoring in political science.
Dr. Melissa Hunsicker-Walburn, assistant professor of management.
Marcella Marez, instructor of communication studies.
Leslie Paige, coordinator, Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Projects.
Lucille Partlow-Loyall, Colorado Springs, Colo., sophomore majoring in social work.
Rebecca Peterson, director, student residential life.
Alexandra Shaw, assistant director of student services, Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science.
Yuchen Wang, Xi’an, China, graduate M.S. in communication.
Tomme Williams, instructor of music and theater.
During their meeting Monday night, Ellis County Commissioners proclaimed April as National County Government Month (NCGM) to showcase how the county is building a safe and secure community by managing justice systems, bolstering economic opportunities, responding to natural disasters and facilitating emergency response.
Since 1991, counties across the country have used NCGM to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of counties. The theme for this year’s celebration of NCGM is “Safe and Secure Counties.”
Nationwide, county governments operate 91 percent of all local jail facilities, maintain 45 percent of America’s roads and 40 percent of bridges, support 1,592 local health departments and invest $93 billion in justice and public safety.
Locally, Ellis County funds services which include the jail, Sheriff’s patrol services, the Ellis County Emergency Medical Services, the health department, emergency management and rural fire.
“Ellis County is proud of the programs and services provided to our residents,” said Board Chairman Dean Haselhorst in a news release. “Our efforts combined with efforts of counties across the country help keep American communities safe and secure. I encourage all county residents to take advantage of National County Government Month to learn how the county can assist you and your loved ones.”
Hays USD 489 will have an early-release day Wednesday, with students released from school at 1 p.m.
Transportation will begin promptly after school, and students will be served lunch before dismissal.
For more information or if you have any questions, click HERE.
HUTCHINSON — The Kansas State Fair has finalized its Grandstand lineup with Gabriel Iglesias and Justin Moore with special guest Clare Dunn. The Demolition Derby (Monday, Sept. 12) and Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull (Sunday, Sept. 18) will also return this year for high-action entertainment on the fairgrounds. This year’s Fair will run Sept. 9-18.
Tickets go on sale May 6 at 8 a.m. and can be purchased at the Kansas State Fair Ticket Office by calling 1-800-362-3247 or at www.kansasstatefair.tix.com.
Unless otherwise noted, Grandstand tickets include gate admission when purchased through Aug. 20, 2016.
Fair Fan Club
Want to buy your tickets before everyone else? Those who join the Fair Fan Club have the opportunity to purchase up to two tickets to each concert prior to the public on-sale date. In addition, Fan Club members receive advance notification of upcoming concert announcements. Memberships are on sale now. Dues are $100 per fair and can be purchased online; by phone at 1-800-362-3247 or 620-669-3600; or at the Administration Building on the Fairgrounds. Fair Fan Club members can purchase concert tickets first, starting at 8 a.m. on April 22. For more information on joining the club, visit bit.ly/FAIRFANCLUB.
Gabriel Iglesias – Saturday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. – Tickets $70/$45/$30*
Gabriel Iglesias, commonly known as Fluffy, learned at a young age to hone his sense of humor in order to deal with obstacles he faced growing up in California, which led to his comedic career. Iglesias’ stand-up comedy consists of a mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects that bring his personal experiences to life.
Today, Iglesias is one of America’s most successful stand-up comedians, performing sold-out concerts around the world. Most recently, he had the honor of being one of the few comedians to both headline and sellout Madison Square Garden in New York, The Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, and The Honda Center in Anaheim. Additionally, Iglesias will be launching The Fluffy Breaks Even! concert tour this Fall.
Iglesias has had roles in multiple movies, sitcoms and will be starring in Fuse TV’s Fluffy Breaks Even! premiering in October. Last year was Gabriel Iglesias’ first appearance at the Kansas State Fair, and what an impression he made. Fairgoers laughed so hard they cried. You won’t want to miss out on his comical show this year.
For more information on Gabriel Iglesias, visit www.fluffyguy.com.
Justin Moore with Special Guest Clare Dunn – Sunday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m. – Tickets $60/$40/$25*
Justin Moore is a fierce country music trail blazer known for doing things his own way. Moore has dented the country radio charts with three No. 1 Hits “Small Town USA,” “If Heaven Weren’t So Far Away” and “Til My Last Day,” in addition to the Top 10 mission declaration “Backwoods.”
Moore’s unique type of country music, which combines tenderness and decency with rowdiness, has built his career eschewing the path most taken by other country artists. He’s developed a fan base along the way of people just like him.
Beyond the hits, the gold-certified albums and the momentum of a career hitting its stride, Off the Beaten Path is a collection of songs including “This Kind of Town” and “One Dirt Road.” Justin Moore knows who he is, what matters and he’s not going to compromise those things in the name of chasing what everyone else is already doing. Moore is a go-getter, and certainly one to watch.
For more information about Justin Moore, please go to www.justinmooremusic.com.
Clare Dunn
Clare Dunn’s roots run deep in the heart of Dust Bowl country growing up on a farm in southeast Colorado near the Oklahoma panhandle. From a young age, everyday life consisted of working cattle, hauling water, driving combines, tractors and eighteen wheelers. She dreamed of creating her own music while spending hours on the tractors.
Dunn pursued her music dream in college. She relocated to Nashville, Tenn., to attend Belmont University, after a brief college stint in Texas. During this time, she also picked up a guitar for the first time determined to master both acoustic and electric guitars. After graduating from Belmont with honors she signed her first publishing deal as a songwriter. From writing her debut single “Get Out” with co-writer and producer Ben West, to playing guitars on the track and singing background vocals, Dunn’s music is a representation of her impressive talent.
Touring, Dunn has opened for Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Colt Ford, Parmalee, Hank Jr., Jamey Johnson and others as well as played major festivals. Clare Dunn combines her strong work ethic and passion for music to deliver a genuine, must-see performance.
To learn more about Clare Dunn, please visit www.claredunn.com.
Demolition Derby – Monday, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. – Tickets $7 for ages 13+, free for children 12 and younger
The Demolition Derby is back once again for action packed fun at the Kansas State Fair. It’s guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat as the cars make their way through the qualifying heat demos, consolation round and the not-to-be-missed finals.
Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull – Sunday, Sept. 18, 3:00 p.m. – Tickets $12 for ages 13+, $5 for ages 6-12, free for children 5 and younger
To conclude the Kansas State Fair, the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull will return to the Fairgrounds for high-action entertainment. You know the drill: it’s a test of machine power with the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull, a competition using tractors and large trucks to pull a heavy drag. Finish your Fair experience this year with the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull at the Nex-Tech Wireless Grandstand.
* Concert tickets, unless otherwise denoted, include general gate admission when purchased through Aug. 20.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran joined 42 of his Senate colleagues on Tuesday in filing an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in support of a challenge by a majority of the nation’s governors and state attorneys general to the Obama Administration’s November 2014 executive actions on immigration. The state of Kansas is a co-plaintiff.
The Supreme Court took up this case (United States of America v. State of Texas) after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in November 2015 affirmed a preliminary injunction by a federal district court in Brownsville, Texas, blocking the Obama Administration from moving forward with its executive actions on immigration that are in violation of federal law. Sen. Moran also filed an amicus brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals when this case was being considered at the circuit level. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on this case on April 18.
“Given that the Executive has asserted that the acts challenged here are not even subject to judicial review, what is at stake in this matter is nothing less than an effort to supplant Congress’s constitutional power to ‘establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.’ Such an action stands in stark contravention to federal law and to the constitutional principle of the separation of powers,” the Senators’ amicus brief states. “There is little doubt that the Executive adopted the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program as part of an explicit effort to circumvent the legislative process.”
The amicus brief may be found HERE.
SALINE COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a suspect on drug and obstruction charges.
A pursuit that began when the driver of a pickup did not stop for an officer for speeding ended with the driver being arrested after a chase on foot.
Just after 6:30 p.m. on Monday, police noticed a pickup going 40mph in a 30mph zone in the 500 block of N. 9th Street in Salina, according to Police Captain Mike Sweeney.
When an officer tried to make a traffic stop, the pickup continued at and police followed reaching speeds of 75mph at the intersection of Iron and Front Street.
The driver Camron Glover, 20, Salina, got out of the vehicle in the 200 Block of North Penn Street and ran.
After a foot chase, Glover surrendered in an open area in the 1000 Block of East Ash Street.
During a search of the pickup, officers found 2 baggies with residue of methamphetamine, and 1 Ecstasy tablet.
A passenger in the pickup Steven Glover, 45, Salina was an unwilling participant in the chase, according to Sweeney.
Camron Glover was booked into jail on requested charges of felony flee and elude, kidnapping, felony obstruction, possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, and reckless driving.
Deltha Legleiter, 80, Hays, died Monday, April 4, 2016 at the Hays Good Samaritan Society.
Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced by Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Phillipsburg resident Lela A. Kipp died Monday, April 4, 2016 at the Phillips County Retirement Center in Phillipsburg at the age of 89.
She was born in Phillips County, KS the daughter of Michael M. & Anna B. (Wagner) Weinman.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lindly L. “Sam” Kipp and 3 sisters, Lula Patterson, Lucinda Kaiser & Lydia Davis.
Survivors include her son, Terry Kipp of Long Island, KS; 2 daughters, Mary Jackson of Phillipsburg and Becky Whitney of Prairie View; brother, ArLynn Weinman of Phillipsburg; sister, Linda Zordel of Hill City; 6 grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. in the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stuttgart, KS, with Pastor Lee Bennight officiating. Burial will follow in the Prairie View Cemetery, Prairie View, KS.
Mrs. Kipp will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday & Friday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Church or the Phillips County Retirment Center Activities Fund.
Online condolences may be left at www.olliffboeve.com.
