It’s that time of year again when the City of Hays Fire Department will be out flushing the fire hydrants throughout the city.
The City of Hays Fire Department will be inspecting fire hydrants and flushing water mains on Wed., March 1, in the areas of 13th St. north to 22nd St. between Vine and MacArthur and 13th St. north to 22nd St. between Canterbury and Wheatland. This will continue through Friday, weather permitting, until all the fire hydrants are flow tested.
This is part of a coordinated effort by the City of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.
Slight discoloration of the water supply may be encountered although there will be no health risks to the consumer. All reasonable efforts will be taken to minimize the inconvenience to the public.
Drivers are asked to avoid driving through water discharging from a fire hydrant during the short flushing period.
For more information please contact the Hays Fire Department at (785) 628-7330.
Kansas VFW Commander Gerald Marvin, LaCrosse, was the guest of U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) for Pres. Trump’s address to Congress Tuesday.
OFFICE OF SEN. MORAN
WASHINGTON – Tuesday night, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) welcomed Veterans of Foreign Wars State Commander Gerald Marvin of LaCrosse, Kan., to the nation’s capital to attend the President’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress.
“It is an honor to have VFW State Commander Marvin in Washington representing Kansans in the nation’s capital,” Sen. Moran said.
“He is in Washington to discuss improving access to quality and timely healthcare for veterans, ending the claims backlog, and removing the arbitrary funding levels established by the Budget Control Act. I’m pleased Commander Marvin is joining me for this historic address.”
Marvin has been a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for 48 years and is a Life Member of Post 3147 in LaCrosse. He has previously served in many offices, including Post Quartermaster, District Chaplain, and District Commander for two years.
Marvin earned his eligibility through service in the U.S. Navy with overseas dates from January-June 1968 and July 1972-February 1973 in the Tonkin Gulf Vietnam where he earned the Vietnam Service Medal.
It was a night of firsts for freshman Kansas Congressman Roger Marshall and President Donald Trump.
Trump gave his first speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, the first such gathering for the new First District U.S. Representative, a Republican from Great Bend.
Following the president’s speech, Marshall recorded his thoughts and reaction on a “selfie” video.
Marshall said Trump “laid out a strong, very optimistic vision of what our country can look like.”
“I’m excited that he talked about making our borders more secure, strengthening our military, shoring up our economy and growing our infrastructure.”
Marshall was especially pleased with Trump’s mention of Kansas’ favorite son, former President Dwight Eisenhower from Abilene, and his role in improving roads across the country.
“Our president talked about how Eisenhower helped build the interstates across the country. Now it’s our turn to rebuild them,” he emphasized.
Marshall added he thinks “we have a tremendous president and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Newton-based LifeTeam, a critical care air transport company, has announced plans to begin operations of a new air medical transport base in Colby. LifeTeam will provide a rotor-wing to transport critically ill or injured patients to tertiary care. LifeTeam’s highly trained medical and flight crews safely transport patients with a medical or surgical emergency that may need advanced care such as provided by a trauma center, a cardiac cath lab, or a stroke team.
LifeTeam’s focus is to work cooperatively with EMS agencies and area hospitals to enhance and expedite patient care in rural communities when needed. Over the past 13 years, the experienced and dedicated LifeTeam crew members have provided tens of thousands of patients rapid access to a higher level of care around the clock in the safest, most efficient, and most caring way possible. A physician-driven company, LifeTeam ensures clinical excellence with an on-line medical director involved in each transport.
“From its inception, LifeTeam was designed to serve as a healthcare provider, utilizing air and ground vehicles in its practice of transport medicine. This patient focus is present in every aspect of safely transporting patients to specialty care and we look forward to bringing additional resources to the region,” states Martin Sellberg, M.D., CEO and Medical Director.
A unique aspect of LifeTeam is the Company’s intense focus on the entire process of patient transport, beginning well before the patient leaves a facility. “Our flight service is a very different model from most of the flight services across the country,” explains Missi Knott, Chief Operating Officer. “The owners of our company are both emergency medicine physicians and pilots, which give them a unique understanding of every aspect of the mission. We see ourselves first and foremost as a medical service. We do whatever we can to help the patient and to put the patient first.”
The Bell 407 Longranger Helicopter will be based at the Colby hospital helipad with the crew housed nearby and on “ready alert” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This will be the second Bell 407 added to the LifeTeam western Kansas tier. In addition to the rotor-wing that will be based in Colby, LifeTeam has a system of back up resources including a fixed wing aircraft 15 minutes away, and additional rotor wing and all weather King Airs throughout the western third of Kansas. LifeTeam plans to begin operations of the Colby Bell 407 early spring 2017.
In addition to participating with statewide providers of health insurance including Blue Cross BlueShield, LifeTeam offers a membership program, which provides prepaid protection against the cost of a LifeTeam air transport that may exceed any insurance or medical benefits. For members, the company waives all out-of-pocket costs for the transport. Patients with current memberships from other providers will also be covered and should contact Courtney Bachrodt at (316) 281-8718 to be added to the LifeTeam Membership Program at no additional cost. Members are covered in all LifeTeam service areas. Visit www.lifeteam.us/membership.php for more information.
LifeTeam is a complete medical transport system, which includes fixed wing, rotor wing, ground ambulances, state-of-the art communication center, in-house maintenance facility and patient billing division. In addition to the new Colby Base, LifeTeam operates emergency transport aircraft from Dodge City, Emporia, Garden City, Hutchinson, and Liberal, Kansas, and McCook and Grand Island, Nebraska as well as ground transport vehicles in Wichita and Newton, KS; as well as Denver, Colorado, Austin, Texas, and Hilo, Honolulu, and Maui Hawaii in patient care partnerships.
For more information, visit www.lifeteam.us or www.cmciks.com or call (316) 281-8740.
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Click to play the audio or read below.
If anyone ever complained about having been born at the wrong time, it might be those of us who came onto this earth during the period of 1929 to 1931. Just look at our calendar record.
The Stock Market kicked off all the trouble by crashing in late 1929 and I was born in mid-1930, but I accept no responsibility for that. From 1932 through 1939, The Dust Bowl and the Great Depression caused havoc: World War II from 1941 to 1945 affected every American: the Korean conflict extended our problems. In other words, those of us who were born about 1930 were 24 years old before we enjoyed any peace and quiet.
Kay Melia
However, I was blessed to meet and marry a wonderful girl in 1950, so I enjoyed a ton of happiness during an otherwise tough period.
World War II was an extremely difficult time for almost every American. Nearly every family suffered some kind of loss. And there also were shortages of many things that most people had taken for granted for many years.
Not long after the war started, it became necessary to reduce the use of these products with a very restrictive rationing plan. Rationing of course is the means of requiring cut backs of certain civilian home products in order to provide enough of these products for our armed forces personnel, both at home and overseas. There were many, many things that most of us relished and enjoyed everyday that had to be curtailed or sharply reduced.
To oversee the broad rationing program, some 8,000 Ration Boards were created in America There were as many or more Ration Boards as there was Draft Boards. As I recall, the Ration Board members were appointed by the County Commissioners who knew the pulse of that area the best.
It was a thankless job to say the least, but each Board member received a small stipend for their time and effort. Board members were usually well acquainted with those they regulated and so it was inevitable that bad feelings would sometimes crop up that would be remembered for several generations.
The product that hit home the hardest was the rationing of gasoline. An “A” sticker for your windshield indicated that you were entitled to 4 gallons of gasoline a week, and that was the most common issue, depending on the distance the family needed to travel to fulfill the obligations of their family. It was seldom enough. Farm families who had to drive greater distances to get their kids to school, usually received a “B” sticker, good for 8 gallons a week. Farmers also used gasoline in their tractors and trucks, so other amounts were authorized. There was also a “C” sticker, mainly for sales people and truckers, and an “X” sticker for Congressman.
A set of tires were expected to last a year. Sugar rationing was tough for housewives, as well as oils and fats and meat. The list was long.
Certainly, the War caused deprivation. But nothing as serious as losing a family member who was serving us all overseas.
Kay Melia is a longtime broadcaster, author and garden in northwest Kansas.
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Hays High School will hold a driver education enrollment meeting at 7 p.m. March 9 in the HHS cafeteria.
At least one parent or guardian should attend with the student. The enrollment process will be completed during the meeting and a $100 deposit is required.
If the students already have a learners, instructional or farm permit, bring that license number. The cost of the program is $250 for in-district students and $300 for out-of-district students.
George R. Diemer, 82, Bazine, died Monday, February 27, 2017 at the Ness County Hospital in Ness City.
He was born June 26, 1934 in Watonga, Oklahoma the son of William Miles and Hester Nina (Worrell) Diemer.After graduating high school he received an associate degree from Pratt Junior College and later a BS degree in Education from Fort Hays State University.On November 25, 1963 he was united in marriage to Delores S. Petit in WaKeeney, Kansas. They celebrated 53 years of marriage last fall.He was an insurance adjuster for Alliance Insurance Co. and later a shop teacher at Bazine High School, teaching woodshop and welding for 27 years until his retirement in 1995.He was a member of Masonic Lodge #495 in Coldwater, Kansas and was a Mason for over 50 years.He enjoyed driving his golf cart around Bazine, visiting friends and delivering papers, and he also enjoyed woodworking and vegetable and flower gardening.He loved his family, grandsons, and great grandsons.
Survivors include his wife, Delores, of the home in Bazine, a son; Leslie Diemer of Bazine, three grandsons; Jeremy Kiehl, Andrew Kiehl and wife Robyn, and Taylor Kiehl, all of Dodge City, twin great grandsons; Landon and Brandon Kiehl of Overland Park, KS, three sisters; Annie Schellhamer of Ft. Dodge, KS, Nina McVicker of Ashland, KS, and Marie Capps of Wisconsin, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter Cynthia Kiehl on January 11, 2014, two brothers; Earl Diemer and Joe Diemer and wife Mary, and three nephews; Jonathan Smith, Raymond Younger, and Lonnie Harris.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 3, 2017 at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street.Burial will follow in the Mt. Allen Cemetery.Visitation will be from 1:00 pm until service time on Friday at the funeral home.Memorials are suggested in memory of George to his family for a memorial to be determined.Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com
Roberto Fausto Chavez Sr., age 68, passed away on Friday, February 24, 2017 at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas. Roberto was born May 22, 1948 in El Toro, Maguaichi, Chihuahua, Mexico, the son of Gregorio & Carmen (Hermosillo) Chavez. He was an employee for Seaboard Foods and a rancher and had been a resident of Leoti, Kansas since 1994 moving from Chihuahua, Mexico.
On April 22, 1969 he married Ascencion Manuela Hermosillo in Chihuahua, Mexico.
His parents and a sister, Catalina Chavez precede him in death.
Vigil Services will be held at 7:00 pm Wednesday at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Leoti, Kansas with Pastor Reyes Valenzuela leading.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 pm Thursday, March 2, 2017 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Leoti, Kansas. Burial will be in Leoti Cemetery in Leoti, Kansas.
Memorials may be given to the Roberto Chavez Memorial Fund in care of the funeral home.
Friends may call from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm Wednesday at Price & Sons Funeral Home and from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Leoti, Kansas.
Condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at priceandsons.com
The Fort Hays State University Department of Music & Theatre will perform the Spring Choral Concert on Thursday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. on the campus of FHSU. The Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center is located in Sheridan Hall.
The concert will consist of a varied program performed by the Concert Choir. Then the Fort Hays Singers will present a set that includes folk, pop, and jazz selections.
Dr. Terry Crull is the conductor of the FHSU choirs, and Pam McGowne is the accompanist. The concert will last approximately one hour. Members of the FHSU Community – and FHSU students – are admitted free of charge with their TIGER CARD; there is a small admission fee for others.
The first of two limestone welcome signs was put in place Tuesday along I-70 .
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Although there were a few bumps along the way, the two new “Welcome to Hays” signs are finally going up along Interstate 70.
Footings for the huge 18′ by 10′ limestone signs were dug about 45 days ago by city workers. Tuesday, three 6′ by 10′ panels were moved into place on the south side of I-70 between Exit 157 and the Hall Street bridge. The sign will be seen by eastbound traffic approaching Hays.
The monument for westbound traffic will be placed Wednesday on the east side of Hays, north of I-70 and east of Commerce Parkway.
Tobin Rupe Stoneworks, Wichita, was the low bidder for the two signs for a total of $48,300, considerably less than the originally budgeted amount of $90,000. The money comes from the Convention and Visitors Bureau budget and is generated by the guest bed tax.
“I was a little nervous,” Rupe admitted Tuesday afternoon as his crew added filler between the stone panels and the base. “I’ve never set stones this big.”
The Flinthills limestone comes from Rupe’s farm near Eureka where he has a small stone quarry.
Rupe said he has put signs up all over Kansas and he “just had to put one up for my home school.”
He attended Fort Hays State University for three years in the mid-1980s and studied sculpture with Prof. Jim Hinkhouse and others in the art department. “There were some really good art teachers at FHSU at that time and I just got into stone carving. Then I realized we had stone on our farm and I had free stone at home to use.”
Light blue vertical lines of blue flint can be seen faintly in the side of the signs.
The Flinthills limestone Rupe uses is much denser than what has normally been used in Hays and the softer stone found in “Post Rock” country to the east in Russell and Ellsworth counties.
“It’s very hard,” Rupe said, and it’s also very heavy. The three pieces used in the west side monument weigh 9,000 pounds each for a combined 27,000 pounds total. Each panel is 10-inches thick. The east side marker will be a little larger with 13-inch-thick panels weighing about 30,000 pounds.
“It’s much harder to chisel but it lasts a heck of a lot longer–20 to 30 years,” Rupe said. “The inside of it is like granite.”
The slab stone was originally lying flat underground. “We basically unearthed the stone, cutting down about 14 feet into the hillside,” Rupe explained. “Then we cleared off a 50 foot area and just start pulling up slabs of stone until we get one that’s 12 foot by 14 foot so we can get a good panel out of the middle of it. There’s quite a bit of “scrap” left over, but it’s stone and it just goes back underground.”
A Hess Services crane operator maneuvers the first sign panel into place Tuesday with help from two Rupe crew members. (Courtesy photo)
The sign letters “WELCOME TO Hays” are hand-chiseled–one inch deep–and painted with black lithichrome, a paint specially formulated for outdoor use on stone. The simple artwork selected by city commissioners was designed by Scott Gross, an artist who has done other work for the city.
Hess Services of Hays was contracted to move the stone from Eureka to Hays and used a crane Tuesday afternoon to set the first three panels in place. The company also poured the concrete for both sign bases.
Each panel is supported by five 20-inch rebars going down into the concrete footing. The concrete was still wet late Tuesday afternoon at the first site. Rupe expected it would set up and become solid overnight. In the meantime, a number of timbers will stay lodged up against the front and back of the huge sign. “Just makes me feel better. I’ll sleep better tonight,” Rupe joked. “I don’t want to wake up and see my sign laying down on the ground.”
Rupe likes the “natural look” of the signs.
A Rupe crew member squeezes mortar repair between the limestone panels and the concrete base.
If you look closely at the sides, you can see the appearance of blue. “That’s the flint,” he pointed out. “On the outside, it’s yellow. It’s basically the same type of stone structure you have in Hays, but in the middle, it’s flint.”
And, as with other ancient limestone used in Hays, the new signs contain fossils. Rupe plans to share that information with Fort Hays State and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.
“We went through several different ideas and this one stood out the best with the city of Hays,” he recalled. “It was actually supposed to be straight on the sides and I just kind of wanted to make it look a little bit like Kansas. If you have a real big imagination, that’s Kansas,” Rupe said with a laugh. The top of the sign is uneven and the upper right side is carved away.
Rupe finds a seashell fossil on the middle panel.
Rupe has some artwork placed in downtown Wichita and location signs in several Kansas towns. He’s even taught sculpture classes in New York City and made signs for the Bronx Zoo, but he’s always had his eye on Hays.
“This is fun. I’ve always wanted to do something for the school (FHSU) or for the city of Hays. When we found out they were wanting signs, I didn’t care what it was, I was going to get the job,” he laughed again.
“Standing here, you feel kind of small,” Rupp said. “This was the biggest, but it’s not the last. This was a lot of fun.”
The Kansas Department of Transportation will host a public meeting regarding the upcoming closure of a 10-mile stretch of Kansas 23 in Gove County from Interstate 70 to Gove for two bridge replacement projects. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, at noon at the Gove County Offices, located at 520 Washington Street in Gove.
KDOT engineers will review the construction phasing, provide details on the official state detour and answer questions regarding access to county roads. Construction is slated to begin this spring and be completed by September 2017. Traffic will be detoured using U.S. 83, U.S. 283 and K-4.
The meeting location is ADA accessible. Persons in need of a sign language interpreter, an assistive listening device, large print or Braille material, or other accommodations to participate in this meeting should notify Lisa Mussman at (785) 877-3315 or [email protected].
The K-23 bridge replacement projects are funded under T-WORKS, the statewide transportation program approved by the Kansas legislature in 2010. For more information about T-WORKS projects and funding, visit https://kdotapp.ksdot.org/tworks.
Dr. Jamie Schwandt and his guest discuss how you can dream big, think positive and take action. In this episode, Nicole Engel with St. Francis Community Services discusses how she helps foster children overcome obstacles and succeed.
CITY OF HAYS
This is part of a coordinated effort by the City of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.
