July 2017 – Page 27 – Hays Post Archive

Hays school board to vote on bond, fees Monday night

Posted on July 21, 2017

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Hays school board will take up a $78.5 million proposed bond issue at its meeting Monday.

The bond is a sweeping plan to remodel or replace schools that are 60 to 90 years old.

The bond issue seeks to do the following:

• Build two new elementary schools to replace Wilson and O’Loughlin elementary schools. The new Wilson school will be built on the current Wilson property and new land would be sought for the second new elementary school. All three of the elementary schools will be able to accommodate four sections of each grade.

• Update Roosevelt Elementary School with a secured entrance, classroom renovations, added classrooms, storm shelter, new gymnasium and cafeteria/kitchen renovations. Roosevelt’s current storm shelter is in the basement, which makes in inaccessible for children or staff with disabilities.

• O’Loughlin would be repurposed to house the Early Childhood Center, Adult Learning Center and Westside School. A secured entrance, storm shelter and classrooms would be added as well as classroom renovations completed. The plans for O’Loughlin propose secure doors separating the different programs that would be located in the building.

• Hays Middle School renovations would include a secured entrance, additions to the cafeteria, kitchen renovations, and an additional gymnasium to provide adequate space for PE classes. As many as 130 students are being crammed into the gym space at HMS for PE classes currently.

• Update Hays High School with a secured entrance, storm shelter, classroom renovations, additional
classrooms, renovated Career Technical Education (CTE) and fine arts classrooms, new HVAC system, and a new auditorium to replace 12th Street Auditorium.

The Munjor building would go back to the Catholic Church. Washington and Lincoln schools would be repurposed.

The Westside and Rockwell properties would still continue to house administration and maintenance. Superintendent John Thissen has said the district wishes to use the bond money to focus on projects that directly affect students.

If the district determines it is more efficient to shutter Westside and Rockwell in favor of other locations, that will be considered at a later date.

Hays has no bond projects on the books currently and has not had since 1990, which puts it at the bottom of a list of like-sized school districts in the state.

It’s overall mill levy, 43.673 mills, is next to last on a similar list for overall mill levy.

Hays is considered a wealthy school district and receives no additional state aid. All the funds for the bond issue must come from local taxes.

The district’s plan seeks to lower the district’s capital outlay mill levy by 2 mills. The bond issue mill levy would be 11.43 mills over 30 years. This would be a net mill levy increase of 9.43 mills. The monthly cost to the owner of a $150,000 home would be $16.43.

Three groups came together to create the bond issue proposal, an executive team, made up of administrators; a staff planning team; and a community vision team made up of teachers, parents and members of the community.

In addition the district conducted a community survey and teacher in-service while developing the plan.

The district had a $94 million bond issue that failed in 2016 and has tried to address issues of trust and tax structure that were issues during that election.

The planning teams debated the need to build two new elementary schools. Much of this discussion centered around the cost of renovation compared to new construction, considering the age and value of the buildings.

A renovation of Wilson Elementary School would cost about $15.6 million, which is about 73 percent of the $21.4 million cost of constructing a new building.

If the bond issue is approved by the board on Monday, it could go on the ballot as soon as the general election on Nov. 7.

The board also will consider dropping the material/workbook fee for all students from $135 to $90 for the upcoming school year. The state has approved a budget that will increase funding to the state’s school districts, and USD 489 plans to use a portion of that money to offset the $90,000 reduction in fees.

In other business, the board will discuss:
• Board president appointments
• Filling the board vacancy left by the resignation of member Sarah Rankin
• Teacher negotiations
• Board goal setting
• Health insurance
• Pre-enrollment class projections
• Special meeting notices for the budget and budget hearing
• Copy paper bid
• Title VI-B budget approval and SPED update

Hackers Of Kan. System Accessed Social Security Numbers Of Millions

Posted on July 21, 2017

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Hackers who breached a Kansas Department of Commerce data system used by multiple states gained access to more than 5.5 million Social Security Numbers and put the agency on the hook to pay for credit monitoring services for all victims.

Services like KansasWorks rely on a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce to manage data. The division fell victim to a hack in March, affecting millions of people in 10 of the states that it serves.
CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KCUR/KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

The number of SSNs exposed across the 10 states whose data was accessed has not been previously reported. The Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio, obtained the information through an open records request.

More than half a million of the SSNs were from Kansas, according to the Department of Commerce.

The data is from websites that help connect people to jobs, such as Kansasworks.com, where members of the public seeking employment can post their resumes and search job openings. Kansas was managing data for 16 states at the time of the hack, but not all were affected.

In addition to the 5.5 million personal user accounts that included SSNs, about 805,000 more accounts that did not contain SSNs were also exposed.

America’s Job Link Alliance-TS, the Kansas Department of Commerce division that operates the system, discovered suspicious activity on March 12, isolated it on March 14 and contacted the FBI the next day, according to testimony provided by agency officials to Kansas lawmakers this spring.

AJLA-TS officials also sought help from a third-party IT company specializing in forensic analysis. That analysis helped them verify that the coding error the hackers exploited had been fixed and to identify precisely which user accounts had been breached.

The Kansas News Service filed its open records request on May 24 seeking details about the extent of the breach and contracts related to the state’s response. The Department of Commerce fulfilled the request on July 19.

The documents show that the agency and AJLA-TS contracted with three private companies in the aftermath of the breach:

Epiq, of Kansas City, Kan., to provide a call center for victims seeking information about the incident and Equifax credit monitoring services.
Shook, Hardy and Bacon, a Kansas City, Mo. law firm, for “professional investigative, legal and compliance services.”

SHI, a New Jersey-based IT company, for “rapid deployment” incident response.
The state is paying the law firm $175,000 for services that run through Dec. 31, 2017. The IT contract cost approximately $60,000.

Number of SSNs affected in the AJLA-TS hack- Click to enlarge

The cost of the Epiq contract isn’t known because the agency redacted pricing information from the documents it released. David Soffer, a spokesperson for the department, said Epiq considers the cost information proprietary.

Testimony to lawmakers indicates AJLA-TS contracted with a fourth company in April, Texas-based Denim Group, to review code and provide feedback for improvements, which has since been implemented. The agency didn’t provide documents related to this contract in fulfilling the open records request.

Kansas will pay for up to a year of credit monitoring services for victims in nine of the 10 affected states. Victims residing in Delaware are eligible for three years of services because of contractual obligations to that state, Soffer said.

Agency officials have not yet responded to questions about whether insurance will cover some of the state’s costs.

The call center for victims, which can be reached at (844) 469-3939, will remain open through the end of this month, Soffer said.

The Department of Commerce said in May that this is the first known breach of AJLA-TS’ databases. AJLA-TS’ response to the hack – providing credit-monitoring services – exceeds what is required by Kansas state law, a department spokeswoman said at the time.

The head of a California-based advocacy group, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, told The Topeka Capital-Journal in May that one year of credit monitoring is not sufficient protection for victims of the hack, which also exposed names and birth dates, among other personal information.

The Capital-Journal also reported that hundreds of thousands of the Kansas victims may not be aware their accounts were breached.

The Department of Commerce said in May it had sent about 260,000 emails to victims, but added that it did not have email addresses for all users. Kansas law does not require notification to the victims via post or telephone, the department said.

When a recent theft from a Washington State University unit that handles data for state agencies on a contract basis exposed the personal information of 1 million people, the university notified victims by post.

That breach also included SSNs. Like Kansas, Washington State offered victims one year of free credit monitoring.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ.

Record heat in Hays Thursday

Posted on July 21, 2017

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Yesterday was the second consecutive day the temperature reached 103 degrees in Hays, and this time it set a record.

According to information from the KSU Agricultural Research Center, the high of 103 degrees on July 20 broke the previous high record of 101 degrees in 1934, 1974, 1991, and 2002.

The overnight low was 71 degrees and by 8 a.m. Friday morning, the temperature was 84 degrees.

The weekend weather forecast is calling for another triple digit high today, then cooler with a chance of rain.

HPD Activity Log July 19 & 20

Posted on July 21, 2017July 21, 2017

The Hays Police Department responded to 6 animal calls and 18 traffic stops Wed., July 19, 2017, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Drug Offenses–1400 block US 183 Alt Hwy, Hays; 1:06 AM
Burglary/vehicle–2700 block Hillcrest Dr, Hays; 7/18 10:30 PM; 7/19 6:56 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–2500 block Timber Dr, Hays; 7/18 6 PM; 7/19 7:30 AM
Lost Animals ONLY–600 block E 5th St, Hays; 10:55 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–500 block E 6th St, Hays; 11:11 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–3000 block Indian Trl, Hays; 11:22 AM
Temporary Deprivation of Property–2700 block Epworth Ave, Hays; 7/17 12:01 AM; 7/18 2 PM
MV Accident-Private Property–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 12:49 PM
Animal Cruelty/Neglect–500 block E 12th St, Hays; 1:17 PM
Drug Offenses–Hays; 7/2
Animal At Large–200 block W 6th St, Hays; 3:30 PM
Suicidal Subject–2100 block E 21st St, Hays; 3:33 PM
Bicycle – Lost,Found,Stolen–300 block Main St, Hays; 5:14 PM
Credit Card Violations–1000 block E 17th St, Hays; 5:41 PM
Violation of Restraining Order/PFA–300 block W 17th St, Hays; 5:20 PM; 5:35 PM
Civil Dispute–1000 block E 17th St, Hays; 6:58 PM
Drug Offenses–2700 block Englewood St, Hays; 9:29 PM; 9:45 PM

The Hays Police Department responded to 7 animal calls and 5 traffic stops Thu., July 20, 2017, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Underage Possession of CMB/LIQ–1200 block Vine St, Hays; 12:25 AM
Suspicious Activity–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 1:43 AM
Driving Under the Influence–3800 block Vine St, Hays; 2:10 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–400 block W 11th St, Hays; 7:53 AM
Animal At Large–700 block E 6th St, Hays; 8:15 AM
MV Accident-Hit and Run–500 block W 16th St, Hays; 9:25 AM
Domestic Disturbance–100 block W 15th St, Hays; 9 AM
Suspicious Person–1000 block E 8th St, Hays; 10:14 AM
Abandoned Vehicle–1900 block Whittier Rd, Hays; 11:14 AM
Theft (general)–2200 block Haney Dr, Hays; 7/9 9:30 PM; 7/12 1 PM
Animal At Large–400 block W 4th St, Hays; 1:01 PM
Wildlife Incident–2700 block Epworth St, Hays; 1:39 PM
Obstruction of Legal Process–400 block Oak St, Hays; 6:31 PM
Criminal Transport–2200 block Canterbury Dr, Hays; 7 PM
Warrant Service (Fail to Appear)–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 8:34 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)–3600 block Vine St, Hays; 10:07 PM

Kids learn the science of slime (recipes included)

Posted on July 21, 2017July 21, 2017

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Children crowded into the Makerspace at the Forysth Library at Fort Hays State University Thursday morning to get icky and sticky.

Slime Time let children try their hands at making three types of slime: clear slime, fluffy slime and oobleck.

Slime is a non-Newtonian fluid. It’s viscosity can be affected by factors other than temperature, according to Brian Rohrig and his article,“The Science of Slime.”

Viscosity is a fluid’s resistance to flow.

In the case of slime, it may almost act like a solid, but it if you add pressure to the slime by squeezing it in your hand, it begins to flow like a liquid.

A polymer is a large chain of molecules made up of smaller units that repeat themselves, which are called monomers. A single polymer molecule may comprise hundreds of thousands of monomers, Rohrig said.

The white or clear school glue in the slime is a polymer. When the liquid starch is added, in this case Borax, it changes the structure of the chain making the polymer thicker.

According to Rohrig, common synthetic polymers are rubber, plastic and nylon. Common natural polymers are starch, DNA and some proteins.

Megan Adams, summer director at the Makerspace, said it is not so important that the children understand the scientific properties of the slime.

“They get to have a hands-on experience with science they may not have the opportunity to have in the summer,” she said.

The exercise also helps the children develop problem-solving skills, she said.

Lima McLoughlin, 8, just thought it was icky fun.

Mariah Werth, 10, of LaCrosse said she loves science, but it is just fun to make slime, which she has done at home.

“It is supper fun to play with,” she said. “It is easy to work with. I have made it with my different cousins. It’s gooey, but it won’t ever stick to you.”

Maysyn Tippy, 11, of Hays, was trying her hand with the fluffy slime for the first time.

“It is fun to create. It is fun to work with and makes a mess. It makes it all gooey,” she said.

Maysyn’s mom was just glad that she and her cousin were making the mess at the Makerspace and not at home.

“They are always making it at home,” she said. “It is always messy, and it is not always successful.”

Recipes

Clear Slime

Ingredients:

Glue Base:

1/4 cup of clear school glue

1/4 cup of water

food coloring

Activator:

1/2 cup of warm water

1/2 tablespoon of Borax

Instructions: In a bowl, mix together Borax and warm water until Borax is completely dissolved. Set aside and let cool.

In a separate bowl, mix the first three ingredients together until combined. Add activator (Borax solution) tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring your slime after each addition until the slime reaches desired consistency. If you are unable to stir your slime, remove it from the bowl and knead it on waxed paper.

Store slime in an airtight bag, Wash hands after use.

Fluffy Slime

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of white school glue

1 cup of shaving cream

food coloring

3 squirts of contact solution

Activator:

1/2 cup of warm water

1/2 tablespoon of Borax

Instructions: In a bowl, mix together Borax and warm water until Borax is completely dissolved. Set aside and let cool.

In a separate bowl, mix the first three ingredients together until combined. Add three squirts of contact solution, mixing after each addition. After this, add activator (Borax solution) tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring your slime after each addition until the slime reaches desired consistency. If you are unable to stir your slime, remove it from the bowl and knead it on waxed paper.

Store slime in an airtight bag, Wash hands after use.

Oobleck

Ingredients

1/2 cup of cornstarch

1/4 cup of water

Food coloring

Instructions: In a bowl, measure out 1/2 cup of cornstarch. In separate container, combine food coloring and water, mixing well. Add water to the cornstarch tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring after every addition. Continue to add water until the mixture can be grabbed and formed into a ball, but is still runny.

If the mixture is too runny, add in cornstarch a tablespoon at a time. If the mixture is too thick, add in water a tablespoon at a time.

Store in an airtight bag. This mixture will eventually dry out but can be easily rehydrated by adding water.

Sheriff: Darlene might be name of Kan. woman in cold case murder

Posted on July 21, 2017

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a Kansas City, Kansas, woman with the first name of Darlene may have been the person whose remains were found 32 years ago in a western Missouri field.

Clay County Sheriff’s Department Det. Jesse Stoker says the name is being released in the hope of generating more clues to identify the woman who was shot in the head three times.

The Kansas City Star reports that a tipster reported the name to a hotline after investigators released a new composite in October. The tipster also said the woman might have had two children. The caller said the two occasionally rode back and forth to work.

Authorities initially thought the woman was white but not believe she was black and between the ages of 17 and 23.

Phyllis A. Strecker

Posted on July 21, 2017July 21, 2017

Hays, Kansas – Phyllis A. Strecker, age 81, died Thursday, July 20, 2017, at Hays Medical Center.

She was born June 25, 1936, in Henryetta, Oklahoma to Troy and Luretha (Guthrie) Hopkins. She married Forrest K. Strecker on September 4, 1954 at Wilson, Kansas. He died October 8, 2014.

She was a Corporate Financial Manager for Beneficial Finance and Western Credit for many years and retired in 2009. She had lived in a number of communities in Kansas including Victoria, Topeka and moving to Hays in 1992. She grew up in Henryetta, Oklahoma and Russell, Kansas. She was a 1951 graduate of Russell High School. She was a member of the First Baptist Church and the American Business Women’s Association. She was named Business Women of the Year in 1974.

Survivors include two daughters, Susan Nebel, Hays, KS; Barbara Strecker-Guadreau and husband, James “Bucky”, Topeka, KS; two brothers, Charles Hopkins and wife, Pat, Gilbert, AZ; Troy Hopkins Jr., Aurora, CO; six grandchildren, Jonathan Burd, Christian Burd, Cameron Gaudreau, Alexis Gaudreau, Caleb Nebel and wife, Grecia, Mariah Nebel; and six great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and one sister, Mildred Hopkins.

Services are 11:00 A.M. Monday, July 24, 2017, at The First Baptist Church, 12th and Fort, Hays, Kansas. Burial in St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery Russell, Kansas.

Visitation is from 6:00 to 9:00 Sunday, at Clines-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 and form 10:00 to 11:00 A.M., Monday at the First Baptist Church.

Memorials to Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas or The First Baptist Church of Hays. Condolences can be left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or can be sent via e-mail to [email protected]

Winner: “The Best Seats in the House” at Phillipsburg’s Rodeo Thursday, August 3 with 99 KZ Country

Posted on July 21, 2017July 21, 2017

Congrats to Monte Boydston!

*****

Listen to Theresa Trapp weekday mornings July 18 – 21, 2017 for chances to call in and register for “The Best Seats in the House” at Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo Thursday, August 3, 2017. Listen for the running horses and dial 785-628-2995. One entry per person! No age requirement.

The winner will be drawn on Friday, July 21, 2017 and receives:

-Two tickets to the Thursday night performance of the Phillipsburg Rodeo
-Seating in the back of a Ram Pickup provided by Matteson Motors backed up to the rodeo arena.
-Two chairs and a cooler from Orscheln’s Farm and Home of Phillipsburg. The cooler will be filled with cold drinks. The winner gets to keep the chairs and the cooler.
-Two Coors shirts provided by A&A Coors of Hays.
-Two box meals from 3rd Street Bakery of Phillipsburg.

Winner will need to pick up tickets at the KHAZ Studio, 2300 Hall in Hays, KS.

Remember, one win per household per 30 days!

Good luck from 99 KZ Country!

Join fans of 99 KZ Country on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry

Farron Lee Leiker

Posted on July 21, 2017

Farron Lee Leiker, 45, Hays, died Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City.

He was born September 13, 1971 in Hays the son of Herman J. and Rose Marie “Rosie” (Walter) Leiker. He was a class of 1990 graduate of TMP-Marian High School. On June 6, 1998 he was united in marriage to Amy Sue Gottschalk in Hays. Farron worked in the oilfield for Total Lease Service and was a volunteer fireman with the Ellis County Rural Fire Department Company 9. He was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Munjor, formerly serving with the church council, and was also a member of the 3rd Degree Knights of Columbus Council #11492 of Munjor. He enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, riding trails in his Polaris RZR, playing Pinochle, and going to all of his children’s activities.

Survivors include his wife Amy, of Hays, a son; Thomas J. Leiker of Hays, two daughters; Brianna R. Leiker and Morgan L. Leiker, both of Hays, his parents; Herman and Rosie Leiker of Munjor, his father and mother-in-law; Darrell and Shirley Gottschalk of WaKeeney, his grandmother; Sophia Walter of Catharine, two brothers; Francis Leiker and fiancé Susan Case of Hays, and Fabian Leiker and wife Linda of Mt. Pleasant , SC, three sisters; Kathleen Huser and husband Kevin of Victoria, Kayleen Knoll and husband Shawn of Omaha, NE, and Kolleen Dome and husband Aaron of Hays, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by grandparents; Romuald and Genevieve Leiker, Frank and Katie Pfannenstiel, and Ralph Walter.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am on Monday, July 24, 2017 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Munjor. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 until 8:00 pm on Sunday and from 9:00 am until service time on Monday, all at the church. A parish vigil service will be at 6:30 pm followed by a Knights of Columbus rosary at 7:00, both on Sunday at the church.

Memorials are suggested to St. Francis Catholic Church, St. Francis Cemetery, or to his children’s education fund, all in care of the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com of via email at [email protected]

Anton B. Schmeidler

Posted on July 21, 2017

Anton B. Schmeidler, 83, Hays, died Thursday, July 20, 2017 at HaysMed.

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced by Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.

Gary G. Helget

Posted on July 21, 2017

Gary G. Helget, age 69, of Schoenchen, Kansas passed away Wednesday, July 19, 2017 in Schoenchen.

Funeral services will be 10 AM on Monday, July 24, 2017 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Schoenchen. Inurnment will follow in the church cemetry

Visitation will be Sunday 6 PM – 8 PM at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601

A parish vigil will be Sunday at 7 PM followed by a combined Schoenchen Council 3rd degree and Bishop Cunningham 4th degree Knights of Columbus rosary service.

A complete obituary is pending.

Royals set season high for runs and hits in rout of Tigers

Posted on July 21, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Brandon Moss drove in four runs, Mike Moustakas had three RBIs and the Kansas City Royals routed the error-prone Detroit Tigers 16-4 on Thursday night.

Eric Hosmer and Whit Merrifield homered for the Royals, who moved within 1 1/2 games of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central. The 16 runs and 19 hits were season highs for Kansas City.

Detroit committed three errors in the Royals’ four-run first inning, when only one run was earned. It was the most errors the Tigers have made in an inning since May 1, 2010.

Michael Fulmer, the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year, threw 37 pitches in the first. The heat index was 107 when the game started.

Fulmer (10-7), who had won his previous four starts, was removed after facing 18 batters. He retired only eight, and eight scored. It was the shortest outing of his career.

Larks close out Jayhawk League play with win

Posted on July 21, 2017July 21, 2017

HAYS, Kan. – The Hays Larks secured a 30 win season for the sixth time in the last seven years with an 11-2 win over El Dorado Thursday night at Larks Park.

Trevor Boone’s two-run single with the bases loaded in the first inning gave them the lead for good as they sweep the three-game series. The Larks (30-13, 30-12 Jayhawk League) pushed four runs across in the fifth then three in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Keone Givens, Colin Simpson, Trevor Boone, Nick Jones, Alex Weiss and Trey Ochoa all had two hit games. Boone and Max Remy both drove in two runs.

Alex Lopez (6-2) was the first of six Larks pitchers and picked up the win. Tyler Starks struck out the side in the ninth to close the game.

The Larks, who have finished first or second in the Jayhawk League in 15 of the last 17 years, tie Liberal for the best record in the league but lost the tiebreaker to the Bee Jays who claimed their first title since 1999.

The Larks will play three games against the Colorado Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week before opening play at the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan. on Sunday July 30.