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Month: August 2017

Waterline improvements in 2018 to be discussed by Ellis city council tonight

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ELLIS–Ellis city council members will be talking waterline improvements in 2018 and will hear an update on the water exploration project during their meeting tonight.

Repairs to the Dorrance Street bridge will also be discussed.

The complete agenda follows.

AGENDA August 21, 2017
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF ELLIS
City Hall – Council Meeting Room

PUBLIC HEARING – 2018 WATERLINE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT – 7:00 P.M.
BILLS ORDINANCE REVIEW WORK SESSION BEGINS AT 7:15 P.M.
ROLL CALL AND MEETING CALL TO ORDER AT 7:30 P.M.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA (if needed)
1) CONSENT AGENDA
a) Minutes from Regular Meeting on August 7, 2017
b) Bills Ordinance #2027
c) Manual Journal Entries for July
(Council will review for approval under one motion under the consent agenda. By majority vote of the governing body, any item may be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately)
PUBLIC COMMENTS
(Each speaker will be limited to five minutes. If several people from the group wish to speak on same subject, the group must appoint a spokesperson. ALL comments from public on agenda items must be during Public Comment. Once council begins their business meeting, no more comments from public will be allowed.)
2) PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
3) SPECIAL ORDER
a) Monthly Fire Department Report – Chief Dustin Vine
4) UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a) Consider Approval of Change Order Justification Report for Street Improvement Project – Buck Driggs, Driggs Design Group
b) Discussion on Repairs to Dorrance Street Bridge – Buck Driggs, Driggs Design Group
c) Update and Discussion on Water Exploration Project (including Executive Session) – Gary Luea, Water Advisory Committee
5) NEW BUSINESS
a) Consider Agreement for Professional Engineering Services – 2018 Waterline Improvement Project
b) Consider Approval of Resolutions Related to 2018 CDBG Waterline Improvement Project
c) Consider Approval of Administrative Services Contract with Northwest Kansas Planning & Development Commission for 2018 Waterline Improvement Project
d) Consider Approval of Survey Bids to Define Boundaries of Ellis Golf Club
e) Consider Approval of Public Property Permit Application – Ellis Scouts Pack 115
f) Consider Approval of Public Property Permit Application – Ellis Chamber of Commerce
g) Consider Approval of Purchase of Chemicals for Wastewater Treatment Plant
h) Consider Bids for Repairs to South Access Door to City Hall
i) Consider Approval of Janitorial Services Contract
j) Discuss Vehicles Parked in Resident’s Yards
k) Discuss Tree City USA Program
6) REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
a) Administrative
1) Public Works
(1) Comparative Water Report
(2) Department Update
2) Police
(1) Department Update
3) City Clerk
(1) Financial Statements for July
(2) Draft Minutes for City Committees
(3) Health Insurance Savings Report for July
(4) Department Update
4) Attorney
(1) Update on Status of Code Violation Cases
(2) Status Update on Purchase/Demolition of House on 12th Street
(3) Consider Approval to Attend Training
5) Mayor Update and Announcements
(1) Consider Request for Extension of Vacation Leave
(2) Announce Annual League Conference
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
7) ADJOURNMENT

HAWVER: Brownback does a little housecleaning

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Martin Hawver

Remember when you moved out of your college apartment, and probably because your mother told you to, you vacuumed one last time and checked to make sure nothing was spoiling in the refrigerator?

Gov. Sam Brownback did the equivalent of that final cleanup last week when he told Secretary of Corrections Joe Norwood to start the paperwork to give raises of 10 percent to correctional officers at El Dorado Correctional Facility, the state’s biggest prison…and, oh yes, 5 percent to uniformed correctional officers at the state’s other prisons.

Those raises, which are aimed at boosting employment at El Dorado where there were some relatively moderate convict uprisings last month and throwing a bone to the officers at other facilities, will cost a few million dollars, and he agreed with leaders of the House and Senate that the budget touch-ups that will be required to balance the Corrections budget will be taken care of next session.

That averted a special session of the Legislature, which leaders feared, to deal with the prison salary issue this fall, and also was probably the most solid indication that Brownback is quietly waiting for his confirmation to a State Department post dealing with international religious freedom and protection to which he has been appointed by President Donald Trump.

And, Brownback’s raise proposition, while less than many had wanted for prison workers, also essentially indicates that there’s apparently no not-yet-visible special provision that Brownback wants considered on his way out of office. Back in 2014, Brownback called a special session to deal with a flaw in the state’s Hard 50 sentencing statute but was likely more interested in Senate confirmation of his former legal counsel Caleb Stegall to the Kansas Court of Appeals under a new constitutional amendment passed in 2014.

That prison raise approved by the governor essentially means that Brownback is doing housekeeping on his way out, and trusts the Legislature to get into the scrap over those prison salaries next session when he will presumably read about the issue in the newspaper at his Washington, D.C., office.

Might note that the governor wasn’t interested in taking a leadership role on a bigger dollar issue last year, when it was learned just after the election that the newly elected Legislature faced millions of dollars of shortfall in last fiscal year, and instead of using his authority to cut spending, handed the tough decisions off to the lawmakers to wrestle with in this year’s session.

The prison raises authorized by Brownback aren’t likely to solve the problem of crowded prisons, of staff turnover that neared 50 percent in the last fiscal year at El Dorado and averaged 33 percent in the entire eight-facility corrections system. The lower raises at the other seven institutions will be an issue when the Legislature reconvenes, and the raise issue will undoubtedly spread to other state employees, many of whom got their first 2.5 percent raise this year after nearly a decade of frozen salaries.

The prison raises will become a catalyst for state employee pay consideration, which is a bigger issue in cities with high numbers of state workers than across the prairie, and which will also be compared to pay for schoolteachers, who are likely to receive raises this year due to increased state spending on K-12. No telling whether the Kansas Supreme Court will determine that the increased spending on public schools meets the constitutional “adequacy” requirement, but some districts have decided to take what is in their budgets and spend it on raises for schoolteachers.

Practically, Brownback damped the prison pay issue, or at least reduced its heat, and set an example that Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, who ascends to the governorship when Brownback is confirmed for the Trump appointment, is going to have to deal with for the final year of the gubernatorial term and in preparation for his race for governor…

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

Ness City man hospitalized after I-70 motorcycle accident

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WABAUNSEE COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 10p.m. Sunday in Wabaunsee County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Harley Davidson driven by Brian V. Weber, 46, Ness City, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Spring Creek Road. The motorcycle traveled off the roadway and the driver was ejected into the grassy area.

Weber was transported to a hospital in Topeka. He was wearing eye protection but not a helmet, according to the KHP.

Joan Kathleen Henry

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Joan Kathleen Henry, 87, formerly of Hays, entered the kingdom of heaven on Friday, August 18, 2017. She died at Bryan East Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

She was born March 16, 1930, in Agra, Kansas, to Gladys (Dixon) and Harry Beedy. On June 14, 1952, she was united in marriage to Vernon C. Henry. He preceded her in death in 2009. Joan graduated from Fort Hays State University in 1954 with a degree in Music Education. She was an administrative assistant at Felten Middle School and the director of Christian education at the First United Methodist Church, both in Hays. She was a member of the Chapter EC PEO, Sigma Alpha Iota, Federated Music Club, United Methodist Women, Kappa Phi, Sigma Kappa sorority and was a Hays Medical Center volunteer. She was an active participant in many musical organizations in Hays and attended every musical performance of her daughters for six decades.

Survivors include two daughters, Michele Filbert (Dwight), Suzanne Petersen (Barry); six grandchildren, Rob Petersen, Kelli Gorley (Brit), Courtney Filbert, Casey Rhoads (RJ), Kyle Petersen, Kevin Petersen (Kristine) and Dayna Petersen; 6 great grandchildren and a brother-in-law, Bill Bixenman.

She was preceded in death by husband Vernon; her parents Gladys and Harry; a Grandson, Dustin Filbert; and two sisters, Pat Theis and Harriet Bixenman.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Friday, August 25, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church, 305 W. 7th Street, Hays, with Rev. Michael Rose officiating.

Inurnment will follow in Mt. Allen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9:30 am until service time at the church on Friday. Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church Trustees or to Fort Hays State University Department of Music, in care of the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine St.

Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.

Eclipse special will air Monday on Eagle local channel

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For those unable to get outside to watch the eclipse, Eagle Channels 14 and 614 will offer a special broadcast Monday.

The Center for Educational Media at Middle Tennessee State University will broadcast an eclipse special from noon to 2 p.m., featuring experts, a live feed from NASA and a live feed from the MTSU observatory telescope. The university is directly in the path of the eclipse.

Eclipse party is today at FHSU’s Sternberg Museum

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FHSU University Relations

Total eclipse 2017 will be a participatory sport, and Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History will play its part in this national event with a celebration of exhibits, activities, and programs, indoors and out.

Hays is not in the totality zone, but the moon will cover about 95 percent of the sun during maximum eclipse at 12:59 p.m. The Sternberg party begins at 10 a.m. Monday at the museum.

A highlight will be a large screen projection of NASA’s live feed as the eclipse progresses across the United States and will include images from before, during and after the eclipse collected from 11 spacecraft, more than 50 high-altitude balloons, at least three NASA aircraft, the International Space Station and ground stations along the path of totality.

Activities include The Big Blink, a special exhibition detailing the what, when, where, why, how and who of the total solar eclipse. Telescopes with various solar filters for viewing different aspects of the eclipse will be available.

Stations include an interactive play-with-sun-shadows station and planetarium shows.

Spectators will also be able to make their own pinhole projection viewers. The museum will provide boxes while supplies last, or participants can bring their own empty cereal box.

Lunch hour does not have to be sacrificed to the eclipse: Smokin’ Co. BBQ and Taco Riendo will be on hand offering their lunch specialties, and Ice Cream Express will be on site for cool desserts.

Investigation Stations will also be available to learn how to explore with downloadable planetarium software, science phone apps, citizen science projects and more.

Safety-certified eclipse glasses and other eclipse supplies will be available for purchase in the museum’s Excavations Gift Shop.

The schedule:

10 a.m.: Celebration begins.

11:05 a.m.: First contact in Salem, Ore., as the moon starts to cover the sun’s disk.

11:32 a.m.: The moon’s shadow begins to be visible in Hays.

12:35-37 p.m.: Totality is reached in Salem, Ore.

12:59 p.m.: Maximum eclipse is reached in Hays with 94.6 percent of the sun occluded.

1:46-48 p.m.: Totality reached in Charleston, S.C.

2:27 p.m.: In Hays, the full diameter of the sun emerges from behind the moon.

In addition to the Sternberg Museum, celebration sponsors are the Fort Hays State University Foundation, The Meckenstock Group and Dock’s Boat & RV.

Katherine ‘Katie’ Alexandria Miller

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Katherine “Katie” Alexandria Miller passed away Monday, August 15, 2017 at her home in Roeland Park, Kansas at the age of 70. She was born on August 22, 1946 in Wilson, Kansas to the late Levi and Irene (Zelenka) Miller. The second of three children, she grew up in Wilson graduating from Wilson High School with the Class of 1964. She went on to attend college for three more semesters.

Katie worked as an executive assistant for J.E. Dunn Construction Company out of Kansas City. She was a great cook, and especially enjoyed making chocolate chip cookies, which she always shared with fellow employees and neighbors. She enjoyed gardening and her home and yard were always full of beautiful flowers. Above all, Katie had a huge heart and was willing to help anyone who had need. She was a great lover of cats, and always had several furry friends to take care of her entire life.

Katie is survived by her brother Luther Miller of Roeland Park; brother-in-law Jon Jones of Wichita; nephew Taylor Jones and wife Tiffany of Manhattan, with great-nephews Levi and Hunter Jones; and niece Page (Jones) Nelson and husband Scott of Wichita.

She was preceded in death by her parents Levi and Irene Miller, and sister Patricia (Miller) Jones.

The Apostle Peter wrote, “The unfading beauty of a gentle spirit is of great worth in God’s sight.” Katie showed us by the example of her loving and gentle heart, that nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing so gentle as true strength. Her legacy of love will live on in the hearts and lives, of all of her family and friends, for generations to come.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30am on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at Foster Mortuary in Wilson. Inurnment will follow in the Wilson City Cemetery.

David L. Seibel

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David L. Seibel, age 80, of Ellis, Kansas died Friday, August 18, 2017, at his home after a battle with cancer. He was born in Hays, Kansas on March 14, 1937, to Edwin and Anna (Gaschler) Seibel. He graduated from Ellis High School in 1955. On June 9, 1964, he married Verla Bromlow.

He worked in the oilfield industry and was a farmer and stockman for most of his life. He was a member of St. Mary’s Church, served on St. Mary’s Home and School committee, Golden Belt CO-OP and Ellis Credit Union Board of Directors. He was a loving husband, amazing father and the best silly grandpa. He thoroughly enjoyed his family, friends, boating, camping and attending his grandchildren’s sporting events.

Survivors include his wife Verla of 53 years of the home, children Sharon Wielbeski (Steve), Kodiak, AK; Donna Brown (Kevin Fabrizius), Kerrville, TX; Steve Seibel (Peggy), Ellis; Gary Seibel (Terri), Salina; Lora Gottschalk (Jude), Hays; Natalie Fischer (Craig), Salina; Lana Seibel (Jamey Garner) Lawrence; 16 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; brothers Don Seibel, Liberal; Darrell Seibel, Hays; Jack Seibel, Peoria, IL; and sister Carol Babcock, Phoenix, AZ.

He was preceded in death by his parents and son, Mark.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 21, 2017 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ellis with burial to follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be Sunday 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the church with a combined rosary and parish vigil service at 7:00 pm. Arrangements under the direction of Keithley Funeral Chapel of Ellis.

Memorials are suggested to either Hospice at HaysMed or St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ellis.

Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]

Lucille Elizabeth Nash

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Lifelong Goodland, Kansas, resident Lucille Elizabeth Nash, 89, passed away on Friday, August 18, 2017 at the Goodland Regional Medical Center following a brief battle with cancer.

Lucille was born in Ruleton, Kansas on December 21, 1927 to Fred and Ellen (Duell) Nelson. She was the 5th of seven children. As a child, she attended school in Ruleton and graduated from Sherman County High School in 1945.

In May of 1948, Lucille married Robert E. Nash in Goodland. To this union, two children Terry, and Cindy were born. A third child, Julie, died at birth. Lucille spent most of her time working as a medical assistant and later helping her husband with his bulk tank business and raising their children. She was a member of the Goodland United Methodist Church, and was a member of the Church Circle. She was well known by many people for always attending many sporting events involving the high school students. However, most important to Lucille, was the time spent with her family. She cherished every moment of it.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband and an infant daughter Julie Kay Nash. She was also preceded in death by 3 brothers, Martin, Melvin and Harry Nelson, 2 sisters, Irene Peter and Esther Peter.
She is survived by her son Terry Nash and his wife Linda of Germantown, Tennessee and daughter Cindy Swayne and her husband Marvin of Wichita, Kansas. She is also survived by one grandson Ryan Swayne of Augusta, KS, and one brother Carl Nelson and his wife Elmarie of Ruleton, Kansas.

Funeral services for Lucille will be held on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at 2:00 PM MT at the United Methodist Church in Goodland with Pastor Zach Anderson. Interment will follow in the Goodland Cemetery, Goodland, KS.
Visitation was held on Monday, August 21, 2017 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

In Lieu of Flowers, memorials may be designated to the United Methodist Church and may be left at the service or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.

Funeral services were entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland, Kansas.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Jake and the bone pile

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Call it a problem, or call it an inconvenience, but a challenge for all of us hunters, fishermen and trappers who don’t live in the country or who don’t own land is finding a place to unload carcasses and those “parts and pieces” remaining after cleaning fish and game.

A friend recently told me they discovered someone had cleaned a mess of frogs and deposited the remains on the back corner of their property (and NO it wasn’t me!) Anyway, that reminded me of an “incident” some years back, and since this “incident” took place in the winter, maybe reading this will make you think “cool” thoughts. So grab an ice cream sandwich or a Klondike bar and enjoy reading “Jake and the Bone Pile.”

Steve Gilliland

My sister had an old dog named Jake, a stray as I remember it. Jake was old and a little crippled and was kind of the color of light brown gravy. Jake often seemed dumber than a bag of hammers, but he knew no strangers. He was big and stocky and when his tail got to waggin’ his whole back end wagged.

His back half would fling from side-to-side so violently I often expected something from back there to come loose and fly across the yard! He always greeted visitors with something in his mouth, wanting to play fetch; trouble was, that “something” was always a 2×4 or a tree limb about 4 feet long, and once his body got to waggin’ with his chosen tree limb or 2×4 in his mouth, he could easily take you out with a whack across the legs. Ole’ Jake’s obsession took him far and wide over the farm to find just the right object to carry around in his position as head greeter on their farm.

Every livestock farm raising chickens, turkeys, hogs, sheep or cattle, like it or not has occasional casualties from sickness or cold weather. And every livestock farm has a “bone pile,” a spot somewhere in the “back 40” where carcasses can be dumped in a ravine or a briar patch as a way to discreetly dispose of them while Mother Nature and the coyotes compost them. The first year I trapped beavers here in Kansas, I learned to take advantage of the bone pile on my sister’s farm as a convenient way to dispose of beaver carcasses after I had removed their pelts. I had traps nearby, so every time I caught a beaver I’d just carry the carcass with me the following morning and deposit it on the pile when I was in the neighborhood; very convenient for me.

One particularly cold morning I got a call from my sister; she sounded a little miffed, but I could tell she was on the verge of laughter even as we spoke. It seems she looked out into the yard this cold frozen morning to find Jake playing with his usual large prize, but something looked odd about that day’s trophy, so curiosity sent her into the yard to see just what he had found this time. As she approached, Jake’s back end began to wag feverishly, thinking someone was coming to play fetch with him and his prize, and he spun around joyfully and greeted her with a frozen beaver carcass from the bone pile clenched proudly in his big yap!

Yup, dogs are the epitome of unconditional love and acceptance. One minute they can seem dumber than a box of rocks, the next minute they curl up beside you in your old recliner and become your most loyal friend, despite the names you have just called them for performing certain hygiene functions in the middle of the dining room. Mutts, you gotta; love em’! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Harry E. Shank

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Harry E. Shank, age 94, died on August 20, 2017 at Cedar Village, Ness City. He was born on February 12, 1923 on the family farm near Bazine, Kansas to Will and Katie Meyer Shank.

Harry was a 1940 graduate of Bazine High School and a graduate of Kansas State University. He was a United States Navy Veteran having served during World War II. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Bazine and he served on numerous boards and committees throughout the years.

He married Bettie Jean Lent on June 8, 1947 in Bazine. He is survived by his wife, Bettie; his son, Harold Shank and his wife, Jan of Hanston; his daughter, Jean Petersilie and her husband, Doug of Ness City; five grandchildren, Katie and Travis Ruff, Jared and Erin Petersilie, Travis and Laurie Petersilie, Brad and Tara Shank, and Kalyn and Kyle Newman; and 13 great grandchildren, Garrett, Jessie, and Kody Ruff, Ethan and Jadyn Petersilie, Emma, Isabel, and Aubrey Petersilie, Devin, Talon, and Ryker Shank, and Koby and Kade Newman.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Glenn, Clyde, and Lloyd Shank.

Funeral service will be on Thursday, August 24, 2017, 10:00 a.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City with burial following in the Crandall Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. with the family present from 6-8 pm on Wednesday.

Memorial contributions may be given to the First Baptist Church, Bazine or Cedar Village, Ness City.

🎥 More furniture dumped at Hays Community Assistance Center

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UPDATE: According to the CAC, the person responsible for this incident reported to the police department and was cited.

The Community Assistance Center in Hays has reported another case of dumping at the local aid agency.

Furniture was dumped at the 208 E. 12th location at about 4:40 p.m. Saturday, according to co-director Laurie Mortinger.

The incident — one of several over the summer — was captured on security video and reported to the Hays Police Department. She asked anyone with information to call the HPD at (785) 625-1030.

Mortinger said dumping at the center and other aid agencies is becoming a persistent problem.

Mortinger stressed that the Community Assistance Center does, in fact, accept donations of furniture and other items — so long as it is in good condition and clean.

She asked anyone wishing to donate first call (785) 625-9110 to make an appointment, adding people are not supposed to dump or leave anything across the street without permission.

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