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Month: August 2017

John Franklin Francisco

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John Franklin Francisco, 76, of Lindsborg, KS returned home to join his wife, Mary Margaret Shaffer Francisco on Sunday, August 13, 2017 at Riverview Estates in Marquette, Kansas. Mary, who passed over on July 26, 2015 was waiting for him at the gates which we all are certain she was not happy in his delay of departure of two years. John served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War as a musician whom traveled around the world entertaining the combat troops, communities, and foreign dignitaries. Following his service to his country, John returned home to complete his college education to teach instrumental music from Fort Hays State University where he met the love of his life Mary Shaffer.

Mary, also a music major and music educator found an uncanny bond with John and agreed to join him in an adventure of a lifetime. John and Mary were joined in matrimony on August 10, 1969 at St John’s Lutheran Church in Salina, Kansas which began an amazing adventure for both that lasted for almost 46 years. This inseparable couple was a dynamic team who had built successful music programs in Dighton, Pretty Prairie, and Oakley Elementary, Jr High and High Schools.

By early 1980s this dynamic duo decided to make a career change by moving to Lindsborg, Kansas to pursue other careers. John attended Kansas Technical Institute (which is now K-State-Salina), to earn a degree in computer technology. Following graduation John was hired as an Assistant Professor in the computer technology department which he continued to guide and inspire students for another 20+ years. During this time, Mary chose a healthcare career path and earned her Certified Medical Assistant certification to care for the older adult population at Bethany Home for many years.

Upon their retirement of their careers, John and Mary spent as much time traveling the country visiting friends, relatives, their children who were stationed in other states and countries, and enjoying the different adventures they could accomplish. The inseparable bond between the two was admired by many including their children, Sam and Julie. It was their wish to be buried and memorialized together when the time came for them to pass to the other side.

John was greeted at Home by the love of his life, Mary, whom may have had words for his lateness, John’s parents, Ercil and Geneva, his cousin and best friend San D Francisco, Uncles, Aunts and old friends who have passed on were there to greet him as well. John leaves his wisdom, guidance, and love to his children Julie (Tom) Martin, and Sam (Mandy) Francisco, all from Lindsborg, Kansas. John and Mary also were blessed with 6 grandchildren, Daniel Martin, TJ Martin, Gracie, Campbell, Rhett and Saylor.

This celebration of this amazing couple will be held on Monday, August 21, 2017, 10:00am at Christians Funeral Home, 103 N. Washington, Lindsborg, Kansas with Pastor Ethan Feistner officiating. Inurnment will performed with full military honors at the Smoky Hill Cemetery following the celebration.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Kansas Cancer Center. Memorials may be sent in care of Christians Funeral Home.

Kan. Regulators Asked To Deny Oil Company’s Controversial Saltwater Injection Well

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By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Residents of the Flint Hills this week took a fight against an oil company to Kansas energy regulators as part of their broader battle to stem wastewater disposal in the area.

They fear that a request from Quail Oil and Gas to jettison up to 5,000 barrels a day of brine near Strong City and the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brings a risk for earthquakes or contamination of local groundwater — claims that the company disputes.

Residents from the Flint Hills traveled to Topeka for Wednesday’s Kansas Corporation Commission hearing. Some filed formal protest letters against Quail Oil’s application.
CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

An hours-long hearing in Topeka saw the two sides pit their lawyers and geologists against each other in hopes of winning over the three members of the Kansas Corporation Commission.

The commissioners will likely issue their decision within a couple months.

Fossil fuel companies churn up saltwater in the course of oil and gas production and dispose of it in wells by pouring or pumping it downward with pressure.

The vast majority of saltwater disposal wells are not linked to earthquakes, but Oklahoma and south-central Kansas have suffered temblors for years that stem from the high volume of saltwater injection in that area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 2009, that area has seen thousands of earthquakes strong enough for people to feel, and some have caused damage.

Part of the controversy over Quail Oil’s request in Morris County is whether the central Kansas Flint Hills are susceptible to quakes, too. Flint Hills residents who oppose Quail Oil’s application fear companies could turn increasingly to their region, opting to dig wells there since the KCC has placed caps on daily injection rates in counties farther south and west in an effort to curb the temblors.

Researchers say it’s impossible to know for certain whether a given well could cause quakes but that a wide range of factors — such as disposal volumes, pressurization and proximity to faults in the earth — come into play. Higher disposal volumes appear more closely linked to earthquakes.

Quail Oil argued Wednesday that the daily disposal volume it seeks is significantly lower than the injection rates allowed in the quake-prone south-central Kansas counties where the KCC has imposed restrictions. Additionally, the company argued that Morris County doesn’t have a history of seismic activity.

“In the area that we are, there’s been no earthquakes, and there’s been injection for a very long period of time,” Quail Oil manager Wray Valentine testified.

KCC staff recommended that the commissioners approve Quail Oil’s application, though toward the end of the hearing they surprised members of the audience by asking the commissioners not to grant the company permission to inject as much wastewater per day as it had asked for.
CREDIT CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

Valentine’s company has finished building the 2,700-foot-deep well where it plans to inject wastewater, but it needs permission from the commissioners to begin its dumping.

An unexpected moment came late in Wednesday’s hearing when KCC staff, who previously had recommended that commissioners approve the application, walked back from that position, calling instead for lower disposal volumes and pressurization than Quail Oil requested.

The new recommendation would halve the permissible pressure to 250 pounds per square inch and cut daily wastewater dumping to 2,000 barrels.

Bob Eye, an attorney representing the Flint Hills residents who oppose the project, asked the commissioners to reject the application or consider barring the company from using any pressure in wastewater disposal.

Relying on testimony from Emporia State geology professor emeritus James Aber, Eye warned that the area around Quail Oil’s newly built disposal well is “riddled with faults.”

Quail Oil’s attorney, Robert Vincze, put on the stand geologist Lee Shobe, an industry consultant who helped the company prepare its original application. Shobe testified that the geological characteristics in the Morris County area are well-suited for safe saltwater injection.

Most of the saltwater disposal wells in Morris County and its surrounding counties are not pressurized, according to data from the KCC. There are about 120 saltwater disposal wells in that region.

Cindy Hoedel, a resident of Matfield Green in neighboring Chase County, was among the Flint Hills residents asking the commissioners to reject Quail Oil’s request.

Hoedel recalled feeling her bed shaking and lifting from the floor during an Oklahoma quake that struck early one morning in September 2016 and shook the earth hundreds of miles away.

“My husband and I both moved toward the center of the bed,” she said. “It was really frightening.”

Hoedel said she worries about much stronger effects if saltwater injection operations eventually begin triggering epicenters closer to her home.

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.

Waymaster to hear concerns about proposed hog confinement expansion from Rush, Ellis Co. residents

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Expansion would increase maximum number of animals from less than 4,000 to more than 24,000

PFEIFER — State Rep. Troy Waymaster is scheduled to meet with Ellis and Rush county residents Friday concerning a proposed hog farm expansion just south of the county line.

Melanie Urban, who lives 1.1 miles from the edge of one of the proposed buildings, said the purpose of the meeting is to inform Waymaster of the local concerns about the expansion, which could increase the permitted number of animals from 3,840 to 24,408.

The existing operation was a finishing facility but was sold recently. According to the permit application, the proposed expansion would be a full production unit with up to 12,822 hogs more than 55 pounds and up to 11,586 hogs less than 55 pounds.

“We don’t know who the actual owners are yet,” said Urban, wife of Rush County Commissioner Ken Urban.

The applicant is listed as Bison Rush Genetics LLC, with a post office box address in Carthage, Ill. That address is associated with Professional Swine Management.

Urban said locals have concerns about the proximity of the facility to Pfeifer and Loretta, as well as the Smoky Hill River.

“The Smoky (Hill) River is 1.5 miles away. Pfeifer is less than 2 miles,” Urban said. “They’re putting it way too close to people and way too close to water resources.”

Click HERE to view the permit application. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment oversees those permit applications.

Urban said there already has been dirt work done at the site, and that water wells have been drilled in preparation for the expansion.

Check HaysPost.com for more as details become available.

Police: Kan. woman used Facebook for sex with 12-year-old

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Dyke-photo Saline County

SALINE COUINTY—  Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on alleged child sex charges.

On August 16, a Salina woman told police of an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship between a 20-year-old and her 12-year-old son, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester.

The suspect sent photos on Facebook to entice the boy, according to Forrester. Their encounter allegedly occurred at the suspect’s apartment in the 2300 Block of Chapel Ridge in Salina.

An investigating led police to 18-year-old Lenora Dyke. Police arrested her Thursday. She is jailed on requested charges of electronic solicitation, promoting obscenity to a minor and rape.

🎥 Kansas Merci Boxcar must be relocated

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The Kansas Merci boxcar has been in Hays since 1949.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The historic Kansas Merci Boxcar which sits in front of the former Hays American Legion building, 1305 Canterbury, will be moved to its new home in the adjacent Veterans Park.

The non-profit local chapter of “40 and 8” has raised $8,000 towards the project, which may cost $35,000, according to one estimate.

Parks Director Jeff Boyle told Hays City Commissioners Thursday the new owner of the building has contractors ready to work on the exterior and the attached railroad car needs to be removed.

“We’ll set the railroad ties and the rails over there, have a contractor remove the roof over the existing structure, and basically pick the boxcar up and set it down in the new location. We’ll put some fencing around it while the site is under construction,” Boyle explained.

(Click to enlarge)

He showed commissioners a proposed site map by Advanced Land Surveying & Drafting of Hays, which was created at no cost for the project.

A new roof structure and permanent fence will be installed at a later date when additional funding is available. The boxcar was first located on the campus of of Fort Hays State University where it sat for 20 years in the open.

City commissioners agreed they would like the city to match a portion of the funds raised. Commissioner Sandy Jacobs is executive director of Heartland Community Foundation and  has been working with Boyle and the group to find more grants and funding. “I think it’s out there,” she told commissioners.

The Hays boxcar is one of 49 that toured each state, the District of Columbia and Hawaii in 1949. They were all filled with gifts of cultural significance from the people of France in thanks to Americans who sent needed supplies to France after World War II. The boxcars were able to hold 40 men or 8 horses which is the origin of the name Society of 40 Men and 8 Horses.

According to information provided by Vance Chartier, 40 and 8 Chef de Train, the Kansas  boxcar toured 120 cities, ending in Hays on Nov. 11, 1949. After it was paraded through town during the Armistice Day parade, it was placed at Fort Hays Kansas State College (now Fort Hays State University) for display and awarded to the local 40 and 8 chapter to maintain and preserve for the state. In 1975 it was moved to the American Legion where it was rebuilt and turned into a museum.

Ed Holzmeister and Vance Chartier listen to city commissioners discuss relocating the Kansas Merci Boxcar to the city-owned Veterans Park.

Donation boxes are currently located at The Press restaurant in the Hadley Center, Vanderbilt’s, Heartland Lumber, JD’s Chicken and Dairy Queen.

More information is available from Chartier at 785-623-6747 or Ed Holzmeister at 785-625-9681.

Siemens announces layoffs in Kansas

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RENO COUNTY — Siemens announced Friday layoffs of 140 employees at its assembly plant 1000 Commerce Street, Hutchinson.

In a media release, the company reported business volume in Hutchinson through the 2018 fiscal year does not support the existing workforce level.

“While we remain strongly committed to the long-term viability of the U.S. wind market, a difficult decision has been made to adjust the workforce by about 140 employees, to be carried out in the fall.

“As a reflection of the importance of Hutchinson to our business strategy moving forward, we announced our intention to pursue a capital investment at the plant that involves retooling an existing production line.”

Workers at Siemens’ 300,000-square-foot plant in Hutchinson assemble nacelles, which sit atop the wind tower, supporting the rotor and housing components for electric power generation, including the gearbox, the drive train and the control electronics. The plant opened in 2010.

Kansas jobless rate flat in July, 3 percent in Ellis County

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Click to expand
KDOL

Preliminary estimates reported by the Kansas Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.7 percent in July. This was unchanged from June and down from 4.2 percent in July 2016.

“The Kansas unemployment rate made significant improvements early this calendar year falling to the low level of 3.7 percent.” said Kansas Secretary of Labor, Lana Gordon. “This month, the rate remains at 3.7 percent, the lowest rate since the fall of 2000.”

Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 1,300 from June. Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, decreased by 1,200 from the previous month.

“Employers scheduled more hours for existing workers during the month compared to one year ago. This, along with an increase in hourly earnings contributed to a notable gain in average weekly earnings for July,” said Senior Labor Economist, Tyler Tenbrink. “The estimated changes in the number of jobs and the size of the labor force were not significant this month.”

Since July 2016, Kansas lost 10,800 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs and 12,100 private sector jobs.

Unemployment rates across northwest Kansas remained low, with Rooks County reporting the highest area jobless rate at 4.4 percent. In Ellis County, the unemployment rate was 3 percent. Click on the map above for county-by-county figures.

🎥 ‘150 Years of Service’ mural nearing completion at Hays VFW

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“150 Years of Service,” by Hays artist Dennis Schiel, is nearly finished on the north wall of VFW Post 9076.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The huge mural project underway on the north side of the Hays VFW building, 2106 Vine, is nearing completion.

The military history painting “150 Years of Service” by Hays artist Dennis Schiel has been consigned by the Hays Arts Council in observation of the 150th anniversary of Ellis County, the city of Hays and historic Fort Hays. Hays Arts Council is celebrating its 50th year in 2017.

Schiel started with a depiction of the Buffalo Soldiers, the black troops who served at Fort Hays, and then he painted Walker Air Force Base which was open during World War II just east of Hays.

“Every war will also be represented and every armed service will be represented,” Schiel explained as worked in black, gray and white tones on the World War I picture.

“Since it’s our 150th anniversary, I wanted to paint something that shows 150 years of military service.”

Schiel, a professional artist for more than 30 years, usually paints on a much smaller scale, often portraits and other consigned images which will hang on indoor walls.

“This is really fun,” he laughed, making large swooping passes with a large paintbrush on the light red brick. “I don’t have to make sure every line is real straight because if you get away from it, you can’t tell the difference.”

In comparison, the subjects in the Kansas mural he painted which hangs in the Topeka state capitol “took as long as these pictures will and the Kansas subjects are just two by three inches.”

Schiel mixes paint on his pickup tail gate.

He likes to call his large work “slopping paint.”

“This wall is presenting a challenge. It’s so porous, it’s hard to make everything work. We initially started with 2.5 gallons for the base and ended up using 7 gallons of paint just to get the base down. It just sucks it in.”

Schiel also painted the mural on the north side of the Fox Pavilion in downtown Hays which depicts the 150 years of history in Ellis County.

“The Fox wall was smooth brick,” he noted.  After working on the VFW wall for a while, Schiel said he learned some secrets to painting on porous brick. “You have to use a fan brush and that way the paint gets down into the pores.”

He hadn’t planned to use little fan brushes but discovered the need since the military scene subjects are quite a bit smaller than those on the two-story Fox Pavilion.

And the secret to working in the summer heat?

“Move fast,” Schiel answered with a big laugh. He actually prefers the paint dry quickly so he can layer it if necessary.

Schiel has been keeping plenty of water with him and says the veterans inside the air-conditioned environs of Post 9076 have been “really nice, inviting me in for a drink at the end of the day.”

When completed, the mural will include scenes of Buffalo Soldiers, WWI, Walker Air Force Base, WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, Gulf Wars, symbols of the five armed services,  a bald eagle–the nation’s symbol–and a jet, all set against the red, white and blue background of a flying American flag.

The original plans for the VFW mural called for painting it on the west side which faces the heavily trafficked Vine Street, according to Schiel.

“But the sun would get to it constantly and that just won’t work. This should last a lot longer,” he predicted. Following a little bit of research, he’s now hoping the mural will last at least 20 years after applying a sealing coat.

Schiel expects to be done with the mural by the end of the month.

Official to make case for new mental hospital in Kansas

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Tim Keck, secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services has s privatization plan for Osawatomie State Hospital
photo Kansas News Service

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. (AP) — The head of the agency that oversees a troubled state mental hospital is making the case for a new facility.

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services announced in a news release Thursday that Secretary Tim Keck will make presentations in coming weeks in Wichita, Independence, Topeka and Kansas City.

The announcement came after the agency rolled out a proposal Tuesday from Correct Care Recovery Solutions to build a new hospital at the current location of Osawatomie State Hospital and take over operations. Legislative approval would be required.

Federal officials decertified the hospital in 2015 after a series of inspections uncovered problems. The decertification has cost the hospital about $1 million monthly in federal funding, although a recent successful inspection has moved the facility closer to regaining certification.

COLUMN: High school activities bring communities together

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By BOB GARDNER
National Federation of State High School Associations
and GARY MUSSELMAN
Kansas State High School Activities Association

Tailgates. Pep rallies. Friday night lights. The new school year is here! And that’s exciting news for student-athletes and high school sports fans alike.

Research shows that being a student-athlete is about a lot more than fun and games. It teaches important life lessons, too. In fact, high school athletes not only have higher grade point averages and fewer school absences than non-athletes, they also develop the kind of work habits and self-discipline that helps them become more responsible and productive community members.

Attending high school sporting events teaches important life lessons, too.

Among them, it teaches that we can live in different communities, come from different backgrounds, faiths and cultures, cheer for different teams, and still have a common bond.

That’s why attending the activities hosted by your community’s high school this fall is so important. It’s not only an opportunity to cheer for your hometown team, it is also an opportunity to celebrate our sense of community, and that’s something our country needs right now.

The bond we share is mutually supporting the teenagers in our respective communities. We applaud their persistence, tenacity, preparation and hard work, regardless of the color uniform they wear. We acknowledge education-based, high school sports are enhancing their lives, and ours, in ways that few other activities could. And we agree that, regardless of what side of the field we sit on, attending a high school sporting event is an uplifting, enriching, family-friendly experience for all of us.

Many of the high schools in our state lie at the heart of the communities they serve. They not only are educating our next generation of leaders, they also are a place where we congregate, where people from every corner of town and all walks of life come together as one. At no time is this unity more evident than during a high school athletic event.

This is the beginning of a new school year. Opportunities abound both in and outside of the classroom. Let’s make the most of them by attending as many athletic events at the high school in our community as possible.
Turn on the lights, and let the games begin!

Bob Gardner is Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and Gary Musselman is Executive Director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

Lialda L. (Mader) Walker

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Lialda L. (Mader) Walker, 86, Hays, died Thursday, August 17, 2017 at HaysMed.

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

KZ Country Cheesy Joke of the Day 8/18/17

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khaz cheesy joke logo 20110802One Sunday morning, a preacher told his congregation, “Everyone who wants to go to heaven, come down to the front!”  The whole church came forward except one man.  Thnking that maybe the man hadn’t heard him, the preacher repeated the invitation.  Again, the man just sat there.

“Sir,” said the preacher, “don’t you want to go to heaven when you die?”

The man replied, “Oh, when I die!  I thought you were getting a group ready to go right now.”

 

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

 

 

 

This weekend’s Hays-area garage sales

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Hays-area garage sales

Made possible by our sponsors: Coldwell Banker Executive Realty, Midwest Energy, Nex-Tech Wireless, Northwestern Printers and RE/MAX Pro.

Scroll to the bottom for a map of garage sale locations. Hays Post offers FREE garage sale listings weekly. Having a sale next weekend? Click HERE for details.

Address: 1903 A Marshall, Hays
Items for sale: Household items, yard tools, tools, games, lots of misc.

8/19/17 from 8 am to 1 pm

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Address: 4945 General Hays Rd., Hays
Items for sale: FREE ENTRY
NORTHGLEN SUMMER’S END FLEA MARKET & TRADERS FAIR

~AUGUST 26th~1/2 MILE NORTH OF I-70 to Northglen Antiques for the Summer’s End Flea Market & Traders Fair.~mmer’s End Flea Market & Traders Fair

Go North to Northglen Antiques. 4945 General Hays Road. 1/2 Mile North of I-70 in Hays

Vendors selling Antiques & Collectables, Amish Furniture, Crafts, Food and more.

There’s still room for vendors! Email [email protected] to participate or call 888-785-4005 or 785-623-0908

Sat. August 26th, 8am – 3pm

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Address: 1305 Lawrence Drive, Hays
Items for sale: electronics, books, video tapes, adult clothing, nick naks, file cabinets, home decor, kitchen items, hats (men’s and women’s), records, stuffed animals, doll toys, models . .

August 19, 2017 8 am-4pm

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Address: 311 E 19th, Hays
Items for sale: This multi-family garage sale is a must visit! There is something for everyone and would be perfect for college students moving to town or people just starting out with lots of furniture and household goods available.

Daybed, trundle beds, mattress
Multiple table and chair sets
Office furniture, file cabinet, printer, miscellaneous supplies
Household furniture: recliner, ottomans, lamps, mirrors, shelving
Window AC, window treatments
Exercise equipment: elliptical, ab glider
Assorted kitchen utensils, dishes, cookware
Kitchen appliances large and small
Clothing for everyone in a broad range of sizes
Prom/homecoming dresses
Accessories: jewelry, purses, luggage
Assorted tools
Kid/adult bikes, air pump
Outdoor gliders
Outdoor equipment: grills, tents, mower
Assorted pet supplies: kennels, fish tanks
Décor: handmade wreaths, home and holiday items
Books, CDs, DVDs
Toys and other miscellaneous children items
Electronics: stereo, portable speakers, TVs, routers, chargers
Shot glasses/shot glass case

Fri 8/18 1pm-7pm Sat 8/19 8am-1pm

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Address: 500 West 31st Street, Hays
Items for sale: 3 Family sale
toddler clothes
Women’s clothes
Toys
Crib
Home decor
Kitchen items
Homemade burlap wreaths
Longaberger baskets
Lots of stuff

Friday, 8a.m-7p.m.

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Address: 2009 Marshall, Hays
Items for sale: Friday 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – Noon

2009 Marshall street
Must see yard sale.

Adult clothing- men’s and women’s
Shoes
Pool ladder
Microwave cart- still new in the box
Dog house
Golf clubs
Jeep stroller
Kids toys- kitchen play set DVDs
Fishing boxes
Dressers
Collectible toys
Antique curio cabinet Ironing board
entertainment center Lamps

Plus, much more. Not responsible for accidents.

Friday 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am – Noon

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Address: 3701 Country Lane, Hays
Items for sale: Harley Davidson merchandise, clothes—teens to adult, household goods, free standing dog kennel

8/19/2017, 8;00 am-3:00 pm

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SUBMIT your free garage sale listing where it will be SEEN! Deadline is noon each Wednesday, but, hey, we’re flexible here at Hays Post. Click HERE to submit your weekend garage sale.

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