On Dec. 9, a 911 call was placed at 3:17 p.m. to the Trego County Law Enforcement Center.

Clayton Donnell Barnhill of Grayson, La., was working on a communications tower approximately a half-mile east of Highway 283 on CC Road in rural Trego County when he fell 320 feet to the ground.

A deputy from the Trego County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene at approximately 3:32 p.m. The death investigator, David Day arrived on scene at approximately 4:20 p.m., and Barnhill was pronounced dead at the scene at that time.

Based on reports by the Trego County Sheriff’s Office, a coworker on the tower with the deceased heard the deceased “click” his safety harness on, then the deceased leaned back and started to fall to the ground. Another co-worker on the ground, reported that the deceased hit three guy wires as he fell to the ground.

Following an investigation by Trego County Coroner Dr. Lyle Noordhoek and the Trego County Sheriff’s Office, it has been determined that the cause of death was accidental.

— News release

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Ellis County Commission meetings will soon be broadcast on both Eagle and Nex-Tech cable systems and available to view online.

In 2016, the county commission asked staff members to look into broadcasting the commission meetings and, in 2017, the commission identified it as one improvement the commission could make in the future.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the commission gave approval to staff to purchase equipment broadcast equipment from Eagle Communications for $5,333. Eagle will install the equipment, and there will also be an annual support fee of $299.

Ellis County will own the equipment and be responsible for the upgrades, according to County IT Director Mike Lieker.

Under the agreement, Nex-Tech will handle the broadcast of the Hays City Commission meetings and provide the stream to Eagle for broadcast on its cable system and Eagle will manage the Ellis County Commission meetings and provide the stream to Nex-Tech for broadcast.

County Commission Chair Barb Wasinger asked for the issue to be placed on the agenda and said at Tuesday’s meeting, “I think this is important.”

Wasinger and Commissioner Marcy McClelland were in favor of the proposal but Commissioner Dean Haselhorst was not. With the 2-1 majority, the commission directed county staff to accept the proposal.

In other business, the commission began a discussion regarding employee wage and benefits after opting out the Public Employer-Employee Act (PEERA) at its Dec. 18 meeting.

County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said they will have devote time in 2018 to define how the county will operate without unions starting in 2019.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the commission discussed the role employee input will play.

Wasinger has previously stated she wanted to create a Wage and Benefit Committee to represent county employees.

After discussion, the commission agreed the four bargaining entities should be represented on the committee with between five and seven department heads and department representatives to create a nine of 11 member committee.

Smith-Hanes said he will present the commission’s idea to the county executive team this week and bring their ideas back to the commission in the coming weeks.

The commission also approved the 2018 agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation allowing the county Noxious Weed Department to treat noxious weeds on state highway right-of-ways in Ellis County.

Commissioners also approved a rate increase at the Ellis County landfill (click on image to enlarge) and received a legislative update from Representative Eber Phelps.

TOPEKA – Governor Sam Brownback today named Darian Dernovish as interim Secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and Dr. Greg Lakin as Chief Medical Officer for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment effective January 8th, 2018.

Darian Dernovish will replace the outgoing Secretary, Dr. Susan Mosier, whose resignation becomes effective on Friday, January 5th. Dernovish has served as an attorney at KDHE since 2015. He is the agency’s chief litigator in federal and state court and advises on issues of environmental law, public health, health care finance (including Medicaid) and personnel. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pittsburg State University in 1996, and his Juris Doctorate from Washburn University School of Law in 2002. Before coming to work for KDHE, Dernovish served as Chief Municipal Court Judge for the city of Silver Lake, Kansas. He has also been an Assistant Shawnee County District Attorney as well as Special Assistant to the United States Attorney while working for the Kansas Highway Patrol.

“Darian Dernovish has been very dedicated to KDHE and brings a great deal of leadership and experience to this position as Secretary,” said Governor Sam Brownback, “We are grateful for his willingness to step into this role and serve the people of Kansas.”

“I appreciate this opportunity from Governor Brownback,” Dernovish said. “I look forward to providing steady leadership to this important agency and to further working with the citizens of Kansas.”

Gregory Lakin, D.O., has spent his career working in the field of medicine, caring for people of all age groups as a family practitioner, as well as in emergency medicine, skilled nursing and long-term care, and with patients suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. Lakin currently serves as the Medical Director for Valley Hope Rehabilitation Center, Norton. He received a Juris Doctorate from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College in 1989, followed by a medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1998.

“Dr. Lakin has the perspective of serving as a front line medical provider for the last two decades,” said Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D., “He will be a great addition to our team at KDHE.”

“Healthcare has been my mission in life, and I look forward to bringing what I have learned from my years in the medical field to KDHE,” said Dr. Lakin, “I feel that this new position will provide an opportunity to make a more significant difference in the healthcare of all Kansans.”