By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

VICTORIA — As the city of Victoria gets ready for a new water tower and water system upgrades, a contest to submit a new logo to potentially be placed on the new tower is set to end Friday.

“It is open to anybody,” said Mary Pfeifer, city clerk. “We thought it would be fun to get some different ideas, some new ideas.”

“The tower is a spherical tower and examples can be seen by looking online,” the contest announcement said. “The winning design will be awarded a $50 Visa gift card.”

“I think what they are looking at is something that will go around the top part,” Pfeifer said.

If a new logo is chosen to be put on the tower, it will be sure to become quickly associated with the city of Victoria as it will be highly visible.

“People driving into town will see the water tower and see it from the interstate,” Pfeifer said.

The city council has retained the right to reject all designs.

The new 150,000-gallon water tower is part of a $4.5 million project that will replace a significant portion of the Victoria water system.

Submission can be made in person to the Victoria City Hall or emailed to [email protected].

SALINA —Sherry Dryden, who has spent much of her career working with nonprofit organizations, has been named executive director of the American Red Cross serving central and western Kansas. She will begin in her new role Sept. 9.

“I am excited to welcome Sherry to our team,” said Jill Orton, region executive of the American Red Cross of Kansas, Nebraska and SW Iowa. “Sherry has extensive experience leading nonprofit organizations, which includes building valuable partnerships, recruiting and serving with volunteers, and growing successful fundraising programs, all of which are vital to the Red Cross. Her experience and enthusiasm, along with the fact that central and western Kansas is familiar territory, makes her an ideal fit for this position.”

Dryden has served as the executive director of the United Way of Ellis County since 2015, where she created new fundraising initiatives and developed business programs to support non-profit partner agencies’ professional and business growth. Her last day at the United Ways will be Friday, Sept. 6.

SEE RELATED STORY: Dryden stepping down as United Way director; Berges named interim

Prior to her time with the United Way of Ellis County, she worked with the Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas from 2005 to 2015, starting as the quality assurance coordinator in 2005 before becoming manager of human resources and training in 2008, then director of human resources services in 2012.

 “I am thrilled for the opportunity to work with the wonderful people — volunteers, board members, donors, business partners and Red Cross employees — who make up the central and western Kansas American Red Cross chapter,” Dryden said. “I welcome the chance to work with the Red Cross team in supporting its mission and helping others, and I look forward to applying my experience and education to my new role.”

Dryden received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Fort Hays State and a master’s of management in human resources from the University of Phoenix. She is working on her dissertation to complete her Ph.D. in business management with an emphasis in leadership from Trident University International.

She has spent much of her life in western Kansas, along with 10 years in south-central Kansas. She and her husband, Blaine, have lived in Hays, since they were married. The couple has four children and two grandchildren.

 The central and western Kansas chapter of the Red Cross serves 60 counties with its chapter office located in Salina. Dryden will continue to work from Hays in her new position.

— Submitted

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

NORTON — During a traffic stop in Norton, the Norton Police Department discovered suspected methamphetamine and made an arrest early Tuesday morning.

According to a press release from the department, at around 7:30 a.m., the department conducted the stop in the 100 block of West Main to execute a felony warrant on the driver.

The driver, Robert Brooks, was wanted by the district court on two counts of alleged possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hallucinogenic drug.

A bond for the new charge was set at $100,000.

“The Norton Police Department wants to remind residents that the pursuit of illegal narcotics and the distribution thereof will not be tolerated,” the department said. “This effort will continue aggressively to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.”

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., is scheduled to tour Hess Services, 1789 230th Ave., on Wednesday.

Moran will be joined by more than a dozen local officials, including Hays city commissioners and Ellis County commissioners.

Local, state and federal officials are in the midst of searching for a funding source for the Northwest Business Corridor, a project estimated to cost just less than $16 million. The improved roadway would pass Hess, as well as Midwest Energy’s Goodman Energy Center.

Click HERE for more.

Several Eagle Radio of Hays broadcasters earned honors in the annual Kansas Association of Broadcasters awards contest.

Complete Sportscast
1st place: Dustin Armbruster, KKQY Sports Update

Sports Play-by-Play
1st place: Armbruster and Kurt David, Hays vs. Liberal football
3rd place: Gerard Wellbrock and Armbruster, Fort Hays State women’s basketball vs. Pittsburg State

DJ Personality Aircheck
1st place: Scott Boomer and Mike Holliday, The Bull Morning Show